So, I've been kinda busy ...

... busy loving this awesome guy! :)

With less than 4 months to go before our big day, wedding planning is definitely in full-force and, therefore, is taking up about 85% of my time. 10% of my time is spent at the office doing my "real" job and the remaining 5% is devoted to eating, sleeping and other elements necessary for survival. I'm swamped, but it's happy swamped. This is such a happy, happy time in my life. I just can't stop smiling.

Many people have been asking for wedding details, so let me fill you in. We've having a medium-sized wedding with less than 100 guests. Our ceremony will be at our church (we're getting married in the very same place we first met - how cool is that?!) and our reception will be at a nearby mansion by the beach. My wedding dress is everything I dreamed of and more ... wish I could share details, but I'm afraid the Mister might be snooping around on my blog and I don't want to spoil the big surprise. We have a pretty big bridal party, and TONS of friends and family who are over the moon excited and eager to help us plan. We're definitely blessed. July 7th just can't get here soon enough. :)

I'm off to read all of your blogs now ... blogs I haven't had time to read in AGES. While I catch up on all of your lives, please share any wedding planning or marriage advice you have. Wisdom is always appreciated.

love love
xoxo

this is the story of a ring ...

... a ring I've waited my whole life to wear ...

... a ring that was custom-designed, hand-crafted and purchased with love by the man of my dreams ...

.. my beautiful engagement ring. 

LOVE.

a little announcement ....

Yes, you're reading that correctly.

He got down on one knee, I cried, he asked, I said yes, we kissed 

The rest, as they say, is history.

We're engaged.

Stay tuned. ;-)

xo

Have you ever fed a lover with just your hands?

Closed your eyes and trusted ... just trusted?

Have you ever thrown a fist full of glitter in the air?

Have you ever looked fear in the face and said, "I just don't care!"

It's only half past the point of no return,

The tip of the ice-berg,

The sun before the burn

The thunder before the lightening

And the breath before the phrase ...

Have you ever felt this way?

Have you ever hated yourself for staring at the phone?

Your whole life waiting on the ring to prove you're not alone?

Have you ever been touched so gently you had to cry?

Have you ever invited a stranger to come inside?

It's only half past the point of oblivion,

The hourglass on the table,

The walk before the run,

The breath before the kiss

And the fear before the flames ...

Have you ever felt this way?

Have you ever wished for an endless night?

Lassoed the moon and the stars, and pulled that rope tight?

Have you ever held your breath,

And asked yourself "will it ever get better than tonight?"

Tonight ...

Have you ever felt this way?

------------------------------------------------

I'm not usually a big fan of Pink's music, but this song just absolutely pulled at my heart strings. So simple. So poetic. So pretty. You can listen to it here.

xox

what love does ...

Being in love makes you realize crazy, random things.

It's true.

Last weekend I was sitting in my living room, minding my own bees-wax, watching Say Yes To The Dress on TLC when out of the blue - WHAM! BAM! It hit me. Total light bulb moment, followed by a major minor nervous breakdown.

"Ohmigosh, I totally can't get married anytime soon!!! I haven't found a Vancouver hairdresser yet! Who would do my hair for my wedding?"

I wish I was kidding, kids, but that exact thought really did cross my mind.

I've been living here over a year now, and I hadn't stepped foot in a hairdressing salon because, frankly, hairdressers terrify me. You know how some people are with doctors or dentists? That's how I am with hairdressers. I'm always worried they won't know how to handle my Caribbean curls (which, trust me, is usually the case) and that they'll do something stupid (like cut out huge chunks of hair) which will take me YEARS to grow out. It's not that I'm vain -OK, maybe just a bit - but in all fairness, curly hair is ... well ... it's unique. It's high-maintenance. And it requires love and care from somebody who knows what they're doing if you don't want to end up with a giant frizz ball on the top of your head.

Anyway, inspired by love I decided it was time to bite the bullet and find a hairdresser in my new city. I did A LOT of research online and got some referrals from friends, but in the end I decided to try a place right around the corner from me called The Room Hair Salon. It appealed to me because it's a smaller salon, which usually means the staff actually take the time to get to know you and offer you personalized service. Compared to some of the other salons I was considering, The Room's prices were pretty reasonable and they offered all of the services I was looking for. And, last but not least, they assured me that they could handle my curls. They were worth a shot.

I had my first appointment there this morning. I had only booked for a wash and blow-dry because I wanted to make sure they were good before I let them anywhere near my curls with a pair of scissors. My hairdresser, Danielle, turned out to be fantastic. She was friendly and professional, and the scalp massage she gave me was TO. DIE. FOR. I ended up making a second appointment to go see her for a trim and highlights at the end of the month. I think this is the beginning of a beautiful (no pun intended) friendship, folks.

So thank you, Boy, for unknowingly giving me the kick in the butt I needed to get out there and find a new hairdresser. I'm ready for a proposal now, you can proceed at any time. :)

I ♥ My 'Hood

I am completely in love with this song + video clip ...

