The Kristen Chronicles: Project 365

December 7

2010-01-02T13:27:00.003-05:00

This is one of the best gifts I got for my bridal shower. The One Touch Can Opener. As seen on TV! I hate opening cans so this makes me very happy. Put it on and push the button. Voila! I sound like an infomercial, but I just love it.

December 6

2010-01-02T13:20:00.002-05:00

After relaxing from our crazy week, we decided to put up our Christmas tree. It makes the apartment feel much more merry. We got three new ornaments for the tree this year. One from my mom which is a little snowman wearing a green hat with a clover on it, one from my great aunt for our first Christmas, and one that we bought in Ireland at the Guinness Storehouse.

December 5

2010-01-02T13:19:00.003-05:00

Another SnowBall picture because technically this was taken around 1:30 in the morning. We had a blast hanging out with Scott and Shane. Don't these three look handsome?

December 4

2010-01-02T13:16:00.003-05:00

SnowBall is finally here! The Black Diamond went really well, the holiday trees looked great, and we had a blast at the event. It was a really exciting night and we were happy to be part of it.

December 3

2010-01-02T13:14:00.002-05:00

More SnowBall preparations! Dane had his volunteers come to the Park Plaza to help decorate Christmas trees. A few companies came who had sponsored trees to decorate and the volunteers took care of the rest. The room looked so festive when all the trees were lit up and decorated.

December 2

2010-01-02T13:09:00.003-05:00

SnowBall is on Friday, and tonight I had some volunteers help me put together the gift bags together for the Black Diamond. They came together really well, even though they had me stressed out.

December 1

2010-01-02T13:06:00.003-05:00

Back to work already. I had the day off, but Dane was back to the office today. That night we had one of our final meetings for the SnowBall. We sorted through some of the items that were donated for the Silent Auction and found a baseball signed by Mike Lowell of the Red Sox. Dane had his Lowell shirt on so he was pretty excited.

November 30

2010-01-02T13:03:00.002-05:00

We drove back to Boston today, the last part of our journey home from Ireland. These are our wedding rings. I love them all!

November 29

2010-01-02T12:59:00.003-05:00

We began the long journey back to NY this morning. First we took a flight from Cork to Dublin. Then we had another flight from Dublin to NY. Then Dad picked us up at the airport to bring us home. On the flight to NY the guy in front of Dane put is seat all the way back before we even left the gate! I have a problem with anyone that puts their seat all the way back, especially before the plane is even moving. So Dane sat about 6 inches from the TV screen in front of him for the whole ride.

November 28

2010-01-02T12:56:00.002-05:00

When they heard how much we love zoos, our family suggested we visit the Fota Wildlife Preserve. It was a really nice park to walk around, and there were all kinds of animals. Some where enclosed and others just roamed the park freely. I desperately wanted to see a wallaby and kept looking for their enclosure. Turns out they were one of the animals that just run through the park. We found them and I was so excited to get that close to one.

November 27

2010-01-02T12:52:00.002-05:00

We had to kiss the Blarney Stone while we were in Ireland (even though my little cousin said we'd probably get the swine flu if we did). Sean took us to Blarney Castle, where we walked around the grounds then headed up the 100 spiral stairs to the roof of the castle. By the time we got to the top I was a little dizzy, but there was a beautiful view of the grounds and even a rainbow on the horizon (didn't see any leprechauns or gold though). We both kissed the Blarney Stone and now have the gift of eloquence. Or so they say.

November 26

2010-01-02T12:32:00.002-05:00

After three days in Dublin we got on a plane that took us to Cork. At the airport we were met by my family, who we'd never met in person before. My cousin picked us up and we went to stay at his home with his family for the rest of our trip.

When we got to the house, we met his wife and children who insisted on taking us to Garyvoe, a town right on the water about 5 minutes from where they lived. We saw the coast and a lighthouse, had ice cream, answered a million questions from the kids, and got to know our family. We stopped to get a picture of the lighthouse on the top of a cliff overlooking the water. It was beautiful, but cold!

