Save the Dates...Save the Drama

In my opinion, save the date cards are such a hassle. I know according to wedding etiquette they are necessary for destination weddings and weddings near holidays. Unfortunately, Joe and I are not doing a destination wedding, but we are doing a wedding the weekend before Christmas. I guess our date falls under the need to send a save the date category. Lucky me!!!

I am annoyed at the whole process of sending a save the date. First of all, I think it is an added expense. Can't I just send a blast email or create a Facebook event to let everyone know about the date? Second of all, Shutterfly is making my want to drink a lot of wine. In an effort to create budget friendly save the dates and exercise some creativity, I decided to make a picture card. Sounds easy right? Should be a fairly easy process when you already have professional photographs from the engagement.

Two problems...

1). I look horrible in most of the engagement pictures. I think I am getting to the point in my life when I need to start using anti-wrinkle cream (hello friends...why have you not clued me into this need?). Why do I have squinty eyes and fine lines next to my eyes in every picture? Any picture I took when I tried to look serious should be burned immediately. I would be instantly eliminated on America's Next Top Model for only having one look - the giant smile. My favorite pictures from the engagement are the ones where Joe and I are looking at one another and not at the camera, and I am guessing that relatives want to see our faces (especially since many of the wedding guests might not even know who we are). There are some pretty cute kissing pictures, but Charlotte put it best...kissing pictures are tacky.

2). The one picture I like of Joe and I facing the camera (you can still see lines by my eyes, but oh well) won't fit in the image box on the card I picked out from Shutterfly. Come on...can't an annoyed bride-to-be get a break? Joe's head is slightly cut-off (I am laughing, but it's really not funny). I thought I would outsmart the program by cropping the picture in IPhoto. Yeah, that idea didn't work. (For fun I included the picture in this post.)

Why does this have to be so complicated? I am only working on the save the date. I can't imagine what it is going to be like when Joe and I try to make our own invitations (I bet you want to be a fly on our wall that night). I better stock the house with lots of wine.

Did I mention that Joe is at the Lakers game (lucky!) and I am dealing with photo card drama by myself? He has more patience than I do and is much better equipped for anything on the computer. Perhaps, this should be a groom project. He already met with the florist a few weeks ago when he was in St. Louis for work. I personally think he is a fantastic wedding planner. Maybe I should delegate more of the wedding planning duties to Joe. After all, the fun part (shopping for my dress and the bridesmaids dresses) is already over. Leave it to me to do the clothes shopping first!

I do have a rave about the wedding. Today's knot.com newsletter talked about wedding workouts. YAY! I looked at the play lists on the site and got some good music. Some of it was downright weird (but I am sure most of you say that about my play list suggestions) and a bit scary. I always like finding new music. What else will keep me motivated on the elliptical at 5:00am?

Weekend Review...Early Edition

When did I become so lame? I came home from work on Friday and took a two hour nap. This was one of those good naps where I entered into the REM cycle and had crazy dreams. Once I finally got my lazy self out of bed around 6:30pm I made some dinner. After dinner, I cleaned. Thrilling, I know. I even cleaned the baseboards. What got into me? Joe's brother is coming to LA tomorrow and I know he will be coming by the place. I don't think anyone (family included) should be exposed to the mess I create during the week. I am on the go constantly during the week, so I don't take time to clean. After my debut as a housewife, I sat down to watch 24. I felt a bit guilty about leaving Jack Bauer in my DVR for several days, but I wanted to wait to watch him save the world until I was able to focus for an hour. I was in bed just after 10:00pm. Jealous of my Friday night?

The good thing about being uber lame on a Friday, is that you are bright-eyed and bushy-tailed early on Saturday. I had to break my favorite Saturday routine (roll out of bed, make coffee and read for hours) to head straight to the gym. I wanted to ride the spin bike (shocker I know) in order to prepare for the audition I had this afternoon for a teaching position with my gym. My motivation for going straight to the gym on a Saturday...a latte from Starbucks after my workout. I had a good ride and felt mentally prepared for my audition and one of the best lattes of my life. I made the drive down to Long Beach for my audition and arrived 15 minutes early (gasp...I know. I am NEVER early!). I waited for the group exercise coordinator and when she walked in I introduced myself. We hit it off right away and I knew it would be a good audition. She noticed my engagement ring and we spent several minutes talking about weddings (thanks babe for picking out a great eye-catching rock!), because she is getting married later this summer. The audition was painless. The coordinator loved my first song (see below for the play list) and ended up offering me a teaching position on the spot. SCORE! I just need to fill out some paperwork at my gym and wait for a class to open. The hard part is over. I am hired!

