Today is my 23rd birthday, and it's been such a great day. Instead of recapping the events of today with some pictures I'd like to take a moment to talk about this past year for me. I realized today when chatting on the phone with my Aunt Amber, that in these past 365(6) days I've gleaned years worth of life experience. As a brief recap let me just list some of the things that have happened.
Last year June 2012 I was just finishing up my senior year of college. That summer I moved to Massachusetts and spent the summer here working at a camp and also traveling a bit with friends and family. I also participated in the World Choir Games and had my last performance as a member of the MU Concert Choir. I completed my student teaching that fall, which was an amazing life changing experience. I met so many wonderful and inspirational people and I really got a better sense of myself as a teacher and future music educator. That December I graduated with a BA in Music Education, Magna Cum Laude from Mansfield University. During this time I lived in State College, PA with one of my best friend's Derek. While in State College I got involved with some community theater and after graduation I began substitute teaching in the district. In February of this year I was in a serious car accident which resulted in: totaling my car, 2 surgeries, 7 screws and 1 plate in my body, 1 week in a hospital, 2 weeks at a rehab center, and then moving back in with my family in MA for the remainder of this year. During this past year I was in a serious relationship that ended. Also in these past few months I managed to start my own online business and even achieve some profit from it thus far. I also have had my first experiences with applying and interviewing for full time teaching jobs. (I am sure I'm missing something... )
Looking back at the year of 22- I can't believe that this was all crammed into 365/6 days! It's amazing to me. I feel like I have grown so much as a human being, in this time. I have been able to take away some life lessons from this crazy past year of my life. I am so thankful to have these experiences and to be the person I am today. I am excited for what the next year of my life holds- which right now, I haven't even the slightest clue to where God might take me. I am trusting that this next year will be just as crazy and full as the last- I hope I will keep experiencing new things that will challenge me to grow and will help me strive to be even better than I am today.
One last thing: if anything, this past year has taught me the importance of relationships in my life. I want to give a special thank you to each and every family member and friend who had been here for me this past year. It has been amazing to receive such amazing support and friendship through all of these life changes. I only hope that I can be as good of a friend/family member to all of you as you have been to me. Thanks everyone! <3 nbsp="" p="">
Alright that's enough sappiness and reflection for now. Have a good night!
Showing posts with label friendship. Show all posts
Showing posts with label friendship. Show all posts
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Thursday, February 14, 2013
February 1st
The past 2 weeks have been- possibly the longest 2 weeks of my life. As I'm sure many of you have heard by now I was in a car crash on February 1st. Now I don't know how many people really know the entire true story of what happened- since usually as word gets around it's hard to keep it accurate. So I wanted to go on the record and give you a run down of my life for the past 2 weeks (this will take more than one post).
That Friday morning I was driving to work- a substitute job at a middle school about 20 minutes from my apartment. I am very familiar with the route I was driving and the roads themselves weren't even bad that day. I left as usual and drove over the mountain to get into state college. I came around a curve and noticed some ice and snow ahead so I put my breaks on. (Maybe I wasn't supposed to do that- but I can never keep it straight about how you should drive on ice). My car started to swerve out of control into the other lane. Another car was coming so I decided my only option was to try and swerve back towards my side and avoid the collision with another car. My car did avoid the other cars on the road but did not avoid hitting a tree! It's pretty thick forest along that road and going off to the side of the road means hitting trees. To this day I am still thankful that my car did not hit any other cars or injure anyone but myself- in this account I was very lucky.
The crash was bad- and the impact from it destroyed a lot of the front of the car. As you can see in these pictures the damage was pretty extensive. Derek (my roommate/friend) who went to gather my belongings from my car later on- took these pictures and told me that the engine had started to protrude up into the dash area of the front seats, especially on the passenger side.
After the crash happened I didn't really notice how bad the crash had been. I know that sounds strange, but I was in such shock and pain that most of my thoughts were focused on worrying about my own well being- not really worrying about the car. That being said- when the police officer showed up at the hospital with his report on the accident it prompted a lot more tests to be done on my body for internal and other serious injuries that may have occurred.
Now that the smoke has settled from the accident we have been able to work through all the details with my insurance company and seem to be getting back a fair amount of money for the car. In case you couldn't guess, my car (named Angie) is totaled. I was so looking forward to many more years of driving her, but I am glad that at least I should be getting enough money to get another car of somewhat similar caliber.
