Redhead Reports

Cooley Whiskey

2011-06-09T14:44:00.002-05:00

Our last full day in Ireland began with a beautiful, chilly sunrise on the Cooley Peninsula.

Truth be told, I was cuddled up in bed while Austin ventured out into the cold for this photograph.

That morning, we had another fantastic breakfast. I had crepes, and Austin had the same 'ole Irish breakfast. (Apparently he never tires of sausage, bacon, eggs and toast.) After eating, we packed up our bags and set out for the Cooley Whiskey Distillery.

I love me some whiskey! After our own special tour of the distillery, the manager sent us down to Martin's pub on the end of the street for some samples.

We spent a couple of hours sipping whiskey, snacking on Irish cheese, and chatting with the bartender. It was one of my favorite activities of the entire trip!

My favorite whiskey was the Connemara. We didn't purchase it, though - we got a bottle of the Killbegan and a sampler pack of all the Cooley Whiskeys for my parents. I'm hoping to find a bottle of Connemara sometime to try it again. The flavor was very unique to Ireland, as it is a peated single malt whiskey.

After our whiskey-tasting fun, we stopped by the Proleek Dolmen, another portal tomb.

We enjoyed walking around and seeing the sights, amazed at how such a historical artifact is hidden behind a hotel in the middle of nowhere.

Isn't it mind boggling to think of how they lifted that huge rock, weighing 40 tons, back in the 3000-2000 BC era, when there was no such thing as a crane?

After lunch, we drove towards Dublin. We stayed at Rathview House, a cute B&B just minutes from the Dublin airport. This was key to our selection of a hotel, as we had to be at the airport extremely early for our flights. (Of course, the flight was delayed and we ended up being there an extra 5 hours early, but anywhoo...gotta love international flights)

We walked around Swords for a while, and discovered one last castle to admire.

We walked around town before deciding on where we would eat dinner, and finally selected Masterson's Steakhouse. We shared a delicious appetizer, sweet beef stirfry. For our entrees, we both had the sea bass fillet fried in lemon butter and drizzled with a citrus Beurre Blanc.

For dessert, we had a hot fudge chocolate cake. And when we got back to our room, our hostess served us a glass of white wine. Perfection. Sweet dreams!

The next day we arrived at the airport at 7 am for a hellacious 24-hours of airports, planes, and delayed flights. We were happy to be home.

Hill of Tara

2011-06-03T10:34:00.002-05:00

Monday was a lazy day of rest and relaxation. We arrived in Galway, checked into Summerville House, stopped at an ATM for cash, and went to lunch at a nearby Italian restaurant. I had lasagna, Austin had a goat cheese pizza. It was a fantastic meal.

After lunch, we found a shopping mall but were disappointed to have to park in a parking garage. Since we were paying for parking, we didn't shop very long. The mall was very similar to malls in the states, and the tourist shops had identical items to what we'd already seen. So shopping was a bust, which is something I would personally never admit! We headed back to the B&B - Austin watched a game of rugby while I took a nap. Then we watched a few Friends episodes together and sipped on wine. Finally at 8pm we realized we had better go find something for dinner. Austin ordered an entree, and I ate a few bites, but saved my room for dessert. We ordered two desserts: a chocolate eclair and berries and ice cream!

On Tuesday, we accidentally slept in past our breakfast time, but fortunately our host was kind enough to serve us still. I finally had the opportunity to order something other than the typical Irish breakfast, so I asked for french toast (yum), and Austin stuck with his Irish breakfast.

We had a pretty long drive from Galway to Dundalk, so we planned a stop to see the Hill of Tara.

Mound of Hostages

The Hill of Tara is a beautiful, serene area with many ancient monuments, a sacral site associated with kingship rituals.

The Lia Fáil, Stone of Destiny

We were intrigued by the Mound of Hostages, an ancient passage tomb. There are hundreds of bodies, mostly cremated, buried in 1600-1700 BC, organized in layers beneath the passage.

The doorway faces directly east, and inside there were stones with inscriptions we were unable to read.

That afternoon, we arrived in Dundalk and found the Greengates B&B. We took a drive out towards the Cooley Peninsula.

For dinner, we went to a local pub and shared a bowl of soup and chicken strips with chili dipping sauce. I had a Jameson and Austin had a couple pints of Carlsberg. For dessert we had a slice of chocolate cake with ice cream.

Next up: our tour of the Cooley Whiskey Distillery...

Easter Sunday

2011-06-01T15:41:00.004-05:00

To catch up on the rest of our honeymoon recaps, go here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

On Easter Sunday, we took a leisurely drive around the Burren. With no set itinerary for the day, we were able to explore at our own pace.

The karst hills of the Burren

The Burren is comprised of a limestone pavement landscape, and is studded with historical and archaelogical sites such as portal tombs and stone forts.

We took a drive to Ailwee Cave, where we stretched our legs and looked around a bit. Austin spied the ice cream from a mile away, so we shared a cone.

After our snack, we found the Poulnabrone portal tomb. The gorgeous purple orchids immediately caught my attention!

The Poulnabrone portal tomb was constructed during the Neolithic, or New Stone Age. Over ninety megalithic tombs are known to survive in the Burren; the earliest of these are the portal tombs built in the fourteenth millenium BC. The Poulnabrone is one of two portal tombs constructed in the Burren.

We were impressed by the Burren fences that extended for miles across the land. The fences were made of stacked stone with no mortar to reinforce them.

After some more exploring, we found the other portal tomb.

Across the street, there was a giant boulder. We decided to take a few pictures with it, too.

For lunch, we had roast lamb with potatoes, a delicious Sunday lunch special at a local restaurant we passed while we were driving around. Later that afternoon, we took a small walk around the coast.

We ate dinner in Liscannor, and I recall having a caesar salad and a delicious chocolate brownie for dessert. It was a happy Easter, indeed.

Cliffs of Moher

2011-05-27T13:00:00.007-05:00

Saturday began the same as all the rest, stuffing ourselves with a delicious breakfast. We departed Dingle and began our quest for Doolin.

When we arrived at the ferry crossing, we were alarmed to discover the charge would be €18. Money-savers that we are, we opted to take the more scenic route and avoid the toll. Along the way, we were happy to find several ancient castles.

Glin Castle

Castle in Askeaton

Bunratty Castle

Once we made it to our destination, Atlantic View B&B, we were starving. We ate lunch at Stone Cutters Kitchen, a family-owned restaurant just up the road. I had the meatloaf, served with a salad and chutney. Austin had mussels.

We would've eaten outside, except Austin forgot his jacket (again), so we only got to enjoy the sunshine for a moment. After lunch, we dropped off our laundry, then explored town for a little while.

I could've died and gone to heaven, right there in that shop. Nevertheless, we had more sights to see!

We hiked up to the Cliffs of Moher. The view was absolutely breathtaking, and definitely worth the trip to see.

We could've stood there for hours, watching the waves crash against the rocks.

We were slightly amused by this sign. Notice how many people are trespassing beyond the cliff, where there is no saftey guardrail. Of course, that would explain the accompanying sign, in memory of those who've lost their lives at Cliffs of Moher.

We retired back to the B&B for a cup of tea and cookies. That evening, we went out for dinner at Fitzwilly's in Doolin. We shared the Irish lamb stew, and it came with a giant bowl of potatoes. We laughed, finding it strange that a stew which already contained potatoes would come with a side of potatoes and bread...the Irish love their potatoes!

After dinner, we ran into the Houstonians we met at the B&B we'd stayed at the night before in Dingle. They were a married couple enjoying a vacation to Ireland, and happened to have a similar itinerary as us. Since Doolin is an incredibly tiny town, it wasn't surprising that we bumped into them. The four of us walked over to O'Connors Pub and enjoyed a lovely conversation and drinks.

We went to bed, giddy honeymooners reflecting on another amazing day in Ireland.

Ring of Kerry

2011-05-25T15:11:00.004-05:00

To catch up on the rest of our honeymoon recaps, go here: 1, 2, 3.

On Good Friday, we woke up ready to explore the Ring of Kerry. It is a tourist route that starts in Killarney and circles the southwest coast of Ireland, approximately 110 miles. We decided not to travel the entire Ring of Kerry, instead we went to Valentia Island, the locals' best kept secret (tourist buses cannot take the ferry).

The views along the Ring of Kerry were unmistakenly beautiful. However, the weather was a bit uncooperative, raining on-and-off throughout the day, but the sun burning off the fog resulted in some amazing images.

After crossing over to Valentia Island, we began driving on Skelligs Ring. We passed an ancient graveyard.

The roads were as narrow as the miniature car we were driving, and we were surrounded on both sides by stone walls. Zipping up and down hills, my stomach lurched, not knowing what lie beyond the next turn. The wet roads and drizzling rain didn't help the matters.

We reached a Slate Quarry at the end of the main road, but we didn't explore much due to the rain.

Turning onto a tiny backroad leading to the coast, Austin took the turn a bit too soon (coming from the wrong direction) and we got stuck in the mud. He had to strategically back us out of the corner we were in without coasting forward into the stone wall. It was nerve-wracking, but we made it.

I took a video of us driving on Valentia Island to give you an idea of the experience.

It was cool seeing the coast of Ireland, although it wasn't quite the same type of beach most honeymooners experience!

