Friday, December 17, 2010
A Brief Glimpse - Clothes
I made my dress and Eric's vest. I also wore a pair of hand-knit socks (made a couple years ago) and ended up *not* using the cowl/veil I knit over the summer.
A Brief Glimpse - the Food
Everything was self-made except the fruit salad (which was from Mother's Market, and all organic) and the nut clusters (from Fresh&Easy); and everything except the obvious meat (tri tip and pork) was vegetarian!
Appetizers: Salsa-cream cheese pinwheels, caprese on sticks, nut cluster things (not pictured: olive-pesto puffs)
The main meal: fruit salad, pasta salad, sundried tomato sausage (not pictured: Jen's green bean potato salad)
Slicing up the tri tip (strangely, no pictures of the pork)
The Cake! Baked and decorated by Mom, designed and taste-tested by EJ. He made the cake stand, too.
A Brief Glimpse - Crafts
Some (professional!) shots of the wedding-day crafts taken by Mod Photography (who I ::cannot:: say enough good things about...will get their own post later!)
My bouquet
Centerpiece
Centerpiece
Favors masquerading as logs
Favors masquerading as CD's
Guest Book
Wedding pennants
Wedding quilt!
Felt decorations
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Brief Update
We are still enjoying our last two days of honeymoon-ing in San Francisco, but ModPhoto has updated their blog with some pictures from our wedding!
Eric and Vanessa's Viking Wedding
Eric and Vanessa's Viking Wedding
Sunday, October 3, 2010
On the First Day of Married Life...
I woke up. Then I packed up an immense amount of "stuff" from the wedding ceremony, helped pack three cars, and drove back down the mountain with my Husband.
Yesterday was a beautiful, hectic, suprising day that I shared with people that I love and respect. It could not have been better.
Updates and pictures when we return from our honeymoon in San Francisco.
Yesterday was a beautiful, hectic, suprising day that I shared with people that I love and respect. It could not have been better.
Updates and pictures when we return from our honeymoon in San Francisco.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Crunch Time
It feels like there is a LOT left to do, and only 3 days to do it in. Well, 2 days, if you discount driving time.
In reality, there is a very limited number of projects left to complete, and most of those are in the final stages. Thanks to all the hands we have had helping out for the past couple of weeks.
Next post will either be via BlackBerry, a quick "OMG!" update; or after the Big Day. Wedded bliss, here we come!
In reality, there is a very limited number of projects left to complete, and most of those are in the final stages. Thanks to all the hands we have had helping out for the past couple of weeks.
Next post will either be via BlackBerry, a quick "OMG!" update; or after the Big Day. Wedded bliss, here we come!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Showerlette Review
The showerlette (part shower, part bachelorette) on Saturday was great. Very low-key and laid back, which is pretty much what I was hoping for.
Jen made some fantastic food (fresh gaspacho, a simple salad with vinagrette, 2 kinds of stuffed mushrooms) as well as a cheese + cracker plate and dips with dippers; and mimosas (aaand, pretty much whatever I wanted to drink).
She also decorated (she made the door deco in my last post), and Karen went all-out (as expected/suspected) and had simple framed photos of EJ + myself throughout the house.
We played a few games (the word search became amazingly competitive!) And spent a lot of time socializing.
fMIL made a gorgeously simple cake (carrot cake, one of my faves); Karen + Jen put together a great "well wishes" type of book from all the attendees; and later on Sam and Wolfe spent some time with us before they all left.
At the end (we were all kinda tired), the 3 of us womenfolk watched "Never Been Kissed" (Jen hadn't seen it, and its one of a very short list of romantic comedies I enjoy).
Like I said, very laid back and relaxing sort of day. Just what I wanted!
Jen made some fantastic food (fresh gaspacho, a simple salad with vinagrette, 2 kinds of stuffed mushrooms) as well as a cheese + cracker plate and dips with dippers; and mimosas (aaand, pretty much whatever I wanted to drink).
She also decorated (she made the door deco in my last post), and Karen went all-out (as expected/suspected) and had simple framed photos of EJ + myself throughout the house.
We played a few games (the word search became amazingly competitive!) And spent a lot of time socializing.
fMIL made a gorgeously simple cake (carrot cake, one of my faves); Karen + Jen put together a great "well wishes" type of book from all the attendees; and later on Sam and Wolfe spent some time with us before they all left.
At the end (we were all kinda tired), the 3 of us womenfolk watched "Never Been Kissed" (Jen hadn't seen it, and its one of a very short list of romantic comedies I enjoy).
Like I said, very laid back and relaxing sort of day. Just what I wanted!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Another cake in the bank.
So with a little tweaking, mom turned her carrot cake into a low sugar cake and took it to the showerlette for testing. It was approved by all. The carrot cake will be one of the two low sugar cakes that will be part of the tower-o-cakes. So that gets all of the experimental bits out of the way. No more testing. Now we have a collection of proven recipes to work with. So all that is left now is to make them and freeze them.
And then we eat them.
And then we eat them.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Another (mini) Milestone
Today when I arrived at work, I was handed a box containing my new batch of business cards. With my married name. I squee'd a bit - and the rest of my team came by to squee with me!
Can't hand them out for another 12 days...!
Can't hand them out for another 12 days...!
Sunday, September 19, 2010
My friends are slackers.
So the day started off with me trying to wrangle up the cats before heading out to the car (and driver) waiting for me by the curb. Needless to say they had to wait longer than they wanted to. Then on the way out to the street my large gunny sack that I had stuffed with all my gun stuff that wasn't specifically a gun (ammo, cleaning gear, more ammo, ear muffs, even more ammo) started ripping apart as I was walking. Thankfully it was just the strap, but it did make carrying it a bit more of a trick. I made it to the street and with help from Brian, to the car. To Johns we go!
After a brief bit of glad handing and bull $#!?ing, we started making the calls to everyone that wasn't there. After 15 min of this it became clear that nobody else was coming. Dan & Azim had rock solid legitimate excuses for not being there. Everyone else I'm going to give a hard time for years to come. Thomas and his bro Richard were meeting us at the range, so off we went.
To the shooting range!
Trap shooting is great way to start any party. I don't care that I missed almost every damned clay pigeon that flew across the sky. I had fun. We all did. All five of us shot the hell out of our shotguns. John managed to bruise up his shoulder by letting the butt of the gun slip away from his shoulder just before pulling the trigger. This causes the gun to punch you square in the shoulder real hard. It hurts a lot. I laughed at him for this. He would've done the same for me. That's what good friends do. And John is the best kind of friend. He takes a joke almost as well as he takes a shotgun to the shoulder.
Prado shooting range is great for skeet and trap shooting. They have a good pistol range as well, witch was good since Thomas, Richard, & my self brought a few hand guns to play with. Sadly though Prado is not set up for riffle shooting, so almost every long arm we had had to spend the day in the trunk of the cars. : (
So after filling our noses and lungs with the scent of burnt nitrogen and hot brass we packed up our toys and headed to the next stop.
To Dave & Buster's!
This place is great. I love the bartender we had. She is one of the few drink slingers that didn't turn me down when I asked for the spill matt shot. She cringed at the notion, but went around the whole bar and poured all the spill matts into a Collins glass for me. I love asking for this drink. I love it even more when someone will actually pour it for me. Believe it or not, its usually a tasty drink. Most of the time its more mixer than booze. This time it tasted like a lot of sweet&sour and a little bit of rum. Not bad for a free drink.
After much play time in the arcade it was decided that it was time to start winding down. So Thomas&Richard headed home while Brian, John, and my self headed back towards HB to have a bit of dessert before dropping off Brian before he passed out. Then it was just me, my self, and my best friend. So we headed out to Stubrik's in Fullerton to shoot some pool. This brings us to the afore mentioned hitch of 2am close down. We didn't even get to finish our first game when the place started closing down.
To Denney's!
Like all good parties it ended at Denny's. I tell ya, there is no better place to people watch than a Denny's near 3 bars at 2am. Oh my gosh drunk people are fun to watch. So that's what John and I did till about 4:30am.
All said and done, it was a good day. I had fun with my friends. I did get to pull off 1 of 2 bachelor party traditions I have. The first is the spill matt shot. Did that. The second is a bit more risky. I've been known to streak an In&Out once or twice. Alas this did not happen last night.
I know, I'm disappointed in me too.
So the bachelor party went off without a hitch.
Well, that is unless you count all the people that were invited that didn't show up. Then you could say that there were a few hitches. But aside from that it went well.
Well, unless you count the shooting range not allowing the use of almost all the rifles that we brought.You could sat that all the ammo we bought for them was a waste. That might count as a hitch. But aside from that it went well.
Well, there was also that pesky 2am closing of all the bars that kept my best man & I from spending any great amount of time in the bar. Or the pool table that we were playing on for that matter.
So that was my big party. It was good. Had some laughs. Had some good beer. And got to hang with some good friends. What more could I ask for?
After a brief bit of glad handing and bull $#!?ing, we started making the calls to everyone that wasn't there. After 15 min of this it became clear that nobody else was coming. Dan & Azim had rock solid legitimate excuses for not being there. Everyone else I'm going to give a hard time for years to come. Thomas and his bro Richard were meeting us at the range, so off we went.
To the shooting range!
Trap shooting is great way to start any party. I don't care that I missed almost every damned clay pigeon that flew across the sky. I had fun. We all did. All five of us shot the hell out of our shotguns. John managed to bruise up his shoulder by letting the butt of the gun slip away from his shoulder just before pulling the trigger. This causes the gun to punch you square in the shoulder real hard. It hurts a lot. I laughed at him for this. He would've done the same for me. That's what good friends do. And John is the best kind of friend. He takes a joke almost as well as he takes a shotgun to the shoulder.
Prado shooting range is great for skeet and trap shooting. They have a good pistol range as well, witch was good since Thomas, Richard, & my self brought a few hand guns to play with. Sadly though Prado is not set up for riffle shooting, so almost every long arm we had had to spend the day in the trunk of the cars. : (
So after filling our noses and lungs with the scent of burnt nitrogen and hot brass we packed up our toys and headed to the next stop.
To Dave & Buster's!
This place is great. I love the bartender we had. She is one of the few drink slingers that didn't turn me down when I asked for the spill matt shot. She cringed at the notion, but went around the whole bar and poured all the spill matts into a Collins glass for me. I love asking for this drink. I love it even more when someone will actually pour it for me. Believe it or not, its usually a tasty drink. Most of the time its more mixer than booze. This time it tasted like a lot of sweet&sour and a little bit of rum. Not bad for a free drink.
