Happy Moments

Just a little somethin', just because . . . 

And then there is this little leg-kickin' dancer who will join our family in less than four weeks. I can hardly contain my excitement, fear, anticipation, nervousness, etc. 

Seriously?!

Has it really been almost a year since I last posted? I can't believe it . . . well . . . actually, I can. It's been one heck of a crazy year. So much has happened, and honestly, I wasn't really doing a good job with Polaroid Express. I kept asking myself, What's the purpose of this blog? How does it contribute to . . . anything, really? Am I really doing it justice? Does anyone really read this thing, anyway?

I've come to realize that it doesn't have to be anything spectacular. I like to post pretty pictures, and occasionally, it serves as a sounding board. That's all. And maybe someday, it'll become something bigger. Who knows, right? So I'm going to give it another whirl. See where it takes me. Get back to the things I like to post like Band Beat and Current Celebrity Infatuation. Unimportant posts? Mmm, probably. But it's stuff I like, and that's what counts. 

Now for an update.

A year later, and here's what's up, y'all. Bradford and I didn't get married on November 12. Some stuff hit the fan, and we got ourselves into a bit of a financial snafu . . . not our fault, though. Not entirely, anyway. So we decided to postpone and scale the wedding back because let's face it. A Charleston wedding ain't cheap, and who are we kidding? We are by no means in the best financial situation and had to come to terms with the fact that we couldn't afford what was so graciously (said with utter sarcasm) thrown at us. But there is light at the end of the tumultuous tunnel. 

We decided to find a venue in our hometown in Augusta, Ga. The only downside is that the only date available is July 14. Yes, you read that right. July 14 . . . probably the hottest day of the year in the hottest, most humid part of the country. I envision lots o' sweat and runny makeup because quite frankly, Bradford and I are the sweatiest people I know. But that's what fans are for, right? Bring it on, Georgia Summer Heat! You will not bring me down! 

Let's see. I won Overall Grand Champion Soloist at the American Clogging Hall of Fame in October and will be dancing at The Grand Ol' Opry next month. I was shocked to win because I've never been able to beat this particular group of girls. I am so excited!!! It was the first year I wasn't nervous performing my solos, and I guess it worked. I can't wait to find out who will be performing at this year. Can we say Dolly Parton? Loretta Lynn? That's right!

So those are the big things happening in my life right now. I'm excited to be posting again and regularly checking the blogs I've come to love and admire. Feels good.

Band Beat (this one couldn't wait!)

What a gorgeous, soothing song. Thank you, Devendra Banhart.

 Image via here

In need of these, please!

I did a little Closet Spring Clea(r)ning the other day and realized I don't have a single pair of blue jean shorts. Scratch that. I have one pair of size 2 GAP cutoffs I bought when my donk could fit into them. I mean, really. Why can my booty fit into size 2 jeans but not shorts? Why are they made differently? It's annoying.

Anyway! I need shorts, and as I was taking a gander at my favorite blogs, I came across this pic from Olsens Anonymous. I love her whole outfit, especially the blue jean cutoffs.

Image via here

I said, "Yes!" to the dress

My moms came down on Friday to go dress shopping with me. I had previously put four dresses on hold at a local dress shop here in Charleston, and since she is paying for a lot of wedding stuff, I obviously wanted her with me for the big purchase. 

In my mind, I'd narrowed my choices down to two, and then eventually one. When we got there, I was ready to buy, but my mom convinced me to try on several styles I hadn't paid any attention to . . . In fact, there were a couple of dresses I would've never chosen for myself. I played along and tried them on and completely fell in love with one dress. Of course, I can't say much about it since Bradford occasionally peruses my blog. I don't want to give away too many details, but it's pretty different than what I'd envisioned I would wear on the Big Day. 

I'm excited that the decision has been made, and it's one more thing I can knock off my To-Do List! Oh! I've got a big DIY project ahead of me. Here's a hint: flower belt. Anyone want to help?

