I Love Halloween!

I had big plans to go through old photos and find adorable pictures of me as a child in my Halloween costumes, but all of a sudden it's Halloween weekend and I have yet to go through pictures. Instead, when I got to work this morning I made myself a spiced apple cider and went through my facebook pictures to see what Halloween related photos I could scrounge up. I realize pictures of me when I was eight and dressed up as a half librarian/half werewolf would have been way cuter (and yes I was half librarian/half werewolf….couldn’t tell you why) but this is what you get.

Halloween 2009
Every year there is a Gopher game the week of Halloween that is deemed "The Halloween Game." Everyone gets dressed up and goes completely crazy. Last year...I was a Gopher fan. How creative am I?

Isn't that "M" pumpkin the bomb? My step-mom is a pumpkin carving master!

These GI Joe costumes might be the greatest costumes I've ever seen...they have the little stand and everything!

After the game we went out downtown where I was a Gangster and J was a Referee

Halloween 2008

That year, we didn't go out for Halloween because the Gopher Homecoming was the next morning. But, we did celebrate with some other spooky traditions.  

We carved pumpkins!

We also went to the Trail of Terror, which is a haunted hay ride, haunted house kind of a thing out in the middle of nowhere. We met Jake & Carolyn there and had a blast....even though BB and I were too scared to do some of the stuff.

Halloween 2007

This was a great Halloween! My friends Courtney & Josh hosted a Halloween Party bus. It was a blast and was my first time on a party bus. I dressed up as a pirate. Courtney was one of the blocks from Super Mario Brothers, ya know the ones you hit to get capes or mushrooms or stars? Her and her sister were the boxes and their boys were Mario and Luigi....they were great costumes!

Halloween 2006

Halloween '06 was in the prime of my college days, so naturally I spent it at Delta Chi, which is where I spent most of my time.  I was a witch. In the picture I'm with my friend Adam who was dressed up as our friend Sean. Since you don't know Sean you don't know how great this costume is, and the best part was Adam acted like Sean the entire night and did it perfectly! It was hilarious!

And that's as far back as my facebook pictures go. I'll leave you with the pumpkins we carved at my dad's last night (mine is the cute little one on the far left) and a delicious recipe we use every year to make pumpkin seeds! 

My step-mom did the screaming one with the hands....how cute is that?

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
-1 1/2 tbsp Butter
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/8 tsp garlic salt
-2 tsp worcestershire sauce
-2 cups pumpkin seeds (cleaned)

*Preheat oven to 275 degrees
*Melt butter and stir in seasonings
*Pour over pumpkin seeds and mix well
*Spread seeds on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour
 *Enjoy!

I hope you all have a very Happy Halloween and be safe!!!

Go DJ, Cuz That's My DJ

We booked our DJ!

This is the vendor I was most nervous about booking. The music can really make or break an event, especially our event. I love to dance and all I really want for my wedding is to have all our friends and family out on the dance floor busting a move with me. It was really important to me that we would have control over the music, I didn't want to just tell someone "we like hip-hop" and have them determine what that meant. I want to physically say play this song, don't play that song.

I started my search by using my beloved weddingwire.com and looking up DJs in the Minneapolis area. Then, I looked at the reviews from past brides. I love seeing what people liked and didn't like about these DJs. I probably sent an e-mail or filled out a "request for information" for 10 different DJs. Being a business owner, I always love to see how people market their business and respond to potential clients. I had one who sent me an e-mail with information and pricing, then send me a packet in the mail and then called to see if I got the e-mail and then called a second time to see if I got the packed. Annoying. Don't hound me....I hate it. They immediately got crossed off the list. Another place just sent me a generic pre-written e-mail and then proceeded to send me three more what I am assuming were scheduled impersonal e-mails. I didn't want a place where I was just another number, I wanted a personal experience. They got the boot. For the remaining DJs a lot of it had to do with cost and what was included in the cost, obviously we have to make sure they fit in our budget. Finally, at the Wedding Fair last Sunday I was able to meet and talk to some of the companies I was considering. This was a huge help! I got to see how the represented themselves, how they were trying to sell themselves and talk directly to the DJs. At the Wedding Fair, I made an appointment with the company that stood out to me. J and I met with them to make sure all of our questions were answered.

Then, we booked them! 

