Monday, November 30, 2009

Wholesale flowers, or something close

There isn't a huge open-air flower market in my area....at least not one that I am aware of. There is, however, a lovely near-wholesale shop in downtown Ft. Worth. It's a bit of a drive, but I love excuses to go to Ft. Worth. It's a town with a great feel to it.

I felt we'd put off checking out the flower market long enough. After all, if it had turned out to be a bust, I needed time to order test flowers from an online source and pre-order the flowers that I'd need for the wedding if the test flowers were deemed acceptable. So, we headed out to Ft. Worth in search of the little flower market.


No one was in sight when we walked in. There was a large sign above the floral cooler that said "Please Come In", though, so we did. To my dismay, there were hardly any flowers at all in the cooler. After surveying the area, we were about to leave.

Right then, a lady came out of the back, proclaiming that "there are people out here!" and asked if we needed anything. It seemed we'd arrive right as they were unloading the week's shipments. She invited us to the back to see what they had in stock. I spotted a bundle of orange roses and imediately asked if I could have the whole lot. After checking to make sure they didn't belong to another bride, she said I could. These lovely multi-colored orange, pink, and yellow beauties are called Cherry Brandy roses, and I think I might just love them to bits. I took all 25, 10 stems of Bells of Ireland, and 2 stems of red hypericum berries. Now, it might seem wasteful to buy them when all I'm going to do is play around with them, but I have a feeling it will be funds well-spent for the experience they provide.


Besides.....aren't they lovely?!

Photos by me.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

A note about DIY

There are a couple compelling reasons to do things yourself. One, you might save some money. Then again, if you aren't as good at something as you thought you'd be, you could end up spending more when you have someone else fix the mess you made. Luckily, I haven't experienced that yet! Second, you probably get whatever you chose to DIY exactly the way you envisioned it. Again, this is dependent on skill level though, isn't it? I have to admit that some of the things I made I put in the "good enough" category, and I'm totally okay with that. The third reason is the best though. It's that you get to sit around a table with friends and create something together that makes everyone feel more connected and involved in your wedding. Everyone gets to take a little ownership in making the day great. Hopefully, they'll see that thing that they made in use at the wedding and give themselves a little pat on the back with a "yeah, I did that" attitude. I find myself wanting to find more things that I can get my friends over to help with. I think I invented a couple chores, just so that we can share some wine and some memories.

This has been a weekend for memory making, and I'll be sharing it with you all very soon!

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Holidays amidst wedding plans


Sometimes planning a wedding feel so all-encompassing that it's hard to imagine trying to have holidays in there as well. I must admit that this week the wedding sort of got put on the back burner so that the green beans almondine and gravy could be on the front ones. Even yesterday, I worked on crafts for Christmas instead of the wedding. I think I'm afraid that if I don't get them done right now, right as Christmas season has officially begun, then Christmas in it's entirety will be swollowed up by the wedding. I love the holidays. I love the food, the stress, the sincere gift-giving, and twinkling lights. I don't want my wedding plans to overshadow Christmas!

So, I am pleased to say that I literally finished my family's Christmas gifts yesterday at my kitchen table. All they need now is to be packaged up. That feels really, really good. It turns out that the stress and mounting list of wedding-related chores were an aide to rid myself of the procrastination that I usually exert during the holidays. Who knew?! Now, I have to work out a couple more gifts for friends and the nephews, but the bulk of my gifting is done. They're personal and very cute. I'll show them to you.....after Christmas, of course, on the off chance that a family member is reading. None of them have told me they are, but you never know.

Did all of you fight the crowds and get your gift buying done for the season during Black Friday? Did you sit at home crafting? Or will you possibly do what I usually do.....make lovely edibles the weekend before Christmas to give as gifts. Christmas cookies are really just sinful. Mmmm...... Whatever you did, I hope it was with a joyful heart. That's what matters most.

Photo from Photobucket.

