Today I didn’t do any of the wedding stuff I was supposed to.  Oops.  I did buy bacon with the idea of making these bacon cookies for a party on Friday night (it’s a party at my friend Kyle’s, who has hosted previous parties called “Meat Day” and “Meat Day Part II” so bacon cookies seem VERY appropriate.)  Chris has a run out tomorrow and my last student is gone which means my evening is rather free.  I figured making cookies was a good idea (if Mike is reading this, no I’ll totally be working out and steaming broccoli, not making bacon cookies.)

(If you didn’t know:  a run out is a concert out of town, but not like a tour.  It means you go there and back in one day.  )

(Do I use too many parentheses?)

Yes, today in my workout my trainer, Mike, asked why, when he logged on facebook, my entire profile page is dedicated to me writing about cookies.  He asked, do you make a lot of cookies or something?  I said…maybe…

I mean I also work out and stuff.  (Stuff being, you know, talking about planning my wedding and such.)

And I teach also.  On occasion.

All the cookies have absolutely no bearing on the fact that I have doubled in size since a month ago.  (Slight exaggeration.  Only slight.)  It’s cookie season anyway, right?  Rather than heating the house, you can just make cookies and let the oven heat the house!

Okay, I’m done talking about cookies right now (I have another recipe I’m sharing tomorrow or Thursday, but that will wait.)  What else to talk about?

We got our Christmas tree on Sunday, but haven’t decorated it yet.  It smells fantastic!  I will try to decorate it tomorrow and take some pictures!  (Or Thursday. We’ll see.  Bacon cookies and such.)

Nerdy, yes.  Does this actually happen when you plug it into Google Maps?  Mine gave some directions in Chicago.  Who knew that the Shire and Mordor were in Chicago?

It’s been over 30 days since my last search post, so it’s time for another!

Top searches:  Brooks Cadence and Brooks Cadence Review.  These are my fancy shoes!

Tri Color Cookies was a popular search!

But that’s not why you’re here.  You’re here for the funny, the ridiculous, the silly, the “what the heck” searches, right?

Ben folds cat’s pajamas blog (maybe there is such a thing?)

Hannah cokie time (do I have a drug problem?)

Mark O’Connor fiddle turkey trot

how+to+get+a+job+in+an+orchestra+without+going+to+music+college (same way you get to Carnegie Hall—practice, practice, practice.  Post on this coming soon!)

don’t need makeup quotes

violining (I though my friend Sarah made this word up.)

i am rich (this blog was likely a disappointment then)

things you can’t do without hamstrings (a thinker…)

sitting and eating bon (just the one?)

turkeys on the run (do you blame them?)

run shadowfax show us the meaning of haste (one of my favorite LOTR quotes)

wordpress violin teacher (I am a violin teacher from the interwebs!)

dear family who don’t call on thanksgiving (I guess you write them a letter instead?)

turkeys running track

cats and love (you know it!)

poop long distance runner boston martahon carolyn white (spelling:  hard)

“taco bell fitness course” (we are planning to run this again this weekend!)

 

use of the word can’t will result in a 10 burpee penalty (this was used TWICE as a search)

bacon truck (my life’s dream!)

is it wrong for me to spend thanksgiving with my boyfriends family (yes, you may only spend holidays with your family, even after you get married.)

working caturday (oh the horrors!)

i thought i had a high pain tolerance (I do!!!  Or not.)

why do people poop when they run marathons (same reason they poop ordinarily?)

about to pee my leggings (leggings are the new pants!)

 

Those are all the funny ones I noticed.  At least funny to me—though not as funny as last month.  Maybe my blog hasn’t been as ridiculous or surreal?  I would say I’ll work on that, but this month will likely just be lots of wedding and Christmas talk 🙂

As you all know, I love paper products!

I decided to go another way with my rehearsal dinner invitations.  I found something on etsy that I loved, and went with it!  Did I need to have printed invitations?  Well, NO.  But I love them.  I’ve gotten more than a few compliments as well.

 

I wish I could have printed invitations for every event in my life.  Sadly this is probably the end.  Of course, I’m still working on menus and programs! 

(I considered whiting out some personal information, but realized it’s all easily available on the internet.  Also I’m just not actually famous, am I?  The pictures with the whited out stuff just looked terrible, and my pictures are bad enough to begin with…)

Oh, and I have a FABULOUS dress for the rehearsal dinner.  I considered wearing the same one I’ll be wearing the next day, but instead chose something with color.  I can’t wait!  Not for the rehearsal dinner, but really, I can’t wait for all of it, I can’t wait to see everybody all together, and I can’t wait to get married!!