I am so excited to be working with Nightlife Entertainment. One of the things I love about them is that they employ eighteen DJs but they only book eight events on a given day, thus making sure they aren't spread too thin, they have back ups available in case of an emergency and they can focus on making sure those eight events are run perfectly. One thing I learned along the way is that it's super important to ask vendors how many events they book at a time. There were whisperings around the Wedding Fair that some DJ companies book up to thirty-five events on a single day! Yikes!

Another thing that sold me is their DJ assigning process. They have an online form you fill out that asks you what kind of music you like, how involved you want the DJ to be, certain artist you want to hear, any special circumstances they should be aware of, etc. Then about a month before the wedding their DJs look through these forms and pick the events that match best with their personality and style. Then, the DJ calls or meets with the couple to make sure they mesh and everyone feels good about working together. Love it! I hate when DJs are just up there to hear themselves talk but at the same time I want them to be involved and get the guests out on the dance floor!

My favorite part, is the music database. Nightlife has over 80,000 songs! They have all their music in an online database where you can search songs or artists. Then, there's little green, yellow, and red buttons. If you add a song to your green list, you're saying these are the songs we have to hear, for example "Lean Like a Cholo." Not a joke. Then the yellow list is songs you like, would be fine if you didn't hear but some extra ideas for the DJ. And, obviously the red list is the do not play. The songs we will strangle the DJ for playing, for example anything made by Mariah Carey after the year 1995.

Finally, there was one question I asked all DJs. It was partially a test to see how flexible/creative/fun they were and partially a very serious question. "Do you have or can you make a Michael Jackson mega mix?" If I was going through that music database I would probably add ten Michael Jackson songs on to that green list, so I figure it would save some time and make me extremely happy if there was a way to get all his best songs jammed in to one awesome song. Nightlife LOVED the idea and said they would definitely be able to make that work. Done. Sold. Where do I sign?

Who is Your ONE?

A lot of couples have the fun little game of choosing a celebrity that if given the chance they have a free pass to cheat. Now, I would never, ever, ever in a million years dream of hurting J in that way...but if I were to come face to face with Leonardo DiCaprio, I'm not sure what I would do. I would most likely turn bright red, say a bunch of really stupid things, faint, throw up and then make him call all of my friends. If that leads to more action, great.

J recently changed his ONE from Julianne Hough to Minka Kelly....

I have to say, my man's got great taste. These ladies aren't quite as cute as me...but they're not bad. I appreciate that J likes two woman who I not only really like but think are drop dead gorgeous without being skanky. And, the fact that they are actually talented means a lot to me. However, I'm not sure how I feel about him making a switch. I have been very open and honest about my love for Leo from day one. The fact that I've loved him since 7th grade really says a lot about my ability to commit. So what does this switch say about J? I think that if I am giving him a free pass to cheat on me he should have to stick with one person...it's only fair. If she ends up getting fat or getting crazy plastic surgery, well too bad for you....right? He's given me a ring and committed to  love me in sickness and in health and to be by my side FOREVER no matter what, so shouldn't he have the same obligation with his ONE? I think so! I guess we're going to have to sit down and have a really serious conversation tonight. I hope he takes this OK.

So who is your ONE? I gotta know!

Weekend Update

Another weekend has just flown by and I cannot believe it's already Monday again. We have been packing in so much each weekend it makes them just speed by.

Friday was perhaps the longest day of my life. I started by opening Coffee Buzz and working there until noon. From noon until 5:30pm I had my first day of work at Mary Kay's Bridal. It went really well....I definitely learned a lot. I helped a bride try on dresses, helped move old files in to the storage unit and was given the title of Marketing Manager! Mary Kay gave me the responsibility of taking care of all of her marketing which I am so excited about! She gave me a budget and I basically get to figure out how to get the store's name out there! I'm starting by sorting through all the marketing she is currently doing to see what is working and what is not. Of course, the first thing I did was contact my favorite website, WeddingWire.com to see how we can get Mary Kay's on there! I am really excited about this opportunity and have my first meeting with The Perfect Wedding Guide this afternoon.

After I finished up at Mary Kay's I stopped by my mom's house to see my brother. Thank you all so much for your kind comments and for taking time out of your busy days to think of my brother. The surgery went really well. It was a little more involved than the originally thought, but nothing super major. He is recovering really well and will hopefully be able to play again in a month or two. Fingers crossed! From my mom's I headed to my old sorority house to chaperon an exchange and get transitioned in to my new position as the Social Advisor. It was pretty quick and painless, which was great because by this point I was exhausted! Finally, I stopped by the in-law's-to-be where they were kind enough to fill my empty belly with a delicious dinner. I finally made it home around 10pm and was asleep within minutes.

