Suffering Love

I know. I know.

2010-02-15T11:52:00.002-05:00

Yep, it's official. I'm terrible.

But, ok, so I know that and I could totally tell you all about my new job back in alternative ed and whine about how busy I am, but you're here for wedding stuff, and by gum you're going to get it!

Boy and I are full steam ahead. Once I get a whole lot of time, I'll do a little feature on each of the fan-frickin-tastic vendors we've selected. ooooh and my dress. I really like my dress. For now, you get links.

Our photographer: Bob Lambert
Our florist: Daniel Vaughn (you need to use internet explorer to see his photo albums)
Our DJ: Nittany Entertainment

They all do so many awesome things that I can't even enumerate all of them here with weeks and weeks and weeks of time. So check out their websites!

We went up to the Penn Stater a couple of weekends ago for a wedding expo, which was very helpful. We had a minor stress/freak-out over the state of the courtyard where we are going to be married. It seemed like it was way too small to fit the maybe 200 people who are going to be at our wedding. But then we went downstairs and were able to calm down and visualize how things are going to be.

And holy crap.

I realized it was real a while ago. I mean, the getting married part. You guys all know we've been living in sin for almost 4 years now. Those of you who know us in real life know how we are around each other. So when we were at the place where we are going to be married and we hugged and imagined how it would look, that was huge. And very cool.

We are going to meet with Eric, our new officiant, this Wednesday. We were planning on having Boy's brother do the ceremony, which would have been awesome, but his church simply would not allow it. I'm trying to keep my feelings about that polite and in general check. It's going.... ok. So I will keep you guys posted.

And that's all, for now :) More. I promise. Like invitations! And what the heck is in my head when I think about flowers! And... so much other wedding stuff.

Soon.

For realsies

2009-08-10T15:12:00.002-04:00

I've been talking all summer about how the wedding is becoming real, and now I've officially made the first real purchase: my dress.

Let me say that I didn't plan on finding my dress yet. I wanted a group of bridesmaids and clapping to accompany me, but once I tried her on... there was no leaving without putting that payment down. I know... I suck, but you'll forgive me. Let me share the whole experience with you, really, it'll be just like you were there the whole time!

Dress shopping experience one was at a small boutique. I went with just my mom on a very stormy day a couple of weeks ago. They had about sixty or so dresses in the whole shop from four or five different designers. The price point went from $$ to $$$$, and of course I loved two of the most expensive dresses in the place.

I also experienced the first thing that the wedding magazines didn't tell me... those boutique dresses are NOT in my size. It is really hard to feel at your most beautiful when you're being held into a size -5 dress that will not even zip a centimeter.

Sigh.

So when I tried on a truly yummy Maggie Sottero dress (that I felt looked like the red dress Kate Winselt wore in Titanic) that had looked fantastic on the mannequin, I didn't notice the beading or the way that the silk lay across the bodice. All I could look at was my belly button, which I could see through the many layers of fabric. ick! I got within two feet of the triple mirror and turned on my heel. No need to traumatize myself any further!

I didn't write down the info for the first dress, but it was very similar to this one.

I can not say enough about the consultant at the first place though, she was fantastic. She listened to my critiques on each gown and laughed at all of my self-deprecating jokes. Eventually, we found two dresses that looked beautiful on me.

This Maggie's name is Libby, and she's magical. After a full five minutes of string pulling, I was actually zipped up into this beauty. For the first time, I felt confident. And I sparkled! The lace was a good not to my mother's dress and it was feather light. A contender for sure.

I Adored this Anjolique number. Through a fluke, she was actually in my size. I loved how it lay across my stomach (no belly buttons in sight!) and that it was just a little bit different while still being very classic. There was the small issue of the giant beaded sparkle snowflake on the right hip, but the seamstress assured me that it could be removed. The problem? I wasn't ready to make a commitment on my first trip, and this little lady would have set me back considerably. While I understand the importance of a wedding dress, I wasn't willing to spend the amount that this particular dress required. So alas, I said goodbye to her for the day, promising to come back later.

Later, I realized that a large portion of why I loved these dresses was because they finally fit. I felt good in them, especially in the corsetted Maggie. I felt like I did when I really was a size 2.

But upon further thought... I didn't feel like the bride. What happened next? You'll find out soon (I promise)

Did you married ladies have the same experience I did with tiny dresses?

Oh dear!

2009-08-10T01:06:00.002-04:00

And here I was thinking that the summer would afford me ample time to blog about all things wedding.

Where did the summer go already! I've been so remiss that at this point apologies are way overdue and blah blah blah I'm boring myself already.

Really, we just haven't done much.

The Save The Dates are in stall mode while we wait for artwork from a talented friend, we just got first contact from our planner (via a "wedding day" scented candle through the mail... I didn't even know you could mail candles...), and we have our first meeting with our officiant next weekend.

I did go dress shopping though...

... a couple times. Ok. Three times. But other than that, we haven't been doing much. So don't worry. You haven't missed anything!

We've been busy....

2009-07-13T15:28:00.004-04:00

Oh yes, it's been a long time. But it's been a busy time too. The wedding is officially less than a year away, and things are definitely getting real.

The first real thing that Boy and I did was take engagement pictures! Nicole of the fantastic NKA studios came over to shoot family pictures for my Nana and Pop-pop's 50th wedding anniversary, and Boy and I stole the spotlight for a few minutes to snag these adorable shots. We were lucky enough to get not only a beautiful day, but also some great behavior out of our doggie, Jack-Jack. You can see more of Nicole's beautiful work over on her blog!

We also had our long-awaited gathering of our bridesmaids, groomsmen, and ushers. It was awesome. I had some girls really step up and I felt like everyone got to know one another much better, which is what I was going for in the first place! Score!

We worked the event as a competition, so we split into two teams and worked to earn points by completing tasks. It was soooo meticulously planned, down to hand made "achievements" ala XBox 360 (did I mention that Boy and I are gamers?) and color coded just about everything. We even had a schedule of what events were going to happen when. This was a fantastic idea which was missing one key element: execution.

See, some of the achievements were earned by drinking, and each team attacked those first. So all of the carefully planned events were attempted by people who were... well... not in full mental shape. And we couldn't do it. Boy, who turns on his XBox daily and plays for hours, couldn't get a single game started. I lost interest in everything except our adorable kitten, Olive.

After some very minor drama, a unity pyramid was attempted and all was well. Next day tabulating of the points revealed that Boy's team won, but only by one point. And by all accounts everyone had a smashing good time, which is the real win for us!

My parents threw us a relaxed and delicious barbecue engagement lunch, much to the relief of several hung-over wedding party members. The highest point of this (other than a home run derby) was that my Pop-pop and Boy's Grandpa talked for almost the entire time. They had met on only one previous occasion, and everyone was too busy to really get to know each other. The laid back setting of that Sunday gave our families a much better chance to meet, and the wedding party a chance to see who our VIPs are. Now, when I ask one of my bridesmaids to hand my bouquet to my nana, she will know who I'm talking about without having to awkwardly ask around. Score!

Last week we celebrated our only nega-versary by preparing for our annual vacation down the shore. For those of you not from the Philly area, "down the shore" means on the New Jersey coastline, usually in Wildwood, Avalon, or for us: Ocean City. For the last few years, it also meant an influx of our friends along with our family. This year, however, we had just seen everyone so there was no vacation time left for people to come down. While I was a bit bummed about that at first, it ended up being awesome!

Boy and I had several long conversations about our wedding and the style we want for the day, the budget we think we need, and how to handle well-meaning people who may not see it our way. It's hard. I really want to please everyone, but I also want a wedding with a cohesive style. Through the rest of this year, I will have to learn how to listen to everyone, match those ideas with our own, and pull together what should be a fantastic night.

Should be.

Wedding Par-tay!

2009-06-16T09:28:00.002-04:00

The main idea of this wedding party social is to get our peeps on both sides to meet one another, integrate some new faces, and all chill out with a little over a year to go until the big day. The goal: pictures and good times inspired by actual friendships and fun, rather than posed "sillyness" and a support system which can actually support if there is drama.

There'd better not be drama.

Planning our wedding party social has been a great warm up for planing the actual wedding. Boy and I have both had lots of ideas, some great and some not so great.

When it came down to it, it was all about compromise and reality, which is what I think all brides need to focus on sometimes!

For instance: My original (genius, by the way) idea was that it should be bridesmaids vs groomsmen in an awesome real world vs road rules style showdown. Our two wedding ninjas would be split up to join other teams and all would be right with the world. Think of the pink vs blue t-shirts! Wedding related games! Cocktails!

That is where it all fell apart. We're not what you would call "big drinkers," but we're not small, either. And even though very few of us were a part of Greek Life up at PSU, we do love us some competitive drinking. Almost as soon as I put out the idea, I started getting feedback about my "awesome" plan.

It was almost universally negative. Everyone was psyched about the games, but were quick to point out that (duh) our friends are very competitive, and merging a drinking component with a battle of the sexes would only lead to ticked off and very wasted girls as their husbands/boyfriends/fiances/friends drank them quite handily under the table. While I wanted to get on my "girl power" soap box and re-enact a scene from Annie Get Your Gun, I saw reason and bowed out. Rather than ditch the drinking component (come on, I'm not crazy... yet), I acquiesced that mixed teams were better.

Enter problem numero dos. Things turned very quickly into a night that was mostly about competitive, college style imbibing. And while I'm all for having a good time, I most certainly did not want anyone to get sick! There are a few people on both sides who prefer not to drink to excess, and Boy and I don't want to pressure anyone. But how do we keep things interesting for those who choose not to play drinking games?

We brainstormed for a while about activities that would get everyone involved. We all love a good game of flip cup, but it's not much fun if you aren't drinking. And who wants to ride the bus with water? Not this girl.

The trick ended up being a beyond brilliant idea that should keep all of our very geeky friends happy and having a great time, even after the drinking stops. I don't want to say too much here to spoil the surprise for the wedding party members who I know read the blog (ahem). But it will be epic.

Look at this cake.

2009-06-08T11:52:00.003-04:00

This is a serious cake right here. This cake makes me want to jump and do all sorts of crazy gymnastics that I am nowhere near coordinated enough to do.

It's so simple, and tall, and round, and pretty and I must have it. (sings the "I want it now" song Veurca Salt sang in Willy Wonka)

The photo, btdubs, is by the very sweet and fantastically talented Nicole Aldrige of NKA studios. She does great work with families and especially awesome stuff with weddings! More on how I came to know her coming soon...

I know, I can be such an evil little tease sometimes.

Bye, bye land of make-believe

2009-06-02T09:22:00.003-04:00

It's starting to get real. Really real. And... uhm...

Theoretical wedding planning world is a pretty un-stressful place to be. There are no worries in happy, fluffy cloud world. Hell, we can have flippin unicorns as our ring-bearers! We can have peonies in July! I can magically look beautiful in a sheath dress!

Not so much.

So here's the list of things I wanted to have taken care of by June:
1. Lose 15 pounds
2. have brilliant, creative wedding theme
3. decide on venue
4. get wedding party together

And while two of those admittedly big things are taken care of, the first two.... the not so completed ones... are the ones that are looming large at the moment.

Especially the second one. The first, I'll deal with at dress time. The theme, or overall feel of the wedding is what I'm fretting over at the moment.

Because I just don't know.

I was sketching out some Save the Date ideas yesterday, so I snapped a picture and sent them over to Boy. He showed the necessary approval with my work but rightly pointed out that they're a bit... bland. Yes, they have our colors and they incorporate the things we want/need in an STD but these designs definitely aren't going to knock anyone's socks off.

What now? Search wildly for inspiration, that's what! Here's some of what I found (clicky all for big and source):

Ok, that last one was just for fun :)

The overall feel I'm going for is simple, personal, and fun. I'd love there to be a little bit of unexpected in there too. We could even do some fun playing with our date in Euro format 3+7= 10 and all that jazz. hmm....

So much to ask for one little postcard!

Gathering our peeps!

2009-05-27T09:48:00.002-04:00

One of the things that's really important to both Boy and I are our friends. We are lucky to share an awesome group of friends gathered through high school, college, and our current lives. So when we were building our wedding party... it was a little bit of a challenge.

While we knew full well that the question is really "who do we include" it felt so much more like "who do we exclude." And that made both of us squidgy and upset. There were a couple of shoe-ins for both of us: brothers and sister, our married friends (now in two sets! Congrats again!!); there were also those single and mostly male awesome friends who are all equally important to us.

Our solution? Gigantor wedding party. That's how we roll.

We played around with how it would work, and finally settled on this arrangement. I like it. It rocks.

Once our peeps were in place, we wanted a way for everyone to bond. Since we have what feels like an uber-long engagement (I just want to do this ish already!), we really felt like we had time to plan lots of events and space things out. While I met with most of my bridesmaids for lunch a few months ago, our bridal party social will be our first big event!

I'm so stoked!

It'll be half college party style with contests and prizes. We are soooo lucky to have awesome bridesmaids, groomsmen, and ninjas (ushers) who are willing to gather and play games with us!

