The Honeymoon Phase

I am still so much in the Honeymoon Stage...

It might not really seem like it from the outside.  We've entrenched ourselves back into reality.  Committed ourselves to work.  Come home late to crock pot dinners. End up soaked in dish water, cleaning solutions and sweaty from trips up and down the stairs with laundry, only to crash into bed at night and do the same the next day.

Our 1/2 hour TV show at night is the closest resemblance to a "date" most days.  But still...

...I am so in love with this man. I know he's my husband. I know I am officially Danielle Eaton now.  I know we are going to spend the rest of our lives together.  I know we are going to build and family, and a home, and a life together, but it doesn't feel surreal.  It feels so normal.  It just feels right.

Still beaming,





Back to Reality...

 Is this real life?

Life has been a little crazy lately, to say the least.  I'm always saying that aren't I? Life's so crazy, blah, blah, blah.  But no really, for real this time.  The first big-un I suppose would be the fact that I am now Mrs. Eaton. :) It hasn't totally sunk it yet.  I say "my husband" easily enough, but have botched my name every time I'm asked since then.  "My name's Danielle Sicotte. I mean, uh, Eaton!" I sound like a crazy person, haha!

I realise I haven't written much about the wedding here, and that's because I started a separate blog just for the wedding.  Please visit it and read much more about all the little details.  The next big thing that's happened for me, is that I have accepted a full time position with Lewiston Auburn Magazine.  It's bittersweet.  I've come to love working at Encompass Marketing, my co-workers and bosses are awesome and I love the work we do, but at the end of the day you have to do what's best for you and your family.  Nate will be 26 in December and kicked off his parent's health insurance.  We've looked into getting insurance for him, independently through his business, but it was out of this world expensive.  Being a carpenter, he's not in the line of work where he can go without health insurance, so a full time job offer with benefits was like manna from heaven.  Plus I'm really excited about getting more involved with the magazine.  I think it will be a perfect outlet for my creativity (and OCD) and be a lot of fun. 

Desk

I'm not sure what this photo has to do with anything, but it's what came up when I searched for "desk" and I really liked it.  Why was I searching for pictures of desks? Because I'm obsessed with organization and it makes me happy. I thought we've been over this already...

Thanks of the Week: Busy Days, Bachelor(ette) Parties and Booze

It's been a crazy busy couple days....er, weeks...well, months.  haha.  Even with all life's craziness, you gotta take time to stop, look around you, and remember all you've got.  Here's what I've got:

Work Hard

1.  Being busy and working hard.  Much of the time being really really busy makes me into a stressed out, angry monster.  Lately, I've been ready to cry, and scream and pull my hair out with how much I have going on, but it's not bringing me down - and I think it's because even though I'm insanely busy, it's all for good reason.  I'm juggling two part time jobs, but am happy with my work at both of them.  There's a lot to do and a lot of meetings and timelines and proverbial balls to keep in the air, but I'm happy to have these jobs and be doing this work, so it doesn't really get me down.  The wedding is really what's throwing me the curve ball.  I'd be contently busy with just my professional work, but nooo, I've got to plan a wedding on top it.  Every night of the week is being planned and filled with wedding to-do's.  Yet again, I don't get upset about it.  Would I rather watch "How I met your Mother" and stuff my face with ice cream when I get home from such busy days? Yea, but I'm only this busy because I'm about to marry my best friend and man of my dreams, so I can't complain, I'm so blessed.

 

Heaven in a Glass

2. Wine.  For the afformentioned reasons, I've been drinking a lot more lately than I usually do.  Which, let's be honest, there's much worse things I could pick up and it helps me sleep at night, so get off my back! Where's my wine...

 

mmmmm...Johnny

3. This picture.  It just makes me laugh. :)

"We're the three Best Friends that anyone could have.."

4.  Bachelor(ette) Parties.  Nate's bachelor party is this weekend.  He so deserves some time to relax and just hang out with his buddies.  Do I have "The Hangover" fears running through my mind? Yeap.  Listen Boys: as long as you bring him home with all his teeth, no wild animals, tattoos or black eyes, I'll be happy.  My Bachelorette party is the weekend following.  I already know we're going to have some girl camping time and I'm so pumped.  I think I'll still be making lists and planning, but hopefully I can relax...just a little.

Now back to work! Be blessed my friends <3

Post-4th Catch Up

So it's been a super busy couple of weeks, last week with Monday off, just flew by.  We had an awesome 4th of July weekend.  Saturday morning Nate worked while I got some housework done, then we both got wedding stuff done and went to camp for the evening.  Sunday (the 3rd) we celebrated the 4th, just because it was easier for everyone.  I look forward to that lobster all year long...mmmm.....  Then Monday, on the 4th, I went to the beach with Kate her sister, mom, mom-in-law and sister-in-law and her two boys.  Her oldest, Ethan, just wanted to be in the water the whole time.  I have to admit, I didn't really mind it, I love swimming in the ocean.

But man were those waves strong! That's Ethan laughing at the three of us getting knocked around...

 

And then Kate and I laugh when Chrissy gets taken out by a wave.  Don't worry, like 2 seconds later we got taken out too...

