Love, Simon and Sarah

New England Adventures

2011-10-04T21:17:00.001-04:00

*looks around stealthily*

Have the trolls gone away?

Anywho, hi. We've been busy. This summer we went to New Hampshire and Vermont for little getaways.

We were in New Hampshire toward the end of August. My aunt has a rental home up there and that weekend's renters had canceled, so she let us have it for free. We had just sold our motorcycles and gotten a 2006 VW Beetle convertible and were dying to take a trip up the scenic highway.

On Saturday we drove up the Kancamagus Highway and took lots of pictures of the White Mountains.

Yay for tripods and timers! ;) Then on Sunday we drove up Mount Washington. In a VW Bug. With the top down. It was... exhilarating. Luckily Simon was driving. No way could I have handled that. Then we drove down in a thunder storm. Craziness.

That says 6,288 ft. ;) Awesome weekend. I love New Hampshire.

Then, mid-September, we visited Vermont using a BedandBreakfast.com gift card we'd gotten as a wedding gift. We stayed at West Hill House B&B in Warren. We basically ate our way through Vermont: Ben & Jerry's Factory, Cabot Cheese Factory, King Arthur Flour Factory, and an apple orchard. Plus Vermont Teddy Bear Company Factory for a little dose of cuteness.

The B&B was amazing and we took tons of pictures around their gardens.

We stayed there four days and three nights and packed as much into it as we possibly could. We had an AMAZING time!

So that was our New England adventure. Stay tuned for our one-year wedding anniversary on Sunday! :)

Laid back V-day

2011-02-19T20:49:00.000-05:00

Little late, but I want to share our Valentine's Day!

Instead of making a bigger deal out of it now that we're married, we decided to forgo the traffic and restaurant wait and just stay in. (Last year was a disaster; made a reservation and still had to wait another 45 min.)

When Simon got home from work, we exchanged presents. I bought him a dice bag and dice from Dragon Chow and made him a Mario card:

He gave me a moving "butterfly" in a jar from Think Geek, my very first "wife" card, and roses!

For dinner we just ordered a bunch of Chinese appetizers. For dessert...fondue! We got a set for our wedding. The dip was milk, white, and German chocolates; heavy cream; Bailey's and Godiva White Chocolate liqueur. In it we dipped brownies, pound cake, bananas, and marshmallows. Oh. My. GODS. So good.

Then we watched some "Angel" and "Firefly." A very Whedon night. ;) All in all one of the loveliest and most relaxing Valentine's Days I've had!

Kindness

2011-02-08T12:21:00.005-05:00

After some rather cruel comments on my last blog entry, I feel the need to share some unsolicited kindness I also received.

I forwarded an article to a former coworker and the subject of kids somehow came up. She and I are not close, but we get along. What she said about my blog entry made me feel so much better:

~~~~~

Being an only child is AWESOME. Don't let anyone convince you to have more, unless YOU want to. Something that I think would appeal to you, is that an only child is a lot like a little adult, since that is really who they socialize with. I can't speak for everyone, but from ages 4-16, I was very quiet and polite, and everyone always commented on how mature I was. I credit my parents, of course, but I'm sure a lot of it was from having to hang around adults all my life!

No, I wasn't lonely. I had friends and a great imagination.

No, I wasn't spoiled. But I was privileged - when you only have one kid, you spend money on them!

And NO, I don't wish I had siblings. I see how those work! No thanks!

When you do have kids, you'll love it...when it's right for you. :)

To be honest -- 110% honest -- I'd never, ever want a kid with special needs. I can't hack it. And yes, I want a baseball player. Or a ballerina. Or a rocket scientist. I don't want a grocery bagger.

Go ahead and say "Special needs kids can do anything! My kid with Downs Syndrome can be anything he wants!" That theory has a SMALL chance of being a reality. A greater chance of reality, is your special-needs kid being your dependent FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.

~~~~~

She's obviously a blunt, opinionated lady, and I mean that in the nicest way. I love that about her. She's not afraid to say what we're all thinking.

After that email, I posted on Facebook that an old coworker made my day and made me feel better about myself as a future parent. In response, an old college roommate, also someone I'm not particularly close to, sent the following message:

~~~~~

Your most recent status made me happy for you. I'm so happy you have a great co-worker who has made you feel good.

A few days ago I read your blog about wanting to adopt. . . . And I think all your concerns are valid, and you didn't say anything wrong at all. You said (about how you feel) is what other people think. But that women telling you at least two times that maybe you shouldn't be a parent really irked me.

You're a good person. And I don't know Simon at all, but from your blogs and facebook status updates he seems like an awesome guy! Together I'm positive you two would make amazing parents. Don't let that lady second guess yourself (maybe she didn't affect you at all, that's what I'm hoping for)

Obviously you want a healthy child, as you stated. I personally feel that's a normal thing to hope for. No one prays for a special needs child. But you're a smart girl, you know there are no guarantee's in life. Hell you've been through a lot of heartbreak at such a young age, so I'm certain you can handle anything that is thrown at you.

But I hope you and Simon do whatever makes you happy. Either having your own child, or adopting a child. Either way it will be a very lucky kid to have you as a Mom.

~~~~~

This also gave me a big smile.

So Anonymous? Screw you. Comments from people who actually know me mean a lot more than your hateful drivel.

The great baby debate

2011-01-25T16:48:00.001-05:00

Let me preface this by saying we are NOT ready to be parents yet. None of this will apply for at least a couple of years.

Simon and I long ago agreed we only want one child. We'd rather provide really well for one kid instead of half as well for two. Plus, sibling rivalry. *shudder* We're both one of two kids (I'm the elder in my family, he's the younger in his) and know how bad it can be.

We also liked the idea of adopting. We'd really like a girl, and by adopting we can guarantee the gender, no birth defects, etc. I was never a huge fan of the idea of pregnancy. That was our plan.

Of course, lately, I'm starting to change my mind. There are so many things that can go wrong with adoption too. Very different things. Choosing parenthood is a risk no matter what. I'm starting to feel like I'd rather take the risk of pregnancy.

It's much easier to for me to explain this way:

PREGNANCY

Pros:
- No adoption fees or legal drama.
- Child won't seek out "real parents" later in life.
- Child is socially more accepted as "ours."
- Easier to bond.

Cons:
- Chance of pregnancy-related injury or death.
- Chance of child being born with a large medical issue.
- Body changes.
- Child inherits our unfavorable traits, like weight, vision, teeth, etc.

ADOPTION

Pros:
- Not adding another child to the population.
- Can choose gender and no special needs.
- Giving a home to a child that already exists.

Cons:
- Child might not bond with us.
- Could take years of frustration to be matched.
- Parents could change mind at last minute (see this blog).
- Child could decide to find "real" parents at age 18 and leave us.
- Child could have unknown issues.

Obviously I'm not going to decide based on the numbers of pros and cons. All these reasons hold different weight. I've just gotten to the point where pregnancy isn't quite as terrifying as it used to be. And as desperately as I want a daughter, I think I could be okay with a son (I know, horribly biased of me!). My family already has 5 girls in the next generation, no boys. I can't decide if that means I'm genetically more likely to have a girl, or statistically doomed to have a boy. ;)

So what I'm feeling right now is that when the time is right, I'll go to the doc, get checked out and make sure I'm healthy enough, and try to get pregnant. If I'm not pregnant after a year, it wasn't meant to be. Back on birth control, contact adoption agencies. I brought it up to Simon last night, and he's not psyched with the idea, so we may need to talk more. We have time.

The vacation that almost totally sucked but then didn't really.

2011-01-23T17:20:00.003-05:00

Yeah. The title tells you a lot. I'm still pretty sick, which has delayed this post, but I'm gonna try my darndest here.

On January 14, Simon's birthday, we departed for Florida. Our plan was 2 days in Miami for my friend Becca and her hubby Steve's wedding reception, drive up to Orlando, and go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The night before we left, Simon was running a fever. He woke up Friday absolutely miserable, but we went anyways. It was an expensive trip! We made it to Miami, settled into the hotel (Candlewood Suites), then joined Becca, Steve, and their friends Jen and Diana for a joint b-day meal for Simon (35) and Steve (40).

It was so great to finally meet my Twitter bestie Becca in real life! We had a blast. The next day, Saturday, was their party, but not till 6 pm, so Simon rested up. He slept 12 hours that night and napped another 4.5 that day. He was WIPED. Poor honey. :( He had chills and a bad cough. We made it to the party, and he tried to keep his distance from the happy couple, lest he infect them. It was a gorgeous, cool night. Despite his sickness we had a great time.

