And Guest

Receiving a wedding invitation can be a stressful experience. I know what you’re thinking. Weddings are stressful? No way…

In a relationship: “I love weddings. How romantic! I can’t wait to plan my own!”

Single: “I love weddings. How fun! I hope the bridesmaids/groomsmen are single and good looking and I really hope they have an open bar!”

Weddings are supposed to be exciting. Don’t get me wrong, for the most part they are; however, we’d all be kidding ourselves if we didn’t admit that sometimes being invited to a wedding can cause a brief moment of selfish stress. Let me explain.

What causes this brief moment of selfish stress? Answer… two words:

“…and guest”

Such a simple phrase, but yet it can cause stress whether you are single or in a relationship.

In a relationship: “I better be ‘and guest-ed.’ Why did he/she get a plus one and I didn’t? What if they give my ex a plus one and not me just because he/she is in the wedding party? Did he/she get a plus one just because they are engaged and we aren’t? I’ve known the bride/groom longer!”

Single: “What if I’m not ‘and guest-ed?’ Or, what if I am? Just because I’m not in a serious relationship doesn’t mean I don’t deserve to bring a date. I’ve known the bride/groom longer than all these fools. But wait, if I am and ‘guest-ed,’ who will I take?

Catch my drift? Don’t lie; we’ve all been through it.

Recently, four (yes four – and I have a feeling a couple more are coming soon) of my close girlfriends got engaged. Before we go any further, let me just say I could not be more excited for these four women. They are four of the most wonderful people I know and I can’t think of four people who deserve happiness more than them. I love them all so much! Let me introduce you:

Staci

Mika

Caitlin

Annie 

Aren’t they beautiful? (And, wow! Blast from the past!)

All of these wonderful ladies are getting married between June–July of 2012. What does that mean for me? It means I better start saving money so I can travel back to Tennessee for their big days!

What else does it mean? It means I’ll soon be stressing out about being “and guest-ed.” I don’t expect to be “and guest-ed” at all four weddings (trust me ladies, absolutely ZERO pressure here, I’ve learned from experience that weddings can sometimes be more fun without a date), but I probably will be for a few of them.

So, as a single twenty-something who lives at least 500 miles away from these weddings, what are my options if I am “and guest-ed?” This is what I’ve come up with so far:

1.     Find a serious man --- and fast!

Ok, let’s all be realistic… this probably isn’t going to happen. If you know anything about me, you know the story of my life is bad timing and distance. I don’t necessarily expect that to change anytime soon, but I’m optimistic. If I find someone in the next five months, then great! If not, no worries.

2.     Take someone I’m interested in.

This one could be tricky. It all depends on how interested and how long I’ve been interested. The same caveats apply to this one as apply to taking a friend.

3.     Take a friend.

Maybe take a friend who lives in Tennessee? Or, maybe take a friend of a friends date? Or, ask a friend from D.C. (or another city) if they’d like to take a road trip back to Tennessee for a big party? Everyone loves road trips and parties, right? I think so. A few caveats with this one (and with taking someone I’m interested in): He has to be fun, and I mean really fun. He has to be social. He has to get along with everyone, be a likeable person and be able to entertain himself. I don’t want to be babysitting all night. Liking to dance would be a plus. Sense of humor, that’d be great. Look good in pictures? Even better.

4.  Thank my wonderful friends for “and guest-ing” me, but graciously let them know I’ll be coming alone (I can always use the fact that I love 500 miles away from Tennessee as an excuse, right?) 

I’ll put on my dancing shoes and celebrate some of the most wonderful people I know with some of my closest friends and have the time of my life while doing it. 

Sure, there can be a little selfish stress along with weddings, but at least for me, weddings are some of the best nights of our lives. I love everything about weddings and with or without a date, I can't wait for this next wedding season to kick-off!

Congratulations Staci, Mika, Caitlin, and Annie!!! I love y'all!

Chattanooga vs Disney World

Since 1987, Disney World has capitalized off a series of popular television commericals featuring NFL players, typically the Super Bowl MVP, shouting the phrase "I'm going to Disney World!" while celebrating the team's victory immediately after the championship game. These commercials have also promoted champions from other sports, and winners of non-sport competitions such as American Idol. The popoular tagline has even made its way into two of my favorite shows growing up, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Full House. But, what's so great about Disney World anyways?Based on the reaction from these Atlanta, GA children, apparently not much. Maybe Disney World needs a new advertising strategy, or, maybe this year we will see our next Super Bowl MVP change the tagline to "I'm going to -- eh -- Chattanooga!" 

 I can only imagine the field day the tourism department in Chattanooga is having trying to capitalize on this new video. Way to go Chattanooga!!! Thanks for helping the world realize what I've always known -- Tennessee really is the "happiest place on Earth!"

Happy Tuesday!

