(Eventual) Wedded Bliss

Trying To Behave Myself

2009-05-06T20:07:00.004-04:00

I've been doing pretty good this week, I'm hoping to see the results soon. I will admit that I haven't been tracking my foods as much as I should, but my breakfast & lunch is always the same every day. I also went to the GYM on Saturday, swam on Saturday, Sunday & yesterday & went to the gym again today. We bought a really cool pool on Amazon that we got last year too & we put it up in the backyard over the weekend. It's not a lot of swimming, but it's being active!

I walked to the gym & got on the treadmill for 40 minutes each time. I'm also planning to go on Friday after my mom's Mother's Day surprise. I've had a couple of food slip-ups, but nothing like last week's binge on pizza & chinese (not on the same night!), so I think it will be all work itself out in the end. I just have to keep on keepin' on!

What If Film Crews Ran The World?

2009-05-05T20:44:00.002-04:00

I just saw the best commercial!!! It was for the Nextel Direct Connect & the theme was "What if film crews ran the world?" The setting was a wedding (how topical!) & it started off with the bride complaining about the rain. "Loose the rain." Rain is turned off. Then they can track her cake in route, check on the groom with his cold feet, insert the stunt groom (jackpot!) & they even had the cue cards behind the groom (I do.)

Here is the You Tube video:

SAMPLES!!!

2009-05-01T23:02:00.003-04:00

I received my cardstock cut samples last week & they are soooooo good! (I love rounded corners!). I just sent in my request for a printing sample. Once I get the quote, I'm buying one sample to see how the printing looks. If it's good......then I'm buying 60 pieces of each layer & getting these bad boys started!

Working On The New Me....Again

2009-05-01T21:09:00.002-04:00

Every now & then, I get an itch to work on myself & work on my life around me. Like, I don't want to keep "being," I want to "do."

Here are some things I want to get done:

Wash the car, from scratch
Work in the garden / yard
Clean the house
Work out (shocking!)
Put together some skin-care treatments

One thing that I did today that was pretty surprising was that I joined a gym! I've never actually joined one myself. I'm glad I finally did it & I stuck to my guns & actually WENT. I was getting tired of making up excuses & putting off my resolutions. I realized today, being the first of May, that I am seriously running out of time to do what I want. If I don't follow through, I know I will be upset with myself.

Our gym is just right around the corner (which makes my excuses even sadder!), so I stopped by there tonight on the way home. It's somewhat small, only two rooms of equipment & no classes, but they have two trainers that I can hire. Even though I'm in class twice a week, I do want to hit the gym at least 2 or 3 times a week. So I'm thinking of Tuesday, Wednesday or Friday night. I might not go Wednesday if I have a test on Thursday, but I can go Saturday or Sunday.

My other goal is to work on improving my skin condition over the next few months. I have an oily T-zone, especially on the forehead, but I know that my skin has changed since I was a teenager, so I need to update my methods. I think I need to reduce the strength of my cleanser so it doesn't strip all of the oil. I also want to look for some things that I can use to mask the oil and improve my general skin condition. I read a really interesting comment on a fellow blogger's post about using flaxseed in foods to work from the inside out. I'm going to have to get some!

Any other good ideas or products to try?

Pieces Slowly Falling Into Place

2009-04-27T21:40:00.002-04:00

Tex & I had one of those "talks" last night about our budget. We may have to re-work some of our decisions, or at least try to nail down some of the prices that we are anticipating. We haven't ordered all of our vendors yet, so we need to figure out what we're planning to spend & how much we have left. I'm going to work on that tomorrow night & try to get a rundown from our venue lady.

We have almost 5 months until the big day, about 200 days. This weekend, I got my sample cuts of my invites & they look really cool! I am planning to now get a sample printed & if things look good, I will go ahead & order 60 cuts of each layer & start putting together the invites.

I am a bit stumped on the programs. I've seen a bunch of neat examples of a fan-shaped program with about 4 or 5 layers all joined at the bottom, but they can fan out. I really like it, but I don't know how feasable it would be for me. I don't think we would have 5 fans worth of info to put, but we could use the top one for the intro, one for our party, one for the schedule, one for tributes to family members & maybe one for a quote or something sweet. I could use the same colors of the invites, but I don't think I can order the fans to be custom cut, I may have to end up doing it myself with a template. That would involve a lot more time & issues, especially if I have to get them printed at Kinko's or something, since I won't have real control over the printing.

On the other hand, I do like having something a bit involved for the guests to use while waiting & I do think we need to have something more than one page. Eventually, I will also be planning to order cut pieces for the guest bags / table numbers, but I think I will need to get the bags first, to determine the size. I'm picturing a cloth or material-type bag that I can use for the items I'm going to include, then have the labels attached to the top, to also hold the bag closed. These will be available when the guests come back inside from the ceremony & they will be able to find their table. I'm not doing assigned seating, but I will let people know what table they are assigned to.

Oh, the projects looming in the future! I need to do a full-on plan in the very near future!

Crazy Random Thoughts

2009-04-25T18:50:00.003-04:00

The last couple of weeks have been a bit nutty at Casa Andi & Tex. I finished my 2nd MBA class last week, with my final on Wednesday. This next week, I'm starting TWO new classes! On top of a full-time job & planning a wedding, do I not have enough to do?

I've also been spending a bit too much money lately on wedding odds & ends. I jumped on ebay (always a mistake!) & browsed for stampbooking things. I ended up buying some stamps & supplies that match our wedding theme, like quotes & our initials (A & C), but I bought too many pieces that I'm not planning to use for a while. I also ordered a sample of my invitations, the custom cuts that I asked for. I want to try out one sample before I order 60 of each size.

I put together our invite text in a variety of fonts & asked my aunts to take a look at them. I am keeping it a surprise from my mom, haha!

However, I have been doing HORRIBLE on my diet plan. I was sick the week before last & it's been taking a while to get back to normal. I've been pretty tired as well & haven't really wanted to exercise or walk around the neighborhood. I need to do something, because I know I don't have much motivation myself.

The other day, I saw something that scared the crap out of me. I was in traffic & looking in the rearview mirror. I made some sort of facial expression & saw forehead wrinkles!!! They weren't big or anything, but it freaked me out. I'm 27, going to turn 28 in June, too young to have wrinkles! Of course, I'm 27 & still have breakouts. One benefit of my oily skin is that it will help prevent future wrinkles, but it also extends my "teenage" years. I need to moisturize more, so I'm making sure to use something every day, right out of the shower. I have a really good one that has SPF 15 & gives a daily glow. I need to find something to put on under my makeup (simple foundation & powder) to help cut the T-zone shine.

So that's whats been going on lately. Tex & I are working on the basic house stuff, cleaning up the yard & getting ready for the summer. I'm in-between major wedding phases right now, but I'm working on the invites & stationary, along with trying to ger ready for dress shopping.

SHOOOOOOOOOOES!!!!

2009-04-16T21:32:00.004-04:00

If you met me 5 or 10 years ago, you would never know that I would eventually fall in love with girly things. But over time, I grew into my woman-ness (boobs?) & realized that I like being a girl! I like painted nails, eyeshadows, cute skirts, pretty jewels & another accessory that ladies enjoy...SHOES. I've never really been a big "shoe" person, but over the last couple of years, I have realized that my stems are very nice with fancy shoes on them!

I'm pretty picky about my shoes lately, but I saw a pair in Real Simple that I really liked & found them on Payless. They had free shipping if you ordered a certain amount, so of course I had to endulge a little! Hey, it's giving back to the economy! I missed the BOGO sale, crap, but everything I got was already on sale.

Here is the inspirational pair:

After this pair, I went browsing & found a couple of others I wanted:

These may be my wedding shoes!

I snagged a new necklace & pair of earrings:

I'm wearing my new toys tomorrow to work & plan to feel pretty!!!

Monogramed Towel Giveaway

2009-04-15T21:59:00.002-04:00

I stumbled across a blog who wrote about a blog who wrote about a really cute contest! Monogram Chick is running a contest to give away an adorable monogramed beach towel! You can find the actual contest here, on Misadventures of a Newlywed & leave a comment if you want to enter!

Picture Time?

2009-04-14T21:31:00.002-04:00

I've been having an internal debate with myself, sometimes voiced out loud. I don't know how we feel about engagement pictures. My friend Christy had a special going on for engagement pictures at a local fair, but the price was a bit more than I was expecting.

I looked through our photo gallery, searching for pictures of the two of us. I realized that we have a ton of pictures of things we've done & places we've been, but we don't have a lot of pictures of us in those places. We have pictures of each of us individually at times, but we don't often get somebody to take pictures of us. One of my issues is that I don't always trust another person to take good, quality pictures of me. I remember once, in my trip to Greece, I took a great picture of a friend of mine & asked him to take mine. But he didn't work the camera right & my picture was all blurry!

Tex thinks that the idea of engagement pictures is kind of stupid & I somewhat agree. Yes, some of the pictures are lovely & the photographers are very talented, but it's really just you or the two of you being cuddly & romantic. It's not really "new." However, the pictures can be cute & it does add to the collection, especially for our guest book.

We (I) were thinking of asking Tex's brother to go around with us one weekend & take pictures of us in some places in town. Maybe the beach, a park, downtown, etc. I would like to get some pictures of us in front of Jax-specific areas, the ones that kind of say "this is where we live." I might be able to talk the guys into it, but I have a feeling it will take some strong bribes.

Soapy Entry

2009-04-12T14:16:00.002-04:00

On top of the paper DIY projects, I decided to make something for my favor bags. I want to keep the bags small, cute & local, especially for the visitors to our fair city. So I decided to try my hand at soap making. I found this really neat website, Le Melange, who sells the items to make soaps, candles, bath jells & all sorts of goodies. I bought supplies to make some soaps, including a mold, lavender oil & blue coloring. I gave it a try yesterday & got some good samples!

I think I'm going to need to buy a lot more of the actual soap base, because the mold makes 8 bars & I want to make sure they're all filled up & evenly processed. I also added some lanolin, but I think it made the soaps feel a bit slimy, so I think I need to cut down on that ingredient. I added the blue coloring, but the bars came out a bit green, lol. I'm going to use them, maybe see if mom wants one, to make sure they feel right in the bath before I make a bunch.

Now that I know what to get, I'm not worried about cranking out a production line yet. We have months to go & I don't want to stockpile soap that can be made pretty easily, even if I have to make 60-ish bars.

Side note...I'm watching One Hit Wonders from the 80's on VH1 & I just found one song that I will be including in our dance mix:

Bluuuuuuuugh

2009-04-11T20:21:00.004-04:00

I have been sick with a sinus infection since Monday night. I've been home from work since Tuesday. My head alternates between floating around the ceiling and draining a mile a minute.

BUT....

I am happy to announce that I got my color samples for my envelopes & my pre-cut cardstock! The envelopes came from Action Envelope & I ordered samples of Gray Parchment, Quartz Metallic, Silver Foil Lining, Pastel Gray, Vista Metallic (blue) & Silver Metallic. I like the 3 metallic ones, they are shiny, but more expensive. They could run when printed, but I think it would be ok if I don't put them together until they're dry. I really like the blue & I think it would pretty much match the bottom layer of my invitations.

The cardstock samples from Cards & Pockets came in Cream, Smoke, Silver, Hydrangea, Cornflower & Something Blue. I really like Hydrangea, but it's a bit too light for what I was thinking of. I want to use it, since my flower theme is the Hydrangea, but I have my sights set on this specific color scheme. So I'm thinking of going with Cornflower (shiny blue), Silver & Cream. I'm going to write up the text we want to use & pick a font & ask for a quote on 1 pre-cut sample for each of my 3 colors. If that works, then I'll know what to order!!!

Of course, once that is done then I need to think about the programs...and table cards...and gift bags...and centerpieces.

Oh, I finally got to talk to my Matron O' Honor, Christina, the other night. I'm on Skype with her right now. I told her that my life is now revolving around tiny cards of various colors that have the power to make or break my soul!!! Life does not matter until the BLUES MATCH!!!

Bad Andi, No Posting!

2009-04-04T21:24:00.002-04:00

I have been super bad about not posting!! Honestly, there hasn't been much going on in terms of the wedding plans, but the other parts of life are crazy. Work is busy, I'm involved in a bunch of other events & groups. I finished my first MBA class (got an A, yay!) & started my second. Tex & I have been doing great lately, we just got a new fence installed at our house & it looks fantastic.

I've been working on my invitations lately, trying some things out. I bought a bunch of pieces at Michael's to play with, like a cool stamp & some ribbon. I bought some embossing powder to try, but I don't have a heat wand or a curling iron. I don't know if a blow dryer will work, but I might try! The other night, I tried to put together my first sample invite, but I quickly realized one thing...cardstock is a PAIN to cut! & I have 3 layers (am I crazy?), so trying to get the measurements right is so irritating.

In my height of frustration, I found a supercool website, Cards & Pockets, that will PRE-CUT the cardstock for me! Yay!! I want to keep the invites in a regular number 10 envelope, so help save on postage. I asked the website for help & they suggested that I order some custom cut pieces. For 60 pieces of each of the 3 layers, the cost is only $46! It would cost more than that to buy the sheets from Michael's. I asked for some color samples & I'll use those to verify the colors I want. I'm going to order 1 piece of each layer first, to make sure they look right. They can also print on the top layer!! I'll probably also use them for the programs if the invites come out right.

I also found a neat website to use, Action Envelopes, & ordered some envelope samples from them. I want something other than plain white. I got a really cool blue metallic, but I don't know if it can be printed, so I asked the website for some help. I can order them pre-printed, but not for various addresses. But I'm thinking of maybe getting our address & a special quote printed on the backs.

Here are some ideas I've been thinking of:
1. Envelope w/ quote on back:
To love someone deeply gives you strength. Being loved by someone deeply gives you courage. Lao Tzu

2. Programs w/ quote:
A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person. Germaine Greer

3. Pictures as table cards and table quizzes w/ quote:
Love doesn't make the world go round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.
Franklin P. Jones
Love one another and you will be happy. It's as simple and as difficult as that.
Michael Leunig

4. Name cards w/ quote on back:
I dreamed of a wedding of elaborate elegance,
A church filled with family and friends.
I asked him what kind of a wedding he wished for,
He said one that would make me his wife.
Author Unknown

5. As part of the gift bags, a card with our photo upload info & a quote on the back:
You don't take a photograph. You ask, quietly, to borrow it.
Author Unknown

This may sound like a lot, but I think the idea of quotes can help tie the various pieces together into one theme, but not with it being a "theme" theme, like the beach or grapes or something. & now I have a place to buy the cardstock, yay!

