dressed in white

From the beginning of wedding planning I didn't want a long wedding dress. I wanted a cute short dress that looked fun and playful. I prefer a simple classic style in almost all of my clothes. J.Crew, Banana Republic and Kate Spade are my go-to's for inspiration. I think this comes from my mothers wardrobe and belief that if you buy classic pieces you will never look out of style. My mother has never looked out of style or flashy a day in her life. When I started looking for dresses I gravitated towards vintage style boutiques because a lot of the big places don't sell tea length dresses and the ones they do are too short. I stumbled upon a designer named Fancy out of New York. Their dresses are beautiful. They have a variety of styles and all look very classy and timeless.

Next challenge was to find a place in Indiana that carried the designer. Dress shopping happened in Indiana because my best friend and my mom live there and it was more cost effective for me to go there and shop than two of them to come to me. Plus we were headed there to check out the first Super Bowl in Indianapolis. This made the timing extremely tight. I would be shopping for the dress the first week of February for a wedding in mid-May. If the dress would need to be ordered it was going to be down to the wire to get it.

I was lucky and found a place in my hometown that carried the designer. A small shop in a strip mall. When I called to see if they had any of the dresses the young girl that answered my call said no they didn't carry that. Hopes dashed. Well didn't matter this was the trip and this was going to have to do. We would just have to see what we could find and enjoy the experience of trying on my first wedding dress together even if it didn't end up being the one.

At the shop we saw the one rack with tea length dresses. All 12 of them. I saw a few with promise and went in for a closer look. Jackpot they were Fancy dresses. Then I hit the powerball...they were on sale. I tried on a few and two came out promising. One was cute but a size small so it would need to be ordered. One was a size too big but tailoring is expected. I wasn't positive so we went to the big box store and tried on some others just to see what was out there. Turns out in my style there is was nothing out there. I didn't love any of them. I did find the fascinator that I wanted so it wasn't a complete bust. We drove back to the first shop tried them on again and agreed that the one that was a little too big was the one. I walked out of the store with my dress in hand for about 75% off the original price.

I love that dress. It has pockets! One of my favorite features on any dress is pockets in the seam. The tailor did an amazing job with the adjustments. I had it brought up a few inches because it showed the tattoos better. No joke. The original length almost went to my ankle and I wanted mid-calf.

Yes, I totally cropped my husband out of that photo. This is about the dress after all. I put him back in for the next shot.

Anyone found a place where you can wear your dress again? Maybe it will always be my Halloween costume.

Come back Friday to see my Mother's day post and then DIY May-nia starts on Monday!

my yellow slippers

I have never had an unexplained love for shoes. I like the idea of cute shoes but they always seem to create not so cute blisters. For this reason I stick to fairly practical shoes and if I find a comfortable pair I wear them into the ground.
When I was deciding on shoes for the wedding it was completely different.  I wanted the perfect pair and was prepared to search. I started out with your traditional white shoe. Then a friend suggested yellow shoes and I was hooked on the idea and never let it go. I took her with me through all the major department stores in San Francisco looking for the perfect pair for my wedding day. I also had a friend searching online to help me track down options and of course there was pinterest to keep it all straight.

I didn't have many criteria really just that they couldnt' be too high since I don't normally walk in heels. I knew I would be walking on grass and was going to have to deal with either sinking in or find something to walk on. In the end the heels I were taller than I expected at almost 3 inches and I almost lost one in the grass as I walked up the aisle with my dad. I couldn't decide on the shoes so I ended up with two styles of Nina shoes. I bought them from Zappos so I could return them when I made my decision. I still have the other pair. Which seems a little silly. Though they may come in handy for our anniversary because I have yet to figure out how to clean the pair that go stuck in the ground. The wedding shoes are the ones with the bows.

Tom on the other hand likes nice shoes. I wouldn't say it is excessive but he knows the good brands and is excited to find them on sale or at the Nordstrom Rack. His shoe vision didn't come together as quickly. It was more of a third times a charm search for shoes.

The first pair were the yellow wing tips from Cole Haan. The thought that we would have matching yellow shoes was pretty cute. Upon getting them home we realized they were much more green than yellow. Those were returned and home came the blue suede shoes. They are bananas. What exactly does that mean you ask? Let me explain. He was at the Cole Haan store and another guy was trying on the same style of shoes. He told Tom, "Man these shoes are so light, they are bananas." That man preceded to buy them in multiple colors. I wish I had the money to buy that many Cole Haan shoes at once. 

