Pictures of wedding stuff

Ok....here's the dress. This is one of my favorites of the back. It has a perfect length train. Not too long, but still long enough to look like a wedding dress. This dress doesn't really have a red sash. We just wanted to see what it would look like. Better without the sash for sure. Don't know if you can tell in this picture, but this has lace all the way up the back. It makes it very fitted, like a glove.

Here's an up close of the front. I learned some new words while I was dress shopping. Ruching. I don't know how to spell it. But that's what all the wrinkly stuff is. Supposed to be very flattering. The trim around the neck and the sleeves has some very tiny little crystals on it. Just enough to sparkle but not enough to be obnoxious. And that's pretty much all the design on it. Just enough.

Here is one with the veil. I don't think I'm really going to get a veil this long (cathedral length). It was a bit too long. But I think I would go with a floor length veil.

One of the great things about this dress is that I don't need anything altered. Not a single thing. This dress was meant for me. Perfect in the shoulders. Perfect length. Perfect in the bodice, waist, whatever. It fits. And it's perfect.

This is what our cake is going to look like. Not sure about the bow on top though. And maybe some red ribbons on it. Haven't gotten that far yet. But I like square. And our colors are black, white, and red. So this cake is perfect.

Our reception is going to be at Wadley Farms in Lindon, Utah. Check out the website. It's a beautiful place. www.wadleyfarms.com We also have a wedding website for all things wedding related. Any information that anyone might need for our big day will be on this website. It's under construction at this point, but I will keep it as up to date as possible.

www.jazandjefftownsend.nearlyweds.com

Hope to see all our friends and family at the reception. Yay!!!

The hardest secret to keep

In February, Jeff and I decided to get married. But we haven't really be very open about it. No posts on Facebook, no mass emails, and this is the first time I've written on my blog about it. Jeff asked me to keep it on the down low for a little bit while he informed his family. Remember....he's in Spain. A phone call to the parents is not as easy (or cost efficient) for him as it is for me. So for a whole 2 weeks, I had to keep it a secret from my parents while he sent "email hints" to his parents. Then finally he just laid it all out, and I called my mom and dad. And slowly our friends and family members have been hearing about it here and there. So now it's out in the blog-o-verse. Does that make it more official now? Who knows.....but I did notice that I've only mentioned Jeff in my blog one or two times. Guess I didn't want to jinx it or something by writing all about our relationship. I'll spare you and not start now.

So yes....August 22nd, 2009, in the Salt Lake Temple. I was in Utah last week for Spring Break and got a great jump start on wedding stuff. Got THE DRESS, booked the reception site, ordered the cake, the invitations and save-the-dates are in the works, centerpieces. Lots of little details and such. Who knew planning a wedding involved so much? Well....I guess I knew since I've had so many friends get married, but it's different when you are doing it for yourself. We have a wedding website that I think will prove to be very useful in the coming months, as we can put all sorts of information about the reception, ceremonies, registries, etc... on it. Even pictures. It's under construction, and I'll try to keep it updated as much as possible. I don't seem to have too many pictures of Jeff and I just yet. I'll see what I can find and upload them. So check it out....bookmark it into your favorites. Comment on the blog section, ask questions, give advice.....whatever you want. Hope to you see everyone at our reception this summer. Yay!!!

www.jazandjefftownsend.nearlyweds.com

Angels in Bloomington, Indiana

Thanks to Kate and Richie, for returning the contents of my wallet!! Apparently, Kate was out walking her dog and came across my debit card. As she walked further along she found a ton of stuff with my name on it. So she googled me and found by blog and read about my stolen wallet. She tracked down my email address through IU. It was awesome. I went to her apartment today to pick everything up. And it was almost all there. Debit card, credit card, gas card, drivers license. It was great. The only thing missing was my social security card and the actual wallet. So now I only have to deal with the credit reporting bureaus.

There really are angels in the world. And a few of them live in Bloomington, Indiana. Thanks again, Kate.

Blasted Thievery

So last night, my car was broken into and my wallet was stolen. I know!!! I know!!! Why did I leave my wallet in my car? I promise you, I NEVER do that here. Especially since the first day I moved in to my apartment, someone riffled through my car. Good thing there was nothing in it. From that day on, I have never left anything of value in there...except for my ice/snow scraper. Why couldn't they have taken that??? Or the trash on my floor???

I usually ALWAYS have my wallet in my backpack, where it is nice and safe. But I took it out to drive to church on Sunday. And I totally spaced about it afterwards. I mean....it's always in my backpack, so I didn't even remember that I had taken it out. The unfortunate thing about this incident is that my car doors don't unlock with my keys. So I can't lock them. It makes my car a prime target. That's the main reason I never leave anything in there. It figures that the one time I do, it happens. There must have been a huge neon sign on the roof of my car that was flashing WALLET INSIDE!!! DOORS UNLOCKED!!!! with big arrows pointing to it. What kind of a neighboorhood do I live in? I've known it was a ghetto place from the first day, but this just underscores the point. I'm so glad I'm moving out!

I feel incredibly violated. Someone who doesn't deserve to know anything about me at all, now knows a whole lot of personal and important things. I've spent the day cancelling credit cards and trying to figure out how I'm going to get an ID fast enough to make my flight to Utah for Spring Break on Monday. I'm hoping IU with come through and replace my ID card without needing a picture ID. I just realized how difficult life can be without some form of ID. No drivers license, no school ID, no bank cards. My passport is expired, so it's not like an airport would accept that without some other form of ID. My social security card was in there, my insurance cards. Ugghh....the thought of all the bad things someone could do to me really makes me angry and worried. I'm paranoid about identity theft. Now it's worse.