The next day, we'll be heading over to my parents' house (about half an hour from our place) and gathering for a lunch on the patio with key family members like my parents, Boy's parents, and our grandparents. While neither Boy and I are fans of formal engagement parties (for us, I'm sure yours was awesome if you had one!) we still wanted all of our "people" to meet and know each other. There will be food, fun, and lots of meeting.

Which means.... planning. Time to get the boxes together for the games, make up nametags, craft prizes and favors (maybe)....

Picking up

2009-05-26T09:55:00.002-04:00

Never fear, loyal readers- more fun times are ahead!

I have some serious crafting in my near future, setting up placecards for my Nana and PopPop's fiftieth anniversary partay. Not to mention a swanky get-together for our bridesmaids, groomsmen, and ninjas to all meet and greet one another.

Ahhhhnnnnd we're going to (finally) get things ironed out with our venue, as our one year mark nears ever closer.

God help us.

So excited

2009-05-19T08:50:00.003-04:00

Today I'm beyond stoked for many reasons, but the most important of which is that my good friend and bridesmaid Mon is marrying her sweetheart, my other good friend and usher Josh... this frickin weekend!

I cannot begin to wish them all of the awesomeness that they deserve, so I'll just settle for a "squee!" and leave it at that!

I can't believe I forgot!

2009-05-15T14:43:00.002-04:00

For some reason, I have an affinity for the movie Brother Bear. I know. I'm not Canadian, I'm not even really fond of bears, but this movie has a very special place in my heart.

I think it has to do with when I first watched it, at home with a college friend, my mom, and my sister. This simple night marked a really important shift in my relationship with my sister and the way I saw how I fit in with my friends. Whenever I see the movie or hear Phil Collins' music from it, I'm taken right back to that night, that summer, and the choices that I made that ultimately created the person I am today.

So how I could possibly leave out this song? I play it every year on the way down the shore to spend time in the sun with my family and friends, and it sets these roots to music for me. I'm not sure where or how, but I'll find it a home for the wedding.

On My Way - Phil Collins

Sure, it's not a love song. It has little to do with Boy, and lot to do with me. But it's about family and joining everyone together. More than anything, that's what I want our wedding to be about!

What personal mantra songs do you have?

Getting it started

2009-05-11T14:44:00.002-04:00

Since we have our "Engagement lunch" coming up and we're in a bit of a lull, now is the perfect time for us to get our wedding website up and running!

We will need all of this to be working by the time the STDs are sent out, and that will be early.

So today, instead of focusing on more important things, Boy and I gchatted back and forth about different wedding website services. While our recently married friends did a great job building their website from scratch (and offered to help) we decided against it in favor of one of the free sites. After some searching, we settled on mywedding.com.

The parent site has numerous "wedding planning" features, none of which I've tried out. They all seem helpful though. What we focused on were cost and length of availability. I was surprised to find out today that many of the wedding website hosts limit the amount of time your website is live. While that won't be much of a problem after the wedding, Boy and I have a long engagement. So the 1 year limit that was placed on most sites wasn't going to fly for us. Luckily for us, mywedding is free and unlimited. Yay!

Most of their themes are pretty generic and bland, and there aren't exact matches for our colors, but I'm not stressed about it. We're busy loading the site up with information, but you can see it as a work in progress right here!

One of the most important things

2009-05-08T14:04:00.005-04:00

Boy and I met for the first time at a concert, though neither of us remembers it. Our usher, Ry, introduced us at the end of a TSL/Yellowcard show when we were all tired from moshing (or fending off moshers by throwing elbows) all night.

I knew that we had something special when Boy was driving me back to school an told me that I had to hear this "awesome" song. When he put it on, I smiled. It was my favorite song. (awww... gag) Now a piano arrangement of it will play as our processional.

Konstantine - Something Corporate

Not to long ago, this is what I wanted for a processional. Now I think that it'll be used at some point in the ceremony, maybe an instrumental version for the ring warming.

The Luckiest - Ben Folds

You long-time readers know I love this song, and I think the recessional would be the perfect time to use it!

Hallelujah - Paramore

Our first dance song is by a band called Say Anything. We first saw the lead singer playing acoustic and solo while the band was on hiatus. It was awesome. When we first started thinking about first dance song, Boy knew he wanted a waltz. This fit perfectly.

I Want to Know Your Plans - Say Anything

I've featured this song before, it was one of his contenders for our first dance. It's a waltz as well!

Salty Eyes - The Matches

I know it's odd, but as an English teacher, I have a soft spot for Schoolhouse Rock! I have all of them on a dvd, and when I re-listened to this song, I heard lyrics that perfectly describe our wedding party: "We found them, and they found us, and now they are ours. And we're so happy!" At the very least, those words will be my (and now your) geeky little secret as they adorn the part of our programs which will introduce our awesome attendants.

pronouns -

One of my favorite parts of wedding receptions is the campy all-married dance. You know, when the dance floor is crowded by all of the wedded couples and each couple stops dancing and leaves the floor one by one until only the couple who has been married the longest is left dancing. This tears me up every time, so I definitely want it to be a part of our reception.

I was thinking that I would use this great Coldplay track:

(Hidden track: Til Kingdom Come) - Coldplay

But as we watched the Scrubs season (series??) finale this week, I was reminded of how much I love this version of "Book of Love." It might be perfect, and far less obscure.

Get this widget

Track details

eSnips Social DNA

Our love of music is one of the first things that brought Boy and I closer together. What songs did/will you use in your wedding?

Holding pattern

2009-05-04T08:38:00.002-04:00

May is going to drag on....

It seems like everything awesome is happening at the end of the month!

And in the meantime, we're stuck in a pattern of nothing we can really do right now. Our venue is booked, but we've been told repeatedly that (especially in this economy) it's unwise to book any vendors more than 1 year out. So we're stalling. Venue will call in June to schedule tastings and have us meet with our (free and provided for us) planner.

But what the heck am I supposed to do until then?

Sigh...

I've been holding out on you...

2009-04-29T09:38:00.003-04:00

Well, only for a few days.

Last Sunday, Boy and I went out for our first registry adventure! There were yummy and supposedly non-alcoholic margaritas, scanner guns which only kind of worked, disgusting quesadillas, and cheesy heart shaped bowls. There were stand mixers, people.

It was glorious.

Like many blogging brides before me, my first registry mecca was the fantastic Crate and Barrel. Since we live close to King of Prussia and its fantastic mall, Boy and I were lucky enough to be able to attend one of their registry events.

It was mega fun. Well, at least for me. Boy survived.

Why so early? Boy and I aren't getting officially stapled together until July of 2010, but wedding presents have already started coming in. We have loved each thoughtful gift we've received so far, each has been a complete surprise! But since we've decided to have an Engagement Lunch (more on that later) we wanted to provide people with a easy way to see what we need. We're planning to also register at least at Target to help everyone find something in their price range

Remember, Boy and I live in sin, so we have many things like basic dishes and a fantastic set of cookware. So while we still need some of the classic things (Stand Mixer!!!!), there are some things that we definitely do not need.

But enough of the background. Let's get to the goods!

If you're a friend or family member, you can find our full registry on Crate and Barrel.com by search for either Boy or I's full name. Here are some of the highlights:

I was very proud of team Us. Even though C&B was only our first stop, we knocked out our two big discussion items: flatware and china!

We chose porcelain dinnerware instead of china for a couple of reasons, but mostly because we're not very formal people. The Maison set is simple, durable, and a C&B classic, so it's not likely to be discontinued. I love the clean lines!

For the flatware, I took the saleslady's advice and went around holding all of the forks to see which felt the most comfortable. Boy immediately zeroed in on the brushed, matte finish of the Stanton line, and I eventually agreed. They are so sleek!

We had a great time, and look forward to continuing our adventures as we plan!

Chapter 72: Confessions of a Control Freak

2009-04-24T14:14:00.002-04:00

Those of you who know me in real life know that my job situation is a bit tenuous right now. Suffice to say that my employment for the next school year is out of my hands. And even though I don't have to worry about money until September, I worry anyway.

I hate money.

I am not good at managing it.

You know how in high school there was that one kid that was really smart but could never seem to get his or her projects done on time?

That was me.

I procrastinate on just about everything possible. Laundry? Down to my last pair of underpants. Dishes? Piled precariously in the sink. Dentist? What dentist? Bills?

I, the control freak, handed them over to Boy.

I consider myself to be a responsible person. Heck. I look after children for seven hours a day. I like to think that I'm fairly trustworthy and reliable person.

Except when it comes to paying bills. And because marriage is about choosing to be with a Real Person for the rest of his/her life, I had to be honest with Boy about that.

And in turn, be honest with you. Honesty was not always a part of my life. Years ago, when I first met Boy, I wasn't so honest. When I would back myself into a tight corner, especially if it dealt with money, I would lie.

In the Shopaholic series of books the protagonist, an otherwise successful girl, would max out her credit cards and then hide her bills. And as I read those books, my pulse would race. I would glance at the drawer in my room where I had hidden bills of my own. Shh.... if you can't see them, you don't have to pay them. Right?

Wrong, of course. So inevitably it would all catch up with me, and I would spin some story to get out of it. I was constantly on edge, but everything always seemed to work out.

Until Boy: one of the very few people in my life who saw right through me. And called me on it.

So I don't lie anymore. Really. Almost never, not even little white lies. I don't back myself into corners because I'm honest with Boy about who I am- who he's really marrying. I try to own my mistakes when I make them. I'm working hard to take on bill paying responsibilities (a personal quest!).

What's bugging me now is that I feel like if I have everything under control and I'm still being honest, things should be working out better. Maybe that's foolish. I'm a very lucky person, and I know that.

But this part of my life that is out of my control, the job part, the part that I love but isn't falling neatly into place... it's making me nervous again. And I can't even hide it away in a drawer.

Lust

2009-04-20T14:05:00.002-04:00

It's a dangerous thing. It tempts you, lures you, bates you with its undeniable awesomitude. Also, it sparkles more than vampires.

Etsy, I need you.

I purchased the awesome first part of my bridesmaids' asking gift from a great seller on Etsy. I've found a great many sweet little birthday presents for some of my geekier friends. And now...

I'm obsessed.

Who knew there could be so many cute lovlies to be found for weddings?

These adorable bouquet charms aren't even something I had thought about before, and now I must have them. They're custom made by seller cherrycreekcharms who has much more cuteness in her shop.

These lego cufflinks tie nicely back to an early event we will be having for our groomsmen and are adorable! They come from seller qacreate who speacializes in steampunk, but also has these epic D&D cufflinks, which I may have to force one of the boys to wear!

You already know about my love for the fragile Gardenia, so this beautiful clay hair flower is a great option. Check out the other things that the very talented midoridesigns can do with clay flowers!

I'm not a feather girl, but portobello does beautiful work. Her designs are one of a kind, and she's currently taking custom orders!

Sigh... If I had a million dollars... (continues on singing the Barenaked Ladies)

It's not you, it's me.

2009-04-16T08:48:00.000-04:00

I'm a baaad blogger. (Side note: It weird that I just said "baaaaad" like a sheep in my head?)

The end of the marking period brings crazy time for teachers.

Please forgive my posting lameness. I'll be back soon.

Prince Charming

2009-04-13T09:59:00.003-04:00

Yes, I'm a slacker. I'd love to say that I have a good excuse... but I don't.

Moving on, then.

I can't truly tackle fairy tale weddings without hitting Cinderella, the queen of all ball gown wearers. Somewhere inside every bride is a little girl wishing for her fairy godmother to make her the perfect dress out of magic, and a carriage out of a pumpkin. Right?

Whatever. That little girl part of me would love to force my bridesmaids to wear ball gowns and throw a white tie wedding. With waltzing. And fireworks. At a castle.

See, I'm not a roleplayer... but I can see why people do it.

It would be uncomfortable, but beautiful.

And what about our deconstructed Cinderella, Ever After? More to come...

Yes, it's embarrasing.

2009-04-08T08:51:00.003-04:00

When I was in second grade, I sang my very favorite song all the time. That included getting up during an assembly in front of my whole school and belting it out as loud as my little lungs could manage.

I was of course, made fun of mercilessly. But that didn't matter, because I was (of course) a mermaid trapped in a human's body by Ursula, the evil sea witch/octopus.

I was obsessed.

The second grade me would squee with delight if I had a Little Mermaid wedding. She would imagine fish in vases on every table, maybe even the venue at the fantastic Adventure Aquarium ballroom (in front of a gi-hugic fish tank, no less), and a steel drum band.

The grown up me came up with this:

Orchids, orchids everywhere for what is clearly a destination wedding! Bright colors, smiles, tans, and a kicky short wedding dress (oh how I want one...) keep this affair light and fun, without the need for any steel drums.

The question is, where to have it? What do you guys think?

Fairy Tale Inspiration

2009-04-06T12:01:00.002-04:00

I thought that this week, in honor of... well... nothing really, I'd do inspiration boards from some of my favorite fairy tales.

