Friday, July 30, 2010

You can't always plan EVERYTHING...



But I'm starting to learn that's what makes life even better ;)

I did it!!!
Proposed that is! Sorry for my lack posts in the month of July but I had a lot of planning and pre-gaming to do...Not only was I about to ask the most important question of my life to my lady, but this Type-A chica wanted to plan AND execute it perfectly!

My original idea had been to take Ms. Anne to Paris, the city of Amor. She has never been, but has wanted to visit more than anywhere in the world since she was a teenager.



But then, in true Becca style, I had a little TOO much fun at our Christmas party:


And after too many glasses of x-mas champagne the subject of an engagement came up, and I proceeded to tell her in DETAIL, down to the hotel name, just how I planned to propose in gay Pareee.....

So- I had to revise my plan:

As many of you know, Anne has written 3 novels but has not published them yet. As a surprise, I designed a cover for her first book and self-published and printed it. On one copy, where the description would normally go, I instead placed a message from me ending in "Will you marry me?" I planned to plant it in our neighbourhood bookstore. I hired a band to play our song outside the bookstore and planned, along with my bestie, an elaborate congratulations suprise dinner party. And intended to top it off with an early birthday/congratulations present of 2 first class tickets to paris for 5 days over her birthday.

But even the best pre-gamers cannot plan for EVERYTHING :)

Saturday morning (D day=diamond day)
9:00am: we woke up and made breakfast at home. My original plan of brunching and shopping in the city as an instrument to get my lady to Barnes and Noble were foiled by
A) the 200 degree heat
B) Anne's lack of enthusiasm due to a rough work week
C) Anne's slight hangover from a friday night out with friends the night before

This was going to be tougher than I thought....

As the day progressed from an air conditioned day in the apartment to Anne's idea of "what if we paint the living room today?!"
I started to panic....

So by 3pm I decided I would have to remix this yet again, Junior Vasquez style:
I said "Babe, would it cheer you up if I gave you your bday present early?"
"You don't have to do that" She responded
"Oh I think I do" I said as I handed her a box wrapped in Madonnas sexy black and white photos from the latest Interview magazine.

Anne carefully opened the box with the ticket, hotel and trip details. She looked at me dumbfounded and asked "Is this for
REAL?"
"Of course, I wouldn't FAUX give you a trip to paris!"
"We have to go to the Barnes and Nobel! To get city guides!! Oh my god Oh my god We're going to Paris!" she squealed

As I went to bathroom, Anne reached into my bag to grab my phone to call her mother to tell her about her early birthday gift as her phone had died. This lead to an accidental glance at her book's cover. I walked out at the same moment and clenched my chest.

"I might have seen something I wasn't supposed to..." Anne said looking stunned and sheepish.
"Uhh, ok.. lets just still go to the barnes and noble"

(Luckily anne had only seen the cover, not the back with the proposal message)
After a very awkward walk there we finally arrived Anne spotted the band holding orange roses (her favourite) and sarcastically asked "Are those for me?"
"NO!" I shouted awkwardedly. "Jeez isn't PARIS enough!" I giggled.


We walked up to the travel section to look at Paris books, and I continued with my plan of slipping Anne's book onto a shelf when she wasn't looking. She picked it up- still stunned that her book had been printed. When she turned it over she was floored. I got down on my knee right there in the barnes and noble and pulled out a diamond ring in a nut shell box (Anne loves a good pun) and said "I'm nuts about you. Will you marry me?"



She said yes and got down on the floor with me hugging me and picking me up to my feet. *
*She doesn't remember this part as she said she was so stunned and ecstatic that she blacked out for a good portion of the book store.

She does however clearly remember walking out to a band playing "Such Great Heights" and handing her a bouquet of orange roses.
"OH MY GOD! They WERE for me!" she laughed

Now all I had to do was to get her to the restaraunt below our apartment to meet "friends" for a small dinner. I thought I was finally in the clear until one of my besties, Oz, who hadn't read the invitation clearly, showed up at our buildings entrance INSTEAD of the restaraunt with presents in hand.


"OZ!" I exclaimed agressively, "What are you doing here?"
"Ummm I'm headed to a...babyshower?"
"A babyshower at 8 o clock at night?" Anne asked "Who had a baby?"
"Ya know....straight people" he answered awkwardedly
"well we better get into the RESTAURANT where we're meeting our friends for dinner" I practically shouted at the poor boy

I pulled Anne in and said I was pretty sure they must already be there, probably seated in the back.
Luckily she bought it and all her friends and family jumped out on cue, yelling "Surprise!"

It was the best day ever. Nothing makes me happier than seeing the love of my life happy. She was glowing. I would do it all over EXACTLY as it happened because sometimes the little monkey wrenches in a perfect plan are what makes the actual event that much more fun :)