Running Twice As Fast

Hola, Mexico!

2010-04-26T01:15:00.000-04:00

I enjoy waiting for vacation as much as being on vacation, because everything is still ahead of us - so much time for each other, the sun, the ocean, flip-flops, good books, day trips to Maya pyramids, breakfasts, good time with friends, a wedding to photo-shot and to dance at! ......

Any all-inclusive resort cares about their overworked guests a lot by providing very limited and very expensive internet access, so don't be too hopeful to hear more from me this week. Many stories and pictures to share when we are back, and for now a preview of this weekend's photo session.

It is amazing how much you learn with every new photo you take. I love this photo, but also see how I would retake it a little better. What do you think I have in mind?

Thoughts

2010-04-22T00:27:00.000-04:00

I think our self awareness sometimes plays it gently and makes you realize your big life changes in very unexpected ways. Last year brought a lot of new: new place to live, new status to adjust. I knew these things happened factually, but in reality this all just hit me. Just now, really.

Driving home a minute ago I thought: I am driving home to MY OWN HOUSE, from a NEW house of my friend, waiting for a HUSBAND to come home... and, I am a go-to person for my PREGNANT friend, when her husband is not around.

Wow!

And yet, this ALL still doesn't make me feel like an adult. And, I hope, this will never change. :)

Changes, Spring, Goofiness ...

2010-04-20T23:18:00.001-04:00

There is one fact you don't know about this blogger - she has been laid off!

It happened a month and a week ago and left me feeling a little strange in the beginning. I even cried a little. (Ok, I bawled my eyes out in the office of my biggest boss with a presence of a nice (not sarcastic remark) HR person). But the hard feelings went away very quickly, giving room to the spirit of opportunity and a good change.

I am very much obliged to my then boyfriend (now known as husband :) making me listen to "Who Moved My Cheese?" one time, when we were on a wavy road heading to Hershey's, PA. I owe my swift transformation from despair to hopefulness and joy to this 45 minutes story. Several years ago I pointed it out to a very depressed colleague of mine when she was leaving our company. Strangely, she reappeared on Facebook just days ago with the following message: "I will never forget "Who Moved My Cheese?" THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU I appreciate it more than you may know."

Our beautiful Spring also helped out - I am enjoying no work situation, when everything is so bright, young, fragile and beautiful. I can't say there is a season I don't like - I really do love all of them, but Spring is truly special: after all the snow is gone, spring steps into its powers so vivaciously, it takes my breath away every time.

Surely enough, good changes came along much quicker than I even expected: I am starting a new job soon, and it is going to be sweet - literally and figuratively! More things on career side of life on this blog soon, I promise!

For now, to end this post on a goofy note, here is how Andrey and I looked on outrageously warm April day:

I know, you are thinking - why "goofy"? Well, we look goofy to me in this picture. :)

I will: Maryana & Maksim

2010-04-09T23:10:00.001-04:00

It is always special, when your friends are getting married. It is especially joyful to see two people clearly so good for each other to grow from being a girlfriend and a boyfriend to a bride and a groom-to-be! I remember the weekend we first met Maksim, I noticed a new glow to Maryana's already always bright personality. And, the frame of Maksim's arms around Maryana looked so good!!

There is another side to M&M: the guys visited us 2 weeks ago and from the minute they stepped into our house I stayed in bended over from laughter position pretty much the whole weekend - such a couple of comedians!

The bride and a groom graciously let me put them in front of the lens for a couple of hours, and since the weather didn't even think to cooperate, we took a stroll underneath the glass roof of Buffalo & Erie County Botanical Gardens. Next time you think this is a good place for a shoot, check the calendar and make sure that Easter bunny is not making appearances in the gardens - an oh-so-cute army of toddlers was a little bit of an obstacle for our romantic photo session. :)

Maryanka, Maksim - we are so exited to share your day with you at the end of the month in ..... Mexico!!

Maryanka, you are stunning!!

Portraits

2010-04-05T23:54:00.001-04:00

We spent most of the last year making a million of choices from Buffalo neighborhoods to garters, candles, cakes and veils to bathroom tile.It left a little time for photography, but I managed to snap a photo here and there. Here is the recap, part 1: portraits - my friends and coworkers.

Kristie became my first victim, and this is a portrait from my very first photography session:

Toronto, Distillery District session with Tanya

Coworkers

A mistake, but I like it

The world spins around you faster when you spin faster yourself!

2010-03-03T00:14:00.002-05:00

Ever since we moved into our house I was waiting for the world to start spinning a little slower....

But it never happened. I thought I just need to get through this crazy, busy time and then I will have time to breathe, reflect on our wedding, house buying, house remodeling, honeymoon.... But it never stops, it just spins faster with more things just adding into rotation.

So, I decided to just blog about things that are happening now and then gradually weave in reflections on oh-so-beautiful and important events of the past 6 months.

So, most recently I visited NYC very spontaneously. And ... fell in love with it again. As I always do. St. Valentine's day is actually, despite the cold, is a perfect time to visit this never sleeping city. This year it also fell on Chinese New Year, so this was a joint celebration. I think I was "drunk" just with pure energy of seeing so many different people in the subway, on the streets, in my most favorite place in NYC - Central Park. I must have been a New Yorker in my previous life - I feel right at home there.
Here are some iPhone snapshots from the trip:

On the Q train, heading to Manhattan

Ah, coffee shops!

Hearst headquarters - I work for the company within Hearst,

BUT we are not within THIS building, .. I wish!

a view from the 29th floor of the Hearst Tower ... oooh!

My favorite place in NYC - Central Park

St. Valentines Day in NYC :)

Shopping!

After this little NYC LOVE note, I've yet to explain the headline of this post.

I think we are just used to say that the world spins around us. In reality, though, it is US who are spinning,we just want to accomplish more and more in less and less time. So, really, we control the speed of our life.

For me the life pauses when I blog - everything freezes in the air for my examination. I missed blogging.

The Honeymoon took a loooooong time. You don't beleive me?

2010-01-16T00:01:00.000-05:00

Hm..... I am back again. From the honeymoon. Yes, it took 2 months. ..... !

Ok, I am a bad lier, and feel guilty that during this period of my life - wedding, moving into a new house, honeymoon and first holidays as a family - I didn't blog. Clearly, it is a crime, at least for my own sake.

To make up for this major miss I am going to be putting the pieces together in the next posts and recreating the beautiful picture of this fall's happenings.

For a sneak peak - Thailand, of course. The most beautiful beaches I've ever seen... So far... :) !

MIA, but I am back ... and off to the honeymoon in 6!! days

2009-11-06T22:55:00.001-05:00

So, another disappearance. A serous remodeling with knocking out walls + moving into this half way finished house = 0 blog posts. The last three months surely had us occupied and, ironically, kept me and my newly minted husband (of exactly two months!!) more apart than together.

But, there is going to be light at the end of this tunnel - our honeymoon is 6 days away!! And, even I have not shared much about our wedding, this post is going to be about our trip.

First of all, our honeymoon is 2 months and 1 week apart from our wedding. Good or bad? Here is a plus: we get to go on the honeymoon after already feeling a little bit like a family. We have already taken a glimpse of our wedding photos and talked about the wedding with family and friends. Drawback: definitely, the impressions of that special night are a bit in the past, they are not as alive.

Nevertheless, excitement and anticipation of the trip have never been greater for me. Our honeymoon destination is ... Thailand (Bangkok, and than - Krabi). History, culture, food, summer weather, beautiful beaches are just ahead. We are going to pause the winter for two weeks and finally, unwind.

I am pinching myself when I look at the pictures of the beautiful places we are going to vist. You'll understand me, here they are:

One of the fun projects we thought of for the honeymoon is to create video "letters" for our children and "letters into the future" for ourselves to see when we are older. We'll do them here and there while we are on the trip. May be, if the project is successful I'll share the clips here, on the blog.

What were or will be yours special things to do on your honeymoon?

My first post as a WIFE!

2009-09-28T20:20:00.000-04:00

So, it's been more than a month that I have disappeared from the blogersphere. There is a good reason for that and yet, no excuse!

Many girls out there are in their last three weeks of wedding planning and anticipation and still blog. They even blog on the day of the wedding! My respect goes out to these wonderful multitaskers, but I just couldn't do it.

Three weeks before the wedding and than some after the wedding are like going into a deep dive, having the wedding at the lowest point of this dive and than slowly coming back up. I know that this sounds gloom, but actually it is a very happy time, beyond any comprehension, and, emotionally speaking, very "drunk" time.

Finally, I am becoming "soberer" after this avalanche of events and emotions and can share them one by one. I think I will do the sharing in parts and this was just an introduction. Here is one of the pieces of magic captured at our wedding by our dearest friend and extraordinary artist - Yuka.

Shooting in good light

2009-08-17T00:49:00.013-04:00

You'd probably say I am nuts to be thinking about anything other than wedding when we have about 3 weeks to go. But, yes, indeed, this post is NOT ABOUT THE WEDDING! :) I am still thinking about it, though.

It's just I am excited to share some of my photography projects. I have a long list to post, but this one is the most recent. So far I have been quite lucky to practice photography at my work that didn't include photography in my job description.

Last week on Tuesday, on our first no rain day in many weeks (even though I am one of those few that didn't mind our rainy summer - the grass is greener!) I was a part of the photo shoot for our yellow pages book cover. While the really young looking photographer we hired was producing amazing shots with his Nikon and really cool off-camera lighting (and I suspect some pocket wizards), I got to snap some shots too.

Since I was not the primary camera, you'd have to forgive me that most of the time my subjects were not looking into the camera.

I was amazed by the lighting we got around 5 pm in the Buffalo Marina and than even more amazing light at around 6:30 at Lafayette Square.

1 Month before the wedding: anxiety

2009-08-02T23:46:00.005-04:00

I have to admit that despite all the efforts not to be, I am a little behind on my wedding planning.

