Wordless Wednesday: Alexandria Sesquicentennial

(Not so wordless part: This was awesome, we walked down to the park and the Alexandria Symphony Orchestra was amazing! They played some Big Band, music from ET and Harry Potter (!!) as well as the Overture of 1812 complete with cannons shot by Marines from Quantico, we had a great time! And my pictures weren't too bad, especially coming from my tiny point and shoot digital camera.)

Thursday Link Up

I feel like this song is oddly appropriate for this week.

I started reading Harry Potter when I was barely 11 years old (fitting huh?). I was off to another summer at Girl Scout sleep away camp and my mom told me she found this book about a boy who was a wizard and a detective. I was so not interested. But my mom sneaked Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets into my trunk. I heard for some reason that the second book at first was more available in America, hence the reason I started on number 2. Number 1 wasn't here yet!

Needless today I read it three times those few weeks. I was addicted. Sure I was a little confused at first but I soon was immersed in the story and totally did not care about the missing piece or two. I realized then it was the second book and my mom and I hunted to find the first one. I read that, then the second, then again and again. Each book release I was there. A few I was at Borders at midnight ready to go.

Then the movies happened. By this point my best friend Sam was just as immersed in the books as I was. When I heard they were making a movie I scoffed at the idea. Why ruin such a great book by turning it into a movie? (pretentious little pre-teen, wasn't I?) Sam and I were at the movies seeing something when the preview first played. It was one of those theatre's with big screens in the lobby that plays previews while you get popcorn, and I remember we were walking under it and we stopped, backed up, and watched the preview in silence. We then looked at one another when it was over and said, "Ok maybe we'll see it."

I became hooked on the movies too. I learned very on not to compare them too much to the books. I know every movie could not be eight hours long (a girl could dream) so I just learned to love them in their own right, separately from the books. I went to midnight premiere after midnight premiere. Sam and I skipped school to see Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and even made tshirts to wear! It had Sirius Black's prisioner number on the front with the name and date on the back. I saw Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix when I was in Rome (it had been out two days since all the English shows sold out fast!) and we saw it with Italian subtitles. I have the US versions of all 7 books plus the British ones of One, Three, Five and Seven... coincidence all them being odd numbered. I also have the third one in Greek (because I was there and wanted it!) and the first one in Spanish... which I have tried hard to read.

The seventh book came out when I was studying in Greece, actually on the island of Crete. I went to five bookstores on the island before I found the one that carried the book. I sat with my nose burried in that thing for nearly 48 hours straight (between sleep and study abroad and a test). I cried in the Starbucks when one of my favorite characters died and I cried a bit (for a different reason) when I finished the book.

For the past twelve years this story has been in my life. I cannot believe it is ending so soon. Ryan and I have tickets to the 9:55pm Friday night show (since midnight showings are not ideal when you have to be up for work at 7) and I am both overly excited and slightly dreading it. What will we all do now? :P

I guess there is always Pottermore...

Thursday Link Up... Disney Edition!

This song is very special to me... not just because I do love me some Disney. When I was six my first grade class sang this at school for our end of the year show and I was picked to hold the giant poster of Aladdin and Jasmine on stage, a huge honor when your six. I guess it hit a note with my mom and dad too.

My mom and dad (he is my stepdad technically, but he is my dad in every single way that counts) got married when I was six. This was the song they chose for me to walk down the aisle to at their wedding. A Whole New World. It was played on the violin and beautiful.

So that is my choice for this week, my favorite Disney song ever... I may even have it as a ring tone. Just maybe.

Link up with Goodnight Moon

Link up with Goodnight Moon



It's Your Love - Faith Hill and Tim McGraw
aka our first dance at our wedding. Our wedding song.

Nothing but love for the husband today. My ranting and raving post below is all done because I just love him so much and I am frustrated.

This song never ever will fail to make me smile. At least a little.

Thursday Link Up with Good Night Moon

Link up with Good Night Moon!



Seeing my last entry I think this is appropriate for Ryan and I right now. We got this.

What's Your Song Link Up 5

I downloaded this song back when I first got my ipod and I would scan around on itunes for free songs of the day. Normally I wouldn't download this one, but I found it to be very catchy and ended up loving it! It is called Wound Up and the band is called Office (which also got my attention since it is my favorite TV show!).

Head on over to Goodnight Moon to join in the music partyyyy!

Link Ups!

Due to pain medication and other surgical things I missed this fun link up by Goodnight Moon. Have to join in! I picked Alla Luce Del Sol by Josh Groban because I am needing this song today! It is my first day back at work post surgery and I am feeling the need for motiviation. Josh is one of my favorite singers and this is one of my favorite songs by him. I find it very soothing and it makes me happy! It is in Italian, so sorry if it isn't really your thing! Plus I got tickets yesterday to see him in July at the Verizon Center *if we are still here*!



