This post just went up on Weddingbee, and I wanted to share it with you here as well!

I have so, so much to be thankful for this year—a wonderful wedding exactly two months ago, a loving and witty husband, an exceptional and strong family, fantastic friends, and Weddingbee community that is a regular highlight in my day. I am thankful for my job. A year ago I was miserably unemployed, and I am so glad to be working toward my dream. I am thankful for the Starbucks next door to our home. The friendly smiles and coffee are the perfect start to any day, and I’d be working at said Starbucks if I hadn’t found my job (ha). I’m thankful for technology, specifically my iPhone. It provides hours of entertainment and keeps me connected to those I love. I’m thankful for cute flats, fluffy bedding, and scarves often too.

Most of all, this Thanksgiving makes me overwhelmingly thankful for last Thanksgiving. It was the first and only Thanksgiving I will have been able to spend with Mr. Fix-It’s Mom. I got to try her famous recipes, soak in the smells of her kitchen, and know what made Thanksgiving so special for Mr. Fix-It. It was my first Thanksgiving away from home, and now I realize it was especially worth it.

Happy Thanksgiving to you!

Despite the outcome, it was seriously awesome to be a part of Wrigley Field and Northwestern history on Saturday. If you happen to be a non-football, non-Chicagoan: Northwestern University hosted the Fighting Illini at Wrigley Field on Saturday, November 20. The last college football game was played at Wrigley in 1938. The iconic red Wrigley Field sign was painted Northwestern purple for the occasion and alums old and young swarmed the event. (Yay for being a NU Alum twice over!)

After 6 ridiculously lazy days at the Aventura Spa Palace, we kicked it up a notch and spent the remaining 4 days of our honeymoon at the PlayaCar Palace in Playa Del Carmen.

Mr. Fix-It and I gave the property a quick once-over and were immediately pumped. Aventura Spa Palace was more of a "resort property" and PlayaCar Palace felt more like an urban, trendy, hotel. It was the perfect way to wrap up our trip.

The thing I swore I wouldn't do...

I know, you've totally been dying to know what I swore I wouldn't do. It's really not that exciting, but I really, really, swore I wouldn't.

I'm anti-post wedding chop. I honestly don't get it. It's like you grow out all this long, gorgeous hair (which takes foreverrrrrrrrr) to create a certain look for your wedding day, and then you chop it all off the first chance you get. Now, I'm all for change. One part that bothers me is that you immediately outdate your wedding photos. Or similarly, why grow out your hair in the first place if you're someone who genuinely doesn't ever wear their hair long? The caveat being, of course, the up-do. Sure, sure, I'll go with that one. I guess I fell into that category - I figured I'd let my hair grow like crazy so I'd have the most options available for my wedding day 'do. I guess the part I get hung up on is creating a wedding look that isn't really "you" in everyday life. Plus, if you've worked toward creating something, why destroy it so quickly?

So, perhaps the moral of my babbling rant is that - in fact - I'm not anti-post wedding chop but more anti-do something totally out of character just for your wedding.

My story? I grew my hair out in anticipation of our wedding.

When considering the criteria for our honeymoon, it was pretty straightforward: warm and tropical, lots of lounging and relaxation, good food, fruity drinks, no hiking, no sight-seeing, no tours, no guilt over doing nothing. Additionally, Mr. Fix-It and I are fortunate enough to be fairly well-traveled, and although there are many, many, many more places we hope to visit and explore we decided our honeymoon was not the time to do that. As much as I'm dying to lay on a beach on Phuket, I couldn't rationalize traveling halfway across the world with only the desire to lay around. I'll save that trip for another time when I'm more motivated to explore. All in all, Mexico was the perfect choice. 

Our honeymoon has come and gone. And oh, was it amazing. When people ask, I can't help but say, "we did a whole lot of nothing, which was absolutely perfect".

I guess I'll start at the beginning:

I thought I would take an opportunity to take a break from my projects and get started on this blog. Plus, it gives me a good reason to sit on the couch and watch some Football. I'll be pulling for Mike Wallace to have a good game and the Bengals to put some points on the board. While we are talking about it, a little background: I am having a rough Fantasy Football Season this year. Starting out 1-7. Fortunately some of the other things going on in my life have been a bit more successful. A little over a year ago my now wife and I purchased our own little place to call home. It is a fairly standard 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom, condo in Chicago. I was quite impressed with Mrs. Fix-It's idea to write a blog titled "The Fix-Its" being it is very appropriate. With some luck I can entertain you with experiences as I fumble through things and educate you when I get lucky and do something right.

A disclaimer: I am far from a professional anything. I take that back. I am a Professional Electrical Engineer and that has little bearing on anything I will likely share on this blog. Seriously though, I like to think I am an expert and might try to sound like one, but I recommend if you like my ideas you add your own research.

Dear Backsplash,

We've never been friends. You're weird and ugly. I'm sorry, but you day has come.

Not So Fondly,
Mrs. Fix-It

And so it was...