A Few Questions Answered

Surprisingly, I had several people mention reading and enjoying my blog when I was in Tennessee the past two weekends. A few people asked some questions or made suggestions regarding what I should blog about, so since I'm a little under the weather today (dang weather changing) I'll try to answer a few.

1. You never blogged about attending President Obama's Address to Congress. How was it? And, more importantly, what did you wear?

For those of you who don't know, I had the great honor of attending President Obama's Address to Congress last month to see him propose his "jobs" plan. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience. Like I've said before on here, I try to avoid talking about my political opinions on my blog, so I won't get into exactly what I thought about said "jobs" (cough*stimulus*cough) plan. However, the experience of seeing the President of the United States, regardless of political party, address Congress was absolutely surreal. After work, I headed over to the Capitol to find my seat. I wanted to get there early so I could people watch as everyone arrived. I found my seat and made friends with the young Secret Service agent and watched as members of Congress started to take their seats. I may have purposely flirted a little bit with the Secret Service agent so he would tell me where the First Lady would be seated and when she would be arriving. It worked! ;) My seat location was perfect. The best way I know how to describe it is -- from my seat, President Obama was at 11:00 and Mrs. Obama was at 2:00. I had a great view of both. I honestly can't even describe how amazing the experience was -- watching the members of Congress pick their seats, watching Mrs. Obama arrive, watching the Vice President lead the senators onto the floor, hearing those famous words: "Mr. Speaker, the President of the United States" -- I had chills and teared up watching the events unfold. (Yes, I'm admittedly a nerd) It was truly an event I will never forget. Here's what my ticket looked like: 

Some of you are probably more curious about what I wore. Lucky for you, I took a few pictures while I was trying to decide what to wear (I tried on about 10 different options) to send to my mom and a few friends to get their input. This is what made the final cut. 

2. How long are you staying in D.C.?

That is a very good question. When I started my new position in July I committed to staying in D.C. until the end of 2012, but beyond that I don't really know. I love D.C., but I ultimately want to move back to Tennessee, more specifically probably the Nashville area at some point in the future. It will all depend on several different factors -- where I am in my career and where my personal life is or is headed. I'm in no hurry to figure it out anytime soon. Right now I'm completely content with life and am not worried about planning for the future. I've learned things rarely turn out how we plan them.

3. Have you met anyone yet?

No. Not yet. I don't really want to go there right now, but let's just say Emily Giffin could write another best seller based on my life. (Yes, I'm leaving it at that, wonder away).

That's all the questions I'll answer for now. I'll leave you with a few pictures from the past two weekends in Tennessee. Time to curl up on the couch with some kleenex, cough medicine, and soup and get ready to cheer on the big orange. Y'all have a great weekend. GO VOLS!

A few 2000s Torchbearers before being recognized on the field at halftime of the LSU game.

Tailgating before the Georgia game.

With Steph and Cait before the LSU game.

Philippians Four Six

I apologize for being MIA lately. I've been busy with work and traveling home to Tennessee, but I wanted to share a verse I've been hanging on this week before I head back to Tennessee for the weekend. My friend, Whitney, originally posted it on her blog and I posted it in my planner earlier this week so I would be reminded of this great verse multiple times a day. I hope everyone has a blessed weekend!

do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

philippians 4:6

Happy Wednesday

It's going to be a great day!
It's already Wednesday, Fox and Friends played a Backstreet Boys song this morning, we're in recess (or should I say 'state work period'), my alarm went off at 6:00 a.m. this morning instead of 5:00 a.m., I only work until 4:00 p.m. today, and I'll be in Tennessee in 9 days!

For Wordless Wednesday, I thought I'd share this neat little video I found yesterday. This was created by an advertising agency in Chattanooga, TN and the students are from UTC, Ooltewah and Boyd-Buchanan high schools. If you're interested, you can read more on it here. I hope y'all enjoy. Have a wonderful Wednesday!

P.S. I've had a few people ask if I deleted my blog. Obviously, if you are here, you know I didn't. However, I did change the web address for my blog. Instead of my full name, it is now http://capitolizingonlife.blogspot.com/. (I didn't want my full name so clearly displayed and out there for the world to see) So, if you have my blog on your favorites bar, which I'm sure all of you do (I joke, I joke), then make sure to update the web address.  =)

Erin Condren Life Planner

If you know me, you know I am as Gold as Gold personalities come (although yes, Allie, I do have a good bit of Blue in me). For those of you who aren't familiar with the True Colors model of personality identification, you can visit their website here. 

Some of the most notable traits of Golds are: organized, consistent, procedural, thorough, punctual, structured, and orderly. Golds are the people who make a to-do list daily. Golds are the people who go back and add things to their to-do list after they've completed the task if it wasn't on the list before. If you know me, you know this describes me perfectly. I am the QUEEN of lists. I've been made fun of many, many times for my excessive to-do lists and for even going as far as dating my to-do lists (Alissa). 

