Baking Vinyl

This Week Looked Like:

2011-09-02T13:11:00.000-05:00

Amazing seats to a Cardinal's game (such a great wedding gift!)

A surprise party (sorry, Lindsay. I stole this:)

Embracing the fact that wavy hair takes half the time as straight hair

Band practice in the car

Crocheting a scarf for autumn

A freshman football game

And repeatedly watching this episode and crying:

(Warning: This is the very last clip from Scrubs. If you haven't watched it all yet and want to, maybe wait this one out:)

Oh boy...I do love Scrubs.

Our Paint Jar

2011-08-25T12:29:00.001-05:00

I decided to start saving our glass jars...

You know, just in case.

Picnic Day!

2011-08-24T14:06:00.000-05:00

This morning was so beautiful. I decided to postpone the boys' lesson until after nap so we could go outside before it reached 100 (silly August!).

This summer has been pretty warm, and we've been couped up for far too long. I jumped at a chance to get some fresh air.

As soon as we got outside, the boys began to do what they do best.

For Gabe, it was playing with tractors in the dirt:

And for Liam, it was picking up as many gumballs as he possibly could to inspect them:

Followed by some brotherly bonding:

The weather was far too nice to resist, so I decided to introduce the kids to something new:

A PICNIC!!

This was an adventure all in itself. The boys were having a hard time actually sitting down on the blanket, and the flies were everywhere. Eventually we threw them our crust as a sort of peace treaty.

See what I mean? Ridiculous.

At the end of it, all either of them wanted to do was steal my water bottle, look at Bryce's car, and for some reason, yell "PISTON CUP!" It maybe wasn't the smoothest picnic ever, but we had a ton of fun.

Anyway, this week has been great, and I think the blog has a lot to do with it. It holds me accountable and encourages me to do more exciting things with them.

I've been a lot more patient, too. The fits haven't exactly stopped, but I typed up some pretty detailed daily sheets for everyday so I could keep track of these and also the potty training efforts. I think observing patterns might be key in helping both of these things, so I'm trying to do it as much as possible. We'll see how it goes!

My fun, little project

2011-08-23T12:59:00.001-05:00

It is my sincere belief that every man, woman, and child need to have at least one can of chalkboard paint.

I bought my first can to turn this cheap frame from Hobby Lobby into this for our wedding:

Well, I was feeling rather inspired after I started to set up a schedule with the kids. I knew that we had to really start hitting the alphabet, I just didn't know how to do it.

And then I remembered this:

My boss/neighbor gave me this mirror one day as I was leaving. Her friend had given it to her, but she didn't know what she'd use if for. I told her I didn't need it, but I was in a rush that day, and she insisted. I left it in my basement to start collecting dust.

I decided to try the chalkboard paint out on it. So while the kids slept, I quickly threw scotch tape around the white part and did the first coat:

Throughout the day, I added on to it two to three more times (by the fourth coat, I was good). By the night, it looked like this:

I took some sand paper and sanded away a bit at the frame to take down the glossiness. Then I mixed together some cheap acrylic paint and painted around three coats.

So this morning, it looked like this:

Then I measured it out. I made a mark three inches from the top and then three from the bottom. In the middle of the two marks, I made another. Then I used a straight-edge (yes, that is the Sims, and it was mighty handy!) to bring the lines all the way across. I made sure to only use dashes for the middle line.

Then I used awesome concentration to go over the lines with white acrylic.

Ta-da!

Gabe and I reviewed the letter "A," and then I surprised him with this. He still doesn't quite get the concept of the lines, but he still had fun!

And so did Liam!

And once the lesson was done, they realized it made a great track for Thomas!

It was such a fun switch-up from our regular routine, and it made practicing the letters so much more fun!

I swear, chalkboard paint needs a trophy or something.

Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been Part 2

2011-08-22T13:26:00.000-05:00

Okay, yeah. So I felt that last one needed to be broken up into two parts. Ready to hear where I'm going? Good, because I've made a list:

This is my goal list. In case you can't read my extremely sloppy handwriting (hey, not even my husband can), I'm putting them on here.

