Craftastic

The Saturday of our Chicago trip was dedicated to gathering supplies and making the decorations and favors for the wedding.

If there is one thing that I want most next to having a bigger kitchen it would be to have a decent sized Micheal's in Bay Ridge.  Come on Brooklyn!  Join the craft bandwagon and get us some chain stores!  Apparently Staten Island and Long Island have a Michael's and there is a rinky dink one on the Upper West Side, but I would prefer not to haul my goods on the train.  There is definitely a market here! 

Anyways, Michael's is heaven and Dan probably had more than his lifetime fill of that place while Mandy, my mom, and I ran around filling carts.  I had to leave a lot of stuff behind simply because I couldn't fit it in my suitcase.  (Side note: for those of you that plan to stay at the Holiday Inn in Hillside where we have a block reserved for our wedding guests...there is a Michael's, Home Goods, and a Target in the same parking lot!!!)

Our primary goals for the day were to get supplies to make the mason jar candle holders for the tables at the reception.  Both of the ideas we got from Pinterest (follow my wedding board or search chalk and mason jar).  The first one is to take a mason jar and place a cutout of a heart from blue painters tape on the outside of the jar.  Then paint the outside of the jar with chalkboard spray paint.  Once it dries peel off the heart shaped tape and tie a ribbon or twine around the mouth of the jar.  We still have to draw a chalk outline around the heart and put the candle inside, but  you get the idea.  When the candle is lit you can see the flame through the heart!  Thanks to Dan who did all the spray painting!

The second candle holder is made from a short jam sized jar.  Take Elmer's glue and water it down so it can be easily painted.  Coat the inside of the jar with the glue and shake colored craft glitter to cover the glue.  Tie a ribbon around the mouth of the jar and that's it!  Mandy made these start to finish, no helpers.  We still need to add the candles.

The last craft that we got to was the favors.  I ordered the custom squished pennies WAY back in January, it was like the first thing I did for the wedding planning.  They arrived as simple pennies and we needed some way to display them nicely as take-away favors.  The idea was to use those paper punchers and cut out a scalloped square from black card stock.  Then we found a variety of papers with pink and white patterns.  Dan and I hand cut out smaller squares from these and glue tapped them on top of the black paper.  We took sticky tack and put the penny on top, put it all in a little clear baggie, and tied with a ribbon.  I am really happy with how they turned out.  They will look so cute sitting on the place settings. AND since we used sticky tack you can still remove the penny if you want.

Other supplies we got but ran out of time to create were the chalkboard signs.  We needed one on the first floor of the reception venue to direct guests upstairs and one to put on the guest table that says something like picking wherever you want to sit since we have no seating chart (dude I'm not dealing with that, just put your  bum in a chair and we're good...hey maybe that's what the sign will say...just kidding).  We went to Home Goods as well and Mandy and I found an adorable rectangle chalkboard with a cream distressed scalloped frame around it.  We are trying to come up with an idea to use this for some sort of guest interactive.  Stay tuned.

I really liked crafting and although we spent a lot of time going to different stores looking for just the right mason jars, and Mandy drove us everywhere, I still really liked spending time with her and for all of us to do something creative together.  We got Dan his Sonic grape slush along the way because he was such a trooper.  

City Date

On the Friday of our Chicago trip we went to see the 19th Century Club which is where we will have our reception in August.  We were really only there for 10 minutes, just to see the place with our own eyes.  Danielle gave us some idea of how to arrange it and  I'm really glad we switched from the downstairs to the second floor, it was much nicer and has plenty of room for dancing.  Here are some pics!

There is a nice park across the street which we are thinking will be nice for photos. 

After seeing the venue Dan and I decided to venture downtown.  Mandy had to work and my mom was hanging with grandma, so it ended up being just us - a city date!

We were total tourists and even struggled with the CTA version of the metro card machine.

Our first stop was lunch at Giordano's Pizza.  Yumm!  

Then we went to Willis (Sears) Tower.  The wait at Christmas was like three hours so we didn't go, but this time we decided to go for it and only ended up waiting about an hour.  Unlike Empire, the SkyDeck is all inside with floor to ceiling windows and it wasn't nearly as crowded at the top compared to NY.  We were so surprised by the color of the water in the lake.  It looked like the Caribbean, not a lake in the middle of the mid-west.