After much play time in the arcade it was decided that it was time to start winding down. So Thomas&Richard headed home while Brian, John, and my self headed back towards HB to have a bit of dessert before dropping off Brian before he passed out. Then it was just me, my self, and my best friend. So we headed out to Stubrik's in Fullerton to shoot some pool. This brings us to the afore mentioned hitch of 2am close down. We didn't even get to finish our first game when the place started closing down.
To Denney's!
Like all good parties it ended at Denny's. I tell ya, there is no better place to people watch than a Denny's near 3 bars at 2am. Oh my gosh drunk people are fun to watch. So that's what John and I did till about 4:30am.
All said and done, it was a good day. I had fun with my friends. I did get to pull off 1 of 2 bachelor party traditions I have. The first is the spill matt shot. Did that. The second is a bit more risky. I've been known to streak an In&Out once or twice. Alas this did not happen last night.
I know, I'm disappointed in me too.
So the bachelor party went off without a hitch.
Well, that is unless you count all the people that were invited that didn't show up. Then you could say that there were a few hitches. But aside from that it went well.
Well, unless you count the shooting range not allowing the use of almost all the rifles that we brought.You could sat that all the ammo we bought for them was a waste. That might count as a hitch. But aside from that it went well.
Well, there was also that pesky 2am closing of all the bars that kept my best man & I from spending any great amount of time in the bar. Or the pool table that we were playing on for that matter.
So that was my big party. It was good. Had some laughs. Had some good beer. And got to hang with some good friends. What more could I ask for?
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Basic Info: #1
We have had a few "basic" questions asked as our invitations have been received and RSVPs mailed back. Here's some basic info about our Big Day (or, Big Party, depending on how you look at it!)
1) We are renting a lodge for the ceremony and reception; the ceremony will be out-of-doors, and so will the reception (for the most part).
2) The area around the lodge is woodsy and filled with small boulders. Since we will be outside, you may come in contact with bugs, small animals, and other forms of "nature".
3) Because of the above points (as well as the focus on Big Party and the 30-minute drive up the mountain) we are really stressing comfortable, casual clothing. And sunscreen ;)
4) There will be food. (Yes, we have been asked this, and yes, I giggled a bit)
5) Many of our invitees have told us they will be staying 'up the mountain' for the weekend. There are many B&Bs and rental properties in the area. If you are considering this option, I recommend you check out http://idyllwild.com
5a) Parking will be at a premium because of the location. We are working out the logistics on our end; it would really help if people who know one another could carpool. I'll give you all an update (here, as well as individually) when we have this figured out.
If there are any more questions out there feel free to comment and we will answer them!
1) We are renting a lodge for the ceremony and reception; the ceremony will be out-of-doors, and so will the reception (for the most part).
2) The area around the lodge is woodsy and filled with small boulders. Since we will be outside, you may come in contact with bugs, small animals, and other forms of "nature".
3) Because of the above points (as well as the focus on Big Party and the 30-minute drive up the mountain) we are really stressing comfortable, casual clothing. And sunscreen ;)
4) There will be food. (Yes, we have been asked this, and yes, I giggled a bit)
5) Many of our invitees have told us they will be staying 'up the mountain' for the weekend. There are many B&Bs and rental properties in the area. If you are considering this option, I recommend you check out http://idyllwild.com
5a) Parking will be at a premium because of the location. We are working out the logistics on our end; it would really help if people who know one another could carpool. I'll give you all an update (here, as well as individually) when we have this figured out.
If there are any more questions out there feel free to comment and we will answer them!
Friday, September 3, 2010
The Sword Comes Together!!!
So we now have, though not in our possession at this time, our wedding sword.
Yay!
There were lots of renditions and revisions and total backtracking, but it is finally done. Went to a great blade smith in Norwalk Ca. by the name of Bill Stroman. He is good at what he does, and a real nice guy.
So I ended up deciding to give him a Irish style sword, as Nessa is my lil Pict. Then gave him the designs I wanted engraved onto the pommel and guard, and had him blue it to boot. I'd give you all a pic, but as of yet there are none to post.
But even though the type of work to be done on it was simple enough, compared to casting solid bronze pommel and guard, there were hidden troubles that neither he or I had expected. When he took the sword apart, it seems that the blade was epoxied into the handle and it actually broke at the tang. But again, Bill is good at what he does and a good guy, so he welded it all back together and gave it a proper polish. No extra charge. I like him.
So the ceremony will go off on a sword, without a hitch.
Or so I'm lead to believe.
Yay!
There were lots of renditions and revisions and total backtracking, but it is finally done. Went to a great blade smith in Norwalk Ca. by the name of Bill Stroman. He is good at what he does, and a real nice guy.
So I ended up deciding to give him a Irish style sword, as Nessa is my lil Pict. Then gave him the designs I wanted engraved onto the pommel and guard, and had him blue it to boot. I'd give you all a pic, but as of yet there are none to post.
But even though the type of work to be done on it was simple enough, compared to casting solid bronze pommel and guard, there were hidden troubles that neither he or I had expected. When he took the sword apart, it seems that the blade was epoxied into the handle and it actually broke at the tang. But again, Bill is good at what he does and a good guy, so he welded it all back together and gave it a proper polish. No extra charge. I like him.
So the ceremony will go off on a sword, without a hitch.
Or so I'm lead to believe.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
The Seven Year Sitch
So, seven years ago, on August 24, Eric and I met at a BBQ thrown by his supervisor/my 'little sister''s foster mother. We like to say that "a 16-year-old with ADHD" introduced us, because his supervisor's adopted daughter (who was 16 at the time) knew him, knew me, and made the following observations:
He says "right on!"
I say "right on!"
He has a weird sense of humor.
I have a weird sense of humor.
They would make a great couple!
::then we met at the BBQ, stayed in Teri's backyard til 1am with three teenage girls *hanging* out of their bedroom window demanding to know if we were going to kiss, or if we were in love "yet"::
::so we moved out onto the curb in front of the house, and talked until the sun came up::
((I called in sick to work that day - it was a Monday morning))
::EJ called me that afternoon and arranged our first "date" (I guess - we went out for coffee) - we spent Every Single evening together for the next three weeks::
Aaand, now it's seven years later. And we're getting married.
Us at Stubricks, where we met for coffee seven years ago.
All thanks to a 16-year-old girl with ADHD! (Thanks, Theresa!)
He says "right on!"
I say "right on!"
He has a weird sense of humor.
I have a weird sense of humor.
They would make a great couple!
::then we met at the BBQ, stayed in Teri's backyard til 1am with three teenage girls *hanging* out of their bedroom window demanding to know if we were going to kiss, or if we were in love "yet"::
::so we moved out onto the curb in front of the house, and talked until the sun came up::
((I called in sick to work that day - it was a Monday morning))
::EJ called me that afternoon and arranged our first "date" (I guess - we went out for coffee) - we spent Every Single evening together for the next three weeks::
Aaand, now it's seven years later. And we're getting married.
Us at Stubricks, where we met for coffee seven years ago.
All thanks to a 16-year-old girl with ADHD! (Thanks, Theresa!)
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
::Massive Update::
Hello there! I know there have not been a lot of updates on what we have been doing - lack of time to upload photos from the past 30 days onto our flickr account (http://www.flickr.com/monstergirl00 ) ... and who wants to read a long blog post without pictures? No one! Ha!
Soooo, what have we been up to lately?
First of all, me & the womenfolk went up to Santa Barbara for some wine tasting/buying for the wedding. We got two great wines (in great quantities!) - a merlot from Gainey and a reisling from Kalyra.
It was a turn-around trip, but we did stop in Solvang for some goodies, and I got our cake topper (it's a salt&pepper set from Pea Soup Andersons - I'd seen it when FMIL and I were there in May, EJ didn't get to see it when we were there in June [sold out], but I managed to nab the only set on this trip!)
It is totally cute, and totally us! (Also, it's magnetic, so I am faintly terrified that I will separate them and they will ::stick:: back together then shatter upon impact)
Moving right along, EJ and I also went up to Idyllwild *TWICE*, and finally found a place. It is beautiful, and it is all ours! (I'm not posting specific because the entire internetz is NOT invited to the wedding. Sorry, folks)
That's us at The Fort (where the shops are), with Lily Rock in the background.
We have registered at three places: Crate & Barrel, Williams Sonoma, and Target. I will tell you, it was exhausting! After the first go-round (two-plus hours running around a store scanning things and trying to 'think') we realized we would have to break our trips up - and we're adding some online, just because I honestly can't face going back into a store with a scanner *yet *again. I also feel like a slight tool for expecting people to buy us stuff, but that's just me. FYI, Williams Sonoma treated us the best, with coffee and treats (scones and fresh fruit!), and also seemed pretty excited for us (of course!)
We have done some crafting, but I don't have any pictures of that to put up right now. Stuff is slowly but surely getting done. I will emphasize slowly.
Oh! And something realtively exciting:
We got our marriage license two weeks ago! If I had planned it better I would have waited for Friday (the Thirteenth), but I did not. Of course, waaay back in 2006 I was pushing for a 06/06/06 date "just because", but that was waaaay back when I was still in grad school and any type of martial-discussion was TOTALLY not on the table. And I'm much more happy with 10/2/10 anyway!
Total cell phone pic, which does not really hide the nervousness I felt while we were in the Clerk Recorder's office. I almost couldn't sign my name because I was shaking so much. Why? I do not know; like buying the fabric for my dress, this part just seemed so **final**.
That's pretty much the update to this point. Today's our 7 year anniversary, I'm planning to take some pics and give a brief post later on about "How We Met". Real exciting stuff, that - it involves lots of teenage girls, BBQ, a wingman, and an Irish Pub!
Soooo, what have we been up to lately?
First of all, me & the womenfolk went up to Santa Barbara for some wine tasting/buying for the wedding. We got two great wines (in great quantities!) - a merlot from Gainey and a reisling from Kalyra.
It was a turn-around trip, but we did stop in Solvang for some goodies, and I got our cake topper (it's a salt&pepper set from Pea Soup Andersons - I'd seen it when FMIL and I were there in May, EJ didn't get to see it when we were there in June [sold out], but I managed to nab the only set on this trip!)
