cohabitation woes*

*phrase coined by Michelle via twitter (though i'm sure someone else has said it before...)


Michelle had posted that her and her fiance just got their apartment and we tweeted a little back and forth about decorating, buying furniture and fiance's-not-letting-us-buy-new-furniture. Josh seems okay with the idea of me buying some new chairs for our dining area (he has some hand-me-downs thanks to awesome Missy, but i'd like 4 chairs, preferably matching). i'm planning an Ikea trip in May (with one cousin and visiting our Pittsburgh cousins, as i like to call them), and hoping to get some fun stuff for the apartment (while on a very very very strict-in-fact-negatively-non-existent budget). anyway, here's some chairs i'm looking at, in order of least to most expensive:

($9.99)

($14.99)

($19.99 - i really don't like this one, i'm not sure why i'm putting it as an option...)

($29.99 favorite, but technically over the amount Josh told me to work with. also, it stacks, love that. these are also kind of like knock-offs of Knoll's SPRITE chair, which i adore, but could never afford.)

($39.99 love it. but [probably] too much. but also stacks.)

so, thoughts? should i go with makeshift and un-matching pieces or should we look for a set? i really love the way dining areas look a little mismatched! our kitchen/dining area has wood cabinets with cream counter-top. flooring is cream and orange 70's tile. pretty standard for a townhouse, nothing fancy. i registered us for some red/orange/white/cream placements and table runner. plates we registered for are white and red.

here's another option: table & chairs for $79.99!

roomie time comes to an end

so, i haven't mentioned this on the blog yet, but if you know me or my roommate personally, you know she's officially bought a house, moving in probably mid-May. seeing that our lease is up August 31, we talking at several options for the next three months: 1) cancel lease, Amy move home, KC move to her new home 2) Amy stay, KC move to her new home, both continue to pay on lease 3) Amy stay, possible new roommate to pay lease 4) both leave, sub-let to somebody.

out of all of these options, we agreed on #1 being the best, and i was excited to move home, spend some time with my parents and save some money. unfortunately, we'd have to pay for 2 of the 3 months we'll be leaving, so we decided this was a stupid option and more hassle then help, so, we've decided on option #2.

seeing as my roomie is leaving me to fend for myself with no TV, no lamps in the living room, no table & chairs and no bookcase (at least i'll have couches...for a room i'll probably never use!!), we've decided we need to hurry up and do all those "fun roomie things" we had always talked about doing.

some of these things include:

1. swimming in the complex pool
2. grilling (probably using my stove-top griddle) and eating/get-together on the patio
3. watching Alias
4. watching Twilight and New Moon

and one we added to the list and succeeded in completing yesterday:
cooking breakfast for dinner (main goal: use 3-in-1 griddle [for waffles]) and watching The Little Mermaid.

i tell ya, there are a lot of weird things going on in that movie that you don't notice when you're younger...

anyway, i'm so excited for my roomie! it's been a fun couple years. i'm glad we got to spend it together!!

me (looking like a freak) and roomie KC :)

registry (un)fun

ok, so you can put registry stuff down as wedding dilemmas #5-#80 probably, since there are so many things to think about and so many different "departments" of things you can get and registry for.

i just spent the last 2 1/2 hours with my mum doing MORE REGISTRY STUFF. maybe i'm a little obsessed. Josh and i decided we would do some of the initial registry stuff together (focusing on those things that really mattered to him), trying to spend as little time shopping as possible, and i would take care of the rest. so, i've been on and offline searching and doing things, plus another visit to the stores today.

they may tell you registries are fun. they are not fun. getting things is fun, yes, but setting up registries = hard work. as a designer and not just "designer" but INTERIOR DESIGNER, i feel like i need to be taking my time with these things we are registering for, picking awesome pieces that we'll be able to keep forever! yeah, that's just...not possible.

i've just come to the conclusion that there are some things i can't get at the stores we're registering at (Target & BBB). i love Target, but i don't like their bathroom stuff really, so i'm not registering for it. hopefully we (i...) can find some stuff elsewhere that is more "us" and that i know i'll really like. so, i'm going to stop stressing about that. i'm going to get the stuff we really want and not get the stuff i'm not sure about.

another issue i'm finding is that Target DOES have a lot of stuff i'd like (in the Kitchen department especially), but it's all ONLINE! is it bad that half of our registry is products only available online? i hope not, cause i'm doing it anyway. like i've said before, i'm totes Rachael Ray-obsessed, and she has a lot of stuff online at Target. so screw it, i'm registering for those pieces i want! buying registry and gift stuff online is awesome b/c people don't have to leave their homes and it's SO much easier than going to the store (i think). only issue is shipping: i hope Target isn't too bad in this area.

well, anyway, now it's time to go back online and make more changes. ah!

wedding dilemma #5

(i think that's what number this would be...)

ok, so you all should know by now i'm a LITTLE bit obsessed about finding the absolute PERFECT shoes for the wedding.

here's my list of wants:

1. comfy enough to wear all day (don't want to be switching shoes)
2. no higher than a 1 1/2" heel (prefer flats)
   
3. colorful, jewely or both
4. peep toe if possible
5. awesome, funky, beautiful, cute, adorable, unique, "wow-factor"...

well, last week i posted on twitter and this blog that my aunt should be my personal shopper, because she found the most fun, funkiest, cutest, unique and elegant shoes ever. the color wasn't exactly what i was looking for, but everything else was perfect and i knew the color would tie in beautifully. Friday of last week the shoes came in, Monday of this week i brought them back to my aunt as they are too small for my LONG FEET. it was a total bummer.

so, here are said shoes:

seriously, aren't these SO FUN!? the top sparkley bit are ZIPPERS, it is leather inside and raffia (i believe) on the outside. and so awesome.


i bought another pair yesterday online, gorgeous looking flats, with only one left in my size! i hope so bad i get them soon and they fit. i would love to have them for my dress fitting Monday!! maybe you get to see a picture if they work. you definitely get to see one if they don't. hope that isn't the case!!!

i have amazing wedding vendor-friends.

it's so cool all the vendors that i get to use that are my FRIENDS...

