Coaches Corner: Olympic Fever

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Wedding Resources

Today officially marks the 3 week countdown until we say “I do.” From the beginning of my wedding planning, I knew that I did not want to blog about each minute detail… Instead, I plan to share the wedding details after so I do not spoil it for any of my guests. Plus, I am not much of a do-it-yourselfer (DIYer), so there is not much to elaborate on. I do have one small project that I am hoping comes to fruition.

However, I have loved surfing the net for inspiration and ideas. When we finally get married, we will have been engaged for almost 14 months. (We were engaged on June 25, 2011 and will be married on August 11, 2012.) I must attest that much of my wedding planning occurred WAY before I said “yes” to the proposal and that most decisions were made over one weekend in early July when my mother traveled to Madison.

So without further ado, here are some of my favorite wedding websites:

Weddingbee. If you are a DIY bride then this is the website for you. Like I stated above, I am not doing much DIY projects but I truly enjoyed reading some of these stories and gathered many ideas, expecially for my invitation and escort cards.

Weddings Unveiled. I really enjoyed visiting this site for their “Real Weddings” tab which showcases pictures of weddings.

Bridal Bliss. Bridal Bliss is actually a page from Essence.com which showcases black couples on their wedding day. I always look forward to Wednesdays when a new wedding is showcased. And I have actually known a few of the brides (acquaintances).

Brides.com Although I loved visiting Barnes and Noble to peruse all the wedding magazines on the weekends, brides.com was my go-to choice when I wanted to “flip” through an e-magazine.

Project Wedding and Once Wed are very similar to Weddingbee in that they showcase a lot of DIY wedding ideas. Project Wedding also has forums and discussion boards in which soon-to-be-brides can discuss just about anything.

Pinterest I must admit that I did not use pinterest for any of my wedding ideas, but I have found it very useful for engagement and wedding pictures ideas/poses as well as wedding hair/make-up styles.  

TheKnot. Who doesn't use this website? I found it handy for many things. When I first became engaged I used the Budget Tool to estimate how much I should spend in each category (i.e., venue, stationary, etc.). I also spend endless hours reviewing their endless bridesmaid and wedding dresses. 

Lastly, I also used the very common website, WeddingChannel.com. Our wedding website and registries are linked through this site for free!

Here is a list of blogs that I also enjoyed following:

GetMarried

The Cinderella Project

From I Will to I Do

WeddingTulle

Wedding Planner & Guide

Manolo for Brides
WeddingsUnveiled(their blog)
Bridal Bubbly

There are a million other websites and blogs, but I thought it would be nice to provide some of the resources that I used. Are there any that you love that I should add to the list? 

Happy wedding planning.

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<3

Michelyn

P.S. Set a budget and know you will go over :)

Treat Yourself to a Mani

As many people know, there are a few “essentials” to my beauty regimen. One of the most important, in my opinion, is maintaining well-manicured finger and toenails. I can remember as a youngster finding so much joy applying the stick-on acrylic nails. They never seemed to fit my wide nails perfectly and always fell off at the most inconvenient of times. In the end, I enjoyed the time spent with my mother as she assisted with the process.

In a previous post, I discussed my enamoration with Shellac. I was quite distraught when I realized that the dry atmosphere in Fargo did not personally suite well. I cannot be 100% certain that it is the dry air, but I did frequent four different nail salons when I first moved to Fargo. After each salon visit, my nails peeled within ONE week. Those shellac followers know that this is quite unusual…After coming to the realization that the common denominator in all of these unsuccessful visits was me, I decided that it was time to revert back to my acrylic days.  

I must admit that there are a few drawbacks to acrylic nails. Namely - one must wait at least 15 minutes for the polish to dry, at the minimum. I too have found so much joy out of the endless designs, color combinations, and my particular liking to glitter. I have found so much inspiration for fun nail styles on pinterest and thought I would share a few of my favorites.