Working On The Better Me

2009-02-26T19:28:00.003-05:00

I'm really proud of what I've been working on this week. I've been very careful about my food & I've been writing down everything. My two not-so-good moments were on Saturday & today. On Sat, we broke out the Valentine's Day chocolate fondue that I got for Tex. It was pretty good, but it was really rich & we each had 3 large marshmallows (actually, marshmallows aren't THAT bad!).

Then today, we had a lunch at work & we had wraps from Crispers. Strangely enough, "healthy" food isn't always that good for you! I had a half of a Chicken Cesar Wrap, a bag of chips & one tiny little peanut butter cookie. I would have MUCH preferred a cheaper, better sandwich & a bigger cookie. The wraps are over 20 points each!!! For a freakin tortilla, chicken, Cesar dressing, lettuce & cheese. If they used low-fat versions of about 2 or 3 of those ingredients, it would really help improve the calories & fat in the meals. It's really not fun when you feel like you can't have a damn wrap because it's all of your points for the day!

However, besides those two events, I've been really good about my foods. My breakfasts have been about 1 to 3 points & my lunches have been about 6 to 8 points & the dinners have been pretty healthy. No eating out this week!

I've also walked twice this week, last night & tonight. That may not be a lot for most, but it's a good step for me, getting my butt off the couch. I have been weighing myself during the day, but it's not a good thing to do, because anything can make the scale shift. Another thing that I decided to do was to give something up for Lent. I'm not Catholic, but I've always liked the idea of giving something up that you have come to depend on & learning to live without it. I decided to give up soda, even though I only drink diet soda. I usually only drink it after work, but at home, it's the only thing I drink. I drink water, but only at work. So I'm cutting it out for the next 40 days & switching it out with water. I've been successful for the last two days!

One thing that I've been working on is the fact that I AM IN CHARGE of my plan. I don't know why that hasn't sunk in until now, but when I think about it, I get a big sense of accomplishment on the horizon. Like a big expectation feeling, a looming goal that I'm working on. I'm learning (finally) that my final goal is worth the sacrifice of a powdered doughnut or a battered shrimp. I'm understanding that the "best" looking dish on the menu may not be my best choice & I will always have another chance to try it if I really want it next time.

I was hoping that some of my choices might be rubbing off on Tex, but I haven't seen any vast changes. I was hoping that he might want to give something up for Lent too (he's at least a lapsed Catholic), but he said no. I understand that with him being a bigger & taller guy (& being a guy), he needs to eat more than I do, both portion sizes & amount of meals. But I'm hoping that he will start switching out some of his foods with better choices. IE, sherbet / sorbet instead of ice cream cones. Our dinners are ok, unless we eat out, but his snacks tend to add up. I know he wants to improve for the wedding, but I don't want him to end up waiting for the last minute. But I can't force him or nothing will be done!

Here is a cool article I just found:

America’s Top 10 Healthiest Fast Food Restaurants

Bridezilla's...Blech!

2009-02-22T18:27:00.003-05:00

For the first time EVAR, I'm watching an episode of "Bridezilla's" & I'm about to change the channel. These women suck all the fun & life & excitement out of their wedding day by forcing everybody in the world to worship them & do what ever they want to do. They have no respect or care for anybody else's feelings, much less their soon-to-be-husbands or families.

One of my friends at work calls me a B-zilla, but only in the sense that I am very specific about what I want & I'm pretty determined to get it. But I'm not going to step over my friends & family or my hubby to get what I want. The girls on the show that I was watching are very young & they were acting very immature. To me, it seemed like they finally wanted to prove to the world that they were adults & they could do it. But in their actions & attitudes, they simply showed everybody that they were still children & they weren't mature enough to be married to start a life together.

A wedding is not the time to try and become an adult. A wedding is the time when you are showing the world that you & your fiance are going to grow old together, not grow up together. The couple should be including their family & friends in the plans & creating a community bond that will last their lives. They shouldn't be shutting everybody out in their desire to be 100% right & in charge.

Tex & I are pretty sure about what we want, but we're not going to exclude the world to get it. We are also working on learning what our family needs to be happy. For example, my mom & I were talking the other night. She was upset about not being able to invite some of her old friends that she has known for years. I don't remember them, but I know she has kept in touch with them since I was literally in her belly. While I told her that we don't want to have a bunch of strangers around & we are planning to pay for everything, I did understand her concerns.

I talked it over with Tex & he had the idea of giving her 4 open spots to invite some of her friends. I just told her on the phone (when I told her about our date selection!) & she was happy to hear our decision. I know she wants to invite some people to the shower who won't be invited to the wedding, but it's important to her to invite certain long-time friends. I realized that my insistence in having it my way was being selfish. Even though it's our wedding, it's not just about us, I want all of our family & friends to be happy & welcome & loved.

SAVE THE DATE!!!

2009-02-22T17:39:00.003-05:00

We picked a date today!

Mark your calendars, we are getting hitched on......November 7, 2009!!!

Weigh-In Day!

2009-02-21T19:02:00.003-05:00

I LOST 1.6 POUNDS!!!! Yay, I'm so happy!!!! Last week, I volunteered to take our group's "roving journal" where I wrote down everything I ate. It's one of the cornerstones of WW, tracking your food points & staying within your daily & weekly points. I've been pretty slack with this & it's showed when I haven't lost or gained some. I'm working this week to lose about the same & I'm writing down everything!

We also met with Karen today & it was a really good meeting. We were able to work out some of our plans. I told her about the awkwardness of the table arrangement & our guest flow & we found a solution. Instead of putting the head table in front of the outside glass doors, we're going to put it angled in a corner facing the outside. We're going to put a table near the doors for our guest place cards / favor bags. I don't care that the guests will walk through the dining room on the way outside, but the food will be set up while we're all outside.

One thing that was suggested to us was that they can have a served salad for the guests, then everybody can choose from the buffet. We're not going to have a bar, but we will have a drink station with various sodas, water & probably a non-alcoholic cocktail, like a spritzer. We're also going to have 2 cakes, the traditional one & a groom's cake which will be a surprise to Tex!

The food choices sound really nice. They were putting on a wedding tonight that was using on of their pre-planned menus. For about $23 a head, they had a choice of 2 meats, 2 pastas, a mashed potatoes bar (yay!!!) and roasted veggies, with the salad & probably some other snackies. We will have to pay a bit for staff, about 3 in general, plus one for the drink station & the carving station.

We STILL have to pick a date, but they do have the 17th open, along with the first weekend in November. So many decisions!!!

Save Which Date???

2009-02-20T21:12:00.011-05:00

I'm getting really excited about tomorrow. First, I'm going to my WW meeting & I've been working REALLY hard on my food choices this week. I don't want to jinx myself, but I think I lost some good pounds.

Second, we're meeting Karen @ our venue at 2pm. We're going to decide on the date, put down the deposit (gulp) & start working on some of the things we want to plan. I think that it will be really exciting & we'll FINALLY be able to announce our big day to the world. Tex is thinking more along the lines of early November, because it is usually a bit cooler & probably a little bit of a risk of rain, which is our biggest fear. I don't want our honeymoon to be freezing, but I've heard that Ireland has about the same temperature as New York, except it's more water-exposed. But we may be able to get some deals if we book flights in November. That part is up to Tex!

After we meet with Karen, I want to try & hit up some of the craft stores with Tex, maybe JoAnn's & Michael's. I want to start browsing or testing out materials for our invites & getting some inspiration. I saw a really cool post on one of my favorite blogs, 2000 Dollar Budget, about one of their friends who made their own brown paper bags for treats. I really like the idea, they printed them on their own printer & put cookies in them. We could put wedding favors in them! I'm looking forward to playing with the crafts & making some new & cool things.

Oh, I took some neat ring pictures the other night:

My ring on my monkey pen!!

I ended up getting too close with the zoom, but it created some neat spirals on the diamond.

Logistical Nightmare

2009-02-19T18:25:00.002-05:00

I hear & use that phrase a lot in work, to discuss a customer's shipment or their payment situation. But I never thought I'd use it when thinking about my own wedding! Lately, I've been thinking a lot about the layout of our venue & I'm really wondering how we're going to pull it off without it being too awkward.

Our venue is composed of three sections, the front main lobby, the dining room & the back balcony & deck. All three are right behind each other, you have to go through one to get to the next & then the next. Technically, you can go around the side of the building to get to the back, but it's not very convinent for walking or parking.

The thing that is bothering me is the fact that our guests will have to walk through the dining room to get to the ceremony part. Then to get to the reception, they have to go back through the outside doors to enter the dining room. When we did the walk-through for the example wedding, they had the table for place cards at the entrance to the lobby when the guests first walk into the building. But when I thought about it, I realized that it might be a bit awkward for our guests to get their place cards then go straight through the dining room to the deck. Then, when the ceremony is over, they would have to go back into the dining room.

One option would be to rearrange the normal way the tables are placed. From what I've seen, they usually put the couple's or head table in front of the outside doors, but I think we would prefer to have ours against a side wall. Then, as the ceremony takes place, the staff could move the place card able near the doors & our guests could get their info & find their seats to eat.

I also want the staff to not put the food out until we're outside, so that it is a surprise when they enter the dining room again.

We're metting with them this weekend & I think that will be a good chance for us to work on some of the alignments. We'll get it figured out!

Article about Do's & Don'ts

2009-02-18T18:27:00.003-05:00

I just read this neat article on CNN from The Frisky:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/personal/02/18/tf.wedding.dos.donts/index.html?imw=Y&iref=mpstoryemail

Now, I'm one of those women who's full of tips on how to get through your wedding day. One day, maybe you can pass a few of these dos and don'ts on to the next girl when you go to blab about your wedding.

List of Don'ts:

1. Put up with crappy sales service from wedding vendors. I decided not to go to one bridesmaid dress store because the lady on the phone was so rude to me. I wanted the experience to be as pleasant as possible.

Note: This does not give you carte blanche to be a bridezilla. It means you should patronize companies that make you feel at ease.

2. Spend money on things for your wedding day because magazines tell you to do so. If you love your perfume, you don't need to get a special new one for the special day. If white wine is your favorite drink, no need to freak about a signature cocktail.

3. Be afraid of bridal magazines. Even if you're the indie-est indie bride who ever lived, you still need ideas for things like the cake and flowers.
Magazines are great for this, even if you think the articles are silly. (I liked Martha Stewart Weddings and InStyle Weddings.) The Frisky, InStyle and CNN are all part of Time Warner.

One thing I learned before I got married is that nobody loves to talk about weddings more than women who just got married. They'll grab on to any socially acceptable opportunity to relive their experiences.

4. Think The Knot is in charge of your life. You are in charge of your life. Also, The Knot thinks you have to order your cake way earlier than you actually do.

5. Buy a dress in a size smaller than you are and think you'll shame yourself into fitting into it by the wedding. No offense, but if you haven't lost the weight by now, how are you magically going to do it by your wedding date?

Buy a dress that fits and dedicate yourself to taking good care of your body. If you happen to lose a ton of weight by the wedding day, get your dress altered.

6. Be afraid to ask your salon if they'd be willing to put on your iPod while you get your hair and makeup done.

I had a few songs I wanted to hear on the day of my wedding, and I was glad I got to listen to Rufus Wainwright and ABBA while I got ready, like I'd always wanted to do.

7. Be afraid to give feedback to your beauty consultants. I thought my blush was a little too brown, and we were both happier when she switched to a pinker shade.

8. Eat chocolate chip cookies in the limo, unless you have stain-fighters on hand. Trust me on this one.

9. Overschedule the reception. After the first dance/cake cutting, enjoy yourself.

10. Be afraid to give your speakers a time limit ahead of time. Your guests will thank you.

11. Worry about greeting every guest at the wedding. I said hello to my husband's and my friends and greeted my extended family and parents' friends when they came up to me. They didn't seem to take it personally that we didn't stop by at their tables. We wouldn't have been able to eat, otherwise!

12. Worry about the first dance if it isn't your thing. The idea of taking dance lessons and being under the spotlight for two complete songs sounded like torture to me.

My fiance and I picked a song, danced a few bars, my father cut in for a few bars, and then all the guests were invited to join us, so my alone-time on the dance floor was mercifully short.

13. Freak when someone steps on your gown. It's going to happen. Again. And again. By the end of the evening, if you're enjoying yourself the way you should be, you won't even care.

14. Worry about matching your thank you note stationery to your invitations unless you must.
I'm not sure who came up with the rule that every thing in a wedding, from the save-the-date cards to the invites to the seating cards to the programs to the stationery, has to match. Maybe it was a crazy person.

15. Just write thank you notes to the people who gave you gifts. If you felt especially moved by your rabbi's speech or the care the coordinator at your reception location gave you, let them know.

List of Dos:

1. Assume that something will go wrong. It's going to happen. Accepting that fact will make your life easier. Our venue got changed the day our invitations were mailed. Fortunately, it was moved to a church across the street.

We sent out notes alerting guests to the change, and everything went fine. It wasn't that big of a deal, and it felt good to get that mini-disaster out of the way.

2. Have an engagement photo session with your photographer. Even if you have no intention of submitting your pics to the local paper, it's good practice. You'll get to know your photographer, and you'll get the hang of those lovey-dovey shots with your spouse-to-be.

3. Happily support your friends who get engaged during your engagement. They're not stealing your thunder, they're joining a team of people whose opinions you can elicit and won't get tired of talking about wedding stuff.

If you feel like your wedding is going to be "less special" because someone else is getting married this year, maybe you're not mature enough to get married.

4. Get over your "dream gown." Odds are the dress you saw in the magazine looks totally different on you. Trust your experts, and your own eyes. While I wish that Oscar de la Renta gown didn't make me look eight months pregnant, I didn't fall apart over that fact.

5. Periodically cull through your wedding binder and throw away things that are no longer relevant -- dress ideas after you'd purchased your gown, honeymoon articles after you've already booked the trip. Unless you enjoy scoliosis.

6. Get the itinerary down ahead of time. You want to make sure everyone knows where to be for the getting ready, the pictures, the church, the speeches, the cake, and so on, so you're not chasing people down all day.

