Sorry to Leave You

But, I was off getting married!

I flew out to Washington very early on the morning of June 3rd and as soon as my mom and I landed in Washington, we drove to base to get me hitched.

We met up with Trenton and two of his friends (one of whom acted as our officiant) and we had lunch, signed our freedom single lives away. It was uneventful, and quickly over. A short trip to Tacoma's Office of the Auditor and we got our certified marriage license! We were officially married!

It then just became a trip of paperwork, eating and drinking. Thankfully, despite all the paperwork we had to do to get me into military life, we got it all done, including securing a house for our move. We also managed to have some great time with my mom, discover Seattle and find some cool stuff around the area.

All in all, it was one successful trip-- besides the lack of photographic evidence. I had a great time with Trenton, and I was sad to have to leave him behind. Back to work and school, with a new husband miles away. I'm so ready to get back to him and start our lives in our very empty townhouse.

Once I got back to Texas, I immediately started the Social Security name change, oh, and then sat for two hours to change my name at the Department of Motor Vehicles. But, you know what, it's over now! I have very little left to change my name on, and I'm hoping to get it done soon.

I'm ready for this July wedding, and ready to move, start our life together and have the time of our lives.

Absenteeism

I realize I have been gone. I was on a self-induced hiatus as I struggled with wedding decisions.

This blog, while fun, has been deleted several times over the last few weeks. I've contemplated the life of this blog, and why it's here. It started with a plan to apply for a larger group blog, and then I started to hate the idea. I thought about why it existed, why it needed to be in my life and in my planning process. It shouldn't have existed merely for others. I should have this blog because I want to have a keepsake of the planning process, and see how this evolves into a wedding and into a marriage.

I kept it going for others, and now I've finally realized to do it for myself.

Big Band

Woah there, finals. You've really gotten in the way of my wedding planning. And thus, resulting in my absence for the last few days. I mean, let's get real. It's been over a week. With all of my final papers, last projects, assignments and final preparations, wedding planning and blogging have taken a back seat.

Remember these invitations? They are still sitting in the exact. same. spot. I haven't gotten anything done with them, except to print out the response card post cards. And, those haven't even been cut. They're still sitting four to a page with no sign in sight that they will be separated soon. They will get done. They will get done. [Repeat until one truly believes.]

However, let's talk wedding bands! As in, ours came in! I ordered them about a week ago and they got here really fast. It was an online shopping experience and it did me well. I got both of our bands for a really good price, and they're terribly high quality. I know, I know. Stop blabbering and get to the pictures.

I was a bad little cricket and tried mine on. I needed to make sure it fit!

His wedding band, still in the box. It doesn't fit on my hands.

I really love them. Trenton likes his band, he got to see a preview before I ordered it. My band, I got to pick out myself. It made the entire thing feel more real. I mean, I know we're only a month away (read: 27 days) from being legally married, and a mere 63 days away from our wedding, but something about having the bands really solidified the entire thing.

I knew it was real, but it never felt real until I held his band in my hand. Saw my band next to his band. Then it was real.

You're Here Already?!

MY DRESS IS HERE! MY DRESS IS HERE!

Dear, dear JCrew. I am so pleased that not only will you be refunding my discount, but also, you got my dress here in a mere three days! I ordered you Sunday night, dress, and you arrived in my sweet, sweet arms on Thursday. [So technically, four days, but considering I ordered it at 8 PM on Sunday, I think it's three...]

I already put the dress on. Now, it doesn't hit right at my natural waist correctly, mostly due to my height and bust size, but it still looks so darn cute! I absolutely love the fabric, and I think with a cardigan, some cute flats and some funky jewelry, this dress is going to be rockin'! Plus... it has pockets.

I'D PUT SNACKS IN IT! I so wanted my wedding gown to have pockets in it so I could munch during the wedding, but I found my dress for such a good price and not to mention, I absolutely adore it! It's been the hardest thing to keep from Trenton. I love it so much I just want to tell him what it looks like and show it to him. I want him to enjoy it like I enjoy it.

So, there we have it. A dress for my courthouse wedding. Now just to decide what to wear with said dress...

J. Crew, You Lied To Me

You told me my dress was shipping and yet, UPS tells me they have only received billing and shipping information. I got so excited to wear my cute little dress, and you stole my excitement right out of my heart.

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I have a love-hate relationship with JCrew. I basically love almost everything in their store and online, but I really hate their prices. While these clothes are better quality than what I normally buy (as in, Target, Old Navy, American Eagle) I still have a hard time justifying a $60 pair of shorts that I could find at Target in a similar style. 

Now, about this dress. I have been absolutely lusting over  this dress and it's embossed cotton. It even has pockets. I'm in love. However, I ordered this online, so I have yet to find out if it will fit. Once I ordered it and got back on to lust after it some more, I found out JCrew just started a 20% off sale item promotion and I have now lost a good $19 because of it. I can't cancel my order anymore and it will cost me $6 to return the item, bumping my savings to $13. Is it worth it? I don't know.

I plan on wearing this dress over and over and over again. I've already got plans to wear it when I walk at graduation in May, when I get married in Seattle, to any bridal showers I have, and also just around town with some cute flats and a cardigan. Now if only I had known about this freaking sale. I'm so pissed at you, JCrew. Toying with me like that.

What do you think? Should I forfeit my $13 and just keep the dang dress or send it back to get my discount?

[EDIT]

JCrew. You have re-instilled my faith in you. I just called your nice customer service line and because I just bought my dress and then got notification it was further on sale, you put my $19 back on my card. I greatly appreciate that extra money back and I'm happy that you were kind enough to do it even if it was against policy. You realized I just bought that dress and then had my money float away with a sale less than 24 hours later. I appreciate that, JCrew. You are back in my good graces despite your outlandish $88 pair of gladiator sandals I could've found at Target for a fourth of the price. Thanks, JCrew.

You Could Go Around The World...

...in the time we have left til our Texas wedding!

That's right, folks. We're eighty days away! [Kudos to myself on the 'Around the World in Eighty Days' reference!]

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We're a mere forty-four days away from the Seattle courthouse wedding. I've already booked my flight out there, courtesy of my dad's airline miles. I'm super stoked to fly out there, but we still have a lot to do before we can actually get married up there.

At least three days before I fly into Sea-Tac, Trenton has to take our marriage application to the courthouse. Plus, before that I have to fill out, sign and notarize my part of the application. Then send it to Trenton, who will then fill out his portion, sign and notarize the thing. We're good to go after that and a short three day waiting period. Once all plans are in place, I can call the courthouse to set up an appointment with a judge to marry us.

Then WE'LL BE LEGAL! And looming over us, ominously of course, will be the loads of paperwork that comes following our nuptials. Oh, the joys.

They. Are. So. Close.

The invitations. My nuptials included, but mostly... the invites! My invitations got the cutting and printing started tonight!

The only problem with it was that when I first started planning for invitations, I was doing a 4" x 6" invite, so I only bought enough paper to get 6 invites out of each sheet of paper. However, once I nixed the pocket fold invites I decided instead to do a flat card in 5" x 7".