November 25

2010-01-02T12:29:00.002-05:00

We spent the morning walking around the city and at the museum. Eventually we were both hungry and tired, so we stopped into a pub to grab a drink. Dane spotted a pub called The Hairy Lemon and there was no question that we would go there. We ended up staying there for hours, making friends with the bartender, and hanging a dollar bill on the wall. We love The Hairy Lemon.

November 24

2010-01-02T12:25:00.003-05:00

This morning we went to the Dublin Zoo. We really love zoos and aquariums, so we were excited to find out there was one in the city. They had meerkats which made me very happy.

After the zoo, we weren't far from the Guinness Storehouse so we walked over. It turned out to be a bad idea to walk in the pouring rain and wind, but we made it there and got some Guinness right away. After doing the self guided tour, we redeemed our ticket for a free Guinness pint by learning to pour the perfect pint. We learned that Guinness needs to be kept at 6 degree Celsius. A few degrees in either direction and it starts to lose flavor. Dane poured his pint first and the bartender said it was the best pour he'd ever seen by someone that's never done it before. Mine wasn't quite as good, but it tasted just as delicious.

November 23

2010-01-02T12:22:00.002-05:00

When we got to Dublin, we found a place and slept until about 1pm. When we woke up, we headed straight for the Jameson distillery. The weather cold and rainy, and the walk was much longer than it looked on the map we had, but we made it there. On our tour I volunteered to do a whiskey tasting and afterwards we were treated to a sample of Jameson. We picked Jameson with ginger ale.

November 22

2010-01-02T12:13:00.002-05:00

The day after the wedding we said goodbye to our family and got on a plane headed to Ireland for our honeymoon. The flight was a red eye, so we arrived in Dublin at 5 am. This was before we got on the plane in NY, when we still had a little bit of energy.

November 21

2010-01-02T12:10:00.002-05:00

Wedding day! We had the most beautiful day with our family and friends. The ceremony was exactly like we wanted and the reception was the party we'd hoped it would be. Thank you to everyone who joined us to celebrate our marriage!

November 20

2009-12-18T14:30:00.003-05:00

Day before the wedding!

We spent the day doing small errands then getting ready for the rehearsal and dinner. The rehearsal went really well and then we headed to The Irish Coffee Pub for dinner. The food was great, the atmosphere was perfect, and the company was wonderful. The guys definitely had a great time.

November 19

2009-12-18T14:26:00.003-05:00

After another day of running errands and finishing up our projects, we decided to relax for a little while. We met up with Heather and Shawn at Applebee's for half prize appetizers and 2for drink specials. There was lots of laughing and it was great to hang out for a little while before the craziness began. Heather and I decided to model the flowers hair combs I made for my sisters.

November 18

2009-12-18T14:24:00.002-05:00

Final preparations! My sisters saw the white silk flower hair combs I made for myself and really wanted orange ones to go with the flowers for their hair. I went out and got some orangey red flower, crystals, hair combs and felt and got to work! They came out great and my sisters loved them.

November 17

2009-12-18T14:22:00.002-05:00

Tonight was a girls night. My sisters (and maids of honor) and my mom took me out to The Melting Pot. This is one of my favorite places and I haven't been there in over a year. I can't say no to fondue. We had a blast and enjoyed some $5 martinis together.

November 16

2009-12-18T14:17:00.002-05:00

Jenna took me to get facials and massages as part of my bachelorette celebration. I'm not big on the bachelorette party idea, but couldn't turn down a day at the spa. It was so great to spend some time with her. This is us showing off our unclogged noses after getting our facials.

November 15

2009-12-18T14:15:00.002-05:00

Less than 1 week until the wedding! We were getting ready to head to NY. Nothing too exciting, so this picture is from our first day in NY (November 16). Abby was having a great time with her Aunt Melissa. She looks crazy in this one.

November 14

2009-12-18T12:56:00.002-05:00

Today I headed to CT to present at a conference with my co-worker. The presentation went really well ,which is great because the same presentation just got accepted for the national conference. After presenting we went out to lunch with the students before I headed home.

November 13

2009-12-18T12:55:00.002-05:00

And the last of fun wedding projects, our Kissing Menus. I love this idea and loved coming up with our own spin on it.