Luckily, only minor details are left to plan. Unluckily, these are the details that will make the day extra special, therefore these are very important. And, on top of the wedding anxiety, my job became way more hectic (that comes in the package with more interesting projects).

So, I am feeling quite stressed for about two weeks now.

So, here is what calms me down and keeps me in order (or at least prevents complete chaos):

Summer - just going outside and noticing how everything looks and smells makes me calmer, because I enjoy this summer, even though it rains a lot. I actually don't mind rain.
Toodledo.com - I think I finally found a way to track things. I wanted Google to come up with a task tool like that, so I can keep everything in the same spot, but this free tasking program so far wins over Google tasks for me. Toodledo gives you literally any criteria you can imagine to sort your tasks and keep them as together or as separate as you want.
My fiance is back home from a two week long trip. While I don't mind some time apart, in the last month before the wedding I need him like air. And not just because that he helps with planning (!!), but just having him around makes everything better.
Zoom out: when I feel completely tangled in the details of the day, I force myself to zoom out and look at myself, as if I am watching a movie. This helps to keep first things first.
Blogs that I follow: Blogs are a window of inspiration and emotional recharge for me, since everything there comes from talented self creators, and I am learning to be one. Jasmine Star's blog is my favorite, when I read her posts it feels that I am right there with her watching everything happen. Her posts are completely captivating and a work of word art.

According to Jasmine, every post is better with a picture. I agree. Here is one of my favorite shots I captured to date.
Wishing everybody a productive, everything-goes-as-planned week. (Wishful thinking, but we will try, right?)
How are you coping with your stressful moments?

3 things you need to remeber when dealing with wedding invitations

2009-07-29T22:03:00.004-04:00

1) As soon as you know your wedding date, count backwards:
1 month before: this is your reply by date
2 months before: this is your send out date
3 months before - you need to decide on the way you are printing and you will need to have information on the time of your wedding, reception and on dinner choices.

2) There are several ways to print invitations:
- you can buy a kit from a crafts store - the best ones are in Michaels and in Target - and print the invitations yourself. Total cost would be about $150 for 75 invitations plus your time, ... lots of your time!
- you can buy your invitations from Wedding Paper Divas or Minted (there are many more companies out there). You still need to print your envelopes and apply postage. Cost: $300 - $2000 per 75 invitations, depending on number of items in your package and the type of printing. Letterpress is the most expensive (and beautiful!).
- you can use a local invitations specialists to print the invitations. This is a way to still receive personalized invitations, and it can be even less expensive than going through an internet company. Maggie, our day-off coordinator has offered her services, but I wasn't quick enough to take her offer (my schedule got a little out of hand). This service will cost about $350 per 75 simple, elegant invitations minus all the hustle and headaches of printing and mailing. The price is an approximation, as it heavily depends on the invitations themselves.

3) if you end up with one of the do-it-yourself (partial or entirely) options, make sure to invite a couple of friends to stuff your envelopes. Goes sooooo much faster!

Which route I took? Wedding Paper Divas + printing the envelopes at home. I didn't follow my advise #1, so this was my only option. :( ... :) The company has excellent customer service, by the way, and I am really happy with their job.

The best way to do wedding invitations in my opinion? If you have time, do them yourself from a kit. They do really have beautiful kits out there!

If there is no time, hand it off to your invitations specialists. It might cost you a little more than ordering invitations online, but it is way less hustling. Maggie Heely in my opinion is just the right person for this task and for wedding planning in Buffalo.

This is how our invitations turned out.

What do you think?

And, our cake is...

2009-07-07T22:15:00.003-04:00

I bet you didn't even think of this one, but here is the cake we chose:

Photo via Project Wedding

This might be a little unexpected choice, but actually it fits into the wedding theme, I promise! The tie-in of this cake to the wedding is ... my dress. :) Also, sometimes Andrey reveals the most incredible little things that matter to him: it happens that he can not have a cake at his wedding that is square or blue. Just like that! (Actually I sort of understand his fears - I can not drink Blue Gatorade). So, we are all about compromising and finding a choice that makes both of us happy. This cake did the trick!

Oh, and I just have to tell you about our baker, Zilly of Zilly Cakes.

Photo via Zilly Cakes

Zilly is first an artist, than a baker. When we were going through so many options for the cake flavors, proportions, colors, icing, Zilly never said she would not be able to do something. She also seemed to be picturing the cake just as we were, not even caring that our fantacy can transform into too much work for her. She was eager just as we were to create a cake that we would enjoy.

I anticipate seeing and tasting our wedding cake from Zilly with excitement for the beauty and for delisiosness!

If you are looking for a wedding cake in Buffalo that would be created with care, talent and creativity, you should definitelly visit with Zilly!

How to Chose a Wedding Cake

2009-06-30T23:02:00.008-04:00

There are so many very good looking options for a wedding cake. How to chose just ONE? What do I like and what will be beautiful for my wedding? - This was my dilemma. The problem of too many choices, yet again.

I am the kind of a bride that saw many weddings before we had to plan ours. I always admired people's good choice in different details of the wedding. However I was not the one to write down good ideas in "my future wedding" planner. I always knew that my wedding planning will be based on the relationship that led to the wedding. So I had no expectation for a wedding cake when I started looking, except one - it has to taste good.

I had to start my search for a wedding cake with no preferences in mind. A good helper in this task was Project Wedding. After looking through myriads of cake photos, I chose 8 different cakes I liked.
Which one d0 you think I chose? And which one was my close second?

All images via Project Wedding

I will tell everything about our choice in the next post in a couple of days. Let me know what do you think was our choice.
Update (7/1/09): there was a problem with some images today on this post, so I will leave you guessing for the cake we chose one more day.

Michael Jackson!

2009-06-25T22:56:00.004-04:00

I was going to share our cake selection story and what was involved in this process, but .... Michael Jackson died. :( I can not really believe I am writing this. I couldn't peel myself away from the TV with Lary King's show on devoted to MJ. I couldn't hold back the tears.

All genius people have a weird side to them. May be this happens due to the forces of balance - if you are extraordinary good at something, you are also extraordinary bad at something else. But I wish this wasn't happening, I wish talented people really understood they had to preserve their talent for more people to enjoy it, get inspired from it, benefit from it.

To me Michal Jackson was talent, inspiration, example of excellence.

I was about 12, when even from our television signal challenged apartment house my dad managed to catch us the first commercial channel. Even on the best day the signal was weak and the picture was fuzzy, but we watched it anyways. Right after I came back from school the music videos were on. This is when I first saw, what remain my favorite videos by Michal Jackson.

Our short trip to Europe.... oops! ... Montreal, Quebec

2009-06-10T21:38:00.003-04:00

Last Thursday Andrey and I excitedly packed our car and drove off to Montreal. I am usually overjoyed to go anywhere and especially somewhere that is known as Europe in America.

I have to say: indeed! (That comes from a renown European "expert" that has only been to Italy and Prague in Czech Republic). Well, at least I can say with a certainty, that Montreal does not feel American, and it is different from Toronto.

We enjoyed the historic architecture and details:

Loved (!!!) just installed city bike system - it lets you have a bike for $5 /24 hours and has stations to take/return bikes all over the city. It is called BIXI - bike taxi - cute! Pretty amazing, especially if you are a tourist and want to go places.

Andrey was such a gentleman to carry around my camera backpack! By the way, about camera bags: I am using Kata. I was torn between this one and Lowepro. Their products are very compatible in quality and price, so I chose the one that also offered a trolley. A set of wheels on something that contains a camera and a laptop can be very helpful at the airport. This model is DR-467. Good for transportation and sightseeing (when you need to stuff some personal items to the same backpack), not ideal for photo shoot carry-around. The carry around is going to be my next purchase. May be even the raved about professional photographers Shootsac.

Marie-Reine-du-Monde Cathedral impressed beyond expectations! I've learnt it is a 1/3 replica of of St. Peter's in Rome. Never seen any church that big!

Our breakfasts took place in Eggspectations. Scrumptious! And a Marketing masterpiece.

Here is my delicious, freshly squeezed Banango: mango, banana, pineapple blended with fresh orange juice and ice.

Finally a couple of other views of Montreal:

Last logistical remarks: We stayed in Delta Centre-Ville hotel and were very satisfied: good service, great, clean rooms with a view (we stayed in a renovated premium room), reasonable prices. It is better to leave your car in the hotel parking lot and get around by public transportation and BIXI - my favorite.

Could I live in Montreal? Yes, for the months of summer. Winter is too cold! :)

Off to Montreal for the weekend!

2009-06-05T08:50:00.002-04:00

Just wanted to drop a note: on the wedding side of things - we have started exploring our cake options - I will share the details very soon. But for this weekend we are taking a mini vacation from planning and going to Montreal! Have a great weekend! !!!

Bridesmaids Dresses: what I like

2009-05-31T21:21:00.003-04:00

One of the brightest traditions of American wedding is having a "court" - wedding party. Usually all bridesmaids and groomsmen in the wedding party are wearing the same outfits. Every girl in the party is wearing the same dress, and of course, not everybody is happy. Hence, the movie "27 Dresses".

I thought having my girlfriends wearing the same dresses would be very cute. But after thinking about fitting all the girls in the same shape and form, I felt this would be a little unfair. It is my special day, but I do want all of my friends feel beautiful and special too. Besides all traditional bridesmaids dresses are kind of plain to mine and my girls tastes.

So my bridesmaids will wear similar dresses - similar color and fabric, but not the same. See, I am not brideszilla!

This wedding party is very close to what I picture so far:

Photos by magnificent Jessica Claire

Update: one more example!

This wonderful implementation is via Emily Photo

Reading is like living a double life

2009-05-28T21:46:00.001-04:00

I love to read. Most of my middle school and high school summers I spent under an apple tree on an old coat (serving as a mat) in my grandma's garden. I actually don't read, I "watch" what happens with the main characters in the books. "Watching" is possible if the book is well written, of course.
Here are the latest of my "second life" journeys:

1) Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand - I have been reading it almost constantly since last September and just finished it - the slowest read of my life, but also, one of the most mind-opening, thought provoking, implacable in language, full of discoveries. About life, goals, happiness and love. Simply one of the best books I ever read.

2) Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger - I always thought that it would be very interesting to travel in time, but after I watching "Back to the Future" I realized that we could alter our present if we do something in the past. The author of this book explores a different idea: what if nothing can be changed in the past or future, and you can only watch what happens, you don't have the control over "when" you are traveling: how are you supposed to live your live, have a family when you are time traveling?... Interesting!

3) Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee - a story about a foreigner fitting into American culture, Wall Street and figuring out how much of her own Korean culture she should really reject and how much IS she really different from her family. The storyline is not that twisted, but if not for life's wisdom, this book is a good read for its language and the way the story is presented. In the introduction of this book I read that the author is a fan of Russian classics and uses traditional to Russian literature way of unveiling the story - in each scene the reader learns about his and hers feelings and thoughts. No wonder I liked the book so much!

4) Anna Gavalda's "I wish Someone Were Waiting for Me Somewhere", "Someone I loved" and "35 kilos of hope" - this new french author's creations remind me the ones from my favorite Russian author Victoria Tokareva - simple truth of life through the finest lace of the language.

What are yours latest best reads?

What Birthdays Are Made From

2009-05-26T20:46:00.007-04:00

Birthdays are made from rays of love from parents, teasing from brothers, happy tears of grandmas, cards from the most special, most wonderful husband-to-be with flowers in 8 in the morning, visits from future newest part of the family, calls and emails from the closest friends, and finally a cozy gathering of friends around the picnic table on a golden from the sun May afternoon.
Complete and blesses with so much goodness I enter the new year of my life. :)

Simple Pleasures of Home on A Saturday

2009-05-23T14:03:00.002-04:00

I love the home we made of our apartment. Here are little things that make our home so cozy for me:

Our new white & fluffy blanket:

Colorful balcony rug and brand new greenery outside:

We found a color match for our red chest at the end of the bed...

These curtains immediately played up the presence of the chest in the room!

Ok, back to wedding planning: bridesmaids dresses, cakes, officiant (!). Happy beautiful long weekend!

A special day for my friends

2009-05-22T10:39:00.000-04:00

Wednesday was the wedding anniversary of one of my closest friend's.

Kostya and Ania's wedding was very sincere and fun - just like they are. It was one of those weddings when both families and friends really enjoyed meeting each other. Lots of good memories!

I just thought that next year there will be an new date to celebrate in our own soon to be family. :) The new date that will set a new tradition. I am conservative in nature - I like change, but it does not come to me easily. Traditions I enjoy very much, because they repeat. :) Since you know what to expect from a tradition, there is opportunity to savor one or the other particular moment of it every time it comes.

I hope our wedding will be the one to remember for all of our guests, not just for us.

This is a couple of weeks old snippet of my favorite tree that grows in front of my office. Love this time of the year and this tree! It is nature tradition and I anticipate it every time it comes. :)

Our Engagement Session

2009-05-16T23:30:00.003-04:00

Since I compiled my to-do list, I have been really tackling it. Save The Date cards arrived, ready to be shipped, the guest list is getting filled in with addresses, bridesmaids dresses are being discussed. We have met with one entertainer, chose our chair covers and table cloths. So, the list is at the stage of execution, and this is good. It keeps me calm. :)

Our exciting item that also got completed within this period is Engagement Session. Let me just say that I am very excited and inspired by the result. Watching more engagement sessions and weddings posted on Yuka Photo Art blog is always a delight - so stylish, creative, sophisticated! Yuka is also my friend, so being photographed by someone with whom you share teas, coffees, margaritas, talks, bike rides is twice as special. But receiving the result of magic with you, as the main character in it, feels a little surreal. Yulia, thank you SO much for capturing our pre-wedding state of being in such a unique and intimate way! It is truely very special and magic! Here are several shots from the session:

Here is post on Yuka Photo Art blog about the session: ELENA & ANDREY :: ENGAGEMENT
Here is the Slideshow

A few words to those who are preparing for their engagement sessions:
1) Prepare
2) Think of a couple outfits - use bright colors (of course if you only like black - than you should go for it). Bright colors make elevate your photos from cute to beautiful.
3) Girls - find a pair of out of ordinary heels. Even if in reality you can not make a single step in these shoes. Even if you are toller than a teleghaph pole in them.
4) Is there any THING that simbolizes your relationship or your character? Suitecase? Books? A Skate board? - Bring them along.
5) If you have a chance, ask a profesional to do your hair and make up. Or do those yourself.
6) Prepare to raise early for best lighting. Like 5 am early.
7) Set a side at least half day for the shoot. It will take at least 4 hours.
8) Enjoy the process, make a special day out of it.

4 Months Till The Wedding: to-do list for crunch time.

2009-05-03T22:32:00.005-04:00

It is 4 months till the wedding and I want to make this month a "crunch" time. So there is no crunch time later.
Here is our short list of things to do:

Bridesmaids dresses (I think I found a painless solution - I'll share a little later);
Send out "Save the Date" cards - this is almost done;
Engagement photo session with Yuka - this coming weekend (!);
Choose a videographer (this is going to be tough based on our (ok, ... mine) requirement to the quality - should at least be at the same level of craftsmanship as Michael Jackson's "Do You Remember The Time" music video - :);
Music, entertainment - tamada (the officiant of the ceremonies and the order at the wedding in Slavic countries);
Officiant of the ceremony (there will be nothing to celebrate without this person);
Cake - has to be as tasty as it is beautiful;
Book wedding night suite - this is almost done;
Honeymoon!

With this aggressive plan we will get the big items out of the way to concentrate on the little details next month.

Hopefully with our agenda, we will never get to the following state of planning (the source is hyperlinked to the image itself).

Happy Monday!

It is May! And it is spring... now for sure!

2009-05-01T00:08:00.004-04:00

May is my favorite month of the year. Not because my birthday is in May. (But it might add a little of the charm, of course. :)) I love May because of the blooming, the smell of fresh grass, first thunderstorms, first really warm evenings, first barbecues and the idea that the summer is still ahead.
Just couple of weeks ago I made Andrey wake up with me at 6 am on a Sunday to see this:

Beautiful, but still no color.

But, we did notice the tiny leaves on the trees:

An look at the same tree just a week later:

So much more color everywhere!

I am very happy to be in May and excited for more nature inspirations to come.
Happy May!

I got into a fight!

2009-04-27T22:13:00.005-04:00

Saturday night I got into a fight! I never thought I find myself at the boxing arena, but there I was!

See what wedding planning can do to a perfectly friendly and kind person, like everybody knows me?

Just kidding! Our wedding planning is going very peacefully and productively. More about it in the next post. Today I just wanted to share a unique event I got myself into this weekend.
The company that I work for, White Directory Publishers (brand name The Talking Phone Book) sponsored a kickboxing fight.

Aware of my talents not only as a marketer, but also as a photographer, my boss asked me to take photos at the event. "Ssssure!", I said. "I am up for a challenge!" At work they are already sure of my professionalism, and I am working hard to keep this belief :))

Did you know that a kickboxing event is a pretty formal gathering? Cocktail dresses, stilettos. I didn't know that myself. So now we know!

There was a bunch of guys fights and one girls fight! We were lucky to go to the bathroom at the right time just to catch one of the fighting girls braiding her hair in perfect patterns. While she was doing that, she answered a few questions for us. We learned that a cool thing to do in a fight is to answer a punch with a punch that is a level better - this is how you earn your score.

The main fight and the reason for the event was a fight called "Back with a Vengeance".

The team I was routing for won! Here are moments of joy and glory:

Congratulations from a very strong opponent.

Events like this always remind me that we should try new things all the time, even if in the beginning it seems to be not your "cup of tea". I arrived to the event expecting a long, boring night. It turned out a great and memorable experience!
To see a complete set of photos from the event - follow this link.

Update: after I wrote this post, my very talented friend Yuka has also finished hers on the same event. Shooting along with Yuka and her husband Liosha that night made the event so much more fun! Check out their fabulous work.

My frustration - monitor color calibration.

2009-04-20T23:00:00.002-04:00

Apparently, my monitor is calibrated very poorly to say the least. :( The images that look great on my lap top appear so dark and red on the blog and on other computers! It is upsetting to see that what I thought was perfectly colored photo to others looks like a piece by an avant-garde artist at best.

After doing some research I became convinced that the process of monitor calibration is as difficult as brain surgery. No, really! So, after some research:

I am buying an Eye-One calibrator as it is an affordable professional option for calibration;
I was also advised to get a "slow" monitor, not a TFT - this piece of advice is still in my "to understand" category, but will probably end up buying one (additional to my lap top monitor).

This calibration disaster prevented me from posting about my photography progress. I hope to start posting soon!

Since eastern orthodox Christians celebrate Easter usually a week after Catholics, yesterday was our Easter. Here is a quick pic of our Easter dinner table (if the food looks off color - you know why).

Wedding Websites - so many choices!

2009-04-13T21:32:00.004-04:00

We will have many out of town guests at the wedding and to keep everybody "on the same page" it was decided at our family-to-be meeting to create a web-site for the wedding.

Wedding is about choices. In everything. Because of so many options, it took me a whole month to chose a wedding website.

I was looking for:

an easy and fast interface to load information;
a good looking template;
a template that would match our colors (blue and orange);
a back end to the website that would serve as a planning and guests list management tool;
an option of ordering a keepsake CD, so the website and our virtual guest book comments will be saved for us;
in the beginning we were going to rely on the website for RSVPs, but than decided this would not be a crucial feature , as some of our guests aren't internet savvy and we can't have online only RSVPs.

The finalist of the search was: Wedding Window. It has all the features that we needed. So here is the first try on our web-site: nothing is loaded there yet, and the colors might be tweaked.

