Sorry I've Been Gone! Literally, not in town.....

So sorry for the gap in posts there. I somehow got super busy at work (which is crazy because this year is still not nearly as busy as last year since I finished my masters) and obviously wedding planning is a total time controller :)

There have been lots of fun trips though. First was a Hermann, MO trip with some good friends from work. We stayed at nice B&B and participated in the wine trail. It was neat because I finally tried out different wineries than my usual :) We also had a food sampling at each location which was delicious. I love a Hermann trip any time of year.

Next Coach and  I went to Texas for a weekend trip. He met one of my sisters, plus her husband and kids, for the first time. Crazy to think that we've been together a year and are engaged but he still hasn't met much of my family. Just a fact of life when you live away from them all!

After Texas we enjoyed even more time off work since it was Thanksgiving Break! This was first year ever in my life that I was not at my parents' house. It was a little surreal but at the same time, being with Coach and his family felt completely naturally. I'm very blessed to have found not only a great guy, but a guy who comes with a great family. I'm a lucky girl :)

We have a weekend trip to St Louis next with some of Coach's college buddies followed by a trip to Branson with his family. After that it's a weekend off before we're back in my hometown to spend Christmas with my family. A couple that travels together stays together right?!

Tis the Season!

The holidays are well upon us. Thanksgiving has come and gone and we're a mere 3 weeks away from Christmas! My oh my how time flies when you're older and planning a wedding and have friends and family and things to do!! :) It's a wonderful place to be.

So my mother was always the chic woman with enough vision and control to make sure the family presents were wrapped in coordinating paper to match the tree they were placed under. If you wrapped your presents in a non-coordinating scheme they were very sweetly and prettily stacked in a different area of the room. The "pretty" tree remained picture-perfect however (we had a "fun" tree in another part of the house that held all the kids ornaments and was where we spent the most time). It's a small tradition that's stayed with me, even during the years of no tree.

This year I do not have a tree. Coach and I are traveling a lot this season (3 of the 5 weekends before Christmas were out of town). Not to mention my apartment is too small for a tree and I really don't want to lug all my decorations to his house. Not until we've done a proper sorting and moving over of things and everything will have a place. So no tree this year. But I still have a wrapping scheme. Coach is a little over(under?)whelmed that he also has to wrap according to the scheme. This way everyone knows which gifts are from us!

This year I chose white, tan, and gold. I've got white paper with gold swirls, plain brown craft paper, and gold foil paper. Then the ribbon is either white or gold or a combo depending on the paper. I'm still debating on tags but I may do the letterpress again this year. It worked pretty well last year and added a ritzy sort of touch to things.

Here is a sort of inspiration photo. I'll provide pictures of the finished product once I actually get things wrapped :)

THE Dress

So I found it. Finally. Well sort of. I reached the problem many a girl reaches (I think, maybe, I hope I'm not the only neurotic bride out there who's faced this). I liked the top of one dress and the bottom of another.

And no, I couldn't just attach one to the other, not without buying 2 dresses and breaking all and every level of wedding budget scruples. I could however, order and attach the fabric of one dress to the bottom of the other. So I went into it with that problem and met a seamstress who's a genius. Long story short, I will have my gorgeous princess gown with a few simple alterations. Add some train here, add some bedazzling there (and everywhere actually), and voila! My dream dress.

I'm still torn on the whole veil situation. I still dislike them all but there are a couple of different options I haven't tried yet. I have plenty of time before I have to decide that though.

