Jumping off buildings

There was no hesitation when the question was asked. The opportunity to rappel off the hotel where I work doesn't come that often. Once a year actually, it comes every spring as a fundraiser for The Special Olympics.

The decision may have been easy but I still spent the night prior tossing and turning with wind nightmares. My subconscious self worrying about it being windy, yet not a single dream about falling to my death.

The whole process is lengthy. You get the harnesses, and they talk to you, they take you to the top, and they talk to you, you do a practice run, and they talk to you. By the time I was standing on the edge I was already fond of the view and the height.

My coworker Carly went with me, we giggled and coached each other down. Every few feet I would look around enjoying the city I adore, then I would feel like fainting and would stare at my feet that were pretending to walk along the bricks.

Everyone asked me if I was scared. Of course! But fear has rarely stopped me and I've always regretted when it has.

Over Inspired

There are a dozen wedding blogs that I've read religiously for a-hem three years a-hem. All that "reading" set me up for what I thought would be the easiest wedding planning. Not true. Instead I'm stuffed to the brim with all the inspiration I have squirreled away. Of course what I want is a simple rustic wedding, or I mean a frilly vintage wedding, or maybe what I'm trying to say is a classy but modern wedding...

Ugh

So a couple weeks ago I decided to stop avoiding the wedding, which I found was the easiest way to deal, and make a decision. Mark and I have an old childrens fairy tale book with fantastic illustrations. Our save the dates were based on an illustration from the book and it made the most sense to base everything else off of it as well. I went fabric shopping for one of my big DIY wedding projects and found the perfect blue printed cotton.

I'm starting to get really excited.

What a life

Yesterday I came home to a spic and span house (not at all how I left it), a hot delicious dinner, and a beautiful sunset.

Thanks Mark!

Some cool ladies

Last weekend was spent cozied up in a cabin with 16 other awesome ladies. There was cave hiking, and hot tub confessions, and night time zip lining. Also talents shows, arm wrestling tournaments, and large quantities of fried eggs.

I can't recommend enough schlepping your friends into a cabin in the middle of winter for Girl Camp. My sense of feminine-awesomeness was rejuvenated. Never underestimate us.

To plan a wedding

My job is to convince brides that an all inclusive package where "we" take care of everything (i.e. the linens, the set-up, the food, the bar, the lighting, the tear down) is the bee's knees. You even get an event coordinator to walk you through everything. And it's easy for me to sell because I really believe that it's the best way to go.

And then there is my wedding. It could not be more opposite. I had to talk myself off the Do-Your-Own-Catering Cliff, but besides that we are really doing pretty much everything. In the beginning I felt like a bride-champion quickly knocking out the major elements without a second thought (inspired by Evie). But now it's getting down to the details. What exactly do we want our invitations to say? How am I going to actually alter my dress? Where do we really want our guests to stay?

I was once among the niave brides that actually spewed the words "laid back, diy wedding" together. It only took a couple of my dearest friends and their DIY weddings to bring me out of that denial coma. DIY weddings are laborious, mind-numbing, undertakings. But I honestly can not imagine doing it any other way. And so I spent my weekend tediously drawing out blades of grass on my Wacom tablet for our save-the-dates.

It turned out beautiful and is exactly what we wanted.

4 Season Room

My body has a constant case of the excitement shivers these days. My bestest is getting married this weekend!!, I'm starting my new job, and Mark and I just signed a lease on our awesome new abode.

I've been searching for a two bedroom on Craigslist for WEEKS now, and finally stumbled upon this gorgeous place when I lowered my expectation to a one bedroom. The "3 season room", called that because it doesn't technically have a heat vent for winter, is going to make the most amazing office. And it will be furnished with a space heater for extra chilly days, therefore rendering it our 4 season room. To make the place even cuter. our bedroom is up a windy set of stairs in the attic. I'm too excited to not post these terrible photo's. Nicer photo's to come.

Also this poem by Evie is so lovely that it hurts.

so much good news

My lovely little ring that Mark got me along with more news.

The time has come to move out of our quaint house and downsize into a hopefully quainter apartment. Just the thought of editing our possessions and decorating a new home makes me giddy. I'm turning in an application on a place today (fingers crossed).

I also received an amazing new position at the hotel where I work and I feel like my career is headed in an exciting new direction.

So to top off all this wonderful news, I am starting a new blog. This one will continue as is but I have felt for a while that this is very much a personal blog and I don't want to weigh it down with tutorials and art endeavors. The new blog will be dedicated to those things and it will debut on May 1st.

Four Years

of hanging out with this guy.

p.s. This picture was taken four years ago. Don't we look like yougins?!

I heart Columbus - PechaKucha

Defined by the ever reliable Wikipedia: "Pecha Kucha Night events consist of around a dozen presentations, each presenter having 20 slides, each shown for 20 seconds. Each presenter has just 6 minutes 40 seconds to explain their ideas before the next presenter takes the stage. Conceived as a venue through which young designers could meet, show their work, exchange ideas, and network, the format keeps presentations concise, fast-paced and entertaining."

Last night I attended Columbus' 14th PechaKucha. It consisted mostly of presenters speaking passionately about different aspects of Columbus, calling us all to care a little more. The air vibrated with the intense patriotism that Columbusites have towards their homeland and I was reminded once again why I have chosen this city.

Camp 2010 - Scenes from the week

I feel pangs in my heart every time I'm up here, like running into your first crush years later. I'm so in love with the quiet here, the friendly neighborhoods, the kind hard working residents, and the quaint homes. Because I have been removed from this type of calm for so long I am able to find just as much excitement in the rushing streams as the city nightlife and just as much pleasure in sugar pea's off of the vine as a fancy restaurant. I know that without living in the big city and the not so big city I would still take it for granted. I am lucky. I have been able to experience so many worlds. The one where my family is will always be my favorite.

p.s. the cute photo of the two little girls is my aunts, we are a family of great photographers ;)

Forgetful me

Every time I come home from camp I realize that I forgot something. One year I went straight from camp to band camp and realized once there that my flute was still in New York. I have always been forgetful. I lose the most important things and forget to take the most necessary. So this year I forgot my camera. ughhh. How am I suppose to blog without a camera? Well hopefully it will be back soon but in the mean time my blog will be slow going and/or filled with other peoples pictures.

I'M BACK!!!

for good now. I quit one of my jobs and transfered hotels. Life is great. I work downtown and love the faster pace of my job. I also love working a normalish set of hours and actually having two days off a week. So I'll be blogging waaaaaay more now and may even have time to stop and say hello in person :)

Birthday Garden Party

"Michelle I will BUY you a cake", "No, Sara you don't understand. The lemond curd crepe cake was the WHOLE inspiration for my party." and so we stayed up until 1:30 a.m. making the darn cake and it was so worth it.

The party was lovely and lots of fun (thank you to whomever took these pictures). More importantly this birthday opened my eyes to how fortunate I am. I was showered by friends and family with food and gifts and compliments. I am so grateful and a little shocked. I worry often about working my life away and not spending enough time with these wonderful people. And they continue to be wonderful despite of it. This year I will slow down and reciprocate.

05.06.10

1:36 p.m. best yard ever.

Grill

The world we live in is amazing. Things can happen so much faster with all of the technology we have. One day you can casually mention to your father that you would like a grill, the next morning (or maybe even that night) he can order it on the interweb and the next day BAM, it's on your front porch. Amazing. Now if we could only invent something to pound nails and screws in so that we didn't have to use rocks.