On any given Sunday at 9pm, you can find me in my pjs watching Bridezillas. It is hands down, my favorite show! I usually watch it in disbelief, but I like to tell J and my parents that I watch it for tips ;)
I do agree with all of these nutty brides, a wedding is about the bride....to an extent. A wedding also includes um...the groom. And of course, I think it's also about two families becoming one.
"Look at me, because it's about me" is what the bride from tonight's show just said. I don't even know how they have friends to pick for their bridal party! Most of the brides on the show have what I would call "revolving bridesmaids." They kick bridesmaids out of their wedding left and right and sometimes pull random people in to fill the gaps. I'll tell you, I picked my bridesmaids because I love them, not because I wanted six gorgeous servants (more on my amazing girls in later posts). These girls have been with me through thick and thin, one of them for my whole life, one of them for her whole life, and three of them for 12+ years, and the sixth for over four years :)) That's a lot of combined years!
All bridesmaids have duties, but they're not very extensive and usually don't extend far past the actual wedding day. Buy a dress and shoes, throw a shower, occasionally help with a project, and be there to lend an ear if I need to talk or vent. Sounds pretty simple to me. Bridezillas tend to think bridesmaids duties also include: personal lip gloss applier, housekeeper, general overall servant, water bottle babysitter and/or dog-sitter. I understand that everybody has their own lives and I intend to respect that.
Do any of you watch Bridezillas (it's ok,no one here will judge you!)? Do you know a Bridzilla? Have you been in a wedding of a Bridezilla? share your stories!
Til tomorrow...
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Saturday, October 30, 2010
#13: Decent Delectables
We just finished with the tasting at Old Hickory Golf Club. There were only about 7 or 8 couples and a hand full of parents on hand to eat some grub. They had a handful of vendors, including three bakeries, one florist and a couple DJs. My mom and J's mom went with us and it was really nice to spend some time with them! We tasted a variety of appetizers and three entree choices. We were definitely more impressed with the appetizers than the entrees. Among the appetizers that we sampled were bacon wrapped scallops, crab in filo with a roasted red pepper sauce, lamb shank, coconut shrimp with a honey apricot chipotle glaze, and chicken satay with a peanut sauce. Our top favorites were the scallops, the crab and the coconut shrimp. If you know me, you know I don't do seafood...needless to say, I was seafood-ed out today!
The entrees we tried were salmon in what tasted like a butter sauce (J and I aren't huge fans of salmon, but I put on my big girl panties and took a bite), chicken breasts in a mushroom type sauce and a beef brisket also in a mushroom sauce. None of us were truly impressed with any one entree, but we deemed the salmon and beef brisket passable. Luckily for us, we are able to change up the menu and let the chef know if we'd like to change anything. He'll let us know what's possible and, if applicable, any additional cost per person.
The three bakeries provided cake and cupcake samples. The first one had red velvet, carrot and white raspberry cakes. I wasn't a fan of the first two (I didn't try the raspberry one), but my mom liked the carrot cake (I thought the icing was way too sweet and was too much for the cake itself. A second bakery had two cakes to sample, one was chocolate on chocolate (pretty dark good and chocolatey) and another white cake with a sweet icing. The last bakery we tried only supplied cupcakes. J and my mom chose a white cupcake with white icing and boyyy was it was NOT good!
Turning our attention to other sweets, we headed over to the chocolate fountain. The fountain had a sweet Belgian chocolate and we tried strawberries, rice krispie treats and cake pops in the chocolate. Yum! Although we like he idea of a chocolate fountain, we have better and more fun uses for our money.
Well, that was a long post for today, so I'll leave you with a question: what is the BEST food you've ever had at a wedding?
PS: This entire post was written on my iPhone!
The entrees we tried were salmon in what tasted like a butter sauce (J and I aren't huge fans of salmon, but I put on my big girl panties and took a bite), chicken breasts in a mushroom type sauce and a beef brisket also in a mushroom sauce. None of us were truly impressed with any one entree, but we deemed the salmon and beef brisket passable. Luckily for us, we are able to change up the menu and let the chef know if we'd like to change anything. He'll let us know what's possible and, if applicable, any additional cost per person.
The three bakeries provided cake and cupcake samples. The first one had red velvet, carrot and white raspberry cakes. I wasn't a fan of the first two (I didn't try the raspberry one), but my mom liked the carrot cake (I thought the icing was way too sweet and was too much for the cake itself. A second bakery had two cakes to sample, one was chocolate on chocolate (pretty dark good and chocolatey) and another white cake with a sweet icing. The last bakery we tried only supplied cupcakes. J and my mom chose a white cupcake with white icing and boyyy was it was NOT good!
Turning our attention to other sweets, we headed over to the chocolate fountain. The fountain had a sweet Belgian chocolate and we tried strawberries, rice krispie treats and cake pops in the chocolate. Yum! Although we like he idea of a chocolate fountain, we have better and more fun uses for our money.
Well, that was a long post for today, so I'll leave you with a question: what is the BEST food you've ever had at a wedding?
PS: This entire post was written on my iPhone!
Friday, October 29, 2010
#12: Young Blog Love
I'll be honest. I almost forgot to post again today. So here goes another late night one for ya:
A couple nights ago, I was googling (as I often do) a project I wanted to do for the wedding. And not only did I find several great pictures of how to do it, I also came across my new favorite blog. Let me introduce you to John and Sherry Petersik of younghouselove.com. John and Sherry started this blog about three years ago after they bought their first house. They have chronicled every project they've ever done on this house, and let me tell you, it's A LOT of projects. They are budget-conscious, never buying something until they've saved up the whole amount. What started out as a blog to update their friends and family on their daily happenings has turned into a full-time job for BOTH of them! They have a gorgeous baby, Clara, and an adorable little chihuahua, Burger. They've been on numerous TV shows and in quite a few magazines and currently write a DIY column in Better Homes and Garden's Do It Yourself magazine.
