Busyness

Oh. My. Word. Life is crazy right now! The last time I was this busy, I was the bride in my very own wedding. And I'm pretty sure I've mentioned one or six times that I'm a planner for a HUGE fundraiser at our school. Plus I'm a planner for three other events, two of which I'm THE planner. For perspective, and because I'm a little on the nerdy side, I'd like to create an equation. If you've been a bride OR if you've known a bride whose gone crazy planning a wedding, this should help:

1 Wedding for 350 + 2 Weddings for 70 + a reception = Okay, I really don't know what it equals, but that's the formula.

You know what else I didn't know today? The day of the week. I had to look it up. Twice. Everyday this week, I've worked, worked, worked, slept, and consumed enormous amounts of caffeine. At one point today, even though winter has returned for 24 hours, I decided to remove my cardigan. Since I had a long-sleeved shirt underneath, there was some resistance. I could not figure out why my cardigan wouldn't easily slip off, and then I had to look to see that I was wearing a long-sleeved shirt. Isn't that just a little sad?

For each of these events, I'm creating tons of print collateral. Adobe Illustrator and I have become semi-good friends. It's like when you see someone in one setting, and you're totally friends, but then they ignore you the next time they see you. That's how we feel about each other. The thing is, Adobe doesn't get to know anyone really well. Unless someone chooses to invest upwards of $1K in training. Adobe, you can't buy my friendship.

(Side note: this is how I converse in real life, especially when I have so much going on. One topic to the next, with brief interludes of pop-up windows that appear and need some attention. My poor husband. He's so tolerant.)

Anyway, I've dealt so much with fonts in the past six weeks that I can identify dozens of fonts. Talent? I think so. I also notice when things are not centered or formatted correctly. AND when certain fonts are overused. I have some that will be dead to me until the majority of the English-speaking world forgets about them. And even then, some will never be acceptable for me to use. I'm such a font snob.

Okay, folks. I'm off to create another invitation. Did I mention that I'll be in the office only one day next week? You know you're busy when you'd so much rather be at work.

Over and Over

There are some movies I could watch over and over. In fact, I have. Even if I own them, I get so excited when they come on television. I'll watch them, commercials and all. In fact, I've seen some of them so many times, I don't have to watch them. I just enjoy having them on in the background. They're like old friends. Some older than others. But all are favorites.

In no particular order, these movies include:

1. My Big Fat Greek Wedding

2. You've Got Mail

3. Secondhand Lions

4. The Sound of Music

5. Dumb and Dumber (Don't judge me.)

6. Mary Poppins

7. Elf

8. Father of the Bride

9. WALL-E

10. Little Women

11. Dan in Real Life

12. When Harry Met Sally

13. Dead Poet's Society

14. Corina, Corina

15. Hope Floats

16. My Girl

17. Juno

18. The Cider House Rules

19. UP

20. Julie & Julia

21. Confessions of a Shopaholic

22. Breakfast at Tiffany's

23. P.S. I Love You

24. Monsters, Inc.

25. Emma

Anyone else have favorites?

Updated to add 21-25. Plus the disclaimer that I don't watch movies non-stop. Or TV. It bores me. But I do get excited when these movies are on!

Friday Miscellany

Two. Two whole blogs in the month of March so far. This makes three. What in the world?! This month has been crazy. In preparation for our vacation last week, Husby and I spent hours upon hours at work the week before. And this week is just as busy. I think I worked 55 hours this week. I always think that the fall is our busiest time of year with college applications, but spring means academic conferences, convocations, college nights, AP exams, graduation, and much more.

I really can't believe this school year is nine weeks from ending! "My" seniors will finish in just over a month (their last day is three weeks before all other students). I've decided that I will be a basketcase when my kids leave for college. Yes, I do realize I have well over 18 years until this happens. (I'm not preggo.) But today I've worked on two projects that involve my seniors and their moms: a video for a luncheon and artwork that we'll submit to have printed on coffee mugs, and I got a bit misty-eyed. If I just enjoy these kids so much, I know that I'll love my own much more.

These kids make me laugh everyday. I love looking at the photos of them with their moms at different stages in life. The boys love the photos that are a little goofy: chili-bowl haircuts with crooked smiles. The girls choose photos, old or recent, that their mom's adore. Many of these kids worked to sneak pictures out of their houses to surprise their mom. How sweet!

On a different note, I rediscovered the library. It's so great! I love books. The first time I visited (after several years away), I smiled as I walked down all of the aisles of books. Though, I was somewhat thrown that card catalogs are obsolete, I must say it was nice that have a computer database to search for books. My current read is City of Thieves as recommended by one of our English teachers. I've only read a couple of chapters, but I already like it.

Reading is for sure on the agenda this weekend, along with working on print materials for Off the Vine Wine Gala and, hopefully, sleeping late tomorrow. This time change is killing me. I feel like we lose an hour every night. Come on, body, catch up!

(Feliz Cumpleanos, Patti Jean!)

Friday Miscellany (on Saturday)

We're back! Husby and I have returned from a week-long road trip. I convinced him to take a week off during my spring break. Our ultimate destination was Lake Geneva, Wisconsin to visit my friend, Marieke, and her two children. Other destinations on our route, either to or fro (I totally meant to do use fro instead of for), included St. Louis, Chicago and Memphis. It was so much fun! I'll post pictures later. (Also read: when I find my camera in the five bags we took and convince myself to plug it into the computer, I'll create a blog post about our trip.)

Our Saturday has been wonderful! We returned to warm weather and blooming flowers and trees. Which also means endless coughing, but I WILL NOT complain. I love the warming trend in the weather. This morning, we took a bike ride, lunched at Chic-fil-a and visited the public library for a book sale. It's been a perfect spring day. I feel like we're just a few weeks away to skirt and summer shoe weather. Some people look forward to sweater weather and some look forward to wearing dresses every single day without tights. Woo hoo!

Tonight, we're headed to a graduation party for my friend, Betsy. I'm so excited for her and a bit jealous that she now has a Master's degree. I don't know that I'm jealous enough to do anything about it, though.

Oh, and one more thing...I'M SO EXCITED THAT IT'S TIME CHANGE THIS WEEKEND. I love the extra hour or so of daylight. Maybe we'll get a few more bike rides in now that it'll be light longer!

Friday Miscellany: Prayers

Growing up in a Baptist church, I really didn't enjoy when we did responsive reading. You know? The passages at the back of the hymnal that are thrown in every now and then. The preacher reads a sentence; then the congregation reads. It just felt like a time filler. It never felt as though we meant what we read as a community.

Fast forward to my current job in an Episcopal school. We have weekly chapel. When I first began I was really thrown off by these services. Although somewhat brief because of time restraints, there was so much reading and reciting. I had to really work through memorizing the Lord's Prayer and the Apostles' Creed. Thanks to Rich Mullins, I knew the Apostles Creed better than I thought. I know that the Lord's Prayer is important, but when you read it in Sunday School, it just doesn't have as much meaning. Now, I actually say the Prayer. And I mean what I'm saying.

I like it. I like the liturgy. I don't plan to join the Episcopal church any time soon, but I do enjoy that on Thursday's in chapel, we're praying the same prayers that people across the world are praying. On Sunday's, it's the same. The entire Episcopalian community prays the same prayers. Can you imagine the throne room with the echos of heart-felt prayers? I love that thought.

I'll end with a prayer that we used in chapel this week; it's one of my favorites:

Have mercy upon us, most merciful Father;

in your compassion forgive us for our sins,

known and unknown,

things done and things left undone;

and so uphold us by your Spirit

that we may live and serve you in newness of life,

to the honor and glory of your Name;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.