The Proposal

This is my first post in a series about my wedding planning journey. 

 I guess when I think about where my wedding planning adventure started, it all goes back to the proposal.

 It was a normal week in November 2011, a couple days before Thanksgiving, when my fiancee Karl asked me out on a date night. Who turns down a date night? Especially when it was to one of our favorite Asian fusion restaurants with a great view of the Portland skyline. Departure is a pretty amazing restaurant for both the food, cocktails, and the fact that when you step out of the elevator on the 7th floor that it looks like you are about to go to Space Mountain. One of my not so coordinated moments was running straight into a mirror wall thinking that it was just a continuation of the restaurant. Silly hipster restaurants.

Anyway, we sat down to dinner around 5:30 so there was barely anyone else in the restaurant but we were already starving. We ordered appetizers and stared at each other lovingly with those annoying doe eyes that tend to go away after 6 months of dating. After devouring the edamame, Karl says that he has something to ask me and stands up from his seat. At this point I turned into a mute and dumb person. After getting down on one knee, and after saying whatever he said (I don't even remember because I was in shock), I manage to ask "ARE U SERIOUS?" like an idiot and then shake my head up and down furiously. The ring went on, tears were shed, and cuddles were had the rest of the dinner at the table.

The proposal was a complete surprise and for that I give Karl mad props. I had always dropped hints that I wouldn't mind marrying him throughout our 2 year relationship (at that point). And by hint I mean, "You know that if you asked me to marry you I'd say yes right? Ok, just letting you know". But he would usually clam up and not want to talk about anything that remotely sounded like the word marriage. Little did I know that this was all a rouse to make sure that his proposal was a romantic surprise <3

 My ring is a cushion cut blue sapphire surrounded by diamonds with a thin diamond band.

 I am so happy to be marrying the love of my life and my soul mate. He is the Finn to my Marcellene and the Han to my Leia. Love you Karl!

 Before the Aquabats concert at San Diego Comic Con in 2011

 

 xo Kevlyn

that time of year...

Well, it's that time of year again... Were you wake up for work in the dark and trudge back in twilight. Hope you don't miss that vitamin D, I'm working on my anti-tan. That coupled with the characteristic Portland grayness, and it's pretty damn depressing. And also FREAKING COLD lately. Let's just say that we have gotten a lot of use out of our awesome wood fireplace

Anyways, I'm trying to not gain 15 pounds from all the holiday parties that I seem obligated to go to as an adult. Which by the way, I'm discovering that the holidays kind of suck as a young adult. I seem to only get lame or no gifts, and the excitement and magic is gone. Lame. At least I've been able to finish all christmas shopping online as to expend as little effort as possible. You like getting candles every year, right?

Wedding planning is moving along, I should be able to get the Save-the-Dates out in a few days if I manage to schlep over to the post office this weekend and, other than that, all we need to do in the next few months is find an Officiant. Maybe I'll get my act together soon and detail everything I've been doing in relation to the wedding. That's if I can overcome the embarrassment of explaining that yes, we are still not married, and yes, we have been engaged for over a year now. The big event is in August...2013 and has been since November 2010. I like to plan ahead, OK?

Too bad all I accomplished today was a nap. Ah well...

The bright spot in my universe lately is that fact that Karl and I have a new member of our family! Introducing Arctic:

1/2 Maremma Sheepdog, 1/4 Great Pyrenees, and 1/4 Border Collie.

Now we are just a great big happy family of 5 :)

x - kevlyn


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6 months later...

I haven't posted in so long, wow! It's been almost 6 months and so much has happened, I'll try to recap some of the major occurrences if I can.

May:
We moved into our new house! It was super exciting and stressful and many other choice words. I feel like we are finally as settled as we are going to be, even though the house doesn't look "perfect".
My little sister graduated from High School! I feel so old ;_; By now she's been at Yale for almost a month. Go Bulldogs!

June:
House Warming Party! Pretty explanatory, and it went great. I was so happy to see everybody in our life come over and share in our new house happiness.

(Interspersed summer stuff like Hiking and camping and generally being in the Sun)

July:
San Diego Comic Con! Amazing and bittersweet. This time Karl and I were much more prepared for the onslaught. But sadly because of our wedding next year, we did not try to get tickets for 2013. I might do a retrospective post in a few weeks (Never too late hopefully!)

Oregon Pinot Festival. I can now say that I've been continually drunk for 3 days and have turned down booze that was offered to me freely lol. The food at this was WAY to good and I probably gained a million pounds but it was worth it. Now I feel sophisticated. And stuff.



August:
David's wedding! It was so nice to celebrate David and Rachel's wedding, congratz to them! Although I may be secretly bitter that they got engaged after us and married before. Just kidding! (We are just really slow haha)

September:
We went up to Seattle on Labor Day and I found my wedding dress! Yay. And no, you can't see it yet ;) You'll have to wait until next August!

October:
Looks like we have caught up to the present! The nights are getting cooler and Fall is definitely here. Actually as I typed I think that my fingers are about to fall off QQ.

Make sure to look for future blog posts about my new YouTube endeavor and Karl & I's engagement pictures!

