Trip To The Altar

I'm Baaack!

2008-11-25T09:59:00.003-06:00

Wedding planning, here I come - AGAIN!

NO! I'm not getting married again, are you nuts!? Have you seen my husband...like hell I'd trade that in! No, no, my sister is getting married! And I get to help being the Maid of Honor and making all things paper again and I am EXCITED!

I hope you'll follow me through this wedding too! I promise it will be on heck of a ride!! Considering there's only 9 months left til the big day!

Congrats Ashley & Ed!

Hello! Sorry For The Delay.

2008-10-03T07:51:00.005-06:00

Hello everyone, sorry for the lack of wedding photos. I do have one more installment - the Reception, but it will not be going up today. I'm currently trying to pack and get out the door to head to Duluth MN to see one of my favorite comedians, Ridney Carrington.

We;ve also had some big news in our home, and if you want to know what it is....you're going to have to jump over to our family's blog:

The Sweeneys

See you Monday with the final set of photos!

Professional Wedding Photos Part 4 The Ceremony

2008-09-29T17:45:00.005-06:00

Part One - The Girls Getting Ready
Part Two - The Groom & Groomsmen
Part Three - The Bride & Bridesmaids

And now for part 4 of the professional wedding photos by Kari Layland, The Ceremony.

Our Church was huge, and the walk down was slanted. Made for an interesting walk down for me in heels....lol. Luckily I had 2 dads to help me down the aisle!

Alex and His Parents

My Mom and Step Dad

My Dad and Step Mom

May Jo, Carl and John

Michelle and Nicky

Will & Lynnea

Jacque and Dan

Matt and Ashley

Anjali & Zach - they were not happy they had to touch! LOL

Alex, looking at me as I walked into sight for the first time.

The organ in this church is so amazing!

Alex tried to put my rings on the wrong way - E-ring then band...

I, on the other hand really screwed up - can you see it in this photo...yeah I'm putting it on the WRONG hand! LOL!

I eventually got it right, after some help from the wedding guests!

My daughter

After Pastor Cindy introduced us, I threw my flowers up and went Woo Hoo!!!

The ever helpful Will, holding someones flowers...cracks me up!

The receiving line, I love this - I'm looking at my Father In Law like...Holy Crap!

My Sister Anjali, starting the rest of the guests blowing bubbles

The kids were just so cute!

Stay tuned for the last installment, the reception and the little decoration details! Tomorrow!

Wedding Items For Sale - Update

2008-09-28T14:31:00.003-06:00

All wedding items I had listed that did not sell, are now listed on eBay.

The auctions will end 3 days from today, items that don't sell then - I will re-list or sell to any interested party that makes a fair offer. Follow Links Below to find current auctions.

Beautiful Round Crystal Tiara/Headband - starting bid $10.99

White Fingertip Veil with Satin Trim & Tri-Peal Clusters - starting bid $10.99

Flower Girl Crinoline/Petticoat - starting bid $4.99

Brand New, Never Opened Lenox 8x10 Forevermore Frame - starting bid $9.99

Brand New Wedding Photo Album - starting bid $4.99

23 7 inch Large Centerpiece Candle Holders - starting bid $12.99

61 Large Votive Holders - starting bid $9.99

65 Rose Quartz Stardream 6.25 x 6.25 envelopes - starting bid $6.99

63 10 Hour Tear Light Holders - starting bid $15.99

Size 6 New With Tags Unalrtered, Custom Design Wedding Dress - starting bid $75
FREE SHIPPING

Wedding Photos PART 3 The Bride & Bridesmaids

2008-09-28T13:25:00.005-06:00

Part One - The Girls Getting Ready
Part Two - The Guys

And now let's start the third installment, The Bride & Bridesmaids..

I'm beginning to wish I would have waited for the disc of photos to put this up, because due to the quality of the thumbnails I'm using, they appear a little pixalated, which makes my teeth look a little funny and other small details kinda...odd. So for the record, I'm not really odd looking...I just act odd ;-)

The End..hehehe - for now...more tomorrow

Professional Wedding Pics Part 2 The Guys

2008-09-27T11:01:00.026-06:00

Check out Part 1: The Girls Getting Ready

**Please remember to become a Follower of my blog by clicking the "Follow This Blog" link on the top left of the page! THANK YOU! I'm beginning to look pretty lame with only 1 fan! ;-)**

Sorry everyone! I skipped a day, yesterday got away from me before I even knew it. Here's the second installment of the wonderful photos taken by Kari Layland This time we're doing some of the guys getting ready, and then some of their group shots as well!

Alex Getting is Day of GIft, and my daughter trying to sneak a peek...lol

Showing my gift to my sister - He Went To Jared!

Yes, they are pretending to go pee on the trees! LOL. My FIL's Idea!
Alex took a picture with each wedding party member individually, with each he did a serious and a funny, here's a few of may favorites! It's one or the the other, because I didn't want this to get too long - but all the members are here!

Alex & His Father

Alex & My Father...LOL. This is some goofy ass dance move he invented. It's quite funny in person!
Al and my Step Father
With the Best Man, his brother Matt
Alex & Will
Alex & Nicky
Alex & Camera Dan (Check out his blog, Life of Camera Dan)
Alex with John
Alex & Carl, his Brother-In-Law
Alex and Cameron, his nephew and a bonus shot of Cameron, because it's so cute!
My only regret is that we didn't get any photos with my biological son Zach with the guys :-( He showed up a little late.

See you tomorrow with more photos! Again don't forget to become a fan of this, and my other blogs by clicking the link "Follow My Blog" on the top right column on my blogs!

Professional Wedding Photos Part 1 Girls Getting Ready

2008-09-25T12:20:00.019-06:00

The girls got ready at The Mane Tease located in White Bear Lake (651-429-7588). Kelly and Cheryl were amazing, it's like hanging out with the cool people in your family when your there! Their prices are amazing, it was $50.00 per girl, ANY style they wanted!

The wonderful Irma Markoe from Salon 4862 did everyones make up at the great price of $30.00 each girl - I paid for this as part of their gift. She has a great line of her own called Color Me Pretty, and it is amazing! Check it out if you get the chance to stop into Salon 4862.

The ever beautiful Kelly working on my hair

Irma working on Lynnea
Cheryl, owner of The Mane Tease working on Michelle's Hair
Paige's finished Hair
Lynnea's Husband Greg, was one of the drivers bringing the girls to the church..and was also entertainment for my daughter Paige.

In order to achieve my sisters chosen look, first they had to do this...LOL!
My Bridesmaides, Lynnea helping Jacque with her toes :-) Pedi anyone?

I guess most my girls needed their hair ratted out to complete their looks :-)Getting "Gartered" by Jacque. The garter is hand made by our danish friend Gitte

The Resourceful Day Of Coordinator...had me use the cardboard bust that my dress hung on to cover my face while I got sprayed down, so as not to ruin the makeup!
Getting Dressed, again with Jacque.

Happy Dance

The key phrase of the day "Read My Underwear!" this is only one of a dozen times I flipped up the dress for someone to see the custom made "Amber & Alex 8-23-08" undies I had made...hehehe

All photo credit and copyright held by www.kariphotography.com

TTD Day!

2008-09-25T06:28:00.002-06:00

It's Trash The Dress day! I am SO excited! Mr S is leaving work a bit early to meet me and our photographer at my moms house, she lives in northern Stillwater, with a lot of fields and what not. After we shoot some stuff there we're heading to what is known as the "Boom Site" here. It's on the St Croix River, with beautiful sandstone cliffs, the water, the greenery....oooh I can't wait!

She's not quite finished with the wedding pics yet, but when I have them back I will put them up! Until then I'm off to TTD!

The Thank You Card

2008-09-23T11:33:00.003-06:00

FINALLY!

I managed to get the thank you cards made and ordered. I was waiting on a few shots from my photographer, who's totally swamped with work right now - so I'm just happy to have them done and to have such a great photographer to go along with my insane requests.

The wording on the card reads:

"A loving note can barely express how you have added to our happiness.
We would like to send our sincerest thanks for your thoughts, your prayers, your wonderful gifts and your presence in our lives.
The Sweeneys"

I'm beginning to make holiday cards already so let me know if you need anything! I charge $35 per photo card design. E-mail me for details and with questions!

WOW!

2008-09-17T06:31:00.002-06:00

The post wedding stuff is over, just about everything that can be for sale is...it's time for a new blog I think! I've been putting it off because my desktop monitor isn't working and I had to hook up a really old one, with really bad color - and needless to say....it's hard to even make a header for a blog!

I'll put up the new link here as soon as I have have it. Until then, keep me in mind for wedding invitation design, photo cards for all occasions and get all this wedding stuff off my hands!!! :-)

PS if you're looking for a cheap and brand new wedding dress - go here:

Click Here for $89.00 Brand New Custom Made Wedding Dress New With Tags!

Thank You, Thank You....

2008-09-10T07:54:00.008-06:00

I'm horrible. I haven't even started my thank you cards. It's odd for me, normally I'm writing them out about 60 seconds after I get the gift! It's not for lack of thank you cards, if you'll remember I made and ordered several dozen a few months back. It's more because....well I just don't like them anymore.....and being as photo oriented as I am I really want to send a photo thank you out.

So Alex and I discussed it and we're going to make some new ones. It's not like the other folded cards we have won't get used, they will over the years I know. The only issue now - picking a design I like and of course waiting to get the final photos from the photographer who has already worked harder and faster then anyone I know to get me my sneak peek.

I just hope that if it takes another few weeks to get it all said and done and mailed that I won't seem rude for not having sent them out sooner. I don't even know the etiquette on this one? Anyone know???

Here's a few I have found that I like so far.....sans photo of Alex and I - obviously.

Image and design credit: www.photocarddesigns.com

Image and design credit: www.photocarddesigns.com

Image and Design credit: www.lilduckduck.com

Photo and Design credt: www.photoaffections.com and thencomesmarriage.com

The last one I would alter to say Thank You of course.

It just seems so wrong not to share the photo memories of the day with those who traveled from near and far to share in our day. And of course do some shamless promoting for my good friend and awesome photographer Kari Layland.
I will of course make them myslef with some inspiration from these amazing cards..I'll keep you updated on what I end up making when I get the amazing photos back from Kari.

No Ordinary Cake!

2008-09-07T08:17:00.006-06:00

As you might know from previous posts, I'm a bit obsessed with a show on Food Network called Ace of Cakes. For those of you who don't know, it's a reality show where they follow the shop owner, Duff Goldmen and his staff at Charm City Cakes to see what it takes to make some of the countries most interesting and amazing cakes.

The show is based in Baltimore (thanks for the correction "L", no more blogging before coffee for me), which you may notice isn't exactly near Minnesota...so needless to say when it came time for look at wedding cakes and grooms cakes, I had to write the fine people at Charm City Cakes off my list.

I searched and searched for a place in Minnesota that would make me something unique, but after a month of looking I realized no one was going to step out of the cake pan for me.

Until one day, completely by accident I come across a website for a gal based in Minnesota who makes unique and amazing themed cakes! Miss Sara of Miss Sara's Cakery I was thrilled and wasted no time in placing my order for Alex's SURPRISE grooms cake, to be delivered to him on the night of the rehearsal dinner.

The cake was a recreation of a pond he used to fish at in England, with him sitting on the bank. A plate of food sits next to him as he would never come home for dinner, his mother would bring it to him with. The main part of the cake is a HUGE carp, to represent the amazingly sized 19.5 carp he caught at the age of 11.

I had no idea what this would look like until it showed up, and I was so in love with it I almost didn't want to eat it!!! Alex loved it as well, and to look on his face was priceless!!

If you are in the Minnesota/Wisconsin area and are looking for great unique cake for ANY occasion - call Miss Sara! I highly recommend her shop and will certainly be going back myself!!!

A Beautiful Video

2008-09-05T07:51:00.006-06:00

The second best decision I made in life, next to marrying Alex of course, has having a videographer at the wedding to capture everything. I had heard over and over that it was the best investment anyone made, and those who hadn't were upset they didn't.

I found the BEST videographer in the cities, Jeff Achen! He was professional, fun, had a great eye for what needed to be caught, and when the time came that we felt we couldn't afford him, he actually took our budget and made us a package!! He said he believed this is something everyone deserves to have, and for him it's not as much about the money as it is about capturing the memories. He is HIGHLY recommended by our whole family!!!

He provided us with a music video, a highlight of the day mostly. The ceremony and the reception - and it's so fun to be able to watch it, I actually feel like I was there now...hahha.

Here's the wedding music video, it's set to generic music for the web but I have a much nicer song on my actual DVD, he just had to do it this way for copyright reasons since it's published to the web. You might want to let it load and run through once, then it won't be so choppy - all the technology in the world and videos still take forever to load on the net! LOL

Amber & Alex @ Yahoo! Video

Back To Reality/ Professional Wedding Photos

2008-09-03T09:28:00.002-06:00

The strangest thing happened this morning. I woke up and someone stole the ocean and my room service...not to mention it's not hot enough to fog up my sunglasses when I walk outside :-(

Well I guess that means we're home from the honeymoon. I must admit is is nice to watch tv and understand what they are saying with out sub titles. But having to get back to reality is a bit odd.

