Suiting DJ

A few weeks ago I was walking on Main Street and happened to notice the men’s suit shop was going out of business. In the last decade Bozeman’s Main Street evolved from a multi-aspect shopping location to a very boutique-y strip of high end shops. 2003 was all out with the western wear, in with the Vera Bradley shops to cater to the yuppie ski crowd.

Unfortunately, the yuppie ski crowd has less to spend in a recession. And the men’s suit shop seems to be a recession victim. Or rather, a victim of the recession and Bozeman’s laid-back attitude towards menswear. In my governmental office, it’s perfectly acceptable to wear Carharts and a Ducks Unlimited shirt. It’s just not a very formal place, which I love.

I am sad to see the suit shop go. It means one more vacant storefront on Main Street. And it’s where I wanted to buy DJ’s wedding suit. So shortly after seeing the “Going out of Business” and “50% off all inventory” signs, Gretchen and I dragged DJ into the store to see what we could find.

Our wedding, like the town we live in, is going to be pretty informal. Since a number of guests will end up camping, we’re talking roll-out-of-your-tent-put-on-flip-flops kind of informal. Black tuxedos were out for. And we wanted to spend the money on a nice suit he’d have available for years to come. I was pushing for a charcoal grey. And a blue tie to match the whole wedding-color thing.

He ended up finding a lighter grey suit he really liked, after first finding a jacket that fit him correctly. My dear man has long arms (which is why his mom made him play the trombone in elementary school!). The shop owner found a viable jacket, and then the seamstress came out and clucked over DJ.

A suit jacket, with Carharts and tennis shoes. Might as well wear a Cabella's shirt underneath and go to work!

Then he tried on pants.

I love that you can see his backside in the reflection in the mirror!

And then added dress shoes with the pants, to see where the hem should go.

How's that for getting fussed over!

And then Gretchen and I were on a hunt to find him a shirt. I immediately picked a white, with grey stripes shirt. Gretch found another grey shirt, and DJ grabbed two blue shirts. After a back and forth of “What do you like” with the shirts (only to find we both liked different things) the shop owner settled it and voted for the grey stripes.

Then Gretchen and I hunted ties. In the end, it was the seamstress that found a patterned tie to go with the striped shirt.

So GQ, in your stocking feet!

All told, we spent under our budget on a very nice suit. One DJ will have for a long time, and one which I think he looks extremely handsome in!

Looking at my sister to his right. But so handsome!

I’m finding all sorts of recession-deals for wedding related stuff. And house decorating stuff. Are you finding any good deals on, well, anything? What do you think, suits or tuxes?

Throwback Thursday- Wedding Dress style

Psst. Can you keep a secret? Wanna see a 50 year old photo of my wedding dress?

I’ll tell the full story of my wedding dress once I get scanned copies of other photos from my mom, but this is a preview. And a throwback.

(DJ: I don’t care if you know what dress for our wedding looks like. Heck, you saw most of it in your mom’s closet over Christmas. I almost showed it to you twice. You’re welcome to click the link below if you want to know in advance. The purpose of this break is to respect your wishes to not know what I’ll look like on The Big Day.)

Resentment is an emotionally debilitating condition

I've been walking around with a sinking sense of disappointment for the past few days. It appears, for the third time in as many years, that my dad will not get a coaching job this go 'round.

Bitterness turns my stomach, and despite my desire to move on I just can't seem to let go of the anger. Anger at the former coach and players whose selfish actions got him fired. I don't have the words to convey my absolute hatred towards the two administrators who fired him. Bitterness that one of them gets to retire and ride off into the sunset. A powerfully indignant anger towards two of his coaching “friends” who have had opportunities to offer him a job and ease my parents situation, yet have extended no offers.

Why isn't my dad employable in the world of college coaching? Because believe me, he's trying. Did MSU really ruin his reputation so badly? Is it because he has a lawsuit pending against MSU?

The trial begins on January 25th, and at times it is all I can think about. I think of the testimony I will give and how a part of me that I'm not proud of will enjoy staring down the AD as I do so. I look forward to dad’s side of the story coming out. Very, very publicly. Nationally.

I always tried to keep my identity separated from who my dad was. I don't think I realized until now how caught up in his persona I am. Or maybe I just want my parents to be on a forward path again. To not be waiting for someone else's actions to help them move forward.

