This weekend Patrick and I went down to Winona, MN to see our favorite Shakespeare Company. The Great River Shakespeare Festival is in its 6th season this year and performed The Tempest and Love’s Labour’s Lost.
::The Tempest::
The company did a great job of performing The Tempest and the effects were very cool. We did decide however that this was not one of Shakespeare’s better plays. It was rather anti-climactic and seemed to be cut short. Still, it did provide a new favorite line for me. This line is spoken to the son of the king by Prospero, a father.
Then, as my gift and thine own acquisition
Worthily purchas’d, take my daughter: but,
If dost thou break her virgin knot before
All sanctimonious ceremonies may
With full and holy rite be minisiter’d,
No sweet aspiration shall the heaven’s let fall
To make this contract grow; but barren hate,
Sour-ey’d distain and discord shall bestrew
The union of your bed with weeds so loathly
That you shall hate it both: therefore take heed
This is the Shakespeare version of Dad sitting at home with a gun waiting for her daughter to be dropped off by her new boyfriend.
My favorite character in the play was Caliban, and sort of monster played by Christopher Gerson. It helps that Gerson is my favorite actor in the company because of the diversity of characters that he can play. Caliban is a very intense character that is more animal than human. He was raised on the island by his mother who was a witch. Caliban ran around on all fours with his knuckles curled and scars and stress marks all over his back and chest. We were close enough to see the sweat dripping off of Gerson’s face. It was wonderful to see someone get so into their character.
Ariel was another great character that was a sprite of the island. She was played by Tarah Flanagan (Who last I heard was engaged to Gerson), another actor that I have a great respect for. Not only is she talented but so darn cute.
Ariel was another great character that was a sprite of the island. She was played by Tarah Flanagan (Who last I heard was engaged to Gerson), another actor that I have a great respect for. Not only is she talented but so darn cute. Ariel was completely devoted to Prospero and would do anything for him since he saved her from the Witch - and I believe she loved him and he loved her back. Flanagan stayed up in a tower throughout the entire show and did incredible movements from up there. She never touched the ground - she even stayed up there during intermission.
::Love's Labour's Lost::
I’m not a huge fan of Shakespeare’s stories that are purely just love stories. As Virginia would say, I found it trite. The whole thing is men running after women, the men disguise themselves, the women disguise themselves, there is a big mix-up and so on. The only thing I really liked about this play was that it didn’t end in a giant wedding. It ended with the men’s labour’s of love being lost when the women had to suddenly leave. As Patrick pointed out, the comedy had a sort of Marx brothers feel to it when the jokes would be rambling out at such a speed you were lucky to catch every other.
None of the characters really stood out to me in this play. Flanagan did a great job as the Princess and Doug Scholz-Carlson was great as the King. For both of these actors it was nice to see them in a role that was purely comedic or fictitious (sprite, fairy, etc.) Now don’t read me wrong, I absolutely loved Flanagan in Taming of the Shrew last year and as you just read as Ariel this year – but I do enjoy being able to witness diversity in acting abilities. Scholz-Carlson was fantastic last year in the Merchant of Venice in a very comedic role. It was nice to see him in a slightly more serious role.
All in all it was a good weekend in Winona. Anytime I get to see the Great River Shakespeare Festival crew at work it’s going to be good. If you ever want to plan a great summer vacation plan it around GRSF. It runs the end of June through the end of July and there is always something happening in Winona. Here is their link for GRSF. http://www.GRSF.org
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
I'm not afraid of color
I've decided that if I am going to have a fun spring wedding I cannot be afraid of color. Most spring weddings seem to be pastels while the summer weddings are the ones with the bright colors. Since the wedding is in May I think I can get away with bright colors!
::Envelopes::
I wanted my invitations to stand out right away - before they were even seen! So I chose some brightly colored envelopes. If you remember, the invitation is mostly white with pink and orange. So my outer envelope is a matching orange and the inner envelope is a matching pink. I like the pink more but since the orange is easier to read I chose that for the outer envelope.
