One month anniversary

Saturday will mark one whole month of blogging here at Secret Life of a Bride-to-Be. Oh, how time flies!

Since I intend on spending my weekend between summer session 1 and summer session 2 doing absolutely nothing but laying out and reading smut novels, I thought I would get my monthly update out of the way now.

Every month (on the 27th), I will provide you, dear readers, with an update about where I stand in this adventure, what I have left, what I'm planning, how many days till the wedding, and any pearls of wisdom I've learned, or how/if these items have changed me. Here is our first installment:

Items completed: 4
Items to go: 51
Items started: 2
Days till the wedding: 352 (Good God, that seems like a lot. I guess it is.)

The items I've completed are #16, buy something completely frivolous, #18, make a discovery, #21, actually keep in touch with people far away from me, and #48 kick my caffeine habit (don't forget, you can keep up with the whole list here).

Of these four items, kicking the caffeine habit has been the hardest by a long shot. I miss my caramel macchiatos at Starbucks! I miss doing crossword puzzles with a cup of joe. Tea just isn't the same. I've realized that it wasn't so much the caffeine I was addicted to as it was the gentle routine of indulging in these items everyday. I associate my mornings with the taste of an Americano. My afternoons were caramel macchiatos. My weekends were regular coffee with milk and sugar at home. It's a sad state of affairs in my world, folks. Yes, I do feel better without all the caffeine in my system, but I miss it's smooth, creamy texture and the comfort I always got from drinking it. Everyday has been a test of my will power with this one. Some days are better than others. I do consider the habit kicked, but I don't think I'll ever get over losing coffee.

(In the interest of full disclosure, I highly suspect a relapse will occur after the wedding. Just saying.)

So far, I've learned a few things about myself. The biggest realization being about my athletic ability (or lack there of). Also of note, my re-found love for phone convos with the BFFS.

I've had a lot of fun this past month. It's going to continue, too, because the circus is comin' to Plymouth soon, and guess who's gonna go? Also, I ordered origami paper (would you believe no craft stores around here carried it? Unfreakingbelievable) on Amazon, so I'm sure some excellent pictures of my attempt to fold cranes will be forthcoming. At last count, I have almost 40 cranes to make up for since I was supposed to start this on June 11. Oops.

I just want to say thanks for reading thus far, and I hope you've all enjoyed this as much as I have been. I can't wait to see where else this takes me.

#16

#16 Buy something completely frivolous

I love to shop, but I hate to spend money.

I suffer from tremendous guilt, a byproduct of being raised Catholic, which tends to raise my buyers remorse exponentially. I buy things I need, if I'm lucky I want them as well, but I never buy anything without reason. I might buy a new outfit, but I more than likely have an event I need to wear it too. If I do buy something I don't need (like a new purse or shoes), I agonize over it. Whether it be the item is $1 or $100, I sweat it for days. Sometimes longer.

On top of this I have issues with buying things full price, but that's another story for another day.

The day: Last Saturday.

The place: The Independence Mall in Kingston, Mass, or, better known as, "The Mall."

The store: Victoria's Secret, just in time for its semi-annual sale. I figure I have an Angel's Card, I may as well use it (side note: I only use this card twice a year. During the semi-annual sales).

The purpose: I need to buy a new strapless bra to take with me when I go wedding dress shopping. I ended up getting sidetracked by this:



It's a bracelet. More importantly, it's completely badass. The rose on top opens, and it's perfume.



How cool is that? It's like a spy bracelet, but instead of containing a secret camera, it contains secret...perfume. Okay, that wasn't my best comparison ever, but you catch my drift.

(Actually, it reminds me of those rings that were popular when I was growing up. The ones that were shaped like hearts or stars or whatever and contained lip gloss. Does anyone else remember these? Or am I alone in a sea of nostalgia?)

When I saw this, I giggled. It was so cute and springy...and completely useless. I didn't let myself agonize over the fact that I really don't ever wear bracelets, I just threw it into my shopping bag and bought it. For me, this was a frivolous buy. But, as a friend of mine used to say, it is a little "happy." Or a little something that makes you feel good. It happys me. Every now and then, a little happy is a necessity in life.

I'm probably the least spontaneous person in the world. I'm also pretty uptight. I need to learn to let go sometimes. It's something I struggle with. This is addressed in a lot of ways in the list (pole dancing, hello), but I thought a little splurge was a nice way to wade into the bigger, less inhibition filled pool.

It's baby steps, people.

(And yes, before you ask, I bought a strapless bra too. And also, the bracelet was 75% off, but my inability to buy things for full price is a battle best fought another day.)