I'm A Real Chef!

Well... sortof. No, this isn't about a sudden career change or a part time job at the restaurant next door. But I've always felt I couldn't call myself a "real chef" unless I could create my own recipes. And last night I made one. Or I suppose I should say, I made UP one!

After being obsessed with the food network for a few days, I had a particular episode from Rachel Ray's "30 Minute Meals" in my mind when I sat thinking what to cook for dinner last night. She had done something about Chicken Satay as an appetizer to a Thai Take-Out menu. She said that with a few adjustments it could be made into a main course and feed a family of four.

So last night, I needed something quick and I needed something easy. I thought of the take-out, picked up the ingredients, but along the way discovered I wasn't quite happy with the results I was getting. So halfway through the peanut butter sauce I began throwing in a few ingredients of my own. And after deciding I didn't want just plain old chicken, I decided to make chili curry chicken strips to dip in the peanut sauce. So it didn't turn out to be a traditional chicken satay at all, but it did turn out delicious!

So why am I putting this on my wedding blog? (Other than to brag about my cooking skills of course ;) ). The more I cook, and the more adventurous I become at it, the more it makes me think of life after the wedding. My sister K and I were discussing our love of "homey" things. Home cooking, dinner parties with DIY touches... some would say it's very 1950s housewife, but you certainly don't have to look at it that way.

And I can't wait until I (and maybe sister K too!) can host family dinner parties. We'll have funky Thanksgiving dishes, and potluck get-togethers (it will be a number of years until any of us are going to pop out some nieces and nephews). In fact, it may be starting sooner than I think! Sister K was sad that her boyfriend of over a year missed out on our murder mystery dinner party (not because he wasn't invited, but because he had a scheduling conflict) and so she wants throw another one that he can attend over the summer. I have already volunteered my co-hosting services :-D!!!

Music is the Food of Love

Sunday's are a not so fun weekend for Mishka and me. I have to work from 5pm - 11pm so no romantic dinners, going out and about in the city often has to be time conscious, and by the time we can get together in the evening we're usually too tired to do anything out of the ordinary.

Or can ordinary end up being... not so ordinary ;) ?

Last night Mishka and I turned on Beauty and the Beast, and I can't tell you how much fun we had. Mishka and I both have a deep love of musicals (in fact, they'll probably be playing a part in our reception decorations, but more on that later), and know the words to just about every song. So of course, we were compelled to sing!

So there we were, late in the evening, belting out "Bonjour, Bonjour!" to each other with absolutely no shame. And, I have to say, that despite the love story between Beauty and Beast, Mishka and I much prefer the interchanges between Belle and Gaston. Much more fun :). We even ended up switching over to some youtube videos of the Broadway songs just to prolong the experience (particularly Gaston's song "Me!" and "The Maison de Lune" (Mishka's two favorite songs from the musical I think).

So now I'm tempted to go through all the Disney Classics with Mishka, cracking jokes and singing along. Because "dinner and a movie" doesn't have to be cliche if you don't let it.

Head Table or Sweetheart Table?

Sweetheart table!

This was actually one of the first things Mishka and I decided on regarding our reception. In fact, it was a decision we made even before we got engaged. We both think it's cute for the bride and groom to have their own little table. It also helps to avoid any issues that could arise because a table can only fit so many of the bride and groom's close friends. There's no such thing as "private space" for the bride and groom during their reception- at least not in the ballroom. But I we both really like the idea of having our own "space".

Part of the reason also was FSIL Katerina's wedding. They chose a head table. And, it definitely worked for them. But, what I noticed is that for the majority of the dinner portion the bride and groom really weren't doing much sitting. There were dozens of guests anxious to express their excitement and their pleasure in the evening Katerina and S had planned. And, as good hosts, Katerina and S walked around to hear them, rather than make their guests leave their meals.

So, I think it's possible that even if we have a sweet heart table, that we will still be spending the majority of time on our feet and greeting our various guests. But I think it could be nice for those brief moments when we sit to eat, or when the toasts are being given, that we have that space to ourselves. And also, my mom has told me that even when we're sitting down we should expect to be approached by happy guests and family members. I just hope they will give us a chance to chew in between responses because I am not giving up the chance to try the food on our awesome menu!

"The Look"

I don't know how universal the idea of "the look" is. I know it's a concept that I grew up with and so it's as natural a part of a relationship as kissing or holding hands. But, if you don't know what I'm talking about I'll explain it a little.

