Thursday, June 30, 2011
Warning, Disclaimer & Apology . . . all rolled into one
This post will be brief, and it is mostly intended as a warning and FYI to everyone that I come into contact with from July 5 until July 28. I have not been myself lately. I have been slightly depressed, which is only because I have been studying so much, still have almost a month until the exam and I am unbelievably stressed - so, no worries. It is not a permanent attitude that I plan to have. I have been giving myself 1-2 evenings per week to spend with friends and family, which has been essential to my mental health, but I have still been studying 8-12 hours a day since May 24. That can really wear on a person's soul, which anyone who has taken the bar, is studying for the bar, or who has studied for some other career-determinative exam will attest to. However, based on what I have heard from everyone who I have talked to who has taken the bar, my life after this weekend will be even less pleasant. So, I will likely be doing absolutely nothing but studying from July 5 until the bar is OVER and out of my life (hopefully forever) on July 28. I will likely be highly unpleasant without meaning to, so please forgive me and do not take it personally. I probably will take minimum phone calls, and I will likely turn down any and every invitation to do something fun. I promise that this boring, grouchy, highly irritable version of me is temporary, and I thank EVERYONE who has been so supportive and understanding during my studies. Talk to you again after the bar!
Monday, June 20, 2011
Montani Semper Liberi. 6.20.1863
Happy West Virginia Day, everyone! First, by way of update for friends & family, Jason and I had a nice anniversary weekend. On Saturday evening we went to Joe Fazio's, which (for all of my in-laws out West) is a small, local Italian restaurant that is really popular in Charleston. It has always been one of my favorite places to go, and it is actually the restaurant that we ended up eating dinner at on the evening that we got engaged. Our dinner was amazing, the service was great, the food was delicious, etc. etc. When we got home around 9:00, I, most unfortunately, had to study for a little bit. At midnight though (making it our actual anniversary), we popped open a bottle of champagne, toasted to a wonderful year of marriage, ate a piece of wedding cake and watched our wedding ceremony on DVD. It was wonderful. Yesterday we had dinner at my parents to celebrate father's day, and we ate some more cake! So, all-in-all, it was a nice anniversary. It would have been nice to have gone on a mini-trip to celebrate, but there is always next year! Right now we are focused on saving money and me passing the bar so that we can COMPLETELY settle down somewhere in Charleston.
Now on to the real purpose of this brief post, it is the great state of West Virginia's birthday today! June 20, 1863. For those who know me well, I love my home state. I love seeing mountains in every direction that I look. In fact, when I don't, I feel extremely uncomfortable and oddly exposed - naked almost. I love the sense of togetherness that West Virginians feel with one another when gathered together for any particular reason. I love that, from what my brothers tell me (because I have basically never traveled or lived anywhere else for more than a week-long vacation), there are Mountaineers everywhere, with bars devoted to reunions and serving as a place to watch WVU games from out-of-state. I love going to weddings where all of the guests are swaying, arm in arm, and singing Country Roads. In fact, my brother, Justin, told me that the only time he got emotional at my wedding was when Country Roads was the song we chose as the last song. I love going to Mountaineer football and basketball games and seeing fans, no matter how tough they may be on a regular day in other situations, wearing their hearts on their WVU jerseys on game day. I love that Mountaineer sporting events bring grown men to tears because of the emotional rollercoaster that is being a die hard, life-long Mountaineer fan. Sure, there are times when I wish that I could move somewhere else, just to see what it is like, but I am a happy and proud resident of the wild and wonderful state of West Virginia. I was born here, and I will die here. I don't need anything else. I don't need to live in a booming and bustling city. I don't need a professional sports team - the Mountaineers are enough for me! I don't care about the opinions of uneducated (uneducated about WV, not in general) people who assume that I am just some random hillbilly who is married to a distant cousin and walks around barefoot. I do like to walk around barefoot, but, I assure you, Jason is not my cousin. I don't care if we are one of the poorest states in the country, and I don't care that we are one of the most obese states in the country. Well, let me modify that a bit. I want our state's wealth to improve, and I want the health of our citizens to improve, but not to impress anyone else - I want those things so that the future of West Virginia is as bright and determined as the past. Most of you probably don't know this, but on this date 3 years ago, I got "Montani Semper Liberi" tattooed on the side of my ribs. That might be a slightly extreme version of showing the love that I have for my state, but Mountaineers are Always Free. That saying gives me a sense of pride that occasionally brings tears to my eyes. I like being the underdog. I like taking people by surprise. I like being a part of something so special. So, as our boy Tony Caridi puts it best, it's a GREAT day to be a Mountaineer, wherever you may be! Cheers!
Now on to the real purpose of this brief post, it is the great state of West Virginia's birthday today! June 20, 1863. For those who know me well, I love my home state. I love seeing mountains in every direction that I look. In fact, when I don't, I feel extremely uncomfortable and oddly exposed - naked almost. I love the sense of togetherness that West Virginians feel with one another when gathered together for any particular reason. I love that, from what my brothers tell me (because I have basically never traveled or lived anywhere else for more than a week-long vacation), there are Mountaineers everywhere, with bars devoted to reunions and serving as a place to watch WVU games from out-of-state. I love going to weddings where all of the guests are swaying, arm in arm, and singing Country Roads. In fact, my brother, Justin, told me that the only time he got emotional at my wedding was when Country Roads was the song we chose as the last song. I love going to Mountaineer football and basketball games and seeing fans, no matter how tough they may be on a regular day in other situations, wearing their hearts on their WVU jerseys on game day. I love that Mountaineer sporting events bring grown men to tears because of the emotional rollercoaster that is being a die hard, life-long Mountaineer fan. Sure, there are times when I wish that I could move somewhere else, just to see what it is like, but I am a happy and proud resident of the wild and wonderful state of West Virginia. I was born here, and I will die here. I don't need anything else. I don't need to live in a booming and bustling city. I don't need a professional sports team - the Mountaineers are enough for me! I don't care about the opinions of uneducated (uneducated about WV, not in general) people who assume that I am just some random hillbilly who is married to a distant cousin and walks around barefoot. I do like to walk around barefoot, but, I assure you, Jason is not my cousin. I don't care if we are one of the poorest states in the country, and I don't care that we are one of the most obese states in the country. Well, let me modify that a bit. I want our state's wealth to improve, and I want the health of our citizens to improve, but not to impress anyone else - I want those things so that the future of West Virginia is as bright and determined as the past. Most of you probably don't know this, but on this date 3 years ago, I got "Montani Semper Liberi" tattooed on the side of my ribs. That might be a slightly extreme version of showing the love that I have for my state, but Mountaineers are Always Free. That saying gives me a sense of pride that occasionally brings tears to my eyes. I like being the underdog. I like taking people by surprise. I like being a part of something so special. So, as our boy Tony Caridi puts it best, it's a GREAT day to be a Mountaineer, wherever you may be! Cheers!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Quick Update & Quick Vent!
Hello friends & family! One of the main reasons that I started this blog was so that my friends and family members who don't live in WV would have an idea about what is going on in my life. Now, more than ever, I need to write a quick post because I have been sort of MIA for awhile. So, here is the update!
I have been studying pretty much every hour of the day that I am awake, minus an hour or two by the pool (during which I usually am at least studying a little bit) when the weather is nice. I went to Philly for the weekend of June 3-5, and I got absolutely no work done while I was there. It was a nice trip, but it put me a bit behind in my bar review course. So, I have been playing catch up ever since! Thankfully, I am caught up, but I am still working hard so that I can do a couple of things that aren't built into the daily study schedule (which our bar prep program created for us). For example, although the bar exam consists of 50% multiple choice questions and 50% essay & practice tests, the bar review course focuses almost entirely on multiple choice questions, so I need to practice some essay questions and what not on my "own time."
With all of this studying, I haven't done much else worth updating everyone on! Jason has been amazing, as per usual, and has done the lion's share of household chores, but I've been making dinners and just cleaned the whole apartment yesterday. He is the neat one and I am the clean one. That is not to say that I am a slob or that he is dirty, ha, but he likes things straightened up and can't stand clutter, but he can deal with dust and dirt a bit longer. I try to keep my things in order, but I always fail miserably. With that being said, I cannot stand toothpaste on the bathroom mirror, a dirty toilet, or dirty kitchen counters. So, that really works out. He straightens up and organizes, and I clean. He has also been doing a majority of our laundry, for which I love him more everyday! He has been keeping himself busy by working on our 20 + year old boat that my parents gave us a few years ago when they got their newer boat. Even though I see him everyday, I miss him. This schedule leaves us with little time to enjoy one another's company, but it is a necessary, and more importantly, a temporary evil.
Speaking of Jason, our one year wedding anniversary is on Sunday! I can't believe it. Time really flies. I wish that I could re-live that day over & over so that I could enjoy different parts of it, one part at a time. One word of advice to brides-to-be - cherish the time leading up to your wedding day, because the wedding goes by too fast. As the saying goes, don't wish your life away. Don't worry about the little details of the wedding, because I would almost promise you that no one will ever remember if a centerpiece was messed up, or if some other little detail goes wrong (and if they do - WHO CARES?).
