Ahhhhh!!! So today is my SITS day and I forgot to post my welcome post!!! I had it on my list of things to do yesterday, and it completely escaped me!! Story of my life. I feel like Im hosting a party and forgot to be a greeter, and am hiding in my room. My apologies!!

So let me do a little explaining.

I head about SITS a few years ago, when I started blogging more regularly, and wanted to be a part of it. An amazing opportunity lay before me, and what better way to get exposure to a group of 0ther bloggers. Today is my day to shine. My SITS day. My day to be featured…and I almost blew it!!  A community of over 8,000 bloggers come together to form a community, and share posts, comments, chat in forums, go to conferences, and support each other. Thats why SITS stands for The Secret to Success is Support! Additionally, there is a featured blogger every weekday, and that’s what I am today!

1)I love costumes. I love reasons to wear them, and I have way too much closet space being taken up by them. Many of my costume themed posts can be found here.

2)My house is a zoo. Between 2 cats and a dog, the dander and cat litter are plentiful..but I couldn’t have it any other way.

3) My husband and I both have mustache tattoos on our fingers. He got his first, and I told him that when he proposed I’d get one too. We call it my commitment stache. Its fun to play with at parties.

4) Im an ex-sorority girl living in the Bay Area. Though sorority girl most definitely doesn’t define me… people are actually sometimes shocked I was in one. I’m a California girl born and raised, starting my life in LA, school in SD, and been in the bay for 8 years. A majority of my friends from home and college having families, some with up to 3 kids! I feel like the Bay area is home to a lot of people with peter pan syndrome, and they dont want to grow up. Living here was always more of a party and work kind of life rather than family focused. Things are changing. My friends up here are maturing and starting the wedding circuit. I got married last August, and cant wait to have a family….stay tuned, hopefully things will turn around and I’ll be able to actually post baby posts as opposed to stalking other peoples baby focused Etsy sites. Love making Wunzees for other people, but cant wait to make them for ME!

5)I like to think I’m crafty…though I’ve seen what other people can do. I was making Wunzees for a while, and if you need one, I still can. I am currently trying to make a new quilt, (the one below is a first attempt) and doing a bunch of small ones in the process. I wish i knew what i was doing!!

Anyway…I hope you enjoy my blog. Not traditional in the “I have focus” sense, but hopefully fun nonetheless. Thanks for visiting!!!

I wanted to give a thank-you for the mention on The Budget Savvy Bride blog. You remember how I had my whirlwind trip to NY with Jessica Bishop, the Budget Savvy Bride? Remember how we went and she talked about how to plan a wedding on a budget and RetailMeNot.com? Remember that? Well, she talked about her trip and the experience on her blog here. She even gave me and The Little Goat a shout out!!

My favorite feature of hers is one that she does called Frugal Fashion. If only I had dedicated more time to the budget blogs when planning my own wedding. This color combo is so great! If you go and check the feature out on her blog, you can see that all this cost only $198.94!!

image by Jessica Bishop

Thanks again Jessica! It was a blast, and I’ll definitely look you up if I ever make it out to Nashville.

This process has been great. I am in love with the planning. I am also in love with my friends….as this process would not be nearly as much fun without them. They are also saving my ass in so many ways.

1) My talented photographer Eray is providing us with an amazing gift that is saving us a ton of money….If she wasn’t taking our photos, she would be a guest with a camera constantly taking pictures….so I guess her shooting our wedding is the only choice.

2) John is hanging our lights and providing any other technical/handy man needed stuff the day of the wedding.

3) Jay just offered to handle our day-of coordination. This is key, as per my blog post, that is stuff I have been stressing out about.

4) Esme helped me make a cute little garland for the engagement party.

5) The cake is likely being done by someone we know.

6) I need help finding hair and makeup for the day of….I have had countless people chiming in and giving me names.

7) Once more favors need to be customized, I know I have some folks who will help.

8 ) Even a few of my girlfriends in So Cal are helping my mom’s friends with my bridal shower down in LA. (Volunteers being taken to help up here….)

9)  Our vintage movie poster save the dates were made by our friend Michael. He has helped us become….”The Beard and “The Fro.” The postcard is below. I had to share it…I think its amazing.

10) I’m sure I am missing more….my bridal party rocks, and I am soooo excited to continue planning for the next 5 months. So much more to do. So much help that my friends are giving. Too many names to list.

Thanks you guys…..this wedding wouldn’t be the same without you.

Today was amazing. A few friends, Mick and myself all took a short road trip and went to Harley Farm in Pescadero, CA. It was a rainy day, but the tour that we signed up for was rain or shine, so onward we went. Something was looking over us though, because only a few minutes before we arrived did the rain lift, and then it started again on our way home…but no rain at the farm.