Saturday was Gopher Game Day!!! All of the weather reports were predicting rain, so we decided to mix up our usual tailgating routine and head to the bar instead. We spent the morning at Blarney's Pub (one of my favorite college hang outs) and had breakfast and some delicious Bloody Mary's. When we noticed that there was in fact no rain at all we took off for our tailgating lot to squeeze in a couple of pre-game beers.

Me and the fiance!

Our friend Pat who was sporting some industrial rain boots...that of course he didn't end up needing

Our friend Ryan is a Penn State fan....so he sucks

 

 The new poster children for Coors Light

 

As expected, the Gophers lost. We're just calling this season a wash...we got rid of our awful head coach and our awful quarterback is graduating. All we can do is hope that next season will be better, at least we know it can't be much worse. After the game we went to my friend Megan's to watch more college football. It was great catching up with a bunch of my high school girlfriends! It was so sweet because towards the end of the night everyone gathered around and Megan opened a bottle of champagne to toast me and J's engagement! 

Sunday, me and my BB went to the Wedding Fair. Talk about overwhelming! We got there right when it began and 11am and there was a line wrapped around the place. It was crazy! I got some good information from a couple of vendors and so did Carolyn. It was a fun time and I'm really glad I went but it's definitely not something I ever need to do again. Finally, last night J and I went over to my dad's house to watch Brett Favre completely blow the Vikings game against the Packers. There was only so much I could take and I fell asleep right before the start of the 4th quarter....whoops!

Say a Little Prayer

My little brother (well actually he's not little, but he is younger) is having surgery today.

 Nate is a senior at St. Olaf College and is the captain of the basketball team. This week during practice he hurt his knee. He saw the doctor immediately, but unfortunately because he is not able to straighten his knee he couldn't get an MRI. The doctor was able to determine that he tore his meniscus, but any diagnosis beyond that would come from doing an MRI. The doctor gave him Valium in hopes of relaxing his muscles and therefore straightening his knee. If the knee straightened they were going to attempt another MRI this morning, but I just got the news from my mom that his knee did not straighten. He has surgery scheduled this afternoon at 12:30. The doctor will have to go in and first determine what the damage is and then repair his knee from there. If it is in fact just his meniscus the doctor said the recovery would be quick and he could walk on it within a week. Any further damage will just prolong his recovery and effect whether or not he can practice and play with his team. SO, all you lovely blog friends, if you have a spare second today would you mind saying a quick little prayer that my brother's surgery goes well and that the injury isn't any worse? THANK YOU!

In other news, I am starting job #3 today! I got a part time job working for the bridal shop, Mary Kay's Bridal, up the street from Coffee Buzz. You've all heard me talk about it a million times because I LOVE IT! Since opening the Buzz I've become really good friends with the owner, Mary Kay and her daughter, Ashley.

I'm going to be working there a few hours a week to earn some extra wedding money! It's always a little nerve racking starting a new job, but I already know all the employees (and love them) so I'm hoping it will be a smooth start. It's also nice because I just brought a change of clothes to Coffee Buzz and once I'm done here, I'll just walk up there to work. Super easy!

As for the rest of the weekend....once I'm done at Mary Kay's I'm heading down to campus to chaperon an exchange at AOTT, one of the duties of the Social Advisor. It should be fun because my friend Claire (the past  Social Advisor) will be there to transition me in to the position. Then Saturday is Gopher game day! The Goph's are playing Penn State at home and it will be our first game since firing our completely awful head coach. I'm by no means expecting a win, but getting rid of that idiot is a giant step in the right direction. After the game, we're going to my friend Megan's to watch some more football. THEN, on Sunday, me and the BB are going to the Twin Cities Wedding Fair! I'm so pumped! It's going to be another jam packed weekend, but it's going to be a blast! Expect tons of pics on Monday!

Have a great weekend!!!

We Have a Date!!!

HOLY MOLY! I am soooo excited! Yesterday afternoon we put a deposit down on our church and reception site which means  

WE OFFICIALLY HAVE A WEDDING DATE!!!

