all decked in lace & leather.

The internets is a dangerous place.
For my bank account.

So, I have a few $10 off cards from Victorias Secret that will expire Dec 24. So I have to decide. New undies? New Bra? Honeymooning? I like this & this also.
So, why don't I just buy it all?

neverending roadtrip is never ending

"Mom, please stop making us drive somewhere every single weekend!" --Co-pilot Scouty

I'm tired of driving too. And I'm ready for a new car. Can we move already?

what the crap

4 interviews. no offers. and I know I rocked that last interview. what the crap. not fair.

STD's finito!

They are out. They are sent. If you didn't get one. You are not invited. And you're missing the party.
Sorry.

We chose 3 photos. One bridge one & two in the canyon. I used my handy photoshop skillz to make them beautiful. I've already gotten some great compliments. I think I can handle the invitations and programs yes?
We will see. It feels good. It feels official. It feels kinda fast.

It feels like last month that Adam was picking me up from the airport after my BFF cruise with Bailey. (Little did I know he had that diamond in his pocket. Fresh from the jeweler.)

Omigod. It will be here in no time.
So much to do. I need a wedding planner. Crap.



Am I really old enough to be getting married?

Black Friday = Hell Friday

I did it. 4th year in a row. Got some of my presents. Only 5,964 to go.
Spent: $425
Saved: $312
(according to the original prices)

A big chunk was Adam's gift. I spent the more on Adam this year than usual. Since I got a pretty nice bday gift. (um, a shiny diamond remember?) I decided I would get him an extra special Christmas gift. I know, I am an effing awesome future wife!

Mom got a netbook for herself. Even though she didn't even know she wanted one until people were grabbing them. She loves it.

I got a dog bed for Scout. And a new down alternative comforter for myself. $40 total !!

Stood in line outside in the cold for an hour. Only to find out they didn't even have what I was waiting for in stock!
Helped start a fight at Kmart. Ditched my cart at Target. Got crabbed at by other mad shoppers.
Went and got my family & the ladies in front of us breakfast at 5 a.m.

Black Friday, see you next year!

STD's

Save the date options...

French Canyon

Downtown Utica

xoxo

one of my favorites

Workin' on the save the dates. Not a simple task! Honestly there were so many good photos from our engagement session. These are just my top choices. I will have to get them printed into a book or something. We were very pleased with Danny's work.

Bad Boy.

Very. Bad. Boy.
Can't leave him home for 15 minutes while no one is here. If we ever want to move that is.

Best Friend Weekend

Me & Best Friend Lauren. this was the most decent photo we took all night. Yes, I know her head is cut off. I said it was the most decent one.

Best Friend Bailey.

This is why the photos are so excellent.

Thank you Guidos.

They came to Champaign Friday. We ate food. Watched tv. Snuggled. Chatted. Got up Saturday for the Farmer's Market. Shopped. Lunched. Came back to the townhouse & watched lifetime all day.
Got hot. Got glam. Went out.
We stayed at one bar, on one patio, & at one table. We didn't bar hop as planned. We had too much catching up to do. Too many martini's to taste. Too many people to judge. Too much wedding talk with two of my BM's.

Success. I miss those two already.

Sweet Summer-recapping

It all started with the best birthday surprise ever.

Getting the VIP treatment at our Wedding Reception Venue.
Adam's little sister, yours truly, Adam's little brother, my mother clapping because she's sooo nervous!

Evenings with this wonderful man.

Amtracking to Chicago with little sister Liza.

The summer of weddings. Or, is that next summer?
Oh wait, that would be 'the wedding of the summer' (May 8!)

Sweet Summer is over. Hello Fall.
So much to look forward to. So many memories to look back on.

$$$

"We always knew Trina was going to be the expensive one. This will be the end of it."
my dad referring to me telling him how much the venue will be per person. Then telling him there's about 350 people on the guest list.

($55pp)
You do the math.
Remember, that's food & open bar only at the reception.