Enough about my car- let's talk about what happened to me. As I said earlier the crash was pretty bad- I hit a tree, head on, and the airbags did deploy. When the crash happened I was in total shock and pain. I remember crawling out of the car and onto the snowy hard ground. I wish I could say that I was fine and responded with logic and calmness- but I didn't. I basically felt like I was going crazy. I kept saying "Oh my God" over and over again while shaking and crying.
A seriously good samaritan named Nicole, stopped to help. She rushed over and started asking all the right questions. She asked about my pain, and if I had blacked out, and tons of other questions. She had another passer-by call 911 to report the accident as she helped me limp into her car. She grabbed my purse and then drove me to the hospital. In the car i called the middle school I was supposed to be subbing at and my mother. When I finally reached the E.R. I was in a lot of pain. My right knee was killing me, and skin was protruding from a hole in my jeans. My left hip and my nose also hurt a lot- and I had just about cleaned up my bloody mouth by the time we got inside.
Once i was admitted to the E.R. I felt really alone and scared. I didn't know anything about how intense these injuries were- and on top of it no one gave me any pain medicine! (for a really long time). I ended up having some X-rays and a C.T. scan done. (yes I had to drink the horrible radioactive fluid). It wasn't until after the C.T. Scan that we found out the total news of my injuries. My right patella (knee cap) was broken- with a pretty big whole in my knee down to the joint- letting air in (huge risk of infection) and my right hip was fractured. The news of a broken hip came as a huge shock since my right hip didn't even hurt at all!
All afternoon there was discussion of when and where the surgeries might take place. At this point I was at Mt. Nittany Hospital and they knew the knee would have to be operated on at least to clean it out and stitch it up. After waiting all morning and part of the afternoon they gave the word to ship me to a different hospital with doctors who specialize in hip injuries to get a more solid second opinion on the hip and the knee. I was so thankful to have my friends Sydney and Derek there for the afternoon- I am not sure if I could have done that entire morning all by myself.
Later- I took a hour and a half ride to Geisinger Hospital in Danville, PA. At this point my mom was already on her way to PA to come to the rescue.When I reached the new hospital I was notified that I would be admitted in the trauma department since my accident had been so severe. This is more urgent than an E.R. and came with some interesting details. When I got there about 10-15 doctors, nurses, and interns, poured over my body to examine every inch of it. I felt slightly humiliated when they removed my socks and hospital gown and just about everyone saw everything. I got over the physical embarrassment quickly but didn't adjust well to so many people acting crazy and running a million tests on me at one time. My knee at this point still was killing me- and had been bandaged up a little. While I was in the Trauma department my knee got a pretty good cleaning and new bandages- however it also got more painful X-rays and another C.T. scan. On top of all of this for the entire day I wasn't allowed to eat or drink anything- not even water- because of the uncertainty of when my knee would be operated on! I hated not being able to drink water and at one point my blood pressure and pulse dropped dangerously low from being dehydrated. (That's when I finally got hooked up to Saline).
That entire first day is still pretty clear in my mind- and I remember the relief I felt when I was finally in a hospital room and my mother arrived. By this point I had some pain relief, but was still dying from not being able to drink any water. I somewhat remember drifting off to sleep that first night, being totally drained and stripped of any molecule of energy I might have had left.
The next morning my knee was operated on- they cleaned it out thoroughly and stitched it up. The recovery after this surgery was rough and I had to take a lot of pain killers before it even felt muted. The weekend included some really lovely visitors and a lot of recovery- just in time for my second surgery on Monday.
Monday (Feb 4) the doctors went in and operated on my knee and hip adding a screw to my knee and plate to my hip- to hold everything together. Waking up from this surgery was brutal- and again the with-holding of water was unbearable! Most of the nurses at the hospital were wonderful and very kind during this rough recovery process. We had a horrible and very scarring experience with one nurse on a night shift that I never wish to repeat in my whole entire life. (Don't worry- Mom reported it). Other than the one nurse we had some issues with the rest were so king to me. Their gentleness and patience I would count as a major contributing factor towards my recovery.
My mother was also my rock during this whole process- she held my hand (literally) through the entire process and I certainly would not have been able to get through that first week without her help. She is the best mother in the world- and I am ready to fight anyone who would disagree.
After about 4 very intense days of recovery it was finally time for me to leave the hospital and go to rehab. (which is where I am now!) I will get into all the ins and outs of rehab another day.
But for now you should know- my knee and hip are healing well. Both have a combination of staples and stitches- which you can see in my knee pictured below!
Aside from my right knee and hip- my other injuries are minimal. Most just include bruising or scratches and will heal on their own. One nasty bruise that I am thankful for is on my left hip (pictured below). This bruise is the proof that I was wearing my seat belt- and the reminder that it most likely saved my life!
