Eff you, you effing effers.

Do you ever have one of those days where you want to beat the s**t out of an innocent bystander? I had one of those days today.

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Now, obviously the innocent bystander wouldn't be your first choice but, you feel so utterly shut down by the people that destroyed your day that you start looking for an easy target.

Phew. Back to the real world where I've never started (or participated in) a physical fight in my whole life and would never take it there. I got close today though. I started to type out the story of today and why it sucked but then it all started to seem very petty. That's the thing with rage, it takes too much energy to keep it up for very long and once it's gone, it seems like a waste of time to rehash it.

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Let's just say that it brought me right back to that time in 2nd grade when I wasn't invited to a classmate's fairytale princess party but all the other girls were and that was all anyone talked about the next week at school. Except that I work in a office with all dudes and instead of a princess party it was a football game with luxury seats, a limo to the stadium, and lots of booze and bonding. The only things that these two instances have in common are a pizza party and a lot of hurt feelings on my part.

Before you tell me that it's a guy thing and I probably wouldn't have had fun anyway, DON'T. That's the kind of misogynist nonsense that made me want to punch someone in the face.

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There will be a record of things...I hope.

So. I may have found a photographer. I don't want to jinx it until she and I get together and discuss things but, she's young and starting out with weddings, came highly recommended, and has a really unique eye from what I've seen of her portfolio.

Did I mention that she's also within my frugal Yankee budget???

I've been totally avoiding the "find a photographer" check box on my to-do list because it matters to me more than I want to admit but I just don't want to pay too much. There's been too much budging with our budget lately. After taking photography in college, I also find myself being really critical of poorly executed photos. All of these factors create a perfect storm of "Idonwannadealwithit."

However, I think I might have found the perfect combination of talent, flexibility, and affordability so keep your fingers crossed and hopefully it will all be sorted soon! So excited.

On Pinterest and the exacerbation of desire...

I think I may be addicted to Pinterest. That's a little beside the point though.

I had heard rumblings here and there on the interwebs about this new site. Of course, Jessie and Kristen are much much cooler than me and were all over it already. Jessie soon sent me an invitation to join. Long story short, I now have a way of collecting all of the wonderful images I find online everyday with just a couple of clicks. It's amazing. If anyone wants to experience it for themselves, I have four invitations left.

What's the downside? Instead of working, instead of studying for my horribly boring securities exam, instead of putting some time into nailing down a photographer for the wedding, I sit around and OBSESS about having my own house. It's borderline ridiculous.

I've posted before about my desire to find a house that Conor and I can renovate together. He'll do the technical stuff, I'll annoy him by trying to help, and then we'll decorate with salvaged, vintage, and restored treasures.

...

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Sorry. I just went over to Pinterest to get that example photo and got distracted for 10 minutes. Do you see what I mean?? Anyway, a house is a long way away for us. First we need to save for a wedding. Then we need to actually get married. Then we need to save for a house, find a house, and save up for all of these magical renovations I have in mind for the house I haven't found yet.

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None of these realities help the fact that I stare at gorgeous interiors all day long now and troll the web for more and more images. It's never enough. It's like crack (not that I would know). I need to put all of these ideas to work soon or I'm going to go nuts. I almost wish that the company firewall would start blocking the site from me so I'd start focusing on more near-term goals. However, we all know that that's not nearly as fun.

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I Have Become A Cliche...Almost

This was going to be a post about how I'm slowly realizing that all of those "bridal" cliches have some footing in reality. They are cliches for a reason. I was going to write about lists, stress, money, vendors, etc. etc. etc.

Then a couple of things happened.

I read a blog post that my best friend in the world wrote about me and the amazing place I'm at in my life. Then I realized that things aren't so bad when you have people in your life that know all your secrets and take time out of their day to be your cheerleader.

That revelation made me reflect back on this past weekend that Conor and I spent at my parent's house. In between me stressing about what size tent we should order and what in the hell we were going to do if it rained, I was surrounded by people who are just as excited about the wedding as I am. My parents, aunt and uncle, cousins, brothers and sister-in-law, and even extended family, are already offering time, guest rooms, cars, and a million other things that are way beyond the norm. This is the kind of wedding cliche I can get behind. My family is pitching in to contribute to the "big day" in any way they can and it's an awesome feeling to have all of that energy directed my way.