7. Spend some "you" time right before the wedding. The days leading up to my wedding I couldn't sleep, was losing weight (which I didn't want to do), and was going to the bathroom all the time.

The night before the rehearsal, I scheduled a scrub and massage and hung out at my maid of honor's house with a bottle of wine. It was exactly what I needed and great to laugh and talk to one of my oldest friends about the excitement ahead.

8. Make sure you have someone who knows what they're doing at the rehearsal. Our priest did not show up -- he was delivering last rites to a parishioner -- but fortunately the chapel coordinator/cantor led the rehearsal for us, which saved me from a meltdown.

9. Tell your bridal attendants ahead of time what you hope the tone for the day will be. I would have felt weirded out if everyone was squealing and crying. I wanted things to feel as normal as possible, in case I got nervous, and my friends were great for this.

They reassured me, teased me, and helped me. I'm eternally grateful.

10. Carve out some peaceful time in the morning. I wanted to start my wedding day on a calm note, so I took a walk and read the New Yorker in the backyard in the sunshine before we went to the salon.

I think the day would have been different had I jumped out of bed and started running around right away.

11. Eat breakfast and lunch on your wedding day. No fainting at the altar.

12. Make sure that you have someone on hand who knows how to bustle your dress. I sure couldn't have done it myself.

Invite your mother or maid of honor to the final fitting for this reason and bring them a notepad to take notes. Hopefully, they won't think you're totally neurotic.

13. Make it a priority to enjoy yourself on your wedding day. The bride sets the tone for the entire wedding. If you're having fun, everyone else will. People told me I looked like I was having a great time.

If you're stressed, it'll be written all over your face.

14. Try to make sure you'll get a few minutes to enjoy the cocktail hour of your reception. You spent all that time deciding on your shrimp boats and mini pizzas. You may only get 15 minutes to enjoy them, but that's better than nothing.

15. Talk to, smile at, and flirt with your spouse during the ceremony. This is IT! You should have fun and break the formality, within the realms of propriety.

16. Have a pair of comfortable shoes to change into. You can't "break in" a pair of three-inch heels. Eventually, your feet are going to hurt.

17. Ask the caterers ahead of time to set aside a take-home meal for you and your groom. For months, I looked forward to the moment when I could get to our hotel, get out of my gown, and eat my leftovers. I was not disappointed when the big moment finally arrived.

18. Thank everyone who isn't getting paid to help you with your wedding -- over and over and over again. It's an honor for you to have your loved ones surrounding you on your wedding day.

19. Have a master guest list with addresses on hand, in hard copy and online. It will be invaluable when it comes to writing thank you notes.

Keep the hard copy in a heavy-duty envelope, because you'll be carrying it around and taking it out again and again. I kept mine with a stash of stationery, stamps, and the little booklet I used to keep track of who gave me what.

20. Enlist your soon-to-be spouse to pitch in with the thank you notes. He/she will be enjoying the gifts too, right? I ended up writing a brief outline to thank-you-note writing for my fiance, since he wasn't as used to writing them as I was, but once he got some practice, his were funnier than mine.

Our Valentine's Day

2009-02-15T20:23:00.008-05:00

These were our V-Day presents to each other. Tex sent me flowers to my work (at my request), & I sent him a chocolate fondue kit to his work. He was quite surprised & I was very happy! I also sent flowers to my mom's house.

One of my favorite childhood memories is that my mom would send flowers or a present to my school on special days, like Valentine's Day or my birthday. I would get a notice to go to the front office & have a surprise waiting for me!

I hope everybody had a great day with their sweeties!

Say 'I love you' -- in so many ways

2009-02-12T20:32:00.001-05:00

Article on CNN:

A man from Vermont got into the habit of leaving his wife little notes. Nothing elaborate -- just sweet sentiments like "I love you" or "I can't wait to get home to you tonight," jotted down on Post-it notes and then hidden in places where he knew she'd stumble over them throughout the course of her day.

She'd open a drawer or reach into a kitchen cabinet and find a hidden note. From inside the dog food bin, to the laundry hamper, to the driver's seat of her car, the notes were everywhere.
He was in the military and he was shipped out during the early days of the war in Iraq, where he was killed in action. On the morning of the funeral, his young widow put on her winter coat, placed her hands in her pockets, and found the last two notes which he had hidden there for her before he had left home. Knowing exactly what they were, she slowly pulled them out of her pockets.

The first one read, "I will always love you." And the other read, "We will always be together." Did he know the circumstances under which she'd find them? It was hard to say. You can imagine the sorrow she felt as she read them, but think how lucky she was to have had a husband who managed to reach out with a final, loving gesture.

Like this wonderful man, all of us can create ways everyday that say, "I love you." I know it's almost Valentine's Day, and we have come to think of only this day as LOVE day but instead, I am suggesting that we think of EVERY DAY as an opportunity to put a little love in the world.
There is an old saying that goes something like this, "Love doesn't make the world go round, but it sure makes the ride worth while." You see, real joy and true happiness are found when we tell someone we care and show them how special they are in our lives.

When I say love, I do not only mean the kind where two people are locking lips and coming up for air every 10 minutes or so. I am talking about the kind of love that embraces everyone who has a presence in our lives. The kind of love I am talking about extends throughout our circle of life, touching family, friends and co-workers.

I am talking about the kind of love where a woman gives her birthday bouquet away to a co- worker because the co-worker has had some rough financial times and can not afford to purchase a gift for her niece. The woman believes her birthday bouquet will be even more special when the co-worker gives it to her niece.

Or, when everyone at a hair salon contributes to making a quilt for their friend who has just been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The quilt was filled with their well wishes and served as their own special way to cover their sick friend with love.

An act of love is present when a woman grows out her red silky hair, just so that it could be pulled back in a pony tail and cut to be donated to Locks of Love, a company that makes beautiful wigs for women who have lost their hair to chemotherapy treatments as they battle cancer.

Love is also found within a retired woman who decides to raise money so she can go to Africa where she can best tend to and take care of orphaned children who are affected by HIV and AIDS.

We all know stories like these and we each have our own stories to tell, to inspire us and remind us what really matters. It is in these acts of kindness where the joy of living is found. These acts of love are everywhere, and when we turn our eyes and hearts to them, they touch and change our lives forever.

Defining what love is has been the work of poets and philosophers throughout time, but it's our job too. It is something we all know when we feel it, but words simply are not adequate enough to define it.

Love is so many things -- a feeling, an intention and a thank you. It is compassionate, it is generous, it is funny, it is serious, it breaks our hearts and yet it heals all things. Love is expressed in a trillion ways, it is found in a smile, blowing a kiss, a wink, a song, a poem, a word or even a batch of chocolate chip cookies. There is so much to say about love, but the heart of the matter is, we all want to be loved and we all want to love.

This Valentine's Day, remember that there are so many ways to say, "I love you." Be a mentor. Teach someone to read. Sit a while with someone who is lonely. Volunteer. Serve food at a shelter. Make art with kids. Compliment someone. Listen to what someone has to say.

Visit a friend who is sick. Wave to the women sitting in the window at a nursing home. Tell someone you are thinking about them. Be a role model. Work to build a house with Habitat for Humanity. Lend a hand at the local fire hall. Use your money generously. Walk for what you believe in -- peace, breast cancer research and life. Comfort someone when they are sad. Walk your neighbor's dog. Participate in a food drive. Bake or buy something from a bake sale. Donate the clothes you do not wear from your closet, and you will have loved with all of your heart.

Various Wedding Ideas

2009-02-11T20:21:00.004-05:00

Next weekend we're meeting with the lady from our venue to pick a date, put down a deposit, etc. We're still swinging between mid-October & early November. Tex's pros about Nov are that it will probably be a bit cooler & probably have a less chance of rain. My con about Nov is that our honeymoon might be pretty cold & I don't like the cold!

BTW, we're thinking of....IRELAND!!!

My photographer friend, Christy (Freelance 4 Hire), sent me pictures she took from another wedding at the location we picked. It really gave me some interesting ideas of the layout, things we can do or not do.

Here are some random thoughts going around in my head:

Photo guest book
Candle / rock / petal center pieces
No scattered petals or jewels
No engraved glasses or cutlery
No tealights, maybe tall glass candles
Long table for the bridal party, not just a couple's table
Favor bags used as place settings

Things I plan to DIY:

Invitations with hydrangea stamp / theme
Favor bags, including photo upload card, homemade soap, maybe local candy or coffee, A shaped cookie, maybe personalized cross-word puzzle or word search puzzle.
Table names
Centerpieces
Bouquets & boutonnieres
Playlists for laptop

(stamp # 1)

(stamp # 2)

Lucky In Life & In Love

2009-02-06T21:35:00.003-05:00

This morning was a very strange morning in our area of the world. We had a hard frost last night, a pretty rare occurrence for North Florida. When we woke up & left for work, the cars were very frosty & the sun was starting to rise above the horizon. I drove to work & I was astonished at the landscape that I drove past. I'm in a suburban neighborhood, but due to the mist and frost, it looked like an alien countryside that I was traveling through in my time machine, lol. I really wanted to take the time to stop & take some beautiful pictures, especially at the frozen golf course, but I didn't have time or my camera.

The event really had me thinking as I kept driving. I realized how very lucky we really are. I don't want to tempt fate or jinx myself, but it is something that is important for people to realize every now & then. It is very humbling.

One thing that also make me realize this was that I saw some people waiting for a bus on the side of the road. They were all bundled up like Artic explorers & I was in my nice, warm car with a simple coat to ward against the chill between the car & work. I felt lucky that I had my car to take me to work...heck, in this day & age, I'm lucky that I have a job!

We both have nice jobs that take care of us & bosses / managers that know our contributions. We have our house that we bought last year when the market wasn't as bad as it is now. We have our kids (the cats) who are all in good health. We are going through issues, as most people always are, but we have always stuck together and worked through these difficulties as a couple and as a partnership.

I wanted to share this with anybody who may be reading with the thought that it is important for all of us to take the time every now & then to reflect back on our lives & realize what we have accomplished & what we have to offer to each other.

Schedule / Checklists

2009-02-05T20:36:00.003-05:00

After nailing down our big decision, the venue, I really don't want to forget something that we need to complete. I also don't want to leave everything (especially the DIY projects) to the last minute. Within the next several months, we (meaning me, not Tex) need to confirm our theme & / or colors and start deciding on what will work where.

I was inspired by one of my favorite bloggers, a $10,000 wedding, & her cool post about things that need to be done for last month. I want to work on a method of figuring out what I need to finalized, what I need to work on, what I need to buy, etc, over the next few months.

I looked on The Knot & their checklists are WAY too over the top! I'm not nearly that elaborate or complicated & I don't need to track all of those parts of my wedding. However, part of my wedding won't be store-bought, it will be handmade & that is going to take extra time & planning.

According to The Knot, we have 254 days to go, 8 months. It sounds like a long time, but January went by really fast. Does anybody out there in blogger land know of a good site that can assit with building a monthly checklist?

Celebrate Good Times...Post # 50 & VENUE Pick!!

2009-02-04T20:20:00.003-05:00

This is my 50th wedding blog post! Yay! It's crazy when I read some blogs that have hit 500 or more. 50 seems like a ton for me.

Good news...we picked our venue!!!!!!!! We went out on Saturday & visited both places. We took Tex's brother as our neutral 3rd party. He really enjoyed seeing the locations & in the end, his choice was pretty clear & it helped us figure out what we want to do.

I'm going to put the pictures in my Picasa album, so they won't break the computers.

Wedding Venues

We ended up picking #1, River Front Cafe & Catering, inside the Haskell Building downtown. You can look at their gallery for more pictures. It is a bit more expensive, since we have to rent both the main room & the ceremony area, on top of the food & staffing costs. But we're planning to keep our guest list between 50 & 60 people & we might end up going with heavy appetizers, instead of a sit-down meal.

I emailed our contact & we need to set up a meeting to work out some of the plans, put down the deposit & pick our actual DATE.

Now that we know what the location has to offer, we know the rest of the parts that we need to work on.

List In Progress:

Invitations
Center pieces
Menu selection
General decor
Cakes (main & grooms)
DJ / Ipod? (Note to self, include Oy Como Va.)
Favors
Dress, etc
Photography

Off-Topic: Foozball

2009-02-01T21:56:00.001-05:00

My mom would be so ashamed of me. She is SUCH a huge football fan, FSU to be specific. I've grown up with her & the constant games during football season. & I'm 27 years old. But until about 2 hours ago, I HAD NO IDEA what the downs were all about. Tex just explained all of that to me. Now I know!

The world makes just a little bit more sense.

2nd & 10. 4th & goal. It works.

Off-Topic - House Issues

2009-01-30T20:28:00.004-05:00

Our house is about 20 years old. We've owned it for one year & 3 months. In that time, we've had a leaky toilet, 2 pipe leaks in the garage, a cut in the AC line that lost all of the freon and ended up replacing the outside AC unit & running a new electrical line to the unit. I don't want to use the word "money pit" but sometimes we just have to wonder.

Yesterday, we found out that on top of all of that, we also have termites. We had an inspection today & she found possible creatures in the bathroom wall. We also had "swarmers" in the bathtub, which means that the colony is ready to expand & it sends out the breeders.

The treatment will involve soil chemicals around the entire perimeter of the house, even drilling into the concrete. The type that I want to use is a bit more expensive, but it will last for 10 years & it is safer for the environment & animals. It will also help stop various types of ants that can also follow the same path as the termites.

Tex put a stopper in the tub so we wouldn't have any coming up. But today we spotted a lot coming out from between two panels of our outside siding & flying away. Tex sprayed Roundup on the spot & it seemed to stop the exodus, at least temporarily. We are going to talk to Turner Pest Control on Monday & make sure we schedule the treatment as soon as possible.

One thing that we're going to have to do is work on re-tiling the master bathroom. When we bought the house, we knew that part of the tile had been replaced, it was a lighter shade. We suspect that they didn't use waterproof material behind the new tiles & they didn't really seal the tiles that well. Water has probably (more than likely) gotten behind the tiles & may be growing mold or bugs...blech!!!!

A big project for us will be to remodel the bathroom area, but we don't have money for that. It's needed, but maybe in the future. However, we will need to re-tile & caulk the bathtub & pretty quickly. I'd like to go to a local company & arrange for them to do it for us, because we're not that skilled in those types of home repair.

