And for Post #100...

I don't think I've been able to commit to a blog for this long. The January blog-fest did help a ton. Anyway, here comes the 100th post.

Seeing as how this is my 100th post (woo hoo!) I figured that I should check in on my list of 101 in 1001. I've been able to cross off quite a few, some to my surprise.

1. blog everyday for a month (completed January 31, 2008)
2. learn how to cook and ease kitchen anxiety
3. learn how to use Digital SLR to its full potential
4. take better photos
5. post photos consistently on Flickr
6. go to the gym at least four days a week for a month
7. try a new class at 24Hour Fitness (Completed January 7, 2008)
8. search for other job possibilities (in progress)
9. meet my boyfriend’s friends
10. learn full potential of Photoshop (in progress)
11. move out of parents’ house
12. clean out my closet and donate unwanted clothes to Goodwill (Completed December 27, 2007)
13. purchase new or “previously owned” car (Completed January 11, 2008)
14. have my friends meet his friends
15. explore major cities – Atlanta, Chicago, Washington DC, Seattle, Denver
16. spend time in New York City
17. practice taking more portrait photos
18. crochet a beanie for the boyfriend (Completed February 17, 2008)
19. learn how to surf, even for a split second
20. go to Vegas as an adult (Completed March 2, 2008)
21. go wine tasting, I do live close enough to Napa & Sonoma!
22. take a cake decorating class
23. design logo for future business
24. take a ballroom dancing class
25. schedule annual physicals
26. remember to have car oil changed
27. have extended family meet boyfriend
28. set aside money to donate to charity of choice
29. participate in Habitat for Humanity Project
30. look into the possibilities to PMP my job (Project Management Professional)
31. get engaged, and have legitimate reason to read wedding magazines like Brides, The Knot, Martha Stewart Weddings, etc. (Completed March 1, 2008!)
32. shadow a professional photographer
33. buy a house/condo
34. design personal stationery
35. decorate said house and give it sense of style
36. finish painting room
37. take a cooking class
38. read at least one book a month
39. go to the library more often
40. go to Hawaii and reclaim summer color
41. document my 101 goals as completed
42. plan fantastic wedding on my terms (in progress)
43. complete my first quilt project – already bought the fabric!
44. go to the Philippines during Christmastime to visit family
45. cook semi-fancy romantic dinner for self and boyfriend fiancé. from scratch, without killing or making us sick
46. build photo portfolio
47. visit the New England during the fall
48. buy a new computer and Adobe Design bundle
49. go on a cross-country road trip
50. ride my bike around the park
51. go on daily walks when the weather is nice
52. lose 20lbs... if they can do it on Biggest Loser, I can too! (10lbs down!)
53. start cooking own meals to make good on goal #52
54. visit best friend in Italy while still stationed there
55. return to Lyon for Fete des Lumieres
56. write a journal entry everyday for a month
57. keep a food journal consistently also in efforts to make good on #52
58. make a pair of earrings (or more)
59. clean out wallet and purse... rogue receipts be gone!
60. spend the holidays with boyfriend’s fiancé’s family
61. send out Christmas cards with photos of us
62. get back to my happy weight
63. buy new jeans that fit well and are the right length (Completed March 29, 2008)
64. give blood at company blood drive (Completed March 6, 2008)
65. jump in a pile of leaves
66. make a snowman and/or snow angel
67. build a sandcastle
68. throw away old high school or college stuff that I won’t look at ever again (in progress)
69. recycle old magazines for same reason as above
70. flake out less on friends
71. complete a random act of kindness
72. establish professional goals
73. go to Canada – Vancouver and/or Montreal
74. beat Super Mario Galaxy on the Wii
75. attend a NBA game (Completed January 2, 2008)
76. get into Club 33 – hopefully we can get the hook up!
77. start personal ornament collection for my own Christmas tree
78. revisit Walt Disney World with the boyfriend fiancé – that’s how we met!
79. go to a day spa in Calistoga/Napa
80. get a professional full body massage at least 4x/year
81. take a yoga class
82. talk about money matters with the BF (Completed December 28, 2007)
83. participate in a Walk/Half-Marathon

I don't quite have 101 goals, and I also didn't share all of them. But here is a good chunk. Basically, I'm bound and determined to see that 2008 is a year of changes for the better, and the more that I think about it, the more I see that it is. I want to make sure that this wave of good changes flows through the 1001 days.

Stop living through hints

If there's something that I have learned from living and interacting with my family, it's to not live through hints. I know I'm guilty of it. I know everyone is guilty of it sometimes. But seriously, it's so much easier to just say it and get it over with!