We also considered:

Wed Simple - really powerful back end to the site, but as far as I know you can't order a keepsake. Not as versatile design options as in Wedding Window
My Wedding - this is a free site, and you can pick a theme that has a matching invitations! After I posted my web-site dilemma on Wedding Bee (by the way - an awesome place to learn about and ask any of wedding-related questions) and one of the responders suggested to use Joltform to make up for RSVP, that is not so good on this web-site. Great free solution!
eWedding - this was a popular response on Wedding Bee.

If you decide to have a website for your wedding, the best way to find the right one for you is to sign up for free trials. I can assure you that after experiencing the tools, your choice will come clear! Be prepared to spend about 30-60 minutes with each of your options. Good starting points for the search are: Wedding Bee Boards, Wedding Bee Wiki on websites and also this comparison chart from Wedding Websites.

I am excited to organize our planning to the back end of our wedding website and finally start logging in our guest list!

Hope you are having a good week!

Complete Report on Wedding Dress Shopping in Buffalo, NY. Part 2.

2009-04-06T06:40:00.003-04:00

Good Monday! I've promised to complete my report about wedding dress shopping in Buffalo. Here is part 2, where you will find a review of the bridal shops I visited.

I decided to visit smaller private bridal shops in our Buffalo-Niagara (US and Canada) region and tried on about 40 dresses before I found mine. Here is where my search took me:

a) M.A.Carr- was the first place I visited. Located in Orchard Park, the shop has a tasteful selection of dresses from designers like Casablanca, Watters Brides, Jasmine Bridal and many others. Their prices are between $700 and $2000. Attentive and suggestive service. This shop had a few dresses I ranked as candidates for THE DRESS right on my first visit. Assistants in the shop are a real help - they learn what you like and suggest within your interests.

b) Victoria's Bridal Shoppe - mostly classic, beautiful dresses, big selection of ball gowns. Many dresses under $1,000. Attentive and helpful customer service. Since ball gowns (big and puffy dresses) don't fit me as nicely as I'd require from a wedding dress, I had little selection in this store for myself.

c) The Ballett's - A St. Catherine's (Canada) salon with the most helpful web-site. Many beautiful choices with style, however not all the models you chose from the web-site will be available in the shop. Moderate prices - many options under $1,200. Helpful assistants.

d) Bridal Chateau, Inc. - I wanted to visit them, but could never get through on the phone to set an appointment. The line was either busy or on answering machine. ??? I had a chance to speak with Beth, one of the owners, at a function we attended together. She was surprised this happened and thought it was due to the construction nearby. She also mentioned they have a tasteful selection under $2,000. I was concerned with communication with the store and decided not to visit.

e) Bridals By D - Despite several negative reviews and an absence of a web-site (!!!), I was very pleasantly surprised with this shop's gowns selection. They had many dresses that fit me very well and looked like candidates for THE DRESS. They even had several Jim Hjelm dresses to offer! A pricier than the usual ($1000 - $2000), but very trendy shop in Buffalo! In this salon I "met" Mikaella. The designer seems to make dresses just for me - I like 90% of their creations. Oh, and all of them fit me beautifully!! Their sister brand, more upscale Paloma Blanca gives me the same feeling as Mikaella. Simple and sophisticated, gorgeous dresses. And yes, my dress is one of their creations! (Andrey is advised not to look through the links). Ladies that helped me in the shop were very accommodating - so far bad reviews posted about the shop proved to be wrong for me. A couple more words about the designer of my dress: both brands are from Toronto, Canada! The designer has been making wedding dresses since 1937. Both brands are astonishingly affordable considering the quality and styles they offer - Mikaella dresses start from $1,000 and Paloma Blanca - from $1,400. I will not deny - I am infatuated with my dress and with the designer. :)

f) Pearl Bridal House - oh, and I visited this shop near Toronto. There I tried on dresses literally off the New York fashion shows. I've visited on Melissa Sweet trunk show weekend. The shopping assistants detected no buying potential in me with their six's sense within minutes. They were not interested in taking care of me, but very interested in taking the dresses off me. Well, yes, they guessed right - while I am an admirer, I am not the spender of $8,000 and up on a dress.... So far. :)

g) Almost forgot about one more Buffalo bridal shop: Classic Bridal. This shop actually talked me out of visiting them!! This is how the conversation unveiled: Me: "Can I please come in to try on your dresses?" - Shop Assistant (SA):"Which brands are you planning on trying on?" - Me: "Well, I don't know, I will decide when I see the dresses" - SA: "There are more than 400 dresses in the store, we need to know what you are going to be trying on! And, besides, with your deadlines you don't have any time for alterations, ... unless you are 5' 9"!" - Me: "I am 5'9"! So, can I come in and try on the dresses?" - SA: "Well, I guess....". I booked and appointment, but after replaying this conversation in my mind, canceled it. :( ... :)

Didn't want to end this post on such note. So here is some magically sophisticated bridal creations from another designer I fancy - Monique Lhuillier. Fall 2009 Collection.

My Wedding Dress Search is Over! Complete report about searching for a wedding dress in Buffalo. Part 1.

2009-04-01T21:54:00.002-04:00

I walked out of a bridal shop on a Saturday afternoon couple of weekends ago barely touching the ground. .... ;) I ordered my wedding dress! A huge weight lifted off my shoulders.

I instantly felt such joy from a new confidence, that our wedding will turn out wonderful, because I got the dress that makes me feel like a bride I wanted to be. Actually, I didn't know what kind of bride I wanted to be, I was just searching for that feeling of perfection, sophistication, excitement and lightness that will make me look and feel like a bride. A strict panel consisting of my father, my mom and one of my grandmas saw my final choice that morning and approved it. The expression on my family's faces told me vividly that this was my dress. (I'll share more about the dress in the next post).

Feeling like an expert in wedding dress search, I am, of course, eager to pass on my experience to those who still have this special journey ahead of them:

0) This step sometimes isn't necessary if you already have a vision of what you want. If not - head to a bookstore and flip through myriads of magazines. I know that nothing will stop you from buying some of them - so I won't try. :) There are also plenty of resources online: Brides.com, The Knott, Once Wed to name a few.

1) First of all, you need to figure out the style that suites you. This could be very different from what you envisioned yourself to wear. What if you really like big, puffy dresses, but they just don't look good on you? For this purpose David's Bridal is a great place - give yourself a couple of trips and try everything on! David's Bridal lets you save your favorite dresses into your profile on their web-site, which you can print out and bring to the store to try them on. Strapless or with straps, long or short, puffy or fitted, lacy or plain? Many choices, but within a couple of visits you'll learn the new vocabulary and you'll get an idea of what you should be looking for. My personal observation: puffy dresses look better on shorter girls, on the other hand taller girls look just so beautiful in fitted dresses. :)

2) May be the dress of your dreams will be waiting for you in David's Bridal? That will be light on the budget, as their dresses are priced between $400 and $1,000. If not, you should visit a couple of private bridal shops. In my next post I'll share the list of the shops I visited.

3) Some of the shops will allow you to take pictures, some won't, but you will remember how you felt when you tried the dresses on. How many dresses should you try? My answer - as many as it takes to find the one that makes you feel not just special, not cute, not charming, but unique, sophisticated and beautiful - nothing short of that! I think I've tried about 40 dresses before I found mine.

4) Time to eliminate: gather up your contenders for the dress and eliminate the ones that just don't look 200% great on you. It is also the time to check if you are able to sit, walk and dance in the contender dress (because sometimes we just get carried away by designs). Another cut that you might make is by budget (if budget is a part of your criteria) - as magic as this dress is for us, brides, it is still a dress for one occasion (not counting Trash The Dress sessions).

5) After the elimination rounds, make an appointment to come in and model the dresses to your most critiquing audience that you trust. Listen to what they say. After that make your decision (sometimes it can be against your panel's opinion - it is your day).

Below are my three favorite dresses (besides my dress):

Jim Hjeml Fall 2008

Melissa Sweet Fall 2009

Watters Brides

Good Luck! Enjoy the journey! And for all my friends and readers who are experienced wedding dress searchers - please share your tips!

A new dimension of my life

2009-03-23T22:59:00.007-04:00

Today I woke up at 7 am to go to work. This was the LATEST wake up in the last couple of days! :) Both Saturday and Sunday I woke up at 6 am for photo shoots. Finally I got a taste of real photography work and ... in great company!

Saturday together with my talented friend Yulia from Yuka Photo Art we froze my brother and his wife to the point when their noses became blue. Thanks so much, Yulia, for willing to share your knowledge and skills - it very valuable experience for me! Thank you, Sergei and Sasha for volunteering to be frozen! I hope you'd like the results. I am sure you'd like the ones from Yulia, but I think I've got some for you too!
Here is a sneak peek:

Sunday, together with my future sister-in-law we veered off to High Park and to Distillery District in beautiful Toronto. Tania and Toronto made a perfect pair to be photographed, so my work was lots of fun. Here is what's coming - a peek of this shoot:
Do you remember that unreal feeling when you wake up the next day after you finally kissed with that special someone you had a crush on for the longest time and realized that he (or she) is attracted to you too? The feeling, when world colors just got brighter and you are just at the door to the next most wonderful time in your life? This is how I felt this morning. ....:))

Our Dominican Republic Spring Break

2009-03-18T22:42:00.021-04:00

When I close my eyes sometimes I still see the turquoise water, white sand, bright blue chair longs...Taking a tropical vacation in the middle of gray, cold, windy stretch of winter between February and March charges me to go through the rest of winter until we see more sun here.

Our Dominican Republic vacation this February was the first time we went to an all-inclusive resort. I was a afraid that laying out at the sun would quickly bore us, but in fact we hardly had time to lay around. We tried windsurfing, went on a day long jeep safari, even went down the waterfalls!

Dominican Republic is still very poor country, but with developing tourist industry I can definitely see these hardworking people becoming better off year after year. Dominicans came across to me as good spirited, and cherishing their land. They sing and dance all the time.

Punta Cana is a more touristy destination in Dominican Republic, it is located on the Southern part of the country's coast. We went to the north of Dominican Republic - Puerto Plata and stayed at Grand Oasis Marien, it was next door to Iberostar Costa Dorada hotel. Although our neighboring hotel was higher class, we liked ours better.