Those didn't look quite right. Partially because they just didn't seem dressy enough. Which is an odd statement for a picnic wedding. They just didn't fit the part. He does love the shoes and wears them with a lot of other things. But it was back to the drawing board. Third times a charm, he ended up with a traditional looking brown leather shoes from Nordstrom.

All the work we put into shopping for those shoes and we wore them for about 45 minutes during the ceremony and 30 minutes of picture taking. After that we switched into a surprise gift Tom had made for us. Custom made wedding shoes. Converse in our wedding colors of blue and yellow. The best part is he had our wedding date sewn on them. So we ended up with matching yellow shoes and I didn't break my ankle at the reception. Everybody won. The Converse are by far my favorite of all the wedding shoes.

Last week when I was home sick two packages arrived at the house and to my surprise I had new anniversary shoes. Our wedding colors again but this time blue with yellow and our 1st anniversary date sewn on the side.

Do you love shoes? What did you wear on your wedding day?

Don't forget about DIY May-nia starting in a week

she's a May-niac and she's painting like she's never painted before

Are you ready for official announcement about DIY May-nia? I know I am.  Four bloggers have teamed up to host their first blog party. We are all very excited about this and can't wait to get to know all of you.

This shindig is being brought to you by me, Ashley from The HumberHome Project,  Kelly from Corner of Main, and Melanie from Mailbox Journey and the letters D, I and Y.

We will have four chances for you to link up your projects during May. You can participate in just one or all four. Go ahead get crazy and do them all, you know you want to! We think we have come up with some fun themes for this month. 

graphics by Melanie @ Mailbox Journey

Here are the four challenges we will be hosting:

Monday, May 6th - Mother's Day DIY - DIY something for the mom in your life or maybe you are a mom and you are starting a new Mother's day tradition. 

Monday, May 13th - Garage Sale/Thrift Store Finds - As long as you found it at a garage sale or thrift store and added your personal touch it fits in to this weeks challenge. 

Monday, May 20th - Memorial Day/BBQ DIY - This one will probably be my favorite, because I love summer and cooking on the grill. You can share a DIY project, a recipe, decorations or a cocktail recipe. 

Monday, May 27th - Spray Paint Challenge  - The only rule to this challenge is that you have to spray paint something! It can be anything! An old frame, some wooden letters, or even a couch. You decide! 

Hopefully these projects will give you just the boost you need to kick of those winter blues and give summer the respect it is due. If think you will be joining us for the party link up here today so we can get to know you a little before the party really gets started. Can't wait to see you all on make on the 6th!

What's in it for me you ask? 

- at least little more blog traffic heading your way

- maybe even a few new friends

- every project submitted will be pinned to the DIY May-nia pinterest page

- chance to be featured on our blogs. Each challenge we will pick 3 projects to feature on our blogs the Thursday after the challenge

The Rules:
- please link back to one or all of our blogs (handy button add to make that easier)

- no linking to shops, stores, giveaways or other link parties 

- link directly to the specific post 

- make a point of checking out other blogs and giving out comments. This is a party after all and if an introvert like myself can mingle so can you.

Feel free to use this button during the link-ups, for easy linking back to your host. Just copy the text in the box below, and then paste it into your blog post.

Wit Wisdom and Food | The HumberHome Project | Corner of Main | Mailbox Journey <img src="wp-content/uploads/2013/04/DIY_Maynia_Button.png" alt="DIY_Maynia_Button" width="200" height="200" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-9886"/><br/><a href="/">Wit Wisdom and Food</a> | <a href="http://humberhomeproject.blogspot.com/">The HumberHome Project</a> | <a href="http://cornerofmain.com/">Corner of Main</a> | <a href="http://www.mailboxjourney.com/">Mailbox Journey</a></center>

too helpful?

I had planned on coming home and writing about the wedding again but this week has put me into a contemplative mood. My week started out a lot like most of yours with the horrible news in Boston. A friend was actually running in the marathon that day. Luckily, everyone I know is safe and well.  Today I had an interesting interview that went off on topics I didn't expect but it reminded me why I love my job. Then I came home prepared to write about the wedding. I decided to read a few blogs first and stumbled across What are you, anyways? on Pencil Shavings Studio I was so moved by this blog I wrote a long wordy comment. I hit the wrong button and lost what I had written and ended up only leaving the comment "thanks for the great post." That is about 75 words less than my first comment. I can't stop thinking about her post though adn feel like I need to write my comment again. Though this time for you and with a couple hundred more words.