On Saturday, November 5th 2011 I will be marrying my best friend in the entire world in front of all of our friends and family!

I have been bouncing off the walls since yesterday! It feels so good to finally have a date. From the second you get engaged that's the first thing everyone wants to know and for the past 7 weeks we've just been shrugging our shoulders. Well NO MORE! We have a date!

It also feels great to check the two biggest "to-do's" off of our list! Now I can focus on all the details---the fun stuff, in my opinion! Whoop! Whoop! Whoop! (Still pumped, if you can't tell!)

Like I mentioned before we are getting married at Lake of the Isles Lutheran Church. This church is probably the most charming church you will ever lay your eyes on. It's located in a beautiful neighborhood right outside of downtown Minneapolis and is situated right on Lake of the Isles. The church seats 200 and our guest list is currently just over 200! I LOVE the idea of walking down the aisle with the entire church packed full of our family and friends. Wow, I'm getting emotional just thinking about it. Maybe if I keep getting emotional while thinking of it I won't cry like a baby when those doors finally do open. It's also really special because my mom and step-dad were just married there in August. We'll be married by the same pastor in the same church....how romantic!

We decided on International Market Square for our reception!!! D'amico does the catering so our food is going to be delicious! It is going to be beautiful and unique and I am so stinkin' excited!!!

HOORAY!!! 380 days to go!!! :)

I'll Never Know

On Monday I wrote this post:

This Saturday we went up north to J's mom and step-dad's to celebrate my future mother-in-law's birthday.  J's parents have a huge property complete with a barn for their 4 horses, 2 goats and 80 cats. Well, not quite 80, but their original cat General Lee has been quite the little skank. Since bringing her home a year ago General Lee has had 4 litters of kittens. The most recent litter was born just four weeks ago, so we had to go see them.

These kittens were so tiny and so cute. I instantly became attached to the runt (I've always been a sucker for the runts of the litter....I blame Charlotte's Web). He was a teeny tiny little all black kitchen with blue eyes. He was so cold out in the barn so I did the natural thing, and put him in my pocket and snuck him back to the house. Jason and I grabbed him a little chunk of cat food and some milk and gave him what was probably his first meal. His first meal not fighting 10 other cats for it at least. Because he is all black and because we own a coffee shop, we named him Mocha. We spent the next 12 hours with him and fell completely in love. Bailey loved him too. 

When it came time to head home, I had a decision to make. I needed to decide whether or not to bring Mocha home. I know J wants a cat and Bailey would love a friend, but I'm allergic. I did fine around him but he's also tiny. What happens when he's full grown? I decided I didn't care, we'd just figure it out and we could always bring him back to the barn. Lisa gave us some cat food and made a tiny little litter box for him and we were on our way. About a mile down the road I started to panic. Did I really want another pet? I know cats are low maintenance but that's more food to buy, more stuff to clean and one more body in our small townhouse to take care of. Plus, what if my allergies didn't go away? I would be miserable, in my own home. So J turned around and we returned Mocha to the barn where he came from.

I feel sick today. I don't know if I made the right choice. I know I don't want another pet, I don't want more responsibility or more expenses. I don't want to chance the allergies. But, I miss that little kitten. I got really attached to him and he was already following me around and cuddling with me. I feel bad that he had a chance to live in a warm home instead of a cold barn. I feel bad that he got a taste of the good life just to be brought back. I know Lisa & Deward take great care of those cats....but he's so small and it's so cold up there. What if he doesn't make it? I'll never forgive myself. Part of me just wants to drive up there and bring him home and part of me knows I did what I needed to do. I think of his tiny black face and the tiny little purring sound he was already making and I get sick to my stomach. I don't know what to do.

I let my head talk me in to believing I had made the right decision, but in my heart I knew I would end up with that kitten as a pet. I knew before the week was done Mocha would be home living with us where he belonged.

By the time I wrote this blog post on Monday morning...Mocha had passed away.

Lisa (J's mom) called J with the news at 7am and J waited until we were together right before bed to tell me. I was furious that he kept this from me but realize now that I needed him by my side when I heard the news. I was filled with sadness and guilt. I instantly blamed myself thinking that if I would have brought him home he would have survived.