::Bridesmaid Dresses::
Since it is still spring my bridesmaids are wearing long dresses - May can still be cold in Minnesota and it is an outdoor wedding. To make the dresses really stand out I chose to have them in pink! The dresses are gorgeous in my opinion and in some ways even replicate parts of my dress. The bridesmaids have the option of wearing either a shawl or shrug of some sort. I decided to do these in black because it ties the bridesmaids in with the groomsmen well.
::Bright Vest::
The Groom and his men will be wearing orange vests. It may seem a little too bright but with the white and black of the tux it goes along with the theme perfectly! The groom is going to stand out by having a bow tie while all of the groomsmen have regular neck ties.
::Holding Back::
I didn't however go overboard I feel. At the reception for instance the tables will be white with either an orange or pink runner. The only tables that have colored table clothes are the guestbook and escort card table.
::Envelopes::
I wanted my invitations to stand out right away - before they were even seen! So I chose some brightly colored envelopes. If you remember, the invitation is mostly white with pink and orange. So my outer envelope is a matching orange and the inner envelope is a matching pink. I like the pink more but since the orange is easier to read I chose that for the outer envelope.
::Bridesmaid Dresses::
Since it is still spring my bridesmaids are wearing long dresses - May can still be cold in Minnesota and it is an outdoor wedding. To make the dresses really stand out I chose to have them in pink! The dresses are gorgeous in my opinion and in some ways even replicate parts of my dress. The bridesmaids have the option of wearing either a shawl or shrug of some sort. I decided to do these in black because it ties the bridesmaids in with the groomsmen well.
::Bright Vest::
The Groom and his men will be wearing orange vests. It may seem a little too bright but with the white and black of the tux it goes along with the theme perfectly! The groom is going to stand out by having a bow tie while all of the groomsmen have regular neck ties.
::Holding Back::
I didn't however go overboard I feel. At the reception for instance the tables will be white with either an orange or pink runner. The only tables that have colored table clothes are the guestbook and escort card table.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Martha Stewart is Good for Weddings
This weekend I wanted to buy a wedding magazine to look at while I watched football. I was hoping to get a new issue of The Knot but couldn't find one. So instead I decided that I would get Martha Stewart Weddings since I was hoping to do a lot myself. Here are all of the joyous things I discovered!
::Ribbon is your friend::
She had the amazing idea to make a guy's boutonniere out of silk ribbon! It actually looks really good and not cheap or tacky. I'm thinking of doing this for the Groom and Groomsmen. It is different and a nice way to make the men standout but still match. I gave it a try with some test ribbon and it turned out pretty well. I used a fabric glue and that kind of showed through, so I might try using thread instead. Oh, and fabric glue pretty much dries like cement. I can't get the pin that was holding it together out anymore.
She also made hanging balls out of a bunch of ribbon. A lot of weddings have those balls of flowers - but those are really expensive! So she took the same design for the boutonnieres and put a few together and then messed it up a little to make a ball! It looks so good. I'm thinking of having those hang off the aisles at the wedding ceremony. Cute, cheap, and won't die!
::Paper, paper, and more paper::
She had the cutest favors where there were 3 peices of square chocolate each individually wrapped in a foil and then a decorative peice of paper was wrapped around them. It was just normal scrapbook paper but half of a heart was cut out and pressed open to give the appearance of being a full heart! I am almost certain that we will do a variation of this for the wedding. It is just too darn cute!
I have recently decided that I would like to do escort cards. Originally I was going to have a board telling people where to sit and then have there seats assigned, but this is just too Bridezilla. There were a couple of times where the escort cards were pinned on to a board of some sort and were organized alphabetically. I loved this! I think it is a fantastic idea! I'm thinking I will do this and maybe have the boards leaning in a sheet of baby grass. I don't know about the grass aprt, but I am sure about the board part.