Friday, November 27, 2009

Friday Treat #2


For those of you like me that have a ton of turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing in their fridge, I offer left-over recipes! Here are some that look fantastic:

Shepherd's Pie
Sweet Potato Pancakes (maybe tomorrow)
Spicy Turkey Soup (I'll be making a tortilla version of this)
Turkey Quesadillas (which I did last night, but a different version with smoked cheddar)
Curried Turkey Salad (okay so this is chicken, but it would work with turkey)
Turkey and Spinach Quiche

I am making the quiche for breakfast, but a different version with smoked jack, ricotta, and plain spinach instead of spinach souffle.

I intend to enjoy every last bit of our left overs this weekend, and I hope you do the same!

Sweet potato pancake picture from Recipes.com.

Milestones



I've always had an odd concept of what makes you an adult....officially. Does being 18 and a legal adult also make you an official adult. I'm going to have to say no. I've known too many 18 year-olds and most are assuredly not adult-like. Does getting married make you an adult? I'm going to have to say from personal experience, it simply means you are of legal age, which again may not be enough to declare yourself officially an adult. How about having a child? I've never considered doing that, so I never put it on my internal list of "things that signify that I have left childhood behind".

I'm 31. I've been married and divorced. Yet occasionally, I still don't feel like I've achieved adulthood and all the responsibilities that go with that title. I felt closer when I finally lived alone.....way out in the middle of the woods in my tiny, cozy cabin. That way, I had to make all the decisions for myself with little or no help from anyone else. Though, even then, if I got myself into a pickle (and boy did I manage a couple huge ones), my grandparents, brother, or my mom would bail me out. Now, that's just what my families does for each other regardless of age or station, but being one of the youngest, I felt it took away some of my hard earned "I am an adult" points.

Well, Thanksgiving marked a significant milestone of my adulthood (in my own mind only, of course). I hosted! Don't get me wrong, I've contributed for quite some time. I cooked the turkey for the last four years, but I handed it off after it came out of the oven and joined the rest of the gang at my grama's house. This time, not only is the gathering at my house, I organized it. I told people what we still needed and what time to arrive. I also invited my betrothed's family, so we have house guests. Holidays are sacred responsibilities, to me, and being trusted with the responsibility for making it run smoothly is huge. I'm very glad I accepted this challenge, and I can mark off "hold a major family gathering on an important holiday" off my list of Adult Accomplishments.

Do you have any non-traditional milestones on your list of Adult Accomplishments? I've love to hear them. We can compare notes!

Achievement from Photobucket.....earned me major geek points with my man!

Thursday, November 26, 2009

With love, from a grateful heart


Happy Thanksgiving! I'm not going to lie, I love a good food coma! And this year, the celebration is at my house and includes my soon-to-be mother-in-law and brother-in-law along with my entire immediate family. It will either be a fun success or completely overwhelming, but I like a good challenge.

But the most important thing today, obviously, is gratitude.

I am grateful....
...to be in love.
...to have four living grandparents.
...for my friends that truly get me and support me instead of trying to change me.
...for every hardship I've survived because each of them made me the woman I am today, the woman he fell in love with.
...for my second chance to be a wife (and get it right this time).

Enjoy your day, your hearty meals, and (for me) the football!

Photo from Photobucket.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Fateful discovery


The very next day, I called my mom. I told her that I had something very important to tell her, but she absolutely had to keep it a secret. Remember, we weren't engaged yet! I divulged that I'd been dress hunting and that an engagement was immanent. She was over the moon, thankfully. Once she calmed down, I let her know that I really needed her to come to this store with me because I may have found the perfect dress at the perfect price, but I wasn't sure.