To tie the past two parts of this post together, my "little" cousin, Francie, is getting married in just over one month. She just finished her first year of medical school, and she is getting married in Mississippi on July 23. I am so incredibly proud of her and happy for her. Unfortunately, her wedding is about 14 hours away and three days before the bar exam, so I can't go. She understands, but it still breaks my heart that I won't be able to be there for her big day like she was there for mine. I take one bit of comfort in knowing how busy the wedding day will be, how many people she will have to and want to visit with, and that, as much as she may think otherwise, she will barely notice that I am gone :)
For the last note of the "update" portion of this post, Jason and I adopted a new kitten!!! We adopted her from the pound on Monday, and we get her either this afternoon or tomorrow (she is getting spayed and maybe declawed). I haven't met her yet (I sent Jason to the pound because I would cry the whole time if I went and leave with every single animal), but she looks adorable and I can't wait to get her home so Stewie can meet her! I anticipate disaster, but I know Stewie will love her within a few days!
And for the venting portion - I watched Good Morning America today, which ran a story about former "Teen Mom" star, Amber. She allegedly tried to commit suicide about a week after pleading guilty to beating up her baby's father on national television. At the end of the story, the reporter confirmed what I have read in other places, which is that these teen moms are making six figure salaries for being on that show. That infuriates me. First - I readily admit that I used to be a regular viewer of the show, until I learned how much money they were making and then I got annoyed and stopped watching. Second, and more importantly, I am in no way criticizing teen mothers. I admire young woman who are brave enough to take responsibility for their actions and give up part of their youth so that they can make that of their children a positive and loving experience. I am acquainted with several young women who had children young, but still attended or are attending college, and who are building careers, making something of themselves and who have raised wonderful children in the process. I am in awe of these women, as I know how difficult it was for me to get through college and what not with just taking care of myself!
However, I think it ridiculous and socially irresponsible for MTV to be paying these young women such a large amount of money for doing this show with no strings attached (at least none that I have read about). I've read reports (and seen pictures) that Farrah, one of the original teen moms, spent her newfound money on a boob job, and at least two other teen moms (including Amber) have likely been spending their money on legal fees thanks to all of the trouble that they have been in since the show aired. Don't get me wrong - some of those girls may very well be spending all of that money on college and raising their children, and for those girls, that is wonderful. But to pay these girls six figure salaries with no real strings attached seems, to me, to be rewarding them for getting pregnant and does not give teenagers in this country a real view of what it is like to be a teen mom - because I don't know any teenage mothers making six figures. Yes, it is frustrating that I have been in school for 20 years, put myself in a decent amount of debt putting myself through law school, and will not be making six figures any time soon while these girls up to 10 years younger than me are making that money for doing nothing but getting pregnant and filmed by MTV. However, my real problem with them making so much money is that the babies may never realize any benefit from it. If MTV really wants to be socially responsible and put a message out there that being a teen mom is hard and not something to be taken lightly, then, as payment for being on the show, set up a trust fund for the babies so that they can go to college!!! With as much money as they are making, set up two trust funds - one for the babies' college funds and one for the teen mothers' college funds. Or trade school, or whatever they want to do, but don't just write a check to a 16-18 year old girl and hope for the best! Otherwise, it really seems to me that MTV is just sending out the message that, if you get pregnant as a teenager and get on this TV show, you will be well-paid for it and likely become famous and be plastered on the cover of every magazine.
Well, that is enough ranting and raving for now. I will post again the next time I need to take a study break!
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Long Time, No Blog
Well, as I am looking at the date of my last post, I realize that it really has been quite awhile since I last blogged. Although this post will not likely be very earth-shattering or intellectually stimulating, I figured that I should update my friends & family who read this.
I completely finished with school on Friday, April 29, I moved back to Charleston (clothes and personal items at least) on Saturday, April 30, and I started work on Monday, May 2. I decided that I wanted to work full-time for the three weeks before my bar prep class started (this coming Tuesday), as Jason and I will be paying two rents for two months and I had no good excuse not to start work (and start earning my salary). It was a busy three weeks of work. I've been working really hard and working fairly long hours, but I just wanted to do the best that I could in the time that I worked. Honestly, I know that it makes me a nerd, but I have enjoyed the challenge.
On May 14, I received my fake law school diploma at my law school graduation. Check me out - I am Sarah A. Martin, Doctor of Jurisprudence.
I completely finished with school on Friday, April 29, I moved back to Charleston (clothes and personal items at least) on Saturday, April 30, and I started work on Monday, May 2. I decided that I wanted to work full-time for the three weeks before my bar prep class started (this coming Tuesday), as Jason and I will be paying two rents for two months and I had no good excuse not to start work (and start earning my salary). It was a busy three weeks of work. I've been working really hard and working fairly long hours, but I just wanted to do the best that I could in the time that I worked. Honestly, I know that it makes me a nerd, but I have enjoyed the challenge.
On May 14, I received my fake law school diploma at my law school graduation. Check me out - I am Sarah A. Martin, Doctor of Jurisprudence.
Graduation was not all that I thought it would be. For whatever reason it just didn't seem like that big of a deal. Maybe it was because I was extremely hot the whole time, or maybe it was because I had already worked for two weeks so it just seemed a bit anti-climactic. Although, I did greatly enjoy my graduation gifts from my wonderful husband (a new watch and a bottle of my favorite gin!).
Oh yeah, I forgot the Four Loko :) Ha!
Either way, I was still proud of myself, and I am proud to be a graduate of the WVU College of Law. On Sunday, May 15, Jason and I moved almost all of our belongings out of the townhouse in Morgantown and into our apartment in Dunbar. Thankfully, my parents helped us move out of the townhouse, as well as my brother-in-law, Lonzo. We were also extremely fortunate to have some of our good friends help us move into the apartment on Sunday so that we weren't living out of boxes for the next month! Casey, Brandon, Enybe and Hetu - THANK YOU!
Here are some pictures of the apartment so far :)
Our room
Dining area - cheap furniture, but it will do until we buy our first house in 6 months (hopefully).
View from our room into the closet and hall, ha.
Kitchen and laundry area.
Our bedroom :) It is a bit sparse, but it will do for awhile.
Living room view.
Jason's side of our walk-in closet :)
Living room view again.
Bathroom.
Dining area again.
My half of the closet.
View of our little deck with our new patio furniture, purchased at Kroger, ha.
Dining area again.
Living room into the hallway.
Living room again.
Hall.
This weekend, Jason and I drove to Harrisburg, PA, for the wedding of our friends, Tara and Martin. It was a beautiful wedding, and Tara looked gorgeous :) Martin didn't look too shabby either! I was so glad that they got one of the two nice days that I have seen in the past month. They deserve it.
Well, that is the cliff's notes version of my life for the past few weeks. My bar review course starts on Tuesday, so I am pretty much done working for awhile. The next 10 weeks of my life are going to be completely dedicated to studying for the bar exam. I am not looking forward to it at all, but it has to be done, and I just keep thinking about and looking forward to the day in August or September when I find out that I (hopefully) passed the bar. What a wonderful feeling that will be.
Well, that is all for now, folks! Until next time . . .
Friday, April 29, 2011
It's Really Over
I know that I posted 9 days ago about the end of my academic career (it feels like a month ago), but countless hours of studying, few hours of sleep, one final, one hearing, multiple phone calls and a non-filed supplemental report later, it really is over.
As many of you know, I am starting my job on Monday (May 2), so it is likely that I will be leaving without saying goodbye to so many of my friends. I know it isn't really "goodbye" because I will see everyone at graduation in two weeks, but I wanted to make a quick post in hopes that it will show some of my appreciation to the people I have met & grown close to.
When I started in August of 2008, I only knew three people in my class. Kevin, who I have known since elementary school (he was two years ahead), is the only other person from my high school in my class. Then there is Natalie, who I've probably spent the most time with. I met her in undergrad through a mutual acquaintance. We apparently had the same major and minor, but we only had a couple of classes together in college. There was one other guy I knew - a friend of a friend situation again. On the night before orientation, Natalie and I rode to the reception together, where we met and hung out with Sarah! She was my first "stranger" friend in law school, and we have remained friends. I didn't know that she was also from the Charleston area, and I'm not sure about her plans after graduation, but I hope that she is near Charleston again!!!
During the first week or two of law school, a group of girls came over to my house to begin what would become "Wine Wednesday." It was a briefly-followed tradition, but I know that Megan and Mary Catherine joined in. I will be spending all kinds of time with MCF (most of you know that she and I were hired by the same firm and will be ATVing [not talking about all-terrain vehicles]for years to come), but I will really miss Megan. I've always admired her confidence and her style! God I wish I could dress & accessorize like that, ha. I think that Liz might have joined us for that first Wine Wednesday, but, if not, she definitely started joining us for dinners/wine nights. We've bonded over trash TV! Specifically, Teen Mom! She is moving all the way to South Carolina, and I will miss her. She is one of the nicest girls I know.
I don't know when or how Savannah and I started hanging out, but our shared love for Grey's and The Lost Boys made us fast-friends, haha. I will miss her too. Hopefully we can have the occasional Lost Boys reunion!! I didn't start hanging out with Ashlee until our second year, but we've become very close over the past two years. She's moving to North Carolina, and I am really bummed that she isn't going to live 2 minutes away anymore, but thankfully it is just a 3.5 hour drive between Charleston and where she will be in NC.