It's like a look that says "I Love You" without words. Actually... now that I'm trying to explain it, I realize it's very hard to describe. But you would know it if you saw it. If you have ever seen the movie Moulin Rouge, I think Ewan McGregor does a fantastic job with "the look" (My mom, who first introduced the concept of "the look" to me, feels this as well). It's as if the eyes are literally sparkling and glowing with affection.

Why do I bring up the idea of "the look"? Well, because it was "the look" that first clued me in that Mishka was in love with me.

Let me take you back, to before Mishka and I were dating... there was a weekend we stayed up all night, every night, just talking to each other and getting caught up on the past 18 years of each other's lives. On the first night, we were playing cards. We both have slavic backgrounds and so our endless card games were labeled the "pirogi wars". We joked and talked (and I was totally kicking his butt). I knew he liked me- Mishka had never been one to hide how he was feeling, even if he is a generally shy person.

All of a sudden, I said something very embarrassing. It was personal and just generally not the type of thing you tell a stranger. Immediately after saying it, I blushed and was afraid I had totally alienated Mishka. Instead, I looked up and I saw "the look" in Mishka's eyes. I was taken aback. As I said, I knew he liked me, but I knew at that moment that he loved me.

A few days later, we started dating, and a few days after that, I fell in love with him too. Mishka didn't say "I love you" until a few days after we started dating (yeah, we're not your typical couple lol), but I knew from that moment on the couches in the study lounge, that he genuinely did. He didn't have to tell me. As I said, Mishka is a passionate romantic (and so am I ;) ).

It's Unavoidable

Something is going to go wrong on my wedding day. That's one of the big lessons I learned this past week during spring break. I'm recovering from both a fierce zit and a vicious spider attack and, despite the discomfort of both things, the only thing they made me do was think "what if" either of these things happened the week before the wedding.

I mean these spider bites are still big and red and visible like a week after they first showed up. Sure, they are on my leg, but what if they were on my arm? Or on my chest? Wouldn't look very good in a strapless dress I can tell you that.

But, now that I've spent a lot of time thinking about it, I think I'm ok with the idea. Whatever will be, will be. There's nothing I can do about it (well, at least not the spider bites). I know that Mishka will think I'm the most beautiful girl in the world- zits, spider bites, rashes, or any other blemishes be damned. And I think that will make up for any less than perfect bridal close-ups :).

That said, spider bites would be the absolute WORST on my wedding day, not because of the way they look, but because they're so UNCOMFORTABLE!!!! Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night scratching unconsciously... I can only imagine how it would be dancing or with the heavy skirts of my dress brushing against them all night... jeeze louise...

Coming Back

I'm coming back, not only from my spring break and a very busy return to Boston, but also from an inexcusable break in blogging. Well.. perhaps not inexcusable since school has to come before wedding planning :).

Anyway, I have loads of wedding related stuff to relate on here. You already know about the bridesmaids dresses and my dinner party, but I also did a few bridal errands regarding my shoes, hair pricing, LOTS of honeymoon research, booked my first wedding dress fitting, a cake tasting, making some menu choices, and in general pondering about our special day.

But, just as I'm coming back to blogging, Mishka is going away again. He has a job interview on Friday in New Jersey and will be spending a few days on his own with my family. While I'm going to miss him terribly, I am very touched that he feels comfortable enough with my family to spend time there without me, and that my family welcomes him to the point where my mom is excitedly planning where they will all go out to eat on Friday night. Mishka is even going to go with my family to their weekly spinning class on Saturday morning before he comes back. I can't wait to hear all about it from him. And also to hear whether or not his interview went well!

I'm trying to come up with a special dinner to make for Saturday night, when I figure out what it is, I'll be sure to let you all know ;).

Dinner Party Recap

It was a HIT!!!!

I think it went so well! It's hard to ensure that the food comes out perfectly when you're distracted with your guests, but all-in-all I think everything went off smoothly.

The best part of all was that my bridesmaids all seem to like each other. The primary reason for the get together was to introduce Bridesmaid Katerina to my sisters so that everyone will know each other at least a little bit before the bridal shower. And I am happy to say that everyone got along swimmingly. I'm not surprised though, all my bridesmaids are good people so it makes sense that they would get along together.

And another awesome thing to let you in on... we picked our bridesmaid dresses! And, in true "going with the flow" fashion, it turns out that not only are the girls wearing different dresses, but different colors as well! It's certainly not what I went in there thinking, but what's most important to me is that all my bridesmaids feel beautiful and comfortable.

So do you want a peek?

My MOH and Bridesmaid Katerina will be sporting this number in a very deep blue:

And my sisters Bridesmaid K and Bridesmaid C will be modeling this beauty in the color pictured:

So all in all, it was a pretty successful Saturday. Hopefully this is a sign of many more successful get-togethers to come :)

Will You Accept This Rose?