Add to all that the fact that some of my favorite people are headed into town this month for visits, I came home from a boring day in the office to Conor's homemade lasagna, and my heart broke wide open watching him doze off on the couch next to me after dinner, life turns out to not be such a cliche after all.

What is there to worry about when I'll be here in about 10 months?

Saturation Point

That's it wedding blogs. I'm done with you. Actually, I was done with you about three weeks ago but I've been too lazy to write a post about it. It was fun while it lasted. I mean it. Totally. However, when you get to the point that you start to judge other people's weddings (mason jars and mustaches on sticks* again? Really?) and second guess your own feelings about what you want your wedding to be, it's time to shut off the noise.

I'm set. Promise. It's going to be epic. Before we say goodbye though, I think there are a couple of things that we need to be honest about.

First of all, engagement photo shoots are totally bogus. Seriously. How the hell do these girls convince their fiances to dress up in bowties and short pants while sitting in a field having an overly styled tea party and get their picture taken? What do you do with those photos!?

I'm pretty sure that no one wants to sit down with you after a dinner party and look at a photo album of you two frolicking in an orchard or artfully leaning against a grafittied brick wall in Harlem while forming your hands into the shape of a heart. No, I do not want a portrait of us touching foreheads and petting bunnies as we lie on a picnic blanket surrounded by clothbound books. Posing with your mouth open and looking away from the other person doesn't make make you a real model. It's called trying too hard.

I would have posted examples but I'm not that mean. I'm sure these photos mean something to the people that paid for them. The last thing I want is for those people to look back at the hundreds of dollars they spent on pictures of them slow dancing in a desert with vintage clothing on and regret it.

Second, don't try to convince be that the only alternative to wearing a veil is pinning a silk flower the size of a pizza box to my head. Better yet, let's add a single ostrich plume sticking straight up from my forehead. Yeah. That will go over really well with my great aunt. I won't look back at the wedding photos 20 years from now and compare myself to this trend:

The volume makes you look skinnier. Promise.

Lastly (for now), there are so many amazingly talented people out there related to the wedding industry. However, I'm pretty tired of all the things that I'm "supposed" to have at my wedding. Yes, I took a bunch of graphic design classes in college and I'm passionate about beautiful paper products. However, custom letterpress invitations start around $600 and quickly go up from there. Calligraphers? Try $4 per envelope. Multiply that by the number of guests. Now consider that that is just for envelopes.

Yes, I love Etsy too. However, I'm not going to pay $120 plus shipping for a custom cake topper or $45 plus shipping for a monogrammed paper parasol so the pictures will look good. I could go on.

Maybe I'm bitter because I thought I had a really honest conversation with a caterer about what we wanted and he came back with a quote that equaled my ENTIRE budget. What was on the menu? Mini crab cakes and grilled cheese. Thanks but no thanks.

BTW, A Practical Wedding really sums this point up the better than I ever can. That's one blog that I'll keep reading thank you very much.

*Don't be surprised if mustaches on sticks show up at my wedding. They're hilarious even if they are over-blogged.

Map Man?

The good thing about having a Man Friend in the house is that when you find things on Etsy that you just have to have, you can tell them it's a present for them AND get them to hang it up for you.

Actually, the map is a present to both of us since Conor's from Northern Ireland, I studied abroad in Scotland, and his brothers live in England. It's an all-encompassing visual aid.

I think something is up with my camera since it's been taking less than wonderful pictures lately but here's a shot of the map in situ. The fact that the office is a shoebox doesn't help with the angles but I promise it looks good. I need to get the chair that Conor brought home for me reupholstered but I think that's going to wait a while. For now I'm going to make do with an impromptu slipcover.

Also, I saw a little chatter over on Kristen's blog about printer's drawers and how I'm currently borrowing Jessie's for my shell collection. Here are some photos for reference. Again, photos were taken on my tired camera, at night, after 3 Miller High Lifes. Nonetheless, you get the idea.

It's all about the building blocks...

What could this be you ask??

Baby steps.

I promise this mish mash of crappy iPhone photos will turn into something great come August 20, 2011.

Winner Winner Roasted Dinner

Granted, it's not the smartest idea to turn the oven up to 400 on a 98 degree day and make a roast dinner but the results were well worth it. Say hello to my friend roast pork loin. MMMMmmmmmmm.

Bonus points for eating out on the deck with an honest to goodness tablecloth.

