As much as I actually dislike the holidays, I really love a great Christmas/New Year engagement story. I love the winter and fires, stockings and confetti, lots of champagne… etc. So for all you men out there hoping to propose to your girlfriend this Christmas, I wish you good luck! I also come to you offering some advice. Christmas is a great day for proposals but you have to remember how your girlfriend feels. For me, Christmas is generally filled with stress and anxiety-filled family messes… if this is the same for your girlfriend, maybe plan a quiet time with just the two of you, alone, special and totally romantic. Take the stress away by reminding her that you’ll always be there for her and that you love her more than anything. She’ll be so happy she won’t remember any anxiety surrounding the crazy holidays. If your girlfriend is really close with her family and relishes in some attention and holiday joy, maybe plan a proposal on Christmas morning surrounded by her family. She’ll be so thrilled that her whole family got to be in on your special moment and you’ll have a great story for your many years together.

Another helpful tip and this goes for all proposals… not just ones around the holidays: always ask the family power figure for their blessing before you pop the question. I’m a big fan of this tradition. It’s not so much asking “permission” anymore as it is a nice gesture that shows your respect for her family and your desire to become a part of it. Your sincerity will be welcomed and you will most likely earn major brownie points from her family. (Chris had to ask 2 sets of parents, since mine are divorced. He even let my mom wear my ring because she loved it so much! And then he put up with my stepfather asking him about 10 times if he was “sure about this”… jokingly, of course. haha!)

The way you propose will say a lot about how well you know her and it will be the story she will tell hundreds of people. It will be one of the best moments of your life. Put some thought into your plan. Think about a few key points you’d like to tell her when you’re down on one knee… but don’t stress about memorizing a long speech. It’s really not about how much you say- it’s how you say it. And though you’ll be nervous, try to relax as much as you can. You’re about to embark on the best adventure of your life with the person you love more than anything.

I wish you good luck, congratulations, and happy holidays!!

(photo courtesy of Jazzlolo [Lauren Kennedy Photography] on FlickR)

I have spent a lot of time thinking about favors for our wedding that would be fun and different for our guests. Normally guests just write off the favors because they are a bit boring and typical. However your wedding favors can be one of those little details that, if thoughtfully done, can add a little wow element to your day. To get that “wow” try one of these ideas and really THANK your guests-

Flower bulbs- Great for a spring, summer, or fall wedding, flower bulbs can be bought in bulk at incredibly inexpensive prices. (Tulip bulbs can be as cheap as 10 cents or less) They add a fabulous green element to your day and give your guests a burst of color for their gardens, reminding them every year of your beautiful day. If you want to get really crafty, buy the bulbs in your wedding colors. Wrap them in tulle with a cute little poem about your blooming love. Slightly cheesy but it’s a wedding so a bit of cheese is totally acceptable. You can go to any local nursery to find an array of bulbs.

These favors can also double as placecard holders for your guests!

Potted Herbs- Another green idea, if you and your hubby to be are really into cooking or things that smell nice, a small potted herb at each setting can be a lovely touch. You can pick different herbs and label them so that your guests swap if they want. Herbs are also great because they can be planted outside or kept in the pot. These can also be bought in bulk from local farms, grocery stores, or if you’re feeling really ambitious and have the time, you can grow the herbs yourself and re-pot them saving yourself a lot of money.

Wine- This was one of the ideas that Chris and I considered since we got engaged in Napa. There is a wine-making place about 20 minutes from our house. Chose your favorite wine (or 2… or 3…) after a tasting, of course. The owners will then teach you how to make your wine of choice on the premises and since the process takes a few weeks, you stop back at the crucial times to help. Then at the end, you can bottle the wine in half bottles (half the size of normal wine bottles) which helps to stretch your batch. You can then create personalized labels. It’s fun, it’s unique, it’s something you and your fiance can do together, and it’s a definite wow for your guests when they realized you did everything but stomp the grapes!

Cheers to the Bride and Groom!

Local Products- Depending on where your wedding is, there is a plethora of local products your guests would be thrilled to have considering their usefulness. Being from Buffalo, a fun idea might be chicken wing sauce from the Anchor Bar. If you’re from Texas, how about some BBQ sauce? Columbus, OH- buckeyes top the list- which you can buy OR make. There are so many options from expensive to incredibly budget conscious.

