Starting Fresh

Please excuse my long absence. The last few months have been rough, and I have had a bad attitude, and none of that translates well to a nice blog post.

However, I have decided that if I can't immediately change my circumstances I had better learn to be content with them, and to be happy and hopeful. My energy would be better spent doing uplifting things, working hard, and coming up with solutions to the problems that I like to pout about so much. 

I know I have said this before. But I am going to work on up-keeping his blog instead of wasting so much time on Facebook. I know Facebook has good things about it and I won't quit it entirely. But I do think it promotes time-wasting and obsession over un-important things. 

Then there is my blog. My blog makes me happy. I feel like it is worthwhile. I take more effort to keep it pretty and to present my life in a way that is worthy of it, instead of throwing it into random little posts and statuses. And I think it is a better opportunity to keep a record and create a story out of my life. So, here I go again. :)

I found out I was pregnant with baby number one back in March. Since then I have had a lot of overwhelming feelings. I have always wanted to be a mother, and I feel excited and blessed to have this child become part of my life. I can't wait! I am about 20 weeks along, and am due on November 24th. 
This ultrasound pic was at about 13 weeks. 

We enjoyed a trip to San Clemente CA last week. We had stressful car trouble (which is thankfully now taken care of) and it's not the nicest drive for a road trip. But I do love to travel. I love the feeling of exploring new places and seeing the way that other people live. This was my first time seeing the ocean up  close, and it sure is beautiful.

Hard times can make us stronger or they can break us down. It depends upon how we respond to them. While I do sometimes have days where I feel I am breaking, I know that overall I am becoming stronger. While I don't feel like I am there right now, what I am going through is refining me, and in the long run I will be better for it. And above all, I feel like I have grown closer to Jordon. I know that I love him even more than I did on the day we were married, and we have plenty of time and opportunities to strengthen that even more. Forever in fact! 

And right now I am feeling so grateful for all the opportunities and support that has been given to us. Sometimes I am short-sighted, and it's so hard to wait. Sometimes I don't see the light at the end of the tunnel. Sometimes I feel like I will never get where I am trying to go. I suppose the Lord is trying to teach me  to have more patience and more trust. When I rely more on the Lord he helps to keep my vision clear. Right now I do see the light. And I am so excited to get there. But I know that it's all in the journey, and as soon as I reach that spot I will have to find the next one. More than anything I am excited for that journey.

Jordon's Birthday

Jordon's birthday is July 20th. He turned 20 this year. Aww, now we're the same age! 

It also happens to be my sister's birthday. She turned 12.

It has kind of become a tradition that I make Jordon a cheesecake on his birthday. And of course this birthday could be no different. This year, because I live with him, I asked him for details of how I should make it. He decided on a plain cheesecake with oreo crust and chocolate and caramel toppings. 

I used this recipe for the cheesecake. For the crust I used about 26 crushed Oreos (except I used the cheaper nameless brand), and maybe 3 TBS of butter.

I didn't have a spring-form pan to use this year, so I had to use two smaller pans. This way it didn't cook quite as nicely, and it wasn't lovely and thick as it usually is. But I think they turned out pretty enough. And they were delicious! I had to be careful not to practically eat the whole thing myself. 

The last piece is sitting in the fridge calling my name. Of course I can't eat the last slice of HIS birthday cheesecake.

For his birthday gift we ordered him a little Mound Juniper Bonsai. They're expensive little things, but it came looking as cool as we could hope. Now we had better be able to keep it alive!

My gift for Chey was a mini teddy bear that I bought at the shop with my employee discount. :D

I tied curly ribbon around his neck to look festive. Here he is in my purse, waiting for my shift to be over and be taken home.  

I put him in a green bag and stuck on a pretty piece of a homemade card someone gave us for our wedding. And of course I tied a ribbon to the handle. I love pretty gift packaging. However when I gave it to Chey she had it out before I even realized she had been opening. What the heck? You are supposed to ask if you are supposed to open it now or on your birthday. She did not appreciate the pretty bag at all. Still so much to learn, that one. 