In honor of our return I thought I would share some professional wedding photos taking by the amazing Kari Layland

These are just as sneek peek:

To see these and others, please visit www.kariphotography.com and click her "Blog" link. Scroll a bit and you will find 2 blogs about our wedding.

Gustav!

2008-08-31T09:15:00.006-06:00

I'm skipping a few days, and jumping to yesterday - I'll back track again don't worry.

We didn't get hit with Gustav, but we got some really cool weather here because of him moving towards Cuba! The wind was so cool and the waves were huge, but pretty far out due to a sand bar about a 1/4 mile off shore. We got a little rain, a sprinkle really and it wasn't enough to get us out of the pool! ;-)

The only really bad part of yesterday was the fact I managed to get stung by a bee! YEOUCH! Luckily I was chatting with a great older couple and they realized the stinger was still stuck in my side and helped me get it out. I was a bit panicked...go figure...me panicked....lol.

Here's some shots of the waves and what not. It really was very cool!!!! The photos don't do it as much justice as I had hoped, the wind was about 40 + miles and the waves that actually did reach the shore still knocked you over, even while sitting as you will see in the video...

Honeymoon Day 2 - A Day of Firsts

2008-08-29T16:55:00.010-06:00

I'm a bit of a few days behind....obviously I've been here more then two days but I can only upload so fast.

Day 2 was a day of firsts for me, I ate lobster (if you know me you know that me + seafood = ICK!) I had my first Cuban Cigar, sat at my first swim up bar and I learned to play chess on a huge game board....here's a few pictures.

I have to admit, the lobster was GREAT!

Swim Up Bar

Big Chess Board - the largest pieces weighed about 20lbs! Made for an interesting game, after drinking all day long!

Yes, I know I'm holding it wrong!
And just so you can see a little more of the resort - here's the spa you can swim up to, we will be getting massages on Saturday, and a few other places as well :-)

Here's the stairs that lead down from the main lobby, at the bottom you find The Martini Bar
That's all for now, we have a romantic private dinner on the beach tonight! :-)

Honeymoon Part 1

2008-08-27T14:28:00.012-06:00

The flight was scary - but only because I hate to fly. It was well worth it though to get here! Here's a few pics that we took yesterday, our first day here at Excellence Rivera Cancun!

View of room from bathroom

Swan Towels on Bed
Our OUTSIDE Tub!
Our Free Bar (part of it) The guy who brought us to our room said:
"This free, you drink it tonight, we replace tomorrow for you!"
Sweet!
My First Time In the Ocean!
Banner on our Door

One of the 16 some odd buildings here and one of the 10 pools
Okay thats it for now, we're heading to the Cigar Bar, then to a magic show and then to more drinking! Woo Hoo! I love Cancun!!!!

I Can't Believe It's Come and Gone

2008-08-24T20:23:00.012-06:00

Wow - it went by SO fast! I rmember the end of the night coming and having our last dance and wondering where the night went. It was the most amazing wedding, the most perfect day I have ever asked for!

My favorite part of the reception was my Father in Law requesting a song called "Welcome to Our World" and being surrounded by all his family and friends - singing along. I cried and cried!

It's not to say that the slideshow my aunt made wasn't to the most perfect and loved filled gift I could have ever gotten, or the dances with my 2 fathers were not beautiful amazing moments either...

I don't have any of the pro pics yet obviously but here's a few from through out the day...Enjoy!

My Step Mother, Myself, my Mom and my Mother In Law
My Beautiful Daughter, my Flower Girl

The Tables All Set to Go

My Bridesmaids

First Dance

Cake Fight!

I will get up more as soon as I can. Tomorrow I am spending time with my daughter before we leave on the 26th at 7 am for our Honeymoon! I'm taking the lap top and will get up photos possibly while there as well!!!

I'M MARRIED!

2008-08-24T09:22:00.002-06:00

I don't have much time to write, as I have to pack up and run to the gift opening but I wand to tell everyone how amazing yesterday was!

I was fine until about 15 minutes until I had to walk down the aisle. Then I began to get a bit nervous, but once I was at the front of the church it was fine. I did try to put the ring on the wrong finger though, it was so funny!

The limo, pictures, my coordinator and he reception was fantastic. I had a blast! I can't wait to share pictures so stay tuned!!!! I hope to have some from my camera up tonight! The professional ones will have to wait until after the honeymoon though :-(

Until later!!!

Mrs S.

Todays The Big Day!

2008-08-23T06:13:00.003-06:00

Sorry to be MIA the past two days! I had the rehearsal diner/luau on the 21st and it went great! Then I had a million things to run around and do yesterday with 2 of my bridesmaids - including set p the reception hall! And of course, todays the big day!

I stayed at the hotel last night and Mr S stayed with his parents. I had an early night - though a few friends really couldn't understand why I didn't want to hit the bar and stay up to drink?

So I'm getting ready now to head to the salon, and the next time to hear from me I will be Mrs. S!

Saved!

2008-08-21T07:27:00.004-06:00

Yesterday was a whirl wind of panic as I ran around the house trying to finish up all the things I knew were left to do, and actually had to be done. I believe I almost hyperventilated!

Thank GOD for my bridesmaid Lynnea who arrived from Montana and saved the day by bringing 2 of her wonderful kids and her husband over to help. We started an assembly line and got the programs done in no time. I don't know why I thought I could have done this alone and finished in a decent time!

Half way through, Logan went to play with my daughter Paige which was a bigger help then you can understand. The guys took to playing the Wii after a while but Lynnea and I only had a few little things left to do and it was no big deal!

After everything was done we went out back to relax a bit, where I got thrown in the hot tub in my clothes by her son Tyler. I never laughed so hard in my life and it was exactly what I needed to help keep me in a good mood the rest of the day!

Here's the finished programs:

I also got the frame for the seating chart spray painted as well as some extra frames and easels for the memory table. I haven't gotten all the photos I wanted for it, but it will do for now I suppose.

And now I'm off for a few to get the other last minute things done and to get ready for the rehearsal that is at 3 pm!

Bridezilla Meets Momzilla

2008-08-20T10:07:00.004-06:00

I did something last night I vowed to never do during the course of my wedding planning - I watched WE TV's Bridezilla.

Now I know that they make thing seem worse then they really are, because that's what gets ratings but the one I watched made me so sick to my stomach that I had to try not to track this girl down and scream at her!

I watched episode 10, with a gal named Kristen in it. Typical wedding day stuff, she was always running behind, freaked out because her 5 year old nephew got lost and no one was paying attention to her....whatever.

The bit that got me, and I wish I could have found the clip for you, is when she's in the car going to her rehearsal. Her 2 year old is sitting next to her in the back seat and every other word out of her mouth is the F-Bomb. She swore more in a 2 minute clip then a sailor after a bottle of gin!

Was she just that horrible of a parent that she could have cared less her impressionable child was sitting next to her? Aside from her filthy dirty, trashed house, obnoxious mother and other things, she was slowly teaching her daughter the fine art of Trailer Trash Speak 101. I spent most my time cringing and hoping that it would over soon.

That woman needs some serious parenting help. Obviously what ever she learned from her mother was WRONG! People agravate me! I just had to vent about this one....

Not Funny!

2008-08-20T10:02:00.003-06:00

So my bridesmaid from Montana arrived in town today and called to say hello. She said

"I have something really funny you're going to laugh at, I forgot my dress at home"

I stopped breathing!

I think my silence scared her and she said "OMG I'm just kidding! I have it I'm sorry!"

It's funny now but man did I panic for a second....she's lucky I love her so much...hehehe

Hello Crazy...Where've You Been?

2008-08-19T20:53:00.002-06:00

It's official, I have had my first, of what I can only imagine is many meltdowns. I can't say that I didn't see it coming, I mean even after dropping back to 50 mg of Zoloft from the 100mg I was taking for a week or so, I have still been much to laid back about things.

It's just before 10 pm, and I've been in bed since 8pm. My stomach sick, my head swirling and my nerves shaking. The phone rang and Mr S came in to let me know my God Mother was wondering if I was still taking my biological son to get a hair cut tomorrow. I think that mixed with the notice of groomsmen not being able to make it to the rehearsal because of his profession, which I can understand - set me clear off my rocker. Suddenly the stress flowed in, tears flowed out and I was desperate to just sleep the whole night with out being woken up by my mind.

I've taken to my Adavan, prescribed by the doctor for stress on the wedding day and the flight, I resorted to them now for just one night of total sleep. I'm tired, I'm stressed out and I've been rather proud of not freaking out before now over something stupid. I guess I wasn't actually handling, rather putting off. And I know everything will be fine I think I needed to get this out of my system and get a good nights sleep.

It's supposed to be the greatest day of my life, why does it come with so much damn stress!?

Make-up Trial

2008-08-19T19:13:00.003-06:00

The make up trial went well, I really like the girl who's doing it! Irma is a blast! And contrary to what age you might think she is based on her name, she is actually 27, very pretty and so much fun to talk to!!!

I chose to go with a smokey look for my eyes to make them pop. I tend to feel like my eyes "fade away" no matter how much makeup I have on. I considered have fake eyelashes, and might still the day of, but as of now it's looking great!

I'm sorry I don't have any pictures, I didn't exactly have a great hair day so I opted not to take any...lol.

I'm not feeling the best today. My stomach feels like it's doing backflips continually. I'm actually planning to lie in bed now and relax. The programs still need to get done, but honestly right now I'm so emotionally exhausted, putting it off is no big deal to me right now...

Tomorrow marks 3 days. It's so surreal.

Hair Trial

2008-08-18T19:59:00.003-06:00

You'd think I could function a computer by now....no. I screwed something up between the camera and the computer and only managed to get one photo of my hair trial successfully transfered. Ugh!

It's a bit ok because we're altering the actual hair do. Less "poof" on the top and more down on the sides. I thought I would give you a sneak peek of what it's kinda going to look like...here it is :-)

I can't believe I mucked up putting the pictures on the computer...grrr! O-well I'm getting 3-4 blogs done a day because I'm in total need of an outlet!

Tomorrow marks 4 days. OMG 4 days! Breathe in, breathe out......repeat!

Weather Stalking - Cont.

2008-08-18T19:02:00.002-06:00

Well I'm still doing it, obsessively looking at the weather web sites to see that pretty little cartoon sun on my wedding day's forecast. 4 days and some odd hours to go and things are looking up:

The funniest thing, is I just ran upstairs to grab my cell phone and as I passed Mr S' laptop sitting open on the couch I noticed that he had the same website open to the same weather page!

Fingers still crossed that thunder storm doesn't show up during our luau or wedding!

4 am

2008-08-18T13:16:00.005-06:00

Something strange has been happening. Every night (or early morning I suppose I should say) I have woken up at EXACTLY 4 o'clock in the morning.

I have no idea why, I'm sleeping well although my dreams have been odd....

This has happened 4 nights in a row....any insight?

Wedding Week

2008-08-18T09:03:00.003-06:00

I'm sorry I haven't posted anything really helpful lately. My DIY's are mostly done but you have the finished programs to look forward too and the seating chart board that I made. I have yet to spray paint the frame thats around it, I plan to have Mr S do that tonight.

Thing have been crazy busy, most people have wedding weekends and I have a wedding week! Saturday we went on a boat ride with 30 friends all of which are coming to the wedding. We spent the day on the lake!

Yesterday my biological son arrived with his adoptive parents, and I went to my moms for dinner and drinks to celebrate their arrival.

My house is trashed and I have more laundry to do then you can imagine. This week is going to go by fast and hopefully I can get it all done. I want to have all the clothes for the honeymoon clean and set to the side for my trip no later then Friday. This way, the day or so I get to spend with my daughter between the wedding and the honeymoon I can focus on playing with her and not cleaning.

And so it begins. Here we go. Man, this year has flown by!

Let The Stalking Begin

2008-08-14T20:15:00.005-06:00

Mr S. is obsessed with weather. You know the type, you're running away from the tornado and he's trying to see how close he can get with out pissing his pants. Yeah, that's him.

Maybe it's the fact that at least 12 times a day he checks the weather, either via his blackberry or laptop that I decided 8 months ago I needed to know what the weather on our wedding was like in the past. It was not a good idea, with how I tend to panic. My checking that, is pretty much the same thing as me jumping off a 10 story building, just to see if it hurt when I hit the ground.

Basically, to sum it up, it has rained on our wedding date every year for the past 5 years. Needless to say I have been waiting for the ability to check the 10 day forecast for quite sometime.

Remember the "jumping off a building" analogy? Yea, I just took a flying leap.

Here's the weather forecast for the wedding day and my outdoor luau rehearsal dinner which is on the 21st.

Now, I know. Weather people are often wrong. And just because it says scattered doesn't mean that it will be all day, in fact it could only rain in the early morning hours. And I wish that knowing that in my heart of hearts calmed me a little. But it doesn't. Not even a little.

