Project Happily Ever After

I coined the title "Project Happily Ever After" on

November 23rd 2011 for the preparations for my wedding.

To me it was a whimsical name which held hope

and promise for the wedding of my dreams.

I wanted to write about "Project Happily Ever After" for many months now, yet there was either never a good time {as it always is}, there were just too many things getting in the way, I felt like crying, screaming, or breaking something, or I just didn't feel like writing. Now that the big day is less than 20 days away, I feel as if it is time to write it all down, spit it all out.

For as long as I can remember I wanted to get married. It was a very sure thing. One of the only sure things in life for me to be honest. I wanted a fairy tale, colour coordinated wedding with all the prettiest things. The wedding would go smoothly, everyone would fall in love with my dress, decorations and every little detail and call my wedding unforgettable, memorable, wonderful. 

Well as life would have had it, my wedding is none of that. There have been mistakes and hurdles every step of the way. From the invitation list, to the invitation itself, the decoration for the house, the do's and don'ts have marriage, the dress, the thank you card, the RSVPs and the list goes on... even the honeymoon has not been spared. It's been quite awful to be honest and squabbles, nagging, sharp words, angry stares, grumbling, annoyance, cold shoulders and etc. is nothing new around here these days. Am I bridezilla I wonder... probably I am... because in my mind and my heart I have always wanted this fairy tale wedding. And what I have is far from that. So I become this horrid person who gets angry and who worries for no good reason.

To be honest, I really do want to enjoy this whole wedding planning process. I want colour binders. And clever lists. I want to live it. Feel it. Breathe it. And I do just that {or most of it} but the reality of things leaves such a horrible bittersweet taste in my mouth. 

For someone who loves weddings like I do, who stalks wedsites and such, my wedding is far from the way I want it to be. It's not like how I read about in books nor is it pretty like in Marta Stewart or all those bridal magazines. You might think me ungrateful or dramatic... but it is the truth.

  

Yet... yet out of all this gloom and horridness, there is a silver glittery lining that makes the unpleasantness okay. It sparkles like a beacon of hope. A sign that everything will be alright if I trust. If I believe. If I hope. This silver glittery lining is the knowledge that I am never alone. That God is always by my side, helping me through the ups and the downs that I have faced. His hand is always there, guiding me, loving me, helping me in ways that I cannot fathom. Then there is also the understanding and acceptance that the fairy tale wedding of yesteryear that I had built so meticulously in my mind was just that. A fairy tale. It was pretty on the outside but empty on the inside. But now, the inside is full of love and joy at starting a new beginning with someone I love. It is brimming over with hope and promises of a new days ahead. 

It is really a sign of surrender to God and to my perfect fairy tale wedding. For upon surrendering can I fully appreciate the wonder of what a marriage really is. It is about a new start. A new chapter. A new relationship between myself and B. It is a joining of two hearts into one. It is a union and a promise before God. A pledge of eternal love. It is the start of a 'we' and a departure from 'me'. It is about what comes after the glitz, prettiness and colours of the wedding. 

The wedding is like a pretty present, wrapped up and decked out in all its prettiness. Yet, at the end of the day, the wrapping is taken off. Sometimes we will take several pretty pictures to put up on Facebook or Pinterest or our blogs. After that we will slowly undo the wrapping to reuse as scrap material for an arts and crafts project. Or we may just rip through the wrapping and ball up the bits of paper and ribbon and dunk it in a bin. So at the end of the day, you might get some pretty pictures and some bits and bobs for your next project but what really counts after all the unwrapping is what lies underneath it.. the gift, in this case marriage. And my dear readers, that is what is most important... the marriage. 

My marriage with B.

How we live our days under the sun and moon as husband and wife. The memories we will make, the smiles, tears, opportunities, challenges, laughter, joy and tenderness shared. It is the one thing that keeps me going. The fact that at the end of the day, I will be married to B my best friend. I want people to say about this marriage that it stood the test of time, that it was unforgettable, memorable, wonderful. 

Don't get me wrong. I still am irked with quite a number of things but in true DW fashion, I will soldier on and make it happen and really at the end of the day if I am honest with myself, it doesn't really matter. God will strengthen me and give me all that I need. Amen.