Studies in Twilight

Let's talk about a time of day that's perfect in Boston (and some other places) in the summertime. Let's also talk about the fact that my iPhone takes pretty perfect pictures in this kind of light.

The Custom House from the Waterfront

Boston Common

New Haven, VT

Fenway Park

Palm Beach Inlet, FL

Ocean anyone?

It was a great weekend.

Can you stand it!?

Me: "Babe, did the photo come out ok?"
The Fiance: "Perfect. We look just like a little family."


My nephew Noah shortly after his Christening

A few quick things that are HUGE things

1. Have successfully completed one week of engagement. It's been amazing. No snark.

2. Met my future in-laws on Tuesday. They're wonderful.

3. My future in-laws met my parents and the rest of the family. It went very well and I only had to sneak one glass of wine in the kitchen when no one was looking.

4. My fiance is moving in 3 weeks!! Time to clean the closets.

5. I'm exhausted.

Want to be my stylist?

It's time to put that lovely Anthro gift card the boyfriend gave me for Christmas to work. After a few months of feeling pretty blah about all their stuff, I think we finally have a few viable candidates for Jeb's wedding this summer. I went on the website today and saw so many I loved. Think summer, think Maine, think seaside. Here we go...

I like this one because it's a little different from the ordinary. It's a lot of color without being a floral. Did I mention it has pockets? Swooning. The downside is that there's a high possibility of it being too short and not having any room for the ladies. That mannequin is wicked flat-chested.

Very Stepford Wives no? My mom would love this one and tell me it looks very classic and that I'll have it for years. Again, pockets. The model in one of the photos was pale and blond and the dress really worked. Reality check: I am not a model. Will I roast in the sun if I wear black? Hmmmm...

This one probably requires tricky undergarments. I keep picturing it with a really cute belt and a HUGE straw hat. It looks so comfy too.

I liked this one a lot when I first pulled the photo but the more I look at it I just keep seeing that scene from Empire Records when Renee Zellweger when she comes out of the stockroom in an orange apron and nothing else. I'd probably look like a linebacker with all those ruffles anyway.

I like this one a lot and it's a departure from all the black and navy that's been cropping up in my wardrobe. A little too safe?

Right after I make a crack about having too much navy I come up with this one. It just feels fresh but still a little retro.

Last but not least, I obviously wouldn't wear white to someone elses's wedding but if I had an unlimited budget I'd buy this one in addition to a dress for the wedding and start working on my tan.

Keep your fingers crossed that they have all of these in the store so I can try them on!

What Snowicane?

Nobody told this girl that we were in the middle of Snowmageddon as I skipped down the street Friday in my new spring trench and green hunters enjoying the 40 degree weather. I made myself even more of a cliche after stopping at Trader Joe's and picking up a fistful of perky yellow daffodils to carry home. By the time I got home, I was so thrilled with myself that I broke out the old digital camera and played artistic director.

Admittedly, I was slightly influenced my the daffodil post on Design*Sponge the week. Seriously. How could you not be ready for Spring with some of these suckers around?

TJ's didn't have quite the same selection as a New York farmer's market so I went for the monochromatic look and snapped a few pictures in the last bits of daylight. The one downside to this apartment is the lack of natural light. I'm blocked in on 3 sides and on the first floor so I keep the shades down most of the time. I'll have to explore some rental-friendly, privacy-keeping, light-maximizing solutions if I'm going to keep the Springy Sentiments alive.

One other thing that kept the endorphins running high was the little surprise from the UPS man that was waiting on the back deck for me. Makeover photos to follow...

Is it really almost March?

So barely a post in February. Way to go.

Needless to say, there has been a lot happening and I've barely noticed the month going by. My latest attempt to pretend that I belong in the world of high finance is to take the Series 7 exam. Obviously, if I tell people at work I'm going to take it, I better pass it in order to avoid ridicule and possible termination. So woo hoo!

I bit the bullet last week and signed up for the 4 day intensive study class in mid March and I'll take the exam the following Friday. Did I mention that in between that Jessie will be visiting to celebrate my first ever St. Patrick's Day in Southie? Great planning. So I'll have my best friend in town surrounded by more drunks per capita than anywhere else on the planet but I'll need to take it easy so I don't fry all my brain cells before the test. Why do this you ask?

This was the only class I could take before the boyfriend's parents come over from Ireland in April to meet me. The last thing I wanted to worry about while they're here are stock options and settlement periods for various treasury instruments. I'll have enough on my plate trying to prove my worth as a potential life partner for their son. Again, woo hoo!

