MIA

I have been a little MIA of late, but life somehow gets busy when you least expect it.  Oh hang on, there's a saying about that - life is what happens when you're busy making other plans.  So what kind of plans have I been making I hear you ask? 

Well in health news, I ran the Mother's Day Classic again this year.  Less impressively than last year, I got about the same time, but can't claim anything as the course was shorter and I did walk a fair bit.  I'm also halfway through my introduction to yoga class.  While I do like it (not to mention the brunching opportunities it provides!) I don't feel like I'm getting a workout.  I suppose I shouldn't slack off on my other activities just yet.  I've committed to riding to the Gold Coast again in October this year (5 hours is the time to beat) but I'm not sure about whether to do the Bay ride - somehow the idea of riding in freezing cold winter headwinds isn't very appealing.

Mr Fork and I have been eating fairly well of late - in his case it's justified as he's started regularly working out, in my case, it's cold and I'm hungry.  I have been rather more active in the kitchen of late.  Notable creations have included an attempt at vegan frittata (sauteed mushrooms, garlic and spinach baked in a flavoured besan flour mixture).  It tasted delicious, but didn't solidify as much as I'd have liked, so next time I'll add extra flour to the mix before cooking.

A large array of home made Tabasco sauce.  This is what over a kg of chili will make!

Pancakes! Two batches, one vegan (pictured) with maple syrup and one for Mr Fork, with egg and moo milk, which he happily also accessorised with crispy bacon before wolfing it down (not pictured).

Favours

I've really struggled with the thought of what to put on the table as guest momentos.  I went to a bridal expo awhile back, and one of the ideas I really liked was the idea of donating to a charity on the guest's behalf.  Some charities provide a little token like a pin or a keyring and some just give you nicely worded cards to place at each seat.  On further research though, the etiquette behind such a thing was a bit murky.  The general consensus seemed to be, by all means donate, but no need to shove that down your guests throats.  Similar to "donations" given for Christmas/Birthday gifts - apparently its very passe to do so, as you're effectively saying to the beneficiary that you decided they didn't need a present and donated it away.  Although it's allowable to ask people to make donations instead of giving you presents, you can't make that decision on their behalf when gifting to them.  That aside, it happened to me one work Secret Santa when "Santa" donated a goat to a starving village on my behalf.  This appalled me on several levels.  Firstly, c'mon, I'm a vegetarian - don't donate a goat to be eaten on my behalf.  Secondly, if you're going to make a donation in my name, at least give me the receipt too, so I can claim a deduction at tax time - you don't get it both ways "Santa"!!!  So I moved away from the idea of donating to a charity, much as I love the gesture behind it.

The other criteria is that I'm set against those little sugared almond things.  For one thing, I don't like them myself, so why should I inflict them on others, and the second thing is, it's apparently well known that many guests don't take the favour away, so I want it to be something I won't mind having multiples of when I get to keep the left behinds.  So this rules out things like little photo frames, matched salt and pepper shakers (yes, that's a thing apparently), and anything plain wanky.

So I was at a baby shower last weekend and there was a whole bowl of these little cuties.  I quite like it... could this be a wedding favour concept?  Picture it smaller, perhaps just big enough for a ferrero rocher.  And the bow will be tied nicely, in appropriately coordinating colours.  I wouldn't mind having a bunch of leftover ferrero rochers, at all.  Win.

The search for the perfect shoe

I can't seem to find those Miu Mius anywhere - although I won't stop looking (the brand whore in me thrills at the idea of owning such an expensive pair of shoes!

However, Mr Fork's sister proposed this (much) cheaper alternative.  Thoughts?  They're almost the same, just with a T-bar instead of a plain ankle strap.  And they aren't leather.  Still... for the sake of several hundred dollars I could compromise...

I think I know what I'll be doing with one lunch time this week... hello, Haylow-G, meet my foot!

Peace, man

I have just realised that I've taken up yoga and I'm learning to knit.  I'm turning into a hippy.  Then again, it could be the saving of me.  I wouldn't call my job highly stressful.  Well its not highly stressful all of the time; I'm not saying that I haven't been close to the odd breakdown every now and then.  I do however have moments of panic, moments of stress and moments of sheer and utter boredom and incredulity.  Maybe having a couple of creative and stress releasing outlets is a good thing.