Then of course there are the K(C)atie's! They were my sanity throughout Moot Court debacles!! I'll miss those girls as well. I hope that I can continue to relay my outrageous antics to Katie - I can always count on her to enjoy my stories, ha. I definitely have some hilarious memories from dinners/parties at Catie's! That's pretty much how I starting hanging out with Taylor. Though I probably come off as a bi$*H to Taylor sometimes, he's a nice guy. A lot of people who came to our wedding didn't bring a card or gift, which we didn't care about, but Taylor couldn't come to the wedding so he sent us a card in the mail. I thought that was extremely thoughtful. And Catie got me a super thoughtful, homemade wedding gift as well. Must be something about the water in Martinsburg! Ha.
Then there are the J boys! Josh has gradually become a regular at Casa de Martin. I'm pretty sure that he just comes because hes likes the food, but I'll miss him. I can always count on him for a laugh or a spinning buddy. And the other J, Justin. We didn't meet until this year, which is unfortunate, because we have similar personalities when it comes to a lot of things. We share a love for Will Ferrell - anyone who loves Will Ferrell is a friend of mine!!! He always listened to me when I needed to whine about things, which I appreciated. Again, I'll miss him.
I know that Michelle and Kiersan are going to be in Charleston! Glad some of the WVUCOL girls are setting up shop in my hometown! Obviously, there are other classmates of mine who I respect, and whose company I will miss, but if this post is any longer, it might get excessive :)
The last three years have been the most challenging years of my life. I lost three friends who were extremely dear to me and I lost two grandparents. I also spent the first year in a long-distance relationship, which was difficult and required a lot of honesty, understanding, and communication. But, at the end of the journey, I am a far better person because of my years at the WVU College of Law. I am stronger, and I have so much more confidence in my ability to accomplish my goals. I am a better wife because Jason has shown me the meaning of sacrifice and compromise - he has moved twice now, and changed jobs twice, so that I could pursue my dreams. He has dealt with my really unpleasant moods when I would have to study for hours and hours and hours, and he has been a shoulder to cry on when I've needed it. I've met amazing people who have challenged me and taught me things that I couldn't have learned in any other situation. I've made some great friends who have been there for me through it all. So, to end, I want to say thank you to all of those people, and to those who I won't likely see very often in the future, goodbye, I'll miss you, good luck, and thanks for the memories!
WVUCOL '11
As many of you know, I am starting my job on Monday (May 2), so it is likely that I will be leaving without saying goodbye to so many of my friends. I know it isn't really "goodbye" because I will see everyone at graduation in two weeks, but I wanted to make a quick post in hopes that it will show some of my appreciation to the people I have met & grown close to.
When I started in August of 2008, I only knew three people in my class. Kevin, who I have known since elementary school (he was two years ahead), is the only other person from my high school in my class. Then there is Natalie, who I've probably spent the most time with. I met her in undergrad through a mutual acquaintance. We apparently had the same major and minor, but we only had a couple of classes together in college. There was one other guy I knew - a friend of a friend situation again. On the night before orientation, Natalie and I rode to the reception together, where we met and hung out with Sarah! She was my first "stranger" friend in law school, and we have remained friends. I didn't know that she was also from the Charleston area, and I'm not sure about her plans after graduation, but I hope that she is near Charleston again!!!
During the first week or two of law school, a group of girls came over to my house to begin what would become "Wine Wednesday." It was a briefly-followed tradition, but I know that Megan and Mary Catherine joined in. I will be spending all kinds of time with MCF (most of you know that she and I were hired by the same firm and will be ATVing [not talking about all-terrain vehicles]for years to come), but I will really miss Megan. I've always admired her confidence and her style! God I wish I could dress & accessorize like that, ha. I think that Liz might have joined us for that first Wine Wednesday, but, if not, she definitely started joining us for dinners/wine nights. We've bonded over trash TV! Specifically, Teen Mom! She is moving all the way to South Carolina, and I will miss her. She is one of the nicest girls I know.
I don't know when or how Savannah and I started hanging out, but our shared love for Grey's and The Lost Boys made us fast-friends, haha. I will miss her too. Hopefully we can have the occasional Lost Boys reunion!! I didn't start hanging out with Ashlee until our second year, but we've become very close over the past two years. She's moving to North Carolina, and I am really bummed that she isn't going to live 2 minutes away anymore, but thankfully it is just a 3.5 hour drive between Charleston and where she will be in NC.
Then of course there are the K(C)atie's! They were my sanity throughout Moot Court debacles!! I'll miss those girls as well. I hope that I can continue to relay my outrageous antics to Katie - I can always count on her to enjoy my stories, ha. I definitely have some hilarious memories from dinners/parties at Catie's! That's pretty much how I starting hanging out with Taylor. Though I probably come off as a bi$*H to Taylor sometimes, he's a nice guy. A lot of people who came to our wedding didn't bring a card or gift, which we didn't care about, but Taylor couldn't come to the wedding so he sent us a card in the mail. I thought that was extremely thoughtful. And Catie got me a super thoughtful, homemade wedding gift as well. Must be something about the water in Martinsburg! Ha.
Then there are the J boys! Josh has gradually become a regular at Casa de Martin. I'm pretty sure that he just comes because hes likes the food, but I'll miss him. I can always count on him for a laugh or a spinning buddy. And the other J, Justin. We didn't meet until this year, which is unfortunate, because we have similar personalities when it comes to a lot of things. We share a love for Will Ferrell - anyone who loves Will Ferrell is a friend of mine!!! He always listened to me when I needed to whine about things, which I appreciated. Again, I'll miss him.
I know that Michelle and Kiersan are going to be in Charleston! Glad some of the WVUCOL girls are setting up shop in my hometown! Obviously, there are other classmates of mine who I respect, and whose company I will miss, but if this post is any longer, it might get excessive :)
The last three years have been the most challenging years of my life. I lost three friends who were extremely dear to me and I lost two grandparents. I also spent the first year in a long-distance relationship, which was difficult and required a lot of honesty, understanding, and communication. But, at the end of the journey, I am a far better person because of my years at the WVU College of Law. I am stronger, and I have so much more confidence in my ability to accomplish my goals. I am a better wife because Jason has shown me the meaning of sacrifice and compromise - he has moved twice now, and changed jobs twice, so that I could pursue my dreams. He has dealt with my really unpleasant moods when I would have to study for hours and hours and hours, and he has been a shoulder to cry on when I've needed it. I've met amazing people who have challenged me and taught me things that I couldn't have learned in any other situation. I've made some great friends who have been there for me through it all. So, to end, I want to say thank you to all of those people, and to those who I won't likely see very often in the future, goodbye, I'll miss you, good luck, and thanks for the memories!
WVUCOL '11
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Quick Words of Advice for Brides & Grooms!
Another one of my close friends, Heather, got married today :)! Which made me realize that I wanted to follow up from my last post about weddings. Heather - this goes to you, too, since you are going to have a big reception later!
If I could give three pieces of advice to any bride & groom (especially brides), this is what they would be:
1) Do NOT book a honeymoon that requires you to leave early the next day (or preferably not the next day at all). Jason and I flew out of Columbus at 11:00 a.m. (or around there) the day after our wedding, which meant leaving Charleston at 5:00 a.m. and driving to Columbus! That wasn't so bad at all, but we really regretted it in hindsight because apparently our entire wedding party (bridesmaids, groomsmen and guests) went out afterwards. We really wished that we could have spent that additional time with our family members, especially since so many of them came from FAR away to be there with us. A lot of our friends traveled from great distances as well, and we really were bummed out that we didn't get to spend more time with them. My friend Allison came from California, Heather from Florida, Brittany from almost Virginia Beach, and then there were our family members! My brother Andy flew in from Colorado and my brother Thomas flew in from AFRICA! I had only seen him once in a year, so it would have been nice to hang out w/ the whole family for that extra day. My brother, Justin, and his wife, Nina, drove down from the D.C. area, which is still quite a hike. I also had friends from Maryland, Tennessee, and New Jersey make the drive, and family members from Mississippi and South Carolina as well. Jason's family flew in from Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado, Maryland, Virginia, and some drove down from Grafton. The point is: you will want to go out with your friends and family members after the wedding (if it is an evening wedding) or at least have brunch with them the next day. Plus, you want to be able to sleep in and relax :)
2. Have a bouncer by your food table - seriously. Jason and I had a sweetheart table set up at the front of the room for just the two of us. Our plan was to eat and then to go around to each table and thank everyone for coming and take a picture at every table (instead of doing a formal "receiving line"). This was an excellent plan, in theory. However, a lot of people stopped by our table to congratulate us on their way to the food line, which we really appreciated and we were so happy to see everyone!! But then we realized that a lot of time had elapsed, the food on our plate was cold and uneaten, I was gabbing away with people, and we still hadn't started our rounds. I've gotten so many compliments about the quality of the food at our wedding, and I only had a few bites. You're (or your parents are) paying for it, so you might as well make sure that you can enjoy it!!!