::A whole new love for fabric::
Along with the escort cards, there were some that had holes cut out of them to reveal a strip of fabric that amtched the cloth on the table number board. It was super cute and coordinated.
I had already seen this done but it is still fantastic. Instead of just doing a book for the guests to sign, how about a quilt? I am going to have squares of fabric cut out and ready for guests to sign. My guestbook attendants will be at the ready and keeps squares pinned to a board to make it easy for people to write on them. I'm thinking of just using a sharpie because fabric pens can be hard to use sometimes.
::Who knew seating arrangement could be fun?::
MarthaStewartWeddings.com has little gadget online that allows you to import your guest list and then add them to seats. You can create any size room and add tables and chairs to the room. Then you can actually assign seating! It is so slick! I am in love with it. I can't wait until all the RSVPs are in and I get to really use it!
My current list of "Wedding Planning Needs" in no particular order is...
1. TheKnot.com
2. MarthStewartWeddings.com
3. Target planning binder
4. Groom
::Ribbon is your friend::
She had the amazing idea to make a guy's boutonniere out of silk ribbon! It actually looks really good and not cheap or tacky. I'm thinking of doing this for the Groom and Groomsmen. It is different and a nice way to make the men standout but still match. I gave it a try with some test ribbon and it turned out pretty well. I used a fabric glue and that kind of showed through, so I might try using thread instead. Oh, and fabric glue pretty much dries like cement. I can't get the pin that was holding it together out anymore.
She also made hanging balls out of a bunch of ribbon. A lot of weddings have those balls of flowers - but those are really expensive! So she took the same design for the boutonnieres and put a few together and then messed it up a little to make a ball! It looks so good. I'm thinking of having those hang off the aisles at the wedding ceremony. Cute, cheap, and won't die!
::Paper, paper, and more paper::
She had the cutest favors where there were 3 peices of square chocolate each individually wrapped in a foil and then a decorative peice of paper was wrapped around them. It was just normal scrapbook paper but half of a heart was cut out and pressed open to give the appearance of being a full heart! I am almost certain that we will do a variation of this for the wedding. It is just too darn cute!
I have recently decided that I would like to do escort cards. Originally I was going to have a board telling people where to sit and then have there seats assigned, but this is just too Bridezilla. There were a couple of times where the escort cards were pinned on to a board of some sort and were organized alphabetically. I loved this! I think it is a fantastic idea! I'm thinking I will do this and maybe have the boards leaning in a sheet of baby grass. I don't know about the grass aprt, but I am sure about the board part.
::A whole new love for fabric::
Along with the escort cards, there were some that had holes cut out of them to reveal a strip of fabric that amtched the cloth on the table number board. It was super cute and coordinated.
I had already seen this done but it is still fantastic. Instead of just doing a book for the guests to sign, how about a quilt? I am going to have squares of fabric cut out and ready for guests to sign. My guestbook attendants will be at the ready and keeps squares pinned to a board to make it easy for people to write on them. I'm thinking of just using a sharpie because fabric pens can be hard to use sometimes.
::Who knew seating arrangement could be fun?::
MarthaStewartWeddings.com has little gadget online that allows you to import your guest list and then add them to seats. You can create any size room and add tables and chairs to the room. Then you can actually assign seating! It is so slick! I am in love with it. I can't wait until all the RSVPs are in and I get to really use it!
My current list of "Wedding Planning Needs" in no particular order is...
1. TheKnot.com
2. MarthStewartWeddings.com
3. Target planning binder
4. Groom
They Call Me Lazy Susan
My day has spun around and around like a lazy Susan. Please, allow me to tell you all about it.
This morning I wake up to find a note sitting on my jacket that says "Amanda! Happy Valentine's Day!" and a box of chocolates! Now, as you might know, it is not Valentines Day. Patrick is up to something. Under the box of chocolates is an envelope that says "Do NOT open until Tuesday." Now I'm really curious. So this puts me in a fantastic mood.
