All the Goods

Registries are like letters to Santa for grown ups. You get to add whatever your little hearts desire, which is kind of great and kind of crazy. I go back and forth on feeling totally overwhelmed, to guilty and selfish, to super excited and back again.

Having a conversation with my Grandmom totally helped me put it in perspective though. She just celebrated her 85th birthday this year so to say she's old school might be the understatement of the century. That being said, she and I had a chat a few months back while going through her old engagement and wedding albums. There was a picture of all the gifts she and my Grandpop received at their shower and she joked that this was before the time of registries so you got lots of great gifts but nothing matched and you got tons of duplicates and then she pointed out the 3 lamps in the picture (none of which she would have picked out herself) and she laughed and said she wished department stores would have come up with this idea before she got married.

So I've started ours... all 4 of them... and maybe counting :) I had a lonnnnng talk with my big sis tonight and she said just go willie-nillie :) you get a great discount after the wedding on things that still remain on your registry and it helps people see your sense of style. It's also great because it makes it super easy for your guests.

So we're officially registered at Pottery Barn, Crate & Barrel, Willams-Sonoma and Bed Bath & Beyond. Now if I could just decide on what we want/need.

Any great suggestions are welcome! Pleassssse!

Engagement Pictures - what to (and not to) wear

I've scoured Pinterest for HOURS (days, maybe even weeks) looking for inspirational Engagement Session outfits. I've blog-stalked and had numerous discussions about locations, looks, and styles with my sister, the photographer, and of course Jay (who thinks I'm completely insane).

I look at other peoples engagment sessions that I love and I pin it. When I find a cute outfit I like, I try to figure out how to make Jay coordinate with me but not "matchy matchy"

The best advice I got was: DON'T Match.
Do not both wear variations of the exact same outfit or you run the risk of ending up on this amazing site. (you're welcome for this gem)




The 2nd best advice was: Don't wear something that you won't ever wear again. Look like yourselves. Avoid trends that you wouldn't normally wear or you'll just look silly and like you're trying too hard.
(like these people)

The 3rd thing: have your pictures taken at a spot that you've actually been or will go again. Seeing your beer-only friend trying to pull off pics at a winery is almost as good as seeing your tom-boy sister making out with her future-hubby in a sequin dress with weird back-lighting.

You want your friends and family to say how cute the pictures are, not be asking themselves "what the hell were they thinking?"

Something Borrowed

So maybe I've been living under a rock... but weddings are EXPENSIVE! I feel like I'm just coming to the realization that no matter how much you think you're "saving", you're still spending a Shit-ton of money on things you would otherwise never dream of doing!

Case in point ... the $250 tiara I got at David's Bridal when I got my dress. I didn't even want a tiara, but I got caught up in the moment and carried away and didn't realize the astronomical price of the never-gonna-wear-again accessory that I thought I just had to have. After some buyer's remorse and waffling about whether or not to keep it, I'm happy to report it has been exchanged for something a bit more practical (even if also not to be worn again), bra and slip. It also contributed to the cost of my Rehearsal Dinner Dress.

Enter the reason I feel I've really been living under a rock.... HAPPILY EVER BORROWED! It's wedding website where you can rent jewelry and accessories for the big day and return them when you're done! Kind of a fabulous idea when the goodies you're finding cost hundreds and you just cannot justify spending that much on something you'll more than likely never wear again!

I'm kind of obsessed with this.

#hashtaggggggg

So we all know I'm a blog-stalker. I follow a ton of sweet ladies and their daily posts because they are super down-to-earth, fashionable and mostly because they're full of GREAT ideas on which I just can't wait to put my own twist.

Steph, my-fave-photographer-ever-of-all-time, over at Saltwater Studios posted this awesome little idea the other day on her blog and I was so excited that she did because I NEVER would have thought of it on my own :)

I'm new to android/iPhones for my own personal use (had my good ole blackberry up til last week) and I've gotta say, the first app I downloaded was Instagram. I'm so hooked! I loveeee it!

#mrandmrsdonoghue

So I went ahead today and added this page to our wedding website ;) I thought that Steph was a genius for posting her hashtag early on in her engagement! What a great move so that all your friends can use it for all the events surrounding the wedding.

We're planning on an engagement/housewarming/beerolympics party as soon as our house is cleaned up and ready for company and then there's the shower and bachelor/ette parites (although maybe some of those pictures should NOT be shared) and the rehearsal and the wedding itself! I am soooo pumped that everyone will be able to tag their pictures and share with all of us :)

(the soon-to-be)#mrandmrsdonoghue
(#dontspellournamewrong)

Silver Linings....