Oh, and did I happen to mention that they held their wedding in their own backyard?! I'm in love, I tell you. L-O-V-E.
What I've found that I love most about the Petersiks is their design style. I drool over about 95% of the things that they have posted. They're all for clean lines and neutral wall colors, with lots of accents and accessories. They do it all without it looking cluttered (which J and I are all for!).
So instead of reading me go on and on about these people I have never met, but who just HAPPEN to live in Rich city, go check out their blog for yourself! I'm sure I will refer to their blog more than once over the next 240 days :)
Thursday, October 28, 2010
#11: Greedy, Greedy Little Bride and Groom
I could probably write a whole book on the topic of wedding registries. I would have chapters titled "Why You Really Need that $300 Stand Mixer," "Did You Really Put THAT On Your Registry?" and the nonchalant "Our 400 Item Registry List." Other chapters might include "What People Can Tell About You Just By Looking At Your Registry" and "Do You Really Think 16 People Will Eat Off Fine China In Your 2 Bedroom Apartment?"
I've always felt that a wedding is pretty much the only time in your life when it's acceptable to be greedy (within reason of course). People want to buy you presents for showers and your wedding, especially if you're just starting out. J and I practically own no furniture of our own. I recently wrote down a list of all the furniture we will need, including a bed (I don't have one and J sleeps in a twin), a dresser (again, I don't have one) and a complete living and dining room set.
On the other hand, I've been collecting kitchen supplies in my hope chest since I was 15 years old. It quickly spilled out of my hope chest and I now live among boxes of place settings, crystal platters, and other breakables. I have 8 storage bins full of smaller items like decorative pillows, candles, pitchers, assorted gadgets and knives from Pampered Chef and Cutco, and of course my prized chick flick collection. Needless to say, we still need a lot for our first place.
J and I were surprised by the number of different choices we had when we went to register. I had no idea there were so many toasters and coffee makers! I let J pick a lot of the items on our registry, and does that boy have good taste! (I, on the other hand, in my classiness, picked this out.) We share the same design/decor ideas: clean lines, minimal fuss, no clutter/knick-knacks and nothing girly! It makes it easy for me to pick out things when J isn't around, but I have a feeling our apartment will look more like a bachelor pad than a lovers' nest. And that's just fine by me.
Tell me (especially married people!): What is one thing that should go on a registry that you wouldn't normally think of? It can be something that was on yours, or something you wished you had put on it!
Side note: Just hit 500 views! Amazing :))
I've always felt that a wedding is pretty much the only time in your life when it's acceptable to be greedy (within reason of course). People want to buy you presents for showers and your wedding, especially if you're just starting out. J and I practically own no furniture of our own. I recently wrote down a list of all the furniture we will need, including a bed (I don't have one and J sleeps in a twin), a dresser (again, I don't have one) and a complete living and dining room set.
On the other hand, I've been collecting kitchen supplies in my hope chest since I was 15 years old. It quickly spilled out of my hope chest and I now live among boxes of place settings, crystal platters, and other breakables. I have 8 storage bins full of smaller items like decorative pillows, candles, pitchers, assorted gadgets and knives from Pampered Chef and Cutco, and of course my prized chick flick collection. Needless to say, we still need a lot for our first place.
J and I were surprised by the number of different choices we had when we went to register. I had no idea there were so many toasters and coffee makers! I let J pick a lot of the items on our registry, and does that boy have good taste! (I, on the other hand, in my classiness, picked this out.) We share the same design/decor ideas: clean lines, minimal fuss, no clutter/knick-knacks and nothing girly! It makes it easy for me to pick out things when J isn't around, but I have a feeling our apartment will look more like a bachelor pad than a lovers' nest. And that's just fine by me.
Tell me (especially married people!): What is one thing that should go on a registry that you wouldn't normally think of? It can be something that was on yours, or something you wished you had put on it!
Side note: Just hit 500 views! Amazing :))
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
#10: Music Makes the People Come Together, Yeah
Yeah, you know you were humming that song as you read the title. Don't lie. While I'm not a huge Madonna fan, you have to admit she has a point (or at least her songwriters do). I can't remember the last time I heard an upbeat song and not felt the urge to dance, sometimes in a room full of people I don't know. Our wedding reception is going to be one huge dance party.
Every time I think of weddings, I think of the movies 27 Dresses and The Wedding Planner. I love The Wedding Planner for Jennifer Lopez's character. She's so put together and organized when planning her clients' weddings, and I hope to be just as organized for mine (so far, so good). I love 27 Dresses for the overall story but also for 2 specific scenes. I love the upbeat beginning of it, with everybody dancing and Katherine Heigl's character, Jane, running back and forth between two different weddings she's in. The song is Michael Jackson's "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and is just one of the those songs that makes you wanna dance, even though I know your dance moves don't really compare with Michael's.
The other scene I love is one that J laughs at me about. I'm ashamed to say when I saw this scene for the first time, I didn't even know who sang the song! So ashamed. Check it out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6MSlDoHJU4&feature=related
Yes, friends. That is THE Elton John's song. Like I said, so ashamed. But every time I hear this song, which is quite often since I just downloaded it onto my iPhone, I think of this scene and get the urge to sing along and dance on a bar. One day, I'll get to cross it off my bucket list. If you mention this to my parents, you can leave the "dance on a bar" part off. Unless you would like to accompany my dad to the ER for an anxiety attack.
I've been thinking a lot about the music for our wedding lately. I want to have a good mix of Motown, oldies, rock n' roll, and maybe a little of my country mixed in (nothing about dogs, shotguns, or mamas, but I can't guarantee nothing about beer or drinking). I'm not the kind of bride (as of yet) that doesn't want the Macarena or Chicken Dance at her wedding, I think they'd be kind of fun! (Side note: just googled "wedding dance songs" and those two were on most of the "Do Not Play" lists...oh well).
