Lisa's Going Away Party (tear!)

Lisa Ryan has been a friend of mine for years through both of us working at Brion's Grille. What better way to send her off to Boston than having a happy hour at the place of origin of our friendship. It was a great time had by all. She was definitely surprised when she thought she was going in to work a catering and all of us were there to surprise her. Of course, Steve and I showed up fashionably late but that's just minor details.

One of my favorite pictures of the night!


The guest of honor...

Salsa!

I don't even like it cause I DESPISE tomatoes. However, I thought it would be fun to grow the ingredients when I found a kit for $4.99 at Giant. Everything was included and I wanted to test out my green thumb since I haven't had to much luck with growing plants or anything for that matter.

First, you get your kit with everything included...

You mix the potting soil with water in a bowl...

Then, simply put 3/4 of the soil mixture into the provided planter. Put the four different types of seeds in the soil separated from each other and cover with the remaining soil. Place inside or outside and wait for them to grow.

This kit came with seeds for Cilantro, Sweet Pepper Californian Wonder, Tomato Beefsteak, and Cayenne Pepper. Pictures coming soon (hopefully!) of my work. If it doesn't turn out the kit came with PLENTY of extra seeds so I can try again. It asks you only to plant 5 seeds of each and there were tons in each packet.

Final Fitting

Thankfully, Steve doesn't know the website to this blog....yet. And, I will make sure that he doesn't figure it out until after May 9th, 2009. I had my final fitting that my MOH, Tiffany, attended with me so she could nail down howto lace me up in my dress on the big day. We took a picture with my camera phone and the next day sent it to all the girls. I was so surprised when Lauren, another Bridesmaid, emailed me back along with my first fitting picture from last July and hte amazing difference in how I look now. Granted, I was wearing a dress off the rack in ovory that was a size too big, but still, hopefully you will see my point...

This was circa July 2008...

And, this was last Tuesday...

And, the back...

R.I.P.

Only 12 short days of craziness until the BIG day! I have barely been containing my excitement but I'm sure by COB (Close of Business) next Tuesday, I'll be freaking out! Next Tuesday is my last day of work until I'm hitched.

Unfortunately, we lost a happy soul yesterday morning. Ms. Charlotte Boyer (Steve's Grandma) passed away at the hospice facility she was staying at. Steve's grandma was one of the happiest people I've ever met and always made me feel welcome. It's been a rough year for Steve with the passing of his grandma and the passing of his mother last year on Mother's Day. Fortunately, Steve is also a very happy person and has not let all of these depressing events get him down. He has reminded me over and over again that he's focused on our wedding and that comes first and foremost. And, that was on his own too! It just makes me realize how much he loves me and loves our relationship that he holds our wedding day as such a priority. Before Charlotte died, on one of the last days tha we visited her at her house, we were talking with her about how she wouldn't make it to the wedding. She told us how happy she was for us and that she just wants Steve and I to be happy. Steve asked her to say a prayer for us that we'd have good weather that day. We'll see if that holds true! Come on Charlotte!!

R.I.P. Ms. Charlotte Boyer....we'll miss you!

Tastebook, Can it get any better?

I have just discovered an ingenius site! Tastebook.com is a site where you can collect all of your favorite recipes into your own little "Tastebook" and add pictures, instructions, notes, etc...and when you are all set, you can order your own bound recipe book of your own recipes or ones that are just your favorites from other people that you like. I can't believe I didn't think of this idea! I could have quit my job by now I'm sure. Check it out and if you like cooking, you'll love it!

http://www.tastebook.com

I'm in the process of creating my own now and I have two recipes added. I'm not one for liking recipe books without pictures so I fully intend on adding a picture for each recipe that I add. So, by the time I publish mine, it will be awhile. Maybe I can give it to Steve for a 6 month anniversary present after we're married for that long. Or for Christmas gifts. I feel like the possibilities are endless!

ISTJ

I took a 41 question personality test just now and I turned out to be Introvertes, Sensing, Thinking and Judging. I wonder what Steve would turn out to be if he took this. Maybe I'll try to convince him. It would be intersting.

http://www.41q.com/type.41q?p=23573665

This is how they decribed me and possible careers. Interesting...

Your personality type:
Serious and quiet, interested in security and peaceful living. Extremely thorough, responsible and dependable. Well-developed powers of concentration. Usually interested in supporting and promoting traditions and establishments. Well-organized and hard working, they work steadily towards identified goals. They can usually accomplish any task once they have set their mind to it.

Careers that could fit you include:
Business executives, administrators and managers, accountants, police, detectives, judges, lawyers, medical doctors, dentists, computer programmers, systems analysts, computer specialists, auditors, electricians, math teachers, mechanical engineers, steelworkers, technicians.

I promise! Last one! stop yelling at me...

