You should know,

I'm the only person allowed to call him Z.
Zach or Zachary are fine for you. Thanks!

Breaking habits

I was complaining to Z the other day about how yucky and broken out my skin is all the time... and I can't seem to stop it no matter how many miracle products I use 3 times a day. He just said-- maybe it's because you touch your face all the time and dirt and oil from your hands breaks you out.
Huh? I don't touch my face all the--
Yes. You do.
Well I shrugged him off, he is a boy. What does he know about skin care?
But it stuck in my mind and I started noticing each time I have touched my face the last several days. Promise you won't tell Z this-- but he's right! I do touch my face (chin, cheeks, mouth) almost constantly. UGH.
So I am trying to break myself of this habit now, and it is not at all easy. My hands automatically go up there... or I rest my chin on my hand when reading... or I have a phone pressed to my face... it's really difficult to stop it!
And I know at least one person is going to read this and recommend also that I should wash my hands more often as well-- already been on top of that one for years-- germ-a-phobe who works around little kids. I go through more soap and hand sanitizer than anyone I know.
How do you break a 25 yr old habit of constantly touching your face???

Visa Commercial

Pillar candles left over from wedding: $40.00
48 Vases leftover from wedding: $48.00
200 gold chargers, left over from wedding: $200.00
Selling all your leftover wedding decor and being able to afford pictures from the best day of your life: PRICELESS
There are some things money can't buy, but for my wedding pictures, I'm paying CASH! :)

Married life

Married life suits me, according to one of my co-workers who also commented that I have been 'fluttering about with new light and happiness' the past few weeks. Which was really ironic this morning when she told me because Z and I got in a bit of a tiff this morning... and I was anything but 'fluttery' today.
Regardless, on the whole, I would say I have to agree. I like walking into my own home and greeting my excitable dogs and kissing my husband, and I even like making him bland dinners and rubbing his shoulders when he watches TV. I like that it is so not the exciting glamorous life I always dreamed of but it's a happy comfortable routine that we are cozy-ing into. It's not the spectacular big events, but the small daily happenings of our life that excite me right now. Ah, Married life...

(Oh, and that tiff this morning... well, neither of us are really fighters so most arguments dissolve quickly, and today was no exception. A quick phonecall at work to apologize and it is behind us now, though it will no doubt spark some conversation over our weekly Friday night pizza tonight. Ah, married life...)

Laundry and Loathing and Longing

Just ask Z-- he will easily be able to tell you what my least favorite household task is... it's Laundry. I hate laundry. I hate doing laundry more than I hate doing dishes. I hate the hauling baskets of stinkiness down the stairs and loading it all in there. I hate the dirty socks and underpants that manage to find their way out of the basket on your way down the stairs. I hate unloading soggy clothes and shoving them in the dryer. And I hate dryer lint, it gives me the heebie jeebies. But even more than all that I hate folding laundry, and even more than all that I hate putting clean folded laundry away. I don't know why. I just don't like doing it.
But then I stumbled accross this picture of a gorgeous laundry room:And I gasped! My goodness! It's beautiful! If I had a laundry room this clean and homey and light and airy I would probably spend all my days doing laundry. And when I was done with it all... I would take off my clothes and do more laundry just for fun. And I would hang out in there when I got bored just admiring the lovely clean stacks of towels, and sheets. And I would probably sigh a lot just because i was in a beautiful room.
Or I might also just love to have a laundry room that looks like this:

Or even this:

Which may actually be a more realistic goal for me... it's still clean and bright and organized.
But alas and alack, my laundry room looks nothing like wither of those pictures. My laundry room (and you must know this is rather embarrassing to reveal in all it's cluttered, dirty, concrete ickiness...) looks like this:(shudder) I can't believe I just shared that. I don't even like to look at it-- much less be in it. As you can see I have no white washed cabinets, sparkling tile, or bright clean, happy looking walls. What functional storage we have is unorganized, and basically holding trash. The floor and walls are dirty concrete and I have no where I can fold clothes... even if I wanted to. (sigh) it's the most depressing room/space of my life.
I was talking to Z about cleaning up the laundry area and making some small inexpensive changes to try to boost it's appeal... he thinks I am crazy for wanting to 'fix up' our laundry room, but not so crazy that he has offered to do laundry so I don't have to be in the yucky room.
So, here are my proposed laundry room changes/additions/remodel:
(yes, it's a scribbled on picture of the same dirty space as above. PROPOSED changes--dream with me!) A. PAINT the walls and raw wood shelves a clean bright white color.
B. STORAGE I would really like to put some cabinets above the washer/dryer, and then clean off the shelves and keep baskets for laundry there, so it wouldn't have to pile up on the floor. which bring us to...
C. FLOOR I know we don't have money to put down nice pretty tile or even easier-to-keep-clean vinyl flooring. But I am considering a floor paint or stain-- and hopefully something with a nice hard shiny finish so I can mop it up and feel like it's at least partially cleaner.
D. HIDE I have an old changing screen thats just dying for a makeover and a laundry room with a big nasty eyesore of a water heater... the two should meet. It will be magical, I just know it!

See, don't you think that will at least be a great IMPROVEMENT? Now I just have to get Z on board. I seem to be pretty good at getting my way with him when I have my mind set on something. I imagine he will shake his head and laugh at me when I suggest it-- or when he comes home one day and I am in the midst of a bigger mess than this whole thing was to begin with. But he always helps me out of my messes... which is why he is my husband and I love him.
And because I love him, I do his laundry. And because I do his laundry, I would like to love my laundry room.

