Hello World.

There are no less than 4 different programs lined up at the bottom of the screen at the moment. Firefox, because I need a break. iTunes, because I can't work without music (Currently playing: Hanson's "Penny & Me"). Photoshop CS3, because I am touching up some pictures. BookSmart, because I am designing my wedding guestbook!

A huge project I neglected. Originally we were supposed to turn our engagement pictures into our guestbook. Unfortunately we have YET to take those pics. We have a separate photographer from our wedding photographer taking them. But she's still in Tampa. Our schedules just have not been compatible. Now that that idea is inconceivable to complete in time I'm going with another idea that I loved.

A calendar.

I am designing a coffee table book with pages of pictures and black and white date boxes people can sign on their birthdays. We're going to be the couple that always sends birthday cards. Since I swear I'll be better organized after I get back from our honeymoon.

OUR HONEYMOON!

We've been talking NONSTOP about this. It occurred to us about a week ago that we actually get one. We've been concentrating so much on this wedding and our everyday life that we neglected the fact that we get to be together, alone & distraction free for a week after we're newlywed. We've agreed on no cells and no Pug. Our cells will be turned off all week. The Pug will be vacationing with his favorite Aunt. We will make two calls when we reach our destination. One to each set of our parents to let them know our hotel number. JUST for emergencies. More on our honeymoon in another post.

For some absurd reason the realization that I am getting married hits me like a ton of bricks a few times these past weeks. I am getting married!!! Excitement does not cover the joy that I am feeling. I continuously ask J Love his thoughts. Neither of us is scared or nervous or getting cold feet. Which is good. In fact we don't expect anything to be different after our nuptials, besides my last name. His will be the same. Despite my efforts for Claverinski.


PS: I have been facebooking and twittering while writing this blog. Obsessive, much?

**CoughCough**

I am terribly, terribly ill. It's disgusting. Very, very disgusting. I despise being sick. The constant blowing of the nose & near death feeling. It's all such a damper on your day. I had planned a day of shopping & a night of going out. All I want to do is curl up on the couch & sweat this nasty bug out.

When I get sick, watch out! I am even more of an attention hog. Last night I cursed at J Love, because it was taking him forever to get me my tea. Thankfully the man has patience or I'm sure he would have thrown the mug at me. Scalding tea & all. I fell asleep in the middle of roasting our chicken for dinner. Why? Because J Love came back with Nyquil. Because J Love wouldn't listen when I said it's going to make me sleepy. Because J Love practically forced it down my throat. I love that man, but his best intentions are sometimes misguided.

The chicken came out good. Even though J had to guess when it was ready. Since I was asleep. He woke me up so that I could eat. I practically bit his head off. Poor guy. And then this morning he made the mistake of showering with the door open. Again his head was almost bitten off. And still he cuddled with me & said he wished he didn't have to go into work, so he could take care of me. He even came back with Dayquil, which made him 30 minutes late to work. 'Who cares?' he said. 'I'm the boss.' I love that man.

So now I'm sprawled out on the couch with my favorite blanket, a dozen queued up movies on the Xbox, 2 boxes of Kleenex, a book, the laptop, The Pug, and tea. My tea of choice? Tazo's Organic Chai Tea Latte. It's is soooooo good with plenty of sugar and a bit of milk. I am on my second cup today. Mmmmm... now excuse while I go die. Slowly.

I'm Hungry Just Thinking About It

I adore cooking. I love the time I have in the kitchen *to myself*. I love chopping & dicing & searing. I love the look on people's face when they taste something good. I cook for them. I cook for everyone. J even brings food to his work. Which is a restaurant. I make brownies for his closing shift. Muffins in the morning.

In honor of my love for cooking I am going all out this week. Trying new creations and refreshing old favorites. Dinner time at our house is a special time. It's not spent in front of the TV (unless it's for sports). We usually just play light music that fills the background while we talk about anything & everything. It's a time to relax & enjoy company that never judges or puts down your thoughts. I love dinner time. That's why I cook.