Santo Domingo, the capital of Dominican Republic was the city where Columbus came to shore to discover America. Just based on this fact we would like to come back to this bright country, next time to Punta Cana. Very nice vacation destination with a mix of tropical laziness and adventure.

If you haven't been to Dominican Republic, keep it in mind when planning your next vacation. Really nice honeymoon destination too!

Good Morning, Monday!

2009-03-16T06:00:00.000-04:00

Mondays for me, as for many other people, are difficult. It is the beginning of the work week. It is hard to switch gears from freer, on my schedule day to committed and scheduled day.

BUT:
0) Andrey is not business traveling this week and will spend evenings at home :)
1) it already feels and looks like Spring!
2) there was major progress on wedding planning this past weekend (but I won't tell just yet);
3) this week I WILL write about our Spring break trip;
4) my brother and his wife are in town, and we will be able to spend some time together!
5) if the weather holds, I will be doing my third!! photo shoot this coming weekend!! (I'm yet to cover my first two here - this is coming up).

So .... life patches together in a bright, spriny blanket and I am thrilled to cover myself with it!

By shellayy0077 from Photobucket

International Women's Day

2009-03-09T23:27:00.004-04:00

Especially in Eastern Europe "The 8ths of March" - International Women's Day is as big holiday as Mother's Day here, in the USA, if not bigger. In Belarus, this is a day when florists earn probably half of their yearly revenue, all men are especially attentive to all women surrounding them at ANY moment, and we, ladies, feel like princesses and queens. I really like the atmosphere of this holiday and enjoy to be especially attentive to my Mom and grannies.

My warmest wishes to my dearest girlfriends - beautiful, smart, graceful, sophisticated and unique!

When I came back from work today, I was greeted by a bouquet of beautiful flowers and a card that I decided to keep on my nightstand:

:)))

Perfect Presents

2009-03-02T22:34:00.006-05:00

Have you ever received a perfect birthday present? Something that you didn't even know you wanted so much until you got it? Andrey received a present like that from our friends for his birthday. (Perfect for me, that is). Of course, he appreciates it too, but I know I will enjoy it more.

We opened the lime green packet at the end of the night, and there it was - a wireless thermometer and weather forecaster! :) I know, you didn't expect it from me - to have such passion for weather predictions.

Let me explain.

You see, in Belarus, in our apartment in Minsk, my dad attached a thermometer outside our kitchen window probably as soon as we moved in, and we had it there for 20 years (all my life there)! My first thing to do in the morning was to check the temperature outside so I can decide how to dress for the day. Minsk is a big city, so you walked everywhere or used public transportation, so dressing appropriately was important. Now my friends in Minsk tell me they don't remember when was the last time they used public transport, as everybody has cars, but when we were growing up, we rode buses, trolleybuses, trams and subway.
Even though our suburban life in Buffalo allows to ignore the weather, as we jump from warm house to warm car to warm office and after work day is over in the opposite order, I still like knowing the weather before I head out. I don't know why, but it adds comforting routine to my morning.

So now, to MY greatest delight, we are proud owners of the wireless thermometer & weather forecaster.

Image via Amazon

It's a Boy!

2009-02-23T06:00:00.003-05:00

Image by Airika & Gerald Pope

Today, but in 1979, a boy was born. I didn't know at that time, that it was a very important day of my life. I now know. :) He is the magic ingredient that makes the colors of my life brighter, tough moments lighter, and makes me appreciate every moment spent together.
I am looking forward to growing better together, starting a family together and being a companion to each other in everything that happens in our lives.
Happy Birthday, my husband-to-be!!!

A message from the Moon

2009-02-22T23:09:00.005-05:00

Today is February 22. My last post is dated February 4. Surely, I must have fallen off the planet Earth, you would think.

The truth is - it seemed that I did! Last week (it felt more like a month) I found myself on the sunny, sandy beaches of Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. I kept pinching my skin very hard to make sure I really was in July weather, when the calendar said February. Many details and photos to follow! So far, I am leaving this YouTube video as a part of my "not my fault" plea. Perhaps it will make my vanishing act more understandable and, I hope, forgivable:

Also soon to come:
1) Updates on the Dress Search
2) Our choice of flowers
3) Chair covers and other extras for the reception
2) Tips for traveling to Dominican Republic (excellent honeymoon destination)

Why Include David's Bridal into THE DRESS Search?

2009-02-04T12:29:00.002-05:00

Last Tuesday we celebrated my work friend's birthday in The Melting Pot (fondue). It is a conversation inspiring restaurant: the lights are dimmed, the food comes slow, you need to cook it, it comes out scrumptious, and the meal finisher is velvety chocolate that is not too sweet. Perfectly tasty. This atmosphere is the best to meet new people and get to know them better.

This is how I met my friend's friend Gayle. Over a conversation Gayle learned that I have a wedding to plan this year, and I learned that Gaile has actively participated in planning of nearly 10(!!!) of her friends weddings. She was kind to offer her knowledge base of Buffalo wedding planning! I feel very lucky to have met Gaile, since her first advice to me was something that I didn't even think of.

Gaile advised to start THE DRESS search from David's Bridal. It is a place where you should try on a dress in every style to see what fits best. If you like what you found in David's Bridal - even better, since their dresses are very affordable. If not, than with a determined silhouette you should move on to bridal boutiques. (This is probably my scenario).

I have already visited David's Bridal once, but need to return to finish trying all the dresses. I will follow up with a complete report. I also promise to share all Gaile's advice I get.

Collage from The Rose Dress

Wedding: the dress

2009-01-24T19:00:00.001-05:00

I got chills when I lifted all the layers of a wedding dress and slipped it on in a bridal salon for the first time in my life!! In my emotional history this moment will be ranked evenly with my first kiss, my first date, a moment when Andrey proposed!

I told the girls in the salon that I came open minded, that I would try everything they suggest and see how it looks. However, right after the first dress my preferences revealed themselves! I guess, I like romantic, a little fluffy, delicate styles. (It is pretty vague description, but actually it eliminates some of the options already). Wedding planing makes you learn so much about yourself!

This wedding season fashion suggests ruffles, mermaid style dresses, and even feathers!! Also fashionable becomes two have two dresses - a long one for the ceremony and a short one for dancing. (Such a smart idea! To me brides dancing away to "Sexy Back" in a long dress never looked natural). I decided that my body will dictate the final choice - what fits best would be the most important criteria. The quest has begun!

The first salon I visited was M.A. Carr in Orchard Park, NY. They have a very tasteful selection of dresses in a medium price range (that is above $1,000, but under $2,000). My assistant was Karen, and I appreciated that she was not trying to sell me the most expensive dress, but offered opinion.

The next salon on the agenda is Pearl Bridal House in Toronto. They are in a much higher price range, and I would like to take a peak at the couture options. I am just looking - I promise! That should be so much fun!

The Knot has this nifty tool where a bride can design a vision of the wedding day look. Below are the two looks I designed. What would you chose?

Wedding: choosing colors

2009-01-14T22:43:00.009-05:00

How are you?
I am overwhelmed and excited!!! !!!! !!!!

Overwhelmed, because there are so many gorgeous, stunning, downright beautiful color combinations a bride can chose for a wedding nowadays, that I am just sinking in the ocean of choices. And because colors are needed for many wedding decisions, I got stuck on them.
My mind is racing - do I talk first to the linens and chair covers vendor or to the florist? Should I be sending my "Save the date" notes already? Am I late? I guess that checking in with The Knot's checklist would help (right?). I will do that tomorrow - they do have a lot of advice.

Excited, because I know no matter the color combination we chose, it will look very beautiful, elegant, whimsical, tasteful and warm. Well, I have a strong hope it will.

Tonight I put two chairs together, placed my lap top on the dining table and set my businessman-macho fiance by my side to present the finalists of my color themes review....
....The choices were supported and approved! Yes, I know that sounds too good to be true, but he does care: "The DAY is yours and mine", he said, so he participated. And I love that, and him for that, and him. :)

So here are the theme ideas WE like:

Idea 1 from Hostess creations by Laurie Cinotto

Idea 2, collage by Tastefully Entertaining

As you can tell, we are almost set on the colors. Probably ...... orange & blue!!! (and their variations). We both love blue. It is a summer, light color. Orange is a fall color, and it is a warm one. Their combination isn't usual, but we think we like it best. We will see what alterations will come from meeting with linens and chair covers vendor and with florist. I'll keep you posted.

Some tips from experience of choosing a color theme for your wedding:

First look around your home, look at your furniture, at your clothes - what surrounds you every day? (You will not believe how many combinations of blue and orange are in our house - these colors were jumping right at us!).
Think of your wedding's time of the year - you might not enjoy pastels in October - the ripe reds, yellows and oranges will out-bright them. However, my point #4 will in some situations prove point # 2 wrong.
Now think of your venue: perhaps that bright pink carpet (I am exaggerating now, but, - can happen) will not work too well with light yellow. May be dark brown will make a better option.
No matter what other 3 points tell you, even though they ARE making a good point, - chose the colors you love and just work with them. Coming back to pink carpet situation - may be you stay with your favorite light yellow, but add brown. From what I've seen in our almighty Internet in the last couple of days leaves no doubt that ANY color can work with ANY other if you just apply imagination and web-surfing skills.

Here are some links that contain volumes and volumes of inspiration (and I predict that they will only be your starting point):

Tastefully Entertaining
Snippet and Ink (courtesy of Yuka Photo Art) any link on the blog roll of this blog looks like yet another chapter of inspiration, so be sure to browse through them too!
The Southern Weddings Daily Blog
and a simple and helpful color pallet

So, what do you think of our color choices so far? Please-please share!

The Best New Year's Photos

2009-01-08T22:44:00.003-05:00

This whole week has been so busy!
It seems that everybody waited till after the New Year to give me all kinds of tasks at work. So breaking into the full swing of working routine didn't take any time at all!

