First Wedding Anniversary!

Hey guys!

Most of you probably won't remember this off of the top of your head because we announced the big news over two months after we had actually tied the knot, but today is our first wedding anniversary!

I have to say, the first year of marriage wasn't as rough as people tend to say it will be. We definitely had our fair share of sickness and health (and also richer and poorer)! In the last year we've dealt with a lot-- Patrick's leg injury, lots of travel, living in a place that made us miserable, the loss of a kitty and the gain of another one, losing my childhood home, watching an 18 year friendship crumble, worrying about sick family members, moving to a different state where we know a total of four people, my hidradenitis: small disasters, large disasters, and little victories, the list goes on and on.

But the one thing that I know I can say for sure is that, like any good couple would, we stood together in the face of everything that came our way. Every relationship and every marriage is different, but I know that we did what was right for us by eloping. If I'm honest, I actually love the cliche that comes with "We got married in Vegas," because I know that if only one Vegas marriage succeeded, it would be ours.  We are stronger together after this first year of marriage than we have ever been and I have never been more happy or more in love.

I want to thank those of you who have stood by my/our side during this very long process. Through announcing that I was moving to California, announcing my engagement, and announcing our elopement, I have heard nothing but joy and well wishes from almost all of my family and friends. Of course, some of you (and others, of course, who won't read this) were disappointed that you weren't able to attend our ceremony, but I've thought a lot about it and I know that it was the right decision for us.

Most of all, I want to thank my husband, Patrick, for being there to hold my hand through every walk of life. I obviously couldn't have done this without him because, well, without him there would have been no marriage in the first place.

So, without sounding even more like a sappy love story, I'll end this blog here with a statement that sums it all up:

Patrick, I love you more.

The Wildest Wedding!

Hey everyone! So last night, Patrick and I had the honor of attending the wedding of our friends Doug and Julie, who made the amazing decision to have their wedding at the San Francisco Zoo! Crazy? Not even a little bit! In my very short life I haven't been to too many weddings, but this one was hands down the best one I've ever been to and will likely ever attend.

Obligatory pre-wedding selfie

This was supposed to be a selfie with a giraffe, but as you can see he stayed pretty far away.

I made a real attempt on my hair for this event, and I must say I am super proud of the way it came out! I learned how to finally use my curling wand AND I only burned myself once!

Patrick and I arrived at the wedding early to help our friends Mandy, the wedding planner, and James, the DJ, set up before the ceremony and reception. While I was setting out gold leaf chargers and injuring myself with plastic boxes of candles and the like, Patrick was busying himself with sound equipment. Thankfully the other Brook (Mandy's wife) alerted me to the time so that I could (quite literally) run to the ceremony just moments before it started!

There was a photo booth right outside of the zoo entrance that we took advantage of before we got to work

One of the guests

Mandy and Brook's son, Harlow! I got to see this little old man before we got started with the setup. 

Our good friends James (the DJ) and his husband Nate! 

Thank goodness I had my tissues ready, because as soon as Julie, the bride, started walking down the aisle, I was in tears. I have never seen a woman look more lovely on her wedding day, and immediately you could see every emotion on her face. Her pure joy and excitement was too much and my mascara was making a run for the hills before she even reached Doug at the altar. When the two of them met, they did a short dance number before they stopped right in front of their officiant, well-known San Francisco drag queen Peaches Christ. While this could have definitely gone overboard and been a little bit tacky, Julie and Doug looked nothing but radiant with the gorgeous, glittery Peaches readying them for their nuptials, and she kept the entire ceremony casual, intimate, and high with emotion.

Doug's emotional hug with his parents, with whom he walked down the aisle

Radiant as ever, Julie walks down the aisle at the hand of her father.

The dancing duo, showing off their skills just before the vows.

Of course, two people as in love as Doug and Julie wrote their own vows, and they were nothing if not packed with love, commitment, and geeky puns-- but like everything at this wedding, they worked so well and were so beautiful that I had to look away from their sweet faces multiple times to keep from completely ruining my makeup with tears. Don't mind me, weddings always make me cry. Not always from the very first moment, like this one, but I am definitely a sucker for love.