It is totally cute, and totally us! (Also, it's magnetic, so I am faintly terrified that I will separate them and they will ::stick:: back together then shatter upon impact)
Moving right along, EJ and I also went up to Idyllwild *TWICE*, and finally found a place. It is beautiful, and it is all ours! (I'm not posting specific because the entire internetz is NOT invited to the wedding. Sorry, folks)
That's us at The Fort (where the shops are), with Lily Rock in the background.
We have registered at three places: Crate & Barrel, Williams Sonoma, and Target. I will tell you, it was exhausting! After the first go-round (two-plus hours running around a store scanning things and trying to 'think') we realized we would have to break our trips up - and we're adding some online, just because I honestly can't face going back into a store with a scanner *yet *again. I also feel like a slight tool for expecting people to buy us stuff, but that's just me. FYI, Williams Sonoma treated us the best, with coffee and treats (scones and fresh fruit!), and also seemed pretty excited for us (of course!)
We have done some crafting, but I don't have any pictures of that to put up right now. Stuff is slowly but surely getting done. I will emphasize slowly.
Oh! And something realtively exciting:
We got our marriage license two weeks ago! If I had planned it better I would have waited for Friday (the Thirteenth), but I did not. Of course, waaay back in 2006 I was pushing for a 06/06/06 date "just because", but that was waaaay back when I was still in grad school and any type of martial-discussion was TOTALLY not on the table. And I'm much more happy with 10/2/10 anyway!
Total cell phone pic, which does not really hide the nervousness I felt while we were in the Clerk Recorder's office. I almost couldn't sign my name because I was shaking so much. Why? I do not know; like buying the fabric for my dress, this part just seemed so **final**.
That's pretty much the update to this point. Today's our 7 year anniversary, I'm planning to take some pics and give a brief post later on about "How We Met". Real exciting stuff, that - it involves lots of teenage girls, BBQ, a wingman, and an Irish Pub!
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Quick Sidebar Update
Well! There will be a more full accounting of the past four weeks shortly (once I am away from work and can upload ALL the photos!), but two minor things:
1) LOCATION has been updated! Because we finally found a place!
2) Karen's title has finally changed on the blog. She came up with it a while ago. And yes, she has the longest title of anyone, any time, ever.
1) LOCATION has been updated! Because we finally found a place!
2) Karen's title has finally changed on the blog. She came up with it a while ago. And yes, she has the longest title of anyone, any time, ever.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Oh those days...
Yesterday: exactly 8 weeks to the Wedding Day.
Two days ago: exactly 51 weeks since EJ proposed.
Two days ago: exactly 51 weeks since EJ proposed.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
A Simile
Sometimes, love feels a lot like picking tiny scraps of toilet paper off of 100+ cardboard rolls.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Delegation
On the cakeage front, there has been NO sample cakes made to date. Except the one EJ made to show FMIL ("Mom") his recipe. However, "Mom" has decided she needs to 'brush up' on her cake decorating skills by taking 2 Wilton cake decorating classes at JoAnn's. She is already showing up the other ladies in class (no guys are there, sadly).
This is from her first week:
Cute, eh? EJ's had the honor of ingesting her classwork this week; tomorrow she's frosting and decorating an entire CAKE (but I don't think that's going to EJ - he has plans to shape up before I have to fit him for his wedding outfit!)
This is from her first week:
Plugging Along...
We've been feverishly working on random bits for the reception. Favor containers:
This is part one of ((three, sadly)) - trying to ready everything for the big minion-fest we should be having in August or early-early September to get all this stuff completed.
EJ has also been working diligently:
This is part one of ((three, sadly)) - trying to ready everything for the big minion-fest we should be having in August or early-early September to get all this stuff completed.
EJ has also been working diligently:
He has been working on some of the deco for our centerpieces. It is slowly but surely coming along!
One thing we have learned recently: (Jeep - shocks) + huge pothole + poorly wrapped vases = broken glass + frustration. Lesson learned.
We have also ::finally:: found a vendor who (doesn't carry, but has ordered) another part of our centerpieces for us; and Karen, our former Flower Maiden who has given herself a new and better title which I promptly deleted from my text messages before I could update her on the sidebar, has generously donated a HUUUUGE bag of felt which will become components for multiple deco and favor items...thanks, Ren!
Saturday, July 3, 2010
One More Project FINISHED!
Slowly but surely, we (I) are (am) making progress on our long long list of wedding projects:
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Knitting Away...
Saturday was official World Wide Knit In Public Day (WWKIP Day, to the initiated!), and I worked on my wedding smoke ring (i.e. veil-like thing that is not a veil):
It is slowly but surely coming along...another week, perhaps, and EJ will build me a blocking board so it gets 'stretched' out and you can see the lace pattern that makes it up...and understand why it's called a smoke ring!*
*because it is a light and airy, almost ephemeral, circle scarf. Kinda like a smoke ring, in yarn form.
It is slowly but surely coming along...another week, perhaps, and EJ will build me a blocking board so it gets 'stretched' out and you can see the lace pattern that makes it up...and understand why it's called a smoke ring!*
*because it is a light and airy, almost ephemeral, circle scarf. Kinda like a smoke ring, in yarn form.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Heed the Announcement!
Save the Date announcements have been addressed, stamped, and mailed.
I guess we have to add some "interesting" content now, as ::hopefully:: some of our potential guests will be visiting here shortly!
I hope they leave comments....
I guess we have to add some "interesting" content now, as ::hopefully:: some of our potential guests will be visiting here shortly!
I hope they leave comments....
Friday, June 4, 2010
Attire Progress
Last weekend Jen and I went "fabric" shopping for my dress. I say "fabric" because what I am using is non-traditional - but then what else could a Viking BBQ be? LOL
I had a *very* difficult time picking exactly which colors I was going to use - the selection was pretty good. And no, it was not between "white" "snow" "eggshell" "ecru" etc - non-traditional, remember? We were careful not to pick anything exactly from the wedding palette (with nine colors to choose from, it was difficult), and I kept being drawn to the blues (my mental image has always included navy or a deep blue for the dress) but THERE IS NO BLUE IN OUR WEDDING (EJ was actually joking with me about this before we left for shopping). And, picking the colors/fabric seems so, well, *final* (nothing like putting a 50% deposit for our photographers - that was actually fun!) After a lot of back-and-forth and comparisons, I made my decision.
This is what I finally chose:
Two sets of jersey sheets; the picture does NOT do the colors justice. The green is a deep sage-y green, and the gray is very much "stone" (Jen keeps calling it "taupe" but there is no brown to the color - the pic makes it look like mint + heather gray, and that's totally inaccurate).
I'm still (1) working on the prototype shirt, to practice my technique before I cut into my "yardage", and (2) frantically trying to locate a dress or top/skirt pattern that will *work* for me. Slow and steady, I guess. At least I still have time!
EJ's fabric arrived in the mail at the beginning of June; I will post a pic once I take one, and then I will distribute swatches of all three fabrics to the Minions (um, because they want them).
I had a *very* difficult time picking exactly which colors I was going to use - the selection was pretty good. And no, it was not between "white" "snow" "eggshell" "ecru" etc - non-traditional, remember? We were careful not to pick anything exactly from the wedding palette (with nine colors to choose from, it was difficult), and I kept being drawn to the blues (my mental image has always included navy or a deep blue for the dress) but THERE IS NO BLUE IN OUR WEDDING (EJ was actually joking with me about this before we left for shopping). And, picking the colors/fabric seems so, well, *final* (nothing like putting a 50% deposit for our photographers - that was actually fun!) After a lot of back-and-forth and comparisons, I made my decision.
This is what I finally chose:
Two sets of jersey sheets; the picture does NOT do the colors justice. The green is a deep sage-y green, and the gray is very much "stone" (Jen keeps calling it "taupe" but there is no brown to the color - the pic makes it look like mint + heather gray, and that's totally inaccurate).
I'm still (1) working on the prototype shirt, to practice my technique before I cut into my "yardage", and (2) frantically trying to locate a dress or top/skirt pattern that will *work* for me. Slow and steady, I guess. At least I still have time!
EJ's fabric arrived in the mail at the beginning of June; I will post a pic once I take one, and then I will distribute swatches of all three fabrics to the Minions (um, because they want them).
Monday, May 24, 2010
A Necessary Evil
So, I just ordered our Save the Date cards (or StDs, as they are known to the wedding-wise. There are a lot of sexual innuendo'd phrases in the wedding world. But I digress). It was arduous.
Between personal malfunctions (could not find an appropriate picture *anywhere*), font frustrations (why does NO ONE have an ornate font THAT INCLUDES ORNATE NUMBERS! why?!?), the technological one almost sent me over the edge.
I was seriously contemplating handwriting each note, then tying it to a rock and throwing it at our invitees. Seriously. The Vikings would have wanted it that way....
I was using PSPrint, which is an overall good website with Excellent Customer Service. I know, because I spent about 20 minutes talking with their help line or whoever answers the 1-800 number trying to figure out why my uploaded photos would not show up. The employee was fairly patient with me, was able to research exactly what was going on, then hand-hold me through the rest of the process. I *really* appreciated that!
We should receive them next week, then we can address & stamp them (sorry, you are all getting computer-printed address labels on these!) and get them in the mail. The #1 downside is that apparently PSPrint will NOT put our blog address on the cards. Sooo, guess who gets to stick little labels on all the postcards with our blog address??? (hint: his initials are E J)
Between personal malfunctions (could not find an appropriate picture *anywhere*), font frustrations (why does NO ONE have an ornate font THAT INCLUDES ORNATE NUMBERS! why?!?), the technological one almost sent me over the edge.
I was seriously contemplating handwriting each note, then tying it to a rock and throwing it at our invitees. Seriously. The Vikings would have wanted it that way....
I was using PSPrint, which is an overall good website with Excellent Customer Service. I know, because I spent about 20 minutes talking with their help line or whoever answers the 1-800 number trying to figure out why my uploaded photos would not show up. The employee was fairly patient with me, was able to research exactly what was going on, then hand-hold me through the rest of the process. I *really* appreciated that!
We should receive them next week, then we can address & stamp them (sorry, you are all getting computer-printed address labels on these!) and get them in the mail. The #1 downside is that apparently PSPrint will NOT put our blog address on the cards. Sooo, guess who gets to stick little labels on all the postcards with our blog address??? (hint: his initials are E J)
Friday, May 21, 2010
::ugh::
Had my third wedding-related dream last night. The first to qualify as "bad dream".
