Cakes and Catering and Venue...Oh My!

I drug Mike to a wedding show Sunday. I think he enjoyed it more than I did...I got a little defensive when people assumed I wanted to spend 2 months worth of paychecks so I could have a certain type of chair at my reception...

I don't remember what they're called...but apparently there's a hot, new chair trend happening in the wedding world.

So anyway, I had to be reminded to not snap at people, "We're having a small wedding!" "We're on a budget!" "Do I look like I want to spend $2500 on photography?!?"

"They're just doing their job...just nod and smile and move along," Mike says.

When I first met him 3 years ago, I thought he was scary. Now he's the little angel on my shoulder. A very handsome and manly angel.

Anyway-sies...Sunday was productive. We tasted the most delicious cake ever...ever! It probably means that we may have a more traditional looking cake. The electric guitar confection may have to wait until Mike's 30th birthday or something.

Ugh. I'll turn 30 before he will.

Celebrations By Sonja is definitely who we want to make our cake. They use buttercream icing, no fondant, and real fruit filling. The one we sampled had strawberries! Since we are such food network geeks, I figure our cake has to taste out of this world. I hope we can find some way to make it our own and rock 'n roll.

I thought I wanted to have our short and simple ceremony and fun and loud reception/dinner at the Springfield Brewing Company. After the wedding show and seeing how these venues that usually host weddings want to accommodate the bride, I'm looking elsewhere. From talking to the BrewCo, I think I might be an afterthought to them.

So, we are going to go look at the Santa Maria Lounge at the Knights of Columbus Diamond Room. It's really affordable on a Friday. I talked to the caterer there. She's from Simply Delicious. Trying to decide what kind of food to serve will be hard! I think the spinach artichoke dip with the manicotti and a salad sounds good.

And $4 a bottle champagne.

I want to leave all this wedding talk with something fun. I have some really cute pictures of my puppy, Cash, sitting on the couch with the remote control in his paw, but haven't uploaded them yet.

So I'll encourage you to check out this blog my friend Heather showed me...speaking of cakes! Hilarious.

Loves!
The future Mrs. Winchel

My Spot

Minds out of the gutter.

I'm kidding.

Two posts in one day!
I'm off work in the morning, and in a great mood after a good time at a Pampered Chef Party. Yum! Let's just pretend I didn't spend $70.

Anyway...I'd like to use the phrase, "long story short." But I know myself too well so I'll just say I'll make a very long story only semi-long.

I was an English/writing superstar in high school. Everyone told me how good I was at writing poetry, papers, and movie and music reviews. But, as with most things in life there's always someone who's better. Stephanie Hunter.

She wrote this column for the school newspaper that was full of big words, deep, mature thoughts, and clever turns of phrase. In contrast, I wrote a movie review of "What Women Want" starring Mel Gibson that a lot of people liked. I have no clue what Stephanie is doing now, but she made me feel like I wasn't supposed to be a writer.

Almost 10 years later I'm just now figuring things out, becoming my own person, and getting to the place God wants me to be at work, at home, and in my mind and heart.

I say that to illustrate that I had no idea then...I had no idea at 18 when I went off to college...no idea when I kept changing my major...no idea when I planned to run off to Nashville.

My freshman year was spent at Mizzou. I started out as a Journalism major. Then I decided the J-school was too hard so I changed to general media studies. Sophomore year brought me back home to Missouri State University. English Education? Sure, why not.

Then I reunited with my high school dream. I had originally wanted to go to Belmont University in Nashville. I wanted to work in country or Christian music...on a tour...doing something. I'd eventually work up to A & R or marketing at a record company.

I blame this bug on Keith Urban's 2006 CD, "Love, Pain and the Whole Crazy Thing." Love it. One of my favorite CD's EVER. I don't remember why I abandoned my dream in the first place. I know I didn't go to Belmont partly for a relationship that ended when we left for college anyway. Lame.

I graduated from MSU with a Mass Media major/Marketing minor in '07. I still wanted to go to Music City. I'd work on music video sets...I wanted to organize things, call people, do some heavy lifting. I STILL want to work on a televised music awards show someday. I wanted to be a mover and shaker on the Nashville scene. I still want to be Miranda Lambert's BFF.