Needless to say, I will be stalking the weather website every day, several times a day. And praying as hard as I can that I have a bright sunny beautiful day! I don't know what I will do if I have to take all my wedding pictures inside.

I don't care if they say that rain on your wedding day is good luck. I'm convinced that's something a wedding planner came up with at one point to calm down a panicking bride to be! It's crap!

Get It Together!

2008-08-14T18:31:00.007-06:00

I was sitting with Paige this afternoon, watching something or other on Disney Channel, when the phone rang. The caller ID said it was the church and figuring they were calling to go over last minute details I answered.

It was the Wedding Coordinator for the church curious as to where we were, because it was 3 and our rehearsal was starting and we weren't there. Dumbfounded, I asked her what she was talking about, our rehearsal is on the 21st at 3, not the 14th at 3.

She said her paper work indicated that this was the day that we requested, and I explained that it was the FIRST day we requested but due to out of town and out of country participants in the wedding it was impossible and we changed it. I even have the paper work to back it up.

She looked over her calendar and said "Okay well the 21st isn't going to be a problem" Damn skippy there's no problem! Had she told me we couldn't do it now I think I would have went Bride-zilla on her!

This isn't the first time she's made a mistake. Last month she try to charge us the remaining $800 for the church fee -AGAIN! Thankfully I had the receipt and the paperwork to prove that as well.

To be honest I can totally see why she screws up so much, first of of all she's like 70 and I don't discriminate against the elderly at all - but if you have a job and a really important one at that....ugh! And she's only in the office for 2 days a week for 2 hours at a time....

I'm laughing about this now, only because it worked out.

A Little Too Calm

2008-08-13T17:51:00.006-06:00

You know me, I'm a nut case. All the time. Running around, multi-tasking in only a way that I can. But lately, it hasn't been that way. I've been calm. Very calm.

I've heard about 75 times in 2 days "Are you getting excited about the wedding?", and the sound in their voice when they hear my response is of pure disappointment. Don't get me wrong, I am VERY excited. VERY VERY! It's just not flowing out of me in my normal, bubbly and sometimes annoying way.

Gifts are arriving, the dress is done, hell even guests are starting to arrive. Yes, this early - the ones from out of the country who are making a trip of it and all. I should be jumping up and down and in constant lunatic mode all day. But I'm not.

Is there something wrong with me? Is this the calm before the storm? Or am I just totally exhausted of a year of planning this wedding that I'm finally running on empty? Whatever it is is very strange to me indeed.

Now, I won't be stupid and not say that the Zoloft isn't a key role in this whole thing. It's definitely leveled out the chaos in my head. And it's not to say that I would rather be a raging freak show, barking direction at everyone and going from happy to sad 457 times a day either. Who would? It's just weird.

I'm really hoping that the overly happy comes out soon before people start to think I don't want to get married. And, though helpful I will stop taking the Zoloft a few weeks after the wedding. I like being calm but I also miss being a nut case ;-)

Until then I will remain a QUIETLY happy and medicated bride :-)

And On The Doorstep She Found...

2008-08-13T14:39:00.006-06:00

ANOTHER WEDDING GIFT!

During my lazy day with my daughter I heard the screen door to the breezeway close. Knowing it was much to early for Mr S to be home, I figured it was a gift, or I hoped it was anyway ;-)

The UPS truck was just pulling away when I got there and found a rather large box. Totally excited I hauled it into the kitchen and ripped it open like a kid on Christmas.

Inside I found a large blue bag tied with a lime green ribbon

The card attached was simple and to the point, and had no name as to who it was from:

And inside the bag was this:

It's a combo 2 CD player and and iHome in one! I'm super excited! I had to go and see who it from, so that I can send a thank you card, it turned out to be from Mr. S' Brother! What a nut, why wouldn't he put his name on any of the info in the box!

U-G-L-Y You Ain't Got No Alibi!

2008-08-12T17:18:00.007-06:00

I'm not having a bachlorette party. GASP! Right? Not really.

I don't do the crowded bar with over priced watered down drinks thing, or squeezing into my old clubbing clothes. It's not that I don't like them or think that they aren't fun. I'm just not doing it because it's not me, where I'm at in my life.

However; at one point, back before I was actually engaged or even considering marriage I did have a really great idea, I swore I would do when it was turn for my Bachlorette party.

I wanted to have a totally bad prom dress themed bachlorette party! Swing into Goodwill or hit up eBay, grab the most outdated or totally ugly dress, accessorize the part and hit the bars!

My reason was because in high school I never got to go to prom for one reason or another. So I was determined that my wedding would make up for the 4 missed proms and to kick it all off, dress up in other peoples discarded fashion disasters!

In honor of my, never used yet brilliant idea here is a collection of the ugliest dresses I could find.

The Hello Kitty Dress

The Red Disaster!
Not Everything Pink is Cute

And last but not least The Green Monster

To see these and other ugly dresses please vists www.uglydress.com
Please credit UglyDress.com for having the time, patience and stomach to gather all these dresses into one place!

Last Minute Stresses...

2008-08-12T11:29:00.002-06:00

11 days out from them wedding, and for the most part everything wedding related is taken care of. My programs are not yet printed and I have to order the sand for the sand ceremony. Aside from that the only thing that's really getting under my skin is the guest list....

I had all the RSVP's in, or not heard from phone, e-mail, myspace or heck even smoke signal if the remaining few were attending. It stands to reason that more then likely they would not be. So I sent in final numbers, and did my seating chart, the chart board for the reception, and all that jazz.

Then guess what happens, just guess....oh yea I get an e-mail telling me that I had missed several phone calls (which I didn't mind you) as this guest was ever so hard trying to get a hold of me....yeah right. So now, since he is coming and wants to being an undisclosed guest - which I'm not happy about as I need a name for the place card and seating chart. So I have to re-do EVERYTHING! The bit of the seating chart that will be effected by moving people around, call the venue, add more meals.

UGH! I'm so irritated. And of course the guest isn't responding to my e-ails again. I half tempted not to change anything and let him suffer....lol.

Vendor Reviews Part 1

2008-08-11T19:30:00.006-06:00

As I've had so many vendors so far I want to get this vendor list started for everyone!!!

I'm giving a grade to each vendor based on my experience and MY experience alone This is simply my opinion and I am not intending on "slamming" anyone, simply giving honest information based on my use of the vendors listed:

A/A+ = Exceeds Expectations
B = Great
C = Average and/or information unavailable as it wasn't needed
D = Not was expecting/Poor
F = Not recommenced by me and my experience

Candles for all items at wedding:

Candles For Less
Awesome customer serviced and fast shipping! When my box of candles was going to be late, they called, apologized gave me an exact date and even makrked my wedding date down ao as not to miss it if something happened!
BEST DEAL: 72 votives with candles for $36.99

A+ Customer Service rating
A+ Product Quality
A+ Price

Accessories for reception (toasting flutes, cake topper, cake cutting set, personalized napkins)

Exclusively Wedding
Ordered everything online. Website was very easy to use and navigate. Shipping is regular - not super fast, but also not incredibly slow. Replaced 2 mugs with scratched etching on them with no questions or return needed.
BEST DEAL: Toasting Flutes - $39.99 a set (yes they come cheaper other places, but I couldn't find these anywhere else)

A Customer Service
A Product Quality
B Price

Accessories for Reception (cont.) (bird cage for cards, glass bowl for guest book)

Save-On-Crafts
Possibly one of my favorite places to shop online for crafty things! Awesome selection at amazing prices! You may need to have a little DIY Diva in you to create - but it's worth a look and I highly recommend them!
BEST DEAL I FOUND: Bird cage for the cards for only $11.99

A+ Customer Service
A + Product Quality
A+ Price

Black 6x6 Pocketfolds for Invitations

LCI Paper

Great quality product, met all my expectations. Sturdy and beautiful. After looking around more after buying items I found cheaper pocket folds at www.CardsandPockets.com

A+ Customer Service
A+ Product Quality
C/B Price

Stardream Paper for Invitations (Rose Quartz)

Envelope Mall
Great website - easy to understand and navigate. Shipping was quick and packaged properly with no damage upon arrival. As far as price, I have not been able to find Stardream paper cheaper anywhere else in store or on the internet!

A Customer Service
A+ Product Quality
A+ Price

Stardream Paper for Invitations (cont.) (Crystal)

Paper Depot
A Minneapolis based shop that carries all the Stardream line, was the only place I could find that actually sold the Crystal color, the whitest of the line. I had to order form them and though they had major shipping prices on the samples I ordered, in the end trying to drive there with the 35W bridge being down - it was worth it to save the stress and gas.

A+ Customer Sservice (store and web site)
A+ Product Quality
B Price

Favors

The Knot
A popular wedding site, I managed to find the best deal on the "Love" coasters that I wanted at $1.99 for set of 4. Now I must note that they were on special at the time so don't expect this item at that price all the time.
I broke them down to 1 per person and packed them in organza bags (see below)

C = Customer Service (never needed it, no opinion)
A = Product Quality
A+ = Price

Favors (cont.) Organza bags and Acrylic Ice Crystals for Centerpiece

efavorMart
By far the best price anywhere for these! Packs of 10 for $2.49! Website is great and very easily manageable. The crystals reall add a lot to my centerpiece! Love them!

C = Customer Service (never needed it/no opinion)
A+ = Product Quality
A+ = Price

All right, thats' all for now - I will add more as I have them!

Travel Agent Update

2008-08-11T17:48:00.002-06:00

After exchanging many e-mails today that really got me nowhere at all, I finally was able to decipher what it was exactly that I was getting.

Her first e-mail, the one that sparked my whole previous rant went like this:

Hi Amber,

Your travel documents are ready for your pick up. We are open until 6pm on Monday and Thursday. Five pm on tuesday, wed and friday.

Obviously from that I gathered that my travel documents ( which I was told that I already have) would be ready....duh, right?

So I then asked her if she could mail whatever it was to me so that I didn't need to go in, and to clarify what exactly it was that I was picking up.

Her only response was that she would mail them. Didn't bother to answer the other question.

When I again sent the question via-e-mail she finally sent this to me:

Amber,

You received a nice leather bound travel document holder for your honeymoon from NW World vacations. I can put it in the mail if you want.

Now would you kindly explain how I was supposed to gather from that first e-mail there were no actual documents there for me, but a leather travel case? Seriously, I am the only one who managed to miss it, or is it really that she's just that crazy?

The Terrible Travel Agent Strikes Again!

2008-08-11T08:36:00.002-06:00

Seems that the closer to the wedding we get the faster little things are going wrong. Like the DJ not responding to me yet, and now my stupid travel agent!

You might remember me venting here or on Wedding Bee (if you visit there) about the agent from hell who was so terrible at her job that I wanted to scream! Friendly, upfront and informative is what I got until I announced that we were booking our trip and then once the commission bells went off in her head, it was bye bye customer service.

To recap - the first thinng she did was totally mangle the terms of our travel insurance, so much so that we thought we were covered to get back 100% should anything come up that we needed to cancel. Yeah that was totally wrong! 50% back IF we are ON the honeymoon and have to go home. Yeah, it's her job to know this...and this is what I get.

So anyway, I called them a few months back asking for a receipt that showed everything was paid. They said they don't send them, the ones they send look like invoices and then the "just know" it's paid off. Unhappy with that, as any normal person would be I asked if they could just make one up for me and they said sure. Did I ever get it - no.

Then I asked them where our tickets were and how I would go about getting them. I was informed that all I needed was the info they mailed me, to present it at the airport and my tickets would be there. I don't travel much anymore, and when I did I was young so my dad took care of it all. Not to mention that I never have used a travel agent in my life! Needless to say this made sense to me and I planned to do what she said even though my paper work looked like nothing more then an itinerary to me.

Just now, in my e-mail I get a letter from her saying that my travel documents were ready to be picked up. WTF!?

Okay, I'm busy so I asked if whatever this is if it could be mailed to me. I'm sure I can take a few minutes to run there but I think that if I see her in person I might scream at her and cause a scene.

I can not for the life of me figure this lady out. Ugh! How does she even keep her job with all the mess ups. I mean getting an e-mail that I needed to pick something up is better then her totally forgetting, but how hard is it to answer simple, normal every day questions related to your job?

ARGH!

Where's The Music....

2008-08-10T10:53:00.003-06:00

I'm waiting to hear from my DJ. Yes, I know that my wedding is in 13 days, hence why I'm a bit worried.

I talked to them a month ago and was assured that they just tend not to assign a specific DJ until a month before the wedding, and that they would go anywhere and meet me at a any hour to take care of things. This eased me a bit but I was expecting to hear from them sooner then this.

I like to be on top of things, and this last minute issue is going to drive me insane until they call. I did e-mail them on Thursday with no response yet. I'm giving them until next Wednesday and then I will start looking for a back up. I've paid the $225 deposit with another $400 going to them if they hurry the heck up.