I played a little game with her. I got the sales rack dress and the Mori Lee. I did not tell my mom which dress was which, so that she wouldn't make the decision based on price alone. I started with the Mori Lee. It had an amazing silhouette.....very, very hourglass. It also had some pretty amazing lace on it. It is by all means, a gorgeous dress. I just didn't feel that emotional tug that you should feel about the dress your going to marry the man you love in. Then the Maggie Sottero sale dress (which was over half off at this point). It's a corset, so it took forever to get into. All the while, my mom is sitting outside the door, staring at the Mori Lee. She's stare, then get up and touch it, then stare, then touch. This continued for the five or ten minutes it took me to get into the other dress. At this point, I am DISTRAUGHT! Touching is a sign that you love something. She didn't give the Maggie a proper chance. I'm not all the way in it yet. Oh dear Lord, my mom cannot hate my dress!

(Que the lip quivering and eye watering)

Finally in the dress, I walk out to the pedestal and wait for the bad news. And then she says it.....

"Well, I know which dress you should buy." "So do I and it's not the right dress!".....(said in a little shaky, creaking voice). "You mean the one you have on it's the dress you'd choose??" Wait, huh? "Well, yes, yes it is.....but you were touching the other one.....A LOT!" "I was trying to figure out what it was that didn't make it perfect."

PHEW! We were in agreement and whole-heartedly so! HUZZAH! I slapped a credit card down before I could change my mind and did the happy dress dance all the way home.

Happy dancer provided by Photobucket.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Runner-up dress


My dress shopping experience was a bit unusual. I set out looking for the dress before I had the ring, officially. I thought it would take FOREVER to find something I liked in a price I was willing to afford, and so, I needed a head start on this whole dress business. I set an appointment with a lovely boutique and went alone on a rainy Saturday. The saleslady was fantastic! She didn't make me feel like I was being cheap or that I had to buy that day. It helped me find the silhouette that I wanted, and I left feeling more comfortable with the idea of buying a dress at a non-mass-retailer than I was originally. Sadly, everything was a bit more expensive than I wanted to spend.

So, another Saturday, this time with a sky full of sunshine, I set out alone to another boutique. This saleslady was not so great, but not rude......until I asked what the rack in the back was.

"Oh, those are dressing we're trying to get rid of. You won't like any of them."

"Mind if I look?"

"Sure."

And the entire time I was back there......she was no where in sight! I found dresses I wanted to try from the dreaded sales rack, and she made someone else put them on me. Someone that can't get a woman into a dress to save her life! I would never have returned to that store if I hadn't found a dress on the sale rack that intrigued me.

I spent the rest of the beautiful, sunny Saturday in June......crying. I couldn't find a single soul to come to the store to give me an opinion on the dress. I couldn't just buy a dress without anyone's help! I'm just not THAT independent! I needed a girlfriend or my mom, and all were indisposed. It just wasn't going to happen that day.

Photo by Mori Lee - the runner-up dress.

Monday, November 23, 2009

The long and short of it


I bought my wedding dress long before reading my first blog. This is important information, because I feel that if I'd starting reading blogs prior to making this major decision, I'd own a different wedding dress. That said, thank the dear Lord that I am totally in love with my dress and have no desire to find a replacement. It's just that......I never even considered that a wedding dress could be SHORT! I'm seeing wedding after beautiful wedding with sassy women in these to-die-for short (usually vintage which makes me ache a little for how I love nostalgic things) dresses, like Meg from A Practical Wedding. I'm 5'2" people! A short dress would have saved me the cost of alterations, because at that height, even if the designer offers the dress in petite it will still be far too long.

This is really just a testament to the fact that weddings have been so etched in my brain as requiring very specific things, and a long dress was one of them. I love my long dress, but a sassy short one would have been truly awesome. It never stood a chance, because for some arbitrary reason, it wasn't on the list of possibilities.

Here's to keeping an open mind for the remaining decision!