Handmade Gifts- Soaps, chocolates, ornaments, sock monkeys, picture frames, candles. Maybe someone in your family owns their own business making specific items? Use these people! They will likely give you a great discount and most likely will be happy to help. It’s even better if you can make it yourself! Personalized gifts are a favorite of guests. Whatever your theme or time of year, you can find a personal homemade favor to go with it. Guests love things that they can tell have meaning to the bride and groom and in which thought was given.

Who Needs Favors?- Though it’s always nice to thank your guests, a new trend is emerging where brides and grooms are forgoing the favors altogether and opting for something less traditional. Try adding a signature cocktail to your bar menu for your guests to enjoy. Or maybe a hot chocolate, coffee, and cordials bar at the end of the night. Make your own ice cream sundaes? Or my personal favorite- a photo booth in which each guests can get their picture taken in that 4 picture strip style and keep one of the sets for themselves and put the other copy in a keepsake book sitting next to the booth for you.

Donate to a Charity- This is what we will be doing for our wedding. I have a deep love for animals and I thought there could be nothing better than giving to the SPCA or Humane Society. Writing a kind note to the guests to tell them you have donated in their honor to the charity of your choice is a wonderful and heartwarming gesture. Great ideas can be anything that you believe in or has touched you in life- Susan G. Komen breast cancer charity, Hospice providers, nursing homes, animal charities, local food kitchens, education funds, AIDS research, etc. Opportunities are endless and you can start your marriage off with a kind gift to people or animals in need.

Please leave other ideas you have for favors! This is a great area where you can get creative with your wedding and give ideas to other brides to be in attendance no matter what your budget may be. Be the one to step away from the jordan almonds and do something really special to celebrate your special day with your family and friends.

“So… what part of the wedding do you care about the most, besides getting the privilege to marry me, of course?” I asked Chris soon after we got engaged.

“The food and the cake. I want to do a lot of tastings.”

This is pretty typical. All Chris can think about is food and of course the cake at our wedding is a top priority. It isn’t just the design that needs to wow, but the taste needs to be incredible otherwise it just won’t cut it. It was one of Chris’s only demands. Everything else I ask him, he generally just says yes or no. I’m happy he’s not a fussy groom. I’m fussy enough for the both of us. He also makes decisions a bit easier because he’s very quick to say yes or no. It’s a trait I admire and appreciate.

However, the cake has become somewhat of a topic. I’m all about the design and he’s all about the flavor, but it’s a bit soon for us to start doing tastings. So I guess we’ll just have to decide on design first.

I have compiled a handful of amazing cakes all taken from theknot.com. I have my own ideas on how I would change them a bit, as I’m sticking with my anemone flower love as a theme. These incredibly designed cakes are like works of art… works of art that I want to dive into head first. I’ve narrowed it down to these choices- any of which would make me drool all over my sweetheart table and my guests might actually have to fight me to get a piece.

Cake #1: I love the sleek design of this cake. Variations would be changing pink ribbon to black. change the orchids to white anemones.

Cake #2: I love the architecture style of this cake. Variations would be changing navy to black and all flowers to white anemones.

Cake #3: This is a great example of the anemone I mention. They are made out of sugarpaste and totally edible! Variations would be changing lavender to white and white dots to black.

Cake #4: I just like this cake. Retro and fun. I don’t have any variations because it’s so detailed as it is!

Cake #5: I love the sharp edges of the square layers. Variations would be making the branches dark silver and have fewer flowers which would again be white anemones.

Taste will just have to wait for later, but I’m leaning towards red velvet. Just so long as Chris signs off on it. We’ll have to wait a little longer to make that final choice. Which cake do you like the most?? I need all the help I can get!

(All cakes courtesy of theknot.com. Check them out for hundreds of cake ideas!)

No- it is absolutely not what you are thinking. However…

Yours truly, Ms.Catalysta,  is the proud owner of a labradoodle!!!!!!! That’s right, I finally got the second dog I’ve been wanting forever! The story… 

Last week, Boyfriend tells me he has some secret Christmas errands to run after work and that he wouldn’t be home until late. I decided to let it go and not bug him about it as I normally would and try to figure it all out. So I’m sitting on the couch wasting time on Facebook and Google and then I hear Boyfriend’s car pulling into the garage. The knob turns and stops for a second- then the door opens slowly. Boyfriend pops his head and turns to show me what he’s got grasped in his arms. A brown fuzz ball. My jaw dropped to the floor. 