Her post talks about identity and the question asked of us, Who are you?

If you ask me "Who are you?" I would tell you I am a helper. I work as a manager but that is not who I am. I am good at my job because of who I am though. When I stop being a manager I will have to find a new way to connect and help people because it is what I enjoy most.

In Rachel's post she also mentions that a few years ago someone said...“I like all these things that you’re doing - blogging, that stuff. But I don’t really know what the spiritual significance of any of this is.” It certainly made me stop and think. Do blog posts have spiritual significance? Rachel writes amazing blog posts that make me feel like someone has already gone through the same things I go through and that I can be strong enough to make it through too and it helps me. Some of her posts are about her work, some are about her life and some are about growing your hair (which I highly recommend) and I guess you could question their significance spiritually but it is there if you look. There is significance in everything done to help another. I bet more than a few felt better after they read about how to maneuver those awkward stages of growing out short hair. Looking at the comments on that post she gave many women tools they needed to get the look they wanted. Which might have given them the confidence to go for something they never thought they would try. Ok, so the, you can find significance if you look, point has probably been made.

The point I was going to make before I got off on a hair tangent is this: things done with love and with good intentions always have significance. At work I do more than make sure the groceries get on the shelf. I teach and I help. I help make things better, I help people see their strengths and it may be small things but it is all done because I care. I think her post came at the right time and encouraged me to be me. Which is good cause I wouldn't be able to stop being a helper if I tried so better to just embrace it.

My husband and I have a running joke because I tend to be too helpful. Those moments when without him asking for help I give it to him anyway. There is no good reason I open my mouth to explain things that he already knows how to do or is certainly smart enough to figure out. After I realize I have done it I just smile and ask "Too helpful?" 

I am lucky he thinks I am cute. 

changes in the garden

It has become a lot warmer here (sorry if it is cold where you are) and things are really starting to grow. I am still trying to figure out the right amount of water for everything and battling some soil issues. Here a visual look at what is going on in the garden this week.

spray painted pots on patio

fuchsia and creeping thyme

coleus 

Side bed filled with sunflowers, gladiolus, dahlia, anemone, peony and grass.

 I have tried a variety of trellis options to see what I prefer and want to use every year.

 So far I like the netting the least. It has been extremely windy and the netting is blowing over the tops of the plants getting tangled. For the record I planted way too many cucumbers. Should have done more pickling cucumbers. I may actually take out a few of the plants and put in a second crop of pickling cucumbers.  Hopefully that middle row of sunflowers makes the cucumbers taste even better.

Tomatoes and peppers are coming along and the squash has started to sprout. Haven't found a good amount of water for the tomatoes. I am considering PVC pipe to help with the problem. I still need to build a support system for the rest of the tomatoes.

The beans were the last seeds I put in and most of them have come up and the last few are pushing through the dirt now.

The radishes will probably be the first thing we get to enjoy out of the garden.

Though the corn might be the thing I am most excited about. Need to figure out how to protect it from the squirrels.

I need to thin out a few of the crops and get the melons into the ground before we leave for Hawaii. So far there is a lot of progress and I can't wait to walk through it when it is all in bloom. 

location location location

For months before we got engaged I envisioned an outdoor wedding with a short dress, Tom in a seersucker suit and a picnic reception. It sounded fun and casual, very relaxed and laid back. Neither of us are very showy people. So an extravagant affair with a tux and beaded dress really never was part of my plan. With that in mind I thought of every possible place in the bay area. The early runner was the General's Residence on Fort Mason. 

Beautiful isn't it? I love the look it has as you drive up. It would make for some great pictures. 

photo from fort mason 

Even more I loved that this window looks out on to a huge lawn that looks right over the spot we got engaged. Which if you read the engagement post you know is also a spot from our first date. I thought it would be really cute to get married here and tie balloons on the pier where we got engaged. While this place had the ideal view it was a little rundown and not the ideal price tag. So we kept looking. 

photo from fort mason

We looked into the presido which has a handful of venues you can use for weddings. This log cabin was one option. I was drawn to it because I saw pictures of other wedding here and they were really pretty.

Plus this outdoor area would be great for lawn games. Tom was never sold. It was too rustic and didn't look very nice on the inside. Plus the backdrop of the lawn was freeway construction. You can't tell from this photo but it was there. This location is also extremely far away from everything and since the majority of the guests would be coming from out of town it wasn't really going to convenient. Not to mention that while this place was cheaper than Fort Mason it wasn't by a lot. 

