half year down

It's July! I felt like I've been in some sort of trance because to me it seems like 2012 had just begun. Or maybe my concept of 6 months is somewhat equivalent to just a few weeks. I can't really say 'where did all the time go' because I know exactly how I spent my first half of the year.

Lots had happened, and there were definitely some not so good ones that aren't too easy to forget. Just yesterday I almost bumped into a shoplifter. I had the urge to stop him because I saw him running so fast with a laptop/tablet in hand, I knew he did something wrong. But I was also scared that he'd knock me over and I wasn't sure if he's armed so I moved out of his way. That's just a very minor example of course - I've definitely had my share of downs. But there are also lots of good things that happened. As in the poem Desiderata, "With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy." So I will. :) Happy stuff lately:
1. I aced the road rules test (I never got a perfect score when answering the practice online test) and got my learner licence the other day. Still have a long way to go before I can drive by myself (because as some friends know I have this small issue with determining left and right - I have to look at my mole to verify which is which, plus I just sucked at driving which btw was almost a decade ago when I 'tried' to learn how).
2. Had a nice early dinner at Mt Coot-tha. Such a great place to pass time, gaze at the city lights and stars.
3. This morning I was tearing up in church because a couple celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary and renewed their vows. I felt so lucky to have witnessed this (especially when I read somewhere that in Australia, marriage lasts for an average of 8.5 years - though I'm not sure if I've read it from a trashy mag or some reliable source). I can't help smiling and wiping my eyes at the same time. :D
4. Saw lots of pretty dresses on display, plus just some random things at Fortitude Valley like bridal stores, posters, cheap food...

Our first time at Mt Coot-tha which has a magnificent view of Brisbane

Posters at a sketchy alley. Would love to go to this Harvest event with Crazy.

All the while, the thought that December is coming - and coming fast - makes me have knots in my stomach. This year, I've seen more weddings of my batchmates than in the years before and it makes me smile to see them celebrate such a great milestone. And I just can't help thinking that it's gonna happen for me too, and soon. And maybe my skin still won't be flawless, but I can only hope on that day I'll look my best. And then there are the entourage's dresses, invitations, songs, programmes, guest list, etc etc that we haven't finalized. So maybe now is the time we should actually get things going. I've probably saved a hundred pictures in my folder and haven't even bothered to compile them. I should. I'm a bit tempted to create a wedding website though I'm pretty sure I won't have time to do it. Just updating this blog once a week was apparently a tall order too. So I'll just put updates here instead.

I am quite excited though that we seem close to finalizing the colours. I'm glad we have our OTD coordinator and event stylist that we can consult regarding these things. So we've decided to have our bridesmaids wear yellow. And 'dusty teal' for the flower girls. We also considered having our moms wear blue and the pink/blush element would just be in the flowers. But we also want our moms to be comfortable and happy with their dress and it looks like a blush/muted peach would do the job. After all, they are not really part of the entourage.

Left: Fabric we found at Lincraft. Too bad the menthol silk yoryu is not long enough for 2 dresses (but maybe a good thing too because it's a bit expensive - plus shipping). Next to it is a deep blush coloured chiffon.

Right: Window display at Babushka Ballerina that we passed by this morning. The dress in the middle has the colour we're looking for (or slightly more pink in hue) for our moms' dresses.

Note: The colours are paler in the pictures because I'm using my phone's camera.

I am often drawn to Elie Saab's collections . These are the photos I should be showing my mom so they can pick the right colour. Photos from Elie Saab Spring/Summer 2011.

Well that's all for now. I'm starting to get excited about our wedding preps, which is good because if you've read my older posts, you'd know that at some point I was just over it. :D I'll try to post more wedding inspirations next time, if I remember to note where the pictures come from. :)

Have a great 2nd half of 2012! :)