Um, on a 12" square sheet of paper... you only get 4 5" x 7" cards. So, I didn't have enough paper. I will have to go to Hobby Lobby to get the rest of my paper. I had enough white paper and black paper, just my gorgeous pink paper. I'm sure Trenton wouldn't mind me losing the pink, but I still love it. I'm going to get some so I can get these suckers finished!

Want a teaser? Hmmmm?

(personal photo)

Also, why yes, that is a Blue Moon in the background. It was late, I was finishing them as I finished my delicious beer. Never fear, I'm of age. I bought that beer, and I have the identification to prove it!

[sigh] I'm glad I've finally gotten a small step accomplished with my invitations. There's still a lot to do, like assembling them, rounding the corners, layering them, gluing them, etc. Then I have to print the RSVP postcards, the directions, and decide if I'm going to include information to get people to our website.

So many decisions. But, at least one thing is done!

What's That, To-Do List?

... You don't like getting things crossed off of you? You don't get the glory of looming ominously over my head?!

To-Do List, you are evil

Well, I am not sorry. I got my ticket to Seattle! Courtesy of my father and his thousands of air miles, and Alaska Air. For some reason, you can use your American Airlines miles on other airlines. It has something to do with "OneWorld", I guess. My amazing, FMIL, told me about it as she sat through a chilly and wet lacrosse game this weekend.

So, I tell my dad, I look it up. I give him flight information, he books it. Happy me. Now we just have to hope that all the return dates are close, the marriage license gets submitted in time, and a judge can see us the day I fly in. Now the question is...

To buy a Little White Dress for the civil ceremony or not to buy? That is the question.

Why, Hello!

Sorry about the rampant disregard for blogging. Projects, school, work and generally being miserable have consumed my life the last few days. Wedding plans have been put on hold aside from planning my trip.

I'll start with the trip: I am going to Seattle in June to get married. Yes, that's right. You heard me.

You are all thinking to yourself, "But, Sara, you told me the wedding was in July?!" Never fear, my trusty followers. The July wedding is still on. However, we are getting legally married in June. A civil ceremony. Why, you ask?

Well, I'm not sure how much you know about military life, but as a civy (yeah, I'm hip and cool with military lingo-- that means civilian, non-military member, etc.) marrying into military life, I have a whole truckload of paperwork that comes due after getting married. Not only can we not get housing on base, but I can't get health insurance, access to base, etc, without being legally married.

Why June? Well, it's late enough that I can make it out there, but still a month or so before I move so we'll have time to get paperwork and housing before we actually make the long journey out there. Plus, if any of you are familiar with 'Gilmore Girls' will understand my love and excitement for a legal ceremony on June 3rd, our target date for said nuptials.

The important thing is, the Texas wedding will still go on. The ceremony there will be more about our families and us than just about getting paperwork done. We've actually agreed to not wear wedding bands (shocker!) until our July wedding out of respect for our families getting to see at least some vows taken before them. I love this idea, and the more I think about it, the better I feel about moving up there. I've already been stalking airfare and I've found an airline that has pretty good fares to Seattle from here. I'm excited.

On another note, it's been pretty hard trying to compile a playlist of songs for our wedding. I've had to think about what our first dance would be, but listening to "our songs" is too hard at this moment in life. I have just tried to compile it from memory, or choose songs that I like to dance (or awkwardly twitch) to. However, this moment in life has also gotten a LOT easier. I received these beautiful flowers this morning:

(personal photo)

This morning, I got a knock on the door at my mom's house. Awkwardly, I opened the door to a man holding these out to me. He says my name... stupidly I raise my hand like I'm back in grade school. I take the flowers in the house thinking maybe someone sent me some congratulatory flowers for the engagement? I don't know. I open the card, and they're from him. Tears well up, but do not drop. I am ecstatic that (1) he remembered my favorite flowers from oh-so-long-ago when I told him, (2) that he SENT me flowers! (3) he planned this before he left and got his mom to help figure out to what address they needed to be sent. A lot of effort went into getting me these flowers and I can't wait to hang on to them until they are moldy and dead.

I love flowers.

I Have No Clever Title

In these early morning moments before work, I have some extra time because I woke up an hour before my alarm was supposed to go off because sleep, apparently, evades me. I'm not a happy camper right now and any plans I had to be productive tonight have now been overshadowed by my need for sleep.

Homework has started to take over my life as the semester is coming to a close. We're only about four weeks out from finals, and thus, lots of projects and papers are coming due. What does this mean for my beloved nuptials in a mere 88 days?

Well, they've kind of stopped. I've not done anything wedding-related (besides blogging occasionally) for a few weeks. No progress has really been made, and I just can't find the time to do anything. Invitations need to be started soon as there is a lot of cutting and printing and gluing required. I'll get there. Time management, people. I've learned it well.

In other news, my loving groom is still unavailable and while I would love to talk to him about wedding plans, I can't. I do, however, talk to my poor roommates and his best man on a regular basis. [Sorry, Nick!] I just need someone to just bounce ideas off even if they don't help in making decisions. They just need to listen.

Sigh. Weddings are tough stuff, but for me, I am just ready to be done and married.

Quitting Cold Turkey

Dear Wedding Blogs,

That's right. Revoke my bride license! I'm through with you! Wedding blogs, you and I are breaking up.

I've had it with you and your crazy budgets. I'm tired of listening to people talk and complain about trying to feed, water and entertain one hundred people for twenty-three THOUSAND dollars. It's ridiculous and you make people like me, furious.

I love looking through your huge galleries of gorgeous weddings, getting great ideas and inspiration, and reading all of your touching stories. But, I'm also tired of reading about these thirty-somethings with their own tens of thousands of dollars to spend, or these twenty-somethings whose parents are footing the bill. Not all of us are like you. I'm really sorry to have to do this to you, but... we're just not on the same page. You live in a world of silver and china, and I live in the nickel-plated and plastic (reusable, not disposable) kind of world.

Some wedding blogs have great ideas for the more "budget-friendly" brides, and lots of great tips for how to stay sane and practical. But, a lot of that is a little too eccentric for me, or just a little too... "green". I love to recycle and use my resources wisely, but I do not want a burlap wedding dress held together with hemp. Nor do I plan on wearing black, fairy wings or being a nudist. You and I, remotely-sane-blogs, we're done too because you just can't fit in my lifestyle.

I'm sorry to do this to you, wedding blogs. You've been so great to me; but my last few months of planning... I want them to be mine. So, I bid you adieu and I will keep my own damn blog.

I promise it's you... not me.

Love,
Sara

Oh-- Hey, Thanks!

[Warning: This post has NOTHING to do with weddings. Enjoy the break.]
Thank you, OU, for making my life just thaaaat much easier. I really appreciate the lack of communication and attention to detail.

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Can you sense my sarcasm just oozing out of your screen? I got some not-so-pleasant news today. Not anything earth shattering, but definitely complicated some plans. Remember how I told you I had thirteen hours left? Weeeellllll, OU kinda lied.