Then at work I got to work with Mary Kate whom I have not worked with in a long time! We had a blast. We made a palm tree out of cardboard, tape, and paint and it looks amazing! It is for the new window display. So with good customers, great company, and craft time - this morning was amazing. Then I went to the gym.
The gym itself wasn't so bad. I did the usual workout and then talked to a lady about setting up tanning and getting my insurance to reimburse me for working out. At the end I weighed myself like I always do. This was an awful idea. Today I weighed in at 173.8 pounds. This is the most I have ever weighed in my entire life. I was devastated. I couldn't help but start crying. When I think of all the good food I have given up and the time to go workout... it was just... crappy. So I am going to start counting calories instead of just eating well. I'll find out if I really am eating as well as I hoped. So far so good.
I have just discovered I broke a nail. Bummer.
This morning I wake up to find a note sitting on my jacket that says "Amanda! Happy Valentine's Day!" and a box of chocolates! Now, as you might know, it is not Valentines Day. Patrick is up to something. Under the box of chocolates is an envelope that says "Do NOT open until Tuesday." Now I'm really curious. So this puts me in a fantastic mood.
Then at work I got to work with Mary Kate whom I have not worked with in a long time! We had a blast. We made a palm tree out of cardboard, tape, and paint and it looks amazing! It is for the new window display. So with good customers, great company, and craft time - this morning was amazing. Then I went to the gym.
The gym itself wasn't so bad. I did the usual workout and then talked to a lady about setting up tanning and getting my insurance to reimburse me for working out. At the end I weighed myself like I always do. This was an awful idea. Today I weighed in at 173.8 pounds. This is the most I have ever weighed in my entire life. I was devastated. I couldn't help but start crying. When I think of all the good food I have given up and the time to go workout... it was just... crappy. So I am going to start counting calories instead of just eating well. I'll find out if I really am eating as well as I hoped. So far so good.
I have just discovered I broke a nail. Bummer.
Friday, January 9, 2009
This week
::Workout::
I really like my gym, I'm close to being in love with it in fact. If only my going to the gym actually helped. I've been doing this workout now for quite a few months and I don't think anything is changing. It's pretty similar to the workout I did the last time I lost weight and I even gave up pop like I did last time. The difference is that this time nothing is happening.
I stayed at 171 pounds this entire week. I'm so sick of seeing that number on the scale. Absolutely sick of it. I've started eating really good foods. I'm eating a good amount of calories - not too much, not too little. I drink more water. I cut out pop. I hardly ever have a drink anymore. What on earth is wrong with me? If it were not for this wedding coming up I know I would be quitting this workout thing.
Hopefully this new and improved diet will make things better. We'll see I guess.
::Job Search::
Today I applied for a job at EAG (Endeavor Advertising Group). It is different than anything else I have applied for but still sounds like fun. It's a marketing manager position and they do a 10-12 month training plan. They also hire within the company which is something I really look for in a place to work. They work with the sports, dining, and entertainment industries in the Twin Cities which is awesome! It really sounds cool. Thank you Tiffanie for mentioning it!
I have also been applying for Executive Administrative Assistant jobs. I'm not quite qualified for these but I figure if you don't try you'll never succeed. Soon I'll start applying for regular Administrative Assistant jobs which I know I am qualified for.
I am also going to start looking for jobs working with theaters! I think those would be perfect for me and my theater and business background. I'm hoping for the best on that front.
::Wedding::
Nothing new really on the wedding front. After talking to Tiffanie I am considering doing escort cards. Originally I had a board that showed what table everyone was at, and then at the table was a card with their name on it showing what seat they were sitting at. I guess it is kinda control freak of me to assign specific seats, especially since everyone gets the same dinner. So we're looking into that.
All in all it was a good week I guess, it just had it's ups and downs.