I'm really worried that I'm not going to find a back up if something should happen. Now, I should add that while I'm not ready to list the DJ's name because I have no ill fee lings towards them as of yet - they do not have anything on their BBB that is negative. So, as far as that I shouldn't worry too much about it - but that's what I do and I am good at it!!!

I'll keep you updated on things....fingers crossed people!

The past few days...

2008-08-10T09:09:00.003-06:00

This is the first blog written from my new laptop! KNowing that we wanted tot ake one on the honeymoon,but not wating to take Mr S. very expensive Alienwear laptop - we popped into best buy yo pick up a more portable and cheaper lap top. Though I did really want a pink one, it just wasn't in the cards - and I ended up with black,. I do intend to put one of those sticker things on the front of it to change the color at some point ;-)

So reat assured you will be getting updates and photos from the honeymoon! Even though Mr S is trying to make me promise not to do it at all, I informed him that me readers deserve updates ;-)

I also, yesterday attended a wedding for our good friends Mr and Mrs F, if you recaall I made table name cards for her a few months back. Her wedding was amazing and left me overly anxious to have my own day. Until seeing hers, my days was still a bit of a dream . Even with all the planning, talk and money spent it was yet "real".

I soi enjoyed sharing my wedding month with her. I read a lot on Wedding Bee how some people have a hard time sharing it thinking that it's "stealing thunder" and what not, and I just don't get how that is!!! Mrs F was one of my greatest support systems throughout and still is even though her day is now past. I loved sharing it with someone else, and more over I'm happy she went first because now I know that I too can make it with out freaking out and needing to breath into a paper bag most of the day :-)

I will upload pictures from her day soon. As I'm on the laptop and with out my trust Photoshop (sigh) I haven't a clue how to make my digital images smaller for use on the blog page.

Today I am off again, no wedding stuff in sight for me. I am going to hang out with other friends from Denmark and the in laws for what will be I'm sure a very interesting BBQ!

Later ladies!

"The Good Wifes Guide"

2008-08-06T10:18:00.003-06:00

My step mom sent me the check for what she and my dad are contributing to the wedding today. When I opened the envelope, tucked inside was a photo copy of a clipping from "Housekeeping Monthly" dated May, 13 1955.

It totally cracked me up to see how things have changed, can you imagine if this was coming out in a magazine in this day and age! Holy uproar! Haha! Check it out...

Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal ready on time for his return. This is a way of letting him know that you have be thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they get home and the prospect of a good meal is part of the warm welcome needed.
Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so you'll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh-looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people.
Be a little gay and a little more interesting for him. His boring day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it.
Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives. Run a dustcloth over the tables.
During the cooler months of the year you should prepare and light a fire for him to unwind by. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too. After all, catering to his comfort will provide you with immense personal satisfaction.
Minimize all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer or vacuum. Encourage the children to be quiet.
Be happy to see him.
Greet him with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please him.
Listen to him. You may have a dozen important things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first - remember, his topics of conversation are more important than yours.
Don't greet him with complaints and problems.
Don't complain if he's late for dinner or even if he stays out all night. Count this as minor compared to what he might have gone through at work.
Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or lie him down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him.
Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soothing and pleasant voice.
Don't ask him questions about his actions or question his judgment or integrity. Remember, he is the master of the house and as such will always exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness. You have no right to question him.
A good wife always knows her place.

Candle Depot, How Can I Help You?

2008-08-06T07:09:00.004-06:00

Holy crap! I knew I had a bazillion candles on my pool table waiting to be used for centerpieces, but OMG I didn't really know there was this many!
Never mind the mess of toys behind me! I'm a stay at home mom, 2.5 weeks before her wedding! The house is a mess, deal! LOL.

Mr S and I took advantage of Paige going out with her father for dinner last night, to sort out the centerpieces and box them up. My biggest fear is I won't be able to get into the reception hall the night before the wedding to set up, and I will have to leave it to other people. If that should happen, I want the set up to be as easy to understand as possible! So we boxed up each tables items in separate boxes. Each one will also have a photo of the "general idea" of the centerpiece layout, and all the place cards, table name and holder.

As you see in the photo - it's not like I'm drowning in candles, but we didn't shouw you the head tables set up. 7 of those tall glasses and 36 votives, not to mention the flower vases for our bouquets well be there as well.

When all is said and done, it will be just a little over 300 candles to fill the room with candle light! I can't wait it's going to be GREAT!

This is the "general idea" for the candles. Randomly laid out, there will be crystals scattered amongst it as well to add some "bling". Bear in mind that my reception tables will not be toddler sized ;-) I was working with what I had around me at the time.

About 14 candles per table, should keep things lit up nicely for the evening! And for those of you wondering, since my pillars and medium holders are in fact NOT really candle holders, but glasses from Ikea - I did a burn test last night and they were FINE!

I CAN NOT WAIT!

2008-08-05T08:53:00.004-06:00

We booked our Sea Life Discovery Adventure today and I am so so so excited! It was a bit spendy but for how much I have always wanted to swim with dolphins and how much Mr. S loves animals, it is totally worth it!

We'll be visiting Dolphin Discovery at their Puerto Aventuras location. We're doing the Sea Life Discovery Plus which will give us a swim with dolphins, sea lions and manatees! How friggin' cool is that!

Paige is having a temper tantrum right now because she wants to come with us. I'm talking full on the floor screaming and crying! It's quite a lovely noise....ugh! Poor sweetie!

How Cute!

2008-08-04T08:59:00.006-06:00

FMIL got the littles mans suit off eBay today! $20.00! Unbelievable bargain shopper this woman is! Here's the suit! Too cute huh!?

This will be for Connor, my ADORABLE little 2 year old Nephew-To-Be! Here's a picture of Connor (middle) Cameron his brother Cameron who is the Ring Bear, and my daughter Paige who is the Flower Girl. This was taken at Christmas time, hence them in their little jammer jams!

I'm also happy to announce that ALL my guys have their suit orders in. I am so relieved that I could jump up and down. I was really worried that someone would falter on it, especially since 2 are out of state and one is out of the country! But my guys have it going on!!!

Things are coming together so well, I'm so happy!

Once Upon a Bathroom

2008-08-04T07:58:00.004-06:00

My latest bargain find was the pink lined wicker baskets I got for 60% off at Michaels yesterday afternoon. I had my eye on them a month or so back but didn't want to pay $12.99 each, simply for a bathroom basket! We're not made of money you know!

I filled them with travel sized versions of commonly needed items. I found them all in the Travel Item isle at Target:

Ace Bandage/Ice Pack
Wet Wipes
Tums
Deodorant
Mini First Aid Kit
Band Aids
Shoe Polish Wipes
Hair Spray for the ladies
Body Spray for the ladies
Renu Contact Solution
Hand Lotion
Tampons
Travel Toothbrush
Dental Floss
Motrin
Shout Wipes

I have a few more things I want to add, safety pins, static cling spray, a couple AA batteries, hand sanitizer, clear nail polish, bobby pins, emery boards, toothpicks.

I hope someone will find use of these items, and if not most of them I can take on the honeymoon in my travel case, or have around for emergencies when people visit my house :-) Either way - money has not been wasted!

The Seating Chart Board

2008-08-03T16:43:00.006-06:00

Walking around Michaels today I found myself wondering where on earth I was going to get a piece of poster board big enough for this seating chart. I would almost need two regular pieces, then you'd see the seam. And I wasn't happy with that idea.

Then it hit me! Photo Matting! They sell it in a standard size of, well I don't know the actual dimensions so we'll just call it "huge". Mr S is outside right now cutting it down to 36 x 24 to fit a old frame I had from 2 x-mas' ago, that when I tried to remove the glass for cleaning, it broke. Luckily I saved it, so I'm going to paint it black....or pink - not sure yet. And then I'll place the chart inside it, with no glass and place it on an easel.

Here's the photoshop layout of how it will look:

4.5 x 6.5 pieces of pink paper as the backing

4 x 6 pieces of white with the names on it

and a ribbon around the top, like my place cards:

With the board cut, I now have to print up the sheets with the names on them and assemble the whole thing. I tell ya, I'm really sick of cutting paper! LOL.

I'm Silly.

2008-08-03T08:56:00.002-06:00

I did already post about my engagement photos HERE

Check it out!!

How it all started....

2008-08-02T09:27:00.006-06:00

OMG it's August! I'm getting married this month! It seems like it came up SO fast! I'm surprisingly calm about it. Yeah, I know know, weird for me huh?

I thought it would be fun to go back to how all this started and tell you the proposal story , and tomorrow we'll look at the engagement pictures I seem to have left out of the bog somehow. So here we go:

Once upon a time, in a land far up north there sat a little cabin in Nisswa Minnesota. Home to many childhood memories for Amber, as the cabin belonged to her family and she spent almost every summer there since birth.

Plopped on the comfy couch, glass of wine in hand and Harry Potter book opened, Amber settled in for some relaxing time while daughter Paige played happily with Mr S. Fire roaring in the massive vaulted cealing room of the main living area, and the loons calling from out on the lake, nothing could have made this night better. Or could it?

Main Living Room At Cabin

Suddenly, with out warning Paige ran over to Amber and shoved a little cherry wood box in between her face and the book. She loudly asked:

"Mommie, will you mare-wee Awex"

Still somewhere at Hogwarts at the moment, Amber was left shocked and totally surprised and fumbled to set down the wine before she spilled it, and close her book.

She said "Yes!" of course which prompted Paige to begin to jump up and down and scream "We're all getting mare-weed!" over and over.

Though Amber had to remind Mr S to not only open the box, but put the ring on her finger it was still the greatest proposal ever!

On a side note completely unknown to Mr S, he had proposed to Amber in the same place that Amber's father proposed to her step mom!

Argh! Seating Charts!

2008-07-31T21:19:00.004-06:00

With 98% of the RSVP's in I decided to tackle the seating chart. Don't ask why I wanted one, I know they are not totally necessary. But, besides the fact it would be really hard for the waiters to know who's eating what with out them as I'm having 2 mean choices, I suppose my control freak is taking over and it makes me feel better to know it's there.

I wrote it out at the cabin, with a copy of the guest list and a notebook, plus copy of the room layout. I did pretty well, all things considered and it only took a few hours. Although I must admit when I got home and laid it all out, seeing the names physically in front of me made things a lot easier. Not only did it show me that I have quite a few places cards to make yet, I was able to see a huge family placement no-no and switch out some cousins before I had a real Beverly Hillbilly's blow out at my reception.

On top of the achievement of avoiding blood shed, I realize we only need 17 of the original 22 tables. This lowers my linen costs and WOO HOO, because it's like $300! At this point in the game, as far over budget as Mr S and I are, every penny counts!

Here's what my living room floor looked like after I got everything laid out. I have to stop sitting on the floor when doing everything, my back hurts! LOL.

Now all I have to do is print off the rest of the place cards, and then cross reference everything to make sure I have all the guests accounted for. Which I'm sure will be another 2 hour project, but well worth it. I'm giving myself 2 weeks to finish the remaining projects - after that if it's not done, it's not getting done. I will not over stress about this!

24 Days!

2008-07-30T16:30:00.002-06:00

The countdown is on, tomorrow I can say "I'm getting married this month!" The vacation was MUCH needed! I spent most my time floating around on a raft having a cool drink catching some sun. I admit that I did do some wedding stuff, I got the seating arrangements done and I'm happy to say that we will be saving a ton of money by only needing 16 tables. I know that spreading people out from 10 to a table to 8 to a table would make things a wee more comfortable, but saving over $300 is worth it. The tables are made for 10 to a table, so I'm not feeling too bad about it.

Every thing else is going really well, I have to assemble the programs and the fact that I ordered pre cut squares for the monogram sticker from Cut Card Stock, will make things move a lot faster. If I had to cut another square that size I was going to SCREAM!

I also have to reconfigure the amount of candles that are going on each table, with less tables needed the amount will go up per table which I'm actually really happy about because I was worried they may be a little small for the large table size.

Well I'm off to unpack, figure out where to put all my new gifts from my shower last Saturday and get the kiddo into bed :-)

A Much Needed Vacation

2008-07-28T16:10:00.002-06:00

You won't be hearing much from mt until Wednesday eveing, I'm at my familys lake home in Northern Minnesota for a few days. 25 days out from the wedding and Mr. S and I needed a break and our kiddo really deserved to get up here for some fun as well.

The weather is great, family is fun, and the internet connection is slow and splotchy! I havnen't ventured into town yet to sit at the coffee shop to do some stuff because - I'm on vacation and I don't want to over stress before the big day.

I'm starting to get a little worried about the wedding....all eyes on me walking down the asile. I don't care if I fall, I just panic easily. (No! LOL) When people ask us if we are getting excited about our big day, we say "Eh".

ALl in all it's been a lot of work. A lot of fun and totally worth it all. But as of this week at least, we're really just left feeling drained from the preperations. Not to say we're not excited to me be married and start our new chapter in life together!

Well I have dinner to help with and I think there's a cool beer waiting for me in the main cabin...so I am off. Pictures to follow soon I hope!

