Baking Up For Lost Time

It is hard to replace the fun and excitement of wedding planning but here is my new blog, enjoy!

bakingupforlosttime.blogspot.com

Hi There

For any of you that still have me on your reader or check in I thought I would let you know I will be back in action! I have a new blog coming out right after Thanksgiving so stayed tuned. Here is a sneak peek of what it is all about -

What is Next for AWCW...

So I haven't been posting pictures from the wedding because I thought it would be fitting to give the honors to the blog that inspired it all, Bklyn Bride. It was the first wedding blog I ever read. Vane gave me so much inspiration and was even sweet enough to give me advice way, way back when this whole process started and she even selected us as one of the winners in the Blurb contest to make our awesome guest book. She is doing some amazing things in the wedding industry.

What is next? Well, obviously, I was never a great blogger to begin with was I? Missing a week here, a month here, I just wasn't dedicated to posting everyday, so it would seem silly to think I could keep it up now. I will be saying goodbye to A Windy City Wedding but you probably haven't heard the last of me...

The exciting news? We are moving on September 1st, we will be renting a charming coach house just steps from Lake Michigan. We have a studio now so this is a much needed change, two whole bedrooms! AND a washer and dryer! A dream come true, really.

The other exciting news? My talented husband is taking the first steps to starting his own photography business. I am so glad he will be doing this, he deserves to do something he loves and hopefully he will make a career out of it. And you know what that means...every good photography website needs a blog! So you might catch me on there from time to time.

I wish the best to all my blog friends! I know I will keep in touch with some of you and those I don't, best of luck. You were all so helpful through the process and I am so glad I started this blog, I couldn't have made it through the wedding without it.

In true Gossip Girl fashion I will leave you simply with -

XOXO



(picture taken by my hubs)
www.jamesjulius.com

Under Construction!

Sorry for the abrupt shut down of the old bloggy blog. I am in the middle of some "blog maintenance" if you will so stayed tuned!

Vendor Reviews - Blumgarten

I haven't been feeling so hot lately so this post will definitely cheer me up. Another one of my favorite vendors, Blumgarten. They did an AMAZING job. I was so happy with the flowers, at first I was the type, oh I don't need to spend a ton of money on flowers, they just get thrown away, but my mom is a huge flower person and convinced us otherwise and I am SO glad.

We worked with Sunny at Blumgarten and she got "us" right away and what we were going for. The few other places we met with didn't get "us", like at all. One place sent us a proposal with huge grecian columns and draping ivy, ummm, well that is pretty and all but not the look we personally were going for. I had seen a mock-up of the centerpieces but never for the bouquets, I was a little nervous but knew Sunny could rock it and oh yeah she did!

Love it, and I don't know exactly what all is in there, some peonies, ranunculus, artemisia (LOVED that, it brought in the gray) mini hydrangeas, vernonica. Varying shades of green for the bridesmaids, hypericum berries, artemesia again, kermit mums and mini versions for the flower girls (they looked SO adorable). Click to enlarge.

We had one large dogwood arrangement at the church and that was it, we let the architecture be the main focus. We had a similar and larger dogwood arrangement at the entrance to the reception in front of the fireplace. Sadly I don't have a picture, I would have loved to see it with all the favor boxes displayed but by the time we arrived they had been picked up.

Oh and if you are wondering about the wine and chocolate sitting up there I can explain later, kind of a funny story actually...

And the tables, they were GORGEOUS, perfect! Sadly, again, I don't have any great pictures.

Sunny and Michelle were a joy to work with and I couldn't have been happier, yes, it is expensive and maybe on the higher end for flowers but it was totally worth it. They were even sweet enough to bring paper for our guests to take the flowers home in (I was worried about them being wasted). No doubt, 10 out of 10.

Oh and those candleholders we bought ourselves from Crate&Barrel, I loved them but I was hoping I could sell them and make some money back but wax dripped on the inside, not sure what to do with 24 Pixie candleholders!

Vendor Reviews - Invites, Signage, Etc.

So to follow up my worst review, I thought I would review one of my favorite vendors, my super, talented (and hot!) sister. As I posted before, she was kind enough to do all our invitations and not only that but our signage and table numbers as well. This was a huge lifesaver. I am all about DIY but her design was above and beyond anything I could have come up with.

The pouches were sewn by my mom (she is also very talented) using Paper Source chartreuse cardstock.
I wish I had better pics of the rsvp card and she did this neat perforated tear card for the rehearsal dinner invite/rsvp. Genius I tell you!