My fiance is spectacular. He reposted this image above on my facebook page this morning from RunUMother.

It brought tears to my eyes. All my life, I never thought I'd ever be able to run a marathon... I was not a runner. Never had been (other than a brief few years in grade school where I was better at shot put than anything else). My sister - she was the runner - the cross country record setter. But then one day, 2 years ago, I started running. I ran every day.

When I started I couldn't even run 1 mile. I walked some and I set a goal to do 3 miles a day... just get in the distance and run as much as I could. Walk/Run/Walk/Jog/Die a little/Walk/Jog/Sprint home at the very end... I was able to run 1 mile, then 2, then 3. I was a runner. Not a great one, but I got a little better at it every day. I remembered things my sister taught me and used them like a mantra. When I got weary, I'd think to myself "I can do this. I can do this", sometimes I'd even say it out loud in tune with my breathing. In through your nose, out through your mouth.... I can do this.... elbows in, punch punch.... let your arms help your momentum.... I can do this... knees up... roll through your toes...I loved every second of it.When I lost motivation, I'd tell myself I just needed to get out a 1/2 hour to think. Just do 1 mile, and once I was out there, just me and the pavement, I'd make it at least 3 miles before heading home. Some days I was fast, some days I was slow. It didn't matter because I was doing it.

I ran my first 5k, 5 miler, The Broad Street Run, and a 1/2 marathon. I was addicted...to the me-time, to the head clearing, to the thrill of pushing myself just a little further, then just a little faster... I raced other people, I played games my sister taught me like find a person ahead of you and catch up to them. If  I crossed paths with someone running my route, I'd change directions and try to beat them back to that point. I seriously have enjoyed every second and every step of every run I've ever taken. I know I am so lucky that I love it so much because I know so many people who absolutely hate running.

I'm not a great runner, but I'm a runner. I haven't run a marathon yet but I would like to some day. I dream about qualifying for Boston. When Jay and I were in Boston last spring, we walked down Boyleston St. to dinner one night and we talked about how fun it would be if we had come a week later so that we could watch the Marathon. We chatted with a few people who were in town for the race, we daydreamed about how awesome it would be if we could run it too.

Today I find myself thankful that I didn't qualify but hurting for those who were there. I'm thankful to be part of such a wonderful group of amazing people. The people who run toward the bombs to help instead of away to save themselves. The finishers who gave away their medals to others who didn't get to cross the finish line. These are AMAZING people! They are what 99.9% of us strive to be good. We want to be "the Helpers", we want to show how strong we are when we're struck in a moment of weakness. When our vulnerability is attacked by the malignant few, we want to be the light in the darkness.

Read about Laura Wellington's story that she shared on Facebook below.... 

As some of you know, I was 1/2 mile from the finish line when the explosion went off. I had no idea what was going on until I finally stopped and asked someone. Knowing that my family was at the finish line waiting for me, I started panicking, trying to call them. Diverted away from the finish line, I started walking down Mass Ave towards Symphony Hall still not knowing where my family was. Right before the intersection of Huntington, I was able to get in touch with Bryan and found out he was with my family and they were safe. I was just so happy to hear his voice that I sat down and started crying. Just couldn't hold it back. At that moment, a couple walking by stopped. The woman took the space tent off her husband, who had finished the marathon, and wrapped it around me. She asked me if I was okay, if I knew where my family was. I reassured her I knew where they were and I would be ok. The man then asked me if I finished to which I nodded "no." He then proceeded to take the medal off from around his neck and placed it around mine. He told me "you are a finisher in my eyes." I was barely able to choke out a "thank you" between my tears.

Odds are I will never see this couple again, but I'm reaching out with the slim chance that I will be able to express to them just what this gesture meant to me. I was so in need of a familiar face at that point in time. This couple reassured me that even though such a terrible thing had happened, everything was going to be ok.

We are all going to be ok.

Things I Love: Confessions of a chapstick addict

I am a total chap stick addict, have been since my Pink Lemonade and Dr. Pepper LipSmackers days (20+ years!?!?!) that said, I have transitioned through the multitudes. Softlips, Chapstick, Burt's Bees was my fave for about the last 8 years or so until Christmas of 2011... ENTER:

My awesome sister-in-law got me hooked on eos lip balm last year when she tucked a little "summer fruit" sphere inside the cutest vegan leather clutch along with a great Ulta polish in what we like to call Penn State Blue (can you say We ARE?!). I love love love that these little babies last forever and they pretty-much are indestructible! We've all had that moment where we've opened up our glove box or center console to find our chap stick has melted all over the place... and the times where you pull the tube out of your beach bag or your pocket and it looks solid until you place it on your lips and a giant chunk sticks to your mouth... oh yea, that's sexy! I know you'll miss it but you won't get those problems with these!