My advisor told me I had 13 hours left. I found that to be ridiculously low considering I thought I still had around 20 hours, but I figured she was the professional, leave it to her. However, I got my degree check today to see where I stood for graduation (which is so soon it scares me!).

Surprisingly (or not so surprisingly) I do still have 21 hours left. Three of those are my senior capstone class, but that still leaves me with 18 hours to do. Can I cram it into one Summer? Yes. Will it be mind-numbing and  awful? Yes. Can I do it? Yes. Am I going to? Duh.


My main goal is to be done with my Bachelor's degree by the time I move to Washington, or shortly thereafter. Which means being done in July or August. I do have some options as to how to complete this in time to get my diploma before I'm officially gone, but it's going to be tough. And a lot of it weighs on some "ifs" from other people.

Where does this leave wedding planning?

Exactly the place it was this morning. Moving along nicely. It really only affects me and Trenton. The degree will get done and it will be in my hand, it's just now more a matter of time. It will either be July or December depending on how things pan out. I've already got the ball rolling with these people who have all the power, and best case scenario...

I'll be walking in May, getting my diploma in July and being done with college!

Bridal Portraits--GO!

Thanks to one super awesome soon-to-be uncle-in-law, Mark, I got to do some bridal portraits this past weekend. He first told me of a "vision" of a bride in a street, parking lot, urban area, thing. After first being scared of ruining my dress, he explained the vision and told me what he was thinking. I was totally game!

The entire idea of professional photography terrifies me. I have no idea how to pose, how to stand, or quite frankly, be normal. I was sitting there awkwardly holding my elbow out, standing straight while still trying to maintain a "natural" face. How do those America's Next Top Model girls do it!?

For our shoot, Mark had scoped out a bunch of cool locations, some involving me draping my dress over concrete and standing on towels to protect my train. We started in downtown Dallas, in a residential area.

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The pictures would have the same out-of-focus backdrop with yours truly front and center. At this location, the weirdness started. I was completely awkward and had no idea what to do. My "sultry, come hither" look probably looked more maniacal than gorgeous. They tell me they got a good shot, so we moved on.

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Enter the Stoneleigh Hotel in Dallas. Mark had me in the middle of the parking lot with the marquee in the background. Again, the awkwardness continued, but because this was no longer my novice run, I was a little better at keeping my mouth shut and focusing. We continued here for a while until the bar starting hopping and  we were run off by cars constantly coming into the parking lot.

Even though I couldn't figure out how to stand up straight, smile with my eyes, or keep a straight face, I'm really looking forward to seeing the pictures! I've never gotten my pictures professionally taken (outside of dorky school photos) so I can't say that this was too terrible for a first run.

Thankfully, Mark is a great photographer, so I probably could've been picking my nose and he would've made it look like art. We're lucky to also have him coming to our wedding, so I'm hoping he gets some great shots as a guest! 

Have you had bridal portraits? Did you keep them traditional or go a little edgy?

Once. Twice. Three Times a Lady.

I'd like to take a minute [just sit right there-- lame 'Fresh Prince of Bel-Air' reference] to talk about in-laws. 

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While you could have an experience of hate [roll film on Monster-In-Law], mine thankfully has been quite the opposite of that. I want to brag on my future mother-in-law. [Family-in-law, really. They're all pretty fantastic!] 

She has helped out so much with wedding planning. She has come along-- willingly!-- to so many appointments. Choosing the venue: She was there. Florist appointment? She recommended the florist! Cake tastings, she helped pick out flavors. The one part of wedding planning she wasn't there for was picking out my dress. As you all know, my dress hunt didn't go quite as planned. I had wanted my mom, my sister, my best friend, and of course, my future mother-in-law. I quickly rushed over with the dress right after we bought it, but still. It wasn't how I had planned.

I talk to her pretty frequently. Mostly about wedding stuff, but also occasionally about our common thread--the man. We're even Facebook friends! [Yeah, she's hip. She's with it!] The day I realized her side note on Facebook said she was a mother to three super boys and one future daughter-in-law [Hey! That's me!], I was beaming. I was so excited to see that. I knew I was a "future daughter-in-law" but I guess it didn't hit me til I saw it in writing.

We have gotten to do a lot of wedding stuff together, and I'm so glad that I've gotten the chance to hang out with her. Most FMILs aren't as great as mine, but I got lucky. She even stuck through the crazy registry lady at one of the infamous registry stores! Great lady? I think so.

Do you get along with your FMIL? Has it always been that way?

100 Days of Planning...

It's like 500 Days of Summer only a whole lot less cute.

Instead, it's painstakingly, horrifically, excruciatingly... close to being done!

That's right, I said it. We are [and really, I mean I am] almost done with plans for the wedding. My wedding to-do list is slowly being filled with strike-through and is quickly starting to look more accomplished. Much less overwhelming than it was about two weeks ago. It's amazing-- reading back through my blog, even just this month-- to see how much has gotten done. Flowers, cake, dresses, groomsmen attire, etc. Things are really starting to come to fruition. And a lot of that has been because of the amazing help I've had with my family and my future-in-laws.

We're at a mere 100 days from our Texas nuptials and I couldn't be more excited. The planning is coming to fruition. I still have a long time to go. One hundred days is still pretty long, but it's still a lot closer than we were when we got engaged. I am so ready to be married to the Mister. Sadly, a lot of wedding planning has happened without his input due to his commitments in the Navy. He's missed out on a lot of questions, planning, thoughts, and [to his delight, I'm sure] ridiculous freak-outs about crazy things!

Within those almost-two-digit-days, there's still a list of things to do; it's just considerably smaller now. I throw myself a little party every time I strike-through another item on my Word document "Wedding To-Do List".

How is your planning coming along? Does anyone else get really excited to knock out important wedding items?

Oh, the Joys...

If there were one reason I would NOT want to get married so young, it's college.

I'll be finishing my degree three weeks after the wedding, don't you worry. The degree will come to me. But, the bigger issue I have with college and wedding planning is the showers.

I would love to say that I'm excited for showers, and for the most part I am. However, most of my friends and bridesmaids will not be finishing school in July. Many still have another year left. And several are traveling abroad  in the weeks before the wedding. Of the important ladies who I am desperately trying to plan around:
1 will be in Russia May 13-21
1 will be in London June 6-? (She, sadly, is missing out on the wedding festivities as well.)
2 will be going to France from May 23-June 23
1 will be in France from May 23- July 8 (And, she's a bridesmaid!)
1 will be out of town May 17-22
1 has been in Turkey since February and won't be back til June

Not to mention, finals for most of my girls are May 10-14. Some of my friends don't know whether they'll be in Texas, be at school, or it doesn't matter and  they'll be here. Car, plane, train; they'll be at my shower.

Are we seeing how setting a date is difficult for a shower? My wonderful mother and FMIL are planning my shower for the "ladies" such as aunts, family friends, my friends' mothers, etc. That one doesn't depend on college finals and things like that. But, I want a shower with my friends! I want to get to hang out with them and do girly things. It's been weighing on my mind for some time now, and I cannot find ONE date that satisfies everyone. It's disappointing to know that someone will miss out, but at some point, I just have to bite the bullet.

