brief fupdates and evidence we still exist

bachelorette selfie with my sister, only semi relevant, but you need a picture right?  there will be more eventually.

let's be honest here folks, things are currently rather surreal.

my name is going to be different in less than 18 days and between trying to finagle a new job and tie off all the pre-nuptial loose ends it just doesn't feel like i have much to blog.  things are simply too vague or surprise-inducing to announce to the internet right now, so i've obviously found solace about my bloggers-block in the form of a 1028 page novel and 6 seasons of jersey shore.  rest assured there will be much more to be said, some hopefully sooner than later, but should you be knee deep in concern for my absence from this blog, you can expect to see more around maybe halloween-time, when hopefully things reach some semblance of normal.

in the meantime, here are some fleeting thoughts about our new home and current conditions:

1.  cost of living differences between houston and ann arbor are blowing my mind.  gas is so cheap (not really a shocker), groceries are basically free compared to michigan, also there are forms of gainful employment here that render people more upbeat than the metro-detroit attitude of "you have a job, you thus have no right to complain about anything ever.  genocide?  deal with it.  you have a job.  be thankful."

2.  on the topic of the upbeat people of houston the friendly-factor is probably the biggest culture shock here.  people are just so darn nice.  i feel like an ice queen for not striking up a conversation with the cockroach i found in my dishwasher.  midwesterners have a much more "you do you" (thnx jwoww) attitude about what constitutes politeness.  probably because it's so cold you can't really be expected to leave your house to talk to anyone 8 months out of the year.

3.  also yes i found a cockroach in my dishwasher.  just a small one.  he was not the first.  there also aren't 8 months out of the year here where everything freezes and dies.  thus bugs.  they happen.  i'm learning to deal with this.

4.  on the topic of cold: it is not.  unless you're indoors because, wisely, everything is air conditioned to the max.  i am essentially in heaven.  i hate the cold.  cold ranks somewhere below human trafficking and somewhere above the big bang theory in terms of things i do not appreciate.  if you read this blog often, i would guess about 80% of its contents refer to my hatred of the cold.  i'm so pleased and warm and tan in houston.

5.  on that note, the locals here tend to think it's way too hot and they can't believe i think the weather here is a plus.  this, to me, is like whining about your broken laptop to a starving child.  you do not understand the suicide-inducing misery of months below 0 degrees fahrenheit.  seriously.  i don't like cold.

also there are little lizards all over the place in our apartment complex and i love them.  hopefully i will get to posting the rest of the pictures from our bachelor/bachelorette weekend very soon (thank you to my 10/10 maid of honor sister for taking pictures and also crafting hard).

there: we still exist. ta for now.

happy new year (OMG we're getting married in 2014)

i promise i will be back with a better post soon.  historically i have always really liked taking advantage of the new year to reflect, regroup, and reassess and i know this year will be no exception.  in the meantime, here's a bit of fun from one of my stocking stuffers: the fortune telling book for brides.

according to this knower-of-all, here's a little bit of what is in store for steve and i based on details of our proposal and our wedding plans:

if your proposal was on bended knee:  "if your husband to be got down on one knee and proposed, it is likely that you will be parents tot three or more children."

if you got engaged by trees:  "trees are symbols of life and the soul.  becoming engaged under a tree symbolizes that you and your future husband will shelter each other all your lives, and serve as a grounding influence for each other."

if your wedding is between september 1-15:  "you will be blessed with many opportunities throughout your life.  don't hesitate: reach out to them as they are offered to you.  chances you pass up may not come again."

aries / sagittarius:  "this high-octane pairing will be full of laughter and adventure."

orchids as your wedding flower:  "you and your husband will always be passionate about each other, and you will live in great luxury."

well fortune-tellers... there's a look into steve's and my future ;)  see you all in 2014!

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our awkward DIY engagement photoshoot

our incredible wedding photographer costs a pretty penny, so when it came time to think about engagement photos we definitely had our work cut out for us.  i have taken more selfies of me and steve than i care to admit, so instead of standing awkwardly in front of a stranger with talent, we opted to stand awkwardly in front of a tripod to take our official photos of betrothal.

true story:  DIY actually isn't too bad a way to go if you know how to use a good camera and lens.  sure, it's kind of weird jogging between tripod and steve planted in the "don't move or else you'll be blurry" position, while strangers decide to stop and watch with interest from a standpoint that happens to be, you know, in the background of the photo...  but it's also free, which is neat.

also true story:  DIY engagement photos are a solid way to be really self-conscious about how weird you look taking fancy selfies in public.  still, i recently finished designing our save the date postcard, so now that i have an official picture selected (to keep confidential until we send the postcards out), i figured i'd share the rest of our hilarious, semi-embarrassing photo-shoot.

steve was making fun of me because i kept getting pissy with him for looking stiff.

so when i told him "be whimsical" he opted for the julie andrews sound of music pose.

yup, pretty much.

one year from today

on september 13 2014 i get to marry

the greatest person i have ever met

the best friend i have ever had

and the most handsome devil i have ever seen.

am i lucky girl or what?  i've basically been floating around on my own personal cloud since picking steve up from the airport last night.  beyond the fact that i'm giddy to have him back, there was also some exciting news about our potential-future-home-prospects for when his training program finishes next year!

sometimes i worry i'm going to look over my shoulder and have someone tell me this isn't really my life.  but here we are 365 days away!  now let's plan a wedding!

by michelleink88.

happy friday!! 

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