J and I are actually compiling all the music for the wedding ourselves. DJs are out of our budget and frankly, not a top priority for us. Good music is, just not the overpriced, loud-booming-voice-that-you-usually-can't-understand-because-they're-talking-so-loud-with-their-mouth-touching-the-microphone-so-what-you-hear-sounds-similar-to-an-adult-in-Peanuts. We will most likely have a friend man the iTunes playlist for us and act as our MC (the non-yelling kind) for the night. So what we need is your help!
Tell us the songs that make you want to get up and dance, and help us compile a good dance mix for the reception!
Every time I think of weddings, I think of the movies 27 Dresses and The Wedding Planner. I love The Wedding Planner for Jennifer Lopez's character. She's so put together and organized when planning her clients' weddings, and I hope to be just as organized for mine (so far, so good). I love 27 Dresses for the overall story but also for 2 specific scenes. I love the upbeat beginning of it, with everybody dancing and Katherine Heigl's character, Jane, running back and forth between two different weddings she's in. The song is Michael Jackson's "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and is just one of the those songs that makes you wanna dance, even though I know your dance moves don't really compare with Michael's.
The other scene I love is one that J laughs at me about. I'm ashamed to say when I saw this scene for the first time, I didn't even know who sang the song! So ashamed. Check it out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6MSlDoHJU4&feature=related
Yes, friends. That is THE Elton John's song. Like I said, so ashamed. But every time I hear this song, which is quite often since I just downloaded it onto my iPhone, I think of this scene and get the urge to sing along and dance on a bar. One day, I'll get to cross it off my bucket list. If you mention this to my parents, you can leave the "dance on a bar" part off. Unless you would like to accompany my dad to the ER for an anxiety attack.
I've been thinking a lot about the music for our wedding lately. I want to have a good mix of Motown, oldies, rock n' roll, and maybe a little of my country mixed in (nothing about dogs, shotguns, or mamas, but I can't guarantee nothing about beer or drinking). I'm not the kind of bride (as of yet) that doesn't want the Macarena or Chicken Dance at her wedding, I think they'd be kind of fun! (Side note: just googled "wedding dance songs" and those two were on most of the "Do Not Play" lists...oh well).
J and I are actually compiling all the music for the wedding ourselves. DJs are out of our budget and frankly, not a top priority for us. Good music is, just not the overpriced, loud-booming-voice-that-you-usually-can't-understand-because-they're-talking-so-loud-with-their-mouth-touching-the-microphone-so-what-you-hear-sounds-similar-to-an-adult-in-Peanuts. We will most likely have a friend man the iTunes playlist for us and act as our MC (the non-yelling kind) for the night. So what we need is your help!
Tell us the songs that make you want to get up and dance, and help us compile a good dance mix for the reception!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
#9: Creative Memories
If you know my mom at all, you know how many events she's done. She's done weddings, anniversary parties, birthday parties, receptions for over 200 people and most recently, mine and J's engagement party. She is amazing at what she does, and it seems like, with little effort, she can do anything! Of course, being behind the scenes, I know just how much effort goes into pulling a huge event off.
I didn't inherit all of my mom's talents, but parties I can do. So naturally, my mom and I are (with J's very appreciated input) the sole creative designers for our wedding. Early on, we sat down and discussed the vision we had for our wedding with my mom. She's way better with colors and fabrics and flower names, etc. than I am, so when we gave her our ideas, she took them and ran. Only after a few months, we had gotten so much accomplished!
Mom and I took a trip to Lancaster, Pennsylvania earlier this year and our primary purpose of the trip was to check out this craft warehouse. Mom had discovered it on an earlier trip to Lancaster with my dad, and wanted to go in and check it out. Dad, unfortunately for her, didn't seem too interested (I mean, can you blame the guy?). We got there around 10am on a Saturday and we headed straight for the silk flowers section. And when I say section, I mean half the store. I have never seen so many beautiful silks in my life. And trust me, my mom is amazing with silk flowers! About 99.9% of her silk arrangements look real, it's crazy. We went in with the intention of buying all the flowers for our centerpieces.
My mom is a florist by hobby, and knows practically every flower name and how much water and sun it needs, so I decided to quiz her. And boy, was she good. She faltered slightly on one and as I was about to correct her (with the help of the name on the price tag), she corrected herself. I, on the other hand, frequently shouted down the aisles to her, "Look mom, more white flowers!" or "What's this green stuff?" So informative. Just keeping it classy here, folks.
After the flower section, we headed to the craft section. We found several wooden letters we can use for monograms, but not much else in the way of paper goods. Upon entering the furniture section, though, we got into trouble.
When we left the store, a good three hours after we arrived, we had two carts full of flowers and vases, two 4' tall wooden plant stands, and a gorgeous mirror. We had also met the owners of the warehouse and had several employees help up load stuff into our car. I'd say it was a success. I felt like a VIP.
Since that trip, we've gotten our invitations, paper for programs, menu cards and place cards, and half of the materials we need for our favors (those won't be revealed before the wedding, they're too awesome!).
Less than eight months to go, and I'm feeling ahead of the game.
What else do you think needs to/can be done this early?
Til tomorrow...
I didn't inherit all of my mom's talents, but parties I can do. So naturally, my mom and I are (with J's very appreciated input) the sole creative designers for our wedding. Early on, we sat down and discussed the vision we had for our wedding with my mom. She's way better with colors and fabrics and flower names, etc. than I am, so when we gave her our ideas, she took them and ran. Only after a few months, we had gotten so much accomplished!
Mom and I took a trip to Lancaster, Pennsylvania earlier this year and our primary purpose of the trip was to check out this craft warehouse. Mom had discovered it on an earlier trip to Lancaster with my dad, and wanted to go in and check it out. Dad, unfortunately for her, didn't seem too interested (I mean, can you blame the guy?). We got there around 10am on a Saturday and we headed straight for the silk flowers section. And when I say section, I mean half the store. I have never seen so many beautiful silks in my life. And trust me, my mom is amazing with silk flowers! About 99.9% of her silk arrangements look real, it's crazy. We went in with the intention of buying all the flowers for our centerpieces.