There are a few bruises however that I really hate- and I find totally unnecessary. During my hospital stay I was pricked in about 10 different location for IVs multiple times. I also had IVs moved and ended up having 4 IVs total- and blood drawn from my arms everyday. This resulted in a lot of pain and tons of bruising on my arms!! (the picture below doesn't even do the amount of arm bruising justice).
I have so much more to tell you all- but for now I'll leave it at that. Hopefully you better understand my accident- my injuries- my surgeries- and my week long hospital stay. Thank you so much if you have been thinking or praying for me at all during this time. Every single person who has reached out to me- I feel nothing but love and gratitude for them. If you have any questions about anything don't hesitate to ask! And in the mean time- I pray God will bless you and keep you safe!
That Friday morning I was driving to work- a substitute job at a middle school about 20 minutes from my apartment. I am very familiar with the route I was driving and the roads themselves weren't even bad that day. I left as usual and drove over the mountain to get into state college. I came around a curve and noticed some ice and snow ahead so I put my breaks on. (Maybe I wasn't supposed to do that- but I can never keep it straight about how you should drive on ice). My car started to swerve out of control into the other lane. Another car was coming so I decided my only option was to try and swerve back towards my side and avoid the collision with another car. My car did avoid the other cars on the road but did not avoid hitting a tree! It's pretty thick forest along that road and going off to the side of the road means hitting trees. To this day I am still thankful that my car did not hit any other cars or injure anyone but myself- in this account I was very lucky.
The crash was bad- and the impact from it destroyed a lot of the front of the car. As you can see in these pictures the damage was pretty extensive. Derek (my roommate/friend) who went to gather my belongings from my car later on- took these pictures and told me that the engine had started to protrude up into the dash area of the front seats, especially on the passenger side.
After the crash happened I didn't really notice how bad the crash had been. I know that sounds strange, but I was in such shock and pain that most of my thoughts were focused on worrying about my own well being- not really worrying about the car. That being said- when the police officer showed up at the hospital with his report on the accident it prompted a lot more tests to be done on my body for internal and other serious injuries that may have occurred.
Now that the smoke has settled from the accident we have been able to work through all the details with my insurance company and seem to be getting back a fair amount of money for the car. In case you couldn't guess, my car (named Angie) is totaled. I was so looking forward to many more years of driving her, but I am glad that at least I should be getting enough money to get another car of somewhat similar caliber.
A seriously good samaritan named Nicole, stopped to help. She rushed over and started asking all the right questions. She asked about my pain, and if I had blacked out, and tons of other questions. She had another passer-by call 911 to report the accident as she helped me limp into her car. She grabbed my purse and then drove me to the hospital. In the car i called the middle school I was supposed to be subbing at and my mother. When I finally reached the E.R. I was in a lot of pain. My right knee was killing me, and skin was protruding from a hole in my jeans. My left hip and my nose also hurt a lot- and I had just about cleaned up my bloody mouth by the time we got inside.
Once i was admitted to the E.R. I felt really alone and scared. I didn't know anything about how intense these injuries were- and on top of it no one gave me any pain medicine! (for a really long time). I ended up having some X-rays and a C.T. scan done. (yes I had to drink the horrible radioactive fluid). It wasn't until after the C.T. Scan that we found out the total news of my injuries. My right patella (knee cap) was broken- with a pretty big whole in my knee down to the joint- letting air in (huge risk of infection) and my right hip was fractured. The news of a broken hip came as a huge shock since my right hip didn't even hurt at all!
All afternoon there was discussion of when and where the surgeries might take place. At this point I was at Mt. Nittany Hospital and they knew the knee would have to be operated on at least to clean it out and stitch it up. After waiting all morning and part of the afternoon they gave the word to ship me to a different hospital with doctors who specialize in hip injuries to get a more solid second opinion on the hip and the knee. I was so thankful to have my friends Sydney and Derek there for the afternoon- I am not sure if I could have done that entire morning all by myself.
Later- I took a hour and a half ride to Geisinger Hospital in Danville, PA. At this point my mom was already on her way to PA to come to the rescue.When I reached the new hospital I was notified that I would be admitted in the trauma department since my accident had been so severe. This is more urgent than an E.R. and came with some interesting details. When I got there about 10-15 doctors, nurses, and interns, poured over my body to examine every inch of it. I felt slightly humiliated when they removed my socks and hospital gown and just about everyone saw everything. I got over the physical embarrassment quickly but didn't adjust well to so many people acting crazy and running a million tests on me at one time. My knee at this point still was killing me- and had been bandaged up a little. While I was in the Trauma department my knee got a pretty good cleaning and new bandages- however it also got more painful X-rays and another C.T. scan. On top of all of this for the entire day I wasn't allowed to eat or drink anything- not even water- because of the uncertainty of when my knee would be operated on! I hated not being able to drink water and at one point my blood pressure and pulse dropped dangerously low from being dehydrated. (That's when I finally got hooked up to Saline).