There was just so much pressure. I loved so many of the dresses I put on and it was very hard for me to know that 1) I could only have one and 2) this was the last time I would ever get to wear a big fancy dress. I don't want to waste my final opportunity on just a so-so dress! I had visited 6 different stores and really kept comparing everything to one particular dress. So I finally went in on a whim, just by myself, back to the shop where I first tried it on. I spent about half an hour just wearing it, looking at myself in the mirror, all by myself. The sales ladies were super sweet and simply left me alone to dwell and think. In the end I shared my concerns with them and we were able to find the solution I needed. Definitely a great shop and I think I'm definitely going to have a great dress :)

Wedding Dress Shopping Real Life

I used to cut pictures out of bridal magazines of all the pretty dresses I liked. I waited and waited for my senior prom to arrive so I could wear the biggest, baddest dress of all. I watched the tv shows and wondered at who would be with me when I found my dress. I marveled at my friends who found their dresses in the first trip to the store. 

So when it was my turn I should have been ecstatic and anxious and super happy. I wasn't. I was a little tired and hadn't been to the gym in a month. I did have my mom and one of my sisters with me which was good. But the dresses weren't fitting right or they weren't making me excited. And you know that moment when they take a waffling bride and put the veil on her to seal the deal? Turns out I hate veils. I feel like a nun. Dress ruiner for sure. 

I had my day in my hometown with my mom and sister, trying on dresses at the stores I had bought my prom dresses from. Literally, one store owner was helping me and assured me she remembered what I looked like topless. Gotta love small towns. But I didn't find "the dress" only dresses I really liked.

I returned to KC and went to some stores here. It's just gotten worse. I think I like something tend go home and look at the pictures and think I look hideous. None, or very few at least, fit me right. Most will need such major alterations we would essentially be rebuilding the entire dress. Talk about a buzz kill. 

So I'm quitting, for now. I haven't found my dress yet and I know the clock is ticking. But I don't want to rush into a major thing and for me, the dress is a major thing. I somehow need to find a classy dress that makes me feel like a princess, in spite of the seeming nun veil, that comfortably fits Betty Boop. This is so not like on tv.

Chili Champion!

In my early years at my job, I thought it would be fun if the school had a chili contest. So I organized one, naturally. At that time though I didn't eat much chili (it was a new acceptance for my palate) and I had never made it before. Maybe shocking for a FCS teacher organizing a chili contest but whatever.

3 years later and I have claimed the crown for my own! I have tried numerous chili recipes over the time but ultimately the BBQ beef chili (entered in the contest as "Thick and Meaty") was the one to bring me the crown. Literally, a crown.

The original recipe comes from here and is as follows. I of course made changes because I am the worst at just following a recipe. So I made my notes on the bottom about what I did different. Hopefully it makes sense, otherwise good luck, it'll probably taste good no matter what!

BBQ Beef Chili

Ingredients

For the Pulled Beef:

• 1 2.5-3 pound beef chuck roast
• 3 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoons cayenne pepper

For the Chili:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeds and ribs removed, chopped
• 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
• 2-2.5 pounds ground beef
• 3 tablespoons chile powder
• 3 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon cayenne  (plus more, if desired)
• 3 cups pureed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup tomato paste
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 cup beef stock or water (plus more, if a thinner chili is desired)
• 2 cans kidney beans, drained

Directions

Prepare the pulled beef barbecue. (This step can be done a day ahead, if desired.) Preheat oven to 325 degree. Massage the chuck roast with mustard, brown sugar, salt, and cayenne. Place the roast in a covered, oven-safe pan. Cook for 2.5 – 3 hours, until it pulls apart easily with a fork. Remove from the oven to cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, use a fork or your fingers to “pull” the meat into shredded pieces. Discard any excess fat. Set aside or refrigerate for chili.

***

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and peppers. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until slightly tender. Add the garlic. Cook for a few minutes more. Add the ground beef and cook until completely brown, using a spoon to break it up as it cooks. Once the ground beef is fully cooked, add the chili powder, cayenne and salt. Stir to combine. Cook for a minute or two. Add the pureed tomatoes, tomato paste, brown sugar, vinegar, worcestershire sauce, and mustard. Stir to combine. Add the pulled beef. Cook for about 5-10 minutes, until all ingredients are heated through and the flavors have mingled. Add the kidney beans and beef stock. Add more stock if a thinner/brothier chili is desired. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt and cayenne, as desired.