We waited in line again in order to go out onto the glass box ledge which was really cool and not scary at all.

On the way out there were about 4 different gift shops and one had some cool history tid-bits which I liked.  Lincoln Logs and Tinker Toys were invented in Chicago.  They also had artifacts on display from the Chicago fire, like a whole stack of spoons that were totally fused together (sorry forgot to snap a picture). 

After Willis Tower we perked up with some refreshing drinks at Starbucks and then headed over to the Art Institute and Millennium Park.  It was such a beautiful sunny and warm day.  There were lots of people out but it wasn't congested crowded like New York and signs of spring were everywhere.  We saw the "bean" and posed by a blossoming tree.

Then we checked out the gift shop at the Art Institute (but didn't actually visit the museum).  We headed back to Oak Park and had dinner with my grandma, mom, and Mandy at Jim & Pete's which is where the rehearsal dinner will be...maybe Dan got some pics? 

Chicago - The Tasting

If any of you were on the fence about whether or not to attend our wedding in August...this post *should* sway you in the right direction.

Last Thursday Dan and I got up bright and early to catch a plane to Chicago.  We landed with two hours to spare before our scheduled wedding tasting at Sweet Baby Ray's/True Cuisine Catering.  My mom picked us up at the airport and we wasted some time at Target, driving around looking at houses, and stopping by a classic church basement rummage sale.

Dan trying on a ladies beach hat in Target

We got to the tasting and met Sandra who was super nice.  The amount of food they put before us to "taste" was crazy.  It was all super yummy and we were all very very happy with the choices we made for the menu.  

So, here it is:

Passed Hors D'oeuvres
Chicken Yakitori skewers with a sweet soy glaze, topped with a crunchy ginger apple slaw
"Taco" citurs shrimp ceviche with a creamy chipotle slaw on a corn tortilla chip
Salad skewer made with a garlic roasted Brussels sprout, smoked bacon wrapped around a bite of honey crisp apple, and served with a Parmesan cheese and apple rosemary vinaigrette  (sounds weird but is really yummy - it was my favorite)
Classic bruschetta with balsamic and basil crostini

Wedding Buffet (so you can get as much as you want of what you want!)
True Cuisine Bistro salad  -  field greens, seasonal berries, toasted seasoned almond slivers, and a signature balsamic vinaigrette dressing
Corn Maque Choux - Cajun styled creamed corn with red and green bell peppers and onions in a cream sauce
Baked Mac n' cheese - three cheese macaroni and cheese with a crunchy topping of crumbled cheez-it crackers
Sweet Baby Ray's barbeque chicken marinated overnight and smoked over hickory wood
Texas Brisket smoked for 14 hours, sliced, and served with housemade barbeque sauce
Mix of plain rolls and honey kissed cornbread (this is epic)

Mouth watering yet?  Trust me, it's all great.  The mac & cheese alone should convince you to book your flight now. 

We liked it so much that we walked right over to the restaurant after the tasting and ordered more mac&cheese and corn to add to the leftovers Sandra let us take.  This way my grandma and Mandy got to try the food too.  They both approved.

Also at the meeting we picked the table linens which will be a white tablecloth, pink table runner, and black napkins.  Below is a picture of the color pink we're going with for the linens.

P.S. After the tasting Dan and I went to meet Mandy at her job.  She is a nanny for an adorable set of twin boys.  We took them to the park and they loved Dan.  I just know he is going to be a fun dad.  Mandy said the next day they kept asking "where Dan?"

Wedding planning details update

So some things are coming together. (sorry the photos are sort of blah)

Last weekend the invitations arrived.  They are perfect.  It will be a fun assembly-line weekend activity to put everything together.

We found, ordered, and picked-up the flower girl dress.  Cute!  We're hoping it's simple enough that she can wear it again.

And last but not least, the slow boat from China arrived with the dress!  It's a wonder it even got here because the address on the package was this:

Stephanie Schmeling
c/o Stephanie Schmeling
Brooklyn, NY 11209

I requested that it be sent to the mail center which has the 11209 zip code.  Instead it somehow ended up outside my apartment door...zip code 11220.