• my photographer is a great friend and giving us a great deal. plus i can text her pics and ideas all the time!! it's awesome.
  
• our potential videographer is said photographer's husband, and does amazing work. i'm only asking him to do some basic ceremony and reception stuff, but i'm excited for it.
  
• our dj is another great friend of ours, almost like a brother to me. he's giving us a great deal as well.
  
• the florist we are using has been a friend of the family for over 15 years, back when we lived in Wesleyville, PA. next friday is our first appointment, going with mum. can't wait. originally we were going to do our own flowers, but we thought about it some more, and realized it will be worth the extra money to have a professional do it. it's really something i want to be perfect and not have to stress about.
• my hair stylist is another friend of the family (her father married my parents). she's been doing my hair for years, and has known me almost since i've been born.
  
• my makeup girl is Missy, Josh's sister-in-law. she's a Mary Kay consultant and she's doing my makeup for free!! also, she does massages and always hooks me up and is awesome.
  
• my aunt is making us the small cake we'll be cutting!
  
• my neighbors (and awesome friend Katie's parents) are letting us have the shower in their backyard.
  
• my SKANK's are taking me on a weekend Bachelorette party.
  
• Katie is doing my bridal shower invites.
• sissy Rach is doing our engagement pictures (soon i hope!!)
  
• sissy Rach & Katie are doing my wedding invites.
  
• my bridesmaids are my fashionistas, giving me advice with shoes, jewelry, purses, decorations...everything! (yet willing to ultimately say "we will wear whatever you want us to wear")

also:
*planning on spending Saturday morning with mum, finalizing Josh & i's registries, reviewing (and starting to plan) things for the shower (in June!) and talking more wedding stuff. yay!
*next monday is my first dress fitting appointment. i can't wait to try on my dress on again!


i'm so excited to have so many friends that are vendors, who really care and will do their best for us!! and so many friends that are willing to help! i have tons of friends not in the wedding that want to help as well! i am so blessed!

a like (and do not like) list

things i like:

• fridays
• cereal with cold skim milk
• wearing open-toed shoes and capris in April
  
• dinner with Josh
• my outfit
• my niece, Chlo-bear
• bridal showers
• wedding planning
  

things i do not like:

• working on fridays
• spilling said cereal and milk
• wearing boots, warm coats and gloves in April
• hearing bad noises coming from my car
• spending way too much money on repairs for my car
• finances
• wedding planning
  

my aunt should be my personal shopper

no, i was not kidding when i just sent out that tweet.
didn't see that tweet? @volleygalore. that's me!

anyway, my Auntie Paula is a great shopper and bargain hunter (yes, i said she was a great "shopper"). last year i was looking for a dress for a friend's wedding and she found this grey, v-neck Calvin Klein dress from Gabriel Brothers for like $20!!!!!! it was so awesome, and it fit me perfect. i wore it with a red sash and awesome red shoes, and i think it was a hit.

so, when i put out the tweet/blog saying i was hunting again for a different pair of wedding shoes, she was eager to jump on the search committee! i want to share the image, but we got them offline, so i'm not sure how they will fit yet (let's just pray they do!). i should get them in time for my first fitting!!! they are pink and funky yet elegant and feminine. not the *exact* pink i was going for (a little paler), but they are going under my dress, so, not like the color matters THAT much (i mean, i'm not getting blue or turquoise shoes here).

anyway, no pictures yet...maybe...not until the wedding! mwahaha!

yippee! i'm very excited. i hope everything works out!!

birthday girl!

today is my amazing sister's birthday!!! she is so awesome. i love her so much!!

(um, check out my hair!)

it's time to be completely honest.

it's time to come clean.

remember that little "meal plan" i've been on? well, it's definitely been non-existent for almost a week now. granted, my birthday was last weekend and that is cause for some off-meal-plan-action more than anything else. i'm also *trying* to NOT go to the grocery more than every other week, which leaves me with not much food at the moment plus the last few weeks have been so busy i've not been able to do much cooking.

i'm 100% sure i'm going to be screwed up by Easter, so i'm hoping to get back to healthy eating next monday. (i also get paid tomorrow which means grocery shopping can happen!)

but i would like to be a little proud of myself for a moment, because i have still been going to the gym. i went twice this week, by myself, and enjoyed it. i wasn't able to spend a lot of time, but i still went. also, i love my iPod shuffle. it's awesome. awesome. awesome. thank you for the great birthday present, josh! :)

ok. tomorrow is Good Friday which means DAY OFF. very excited. also, holiday weekend means Josh has off from teaching on Saturday! yay!!

hope you all have great weekends and Easter celebrations!