maid of honour

Bryanne and Trajan Ogden were married on Saturday December 1, 2012. As you know I was asked to be a bridesmaid for this wondrous occasion. About a week before the wedding Bryanne asked if I would like to be her maid of honour. Of course I said yes! This is a post all about their big day.

After Bryanne's Bridal shower I was asked to make snowflakes to add to the effect of a lowered ceiling. I made about 83 in two days and Lori, Bryanne's mom, made over 600 in a week. Insane. The Thursday before the reception I went out to Cochrane to help hang the snowflakes. It turned out to be gorgeous.

The next day Haillee and I treated Bryanne to some Tango Bistro which certainly lived up to my expectations based on Alex's raves about it. We had some pretty tasty dishes! Haillee, being the fun girl she is, brought some bandannas to tie around Bryanne's wrists and eyes because Bryanne was going to "tie the knot" soon and because "love had made her blind". She had to eat like this haha!

Tying the Knot

Blind with Love

The waitress noticed Bryanne's tiara that said "Bride" on it and she asked when her big day was. Bryanne responded with, "Tomorrow!" so the waitress brought out a sparkler for her!

I would definitely recommend Tango Bistro to anyone who wants a very tasty dinner but isn't looking to get stuffed. The amount of food was perfect.

After dinner we picked up Alyssa and we headed out to Cochrane for some partying! Oh and what's a bachelorette party without a little embarrassment? We went to Shopper's Drug Mart and had Bryanne buy a ring pop. We then went over to Tim Hortons where she gave people kisses (chocolate haha) and then we had her propose to a random guy. It was a good thing he was with a group of fun friends. They all had a good time laughing about it.

After the proposal we had a little spa night and watched Pride and Prejudice.

I had one of the worst sleeps of my life and I wasn't even the one who was getting married! The next morning my roommate, Amelia, came over to do Bryanne's hair while I did her makeup.

My oh my was it a foggy day. So beautiful though!

Mr. and Mrs. Ogden!

Bridesmaids with the bride:

Haillee was looking so pretty:

What better "light" lunch than a beef dip sandwich at Tony Roma's?

We bridesmaids are just so cute all the time.

Maybe not. But one thing's for sure, Bryanne's little 4 year old brother is dang cute!

 After lunch we went to the Ramada for some picture taking.

Alyssa and Brant are engaged and they were both in the wedding party. How darling can you get?

Snowflake cake:

I sat at the head table and I even made a speech! That was nerve wracking.

They had a nice little ring ceremony and a program, then we danced the night away!

Lori also made the bridesmaid dresses. She is phenomenal I tell you! I didn't get a picture of them but I'll post one once Bryanne's photographer gets the pictures to her.

It was a long day. It was fun and beautiful and nice, but it made me realize how little a lot of it really matters to me. I think it's great that I experienced this before my own wedding. Now I have an idea of what to expect and how much time everything takes I can get some ideas for the day I get to do all of this.

That was a good day.

feels like forever

 It feels like forever since I've posted an update.

1. I could never get sick of these:

Banana Chip Muffins

2. It's December and my cherry tomato plant is still making babies! I love having fresh cherry tomatoes to look forward to once every couple days.

3. I heard on the radio that this November has been the snowiest November in around 50 years! I was wondering what all this white stuff was doing on the ground. It's a lot prettier than brown and muddy that's for sure.

4. Carol invited Kutarnas, Biebers, Burns and me over for her 24th birthday party. I met her mom for the first time and she is so nice! I guess that's where Carol gets it from.

We had some dinner, we each received a pretty awesome gift bag, and we played some games like Hot Potato.

After the party we went home then Burns and Kobe passed out on the floor.

5. I can't believe this semester is almost over! Burns is super stressed about his exams coming NEXT WEEK! Where have the past 3 months gone? Pretty soon it will be Christmas and then it will be 2013!

6. I just got a surprise letter from the government of Alberta. Apparently I am eligible for Alberta Student Loan Relief Completion payment. They are going to help pay for quite a bit of my Alberta Student Loan. This is super exciting news for me!

7. Trajan and Bryanne are married! A lot more on that in my next post.

8. I was sick all day this past Sunday. Burns came to the rescue with chicken noodle soup, ginger ale, and croissants. It was so comforting to have him there with me all day. Thank goodness I was better on Monday so I could work! I get pretty lucky with getting sick on the weekends or over the holidays and I don't have to sacrifice making money.