I just thought that this one was more fun and creative than some others:

He's sitting in front of the tv, what is on the screen? ESPN, Fox 5 News, Discovery Channel, Anything on bridges, making airplanes or engineering

You're out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad? Caesar "sauce" as he calls it

What is one food he doesn't like? There isn't much that I can think of that the boy doesn't like. Probably mushrooms are one of the few things

You go out to the bar. What does he order? A Jack and Coke of course

Where did he go to high school? Lee high school

What size shoe does he wear? 10.5 or 11

If he was to collect anything, what would it be? He used to collect sports players cards when he was little but he wouldn't do that now. Probably Redskins game ticket stubs or if he had the money...cars.

What is his favorite type of sandwich? Probably an Italian or plain old ham and cheese

What would he never wear? Skinny jeans or boxer briefs are the only things that come to mind

What is his favorite sports team? Duh, Redskins

Who did he vote for? Barack

Who is his best friend? Me! But, his friend Adam is his best male friend

What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn't do? Make him go shopping with me or when I get into a funk and am crabby I tend to complain and vent about EVERYTHING. He hates that.

How many states has he lived in? 1. Hopefully, 2 in the next year....Virginia AND North Carolina

What is his heritage? I honestly have no idea but I'd guess Ireland or England based on what I just looked up on the internet

What kind of cake? No cake probably. We are ordering an ice cream cake for our wedding cause we don't freak out about cake but I do like ice cream cake

What could he spend hours doing? Organizing things

Oh no, not a survey!! YES! A survey!

I found this on another blog and I thought it would be nice to record a little about Steve and me:

1.What is his name? Steven Dennis

2. Who eats more? Steve for sure! He actually prays that I won't finish my food each meal so he can. I think it's cute so sometimes I don't eat it all just so he's not hungry...and cause I can afford to not stuff myself!

3. Who said, "I love you" first? This is bad but I don't remember. I feel like it was him though. But, I'm only 50% sure on that.

4. Who is taller? Steve by probably 8 inches.

5. Who is more sensitive? It's a tossup. It depends what is going on. I think I am more sensitive when it comes to getting my feelings hurt for sure but he has a VERY sensitive side.

6. Who does the laundry? He does definitely. Sorry Stevie!

7. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? I do.

8. Who pays the bills? He's in charge of paying them but it now comes out of the same pot. Lucky for me!

9. Who cooks more? Definitely me. I used to cook more until the wedding planning got crazy but I still do cook more than him. He grills though. I can't work a grill to save my life.

10. Who is more stubborn? I would say that I am.

11. Who is the first to admit they are wrong? Neither of us likes to do that but I think it always comes down to a compromise.

12. Who has more siblings? It's a tie. I have a brother and a sister and so does he. AND, we are both the youngest.

13. Who wears the pants in the relationship? I would say that I do. ususally what I say goes.

14. What do you like to do together? Anything and everything. There is nothing I don't like to do with him....even golf!

15. Who eats more sweets? Neither of us is really big on sweets.

16. Guilty Pleasures? Cigarettes and being lazy sometimes (but not recently, we are busy bees now)

17. How did you meet? We met at a bar a few years ago called Coastal Flatts. I hung out with him that night but wasn't too interested. His friend was dating my friend. Then, they broke up and I never saw him again. I happened to run into him AGAIN at a different bar about a year later. Now, I wish I had given him the chance originally and hadn't let him get away. I'm just so glad and thankful that everything worked out the way that it did.

18. Who asked whom out first? He asked meto go back to his house to play beer pong. I refused him but said that I would watch football with him the following Sunday and I actually followed through....much to his surprise.

19. Who proposed? He did. It was very simple and sweet and he was very nervous and I loved every second of it.

20. His best features and qualities? His height is for sure my favorite but following that, I lik ehis butt, eyes, and pretty much everything else. As far as qualities, he is the most sensitive, caring, considerate, generous and happy person I have ever met and I mean that in every way. We do get on each other's nerves but we definitely complement each other.

My Bachelorette Party!!!!!

This weekend was MY turn. We behaved....in a crazy way. But, nothing that I did this weekend would be something that I wouldn't do in front of Steve. I think that is important and what I expect in return and it is a big reason why I have a hard time with bachelor parties in general.

With that said, I'll continue on. I have to say that my friends (and sister and brother) are the BEST! They went so far out of their way to make this weekend special for me and I can't thank everyone enough.

We went to Phoenix (where Chris lives) and had such an awesome, relaxing and FUN weekend. With 8 girls and a boy, you'd think that there would be drama that would ensue for sure but there was nothing. I was so happy, proud and relieved to go and let loose and forget about wedding "chores" for a full 4 days.

Friday, we arrived around 2pm. We went to the Salty Senorita to get margaritas and food and then we got to the hotel (The Mondrian), put our bathing suits on and headed to the pool to meet up with everyone else who had already arrived.

Then, we went back to the room to get ready for dinner and stopped in the breezeway outside of our hotel rooms for some quick pictures.

We went to a fancy Mediterranean restaurant called Olive and Ivy I think and almost everyone got filets and my crazy brother paid for everyone.

We went out to the patio and finished the wine, started getting crazier and then left to go back to the hotel bar where Tiffany and I proceeded to dance (and practice our pole dancing on the space heater pole....classy!).