For those who are lost, the loose definition of "living through hints": those who do not directly ask for or request something, but rather ask around the situation with leading questions, without really asking for the task needing completion. For example, a typical conversation starts like this:
"Are you busy today?"
"I don't know yet, why?"
"Oh don't worry, I was just hoping that if someone had time one of these days, if I might be able to go to the store"
"I can take you today"
"Oh no, you don't have to go out of your way, just when you have the time."

Um, there's a simpler way of getting that accomplished:
"Can you take me to the store when you are free?"
"Sure, how about this afternoon?"

Done and done.

The best part of messing with people who only live through hints or suggestions, is ignoring them completely. Never finding the time. Never acknowledging the hint. It's mean, yet wonderfully fantastic, if you are someone like me. Just repeat to yourself "I don't live through hints". If you want something, say it. If you expect something, let it be known. We aren't psychics, nor are we paid to wear the crazy outfits or stare at a crystal ball.

The worst part is when someone expects an outcome, doesn't receive it, then complains. All I have to say is, "you never said you wanted that!" Again, I'm not a psychic. I'm not a mindreader. I'd probably be the next Miss Cleo if I could (not really). If you want a party, for example, ask for a cake, don't expect that one will appear. And when one doesn't materialize, don't talk about how your family doesn't love you. You never asked.

Life Lesson #452: Ask for what you want.

Dresses, Flowers, and Cake, Oh My!

So to those who read this, here are some of my likes of dresses, florals, and cakes. Plus, what better way to spend a Friday afternoon than looking at wedding stuff.

We're a step closer to finding a venue, so I'm hoping it's a thumbs up when Cent is here next weekend.

I like how the mosaic maker cut off the models heads. They detract from the dress anyway.

Dresses (from theknot.com)

I'm liking the low to the table centerpieces.

Floral Centerpieces (aboutweddings.com)

And let's face it, I love cake, like a fat kid loves cake.

Cake! (aboutweddings.com)

Well then, it's been interesting

Tuesday brought some very exciting news.

My prayers and wishes have been answered. While what has unfolded has left me without a tech project manager, there's really not much of a difference. He didn't do anything anyway. At least he didn't show any progress in learning anything.

Tomorrow I will be checking out wedding reception venues instead of going to work. An excellent alternative to formatting PowerPoint slides! Plus, it should get me closer to finding and booking a venue. I'm looking forward to finding a venue because then I will be able to think about all the other things - colors, dresses, cakes, etc a little more concretely.

So many ideas.

Again, more great things in 2008!

Happy Easter & Happy Anniversary

Happy Easter! Hope everyone has a great day however you may be celebrating, or not...

I feel like Lent passed by in a flash this year since Easter is so early. The daylight savings thing came on Cent's birthday which is a month earlier than before. I'm no really sure if it's going to make a big difference in terms of productivity. We aren't all farmers anymore.

Happy Anniversary 2 1/2 years to Cent! That's 30 months, longer than some people can even commit to a car or an apartment. I guess that's 2 1/2 going on forever.

Hyper-Planner

So this is probably the only time that I would describe myself as "hyper".

My coworker looked at me last week and said, "I can't imagine you being peppy". It's true, I adhere to a more cool, calm, and collected walk in life. Subdued even. Some check if I'm still breathing. Well, I don't get overly excited. I think it just takes too much energy. I like to get excited about things that actually matter, or I feel strongly for.

Anyway, back to the hyper-planner thing. Since we got engaged 3 weeks ago, I've been on hyper-mode to get things done. I started sending out emails and quote requests to vendors for receptions sites, photographers, and DJs. I want to get the big things squared away by this summer, so that the other details are just extras.

In that effort, I am taking a day off next week in order to view the potential reception sites. Luckily, I know where there ceremony will be -- my church in good, old Union City. Challenge #1 has been finding a reception site that is nice, but doesn't break the bank or cause us to start married life in poverty. I have a few contenders.


(courtesy sunolvalley.com/Bella Pictures)

(courtesy of Newark Hilton)

I'm hoping that after we see everything, we will be able to narrow down the choices, so that when Cent comes to visit he can see the candidates. I figure it would be a nice thing if he got to see where we would have the reception. I care. His opinion counts. I am a hyper planner, or as Cent says "Super Planner". I think that by July, I should have the big things booked. We'll see how it unfolds.

Late in the game?

So I just discovered Google Reader. Oh Google, what will you think of next?!