3. Brides - let yourself cry. I put this last, but really, it would be my first piece of advice. Leading up to the wedding, every time that I read the vows that Jason and I were going to make to one another, I would get choked up. Every time that I heard the song that we would share our first dance to (Brad Paisley - Then), I would start crying (happy tears!). To this day, I tear up when I listen to that song. And don't even get me started about my dad. I have always thought of myself as a "Daddy's girl," and I am the baby and only girl out of 4 kids. When I would think about him walking me down the aisle and giving me away, I would instinctively tear up. Even before I was engaged!! Especially hearing songs like "I Loved Her First" (which he walked me down the aisle to - instrumental only, or I would have cried all of the way down, ha) or "Butterfly Kisses" - I would turn into a tear factory!!! But on the big day, I joked my way through the ceremony and dances so that I wouldn't cry, and, in hind sight, I wish I would have just taken in the moment and, if that meant crying - so be it. I picked the song "My Girl" as the song to dance with my dad to. This was a strategic choice. He has also been known to shed a tear or two, and if he cried at all, it was a sure-thing that I would lose it. Also, my dad LOVES the Temptations. So, I figured if we danced to that song, we would just sing our way through it. It was a success, and I don't regret it, but, again, I wish that I had taken in the moment instead of joking (when I wasn't singing). I also didn't let myself cry when I saw Jason for the first time, when we were saying our vows, or when we were dancing. I was SO happy, but I was concentrating so hard on not crying that I missed out on feeling things fully that I will never experience again. Although, Jason was sweating profusely throughout our vows, thanks to the 96 degree heat and shining lights in our faces in front of 150 people, so I probably would have laughed through the vows no matter what :)
OK Brides - that is my advice. Take it or leave it, but, coming from a semi-newlywed, I think it is pretty good advice :)
If I could give three pieces of advice to any bride & groom (especially brides), this is what they would be:
1) Do NOT book a honeymoon that requires you to leave early the next day (or preferably not the next day at all). Jason and I flew out of Columbus at 11:00 a.m. (or around there) the day after our wedding, which meant leaving Charleston at 5:00 a.m. and driving to Columbus! That wasn't so bad at all, but we really regretted it in hindsight because apparently our entire wedding party (bridesmaids, groomsmen and guests) went out afterwards. We really wished that we could have spent that additional time with our family members, especially since so many of them came from FAR away to be there with us. A lot of our friends traveled from great distances as well, and we really were bummed out that we didn't get to spend more time with them. My friend Allison came from California, Heather from Florida, Brittany from almost Virginia Beach, and then there were our family members! My brother Andy flew in from Colorado and my brother Thomas flew in from AFRICA! I had only seen him once in a year, so it would have been nice to hang out w/ the whole family for that extra day. My brother, Justin, and his wife, Nina, drove down from the D.C. area, which is still quite a hike. I also had friends from Maryland, Tennessee, and New Jersey make the drive, and family members from Mississippi and South Carolina as well. Jason's family flew in from Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado, Maryland, Virginia, and some drove down from Grafton. The point is: you will want to go out with your friends and family members after the wedding (if it is an evening wedding) or at least have brunch with them the next day. Plus, you want to be able to sleep in and relax :)
2. Have a bouncer by your food table - seriously. Jason and I had a sweetheart table set up at the front of the room for just the two of us. Our plan was to eat and then to go around to each table and thank everyone for coming and take a picture at every table (instead of doing a formal "receiving line"). This was an excellent plan, in theory. However, a lot of people stopped by our table to congratulate us on their way to the food line, which we really appreciated and we were so happy to see everyone!! But then we realized that a lot of time had elapsed, the food on our plate was cold and uneaten, I was gabbing away with people, and we still hadn't started our rounds. I've gotten so many compliments about the quality of the food at our wedding, and I only had a few bites. You're (or your parents are) paying for it, so you might as well make sure that you can enjoy it!!!
3. Brides - let yourself cry. I put this last, but really, it would be my first piece of advice. Leading up to the wedding, every time that I read the vows that Jason and I were going to make to one another, I would get choked up. Every time that I heard the song that we would share our first dance to (Brad Paisley - Then), I would start crying (happy tears!). To this day, I tear up when I listen to that song. And don't even get me started about my dad. I have always thought of myself as a "Daddy's girl," and I am the baby and only girl out of 4 kids. When I would think about him walking me down the aisle and giving me away, I would instinctively tear up. Even before I was engaged!! Especially hearing songs like "I Loved Her First" (which he walked me down the aisle to - instrumental only, or I would have cried all of the way down, ha) or "Butterfly Kisses" - I would turn into a tear factory!!! But on the big day, I joked my way through the ceremony and dances so that I wouldn't cry, and, in hind sight, I wish I would have just taken in the moment and, if that meant crying - so be it. I picked the song "My Girl" as the song to dance with my dad to. This was a strategic choice. He has also been known to shed a tear or two, and if he cried at all, it was a sure-thing that I would lose it. Also, my dad LOVES the Temptations. So, I figured if we danced to that song, we would just sing our way through it. It was a success, and I don't regret it, but, again, I wish that I had taken in the moment instead of joking (when I wasn't singing). I also didn't let myself cry when I saw Jason for the first time, when we were saying our vows, or when we were dancing. I was SO happy, but I was concentrating so hard on not crying that I missed out on feeling things fully that I will never experience again. Although, Jason was sweating profusely throughout our vows, thanks to the 96 degree heat and shining lights in our faces in front of 150 people, so I probably would have laughed through the vows no matter what :)
OK Brides - that is my advice. Take it or leave it, but, coming from a semi-newlywed, I think it is pretty good advice :)
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
End of an Era
This morning, I decided to skip my 8:30 class. I don't feel as though I particularly benefit from going to that class. It is not taught using the socratic method, so there is no pressure that I am going to get called on. The professor also has a tendency to pontificate endlessly (with the help of a couple of students) about sample problems, and then not really give us the answer. When I woke up this morning, I was ridiculously sleepy, so I decided to skip class and go back to sleep. When I woke up a couple of hours later, it occurred to me that I had just skipped the last class of my 20-year academic career. Oops.
The full impact of this information hasn't hit me yet. I still have office hours tomorrow, and I still have a hearing next Friday, so it doesn't feel like I am "finished" with school in any way. I also have a final in the class that I skipped, for which I will likely spend the entire weekend studying. I hope to work on the final (it's a take home) on Monday & Tuesday and turn it in on Wed. morning. Even then, I don't know that it will really hit me that I am done. Maybe because I am not.
I still have to study until the last week of July for the bar exam, and I will be attending the BarBri class from 9-1 on M-F from May 24 until the bar exam. Even after the dreaded bar exam is behind me, I will be attending CLE (continuing legal education) classes every year until I retire (I think?). Also, one of the things that I love about the legal profession, is that you never really stop learning. The law is constantly evolving and changing, and lawyers are constantly having to learn about those changes.
With that being said, today is still significant. I will never have to attend a class that I am paying tuition to take. I won't have "homework" assignments anymore, and, although I don't really know the dynamics of CLEs, I doubt that I will be "on call" by a professor ever again. That is a relief! Homework assignments get particularly frustrating the longer you are in school. It becomes infuriating to spend so much time on assignments that are "simulations," especially when you have already done the real thing.
So, whether I feel "different" or not, today is the end of an era. From this day forward, every class that I take (the BarBri class, in particular) has a direct relation to my real-world career. I no longer have summers "off." I will never again have a three-week vacation during the holiday season. I can't just "wing it" with my job like I could in classes. No more three-day weekends every week because I could avoid taking Friday classes. No more day-drinking in the middle of the week just because it is sunny and warm outside. Where has the time gone?
I have to say, that while I will miss the "ease" that accompanies life as a student, I am glad that I will finally enter the professional world and leave the student lifestyle behind. I look forward to making money instead of borrowing huge amounts of it to finance my education. I am excited to be making a difference and for my work to really mean something.
Peace out, WVU. It's been real. Adios Morgantown, it's been a great 7 years. Hello, Charleston & AGT, let's do this.
The full impact of this information hasn't hit me yet. I still have office hours tomorrow, and I still have a hearing next Friday, so it doesn't feel like I am "finished" with school in any way. I also have a final in the class that I skipped, for which I will likely spend the entire weekend studying. I hope to work on the final (it's a take home) on Monday & Tuesday and turn it in on Wed. morning. Even then, I don't know that it will really hit me that I am done. Maybe because I am not.
I still have to study until the last week of July for the bar exam, and I will be attending the BarBri class from 9-1 on M-F from May 24 until the bar exam. Even after the dreaded bar exam is behind me, I will be attending CLE (continuing legal education) classes every year until I retire (I think?). Also, one of the things that I love about the legal profession, is that you never really stop learning. The law is constantly evolving and changing, and lawyers are constantly having to learn about those changes.
With that being said, today is still significant. I will never have to attend a class that I am paying tuition to take. I won't have "homework" assignments anymore, and, although I don't really know the dynamics of CLEs, I doubt that I will be "on call" by a professor ever again. That is a relief! Homework assignments get particularly frustrating the longer you are in school. It becomes infuriating to spend so much time on assignments that are "simulations," especially when you have already done the real thing.
So, whether I feel "different" or not, today is the end of an era. From this day forward, every class that I take (the BarBri class, in particular) has a direct relation to my real-world career. I no longer have summers "off." I will never again have a three-week vacation during the holiday season. I can't just "wing it" with my job like I could in classes. No more three-day weekends every week because I could avoid taking Friday classes. No more day-drinking in the middle of the week just because it is sunny and warm outside. Where has the time gone?