But i'm sure she liked the bear. And I crocheted her a cover for her Kindle a while back that I count as part of her birthday present.

First Ten Days

     I am now a married woman! Haha. :) Jordon and I have been married for ten days. It's still totally weird. But awesome. We haven't really gotten into any kind of routine yet. We have been on a crazy eating and sleeping schedule that started the first day of our honeymoon, and has continued into the past few days of being home. But today was Jordon's first day back to work, so hopefully that will get things changing. 

     I don't have a job right now, but I'll be looking for one soon. Today I got up with Jordon, and then went back to bed for a while after he left. I had planned on sleeping for about an hour more before cleaning up the apartment, making some kind of treat, and then relaxing in a bubble bath with a book. I ended up sleeping about three more hours, taking a short bath before breakfast, doing the dishes, wiping down the counter and stove, and polishing our cherry wood table. After that I lost interest in cleaning and got distracted by looking for a good beginner knitting book online. I am going to learn to knit. :) 

     The apartment is very messy right now. We still haven't managed to put away everything from the wedding, and I am having a hard time deciding on places to put my own things as well. But it's slowly getting better. When it's all done and clean I will take some pictures. But for now the few pictures below will have to do.

 First of all, rather than using a book for a guest sign in at the reception, Jordon and I painted this piece of art together and just had everyone sign it. We had a little book as a backup because I wasn't sure if we would run out of room on here. Now we will actually see the messages instead of shoving a book to the back of a shelf to add clutter.

      This is my writing box. I have written quite a handful of thank you notes already. I like writing notes and letters to people, but I admit that this is hard. Especially because, although we did our best to write everything down, there are many gifts we can't place with a person and persons we can't place with gifts. So, to anyone deserving of a note that does not receive one: I apologize, and you should know that we both very much appreciate every gift we were given.

      This is a self portrait of me writing out some notes in our sunshiny living room.

     And just for fun, here is the view of the baptist church we can see across the street.  I have been loving the weather here lately. It has been warm and a mixture of overcast/rainy and sunshine.

     I haven't taken many picture the past week, but hopefully this scattered handful of photo's will give you a little glimpse into my life at present. And when our wedding photos are finished I will be sure to post a few here.

In a writing mood.

     Hello readers. I just feel like writing so I am giving you a little update. First of all my 20th birthday was last month. So for those of you who didn't know how old I am, there you go. I was actually out of town to get my dress fitted (more on that to come) on my birthday, so I didn't get to spend it with Jordon as I had planned. But after we cam home my mom made me a lemon poppy-seed cake, which is my traditional birthday cake. About a week later Jordon set up a little gathering with his family to celebrate as well, which was really fun. :) 

     I really love Jordon's family a ton, and I already feel like they are my family. They have no idea how much I love them and how much help and strength they give me. <3 

     How does it feel to be 20? Not much different than any other age. Except now I think "Wow and I thought hitting 18 was weird". How did I turn into an adult? I still feel like a little girl. 

     I mentioned getting my dress fitted. They make you give them three weeks to work on it, and I get it back next weekend. I can't describe to anyone who doesn't get it how nervous I feel when I think about my dress now. I have been worried and obsessed over it ever since I left the seamstress. I know she is a professional, but still. What if I regret the way I had her do it? And what if it costs a fortune!?

     One of my bestest friends, Kaileen, came over to the apartment the other day to make some paper flowers with me. She was awesome at it. And we talked Jordon into making just one. He complained the whole time, but seemed to be proud of the resulting flower. :) Then Kai, Jordon, my brother Cody and I spent the day playing video games, watching that new Hugh Jackman movie, eating a lasagna that I made (Heck yes! Jordon got some real food.), and goofing off. Good day.

     The closer the wedding gets the more I want to be with Jordon all the time. I have to be near him, talking to him, Facebook/photo stalking, or frequently texting him all the time. I seriously can't stand being apart from him right now. I am not really sleeping well either, and hardly at all anymore. And I am sort of going crazy I think. I toss around in my little bed thinking about the excellent queen sized one he is sleeping on in our apartment, and knowing that if he was just next to me I would be sleeping fine. And when I talk about him to myself or think about him I always think "husband" instead of boyfriend or fiance. It's totally natural and not forced at all. (: I am so ready to marry him.