If you know the tagline, you probably have a pretty solid idea what this post is going to be about. Yup. The Bachelor.

My family and I used to watch this show religiously when I was much younger. Recently- during the long hours at my office where there is little else to do but watch episodes of something on hulu- I turned on a midseason episode just for the heck of it. And I immediately became addicted again.

So, I've been wondering recently what is it about The Bachelor that so many people (including myself) find appealing? Obviously it's been on for many MANY seasons so there is something people keep coming back to time and again.

My theory, is that it's about love. People love to watch people falling in love. It's what rom-coms pander to, and it's why there have been countless Bachelor style dating show spin-offs coming out in recent years. It's watching real people REALLY fall in love (or so you think... I know a lot of people say it's scripted but I'm naive enough to want to believe it's real).

And so I'll be tuning in tonight to hopefully see Brad give a heartfelt proposal which will undoubtedly make me cry (fun fact, I cry at every proposal I have ever seen or even read about with very few exceptions). And, if I'm being very honest... I kindof hope he picks Chantel. I have a real soft spot in my heart for a woman who's not afraid to say "I'm in love" instead of "I'm developing real feelings for you."

The Smoothie that Changed My Life

Yes, you read that right. A smoothie.

But let me start at the beginning...

I recently asked Mishka when it was that he first became interested in me. I was expecting it to be one of the romantic moments that have been forever been burned into my brain: when we watched The Illusionist together in the study lounge, our long walk back to my dorm in the dark, or even our first "date" when he asked me to The Nutcracker "as a friend".

Turns out it was much earlier than all that. And I have only the VAGUEST memories that the interaction even occurred. And yes, you guessed it- it involves a smoothie.

Let me give you a little background. It's my freshman year of college. Mishka is friends with my friends so whenever I hang with them (particularly when we hung out in the study lounge), Mishka was often there with us. Furthermore, I was on a meal plan which provided me with a few hundred "dining points" which could be used at the dormitory "late-nights" which offered chips, fries, burgers, sandwiches and... smoothies. I always had a ton of dining points since I was on a plan which provided fewer meals and I never seemed to be able to use up all my points by the end of the semester. So often, I would treat my friends to some fries, or a smoothie, as a break from all our studying.

So, though most of this is recreated from Mishka's memory, not mine, I will relate to you as best I can, the moment Mishka became interested in me:

It was a late night in the study lounge, and my group of friends was taking a well-deserved break and of course we headed down to late night. On this particular night, we decided smoothies were in order and so my group and I headed down (Mishka included). I guess I had never bought food for Mishka before, so he was a bit confused when I offered to pay for his smoothie. He was taken aback, assumed I meant for him to pay me back later. I said I did not.

Now, on the surface this seems a bit materialistic (as I pointed out to Mishka). 'Hey this girl buys me things... gotta put a lock on that." But the way Mishka described it, he was impressed by my generosity and kindness. He loved how caring and kind I was to be so giving without a second thought or an expectation of the favor being returned. Mishka is a pretty cynical person and can be quite pessimistic so I can actually imagine how striking this random act of kindness must have seemed to him.

So yes... in a way a smoothie changed my life. It started a chain of events which will culminate in the joining of two lives this December 31st. If it wasn't winter I would almost say we should have smoothies available as our "signature cocktails"

P.S. In case any of you are wondering he did pay me back. It was actually an early inside joke in our friendship. He said he would return the favor by getting me a smoothie of my own, and I teased him about it probably more often than I should have as a way of flirting (I'm not a very experienced flirter you see). Anyway, when I finally did get my smoothie, he had made it himself with his roommate's blender. He even made some for all my friends too :). Yeah, I'd say he paid me back! :-D

FINALLY!!!

The midterms are over and by now I'm on my way back to my house for a well deserved week of vacation. Unfortunately, this will be another working vacation. In addition to school-work, I also have several wedding related tasks to attend to.

First and foremost, is a fun one. This Saturday is my murder mystery dinner party with most of our bridal party! I can't wait! I hope everyone hits it off really well and the whole evening is a smashing success. But I'll give you the recap on Sunday (or maybe even Monday.. who knows how busy I'll be).

So now, I'm on a train... playing with my Sims family in Sims 3, and just taking a few hours to relax before the grocery shopping and cooking prep that will have to get done on Friday.

Oh, and speaking of Friday, I have a very special post coming tomorrow. I think you'll really enjoy it.

Another Dress Post.. BUT

It's not my dress this time... It's my moms :)!!!