For the first, I've chosen Jo's favorite: The 12 Dancing Princesses

A German fairy tale found in the collection of The Brother's Grimm, the 12 Dancing Princesses has taken on many forms and translations, including a version starring Barbie.

God help us all.

Here is my take:

I love the sparkle branches and think that this would make a very pretty winter wedding. I think that if I was a millionaire, this would be my wedding theme, complete with diamond and ruby forests :).

Any suggestions for other fairy tale themes this week? Which is your favorite?

There is a nice breeze in my classroom

2009-04-02T14:09:00.002-04:00

... and I am trying to focus on that and not the fact that I really am quite sick.

Hence:

pretty pretty, right?

I don't know why I keep doing this to myself with the peonies! They're not in season for my wedding, they don't fit the color scheme, and they don't go with the overall style...

but they are pretty. And I'm sick. So you have to let me have this one :)

Flower Power!

2009-03-31T11:41:00.002-04:00

Sorry, that was corny.

I've completely fallen in love with Ranunculus, yet another flower that I cannot have (without big cost) for my wedding. Since I'm still thinking about arranging flowers myself, I need to start reseraching what will be in season for my wedding.

My goal? Have a flower plan made and in hand for this July 4th weekend, so I can try out the options with what is really available at my local wholesaler.

Crazy? Maybe. But it will give me something really fun to do during the summer, and I like that.

So according to this and several articles I found when googling, these are the pretty flowers which bloom in the summer! (at least the ones I like)

Asters
These are pretty and have a wildflower feel to them. They'd be great for a garden wedding!

Cosmos

Another garden flower. These are very pretty and come in lots of colors.

Calla Lily

I know, I know. Brides kill for Callas. For some reason, they're not doing it for me, but they are beautiful.

Dahlias

Definitely lots of options here. They don't feel very formal, but I'm sure they can be dressed up.

Freesia

This is my first big winner! I had lots of Freesia scented things from Bath and Body Works when I was a teenager, but never knew what the flower looked like. They are beautiful and would make a great addition to a hydrangea bouquet...

Gardenia

I can't believe that I forgot these pretties when thinking of white flowers. When the family and I lived in California, we had a huge flowering gardenia bush/tree/thing along our front walkway. They're a lovely compromise between a rose and a peony.

Gladiola

A nice option for height, and I know that they are available at the wholesaler I have in mind. I worry about snapping them on the trip though.

Hydrangea

Feminine, easy to get (they grow in my parents' yard), and very wedding-y. I'm sure they'll show up in some way.

Lisanthus

Another contender. In this picture, the white are roses and the purple are Lisanthus. Evokes a similar feel of the Peony, less structured than a Gardenia.

More to come later, but for now, which do you like best?

Playing around

2009-03-30T15:15:00.002-04:00

Here's a quick look at what everything might look like together:

I still like it!

Uh oh

2009-03-27T09:37:00.004-04:00

This morning, I got to unwrap my new pack of post-it notes for my pop-up dispenser.

Little known fact #42: Many teachers are obsessed with office supplies

It was an exciting occasion all around. When a student needed a quick note to take home, I jotted his grade down on one of my new teal post-its with the closest pen I could find (read: the one I had stuck in my hair at the moment). And this happened.

Crap.

You see, months ago, when we were still discussing having Matty as our ring bearer, Boy brought up the subject of the color red.

I said something along the lines of "ew! Red and teal? No way!" Red and robin's egg, yes. Adorable. But red and teal? I gently explained that red was not a part of our wedding as I had envisioned it.

Crap. Crap. Crap.

I hate being wrong, in fact, we both do. We can't even play Monopoly together anymore because the first (and only) Monopoly match between the two of us ended in a shouting match. Being wrong is like losing.

So I quickly whipped up an inspiration board, substituting red for the old 2nd accent color (silver):

And quickly messaged Boy to admit my defeat.

It's pretty. It's punky. It finally has a touch of the fact that this is a July, summer fun wedding. It has the awesome ability to make me very happy and tear up at the same time.

I wonder if it's too busy... but at the same time, I don't really care.

Dye-ing to get hitched

2009-03-25T12:10:00.003-04:00

Staring at the mirror after straightening my hair this morning, I had to face facts. I need to start dying my hair.

While other people might not notice the small colony of gray hair that has been forming by my temples, I do. And as a 24 year old, I do not appreciate it.

It took me years to be ok with my natural hair color. I had hated it growing up and kept highlights in it for the longest time. Once I decided I wanted to grow it out,the color had to go. With it, I also gave up trying to fit in. I guess that's corny, but I moved a lot when I was younger, so most of my childhood was spent trying to fit in with wherever I found myself. Giving up my obsessive hair dying was accepting the mousy brown hair I was born with.

Yeah, that's definitely cheesy. But ya'll love me anyway :).

So I want to start experimenting now...

My dream look is something like this. Hair that's still brown with a reddish tint to it.

I'd love to go all red, but I'm nervous about how it will look with my summer skin tone, which is a few shades darker than my current winter pale.

When I was in college, I went mostly blonde. No one told me how awful it looked! While I loved having blonde highlights, I feel like I've grown out of them. They are also very expensive to keep up, and I don't really have the money at the moment.

I've also thought about going really dark, but I feel like I would look sickly in the winter.

I need something that will be fun while still looking professional. It would be better, cost-wise, if said perfect color could be kept up with a box, because I do not have the funds for monthly salon visits!

What do you think?

Dream a little dream...

2009-03-24T12:04:00.003-04:00

"You have got to be kidding me," I thought as I woke up this morning. "I can't seriously be having wedding nightmares already!"

Cut back to me waking up at 4 am this morning in a cold sweat because my entire wedding party and all of the guests went to the rehearsal dinner venue for the reception. In my dream, that left me in a pouffy wedding dress with a beautiful bouquet.... and all alone.

(cue the psycho music and zoom shots)

Last week I had a dream that there was a mix up and all of my bridesmaids showed up in hot pink moo-moos.

With over a year left to go.... I really hope that these dreams don't continue!

Happy Spring!

2009-03-20T09:58:00.002-04:00

I have a confession to make.

I'm cheating on my color palate.

Maybe it's the spring air. Maybe it's the idea of change. Maybe it's the freshness of it all. But I can't help it. I love a white wedding.

So clean. So fresh. So graphic.

I love the black and white. I do. I don't want to agonize over eggshell, platinum, cream (which is NOT white), and all crazy shades of nothingness.

But it is fun.

Love the bridesmaid's dress. LOVE. If it came in black I would buy six of them right now.

...more to come later.

Wedding drool: letterpress

2009-03-19T16:08:00.002-04:00

I admit it, I'm a paper snob. When I think of my wedding invitations, I think of luxury. I think of traditional, heavy papers.

I dream... of letterpress.

It is crisp, perfect, and yes, traditional. But many letterpress shops are doing great new things with it!

The White Aisle has some beautiful stuff! I love the way they combine classic elements and big, bold graphics. Seems like just what Boy and I are looking for! Even their thank you cards are adorable!

Pretty pretty.

Of course, no chat about letterpress is complete without the georgeousness of Hello! Lucky. You can read their exploits occasionally over on WeddingBee Pro. They have an urban vintage style with lots of cute touches. Their stuff is to die for!

Positively yummy.

Parklife Press is my front runner right now. Their prices are resonable, and they work with each couple to design one-of-a-kind invitations. I'm not one of those "my wedding must be unique" people, but I love the idea of custom designing our invitations. I've been fantasizing about barely noticable letterpressed pawprints on the envelope flap and a georgeous monogram designed by our talented friend.

They're the perfect match between classic and funky, no? Check out the rest of their stuff here, and drool along with me!

OMG, when did you get Engaged?!

2009-03-16T09:54:00.002-04:00

By now, most of the people I know well enough to talk to have heard the story of Boy and I's engagement. But for some reason, there are still a few people who need to get the memo.

When they do finally come across me and have sufficiently oogled the precious, they seem to be reading questions off an imaginary list. This list is full of "polite" questions to ask acquaintances who recently became engaged. The funny thing is that I've noticed that most people don't really care about the answers to said questions, they're merely trying to be polite and seem interested. So I think that next time, I'd like to answer them in a silly way.

1. Wow, so when did he propose?
New Year's Eve, on horseback. We were in formal wear, and he had ripped a hole in his tuxedo pants.

2. So have you guys set a date?
Nope, we're going to send out emails about a week before or so, and just see who shows up. We were thinking about doing it next weekend, actually.

3. That seems like fun. What are your colors?
Fuchia and mauve. I think they look so great together! We'll probably use tangerine as an accent color, like for the top hats and parasols.

4. Sounds great. Did you pick a wedding party?
Yup. I was in a sorority, so I'm going to have all of the surviving members in my wedding party. Boy doesn't really have any friends, so his best man is going to be our dog.

5. Haha, yeah sororites are so kitch. Any ideas about the honeymoon?
We want to go somewhere warm and relaxing, so we're thinking Russia. I've always wanted to see the Eifel tower!

Oh you guys are just too cute. You'll have so much fun. My sister went to Barbados for her honeymoon and just loved it. I'll give you the number of her travel agent
Oh, great! Thanks! (groan)

Just for funsies

2009-03-13T12:04:00.002-04:00

I whipped up this little inspiration board in a flash, but I think it is so much fun!

I never thought about putting these colors together before- I love it! Also, I think that a cute yorkie in a tux totally replaces the need for groomsmen.

Venue: Artesano Iron Works Gallery, Manayunk

Menu: Incredibly hip and cook fusion cuisine that I can't even imagine. With yummy cocktails.

First Dance: "Love will come through" by Travis

Hip and whimsical. I really like this combo!

Winter's on the wing

2009-03-11T09:54:00.004-04:00

As spring approaches (quickly, I hope), I can't help but imagine a spring wedding.

Sure, it's nearly impossible for me to actually have. That doesn't stop me from planning it anyway!

Location: Knowlton Mansion, outside of Philadelphia

Menu: Chicken with a light glaze. Roasted Potatoes. Fresh baby greens salad with raspberry vinaigrette.

First dance: Follow Through, by Gavin DeGraw

I love the soft colors and atmosphere of this wedding. There is no set color pallet, only "spring." The centerpieces could be incredibly simple: grasses, tulips, garden finds. It would be an outdoor, afternoon ceremony with a relaxed tone, preferably in a garden, or a small chapel.

It's all rather calming, isn't it?

Entertainment wedding inspiration

2009-03-09T14:48:00.004-04:00

Those of you who know me (or have been following for a while) know that my love of pop culture is no secret. I heart tv and movies.

So where better to draw inspiration for our big day?

Here are Lily and Marshall from How I Met Your Mother. Their wedding was simple, somewhat intimate, and very much them. I hope that Boy and I can pull off a similar mood :). Many more pictures on their wedding website, lol. Also, ahem... chandelier (and boom mic?). Just sayin.

My favorite movie is "The Princess Bride," and I make absolutely no apologies for that fact. Buttercup's wedding day look is a common inspiration for brides who want to go the princess route. I'm not a fan of the tiara, but I love the soft look of her curls.

While I know that Ross's wedding to Emily ended up being quite the dramatic affair, I have never forgotten the absolutely beautiful set work for this episode. The Christmas lights and candles set a perfect romantic scene for Ross's proclamation of love... for Rachel.

I, a 24 year old young woman, watch a soap opera. I share House's affinity for General Hospital, and have since I was in middle school (LL2 Forever!!). Since I have been watching for so many years, I have seen more than my fair share of GH weddings, many of them between the same people. Fashion icon Kate Howard's wedding to mobster Sonny Corinthos never happened (Kate was, of course, shot at the altar), but you can't deny that her dress is to die for.

Doctors Robin Scorpio and Patrick Drake may have married (for the second time) just before a biotoxin was released in the hospital they both work at, but the shine of their simple wedding has lasted through the crisis and Robin's tragic battle with post-partum depression. I'm not a fan of edged veils, but this sweet number looks adorable on Kimberly (the actress who plays Robin). The use of red for this just-after-Christmas wedding was perfect.

There are of course many, many more lovely movie and tv weddings. Which are your favorites?

I believe in a thing called love

2009-03-06T11:42:00.002-05:00

I'm not so solid on everything else, but the ceremony is one of those things that is oddly important to me.

Boy and I have been clear on a couple of things since before we were officially engaged, but most of all we knew that we wanted our ceremony to be personal and meaningful. For both of us, that meant having someone we knew officiate.

We did not want some random minister joining us together for life. I was raised Catholic, but I don't feel obligated to do the whole church thing, and I sure as all heck was not up for Pre-Cana (the pre-marriage counseling required by 99.9% of Catholic churches. They frown upon the whole "living in sin" thing). At the same time, I want our ceremony to have a spiritual (if not distincly religious) feel to it, so I did not want just anyone doing the deed.

It did not take Boy and I much brainstorming to come up with the answer to our officiant question. The night we were offically engaged, one of Boy's first calls was to his older brother. Ry is Boy's only older brother, and he's what I refer to as a "grown up," which means a person about three years older than me. No matter how old I am.