Photo from Etsy....which makes me thank my lucky stars that this isn't the ONLY party I'll ever need a nice dress for. Tee-hee.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Rain on my parade


So you know how when you're in love everything seems brighter? Then he asks you for you hand in marriage and you think "wow....life just doesn't get any better than THIS. Nothing can ruin this!" Well, let me save any of you who've thought this a bitter, bitter reality check. Life is still going to remain life. Also, as a teensy-weensy side note, weddings often bring things to the surface that you hoped to simply, oh, never deal with that has needed dealing with for quite some time. That could be family tensions, friendshhip tensions, grudges, estrangements........the list is long and arduous. The long and short of it is: whatever was unpleasant in your life BEFORE that moment will likely remain unpleasant AFTER that moment. Only now, you get the added benefit of having to worry about getting DIY projects done, paying Experts according to whichever schedule they've chosen to use, and lots and lots of emotions.

So be warned if you ever choose the "let's have a wedding" path! Life and the people in it will not change just because it will make you happy and make your wedding a more pleasant event.

But won't you feel a little wiser for having survived it?! Let us hope so. At the very least, I believe strife gives us the opportunity to show the very best in our character and bring us closer to the people we love (you know, that wonderful man that you're about to marry who is suffering through this with you).

Photo from Photobucket.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Road trip!


Today will be a good.....but very long.....day. Today, we are headed south to the Texas Renaissance Festival in Plantersville, TX. That means I get time alone with just my betrothed, some good music, and a notebook for roughly four hours. There will be the travel neccessity of Runts (or Sweettarts in a pinch) and Monster for him and likely granola bars or trail mix and coffee for me. WEE!!!!

The notebook, however, is not part of our normal travel items. I hope to take advantage of being with my love and in a car without a computer or television to distract me to try to draft part of our vows.....old fashion-like with pen and paper instead of word document and keyboard. Sounds inspiring, I think.

I'm also super excited because we've never been to this festival together. So, we get to make all new memories and maybe even a tradition. Who knows?! It's just me and him and the possibilities are endless.

Just as a side note.......we have EXACTLY three months to go! HUZZAH!

Photo captured by my future father-in-law earlier this season of a couple wed at TRF. Yeah, don't think it didn't cross my mind when the planning process started. Hehe.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Friday Treat #1


It’s FRIDAY! And do you know what that means?! Friday Treat! Well, I thought I was being a greedy bugger by not treating those who have been so gracious as to read what I’m driveling on about day after day. Google Analytics says there are a few of you out there reading (and not just me visiting the site), which has me over the moon! You have no idea how flattered I am, and I sincerely hope that you all continue to come back (maybe even let me know if I’m writing about anything of interest?)

So, as your very first Friday Treat, I give you my all-time, hands-down favorite treat beer: Delirium Tremens. There are a few things you can guarantee that I will love: Renaissance festivals (only made better by good friends dressed as “goofy” as I am and good beer in lovely handmade mugs), Irish pubs (again….made better by good friends and lots of Irish beer in tall, frosty pints), and wheat beers (especially the Belgian variety – which make the fact that I am to be wed to someone born in Belgium all the more delightful). Delirium Tremens comes in lovely ceramic-style bottles with a champagne-like cork. They offer it in an individual size and a “sharable” size that is very much akin to champagne. My preference is always for the larger, sharable size……because good beer is always better shared.

I actually have a wonderful memory of when my betrothed and I were still just courting. We picked up the large bottle of Tremens and of its brethren Delirium Nocturnum on the weekend when we had nowhere to be. We headed to my little cabin out in the woods and proceeded to share both bottles while snacking on cheese and crackers and watching the better part of Dexter Season One on disc on my tiny TV on my tiny loveseat with the cats trying to fit on it as well. I think that might have been the start of what we now call “beer and baby time”, and it’s a delightful tradition for us still.

Here’s to the weekend! You can find this lovely treat at most specialty beer-related establishments.

Photo from the Delirium site.

She's got....Personality!