When I opened the package I was a bit confused and worried because the fabric was very "slippy" feeling and there was no flower accent on the waist.  Luckily the dress was just inside out so the slippy part was actually the slip (which is under the petticoat).  I tried it on and it fit perfect.  The top has some sort of form which holds the shape of the chest and makes me feel like I'm wearing a corset which is kinda cool.  I felt very...how should I say..."held together."

The twirl is amazing.  I felt like Anna from the King and I when she sings the "Getting to Know You" song and all the children come and sit on the skirt of her dress.  If you don't know what I am talking about watch this...especially around the 4:20 mark.  *~ my cup of tea ~*

Dan saw me in the dress...well, because I needed someone to zip it up and because he was there and because we aren't superstitious.  Also, I hope to look entirely different on the actual wedding day.  I had just gotten back from tap class so my hair was a mess and I had blah for a face.  But since I know you are all curious here is a slightly yucky picture...but you get the idea.  

Later this week Dan and I are traveling to Chicago to do some fun stuff like the tasting, see the reception venue, make some decorations, try the rehearsal dinner place. YAY!  3-day work week and some fun time seeing Mandy, my mom, and g-ma.  

Hip Hop Happy Easter

Yesterday was a beautiful Easter...the weather was sunny and warm and the trees started budding overnight.  It looks like winter might be really officially on its way out!

Usually Dan and I don't get to be in the church service together simply because we have a lot of other responsibilities and either I'm in the youth or pre-k class or Dan's subbing for someone in the elementary class or down in the gym with the youth.  BUT we were super fortunate to get to be in Easter service together and it was very nice. 

After church and tear-down we did our usual Sunday tasks: grocery shopping, lunch, tv and/or naps, we did some drawing, called people, and then we took on the monumental task of making Easter dinner.

In the past we've been invited to places where the people have real kitchens and they whip up ham and all that stuff no problem.  Since we had no invites and Dan requested mashed potatoes, I decided to make ham steak and a creamed corn casserole and gravy for the masher taters.  My little rinky-dink kitchen is not designed to cook multiple things at once and it was a mess.  I was whisking gravy at the same time as minding the ham in the pan.  The corn casserole was in the oven, the timer going off, and the potatoes were over boiling.  I was barking at dan to "cut this" "pour more milk" "grab that plate" "I need help!" We agreed it was an intense 20 minutes when everything decided to be done at once and I was so glad Dan was there to give me his helping hands.

Generally I enjoy dishes but not when every single pan is dirty and we didn't have time to tidy as we cooked.  I cannot wait until we get a place together with a real kitchen and serve Easter dinner on serving plates and have a gravy boat.  So until then, Happy Easter from the closet kitchen. 

Resting on the train

So as the weekends go right now often we are busy with different things going on.  Running to go to the store or counseling, or church events.

Today this is what we do if we have a few minutes of down time: 

Take a rest on the train.  Rest is always important and for me learning to slow down. 

Egg in a pie shell thing

Sometimes Dan surprises me by making dinner.  This week I was totally spoiled because he made his signature hamburger helper on Tuesday and on Thursday I returned from work to a beautiful and ambitious quiche.

Quiche is my signature dish. Ham with onion and swiss cheese is my classic (thanks Mom for teaching me).  One time I asked Dan if he had any special requests for dinner.  His response was "how about that egg in a pie shell thing."  It was hilariously cute.  So now we call quiche, egg in a pie shell thing.

This past Sunday I bought the ingredients to make a quiche and Dan was my handy sous chef chopping the ham and grating the cheese.  He even cracked the eggs.  His kitchen skills are gaining in confidence all the time!

When I buy ingredients to make a quiche there is always enough to make two so Dan decided to attempt to make a quiche with the leftovers on his own last night.  Apparently he couldn't find the chopped onions (which I keep in the freezer) so he decided to substitute onions for carrots.  I was skeptical at first...carrot and ham quiche?  Well it was delicious and he paired it with a cheese topped salad (yum).  I was so surprised by his gesture of kindness and proud of him for taking on a real recipe and the risk of doing it alone.

He did a great thing because, honestly, the whole world is happy when I get fed on time.  Thanks buddy!