Do you find yourself struggling to set dates for things? How did you handle it?

Quiet Drive

As I was driving back to Oklahoma, after a weekend of more wedding epicness, this song came on my iPod. Now, it may not be Cyndi Lauper, but this is the version I have on my iPod and to make it more realistic, I found you this one. Have a listen as I explain the significance.



As many of you already know, the Mister and I have had our fair share of problems and then some. We broke up, we fought, we got back together; wash, rinse and repeat. The importance is that even though we had those problems, we've learned to fight with each other. I know what not to say (or if I'm being stubborn--what TO say) to make him mad, and he knows what not to say to me. It's just one of those things. We've learned how to fight with each other, but more importantly-- how to make up.

Throughout our entire relationship, I feel like one of us has always been in a different place. Always walking ahead of the other, and the other has to wait patiently for them to hear to "slow down". There was a time when I didn't want to be with him, but he waited for me. He knew I would be back, whether I did or not. Later, it was he who thought he didn't want me, and even though I was a disaster, I waited and patiently let him be free to do what he wanted. It was only after that that we were both in the same place.

The same place where we finally know what we wanted with one another. He knew that I would be there to catch him when he fell, and that if I was lost, he would guide me through. We fight, we make up, but most of all: we love each other.

My sixteen-year-old brother was talking to me the other day over ice cream. He said he was surprised that the Mister and I had made it this far. And, honestly, I think some days we are too. It has been a rough relationship, but every road block has made us realize how to live together and love together. My brother also said he knows we'll be okay because of the fighting. My brother is wise beyond his years and it makes me feel happy that he feels we're okay. Not that his opinion would've changed mine, but to hear my brother say he knows we'll be okay means a lot to me. He may be only sixteen, but I am really close to him.

I'm glad that Trenton and I have learned how to fight and make up before we got married. We're going to be okay. We're both in the same place and I couldn't be happier.

Do you feel that songs can be a good representation of life? Did it take a while for you and your significant other to get on the same page?

Dudes in Dresses

You heard me. Dudes in dresses. Only, we're talking dress clothes, not actual dresses.

Today, the future-mother-in-law, one of the groomsmen/future-brother-in-law and I went out looking for the dudes' wedding attire. We already knew that out of our four groomsmen and the one groom, we had two suits. Groomsman N and T both have black suits, and today we took care of the groom and Groomsman R.

I wish I could tell you that I have pictures to show you... but I don't. Epic fail at bride-dom blogging. I should've taken pictures, not only for you but also so that when the fiance comes back, we can show him pictures of the suit we bought him. We ended up buying two dark grey pinstriped suits for Trenton and Groomsman R. They're almost the exact same suit, but one is slightly darker.

Our (me and the FMIL) vision for the wedding party was light pink shirts with pink ties. We happened to get lucky and find EVERY shirt we needed in the right size and the exact same style. Plus, we quickly found five matching ties. I would have loved to have a chic non-matching ties wedding party, but that got complicated real quickly. Groomsman/FBIL R got final choice on ties, and we settled for a hot pink tie with small dark squares.

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With light pink shirts like that, they'll blend nicely with my dress and also look okay with the white rose boutonnières they will all be wearing. The hot pink ties, while it sounds like a whole lot of pink, really look good with the shirts. It's not overwhelmingly pink, but it still goes with the overall color scheme. I wish I could find a picture of the ties, but maybe I'll have a groomsman try the whole deal on so I can accost him with a camera.

Looking for these shirts and getting the suits for my fiance crosses one more item off my ever-growing to-do list. Do you ever feel like the to-do list for your wedding is overwhelming and multiplying like rabbits? 

Back in Black

Okay. I promised a post about the bridesmaids' dresses... so here it is:
They will be black.
...
Oh, you wanted more? Sorry, let me indulge you. For most of my bridesmaids, dress picking was easy. My Maid of Honor B already owned a black, satin dress from a wedding she was in December of 2008. She will re-use that dress (savings to her!) and make it work. This is her dress:

(All photos courtesy of Davids Bridal)

Bridesmaid A has also chosen her dress, from David's Bridal. We went two weeks ago to pick out some dresses and look at how she looked. we tried three dresses on her, but we knew the first was right for her. Here's her dress...

Bridesmaid K has looked at a dress online, and actually went to a David's Bridal near her university to try it on with another good friend, who okay-ed the dress. K still wanted to make sure I liked it before she bought it, so since she's home on Spring Break--we're going to David's Bridal for her to show me the dress. K's dress:

We'll see if this is the dress K ends up with, but I'll update if this is not what she picks. I think it'll look great on her, and she's got great taste. The only bridesmaid left to dress is bridesmaid E, my fashionista bridesmaid. She has great style, and nothing at David's Bridal has really peaked her interest. I'm hoping over Easter she and I can go peruse another DB and possibly White House Black Market. They've got really great alternatives for bridesmaids dresses.

Oh, and if you were wondering, yes, my girls all do look like models and stand awkwardly chic for pictures. Hehe. They're all gorgeous and I'm completely flattered that they'll be standing next to me, even if they do put me to shame. I know I'll have some really gorgeous wedding party pictures.

Do you have a hard time finding dresses? What are some other places to get bridesmaids dresses?

It's Like a Marathon

We're rapidly approaching the 100 day mark in our wedding planning. Can you believe it!?

However, along with our impending nuptials, are all of my pending projects. Still left are... invitations, centerpieces, guestbook, table linens, food, drinks, dressing the guys, and programs. (All are going to be addressed in later posts! Never fear, I won't let you down!) And that's only what I can think of off the top of my head. It feels like the middle of a race, a marathon, that I will never finish.

Now, when I last left you, I was still considering pocketfold invitations. That has since changed. Upon looking into pocketfolds, ordering them pre-made online was just a little too expensive for me. I wanted to keep our invitations as a budget-friendly project. So, I thought about making them myself, but that would either require ordering larger paper (another costly thing) or re-sizing our pocketfolds to fit common scrapbook paper (12"x 12"). Neither of those options seemed like something I wanted to do, so I just decided to scrap the idea. I loved the look, but my goal in this wedding is to GET IT DONE.

So, now we're going with just a plain flat card invitation. We're still going to have a response postcard, directions to the venue, and I'll probably include a list of hotels in the area for our out-of-town guests. I want to wrap the invitation "suite" in a belly band. Yes, it sounds like something for a third trimester, but in reality it's just a simple piece of paper designed to hold everything in place. Just a strip wrapped around the middle (or "belly") of the stack to keep it together.

The rounded corners were an issue for several months. I love the look of them.

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But, for the longest time, my friends convinced me that it would be WAY to much work to round all of the corners, even with a corner rounder. After two months of debating my decision, I finally told myself that if I still wanted rounded corners this bad after so long, I should just do it. Yes, it's an extra step and added complication to the invitation suite, but I just love the look. It will make me feel better about sending them out.

