Day 477

Yesterday as I was slacking off instead of doing my homework I came up with a brilliant (if I do say so myself) idea for our wedding favors! We are getting married in the fall, one of my favorite things about the fall is Pumpkin! Who doesn't love pumpkin? Apples are another great feature of the season. Why not combine them?

That is correct, Pumpkin-Apple butter!! Not only did my mouth begin to water instantly, I started thinking of cute ways to decorate this treat into precious little favors. I have enlisted the professional help of my second mom. We started searching for recipes and they all sound so delicious, I cant wait to make a little sample to taste test. 

I think we will use mini mason jars, wrapped in twine with little labels that say:

Spread the Love

October 26, 2013

Pumpkin-Apple Butter

I have seen this idea before with Jam but I really think pairing pumpkin and apple together to make a butter will be so perfect for toast or buttermilk biscuits.

Date night

We have been house-sitting for my mom while she is away camping. It is nice to think that we have already spend our last weekend where we are currently living. At first we were also hanging out with my younger sister but she left with our grandparents in the morning. So when Danny got off work it was just him and I for the night!

We love to cook and search for new nutritious meals that tickle our taste buds. One of our favorites that we discovered is butternut squash ravioli! Last night we prepared butternut squash ravioli with a walnut glaze topped with Parmesan, paired with some red pepper corn bread and a glass of 2009 Syrah. The meal was wonderful!

After dinner we went for a swim in my moms pool which was nice because we needed to get some movement after eating a heavy meal!  We ended the night snuggling (or attempting to, the cat kept getting in the way) while watching Inglorious Bastards.

 

 

Such a lovely preview for the next chapter of our lives together.....just the two of us!  



Day 448

We are moving in six days! It almost doesn't seem to really be happening. When Danny and I were considering wedding dates we were looking into this October. Thank goodness we set it back! I can imagine working through all of this that we have faced in the last month and attempting to plan a wedding. Even over a year away seems too soon. Don't get me wrong, I cant wait to marry Danny its the planning of the event that takes so long. Thankfully, I have some great help!

In regards to an earlier post, I have received some feedback on the topic of sharing a room or sleeping separately the night before our wedding. From what I have heard we should split up. Danny doesn't like the sound of this very much. He said he probably wouldn't sleep but just lay there awake only to get dressed at 3 am because he had nothing else to do. The funny thing is, I can totally see him laying in a hotel bed outside of the covers in complete wedding day suit including shoes just trying to wait for the sun to come up. We like tradition but we like waking up next to each other even more. Most of our wedding day we will not be seeing one another and though we will be busy its a day about our love and it is hard to think of not spending all of it together. We haven't closed our minds on the matter.

We have started talking about honeymoon plans, which is something I am very excited about! As of now we are thinking of taking a tour of the Oregon Coast. A couple nights in a few different cities. We want to go back to Lincoln City since that is where we got engaged. We were also considering Seaside or Cannon Beach. There are several little Inns and family run B&B to think about too. Anyone have any ideas of where to stay or what to do?

Day 456

We received our save the dates in the mail today! They turned out so beautifully!! I cant rave about them enough. I would totally post a picture, however, i do want somethings to be a surprise for those who will be getting them. They are an exact match to our wedding colors, sea green, maroon and gray! I have always loved anchors, I cant really explain it but they are one symbol that I have always been drawn toward. I think it encourages me to be strong and reminds me of my grandpa (maybe because he likes Popeye, and he is the strongest man i know). Anyway, the save the dates have a scroll and anchor! They are simple but uniquely elegant.  A great first representation for our wedding.

This is also going to give me a chance to practice my calligraphy writing for the envelopes! We are going to send them out on the one year mark. Since our wedding is considered a destination wedding it is best to give the guests enough time to plan. I want to send them out now because they are so cool and I want everyone to seem them. Not to mention it makes everything way more official.

Seeing our names on these cards with our date and location was exciting! Almost as wonderful as the idea of marrying my best friend :)

Day 458

Ok, so I should be working on my critique for English 102 but instead I am here waiting for Danny to get home and watching Cheers.  Sometimes it is very hard to stay focused. When I am in school I am sitting there thinking about Danny, marrying Danny or how I am in desperate need for a job. How could I possibly be focusing on the proper way to cite a book or economics?