In case you're curious... some information I found about Golds online:

Golds value tradition (hello, this screams me), they are the record keepers, inspectors and caregivers. They enjoy family traditions such as birthday parties and family gatherings. (My family will appreciate this one - I pitch a fit every single time someone offers a new idea for a family holiday). Golds are very business-like and private. They believe their word is their bond, that everyone must be on time (pet peeve), organized and plan things through properly. They follow their to-do lists and seek closure since they prefer to do one thing at a time, do it very well and then move on. Golds view the world as black or white, right or wrong and are definitely the rule makers and rule followers of the world. They are the ones who act as the steadying element in our society. “Be prepared” is their motto. They form the backbone of institutions. They fill the places of worship, the service clubs and businesses. During their teen years Golds take on increasing responsibility. They will want to get jobs to save for their future such as their further education. They will have their rebellious times but these don’t tend to last as long as they might for other temperaments. They need to feel grown up and they want to take their place in society. Golds expect to be held accountable and to take responsibility. They cheerfully shoulder the load that they know needs to be done. They know someone is going to come along and ask them if they have finished some specific project and they want to be able to say that it is done. 

So, now (if you're actually still reading) you know more about the Gold personality than you probably ever wanted to know, but you might be able to understand how incredibly excited I've been about my new planner arriving since I have a strange love for planners, calendars and to-do lists.

In the past, I've used a Lily Pulitzer planner. I loved it, but it seems like they have become more and more popular and I wanted something different. Let me introduce you to the best thing that has happened to planners since some person with a Gold personality invented them...

The Erin Condren on-the-go Life Planner. After much anticipation, my life planner finally arrived this week!

Notice Erin Condren's attention to brand identity detail. I was so impressed with the packaging. Fun colors and inspiring quotes can be found all over Erin's products.

Inside I found a friendly welcome note and a free gift.

My life planner came with customized free gift labels.

How stinkin' cute! Mrs. Erin sure does know how to pull in a customer base. I will definitely be ordering from her in the future. 

I also received custom notepads to match my planner.

For my life planner, I wanted something cute, but basic enough that I could leave it out on my desk at work and not immediately be compared to Elle Woods. Cute and fun, yet sophisticated was my goal.

 I absolutely loved how the cover turned out.

Inside the front over. A place to put your name and contact information in case you ever misplace your planner.

As I mentioned, cute and inspiring quotes are everywhere in this planner.

One of my favorite things - TABS! They make the planner so easy to use. My only piece of constructive criticism is next time I hope they laminate the tabs as they did the front and back cover. I have a feeling these will wear out quickly. I can't decide if I want to try to prevent that by covering them or if it might add a little character. We'll see.

Next we have special dates pages to list important dates. This will be very helpful for birthdays, anniversaries, etc. and will be helpful when transferring into a new planner after this one is complete in December 2012.

 Up next is a view of each month up until December 2012. This will be useful for long term planning.

Then we get to the individual months. Each month begins with a month view on sturdy cardstock.

 After a few notes pages, each week is broken down into morning, day, and night. Love this part! It also has a goals and to do list section for each week. Amazing!

Again, fun colors and cute quotes throughout.

 After all of the months, there is a section to fill in personal important numbers. (Work, Cell, Emergency Contact, Doctors, Dentist, Restaurants, Gym, Salons, etc.)

 What girl doesn't love stickers? Up next are six sheets of stickers. Some are already filled out (Party, Game, Birthday, Concert, Hair Appt, No School, Vacation, Wedding, Girls Night, Sale, Mani/Pedi, Baby Shower, Bridal Shower, Date Night, Massage, etc.) and then some blank stickers to make your own!

 Next is this awesome "Keep it Together" pocket. I plan on using this for postage stamps, stationary in case I need to send a note in a pinch, etc. It has a pocket on both sides.

 After the convenient pocket is a water proof Zip-Loc type pocket. It came filled with all sorts of personalized goodies AND a 10% off coupon for my next purchase. I'm telling you, they thought of everything!

 This shows where I put my personalized notepads. So convenient!

Another view.

 And finally, a full 2013 and 2014 calendar on the back cover.

If you are anything like me, I know you would absolutely love this planner. Erin Condren seriously thought of every detail you would ever need in a planner. For you brides and teachers... she also sales wedding planners and lesson plan books and I'm confident they are just as awesome.

If you've stuck with this post all the way to the end, I'm impressed. Don't forget to check out Erin's website. She has everything from these planners, to iPad stickers, to stationary, invitations, gift labels, etc. etc. etc.

Gold personality love to you Mrs. Erin. LOVE my planner. Thank you!

Wordless Wednesday

I didn't blog about the 10th anniversary of the September 11th (mainly because I was so overwhelmed with different emotions and I didn't know what to say), but I wanted to share these two photos with you.

I was able to attend the 10th Observance of September 11, 2001 on the East Front of the Capitol with all 535 members of Congress and many past and present Congressional staffers. It was an amazing experience.

Time to get back to work. Enjoy! - Micah