I have to say, that while I will miss the "ease" that accompanies life as a student, I am glad that I will finally enter the professional world and leave the student lifestyle behind. I look forward to making money instead of borrowing huge amounts of it to finance my education. I am excited to be making a difference and for my work to really mean something.
Peace out, WVU. It's been real. Adios Morgantown, it's been a great 7 years. Hello, Charleston & AGT, let's do this.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Obama is an American Citizen . . . OK?!
Just moments ago, I learned that the Arizona Legislature recently passed the "Presidential Birther Bill," which would require all presidential candidates to prove their citizenship before their names can appear on an Arizona ballot. A brief disclaimer - I have only read one article about this bill, and it was posted on AOL news, which I realize is not exactly a Diana Sawyer account of the legislation. That being said, it is my understanding that this bill would require hopeful candidates to submit a copy of their birth certificate, an affidavit in which the candidate-hopeful provides his or her age and swears that he or she is a United States citizen, and a sworn statement in which the candidate discloses where he or she has lived for the past 14 years. If, for some reason, the candidate-hopeful is unable to obtain a copy of his or her birth certificate, he or she could submit hospital records (the article gives circumcision records as an example) or "baptismal" records. If one submits these alternative documents and the Secretary of State doesn't believe that the candidates have satisfied the citizenship requirements, then that candidate would no longer be a candidate.
A Republican Representative stated that this bill is about "the integrity of our elections." I have one word to say to that - bull@*$(. And here is why that is my choice, and only, word in response. Republicans, and I'm sure some Democrats, have been questioning Obama's citizenship since the moment he became a Presidential candidate. Even now, more than half-way through his term, people (like the all-wise Donald Trump and his million-dollar hair piece) are still questioning his citizenship. I am aware that the Constitution mandates that the President of the United States must be a natural-born citizen, and if there was any legitimate question about his citizenship, I would be all for continuing to investigate the claims that he was born abroad - but there isn't. Hawaiin officials have confirmed that he is a citizen, and he has made his birth certificate public. So, he has satisfied the requirements of the "birther bill," but he hasn't satisfied all of the people in the country who continue to waste time and money debating it. Do we really want the United States of America to turn into a country where the President is required to provide his circumcision records to satisfy the likes of Donald Trump? Seriously? Not to mention how stupid it is that baptismal records can satisfy the requirement, but Obama's provision of his birth certificate isn't good enough? Because it is IMPOSSIBLE for someone to be born out of the country, but baptized here? And if you aren't circumcised or you aren't religious and thus, you have not been baptized and do not belong to a church, are you just SOL? Ok . . . sorry for that rant.
But seriously, my question is this - what is the point?! What is the point of such a bill if satisfaction of the bill's requirements is STILL insufficient to make citizenship a "non-issue." What is the point of such a bill if the candidate, once elected President of the United States, has to continue to spend time, effort & money to defend his or her citizenship? And after compliance with the "birther bill's" requirements, the Secretary of State can still possibly keep your name off the ballot because he or she isn't satisfied? The fact of the matter is, this is an effort to deter minorities from having the nerve (sarcasm) to run for president. If Obama was white, and his last name was Smith, do you think ANYONE would care that his dad was born in Kenya?! No. Would people be constantly questioning his birthplace? No. Would people instead be focusing their energy on tackling the deficit, creating jobs, etc? One can only hope.
Finally, and most importantly, why is a state's Legislature wasting time (and Arizona taxpayers' money) coming up with this bill, when it could be spending that time and money on coming up with solutions to the unemployment rates, or how to reduce the state's spending (if that is necessary)? I hope that the Governor of Arizona refuses to sign the measure into law.
In the words of Forest Gump, "that's all I have to say about that."
http://www.aolnews.com/2011/04/15/arizona-legislature-oks-presidential-birther-bill/?icid=maing-grid7|aim|dl1|sec3_lnk1|56322
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Book Worm
I wish that I had more time to read books for pleasure. I have spent a majority of the past three years reading for several hours a day, but that "reading"is of legal text/casebooks in preparation for classes. Not exactly "fun." But, over Christmas break of my first year of law school, I decided to do some "easy" reading. I had been hearing non-stop about this book series, and a movie for the first book had just come out. I saw an interview with the author on Good Morning America the summer before law school, so I figured I would just see what all of the fuss was about. That is when I read the Twilight series.
I read all four books over Christmas break. Now, I haven't really come across a "middle-ground" when it comes to Twilight - people are either obsessed with the books, or they think that the books are stupid (usually without reading them), and think that you are stupid for having wasted your time in reading them. Well, I guess there is a middle ground - me. I loved reading the books, and I own the three movies that have come out thus far, but I am far from "obsessed." I don't have Twilight posters, and I don't rush out at midnight when the movies have come out, but I have read all of the books twice. Why? Because I could, and because it was easy reading. When you read for school or work as much as I do, it is so nice to just read something silly that requires zero brain cells to comprehend. I read the 4th book in one day - I think it was nearly 800 pages long.
Now, I've never been one for "fantasy-type" books, so I anticipated thinking that the books were stupid and stopping after reading the first one. This is why I had never read a single Harry Potter book. The truth is, it is nice to escape to a world that isn't real. Whatever - I think it would be awesome to be able to live forever, accrue tons of money so that I could buy everything, move to different places whenever I want, "live" life differently after each move, etc. To top it all off, Jason gets to live forever, too? Awesome. So what if we have to drink animal blood instead of eating our favorite foods? - it is fun to imagine at least.
And then, there was Harry Potter. I am obviously a little late to the game. When I realized that I liked the Twilight series, I thought that maybe I would like Harry Potter as well. Not that the stories are similar at all, but if I could be entertained by reading about vampires and werewolves, why not witches and wizards? Unfortunately, there are seven Harry Potter books as opposed to the four Twilight books, and the HP books are longer. I kept putting it off because I assumed that there was no way that I could ever find the time to read all seven books. I was wrong. When I went home to Charleston for two weeks this winter for Christmas break, I took the first three HP books (a friend loaned me the entire series) with me. Like with Twilight, I figured I would just read the first one to see what all of the fuss was about, and if I didn't like it, oh well. I read all three books in about a week and a half, and I couldn't wait to get back to Morgantown so that I could get started on the rest of them. I read all 7 HP books in just over three weeks. They are addicting. It is fun to read about the characters and watch them grow throughout the series. I also enjoyed watching the movies (which I had never seen because I saw no point if I wasn't going to read the books). I ended up buying movies 1-6 on BluRay for like $60!! I love them! Now I am just anxiously awaiting the DVD release of the first part of the movie for the 7th book. While I won't be waiting in line at Walmart at midnight, I am really excited to see it!
To switch it up a bit, I am now on the second book of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo series. I also bought Water for Elephants. I don't really know why. I think because it was written during the Great Depression, and I think that it will be interesting and informative to read a story set during that time. I'll let you know what I think of these books once I am done. Happy reading!!!
Friday, April 8, 2011
In Need of Inspiration
It's that time again . . . Every semester I start out with a good routine at the gym. Then, without fail, I hit a two-week period, during which I am just unbelievably busy with school, so I don't see the inside of a gym for weeks. When the storm has calmed, I just want to relax, and so I keep out of the gym. As it stands, I have probably only worked out a handful of times this semester. I really need to get back in the gym, but I feel like it is useless. In two weeks, I will start studying for finals and working feverishly to close or transfer all of my clinic cases. So, if I get back to the gym now, I will more likely than not stop going in two weeks.
Long story short - I need some inspiration! I need to find something that makes me hate working out a little less. I do genuinely enjoy spinning, but I do not enjoy the traffic and parking problems involved with making my way to the WVU Rec Center. I have a nice gym here in my complex, but I hate working out. Occasionally, I make a new playlist, and that seems to help - but only for that trip.
So, if anyone has any suggestions or words of wisdom, I'm all ears :)
Long story short - I need some inspiration! I need to find something that makes me hate working out a little less. I do genuinely enjoy spinning, but I do not enjoy the traffic and parking problems involved with making my way to the WVU Rec Center. I have a nice gym here in my complex, but I hate working out. Occasionally, I make a new playlist, and that seems to help - but only for that trip.
So, if anyone has any suggestions or words of wisdom, I'm all ears :)
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Can't We All Just Get Along?
I am, like so many other Americans, sick of our federal government's inability to do . . . well, anything but argue! As I warned everyone in my first post, I am a Democrat with the occasional Republican attitude regarding certain government programs. With that being said, the ball has been dropped. It doesn't matter whether the ball was dropped by a Republican or a Democrat; all that matters is that both Democrats and Republicans are now playing keep away with it, as opposed to making efforts to send it (through the hoop, into the goal, into the endzone - pick your preferred sports reference). As a result, our nation is facing an unimaginably high deficit and the possibility (probability) of a government shutdown. Neither side is willing to compromise, and with a Republican-controlled House and Democrat-controlled Senate and White House that leads to a whole lot of NOTHNG. No solutions to the problems with the economy. No solutions for how to reduce our deficit. Nothing.
Now, here is the Democrat in me. First of all, I get really tired of listening to people complain about how Obama has done "nothing" during his time in the White House and blaming all of the country's problems on him. First of all, he wasn't given much to work with. The economy was already in shambles when he became President, and the government deficit was already record-breaking. With the economy in the shape that it was in, and with the number of Americans that were drawing unemployment as a result, I can't figure how the Obama administration is expected to reduce the deficit in just two and a half years. It is also difficult to reduce the deficit when the Republican House is continuously demanding spending cuts, even after Obama agreed to previously-requested spending cuts. The Democrats in Congress are also refusing to play nicely on the playground. Concessions are nearly impossible to achieve, and some Democrats have now taken to criticizing Obama for "giving in" to Republican demands.