After my audition, I headed to the Whole Foods (I wish the Cali stores had the frequent lunch buyer program. I have probably earned myself several free lunches by now) I went to on my first day in LA. As I was enjoying my salad outside I couldn't help but think about how far I have come since that first lunch. It has only been three months since the move and I already feel completely settled in. I have grown so much since the move. I have become very independent (forced because of Joe's travel schedule) and more comfortable with the city. I no longer hate driving on the highways and understand traffic is just a part of life out here (thank goodness for the DJ Tiesto CD I bought last weekend. DJ Tiesto has kept me calm during many intense driving situations). I have even learned how to cut people off, so I can get to where I need to go.

After lunch I got a pedicure (OPPS! I really suck at saving money!). I was driving down the Pacific Coast Highway and knew I would drive right by my new favorite pedicure place in Redondo Beach. It would have been silly to not get a pedicure. I was in the area after all. I tend to get in-grown toenails (GROSS I know. Sorry if this is TMI, but it helps me justify my pedi.) and the only way to get rid of them is to get a pedicure. I have to be kind to my feet since they get me to work everyday. Have I justified my pedi yet? It was extremely delightful and now my toenails are a gorgeous hot red color.

I have developed this bad habit of wanting an icy treat when I head to the beach towns. I discovered this all-natural frozen yogurt place last weekend in Manhattan Beach and got myself a little treat on Saturday and Sunday. Of course, I got a major craving again today (People I know I need to fit into a wedding dress in 9 months, I will work it off...hopefully!) and happened to spot a Pinkberry. This was my first experience at Pinkberry and definitely not my last. Hello heaven! I got a pomegranate flavored frozen yogurt topped with strawberries and yogurt white chocolate chips. Delightful! It can't be nearly as bad as the peanut butter perfection I devoured earlier in the week from Cold Stone. (Come on, I gave up sweets for lent, so I am clearly making up for lost time.)

When I got home I had to finish cleaning up the place for Joe's brother. My last major task was to pack away my laundry. I must have had six loads to fold and pack away. I have this horrible habit of dumping clean laundry on my dresser and just sifting through the pile when I am looking for something to wear. Packing away clothes is brutal. What's the point? You are only going to pull the item out of the drawer and wear it again soon. When faced with the dreadful task of packing away laundry, I recommend drinking red wine and listening to techno. After a few big gulps and some power fists the dreadful chore was complete.

Now I am just counting down the hours until Joe gets home and can't wait to see his brother (my soon to be big brother!). I am anticipating a great Sunday.

Here is the play list I used during my audition. I wanted to share it since it brought me good luck.
Crazy - Seal (warmup)
Sugar - Flo Rida
Juke Box Hero - Foreigner
Use Somebody - Kings of Leon
Beggin - Madcon
Going Wrong - Armin Van Buuren
Right Now - Van Halen
Sharp Dressed Man - ZZ Top
Tomorrow Can Wait - David Guetta
Let Me Think About It - Ida Corr
Halo - Beyonce

Happy cycling!

My Favorite Questions

It is so much fun to tell people I have only been in LA since January (some people are kind of shocked and surprised). Their typical responses are to ask me if I like LA or if I am homesick. My answers to those questions are that I absolutely love LA and I am not homesick at all (sorry family).

What is not to love? I had a hard time agreeing to move to LA with Joe because of the life I had started to establish in St. Louis. I truly enjoyed my job (I actually looked forward to going into the office), I was building a strong network, I was active in the community I enjoyed spending time with my family and I had (well...I know I still have) some fabulous friends. When you are faced with a huge change in life, you can either embrace the change or resist the change. Once I made the decision to move to LA with Joe and he proposed to me I have not looked back. I have only been here a few months and I feel like I have lived here forever. I feel like I belong.