9. The therapists and my coordinator at work have been telling me that I'm doing a good job. This is extremely comforting to know and yes, I'm still loving it. I went to the Staff Christmas Party last Thursday and we were supposed to bring a $5 ornament. I didn't get around to buying one, so I just wrapped an old ornament that I got 6 years ago at a church activity. I felt so bad, but then I noticed that nobody picked my present from under the tree (a couple people brought extra presents). I was pretty happy about that.

10. Arianne did an amazing job making a Christmas card for Burns and me. I'll post it soon!

preference 2012

I wasn't even planning on going to preference this year (November 16th) but then Haillee asked if I wanted to do something with her and her date. How could I resist a double date, especially one that involved skating?

Haillee and me getting ready for the evening:

Haillee's date, Caleb Melchin, was taking a midterm at the time, so Haillee went skating with Burns and me. We felt bad for her having to be a third wheel. Right when we got to the rink (Olympic Oval) they closed it down for 15mins while they freshened the ice up.

At least we didn't have to skate on choppy ice.

Burns and I raced around the track. I went first and he timed me. I made it around in 1:03. Then Burns went and I couldn't believe it, but he was exactly 1:03 too! Insane!!!

Caleb finished his midterm and came over to the rink. We then had a late supper of Subway sandwiches, rice crackers, and sparkling pomegranate juice with Oreos as dessert.

Caleb, Haillee, and Burns

We then went to the dance and had a jolly good time.

This picture is hilarious on a couple different levels. 

1: Burns and I were the only ones in the picture at the time of it being taken. 

2: We were standing in front of a green screen. 

I love it!

early november

If you follow me on Instagram, a lot of these pics will be reruns but oh well.

1. This boy is cute:

2. How many people can say that they love their job? Well count me among that percentage because I am one of them. I love making a difference, and to see progress within even a couple months is so fulfilling. It feels so amazing to know that I am influencing the lives of the children that I work with in such a monumental way. I am essentially helping to prepare them for one of the most important part of their lives...school. Not only school, but I should also include the successful integration into our society. That's a pretty big one.

3. Kobe got his annual shots and he was not a happy pup. He sulked in his bed in the corner for a couple days. I've never seen him so sad for so long.

At least we got him a new name tag. My phone number on the back of the old one was pretty worn.

4. Burns and I babysat Nitty and Naves. Natalie wore her princess dress the entire time and as usual (when Kobe is there) the girls stayed up late. They just love him. Here's Burns serenading the little princess with some Handel.

5. Last Sunday I was resting on the couch and Kobe came and collapsed on me. He is so nice. Whenever he does this, my heart melts like an ice cube thrown into the Sun.

6. I took the car through a touchless car wash the other day. For $6 it was so great to not have to do anything, but it didn't get the car as clean as $2 would have if I had just done it myself.

7. Fennec Foxes are so freakin' cute! Look up videos on YouTube of them. People have them as pets and they are so adorable! So adorable, in fact, that they reminded me of a little dog I know.

8. Wow, this past weekend was ridiculously snowy! I took Kobe on a walk and he loved just leaping and bounding everywhere through the snow.

I shovelled my sidewalk and I got dumped on.

9. Haha!

10. I hosted my first bridal shower. It was for Bryanne Litousky, soon to be Ogden. I can't believe her wedding is in less than 3 weeks! I made a bunch of appetizers. I don't know what I would have done without Pinterest.

I had cups of veggies and ranch; mozzarella, basil, cherry tomatoes, and balsamic vinegar (sooo delicious!!!); cucumbers and roasted red pepper hummus; and cups of tomato soup with triangles of grilled cheese sandwiches. The other two bridesmaids (Alyssa Lamb and Haillee Litousky) made the cupcakes and the punch.

Pinterest also provided free printables that said "Almost Married".

We played some games. Some were pretty classic, like the toilet paper wedding dress:

I also had the girls who came draw or write some memories that they have with Bryanne. Some were pretty funny. We gave the papers of memories to her to add to a journal or scrapbook. Another fun game was while she was opening gifts, we made a "Poem for the Bride". I started the poem with one sentence, then the next girl added another sentence. The girl after that could only see what the previous girl had written because we folded the previous lines down and added to the poem. It turned out to be pretty great! Bryanne's mom made her a nice wedding hat out of the ribbons from the presents.