     We are going to the temple soon. We chose the Draper Temple for our endowments. Thinking about that is just kind of surreal. I don't know what I am thinking or feeling at all except that I am excited, and happy to have the blessing of the temple in my future.

     Oh by the way my earrings came. The ones from my last post. I love them. :) They are like amazing little green icicles. Haha! I am a jewelry/makeup/girlishness addict. And I love my unique style. Jordon is always commenting about how my hair, makeup or clothes look weird or something, but I know he secretly likes it too.

     I was going to try not to take a nap today so that I would sleep better tonight. But I slept for over an hour after church. Haha! It felt great.

     Oh and I haven't had a job since Halloween. (: Yep. Honestly I really don't want a job. I like not working. Yeah I am lazy. But it makes me feel bad for Jordon, and I know I need a job. :/ The ones I really wanted didn't want me though, and I really don't know where to look. Stupid small town!

     Anyways. I have enjoyed writing this. And I am curious to post it and see if it really is as long as it looks in draft form. :D It probably is. Sorry about that.


UPDATE 2/29/2012: Hello! Just want to mention a follow up post related to the cake photo here. Here it is: http://tiffprincess.blogspot.com/2012/02/photography.html

Wedding Style.

I'm Getting Married! by tiffalaine

     A wedding styleboard I made on Kaboodle. :)

Invitations, Website, Flowers

     Hello everyone! I am finally getting around to getting an update on here. I know all I talk about is my wedding, but until it's over I honestly don't really have anything else worth mentioning here. :D But I promise if we sit down to have a real face-to-face conversation I am perfectly able to talk about other things. Unless you steer the conversation that way. And after I am married I will be able to post about my adventures in my sweet little apartment as a wife (wow that sounds bizzare) and sort-of-typical woman.

     Anyways (deep breath). For the update. Things are starting to progress a bit more, although I still don't really know what I am doing, and there is still a ton to do. The above picture is a preview/hint of my wedding invitations. Yes I am completely hand designing them, right down to the lettering. :) And I absolutely LOVE that they will be completely my own.

     I am admitting right here and right now that I am not ordering a ton of them. So, if you don't get one it doesn't mean I don't care about you, it means I unfortunately don't have the pleasure of being extremely close to you. If you do get one then congrats, you are on my (or Jordon's) top 100 list of people to invite. I have not yet told Jordon's mother that she will have to call or email some people. Haha. Lets just say the number she gave me wasn't so intimate. But she's so cool that if I want it she'll kindly put up with me.

      Another thing I have been working on is this. Go ahead and click that link! It is my wedding website. Isn't it cute? I always thought wedding websites were a bit pointless. Then I decided Facebook didn't cut it for me as a place to put all my wedding details. It's just too impersonal to me. Again, I am trying to keep this very personal. And now I am actually having fun putting this together.
     I am still not quite sure how to get it out to people. But for now you people kind enough to read my blog get the first peek. It's not finished so be patient. But isn't it cute!?

     Also, instead I live flowers I am doing paper ones. These ones were the practice ones I did with Jordon's mom and her sisters. :) I am going to be making my own bouquet. I am a little nervous about it, but I think it will turn out nice.

Picture Preview.

     Hullo everyone! I had Thanksgiving this year with Jordon's family. His dad's side. Which was good because I don't know them as well as his mother's side. It was different having a holiday dinner with people who aren't my family. They aren't yet anyways! 

     The next day we went Black Friday shopping for some furniture. We got a cool little pillow-top couch that feels like marshmallows. :D And a sweet mattress. 

     After that we went out and did engagement photos! Jordon's mom took them. :) It was unfortunately cold and windy, and Jordon definitely didn't see the need to take as many as we did. But he took instruction well. At the beginning when I asked him for his opinion he said he was there to take orders not give them.

     At the end when we were posing up on some rocks he slipped and hurt his arm. He took a moment to get over the pain and then hopped back up. But we didn't go on for much longer after that. I felt really bad for him!