Perhaps not though - in knitting my hat I seem to accumulate extra stitches, constantly drop more than a few and knit at the pace of a snail.

Updates and stuff

We may have found our photographer today.  He's the son of my dad's university friend.  We haven't had a lot of luck with photographers.  Granted, we also haven't been looking very hard, but of the ones we did look at, there was a certain sameness to their work.  The one we did like best was busy on our date, and although she did recommend an alternative, we didn't like her work as much.  I also considered asking a friend of a friend to be our photographer, however, she posted her latest engagement party proofs online, and seriously the bride-to-be's bum is the focus of quite a few shots, and another view is right up that poor girl's skirt, with panties and cellulite visible.  Cross that option off the list please!

So my dad recommended his friend's son.  The boy is still at uni, studying photojournalism.  Which means, he knows the techniques in theory, and in practice he actually does have a couple of weddings under his belt.  We figure this also means he'll be enthusiastic, willing to try new things, and in keeping with a journalistic background, wanting to capture as natural (read: non posed) a moment as possible.  At this point I've only spoken to him on the phone, but we're planning to meet up after he's finished with exams (oh, bless) to have a look at his work and get to know him.  Hopefully he'll have some good stuff.  And be cheap, ahem, I mean affordable.

In other news, I'm learning to knit.  My first project will be a blue and grey hat.  I may or may not post progress pictures.

Coveting

Have I mentioned how much I want these shoes?

I found them on a blog while I was surfing around for wedding inspiration.  I have to say, Mr Fork and I are a tad unorganised.  We have a date, a venue and a celebrant.  And even if I may not know where to get them, I have an idea about the shoes I want.  I thought we were doing well until people started making panicked faces at me.  


Now apparently the next hurdle is the invitations.  Oh my gosh, why did I decide to be cheap and make my own?  Take my advice people, when you have a guest list as long as ours, it is worth it in sheer sanity saving to pay someone else.  Who knew invitations were so complicated?  There's the colour scheme, the paper, the font, the printing, the spelling, the punching of holes, the arrangement of components, the type of envelopes, the RSVP cards and dates to organise... and I'm sure I haven't covered all the bases yet.  A trip to the local Officeworks to pick up supplies was a start.  We are now the proud owners of lots and lots of paper, fancy clip pin things, a paper slicer and other bits and bobs.  I have to admit that I spent the whole weekend trying to get the hang of our new paper slicer and I still can't do a straight line.  Its enough to make a girl want to sneak away and do it all on the quiet!

New News

Lots been happening lately.  I know that I said I'd be more proactive with this blog, so its time to uphold my part of the bargain.

Life has been chugging along rather nicely.  I've got my (last! ever!) exam on Friday, which is quite exciting.  I'm not sure I'll know what to do with myself with no study, but I'm sure I can fill the time.  Possibly with wedding stuff; there seems like a never ending list of things to do.

On that note, Mr Fork and I have (finally) selected a venue, and a date.  Nevermind that his family think its a bad date to be married, nevermind that the 'W' word seems to spark dollar signs and zeros being added to everything.  By hook or crook we will get married on that day.  Not to mention that it would be embarrassing having to retract all the 'save the dates' we've sent!!

So that's about the extent of our wedding planning.  It just seems discouraging how much the actual event costs.  Maybe I'm unrealistic.  If it was up to me though, after seeing all the figures, eloping looks like a fabulous option!

Work continues in much the same way it always does.  I've rolled off one client, onto another old faithful, and then onto a new experience again next week.  I've got my fingers crossed that I'll pick up a long term Brisbane contract, because I'm totally over the travelling for work.  My friends used to think it was glamourous, but now that I'm not the only one having to travel for a crust, I think they understand better and then shine has worn off the experience.  I worry about what I'd do if I didn't do this though - its hard to be a consultant if you won't travel, and the Brisbane labour market isn't the biggest either.  Have I niched myself into an tough corner?

I guess the whole wedding thing has me on edge.  Its tough to think about how much things cost these days, and how much you rely on two incomes just to survive.  Looking at for example, house prices these days versus a generation ago, and the work required to get them makes me want to cry.