Whew! Today is the last day of February and I am stepping out of the whirlwind to breathe for a minute and write an update post since things have been so crazy lately. I don't know what I was thinking when I thought that things would slow down now that the wedding is over. With the combination of work, yoga teacher training, flight school, and every day life things, we have been a bit all over the place. J is in the last month of flight school and I have never seen him so busy, its almost like he's back in TBS, but we just keep telling ourselves that its almost over, its almost over, its almost over. And then we will actually get to live in the same state again! What a concept, hunh?
Thankfully, I have been super busy with the spring real estate market and have had very little time time dwell on the fact that in the next few weeks we will be getting our first duty station assignment; Japan, Hawaii, New River or San Diego...talk about the four corners of the earth! But honestly, it has felt so amazing to get back into the family business and be working 24/7. I forgot how much I enjoy the thrill of writing up offers and helping my clients find their dream homes! It's like a big jig-saw puzzle! It also doesn't hurt that I love bragging about my awesome city to people and helping them to find their place in Durham. The city really sells itself, as is evidenced by the fact that the housing inventory is crazy low right now, but nobody wants to leave and I don't blame them!
I also was able to get into a Yoga Teacher Training Program for my RYT200 through the MyCAA funding for military spouses which is a great opportunity! I am doing my training through Yoga Garden in Apex and even though it is a hike to get out there, the teachers are wonderful and I'm excited to keep learning what they have to teach us. I have definitely had to amp up my yoga practice though, we are required to attend a certain number of classes a week, and keep a nightly journal on our asana, mouna, pranayama, and dharana practice. Meditation has NEVER been my strong suit so I've been putting in some good extra practice on that and it is getting easier to slow my mind down. The trick is to find that happy medium where you are calm and peaceful but still awake...lol, tricky tricky. But apparently it is frowned upon to start snoring during savasana sooooo...yup.
I'm having a lot of fun with my practice though and it has been wonderful to read all of the yoga books we are required to read for class. Being the nerd that I am, I found these amazing asana flash cards on Etsy that show detailed instructions and descriptions of the 108 major yoga asanas. It may have been the highlight of my week, and they have been super helpful in learning the sanskrit names for the poses and organizing class sequences! I 100% recommend them to anyone wanting to gain a more in depth knowledge of the asanas, whether or not you're in a teacher training program!
In the next month or so I will start to teach some little practice classes on my back deck to learn how to vocalize during a class and practice helping others find their flow. I'm nervous but excited because it seems very similar to teaching a dance class but I haven't done that in a while...
What are some of your favorite poses? Sequences you wish were done more in class? Things you don't like in yoga classes? Music preference? I'm looking for any and all feedback so I can take it into account :) Also, any tips from you yoga pros and people who have gone through the training program before!
Lay it on me!
Em
P.S
Here is the Etsy listing for the flashcards I was talking about! #supportlocal #durham
I am super guilty of going into this whole wedding business completely blind, with very little concept of how much work actually goes into pulling off a shin-dig of this size. Thankfully, my mom did most of the legwork especially while I was out of the state with J for the first part of flight school.
But let me tell you...holy moly. The number of details and random things you don't even think about is astounding. However, if you are lucky enough to have wonderful vendors like I did, everything will go much smoother! I absolutely loved our wedding team. Everyone worked seamlessly together and I never once felt stressed about anything because I knew they had it under control.
Our Photographer: Jamie Blow
Jamie was a serious blessing! She was referred to us by a family friend whose daughter also used Jamie for her wedding and simply RAVED about her. I was blown away by Jamie's calm and collected personality and her ability to make everyone feel at ease immediately. She even kept our crazy bridal party in check and having a blast while taking photos outside in 40 degree weather! I never felt uncomfortable or silly while we were posing for pictures because Jamie knew exactly what would look good and not hokey. Jamie was also easy to get in touch with, super responsive, and very helpful in the months leading up to our wedding. She was efficient and quick and so great at capturing the love and laughter of our special day. I plan on using Jamie for all of our life events and couldn't recommend her more highly.
Our DJ: Randy Bennett with Bunn DJ Company
Randy was our awesome DJ. He covered everything from the ceremony, to the cocktail hour, to the reception and after party! Randy was very easy to talk to and work with and did an excellent job of creating playlists that fit our personalities. Several people of different ages came up to me after the wedding and remarked on how well he covered music for all generations. There was never a lull in the party and everyone was dancing until the very end of the night! I really enjoyed working with Randy because he was amazing at guiding us through the process of selecting songs and organizing the sound for the evening. He was also an awesome MC during the evening. He was organized and fun and easy going. Randy even provided us with an audio thumb drive of the whole ceremony and a playlist from the night!
Our Videographer: Elijah Nacita with Morgan Scott Films
I did not get a chance to meet Elijah until the day of the wedding. He and his partner (and wife!) came into our hotel suite and immediately put me and my bridesmaids at ease. They were quick and efficient when it came to taking video of us all getting ready and worked perfectly in tandem with Jamie to capture each special moment. I think one of the moments that really struck me with these guys was when they were capturing our first look. I was worried it would be awkward and feel fake but they told us exactly what to do and then blended into the background and it felt like it was just the two of us. Elijah spent the whole day with us from the first look to our sparkler exit and I am so excited to see our film! Everyone should definitely check out their website and watch their work, but don't forget tissues!!!
Our Cake Designer: Jenny Leinbach (Yellowbird Baking)
Jenny was our cake designer and baker! She was so fun to work with and her homemade frostings and cakes were absolutely delicious. I had such a great time trying all of the flavors and mixing and matching different tastes together. Jenny even mixed up a special baileys Irish cream filling for us that was to die for! If you are looking for a beautiful cake that tastes amazing and is from a local Durhamite, Jenny is perfect :)
Hair and Make-up: 140 Salon and Dry Bar
About 3 months before the wedding I decided that our original salon was not going to work for the size of my bridal party. I was so worried that I had just completely screwed us all over but then I walked into 140 Salon and was immediately put at ease by the wonderful staff there. They set up a hair and make-up trial for me THAT WEEK and the rest is history. Jill, who is the bridal specialist, took the picture I brought her from my Instagram account and made it a reality within 40 minutes. She also did my make-up exactly how I wanted it with complete ease and confidence. She made sure my hair stayed up all night but didn't hurt my head. AND she made sure that my face was flawless but not cakey and overdone looking. I honestly wish I could have her come live with me and make me look like that everyday!! The other wonderful stylists at the salon were just as fabulous and each and every one of us walked out of there on time with gorgeous hair and makeup! Also, the prices were amazing for the level of work these guys did and the environment was absolutely perfect for a bridal party. Definitely recommend this salon for your special day!
Our Venue and Wedding Planner: Sarah Leach at Bay 7 (Angus Barn)
Sarah is the wedding coordinator for Angus Barn at Bay 7. She was the glue that held everything together. Her organization and calm attitude made the day flow seamlessly, but more importantly she was the one who organized everything with us in the months leading up to our wedding. Sarah kept up with me and my mom the whole time and made sure we knew what was happening every step of the way. She helped us organize the menu, layout, flow of the evening, ceremony and everything in between! I never worried about anything going wrong on our wedding day because I had complete confidence in Sarah's ability to make everything perfect :)
A lot goes into making the wedding of your dreams happen but the best advice I can give you is: gather your team of experts early in the process and work closely with them because they are the ones who work tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that everything is perfect.
Can't wait to share our video and photos with you all as they come in!!
xo em