We headed back towards Killarney, stopping back by the B&B to pick up Austin's leather coat he'd accidentally left in the wardrobe.

We drove to Dingle town, our resting place for the night. We arrived at Harbour Nights B&B at around 2 pm and checked in with Kathleen, our very kind hostess.

For lunch, we ate at Out of the Blue, a romantic seafood restaurant within walking distance. I ordered the delicious sea bass, Austin had calamari. The lunch portions were rather small, but the food tasted great.

The sun had come back out for the afternoon, so we hopped back in the car to see Slea Head, about a 30 minute drive.

In the picture above, I had just set the camera's self-timer and plopped down, cracking my tailbone on the stone bench. Austin was laughing because of the hilarity of the situation - I was forced to smile for the camera, even though I felt like crying from the pain.

We made it out to Slea Head right before the rain returned. As we were getting out of the car, we spotted a Jack Russell Terrier - we happily greeted her, both of us had been missing Dozer tremendously.

We ventured up the hill, but the chilling wind and rain made it impossible to endure for very long.

That evening, we took a walk around town. Since it was Good Friday, most of the pubs were closed, and there wasn't any live music or alcohol being served. It made for a quite evening. For dinner, we shared fish and chips and a bowl of french onion soup. More importantly, for dessert we devoured a slice of sticky toffee cake with vanilla ice cream on the side.

Another day of bliss, over in a flash.

Hiking the Gap of Dunloe

2011-05-21T06:30:00.012-05:00

Catch up here! Part one, part two.

We awoke to the aroma of a traditional Irish breakfast, consisting of two sausages, two slices of ham/bacon, a poached egg, tomato, baked beans, and a basketful of toast. Accompanying breakfast was the choice of tea or coffee, along with orange juice.

As we filled our stomachs, we discussed our options for the day's activities. I had narrowed down the possibilities to either a tour of the Gap of Dunloe, or driving the Ring of Kerry. Noreen recommended the Gap of Dunloe, which sounded better to us rather than another day in the car.

The tour bus picked us up from the B&B at 10 am and dropped us off at Kate Kearney's Cottage, the starting point of our 7-mile hike. Again, there was the option to ride a jaunting car, at a cost of €20 per person. We both preferred walking, as it was cheaper and a better opportunity to stop and enjoy the views.

We took 330 pictures throughout the day, and probably could've taken more if we hadn't been so busy walking 7 miles. At the beginning of the trail, there were a couple of horses peacefully napping in the morning sun.

We crossed an old arch bridge between the first two lakes, called the Wishing Bridge because wishes made upon it are destined to come true.

The weather was perfect for an outdoor adventure, a gentle breeze keeping us cool during the two and a half hour walk.

The Gap of Dunloe is a mountain pass that was cut by glaciers and is surrounded by five lakes. It has an elevation increase of 500 foot across the 11km route.

I was in love with all of the baby sheep!

We discovered several abandoned cottages and ruined houses. There were also several newer occupied homes and a church near the end of the trail.

We drank from the streaming water coming off of the mountains. The water was ice cold and refreshing!

When we reached Lord Brandon's cottage, we purchased a bottle of water and waited for the boat ride to commence. The tour guide gave us an hour long boat ride around the three Killarney Lakes.

When we arrived at this 300 year old bridge, the guide asked us to get out of the boat so he could cross underneath it. The weight of all the passengers was too much - the depth of the water was incredibly shallow.

The boat tour ended back at Ross Castle, where the tour bus was waiting to take us back to our B&B. We had lunch at a deli - Austin had fish and chips, I had a grilled chicken pesto panini.

Later, we enjoyed some live traditional Irish music at O'Donoghue's Pub, followed by a late night pizza.

It was a truly remarkable day, definitely one of our favorite memories from our honeymoon.

Next up: Ring of Kerry.

Day Two

2011-05-18T10:07:00.013-05:00

If you missed it, here's part one of our honeymoon recaps.

We woke up on Wednesday refreshed and ready to explore Ireland. The next stop on our itinerary was Killarney, and we had our printed Google directions which we presumed would lead us out of the city.

Unfortunately, the directions looked like this:

1. Head south on Lower Gardiner St toward Talbot St - 180 m

2. Turn left onto Beresford Pl - 67 m

3. Slight right onto Memorial Rd - 160 m

4. Continue onto R105 - 97 m

5. Turn right onto George's Quay - 450 m

6. Slight left onto Burgh Quay/N11 - 400 m

7. Keep right at the fork, Continue to follow College Green - 210 m
8. Continue to follow N81 - 500 m
9. Turn left onto Christchurch Pl/N81 - 150 m
10. Continue onto High St - 00 m

And, remember how the streets aren't labeled very clearly? We were supposed to make a turn every 100 meters, but we ended up going straight for a long time until we found a highway, then we cruised along for about 10 minutes before realizing we had no idea where we were going. So we stopped in a small town called Bray, and at this point we remembered that we had a map in the car.

Luckily we stopped because we were heading directly South. We needed to be going Southwest on a completely different motorway. We chose a route that we thought looked the easiest to follow (but in hindsight was a bit like going through Fort Worth to get to Dallas). We stopped in Limerick for lunch.

This wall was built in 1693.

We enjoyed giving our legs a break from the car ride. We walked around for a while in attempt to find a place to eat. We ended up eating at a small deli - sharing a Shepherd's pie and a hot cross bun. After paying, we learned that it is cheaper to order "take-away" than it is to eat inside the restaurant.

Back in the car, we started to feel a bit more comfortable navigating the roads. We drove straight to Countesss House Bed & Breakfast without getting lost.

Our host, Noreen, greeted us and suggested we take a walk in the Killarney National Park, about a block away.

It was our first up-close glance at Ireland's natural beauty, and we were amazed. We took a leisurely stroll through the park, soaking it all in.

Soon, we stumbled upon a pathway towards Ross Castle, about 2 kilometers away. It was a nice scenic walk, which could also be taken by jaunting car if you'd prefer.

Ross Castle is the ancestral home of the O'Donoghue clan, built in the late 15th century. It is located on the edge of a lake, Lough Leane.

We took a different route back to town, both of us in awe of the stone walls lining the roadways for miles and miles.

We were both ready to sit down by the time we made it back to town. It started sprinkling rain, so we dashed inside the nearest restaurant, Hannigans.

In Ireland, there is something called the Early Bird Menu, typically served from about 6pm to 7pm. There are multiple items you can choose from for each course, and it is a discounted price than if you ordered off the A La Carte menu.

So, Austin ordered a three course meal. The appetizer was Parsienne of Melon, soaked in Port garnished with strawberries. The main couse was Baked Fillets of Lemon Sole, with Atlantic salmon, a fresh herb crust, accompanied with a Crawfish Bisque. And we shared the Chocolate Gateau for dessert. In addition, I ordered Duck Spring Rolls which came with an amazing chili dipping sauce that we're hoping to replicate at home.

We were both very satisfied with the meal. It had been another long day, though, so we decided to head back to our room and relax.

The next day, we hiked the Gap of Dunloe.

Irish Honeymoon

2011-05-11T10:07:00.005-05:00

We flew out of DFW Airport on Monday, April 18th. Austin's flight left in the early morning, mine mid-afternoon. We met up in the Chicago airport and then hopped on our international flights which departed at 6:45pm. The flight is 6 1/2 hours long - I spent most of it sleeping. AerLingus provided us with a meal mid-flight: chicken with vegetables, iceberg lettuce (salad), a sip of water, a cold stale breadstick, and cheesecake.

We arrived at 8:00am in the Dublin airport and immediately exchanged our US dollars for euros. We are flabergasted by the exchange rate - it cost $1.50 per euro. Next we begin searching for County Car Rentals to pick up our car. It takes an hour of waiting for us to finally speak to a representative. We debate renting a GPS for €9/day, but decide against it, as that was the same rate we're paying for the car itself! Besides, a map of Ireland is included with the car rental.

The shuttle takes us directly to our car - a manual Toyota Yaris. We load up our luggage and Austin starts up the engine. We lurch forward, neither of us accustomed to driving a manual vehicle. Adjusting to driving on the left side of the road was easy compared to adjusting to the road identification. First of all, the signs are in both English and Gaelic, so there is a lot of information on one tiny sign. All of a sudden you're at your first roundabout and you don't know what the hell you're supposed to do. I remembered reading somewhere to "Yield to Your Right" and I tell Austin to do so. Rapidly, we're on the roundabout and realize we have no idea which exit we need to take. Naturally, we take the first exit, just to get off the damn roundabout. We're heading towards Swords, because that was the only town name I recognized - it's on our itinerary for our last night in Ireland. Unfortunately, Swords is north of Dublin, and in the exact opposite direction of where we needed to be going. But, at least we were going somewhere.

A few minutes later and we're in the town of Swords, utterly lost and without a clue how to get to Dublin city centre. I tell Austin to just park the car and we'll ask for directions. We hop out of the car only to discover that we're in a "pay-and-display" parking spot. He feeds the machine a few euro cents, and we start walking. I run inside the first store we find, and ask for directions to the city centre. Not sure if it was my accent or if the lady was just a bit dense, but it was a worthless attempt.

I'm lost, irritated, and my head starts to ache. My nose is running like a faucet and practically bleeding from wiping it with the sandpaper toilet tissue from the plane. I start regretting our decision not to rent the GPS, and ask Austin if we can go back and get it. No, he'd rather purchase a map...