MONDAY: J's Favorite: Sandwiches. Fillings include: thick cut bacon, turkey breast, whole chicken breast, goat cheese, tomatoes, basil, jalapeno mayonnaise, homemade honey mustard. And, of course, it will all be on fresh bread. I'm thinking ciabatta or rye bread. Toasted.

TUESDAY: NOLA night! Red beans & rice with sausage, Homemade Corn Bread, Okra

WEDNESDAY: Rosemary lamb chops, Green Beans 'Disney Style', Yellow Rice, Yum Salad

THURSDAY: Steamed Lobster, Cheddar Mashed Potatoes, Caesar Salad, French Bread

FRIDAY: Roasted Chicken, Greek Potatoes, Steamed broccoli, French Onion Soup

SATURDAY: Grilled steak, 'Popped' Artichokes, Corn on the cob, Grilled Asparagus

I don't really use recipes. And, even when I do, I tend to embellish. Here are some guidelines...

*Lamb chops are best when you let their gameness shine. I just use a little rosemary with the usual salt, pepper, garlic powder seasonings and cook until they're medium.

*My favorite thing about Disney is the 50's Primetime Diner in Hollywood Studios. They have the BEST fried chicken. And they make the most amazing green beans. Fresh, of course. Just cover them in EVOO, salt, pepper and freshly chopped garlic. Pan fry on medium high heat until they're perfectly edible.

*Yum Salad is YUMMY! I use romaine, cilantro, tomatoes, thinly sliced onions, lots of fresh lime juice, EVOO, salt & pepper to taste. I love the cilantro in there, my favorite part. J's least favorite. I make his sans the cilantro, because he's crazy.



J has Mon. & Tues. off, and we have yet to decide what we're going to do. He wants to camping. I want to go shopping.

You Came In With The Breeze... On Sunday Morning

Ahhhhh.... there is nothing like Lazy Sundays. The faint sound of NFL games, big breakfasts, warm coffee & the thick newspaper full of ads. I'm obsessed!

This morning we opted for Boca Fiesta instead of steak & eggs. Though J still wound up with steak & eggs in his burrito. I chose gator tacos, which were less of a 'party in my mouth' than the gator tacos at Mema's in Ybor. Still though awesome first meal in the relatively cool shade. Our usual Sunday paper sharing was replaced with excited talks of desert bars & cigar rollers.

J Love & I had a serious talk about the wedding a couple days ago. My stresses are long gone. He helped fully embrace the nonchalance I have strived to surround myself in. Also, my SuperBridesmaid Meg made me realize the humor of someone falling in the pool. Now I'm really hoping someone falls in. Wrong, no?

Today my plans include soaking my feet in hot, oily water. Attempting to stay in the lines when I paint my nails. Reading on the porch. Figuring out our menu for the week. Cleaning these awful floors. And a few wedding details. Tomorrow I will post our menu for the week. Hope you all enjoyed your weekends!

$$Wedding$$

Let me start out by saying ::SIGH:: We are down to the wire. This was the time I wanted to be done with everything wedding related & enjoying the little butterflies with my husband-to-be. Alas, the procrastinator in me won over.

We do not have the vendors we should have had 4 months ago. Food for our guests is still just an idea. I still have several DIY projects that our haunting me. I can't sleep at all at night. I toss and turn and think about all my daunting projects and to do list. My lack of sleep at night means I sleep until noon the next day. Sleeping all morning means I lack motivation to do anything. That means no painting wooden "I DO" letters. No calling to set up appointments. No endless typing on the computer. I HATE THIS WEDDING!

And don't give me that, 'It'll all be worth it in the end.' That's BS as far as I'm concerned. I always just wanted to go to the courthouse & get it over with. I have never been the kind of girl to dream about her wedding day. The only reason I'm really excited is because our families will all be there.

Don't get me wrong. I love J. I can't wait to be his wife. But why does it have to be such a horse & pony show? I don't care about aisle runners or centerpieces. I just want to marry him.