The next afternoon, Sunday, we met up at Becca's aunt's house for brunch before we headed to Orlando. Simon was feeling a little better, but I had started coughing a little. I felt fine, but tired. Oh and her house and yard were AMAZING.

I rested all the way to Orlando, a four-hour drive. We checked into our gorgeous, under-priced hotel (Monumental Hotel), then went out for dinner. While waiting to be seated, I heard someone talk about rain the next day. Our Wizarding World of Harry Potter day. The ONLY day we could go. I checked the forecast and it looked BAD. I was horrified.

We woke up Monday morning to a thunderstorm. My flu was worse than ever, and it rained ALL day. I was distraught. Finally I discovered the Universal Studios tickets have no expiration, so we decided we'd try to come back someday. A Twitter friend told us that Otronicon, a video game expo, was going on in Orlando, so we headed to that to entertain ourselves.

While we were there, we got a message from Delta that the second leg of our flight home the next day was cancelled due to impending wintry weather. Instead, they had booked us on a nonstop flight out. We checked the details back at the hotel, and found seating would be assigned at the gate. That usually means we get split up, so that was NOT good. We went on the website. Since they had re-assigned our flight, we had the option to choose another flight that worked better for us, for no extra fee. Well, we did. For WEDNESDAY instead of Tuesday. Giving us Tuesday to go to Universal!!!

So that was how the universe made our day. New England weather sucked, but in OUR favor for once! So on Tuesday, we headed to Universal Studios Islands of Adventure to visit Hogsmeade and Hogwarts. It. Was. EPIC.

It was just amazing. We spent 6 hours there. I was exhausted but oh so happy!

Wednesday morning we headed home on a nonstop flight. We left 70 degrees and sunny and came home to 35 degrees and freezing rain. Sigh.

I've been coughing ever since. My asthma took hold of the flu cough and won't let go. I'm pretty miserable. But it was such an amazing trip!

Sarah McLachlan concert

2011-01-12T21:49:00.001-05:00

Two months ago, I opened my email to see Sarah McLachlan tickets were going on sale soon for a Boston concert. My husband LOVES Sarah (as do I) and the concert date was 3 days before his birthday. Sounded like an idea to me!

The on-sale date came, I parked at my computer at 9:45 am, opened TicketMaster.com, and refreshed till they were available to buy. 10 am on the dot, I was (painstakingly) entering a (STUPID) Captcha phrase and looking at best-available tickets. Balcony. I get online the SECOND they go on sale, and you give me balcony??? Okay, this has happened before, better tickets are tied up by people looking and not buying. I search again. Mezzanine. Okay, a little better, let's press our luck. Orchestra row W. Ugh. Orchestra is nice, but you can't see anything from row W. I tried AGAIN. Mezzanine again. Okay fine, we'll be higher up and can see better. I bought them.

For some reason, I decided to keep looking after I bought them. Balcony, mezzanine, mezzanine...what's this? Dress circle (in front of the mezzanine) row AA??? Front row of the front of the high seats??? WTF? I was so mad. I had already bought tickets. But as my 2-minute timer ticked down, I thought, well I can always re-sell the first pair on eBay. I've sold tickets before, they usually at least cover the face value. So I bought the second pair of MUCH better seats.

Two weeks before the concert (which was still a secret from Simon as it was his birthday present), I put the first pair of tickets up on eBay. I started them at face value. I had checked TicketMaster and all ticket pairs were sold out, only singles were left, so it was a safe bet. As the week goes by, I see more and more bids. Looking good! Finally, in the last few minutes, bidding gets furious. When all was said and done, they sold for almost double what I paid. Meaning the entire concert was costing me maybe $20. WIN! I laughed and laughed. Sweet irony. TAKE THAT TICKETMASTER. Ahem. Sorry.

SO. The day of the concert (yesterday) comes. I took Simon out to dinner at Not Your Average Joe's to use his free birthday meal coupon (love that!). He tried to guess where we were going after and had no clue. I finally told him it was a concert, but not who. Then we drove into Boston (well, he drove, because it's less stressful for both of us that way) and parked under the Common. We walked over to the Opera House, and as we approached I pointed to the Sarah McLachlan sign. He finally got it and was VERY surprised. I was psyched, he's hard to fool!

We were pretty early as I thought it was at 7 pm (7:30, oops) so as we sat and waited we took some pictures of the gorgeous architecture and artwork:

And us!

Then, the concert! Sarah McLachlan is amazing. Instead of having an opening act, she's up there with two other female singers (who have their own CDs) and various band members right from the beginning. They sing and play back-up for her, and every so often THEY perform and SHE sings and plays back-up for them! She is incredibly humble.

For a woman in her 40s, and a mom of two, she is in FANTASTIC shape. She wore a glittering silver tank top (which showed off her chiseled arms) over tight jeans tucked into black chunky-heeled boots. The other singers were Melissa McClelland and Butterfly Boucher. Melissa wore a black, cotton, handkerchief-hemmed tank dress, black tights, and shiny red Mary Jane pumps. Hers was my favorite outfit up there. Butterfly, with her boyishly pixie haircut, rocked a simple black tee, skinny jeans, and boots. There were also two male guitarists (one of them Melissa's husband), a male pianist, and a male drummer.

Everyone up there exuded talent and passion. They had FUN. They LOVED what they were doing. I don't know all of Sarah's songs, but she sang a lot of her classics, like I Will Remember You, Sweet Surrender, Angel, etc. She played piano or guitar while singing most of them. When not playing, she was dancing around happily. She was just a joy to watch.

She did some Q & A sessions, and three encore songs. She connects with the audience and is just so happy to be there for us. It truly was a show I'll never forget. And Simon loved his birthday present!

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T22:33:00.002-05:00

Obviously, 2010 was an awesome year for us. I really wanted to celebrate in style, but money is a little tight these days with two trips coming up. I devised a plan for a fancy night in for the two of us, and kept Simon in the dark!

I cooked all day to prepare the meal, then at 7:45 asked him to get dressed...in a suit. :) I put on an evening gown, and we dined on...

Roast beef tenderloin stuffed with red peppers and onions, roasted garlic potatoes, and apple, cranberry, walnut, and bleu cheese salad:

For dessert, I presented strawberry cheesecake trifle:

Needless to say, we were stuffed.

I then led him to the living room where I had set up the camera on a tripod, and set the timer to take some pictures of us. Here are a couple of the better ones:

And of course, the one with our photo-bombing cat. :P

We then danced in the living room to a playlist I had made for the evening. Around 10 pm we changed back into comfy clothes, and sipped champagne while watching the movie "Easy A." We watched the ball drop in Times Square and kissed and toasted the new year.

It was a perfect night. All the romance and elegance of a fancy night out, at a much lower cost in the comfort of our own home. No crowds, no driving.

Happy new year, everyone!

First married Christmas

2010-12-28T16:20:00.002-05:00

Although it was our fourth Christmas together, this year of course marked our first Christmas as husband and wife.

And it was PERFECT!

We kicked the season off with our now-annual trip to Kennebunkport, ME for the Christmas Prelude. I dressed up very festively:

We bought a souvenir ornament:

...plus chocolate wine, white wine, eggnog, and Simon sneakily bought me some stocking stuffers. We ate and drank at an amazing ice bar:

...and then sat by a roaring fire under wool blankets:

It was an amazing day. I also did karaoke and somehow got quite the fan club. ;)

Since we'd be visiting family all day on Christmas, we decided to treat Christmas Eve day like our Christmas. Simon had the day off, so we woke up around 10, opened presents:

...and had a big brunch of French toast casserole and bacon:

Our tree was lovely as always:

...with a new wedding ornament:

...and plenty of our favorite geeky ones:

Then on Christmas day, we headed first to Simon's parents' house in CT, where they spoiled us rotten, as usual. ;)

Then after dinner with them, we drove back to MA to go to my aunt's house in Scituate. All the little ones were there, and most of the adults. We enjoyed gifts and dessert with them:

All in all, it was an AMAZING day! Happy Holidays!

Love,
Simon and Sarah

Wedding Video

2010-12-23T14:52:00.000-05:00

It came! We finally got our wedding video. It was SO worth the wait. It starts out with a brief montage of the day, set to "The Way I Am" by Ingrid Michaelson (chosen by me). Then it's about 50 min. of the entire ceremony and highlights of the day with basic editing. It was perfect. I kept seeing things I didn't remember, and there were lots of smiles and kisses between Simon and I that just made me so happy. I will cherish this always. So excited!

Wedding re-cap

2010-12-02T14:40:00.001-05:00

Well, here it is.  The end of one journey and the beginning of another.  I am no longer a bride-to-be.  I am a wife.  And I LOVE it!