Our Wedding Website

Band Beat

I'm in Piano Heaven right now. Growing up, my grandmother would make me play her organ after supper. It was easy enough to learn, especially since the sheet music had pictures of which fingers to put on the keys. I couldn't get it wrong if I tried. I mostly played hymns (I remember Holy, Holy, Holy and How Great Thou Art were my favorites). Honestly, I hated playing at first, probably because I was "told" to, but after I knew what I was doing, I loved it. There's something magical about playing an instrument . . . you can't believe you're making those sounds, and they're so pretty! 


My grandmother also had a piano that I would "pretend" to know how to play. That sheet music didn't have cheats on it, though, so I had no clue what I was doing. What I did learn how to do was play by ear. I would sing one of the hymns I learned on the organ out loud and then find the right keys on the piano. Pretty daunting, but I was kid who was bored at her grandmother's house. What else would I do?


Anyway! I found a pianist named Maxence Cyrin. He's incredible and plays a lot of covers. I just bought his Novo Piano album. One of my favorites is his cover of The Pixies' Where Is My Mind. Check it out below. He also has a cover of Arcade Fire's No Cars Go. Amazing!

Our wedding photogs

From the get-go, B and I decided that the most important thing to us regarding the wedding was the photography. Basically, we want awesome pictures to show for our awesome event. So I mentioned Kendrick Brinson and David Walter Banks to Bradford pretty early on. I met Kendrick while working at MCG (or GHSU, whatever) when she came on campus for a story. She was working at The Augusta Chronicle, and since I was reporter there once upon a time, we had stuff to chat about. Not only is she just a really cool person in general, I think her photography is amazing. She and her boyfriend David work for Our Labor of Love in ATL and are both photographing Wedding 11.12.11. Yay! 


I looked into their packages and compared theirs to other local photographers because that's what you do. It's all about justification. I have to be able to go to Mom and Pops and say, alright, listen. This is their price. These are the prices of Charleston photogs. See? Not that big of a difference. AND! I'm getting DOS photographers. Bam! 


So there you have it. One more major thing to check off my wedding list. 

Image via Kendrick's FB page

Lone duck

You can barely make him out, but he's there swimming in front of the fountain. It was cooler today and mostly cloudy, but at around 2:30 p.m., the sun peaked through the clouds, and I just had to get outside. 

Shot with Polaroid 600 Instant Color Film

Porch loungin'

Out on my porch, inhaling all the pollen.
Shot with Polaroid 600 Instant Color Film

Trekking

Today I'm trekking around Mt. Pleasant and Charleston in search for a job, any job. And by any, I mean, I'll serve as many Number 1s at Chik-fil-A as I need to in order to bring home at least some bacon. It's been almost a year since my last full-time job. A year. I keep thinking about how crazy that is . . . that someone who has had a career for nearly nine years can't find a single job in her field. Nuts. 

I'll be honest with myself, I've been putting off applying to businesses like Office Depot (they're definitely hiring), Publix and Chik-fil-A not because I think I'm too good to work there, but because I'm terrified that I'll never be able to find a job in my field again. My friend's sister told me not that long ago that her friend who moved to Charleston 18 months ago just had to move back to Augusta because she couldn't find a job. Ummmm, scary! 

So I'm doing it. I'm throwing myself out there to anyone willing to take me. And I've decided to give myself one full year of not working in my field before I go back to school. And! I would like to take this opportunity to tell anyone out there who's thinking about moving to a different city before landing a job: DON'T DO IT. It's the toughest situation (financially and emotionally) I've ever been in . . . and it puts a mean hurtin' on a relationship too.

Wish me luck. 

Beautiful inspo

I'm loving this inspiration board from yes, please. I love the color combos and the flowers, although I'm pretty sure I want dahlias and peonies. And I'm diggin' the geometrical shapes . . . doesn't really fit my theme, but I like 'em.

 Image via yes, please

Hair jealousy.

Have you ever had a hankering to dye your hair a color so far from what Nature intended that your THIS CLOSE to making an emergency phone call to your stylist . . . even if you don't have the loot to back it? Yeah, me too. I have no idea why, but in the last month or so, I've been dying to dye and/or cut my hair. Is it because of all the change happening? Why do people do that? It seems hair is the first thing people want to change when they're going through . . . well, a change. 