Anyone that has held a wedding, or even thought about it, knows that it takes a lot of helping hands to make it happen. If you aren’t blessed enough to have someone in your friend/family arsenal to cover every task in the manner you want it covered, then you’re going to have to seek outside sources. I find it inevitable that at some point in the wedding planning process, you will need a vendor. Maybe many, many vendors. Vendor is really sort of a cold thing to call them though…..what you need are experts.

I seem to have taken an odd view of my hired experts. I am usually a shrewd shopper. I will comparison shop for days and days and days…..then still not buy! I’m what you might call (dare I say) CHEAP! I prefer frugal or thrifty, but in all honestly, if the shoe fits (see if you can find it on sale before you wear it, obviously). Well, in order to NOT hate the way the wedding turned out, in order to be genuinely happy with all this planning, and for the sake of my sanity, I have tried very hard not to let my cheapness reign. So if price wasn’t the dictating factor for choosing where to spend our well-thought-out wedding funds, what would be? I don’t really know any other way to shop! (Those of you who are shoppers, the non-frugal kind, already know the painfully obvious answer to this, I’m sure.) It’s quality, of course! And since I am dealing with people and services, quality includes personality (to me, at least).

Personality has been my determining factor in each service I’ve contracted for the wedding. I realized this after thinking about the last wedding. The photographer made everyone miserable! All I heard was how wretched she was to my family and guest (funny typo and I’m leaving it. Yes, there was more than one guest, but only barely). Yes, she was highly affordable – almost cheap! – but it wasn’t worth what I saved to have my day marred by complaints.

Determined not to let that happen again, I set out into the great Inter Tubes to find a photographer with skills that matched my taste, prices that I could accept without thinking “oh my God I’m paying what for what?!” all day at my wedding, and a personality that I’d WANT near me on our wedding day. Enter A Love Story Photography.

We met Nichole at a Starbucks in Denton, and I think I flabbergasted her with my lack of interest in her technical knowledge, equipment, or anything actually relating to her photos. Nope, we sat with coffee, and I started a conversation about anything but photography. After all, I’d looked through all her galleries. Her photos spoke for themselves. Why do I need to ask questions that I honestly wouldn’t understand the answer to?? The only reason I wanted to meet with her in person was go gage if we’d get along. And we did! We signed a contract that day without meeting any other photographers. Yep, you read it correctly! The shop-around queen went with the first and only person she met. And I am very happy that I did. Our engagement session is in the books, and I’m stalking my mailbox until the disc of high resolution pics arrives.

I’ll let you in on the engagement shoot and other vendors soon!

Tiny snippets for photos from A Love Story Photography......of us!

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Fall has arrived!


I need to take a moment to praise this time of year! I love the fall. Texas really doesn’t have an awe-inspiring fallscape like the Northern areas of the US does, but the weather really is lovely nonetheless. I love that it’s very cold when we wake up, and I can see my breath. I love that I get to wear knee high boots and sweaters. I embrace the change in climate by making all sorts of warm-your-soul foods like chili, cabbage stew, and Chianti-braised beef ribs. Coffee feels better in my hands, and my cats fight over who gets to snuggle with me (because I’m a natural radiant heater, not because they love me more than they do in the summer). I’m looking forward to it being cool enough for scarves and gloves! (Is anyone surprised we’re honeymooning in Baltimore in February at this point?)

Most Texans do no share my love of the cool weather. They relish the 100+ days that we get for three or four months at a stretch. Not me! I’m a hermit in the summer, trying to find the coolest spot to lie in, just like the kitties. And I know that anyone in the north would say that this weather is still warm. After all, it’s getting into the 60s during the day. I guarantee though, that if you spent three to four months fighting to stay cool in 100+ temps, 60 would feel pretty darn chilly to you as well. My area has its first freezing morning, officially, yesterday. It was fantastic!

Ah…..snuggle weather. In my book, it’s unbeatable.

Photo of my Oli boy taken by my betrothed and sent to work to let me know what I was missing out on over last Christmas break. He gets Christmas breaks. I do not.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

No laughing matter?