Spying a pharmacy a few stores down, we briskly make our way inside. I pick up some Kleenex and vaseline for my nose, while Austin inquires about a map. They direct us to Fingal Tourism a few doors down. No luck there either, but they send us off scurrying towards a bookstore, Wise Owl Books. We finally find a detailed map, €10 or so, that is a great blow-up of the Dublin area. Sure, that will work for today, but what about tomorrow when we've got to make it to Killarney? (The map of Ireland in the car has been completely forgotten). I reiterate my desire to go back and get the GPS, until suddenly I notice the Fed-Ex store across the alley has pay-by-the-minute internet access. What if we just print off the directions, like we were supposed to do at home but never got around to doing because, oh, we were in the midst of unpacking our house and preparing for our wedding. Brilliant idea, and €5 later, we've spent half an hour attempting to print off directions to get us from one Bed and Breakfast to the next. Of course, Google maps was playing games with us and wouldn't allow us to type in the name of the actual bed and breakfast we were staying at, so we had to just get it in the general vicinity. But we had directions to our first hotel, and that was really all that mattered.

I'm in the passenger's seat with the directions in front of me. If there's one thing I'm not typically good at, it's navigating Google directions. Don't ask me why, they're pretty damn simple, but the truth is, I get lost a lot. Regardless, Austin's adjusting to the stick shift, and driving on the left-side of the road, so I'm the one in charge of telling him where to go. We take a turn, merging onto the M1. It's really not that hard, and we start to see signs for Dublin city centre. We keep driving, looking for our next turn. But where the hell are the street signs? Oh, is that one, up on that stone wall? Yeah, that's it. We haven't seen Upper Gardiner yet, let's keep going. There it is, turn left. A left turn in Ireland is like a right turn in Texas, so it's easy. This street turns into Lower Gardiner, and we're looking for the Maple Hotel.

There it is...wait, where do we park? We keep driving, can't turn on the next street, it's a one-way. We turn on the second street down and see a couple of construction workers in the street. Austin slows down and rolls down the window, asking if there is anywhere to park nearby. They tell us there's a car park a few blocks away, €10/day. No, that's not right, I recall that we were supposed to receive free parking along with the hotel. Austin stays with the car and I jog the two blocks back to the Maple Hotel and ask where we can park. They tell me that we're actually being transferred to their sister hotel. I immediatly panic, as I was just beginning to relax because I thought we were done driving for the day. I tell them this is our first night on our honeymoon and we don't know the town very well. Suddenly it occurs to me that they're telling me the hotel is only a few doors down. The hotel bartender walks up, overhearing the conversation, and tells me that we can park our car in their carriageway. Ah, that's better, I smile and run back to the car and tell Austin where to park. We come back inside and the bartender offers us a drink.

Now this is vacation. A Jameson and Sprite and I start to breathe again. Austin orders a pint of Carlsberg, and I can tell we're going to finally start having fun.

The bartender gave us those hats we're wearing, and he also sent fresh flowers and wine to our room at the other hotel. We're stoked, but also starving. We thank him for everything, pay for our drinks and ask for a recommendation for lunch. He sends us next door to O'Shea's.

Austin orders the obvious - Fish 'n Chips, and I spring for The Dubliner, a Baguette filled with hot roast beef, sautéed mushrooms and onions. Lunch is delicious, and afterward we head back to our hotel room and unpack our luggage. We log onto the free wi-fi and check in with friends, family, and Facebook - reporting that we've made it safely to Ireland.

The Spire, a 360-ft tall landmark on O'Connell St, Dublin (photo on right)

That afternoon we took a walk around town. We found the famous Temple Bar Pub and took a picture in front of it.

Surprisingly, most of the shops, small restaurants and delis were already closing up around 6pm. That's too bad because Austin probably would've wanted to eat at the Bad Ass Cafe. Alas, a picture would have to do.

We decided to head to the restaurant the bartender had suggested for dinner, Le Bon Crubeen. Austin ordered another Carlsberg, and I chugged a water in hopes of my allergies improving.

For dinner, Austin ordered the most fantastic meal we had the pleasure of eating on our honeymoon - Spring Lamb Sweetbreads with Risotto. It was indescribable, and definitely surpassed my meal, tasty Asparagus soup, on the scale of awesomeness. Little did we know that Sweetbreads is a term used to describe the thymus gland...but ignorance was bliss in this scenario!

After dinner, we were ready for sleep. Not only did we need to recover from a full day of travelling, we were also still feeling the remnants of no-sleep during our wedding weekend. And we knew we'd need to be well-rested the next day when we ventured out to find Killarney, our next stop on our Irish honeymoon.

Keep reading to see what we did on day two.

We're Married!

2011-05-07T15:21:00.000-05:00

On April 16th, 2011, I became a wife!

Our wedding day was remarkable! I will share more pictures with you when I get them back from our photographer, Elissa R Photography. In the meantime, check out Elissa's blog post featuring our wedding.

I have a slew of pictures from our honeymoon, and I'll begin updating you on our adventures very soon! Here's a personalized postcard of us in Ireland:

I hope you're enjoying this gorgeous weekend :)

Our First Trees

2011-04-10T13:17:00.000-05:00

Owning a home is really fun! (Expensive, but fun). This weekend has been chore-central at our house. Not only are we in crunch-time for all of the wedding stuff, we also have to find time to pack for our honeymoon, and finish with all of our "to-do's" for the house.

We planted our first trees this weekend, and I am so excited to watch them grow! They are Mexican Fan Trees. Supposedly they will produce medjool dates when they get older - I'd love that!

When we get back home from our trip, hopefully we'll be able to plant a few other things. We'd like to get a garden started soon!

Other than these two trees, our backyard is still quite bare. I don't know why the previous owners never planted any trees. We do have two huge oak trees in the front yard, at least.

And now, I present to you the newest addition to our backyard:

Moved In

2011-04-07T21:38:00.001-05:00

We're finally all moved into our new house, with only a few miscellaneous boxes that aren't unpacked yet. It is a lot of work, but definitely worth it. We love our neighborhood. Dozer loves the huge yard, although he still always wants wherever he can't be.

We have squirrels in the front yard. Therefore, Dozer does not approve of being locked in the backyard.

It's crazy how much money a house costs in the beginning (and forever after that). We've been to Lowe's four times in the past week and a half, and spent hundreds of dollars. On tiny little stuff that you would never guess you'd have to buy. Austin's been loving working outside in the yard and fixing up the garage. Of course he wants to go buy a bunch of tools but, um, those aren't on the "need" list right now.

Aside from moving in, I've been putting together our wedding day timeline, checklist, emergency phone numbers, etc. I'll probably be way over-prepared, but that's what happens when you're suddenly unemployed three weeks before your wedding.

The emotional side of it is what gets me. In the past two months, my maid of honor suddenly dropped out of the wedding and quit talking to me altogether, and I lost my job - neither of which I had any control over. To the outside world, I'm sure other people think "Oh sure, it wasn't your fault at all, right..." But seriously. I have been in situations where I was at least partly responsible for the consequences, and in those times, I recognized that I was at fault. And in both of these situations, there was absolutely no warning or chance for me to change their decisions. It's really hard to face, because I'm the type of person who always wants to fix it. If I do something wrong, I always come back around and apologize. I can't stand for someone I care about to be upset with me.

These aren't exactly the emotions I wanted to be feeling 9 days before our wedding. But I'm not in control of the circumstances, and I just have to trust that there is a reason for this. I truly cannot wait for next week to be here so I can be surrounded by my friends and family in a giant celebration. I just hope that all the happiness around me doesn't cause me to spin into an emotional breakdown.

In brighter news, the 10-day weather forecast is here for Saturday, and it's supposed to be sunny and 86 degrees. Perfect weather for an outdoor wedding :)

The Unexpected

2011-04-05T10:19:00.003-05:00

I wrote before about all of the wedding planning bloopers that have come up during our 9 month engagement. Well, there've been more, but they're all inconsequential if you really think about it. Not all of them are directly wedding-related, but it's sh*t you don't expect when you're trying to plan "one of the happiest days of your life".

Two weeks ago, I was let go from my job. It's still sinking in and all of the emotions start swirling around in my head every night as I try to fall asleep. It was unfair, unwarranted, and completely unexpected. They did it on Monday morning of the week we were supposed to close on our new house. Which, if you've ever bought a house before, is not a good thing. It ended up working out okay, but we did have to extend our mortgage term, thus increasing the interest rate. But, we still qualified and that's what's important.

So, we bought a house last week! And it proved to be a pretty good distraction to keep me from thinking about being unemployed. This weekend, Austin's mom came to visit and I hardly even thought about being jobless. But now she's gone, and Austin's back at work, and it's easy to start feeling awful again, wondering what I'm going to do with my future.

Of course, luckily, I have one other small distraction, the wedding and our honeymoon! I'm just worried that I'm not going to be able to fully enjoy it all because I'll be freaking out about all the money we're spending in just a few short days!

I've always struggled with looking at things in a positive light. It's something I'm working on, though. Perhaps God just wanted to give me a little break. I'll admit, it's nice having a bit of time to get unpacked and settled in our new house. Also, now I'll be able to go to my parent's house a few days early and straighten out all of the last-minute wedding details.

