Elk Grove Giant Pumpkin & Harvest Festival

I’ve been waiting a whole year for this festival. I discovered it when I worked at it last year (sometimes we host booths on behalf of clients… the grunt work of marketing).

They have a scarecrow contest, biggest pumpkin contest, a pumpkin patch where I’m going to pick out a few for our porch, and a pumpkin regatta. “What’s that,” you ask? People carve their giant pumpkins into boats, sit in them, and race across the pond! Some make it across, while others sink.

source

I admit that I might be too excited about this.

I encourage everyone to check it out – it’s even free ($5 parking though). It’s Saturday and Sunday, October 3 and 4 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. The web site says October 4 and 5, but that’s Sunday/Monday so I’m 98% sure it’s a typo (annoying).

Wedding photographer = booked

We met with a photographer on Saturday, and booked her Sunday. I'm amazed at how decisive I've been lately! When it comes to little decisions like what hairspray to buy, I've been known to internally debate forever… but now we have this very expensive decision, and I meet with one photographer and think “this works!” She’s very professional, does good work, and has great prices.

On Saturday we also went to a friend’s housewarming party. They just bought their first house, and it’s so nice! I’m dying to have a house of our own!

Sunday we rode our bikes to the World Music & Dance Festival. It was really hot, but other than that we had a great time.

I’m more tired than usual this morning because I couldn’t sleep last night, and that never happens to me! I was up until about 2:30 and then back up again at 6 :(

Off to work now! I have a super busy week. Last week I worked about 7 hours of [unpaid] overtime, and this week will be around that as well. I know this is normal for a lot of people, but it isn’t for me. I don’t mind at all, but working 9 – 10 hours in a day is just not something I’m used to. It should slow down in October though!

Sacramento World Music & Dance Festival

This weekend James and I are going to the Sacramento World Music & Dance Festival in Old Sac! I accidentally ended up there last year, and loved it. Rose asked me to go with her because she had to for a class. There are musicians and dancers from different cultures throughout the world, and they’re really impressive. My favorite is Fenix Drum & Dance Company's West African dance. This isn’t them, but another similar performance. It rocks live!

The dancers come in at about 2:30

The festival is Saturday and Sunday, September 26 and 27 in Old Sacramento. We’re riding our bikes over on Sunday since we only live a mile away!

Wishful Wednesday: Job

"I wish..." I got paid $1 million a year to ____!
(job or career)

Well, I wish I got paid a million per year for my current job. I consider myself very lucky because I work in the industry I'd dreamed of since I was about 17. I always wanted to be a public relations professional, and while my current position is a little different than I envisioned for myself, I enjoy it a lot and think it suits me well.

But since I get to wish it, I suppose in fantasyland I'd get paid $1 million a year to be a part-time event coordinator. Organizing events is probably my favorite part of PR - I love being organized, checking big things off my to-do list, and always knowing the answer to "where does this go?" It's a great feeling to be at a community festival that you coordinated, with nothing to do but stand around because you were so prepared that everything's going perfectly! In my career I've planned festivals and celebrations for public agencies... I like those and think weddings would be a blast too.

With the rest of my time (since I'd be a part-time event coordinator), I'd be a mom. I love thinking about the day when James and I have kids, and all the fun things we'll do with them. Take them on picnics, play soccer, read books and go to the pumpkin patch... I want to have plenty of time to do these things, and being paid a million bucks to do it would just be icing on the cake, don't you think?

For more Wishful Wednesday goodness, head over to Kelsey's Blog.

Happy Annireversary!

In exactly one year, James and I will be at our wedding ceremony saying our vows. And yes, I do mean exactly one year, as I am a huge dork and scheduled this post to go up at 5:15 p.m. on September 18.

At that point, we will have been together for over four years! I'm extremely excited to get together with everyone we love and celebrate our relationship. Being married will be awesome, I'm sure :D

Tonight we're going to Chicago Fire to celebrate our annireversary (P.S. I'm quite proud that I coined that catchy little word. Get it? Anni-reversary? One year before?? Yes!).