My parents are wonderful, hard working, big hearted people, who did not deserve to have their lives involuntarily decimated at the peak of their earning potential. And maybe that's why this 32 month old wound is so raw.

And I just don't see a scab forming anytime soon.

Spring flowers in January!

Are possible!

I wanted to try to force flower bulbs this winter, for a little indoor flower action through the winter. The endless white winters in this part of the country can be maddening for a gardener without a little greenery.

About the first of October I put daffodil, crocus and tulip bulbs in my summer pots, and put them in our crawlspace to grow.

This is what they looked like by the 9th of November:

I'm not sure what's going on with the daffodil to the left; growing all wanky out of the pot.

I was really hoping to give little pots of crocus to friends for Christmas gifts.

Unfortunately, the crocus pots didn't work out very well. I think its because I had a hard time keeping the soil damp, as the crawlspace is kind of tricky to get into frequently. One of the three pots survived (kinda), and will hopefully bloom in the next few weeks.

I brought all but the tulip pot out of the crawlspace the first weekend of December. They hung out in the guest bathroom with DJ's home brew for a while. To successfully force bulbs, you've got to expose them to sunlight and warmer temperatures slowly.

The daffodils finally were able to be on display right around Christmas. They've given our living room a nice spot of color, greenery and fragrance from their little corner of the living room.

After the bulbs are done flowering, I'll plant them in the garden with a lot of fertilizer. I don't expect the bulbs to bloom outside for a year or two, but I'd rather not throw them away. Forcing takes a lot of energy out of a bulb; they can't be forced again.

I just moved the tulips into the bathroom upstairs last week. I'm hopeful that I'll have a pot of flowering bulbs in the house all spring until the outside bulbs start blooming!

New Years Resolutions

DJ doesn’t buy into New Year’s resolutions. He figures that if a person recognizes a behavior as a problem, why not take steps to correct it immediately, on July 29th? Point taken.

I, however, do think it is a good idea to reflect on the past year, and plan for the next while setting goals for achievement. My goals for 2009 were:

1. Pay off my Capital One credit card
2. Get my blood pressure under control (at 25-26 years old, yes).

And I did those things! I’m excited to report that I paid off my Capital One Card in December; a total of over $5,000. Which also explains why I’m so shabbily dressed as of late.

I also brought my blood pressure mostly under control through changes in medication and better eating. Sadly, I did not lose 30lbs in the process, but I do feel better.

Since today is the beginning of a pretty eventful year for me, I’m setting the following goals:


1. Sew a piece of clothing, and wear it


I know the basics, and my basic way around a sewing machine. And I always have a hard time finding something that fits properly. And I’m trying to be cheaper. And Bozeman’s clothing stores aren’t exactly diverse. So why not try my hand at making something for myself? This will probably happen in the fall after El Weddingo.

2. Count to ten more often (be patient)

People say patience is a virtue. I often retort that so are chastity and obedience, and I blew those long ago! But I do need to try to be more patient with others, and myself. Five more seconds will rarely impede my day.

3. Grow a vegetable garden and try to can salsa

I did make the landscapers put in the drip lines for gardening. I should use them. And DJ makes excellent salsa’s (hold the jalepenos please). So why not?

4. Take on less responsibility

I am, inevitably, always running behind and juggling four bags of stuff to do. I’ve got lists, spreadsheets and calendar reminders. And we don’t even have a dog or a kid. It seems like I rarely have a night off. Is this a woman thing? Do we all overbook ourselves to the point of being crazy? Regardless, I’m going to prioritize, delegate, and let some things go. Or find a more efficient way to do them.

5. Make it to work by 9am every morning

I often have late night meetings for work. Three a month, to be exact. And when I get home at 9:30am, I really don’t feel the pressure to get into work by 8am, especially when I’ve just built up four hours of Comp Time (government employee). And everyone I work with understands this. But I feel like less of a professional walking in the door at 10am. So, unless I’ve already requested to take the morning off, I will try to make it into work by 9am every day.

6. Not lose my mind while wedding planning. Or my friends and family.

See also number four and number two. I’m struggling planning a wedding. Really, I’m not having much, if any, fun. But I’m doing it, and on July 11th we will wake up married.