On Sunday, when we turned around and brought him back, Lisa and Deward returned him to the barn where he lived before I fell in love with him. A few hours later, Deward was out in the barn when he noticed Mocha wasn't doing too well. Deward brought him back in to the house where they fed him, let him use the litter box we had made and gave him some tender loving care. Lisa held him and pet him until he fell asleep, but he never woke up. There is no way of knowing what caused Mocha's life to be shortened....it could have been a number of things, but I will never know if I made the right choice by bringing him back that Sunday afternoon.

After tears of heartbreak and remorse I told myself that the last day of Mocha's life was a happy one. He was warm, his tummy was full and he was loved by me, J and Bailey along with Lisa and Deward. It breaks my heart that this tiny little innocent kitten was taken at only 4 weeks old. I loved him instantly and only wish I could have had more time as his mom.

Coffee Shop Manners

Between Coffee Buzz and my previous coffee shop job, I’ve been at this for a while. I feel like at this point I’ve seen it all….I’ve made amazing friends, I’ve watched customers go from first date to married, I’ve seen people complain about EVERYTHING and ANYTHING, I’ve been robbed, I’ve been excited, happy, cheerful, frustrated, pissed and every other human emotion you can feel while working in this industry. After an EXTREMELY frustrating experience with a customer I decided to pass on some of my learned wisdom. I’m sure every one of you has been in a coffee shop at one point or another, some of you may go every morning. Here are some coffee shop rules and manners to follow so that you don’t piss off your barista or the other customers around you.

*GET OFF YOUR CELL PHONE! We strive to get customers in and out the door quickly. We know you’re busy, we know you’re on your way to work and we’re going to get you your coffee as quickly as possible. Because we’re doing you this courtesy please do us one and put the phone down! It takes about 5 seconds to order something and another 25 seconds to be rung up….if whoever you are on the phone with can’t wait 30 seconds….you shouldn’t be wasting your time talking to this person. It’s rude. It’s annoying for the person at the register to take your order when you’re not paying attention and it’s annoying for the people behind you in line. Just don’t do it.

*DON’T POUR COFFEE IN THE TRASH!!!! This is my number one biggest pet peeve. When you throw hot coffee in to the trash it burns the bag and causes a leak, which is a HUGE PAIN IN THE ASS for whoever has to take out the trash. If you need more room for cream, kindly ask to have some coffee dumped out. The barista will be more than happy to give you some extra room, especially if it saves them a disaster of a trash can. If you are drinking-in and have some of your drink remaining, ask if we can dispose of it for you…we’ll dump it in the sink and then toss the cup. People will LOVE you for this, especially if you say, “I didn’t want to throw this in the trash? Can you dump it for me?” You’ll earn major points!

*SAY HI. We greet people when they come in, the polite thing to do is say “hi” back or at least acknowledge that someone has just spoken to you.  All you mothers out there----teach your children this! It’s unbelievable the social skills most people lack.

*IF YOU DON’T LIKE IT, TELL US. We’re here to get your day off on the right foot. If something tastes bad or isn’t made right….let us (or them, wherever you’re going) know. Even if you’ve left, let us know the next day. The last thing any (good) coffee shop wants is unhappy customers. Plus, you’ll probably get a freebie out of it and that will really make your day! Mistakes happen and the worst thing you can do is get angry….just inform us (or them) of the mistake and it will be taken care of. Then everyone is happy, no one is crabby and we can all move on and have a great day.

*LEAVE A TIP. And I’m NOT saying this because I need/want tips….I’m saying this on behalf of ANYONE who works in a coffee shop, or the food service industry for that matter. Would you go to dinner and not leave a tip for your waitress? Would you go to the bar and not tip your bartender? What is the difference between a bartender and a barista? I understand that a cup of coffee is less than $2.00 but we still have to make it. Just throw some pennies in there to show you appreciate it. We have some customers who don’t tip every day, but then once a week they’ll throw a dollar in there….great! We love it and appreciate it! Most people working in a job like this aren’t making a ton hourly, so every little big helps. Plus, when you tip, we remember and we know you appreciate our hard work which motivates us to work even harder.

*DON’T DIG IN THE TIP JAR!!! Needing to make change is one thing….but ask the cashier for change before you go digging in the tips. Grabbing money from the tip jar to supplement your payment is so beyond inappropriate it’s unbelievable. And it happens….more than you’d think. Someone gave that money to us. Therefore it’s our personal money! If we offer to help you out with some change from the tip jar, then lucky you. But, by no means should you expect it or just take it!!!