We had a modified version of the invite printed as a sign for outside of the church. Loved it, we kept it and are planning on framing it.

We decided against doing programs and I think it was a good choice, we wanted to be a little more eco-friendly and have our guests focus on the ceremony.

I feel so lucky, this is her first time doing wedding invites (she is a graphic designer) and they were so amazing, get in touch with her, mail@lauramwilliams.com. Of course, 10 out of 10!

Vendor Reviews - Dessert

As OCD as I was and as meticulous as I was about everything I thought if anyone could pull off a "perfect" wedding it would be me. A lot of little things went wrong, the church roof still was not fixed, the porch at the reception was also under construction and had yellow caution tape wrapped around one side (I didn't find this out until the day before), our recessional song didn't play at the right time, tables were in the wrong place, vendors didn't follow the schedule, I got a stain on my dress within 20 minutes of the reception and yes, obviously I did notice these things, but I still had an amazing time! So really, it WAS perfect.

I almost didn't want to post about this, not wanting to be a Debbie Downer, but I realized I got so caught up in how things looked and those images from gorgeous, amazing "real" weddings, you rarely get to hear the real story. You see these splashes of maybe 10 or so pictures, or you see something in a magazine that costs 5 times your budget and probably took a staff of 100 people to create and think you can achieve it. And some people can, more power to you, I wish I could have, but I wanted to be honest and tell the story about our wedding and how even though it wasn't 100 percent how we planned, it didn't matter that day.

My biggest regret of all the mishaps was sadly -- the dessert buffet. Remember how much energy I put into planning that thing! Not to mention all the stress of what to pick and the running around to get everything two days before the wedding. Argh, seriously, my expectations were WAY high, thanks a lot Amy Atlas!. Haha. It did TASTE good (from what I hear, I was too full to eat any) but what I was envisioning in my head is not what we ended up with.

Sweet Mandy B's has some amazingly delicious cupcakes but what they didn't have in my case unfortunately were good order taking skills. Instead of plain white frosting for the vanilla cupcakes we got pastel green, purple, and orange frosting with rainbow sprinkles, cute sure, but not really the look I was going for. Plus the overall grandness and extravagance I wanted just wasn't achieved. And yes, I realize this seems so trivial, and I admit that it is, but this dessert buffet was all I could think about for a long time so for the frosting to be wrong completely changed the whole look I had envisioned.

Do not fear, there was no Bridezilla freak out at the wedding of me screaming, throwing cupcakes at guests, I noticed the mistake, was slightly bummed, didn't even mention a word of it and then moved on and had a fantastic night. It wasn't until going through the photos that I was bummed (more than slightly), irritated, and so, I blog about it, vent, and now it is done. And look, a solution -- Photoshop in black and white, now I will never know what color they were, ha!

So, Sweet Mandy B's, 9 out of 10 on taste, 0? 1? (I can't even decide) out of 10 for service (for obvious pre-stated reasons AND they wouldn't cut the bars for me even though we spent close to $200 AND they don't deliver AND they told me they would have strawberry cupcakes by the end of May and they didn't). Word to the wise, ask for a copy of your order.

Bleeding Heart Bakery, awesome, my vegan and gluten free guests were thrilled, no complaints except I wish they carried more bite-size items but they did cut bars for me and they deliver (although they did show up quite early and woke me up but hey, they got the order right!).

Vendor Reviews - Food

The food was a huge hit. We got so many compliments, especially on the chicken and beef entrees (sorry I didn't get pics of those), people were saying it was one of the best meals they ever had. Guests also loved the mashed potato martinis, I wanted to eat three of them! Sadly I didn't get to try many of the awesome hor d'oeuvres but I heard they were fantastic! The food for sure was 10 out of 10.

J&L Catering did a good job and they accommodated our vegan and gluten free guests. My only complaint is that dinner went longer than we had planned but I imagine that was due to having the extra course and the smaller space made it more difficult for the wait staff to navigate. Overall I think they did a nice job and especially considering what terrible luck we had with other catering companies in the beginning. If you go with J&L ask for Evelyn and Paul as your "captain."

Next post: desserts, yumm!

Vendor Reviews - Dress

I loved my dress, it was Watters 1027B. I suppose I can say "was" since it won't be my dress any longer, I decided to donate it to Brides Against Breast Cancer.