It took a couple of weeks to get adjusted, but I am back running at full speed. I have a phenomenal job that encourages me to grow personally and professionally, plus I am viewed as the marketing guru. I am having a great time integrating development responsibilities with marketing projects and hope to be making a positive impact while I am at it. I am involved with the Arthritis Foundation and they have already appointed me the Chair for the 2010 LA Walk. I am extremely honored and a bit nervous about the responsibilities associated with being a chair. I better start developing a network stat!! Speaking of networking, I am working on establishing a Los Angeles chapter for the Yellow-Tie networking association. I plan to get the chapter up and running by the end of the year. I am also marrying the love of my life and my high school sweetheart in December. We have a lot planned for the big day, but there are still a ton of minor details to arrange. I better carve out some time for wedding planning (I need to find another hairdresser. I just got word that mine is moving to Oklahoma...seriously?!). Funny, I work diligently on planning events for charity and work, but not for my own wedding (it makes a heck of a lot of difference when you are footing the bill). I am super pumped about having an audition with a gym this Saturday to hopefully (cross your fingers) get back into teaching spinning/cycling classes. My alarm goes off at 4:30 (I snooze at least once) every weekday, I hit the gym, work and usually end up at home sometime after 7:00pm. When people ask if I like LA, I think what's not to like. I have re-created my St. Louis life with the exception of my friends and family. A huge major perk about my life now...I get to go to the beach every weekend.

I don't have the time to be homesick, because I choose not to focus on missing St. Louis. I have fully embraced our new life. I think the changes have forced me to become more independent (especially since Joe has been traveling a ton for work. I have had to entertain myself a lot...probably explains why I have read so many books and bought quite a few new pieces of clothing...sorry babe. I know I need to save for the wedding, but I refuse to look like a frumpy housewife.). I also think I am more energized (for those of you that know me you might not think this is possible). Two different people have commented of my high energy and enthusiasm just today. I don't know how to explain it. Either I really love LA or I need to lay off the coffee.

It is going to be a great year and I am looking forward to blogging about my experiences. When Joe comes home and installs our internet (I am technologically challenged) I hope to be able to write more frequently. Some days when I get home, the last thing I want to do is lug my computer to the lobby. I am lucky if I was the makeup off my face before I crash into bed. But, I wouldn't want life to be any less crazy busy. You get one life to live, so live life to the fullest. Embrace change and don't wast time thinking about negative things that consume your positive energy.

More Than I Bargained For

Our apartment building runs monthly promotions with area businesses. This month's promotion is with a salon. I got a flyer detailing the discounted services and massages are 50% off. I have not admitted this yet, but I am a sucker for coupons and rewards programs. Every time I get emailed a Borders Rewards coupon I feel the need to buy a book. If Express mails me a coupon I find something to buy at the store. I am the reason why marketing companies come up with these promotions. Instead of thinking logically and economically, I think that it would be such a waste to not use the coupon. No wonder credit card companies love me.

I brought the salon flyer to work with me and looked at it on my desk for at least a week. I debated between taking advantage of the great massage discount and between being smart about saving money for my wedding. After putting in 42 hours of work in 4 days, I caved. The voice inside my head trying to tell me to use the coupon started screaming at me to book an appointment. I called and got a massage appointment for Friday after work.

I love being pampered, so I was looking forward to my massage all day at work. I was totally spaced out during the massage, so I was not fully coherent when the therapist asked me a question. I thought he asked me if I wanted him to work on my heels. I was a bit confused and managed to blurt out an um, yeah. Imagine my surprise when he hiked the sheet up higher on my leg and started massaging my hips. This was a bit too close to persona areas for comfort. I guess he really asked me if I wanted him to work on my hips, not heels. I really need to improve my listening skills. Despite the few uncomfortable moments, the overall experience was fabulous. I am going to try to convince Joe that I need to budget for one massage per month. The therapist did tell me my ligaments surrounding my need were very tight and they needed to be releases. Maybe this explains the knee pain I experience during my workouts.

