All Things Wedding: The Color Edition!

157 Days to go!

Wowzers. Time is flying.

One of the biggest decisions a bride has to make before starting any wedding planning is what color scheme she wants to go with. I started out wanting purple, then red, then back to purple, and then finally deciding that I just can't decide. That's the biggest reason I decided to put my bridesmaids  in gray dresses. It allows me to use whatever color I want, wherever I want it without clashing. Just call me a color genius.

Here's where the color scheme stands right now.

I know we'll probably have red roses, but I also want some purple, maybe blue, and bright green mixed in. I tried calling the florist two weeks ago but she never got back with me. I guess I should make another soon.

I am really pushing for deep navy blue tuxes. I found a picture and THEY LOOK AWESOME. Plus, I figure that kinda goes with Sean and his love of the Yankee's. Navy Blue Pinstripes are classic.

The little girls will wear cream, which matches my dress but will have a satin ribbon around their wastes that will be different colors. I'm thinking something like deep red for Lucy, deep purple for Katie, and a lighter brighter green for Addison. The little boys will be wearing a tux, whatever color we end up choosing for the guys tuxes.

The reception hall is just beautiful. It's all golds, dark wood, and there's some rose color. There's no decorating needed. Which is possibly why my stress levels about the reception are pretty close to niche, nada, zero! We just have to get the food, the seating, and the drinking right.

I'm learning that the biggest thing my color scheme or lack thereof is affecting is the invitations. I know I want to assemble my own, mostly to save some moola, but also because I want to be in control of how they turn out. I've already put together the wording, but finding the paper to see my vision carried out has been a task. I was going to try and find a local paper store, but ain't nobody got time for dat! So, I found an awesome website that has pre-cut paper in every color imaginable. I ordered eight different color samples and they should be here this week. Once I look over the colors with my sister, my matron-of-honor, and my Mom, I will place the order for the different pieces we'll need and the invitation train will be in motion!

I'm still feeling good about all this wedding stuff. No bridezilla moments so far!

Today

Friday Saturday, Saturday to Sunday

Friday

Friday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Sunday

Contentment

Yea! It's Friday!

This week has been rough. Three days this week I didn't get home until around 10:30pm due to working at Jim's tax office. We're in the dead middle of tax season so next week doesn't look very promising either. Thankfully, April 15th is only ten glorious days away. I've never been one to wish away time, but I'd be cool with a FF button right now.

I don't know why everyone keeps saying the economy is coming back, because in times like these, it sure as hell doesn't feel like it.

For the second time in the seven months that I have been employed, there were layoffs at my day job. With those layoffs came some restructuring and I'm now responsible to answer the phones three days a week. "They're making me go backwards", I thought. The very first job I ever had after taking time off from college, was answering phones. I was not born to sit in a room and answer the damn telephone every time it rings. I was born to be moving around, to be creative, to think critically. I was not born for this!

While I'm friendly to all, I only talk on a personal level to about three people in the office. You can bet your dogs boots that they all knew I was frustrated by this turn of events. One of the people I talked to, reminded me that I should be thankful to be working still, that sometimes you have to let others do their part and while you're waiting, basically saying that sometimes"contentment is okay." Meh.

I decided I'd try and have a good attitude about it, and I started by "Betsy-fying" my new responsibilities. I made stuff look pretty. I'll do pretty much anything if it's pretty. I've already received a few compliments on the changes I've made and it reminded me that sometimes you have to suck it up and make the best of the worst. Is that what contentment means?

As I was heading home from Jim's office last night, Ashley texted me and said she had seen an e-mail from her boss to the Director asking what the status of bringing me on board was at this time. Ah. "Just let others do their part Betsy, and while you're waiting, be content."

Some people are geniusly genius... you just have to be willing to listen.

Ashley's Pizza Bites

Sick Little Man

I got most of my bridesmaids together this past weekend to finalize their dress choices and place the order - YAHOO! Ashley decided to make a weekend of it and came up Friday night to hang out. After work, I went to visit Eli, my nephew, in the hospital who was battling a rough tummy bug. He was in there three nights and it was probably the saddest thing ever. I brought him a cute card, a doggy stuffed animal, and a Where's Waldo book to help keep him occupied while he laid in bed. Although from what I understand he spent most of the time drinking a little milk and then falling back asleep. Peyton Manning's Childrens Hospital treated him well, and he finally started feeling better on Monday. Praise the baby Jesus!

After my visit with Eli, which was more of a visit with Joe since Eli was sleeping, I met Ashley at Marsh to pick up beverages and the items we needed to make Ashley's Pizza Bites.

Since it was Good Friday, Sean and I couldn't eat meat. Which kinda ruined Ashley's idea to make pizza bites, but have no fear! We waited until midnight and then she showed me how to whip up these little cups of low-calorie, low-carb goodness.

