School Stuff...and stuff

I really wanted to blog before bed. Not just because of all the 'B's. But I couldn't think of anything that would stand out as blog-worthy. All I've been doing is school work - had a final tonight... AutoCAD, which is pritty (pritty...priiitty like Larry David says it) easy - the part I need to know, I mean- but I kept getting stuck on stupid things on the exam, although I think I got it all ironed out before I handed it in. I've been working on a presentation that I WOULD be presenting, but I'll be at a wedding that day so I am making the presentation to hand in and will loose the presentation marks :( but I will bug him again on Thursday and see if he'll give me marks for recording my voice with it because that is like presenting it, isn't it!? Anyways here is a little bit of what I've learned using 2 of the most amazing programs that I've fallen in love with this year: Sketchup and Photoshop.

So this is the floorplan of a kitchen & living area; drawn in sketchup and rendered in photoshop

A digital material board for it - so much easier to make than the real thing!
I had to create a background for the slideshow in photoshop but I just wanted it to be neutral and natural looking - I don't know what it is with me lately and the muted/neutral colours but I never used to be one to pick them!

So this is basically what Sketchup can do for me:

(and also - light pink! I love it! What is happening to me!?)

And this is what Photoshop can do with that, just with adding shadows, lighting effects and 'stamping' it onto white 'paper' for an artsier look:

Its really fun.

on a completely unrelated note:

• Yes Laura, I blog! And it only took me 5 days to know you commented. But yay!
• I found a comment the other day from a post way back by somone who's blog I read sometimes that is just a random person but she complimented me on my really cute daughter .... thank-you so much, you! Haha... I'm not sure where she got the impression I had one.
• And yeah, I have not tried to keep it a secret but, well, for a while there it was kinda a diary of secrecy that only me and 1 other person knew about. Now I am trying to not care if someone else comes and sees it. Well, I don't care, but I mean that I am trying to encourage it a little more.
• Blogging is fun. You should do it. Everyone should do it. But then I'd have another one to keep up with. newest obsession: Pioneer Woman
• no idea how the top bit got underlined or how to take it away
• Good-night!
  
  

Home-made Spa treats!

I used this home-made almond face wash this morning. YUMMY! It looks and smells like scrumptious cookie dough, and it leaves your skin feeling oh...sooo....soft.

It got me to thinking that I might put together a few things like this for the night before my cousin's wedding. Perhaps a lavender bath milk to calm the nerves and a nice massage oil for our feet and backs, cucumbers for our eyes, etc. Me and the two cousins that form the bride and maid of honour used to FILL our summers with spa days. We had face masks coming out of our ears. I remember more than a few times that they would both beg me for a foot massage promising they would give me one back. I'm still waiting... but for some reason I enjoy it anyways.

I am really excited for this wedding - small and intimate, cousins that I've been wedding planning with since we were 6, my boy will be there, in beautiful Canmore, at a bed & breakfast, Crave cupcakes will be present ... - I think a little added hotel room spa will bring it all together to perfection!

Want a dress like this??

I wore my English Rose Garden dress (that's what i JUST named it. Erg dress for short) on Sunday and got a load of compliments again, as I always do when I bother to wear it - or should i say when I bother to iron it so that I can wear it.

Sorry about the photo quality, this is a couple years old and my Auntie's photo from a cousin's wedding. Being a dork. Not much has changed.





Well check out this dress. I think it would make me look just as good. ;) great, even.
And you can win it!

I gotta go now, lookin at more amazingly covered up yet cute looking dresses at Shabby Apple; looks pretty much like my mecca!

It is midnight. It is Sunday.

PS. SO SO SO SO SOOOO elated that one of the links that I just posted about furniture re-dos had a link to THE blog that I have been looking for since the dawn of Blog Awareness! It is the first one that I stumbled upon and went wow... this is really readable... wow - she does the coolest stuff! Wow... look at what she just made! So yes I have a lot of looking and reading to catch up on. Oh yeah and she is here.
Yay!!!

