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It’s becoming very clear to me that perhaps my hardcore blogging days need a temporary, undefined hiatus. Even when I have the time, I don’t have the attention span to put together the perfect blog entry – but I still want to write. In fact, I’d really like to get more into sharing. On several occasions, I’ve expressed my distaste for things such as twitter only to be scolded by my social-network-savvy friends, one who recommended to me a site called tumblr. I checked it out, and I must admit, I’m very impressed; it’s along the lines of blogging meets twitter meets facebook meets web albums. I mostly love how succinct everything is. So, for the time being, I’m going to spend some time discovering what tumblr is all about.

You can find me at: amye1987.tumblr.com –> please follow me! I have lots of interesting links, events, and photos to photos to post, as well as cute quotes. I’m especially excited about the wedding week I’m contemplating, where I’ll share how we did different pieces of the wedding from centerpieces to our guestbook!

However, I am still addicted to reading craft blogs! And to Glitter Blessings & Heya, Sparky.

DIY Wedding

So, it’s really not uncommon for the average couple to spend between $10,000 and $20,000 on a wedding. According to various internet resources, the average Pittsburgh wedding runs between $15,000 and $25,000. That’s a lot of money, in my opinion. In fact, it’s so much money that if I had to save up that much to get married, well, let’s just say it would be awhile and I just don’t want to wait that long to marry my love. After all, relationships should be about love, not money – right?

So, where there is a will, there is a way! I gave up my fairytale wedding dream in exchange for something smaller, cuter, more personal, and quite frankly – even better. (:  We took our initially $12,000 wedding and turned it into a $2,000 to $3,000 wedding (which gave us extra money to put towards our honeymoon!) We haven’t added up the exact costs of everything just yet, but the skies are already looking bluer!

I’ll post pictures and how-to’s for DIY centerpieces, name tags, bouquets, sand vases, and thank you notes, as well as cute & affordable favors (made easier to make with the help of friends), a fun and unique guestbook idea, animoto videos, easy DIY hairstyles, and much more, I’m sure! Of course, you’re going to have to wait until after June 5 for most of it, though I do promise to give you a sneak peak!

Almost there!

As most of you know, I’m in the process of finishing up my last semester of nursing school, which is actually code for taking a break from life. Unfortunately, with my cramped schedule, blogging was something I chose to give up until I finish this particular stretch. So, that being said, I’ll be back next week! Or maybe this weekend if you’re lucky and I have spare time! I have so much to write about it; I cannot wait! I will forewarn you though, that some of it may seem a bit out of order!

Talk to you SOON!

What is romance?

What is romance? Someone asked me that last week, and I’ve been mulling it over in my head ever since.

My initial response was that romance is sweet gestures that sweep someone off their feet and let them know they are cared for in a deeper way. But romance is not chivalry. However, the response didn’t leave my lips; instead, I answered with a withholding  I. Don’t. Know. And then the wheels began churning.

I first turned to my favorite online dictionary/translator, wordreference.com,  to look up the meaning of the word. It had several.

noun: an exciting and mysterious quality (as of a heroic time or adventure)

verb: make amorous advances towards

Neither of those really fit my definition of romance. And, that’s when it hit me – romance is subjective. Perhaps what I consider to be romance isn’t what you consider to be romance. I see how this could pose some serious problems.

So, what is romance? My answer stands unchanged. I believe in fairytales and that true romance, like true love, never dies. I believe romance works both ways and shouldn’t be a public thing; it should be treasured. I believe it changes, just as people and relationships do but the excitement and happiness never do. Sometimes things go wrong, just like they do in fairytales. But, in the end, romance and love prevail if it’s true. And, I believe in all that because I have lived it. But to me, romance is not chivalry or becoming so comfortable around someone that you stop trying to romance them.

When I was googling around for examples of romance, many searches yielded results including The Notebook and Twilight. I believe in the love and romance in them both. So, I’ll end it with a quote that came to mind:

“Summer romances end for all kinds of reasons. But when all is said and done, they have one thing in common: They are shooting stars-a spectacular moment of light in the heavens, a fleeting glimpse of eternity. And in a flash, they’re gone.” – The Notebook

But some romances last a lifetime, for all kinds of reasons – but mostly love.