It centered around things that are out of my control, and that I can't ultimately change. Kinda helpess (like those the-bell-rang-and-youre-late-to-class-and-getting-detention dreams I had in high school).
Woke up feeling disappointed and worried; sure hope these don't continue!
((The other two were also circumstances outside my control related, but I woke from those thinking, "oh well!" And feeling pretty OK))
It centered around things that are out of my control, and that I can't ultimately change. Kinda helpess (like those the-bell-rang-and-youre-late-to-class-and-getting-detention dreams I had in high school).
Woke up feeling disappointed and worried; sure hope these don't continue!
((The other two were also circumstances outside my control related, but I woke from those thinking, "oh well!" And feeling pretty OK))
Monday, May 17, 2010
Crafting Update
Inspired by a project on The Long Thread, I spent some time two weeks ago at a Quilt Retreat making a ribbon wreath for the wedding.
Ribbon bought on sale (70% off!) at Tall Mouse going out of business sale; 12" foam wreath bought 40% off at JoAnns; completed wreath. I followed the directions completely, but I did end up using a LOT more ribbon than reccomended. I wanted a very full wreath.
I think it will be hung on the front door of the Wedding House...
(I also worked on our string of pennants, but wasn't able to get them sewn up by the end of Retreat. Planning on finishing them and posting a few pics within the next week or so!)
Ribbon bought on sale (70% off!) at Tall Mouse going out of business sale; 12" foam wreath bought 40% off at JoAnns; completed wreath. I followed the directions completely, but I did end up using a LOT more ribbon than reccomended. I wanted a very full wreath.
I think it will be hung on the front door of the Wedding House...
(I also worked on our string of pennants, but wasn't able to get them sewn up by the end of Retreat. Planning on finishing them and posting a few pics within the next week or so!)
Friday, May 14, 2010
Proposal, Redux the Second
It is interesting how *different* people's perceptions can be of the same event! Luckily we have it on video (Mom video'd the entire event, minus the dog pooping part at the end)
First of all, I will say that my freaky spider-sense went off about 5 minutes before he actually proposed. And I attributed it to brunchtime revelry and faint paranoia (brunch was accompanied by mimosas - and Brian makes them heavy on the 'mim').
Secondly, I had no idea Karen was ready to burst into tears if she looked at me - I figured she had had a bad morning. She also gave herself a mild allergy attack by breaking open walnuts; it was a clever ruse to mask her anxiety LOL. When I did find out (much later) *why* she was anxious, I felt very bad for her!
Thirdly, Rachel and Dougie were NOT there - they weren't even in the country. Not sure how EJ thought they were; the only people present were: me, EJ, John, Karen, Jen, Brian, Mom (FMIL), Francie (Mom's BFF), and Francie's grandaughter. No English people.
Fourthly, EJ technically did not kneel, he squatted down about 4 feet away from me. When I finally noticed (see "mimosas" above) I said, "why is everyone suddenly so quiet?" And EJ said, "Because I'm about to propose to you." Then he stood up, choked me with the necklace, I kissed him, said "nuh-uh!" Then said "Yes!" Then there was laughing and crying and celebrating.
And when we went outside to take pictures in the backyard, Jen+Brian's dog Bear decided to join us and celebrate by crapping directly behind us in the pictures, which is why I am cracking up *so* *hard* in the pictures LOL!
Mom still swears I said an affirmative when I kissed EJ, tho...!
First of all, I will say that my freaky spider-sense went off about 5 minutes before he actually proposed. And I attributed it to brunchtime revelry and faint paranoia (brunch was accompanied by mimosas - and Brian makes them heavy on the 'mim').
Secondly, I had no idea Karen was ready to burst into tears if she looked at me - I figured she had had a bad morning. She also gave herself a mild allergy attack by breaking open walnuts; it was a clever ruse to mask her anxiety LOL. When I did find out (much later) *why* she was anxious, I felt very bad for her!
Thirdly, Rachel and Dougie were NOT there - they weren't even in the country. Not sure how EJ thought they were; the only people present were: me, EJ, John, Karen, Jen, Brian, Mom (FMIL), Francie (Mom's BFF), and Francie's grandaughter. No English people.
Fourthly, EJ technically did not kneel, he squatted down about 4 feet away from me. When I finally noticed (see "mimosas" above) I said, "why is everyone suddenly so quiet?" And EJ said, "Because I'm about to propose to you." Then he stood up, choked me with the necklace, I kissed him, said "nuh-uh!" Then said "Yes!" Then there was laughing and crying and celebrating.
And when we went outside to take pictures in the backyard, Jen+Brian's dog Bear decided to join us and celebrate by crapping directly behind us in the pictures, which is why I am cracking up *so* *hard* in the pictures LOL!
Mom still swears I said an affirmative when I kissed EJ, tho...!
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
How I popped the question Pt 2
So where was I? Oh yeah, I remember now.
Saturday morning. It started out like any other day. Coffee, boys talking to us, and me trying to get the engagement necklace & ring in the cargo pocket of my pants unnoticed. So that last part isn't so typical, but I did manage to pull it off. So far, so good.
Now to J&Bs pad.
There was more coffee waiting for us when we got there, and a bottle of champagne sitting out amongst the various bottles of wine that tend litter their dinning room area, from time to time. It blended in well, and I wouldn't have noticed it if Brian hadn't told me about it. But moving on.
Coffee and aebleskivers, made by yours truly, was the morning meal. Im not sure, but I think I might've started Irishing up my java a bit early that day. I honestly don't recall, but I know I was thinking it at some point. Now we are on stage, waiting for the rest of the players.
J&K are the first to arrive, coming in shortly after the food is gone and the second pot of coffee was put on to brew. Now comes the first tricky part, engage John and Brian in a long winded discussions about D&D stuff, food stuff, and almost anything we can think of that will not bring up the idea of actually brewing, as brewing wasn't the real reason for us all being there. Thankfully my cohorts are quite clever on their own and this was no problem. There was drinking involved at this point, which helped. I think the fact that plans have been known to get put aside for my drinking and eating and talking did help the overall credibility of the moment.
So we're all talking and drinking, and Bodi is chuffing at everyone with a vengeance. Now comes the time to call Mom and tell her the time is nigh.
In no time at all, mom and company (Rachel, Doug, and Francie) show up. Oh by the way, did I mention that Karen has managed to avoid eye contact with Nessa all day? Cause she did. It was the only way that she could keep from spilling into tears.
Remember, Ren is not our normal go to gal for keeping secrets.
So after some more hand grabbing, hugging, and petting of dogs we all manage (with only a few sly nods) to get into the dining room with Nessa sitting in what would be center stage. Dogs come in handy by the way.
I love dogs. They are a great excuse to get down onto the floor unnoticed. You see, normally when a guy tries to do what I did, the dropping to the ground is usually out of character and automatically suspect. But when there are dogs around, it’s not even note worthy.
So like I said, here we are in the dining area, Nessa sitting on a high chair (all the dining room chairs are high) and me crouched on the floor in front of her playing with the red dog, palming the engagement gift, and waiting for the perfect moment. Not that I knew what it would be, but I knew it was coming soon. And there was everyone else standing around (where did those cameras come from) looking at us and getting quiet.
I think that's when Nessa's danger sense kicked in, causing her to ask the best thing she could've asked.
"Why is everyone looking at me?"
That is what she said, cause they were.
Like I said, I knew the perfect moment was coming up. So that is when (while still kneeling on the ground) I looked up at her and said, "Because I'm about to ask you to marry me."
Now exactly what happened next I'm a bit fuzzy on the order of events. I know I stood up and let the necklace drop from my palm, letting the ring on it dangle. I told her that the ring was there as the historical symbol of engagement, and that the necklace was a symbol of the actual necklace that would become hers (once I made it). I did actually say the words, "Vanessa, will you marry me?" while I was holding the necklace & ring before her.
In response I got a great big kiss (I like those). Now while we were kissing my mom chimed in with, "I think that's a Yes." And while still kissing me, Nessa shook her head and... grunted? mummed? hummed? Whatever the name of the noise she made, it came out as kind of a two syllable negative.
Shortly after that, we stopped with the kissing (for the moment) and then she said yes. I then proceeded to place the necklace around her neck, a bit tightly if I recall, and then there was merriment all around.
Now that big bottle of champagne came into full view and now finally Ren could look Nessa in the eye.
So without going into the revelry that followed, that people is roughly how it all happened. Give or take a few small details.
Saturday morning. It started out like any other day. Coffee, boys talking to us, and me trying to get the engagement necklace & ring in the cargo pocket of my pants unnoticed. So that last part isn't so typical, but I did manage to pull it off. So far, so good.
Now to J&Bs pad.
There was more coffee waiting for us when we got there, and a bottle of champagne sitting out amongst the various bottles of wine that tend litter their dinning room area, from time to time. It blended in well, and I wouldn't have noticed it if Brian hadn't told me about it. But moving on.
Coffee and aebleskivers, made by yours truly, was the morning meal. Im not sure, but I think I might've started Irishing up my java a bit early that day. I honestly don't recall, but I know I was thinking it at some point. Now we are on stage, waiting for the rest of the players.
J&K are the first to arrive, coming in shortly after the food is gone and the second pot of coffee was put on to brew. Now comes the first tricky part, engage John and Brian in a long winded discussions about D&D stuff, food stuff, and almost anything we can think of that will not bring up the idea of actually brewing, as brewing wasn't the real reason for us all being there. Thankfully my cohorts are quite clever on their own and this was no problem. There was drinking involved at this point, which helped. I think the fact that plans have been known to get put aside for my drinking and eating and talking did help the overall credibility of the moment.
So we're all talking and drinking, and Bodi is chuffing at everyone with a vengeance. Now comes the time to call Mom and tell her the time is nigh.
In no time at all, mom and company (Rachel, Doug, and Francie) show up. Oh by the way, did I mention that Karen has managed to avoid eye contact with Nessa all day? Cause she did. It was the only way that she could keep from spilling into tears.
Remember, Ren is not our normal go to gal for keeping secrets.
So after some more hand grabbing, hugging, and petting of dogs we all manage (with only a few sly nods) to get into the dining room with Nessa sitting in what would be center stage. Dogs come in handy by the way.
I love dogs. They are a great excuse to get down onto the floor unnoticed. You see, normally when a guy tries to do what I did, the dropping to the ground is usually out of character and automatically suspect. But when there are dogs around, it’s not even note worthy.