Doug and Julie after their deal-sealing kiss

Julie and Doug looked like royalty. Julies dress was a beautiful off-white satin with this incredible blue peekaboo section in the back, held together with this amazing satin corset in the same color with lovely blue floral embroidery in the bust, topped with a sleek mini-jacket. Everything, from her gold charm bracelet to her custom tri-force inspired engagement ring and (afterwards) wedding band, just screamed "radiance." Even her makeup complimented her beautiful porcelain skin and gave her the long-sought-after "blushing bride" effect. Her bridesmaids complimented her in lovely tea-length dresses in blue, and Julie as well as the ladies of the bridal party all carried these amazing paper flower bouquets, made with different shades of blue and ivory paper and sheets of music. You'd truly have to see them to believe it.

Doug was dashing by her side in his black tux with complimenting blue striped handkerchief in his breast pocket and an incredible boutonniere (that he and all of his groomsmen sported), which he made with blue and gold duct tape. I wish I'd brought a real camera instead of just my phone!

Both of them wore faces packed with emotion-- from joy, to excitement, to nervousness-- and they couldn't have looked better together.

The ceremony was held in the middle of the African Savanna Exibit, and we even got to see zebras walking behind the lovely couples as they exchanged their vows.

After the tear-packed vow exchange and "I wills", we headed over to the Lemur Boardwalk for cocktail hour, where they served the most incredible food. If you think chicken skewers with spicy peanut sauce and fried risotto-and-cheese balls are "simple" foods, think again. Because these were hands-down the best appetizers I've ever had. Ever. Even outside of a wedding. I could have eaten an entire tray of just those two things... But I made an effort to save room for dinner.

Lisa and I during cocktail hour

During cocktail hour, we got to meet some awesome furry (and not-so-furry) friends, including a Legless European Lizard, a Kinkajou, a Prairie Dog, a Barn Owl, and an Alligator! THEY WERE SO COOL AND WE GOT TO PET ALMOST ALL OF THEM (only the barn owl wasn't having a good time).

THIS IS HARLEY THE KINKAJOU

#selfiewithakinkajou

Prairie Dog! He was sleeping when I got to him, but when I started to pet him he looked up at me, as though to say "That's nice, thank you," and then went back to napping.

After drinks and socializing, we made our way to the banquet hall, which was decked out in the gorgeous gold and blue colors that were chosen, where we witnessed the bride and groom have their first dance, speeches, and lots of love exchanged throughout the group. When we arrived, we found our wedding favors (two delicious cookies for each guest) which had our seating arrangements on them. Instead of numbers, each table was an animal! Patrick and I got to sit down at the Sumatran Tiger Table, which was (mostly) tech crew (from our Rocky cast), and we were the coolest table, if I do say so myself! Our Rocky friends (Doug and Julie are also fellow cast members) mostly grouped around our table, and even though there was a perfectly nice dance floor at the front of the room, we stayed right where we were and danced in the spaces between tables. One of the best moments of the night was when James played "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" by The Proclaimers and we, the insane Rocky cast, shouted along and danced together. We must have looked like lunatics to the rest of the guests!

At some point, we got to witness Julie and Doug cut their cake, which was a truly amazing work of art. It was a silhouette of the zoo animals on a sunset background which gradiated (not a word, but it is now!) to twilight with each tier, topped with a Tardis that had Julie and Doug peeking out of it. Such a wonderful incorporation of their beautiful wedding venue and their love for Doctor Who!

And now I will apologize in advance for the poor photo quality.

Kris, Victoria, Maggie, and me

Kris, Maggie, Patrick, Jules, and me

Jules, Mikey, Siobhan, Jack, Matthew, and me

Matthew, Jack, Christopher, and Jules busting a move (they're really good dancers)

Jules is the best dancer.

After a long night of smiles, laughter, and dancing, Patrick and I said our goodbyes and gave our best to the bride and groom before they headed off to their awesome Disney honeymoon today. I can't remember the specifics, but I know they're going to Disney World for somewhere around a week and also headed on an additional Disney cruise! Are you jealous? I know I am!

Our best goes to Julie and Doug and we wish them the happiest life together! We love you guys! Your wedding was the bomb! I've got some really big shoes to fill when Patrick and I get around to having a wedding for our friends and family.