Goodnight now. It is midnight. It is Sunday.

I'd call it "The Junk Room"

So it is a Saturday night, 11:00, and I need to get to bed. But first I feel like blogging!
Since I have July off, I decided (sort of, for now, until I have a better decision anyways) that I will spend it researching a career based on a store of fixed up junk; something I have always wanted to do. Well, actually, I think I thought of it in High School. I can shop thift stores for a living; how fun is that?! But no, the plan is to figure out a plan, see how much COULD potentially be made at it, maybe meet with a few owners of similar stores or even a regular small furniture store on Main or something... just to test the market, see what people want etc. I really think it could be sold; everyone is all about conservation, recycling, reusing... and this is all of those things. Wrapped up with fun designs and playful looks, I think it could really do something. People don't take the time to buy a chest of drawers that looks like its been to helk and back and give it a good coat of paint and add some nice paper lining in its drawers. Well, besides them and them and them ... but I just want to do the math and see whether it would be worthwhile to endeavour. Also I will weigh the option of an online store or in a store location. Personally I would imagine a store would be better, as then I could decorate and make the place my own and create an experience for a customer to come see, feel, smell and hear! However, even with a good business proposal, I don't know if a Bank would give me a loan to do that until I had student loan debt paid off... maybe? Maybe not? See, these are the things I just really don't know!
These are my thoughts.
Thoughts?

the fitting room:

I really really really feel like shopping. And I have ample money (yeah right) so I thought I'd concoct a little plan here...

Nothing above is under $100 though :(

That is the saddest sentence I've typed all day.

HOWEVER, Forever XXI is coming to 'a mall near ME' (MetroTown - I saw the sign when I was there that it opens this summer) and I know for a fact that they have affordable and stylish stuff! See below for what I'd be tryin' on.

Nothing is more than $30 that I've shown here. Yippee!! Might even fit my clothing budget of $0 once in a while!

how do I put up a video? I have to have it saved, obviously. But a youtube? Maybe if I sign in to youtube... I dunno, I don't think you're allowed to save those obvs. anyways here's a 'video' i made of some engagement pictures.



I plan on making more effort with the blog again... haha yeah AGAIN because it was such a priority before. No, I seriously want to write stuff more. All sorts of stuff.

My car got impounded today for being parked @ past 3pm on Broadway. The good part is that I was busy getting a massage at the time...So I gotta go get it, Ron is coming soon to pick me up. Then a romantic downtown dinner ... yay! Happy Friday!

So the real thing I wanted to share is this. enjoy!

Home for the (non) holidays

I am home (Calgary home) and it is lovely. I've thoroughly enjoyed my busy weekend.

Bridal Shower?

Check.

Engagement photo shoot (4 sessions and 8 locations)?

Check.

Bolero/dress fitting?

Check. . .

Eat 4 and a half Crave cupcakes in 1 day? Ok ok, well 2 were mini cupcakes.... but...

Check. Check. Check. Check Che.

Buy 2nd bridesmaid dress that I love?

check.

Have Sunday lunch (crepes - yum) with amazing best friend and fiance?

Check.

Yoga class with that same friend? ... Unfortunetly, no, didn't have time :(

Really I just wanted to share some of the better engagement photos I took Saturday for my cousin Tara and her fiance Wade. I was so excited they asked me to do this for them... I think it is only because my camera looks fancy and therefore it must work fancy or I know how to work it... but who cares what they don't know! I had fun! It took all day, but I got a few I'm happy with. Here are some of those few.

I liked this (above) better in black and white but I can't change it on this computer.

Just love the sky in this one...

I am pretty happy with how they came out... out of about 400 shots I think around 20 are useable/possible "official" engagement portraits for them to send in their invitations. Woohoo they should be glad I don't charge by the hour! Or at all!

I should explain that these too are not really the kissy/cuddly type and the pictures were a bit of a stretch to get... Those kisses didn't just happen ;)

ok ok sometimes they kissed without me telling them to... but I usually missed those ones anyways. But it was awesome, Wade was a real trouper and it was a VERY long day but it was fun (I think) for all of us. O.k., maybe just for me.

I must say there is a nice selection to use as a slideshow at the wedding, too - a whole slideshow of funnys, like, say.... ooh this one:

Tara fell down. That wasn't the only time either. Its funny, I know. But usually it was Wade being a dork that made the funny ones. :P I won't take the time to share here...ok maybe one. I can't resist.

Anyways, I am really happy that these 2 are getting married. I found it very enjoyable to spend the day with them and watch them interact, they are the strange type of cute that I can completely and utterly tolerate. And, because I know you're about to ask, Tara, I totally approve! They'll be great together and happy for a very long time I am sure. Oh and today they set the date: June 25th 2009. Exactly 3 months after he asked her - and that was his specified maximum waiting time limit! 3 Months! It will be a small, cozy, mountain wedding in Canmore at a bed and breakfast. 2 nights staying over for all of us and all meals supplied there; I am sure it will be a wedding to remember!

Love you guys!

P.S. Cant wait to sleep in tomorrow!!!!

Shower Games

My ideas so far for the shower coming up. MY ideas, who am I kidding... bridalshower.com's ideas.

Broom & Roll
This is a partner game. one person hold a roll of toilet paper between the knees. The other person holds a broom or stick between the knees while thier eyes are covered or blindfolded.

The person with the toilet paper graps their partner hands and guide them to getting the stick in the hole of the toilet paper. The partners who does it in the fastest time wins. This can be done one at a time or pair up the partners to see who wins first.

Design the dress
in teams design something out of either toilet paper or butcher paper or something... or a sketch? Bride judges etc.

Questions about Groom
have questions answered about groom before-hand. At party, hand out questions that people can ask in order. Every time she is wrong she puts gum in her mouth. Could also put the questions in balloons to be popped.

Apron gift & memory game
Buy an apron and have the bridal party buy lots of utensils to pin on the apron. Make them practical and a couple of things they would never think of buying until they need them. Pin all of the items on the apron. Have the bride wear the apron in front of all of the guests. Have her walk around the room for about 2 minutes. Then have the bride go into another room and have the guests try to list as many things as they can remember seeing pinned to the brides apron. The person with the most wins! Then tell the bride she gets to keep the apron!!

Another thing to think about:
Prizes
Food

Will add/edit later

So, readers any more good ones?! Please comment!

PS like how I added the followers icon so everyone can see my one follower? I like it. :D

All I feel like doing recently is sleeping. I just cant wait to go home and climb into bed. Jeepers how sad is that? My throat is hurting so bad I have to convince myself to swallow every time because it feels like I'm swallowing a bag of pins or something. Iiick... hope this goes away sometime!
Anyways its about time to wrap up my day and head home... siigh

Wedding - Top 100 Sites

Top Wedding Sites & Blogs & Twitters to follow

Just cause I might want that link some day

hi and bye

Its going to be one of those weeks I think ............
Just thought I'd pop in and say hi.
Its also going to be one of those weeks, I think, where I wish I was a stay at home mom - I just feel like cooking and cleaning and having a sexy husband that comes home to me!! haha... well okay okay... maybe its just sucky having to work. And I have to quit my job this week so they've got 2 weeks to find someone new. Yahoo! Back to schooool!

Ok cya!

ps I've been enjoying this fantastic lady's blog much-o lately. Like, almost my favorite. We both love simplicity.
Her's was one of the first blogs I read, I believe. And then she posted about this dress and I kinda felt it was so totally... wrong... that I like totally lost faith in her taste. Now I like her again. She's won me back. Thanks Kelly! (her PMSing posts are the best)