This is a great way to keep up with the blogs that I read all in one place. And if I was interested, I could see the blog feeds that my friends are reading. Plus, it's awesome because I don't have to open 15 tabs to see what I want to see, or try and remember for that matter. (Right now, I'm working with 3 windows and at least 12 tabs each... a la wedding planning). Then it will link out to the blog when you click on it. Read what you want to read! So I kinda feel like I've been missing out. Have I?

Besides that, I've been steadily building my wedding venue spreadsheet, calculating costs, comparing packages, and trying to schedule appointments to rank the prettiness or ugliness of the venue. Let's keep it real. I'm not looking for a platinum wedding, but I'm not going to slum it either. Even in the Bay Area, there are ways to have a swanky/classy wedding without totally going broke. Cent and I are more up to speed with a realistic budget, and trying really hard to adhere to it.

And I'm thinking that I need to jump on the wedding industry train. Plan other people's weddings or take their photos or whatever. I'd get to work for myself (in theory) and make a sizable income (after establishment). Just a thought.

Wedding during a Recession?

I came upon an article that brought up salient topics at an important time. How does one have a wedding during a recession? Clearly with everything going up, fuel prices, especially, the housing crisis, the crappy value of the dollar, among a plethora of other issues, the economy is not just fine. (Hear that Dubbya?!) I surely don't want to go into debt. If it comes down to that, I may as well go to Vegas. (I don't want that.)

The main points in the article found on DIY Bride are these:

1. Get your finances in order - Taking care of the usual things that financial gurus tell you. Get rid of high-interest debt, start an emergency fund, cut unnecessary spending, figure out a plan, and dialog with your fiance about money!
   
2. Be wedding smart - Prioritize what's important, don't spend your entire budget just because, don't go into debt from your wedding, choose venues and vendors wisely, don't count on outside sources for funding (duh!), get everything in writing, scale back, and DIY - Do It Yourself.

I'm definitely going to try and keep these things in mind. I'm working on getting rid of credit card debt (almost there!), I have an emergency stash, spending is going to take a vacation, and I have been talking to my fiance about money. We don't want to start our lives together in the negative, especially when we want to buy a house. A wedding (aka a big party) isn't worth all that strife in my opinion. It is what it is, a big party. I do want a party, but within reason. A house and a secure life is much more appealing.

I foresee a bunch of DIY projects to come!

Flowery Inspiration

Now that it's official, it's time for a little inspiration. Ever since we announced that we were engaged, I've been getting questions right and left about different parts of the wedding. Honestly, I've never envisioned my dream wedding. I've thought about it here and there, but I've never said I want orchids and hydrangeas with a big pink cake... or whatever. Frankly, at one point I wasn't even sure if I'd ever have a boyfriend. Well, mission accomplished! :)

The time has come to start thinking about all these things. I have a legitimate reason to get lost on wedding websites and stare at all the pretty pictures. I can spend my time discussing wedding-related stuff at work with the girls. And I do enjoy watching wedding shows on TV - Platinum Weddings (for the wedding I'll never have), Bridezillas in small doses (for the person I never want to be), and Rich Bride Poor Bride (for the look on the planners' faces).

I was on the Knot, and found some bouquets that I liked. I don't know if this is necessarily what I want, but I do think that they are beautiful arrangements!

(all images from The Knot)

We're Engaged!

After a roller coaster ride of emotions over the last week and a half, I'm so happy to announce that we're engaged!

When one of my co-workers joked that I would come back from Las Vegas engaged, I simply laughed like she had told a funny story. I didn't think that he would do it then, given the certain stipulations and circumstances. I wasn't sure when he was going to ask, because he made it clear that it would be a surprise. One thing was certain: I was ready.

We had tickets to see Ka on Saturday night. He said that he wanted to give me my birthday present. I said, "Okay." Then he wrapped his arms around me and told me how much he loved me and that he really did care about me. With that, he said, "I don't have anything else left to give you but my heart." Then he reached into his pocket. It was a very surreal moment because I thought I knew what he was doing, but a part of me didn't believe what was happening. He got down on one knee and asked, "Will you marry me?" Joy. Gladness. "Yes!" Smiles. Hugs. Kisses. No tears. Pure elation.

We broke the news to our parents, with positive responses. So now begins the "fun" part -- planning a wedding without going broke. If there's anything that I've learned from the examples of others, it's that it's not about the wedding; it's about the marriage. The partnership. The good, the bad, the ups, and the downs. It's about the challenges that make your bond that much stronger. Just like Polident. The wedding lasts a day. The marriage lasts a lifetime (at least if it's right, it should!)

It's been a busy day of announcing our happy news! More great things to come in '08!