Everything always works out for the best, and I know this to be true. Sometimes my mind likes to play tricks on me and convince me that I'm just a huge failure and always making a mistake. I'm not. I try my best every single day to be successful, and I'm going to make it. And my future husband? He'll be right there beside me.

St. Patty's Day

2011-03-30T17:09:00.020-05:00

I know this is way behind schedule, but I wanted to post our pictures from St. Patty's Day. It's one of our favorite holidays!

We went to the Mucky Duck in downtown Houston. It was a blast! There was Irish dancing, music, and beer of course!

We shared fish 'n chips and a salad for dinner, then we enjoyed the show! I would definitely recommend this for a St. Patty's day tradition.

I can't wait to experience more of the Irish life during our honeymoon in just a few weeks!

One Month

2011-03-16T11:15:00.001-05:00

The countdown is on! One month until our wedding day.

Since I still can't show you my dress (eeeee!), here's the next best thing: the flower girls. We have three flower girls in our wedding party. Austin's two little sisters:

And my adorable cousin:

I can't wait for the girls to meet - they're going to become fast friends, I know. My cousin and Austin's oldest little sister are both in first grade this year!

We've decided that we're probably not going to have a ring bearer. We discussed having Dozer be our doggie ring bearer, but neither of us want his whining to interrupt our ceremony.

Also, here's one of our D-I-Y features. Recently I made these bride and groom signs to hang on the back of our chairs at the sweetheart table.

I can't wait to see everything come together on the big day!

Buying a Home

2011-02-23T09:41:00.006-06:00

After months of searching, and two failed attempts at the contract-signing stage, we've reached a mutually agreeable price on a house! It's been a stressful process, and I can't help but be a little nervous that something else might go wrong, but I am just so excited!

It has a pretty kitchen with granite countertops, brand new appliances, plenty of cabinets, and a large pantry!

One of our must-haves was a fireplace. Even though we live in Houston, we still love to cozy up next to a warm fire in the wintertime, on the rare occasion that the temperature drops below 40. And check out the nice wood floors - installed throughout the living room, entry and dining room!

We really wanted a big yard, for Dozie to be able to run around and play in. We both fell in love with this 12,000 sqft lot! It backs up to a quiet park with a walking trail, so there are no neighbors behind us. Of course, the landscaping needs some work: we've got to get some trees planted, and Dozie's petitioning for a squirrel-feeder...

Hopefully everything will be smooth-sailing from here on out - our closing date should be mid-March. Just in time for us to move out of our apartment before the lease ends.

It's going to be a busy month! And then we're getting married in April! Woohoo :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T16:02:00.002-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

Since today is centered around love, I have a wonderful poem I'd like to share with you.

“Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being “in love” which any of us can convince ourselves we are.

Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away. This is both an art and a fortunate accident to have roots that grow towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossoms have fallen from the branches you realize that you are one tree and not two.”

-Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, by Louis de Bernieres.

We plan to include this as a reading in our wedding ceremony!

Instead of including the typical bible verse from 1 Corinthians or Romans 8, we chose something a bit more unique and personalized that relates to marriage. I will enjoy looking back on this poem in the future, as a reminder of our wedding day.

We're also re-wording the speech our officiant will give before the ring ceremony because neither of us wants to hear how a ring is an unending circle like the sun, moon and earth or that love freely given has no giver or receiver. Don't get me wrong, this speech might be just perfect for someone else, but for us, it's confusing and isn't very symbolic of the commitment we are making to each other.

Wedding Planning Bloopers

2011-02-02T08:14:00.006-06:00

Things are destined to go wrong when you're planning a wedding. And the best way to deal with these events is with a smile on your face, or to laugh it off.  Thus, here's my series of Wedding Planning Bloopers. Let's start from the beginning:

- The night we got engaged, my fiance called to tell one of his best friends the news, and his response was, "Yeah man, I just found out that my girlfriend is pregnant, so we're getting married too". So, we set our date specifically to allow for said groomsman to be able to attend after his baby is born in February.

- The weekend we picked happend to coincide with the biggest festival in my home town, thus ruling out our first pick for the ceremony venue, which happened to be in the middle of the festival location. Then we picked another location for the ceremony that was still on the same street as the festival, in the naive belief that it was far enough away that it wouldn't affect us.

- Four months later we were notified that the streets surrounding the chapel would be blocked off, and that we would be provided with zero parking spaces.

- We could not change our date because 1) then the groomsman with that baby wouldn't be able to come and 2) I'd already bought my plane ticket for our honeymoon to Ireland.

- Therefore, we attempted to get married at a small church near our reception, but they wouldn't allow it because our officiant was non-denominational.  Finally, we changed our ceremony to be outdoors at the same location as our reception.

- We set up our tuxedo rental on-line for Men's Wearhouse, then sent out the colors & styles to each guy individually. When my dad went in to get measured, they told him they couldn't measure him until we went into the store and set up the colors and styles ourselves. So we did that, and then my dad went back in to the store and they ended up asking him to pick out his style tux, shirt, shoes, color anyway, against their own policy.

- Three months before the wedding, the groomsman with the baby due in February told Austin he wasn't going to be able to make it. We offered to pay for his plane ticket, but his wife still didn't want him to be gone all weekend.

- On the exact same day, one of the ushers also backed out because he changed jobs and wasn't guaranteed time off.

- Two months before the wedding, my maid of honor still hadn't ordered her dress. Then she finally ordered it, but she kept receiving phone calls asking her which color purple she wanted...after the third phone call, I became suspicious and discovered that the website she ordered from was not an authorized manufacturer of the bridesmaid dress I had chosen. Thus it would be a different shade of purple and the style would probably be a bit off as well.

- Eleven weeks before the wedding, I asked my maid of honor to cancel the dress and re-order it from a legit website. I warned her that she would probably need to use rush-shipping, and offered to pay for it.

- Ten weeks before the wedding, my maid of honor e-mails me saying she thinks I should ask someone else to be the maid of honor because she can't afford it. And that she doesn't want this to affect our friendship, that she's sorry that it's "kinda late notice".  Then she ignores my phone calls.

Making Reservations

2011-01-14T09:58:00.005-06:00

This week I've been researching and booking our bed and breakfasts, car rental, and excursions for our honeymoon to Ireland.

Every confirmation e-mail I receive puts a giant smile on my face! This one is a great sample of their Irish accent:

Hi Ali,

Thanks very much for credit card details.
Just to let you know that I have availability i.e. double room en-suite with breakfast
included cost 30 euro per person. If ye happen to be late arriving i.e. after 5 p.m. would you mind
giving me a call to just to let me know that ye are en-route.

If ye are coming from the South I am one mile before the Cliffs and if ye
are travelling from the North I am one mile further down that road, and it is the first
turn left (sharp turn). Ye will see my Yellow Dormer house from the Road.

Ring me if ye get lost.
Many thanks and I look forward to meeting ye.
-Mary

Don't you love the way the Irish speak/write? I'm familiarizing myself with the maps and tourist attractions so that we'll have plenty of ideas when we arrive.

It will be interesting for us to travel around in Ireland for 9 days without phone or internet. We'll definitely need to buy a map when we get there! I'm worried about the ease of exchanging money from dollars to euros. I read on-line that one of the towns we're visiting doesn't even have an ATM!

In a few short months, we'll be making our first trip overseas, and my fiance doesn't have his passport yet! Ugh! He also needs to get an International Drivers License since he'll be the driver of our rental car.

Have you ever travelled to another country? What did you learn that you'd do better next time?

Wedding Registry

2011-01-13T09:17:00.006-06:00

Austin and I set up our wedding registry this weekend at Bed Bath and Beyond, but we're already thinking about changing it. After looking around Target's website, it looks like they have a wider range of options, and they're more affordable too!

We registered for the "expected" things like plates, bowls, bath towels, sheets, a stand mixer, blender, coffee pot, tablecloths, bakeware, and we even went for a few "unconventional" items - like a massage cushion! And when we set up at Target, Austin wants to sign up for a Wii.

We thought about signing up for home bar furniture, curtains, and closet organization devices - but all of those things are best purchased when you know the arrangement of your house. Since our lease ends in March, we're unsure where we'll be living after we're married.

Registering was a lot of fun, but it took a lot longer than I expected! Now we just need to decide if we're going to delete our registry at Bed Bath & Beyond, or just have two registries - one at Target and one at Bed Bath and Beyond...

What's your favorite department store?

A Third Year

2010-12-30T14:52:00.000-06:00

The end of the year always brings things into a new perspective for me. Usually around Thanksgiving, I start reflecting on the past year's events. For the past month or so, I've been floating on a cloud of total bliss and thankfulness. This year has been amazing.

Austin and I celebrate our 3rd anniversary of dating on Sunday! I can't believe it's been so long. We've been through so much together since January of 2008...

Our first picture together

Here is a quote I found that I truly believe captures our relationship. As we've been planning our wedding together, we've faced a few hard decisions - but in the end, the sacrifices we make are worth it.

-Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, by Louis de Bernieres

Locks of Love

2010-11-30T08:45:00.008-06:00

On April 30th 2008, Austin shaved his head. Then he swore he wouldn't to get a hair cut for a whole year.

A year went by...

Then two years...

Almost three years later, he had still never gotten more than a trim.

We measured his hair a few nights ago and realized that his ponytail had surpassed the 10" minimum. So last night, he finally got his hair cut to donate to Locks of Love!