Ry is the most spiritually connected person I know. He has gone on several mission trips since finding his faith and turning his life around for the better. I am not a very religious person, but I can get behind anything that creates positive change in your life.

Thankfully, Ry was not only agreeable, he seemed touched that we thought of him. He is currently studying from his pastor to be ordained.

For those of you who have been thinking about going the same road, you should know that in our great state of Pennsylvania, those handy online certificates do not hold up as legal. The person who marries you must be connected to a parish that has parishoners (people that go to it). That seemed like a hurdle for us at first, but thankfully Ry is willing to take the next step. :)

What about you? What is/was the most important part of your ceremony?

Light up my life

2009-03-04T09:21:00.003-05:00

One of the first "wedding things" that I fell in love with was the paper lantern.

I found picture after picture of pretty, soft lighting.

I checked out tutorials on how to make them grow with LED throwies, and how to rig up a flameless candle to do the same thing on the cheap and easy.

I longed for them.

And I still do.

The problem? Well, I'm not doing the tent-wedding thing that these lanterns seem to be popular for.

We are in a very large, very basic room. We will get tulling though.... so I think it might be possible to have a group of lanterns at the spots where the tulle connects. It would almost be like a chandelier... :)

Updates: crafting, bridesmaids, and overall awesomeness

2009-03-03T11:41:00.002-05:00

According to my awesome bridesmaids, I need to update this here blog a bit more often.

I solemnly swear that I will do my darn best! I have pictures to show you about how the bridesmaid pressies turned out, as well as my crafting of a bridal fitness inspiration poster that is now hanging on our fridge. (The better to warn me about the consequences of my afternoon snackie.)

All that and more to come when Boy fixes our home computer so that our internet is playing nice again.

This weekend was loverly, mostly because of a yummy lunch with most of my awesome bridesmaids! (BM MissDel could not make it b/c of short notice and chaperoning responsibilities, but sent much love.)

After I got stuck in truly awful traffic, I met the girlies at the KOP mall, shopping Mecca of the Philly burbs. We had a short wait for our table at the Cheesecake Factory, and then sat down to much chatting, pressie opening, and delicious omnivore and vegan friendly goodies.

Yum does not quite cover it.

I was very excited to get the girlies togetther for some pre-wedding bonding. Our acutal date is vury vury far away, but in my mind that means we have all the more time to plan and get to know each other vury vury well :).

I have to say that I was tres impressed with all of the girls. Everyone looked great, first off. Some had recent new hairdos, others had lost weight, and everyone really looked her best! We all had great stories, and each girl added something different (although not always appropriate, lol) to the convorsation.

What can I say? I heart my bridesmaids.

Fatty McBridebutt

2009-02-27T08:45:00.002-05:00

Between my family (which includes Boy) and I, this is the nickname of the devil bride who floats above my shoulder and tells me to eat a sleeve of thin mints.

She tells me that girl scout cookies are so yummy. Oh, and since I skipped breakfast at the house, I should totally swing by McDonald's.

Thankfully, she is being thwarted by the angel bride on the other shoulder. She's not skinny. She's not a size two. She is me, looking hott, in the size I should be.

I know that many brides go all out about bridal fitness, trying to squeeze into a size they really aren't. I haven't been a size two since I got hips in eleventh grade. And I shouldn't be.

But I would be lying to you guys if I said that I didn't want to be a bit more svelt.

So, what to do? My first step has been cutting out fast food. It's yummy, for sure, but it's definitely not good for me. I'm one of those Catholics who only participates in Lent (yay, hypocrisy!) so I gave up FF for Lent. That extra bit of guilt and pressure will hopefully be just what I need.

I'm going to be going on a big eating binge on Saturday though, at the first bridesmaid's lunch! I am so excited that I can barely contain myself. And I simply cannot wait to hear their opinions on a bridesmaid vs groomsmen rivalry... those boys are sooo going down!

On that note, I think we should split the ushers 50/50 to keep things fair, in which case I totally call Hags for team bride. I mean, his FW is a bridesmaid after all!

The wedding and the LBD

2009-02-20T08:58:00.002-05:00

Besides our date and venue, the only other major decision Boy and I have made so far is on bridesmaid attire. As you know, I am in love with bridesmaids in black dresses.

Don't all the ladies look fantastic?

I'm very excited about the diversity of girls in my pack, and so I really don't want to go down the "everyone wear the same dress" road. What I'm hoping is that each girl can find a LBD that she feels awesome in. This might just be my retailbitch experience coming in (I'm a barely reformed AT salesbitch), but I really think every girl needs a LBD that makes her feel like the hottest girl in the room.

I was thinking that each girl should be in a floor-length gown, since Boy and I are going for a formal feel, but now I'm not sure. Really, only a couple of my maids will need a floor-length gown in her closet. The rest would then either have to get the dress shortened or only wear it on Very Special Occasions.

So after reading Miss Stilletto's post over on Weddingbee today, I smacked myself in the head. Of course, White House Black Market! Why didn't I think of that? And, with a location near to Mamma and PappaSez's house (hence Jo, Becky, and CFD), it marks the perfect spot for a shopping trip.

Here are a few of their options. The prices are between resonable and steep, depending on whether you can catch a sale or not. But if it were me, I'd rather shell out the bucks for a dress I would definitely wear again than a pink taffeta nightmare.

The lengths could be different, and I think that I'm ok with that. I know I don't want a pack of clones running around our wedding! Plus, they have some adorable and understated prints that would look Fantastic on Becky (who really rocks a graphic black and white print) and designate her as teh most awesomest Maid o'Honor.

Adorable.

And by the way... rehersal dinner dress, I see you hiding there...

Swoon!

My lips are sealed

2009-02-17T09:42:00.004-05:00

Ahh! I'm going crazy because I simply can't blog about what I've been working on.

We are fast approaching the date of our first official bridesmaid get together: next Saturday Feb. 28th. We'll meet for lunch and some light shopping, then do whatever else the day or night demands. While the event itself will be mostly chill and just checking in with everyone, what I'm most excited about is what I can't talk about.

But I want to. I sooo want to.

So since I can't talk about my own, here are some other cute "will you be my bridesmaid" gifties that I've seen around the intertubes:

So cute!

Want.

2009-02-13T09:49:00.002-05:00

So, now that we have our reception space, I need to come to terms with a couple of things.

It is, as I said, quite basic and will need a lot of gussying up to look fancy. One of the things that I loved about the NLI ballroom was its beautiful chandelier.

Which leads me to my current problem.

Chandelier envy.

I don't know if it's even possible to rent a chandelier in the State College area, or if I can purchase one on the cheap at an antique store to fix up and later have in the foyer of our home. But I want one.
Take this one, for instance. She's totally rustic, but still delicate. Not our wedding style, but still beautiful.

This is a very modern and totally awesome design by jGoodDesign. Love it, but not quite right for permanent use. It would be great for a wedding with a modern industrial feel.

But what I really lust after is something like this girl here. She is ornate and princessy and does not care who knows it.

Like I said. Want.

The big 100

2009-02-10T09:51:00.003-05:00

I looked at my blogger dashboard yesterday and noticed my post count. It said 99.

Which would make this my 100th post.

And I wondered, should I do something special? Should I commemorate this auspicious occasion? What can I talk about that is important enough?

And the truth is... nothing.

I'm working on my bridesmaid goodies, which will be given to the girls at our first lunch coming up. But since I know most of my girls read this-- I will not be spilling any secrets here. Just know that etsy rocks. And Michaels. That's all you're getting!

And Boy and I are finally taking some time to relax on the planning. We have our venue and our date, so we don't really have anything to do until we are one year out.

At which point we'll be having a massive party.

Ooh! I'd better get started on the invites for those! I wonder if I should emboss them or just use glitter. I bet I can get a great deal on Vistaprint and do them for cheap. OOh! I should make game cards for the groomsmen vs bridesmaid box race. Should I make t-shirts? What about a video ph? Yeah, I'd better get started on that. And Ooh! What about...

So much for relaxing :)

Quickly

2009-02-06T15:04:00.002-05:00

I'm just playing around on colourlovers, which is finally allowing me to look at color the way I want. Here is my first go:
What do you think?

Talking it over

2009-02-04T13:45:00.002-05:00

As we pulled up to the Penn Stater, we saw a normal looking hotel. MammaSez said that it didn't have as much of a Penn State feel to it, which is true.

And that's when it hit me.

A few months ago I made a PSU wedding inspiration board and I hated it. I did it all out- blue and white color scheme, Penn State location, and I thought I would love it, but I didn't. And now I realize why.

I don't want a Penn State themed wedding.

Getting married at PSU does not mean nittany blue bridesmaids dresses to me. It means that Boy and I want to thank our friends and families for supporting our four year courtship by introducing them to our second home.

The place we met, twice, when the first time didn't sink in. The place we met our other soulmates: our friends, who will stand up with us. (as I tear up)

Our wedding will be about so much more than the reception. It will be about the bar tour taken on the Thursday night with the bridal party and VIPs (You're not getting out of this one, PappaSez). It will be about the little map I've been dreaming up that showcases the hotspots around campus and town. It will be about hanging around our chosen venue/hotel with the people who mean the most to us.

Here:

What is, in essence, a conference location makes a perfect spot for our "home base" during wedding weekend. The reception room (Dean's Hall) is huge with very high (semi-drop) ceilings that fade to black with proper lighting.

It's a blank canvas. In the end, that is what made the decision for me. Because we are so far away from the wedding, and I don't know if I'm going to like the same colors or any of that stuff by the time.

I can work with this!

So that's what sold me. Meanwhile, Boy was sold by the guest rooms that he and his awesome groomsmen can lounge in on the day of and PappaSez was sold by all that was included in the price tag. MammaSez? She'll support what we like, which is awesome.

Major decision? No problem. Big ups to Hope, who was really fantastic in showing us around both properties and put up with all of my silly questions. And to Mamma and Pappa, who carted Boy and I up to State College. Oh, and Becky... who can't open doors.

So get ready kiddos. Becuase the weekend of July 3rd, 2010? It's gonna rock.

Choices

2009-02-02T09:39:00.003-05:00

So many choices to be made!

Even though it feels like we've only been engaged for a few days, we are making some big decisions about the wedding.

Why?

Well, we want to do early summer, so that means that we need to book venues and key vendors far in advance to make sure that we get what we want. Since we settled on a location for what I like to call our mini-destination wedding, we needed to get cracking!

Which leads us to this past weekend. Boy, the parents, and I took a trip up to good old State College, to visit the PSU wedding sites. We stayed at the Nittany Lion Inn, and I was fully prepared to sign on the dotted line for a reception there. I worked there when I was in school and knew exactly what the space looked like all decked out for a wedding.

Easy, right? Wrong.

Apparently, you cannot reserve the ballroom at the Nittany Lion Inn if you are having a small wedding (read: less than 200 people). Are you kidding me? I was tres dissappointed. After a longing look at the ballroom all set up for a gala event, we headed downstairs to the Boardroom: the NLI's only possible site for a wedding our size.

MammaSez loved it, PappaSez liked the bar, but Boy and I were both underwhelmed. The carpet has been redone since this photo and it's now a distinct Nittany blue. The walls are beige and maroon with mauve accents. The ceiling... I really don't want to talk about the ceiling.

Basically, it's a perfectly fine space that just didn't seem us.

Less than happy, I headed back upstairs to join our catering contact and tour guide (we'll call her Hope) for some tea. She seemed nice enough, but had come off a bit chilly in our initial minutes becuase she got right on with the tour after some very short introductions. The sit down really helped. She went over everything in detail and took the time to get to know all of us and what we really wanted from our wedding.

Like I said, it really helped. Because I had been feeling a little blah about the whole thing. We were going very quickly, and she kept saying things like "and this is where the bride and groom usually stand for pictures..." that just made me feel like we would get wedding package C. Talking helped that.

We wrapped up our tour of the NLI with a quick look at a possible rehersal dinner venue: the Alumni Fireside lounge.

It's a nice space with wood paneling, a large lobby, and an open terrace where guests could enjoy a light buffet or heavy snackies with cocktails. Bingo. Plus, MammaSez gets the historic grandeur of the NLI for at least part of the wedding. The picture above is of a different courtyard of the NLI, but you get the general idea. (salute)

Great, one decision nearly made. Up next: we hit the road in search of the Penn Stater. Hopes are not high... but can Hope change our minds?

Style. I has it?

2009-01-29T09:52:00.002-05:00

Maybe not. But I do love this whole inspiration board thing.

I've been toying with my color scheme for a little while now, trying to find what works with our style and the mood we want to set for our wedding.

Our mood?: still fluid, but it's coming together like formal fun, traditional with a twist. I'd love to see everyone all decked out, but still sipping on their drinks and dancing it out. And since it is looking more and more like we're having a 4th of July weekend college town bash, there is going to need to be some laid back fun in there.

