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Offbeat Bride feature
Dec. 28th, 2009 09:04 amCheck it out, the feature interview with Offbeat Bride is up!
Favorite Wedding Pictures, part 2
Dec. 7th, 2009 06:15 pmOoops! I was reminded that I never did post my favorite wedding pictures, part 2. I have been swamped lately, sorry. I still need to get back to ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
autumncat with the ones we want as prints. Must wrangle J to do that ASAP.
Decorum? What's That?
Photo byautumncat
( More shiny. )
autumncat with the ones we want as prints. Must wrangle J to do that ASAP.Decorum? What's That?
Photo by
autumncat( More shiny. )
We made Offbeat Bride!
Oct. 26th, 2009 09:22 pmHoly crap! Thanks to a heads up from thebratqueen, I just found out that Jason & I were featured on Offbeat Bride. We didn't even submit a questionnaire or anything!
WOW!
thebratqueen, I just found out that Jason & I were featured on Offbeat Bride. We didn't even submit a questionnaire or anything!WOW!
Wedding Pics Teaser!
Oct. 20th, 2009 11:58 amAll photos by John Kelbel-- one of our guests. When I get the pics back, I will put the good ones up on Flickr (& some on Facebook, too), sorted between official photos and guest photos. So if you have guest photos, send 'em my way!
( This is what happens when you kiss a girl in lipstick. )
( This is what happens when you kiss a girl in lipstick. )
Wedding aftermath & kitty pics
Oct. 19th, 2009 07:20 pmYesterday morning, the house was in complete shambles. Disorganized wedding detritus everywhere, mud all over the kitchen and front entrance, the kitchen sink full, piles of dirty garb in the corners, the tub dyed yellow and caked with mud from our skirts... basically, you couldn't walk anywhere and everything was filthy.
Commence Virgo Freakout.
The first thing we did was hit up Target. We culled all the wedding gift certificate and bought Mr. Clean Magic Erasers, Drano, Swiffer refills, and a new and better broom & dustpan set. We also picked up some home essentials that we hadn't received from our registry: we are now in possession of two wonderful Asian-style lamps that look fantastic in the living room.
Over the course of the last 36 hours, we have completely turned the tide on the post-wedding disaster zone. The bathroom is now sparkly white, the kitchen is clean and tidy, wedding leftovers have been sorted between keepables and returnables, laundry is being managed, leftover food has been transferred to tupperware, gifts are tidily stacked and pending assimilation, and we've produced a MASSIVE amount of handily-disposed trashbags and recyclables. I just did the finishing touch of vacuuming the joint.
Sigh. Of. Relief.
I mean, there's very likely a week or so until extra reception stuff is properly returned and gifts are properly unpacked, but the house is totally livable and even cozy! We've redone the bed with one of the two new sets of sheets we got (Gingko ones now and we also received super comfy green stripe ones). We're planning on hanging wall sconces and pictures just as soon as our wedding photos come back. But this place now genuinely feels like a home. This is the life, I say.
Tomorrow: starting thank you notes and taking the girls to see Dr Z. Packing orders to be shipped out. Getting business back to normal.
( A few little decor pics. )
Bonus kitty pics!
Mim is out cold. She's quite an unusual cat.
( Kitty pics. )
No wedding pics yet! They'll come soon enough. I'm all excited-like.
Commence Virgo Freakout.
The first thing we did was hit up Target. We culled all the wedding gift certificate and bought Mr. Clean Magic Erasers, Drano, Swiffer refills, and a new and better broom & dustpan set. We also picked up some home essentials that we hadn't received from our registry: we are now in possession of two wonderful Asian-style lamps that look fantastic in the living room.
Over the course of the last 36 hours, we have completely turned the tide on the post-wedding disaster zone. The bathroom is now sparkly white, the kitchen is clean and tidy, wedding leftovers have been sorted between keepables and returnables, laundry is being managed, leftover food has been transferred to tupperware, gifts are tidily stacked and pending assimilation, and we've produced a MASSIVE amount of handily-disposed trashbags and recyclables. I just did the finishing touch of vacuuming the joint.
Sigh. Of. Relief.
I mean, there's very likely a week or so until extra reception stuff is properly returned and gifts are properly unpacked, but the house is totally livable and even cozy! We've redone the bed with one of the two new sets of sheets we got (Gingko ones now and we also received super comfy green stripe ones). We're planning on hanging wall sconces and pictures just as soon as our wedding photos come back. But this place now genuinely feels like a home. This is the life, I say.
Tomorrow: starting thank you notes and taking the girls to see Dr Z. Packing orders to be shipped out. Getting business back to normal.