If I had the balls (maybe I'll get some after 11.12.11), I'd totally do something similar to the magic that is The Sounds' lead singer Maja Ivarsson's hair. I love the subtlety of the front colors. And I love the sounds of The Sounds even more.


Maja's the new face of Sebastian products, and from what I read, she keeps her color going with their new shampoo and conditioner collection called Color Ignite. Check it.

 Images via here

Decorating is the best part!

This part. This part right here is probably my favorite part of planning my wedding. I know there are so many things you should take care of before you get to this part, but I can't help it. My wheels have been a' turnin' about ways to save on decorations for 11.12.11. My grandmother had much of the glassware and kitchenware featured on Antiquaria (where all that beauty in the pic above came from), so I'm hoping my pops will let me borrow some for the wedding. And! They have a gift registry too. 

All images via 100 Layer Cake

A real cool surprise.

Here's one of the many things that's great about my fiance. When I mention something I want, he usually tucks that little nugget of info away and surprises me with whatever I wanted. He didn't really "surprise" me with these per se . . . he just paid real close attention to me today when I was talking about what I'd posted to my blog earlier. And then he said, "Oh Monkey, that's right. Usually when you tell me about something you want, I try and surprise you, but I've been so busy with school that it slipped my mind." So then we walked right on over to Half-Moon Outfitters and got 'em. I feel so much better now. And so lucky. 

I want what I can't have . . . right now, anyway.

You know when you get in the mood to buy a specific something? Well that something for me is shoes. I've been scouring the nets for shoes I'm dying to buy. Right. Now. Of course, we all know I can't. Oh, but one day (please Lord, let one day be real, real soon).

Bass Elden Slip On Oxford $59.95

Bass Brogan Gray/White $65

Tom's Ash Canvas $44

And check out this vintage Vogue photo. Makes me wish for summer even more. 

Image via Glamour Daze

Our caterer

One of the most stressful parts of planning a wedding is figuring out how you're going to fork up the moola to pay for it. Let's face it. B and I are nowhere near being in a position to pay for our November shindig. I mean, we're definitely paying for some, but a Charleston wedding is about the most expensive wedding you can have. Things we should have thoroughly thought about beforehand . . . sigh. 


Enter, the parents. Mine have hearts the size of watermelons bursting with juicy love and would give you the shirts off their backs. But in all truth, their wallets and pocketbooks do not overfloweth. B's parents, however, sport heavier, more substantial purses. And lawd a' mercy, we are THANKFUL because we couldn't do this without them. 


We sat down with all four sets of parents and talked about where we needed the most help, who could pitch in where, etc. We've finally got all that figured out and were able to book our caterer this week. 


Enter, Three Little Birds. This tiny restaurant sits in James Island and has the most delicious breakfast food I've ever put in my mouth. We met with the manager, Meredith, several weeks ago and she worked up a quote for us. Remember two posts ago when I said that caterers bank? Y'all. I seriously blinked several times and had to remember to breathe upon getting this quote. I could not. Believe. My. Eyes. After I recovered, I started researching other caterers and got some extremely helpful advice from a wedding coordinator I met through a friend. Shockingly, the quote was common for Charleston. At that moment, I decided I should have gone to culinary school and opened my own restaurant . . . not majored in English and pursue writing. Anyway.


B knew from the beginning he wanted TLB to cater, and after the tasting, we were sold. Our menu is nothin' fancy. We've got some Southern flare to it, which I wanted. All in all, we're pumped. Deciding on a caterer kinda' made me think, oh crap. This is for real. This is all happening . . . sweet!

Image via here

See? Tiny.

When it rains, it pours.

Jobs. That's what has been on my brain for a good while now. Everyone in my life knows this. Recently, I interviewed with a dental practice for a PR coordinator position. I instantly loved the office atmosphere --- how everything was laid out, the happiness of the employees, etc. I found out about this gig through a girl on B's co-ed soccer team. Her roommate works there now and recently went part-time. They need another part-timer to come in a pick up the slack. I met with her a couple of weeks ago, and instantly liked her. Plus, she said the position has great potential to go full-time, so of course, I became even more interested. 

I had my first interview with the first dentist on Monday, and I'm going in today for my second interview with the other dentist. I'm nervous, but feeling confident.