One of the things we have been most focused and clear on is our music. Boy and I fell in love through a series of concerts and shared cds, so music is a big part of our life together. It will factor huge in our day.

So, duh... all I needed to do was put on the song we'll be doing our first dance to and pull things that went with it.

It's not perfect, but it's a good start. I'm loving the colors now. Black with heather gray, then accents of teal and lighter shades of blue down to ice blue. I love it. To me, it's simple but still playful and has a bit of the indie rock sensibility of my purple and black board from back in the early days.

Breathe?

2009-01-26T11:49:00.003-05:00

I have found that breathing is really the key to surviving wedding planning.

The date that I wanted is impossible? Breathe and replan.

I need another bridesmaid? Breathe and call Liz. (who is awesome. Welcome!)

My ring needs to be resized and will take no longer than a week, but it's Monday and I still don't have my ring?

...

Breathe and be calm.

I love my ring. I am not a girl who dwells on material things, or at least I try not to. I get all of the background of diamonds. I know where they come from. I know that, even though Boy purchased my ring from a beloved family friend, that it ultimately still supports the dreaded Wedding Industrial Complex and everything evil on theknot.

But I love my ring.

Boy designed it. He picked out the center stone. He did this all on his own. He spent hours looking and thinking about what I would like.

So yes, even though I know that I am engaged even without the ring, I miss it.

It's a thing. A material thing. And I know that I'm being stupid about it, but here I am sitting at my desk, trying disparately to avoid shoving another thin mint in my mouth, ready to cry.

So I guess I'm a gollum. Damn. I've never been good at riddles.

Venues 2: The local search

2009-01-23T09:45:00.002-05:00

One day last week, I got a bit organized and started a local venue search. After some emailing, this is the completed list that we came up with. Up first are our top 3 with comments from us.

Cairnwood, in Bryn Athen

Website: http://www.cairnwood.org/wedding.html
Sezzy: Beautiful! Limited information- nothing about the price. Looks expensive.
Boy: also my favorite, but weren't the Pitcairns the family from the Pennsylvania legend that in-bred and created a creepy society of freaks? Regardless, the venue is nicest one from Montgomery County.
Sezz7: I think that was the DuPonts.

Celebrations , Bensalem
Website: www.celebrationsweddings.com
Sezzy: Highly recommended by wedding magazines, voted best of Bucks County. Jesus. They have a complimentary stretch limousine service. There is a ceremony site fee, though. Lots of detail pictures, but not much of actual facilities. Menu listed but no prices.
Boy: Wow, looks really nice... and expensive. The menu is very extensive. Probably my favorite.

Font Hill Castle Estate

Website: www.memorableaffairs.com (catering company which serves the castle. Go to locations and choose Font Hill or Pearl S. Buck- for a different venue)
Sezzy: Fantastic venue! Tented reception, though. Lots of menu options. Prices reasonable- considering. 115 a plate, including fees.
Boy: Very nice. Also, it looks like you can have the wedding at a number of different sites and some have indoor receptions. The Pearl S. Buck also looks nice.

And, just for fun, two places that we nixed right off the bat.

Venue A
Sezzy: Kill me now.
Boy: holy mother of God... words cannot describe how ugly this is (I just threw up in my mouth a little)

Venue B
Sezzy: I am going to kill whoever created this website. But wow. Ok. So the place is a little cookie cutter, but it’s definitely inexpensive.
Boy: love the fairy on the website, and I also love how you have to click "Enter" twice to actually enter the website. WTF is with this website???? AHHHHHH!!! And a little cookie-cutter??? Come on... also the food is cheap but the menu is lame. The reception hall looks like someone's bedroom. Not a fan of this place

The girls

2009-01-19T09:43:00.002-05:00

So after finally getting in touch with all five of them (a bit difficult when one decides to go gallivanting off to Israel), I officially have bridesmaids!

And let me just tell you, these girls are the cream of the crop. Awesomeness in true form. I would settle for nothing less!

Bridesmaid B: Becky, MOH and adorable little sister, whose phone no longer vibrates because she spilled Jager on it.

Bridesmaid C: Recent bride and bringer of all things geek chic, who never spills a drink... nope...

Bridesmaid J: Kick ass law student, long time bff, who rocks a style I could never pull off and helps me justify my crazy

Bridesmaid M: Vegan goddess, caretaker of the Hags, and loving kitty mommy who is planning her own awesome affair for this spring

Bridesmaid CFD: Fellow English teacher, who votes in the Olympics, saves adorable little Asian boys from evil Canadians, and helps us drink our beer

Ok bridal minions, the next step is up to you. What should I call these girls on this "anonymous" blog? Anyone have a preference for their own nicknames?

What's in a date?

2009-01-16T14:06:00.006-05:00

Honestly? I'm a bit frustrated. And I know I'm being silly and it's early.

We're having some issues pinning down a date.

When I was pre-planning, I set my heart on a wedding in June of 2010. I had reasons, like 2010 is a great year and we'll be the perfect age, the weather in June is nice but not too hot, and any earlier would be during the school year which would = major headache.

So now that it's looking like the two available weekends in the second half of June (any earlier and I might be in school) are a no-go I'm a bit sad about it. Not full on temper tantrum sad; more like slightly sulking, as if someone just ate my last french fry (I'm looking at you, Boy).

Although, now that I'm thinking about it, maybe this is a good thing? It feels like letting go of the wedding that I pre-planned for one that is about Boy and I now.

One that maybe involves some fireworks.

And that could be awesome.

I love him.

2009-01-14T11:38:00.002-05:00

Unprovoked, Boy started his own wedding blog.

Check it out: Sezzy's Boy

Now I'm humming Gershwin. (Who could ask for anything more?)

I lied.

2009-01-14T09:13:00.003-05:00

I will not be talking about local venues today. I got distracted.

Fear not. The only local venue we have seriously considered is one I already featured! I will give you more news as I have it.

Mkay. So, veils.

This is one of the many areas of bridedom that have thousands of options. The nice thing about this is that I'm sure to find a style that works for me. The not-so-nice thing is that I have absolutely no expertise in this matter.

According to the wedding channel's website, there are twelve different st yles of veil. This might seem daunting, but since I plan to try lots of things on and choose whichever one makes me giggle the most I'm not worried.

Oh, David's Bridal called last night and will call again in the spring to set up dress shopping excursion. More news on that (for you maids, esp.) when it's relevant. I'm thinking June.

Anyway- pretty pictures of veils!

I really like the "my hairstyle is oozing this pretty fabric" way that many veils are pinned, but I kind of want a little bit of sparkle or a flower of some sort.

Birdcage veils are both stylish and fun, but eliminate the fun/major emotional moment of Dad flipping the front part of the veil up after the walk down the aisle. Maybe for the reception?

By the way... Boy asked if I was going to have two dresses: as in a different dress for the reception. Isn't that nuts? I mean, I know that it's hip and it would definitely be fun, but did I really just hear the Groom suggest spending more money for the sake of fashion?!

Crazy.

Mmm. So putting aside the fact that this is a simply beautiful shot (clicky the picture to go to the site), I don't like edging on veils. It reminds me too much of my little first communion veil, and I was horribly sick on my first communion. It's also the first time I encountered Nick, and who wants to remember that?

Love hair. Love veil. This image is a keeper. My only question is about how this works when the blusher part of the veil is flipped up as you walk down the aisle. Does it flip over the hair? Doesn't that violate the laws of gravity?

I Adore the drama of this. I am a little bit attached to a fingertip veil, but something about the cascading fabric of a cathedral length veil is mesmerizing. Her hair looks like a muffin, but the veil is gorgeous!

What do you think?

Venue Hunting

2009-01-12T09:37:00.003-05:00

Boy and I's first duty is to choose a venue. Even though we won't be using it for a year and a half. Apparently there is logic there.

Anyway. A-searching we shall go. If we plan on a State College affair, we have five options. Three of those options are palatable, the others... not so much. Remember how much I thought I would hate drop ceilings? I was wrong. I utterly loathe and dispise them. Just seeing them in a banquet hall makes me think of getting married in someone's basement. Ew.

Option 1: The Nittany Lion Inn

Upshot: I worked here when I was in college, so I know the place in and out. I know what it looks like set up for a wedding in each of the rooms and what all of the food tastes like. (omg coconut chicken) I also know for absolute certain that they can prepare a yummy vegan meal, which is important because two of Boy and I's favorite VIPs are vegan.

Downside: The price is a little steep if you want to do a seated dinner with a combination platter. I also worry about having a cookie cutter PSU wedding...

Option 2: The Penn Stater

Upshot: Less expensive than the Nittany Lion Inn with roughly the same menu. There are also many more guest rooms here than at the Inn.

Downside: This is farther from downtown, so you'd either have to drive or bus it here. (I am kind of excited about CATA bus surfing in a wedding dress... but that's just me) Also, the Thon banquet I attended here reminded me of my Junior Prom at the Fort Washington Expo Center (giant warehouse like place).

Option 3: Toftrees

Upshot: It's beautiful. They have lots of outdoor areas, and there is a pretty golf course. The rooms are lovely and it's a great setting for a country club wedding.

Downside: It's expensive, and they have fewer options. It's also not as integrated with the campus and downtown areas, so it doesn't have as much of an authentic feel.

So that's what there is in State College. What do you guys think?

Up next: What about a down-home wedding in the Philly 'Burbs?

Narrowing down our style

2009-01-08T14:54:00.002-05:00

The poll is currently in a four way tie, which I actually love because it speaks to more of what I was planning to do, which is merge!

There are many things still in the air, so right now I only have things that I like. As I narrow them down, I'll bring together a cohesive board.

But until then :)
Centerpiece Love: Hydrangeas in square containers, although there seem to be way too many wine glasses in this picture. I guess one is for water?

Bouquet Love: Simple. Clean. Classic. Perhaps with brightly colored ribbon around the holdy-thingy (handle? Somehow that doesn't sound right.)

Bridesmaid Love: I've already talked about my desire for black maid's dresses, and these are stunning.

Sigh... this wedding planning thing is fun :)

Wedding Fitness

2009-01-06T09:50:00.003-05:00

T minus a year and half (ish) until the wedding.

According to Boy, this means time to get in shape. Which means running.

Ouch.

Look, my people (Irish suburban band/literature geeks) do not run. There are countless reasons for this, not the least of which are: we often fall down, it creates stabby ouchies in our legs, it causes coughing for several hours afterward, and there are no books involved.

But I ran anyway. Because I said "yes." And that means we're in this together now. And I like that.

I like that things, for now, feel a little different. I guess that I wasn't really expecting that. Remember, Boy and I have been living in sin for more than 2 years now. That's about half of our relationship. So we did the "wow, we're together all the time now, let's do it!" phase. We did the "really? Do you have to take your shirts off inside out all the time?" arguments. (Sorry- I really do almost always end up with the shirts inside out... I don't even know how it happens!) So I figured that we were, for all intents and purposes, married already.

But this is something different. Good different. Great, in fact.

Seriously though, ouch.

Any tips for wedding fitness?

"Best Wishes"

2009-01-05T09:42:00.003-05:00

I had no idea about the whole "congratulations" versus "best wishes" thing and needed to have it explained to me. (Apparently you say "best wishes" to the bride because saying "congratulations" implies she achieved something... like landing a fantastic boy.)

Some Bride I turn out to be.

But so it begins. All of this imagining has left me with, as I predicted, no actual idea of what I want our wedding to look like. We have decided on a few particulars so far:

June 2010
Either State College or Philadelphia area (already a point of minor contention)
rough budget- although we have honestly no idea how much weddings cost... please help!!!
Online bits such as our photos and our wedding party wiki
we will have groomsmen AND ushers, which has confused my dad, but I assure you makes sense to us.

But it feels like so many big things are still undecided, and that is making me nervous. Which is crazy.

I am well aware.

So, I need you. I am going to post my top five favorite boards (in no particular order). Please vote for your favorite one! (clicking an image will take you to the original post)

1. The very first
2. Teal Awesomeness

3. Peonies

4. Bright and sunny5. Our Song

6. Green Gardens
7. Elegant Eggplant
Yeah. I know, that was seven, not five. I have a couple of favorites- but I want to know yours! Check the side navigation for the poll and feel free to leave your reasons in the comments.

Welcome, welcome!

2009-01-03T09:40:00.007-05:00

Back, that is. Thanks for returning after my break.

It was nice to even set aside the blogs and chill for a week to focus on what really matters: friends, family, and fantastic NYE parties.

Remember, I was very excited for this occasion. It did not disappoint.

Christmas though, came first, and netted me a fantastic little pink digital camera. It came with an equally fantastic and equally pink printer, and the purchase of the set gave a tiny amount of money to breast cancer research, so that was a very thoughtful move on Boy's part.

And, to be honest, I thought that I would be crushed and sulk if I didn't get my ring on Christmas, but I wasn't. And I didn't.

I'm not sure why.

So NYE came and I was stoked. Our friends were in town and we made buckets of delicious food. The hit of the evening was Boy's hash brown casserole. All was well, until Boy called me upstairs about ten minutes before midnight. And then all was... perfect.