I love them so much I picked up the 5-pack above on our last Costco run. My wonderful fiance looked at me, confusion in his eyes... "what the hell do you need that many for!?" Of course, I couldn't turn down the good deal, since you practically get 2 free but I did rattle off, "one for my car, for my night stand, for my purse, for your car, and for my desk. DUH!" Not that he really cares but I guess he felt a bit like an enabler since I had a relatively new on in my purse and another half-gone one in my car still.

Just when I thought it couldn't get any better, I found this little gem. Vaseline, like Johnson's baby lotion, is an old stand by. My mom was never a big user of any crazy beauty products (unless it came from a Mary Kay party... she might have owned/still own everything they ever made). However, I will say, Vaseline is something that we ALWAYS had in our house growing up. My dad was like the dad in My Big Fat Greek Wedding with this shit, put some Windex vaseline on it and you'll be good to go.

I kind of laughed when my little sister came downtown with a tub of it in her overnight bag a few weeks ago when we were out for her birthday but they may be onto something. This winter had been SOOOOOOO dry that I was seriously considering cutting my nose off. I can't even tell you how badly the inside was cracking and I'm sure spackle-dust wasn't helping my cause. Upon my little sis' suggestion, I stuck a q-tip in the vaseline and then up my nose. AHHHH sweet relief! within 24 hours, I went from feeling like a coke-addict back to a normal person! Walmart to the rescue, I snagged my own tub of wonder-goo on my way home that day and it came with a teeny tiny replica of Lip Therapy. What the hell, I'll give it a whirl! And now... a month later... still obsessed! I slather this shit on in the morning (in the car, at a red light, on my way to work) and then again at night and I'm not kidding when I say I only put any other kind of balm on after I eat. My lips are softer than they've been in years and I feel like I'm no longer a slave to the salve. I have found that I went from applying balm about 20 times a day to maybe 5. It's awesome.

B-E-A-You-tiful day

Finally got to welcome some gorgeous spring weather in the North East corridor! (about damn time!)

This past week made it official! The first days we didn't have to warm up our cars and debate whether or not we would need our winter coats. It has been GLORIOUS!

Friday night, Jay went to the Home Opener so I was left to my own devices... which went from cleaning/painting to Happy Hour on the deck with Abby which then turned into girl's night at her house watching This is 40. If you haven't seen it, you should, it's hysterical! 3 bottles of wine, a pizza, an order of wings and some Morgan City Fries later... we were full and drunk and put ourselves to bed! Thank god for fun neighbors!!!

The last few days have been jam-packed with Spring fun! Saturday we went to our friends beer-n-bowling baby shower (Jay can no longer complain about co-ed showers, and as a matter of fact, all our friends are rallying to make sure that all baby showers from here on out are done this way!) I ran with my sister both days this weekend at our favorite park and even my 3 year old niece rocked a whole mile! WE COULDN'T BELIEVE HER! She is such a tough little chick and funny... she killed us with her cute lines:

"Momma, will we have time to play over there [on the playground] when we're finished exercising?"
"I'm allergic to flowers, when the air gets up my nose I have to sneeze the allergies out"
"ya know, momma, strollers are for babies, but big girls can run pretty fast. I'm a big girl"
"I don't think you knew that when I'm in the stroller, it makes my energy get really low"
and my favorite - "Aunt Leenie, we're so speedy! Running is great exercise, we're gettin' so healthy"

Ummm... can I tell you how much I love this freaking kid!?!?!?!?!

My honey and I went to see the Phillies play the Mets last night and were gravely disappointed. Fortunately, Citizens Bank Park is among the best beer-stadiums that exist in the and we got to sample a few craft brews while taking in the game.

We also got some amazing sausage, peppers & onions (of course I added mustard and sauerkraut to mine... It's not weird. It's AMAZING!!!)

After that, his best friend/man (one of them) and I took a little adventure to seek out helmet's filled with soft serve ice cream and jimmies (I believe you guys outside our little bubble call them sprinkles) we were quickly convinced that everything tastes better out of a Phillies helmet. It's true. (clearly... since I didn't take a picture of it til it was half gone and melty... and you still wish you had some too!)

Today is another absolutely too-good-for-work day! Counting the minutes to escape and go get our grill on... that last hour was a doooooooozy!

Phillies Sweatshirt, Tank Top, Jeans, Hat, BEER