Of course, that just HAS to come right when we're trying to plan & save for a wedding!!! Ug, when it rains, it falls, that's for sure. But once we're done with it, we won't have to worry about it again (knock on wood).

Wedding Lingo Suks

2009-01-28T14:48:00.003-05:00

I got an email from Real Simple the other day that had a list of wedding "lingo" that just made me roll my eyes:

BM: Best man, or bridesmaid
BP: Bridal party
DW: Destination wedding
FBIL: Future brother-in-law
FFIL: Future father-in-law
FG: Flower girl
FH: Future husband
FMIL: Future mother-in-law
FOB: Father of the bride
FOG: Father of the groom
FSIL: Future sister-in-law
GM: Groomsmen
GP: Grandparent
MOB: Mother of the bride
MOG: Mother of the groom
MOH: Maid of honor
OOTG: Out-of-town guests
RB: Ring bearer

They forgot one...STD for Save The Date. I'm sorry, an STD is an ... STD!!! It's not an abbreviation for save the date! Bah, I hate wedding lingo, it's so lame. Just say the freaking word & be done with it!

Topic change...

I'm starting to get really excited about this weekend. We'll be able to see one of our venue choices all done up for a wedding, not just an office lobby. We're going to take Tex's brother (our "BM") with us to help us decide. We're seeing #1 first, then going to #2 to be able to see them right after each other. I think right after that, we're going to need to make a decision pretty quickly & pick our final date. I will be so happy to know that we've made this major choice & it will help us figure out what else will be needed & what we (I) will have to finish.

Topic change...

I'm watching "Say Yes To The Dress," the ultimate bridal episode where they help 3 deserving brides with their dresses. One of them ends up getting married in the store, when they work to plan a spontaneous weekend wedding in New York. It was so sweet, I started crying right along with the couple!!

I also just finished watching "Toddlers & Tiaras" on TLC (it's a TLC-themed afternoon) & I was pretty irritated by the show. Surprisingly, I wasn't too aggravated by the parents, they were a bit over the top, but not as bad as I expected. However, I didn't like the actual host of the pageant. She talked about the things that the kids HAVE to have, like tans, perfect hair, makeup, big & bright dresses, etc. She said that you have to be pretty to get a job, be really thin to make it in Hollywood. She then said that it's not right, it's just society. So...her solution is to judge & award small children for doing exactly what is wrong with society???

I realized that this can also apply to brides & weddings. Over our lifetime, us girls have been exposed to various "perfect" bridal images & what is expected on our big days as princesses. So we're expected to look perfect & be perfect & spend a ton of money & have a huge day where we're on stage. But I've never liked being "perfect" or being a princess. I like being myself & on my wedding day, I plan to be myself with a little bit extra. I'm not expecting the day to go off without a hitch, but I know it will be fantastic & a lot of fun, which is what I hope for all little princesses!

Pre-Wedding Madness

2009-01-26T20:45:00.003-05:00

This weekend was somewhat odd. Saturday was pretty cool, we got a lot of things done. We went to a local minor league pro football game for a couple of teams in town. It started raining halfway through & "our" team lost, but it was a very close game. Local foozball is what it's all about!

On Sunday, we went to our first actual bridal show. Oh-my-craptacular-holy-jeezbus...that place was BEYOND scary. Even walking into the place, they herded us through some lines to get registered (I did it on the website) & gave us our tote bag of stuff & we walked through the curtain & into bridal HELL.

I think we ended up staying for maybe 20 minutes. We didn't visit all of the booths, but I picked up some stuff about a couple of local DJ's. I also hit the Publix cake booth that had some free samples (as mentioned in my previous cake post), which were actually really good.

The entire scene was jam-packed & way too overboard with brides & bridesmaids & moms & sisters. & it was amazing how many women do this on a regular basis! There are some pre-brides who follow these shows around & do nothing but visit vendors. & some of the vendors were a bit...crazy.

We didn't need about 80% of the things that were offered. We don't need a caterer or a location or flowers or photography. The David's Bridal booth was like filling out a credit application. I got a couple of things involving makeup, but that was about it. Once we got back in the car, I realized that all of the coupons & ads were also listed in the THICK book they gave us at the entrance!

We got home after running a few errands & decided to give some of the house a quick clean. We're not the best about picking up after ourselves, so sometimes we just have to have a big burst of clean & get as much done as we can before we give up. We were running along on a good speed when I backed up & knocked my brand new iced coffee into my armchair! I freaked out & started clearing things out of the chair (of course I was putting things from the floor into the chair!) & grabbing paper towels. As we were trying to mop up the large volume of coffee, I started bawling about how upset the whole thing was making me.

In being the good fiance that he is, Tex helped me clean up, then decided we should take a break so I could get myself back under control. Then he got me a new coffee! Everything got cleaned up & dried off, but we realized that we do not need anymore bridal shows!

Too Much Time To Make Decisions

2009-01-22T20:32:00.004-05:00

I have a bit of a problem...I tend to try to make too many decisions. Or maybe I think too hard about the decisions I'm trying to make.

For example, I THOUGHT I had figured out my processional song & maybe even our first dance song. But then I heard some other music that struck a chord in my head & made me think of something else. Then another song will come on the radio & I'll think "oh, that is cool too!"

We haven't gotten into most of the nitty-gritty decisions yet, but I'm afraid that the same thing will happen. I'll read a magazine or a website & think that something works, but I'll change my mind about 5 minutes later. I think it's partially because I like so many things & I want what we choose to be the right option for our day. But at the same time, I see myself freaking out over these things to plan for one day out of our lives. I think it's astounding that we (brides) spend so much time & energy, not to mention money, trying to plan every little detail that we probably won't even remember all of! & for what? So a couple of very extended relatives can say "what nice place settings"?

Anyhoo, off my soap box. Here is what I think (for now) I want to use for my processional. This song has always touched my heart & held a very special meaning for me. It was also a song that was played when I had my surgery a couple of years ago & it helped get me through it. Yea, I was awake during the whole thing!

Israel Kamakawiwo'ole ~ Somewhere Over The Rainbow

I love all of Bruddah IZ's music, he was such a wonderful man.

I also heard a song today on the radio that sounded like a great first dance song. Ya'll may recognize the remake of this more than the original...

Bill Withers & Grover Cleveland Jr - Just The Two Of Us

I suppose I should post the remake, it is a good song after all, just not "wedding" material.

Rats, they won't let me embed it, corporate bastards!

Will Smith & son

Ok, almost done, but this is my personal favorite remake version of this song:

Dr. Evil & Mini-Me - Just The Two Of Us

& with that...I'm out playa'

No Fancy Titles...Ugggg...But Cakes!

2009-01-21T20:27:00.006-05:00

So...yea...I am worn plum (plumb?) out. For the third day in a row, I have had something to do right after work & haven't gotten home at normal time. Monday & Tuesday were very long nights, especially when I didn't get home until 9pm-ish. Today wasn't too bad, we got home around 6:30. Tomorrow & Friday should be normal, I hope!

On top of a long beginning of the week, I think we'll have a long end of the week. I don't think we have any actual plans on Saturday (shock!). I have to go to my WW meeting in the morning, then Tex wants to try for Native Sun brunch special. Yea, just what I need after weighing in!

For Sunday, we're actually going to our first bridal show! I've heard some good & bad things about them, but I am looking for some samples, ideas, maybe some sweepstakes that will probably end up creating only more spam. Tex actually doesn't mind going, but I think it's because he first though I wanted him to attend a lame work function & this was the lesser of two evils. But then I said that they will probably have food & he was game.

I actually caved tonight & started using a little mini planner to carry around with me. I normally don't like them & don't like to carry a ton of things, but I really need one lately. & we haven't even started PLANNING things yet!

Next weekend, our number #1 venue place is going to be hosting a wedding & we're going to go see it all put together. We're also taking Tex's brother to help us be a neutral party to determine which location could work for us better. I think then we'll finally be able to make a decision!

Oh, I finally got another comment! Thanks Kate!!

As a side note, a few weeks ago, I browsed through the Publix cake database & found a couple that I actually liked. I don't know what size we'll need for about 50-60 people, but I hope we can have a couple of tiers! I don't think Tex would mind if we had extra cake on our honeymoon.

This cake is pretty dang cool looking & very colorful!

I may not choose those colors, but I love the different patterns.

I also like this cake, due to the textured white, but the pops of colors with the flowers.
I could see having this cake with various shades of blue flowers or sparkles.

I Love You More Than...20% off at Barnes & Nobles

2009-01-16T19:50:00.016-05:00

I found a neat blog through another neat blog & I really like this concept, it's so cute!

These are from love you more than blank that was posted on unruly-things that I saw on Peony :: Love. I went through & found some that I just adored:

(I adore my snooze button on the weekends)

(I have them set to auto-record)

(We love The Office, I adore Jim & Pam's love)
(I can't help it, I love this magazine!!)
(Like the snooze, I am a sleep-a-holic.

Nothing better than being able to fall back asleep again.)
(I can't help it, we love ourselves some cake.)
(& finally, the husband one! This is super-true.)

Ok, I have to add an extra note here. It is freakin FREEZING here in Florida. & I mean that literally, it has been below 0 (or 32) for the last two nights & especially tonight. Bones cold freezing. & I am a summer, warm-weather, sunshiney girl. I don't like the cold, is what I mean to say.

Ever since I got home, I've been shivering in the living room, on the laptop, even with some heat on (our house is not very energy efficient). I tucked my arms into my shirt & I tried typing out the bottom, even though my hands were cold. Tex kept watching this exercise in futility & rolling his eyes. He finally told me to pause our taped Top Chef & went into the bedroom. He comes out with one of my long-sleeve shirts, drops it on my head & says, "Here, put this on!" I start cracking up & he reaches down, pulls off my regular shirt & attempts to help me into the new shirt. I finally get it on & my first thought is "Wow, this is better!"

Note to self, listen to your future husband every now & then.

"Marriage is love personified."

2009-01-15T21:39:00.003-05:00

I know that there are a lot of components that go into a day of wedding & you generally want them to be tied together. You know, not feathers then plaid then bling. I don't think I have a theme, but one thing that I want to use is the idea of quotes. I am a big fan of nice, lovely, romantic quotes that speak to the heart.

I don't want to go over the top & have them everywhere, but I do plan on encorporating one or two into the invites, perhaps into the table cards & the menu or reception decorations.

I've browsed a few Google searches for "wedding quotes" & other terms & here are some that I like:

A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.
- Germaine Greer

To love someone deeply gives you strength. Being loved by someone deeply gives you courage.
- Lao Tzu

Love doesn't make the world go round. Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.
- Franklin P. Jones

The goal in marriage is not to think alike, but to think together.
- Robert C. Dodds

Love one another and you will be happy. It's as simple and as difficult as that.
- Michael Leunig

I dreamed of a wedding of elaborate elegance,

A church filled with family and friends.

I asked him what kind of a wedding he wished for,

He said one that would make me his wife.

- Author Unknown

For you see, each day I love you moreToday more than yesterday and less than tomorrow.

- Rosemonde Gerard

We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love.

- Author Unknown

Love is but the discovery of ourselves in others, and the delight in the recognition.

- Alexander Smith

There is no more lovely, friendly and charming relationship, communion or company than a good marriage.

- Martin Luther

Marriage is love personified.

- Phoenix Flame

Married couples who love each other tell each other a thousand things without talking.

- Chinese Proverb

I love you, not only for what you are, But for what I am when I am with you.

- Roy Croft

Love is that condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.

- Robert Heinlein

The most wonderful of all things in life is the discovery of another human being with whom one's relationship has a growing depth, beauty and joy as the years increase. This inner progressiveness of love between two human beings is a most marvelous thing; it cannot be found by looking for it or by passionately wishing for it. It is a sort of divine accident, and the most wonderful of all things in life.

-Sir Hugh Walpole

Random Second Post...Centerpiece Idea

2009-01-14T21:30:00.003-05:00

Of course, once I get started browsing on a website, I can't stop!

Here is one idea for a wicked cool centerpiece that I could totally see tweaking for us.

Can you imagine this large bowl filled with hydranga petals floating in water with about 2 or 3 floating candles on top?

I also have another idea for the table names / numbers, but that is for later.

Found on Details of I Do:

Tae Bo...No Mo'

2009-01-14T19:37:00.004-05:00

Ug, I am pooped today, work was an all-day event, to say the least.

On Monday, I tried out my Tae Bo video that I got on Netflix. It was ok, but I was a total fish out of water. You could post a video on You Tube of me flailing around in the living room & get about a million hits. My best gal pal, Christina, told me to give Yoga a shot, which I already like. I searched on Netflix, but most of them didn't have good reviews or good instruction. I did find one that I added to my list to get soon, Fat Burning Workout for Dummies. It has 3 stars & the reviews look pretty good. It should help me get something done without knocking myself around the room.

Speaking of Christina, I got to talk to her the other day through Google Chat while at work. She told me that she & her hubby, Jim, MAY be moving back down to our section of the US. I really, really, really hope that they can! I know they've had problems in Michigan & they miss being in Florida. I also can't help but being a bit greedy, because I miss them tremendously & if they did move back here, they wouldn't have to fly back & forth! It would be even better if they're able to move back to their old neighborhood, which is where we live too!

Christina told me that she feels like she hasn't been a good matron, but we haven't been engaged that long! & we have several months to plan. She has been writing down all the romantic songs that she hears, lol. I know she'll be a fantastic matron & it will be even funnier if she's close by!

Oh, there is something that I saw the other night that I wanted to blog about. I've been watching Who's Wedding Is It Anyway? & I like some of the episodes, they do give some interesting ideas & show some things to do & not to do. However, the end of one episode really irritated me & made me realize some of the bad things about weddings & wedding planners. In this episode, the bride & her mom hired Donnie Brown to help them wrap up the details. In his planning, he realized that the centerpiece flowers weren't "cohesive" with the bridal bouquet. Ok, that's understandable, they need to look similar. However, the family didn't put any extra money into the flowers & they weren't up to par. The bride & groom had a great wedding & a lot of fun & didn't even notice the flowers. But at the end, Donnie said, "This was ok, you could tell that they didn't put enough money into the flowers." WHAT??? Since when did the flowers make the wedding? I'm seeing a lot of what my fellow wedding-bloggers talk about when they emphasize the union over the decorations. It was highly irritating.