*try not to throw up over my cheesiness*

The stress is building though.  Planning a wedding is indeed stressful!

What a crazy weekend!  I am glad this weekend is over—it was great but stressful.  My students at the school had a recital, I played on two concerts and a wedding, plus several rehearsals.  WHEW.  Everything went pretty well, and I’m especially proud of my students.  I didn’t even have time to work out for two days in a row!  (Well, without working out on Friday night or getting up at 5 am…neither of which are true options.)

I forgot until this morning that my sister Leslie was running a half marathon!  Her fiance texted me a picture of her running.  I have invited her to write a guest post about her race so she can be internet famous like me!  She didn’t win, but she did well.  I’ll have her post soon.

We’ve been starting to get quite a few wedding gifts lately.  My parents sent their gift, which we knew was coming but we are nonetheless thrilled by it–

I love it!  We are almost ready to throw a real, grown up dinner party.  We are only lacking a table that seats more than two people…and some other stuff that IS on the registry.  Getting married is awesome!

Okay, I’m kidding of course.  I’m not that greedy.  I love getting gifts, but that’s not why we are getting married.  Speaking of gifts, one of my friends had a post on facebook about Christmas and Santa.  Evidently a school teacher told her second grade class that there is no Santa Claus. (Link to story).  What do you think about this?  Did you believe in Santa growing up? I never did, so I guess the story doesn’t bother me.  I knew kids who did but I thought they were a little bit silly—in fact I was surprised when I got older to find out there were people who truly believed in Santa.  Seemed a little farfetched to me!  Plus we were never home on Christmas, always visiting relatives, and opened our gifts early, before we left on our trip.  That just didn’t fit with the Santa story. 

The word on the street is that we might get snow or a light wintry mix overnight.  I’m fine without it!

I was in the Webster Groves area around lunchtime so my friend Melissa met me for lunch.  We didn’t have to think too much before deciding on Milagro Modern Mexican.  Today I tried the Tortilla Soup and the Chicken and Chorizo Quesadillas.  YUM!

The day was spent rehearsing pieces for a Young Composer’s Concert tomorrow night at the Community Music School, followed by teaching.  Luckily there was also time for lunch and coffee.

This was at a cute little coffee shop in Webster Groves.  I can’t recall the name and I’m just too tired to google it.

Now I’m relaxing at home.  LONG day!  Tomorrow is much the same, but longer.

Oh, and in one month exactly we are getting married.  Up to 60 official yeses!  I can’t wait to see everybody (and you know, get married to Chris and all that jazz.)  I would be more excited but I am starting to worry that there are tons of things we are forgetting.  It seems we are basically on track, just need to get started on the programs mainly, but I’m just worried we’re forgetting something important.  And the rsvp deadline was today, so hopefully in the next few days (week) we’ll really be able to get cracking on fun stuff like seating charts and such. 

Last night I was over at Vanessa’s and she wanted to get a fire going in the fire pit.  It didn’t work well enough though—maybe the wood was a bit damp?  After about 45 minutes of trying we were just too cold and gave up.  I was freezing!

What are your big plans for the weekend?  If you’re a musician, probably a ton of church gigs or other concerts!  If you’re not, maybe shopping or something fun?

Everybody is weighing in on my makeup pictures 🙂  I notice no one has mentioned my hair… (please don’t.)

To put things in perspective, I did this myself (and this photo is edited already, by the wonderful Sarah Crowder).  I’m wearing what I considered to be a ton of eyeliner, and it basically disappears.  Now, Chris isn’t wearing any makeup, and honestly, I think his eyelashes and lips disappear (yes, but would I want to marry him if he wore makeup…hrrmmm…).

It’s amazing how many different opinions people have!  What that means (to me) is that I can’t lose.

Next question:  Should I wear a veil or not?  I have a little hairpiece that came with my dress.  Are you married?  Did you wear a veil?  Do you have pictures to share with me?  (You can email!)  Also pictures of you and your makeup are welcome!

Remember how the other week we ate dinner at our rehearsal dinner venue?  It was delicious.  We learned today that they changed their menu, and neither of the entrees we tried (and loved) are available anymore!  Hopefully the new menu will be as good…we were initially disappointed, but ultimately I’m sure it’ll be wonderful.

Do you like bacon?  Do you like peanut brittle?  Click here for bacon peanut brittle!

30 days of Thanksgiving:  (did I already do this today?  I can’t be bothered to check—I should stop posting twice a day, huh?):  I’m thankful that tomorrow is Friday and I have a facial AND a Twilight mini-marathon planned (with friends!) after work.  We are going to watch the 1st and 3rd movies.