The joining of my previous favorite present and my Favorite Present Ever: the Precious.

I called Becky, my fantastic sister, upstairs and immediately crowned her supreme Maid of Honor before Boy and I left our dream world into the cheering, jumping, and toasting group of most of our closest friends.

I called family, which DaddySez assures me was hilarious because I was having trouble stringing together my words to make sentences happen. These calls included Aunt Spikey (not a BlogMoniker, this is what we actually call her. Trust me, she's exactly as awesome as she sounds.) , who told me to make sure I told Eric, "Welcome, welcome."

And a true "welcome, welcome" to you as well.

Thanks for being with me thus far. For reading when I pre-planned and imagined. I humbly beg you to stick around, because I'm going to need some serious help with this. Help that involves martinis. And a fantastic planning binder that I've already purchased.

Because right now all I can do is stare at Boy, stare at the Precious, and grin.

More precious shots and photos of the engagement for those interested will be kept on our Picasa site.

Happy Holidays

2008-12-23T14:34:00.002-05:00

For your wedding, your life, and your loved ones I hope that you have a great holiday season.

I'm going to be bustling and busy, so my posts will take a break until the new year.

Love and good wishes,
Sez.

Country Club

2008-12-22T11:54:00.002-05:00

Oh... I don't know.

So Daddy joined a country club this year, and that got me thinking about the idea of a country club wedding. And... I don't know. I think that a big part of me wants to get married at somewhere special, and the banquet hall of anywhere doesn't strike me as special.

But... wouldn't it be a delicious location to do traditional with a twist?

I love red and aqua right now- very dramatic. I think that it's perfect for a January/February affair, because you're ushering in the spring with the Robin's Egg/Tiffany box blue.

For once, when designing this wedding I paid attention to the model and her expression. She is so rocking this short dress, and she has a bit of a pampered prep school look to her. So I choose designer attire to match, complete with that fantastic Tacori ring.

Swoon.

So close...

2008-12-19T14:12:00.002-05:00

Ahh!! Christmas! New Year's! Rose Bowl!

I'm so excited that it's ridiculous. No. It's full on redonculous. There is little to be done for it at this point.

I've actually been a bit under the weather, and even that isn't stopping my excitement. You see, NYE is my Absolute. Favorite. Holiday.

Christmas, you say? I'm no humbug, I love Christmas. But it isn't NYE. See, on NYE, you get to stay up late, have a fancy party with all of your friends, you're supposed to get slightly wasted, and you get kissed!

What isn't to like about NYE?

Nothing, that's what.

So Boy and I have friends coming over to our cute little townhouse for a NYE potluck/all night rager that will turn into a Rose Bowl celebration the next day. That means two solid days of friends, family, and ferocious pong skills. We may even get to squeeze a game of Celebrity- the world's hippest and most awesome party game (Tina Fey plays it. Oh yeah.)

Which all leads to me being so close. All of the friends, family, and awesomeness.... so close. Which got that song from Enchanted stuck in my head.

I'm not huge on purple, but this is some elegant eggplant.

Heart

2008-12-16T09:24:00.002-05:00

This wedding was posted over on Weddingbee at some point yesterday, and I absolutely love every square inch of it. Clicking the "this wedding" link well get you bunches of pictures as well as the actual wedding budget (!!!), but here are some of my favorite pictures:

All of which got me thinking about what I really want and what I really do not want for my own wedding. I've been having lots of fun pre-planning, but I have a feeling that the time for fun and games is nearly over. In a very good way. So what have I learned?

What I absolutely must have:
Boy
Active, happy bridesmaids- think lunches, shopping trips
flowers done by family- bouquet party :)
formal attire... not sure about the black tie yet
unique, lengthy ceremony
our song, as arranged by me
dancing- lots and lots of dancing
excellent photography

What must be kept far away from my wedding:
faux flowers of any sort
drop ceilings
unnecessary bling, gloss, and "wedding necessities"

I solemnly swear:
Not to over-knot
not to make online purchases without first consulting Boy and/or 2 bridesmaids
to shut up when asked to stop talking about wedding stuff

and finally, not to snoop and spoil Boy's surprise.

That last one is a toughie...

As Promised

2008-12-15T09:39:00.003-05:00

Well, I couldn't very well go onto Polyvore and come back without a new wedding set, could I?

I used plain old regular inspiration for today's board and came up with a pink and gold garden wedding:

Simple and formal at the same time. I don't see this as being an overly decorated affair, but rather set in a beautiful garden with Nature doing all the hard work :). It would be great if there was a hedge maze involved...

Complete Bragging

2008-12-15T09:13:00.002-05:00

When I popped over to Polyvore to start today's board, I had a happy little note: I won a contest for one of my non-wedding boards!

Yay! The challenge was a teacher's casual Friday, which by the way is my favorite day of the week. I am a jeans and cute sweaters kind of girl! So, I know it's not wedding related, but here's the board:

What a nice way to start a Monday!

Inspiration

2008-12-11T09:55:00.003-05:00

I hopped on over to Weddingbee Pro today for the first time and was immediately met with major inspiration. Enjoy the eye candy!

:)

Mrs. Darcy

2008-12-10T11:45:00.004-05:00

I very badly want to make a t-shirt that says something along the lines of "Mr. Darcy is way hotter than Edward."

Crys may disagree on that point. Oh well. I used Kiera Knightly's dress from the latest version of Pride and Prejudice as the jumping off point for this, her second board:

I love this dress. It is simple, elegant, and full of personality without being showy. The countryside is in England- hello destination wedding! (I suppose it could be France...) You awesome readers already know how much I love monochromatic color schemes, and I'm at it again with this red. Love it!

Clearly I'm just eating this board right up. I may also have to order this locket right now, though I'm terrified to look at the price.

By the way, if you haven't already checked out the fabulous invitations of The Future Mrs. Darcy on Etsy, do so. Your inner geek will thank you, as will your design sense.

And here's another little treat to get you over hump day:

Can you tell I'm starting to feel better?

Betcha can't do just one

2008-12-07T21:22:00.004-05:00

My bestest reader and commenter, Crys, challenged me to center more boards around others. So I've decided that she's up first.

Crys is my one and only married friend (who is my age), so long as you don't count her hubby (though I probably should.) Their wedding was beautiful and awesome, and you can see how it really played out by visiting her blog: A Bayside Affair. I wouldn't change a moment of it, because the whole time I kept my eyes on her hubby.

See, aside from "Tim" and "Drunky McGambling problem," his two alter egos who come out depending on how much delicious Massachusetts vodka drinks he's had, Nick is a kind of reserved guy. He loves his movies, select video games, and cannot make frozen pizza in the microwave. (To be fair, I think the microwave incident was blamed on Tim.)

Not so on his wedding day.

Their photographer, the fantastic Erin Antognoli, won an award for this photo.

Yeah. So re-imagining this day, as Crys puts it, is a tall order. And I want it to be clear that I loved their wedding.

So they won't be getting just one. They'll be getting several. With various themes. This, my favorite winter board, is the first:

I love the branches and the fantastic cream lace. I know Crys hates roses, but they are too much of a lovely contrast to the branches.

This little bluebird is back from an earlier board. I was walking Jack-Jack today, and when he stopped to sniff something I noticed that a nearby tree was full of bluebirds. The simple beauty that they brought was startling, I felt as though I had happened upon a moment of magic.

I always feel much the same about weddings, and I hope that mine comes across that way as well. That all of our guests are witness to moments of simple beauty.

I'm sure that a sense of perspective and fatigue will be banged into my skull once I finally have to start planning.

(Btw: You can see the inspiration for the board as connected with the couple by hovering over it. I alluded to their completely understandable love of lotr in the past as well)

Boy

2008-12-04T09:55:00.003-05:00

I love him, really I do.

Yesterday, because he was sick, he washed all of the sheets on the bed, the down comforter, and a down throw that he used while lying on his deathcouch.

He also made cookies :).

Unfortunately, his boy upbringing did not teach him how dryers work (or more appropriately, do NOT work) and he put an entire bed and a half's worth of bedding into the dryer. At once.

The result was a tightly rolled wad of very wet bedding and 45 minutes of waiting after we separated the mound of sopping wet sheets. We finally decided to sleep under an old quilt.

I love him.

Wedding Fun

2008-12-03T11:55:00.002-05:00

I'm super busy, so today's board will have to wait for now. I just wanted to quickly share two bits of wedding fun with you :).

Today's CakeWrecks post is all about wedding cake disasters, do check it out.

And also, this is being sent around the blogosphere today. I don't usually get political, but this is way too funny and features the awesome NPH:

Prop 8: The Musical

But please remember, don't hate on all Californians for Prop 8, and definitely don't be mad at all Americans... only those in California could have voted for it. Hopefully the system will work and sort it out so that love means love.

omg

2008-12-02T14:37:00.002-05:00

This dress. Oh-em-gee. It is everything I want. Strapless, semi-original, fluffy, pickups. OMG.

So I saw this dress and it immediately sent me back to 9th grade and my original wedding ideas. Red and White. Contrast- I was all about contrast:

Oh, and Leonardo DiCaprio. I said I was going back to 9th grade... So I had a bit of a Leo crush. And by crush, I of course mean that I was convinced that I would meet him somehow and he would fall in love with me. And we would get married.

Sigh.

Eternal Sunshine

2008-12-01T09:46:00.002-05:00

For some reason, as I made this board the theme to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind played through my head.

Your guess is as good as mine.

I'm back at work after a short break and trying not to dwell on the holidays too much. If I do, these three weeks will be torture. Adding engagement excitement to this mix may well kill me.

The desire to keep from dying of want is part of the reason this non-white wedding dress caught my eye:

And a whole reversal board came from it. I love the 'maid's dress, as usual. I think it's stunning, and I don't care that it's not rewearable. In cream, it isn't too "bridey," but I somehow like the idea of a colored dress bride with white dress maids.

It's also a very spring-like wedding. Maybe I'm dreaming of spring?

One thing is for sure, I need to chill. Because I for sure can't go on like this.

Maid #1: Tangerine

2008-11-26T11:48:00.003-05:00

So I have this idea- why not give one of my colors to each BM? The MOH could take white (she has a great set of pearls already) and each other BM can choose her color. The accessories, chosen from Etsy natch, would be of their signature color... maybe even a flower in the hair or a bouquet ribbon?

I am so totally excited by this idea. While the black dresses unifies them- my (prospective) girls are all very different. Hmm. Mayhaps I will need more colors, or we can double some girls up. I'm thinking of 5 specific girls as mine own. Three are obvious shoe-ins, two are less so but could probably be deduced.

Well, at least I know who Miss Tangerine would be:

Obviously, she could choose her own dress. Ahhhnnd accessories. But since I'm obsessed with bridesmaids at the moment, I've completely planned out her outfit, including a dress that may or may not actually look good on her. TaDa!

The 'maids

2008-11-25T09:19:00.002-05:00

This board, try as I might to make it about the bride and the awesome gown, is all about this fantastic black bridesmaid dress.

There are not words:

See, told you. She totally steals the show and I am most definitely ok with that. In fact, I'm all about it.

Don't get me wrong, I love being the center of attention- I'm a Leo if ever there was one. But I want my girls to feel like their dresses were made for them, carry gorgeous flowers, and look their best (and most comfortable). One of the things that I was most taken with at N and C's wedding, apart from the obvious awesomeness, was how great the bridesmaids and groomsmen looked. Everyone was so polished and couldn't look happier to see the couple off into wedded bliss.

I'm totally jealous and can't wait.

Colors

2008-11-24T09:17:00.007-05:00

Right now I'm heavily leaning towards a black and white wedding with pops of color. This would mean black bridesmaid's dresses, which can be stunning and easy on the ladies. I love the idea of going shopping with each girl for her perfect dress.

Let's be honest, I love the idea of going shopping. Spending time with the girls is essential icing on an already decadent cake! I think that right now this is the part of planning that I am the most looking forward to, although that could be partially do to the fact that I haven't seen my two other halves (yes I know that makes me a 1 and 1/2 person... 2 whole people once you add Boy) in far too long.

I digress. My favorite accent colors right now are...

Sky Blue:
1. IMG_3550, 2. Doggie Paddle, 3. Doodling in the sky 2, 4. Untitled

Apple Green:
Yes. I think salamanders are cute. Wanna fight about it?

1. green in white, 2. Halogen Samba, 3. CYP0015759, 4. Red Backed Salamander

and Tangerine:

1. Golden Poppies, 2. The Blizzard of '05, 3. Fork Tailed Bush Katydid, 4. Floral Patterns IV

The pops of color would be in small touches, like ribbon on candles, napkins, programs (specifically: apple green programs with sky blue/tangerine sewn binding), and maid's jewelery.

By the way- the word "jewelery" always seems like it has too many "e's" in it. Now that I'm thinking of it, that's probably because I insist on pronouncing it "jewl-ry" with two syllables instead of "jewl-er-ry" with three. Phonics is Fun tells us that two syllables means two vowells, right Casey?