I got kind of annoyed when I was trying to pay for my massage. All I wanted to do was head home, make some dinner and enjoy a glass of vino. The salon employee was really testing my patience when a man walked in and he struck up a conversation with this man instead of finishing my sale. Next thing you know I am shaking the man's hand and he is inviting me to happy hour at the hotel bar (the salon is in a hotel downtown). I weighed my options and decided that a glass of wine with strangers was a heck of a lot better than going home and drinking a glass of wine alone. It might have been one of the most random things I have ever done.

The night got even more interesting when I joined the happy hour group. I met some really important people in LA. (I still need to verify their importance. While consuming adult beverages, everyone claims to be someone big and important. I plan to research their companies on their business cards.) I walked away from that happy hour with an invite to a wedding, an invite to USC tailgates and an invite to lunch at a famous steakhouse. Either this group was very friendly or they were very tipsy. I am betting on the latter. None the less it made for an interesting evening. There is never a dull moment in this city!

Watch Out For the Yellow Puddle!

Grocery shopping is quickly becoming my least favorite activity! We have a great grocery store downtown, but it is a process to go to the store. Since I don't drive to work, I don't have the luxury of stopping by the store on my way home. I have learned the hard way that is it not smart to walk to the store when I only need a few things. Who really ever gets a few things? Some milk and fruit always turns into $40 worth of groceries and several heavy bags to lug home for a mile. Believe me doing the grocery bag shuffle from arm-to-arm is painful! The more comfortable option is to walk home from work, get my car out of the garage and drive the mile to the store. Sounds easy right?

2 problems...1) When I get home after a long (my first meeting at work is at 7am everyday) day at the office all I want to do is put on comfy clothes and take a nap. It is brutally painful to avoid going up to our apartment to head to the garage. 2) Driving 1 mile in downtown after work can take 15 minutes...annoying (I could have walked to the store quicker).

I had to make the dreaded trip to the grocery store this evening (I ate my last banana this morning. I can do without a lot of things, but a banana is not one of them. How else do you think I crank out a morning workout?). I opted for driving to the store since I knew it would be a big trip. I decided to reward myself for going to the store by buying a bottle of cabernet. I also got some olive oil and I planned on having a divine appetizer of dipping oil (olive oil with garlic, pepper, parmesan cheese and italian seasoning) and bread while I enjoyed a glass of vino.

As I was unloading my bags, I noticed that one was extremely heavy. I monitored the handles (I had a bad feeling about the strength of the plastic bag) of this bag as I struggled to make the trek in from the garage and up to the 9th floor. I noticed a hole in the bag and quickly cradled the contents, so I wouldn't loose the precious cargo (the wine!). As I was fumbling with my keys to access the elevator, I felt my load in my arms get a little lighter. I watched as my delicious bottle of olive oil came crashing to the floor (why would the bagger put all of the glass items in one bag?!). The bottle hit the floor, and for a brief, hopeful moment I thought it wouldn't break and then crack. The bottle broke in two pieces and the contents gushed out all over the hallway floor.

My taste buds cried since I could no longer make the dipping oil that I had been lusting for the entire 15 minute drive home from the store. Even worse, I was not sure what to do about the mess I made given that I had armloads of groceries and there was no trash can in site. I went upstairs to unpack my groceries. I tried to find the phone number to our front desk, but had not luck. I had to go to the lobby to admit to the security guards that I made a giant mess on the 3rd floor. I think they were relieved to see me, because they had been looking at the surveillance video (exactly why I admitted my mess. Every move I make is caught on tape.) and wondering what the yellow mess was on the 3rd floor. You better believe they were pretty happy to know the puddle was not pee.

After this evening's grocery store excursion I dislike grocery shopping even more! I might seriously consider a service that delivers my groceries. If one doesn't exist in downtown, can someone please start one? At least, I didn't loose the wine. That would have been grounds for going right back to the store to complain to the manager about the horrible bagging efforts of his/her staff.

Who's Wedding Is It Anyway

I am starting to understand why some brides and grooms elope! The wedding planning process has not been terrible so far, well probably because we have only just begun, but there is one thing that is starting to drive me crazy! I am starting to discover that family members have a tendency to offer their opinions when they are not welcome. This just creates unwanted stress! My grandma is pressuring me to invite an aunt I don't even know. I have probably seen my so-called aunt 5 times in my entire life. I realize it is only one extra person and she is "family," but it is the principle. What makes my grandma think she deserves an invite? I am struggling to do the right thing. I don't want to disappoint my elderly grandma, but I don't want to invite someone I don't know to the wedding 9I don't think my dad wants her in attendance either). Each and every invite is so important when you are paying for the event yourself. Oh boy!