I ordered the dress from Netbride.com and I would recommend them if you are looking to save some bucks. You won't get the same service as a bridal salon but all in all it worked out and we saved around $800.

As far as the alterations go...if you remember that mess...I don't know if I am ready to say how I felt with the service or the end result. I did feel that the dress was still too tight and my bustle came unsnapped every 15 minutes but maybe that is typical and maybe I ate too much that week, who knows, but let me just say if I were to do it all over again I probably would have gone somewhere else. Not horrible, but not outstanding.

Oh and yes, and wish I had been a little more diligent about the arm and back/shoulder exercises...ah well!

Vendor Reviews - Morgan Blaul

And so it begins, I must say I am a little nervous posting my face all over the internet (please be kind) but hey, why did I start this blog if I wasn't going to share the end result, plus, does anyone even read this thing anymore? Ha, KIDDING, I love you my 19 followers!

My hair and makeup was done by Morgan Blaul and she was awesome! She is so down to earth and this girl knows her shit. She is super talented and very "non-bridaly" which is what I (personally) wanted. Her fee is on the high end but in my opinion definitely worth it, trial was included and she came to our hotel on the day of. Plus, I totally changed my mind from the trail to the wedding and she was completely flexible. I went with a smokey eye and natural lip for makeup and a little half up "bump" for the hair.

She did hair only for my bridesmaids, I think they look super hot.

AND my hair and makeup still looked good after sweating and dancing. 10 out of 10 for Morgan Blaul (book her!)

Most photos taken by Dan Chen/Chennergy (more on his fabulousness later).

Oh and PS, Red 7 in Evanston did my color, I am a natural redhead but I had it touched up. They did a nice job, I would recommend them too.

Vendor Reviews - Winberies

We are back and I have pictures! But first to continue with some vendor reviews leading up to the wedding.

We had our rehearsal dinner at Winberies in Oak Park.
Everything was delicious, service was great, and they even gave us three $25 frequent diner credits to use in the future. Unfortunately I don't have too many pictures of the restaurant or the food but trust me it was good and not even a block from the church where we had the rehearsal so it worked out great!

9 out of 10 for Winberies (only because a private room would have been ideal).

Vacation, all I ever wanted!

Taking a break for the big honeymoon but when I am back I will have many more vendor reviews and professional pics, yay! Can't wait to be here with my husband, cruising along in our Mini Cooper convertible.

Image source

Vendor Reviews - The Carleton Hotel

The Carleton is a historic hotel in Oak Park and was steps away from our reception site so it was a no-brainer we would use this hotel and recommend it to our guests. We did get a discounted rate and they blocked off rooms for us well in advance. My mom communicated with them the most but overall they were helpful and prompt with e-mails.

The Carleton also has several ballrooms to host weddings and/or events. Some of the guest rooms are a little old fashioned but they were spacious and comfortable. Our suite had a full size fridge and good size kitchen which came in very handy.

Our OOT totes were handed out when guests arrived and there was plenty of free parking. This hotel also has a bar, Poor Phil's, in the lobby which was very convenient and we spent a few nights hanging out there (free popcorn!).

8 of 10 for The Carleton Hotel (only because some of the rooms could use updating and are a little musty).

Vendor Reviews - Spa Space

After a great night of partying I treated my girls to manicures and pedicures at Spa Space. All of us got the "signature" manicure and pedicure. This place is super cute inside, modern and relaxing. Everyone I spoke to there was very friendly and they were great when I made the appointments as well. One of my girls was pedicure only but decided at the last minute to get a manicure and they were able to accommodate her. We also showed up lugging tons of bags and they were nice to put them away for us.

Our pedicure ran about $40 each and manicure about $25 each which I gather is pretty typical. Although we didn't feel like drinking they do allow you to BYOB and they also have a private room for two if you want something more intimate.

10 out of 10 for Spa Space.

Vendor Reviews - The James Hotel

So while we are waiting for our pics (should arrive next week when we are on our honeymoon!) I thought I would post a few vendor reviews and I am going to attempt to go in chronological order here.

The Thursday before the wedding my maids of honor threw me the most fun party and I just needed to give The James a big shout out because everyone there was awesome. So friendly and accommodating, the hotel is beautiful, perfect location, I highly recommend it.

Don't get me wrong, this place is not cheap, another friend who attended the party had two bottles of champagne brought up and it was $100, but hey, what do you expect. I thought it was amazing and they had hook up for the Wii, we had room service for breakfast and it was delicious, Kiehl's bath products (which we all fought over) seriously, not a single complaint.