...anyway. Clearly I can't focus today. Oh well!

Here's what it looks like all together:

1. Just your typical SoCal sunset, 2. precipice, 3. Reach for the Sky!!!, 4. My Heart, 5. lines in the sky, 6. Fantasy I, 7. F1150021.JPG, 8. Siberian (?!) cat :), 9. light3, 10. Mexican Heat, 11. Up And Down, 12. The Church in Twilight

What do you think?

Click on back to my last colorific post to see how my palet has changed and play with these fun toys yourself!

Red Wedding Dresses

2008-11-24T08:55:00.003-05:00

I'd like to say that I love the idea of being a red dress bride. I certainly admire all of them, they look fantastic, confident, and no-nonsense.

Unfortunately, the thought of me actually doing this makes me a bit dizzy.

When I imagine my own dress- I think uber traditional. Corset top. Strapless. Pouf. Lots and lots of crinoline. Maybe, just maybe, a hoop skirt.

Oh wow. That would be fun.

It takes me back to my very few times on stage, mostly during a summer production of Jekyll and Hyde, when during a particularly awkward costume change my ex-boyfriend's mother had to quickly (and painfully) lace me into a corset top so that I could go from maid in the Jekyll mansion to bar girl in under a minute.

And, to be honest, this dress has everything like that I would want- aside from it being red. A delicious shade of red that looks like red velvet cake. (Groom's cake? A tier of wedding cake? Oh, we'll get into cake.)

See, it's mildly gothic, more like dark romantic. Again, the white background is brightening here, but trust me it looked horrific with the black background. Think of it set in the center of a garden, with old statues. Think of the waltzing. I love the gloves, as well as the maid's dress. I wish it came in pure black.

Oh, and to clarify, the bride gets the long lace sleeves and the maids get the smaller lace gloves.

A dark Christmas, maybe? Either way it's a twisty, ironic occasion. I admire it, I love it (especially those shoes), but I do not have the ::ahem:: balls to do it.

Network TV

2008-11-21T09:38:00.002-05:00

Sad news today from the blogosphere and beyond. ABC is not ordering more episodes of Pushing Daises (or Dirty Sexy Money and Eli Stone). Meanwhile, Heroes is getting progressively worse without the awesomeness of Brian Fuller, who originally left the show to create Daises.

The slight silver lining is that this means that Fuller can return to Heroes, but I preferred Daises.

I know, this is a blog about weddings, but it's also about me and Boy. And our awesome friends. Our love of the cult hit is what really brought us together. We mocked the mainstream horror flick we saw on our first date, went to midnight showings of our favorite comic book adaptations, and refused to let anyone in our basement who cannot correctly identify a movie quote on our wall "art". (It's Pulp Fiction.)

So in honor of Dead Like Me, Sports Night, Wonderfalls, and the almighty Rocky Horror, I repost my Pushing Daises board. It is still one of my favorites:

The skinny tie is a definite keeper.

A sigh

2008-11-20T14:43:00.002-05:00

I don't know, maybe it's a sigh of relief. It's definitely a sigh.

Things are starting to calm down again, and I'm getting very excited for Thanksgiving. It will be the first break that we have had from school, because my district spent most of September on strike.

Yep. If you live in the Philly area- you know my school district now.

I haven't blogged about it because it's still going on. We're in a "work to rule" strike that entails no clubs, no staying late, and no extra work. Basically, that means no fun stuff. And it meant that I couldn't do yearbook or the fall play.

So I've been working. A lot. I spend almost every night at my part time job. It's still teaching, but it's for a tutoring company. I originally got the job after my alternative school teaching position didn't work out (lack of funding), but a year and half later, I'm still there.

It's too much. And tonight I'll be there until around 10:30, which will mean about 15 hours of work today.

Blarg.

This board is an attempt to relieve this stress and help me through until Thanksgiving:

A tall order for one little bluebird!

Busy Busy Busy

2008-11-19T14:48:00.001-05:00

Quick board post to keep you happy :)

I've been toying around with this art deco board for a while, it's still a work in progress, but I think I'm happy with it:

Tell me what you think!

On Craftiness

2008-11-19T09:06:00.002-05:00

I consider myself moderately crafty.

I can make greeting cards when pushed, own a bone folder, knit, and darn the holes and tears in Boy's clothing/hockey gear on a daily basis. So I am totally stoked about making my own wedding paper products.

Doing the actual invitations (which will be in the 150-250 range) will be a nightmare, so I'll probably end up ordering fantastic pocketfolds (hells yes I'll have pocketfolds! Even if I have to make them myself!) after extensive research. The STDs (hehe) will probably fall under the heading of a summer project, which will be perfect for this girl, who gets her summers off.

It's like, the only perk of being a teacher. Well, that and the awesome kids! Have I mentioned recently how much I adore my job?

But the first project I'll focus on are letters on custom stationery, inviting my best girls to be bridesmaids. I'll probably whip up a few much simpler notecards for Boy to send as well.

Totally inspired by the crafty Miss Snapdragon over at weddingbee, I've fallen in love with heat embossing. Here are some links on how its done:

Snappy's post on weddingbee
Scrapjazz
Embossing on Vellium- using your computer!
step-by-step

I am planning on lots of DIY to help save money and involve as many important "family" members as possible (I'm including close friends in "family"). I love the idea of saying "Oh, you like the programs? They were hand sewn by Becky, the fantastic MOH!"

Because, really, a wedding is about love.

::gag::

Idie rock waltzing

2008-11-18T11:45:00.002-05:00

"Do you belong
to a song
does it drag you along by your tongue
at the top of your lungs?"
- The Matches, "Salty Eyes"

Boy and I both love music, and fortunately we agree most of the time about which music is good. Last weekend, we went to see some good down at the Trocadero in Philly. One of our favorite little up and coming bands, The Matches, was opening up for Bayside.

We took Boy's little bro, who is under 21, so we had to be on the floor. I hate being touched, and I think I realize why now- at a rock show you are smushed up against at least 8 people you don't know. And since I'm short, I'm smushed into their armpits. Gross.

Add to that the fact that the median age on the floor is somewhere around 15, it is most certainly not a place I want to be. The last thing I want is to throw an elbow at some little brat and realize it's a student. Not good. (It's impossible not to throw elbows if you want to be able to breathe)

That said, I love the song "Salty Eyes," and they played it. As they were playing, I imagined the wedding that would use this as their first dance:

Incidentally, I started this board with a Labyrinth theme, and it still has that feel to it. To me, it's romantic and a little bit twisty. I'm not sure how the maid's dresses would actually look on though. They would either be stunning or awful.

For those of you playing the home version of our game, this is the second post I've done using a song by The Matches as inspiration. (The other was the Edward and Bella board) If you missed out on giving them a listen the first time, don't let them pass you by again!

Non-wedding randomness

2008-11-17T20:33:00.003-05:00

Hey, I started a non-wedding blog using tumblr. Check it out if you like: Peculiar Travel Suggestions

Have a great night!

Goddess

2008-11-17T14:48:00.002-05:00

I love Ancient Greek lit, so what better way to celebrate a wedding than with a goddess gown?

Eh, I'm fairly certain that this would not at all be flattering on me. I am not the tall and slender type.

Still:

It would make for an awesome courtyard wedding. I love that watch, and am also lusting over those simple centerpieces... I have to have a night reception now, just so I can have candles!

By the way, if you've been clicking along, you may have notice that I have very expensive taste in shoes. I have no idea where this comes from- all of my shoes are from payless, target, or offline at deep discount. I don't think I'll ever be able to afford a pair of Choo's or Louboutin's on this teacher's salary, and I just can't justify spending over 100 dollars on a pair of shoes... although I really wish I could!

Distract me, please!

2008-11-17T09:31:00.002-05:00

Since my usual blogs weren't full of updates this morning, I had to go searching for something to be distracted by. After very little digging, I came up with this very basic site, which features proposal stories. Definitely distracting, although not so much helpful in my current state of mind.

So, onto Polyvore I went, without much inspiration already. I guess I'm longing for the summer, which Boy and I usually spend partially down the shore (Philly speak for "at the beach, usually in New Jersey") with friends and family. I miss the people, beverages, and sun that make those weeks so special. As much as I don't think I'd be able to find a venue without drop ceilings in Ocean City, New Jersey (or all of southern New Jersey, for that matter)... I think that it would be fun and incredibly special to be married down there:

Wouldn't it be nice if this wedding also came with the hunk? I searched, but I couldn't find the black linen pants I wanted the groomsmen to wear sans shirtless hottie. OK... to be honest I didn't search that carefully. But can you blame me?

Distraction achieved!

Apparently I'm craving chocolate

2008-11-16T23:19:00.003-05:00

And bored. Lots of lounging today was very relaxing, but left my mind free to wander. Which is dangerous.

Don't worry. I thought about chocolate:

I don't usually like yellow gold, and would never choose it for my wedding band, but I love these wood/gold bands. What a great idea!

I like having a food theme, and chocolate means yummy chocolate martinis. Of course, with a splash of orange one could serve a delicious Buzz Aldrin (tang martini)...

Oh, the possibilities...

DVR= Sunday board

2008-11-16T21:18:00.003-05:00

Boy and I had some extra time because we decided to hibernate today instead of actually doing anything.

So we ended up watching some of our DVR'd tv, and finally got to watch last week's episode of House. It was a good episode, and I see some wedding bells in the future for a couple of characters. This is what their wedding would look like in my head:

It's very simple, even more so than my usual boards. I like it that way :)

Slacker

2008-11-14T12:02:00.002-05:00

That's me!

It's Friday, and I had my long day yesterday, so I'm getting caught up on that grading I had been procrastinating on. The kids are in good spirits today, so I'm happy as well.

Let me take a quick aside to note how much I love my job. I am lucky beyond words to be 24, doing what I have dreamed of doing since I was a little girl, and living with Boy.

That said, I'm being a slacker on the boarding today because all I can think of is my wedding party and how I want to let these girls know that I want them to be my girls.

Also, engagement parties.

And cake.

And rings.

And kittens, apparently.

So not focused, at all. Who knows- maybe this eclectic state of mind will bring about an awesome board later. For now, you can do what I've been doing all day- scrolling down and cooing when I look at yesterday's board.

Chapter Twelve: Having a bad day

2008-11-13T09:37:00.006-05:00

You know those mornings where everything goes wrong and you just wish you could climb into bed like it never happened?

Yep. I'm having one of those.

So I gave myself a little treat. Since I can't go shopping and I don't have any chocolate within reach, I put on Boy and I's song.

As it was playing, I thought about everything that Boy and I have gone through in our nearly four years. I thought about my student teaching and how he supported me. I thought about how I cheered him on as he looked for a job. I thought about our home, our pets, and our friends: the life we've built together. I thought about the stupid games we play, the peach schnapps that wasn't water, and the road trips. I thought about the little spats and the make ups. I thought about the choices and the compromises.

And, for the first time, I created our board:

Now I can't stop smiling.

Working Backwards

2008-11-12T09:44:00.002-05:00

I'm procrastinating on grading. I know, it's bad.

I was a little back and forth with my inspiration when I started this board. I have a couple of ideas bouncing around in my head that aren't fully ready yet, so I have a couple of boards started. I decided on a clean slate for this one, and chose the dress first.

Apparently, it's a garden wedding. I just imagined what song would go with the dress and what mood the girl who wore her (not Madame Sourpuss) would be in on her wedding day. I decided on light and airy with "Kissing You" from the Romeo and Juliet soundtrack- an instrumental version.

A word on the anemones: I love anemones, but I usually shy away from using them in boards because of the flower hell that my favorite newlywed went through with her beloved anemones. It seems as though she has a love of them that rivals my love of peonies, and she designed her whole wedding around a beautiful red anemone. Unfortunately, bad news from her florist replaced her anemones with impostors (I think they were dahlias). They were lovely in their own right, but they weren't anemones. If I was Crys, I would have lost it. We're talking full-fledged drama. But she was awesome.

What do you do if you build a theme around a flower and weather, the economy, or a tragic lack of awesome prevents it from featuring in your day?

Effortless

2008-11-11T11:41:00.002-05:00

That's the way I feel about this board. This wedding is formal, but has a classic elegance to it. It has roses, but still doesn't feel stuffy to me.

There would definitely be a ballroom first dance at this wedding. That's one thing that I'm really excited for. Boy and I are both So You Think You Can Dance fans, so he's all about taking dance lessons. At least for now :).

When I have some time, I'm going to start revamping some of my older boards, which look cluttered to me now. It seems like when I first started I was all about color and getting as much cool stuff on there as possible. Now I'm more into mood, which seems to be a step forward.

Thank goodness I'm getting this out of my system... although, I will be sad to see this part of planning go.

You're it!

2008-11-11T08:49:00.003-05:00

Squee! (no, not the one you were hoping for. I'll let you know, I promise.)