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That, my friends, is a belly band. This one is taken apart, but imagine all those other papers stuck under the yellow strip of paper. Probably, this is where I'll use our monogram I told you about here. I can't really find another place to use it, so that's where it'll show up! I have to start working on invitations soon, as they have to go out in about 5 weeks. I have none of it done, and I still need to do envelopes and all of that. Lots and lots of cutting left to do. Can you say "invitation party"?!

What ways can you cut back on wedding invitations? E-vites are always good (for the environment and otherwise) but some think it's tacky. How do you feel about online invitations?

Let Them Eat Cake! And Flowers...

I am at a loss for words for the title. So much has happened, and yet so much has yet to be done. This weekend was another marathon wedding weekend.

This weekend started early, with a meeting with a florist early on. We ended up booking the florist, and thankfully, it was a pretty painless process. I brought in my "inspiration" pictures and he looked at them, discussed what I liked, and he made a plan from there. My bouquet will have Revel roses, gerbera daisies, tulips and hypercium berries.

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My bouquet will be mostly pink, in fact, I think we decided on ALL pink. No white flowers for me! I know some of the above pictures are white, but my girls will be carrying white flowers with a bit of pink, as mine is mostly pink with some (or no) white. And, the gerbera daisies are kinda reserved for me. They're my favorite flower and the florist suggested only using them in my bouquet since y'know... I'm the bride. :)

Then, after the florist, it was cake tasting at Market Street (quickly vetoed based on the flavors of cake) and then shopping at Target. I got a new floor lamp for the apartment with Trenton and a dish rack for the apartment with Trenton. My mom and I also showed my future MIL other things I registered for, but we couldn't find my shower curtain! I think they've decided to take it online only, so I may have to watch for it.

On to the cake! We tried lots of flavors, ordered the cake, and we're pretty excited! The cakes are going to be delicious. I can't wait to try it. Or to save my top tier for next July! We're doing a simple bridal cake with just white butter cream frosting and a simple ribbon trim around each tier. Then we'll also probably get some flowers from the florist to make a topper type... thing. 

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Think that without the Swiss dots. And... flowers only on the top. But, that's the basic look. It's going to be delicious and yummy. I think Trenton will have to hold me back from just... devouring the entire cake. No hands, just face.

No clues on the flavor of the bridal cake or the grooms cake. You'll just have to wait until the wedding to try what we've chosen!

Pearls for the Girls

Alright. So I already told you about the amazing tutorial I found for ribbon tie pearl necklaces. I figured I would go ahead and try my hand at them. They're not hard at all, and anyone looking for a good bridesmaids' gift or for just a nice project, these are quick, easy and not very expensive. They look great when they're done.

I apologize in advance for the crappy photo quality. I have been home sick from work and was crafting on my couch bundled up in a blanket. Walking to my room to get my camera was just too hard, so it's a cell phone camera. Let's get started, shall we?

First, gather your supplies. I got all of mine at Hobby Lobby while the beads were 50% off. Here's what I bought:
5 packs of 8mm glass pearl beads
          (50 beads per pack - I only used 40 for one necklace)
1 pack of Czech glass beads clear seed beads
          (You only need one tube. Its to space the pearls so they don't rub.)
1 roll of nylon coated wire
1 pair of round nose pliers
1 bag of 9mm round jump rings
1 bag of 2.5mm crimp beads
3 yards of ribbon

You can also buy crimp covers, but the crimp beads aren't really an eye sore, and the ribbon distracts from it anyways. I also had to buy some black thread but I had needles at home already.

Steps
1. First cut your wire. I ended up using about 18" and I still ended up with extra to cut off at the end.
2. Using your crimp bead and jump ring, slide the crimp bead on, followed by the jump ring. Loop your wire back through the crimp bead. Then use your pliers to flatten the crimp bead to secure the wires.

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3. Trim the extra wire from the crimp bead and begin beading with a pearl bead. Then alternate a seed bead between the pearls to prevent rubbing.

4. When all the pearls are on, ending on a pearl bead not a seed bead, put a crimp bead on. The follow with a jump bead. Just like before, thread your wire back through the crimp bead.

5. Cut your ribbon to 12" pieces. I used black satin ribbon in a 5/8" size. Slide your ribbon through the jump ring and fold it back on itself. 

6. Take your needle and thread to close the ribbon and secure it with several knots.

7. Complete steps 5 and 6 on the other jump ring to create your ribbon tie.

Now you're finished and ready to wear the necklace. Or in my case, wrap it up and give them away!

Sticky Situation

You stalk photo blogs. You creep on wedding blogs like they're celebrities. There can't be enough wedding inspiration. Overload doesn't happen-- you just get more sucked in.

While this is fun and a good way to throw away your free time, the only problems are you start getting ideas. You start thinking, "Ooooh, I would love to have that. I wonder if that's possible." You forget for a moment that your venue is already set and gorgeous enough on it's own. You forget your budget and enter... Wedding World.

It's a scary place that can be a good place-- or a very, very bad place. For me, it varies. Some days, it's helpful for finding other inspiration and getting tutorials. I've learned a lot of really great stuff, and even found better advice on how to deal with etiquette, family, etc. 

The good: I've found great tutorials. I love reading the blogs of other brides to see what they're doing and how they're doing it. Some brides have unlimited (or very large) budgets, some have small budgets. While I err on the latter of the two, I am happy to be there. I may not get the letterpress invites, the huge centerpieces, or the $4,000 photographer-- but I am more than happy with what I do have and the interesting things I share with you guys.

The bad: Sometimes in looking at blogs, you start seeing the ideas, the formal invites and the price of other weddings. You think to yourself, "Oh, how I would love to have that." And, you think... "Am I doing my wedding right?" You get into a sticky situation based on other people's perceptions. Is there a right way to do a wedding? Is it okay for me to do a wedding that is styled after us? 

My answer is "NO! YES!" Any wedding planning, any aspect of this wedding reflects me and Trenton. You do weddings based on your own personal feelings, no right or wrong way. My wedding may not be formal, but I didn't want that to begin with. My wedding will be fun and "budget-friendly". My wedding will be full of love, friends, family and dancing. I want the alcohol, the delicious food, the laughter. I want it to be "us". I want for Trenton and I to be a huge part of the wedding (both aesthetically and physically).

If our response cards are rude, or our food is cold, we won't care. If the shades of the pink and green don't exactly match, it seems huge now, but it won't be a problem the day of the wedding. Everything in relation. What matters today, will not matter tomorrow.

My Bad

Wow, guys. Sorry for the lack of posting. I had a pretty crazy couple days. It's mid-terms here in Norman, which means lots of reading, studying and writing. I had three mid-terms, one was a paper, one was multiple choice and three short answers, and the last was all short answer with a few long answer essay questions. It's been nuts. But, it's over, it's Spring Break and I just have to work-- no school!