DOUG AND JULIE, IF YOU'RE READING THIS, STOP HERE. I'M ABOUT TO SHOW EVERYONE YOUR WEDDING PRESENT, AND I WOULD RATHER YOU TWO BE SURPRISED WHEN YOU OPEN IT!

EVERYONE ELSE... DON'T SPILL THE BEANS!

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How cool is this? Patrick and I custom ordered a street sign with the happy couple's last name on it. Practical? No way. Awesome? Duh!

The card that I hand-made for them! The paper is tea-dyed, so please excuse if it looks "dirty": I assure you, it is not.

Front (the actual card is a curved shape, as shown, bit since we scanned it in you see that white bit at the bottom from the scanner's backdrop)

The inside, with the phrase that I came up with to go with the gift

(for those of you who can't see it)

"Seeing the two of you together

is the only sign anyone ever needs

to see that true love exists

Best wishes for a long

and happy life together"

The back. I made the card as more of a keepsake than just a well-wishes card!

Why We Eloped: The Decision Making Process

Patrick and I eloped in late October of this year, as I shared in my previous post. I hope you'll all read this post thoroughly before making any judgments or remarks regarding what he and I know was the right decision for us and what will result in a long and happy life together.

Let me be clear and start out by saying that I am not pregnant. This is not the reason that we eloped and postponed our "big wedding." I am including this only because I have had at least two people ask me this question and I would like to get the presumptuous curiosity and speculation out of the way. If you would please read on, you will see the story and reasoning that lead up to our decisions. 

When Patrick and I got engaged in February, I was so excited to start planning the wedding of my dreams that would end with my marrying the love of my life. We began to make phone calls, reserve vendors, and invite people to be a part of our special day.

By March or April, we had almost everything planned out and ready for the big day. Everything was in order and only needed execution. We had reserved and paid for the venue in full, we had our wedding parties set up, our invitations designed by our dear friend, and I had been in contact with a caterer in Livonia which I had had high hopes in.

When I went back to Michigan in June, I got to work on getting my bridesmaids their dresses, I toured our venue, and I got 90% of our decorations completed. At this point, I was still as excited as ever.

Then, the trouble started. It seemed that I could not get a hold of our caterer. After trying for over two months, I ended up needing to find another one and start from scratch, and it seemed that relations between my family members were dwindling due to a very messy divorce in the family. Patrick and I started feeling skeptical, like our wedding day would end up being made about people other than ourselves, and I started to stress out to the point where I was starting to have anxiety-induced physical symptoms. We would sometimes joke about wanting to elope, because no normal person needs to go through so much stress!

When Patrick travels, I normally do not go with him, as very few people could afford plane tickets that often, but when he is able to drive to his work I am able to, and I do, go with him. Most of October was a lot of drive-to travel, and when he got the assignment to go to Las Vegas for a business convention, we decided I would go with him since I had never been.

While we were planning our trip, we joked often about how we should elope while we were in Vegas, but we were determined to have our wedding in Michigan on May 9, 2015. However, when we arrived there, we started to seriously discuss getting married in Vegas. We looked at several different venues and, once we had decided that we were absolutely going to get married there, we discussed the terms of our wedding and who we would tell and what we would do about our May wedding in Michigan.

Our final verdict was that we would get married in a small ceremony by ourselves, accompanied by Patrick's boss and his training partner as witnesses, and tell no one about the ceremony. The decision in this was that we didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings by not including them in our special day, but we felt a sort of impending doom that was cast over our May wedding because of all of the snags and bumps we had encountered at that point. We wanted to take the pressure off of ourselves and do something private, because we both agreed that while a wedding is a celebration of two people coming together as one, a marriage is for the two people who have agreed to share their lives together. Once our May wedding was over, which we still planned on having, no one would ever need to have known that we had already gotten married in Vegas because they would have witnessed our wedding in Michigan and seen us get married on that day. Our marriage in Vegas would be a private, intimate moment shared between my husband and I, and no one ever needed to know.

Patrick and I were determined to keep this ceremony to ourselves, but as you are clearly finding out about it now, things did not go as planned.