Now I will re-cap the wedding, with vendor reviews and lovely professional photographs.  Unless otherwise noted, these photographs are all by the talented Lisa Rigby and she retains all copyrights.

Venue: The Museum of Science 

Simon and I chose this venue without visiting any others.  We had many reasons, but the biggest was that it’s UNIQUE.  I loved getting this reaction out of people:

“Where is your wedding going to be?”

“Oh, the Museum of Science.”

“Oh my God, that’s so COOL!”

Everyone thought it was the coolest thing ever.  You really can’t beat that!  We also liked that the fee for this venue was going to an educational institution, instead of a hotel or whatnot.  Our third reason was, well, we’re geeks!  What more perfect place for us than a science museum?

We booked it for our ceremony and reception well over a year in advance.  As popular as that weekend was, it was a good thing.  They include a wedding coordinator, and catering is locked into their onsite provider, Wolfgang Puck (to be reviewed separately).  We started out with one coordinator, who left the museum two months before our wedding.  Some of you may remember my reaction to that!  Well, her manager Sheryl White Vincent took over, and she was a dream.  She was excited and friendly and happy and I loved her.

We also had two day-of coordinators included.  They ran everything smoothly and I didn’t need to worry about anything.  It was actually quite a complicated day, as the ceremony was in one wing and the reception in another; all of the guests needed to be herded through the museum and up and down two elevators.  No one got lost!  They were on top of everything all day.

The view from our reception in the Skyline Room was breathtaking.  The sun set towards the end and it was just gorgeous.  The rooms were plain, but that just made it easier to add all my own touches.  All in all, I was 100% satisfied with my venue.

Catering: Wolfgang Puck 

As I said, we had no choice in caterer with this venue.  We did test them out by going to a Father’s Day brunch they hosted at the museum (Simon’s not a father, but no one exactly checked, lol).  It was DIVINE.  They create amazing food.  We decided on an hors d’oeuvre reception to save a little money.  Well, in the end, it wasn’t exactly cheap.  It worked well for our 3-7 pm reception.  Passed hors d’oeuvres for the first hour, hors d’oeuvre stations for the next two hours, and a dessert station for the last hour.  For that, and a three-hour open bar of beer and wine (and soda, coffee, etc.), linens, tables, waiters, and such, it was $95/person.  A sit-down dinner through them would have run $120 or more, but still.  It was a disappointing price.

On the other hand, our guests raved about the food.  This was our menu:

Tray Passed Hors d'Oeuvres:

Lobster Spring Rolls with Five Spice Dipping Sauce

Traditional Pork and Green Onion Potstickers with Ponzu

Chicken Tandoori Cups with Raita

Parmesan Crisps with Mascarpone, Caramelized Pears and Tiny Arugula

Grilled Vegetable Pizza with Fresh Herbs

Accents:

Domestic and Imported Cheese with Grapes, Bread, Crostini and Crackers

Enhanced Reception Stations:

Antipasti Bar

Grilled Asparagus with Grilled Lemon and Olive Oil

Roasted Peppers with Olive Oil, Garlic and Fresh Basil

Chilled Pasta with Saffron, Tomatoes, Olives, and Oregano

Marinated Grilled Shrimp with Sweet and Spicy Mustard Dressing

Baby Greens with Shaved Manchego Cheese and Sherry Vinaigrette

Assorted Marinated Olives

Dessert Reception:

Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Wild Strawberries and Fresh Mint

Chocolate Truffle Cakes with Espresso Whipped Cream

Chocolate Creme Brulees

French Butter Apple Tarts

Assorted Cookie Lollipops

Beverages:

Dark Roasted Regular and Decaffeinated Coffee

Assorted Teas and Herbal Infusions

Cream, Sweeteners and Lemon Wedges

Beer and Wine & Soda Package:

Sycamore Lane Chardonnay, California

Sycamore Lane Merlot, California

Spasso Pinot Grigio, California

Bud Light, Amstel Light, Harpoon IPA, Sam Adams

Coke Diet Coke

Sprite Ginger Ale

Dasani S.Pellegrino

Orange and Cranberry Juice

No one left hungry and everyone praised the food endlessly.  I’m glad they were happy, but I did not feel it was worth the extreme expense.  I loved the food but not the price.  I did love our catering coordinator, Keith Mahoney.  He was a great guy.

Photography: Lisa Rigby Photography 

What can I say?  She was the best!  I first saw her work when she photographed my cousin's wedding, who highly recommended her to me for mine. We did an engagement session with her 14 months before the wedding, and the wedding itself. Her work is unparalleled, just gorgeous. I don't have a very high opinion of my looks and even I felt like I looked gorgeous in my pictures. I cried when I viewed the slideshow she posted for us after the wedding. She was everywhere, capturing everything, without ever seeming in the way. She was friendly and fun to talk to, and an absolute joy to work with. Just an amazing photographer, and I'm SO glad we hired her!

In conclusion, above and beyond happy with Lisa Rigby!

Videography: Black Tie Video  

I know every bride says the day goes by so fast, they hardly remember it.  I wanted a simple video of the day to look back on once in a while.  Black Tie Video had a $1,500 budget package that was one of the more reasonable in the industry.  The gentleman who did the video that day (I unfortunately forget his name, and they have several videographers in their company) was polite and friendly.  He did make my very shy husband record some kind of message to me in front of the camera, and talked to guests to solicit messages when I had told the company I really didn’t want them to.  He was sometimes in the way, as you can see from the photo above, and not on top of every special moment.  Unfortunately, I cannot give them a full review yet as I have yet to receive my DVD.  They responded quickly to an email I sent and I should expect it soon.  Watch my Twitter feed for my thoughts once I receive it.

Cake: Dessert Works 

We visited Dessert Works for our wedding cake based solely on the fact that the Phantom Gourmet approves of them. And with good reason! We taste-tested three flavors of cake and chose two: Boston cream pie and dolce de leche. They were AMAZING. We described what we wanted it to look like, and they went above and beyond. Cascading fall leaves, beautiful ivy scrollwork and chocolate ribbons. It was GORGEOUS. Plus, it tasted like heaven. We're still getting comments from people that it was the best wedding cake they've ever tasted. We found the cost reasonable as well, around $400 for 70 people.  They even created a mini version of our cake to keep instead of the top tier.  Completely happy with this bakery!

Wedding Gown: Precious Memories 

I was dead-set on avoiding bridal salons for my dress. I hate shopping and trying things on. However, a friend recommended Precious Memories after getting her own gown there. Like me, she is plus-sized, and said they treat everyone like a size 2. It was three months before my wedding and I was running out of time. I made an appointment with them and brought my fiancé (we're not exactly traditional). The staff was concerned they couldn't order me a dress in time, so I tried on samples. The saleswoman picked out some dresses for me in addition to what I chose, and of course I ended up choosing one she picked! It was elaborate and beaded and I never would have picked it, but it looked amazing on me and my fiancé loved it. It was a corset style back so they extended it a size for me. The owner took 20% off because it was a floor sample. I looked like a princess in that gown and I'm so glad I gave them a shot.

Gown designer: Maggie Sottero 

Makeup: Dani Wagener

Dani is one vendor I found solely through Twitter.  I noticed she and my photographer, @lisariby, tweeted to each other a lot.  It turns out Dani does the makeup for a lot of Lisa’s clients.  My skin is difficult, as I suffer from moderate acne, so I knew I wanted someone experienced to handle my makeup.  We did the trial at her house the day before my wedding, so I got to show off the results at my rehearsal dinner.  She used an airbrush, which gave me full coverage without it feeling heavy.  I think I looked great, and so did everyone else!  I felt very comfortable, and I definitely am not a regular makeup-wearer.  She was amazing!

Lighting: Boston Uplights

Boston Uplights was recommended to us by our videographer.  With such a plain reception room, I knew it needed a little lighting to jazz it up.  We are both so glad we used them.  The effect was much more apparent in person than in photos, but it was especially striking once the sun set.  They provided 10 uplights and a tech who changed the colors throughout the afternoon.  The room looked gorgeous with their help!

Furniture Rental: Rentals Unlimited 

With our hors d’oeuvre reception, we wanted to create a more lounge-like atmosphere.  With no dancing, we wanted people to feel comfortable, drink, mingle, and socialize.  A blog reader of mine suggested couches.  The venue didn’t have any, but recommended Rentals Unlimited.  They were very easy to work with, after I contacted two other companies and they tried to quote much more complicated things than what I was looking for.  Rentals Unlimited gave me four brown couches plus delivery and pick-up, exactly what I wanted.  They were great!

For the rest of my vendors, I’d like to give credit, but don’t feel the need to write lengthy reviews on.