So like I said, here we are in the dining area, Nessa sitting on a high chair (all the dining room chairs are high) and me crouched on the floor in front of her playing with the red dog, palming the engagement gift, and waiting for the perfect moment. Not that I knew what it would be, but I knew it was coming soon. And there was everyone else standing around (where did those cameras come from) looking at us and getting quiet.
I think that's when Nessa's danger sense kicked in, causing her to ask the best thing she could've asked.
"Why is everyone looking at me?"
That is what she said, cause they were.
Like I said, I knew the perfect moment was coming up. So that is when (while still kneeling on the ground) I looked up at her and said, "Because I'm about to ask you to marry me."
Now exactly what happened next I'm a bit fuzzy on the order of events. I know I stood up and let the necklace drop from my palm, letting the ring on it dangle. I told her that the ring was there as the historical symbol of engagement, and that the necklace was a symbol of the actual necklace that would become hers (once I made it). I did actually say the words, "Vanessa, will you marry me?" while I was holding the necklace & ring before her.
In response I got a great big kiss (I like those). Now while we were kissing my mom chimed in with, "I think that's a Yes." And while still kissing me, Nessa shook her head and... grunted? mummed? hummed? Whatever the name of the noise she made, it came out as kind of a two syllable negative.
Shortly after that, we stopped with the kissing (for the moment) and then she said yes. I then proceeded to place the necklace around her neck, a bit tightly if I recall, and then there was merriment all around.
Now that big bottle of champagne came into full view and now finally Ren could look Nessa in the eye.
So without going into the revelry that followed, that people is roughly how it all happened. Give or take a few small details.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Getting Wedding-Ready
So, I had never really given a wedding/being a bride much thought. I was never one of those little girls who, when asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, said, "A mommy!" I never dressed up as a bride for Halloween. (I was Princess Leia once, but it was against my will and was not pleasing to me at all)
So now that we're planning this big party where-we-just-happen-to-be-getting-married, I have to start using a Bride-Brain; and part of *that* is deciding on a dress.
Which I have done, and pretty easily (it helps that I'm making it myself).
HOWever, I also have to think about who/what is going *in *to that dress, and that is where this post and the following magazine comes in.
So now that we're planning this big party where-we-just-happen-to-be-getting-married, I have to start using a Bride-Brain; and part of *that* is deciding on a dress.
Which I have done, and pretty easily (it helps that I'm making it myself).
HOWever, I also have to think about who/what is going *in *to that dress, and that is where this post and the following magazine comes in.
"Shape" magazine might come out with these every year; I do not know, I have never looked for, noticed, or thought about it until this year. But this issue (which is March 2010, with a "sell until" date of May 16, 2010) was snapped up in a hurry. It is one of the two three wedding-related magazines I've purchased to date (I also picked up a Bride mag from 1991 at the thrift store - the dresses are So Much Better! gah can't believe I'm saying that about late 1980s fashion!).
I am overall confused by the magazine as a whole; it gives three full-body workouts as well as an eating plan to get 'dress ready', which is nice, and the main reason I picked this mag up in the first place. The exercises are all pretty much geared toward already-fit and/or already-extensively-exercising folks, but that is OK, I can adapt. It has a couple articles typical of bride magazines ('the right dress for your shape' (where have all the sleeves gone???), two 'beauty countdowns' so you look fresh and glowing by your Big Day).
But there is an article in here that has me deeply disturbed. In a magazine about Health and Fitness, one of the Beauty Countdowns focuses solely on cosmetic surgeries to make you 'look your best'. This is very disappointing, especially when it talks about skin care (botox!) and firming up (lipo!). It just seems completely counter to the other 85% of content, and even counter to what I've been reading in other mainstream bridal mags (InSty!e, M*rtha Stew*rt, even the Kn*t).
I am enjoying the exercises in the magazine (although I have NOT bought the $200+ of 'required' equipment to do the workouts, thank you very much), and am curious to try some of the recipes; so I guess it was a worthwhile investment.
That 1991 Brides magazine still has this one beat, though! LOLZ
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Five Month Freak Out
Today marks exactly five months to the day we have scheduled for our wedding to take place.
I'm freaking out a bit.
Over EVERYTHING that still has yet to be done.
But instead of losing it in such a public forum (Hi, FMIL! Hello, coworkers!), I am choosing to focus on what *has *been *accomplished so far:
I'm freaking out a bit.
Over EVERYTHING that still has yet to be done.
But instead of losing it in such a public forum (Hi, FMIL! Hello, coworkers!), I am choosing to focus on what *has *been *accomplished so far:
[X] All flatware has been purchased
[X] All dishware has been purchased
[X] Menu (apps and main) are set
[X] All linens have been purchased
[X] People are volunteering right&left to help out with the organization, prep work, and day-of stuff (thank you! we love you ALL!)
[X] Karen has been one busy woman; she's taken this:
And turned it into this:
Table markers!
And totally puts my crafty endeavors to shame at the current moment.
HOWever, I am going to a quilt retreat this weekend, and am planning to come back with no less that one and most potentially FOUR finished projects!
And EJ and I sat down tonight over dinner and did some schedule wrangling and division-of-labor stuff to figure out what we can get done this month while he's still away at Faire for the next 3 weekends.
Lucky me, I get to wash 140 cake plates, 110 full-sized plates, and over 200 pieces of flatware in the next 29 days. Anyone want to volunteer to help me with THAT??? Lolz!
Friday, April 23, 2010
A Comment on Proposal: Part 1
Jumping in (although thanks to blogger you will read my comment *before* you read EJ's entry) that, although the plan was PERFECT, I did indeed almost ruin the surprise.
Go read EJ's post below, then come back. I can wait.
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Ok! So Thursday night the Jen half of J+B calls to invite us over to brew mead. We hang out all the time, so cool beans: we'll come over, do brunch + brew. EJ will make ableskeivers.
FRIday, EJ tells me John + Karen are going to join us for the festivities at J+Bs. Oookay; I *almost* started messaging Karen to ask about John's sudden interest in brewing. Thankfully I didn't, or she probably would have cracked and told me The Plan. (Karen is many wonderful things, but a secret-keeper she is not. More on that after EJ posts Part 2 (or 3 - no idea how many parts this will have!))
He's right that I can 'smell' when something's up - I've successfully missed surprise parties thrown in my honor TWICE because of this! But you'll get more of my freaky 7th sense later on...!
Go read EJ's post below, then come back. I can wait.
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Ok! So Thursday night the Jen half of J+B calls to invite us over to brew mead. We hang out all the time, so cool beans: we'll come over, do brunch + brew. EJ will make ableskeivers.
FRIday, EJ tells me John + Karen are going to join us for the festivities at J+Bs. Oookay; I *almost* started messaging Karen to ask about John's sudden interest in brewing. Thankfully I didn't, or she probably would have cracked and told me The Plan. (Karen is many wonderful things, but a secret-keeper she is not. More on that after EJ posts Part 2 (or 3 - no idea how many parts this will have!))
He's right that I can 'smell' when something's up - I've successfully missed surprise parties thrown in my honor TWICE because of this! But you'll get more of my freaky 7th sense later on...!
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
How I popped the question, Prt 1
Ok, so now its time to do a little boasting about how it all began.
The wedding thing, not the dating thing, that’s a story for later times. You see, thru no small amount of craftiness on my part, I managed to arrange for almost everyone we know to all be at the same place at the same time. And all unbeknownst to Nessa. This might seem like a small thing to most of you out there, but pulling one over on Nessa is harder than you'd think. She's good at reading people and can sniff out an line of BS from twenty paces. Hell, I don't even let her pick up her Christmass gifts untill its time for her to open them. She's that good. This was going to require finesse. Sadly I don't have much of that, so I went with deviousness. I have that to spare.
See it went like this...
First thing I did was to tell (not in any particular order) Mom, Jen & Brian, my Sister, John & Karren, and my Dad that I was planning to ask Nessa the BIG question. There were others I told as well, but they're not part of this story.
This was step one of a grand plan. A plan that hadn't been fully thought of yet, but grand none the less.
Second thing to do was decide on the When & Where. Jen & Brian's place seemed like the obvious choice for the "where", so I asked them. They said yes. That part was easy at least.
So then it was a matter of when. This was a trickier problem. First I had to figure out how to get everyone (save for Sister and Dad who just live too far away to be there) at J&B's, each with a reasonably believable story for being there. This took some thinking. Thankfully my best friend John is all shades of smart and into all shades of things, including (on the small scale) brewing beer. This is something that J&B are into (on not so small a scale) as well as my self. So Brian and I decided that that Saturday was going to be a BREWING day, wink wink. And since John was interested in brewing, we invited him and Ren to come down and help make a batch. Passed word along to John, and boom. Got four of the players lined up for the grand event. That was easy enough.
Now how to get mom down there. At the same time. Without seeming suspicious.
This took some thinking.
Not a lot mind you, as the Fates were kind to me. See while all this brew day planning was going on, my sister's friends Rachel & Dougie from across the pond were over here visiting with my mom and doing the tourist thing. Well as it turns out there aren't any wolves (or dogs that look like wolves) in England. Or not enough to speak of at any rate. So mom had the idea to use J&B's dogs (3 large wolf look alikes) as a stop on the site seeing map. J&B were cool with this. I was cool with this. Hell, this might just work.
Things were looking good. The stage was set, even if the script wasn't. Everyone knew their rolls.
Now all I had to do was set the hook, so to speak.
The wedding thing, not the dating thing, that’s a story for later times. You see, thru no small amount of craftiness on my part, I managed to arrange for almost everyone we know to all be at the same place at the same time. And all unbeknownst to Nessa. This might seem like a small thing to most of you out there, but pulling one over on Nessa is harder than you'd think. She's good at reading people and can sniff out an line of BS from twenty paces. Hell, I don't even let her pick up her Christmass gifts untill its time for her to open them. She's that good. This was going to require finesse. Sadly I don't have much of that, so I went with deviousness. I have that to spare.
See it went like this...
First thing I did was to tell (not in any particular order) Mom, Jen & Brian, my Sister, John & Karren, and my Dad that I was planning to ask Nessa the BIG question. There were others I told as well, but they're not part of this story.
This was step one of a grand plan. A plan that hadn't been fully thought of yet, but grand none the less.
Second thing to do was decide on the When & Where. Jen & Brian's place seemed like the obvious choice for the "where", so I asked them. They said yes. That part was easy at least.
