Yeah, so I know our anniversary was almost two months ago already. But the thing is, we were out of town for our anniversary (which was wonderful), and we’ve been so busy since we got back that this is the first chance we’ve really had to celebrate here at home.
Normally, a second celebration wouldn’t be necessary, but see… we had FREE CAKE to take advantage of.
When we met with our baker prior to the wedding, she basically insisted that we not freeze the top tier of our cake, instead saying that she would make us a new, fresh cake for our anniversary instead–for no additional cost. We thought that sounded awesome, so of course we filed that information in the back of our heads for future reference. And our wedding cake was SO GOOD, there was no way we were going to miss out on the opportunity for our free cake.
We just never imagined it would be such a challenge to find time to order and then eat it. But hey, we finally did. Yesterday, we went and picked up our cake, chilled a bottle of champagne, and had a small little celebration. We used our toasting flutes, our engraved cake serving set, and fed each other a bite of cake. Awwwww.
We did, in fact, have a little bit of actual wedding cake left over in our freezer as well. Our reception venue apparently didn’t get the memo about our free anniversary cake, so they did what they normally do and saved the top tier for us at the end of the night. While we were on our honeymoon, my mom ended up slicing it up for easier storage before freezing it, and we’ve had a few bites here and there throughout the year. We hadn’t touched it in probably six months, though.
Tonight, we decided to take a few bites of our real cake, just for good measure (then we finally threw the rest away). Surprisingly, it really didn’t taste bad at all. But the fresh cake was much, MUCH better. :)
Happy Anniversary to us! (Again.)
This is the first weekend in FOREVER that we haven’t had anything going on. This summer has been insane (but also fun).
It’s so nice to just be able to relax and hang out around our house. I went to the gym today for the first time in a long time, and then we took Tessa for a long walk. In a little while, Michael’s sister is coming over for dinner. After she leaves, we’re going to rent a movie and celebrate our anniversary (more on that later).
Next weekend, it’s back to the craziness, so we have to enjoy it while we can!
Alright, so I’ve seen this “project” a few times before, but have never really paid much attention to it. I’ve been meaning to start it for a while now, but am just now finally getting around to it. I don’t ever make New Year’s resolutions, or really write down goals for myself, so I figured this would be a good exercise. The only thing was that I underestimated how hard it would be to come up with 101 things! It took a while.
As you see, I’ve already created a “101 in 1001” tab up under the header on my blog, so I can easily go back to cross things off. In turn, you can also get there easily to check up on me!
We’ll see how this goes. I’ve pledged to donate $5 to charity for every item I’m not able to cross off, so I figure that no matter what happens, some good will come of this!
Not familiar with the 101 Things in 1001 Days project? Check out this website.
The Mission: Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.
The Criteria: Tasks must be specific (i.e. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable, or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (i.e. represent some amount of effort on your part).
Start Date: August 1, 2009
End Date: April 28, 2012
Marriage & Family
1. “Date night” with Michael once a month (9/33)
2. Surprise my husband with a gift just because3. Get pregnant (and then, please God, STAY pregnant) (COMPLETE 1/12/10 and beyond – Evidence)
4. Talk to my dad every two weeks (20/73)
5. Visit my dad and his family in Virginia
6. Host my family for dinner at our house (2/8)
7. Host Michael’s family for dinner at our house (1/8)
8. Have dinner with my family twice a month (11/66)
9. Create living wills
Mind, Body & Soul10. Lose 5 lbs. (COMPLETE January 2010)11. Go a week without weighing myself (COMPLETE 10/15/09)
12. Complete some form of exercise at least 3 times per week
13. Read at least one book per month (9/33)14. Give up soda for a week (COMPLETE 1/19/10)15. Get through a month without eating a single frozen lunch (COMPLETE September 2009)
16. Go to church every Sunday for at least a month17. Get my first massage (COMPLETE 12/22/09 – Evidence)
18. Indulge in a few pedicures (1/5)
19. Try swimming laps for exercise
20. Learn to swim (the different strokes)
21. Go to the eye doctor
22. Ride my bike to work every day for a week23. Stay away from the M&M jar at work for an entire week (COMPLETE 8/14/09)