Lame-O Bride

2008-07-25T18:52:00.002-06:00

There's not much going on for me right now, it's like I've leveled off and I feel like there's not much to do. I don't know if it's because I was obsessed with getting everything done about 10 seconds after we got engaged or what.

I'm calm (though Mr. Zoloft might be helping that) and I'm sorta like "Eh, whatever" when I think about things that could be done, might be nice, and need to actually be completed.

I have a birdal shower tomorrow morning at my house, I'm looking forward too and that will give me something to blog about. Which will be nice because if I don't start having something fun to say, you'll all leave me for another bride with interesting things to say :-)

Until tomorrow!

Becky + Stephan

2008-07-25T08:18:00.006-06:00

I meant to get this up a long time ago, but things just got away from me. It's another design I did for a really sweet girl out in Oregon, Becky.

She wanted pink, and one of the designs I had already done - which made my job a little bit easier :-) She was so much fun to work with and I LOVE how she added to her pocket fold by:

Using an engagement photo to add a personal touch (or help relatives remember exactly who you are again..hehe - I should have done this!)
the ribbon around the pocket
using brads to hold the pocket in place instead of adhesive! (way cheaper I imagine PLUS it held it in place really well!!!)

I fell in love with this invite when it arrived in my mail box! It must have taken forever to assemble these but I can imagine the response she's getting from people - and it's nothing to do with my design! This girl really made her invite - HERS!

Check it out!

**Just a note to anyone interested in invite design from me - I am not taking anymore orders until after I return from my honeymoon in September. If you won't be needing anything until then, but want to book me now to save your place - please contact me at acgrundman@gmail.com as we'll chat!**

The Medicated Bride

2008-07-22T07:53:00.002-06:00

Ugh, sorry for the delay in posts. I have been so stressed out lately it's unreal. I actually went in to the doctor to have them give me something to help calm my nerves until after the wedding and it's helping..a bit. It takes a while for it to kick in.

I'm not sleeping. Like at all. Plus, the medication is making my stomach uneasy so I'm not eating a whole lot - which for me is odd. And every time a yawn I dry heave which makes Mrs S laugh.

On the plus side, almost all of my RSVP's are in, all the projects are done except the programs which I have to pick a reading for TODAY so they can start getting printed finally. I'm getting my daughters dress altered today, and things are running smoothly.

Here's hoping that medication kicks in soon!!!

Moms Got A Dress

2008-07-17T13:47:00.004-06:00

We went in to the shop today for my sisters' fittings and I hoped my mom would try something on too. She did, though the one I liked she didn't care too much for and just by sight she didn't see anything else worth bothering with.

I was slightly panicking because the wedding is 4 weeks away and if we ordered any dress it wouldn't come in for 6 weeks....not to mention alterations. We were just about to leave shen she saw something she liked. And it was perfect for her!

We bought it right off the rack, and she's having it hemmed on Saturday the day of my last fitting. I'm so excited that she has it, I know she's not picky when it comes to things like this, but she does worry if she puts things off too long.

Here's a peek:
(photos from of Davids Bridal)

Day Of Coordinator

2008-07-15T10:16:00.002-06:00

This is Jennifer:

Isn't she pretty?! I snagged this from her Flickr album..so you all could see the amazing girl who is saving my LIFE!

I made Jennifer's wedding invites not to long back, in fact she was my first bride I made invites for after doing my own.

ANYWAY - Jennifer is going to be my Day of Coordinator for my wedding. She's working for a discounted, undisclosed amount of money ;-) And in turn saving my budget and my life with all the chaos that I know is going to go down that day.

I'm meeting Jennifer for coffee this evening to discuss the details. I'm thinking about bringing "mug shots" of the people she will need to keep an eye on. LOL.

I can not wait to meet her! And see all the awesome wedding pics she's bringing to show me as well!

20,000!

2008-07-14T12:18:00.003-06:00

Woo Hoo you guys! Thanks so much for all your support and stopping in to visit so much!

Somewhere in the past day or so I cleared 20,000 hits!

You all rock! And here's to 20,000 more!

RSVP's Due in today

2008-07-14T08:22:00.003-06:00

The first half of my RSVP's are due in today - I'm as of right now short 42 out of 107, not too bad I suppose.

My task today is to divide up the remaining people into "familes" and give them to the respective sides - each family responsable for their own. Mr S and I will take the friends and if all all do this we will be done in no time.

The mail has yet to come today, I have another hour or so - I hope there's 42 pink envelopes in there, it will make the day a lot smoother.

Dress Fitting #2

2008-07-13T10:06:00.011-06:00

My bridesmaid MJ and I had our appointments right after each other, simply by luck! It was a blast going with her, and made picking out my necklace and headpiece much easier because she's always very honest and I knew if something looked like crap, no matter how much I liked it she would tell me.

I did have to have another minor adjustment done to the dress, and buy a new crinoline to keep me from tripping over the front end of the dress. It's actually a two-fer because not only does it keep me from tripping over myself, it's also much more airy - and given how much material is in my dress, I need that! :-)

Here's some shots from the fitting - we had a blast!

Front and back with the veil

And with it bustled

I realized that I didn't try to sit ever in the dress, and as it turns out - I'm not all that good at it!
My Bridesmaid MJ and I

And here's my accessories! I went with pearls (mostly). I'm really excited because FMIL is letting me borrow her diamond and pearl earings she got as a gift on her 30th wedding anniversary. So I'm taking form thsoe and adding: (pictures from www.davidsbridal.com)

Necklace

Bracelet (with white pearls)

As for the headpiece I'll have to get that later, they don't have it on the site. It's a headband and I'm not getting good pictures with my camera...:-( It's all crystals though, so I think I have a good combo of the pearls and the crystals. I have 11 gals at the shop helping me, and I'm happy with it - which is all that matters.

The Sweeneys

2008-07-11T14:44:00.002-06:00

We received our first check in both our names :-) It's so cool seeing both our names on the same check, sharing the same last name, that I'm not even worried that the bank might give us some flack while cashing it because I'm really not Mrs S yet.

Woo Hoo!

You ORDERED invites...WHAT!?

2008-07-10T08:13:00.007-06:00

I ordered the invites for the Rehearsal Dinner and the "Reception Only" invites from Vista Print to save some time. While I was so looking forward to designing them myself, I just am running out of time and can't catch up. Especially with the new found family drama that has left me in a whirlwind of e-mails and phone calls for the past 2 days.

I have to say, like all the other items I have ordered from Vista Print in the past several years I was very happy! All the designs came with matching envelopes which tickled me pink because I love coordinating stationary!

Here's the Rehearsal Dinner invites, we're having a Hawaiian theme where proper dress is required and those who do not comply will be made to wear something uncomfortable and embarrassing ;-)

And here are the reception only invites. Now before anyone gets their Thongs in a Tangle - we're not selfish, present seeking jerks who are only inviting people to the reception in hopes they bring us a gift. We have 25 or less of these going out to co-workers of both Mr S and his father, due to the size of my family we can't fit everyone in the hall for dinner.

Only one snag in the Vista Print order - they only sent me 11 of the 30 of these I needed so they are immediately making me 20 more, and shipping them off to me to be here by Tuesday! They honestly have some of the best customer service ever, though it would be nice if the receptionists had some tone to their voices...I felt like I was talking to a very corporative robot...LOL!

John, Paul, George & Ringo

2008-07-08T12:22:00.006-06:00

Ah, The Beatles.

I heart The Beatles.

I'm not one of those mega fans that oozes with info about each member, down to their current weight and the amount of change in their pocket. I'm just, a fan. I own most their music, an original Abbey Road record (which my father is currently holding hostage with my 1987 Homer Hankie) and I decorated my daughters room with the John Lennon collection when she was born. Her mobile played "Imagine".

Ok, I'm more then a fan. I'm a bit obsessed but whatever, at least I can admit it.

That being said I knew that I had to incorporate The Beatles into my wedding somehow. Not only was my soon to be father-in-law a one of their concerts (how cool is that!) The Beatles are British, along with the family that I marrying into and my in laws adore their music as much as I. It's only fitting that we bring them in somehow!!!

I got my nod to them in the wedding itself with some music being played. I'll be walking out to Here Comes The Sun. And this is how I got them into my reception: My Wedding favors. Clear Glass LOVE coasters, in pink tulle bags.

"All You Need is Love" is one of my all time favorites, and fit perfectly with our wedding! Since I can't have my dream exit from the wedding (click here to see it) this will have to do.

I made the tags myself, of course. cut them out and adhered them to a piece of black card stock to make it more sturdy and then tied it on using the pull strings on the tulle bag. Again then cutting is the most tedious part - and I've still got about 300 squares to cut, but it will all look great in the end!

ARE YOU SERIOUS!

2008-07-08T08:40:00.002-06:00

Really, I don't know how much more of this I can take - I have lost, not one but 2 bridal party members in ONE DAY! UGH.

Okay so, yeah my sister will more then likely come around and is trying to prove a point by saying she's not coming. But the Usher Sam, who incidentally was the back up for the last guy to bail on us...has bailed.

ARRRGGHH!

I don't even talk to my bridal party much, don't ask them for anything other then "Get Tux" which is reasonably priced.

Man. Okay I'm off to find a new Usher. Again.

What's Left To Do?

2008-07-06T08:18:00.004-06:00

What's left to do with this little time before the wedding? Well according to wedding checklists all over the place - this is what I have left to do:

2 Months Before
- Mail the invitations. --->Did that last month
- Decide on your wedding vows or compose your own. ---> Did this last month
- Finalize the reception menus. ---> Did this in Feburary
- Confirm the wedding details with the musicians and clergy or officiant. --->Done
- Have the programs printed.
- Purchase gifts for parents and attendants. ---> Half way done.
- Make appointments for nails and make-up. ---> All booked but nails.
- Schedule final dress fitting. ---> Done that, it's on the 12th!

So knowing I had all that done, I ventured into the 1 Month Before the wedding, hoping something in there would keep me busy for today, no not really.

1 Month Before
- Apply for a marriage licence. ---> Had it for 2 weeks now
- Plan the rehearsal dinner. ---> That's been done forever!
- Meet with photographer and videographer. ---> Finished this last month

So I'm ahead, a little. All I have left on that whole list is to pick up some extra bridesmaids gifts and print off the programs....seriously why am I so stressed out half the time?

Here are a few actual things I do need to get done:

Figure out WTH I'm doing with my hair
Find pictures of makeup I like to bring to the stylist
Finish the seating chart
Figure out WTH to give the kids for favors
Try to figure out how we'll manage to pay for the rest of this wedding.

What's It Worth?

2008-07-05T16:56:00.002-06:00

As I affixed a stamp to one of my B list invites this evening, I wondered exactly how much had we spent on postage so far, with all the mailings we'd done.

The price makes me wish it was proper etiquette to send things out via e-mail.

120 Save The Date Large Postcards (sent before postal increase) @ .40 = $48.00

120 Custom Made .42 cent stamps @ $15.27 set of 20 + shipping = 76.36

120 $1.00 Stamps to mail invite = $120.00

25 Thank You Cards for Bridal Shower (1st one) @ .42 = $10.50

15 extra stamps for RSVP's @ .42 = $6.30

GRAND TOTAL IN POSTAGE SO FAR = $261.16

Holy crap! All I have to say is, I didn't budget for postage when we started this whole process. I didn't find anything about it in ANY magazine, Martha artical or anywhere else for that matter!

Simply put my advice to any new bride planning - weigh your invites, calculate the postage and budget for it!

The Phone Box

2008-07-05T11:31:00.006-06:00

There's a pub in Minneapolis called Britts Pub. It is, as I'm sure you can tell by it's name, a British Pub. No proper English Pub is complete with out a Phone Box, and as you can see by the photo - they have one.

I felt it utterly necessary that we have some of our engagement pictures taken by it since Alex was born and raised in England and because I'm desperate to go back since it's been 14 years since I was there. So one Wednesday back in September of 2007, we went before the dinner rush, assuming it would be a slower time of the day/week and we would have free reign of the area to get the photos.

We were wrong. The series below is awesome but what you don't see is that that patio was packed. I mean the LITERALLY. A hundred people wandering around, there was even at one point a lady in the phone box, which didn't work of course, talking on her cell phone!

I clammed up at the thought of having to pose for a picture in front of all these people, but my photographer - the wonderful Kari Layland, shooed people off at least a little, so we could get this shot. A crowd was still gathered all watching, I was wondering if my smile looked ok of if I flat out looks stupid due to how anxiety ridden I was. Alex was a bit nervous too and didn't want to get in there with a big ol' kiss because of it, and of course the one shot I really wanted was us kissing in front of the phone box.

Kari kept egging us on to kiss and finally someone in the crowd yelled "Do you want me to come over there and show you how it's done" - laughter erupted and suddenly it was all ok, we got great pictures because of how funny the situation was but as you can see by the following photos....people really were pretty close!

It's nice to not only have great engagement photos - but a story to go along with them!!!