I really like my gym, I'm close to being in love with it in fact. If only my going to the gym actually helped. I've been doing this workout now for quite a few months and I don't think anything is changing. It's pretty similar to the workout I did the last time I lost weight and I even gave up pop like I did last time. The difference is that this time nothing is happening.
I stayed at 171 pounds this entire week. I'm so sick of seeing that number on the scale. Absolutely sick of it. I've started eating really good foods. I'm eating a good amount of calories - not too much, not too little. I drink more water. I cut out pop. I hardly ever have a drink anymore. What on earth is wrong with me? If it were not for this wedding coming up I know I would be quitting this workout thing.
Hopefully this new and improved diet will make things better. We'll see I guess.
::Job Search::
Today I applied for a job at EAG (Endeavor Advertising Group). It is different than anything else I have applied for but still sounds like fun. It's a marketing manager position and they do a 10-12 month training plan. They also hire within the company which is something I really look for in a place to work. They work with the sports, dining, and entertainment industries in the Twin Cities which is awesome! It really sounds cool. Thank you Tiffanie for mentioning it!
I have also been applying for Executive Administrative Assistant jobs. I'm not quite qualified for these but I figure if you don't try you'll never succeed. Soon I'll start applying for regular Administrative Assistant jobs which I know I am qualified for.
I am also going to start looking for jobs working with theaters! I think those would be perfect for me and my theater and business background. I'm hoping for the best on that front.
::Wedding::
Nothing new really on the wedding front. After talking to Tiffanie I am considering doing escort cards. Originally I had a board that showed what table everyone was at, and then at the table was a card with their name on it showing what seat they were sitting at. I guess it is kinda control freak of me to assign specific seats, especially since everyone gets the same dinner. So we're looking into that.
All in all it was a good week I guess, it just had it's ups and downs.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Worst Day at the Gym
The worst day at the gym is always the first. I considered today another first day. It has been probably 2 weeks since I have gone to the gym. So today was awful. But I did it.
Here is my workout until Jan 26th. I got this off of The Knot website. It slowly built up, which is why I like it.
:: 30 minutes of aerobic exercise
:: 3 sets of 15 stomach crunches
:: 3 sets of 15 push ups
:: 3 sets of 15 squats
:: 3 sets of 15 biceps curls
:: 3 sets of 15 triceps curls
:: 3 sets of 15 chest presses
I'll be going to the grocery store to do my first extremely healthy shopping excursion. I'm hoping to find a lot of healthy and tasty recipes and see where that takes me. I also like to play with food so I might just buy a bunch of food and throw it together in my giant skillet of doom. Anyone have any good ideas for healthy recipes?
Here is my workout until Jan 26th. I got this off of The Knot website. It slowly built up, which is why I like it.
:: 30 minutes of aerobic exercise
:: 3 sets of 15 stomach crunches
:: 3 sets of 15 push ups
:: 3 sets of 15 squats
:: 3 sets of 15 biceps curls
:: 3 sets of 15 triceps curls
:: 3 sets of 15 chest presses
I'll be going to the grocery store to do my first extremely healthy shopping excursion. I'm hoping to find a lot of healthy and tasty recipes and see where that takes me. I also like to play with food so I might just buy a bunch of food and throw it together in my giant skillet of doom. Anyone have any good ideas for healthy recipes?
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Do-It-Yourself Invitations
One of the not-so-new trends in weddings is DIY invitations. I decided to take this route for my wedding for three reasons:
1. I thought it would be cheaper
2. Pre-made invitations just didn't fit the feel/theme of my wedding
3. I love using InDesign and Photoshop
Cost
So far it has been more cost effective to design my own invitations. I will be printing 150 invitations for a total of 250 guests. I will be printing my invitations at a local printer - Insty prints - and they are very easy to work with. The invitations include: 5x7 invitation, 4.25x5.5 RSVP card, 4.25x5.5 directions card, inner envelope, outer envelope, stamps for invitations, and stamps for RSVP card.