Again, I have a word document open and have commenced the vow research. While no nearer to the ideal set of phrases that I seek, I have found things that I DO. NOT. WANT. For example, I am not a fan of death being in the vows. I don’t like to conjure up the image of death, and I think I’d like it even less as part of my promises to my betrothed. It also seems like a free pass, a loophole as it were. That’s an issue I have alone; no one else needs to agree with me on that. Also, I’m all for a little humor. I love inside jokes and puns and being able to laugh at yourself (I laugh at myself daily, even if no one else notices). But this……this is taking something sacred and mocking it. I’m not a fan.

So, here’s to a balance of witty and eloquent while still maintaining the reverence such promises deserve! *Prost!*

Image from Photobucket (you're seeing a trend, rght??)

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

This is my vow


When my uncle graciously accepted as our officiant, he asked what kind of vows we would be exchanging. That seems like a fair question, and I gave what I’d hope to be a fair answer. It went something like this:


Simple, traditional, short vows.”

“Who’s tradition?”

“Who’s? Um, Christianity’s? “

“Well, which denomination? Have you looked?”

“Um……no…..actually I haven’t. I’ll do that. I should be able to get that to you by week’s end.”


I have no clue what possessed me to think that choosing something as important and meaningful as our marriage vows would be either quick or easy. I’ve been reading vows for two days now, and I cannot say that I’ve heard the alarm bell of success nor had that great epiphany moment. At this point, I simply have a word document open on my desktop with random vows from all sorts of denominations, sects, and sources. I hope that somewhere in this jumble of words I will be able to piece together the promises and sentiments that feel right, the ones that will start us on the path to a happy and fulfilled marital relationship. After all, they aren’t just word. They’re promises. To God and to each other. Very, very important promises.

I wish I hadn’t waited so long to look into this……..


Photo from Photobucket.

Monday, November 16, 2009

A few of my favorite things


I tend to focus on things that make me happy. Those are the things that make each day just a little more bearable because you know at the end of the day or at the end of the week, you can count on these little luxuries to be there for you.

Daily favorite things:
Making two cups of coffee and delivering it to the Man Cave before taking my first sip. Walking in the door to be greeted with a kiss and hug before I can even set my purse and keys down (swoon). Making dinner - yeah, I know, sounds like a chore but I find it utterly relaxing. Falling asleep wrapped up in his arms.

Weekly favorite things:
Sunday. Sunday is generally all lounge clothes, coffee, beer, and soothing foods*. It's also him tolerating my football fascination. Yeah, I'm the football fiend in the family, not him. Oh, and the Colts are still undefeated, thank you very much!

*All of those links are suggestions to find such lovely things. That gown is the most comfy thing I've put on in a long while, plus it made me feel sexy instead of frumpy and that's always a perk!

Image courtesy of Photobucket.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Power of community


There have been moments in our wedding planning when I felt very much alone. I detested the feeling. I'd hope that planning this wedding would be a much fuller, richer experience than the last. I'd even hope it would bring me closer to people. Suddenly, during a conversation with one of the lovely ladies standing up for me, I felt alone. She was talking about her wedding and how she had an army of helpers. I have no such army. I have a few hard-working friends and some very dedicated family (and trust me, if I didn't have their support, we would never dream of having a wedding), but not an army.

So, the lingering feeling was that, again, I was doing this all alone. I'd read blogs about how bride's loved ones came together to create the entire affair and how they felt loved.....and feel alone.

Then, this week, my mom stopped by to see what I'd gotten done. She praised it all: every piece, every decision. She promised help with an overwhelming table-covering project. All four of my lovely bridal party got ahold of me this week. Talks of group projects, showers, and dresses ensued. And I finally called my uncle and asked him what seemed like an impossible thing to ask a person. I asked him to serve as our officiant. He said yes so boisterously that I teared up (and missed my exit on the highway).