When Steph first came into my life

So as I think I mentioned in previous posts, I'm not always the most observant but I'm so glad I woke up and discovered the beautiful person that Stephanie is.

So glad that with all the different things we have both done in our lives so far that God still brought us together.  Many things could have been different and we might have never met but that was not what God had in store, and I am so glad!!!!   

Below is a picture of Crossroads Care and Communication card that we have new people fill out when they visit the church in order to get their contact info, etc.  Anyways, a few weeks ago we started going through old ones at the office and getting rid of ones from all the way back in 2006.

Paul gave me this one and thought I might like it: 

It's the C&C card Stephanie filled out the very first time she came to Crossroads. 

So thankful for all ways God brought us together.

The relative importance of counter space

I wasn't sure about posting this because this blog is mainly about the growing life between Dan and me. But it is my current overwhelming thought and the most ridiculous thing to trip over so repeatedly precisely because I have Dan, and for that I should be more grateful.  So I am writing this to publicly spank myself for being so disagreeable. 

At work there are oodles of beautifully manicured women.  They have fabulous clothes and the most amazing hair.  And every day I feel like a frump next to them.  I have my own style, I get that, I like it but come on!  How do they ALL have such wonderfully smooth and styled hair every single day?  And why do none of them seem to have the same shirt sleeve shrinking issue that I do? 

Every day I look at blogs of moms that have adorable kids and the most trendy styled homes and posts about epic meals they make for their families.  And I crave their lives, their little kids, and their counter space.  And every day I dream about having an apartment where the stove isn't next to my bed and there isn't a fresh pile of dog poop on the sidewalk every morning. 

Yesterday I got an email from a soon-to-be graduate of the college I went to for undergrad.  He is moving to NYC this summer to do Teach for America and wanted advice on apartment hunting.  He will be making $50,000 straight out of undergrad and will have his graduate education paid for by the program.  Now I know that program has its cons and I'm sure he has challenges ahead, but all I compressed from that email was that this kid will graduate with a BA, already have a job where he will be making more than I do, and get a graduate degree fully funded. Ugh.

If I never looked at the girls at work, never read those mom blogs, never knew what other people make, never compared what I have to others...would I be content?  Maybe. If I filter all those things out, I do see that I have a rich life, blessed beyond what I ever imagined possible.  So how do I harness that perspective and live in the presence of that gratitude?  

You see, I got my prince charming and the rough not-so-easy road that brought me to where I am today would have zipped right past this man if I had picked a different path.  A path that was maybe more straight, maybe better funded, and maybe had smooth and shiny hair...maybe. 

Dan is everything and more that I hoped for in a man.  He is worth more than all the beauty products and cool clothes that would put me on the same level as the girls at work.  Time and again I remind myself of how things would have been different if I had gotten a fellowship and had my graduate degree fulled funded.  Well for one, I wouldn't have to talk to the people at Fed Loan every week...but for sure I wouldn't have moved to Bay Ridge and therefore I wouldn't have found Crossroads and I definitely wouldn't have given my raisin heart to the man I will soon call husband.

My mom told me once that when you don't get what you want it means God has something better waiting for you.  Now that sounds all sweetness and positive and sort of idealistic but you know what?  She was right.  For everything I hope and dream and crave and envy, I wouldn't trade any of that for Dan, even if it guaranteed more counter space.

I love my crazy, silly, snuggly guy.  A life without him is never worth comparing.  

Nothing new

The best weekends start with this:

Include unplanned destinations like this:

Macy's flower show - Dan's idea

And feature a return of the long lost kiss bomb:

Pic Stitch

Just because there isn't a lot to report, doesn't mean there is nothing worth remembering.  Here are a few pics of our weekend stitched together

Clockwise descriptions:

If I have this much laundry after two weeks image the extent we'll have when Dan's clothes are combined with mine in marriage?!

The contents of Dan's coat pockets.  Nuf said.

A rainy day lunch.  Look at the golden distribution on that grilled cheese!  Also tomato soup is always served in mugs, just like Momma used to make it. 

Dan attempting to demonstrate what a "pick and roll" is in basketball.  I need visuals.

Happy sunny Tuesday!  We get spring for a day and then the second monsoon arrives tomorrow.