My mom is a florist by hobby, and knows practically every flower name and how much water and sun it needs, so I decided to quiz her. And boy, was she good. She faltered slightly on one and as I was about to correct her (with the help of the name on the price tag), she corrected herself. I, on the other hand, frequently shouted down the aisles to her, "Look mom, more white flowers!" or "What's this green stuff?" So informative. Just keeping it classy here, folks.
After the flower section, we headed to the craft section. We found several wooden letters we can use for monograms, but not much else in the way of paper goods. Upon entering the furniture section, though, we got into trouble.
When we left the store, a good three hours after we arrived, we had two carts full of flowers and vases, two 4' tall wooden plant stands, and a gorgeous mirror. We had also met the owners of the warehouse and had several employees help up load stuff into our car. I'd say it was a success. I felt like a VIP.
Since that trip, we've gotten our invitations, paper for programs, menu cards and place cards, and half of the materials we need for our favors (those won't be revealed before the wedding, they're too awesome!).
Less than eight months to go, and I'm feeling ahead of the game.
What else do you think needs to/can be done this early?
Til tomorrow...
Monday, October 25, 2010
#8: I Want to Have My Cake and Eat it Too!
I love cake. If you've known me for any length of time, or at least the time encompassing my birthday, you know that my favorite flavor is funfetti. Yes, I am aware that I am 23 years old. I have asked for a funfetti cake every birthday for at least the past five years. I have no idea what it is about funfetti that is so appealing, but it's just so...fun.
My favorite form of eating cake is in the cup form. Cupcakes, that is. I am well-known among my friends for my three loves: J, shoes, and cupcakes (in that specific order). You would think with such a strong affinity for the cake of cups, I would have already figured out and designed my wedding cakeness. But, alas, I am so far from making a decision it's not even funny.
I just got an e-mail from Theknot.com today, and at the 8 month mark (eek!), I am supposed to find a baker and sign all the necessary forms regarding my cake between now and Christmas. This creates a slight panic in my indecisive core. I'm sure J will go along with whatever I decide to do, but that's just it. I have to DECIDE.
I've always wanted to have cupcakes at my wedding. Within two weeks of being engaged, I had already contacted Georgetown Cupcake for pricing and delivery information. I looked at the flavor menu, according to the month and day of the week our wedding was in, and picked about four flavors I thought our guests would like the most. Fast forward 10 months and I've already changed my mind three times.
I go back and forth between the cupcakes (both professionally done and DIY) and a traditional cake (also professionally done and DIY). I spend quite a bit of time on wedding planning websites and reading bridal magazines, and let me tell you, I've seen A LOT of absolutely breathtaking cakes. I think cake is like a work of art. Unfortunately for me, these works of art cost a crap ton of money! An average wedding cake in the NoVA area is upwards of $500! I'm sorry, I love my guests, but that's (ahem) more than my wedding dress, something that you DON'T eat and isn't gone in 2.5 seconds.
So far, my options are:
1. Georgetown cupcakes (4 different flavors//easiest option)
2. Homemade cupcakes (4+ different, unique flavors//cheap option, but most time-consuming also)
3. Homemade wedding cake (Very simple, probably butter-cream or similar icing, not fondant//cheap option, but we run the risk of having a horrible looking cake if not done perfectly)
4. Professionally done cake (Most expensive option, but probably the biggest bang with regards to appearance)
Your thoughts?
Til tomorrow...
My favorite form of eating cake is in the cup form. Cupcakes, that is. I am well-known among my friends for my three loves: J, shoes, and cupcakes (in that specific order). You would think with such a strong affinity for the cake of cups, I would have already figured out and designed my wedding cakeness. But, alas, I am so far from making a decision it's not even funny.
I just got an e-mail from Theknot.com today, and at the 8 month mark (eek!), I am supposed to find a baker and sign all the necessary forms regarding my cake between now and Christmas. This creates a slight panic in my indecisive core. I'm sure J will go along with whatever I decide to do, but that's just it. I have to DECIDE.
I've always wanted to have cupcakes at my wedding. Within two weeks of being engaged, I had already contacted Georgetown Cupcake for pricing and delivery information. I looked at the flavor menu, according to the month and day of the week our wedding was in, and picked about four flavors I thought our guests would like the most. Fast forward 10 months and I've already changed my mind three times.
I go back and forth between the cupcakes (both professionally done and DIY) and a traditional cake (also professionally done and DIY). I spend quite a bit of time on wedding planning websites and reading bridal magazines, and let me tell you, I've seen A LOT of absolutely breathtaking cakes. I think cake is like a work of art. Unfortunately for me, these works of art cost a crap ton of money! An average wedding cake in the NoVA area is upwards of $500! I'm sorry, I love my guests, but that's (ahem) more than my wedding dress, something that you DON'T eat and isn't gone in 2.5 seconds.
So far, my options are:
1. Georgetown cupcakes (4 different flavors//easiest option)
2. Homemade cupcakes (4+ different, unique flavors//cheap option, but most time-consuming also)
3. Homemade wedding cake (Very simple, probably butter-cream or similar icing, not fondant//cheap option, but we run the risk of having a horrible looking cake if not done perfectly)
4. Professionally done cake (Most expensive option, but probably the biggest bang with regards to appearance)
Your thoughts?
Til tomorrow...
Sunday, October 24, 2010
#7: Back to Reality
My patients always ask me how my weekend was when they come in on Mondays. My response? "Too short, like always!" They usually wholeheartedly agree with me and thus begins a passionate discussion about how Friday should be included in the weekend, and four day workweeks are the way to go.