Kate and I built a sandcastle.  It was fun to do all that fun kid beach stuff you never get to do.  I can't wait to have kids just to be able to play with them and not seem like the freak adult playing by myself. :)

Last night we went down to camp and Harley had a blast.  She just loves to swim.  She jumps right off the dock, it's hilarious.  We took her for a boat ride for the first time, not knowing how she'd like, but she loved that too.  She liked to stand right at the front with her ears flapping in the wind, pretty funny.  She also was digging under water, I've never seen a dog do that.  She hold her breath, sticks her head under water and digs for rocks.  She can hold her breath a pretty long time.  Such a weirdo.

In other news Nate's little sister Kristen is engaged! Her boyfriend, now fiance, asked Nate for his blessing last weekend after the 4th party, and asked Kristen last Saturday.  I'm so so so excited for her!! I'll have lots of wedding plan wisdom to bestow. :)

Later dudes,

Thanks of the Week: Facebook and Fireworks

I have been totally slacking on my Thanks of the Week post.  No sense of commitment. Bad Danielle, bad!  It's been a bumpy couple weeks, but things are finally starting to sort out for me, so without further ado, my thanks:

1. Social Media: I know that seems like a weird thing to say you're thankful for, but with all this stress of needing more employment, social media has been a great way to reach out to friends and family for help.  Because of my social media pleas I was able to obtain a part time position working in sales for our local magazine: Lewiston Auburn Magazine.  I am so excited the people behind this project are just a hoot to work with, and so inspiring and motivating.  I love the project and the spirit of community behind it, I'm very excited to be involved. 

Yoga 

2. Yoga, and my yoga instructor, Alice.  I swear she should be my therapist.  She always lets me rant and complain and whine and cry and get all my frustrations out.  Then she very calmly reminds me everything is going to be ok, gives me a nice little nugget of advice or wisdom and then we're onto to yoga.  Besides a nice little workout, setting just one hour a week aside to just spend time with myself and center has been really nice.  My last class was last Monday, and will probably be my last class until the wedding is over and my finances are in order, but I need to try and force myself to make that time for myself at home.

Keep Calm

3. My Wedding! OMG, can it just be here already!?!  I'm so excited for our wedding to get here.  We still have so much planning to do, and I'm so over it.  I think I must seem cynical and un-girly to my friends and family.  But seriously - I just don't care about all the little details anymore.  I want to have a fun day.  I don't want to stress over it, because the centerpieces aren't what matters.  Becoming Mrs. Eaton is what matters.  The starting of the rest of our lives together is what matters.  I'm ready to move onto the next things in life.

Sparkler

4. The 4th of July Weekend: Praise God for the 4th of July Weekend!  Camp on the Lake. Lobster. Relaxing. Family.  Long Weekend.  I. Love. It.

I heart The Green Wedding Shoes

Ok folks, if you don't read The Green Wedding Shoes, you don't know what you're missing. This is one of my most favorite wedding sites, evvveeerrrr. Because a.) I really want to wear green wedding shoes, and b.) I feel so inspired when I read it. I get totally pumped that I can in fact throw an awesome, classy, rustic, warm diy wedding. I love how simple and beautiful the ideas are and totally plan on stealing lots of ideas from here.

Nate and I are having our engagement photos taken this Sunday, I know, I know a year late and dollar short. Anyways, my theme is woodsy/camping/lumberjack :) Here's my inspirations:

You like?

Sunday's the Day

Well, not the day exactly, but I am going wedding dress shopping on Sunday. Oh My! I feel like a terrible bride, woman, person for having a more overwhelming feeling of dread than I do of excitement. Is that very terrible? I'm just overwhelmed, and nervous. There's so much pressure to make everything perfect. I don't do pressure well. Anyways, here's what I'm thinking. I know I want something relaxed. The theme is a woodland wedding, so obviously not too sparkly, glittery or formal. I think I don't want strapless, only for my general lack of girth in the bosom area. Strapless always fall down on me.

I'm kinda liking the lace thing:

Kind of love this one, though I want my hair down. Will having an interesting back on my dress force me to wear it up?

Not the dress, I just love this shot! ha ha how did she get up there?!

I'm not crazy about this dress as a whole, but I like the cutout, or low backs.

I'm just excited to try dresses on and learn what I like and don't like and have my family and friends there for support. :)

Wish me luck!

Drama all around

So, my latest news is that I am the new Drama Society Director at St. Dom's! I am so super excited. I went out a bought a bunch of stuff to decorate my bulletin board with, and we are having auditions this Friday! I am so pumped! We are doing Little Shop of Horrors, one of my very favorite plays. I knew I couldn't come through the gate with anything too "churchy" or "cute-sie", because the kids hate that stuff, but I think I did pretty well with a black comedy :)

In other news, I never dreamed just how stressful planning a wedding is going to be. I've had some trouble working with some of the people from my reception site, and I just about lost it. I'm not the kind of person who gets overly upset. I can be over charged a dollar, and I would never point it out. What's the point? It's a waste of time. But for some reason, if you mess with my wedding, I will mess you up! ha ha I think it's because all your life you have this pressure that your wedding day is supposed to be the best day of your life, so there is so much stress trying to make it perfect, even though I know in my head it will never be perfect. So let's just hope I don't turn into a total Bride-zilla! ha ha