we want s'more

Another one written and never posted.  This one is from December 4th... Maybe I don't suck at blogging as much as I thought I did. I just suck at the posting part... :) 

Saturday we had most of the bridesmaids from Michelle and TJ's wedding over to go over wedding details, dates and important information.  It was my attempt to get everyone on the same page and, in my opinion, it was quite successful.  Brandon was wonderful as always and he made grilled cheese and tomato soup for everyone.  Saturday morning, I got up and I made s'mores cupcakes for the event.  

To make the cupcakes, you start with the graham cracker crust.  Generally when these are made, you have the graham cracker crust and right before you bake the crust, you add some pieces of chopped chocolate to melt onto the crust.  When I make mine - I put the chocolate in the crust so that the bottom of the cupcake is graham cracker and chocolatey. 

my new obsession: our ninja

After baking them, I make the chocolatey cupcake portion.

 Then comes my least favorite part about making these cupcakes.  The frosting.  I tried to cheat this time and buy marshmallow fluff, but I couldn't find it anywhere in the dang store.  So I was stuck making my own marshmallow topping - which is time consuming and required muscles.  Muscles that I don't use often and am stilling feeling today.  Thank God for Michelle stepping in to help me!

 Once the marshmallow topping has been whipped and gorgeous peaks form - we frosted the cupcakes.  Then my favorite part about making these cupcakes comes in - taking a torch to the frosting to give it that roasted marshmallow look. Yummo.  Then I personally like to add a little piece of a Hershey's bar to the cupcake to give it that final touch.

Perfection.

Hello Domestic Goddess.

goodbye maiden name, hello wilkinson

Well, it's official.  I am a Wilkinson. It has been hell to make this change and not just to make the change to Wilkinson but to then fix EVERYTHING related to being me.

Our home loan was done in my maiden name. Our buyers contract on the house was done in Wilkinson before I was a Wilkinson.  So I had to make sure that I was a Wilkinson before we go to settlement... We are going to go to settlement one day, aren't we?  Anyways, trying to sort out this name change ish has been ridiculous.  I am pretty sure my head has sprout about 10 new gray hairs while I was sorting.  (Also, I am going to put Brandon on blast here.  He told me the other day that I will have to dye my hair if I get too many more grays because gray hair on a woman is extremely unattractive.  Apparently, I did not marry Randy Travis who would have been totally ok with my hair going gray - forever, and ever, Amen.)

Today I went to the social security office in Silver Spring.  After waiting for forty-five minutes, I asked what was taking so long and I was told to wait some more and that it was a light day so I shouldn't have to wait too much longer.  After another hour, it was finally my turn.  I went to the clerk's window, handed over my social security card name change application (thank GOD for missnowmrs.com for taking away all of the leg work and a good portion of the headache from that process), my drivers license and a certified copy of my marriage license, less then a minute later, I walked away a Wilkinson.  Easy right?  Please do not lose sight of that hour and forty five minutes of my life that I will never have back. So we're done right?

Wrong.  Now I have to contact every agency ever, the MVA (even though, once we get the house - if we get the house - I am going to have to go back for yet another new license to change the address), the passport people, every credit card, every bank, the people who title my car, every everything and tell the world that my last name has changed. "Do it online" you advise?  I wish.  I have tried.  I need to call everyone.  And if simply telling them I am changing my name isn't enough, some of these people want me to fax and send or scan and email them a copy of my marriage license.  Isn't this fun?  Car note information changed, check.  Student loan account updated, check.  401K information updated, whomp whomp whomp.  Apparently this has to be done through my company.  Oh really?  Would have been nice if someone had told me that before.  Can't stop - won't stop.  I am on a roll getting through this list of people to inform of my name change.  Insurance information updated, whomp whomp whomp.  This too has to be done through my employer.  Hmm - the rest of this list can wait.

Looking back, I totally should have pulled a Liz.  Just told the world my name was Wilkinson but never do the paperwork to actually change my name.  Hell, I didn't know my mom and I didn't share the same last name until my sophomore year of college.  The woman did a damn good job making everyone believe she was Mrs. Trotter... what a liar. Love you, Mom :)

home hunting with husby

Apparently I wrote this post in early December and never posted it... I have decided I should probably post it for everyone's reading pleasure... enjoy :)

There comes a time in every young bird's life when it needs to leave the nest.  Even if the nest has become less of a nest really since the little bird's parents decided to leave the nest first and the nest has become more of a rented room in the once nest that was purchased by the bird's older... Ok, ya know what? That analogy is getting a little out of hand.  Let's put it in real people terms: Brandon and I have started to really look at houses and are ready to buy a home and start a truly newly married happily ever after life settling into a place where we can raise our puppies.  Because, let's face it, Hank and Gemma are growing up too quickly.

On a more serious note - Brandon and I met with our new realtor today, Mike, to look at houses.  He is wonderful.  I really like him. He seems to actually listen to what we want which is quite refreshing since the last realtor, Betsy, clearly did not listen to anything we had to say.  That woman had her own agenda and no part of it included finding Brandon and me a home, but was much more focused on finding her a big fat commission. 

Oh well, it looks like it's time for this little birdy to... Oh forget it.

reunited and it feels so good

Twelve years ago, I made one of the best decisions of my life.  Out of the three high schools I had applied to and gotten into (Holy Child, Good Counsel and Stone Ridge), I made the decision to go to Holy Child.  Honestly, I can't believe it has been that long since I made that decision.  It was at Holy Child that I met some of the most incredible, smart and talented women ever.  I am very lucky to say that many of those ladies are still in my life.