This was all before the economy went downhill.

But now I'm discovering what I really wanted was to do something that I was meant to do.

Was I meant to be someone's tour manager? Or a record company executive? I don't like where the sound of most country music is headed these days. (It's all the same sound really.) And I've had opportunities to get close to the industry a few times and I frankly don't think I'm enough of an ass to make it in that world.

I'm still here in Southwest Missouri and I think there's a reason. Mike or I would have to get a ridiculous raise that would make it worth a move and the cost of living to leave at this point. I leave that open ended, and will never say never, though!

My father always loved my writing and was always incredibly supportive. He was disappointed when I kinda left that behind. I HATE to say he was right, but...he was.

What I was always after was what I like to call my "Spot." My place...the thing I'm naturally good at without busting my butt trying. The thing that I can do for hours and be amazed that so much time has passed. The thing I look forward to doing.

Not everyone finds their spot. I always thought that I would. Not to say I'm more super-special than anyone else...I've just always wanted a career, not a job. 100% has gone into everything I've done, and I can't give any less. It's just the way I am.

I've been able to do more writing at work in the last couple of months, and I love it! I look forward to going in, the time flies by, and I have heard good things about my work.

The problem? It's not my job. I just do it during the time I used to be bored.

Now I'm pursuing an opportunity to get paid to write. The problem...I have no experience so I'm understandably being kept waiting.

I'd have experience if I had stayed with journalism in the beginning. And, yes, my dad HAS said, "I told you so."

I really want this job. I have so many ideas. I care so much about where I work. I know with some training I can do it. I'm tired of having the word "assistant" in front of my name. This would be MINE and I know I can handle it.

I have found something I'm good at. I'm confident about the things I want to do.

For now, my spot's still open...I just hope if I don't get it this time around, I'll get another chance.

I Miss Working at Forever 21

I have plenty of reasons to wax sentimental about my 2 and a half years spent working in retail management.

I, of course, miss my coworkers...a few of whom I formed what I hope are lifelong friendships with.

I miss the team environment there. I thrived on that and don't get as much of it at my current job.

Even though I know I wasn't the best in the world, I miss being a manager...I like working hard, leading a crew. Doing that really brought out a side of me I don't think I would have found otherwise.

I liked being super busy. I did like helping customers. Most of the time. Sometimes I want to go back, because I think I'd be even better at it now.

I miss the music. Yes, a lot of it was annoying, but it fit the mood of the store. I liked to do my runway walk to the beats when no one was looking.

But this post is not about all the sappy reasons I miss working at the mall. It's about how I want to wear gloves like this:

I want to pair that shirt with these pants and my denim jacket.

I guess this jones-ing for wardrobe experimentation came at me full force at the mall the other day when I was looking around at Claire's and tried on a headband like this:

So cute, right? And now my hair is long enough to wear things like this.

To my surprise, Mike actually liked this on me! I think I might buy it next time I'm at the mall.

Which brings me to answer the obvious question, "why can't you still dress up?

First of all, I go to work at 2 in the morning. I sleep in as late as possible. Show me someone who wants to spend a ton of time getting ready at 1:30 am and I'll show you an 80-year-old who knows who Snooki is.

Second of all, a woman dressed to impress a man, and a woman dressed to impress other women are 2 completely different things. I would assert that we females do the latter much more often than we realize.

My man (and I'm going to assume most guys are this way) seems to prefer me in simpler, more classic clothes. Minimal accessories, hair down, good jeans, and a well-fitting t-shirt or nice top. Dressing slutty seems to go over well too. I took him in New York and Company and it was all, "you'd look nice in that...I like that..."

I like that stuff too, don't get me wrong. That's probably the direction my wardrobe will be moving in considering my current career path.

Getting dressed for work at the ol' F21 every day made me feel like a rock star. I wanted to represent the store well; the company is very fashion forward. I could experiment...That was dressing...mainly for myself...but for other women. That's who I was trying to sell clothes to.