FInishing what I started

2008-07-04T08:44:00.006-06:00

So I realized while pouring through old posts that I started to talk about my table names but never finished or showed you a photo of them! LOL.

So let's recap, the names of the tables at the reception are named after places that Mr S and I have either been to, or lived in. The majority of the "visited" names are from me, I've traveled to 13 countries since I was 14. And the "where we've lived" options are mostly Mr. S' as he use to live in England and had some really cool sounding places there.

Between the two of us we came up with 24 names, which I printed on 4x6 Rose Quartz Stardream paper I got from Envelope Mall, that I cut myself. I printed them at home on the ink jet and had to lay them out to dry for a bit, as stardream can be fussy when it comes to inkjests.

Then I affixed the crystals...must MUST have the crystals!!!

And lastly I adhered the table name to a black backing piece and - all done! Here it is on my table mock up (never mind the large hand towel where the napkin should be it was all I had pink and small-ish enough to take it's place for color reasons)

I'm really happy with the outcome, and after months of searching I finally found those plate easels in bulk and cheap. They are a little deeper then I would have liked - but the price was right. Find them at Treasures In Display

This is an item that will end up for sale after the wedding, so watch for the blogs about whats up gor grabs in September!

Why God doens't let me have the WE Network

2008-07-01T09:49:00.007-06:00

The other week while Alex was away on business I loaded up my trusty Netfix account with girly movies I knew he wouldn't want to watch. One of the movies was Best Of Platinum Weddings. It's a TV show on the WE network, which I unfortunately do not get right now, and after seeing some of these weddings I knew why.

My little heart pounded at the sight of some of the extravagant items at these receptions, dresses so big they barely fit out the door, swans in the pond out front, crystals hanging from everything in the venue that would hold them up. Having a bottomless pocket book of money surely made these weddings a fairy tale like no other.

Not to say my day won't be a fairy tale, but these receptions looked like Miami night clubs and meadows where faeries lived. And to be honest, not everything was "Oh I love it I want it" because I'm reasonable and I know that some things aren't needed...it's a 5 hour party after all.

But one thing, just one....ohhhhh it was the thing of dreams. So trendy and cool and an amazing sight. Every single one of these weddings had one - it must be the new "It" item of high profile weddings....it is

The Martini Louge:

It's simple really, it's an ice sculpture that can really look like almost anything drink related, all with one thing in common. A ice slide/shoot, or in some cases a metal tube descending through the sculpture which dispenses the martini.

You pour the items into a shaker, shake them up and pour them into the top, it's whirls down into your waiting glass - perfectly chilled, and you've also gotten one heck of a show.

I'm not sure why I wanted something that would melt into a puddle of water which no doubt would have an alcohol level of "Dead" by the end of the night. I'm not even sure if many of the guests drink them, I know I do. But it was just that one thing, like asking your dad for a Pony when you were young...you knew you wern't going to get it but it's nice to think about.

At this point it is still a nice thought that will not be at the wedding. I haven't even looked to see what they cost because I'm sure I don't want the sticker shock. So I simply blog about it, mention it's coolness (no pun intended) and maybe one of you will have one and send me photos and I can live my dream through you.

And as a side note: No Auntie Nora....they do not have Bacardi Louges! Sorry love!

A Bridal Shower like you woulnd't believe....

2008-06-29T17:14:00.013-06:00

I don't know if what I had can be called a Bridal Shower. I know it started out as one - a proper English Tea Party at that, with sweet fairy cakes, tea, egg and cress sandwiches, and of course Pimms - an incredibly lethal English drink. Everything was labeled on the tables with note cards for the American folk ;-) And I even had a flower arrangement in a large tea cup, for the tea party!

The beginning of the party, all proper and sweet was not how the night ended. My 4 PM tea party began like any other. Beautiful people, lovely gifts, and as the majority of the guests left for their homes to finish their weekends, around 6-7 pm..then the party really started.

It began with my bridesmaids and I telling stupid stories of ourselves, and then we come to realize that my one bridesmaid was shooting photos of me opening gifts, straight up my dress the whole time. (No I'm not sharing one) Then I sat down to read the list of gifts to make sure it was all there and realized my hilarious FSIL wrote things out like:

*Long Candle Thing that looks like a dildo
*Funny shaped glasses and towels
*Scale for when Amber gets fat
*incense to hide smell of pot when brother in law comes to visit
* White Towels and smelly shit
*Wine so Amber can continue to drink
*More fu__ing towels

I laugh each time I try to fill out my thank you cards!

The Gifts

My mom, Bridesmaid Mary Jo, Me and friend Mandy

Mary Jo, Ashley, Michelle and I in front - 3 of my bridesmaids

So after the guests mostly left and it was down to family and few good friends we decided to let the men back in. My step dad, FFIL and Mr S came up to join in the party. We ate what was left of the food, attempted to drink what was left of the alcohol - didn't work too well and all in all had a great time.

Not Typical Bridal Shower Highlights:

*Deacon showing up on his motorcycles with a paper bag of "Naughty toys" he bought on his way up to crash the party - which he bought in all his leathers from riding on GAY PRIDE DAY! Including a rainbow colored penis sucker, a handful of penis straws and other items....haha!

Me with my "toys" from Deacon, after several drinks....

*My Father in Law pretending to open beer bottles with his belly button:

after several drinks.....

*Drinking wine through a penis straw, cracking up my mother in law every time she saw me.

Finally at about 1 am, we were all a bit tipsy and very tired. We cleaned up and went to bed. Luckily I felt great this morning which worked out because we all had to be at my nephews 5th birthday party by 11 am! I have a load of wonderful gifts I can't wait to put away and got a bit of a Bachlorette party tossed in at the end of an amazing bridal shower!

We may not have "normal" parties - but we sure do have a lot of fun!!!!

Let's Party!

2008-06-28T07:57:00.005-06:00

Today is Bridal Shower number 1, thrown by my FMIL and FSIL. We're having a traditional English tea party and I can't wait!

For those of you who don't know, Alex was born and resided in England until he was 12, at which time his family moved here to Minnesota. SO a traditional English tea party was definitely in order for the day.

I have had NOTHING to do with this shower other then providing names and address for the guests. I have no idea what to expect, no idea what games will be played, I'm totally in the dark. Which is completely not like me, I'm normally right in the thick of it helping plan and taking care of details. This will be the first party thrown for me with out me having to do a thing. I mean that literally!

So I'm off to get ready and pack up because we'll be staying over at FMIL's tonight with the fam! Catch you all later :-)

Stupid %&*@!# Post Office.

2008-06-27T13:29:00.004-06:00

You can feel free to add any colorful swear word of your choice in the title of this blog. Have fun with it!

I do seriously hate the post office. Want to know why? Well, too bad I'm telling you anyway.

Aside from the simple fact that postage increased AFTER I bought stamps, but BEFORE I mailed out invites....which caused me to have to sell them outright, cheaper then I bought them.

NOW...

Now they seem to have a total inability to actually get MY mail to ME! Today I finally received my marriage license, 5 days later then I was supposed to. Assumming the county was backed up I didn't think anything of it - turns out the Post Man delivered it to the wrong address and thankfully whoever got it put it back in the mail box with "Forward to correct address" written on it.

Now, I contacted the county just to find out what would have happened if I didn't get it back - I wouldn't have been allowed to reapply for one for like another 3 months...or something like that, I was only partially listening because the anger building in my stomach was being forced out my ears in the form of steam! Basically, I wouldn't have been able to get married if the sweet people who returned that envelope didn't do what they did.

I mean, come on - it's a surprise I got it back because you know you're guilty too of getting something not addressed to you and you toss it out. Yeah, normally if it's important looking you'll put it back in the box...but in most cases - hello trash can city!

So....aside from that - oh yes there's more, haven't you heard things happen to me in groups of shit, not just one little pile here or there. The post office lost one of our credit card bills. Delivered it to the wrong person, dropped it in the gutter, sent it to Bora Bora - who the hell knows! We don't have it thats for damn sure. But we did get the phone call from the company wanting there money....and a LATE FEE!

Now it's not any credit card, it's the one we put the rings on. And we had like 1 chance to pay off something to avoid the interest building because of some strange string of events with the purchase...now we have the interest to pay, the late fee and the actual payment....will the drop the charge...nope. Who believes such a stupid story like "The mailman lost it" it's like telling your professor the dog ate your homework.

I went in, I told the delivery manager...he reassured me that there is "a card" in my box telling people to be careful with my mail. Which concerns me because A) I know "She's a major bitch" is on there somewhere in bright red letters and B) you have to be REMINDED to be careful with peoples mail??? You're the F-ING post office for crying out loud, it's your JOB!

ARGH!!!! :KLAJKLJDHKUSDFI%^*%(*&^O(&*A)(UDHFLKJFH!

I think I know what happened to the RSVP's 4 people in the state told me they sent back but I've not received.

I hate the Post Office!

Dollar Dancing Like You've Never Seen!

2008-06-26T08:47:00.007-06:00

I'm all about mixing things up. I like to personalize things, make it more Mr S and I. So when it came time to pick the music for the dollar dance, my heart sunk when the DJ listed off these old standards that would make my 4 year old fall asleep in an instant!

So what idea has hatched in my ever moving mind? Why, I am glad you asked (mostly because I was going to tell you any way..haha)
We are going to have a 1990's Dollar Dance!

The 90's is when Mr S moved here to the United States from England. 1996 and 1998 are the years he and I graduated from high school, respectively. It makes total sens that we do a strictly 1990's Dollar Dance!

Music from the 90's isn't played a lot on the radio with the exception of Vanilla Ice and a few randoms. It's not stuff people hear everyday, it's going to catch a reaction like "OMG, I haven't heard this in forever...who is this again?"

Maybe it will spark more people to jump up and dance with us, not for the money but because we're not really doing a receiving line and this would be a great way to chat with anyone we missed before hand.

So, lets here your suggestions! I get hundreds of hits on this blog daily so all you lurkers out there! Time to leave notes and messages!

What 1990 slow songs should we use for our dollar dance?

Time to Face The Music

2008-06-25T09:38:00.002-06:00

Okay - well today I finally meet with the church about the music. Wait, you say! Didn't you do that yesterday? Oh no. In grad tradition of this church, mere hours before the meeting, she canceled. Something about picking up a sick sister in Iowa.

So today at 1 pm I finally get to hear my music and hopefully find out if it's approved so I can move forward with my programs.

Song's I'm brining with me are:

God Bless The Broken Road - Rascal Flatts (I'm walking in to)
If You Believe - Jim Brickman (Bridesmaids walking in to)
I Will Be Here - Steven Curtis Chapman (unity sand song, sung by my Uncle)
The Keeper Of The Stars - Tracy Byrd (Prelude)
Here Comes The Sun - The Beatles (exite song)
In My Life - The Beatles (postlude)

Fingers crossed I get approved, and that she actually lets me listen to my music....

It's one of THOSE days!

2008-06-24T10:26:00.004-06:00

ARGH! I couldn't even make you understand how stressful today has been, if I riped you from your life and shoved you into my my shoes.

*I woke up to the cat hacking on a hair ball. Ew.

*Then 10 minutes later the fire alarm went off because Mr S forgot to open the bathroom window while showering and the steam set it off. Scaring Paige half to death - and sending the dog into a howling chorus.

*My daughter seems to have acquired a case of "Broken Ears" over night because nothing I say to her has sunk in, more then usual. Because of which leaving me with bigger messes to clean up, as she's not heard me yell STOP! When she is about to run through the kitchen sopping wet, covered in sand and grass.

*My house phone line is broken, I can hear it ring, but I can not answer it. When I pick up it doesn't connect and we're waiting for the phone company to come out and fix it. Yet, though I'm not answering, my answering machine isn't picking up because it can't since it won't connect, and I can't see who's calling because the ID doesn't work for the same reason - people feel the need to call and call and CALL, over and over again thinking I'm just not hearing the phone. HELLO PEOPLE - try my cell phone! DUH!

*Oh and tonight I have to meet with the music lady at the church who hates me for no real reason and find out if my music is approved.

*After that I have to rush home for Paige's soccer game.

I just want to go back to bed, and try this all over again tomorrow. Is this too much to ask?

Finding a Place in the World

2008-06-23T20:16:00.006-06:00

Well, a place at a table I suppose.

I've taken into my creative rhelm the initial idea I had months back, was inspired to chage it by a wonderful blogger - who's place cards I showed off as "wanting badly" a week ago - and from those things, I came up with this:

Instead of putting a different colored ribbon on each to signify the food choice, which I wasn't too big on in the first place - I am putting it on the place card (Thank you Heather of Road to the Aisle for the inspiration!)

I'm going to do a few more, make sure I love it and then head off to bed for the night.

Alright. Who's The Smartass?

2008-06-21T10:54:00.004-06:00

I excitedly checked the mailbox today for more RSVP's, my new favorite hobby! And As I pulled them out, smack on top is one from over seas - I know this for two reasons; 1) I sent them with no stamp as I didn't have access to proper postage for each of the 3 countries some invites went to and 2) the obvious air mail sticker affixed to it.