November 12

2009-12-18T12:42:00.002-05:00

More diy goodness. These are the table tents that Scott designed and I printed at home.

November 11

2009-12-18T12:38:00.003-05:00

I've been busy with a ton of diy projects for the wedding. I decided the girls needed little kits they could use for their makeup. The fabric I used for our ring bearer pillow is just so pretty, I decided to use it for the pouches. My sisters are notorious for taking things from each other so I put their initial on the front and a heart on the back. I filled them with emergency items like bobby pins, hairspray, Tide-to-Go, and tissues. The girls loved them.

November 10

2009-12-18T12:35:00.002-05:00

I love getting together with this crowd. We all met for dinner at Pour House, my favorite. It's never dull with friends like these.

November 9

2009-12-18T12:34:00.002-05:00

We had some leftover googly eyes from those little animals. I decided my phone needed them. Isn't it cute? Don't worry, I didn't leave them on there.

November 8

2009-12-18T12:20:00.002-05:00

Ellen was kind enough to make dinner for Dane and I tonight. She made chicken piccata with pasta and meringues with fresh fruit. She's so domestic. Everything was fantastic, and she even got us an activity to do together which consisted of putting together little animals made of wood. This turned out to be much harder than we thought, and Dane had a heck of a time getting his frog together. It took all three of us, but we finally did it!

November 7

2009-12-18T12:18:00.002-05:00

Dane's co-workers planned a fun day out for us today to celebrate the wedding. We went to Red Bones and had some awesome barbeque for lunch then headed to The Burren, and Irish pub, for some drinks. They are always a fun group to hang out with! We wore our bride and groom shirts, of course.

November 6

2009-12-18T12:17:00.001-05:00

We had some cheese in the fridge that I bought for something else a while ago, so I decided to use it for making baked macaroni and cheese instead. This is before I put it in the oven. It came out so yummy!

November 5

2009-12-18T12:14:00.002-05:00

Today was Scott's birthday! We had a SnowBall meeting, but I decided he needed a cake. I picked one up on my way home and we all sang happy birthday to him at our meeting in the Park Plaza. Happy birthday Scottish!

November 4

2009-12-18T12:08:00.001-05:00

Did you know Heinz ketchup comes from Pennsylvania? I didn't. Dane kept telling me but I didn't believe him. At least not until I saw this. I guess he was right.

November 3

2009-12-18T12:06:00.001-05:00

We finally caved and went to the laundromat to do our laundry tonight. We've been mooching off friends and doing laundry for free since April. Pretty impressive, right? Dane was investigating the washing machines.

November 2

2009-12-18T12:01:00.003-05:00

I came into work today to find this on my desk. Seriously, you have to love that. Not much better than coming into work when you really don't feel like it to find a present on your desk. It was from the VP and was a wedding gift. So thoughtful.

November 1

2009-12-18T11:54:00.002-05:00

Dane and I went to Tommy Doyle's for dinner. The food was great and our waiter was from Ireland which was fun. But the best part? Speed dating was going on in the room next to us. We were fascinated by this! I've never gotten the deal with speed dating. I understand how it works, but I don't think I'd ever do it. The woman running it stopped to talk with me and told me everyone there pays $40 just to participate! Crazy!

October 31

2009-12-18T11:41:00.003-05:00

For some Halloween fun, Dane and I wen to the Museum of Science to see the Harry Potter exhibit. It was really fun. We're huge geeks so the chance to see all the props from some of our favorite movies was amazing. Even better, they had Dippin' Dots. If you know me at all, you know this is a huge deal. I love Dippin' Dots.

October 30

2009-12-18T11:09:00.003-05:00

After work tonight we went out with Dane's coworkers. It was just me and the boys on the night before Halloween. We stayed so long that people started showing up in costume and we had to be moved from the dance floor where we were sitting at a table. Eventually someone showed up in a Cookie Monster costume which totally made our night complete.

October 29

2009-12-18T11:04:00.002-05:00

Tonight was Fan Fest, one of the biggest events on campus. It's basically a pep rally before basketball season to get everyone pumped up. The Dance Team performed, so of course I was there to support them. This is part of the crowd at the beginning of the night.