Additionally, I recently found out that one of my wedding party members "hates" the dress. I have been asked to consider allowing her to wear a different dress. Sorry, but this is one area I am not willing to negotiate. I have this vision of all bridesmaids being in the same dress, with the same accessories. I like uniformity. Is that so wrong? After all, I am the bride, so shouldn't I be the one who stands out?? Don't worry I am stepping down from my bridezilla soapbox now. No, I don't plan on have the girls all wear their hair in the same up-do with the same makeup. I am not that bad. The groomsmen are wearing the same style of tux, so I think the bridesmaids should be in the same style dress.

My mom is making me feel extremely guilty because we are planning the wedding from LA. She claims that she always imagined helping me plan this glorious event. I wish I could assign her a task, but I honestly don't know what that task would be. I feel like Joe and I have it under control. We already have our key vendors secured and I have tons of ideas about other things. I guess I could send my mom to the cake tasting, so I can still fit in my dress I ordered.

It is kind of nice having a place to vent. I feel much better after documenting these issues. If only I could feel better about the cost of a wedding. Happy tax day to me. My return is going to a florist deposit and reception deposit. To think I could have had a new Louis Vuitton!

The Difference An Hour Makes

An hour does not seem like a ton of time. I spend an hour every day working out. It takes me about an hour to get ready to go out if have no idea what I am wearing. I watch Jack Bauer save the world on 24 every week for an hour. An hour time change, on the other hand, does feel like a huge amount of time. When daylight savings time occurred last month we lost a precious hour of sleep one night, but I felt sluggish all week long. Imagine loosing that hour of sleep for a week straight…brutal.

I started working different hours this week, because of my role as the Director of Training & Development. I have to be in the office and attentive during a coaching meeting that starts at 7:00am. I didn’t think the time change would be a big deal, because after all it is only one hour earlier. Ha! An hour earlier day after day makes a huge difference. I almost passed up an opportunity to watch the NCAA championship game Monday night with some friends from work, because I was exhausted. I took a 30-minute power nap and decided to be social (who am I to turn down any socializing opportunities at this point? I am still in hard core friend recruiting mode). On Tuesday afternoon I couldn’t get out of the office soon enough. I realized why children need afternoon naps (they get too cranky when tired). I know I got quite cranky after my clock struck 4:00pm (my quitting time!) and a colleague asked me some questions about an upcoming project. I was so annoyed to be dealing with work stuff when all I wanted to do was crawl into my bed for a nap (I had been dreaming about it all day long). I finally escaped from the office at 4:30pm and almost went ballistic when I saw a guy playing a saxophone on my street corner. I thought about bribing the guy with money to move away from my building. (Why are people allowed to play musical instruments, solicit money from innocent walkers and disturb city residents’ peace? Can’t the police boot these musicians off the street?) I decided to keep my money (figured he would want a lot more than a dollar to move) and left the saxophonist alone. I was so tired that I ignored the horrible jazz music and indulged in the best afternoon nap. Even after my afternoon siesta, I was in bed on Tuesday before 9:00pm.

When the alarm rang at 4:30am on Wednesday I thought about skipping work to stay in bed, but the professional side of me convinced me to get out of bed and hit the gym. I drudglingly got on the treadmill and surprisingly cranked out 4 miles. I decided to push for 5 (even thought I should have left the gym because of time) and after watching the mile ticker change I made a bee-line for the shower. I have this really bad habit of being almost late for everything (I always try to do more than I have time for). The whole concept of arriving early to be relaxed and calm sounds amazing, and I go to bed each night planning to implement the concept. Never happens. I barely make it out the door before 6:50am and hustled to work. I bolted to work in a sleeveless shirt and got quite a few odd glances from other commuters since it was only in the 50s. I made it into my office with 3 minutes to spare. After putting on my heels, I started to sweat bullets. I guess I never cooled down from my run. I inhaled a Luna bar (thank goodness for portable breakfast items) and plopped down in my chair for the coaching meeting. The day flew by and before I had a chance to cross off any items on my to-do list I was out the door heading to a campus event. I finally made it home around 9:00pm (I believe that equals a 14-hour day) and if it wasn’t for my recorded Hills episode I would have crawled into bed as soon as I got home. The thrill of catching up on the cast’s drama gave me the endurance I needed to stay awake for the Hills season opener. (I might have made mental notes of the places they went on the show, so Joe and I can check them out. I plan on hitting up the Dime!)

