Friday, December 31, 2010

The End of a BIG Year

Well, it's New Years Eve. And man, so much happened this year! I got a new job... then left that job for another job. And we bought a house. And Brian started down a path for school that he's actually EXCITED about! And then we got married (wow). And I'm getting ready to start grad school. What a massively huge year! We're excited to continue on with another one. And I'm looking forward to documenting all our little adventures here!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Thursday, December 30, 2010

A Slight Change of Scenery...

So all of you thousands of faithful readers (aka myself and that one dude in Texas) may have noticed DSIFQ looks a little different these days. I have updated the site design! I think it's a little fresher, and a little more us. Also it's a much wider format which I really like.

I'm excited to continue rambling on about my mundane life while dressed up in this nice new wrapper!

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Post-Christmas Christmas Post

Yeah yeah, I'm a terrible blogger. Don't I know it. Well my lovely hubby and I have been running around all crazy with the post wedding madness, school prep, family stuff, etc but we did actually decorate for the holidays!

I am aware that you wouldn't know that... because i haven't shown you. So I'll fix it now! I know it's a few days post-yule but hey, it's still before the new year so I technically still win right? Rather like it's ok to send Christmas cards late as long as they get there before Jan 1, so I shall shower you in terribly awful pictures of our decor. My camera is failing. I need a new one... just ad that to the pile of stuff on our 'spend money list'!

Our lovely tree. It's new, 7.5 feet, only 550 lights but it's LED and one of the best fakes I've seen. Also it was very easy to put up! It's in the corner of the living room near the dining/kitchen.

The downstairs which i still don't like. But since we have no furniture down here yet, it was kind of an afterthought.

My little village on the sideboard/dresser. And I hung some ornaments from the light ala newlywoodwards. Gotta get some better ornaments for next years though.

Some of our cards, and you can see the banister in the background. The one going down to the entryway has a garland as well.
And last but not least, our outdoor lights. We're going to add to it little by little as we go :). Our decorations that FILLED our 650 sq foot apartment definitely aren't doing it anymore!


A belated Merry Christmas from DSIFQ!

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

An Exercise in Terror

Ok so I've been loosely planning something for a few months and I am TERRIFIED of actually doing it. But I guess it looks like I'm plunging in. I am going to attempt to get a Masters degree.

Pardon me while I go look in the mirror and ask myself why I'm doing this...

Ok, I'm back.

I'm not sure if I can answer that question, but I might as well tell you about the decision a little bit. I have a bachelors in Art and Design and for the past 3 years have worked as a graphic designer. I love my work, but I've kind of been kicking around words like 'betterment of self' and 'growth potential' and 'badass guru of awesome'.  And I determined that more school might help give me an edge in my future, so I started researching masters programs. I finally settled on one for Integrated Marketing Communications which happens to be at a large university right by our house. And luckily it can be done online so I can do it in the evenings after work.

I applied. Then I got in. Then I got loans. Well crap, now what? Am I actually going through with this? Looks like it. Why am I so terrified? Is it the massive student loan debt I'll accumulate? Is it the extra work when I'm tired already? Is it that I'm scared this will slow down plans like having kids? Is it the concern that this path might take my future in the wrong direction? Yes, to all of the above.

But here we go I guess. As scared as I am, not doing it just doesn't seem to be an option.

Friday, December 10, 2010

Wedding Recap 4: The Reception

Well, I'd been holding out for our professional pictures before posting the wedding recap finale, but I still don't have them. So I guess you'll just have to put up with one more wedding post when they DO come in! For now, I'll take you through our reception.

After taking lots of glorious pictures around Ann Arbor we headed into the Michigan Union.

The Union is a gorgeous Art Deco style building (which worked great for our 20's/30's vintage look!) right in the heart of Ann Arbor. Those big windows on the second floor nearest the camera are where we were going to party the night away! We were in the Pendleton Room, which is a stunning little number that seats about 100. I personally like it better then the main ballroom as it's got great details and a fireplace at one end.

We decked it out in copper and cobalt blue, with accents of gold and orange. You could see the blue ceiling floods from the street which just added to the anticipation! But once you got inside, this is what you saw:

Well, that's what you saw if you were my awesome friend Samara and got there before the room filled with people! I'm glad she got this picture, because we didn't arrive until later.

Our short centerpieces. There were tall ones on some tables as well. Also check out my DIY table numbers!

While we were taking pictures our guests enjoyed drinks and hors d'oeuvres (shrimp tempura, bruchetta, and california rolls to name a few) and listened to Ron Newman play some gorgeous piano. Then we made our entrance! After the DJ announced us and our party into the room we went straight into our first dance. I thought it ended up running very smoothly, and I love our song (Call Off the Search by Katie Melua). I didn't even trip on myself!

I love this photo of my parents watching our first dance.

After that came dinner. London broil, asparagus, garlic russet potatoes... crap, I'm making myself hungry. So as dinner was finishing the party started! We did the father/daughter and mother/son dances. And we also included an anniversary dance:

"Anyone who's been married less then a day, less then a day go sit down..."

We did all the cheesy stuff, cut the cake, threw the bouquet, all of it. In the midst of the dancing my mom noticed some people who hadn't been there before... crashers! My dad grabbed one by the scruff of the neck and threw him out the door! His friends followed meekly behind... There was a big cheer and the party continued on. I actually think that's quite the compliment that people would want to crash our party!

Shortly after that, we must have been partying too hard because suddenly the music stopped! Instantly our friend Rick ran over to the (now vacant) piano and started playing chopsticks! It was hilarious, and the music came back on shortly thereafter. Apparently in their anger at getting tossed, our crashers got into the electric box outside and flipped the power off!


After the reception started winding down some of our friends accompanied us to Bar Louie, which is a really nice bar/lounge up the street a ways. We had a few more drinks and I chowed down in a most un-ladylike fashion on some french fries. There was actually a bachelorette party there and she came over and got a picture with me in my dress.

Then Brian and I went back to our beautiful hotel room and had some of the great champagne and strawberries my Grandparents ordered for us and PASSED OUT. Truly, we could not have hoped for a more amazing and perfect day. It's been almost 2 months now and I can't think of it without grinning like an idiot. I think our friends and family had fun too, and I'm so grateful that we were able to start our marriage off on such a happy note!