The reason we headed there…was because its a Goat Farm!!! Seriously. Between Mick’s love for goats, my blogs namesake, and all of our love for some amazing fresh cheese, it was a no-brainer.

This farm was awesome. They weren’t in milking season, because all of the females were pregnant! In fact, they had their first kids born in 2010 a few weeks ago, and one of the goats had 4 on Friday!  4!!! They were 2 days old, and our tour group was able to hold them and pet them and snuggle their little soft faces. They are so cute! They bleeted, and bahhed, and were as soft as kittens. Little Goats!!!

In the area with all of the goats, while we were standing and hanging out with them, one started to have contractions. We waited around for a bit, but she didn’t give birth in the time we were there. How amazing would that have been? The other ones were using us as scratching posts, nuzzling, and smelling us with their mouths. It was pretty much the best “petting zoo” ever.

We were told the history of the farm, taken on a tour of the cheese-making facility, and even got to try all of their cheeses. Needless to say, we all headed to the dairy shop after, and bought quite a few of the fresh goat cheeses…in addition to some fresh ravioli which I got to dine on tonight. It was AMAZING.

Some of the photos from today are below. You can see the whole set here.

The Little Goat

a mama goat

Little Goat in Micks beard

Beard and Hair nets

a field of mustard

We started venue hunting last Friday (that one was a fail). Since then, we have been on a quest to get site visits booked, and all the while trying to get what we want out of the spaces we are seeing. Are they pretty? Are they affordable? Are the food packages and site fees within our budget? If we do it outdoors, is the time of year going to be too cold? If we do it later in the year can we have a ceremony with the sun out?? This is all a bit more nerve wracking than I thought it would be.

All this coupled with the fact that we have an amazing photographer that we are working with, and her schedule has to coincide with the venues availability. We have three site visits this weekend, and while I’m hoping one of them works out, I keep finding awesome new places to try, worried that maybe they will be better than the other ones.

First we are thinking November…now maybe as early as July…ACK! I’m hoping after this weekend, we can make a decision…book the venue, confirm the photog, and just get to have fun with the details, AND THE DRESS!!! Who needs a long engagement anyway.

This is my redux of Friends of the Farm. It’s a feature I’m going to be bringing back, so I thought I’d use the  profile of the cutest lil southerner I’ve ever had the privilege of calling a good friend. She is also one of the most talented photographers I know. She  has been killing it in the wedding business, has a beautiful website for her Elizabeth Ray Photography site, and sells her fine art prints on Etsy under Fly With Me.

1. What made you want to start takin pickshas?

I took a class after digging up an old camera in a junk drawer. Something about Photography was so personal. It changed the way I looked at everything. You just find beauty when you look at life. Your friend can be talking to you and all you see is the blue of the tv on one cheek, yellow lamp light on the other side of their face, and thier expression mixed with the textured wallpaper. Life looks unbelievable. Once you start seeing pictures all the time you can’t stop.

2. What inspires you? what do you love to photograph?

Everything! Well, I like that moment when you connect with whatever you are photographing. Everything makes sense. Some photographs I take are just like eating candy. A little cute sweet picture of birds, flowers, puddles, clouds.  I like to photograph things that make me  as happy as chocolate. My portraits are inspired by ideas and themes. I like to pick out backdrops, colors, and props and set them into action with storylines and emotion behind the eyes.

3. You have been succeeding this past year in the wedding biz..whats the hardest part?

Not crying when people exchange beautiful vows during the ceremony.

4. Will you photograph my wedding and engagement photos when the time comes?

YES!!!!!!!! can I be the flower girl too?

5. Why you so darn cute?

Why you are making me blush!

6. Top 5 TV shows

1. True Blood 2. Lost 3. True Blood 4.Lost 5. True Blood

7. Favorite Muppet?

I hate the muppets.

8. What do you miss most about SF when you arent around? (other than me of course). What about NOLA?

SF – I miss wandering the city from neighborhood to neighborhood and finding cute lil shops to peruse. I miss the beeeaaauutttfiul drives, mountains, the pacific ocean.
I miss california adventures and parties at the Big Blue House.

NOLA – when I’m not in nola I miss the heat how laaid back and slow it is – Sitting outside a bar sipping a drink while the ice melts and going inside because of the roaches. Then the neighborhood character of the month walks up sings you a song asks fo a dolla. you laugh. you put your feet up and stay out till 5am. I miss the horrible accents, Yats, how ya ma’am an em’?,  and walking around the quarter and finding a parade not during mardi gras.

9. Any advice?

p90x is not a joke.

(Originally posted May 28, 2009)