***

Top with chopped green onions and cheddar cheese and serve with a side of cornbread.

 

 

What I Did Different:

 

·        I did not make a roast- I just used the Hormel beef Roast Au Jus stuff. It’s in the deli section usually and you microwave it. Tastes great and super fast.

·        I did not use the same meat quantities. I used one pack of the beef roast and 2 to 2 ½ lb of ground hamburger.

·        I doubled the amount of beans and used a combo of light red and dark red for color change up.

·        I added lots of black pepper, at least ½ tsp, some salt, and maybe another ½ tsp of red pepper. I thought it needed more “kick.” You might try more chili powder or cumin too but totally to your preferences.

·        I didn’t use beef broth, just water and beef bouillon cubes. It adds some saltiness that way. All in all I had to dilute this A LOT, the original is very very thick. Thin it out as much as you want. Just remember to add another bouillon cube for every 1-2 cups of water you add.

·        To also thin it out more, I used 3 cans  of crushed tomatoes (oh ps, I bought cans of crushed tomatoes and didn’t puree my own, 2 cans is about the 3 cups the recipe calls for).

·        The tomato paste amount is equivalent to 1 small can.

·        Next time I will do 2 green peppers, I like lots of color in my chili and I thought the pepper got lost, but that’s a personal preference thing. Another jalapeno would also help with color and add more of that "kick" I think chili needs to have.

 

Inspiration

Anytime you do or make something new people always ask "what inspired you?" In the world of crafting it is usually one of two things. Either your own imagination or a photo. I am normally of my own imagination but with all this wedding stuff there are several photos I'm using for guidance. It's hard to convey what's in my head, especially since I can't draw at. all. So if I have some photos to show my vendors, I'm more likely to get my "vision" explained.

Here are some of my inspiration photos. Nothing in here is EXACTLY what I want but somehow they convey the colors, shapes, textures, and emotions, I'm aiming for with the wedding theme. (And yes, these are Coach's inspiration photos too, he even knows how to navigate the wedding binder!)

Wedding DIY

I know there is such a thing as too much DIY. I know this yet it doesn't stop me. Why does DIY even happen? Because people are control freaks. People like me know exactly how they want something. We can see it in our minds and know how to make it come to life. We don't trust that someone else can see the exact same image we have envisioned so instead of risking the precious project, we do it ourselves.

My wedding and my personality means the DIY list is already getting long. Here's the list so far:

• Flower/Ribbon Wands for flower girls
• Farewell ribbon wands for exit
• Invitations
• Ceremony Programs
• 1/3 reception centerpieces
• All cocktail hour centerpieces
• Reception Programs
• Out-of-town gift baskets
• Favors
• Escort cards

And I know I'm forgetting something. But I'm not overwhelmed (yet). I have been holding myself back from starting on any of these projects and have decided that with 9 months till the wedding day, I can start. I'm giving myself till November but then crafting is ON. I have a strategy for how I'm going to get it done so that little has to happen in the more stressful days immediately before the wedding.

• The ribbon wands will get made first.
• Then the invitations will be assembled as much as possible.
• Next I will assemble the escort cards (because I have to make life difficult and choose to do something other than a simple tag with name and table number)
• By then I will start putting together the table centerpiece pieces.
• Then I will do as much pre-assembly as possible of the favors.
• By then the details will be hammered out enough to start fully assembling invitations.
• I will also be able to put together the programs.
• Last will be the out-of-town baskets simply because I won't know how many I'll need until people start booking their hotel rooms.

I realize this is all likely to change but I am truly itching to get started on the piece I am certain of (like the ribbon wands). As long as I have a plan then I won't stress about it. Plus there's going to be snow days that will need to be filled now that I don't have homework since I finished my masters! See? It all makes sense. :)