Locks of Love is a wonderful non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children suffering from long-term medical hair loss.

If you're interested in joining the cause, here are a few of the guidelines for donating hair:

Hair must be gathered in a ponytail
Minimum length of 10" from tip to tip
Colored or permed hair is accepted
Bleached or highlighted hair is not accepted
Dreadlocks are not accepted

A very lucky recipient will be happy to wear his curly hair!

And I'm just happy he got a hair cut :)

Giving Thanks

2010-11-22T14:30:00.002-06:00

Thanksgiving 2010

Things I'm Thankful For...

My fiance & I got engaged this year!
My lasik eye surgery was succesful & I can now see 20-15 without glasses.
We went on awesome cruise to celebrate my Grandpa's 70th birthday.
My aunt & mom came to visit me and we had an awesome girl's weekend.
I transferred to Houston for my job & now I get to see my fiance everyday.
My fiance and I both have jobs we love.
Our families are happy & healthy - and we are fortunate enough to get to see them often.
We had the chance to travel many places this year, and we're planning a trip to Ireland next year!
We have the best dog ever!
Life is good.

"The most important moment is the one we are in right now"

-V. Frankl

Seeing Through New Eyes

2010-09-23T13:35:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow, I will be seeing through new eyes. I'm getting Lasik surgery done, assuming that I pass the last test of candidacy tomorrow morning.

Without glasses, I cannot read anything smaller than the "E" on the eye chart. And even it's a bit fuzzy.

To be honest, I'm nervous. I have always been anxious around doctors, and my body reacts poorly. I have vasovagal syncope, which means that I often faint in painful circumstances, such as getting a shot, slamming my finger in a car door, or banging my knee.

I also had a very bad experience at the dentist last year, which leaves me even more paranoid. First, I fainted after the dentist gave me the numbing shots. Then he and his assistant yelled at me for fainting. The procedure itself was an even bigger nightmare. My mouth was propped open for three hours, and I was fully awake while they yanked and hammered on my wisdom teeth. I do believe Tom Hanks had a more pleasant experience knocking his tooth out with an ice skate when he was stuck on an island in Cast Away.

I literally thought my jaw was broken. I was in intense pain for six months, had headaches and my teeth were incredibly sensitive to hot/cold temperatures. When I returned to the dentist, they didn't have any recommendations for the pain. So I proceeded to pick up my records, which they hesitated to give to me. (Until I mentioned my HIPAA right to view my records). The dentist called me the next day, yelling at me and saying that he didn't do anything wrong, and then he hung up on me. Very unprofessional.

So here's hoping that tomorrow will be a much better experience. No one will be there to hold my hand, which reminds me of when I was 5 years old and my mom took me to the dentist. She told me to put my animal-shaped erasers in my pocket, and squeeze them if I was scared or it hurt. Of course, the erasers were demolished into tiny crumbs by the end of my appointment. Maybe tomorrow I'll take something to squeeze that I don't mind if it gets ruined. Or perhaps the valium will take care of all my concerns.

Keep me in your thoughts, and I'll see you on the other side :)

What's your method of staying calm when you're nervous?

Invitations

2010-09-20T16:33:00.003-05:00

Our wedding is still 7 months away - but I started working on our invitations this weekend. What can I say, I'm an early-achiever.

If you're curious how I made the invitations, here's a quick summary of the process. First, I created the invitation wording template and printed it on white cardstock. I cut them into 3.5"x5" sections.

Next, I took a piece of 8"x6" purple cardstock and measured 2" on each side and folded them to meet in the middle.

Then I made a 1" slit along the fold in the middle of the cardstock, and threaded a purple ribbon thru.

Next, I glued the white cardstock invitation on top of the ribbon and folded the side flaps closed. Finally, I tied a bow with the ribbon.

Simple and homemade! So far, I've spent $0.13/ea for ribbon + $0.14/ea for envelopes = $0.27/ea. I haven't printed the maps or rehearsal dinner invites yet, but I'm guessing there won't be any additional cost for those since I already have cardstock on hand. If my prediction is correct, I'll have my invitations done and only spent $20!
(The postage will be additional, of course.)

I'm still working on the ceremony invitation / maps / rehearsal dinner invitation. Everyone's welcome to attend the rehearsal dinner, so it seems pointless to mail it separately.

Are you a procrastinator, or do you prefer to early-achieve?

Doggie Ring Bearer

2010-09-16T10:41:00.005-05:00

We've all seen the pictures of pets in weddings.

The question in my mind is - how does this work with energetic, hyper dogs? Namely, our 3 year old Jack Russell Terrier whose favorite pasttime is greeting people.

We would absolutely love for Dozer to be a part of our wedding ceremony. Wouldn't he be so adorable in a little doggie tuxedo?

If we were having an outdoor ceremony, I would be a little less worried. However, we're having a private (family-only) ceremony in a small chapel. The chapel has agreed to allow him in the building if we pay an additional deposit.

So now the question is - will we regret having him there? Will he be whimpering to go run around and greet people? The last thing we need is a distraction from the ceremony.

But we LOVE our dog. He is a huge part of our lives. We've had him since our second month of dating! And we're the silly couple who brings their dog everywhere. So why wouldn't we include him in our wedding?

Besides, I have this great poem I want to read at the ceremony, that would fit perfectly if Dozer was present.

Falling in love is like owning a dog

by Taylor Mali

First of all, it's a big responsibility,

especially in a city like New York.

So think long and hard before deciding on love.

On the other hand, love gives you a sense of security:

when you're walking down the street late at night

and you have a leash on love

ain't no one going to mess with you.

Because crooks and muggers think love is unpredictable.

Who knows what love could do in its own defense?

On cold winter nights, love is warm.

It lies between you and lives and breathes

and makes funny noises.

Love wakes you up all hours of the night with its needs.

It needs to be fed so it will grow and stay healthy.

Love doesn't like being left alone for long.

But come home and love is always happy to see you.

It may break a few things accidentally in its passion for life,

but you can never be mad at love for long.

Is love good all the time? No! No!

Love can be bad. Bad, love, bad! Very bad love.

Love makes messes.

Love leaves you little surprises here and there.

Love needs lots of cleaning up after.

Sometimes you just want to get love fixed.

Sometimes you want to roll up a piece of newspaper

and swat love on the nose,

not so much to cause pain,

just to let love know Don't you ever do that again!

Sometimes love just wants to go for a nice long walk.

Because love loves exercise.

It runs you around the block and leaves you panting.

It pulls you in several different directions at once,

or winds around and around you

until you're all wound up and can't move.

But love makes you meet people wherever you go.

People who have nothing in common but love

stop and talk to each other on the street.

Throw things away and love will bring them back,

again, and again, and again.

But most of all, love needs love, lots of it.

And in return, love loves you and never stops.

So, what's your opinion? Have you been to a wedding with dogs involved?

Hobbies & Games

2010-09-13T16:46:00.003-05:00

My brother and I always got along really well. We played games together non-stop.

We invented our own board games, operated restaurants with extensive menus, managed grocery stores, designed apartment complex layouts, rehearsed roles as teacher and student, performed radio broadcasts of live basketball games and races, karaoked and recorded songs we wrote together, produced our own newspaper, as well as some other more typical childhood activities.

As I grew up, I found it difficult to escape into the fictional life of playing games. There are so many real and serious things to focus your time on. School, work, housework, wedding planning, etc.

Speaking of weddings - this brings me to my fiance. He enjoys having a hobby to relax him in the evenings. For the past three years of our relationship, he has played computer games and been involved in the on-line gaming community. To be completely honest, I've resented his involvement in these activities because it took up so much of his time and energy. But I wanted him to be happy, so I didn't truly wanted him to quit - I just wanted him to balance his time. Plus, I never realistically thought he would quit - since he'd tried to quit numerous times before.

Then suddenly, he quit again. This time for real. At least, that was his intention, right? Alas, he's a guy who needs to focus his attention on something. It's how he deals with life's emotions - happiness, sadness, stress, or anger.

But you know what's awesome? Instead of launching a new computer game, he researched an old hobby he thought I could participate in also. Then he asked me to play with him!

Granted, it involves fantasy-land, which I obviously am not a huge fan of. It can also be relatively expensive if you allow it to be. And finally, it is a game - which cannot be classified in my mind as "productive".

That's okay though. Not everything I do has to be 100% productive. I only need to accomplish a certain number of tasks in a day, and then after that - I'm free to chill. And what better use of my time than to show my fiance that I love him enough to go out of my comfort-zone and paint some action figure models with him?

The reason my brother and I had such a great friendship growing up is because we were willing to do something even though it wasn't our #1 favorite activity - because it was fun to do together.

So here's to our new hobby: Warhammer. But secretly - I'm just spending quality time with my guy ;)

What are your hobbies? Does your significant other participate with you?

Honeymoon Destination

2010-09-10T09:20:00.002-05:00

I am so excited about our honeymoon. This will be our first trip overseas...and we'll be married!

We'll be crossing over the Atlantic ocean during an overnight flight. This will be the longest amount of time I've ever spent on a plane.

We'll rent a car and drive on the left side of the road. We will drive over 1,000 km during our trip, at an average speed of 40 mph.

We hope to stay a night in a castle, to heighten the romance.

We'll also stay in a few Bed & Breakfasts along the way.

