I'm Baaack!

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.

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!

WOW!

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!

Todays The Big Day!

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!

Hello Crazy...Where've You Been?

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

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.

4 am

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

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!

Get It Together!

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

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 :-)

Last Minute Stresses...

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.

The past few days...

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!

24 Days!

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

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

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!

The Medicated Bride

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!!!

20,000!

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!

What's Left To Do?

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.

Stupid %&*@!# Post Office.

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!

It's one of THOSE days!

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?