( A few little decor pics. )
Bonus kitty pics!
Mim is out cold. She's quite an unusual cat.
( Kitty pics. )
No wedding pics yet! They'll come soon enough. I'm all excited-like.
The wedding: it happened!
Oct. 18th, 2009 12:44 pmIn short-- likely more thoughts and pics (LOTS of pics) to come later.
( The Preshow. )
( The Ceremony. )
( The Vows. )
( The Interim. )
( The Reception. )
( The Aftermath. )
( The Preshow. )
( The Ceremony. )
( The Vows. )
( The Interim. )
( The Reception. )
( The Aftermath. )
Homestretch!
Oct. 12th, 2009 09:15 amFive days left 'til wedding. Am both excited and stressed out. J & I spent most of yesterday doing wedding-related things: picking up the wine, buying more decor, getting all the sodas. Tonight, we are getting the tableware. That leaves us with picking up the keg, writing vows and making a dinner mix left to do. That should not at all be hard, and awesome Kevin who is awesome is making us a dancefloor mix (recycled from his wedding, I should think, but I approve of his taste in music).
Wednesday, Flissy is doing a run-through with me so I can figure out what I'm doing with my hair. I suspect it will be similar to this icon... all the other flowers I have are more muted in color and might not stand out. But I did get a tikka to wear in my hair, and I need practice on how to actually put it on.
So far, Saturday is looking mostly sunny-- a little chilly at barely 60 degrees, but not rainy. I will take that.
...trying to type. Mim busy purring forcefully and molesting my face...
My un-bachelorette party was fun this weekend. There was a LOT of food. Shrimp, really delish stuffed chicken (want recipe), spanikopita, quiche (both of which I had for lunch yesterday), cake (topped with penises), fudge, handmade chocolates, pita, hummus... I was stuffed. ( Scandalous! )Anyhow, thank you to Ariel & Anna for organizing (even if y'all did make me wear the blinky crown & sash) and to my girls who attended.
With that... today I have SO MUCH TO DO. Adieu!
Wednesday, Flissy is doing a run-through with me so I can figure out what I'm doing with my hair. I suspect it will be similar to this icon... all the other flowers I have are more muted in color and might not stand out. But I did get a tikka to wear in my hair, and I need practice on how to actually put it on.
So far, Saturday is looking mostly sunny-- a little chilly at barely 60 degrees, but not rainy. I will take that.
...trying to type. Mim busy purring forcefully and molesting my face...
My un-bachelorette party was fun this weekend. There was a LOT of food. Shrimp, really delish stuffed chicken (want recipe), spanikopita, quiche (both of which I had for lunch yesterday), cake (topped with penises), fudge, handmade chocolates, pita, hummus... I was stuffed. ( Scandalous! )Anyhow, thank you to Ariel & Anna for organizing (even if y'all did make me wear the blinky crown & sash) and to my girls who attended.
With that... today I have SO MUCH TO DO. Adieu!
So, Olive is doing a little better. She's slightly more active (this includes keeping momma and daddy up all night trying to nuzzle out faces with her eyeboogers-- my eyes, they are bloodshot from not sleeping). She's eating and drinking fine. Her right eye is slightly wall-eyed, but otherwise a normal color. Her left eye is red and wall-eyed, but not swollen shut any more. The meds are working, and we'll likely start seeing daily improvement.
Well, the virus went through Mim and Olive now, so it stands to reason Nox was next. He's been really lethargic and not eating his full portion (usually he's the cat that finishes his own food and then pushes his sisters out of the way to get at theirs). He has no interest in playing and seems to be running a slight fever off and on. Typical "kitty fighting off infection" behavior. Since we can't quarantine him, too, he's getting extra wet food warmed with extra water, and we turned on the heat so he stays comfortable (our apartment just started getting chilly).
J & I have already paid out several hundred dollars in vet bills so far in the last 30 days, and we have at least one more visit to go (Mim's booster shots)-- two if Nox gets sick. I am going to have a kitten-benefiting sale in my shop shortly that will extend to the next update (hopefully Saturday or Sunday). Pimpage of this would be super, super appreciated.
As far as wedding planning goes-- we wrote the first draft of the ceremony yesterday, and we'll cement that down this week. Then for vows. There's a lot going on at the Page residence.
Well, the virus went through Mim and Olive now, so it stands to reason Nox was next. He's been really lethargic and not eating his full portion (usually he's the cat that finishes his own food and then pushes his sisters out of the way to get at theirs). He has no interest in playing and seems to be running a slight fever off and on. Typical "kitty fighting off infection" behavior. Since we can't quarantine him, too, he's getting extra wet food warmed with extra water, and we turned on the heat so he stays comfortable (our apartment just started getting chilly).