1) Learn to crochet - I really want to get this skill down before we have babies. I want to be able to make them afghans. Also, I want to learn how to make a granny square so I can make a really awesome, big blanket.

2) Cook meals at least three times a week - I haven't cooked much at all since marriage, and I really want to become a darn good cook.

3) Redesign the blog - Ehh...not as high of a priority, but I really want to like it every time I see it,

4) Start up Etsy - True followers and friends might remember when I swore to do it...like, two years ago.

5) Learn to sew clothes - So I can look all spiffy.

6) Learn my way around a camera - I'm learning a ton this fall!

7) Get home completely organized - Have they really not made magic genies for this yet? Come on, modern scientists...get on it!

8) Work out everyday - I'm trying to run every other day. Anything to avoid the dreaded P90X...

9) Let little things go; don't harbor as much - This is a pretty universal goal, I think.

10) Get house decorated - Seriously, that orange wall has got to go...

11) Collect/make art for the house - Our walls are oh so bare.

12) Bike ride at least once a week - I tried this two Saturdays ago. I popped a tire a mile away from my house and had to walk it back. A night of bad dreams about creepy men was followed by a long walk home where everyone drove past slllooooowwwwwllllllyyyyyy to stare at me. Awesome.

13)Become a better thrifter - My budget will thank me later.

14) Completely cut out soda - Hello, my name is Lindsay, and I've been soda-free for a week.

15) Read my Bible everyday - Good idea, trust me.

16) Read ten books - I'm currently reading Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee. It's a historical account of the Trail of Tears, and it only took me about three years to start reading it.

17) Cut out as much internet as possible - Sorry Beibs, I just can't keep virtually stalking you like this. I hope you'll understand.

18) Get hair healthy - Said the fake blonde.

19) Do two craft shows - I wish I knew a cool rap song about money. The best I could come up with was: Gotta get that bling bling bling. I'm not very hip.

20) Write more - There once was a princess named Lindsay, and she loved unicorns very much. No, in all honesty, I do love to write. I just don't do it often enough. Practice makes perfect. Please don't judge me for that last blog post.

21) Stop being so apologetic - My wonderful sisters gave the toast at our wedding. They made an acrostic poem using the letters of FICKAS for my characteristics. For "a", they used "apologetic." The guests all cracked up in agreement. I'm sorry, okay?

22) Invest more into these kids - Gabe will be potty-trained and all alphabetic by the time I'm done with him. Maybe he can even make up awesome words like his nanny. Who knows?

So there. I have until December 28 to start becoming totally awesome. And then? Then I'm giving myself twenty-three goals (See what I'm doing?). I am, afterall, a work in progress. I think it's time to set that forward:)

Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been Part 1

2011-08-22T12:28:00.000-05:00

I think it's time for me to be honest: this blog can be a chore.

When I was in Texas, my family kept joking around that all I ever did was hang around the computer. But I needed to post. I needed to get this blog perfect. Maybe I could change the design like this or add that. But by the end of it, my blog still looked the same, and I personally dislike it...a lot.

It's not just the design. It's the fact that this feels so forged. For me, blogs are for living vicariously through the cuter and craftier. So I try to model my posts after them. And since I can't afford all of the cute clothes from sites like modcloth, I just make random posts about dresses hoping that will make up for it, and then after they're up, I'll critique them again and again. "Oh that was corny. People are probably going to think that was so stupid."

It's all surface level, every little thing. In all honesty, I have never felt so much like a train wreck. My house is so messy. I clean it, and the next day, it's messy again. It's my own fault, but I tend to blame Bryce (at least in my mind) and just get so crabby towards him.

My job has been getting so hard lately. The kids have both been acting up some, especially the younger of the two. He throws fits, and it makes me so mad, I cry. I'm not patient nor loving. Again, I'm crabby. I raise my voice and then feel so bad about it, but to make up for it, I blame everyone but myself. A lot of fruit comes from getting your face out of the phone and playing with them. From loving them despite their time-outs. From cuddling and laughing under sheet forts. They get this fun side a lot, but not as often as they should.