10 out of 10 for The James Hotel.

Polaroid Guest Book - Sneak Peek

The James Hotel

I'm BACK!

I have today off work, yay, so I thought I would stop in to say hi. We had the BEST time EVER! It was so much fun and all our guests had a blast. I don't have pics yet but here is a video from my bachelorette party in the meantime. My girls threw me the most fun party at the James Hotel on Thursday night. Hours of AI karaoke, Gossip Girl "never have I ever," and delicious wraps from Karen's Cooked, seriously awesome.

It was an amazing wedding,with amazing friends and most of all I have an amazing husband, I couldn't ask for anything more!

Stay tuned for recaps and pics.

See Ya!

Sadly, I won't have time to blog again before Saturday. My girl is flying in tomorrow night and Thursday night is my pseudo bachelorette party at the James (American Idol karaoke showdown!!). Rehearsal dinner Friday and you know the rest.

I know I haven't been the most consistent blogger but thanks so much to ALL those that helped me and commented and voted all along the way and gave me tips and advice. Tina, you are the bomb, thank you for finding Katie, I owe you one. It all seems so long ago and it still doesn't seem real that it is here.

Mom (and Dad even though I know Dad doesn't read this), thank you for everything, I couldn't have done any of this without you, I love you!

Baby, I love you, all our hard work will be worth it. I can't wait to party with you!

See y'allz on the other side!!





Don't cheap ass Nutty Bars look so refined when you wrap them in cute paper.

Tie it Up!

So way back when I blogged about the tie fabric we had picked out. Well here is the finished product!

Etsy seller Me and Matilda was so great to work with. I highly recommend her! You can send her your own fabric or pick from her selection. When we were still deciding on the print she was kind enough to send free swatches. The price was very reasonable, she even made a special carrying bag with the extra fabric. A+ service!

Rehearsal Bouquet

Instead of the traditional bows-on-a-paper plate we made this giant flower bouquet from the gift wrap and ribbon from my shower. My fiance did most of the work, neat right?

I am doing Crate&Barrel proud here...

Looks Promising

We can't help but check the weather reports, so far, so good, chance of rain in the evening but not bad.

It will probably still be a little chilly at night and I had better luck with this cardigan, also from J.Crew. Chartreuse and gray, it couldn't be more perfect!

Done?

I think we finished everything!

OOTs - DONE
Favor boxes - Mostly DONE, people are dropping out, changing dates (annoying yes) so I thought I was done with these but guess not. Almost.
Music - Pretty much done, except our iPod guy is being flaky, we might need a backup, any volunteers?? :)
Schedules, seating charts - DONE
Dress - DONE, at the cleaners right now (can you believe they are going to charge me something like $300 bucks for that, geez...at least that includes delivery).

Still need to find a hairpin or hair jewelry type thing since I completely changed my mind about how to wear my hair.

But seriously, so excited, nervous, anxious, but excited! I hope my fiance is excited too, I think if anything he is ready for all the wedding planning madness to end, ha!

Little Boxes All in a Row

Favors are done and ready to go. We put the name cards on today. I love how they turned out!

Wrapping it Up

I am getting the bridesmaid gift totes ready to go (amongst a slew of other things!) and my fiance was nice enough to take some pictures for me. He is so talented!

I hope they like the gifts, my mom made the bags, she is so talented too!

I am also treating them to manicures and/or pedicures at SpaSpace on Friday and my parents were so generous and are paying for their two nights hotel stay. I wanted to treat them well and never feel burdened because I know first hand what it is like to be in a wedding where you aren't appreciated.

2 tickets to Stresstown, ok well make that 1...

We had extra paper from our favor boxes so I wrapped the water bottles for the OOT totes with them. They are cute. Anyway, I am stressed to the max! Didn't think I would be since I planned so far ahead but I keep thinking I am going to forget something. And yes, if I did it wouldn't really matter. I know on the day of our wedding I won't care about all these little things but I do now damn it! And MAYBE I will on the day of too, who knows.

You know what did relieve some stress? Shopping!

I got this cute headband in gray, I think I might wear it to the rehearsal dinner.



And I ordered these cute flower pins (from here) for my friends who are reading. I kind of want to keep them for myself though...

In Two Weeks...