Brandon’s blissful tortilla discovery!

Good tortillas can be quite expensive, but some might argue that it’s worth the extra few dollars to have tortillas you can actually bend, flex, roll, and wrap. Well … what if I told you that you could have your $1 Aldi tortillas and get the same great wrap-ability of their more expensive grocery story counterparts? The good news is … you can.

Allow me to take you back in time to one of our many Qdoba adventures. This is where it begins. Everyone knows that Qdoba makes wonderful burritos with those oh so pliable and large tortillas, right? Well, what’s the first thing they do in the burrito process? If you guessed place them in the intimidating giant steamer-like machine, then you guessed right!

Last night I was trying to make a hummus wrap, but my tortilla would have nothing to do with the folding. It was a cheap yet yummy Aldi tortilla. That’s when Brandon pulled out the steamer. And, as it turned out, placing the tortilla in the steamer for about a minute and then folding it greatly increases the flexibility and the eat-ability.

The moral of the story, in Brandon’s words is “that’s what happens when you watch people cook.” All of our visits to Qdoba in conjunction with his keen observations lead us to this wonderful discovery that is exciting and new … at least for us.

I hope it brings you the same yummy, stress-free bliss!

NOTE: We already had the contents on the burrito when we steamed them. I wonder if it would maintain the flexibility long enough to steam, fill, and then fold? Let me know if you try!

Oh, and PS: I really hope this isn’t common cooking knowledge. Because if it is … then I feel really silly, just like the time I discovered the potato peeler. Apparently everyone already knew of its wonder! …

Until next time … stay safe & warm!

Flashback Friday – Week 2

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.Kindergarden … that was such a scary time to me!  The girl in this picture cried on the first day of kindergarden, dressed up as the letter A on letter people day, and struggled with math while excelling at spelling and reading. I was incredibly shy, talked way too fast, loved dancing and animals, and wanted to be an “animal nurse” when I grew up. I refused to wear anything but dresses, except on gym days, when I’d wear my hot pink Minnie Mouse jeans. I got S’s (satisfactories) in gym for that, rather than O’s for outstanding. I think it had something to do with the fact that I used to run from the ball, too. That, unfortunately, still hasn’t changed despite my street hockey days in middle school, but that’s a blog about my fearless days for another time. Oh, and the most important thing, Jaimie was my best friend. The most life-changing event in kindergarden for me was definitely becoming friends with Jaimie. I’ll need to get her permission to post a picture sometime and tell you about my first elementary school memory!

Until next time, have a great week!

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You can join in the fun, too!

Grandma knows best!

Since Thursday bright and early, I have been battling horrible nausea, lightheaded-ness, and general non-tolerance to any food or drink that hits my stomach. That made for a rough clinical day and rough subsequent study days. As I sat there eating my wheat saltines and sipping ginger ale and water, while popping the occasional Pepto Bismol I had a wonderful revelation.

My grandma once told me that Pringles  are the only thing that can settle her stomach. Last year I tried it, and it worked miracles. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it sooner! She attributes it to the salt; I, on the other hand, think it’s fate and genetics … and maybe good taste. Either way, if you catch one of these nasty winter bugs, I encourage you to pop some Pringles so your fun doesn’t have to stop! I hope it works for you, too!

I’d rather be crafting …

The big exam is on Monday. It’s Saturday, and I’m not as far as I’d like to be in studying. I guess you can say it’s because I’d rather be crafting. Anyways, I spent entirely too much time on craft blogs this morning (since I decided no StumbleUpon until I finish studying) and thought I should share some neat findings.

• DIY Vinyl Shade Decals … for when I someday have shades. My parents wouldn’t be thrilled if I attempted this now.
• My brother is getting a variation of this Bottle Caps Clock for his 21st birthday!
• Crooked Coasters … because in 126 days, I can have a coffee table worth using coasters on!
• When we get married, there will be two sets of keys in the house. This DIY Key Holder should come in handy!
• I haven’t made Cereal Box Organizers since my freshman year of college!
• I think paint chip strips are one of the most beautiful things ever. These Paint Chip Bookmarks consequently look breathtaking. Painting anyone?

And this i heart faces is a challenge that I’d like to try. Check it out here.