 *smiles smiles*. 

So my dear friends and blog readers, I hope that you will say a quick prayer for me and B that our marriage will be a happy and blessed one and that our wedding will fall smoothly into place with pretty details on the side.

Amidst the glitter and the magic ~ 

I found your heart and you found mine.

All images seen @ DW's pinterest collection

Hello Kitty mashups!

Seen @ Nerd Sqaured Pants

Hello Kitty mashup's rock!!! Auckland-based illustrator and designer Joseph Senior mashed up a couple Hello Kitty models and the result is just fantastic. If I liked Hello Kitty then, I love them even more now. My fav could be the Marshmallow Man and Hello Kitty Cat mashup ~ super cute! *smiles smiles*.

The High Line, New York

Seen @ Wolf Eye Brows

The High Line is a mile long urban park in New York on the site of what was an elevated freight railroad spur. I came across this when I was interweb surfing and thought it was amazing. What’s more, they have an amazing website which you can visit here, to know more about The High Line.

Here is some basic information about The High Line taken from their site: 

The High Line is a public park built on an historic freight rail line elevated above the streets on Manhattan’s West Side. It is owned by the City of New York, and maintained and operated by Friends of the High Line. Founded in 1999 by community residents, Friends of the High Line fought for the High Line’s preservation and transformation at a time when the historic structure was under the threat of demolition. It is now the non-profit conservancy working with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation to make sure the High Line is maintained as an extraordinary public space for all visitors to enjoy. 

In addition to overseeing maintenance, operations, and public programming for the park, Friends of the High Line works to raise the essential private funds to support more than 90 percent of the park’s annual operating budget, and to advocate for the preservation and transformation of the High Line at the Rail Yards, the third and final section of the historic structure, which runs between West 30th and West 34th Streets.

The High Line is located on Manhattan's West Side. It runs from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to West 34th Street, between 10th & 11th Avenues. The first section of the High Line opened on June 9, 2009. It runs from Gansevoort Street to West 20th Street. The second section, which runs between West 20th and West 30th Streets, opened June 8, 2011.

Interior Ideas #6 - Apartment in Stockholm

Such a *swoon worthy* apartment.

Am loving the wallpaper, the wooden flooring,

the splashes of bright green, the french windows,

the pretty chandelier, the quirk chaise and chair,

the compact kitchen and dining nook, the cosy foyer,

the striped walls of the bathroom, and the pretty accents

all over the room ~ candlesticks, pretty lamps, patterned cushions,

quilts, a wicker table/storage place, green plants here and there,

pretty mirrors and wall art.

For more inspiring interiors to get your juices flowing this bright

 January afternoon, click here, here and here.

Seen @ Nicety

DIY - Toilet Paper Roll Wreath

Seen @ See You There Design

Honestly this is a super cool idea that I found while surfing pinterest.
I know that Christmas is over and all that but really don't you think
that this is an awesome idea to decorate your party / house?
You can add some paint or stamp a pattern onto it as well
to change the colour from the current recycled brown.
You can add different embelishments, cutout butterflies or birds
or ribbons and make it something totally different.
Am excited. I think this could be a project that I undertake
this year as part of "The List" of things I plan to do
{refer to no.24 ~ start creating art}.
Nothing too hard. Just need to save them rolls.
Happy Crafting *smiles* 

Let Go...

Seen @ DW's pinterest collection

Interior Ideas #11 ~ A pretty girl's room

Seen @ Cheap and Chic Nursery

This beautiful girls rooms by Lotus Bleu is just so pretty.
Firstly I love the combination of pinks and blue...
not too feminine but yet its soft, calming and pretty.

Then there are the pretty patterned blinds, the hot pink table,
the inviting daybed, the pretty pillows in an assortment of prints
{super love this}, the white furniture and the lovely prints on the walls.

This is definite inspiration for not only a girls room but for any
bedroom as a matter of fact. *smiles smiles*

Bookshelf Porn

It's no surprise that I am book lover. 

I think I have mentioned before on numerous occasions

about the wonder of books and how e-books will

never take over my love for the real deal.