In two weeks my sister will be arriving, then my mom and dad, then my bestie Melinda. OMG. I can not believe it will be here so soon, it seems so surreal. After a year and a half of planning it will all come down to one day and we will be married in front of our friends and family. WOW!

Got our marriage license today, no pics sorry, you weren't missing much. It took all of 20 minutes and 40 dollars, plus the Skokie Court House is stuck in the early 80's.

The cardigan didn't work out so well, I will just hope it is warm enough I don't need one. A lot to do this weekend, hair cut and color and final dress fitting! SUPER glad we planned our wedding the weekend after Memorial day, that extra Monday will help us get a lot done!!

Ceremony - The Preview II

Ceremony - The Preview

Here is a sample of what our ceremony will be like...



I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz,
or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off.
I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,
in secret, between the shadow and the soul.

I love you as the plant that never blooms
but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers;
thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance,
risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body.

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.
I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;
so I love you because I know no other way

than this: where I does not exist, nor you,
so close that your hand on my chest is my hand,
so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep.



With this ring I take you as my husband/wife this day and everyday.

The Boy is Gone

My soon to be husband is out on his bachelor camping weekend. I saw him 3 hours ago and I miss him so much. Alas, onward, there are things to be done!

This weekend:

Finalizing table numbers, seating. I can't believe how many people responded yes, yikes! Must be those awesome invites. :)

Finalizing the playlists. I have done this 10 times already but I keep changing my mind.

Shopping: Need cardigan, might be chilly at night. Need lip pencil and gloss recommended by my makeup artist. Need flats or flops, my heels although adorable kill my feet. Still need hostess gifts from the shower, oops. Need honeymoon/summer clothes, I have gotten fat and it is getting hot out. Sigh. Need more clothes.

I ordered this cardigan already, could be promising!



Drink wine and blog, oh did that already!

Hope you are all having a fabulous weekend, for me 22 days left, AAAAH!

We are Next!

My friend from work got married last night. I loved her flowers and I love the mini cupcakes she had. We are also getting these from Sweet Mandy B's, yumm!

Assembly Line

I am making progress on putting together the favors, only a few more to go and then we will start adding the name cards/seating cards.

April Showers Bring....Prezzies!

I had such a nice time at my shower yesterday, I was anti-shower at first but I am glad my friends talked me into it. I felt so special!







Oh and since the shower was in Geneva which is about an hour thirty from where I live, we got a limo to take us home. This picture of my mom and one of my maids of honor speaks for itself!

Invites

I never posted on the invites (sorry Tina!), pics aren't great but I was feeling productive this morning! We went really casual with addressing the envelopes, this was the cause of much debate but ultimately what we chose is more our style.

PS Dress fitting went pretty well, I think we can fix the problem!

Weekend

Going in to have my dress fitted after work today, my mom was already flying in for my shower(which is tomorrow) and I am so glad she will be with me. She is much better at speaking her mind than I am!

Have a great, sunny weekend!!

Dress Woes

I had my third fitting yesterday and this one was a big deal because it is pretty much the last time I will see my dress until two weeks before the wedding.

Honestly, I kind of hated it.

So background information on the dress since I know I haven't posted a picture here. It is the style of dress that is supposed to be more fitted in the hips and butt area but I already have plenty of hips and butt without it being accentuated, still I loved the dress and got it, maybe that was the mistake. However, I did intentionally buy the dress bigger than I needed to so it could fit me more loosely. But now the alterations person (I won't name names just yet because I do think she is quite good and I am hoping she will remedy the situation)has the dress completely fitted to me. Don't get me wrong, she has done a great job, if I were thinner it would look amazing but I am not and at this point in one month I doubt I will be.

So what to do at this point? Is is too late, has too much of the dress already been cut off? I tried speaking up yesterday saying "it seems a little more fitted in the back then I would like" and she pretty much said "no, I think it looks fine" and that was the end of that. Maybe she thought I just need some reassurance. She is so good at what she does and in such high demand do you just have to accept she thinks she knows better than you do? Sigh.

Polite but urgent e-mail and voicemail have been left so cross your fingers for me that it isn't too late!

First RSVP!!

That was so quick, we got our first RSVP back! Of course it was our friends who were married last year, they know how important it is to send those suckers ASAP. They are a yes, two beefs! Haha.