*DON’T STEAL. We want our TV back! We want the glass on our front door back! We want our piece of mind and restful nights back! Stealing is wrong!

*THIS ISN’T YOUR HOME. This is a business, not your living room so please conduct yourself in an appropriate manner and be mindful of those around you….don’t take your shoes off, don’t rest your bare feet on the chair, don’t rearrange the furniture without permission, don’t shout profanities in to your phone about missing the bus while someone is trying to study, don’t throw up in the bathroom and not clean it off the walls, , and throw your damn trash away. And yes, those are all things that have happened.

*BUY SOMETHING. If you’re using anything in the shop (wi-fi, bathrooms, a table for a meeting) you NEED to buy something. Every little thing in a coffee shop costs money (even the cleaner and towels used to clean up after your meeting) so buy something to help us pay for all the amazing things a coffee shop offers you.

*THERE’S A REASON….most places don’t take checks, or make you sign the receipt, or don’t let you add tips to the cards, or only take certain credit cards. Deal with it. Find another way.

*MIND YOUR Ps & Qs…”please” and “thank you” go a LONNNNNNG way!  

I hope my rant was helpful. It sure helped me!

Did I Do the Right Thing?

This Saturday we went up north to J's mom and step-dad's to celebrate my future mother-in-law's birthday. We had a great time. Lisa made a delicious turkey and we spent the night at our favorite bar, Roy's Place. J's parents have a huge property complete with a barn for their 4 horses, 2 goats and 80 cats. Well, not quite 80, but their original cat General Lee has been quite the little skank. Since bringing her home a year ago General Lee has had 4 litters of kittens. The most recent litter was born just four weeks ago, so when we returned from Roy's we had to go see them.

These kittens were so tiny and so cute. I instantly became attached to the runt (I've always been a sucker for the runts of the litter....I blame Charlotte's Web). He was a teeny tiny little all black kitchen with blue eyes. He was so cold out in the barn so I did the natural thing, and put him in my pocket and snuck him back to the house. Jason and I grabbed him a little chunk of cat food and some milk and gave him what was probably his first meal. His first meal not fighting 10 other cats for it at least. Because he is all black and because we own a coffee shop, we named him Mocha. We spent the next 12 hours with him and fell completely in love. Bailey loved him too. She wasn't quite sure what to do with something so tiny, but she was very gentle.

When it came time to head home, I had a decision to make. I needed to decide whether or not to bring Mocha home. I know J wants a cat and Bailey would love a friend, but I'm allergic. I did fine around him but he's also tiny. What happens when he's full grown? I decided I didn't care, we'd just figure it out and we could always bring him back to the barn. Lisa gave us some cat food and made a tiny little litter box for him and we were on our way. About a mile down the road I started to panic. Did I really want another pet? I know cats are low maintenance but that's more food to buy, more stuff to clean and one more body in our small townhouse to take care of. Plus, what if my allergies didn't go away? I would be miserable, in my own home. So J turned around and we returned Mocha to the barn where he came from.

I feel sick today. I don't know if I made the right choice. I know I don't want another pet, I don't want more responsibility or more expenses. I don't want to chance the allergies. But, I miss that little kitten. I got really attached to him and he was already following me around and cuddling with me. I feel bad that he had a chance to live in a warm home instead of a cold barn. I feel bad that he got a taste of the good life just to be brought back. I know Lisa & Deward take great care of those cats....but he's so small and it's so cold up there. What if he doesn't make it? I'll never forgive myself.

Part of me just wants to drive up there and bring him home and part of me knows I did what I needed to do. I think of his tiny black face and the tiny little purring sound he was already making and I get sick to my stomach. I don't know what to do.

What should I do?

(I have pictures of him but I can't find the cord to my camera. I'll post some later this week.)

So Many Questions

On Thursday my BB tagged me in this fun little "8 Question Session" so I decided I better play along.

 What was the first CD/tape/Album you ever bought with your own money?
I can't remember what the first CD I bought with my own money was but I know for a fact the first CD I ever got was Paula Abdul "Forever Your Girl." I got a CD player for my birthday and my dad got me Paula's CD.

What is your favorite piece of jewelry and why (wedding/e-rings don't count)?
I have another ring I wear (on my right hand) that I got from my grandparents, but I have plans to do a whole post about that ring....so you'll just have to wait to hear more on that one.

