I Won!

I bid on some table overlays on ebay and won the auction! Usually I lose because I forget to go back and make the last minute bid. I am excited to get the table cloths in so that I can get a feel for the color and hopefully put them to good use. We'll have approximately 7 rounds (seating 8 each) and 7 cocktails (because I like odd numbers). I won 10 overlays, so I am also in the market for some lime green organza ones to mix in. Keep your eyes peeled.

Updates

As many, or all, of you know Mike and I got engaged 1 month ago today. Needless to say, that month has been wonderful, crazy, fabulous, fun, stressful, and long all at the same time!

I have been quite busy - the ceremony/reception site is booked (Twigs Tempietto - Greenville, SC). Twigs is full service so this also takes care of the flowers, food, tables, chairs, and linens. I have posted a photo here. In addition the photographer is booked (http://www.thebeautifulmess.com/), band booked (Ross Holmes Band), time and date set (May 15 - 7pm), bridesmaids dresses were ordered and have arrived (j.crew), and now I am moving on to tasting cakes and deciding on a design and looking at hotels to make a block of rooms.

As far as I can tell, I am about 2 months ahead in my planning except looking for a wedding dress. Once everyone else is taken care of, I will focus on myself. Plus, I hope to lose some weight in the mean time. Speaking of which, I have officially started Weight Watchers. I'm one day in and I feel pretty good. I need to start exercising, but the heat is a real downer.

I am going to post some pictures of cakes that I am interested in. Let me know what you think.

Ok - neither would look exactly like these, but similar. The polka dots would be turquoise majority and lime green minority with the ribbon. The floral cake would be a four tier and would have a monogram instead of the bow. I love the floral cake, but I don't think it "goes with" the rest of the wedding.

I am also working on my programs. My interpretation of the program is a raffia fan. An example below.

Again, my interpretation is different. I have ordered some fans to "play with" but I'm planning to paint them silver (chic...I know!) and then attach a program to it.

Finally, last night I did the most cliche thing you can do...I created a webpage on theknot.com. I felt like I needed to give into some of the kooky things out there! Check us out at www.theknot.com/ourwedding/meredithfant&mikewilson

Hopefully I'll have more details to post soon!

Ever since LuLu arrived and my mom brought her dog, Annie, to visit, Frank (cat) has refused to come downstairs. He was quite curious (obviously!) and adventurous and decided to watch LuLu from the ledge of the staircase. Luckily, yesterday Frank did venture downstairs for food and water and hopefully will continue to come around.

LuLu is a HOT MESS! She had quite a day yesterday - peed on her brand new bed, climbed through the fence to get into the "dog yard," and managed to cover herself in red mud. Needless to say, she got a bath. I also bought her a pink t-shirt and some toys from Old Navy and a nylabone - which she loves. Thank goodness she is chewing less on my hands and feet and more on it! She also had a fairly successful night in her crate - perhaps 3 nights is a charm?!

Today Mike took LuLu to the vet for her 2nd round of shots. Apparently she showed herself and acted a fool while there. I am not surprised! The vet, however, doesn't see any basset hound in her and thinks we've got a full beagle on our hands! I am thankful that maybe she will not get as big...we will see.

I am looking forward to going home at lunch to play with her - she really enjoys that time, and honestly, it is nice to get away from work everyday. Thank you, LuLu for giving me an excuse!

The Arrival

For those of you that may not know, Mike and I got a puppy. Her name is LuLu and she is a basset/beagle mix. She was born on May 19, 2009 - the same day I closed on the house! Thus, I guess it was meant to be.

LuLu arrived on July 3 and was greeted with loving arms. Yes, she is spoiled and driving the cats crazy, but I have fallen in love with a dog. I didn't know it was possible, but I did!

How could you not love this face...

Today was LuLu's first day in her crate. She is definitely not happy with me. Mike, my friend Ashley, and I went to my house at lunch to play with her and let her out. She was thankful for our company and very sad when we left. I can't wait to get home and set her free.

If you have training tips or advice on how to get Frank (one of my 3 cats) to come downstairs - I would gladly accept your advice! As a first-time dog owner, I'm completely winging it and I could not think of a better dog to be winging it with!

Jazzercise

Yes, I admit, I go to Jazzercise. Sometimes on a more regular basis than others...the story of my life. Not having been to a class since early March, I was a little intimidated when I went yesterday.

In my mind here is what I imagined. "It is summer, the class will be small. I will have a chance to catch up and go at my own pace. No big deal." I drive to the center and on the way I pass my new house. I have this great idea! I will now be able to walk to and from Jazzercise and that will give me a better workout! (right - I see that happening like once...)