This 3 time faster life tempo without any warning did make my mind and imagination not too useful for blogging after work. I know, - excuses, excuses ... But, I am speaking the truth!!!! So, since there are no worlds left in my mind today (no different from all other days of this week), we will make this post visual:

BEST NEW YEAR'S PHOTOS

And what is my friend, Yulia does when she is at a party??

And here is almost everybody, who made our house light up with smiles, laughter and love New Year's night:

Happy New Year!!

Good Morning in 2009!

2009-01-01T12:18:00.004-05:00

If somewhere at a trivia game show there was a question about what most of the Russian speaking population does at the late morning hours on January 1st, the right answer would be - nothing, you would find everybody asleep. New Year's is a big party in modern Eastern European culture, so I am writing out of my bed, barely woken up, and it is 12:20 pm already!

We have been up all night (till 5 in the morning!) - celebrating, eating, drinking, calling friends and wishing them Happy New Year! I also got to be known as "paparazzi" now that I had been holding my Canon 20D - fully professional camera in my hands all night - the best photos are coming soon!

Happy New Year 2009!

Let this year be of successful new beginnings, let it be full of love and filled with memorable moments!
(Andrey and I have the latest wish already covered, and with a set date - September 6!)

Holiday Bliss

2008-12-21T19:01:00.001-05:00

For me winter holidays start with snowy-themed coffee cups :)

They are also watching a snowstorm outside...

....with a bowl of cranberry-walnut-brown sugar oatmeal in front of me.

It is in decorating our place early this year by Belorussian standards

Getting a real tree, because the smell of pine is a part of the holidays

Our balcony table and chairs are attributes of summer, and it is very unusual to see them covered with snow
The holidays are filled with cozy evenings by Christmas-New Year tree.
All all this glitter, lights, cups of warm tee the longest night of winter become the coziest.

What are winter holidays for you?

A Halloween Career Lesson

2008-12-16T23:18:00.006-05:00

I have been told I look like Paris Hilton on multiple occasions. I never took that as a compliment - Paris's list of accomplishments isn't to be proud of. However, I got a free dinner from a fancy restaurant in Jacksonville, FL, and a sight of a cashier at Lowe's and in Panera Bread losing their composure, as they thought Paris or her sister Nicky visited them.

When it was time to come up with a costume for a Halloween party this year, my resemblance with Paris history came to mind. I decided - yes, I am not fond of that comparison, but how can I not use it for my Halloween transformation?

I went to the mall and picked up a luminescent pink fishnets, a pair of shorty shorts, a pink shirt, a small purse with a Playboy logo, huge hoop earrings, plenty of bracelets for extra Bling, and finally and most importantly - a blond wig!!!

I thought this was the most creative costume of the party - Sarah Palin

Here I was working my "Paris Look"

I also met some pirates

Well, let me tell you - it was a very ordinary night for Paris - she enjoyed total and complete attention!!! :) For me - the Halloween outing was a lot of fun. This whole experience got me thinking ....

... Career lesson: sometimes people around us recognize our talents we might not find important. If you know about any, take a closer look at them - perhaps you are missing out on an easy opportunity?

Wedding: Choosing a Location

2008-12-10T00:49:00.013-05:00

Actually, choosing a wedding location isn't that difficult.
The whole process took Andrey and I 1.5 weeks and only 2 interviews!

At a very special wedding we attended on August 30, it became clear to us that location is extremely important to set the atmosphere of your most magical day right.
The wedding was set in a castle in the middle of Canadian metropolis Toronto - Casa Loma.

The reception banquet took place in the castle's library, so the walls of the room were not wallpaper, but bookshelves with old fashioned lights. I felt I was a part of a historical movie, not just a beautiful wedding.
Bottom line: there should be more to enjoy at the wedding than the food, you want your guests not to just travel to your wedding, you want them to transcend into a special atmosphere they will remember. And this can be done on any budget!

Understanding the level of importance of this decision, we began our selection.

Phase 1, imaginative: In the beginning we kept grinning at each other because the same thought came to us undiscussed: to wed somewhere in South Carolina, Georgia or, Alabama! Did you know that Alabama has a great ocean coast and plenty of new resorts? Just imagine: a classic southern home with wrapped around porch, set back at the end of an oak alley at some plantation in the South .... like the Oak Alley Plantation in Louisiana:

Photograph from Oak Alley Plantation web-site

But than we got thinking..... :)

Phase 2, analytical: As much as the event is about us, it is also about who we want to see at our wedding. We didn't want to make traveling plans more complicated for any of our excitedly anticipated guests, taking in consideration that a whole bunch of them will need to get 2 international visas to begin with. So, a decision was made to have the wedding here, in Western New York. Yes, in Western New York, in Buffalo-Niagara area!! Did you know that summers, and winters, even falls and especially springs are very beautiful here? We will prove that to you!

Phase 3, rational: Next we stumbled upon a necessity to know the size of our wedding - what if any particular place isn't big enough? So we've counted. .... 2, 4, 16, ....88 ....100!

Phase 4, methodical: To target our search we sat down and thought of what is important to us in a wedding location. Our list of requirements for the reception place came down to:
1) windows with a nice view;
2) a nice outside area;
3) beautifully decorated inside;
4) lots of light inside;
5) the easiest travel for our guests.
With these requirements our choices narrowed to a very few options.

Side story, necessary: My college summer job was waitressing in a club restaurant, one of the most beautiful in the area - Niagara Falls Country Club. It sits on the escarpment - that very edge where long-long time ago Lake Erie spilled into the lower laying lake Ontario and created Niagara Falls. Niagara Falls moved in about 10 miles creating a deep gorge, but the crease with a beautiful view remained. 100 years ago one of the spots on the crease got occupied by a golf club house. The clubhouse dining rooms overlook Niagara River that falls into Lake Ontario. On a clear day Toronto's CN Tower shines across the lake. So, to begin with, I had my expectations set really high and I was strongly biased in my preferences. Honestly, in all these years I have not seen a more beautifully located and better maintained club restaurant in Buffalo-Niagara region. Since my non-objectiveness was obvious, I left the final decision to Andrey.

Phase 5, executive: Our runner-ups were:
a) Queenston Heights Restaurant - smaller, cozy restaurant overlooking Niagara River, but from a different angle than the country club. We spoke with the manager, toured the restaurant and left delighted - cozy, neat, has a porch for dancing and cocktails, located in a well-groomed park.
b) several wineries at Niagara On the Lake - a beautiful town on a turn of Niagara River surrounded by wineries. The wineries were too small to hold our wedding.

The last stop of our reception places quest was Niagara Falls Country Club. After a tour and a chat with the manager that I known for years - Mr. Alan Cohen, Andrey thought our choice was clear. I didn't object. ... :)

The club met all of our requirements. It also came with bonuses:
1) there is a magnificent back terrace and garden for the ceremony;
2) if the weather isn't sunshiny, the ceremony can be brought inside - to the living room;
3) ladies locker room is perfect for bridal party getting ready;
4) a two room girls bathroom will give ladies plenty of space to pretty up;
5) there is a grand piano in the living room that can be used for live music during a cocktail hour;
6) I know the place inside and out, and, will use all of its advantages for the celebration.

Since my "choosing a wedding location" story turned out rather narrative, I also found a couple of articles that are more methodical advise in choosing wedding location and will be helpful if you don't know where to begin with:
1) eHow article
2) The Knot article

Oh, and ... since the place we set our eyes on for the wedding is quite popular, it "picked" the wedding date for us - September 6, 2009. !!! :) A fall wedding.

Let me know if you think there is something we didn't consider while choosing our wedding location. I'd love to have this information covered, and so, I am sure, anybody who is reading this post.

Hush City

2008-12-04T17:18:00.008-05:00

Monday morning my work email spam filter caught a message from my very talented friend Yulia. She granted me with a link and a note: “Look!!!!” – this always means I would definitely enjoy it.

I do not want to give away my impressions before you watch this, so lock your palms around a mug of your favorite tea or coffee – you are for a 20 minutes of a special treat.

One of the main characters of the movie is my dear native city of Minsk. I must warn that the loading is a little slow, so be patient – it’s worth it. After you are through with this special show, you can read my impressions in the comments to this post. And, I’d delighted to learn what you think as well, so leave a comment!

Hush City

Thanksgiving

2008-11-30T23:20:00.007-05:00

I like Thanksgiving better than Christmas.

It kicks the holidays off rather than ends it.
It is a distinctly American holiday, and it comes from an old Indian tradition passed on to the new settlers.
It is even more symbolic for our family as we celebrate it together with our American host family: we are the new settlers, and they are the "Indians" that taught us to cook turkey.
Main colors of Thanksgiving are fall harvest colors - yellow, orange, red. Orange is one of my favorite colors. (Guess what I am considering to be one of the wedding colors?)

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A note for my Belorussian and Russian readers

I bet you already knew everything I mentioned about Thanksgiving. But, I am pretty sure you didn't know one more American tradition of modern days. It comes the Friday after Thanksgiving, called Black Friday.

On Black Friday many consumer products stores open really early - 4 or 5 o'clock in the morning, and determined shoppers pour into the stores in hopes to catch that plasma TV set for 80% off. The line to enter the store forms the night before, I guess the first people in line eat their turkey dinner and leave to get in front.
The catch is - there are only 10 or 20 TVs available for that whole crowd. If you are lucky enough to grab one of those you'd need to rush back immediately to the check out line, or you can be stuck there forever. Elbows and bodyweight are used widely during the store maneuvering, and the politeness is not present during Black Friday.

When I first learned about this tradition, I tried to participate: studied the promotions printed in the local newspaper the night before, planned out my stores visits, and headed out as early as I could - 7 am!!! :) ... It was already too late, the only sign of the great deals was the tail of the check out line. :( ...:) Never again!