And my heart? Gosh, it's like a black hole. These past few years have been really hard. I claim to be a Christian, but at times, I'm ashamed of that. In high school, it all seemed so easy. You go to church, you're saved. You rock out with the youth group and hang out with your church friends, and there isn't much resistance (at least not in my school). There was only one time I was made fun of for my faith: a kid once laughed at me and told the bus that I planned to stay a virgin until I was married. That was it, and it was tolerable. But now, I go online, and people criticize it so much. We're close-minded bigots to them. They will bash our religion the first chance they get. And for a while, I read these things and felt almost naked. They were ripping apart at my flesh, trying to peck at my heart. But nonetheless, I read articles and comments that openly bashed what I once clung to so dearly. And I started to let go until I was callous. There were days I would wake up and doubt God more than I believed Him. I'm still jealous of my Facebook friends who seem to live with so much confidence, who post Scriptures and tie their hearts to them. My heart is the consequence of being both in the world and of it. I chose not to live any differently, and now it shows.

So that's that. I don't really care if that's not the most uplifting thing to read, but this blog is mine. I want to start acting like it. I want to blog about my day, even if I didn't wear the cutest dress or go to the most awesome place. I want to write and walk away happy. I want to feel like I'm not just on here to try to make money off of the advertisements or in hopes that this stupid thing will take off someday. Oh well in either case. This is my life, and through grace, I'm getting it together. From now on, this is a small bit of accountability; a sign that I'm living my life, not spending it on silly wishes.

So, my friends, there you are. I'm sorry if this isn't the happiest thing. Just in case, here's a kitten:

Source!

And I promise, the next post is a lot more fun:)

Dallas: Vignette Style

2011-08-09T13:39:00.001-05:00

I'm not going to lie...I really would like an iPhone. Unfortunately, Sprint doesn't offer them. And my husband is kind of anti-Apple. For example, this is his shirt that he wears proudly:

And when he walks into the Sprint store, all of the employees compliment it. It's a really sick system. And I can't really argue computers with him, because he's majoring in Computer Science. Yeah.

I think I mainly like the apps. And the sound. And the look. And the smell. And the...yeah, let's get back to apps. Instagram still is exclusive to the iPhone, so I tried pretty hard to find a replacement. And I think I found a pretty good one.

It's called Vignette, and the demo alone is awesome. It has all the vintage filters you could need plus more. My sister, Stacy, downloaded the full version and swears by it. But I really like free things, so I'm holding off.

I put this app into action in Dallas (mainly on the road) and had a blast! So, here's a short summary of my trip with the app:

driving through Oklahoma

Barbeque Restaurant in Dallas. Check out the Album-esque menus and the cups!

Ikea. St. Louis needs one desperately!

Colby may be the cutest baby ever! This last picture reminds me of this:

(this video is STILL super creepy to me!)

We lounged around...a lot!

More good food with the entire family!

On our way to Branson for a day.

Bryce does not understand my traveling attire :)

Driving through the Ozarks.

Only in Branson can a hotel like this be cool (and not super cheesy).

Stacy, John, Bryce and I before seeing Yakov. Again, kind of creepy.

It cracked me up because shortly after Stacy and I really started to play with this app, Drew Porter from the band Showbread tweeted this:

Guilty, I suppose!

And sorry for the lack of variety with the filters. I'm still figuring out which ones are best:)

I'll share more about Dallas (and my sweet, sweet nephew) later. But right now, I have to clean. Hooray?

xo Lindsay

Crushing on...

2011-08-04T21:23:00.001-05:00

Or...

I haven't dyed my hair since the week of the wedding...I'm itching for a change and drooling over different hair colors. Bryce is trying to claim a vote...anyone else?

Wedges

2011-08-03T10:25:00.001-05:00

I've never been much for heels. I'm rather clumsy, and I think they show it. But this summer, I have fallen completely in love with wedges! They're so fun and cute while being a bit more comfortable. I think even a clumsy girl like me can get away with them!

1. Cocoa Dust Wedge in Picnic - Modcloth
2. Tawny Manifold Knotted Wedges in Coral - Ruche
3. Making You Blush Strappy Wedges - Ruche
4. Rescue - Blowfish Shoes
5. Easy Strider Wedge - Modcloth
6. Low Tide Wedge - Modcloth

Mmmm...