We'll have a few drinks and visit the local pubs.

According to the weather reports, we'll experience a daily rain shower.

Did you figure out where we're going?!
What is your experience with overseas travel?

Grown-Up Friendships

2010-09-07T15:16:00.005-05:00

Due to a couple of recent kind-hearted comments, I realized that I've unintentionally neglected this blog. It's not that I don't care about you guys, because I do. In fact, the reason I started blogging is because I am lonely and searching for friendships.

I moved to Houston in February and have yet to find any good friends who I can hang out with and talk to. My fiance and I would like to find another couple our age that we can hang out and go on double-date nights.

It was so much easier to connect with people who were my age when I was in college. I've tried a gym membership, and while I do enjoy exercising, I haven't been successful at meeting anyone to hang out with outside of the fitness classes.

Austin and I have started going out on Friday nights to a local dancehall. We really like it, but we haven't met any couples our age there either.

Do you guys have any ideas or suggestions for building grown-up friendships?

Having Fun

2010-07-28T14:20:00.010-05:00

My Grandpa mailed me a bracelet last week that says "Have Fun". It's to serve as a reminder during the whole wedding planning process that the main goal is for us to be happy. I've been focusing on that a lot this week.

*Wedding update: we've decided on the location for our ceremony and reception; so now we're ready to set our wedding date. We are moving it back three weeks to accomodate one of the groomsmen because he is having a baby in March and is flying in from Oregon. The extra few weeks will also benefit my bridesmaid who is having a baby in February. So - it looks like our wedding will be in April 2011!*

In the spirit of having fun, Austin and I fed some ducks last night.

These babies hatched a few weeks ago and have been living in the retention pond behind our apartment.

The momma duck sat back and let the babies eat the bread crumbs.

All the ducks lined up in a row!

We also went on a fun date on Friday night. We browsed the selection of tuxedo rentals at Men's Warehouse, then we ate at Le Petite Paris, my new favorite restaurant. I had the Boeuf Bourguignon, and Austin had Chicken Provencal.

For dessert, we had a PB&G - Peanut Butter & Ganache. The waiter was so cute - he cut the dessert exactly in half - including the pecan!

We ate a fun breakfast this morning! My fiance made us stewed bananas and waffles! They were phenomenal, and reminded us of all the fun we had on our cruise!

"Follow your dreams. Just make sure to have fun too."

- Chris Brown

What's your favorite quote about having fun?

Girl Weekend

2010-07-21T11:59:00.006-05:00

My mom, aunt and I had so much fun during our Girl Weekend.

We went to the spa for massages and pedicures. (*thanks Austin!*)

We went dress shopping and I BOUGHT MY WEDDING DRESS!!! Plus my mom picked out her mother of the bride dress, too!

We ate at some fantastic restaurants. We had brunch at the Rainbow Lodge.

We made a special toast to celebrate my birthday, my mom's birthday, and my engagement! Mmm, mimosas!

I ordered the Cast Iron Seared Gulf Red Snapper, Early Summer Succotash and White Corn Griddle Cakes. Simply delicious.

I would definitely recommend eating at the Rainbow Lodge. The food is great and the decor is cool. There is free valet parking for brunch and dinner - plus the outdoor patio is gorgeous.

We also ate at Pappasito's. I had the Carne Asada with Black Beans, Mexican Rice, Guacamole, and Tortillas.

We ate at Le Petite Paris bakery for lunch. My mom and aunt both ordered the Boeuf Bourguignon, inspired by the movie Julia & Julie that we watched together on Saturday night.

I had a Caesar Salad with French Onion Soup.

The pictures do not do this meal justice. It was fantastic, and so girly. To top it off, we ordered chocolatey desserts.

I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. The restaurant had such a unique atmosphere, and the entire place smelled wonderful. Eating at a French Bakery = the best decision you will ever make.

My aunt and I went shopping for shoes to go with my wedding dress, and we actually found a pair for $20 at Sears that could do the trick! However, I am not 100% confident that they'll be comfortable enough to wear all day. So, I've been doing some browsing on CSN Stores.com to find a different pair to try out. I'll do a review of them when they arrive! While I was on-line, I got distracted with their dinnerware selection and started dreaming. Must focus on shoes...

I'm so sad our girl weekend is over! My aunt needs to move back to Texas ;)

Have you ever eaten at a French restaurant or bakery?

If not, I suggest you do so very soon - you're missing out!

Engagement Photos

2010-07-16T07:00:00.003-05:00

We "interviewed" our first potential wedding photographer last weekend. Unfortunately, neither of us were very impressed.

He only has six months of photography experience. But the biggest issue was his lack of professionalism. He showed up thirty minutes late, without a reasonable explanation. Plus, he was not very confident about his work and just did not sell himself to us.

However, we did end up with a few usable images from the photo shoot. I am only including my favorites - which have been edited by me personally.

Photography credit goes to Paul Lizama. All effects & editing by me.

Birthday Bonanza

2010-07-13T17:30:00.002-05:00

Here's a recap of my birthday weekend.

My wonderful fiance made me stewed bananas and pancakes for breakfast! This special treat was a re-creation of the amazing stewed bananas I tried during our cruise.

Then he took me to eat sushi for my birthday lunch!

After work, I walked in the door to see flowers & presents galore!

Wow, Austin showered me with goodies. He got me a new hair dryer, Reba DVDs, awesome books, work-out gloves, lythium batteries for my camera, and a Spa Day gift card for my mom, aunt & I to all get pedicures & massages!

And did you see those beautiful flowers? I am so incredibly blessed!

My friend Meredith came to visit me on Friday night! For dinner, Austin made us grilled kabobs and corn on the cob.

Meredith and I baked a cake for dessert!

Unfortunately, the carrot cake crumbled when we tried to transfer it from the baking dish. It looked pathetic, but it still tasted great!

Meredith and I have been friends since high school - and throughout the years, we have always taken silly pictures. Dozer even participated in the fun!

On Saturday, we drove to my parents' house and arrived just in time for lunch. My mom made turkey klebasa, macaroni and cheese, cabbage, and homemade baked beans!

For dessert, we had hot fudge sundae cake with vanilla ice cream!

Then we went to see a movie! We saw Winter Bones. This was a very unique movie that certainly does not have a typical fairytale ending. It is about a teenage girl whose father is a druggie and mother is mentally absent from the family. This seventeen year old girl is doing her best to raise her little brother and sister, meanwhile she finds out that her dad put their house and property up as his bail collateral. His court date comes and goes, and he doesn't show up. The movie has several dark moments and is a sad story, but it really makes you think and appreciate how simple and glamorous our lives are in comparison.

After the movie, we went to the lake and grilled burgers!

The time flew by as we kicked back with a drink in our hands, chatted about wedding plans and enjoyed the amazing weather.

After dinner, we walked down to the water and swam in the lake. My family used to always come to this lake during the summers of my childhood! It was fun to reminisce.

On Sunday, my mom made stuffed french toast with turkey sausage for breakfast.

We ate lunch at Mama Fu's.

In the afternoon, Austin and I met with a potential wedding photographer. We walked around town and took a few sample engagement photos. Hopefully they'll turn out nicely so we can check that item off the list!

For those of you who were concerned about my parents' dachshund, I appreciate the kind words! For a quick update - he's doing much, much better after his back surgery. He can walk around on his own now.

Has your pet ever had to undergo surgery?

Dozer hasn't had any encounters with the animal hospital (thankfully). On the other hand, Walker has had two major surgeries. The first time was an incident where he ate a pair of panty-hose and it got stuck in his stomach.

Eggplant Casserole

2010-07-09T07:00:00.004-05:00

We recently spent a weekend at my parents' house. I surprised my mom with flowers!

Austin and I cooked my parents a special dinner which consisted of chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes and brown gravy. I also made eggplant casserole.

For those of you that asked for the recipe, here it is! This is my version, which is only slightly modified from my grandma's recipe.

Eggplant Casserole

2 large eggplants, peeled & diced
1 onion, chopped
2 tbsp butter
2 egg yolks, beaten
½ cup parmesan cheese
1 tsp salt

1 cup dry breadcrumbs

Cook vegetables in boiling water, covered, for 20 minutes. Drain. Add remaining ingredients and pour into greased casserole. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until browned. Bake uncovered.

I got a little teary-eyed when I saw my parents' dachshund. He had to have surgery because he had a bone spur in his back. He is healing quite well, though, and can walk around now!

Saturday night was movie night. We watched a 1996 movie starring Denzel Washington and Meg Ryan, Courage Under Fire. I love all of Denzel's movies, including this one! It's definitely worth watching.

On Sunday we went to lunch at the Salt Lick BBQ. Check out the pit!

The Salt Lick is delicious! Everyone enjoyed their food.

My mom & dad split a plate of beef ribs. Austin ordered brisket - it was moist and flavorful. I ordered green bean casserole and nibbled on bits of everyone else's BBQ!

It was a fun weekend with my family - I'm looking forward to seeing them again tomorrow! It will be especially fun since we'll be celebrating my birthday :)

Share one of your favorite family recipes, if you have one!

It's so special to me to have a recipe from my grandma, since I never really got to know her.

The Lucky Winner

2010-07-07T17:30:00.004-05:00

We celebrated the 4th of July weekend at a friend's lakehouse on Toledo Bend Lake.

