Progress...and some mushiness.

Sorry for the lack of postage. After my dad and I's Aussie trip I had to hit the ground running. Camp started (yayyy!!!) and wedding planning began full force.  Here's what we've been working on:

• Pennants pennants pennants! Shout out to my bestie Avery Sarah for helping me with all the sewing. Homegirl's got talent...and a new ruffle foot for her machine! (P.S. You should check out her etsy shop! She makes the cutest stadium dresses. Love love love them.)
• Shoe shopping. I bought the expensive shoes, tried them on and they didn't look so good, sent them back, thought I found another pair only to discover that they'd already sold, found out they're not made anymore, emailed about 15 random fashion bloggers to ask if I could buy them, no such luck, panic, back up shoes, disaster, constant reminding that they're just shoes. Welcome to my brain, it's cozy here.
• We found all the blue mason jars we need! Hallelujah.
• The tea bar. Get ready for some amazing mixes. Think QT style. 
• Guestbook. It's cuuute.

But I think the most exciting thing that we've finished is...REGISTERING. After hours (literally, like 7 hours on a Saturday. I know, Fiance's a trooper) and hours of researching and scanning and re-scanning and deleting, we're finally finished! You can check it out here, here, here, and even a little bit here.  We did our best to spread out items and pick things that I truly believe we'll use. But I had to constantly remind myself that not everything has to coordinate yet; we're young! We can get away with mismatched things for a while.

All in all, this past month's been a blur. But a recurring thought I've had is this: I am so, so blessed. Between my family, friends, and an amazing Fiance, I sure do have a good life. And I'm getting excited for the wedding, not stressed, which I take to be a good sign.

Speaking of my Fiance (if you don't like mushy things, now's the time to bow out), happy birthday a day early, love! This is the last birthday we'll spend as an unmarried couple...weird! So blessed to be marrying this hunk.

Look at that smile. I'm melting. Thanks for 4 amazing years! I'm so blessed to be marrying a man with a heart for God, children, and serving others. You're a daily source of encouragement and strength and I don't know where I'd be without you. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you. You da best.

There, I'm done. Wasn't too bad, was it?

I'll have some food posts soon. I think I've been slacking on that front. But as Fiance can attest, I think you'll like the recipes! They're focused on fresh, farmer's market ingredients. And it can't get better than that.

Intro to Marriage, Part I

Me: "Well, I just don't know. I love the look of white bedspreads because they're so crisp and clean, but we probably won't be able to paint our apartment, ya know? And we have the time to play with colors and funky patterns before we have to be super grown-up. But for the plates, I mean, I just CAN'T BELIEVE that they would be double the price at another store! That just doesn't make sense. Why are they so much cheaper? Do they have a deal worked out? Or WHY are the other stores charging that much? It's just so strange, ya know? (long pause) Hey....are you there?"
Fiance: "Oh, I thought you were just talking stuff out with yourself. What were you saying?"

I just have to laugh when that happens because you know what? I can't blame him. Half the time, I am calling to talk things out. And I can't help but smile and think, "So this is what marriage is like." Granted, I understand a year from now it won't make me so smiley but hey, I'll laugh while I can.

Unfortunately I do this to him a lot. Especially right now during The Registration Period. It has capitalized letters because it's a pretty big deal...this is a big step towards the marriage. A stressful step. Like on a Stairmaster. Or on an escalator that's going too fast and you feel like you don't have enough time to step on AND maintain your balance (it happens to you, too, don't lie). Whatever, you understand.

Because here's the problem...I'm planning for an apartment/living space I've never seen. We don't know what city we'll live in, let alone what apartment complex, which is daunting in and of itself. But planning the decor for an unknown space? Drivin' me crazy. Fiance and I had a "pre-registration" day on Monday where we visited stores to compare products and prices. I thought this would make me feel better, give me better direction for what I want. False. I'm more confused than ever.

Normally, my problem lies in too many good options. 8 piece nuggets or char-grilled chicken sandwich? Pumps or wedges? Puppies or...fat puppies? All good options. But what if I don't like anything? That's the current situation. Not that I love it all, but that I'd rather not have any. I'm wondering (read: hoping) it's the current awkward-ness of the year. You know, not-quite-spring-but-not-summer-yet thing. Do new styles get released in June? If so, I'll wait until then.