Here is a picture from another coordinator's website that I really like, Kristin Rockhill:

Workout Numero Uno

2009-01-12T21:50:00.002-05:00

I got a Tae Bo tape from Netflix the other day & gave it a shot today. It was about 44 minutes, but I have to admit that I wasn't able to finish it today. I know that I'm horribly out of shape & sluggish. I also have no coordination! I'm glad that I was able to get through about 30 minutes of the tape, because it was a pretty fast workout. It targeted a lot of the core, which I really want to work on. That & basic calorie burn, to help shed some of the eaten foods. I plan to work on the tape about 3 times a week, Mon, Wed & Fri or Sat.

My goal, I WILL GET DOWN TO A GOOD FEELING FOR A WEDDING DRESS! You see that I didn't pick a size or a weight, but I want to feel better about myself when I try on dresses & finally pick one. I don't want to be hesitant based on various parts of my own body or things that I wish I could have worked to improve. I figure I can work on this until June or July before I need to figure out where I am to find the dress. I don't want to get one, then keep getting smaller & have to get it resized too much.

The "V" Word - Part Dos

2009-01-10T16:57:00.003-05:00

We had another very good Saturday today, two in a row! We went to one of our venue locations & even though we were about 40 minutes early (we got there at 12:10 & our appointment wasn't until 1, oops!), we were able to meet with the planner & see the space.

It was BEAUTIFUL. I won't go into detail until we decide if we want it or not, but it was lovely. Pretty much just what I wanted, open & airy & we could do the ceremony & the reception in one location. However, it is a bit pricier than what we originally anticipated, because there is a $1200 fee to simply rent the spaces. That, along with food, staff, taxes, etc.

We are going to try & meet with our second choice next week to see what they can offer us. With that option, we may need to arrange our ceremony elsewhere, but they may have ideas for us. The 1st option is also going to be fully set up on the 31st, so we are going to go back to see what it looks like with all the details.

We have also been debating the issue of the officiant. Chances are, we won't be getting married in a church. & we don't really know a priest of a person from a church to use. We have a friend who is ordained in the Church of Life or something, but Tex is hesitant to ask a friend to marry us. To him, that person needs to be somebody who is official, because they're in charge of saying we're legit for the state. We can also get somebody who is a notary, but that is the same as getting a friend, I think. & we don't really know a friend who is a notary. So we may end up finding WHERE we'll be married, but we don't know HOW we're going to get married!!!

Oh, we went grocery shopping today & I talked Tex into buying me one last wedding magazine, a new one that I haven't read before, weddingstar. It was a bit on the pricey side, but I wanted to give it a shot. As Tex said, ideas are something that I'm not lacking.

The "V" Word - VENUE

2009-01-09T21:22:00.003-05:00

Tonight we went out to Ale House & had a very good dinner (I ate too much) & talked about our plans. Tomorrow, we're meeting a rep for one of our venue locations that we're interested in. They sent us some pricing info & we want to see what the place looks like. One pro is that they can host the ceremony & the reception in the same location, which could help us save time & energy.

However, one con against this place is that it is more expensive then our # 2 option. #2 option is a restaurant, which is a bit cheaper & we will easily meet their minimum. The #1 option is a catering company & has a more expensive rental fee for the room & the food. We hope that it may be worth it, but if not, then we can work on option # 2.

We also talked about the day of the actual wedding. Depending on the venue, we'll have to arrange the timing, of course. We'd like to keep everything in the downtown area. We also had the idea about the night before & the day of. I'd had an idea of getting a hotel room at one of the nicer places in the area to use to get ready in the morning. Tex mentioned that he & his brother could hang out & do stuff the night before & the idea turned into getting two rooms, one for the guys & one for the ladies (me & Christine) to hang out & be single for a bit longer. In the morning, we can get ready, then maybe move into the honeymoon suite. I also want to make sure we get a room for Christina & Jim, since they'll be down here with us.

One idea that we had is to get our "fancy" wedding pictures taken the day before. I know it's tradition to wait to see each other until you're walking down the aisle, then take pictures later. But I'd prefer to spend the time at my reception (since we're not having a cocktail hour). So I had an idea to arrange the professional pictures during the day before, maybe at the venue & at some random cool locations around town. We can also go around town to take some pictures ourselves. Depending on the dress, I'll have to be careful to keep it clean & non-wrinkled, but I think it would be a fun event. I DO want to get some pictures of our first look, when we're seeing each other for the first time.

Oh, I found a new blog today, With This Ring, with lots of great DIY projects that I really like!!

Keeping It In Perspective

2009-01-07T21:57:00.003-05:00

I find that I tend to go...how shall you say...a tad bit overboard? Especially with major projects. I THROW my self into them & they occupy every nook & crany of my soul until Tex looks at me cross-eyed one too many times & I calm back down.

I realllllllllly don't want our wedding to be like that. I've felt myself spiraling out of control on occasion & I have to step back & remember that it's not until October, I have time, I don't have to think about everything now. In fact, I have to make myself stop thinking about it about an hour before bedtime (tonight I'm breaking my own rule).

In thinking about this, I wanted to post two posts that I have really appreciated & thought about on a regular basis.

The first post is from 12k Wedding, one of my new favorite places:

Top 5 Wedding Money Wasters

1. Meaningless and expensive wedding favors

Wedding favors can be a thoughtful way of saying thank you to your guests. But far too often they’re a meaningless knickknack. Your guests don’t need a candy dish, or a little silver bell. Don’t think their cute place card holder doubles as a favor; what are they going to do with one place card? And do you really want a plastic Frisbee with your friends’ wedding date on it?

You’re going to spend a lot of money on things that will just collect dust, or end up in the trash. I think it’s far better to not give favors, or to make a donation to a charity. But cute favors include ones that are personal to the bride and groom. You might give food favors from the city you live in, or a box of your very favorite chocolates.

One of my favorite ideas is a breakfast bag. Send guests home with some beautiful muffins, a couple of good quality tea bags, and perhaps a little pot of jam or honey. The next morning they’ll be sure to enjoy your treat as they reminisce about everything that happened.

Money Saving Tip:
Some of the most thoughtful wedding favors can be handmade. Put together a booklet of family recipes, or create a CD with an insert explaining why you chose each song.

2. Endless bride and groom swag

It may be fun to have a pair of track pants that say “Bride” across your butt, but how long are you really going to wear them? You certainly don’t need to own multiple pieces of clothing that say “bride” or “groom” because they’ve got a limited shelf-life. And, you do have an identity beyond that of a bride. You don’t own a sweatshirt that trumpets your profession, do you? So why would you want people out in public to see you first and foremost as a bride?

Perhaps the biggest money waster of all is giving your bridal party “bridesmaid” and “groomsman” gear. Do you really think that groomsman is ever going to wear that tacky hat ever again? Do you think he’ll even enjoy wearing it the first time?

Money Saving Tip:
Buy a pair of pajama pants or underwear that says “bride” or “groom.” Rather than feeling embarrassed about wearing a bride sweatshirt out in public, clothing meant for the home will remind the two of you of your wedding day. Leave the other bridal swag at the store.

3. Huge wedding cakes

Some couples only invite 50 guests, but they still order a cake that serves 300. With cakes going for $2-$15 a slice, that extra size adds up quickly. While a large cake looks impressive, a small cake can be charming. If height is a priority, consider asking your baker to use a separator set, and adding fresh flowers between the layers. Or, use a large cake topper, such as this tiered floral centerpiece.

Money Saving Tip:
If you are having more than 100 guests, ask for a display cake that only feeds 100 people. Use inexpensive sheet cakes in the back to feed the extra guests. No one will know the difference!

Read More: Questions to Ask Your Wedding Cake Designer

4. Too many mementos

The wedding industry loves to sell you goods by promising they will be keepsakes you can pass down to your children. Having mementos of your special day is a good thing, but you don’t need very many. Put together a wedding album, and perhaps preserve your wedding dress. But deeply consider every other item. Do you really need a personalized pen to sign the guest book? Is preserving your bouquet worth the money and the space in your home? You don’t need to have a wedding video, unless you will really watch it and enjoy it regularly. And not every toasting glass, picture frame, and photo album needs to be monogrammed with your wedding date.

Rather than filling up your house with tons of wedding mementos, leave room for creating new memories.

Money Saving Tip:
If an album is not included in your wedding photography package, consider doing it for yourself! That way, you can include the shots that are most important to you, as well as any mementos like your wedding program.

Read More: Capture those memories on film with a Wedding Photography Shot Checklist

5. Too many bridesmaids and groomsmen

Have you ever seen a wedding with more than a dozen attendants? It starts to look like a wedding army. Of course, if you are inviting lots of guests, it makes sense to have a large wedding party. But before you start adding your friend who you haven’t seen since high school, and all of your cousins, consider what the role of the wedding party should be.

Even if you’re not paying for the wedding party’s attire, each of those attendants requires a bouquet or boutonniere, a thank you gift, and an invitation to the rehearsal dinner and other parties. Tack on just a few unnecessary bridesmaids or groomsmen and you’re potentially talking about hundreds of dollars.

Money Saving Tip:
Give some of your friends and loved ones different roles in the wedding. Consider asking them to read during the ceremony or give them a special role at the reception. You might even just thank them in the program for helping to support you during the wedding planning process.

Read More: How Many Bridesmaids and Groomsmen Should You Have?

The second post I found is from another favorite, A Practical Wedding:

Wedding Liberation Philosophy

Dear Internets-
What is it about weddings that collectively ties our knickers in such a knot? Ideas? Because for-serious, the process of getting married subjects one to more bossing around then the rest of life combined (with the notable exception of having a baby). Make it bigger! Make in smaller! Real Brides do it this way! Etcetera.

So, I have decided that the world is ready for the launch of a new idea. I call it Wedding Liberation Philosophy, and it goes like this: leave us well enough alone, stop making us feel guilty for this or that, and let us throw a nice sensible wedding that makes us feel happy inside. Full stop.Somehow, in our mad rush away from the bossing of the wedding industry, I fear that we stumbled into the trap of bossing ourselves around. We've gotten stuck between a rock and a hard place. The wedding industry tells us, "If you don't serve tri-tip, don't bother having a wedding," and we tell ourselves, "If you don't self cater you've sold out." The wedding industry yammers, "Vera Wang! Amsale! Monique Lhuillier!" and we tell ourselves, "Practical brides make their dresses. What's wrong with me?" The wedding industry screams "Kate Spade! Christian Louboutin! Milano Blahnik!" and we ask ourselves "If I don't get married in Payless shoes, what will that say about me?"

Sound familiar?

I am of course not suggesting that we all drop our practical plans and run out and arrange to serve tri-tip, wear Vera Wang, and buy Christian Louboutin's. Ick. But I am suggesting that we all remind ourselves that the point of getting married in the first place it to make ourselves and our loved ones very happy, and then resolve to be kinder to ourselves. Wedding Liberation Philosophy is this: every wedding is different, every couple is different, ever family is different. Within sensible boundaries, do what makes you happy, not what people tell you should make you happy.I've written about two low-budget weddings (this lovely forest fete and tomorrows wedding) where the brides saved money on the side and bought lower cost Vera Wang's. Is that what a budget wedding checklist would tell you to do? No. Did it make them happy? Yes! Do I think it's awesome that they knew themselves well enough to figure out what the heck would make their wedding sing, and they did it? Yes!

I for one am tired of sitting up at night wondering if hiring someone to style my impossible hair on my wedding day would make me a sellout. I'm tired of wondering what people would *think* if I wore expensive shoes that I bought on sale. All of this worrying and nonsense makes me just as tired as wondering if people will think we are cheap because we arranged the flowers ourselves, or my sister made the wedding dress.

So this is my message to each of you: you are kind, sensible, thoughtful people. You know yourselves. You know your family. Trust yourselves. When you figure out what will make you happy, reach for it. Lets liberate ourselves.

With Deep Admiration,
Meg

November Proposals Bring August Showers

2009-01-07T18:54:00.003-05:00

I had a good talk with mom the other night. She was concerned about inviting people to the wedding, but I really didn't want people that I didn't know or haven't seen for years. & I don't like the idea of inviting people just because she'd been to their kid's wedding. It's the 2000's mom!

I told her that this day & age, more people are having smaller events with their groups of people, instead of inviting everybody. Besides, if you tell them that we're having a small, intimate, family wedding (& we're paying for it), then they don't mind.

We've decided to probably have 2 showers, at least. One at home for mom's friends & church people & some folks that she's known for years. We also have lots of family in North Georgia, so we decided to have one up there. My aunt who lives in Athens will be hosting that one for me, yay! Some people are in the middle, they can go to either one, or both if they want! I want mom to run with the shower, plan everything & I just want to show up & be showered, lol.

As a surprise, for the NGA shower, we plan to invite my Matron-of-Honor, Christina. She's in Michigan right now & can't plan things for us like a local matron would. I want to fly her into Atlanta or somewhere close by, pick her up on the drive up, have her stay with us & then drop her off at the airport on the way home. They're having some tight financial times, so I want to pay for her to join us too, because I totally miss her & want her to be able to join us. She doesn't know about this...yet! We'll have to figure out the dates soon, so we can get her the tickets. I'm expecting it to be about a 2 or 3 day adventure & I can't wait!

I'm also expecting a shower at work, thrown by my co-workers. I feel bad because I won't be able to invite everybody to the wedding. I think we'll have a blast, though, our company is small enough to have a good event & I know a bunch of people in various departments.

One part of wedding planning that is driving me nuts is the hurry-up-and-wait feeling. We have to hurry up & find out venue...then wait a few months for the next batch of events...then wait a few more for invitations...then wait to get set up & the finally, everything boils down to the day before & the day of & then it's done.

It's A Beautiful Time To Be Here

2009-01-03T22:08:00.002-05:00

Today was a very successful day in several meanings of the word. On the wedding front, on the just-hanging-out-&-having-fun front too.

I'll post more about that later or tomorrow (Tex drove off with my needed literature!), but I did want to recap that I believe I have found my walking-down-the-aisle song.

Please to enjoy...

Fisher - Beautiful Life:

Fresh Flowers Make The Day

2009-01-02T19:52:00.015-05:00

I've always thought that I should make my own flower arrangements. To me, buying pre-made flowers seems like one of those things that you just shouldn't pay for! I plan to give them a try a month or so before the wedding, but I know the ones that I generally want to use.