In other news, my dad got a job! I'm very excited for him as he's been doing this training program for a while now and he deserved to get his theater. I'm sad he'll be moving to El Paso, Texas this coming week, but I'm still just too excited he got a job. I'm so proud of him for sticking through the silly training (that he blew through, by the way-- my dad is just too awesome for his own good) and getting his theater. It's company policy that managers (which my dad is) do not get vacation time off between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Do we see the problem?! My wedding is right between those dates! But, don't worry. My dad's new boss in El Paso understands that his daughter is getting married and that my dad needs to come home. His new boss is really great and values family so he told my dad he would work it out with him. Sadly, it means my dad may get in the day before the wedding and leave the day after. I don't mind that as long as he gets to be there.

More news: the wedding planning is driving me a little crazy. In wedding planning, you start thinking about stuff that in every day "normal" world, you would never think twice about. You fret about fabrics, colors, flowers, matching all of the aforementioned items. You go a little berserk over things that in the grand scheme of things-- really don't matter. I found myself worried about colors, ties, jewelry and flowers this weekend. I'm worried how the guys' ties will look with my girls' jewelry. Something you would never worry about outside of Wedding World. I've finally decided to make life easy and go with something cute. And that I can make myself. Wanna know? Do ya? Huh huh?

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Pearl Ribbon Necklaces! I would use slightly smaller pearls because those are just a little... too giant. My ribbon would be pink or green depending on the boys' ties. I would probably have some girls wear their bows in the front (as shown here) if they're in strapless dresses like my sister. One of my 'maids is wearing a halter dress, so her bow would tie in the back to "accent" the bare back her dress gives her. Now, BM K is looking at a dress that is a "faux halter". This means the bare back of a halter is not actually there. From the front it looks almost the same, but it has more coverage in front and fabric covering the back too. Obviously wearing a necklace with such a neckline is a little silly, so for her, I would probably make her a bracelet instead.

I found a great tutorial here for how to make these pearl ribbon necklaces. It seems easy enough and not very time consuming. I'll probably try it out myself first before I get my heart set on these necklaces. To have a necklace like this custom made through Etsy it's around $30. I figure for that I can buy most of the necessary supplies for my three necklaces and one bracelet. Not too bad. And, they're cute enough that my girls can wear them again, which is all I really wanted.

More to come on bridesmaid dresses once I actually know what dress each BM is wearing.

Epic Day of Awesome

Okay. We have several topics today. One not-so-good, some REALLY great. We'll start with the bad.

Personal Photo

'Member him? Yeah, so, he's leaving to go under water for the next two to three months. He's on submarines so obviously, limited contact. The teensy-weensy glimmer of hope: he has access to VERY slow e-mail. That gets read and censored and all of that wonderful military stuff. At least there will maybe be some contact. He's leaving relatively soon (as was expected) but today I found out the actual date, and let's just say it is much, much sooner than I was hoping. I knew it was coming, but to actually have a set date... it just changes things.

Brighter notes: I had an advising appointment today for my final semester in college (WHAAAAT?!). In said appointment, I was told that not only am I on track to graduate in a mere nine months-- but I have a whole lot less credits I need than first thought. I was under the impression that I still had two more classes to take (about six credits) for my major, and about three or four more elective classes (about twelve to fifteen credits). My wonderful advisor informed me today that (wait for it...) I am done with my major coursework. That's right. DONE! I have NO MORE SCIENCE! I'm finished. Fin. Finito. 

This is great news for me-- and good news for Trenton too-- as now he will not have to deal with his new wife being absolutely crazy taking a full-time school schedule and a full-time job. I have thirteen hours left to graduate. In September, I get to apply to graduate, I get to walk in December, and I get to be done with college. As it's looking now, I can take one class in May Intersession here at OU (which was already planned), then two classes during the summer (again, I was already planning to do this as well) and then finishing my fall semester with a mere four hours. However, my Capstone (the required course here at OU to graduate) is only three hours. So I must find another three hour class to satisfy my one hour left to graduate. No big. I'm super excited that my final semester-- and first semester as a wife-- will be so light. My Capstone is pretty intense, but six hours rather than twelve is way okay with me. Graduation, here I come!

Personal Photo

That's me, my sister (MOH B) and my brother at my sister's college graduation from OU. It was so hot that day, but it was so great to see her graduate. We're actually graduating from the same college, but different degrees.

Other good news, my shoes came in today! I already put them on, and they are so comfortable! I can't believe what a great deal I got on them, and they are BRIGHT blue. So, I've at least got my "something blue" taken care of. I would post pictures, but I don't want to run the risk of the man seeing them, so sorry. If you leave me your e-mail I'll send them along. It's been a really great day so far. I had taken the day off of work to just... relax. Get my advising done, some homework and just generally be away from work. It's been nice. It was really good to get the day off, but it just kept getting better!

Dressing the Girls

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Let's be real. I don't want my girls looking like that. But, is it nuts that I want all my girls in different dresses? Before you freak out, I'm not letting it be free-range and there are some guidelines--one being that it CANNOT look like the above picture!

The only rules:
        a) Must be knee-length.
        b) Cannot be the same dress as any other bridesmaid.
        c) It has to be black!
Pretty easy to follow. In fact, my sister (Maid of Honor) already has a black dress from a wedding she was in last December. She looks great in it-- although she looks great in anything. Bridesmaid E said she already has several dresses that fit said criterion, so she's bringing them up in a few weeks for me to see/pick. My other bridesmaids, BMs K and A, are both meeting with me in the next few weeks to look for dresses. They have both decided to most likely buy their dresses.

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It may seem crazy to let them all wear different dresses, shoes and even jewelry, but look at how gorgeous that looks! I'm letting them choose their own shoes-- black shoes--no limits. Just, black, any height heel or no heel at all, they can be sandals, stilettos, whatever. Jewelry... oh, take this one. I'm letting them choose their own jewelry. I want to go shopping with each of them and let them pick out what they want to wear. They can be green, pink, black, or white. Whichever they want.

They only imposed rule with jewelry is set there so we don't have to mess with colors clashing or anything like that. If we keep it within the realm of the wedding colors, all is well. Plus, each of my 'maids has her own flair. Bridesmaid A is a little hippie and likes other... hippie stuff. BM K and MOH B are both more "classic" styles and choose things that are totally different from BM A. BM E is always completely fancy and it such a stylish girl. She's always got amazing style and cute clothes/accessories. I want them to get jewelry they can wear again and not just another strand of pearls. If they want chunky funky, let them have it.

More to come on the bridesmaids later. Expect dresses, bios and pictures!

"But, what do I do?!"

So, the decision-making has yet again taken a standstill. We've come to a stalemate. I am worried (again!) about the "etiquette" of our wedding. I would like to be able to say that I don't want to hurt people's feelings, but... let's be real.

I don't care.

It is our wedding. It reflects us- not to say we're awful people, but at some point, worrying about what other people think is too much stress. I'm starting to worry about ridiculous things that no one is ever going to remember.

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You'd think I'd start to just blow things off. Not worry. But, no. My most recent freak-out regards response cards. Do I leave the "number of attendees" blank? Do I individually print cards with the number of chairs saved for them? What about telling people, "Hey, this is how many seats you get. Decide who's coming"?