That entire first day is still pretty clear in my mind- and I remember the relief I felt when I was finally in a hospital room and my mother arrived. By this point I had some pain relief, but was still dying from not being able to drink any water. I somewhat remember drifting off to sleep that first night, being totally drained and stripped of any molecule of energy I might have had left.
The next morning my knee was operated on- they cleaned it out thoroughly and stitched it up. The recovery after this surgery was rough and I had to take a lot of pain killers before it even felt muted. The weekend included some really lovely visitors and a lot of recovery- just in time for my second surgery on Monday.
Monday (Feb 4) the doctors went in and operated on my knee and hip adding a screw to my knee and plate to my hip- to hold everything together. Waking up from this surgery was brutal- and again the with-holding of water was unbearable! Most of the nurses at the hospital were wonderful and very kind during this rough recovery process. We had a horrible and very scarring experience with one nurse on a night shift that I never wish to repeat in my whole entire life. (Don't worry- Mom reported it). Other than the one nurse we had some issues with the rest were so king to me. Their gentleness and patience I would count as a major contributing factor towards my recovery.
My mother was also my rock during this whole process- she held my hand (literally) through the entire process and I certainly would not have been able to get through that first week without her help. She is the best mother in the world- and I am ready to fight anyone who would disagree.
After about 4 very intense days of recovery it was finally time for me to leave the hospital and go to rehab. (which is where I am now!) I will get into all the ins and outs of rehab another day.
But for now you should know- my knee and hip are healing well. Both have a combination of staples and stitches- which you can see in my knee pictured below!
I am not able to bend my knee at all since the surgery on the knee was so extensive. Instead of a cast the doctors put my right leg in an immobilizer. It can come off but is supposed to stay on all day and night. My hip I just have a bandage on but when leaving the hospital they gave me some hip motion limitations in order to allow for it to heal fully. I am not allowed to bend my body forward more than a 90 degree angle because of my hip (this one is the hardest rule to follow).
One totally lovely thing about this entire experience has been the amount of love and support I have felt from everyone. I feel so overwhelmed by love because I never once have experienced people from every stage of my life all supporting me in one endeavor before. People from my childhood in Utica have reached out to me- all the way up to my most recent acquaintances in State college- my students and my cast of Legally Blonde- all of them reached out to love and support me through this time. I feel so blessed to have so many amazing people thinking of me and praying for my healing. I know it is by God's glory and power that my healing has been going so well so far. And everyday I praise him for sparing my life in the car accident and thank him for placing angels in that car with me to protect my life!
P.S. Happy Valentine's Day
Sunday, January 27, 2013
P.S.- I graduated.
I forgot to ever post on my blog that I graduated- this past December! I got my Bachelors in Music Education- and Vocal Performance from Mansfield University. I LOVED graduating with a few of my closest friends- Derek, Beth, and Ryan (Not to mention a bunch of other amazing people!). I was even lucky enough to have some close friends and family come watch the ceremony! One of my favorite parts was after the ceremony when a huge group of us and some of our parents went out to eat. It was the perfect reminder of all of the close friendships I have made during my time at Mansfield.
I won't get into my time at Mansfield too much- I could write a whole book on the years I spent there- my classes, teachers, friends, and other experiences. All I will say for now is that I feel extremely blessed to have had such an amazing experience in college. I learned acquired amazing amounts of knowledge from interesting courses and inspiring professors. I built close relationships with many people around me and made myself a little "Mansfield" family. I grew up so much, and learned a lot about myself, and realized I still have so much more to learn! I wouldn't change a single detail about college- every single moment of it has helped shaped me into the person I am today- which I like to think is someone good. ;) Thank you to everyone for all your help, support, and love! I could not have done it without all of you and the amazing love and support of my family!
It feels awesome to be done but a little surreal! (More on that later). If you'd like to see some pictures check out my Mom's post here. My official degree came in the mail right around Christmas! It was the perfect present!! For those wondering-- I AM using my degree currently! I have been substitute teaching in central PA. So far I really enjoy it, it's fun to teach all grades and subjects- and certainly keeps my life interesting!
