Thursday...

Hey guys!!

I've decided to move my blog from WordPress to Blogger...I find that Blogger is an easier platform to use, and I'm more able to customize my blog the way I'd like. I transferred all of the posts from my "Realism and Reverie" blog to this one and will continue to write new posts here!

So, October is a big month for TV shows...Several of my favorite shows return from hiatus this month and I am super excited!

Hehehe ^_^

This is Us started it’s second season a couple of weeks ago (at the end of September, but’s it’s close enough to be counted as October, I think), Supernatural kicked off its 13th season last week, Walking Dead comes back on Sunday, and Stranger Things returns right before Halloween! And it’s just in time, I finally finished watching all of The Office a couple of weeks ago...hanging out in Netflix limbo with nothing to watch is no fun, at all!

Favorite shows aside, everything else seems to be going pretty well! Wedding planning is still chugging along [less than a month, now!!], the kiddo made the honor roll this 9 weeks [**happy dance**]...yep! Everything's pretty great! ^_^

This is going to be a quick, short post...just wanted to write one for the new blog!

Weekend...

I decided to write a separate post on some of the other, non-wedding things going on...

The fiancé and I had some actual free time this weekend!! Surprising, isn’t it?

My wonderful parents kept the kiddo for a couple of nights, giving us some much needed time off (and a quiet apartment for the first time in weeks!)...it was sorely needed and very, very appreciated. ^_^

My fiancé had to work some on Saturday, so I took advantage of the time and took his wedding band to have it engraved...I think I picked out the perfect inscription, and I’m so excited for him to see it! I’m planning on keeping it a surprise for the wedding day, but I may cave and let him see it beforehand...

Pumpkin Spice frappe...would NOT recommend...

I also had time to meet up with on of my best friends for coffee ^_^ she’s awesome! We’ve been friends for about 15 years now...she’s been there for me through all sorts of ups and downs, and I could not be any more thankful! It was good to catch up with her, and she gave me some helpful tips and suggestions for our wedding. (She got married a few years ago, so she knows what stress I’m going through) All in all, it was a fantastic coffee date...two hours passed by before I’d even realized it! Good times ^_^

I’ve also had some time to play some video games, which is always a plus, in my opinion...

I’ve been playing some Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Undertale with the kiddo...and it’s been awesome!! Not gaming nearly as much as I used to, which is probably a good thing...but it does feel good to be able to do something that’s me. Plus, it’s something the kiddo and I do together, which makes it all that much better!

So, yeah ^_^ this weekend was full of friendship and fun, I’ll definitely call it a win!

Frame Rates and Forgiveness...

Hey guys!

So, some good news...my computer is up and running again...mostly. It's definitely more functional than before I took it to the shop, but it's still very much on the struggle bus.

The tech guy put the cheapest, most basic hardware into my pc, just to get it up and running again. Which is fine, if you don't use your pc to game with...but, I do!

Long story short, my computer is still pretty broken. It will run World of Warcraft, surprisingly...but it completely derps when my kiddo tries to play Minecraft Story Mode. [My incredible fiancé stepped in to save the day and got me a new graphics card that was a huge upgrade! However, it didn't solve the problem] So, it seems the saga of the broken pc continues...

In other happenings, I've been struggling with something lately...

I noticed that I have a really hard time letting things go. [slightly embarrassing to admit, but it's painfully true]

More than a few times in the last month or two, the topic of forgiveness has come up in our bible study lessons and sermons... and it's kind of stuck with me as something I need to work on...especially if I expect to receive forgiveness, myself!

There are certain situations and individuals that I wholeheartedly admit to purposefully holding on the hard feelings over...though, I'm not sure why, exactly. [If there ever were a time to delve into whether or not you hold grudges, it's when you're trying to decide who to invite to your wedding! With so many potentially hurt feelings at stake, I've had to consider getting over past hurts for the sake of having everything go as smoothly as possible!]