Transportation: ATR Limo

Ceremony Musician: Ian Hudson

Tuxes: Men’s Wearhouse 

Men’s ties and pocket squares, bride and bridesmaids’ shoes and pashminas, bride’s purse: Dessy
  

(Photo directly above only by Allison Holcomb, bridesmaid)

Bridesmaids’ Gowns: House of Brides 

(Gown designer: Dessy 

Bride and bridesmaids’ pearl necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and headbands: LiveLoveBead 

Veil: Simple Beauty Veils 

Bride’s reception dress: Pacific Plex

Groom’s reception tie: ThinkGeek 

Mushroom earrings: Self Rescuing Princess 

“42” earrings: Kathryn Riechert Jewelry 

D20 necklace: Paw and Claw Designs 

Card and favor boxes: Creative Custom Card Boxes

(Another vendor I found on Twitter!)

Favors: American Cancer Society 

(Scrolls indicating a donation has been made to the American Cancer Society)

Favor pens, invitations and all stationery, programs, and signage: VistaPrint 

All silk flowers, décor, ceremony arch, vases, silk leaves, etc.: Save-on-Crafts 

(All bouquets, décor, etc. created and assembled by myself, the bride)

Groom’s wedding ring:  Tungsten World 

Bride’s wedding ring: Barmakian Jewelers

Rehearsal Dinner: Smokey’s Longhorn Catering 

Rehearsal Dinner Favors: Sweet Lydia’s 

(A third vendor I found solely on Twitter!  Photo directly above by me)

Whew!  I hope I didn’t forget anyone or anything.  So, that’s all folks!  I now leave the realm of brides and enter the realm of wifedom.  Keep in touch with me on Twitter at @CelestialAxis, and keep an eye out for my eventual wedding planning business to launch.  Love you all!

I will never EVER forget our amazing honeymoon.

2010-11-04T14:38:00.000-04:00

Wow.  Cancun.  I tweeted much more than I thought I would, mainly cuz we had free wifi, but I also just HAD to share some of those amazing pics.

Some of the highlights…

The view from our room:

Baby sea turtles that they save, let mature, then release into the ocean at night when the birds won’t eat them:

The beach:

Swimming with dolphins (most amazing experience EVER!):

Just being alone with my beloved:

Romantic dinners (and epic sunburn):

Boating and snorkeling:

Pro photo session:

There were massages, nonstop food and booze, a Jacuzzi in our bedroom, anything and everything you could want.  We had to DRAG ourselves out of there the last day, we SO didn’t want to leave.

Details: Sun Palace Resort in Cancun, Mexico.  Couples only. All-inclusive.  AMAZING.  I will never EVER forget our amazing honeymoon.

Holy crap…I’m married!

2010-10-28T14:34:00.000-04:00

So sorry for the delay, good readers.  Our honeymoon was Tuesday to Tuesday after the wedding, and as my blog-writing day is Tuesday, I’m a little behind.  I’ve been dying to share all the details with you, so here we go!

I started my wedding day by waking up an hour before my alarm.  I couldn’t get back to sleep, WAY too excited, so I got up and started my day.  Showered, dressed, ate a light breakfast, etc.  Synced the iPod with reception music…and ran out of stuff to do.  I literally sat on my butt for an hour before makeup and photography arrived.  Who has time to kill on their wedding morning???  Crazy people like me apparently. Got my makeup done, my cousin arrived and we packed up his truck with all our décor and stuff, then the town car arrived to take us to the museum.  We were on the road just after 11 am.

Well, we were supposed to arrive at the museum at noon, which was when they would start letting us set up, but of course we got there at like 11:20.  Oops.  Luckily they let us in a little after 11:30.  We started setting everything up, our team of bridesmaids, groomsmen, and assorted family.  Then it was time for Simon and me to get dressed for portraits.  My aunt assisted me, and it literally took upwards of half an hour to get me in my gown.  Corset back, multiple layers, the works.  Then I’m like, where’s Simon? Setting up the ceremony room, of course.  Finally got him into his tux, and by now we’re actually starting to run late.

We proceed to prance around the museum with our photographer, taking pics with huge audiences of museum-goers.  Especially funny were the kids, as I heard more than one little girl whisper, “Mommy…she’s so PRETTY!”  Melted my heart!  Then back up to the reception room for group photos.  I had given the photog a list, and she called off names.  Of course no one was paying attention and I finally let my Bridezilla side show by barking names and demanding they come have their picture taken NOW.  Hey, we were running late!  ;)

Pictures wrap up, set-up wraps up, and once again I have nothing to do but wait.  Not running late anymore!  Finally, it was time to go to the ceremony room!  The coordinator led us through the museum in our finery, which was as hilarious as it sounds.  We lined up in the hallway, and the music began. My uncle and I waited our turn at the back.  Then, the music changed to the Bridal March…it was time!  We walked slowly down the aisle towards Simon…only I didn’t walk all that slowly, and the aisle was VERY short.  I arrived at the end, kissed my uncle, turned towards Simon…and waited.  And waited.  The pianist tried desperately to wrap up the song without ending it abruptly, but I literally stood there, trying not to laugh, for at least a full minute.  Oops!

The ceremony proceeded, my cousin doing an AMAZING job officiating, just as I knew she would.  I arranged the whole ceremony, but we didn’t write any complicated vows; Simon is pretty shy, so I just had Darcy read them and we said “I do.” It’s amazing what those words can do to a woman.  I started tearing up as he said it.  By the time we got to “With this ring, I thee wed,” I almost lost it, especially when someone in the audience noticed me trying to keep my composure and let out a soft, “Awwwww.”  But I kept myself in check, somehow, and suddenly I was gleefully kissing my husband!

The reception was a blur.  We ate…some.  We drank a little. The best man and maid of honor speeches were AMAZING.  I almost cried during my sister’s.  I changed into my reception dress after only an hour and a half; the beading was chafing my arms something fierce.  The cake was TO DIE FOR.

I had a hilarious Twitter convo with Simon’s boss during the reception:
ginavanderloop - @CelestialAxis are you tweeting at your wedding?
@CelestialAxis - @ginavanderloop I have to, I'm a @TweetMyWedding bride. Obligated. :)
ginavanderloop - @CelestialAxis hahaha. That's very nerdy. I love it. What about the honeymoon? Will u tweet then?

It was a perfect day.  Sure, things went wrong.  I wasn’t wearing any lipstick most of the day.  The mothers never got their corsages somehow.  During the parents’ declaration of support, they all said “We do” like they were supposed to…except Simon’s dad, who said “Yes.”  I walked down the aisle too fast and had a nice awkward time waiting for the music to end.  But in the end, of course, like everyone says, none of that mattered.  In the end, I married the love of my life.  60 of our closest family and friends were there to support us. Everyone had a good time, and many beautiful pictures were taken.  It was PERFECT.  Next week, I’ll bring you my honeymoon re-cap and pics.  Stay tuned!

Bachelorette party!

2010-10-07T14:32:00.000-04:00

Well, my bachelorette party was pretty darn awesome. Props to my sis/MoH Katy and everyone else who helped! The night started with a stretch limo showing up at my house. My sis had filled it with balloons, beaded necklaces, booze, and candy. Win! First stop was the Cheesecake Factory for dinner. Nom!

After that we hit karaoke. I sang “The Rose” by Bette Midler, one of my faves. It was a great crowd, mainly older people, which is much more my speed. I’m not the clubbing type and fit in better with older people. I hate crowds and noise.

Overall I only had about three drinks and came home barely buzzed at 12:30 am. A bit different from Simon’s drunken party! ;) At least I wasn’t sick like him. I much preferred my low-key night.

It’s getting down to the wire! Final week! I still feel like there’s so much to do. I finally finished the scrapbook I’m displaying at the reception:

It basically chronicles our relationship from first meeting to wedding planning.

I got in touch with my rehearsal dinner caterer, Smokey’s BBQ. We’re having pulled pork, BBQ chicken, Portobello mushrooms with tomatoes, Waldorf salad, potato salad, cornbread, cookies, and brownies. It will be delivered to our house with chafing dishes and paper ware, only $24/person for 25 people. Not bad! I also bought personalized s’mores for rehearsal dinner favors, and I may bake a couple more apple pies with all the damn apples I have.

Picked up my wedding gown, which is obviously key. And finally, finished printing and assembling my 22-page wedding instruction manual. Six copies of it.