With the idea of an outdoor wedding starting to come together for both of us we started talking about the idea of leaving the bay area for the wedding. San Francisco has a couple major draw backs as a wedding location. The first is what you get for the money isn't a lot. The second, you can't count on the weather. It might be nice and sunny or it might be socked in with fog and freezing. Since I am always cold that sounded horrible and certainly not the right setting for a fun outdoor wedding. So we headed to San Diego. 

We considered a couple places but only looked at one. When we pulled into San Dieguito park and saw the wedding gazebo in person we were happy and ready to commit.  

We went and looked at the park then went and got Jersey Mike's Subs and came back to have a picnic on the lawn. As we pulled out of the parking lot on our way to Michael's to buy a stamp for the save the date postcards I booked the gazebo and the picnic area for May 19, 2012. The park is near Del Mar which is a beautiful beach area of southern California. You can almost count on the fact that the weather will be beautiful in San Diego during May. 

For an idea on what the pricing is like in the bay area: 

Our whole wedding cost just a little more than the rental of the General's residence.

The combined cost of the caterer, park and chair rental was equal to the log cabin

The wedding gazebo and picnic area were under $1,000

We ended up with a destination wedding. The day we booked the park was in the middle of January. 130 days before our big day. The location turned out beautiful and the weather couldn't have been better. We really made the right choice and had the perfect location for the wedding we wanted to have.

 Next week is the big announcement and details on DIY May-nia.

brought to you by myself, Ashley from The HumberHome Project, Kelly from Corner of Main, and Melanie from Mailbox Journey. More details next Monday!

can we do it all over again?

This time last year I was in the final stretch before the wedding. This year I have new things planned for May and we are going to Hawaii to celebrate our anniversary but I kind of wish we were doing the wedding again. It was such a great week. A new friend Melanie at Mailbox Journey just got engaged and reading her posts makes me want to do it all again as well. If you check out her site on Monday I bet she will announce her venue and you will be able to follow along as she plans out her big day.

So here is what I am thinking...
1. Most of you weren't around last year
2. I wasn't blogging as much and didn't really elaborate on how I did some of my DIY projects
3. I want to relive it all again minus the stress of which there was really very little. Oh and maybe this will give me a reason to put the dress on again. I love that dress.

There are 5 weeks until our anniversary so each week I will post twice about different aspects of the wedding. That schedule might be stressful enough. I hope you enjoy this as much as I know I am going to.

In the coming five weeks here are some of the post topics you have to look forward to:

• flowers
• location
• music
• shoes/dress/suits
• centerpieces
• favors

Let's start out with the engagement and the ring for now shall we...

On our first date we took a walk through San Francisco. We walked through Chinatown and down on the water in front of Ghirardelli Square. With the Golden Gate Bridge as a back drop he stopped and kissed me. Right there on that pier. It was sunny on our date. It was a typically beautiful October day. If you want to visit SF I highly recommend September and October. It rarely looks like this during those months.

It was a very special day and we have been by each others sides ever since. We both knew very early on that we would get married. The first time we really talked about it was during the UCLA vs USC football game in 2010. That is a long story but I saved all the text messages from that conversation. Modern day love letters I guess you could call them.

We moved in together in April of 2011. In the end of October we took our first vacation together, Disneyland and the Ritz in Laguna Nigel to celebrate our birthdays, which are only 2 days apart. During that trip Tom said "I think we should get married sooner rather than later." That was all it took to get the ball rolling quickly. We picked out the ring together. I knew it had arrived and that Tom had picked it up but wasn't sure when to expect it. I knew he was planning to call my dad and ask for permission but I didn't know if that was done yet. My dad is an excellent secret keeper so there weren't going to be any leaks on his end. On one of our days off we went out for a walk and Tom suggested going to where we had our first date. That and the bulging ring box in his pocket were the tell tale signs that would be the day. I was really excited the proposal spot might be right there on the pier and when it was I was very excited. Even with it kind of figured out I was so excited and nervous before he asked me.

We got home and I called my parents. My mom answered the phone. When I told her she screamed and laughed, which is probably because she was trying not to cry, and then turned to my dad who was apparently wearing his "shit grin", as she calls it,  which means he is in on the secret or he really enjoyed what just happened. She couldn't believe he didn't tell her. I think she knew he never would. I knew he would never spoil that moment for us. We made a few more phone calls and there was a little more screaming from Lori and Annie. We sent some texts and then put it on facebook and the world officially knew.