That’s it so far. Six neatly organized goals for the year. They accompany a laundry list of other things to do like organize the office, get the house settled and decorated, and go to the gym daily. But these are things I will do regardless of making them a goal.

Are you setting New Year’s Goals?

Happy New Year

As of midnight tonight, DJ and I will have been together two years. We’d chatted all fall at work, played a little golf together, and ran in the same circle of friends. When friends decided to go out for sushi on New Year’s Eve, we both decided to go to Old Chicago for pizza instead. Neither of us likes sushi (it’s an appetizer!).

After dinner we met friends downtown at Boodles bar, which sadly no longer exists after exploding last spring. The friends had a table and DJ and I joined them. For some unknown reasons, the group decided to go down to 317 (another bar) to ring in the New Year. With 15 minutes to go before the ball dropped, we left our nice table, headed down the street, and promptly found out that 317 was at capacity and we couldn’t get in. We ducked into the Eagles club across the street, and were standing in front of the Keno machines at midnight.

Yes, our first kiss was at midnight on New Year’s Eve, in front of the Keno machines at the Eagles Club. We keep it classy.

DJ over the past two years you’ve been an awesome friend, boyfriend, and fiancé, and in 2010 you’ll make an awesome husband. In many ways I already feel married to you. You’re often a better friend to me than I am to you, or myself. Thank you for being my sounding board, ski instructor, reaching for things on high shelves for me, and my driver. And so, so many other things.

Bring on the New Year!

Setting up house: Getting Started

Before digging into setting up the house, I should probably evaluate the furniture we have, huh? I mean, it’d be un-thrifty to re-buy something we already have. And despite a $8,000 tax refund, I still need to be thrifty.

The basic stuff isn’t moving. The queen sized bed stays in the Master Bedroom. The Double bed in the Guest room. The dining room table in the… Dining Room (shock!). But the rest of it is all negotiable.

We have this Mission Style desk that I purchased from Pier One in 2003 for college. It’s huge, and I love it. It will likely end up in the office.

Now you understand why I want to get the office set up this weekend...

We have these book shelves, which although cheapy fake wood, at least match the desk. Another likely contender for the office.

Heh heh heh... it's a bit messy.(OMFG I'm hyperventillating at the lack of organization!)

We have this loveseat, currently residing in Shawna’s office at Bozeman High School. Office. (PS- yes, before we started dating DJ and I happened to buy the same couches. His are green, mine is tan).

We have these chairs, one a straight leg and one a rocking chair, which my Grandma Joyce gave me. They came out of the Parish house in Colton, Washington, and could be recovered easily. They could go together, or be split up. Maybe one in the Master Bedroom? One in the office? One in the entryway as a place to sit while putting on your boots?

Save the Date pamphlets on the chair.

Grandma says recovering them would be easy...

We have these shelves, which match this dresser and book shelf my dad made me as a kid.

 A Mike project.

The dresser fits perfectly into the alcove in the guest bedroom. The wall shelves are currently un-hung. The bookshelf is currently in the Master bedroom, and serves as my drop spot for jewelry since I don’t have a dresser in there. The bookshelf could move out of the Master Bedroom as long as its function was replaced.

Built by my dad. I could replace the drawer pulls...

We’ll buy new bedroom furniature eventually, but it’s not at all a priority right now. We get by with DJ’s dresser, his nightstand, and our closet. The rest can move in and out.

We have this cedar chest, which my grandfather built. It’s finished in a lighter stain. This could go anywhere. Maybe in the entry as a place to sit while putting your shoes on?

Built by Grandpa Bob.

We have this white small table, which my cousin built. It’s currently in use as a nightstand for me, although it’s way too small and short for the task.

Clearly I need more space for water glasses and books, and more water glasses!

We have these bookshelves, which have in the past been in my room as a kid, Gretchen’s room, the playroom, the Bonus Room and are now along the wall in our Dining Room acting as a sort of sideboard/ book display area. They actually work really well in that regard, and I’d like to keep them there until we can purchase an antique sideboard.

Winos.

We have one extra small table that matches our living room set. There’s not really room for it in the Living Room right now, but it could be used in the Office to perform the same function. Right now it’s in the closet under the stairs serving as the catch spot for gloves, mittens, etc.

Hmm, with all of those moving parts, and all of those different stain colors… where do I start?