Tying the Knot: Our Save The Date

Our Save the Dates were mailed about a week ago so I'm pretty sure that everyone's received them by now. 

(and if you haven't gotten yours yet then I'm sorry for spoiling the surprise!)

I loved our engagment pictures so much that I knew instantly that I would include at least one of them for our STD. (yes, Save the Date, not the other kind) I also knew that I wanted to make them myself to cut down on cost.

Traditionally STDs go out about 6 months so I cut it a few weeks early but I figured we're only going to be getting busier and our wedding is close to the holidays I wanted to give people plenty of warning and get these suckers in the mail!

I used a program on my computer called Comic Life to design them which was super easy to use. You select your picture and then add text boxes for all the rest. It took me quite a while to decide on a picture and final wording but I am so happy with how they turned out. In case you were wondering, the two fonts are JB Cursive and Pharmacy and I downloaded them both for free. (Lots of sites have them)

Once the design was finalized I exported the file to iPhoto and cropped it to 4x6 dimmensions just to ensure that nothing would get cut out on accident. I wanted to make them into a fridge magnent of some sort but couldn't find any for the price I wanted to spend so instead I had them printed as simple 4x6 photos from Target. I had a coupon that I thought was for 50% off and I'm still irked at the employees I worked with that day but oh well.

I had 50 photos printed at $0.15 each so I spent a total of $7.50 on the STDs themselves. They were mailed in standard A6 white envelopes from Staples that come 50 in a box for $8.50. Add on $20 for stamps and I spent a grand total of $36 to DIY my STDs!

They designed exactly how I wanted them and they were also a great deal. I personalized them even further by stamping a cute "Happily Ever After" stamp across the seal of the envelope in navy. I'm still in the deciding process of what I want to do when it comes to our formal invites but after all the success I had with this project I can bet I'll be DIYing again for those as well. I'm also planning on doing a similar project for our table numbers (based off something I loved from Pinterest) and I can't wait to get started on those!

What We've Been Up To

It's summer time. The weather in San Diego has been in the 80's. Days are long and nights are warm. Our stress levels have been relatively low. And we've been spending a lot of quality time together....

Like.... trips to the park. Which includes bringing two frisbees to throw in hopes that one will entertain Ollie while we play with the other. Realizing that is not going to happen because he only wants what we have. Tying him to the tree while he chokes himself to get at us. Untying him and trying to teach him to catch a frisbee. Laughing at his pathetic yet enthusiastic attempts that even include getting hit directly in the nose. Then laying in the grass together as a family enjoying the warm weather, our well behaved pup and a wonderful Saturday afternoon.

Like.... stealing Ollie's collar in the evenings and cracking up laughing at his attempts to get it back. It's like he knows it's his and doesn't want us to have it. And more specifically, doesn't want J to wear it. But given the fact that he's our submissive, mild mannered dog his only defense is showering J with kisses.
Like.... laying in bed together as we settle in for the night. Sometimes the boys will wrestle, sometimes Ollie brings a toy up to chew on but mostly the nights are filled with snuggles and kisses and smiles. And a few moments where Ollie rolls around burrowing in the blankets and almost tumbles off the bed. To which we laugh and then comfort our frightened pup from his near-death experience.

Life is good.

The J & J Breakdown

+ J and I started dating the summer of 2007, right after my senior year of high school. But we had actually known each other for some time before. I believe we first met the summer of 2005 while we were both working at the same out door pool. It was actually the pool (we were both lifeguards) that brought us together in 2007.

+ We are both from Colorado and actually share the same hometown. We cherish the change in weather there, enjoy both the snow and the sun, get to spend quality time with both our families easily and love our vacations home.

+ We had only been together 2 short months before I moved away for school to San Diego. We spent a year of long distance dating, flying back and forth, talking on the phone/iChat, missing each other like crazy. J would fly out for weekends to visit me in the dorms and we'd spend hours taking goofy PhotoBooth pictures while loving the time together. After the first year was done, J moved to San Diego with me and we've loved having an apartment together.

+ J loves diet pepsi and I love cupcakes. (Or maybe it's the other way around?) We swear we're the same person sometimes and it didn't take long for us to realize how special our love was.

+ We both love country music, in fact, our first date was country line dancing at a bar back home. J says he stole my heart with his sweet dance moves, I sometimes agree :-) The pictures above were taken at the Rascal Flatts concert and the Jason Aldean concert.

+ We also both love adventure and sport. Whether it's kayaking in the ocean in La Jolla, climbing Mt. Cowels in San Diego, waterskiing on a lake in Colorado, skiing the Rocky Mountains or playing tennis at home we love being outdoors together.

