Not a snowflake, just a flake

I am WAY late in responding to this tag, but somehow I have completely lost myself in peppermint mochas and Christmas carols. With a minute to spare and most of my gifts already wrapped, I finally have the time to play along. Unfortunately I am positive that everyone else has already been tagged (um, like 2 weeks ago when I was supposed to play along!), so I will just do a "pretend tag" for anyone who wants to participate. I was so graciously tagged by Lucky Designs (who I LOVE, by the way!) and she will probably never let me join in any games again as I am clearly not a "rules" kind of girl. :)
The rules are as follows: Link to the person who tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
Share 7 random and/or weird things about yourself
Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
And now, the moment you have been waiting for:

1. Every boy I ever dated (including the one I married) has been a lefty. Weird, huh? I am not a lefty and, quite frankly, I find it rather annoying that we actually have to pay attention to who sits where in the booth at a restaurant, but I wouldn't have it any other way.
2. I have a Bachelor's Degree in Secondary Education/Spanish and a Master's Degree in Educational Administration.
3. I can't swim. I have lived at the beach my whole life and refuse to get in the ocean. As I never intend to be in a situation where I am on a boat that capsizes, I think I'll be OK.
4. I tried out for, and received a callback for, The Apprentice:Martha Stewart. Obviously it didn't work out, but it was a blast.
5. When I get annoyed with someone I like to use big words with them. Especially with my husband. He hates that.
6. My very first concert was U2-Zooropa. I was 15, had front row seats and touched Bono repeatedly. It was a truly surreal experience.
7. In college I pierced my eyebrow without telling my parents. When I came home for a visit, you would have thought I had committed a violent crime. The disappointment was much worse than the pain and, needless, to say, parental approval prevailed. It came out very shortly thereafter. I still have the scar to remind me of what a dork I was.

What, seven already? But I had about 12 more things to share. Next time, perhaps.

Check that off the list

I just finished mailing the last of the invites for our Holiday Open House. Next on the list: picking up the Christmas cards from the printer and mailing them off. (With all the money I've spent on stamps this week, I could have bought at least two more gifts!)

And yes, I did ask Santa for a new camera.

On the ninth day of Christmas

...my Advent calendar said to me, "buy mistletoe and kiss". A simple enough task, I thought. That was until I drove to NINE different stores in search of it. I was a woman on a mission. From the first stop, the Farmers' Market, where I was told, "oh no, it is too early for mistletoe" (huh?) to the Home Depot where I was told, "we ran out of that last week", to the drugstore where I was told, "oh, we just sold the last one", it seemed that with every place came deeper disappointment. "We'll just switch it for another day", said Gabe. "Unacceptable" was my reply (I mean, seriously, you can't just go "switching" activities on an advent calendar. Can you?). And so it was that we had the brilliant idea of going to the Christmas tree lot (duh, right?) where we spent $3 on this quite pathetic little bunch that will probably die by tomorrow. And kiss we did. It was lovely.

Just a taste

The wedding I had this Saturday could not have been more fabulous and I am happy to say that I have in my hot little hands (OK, in my hot little hard drive) a couple of preliminary images from the oh-so-talented Leigh Miller. Details were key at this wedding, so here is just a taste of how it all came together. Much more to come in a couple of weeks.

Yes, this is how I am dressed before the wedding. You try hanging things in trees and from doorways in your skinny jeans.

Remember all those circles I was doing the calligraphy on? Here's the finished product. I wrote the words "love", "joy", and "welcome" in English, French, and Dutch. Oh, and those strands of orchids? Let's just say that best be left to a professional florist. If I never string another flower on a line, it will be too soon!

The head table. Peonies and mums. Yum.

The gown was indescribably perfect. Rivini custom made this gown for Erin and it could not have been more beautiful.