Without sharing intimate details of my family situation, let me just say that something happened that would ultimately prevent all of my family from being in the same place at once, something that I would not accept for my wedding day. Because these issues would absolutely not have been resolved within the 5-6 months that we had left before the wedding, and I would not have had a big wedding without either of the people involved in the situation, Patrick and I had a long discussion between ourselves and a couple of my family members who are close to the situation, all of whom agreed that it would be in our best interest to postpone our May wedding in order to let the dust settle and hopefully, in the future, have an amicable wedding day that everyone could enjoy.

Because no one knows when that day may be, we did decide that it would be in our best interests to tell our loved ones about our special day in Vegas, as we did not want to pretend to live as an unmarried couple for an undetermined amount of time, instead of just the 5-6 months that we had initially planned.

While I know some of my loved ones are hurt by my decision, I do hope that they respect that this was the best decision for my husband and I, and that we are both extremely happy. Of course I wish that things could have gone as planned and our wedding in May did not have to be postponed, however that is not the case, and, as I said before, I believe that a marriage is between two people and a wedding is a celebration of that with loved ones. We are still determined to have the wedding of my dreams in the future. However, we do not know when that may be and therefore our wedding is postponed until further notice, as the situation may even take up to several years to be resolved, though we would hope that it would not take that long.

Patrick and I know that you will be happy for the two of us and wish us the best, as we are incredibly happy and know that some day we will be able to have the wedding we both hoped for.

We've Eloped!

Yes, you've read that right: Patrick and I eloped!

While on a business trip in October, Patrick and I decided to take the pressure off of ourselves and our upcoming May wedding, which we still planned on having, and get married at The Luxor Chapel in Las Vegas!

After a couple of days of deliberation, and then a day of shopping, we tied the knot in a small ceremony on October 28th, 2014.

The happiest day of my life

October 28, 2014

Las Vegas, NV

For several unrelated reasons, the original planned wedding, which was scheduled for May 9, 2015, is postponed. It is for this reason that we have decided to share our happy news with everyone.

To keep the tone of this post upbeat, please stay tuned for my next post which will explain our reasons for getting married before our "big wedding" and the reasons why that wedding is postponed until further notice.

Thank you in advance for your love and support in our decision!

A Very Bittersweet Mitten Visit

Hi everyone!

I am very well aware of how long it has been since my last post. Back in February I shared with you all my excitement about my recent engagement to Patrick, however, as soon as we came back from that trip to Disneyland I began working full time and Patrick began to travel quite a bit. Our lives have been very routine and nothing extremely out-of-the-ordinary has happened since then until this point. As of Saturday, June 28, 2014, I have lived in California for one year-- therefore, a blog post is most appropriate.

Without further ado, I will try to update in as short a post as I can, since I will need to cover several areas.

In early May, a great honor was bestowed upon me; I became a Cat-Mom! Long story short, a beautiful tortoiseshell kitty was left at my work and I (quite aggressively) volunteered (or maybe "demanded") to bring her home with me after a lot of begging with Patrick. It has been one of the best decisions I have ever made. Our new kitty, re-named Marble (like a marble countertop), is the best kitty! She is so sweet, playful, and independent. She is not super cuddly but doesn't complain too much when I force her to love me. She enjoys laser pointers, treats, and head scratches. She likes to sleep on my chest and play with the door stopper in our bedroom, and she finds that the hours between midnight and 2AM are the best time to play!

In late May, I turned in my letter of resignation at work. My last day was in mid June. While it was very likely one of the most incredible jobs I will ever have, there were quite a few factors in my decision to resign from my position as Lead/Supervisor. I leave with no quarrels or regret; in fact, I hold the relationships I formed there very close to my heart and I will always keep in touch with my boss, manager, and co-workers. My love goes out to everyone at The Cats' Inn and all of the kitties that I fell in love with during my 9 1/2 months there.

Without revealing anything too personal about anyone besides my own self, my family found out in late May that a very close family member was diagnosed with cancer for the second time and would be undergoing surgery.  I booked a plane ticket home with a heavy heart.