2011-08-01T10:22:00.000-05:00

Well, we're in Dallas right now as many of you might know. We drove down with my sister, Stacy, and her husband, John, to be here for the birth of own new nephew. And what a sweetheart he is:) I have a post in the makes about him, but for now, I'm digging through the hard drive and want to share an easy recipe I've been crazy about this whole week!

Now, normally I wouldn't really think to post this, but after a few posts on Facebook led to some questions, I thought it might be nice. Plus, who doesn't love iced coffee?!

To start out with, brew coffee as you normally would. I make two cups for every glass I want to make. This will be more than enough!

After you have brewed it, turn off the maker. The coffee needs to be room temperature, and I find it fastest to just set it out on a potholder and leave it until it's ready.

After about two hours, it should be good. Fill a cup up completely with ice cubes (no crushed ice allowed!) and pour the coffee in.

Then flavor it as you would a regular cup. I usually do two teaspoons of sugar and a bit of cream (I love sweet coffee!). The actual pump coffee flavoring would be delicious, but I'm content with our mocha Coffee Mate. Can you see why this is my favorite step?

Stir and enjoy!

A great suggestion from Martha Stewart Living is to pour the extra coffee into an ice tray and freeze it. This will avoid watering down and give you extra caffeine. That's why I have brown ice cubes. It's so great that way!

Dear Creatures Archives

2011-07-28T18:09:00.003-05:00

I've been majorly crushing on the Dear Creatures archived collections lately. And not just the clothes. It's the hair, the make-up, the lighting, the set-ups, everything. They're such a perfect mixture of vintage and modern. Such lovely inspiration!

(an entire collection inspired by Nancy Drew? Childhood Lindsay is pleased:)

Both of these dresses are beautiful! The navy one one the left may be my favorite dress I've seen in awhile. I am loving the sailor look this summer!

Well, I have to go. My husband is getting a bit antsy. He's joining the >sports< blog world today and is itching to post! I love it:)

Our Wedding Spot

2011-07-27T18:32:00.004-05:00

Bryce and I knew where we wanted to get married even before the engagement. In fact, I remember this face was once an issue with me. I had been attending the same church since I was nine, and the thought of marrying outside of it was absolutely crazy to me. But he said he always wanted to get married at his grandparents' property. And as I started to go there more, I began to agree.

His grandparents purchased the land and did everything essentially by themselves. They put beautiful details into everything! If you look closely at the side of the stairs, you'll see the carvings his grandpa made, and the pictures on the side were all taken by him.

I love how rustic it all is. The floral wallpaper is probably my favorite! It made for some lovely pictures.

We didn't get many pictures of the front of the house, so I ripped these from Stacy's Facebook:)

We had a tent set up in case of bad weather, and it covered the brick patio perfectly. It made for a perfect walkway!

The gazebo is also incredibly special to us. It was built twenty-two years ago for Bryce's parents' wedding!

And here are a few more peeks, just for good measure:)

I honestly couldn't have picked out a more lovely place!

Love, Marriage, and a Few Other Things

2011-07-21T13:14:00.001-05:00

Hi. My name is Lindsay. Remember me?

Chances are, if you read this blog, you know me personally and know what's going on in my life. If you don't, allow me to fill you in.

This is me:

This is a boy named Bryce:

Bryce and I really liked each other, so he bought me this:

And my awesome parents got me this:

So we could do this:

Now we live here:

So there's the shorthand version of it all. Our wedding was lovely, and I would love to go into depth about it, but I can't, at least not in this post. I plan on breaking it up over the next week. I don't like the idea of squeezing everything from that great day into one tiny blog post.

As far as our house goes, it's a bit of a work in progress. It's actually a duplex (we're the door on the left). I plan on spending an entire post on it as well to give you all a tour. Seriously, it is such an incredible blessing, and I can't wait to tell you all about it!

Essentially, I wanted to make this post to let you know that I'm not dead. And I really missed blogging. For real, I was having separation anxiety. Or not. But still. Oh, and my reasoning for the delayed post? We don't have internet, at least not technically. I hijacked Bryce's laptop because it picks up our neighbor's network pretty well. Yeah, yeah, I know. We're working on getting it, but until then, posts may be a bit sporadic. I apologize!