I won't get into my time at Mansfield too much- I could write a whole book on the years I spent there- my classes, teachers, friends, and other experiences. All I will say for now is that I feel extremely blessed to have had such an amazing experience in college. I learned acquired amazing amounts of knowledge from interesting courses and inspiring professors. I built close relationships with many people around me and made myself a little "Mansfield" family. I grew up so much, and learned a lot about myself, and realized I still have so much more to learn! I wouldn't change a single detail about college- every single moment of it has helped shaped me into the person I am today- which I like to think is someone good. ;) Thank you to everyone for all your help, support, and love! I could not have done it without all of you and the amazing love and support of my family!
It feels awesome to be done but a little surreal! (More on that later). If you'd like to see some pictures check out my Mom's post here. My official degree came in the mail right around Christmas! It was the perfect present!! For those wondering-- I AM using my degree currently! I have been substitute teaching in central PA. So far I really enjoy it, it's fun to teach all grades and subjects- and certainly keeps my life interesting!
Friday, December 21, 2012
Throwing a Long Distance Bridal Shower
Hello! I am so sorry it's been awhile since I have posted anything substantial on my blog! In the next few days you can look forward to posts about crafty things, holidays, cats, and graduation! I'd like to kick off this blogging marathon with a brilliant crafty party idea. (this one is a long post! hang in there).
This fall I was asked by one of my best friend's, Danielle, if I would be the maid of honor in her wedding this winter. I was beyond excited to say yes, mostly because I was thrilled to be there for one of my friends during this special time in her life. Among the bridal party- are two of my other best girlfriends: Meagan and Alyssa. You might recognize all of these names-because we all were in Alyssa's wedding this July!
These girls are among my favorite people ever- we all became a group of friends during high school- and since then no matter how many miles separate us we can always know the other girls are there whenever we need them.
Once I was asked to be maid of honor- I started thinking about what responsibilities went along with that. Obviously i googled it- and panic ensued. Google was giving me enormous lists of tasks that are the maid of honors responsibility- so instead I calmed down and emailed Danielle to check what her expectations were. She was pretty mellow saying that she didn't think me throwing a bridal shower or other parties are really possible because she is all the way down in Texas! (I'm up in PA). So since then I had just been doing my best to help out from afar and be a supportive friend. Then it occurred to me- this isn't fair! Just because she is far away from her family and friends does not mean she should have to miss out on a bridal shower- so the scheming started! I contacted the mother of the bride and the other bridesmaid to concoct this outrageous plan.
I created a "long distance bridal shower". My idea started as a box full of cards from family and friends instead of a shower. The box would also include cute things to represent a shower. Alyssa contributed the idea of adding an element of gifts to be sent- and with tons of planning and help from everyone we finally figured it out. This is the email I sent out to all of Danielle's family and friends... (addresses have been edited out and spacing changed for the purpose of this post).
Hello family and friends of Danielle and Sean,
My name is Danielle M. I am the maid of honor in Danielle and Sean's wedding and I have a very important message for you!
I would like to formally invite you to partake in a long-distance bridal shower. We all know that Danielle and Sean are down in Texas, and the wedding is rapidly approaching. Danielle will not be able to make it back up North before the big day. After much deliberation among her bridesmaids, we have decided that Danielle and Sean still deserve to be showered with love (even all the way down in Texas), so we formulated a plan. Instead of having a physical bridal shower for the couple, we would like to gather up all of the cards and gifts and send them in a surprise package to Danielle. The package would be presented as her "long-distance bridal shower" and would include any cards from family/friends and other personal touches to help make them feel showered with love.
Your Role in the Bridal Shower:
How you can participate:
1. Send a bridal shower card with a message of love for the couple.
2. Send a card with an additional gift card or check as a gift.
3. Purchase a gift online or in person to send for the shower.
If you have chosen option 1 or 2, here is what you should do:
Please address your card/gift to the following address-
(my address went here)
The card must be received by: November 26
If you have chosen option 3, please follow these instructions:
Please have the gift mailed to the following address-
(neighbor of Danielle here)
These packages must be received by: December 1
Important Note: We know the holidays can be a financially stressful time of year, and that Texas is far away; you should not feel obligated to spend any money if you are not comfortable or not able to do so.
Questions you may have:
When will Danielle & Sean get the packages?
We are still working on negotiating the specifics, but Danielle should be scheduled to open the packages sometime between the 3rd - 9th of December. Please remember that this is a TOTAL SURPRISE! Do not mention anything to Sean or Danielle until after her scheduled "bridal shower!" (PS> the date did change and we had to keep everyone email updated on this)
Where should I shop for a gift or gift card?
