I just finished my first carpentry project! I built a 3.5 ft. long planter for a wedding decoration project. Yay, I can't believe I actually managed to make something out of lumber! All by myself! It feels good to realize my ambitions in carpentry at last.

The other day I bought my one and only wedding magazine since getting engaged: the Summer 2009 issue of Martha Stewart Weddings. I was drawn to its special DIY (do-it-yourself) section, and I'm a sucker for all things DIY. Heck, our entire bloody wedding is DIY. Anyway, the magazine also features real weddings, and to my utter surprise one of the brides wore the same dress as mine (except with a slightly different neckline). Cool...I think. Some twisted part of me wishes that the dress I chose is exclusive to me only, but given that I bought it off the rack, I'm sure many other women have worn it for their weddings.

DIY has been the operative theme for our wedding, and I chose to do it this way so that I could make sure that things are done in the most environmentally friendly way. One of the downsides to weddings is the incredible amount of waste that's produced, not just in materials but also in energy. And even the things that we outsourced to others, we chose to work with vendors that are mostly within a 5-mile radius of our house.

But DIY comes at a price, which is that it takes more time. I'm also finding that choosing the ecological option is usually very budget-friendly, but at times it is definitely not. And I've been struggling with the challenge that being "green" may result in your wedding looking sparse when it comes to decor. It's been an interesting learning experience to strike a balance. I think the solution is to be as decorative as you want but try to use as many materials that are either used and/or that can be reused or re-purposed after the wedding.

All in all, I'm very pleased with how I've designed the wedding. Nevertheless, I'm anxious to see how it will all pan out on the actual day and if my vision of the wedding can be realized the way I had hoped.

I just came back from an invigorating bike ride. I feel so alive when I ride. Yes, I finally got a bike! It's used but in solid shape, and I got it for only $50, way below what it should have cost. I totally lucked out. The quality is much higher than the bike I had when I was in L.A., but unfortunately, it's not hot pink. Perhaps, a spray paint job is in order.

Anyway, this is a good time to start riding again so that my inflated ass can be whipped back into shape. I need to fit into my wedding dress! My energy level has been hit hard by various health issues in the last couple years, but especially recently, so I haven't been as active as I used to be and the state of my derriere shows it.

I just discovered today that it's World Wide Knit in Public Day. I miss it every year! If I had known, I would have joined the group that's meeting at Kits Beach right now, but my day is already booked.

For months I've been wanting to paint our bedroom walls, and today I finally started! A while ago, I scored a quart of Ralph Lauren paint in a gorgeous gray-blue hue for $3 in the "Oops" section at Home Depot. A very lucky find! So I used it to paint one wall of our bedroom, and I totally dig it. It just livens up the room so much. It's amazing the difference a paint job can make. The rest of the walls will be in a pale yellow, and I can't wait to see the outcome.

Also, I'm going to check out a used bike tonight. I hope this one's it because I'm dying to ride again. It's been way too long since I last rode.

Whilst wedding planning, I've avoided scouring the world wide web for wedding ideas and stalking a million and one wedding websites. But there is one wedding website (www.oncewed.com) that I recently started tuning into regularly because I adore their DIY projects and the real weddings they feature. If I could plan our wedding all over again, I'd do it on a farm or in someone's backyard.

Now, I present to you The Behemoth.

Before



After

Before



After



My first furniture refinishing project, which I finished a while ago. My favorite feature of the whole project is the handle. Doing the bird silhouettes was a pain in the ass. The nightstand is far from perfect, but considering it was my first project, I'm pleased with it.

I'm currently on my third piece, which is another nightstand. I shall post pictures of the Behemoth (the oversized dresser) as soon as I'm able to document it.

Ugh, I've been housebound for the last 48 hours or so and going almost nuts. I got this weird flu on Wednesday that forced me to do nothing but to stay in bed. I've never had a flu that made me bed-ridden for so long. I'm so ready to go out and enjoy the beautiful weather we've been having.

The Dude's little bro has been staying with us this past week. We've taken him out to enjoy the great outdoors. My favorite activity was a hike in Squamish Valley, which turned out to be more intense than we anticipated (it involved chains and ropes for climbing). But it offered such amazing views of the valley. It felt like we were in the middle of nowhere.

Tonight, we're going to take him out for karaoke. I hope I'm up for it because I absolutely loooove singing karaoke.

Because we were having some friends over for dinner last night, the Dude got a six-pack of He'Brew Genesis Ale. It was not bad! When we saw the beer a few days ago we got a kick out of it, and because of its shmaltziness, I wouldn't have considered it seriously as a beverage choice. So I was surprised when the Dude came home with it. Anyway, it's a pretty good beer, and kosher to boot.

Good times.

I wonder if I'll feel any more "married" after our wedding this summer. The Dude and I actually had a very small civil ceremony back in February, but our "wedding" is in July when most our friends and family can come and the weather is much nicer (if it doesn't rain, that is).

Anyway, wedding planning has come to the point where it's just tedious now, and I can't wait until the day of the event when I don't have to plan anymore and can just have fun. I like helping others plan their weddings, but planning my own for months has become tiresome.

I've been busy, but feeling as if I haven't been accomplishing much. And I realized that my dissatisfaction was due to the fact that I've been mainly dealing with obligations and not giving enough time to working on stuff that I really wanted to be doing. And the stuff I really wanted to work on were my creative projects. Hence, my schedule needed an overhaul.

Now two days out of the week are devoted to furniture refinishing and any other crafty project that's on the queue. The rest of the days are for wedding planning, house business, meetings, etc. This new schedule was put into effect last week, and I definitely feel that it's made a difference. I feel more productive and no longer feel frustrated with not being able to work on my crafts.

So far I've spent 3 days working on the "Behemoth" - an oversized dresser left by a former housemate. Most of the time was taken up with sanding down the damn thing.

Recent happenings:

Nerd Party! I finally fulfilled my dream of throwing a Nerd Party after many years of fantasizing about it. It was so cool that most people did come dressed as nerds.

The Dude's mom and stepgrandmother visited for a few days. I really enjoyed hanging out with them. We went fabric shopping for the Dude's shirt and necktie, which his mom is going to make for his wedding outfit. We also visited with family, which is always fun (yes, hanging out with the relatives is fun when it comes to the Dude's family). And we ate, and ate, and ate lots of yummy food!