In the beginning I had these ideas of a big gorgeous detail-oriented wedding. Now all I care about is drinks & entertainment. I don't care about cake toppers. I just care that everyone is well fed & having a good time. I don't care anymore that people say it's the best wedding they've ever been to. All that matters is I know that it'll be the best wedding we've ever been to.

I just got off the phone with our rental company. It is now the time to shell out the thousands that have been safely stowed away in our savings. I hate seeing that huge number going down. It's making me sad. I'm thinking about all the things we could do with that money. Things that don't last for one day. Things that last a lifetime. Things like our marriage, which isn't dependent on how much money we spend on the one day it becomes official.

Thanks for letting me rant.

No Internet ROYALLY Sucks.

Sorry for the lack of posting... My current living situation did not come equipped with wireless. Or even dial-up.

I saw J Love this week. We took it easy mostly enjoying cuddle time & Pug kisses.

We have come to the conclusion that we CANNOT do this. More than likely I will get as much done as possible this upcoming week. Then, go home. To Gainesville. Where I belong.

Poor man has been doing his own laundry. He had no less than 4 stains on his WHITE Express polo.

We realized we had YET to take our engagement pictures. We haven't ordered our rings either. OR settled with caterer. OR rented the MILLION things we need. We SUCK at being a bride & groom. Our energy is being focused on being husband & wife. Why does the world think we're so turned around???

Sorry if this wedding is only important to us, because our families will be together. And we're finally committing to each other legally. It's this world that's turned around.

I've reached my limit on pretending to care so much about flowers & table sizes & hors d'oeuvres.

Oh it's Labor Day Weekend?!

What is the perfect distraction to missing J Love, you ask? Oh... no one is asking? Well I'll tell you anyway..... LITTLE GIRLS!!!

I was surrounded in tiny feet & tiny hands this weekend. My Big Birdie is 5; and, my Little Monkey is 3. We hung out all weekend starting Friday night. They insisted on sleeping with me, cudding really close & giving me a few scares. My Monkey fell off the *high* bed. The first time I caught her before she hit the floor. The second time we weren't so lucky. She was okay, and a lesson was learned; Keep the baby in between me & Big Birdie.

On Saturday, we went to an outlet mall with family that I'm not sure I'm really related to. We over paid for tiny toys & munched on bland food court eats. We dirtied our clothes with chocolate ice cream & played in the playground until it was too hot to stand it.

On Sunday, we celebrated my baby sister's 17th birthday. I need to stop calling her a baby! I whipped out the *vintage* Super Nintendo & was the instant hit of the party.

Now my 'stolen' babies are gone. No more pajama parties & airplane rides. No more sneaking them candy & the gorgeous sound of babies giggling. When they were leaving they were on the verge of tears. Begging to stay and then begging to take me with them. I miss my Little Monkey & Big Birdie.

Leavin' on A Jet Plane... Don't Know When I'll Be Back Again

Actually that's the half truth. I'm not leaving on a jet plane, and I DO know when I'll be back. I'll be back when I'm Mrs. Dub. This is a portion of what is coming with me.

I am moving back home. Or actually my Grandparents' home. It's just temporary while I finish up wedding planning. Notice I said I and not WE. J will be staying here while I'm away. I'm going to miss him VERY much. And I know he'll miss me. We were supposed to leave today, but he is refusing to let me out of his grasp just yet. In fact, the only reason he's not attached to my hip at the moment is because he went to Publix to pick up some picnic supplies.

This morning I woke up & he had made us a big breakfast. He said he wanted our last day together to be Date Day. Next we'll be having a picnic in the first park we discovered in Gville. Tonight he is taking me out, but won't say where. I actually don't like not knowing. How do I know what to wear? But I digress...

My temporary move is much to the enjoyment of my family, who have been and will harass me until I walk through their front door. My mom has this idea that J will court me while we're apart. She thinks he'll come to visit & pick me up to take me out on romantic dates. We are not that kind of couple. More than likely he'll be dying for home cooked meals and family interaction. Maybe we'll go hiking or to baseball game or to the beach... but we will not be running around pretending to be dating. After all, we're getting married. We don't go on dates anymore.