When I was creating my budget I was only thinking about the cost of printing and the stamps for the invitations themselves. I completely forgot about envelopes and stamps for the RSVP card! This very much threw off my budget, but it still all has come to a very reasonable price.
My suggestions: Think through everything that is included in the invitation when budgeting, purchase forever stamps for invitations (they may not be as cute but if stamp prices are going to rise soon it may help cut out a few bucks), make the RSVP card a postcard because stamps are sheaper then, and remember that time=money (you may save money out of your pocket but the time it takes to make the invitations might be more valuable at times).
Theme
I am VERY happy with how they turned out and I know that the time spent making them was well worth it.
I feel that they fit the theme of the wedding well and they give the guest an idea of the formality of the wedding. It says that they wedding will be fun, springy, and slightly formal. At least that is what people I ask say it says.
Both the RSVP and the Save-the-Date card had a similar feel. They both have the lines on the top and bottom of the card. I always use the same font with the same colors. I am stingy when it comes to my fonts - anyone who knows me really knows how true that is!
My suggestion: It's your wedding, don't just settle for something.
Adobe
I have never officially taken a graphic design course but I like to think that I know enough to be able to design something spectacular. Adobe makes fantastic programs and they are not too difficult to learn. I have been using photoshop since I was little and InDesign isn't too different from that. Likewise, if you are used to Illustrator, InDesign is also similar.
My suggestion: Use what you know to make your DIY invitation. Whether that be stamps, scrapbook, fabric, or your computer. If you don't know any of these very well I am sure you can find a class nearby on any of these!
1. I thought it would be cheaper
2. Pre-made invitations just didn't fit the feel/theme of my wedding
3. I love using InDesign and Photoshop
Cost
So far it has been more cost effective to design my own invitations. I will be printing 150 invitations for a total of 250 guests. I will be printing my invitations at a local printer - Insty prints - and they are very easy to work with. The invitations include: 5x7 invitation, 4.25x5.5 RSVP card, 4.25x5.5 directions card, inner envelope, outer envelope, stamps for invitations, and stamps for RSVP card.
When I was creating my budget I was only thinking about the cost of printing and the stamps for the invitations themselves. I completely forgot about envelopes and stamps for the RSVP card! This very much threw off my budget, but it still all has come to a very reasonable price.
My suggestions: Think through everything that is included in the invitation when budgeting, purchase forever stamps for invitations (they may not be as cute but if stamp prices are going to rise soon it may help cut out a few bucks), make the RSVP card a postcard because stamps are sheaper then, and remember that time=money (you may save money out of your pocket but the time it takes to make the invitations might be more valuable at times).
Theme
My theme or feel of the wedding is clean and slightly modern. My colors are mostly white (clean) with orange and pink accents (modern). Here is what my invitations ended up looking like.
I am VERY happy with how they turned out and I know that the time spent making them was well worth it.
I feel that they fit the theme of the wedding well and they give the guest an idea of the formality of the wedding. It says that they wedding will be fun, springy, and slightly formal. At least that is what people I ask say it says.
Both the RSVP and the Save-the-Date card had a similar feel. They both have the lines on the top and bottom of the card. I always use the same font with the same colors. I am stingy when it comes to my fonts - anyone who knows me really knows how true that is!
My suggestion: It's your wedding, don't just settle for something.
Adobe
I have never officially taken a graphic design course but I like to think that I know enough to be able to design something spectacular. Adobe makes fantastic programs and they are not too difficult to learn. I have been using photoshop since I was little and InDesign isn't too different from that. Likewise, if you are used to Illustrator, InDesign is also similar.
My suggestion: Use what you know to make your DIY invitation. Whether that be stamps, scrapbook, fabric, or your computer. If you don't know any of these very well I am sure you can find a class nearby on any of these!
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