+ There are things about us that you'd never guess. Like that J can make a mean quesadilla or buffalo chicken pizza (while wearing my apron, sorry babe!) or that I'd pick up a frog around a campfire. We're a one of a kind couple, that's for sure.

+ We love being goofy together and we're actually more silly than we are serious on a daily basis. We love playing jokes on each other, like that one time I gave J only ONE shoe for Christmas. But when all is said and done, we love each other with our whole hearts.

+ Speaking of love, in July 2010 we added to our little family with our fur baby Ollie. He has completed our little life and we both love him to pieces. It's been quite a bonding experience trying to raise a little guy into a loyal and well behaved pup but I'd say we did a good job.

+ J and I took our first big vacation in January 2011 to Oahu, HI and it was a trip of a lifetime. We'd taken smaller trips before, like to San Clemente, Phoenix and obviously back to CO but this Hawaii vacation was by far the best vacation week ever.

+ When J and I first started realizing that this relationship was going to be for the long haul, J decided it was perfect timing for him to apply to the master's program at SDSU and think about moving to San Diego with me. Well three years later, this past May, we both graduated from SDSU. It was a huge day for both of us individually as well as for our relationship and the accomplishments we've had together along the way.

+ We are a competitive couple who loves to win, keep each other on our toes, and push each other to be better people. I couldn't have asked for a better boyfriend, best friend, or soul mate. He motivates me, supports me, loves me, cherishes me, laughs with me, grows with me and is everything I could have wanted.

I love you J. Happy [almost] Anniversary!

My Week In Phone Pics

This past week J bought me my new phone, a T-Mobile MyTouch, as a combination graduation and anniversary gift. The camera on it is so much better than on my crappy blackberry and since it was empty I've been trying to fill it up with pictures. And lucky for you, I've decided to show you some of said pictures.

*Disclaimer*

I know there are many people around here that do "weekly photo updates" and have places to link up to but quite frankly, I don't remember specifically who hosts them, what days they post, or where to find them. (If you do know, please tell me so I can link up with them and participate.)

But for now, here was my week/weekend...

+ The first picture ever taken with my phone. The lovely view of Costco on the way home from the phone store.

+ All dressed up and ready for my interview for a student assistant position at an Orthopedic surgeon's office. Fingers crossed I hear back from them soon.

+ Saw someone driving with an animal carrier on top of their car. On closer inspection I realized there was a rabbit inside the crate. I personally thought it was mean to strap the bunny on top of the car like that.

+ Peanut butter and honey sandwiches may be delicious but they are a hot, sticky mess if you make them with toast. Picture the peanut butter melting, combining with honey and being literally everywhere.

+ Caterpillar on the fence by my parking spot one afternoon. Isn't it absolutely amazing that there are things like that in nature with that much intricate detail?

+ Ollie with his friends Layla and Nitro at the park. We've been spending a lot of time up there lately now that the evenings are staying so nice out.

+ What a cutie wearing my free SDSU baseball hat. He just stood there with it on his big head.

+ Last night Marley and Me was playing on tv and obviously I had to watch it even though I've seen it before. I hadn't seen it since we got our fur baby so it made it that much more special. He even watched the tv at times and cuddled with me when I cried at the ending.

Hope everyone had a fabulous weekend.

O-Dog Goes To OB

J was out of town for this past weekend so I decided to spend some more quality time with my pup while I wasn't working. On Saturday afternoon we headed to Ocean Beach.

We'd never taken him to this dog beach before but after being there I know we're definitely going back. The beach is situated right where the San Diego River exits into the ocean (I know there's probably a technical term for that but I don't know it) which made for water with no waves perfect for pup swimming. Ollie likes jumping over the waves but never actually swims when we take him to the other beaches and this time he was quite the water dog.

He was obsessed with trying to get the pieces of seaweed from out of the water. He'd bob for them off the bottom and didn't realize that some of them were too deep until after his whole head was submerged. The pieces also made for great throw toys, who needs a tennis ball when you've got seaweed :-)

He ran and ran, up and down the river, in and out of the water and we both had a blast. He is the funniest swimmer (video to come in a few days) and it was great to see him finally do it.

We hung out on the grass near the parking lot for a little while to dry off and drink some water before getting in the car and heading home. Thankfully he never sat down in the sand so we avoided bringing home a sand castle which is always a plus with a fluffy dog.

OB is definitely my favorite dog beach now and I think we're going to go back next weekend to show J Ollie's swimming skills. I love spending time with my O-dog, he's definitely a girls best friend :-)

Have you done anything new lately you'd like to share?

