We are off on what I believe will be the most amazing trip of our lives. To be discovering the USA, a place I have dreamed of since I was tiny, with my new husband makes me unbelievably happy. Here is a sneak peek at what we will be up to over the coming days. Flight leaves tonight at 9:20pm, first stop Hawaii.
I am going to do my very best to post while away. But as I am sure you can imagine I want to spend most of the trip enjoying the trip and will do a wrap up when I am home.
My first Monday Etsy Pretty as Mrs Holz this seems appropriate. A classic line from childhood I think it is the perfect motto to start married life. I mean if after all that Buzz and Woody can still be friends Richard and I are going to do well.
So this is happening today! Let the celebration of our love begin.
Richard,
If in the morning when you wake,
If the sun does not appear,
I will be here.
If in the dark we lose sight of love,
Hold my hand and have no fear,
I will be here.
I will be here,
When you feel like being quiet,
When you need to speak your mind
I will listen.
Through the winning, losing,
and trying we’ll be together,
And I will be here.
If in the morning when you wake,
If the future is unclear,
I will be here.
As sure as seasons were made for change,
Our lifetimes were made for years,
I will be here.
I will be here,
And you can cry on my shoulder,
When the mirror tells us we’re older.
I will hold you,
to watch you grow in beauty,
And tell you all the things you are to me.
We’ll be together and I will be here.
I will be true to the promises I’ve made,
To you and to the one who gave you to me.
I will be here.
What a gorgeous poem by Steven Curtis Chapman, just perfect for how I feel right now.
Bruno Mars I love this song but it will not feature today …. as it is feels like it is featuring in every wedding this year. Oh and marrying Richard is the smartest thing I have ever or will ever do with my life. But I love your song, its so joyful.
Tonight is our rehearsal dinner. Gathering with the family to go through the day and just generally enjoy each others company. Tomorrow I marry the love of my life. Its just so unbelievable that we are here.
Carl Sagan may be talking about jetting off into space but I feel that way thinking about our wedding. Here we are taking the next step in the journey of our lives. Maybe it will be our descendant that takes that leap into space. Maybe as old people we will sit on the verandah and look up at the stars and remember how far we’ve come since this day.
To our family and friends who have supported us through the process and those who will be with us tomorrow thank you. You mean the world to us.
I was annoyed last night when I discovered this on the Dymocks website.
For you see, I am a huge fan of Philippa Gregory. I picked up The Other Boleyn Girl years before everyone had read it and I still read it now, but my favourite of all is The Queens Fool. Philippa is on my list of favourite names because of her. Pity I have a prior engagement this Saturday.
My parents bought me one year The Wise Woman. Not just because Gregory wrote it …. but her heroine’s name is Alys. My spelling is so rare, to see it in print like that made the present.
Maybe this summer, after the wedding is a memory I will take some time to read the Tudor series again. Yes, I like that idea.
Today is a sad day, after four years I am finishing up at Fundraising Institute Australia. This has been my “home” for a while now and that from tomorrow it won’t be is both thrilling and terribly, terribly sad.
How I came to find FIA is a funny story and I promise when it all began I never imagined I would leave as the long. I had left my previous job at the law firm before Christmas and after a holiday and moving to Northbridge I was looking for contract work while I looked for the perfect job. Although I was working somewhere I got a call from my agency saying they needed someone they could trust to go and look after a client of theirs. So I finished up one contract one day in March and the next I was off to FIA as the CEO’s Executive Assistant.
During a three week temp contract I realised that what FIA did was important. We made a contribution to Australian society by supporting those who support those who need it the most (the sick, the environment, children, animals). It’s what draws most people to FIA. But I was also interviewing for roles and was going through a weird situation with a law firm where HR was trying to find me a role because they wanted to keep me but I wasn’t the preferred candidate for the role available. So much back and forth and FIA needed a full time person in the role which they found. Ellen was getting married so I took a holiday and just enjoyed life.
A few weeks later, the event manager role at FIA came up and I got a call to apply which I did. I’d interviewed for the role only to hear that two other staff had resigned and they were restructuring. The event role wasn’t really there any more but the EA that had come in hadn’t worked out so I got a call. In I went, knowing that if the CEO offered me a job I would take it right there and then. She did and I started at FIA on 26 May 2008, the day after my 27th birthday.