And my favorite girls loved to experiment with their style too. There were days I'd look like one of our crazy-lookin' mannequins and feel perfectly comfortable in the store...then as I was walking to the food court I'd feel all eyes staring at me.

"I'll be honest...there were days you'd get ready for work and I had to try not to laugh," Mike has said.

He's a dude...he doesn't get it.

I loved to mix really girlie pieces with rock-n-roll or tomboy style things: Ripped jeans with a dressy top; a nice dress with a leather jacket; a graphic t-shirt with a cardigan.

I was always trying to find new ways to wear my cowboy boots.

I loved big earrings, chunky necklaces and rings.

Layering...plaid shirts, vests, sweaters.

Fun patterned tights.

Scarves...I freaking LOVE scarves...turns anything into an outfit...I feel like celebrity when I wear a scarf!

I like winter clothes much better than summer duds (layering obsession? Finally relevant again.) So maybe I'll start sprucing it up again.

I'd be much more motivated to do so if I worked during the day, though.

I'm definitely buying that feather headband.

"Horse Motor Wheelie Trick" and Other Weekly Highlights

SO I'm super cool on a Saturday night. Just bloggin' and waitin' around for something to do.

My first week back to work after vacation was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. It actually went by pretty fast.

Rewind to the week before last. We got our engagement picture taken! My mom took them, and Mike photo shopped them. It was free, they turned out great, and we had a great time roaming around downtown Ozark. I will try to get a slideshow set up on here. My Mike is so very handsome!

This weekend is my parent's wedding anniversary. They've been married for 30 years! Congrats Robyn and Harold!

Mike and I are looking after of my little brother while mom and dad are in Northern Missouri for a little anniversary getaway.

My baby bro, John is 23...so, as he reminds me quite frequently, is not really a "baby." But I practically raised him along with my parents, so I feel like I have to take care of him. He's mildly autistic; pretty much self sufficient. He doesn't drive or keep track of his own money, but he cooks and has a job.

And he's the most hilarious person I've ever met in my life.

When we were growing up, John didn't learn to talk until he was about 4...and even then communication was very difficult. He lived in his own little world. (pretty much all autistic kids do) That world was one made up of television, movies, music, and wrestling...he loved to watch professional wrestling. It was hard to get him to talk to us in his own words. He'd mutter to himself constantly and speak to us in quotes from shows he'd seen. That's the best way to explain it, but I feel like it's hard to give a picture of what he was like as a child.

God blessed he and my family with great teachers all through John's time in school. He graduated in 2006. He even received the "Character" award at senior award night!

Now, my brother has grown up...and opened up. I can't really get anyone to fully appreciate how much it means when he actually holds a conversation with me! His own words and thoughts are so great to hear after years and years of frustration from being talked to in lines from Nickelodeon shows. The way he says things is so...interesting and unique...

Mike was trying to show off the Mustang last night...which, of course, John thinks is cool. Today John told my grandma that Mike's car did a "horse-motor-wheelie thing." Or something like that.

And he wants to talk to me about country music, and the TV station I work at, and tell me about how he, "is just trying to stay fit," and exercise.

Sometimes when he gets nervous he still talks to himself. He's having a hard time at work with that. I don't envy my parents...trying to find that balance of when he's capable of controlling his behavior and when people need to be understanding.

I feel like I don't spend enough time with the little dude sometimes. Our schedules are completely opposite. I wish Mike and I could take him out to do things more. What 23 year old wants to spend all his time with his parents? (Sorry mom and dad!)

I worry about him being lonely. Does he know he's different than other people his age? Does he want to get married? Is it possible God has someone for him? I think maybe John could be in a relationship.

Someday, John will live with Mike and I. I worry about who will take care of him if something happened to all of us. He has plenty of people at church who love him. Could he adjust to a different life it he had to?

I hope he stays healthy. He informed me that he now only gets one breakfast sandwich from Sonic on Saturday mornings. That's a start, I suppose.

For the most part, John seems happy. He asked Jesus into his heart at church camp when he was in high school.

I know God will take care of my brother. I just hope I do my part, and that I'm the big sister I should be when he needs me.

That's what's on my mind tonight.