The stamp, was the funny part. If you look at the picture you will see it reads "The Curse of Frankenstein" "No one who saw it, lived to describe it" - which is too funny as it's not really "wedding-ish" and has a screaming terrified woman on it...LOL

I held it up to Mr. S and said "Alright, who's the smartass" as most the invites that went over were to his family. He stared at the airmail sticker, oblivious to the stamp - though I directly told him to "look at the stamp" LOL! When he figured it out he laughed, and said he had no clue!

It came from his family's good friend Leslie, and it suits her humor that she would choose a horror movie stamp for our RSVP - haha! I needed a good laugh!

A Classy Fishing Themed Invite? Yah You Betcha!

2008-06-20T23:50:00.007-06:00

OMG, I am so excited! I just finished my good friend Amy's wedding invites and I feel great! First off it was a nice break from the chaos of my own wedding plans, which today just were out of hand. And Second, to know that I was a part of her special day in such a great way, oh I could cry.

So, her lucky hubby-to-be popped the question on a boat while they were fishing, so she knew she wanted fishing incorporated somehow. She provided me with something she found that she wanted, and I tweaked it to what I could do right now, and this is the final product:

My favorite part of this whole thing is the RSVP - the wording on it, suggested in part by FutureMrs on Wedding Bee and the other wonderfully creative Hive over there:

For yes: We Will Be there Hook, Line & Sinker
For no: Sorry, Gone Fishin'

I think this will be the last project I take on before the wedding. At least a full pocket fold invite. Little things I'm ok with - but since I still have to do her programs, and thank you cards...who knows if I'll have any more time.

REJECTED!?

2008-06-20T08:51:00.002-06:00

Okay, I knew it was going to happen. In some cases I prayed it would so I could send out some B lister invites. But, I have to admit that I didn't expect to feel this way when it finally happened...

What am I talking about? Why receiving my first declined RSVP of course.

Sure it's from my dads cousin, who I couldn't pick out of a crowd if I tired. But I find myself wondering...well why the heck can't they come? What could possibly be more important then MY wedding.

Sigh. What a strange feeling. Weirded out by something I hoped and knew would happen. Gotta love being a girl. LOL.

Kissing Ball

2008-06-20T08:28:00.005-06:00

I dropped into my florist yesterday to double check the color scheme of roses I chose and to change a few things. I'm glad that I did because I had a shade of pink that I really didn't want chosen. I also really wanted to change the Flower Girls flowers from a fairy wand made out of a rose - to a Pompadour or as my florist calls them a "Kissing Ball"

Initially I wanted this, but the florist said "Oh, all the kids do it whack each other with them and roll them like a bowling ball"so I went with option to - a tacky flower wand. Even though the Kissing Ball costs more, she's make more off it - still trying to talk me out of it. WTF!? Why do vendors do this. If you don't like what you sell - stop selling it! Simple as can be....

SO when she fainly finishes round two of the "It will be trashed" speech, she than said "Well you don't want it out of roses do you? That would be really expensive" which is fair enough, but why assume I can't afford it? Sweet lady, people skills lacking a bit.

The rose one is $75! So no, I'm not getting a rose one....I'm getting carnations. But...silly me I ordered it with out seeing one made out of carnations - and the florist didn't have a photo of one. Go figure. So I looked one up when I got home and I think it's going to look great. It's still going to be $45 for it, but at least this way if it does get trashed I wouldn't feel too badly about it.

Here it is - what do you think?? I think in the pink shades I picked, it's going to be great!

Making a list, checking it WAY more then twice!

2008-06-19T07:42:00.003-06:00

At my FMIL's house yesterday I started to make a list of things I have left to do. I think that I'm basically going to have to carry this notebook with me everywhere because things keep coming to me out of the blue, and then I'm searching for post-it note to write it on until I can get it on the "Master List"

You can kinda tell from the photo that on the whole list, I've marked off one thing....well I suppose thats not bad for only havening it one day.

What's on the list? Well let me share with you, maybe I'll remember other things that need to be completed at the same time.

Complete Programs
Complete Place Cards
Bag Crystals for Centerpiece, 1 bag per centerpiece.
Make and Print Favor Tags
Favor for the Kids (they don't want coasters!)
Figure out the Well Wish Cards (Plain/Printed/Both)
Get Photos for Memory Table Framed
Make Grooms Dinner Invites
Marriage License
Bring Photo of Bouquet to Florist
E-mail Vince About Grandma
Reception Only Invites
Bathroom Baskets
Order Sand for Sand Ceremony
Buy Umbrellas for Bridesmaids, in case of rain (rained 7 years in a row on my day!)
Schedule Mani-Pedi for the day before wedding!
E-mail reception about starch choice.

Where you see empty lines, are things I have completed - I guess I had one more thing then I realized done! Woo Hoo.

And as our beach outing was put on hold today due to what is supposed to be kinda crappy weather, I may run to the florist instead and then to get the marriage license!!!

I'm Amazed.

2008-06-18T16:12:00.003-06:00

Some things amaze me, like how you need a license to drive, but not to have children. How we drive on a park way but park on a drive way? And now, new to my list is the waiting period to pick up your marriage license in the state of Minnesota....

After applying, you have to wait 5 days to pick up you marriage license. It's ready for you pretty much when you apply, but you have to wait 5 days....

What amazes me....you only have to wait 3 days to buy a gun.....

Sooooo basically, they want you to think about things before you buy a gun..but really, really, really, think about getting married....WTF!?

Just when I think I know what I want....I don't.

2008-06-18T08:47:00.006-06:00

Okay - I hired a really great calligrapher Michele Clark, to hand write our place cards. I bought them, had them shipped to her and they are sitting at her place waiting to be jazzed up with her fancy penmanship.

But then I go ahead and browse through one of my other favorite wedding blogs and find these:

These beautiful creations are the brain child of Heather, blogger of the great wedding blog Road To The Asile

So now my calligrapher is holding pre-scored cards in white. And I'm trying to decide if I should do this, or something similar, with a pink and/or black top part and a white backing.....or is I should return the white ones and order pink or black......ug. I'm so indecisive.

I'm off to figure this out, and make up a mock up possibly - and worship at the feet of Heather who has refilled a burnt out August Brides DIY tank...

Bad Blogger! Bad!

2008-06-18T07:59:00.002-06:00

Okay so I talk about how I'm going to blog twice a day, then I don't blog at all for like 4 days...nice of me huh? Sorry about the lag - my computer (much like me at times) had a minor hissy fit and wouldn't allow me onto Blogger and a few other totally random sites. (So again, much like me at times, has no real idea what it's mad about but just randomly picks places to dump her frustration) Who knows. It works now and thats all that matters.

So where am I today? Hoping for more RSVP's to the wedding and the Bridal Shower...wondering if the other Bridal Shower being thrown for me in July will have enough people at it to really make it a "party" - and trying to figure out what to do with Paige today because it's really nice out and we need to get out side.

SO I promise I haven't fogotten about you, it was just that my computer was PMS-ing

Back soon!

Well Wish Cards, Come out come out where ever you are!

2008-06-14T13:58:00.004-06:00

As the wedding draws nearer, I am sure I will be posting more then once a day. Luckily this outlet also spares poor Mr S from the constant dribble of wedding info that flows out of my mouth, hour after hour. Not to mention the cringing sensation, clenching of the check book and immediate onset of a migrane every time I thinkwe "need" something for the wedding.

That aside, I need this....no really. I swear!

What's "this" you ask - only the coolest thing on the planet and my day will be horrible if I don't have it...alright, a little over dramatic but I do want it...

Well Wish Cards are the eye candy of the moment:

What are well wish cards? Well we are using them in lieu of a traditional guest book, each guest will write a note, some advice, things like that and slip it in the glass bowl. I found these awesome samples on Mrs Strawberry's blog page on Wedding Bee. The last ones, are the ones she used and I want them - BAD. The designer she used is sadly, "Taking a break" right now and who knows how long that could be....*sniff sniff*

I have googled these, searched for them, filed through blog after blog and can not find anyone other then this one designer that makes them. Yes, I can design my own but my concern is finding a way to print them so they look this amazing, full color front and back....

Sigh, I'm off to continue my search and will probably end up printing them at home....even though I don't wanna.....;-)

Happiness comes from the Mail Box

2008-06-14T12:06:00.003-06:00

Okay, so maybe the mailbox didn't look like this today, but I did get my first RSVP and it certainly made me feel awesome!

My cousin was the first to send it in, the little pink envelope arrived just after 11 with the rest of the mail - Mr S barely made it down the driveway with the days letters and bills before I was hollering out the window scared to death half the invites were returned to me due to poor addressing.

"Are there any invites in there"

He replied with "What's this" looking at a larger envelope

"ARE THERE ANY INVITES IN THERE!?"

clearly still ignoring me, he fumbled through and shows me the RSVP envelope, holding it like a trophy....

"Yes dear, ok are there any invites in there!?" Was I being vauge?

Him: "What?"

Me: "Invites? Huh??? Really I've asked three times now" and I'm still hollering out the window at this point.

He shows me the RSVP envelope again.

"Seriously any large pink envelopes or just the one small one?" I was about to scream.

Him: "Oh this is it"

ARGH, yeah really would that have been difficult to tell me in the first place. I only asked 4 times. Sometimes I think his brain produces a chemical that over rides the sound of my voice. But I love him. Deaf or not.

(photo credit istock photo)

Round Two with the Music Man

2008-06-13T21:09:00.004-06:00

Well I got a response from him today and while he apologized for being unintentioanlly rude, he went on to say that he didn't want a "Secular love song undermining our service"

Ahem.

Ok.

1 - I'm not having a "service" I'm having a (say it with me now) wedding CEREMONY. I've already given my life to Christ in church many, many years ago. The ceremony is for me to give my life and love to my husband....I'm not trying to convert people here and there's nothing "service like" happening during this. Besides, this is a Lutheran church, normally laid back folk - what did he slip, fall and get Catholic all over him? God isn't going to strike the church down because "Here Comes The Sun" is played on the piano.

2 - If he wants to go a few rounds toe to toe with someone about "secular musice undermining anything....I'll be more then happy to replace my simple and lovely Beatles songs with the following Christian band from England The Band With No Name (a.k.a TBWNN), who I happen to quite like - and I will prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that even Christian music can "undermine" a wedding...(or at least be totally inappropriate for that type of day - now the reception...bring it on ;-)

Please note a visual here, you must envision me in my wedding dress skipping to the alter doing the "PUT YOUR HANDS UP" motion the whole way down.

(PS Props to my soon to be COUSIN CLAIRE and UNCLE DAVID because David shot this video and you can see Claire jumping around somewhere in the foreground)

Play us a song, you're the Piano Man....

2008-06-12T19:49:00.002-06:00

Ugh RETRACTION - what it should say is "Play us a song you're the uptight, meanie, jerk head piano playing poo head who's pissed me off!"

And that's the "G" Rater version, suitable for a family blog. You should hear what I really think right now....

Okay, I'll explain. I paid $1200 to get married in this church and not only did it take until like 3 weeks ago to get a Pastor to marry us, due to poor planning on their part - now the piano player (who's not even playing at my wedding, mind you) is acting like my needing the music info to print in my programs now, is a horrid thing and I'm rushing him.

UH -Hello Mr Piano Man! God called and said that there's only 71 days to her wedding and it's going to take over a month to pull this together, so give the woman what she needs before she blows her tiara off her pretty little head!

The guys exact words to me were:

"Are you leaving the country? Are you in the military? Is there an extreme reason you need this now because I have never heard of it taking 2 months to print programs"

WTF!? You got married like 4 decades ago, of course not - they were carved in stone then!

I'm so freakin' irritated right now. Aside from the fact that I get things done ahead of time, this isn't "getting it done too early" it's on time and why why WHY would I wait when I can get it done and out of the way.

So help me, if he declines ANY of my chosen music due to the wording - I will flip out worse then this!

Where's my wine......

Bye Bye

2008-06-12T19:27:00.006-06:00

The invites have left the house. They are on their way all over the country and over seas. I had a mini panic attack leaving the post office, did I address the right? Do they all have RSVP's in them?

I got over it and now I'm off to creating the invites for the next batch going out.

More, you say? Oh yes. Due to the large size of my family, and only being able to fit a certain amount in the reception venue we had to create a "B" list. It's not as bad as you might think, they are actually people we really want at the wedding, it's just that we need some of those "no's" to come through before we can officially send the invite. Otherwise we risk over filling the room and blowing our budget.

Off to have a glass of wine and then stare at my mail box, wondering when the first RSVP will arrive.

Wrapping it all Togeter

2008-06-09T09:15:00.007-06:00

When I said that cutting the pieces of paper out that make the invite was the worst part of the invite process.....I lied. I hadn't yet been faced with the "belly band" issue.

I'm sure it would have been much easier if the piece of paper I was using to go around the invite was in fact the same size, as the invite. But no. I'm thrifty and wanted to use scrap from my inserts for it.