Basically it includes the schedule of the day, photos and instructions on how to set up all the décor, and cell phone numbers for the vendors, family, and wedding party. My cousin’s wife is my go-to woman while I’m getting ready and taking pics, so no one has to bother me. There will be multiple copies of that manual in circulation. Everything SHOULD go smoothly. *fingers crossed*

So that’s it folks! By the time this is posted, my wedding will be two days away. This is the last time you’ll hear from me before my wedding. The day of, my friends and I will be tweeting from my account, @CelestialAxis. Other than that, look for a quick re-cap next week and a full re-cap with photos a couple of weeks after the honeymoon! Wish us luck!!!

12 days till I get married. Go away cold, please? cough, sniffle

2010-09-30T14:25:00.000-04:00

As the countdown gets closer and closer, more and more things go wrong. Of course, right?

I have my second cold in a month, when my last one was YEARS ago. My cat missed a jump onto my chair and got my neck instead, resulting in a puncture and 4 scratches down the left side of my neck and shoulder. OUCH. And wedding guests are canceling left and right; they have legitimate reasons, but it sucks. Okay, so I only lost 3, but still. I have less than 60 guests anyways, and it's Simon's relatives canceling, which there are few enough of as it is.

All I can do is breathe and try to make things better. I'm treating my cold the best I can, and it's slowly fading. I slather Neosporin on my shoulder three times a day and my cuts are healing. Nothing I can do about canceling guests.

Even as things go wrong, I'm finally more excited than stressed about my wedding. ;)

After the disaster that was my reception dress, I went shopping. Simon went with me to Burlington Mall and we must have gone into 8 stores. Not a single white dress to be seen. The next day I went to two wedding shops, neither of which had anything in my size in stock. Then Goodwill, which had nothing. I gave up at that point. I wasn't dragging myself to any more stores.

My back-up plan was dresses from PacificPlex.com. I got my rehearsal dinner dress from them:

They have a huge selection of gowns, many in multiple colors, including white. I hadn't wanted to get another dress online, in case that didn't work out either, but Simon suggested I buy two or three and return what I don't choose. Good idea! I only really liked two of them, so I ordered them on Thursday, they shipped on Friday, and arrived on Monday. Very nice for standard shipping.

I tried on both when they arrived. It's good that I ordered two, as the first one was immediately wrong. It's the one Iwanted to like, all fairy-like and handkerchief-hemmed. So cute. But the bust lining ended like three inches too high and you could see the line across my chest through the thin white fabric. The skirt was just a tad too long and the style is almost impossible to hem. The back zipper bunched up over my butt. It just didn't work at all.

I was nervous about the second dress, I didn't think it would look good on me. Luckily, it did! I was so excited. I really really love it.

I just took it to a tailor to hem it and attach the optional straps it came with. I'll have it back the Wednesday before the wedding. I feel so pretty in it, and it's LOADS lighter than my gown. Best of both worlds!

Then we got to have our final meeting with our wedding photographer, Lisa Rigby. I chose her because she did my cousin's wedding, the same cousin who's officiating mine. She's older than me and has great taste, so I'm glad I took her advice and hired Lisa! And that I did it early. She has EIGHT weddings this month. She got three inquiries for our wedding date after we booked her. So, yeah. Pretty psyched. She's ours. ;)

The meeting was to go over the day-of schedule and portraits list. That probably would have taken 15 min. total. The other hour we were there was pure chatting. She is super sweet and we have tons in common with her. We must have talked about our cats for half an hour alone! It's really a sign of a good vendor when you feel like you're their friend. I have a really good feeling about our wedding photos.

It's almost that time folks! OMG!

My wedding reception dress came...and I hate it.

2010-09-23T14:23:00.000-04:00

ARGH.  Simon and I went to visit friends in Canada for the weekend, and came home on Monday night to a boat-load of wedding stress.

First, my reception dress had arrived.  Yay, right?  I excitedly tried it on…and immediately hated it.

The brown sash is too light of a brown.  The over-layer isn’t really lace, it’s sheer mesh with some floral designs and sequins.  The back is too low to wear a bra.  It looks frumpy and thick and makes me look 10 lbs. heavier.  It sucks and I won’t wear it.

AWESOME.

So now I have yet another dress to sell on eBay.  I’m not too worried; it’s really quite pretty and unique and should sell easily, it just wasn’t right for me.  This means I now have THREE dresses to sell on eBay, since I bought and changed my mind about two others.  And while I still love my actual wedding gown, I can’t help thinking I should have bought something just a little more comfortable so I wouldn’t have to worry about a reception dress.  It’s GORGEOUS, and looks amazing on me, but it’s hot and heavy and tight.  I will not be able to eat much in it.

Back to the drawing board.  Going dress shopping ASAP, in actual stores so I can try them on.  I don’t expect to find much; white, preferably lace, dresses are rare even in summer; but I’ll do the best I can.  I’m sure I can find something…right?

So while I’m pissed about that, we worked on the other bomb that was dropped WHILE we were on vacation: Simon’s mom not making it to the wedding rehearsal.  Which, obviously, is NOT an option.

Here’s the story: Simon’s dad, Charles, comes from PA, and most of his relatives still live there.  Simon’s grandmother (Charles’s mother) is coming to the wedding, and was going to get a ride from her daughter and son-in-law, who were also attending our wedding.  Well, her son-in-law’s mother became gravely ill, and they are no longer attending our wedding.  In order to get his elderly mother to our wedding, Charles wants to drive down to PA and pick her up.  His plan is to do this the day before our wedding, Friday, and meet us all at the rehearsal.  Charles and his mother would then spend the night in a Boston hotel.

This leaves Simon’s mother, Barbara, to drive alone from CT. This wouldn’t be so much of an issue, except she is responsible for driving Simon’s brother John, and Charles and Barbara’s housemate Adam, from CT to Boston for the wedding. Their solution was for Barbara to skip the rehearsal, and have me “fill her in” on what she’s to do in the ceremony on the day of the wedding.

Um…NO.

I’m going to be more than a little busy on my wedding day. While I love her to pieces and don’t want to start any fights, this is NOT an option.  The ONE thing I need from his family is to have both parents attend the rehearsal because they have a part and a spoken line in it.  I wrote a part in for both sets of parents because family is important to me.  Simon briefly suggested I take that part out to solve this problem, but I shot it down before he could finish the sentence.  I want the ceremony to remain how I wrote it.  Whether they’re in it or not, his parents should be there anyways!

I know it seems like this shouldn’t even be an issue, but here are the other problems: John and Adam, for various medical reasons, cannot drive themselves to Boston on Saturday.  They cannot all come and spend Friday night because Barbara has cats and John has a bird that all need to be fed.  No, no one else can do it.  NOW his parents are saying Barbara can drive up here Friday night for the rehearsal, but drive home before the dinner so she’s not doing a 2-hour drive late at night.  I also don’t like this plan, because the mother of the groom should be at the rehearsal dinner, dammit!

Simon and I have this solution: Charles picks up his mother in PA and meets us, with her, at the rehearsal.  Barbara drives herself to the rehearsal.  Charles, Barbara, and grandma all spend the night in Boston.  Simon and I hire a driver, or allow a friend to volunteer, to pick up Adam and John in CT on Saturday.  That way Adam can feed the cats and John can feed his bird Friday night.  Adam and John drive back to CT with Barbara after the wedding.  We have pitched this and are waiting for Simon’s dad to stop making excuses and agree to it.

My other issue…I don’t for a second trust that Simon’s dad can make it from PA to Boston by 5 pm on a Friday without being late.  He just isn’t reliable enough for me to be confident in him.  We have one hour to rehearse; the space is booked after us.  We cannot start late.  What if we make all these arrangements for Barbara to make it and his dad misses it?  Do you realize how PISSED I will be???

Simon and I really don’t care THAT much if his grandmother comes.  Simon barely knows her, and she and his mom do NOT get along.  This could all be solved by her just not coming.  But Charles is a momma’s boy and won’t in a million years accept that solution.  So we’re stuck.  There are SO many things that can go wrong here, and it’s still not 100% solved anyways.

STRESSED.  OUT.

I'm like a mom on prom night. This is just too cute.

2010-09-16T14:21:00.000-04:00

So Simon has officially experienced that male rite of passage: the bachelor party. Saturday night, he and four friends piled into a stretch limo and drank the night away. They got booze on the way and drank in the limo...they went to Dave and Buster's and drank and gamed...they went to a strip club and drank and, well, YOU know...they got back in the limo and drank...they came home and drank.

photo

I should mention that Simon pretty much NEVER drinks. He stumbled into our bedroom at 3 am and declared, “I am SO...BEYOND drunk right now.” Needless to say, he had a great night.

And needless to say, he was sick the whole next day. ;) Poor guy! But he had a blast! And yes I was fine with the strip club and told them all so beforehand. Once you've been to one yourself, it's hard to have that much of a problem with them. They're really not that big of a deal!