I gave Bryanne a "It's the Little Things Care Package". I put a bottle of sparkling grape juice, post-it notes, a box of cheap date ideas, a box of questions to ask each other when she and Trajan are bored, and decision dice, all in a felt box. 

I'm not going to lie, I liked hosting this bridal shower waaaaaay better than attending bridal showers. I think I was just so busy trying to keep people entertained that I didn't have time to sit awkwardly making small talk with people I didn't know. It was great! 

And now I'm making snowflakes out of coffee filters for Bryanne's reception. They're going to hang tonnes of these snowflakes to get the feeling of a lower ceiling in the Cochrane chapel's gym. I've already made a few and I can't wait to see what it will look like all put together. I'll be sure to take pics when that time comes. 

a situation worthy of jane austen

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single woman in possession of a lot of stuff must be in want of a husband.

A universally acknowledged truth. Why did I just find out about this truth this morning? I'm more sheltered than I ever imagined! Surely this is not as universal as I'm thinking it is. I'm writing this post firstly to explain my feelings on this matter, and secondly to get the opinion of others on the subject. Let us begin.

I had invited a friend over the other day to help me organize all of my stuff. There was just so much stuff that I felt extremely overwhelmed as to what to do with it all and where to put it to make my basement look nice and tidy. She came over, helped me so much, and my basement now looks fantastic! She did an amazing job.

I received a phone call this morning from my dear significant other (I think we need a better word for boyfriend in our language), Burns, who informed me that this friend whom I had invited over said something along these lines:

Paige has a lot of stuff. She must really want to get married.

My first reaction, being the passionate person that I am, was anger, "Who was she to judge me based on how much stuff I had accumulated over the years?" Then disbelief, "How could anyone think such a thing?" Then it turned to curiosity, "Does everyone think this?"

My pride was hurt because of her prejudice.

Now that I have taken control of my emotions, I feel safe in writing this post and now realize that this isn't as big of a deal as I had initially deemed it to be.

I have a lot of stuff, it's true. I have pretty much everything I would need to get married and start a household except maybe a bigger bed, some tools, and a couch. I have pots, pans, muffin tins, plates, utensils, cups, pizza cutters, knives, a dish rack, rags, towels, recipe books, a table and chairs, lamps, a printer, camping gear, heck I even have my own nativity set! And let's not forget about my huge spice collection. Yes, I could elope right now and have everything I need except a couch (Burns has the bigger bed and the tool box). Does having all of this stuff indicate that I am desperately in want of a husband? I had never even considered this before this morning.

How did I acquire so much stuff? Three words: sisters and roommates.
It's that simple.

Alex somehow got a hold of a lot of stuff such as plates, cups, and utensils. She got the table and chairs from my parents. Arianne lived with her, then Alex got married. The stuff was passed on to Arianne. I then lived with Arianne for a couple years, she got married, and the stuff was then passed on to me. I wish I had a little sister who I could help out and pass all this stuff on to when I get married. I got a bunch of stuff from old roommates. The thing is, I may have a lot of stuff, but it doesn't mean that this stuff is good quality and it certainly doesn't mean that it all matches. Nor does it mean that I really want a husband!

To me, having all of this stuff is practical. I needed all of it when I lived in my old house. Now that I'm in my new house, sure I don't need all of it because a couple girls have a tonne of their own stuff. To me, my stuff is a symbol of my independence. To me it means I could live on my own comfortably without a husband if I had to. I take pride in this. As for my huge spice collection, hey, I like to cook and bake when I have spare time. In my friend's words, this collection of mine is "impressive". I like to try new recipes that require spices that maybe aren't used all that much. I've had almost five years to get all of it. A few of them were spices that my old roommates didn't want or forgot about. Again, this is practical for my own interests in cooking and baking.

Please don't get me wrong. I'm not at all saying that I don't want to get married. I really do! I really, really want to get married and start a life with the man I have known and loved for almost four years now. I don't want to be separated at night anymore. I want to be able to go home and do housewifey things like cook healthy meals for my husband and have a nice, clean house, and only have to deal with one man's crap as compared to multiple girls' crap like I've been doing for the last five years. I want to cuddle in complete privacy. I want to be able to leave for the weekend with Burns without having to tell anyone where we're going and when we'll be back and who's sleeping where and "remember who you are!". I want to be with Burns for Christmas! Something we have never had the privilege of doing. You married people, don't take for granted what you have. I would want all of this even if I had absolutely nothing. No stuff.

Stuff is not an indication of whether or not I want to get married.