My weekend in Rich City with J was amazing. Like I mentioned last night, we saw The Social Network. On our way back to the house he lives at (Love the Bees :)), we stopped and picked up Date Night from a Redbox. Tina Fey and Steve Carrell were absolutely hilarious! At the heart of the movie, though, was an all-too-true sentiment with the couple that they had gotten boring as they had gotten older. The kids, the jobs, the keeping up with everything, had just left them boring as a couple. I'm sure every married couple has felt like that at some point. And with J and I approaching the 3.5 year mark next month, even we've been through that kind of feeling.
Living 1.5 hour away from each other, and having limited privacy at both our houses when J is home, we tend to do the same things every time we see each other. We like the familiar, comfy routine, and recently we've been lucky to throw in fun nights out. Last month, I had a birthday party at a bar in Arlington. J and I had SO much fun that night with all our friends, and I think it's nights like that that help out the monotony in our routines. Living in Rich City, J has taken me to some amazing restaurants that his friends have told him about or taken him to. I think it's going to be amazing to explore the city when I finally move there.
This morning, we went to church. We recently switched churches, from one in Midlothian to one in the city. Redemption Hill Church meets in the gym of an elementary school. Even though today was only the second time I've been there, I already feel like it's home. Everyone is so friendly and welcoming, and I've met so many new people. Today, J introduced me to some people in our community group. It's a bunch of college students and young married couples, including two of our groomsmen and their significant others. I can't wait to actually attend a community group meeting! J has really been setting the foundation, so when I move there, I will already have a built-in support system of godly women and hopefully really close friends.
Well, I've had a long weekend, and now I'm off to read before bed. This next week's posts will include the cake (!) and flowers! Stay tuned!
Til tomorrow...
My weekend in Rich City with J was amazing. Like I mentioned last night, we saw The Social Network. On our way back to the house he lives at (Love the Bees :)), we stopped and picked up Date Night from a Redbox. Tina Fey and Steve Carrell were absolutely hilarious! At the heart of the movie, though, was an all-too-true sentiment with the couple that they had gotten boring as they had gotten older. The kids, the jobs, the keeping up with everything, had just left them boring as a couple. I'm sure every married couple has felt like that at some point. And with J and I approaching the 3.5 year mark next month, even we've been through that kind of feeling.
Living 1.5 hour away from each other, and having limited privacy at both our houses when J is home, we tend to do the same things every time we see each other. We like the familiar, comfy routine, and recently we've been lucky to throw in fun nights out. Last month, I had a birthday party at a bar in Arlington. J and I had SO much fun that night with all our friends, and I think it's nights like that that help out the monotony in our routines. Living in Rich City, J has taken me to some amazing restaurants that his friends have told him about or taken him to. I think it's going to be amazing to explore the city when I finally move there.
This morning, we went to church. We recently switched churches, from one in Midlothian to one in the city. Redemption Hill Church meets in the gym of an elementary school. Even though today was only the second time I've been there, I already feel like it's home. Everyone is so friendly and welcoming, and I've met so many new people. Today, J introduced me to some people in our community group. It's a bunch of college students and young married couples, including two of our groomsmen and their significant others. I can't wait to actually attend a community group meeting! J has really been setting the foundation, so when I move there, I will already have a built-in support system of godly women and hopefully really close friends.
Well, I've had a long weekend, and now I'm off to read before bed. This next week's posts will include the cake (!) and flowers! Stay tuned!
Til tomorrow...
Saturday, October 23, 2010
#6: Social Network
J and I went to see The Social Network today. And we weren't even out of the theater before I was already on Facebook...is that bad?
I laughed out loud as soon as I typed "is that bad"...because it made me think of this. If you don't laugh out loud at Kristen Wig's character, there is something seriously wrong with you.
Ok, back to The Social Network. If you haven't seen this movie yet, you seriously need to! It was such an interesting story, so many things I had no idea about with regard to the start-up of Facebook. One of my favorite lines in the movie (it's in the previews, so I'm not revealing anything secret) is: "If you guys were the inventors of Facebook, you would have invented Facebook." I have no idea if Mark Zuckerberg is actually that witty in real life, but his character in the movie had me laughing quite often.
It's so crazy to think of how much technology is crucial to today's existence. Most kids these days have cell phones or smart phones and are always connected to their friends via texting and the internet. I, on the other hand, didn't own a cell phone until I was 18. I remember when Facebook started up and it was all the rage. Crazy to think that it's been 6+ years and it's still so popular. I feel like blogging has had its ups and downs with regard to popularity. Most company run blogs are doing fairly well and are frequently visited and/or followed, but personal blogs don't seem to stick around very long. Life has become too busy and unless blogging becomes a part of a daily routine, it goes by the wayside.
It's only the 6th post, and I've already almost forgotten to post a few times. Thankfully, J has reminded me to post everyday :) I think he just wants to see if I'm going to write about him. (Hi babe, love you!)
How has technology influenced your life? Could you live without Facebook?
Til tomorrow...
I laughed out loud as soon as I typed "is that bad"...because it made me think of this. If you don't laugh out loud at Kristen Wig's character, there is something seriously wrong with you.
Ok, back to The Social Network. If you haven't seen this movie yet, you seriously need to! It was such an interesting story, so many things I had no idea about with regard to the start-up of Facebook. One of my favorite lines in the movie (it's in the previews, so I'm not revealing anything secret) is: "If you guys were the inventors of Facebook, you would have invented Facebook." I have no idea if Mark Zuckerberg is actually that witty in real life, but his character in the movie had me laughing quite often.
It's so crazy to think of how much technology is crucial to today's existence. Most kids these days have cell phones or smart phones and are always connected to their friends via texting and the internet. I, on the other hand, didn't own a cell phone until I was 18. I remember when Facebook started up and it was all the rage. Crazy to think that it's been 6+ years and it's still so popular. I feel like blogging has had its ups and downs with regard to popularity. Most company run blogs are doing fairly well and are frequently visited and/or followed, but personal blogs don't seem to stick around very long. Life has become too busy and unless blogging becomes a part of a daily routine, it goes by the wayside.