J & I have already paid out several hundred dollars in vet bills so far in the last 30 days, and we have at least one more visit to go (Mim's booster shots)-- two if Nox gets sick. I am going to have a kitten-benefiting sale in my shop shortly that will extend to the next update (hopefully Saturday or Sunday). Pimpage of this would be super, super appreciated.
As far as wedding planning goes-- we wrote the first draft of the ceremony yesterday, and we'll cement that down this week. Then for vows. There's a lot going on at the Page residence.
New spotlight at the work blog!
Sep. 23rd, 2009 01:43 pmIf you want to see the AMAZING job that April of Gardens of Whimsy did on my wedding bouquet, hie yourself over to the work blog...
http://sihayadesigns.blogspot.com
Though it meant turning down some social time with a beloved friend, I am glad that I stuck to my plan of staying in today. Jason had gotten back on a crazy work schedule-- staying as late as 11:30pm and, on Friday, he got home at 2am (!). I had started to think that I was actually married to Jon Stewart, 'cause lord knows I see him more often. So we definitely needed some together time to work on some plans. To cook for each other and eat at the same table. To have more in-depth conversations than "hi honey" before one or both of us fell asleep.
We've spent the last two days doing some much-needed apartment work-- unpacking lingering boxes, cleaning, etc. After a joint effort, there are precious few things on our list left to do-- two more loads of laundry, finding a place for overflow crafts, a trip to Goodwill for the massive boxes still in our living room-- but as it stands, everything else is clean and folded and wiped down and vacuumed and scooped and put away. Our inner Virgos are much relieved. We're still waiting on our sofa, which was a special order color, so it's taking extra long. And we still have to get dining room chairs out of storage. But beyond that? I am ready to grab a few buckets of paint and add some color. That will likely wait until after the wedding party, though.
And, as a bonus, Jason took two days off next week to help finish off wedding plans and relax. Which is great! I think the only things left to do are to purchase table coverings, paper/plastic silverware (because a fancy, formal shindig it ain't), figure out decorations, and talk over ceremony particulars with an officiant. Last week, we hired a great photographer who I'm sure will be worth every penny. She has a great talent for catching people in their best light-- capturing who they are more than just what they look like. So that's good! Food is decided on. Our caterer is the chef of Desert Cafe, and he's absolutely awesome. We have our clothes. So most of the stressful stuff is done. Other than writing vows. That's gonna be a tricky business. I mean, sure, we're already married and have done the civil vow thing. But these are for our friends and family to witness, so they need to be thoughtful and warm and memorable. I'm much better at flippant.
In the next few days: there will be hiking. I would like to tone up before pictures are taken of me that will be hung on the wall forever. Wherein my belly will be showing. And it's currently just a little softer than I'd like, personally-- I'm inching towards the higher end of my BMI out of sheer inactivity. Many hours spent at a desk, not enough getting exercise. I have almost six weeks to get into a regimen of daily walks, weekly hikes, less carb-focused meals, and smarter snacking. Considering I don't want a dramatic change, that should be doable.
We've spent the last two days doing some much-needed apartment work-- unpacking lingering boxes, cleaning, etc. After a joint effort, there are precious few things on our list left to do-- two more loads of laundry, finding a place for overflow crafts, a trip to Goodwill for the massive boxes still in our living room-- but as it stands, everything else is clean and folded and wiped down and vacuumed and scooped and put away. Our inner Virgos are much relieved. We're still waiting on our sofa, which was a special order color, so it's taking extra long. And we still have to get dining room chairs out of storage. But beyond that? I am ready to grab a few buckets of paint and add some color. That will likely wait until after the wedding party, though.
And, as a bonus, Jason took two days off next week to help finish off wedding plans and relax. Which is great! I think the only things left to do are to purchase table coverings, paper/plastic silverware (because a fancy, formal shindig it ain't), figure out decorations, and talk over ceremony particulars with an officiant. Last week, we hired a great photographer who I'm sure will be worth every penny. She has a great talent for catching people in their best light-- capturing who they are more than just what they look like. So that's good! Food is decided on. Our caterer is the chef of Desert Cafe, and he's absolutely awesome. We have our clothes. So most of the stressful stuff is done. Other than writing vows. That's gonna be a tricky business. I mean, sure, we're already married and have done the civil vow thing. But these are for our friends and family to witness, so they need to be thoughtful and warm and memorable. I'm much better at flippant.
