211 Days Left!!!

Lately, there has been so many countdowns...new job, bachelorette party, wedding, Thanksgiving, Christmas and honeymoon. Here's another to add to my busy schedule.

 

211 days left until the 2014 Pittsburgh Half-Marathon!

 

I wasn't really sure if I wanted to run again after my poor performance last year but after not registering in time for the Great Race and running intervals all summer to improve my speed, I'm craving a race.

 

So on October 1, I was one of those crazy runners waiting patiently as the countdown clock on the marathon website approached 9 a.m. It took longer than expected and I don't think I made it into the first group that received $10 off registration.

 

BUT I'M REGISTERED AND READY TO RUN!

 

This year, I decided I need extra motivation to run. The last two years, my only goal was to finish and I did, so I know that's possible even if I run really slow. Ever since I stopped participating in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in DC I've been missing doing something for a cause.

 

There really wasn't a cause that jumped to mind the last two years for me at the marathon. I'm partial to the Avon Foundation, so I didn't want to run for Komen and there wasn't any others that jumped out at me. This year, I noticed North Hills Community Outreach.

 

I didn't even really think about it just registered. I'm thrilled to be running for such a wonderful organization. An organization that I've volunteered for in the past through church and is instumental in the local community where I grew up.

 

This is probably the only post I'll do about the marathon until after the wedding or even after the holidays. I need to fundraise though, so I might place some posts about that in the future. I'm so excited to be running again!

 

Let's get training and fundraising!! To 2014!!

How to Plan a Wedding on a Budget

When I was in college and even after, my dream wedding was to get married a grand old church or cathedral in NYC (granted I thought I would be living there) and then have the reception on the New York Harbor. I probably wated the Today Show weddings way too much. Then reality hits and you realize planning a wedding is not cheap!

 

I'm incredibly budget minded at my current age, so planning a wedding has not been too difficult. Here are a few tips to keep in mind about planning that perfect wedding but remaining within a tight budget.

 

Look for alternative locations for ceremony and reception.

D and I are getting married at our childhood church camp. We were limited because of our large guest list. Many venues that hold that many are extremely expensive. Our ceremony and reception will be at the same location but different venues.

 

Think outside the box as far as catering is concerned.

Order what you like to eat, not what your parents want. I don't want to ruin the surprise of our fabulous menu but catering can be flexible.

 

Wait to take a honeymoon.

We are waiting but not for this reason. Neither one of us has vacation but it is definitely saving us money by not going until January.

 

Hire friends and family to help.

We hired a family friend who does wedding receptions on the side as a DJ. We hired my cousin's wife as the photographer and my best friend and bridesmaid is doing hair and makeup. Not to mention that all the musicians are either family or close friends.

 

Design and print your own paper materials.

I bought a Living Social coupon for the save-the-dates, which save a lot of money and I designed them myself. I also designed the invitation and printed it at Staples. This was cost effective but I was hoping it would be cheaper.

 

And that's my two cents for now...

 

Tuesday Link Love Randomness

Well, I'm back with some more link love. Two weeks in a row! That's a new record! I am trying though to maintain the blog and the daily post ideas. Doesn't always work though!

 

It's been a crazy week in my life if you haven't seen my posts on Facebook or the blog. Interviewed for a job, offered a job, accepted a job. Then throw in planning a wedding and today is D's birthday and the wildcard game for the Pirates. Sigh... I need a break.

 

 

Life Lately

 

The giant rubber duck arrived in Pittsburgh on Friday. I saw it from a far on my way to pick D up and then on my commutes. It's pretty cool. Definitely not as big as I thought it would be but I read that the Pittsburgh duck is smaller, so that it fits under the bridges. I'm hoping to go take pictures tomorrow afternoon after we get our marriage license.

 

The Pirates are playing the wild card game tonight. Pretty awesome! I'll admit. I had my doubts about them for awhile. I like baseball because I can actually afford to go the games and then I can feel a part of it more. I got to go to some awesome games this year. It's amazing that have gotten this far and I hope they win tonight, so D can maybe go to the playoffs! It's great publicity for the city too!

 

Marathon

 

Well, its been almost six months since the last half-marathon. Registration opened today and I'm in...hopefully...had a few gliches there. This year, I decided I wanted to run for a charity. I miss doing the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer and I really wanted to run for a reason since I already proved to myself that I could do it. I'm running for North Hills Community Outreach. I've done some volunteer work through them in the past for church and thought it was a good fit.

