Engagement photos

Tyler and I have our engagement photo session scheduled for Sept. 22 at ... drumroll please ... Valleyfair amusement park! I was really dreading the idea of trying to be ourselves in front of the camera, while feeling extra uncomfortable. I actually didn't think we'd even take engagement photos, but professional photos of us just being casual will be nice to have. I like the amusement park idea, because it's fun, relaxed, colorful and we can be ourselves. It's also one of the first things Tyler and I did on our first trip to Minneapolis while I was still in high school.

I found these lovely images online and am even more excited about Glen taking our photos in front of the ferris wheel, on the rollercoaster, etc. The first set is courtesy of Brian Dorsey Studios and the second set is by Julie Harris Photography.

Shoes

Here are the shoes that I get to dance in on my wedding day. I love them!

Let the voting begin

I'm getting ready to order my shoes for the wedding and it's not an easy task. I have to find shoes that are comfortable, cute, not too high, not too low, and the list goes on... You see, because we're getting married in the grass, I must stay away from a stiletto heel unless I want to sink into the earth all day long. I also have really small feet, so shoes with chunky heels are out. I've found a compromise: the wedge. I set out to find a pair of blue, strappy, wedge-like sandals and here's the best I found. Why blue? Tyler will be in navy and my girls will be in shades of blue. I just like the added touch of blue shoes.




They also come in white, which I also like. Readers, what's your vote? Blue, white or keep shopping?

Honeymoon heaven

Everyone should plan their honeymoon before they plan their wedding. I want to get our reservation in now, because I'm sure some of the nicer, yet cheaper cabins go quickly. Tyler and I want to rent a cabin for a week somewhere up north (Lake Superior, Vermillion, Ely, Grand Marais, etc.) We want our own cabin with pets allowed, on a lake. If anyone has suggestions, please let me know!

Wedding inspiration

I've been collecting wedding-inspiring images for awhile now. One of my favorite wedding blogs, Style Me Pretty is having a contest for the best inspiration board -- basically a collage of your wedding theme. So, last night I sat down and took a stab at it. I still haven't decided on much of a theme, but making my own inspiration board is, well... good inspiration.

Jason & Amy's Wedding

If you want to view them in a larger slideshow, head over here.

And if you want to view the slideshow with captions, click below:




Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

We're ok

For the past 16 hours, this is what's been going on in my own backyard. We live two miles from the bridge and I work just blocks away. Tyler and I are safe and happy to report that so far, everyone we know is safe too. I drive on West River Parkway (the road beneath the south half of the collapsed bridge) everyday, twice a day. Tyler's usually waiting to pick me up at 6:00 pm sharp after work, then we're on our way home via the Parkway. Last night, I was five minutes late getting out of work. I've never been so happy to stay late at work.

We were en route to Home Depot crossing the Central Av. bridge which is perpendicular to the I-35 bridge that collapsed. Sirens, sirens everywhere, but we didn't know what happened. We were listening to the sports guys on AM radio whine about the KG trade when a citizen called in to relay the news that he was looking at the I-35 bridge collapsed in the river. The time was 6:10. I made a call to the Star Tribune to make sure they were aware of the situation, but of course, they were already on it. Tyler and I turned around, parked the car and walked toward the scene. We were right there along with everyone else. Lots of people making cell phone calls, taking camera phone pictures, etc. The air was smokey, the smell of burning diesel filled the air. We decided it would be best to head home and let the emergency officials do their job without having worry about the safety of onlookers.

I wished so badly I had my camera and reporter's notebook with me. Note to self: ALWAYS carry a notebook and pen. It's a nice reminder at work this morning that the newspaper business is still a vital part of this community. Nothing is more powerful than the still images that were taken by our photographers. Video doesn't compare. This is why I work in this business.

We won't be taking the scenic drive along the parkeay that I always brag about for quite some time. Thanks to everyone who called us and our parents to check up on us.