My problem? I applied for a recruiter position at a college that shall remain nameless. It was an intense interview process, and it happened back in November. By Christmas (after much anticipation) I was told they were under a hiring freeze and had no positions available. Naturally, I was bummed. I'd seen light at the end of a very long, jobless tunnel. It was a letdown, to say the least. 

On Tuesday, though, the director called to ask if I was still interested. I said yes, of course. But I was also very upfront with him and told him I was in the process of interviewing with the dental practice. I even told him that I started teaching dance at a studio that I'd been trying to get into since the summer. I mentioned that I was a bit concerned about that, as I know my dance hours would conflict with the school's hours. Their hours are, well, crazy. And they require each employee to work one Saturday a month in addition to every open house. The open houses are on Saturdays. During the interview process, they were very firm about how every employee is mandated to work these open houses, saying, "We tell people to plan everything, including their weddings, around these open houses." Huh? Really? You have a ton of people in your office, and you need everyone there for every one? Apparently, they do. So when I mentioned my concern, I got silence. Just . . . nothing. He then asked again, "So are you still interested in the position?" Ummmm, yes, but I would've appreciated a "We'll cross that bridge when we get there" or "I'm sure we can rearrange your hours" or "We'll work out something." But I got nada.


So, I'm feeling hesitant, and now that he knows I'm interviewing for this other position, he has been quickly trying to offer me something. I guess to get to me first? I assume so. Here's the thing. I've never not accepted a job, and that's what I'm most nervous about. And keep in mind. This is only assuming I get the PR coordinator job. I'm wishing, hoping and praying I do. And I'm wishing, hoping and praying that when I go in there today, they'll say, "You're hired! Can you start on Monday?" To which I will leap into their arms, kiss their cheeks and squeal, "YESSSSSS!" 


I just keep thinking about what my friend, Jenny, said: "It's not a bad position to be in." And she's right. I've waited so long (almost a year) to have a job, and now, I could possibly be offered two. Funny how that works. 

It's true. When it rains, it pours. Wish me luck! 

I did it again . . .

Guys, it happened to me again. I went to update my blog about three weeks ago, and my computer decided it wasn't time, I guess, because it froze and erased my entire post. And it was long and detailed. So, true to form, I was so pissed that I decided to not post for fear that it would happen again. I'm taking my chances today because I'm ready to talk about my wedding. (I'm trying really hard to have the Bride Gene, people. I feel like I don't have it, and it just feels wrong.)

B and I have our venue locked down. We're having the ceremony and reception at The Island House. Check it. It's gorgeous out there. We're still trying to lock down a caterer, and let me tell you. Caterers bank. I mean, they charge for every napkin and plastic cup used, so they should bank. As for all the other things you have to have to get married, we're still trying to figure out who's helping us pay for what. It's tough, but we're grateful that we even have help. 

As for my dress and the bridemaids' dresses, I still haven't decided. I love peacock blue and this pink. I thought Navy would look good with the peacock blue, with pink as an accent, but now I'm not so sure. I was thinking a navy dress with a peacock blue sash, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to wear a ribbon, and I don't think it'll look good for all of us to wear a ribbon. So now I'm thinking a solid-colored dress with peacock blue shoes? That was Stacy's (my SIL) suggestion. Cute, huh? 

Ugh. I feel silly for even thinking about this, but I guess that's part of it, right? So stay tuned!

Who doesn't love a dance movie?

Guys, I cannot wait until this movie comes out. I keep watching the trailer over and over again. I have a major girl crush on Natalie Portman, and I've seen almost everything she has been in. Mila Kunis? Eh. She's alright I guess. I can't see her as anyone but Jackie from That 70s Show. Sorry Mila. I'll keep trying. Maybe Black Swan will sway me. I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE THIS MOVIE!

Colors, colors, colors!

I've been thinking about my colors . . . you know, the colors for my wedding. Since it's going to be in the fall, I keep thinking, o.k., Amy. You HAVE to have fall colors. But do I? What are the rules? I love this color board from 100 Layer Cake. Isn't it pretty? But I also love pink, navy, robin egg blue . . . I wish I weren't so indecisive.

Image via 100 Layer Cake