24. For one week, go to bed at 9:00 p.m. just to read
25. Eat dinner with the television off for one week
26. Eat dinner with the television off for one month
27. No eating after 8:00 p.m. for a month (0/30)
28. After baby, get back to pre-pregnancy weight
Home Is Where the Heart Is
29. Redecorate our bathroom
30. Tile the floor in the bathroom
31. Replace furnace/central air
32. Replace carpet
33. Replace faucet in the kitchen
34. Empty entire fridge, clean it, then put everything back in
35. Reorganize kitchen cabinets
36. Clean out the den and convert to a nursery (when the time comes!)
37. Buy a new house
All Work, No Play
38. Book my first “stranger” photo shoot
39. Do at least one photo shoot a month (8/33)
40. Invest in two new lenses (0/2)41. Upgrade my camera (COMPLETE – 1/1/10)
42. Start a family/child photography side business
43. Launch a photography blog and/or website
44. Get accepted into ILP PrePro45. Get elected as president of a professional organization (COMPLETE – December 2009)46. Get a better job (COMPLETE 2/23/10 – Evidence)
Hit the Open Road
47. Travel to at least six different cities for weekend getaways/vacations (1/6) — #1 Chicago; #2 San Antonio; #3 Austin; #4 Key West; #5 Miami
48. Travel to a foreign country (Canada doesn’t count)
49. Get to New York City during the Christmas season50. Start a “Newlywed Map” (COMPLETE 9/16/09 – Evidence)
51. Go camping
52. Participate in Montreal Bike Festival
53. Visit the NFL Hall of Fame in Canton, OH
54. Take a day trip to a state park and have a picnic
I ♥ Food
55. Try at least two new recipes a month (18/66)
56. Take a cooking class with my mom
57. Go out to breakfast (3/5)
58. For one week, make meals that can only be made with ingredients already in our cupboards (excluding perishables—vegetables and dairy)
59. Make homemade pasta
60. Try yogurt again
61. Try oatmeal again
Friends Are Forever
62. Talk to my best friend every two weeks (20/73)
63. Get together with “the girls” from college at least three times per year (2/8)
64. E-mail friends at least once per month (7/33)
65. Catch up with an old friend
66. Throw SuperBowl parties every year (1/2)
67. Send birthday cards to all friends/family in 2011
Pinching Pennies
68. Deposit some EXTRA money into savings after every paycheck (20/73)
69. Increase the percentage of my income that is put into my retirement account
Cha-Ching70. Buy a new car for Michael (COMPLETE 4/23/10 – Evidence)
71. Buy a Mac72. Pay off my LASIK eye surgery (COMPLETE 1/22/10)73. Buy a Nintendo Wii (COMPLETE 12/25/09 – Evidence)
Pay It Forward74. Grow out and donate my hair (COMPLETE 8/5/09 – Evidence)
75. Clean out closet twice a year and donate old clothes to charity (0/6)
76. Donate blood at every drive held at work (0/10)
77. Donate $ to charity (0/5)
78. Mail packages to soldiers through Operation Baking Gals (2/10)
Just for Fun
79. Do another wine tour
80. Go to an amusement park
81. Go skiing82. Go to a local museum (COMPLETE – 11/7/09 – Evidence)
83. Get pictures taken in a photo booth
84. Go to a drive-in movie
85. Host a holiday cookie swap
Hobbies & Skills
86. Blog at least 20 times per month (8/33)87. Redesign my blog again (COMPLETE 1/4/10)
88. Learn to knit
89. Sew something
90. Make a quilt
91. Play my flute again
Capture the Memories
92. Get photos printed and framed to hang in my office at work
93. Get photos printed to hang in bedroom
94. Take more home videos
95. Design a honeymoon album and get it printed
96. Participate in Project 365
No More Procrastinating97. Finally give album changes to photographer so we can finish our wedding album (COMPLETE – November 2009)
98. Delete my MySpace profile99. Cancel our Vonage account (no more home phone!) (COMPLETE – 8/31/09)
101 in 1001
100. Donate $5 to charity for every item on this list that I do not complete
101. Start a new 101 Things in 1001 Days list once this one is completed
One of my very bestest friends at work, Diane, is leaving me. She’s one of the ladies I used to share an office space with (before we were all separated back in April). But now it’s worse. You see, she’s not just leaving the company.
She’s moving. To Virginia.
*sob*
Today was the first in a series of goodbyes to her. Another coworker hosted a party at her house to send off Diane and her husband. The guest list was basically a large list of coworkers that she was semi-close to… so not just the closest friends, but not everybody, either. Tomorrow, during work hours, there will be the everybody goodbye party (since tomorrow is Di’s last day). Then, next week, us 5-6 closest girls are getting together for one last lunch before the actual move. Now THAT is going to be when it gets REALLY sad.
But I’m not going to think about that right now.
When I heard we’d be throwing a little goodbye bash for Diane, I knew exactly what I wanted to make. I had been planning to make them for her at some point anyway, but this gave me the perfect excuse to stop procrastinating.
I wanted to make her some sugar cookies cutout into the shape of one of her favorite things–shoes. And I wanted to make them super girly, just like my lil’ Di. So… pink and purple, then!
I outlined and filled in with pink or purple icing, then while it was still wet, squeezed little polka dots of the opposite color onto each cookie. Once they dried a bit, I finished off each one with little sprinkles that I happened to have on hand from Christmas cookies. I thought the sprinkles really completed them.
I pretty much threw the icing on these last night (since I waited until the last minute!), so it’s not my neatest icing job ever, but I was pretty happy with how they came out.
And well, they were a hit at the party, and perfect for our guest of honor. People keep telling me I’m Martha Stewart… I don’t know whether to take it as a compliment or an insult. (KIDDING. I know they mean it as a compliment. I’m flattered.)
I was happy to do these for my dear friend. I’m absolutely going to miss her and am sort of still in denial that she’s leaving. :(
But she should keep her eyes on the mail in the coming months. I just may come up with some other fabulous cookies to send in a care package…
Well, I told you I was going to do it. And I followed through.
Today was the day. I officially chopped my hair.
(Before, and after. Pardon my cheesy self-portraits in the mirror. And it’s a weird coincidence I wore red shirts two days in a row. Don’t mind me and my matchy-matchiness.)
I must say, I’m loving it. When I first sat down and he chopped off the ponytail, it was like I immediately felt lighter! Amazing. Then I got my highlights, and sacrificed another inch or two to styling. And tada! Final product. It feels so weird to run my hands through it. It’s going to feel even weirder to wash it tomorrow morning.
Here’s me with my ponytail (I think he ended up cutting between 8″ and 9″ off) for donation:
Anyway…
I was ready for a change, and well, I got one!
I wonder if they’re going to recognize me at work tomorrow…
About
I'm Heather. I'm 33 and have been married to Michael for seven years. Together, we have two beautiful little girls we love more than anything, and a miniature dachshund who drives us crazy. I'm a full-time working mom who has very little time for my own "stuff" these days, like home improvement, cooking/baking, cake decorating, and photography. Despite the team not making the playoffs since 1999, I'm STILL a Buffalo Bills fan, which I think speaks to my loyalty AND sense of humor. I can't wait to pick up the pace with travel again some day... you know, when we're done being ruled by tiny fists. Welcome to my blog.
