What's in your wallet?

I'm working on becoming more financially independent and responsible. If we plan on getting a house someday, I probably should build some credit. The only problem? I have zero credit right now, and I've never had a credit card or loan.

Unfortunately, my bank turned me down. The lady also tried to talk me into borrowing against my savings account to build some credit. She actually gave me pretty terrible advice, including encouraging me to always carry a balance if I could get a card elsewhere. She did send me to Capital One, and I was able to get approved. Hopefully, I'll have some credit built up by the time we start searching for houses in a year or so.

I realize that this has nothing to do with wedding planning, but there's really been nothing happening on that front, besides having a good talk with Brittany the other night in the car about doing what I wanted to do.

First Bridal Show

Mahalie and I went to a bridal show at The Grand in New Albany today. It wasn't totally scary, I actually got some ideas that I plan on stealing from the vendors there.

It was a little overwhelming, and I found my eyes glazing over more than once when I realized most of the services were way out of my budget. You see, (and some of you may gasp or be horrified), but my budget is $2,500. For the entire wedding. While my mom may not agree on this number, my dad and I do. So, it's a little disconcerting to talk to a photographer who sells packages that cost more than I plan on spending on the entire wedding.

The most helpful and interesting person that was there was a realtor from Remax. While I don't exactly daydream about the wedding, I do daydream about our house someday. I think about having a garden and cooking in the kitchen and making a home with Shawn. It seems silly to daydream about one day, when daydreaming about a lifetime seems much more exciting.

Facebook

This is going to be a short post, but how and why does Facebook keep posting ads about wedding-related things?  My ads went from occasional things about engagement rings to constant ads about weddings.... and laser hair removal for lifeguards.  But that's off topic.

This leads me to two possible conclusions:

1.  Facebook is psychic.  It knew that I was going to get engaged and now it knows that I'm going to get married.

2.  There's something slightly less fantastical and more stalkerish at work here.

Either way, STOP PRESSURING ME ABOUT WEDDING PLANNING, FACEBOOK.  ONLY MY MOTHER CAN DO THAT.

To be honest...

...I'm not really that enthusiastic about planning a wedding.  Or even having a wedding.  Suddenly, it's all that I hear about, and in some cases, it's the only way that some people relate to me anymore.  It's almost like I've become this entity.  Believe me, I would be perfectly fine getting married at a courthouse.  So would Shawn.  We used to talk about getting married on a cruise to the Caribbean.

Unfortunately, I've learned something since becoming engaged.

It's not really about what we want.

It's about what our hundred closest friends and relatives want.  If we did what we truly wanted to do, everyone else would be upset.

So, don't worry, everyone.  There will eventually be a wedding.  Maybe, one day, I won't inwardly cringe when someone brings up wedding ideas.  Maybe, I won't get physically sick to my stomach when I walk into a bridal store.  Maybe, I'll even become a bridezilla.

Okay, maybe not.

Questions

I've been asked quite a few questions as more and more people hear about our engagement, especially at my work. I've been asked about the date, colors, how he did it, was I expecting it, etc. The date questions bother me the most, and I've decided that it's probably one of the most awkward things that you can possibly ask a newly-engaged person, especially if you don't know them that well. Or if that person is me.

The other day, I had the strangest question asked about the wedding. A woman asked me what my wedding band was going to look like.

Uh, circular, metallic, and shiny? Like most other rings?

Maybe it is something to think about eventually, but it was still weird to hear it.

In other ring news, mine almost flew off at Incredible Dave's tonight while shooting basketballs. Oops.

Busy Year Ahead!

I've decided to start a blog about my wedding planning process to help me keep track of ideas and my sanity.  I like to make lists on sheets of paper at work, but I usually end up losing them or realizing that they are full of nonsense by the end of the day.

So how about I talk a little about my fiancé (that word still seems so weird) and myself?

Shawn and I met in September 2008 in the Biology building at our university.  A big windstorm (and I mean BIG, there were hurricane-force winds) had knocked out the power during the weekend.  I was on campus early to work at a booth for my volunteer organization and went up to the genetics lab to check on my fruit flies, but it was locked, so I wandered around in the hallway, hoping to find someone that could let me in or tell me something.  Instead, I found Shawn, who was also wandering around in search of a professor.  We began to chat and when I started to leave, he asked if I wanted to get lunch sometime.  We went to the Subway on campus for dinner that night and bought McFlurries at McDonald's for dessert.

He proposed on Christmas Eve.  My parents were in on it, but I was a little clueless.  I thought we were just getting dinner before we did some last-minute shopping, so I suggested Olive Garden, even though he wanted to go to Ramsi's (our favorite restaurant).  Oh well, we had time to get engaged and make it into Walmart before they closed.  It was quiet and sweet, just what I wanted.

The next year is going to be very busy.  We're going to wait until Shawn is done with nursing school until we get married.  I will be running a marathon at the end of April, starting a graduate program in physical therapy in May, and being a bridesmaid for one of my best friends in November!