It's only the 6th post, and I've already almost forgotten to post a few times. Thankfully, J has reminded me to post everyday :) I think he just wants to see if I'm going to write about him. (Hi babe, love you!)
How has technology influenced your life? Could you live without Facebook?
Til tomorrow...
Friday, October 22, 2010
#5: TGIF
Fridays make me happy. I don't get off any earlier from work, and sometimes I have to work Saturday mornings, but there is something about Fridays that I love. Maybe it reminds me of the word "fry" and I love french fries? I don't know, but it's magical.
Our wedding is 246 days away, which means I have about 35 more Fridays to enjoy in the Northern Virginia area. And while my Friday schedule might change once I move to Rich city, I'm sure my love for Fridays will remain the same.
I just reread the previous paragraph and had a slight panic attack. 35 Fridays means that in 35 short weeks I will be at my rehearsal/dinner. Time seems to have flown by: summer is gone, my birthday has passed, and we're entering the holiday season (hello holiday pounds!). My nephews and niece are bigger than they were (kids grow way too fast!), all talking up a storm and developing such sweet personalities. By the time our wedding rolls around, I can't even imagine how these three will interact as our ring bearers and flower girl. They'll steal the show, that's for darn sure.
Speaking of kids, is it just me or is everybody having kids now? Currently, I probably know at least a dozen people pregnant at the moment, with about 3-4 of them being close friends. So crazy! J and I have had the kids discussion and we're both (thankfully) on the same page. We both wants kids, just not anytime soon. We've waited 4 years to be together, so we want it to just be us for awhile. Of course, we know our plan isn't always part of God's plan, so we'll be thankful whenever we end up having kids.
Heading to visit J this weekend, so my next 2 posts will be from Rich city!
Til tomorrow...
Our wedding is 246 days away, which means I have about 35 more Fridays to enjoy in the Northern Virginia area. And while my Friday schedule might change once I move to Rich city, I'm sure my love for Fridays will remain the same.
I just reread the previous paragraph and had a slight panic attack. 35 Fridays means that in 35 short weeks I will be at my rehearsal/dinner. Time seems to have flown by: summer is gone, my birthday has passed, and we're entering the holiday season (hello holiday pounds!). My nephews and niece are bigger than they were (kids grow way too fast!), all talking up a storm and developing such sweet personalities. By the time our wedding rolls around, I can't even imagine how these three will interact as our ring bearers and flower girl. They'll steal the show, that's for darn sure.
Speaking of kids, is it just me or is everybody having kids now? Currently, I probably know at least a dozen people pregnant at the moment, with about 3-4 of them being close friends. So crazy! J and I have had the kids discussion and we're both (thankfully) on the same page. We both wants kids, just not anytime soon. We've waited 4 years to be together, so we want it to just be us for awhile. Of course, we know our plan isn't always part of God's plan, so we'll be thankful whenever we end up having kids.
Heading to visit J this weekend, so my next 2 posts will be from Rich city!
Til tomorrow...
Thursday, October 21, 2010
#4: Short and sweet
Well, today has been an absolutely crazy, busy day! I planned for today's post to be about my dress and shoes, and frankly, I can't really reveal too much about them anyways, so today's post will be short and sweet.
My dress is fantabulous. Yes, that IS a word. At least in my vocabulary, it is. I found my dress in less than 45 minutes. I didn't do the whole crying bit you see on "Say Yes to the Dress," but I definitely knew it was the one! I can reveal 2 things about it. J already knows these two things, so don't worry about that. 1: It's white (hahahaha, you actually thought I would tell you ANYTHING about it?) and 2: it has pockets (and if you know me well, you know I literally die for pockets. I don't buy jackets, or skirts, or really anything unless it has pockets).
And as far as shoes go, let's just say I bought my 5th pair of shoes in 5 days. One of those pairs was my wedding shoes! I haven't gotten them in the mail yet, but I have tried them on and fell completely in love :)) Here's a picture!
Small I know, so check out the link: Shoes
Well, I'm off to hang out with friends!
Til tomorrow...
My dress is fantabulous. Yes, that IS a word. At least in my vocabulary, it is. I found my dress in less than 45 minutes. I didn't do the whole crying bit you see on "Say Yes to the Dress," but I definitely knew it was the one! I can reveal 2 things about it. J already knows these two things, so don't worry about that. 1: It's white (hahahaha, you actually thought I would tell you ANYTHING about it?) and 2: it has pockets (and if you know me well, you know I literally die for pockets. I don't buy jackets, or skirts, or really anything unless it has pockets).
And as far as shoes go, let's just say I bought my 5th pair of shoes in 5 days. One of those pairs was my wedding shoes! I haven't gotten them in the mail yet, but I have tried them on and fell completely in love :)) Here's a picture!
Small I know, so check out the link: Shoes
Well, I'm off to hang out with friends!
Til tomorrow...
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
#3: Pick chas
I think there should always be top-priority things when planning a wedding. For us, we wanted good food, good music and an awesome photographer. Our venue is providing good food (we hope! our tasting is October 30th). We're providing the good music (even though my definition of "good" and J's are just a tad different). But the photographer took a little bit of time to find.
I have several friends who are amazing photographers (see previous post about the fabulous Jewel Peach), but all those friends are going to be guests at our wedding. And we want them to be just that, guests. I began our search fairly soon after we got engaged. I emailed one photographer whose work I love, and I'll leave them nameless, because I wasn't impressed. I have yet to hear back from them.
After being bummed at the lack of communication from my #1 pick, I was talking to my mom one night when she suggested I look into a friend's wedding photographer. This friend of mine actually got married on New Years Eve, the night we got engaged, and my parents were at the wedding. My mom said the photographers were fun and unobtrusive, which is a must at a wedding! I looked through my friend's photos (thoroughly impressed) and got the information of the photographer.
