Where:

We did it. We booked the Crystal Ballroom for our wedding. Now to plan all the other million details.

For Your Viewing Pleasure...Dogs

Thought this cartoon was too cute not to share. It's not unlike what I do for a living.

Dress Success

I set up an appointment to go wedding gown shopping earlier this week. I know the wedding is over a year away, but my sister (and MOH) is leaving for Greece on the 24th and will be gone until mid-July. Then she will only be home for a few weeks then it's off to some place for law school...Chicago, Pittsburgh, who knows? So, I thought she should at least see a few before she leaves. I made an appointment at a store in Keizer (I didn't like the vibe at the same store in Eugene when I was bridesmaid dress shopping), but I thought it was a good place to start. Surely this would just be the beginning of many, many shopping trips.
We (sis, mom, & grandma) arrived a couple minutes late because Brie (my sister) had a final in Eugene that morning. They seemed like they weren't expecting me. They left us just standing there for a few minutes, bewildered. Finally a sales lady came in from the back, where she had been eating chips & salsa. She asked what size pants I wear. I told her (blank), but when I bought a dress here before I needed size (blank) to fit my chest. She didn't even bother to look at the pictures they told me to bring of my favorites. I spent a lot of time and effort putting together a collection of favorites, hmph! She pulled a bunch of dresses, none of which were in my inspiration book. She asked what size bra, and of course they don't even make my size. So I had to make do with one about three cup sizes too small. I tried on dress after dress in a not quite big enough size. Did I mention that you can see straight into my dressing room from the front parking lot? Awkward! I told her I liked the skirts with the pick-ups but it was like she wasn't listening. I told her I didn't like the corsetted bodice, but half of them were that way. I don't want to feel like a rack of lamb or some kind of roast on my wedding day, or any day for that matter! My sister hated all the ones that the sales lady liked, I think that rubbed her the wrong way. Finally, we got her to bring a dress with pick-ups in the skirt...guess what? I hated it on me! Funny, I love that in the pictures. I also decided I like the corset because I can get a dress big enough for my chest but cinch it in around my waist, and I don't look like a roast. Now I just need to tone up my arms.
I ended up falling in love with the second dress I tried on. So she went back for the right size and laced all the way up and plopped the veil on my head. Awwwww!!! But I couldn't bring myself to buy it right then, even though it was on sale. I just thought no way! It's not this easy! I have to go to half a dozen other stores first, right!?! I always second guess myself anyways, and this is way too much of an expenditure to second guess. I did put a deposit on it. This did two things: 1)lock in the sale price and 2) left me with the feeling I had accomplished something wedding related. You know, other than the groom. Plus, this way if I change my mind I'm not stuck buying from that store, although my sister will be buying her bridesmaid dress there if that is the case.
You'll just have to wait for pictures though. We can't have FH (future hubby) seeing it before the big day! This is what it does NOT look like. Hehehehe.

via uglyweddingdress

For Your Viewing Pleasure...Dance

This is the first installment of For Your Viewing Pleasure. This guy's got some moves and his transitions are flawless! Please enjoy, I sure did.

Crystal Ballroom

This place will quite possibly be the location of our wedding. What do you think of the space?

Baby Ballet

Once my sisters-in-law-to-be got pregnant and had their little boys, I started to think why would anyone want to do this. The laundry-list of effects on your body was extremely unnerving to me. Then after they're here the little guys never stop crying. And we can't hop in the car and go somewhere without a trailer-load of baby accoutrement. How could something so small require so much stuff? Besides, I'm used to the dogs where you can just put them in their kennel and head to the movies. But then I began teaching ballet this year and when I saw my little ballet class in their adorable little ballet skirts with tiny little ballet slippers my ovaries skipped a beat. I teach Pre-Ballet to 3-4 year-olds (and a 2 1/2 year-old) and Ballet 1 to 5-7 year-olds. It is hard work, but now that I see that they are actually learning it is so rewarding. Granted some of the 3-4 year-olds don't grasp everything or even want to dance sometimes, still I love to see their smiles when we do our super-girl stretch or play ballet hokey-pokey. The older ones are amazing! They are like miniature ballerinas. They are fantastic at the barre and can even do some more complicated excercises. The recital is coming up on June 6 so I've been spending a lot of time cutting music (well, Scott has at least) and choreographing their dances.

Here is the costume I chose for the babies:

They are dancing to Hop Scotch Polka by Art Mooney.

Note: the girls don't like the above costume because it's not pink.

And here is the costume I chose for the older girls:

(From the front you can see that the green looks like leaves.)
They are dancing to Waltz of the Flowers from The Classical Child At the Ballet.

It was very hard to choose, there are sooooo many cute costumes. I was having second thoughts about the white one yesterday, but Jane, the owner, said they were on their way. Too late now. Plus, I think it's good to see them in little tutus rather than a dress. Don't you?

Brooke + Scott

I realize it's been a while since my inaugural post. I had hoped to post daily, but planned to post weekly and here it is nearly a month later...bad blogger!!! After reading my first post my fiance, Scott, replied dejectedly "You didn't even mention me". In an effort to make amends for this slight I shall now tell you the story of us. Scott and I met in the Oregon Marching Band. This was definitely by chance as I happened to join the only sorority that had a member who was in the band. I, being a dancer did not want to convert to colorguard, but my Big was in the guard and talked me into doing it with her. She quit after that year, but I stayed for 5 total...Yay free Nike gear!!! Scott played trumpet in the OMB, he noticed me, I noticed him, blah blah blah. After a bit of encouragement from our friend, Ray, and maybe a little stalking by me, we ended up on our first date. We went ballroom dancing at Gerlinger. And a short 8 years later, here we are finally planning a wedding for next spring.

Then...

Now...

BB + SO = LOVE