     Anyways, here is a little preview of the pictures. I am saving the really good ones for sending with the invites. :) But I think these ones are fun.

Funny one on the slide at the park.

Me goofing off with messy wind-blown hair.

On a bridge.

And we'll end with a black and white kissing shot.

     Look at that! I managed to only post a few pictures for once! :) I really really love them all. I am working on editing them all.

     And for those of you who don't know I did find a dress. And it's amazing. :D No pictures though because Jordon can't see until I am actually wearing it. 

Don't want to go to bed.

Hello. It's late and I'm a bit tired. But I feel like I haven't really done anything useful today so I can't go to bed yet. Silly yes. I am just going to ramble a bit about some randomness. :D

       1st of all I took these pictures with my phone and edited them on the computer. I am a bit addicted to makeup (I have to stay away from the makeup aisle or I WILL buy something), and I am very addicted to lipstick. I have a lot of lipstick, but I always want more. Lip-gloss is nice too. At first I would just gravitate towards bright colors. I still do mostly, after a job interview where I realized I had nothing appropriate for my lips I went and bought a pink lipstick (in the picture). I realized it was quite lovely, and since then have acquired a few more pinks and neutral peachy shades.

      Number 2. Online shopping is dangerous. I have learned not to browse, because then I just feel sad when I have to force self-control on myself.

     3rd. I suck at studying. I have a test tomorrow that I haven't studied for enough. Oh well. I am a pretty good test taker. Unless it's math. I am bad at anything at all math-ish. I am also really good at procrastinating. That's a weakness I am working on.

     4th. My boyfriend has been posting some very nerd videos on youtube lately. And I actually really like watching them . . . Yeah. 

     Number 5. I <3 fall. Pumpkins, orange, harvest, spice, . . . . All Fall related things have been going to my head lately, because I can feel Fall drawing closer and it excites me. I actually bought a lipstick (thus the lipstick musing above) called "pumpkin pie" because of the name. I like the color of course, but if it had been named something different it's likely I would have picked another shade.

     6. I thought there was a number 6 but now I can't think of what it might have been. I guess that's a sign that it really is time for bed. :) 

Goodnight.

<3 Tiffany Alaine

An Evening on the Mountain

     I told Jordon that we need to do more fun things before he leaves, and he told me to think of ideas and then we would do them. My first idea was to go up the canyon behind my house to roast hotdogs and marshmallows. We decided to invite Cody to come along. We ate lots of junk food (at least I did) and just enjoyed it. I took a lot of pictures and the boys had fun playing in the water. I already posted them all on Facebook, but I still wanted to blog some favorites.

Cream Soda.

Ladybug & bluebells.

Strange brother. He started drinking because I was taking a pic.

Jordon and I.

Winding road.

Some Things That I Like

     Hey everyone! I just want to post a few random things. First of all as you probably saw on my Facebook (if you are my friend) I gave myself winged cat eye liner today. I have always liked winged eyeliner, but for some reason I haven't ever done it on myself. Well yesterday when I was at Jordon's house and was wearing heavier eyeliner than usual he told me that sometime for fun I should wear "egyptian" eyeliner. So today I tried it. I will of course have to do it sometime when I am actually going to see Jordon, so he can see it properly. But anyways I wore it with gold eyeshadow and some red lip gloss and I really liked it. :)

Cat Eyes

     Also here is my nerdy little robot necklace that I have been wearing the last few days. Yes I admit that I am a little bit of a nerd. I love my little robot.

Little Robot

      I also like nerds. Which explains this next picture. I love him too. Even more than the robot. :D I just really like this picture for some reason. And just in case he reads this: Jordon, hi! Yep I stole your picture and posted it on my blog. What a girl thing to do right? So what!

Jordon at Yosemite

      Just wait until I have a camera. I will be posting tons of pictures!

     Oh and I have to speak on Sunday, and wasn't given a topic. I am having a hard time knowing where to start to start. And I almost just put wear instead of where. ???

     Have a happy week people!