If I'm being honest, I don't know why I intentionally choose to hold on to hard feelings...it's certainly not beneficial, and I know that. Especially if the 'offense' was particularly minor, maybe even silly, in hindsight. I know I should be a better person, take a deep breath, and let go of past hurts and resentment...but dang it, it's hard!

Why is it so hard? Is it pride and ego? Or maybe habits of the heart?

Regardless of the cause, I realize this is something that I need to work on...any tips? Seriously. Any advice at all would be enthusiastically welcomed!

Alrighty, I've got a kiddo to get ready for bed...hope you all have a great night!

Computers, Collections, and Cleaning...

Hey guys! Hope you've had a good week ^_^

Good news on the computer front, I get to pick mine up from the shop today! [hopefully] The tech guy said it needed a new graphics card and hard drive....so I'm hoping that's got it fixed. Guess I'll find out when I get it home...

I'm a bit skeptical about the whole 'repair,' though...When the tech guy realized that I would need new parts, I think he should have called me to see what I wanted installed...I mean, I play games on my PC, so not just any old graphics card will do! Buuuuut, no. He didn't call and ask at all. And he told my fiancé that he put a '$30 graphics card' in it so it 'would run.'

**Unhappy Deadpan Face**

So, yeah. We'll see how it works out. Moving on!

Remember my last post? I talked about reading Marie Kondo's book on tidying and home organizing?
I'm totally looking forward to starting on our home! I sat on our couch yesterday and looked at all of our stuff...and there was just so much! So, so much of it! Add to that all of our new stuff that we got from our shower and it's just overwhelming! Something absolutely must be done or we will spend the rest of our lives surround by stuff and boxes. However, this is where I hit a bit of a snag...

COLLECT ALL THE THINGS!

As someone who loves the idea of adopting a minimalist household...how can that be reconciled with being a collector?

I'm a bit of a serial collector. At any given point in time, I'm probably working on a collection of something. I've collected My Little Ponies, Beanie Babies, and Disney princess dolls...Funko Pop! figures, Nendoroids, and more DVD sets than I can count! I've got tons of books, family heirlooms, and sentimental odds-and-ends...it's really, well...a lot of stuff!

So. How can I find a way to balance both being a collector and minimalist? Is it possible? If anyone else has encountered this, how did you handle it?

I will keep you guys updated as this whole ordeal develops...hopefully I will have some progress to report on soon!

Showers and Sparks...

Hey guys!

Hope you're having a good week and that you've stayed safe through all of the hurricane mess...we are doing fine, we got some rain, but that's it. [Didn't stop all of the schools from closing, but I suppose it's better to be prepared than sorry!]

My computer is in the shop now. I'm hoping they can fix it and I'll be back online by this weekend..

We reached another big wedding milestone over the weekend...the bridal shower!

Some of the lovely ladies from my church family put together a wonderful shower for us! Everything was so pretty [they went with a vintage theme...lots of heirloom quilts, silver, and roses], the food was great, and the gifts were super thoughtful! My fiance and I are so thankful that we have such awesome families, friends, and church family!

Now comes the challenge of finding ways to store all the wonderful gifts...

We currently live in an apartment, a rather small one.. so it seems like some clearing out and rearranging is going to be necessary. Which brings me to my next project!

I've recently started re-reading The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. She is a tidying expert who emphasizes on only keeping objects that 'spark joy.' Her methods sound really good!! [I admit that I've read most of the book before but failed to implement her advice] A total-home overhaul seems like a super daunting task, but I feel confident that we will live much more comfortably if we can do it! Have any of you read her book? Have you tried her methods and how did they work for you?

Well, my phone battery is quickly dying, so I'm going to have to end this post here. Will post again soon!

One of the beautiful roses from the shower ^_^

An Old Friend...

Hey guys!! Hope you're having a fantastic weekend, so far!

This morning, I decided to do something that I haven't done in years... I decided to play the piano!

So awesome, but so difficult!