Did you know engagement rings have super powers? You can learn about that and the other things my engagement ring taught me the first two weeks I had it in this post here.

This photo is from the wedding but it is the best photo I have of the ring. It is an emerald cut diamond. My favorite part is the arch of six diamonds just underneath the solitaire. The wedding band matches the diamonds around the engagement ring. Looking at my ring still makes me smile almost a year later.

next project: china cabinet

My brand-new-to-me china cabinet is arriving today! My excitement over this is actually hard to contain. When it gets here I plan on filling it with a lot of dishes and then plotting it's needed makeover.

Forgive my crooked Iphone photo from the thrift store. It was taken in haste so I could get it to Tom before he started playing golf and would be incommunicado for 4 hours. You get the idea though. It is a behemoth and is very brown. I don't mind brown or wood as a general rule but this just isn't the look I want. Since it isn't stamped with a fancy designer name and I got it for an extremely reasonable price I am going to say it isn't a collector's piece which is why I intend to paint it. That leads to the questions of how to paint it, what color to paint it...so many ideas. Let's start with what is going in it.

For newlyweds, how long do you get to be newlyweds, we have a lot of dishes. Our everyday dishes are a collection of Fiestaware which is fine to stay in the cabinets. What needs a home is the china we registered for, Kate Spade Bonnable pattern, a white bone china with a paisley pattern. We have eaten off these maybe twice in a year. Someday I will have a dinner party or host a holiday dinner that will demand this fancy dinnerware.

The largest of our collections is the Villeroy and Boch Design Naif, that belonged to Tom's mom. The Villeroy and Boch collection includes candlesticks, serving pieces and even a clock. A clock that ticks so loud I have a hard time putting it in any room where I might want it quiet. I love these dishes because all the plates have different designs. Plus they are just cute and make me smile. I am very excited about having them on display and within arms reach so we can use them more often.

Now we have covered what is going in the china cabinet we can move on to how to make it over into a piece worth of thousands of pins. That is the measure of a successful makeover right? Where else do you go when you want inspiration these days? I have found some ideas on Pinterest that have really got my creative juices flowing.

Should it be a neutral with a fun back like this 

from burlap and blue 

Or maybe a bright color all over like this

from the vintage glitter house

Maybe a bright color with a fun background like this

via

What about white with some wood

via

As much as I love color I really think this is the look I want, two great neutrals that won't take away from the dishes. Plus this looks so classic and clean. I don't know if my rounded china cabinet will have the same effect as this though. 

via

I can always use some fun tricks and make the back custom and temporary. That really is the perfect solution for someone like me that gets bored with a design rather quickly. If I pick a grey could I paint the coffee bar that color too? oh the possibilities...

crossing things off and other exciting news

It has been a month since my last update on my goals and projects. I am pretty excited about the progress so far and know the next few months will bring even more. Now that the garden is planted hopefully I will be able to focus more time on some of the other goals and projects. Be sure to read to the bottom for an exciting bit of news.

The Baker's Dozen 

1. Make money (even if it is only $20) from blogging

The sponsors tab is up and now so I feel like this one is crossed off the list.
2. Cook dinner 3 nights a week 

this is a struggle with our schedules. I am still working at it and usually get 2 done a week.
3. Shop at the farmers market so often a farmer recognizes me 

with the garden I am going to be the only farmer that recognizes me. I am ok with this not getting done
4. Learn a new family tradition or recipe 

completed this one the other night when I made flour tortillas
5. Attend an event where I don't know anyone 

6. Learn to network either online or locally 
The hint at the bottom of this post is a big step in the right direction to making this goal.

7. Blog 3 times a week or 12 times a month 

8 posts in January, 10 posts in February, 10 in March, April seems to be going ok so far...no guilt
8. Teach someone to cook 

9. Donate money to something I believe in

10. Send birthday cards to family and friends 

I am not good at this. I need to put this higher, much higher, on the priority list.
11. Cook one recipe out of every food magazine I get 

falling behind again! Doesn't help I still keep buying magazines. Check out the progress here
12. Read the art of eating by M.F.K. Fisher

Nothing new on this front.
13. Complete 18 holes of golf 

absolutely zero practice has still gone into this. I best get on it if I think I am ever going to get this done.

Pictures from top left; Garden planted and ready to go; family tradition of flour tortillas; porchetta, a weekend dinner; pan seared pork chop from one of the magazines. 

DIY LIST 

a few of these are done or really close but most have no progress at all. 