I hadn’t been there long when the first Event Manager resigned. He was followed by a lady who didn’t last her three month probation and I was offered the role. It was a big deal, all of a sudden I had people who reported to me, budgets to meet and a few hundred people arriving at a Conference where I was in charge. I had to learn fast. My first side kicks Lauren and Liz were amazing and I have so much respect for them. Looking back now I see how much they helped me get through what from day one was a tough job. I was never perfect but the compliments I got from members, peers and my boss over the years show that I got better each and every year.
Over the years FIA has changed so many times. Liz left to go adventuring in Canada and I had to recruit her replacement for the first time (thank goodness I found the incredible Hadas); the original CEO left followed by Chris, who herself was followed by Rob each with a new and inspiring vision for FIA; we had to close the Melbourne office, and a flood of work came to the Sydney office (personally I went from looking after 3 major events to our entire event portfolio); Lauren and Hadas found new adventures and although I hated seeing them go I understood; more staff changes; and most importantly some incredible memories were created creating and attending events.
I have met some amazing people during my time at FIA. Some staff and members I now consider my friends. These people have shown me what it is to be generous of yourself and to go that extra mile for a peer. They have shown me what passion for a profession looks like. Others have shown me how to create amazing things from nothing. Of course as with any job you can’t please all the people all the time …. but if you know me well you know I nearly killed myself trying. Although those people have often dominated the time I have spent at FIA in reality they are just a small group of very rude, vocal people who really should take a giant chill pill.
I am a different person now than I was four years ago on that very first day walking into the Chatswood office. I have been a part of something incredible through the opportunity FIA has given me to help fundraisers be more and do more for those in need than I could have dreamed. I really did find the perfect job that day, though I would have laughed in your face if you’d told me so at the time.
To FIA and the fundraising profession I wish you all the very best in the future and I will continue to eagerly watch what they get up to. It will always hold a special place in my heart.
I’m breaking from my usual Monday Etsy Pretties to talk about Craft Party 2012.
What a great idea. Get to know people in your neighborhood through craft. I am always amazed when I start talking about crafting how many unexpected people are into it.
If it wasn’t going down the day before my wedding I would definitely be participating. I guess in a way I am participating in the greatest crafting event of my life, my wedding. Sisters are in town from Thursday to help me with bits and pieces, bring it on. I did grab the downloadable Craft Party Kit so if I get the chance I can still make cool things.
For those not involved in my wedding plans check it out on Etsy.com/craftparty2012 and find local events through meetup. Oh and definitely follow on twitter #craftparty2012.
Never fear I will be scheduling plenty of Monday Etsy Pretties for while we are away. 5 sleeps to the wedding
If you loved To Kill a Mockingbird* then you should read this. Jasper Jones is a fantastic book, with so much charm and warmth I was mostly disappointed that life is so busy I struggled to find quality time to spend with the story.
This book is beautifully crafted. I love the witty banter between our characters, most especially as it shows the changes in Charlies life. I genuinely felt that Charlie and Jeffery were the best of friends with their own silly language and I had to pause to ask myself some of their philosophical questions. The unlikely friendship between Chuck and Jasper Jones is touchingly sad and I just want to give Jasper a giant hug and cook him a good meal.
Early in the book I had that heart sink book lovers often get when they fear they have figured it out. There were some massive giveaways when Charlie was quoting Harper Lee and Mark Twain. Thank goodness the book still had surprises for me.
As I read I could feel the heat of an Aussie summer. I remember as a girl on the farm looking up at the stars in the summer, feeling the days heat seep from the earth into your skin. That such a small town can have so much drama doesn’t surprise me.
To be honest I nearly put the book down early on. One portion of the book turned my stomach and I did stop reading for a few days but the story is so engrossing I had to come back. Worth the read. Just take deep breaths when you get to that part, it only happens once.
Jasper Jones is going onto my repeat list, may try to bring it back out over the summer holidays.
*I do love that book, so much it put Harper on the list for my first daughters name.
In honour of the fact that in 13 sleeps the newly minted Mr and Mrs Holz will be jetting off to Hawaii I felt I would share some Ukulele action with you. Love this song, I could listen to this over and over.
Sorry I’ve been bad at posting lately, life has gotten away from me a bit with the wedding and honeymoon plans. Oh and apparently quitting your job and then jetting off where they can’t reach you is a lot of work! Maybe I should unfriend colleagues on Facebook …..
Gorgeous, just gorgeous! Gosh these look pretty in a tree but I could totally see them hanging in a little girls bedroom. I am a firm believer that bunting in all its forms makes things a little bit special. Be prepared Richard there will be bunting in our children’s rooms.