My main flower is one of my inspirations for color & shape, the blue hydrangea. I've always loved this flower & I have some growing in my yard. To me, the color is beautiful, consistent with slight variations of shading around the flower itself.

Oh & before this gets too off topic, I think I've figured out my colors. I think the main color will be a deep, rich blue, based on the hydrangea. I am ok with all shades of the rich blue spectrum, just not green-blue or purple-blue. BLUE BLUE, light to medium. With the blue, I want to also see shades of dark grey. I think the invitations & all paper works will be grey & blue. I also want the guys in grey suits. I also want to use some accent in silver, if needed. However, I came up with another accent color that I think I want to use....but that's for another post. This one is all about flowers!

Back to the blooms, here are some examples:

(The ones on the bottom right are tinted, but about $20 cheaper for the 20 stem pack.)

These are lovely & different, maybe for the matron-of-honor (Christina)'s

For the groom's & best man's flowers, I'm thinking of arranging a focal point flower with a bit of background spray. Here are some examples:

Iris & larkspur:

I also love this bloom for centerpieces. I'm envisioning a bit of high & low at the tables. On one wedding show, I saw a lovely look that had tall cylinders filled with water with petals floating in the water & floating candles on top, but that may be too elaborate. I also would be happy with some simple arrangements of one or two flowers & a couple of candles.

I found all of these lovely flowers on a great website, fiftyflowers.com that I found on a blog called Jesse & Deanna. They have a large selection & some pretty reasonable prices. I don't know if I'm going to buy them on a website, but I think I will start first at a local farmers market or flower market to make sure these are the flowers I want to use. If they work with what I want, I may end up buying some bunches online, depending on the prices.

2009 Is Here!

2009-01-01T21:40:00.003-05:00

This is officially our wedding year. Hopefully, by Halloween of '09, we will be actually hitched!

I started browsing some actual "venue" sites tonight. Tex hates those words, like venue & vendor. I checked out UNF University Center, but I found out that they have a minimum rate, even for their small room, of FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS. Yikes-o-rama.

I also browsed the Jacksonville Country Club. Their website needs some improvement, but they have a good PDF with lots of details & facts.

Here is what I found on their site:
Ceremony Package: up to 100 guests - $795
Reception Package: $995 service fee
Buffet Package: $39 per person
3 hors d' oeuvres
salad station
vegetable selection
starch selection
entree selection
carving station
Culinary Displays: $7 per person
Cheese, fruit or vegetables
Pasta Station: $7 per person
2 pastas with 2 sauces
Drinks: $2.95, unlimited sodas $4.95 per person
20% gratuity & 7% tax

So if we had 75 people, that would be a total of...........close to $5 grand.

Um......let's put that in the NO column.

Then I checked out the Deercreek Country Club. Their website is very nice, but they didn't list any prices, just a couple of factoids:
Food & beverage minimums
Buffet service for 30 or more guests
Non-member usage fee

I sent a contact-me thingie to see if they can give me any fees.

Why is it so hard to search for & find a basic church within walking distance of a decent restaurant with a balcony or deck?

I think we're going to start the actual drive around on Saturday to see if we can eyeball anything.

New Years!

2008-12-31T23:40:00.004-05:00

Every other blog is making a New Year's post, why not join the crowd?

I've realized that my groom-to-be is really NOT into wedding plans. Even though I bring up ideas, he's very fast to shoot them down or come up with a sarcastic comment. Oh well, I will get what I want! Damnit, if we're going to have favor bags, I will have favor bags!!

Here's a picture I found when I Googled "redneck weddings." This is Tex's version of a wedding cake:

Btw, I sat in the car this afternoon for about 2 minutes rocking out to Marky Mark & Good Vibrations. Those are some hip-happenin' tunes!

Small World After All

2008-12-30T21:41:00.002-05:00

I found the website for a great local photographer that I've used before, Freelance4Hire. In 2005, Austin & I hired Christy, who I met through one of my local Yahoo Groups. We met her in Riverside Park & took some fantastic pictures of us as a couple. She is a great photographer! I love the pictures on her website, she has a great style & can catch those really fun candid pictures.

I was browsing her site the other day & I saw somebody familiar! Turns out, one of the IT at my work is her step-brother!

We haven't decided if we're going to hire a photographer, but I think if we do, we will look strongly at Christy's company!

Overwhelmed!!!

2008-12-28T18:04:00.003-05:00

Ahhhhhhhhh!!!

Sometimes I get so caught up in the blogs & magazines & websites that I forget that our wedding isn't until OCTOBER! Or maybe November, as Tex mentioned yesterday (depending on availablity of sites).

I have all these ideas & things & I keep reading about new things & ideas that seem so cool! & it's like "OMG, do this NOW!!!!"

So that's when I save everything in my favorites for later browsing, get away from the computer & go out into the world with the man. Planning a wedding is crazy fun, but you can't forget the relationship that got you there in the first place!

Money, Money, Money

2008-12-27T22:51:00.003-05:00

The groom-to-be & I had a budget discussion today. We've been trying to figure out a budget, but we really have no idea what the total costs will be. I told him that we really need to have a cap & then calculate the percentages that each piece will be from that cap. If we are in love with something that is over the budget, we may have to make sacrifices in other places.

Here are our priorities:

Sites, ceremony & reception. We would prefer all-in, even if it ends up being a bit more per head, rather than having to deal with several people to schedule & plan. We don't mind paying more for the convince, as long as it's not way over the top.
Food, obviously! But so many choices! Heavy hors d'oeuvres? Sit down brunch?
Photography, but we may hire a local person for an hour to get some of the good candid before shots. Our friends & family can provide during shots. I also would like to meet with our friends &/or best people either before or after the day & have some fun pictures taken together.

Here are the things that we plan to cut back on:

Flowers - I plan to buy them from the farmer's market & make my own bouquets & centerpieces.
Dress / suit - Get a cheap or rented dress & put Austin in a nice suit with a good tie.
No extra people, no flower girl, ring bearer.
Transportation. I would like to find venues within walking distance.
Favors. Those will be very minimal & actually used, like chocolates or CD's.
Invites. Will be hand made on scrapbooking paper & online templates.

We ended up picking an amount somewhat out of thin air...$5K. My biggest thing right now is to work on the first draft of the guest list to see if we're talking about 50 people or 150 people that will be invited. I think we'll want to keep the list under 75 to be able to handle the costs per head. Once we find a venue, I know things will start to fall into place, so we're going to start working on that very soon.

I've been looking at some places online, but it's hard to find a listing that includes more than just the hotels or country clubs that are at $30 to $60 per head or more.

If anybody is reading & has an idea, please let me know!

Thinking My Thoughts

2008-12-27T15:07:00.003-05:00

FYI, my dearest friend Christina McHooters...I added your email to be alerted when I make updates to this blog so that you will be reminded! Even though you live a million miles away in Michigan, your opinion is very valuable & I want to know what you think!!

I've been thinking of several things lately, which is pretty typical.

One thing that has been going through my brain lately has been music. I tend to wander around all day with various songs or pieces of songs in my head. I've been thinking a lot about my processional song & our first dance song. There are a ton of typical choices out there & also a ton of different or new choices. One of my newly-discovered sites, Mixit.com, is closing at the end of the year, so I searched for all wedding mixes & copied the play lists. I don't want to buy all the songs from I-Tunes at $.99 a pop, but I want to find a place where I can listen to them before downloading. I don't yet know if we'll have a DJ or run our own music, but I do want to have as many suggestions as I can.

I've also been thinking of what I want to improve on, before it gets too late. My two biggest issues are my weight & my complexion. I want to get both of them better before our big day, so I don't have anything to worry about. This holiday season has been crazy with all the food around, chocolates at work, cookies with presents, etc. I need to get back on my program, exercise & better food. I don't plan to try & loose down to my final goal, but I want to be comfortable when we look for a dress. I want to be more toned, less fluffy in certain places. I think I'll be able to get that done pretty easily, it's just a matter of doing it, not sitting around & being lazy. I'm going to have to really push myself & remember the goal that I want.

I also want to visit a dermatologist to help with complexion issues. I use several over-the-counter products, but those are usually to clear things up after they've occurred, not very preventative. I'd like to be able to prevent issues by the time the wedding actually gets here & not worrying about what I look like or what my dress may cover or show on the big day.

DATE & Vendors

2008-12-26T18:54:00.007-05:00

Oh, I forgot to toss an update in there in my last post.

We've been discussing the date too & I think we've decided on October 17, 2009. The next weekend is too close to Tex's birthday & the weekend before is 10-10, which is a bit too cheesy. The 17th is a Saturday, which would be good for the traveling out-of-town guests. It will be dependant on the locations & people we want to use, but I think it's a good time frame. It's in the shoulder of the off season, which will help things be a bit cheaper.

Tex is scared of the word "vendor" so we're thinking of ways to keep things cheaper & more personal. We will probably end up hiring a caterer or a place that does the food, like a restaurant, for the reception. I wouldn't mind a DJ or somebody who can at least man the computer / Ipod station. I also want to work on a good photographer. There is a local lady who owns a photography company who took some great pictures of us a couple of years ago & she takes great candid & ceremony pictures. I also want to ask our guests to bring their own cameras, then download their pictures either on our laptop at the reception or to a shared site like Flicker.

Another idea we had today was about the showers. I know my co-workers will probably be throwing us a shower, but I don't plan to have anything big, we don't have a bunch of friends. However, I think it will be fun to have a family shower with all my lady relatives. I think it would be fun to drive up to North Georgia with my mom & have an event with some family & friends. When the time gets closer, I want to let my mom plan everything & just go & have fun!

New Ideas, New Updates

2008-12-26T18:14:00.004-05:00

Things have both been crazy & totally boring since we got engaged. We can't really do things until it gets closer to the day of, but we have been having some discussions & talks about ideas. I'm compiling a scrapbook of things I've pulled out of magazines, most of them are how-to articles or things you need to be aware of with various parts of a wedding.

It is very interesting to be able to actually talk to Tex about the details or ideas I have. Now I can say the word "wedding" & he doesn't freak! He said he doesn't really care about the details, just give him a suit & tell him where to go, lol.

Here are some things we've been talking about:

1. One attendant each, his brother Collin as his Best Man, my friend Christina as my Matron of Honor.
2. Possibly renting or using a church downtown, I love the architecture & old-world style.
3. Looking for a reception location close to the ceremony site, so we don't have to arrange transportation.
4. Discussing the pros & cons of a buffet or a sit-down meal. Brunch? (I love having breakfast cooked for me!)
5. Working on the guest list & deciding who really needs to be invited between family & friends & co-workers.

One issue that we've brought up as been the co-workers & who should be invited. Tex works with 5 people (& their spouses), I work with 5 immediate co-workers & 6 extended, plus 3 immediate bosses & 1 extended, equaling at least 16 people. Maybe more if I invite others. But honestly, I really don't want all of those people there, but do I have to invite them? If I could do what I wanted, I would invite about 5 people from work that aren't even in my department. Ironically, the reception is the most expensive part of a wedding & that is the part that most people are invited to. Tex suggested that we invite people to the ceremony & then tell them to go home!

I guess it depends on the location we find & our total guest list. If we love the location & food, we may have to cut people if it ends up being too expensive.

Mix Tape Numero # Uno

2008-12-04T21:37:00.003-05:00

1. Blood, Sweat & Tears - You've Made Me So Very Happy
2. Michael Buble - Sway
3. Kate Walsh - Your Song
4. Bedouin Soundclash - When The Night Feels My Song
5. 311 - Love Song
6. Nina Simone - I Put A Spell On You
7. Michael Buble - For Once In My Life
8. Al Green - Let's Stay Together
9. Jackie Wilson - Higher
10. Ella Fitzgerald - The Very Thought Of You
11. Harry Connick Jr - The Way You Look Tonight

I've had so much fun telling my friends & family about the engagement! The first question everybody asks is "sooooo...when is the date?!?!"

I also found out that we have some folks at my work who can do things, like cakes for cheap! I love using my internal networks!

I found this cool site tonight, Mixwit. I went through some of my notes & pulled out a few songs that I liked & made my first mix tape. Music is going to be one of my priorities, I want my guests to have fun & party down! If any of my readers (you know you're out there!) have any suggestions, let me know!

ENGAGED!!!!

2008-12-02T13:52:00.005-05:00

Guess what....??? Tex finally asked!! We're ENGAGED!!!!!

I know I've been a blog-slacker, but it was tough being in the pre-wedding world without being able to plan or decide, so I backed off for a bit. But now it's full steam ahead!!

He asked me on Thanksgiving Eve, after a very nice dinner downtown. He wanted to walk on the riverbank, but I kept complaining that it was too cold. He talked me into it & we got out of the car to stand on the bank, looking out at the river. He put his arm around me & I could feel his heart pounding, so I knew something was up. He was pretty nervous too! He finally said, "I have a question that's been a long time asking...I have a box." Then he got down on one knee & opened the box & asked "Will you marry me???"

I WAS SHOCKED!!! For real! I know I've been thinking & obsessing & stuff, but I was totally surprised & blown away. & of course, I said yes!

Turns out, the stinker has been sitting on the ring since July, when we went ring shopping! He bought it shortly afterwards & was waiting for the right time & opportunity. We were able to surprise both sets of parents the next day, at our Thanksgiving dinners & they were all surprised. My mom literally screamed out loud.

They all started hitting us with questions, but we held them back & said we're not going to start planning until after the holidays. Tex is thinking of next October as the time, so we'll get cracking soon!

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Say Yes To The Dress

2008-10-05T00:11:00.005-04:00

I discovered a new show today (new to me, not new to tv), called Say Yes To The Dress. I watched one episode today & I really liked it, so I'm recording future shows. The bridal store where the show is filmed is pretty huge & would probably be really intimidating, but the consultants seem very nice & helpful. I know that when I'm ready to get a dress, I'll hopefully be able to tell my dress person what I want & see what's available.

I've looked in a couple of areas online for not-so-expensive versions of what I like, but I haven't seen much out there. I browsed PreOwned Wedding Dresses.com, which has some great deals, but not with my style. It seems that I'm already pretty picky! Of course, what I like may change once I'm trying things on, but right now, I'm going with what I like in pictures.