If not, well....we'll just see what we end up with. On the bright side, Fiance doesn't really care what it looks like. He keeps reminding me that it doesn't matter because we'll be married. I politely remind him that it would be nice to live in some semblance of decoration, but he's right, in the end it doesn't really matter...too much. Lesson learned.

P.S. Remember this post about registering? I'm going for a Wii. Dream big, right?

A cry for help

Okay, guys. I need some help here. I've fallen in love, and this love is definitely unrequited. Why? Because it's a pair of shoes.

These, to be exact.

Sigh. Aren't they lovely? Aren't they perfect? Aren't they just a littleeeee bit over my price range? Okay, a lot. I know it's my wedding day, but I just can't pay that much for shoes. Well that's a lie. Because I really want to, but I think I'd just feel bad...right? I would, wouldn't I?

I know I have some expert shopper friends out there, so help a sister out, please? Here's what I'm looking for: cute, pretty, that's about it. Okay, not it's not. I'm looking for a thicker heel, but a cute thick heel. Conundrum, I know. I'm going to be walking on grass, so I need something that will prevent me from being wobbly or sinking in the grass. I'm clumsy enough as is, so I don't need my shoes to cause more problems. I've been looking at wedges, but they're borderline too casual. I love these because they're wedges, but dressy. And I love, love, love the chiffon flowers. I don't want ivory shoes...at least, I don't think I do. I want something I can wear again. Not saying I won't wear ivory shoes again, but the likelihood is a lot smaller. And I do need heels...3 inches to be exact. Then I wouldn't have to hem my dress! I know, right? Perfection.

So there it is. I've been searching day and night and I feel like I've exhausted all my options, but maybe you guys have seen something different! I'm welcome to any and all suggestions at this point.

Sydney so far

So far I've loved Sydney! The jet lag's killer, but it's been great seeing seeeestorrr. And we're also here during Sydney's Fashion Week...AWESOME to see, but lotssssss of "I might as well not even try today" clothing experiences. But hey, they're doing their summer fashions and it's almost winter here, so I don't really look like the craziest person out here.

Here are some pics so far!

Day 1...ish (We arrived on Sunday but didn't start "sightseeing" until Monday...hence Day 1ish)
Breakfast at The Coffee Club. Delicious! Dad was a little freaked out that a Starbucks Caramel Macchiato isn't, well....real. So he was very interested in his tiny cup.

 

We did a beach walk from Coogee to Bondi Beach...chilly and rainy, but beautiful! Plus, we started it off with gelato covered in melted Nutella...no shame. Hey, we walked it off, so it's all good.

And I think this is my dad's favorite picture from the trip, so I have to post it.

Day 2
Dad and I did a hop-on hop-off bus tour while Em was in class. Not many good pictures because it was cloudyyy. And we caved and had Starbucks. You can judge all you want, but I find Starbucks in other countries SO interesting. Also, America, we've been doing the scone ALL WRONG. The Aussies know what's up.

BUT we did get to go see Much Ado About Nothing at the Sydney Operahouse! Let me tell you....it was AMAZING. Ohmygoodness. So great. So great that I just need to stop trying to describe it lest I do it more injustice by rambling like I am now. So...here's a picture of Dad and Em outside!

Day 3
Best. Day. Ever.  Emily got out of class early, so we took a bus to Hyde Park (named after the one in London) and visited the Barracks Museum (we went to one in honor of you, Mom!). Sydney history is fascinating. Obviously, I couldn't take pictures in there, but here's one from the park!

We're sisters, and I have an awkward claw-like hand.

Then we went to Pie Face. Hello, wonderful. I've tried to be good on points while I'm here, but this was the only thing that I ate every. last. bit. I had the Chicken and Mushroom, Em had the Thai Chicken Curry, and Dad had the Steak and Peppercorn Stacked--stacked meaning that they put mashed peas (sounds weird, but so good!), mashed potatoes, and gravy on top of the pie. They were all deliciousss! And this is me being a super tourist. You can judge. But don't judge my lack of neck. Or my chipped nail polish...I forgot to take it off after my engagement shoot with the lovely Amanda Scott. So leave me alone.