So then it was a matter of when. This was a trickier problem. First I had to figure out how to get everyone (save for Sister and Dad who just live too far away to be there) at J&B's, each with a reasonably believable story for being there. This took some thinking. Thankfully my best friend John is all shades of smart and into all shades of things, including (on the small scale) brewing beer. This is something that J&B are into (on not so small a scale) as well as my self. So Brian and I decided that that Saturday was going to be a BREWING day, wink wink. And since John was interested in brewing, we invited him and Ren to come down and help make a batch. Passed word along to John, and boom. Got four of the players lined up for the grand event. That was easy enough.
Now how to get mom down there. At the same time. Without seeming suspicious.
This took some thinking.
Not a lot mind you, as the Fates were kind to me. See while all this brew day planning was going on, my sister's friends Rachel & Dougie from across the pond were over here visiting with my mom and doing the tourist thing. Well as it turns out there aren't any wolves (or dogs that look like wolves) in England. Or not enough to speak of at any rate. So mom had the idea to use J&B's dogs (3 large wolf look alikes) as a stop on the site seeing map. J&B were cool with this. I was cool with this. Hell, this might just work.
Things were looking good. The stage was set, even if the script wasn't. Everyone knew their rolls.
Now all I had to do was set the hook, so to speak.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Thrifting!!! Who Knew?
Ok, so we've spent almost every Sat or Sun (and once or twice it was both) of almost every week hitting the thrift stores trying to stock up. This has proven to have two significant results. First and foremost is our building pile (or is it now piles, and stacks, and mounds) of wedding stuff. Mostly plates and fabric. I'm sure you've heard about this by now. So this is not that surprising to any of us. It's what we set out to do. But the second and possibly scariest thing to come of our outings is this...
I found, I kinda like thrifting.
I know, weird huh?
This is odd to me because, for the most part, I don't like going to garage sales or swap meets. One would think that if I didn't like one side of a coin, I'd not like the other side of the same coin. One would be wrong.
Not too sure why one is so much better than the other, but I do know what it is that I like about it.
It’s the stuff!
People throw away (or donate) some real cool stuff, I tell ya. Now before I go too much farther, let me say this. I'm not as fond of hunting for wedding stuff as I am of just looking at stuff. Yes, I try to keep my eye open for plates and cups and all that, but there is just so much cool stuff to be looked at. We've found groovy antiques, vintage clothes, and some sweet furniture. Sadly, money being as tight as it is, most of the groovy stuff we've found had to be left behind for others to find it. That is the only thing that is not fun about finding cool stuff, is not being able to go home with said stuff. Though, I guess that's a good thing, seeing how we do only have so much room in the apt. And most of it is being used to store wedding stuff.
I found, I kinda like thrifting.
I know, weird huh?
This is odd to me because, for the most part, I don't like going to garage sales or swap meets. One would think that if I didn't like one side of a coin, I'd not like the other side of the same coin. One would be wrong.
Not too sure why one is so much better than the other, but I do know what it is that I like about it.
It’s the stuff!
People throw away (or donate) some real cool stuff, I tell ya. Now before I go too much farther, let me say this. I'm not as fond of hunting for wedding stuff as I am of just looking at stuff. Yes, I try to keep my eye open for plates and cups and all that, but there is just so much cool stuff to be looked at. We've found groovy antiques, vintage clothes, and some sweet furniture. Sadly, money being as tight as it is, most of the groovy stuff we've found had to be left behind for others to find it. That is the only thing that is not fun about finding cool stuff, is not being able to go home with said stuff. Though, I guess that's a good thing, seeing how we do only have so much room in the apt. And most of it is being used to store wedding stuff.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
"But I'm afraid to squeeze the mushroom!" *
Ah, April 2, 2010. Exactly six months before our nuptials. I spent the day crafting up mushrooms for our centerpieces, with our Flower Maiden. We actually did two (wedding-related) things yesterday: hit the Tall Mouse going out of business sale and scored LOTS of craft fodder for projects; and made the mushrooms. By the time we were crafting, however, we were pretty much punch-drunk on ...something - which lead to Karen making the statement that has become the title of this post.
In good blogger-tutorial photo form, here is the method for making these mushrooms:
We started out with a plan to make 40 (3 per table, 12 tables,with 4 extra) - then realized there was NO WAY we were going to make that many, EVER. And, that half the tables would not terrarium centerpieces, and we couldn't really justify adding mushrooms to Viking ships (the other centerpieces). Um, and we were pretty much exhausted and giddy - so we made 27. I think. or 28. Anyway, we have enough.
Now on to the 16 *other* craft projects on my list to complete...!
* I bought permanently squishy clay (Fimo and Sculptey were waaaaay too pricey to use for the centerpieces), so Karen was afraid to smush her handcrafted artwork. LOLZ!
In good blogger-tutorial photo form, here is the method for making these mushrooms:
We started out with a plan to make 40 (3 per table, 12 tables,with 4 extra) - then realized there was NO WAY we were going to make that many, EVER. And, that half the tables would not terrarium centerpieces, and we couldn't really justify adding mushrooms to Viking ships (the other centerpieces). Um, and we were pretty much exhausted and giddy - so we made 27. I think. or 28. Anyway, we have enough.
Now on to the 16 *other* craft projects on my list to complete...!
* I bought permanently squishy clay (Fimo and Sculptey were waaaaay too pricey to use for the centerpieces), so Karen was afraid to smush her handcrafted artwork. LOLZ!
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Weekend Update
Trying the mobile-blogging function tonight, as we are cooling our heels (figuratively) at a bookstore after a busy but productive! weekend.
After I spent yesterday with our Flower Maiden, EJ and I spent today hitting a bunch of thrift stores near where I work. Well, 4 of the 7 were closed on Sunday; one we couldn't find at all; and at two we got a good haul of plates, knives, and sheets. Still looking for the elusive orange sheets...I don't think they exist!
The entire weekend haul count:
* 14 dinner plates
* 23 cake plates
* 7 forks, 24 knives (knives are ::so:: easy to find!)
* 13 sheets
We're doing so good with the thrifting I think we will beat my June deadline for all the tableware and linens; now I just have to get CRAFTING! Made a list, and there are 17 individual projects to get done (not including all the stationery stuff). Yikes!
Edited: on desktop because mobile blogging won't let me correct grammar and spelling (???)
After I spent yesterday with our Flower Maiden, EJ and I spent today hitting a bunch of thrift stores near where I work. Well, 4 of the 7 were closed on Sunday; one we couldn't find at all; and at two we got a good haul of plates, knives, and sheets. Still looking for the elusive orange sheets...I don't think they exist!
The entire weekend haul count:
* 14 dinner plates
* 23 cake plates
* 7 forks, 24 knives (knives are ::so:: easy to find!)
* 13 sheets
We're doing so good with the thrifting I think we will beat my June deadline for all the tableware and linens; now I just have to get CRAFTING! Made a list, and there are 17 individual projects to get done (not including all the stationery stuff). Yikes!
Edited: on desktop because mobile blogging won't let me correct grammar and spelling (???)
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Supply Stashing
This is the fairly boring post; the one where I say we have been doing lots and lots of little things (buying thread; buying endless amounts of flatware and dishes; trying to find things that are orange), but nothing major (i.e., no site, no photographer, no clothing). So far it's stacks and stacks of stuff:
and the *potential* for craftiness, but so far no crafts have been produced. I'm planning on taking care of some of that this weekend, I have plans with our Flower Maiden to hang out and at least 'talk' wedding stuff, most likely work on some centerpiece parts as well.
It's a mixture of excitement, nerves, and why-are-piles-of-stuff-in-my-way feelings around here. EJ's off at Faire for the next two months, but we're going thriftscoring out in that area tomorrow; and he's going to take some time off from Faire to help me finalize the site decision (once it stops snowing and existing snow melts). Hopefully buy this time next week I will have some more stuff to show off!
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Followers! And Comments!
Just a quick check in cuz I was *alerted* by a Minion that we had comments (!) that were waiting to post...T H R E E! comments! So exciting to see there is love out there for us (yeah, you know you love us!)
And! Also! Followers! Heh - Misha you are our follower. We always knew that about you!
I'll check back in in a little bit after I do some more shopping and take some in-progress pics to post...lots of little stuff has been going on, sadly nothing really major at this point so it will make for some fairly boring blog-fodder.
And! Also! Followers! Heh - Misha you are our follower. We always knew that about you!
I'll check back in in a little bit after I do some more shopping and take some in-progress pics to post...lots of little stuff has been going on, sadly nothing really major at this point so it will make for some fairly boring blog-fodder.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Our Familly Sword
So for those of you who haven't heard about this part yet, one of the things that we're going to do at the wedding is make our vows on our family sword. That's very vinkingish. The only problem with this fun idea, neither of us has a sword worthy of such an honor. There are two ways to go when facing a problem like this. One is to buy a better sword than the one you already have (or just get a sword for the first time) and be happy with the idea that thousands of other people have carbon copies of your wedding sword. That's not how Nessa and I roll.
So we started looking at option two, witch is to have one made for us. A unique piece that no one else can claim they have. Believe it or not, that rout is very expensive. No joke, one of the sword makers I spoke to said that he has a 2yr wait list and his swords average out around two thousand bucks. Nice guy, good at what he does, just out of our range. I knew this going in mind you, but it was still a bit deflating when I started talking to sword makers. I was hoping to find a new maker who was still trying to get his name out there in the market. Sadly though, there are more knife makers like that than there are sword makers. By the time a guy starts making swords he already has a reputation. And reputations come with waiting lists and price tags.
So I've taken to the idea of blending the two paths into a third and just as fun, new option.
Customize the crap out of a production model!
The over all goal will be the same, a unique sword that we can say is OURS. But with the added bonus of being less than 2 Gs.
I'll keep you all up to speed as this Frankenstein labor of love starts to come together.
So we started looking at option two, witch is to have one made for us. A unique piece that no one else can claim they have. Believe it or not, that rout is very expensive. No joke, one of the sword makers I spoke to said that he has a 2yr wait list and his swords average out around two thousand bucks. Nice guy, good at what he does, just out of our range. I knew this going in mind you, but it was still a bit deflating when I started talking to sword makers. I was hoping to find a new maker who was still trying to get his name out there in the market. Sadly though, there are more knife makers like that than there are sword makers. By the time a guy starts making swords he already has a reputation. And reputations come with waiting lists and price tags.
So I've taken to the idea of blending the two paths into a third and just as fun, new option.