When I saw Black Friday in action, one thing came to mind: if our older Russian speaking population here is nostalgic about Soviet times, I'd encourage them to participate in Black Friday - never ending lines are completely real, and it should bring back the memories. Besides, there are years of line standing experience they could've put to use - a clear advantage increasing the chances to actually be the lucky owner of that 80% off TV set.
***************************************************
This Thanksgiving my fiance, my family, my host family, my friends (near and far) made me feel whole. Thank you so much for being ingredients of my happiness. I've recharged. I am now again ready to create, share, inspire, get inspired, learn and teach, care and be cared for.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Our Miami Trip (+ some tips for first time Miami visit)

2008-11-24T22:30:00.007-05:00

That Thursday was a very rainy, gray and wet. Any visitors to my work desk, however, were startled to see me grinning from one ear to another ear. :) <-- Just like that. My coworkers, though, understood: they knew I was flying to sunny and summery Orlando that evening. And, what was even better - driving to Miami the next day. I really could not keep the grin off my face any time I turned around to look out the window. I saw drizzle, but I was seeing palm trees.

From Miami, Florida - November 2008

And turquoise water....

From Miami, Florida - November 2008

This was our first time in Miami, and frankly, I didn't expect Miami to be a city. Like New York City, but on the ocean. Miami is a mix of city - clubs, restaurants, well dressed people, shopping and the sun bleached beach. The combination I never saw before, and it kept confusing me.

So, for those traveling to Miami for the first time, here are 4 tips for your trip planning:
1) Bring dressy clothes. Dressy, but beachy. Girls - stilettos will find their occasion easily.
2) To be in the center of action, stay at one of the boutique hotels in South Beach. (See the map below - we noted a few). If you want a quieter atmosphere, North Miami Beach will be your fit.
3) Staying north or south - make a trip to the Ocean Drive at night and enjoy the never ending party.
4) Go to Miami in a company of friends, as mentioned above - it is a party kind of place.

Below are some mapped tips

View Larger Map

I arrived to Orlando to meet my fiance that spent the whole week at a conference there. After a brief tour of a small part of the place (Rosen Shingle Creek) I mentally marked my calendar for next year - it was decided I will travel to this conference as well. 5 pools! Sunshine, palm trees! :)

From Miami, Florida - November 2008

When we drove closer to our hotel in North Miami Beach, condos rose on each side of the road and along the coast.

From Miami, Florida - November 2008

This is my favorite:

From Miami, Florida - November 2008

I was armed with an almost professional camera, so Andrey had no choice, but to become my model for this trip.

From Miami, Florida - November 2008

See a complete slide show of our trip with comments to the photos here:

A Good Morning Thought

2008-11-20T23:03:00.003-05:00

While I am preparing a complete report on our fabulous Miami trip, I wanted to share a beautiful new thought I discovered reading "Atlas Shrugged" , an Ayn Rand novel:

"No matter what night preceded it, she had never known a morning when she did not feel the rise of a quiet excitement that became a tightening energy in her body and a hunger for action in her mind - because this was the beginning of the day and it was the day of her life."

I actually feel like that every morning too! Every once in a while my reasons are a bit shallower then simple gratitude for living my own life, though. :) Sometimes I am in a good mood because of a yummy breakfast ahead, sometimes because of the rays of sunshine, or, perhaps cozy rain outside, and sometimes, because it is Friday - the end of the week (tomorrow!!). But the fact is - I never wake up in a bad mood. ... There is one exception, now that I declared that: I used to get very much upset when my parents woke me up against my intention to sleep in on Saturdays. We used to live in a 1 bedroom apartment in Minsk and they intentionally made too much noise in the kitchen. Luckily my fiance knows I should not be disturbed in the morning against my will. :)

Happy coming Friday!

Miami!!! Florida!!! Summer is back!

2008-11-15T00:02:00.002-05:00

This is just a quick note to say that we (the bride and the groom to be) have eloped to summer for a couple of days. Yes, the USA is THAT wonderful of a country where at one end of it we have winter and on the other - summer. And summer is in Miami!! Today is November 14 and the weather here is in the 90s! (= = 25-30 c). It was hard for me to believe that the weather that is measured in 90 degrees exists now, in November, when I was packing, so along with two bathing suites I decided to include a jacket. Silly me - it is summer here, real NY or Belarussian summer weather!

I didn't study Miami over the internet and came here with only pictures of palm trees, topless girls on the beach (apparently it is the only place it is allowed in the USA, but this is not a confirmed fact) and salsa dancing in my mind - this is how I though Miami should be.

Well, what I found caught me totally off guard - skyscaping condos, not so neat and clean sidewalks and girls in pencil black skirts and stilettos or whimsical cocktail dresses walking the streets! My knee long jeans and a fancier than usual top with city style sandals are not enough for Miami! I will now know, and will be prepared for tomorrow. :)
Tomorrow we will also see what is the proper beach attire in this fashion demanding city.

The Talents of California

2008-11-11T22:44:00.002-05:00

I do not need any more proof that the land in California must be magical, as it grows talents left and right.

Every time this commercial is on TV you'd find me glued to the screen with a grim on my face nodding to the "governator" when he warns I will be back to California. I will be! (As soon as I return from my first visit :)). On a serious note, as a marketer I am always jumping up and down when I see my fellow marketers to just nail it!

And my answer to the following one is - "Tomorrow!" The play on words in this commercial I put right next on the shelf with Carrie Bradshaw's famous masterpieces.

If this weren't enough, how about Jasmine Star? I still can't decide what does she do better - writes or photographs? The way she writes makes me "watch" her posts, not read them. Jasmine, you are my inspiration in becoming a better writer! Here is my new favorite of her recent posts.

The Orange Season

2008-11-08T23:57:00.010-05:00

While my fiance sees his second dream, fighting the cold he brought from his trip to Belarus, I decided to vier off to the blog word.

This whole week I wanted to share my feelings towards the "orange season", as I call it, that happens right now in America. I guess this whole week will be devoted to my American life, rather than the progress on our wedding planing. But that topic is coming up and will be on the agenda again and again very shortly - promise!

I call it the "orange season", as this is the color dominating decorations in people homes and stores all over. It starts in the beginning of October, peaks on Halloween and stays through November up to Thanksgiving. Orange is one of my favorite colors to decorate and wear in the fall and winter, as it reminds me of sun and energy and compensates for the grayness and darkness of winter. It is sort of a "sun concentrate".

When I first came to the USA, it was right at Halloween time, and I could not believe how orange are the pumpkins here - we never ever had them so orange in Belarus!

This is why it was so much fun to take my grandmas to a pumpkin patch couple of weeks ago. One of my grandmas is an experienced gardener, and she was very impressed. Here is a small slide show from that sunny, orangy day.

Today I voted for the president of the USA!

2008-11-04T23:17:00.003-05:00

Just seating on the couch, watching CNN, tears in my eyes every three seconds - people who are speaking and being interviewed are just so emotional tonight! (Disclaimer: I am tearful even just listening to the radio driving to work in the morning, if I happen to catch especially touching story on NPR). I have never participated in an election of an American president before, so this feels a little like my evening too.

We have elected Barack Obama!

.... Several tears again - John McCain spoke to congratulate the future president. Very good speech. He had the harder one of the speeches tonight and did it with so much respect and dignity!

Back in the voting booth I fought myself not to take a picture of the poling machine, with all its cute little handles and red arrows. You'd think that with everything computerized in this country the machines will look a bit more sophisticated - but no, they could belong to 1962, just as fine, yet are still used - must be very good ones! While I was absorbed by the process of turning handles, a line formed outside the booth waiting for their turn to turn - apparently I was taking too much time!

.... Tears again - Barack Obama is speaking. Barack Obama, caught my attention at first because he branded himself, created a slogan, and carried them both well through his campaign. This historic night shows - Marketing is important. :)

The Ring (not the horror movie)

2008-11-02T19:00:00.006-05:00

May be I am not like many brides, but I still can not get used to the fact that I am getting married - it is so new to me! So, the ring that appeared on my finger last Thursday, that was whimsically crafted by Northfield Designer Goldsmiths, helps! Now even the cashiers in the supermarket smile at me differently. :0)

### An official promise to give my ring a photo shoot as soon as I get my camera, and to insert a photo of it right in place of this little note###

There are a few choices we had to make while deciding on the ring. First of all, I just loved that my fiance opted to pick out the ring together, because it turned out our ideas of the rings were very different - I wanted white gold and he wanted yellow! By the way, I learned that yellow gold is classic, and white gold is just the fashion that comes and goes. Well, I am for fashion! While there was no hesitation on the color, I was torn between a classic "tiffany" style ring (which is a round bend with a 4 or 6-prong support of the stone) and something a little less classic. We went with a little less classic - the ring from a private jeweler, wonderful Gudmund Jos Olsson originally from Sweden. Not only I liked the way the ring looks, but, it also hugs the finger very comfortably.

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So, when the rings are chosen, here are things to consider:
1) White or yellow gold? ... Or, platinum?
2) Classic style? You will need to know the terms like "solitaire" (which means just single standing stone), or may be you are for very traditional, royal high settings that have details on the sides as well as top?
3) There will be a wedding band going together with your ring when "I do"s are said, how will the whole piece look and feel on the finger together?
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This part of wedding preparation can be gaily checked complete. It was very fun and romantic. :)
Now I need advice on how to keep the ring on my finger at all times and not leave it in some restaurant's or grocery store bathroom. (Which I've done). Any tips?

Coming back to life!

2008-10-29T00:25:00.003-04:00

It turned out that my first day without my wisdom teeth was not the hardest one, the bad ones were still on the way - Saturday and Sunday - when painkillers became my best friends. Them and Dr. House. Although, he made me just worried about more things that I could even imagine to know.
Luckily on Monday my doctor thought I had enough of the torture and placed some medicated band aids in the wounds! Anytime I open my mouth, it smells like a pharmacy (tastes like it too), but I will take this any time over the pain.

