Today’s February 15th, it always feels so normal compared to the day before it.

I had the best Valentine’s day ever this year, and most of it was spent at home!

We have a wedding to save up for, so we decided to skip going out for dinner this year – because on top of the cost of food, going out involves getting a new dress, cab fares, tip etc etc. We chilled out at home instead.

In the morning I woke up and reached out for my laptop to check my emails (as I always do) except this time there was a post-it note on my keyboard.

I spent the next hour running around the house following post-it clues to presents under the bed, in the broom closet, in the dryer, oven etc. It was really fun!!!

I gave him a box of bite-sized brownie pieces – it took me much longer to put that together than you would think.

We went out for lunch with friends, and came home to prep dinner. The best part about cooking dinner at home over Valentine’s day is we get to hang out together the whole time.

ON THE MENU:

Spicy oven fried chicken
Potato salad
Buttermilk biscuits
Italian salad
White Chocolate Pecan Pie
Homemade raspberry lemonade

We got dressed down for our dinner date (that’s a first on Valentine’s day!!!!) and lit candles all around the room, it was actually more romantic than the Old Course Hotel restaurant we went to last year.

We ate dinner and watched NCIS (his favorite TV show) on his laptop, then went back down to have dessert with our housemates and friends who had come over for dinner.

I was so stuffed at the end of the night.

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- We went into the city a lot.

- We had the cutest (and yummiest) mini burgers at Pop Burger!

- I finally got my ring resized at Tiffany’s and they did it in a day, good service!

- We got stuck in the snow for over an hour in NYBoy’s mustang.

- We decorated the best Christmas tree ever – and ditched the traditional angel topper with Bebek, Mr. Rabbit and the blue doll (childhood toys, guess which belongs to each person).

My favorite presents this year?
My Juicy Couture iphone cover, and my limited edition Barbie T3 hairdryer!

- Went to the beach after the snow!

- Made a trip down to Washington, DC to show Mumu the sights and museums. It was SO cold there, my favorite part was getting astronaut icecream at the Smithsonian Air & Space museum.

- Did a loooottt of shopping.

My favorite purchases?
True Religion skinnies, a new Dooney & Bourke purse (I was thinking of getting a Longchamp, until I found this, it’s the same material but with a cross-body strap, which I loovvve) and my wedding dress.

I have an Arabic final to sit next week and then on the 21st we’re getting on another plane and flying back home (MY home this time, not his!).

I’m really looking forward to spending time on the beach, eating very yummy food and seeing my friends who I haven’t seen since I was back in Summer 2008. Until then, it’s study, study, study.

Happy New Year everyone!

I can’t believe it’s my final year here in St. Andrews.

And, I can’t believe the first semester is almost over!

On Friday NYBoy and I are leaving for (no prizes for guessing here) New York for Christmas.

I’m more excited about this trip than any other trip because I have an appointment on the 21st of December at the Bridal Garden! They sell designer gowns for up to 75% off retail price, and the proceeds go to charity.

I’m not expecting a Kleinfeld experience, but I AM hoping to find my dream dress. Fingers crossed!

I have one more assignment due before I fly out. This time we’re flying via Paris CDG and avoiding Heathrow, because I hate it.

I’ve ordered all my Christmas presents, and at this point I am itching to get on the plane and go on holiday!!

http://www.ZAMANTITLEY.com

Life has been so busy! In good and bad ways, since coming back from Manchester I’ve had a packed schedule of work & friends visiting.

A bunch of friends came up from Manchester to come to our engagement party, thrown by one of Andrew’s groomsmen – our bestfriend and housemate M!

Our other housemate, the very talented photog Mr. FC took photos all night and my favorite of all of them is this one:

I will upload the rest soon, but for now I have an Arabic presentation, assignment, management essay, a Management Society event AND Thanksgiving dinner prep to worry about!!

On the 28th of October 2010, on the day that marked our 19 months as a couple, Andrew asked me to dinner – because we had celebrated the past few monthsaries in pretty low-key ways! Fajitas and a movie at home, or takeout, and it’s always fun to get dressed up and go out on a real date once in a while!

We went to Esperante at the Fairmont St Andrews for an eight-course meal.

Yes, EIGHT COURSES.

We had a little bit of everything on the menu! Crab, caviar, venison, pigeon, lobster, several desserts… everything!

Andrew looked so handsome in his smart-going-out-clothes.

Our dessert was all kinds of strange – we had chocolate torte with meringue (fine), green tea and lime panna cotta (?) and jelly with real flowers in it served with lavender ice cream (??).

It took us four hours to eat eight courses, it was about 11pm when they brought out our final course – a second dessert.

It was on a little plate with a silver dome on top, and when the waitress lifted the top off, there was a ring on top of the chocolate truffle.

In true Hannah-style, I thought it might have been a very elaborate cake topper, so I turn and ask the waitress:

“Am I supposed to EAT this?”

Then Andrew took the ring (which is a classic Tiffany’s ring, I LOVE it), got down on one knee and proposed!

And now I’m the happiest girl in the world, which I say a lot, but this time I really mean it.

We went home and all our closest friends here were hiding out in the living room waiting to surprise us, I love my friends so much. They waited 3 hours because they didn’t expect dinner to take so long.

They had laptops lined up on one side of the room so my bestfriends in Manchester, Andrew’s mom and my sister could be at the surprise party as well!

It was the most perfect proposal ever from the most perfect now-fiance ever – and now I have a wedding to plan! EXCITING!!!