Friday Feeling

 

All week, you look forward to Friday. The week may be good or bad, but it's always exciting to open your eyes on a Friday morning, feeling groggy and remember that TODAY! Today is Friday! It puts a little pep in my step, knowing that a little extra free time lies ahead.

This weekend I'll be celebrating several birthdays, doing a little bit of wedding dress preparation.

I tell everyone I know, but if you're planning a wedding, skip the hassle in bridesmaid dress shopping and go straight to Alfred Angelo. Their team here in Columbus have been a complete dream.

Tonight we're having dinner at Hofbrauhaus to celebrate Lynn's birthday.

Tomorrow, we're celebrating Holly with a little DIY and wine party!

My other big plans for the weekend are to take my car to the car doctor. I'm working from home today because my car battery has died three times in 24 hours, and it wheezed pathetically at me this morning when I tried to get to work.

I hope you're enjoying this first official day of spring and International Happiness Day! A holiday I've never heard of, but I see no issue with making an excuse to choose happiness!

How Did I Get So Lucky?

Over the weekend, my friend Pam threw a bridal shower with all of the friends from my hometown. The community in which I grew up is one of my favorite places in the world, and the people there are wonderful. The women at this shower were those who have seen me through childhood, high school and college graduations, new jobs, new boyfriends and now are helping to celebrate my next big step into marriage.

It's really special to have so many people rooting for you throughout your life. The guests at this shower are friends- friends of mine, friends of my mother. People whose children I babysat, people who knew me on the day I was born, people who have come into my life along the way. They have led by example on how to be engaging, smart and loyal women. Their children are my friends, and their encouragement (and watchful eyes!) are a huge part of my drive to succeed.

I'm excited to share this time with them, and was so blown away by their generous spirits and enthusiasm for celebrating together. Pam is a skilled hostess and her house looked beautiful! These images from the day are courtesy of my friend Hanna.

It's Really Happening!

Today I took a long lunch from work to meet Mike downtown- time to get our marriage license!

This was the first time I felt a little tinge of anxiety. Not bad anxiety, just a bit of realization that it's really happening. You spend all this time wondering who you'll marry, how they'll propose, what your wedding might be like, and then all of the sudden, you go to probate court, swear you aren't drunk or cousins and it's real.

And I know I'm not alone in this sentiment, but pretty soon I'll be changing my name. Changing my identity. I love being identified with my family, my name is easy to spell and pronounce and it will be weird to be a different version of my same self.

It also feels so raw because Mike picked up my wedding band earlier this week!

In any case, it was a quick process. Everyone at the courthouse was exceptionally helpful, and now we can tie the knot any time we want!

Ballroom

wall mural inside Dance Plus Ballroom

Another cat out of the bag!

When Mike and I announced our engagement, one of the first things my dad wanted to talk about was the father/daughter dance.

"I don't want to get up there and look like a goober," he said. "We should take lessons."

So for Christmas, I gifted him with a certificate for six ballroom dance lessons at Dance Plus Ballroom. This place is a staple in my hometown, having been in the same spot for 30+ years. I remember taking "social dance classes" with them in middle school alongside all of my childhood friends.

One stipulation of the lessons, though, was that we keep it a secret. He didn't want anyone to know about his dancing ignorance, so we spent six weeks this winter sneaking around on Sunday nights to get to and from classes undetected.

While in Louisville, however, he spilled the beans! He told my mom about our lessons, and now I don't have to hold my breath and hope not to give it away.

The instructors are quick paced and thorough. We got a little taste of a several styles, but are definitely best at waltzing. For the record, we're generally not very good. It's a good thing the song we've picked just requires a nice little box step.

One cool thing? They have a bar inside, so you can snag a little beverage to liven up the party!

My Wedding Dress (& J.Lo)

I'm pretended to be a "real" blogger today by posting some thoughts about my upcoming wedding.

About 10 months ago, I purchased a wedding gown. It's lovely, but I've had lots of hesitation about it throughout the months I've waited for a fitting. On Saturday, the seamstress helped envision the dress with a few changes that we discussed, but I'm still having some unpleasant feelings about the dress.

I feel sort of self conscious about it, and I don't think that's the way I want to present myself on May 9th. I'm constantly justifying the dress in the head, and looking dreamily online at all the dresses I'd rather be wearing. I really thought that getting to wear it on Saturday at the fitting would invigorate me and excite me about the gown I have, but it just reinforced that I don't really like it that much...

I've even started thinking about purchasing a new dress. There's time, right? Please tell me there's time??

See a few of my fantasy dresses on pinterest...it sure as heck doesn't help that all those gorgeous Oscar fashions have been flaunted online all week! It's my opinion that Jennifer Lopez was absolutely the best dressed. I thought she looked impossibly beautiful.

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