last week, mike and i had our "official" one year anniversary (the day he proposed to me was the one year anniversary of our first date. we officially started dating three weeks after that first date). since there had been so much celebration since the engagement, i wasn't expecting that we would do anything special for this milestone.

mike picked me up from school and when we got to his house, i discovered the most beautifully decorated tablescape. and then i realized he had made me dinner. and then i started crying a little bit. mike always claims he can't cook, but somehow whipped up a dinner of balsamic chicken breasts, lemon asparagus, and roasted baby potatoes. just when i think this man can't make me any happier, he does.

also: the table decoration gives you a bit of an idea of the sort of items that mike and i have been collecting for the wedding: brass animals, old jars, books, cameras, doilies and candlesticks. really, just about anything old. last weekend i spent $35 on the most amazing antique gold telephone. not very practical, but very charming.

and: thank you so much for your sweet words about my ring. i would love it even if no one else did, but it's always nice to hear that other people think it's beautiful as well.

the time my best friend drove 27 hours and surprised me.

on sunday, mike suggested that we head to the Forks (market/shops/restaurants/river walk) for the afternoon. there were quite a few things that really needed to be done (including an intimidatingly enormous pile of dishes) but i agreed. i took my time getting ready to go and mike kept hovering around impatiently - not really like him at all. it's usually me that hovers around annoyingly.

we got to the forks and mike seemed to get flustered as i suggested that we go to the frozen yogurt place instead of the ice cream place - and oh, maybe we should sit by the river - or at least go outside to eat... finally he got me to sit down at a table. we had just dug into our frozen yogurt, when a sweet voice asks, "is this seat taken?".

instinctively i thought, "lady, there are lots of other seats around!" (ha! i'm so unfriendly?!)... then i looked up and saw my beautiful friend melissa, who hails from surrey, british columbia. i screamed, hopped around, looked between mike & mel in astonishment, and demanded to know how they planned this. absolute, complete, and utter surprise - a fabulous feeling! i was in a state of shock the rest of the day!

so i've decided that when best friends + boyfriends plan surprises, it's the best combination ever.

let me tell you a story...

...about friday, january twenty second.

SCENE ONE:

janis does homework upstairs while her friends make supper (what friends!).

janis comes downstairs. the three friends start eating.

 SCENE TWO:

the fourth friend, kari, arrives, earlier than expected. the other friends think nothing of it.

kari starts taking pictures of the prepared supper.

screams erupt as kd catches a glimpse of shiny diamond ring on kari's finger.

janis proceeds to choke on her garlic bread while she is screaming.

kari fears janis will throw up all over her.

hugs/screams/gasps/tears.

the friends settle down.

kari tells the whole wonderful story.

SCENE THREE:

the friends skype the fiancé. the friends love this man very very much.

SCENE FOUR:

the friends turn on kelis.

dance party erupts as the friends make toasted marshmallow milkshakes.

the friend decide that it is the most delicious flavour they have ever tasted.

SCENE FIVE:

facebook status hacking (thank you kd)/pictures/empire state of mind/

bridesmaids dress research/photobooth/dancing on the piano bench

my three best friends + a diamond ring 

+ delicious milkshakes + my right eyeball. 

i couldn't be any happier.

ps. kari will be posting the FULL STORY on her blog sometime this week.

you must check it out...her fiancé is incredibly romantic...

the best surprise of the day.

as i was leaving for class this afternoon, i glanced at my camera.

i deliberately decided not to take it,

as i thought that were could be absolutely nothing worth taking a picture of

while i was holed up in classes for four and a half hours.

little did i know that driving home with my friends kari + justin,

the OLYMPIC TORCH PROCESSION would go DRIVE RIGHT BY US.

luckily, the always technologically saavy justin ayson whipped out his iphone
and managed to snag some pictures.

kari and i were oh so excited!

vancouver 2010, here we come!

ps. don't worry my fellow bloggers. i have learned my lesson.

i will never be camera-less again.

a little photo swap teaser + bon week-end!

i'm so happy to be participating in rhianne's photo swap.
beth {my partner} + i were both late to the game,
but luckily rhianne squeezed us in.

i've been thinking long + hard about what i should do...
pictures of people you don't know aren't so fun to look at.
a whole roll of landscapes can also get a little boring.
so i came up with a very clever little idea.
i'm dying to share, but i will have to wait until beth gets my role of film.
for now, i will let these two picture tantalize you!

hope you all have lovely weekend plans lined up.
i'm going out for drinks + dancing tonight!

all right well i must go clean up my mess from my photo taking extravaganza.
xo

ps. my boss lent me that gorgeous film camera to use.
isn't that so nice?!