In the next few days: there will be hiking. I would like to tone up before pictures are taken of me that will be hung on the wall forever. Wherein my belly will be showing. And it's currently just a little softer than I'd like, personally-- I'm inching towards the higher end of my BMI out of sheer inactivity. Many hours spent at a desk, not enough getting exercise. I have almost six weeks to get into a regimen of daily walks, weekly hikes, less carb-focused meals, and smarter snacking. Considering I don't want a dramatic change, that should be doable.
Civil ceremony pics plus some randoms
Aug. 27th, 2009 04:44 pmI was able to finagle the power cord from a dead lappy with photoshop just long enough to bring you these!
J & I had our civil ceremony this morning. We are now officially wifey & hubbins. It was kind of an interesting ride. Up until 11pm last night, Jason had NO idea where his dress shoes were, and when he had his 'aha' moment, he had to drive to work to pick them up. Luckily, he has a key. I haaaaated the ginger hair, so I picked up another box for a quick correct-- it said "true red" and the model on the box looked pretty natural. Which of course means it turned out GLOW IN THE DARK red on me. Ah well, what are you gonna do? You smile and pray it washes out eventually. Also, the guard at the courthouse played a little prank on us and told us that no ceremonies were performed on Thursdays. And you guys, when a stony-faced policeman tells me something with authority, I tend to believe him, you know? He clued us in on the joke as I was contemplating tears. But alas-- the actual ceremony (attended by our parents and my brother) was quick and smooth, what with me sticking my tongue out at Jason when the officiant got to the bit about marriage being a solemn and serious institution. Afterwards, we went out to Crepe de Jour, where our parents talked foooorreeeeevvvveeeer-- at least they get along! And then we went to talk to our caterer who happened to be next door at Desert Cafe. So, eventful morning!
The kiss!
( More! )
Also, a couple of random pics and vids of us & the kitties from the past week!
( Randoms! )
J & I had our civil ceremony this morning. We are now officially wifey & hubbins. It was kind of an interesting ride. Up until 11pm last night, Jason had NO idea where his dress shoes were, and when he had his 'aha' moment, he had to drive to work to pick them up. Luckily, he has a key. I haaaaated the ginger hair, so I picked up another box for a quick correct-- it said "true red" and the model on the box looked pretty natural. Which of course means it turned out GLOW IN THE DARK red on me. Ah well, what are you gonna do? You smile and pray it washes out eventually. Also, the guard at the courthouse played a little prank on us and told us that no ceremonies were performed on Thursdays. And you guys, when a stony-faced policeman tells me something with authority, I tend to believe him, you know? He clued us in on the joke as I was contemplating tears. But alas-- the actual ceremony (attended by our parents and my brother) was quick and smooth, what with me sticking my tongue out at Jason when the officiant got to the bit about marriage being a solemn and serious institution. Afterwards, we went out to Crepe de Jour, where our parents talked foooorreeeeevvvveeeer-- at least they get along! And then we went to talk to our caterer who happened to be next door at Desert Cafe. So, eventful morning!
The kiss!
( More! )
Also, a couple of random pics and vids of us & the kitties from the past week!
( Randoms! )
Intarwebs, sweet intarwebs. Comcast guy just left-- and he was probably the nicest, most professional representative I've seen from them, so that somewhat assuaged my irritation at nearing five internetless days. Grah.
Short news:
-- Guess the gemstone results are now up at the work blog.
-- Nox can jump like 4 feet straight up. No joke. He is also now about a pound and a half bigger than Olive-- he put his weight back on really quickly and looks like an entirely different cat.
-- Jason is working crazy again. It is making wedding planning very hard. But we did spend five hours in Starbucks on Sunday hashing through things.
-- Oh, btw, I have a marriage license and will be a Mrs. officially by the end of the week.
-- Starting to work on Halloween stuff. Also more amber stuff.
-- Finished re-sewing my black dance bra. Looks really nice, and I love the cross straps.
-- Faire this weekend, omg faire this weekend.
-- Saw Inglourious Basterds. History fail and all, but all the things I usually don't like about Tarantino flicks were pretty muted. The guy who played the SS officer stole the whole damn movie, IMHO. Best villain I've seen in a long, long while.
-- Went to Charm City tribal Saturday night and saw Lilam perform, as well as The Goddess Lisa Zahiya ('cause damn), and my first two teachers, Kumari and Bastet.lapinetrose did a beautiful pregnant solo to The Medieval Baebes' "The Snake," and I sang along like a dork. During open dancing, noralita grabbed marinatempest and I to dance, and despite not knowing some of the cues to some of Kallisti's moves, I faked okay. :) But I really, really enjoy group dancing, and am working towards broadening my ATS vocabulary so I can do it more often.
