01-15-2001

I'm finally starting to work up some enthusiasm for this whole wedding planning thing. It's been hard the last few months, considering how much else I've had going on, and really, we hadn't done much (my mom and I) except determine the where and when. Now we have to start doing the 'what'.

Today, although not a holiday for my own company, was a holiday for the company for which I'm doing this project. Knowing that I'd have no problem working my 40 hours the rest of the week, I decided to take the holiday anyway, despite it not really being approved by my own manager. Besides, I had stuff to do, and most of the people I'd be dealing with weren't going to be there anyway, or so they said.

So we headed out and ended up spending most of the day at the fabric store. Or at least it felt like most of the day, although in reality I think it was only a few hours. The good news is, at least, that I've finally narrowed down colors for the attendants of the wedding. I'd been toying with the whole concept of having each bridesmaid in a different color, but the seamstress was a truly marvelous woman and made a few helpful suggestions that changed my thinking on that. So now everyone will be in one of two colors (depending on whether they're male or female, and which role they play). And we also found the fabric for my dress - an acquisition that I find more than a bit humorous. After buying it, I was able to go home and proudly announce to Richard that for our wedding, I'm going to be a sofa. And not just any sofa - but a Martha Stewart sofa, no less.

I didn't realize that upholstery fabric came in such cool brocades, in other words! And we found some gorgeous ribbons to decorate the bridesmaid dresses. And I decided what it is I'll be getting my bridesmaids for their gifts (and no, ladies, I am not going to tell you before you get them, so don't ask!).

It was a tiring day (looking a several hundred bolts of fabric and trying to compare hues to fabric patterns can be quite draining. Take my word for it), but at least I'm starting to get into it more. The seamstress came up with a really cute suggestion for our ring bearer (who'll be three), and I've been pondering a few ideas for the outfit for my niece as well. Thoughts of cabinets and wood stain colors and placement of electrical sockets in the house are being shoved aside and replaced with thoughts of candles and flower bouquets and how we're going to find enough swords for all the groomsmen to have one.

*****

Just as a side note, in case anyone actually wanted to know, it's been exactly one year since I started this journal. I begun writing simply because I missed writing - because I kept a written journal but my entries into that often were marked by great gaps in time. And I started keeping that written journal because my memory tends to be full of holes (much like a block of Swiss cheese) and my thought was that this would help me to remember when things happened.

Lately I went back and read through all the entries over the past year (okay, so I was really bored at the time). It's amazing to me how much has changed over the past year since I replaced paper with html and started posting bits of myself for all the world to see. I used to prefer writing to typing. Now, as a result of this journal, I find that it's easier to pour out my thoughts via keyboard instead of pen.

And it's also comforting to see that, despite everything else that has changed in my life over the past year (getting engaged, building a house, the evolution of my job), some things (seven fuzzy things, to be exact) still remain the same.