 

I'd say that's an awful lot of Pittsburgh love coming from an unlikely cheerleader. I do love the marathon and I think its great that the duck is here and the Pirates are doing so well. That's all the Pittsburgh love I can muster for now.

 



Back to School Book Lists

In the fall, I always want to make a fall book lists. Books that remind me of school, recommended reading on school lists or books I read and loved in high school and college. I never had a recommended reading list and I've always being jealous of those who did.

 

These are some of my favorites:

 

Prep

Curtis Sittnefield

 

 

Catcher in the Rye

J.D. Salinger

 

East of Eden

John Steinbeck

 

Commencement

J. Courtney Sullivan

 

 

The Great Gatsby

F. Scott Fitzgerald

 

Alright, get reading and be happy you won't be reading for grades but pleasure!!

Where one door closes, another opens...

In life, we often have to make difficult decisions. I made one of those decisions this week when I accepted the library director position at North Versailles Public Library and submitted my resignation from my current position of director of marketing and development and teen librarian at the Western Allegheny Community Library.

 

The decision has prompted a range of emotion. Excitement at the opportunities present at this new position. Sadness at the thought of leaving my coworkers who after three years together have become family. Anxiety at the realization that I'm switching jobs and getting married in the same month. But mostly I'm just happy. Happy to be moving on.

 

When I graduated from Kent State University, I told myself that I wanted to be a library director within three years. I missed the mark on my graduation date but I'm still within a year. I'm proud of the hark work I've completed and the contacts I've made since then and that at the age of 30 (gasp) I will be a library director!

 

So as my final days wind down to a week and I prepare for my replacement (two people!), I'm met with bittersweet feelings. The excitement continues to mount (it probably doesn't help that our wedding is less than a month away!!) but also sadness to say goodbye. As my dear friend Alex says, "It's not goodbye, it's see you later."

 

So, here's to new beginnings (a little closer to home!)!!!

 



Map Art

When we went through my grandparents books before selling their house, I found an old atlas from the 1970's. I kept it because it was vintage and I thought maybe one day I could use it for something. These were the days before Pinterest.

Jump ahead 10 plus years and I rediscovered the atlas as I was organizing our office. The atlas has become my new project. We have the ugliest white walls in our apartment and it is my goal to add something to them. With a wedding very soon, we have no money for real art either.

Solution - frame a few of the maps and hang them in the hallway. Simple and affordable. Dennis and I each chose two countries. He chose England and Germany, two countries his family is from. I chose Scotland and Japan since my grandpa's family is from Scotland and I love Japan (one day I will go there).

So, here is my slightly crooked map art in our hallway...

After I did this, I pinned some great ways to use old maps. I love the idea of using maps as wrapping paper or decoupaging it onto furniture. So many possibilities for my old atlas! 

Tuesday Link Love

Again, I've been slacking on the link love. I was so excited about this post idea and than I didn't follow through with regular Tuesday link love. Well, I'm back and I'm trying.

 

Can we believe its fall already? Last Wednesday it was 90 degrees and of course I was loving every minute of it. This week its chilly and I have a sweater on and I'm not loving every minute of it.

 

 

Welcome fall then! Chilly nights, cozy sweaters and lots of hot chocolate! Don't you just love the quote above though. Who doesn't love Anne?

 

Some link love for you my friends...

 

Books

 

I know I've definitely over promoted these books but I highly recommend the Summer I Turned Pretty Series. You can read the review for the first one here. I'm reading the new series now, which is called Burn for Burn. I'm all excited because the author, Jenny Han, is coming to the Carnegie to talk and I'm going to see her at the beginning of October. So excited! Here is the information about the author visit if anyone is interested.

 

Fun Stuff

 

My cousins had posted this story on Facebook about Princess Kate and Prince William. Its about a very special gift that the two accepted from a woman with Downs syndrome. Read it. It's incredbly touching and refreshing to see these royals break down barriers for those with Downs syndrome in Great Britain. It will bring a smile to your face.

 

Cooking

Write this down. As hard as some of you may find this to believe, I have been cooking. Pinterest makes it so much easier plus I no longer have a kitchen that is lacking in most cooking and baking supplies. I'm also trying harder to use the crock pot more. This is a delicious recipe for an apple cake and this is a really good chicken crock pot dinner. Both were really easy and the apple cake was so good, I want some right now!!

My link love is short this week. More next week. I'm too busy to think of other items. Have a great Tuesday! Almost halfway to the weekend!