MsCatalysta- “What the hell is that?”
Boyfriend- “It’s a dog.”
MsCatalysta- “Seriously? Like, it’s mine?”
Boyfriend- “I got him for you… for Christmas.” 
MsCatalysta- “Ok, but seriously… What is it?” 
Boyfriend- “It’s a labradoodle.”
MsCatalysta- (stunned smiling silence) 
Boyfriend- “Well do you like him?” 

Did I like him? Was he serious? I’m over the moon. Joyful. Exuberant. Blissful. I’m running out of synonyms for my happiness. I had pretty much put the entire second dog notion out of my head because Boyfriend was adamant that getting one would basically make him not want to come back to his own home at night. So he compromised. He got a 6 month old labradoodle that does not shed or smell bad and he can take running when he gets a little older. 

He’s not exact potty trained yet so now we have Peeing Dog #2. I never thought I’d see the day where Peeing Dog #1 would be considered the “good pet.” Actually she’s still the middle child because Cat will always be the best pet since he poops in a box- though in Peeing Dog #1’s defense- I did just spend an entire Sunday Windex-ing and Febreze-ing a fake Christmas tree because when Cat recently had a UTI, he decided to make our poor Christmas tree his toilet for a day. 

And yet, none of this matters. I love my animals so much and I’m so happy I could burst. Mornings are ridiculous trying to feed 2 dogs and wrestle a cat away from the food bowls. I worry all day that Peeing Dog #2 has been in his crate too long and needs to go outside. I clean pee off the floor somewhere on a daily basis. His first vet visit was ridiculously expensive and he needs to be de-wormed (I’ll spare you the nasty details…). Today he chewed his travel crate zipper rendering it useless trash, escaped and jumped over the baby gate to the basement where Peeing Dog #1 is housed for the day. (They are already fast friends.) But despite the messiness and honestly pain in the ass- none of these things bother me. I actually love it! AND Boyfriend knew how badly I wanted a second dog and he did it just for me. This is the best present I could have ever gotten. 

I have a feeling that this is going to be the best holiday season ever. And I wish you all the same.

Have you received any early presents or bought anything good for someone you care about? 

Happy belated Thanksgiving everyone! Hope yours was filled with lots of turkey and gravy! Boyfriend and I decided not to travel and instead spend the lovely 4 blissful days of vacation in the (not-so-new-anymore) house! I cooked my very first Thanksgiving dinner, which in my opinion was fantastic, and had a quiet, lovely, relaxing break. It was great to take the time to actually be together instead of constantly busy with regular everyday life. 

Recently, Boyfriend and I have had some pretty intense conversations about how we have become boring and we don’t like it. Currently as young/mid twenty somethings, we are stuck in a very odd place. We aren’t old enough for the family and the kids, but we aren’t young enough for the college bar scene. We own a house and are a stable couple with full time jobs. When you work for 9 hours and get home, you have about enough time to take care of a peeing dog, feed yourself, and maybe catch something on TV before passing out. It’s tough to find interesting things to do that you both enjoy and fun enough that you are actually motivated to do them after a long work day. 

So this break we went out on a couple dates. It was great. We had great conversation and a lot of fun people watching. We went to an upscale martini bar and then to see the new James Bond movie. Another night we went out in our new town to a local bar where there was some country band playing and crazy tapered jeans wearing locals that lifted up their shirts showing off their tramp stamps- for reasons that are really beyond me, but I can only guess was to hopefully score a chance at going home with one of the hillbilly band members. Then we did some stuff on our own as well. I painted another hallway, and did some Christmas shopping for him and he worked on the motorcycle and went running. 

So I know you’re all probably riveted by my extremely interesting holiday and all but there is a point to my babbling. When you’re feeling like you’re stuck in a rut and you need some excitement- what do you do? Where do you go? What kinds of activities do you do with your significant others other than your everyday routines? Groups, clubs, sports? We need some extra suggestions here! 

(picture is from apple picking in October!)