You guys are awesome, you know that?

xoxo Lindsay Fickas

(all wedding pictures are courtesy of Mandi Gummels photography. Go "like" her on Facebook when you get a chance! The engagement ring picture is from my dear friend Clair. And the house picture was taken by me. Hold your snickers, I'm still learning:)

Memorial Day

2011-06-01T22:45:00.001-05:00

I'm slowly getting better at this whole "blogging" thing...slowly.

I realized I don't really blog about my own life, and I wanted to change that. I never bring my camera places, so I miss out on a lot. This weekend, I went to two weddings and had my bridal shower, but I have no pictures of either. Yeah, I'm a dummy. So my goal for June? Document more. And get married. But mainly just take a bunch of pictures.

So to start off, on Memorial Day, we had a church picnic.

Picnic food is the best. For real, check out that cake!

The caps from mine and Bryce's Jones :)

For some reason, every time I have the camera, we have at least three pictures of trees. I should be banned.

Apparently, football is really hard.

Anyway, I know I promised an update about everything right now, but to be honest, we're still not sure about it. Friday, though, I swear I'll post!

xoxo Lindsay

I wonder...

2011-05-25T21:40:00.002-05:00

if my almost-mister would be willing to let me use some wedding money for a pair of oxfords...

1 2 3 4 5
Ah...I have been wanting some for oh-so-long! Maybe I just have to ask nicely.

Also, on a more serious note: things have been absolutely crazy lately! I will try to fill you lovely readers in by the end of the week:)

xoxo Lindsay

Oh sigh...

2011-05-17T18:58:00.002-05:00

It's kind of old news, but Anthropologie now has a bridal line, and it's oh-so-pretty. Don't get me wrong, I love everything about my fast approaching wedding (25 days!!! Ahh!!!), but if I had a bigger wallet, I wouldn't mind shopping here.

(these heels are insanely cute...but $340?! Really?!)

Check out the entire site here

Also, in case you haven't heard, I'm back on twitter! Follow me here!

xoxo, Lindsay

Rainy Day Fix

2011-04-19T23:36:00.002-05:00

Tonight, I dodged tornados...

...which means I sat downstairs for five minutes after my grandma called me and told me to.

Who doesn't love the Midwest?!

Anyway, the entire forecast for this week is rather...err...springy. Luckily, I have music for such a line-up.

Bryce and I have been on this huge Amazon kick lately. We sold five semesters worth of textbooks and have been buying a bunch of theology books...I'm letting him pick out all of those. As for me, I had one special request:

I had really just heard "Rambling Man" and fell absolutely in love with it. I knew I had to listen to more by her.

Why don't you do the same?

(okay, so I searched the playlist.com, and their Laura Marling selection was limited...YouTube it is!)

Please enjoy...and stay dry!

Engagement Pictures!

2011-04-19T19:37:00.002-05:00

Well hello strangers! I'm sorry for having been so invisible lately. Life is chaotic with wedding planning (53 days!!!) and school and working full-time. Fortunately, I have to watch The Matrix tonight for my online film class, so of course I'm updating my blog!

So this Sunday, my good friend (and bridesmaid:) Clair and I dragged Bryce out to our engagement/future wedding spot/Bryce's grandparents' amazing property to FINALLY take our engagement pictures. I think I mentioned this previously, but their woods are covered in bluebells in the month of April, and Clair, being the wonderful sport that she is, hiked the mile round trip with us to fully seize the opportunity. I think they turned out wonderfully! What do you think?

Why yes...we did have our picture taken in a deer stand.

Yeah...we're real serious.

Checl out Clair's other lovely work here!

Chances are...I will be blogging more tonight. I mean, this movie is okay, but blogging is a bit more interesting:)

A Lovely Little Post

2011-02-17T20:09:00.004-06:00

You have to love Valentine's Day.

Your Facebook feed becomes clouded with pictures of flowers and jewelry and statuses such as "With my hubby! He's the best!" etc. etc. And at least one person becomes engaged. Out of my "friends," two gave or received that very special ring.