JUST DO SOMETHING!! Anything, really. Even if one side completely concedes, and even if that side is the one that I agree with, that is better than nothing. The government can at least keep running, and maybe the prevailing side will return the favor in the future. Everyone needs to stop talking about compromise and just do it.
Completely unrelated, I feel like another story in the news today is worth noting. A second grader was pepper sprayed by police officers after going into a wild temper tantrum at school. The temper tantrum was such that the kid was throwing chairs and threatening teachers with a sharp wooden object, telling the teachers that he was going to kill them. The child and his mother were interviewed on GMA this morning. When asked what caused the tantrum, the child basically said he was just mad because he didn't want to be at school, and because school officials wouldn't let him do something that he wanted to do.
I'm not sure whose side I am on. Maybe it is because I don't have kids, and if I did I would be infuriated that the police would pepper spray a 7 or 8 year old. I do find it unfortunate, however, that no one is talking about how unacceptable it is for a student to attack school personnel and go into such a rage over the fact that he has to go to school. Get over it, kid. One story I read, I believe from the Today show, said that his behavioral problems are only brought on by school. The story further notes that the child has not been diagnosed with any disorder, which makes it sound, to me, like the kid just throws violent tantrums when he doesn't get his way. In which case, while pepper spraying a kid does sound a bit drastic, why should a teacher be forced to endure being hit over the head with a flying chair or stabbed with a wooden object? Why should a police officer have to endure those things either? Ultimately, I think the story paints a sad picture all around.
Now, here is the Democrat in me. First of all, I get really tired of listening to people complain about how Obama has done "nothing" during his time in the White House and blaming all of the country's problems on him. First of all, he wasn't given much to work with. The economy was already in shambles when he became President, and the government deficit was already record-breaking. With the economy in the shape that it was in, and with the number of Americans that were drawing unemployment as a result, I can't figure how the Obama administration is expected to reduce the deficit in just two and a half years. It is also difficult to reduce the deficit when the Republican House is continuously demanding spending cuts, even after Obama agreed to previously-requested spending cuts. The Democrats in Congress are also refusing to play nicely on the playground. Concessions are nearly impossible to achieve, and some Democrats have now taken to criticizing Obama for "giving in" to Republican demands.
JUST DO SOMETHING!! Anything, really. Even if one side completely concedes, and even if that side is the one that I agree with, that is better than nothing. The government can at least keep running, and maybe the prevailing side will return the favor in the future. Everyone needs to stop talking about compromise and just do it.
Completely unrelated, I feel like another story in the news today is worth noting. A second grader was pepper sprayed by police officers after going into a wild temper tantrum at school. The temper tantrum was such that the kid was throwing chairs and threatening teachers with a sharp wooden object, telling the teachers that he was going to kill them. The child and his mother were interviewed on GMA this morning. When asked what caused the tantrum, the child basically said he was just mad because he didn't want to be at school, and because school officials wouldn't let him do something that he wanted to do.
I'm not sure whose side I am on. Maybe it is because I don't have kids, and if I did I would be infuriated that the police would pepper spray a 7 or 8 year old. I do find it unfortunate, however, that no one is talking about how unacceptable it is for a student to attack school personnel and go into such a rage over the fact that he has to go to school. Get over it, kid. One story I read, I believe from the Today show, said that his behavioral problems are only brought on by school. The story further notes that the child has not been diagnosed with any disorder, which makes it sound, to me, like the kid just throws violent tantrums when he doesn't get his way. In which case, while pepper spraying a kid does sound a bit drastic, why should a teacher be forced to endure being hit over the head with a flying chair or stabbed with a wooden object? Why should a police officer have to endure those things either? Ultimately, I think the story paints a sad picture all around.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
What's Better? Christmas or wedding season?!?
For those of you who don't know this, today, April 5, marks the day six years ago that I met my husband, Jason. Next week, on April 14, it will be our six-year anniversary - dating anniversary, that is. It was unlike me then to go from meeting someone to exclusively dating them within a matter of two weeks, but Jason was (and still is) too good to be true. We got engaged in July 2008, after a little over three years of dating, and we got married on June 19, 2010, after five wonderful (albeit difficult at times) years together. We survived years of semi-long-distance dating (Charleston/Morgantown and Morgantown/Pittsburgh), three years of law school, and various other problems and issues that I would rather not rehash in the public arena that is the blogosphere. Through it all, we stuck it out, and we are now very happily married.
My friend Tara is getting married next month, and I am so excited to see her and her fiance tie the knot! My best friend of 20 years and former-roommate of six years, Sally, is recently engaged as well! She is geting married in May 2012. Two of my lovely law school ladies, Katie and Megan, also got engaged to their long-time loves this year. Last, but certainly not least, my cousin, Francie, is getting married in July! I hope that I will be able to make it to her big day down in Mississippi, but she is getting married three days before the bar exam. Whether or not I make it, I know that she will be a beautiful bride, and I will be there in spirit!
So, in light of all of the recent and upcoming marriages and engagements of my friends and family members, I figured I would post some of the details of my wedding in case they may help in the planning process! Here it goes :)
The Venue
We got married at the Charleston Women's Club on Virginia Street in Charleston, WV. I chose this venue because I loved the clean canvas that the wooden floors provide! I also wanted to hold our ceremony and reception at the same location, as Jason and I don't currently belong to any church. I highly recommend the Women's Club for the following reasons:
The price is extremely reasonable. We had the building to ourselves from the Thursday afternoon before the wedding until Sunday afternoon after the wedding, and we also held our rehearsal dinner there. The total venue cost was only $1,000!!
Most importantly, you can use whatever caterer you want. This was important to me, because I didn't want to be tied down to one particular caterer.
Beer and wine = fine! We could also have had liquor, but I decided against that. For one, we would have had to have paid a bartender. Secondly, the bar bill would have been way more expensive. Finally, people got drunk enough off of the open bar of beer and wine - I didn't want anyone puking on my wedding dress!
The Women's Club also had decent-looking silverware, plates, and glassware that we were permitted to use.
Drawbacks - I was not a huge fan of the curtains or the big green curtain on the stage; however, I was so pleased with the tables and chair covers that I didn't really notice! We rented the tables and chair covers, but I can't remember where from. I literally just googled "chair covers for rent."
Here are some pictures of the venue on the big day!
Hair
I get my hair done by Anthony at Nico Spalon in Morgantown, WV. Anthony has been doing my hair for about five years now. I do not trust anyone else with my hair! He was kind enough to come down from Morgantown to do my hair, and all of my bridesmaids' hair, for the big day. Because I was living in Charleston over the summer, we didn't really have an opportunity to do a run-through before the "actual" 'do. He nailed it. He also came to my hotel room, which I was sharing with one of my maids of honor, and touched up my highlights and trimmed my bangs at 10:30 p.m. the night before the wedding.
Makeup
My makeup was done by the lovely and talented Ms. Sarah Franklin, who works at 712 Salon in Charleston. She came to the Women's Club, which was a huge help for me. All but one of my bridesmaids opted to do their own makeup, so it was really great of her to still come to me instead of making me drive across town in the 96 degree heat! I don't usually wear a lot of makeup - most of what I put on my face consists of pre-makeup products. I had also never worn fake lashes, so I was kind of terrified when she suggested them. My concerns were unwarranted, because she took my personality and style into account, and she did an amazing job! My makeup stayed on through hours of sweating, ha!
The Dress
The dress . . . oh my. I am sure that many of you have heard about my wedding dress disaster, but in case you didn't, here is the short version. The day after my grandma (Gig) passed away, I went to David's Bridal for my final fitting. This was about two and a half weeks before my wedding. I realized at the final fitting that they had butchered my dress in alterations. They swore that they would fix it, and worked on it for another couple of days. When I went in for the final, final fitting, the dress still wasn't fixed. I was two weeks away from my wedding date with no dress. Having just lost my Gig, I had bigger things to worry about, so I kept my cool. I didn't yell. I didn't cry. I didn't panic. I just asked if I could pick out another dress and just pay the difference if the new dress was more expensive than my old one. I picked the dress that I got married in off the rack that night, had a bustle put on, and married the love of my life in it. Turns out, I loved the new dress so much more than I liked the first one. It was perfect. Both dresses were from David's Bridal, and David's Bridal's alterations department was the culprit responsible for the demise of the first dress. With that being said, David's was extremely accommodating, let me exchange dresses, let me trade in my veil for a new one (even though I didn't have a receipt), and rushed the alteration to add the bustle.
The Cake
I got my cake from a local business called A Piece of Cake, which is a local bakery owned and operated by a woman named Angie Young. The bakery is built off the side of her house. I hear the cake was good, and the bit that I got to taste when cake-shopping was amazing. Unfortunately, I didn't get more than the bite used for the photo op on my wedding day. Hopefully it is just as delicious on our one-year anniversary!