Finally. I've heard from every guest in one way or another. 59 out of 103 people are coming to our wedding. So that's about a 57% acceptance rate. I was hoping for about 60, but even of those 59 there's two or three maybe's. Oh well, better than the 50 I was expecting! A few of Simon's out of state relatives that he hasn't seen in decades surprised us by saying they're coming. A lot of my dad's side of the family can't make it because they all live out west and can't afford to come to Boston for my wedding AND go to Mexico next April for my cousin's destination wedding. Disappointing, but understandable, and I'll see them all at her wedding.

So of course that saves us some money, 63 isn't a lot. And since we're having an hors d'ouevre reception, if the final count is off by a couple, it's not as big of a deal. I'm sure what food there will be will get eaten! Our cake is for 70 people, since that was the smallest number you can get with three tiers. Simon wants any leftovers. ;)

We're getting there! Final details time, just a few weeks left! And Oct. 2, MY bachelorette party, woo hoo!

Okay, ordering my reception dress! In white, ankle length, dark brown sash.

2010-09-09T14:20:00.001-04:00

I did it! I ordered a separate reception dress. We're going to change (Simon only his tie) about halfway through the reception. I'm not wasting my expensive gown on the ceremony alone. I want to show it off! But I will be more comfortable in something else. It's also the lace I wanted all along, so I get the best of both worlds.

This company, LilyWedding.com, is very good at customizing. They will make the dress floor length for me (tea length is SO not flattering on short and heavy), make it in white, and make the sash dark brown. I'm really looking forward to getting it; it only takes them about 3 weeks. Which is good, because I don't have much time!

I'm going crazy not being able to finish all my projects. I asked my aunt weeks ago for her wedding dress and picture, and only last week does she inform me she can't look in her old house for it because it's being rented. I just want everything to be DONE.

I almost had a disaster with my makeup woman; she's allergic to cats and we have THREE. In the end we agreed we'll do my trial at her house, and she'll brave my house the day of the wedding because the cats will be in another room.

This still leaves hair. I found my stylist on Facebook (I hate phone calls THAT much) and asked her if she does in-home wedding day hair. It turns out the salon does it after all, but she's booked that day and will ask if another stylist can. I wish I had just called the salon to begin with! Still haven't heard back from her about another stylist. Getting antsy.

So when you read this blog, I will be getting married in ONE MONTH. Yes, I am completely panicking at the amount I have left to do. Please, someone...save me.

Wedding food tasting!

2010-09-02T15:48:00.002-04:00

Well, we finally got to do our food tasting, and we were both sick. I was at least mostly recovered, but Simon was in the middle of the cold he caught from me and was downright miserable. Unfortunately, all they served us was the antipasti bar food, not the passed hors d’ouevres or desserts, which I was more looking forward to, especially since I don’t like shrimp or olives, two of the things we were served. What I did eat was delicious, and I have no doubt they will serve amazing food, as I’ve attended another museum event they’ve catered.

The best part about the tasting was meeting the new venue coordinator. You may recall that my original one left the museum TWO MONTHS before my wedding and I freaked out. Her replacement is actually her manager, so she’s not new, but I was very nervous she’d be more used to managing people than weddings. Well luckily I was dead wrong. She is AMAZING. I like her more than the other lady. She’s bubbly, excited, outgoing, and just infectiously happy. She asked all the right questions, and was very organized and helpful. I feel 100% better now.

We also finalized little details like chair and linen colors. I love how the venue and catering coordinators know and like each other and work hand-in-hand. They’re just great. Sheryl White Vincent and Keith Mahoney at the Museum of Science, I love you!

Finally! I have my resized engagement ring, and both of our wedding rings. See, after losing 30+ pounds, your ring tends to get a little loose. ;) I was without it for three days, but it’s perfect now.

Here are our wedding bands:

And here’s my engagement and wedding rings together (had to try them on!):

Yay! Pretty!

Maybe I should change my name somehow?

2010-08-27T15:50:00.002-04:00

As you may have read in @msrib's blog the other day, we're having identity crises. We both currently have very unique names and are going to be marrying into very common ones. I'll take the risk and post my name here because I really want some feedback.

My current name is Sarah Ann Proto. Common first and middle, rare last name. (Also, my initials suck. Seriously Mom?) When I take Simon's last name, I will be Sarah Ann Nelson. Not only are there a gajillion Sarah Nelsons (one in the race I ran Friday, I went to school with one and am still friends with her on Facebook, etc.), but there are other Sarah Ann Nelsons! The Sarah Nelson I knew in high school (middle initial K), her sister-in-law is Sarah Ann Nelson! Luckily she lives in Germany, lol. But seriously. My name will be SO common.

I do not want to keep Proto in any way, as cool as the name is. It's my dad's last name, and I hate my dad. (Long story.) I also don't want to get rid of my middle name, because that's what my beloved late mother named me. So what to do? Hyphenate my first and middle and choose a new middle? Sarah-Ann Louise (my mom's name)?

I really think I'm probably just going to leave it Sarah Ann Nelson. Messing with your name can be iffy. My nickname, though rarely used, is Sari, so maybe I'll go by Sari Nelson professionally. Sound good?

After seeing a pic of Twitter friend @PhysicistLisa's husband @theryanburke wearing ablue 8-bit tie for their wedding, Simon just had to have one. He knew I'd been debating changing into a more comfortable gown halfway through the reception, so he wants to change his tie to that, in red, when I change.

That got me thinking it might be fun to geek up my own ensemble and let loose as our true selves for the last couple hours, so I snatched these up on @Etsy:

Good to go!

1 day past RSVP deadline, 51 accepting and 32 declining. Most missing RSVPs will be declines. Waiting on 12 out of 57 RSVPs.

My RSVP deadline was Monday. Still got a lot of RSVPs that haven't been returned. Most of them are Simon's extended out-of-state family, whom he hardly knows, that his parents are now going to have to call. One of his dad's siblings is coming, so it's not out of the question that others might. We just need to freaking know! I gave them a month and a half window to send them back. The stamp is already on it. It would really be nice if people actually cared enough to send them back. Argh!

Wedding shower

2010-08-19T12:43:00.000-04:00

Sunday was our wedding shower! It was awesome! Twenty-six people came, plus six kidlets. My aunt hosted it, BBQ style as we discussed. I think the guys were far more comfortable than they expected to be. Successful co-ed shower!

There were so many cute touches, from my aunt’s towel cake:

(…which contained two wash cloths, 2 hand towels, and 2 bath towels!)

…to the sweet sign (containing a pic we have no recollection of ever being taken, lol):

…to the ADORABLE Beau Coup favors (BBQ sauce and chocolates!):

She really outdid herself. My bridesmaids led the group in a couple of games: make as many words as you can from Simon’s and my names, and a wedding word scramble, and gave out prizes to the winners. They also had an egg timer going while we opened presents, and whoever’s present we were opening when it dinged, got a prize! So cute.

My aunt’s house is right on the water and made for many great photos, like this one:

We also practiced our wedding cake cutting!

We had a blast. It was such a perfect day.

I just have to share my latest DIY projects, my wedding arch:

…and my old family wedding gowns:

The wedding arch is something I had been dreading, because I do NOT sew. I finally buckled down and did it, pricking my finger about a dozen times. But it’s done! And I love it! We will have to disassemble it for transport, but the cloth all stays attached thank goodness.

The wedding gowns idea I got from some bride on Twitter (I forget who, sorry or I’d give you credit!). I have my mom’s gown from 1975 and my great aunt’s gown from around 1940. I called Simon’s mom and she says she has her gown (but it can’t be found at the moment, which may be a problem). Display them on mannequins at the reception, and voila! Instant conversation pieces. I just recently got the idea to make some “displays” at the reception, as it IS in a museum! I have old pics of Simon and I and our siblings, and our parents’ wedding pics:

Each will be accompanied by a little display of facts about the picture or gown. I love how it ties into the venue; it’s the little touch I’ve been searching for to make our wedding unique! Plus, my ever-present problem of how to entertain people with no dancing. I’m also displaying the scrapbook I mentioned last week. I think that’s enough at this point. I’m trying not to add any new projects, since the wedding is just over FIFTY days away! OMG!

Also, happy 3-year anniversary to my sweet, handsome, wonderful fiancé Simon! I love you baby, this has been the best three years of my life!

What do I have left to do??? I know I'm missing something!