You're probably thinking, "Oh Lindsay, what did you do on Valentine's Day?" Good question. Bryce and I went to his house and watched a marathon of "Auction Hunters." That's right. "Auction Hunters."

We actually had made plans to go to this amazing (and amazingly priced!) sushi place in Fairview Heights, Illinois, but on Saturday, he looked at me and said, "You know, we could just do our Valentine's Date right now."

And I really wanted sushi right then!

Yeah, i know we're super cool...no need to remind me.

Anyways, I know it was a few days ago, but I still wanted to post something love related.

On NPR Books, they had posted some work from an illustrator named Sophie Blackall.

It'r rather neat. She takes personal ads from Craigslist's section called "Missed Connections" and turns them into art.

(all of these were taken from her Etsy)

Also, right now for wedding planning, I'm working on music. Here are some songs I have been considering. They make for a good belated Valentine's Day!

Still trying to perfect it. I think I want the first dance to be "Why Should The Fire Die" by Nickel Creek. That song has always caused a sigh from my heart. Now to convince the fiance!

Baking Vinyl Returns! Home Edition!

2011-02-13T03:00:00.002-06:00

So I'm planning our gift registry, and it's kind of driving me crazy.

I keep picturing this perfect little apartment with matching furniture and tons of room.

...not realistic...at all.

Bryce and I are starting out on our own with pretty much nothing. So that means a lot of hand-me-downs and some lovely couch covers.

But every now and then, I do like to wander over to certain sites to dream and show Bryce pictures of "uncomfy" couches and fun chairs.

Here are some current crushes:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Yeah, I know...it's a random collection, but they all pull at my heart!

I'm going to try to blog more, and hopefully be a bit more focused with this topic, because there is more to come!

Our story!

2010-10-31T02:05:00.001-05:00

As I'm sure most of you know, I'M ENGAGED!

(This one was from the day he asked me out for the first time:)

Bryce and I have been dating for over three years with a brief...umm...intermission:). We have always known we would be married, it just took us time to get to that step.

Finally, after advice from loved ones, we sat down, made a budget that included everything from insurance quotes to grocery money and decided that we were ready. Money is important, but money is not everything. We realized we wouldn't have as much money to throw around, but we knew it was worth it and have been saving and budgeting ever since.

After my sister's wedding in September, I knew the time for a proposal was nearing, I just didn't know when, and quite frankly, it was killing me! I would read statuses from my friends planning their own weddings and wished I could do the same...officially. I know that weddings aren't the center of marriages, but as girls, we all dream about them, and my mind was getting carried away!

There were a few different things we had locked down, though. For starters, we knew the month we would have it in: June. We loved the idea of an outdoor wedding and realized this would work best for us. Also, we had the place decided. We chose his grandparents' house out in Waterloo. The property is gorgeous. His grandpa built the house, and his grandma (a volunteer at the Missouri Botanical Gardens) has planted the most beautiful flowers. Also, Bryce's parents were married out there in a gazebo his grandpa built for their wedding. We decided to get married beneath the same one. And lastly, we decided on the ring.

We already had the style decided; we just had to decide where to buy from. One day, an ad popped up on Facebook for a place called Brilliant Earth. It was an advertisement for engagement rings, and I clicked on it, just for fun. The site advertised "conflict-free diamonds." I didn't really know what this meant, so I looked it up. It was then when I learned what "blood diamonds" really were. They are basically mined in war zones and used to finance slaughter and wars. The workers can end up seriously injured or dead. When I read this, I was sickened. I understand that not all diamonds are mined this way, but it still scared me to think I might end up with one that someone gave up everything for. So then I researched Brilliant Earth.

The diamonds are mined in Canada in a more environmentally-friendly atmosphere. The gold is recycled and 5% of the profits are donated to Africa. Plus, their selection is gorgeous and the rings are fairly priced. I saw that they had my style and instantly fell in love.

I told Bryce about it, and we looked into reviews to make sure this place was a wise idea. After reading many positive reviews, we were convinced. From that point on, I watched our savings account to see that expected drop.