Crafti-ness

I am doing lots of fun, crafty, home decor or re-decor kind of projects... and I've a been a little bit addicted to several crafty and design blogs... and I am toying with the idea of starting a crafty blog. Buuuuuut... I don't know.
Should I commit to another blog? Do I have enough ideas on a regular basis to really keep one going? Will I feel guilty toward this one as I do my recipe blog when I don't post for months at a time? I just don't know right now... even though I find the idea of a venue dedicated to sharing my ideas and creations incredibly appealling, but maybe thats just the narcissist in me.
Plus, the first thing I need to accomplish is a ridiculously clever name for a new blog full of creative crafty valerie-ness. hmmm...

It just makes me smile, I can't help it.

Wedding gift survey:

We have so many ridiculously generous friends and family it is not even funny! We were super blessed to be just showered (and drenched!) with gifts of all varieties, shapes, and sizes for our wedding. We cannot do enough to express our gratitude for all the many things our friends and family gave-- beyond tangible objects... time, work, advice, even just a smile and sincere congratulations. It all means so much to us!
However, I have had quite a few people asking us about the 'tangible' gifts we received, so I thought it would be interesting to do a little survey here: (I hope it is not in poor taste to discuss gifts you have received... shrug... I don't know for sure, if you are offended or appalled, my deepest apologies)

• We spent wedding gift money on: Honeymoon, patio furniture, bedroom furniture, and a Wii.
• Most creative/interesting gift received: Someone gave us shelves off our registry along with a stud finder tool--Thoughtful! , we also received two scrapbooks and a 'date box' to collect mementos--I like those!
• Funniest gift received: Tonight/Not Tonight pillows from Z's Aunt... HA!
• Most sentimental gift received: Tea Cup from Grandma
• Most surprised to receive: China-- didn't think anyone had a budget to fit my extravagant tastes!
• Received the most duplicates of: Cake pans! We received 7 round cake pans total! :)
• Most frequently used wedding gift to date: Round Pizza Pan, (and probably sheet sets/pillows on our bed)
• On our registry, didn't receive as a gift, first thing we purchased: IRON
• Gift Z was most excited to use: Digital picture frame, or tools (you know, gadgets)
• Gift V was most excited to use: Le Creuset dutch oven, or the fat fluffy new towels
• Favorite wedding gift: HOUSE CLEANING! (sigh, it was pristine and beautiful when we walked into our house on our wedding night. AMAZING.)

You participate in the survey now! Tell me: What were some of your favorite wedding gifts you received... or what is your favorite thing to give as a wedding gift?

A Perfect Day: Part III

Details I don't want to forget:
--Text message from Z at 10:00 when he woke up: We are getting married today... I love you.
--I couldn't get over gorgeous my friends and Mamas are as they were getting hair and makeup done... each of them just stunning. It was so fun.
--When I saw Z during the 'first look' he kissed me-- without stopping to figure out how fresh my lip color was and if it would get all over him. (first time ever!)
--Z shaking his head at me because I was sitting on the split rail fence eating up my photo shoot when he brought the car around. Both he and the photographer made me agree if my mom got mad about the ruined dress i had to tell her it was my idea to climb the fence.
--Standing in the bathroom at the church scrubbing my muddy shoes, while B scrubbed my muddy dress, J was drying it with a hair dryer, and A was trying to get me to eat a sandwhich.
--Joel patiently held my dress while my mom ran the steamer over it to remove wrinkles just minutes before the wedding started.
--Pinning flowers on my parents was a small quiet moment that I loved.
--Donnie was a tiny bit emotional and having a hard time reading his book becuase of the lighting... substituted the word 'sadness' for 'sacredness' and everyone was cracking up. It was an icebreaker for sure-- our wedding ceased to be proper and stuffy right then and there.
--When the best man pulled his ring 'stunt' as soon as Z saw the empty box he turned to me and said-- "I didn't know about this!" and he was so genuinely surprised and tickled by the whole thing I knew he was telling the truth. I couldn't really be mad at them... it was funny.
--There were no lights on during the ceremony, just natural light from the windows and candles, so it was a little dark in there until donnie was giving the benediction. When he said 'may his face radiate with joy' sunlight came BURSTING through the front window of the church right on us. And I just thought to myself: "This is the coolest day of my life." I swear I didn't make it up either-- I have picture proof. This was my favorite moment of the day.
--I love that the dance floor was most full during the Father/daughter and mother/son dance time. It was sweet to see so many people taking advantage of the oppurtunity to dance with their parent or child!
--When we walked into our house that evening... it was PRISTINE. I had never seen that place so clean and so beautiful. My mom's friend cleaned it as a wedding gift and it was the most wonderful gift anyone could ask for. We just stood for several moments in the door way in awe.
--I just remember laughing a lot that day. At nothing in particular. I laughed because I was happy and light-hearted. I was having fun. All day. It is the most fun, relaxed, happy day I can ever remember having. And I laughed all day long!

Baptism and Weddings

Sooo... you know how when you go to a baptism, and they throw water at you and say 'Remember your baptism'? I think they should do the same at weddings... throw stuff at you and tell you to 'Remeber your wedding vows'.
It's corny, I know... (I'm a little that way) but I think that now that I am married (a whole two weeks) and have a summer scheduled full of weddings, weddings might be a little more special now. Because every wedding I go to, I am going to remember my own, and how much fun we had, and how excited I am for the couple because married life is just great! But mostly I think attending a wedding is a great time to remember the vows that you made, and maybe in a small way, recommit yourself to them each time.
But thats just my take on it. And... I don't think I will see anyone throwing water at the crowd at their wedding anytime soon-- but if I had thought of it before... I TOTALLY would have at my wedding!