A few weeks ago I was fortunate enough to have dinner with one of them, Beth.  As dinner was coming to an end, Beth and I talked about how we didn't want to wait until our 10 year reunion to get everyone together again.  Beth decided it should be my job to get everyone together.  I happily agreed and took on the task of coordinating such an event.  The idea was very well received by our fellow holy children and sure enough, plans were made to have an 8 year reunion at McGinty's in Silver Spring.  This past weekend, the reunion occurred and I was reunited with some of the most interesting people in the world - alumni from Holy Child's class of 2004.

Here are some pictures of the event:

In closing I will say this: "you may journey far and yonder til the end of nowhere starts, but however far you wander it will echo in your heart. Til the last gray shades are falling and life's long journey's through, you'll hear the Holy Child spirit calling 'cross the world to you." To the beautiful, talented, wonderful women of the class of 2004 - it still echos.

House Hunting 101

Brandon and I began our hunt for a red October... I mean a house, back in July.  We got our pre-approval letter from the bank, we got set up with a realtor, we found a new realtor, we met with said realtor, and we began getting countless emails with listing after listing of houses, townhouses, condos, land in which we could potentially build a house, land in which a house was going to be built, etc., we fired said realtor for being a flake and almost gave up hope.  In walks Mike Hansell, the most fabulous realtor I have ever met in my life.  Then, two weeks later, after months of looking at houses online, arguing about the value of a backyard vs being in a condo, arguing about getting rid of the dogs to potentially be in a condo, arguing about who would take Hank out if we lived in a condo, arguing about what is actually important in a house (seriously - two bathrooms is necessary, I know what I am talking about, I have sisters), arguing about arguing, and going to see houses, townhouses, and condos on cold/rainy/gross/ugly days - we have found the one.

Do you know how I can be so sure it's the one?  I loved it even when the weather was shi... I mean, bad.  Last Wednesday we wanted to make sure it was the one (first time we saw it, I loved it; second time Brandon loved it), so we went back to visit the house again (third time is a charm?).  Brandon was able to leave school after his last student went home, I took the afternoon off work and TJ (resident handy-man whom we wanted to have check the house out with us to make sure there wasn't any damage we were missing/problems too expensive to want to get involved with) was home sick and able to join us (clearly, this was meant to be).  We met up with Mike (this man is FABULOUS, seriously!) and we looked at the house again. TJ said he didn't see any red flags, which meant the same thing to me as it did to Brandon.  We needed to put an offer in and we needed to do it ASAP.

So, very exciting news for the Wilkinsons, we put our offer in on the house.  Then just days later the sellers agreed to our terms. Then last night we got the fabulous news from Mike: We are under contract :)  Hell yes.  


...and now we wait for the bank. Ugh.

finding the one...

A couple weeks ago a few of us (Michelle, Pham and I) went to the Bridal Boutique in Columbia to find Michelle a wedding dress.  Yep - middle of November and she is just getting her dress for her April wedding.  Seriously people - I told you that I needed to take control of this wedding!  I got this train to the wedding back on track.  Anywho - we went dress shopping and on the way there I made a very bold statement.  I said "Michelle, I guarantee I pick out your wedding dress".  I mean, I have been spot on with her invitations, favors, bridesmaids dresses, jewelry, everything - I know my sister and after spending time with her with regards to wedding things - I knew the style of wedding she was going for.

As many of you know, my sister is teeny tiny - not kidding and she has a waist to kill for. See below:

She wanted to wear a dress, that albeit beautiful, was not the dress for her.  It has cap sleeves, an empire waist and was flowly.  Hello, seriously Michelle?  You have a great body that you bust your ass for - flaunt it! I always pictured my sister in... well, I won't go into that because come April, you will get to see what I always pictured my sister in.  However, I figured I would take this time to show you the other pictures from the day of trying on dresses - the ones that didn't quite make the cut... Enjoy :)

hello little cupcake :)

Fact: Michelle finally looks tall

 None of these dresses made the cut.  And none of them come close to being as beautiful as the one...

Weddings by Wilkinson

So it's official.  I am going to launch my own wedding planning business.  I should have my LLC back in about 6 to 8 weeks.  I have ordered business cards and I am in the process of creating my website which should launch on January 1st - eek! This is real. I am taking hold of my destiny.  I am making shit happen... hmm, I don't know if wedding planners are supposed to say shit...

After having a not-so-stellar wedding day (late limos, missing veils, untaken wedding pictures), I want to make sure that every bride that I know has a perfect wedding day.  I want to make sure that limos are on time - and if they are not, I don't want a worried bride to have to deal with it.  I want to make sure that every accessory is where it needs to be - whether it's for the ceremony, pictures only, the grand reception entrance, whatever.  I want to make sure that every bride gets every single picture she wants to have - no matter who is cranky/bored/fed-up and wants to go to the reception.  For the love of God - it's the bride's day!

As I have previously blogged about, Michelle has offered to be my first client and things are going swimmingly if I do say so myself. :)  The past two weeks have been crazy in wedding planning world.  We met with the photographer (the ever wonderful Cory Brodzinski), we bought an absolutely stunning, perfect for Michelle, wedding dress that she looks gorgeous in, we booked a rehearsal dinner location that is absolutely perfect (Two Pears Cafe in Kensington), we found wedding favors, we picked a wedding cake, we worked with the fabulous Virginia Perry to set up the room block at the Hilton Hotel, we started to address wedding invitations and we've made appointments to meet with several different florists over the next two weeks or so, and tonight - we eat.  Yep, Brandon and I are going to the reception dinner tasting at the Hilton Hotel.  Hell yes.