OK - so I got to the center and there were like a million cars in the parking lot. I seriously put my car in reverse and said "the hell with this." But much to my dismay, there were 2 other cars pulling into the parking lot behind me. I could not escape. So then, I said "the hell with it." I went in. It was officially the largest class I have ever been to. There were 35 people Jazzercising along side me - there was even a Jazzerman (who had chicken legs!).

Much to my surprise I survived and managed to keep up with the routines. All the while I was thinking "how is Verna Howell always so happy - damn her!" I think I lost 5lbs in sweat, but I did it! I really enjoy the workout because I am so busy thinking about what I am supposed to be doing that I don't have time to think about anything else. Needless to say, when I got home I was in need of a bath and hungry. Those two things happened, but not much else. I was asleep by 8:30 :)

WONDERful Hangers

Yes, we have all seen the infomercial - BUT do they really work?? YES!!! I have more clothes and any one person should be allowed to have and I have no where to put all of them. And buying an old house does not help. Closet space is at a minimum, so I bit the bullett and paid $8 for my very own set of wonder hangers at Bed, Bath & Beyond ($10 retail + BBB 20% coupon). I will definitely be going back for more.

5 Days to Homeownership

There are 5 days left before I close on the new house. Loan questions, shopping, packing, worry, and fear abound! I do find myself thinking "what have I gotten myself into?"

I am making progress, though. Here is an update:

Water - a
Power - a
Cable -
Internet -
Gas -
Met neighbors - a
Picked out kitchen paint - a
Ordered patio furniture - a
Bought homeowners insurance - a

Yes, there are more things to accomplish, but surely we will get there sooner than later. I can't wait to finally be able to stop by on my way home from work and just take it all in! Or maybe I should say - start all the work!

This weekend Mike and I are going to IKEA in Atlanta to look for rugs and lamps. I am really excited - especially about the breakfast complete with Lingonberry juice - delicious! I will have an update with items purchased next week!

Something I Love

I bought this dress from NY & Company this weekend. It is really cute and VERY slimming. Believe it or not, it isn't even going to have to be hemmed! There is a lot of cute stuff at NY & Company, go online and check it out!

Week 2

So much has happened since Saturday. It kind of makes my head spin. I looked at a house at 2pm on Friday and made an offer within 3 hours. On Saturday, I found out the the offer was accepted, so I have been applying for loans, getting an inspection, worrying about being in debt, and of course, decorating in my head! Hopefully all will go well this week, and I'll be on the road to home ownership.

Here are a couple of photos -

With such a nice yard, I am sure that the skinny diva in me will get a work out! Speaking of my inner skinny - good news to report. Over the past week i have lost 1.8 lbs! Here is an update:

• Weight - 228.8
• Walked to lunch yesterday instead of having Mike bring it to me (thanks Lindsay!)
• Chose grapes over fries at Chick-Fil-A

I did get a chance to walk yesterday, and it is amazing how much better I slept. I will do that again today. At the new house, there is a sidewalk that goes up Pendleton Road - I think that will be a great place to walk!

Work calls...so I will post more updates soon.

The Big 27!

On March 31, 2009 I turned 27 years old. To many of you I know that is not a big deal. However, I had a Bridget Jones-like moment on that day. I decided to take back my life and find MY INNER SKINNY. I know that there is a skinny girl inside of me! I look her everyday, I long to buy clothes for her, and I here her scream "Don't eat that cookie!!!" Well damnit, I'm ready to be her! So here are the stats: 

• Tuesday, April 21, 2009 - weight: 230.6
• No caffeine in 1 week
• Need wine

Lord, I sure am not proud of this, but at some point we are forced to face reality. Since then, I have walked twice, done yoga twice, and cut back on the amount of food that I eat. I keep telling myself that if I take it one small change at a time that I will eventually have a lot of big changes to be proud of. I can tell you that since giving up soft drinks and tea for Lent, that I have felt better. Now, every once in a while, I will take a sip of something other than water (or Crystal Light), but it just does not taste quite the same!

In the meantime, I am amazed at how many resources there are in our tech savvy world. But who knows if any of them work?! This week I also downloaded a program to my iPod Touch called "Lose It." This application allows you to set up a profile about yourself (age, weight, height), tells you how many calories you can have a day to lose weight, allows you to set a goal, and tells you when you should reach your goal. At this point, I should reach my (first) goal on October 13, 2009. Scary, huh? The same application also allows you to track your daily food intake, it maintains your caloric intake for the day, and accounts for any exercise that you do. 

Within the next week, I will work on implementing other small changes into my routine and keep you up to date on my progress. Should you have any tips or success stories, let me know and I will post them!