Sooooo... I am all packed. With probably more clothes than I will actually wear. The Pug, who is obviously our child, will be splitting weeks between us. Yes, that is right. Poor thing. I hope he doesn't get confused and think we're divorced before we're even married! I may be giving him too much credit.

Survey Obsession

I have an obsession to silly little surveys that allow me to indulge myself & talk about me, my life, & my loved ones. I wonder sometimes how I can get my head through average sized doorways.....

1. What was the highlight of your week?
Our fair night yesterday. We made hot dogs, chicken fingers, cheese fries & funnel cake. Then we watched Annie while playing Monopoly Deal. Gorgeous relaxing Monday night...

2.When is the next time you will kiss someone?
Less than 4 hours... I'm counting down.

3. What color shirt are you wearing?
A pink Theory tank under a black JonesNY dress/nightie.

4. How long is your hair?
It stops right where my boobs start. That's the only way I know how to explain it.

5. Last thing you drank?
Drinking homemade lemonade right now.

6. Who came over last?
Maria. She borrowed some (LOTS of) things for her trip to Savannah.

7. Spell your name without vowels.
l. or ll. or ljndr.

8. Do you have any pets?
One pet. Who I had to wake up to feed today. And who hasn't wanted to go outside, AT ALL! He's such a weirdo.

9. Favorite Vacation?
Family roadtrip to NYC. Birthday week at Disney. Our most recent Chicago adventure. The Engagement Vaca. I just can't pick.

10. What do you dislike currently?
Our lack of some very important vendors for our wedding. IN LESS THAN TWO MONTHS!

11. What are you listening to?
Hanson. And I'm not ashamed.

12. If you could have one thing right now, what would it be?
The man I love. To be home. With me. Always. I swear I'm obsessed with him.

13. What is your favorite scent?
Fresh cut grass. D&G Light Blue. J's CLEAN scent. Babies. Pomegranate Doggy Shampoo. Mojito's. I don't have ONE favorite anything. There's always a list.

14. Who makes you the happiest?
J Love. But EVERY single person in my family is a very close second. And third. And fourth........

15. What were you doing at midnight last night?
I do believe I was standing on a chair & belting Annie tunes. Much to J's enjoyment.

16. When is your birthday?
May 6th. Write it down. Send me presents.

17. Last time you went swimming in a pool.
Wow! Not since we we stayed at the hotel. I/We were at the pool EVERY opportunity we had.

18. Do you read your horoscope?
No. It's silly to believe that everyone born around the same time as you is going through the same things. Or have the same personality traits. Or have the same lucky numbers.

19. Where was the last place you bought something?
Target. As always. There's a WalMart less than 5 minutes away from us. I still drive 15 minutes away, through College Traffic; I am beyond loyal to the bullseye.

20. How do you feel about your hair right now?
I feel good. I've been growing it out for the wedding. Longest it's ever been in my life.

21. Do you have any expensive jewelry?
Yes I do. Thanks to J Love.

22. Myspace or Facebook.
I would say Gmail (since you know I'm like that), but it's DOWN at the moment. AND PAST 60 minutes.

23. How fast have you driven in a car?
Haha, not fast at all. I'd say 90. But that's only on the interstate. When our radar isn't blinking.

24. Have you ever smoked?
I have. I was young(er). I really wonder how I put up with the grossness.

25. What was your favorite subject in school?
Math. And only because my high school crush happened to be in EVERY one of my math classes all through h.s. I much prefer History now.

26. Who got married at the last wedding you attended?
Stugan. Who are parents now! To the most gorgeous little girl who is currently the envy of my life.

27. What type of man do you usually fall for?
I'm really into authority figures. Presidents have always held my fancy (JFK=♥). Growing up I was always the one girl in class who had a crush on a teacher. And now I'm completely feeling dating the boss. Not my boss, but he has the power to fire people. HOT!