*photos may be clicked to enlarge*

The Time Has Come

Today was my last final of my last semester of my last year at SDSU! I cannot believe the day has come. Walking past the dorms this afternoon and seeing all the freshmen (now sophomores) moving out with their parents made me kind of nostalgic. It's still supposed to be me moving out of the dorms after freshman year. Heck, it's still supposed to be me graduating from high school but instead it's my little sister. These past four years have flown by and in celebration of the end of an era, I spent the rest of the day having some fun!

I got my nails done with one of my best friends in San Diego. PS- If you haven't heard of gel nails you must look into it. They don't ruin your natural nails like acrylics but won't chip like regular manicures.

The trip to the nail salon also included a pedicure to match my graduation dress.

You'll be seeing more pictures soon of the full dress soon but here's a close up for color purposes.

While we were out, I stopped by the grocery store and ordered cupcakes for our graduation party (complete with red sprinkles for school spirit) and we stopped for lunch and a pitcher of beer. And to top it all off, our lunch was paid for by the random money that was rolling on the ground as we were walking. I love anything that's free!

I came home and added J's Master's hood and my completed set of chords to our gowns hanging in the doorway.

I can't believe we are both graduating tomorrow and I'm so proud of all the accomplishments we've had along the way.

The rest of my day includes a power nap, dinner with my amazing BF and a trip to the airport to pick up family. I cannot wait for the rest of the weekend either. Quality time with both of our families, the actual commencement ceremony, lots of graduation celebrations, and hopefully some amazing San Diego weather. Then it's a quick flight and I'll be back home for a week to celebrate another important graduation next week.

Here's to all the grads around blog land. Congrats!

Bow-Tee Money Saver

I started with this. A size 1X long sleeve shirt found on the clearance rack at the good ol' Target. Please tell me you can't pass up something that's $5 either (minus the fact that it's like 4 sizes too big)? And with a little inspiration in the form of this shirt, a few TV recordings on the DVR and some time with my sewing machine....

Here is what I have now!

I simply used a perfectly fitting tee I already had to get the sizing right. (See I told you it was too big for me!) Then I just sewed new seams along the sides and sleeves and ta-da! A custom shirt. I decided to keep the original length of the top because I like shirts that are a little longer anyways.
I used the extra fabric that I cut out to make the bow in the center. It's a little lopsided and I might add some more support stitches to the middle but overall I'm very happy.
Ollie likes it too. Once it was finished we went for our afternoon walk so I could show off my new bow-tee. I cannot believe that I basically saved $35+ making this shirt myself compared to buying the one I used as inspiration! Plus it was an absolutely success for my first attempt at sewing something clothing related. I will definitely be scrounging around those clearance sections more often now knowing I can take something so wrong for me and make it perfect.

This is my second attempt at making something I've never done before. In case you missed the first project you can find it here. I'm definitely opening up many doors to new things lately.

Happy as a Clam and TGIF

While I am very happy that it's Friday and the start of yet another weekend, I have to say I'm not as "TGIF-giddy" as I sometimes am. There are some weeks that drag on, are super stressful, and you can never seem to get enough sleep, get enough done or take a moment to relax until Friday rolls around. But, I'm happy to announce I had a splendid week overall.

+I start my new job at Panera on Monday

+I aced the couple quizzes I had in my classes

+I made it to the gym a few times and felt really good afterwards

+I was offered a second Med School interview that will be in March

+I've been using my free goodies from my birthday like a free Einstein Bros Bagel and a free noodle bowl from Noodles and Co.

+and I even had a chance to stop by Joann Fabrics to pick up supplies for a few new projects

I ended up spending a good 45 minutes in Joann's because I just couldn't decide what I wanted to work on. I knew I wanted something that was a little less "I-can-finish-this-in-one-day" type and more of a "make-progress-slowly" type. Here's a preview.... what can I say, it's in the works.

I also scrounged around in the remnant bins because I've been able to find some great things in there before. And this was no exception. I have a project in mind that I'll work on this weekend and I can't wait to show it off next week sometime.
However, even though I'm very happy to have had such a good week it's nice that it's finally Friday. J and I will get to spend some quality time together and hopefully get to spend sometime outside in the warm weather (in the 80's hopefully) we're expecting here. I'm also looking forward to...

+buying new workout clothes with my Kohl's gift card from my bday

+working on the projects mentioned above

+going to Red Robin for dinner tonight

+heading to Costco to stock up our kitchen

+and celebrating the Valentine's Day weekend with my love ♥

Overall: I'm happy as a clam right now.

TGIF ladies!