-- Been working on the BOS. It's so calming.
Short news:
-- Guess the gemstone results are now up at the work blog.
-- Nox can jump like 4 feet straight up. No joke. He is also now about a pound and a half bigger than Olive-- he put his weight back on really quickly and looks like an entirely different cat.
-- Jason is working crazy again. It is making wedding planning very hard. But we did spend five hours in Starbucks on Sunday hashing through things.
-- Oh, btw, I have a marriage license and will be a Mrs. officially by the end of the week.
-- Starting to work on Halloween stuff. Also more amber stuff.
-- Finished re-sewing my black dance bra. Looks really nice, and I love the cross straps.
-- Faire this weekend, omg faire this weekend.
-- Saw Inglourious Basterds. History fail and all, but all the things I usually don't like about Tarantino flicks were pretty muted. The guy who played the SS officer stole the whole damn movie, IMHO. Best villain I've seen in a long, long while.
-- Went to Charm City tribal Saturday night and saw Lilam perform, as well as The Goddess Lisa Zahiya ('cause damn), and my first two teachers, Kumari and Bastet.
lapinetrose did a beautiful pregnant solo to The Medieval Baebes' "The Snake," and I sang along like a dork. During open dancing, noralita grabbed marinatempest and I to dance, and despite not knowing some of the cues to some of Kallisti's moves, I faked okay. :) But I really, really enjoy group dancing, and am working towards broadening my ATS vocabulary so I can do it more often.-- Been working on the BOS. It's so calming.
Quick thoughts:
Aug. 21st, 2009 11:39 am-- tooooo busy. Good busy, but also way stressed.
-- Started writing in my BOS last night. Got part 1 of 8 completed. Granted, it was the shortest part, but still.
-- Have much sewing (and likely, much cursing) to do.
-- Have lots of hessonite garnet in my hands.
-- Am likely getting the legal part of the marriage done next week. Jason is taking off a few days next week because work has been crazy for him again (going in at 6am, getting home late), so we're using it as super wedding planning time. We figured we might as well get the civil/legal stuff done, too, since I have to get a bunch of tests next month and insurance will be helpful. If you see me at faire, I'll likely already be a Mrs! But I'm not legally changing my name until after the wedding in October. Acknowledgment of family and friends and all that.
-- God, I need a haircut.
-- The fact that some people will translate "I tend to value POC experiences over my own in discussions of racism" into "white people should always defer to POC in all matters moral, religious, and practical all the time, even if the POC person is being prejudiced" boggles my mind. I actually had a (white) dude call me racist today for my stance on valuing POC experience, because he translated it thusly. Apparently having one's dominant paradigm challenged short-circuits the brain.
-- So hot in Baltimore. I actually turned the air conditioning on today. And I have to go outside. MELLLLLLT.
-- Started writing in my BOS last night. Got part 1 of 8 completed. Granted, it was the shortest part, but still.
-- Have much sewing (and likely, much cursing) to do.
-- Have lots of hessonite garnet in my hands.
-- Am likely getting the legal part of the marriage done next week. Jason is taking off a few days next week because work has been crazy for him again (going in at 6am, getting home late), so we're using it as super wedding planning time. We figured we might as well get the civil/legal stuff done, too, since I have to get a bunch of tests next month and insurance will be helpful. If you see me at faire, I'll likely already be a Mrs! But I'm not legally changing my name until after the wedding in October. Acknowledgment of family and friends and all that.
-- God, I need a haircut.
-- The fact that some people will translate "I tend to value POC experiences over my own in discussions of racism" into "white people should always defer to POC in all matters moral, religious, and practical all the time, even if the POC person is being prejudiced" boggles my mind. I actually had a (white) dude call me racist today for my stance on valuing POC experience, because he translated it thusly. Apparently having one's dominant paradigm challenged short-circuits the brain.
-- So hot in Baltimore. I actually turned the air conditioning on today. And I have to go outside. MELLLLLLT.
The witch now has a proper black cat!
Aug. 1st, 2009 06:16 pm...and we are soliciting names.