Meanwhile, another family member, my Uncle Gerry, was losing his very long battle against cancer. I arrived mere days after my Uncle's passing. While at first it broke my heart that I missed my chance to say goodbye to my Uncle Gerry, who is my father's namesake and was very dear to everyone who ever met him, I know that it is for the best that I will always remember him as the quiet, strong man that I have known my whole life. When you don't have a lot to say, people listen when you speak. This is the way Uncle Gerry lived his life. He was non-judgemental, humble, and one of the most incredible men I have ever had the honor to know.

There have been some complications with my other family member's surgery, however we are all still very optimistic that the trials will pass and the cancer will be gone for good this time.

While in Michigan for two weeks, I visited with a lot of family and a few friends. In my spare time, I also did quite a bit of wedding preparation for our upcoming wedding in May 2015. I laughed, I cried, and I received a lot of hugs and kisses. This trip was, without a doubt, probably the most bittersweet visit to the Mitten that I will have for a very long time.

Michigan eats!

Getting ready to get married! Greenmead in May 2015, here we come!

Frankenmuth with the babies. I missed my sisters!

They're going to be ushers at my wedding... Quick, does anyone know the number for a Charm/Finishing school for men? They could use some polishing :P

Yesterday I arrived back in California. The last two weeks have been a blur and I'm glad to be back in the Bay Area, however I'm so very blessed to have been able to spend that time back home with my loved ones.

I'd forgotten how much I miss the Michigan weather, however I do not miss the construction season or the traffic from the I-96 shut down (however the traffic is still better than the Bay Area traffic). While there, I definitely noticed a change in my behavior and my internal climate. I am clearly adjusting to the Bay Area weather, since I was never uncomfortable even in the most stuffy and warm situations that everyone else complained about. I also have Patrick to thank for my new outlook on life and money. I now know how to swipe my card without ever once asking "How much", which is probably the most common question I hear in Michigan. I was also told to "quit with the accent," and "It's POP, not SODA!" Due to these little things I've noticed a change in, I've made an adjustment to the blog name again (which you may or may not have noticed-- it was previously "Midwest State of Mind," and before that it was "The Out of Stater.")

I have had an incredible first year in California. In the last year I have:

• Driven 2,400 miles in a tiny black car (with no air conditioning at the end of June)
• Moved in with the man of my dreams
• Joined a Rocky Horror Picture Show cast filled with crazy people (but I love them anyway!)
• Met some incredible people that I am honored and proud to call my friends
• Visited Disneyland more times than I can count
• Worked at a cat boarding/grooming facility (every crazy cat lady's dream!)
• Received and accepted a proposal of marriage from said man of my dreams (in Disneyland, no less!)
• Began wedding planning/preparations
• Got a cat  =^. .^=
• Visited Michigan twice

I will try to update more often now that I am not currently working. Thanks, everyone, for your patience and support!

In loving memory of Uncle Gerry

As you were ♡

Weddings, Masquerades, & a Blog Name Change

Hey everyone!

The first thing you may notice about this post is that my blog's name has changed. I decided that instead of trying to keep the same name the entire time I run this blog, I'm alright with it evolving. My time here is evolving me, too, and the blog is essentially about me and my life adventures, so as I change, so will things about the blog. It started out as me being an out of stater-- a total stranger in a state that I've only ever been to once before. Things are changing-- even now. Though I no longer feel like such a stranger here, my mind is still stuck back in Michigan, and I struggle to adjust to a different way of thinking. So prepare yourselves for name changes, because I already have some picked out!

So we've had a busy couple of weekends, and next week will be even busier, so let's recap! On Sunday, October 13th, we were honored enough to be invited to the wedding of our two friends, Peter and Angela. I've never been to a Jewish wedding before, so I was really excited. Plus, as soon as Patrick told me we were invited, I begged him to make sure nothing work related came up so that we could go. I wanted an excuse to get out and be fancy, and fancy we were! Prepare for a drop of some really awesome photos! I mean, honestly, isn't that we all suffer through this text for? ;)

I found a tiny crocheted Yamaka that I'm going to try to make a copy of!

The radiant, stunning Siobhan

I don't look as classy with the bubbles

One of our littlest cast members, Trishalana! She is the daughter of one of our cast members, Diane, and her husband Brian. She is absolutely precious.