The weather is absolutely georgeous this evening by the way. I love fall. It's my absolute favorite time of year. That crisp air makes me feel nostalgic and excited for what's ahead at the same time.

There's a lot more I'm thinking about...but it's for another post.

Thanks for reading!

No Such Thing

If I ever have kids, I'm going to be a weird parent. Aside from the fact that my kids will have a mom with a Johnny Cash tattoo who works at a TV station, I have decided I'm going to ask my children some weird questions after we watch a movie.

Do you think Cinderella had trouble fitting in with Prince Charming's family?

Does being fairy-tale royalty come with health insurance? What do you think happened when Prince Jr. needed braces?

After snagging her dream guy at the age of 16, do you think they stayed together after she went to college?

What did they do when she wanted to go out with her friends and he wanted to stay home and watch TV?

Did they change as they grew up and realize they wanted different things?





It's great he realized he was in love with her instead of the woman he stayed with out of convenience for all those years...

But do you think the ex harassed the new gal with threatening phone calls? Or let the air out of her tires at work?

What kind of strain did that put on their relationship?

Contrary to what pretty much any romantic comedy or television series finale would have us believe, there's no such thing as a happy ending.

I don't mean that in a cynical, emo, "my soul is black and so is the world" way. Just that the idea of an "ending" to anything at all in life is kinda silly.

Maybe I was just an anti-social child who spent too much time at the video rental store or in my room watching TV. I'm probably too old to just now be adopting this outlook, and it's possible everyone else learned this lesson a long time ago. But I think unrealistic expectations have been a big source of stress and disappointment in my life, and I'd suspect it's to blame for a lot of other people's bad attitudes too.

Not that I thought that I was Cher from "Clueless" or Kelly from "Saved by the Bell." But I always thought if were prettier, everything would be great. If I had a Tommy Hilfiger T-shirt, I'd fit in with the popular girls and high school would be awesome. When I find a boyfriend we'll ride off into the sunset together and life will look like a montage from a Taylor Swift music video...

When I graduate college and get a "real job," it'll be smooth sailing. If we can get through this disagreement, our relationship will be nothing but kisses and hugs and laughs and wine.

But life is always one more thing...one more problem, one more stress, one more bill. The way things are at any moment is never how they're going to be forever. That fact is a comfort when you're crying, and a dull ache when you're on top of the world.

My fiance and I will never be "done" making our relationship the best it can be. Even when we've been together for 30 years. I'll never be done looking for challenges at work, or ways to make myself better at whatever it is I'm doing. There's always going to be a future that will bring expenses, sickness, or people who make me want to cry.

And it's these things that make us who we are. A mistake hurts my pride at the time...but I won't slip up in that area next time. A hard week waiting for the next paycheck forces me to look for ways to be smarter with my money.


Being healthy and fit is a journey, not a destination. (Unfortunately!) Everything in life is the same way. Thinking otherwise will make a person disappointed at every turn. We would all be pretty bored if there came a point in life where we were all "done." Done like a delicious chocolate cake with chocolate frosting...mmmmmm...

So, when I say I don't believe in happy endings, I don't mean I don't believe in love or happiness or cute little babies or America or all that stuff.
And I'm not delusional. I know movies and TV shows are just entertainment. A way to escape...and viewers need closure and happy endings.

On that note, I will close by saying, "roll the credits and cue the upbeat '80s radio hit of your choice!"
Hope you enjoyed the show.

Nothin' But a Good Time...

If you are a musician, or a music lover, you have to appreciate a good performer, even if you're not a huge fan of that person's particular genre of music.

Bret Michaels gets a lot of crap for...a lot of things: the show Rock of Love, his fake hair, wearing eyeliner, sporting his own T-shirts, being in Poison...

The list goes on.

I dragged my heavy-metal-loving fiance to see Bret Michaels at the Shrine Mosque on Thursday. Awww...Mike really loves me. But I sat through GWAR when they opened for Lamb of God in November, so...we're still not even.

I knew I would have a good time. After an opening band that did a rock-n-roll version of "Sweet Caroline" (Yikes!) Mr. Rock of Love ran out on stage to the opening chords of "Talk Dirty to Me."