I found a site saying that you can leave a "___ of ___ guest(s) attending" spot and you fill in the second blank with how many you want to come, and then they fill out the first blank with how many are coming. The site also warns that some people may find that "distasteful" but... um, what if I don't find it bad?

While I would love to invite everyone, and say "Hey, college friend- totally bring your boyfriend of two weeks to my wedding!" frankly, I can't afford it. Not only can we not afford to feed all those extra people, my venue only holds 100 people seated, and my guest list (including me, the fiance, and our photographer) is already at 110! We can't have people bringing guests and unaccounted people. We don't have the space or the finances to accommodate them.

Whining to roommate, Meghan, has not come to any sort of conclusion. Being my amazing pro-bono "wedding planner", she dutifully said "It's your wedding, do what you would like. I understand why you would need to do that. People will understand. Etc. Etc." What I needed to hear, but what I more needed to hear was from Trenton. I needed him to respond and tell me it was okay for me to limit the guests.

Also, worrying about plates and tableware. Who will remember the linens, plates, or silverware? I might, but that's because I paid for it, picked it out, and everything. Remember here, when I talked about bamboo tableware? It's awesome. Let me give you some pictures of how cute they can be!

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So. Darn. Cute. And, eco-friendly! They are pretty affordable, and they have plates that match. Oh, and did I mention they are biodegradable? Which means when I throw them out, they'll decompose in the trash heap at the dump. Makes me feel better about my money. But, again... do you think people will think poorly of me because I'm not using "real" plates? Or not using china? These are the ridiculous things I'm worried about.

What do you think? Should I give up on making people happy and do what will make US happy? 

Quick, Quick Like a Bunny!

I've got about five minutes before I leave for work, so I'll fill you in.

I BOUGHT MY SHOES!!! I went with the Madden Girl ruffle shoes. Good price, and I got free shipping!

Other than that one item crossed off my to-do list, it seems to be multiplying like rabbits. Every time I turn around to look at it and revamp my list-- it's already twice as long as I thought it was. It's not overwhelming by any means, but it's still not easy. Thankfully, I'm going home soon and I can hopefully cross off a bunch of stuff off my to-do list!

130

That's right, we're at 130 days! It's still SO far away, but it seems so close when I look at everything that needs to get done. I have already got lots of ideas for things, but no reason to make them yet. I just don't want to have all of this stuff sitting around my apartment taking up space, so it's waiting. I'll work on it later when I maybe don't have as much stuff in my apartment. (I'll get to start packing up winter clothes soon to store in my mom's garage til I get to move!!!-- SO EXCITING!)

On that note, I can't tell you how exciting it is to realize that in just over four months, I will be with Trenton. I will be with him for every day, every night, and every morning until the end of time. I have a hard time dealing with the stresses of work, school and planning, but my new mantra has become "In four months, it will be completely worth it. In four months, none of this will matter. In four months, my life will. be. complete."

When I think about all of the things left to do with the wedding-- especially things that Trenton deserves an opinion over-- I just want to ask. I want to share things with him, and let him know that his choices are important to me. I don't want this to be "MY" wedding. It is our wedding and it is the wedding that will change our lives, and make us one unit. One solitary team. I cannot wait. He will be going out on the boat eventually, and my opportunities for his opinion will be seriously decreased. I know he says he will love anything I do (what a sweet man) but I still feel as though he deserves a say.

I look at wedding stuff on a daily basis. Blogs, pictures, ideas, etc. I try to just use them to get ideas and see what other people are doing. I don't let it overwhelm my life, because obviously school still has to happen, homework is still going, no one is stopping their life because I'm getting married. However, I look at wedding websites and have wedding shows in the background while I read, and when I do this, I get overwhelmed with my love for this man.

I can't tell you what a road it has been for us. Any of our friends, our families, and probably people we don't even like would be able to tell you that this has not come easily for us. But... when I look back at everything that has happened, I can't help but smile. At the time, there was nothing more that I wanted to do than run away and break all ties from him. I see our time together, as such a happy place. I am never happier in life than when I am with him. When I talk to him, when I see him, when I look at things for OUR wedding.

I imagine walking down the aisle. I know I'll be a wreck. I will be so excited to finally be with him after all this time. I get to walk down the aisle to my friend, my love, my man, my HUSBAND. Even writing this post, I get completely overwhelmed with my excitement, my love and my happiness that I will get to be with him. I can't wait. I love this man so thoroughly. So fully. I never knew that my heart could hold as much as it does for him.

He is my reason, the man I will marry. My last first kiss. And I. Can't. Wait.

Tsunami?!

That's right. A tsunami. Apparently there was a huge 8.8 earthquake in Chile yesterday, and it's causing giant waves and tsunamis all over the Pacific Ocean. Why does this matter to me?

My loving man is stationed right off the Pacific.

I awoke to find a text message from my FMIL, who asked if I had spoken to him. My first reaction is "No. Did something happen?!" She told me of the earthquake and the possible implications for his base. I of course start freaking out as I haven't talked to him in several days outside of a few text messages here and there. Sadly, I am one of those people who goes straight to the worst possible scenario. I start imagining a huge tsunami lifting a sub and smashing it onto him. Just him. Not other people or buildings. Terrifying.

I called him, and woke him up, much to his dismay. I was a nervous little hen and I couldn't help myself. He wasn't grumpy with me though. He understood I was just scared and needing to know. I, of course, had him call his mother right after I got off the phone with him.

Deep breath in, little grasshopper.

I need to calm down. But, it's okay. His mom sent me a text while I was talking to him that said Hawaii is at more risk than where he is. Huge sigh of relief from me.

I'm glad to know he's going to be okay. He assured me that if anything were going to happen to his subs, or to his base, they would've done it already and notified everyone. So, he's thinking he's good. I'm thinking he's good.

Clearly, I need to read the news more often. Learn more about natural disasters. Become a meteorologist. Something!

On a more... wedding related note: I finished my cards. Y'know, the ones for my bridesmaids asking about bridesmaid-ship. It really didn't take me long. I would post pictures, but silly me finished them and sealed them in envelopes before taking pictures. Whoops.

Tsunamis and wedding aside, I also caught a stomach bug on Thursday. That's right. I just got over bronchitis and still have the bruised ribs and strained cartilage to prove it, and then I got a stomach bug. I haven't eaten a real meal in about two days. I've lost four pounds, but I haven't eaten. I'm so hungry and desperately wanting a burger.

Le Sigh.

So, as you all know, I'm a terrible mess of full-time business. Full-time work, full-time school, and a little bit of wedding planning thrown in. It does not include any down time. My "down time" is writing in this blog and sleeping.

Well, in my sleeping time, I like to think of wedding bells and papers as I drift off to dreamland. I think of tulle, and ribbons, and bright green bridesmaids dresses with HUGE puffy sleeves. All the things a real wedding make. BAHAHA. I'm kidding.