Customize the crap out of a production model!
The over all goal will be the same, a unique sword that we can say is OURS. But with the added bonus of being less than 2 Gs.
I'll keep you all up to speed as this Frankenstein labor of love starts to come together.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Our "Colors"
It is a good thing that I spent some time with FMIL this weekend. I wasn't 'feeling' the wedding blog and had planned to have EJ write a post this week. But he's sick in bed, so you're stuck with me. 'Mom' mentioned that "People are starting to ask me about your colors, like living room, kitchen, etc." so I figure I can put a bit about our home decor, in case people are going to get a jump on shopping for us. My dad asked about wedding gifts, and in a couple months EJ and I will be registering...some places (haven't decided exactly where yet, but one will most likely carry a lot of kitchen stuff).
So, the colors we decorate with, by room:
Kitchen
I was originally inspired by the pots&pans fabric (featured on the right in the picture); mostly blues, and I've thrown in yellow (because it's bright and cheery! and I enjoy cooking, and the kitchen makes me happy!) with a smattering of light green, but not too much. In the pic are 3 potholders I've made, as well as a hanging dishcloth (the multi blue-green-yellow yarn is all over our kitchen, probably the best indicator of the colors I like to use in there).
I have a (royal?) blue KitchenAid mixer Dad got me for christmas a few years ago; and I pretty much built my kitchen colors around that. Our dishes are white, and blue+white patterned (but we're thinking of changing that, maybe keeping some of the dishware we're collecting for the reception and mixing that in). EJ has a huge set of clear blue glass dishes and bowls and stuff...but most of it has been packed since we met (!) so I don't know what most of it looks like. The stuff we do use of his fits well into the blue palette.
Living Room
So, the colors we decorate with, by room:
Kitchen
I have a (royal?) blue KitchenAid mixer Dad got me for christmas a few years ago; and I pretty much built my kitchen colors around that. Our dishes are white, and blue+white patterned (but we're thinking of changing that, maybe keeping some of the dishware we're collecting for the reception and mixing that in). EJ has a huge set of clear blue glass dishes and bowls and stuff...but most of it has been packed since we met (!) so I don't know what most of it looks like. The stuff we do use of his fits well into the blue palette.
Living Room
These two items: a crocheted blanket I made for EJ, and a handworked piece of pottery we bought at the Ren Faire a few years back, are the best representation of how we *want* to decorate the living room. We're talking denim blues, amber (orangey-brown), although the one area rug we could find that we could afford is black-brown-tan, but it fits in OK. Most of our furniture is now dark-ish wood; the couch is tan with a floral print, but I really hope to someday recover it with denim. I'm afraid it's going to fall apart before that happens, though. Right now the living room just looks like a bunch of stuff thrown together; but denim + amber + dark wood is where we are headed.
Bedroom
I have a stripey tray (white + stripes) that I based our bedroom colors off of...but I can't locate the tray right now so here is a scrap afghan I crocheted from yarns that match the colors on the tray. I have a quilt top I've pieced with the same colors, it is navy blue and sky blue with accents of the other colors (purples, oranges, greens, gold, yellow, some browns, magenta, pinky-purples) but although I know *exactly* where that is, I refuse to dig for it today. My original plan was to go girly-colors with it, then I met EJ and we moved in together and I figured he would not so much appreciate a girly bedroom. So I use the stripe colors as accents, with the blue dominant. Bedroom walls are painted a cafe au lait color, same as in our old place and we agreed we like this color permanently in the bedroom. The wood furniture we have is currently light wood.
Bathroom: is easy. Green! Our bathroom is too small for me to get a decent picture of it, and I'm not in the mood to pull out the towels and vanity stuff to take a picture, but rest assured that pretty much any shade of green fits in. It is my favorite color (why did I not use this in a main living area? I do not know, but I didn't), and I found a vanity set clearanced at Mervyn's about 15 years ago, and the bathroom has been green ever since. EJ and I spent one after-christmas sale period running around trying to find two sets of towels from Target in complimentary shades of a sagey-green; we went to FIVE different stores to compile a complete set...and then the towels fell apart and faded all weird in about 3 washings. We still use them, and we *refuse* to get rid of them because we Spent. So. Much. Time. looking for them, but we have both agreed that at some point we will have new towels, possibly ones that don't fall apart so quickly.
So hopefully this helps anyone out with planning, or if they're curious, or what have you. We both *really* like handmade things, so anything that anyone makes for us (I'm looking at YOU, 'Mom', and YOU, Misha!) is especially treasured; and of course the whole medieval/Viking vibe is present in stuff we own.
In other wedding news, 'Mom' and I went craft-shopping this weekend and I picked up some more fabric, and added a few more addresses to our guest list, but that's about it. We're going to the Highland Festival next weekend and will pick up some fabric for EJ's outfit, so that is something to look forward to!
In other wedding news, 'Mom' and I went craft-shopping this weekend and I picked up some more fabric, and added a few more addresses to our guest list, but that's about it. We're going to the Highland Festival next weekend and will pick up some fabric for EJ's outfit, so that is something to look forward to!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
One Month Down...
One more thing we have accomplished so far:
Just don't ask me about the guest list, StDs, venue, or photographer right now...eep!
The basis for our guest book. (mug not included in the planning, use, or archiving of said book) This has the added benefit of providing one additional responsibility for a Minion, but I am pretty sure s/he will be overjoyed with their responsibilities (seriously - I'm playing to my Minions' strengths).
Just don't ask me about the guest list, StDs, venue, or photographer right now...eep!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
And then there was cake!!!
So as part of my job of handling the cake is making and eating cake. Tough job. We've decided what the top layer of cake will be and the shape it will be. That part was easy. We're using my spice cake recipe, since it's Nessa's fave. But since my mom is going to be the one actually making the cake I made the hike over to her pad (literaly I walked there) and gave her my recipe. Then for the fun and flavor of it all I took over part of her kitchen and then we made a test run cake.
This was done for two reasons. First, so that when it come time for mom to make THE CAKE it will not be an entirely new recipe for her. And second, so we can eat it. Duh!
And since mom is a fantastic cook and baker in her own right, there was realy nothing to do in the demo/teaching department. About the only thing that was a point of interest was to find out how thick the batter is at the end. Aside from that, there was no real purpose other than we wanted to eat some cake.
Speaking of eating cake, we did, and it tasted good. Even grandma likes it. And Gran is a little picky these days as to what she likes. So I guess the top layer of the cake is Gran tested and Nessa approved. Off to a good start in my book. Now onto the next 17 layers!
Or was that 7?
Or maybe just 4?
Well, on to the NEXT layer! How's that? Yeah, that works.
It's Getting To Us All...
::sighs::
This whole endless wedding-planning thing is getting to us all...even to the cats.
What you can't see in the picture is Roshi making tiny, sad "Mew?" noises. Surrounded by magazines, tear sheets, and listslistslists.
This whole endless wedding-planning thing is getting to us all...even to the cats.
What you can't see in the picture is Roshi making tiny, sad "Mew?" noises. Surrounded by magazines, tear sheets, and listslistslists.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Planning, Planning
This past week has seen my un-eventful return to work after five weeks off (not for fun - medical reasons). Which also means, not a lot going on on the wedding planning front. But we tried to make up for it once I got home on Friday!
Every Friday is now officially "Happy Hour Friday" in our house. It gives us a chance to try out new cocktail recipes and preview potential candidates for hors d'oeuvres and dishes we will be serving at the reception. Hey - when you're catering it yourself, you have to find *some* way to have "tastings" LOL
That reminds me - EJ needs to make his spice cake for FMIL, so we can all taste it, and she can make it herself (so we can all taste it!). I think he has some plan to have "Mom" bake a cake every 2 weeks leading up to the wedding...!
We also visited one thrift store on Friday, and ::5:: today, to pick up bits and pieces of decor, tableware, and fabric. We did a fairly good job, although it is very difficult to find (1) forks that are not crap, and (2) sheets that are not yellow, green, pink, or kid-related. I know we have quite a bit of time to continue to shop (avoiding looking at the Countdown meter at the bottom of the page!) but we figure if we get it in bits and pieces throughout the year it won't be as big of a hit on our wallets, and we can be a bit picky-choosy, at least for now!
I have also been eyeing the wedding dresses I find at the different thrift stores. Partly to see if I find something that will work (I have other plans, I do not want to look like a lace cake, or as one poster on IndieBride said, a giant marshmellow!), partly to oggle the construction; and partly because I think about the history that comes along with that dress...one of the reasons I like to thrift shop is because nearly everything there has passed through hands before coming into mine, and I feel a sense of connection with these others, even if I never know exactly what. I like these dresses because I think that they served their purpose, witnessed the joining of two folks who are now old and gray, and are ready to see another couple through their vows!
Every Friday is now officially "Happy Hour Friday" in our house. It gives us a chance to try out new cocktail recipes and preview potential candidates for hors d'oeuvres and dishes we will be serving at the reception. Hey - when you're catering it yourself, you have to find *some* way to have "tastings" LOL
That reminds me - EJ needs to make his spice cake for FMIL, so we can all taste it, and she can make it herself (so we can all taste it!). I think he has some plan to have "Mom" bake a cake every 2 weeks leading up to the wedding...!
We also visited one thrift store on Friday, and ::5:: today, to pick up bits and pieces of decor, tableware, and fabric. We did a fairly good job, although it is very difficult to find (1) forks that are not crap, and (2) sheets that are not yellow, green, pink, or kid-related. I know we have quite a bit of time to continue to shop (avoiding looking at the Countdown meter at the bottom of the page!) but we figure if we get it in bits and pieces throughout the year it won't be as big of a hit on our wallets, and we can be a bit picky-choosy, at least for now!
I have also been eyeing the wedding dresses I find at the different thrift stores. Partly to see if I find something that will work (I have other plans, I do not want to look like a lace cake, or as one poster on IndieBride said, a giant marshmellow!), partly to oggle the construction; and partly because I think about the history that comes along with that dress...one of the reasons I like to thrift shop is because nearly everything there has passed through hands before coming into mine, and I feel a sense of connection with these others, even if I never know exactly what. I like these dresses because I think that they served their purpose, witnessed the joining of two folks who are now old and gray, and are ready to see another couple through their vows!
But like I said, I have my own plans for my dress. Unlike EJ (who has changed his mind 5 times so far, the only thing I'm certain of is that he will be wearing his Burns clan check in *some* manner), I have a pretty clear picture of what I will be wearing for the ceremony and Par-Tay! afterwards.