To Do List UPDATE

INVITATIONS/PAPER

Sew pouches for invitations

Invitations (mail 6-8 weeks before, RSVP 3 weeks after postmark date)

Table numbers (Just need to be printed)

Programs

Thank You cards

FAVORS

Favor cards

Shred paper for favor boxes

Seating cards/labels (APR)

Cut paper for favor boxes

Package/wrap favors

Games for kids game area

BRIDAL PARTY

Ring bowl (DAD)

Groomsmen suits

Groomsmen ties

Flower girls/ring bearer outfits NEED shoes, tie , headbands?

BM/GM gifts finalized

Flower girl/ring bearer/reader gifts

Parent gifts

Hair and Makeup trial (this Saturday!)

Dress fittings/alterations, 1^st one is done

Undergarments (MAR)

Perfume

CEREMONY

Wedding bands (MAR) James to order his soon

Meet with the officiant (Next week!)

Marriage license (APR)

Write vows/decide on ceremony

Readings? Readers?

Ceremony musician (ASAP)

RECEPTION

Order beverages, alcohol, for drink bins, etc. (Get in touch ASAP)

List of choices for bar?

Sign for Polaroid book/props

Basket for props (Target storage cubes?)

Buy tea lights for tables or rent from Blumgarten, rent

Decide on toasts

Finalize songs/playlist (pretty much done)

Coat check tags (necessary?)

Poles for badminton

Bocce set

Card box

DESSERT BUFFET

Order take home dessert containers

Labels for take home dessert containers

Container/bowl for labels (CB2?)

MORE Platters from CB2

Possible candlesticks/vase/from CB2 for card table or gift table?

Tealights from Crate and holders from website vs. renting through Blumgarten?

Chart for dessert buffet

Cake plate for dessert buffet

Order Sweet Mandy B’s (APR)

Buy other goodies (Nutty Bars, Brownie Bites, Fannie Mae Trinidads and Mints, Trader Joes Pretzels, Toffee and Caramels, Godiva Sugar Free)

Labels/wrap nutty bars

Order vegan treats (Bleeding Heart bakery APR)

HONEYMOON

Book flight for honeymoon

Book rental car for honeymoon

TOTES

Print tags for out of town totes

Order Out of Town totes supplies (snack/pistachios?, cello bags, Advil-APR)

Pick Up supplies (Target Water Bottles, Ghiradelli Sqaures, Target scented tealights - MAY)

Fill out of town totes

TRANSPORTATION

Check on trolley (make sure they have directions, timeline) (APR)

MISC.

Day of Timeline

Meet with Chenner

Break in shoes

Call people who have not RSVP (MAY)

Event schedule to vendors (MAR)

Finalize menu and flowers (MAR)

Check on registry (APR)

REHEARSAL DINNER

Decide on specifics for rehearsal dinner (MAR/APR)

Call Winberies 1 week prior with numbers

Day after brunch, etc? Check with mom.

Put a Ring On It, Check!

You have probably seen this all over the web but my fiance got his inner message ring. He loves it, it came very fast too and his original one was too big but it was very easy for him to exchange. He looks so hot seeing him with a ring on!

OCD, more like OOOCD

I am not usually like this in real life but something about wedding planning does this to me, I am officially a crazy person!

Flowers

As promised, here is a flower pic, I just love them. I highly recommend Blumgarten thus far.

Just Shy of 60 days!

I can not believe it is going to be here so soon! A year and a half of waiting and only two more months to go. We are so excited.

We had our walk through this weekend with our florist, caterer and day of coordinator and it went really well. The flowers were gorgeous. Sunny at Blumgarten had some amazing arrangements for us to see and I can't wait to see the bouquets. Pics to come.

Walk through went well, we have mapped everything out, it made it seem so real. We also got to sample the acoustics at the church and it sounded beautiful, my mom was brought to tears!

Had my second dress fitting, the dress is gorgeous but I was a little bummed about ME in the dress. Kind of wishing I had worked harder to tone up but with the little time I have left I think I will just focus on my arms. Why did I pick a strapless dress! Urgh.

Invitations are being mailed out this week!

Stressed

Well closing in to two months away and I am finally starting to feel the stress, I knew it was bound to happen eventually. Really it isn't stress about what needs to be done but more about relationships/friendships. Why does it always seem that weddings can test those, why are people so emotional over some wedding related decisions. It is hard to keep track of how others are feeling at a time when I should really just focus on myself. I have done that my whole life, tried to please everyone, and it is catching up to me. Because once people know you as a "people pleaser" they have a hard time accepting you being assertive. Sigh...

Sigh...