Dress. Alterations. Invitations. Postage. Save the dates. Cake. Flowers. Photographer. Cinematographer. Church fees. Transportation for the wedding party. Hair. Makeup. Favors. DJ. Singer & Organist at Ceremony. Not included.
Am I forgetting anything?

As one of my BM's recently asked. What's your overall budget for this? Um, I don't have one?

THE DRESS

Found the dress. The first day of dress shopping too! Went to Bridal Elegance in Ottawa, I purchased most of my prom dresses there, and it's close to home. So it was a start. Tried on a million dresses.
Mom & Liza cried when I came out in 'the one'. I knew it too.
Decided we didn't have to go to the city shopping after all.

It's Kitty Chen Couture.
It's Ivory.
It's not what I thought I wanted. It's everything I could ever want.

It's being specially made right meow! It will be here in December. Now for the perfect heels. I think this calls for some designer shoes. Yes?

Momma's boy!

He keeps me sane. And safe. And he drives me crazy. But he's a really great snuggler.

Best Birthday Ever. Obviously.

Me & my fiance.


Best pic I can manage right now of my ROCK !

Details as soon as someone can pry me away from him for more than 5 minutes.

Highlights.

The view from our balcony stateroom.

Kissing Sting Rays in the Caymans



Tendering to Belize City, Belize.

Red Beauties.

Cheers to a sucessfull BFF Cruise

Let me start by saying. I had the time of my life. As you can see by my photos.
Highlights include.
1. Towel animals!
2. Room service 24/7 FOR FREE room service....I'm LEAVING!
3. 2 dinners every night
4. suntan with a drink in my hand
5. big tex 'this is a Tex message!'
6. scary men trying to sell Bailey marijuana in Belize. Scary hookers trying to offer Bailey sexual favors in Belize. Me running away.
7. Baby animals in Roatan.
8. Chip & the far Tortuga
9. "I'm from Chicago. um...OPRAH! MICHAEL JORDAN! BARACK OBAMA!"
10. THE MAN and his boyfriend. (they hugged each other, and then they hugged me)
11. the Canucks.
12. naked naps during every sea day
13. Funship specials
14. seeing the dolphins from the balcony
15. KINOS!
16. our table mates.
17. fried plantains in Roatan
18. One Small Step Disco
19. Being too hungover/tired to even see and enjoy Key West. Up until 7 a.m. the evening before. Immigration pulling us out of bed.
20. 6278

I cried silently the entire car ride home. I know, how lame. Adam was not pleased with my unhappiness to be home. But I missed him too. The Valor was good to me though.

More deets later. Enjoying my suntan while it lasts. Ciao.

BFF Cruise 09

The Valor leaving Miami.

So tomorrow morning I'm getting up bright an early and double checkin' my list. Re stuffing my bag and giving my Scouty boy a smooch goodbye. My chauffeur Adam will take me to meet my travel companion & best friend at Bloomington airport. Off we will go on an exotic Caribbean cruise.
Roatan
Belize
Cayman Islands
Key West (should of been cozumel, stupid swine!)

We will be lounging in the sun. Drinking lots of drinks with umbrellas. Listening to reggae. & Cruising the Caribbean.
It will be nice to leave home for awhile. Spending much need QT with the bff.

Round two.

My puppy & my macbook. Blog ready.

'I Can Do Anything in My Heels' LJ version has been dead too long. I'm still here. But only use LJ for ontd. I may not update every second like my previous IVCC life lj.

I honestly can't say what I expect to write about yet.
Maybe I will do ADIML sometimes? Maybe it will be me being crabby. Maybe it will be me just posting photos of shenanigans with my friends.
I just don't know.
It will give me something to do. Living alone %75 of the week gets old, fast.


NOTE: Transferring my last 6 or 7 posts from BLOG#1 to this. Less confusing, since I took a two year hiatus on the other. Sorry if you get to read em twice!