Birthday Weekend

I had an absolutely fabulous birthday and Superbowl weekend so I thought I'd share some of the details. I woke up Saturday morning alone in bed. Sounds odd I know but it's great when J gets up with Ollie to take him out and doesn't wake me up. It's nice to be able to sleep in a little when I can.

Once they finally got back to the apartment, I was greeted with awesome balloons and a gorgeous bouquet of flowers. My mom used to get my sister and I the same number of balloons as the age we were turning up until the end of high school. She used to sneak into the school even and leave them tied in our lockers or chairs in class so it's sort of tradition for me to get balloons. I am so happy J has picked up the tradition now too. However, now that I'm older, it doesn't make sense to get that many balloons so I got these babies instead.

Ollie thinks they're pretty odd... and we do torment him a little with them.

I love my flowers, they make it feel like spring in our apartment. I'm a big fan of mixed bouquets because that way you get a little bit of everything.
These green ones are my favorites. I don't know what kind of flower they are though, so if you know, please tell me. :-)
I have such a generous family and BF that I had got lots of awesome things on my birthday. My mom sent a box filled with Starbucks gift cards, some new work out clothes (which help motivate me to actually go to the gym) and a few new pieces for my Brighton Charm Necklace.

She gave me the purple birthstone charm and the "cage" bead (2nd from the right). My sister also got me new pieces too so that was a great surprise. She picked the thin black & white stripe bead and the spacer that looks like a braid (to the right of the birthstone). I love how lots of jewelers are coming out with lines like this now.
My biggest present (and the one I love slightly more than the others) is my new HP printer. I had asked J for a photo album and a gift card to Costco or somewhere so I could get prints made of all the photos I have in my iPhoto. Instead, he decided to get me an awesome printer for home so I could print them whenever I want!

She's just gorgeous isn't she? Okay, I'm weird I know. But really, this printer is so neat. Touch screen, web capabilities, wireless printing and I can even print from it when I'm not home. Just send a quick email to it and it'll be printed by the time I get home.

He also picked out a gorgeous photo book that I spent a good portion of the day trying to fill. I love the subtle colors and the photo-viwere on the front.

I know I can always open my computer and look at any picture whenever I want but there's something different about having physical prints that I absolutely love. I decided to starting filling it with the beginning of 2010 (New Year's Eve 2009) and go from there. I'm also not including big vacations like Hawaii because I want to have a whole separate album for those things.

I love looking back at older pictures and thinking about all the fun memories. Like my 21st birthday last year....

Or catching frogs and drinking beers in the water at the lake....

I also got new pillows for the bed (that I have been asking for/complaining about for soo long), a new regular size and mini muffin pan and a giant cooling rack for all my baked goods. See, I told you I was spoiled.... and extremely grateful for the people in my life that I love.

We went on a walk around the lake in the afternoon and enjoyed the 70 degree weather we've been having here lately. (I'm sorry if your stuck in a blizzard right now and want to punch me for bragging about our weather.) We stopped by Starbucks on the way home for an afternoon treat and picked up the apartment a little for the following day.

Then J and I got all dressed up to go out for the night. We went to see Country Strong and it was a fabulous movie. If you're a country music fan (and you probably need to be to enjoy the movie to the fullest) then I highly recommend seeing it. There were so many great songs, I need to buy the soundtrack one of these days. We ended the night with dinner at The Cheesecake Factory. Yum-o! We ate way too much delicious food, had some great drinks and headed home to eat Red Velvet Cake instead of ordering cheesecake. J knows how much I love RV and surprised me with it.

And how do I feel now that I'm 22? Older.... not really. Happy.... definitely.

Fun Outing Friday

Today, this little guy and I went on a hike. It's a gorgeous upper 70's day here in SD and I figured he needed a change of scenery than our typical walk route. So we packed up the water (for him and for me), collapsable bowl, and potty bags and were off to Mt Cowles.

Isn't he just too dang cute. Good thing his bowl was empty. Silly dog, you don't stand on that.

This was early on in the hike. Wanna know how you can tell? His mouth is closed... aka he's not panting like a mad dog.

We only went 1 mile up because mom was tired we were a little crunched for time but it was still a great view.

This is the panting I was talking about. And yes, his tongue hangs out the side and drips/flings drool everywhere when he's like this.

I think we need to do this more often. He loved it and was flying down the mountain at the end.

I love going out hiking because it's a great work-out for both of us and the scenery is definitely better than the inside of the gym. We had a great time on our hike and I want to go back again soon before it starts getting too hot outside. Maybe J will come with us next time.

TGIF everyone, have a great start to the weekend!