My Life at ALMOST 30...

Hello fellow bloggers! I have decided that since my life is finally making progress at the age of ALMOST 30, that I need to share my experiences. When I turned 27 it was no big deal. 28? A HUGE, FREAKING deal. Why? I have no idea. Suddenly I realized that I was at a job I didn't like, I was not engaged or married, I drove a car I hated, I was poor and I had no children (with the exception of animals). Now I know life should not be measured by these things but tell this to an emotional woman on her birthday. On my 29th I had the delayed effect. I was awesome for 2 days and then suddenly I was crying myself to sleep already thinking that 30 was going to suck. However, after all that, I am here to say that 30 will not suck! I still have the same job that I don't care for and I'm still mostly poor BUT I am recently engaged, recently bought a new car (hence the still being poor) and I am planning a kick ass wedding! So maybe for my birthday I'll wish for a new job. But right now things are really looking up.

I have the best fiance in the whole world. Obviously I'm partial but how many men hold on to a ring for a month because they can't think of an awesome enough way to propose? Well, maybe there are others but I prefer to think this makes him special. In the end he took me to Bond Falls in Michigan and proposed in front of the waterfalls. We had a real picnic (basket included) before hand and when he finally got down on one knee, I was so flabbergasted, I forgot to answer. I've been told that it felt like 10 minutes and he has also asked that when the Pastor asks us for our "I do's" that I know the answer right away. I'll make sure to stay on top of that. :)

Now I am at the beginning stages of planning our wedding, which will be September 2013, and I get so excited that I want to be able to share some of my wedding planning adventures. I have been reading blog after blog of other people's wedding stories and looking for ideas. Tony and I are very much outdoors people, so our wedding will be no different. We have an awesome venue and I have some great ideas that I can't wait to get started on. I have made my own feather/flower hair piece already and I plan to (attempt) make my own garter, as well as the men's boutonnieres. I can't wait to see how these turn out. If they turn out well I just might be nice and share them with you. :)

I feel like my life has hit a new chapter with our impending marriage, our discussion of children (HOLY SHIT!) and my new found love (or determination) of DIY. I was super creative as a child and I'm hoping that I can get that back. I used to draw, paint, photograph and craft anything horses. Seriously I was pretty great for being 12 and fairly good at 17. Now I just don't stop whatever I'm doing to draw or paint anymore. Unless it's a wall, which even that I'm behind on. I used to enter 4-H projects as a kid and I always won blue ribbons on my drawings and photo's. I even had a photo that was given a Merit award. If you don't know what that is, it's basically the "your photo's the bomb" award. They only choose a few and then they are hung in the entrance of the fairgrounds Expo building until the following year. I also used to craft blankets, halters, saddles and bridles for my Breyer horses (collectible toy horses) when I was 12. I told you I could do anything horse related! So I have decided there is no reason I can't apply all of my creative luck towards wedding planning and house decorating. I. Am. Determined. Also, Nate Berkus makes it look so easy.

Additionally, I should mention that my baking and cooking talents have improved. I am always so proud of myself when something turns out, so now that I have my new camera I will do my best to show off any "big" cooking/baking moments. When I got my first apartment at the young age of 24 (fyi I had been on my own briefly but ended up having to move back with my parents. That's another long story in itself) I didn't even know how to cook spaghetti (and I still can't spell it without spell check). And I have burned minute rice. So believe me when I say, that knowing how to make a casserole and chili, enchiladas and homemade macaroni, sloppy joe's without a can and my mom's tuna noodle salad is a HUGE accomplishment to me. When I started making 3 dishes for dinner instead of 2, Tony said (before we were engaged) that I must really want to get that ring. Actually that wasn't my reason at all (I was just so excited to make things) but if I had known that would have done the trick I would have done it a long time ago. :)

I can't wait to share all my new adventures with you. I am going to become domesticated if it's the last thing I do!

Bond Falls, MI. Where Tony popped the question.