I think the lakehouse is Dozer's favorite place in the world. He spent the entire time swimming in the lake and rolling in the mud.

We had a blast hanging out at the lakehouse. I relaxed in the hammock, read a book, went on a boat ride, and kayaked.

Of course, the main event was the cookout!

In addition to Beer Can Chicken, Jerk Chicken, and Beef Tri-Tips - we also had a Grilled Pig.

The guys used a nifty roasting box called La Caja China - to cook the pig.

I didn't eat any of the pig; it hit a little too close to home considering I had a pet pot-belly pig for 15 years of my life. Austin and I neither one eat pork, actually.

It was a fun weekend, but it was too short! Unfortunately, I had to work on Monday - so we left the lakehouse on Sunday afternoon. We still watched some fireworks from our balcony, though! Dozer was not a fan of the loud noise - poor baby!

Were your pets afraid of the fireworks?
Our friends' dogs at the lakehouse barked everytime the neighbors set off a firework! Dozer didn't bark, but he got really scared and wanted to stay near us. He's also afraid of thunder and other loud noises.

Giveaway Winner
And...the lucky winner of my Birthday Giveaway is #29 - Heidi at Basil Vodka! Please e-mail me at redheadreports at gmail dot com with your shippping address to receive your Gym in a Bag.

The Ring

2010-07-05T07:50:00.005-05:00

I've been holding out on a surprise for a few weeks now.

I finally have pictures to post of my engagement ring, so I can make this announcement: Austin & I are getting married!

Austin proposed to me on June 21st, a Monday night. I had just gotten home from the gym and started making dinner when he called to see where I was. He was at the gym trying to find me, so I told him I was at home. A few minutes later, he walked in the door while I was eating dinner. He asked me to come here for a second, so I got up and gave him a hug. He asked me how my day went. Standing there in the dining room, his eyes got a mysterious glint in them and I had no idea what was about to happen. Suddenly, he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him! :)

Here's my ring, a family heirloom that my grandmother proudly wore.

Wedding planning has begun, and let me tell you - it's not easy!

A Day in the Life of the Redhead

2010-07-01T17:30:00.002-05:00

My typical day starts with a hearty breakfast.

In this particular case, my first meal of the day was migas and hashbrowns with OJ.

After a long day of work which includes a packed lunch, I head home and walk in the door to be greeted by my pup.

He is a ball of energy. He also believes that the reason we buy him toys is so that he can destroy them. He takes this job very seriously and can go thru an "indestructible" toy in less than 3 minutes.

I usually take Dozie on a walk to get the mail, then Austin & I head to the gym for a nice evening workout.

Then it's time for dinner.

Austin loves to grill, so on nights like these - dinner is particularly easy for me! I just kick back and relax while he takes the reigns.

Beer Can Turkey. It was out-of-this-world delicious: moist and flavorful! I recommend you make this pronto.

All you need is a turkey and a can of beer.

This recipe would work on the grill or in the oven, whichever you prefer.

After dinner is cleaned up and lunches prepared for the next day, I like to relax and read a good book. This week, I've been reading Marley & Me. I've already seen the movie, but I definitely recommend the book as well!

Do you have a daily routine, or are you more of a spontaneous person?

I enjoy a bit of spontaneity every now and then to spruce up my otherwise typical routine.

Summertime Chili

2010-06-30T17:30:00.001-05:00

Chili is one of my favorite meals of all time. Some people consider it a "winter-only" meal. I, however, disagree.

I think chili is perfect for the summertime! My recipe is incredibly simple, but worth repeating.

Summertime Chili

Chop onion and jalapeno. Sautee in skillet with garlic and ground beef until meat is browned.

Add one can each of: pinto beans, black beans, kidney beans and diced tomatoes.

Now for the most important ingredients: Worcestersire sauce and heaping spoonfuls of chili powder!

Simmer on low heat for an hour.

Scoop into bowl and sprinkle with cheese.

Eat & enjoy!

Do you eat chili year-round, or only in the colder seasons?

Busy & Broken

2010-06-28T12:00:00.008-05:00

The past couple of weeks have been so hectic and eventful, I've been too busy to write about it! Also, my camera is broken. I have spent a lot of time sulking in the corner, missing my camera. Hopefully the Camera Doctor will have it fixed this week!

Meanwhile, I still have some photos to share! To celebrate Father's Day, Austin's dad came over and we cooked a wonderful meal.

Austin grilled t-bone steaks and barbequed chicken. Stubb's BBQ is the best!

I made Eggplant Casserole. My aunt gave me the recipe because her mom (my grandma) used to make it. I loved it, especially since it was a family recipe!

I also sauteed mushrooms.

Austin prepared Caesar Salad in my new mixing bowls from Zak! Designs.

After dinner, Austin and his dad relaxed and drank wine while I cleaned up the kitchen.

Last weekend, Austin and I packed up our bikes and went to Galveston for the day.

We took a leisurely bike ride along the seawall. We rode for about 45 minutes.

Then we had dinner at Float Pool & Patio Grill.

I ordered the burrito - it was huge and delicious!

We also shared chips and queso.

Austin had fish tacos.

At this point, my camera started malfunctioning because I had dropped it in the sand earlier in the day. We squeezed in a couple more artistic photos before sending my camera off for repairs.

How do you survive without your camera?

I always seem to need my camera the most when I don't have mine with me. I usually ask to borrow someone else's camera!

***Don't forget to enter my Birthday Giveaway!***

Birthday Giveaway

2010-06-23T13:00:00.002-05:00

In honor of my upcoming birthday, I am hosting a giveaway for all of my readers! The winner will receive a Gym in a Bag!

My Review

I began using the Gym in a Bag about two months ago and I am impressed with the concept of portable workout equipment. The grip-free cuffs are incredibly easy to use and allow for greater muscle development. The resistance bands vary in difficulty, so you can increase the resistance as your capabilities allow for improvement.

This workout equipment is perfect to use while travelling. Everything fits into the compact-size bag!

The most interesting piece of equipment is the door attachment. This little device can be used to do several unique exercises that you normally cannot do unless you're at the gym.

My favorite workouts incorporate the use of the bar. I especially enjoy rowing! You can check out other suggested exercises here.

I am truly impressed with the versatility of the Gym in a Bag. I enjoy working out with it because I don't even have to leave my home to get a great workout!

Giveaway Details

To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment on this post.

Deadline to enter this giveaway: July 7th. Winner will be selected via random number generator.

Cruisin'

2010-06-22T06:00:00.001-05:00

Finally, this is my last vacation-related post! In case you missed it, here are links to my other recaps: Wakulla Springs, Key West, Nassau, and Eating on a Cruise Ship: Part 1 and Part 2.

We took a lot of fun pictures on the cruise.

The sunsets were gorgeous.

Sunsets are the optimal setting for photo-shoots!

I love this close-up of our Aggie rings.

Aside from taking pictures, we also did a lot of fun activities on the cruise ship.

We got massages at the spa.

We slid down the waterslide.

Everyone hung out at the swimming pool and hot tub.

We relaxed on the balcony and watched the waves roll by.

On top of all our indulging on the Lido Deck and in the Sensation Dining Room, we also sampled the sushi bar and shared a bottle of wine.

A couple of us gambled in the casino, while the rest of us watched.

We got temporary tattoos! My aunt and Annie got matching roses, and I got a butterfly.

We learned how to create Towel Animals!

I truly enjoyed spending so much time with my family! I hardly ever get to see them since they live in Florida.

Happy 70th Birthday to my Grandpa! The cruise was a perfect way to celebrate.

Sensational Dining

2010-06-21T06:00:00.005-05:00

My favorite part about the cruise was the all-inclusive, delicious food! My last post described the food we ate on the Lido Deck. Now it's time to dive into the meals we ate in the Sensation Dining room!

We ate in the dining room as often as possible during our cruise, simply because it was a much nicer experience. The atmosphere of the dining room was very elegant. The servers were incredibly kind and very good at their jobs. And the quality of food was remarkable!

Breakfast was served in the dining room from 8:00 until 10:00 am every morning. Lunch was offered from 12:00 noon until 1:30 pm, and our dinner time was at 6:00 pm.

We only ate lunch in the dining room once because it was a bit of a hassle to change into nice, clean clothes just to eat lunch. That's one of the liberties of eating on the Lido Deck - you can walk right up to the deli in your swimsuit! It was fun getting dressed up for dinner, though!

Since there were seven people in our party, we had one big table to ourselves. If you're in a smaller party, keep in mind you'll most likely be sharing your table with strangers. Which is kind of fun, actually, because after you eat dinner with them a couple nights in a row, they're no longer strangers!

Each night, there was fun entertainment! The waitstaff sang and danced for us. We had awesome servers - our head waiter, Vas from India, and his assistant, Siwa from Thailand.

The magician, Prax, awed our table with a few tricks.

Every meal was served with bread, or danishes for breakfast, and drinks.

At breakfast, there were many juices available: Orange, Pineapple, Grapefruit, Pineapple and Tomato Juice. At lunch and dinner, iced tea and water were complimentary. Coffee was available at all meal times.

You could also order alcoholic beverages from the bartender on your own dime. Margarita time!

Starters

The Caesar salad was tasty, but then again, they always are. I also tried the Mixed Garden and Field Greens. This salad was a flop because they forgot the dressing and I had already eaten it before our server came back.