Someday I’ll have the time for these. Until then, you’ll just have to let me know how it goes!

Week 1 – Flashback Friday

- I heard about this idea from my wonderful friend, Lauren, who heard about it from the creator, her favorite blogger, Tia. It’s a creative and clever idea! So, needless to say, I’m very eager to hop on board! -
This week’s theme is concerts, and well, as much as I hate to admit this, in my whole 22 years, I’ve never been to a real concert. I tried once but traffic from Pittsburgh to Altoona wasn’t on our side. I’ve been to band concerts and chorus concerts of friends, and I’ve been in quite a few band/chorus concerts during my time.

I think these are from Christmas my senior year of high school … but I’m not positive.

In the top picture, I’m the flute player on the far left. I believe we were called the Farkleberry Flutes, but I’m not sure. I never had any intention of playing with them, but there were minimal volunteers, and I guess you can say I volunteered to participate out of guilt. I lucked into carrying the melody in most songs, probably because I was a senior, but I recall most girls getting lost in the middle of the one song and just carrying on with the melody. Horrifying!

The middle picture is the whole concert band. I think I’m somewhere on the right with all the flutes. And then the bottom picture is chorus. I’m in the first row on the left. I didn’t really enjoy those performances, but I liked getting semi-dressed up and music in general. I think I did it more for the social aspect, and I didn’t want another study hall. Visual Ensemble (Bandfront) during marching band season was actually my favorite. Either way, I know I enjoyed the experiences overall, and sometimes I miss playing flute.

Until next time, I have a great week!

New Year Resolution 2009

Wow … it feels like forever and a day since I’ve written anything. I suppose that’s what happens at the start of every new semester, though. Luckily, this is the last hardcore one for now. I think I’ll take my BSN and MSN a little slower.

I’ve never been one for New Year Resolutions. I tend to resolve to do things mid year. Sometimes they stick and sometimes they don’t. But this past year, 2009, I decided to make and keep a resolution. But … what to do? Like every other human on earth, I wanted to get fit. That was just too pedestrian a goal. I could also go for the read [insert number here] books. But what is something I truly wanted to do, or in my case, not do?

Okay, clear your mind and think outside the razor. Yes, the razor. In 2009 I did not once shave my legs. I know it seems a bit personal and awkward to write about hairy legs on a blog, and you’re absolutely right. That’s why I’m not going to do it! While I vowed not to take a razor to my legs in 2009, I also embarked on a somewhat scary adventure of discovering different methods of hair removal. I tried everything from pre-waxed strips, to Nair like products, to the Smooth Away.

So, now you ask, how were those other products? Well, I advise you to run as fast as you can away from any product like Nair. Those products, even the formulas for sensitive skin, burn like crazy and turn your legs so red that shorts and skirts are out of the question for at least one week. Some of them do remove hair quite nicely and others not so much, but any part of results is NOT worth the side effects, at least not to me. Plus, your hairs get kind of stretchy and gooey … gross.

But on the other hand, waxing is truly my favorite. And my favorite kind of wax comes on those pre-waxed strips. They are easy, not so messy, and very effective! You can use each strip from 2-4 times, so for me, I definitely got my money’ worth. The Veet pre-waxed strips for sensitive skin, in the pretty dark pink box, are my favorite.  Those waxes you put in the microwave and apply to your legs can be messy, but they do work and yield the same results as pre-waxed strips, at a better price.

The last product worthy of evaluation is the Smooth Away. I’m sure you’ve seen it on commercials, and let me tell you that those commercials are no exaggeration. It really does just smooth away the hair! The pros of this product are it’s initial affordability, pain and cut- free action, as well as exfoliation along with hair removal. The cons are the difficulty in finding replacement strips, it is time consuming, and if you do it too much your legs become irritated because it’s a constant circular motion on your skin. But overall, I give it a positive thumbs up.

And what is the conclusion? Shaving is no doubt quick, convenient, and affordable. I’m pretty sure that’s why it’s the most popular thing to do. But, for me … those pre-waxed strips are my preferred product. And for the awkward between-wax-legs, the Smooth Away was great for touch ups, and so is the razor.

I encourage you to look around and find what works best for you! And then you can share that with me! I’m always open to suggestions!