On our way back to the hotel, we had conveniently passed "Stetson Drive" so Kim and I HAD to get a quick photo.

Saturday, we went to breakfast at a place called Cafe Carumba and my friend Megan arrived from San Diego so we bought 7 bottles of champagne, two bottles of vodka, Red Bull and snacks and went to the room to drink it ALL.

It was the only rainy day but it didn't stop me from going to the pool and doing a quick cannonball into it and from all of us from going to the pool and hanging out in the HUGE covered hot tub. Then, they surprised me with a sex toy party where the leader of it was probably completely scared of us all.

We then went back to the room and got ready to go to a dueling piano bar (my favorite!!!) and I think another bar mixed in along the way. We went back to the room and crashed.

Sunday, we layed by the pool ALL day since it was soooo nice although we didn't get many pictures of that day which was probably a good thing since I'm sure we all looked ROUGH. Judging by the look of our hotel room the next day, you can probably understand why.

At night, we went over to Chris' house and grilled out burgers and laughed at his hilarious friend Drew. We played Apples to Apples and decided that we were all worn out and were ready to go to bed. Monday, we went back for breakfast with the few remaining people that hadn't left yet and hung out by the pool until it was time to pack up and go home.

I was SOOOOOO happy to see Steve when he picked us up at the airport at 12am (with flowers!) and I know he missed me a lot too. Now, that the parties are over (except for my bridal shower), it's time to finish up some last minute details and get this show on the road! 25 more days until I will be Mrs. Jennifer Leigh Dennis!

Money, money, money, money!

We've got money coming and going so fast due tot his wedding it's insane. My next few posts will most likely contain a LOT of wedding talk since we are now, 31 days out! Crazy! We are still missing a lot of responses which I fully intend to track down by next week. I'm getting excited and stressed all at the same time which is leading to me breaking out. Yuck!

The good news is that Steve cashed out a CD today and we have plenty of money to pay off all of the vendors and get that out of the way before the big day! It's a big stress that I won't have to worry about.

I'm also going on my bachelorette party this weekend. I'm so excited to get out of here and I feel like I'll be so ready to come home on Monday night and see Steve. I'm hoping to at least get a tan.

More to come on the wedding details later. Hopefully, I sound as stress-free later in the game as I am now. Not that I am stress-free right now but it is at least bareable.

36 Days Left!

I am feeling the pressure. We have non-stop busy weekends mostly filled with wedding stuff, money coming in and out faster than we can keep track of, packages arriving at our door of stuff that we've been ordering for the wedding, etc... It's a lot to keep track of and I don't consider myself the most organized person or anywhere close. At least my entire outfit is complete and the deposits have been placed for my makeup and hair. I'm getting really excite dbut I think it still hasn't hit me yet. We are still missing tons of responses which I don't really understand that but oh well, I'll be cracking down by early next week to collect!

We just gathered pictures from baby to adult to put into a video montage of Steve and I and it's so fun to see how we've changed. Steve was the CUTEST little kid while I had a few cute moments but mostly was HUGE! I wish I had pictures to post on this computer but I don't at the moment.

I'm so happy that it's finally FRIDAY! Tonight, we are meeting with the ceremony musicians, tomorrow I'm taking Onyx to Dogtopia to have her evaluated so she can stay there while we are on our honeymoon, then going to my mom's house to look for more pictures and then going to our friends birthday party. Sunday, we are going to my dad's apartment around lunchtime to start putting together the slide show. I'm excited to see how it turns out but I'm nervous that it won't turn out as good as I'm hoping. Maybe I'll be able to post it on here.

T G I F!

8 Things...

8 Things I like a lot
1. Steve
2. Thursdays (Great tv and my pole dancing class)
3. Fridays
4. Onyx
5. Starting new projects
6. Being home
7. Cooking
8. Wine

8 Things I say Often
1. "Oh My Gosh"
2. "Wait...what??" (when I act like I heard what someone said and then realize that they actually asked me a question and are expecting a response)
3. "That's the worst"
4. "Definitely"
5. "Oh yeah"
6. "Is it 5 yet?"
7. "Soooo lame"
8. "Idiot"

8 Things I want Before I Die
1. A Family
2. To find a job I love and that makes me happy
3. To rescue a dog
4. To travel to another country (and not the Caribbean or Canada)
5. To live in my dream home
6. To become a really good cook
7. To feel like I've accomplished enough
8. To love and be loved as much as possible

8 Places I Would Like to Visit
1. Paris
2. Mexico (near a beach)
3. Italy
4. Bora Bora
5. Turks & Caicos (can you tell I love tropical areas mostly)
6. Alaskan Cruise
7. Australia
8. New Zealand

8 Things I Want & Need
1. MONEY
2. A personal assistant
3. A personal shopper
4. A personal trainer
5. A new house with a big kitchen and big bathrooms and lots of storage space
6. A pool (and I don't mean a public one)
7. A new body
8. A 7 day weekend...every week! (And, then I wouldn't need #2,3 and 4)