I can karaoke the buttah out of that song, by the way...

Bret (I don't think he'd mind if I called him Bret) put on a great, high energy show for the next hour and a half. For a guy that had been in the hospital and near death just a few months ago, he gave 110%.

I've been to a lot of concerts in my day, some I'd be embarrassed to admit to. It's always great to see an artist who truly enjoys what they're doing, and really appreciates the audience. You know, when they just have that thing that pulls you in. Makes you forget your feet hurt, that you're getting beer spilled on your shoes, or that the time and hairspray you put into your hair was for nothing because you're at an indoor concert with no air conditioning. In August.

Bret is that kind of performer, and he truly seemed sincerely happy to be playing for us.

Plus, the dude knows why he's famous to anyone under the age of 35. He mentioned "Rock of Love" and thanked VH1...he doesn't try to pretend the reality show involving stripping contests didn't happen. I think that's cool.

The concert was also FUN because Bret knows what people want to hear. He sang some Poison hits ("Fallen Angel," "Unskinny Bop"), a few of his solo songs ("Go That Far"), and did some covers ("Sweet Home Alabama," "Drift Away," "What I Got.")

The audience could sing along with basically everything...isn't that why we go to concerts? So, I'm pretty much going to tell everyone that I partied with Bret Michaels, because last night's concert felt like one big bash. A bash I paid $30 to attend.

I love my share of underground music, and generally tend to rebel against anything "popular." (Current popular country music? No, sir, I don't like it.)
But being a music snob can really keep a person from having a lot of good times. I like a lot of "cheesy" music from the decade I was born in because it's fun!

Even Mike enjoyed the concert. When someone is sincere and passionate about what they're doing and the music they play, it shows...and if you can't jump up and down, clap along with the beat, and sing along, then you're taking life too seriously!

More Like House

One of my guilty pleasure TV shows is "Bridezillas" on WE. Maybe I like it because I can turn to Mike and say, "see...I could be like these beyotches!"

Anyway, my favorite morsel of wisdom from that train wreck-fest comes from an episode where some ghetto-fabulous bride was talking (--screeching--) to a bridesmaid who was freaking out about ...something...something important I'm sure. The bride sasses,

"You at a ten and ya need ta take it down to about a fo' and a half!"

My default is set at about an 8.5. I wish I could be a "fo' and a half." Ever. Anyone who knows me knows I'm super high-strung and quick to freak out. I'm actually better than I used to be, believe it or not.

Which brings me to one of my favorite legitimate television shows. House, M.D. Brilliant. Though I liked the show better with Dr. Cameron, Dr. Foreman, and Dr. Chase.

I was watching a re-run of House on USA this week...I think it was from season 2. Cuddy had forced Dr. House to work in the clinic, and he walked out in the waiting room to offer $50 to any patient who would leave. HA!

All of a sudden a man springs out of his seat, and makes laps around the waiting room...screaming, knocking things over, and holding his head in his hands. Like a 4-year old who's parents wouldn't buy her an Easy Bake Oven or whatever the kids play with these days.

So this dude is going nuts. Just nuts. And Dr. House is just standing there. Watching. Even when the man nearly knocks him over.

Turns out the guy had had a cockroach crawl in his ear. It had started to eat his brain or something. Eeeewwww.

So, would anything have changed if the sexay-est M.D. on TV would have been like, "OMG CALM DOWN...this guy is going crazy...whaddo I dooooooo?!?" No.

The image of Dr. House just standing there, dodging this maniac with a curious, but calm expression on his face just hit me for some reason.

The most random things on TV will speak to me sometimes. I want to be more like Dr. House. I want to be calm. I want to be the one who can think clearly when chaos is going on around me. Losing your cool doesn't change anything. It makes things worse because no one's mind works well when they're frantic.

People have been telling me their own versions of this since I was old enough to worry about when my last "big girl tooth" would grow in. But I think most people have to realize things in their own time, in their own way, so it can make sense and mean something to them.

I obviously prefer to come to life-altering revelations through basic cable re-runs.