This morning I practically had to pry my eyes open with pliers. At least I am getting up to go to a job I really enjoy. With my new schedule and responsibilities my day flies by. I am in coaching meetings for the first 2-3 hours of the day. By the time I get to do “work” I have no choice but to be uber productive. I love the challenge of new tasks and think this is going to be the perfect role for me. It is going to be another late night tonight, because I am going with a rep to a dinner presentation he is hosting. Needless to say I am so ready for the weekend. I am actually looking forward to a quite Friday night alone. When did I get so old? Who knew how much difference a measly hour could make!?

Rants and Raves

I can not believe how quickly times flies. I have so many things to talk about since I have not posted in a while (blame it on lack of computer access). Since I know you do not want to read a detailed recap of the last week I am going to post my "Rants and Raves" about the last week. I figure this will allow me to communicate my thoughts and experiences in an abbreviated form. Who knows if I like the post maybe it will become a regular feature.

Rave - getting flowers "just because" at work from my fiance. Joe sent me flowers today since he has been traveling a lot for work. It definitely helps to know how much he loves me while he is on the road.

Rant - Not seeing Joe when I get home from work, since he is in St. Louis.

Rave - Spontenaous visits from loved ones! My dad drove up to Milwaukee when I was at a clinic for work and booked a hotel room just so we could have dinner together. We talked for hours just like old times.

Rant - Going to a restaurant that did not have a wine list. Seriously!? I asked for a list and the waitress said they have three options: Cabernet, Chardonnay and Merlot. Needless to say I took dad to the Pfister Hotel to enjoy a real bottle of wine while we savored cashews and views of the Milwaukee skyline.

Rave - Going out of town for work. I was at a clinic the beginning of the week to learn more about my new role. I learned all about coaching the reps in my office. It was a fantastic experience that only increased my conviction for what our reps do. I also discovered that my personal values (achievement, learning and contribution) directly align with my role.

Rant - Being delayed at LAX because of a snow storm that hit Kansas City. I can't stand not flying direct. Thank goodness for expense reports. Airport meals are highly overpriced.

Rave - Planned visits from friends. I finally got to have some girl time last week when 2 friends stayed with us one night. I can't even begin to tell you how much I enjoyed talking about clothes, shopping, weddings and all things girly. Sorry Joe, it was my turn to subject you to conversations more appropriate for the opposite sex. I have experienced many discussions about sports and cute girls since our move to LA.

Rant - Saying goodbye to my friends after such a short visit. Please come back and visit anytime.

Rave - Going out in downtown LA. Last week we ventured to the Standard (twice) and to the Edison.

Rant - Being charged a cover at the Standard. I have never paid a cover at the Standard and we have been many times. When we went last weekend I watched the doorman let in a group of girls for free. I tried to call him out on it by mentioning that I was insulted that I did not get let in because let's face it I am way better looking (I do love myself) but he was not at all humored. Guys in LA that work the door at clubs have a huge ego problem. They like to exercise their control and think they are much more important than they really are. I don't plan on visiting the Standard again anytime soon.

Rave - When someone gives you a compliment first thing in the morning such as "you look exceptionally pretty today." Pretty much guarantees that you are going to have a good day.

Rant - When someone asks you not to snack in training class because it is distracting and after you apologize he/she continues to discuss the issue. If you are not a nutritionist please don't discuss my snacks and make recommendations of what I should eat. I didn't ask you to not
eat smelly meat (I am one of those people who calles herself a vegetarian but I eat fish. Just no land animals) in front of me, so please don't cut-down my apple. An apple a day keeps the doctor away.