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Benefits of Pageantry… 5 Years (and counting) Later

For a good portion of my life I danced and was surrounded around women who competed in pageants, specifically the Miss America pageant. Although in the end I never made it to the Miss America stage, instead I competed at Miss USA, I still cherish the life skills learned through competing in pageants. I learned how to accept constructive criticism and honed skills in self-evaluation, all of which are important for continual self-improvement in any field. My naturally introverted personality blossomed into something more of an extrovert. Many people would be surprised to know that I was a flower girl in two weddings and did not make it down either aisle. Or, the times in dance when I would puke my guts out while competing at a dance competition because of my “nerves” or… (ok, you get the picture). My keenness for proper etiquette was heightened because as a titleholder, one must always “be on” since you are representing not only yourself, but also an organization and a state/city. Lastly, let’s not even begin the countless hours spent perfecting the personal interview, on-stage question, and talent portions. One must always be able to think on her feet, speak eloquently and with confidence. My years of dancing prior to my competition days served as preparation for the talent portion, but it is more than simple "talent" that equates to a good talent performance. Not only must the contestant be technically sound in their area of expertise, but they must also be entertaining. Those of you who watch American Idol, Duets, ABDC, etc. should know what I am referring to. They simply have the "wow" factor and captivate the audience while they are performing. 

These are a few of the benefits that I personally gained through pageantry, but I do at times ponder about the role of pageants for the 21st century. I first began competing in pageants because well… I was surrounded by it. I then began simply enjoying the competitive nature of the “sport.” As I got older, I realized the impact titleholders have on their community. State and local titleholders are models to young girls and figureheads/representatives to many organizations. If you are interested in competing in pageants, I suggest that you do your research and actually attend a few local/state pageants depending on which system you prefer.

Recently, Lisa Quast, published an article entitled “Find Your Inner Pageant Queen to Excel Your Career” in which she paralleled pageantry to landing and excelling in your career of choice. I thoroughly enjoyed reading her article and found myself nodding many times in agreement. I had always realized that my pageant life transferred to my everyday life, but Lisa did a nice job explaining how pageantry tips can also help you excel in the business/work force, as well.  Although I have linked the article, I would like to take a moment to bullet her five points (or tips) for women to excel in obtaining their perfect job:

Tip #1: To ace the interview: Be extremely knowledgeable.

Tip #2: Walk the walk: Stand tall and show your most confident self

Tip #3: Show off your talent: Know your strengths and play them up

Tip #4: Pick the perfect pageant attire: Dress for the job you desire

Tip #5: Smile, smile, smile: Positivity is an incredible tool.

The above-mentioned tips can also be helpful if you are marrying a college and/or professional sporting coaching. For me, these tools really come in handy during the college basketball season in which I personally and mentally prepare myself for (ha, I act like we have been married for 20 years.). The season can be so long and there are so many events to attend which I have personally equated to titleholder appearances. For me personally though, I am completely unknowledgeable about the sport of basketball so I fail every time with Tip #1 so I guess that means that I am extremely good at Tip #3 because I typically talk to the “other” wives about non-athletic topics.

<3

Michelyn

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with Career Woman Inc and/or Lisa Quast. All opinions are mine.

Gratitude for this Reprieve & Life

Since my previous post, I have done quite a bit of reflection and discussions with love-ones about this time off, or ‘reprieve.' Although I did end my previous post with somewhat of a positive outlook and realization that this month break is most-needed, I realized that I should be more gracious since so many others never get this type of opportunity… an opportunity to sit back and relax. As a sign of homage to this period in my life, I also wanted to share the top five things that I am gracious for:

Getting married in 30 days to my best friend! This definitely tops off my list as I am ready for the day to be here. 90% of planning is complete and if it is not planned to date, I am not fretting over it. I am simply ready to be married so that our lives can be forged as one. I know there are many fun adventures in our near future!

Going on a surprise honeymoon. No explanation needed!

I have a job! More importantly, I have a job that I am utterly excited to begin.

Health. I am healthy as a lark and besides Jason’s few dental issues (I pestered him to visit the dentist for 1 year. Guess who didn’t listen….), he is healthy, as well as, my parents and other family members. Praise the Lord.

Summer. It is my favorite time of the year.

So that’s my list- how about you?

<3

Michelyn 

How Many Days Until....

I am sure that many of my followers are thinking that this post is related to my upcoming nuptials. Although I am beyond excited about getting married in 33 days (of course I have a countdown), instead I am referring to my angst of not having something to do!

It has only been nine days since the last day of my internship and I am going crazy. See, my entire life I have been on the go, multi-tasking, even triple-tasking. Whether I was competing in dance competitions, pageants, training for a race, completing my dissertation, or something else.... I have always been moving, doing something, working, or planning my plan for my next move. In the previous post I discussed my need to take a moment to breathe! Ok, I have breathed enough! I have caught my breath and am ready for the rollercoaster of my life as a married woman with her first real job to begin!

Cheers to my current boredom because I am certain the next few years will bring much positive energy and movement to our household.

<3
Michelyn