So I laid out the belly band like this, and tried as best I could after 2 glasses of wine to make it smack dab in the middle (you'll see the final result, is a bit off center. I blame the wine)

I then folded in the two sides, and using a glue stick applied adhesive to the edge of one of the belly band.Then I applied my square seal, and then put the adhesive to the other edige of the belly band. Doing it this way kept me from gluing myself to my invites - which I assure you could have been done with out any wine at all....

As you can see this one is a bit...off. LOL. But I fixed it before I mailed it out - I just never took the extra picture.

And here they are, boxed up ready to head to the Post Office, where I will double check to make sure I have the correct postage (I know I do, but I like to check things about 14 times...) and the post the ones to Europe to our friends overseas. LIKE AUNTIE NORA!!! HI NORA!!!

So this is 90 of them, I have about 30 more or so to get all together...and then they will leave me and I will be sad to see them go....

Great Site I just found! AWESOME VENDOR

2008-06-06T09:15:00.003-06:00

Poking around looking for folded place cards, I came across this site:

Cut Cardstock

I couldn't believe their prices! www.envelopemall.com wanted $15 for a pack of 50 place cards in my metallic stardream paper - and this place wants $6! Woo Hoo!

Check them out - I am combing through their sale stuff and amazed at their prices!

Double Plus for them - I e-mailed them and heard back in 5 minutes! Great! I can't wait til I get my items I'll let you know how that goes!!

Updates...updates...and only 11 more days.....

2008-06-05T18:13:00.003-06:00

Don't panic...not until the wedding, until the invites go out...are they ready....um....not so much. I'm waiting on some more RSVP's from good ol' step dad to arrive and I'm assembling them until then.

The 2x2 sticker I bought to replace my seal I created (for the belly band) , may not be here on time and I'm a bit anxious about that one. I'm watching my mailbox like a hawk!

Oh! We met with our pastor last night, funny story - know how the first two bailed on us, one canceling hours before the meeting....this one tired the same thing LOL! Canceling that is, not bailing. Once she found out she was Pastor numero tres she gladly stuck with the original time.

She's AWESOME, by the way. Love her to bits! She was dressed all cute in a denim skirt, ABOVE her knees (SHAME! LOL) and likes non-religious music. She's totally a pastor for Alex and I. She even at one point said she'd like to make the "fist pound" the new national handshake among Lutherans. Hahaha! LOVE IT!

Mr S and I got to hear a little about our PREPARE class, quiz thingy we did. We are fully compatible. Thank you, Hold your applause ;-) It's tough being perfect you know...hehe.

Um what else, what else....I'm hunting for a calligrapher for the seating arrangements for the tables, figuring out the guest list and crying over how OVER we are (it's going to be a hell of a party) and all in all trying not to lose my mind with so little time until the wedding.

Next month, when people ask me when I'm getting married....i can say NEXT MONTH. Trippy.

The Near Disastrous Dress Fitting

2008-06-03T21:33:00.009-06:00

My day started off badly. It was one of those days where everything that can go wrong, will. I should have just changed my name to Murphy. (as in "Murphys Law")

I shouldn't have been surprised knowing how poorly the day was going, that when I got to the dress shop I was going to have a hell of a time there as well. My dress was great, and luckily it DIDN'T fit, being that it was 2 sizes too big for me when I bought it I surely didn't want to have gained that much...I kinda gave up the working out thing...lol.

Paige's flower girl dress was in and I put it on her and planned to take photo of us together in our dresses. Unfortunately fate had a different plan. And I SWEAR God is simply challenging me to see how far I can go before I lose it all together. Here's the dress shop issues....

Near Disaster #1 My poor sweet FMIL, tried to pick Paige up to put her on a chair, thinking that she would be safer there while I dressed. Instead, some of the tulle on the dress got caught under Paige and ripped. I was more stressed listening to her cry then I was about the dress. Hopefully she won't grow 2 inches in 85 days and we can simply cut it away and we would have "lost" it in alterations anyway. Otherwise we'll just get a new one.

Near Disaster #2 After getting out of my dress, and listening to Paige cry for 30 minutes about the dress and then about how her foot hurt - I was ready to grab my 2 sisters dress' and head out. Again, nope.
Back when we ordered the 2 TOTALLY DIFFERENT dresses (seriously impossible to even slightly mistake them for one another), I was horrified at my lack of service at my shop because I had had such great service before. It stands to reason that because of the lack of service, would be why I received the wrong dress for my MOH (Maid of Honor ) my sister Ashley. I didn't get a Bridesmaid dress and a Jr. Bridesmaid dress, I got 2 JR's. UGH! Now my MOH's won't be in until 4 days before her alterations and the last day to do them might I add.

Add those 2 things on op of the 14 other crap-tasitc things that went wrong today and you'll have my life for the afternoon. I am proud I didn't almost kill anyone, I didn't cry - too much... and all in all I don't really care about the mishaps because they are fixable and especially in the case of my FMIL, totally accidental!!! (So stop feeling badly about it FMIL!! It was an accident!!! If you've taught me anything it's that life is full of hiccups - and we can't get worked up over them all. LOVE YOU!)

All that being said here's me in my dress, looking a bit more like it fits me.

MR S. IF YOU ARE READING THIS STOP AND BACK AWAY!

I'm serious! Stop reading NOW

Not taken from the most flattering angle, but considering half were taken by Paige and the others by my FMIL while holding a crying 4 year old - I think their Damn good! ;-)

Disastrous

Dress Fitting!

2008-06-03T09:16:00.001-06:00

My first dress fitting is this afternoon at 2 - I super excited and will report back how it goes!

You Regitered for WHAT?!

2008-06-01T09:38:00.009-06:00

Mr S and I have a pretty established household. With my living on my own with a child before moving in with him, and he having been married once before - we have a lot of those little kitchen/home things and don't really need much more, and what we do need is replacement for the mix matched, broken and odd numbered we have now.

So back in February when I first blogged about registering for gifts and how asking for things was a little hard for me, I now look over my lists and wonder if people will think Mr. S and I crazy?

Sure, we have china, silverwear, and stemwear on our list - but we also have things like:

The Airzone Spring Trampoline and Enclosure
You'd think it was for Paige, but it's not!! Alex and I really want one. We're goofy like that!

Our yard is huge, and Alex having been a gymnast - he's dying to perfect that back flip again!

And sure, Paige will like it too I suppose.

Cadburry Crunchie Bars

Candy, We registered for CANDY? Damn skippy we did! Apparently you've never had one, and being that they are only available in England (and several World Markets around here I never seem to get to) we did in fact register for them.

We do get them at Christmas, but isn't a wedding a grand enough occasion for Crunchie Bars? I believe it is ;-)

Frisbee Golf Target

Never played? Oh your missing out! Here's a run down for those who don't know, frisbee golf is played on a course just like golf. Only you throw frisbees, and try to hit this target.

Oh and trust me, the shot is never straight on. They stick them in the woods, uphill from the T-off point....anyway practice needed and again, with our yard - you can come on over and we'll teach you how to play!

We're a little weird, but that's why people love us!

Finished 6x6 Pocketfold Invites!

2008-05-28T11:28:00.009-06:00

Here they are, in all their glory. Months of work, waiting, freaking out and gluing tiny gems to paper and here they are! And they are almost ready to mail!

I have to admit that of all the steps: Designing, Printing, Cutting and Assembling - cutting was by far the worst part and the most time consuming!!!

Here's a quick run down of how it all came together.

After the jewels were glued onto the invite and the invite stuck to the pink backing piece, I then stuck that whole piece into the pocketfold.
Then I handed off the pocketfold to Mr S, who stuffed in the Drections/ Information card and the Reception/Accommodations cards and set that off to the side.

Now it was time to get the RSVP's in - and since I had 6 different RSVP's, and each one had to be numbered to coincide with the guests number on my Excel spread sheet this step tooo a little longer then expected.

Mr S would read me the name off the mailing envelope (which I printed up months ago) I would find them on the list, write the number on the back lower corner of the RSVP and he would stuff it in, then lay the whole thing with it's envelope, in a big white box to wait for it's belly band.

The belly band will be the last thing to go on, I tried making the seals at home and honestly gave up cutting them out and simply ordered some sticker ones instead. Sure it was an added $40 for 250, but I'll use them all through out the wedding planning and what not, and it will save me a load of time.
I'm still finding time to take on design projects, be they for invites, programs, thank you cards, Let me know and do it soon if you're thinking about it. Soon I'll be shutting down design until after my wedding and honeymoon - so mid-Sept!!!

Putting On The Glitz!

2008-05-26T10:38:00.007-06:00

I started this task last night, as I received the 1's, 2's and 5's RSVP's from my step dad.

I cut it all up, and then realized I still needed to put the crystals on the invites, so I shifted gears and started this process.

In the absence of my actual craft tweezers, I grabbed an old pair of my eyebrow ones, because grabbing the gems and dipping them in glue and properly placing with your fingers is IMPOSSIBLE!

STEP ONE: Squirt some glue, about a dime sized amount onto a scrap piece of paper. It will be easier to apply the glue to the gems this way.
STEP TWO: Pick up gem with tweezers and dip lightly only the back, in the glue.
STEP THREE: dab back of glue covered gem on scrap paper to remove excess, a very little amount is needed and you don't want the glue oozing out the sides.

(forgive my photos this time around, camera was having an off day, as was I! UGH!)

When all finished lay the items out to dry, it shouldn't take too long. Especially if you don't use too much glue. Be sure to lay them out flat, do not stack they can and will stick together!

And with Elmer's or the Jule glue I used, you will find that excess will dry clear but it's still better not to have a whole lot because you will still see the clear lump if it's too big.

And then you're all done adding the glitz to your invites!!!

SHOES!

2008-05-22T08:57:00.004-06:00

I just couldn't think of a better name for this one. Because after months and months I finally got my wedding shoes! They have everything I wanted, lower heel to help me from NOT falling flat on my face down the slanted isle, sparkle and BLING!

I was supposed to go shopping last night with a Bridesmaid for shoes, but due to some money restraints, I canceled. Then, when Mr S came home from his business trip later in the evening he told me to take the credit card and get them if I really wanted them - and I really wanted them!

I just have such a hard time spending a significant amount of money on myself, being a mom I generally buy Paige and Mr S stuff long before me. Especially on something that I will only wear once....ok if I keep talking about them like this I will return them....

So here they are, my one large self purchase in months, possibly a year....my $74.00 wedding shoes, I bought them from Zappos they are by Coloriffics, style 'Carmen"

Oh I love them, I really do. I think I'll probably try to wear them as much as possibly after the wedding, just think me showing up to drop Paige off at pre-school wearing sweatpants and these shoes. Yeah, maybe not. Maybe I'll just sell them on ebay afterwards....;-)

We Need Another Pool Table

2008-05-20T08:48:00.004-06:00

Our poor pool table, has been given a life of providing storage since the wedding planning began. It holds everything wedding related, from the files, to the mock centerpiece. My reception Converse Shoes and the Groomsmen gifts. I've recelntly had to begin stack upwards now and wanted to share with you my chaotic collection of wedding day items - get ready it's a mess:

Here it is straight on:

And from Either Side:

Mr S did not find it funny when I called him at work the other day to tell him I think we needed another pool table. What!? I'm out of room! Now I have to start stacking on the floor around it ;-)

3 more months, and we'll be able to play a game of pool again, that is if I can unload everything that comes back from the reception with me!

Let's Make Beautiful Music Together Part #2

2008-05-18T08:59:00.003-06:00

And because I can't for the life of me get to different you tube videos in one blog (tired all day yesterday and now most the morning today! LOL) I will do a separate blog for the song I will walk in to .

I am walking into Bless The Broken Road by Rascal Flatts, which is arguably just as common now as Here Comes The Bride and Cannon in D; however, this song has great meaning to Mr S and I, and since they are also my favorite band and it's one of my favorite songs...so it all works out.

But before you get you knickers in a bunch, don't worry I'm not brining along my Rascal Flatts CD for them to toss in, I will be walking down to the piano version.

Give it a listen here:

Next blog Maybe the song we will be exiting to......keep a look out for Part #3!

Lat's Make Beautiful Music Together Part #1

2008-05-18T08:56:00.001-06:00

Let's give this blog another try, I tried to do this yesterday and it went all crazy on me. And no, it wasn't the blog operators error! Very funny!

Anyway, back to the blog from yesterday....

Here' Comes The Bride and all that mess, I certainly will not be walking down the isle to that. More power to woman who does, but it is not me in the slightest!

And you know what? Making a list of the songs I refused to have a part of the wedding was much easier then making a list of the songs I did want in the wedding.

Eventually I landed on a great song for my bridesmaids and a great song for me
For my Bridesmaids they are walking to "If You Believe" by Jim Brickman, it's actually a holiday song from what I've been told, but you can't tell by simply listening to it and it's so beautiful I could care less if anyone knew.

Give it a listen: