Here We Go

A new blog for a new part of my life.

With the current blog that I have called "Taken Into Account" I write about everything from personal encounters, business, politics, religion, epiphanies I have, etc. I would have people ask me about updates on my life, & when mass quantities of people are asking for details, I felt like starting a new blog about my engagement & soon to be marriage. At times I would send them to my other blog, because I have from time to time written 'life updates' if you will, but that was not what I had intended for Taken Into Account....and with people from Japan, Australia, Europe, and all over the U.S. (hard to believe, but truly amazing!) taking interest in my thoughts there, I will continue to pursue my creative writing passion through both outlets.

Another element, if not the most important one, of starting this new blog, is to archive my thoughts and memories during this time in my life. I realize that this is an epic year, that most will not be like this one and I need to cherish every moment. Sometimes those memories can get lost in the stress of planning and organizing and putting together. I realize that it is easy to get lost in the 'motions' of it all and to not stop and look around and realize how blessed I have been, and to remember this amazing time when the trials and tribulations come.

I am not assuming everyone cares to read these things, just that a select few do. This life, after all, is not all about me and never will be. I prefer it that way. I am not used to having a lot of attention on myself, and while I am enjoying the support of my friends and family during this time in my life, I look forward to the coming months when I will have a more-free schedule to spend the desperately needed one-on-one time with my future husband, friends, & family.

I look forward to the adventures, the simple days, spending time with people I love, DECORATING, being a new wife, loving my new husband, and all that comes with these things.

The Final Countdown...

24 Days. As I look at my calendar, it is a mere 3 weeks away from my wedding day, the first day I will be Mrs. Christopher Olsén. Along with the excitement & butterflies that come from picturing me walking down the aisle with my dad, towards my fiancé, also comes symptoms that only a shot of Pebto Bismal could cure. So many things are changing, but all of them are positive, amazing wonderful things. Hey I cried when I moved into and out of my college apartments & condos, so getting engaged, planning a wedding, graduating from college, starting a full time career at a financial firm, purchasing a home with my fiance, & moving into said home before our wedding, is bound to spark more than just a few ounces of emotion.

I just had the most amazing Bridal Shower I could have ever asked for. You know the Barbie Dream House? Well I had the Barbie Dream Shower. There was a pink "dessert bar" complete with pink champagne petifors, pink gumballs & candy canes, a Red Velvet Heath Trifle, Dark Chocolate Macadamia Nut Toffee cookies...and that was just dessert! Don't even get me started on the rasberry marmalade over the baked brie as one of many amazing appetizers...

Overall it was an amazing afternoon, and as I finish up my last thank you notes to the wonderful women who made that day so special, I look out onto the sea of bakeware, home decor, & other goodies and can't help but hope that Chris is going to love all the meals I make him, the way I decorate our house, and how organized I am.

I got the chance to walk through our beautiful (new to us) home last night, and I must say, I have the most amazing future husband for all of the work he has put into getting everything ready before our wedding. In the last two weeks he has negotiated & implemented new tile downstairs, having the whole house painted (including accent walls! you can't forget those), getting our carpets stretched & cleaned, getting the cabinets painted, and will now seal our garage floor with apoxy coating...not to mention the amazing wedding gift from his dad of custom garage cabinets, & replacing our small crown molding on the cabinets with 3 or 4 inch crown molding...such a blessing!

Back to the wedding: the last vendors have been called, the last quotes have come in, mostly every decision has been made. The food will be great, the music will be perfect, and my dress will be white (even with all the teasing I have been doing to Chris about a yellow dress...come on, lets be real). The days are being counted down until I get to walk down the aisle towards the man I have been falling in love with for the past (almost) 3 years. I can't wait to say our vows to each other, to have our first dance, & to celebrate this once in a lifetime experience with all of our wonderful friends and family.

When I think about the gluing, the mailing, the melting of beautiful wax stamps, the stamping, the sewing, the ordering, the recieving, the phone calls, the emails,  the printing, the faxing, and the taping, the laughing, the crying, the smiles and the hugs...it has all been worth it. It has all been wonderful. And I will never forget the past 6 months.