I highly recommend these to anyone - and I highly recommend getting creative! You can do anything with these - pizza, taco, Chinese, veggie, breakfast, WHATEVER you can dream of, you can enjoy. These little won ton wraps were sent directly from heaven, I'm certain of it!

Ashley's Pizza Bites

1lb Spicy Sausage

1 package of mini pepperoni (usually found by the sliced meats in the refrigerated section)

Baby Taco Salad Shells

1 can Chef Boyardee pizza sauce

1 bag shredded mozzarella cheese

1 package Nasoya Won Ton Wraps (found in the health food refrigerated section)

salt, pepper, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper to taste

In a cupcake pan, press one won-ton wrapper into each cup. Make sure all four corners are up, creating a little bowl. Bake in the oven at 350 for about 5-7 minutes or until the edges turn brown.

Just a dollop of sauce!

Brown the sausage until fully cooked. Add a handful (if you love pepperoni add as much as your little heart desires) of mini peperoni's and a handful of mozzarella cheese. Mix the sausage, pepperoni, and cheese together - add spices until it tastes good to you.

Move the Won Ton bowls to a cookie sheet. They should look like teeny tiny taco salad bowls. Fill each with a spoonful of the sausage and peperoni mixture. Add a dollop of pizza sauce (be careful not to use too much pizza sauce!) on top of the mixture and cover with shredded cheese.

You will have extra mixture left over - you can refrigerate it and it will be good for about a week or so. These are so easy you can pop them in whenever you want for a snack! Have unexpected guests? impress them with this quick, healthy, and easy snack!

Bake 7-8 minutes or until the cheese has a little color to it.

ENJOY.

After entering this recipe on My Fitness Pal , I figured out each pizza bite has 100 calories. Last night Sean and I made these bites with Turkey Sausage and Turkey Pepperoni (I diced the peperoni into little pieces) and they only had 60 calories in each pizza bite.

  

Cheesy Goodness

The final product!

Wobbly Wednesday

I got the blues

Mondays are never fun. I'm sure they could be fun if you have a job that you love, or if you knew you didn't have to work Tuesday, or even if you had dinner plans with your friends after work. But just like my hate for Wednesdays, my hate for Monday was pretty strong this morning. Some people would say, "Well, you just woke up on the wrong side of the bed and put your poopy pants on instead of your awesome pants" but I call shenanigans.

So, instead of being all poopy because it's Monday, it's chilly outside, and I have an earache - I now present to you

What Motivates Betsy List

Reading Blogs

For example, www.mamalaughlin.com - she's totally ridiculous, but she cracks me up. and she makes me want to blog like her - saying totally ridiculous things and making up my own words. But I'm not that funny. She used to be chubby and now she's a certified badass.

Chai Tea Latte

I can't drink pop like I used to, and when I say I used to I mean in the twelve years that I've been allowed to drink pop (my Mom didn't dare allow us pop, smart woman). Anyways, it gives me this weird feeling that makes me feel like I'm going to faint. Also, I find it hard to focus when I'm on the caffeine. Coffee turns my teeth yellow, so it's just not an option.

On the way back from Sean's grandmother's funeral, my future sister-in-law, Elizabeth, and her hubby, Shaun, stopped at Starbucks. Elizabeth got a hot chai tea latte. Shaun got an iced chai tea latte. Maybe it was the other way around, I don't remember. Shaun ending up getting bored with his so he gave it to me, and that's when I had my first glorious sip of chai tea latte. I'm addicted. Perfect amount of caffeine, not too many calories, and heaven in my mouth.

The Health & Fitness Board on Pinterest

If I don't feel like working out, or really want to eat something crappy, I hop onto Pinterest and go straight to the Health and Fitness board. It never fails me. Something always pops up that reminds me how hard I've been working and there's no point in sabotaging myself now.

Upcoming Wedding

166 days to go. My dress is hanging in my apartment. We just ordered the ladies dresses.

THE HONEYMOON HAS BEEN BOOKED.

Impending Spring

I know spring has arrived according to the calendar, but not according to the temperature. Thinking about summer dresses, shorts, tank tops, sunglasses and tan lines puts a smile on my face and makes me want to work it like none other.

I guess this list turned into

"What Motivates Betsy to Get Her Butt in Shape" 

- sorry if you were looking for something different.  

Grocery Shopping

I agree with the quote, "you get fit at the gym and lose weight in the kitchen."

My Aunt Suzanne

She died way too young. I'd like to see Lucy, Eli, and Graham get hitched one day.

That's all for this list, for now.

I hope you decided to put on your awesome pants this morning instead of your poopy pants. Writing this list just forced me to change out of my poopy pants, and put on my life is good pants. Whoop, whoop.

After all, Stephen Kellogg says it best..."Happiness depends on how you handle the day..." Well said, Stephen, well said.