Now that I've spilled all of my internal workings and thoughts, please let me know what you think about it. If you're married now, did having a lot of stuff mean that you wanted to get married? If you're not married, do you think having a lot of stuff is an indication of your desire to have a husband? What would you think of a man having a lot of stuff? Is this a symbol of wanting a wife or is it a symbol of wanting independence? Or neither? Or both? Let me know! I want to hear from you even if you think I would be weirded out if you commented because we don't ever talk in real life. I love comments and I'll appreciate any and all feedback that I get.

P.S. I wrote this post with complete control over my passion. Please don't interpret it like I was angry or upset. I really just want to know what other people think.

22 years

Tis true, my 22nd birthday has come and past with all celebrations come to an end (unless you still want to make me that cake, Alex, that would be pretty awesome haha). My birthday this year was on a Tuesday and what a blizzardy Tuesday it was. I'm so glad I was able to take the morning off (I worked a Friday morning which gave me a little bit of credit so I chose my bday morning) because I don't think I would have made it to work on time anyways with slippery roads and crazy traffic. I just snuggled in my bed for a while and then took my time getting ready. 

I went to work in the afternoon then I picked up Burns and we went to his house. We hung out for a couple hours and then he took me to Montana's for steaks. Yum!

Delicious!

Burns went to the bathroom and he came back really fast. I mentioned this and he said there was a little kid in there so he didn't want to go. This was typical behaviour for Burns, so I didn't think too much of it, but then I realized he could have told the servers that it was my birthday. I said, "You told them it was my birthday didn't you." He somehow avoided my prying questions and I was pretty sure he had. Then we were finished our food and our server was taking forever to get the bill. I almost thought they weren't going to sing to me. Then Burns pulled out his phone to which I said, "Phone stack much" and then our server comes over and says, "A little birdy told us it's your birthday today!" They brought out a fudge pan cookie and I wore the Montana's moose horns while they sang to me. So awesome.

After all the Montana's peeps were gone, Burns pulled out a present. I was truly surprised by this because I didn't see him bring it in. It was a pair of Lulu Lemon running pants! I'm so excited about them. Thanks so much for the great birthday, Burns!

Burns also said he had a surprise for me on Saturday so I was pretty excited about that. One of the days in between my birthday and Saturday I received this text:

I pretended I was Randi and after I said I went partying, he didn't respond to me for a half an hour. I thought he must have been mad or something so I revealed the joke saying, "I'm just kidding. This isn't Randi. You have the wrong number."
Ernesto then replied with "Lol. Cheers."

On Friday, Lita and I both had the day off, so we went to the mall. Whenever Lita goes to Starbucks they ask her for her name, and they can never get it right. This trip was no exception. She got a frozen pumpkin spice frappuccino which tasted like egg nog. I got the double chocolaty chip frappuccino, which if you haven't had it, you should try it.

I needed a new screen protector and a case for my phone. When I first got my iPhone, I dropped it onto some gravel within the first 2 weeks of having it. I was so mad. It dented the screen...or so I thought. I lifted my screen protector off this past Thursday and turns out my screen wasn't cracked or dented at all! This whole time (a little over a year) I thought it was damaged but just the screen protector was. It was like I had a brand new phone. This is the case I purchased. I love it:

That night Burns revealed what we would be doing the next day. We were going to West Edmonton Mall to the water park! Yay!!!

On the road:

We were so happy that the roads were clear and that people were home at my house to take care of Kobe. A special thank you to Lita for letting him be with you all day :D Burns and I really appreciate it!

In line waiting to go in!

New slides! They were so freakin' awesome!

It was a pretty busy day so we had to wait in line a lot. The new slides with the countdown and the trap door were so scary fun! Every time we got it and it started counting down my heart started to race. With the loop one, I almost didn't make it over the loop haha. It also burned my back a tiny bit because of the friction. I went on the yellow drop one and it killed! Too much friction again! Burns had to pull up my swimsuit really high in the back so that it wouldn't hurt on the slides. Our favourite part was the wave pool. We had such a good time!

After we got out, we were just the biggest pigs on the planet. Exhibit A:

There were two more tacos, tortilla chips with cheese dip, and cinnamon fries in that box. We ate almost all of it. So gross but so, so great.

We walked around the mall a little and Burns serenaded me (when you wish upon a star) on a bridge while he flicked nickels into the water below. Hilarious.

I had such an amazing birthday this year! Thanks so much to all those who were a part of it.