But when we finally had enough, everything went wrong. I was paid later than expected as was he. We took his car to get an oil change only to find out that the people who did it last time screwed it up (don't get oil changes done at Walmart!), and it would cost a few hundred dollars to fix. Though Bryce was compensated, it still postponed things. We knew we would have to push it back later, which really stunk considering Brilliant Earth took two weeks to get the ring to you. I think God was definitely trying to teach me patience, and I wasn't being the best scholar.

This past week, we finally had enough! He said he would order it over the weekend just to make sure everything went through. And our savings plummeted.

So whenever we were planning our Saturday the other night, I didn't think much of it when he asked if I wanted to go for a walk though his grandparents' woods to see where to set up his deer stand (go rednecks!). On Saturday morning, I met him at his house, ate real quick, and we headed out.

We only walked through the woods for a few minutes. I actually wondered for a few minutes whether or not he had something set up by the creek in the middle of the woods, so when he said "Let's head back up," I was disappointed and knew I shouldn't expect anything for a few more weeks. "We can at least go sit down in the gazebo and just see how many people we could fit out here," were the next words out of his mouth. Maybe he set something up here?

No. We just sat down for a few minutes, talking about how we would set everything up. And we rocked on a bench with my head on his shoulder, admiring the beautiful day. I listened to the windchimes realizing that it was okay if things didn't happen that day. I was still there with an amazing man. What else did I need?

Finally, he looked at me and said, "So I have a question."

"What's that?" I asked.

He got down on one knee, pulled the little wooden box out of his pocket, and asked "Will you marry me?"

Of course I said yes!

He was so clever! His dad forwarded him the money so he could order it a few weeks ago. Both our families knew when it would happen, but nobody let on at all! I think it should scare me that I'm marrying such a good liar, but as long as he uses it for good, I will be fine!

Anyway, there's my story! I'm so excited to be marrying the love of my life! I honestly can't wait!

Sorry for this length!

-The Future Mrs. Fickas!

Nerd Post

2010-10-20T23:46:00.001-05:00

So I have this thing for Einstein, which is rather strange considering I despise math, and tend to not like science...but I like Einstein.

I even follow him on Twitter. Yes, it's possible, and yes, it's ironic.

We all know him as the crazy genius, but there's really so much more to him. He regretted the atomic bomb. The only reason he signed the letter was out of fear that Germany could possess the same weapons. He stood for peace and said that killing within a war was no different than murder.

He felt that conformity was tragedy.

And he was a rather funny guy.

The tongue picture? That came out after he had spent a day being told by paparazzi to "smile for the camera." As he was told this again while getting in the car, he stuck out his tongue. later, he cropped it down in size and used it for his Christmas cards.

“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.”

-Albert Einstein (1929)

Some wonderful things...

2010-10-19T23:09:00.002-05:00

Well hello there!

I find myself distracted from homework (as usual) and want to share some things that have made me smile lately!

1) Community

I've watched way too much television these last few weeks, especially this show. As a community college student myself, I find the cracks pretty funny. My friend Jon let me borrow season 1, so I have a feeling this craze may last a little bit longer:)

2) The Age of Adz

Sufjan's new CD came in the mail a few days ago, and I am in love. The title track is currently my favorite. Definitely different from the States Albums, but it's still so wonderful.

3) Marcel the Shell with Shoes on

Okay, this video is rather adorable. I love the voice!

4) Vintage glassware

Okay, this one is more random, but I got these glasses a few weeks ago from a thrift store and can't wait until I get to use them. They are perfect for fall! And please pardon my messy desk:)

So, what are you currently loving?

Etsy Love-Vinyl Decals

2010-10-05T23:46:00.001-05:00

I'm trying to do my online homework, but I accidentally stumbled over a rather cool Etsy shop.

My goodness. I have such a weakness for decals. And trees. And birds. It's like the creator knows me.

NouWall

GraphicSpace

I also think this one is insanely cute for a nursery. Maybe one day...just not today.

Well, I'm off to answer some questions about the media industry...fun fun:)

Have a wonderful night/day!

Oh October!

2010-10-01T19:15:00.003-05:00

Happy October!

Of course I had to make a playlist to celebrate:)

<3Lindsay Bean