Please Excuse...

please excuse my crappy layout as i struggle to redesign this thing. i am so close to just purchasing a layout...

This is a test. Can I wake up earlier?

This has been on every goal list, wish list, to do list, new years resolution. I WANT TO WAKE UP EARLIER & HAVE A MORNING. I am going to try & wake up, walk my dog, cook & eat a hot breakfast WITH coffee, shower, dry my hair... etc. Maybe even throw in a workout. I want to be the kind of person who can do that. On the rare occasion that I have, I have had AMAZING, PRODUCTIVE days where I was less stressed, easy to get along with, and happy. I'm doing some research & trying to come up with a game plan so I can get this done.

http://www.howtowakeupearly.com/

1. No snooze
2. Set an alarm for bed time (or "get ready for bed" time)
3. It takes 3 weeks to make a habit
4. Do not rationalize
5. Reward yourself

ok - #1? Dangerous, but might work. I snooze A LOT. Like, I set my alarm for weird times because I factor in the snooze. Maybe just forcing myself to wake up to ONE alarm without giving an option for snooze will get me out of my bed...

#2 - this is a good idea in theory, but it might stress me out. I can just see 10pm coming with an alarm and feeling like I HAVE to get to bed and i HAVE to fall asleep RIGHT NOW... which sounds like it would actually keep me up.

#3 - I will give this project 3 weeks to see if I can actually make this a habit and not just a novelty "ok I will wake up today, but next Monday will be too rough & I will snooze." 3 weeks. Till end of March.

#4 - Hah - this is sooo me. "My hair is fine, I can wear it in a bun today, so I can sleep 15 more minutes..." "I'm not hungry, 10 more minutes & no breakfast..." "I can sleep in & snooze 20 more minutes because..."

#5 - With breakfast - yummy turkey bacon, eggs, english muffin. Special creamer. A new scarf. New earrings. New playlist on ipod.


A Typical Morning (Now)
Alarm. 7am. Snooze. Alarm. 7:05am. Snooze.  Alarm. 7:10am. Snooze. Alarm. 7:15am. Snooze.Alarm. 7:20am. Snooze. Alarm. 7:25am. Snooze.Alarm. 7:30am. Snooze. Alarm. 7:35am. Wakeup. Oh crap, snoozed too long. Grab outfit that isn't the cutest, put on just the basics makeup quickly, pretend my hair looks stylishly messy, yell at the dog to hurry up & pee outside, grab keys, phone, yogurt, coffee, brush teeth, out the door. 8:12am. Whew.

A Typical Morning (In Three Weeks)
Alarm. 6:15am. Open eyes. Get out of bed, make bed. Turn on TV to morning shows. Throw on sneakers & sweatshirt. Brisk walk with dog outside. Come back in, jump in shower. Wash hair, shave legs. Come out of shower, make & eat breakfast (mmm turkey bacon). Drink coffee while watching morning show. Get dressed, do makeup, blow dry hair. Brush teeth. Grab lunch, big lemon water, keys. Out the door at 8:05am. Sigh. Smile.

tea time.

Marriage.

Updates

Oh heeeeeey there! :-) Here is a shot from our "save the date" photo shoot that my mom took. This isn't the one we chose for save the dates, but it was a favorite of ours!
We've gotten a lot done recently, which makes everything feel that much closer! I can't wait to share everything with our family & friends. One of the things I look forward to most is all of my beantown friends meeting our Nebraska friends - I am really excited for the Nebraskans to have a Boston trip!

Honeymoon - booked, we are going to Aruba! SO excited. We did this fun thing called a honeyfund where we researched things we wanted to do on our honeymoon and registered for them! It got us really excited for a week of paradise :-) Can't wait!

Invites - ordered! They are lovely. Teared up when choosing the text :-)

Crafts - begun. I don't want to spoil everything, but Meg, Dana & I have been attempting this.....

Bridesmaid dresses - chosen! I think I want to keep them a surprise for a bit longer on here... but I will give you a hint: cowboy boots.

Wedding bands - we ordered Tyler's & got it engraved - we got it via an amazing deal on www.veryjane.com - its an adorable deal site unlike ANY other you've seen - promise.

I swear I will sit down and write more soon. I get a bit overwhelmed when I do too many wedding-related things in one weekend, so i think I need a breather, and then I'll be back.

Be sure to check out my wedding board on pinterest for lots of fun ideas I'm thinking of... :-)

Zest.

Please read this blog - and remember

"There is reason for everyone to be unhappy. There is reason for everyone to be happy. What's your focus? You can look at this big picture or small picture; it works both ways. Heading to a beach sunset even when you don't feel like it. Pulling the craft bin out in search of glitter, knowing it will make a huge mess.
My point? You cannot wait for Life to come to you. You have to go get it--pursue it in a wild, passionate chase that includes the foreboding depths of challenge and heartache just as much as the ecstacy of triumph and success. You have to want it bad enough to seek it not only when things are rough and the pursuit of it brings the hope of change, but when things are comfortable and easy, and the quest for more living--more purposeful awareness--might even make you scared. It is in that fear--that breathtaking exhileration of "What If?"--that you rise to the occassion.

You step out of your comfort zone and experience the thrill of taking risks and the possibility of believing that, sure, things might be good, but if you stretched a little further, they might be great. I want to know great. And I will work hard to find it."

Thank you, Kelle, for your honesty, bravery & joy. 

234 Days...

And my skin is CRAWLING with excitement. There is so much to do, and I want to do it all NOW. I seriously pray I am not driving people crazy. But I am just basking in this feeling of not being worried or anxious, of just being EXCITED that there is a huge party coming up with all of my family & friends that celebrates what I most thankful for - getting to spend the rest of my life married to my best friend.

I am such a cheeseball.


Check out here to see all thoughts/ideas/"to-do"s.

Some updates...

• save the dates go out TODAY!
• DJ booked (but you already knew that) - but they are also going to be our videographers!
• Photographers BOOKED! We are over the moon to have huband & wife team The Hinkleys photograph our wedding. They are adorable - and originally from Nebraska! How cool is that?
• HONEYMOON booked - WOW. More on that later...
• Beepa (my grandfather) will be the one marrying us. :-)

and there is lots more, but I'll save that for another time.