We're getting there! The move went great. I highly recommend Allied. The men that came to partially pack my belongings and put everything on the moving truck were phenomenal. This was my first time having men do the lifting and packing my dishes and other valuables and I don't think I'll ever do it myself again.
This process is stressful enough already, so having their help (and kindness) was awesome. Big fan. :)
Saturday night TF and I had our going away party. The turn out was far better than we imagined, over 30 people! The love and support we have here in Chicago is absolutely going to be missed. We're so blessed and the idea of leaving these amazing people has been really difficult to deal with. But! It's an amazing opportunity and we're very excited. We'll come back to visit and thank goodness for Skype. :)
For now, we're hanging out in my studio with an aerobed and a couple suitcases. Livin' the dream.
Six days to Santa Monica! :)
Let's have a heart-to-heart.
Why?
Because I said so.
I know I said I'd never talk about anything negative or Debbie-downer related, but I think it'd be interesting to hear other perspectives about this particular life experience.
I said goodbye to my childhood home yesterday.
After four years of having the house on the market, my parents finally sold it. Saying goodbye was super difficult and I totally turned into a baby and cried in the front seat of the car while TF drove us out of town. It totally sucked. I'm never stepping into my room ever again.
I lived in this house from when I took my first baby steps up until I left for college, then I visited home every other month or so once I moved to Chicago. Over the past year, I have found that the only way for me to relax was to go home. Here, I couldn't worry about my job, cleaning my apartment or any other personal problems. Here, I could sit back and enjoy precious time with my family, nieces and nephew. It was pure bliss.
That's not to say we cannot create these memories and have a similar feeling elsewhere. However it won't be the same. There was a massive sense of comfort. I mean, it was my childhood home. I grew up there. Granted, it was far too large for my empty nesting parents, and my mom was practically jumping for joy in the streets when the house finally sold (after almost 4 years, understandably). She's a serious workaholic and doesn't know how to relax. Like mother, like daughter I guess. Been there, done that. ;)
All of this is also extremely interesting timing.
I am one of those people who thinks all things happen for a reason. If you've been living under a rock or just arrived at my blog, you may not know that TF and I are moving to Santa Monica in less than two weeks, and we're getting married in the summer of 2012. We're moving from Chicago and although we're moving because I'm taking on a fantastic opportunity I couldn't turn down, it's still a pretty large risk as TF hasn't secured a job yet and the area is far more expensive than the Midwest.
Why do I say everything happens for a reason? I said goodbye to my childhood home at the same time that TF and I are moving across the country. There, we'll take a giant step toward our future and create a new home together. It's still a lot though. A lot. I'm excited, but slightly scared $h*tless. Thankfully though, I'll be experiencing this adventure with my best friend. Phew. I'm a lucky duck, huh?
Thanks Cottontail Lane for all the memories. It was far harder to say goodbye that I'd imagined. Have you have had to say goodbye to your childhood home?
Yep, I'm alive. Just super duper busy. Packing up the apartment and move across the country in less than two weeks is a wee bit stressful.
Also, can we talk about this bipolar weather? Last week, it was real hot in Chicago. I'm talkin' rillllll hot. As in omgah-I-can't-sleep-I'm-so-hot and holy-sunshine-why-did-I-wear-jeans?
You feelin' me? What the hadies? Well, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. Here are this week's {Sunday} fancies...
So why is it cold now that I want to move my date up to right-this-very-second? It'll be here before we know it. In fact, next Saturday is when our belongings are packed up and shipped, then the following Saturday, Memorial Day weekend, is when we leave on a jet plane on our one-way flight. We don't know when we'll come back (to Chicago) again....
Happy Monday eve :)
Life's getting a little crazy people.
I've got TF's {30th!!} birthday, the wedding and the move on the brain. Holy canoli is it getting hot in here?
I'll be around, just a little less. MOB is coming in next weekend chapter 2 of Finding The Dress. Looking forward to this one as it's in Chicago this time and I'm feeling a bit more prepared.
Alright, I'm off to do some cleaning and packing.
So after reading over my last post. I feel like a @#$*#($. Why? My father, after 8 years of having the same car since I was 16, actually just helped me purchase a new vehicle that is a major upgrade to the one I had. You see, Bernie, my old car, would never have passed California emissions standards, let alone survive the drive out to California. So it was time to invest in a new set of wheels, and not a Schwinn this time.
Here's Bernie before...
That sweet spoiler is what made this Oldsmobile feel sporty. Bernie's blushing.
And this is the one I have now...
Isn't it pretty?!
TF and I are giddy little school kiddies because it's amazing and such an upgrade compared to Bernie (sorry Bern...).