Of course she wanted to do it with me, so she's been waiting to go shopping until my spring break. In fact, there will probably be more than just my mom going dress shopping. My aunt, who does not often wear dresses, has agreed to wear one for my wedding (thanks aunt d!) and obviously is excited to go shopping with both me and her sister.

Unfortunately I have been sworn to not take pictures during the actually day, but you can bet if we find something I'll be doing a recap post! I can't wait to find something that will show my mom off as the gorgeous woman she is!

In other news, I have two midterms this week (one of them is technically a final actually) so I will be taking a break from blogging until Thursday or Friday. Wish me luck!

Wedding Bands!

I have been SO excited to start looking for wedding bands with Mishka! This is something that there is not really a time limit on. It can be bought at any point during the engagement and I definitely would like to get these kindof things out of the way sooner rather than later.

When Mishka and I first sat down we looked at bluenile.com which is where FSIL Katerina and her husband S got their rings. Mishka's #1 pick from that site was:

Mishka liked the flat look and low price of this white gold ring. However, I actually wasn't crazy about this ring and, though I know it's Mishka's choice (or at least it was at that time :-P), I wanted to look into some other options.

So I turned to etsy.com. And I discovered wood in-layed rings. I LOVED them. I feverishly sent a few links to Mishka and he loved them too. To show you a few designs we fell in love with:

This one isn't so much wood as wood looking, but it still gives a bit of embellishment to the flat white gold ring.

This ring even has a bit of bling in it. Yes that is a diamond. The black bands on either side is a very dark stained wood. I actually really love the look of this ring, but Mishka wasn't crazy about the diamond in it and the additional dollars that diamond meant.

I LOVE the look of red wood. If I was picking a wood ring for myself, it would be with wood like this, but Mishka liked wood that was darker brown so we moved right along...

We both loved these. I think the look is gorgeous, and is decorative without looking gaudy or overdone. However, Mishka thought he would like some more metal in his ring so we moved on...

Again, we both loved this. Sparkly, unique... but could we do even better?

This is our current favorite. The dark wood, the silver strip on the right. It's unusual even among the wood ring crowd. And it looks as if it's two different rings welded together, similar to my wedding band which actually is two different rings welded together. Plus, the amount of metal means that I can even add a message on the inside of the ring if I wanted (which I definitely think I might do ;) ).

And now I read somewhere that the woman is supposed to buy the wedding band for her husband as a surprise, similar to how he bought her engagement ring as a surprise. I told this to Mishka and long story short, buying the ring is now totally in my hands. So the question becomes... do I go with our current favorite? Or do I search for a similar ring that I can surprise him with on our wedding day? (And would I even be able to keep it a secret from him? Maybe not...)

I'll keep you posted.

The Hardest Decision

Well, I suppose it probably isn't the hardest decision we'll have to make, but it's certainly the hardest one we'll have to make so far! What is this pinnacle of compromising we're facing?

Our first dance song.

I know for most couples this decision seems to make itself. You either have a song that defines you as a couple and has since the beginning of the relationship, or else it's relatively easy to pick a song you both love which describes how you feel and you can dance to. As for Mishka and I, we have LOADS of songs that we both love and that describe us pretty well. I don't know if most couples still have "a song", but we have two. Both of which came into consideration for our first dance and which are still on the table.

However, we also decided that we wanted to have a secondary theme of broadway musicals alongside the obvious "New Years Eve" theme. And neither of "our songs" are from Musicals.

So here we are, two very indecisive people (the first dance song is one of the few things Mishka definitely wants input on), with limitless possibilities before us, and we're having trouble narrowing it down. I made a list of about 7-8 possible songs last night, but who knows if we'll think of more as the days go on. Whenever I ask Mishka for opinions he responds "I need to think about it some more" and who knows how long that will take :-P.

But I'll keep you updated as our list narrows down, and once we get to the last 2 or 3 maybe I'll even post a few names. But until then I'll leave you guessing. Because no matter what you guess... it's probably on the list anyway!

First Comes Love, Then Comes Marriage...

Then comes the baby in the baby carriage!

No, Mishka and I are not expecting, and aren't planning for any little blessings for many years to come. However, that doesn't mean I'm not super excited for when the day comes when we'll be parents!

I often wonder what those future children will look like, and now morphthing gives you a little hint. Yup. I did one of those "see what your baby will look like things" and can I just say we make some CUTE kids!

The first one is a good mix between the two of us, the second takes after Mishka and the third takes after me. I can't wait to see what our little bundles will look like in real life. I going to have to keep reminding myself that it won't be for quite a few years yet though.