I saw this one on a lot of other blogs today (hosted by Mrs. Yellow Ribbon) and it is too cute to pass up!



Did you look at rings together?

Wedding bands yes, engagement ring no. For my engagement ring he had asked me ages ago what I preferred and thought... to be honest I told him no yellow gold. That was my only big thing. I wear white gold or silver. I also didn't care for a princess cut, I am good with basic round or square! I know those aren't the technical names but you know what I mean.

Do you like your ring? Did you from the beginning?...and be honest!

Yes! I cannot believe how perfect my ring is. Ryan did obsessive amounts of research. He started doing research on diamonds in Iraq and then went from store to store to store once he got home. First he found a diamond (at Jareds) then went to look for a setting and ended up back at Jareds and got the ring there. So he picked out the two based on his qualifications and assembled it! He really wanted to do things right and he did. I never would have thought I'd want little diamonds on my band, but the one he picked out was so simple and perfect I just love everything about it.

How often do you wear your rings?

Every day. Diamond comes off in the shower and for bed... or if I am doing something super messy. My wedding band has only been off of my hand once since our wedding day... and that was for my surgery last week. Since the way they 'cut' apparently uses an electrical current I could have nothing on at all. It did take lubricant and some heavy pulling to get it off though! Ryan held it for me until I was in recovery and then slid it right back on my hand. I was pretty high on pain meds and anesthesia at that point but I remember him putting it back on for me.

Do you clean your rings?

When we go to Jareds I get my diamond cleaned as it is included in the purchase every six months to get a cleaning. I don't do it at home though. Speaking of which, I am long overdue for a cleaning...

What went through your mind the very first time you saw your ring?

"OhmygodOhmygodOhmygodOhmygodOhmygodOhmygodHe'sproposingOhmygodOhmygodOhmygodOhmygod....people are looking! What are they waiting for? Oh! I have to say yes!" *insert lots of nodding and crying*

Dead Serious, exact quote!

Snow Dancing

Have I ever blogged about my obsession with fireworks? I do love them. A lot. Like they are in my top five favorite things of all time. Hence the reason Ryan proposed to me during them! He knew! So it is no surprise I love this Katy Perry song (I actually just saw the video for the first time yesterday and kind of also love that!).

So last night we had a nice dinner and were purusing Netflix and having a nice glass of pinot grigio. We found this show Lie to Me and even though we've only seen two episodes we're hooked! But inbetween the two Ryan looks at me and goes,

"Do you trust me?"

Well...duh.

"Ok, just go with me for the next five steps."

Ok....

"Take a big gulp of wine."

Skeptical look inserted here.

"Oh just do it."

So I did. In the mean time Ryan runs and gets my fuzzy green slippers, throws his jacket over me and then drags me outside.

Into the snow.

He then has me stand there for a moment while he plays with his phone. Suddenly "Firework" starts to play and he holds out his hand to me. And we danced. In the snow. It was kind of amazing. We were laughing and kissing and spinning around all over the sidewalk. During some of the "baby you're a fiiiiiirework" parts he picked up snow and threw it up into the air. Awesome. I didn't want to ruin the moment and run and get my camera but here is a picture from Ryan's phone of the two of us in the snow. (:






PS - I could still use some guest bloggers for two weeks from now when I have my surgery... any other takers? I have a few... but more are appreciated so I don't have to post under the influence of pain medication!!

20 Days!

I cannot believe we are getting married in 20 days! That is so insane. This weekend Ryan and I picked out all the music for the ceremony with Brett, the music director at church. We mostly agreed on everything and the ones one of us were a little unsure about it was a close call between two and managed to compromise a solution. We also found out we get to have a tasting at our reception venue. I wish we had known that sooner! We have almost every moment of the next two weekends planned so time is running out.

Next weekend Ryan is driving up with Josh, his best friend (and best man) who has a truck so we can load up some of our furniture and drive in to our new apartment!!! I have a week to pack. At least the first trip's worth. Oh. My. God. But we decided next Saturday to go to the tasting and bring Josh and maybe my mom since we can have four of us there.

I got sick again this weekend. We had the family over and then Jill invited Ryan and I to go out in Hoboken with her. I got dressed up for the first time in a long time and we drove an hour there. I did one shot (a kamikaze) and started to sip a gin and tonic when my stomach started revolting. I spent the rest of the night sitting out in the cool air before laying down the whole way home hoping I wasn't sick. I felt like I ruined the night out. Ryan and I haven't had one like that in ages and I felt terrible. I still feel nauseous today and I was still really shakey this morning. Stupid stomach. I thought we were beyond this!!!