October 28

2009-12-18T10:50:00.002-05:00

The dance team held their dress rehearsal tonight for their first big performance of the semester, Fan Fest. The mother of one of the captains made their uniforms!

October 27

2009-12-18T10:47:00.003-05:00

Someone gave these to my boss, but for some reason he wasn't into the pastry shaped erasers. Worked out fine for me, since he asked if I wanted them to which I obviously said yes. I haven't used them yet though, because they're too cute!

October 26

2009-12-18T10:45:00.002-05:00

The buzz on Twitter today was that KickAss Cupcakes was having a happy hour with cocktail themed cupcakes. It didn't take long for Becca and I to decide we absolutely had to go. I had a rum soaked cupcake, and they were not joking with the soaked part. Everything was so yummy though!

October 25

2009-12-18T10:44:00.001-05:00

Dane and I went to Panera and to see The Vampire's Assistant on a date tonight. You know how all stories are good if it ends with "and then I found $20"? Well, I did! Under my seat at Panera there was a $20 on the ground. We were the only ones around, and since there was no one to ask if they had dropped it, it was mine. That paid for our tickets!

October 24

2009-12-18T10:39:00.002-05:00

After getting up early to call the mechanic, Jenna's truck was fixed! We decided to go to Salem even though it was Saturday (and the weekend before Halloween). It's a tradition now in it's third year. The weather wasn't the best, but the rain held off and it was windy but warm. We had a great time walking around, going to our favorite hot dog place, and watching Abby experience her first trip to Salem. This was taken in the Salem Common. Just the girls.

October 23

2009-12-18T10:36:00.002-05:00

The plan today was to go to Salem with the whole family. We were going to take Jenna's Explorer so that everyone could fit in one car. Slight problem occurred when we all went out to the car and it wouldn't start. Thankfully I have AAA, called for service, and we found out her alternator was broken. The car was towed to the service station I use, but that pretty much shot our plans for Salem that day. Instead we decided to go into Boston for the evening. Mom watched Abby at my apartment, so it was just the kiddies. We took them to one of our favorite spots, the reflecting pool, and had a little photo session.

October 22

2009-12-18T10:14:00.002-05:00

Today was a big day for my sister Melissa. This is the second year that the college has hosted John Zaffis, a ghost hunter, and the second year she has come to see him. This year, before I gave the check over to him, I asked if he'd mind taking a picture with her and signing one of the posters we had put up around campus. She was so excited and he was very nice about it.

October 21

2009-12-18T10:10:00.002-05:00

My family is visiting for the weekend and I had my dress fitting to get it hemmed and the bustle done. I just love my dress, so any chance to wear it I will gladly take. The woman measuring my dress put Melissa to work holding the long train. Doesn't she look happy to be helping?

October 20

2009-12-18T10:08:00.001-05:00

This is the weirdest thing. There are ladybugs EVERYWHERE! I opened the shade on my window today and there were at least 20 of them on the screen. My office was stifling so I opened the window a crack thinking the screen would keep them out. I was wrong. Within 20 minutes I had about 10 ladybugs crawling around my office on the ceiling and near the windows. I have no idea where this random infestation of ladybugs came from, but they were all over!

October 19

2009-12-18T10:05:00.002-05:00

Ever since I won the Live Long and Prosper hand for my mom, Dane is obsessed with the claw machine at the movie theater. Whenever there's time before a movie we're going to see, he likes to go over. He has yet to win anything. I know my win was totally a freak thing, so I'm still trying to convince him to save his quarters.

October 18

2009-12-18T10:03:00.001-05:00

We went over to Nino's today for some quality time watching movies, making dinner, and doing laundry. Lazy days at his place are the best. While we were there watching scary Halloween movies, we looked outside and it was snowing. It's only October! Not ready for this weather yet.

October 17

2009-12-18T10:02:00.002-05:00

Becca and I went to Julie's jewelry party tonight and we had a blast. Julie makes some awesome sangria and we definitely had our fill. It was fun to meet some new people and, of course, do some shopping from the comfort of home. And I did order the Abloom ring!