I broached the general wedding subject with Tex today, in the car on the way home from our errands. I mentioned having a wedding on the beach & asked him what he thought. Once I yelled at him for giving me one word grunty answers ("yea." "sucks."), he finally opened up a bit & gave an opinion. He thought it was a bit too hippy-ish & we would be very dependant on the weather, which is true. I also mentioned that we would have to provide our own seating. On the pro side, it would probably be free or just the cost of a permit. Another pro would be that it can be close to the reception location, which could be a restaurant on the beach. One thing that I want to avoid is a drive between the wedding & the reception.

I've tried to not mention a wedding or engagement or anything like that lately. I know that Tex is aware of the situation, he's not totally blind, lol. Although, part of me is hoping that he'll see something & it will click & say, "Oh yea, that's what I need to do!" But I need to back off & let him do things at his own pace. I know he wants to work on some of his own goals & get them settled before he can move onward. It may take some time, but I'm hoping that it can get wrapped up in the near future!

Motivation (For Me) Is Everywhere!

2008-09-30T19:10:00.003-04:00

The season premiere of The Office dealt with my two main topics, an engagement & weight-loss, lol!

So, this being my pre-wedding blog, I'll discuss that part of the show. On The Office, Jim & Pam have been in love & dating for quite a while, after years of friendship & mutual, unknown crushes. Pam ended up quitting & moving to NY to go to art school, about 4 hours from Jim. They had discussed marriage, but decided to not spend their engagement apart. But Jim couldn't stand the distance growing between them & needed to do something about it. He asked Pam to meet him for a spontaneous lunch one day at a rest stop they both knew, between their two locations. They met & in the rain, under a gas station cover, Jim got down on one knee & proposed. It was so wonderful even though it was TV!

We also watched Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares where Chef Gordon Ramsey (he's so cute!) helped fix a restaurant owned by a chef & his girlfriend's parents (mistake!). In the end, they got everything fixed & updated & improved & Ramsey said that there was one last thing to do. So he basically made the guy propose & they ended up getting married THAT night, in the middle of the restaurant! They provided the gown & suit & of course, it was all paid for by the show, but it was still a bit slapped-together. & way too rushed for my tastes. I do feel bad for that couple, because they didn't get to enjoy their engagement at all!

Nothing much new on my end, in terms of this topic, other than the basic TV sagas that thrill me & end up driving Tex nuts.

Actual Wedding Post - # 1

2008-09-24T19:51:00.003-04:00

I had an idea in the car on the way home tonight. One of the stations was playing John Lennon's "Imagine" & I thought that it would be a beautiful song to use during the processional, while we were all walking down the aisle.

I also thought about the part where the priest asks about who gives this woman to this man. I already plan to have my brother walk me down, but I do want my mom to be included in that part. So I might have both of them stand on either side of me & say something. I then pictured naming all of my relatives to include them, but I have a BIG extended family & it would probably take too long!

Random ideas floating around.

Music Post - # 1

2008-09-20T16:58:00.003-04:00

I recorded VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 80's last night & I'm watching numbers 60-41 at the moment. I've seen this series about 5 times, but I'm watching it now to find songs that I'd like to include in my reception soundtrack.

Here are some ideas I've found so far (this is not all-inclusive):

Dead or Alive - You Spin Me Round
Billy Idol - White Wedding
Berlin - Take My Breath Away
Foreigner - I Want To Know What To Love Is
REO - Keep On Loving You
Rick James - Superfreak
B52's - Love Shack & Rock Lobster

I love 80's music & also a lot of the early 90's. Tex loves some of the early 90's too, like the Spin Doctors. I've already had a thought that instead of a band or a DJ, we will probably hook up our laptop to the location's speaker system, or throw up a couple of speakers ourselves.

I want to create a playlist, but also maybe ask one of our friends to be a DJ & announce the next songs or change the list if needed. We can keep our I-Tunes account open & let the guests ask for songs & if we don't have them, we can quickly buy & download them.

I also want to ask our guests to include 4 or 5 song suggestions on the RSVP cards (or the website we set up), along with their first dance songs. I really want to find out what our parental first dance songs were & try to include those at some point.

I know the music is going to be one of the funnest parts of the whole event!

Dress Post - # 3

2008-09-19T21:42:00.021-04:00

So I figured that since I posted some stuff about what I DIDN'T like during the short-lived intro trip to David's Bridal, I thought that I would post some things I do want in my dress. I showed these pictures to mom that I pulled from some mags & she really liked them.

I've been keeping my log of things I like based on what I've seen, magazines, other blogs, etc. Here are some things that I want in my dress:

Off white or ivory, not pure white
Empire waist
Cap sleeves (not those lame whispy sleeves)
Either a scoop or a square neckline
No train
Not a lot of decoration, maybe some around the bodice or neckline and waist
Depending on the style, maybe a belt matching the wedding colors

Here are some that I've pulled out of a couple of the magazines I've read:

From: Eden Bridals

Style Number: 1308

Description: This Chiffon and Charmuese gown has a Scoop neckline and Cap sleeve accented with a Bow. The Empire waistline is embellished with Beaded sheer illusion. The A-Line skirt has a Sweep length train.

(I adore the simplicity of the details! & only $500 according to one of the magazines)

From: Venus Bridals

Style Number: 889033

Description: Slim A-line silhouette of beaded lace over shantung has curved neckline and illusion lace sleeves outlined with beading. The empire waist is adorned with a beaded motif and three rows of beading and the scalloped hemline extends to a chapel train.

From: Venus Bridal

Style Number: 664006

Court neckline A-line gown in silky taffeta shirred band at waist adorned with a beaded motif on front center, Back finished with buttons and a bow with streamers.

From: Aire Barcelona

Style: doplet

No website description, but I like the delicate lace cap sleeves & decorated empire waist.

Getting Left Behind

2008-09-19T10:52:00.004-04:00

I'm trying REALLY hard not to get upset & depressed this morning, here at work.

I sent an email last night to our friend Jay. I think he's down in south Florida now, he did live up in our area for a while & I became very good friends with him. We dated briefly & when Jay & I broke up, I met Austin & the three of us were good friends. We hung out at his place, him at ours, etc.

I knew a while ago that Jay was engaged, which was a bit of a surprise, but then I found out today that he's getting married in A MONTH. Big shock.

Then I emailed a friend of mine from high school, Stephen, who was engaged, but when I checked his Facebook profile, I saw his wedding pictures. What the hell??

Maybe I'm being egotistical, but I'm a bit surprised that my friends didn't invite us to their weddings. Stephen, myself & another friend, Chris, were great friends in high school & for a few years after, but both of them have moved away. Chris had his wedding here in town several months ago & didn't invite me, which was a huge shock. Then I found out today that Stephen got married & didn't invite me! & Jay is getting married & didn't invite us.

I feel like I'm getting left behind in life by all my friends who are already married & some of them with kids too. We're not even ENGAGED, we're still DATING...for FOUR YEARS. FOUR YEARS is longer than some of my friends (the married ones) have been together! We have a house, we've lived together for 3.5 years, but he's not even my fiance, he's still my boyfriend & I am getting sick & tired of it.

It's like a double-sided sword today...not only have my friends gone off & gotten hitched, but I didn't even know about it & wasn't thought of enough to be invited...by people that I personally considered my friends & actually would have liked to invite to my wedding.

I know today is a pissy day, I'm emotional, I'm upset & everything, so it's not a good thing to start getting mad about something that it's true, but I can't help it. All of this today hit me hard & it's really got me wondering about the hold up. I know I'm exaggerating the length of time & I know Tex told me a few days ago to chill, but I can't help it. Does he even want to be with me, does he care about moving our relationship forward?

The last thing I need to do right now is cover myself in wedding porn.

Commentary

2008-09-18T19:02:00.012-04:00

I received some great comments lately, from family & friends. It's very great to know that I can write & vent & be supported.

In reply to Jess's comment, I really like her idea & suggestions. She said that since I posted about Tex's family being a bit less social, it might work to have a more private wedding & a more public reception where they can take a "pass" & not feel obligated to attend.

I do want to have my friends at the wedding itself, since I've been wanting this for so long (& will continue to want until the big Q). But, I do like the idea of letting anybody know that they're not obligated to stay if they don't want to. Maybe they'll be able to stay for the dinner or food or whatever, but not for the whole event.

I've been reading lots of other blogs (see my watch list!) & accumlating various ideas. Part of me wants to post them here & I may work on that over the weekend. Another part of me wants to just keep them to myself for now, because I obviously can't start planning anything yet! I do have a notebook that I keep by my chair to jot things down as I see them & they come to me.

Tip-O-The-Day Suggestion

2008-09-18T19:02:00.010-04:00

Ha, this is something that I need to pay attention to!

Cost-Cutting Article on CNN

2008-09-16T16:57:00.002-04:00

http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/wayoflife/09/16/economy.cheap.weddings.ap/index.html?imw=Y&iref=mpstoryemail

SIOUX RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) -- It wasn't your typical rehearsal dinner, but it was everything Liz
Jones and Josh Dilworth hoped it would be -- authentic, casual and relatively cheap.

Guests by the dozens gathered in a barn on the Jones family farm for a simple picnic-style meal. Afterward, they played croquet, horseshoes and badminton, shadowed by towering grain silos and within earshot of lowing cattle.

When the sun set, they returned to the barn for an "open mic" that included guitar-playing, poems and the bride's 5-year-old nephew singing "You Are My Sunshine."

Her father also offered a little advice to the guests, many of them East Coast city folk from the groom's side of the family.

"If you're watching out here in the cornfield tonight and it gets a little later, you'll see some guys come out of there and ask, 'Is this heaven?" Curt Jones said, grinning. "And you say, 'No, it's Iowa."'

Turns out, it was heaven, indeed, for a young couple looking to save some cash.

They might have have opted for a wedding in Austin, Texas, where Jones attends graduate school and Dilworth works in public relations. But while they'd been saving for a few years -- with a working budget of $10,000 -- they knew they'd get more for their money in northwestern Iowa, where she'd always enjoyed taking friends after she'd left home for college.
"It also meant we could say to people, 'If you can get here, it'll be cheap for you while you're here,"' Jones said.

She and Dilworth, both 28, married on a recent Sunday morning outside a state park lodge on the shores of West Okoboji Lake, just north of the farm. Renting the lodge for the entire day cost all of $200. Brunch for 130 guests, done by a local resident who caters on the side, was $11 a head.

Looking for ways to save on wedding expenses is an increasingly common scenario for young couples, faced with hefty student loans, credit card debt, a tough job market and ever-increasing living expenses. Many couples are choosing lower-cost locations, as Jones and Dilworth did, or planning smaller "destination" weddings away from home for family and their closest friends.

Teddy Lenderman, an author and longtime wedding consultant in Terre Haute, Indiana, has noted the growing concerns about wedding costs among her clients.
"We just work at compromising and spending those wedding bucks where we can get the most impact," said Lenderman, author of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to a Perfect Wedding."

The average cost of a wedding is just under $29,000, according to the Wedding Report Inc., which tracks trends in the industry.

But these days, Lenderman says, couples are more likely to haggle with wedding vendors. Still others are buying wedding supplies from online discount merchants and other wholesalers. And couples are doing a lot more of the work themselves, with the help of family members and friends.

The whole notion of planning a low-cost wedding can be stressful. Beth Hoops, a 23-year-old recent college graduate in St. Louis, Missouri, says even thinking about it causes her "panic attacks."

"For me, the economy might have a devastating effect on the type of wedding I have," said Hoops, who's already worried about paying off $50,000 in student loans. She and her 27-year-old fiance Steve, who works for the federal government, are considering flying off for a smaller wedding.

"I know I can't afford a blowout here at home, and I don't want to be embarrassed," Hoops said. "According to society standards, weddings are supposed to be glamorous and expensive."

But others say it doesn't have to be that way.

Susan von Seggern, a bride from Los Angeles, California, who got married in July at her parents' home in suburban Rochester, New York, says she and her husband John had to cut costs because they are starting an organic gardening business together.

Their parents helped pay for the wedding. But they also found ways to save, including getting help from friends who did the wedding photography and her makeup and helped design her dress -- all for free or at cost, as a wedding gift.

"I feel great about it. I saved money and involved the people I love in a meaningful way," von Seggern says. "And really, when you are the bride and getting ready to walk down the aisle, you are so preoccupied you barely notice the details around you."

There's also a chance to get creative. Rather than having the caterer do dessert, the von Seggerns ordered cookies and brownies from the bakery at a Wegmans supermarket, which she calls "a Rochester legend."

In Iowa, Jones and Dilworth also decided to forgo the wedding cake.

Instead, they arranged for Kate Shaw, a resident of the nearby town of Spirit Lake, to arrive in her 1967 vintage Ford ice cream truck to offer frozen treats to the couple's gleeful guests. That cost $200.

After that, the wedding-goers changed clothes so they could swim and play more games, Wiffle ball included.

"It's very much a find-your-own adventure wedding," said Dilworth, who now shares the last name Jones-Dilworth with his wife. "We went into it knowing we didn't have a lot of money to spend, but it came out even better than we thought."

There were friends and family who were unable to travel to relatively remote Iowa, some because of the high cost of airfare. But once there, Zach Dilworth, the groom's 22-year-old brother, said he needed only "about 40 bucks" for the entire weekend.

"They've shown me that a wedding doesn't really have to be expensive -- and it's still all there," he said. "That's what Josh and Liz are about -- using what you have. They're very resourceful."

Among other things, the couple decided to e-mail their wedding invitations instead of mailing paper ones. They designed and printed their own wedding programs and had centerpieces that consisted of simple table runners, small Texas cacti and old photos of themselves and their loved ones.

Altogether, they and their parents spent about $9,300 on the wedding weekend, including the dress and tux, several meals for guests, and compostable forks, plates and napkins, made partly from corn. That's still a lot of money, they say -- but thousands less than many of their friends' weddings.

And even with a smaller price tag, their guests still raved.

"I can't imagine anything better than this," Liz's uncle, Sohrab Gandomi, said as he gave the groom a hug at the reception. "It's just wonderful."

(Note, a lot of these "new" ideas have been mentioned many times on these blogs!)

Totally Off-Topic

2008-09-15T20:06:00.003-04:00

Conversation with Tex (about 3 minutes ago):

-Watching a show about diverting the sun's rays to cool the Earth.

Me: "We can't do that, what about other planets?"
Tex: "We're so small, we can do anything, screw other planets."
Me: "That is totally hubris. Hubris brought down the Roman Empire."
Tex: "But it brought it UP first!"