The story: J and I got up this morning to head to get crepes for breakfast. We stopped at the French place in Mt. Washington, and got a crepe with mozzarella, pesto, tomato, and prosciutto, another one with lemon and sugar, and also some gazpacho. TRIPLE YUM. The creperie was pretty close to the salon where our stylist, Tim, works, so J ran in to book a cut, and lo, it was Tim's last day at that salon (he's moving to Hampden). So J got a cut, and and stopped at Somethin' Else to see if I could find a dress to wear on courthouse wedding day. I went through and tried on a buncha white and summer dresses, which all looked putrid on me because white makes me look dead. The woman at the store passed me a long royal purple maxi-dress in a batik print on a hunch, and it fit like a glove AND made me look quite slender. The only issue is it'll need a few modesty stitches in the bust, but otherwise, I love it and can wear it to other fancy summer/fall events. Score.
Because we were later than planned making it to the Falls Road MD SPCA shelter, the little boy we'd had our eye on from the website was already scooped. As was our second choice, a very vocal, attention-grabbing boy named Hiro. Though we saw a few "maybes" at that shelter, there wasn't anybody else that said "hi, I am your fuzzy son," so we went to the BARCS shelter on Stockholm street.
There were three cat rooms there and the vast majority of the kittens were still nursing and too young to adopt (though one little calico runt of five weeks was trying!). We saw a few maybes-- a pair of black and white tuxedos, a brother set of two grays, and a little calico named Hugo-- but then my eyes fell upon a four month old kitten named Foster. Somebody found him abandoned in a garage, with a shaved tail that's thiiiiin and bald in a few spots. Skinny as a whip, but as soon as I said "hi little guy!" he was up and pawing at my finger. I asked to pick him up and it was all over-- immediate purring, rubbing his cheeks all over our faces, the works. He was all ours, giant bat ears and all.
He's so tame, he let us trim his nails tonight, because his big 'ol claws were QUITE sharp, and he keeps pawing my face in that lovey "THANK YOU OH GODS THANK YOU" sort of way. He's already cuddling up to me and marking me his territory. A very affectionate cat.
We're keeping him totally separate from Olive for a week for two reasons-- he goes in for neuter on Monday night (and we can pick him up Wednesday morning). Also, he has a cold and is sneezing a bunch. The adoption counselor said that's probably just from being stressed and in the kennel, but he might need some amoxycillin in a week or so. Olive caught a quick glimpse of him and was more intrigued than annoyed, so that's a good sign.
He's sleeping in my lap right now.
Anyhow: proper black cat names-- I need them!
( Videos of the new kitty! )
The story: J and I got up this morning to head to get crepes for breakfast. We stopped at the French place in Mt. Washington, and got a crepe with mozzarella, pesto, tomato, and prosciutto, another one with lemon and sugar, and also some gazpacho. TRIPLE YUM. The creperie was pretty close to the salon where our stylist, Tim, works, so J ran in to book a cut, and lo, it was Tim's last day at that salon (he's moving to Hampden). So J got a cut, and and stopped at Somethin' Else to see if I could find a dress to wear on courthouse wedding day. I went through and tried on a buncha white and summer dresses, which all looked putrid on me because white makes me look dead. The woman at the store passed me a long royal purple maxi-dress in a batik print on a hunch, and it fit like a glove AND made me look quite slender. The only issue is it'll need a few modesty stitches in the bust, but otherwise, I love it and can wear it to other fancy summer/fall events. Score.
Because we were later than planned making it to the Falls Road MD SPCA shelter, the little boy we'd had our eye on from the website was already scooped. As was our second choice, a very vocal, attention-grabbing boy named Hiro. Though we saw a few "maybes" at that shelter, there wasn't anybody else that said "hi, I am your fuzzy son," so we went to the BARCS shelter on Stockholm street.
There were three cat rooms there and the vast majority of the kittens were still nursing and too young to adopt (though one little calico runt of five weeks was trying!). We saw a few maybes-- a pair of black and white tuxedos, a brother set of two grays, and a little calico named Hugo-- but then my eyes fell upon a four month old kitten named Foster. Somebody found him abandoned in a garage, with a shaved tail that's thiiiiin and bald in a few spots. Skinny as a whip, but as soon as I said "hi little guy!" he was up and pawing at my finger. I asked to pick him up and it was all over-- immediate purring, rubbing his cheeks all over our faces, the works. He was all ours, giant bat ears and all.
He's so tame, he let us trim his nails tonight, because his big 'ol claws were QUITE sharp, and he keeps pawing my face in that lovey "THANK YOU OH GODS THANK YOU" sort of way. He's already cuddling up to me and marking me his territory. A very affectionate cat.
We're keeping him totally separate from Olive for a week for two reasons-- he goes in for neuter on Monday night (and we can pick him up Wednesday morning). Also, he has a cold and is sneezing a bunch. The adoption counselor said that's probably just from being stressed and in the kennel, but he might need some amoxycillin in a week or so. Olive caught a quick glimpse of him and was more intrigued than annoyed, so that's a good sign.