So things were almost going TOO well weren't they. We went to visit our reception and ceremony sites yesterday and I knew that our church was damaged several months ago when we had heavy rain but I had no clue how much is still being repaired. Ah well, what can you do really, we won't get any amazing floor to ceiling shots like this but maybe we can Photoshop ourselves in later!


Here is a link to video of the damage.

Ties, check!

I think we found a winner for the tie fabric. It isn't a complete match but it seems like it will work really well. Please excuse my poor Photoshop skills...

Grey suits and white shirt for the guys. We found a seller on Etsy who will make custom ties, more on that later.

The fabric is from Premier Fabrics, they have a great selection. I think this pattern would also make an amazing runner as it is a thicker upholstery weight.

Isn't This Pretty

I love it, I bought it.

Jewelry is done! Etsy seller belcanto.

100% Vintage Modern

I took this quiz after seeing the post on grace's birdcage wedding.

I am not surprised with the results at all but it was still fun.

Vintage Modern

Flea Market, anyone? You know you are drawn to modern furniture and interiors, and yet you don't like a space that feels cold and sterile. And who could blame you? That's why Vintage Modern is so appealing to you. Though the backdrop of the room, the walls and windows, are many times white or monochromatic, the furniture and accessories have the color, shape and texture to bring the warmth into the space.

The great thing about Vintage Modern is ease of mixing different styles in the one space. You can have a new modular sofa mixed with a great pair of chairs that your grandmother purchased in the late 1950's. The new and old work appear as though they were destined for each other. Even if you don't have time for swap meets and garage sales, so many of the mid-century pieces were so great that they have been remade and mimicked year after year.

But then the second time I took it I got 75% Vintage Modern and 25% Hollywood Couture. Must be my love of Jonathan Adler style that snuck in there.

Hollywood Couture

"Welcome to Hollywood! What's your dream?" That's right, it's time to roll out the red carpet and get ready for the sparkle of crystal and all things flashy that make up Hollywood Couture.

Glam style originated in high-end lifestyles that made up the years between the roaring 20's and the swinging 40's, where it was important to bring a feeling of glamour to the home when the world outside may have lacked it. Nowadays it's scratching a similar itch in the sense that it's bringing a sense of opulence to a world that seems to have forgotten how much fun it can be!

The great thing about the updated version of the style is how versatile it is. You can take it in any direction and add almost any style into the mix — perhaps a contemporary leather sofa paired with lacquered Louis XIV chairs that have been upholstered in lush velvet. The key is that each item feels as rich and over-the-top as possible and yet everything still seems livable. It's not a space that screams: "do not touch" - rather it almost dares you to experience its luxury.

Honeymoon Outfit - Day 4

Day 4 we will still be relaxing in Santa Cruz and then heading down to Montery Bay.



Hello Gap, I love you, I am going to use my coupon today, this dress could either be adorable or make me look pregnant so we will have to see about this one, cost: $68.00

Ballet flats, cost: $19.50

Bracelet, cost: $7.80

TOTAL = $75.80

Almost!

My sister is putting the final tweeks on the invites this week, they are scheduled to go out at the end of this month. I laugh and look back at all the prototypes I made before. These are a million times better!

And my sister does not have a website (someone asked I think) she will probably never do wedding invites again after me, ha ha!




The address on the stamp was just the example from Paperwink so if you want to send me fan mail I can give you my real address. Ha!

Honeymoon Outfit - Day 3

By day 3 we will be hitting up Santa Cruz and hopefully the Santa Cruz boardwalk.



Polka dot sweater, I own this, cost: FREE

(Not ready to put my face out there yet but somehow my boobs are ok.....??)



Bangle bracelets, cost: $6.50

I will also wear jeans I already own so I can spurge on these most beautiful-ist of shoes, I have wanted these ever since I laid my eyes on them!!

OMG, I didn't realize they had gone on sale. Eeeek.




TOTAL: $54.50

Notice how I didn't post the link for the sandals. I want to make sure I get them first. Hee hee.

Honeymoon Outfit - Day 2

On day 2 we will be sleeping in, having breakfast in bed (I hope) and enjoying the peace and calm of Half Moon Bay.



Shawl sweater, cost: $58.00


"Boxsie" in green dots, cost: $12.50

If we do make it out I will throw on some jeans, own plenty of those, cost: FREE



Maybe take a walk on the beach, cost: $18.50

TOTAL = $72.00

Again, got to love GAP for 30% off!