I'm a blogdork, really I am. So imagine my sqeeness when I got a comment last week from E&E over at the hilarious and awesome I Hate Planning My Wedding. The idea that one of the bloggers I have followed since I started reading about wedding schtuff reads my schtuff, even periodically, is really flippin cool. Unlike that phrase.

Seriously though, she writes about the wedding process like a real person, rather than someone in a fantasy world of crinoline and taffeta. Her honesty and humor are always one of the high points of my day, so I light up when I see a new post from her in my blogroll. If you don't know her, waste some time at work by starting from the beginning of her story.

Obviously then, I was stoked when yesterday she passed along a nomination for an Uber Amazing Blog Award and tagged me to share a bit more about myself. Awesomeness.

Here are the rules:

1) Link back to the fabulousness that tagged you and list the rules on your blog, natch.
2) Spill 7 random facts about yourself.
3) Tag others, cause that's how the game of tag works.
4) Comment to let them know they've been tagged.

So here are 7 fun facts or things you never needed/wanted to know about Sezzy:

1) I am a Harry Potter freak still in shock over the moving of the release date of HBP. I am so freakish that I acutally used to pen a regular column over at Mugglenet. Yes, incredibly dorky, I know. Haven't we already established my geekdom?

2) I am afraid of the dark. Not just a little bit, like I'd rather not sleep in the woods; I mean full-on terrified. I refuse to take the trash out at night and will run at top speed back to the apartment if I'm forced to go outside when it's dark. I turn all of the lights in the house on as I go from room to room, causing continual annoyance and hilarity for Boy. Apparently watching me scramble to get to a light switch is hysterical. I'm also tragically uncoordinated (ala Tonks) and often fall down during said light switch scrambles.

3) Sezzy is a nickname. My real name is incredibly boring, plain, (and tall- haha) and I spent most of my childhood going by various nicknames because I hated it so much. Now I am called by Miss Lastname for most of the day by my students. I am blatantly coveting Boy's last name.

4) I love to watch kid's tv shows. I could sit for hours in front of Jimmy Neutron and Fairly OddParents. I'm aware of how pathetic it is, and I don't care.

5) I don't know my times tables. Seriously. Remember all of the moving I told you about? My times tables were a casualty of that. My old school hadn't taught them yet, and my new school already moved on to division. I have tried to learn them countless times, but apparently I missed the window.

6) I met Howie Mendel when I was little while waiting in line to see Lucy the Elephant at the Jersey Shore. He was very nice.

7) I know all of the words to Third Eye Blind's "Semi-Charmed Life," and once sang them on a bus tour of Europe while accopanied by Ukelele. True Story.

(Cue "The more you know" theme jingle)
So now you know. The secret life of someone who is no where near coordinated enough to ever be a bee. I nomitag: (Yeah, I can do that.)

Bayside Affair/Crystalliferous,
Drunky McGamblingproblem Loves You,
It's Words,
A Stepford Wedding,
and Schiver's Big Blog of Annoyances.

Have Fun!

Dreaming of Midsummer

2008-11-10T10:02:00.003-05:00

When I was toying with what I should read for Jade's wedding, I came across this selection from the last act of A Midsummer Night's Dream,

Now, until the break of day,
Through this house each fairy stray.
To the best bride-bed will we,
Which by us shall blessed be;
And the issue there create
Ever shall be fortunate.
So shall all the couples three
Ever true in loving be;
And the blots of Nature's hand
Shall not in their issue stand...

It's Theseus' blessing of the three couples of the play, and I like it. Ultimately, I decided that it wasn't right for the occasion, but I still kept the idea of a Midsummer Night's wedding in my mind:

I think that some of the ideas here mesh nicely with my Alice board from last week. This would require a peaceful setting and lots of flowers. I love the cream bridesmaid dress, especially the way that it looks like it would shimmer in the light. I'm not usually a fan of tiaras, but I love the bridal hair ornamentation going on there. It suits the dress and the mood, which is probably why I'm digging it.

It would be perfect if you could actually have this wedding on Midsummer Night!

Swing, Swing

2008-11-07T18:05:00.003-05:00

"Please leave all overcoats, canes, and top hats with the doorman
From that moment you'll be out of place and under-dressed."
- Panic at the Disco, There's a good reason these tables are numbered Honey, you just haven't thought of it yet

Yeah... that's the song title. It's awesome with a cool swing drive.

I need to confess some sincere jealousy I have for my engaged friends. No, not that they're engaged.

They swing! Dance! And I am incredibly jealous. I have wanted to swing dance since my high school boyfriend learned for his school play (I know). We tried, and for a moment it was that perfect movie scene: the cuteish guy throwing the geeky girl around. And then he dropped me.

So much for that fantasy. But still:

I think swing dancing definitely requires two dresses, at least that's what I would say if I was Engaged Girl! The words on the table idea is epic... like magnetic poetry on the tables. How much fun would that be, especially if you had a plated dinner? You could put the words in a cute little pouch (something I happen to have 50 of because of the previous mentioned Jade shower favor panic)!

Oh, now I'm excited again.

Too much fun

2008-11-07T11:59:00.006-05:00

Sweet lord. Mrs. Cherry Pie over at Weddingbee, the holy grail of wedblogs, just posted what I'm certain will be my new biggest time waster: the Multicolr search lab. This allows to you click a nearly endless number of color combination and see hundreds of flickr photos with those colors.

It's amazing.

Not to hate on Polyvore, becuase I would never do that, but my favorite inspiration boards to look at are those without wedding pictures, the ones that just focus on the colors. This is the best way I've seen so far to test out color combinations. I tried it out using my current favorite pallet, and then put my favorites into a board using mosaic maker (clicky here, clicky there, all in all it took about 5 minutes, tops).

Check it out:

1. avenida de roma, sábado à tarde, 2. Sea World 2005 Samu, 3. Untitled, 4. _____________ _ _ _____, 5. otra vez casi en casa, 6. 2005-08-10_12-39-26_francia, 7. Untitled, 8. The real, reflected & the shadow of the autumn leaves, 9. Casablanca Poster, 10. amusement park rubble, 11. Temperature Inversion, 12. Touch the sky

I'm totally in love. Go on, give it a try!

Note: If you want to post your mosaic on your own blog, you will have to save it, and not just link to it. Apparently this is implied somehow b/c it is not at all directly stated. Sorry to those of you who tried to read this post before I fixed the problem!

Come here often?

2008-11-07T09:16:00.002-05:00

If you're new here, welcome! Try these posts if you want to get to know me and what I'm doing here:
Introductions
On not being a bride
Chapter One
Chapter Seven

I've also added a carousel from Polyvore to the bottom of the page (scroll down) I wanted to do the side one, but it doesn't carousel, which is annoying.

Those of you who aren't new here can still scroll and check it out. I occasionally make non-wedding themed boards (I know, it's shocking), so you can see those there as well :).

Feel free to introduce yourself in the comments!

Bonus: Down the rabbit hole

2008-11-06T12:02:00.002-05:00

I feel so much better. Still not calm, in a state of constant excitement, but ok with it. So here's another board!

A mad tea party! Hehe, I love it. Alice is one of my very favorite pairs of books, and I think a tea party wedding would be tremendous fun! I especially like the concept of these party dresses for the maids. They are all so different, yet still the same shape. This could easily be done by anyone with a seamstress friend, and it would be a great way to keep a unified theme without having paper-doll maids. How do the boys express themselves then? With hats, of course!

Silly, silly. Who's ready for the lobster quadrille?

Scarborough Fair

2008-11-06T09:33:00.002-05:00

My apologies for not posting yesterday. I am attempting to create and maintain calm... and making a board yesterday just was not part of that plan. Usually I am incredibly grateful for all of you and the ability to get my wedding crazy out by boarding. Trust me, Boy is grateful as well!

But it's very difficult to stay... relaxed. I am not a relaxed person. If you see me on a couch for longer than 30 minutes (and there isn't a program on that I'm watching), I'm probably asleep. When there is something exciting on the horizon, I get wound up.

I am terrible at holding onto Christmas and birthday presents, I throw surprise parties with very little provocation, and when I'm going to see extended family or friends, I literally bounce up and down all week.

So, Thanksgiving. Friends will be home, family will be abundant. And this year promises no stress with Boy! Usually we have a few weeks of minor skirmishes leading up to Turkey day because we have to make the inevitable decision of his family or mine. For the past 2 years, we did both, but someone always got shortchanged. Not this year! Our families are eating at different times, so we'll be able to do both without issue.

Which, for some reason, led me to get "Scarborough Fair" stuck in my head:

I love the design of this bridesmaid dress, and I like the color with the rest of the palate, but I'm not sure about its re-wearability. Also loving the pear-shaped ring that goes with this relaxed garden bride. My favorite touch, the Warhol watch groomsman gift. It has the sage with that fantastic pop of orange that could be mirrored in the bride's bright bouquet. All could be had in a field of poppies, which you can't pick to put in a bouquet (at least in the state of California, which I am mad at for other reasons).

So yeah, the calm. It's not going so well. While I will keep trying to channel this imaginary bride's calm... I can't wait until Thanksgiving!

I'm too sexy for my wedding

2008-11-04T12:15:00.002-05:00

We've established that I'm not cool. In fact, I revel in my dorkiness on a nearly constant basis. However, there are some days that I wish I was cool enough to pull off a slick wedding. A truely haute occasion on which I would wow friends and family with a shocking amount of style, panache, and chrome.

Until I tripped on my stilletos and fell into the cake.

Sigh. Fun to imagine though, right?

Black bridesmaid dresses are certainly slick, and also really kind. There are uber-reusable, as every girl needs a faithful LBD. I would have to go bridezilla though, and insist that each maid purchase a new dress so that there was none of that icky faded black color that you can sometimes get after repeated washes. There are also no conceivable places for peonies at this wedding, which presents a problem.

I think one of the key things to consider when planning is making your wedding a refection of you and your partner. Sure, this wedding would be fun to plan, but it wouldn't be mine.

Speaking of inspiration

2008-11-03T09:57:00.002-05:00

If I really wanted to melt my Grandparents' faces off, I could pull some neo-Shakespearean inspiration from one of my favorite movies:

Bright, isn't it? I really love the cool, muted background tones. Really, even though the bright takes up a large portion of the board, it's only a few small things. The flowers adorn the bridesmaids' hair, matching the groomsmen's cuff links. The real spotlight would be on the table flowers and the cake. The bride? Simple, white, grecian, and innocent. I adore the white anemone bouquet.

I love the idea of mixing a bright invitation with formal surroundings, and really that's the theme for this whole board. Pops of bright in formal surroundings. The fireworks? A fantastic surprise to close out the evening in true Baz Luhrmann-Capulet fashion.

Did you guess the inspiration?

New Layout

2008-11-02T22:42:00.002-05:00

I had a new layout for about 20 minutes, but it bothered me.

So I changed it back.

I'm feeling a bit blah today and there is no conceivable reason for it. Le sigh. I'm sure that all will be well :)

Destination Wedding?

2008-11-02T17:00:00.003-05:00

A few years ago, Boy and I took a trip to Hawaii. While we would both love to go back for a destination wedding, we realize the reasons this is impractical.

So why not bring the destination to us?

My favorite spot on Oahu was Hanauma Bay. When we were there, we went snorkeling and were able to swim alongside baby sea turtles! It was a life-changing experience, so I'd love to make it a part of our wedding in a small way. I love the turtle charm for that. A charm can be worn as a necklace or sewn just about anywhere for a more discreet touch.

I'm also coming back to non-monochromatic bridesmaid dresses. I love the different shades of blue here, mimicking the shades of blue of the water in Hanauma Bay. It gives the bridesmaids the opportunity to be individually beautiful, and it could be unified with shoes and a hairpiece.

What do you think? Is it relaxing? How could you bring a vacation feel to a wedding that's closer to home?

Darkening

2008-11-01T23:39:00.003-04:00

Here's a quick edit of my other Twilight board, this time with a darker background:

I think that darkens it up quite nicely. For reference, here is the inspiration song again:
Darkness Rising by The Matches.

Fangs optional

2008-11-01T22:03:00.003-04:00

Please forgive my geeky sidetrack here, but I'm getting very excited for November 21st.

I love to read, and when I find a new series, I tend to get a bit obsessed. Such was this case this summer when I finally read Twilight. I was down the shore, and I had to go to the bookstore twice to pick up the sequels.

My excuse? The kids. My female students begged me to read them. Really.

At any rate, my favorite character by far is Alice Cullen. She is awesome in ways that Tonks wishes that she could be. We don't get to see her wedding to Jasper, but in my mind it would be something like this:

Alice loves all things high fashion, and can also see the future. Jasper is much more quiet, and can sense and alter people's moods. They're vampires, but I don't see either of them as very dark. Jasper's unhappy and violent past aside, they are about perception and subtlety.

I love this dress. I am also in love with gold as the only color. With gold and white you could create some major drama, which is the other thing Alice is all about.

So what about you? Are you a Twilight fanatic? If so, did you hate Breaking Dawn, too?