Out of all the things in my wallet, the one thing that I am most angry about having stolen is my temple recommend. It's probably the easiest to replace, but it of course has the most meaning.

Argg.....

Now I have to try to focus on finishing a paper for my midterm tomorrow and studying for a stats test, also tomorrow. Yeah right.

Yay!!!! It is now more official that I am done with my thesis. The bound copies came in the mail today, in all their beautiful sparkly glory. So I had to commemorate the event and take pictures. Just in case you can't read the title, is says: Contributions of Family Leisure to Family Functioning Among Families with and Adolescent in Mental Health Treatment.

The thesis and the diploma.

So happy! Too bad I'm not standing next to the Cougar in Provo with the graduation gown and the hat and tassle thing and all my friends who are graduating with me. Commencement is in April, but I don't think I am going to make it back to walk in the ceremony. Too much money for the plane tickets and bad timing.

Valentine's Day....a little history!

Happy Valentine's Day!!! Jeff sent me flowers all the way from Spain. Well, they actually came from the flower shop in Bloomington, but you know what I mean. I've had a smile on my face since I picked up the box. I never thought I would be the type of girl who would get giddy and stuff about flowers. But I guess it turns out I'm a normal girl and kind of like it. How did this come to be a standard on Valentine's Day? So here's a little history on the whole sending people flowers thing.



The art of floriography (literally flower writing) came to Europe from Persia 300 years ago. There is a similar tradition in Japan called Hanakatoba. For the largely illiterate population, love letters were impractical and in those more modest times it was difficult for lovers or would be lovers to meet – flowers full of scent and beauty became a popular and practical way of sending messages back and forth. The tradition reached its height in Victorian England when every young man and lady were well versed in the language and could carry on conversations, even relationships through the exchange of blooms.

Red roses, as we think of them today, are the traditional symbol for love and romance. The modern red rose we are now familiar with was introduced to Europe from China in the 1800's. However, the meanings associated with them can be traced back many centuries, even to some of the earliest societies. The color red itself evolved from an early primal symbol for life into a metaphor for deep emotion. In Greek and Roman mythology the red rose was closely tied to the goddess of love. Many early cultures used red roses to decorate marriage ceremonies and they were often a part of traditional wedding attire. Through this practice, the red rose became known as a symbol for love and fidelity. As the tradition of exchanging roses and other flowers as gifts of affection came into prevalence, the red rose naturally became the flower of choice for sending the strongest message of love. This is a tradition that has endured to the present day.

Red roses continue to be the most popular way to say "I love you" to someone special. The rich heritage of the red rose has culminated in its modern day image as the lover's rose. They are the definitive symbol for romantic sentiments, representing true love, stronger than thorns. Red roses are a meaningful gift, perfect for expressing feelings for a loved one on Valentine's Day, an anniversary or simply "just because." For the budding relationship, a red rose bouquet can also signal the beginning of romantic intentions. They can send a message of commitment and an invitation to take the next step. Even the simplicity of a single red rose can elicit a powerful response. Whatever the occasion, red roses have an allure that is hard to resist!

Red roses symbolize true love and passion; pink shows happiness; yellow friendship and white purity. Red and white together in a bouquet speak of unity, pink and white together symbolize joy and contentment. Tea roses promise memories to come while cabbage roses act as ambassadors of love; musk roses are charming and the Christmas rose calms anxiety.

Interesting.

The rest of it.

Here's the other question that goes along with my last post on describing yourself.

Those characteristics that you used to describe yourself....are they related more to your leisure activities (non-obligated or free time) or your non-leisure activities (obligated time like school, work, care-giving, etc.)?

There is, of course, no right or wrong answer here. These are just interesting things to think about when examining our lives. Maybe the descriptors might wake us up a little bit in terms of how we live our lives. Maybe not.

Let's see....in other news related to Indiana. It has been approximately 60-65 degrees everyday for the last 5 days. It's been GREAT!!! Although, I know the loveliness of the warm weather won't stick around. Something about highs and lows, and pressure and blah blah blah. It's supposed to be cold again in the coming days. Not exactly ice storm, -5 degrees cold. But chilly.

I'm in the process of applying for some funding to do some research this summer. The grant proposals are due this friday. And I'm not really done with them. YIKES!! I see my first all-nighters as a doc student coming up. I'm trying to go to Spain to do a mixed-methods (quantitative and qualitative) study of the cultural application of the Core and Balance model. I know what you're probably thinking...Spain, Isn't that where Jeff is? Yes. Madrid to be exact. I want to visit. Plane tickets are expensive. So unless I develop a SEND JASMINE TO SPAIN website with a convenient PayPal account that accepts credit card donations (like the lady who just had octuplets....seriously??), getting funding to do research pretty much sends me there for free. And I'll just hire Jeff as my translator since I very obviously do not speak Spanish. :-) I'm also hoping to get money to do a small qualitative study at the NAC....after I get back from Spain, of course. I'm interested in understanding what the constraints, barriers, and stresses to family leisure are for families with someone with a disability....all from the Core and Balance perspective. So....keep me in your prayers in the coming weeks. I need to be productive this summer and these grants will allow me to do that. Plus, I really don't want to spend the summer in Bloomington and humidty. I've gotten very used to dry desert heat. How do people survive in the midwest??