He's sleeping in my lap right now.
Anyhow: proper black cat names-- I need them!
( Videos of the new kitty! )
We bought our rings today!
( Pics. )
They are not a matched set, as we want to reflect our own individuality even as they are a symbol of our unity. His will be engraved with "Christina" on the inside, and mine "Jason."
( Pics. )
They are not a matched set, as we want to reflect our own individuality even as they are a symbol of our unity. His will be engraved with "Christina" on the inside, and mine "Jason."
Hitting the ground running
Jun. 9th, 2009 08:36 amApartment search
Bookmarked 10 apartments complexes in the Mt. Washington/ Pikesville/ Owings Mills that are in our price range. We're looking for two bedrooms; one for a bedroom and one for a studio. I'm calling up a bunch today to arrange visits this weekend. Jason wants to be moved out ASAP, but is too busy with the All Encompassing Project to do any searching, so I'm doing the legwork on this. I think he'd settle on a place tomorrow if he had the time. Makes sense... there's no real hurry to get our stuff out of our current living arrangements, allowing for a very gradual transition, but we do need a place to call home base and raise our four-legged children. So, soon.
ETA: we have appts. to visit four different apartments on Saturday. Whew. Full day.
Job
Looking for a part-time job to supplement income. It'll pay for a hike in rent and help with the wedding. After that, it'll help me start to save for a car. Not looking for anything major... I'm gonna see what's out there administratively but also try Trader Joe's and such.
Kittens
Growing at an exponential rate. Olive is getting long and slinky. Squeaky is getting bigger but not too much longer; he bounces around like a bunny rabbit. They're very active in the morning and very chill at night. Currently they're playing a game of Hide And Go Pounce with one another. We're getting to the point where it's time to teach them not to scratch the furniture-- they're starting to do the reflex kneading thing. We're not having them declawed, and we've already got a scratching post rubbed with catnip. We're getting one of those big cat towers next month when they're big enough to climb one (and we have the room). We might even make one... I have a big old carpet that'll get dumped if it's not scrapped. We're also going to try a combo of bitter apple and double-sided tape to discourage couch and bed scratching. If that fails to work, there's Feliway. And clipping their nails when they get a bit bigger. They'll get the hang of it eventually.
Wedding
Meeting parents for $$$ on Sunday. Putting a few deposits down next week, and then we have to find a reception spot. The rest I can handle until Jason has a few more brain cells to spare (ie, his project is over).
So yeah. I have a really full plate right now. Especially with a vacation June 21-26 down in the Outer Banks. Jason so needs it, I think he's on his last ounce of patience right now with this project. He hides it pretty well, but I can tell that he's very, very stressed. I am so sorry that I won't have a whole lot of hangout time in the next few weeks. I'm going to try to drop by the RSC this weekend, but June is pretty much hosed for me right now.
Bookmarked 10 apartments complexes in the Mt. Washington/ Pikesville/ Owings Mills that are in our price range. We're looking for two bedrooms; one for a bedroom and one for a studio. I'm calling up a bunch today to arrange visits this weekend. Jason wants to be moved out ASAP, but is too busy with the All Encompassing Project to do any searching, so I'm doing the legwork on this. I think he'd settle on a place tomorrow if he had the time. Makes sense... there's no real hurry to get our stuff out of our current living arrangements, allowing for a very gradual transition, but we do need a place to call home base and raise our four-legged children. So, soon.
ETA: we have appts. to visit four different apartments on Saturday. Whew. Full day.
Job
Looking for a part-time job to supplement income. It'll pay for a hike in rent and help with the wedding. After that, it'll help me start to save for a car. Not looking for anything major... I'm gonna see what's out there administratively but also try Trader Joe's and such.
Kittens
Growing at an exponential rate. Olive is getting long and slinky. Squeaky is getting bigger but not too much longer; he bounces around like a bunny rabbit. They're very active in the morning and very chill at night. Currently they're playing a game of Hide And Go Pounce with one another. We're getting to the point where it's time to teach them not to scratch the furniture-- they're starting to do the reflex kneading thing. We're not having them declawed, and we've already got a scratching post rubbed with catnip. We're getting one of those big cat towers next month when they're big enough to climb one (and we have the room). We might even make one... I have a big old carpet that'll get dumped if it's not scrapped. We're also going to try a combo of bitter apple and double-sided tape to discourage couch and bed scratching. If that fails to work, there's Feliway. And clipping their nails when they get a bit bigger. They'll get the hang of it eventually.