What's your favorite holiday & why?
I love Halloween! I went trick-or-treating all the way through my Freshman year of college. I know, lame, but I don't care! I love it! Now that we're older it's super fun to dress up and go to the bars and I can't wait until I have kids and can dress them up in super cute costumes!

 What sound or noise do you love?
I love the sound of my puppy running or walking on hard floors. Her nails make this little clicking noise and something about it is so cute!

What's your favorite curse word?
I like a lot of curse words, but my grandparents read this blog....so I'll say "shoot."

What profession other than yours would you like to attempt?
I always thought I wanted to be a wedding planner, but now that I'm planning my wedding I'm not sure it would be the right job for me. I would love to plan events in general, and if weddings happened to be some of the events I planned....that would be fun!

What profession would you not like to do?
Anything where I have to sit at a desk all day. I tried that and hated it. I have A.D.D. and sitting in the same spot all day long makes me go crazy. I need to be able to move around and talk to people and have a lot to do, that's why the coffee shop is perfect for me.

If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?
"Yo go girl!!!"

Another wonderful blog that I follow, Lee La La also did a question post, so you kids are going to learn all kinds of fun stuff about me!

*would you rather spend a week on the beach or a week on the slopes?

Beach, Beach, Beach, Beach!!! I LOVE sunshine, summer, and tanning! I'm more of a pool girl, but I'll take sun over snow ANY and EVERY day! 

*how old are you?

25, but I'll be 26 in less than two months!

*are you single…married..or divorced?

None of the above. I am engaged and in a little over a year will be married to my best friend!!! 

  *would you rather watch ‘hoarders’ or ‘i didn’t know i was pregnant’?

I've never watched either and they both sound awful, but "I didn't know I was pregnant" sounds like something I would be more interested in.

*would you rather wear ballet flats … boots …or  flip flops?

FLIP FLOPS!!! I love them! If I could wear flip flops all day, every day I would!

*would you rather live on a farm …in the city….or be content in suburbia? 

I'm a city girl! I live in the 'burbs now and really miss livving downtown! The boy is more of a farm boy so suburbia is a good compromise. 

  *would you rather have dinner with Whoopi Goldberg or Regis Philbin?

Most random question ever. I'd say Regis....he cracks me up and is so cute.

 *would you rather have roasted tomato soup or chicken noodle?

This is a really tough one because I LOVE SOUP! It's probably my favorite food but I'm really picky about my soups, especially chicken noodle and tomato. So I'm going to be lame and say it would depend on where I was getting the soup. 

*if you could travel for two weeks anywhere in the world…where would you go?

GREECE! I am Greek and am absolutely dying to go to the Homeland! My mom and brother both got to visit for the first time this year and I'm hoping my turn will be soon! 

 *would you take your husband or travel with a friend?

It depends on where I was going....if it were Greece I would definitely take the hubby-to-be!

*would you take your kids or leave them behind?

We don't have kids so it wouldn't be a problem. If we did, I would leave them behind, at least for the first time.

*would you rather drive a mini van or mini cooper?
Mini Cooper...I hate mini-vans.

 *would you rather  go to a movie or a musical/play?

I love both but I never get to go to muscials/plays so I would definitely choose a play! 

 *would you rather have a cupcake or a bag of chips?

BAG OF CHIPS!!!!!! I'm a chip addict! I actually had to give up potato chip because it was getting ridiculous, I was hiding bags of chips in the trunk of my car and lying to J about eating them. I still eat tortilla chips though because I could never give up salsa or guacamole. 

 *would you rather sit and read or watch a favorite show?

I love to read but I really, really love TV. Read THIS POST for proof! 

  *when was the last time you slow danced?

I don't know for sure but I'm guessing it was at my friend Brianna's wedding in May.

*would you rather sit and dream or live your dream?

Live my dream....would anyone NOT choose that option?

 *would you rather eat kraft mac n cheese or ramen noodles?

I love both but the Oriental Flavored Ramen is money in the bank! Plus it only costs $.32!

 *would you rather exercise or watch Oprah?

Excerise. I hate Oprah. 

 *would you rather wear sweats or get dressed for the day?

SWEATPANTS! I love them! I live in them! I have a million pairs of them!

*would you rather be caught wearing your sweats at walmart or chuck e cheese?
I would never be caught dead in Walmart....so Chuck E Cheese for sure!