October 16

2009-12-18T10:00:00.002-05:00

Going to a jewelry party tomorrow (which is when this picture is actually from). I had to do my homework, so I looked up the catalog for Lia Sophia and found this ring. I have a thing for rings, they're probably my favorite kind of jewelry. It's the Abloom ring and I have to have it. This is the one that was on display which was much too big for my finger, but still lovely.

October 15

2009-12-18T09:48:00.002-05:00

I like when numbers work out in fun ways. It makes my day when I go to pay for something and it comes to an exact dollar amount, without any change needed. We went out to eat tonight before the SnowBall meeting at Maggiano's and the bill came to $50.50 and that made me happy.

October 14

2009-12-18T09:46:00.002-05:00

Even though I've had them for a week or so, this is my official picture of my new glasses. I passed on my usual wire frames and went with a thicker frame and really like what I ended up choosing. This is different for me, but I like it.

October 13

2009-12-18T09:45:00.001-05:00

Back at work today after a nice long weekend. My boss is moving and cleaning out some things from his old apartment. He found this book and thought of me. Not sure what he's trying to tell me here. What can I say? I really like food!

October 12

2009-12-18T09:43:00.003-05:00

We spent the day with Dane's family and then driving back to Boston. Instead of a picture of us driving, here's another one of us at the football stadium before the game! It was such a great time. Hopefully we'll make it back again next year!

October 11

2009-12-18T09:39:00.004-05:00

After a blow out game that ended with Penn State beating Eastern Illinois 52-3, we spent the morning on campus. We had to make sure we got to the Berkey Creamery! The line the night before was out the door and around the corner and we just didn't have enough patience to wait. Instead, we decided that ice cream for breakfast was a good idea. I had the apple cobbler ice cream and it was amazing.

October 10

2009-12-18T09:37:00.004-05:00

Before the game we went to the Pep Rally where they were doing free airbrush tattoos. I had to show my Penn State pride and got a Nittany Lion paw on my cheek. Dane got one on his hand too. Such an amazing atmosphere before the game!

October 9

2009-12-18T09:31:00.003-05:00

Finally! We got to Penn State after close to 9 hours in the car. The campus is huge and beautiful. Much different than where I'm used to working every day. We toured the town, College Park, which was small but cute. In one of the many stores selling Penn State apparel, I spotted this legend. This was the closest I would get to Joe Pa while at Penn State.

October 8

2009-12-18T09:29:00.002-05:00

So excited to go to Penn State for the first time! I saw this license plate at the gas station and considered it to be a sign that we were going to have an awesome weekend!

October 7

2009-12-18T09:26:00.002-05:00

This is a view of the lovely city of Boston from the Prudential Skywalk. We went with Sam and Jason because they really wanted to go get pennies before moving away from Boston. Sam loves her pennies! It was a really clear night and you could see the city lights. Love this city.

October 6

2009-10-07T17:47:00.004-04:00

This may have been my all time favorite thing that I've done so far in Boston. A few months ago we bought Groupons for a Boston Segway tour, and we finally scheduled it. It was a blast! After watching the safety video, I was pretty sure I was going to go flying off of it, head first. Fortunately, that did not happen. It took a few minutes to get used to riding, but once I did I never wanted to stop! We rode with our guide all along the waterfront as the sun was setting, then through the city. It was the perfect night and a great way to see places in Boston you've probably never heard of. Best part, now that we did the tour we're "Segway Certified" which means we can now just go rent them for the day, and it's cheaper than doing a tour. I would absolutely recommend this to anyone, Boston native or visitor!

October 5

2009-10-07T17:45:00.001-04:00

While walking with Dane, we saw this on the sidewalk. It's a sumo wrestler and says "Attack". I'm not sure what that's all about, but it's pretty funny to me.

and thanks blogger for not letting me flip it the right way. whatever.

October 4

2009-10-07T17:44:00.001-04:00

This picture is from the wee hours of the morning. We went out with my sisters, ended up getting separated, but called our friends and they came to meet up with us. I can always count on Shawn for some fun when we're home!