Even she has a little hat!

One of our other mini-cast members, Cameron! Cameron is the adorable son of our friends Kelly and Richard! I can't get enough of those cheeks and that smile :)

"Dad, the ladies like the skull and crossbones. You should try it!"

I loved this picture of the happy couple with their parents!

The blushing bride with her new stepson, who had a yamaka with tiny tardises on it (or are they tardi?)

Our ridiculous friends, Master Delfino and Jack

Guys, it finally happened. After a BILLION weddings where I've tried to catch the bouquet with no progress...

I finally caught it! And guess who caught the garter belt...

Trishalana was so tired by the end of the night that she ended up falling asleep in my arms while I sat on the floor. I was so sad when Patrick told me it was time to leave. I love her!

Next up, we had a full work week and two parties that we had to get to on Saturday! Unfortunately, I didn't get off work until almost 3pm, and with the first party being an hour away, it was way unrealistic for us to have thought we could make it. I was really looking forward to seeing Trishalana's adorable face and her wonderful parents and finally getting to get up close and personal with Diane and Brian's PURPLE HOUSE. However, we were at least able to make it to Brook (yes, BROOK! The first Brook I have EVER known without an "e") and Mandy's masquerade! Another excuse to get fancy? I'll take it! 

Patrick booked us a hotel room because the party was almost an hour away and we would definitely not want to drive home after such a long day. We arrived at the hotel and headed out to have some dinner. We stopped at B Dubs (which, for you silly people, is short for Buffalo Wild Wings). Unfortunately, Patrick had no idea what a B Dubs was, so when we went in there, he was quite shocked about the number of TVs that were playing sports games. Patrick also did not know what I was talking about when I wished him a happy Sweetest Day. Apparently it's only a holiday in states like Michigan and Ohio because it was founded in Cleveland, Ohio in 1921. Look it up, Californians! 

After dinner, we headed to Target for a quick stop so Patrick could get shoes, because he forgot his at home. We headed back to the hotel and discovered that he forgot cuff links, so he headed out again while I got ready. We looked smashing! And Mandy and Brook sure know how to throw a party. The snacks were delicious and their house is awesome! The highlight of the night? Mandy screaming like a little girl when she found a black widow in their bathroom, and then Brook doing the same later when a moth flew at her face. Hilarious! I love those two! We had an awesome time and I really wish they lived closer.

I wore the same dress from last weekend. So what? It's fancy and multi-occasional! But this time I classed it up with some lace tights.

Just look at this delicious spread!

Mini pumpkin pies, Queso de Muerto (which is actually the most delicious soup that I've ever tried that we ate on tortilla chips), stuffed mushrooms, and spider web cookies. Yum!

Master Delfino as... A Cereal Killer. AH!

This is a new development-- since I've lived here, I've actually been learning to talk with my hands. Not on purpose, but just from exposure because Patrick does it. It's something I've never done before and did not notice until I saw this picture. How strange!

Their house was super spooky!

I did not know until I was writing this post that Patrick captured this moment. Just look at Brook coming to Mandy's rescue with her electric bug swatter!

AH! Get me out of California, I didn't know these lived here!

On Sunday, we rearranged the house. Jackie and Dan finally found a really nice place for themselves and were moving all this week. Now that Jackie's room is empty, we got to do quite a few things that we've been itching to do ever since we found out those two were planning on getting a place together. We moved my desk from our room and Patrick's desk from where a dining room table would normally go, plus a large red cabinet and both hamsters. Now I can shut the door on them when they have seeds in their wheels and are making all sorts of noise! So now, we have a spare bedroom/office and where Patrick's "office" once was, we have a reading nook. I love our nook! I adopted it. And as for the room? It's no longer Jackie's room, so we were trying to come up with a new name for it. Patrick was enthusiastic about "The Office" but I chose "Charles." So Charles it is. 

That's all for now, folks. Stay tuned for a gigantic post about the following week... ROCKY WEEK. In addition to a show this Saturday, we also have a show in Reno that we will be doing on Tuesday, a show on Halloween night (Thursday) and then another show next Saturday! Four shows in six days? Pour me a tall glass of energy drink!