The Food
The wonderful Robin of Joe's Fish Market did our food. We told him that we wanted heavy hors d'oeuvres. I didn't want to do a sit-down dinner because I felt like it would take too much time away from dancing and mingling. I also liked that the hors d'oeuvres option allowed people to eat a bunch of different things. Again, I hear the food was amazing! It sure looked good! Unfortunately, due to socializing with our guests, which was extremely important to us, I only ate a spoonful of crap dip, one scallop, and half of a mini-crab cake. The caterer was extremely reasonably priced, and they did an amazing job with the presentation. They also provided extremely helpful servers and bartenders, and they were responsible for all of the set-up and clean-up. I think this food looks beautiful, and my family loves taking pictures of food for some reason, so enjoy!
Flowers
We did as little live flowers as possible, because I feel like they are just too expensive and kind of a waste of money. It just made me nauseous thinking about my parents spending all of that money for flowers that would die within a few days. The only live flowers we had at the wedding were my bouquet, my bridesmaids' bouquets (5), the boutonnieres for the men, and single calla lilies for moms and grandmothers. Even then, flowers were over $1,000. Morris Floral did the bouquets, and I loved them!
The DJ
At the advice of my friend, Megan, we hired Bill Shahan to DJ our wedding. He did a great job, and was really accommodating to our requests - and to our guests who decided to take the mic and do a little karaoke show for everyone!
The Photographer
Last but not least, all of the beautiful pictures that I have posted in this post were taken by the wonderful and talented Will and Dana Price of Price Portraits in South Charleston. They were amazing and SO helpful. They stayed longer than we could have asked, and they were so helpful as far as telling us when we were supposed to be doing what (It's time to do table shots with your guests, It's time to cut the cake, this is how you do it . . .). I am so in love with all of my pictures!
One of the coolest things at our wedding was the photo booth! That was also courtesy of Price Portraits. It allowed our guests to take unlimited photos, and it printed out one copy for the people in the photo booth, and I got a copy later. There are so many hilarious pictures from that photo booth - it was totally worth the cost!
My friend Tara is getting married next month, and I am so excited to see her and her fiance tie the knot! My best friend of 20 years and former-roommate of six years, Sally, is recently engaged as well! She is geting married in May 2012. Two of my lovely law school ladies, Katie and Megan, also got engaged to their long-time loves this year. Last, but certainly not least, my cousin, Francie, is getting married in July! I hope that I will be able to make it to her big day down in Mississippi, but she is getting married three days before the bar exam. Whether or not I make it, I know that she will be a beautiful bride, and I will be there in spirit!
So, in light of all of the recent and upcoming marriages and engagements of my friends and family members, I figured I would post some of the details of my wedding in case they may help in the planning process! Here it goes :)
The Venue
We got married at the Charleston Women's Club on Virginia Street in Charleston, WV. I chose this venue because I loved the clean canvas that the wooden floors provide! I also wanted to hold our ceremony and reception at the same location, as Jason and I don't currently belong to any church. I highly recommend the Women's Club for the following reasons:
The price is extremely reasonable. We had the building to ourselves from the Thursday afternoon before the wedding until Sunday afternoon after the wedding, and we also held our rehearsal dinner there. The total venue cost was only $1,000!!
Most importantly, you can use whatever caterer you want. This was important to me, because I didn't want to be tied down to one particular caterer.
Beer and wine = fine! We could also have had liquor, but I decided against that. For one, we would have had to have paid a bartender. Secondly, the bar bill would have been way more expensive. Finally, people got drunk enough off of the open bar of beer and wine - I didn't want anyone puking on my wedding dress!
The Women's Club also had decent-looking silverware, plates, and glassware that we were permitted to use.
Drawbacks - I was not a huge fan of the curtains or the big green curtain on the stage; however, I was so pleased with the tables and chair covers that I didn't really notice! We rented the tables and chair covers, but I can't remember where from. I literally just googled "chair covers for rent."
Here are some pictures of the venue on the big day!
Hair
I get my hair done by Anthony at Nico Spalon in Morgantown, WV. Anthony has been doing my hair for about five years now. I do not trust anyone else with my hair! He was kind enough to come down from Morgantown to do my hair, and all of my bridesmaids' hair, for the big day. Because I was living in Charleston over the summer, we didn't really have an opportunity to do a run-through before the "actual" 'do. He nailed it. He also came to my hotel room, which I was sharing with one of my maids of honor, and touched up my highlights and trimmed my bangs at 10:30 p.m. the night before the wedding.
Makeup
My makeup was done by the lovely and talented Ms. Sarah Franklin, who works at 712 Salon in Charleston. She came to the Women's Club, which was a huge help for me. All but one of my bridesmaids opted to do their own makeup, so it was really great of her to still come to me instead of making me drive across town in the 96 degree heat! I don't usually wear a lot of makeup - most of what I put on my face consists of pre-makeup products. I had also never worn fake lashes, so I was kind of terrified when she suggested them. My concerns were unwarranted, because she took my personality and style into account, and she did an amazing job! My makeup stayed on through hours of sweating, ha!
The Dress
The dress . . . oh my. I am sure that many of you have heard about my wedding dress disaster, but in case you didn't, here is the short version. The day after my grandma (Gig) passed away, I went to David's Bridal for my final fitting. This was about two and a half weeks before my wedding. I realized at the final fitting that they had butchered my dress in alterations. They swore that they would fix it, and worked on it for another couple of days. When I went in for the final, final fitting, the dress still wasn't fixed. I was two weeks away from my wedding date with no dress. Having just lost my Gig, I had bigger things to worry about, so I kept my cool. I didn't yell. I didn't cry. I didn't panic. I just asked if I could pick out another dress and just pay the difference if the new dress was more expensive than my old one. I picked the dress that I got married in off the rack that night, had a bustle put on, and married the love of my life in it. Turns out, I loved the new dress so much more than I liked the first one. It was perfect. Both dresses were from David's Bridal, and David's Bridal's alterations department was the culprit responsible for the demise of the first dress. With that being said, David's was extremely accommodating, let me exchange dresses, let me trade in my veil for a new one (even though I didn't have a receipt), and rushed the alteration to add the bustle.
The Cake
I got my cake from a local business called A Piece of Cake, which is a local bakery owned and operated by a woman named Angie Young. The bakery is built off the side of her house. I hear the cake was good, and the bit that I got to taste when cake-shopping was amazing. Unfortunately, I didn't get more than the bite used for the photo op on my wedding day. Hopefully it is just as delicious on our one-year anniversary!
The Food
The wonderful Robin of Joe's Fish Market did our food. We told him that we wanted heavy hors d'oeuvres. I didn't want to do a sit-down dinner because I felt like it would take too much time away from dancing and mingling. I also liked that the hors d'oeuvres option allowed people to eat a bunch of different things. Again, I hear the food was amazing! It sure looked good! Unfortunately, due to socializing with our guests, which was extremely important to us, I only ate a spoonful of crap dip, one scallop, and half of a mini-crab cake. The caterer was extremely reasonably priced, and they did an amazing job with the presentation. They also provided extremely helpful servers and bartenders, and they were responsible for all of the set-up and clean-up. I think this food looks beautiful, and my family loves taking pictures of food for some reason, so enjoy!
Flowers
We did as little live flowers as possible, because I feel like they are just too expensive and kind of a waste of money. It just made me nauseous thinking about my parents spending all of that money for flowers that would die within a few days. The only live flowers we had at the wedding were my bouquet, my bridesmaids' bouquets (5), the boutonnieres for the men, and single calla lilies for moms and grandmothers. Even then, flowers were over $1,000. Morris Floral did the bouquets, and I loved them!
The DJ
At the advice of my friend, Megan, we hired Bill Shahan to DJ our wedding. He did a great job, and was really accommodating to our requests - and to our guests who decided to take the mic and do a little karaoke show for everyone!
The Photographer
Last but not least, all of the beautiful pictures that I have posted in this post were taken by the wonderful and talented Will and Dana Price of Price Portraits in South Charleston. They were amazing and SO helpful. They stayed longer than we could have asked, and they were so helpful as far as telling us when we were supposed to be doing what (It's time to do table shots with your guests, It's time to cut the cake, this is how you do it . . .). I am so in love with all of my pictures!
One of the coolest things at our wedding was the photo booth! That was also courtesy of Price Portraits. It allowed our guests to take unlimited photos, and it printed out one copy for the people in the photo booth, and I got a copy later. There are so many hilarious pictures from that photo booth - it was totally worth the cost!
Clearly, I like black & white photos.
Well, happy wedding planning, friends!!
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Update on my trial with Mary Kay
Hi, friends! So, I have now received ALL of my ordered Mary Kay products. I have been using almost all of them, though I still haven't had a chance to start the Microdermabraision treatment, which I hope will minimize the size of my pores!! I will keep you posted on that.
However, I have been using both of the foundations that I ordered, and I have been extremely pleased with both. I use a thin layer of the liquid matte foundation and a thin layer of the mineral powder foundation - extra coverage to take care of my redness! I have also been using several products around my eyes to reduce under-eye puffiness and darkness - the eye firming creme, the soothing eye gel, some concealer, and a facial highlighting pen. I only have to use small dabs of each product, but the difference is amazing, or at least, I think it is. I'm not sure how noticeable of an improvement it is from the perspective of another set of eyes, but these eyes definitely see an improvement in their surroundings ;) Here are a couple of pictures of my recent attempts. Hopefully, my application abilities will continue to improve.