I found an incredible Legend of Zelda medley on YouTube a few weeks ago and made it a goal to learn how to play it. [Link to the video here ] I had a few hours of spare time at my parent's house over the weekend, so I eagerly hopped online and bought a download of the arrangement. I printed out the 7 pages of sheet music and excitedly placed it on the piano. As I glanced over the music, the realization hit me like a ton of bricks....oh man was this a challenging arrangement. I've gotta be honest, I was very disappointed in myself.../sadface

I've played the piano practically my whole life. I mean, I started to learn when I was 4! I've played pretty much every day up until about 8 years ago. [I moved, several times, and haven't had a piano in my home since then.] I was definitely more rusty than I anticipated, and it was disheartening. I know I shouldn't be surprised....it's been years since I tried to play anything new...but still.

I miss it.

I miss playing the piano. I miss being able to gracefully skip my fingers along the keys and create whatever music matched my mood...truth is, I never cared to play for anyone else. I hated to perform. Still do!

When I played, I played for myself. I played for the feeling of it, for the release of all of the emotions that clamored inside of my head and heart. Music was such a wonderful outlet for me; there were many times when my piano was there for me when it seemed like no one else was. Ask any musician, I'm sure they can relate!

I guess I didn't realize how much I'd missed all of it! And how much I need my music....
I say all of that, to say this: If you have a passion, pursue it! If you have a hobby or interest that bring light into your life, don't stop!

I've gone far too long without my music, and I thoroughly intend to change it. ^_^

[Cheerful Music]...

Hey guys!

Hope you've been having a fantastic weekend ^_^ Mine has been pretty good!

So, my fiancé has introduced me to my latest obsession...and I'm only 12 years or so behind! I am currently addicted to the show The Office. It is so good!!!

Awesome show, woo!!

If you haven't seen it, I highly suggest you hop on Netflix and watch it before it's removed. [Okay, I just Googled it, and it looks like the show actually isn't being taken off of Netflix] I'm not a big tv-watcher, and it's pretty rare that I find a show that I like enough to follow for more than a couple of seasons. This show is definitely an exception!

Why is that, you ask?

Reasons to watch The Office:

1. It's lighthearted and funny! There are a ton of serious things going on in the world right now. Sometimes, it's nice to get a break from all of the doom and gloom.
2. If you work in an office environment, you'll likely find this show to be pretty relatable.
3. I like that the episodes are short. Streaming an episode takes about 20 minutes, and sometimes, that's all of the free time I can get!
4. The character dynamics are fantastic! Watch an episode or two, and you'll soon learn that each character has their own quirks and the way these quirks interact are often comically brilliant.
5. I really like some of the relationships...well, one relationship, in particular. I feel like my fiancé and I can really relate, and it's pretty great! ^_^

Short post, but I just wanted to spend a little bit gushing about my newfound favorite show. Go watch it! I bet you'll probably like it, too!

Juggling...

Hey guys!

I've got a pretty busy schedule, but I plan to write posts whenever I can. I'm actually writing this one while sitting at one of my kiddo's extracurricular activities...he's taking archery!

As much as I love that he's learning such a cool sport, I definitely hate all of the sitting and waiting. All of the lovely sunshine and Alabama humidity makes for quite a miserable experience. Imagine sitting in a sauna, and all of the bugs make it even worse! Oh, the things we do for our kids...

How about you guys? Do you take your kids to do extra activities and such? If so, how do you manage your schedules?

With school being out, getting my kiddo to his activities isn't too terrible...but I know that will change in a few weeks. [Can you believe that the summer is almost over already?!] I know that lots of parents have perfected the juggle of school schedules and extras, for multiple kids, even!

I'm just hoping I manage too keep some semblance of sanity while I'm driving all over the place ^_^

Well, I was hoping to have some super cool gaming/nerdy thing to post about, but looks like parenting won today....I will definitely work on finding some more entertaining things to write about soon. Until then, I hope you guys are having a good week!