On the brighter side, I recently proved that I have the ability to roast a chicken and cook all the traditional accoutrements so at least I have a semi-impressive menu to wow them with.

I promise to come back in March with a sunnier attitude and posts that contain some visual interest. I think the fact that I'm reporting for jury duty tomorrow is bringing me down a bit. Keep your fingers crossed that the courthouse has WiFi so at least I can get through a couple practice tests.

What's the five year plan?

I've been obsessed lately with the idea of finding a run-down foreclosure and fixing it up bit by bit until it's almost completely unrecognizable. I think I've been spurred on by the fact that the boyfriend spends everyday doing this as a carpenter and has expressed a desire to do the same thing with our own house. There's a lot less anxiety on my part knowing that I won't have to handle the measuring, math, leveling part of it.

Of course, I'm certainly not the first person to do this, and not the first to blog about it. I found this awesome website the other day when I should have been focusing on Roth IRA conversions and year-end reporting. Oh well. Check out this website: http://www.brooklynlimestone.com/

Click here for a link to one of their before and after posts

What are today's happy pretty things?

Emersonmade! I'm gushing over these gorgeous flowers. These are the types of things that I'd wear if I didn't know that all of my friends would laugh at me. Maybe I can get away with it now that Jessie lives in Denver...

All of these photos came from www.emersonmade.com

Love the scale! Love the colors! Love the styling in all of these photos. Can I be her please?

If anyone buys one of these clutches without getting me one I'll be a little upset.

What's the story with Brits and Hicks?

I have a new theory.

British people (the Irish and Scottish included) are obsessed with the...how do I say this...more "folksy" segments of the American populace.

Perhaps it has something to do with the more rigid class structure that exists over there. The Gosford Park, Upstairs/Downstairs, mentality which has been engrained into their culture over centuries has established a more strict delineation between classes and therefore a greater fascination with the other side when those same upstairs individuals find themselves in the great melting pot that is the U.S. of A.

Hillbillies, trailer trash, hicks. North, South, in between. If you're more familiar with God Save the Queen, than God Bless America, you're going to love them.

Case in point: My cell phone rings at work the other day. Seeing that it's my boyfriend, the love of my life, the one who never wants to disturb me at work, I pick up quickly.

Me: "Hi Honey"

CM: "Babe? Can you get online and buy some tickets for me!?"

Me: Relieved that it's not an emergency but now slightly confused. "Um...sure. What's up?"

CM: "Did you know that Larry the Cable Guy's coming to the TD Garden next week?"

Me: Getting nervous... "I think I saw that I guess. You want tickets?"

CM: " Yeah! Morris and I are going to dress up in plaid shirts with the sleeves cut off and hang out with all the hillbillies. It's gonna be excellent!"

Me: Relieved again that I'm not expected to attend, cringing at the thought of those outfits "Ok Babe. It looks like the tickets are 80 bucks after all the fees and stuff. Still interested?"

CM: "Damn straight!"

Seriously? My previously mild-mannered boyfriend is a fan of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour. Deep breath, it's not a deal-breaker.

Washer on the Fritz?

Mine is. So I'm sitting here. Waiting.

After hearing that my landlord could get a repairman here between 8-12 today and getting the ok from work, I made an off-hand comment that I'm sure that didn't mean they'd show up after 11:30. Well, it's 11:47 and I'm coming to the realization that I wasted my time by making a sandwich to bring to work. That sucker just converted from "to-go" to "for here."

Let's quickly reflect on the positives:

-It's snowing outside and instead of venturing out to commute this morning, I got to sleep in a bit and hang out in front of the fire.

-I'm catching up on the blog and the blogosphere in general.

- I called work and was told it's no big deal since the day is really quiet.

Of course, reflecting on the positives led me to immediately come up with a counterpoint for all of them.

-It will be worse going to work this afternoon after being lazy and warm all morning. Not to mention that I've been in work clothes since 8am hoping that this whole repair experience would be wrapped up in a timely fashion.

-It's not like crabbing on my blog was a real priority and I have access to all those people with more interesting blogs from work.

-No matter how late this joker from Sears is I still have to go into the office since all of my study materials are there and I need to hit up Trader Joe's and stock up for the weekend. UGH.

Time to call the above-referenced jokers again.