2010-08-12T16:05:00.000-04:00

I'm desperately trying to check things off my list at this point. I needed to MAKE a list! My bridesmaid Beth suggested the one on The Knot, but I said it was too confusing because it includes so many things I'm not doing, like a florist, DJ, etc. Then Simon suggested I just check off the things I'm not doing so they go away. Duh. I did that and now have a very nice list. I have a secondary list of things I'm doing that aren't on there, like displays of the mothers' wedding gowns, pictures displayed at the wedding, bathroom baskets, scrapbook (see below). Slowly but surely I'm making the list smaller.

Like buying wedding rings! On Saturday, we rode Simon's motorcycle to the shop to pick mine up, then we both rode to the jewelry store. The one I had liked the last time was sold, but a similar one with 0.10 more carats for only $15 more was available. Twist my arm why dontcha? ;) So we bought it, and it was just big enough to be engraved inside. What we chose, which we've planned on for ages, is “I has you.” Why? Because we're so obsessed with LoLcats that that's how we say “I love you.” No joke. :) Also, my ring size has gone down from a 7 to a 6.5 since losing weight! Going to get my engagement ring re-sized when we pick up my wedding ring.

So of course I had to take care of Simon's, so I ordered his tungsten band online, and of course engraved with “I has you.” His will be here in 2 days. I love fast free shipping!

As you read last week, I bought a whole mess of stuff to go in the bathroom baskets. I also picked up some nylons, batteries, and safety pins. Then I filled and decorated them and I think they came out pretty nice!

Another thing off the list! Then my new veil arrived:

Yes, that's a super geeky shirt. Anywho, I needed a new veil since choosing a diamond white gown instead of pure white. Luckily they were cheap. I love Etsy!

I keep trying to think of new things to display at the wedding to keep people entertained and amused. I was going to make a scrapbook anyways, so I'm doing it before the wedding so people can look at it then. I started with the very first email he sent me in response to my personal ad on Craig's List. Oh the memories! I also have our engagement announcement, invitation, etc. Lots of memorabilia. Pics of our kitties, pics from our anniversaries, our new house, everything. Got a good chunk done on it. Can't wait to see the final product! It's in an adorable fairy tale themed book with “Once Upon a Time” on the front. It's so cute! I hope people enjoy it. :)

FREAK OUT

2010-08-08T13:35:00.001-04:00

I'm getting married 2 months from tomorrow. I am officially freaking out. I have no idea if I have a comprehensive list of what I have left to do. I could be forgetting something. Will I even be able to do it all in time? FREAKING. OUT.

Here's my list:

decorate the ceremony arch
tie up the favors
decorate my shoes
take pictures of everything how I want it set up
food tasting Aug. 26
makeup trial Sept. 1
rehearsal dinner favors
one more piece of music for the ceremony
meet with the venue coordinator to go over day-of details
finish paying everyone
ask Jen to be my wedding day go-to person
finalize menu for rehearsal dinner
make bathroom baskets
make hair, skin, and nail appointments
find someone to do wedding day hair
set up moms' wedding dresses and info cards
set up pictures and info cards
order Simon's wedding ring
wrap parent and bridal party gifts
buy each other gifts
make scrapbook to display at reception

What am I forgetting? Can I even do this all in time? I hate that I'm waiting on stuff before I can finish other stuff. I need my card box and favor box from Creative Custom Card Boxes before I can take final pictures of my set-up for the coordinator to use. I need pictures and wedding gowns from the moms which I won't get till our shower next weekend. I'm meeting with my bridesmaid Beth this week to tie up the favors, cuz I will lose my mind doing 100 of them alone. ;) I can't ask the hairdresser to do my day-of hair until we see her at Simon's hair appointment Saturday. I can't put my mind to rest about the day-of schedule until we meet with the coordinator Aug. 26.

Speaking of which, my old coordinator is leaving the museum and her manager is taking over my wedding. 2 months before. I AM SO PISSED. I also lost my catering coordinator a while back and got a replacement, but at least that was plenty ahead of time. I am SO worried that this lady will be more used to managing people than weddings and it'll be a disaster. Very very very unhappy about this.

So yeah. Anyone wanna try and calm me down? Be my guest.

Bathrooms and Music

2010-08-05T13:16:00.003-04:00

During a Twitter conversation with @msrib and @brokebride2be (I love my wedding weekend buddies!), I realized I had forgotten about bathroom baskets for the reception. Luckily @msrib found a handy list of items to include in one. I considered getting it all at CVS, but they don’t exactly have the most extensive selection or best prices. I browsed around drugstore.com and found pretty much everything I needed. It adds up though! Here’s what I got from there:

Men:

Solos Shelf Shine Shoe Polish Cream

Ting Foot & Jock Itch, Antifungal Spray Powder

Speed Stick by Mennen Deodorant, Regular Scent, Travel Size

Women:

Revlon Nail Enamel - Clear

Stayfree Maxi Super Long with Wings, Heavy Protection, Pads

o.b. Pro Comfort Non-Applicator Tampons, Super Plus

Vidal Sassoon No Crimper Braided Elastics

Vidal Sassoon Bobbi Pins, Black

Lady Speed Stick by Mennen Antiperspirant & Deodorant, Powder Burst

Both:

Salon Grafix Professional Freezing Hair Spray Styling Mist, Mega Hold

Rite Aid Pink Bismuth, Regular Strength (Pepto Bismol)

Aleve All Day Strong Pain Reliever

Easy Care First Aid Kit

Kleenex White Pocket Tissue

Germ-X Hand Sanitizer

St. Ives Intensive Healing Hand Cream, Fragrance-Free

Tide To Go, Instant Stain Remover Pens

Evercare Magik Brush 2-Sided Lint Brush

Singer Sewing Kit With Polyester Thread

Q-tips Cotton Swabs, Antimicrobial

Visine Visine, Eye Drops, Advanced Redness Relief

Bausch & Lomb Biotrue Multipurpose Solution for Soft Contact Lenses

Sight Savers Eyewear Repair Kit

Revlon Emery Boards

Rite Aid Professional Grooming Deluxe Nail Clippers

Conair Brush Styling Essentials Super Comb

Preserve Mint Tea Trea Toothpicks

LISTERINE PocketPaks Breath Strips, Cool Mint

Ricola Herb Throat Drops, Natural Cherry-Honey

LifeSavers Candy, Pepomint

Butler Dental Floss, Fresh Mint

Then from Amazon.com I bought nylons for the women, and batteries for both (cameras, etc.). I’ll be buying baskets from AC Moore, and it’s already cost me $200! Jeesh. I did buy a third of some of those things for my own wedding-day emergency kit, and we can keep and use whatever’s leftover, like toothpicks, mints, and whatnot. Great idea, very convenient for guests, but NOT cheap.

I’ve been putting off making my wedding playlist. We own a TON of music between us and I knew I needed to go through everything to make sure I got a good mix of songs. It took me two days (and a bottle of wine) but here it is:

All I Ask of You - The Phantom of the Opera

All You Need Is Love - The Beatles

Banana Pancakes - Jack Johnson

Because You Loved Me - Celine Dion

Before Your Love - Kelly Clarkson

Beyond The Sea - Bobby Darin

Bubbly - Colbie Caillat

Butterfly - Mariah Carey

Can't Buy Me Love - The Beatles

Can't Help Falling In Love - Michael Bublé

Can You Feel the Love Tonight - The Lion King

Close Your Eyes - Juliana Hatfield

Come Away With Me - Norah Jones

Come On Over - Christina Aguilera

Commitment - LeAnn Rimes

Crazy For You - Madonna

Cruel To Be Kind - Letters To Cleo

Daydream Believer - Susan Boyle

Ever Ever After - Carrie Underwood

Family - Dar Williams

Forever Love - Anna Nalick

From This Moment On - Shania Twain

Game On - The Guild

Get Out The Map - Indigo Girls

Girl in the Valley - The Secret Garden

Gorgeous - Idina Menzel

Head Over Feet - Alanis Morissette

A Heart Full Of Love - Les Misérables

Heaven - Bryan Adams

Hello,Young Lovers - The King And I

How Can I Keep From Singing? - Enya

How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) - James Taylor

I'd Rather Be in Love - Peter, Paul & Mary

I'm With You - Avril Lavigne

I'm Your Angel - Celine Dion/R. Kelly

I Could Not Ask For More - Sara Evans

I Don't Want To Miss A Thing - Aerosmith

I Knew I Loved You - Savage Garden

I Love You Always Forever - Donna Lewis

Ice Cream - Sarah McLachlan

In Your Eyes - Peter Gabriel

Kiss Me - Sixpence None the Richer

Let Your Troubles Roll By - Carbon Leaf

The Longest Time - Billy Joel

Love Story - Taylor Swift

Love Will Find A Way - Christina Aguilera

Medley: Tetris - Video Games Live

A Moment Like This - Kelly Clarkson

My Favorite Things - The Sound of Music

My Girl - The Temptations

Naturally - Selena Gomez

One Sweet Love - Sara Bareilles

Penny's Song - Felicia Day

The Power of Love - Celine Dion

Power Of Two - Indigo Girls

Put Your Head on My Shoulder - Michael Buble

She's an Angel - They Might Be Giants

Slide - Goo Goo Dolls

Straight From The Heart - Bryan Adams

Sweet Surrender - Sarah McLachlan

Take Me As I Am - Jekyll & Hyde

Tears in heaven - Eric Clapton

Thank You - Dido

That's How You Know - Amy Adams

This Kiss - Faith Hill

This Love - Maroon 5

A Thousand Miles - Vanessa Carlton

Time After Time - Cyndi Lauper

To You I Belong - B*Witched

Truly Madly Deeply - Savage Garden

Way Back Home - The Wreckers

The Way I Am - Ingrid Michaelson

The Wedding - The Pirate Queen

What's Simple Is True - Jewel

Who's to Say - Vanessa Carlton

Wishing Heart - Lisa Loeb

With You - Pippin

You're Beautiful - James Blunt

You're Still The One - Shania Twain

You're Still You - Josh Groban

You And Me - The Cranberries

You Are the Sunshine of My Life - Stevie Wonder

You Found Me - Kelly Clarkson

You Get Me - Michelle Branch

You Set Me Free - Michelle Branch

Your Sweet Voice - Matthew Sweet

2 Become 1 - Jewel

Yes, I know, what a crazy mix! Old and new; Broadway, rock, pop, and country; fast and slow. We’re not having dancing, this is just going to be playing in the background. Should be something for everyone in that mix!

Okay so color me naive, but how does a garter belt work?

2010-07-29T22:48:00.000-04:00

I've been trying to decide on a very personal problem: what to wear under my wedding gown. The main things, petticoat and longline bra, I'm buying from the bridal salon. I know the rest is a bit personal, but I'm pretty torn.

On one hand, I'm chubby. My thighs...well, they rub. I usually wear shorts under dresses and skirts. Pantyhose will cover them. But...I'm going to be pretty hot in that heavy gown, and the top of the pantyhose will probably be under my longline bra. Making using the restroom more difficult than necessary.

My other option is a garter belt and thigh-highs. I have honestly never worn one and have no idea how it works. Yes, I know, duh. After asking around on Twitter I think it'll work out. Easier to go to the restroom, a little, well...cooler. And yes, sexier. ;)

I know, this all may be a bit TMI, but I wouldn't mind some feedback from ladies who have been there! Please?

Album of most of my finalized #wedding details if anyone is interested: http://bit.ly/9PSNK0

It's really all coming together! I have centerpieces, boutonnieres, corsages, bouquets, and filled vases. Our outfits are complete, the alterations have begun. I am SO excited with how everything looks!

Centerpieces:

My gorgeous bouquet:

My GOWN!

I'm just going to concentrate on that and not how much I have left to do, m'kay? Cuz I'm kinda panicking. Just a bit.

Which bridal bouquet do you like better?

2010-07-22T22:28:00.002-04:00

I worked long and hard on my bouquets recently. Ran out of ribbon and had to buy more. Each bouquet took about 3 yards of ribbon to wrap the stems! So here are the three bridesmaid bouquets:

The yellow one is Beth’s, the orange one is Allie’s, and the red one is my sister Katy’s, as maid of honor. I put the white rose in the middle of hers to make it more distinct. So I can’t decide whether to have a little burst of those colors in the middle of my bouquet:

…or keep it all traditional bridal white:

Thoughts?

Simon and I are casual people. I enjoy the occasional fancy get-together, but in general we’re very laid-back. I knew when my aunt asked me about my shower that I wanted it to be co-ed, as it’s Simon’s wedding too! And with guys there, you don’t want anything too frilly, so I requested a BBQ. I received the official invitation recently, and it’s super sweet. So of course I needed a new dress, even though it’s casual, because that’s me! ;) I went shopping at Kohl’s with a cute pair of new shoes to match it to: aqua wedge espadrilles. I ended up with this adorable number:

It’s far trendier than my usual style, so it was something fun and different. It was $60, marked down to $45, then I had a $10 coupon. Woot! I love it. I even bought Spanx and a bandeau bra to go under it so it looks even better, lol.

In other news, I’m officially down 30 lbs. total, woo hoo! Hoping for another 10 by the wedding. My first gown fitting is Thursday, so pretty much while you’re reading this blog. I can’t wait! I miss my gown!

Taking my FMIL shopping!

2010-07-15T18:05:00.001-04:00

Saturday was pretty awesome. I took Simon's mom to the mall for her birthday present: her mother of the groom dress! We started out at Macy's and she tried on a couple that I liked (she totally left it up to me!) but had sort of busy prints. Then we hit Nordstrom on my aunt's suggestion, but their Women's section (size 14+) was minimal and had only one outfit that was almost what we were looking for (neutrals). Fail. I decided to give Sears a shot next, and I'm glad I did.

We found FIVE appropriate dresses there and she tried them on. One was particularly flattering and comfy and was even the right length (she's almost as short as me). It's a sleeveless dress and short-sleeved jacket in cream with satin trim. My dress is white so I'm not worried her outfit is too “bridal,” It's a deep ivory, almost yellow. The price tag said $100, which was fine, but I knew we had been digging around the clearance section. I was still shocked when it rang up for only $30! Sweet!

On Sunday, Simon and I went out to do some errands. We knew we had to look at tuxes ASAP, so I called them and asked if we needed an appointment and they said no. We swung over to Men's Wearhouse. We had originally planned on getting the deal where if you rent 5 tuxes, the groom's is free (to keep!), but since I already have ties and don't want vests, we wouldn't be renting a full outfit and therefore wouldn't qualify. It's $22 less to have no tie or vest rental, so we figured we'd save the money. We were going to rent them for our dads to reach the minimum number, but without the deal, it was easier to just get Simon's and the groomsmen's. The dads can just wear suits they own.

We had been looking to get a more suit-like tux, but the standard rentals were, well...standard tuxes. Since the gown I chose is far fancier than I had originally planned on, we figured regular tuxes are fine. So we chose the Calvin Klein 2-button, which is a nice light-weight fabric, important to Simon.

This will be Simon's tie:

This will be the groomsmen's tie:

The example photo looks like a similar tux, so it gives a pretty good idea of what it will look like. I also ordered matching pocket squares from Dessy, where I bought the ties from, since it looks good on a tux. Dessy makes the bridesmaids dress we bought, so the men's and women's colors will match perfectly. SO glad to check tuxes off my list!

I started playing around on VistaPrint and decided I wanted posters to go on the guest and photo tables. I was going to make something, but these look so nice and tie in the leaf logo I've been using on everything.

This one would go on the table at the entrance to the reception, to encourage people to write us a message and take a favor:

This one would go on the table with the Fuji Instax camera I bought:

What do you think? Does the wording work on each? They're 11”x17”, and I'll mount them to foam board then prop them up on the pretty silver easels I bought that turned out too big for my photo canvases. Glad I found a purpose for them!

Wow, is time flying. I can't believe it's in less than 3 months!!!

Oh my...that's a lotta wedding stationery...

2010-07-08T18:02:00.000-04:00

Last Thursday night, I sat down to this monstrous pile of stationery:

I had invitations, their envelopes, RSVP cards, their envelopes, museum tickets, inserts explaining the museum tickets, their envelopes, return address labels, guest address labels, and stickers to seal the back of the whole thing. Whew!

It took a little while just to get myself organized, then I went at it. It took me that evening and part of the next day, but I got them all together:

All neat and pretty. I mailed them out Tuesday, July 6, so they'll arrive just about 3 months before the wedding. I know I'm pretty early, but I have so many out of state guests that I want to give them plenty of time.

My aunt asked me the other day what I want to do about my shower. I decided on a co-ed wedding shower, rather than an all-girls bridal shower. I always thought that was a bit silly, to leave the groom out. It's his wedding too! So we started debating dates, but then I remembered Simon's mom is having her other hip replaced in August. She has to be there! So I called her and found out it's August 16. To make things more complicated, Simon's dad works in PA for 2 weeks, then works from home in CT for 2 weeks, so we need to try and do it while he's home. We need to call him and confirm, but it looks like the only weekend we can do it is August 14-15. We're just going to do a simple BBQ at someone's house. My aunt is taking care of all the details, which is a relief (and a bit obvious, as we can't throw it ourselves!). I just emailed her a list of names and addresses. And the best part is, that's right before our 3 year anniversary, August 18! The last “dating” anniversary we'll celebrate. How time flies!