October 3

2009-10-07T17:41:00.002-04:00

Back to NY this weekend. We had all kinds of last minute things to take care of because we won't be back in NY until the week before the wedding. We woke up, went to the hall, chose our menu, did a floor plan for how it will be laid out, and ordered linens. Then I picked up my sister and we went to do a hair and makeup trial. I absolutely love the way it came out. Afterwards, off to a meeting with Pastor Dave to finalize the ceremony and iron out last minute details there. Then to a cake tasting. Lastly, to David's Bridal to get my sisters their dresses. That's another story in itself. But the best part of the day was probably tasting cake together!

October 2

2009-10-07T17:39:00.001-04:00

My co-workers absolutely love this little place called The Knotty Pine right near work. It's cheap and has great food. You can't really ask for more. Jenny and I decided that we need to have a monthly trip to the Knotty Pine from now on, because it just brings us so much joy. All we talked about for two days was how we were going out to lunch on Friday. As you can see, she was very happy to be there.

October 1

2009-10-07T17:37:00.002-04:00

I was having a stressful week at work, until I got these! My best friend, Sam, knew I was struggling that week so she sent me flowers to my office. This is probably one of the nicest thing any friend has ever done for me. I can't believe she's moving to Minneapolis! I really don't know what I'm going to do without her.

September 30

2009-10-07T17:34:00.002-04:00

One of the students who works in our front office is a senior and a fashion design student. Our fashion department is the largest academic department on campus, and one of the biggest events of the year is always the Senior Fashion Show. All the senior Fashion Design majors have to create an entire line of clothes, construct the clothes, find models, pick the styling for the models, and pull off a successful runway collection. It's a really exciting event, and today I was asked to model in it! I'm so excited and she even let me choose the garments I like best. Mine will be the coat and dress on the left in this photo.

September 29

2009-10-07T17:32:00.001-04:00

Dane and I are now both volunteering for the annual SnowBall on the Leadership Team. Today was the first meeting Dane has attended, and we were going to meet with people interested in being on our committee. I ended up with 9 people, but Dane, he ended up with 0. It was sad! This was his nametag and he even drew a little tree on it, since he's the Holiday Tree Coordinator. He'll get some more volunteers soon though, don't feel too badly about it.

September 28

2009-10-07T17:29:00.002-04:00

As I was driving back to Boston, I got really excited for two reasons. First, I had an appointment to get new glasses and I've been wanting new frames for a while. Second, I had a ton of new kitchen things in my car and I wanted to use them all. I headed to Trader Joe's, then Lenscrafters, then home and began cooking! I made a salad, sliced fresh mozzarella, make bruschetta, and baked foccacia bread (not from scratch, from the rolls you get at Trader Joe's and put in the oven for 10 minutes, seriously amazing though). Then I made pesto from my basil plants and papparadelle pasta. It was delish! It was nice to see Dane after the long weekend apart and we enjoyed a lovely dinner together.

September 27

2009-10-07T17:27:00.003-04:00

Heather's present to me was tickets to see Jude Law on Broadway starring in Hamlet. WAY better than a pair of potholders. We went into NYC, had some NY pizza, then headed to the theater. It was a really intimate theater, small and cozy. There really wasn't a bad seat in the house. We oohed and aahed over Jude, tried to figure out what they were saying during some scenes, and shared some candy at intermission. I could not be more thankful to her for that amazing gift!

September 26

2009-10-07T17:25:00.002-04:00

Bridal shower day! I had no idea what to expect, and my sisters did an amazing job. I had so much fun, and my family and friends were wonderful to me. I can't wait to go home and start cooking using all the fun new tools I have!

September 25

2009-10-07T17:23:00.003-04:00

This weekend was my bridal shower at home in NY. I left work early to start the drive home, getting back just in time for dinner. I went out to Applebee's with my parents and grandparents, and besides being exhausted, it was a fun night. My grandma and I were the only two that decided they had to have dessert. Must be because we were the smartest ones at dinner :)

September 24

2009-10-07T17:18:00.002-04:00

Dane discovered this wonderful thing. Once a month, the Sam Adams Brewery has an open house. Each month there is a different theme, but every one features at least 3-4 free samples of beer and getting to mosey around the brewery unattended. This was my first one, and it was great. The Open House this month centered around an author who wrote a book about the history of alcohol in the US from prohibition until today. He was an interesting speaker, and now I can't wait until next month!

September 23

2009-10-07T17:12:00.001-04:00

This is always the highlight of my day. This is the second time I have seen wild turkeys on my way to work in the morning. I just think this is so strange! This picture is obviously not the best, but it was the best I could do as I struggled to drive, get my camera out and take a picture while moving. Which, now that I think of it, probably wasn't the best idea.

September 21

2009-10-07T17:11:00.003-04:00

We are pretty much out of food at the apartment, so we finally went grocery shopping. I'm a big fruit and veggie lover, and that's always our first stop when we go shopping. Doesn't this array look pretty? I love fall colors.

September 20

2009-10-07T17:09:00.002-04:00

Today was Jesse's first birthday party. Dane's family all came out to celebrate. It looks like the birthday boy really enjoyed his cake!

September 19

2009-10-07T17:07:00.003-04:00

Dane spent the whole day watching Jesse while his sister ran around to prepare for Jesse's first birthday party on Sunday. He was in his glory playing with his nephew and seeing how big he got. He's riding around on his little truck and being a cutie.

September 18

2009-10-07T17:06:00.002-04:00

All I did was work all day and night today, so here's a picture of Jesse from this weekend. Dane went to PA for the weekend and took the camera. He got some adorable shots of his nephew. I can't get over these cheeks.

September 17

2009-10-07T17:05:00.003-04:00

I met with the new Dance Team captains today at work. We are preparing for auditions next week, and they are very excited for this year. I noticed this later on in the night, but they had left a note for me on our board in the hallway. So cute.

September 16

2009-10-07T17:03:00.002-04:00

We already got our first response back! Dane got it, but waited until I got home so we could open it together. Ben was our first response, and left us a funny note in the dietary requests section. This seems to be a trend now, everyone is leaving us messages on the response cards, which is so fun!

September 15

2009-10-07T17:01:00.001-04:00

Last week I get an email from Groupon for reduced prices tickets to StyleFixx. I've never been before, but just know it sounds like something that would make my life complete. I immediately consult Sam, who is trying to find someone to take Red Sox tickets that she has with Jason. Because she's awesome, she decides to forget the game and come with me to StyleFixx. Dane and Ben joined Jason at the game, and we got a night of drinking and shopping. It doesn't get much better than that!

September 14

2009-10-07T17:00:00.001-04:00

Today was the last day at work for one of Dane's co-workers, and her farewell party was at my favorite place: Pour House. I love that they invite me out, so I met up with everyone and indulged in some Sam Adams Oktoberfest with Dane. Here's the aftermath of our gigantic beers.

September 13

2009-10-07T16:58:00.002-04:00

We headed over to Nino's for some quality time with him. We had a Lost marathon and finished season 4. Now I just have to catch up on season 5, which I plan to do as soon as they put it online or make it available on DVD. Seriously, ABC, move a little faster with this. We made veggie stir fry and enjoyed some Italian red wine. I realize those don't go together, but that didn't matter to us in the slightest.

September 12

2009-10-07T16:57:00.002-04:00

Finally we got to the Post Office. Here is our little stack of invitations that are stamped and ready to be mailed. This is really exciting. I feel like it's all becoming more real now that we actually get to invite people to our wedding!

September 11

2009-10-07T16:56:00.001-04:00

I honestly don't remember where we were going together, but I just love that Dane and Jason are holding on for dear life when Sam started driving. Sam does hate most other people on the road, for good reason, so maybe that made them nervous.

September 10

2009-10-07T16:55:00.001-04:00

Totally forgot to take a picture today, but I have this one and I was really craving sausage and peppers today, so I figure it's totally appropriate. Fenway has spoiled me with amazing sausage and peppers.