Sneak Preview:

K

Cosplay 2.0 - Jaina Solo

So I took a risk and ordered stuff on-line. Risky, I know, but I think the results were good. I ended up getting a new black catsuit and boots for my Jaina Solo cosplay. So now the question is, which Jaina do you like better??

1.0

OR

2.0

I like both, but the first is definitely more mobile and breathable material. But the shiny black looks more badass!!

Maybe I'll wear both come July ^.^

Being a Grown-up

How did people of our age group complain about being an adult before the internet??

It seems like every blog, twitter, and person in their 20-30's in general LOVES to complain about being a grown-up.

Quite funny example:



More source material:
http://thoughtcatalog.com/2012/the-lamest-things-about-being-a-grown-up/

Or really, just check your twitter.

I, on the other hand, love to impulse purchase things on my credit card.

Stop complaining and remember all the cool shit you can now do like:
Travel anywhere by yourself
Not have anyone nag you (does not apply if you have an annoying spouse, that's your fault, but I digress...)
Have a credit card
Play video games all day
Eat like shit
Drive
Watch any T.V. show you want
Buy anything you want
Etc.

And if you could do any of these things before 18, then I'm jealous of your irresponsible parents.

DISCLAIMER: I really do like Jenna Marbles' videos. Check out her blog here: http://jennamarblesblog.com/

SXSW 2012

For those who don't know what SXSW is, let me break it down for you. South by Southwest (SXSW), affectionately called "South By" for those in the know, is a 3 week conference held in March located in Austin, TX every year. Part film festival, part tech interactive, and a lot music, it's the conference that launched the likes of Twitter and Tumblr and is the gig to play if you want your band to "make it" in the industry.

We first attended SXSW in 2011, almost by accident, when Karl's parents invited us to go to Austin last year. We had music wristbands, which got us second priority into the venue's, waited in some lines, saw some amazing bands, and didn't really know what was going on.

One of the main venues, Stubb's. Barbecue by day, concert by night.

But this year, oh yes, we understood what was going on. Badges purchased, plane tickets for the right month (a different story), and the right people on twitter followed, we headed for Austin in March. Karl left first in order to attend the Film and Interactive portion for his work, and a week later I came down for the party.

I made quite a comprehensive schedule in Excel with a plan A, B, C, D, and sometimes E and I RSVP'd to EVERYTHING. This worked out quite well in the receiving free stuff and booze department.

Example of a day schedule (@ the Paste Party)

What to expect? LOTS OF DRINKING & a hipster level that's over 9000. I mean, really, who wears a metallic bikini top and a zebra print jumpsuit normally?

Here is a list of bands we ended up seeing:

Tuesday:
Neon Hitch
Outasight
Theopolis London
Santigold
Chuckie

Santigold at La Zona Rosa

Wednesday:
Sugar & the Hi Lows
Cavemen
Tennis

Ben Kweller
Friends
Pond
Miike Snow

Geek Art found at the Fader Fort. This made me smile :)

Thursday:
Yelle
Tycho
Girls
Gary Clark Jr.
Fiona Apple

A really bad picture of Fiona Apple at Stubbs

Fresh Millons
Shiny Toy Guns
Dev

Art Showdown before the Shiny Toy Guns show.

Friday:
Two Gallants

Me with a Android at the Google Rooftop Party. Don't hate on the shoes, you'd wear them too if you were standing for 12 hours for 5 days straight.

Grimes

Grimes - <3 her

Jimmy Cliff
Talib Kweli & special guests
The Shins

The Shins - Simple Song

Ned Sheeran
Of Monsters and Men
Avalanche King

Saturday:
Blouse
SBTRKT

SBTRKT - Wildfire

Ceremony
Sleigh Bells

Bad Picture - But Sleigh Bells rocked SO HARD OMG. There set was literally a wall of speakers :D

Nas

LEGIT DJ BATTLE!

Nas - New York State of Mind

Oops, I forgot to use my badge anywhere near the convention center >.>
So basically the badge price was totally worth it if you count $25 per 3 bands!

Now for my ratings of the SXSW 2012 as a whole:

Best show experience:
Santigold/Sleigh Bells

Best musical act:
Grimes/Sleigh Bells

Best free drink:
Gin & tonics at the Paste Party/Vodka and Monster Ice Tea Lemonade at the Hype Hotel

MMM, yummy Gin & Tonics

Best free food:
Doritos Loco taco at the Hype Hotel

Best Idea Ever? Most Likely.

Best celebrity siting:
Rooney Mara filming outside Stubbs

Rooney Mara - TOTAL STALKER PIC

Look forward to going next year if it happens to be in the cards!

Last Day Pic <3

the house buying adventures continue....

...until the end of time it seems.

We have an accepted offer on a house we really like in Laurelhurst. Just finished negotiating on the repairs needed. They basically threw money at us to ignore all problems >. >

Next steps, getting an appraisal, locking in a rate, getting in the last of our paper work, and then comes waiting...

....and more waiting. Forever waiting it seems.


At least we will have South by Southwest in Austin, TX to distract us fully :)

I'll be glad to not repeat this process for a long time.