I am going to host a Mary Kay party in the Charleston area on May 7. Laura, and possibly her brother/consultant Daniel, will be in town and available to explain products and do mini-facials or mini-demonstrations. I am also planning on having snacks and sangria, so if you are interested in attending the party, let me know!
However, I have been using both of the foundations that I ordered, and I have been extremely pleased with both. I use a thin layer of the liquid matte foundation and a thin layer of the mineral powder foundation - extra coverage to take care of my redness! I have also been using several products around my eyes to reduce under-eye puffiness and darkness - the eye firming creme, the soothing eye gel, some concealer, and a facial highlighting pen. I only have to use small dabs of each product, but the difference is amazing, or at least, I think it is. I'm not sure how noticeable of an improvement it is from the perspective of another set of eyes, but these eyes definitely see an improvement in their surroundings ;) Here are a couple of pictures of my recent attempts. Hopefully, my application abilities will continue to improve.
I am going to host a Mary Kay party in the Charleston area on May 7. Laura, and possibly her brother/consultant Daniel, will be in town and available to explain products and do mini-facials or mini-demonstrations. I am also planning on having snacks and sangria, so if you are interested in attending the party, let me know!
Obviously, I look ridiculous in this, ha. But, shows the eye makeup better!
Monday, March 28, 2011
Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder . . . and Mary Kay
Greetings, beautiful people! So, I learned an amazing thing this past week while I was visting friends in TN - Mary Kay makeup and skin-care products are AWESOME! I recently visited my "pseudo sister," Laura, her husband, and their two boys (my "pseudo nephews"), in Sewanee, TN. I refer to these people as "pseudo" family members because I have known Laura and her brother, Mike, since I was three years old. I have known their younger brother, Daniel, for his entire 21 years of life. Laura has two beautiful, angelic little boys, Jackson (almost 2) and Cooper (almost 2 months). My husband and I made the trip down south to visit Laura, Nick and Jackson, and to meet baby Cooper (and visit the rest of the Forster clan, of course).
Laura has been selling Mary Kay products since this fall. She had told me about her new business venture, but, although I wanted to provide more than just moral support, I refrained from any purchases because I assumed that I could not afford Mary Kay. While we were down there, I asked Laura to do my makeup before we went out one night, and I explained to her what my "skin gripes" were. Specifically, (the title of my blog is "Quite Frankly," so I am just being honest) my skin is always some shade of pink. That shade of pink is difficult to cover without a lot of makeup (at least, it takes a lot of makeup that you can buy at Kroger). I also need to shrink my pores to help get rid of my stubborn blackheads. To top it all off, law school has left me with puffiness and dark circles under my eyes. Armed with all of this information, Laura went to work. I was WOWed by the outcome.
First of all, I wasn't able to immediately see the results of the skin-care products (obviously), but Laura is extremely knowledgeable about all of her products. She explained the importance of skin care, and recommended the products necessary to solve my skin problems. Next, she taught me how to properly apply makeup. This is a skill that many people who are good at it take for granted. I spent 15 years of my life playing soccer and rolling around in the mud, so I don't know the first thing about what most makeup products are for, and I definitely have no idea how to apply most of them. Laura explained and demonstrated how to apply the makeup products that she was using. Needless to say, at the end of the day, I ended up purchasing about 18 things.
I LOVED the results of my mini-makeover. I looked like a new person! The best part - it is way cheaper than I thought! I have been using Cover Girl (or comparable brands of) makeup since I started law school. I just can't afford the department store makeup that I bought when my parents were giving me my "spending money." I have done a little bit of research, and here is the breakdown: the roll-on foundation that I used (Loreal) is about $13 at Kroger; the foundation that I bought to take on my honeymoon from Macys (Chanel brand) was $54; the comparable liquid foundation that I purchased from Mary Kay - $20!!!!!! The foundation that I used in TN was actually a mineral powder foundation, which costs $18. I prefer the feeling of the mineral powder foundation because I don't like the feeling of makeup on my face, but I have never found a mineral powder foundation that actually covered the redness of my complexion. That is, until now. To continue with the price comparisons, I used to buy Chanel mascara as well - $30. The mascara that I purchased from Mary Kay (which I LOVE, by the way) - $15. Now, while I realize that Cover Girl mascara is closer to $7, I definitely feel like the Mary Kay mascara is worth the extra $8. For one last comparison, I will mention the prices of moisturizer. The moisturizer that I have been using for years (Lancome) costs $45 at Macys. I do love that moisturizer, but Mary Kay's equally effective moisturizer - $22.
The moral of the story is . . . I have been completely sold on Mary Kay products. The products are a bit more expensive than the brands that you can buy at Kroger, but the quality far surpasses that price differential. It is worth the extra $5-10! The quality is equal to (or better, I think) than the department store brands, but a fraction of the price. Plus, you get an amazing consultant (like Laura!) who is extremely knowledgeable and who can recommend the right products.
I am waiting on half of my products to arrive, but when they do, I promise to keep my readers updated on the results. If the skin-care products don't work, I will tell everyone honestly. I have used all of the makeup products though, and I KNOW that they are amazing.
I will be hosting at least one Mary Kay party in the Charleston area in the coming months. Laura will travel from TN to take orders, explain and recommend products, etc. If anyone is interested, let me know, and I will try to get her up this way again! Even if you can't make your way to a party, you can check out her Twitter and Facebook page and get advice/submit orders that way.
http://twitter.com/#!/lauraeknight
http://www.facebook.com/lauraeknight.MK
Here is a picture of her work! Be kind, any deficiencies are from my natural looks, not her makeup job! Also, my camera promptly died after this photo was taken, so I don't have any better ones. I will post results photos at some point! :)
Laura has been selling Mary Kay products since this fall. She had told me about her new business venture, but, although I wanted to provide more than just moral support, I refrained from any purchases because I assumed that I could not afford Mary Kay. While we were down there, I asked Laura to do my makeup before we went out one night, and I explained to her what my "skin gripes" were. Specifically, (the title of my blog is "Quite Frankly," so I am just being honest) my skin is always some shade of pink. That shade of pink is difficult to cover without a lot of makeup (at least, it takes a lot of makeup that you can buy at Kroger). I also need to shrink my pores to help get rid of my stubborn blackheads. To top it all off, law school has left me with puffiness and dark circles under my eyes. Armed with all of this information, Laura went to work. I was WOWed by the outcome.
First of all, I wasn't able to immediately see the results of the skin-care products (obviously), but Laura is extremely knowledgeable about all of her products. She explained the importance of skin care, and recommended the products necessary to solve my skin problems. Next, she taught me how to properly apply makeup. This is a skill that many people who are good at it take for granted. I spent 15 years of my life playing soccer and rolling around in the mud, so I don't know the first thing about what most makeup products are for, and I definitely have no idea how to apply most of them. Laura explained and demonstrated how to apply the makeup products that she was using. Needless to say, at the end of the day, I ended up purchasing about 18 things.
I LOVED the results of my mini-makeover. I looked like a new person! The best part - it is way cheaper than I thought! I have been using Cover Girl (or comparable brands of) makeup since I started law school. I just can't afford the department store makeup that I bought when my parents were giving me my "spending money." I have done a little bit of research, and here is the breakdown: the roll-on foundation that I used (Loreal) is about $13 at Kroger; the foundation that I bought to take on my honeymoon from Macys (Chanel brand) was $54; the comparable liquid foundation that I purchased from Mary Kay - $20!!!!!! The foundation that I used in TN was actually a mineral powder foundation, which costs $18. I prefer the feeling of the mineral powder foundation because I don't like the feeling of makeup on my face, but I have never found a mineral powder foundation that actually covered the redness of my complexion. That is, until now. To continue with the price comparisons, I used to buy Chanel mascara as well - $30. The mascara that I purchased from Mary Kay (which I LOVE, by the way) - $15. Now, while I realize that Cover Girl mascara is closer to $7, I definitely feel like the Mary Kay mascara is worth the extra $8. For one last comparison, I will mention the prices of moisturizer. The moisturizer that I have been using for years (Lancome) costs $45 at Macys. I do love that moisturizer, but Mary Kay's equally effective moisturizer - $22.
The moral of the story is . . . I have been completely sold on Mary Kay products. The products are a bit more expensive than the brands that you can buy at Kroger, but the quality far surpasses that price differential. It is worth the extra $5-10! The quality is equal to (or better, I think) than the department store brands, but a fraction of the price. Plus, you get an amazing consultant (like Laura!) who is extremely knowledgeable and who can recommend the right products.
I am waiting on half of my products to arrive, but when they do, I promise to keep my readers updated on the results. If the skin-care products don't work, I will tell everyone honestly. I have used all of the makeup products though, and I KNOW that they are amazing.
I will be hosting at least one Mary Kay party in the Charleston area in the coming months. Laura will travel from TN to take orders, explain and recommend products, etc. If anyone is interested, let me know, and I will try to get her up this way again! Even if you can't make your way to a party, you can check out her Twitter and Facebook page and get advice/submit orders that way.
http://twitter.com/#!/lauraeknight
http://www.facebook.com/lauraeknight.MK
Here is a picture of her work! Be kind, any deficiencies are from my natural looks, not her makeup job! Also, my camera promptly died after this photo was taken, so I don't have any better ones. I will post results photos at some point! :)
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