Danielle and Sean are registered at Crate&Barrel.
Other nice options are: Williams & Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Target, and Bed Bath & Beyond. Be creative!
Who should checks be made out to?
Please make checks out to either Sean Arnold or Danielle Harmon.
I can only send a card, is that O.K.?
Yes! The whole goal of this shower is to shower the couple with love. A simple card with kind words is just as meaningful as a gift.
I want to do option 1 or 2, but I missed the Deadline, what should I do?
Contact Danielle M. at (my email here) to work something out!
Whose address are the packages are being sent to?
This address belongs to Danielle's neighbor. They have graciously agreed to accept the presents prior to the shower in order to keep it a total surprise!
If you have any further questions please email me at (my email here) or call me at (my phone number here)
Thank you so much for your time! We hope you are able to participate in showering the happy couple with love and support! I look forward to hearing from you soon!
Sincerely,
Danielle M.
After sending out this email I had many positive responses back. Originally I wasn't sure how people would take it. I didn't want anyone to feel pressured into feeling like they had to contribute or buy a gift if they felt uncomfortable or they couldn't afford to.
The end result was fabulous! We had about 5 people send along cards to be included in the box- and about 16 or so gifts that were mailed to the neighbors. I emailed everyone who was invited periodically to give them updates along the way and I sent along this picture of the box that I sent to Danielle.
This fall I was asked by one of my best friend's, Danielle, if I would be the maid of honor in her wedding this winter. I was beyond excited to say yes, mostly because I was thrilled to be there for one of my friends during this special time in her life. Among the bridal party- are two of my other best girlfriends: Meagan and Alyssa. You might recognize all of these names-because we all were in Alyssa's wedding this July!
These girls are among my favorite people ever- we all became a group of friends during high school- and since then no matter how many miles separate us we can always know the other girls are there whenever we need them.
Once I was asked to be maid of honor- I started thinking about what responsibilities went along with that. Obviously i googled it- and panic ensued. Google was giving me enormous lists of tasks that are the maid of honors responsibility- so instead I calmed down and emailed Danielle to check what her expectations were. She was pretty mellow saying that she didn't think me throwing a bridal shower or other parties are really possible because she is all the way down in Texas! (I'm up in PA). So since then I had just been doing my best to help out from afar and be a supportive friend. Then it occurred to me- this isn't fair! Just because she is far away from her family and friends does not mean she should have to miss out on a bridal shower- so the scheming started! I contacted the mother of the bride and the other bridesmaid to concoct this outrageous plan.
I created a "long distance bridal shower". My idea started as a box full of cards from family and friends instead of a shower. The box would also include cute things to represent a shower. Alyssa contributed the idea of adding an element of gifts to be sent- and with tons of planning and help from everyone we finally figured it out. This is the email I sent out to all of Danielle's family and friends... (addresses have been edited out and spacing changed for the purpose of this post).
Hello family and friends of Danielle and Sean,
My name is Danielle M. I am the maid of honor in Danielle and Sean's wedding and I have a very important message for you!
I would like to formally invite you to partake in a long-distance bridal shower. We all know that Danielle and Sean are down in Texas, and the wedding is rapidly approaching. Danielle will not be able to make it back up North before the big day. After much deliberation among her bridesmaids, we have decided that Danielle and Sean still deserve to be showered with love (even all the way down in Texas), so we formulated a plan. Instead of having a physical bridal shower for the couple, we would like to gather up all of the cards and gifts and send them in a surprise package to Danielle. The package would be presented as her "long-distance bridal shower" and would include any cards from family/friends and other personal touches to help make them feel showered with love.
Your Role in the Bridal Shower:
How you can participate:
1. Send a bridal shower card with a message of love for the couple.
2. Send a card with an additional gift card or check as a gift.
3. Purchase a gift online or in person to send for the shower.
If you have chosen option 1 or 2, here is what you should do:
Please address your card/gift to the following address-
(my address went here)
The card must be received by: November 26
If you have chosen option 3, please follow these instructions:
Please have the gift mailed to the following address-
(neighbor of Danielle here)
These packages must be received by: December 1
Important Note: We know the holidays can be a financially stressful time of year, and that Texas is far away; you should not feel obligated to spend any money if you are not comfortable or not able to do so.
Questions you may have:
When will Danielle & Sean get the packages?
We are still working on negotiating the specifics, but Danielle should be scheduled to open the packages sometime between the 3rd - 9th of December. Please remember that this is a TOTAL SURPRISE! Do not mention anything to Sean or Danielle until after her scheduled "bridal shower!" (PS> the date did change and we had to keep everyone email updated on this)
Where should I shop for a gift or gift card?