And this is the story of how we met Peter Davis, of Peter and Sarah Davis Photography. I contacted Peter via their website and he responded within 24 hours...pretty impressive. If you know me, you know how I like timeliness. After a 15 minute phone conversation with Peter, I knew we had found our wedding photographer. We booked him without even meeting him in person!
What I love about Peter and Sarah is that they are very family and community oriented. They have 3 beautiful (and I mean, bee-you-ti-full) children and a passion for helping others. They have a partnership with The Unembraced, which is an organization that supports orphans in Lodwar, Kenya. Peter and Sarah donate a portion of each wedding package to help this cause. How can you not love that? Awesome pictures and helping children! Peter is also a high school teacher in Charlottesville. Can you say busy?
All I know is that J and I are SOOOO excited to work with Peter and Sarah, and I'm pretty sure they're just as excited, because Peter's asked me to move up the wedding a couple times :) Check out their website, and get excited with us!
PS: Get even more excited, because we'll be having a photo booth! :))
Side note on my side note from yesterday: got an e-mail that my boots have shipped! so excited!
I have several friends who are amazing photographers (see previous post about the fabulous Jewel Peach), but all those friends are going to be guests at our wedding. And we want them to be just that, guests. I began our search fairly soon after we got engaged. I emailed one photographer whose work I love, and I'll leave them nameless, because I wasn't impressed. I have yet to hear back from them.
After being bummed at the lack of communication from my #1 pick, I was talking to my mom one night when she suggested I look into a friend's wedding photographer. This friend of mine actually got married on New Years Eve, the night we got engaged, and my parents were at the wedding. My mom said the photographers were fun and unobtrusive, which is a must at a wedding! I looked through my friend's photos (thoroughly impressed) and got the information of the photographer.
And this is the story of how we met Peter Davis, of Peter and Sarah Davis Photography. I contacted Peter via their website and he responded within 24 hours...pretty impressive. If you know me, you know how I like timeliness. After a 15 minute phone conversation with Peter, I knew we had found our wedding photographer. We booked him without even meeting him in person!
What I love about Peter and Sarah is that they are very family and community oriented. They have 3 beautiful (and I mean, bee-you-ti-full) children and a passion for helping others. They have a partnership with The Unembraced, which is an organization that supports orphans in Lodwar, Kenya. Peter and Sarah donate a portion of each wedding package to help this cause. How can you not love that? Awesome pictures and helping children! Peter is also a high school teacher in Charlottesville. Can you say busy?
All I know is that J and I are SOOOO excited to work with Peter and Sarah, and I'm pretty sure they're just as excited, because Peter's asked me to move up the wedding a couple times :) Check out their website, and get excited with us!
PS: Get even more excited, because we'll be having a photo booth! :))
Side note on my side note from yesterday: got an e-mail that my boots have shipped! so excited!
Monday, October 18, 2010
#2: Oh, the places you'll go! (Or have a wedding)
Since I already covered the most important part of any wedding, the groom, I'll continue with the lesser, but still very important, parts. Our venue hunt began immediately after we got engaged, because J isn't home very often and I didn't want to pick out our venue without him! We had been eyeing the Lorton Workhouse. The Workhouse was previously a jail, and a couple years ago, it was gutted and transformed into an art gallery, where artists can take and teach classes and display their works (some for sale, some not). The facility is immense, with over 15 different galleries spread over many different mediums (pottery, photography and painting, to name a few). There is also a grassy courtyard where tents are set up every summer for events. We thought it would be the perfect place to host our wedding, seeing as how J and my mom are both amazing, talented artists. We'll get to their crazy abilities in later posts.
We made an appointment to see the hall where the wedding would take place, and I have to say, we were very let down. I imagined a bright, open, roomy hall with lots of natural light and an open floor-plan. The room we were shown had pillars smack dab in the middle of the hall and temporary walls were put in place to display works of art. We were told the walls would not be able to be moved. This posed a huge problem, as most people like to see the bride and groom when they attend a wedding. But maybe that's just me. We weren't really feeling the layout, but when we got the financial part of it, we really weren't feeling it. The cost just to rent the space was out of our budget, and that didn't even include any chairs, tables, linens, etc. We knew in our gut it wasn't the right place for our wedding. So our search continued...
Then we decided to look elsewhere, but just as close to home. Our area is being quickly built up, and my mom suggested we look at a county-owned golf course about a mile from our house. So off we went. The space was gorgeous, the colors fit perfectly with our theme and the view was to die for. Long story short, when we went to sign the contract, a few glitches arose. We were told the area we had previously discussed for the cocktail hour would not be available and that with the dance floor in place, the banquet room would not fit all our guests. Not sure why this wasn't brought up over our multiple visits and e-mails, but nonetheless, #2 was out.
We briefly looked at another golf course, to humor my mom, but it was too stuffy for us and we didn't really like the look of the ballroom we would be renting.
Then, after lamenting to my boss about my lack of venue, he suggested we look into the golf club literally a stone's throw away from his house. And off we went, with no expectations, so we wouldn't get let down again. We were blown away when we walked into Old Hickory Golf Club. I instantly fell in love with all the dark wood and gorgeous chandeliers. Then our coordinator, Audrey, showed us around the facility, and the outside was just as beautiful as the inside. There is a large outdoor patio for us to have the ceremony, and then there is a 2nd level porch, big enough for 200 people, where will we host the cocktail hour. Our guests will move into the large ballroom for dinner and dancing. We were so excited to finally find the perfect place for our wedding :) Here's a couple of pictures of it:
The front of the building. Love the landscaping!