So, today, I feel a less isolated. I feel like though I might not ever have a full-fledged army, I have a pretty wicked brigade. What more could I ask for? So, thank you all if you're reading this. You came through for me right when I needed you.

Photo from the photography section of Photobucket.

Friday, November 13, 2009

T-minus 100


We are 100 days out from the wedding as of today! After today, we are in the double digits of the countdown and that is oh so sweet. I think it calls for a celebration, yes? At the very least, it deserves a prost!

Prost: to being his Mrs. in just 100 days time! WOOT!

And so this brings me to the issue of celebrations. I love to celebrate things, no matter how large or small. We have a weekly celebration of the weekend. We even treat ourselves every Friday night to something decadent. We call it "Friday treat". This can be anything from rare specialty micro brew, a favorite bottle of wine, a nice smoked block of cheddar, homemade guacamole, or maybe even ice cream. Just something that cannot be properly appreciated during a tiring work work, but can be savored on a Friday evening, alone with my betrothed. We even celebrate our first date. Every month, he takes me on a date to the restaurant where we met and where he later proposed (his idea, not mine, and I swooned when he told me that he'd like to make that a tradition). It's heavenly, and I always look forward to it.

I think the celebrations bring us closer. They also help me focus on the positive. (Which is why I decided to write this about celebrating it ONLY being 100 day out and how happy a thing that is instead of it STILL being 100 days out or "Oh dear Lord, it's a 100 days out and we have ALL THIS left to do. Impossible!". Just saying. Focus on the positive.)

100 days......I can hardly wait.


Photo courtesy of Photobucket.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

You make me feel like dancin'


So, it is a well-known fact among my friends that I LOVE to dance. I will dance sitting down, standing at a bar, on a crowded dance floor, on an empty dance floor (boy did we turn heads that night! But that's another story)......if there is music, I'm in motion. My betrothed is an entirely different creature. You won't catch him so much as tapping his foot. (Occasionally I catch him singing if he thinks no one is around though. Boy do I love that.) I know he has some serious rhythm and coordination though, because he can play Rockband on expert. Try that without rhythm or coordination, I dare ya!

No one danced at my first wedding. It saddens me to this day that no one danced, even though the marriage was an abysmal failure. I had live music (gifted by the best man's band), and no one danced. See, the key to dancing is not music at a wedding. It's joy.

Slowly, I realized that maybe, just maybe, people would dance at our wedding. Really dance. Not bob their heads. BOOGIE DOWN! I hope, at least. I know that when I told one of my best friend that I was to be wed one of the first things he said was "baby girl, I'm going to dance at your wedding". And that IS pure joy.

We're taking dance lessons. Starting tonight. We've never danced together because it isn't his cup of tea. He's taking the lessons though, and will dance with me, because I said it would make me happy. He's a very good man, indeed.

Photo via Photobucket.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Why a wedding?


Elopement was brought up. On more than one occasion, mind you. It even still rears it little head in a joke now and again, when making a decision becomes difficult and trying. But elopement just did not feel right. "Running away" to get married felt distinctively wrong.

So, if you wonder why we're having a wedding instead of simply getting married (which is quicker, cheaper, and a lot less hassle for all involved). Here are some of the reasons that mean the most to me.....and maybe even to him:

For a mother to see her first child wed, hopefully a once-in-a-lifetime event.
For a daughter to see her mother smile with over-whelming joy and approval.
For the butterflies to lift when I see him waiting for me.
For his friends and her friends, his family and her family to celebrate WITH them.
For witnesses to feel connected to this new union.
For commitments to be made surrounded by those we care about most.
For memories that we can share, uniquely ours, for a lifetime.
For traditions that mean something to us (and our moms).
For love.
And a rockin' wedding dress and delicious chocolate brown shoes.Remove Formatting from selection
Are there any other reasons? Sure, but does a wedding need to be justified?

Photo via Photobucket by myDXportal.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Why a blog?