Wedding
Meeting parents for $$$ on Sunday. Putting a few deposits down next week, and then we have to find a reception spot. The rest I can handle until Jason has a few more brain cells to spare (ie, his project is over).
So yeah. I have a really full plate right now. Especially with a vacation June 21-26 down in the Outer Banks. Jason so needs it, I think he's on his last ounce of patience right now with this project. He hides it pretty well, but I can tell that he's very, very stressed. I am so sorry that I won't have a whole lot of hangout time in the next few weeks. I'm going to try to drop by the RSC this weekend, but June is pretty much hosed for me right now.
It was your average Monday...
Jun. 1st, 2009 07:37 pmGot up, did photography, ate breakfast, played with the kitties, went on a hike, got engaged...
Sorry, I've just got to say that again.
I got engaged!!
I mean, I knew it was coming sometime soon, what with us having set a wedding date and all. But now there's a shiny thingy on my finger and I get to officially use the word "fiancé!" I get to be all Frenchified!
The story: Jason really wanted to go on one last hike, so I got up stupid early to work and then we set out for Sandia Peak. We took the tram up and started out on the Crest trail. About a half mile in, near this STUNNING vista, the trail guide blew out of Jason's hands and landed precariously close to the edge. He got on his knees to retrieve it 'cause the wind was gusting up. I took a picture of him on his knees, then a picture of the vista, and when I turned back to him, he had a ring! Sneaky bastard!
After I tacklehugged him and there was much smooching, we went to the High Finance restaurant for celebratory champagne & shrimp cocktails. As for the ring itself, it's exactly what I wanted: a classic brilliant round solitaire that's not too big but is a nice quality (I was stunned at just how nice of a rock it is), and set low so it doesn't stick out too far. I stare at shiny things all day long, and this is an impressive rock. The clarity and color are both just superb. *Cue cheesy voiceover* He went to Jared! Sparklysparklysparklyomg.
Anyway, pictures!
( Pics! )
There was also this adorable older lady from Denmark (impeccably dressed in red Italian leather) who was so excited she took pics and told the tram operator!
Okay, no rest, though. Photoediting I go. Then packing. It's gonna be a late night. But ieeeeeeeeeeee. Fiancé! Fiancé! Fiancé!!
Sorry, I've just got to say that again.
I mean, I knew it was coming sometime soon, what with us having set a wedding date and all. But now there's a shiny thingy on my finger and I get to officially use the word "fiancé!" I get to be all Frenchified!
The story: Jason really wanted to go on one last hike, so I got up stupid early to work and then we set out for Sandia Peak. We took the tram up and started out on the Crest trail. About a half mile in, near this STUNNING vista, the trail guide blew out of Jason's hands and landed precariously close to the edge. He got on his knees to retrieve it 'cause the wind was gusting up. I took a picture of him on his knees, then a picture of the vista, and when I turned back to him, he had a ring! Sneaky bastard!
After I tacklehugged him and there was much smooching, we went to the High Finance restaurant for celebratory champagne & shrimp cocktails. As for the ring itself, it's exactly what I wanted: a classic brilliant round solitaire that's not too big but is a nice quality (I was stunned at just how nice of a rock it is), and set low so it doesn't stick out too far. I stare at shiny things all day long, and this is an impressive rock. The clarity and color are both just superb. *Cue cheesy voiceover* He went to Jared! Sparklysparklysparklyomg.
Anyway, pictures!
There was also this adorable older lady from Denmark (impeccably dressed in red Italian leather) who was so excited she took pics and told the tram operator!
Okay, no rest, though. Photoediting I go. Then packing. It's gonna be a late night. But ieeeeeeeeeeee. Fiancé! Fiancé! Fiancé!!
The crazy wedding dreams have begun...
May. 31st, 2009 11:33 amIn which we were living in the same house, dressing the same way, had all the same friends... but our society worshipped Egyptian gods. In the dream, Jason's family honored a god who was an enemy of my family's god and therefore we might not be able to marry. He was worrying about having to return my dowry.
Well, at least I wasn't worrying about a dress.
In other news, the rewatch of Rome has prompted Jason and I to agree that if ever we have an argument in which voices are being raised, the correct way to diffuse the situation is to adamantly state, "Suck my cock; I am Titus Pullo!"
Well, at least I wasn't worrying about a dress.
In other news, the rewatch of Rome has prompted Jason and I to agree that if ever we have an argument in which voices are being raised, the correct way to diffuse the situation is to adamantly state, "Suck my cock; I am Titus Pullo!"