28. Dream Job.
Stay-At-Home-Mommy. The only thing missing is the kids! But I can wait on that.

29. Where does most of your family live?
Seriously? It's so hard to even tell anymore. I have family in New Orleans, Chicago, Vegas, NYC, Guatemala and Tampa.

30. How many siblings do you have?
I have 2 gorgeous sisters. They are amazing women. I also have 3 sister-in-laws & 2 brother-in-laws, who I CANNOT wait to officially be family with. We are surrounded by the most awesome people alive.

31. Would you consider yourself to be spoiled?
If I'm being completely honest, yes. But NOT in the Rotten Brat way. Life has spoiled me like nothing else.

32. What was the first thing you thought when you woke up today?
Mmmmmmmmm...... I'm grateful for every single day. I read a quote before, "Begin each day as if it were on purpose." It's what I live by.

33. Know any languages. Other than English.
Spanish. I studied French when I was in school. Still wouldn't survive one day in France.

34. Have you ever been IN a wedding?
No. Always the Bride... oh that's not how that goes?

35. Do you have any children?
The Pug is my baby. One day he'll be a real boy!

36. Who has the same birthday as you?
Willie Mays. George Clooney. Sigmund Freud. Rubin Carter. Tony Blair. & Chris Paul, who is the same amount of days old as I am! Also, International No Diet Day falls on my birthday. This I am most proud of.

37. Ever met anyone famous?
We met Kerry Washington in Disney when all she had done was Save the Last Dance. I know we have a photo with her, but who knows where it is. And sports players galore. Including Derek Jeter, who had my heart until the day I met J Love.

38. Do you want to be famous one day?
No. Not one bit. Not since I was 17. Unless it's Dooce famous and not Jon&Kate famous.

39. Any pet peeves?
Yes. Negativity. And all that that encompasses.

40. Are you multitasking right now?
Sort of. Keep checking Gmail to see if it's working yet. Nope.

41. Do you like Britney Spears?
Yes. I do. And I wish her the best.

42. What is your least favorite chore?
Hand washing dishes. It's the only chore I don't enjoy.

43. Who are you thinking about right now?
My baby sister who turns 17 tomorrow. I need to stop calling her a baby. But this precious thing smelled like a baby until she was 11. And I can still fit her in my lap (awkwardly) and cuddle her.

44. How many pairs of shoes do you own?
Seriously? I don't even keep count anymore. They fill my closet floor & J's closet floor & the coat closet floor. And a box in storage.

45. Are your toes always painted?
Yes. Unless I'm in the middle of a pedicure.

46. How many piercings do you have?
Just 2. Tried to get 2nd holes for the wedding. I still don't have the guts.

47. What are you doing today?
I went to Target. Stamped the invitations. Sorted out the rehearsal dinner. Finalized a few hotel situations. Screamed at Gmail. Sang along to Miley Cyrus. Attempted to get The Pug to go for a walk.

48. What's one thing, besides the obvious, that you couldn't live without?
The people I surround myself with.

49. Have you ever been to Disney World or Land?
Both.

50. What is your favorite cartoon character?
Stewie from Family Guy.

51. Last thing you cooked?
Chicken Parmesan.

52. How's the weather?
Hot as always. I cannot wait until it starts cooling off. Bring on the cold fronts!

53. Do you e-mail?
YES. And I'm dying without Gmail.

Oh just checked. Finally works.

54. Last time you were sick.
I cannot remember. TERRIFIED of this Swine Flu though. First sign of sickness and I'll get tested. I'm serious. People are DYING from this.

55. What is your dream car?
A hybrid. Which is what we'll be shopping for the day we get back from the Honeymoon. We need to get green!

56. Have you ever wanted someone you can't have?
I have longed for has been actors, dead presidents & one-hit wonders. Now the only man I long for is a constant fixture & only away from me when he works.

57. If you could be anywhere right now, where would it be?
53 days in the future. Surrounded by family and friends & marrying my favorite. But I AM NOT rushing things.

58. Are you happy with your life?
Extremely so.