After lunch we went on a coffee cruise around Sydney. Great food and great commentary. I'm a sucker for informational things like that. I know I said this earlier, but I find Sydney history fascinating; it's such a young country, and yet was modernized in such a short period of time. The weather was perfect, so I got approximately eighty billion pictures of the Operahouse, give or take 79.9 billion. Here's the one I like the best!

Wait, what's that you're saying? It looks like EVERY other picture you've seen of the Operahouse? I know, I know. But it's mine, so I like it.

We followed the cruise with Em giving us a tour of University of New South Wales, where she's attending this semester, concluding with a visit to her house and meeting her lovely flat mates, then eating some amazing Thai food! Like I said, best day ever.

Overall the trip's been great, so I'm looking forward to the rest! Taronga Zoo tomorrow (KOALASSS! I finally get to meet one after years of "K is for koala and Kayla" in alphabet name games), SHOPPINGGGG on Friday, and more beach walks on Saturday! 

Then, it's back to the real world. And wedding planning. Real wedding planning. Which I've neglected for a long time....but I'm choosing not to think about that right now.

Something old, something new...

Something borrowed...well, that's kind of gross, isn't it?

I don't know if I ever mentioned this, but I have a dress. A wedding dress. A dress for my wedding. Because I'm getting married.

It's white and I love it. That's all I'm going to tell you. I like being mysterious. That and Le Fiance doesn't want to know ANYTHING about what I'm wearing that day. Nothing. Which is kind of okay with me, it just gets hard to keep my mouth shut. Oh, the things we do for love.


But now that I have the dress, I'm running into problems. The old adage "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue" is great and all, but what's old that I could wear on my wedding day? That kind of weirds me out. And I'd like to borrow something, but what? What do you borrow from people? Thinking about it kind of gives me the shivers. The new part is easy: dress, duh. And so is the blue. One of the first presents Fiance gave me was blue rope bracelet; it's plain, it's kind of camp-y, but I love it. When he gave it to me he said "Every time you look at this think of me" (cheesy, judge) and I do. And he has a "matching" yellow one, so somewhere on my person will be the blue bracelet. But can you double up on them? Can I get blue shoes, too? Then it would be "Something old, something new, something blue and another thing blue" right? Does that count? Or can I just change it altogether?

I know that somehow, some way I will have all things "something." But what do I borrow? I want to borrow accessories (again, can't say much because of Fiance) but I'm kind of (okay, REALLY) picky. And can I buy shoes and wear them and count them as "old"? I just don't know these things.

But the main thing is I have a dress. OH and a fiance. A wonderful one, at that.

What did you borrow on your wedding day? Or did you opt out of that tradition?

The "I Dos"

I think hands-down, one of the hardest things about wedding planning is remembering what comes after: the marriage. Don't get me wrong, I think about the marriage part all the time. We're going through premarital counseling right now, so we're DEFINITELY learning about how things "really" go (I know what you're thinking, "Wait, it's not all cuddles and romantic dinners?" I know, it surprised me too! Kiddingggggg.). But somewhere between the cake tasting, decoration making, and vendor confirming it's easy to lose sight of what the wedding means and symbolizes, the joining of two people. Forever.

And maybe that's why I struggle so much with the vows. To me, the vows are what "make" the ceremony. The vows are, in essence, a snapshot of the couple; it's the part I wait for and look forward to at every ceremony. What are they promising to do? To have and to hold? Or to take out the trash every Tuesday and let her cook one chocolate dessert every week? I think traditional vows are perfect for some couples, repeating words that have been voiced for centuries and saying the same things your parents said is a powerful thing. I also like non-traditional vows, ones that are unique to the couple.

But I see issues with both. The traditional vows are just that...traditional. I love them, I do, but Scott and I aren't exactly traditional people and our wedding will reflect that. I think the words are touching, but just not "us." Then there are non-traditional, which are cute, but sometimes leave people out of the loop and asking "Wait, what'd he just say?" or "Was that supposed to be funny? I don't get it." Granted, I know this is our ceremony, but it's still a day that we're sharing with people and I don't want to have to plant people in attendance to laugh at the right time. That's just awkward.

