Author Archives: Kara

Ten on Tuesday

Posted in Ten on Tuesday by

1. From your childhood, what do you miss most about summer vacation?

Camping! I love camping so much, I wish I had more time for it these days.

2. Are you going anywhere on vacation this summer?

Not technically. I’m heading out to a lake for a wedding and then up to Northern BC for another wedding. Other than that – maybe a day or overnight trip somewhere. Nothing fancy.

3. What foods do you like to barbecue?

Steak! I make THE BEST marinade ever. I swear to you! It’s just soy sauce, red wine vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, garlic powder, lemon juice and oregano. SO GOOD! I also whip up some good shrimp kabobs too, soaked in lime juice, olive oil, and dill. NOM!

4. How do you celebrate the fourth of July?

Since I’m Canadian, it’s just like any other day to me. July 1st, however … ;)

5. What’s your favourite beverage to drink in the summertime?

Anything fruity and refreshing. I got myself a bucket of daquiri mix in the fridge right now. It’s going down!

6. What movie are you looking forward to seeing this summer?

Good question! I’m looking forward to the Hangover 2 right now. That’s about it, really.

7. In the car: windows down or AC?

It depends on how hot it is. Right now, I’m doing more windows down action. When it’s 30°+, it’s going to be AC full-black all the time.

8. Have you ever had a summer fling?

Nope! I never quite understood them.

9. Do you wear sunscreen?

When I remember to. If I know I’m going to be in the sun for a prolonged period of time (like when I’m playing golf or softball) I’ll slather on the SPF 30.

10. Do you have any favorite summertime activities?

Just being outside! I plan on reading many books this summer!

Monday Musings

Posted in Lists, Photos, Random, Wedding by

Hello Monday! How happy am I to finally see that you’re here? Because I have a zillion things on my mind, you get a bullet/list post. Fun!

– The wedding is only 5 days away now! My plans: Go golfing Wednesday morning, make the wedding favours Wednesday afternoon, get a pedicure with my Mom Thursday, and then Friday is D-Day. Decorate, decorate, DECORATE! And Saturday? No more worries.

– Kyle and I actually had a great “meeting” with our MC (who’s actually his uncle) Sunday afternoon. We worked out the reception game plan and I’m feeling so less stressed because of it. We pretty much have the best people on our “team” the day of the wedding, hands down. I can’t thank them enough!

– A couple weeks ago I saw a cool photo print of “dandelion fluff” and they wanted to sell it for a ridiculous price. I said to Kyle, “Ha! I could totally do that!”, so I did:

Not bad, eh? Go me! It only took a couple hours to edit it too.

– I’ve just started reading The Help by Kathryn Stockett. So far, I’m absolutely loving it! My mom bought it for me for my birthday after we saw the preview for the movie that’s coming out in the summer and I said “Oooh, I want that book!” She told me not to buy it, so I kind of knew.

– You all probably know that my dog is a furry beast. Yesterday I gave her Round 1 of her post-winter, pre-hot summer brushings and let me tell you, I think I could grow a whole new dog from the mountain of fur. Don’t believe me? Proof:

– I’m watching My Big Fay Gypsy Wedding right now and it. is. WEIRD. I don’t even understand what a gypsy is exactly. Anyone? I always think of Esmeralda from The Hunchback of Notre Dame. (Horrible, I know)

-I’ve decided that after the wedding, I’m getting my ass back to the gym. I haven’t been in probably two months. Oops. Good thing it’s only $35/mth? I know, bad excuse. Baaaad me …

– Speaking of that pedicure I’m getting … Does one remove their current nail polish before they go or do they do that for you? My polish is gross and needs to be removed, but I don’t want naked toes for two days. (I blame Chelsea for this paranoia!) Help me blogland!

– Tomorrow will be my last post before my wedding for Ten on Tuesday, and then I’ve lined up some great guest posters! Thanks again ladies!

How was your weekend?

WTW: This is it

Posted in Wedding-Talk Wednesday by

This will be my last WTW post before I get hitched next Saturday. I have guest posts lined up from Angela, Holly and Amber for the Wednesay, Thursday and Friday before my big day on the 4th. Thanks again ladies!

I thought I’d take the time in this post to reflect.

Our engagement was short: Nearly seven months. To be exact, it was 205 days/29 weeks/4920 hours/295,200 minutes/17,712,000 seconds. Never in a million years would I ever think I could plan a wedding in that period of time, let alone my own. It’s been exciting, stressful, nerve-wracking and everything in between.

There were many, MANY times when I wanted to throw in the towel and let someone else do all the work. But – I’m a very “in control” person and while I’m indeed a very lazy person, I’m very driven when I need/want to be. Thus why I didn’t hire a planner. I wanted to be involved of every detail and be in control. Because I don’t work in the mornings, it was easy for me to plan, book and scheme. And – by hiring a planner, it would only cost us more in the end.

A few people have also asked me, “Well, why get married so soon?” Why not? Friends of Kyle and I put a wedding together in 4 months (but I’ll note that they were married in the winter, so not “prime wedding time”). We’ve been together for nearly nine years now, so it wasn’t like we needed time to make sure we were sure.

Another popular question? “Why not elope?” Simple: There’s too many people we want to share our marriage with and the majority of them wouldn’t be able to attend. Also, because of conflicting family members, having them on some island somewhere all together wouldn’t be a good idea.

I think the most important thing I learned about wedding planning is nailing down your venue and vendors right off the bat. My favourite local DJ? Already booked for my wedding day the first week of December. My first pick of wedding photographer? Gone. But – After a little digging, I found some AMAZING people to help pull my big day together and they’ve all been more than helpful.

And the most important thing about the wedding itself? The day is about YOU and your husband to be, and no one else. This was Kyle and I’s motto for everything. It’s our day, with our family and friends. It was important to remind our families to put their differences behind them for at least 8 hours and just be happy for us.

So, in 10 days from now, I’ll be a wife. I still can’t believe it, but I couldn’t be more excited about it. It’s the next chapter of our lives, and I can’t wait.