It sync's up with my phone! For those of you who don't know what that means (I didn't!), your car acts as a blue tooth. So whenever you dial or receive a call while in the vehicle, your car takes over and acts as a bluetooth!
That's right, my lucky caller (aka the sushi place down the street) speaks to me through the speakers. Very cool. And get this...there's a sunroof! Yep, I'm thrilled about something that has been around for a very long time. It's my FIRST sunroof though! It'll be awesome in SM.
My dad's gets the "best dad ever" award for searching high and low for the best vehicle for us. Thanks dad :)
Hooray for wedding planning! We're trying our hardest to plan as much as we can while we're here. So with that, work and planning our move, I'm finding very little time to post. Now that I have some time, I've had some requests to post a wedding update so here we have it!
Date finalized - It will be a June 2012 wedding at a Catholic church in Lincoln Park, and our reception is in a loft-like space about a mile north.
Colors {almost} set - We're leaning toward my favorite color, green, and TF's favorite color, navy, with a neutral gray and pops of bright colors in between.
Ring reset - Since the ring was TF's grandmother's, the setting was loose and I lost a couple of diamonds within the first week. After a couple of weeks (which felt like forever!) I had it back in it's new setting and I'm even more in love with it than I was.
before
after
My dress and my bridesmaids dresses - I know what I want, I just can't find it. :) (By the way, those of you who have been through finding The Dress with your mother/sister/friends, did you have any problems? Did they have opinions about the dress you should wear and what you wanted? Please give me some advice here! :D )
Two little flower darlings - My Godmother's adorable daughter and niece will be gracing the aisle's presence prior to my arrival. ;)
That's it for now! We're visiting Santa Monica this Wednesday with the only goal being to find an apartment once we move in late May. Wish us luck!!
Hooray for moving! I received a couple of questions regarding our move to Santa Monica from Chicago and I'd love to address them!
Why are you moving there?
We're moving to Santa Monica because my job is moving me out there. This has been in the works for quite some time so to say I'm relieved to be out of limbo is an understatement. Please note we're not into the LA scene, and we have a great group of friends from the Midwest in the Santa Monica area. Hopefully we'll be plenty prepared to avoid "that" scene. In other words, I won't be near Laguna or The Hills.
What will you be doing?
The headquarters for my company is in Chicago and the satellite offices, including Santa Monicam have yet to employ anyone in my specific department. I'll be the guinea pig and (hopefully) the seed to grow my department in the Santa Monica office. Lots of pressure but I'm excited about this opportunity.
Do both of you have jobs?
I do have a job and TF is currently looking for one. In the meantime he'll be flexing his acting muscles. Why not, right? He'll be in the right place.
Are you buying a house?
I wish! It's pricey out there yo! Our visit next week is to specifically look for an apartment and for me to work out of the Santa Monica office for a couple of days. Wish us luck with finding an apartment! :)
Are you getting married out there?
This may be my favorite question. Bless your heart Up North Preppy! We're still getting married in Chicago. This is going to be an interesting planning experience, but the good news is I'm super familiar with Chicago and it's the best hub for all our guests and family who will be flying in from both coasts, the South and Ireland.
There you have it! Let me know if you have anymore questions and pretty please with a Santa Monica sunset on top keep your fingers crossed for us. Again, any thoughts and prayers would be fantastic. I feel silly asking but honestly I'm so nervous (yet excited!) that I'm thinking any bit of help would be much appreciated. :)
Stay tuned for a wedding update post soon!
God Speed.
I'm going to get to wear some of these fancies in less than two weeks because I'll be visiting Santa Monica. Yep, again.
I'm super happy, scared, nervous and excited to share that TF and I are moving to Santa Monica in June. Any positive thoughts, recommendations, prayers would be greatly appreciated as we're embarking on a giant risk. I'm learning that sometimes the greatest risks have the greatest rewards. Whether we fail or succeed, we're going to learn so much about each other and ourselves.
One of my greatest risks was moving to Chicago from my small farm town in central Illinois. As a farmers daughter who grew up in a town of 4,000, the idea of moving to Chicago for school (second semester freshman year) was absolutely nauseating. It was a fairly rough transition, as I'm sure this move to Santa Monica will be, but I gained valuable knowledge I never would have learned in my small bubble of a town, I've reached career goals I never knew I could, I met some of the most amazing girlfriends a girl could have, and most importantly I met my fiance. Needless to say, although I'm terrified of this move, I'm extremely excited to find out what will come of it.
So without further adieu, here are this week's beachy fancies...
Victoria's Secret's Dress Shop sucks me in every Spring...
Have a seasonably warm weekend. ;)