So I think we'll combine both, traditional and non-traditional. Maybe we'll just re-word some things and make it more "us" or maybe we'll google "vows" and see what happens (Is that bad? Because that's probably what we'll be doing.).

Either way, I can practically promise you that some of what this darling couple says will make it in there. Seriously. I cry every time I watch this.

Gene + Jill // Two Pease in a Pod from capture studios on Vimeo.

I mean, really? So adorable. I die.

So what were your vows? Did you go the traditional route, or choose to write your own?

Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes

Last week my family and I went to a Mexican restaurant here in town. For most people in our area, this is not uncommon (let's be real, most people have Bueno almost once a week); for me, though, well let's just say I'm not a big fan of Mexican food. It makes my tummy feel funny.

So imagine my surprise when we ordered a dish that I LOVED. I mean, downright wanted to stop eating and take it home just so I knew I could have it the next day. I didn't, of course, because I wanted to eat it then, too. My mom and I looked at the menu online because I needed to decide what I wanted before we got there (I'm notorious for taking wayyyy too long to decide at the restaurant) and we saw on the appetizer list something intriguing: sweet corn tamale cakes. Hmm. I like corn, but I don't like tamales. But it was topped with avocado so of course I said, "Sign me up!"

After dinner, I declared that I would recreate the dish at home. I had to. I needed to have a recipe like this in my life. I would say I came pretty close...of course I didn't get everything right, I knew I wouldn't. But that just gives me an excuse to go back, right? Perfect!

Enjoy the recipe! If I had to do it over again, I would probably double the recipe. This cake wasn't dense necessarily, it just didn't rise like the cakes at the restaurant. I considered baking it in muffin tins, but was hesitant about the baking time. Let me know if you try it!

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Sweet Corn Tamale Cake with Creamy Avocado Topping
Adapted from Knead for Speed's recipe

Corn Cake

• 1 can (14-15ish oz) sweet corn, drained--YES, sweet corn. Nothing else. Hence the sweet corn cake.
• 1/2 cup masa harina (you can find it at Wal-Mart in the Hispanic food section!)
• 3 tablespoons yellow corn meal
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 1/2 tablespoons butter, softened
• a little over 1/4 cup honey--I just let it overflow for a second. I like sweet things, okay?
• 3 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons skim milk

Creamy Avocado Topping

• 1 avocado
• 3 tablespoons whipped cream cheese--get it out of the fridge when you start making the cake. You'll want it to be a little bit soft.
• a little bit of honey
• one Roma tomato

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8x8 baking pan with cooking spray.

Using a blender or food processor, blend the sweet corn until it's smooth but still a little bit chunky. Set aside for later.

In a small bowl, combine the masa harina, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Save for later.

Beat the butter until fluffy using an electric mixer. Make sure you're using a bowl big enough for all the ingredients, but not so big that you feel like you're just chasing the butter around the bowl. I'm speaking from experience, here. Add the honey, corn mixture, water and milk to the butter. Mix to combine. Then add your masa harina mixture to the honey/corn/butter/etc mixture and mix to combine.

Pour your batter into your baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for about 35-45 minutes. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

While it's baking, you can whip up the avocado topping. Slice the avocado in half, remove the pit, and cut the avocado into medium-sized squares. Place in a small bowl. For the cream cheese, I used whipped for two reasons: one, I felt like it would coat the avocado better and two, I'm on Weight Watchers and still really wanted cream cheese so this was my solution. Measure out the whipped cream cheese and add it to the avocados. Drizzle a little honey in, to taste. Using a rubber spatula, stir all ingredients together until the avocados are coated and it looks like the honey's been incorporated. Cover and put in the fridge until you serve the corn cake. Dice up the tomato and set aside.

When you're ready to serve, cut the cake in squares (Knead for Speed even recommends using a cookie scoop! I think I should have done that) and top with avocado topping and diced tomato. Drizzle a little more honey on if you wish, and enjoy!