Wedding Discussion With The (Eventual) Hubby-To-Be

2008-09-14T15:26:00.005-04:00

Tex & I had a really good talk last night. I'll admit, I kind of goaded him into it, because I kept telling him that he should go ahead & pop the question so we could actually talk about these things that I've been looking into (I'm sure he REALLY wants to do that!). I was getting ready to go to bed, but we ended up talking about what each of us wants in our wedding. I want a party of some sort, a celebration with our friends & family about our love & our future together. Tex, on the other hand, wants to get it over with. Not that he wants us to rush things, but he doesn't see the need for a party-type event.

One main concern is to make sure that both of our families & friends are comfortable & enjoy being there with each other. I don't know if they'll all want to kick it during a party-type reception, but we will try to keep the options open, if possible.

But, Tex did bring up a very interesting suggestion. Instead of renting a hall or place, he mentioned renting out a resturant that could provide the food & staff we'd need, without us having to coordinate everthing ourselves. I told him that I would like a place that had an outdoor type of deck perhaps, that we could decorate, along with an indoor eating room.

We have a strange mix of friends, from many different areas. Some of them may not get along (for example, a very conservative friend with a very gay friend). I suggested that we might want to try to have different events, like something with his family & something with my family, but I know my mom will want to invite some of her friends that I've known for years & they'll want to be at the actual wedding & ceremony.

We might have to compromise & maybe have something where people can join us to eat & celebrate, but I don't want it to be awkward. I might have to tone down my ideas of a big ol' party event & be happy with having our people all in the same place together.

Of course, the whole discussion is moot until it's an actual event!

Dress Post - # 2

2008-09-13T18:50:00.011-04:00

I did it, I actually walked into David's Bridal today. Then I turned around & ran right back outside. That place scared the holy crap out of me. & here's why:

I walked in & expected to be mobbed, but was 100% ignored, nobody even LOOKED my way.
It was very crowded.
It was all white.
I didn't get to look at most of the actual dresses on the racks, but the ones displayed were very generic...the typical wedding gowns.
I wasn't ready to try on anything, so what would be the point in looking?
I didn't want to look for a dress in a size that I'm hoping to get to.

I went back outside & waited for mom. When she pulled up, I got in her car & told her I didn't want to go back in, it was just too much & I wasn't ready for that yet. I know now that I'm probably not a David's Bridal girl, but I wouldn't mind trying some stuff on when I'm ready for it. But chances are high that I won't be buying something unless the deal is right & it's "the" dress. I don't care if it's this season's style, I know the type of dress that I want & what I'll be comfortable in.

I took a picture of something I found in the store that creeped me out:

For $29.99, you can buy "The Ultimate Wedding Planning Kit". This is the description off of Amazon.com: "The Ultimate Wedding Planning Kit is the most useful and comprehensive wedding planning tool ever created! This attractive and functional kit contains nine great products to help the engaged couple plan the most important day of their lives! The beautifully designed carrying case conveniently holds an array of items. " It comes with a 12 month checklist, a wedding planner guide, a poster-size guide (who REALLY needs their wedding ideas blown up to poster-size?), along with various pockets & folders to use to plan things.

This really freaked me out & made me run for the door, along with their dazzling array of various garters in multiple colors & ribbons.

I took a picture of myself outside of the store, looking at the very white, very beaded, very generic dresses that were still very pretty.

Too Much Emotion

2008-09-12T20:05:00.004-04:00

Ah, I just started crying, watching a couple of beautiful wedding videos. Still crying right now, actually. Those couples were...perfect. I can't think of any other way to describe them. The videos captured their intense, complete love for one another & their love for their families & their family's love for them.

It makes me wonder if we could be anything like that. I know a wedding is the perfect showplace for your love & everything is intensified & on display more than maybe in the everyday world. But these couples just had such a way with each other. A way that makes me a bit jealous, because I don't know if that's going to be me & Tex. At least in public. Watching those videos made me sad, because I don't know if we can create something like that.

I want a party for my wedding. I want music, dancing, fun with my guests & friends & him. I want him to dance, hold my hand, look at me adoringly, kiss my cheek. But from what I've seen, that's not him & I don't know if it's just not or it just hasn't been seen. I don't want to force him to be somebody he's not, but he doesn't do crowds, he doesn't do ANY pda, he isn't a party-type of person.

On top of that, I don't really know who our guests will be. These two videos showed a lot of guests, more than I would probably feel comfortable with, but they were also having a lot of fun. One couple had people from their colleges, we don't really know the people we went to school with. I'm afraid that my wedding will be a handful of our close friends (probably 5, really, we don't have that many), some work people & my family & my mom's older friends. Tex doesn't have that much family & they don't have any friends. So we don't really have a big network to tap into.

But all of that aside, I do worry about the emotions. I'm being stupid, I'm letting all of this into my head WAY too soon & probably making much too big of a deal over it, as I'm prone to do. I mean, hello, no question yet, no answer! I also let a friend at work get into my head too much, because I told her about Tex's mention of our 4 year anniversary this weekend & she said that it's on his mind, etc. My mom said something very similar & I'm sitting here thinking that if THEY'RE thinking it, why isn't he? So I drive myself crazy, like I'm waiting for a bomb to drop & it never does. Eventually, I'm going to explode before the bomb does!

Has It Really Been That Long?

2008-09-12T13:28:00.003-04:00

Tex sent me a text message today. He realized that this weekend was our anniversary of our first date. Our FOUR YEAR anniversary.

To be honest, I thought it was in October.

In fact, I think it was last year, we totally forgot about our anniversary & just celebrated on a random weekend when we finally remembered. "Oh, yea!"

I told him that we should so something special (involving a ring, perhaps) & he said he would treat at Ale House. Nothing says romantic like a plate of chicken nachos! Ahh, that's my man.

Nice Things For The World

2008-09-10T19:29:00.003-04:00

I'm reading this very lovely article on Real Simple: 48 Ways To Be Nice. The entire article is very sweet & it has some great ideas. But because this is a wedding themed blog, here is one that caught my eye. I could see doing this once you get engaged & listing them on some nice paper or in a sweet notebook & then giving them to your spouse after the wedding is over.

Every day for a year, jot down one thing you love about your child/husband/friend (he has a crooked smile; she snorts when she laughs). At the end of the year, give the person your one-of-a-kind, 365-item list.

Dress Post - # 1

2008-09-10T07:53:00.006-04:00

Oh, the monster has been unleashed! & it's not me, even though I can be very monster-like. The monster of which I speak is my one & only...mom. Yea, I love her, she drives me insane on a fairly regular basis. It takes a truly special person who can make you pull your hair out strictly out of love.

I got an email from mom today & the first line was, "Would you be interested in trying on bridal gowns while David's Bridal has a $99 sale?"

The beast has been unleashed!

The sadder part is, however, that I said...YES. I do NOT want to go with the intention of buying something & Tex will NOT, NOT, NOT know if I do get something. But, I've never even been inside a bridal store & I think it would be fun. However, knowing the way my mom & I get when shopping (think two feral cats with PMS), I don't want to try to plan anything. If we go, we need to keep it very slow & casual. Get lots of rest the night before, a good meal...no things that could come up to make us cranky.

My first foray into the REAL world o' weddings. Oh boy.

Modern vs Retro? Traditional vs Progressive?

2008-09-09T20:45:00.005-04:00

I love reading various blogs on here, several of them about wedding themes or ideas that people want to use for their weddings. A lot of the posts are not just about actual weddings but the personalities behind the weddings & the lives that the people live every day, not just on the wedding day.

But part of me is getting confused as I keep reading various posts & blogs. Part of me LOVES the idea of keeping it practical & different & new, but another part of me LOVES the traditional aspects. I'm a woman of details & while I like the DIY things, I also like the idea of a beautiful place setting & lovely flowers. & yes, I enjoy the elegant details involved with wedding porn! I don't want my wedding to be pure porn, but it is lovely to imagine!

I don't think that a wedding should be all about the details, after all, it's just one day in your life (lives) & it should be the start of you journey together. A bride & her family shouldn't be obsessed with the china patterns or the decorations of the reception location. You want to be able to enjoy your day & participate with your guests, not worried about missing memories because you have to see all 200 guests or make sure the prime rib is coming out ok.

Saying all that, I do want to include several pieces of traditional weddings, along with pieces of more practical/progressive weddings. I want a bouquet/garter toss. I want place setting gifts for my guests. I want a cake to cut. I may even want a "fake" cake so I can get something really pretty & decorated without the costs. I want cost-efficiency with pretty with tastes good with fun with decorations with enjoyment for my guests. But I want DIY flowers & table settings. I want an event or two where my guests can mingle & get to know each other.

My personality has never been one side or another, I've always enjoyed straddling the fence, enjoying a little from both sides. & I don't think it makes me a bad bride (to-be) if I choose to use some of those traditional elements down the road. I suppose I should stop feeling guilty if my wedding isn't 100% environmentally friendly or it's not organic or it's not in the woods or it involves some actual bought services & I don't ask my friends to volunteer.

When that day rolls around, I know I'm going to be greedy & selfish. Yes, Tex will be there, of course, but he hasn't been planning this day since he was 7. I have & so has my mom (oy). I know it will be our life together, but we've also been together for the last 4 years, have a house together, cats together, etc. It will be a natural extension, the next step...but it's also going to be a really kick-ass party & I'm going to love every minute of it!

Another Of The Same

2008-08-30T15:12:00.009-04:00

I've been looking around at various blogs on here & found some good ones that I really like. But once thing that I've noticed is that this topic has been almost blogged to death. There are A LOT of blogs about everything having to do with weddings & everything else attached to them. If you have a specific style or look, you can find a blog on it. Need help with music or catering or honeymoons? Blog, blog blog!

So I started asking myself, why me? For one thing, I have 4 (count them, 4) whole posts so far, but with no comments & probably no readers. It is hard to get folks to check out your blog, that's for sure. I know that I want a place to help me keep track of ideas & interesting suggestions, but I also feel like I'm stealing a little bit. I read a great idea in the $2000 wedding blog about having name tags for your guests at the events before the wedding, listing their names & 3 facts about them, to help get conversations going between the families & friends. But that isn't my idea, it was theirs & I was totally stealing it.

I suppose that's what it's mostly all about. I mean, the good ideas will get passed down between brides & magazines & blogs as people say "Oh, wow!" & spread the news. But no two weddings are the same, everybody bride & groom will have their own thoughts about everything & will use ideas from various places in their unique melding of their ceremony.

I know that once I get around to actually posting some ideas, that will help. Then again, it would be nice if all of this wasn't for naught & I was planning a for-real wedding, not just my imaginary one!

BTW, I got yet ANOTHER magazine the other night at the store. Austin is going to be gone next week & I told him that this was my week's entertainment. I still need to work my way through The Knot. Oy, I'm pretty nuts.

No Practical Experience

2008-08-29T17:00:00.004-04:00

I just realized something...hit my brain like a bolt of lightening. I haven't been to an honest-to-god wedding since I was a teenager & my cousins got married (not to each other)!

& Tex & I have never been to a wedding ourselves! How in the crap am I going to plan something (eventually) that I've never really attended??? I'm reading all these great wedding blogs & I realized that all these ladies have BEEN to weddings!

Several of my co-workers have been married in the past year, but I haven't been close enough to any of them to actually attend their weddings. I've been to more baby showers than wedding showers!

A few years ago, two of my best friends got married & more recently, my mom & her hubby got married, but both of those were done at courthouses & it was much, much more casual than your "typical" wedding.

Oh man, what am I getting into???

Areas For Insipration & Ideas

2008-08-26T15:11:00.004-04:00

Since I decided to embrace the wedding fever, I started looking around at places where I can get ideas. I signed up on Real Simple's wedding emails, which I receive once a week. I also bought some magazines & signed up for Brides.com daily (gulp!) emails.

Last night, I ran by the store for some last minute things & could NOT resist an issue of The Knot magazine. They really need to sell this puppy under the books, it's even more expensive than some books ($9.99!)! I haven't browsed it yet, but I hope it will be chock-full of do-dads & things I can't live without, especially to justify that price.

Two others I've bought are Modern Bride & In Style Bride. I really preferred Modern Bride more, it was more my style & taste & it didn't have things that are uber expensive. In Style Bride had a lot to offer, but it also had a LOT of couture wedding gown ads that are totally not me at all.

As much as I like looking at the ideas, I know that a lot of what I like will end up being hand made by myself or my relatives (Aunt Martha Sue knows calligraphy!!!). My aunts are craft freaks & they would drool at the chance to make things for my wedding. If I paid them enough, of course.

To my readers (anybody out there?): When you were getting hitched, where did you find your ideas & inspiration?

Welcome To The Jungle - Post Numero Uno

2008-08-25T20:00:00.002-04:00

I've always wanted to use that song as a post subject. Ahem, off topic already!

So, as most readers would assume, this blog is all about the big W day, the WEDDING. & not a moment too soon, because I don't even have a date picked out! Wait, I don't even have an ENGAGEMENT!

Yes, that is correct, I have no immediate plans to get hitched. However, I do have a wonderful & loving boyfriend, Tex, who I have been with for almost 4 years & lived with for almost 3.5 years & lived with in our OWN house for almost 1 year, & I would like to eventually be with him for ever & ever & ever. He is ok with the first ever, any more than that freak him out.

& there are few things worse than having the W fever with no future cure! So I started this outlet for my insanity before it boils over & he smothers me for bringing up registry gifts one too many times.

Part of my curse is a great blog I found while browsing the Real Simple website (I love that mag!). The blog is A $10,000 Wedding & it is adorable! The author started her blog in a situation very similar to mine, a desire to start looking at wedding things without even a ring.

I've been feeding my curse with things like magazines, but I haven't gone the route of a wedding show...yet...(there is one in town soon!). I've also started keeping a journal of sorts, with notes about various things that I'd like to incorporate or have during my nuptuals. & those I will explain in future posts.

My mother would probably swoon in bliss if she got ahold of this site. She is already planning our child's first birthday party & doesn't understand why we can't just do it NOOOOOOW. She'd probably even be happy if we eloped, just to get the show on the road!

I've always said that I can push the button on a lot of life's events (I said, let's move in! I said, let's buy a house!), but I flat-out refuse to propose to myself or my man. So until he gets hassled enough or wants to move to everlasting happiness, I will blog & blog & blog.