Today is also the day my sister (and maid of honor) Rose flew to Ireland! I'm sad that I won't be seeing her for eight long months, but that's overshadowed by my excitement for her study abroad experience. Not to mention excitement that I'll be visiting her in Europe the next time I see her!

Happy weekend!

Wishful Wednesday: TV Star

Today’s Wishful Wednesday topic (from The Seattle Smiths) is:

“‘I wish’… I could be __________.”
(Name that TV star! Post a picture and tell us why)

**Wishful Wednesday is supposed to be something to get us through those lovely hump days. It may be a wish, a hope, a dream, or an aspiration – some topics may be fun and playful and others more insightful – but most importantly, it will give us an opportunity to get to know our fellow bloggers a little bit better, and see what makes each of us tick... **

Easy. I wish I could be Carrie Bradshaw. She’s so fabulous.

She’s confident, has a career doing what she loves, has strong relationships with great friends.

And she lives in New York City, where I think I’d fit right in. This apartment is calling my name!

I’ve always wanted to be Carrie because her life is so exciting and filled with great parties and friends.

I’m pretty sure I’ve seen every episode of Sex and the City, but I still watch the reruns on TBS sometimes.

Recovery

Recovery is going okay. I discovered that vicodin makes me nauseous - yay... I started cutting them in half and that fixed the problem. I've had no major problems, but I'm still in pain. If I had no painkillers I'd be very unhappy. But I do, and I'm thankful for that!

Wishful Wednesday: Home

Today I’m participating in Kelsey at Seattle Smith’s “Wishful Wednesday” game.

The rules:
1. Copy the lovely Wishful Wednesday button and attach it to the top of your post.
2. If you want to use McLinky... feel free to add your blog so others can see your idea and hop on over to your blog!
3. Link it back to my blog if you'd like.
4. Lastly, be creative with your ideas :)

I like this game!

Today’s Wishful Wednesday topic is 'I wish’... I could come home to ____ house everyday! (attach a picture and tell us why)

I absolutely love my neighborhood in Sacramento, Land Park. The houses are historic, unique and beautiful. The people are friendly. The trees are big and shady. I wish I owned a large house here to come home to everyday. Our one bedroom duplex is nice for now, but eventually I need more space and I wish we could currently afford this home:

Currently on the market for a mere $649,000.

Oral surgery

I’m having my wisdom teeth removed in two days – all four of them. Bright and early at 7 a.m., which is good because I don’t do well without breakfast. I can’t even have a sip of water!

This is my first and only surgery ever, and I’m quite scared! I’m so not excited about getting a part of me yanked out violently. This whole thing freaks me out!

I’m just thankful for the ability to be put to sleep. I plan to just stay on painkillers the whole weekend and hopefully it works out perfectly…

Slap Chop

I need one of these ASAP!


The other day I spent like 30 minutes cutting vegetables for my veggie calzones. It took forever and I've deemed the Slap Chop a necessary purchase. I'm going to keep my eye out at Target for a similar contraption. Think of the time I'll save!

September 18, 2010

The venues are booked and the date is set! We're getting married on September 18, 2010! I get to marry this guy - how stinking cute is he?!

He's going to be my husband. Woo hoo!

We decided to have our ceremony at one of my favorite places in the world:

On a cliff above the Pacific Ocean. Next to a lighthouse. On a clear day you can see all the way across the Monterey Bay to the mountains on the other side. It's perfect!

I thought about getting married at this spot ever since I first discovered it (with James almost 3 years ago), but we were worried about parking, rain, and lots of other people watching. But we decided to just deal with it, because this location is breathtaking. We may walk a little way, and there may be 20 strangers watching but I don't care! ...if it rains, well then that would certainly screw up the plan. Then we'd probably have the ceremony at our reception site.

Speaking of which, we decided to book option #2 that I wrote about last week! It has a great atmosphere and I think (hope) everyone's going to have a ton of fun there. I was second guessing it because it doesn't have an ocean view, but now that we're having our ceremony at the ocean I'm okay with it. Actually I'm thrilled about it!

I love James, I love planning parties... life is good!