Both of these salads were Carnival Classics, which means they were available on the menu every night.

The most unique appetizer we tried was the Escargots Bourguignonne: Burgundy Snails in Garlic Butter with an Infusion of Chablis and Pernod. I only sampled a bite, but in my opinion,, the texture was similar to mushrooms. Austin's comment was that the dish was very buttery.

A similar-looking and similar-tasting dish was the Stuffed Wild Mushrooms. Almost everyone in our party ordered these mushrooms. They were very tasty, and quite cheesy.

There were a couple of appetizers that I couldn't eat because of my shellfish allergy. Everyone else loved them, so I thought I would share. On the left is the Black Tiger Shrimp Cocktail. On the right is the Crab Cake.

Gettin' fruity with it: Chilled Supreme of Fresh Fruit with Peach Schnapps, and Fresh Fruit with a Scoop of Orange Sherbet.

On the left, Cured Alaskan Salmon. On the right, Smoked Hudson Valley Duck Breast. I loved the flavor of the duck meat!

My favorite appetizer was Chilled Creamy Bing Cherry Soup. It sounds strange, but it seriously tasted like dessert!

I decided to try the Chilled Curried Apple Soup on a whim since I loved the cherry soup so much. Sadly, they were not at all comparable. I could not get used to the combination of flavors. This one got ~~tossed in the trash~~ passed to Austin.

One final appetizer I tried was the Vine Ripe Beefsteak Tomatoes and Fresh Buffalo Mozzerrella: Marinated with Basil Leaves and Virgin Olive Oil.

Once again, the presentation was gorgeous, and the taste was marvelous. I love fresh mozzerrella!

Entrees

Braised Short Ribs from Premium Aged American Beef. The gravy is what really made this dish so amazing. We discussed the fact that this entree resembled a pot roast more than ribs. Either way, it tasted great!

For lunch one day, Grandpa, Austin and I each ordered a traditional favorite: Fish 'n Chips.

I really enjoyed the Prime Rib of American Beef Au Jus. It was so good that I was hardly jealous when everyone else was chowing down on the Broiled Lobster Tail and Jumbo Shrimp.

We ordered a couple of the Carnival Classic entrees, as well.

On the left is Grilled Flat Iron Steak from American Choice Beef. On the right is Broiled Mahi-Mahi. This was the one entree that I truly didn't enjoy. The fish was dry and bland.

The best entree award goes to the Double-Cut Chops of New England Spring Lamb. This was my first time to try lamb, and it certainly was a great first impression!

Other entrees included the Supreme of Chicken ala Greque and Broiled Pike Perch with Panko Crusted Green Beans and Fried Rice.

Pork Tenderloin with Panko Crusted Green Beans and Fried Rice. Grandpa shared a bite of his pork tenderloin with me and it was delicious!

Dessert

Dessert makes me happy! Especially when chocolate is involved.

I could have eaten the Black Forest Gateau with Vanilla Ice Cream every single night, if I'd had the choice! Cherries and dark chocolate are soul mates!

The Old Fashioned Apple Pie was good, but it was lacking chocolate. So I might have ordered a second dessert, sue me. The Warm Chocolate Melting Cake is a Carnival Classic. My aunt ordered it every single night!

Baked Alaska was a special treat. I enjoyed the chopped pieces of fruit on top!

There were a couple of desserts my mom would have loved: Cinnamon Bread Pudding and Poached Pear "Belle Helene" drizzled with chocolate and served with a scoop of ice cream.

The Grand Marnier Souffle was divine. Of course, how could it not be when the defining ingredient is a French Liqueur made from a blend of cognacs and a distilled essence of bitter orange?

One more dessert, as if I needed it! Cherries Jubilee, along with a couple of [unpictured] stolen spoonfuls of Warm Chocolate Melting Cake to satisfy my chocolate craving.

Breakfast
I discovered a new breakfast favorite while I was on the cruise ship. Stewed bananas served warm with Belgian Waffles.

You have no idea how upset I was when I found out they ran out of bananas on the cruise ship! Sadly, I only got to eat this once. I will definitely be attempting to make stewed bananas again at home.

The rest of the breakfast items paled in comparison. Smoked Salmon on a Bagel and Eggs Benedict with a side of Corned Beef Hash. The hollandaise sauce did not appear to be very fresh.

I love fresh fruit in the mornings. Cantaloupe, Honeydew Melons and Grapefruit.

The Cinnamon French Toast was my second-favorite breakfast item. I tried the Stewed Blueberries and Strawberries on the side, but neither were quite as good as the Stewed Bananas. Can you tell I'm still pouting about the bananas? My conclusion was that the french toast was best with syrup!

This concludes my review of the Sensation Dining Room. My overall score is an A+. I loved the food and I am inspired to try to re-create some of the items we tried on the cruise!

Does anyone have a recipe for stewed bananas? If so, you'll be my new best friend!
Austin said his Grandma used to make stewed bananas, so I'm hoping that maybe someone in his family has a recipe for them. Otherwise, I'm going to just start Googling recipes!

Eating on the Lido Deck

2010-06-18T17:30:00.013-05:00

As promised, here is my cruise food review! On our cruise ship, the Carnival Fascination, there were two dining options: Lido Deck and Sensation Dining Room. The Lido Deck is composed of mini-restaurants including: Pizzeria, Deli, Buffet, Grill, Mongolian, and a Salad Bar.

One benefit of eating on the Lido Deck is the freedom to wear just about anything. Tons of people went through the lunch line wearing their bathing suit and flip-flops. Whereas to eat in the Sensation Dining room, you have to meet a general dress code.

The Lido Deck operates on a typical time schedule, serving meals based on the time of day: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Midnight Snack Bar.

Breakfast Bar

We only ate breakfast on the Lido Deck once. The options were just about the same whether you ate on the Lido Deck or in the Sensation Dining Room, and we preferred the atmosphere of the dining room.

I loved the lemon poppyseed muffins. Unfortunately, they were only available on the first day!

The breakfast bar offered a selection of cheeses, meats, danishes, bagels, muffins, melons, grapefruit, bananas, apples and oranges.

Other breakfast selections were omelettes, french toast, waffles, pancakes, sausage, bacon, etc.

It's a good thing coffee was available 24/7, or else Grandpa might not have gotten on the ship!

Deli

In my opinion, the best food on the Lido Deck came from the deli. I ordered this amazing sandwich twice.

Fresh Mozzerrella Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato & Pesto on Foccacia. It was supposed to have Argula instead of iceburg lettuce, but I'm not complaining because it was still incredibly tasty!

Austin ate at least one Grilled Reuben a day. I may or may not have eaten a few bites every time, too.

Corned Beef, Sauerkraut, and Swiss Cheese melted on Rye bread. Yum.

Mongolian Grill

We ate at the Mongolian grill for our first meal on the ship.

Then we went back again another day because it was quite tasty!

The best part about Mongolian Grill is the option to choose your own veggies, meat, noodles and sauce.

Veggie options included: carrots, onions, bok choy, mushrooms, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, bean sprouts, peas, and more!

Meat choices varied from day to day, but included: beef, chicken, shrimp, pork, and clams.

There were also a couple of different noodles and sauces to choose from.

Lunch Buffet

My least favorite food on the Lido Deck was the buffet. Not because the food was horrible, but because I am buffet-challenged. I always fail at compiling an appetizing plate when the options are endless. See below if you don't believe me.

My incompetency at the buffet can be credited to my attempt to try a taste of everything. The results? I have a bunch of random food that doesn't go together, and I am left with only a tiny bite of the items that I truly like. Sure, I could go back for seconds of the food I liked; but at that point, it's more tempting to just fill up on dessert.

Austin enjoyed the buffet much more than I did. Then again, as I've said before, he'll eat anything. Who even needs a garbage disposal when you've got him around?

Clearly I need to take a few lessons from him in the Art of Buffet Eating.

Salad Bar

The salad bar makes a great lunch. And the best part is, if you're still hungry, you can always grab a sandwich from the deli.

There was an assortment of components for making the optimal salad. I was so happy to find raisins and sunflower seeds!

Grill

The longest line always formed at the Grill counter. I guess this is the real-American food: hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken nuggets and fries.

Burger toppings were typical: cheese, mushrooms, onions, lettuce, and tomatoes!

Everyone loves a burger!

Actually, Annie is chowing down on a ~~piece of cardboard~~ slice of pizza. You won't see any pictures of the pizza here, though. Frankly, the pizza on the cruise ship was pathetic. And I'm not just saying that because I'm a pizza snob. Austin ate a slice and he never went back for more. That never happens, trust me.

Dessert Bar

I saved the best for last: dessert.

We consumed our fair share of ice cream cones. Soft-serve ice cream and frozen yogurt are available 24/7.

Any flavor combination you like: strawberry, chocolate, or vanilla!

Desserts, desserts, desserts!

Apple crumble cake with vanilla ice cream on the side.

After a day in Key West, we had to try a slice of key lime pie! Again, complimented with a side of ice cream.

My overall score for the food on the Lido Deck was B+. My favorites were the deli and the dessert bar. I never got bored with the food options because the buffet was ever-changing, and we mostly only ate on the Lido deck for lunch.

Next up: Sensation Dining Room.

Do you like eating at a buffet?

I don't prefer buffets. The food is usually mediocre, at best.