The Pinky Promise

I come to this blog post through a pinky promise. Three weeks ago before church, a friend and I pinky promised that by a week from then, we would have written and posted a blog post. Well, it's three Sunday's later and I'm finally following through....Oops! I've been a little busy & stressed this year & I'm going to tell you a few things about that & a few things that have been inspiring me lately in this beautiful season of fall. Let's get crackin'. 

So stress: I see a massage therapist every-other week (I have for about 6 months now) & her name is Reem. Not only is she an amazing masseuse, but I especially love the "therapist" part of her title because without her I would be lost. Or dead. Or a zombie. Or all of the above. The 60 minutes I spend on her table every-other Monday help me remember that I am just one person, I can only do so much, and it's okay to let some things go.

The wedding is a mere 5 weeks 6 days away. Five weeks? Six days?! I don't know how 13 months has elapsed so quickly but it feels like 13 minutes. Many of the major tasks I accomplished quickly - with the help of Bill, of course. I found my dress with my mom & Janet almost immediately, the venue was booked by October of 2010, number of guests, yadda yadda. All done. The important thing to me about this wedding is the details. So lately, I have had nightmares - a lot of nightmares - about how all the little things are traumatic. Last night I dreamed that 30 people who had RSVP'ed yes didn't show up & in their place, random people & KIDS (the reception is ADULTS ONLY - I'm a firm believer that kids don't belong at wedding receptions) we knew showed up, in whatever attire they felt comfortable in (jeans & t-shirts. Kill me.) Also in this dream Bill was late to the reception because he was "shooting hoops with the dudes & had to run & take a shower". Unwelcomed guests were everywhere I turned & my maid of honor was in a whirlwind trying to make me happy....which was one thing I simply could not be. Other dreams...I mean nightmares....usually consist of our photographer missing. I am hysterically looking for her & not enjoying myself whatsoever because I'm worried that no one is taking photos - this is especially strange because I've known her for years, trust her with my life, and know that she's made it to every appointment she's ever made. I think it's safe to say that irrelevant tasks that I've completed over a year ago are now making me stress about the wedding. Sweet. 

I think more than anything, the underlying message in all of my nightmares is that I am terrified I won't enjoy myself or take the time to appreciate my own wedding. I've always said I'm not going to stress about the "wedding" because it's not what's most important to me – the most important thing to me is that I'm married to Bill and we live a long & happy life together. My subconscious clearly thinks I'm full of it because it's telling me otherwise. If anyone has tips & tricks about how to relax, unwind and ENJOY the final weeks before a monumental event, please comment below. I'm desperately in need of some down-time for my mind. 

Onto inspiration: My lovely Twitter friends have introduced me to a new application & website that I've fallen madly in love with called Pinterest. I've start my own profile with boards full of things that inspire me - some of them being sparkley AND crafty!! Please check out my Pinterest board & feel free to follow my boards!!

In other news: Yesterday I baked my first apple pie of the season. I used a Martha Stewart recipe & though it looks deliciously perfect, it was a major let-down. I followed the instructions to a T & still it just was a miss. I'm going to stick with our favorite pie recipes - the ones from our moms!!

Great-looking. Not great-tasting. Thanks anyway, Martha.