Could it be the cover with its alluring picture, 

the title that tickles our imagination,

 or the cover that glitters or is embossed

has a glossy or matte finish...

or perhaps it is the crispy row upon row

paragraph upon paragraph of text...

or the smooth paper with its distinct smell 

of print and paper...

*smiles*

I love books.

Always have.

Always will.

This brings to mind the wonderful things that store books.

Bookshelves.

Most people don't quite pay attention too bookshelves

but really, they are essential for every book lover.

However, if you are like me with budget and space constraints,

you just got to do the best that you can in terms of 

storing your books. Hopefully I will be able to get some more

bookshelves for the Love Nest. 

Now why all this talk about bookshelves,

Well, I stumbled on this website called Bookshelf Porn 

which is a porn site for book lovers and just knew

that I had to share it with all of you!! 

Bookshelf Porn is a sit which has an amazing collection 

of awesome bookshelves from all around the 

world and really, some of them are so amazing!!!

*smiles smiles grin grin*

I hope you enjoy the collection of bookshelves below

which are some of my favourites.

Seen @ DW's pinterest collection 

Anticipated TV series in 2012

Among the numerous TV series that I currently watch and indulge in {see here and here}, there are several other TV Series I am looking forward to in 2012:

Seen @ Wikipedia

Smash revolves around a group of characters who come together to put on a Broadway musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe. But before that can happen, the people who will try to bring it all together must deal with their own personal acts. The series will feature original music by composers Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman.

Seen @ TV Throng

The story goes something like this: In 1963, every prisoner and staffer of the infamous Alcatraz prison vanishes without a trace. The government covers it up, stating that all the occupants have been transferred, and promptly closes Alcatraz. Now in modern times, the convicts and staff are reappearing. The San Francisco Police Department teams up with the feds to track and recover the time-traveling criminals.

It like these types of puzzle kinda conspiracy type movies and this one looks super good. Go check out the trailer and synopsis here.

Seen here

Touch is an upcoming American television series written and created by Tim Kring and starring Kiefer Sutherland. Fox officially picked up the series for a 13-episode season inSeptember 2011. The series premiere is scheduled for Monday, March 19, 2012 and centers on a father who discovers his autistic, mute son can actually predict events before they happen.

Reminds me a little about a movie that I watched… {I can’t remember the name of the movie} but nevertheless, it looks interesting.

Seen @ Dark Horizons

Angry Boys is an Australian television mockumentary series written by and starring Chris Lilley. Continuing the mockumentary style of his previous series, the show explores the issues faced by young males in the 21st century – their influences, their pressures, their dreams and ambitions. In Angry Boys, Lilley plays multiple characters: S.mouse, an American rapper; Jen, a manipulative Japanese mother; Blake Oakfield, a champion surfer; Ruth "Gran" Sims, a guard at a juvenile detention facility; and her grandchildren, South Australian twins Daniel and Nathan Sims.

Managed to get my hands on most of the episodes and I managed to checkout half of the first episode and loved it. It reminds me of “Little Britain” and I  loved that. It’s somewhat similar but set in Aussie. Get ready to LOL! *grins*

Seen here

Seen @ Wikipedia

GCB (formerly titled Good Christian Bitches and then Good Christian Belles) is an upcoming American comedy-drama television series. The series follows Amanda Vaughn (Leslie Bibb), former "Queen Bitch" in high school, a recently divorced single mother of two children who returns to Dallas where she grew up.

Can’t help but love this drama, cattish, don’t-need-to-think kind of tv series. I watched the trailer as well and LOL-ed *smiles*

Guilty Pleasures v2

Following my first post about Guilty Pleasures,

I have now started three more tv series 

{thanks to interweb surfing and reading them reviews}. 

I sure am enjoying watching these shows though *smiles smiles* 

Seen @ Small Screen Scoop

Seen @ The Guardian

Seen @ Seriable

And then safely tucked away on my hard disk are the 

following series {some old-ish and some new stuff} 

which I will be indulging in soon too... when I find the time...

*smiles smiles grins grins* 

Seen here

Seen @ Star Pulse 

Seen @ Beyond Hollywood

Seen @ Wikipedia

Seen @ here

Seen @ Chicago Comic Vault

Seen @ Movie Goods