Because I'm making my own duds, I will be working on a prototype of sorts to figure out different techniques and practice before I make an entire dress (or, top and skirt. That part *is* still up in the air until I pick a pattern). I am very enamored with NatalieChanin and the type of clothing she offers (even wedding dresses! but *so* out of my price range!) So, I am starting with this:
three cotton t-shirts from the thrift store, a bunch of beads and sequins from my stash, buttonhole thread, scissors, and a bit of imagination, and will turn it all into an appliqued, embellished shirt. Then, once I have my skill set down, and pattern in hand, I will put together my wedding ensemble. I am pretty excited!
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Who knew...
Who knew that Bridal Shows could be fun? I'm not saying it was a blast and a half, but it was kinda fun. Between all the free food, the (few) fun people manning the booths, and the loads and loads of great ideas just sitting out in the open to be emmulated by the DIY crowd (namely Nessa) it was great. Did I mention the free food? There were booths that belonged to people who didn't even handle catering and they had cake out for grabs. Was almost confusing. One of the best things I ate was given out by a booth for vacation packages or something like that. No catering, but good food.
Go figure.
Speaking of cake, it has fallen onto me to be in charge of the whole cake thing. I say "fallen onto me" but realy I snatched it up from the get-go. I'll admit I'm kinda passive on a lot of the planning and designing stuff, but I wanted to have a hand (or just a few fingers) in the food department. One of the things I love about Nessa is that she is letting me run with this cake thing. And the pig thing too, she is suportive of that as well. If you didn't know, we're planning on having pig at the reception. I've always wanted to do a pit roasted pig, and now I get to do it.
I love her.
But like I was saying, the cake is the fun project of the moment. I think I've narrowed down how I want it to look. There was some tweaking of my original thoughts after seeing some stuff at the show, I won't lie. But the visual concept is solid. Now all I have to do is decide on the flavors, colors, and number of layers. I'm thinking 4 layers plus the topper. I guess I could go with 5 layers plus the topper, but I'm not that mean to the baker. Or am I?
Well that's one Bridal Show down and who knows how many more to go. But I'm glad to say that it was fun enough to make me look forward to the next one (whenever it is). I mean, you can never have too much free cake.
Go figure.
Speaking of cake, it has fallen onto me to be in charge of the whole cake thing. I say "fallen onto me" but realy I snatched it up from the get-go. I'll admit I'm kinda passive on a lot of the planning and designing stuff, but I wanted to have a hand (or just a few fingers) in the food department. One of the things I love about Nessa is that she is letting me run with this cake thing. And the pig thing too, she is suportive of that as well. If you didn't know, we're planning on having pig at the reception. I've always wanted to do a pit roasted pig, and now I get to do it.
I love her.
But like I was saying, the cake is the fun project of the moment. I think I've narrowed down how I want it to look. There was some tweaking of my original thoughts after seeing some stuff at the show, I won't lie. But the visual concept is solid. Now all I have to do is decide on the flavors, colors, and number of layers. I'm thinking 4 layers plus the topper. I guess I could go with 5 layers plus the topper, but I'm not that mean to the baker. Or am I?
Well that's one Bridal Show down and who knows how many more to go. But I'm glad to say that it was fun enough to make me look forward to the next one (whenever it is). I mean, you can never have too much free cake.
Our First Wedding "Event"
Today EJ and I attended a local Bridal Expo. Since we originally registered with Wedding Wire, I randomly receive “Tips!” and “Advice!” and occasionally free offers for things. In this case, complimentary passes to the Expo.
And there was some of that.
Much to our great surprise, and delight!, we had a blast. It was spread across two smallish expo halls, and we lucked out and went into the fuller one first (the other had a presentation going on, which we didn’t want to walk into, and which ended up taking about half the floor space in the room anyway). There was a lot to see; I told EJ my general plan is to “circle first, then browse in depth” which our Flower Maiden can attest is *always* my plan at conventions but is *never* followed through LOL. EJ caught on quickly and hustled me through once.
We spent most of our time looking at a few specific vendor-types: invitations, photography, and rentals. There was also a lot of snacky-foods available, which EJ took full advantage of: samples of cakes, truffles, tri-tip, a chocolate fountain, mini cupcakes, petites-fours (is that right?), and a bunch of other stuff. He reports that our friend Thomas makes a better red velvet cake than was offered, and the best food item was the petites-four followed by the cappuccino-frosted mini cupcake. I was able to eat one pretzel and one piece of pineapple at the chocolate fountain station, and one cherry tomato stuffed with mozzarella on a stick at the tri-tip place (it was very good, and we will probably incorporate that into our buffet). I was starving by the time we left!
At the beginning I was a bit huffy with all the people ::stopping:: and ::staring:: as they do at conventions (I don’t like crowds for this reason); then I reminded myself that the majority of the women around me are also brides-to-be, and probably pretty excited and overwhelmed like I am, and that was enough of a reframe for me to be able to relax and joke around with everyone without getting uptight.
Best parts: we looked at enough invites that we have come up with a format for when we make our own; AND I THINK WE FOUND OUR PHOTOGRAPHER! I really liked their vibe; EJ also liked them, and their photojournalistic style is what I want in my pictures. I’m looking forward to making an appointment and getting to know them a little better before I decide. We also entered their drawing for a free engagement photo shoot, so fingers crossed!
I also got a lot of enjoyment from every vendor we talked to chirping, “Congratulations!” I know they say it to everyone, but I took it personally anyway LOL
Pet peeve issue: when I specifically stated “my Best Woman” to a vendor and she immediately called Jen “your Maid of Honor”. Use my language dammit!
I was wiped out after walking around (and we only spent about 2 ½ hours total there), so we grabbed some lunch at Mother’s and a coffee at a bookstore, then came home. It was cute, we were both excited and moony-eyed at each other all afternoon; wedding planning is kinda fun and romantic! (Note to self: remember this when you get frustrated!)
- nessa
Friday, January 8, 2010
A Random Message
EJ received a *great* voicemail on his phone yesterday, from an 805 area code. Wishing us (if we were named Matt and Kristie) congratulations on our engagement, as they saw our email with our proposal story.
At first we thought it was in reference to this blog (and maybe our email got hacked? or something), but then we realized we are NOT Matt nor Kristie.
So we have random people congratulating us on our engagement. Must be some kind of wedding karma!
At first we thought it was in reference to this blog (and maybe our email got hacked? or something), but then we realized we are NOT Matt nor Kristie.
So we have random people congratulating us on our engagement. Must be some kind of wedding karma!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
I almost can't...
It's hard to believe (at least for me and my oldest friends) that I found some one that I want to be married to. That's not the same as just spending the rest of our lives together. Whole different (and yet not) thing all together. Seeing how I'm not overly religious (pagan or otherwise) and I'm not from a family of wealth that needs to be tied to other families of great wealth to maintain our overall wealthiness, I've just always kinda felt the whole wedding/marriage thing was over rated.
But despite the odds, I found my self thinking "Why not?"
And then shortly after that "What could go wrong?" popped into my head.
And then "Well? What could go wrong that hasn't already?"
And then I had a whole conversation with my self over that one. Took a few hours if I remember correctly.
That's when it hit me. There was only one thing left that could go wrong.
She could say "NO".
So I mustered up my courage, called up our closest peeps, and dared her to say no. Well not really, but it sounds cool.
I still feel that marriage isn't for everyone, but I can say with a fair bit of certainty that it just might be for us. We'll see. After all, what else could go wrong?
EJ
But despite the odds, I found my self thinking "Why not?"
And then shortly after that "What could go wrong?" popped into my head.
And then "Well? What could go wrong that hasn't already?"
And then I had a whole conversation with my self over that one. Took a few hours if I remember correctly.
That's when it hit me. There was only one thing left that could go wrong.
She could say "NO".
So I mustered up my courage, called up our closest peeps, and dared her to say no. Well not really, but it sounds cool.
I still feel that marriage isn't for everyone, but I can say with a fair bit of certainty that it just might be for us. We'll see. After all, what else could go wrong?
EJ
Sooo Much To Do!
It really seems overwhelming, all the planning, scheduling, arranging, shopping, buying, talking, dreaming, and deciding we have to do (and *still* have to do!). And this has been "in the works" for over 4 months now. Well, we got engaged in August last year, but there was a self-imposed moratorium on wedding planning/discussion until after we moved into our new place in September...so really it's been 3 months.
But, man, is there a lot to do!
Especially if you are, like me, someone who never really "dreamed" of her wedding day. Marriage, sure. Being with someone for my entire adult life? You bet. But the "wedding" part of it was never really considered, at least not until EJ. And then it was more of 'what fits with us and our lifestyle' than Thoughts About The Big Day.
Luckily we are on the same page with pretty much everything so far. (I suppose some people will say, "Lucky you care about what he thinks!" and "Lucky you have someone who is interested in the wedding!") Especially with the things that DO NOT matter to us: napkins, ice sculptures, engraved wedding favors, i.e. the whole Wedding Industry ticket.
Which means we are building this event from the ground up, with little to guide us at the start (no "dream day" fantasies, no cookie-cutter "this is how you do it"). I will say that without certain online resources (IndieBride's forums, and OffBeat Bride to name two) we would both be a little more lost that we are right now.
But like good Vikings, we are forging ahead into unknown territory, taking few prisoners and going for lots of shiny things!
- nessa
But, man, is there a lot to do!
Especially if you are, like me, someone who never really "dreamed" of her wedding day. Marriage, sure. Being with someone for my entire adult life? You bet. But the "wedding" part of it was never really considered, at least not until EJ. And then it was more of 'what fits with us and our lifestyle' than Thoughts About The Big Day.
Luckily we are on the same page with pretty much everything so far. (I suppose some people will say, "Lucky you care about what he thinks!" and "Lucky you have someone who is interested in the wedding!") Especially with the things that DO NOT matter to us: napkins, ice sculptures, engraved wedding favors, i.e. the whole Wedding Industry ticket.
Which means we are building this event from the ground up, with little to guide us at the start (no "dream day" fantasies, no cookie-cutter "this is how you do it"). I will say that without certain online resources (IndieBride's forums, and OffBeat Bride to name two) we would both be a little more lost that we are right now.
But like good Vikings, we are forging ahead into unknown territory, taking few prisoners and going for lots of shiny things!
- nessa
Saturday, January 2, 2010
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