One of the gorgeous locations for picture taking
(Both images were pulled from Old Hickory's website)
A few side notes today:
1. Props to my amazing fiance for helping me with the design of this blog!! If you saw my first post on Monday, the background and design was seriously lacking some personality and personalization. J spent almost an hour helping me re-size pictures and edit CSS code (I knew his web design class last semester would come in handy!). Ok well, really, I just gave him my password and he did it all. And, voila! There is one of our engagement pictures, done by the fabulous Jewel Peach!
2. I ordered a pair of over the knee boots on Saturday and I cannot get them out of my head today. I want to wear them so badly! But alas, 2-3 weeks for delivery will not help that situation. Sadness ensues.
Til tomorrow...
We made an appointment to see the hall where the wedding would take place, and I have to say, we were very let down. I imagined a bright, open, roomy hall with lots of natural light and an open floor-plan. The room we were shown had pillars smack dab in the middle of the hall and temporary walls were put in place to display works of art. We were told the walls would not be able to be moved. This posed a huge problem, as most people like to see the bride and groom when they attend a wedding. But maybe that's just me. We weren't really feeling the layout, but when we got the financial part of it, we really weren't feeling it. The cost just to rent the space was out of our budget, and that didn't even include any chairs, tables, linens, etc. We knew in our gut it wasn't the right place for our wedding. So our search continued...
Then we decided to look elsewhere, but just as close to home. Our area is being quickly built up, and my mom suggested we look at a county-owned golf course about a mile from our house. So off we went. The space was gorgeous, the colors fit perfectly with our theme and the view was to die for. Long story short, when we went to sign the contract, a few glitches arose. We were told the area we had previously discussed for the cocktail hour would not be available and that with the dance floor in place, the banquet room would not fit all our guests. Not sure why this wasn't brought up over our multiple visits and e-mails, but nonetheless, #2 was out.
We briefly looked at another golf course, to humor my mom, but it was too stuffy for us and we didn't really like the look of the ballroom we would be renting.
Then, after lamenting to my boss about my lack of venue, he suggested we look into the golf club literally a stone's throw away from his house. And off we went, with no expectations, so we wouldn't get let down again. We were blown away when we walked into Old Hickory Golf Club. I instantly fell in love with all the dark wood and gorgeous chandeliers. Then our coordinator, Audrey, showed us around the facility, and the outside was just as beautiful as the inside. There is a large outdoor patio for us to have the ceremony, and then there is a 2nd level porch, big enough for 200 people, where will we host the cocktail hour. Our guests will move into the large ballroom for dinner and dancing. We were so excited to finally find the perfect place for our wedding :) Here's a couple of pictures of it:
The front of the building. Love the landscaping!
One of the gorgeous locations for picture taking
(Both images were pulled from Old Hickory's website)
A few side notes today:
1. Props to my amazing fiance for helping me with the design of this blog!! If you saw my first post on Monday, the background and design was seriously lacking some personality and personalization. J spent almost an hour helping me re-size pictures and edit CSS code (I knew his web design class last semester would come in handy!). Ok well, really, I just gave him my password and he did it all. And, voila! There is one of our engagement pictures, done by the fabulous Jewel Peach!
2. I ordered a pair of over the knee boots on Saturday and I cannot get them out of my head today. I want to wear them so badly! But alas, 2-3 weeks for delivery will not help that situation. Sadness ensues.
Til tomorrow...
#1: Welcome!
I've always hated meeting new people. At church, our worship leader likes to give a us a few minutes to "greet those around you." My family and friends know I hate this part. But making new friends? LOVE that part. So I'll skip the cheesy introduction and just dive right into the good stuff: wedding planning!
My goal for this blog is to do one post a day for the next 250 days until our June 25, 2011 wedding. Now we'll see if I can actually keep this up!
Let's start with all the basics for a wedding: venue, photographer, dress, shoes (just as important as the dress), oh and yes, the groom. Gotta have the groom!
I'll start with the most important: the shoes. Just kidding! Let's start with the groom :) J and I met almost 4 years in December of 2006. I don't actually remember meeting him but I do remember the first time we hung out. It was my best friend's birthday and she had invited a friend and I to do dinner and a trip to Old Town Alexandria. I invited J to come along with us, and let's just say the rest is history! He is my best friend, my sounding board, a goofball, my confidant and the most selfless person I have ever had the honor to know. He serves me in ways he doesn't even realize and I am so blessed to be marrying him. We've been through a lot in the last 4 years, but each time we hit a trial or a snag, we've grown closer together and I think that's the way it should be.
I don't want to overwhelm you with the first post, so I'll just give you an overview of the rest of list, and I'll expand on them in later posts.
Venue: Old Hickory Golf Club in Woodbridge, VA
Photographer: Peter and Sarah Davis
Dress: David's Bridal
Shoes: DSW
Til tomorrow...
My goal for this blog is to do one post a day for the next 250 days until our June 25, 2011 wedding. Now we'll see if I can actually keep this up!
Let's start with all the basics for a wedding: venue, photographer, dress, shoes (just as important as the dress), oh and yes, the groom. Gotta have the groom!
I'll start with the most important: the shoes. Just kidding! Let's start with the groom :) J and I met almost 4 years in December of 2006. I don't actually remember meeting him but I do remember the first time we hung out. It was my best friend's birthday and she had invited a friend and I to do dinner and a trip to Old Town Alexandria. I invited J to come along with us, and let's just say the rest is history! He is my best friend, my sounding board, a goofball, my confidant and the most selfless person I have ever had the honor to know. He serves me in ways he doesn't even realize and I am so blessed to be marrying him. We've been through a lot in the last 4 years, but each time we hit a trial or a snag, we've grown closer together and I think that's the way it should be.
I don't want to overwhelm you with the first post, so I'll just give you an overview of the rest of list, and I'll expand on them in later posts.
Venue: Old Hickory Golf Club in Woodbridge, VA
Photographer: Peter and Sarah Davis
Dress: David's Bridal
Shoes: DSW
Til tomorrow...
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