This weekend, however, I'm hoping to get my "Will You Be My... (insert bridal position here) cards made/sent. It is *one* more thing I have to do, but I figure even though I've talked to all my girls already, it would be a super sweet gesture and they can all keep it and see it, or scrapbook it, or whatever they want. Plus, I'm super crafty-DIY bride, so it will probably take me about... 10 minutes to whip up a cute card.

I've already made up my mind about the whole Who-Is-My-Maid-Of-Honor business. I just need to talk to everybody and explain. I hope everyone understands and knows what a hard choice it was for me. I toyed with the idea of co-MOHs, but, in the long run, I felt like that wasn't necessarily fair to everyone. So, one it is. Although, I have a special job/part for everyone in our bridal party whether they know it or not. :P

*insert sinister bridal laugh here*

What? It's only Monday?!

So, I can't believe it's only Monday. I feel like the weekend flew by and I got nothing accomplished. Thankfully, my homework load was light and I didn't have a whole lot to do for classes or work. Just a bit or relaxing.

On to wedding business... I worked on our programs this weekend. I didn't make all of them, but I worked on the formatting and the mock-up. Plus, I printed one and put it together just so I can see exactly how I want it. It looks really good, and it's not very time intensive--which is just what I need. And, with the programs came ceremony music. I made some executive decisions and decided what I wanted to use. Trenton... he'll just have to deal. :P

Also, I think I found different shoes. I figured in the long run, I couldn't justify the $100 shoe purchase. I think these new ones are just as cute, have a wider heel (so I won't bite it on the dance floor, or Heaven forbid- the aisle!) and are just $40. And, because they aren't satin, they are a bit more re-wearable. They're blue, of course, and they're super cute. Take a look!

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Also, I really like the idea of the bamboo tableware, but I'm still not sure if we're doing a buffet dinner or just heavy hors d'oeuvres. No decision made yet. But, I have so many more deadline items to do rather than decide on food. That can wait.

Sigh. It's been a long few weeks with all this school stuff, the full-time job, and the wedding planning. It's starting to take a toll on my body, but you know what, in 136 days, it's going to be so worth it. :)

Whoops...

Totally meant to post. Well, there's not a ton to fill you in on, but still... I post to post. What has happened...

Well, I tried on the shoes. They're pretty comfortable, some extra padding may be necessary for all night dancing, but all in all, comfortable and easy to walk in despite the height. However, I'm not sure if I can justify spending almost as much on the shoes as I did the dress. I know I could find some other shoes I like for a better price, but I have a hard time discerning what I should and shouldn't spend money on. I would love the shoes, but at the same time my practical mind is telling me to find a different pair. What do you think?

Second thing, I saw a post recently on weddingbee.com and the post was for bamboo tableware. Knives, forks, spoons, plates. I mean, they're not terribly fancy but they're good for the environment and are pretty cheap. For $7.00 I can get 100 knives. Same price for 100 spoons and forks. So, for $21 I could get enough utensils for everyone and be helping the environment. They're not quite as cheap as plastic ware, but it looks better and it's green! :) I'm keeping it in mind as our entire venue has about the same color woodwork as the bamboo.

We're still in the talks about whether to do hors d'oeuvres or a buffet meal and we can't really decide. With the fiance basically out-of-touch, most decisions come down to me, and we all know how indecisive I can be. I can't even decide on a veil! For the longest time I said 'NO VEIL!' but... I don't know. I sorta feel like I should have one, but I don't want to mess with it, but it would look so good, but it would be hard to find one to complement my dress, etc. The inner conversation could go on forever.

Also, while I was planning on doing my pocketfold invitations myself, I found pre-cut postcards and needed to change around my measurements and it messed with the look of them. To save myself the time of cutting, scoring, folding, and making each pocketfold, I'm probably going to re-prioritize my time and just spend the extra money to buy pre-made, pre-assembled pocketfolds. All I would have to do is print my inserts and assemble. As my beloved reminded me, "Time is Money". Sometimes you just have to let go.

We have about 4 1/2 months left. Couldn't be more excited, but I look at my "To-Do" list and just... wow. Lots to do, but so worth it.

The Shoe Hunt Has Possibly Ended

So, I found some shoes I like. A lot. They're totally sexy and amazing, and all the reviews say they are super comfortable (a MUST with all the dancing I plan on doing). Now, the only problem is... Well, you just want me to show you, huh! Okay, okay. I'll stop stalling and just show you already!

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Aren't they fabulous?!

So, I haven't decided what color I want though. Because it comes in the gorgeous Navy shown above (hellooooo, something blue...) but it also comes in "baby pink"- which is an option depending on how it works with my dress). And, it comes in a fabulous green color, which is bright and amazing and totally goes with my color scheme.

But, alas, I am at a crossroads. There is also a great blue color. Amazing. It's not a part of my colors, it would complement my dress, and be my something blue. I would totally wear them again. And they're great. I just can't decide. Between the neutral navy (which again, could be worn again), the cute pink, the fashionable green and the bright blue, I cannot make a decision.

Now, for some cons to these amazing shoes... they have 4" heels. I would be super tall. Like a giant. I'm already 5'9" so, I would be 6'1 in those shoes. I would still be shorter than Trenton, but those are some HIGH heels. I read reviews saying that they are really comfortable, so I'm hoping that I'll be fine in them, but that's really tall... I need tall heels for my dress to not need altering, so I wouldn't mind the four-inch heels. Anyone else think I'm crazy for 4" heels!? Also, these shoes are almost as expensive as my dress. I mean, they're pretty nice heels, a good company, and very comfortable from what I've read. Macy's has them in store that I could try them on, but only carries three colors, none of which I want, so I'll be paying shipping from the Nina website. Not bad, but not cheap either.

Now to leave you with some pictures...

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What do you think? What color do you think I should go with? Think they're worth the money?

TGIF

Holy cow. This has been one looooong week. Seriously. Between full-time work, plus a bunch of school work and getting bronchitis, I'm just a train wreck. I'm ready to have two days to sit in my apartment. (I'm contemplating not even leaving this weekend.)

With that two days, I'm going to get a whole bunch of school work done, maybe some laundry, and a nice little mock-up of our invitations. Y'know the ones I showed you earlier? (http://saraandtrenton.blogspot.com/2010/01/invitations-again.html)... well, they're changing. Again. I know, I know. Indecision wracks me.

But, I found some pre-cut postcards to possibly use as our response cards (cheaper postage, ftw!) if they'll work with my printer/Word. And, I decided to go against the green background and do a pink background on the invites and use a green belly band and a green envelope(since I really don't feel like hand addressing each envelope, which I would with black envelopes). The green is super bright, not lime or anything but pretty bright, but since it's really only an accent anyways, I don't mind it. I really want some bright pink gerbera daisies (my favorite flower!) for our centerpieces, but we'll have to mess with those later.

swoon

How amazing are those!? I love gerbera daisies, so I would love to do something like that, but maybe not so intense. (I can't imagine that doing something like that for 12ish tables would be budget friendly.)

Le sigh. Lots of thinking still to do. And lots of looking. Interwebz stalking here I come.