Laurell is a local Vancouver artist and she's incredibly talented. That music video was filmed in my neighborhood ... seriously, that beach is just minutes from my apartment! Whenever I see photos or videos of my 'hood I pinch myself because I still can't believe I get to live here. Give me sandy shores and blue skies over Times Square and the subway system any day! If you had told me 3 years ago that I would make that kind of a statement, I would've told you that you were off your rocker. But it's true. I am now a west coast beach bum through and through.

Mostly, though, I love this video because it pretty much represents exactly how I'm feeling these days. Giddy. Blissfully happy. Hopeful. Butterflies in my belly. Smitten. Blessed.

"I can't get you out of my head, I'm getting ready to fall over you, you're sticking like glue ... yeah, I want you all to myself." ♥

What Now?

As I mentioned in a previous post, I've signed up for Shimelle's online journaling class for scrapbookers and bloggers. The first prompt was sent out this morning and wowza! Talk about inspiring. 10 pages of wonderful words, useful tips, stunning scrapbook pages and (of course) some recommended topics to journal. Prompt #1 was all about questions and answers. We were challenged to think about questions in our lives - random questions we get asked by strangers, questions we have about upcoming decisions in our lives, questions we definitely don't have answers to, questions we definitely do have answers to.

I was inspired by the question, "... what now?"

So inspired, in fact, that I wrote three full pages (single spaced!) in my notebook trying to answer it. I've decided not to share everything I wrote because some of it is pretty personal and not words I want posted on the world wide web for all to read. But I will share a few snippets with you.

Dear Self,

In case it's slipped your mind, you'll be turning 25 in May. You may wonder why I'm bringing this to your attention, but something funny happens when you hit the big 2-5. You suddenly shift from being "in your early twenties" to being "mid-twenty". Soon, when you fill out those annoying questionnaires that ask you a bunch of personal questions about your life, you'll have to check the "25 to 30" age group box instead of the "18 to 24" one. You know what that means, don't you? It means you're supposed to have more in common with thirty year-olds than you do with eighteen year-olds. It means you're taking one big step closer to an established career and marriage and babies and in-laws and home ownership and one big step away from slumber parties and university life and Saturdays spent perusing the shopping mall. Or so they say.

For the longest time (as in, up until about ten minutes ago) you were sure that you'd breeze into the 25 to 30 clique with a "just married" banner floating above your head and a hella-gorgeous diamond on your finger. Hate to break it to you, kid, but that is not gonna happen. You can add young bride to the list of things you'll never be ... just squeeze it in there, somewhere between Olympic figure skating champion and millionaire by the age of twenty.

It's OK, though. I mean, don't panic or anything.

Being twenty-five (or almost) and not being married (as you were so sure you'd be) leads you to one resounding question: ..... what now? And, luckily for you, the answers to that question are pretty limitless. The sky's the limit. Carpe diem.

You could go back to school and study art history. Or you could travel and live abroad - Paris, London, maybe even Rome. (Although Rome would be tricky, since you don't speak a lick of Italian). You could open your own business or you could go to Bible college or you could just join the marines - which, ya know, is never gonna happen but hey! You could do it.

Or you could stay right here, right where you are ... in this apartment, in this job, in this pleasant little bubble of twenty-something bliss. You could focus on indulging in things that interest you. You could go to museums and galleries and the opera and watch old black and white movies on rainy Vancouver afternoons. You could go to football games and go hiking and take up cross-country skiing. You could treat yourself to brunch at that adorable French cafe on 12th Ave and take yourself dancing on a Saturday night. You could be you. Nothing more, nothing less.

So, what now? Now, the focus shifts from looking forward to being introduced to your future husband to looking forward to being introduced to your self. Now you play. Now you learn. Now you grow. Enjoy 25 ... enjoy it simply because you deserve to enjoy it.

xox

Love Is Worth Fighting For.

I've been doing a lot of thinking about weddings these days, for various reasons. This afternoon, a friend played this song for me and I immediately knew that someday someone will sing this at my wedding. There are so many generic love songs on the radio these days, and most of them are either about how being in love is so perfect (which is a lie ... it's hard work) or they're about heartbreak and devastation. This song focuses on commitment, even when things are rough. Definitely some of the most beautiful lyrics I have ever heard ...

Love is not a place to come and go as we please

It's a house we enter in and then commit to never leave.

So lock the door behind you

Throw away the key

We'll work out together

Let it bring us to our knees.

Love is a shelter in a raging storm

Love is peace in the middle of a war

And if we try to leave ... may God send angels to guard the door

No love is not a fight, but it's something worth fighting for.

To some, love is a word that they can fall into

But when they're falling out ... keeping that word is hard to do.

Love is a shelter in a raging storm

Love is peace in the middle of a war

And if we try to leave ... may God send angels to guard the door

No love is not a fight, but it's something worth fighting for.

- lyrics by Warren Barfield