Danielle and Sean are registered at Crate&Barrel.
Other nice options are: Williams & Sonoma, Pottery Barn, Target, and Bed Bath & Beyond. Be creative!
Who should checks be made out to?
Please make checks out to either Sean Arnold or Danielle Harmon.
I can only send a card, is that O.K.?
Yes! The whole goal of this shower is to shower the couple with love. A simple card with kind words is just as meaningful as a gift.
I want to do option 1 or 2, but I missed the Deadline, what should I do?
Contact Danielle M. at (my email here) to work something out!
Whose address are the packages are being sent to?
This address belongs to Danielle's neighbor. They have graciously agreed to accept the presents prior to the shower in order to keep it a total surprise!
If you have any further questions please email me at (my email here) or call me at (my phone number here)
Thank you so much for your time! We hope you are able to participate in showering the happy couple with love and support! I look forward to hearing from you soon!
Sincerely,
Danielle M.
After sending out this email I had many positive responses back. Originally I wasn't sure how people would take it. I didn't want anyone to feel pressured into feeling like they had to contribute or buy a gift if they felt uncomfortable or they couldn't afford to.
The end result was fabulous! We had about 5 people send along cards to be included in the box- and about 16 or so gifts that were mailed to the neighbors. I emailed everyone who was invited periodically to give them updates along the way and I sent along this picture of the box that I sent to Danielle.
Look at my post on how I created this box for more details and pictures!
While this box was being shipped all the way to Texas- myself and the other bridesmaid were scheming away. We got Danielle to agree to google chat with us to "fill us in on wedding stuff". We even had to move the chat because the box hadn't arrived yet! (I made up an excuse to postpone it). We rescheduled the chat and had to re-coordinate with Sean's mother to have her not move the boxes from the neighbors yet. It was a total miracle but the box made it on the day we had rescheduled the video chat for. And it ended up being flawlessly executed.
Danielle opened the box when we gave her the go ahead. (Meanwhile Sean's mom was moving all the boxes from the neighbors to their house). It was so fun to watch her open the box and be covered in all that fake snow. When she finished open the box I sent and the cards inside of it. She innocently thought the surprise was over. That's when we had her go downstairs only to find Sean, his parents, and the 16 boxes from more of her family and friends. The couple opened up the gifts and we watched from the video chat. It was so amazing to watch this all unfold and honestly I could not have been happier with the results! I am so grateful to all of Danielle and Sean's family and friends who participated!
(pictures of Danielle in Texas during the shower soon to come!)
If you are ever thinking about throwing someone a long-distance-party. It can absolutely be done! Don't be afraid to try something new. I think this is probably one of the first long-distance-bridal-showers ever, and I loved it. If you have any questions about the specifics, or any hiccups along the way just comment below and I'll get back to you!
Happy party planning! I hope this inspired some holiday cheer!
Friday, August 17, 2012
J + A
Earlier this summer I was blessed with the opportunity to be apart of one of my best friend's weddings! I was a bridesmaid for Alyssa & Josh's wedding, and I couldn't have had a nicer time! They decided to get hitched up in Canada on lake Mazinaw which has special significance to Alyssa's family. It was about a 10 hour drive for me to get up there but every single minute or travel was worth it! I can't explain how it feels to watch one of your childhood friends get married. I have known Lys since the sixth grade, and even since middle school she had told me how in love with Josh she was. (Who says no one marries their middle school crush?!). It was years until they finally got together- but now I am so happy they did! They are truly a wonderful couple and balance each other perfectly. All you want for a best friend is for her to be happy- mission accomplished :) I truly feel blessed to have been able to be witness to the ceremony and able to support them in this important occasion in their lives!
Monday, June 18, 2012
Onescore and Two Years
This past Thursday I celebrated my 22nd birthday. It was also Christopher's birthday (he turned 18). Although my day was pretty low-key I wanted to share a few pictures and what I did that day.
I started off the morning by heading to Ludlow Central Bakery with my Mom. Since we both have been dieting strictly and decided to take the day off you better believe we nearly drooled on their display cases!
I ended up picking a pastry roughly the size of my head! (Don't worry I couldn't eat it all!)
After that we drove in the car to downtown West Sringfield so I could get my TB skin test done (shout out to education majors). They checked it and lucky me I am TB free!
We drove out to a credit union in CT next (I know, I know this story is really exciting; doctor's office and credit union, what could possibly be next?!)