September 9

2009-10-07T16:53:00.002-04:00

Last time I was at Becca's I got into an accident. Not this time though! I went over and pretty much ate all her food. It was wonderful. And, besides seeing Becca which is always fun, I got to hang with my girl Sophie. She really wanted to eat what was leftover on my plate. Turns out she's not much for pasta. Also, that's Becca's foot, which she'll probably yell at me for posting :)

September 8

2009-10-07T16:52:00.001-04:00

After a few days of working on them a little at a time, the invitations are done. Now we just have to bring them to the Post Office and mail them. Scott did such a great job with the design!

September 7

2009-10-07T16:51:00.002-04:00

For some reason I had a ton of energy tonight, and Dane was exhausted. I thought instead of letting him sleep, I should take pictures in the dark. He didn't agree. But isn't this shot just lovely?

September 6

2009-10-07T16:49:00.002-04:00

Sam and Jason have been away in California, so we agreed to watch their kitties. This basically just meant feeding them a few times during the week. But this weekend we went over, did some laundry, watched their TV and hung out with the kitties. This is Bruno (a.k.a Ruddus) who just loves to snuggle, especially with Dane, who is allergic to cats. I couldn't get a great picture of Bailey because she's a little bit of a schizoid and doesn't like to sit still.

September 5

2009-10-07T16:47:00.002-04:00

Today Dane, Ben and I went to watch the Penn State game at the Greatest Bar (disclaimer: it is actually called that, I don't really think it's the greatest though). The Penn State Alumni Association always shows the games there, and it's so fun to be amongst all the hardcore fans. Best part is, they always serve grilled stickies, which I've learned is unique to the Penn State area and absolutely scrumptious. This was totally the highlight of the game for me. Oh, and Penn State won.

September 4

2009-10-07T16:45:00.002-04:00

We began putting our wedding invitations together today. After I got really annoyed when I figured out we couldn't do our original plan, which was to use a wax and stamp to seal them, Dane suggested stickers. First, in my fit of annoyance, I said no way to stickers. I just have this image in my head of Disney princess stickers or giant flowers that are all irridescent, neither of which I wanted on our invitiations. But then he coaxed me to the Paper Source, not really a hard thing to do with me, and we found these stickers you can design and print yourself in the paper color we were already using. Perfect! This is how the finished product came out.

September 3

2009-10-07T16:43:00.001-04:00

I got these shoes this past weekend, and made the mistake of wearing them for the first time when I had to walk all over Boston. My feet hurt so badly when I got home. I pretty much flung them across the room and never wanted to see them again. They've worn in much more nicely now, but that first wearing was awful!

September 2

2009-10-07T16:42:00.002-04:00

Another Etsy find! I saw this dainty ring on an Etsy shop, Cherry Creek Designs. When I saw you could get it personalized with initials, I figured what better way than to start embracing what will be my new last name? I got it in the mail today, and it's perfect.

September 1

2009-10-07T16:40:00.002-04:00

I got one of the best gifts ever today. When we were last in PA, I showed Dane's mom this Etsy shop called the House of Mouse. The things on there are absolutely adorable and I fell in love with little Yoda mouse. Today I went to pick up a package I got in the mail, and guess what is was? Yoda Mouse from Dane's parents! I couldn't believe they got it for me! Look at him with his little lightsaber! He stayed with me for the day at work, then I took him home so that both Dane and I could enjoy his company.

August 31

2009-10-07T16:39:00.003-04:00

And still going with all my sewing fun! I got this fabric in PA when Dane's mom and grandmother took my shopping. I love the funkey geometric pattern. This is another hard one to part with!

August 30

2009-10-07T16:38:00.002-04:00

Sewing up a storm again. I have to get it in now, because I know once students return to the college it's going to be insanely busy. I'm in love with this fabric, and made this bag. I can't even explain how hard it is to put this up for sale, but I'm doing it!

August 29

2009-10-07T16:36:00.003-04:00

We had the best day ever today for wedding planning. I can't believe how much we accomplished! We picked out the tuxes, got Dane fitted and ordered his, picked out our wedding bands, got things we needed for the centerpieces, picked up containers for our candy bar, and actually had fun with it all. It was great to check all those things off of our list! Here's Dane getting measured for his tux. I can't wait to see him looking all handsome in November.