I was admittedly unaware of blogs in their entirety until very recently, when I told my betrothed that I was sick of the malarkey being doled out by the magazines and the big wedding websites. See, I do not feel there is a right and wrong for ALL WEDDING KIND! Just a write and wrong for us, and even then there are some grey areas. The must-do, never-do, oh my goodness what ARE you thinking sort of talk just pushed me over the edge.

Feeling defeated, I proclaimed to my betrothed that there was nothing good to read about weddings. Period. He asked if I'd bothered to read any blogs. Well, there are blog sections on The Schmott. "Those aren't blogs." "Oh?" "No type 'wedding blog' into Google." "Oh my goodness!!! Where to start??"

Thus discovering REAL blogs. By REAL women. What a wondrous thing! How smart and funny are you?? I haven't looked back. (Well, barely. I flip through the big wedding mags, but I've ceased buying them en masse.) I started with the saavy Sara and her oh-so-money saving ways. I read their entire story. Then I moved onto Meg! Oh my goodness, oh do I feel that we would be friends. I literally read her entire blog from beginning to current. I am now in the process of reading all of Peony's blogs from the beginning as well. I felt motivated and inspired after reading about the journeys of these amazing women. I also thought.....how cathartic! Then I read this entry, and it reminded me of exactly why we are holding a wedding. So, I feel I need to try this.

So, here I am, trying to express what it means to be going through the process of throwing a wedding and starting a marriage.....again. After failing so miserably at the first one and often being made to feel that I somehow do not deserve this. But they're wrong. Everyone deserves this. Everyone deserves to be loved and to give love, even after failing. And I am so grateful to be given a chance to do so by such a good man as he.

Image by Ruby Doll Creations on Etsy! Just lovely.

Monday, November 9, 2009

DIY day


Diligently working on DIY projects for the wedding sure is a good way to see a day completely vanish! When else can you find yourself happily scrubbing labels off spent wine bottles thinking "must drink more wine, for wedding's sake!"?

A visit from my mother - though a whirlwind she can be - was also very reassuring. She thinks ALL of my ideas are brilliant, after all. And promised help with an overwhelming table covering project made me breath a huge sigh of relief.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Dry-eyed


The wedding was sweet and traditional. Very enjoyable. They both looked so happy. Honestly, I thought as someone who was engaged to be married, very soon, I would have been very emotional. This was not so. I stayed dry-eyed and very happy throughout the ceremony and reception. Afterward, I became very concerned that this meant that something was wrong with me. Like my tear ducts were broken. I mean, shouldn't someone that is about to be wed (someone that tears up at the very thought of certain aspects that we have planned for our nuptials) cry at someone else's wedding?? My betrothed assured me that it is not a bad sign, but I am not sold. I wonder if this happened to anyone else?

As a side note, GO COLTS. Still undefeated as of today.

And to Mr. & Mrs. J, all the happiness of a wonderful marriage!

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Someone else's walk


Today, we are privileged with a wedding. A friend's wedding. This is the friend that convinced me that my method of meeting men was horribly flawed and raved of his success in Internet dating. I, archaically, thought that Internet dating was a sign that you cannot meet people in the real world. I resisted. And resisted. And, well, you know. Then he met a woman and she became his steady girlfriend. She sounded like a lovely girl. That did it. He can't have a relationship and just leave me desperately single! Fine! Enough! I'll join, but only for three months and only to prove that this. will. not. work! (Hey, I'm a redhead, my mother tells me obstinacy runs in the blood. I'll go with that as my excuse.)

After a weekend, I proclaimed the Internet dating a failure.....to my friend. But I kept looking. Hey, I paid for it. Two weeks later, I had an amazing first date. It turned into a fourth date within a week. On year, eight months, and three weeks later, I am still with that man. And we are to wed in 106 days (not that I'm counting or anything.....at least it's not down to counting minutes yet).

So, it is with much glee that we travel to my friend's wedding today!