On our long drive out and back I spotted a sign for German Shepherd puppies. Christopher has been asking if we can get a german shepherd so for his "present" I sent him a picture of this sign. (I am broke right now lol)
Once we arrived home we hade a delicious lunch of Turkey Club sandwiches and watched an episode of 24 (a TV show my mom, chris, and I watch).
After lunch we headed to the mall to do some birthday shopping. We both had a little leftover birthday money that my parents weren't sure what to get, so I ended up picking out a new pair of running shoes! Which I love dearly!
Later we went out to dinner at Olive Garden, and I ordered way too much food, that again I couldn't finish (lucky Chris who ate my leftovers)!
We came home and opened presents even with Gabby watching on Skype. I got some really nice presents and my mom was kind enough to let me shop with her and pick stuff out that I wanted.
My birthday gifts included:
Earrings and a necklace to go with my bridesmaid dress
Shoes that compliment the dress and jewlery
New running shoes
Grey lace dress from forever 21
Antique sewing basket stocked with teacher supplies from gabby
and $20 Khol's cash from chris: which I put towards purchasing a professional "teacher bag"
I loved all my gifts and the lovely FB messages or texts and calls from family and friends wishing me a happy birthday!
We had ice cream cake after and played some board games!
The ice cream cake included: oreo cookie crust, moose tracks ice cream, a layer of hot fugdge, peanuts, peanut butter, and whip cream, topped off with broken up reese's cups and sprinkles! Yumm! It tasted like heaven in a piece of cake!
I had a lovely relaxing day, although I can't believe I am 22. It sounds much older than 21. I feel like the past few years since 18 have just raced by. I wonder what the next 5 years might hold for me. Aside from the rest of this year I have no clear future plans. I am exploring lots of options and have no idea what direction life might take me. But for now I am gonna focus on taking it one day at a time.
Thank you to everyone who has loved or cared about me at any point in my life. You have helped shape me into the young woman I am today, and I only hope I can inspire and share love with people as much as I have been blessed with in my life.
<3 Have a great day everyone!
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Some things are meant to be
I feel ridiculously lucky to have been blessed with so many wonderful friends throughout my lifetime. I move around a lot and each time I worry about making new friends and finding a niche in my new environment. I am happy to report that thus far each place I have lived I have made friends and apart of me now calls that place home.
I wanted to write today about a very near and dear friend of mine, Sarah.
My freshman year of college I think she was my first good friend that I made. Fall semester of freshman year we used to hang out constantly and have movie nights with our other friends. We spent most of our time acting like ridiculous freshman- or having theory study parties!
In the Spring semester of Freshman year we joined SAI and went through our process together! We did both musicals together which was excellent. In into the woods we even got to be sisters! Well step-sisters.... Thinking back it's almost like the directors knew that Sydney, Sarah and I would be best friends! This semester Sarah also came down to Charleston with me for spring break!
Sophomore year was good to us, we built up a wonderful group of friends around us, and had countless fun being in another musical together, spending a second spring break together (in NYC), and becoming even better friends then before!
Junior year brought new changes and challenges in our friendship- we moved in together with two of our other good friends, Daniela and Sydney- and this really put stress on our friendships (over silly house things)...Glad to say that once our friendship survived Junior Year we basically knew we could make it through anything!
This past summer I had the privilege of going to Europe with her(and the rest of my choir).
We had such excellent times- especially celebrating her birthday in Ireland!
Senior year, has been a dream. The fall semester I got to really enjoy Sarah and my other friends. We got to do the opera together, remain in many organizations together- and spend a lot of time bonding and hanging out in the evenings- and even the first portion of this semester. (I have been so lucky).
Now she leaves for Arizona to complete her student teaching. There isn't really any way to express exactly how much I am going to miss having her around. I cannot begin to explain the fun we have had- the cry sessions- the inappropriate public discussions at our favorite coffee shop, Night & Day- and so many more special times.
Although I am amazingly sad to not have her around, I probably am more excited than she is about her trip to AZ. It has been a dream of mine to drive cross country and I am so excited she gets to do it! I know this experience will teach her about herself, teach her about the world, and just be simply amazing overall. She is eventually going to start a blog about her life in AZ, and I will link it back to my blog for anyone interested :)
Good luck to my best friend. The world is not ready for all the amazing talents and skills you have to offer it. I know that you will aspire to greatness and rise to the challenge of living on your own in AZ.
I know Arizona is a long ways away- but no amount of distance is going to break down this friendship--- some things are meant to be- I am pretty sure we were destined for each other!
Sorry you are stuck with me :)
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