1. baby shower gift

check that off the list! done! completed!

2. frame artwork for the bathroom

3. sew pillows from state dishtowels

4. hang art in bedroom and make it look complete

5. create "laundry room" in garage

There should be an update on this coming in May

6. sew advent calendar

7. back porch ready for summer

I think it is ready but more to come in May

8. plant a garden

It is planted! It is coming up quickly so far. 

9. make my first quilt

10. reupholster chairs

11. redo side table

12. hang pins from ball parks

13. solve the pile 'o apron problem in the kitchen
bought a laundry bin so it is still a pile but looks a little more organized now.

Wondering about the hint or why so many goals mention May in them??? It is because of...

that will be brought to you by myself, Ashley from The HumberHome Project,  Kelly from Corner of Main, and Melanie from Mailbox Journey. More details coming soon!

my new obsession

I can't seem to stop myself or gain any semblance of self control. It is my new obsession and I can't get enough. Every time I pass the garden center at the store I seem to always pick up something new. When we were walking through a grocery store the other day I tried to casually turn and scan the plant section and see if they had anything exciting. Tom is apparently on to me and quickly said "no more plants."  I must confess I went got a tray full yesterday: 6 new basil plants, 4 coleus and a fuchsia plant. The justification was I had two new planters sitting at home that needed plants. I couldn't rightfully leave them empty in the garage. They have a purpose in life and it must be filled.

If plants did nothing after you brought them home and put them in the ground I think I might be able to resist but plants and seeds do magical things after you get them home and it makes me want more. These amazing things with a little attention (sometimes hardly any attention) grow and change and it feels like it happens before my very eyes. Before I go to work I walk the garden and check everything out, maybe pull some weeds and when I get home to see some new sprout coming out of the ground or the start of a new flower it makes me giddy and eager to plant more stuff so I can see it come up out of the ground or start to bloom.

The thrill of the challenge isn't lost on me either. I have one flower bed that I didn't prep properly before planting. Now I have some plants that aren't doing as well as others and I will be damned if I am going to lose them. Not on my watch are they going down. I will keep them going I will find a way. I have lost a few already this season because of inexperience. I am going to win this and every year I will be a better gardener than the year before. On the plus side nature is a pretty strong and some what adaptable force that keeps some things alive even on my bad days.

I just can't believe that at some point this summer my little planter boxes filled with dirt are going to become lush with green leaves. Winters are mild and spring luckily starts early here which means that I have most things in the ground and ready to grow which leaves me with anticipation for the months of enjoyment I will still get from the garden. Assuming I can win the war with the animals over who gets to eat the spoils of my labor I should have quite the bounty this summer. I am already eyeing the canning supplies I want to get so I can make jams, sauces and pickles. There were two Coleman camp stoves at the thrift store yesterday and I almost got them to make the canning easier. They would make it look just like my mom's kitchen at the end of summer.

I will admit it I am on the edges of sane with the amount of plants I have put in the ground this year. The advice is that once you start gardening you should start small because it is a lot of work. I passed that awhile ago. The only thing holding me back from going completely overboard is that this isn't our house and we won't be here forever to watch some of plants I want grow to their full potential.  I  would have a orchard in my back yard given the opportunity.

butterflying a pork shoulder

Sometimes when you can't find what you want you have to make it yourself. I set out to make the porchetta recipe from the Food 52 Cookbook but when I read butterflied pork loin I almost found something else to cook. The recipe suggested that I get mine butterflied at my butcher. Other recipes online suggested the same thing. I however don't have a butcher. I am told there is one in town I just haven't made it there because I am lazy and buy meat at work sans butcher or at safeway, they have a butcher but never at the counter.  When I couldn't find a video to show me how to cut my meat I made my own. 

If you click on it to watch and there is no sound it isn't broken. I was too shy to talk while I was cutting the meat. While I jumped in and figured it out so it looked like the finished piece of meat in the cookbook I didn't know what I was doing to put it into words. I had this vision of angry comments telling me I did it wrong, since there are probably a dozen butchers that read this blog. What's that there aren't any butchers reading this? While the video doesn't have instructions it does have a visual on how to achieve a flat piece of meat. What you want to do is cut your piece at the thickness you want just like you were going to slice off a chunk. Stop a little short of cutting all the way through the meat and lay it as flat as possible. Then continue with the same process until you have a flat piece of meat that is the same thickness all the way across. Hindsight, I just typed in the wrong thing in google there are others out there with words if my Ikea style, no word video, isn't up your alley.