Danny is wonderful at helping me retain focus on my school work. I got a 4.0 last quarter thanks to his help. Not having him around as much is making me go crazy. He got a second job, well,  they now want him to be full time but he is afraid about job security so he is still working both. So far it has been 45+ hours a week. I cant complain because I am so thankful he is getting hours. However, I cant help but feel a bit depressed lately. My average hours a week has been like 14. I am in no way pulling my weight and I feel awful about it. Not to mention I get lonely when I am without him for so long. I apply to no less than 3 jobs a day! The job Danny got was one I found and we both applied for, I do think it is a better job for him. I just want one so bad. Perhaps that is my problem is that I want it to much. Danny keeps reassuring me that the right job will come along at the right time. I have a few bites in now that I am hoping will take me somewhere but I cant get the hiring manager to give me a call back.

I have so much to be excited about but I just cant get there because of my stress. I am trying to hang in there.

Day 462

So I understand I haven't posted anything in awhile. We have been working through a rough spot right now which involves finding new jobs and a new place to live. There hasn't been much wedding talk lately.

Upcoming Exciters:

We are going to Disneyland in September which is also very exciting. Although, now planning a vacation seems out of place.

We also will be moving in a couple weeks, yes you read that right! After a year and a half of dating, my best friend and I will finally be living together....alone!!! I think we deserve it! We found a nice condo to serve as a home(while we finish our AA degrees) as we take the next step in our lives together.

With so many wonderful things to look forward too its hard not to leap for joy all the time. There are still struggles present but our thankful attitude is helping us push forward.

Today I called and made the reservations for our room for the wedding. We also booked a mini trip to visit the Inn in March for a tour and better idea of the layout. During that trip we will also meet with other vendors. We are pretty pumped about it all!!

I have a question though, when I called to make the reservations for our wedding room she asked me if we will be sleeping separately the night before the wedding.  I like the idea of the tradition but at the same time I like the idea of sleeping next to my man even more. Ok, so my question is; What are your thoughts?

Day 479

Happy fourth of July everyone! Usually this week of my life goes by so quickly I am worried to blink. This year is different, we have faced some new challenges that are making life tough. Even though I am being optimistic about it all I am still hurt and at times my smile is being forced. We know it will pass and truth be told are excited to see our future. Although, we know its us against the world we are thankful for all the people who have given us their support. Its unfortunate when you are faced with seeing peoples true colors that are so much different then you had known!

Anyway, back to the happy stuff! We have selected our wedding song. The song we picked is by the Red Hot Chili Peppers and is titled Hard to Concentrate. Originally, we had selected Wet Sand by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Wet sand was important to us because it symbolized the struggles we faced as individuals and how we feel about meeting one another. However, it is a darker song about the past and our wedding is supposed to be a send off to our future so we changed our mind. Hard to concentrate to us is a song about where we are and what we wish for one another. Below is a video of the song with scrolling lyrics so you can read them and listen for yourself.  Hard to Concentrate is a beautiful song and will be perfect to show how much we feel for one another. Here are some of the lyrics:

Chorus:
all i want is for you to be happy and
take this moment to make you my family and
finally you have found something perfect and
finally you have found

 My favorite part:                                                                                            Danny's favorite part:
one to treasure the rest of your days here and                                            do you want me to show up for duty and
give you pleasure in so many ways dear and                                       serve this woman and honor her beauty and
finally you have found something perfect and                                    finally you have found something perfect and
finally you have found......here we go                                                                        finally you have found......yourself

What do you think?

Day 482

Today was some what of a special day. Not only was it my birthday but it also marked the one and half year mark for Danny and I. Last night he took me to a little italian place to celebrate. We had a wonderful time together, like always.

I had a delicious butternut squash ravioli in a white sauce. We are going to keep the bottle and use it as one of our center pieces. Well, once we finish drinking it that is. After breakfast this morning we went to the craft store and bought supplies for one of our first sign creations. I also found some awesome candles on Etsy that I want for the center pieces. I am so thankful that Danny loves the bohemian/beach theme that I always find myself drawn toward. More to come! Oh and Happy Canada Day everyone!