This whole experience made me realize again that just the fact that I can see, walk, smell, hear, feel no pain is enough for me to be very happy. :)
Speaking of other little things that make me happy: recently I discovered Pandora. It is an internet radio place, where you can create channels yourself. Say, you like Fergie, so this is what you type into the search. And Pandora creates a station that will play Fergie's music and similar music of other artists. You can thumb up or thumb down the songs further personalizing your station. What can I say - I really love it! It makes you discover other artists and keeps the music fresh, new. Oh, and then - you can share your stations with your friends. I've put mine to my blog's right hand side. Enjoy!
A question - are there other internet radio communities that you'd like to lead me to? What's your favorite? I'd love to learn about them!

The Wisdome is Gone!

2008-10-25T17:40:00.007-04:00

My own happenings this Friday were not festive: I got 2 of my wisdom teeth pulled. You can already feel this post being sillier than others, right? :) As a person that survived through this terrifying procedure (I nearly fainted during my consultation when the doctor just spoke about it), my message to those who still have wisdom teeth removal in their future - not really all that bad! The key to the happiness is Valium, once it is added to your bloodstream, you just become drunk-like! Nothing is scary after that! Yet, you are not knocked out completely, you remember and understand everything vaguely, and the story of the day stays continuous, with no gaps. On the second day you become a chipmunk, but hey - it is all over, at least! So, Hi from the chipmunk!
By the way, chipmunk fiances actually have some very cute & tender perks to enjoy - hand made mashed potatoes for dinner, pancakes and scrambled eggs in the morning from their non-chipmunk fiances! :)

Two Happy Birthdays

2008-10-25T17:40:00.003-04:00

My dearest and closest friend, Svetlana had her birthday on Friday. Happy Birthday, Svetochka! I will need to speak about this person separately a little later, as she is my friend, shrink, partner in crime and my pillar of support, so this post is only an introduction.

Also, my future father-in-law had his special birthday - 55! It would be great to be a part of the family celebration on this special occasion, because my future part of the family knows how to celebrate! So, Happy Birthday, my future father-in-law! :)

One more reason to never cancel your after work Gym plans

2008-10-22T23:09:00.004-04:00

So ... I have promised myself that THIS time I will go to the Gym without skipping. I decided not to give in to the little voices telling me that I can skip one day - nothing will happen.
My realization today was this: every time I don't go to the Gym, I am not making good on my own promise! This melts away my self respect! And then I let go of some other promises I made to myself - it is a domino effect.
I am glad to report that for the last two weeks I kept my promise to myself, and it feels great in so many ways!

Engaged (!!!) and sharing the happiness

2008-10-21T22:12:00.009-04:00

It has been 21 days since I got THE question. And, girls (and guys) this is how it feels: you think you are ready to hear it, or you can even see it coming, but it will catch you by surprise!
So, of course - how did he do it? Right? Well, in an unusual way. And i love unusual. Very romantic, but predictable would it be to pop the question at the Central Park, or after seeing "Legally Blond", the musical, or in the morning at Waldorf=Astoria. Every one of these times during our surprise visit I saw him becoming nervous, that made me nervous too. But he chose not to do it there (this is the version for the press) ... :) ... so cute!
I got this wonderful question at 7:40 am on a Tuesday, after he brushed his teeth, put on his fluffy dark blue robe and woke me up. With my 1 sec preview of the future I thought he would now say: "Would you marry me?" The next second he said: "Would you marry me?". For several moments after I was left with a mental dilemma - did he really say that or did I just thought he said that? But the tender words he continued on mumbling matched with "Would you merry me?", so I knew this all was really happening! That very moment had become a part of our shared history and it was happening!
So I gave it 21 days to settle it in my mind. During this time I also realized, that you can spread happiness by creating happy moments in your own life. My family, HIS family, our friends, coworkers, all were so happy to hear our news - I really feel we started a whole new wave of good energy! Lesson: creating happiness in your own life makes it enough to go around.
So, I am engaged! I am a fiancé and I have a fiancé!
We have almost settled on the place and the date, so, - stay tuned!

Russian Rules of Courtship

2008-10-20T23:40:00.004-04:00

Here is a lesson on how to get attention from a Russian girl. Not very logical, but this is how it works out in our culture... and, I actually like it this way. Poor guy! :)

It is definitelly fall!

2008-10-08T22:53:00.005-04:00

Yesterday, stepping out of the car, I noticed it was very quiet around. We live by the forest edge, and all summer long, day and night, there was a never ending concerto of bugs and birds. Sometimes the "music" was louder than the hum coming from the highway during a rush hour.
And yesterday I realized that the concerto was over. No whistling, no squeaking, no movement - everything was at a stand still! Some trees lost all their leaves already, some are in the peak of their fall beauty, showing the variety of colors from green to red. It seemed somebody decided to stop life for a moment and study this little corner of the world thoroughly, with no rush. So he clicked his fingers and the life numbed.
If this seems to be a sad scene to observe, I haven't yet mentioned one really important detail: everything was lit by a mild, tender evening sunshine. Sunshine complemented the yellows and reds and made everything just very ripely beautiful.
I find it very interesting that both Asian culture and Jewish religion celebrate really big holidays at this time of the year - the Moon Festival, Rosh Hashanah (New Year) and Yom Kippur (The day of Atonement). I wish Christianity had a big holiday at this beautiful time as well. There is some culture and religion envy (the white one) I am experiencing! :)
BUT, Halloween with its overwhelming orangeness is just around the corner, as well as my most favorite American holiday - Thanksgiving! I like anticipation of a holiday as much as the holiday itself, so I am already enjoying them both.

My New Right

2008-10-02T22:51:00.004-04:00

It was a very interesting experience to become an American. I almost separated into two people - one was sworn in to become a new American citizen and another one was a scientist studying the first person's reactions on how it feels to become a citizen of another country, while staying very devoted to people and culture of the home country, Belarus.
The scientist learnt: the subject simply remains a very responsible person. You see, the only difference between a permanent resident (also known as an alien or a green card holder) and a citizen of the USA is that a citizen has a right to vote. To the subject that means impacting the course of the country for at least the next 4 years. Therefore, she feels this is not a right, but a responsibility to participate and vote, especially in the country, where this right seems to be as powerful and as honest as it can get.
Thus I am picking up this really cool video from Jessica Clair's blog to pass along to all new and old citizens of the USA. The message there is: if you decided to vote, you have only a few days to register to vote. Proceed to this site, please.

I love New York!

2008-09-29T22:38:00.007-04:00

On my surprise visit to New York City this weekend organized by a very special magician, I made a list of the things I like about NYC:
1) Upper East and Upper West side Manhattan;
2) joggers;
3) Central Park's Alice in the Wonderland Statue;
4) The Waldorf=Astoria's perfectly shaped fresh flower bouquet that is probably 5 feet in diameter;
5) Seeing the "Sex and the City" style Saturday night party at WhisKey Blue;
6) Savouring a cup of cream of cauliflower and Italian Country sandwich in Hale and Hearty Soups and thinking that this food combination could by itself be the reason to come to NYC;
7) Russian pastries sold right by the entrance to the Brighton Beach subway station;
8) Seeing the statue of Liberty from the Q subway train window while it crosses Manhattan Bridge;
9) Soaking in the talents of "Legally Blond" musical creators and performers;
10) the fog of unbelivable thikness, hiding the tops of the skyscrapers.

Last Weekend

2008-09-24T22:26:00.009-04:00

Last Sunday my friends and I visited Letchworth Park, where I tried my beginner photography skills. I shoot everything in the manual setting (!!!) of Canon PowerShot S5IS, a "wannabe" professional camera. Here are several of the best photos from that day.

Here is a portrait of a very professional photographer, my friend Yulia (Yuka). She holds her old, but quite professional camera. One more photo of Yulia:

# 1

2008-09-22T22:51:00.000-04:00

My favorite cartoon. A tribute to Gagarin.

I am not going to write a book, Penelope!

2008-09-20T22:30:00.000-04:00

In a recent Penelope Trunk's post about a book deal she wrote how bad of an idea it is to write a book hoping that it will serve as a "law degree" to help further career developments. I realized that this was the trap I almost got myself into with my intention of pursuing an MBA degree. I knew I wanted an MBA really badly (I still do), I just had a vague idea what exactly will I do with it after I graduate. Ironically, Penelope in the first paragraph of her post mentioned how much better it is in the case of "vagueness" to start a blog! :) So I feel like I am on the right track here.

So, with the blog I am hoping to:
1) Literally put myself out there, to fight my habit of keeping a lot to myself;
2) Find my own writing voice and not be a сhamelion. In fact this post is written under the influence of Jasmine Star , after my morning dose of her juicily written posts. And as much as I admire Jasmine's both writing and photography talents, I'd like to sound like me.
3) and finally, I want to track my progress of making close to my idea of a perfect cocktail of delicious work and scrumptious life.

***
I stepped out of the office after the work day into the crispness of perfectly clear fall air and remembered my favorite music and a music video devoted to September by Igor Krutoi called "You are in my September". There is a hint of sadness in it, but it is a good kind of sadness.

The Beginning

2008-09-18T22:17:00.001-04:00

So, finally it happened. I now have my own blog! And this is my very first post!

Actually, I have been writing posts for quite a while now, it was just happening in my mind. I have been writing about my daily impressions of the morning air (lately is has been smelling like fall already), about my childhood memories of years of daydreaming and being not very sociable as the result, about why did I came to this point of finally starting a blog.... So, there are quite a lot of posts in this blog already. What? You don't see them??? Well, I guess I need to start transferring this wealth of information here.

Alright, lets start with childhood. If you met me as a 6-grader, you would probably think - what a snobbish little girl - she does not even try to act like she is interested in meeting me! The truth was - I was living such a vivid life on the inside (read too many books, watched too many movies), that I was barely noticing what did I act like on the outside.
I was thinking about all this just yesterday and searched the YouTube for my favorite middle school movie - La Boum, and as fabulous as YouTube is, it produces my precious memories right away:

and

Really, when your very acceptive vivid imagination is fed with these miracle moments, wouldn't you stay on the inside instead of meeting real people?? What for? :)
To be continued ...