Flowers and Hair Meetings

Mom and I went to the hair salon that will be taking care of all the ladies hair on the wedding day. I went with ideas of what I wanted and didn't want, but I didn't know exactly what would look good on me. I'm pretty happy with what I will be wearing. Hopefully it will be a little better on the day of. :) Mom's style we still have to figure out. We weren't happy with what they came up with. I have some work to do to help her. :) But that is one big thing out of the way.

Then came today's appointment... flowers! I am very happy with the florist we chose. They seem to know the exact look I am going for. Finger's crossed!

Our big day is getting closer and closer. I cannot believe it is just over THREE months away. THREE! I am beyond excited and not the tiniest bit nervous, just insanely excited. :)

I meet with the chef on Sunday so maybe I'll have an update then. When I head home, I will pick up my dress (Yay! It will be the first time I actually SEE it!) and work with the invitations. Things are getting done, but there is still lots to do!

It's Such A Small World

 I have been struggling to find someone for hair and makeup for the wedding. Besides myself, I have a list of some of the girls that want hair and/or makeup done and as each day went by, I crossed one more option off my list. I had about had it. I finally found a place to do hair.  And the one girl I thought I had for sure ended up letting me know she couldn't do it. Then the place that I finally did get for the hair said they could do makeup, but I said I didn't need makeup. Then when this girl let me know that in fact she could not do makeup, I called the hair place back to check with them. Well, turns out, they can't do it either. My list was now all scratched off. But then, my dear friend (more like family), Jillian, offered her help. She has been so helpful and a lot of fun to chat with during the entire wedding planning process. We haven't seen each other for years, but have kept in touch (a lot) more recently. It's be truly wonderful. So she has been so gracious to offer her help doing the girls and my makeup on the day of the wedding. I am beyond thankful to her.

Now, to get to the small world part of the story... My Aunt Mare (Mom's sister - I call Jilly's Mom "Aunt Mare" too, but that's not the one I am talking about here... yet) has a friend that does my cousin's makeup for formals and proms. She is so talented. I just saw more pictures of my cousin's recent prom and she looked breathtaking. And I am not saying that because she is my cousin. She really looked amazing. Now, this friend of my aunt's is offering to teach myself, mom, two aunts and two cousins how to do our makeup and know the best color choices, etc for the big day. So then along with Jillian, we will be able to do a little as well. Great. I'm so happy to have two very talented ladies helping me to make sure I look tip top on our wedding day!

Today my Aunt Mare called up with a funny story or to use her words... I think she said hysterical. She was talking to her friend on the phone to arrange something with all of us to work with her when I come up for a visit and she was talking about my cousin's prom pictures on Facebook and mentioned me and the lady said, "Oh is that your niece that commented on that picture?" So my Aunt said yes and so then she knew what I looked like, etc... Well, then hung up the phone. Within a few moments later, the phone rang again. It was my aunt's friend. She was calling to say that she and I had two mutual friends. She said it was so weird that we don't even know each other, but we have two friends in common. My aunt asked who and it was none other than my other Aunt Mare and Jillian!!! So my Aunt got all excited and told her that Jillian is the one she told her about earlier that was going to be doing our makeup! It's amazing because this lady taught Jillian how to do makeup years ago! And Jillian worked for this lady's family's dance studio doing makeup! Now I really know that I am in two pairs of talented hands!

I can't wait to see Jilly and to have her do my makeup and to meet this mutual friend of all of ours and have her see what she says as well! What fun to look forward to!

I should have learned this lesson already while planning this wedding. I've had hurdles to get over and in the end, after all seemed hopeless, the best, by far, has worked out and has become more amazing than I could have hoped for!

You just know when some things work out the way they did, they were meant to be... And this was meant to be!

Shoe Drama

Okay, so it may not really be drama, but it is a big issue. My dress will be here in less than a month and I still have no shoes... I don't see a light at the end of the tunnel of my hunt either. I found a site that had nice shoes on it. Yay! There is hope... until I took a look at the prices. Yeah, this girl here would never pay $400 plus for a pair of shoes. I wouldn't even pay half that amount. So back on the search I go for ultra flat shoes... and not super narrow ones.

Dress Shopping Dreams!

With upcoming wedding festivities, I have been looking for one or two cute dresses to wear. There will be a bridal shower and an evening with my bridesmaids, a rehearsal dinner and breakfast the day after with family... and of course our honeymoon! I already own nice dresses, but I was hoping to maybe find one new one. :) So last night I had a fun dream about shopping for the dresses! Fortunately but unfortunately I found the dress in my dream last night! Maybe I should spend a day just looking for that dress! What do you think? Where do you think I should start looking? :) No strapless and no minis please!

Must Needed Beauty Sleep

SO much has been going on these past few days. I am sure you have heard about the tragedy in Alabama. That's home to me and all the devastation is local to us. Mono was home and my parents and I were out of town (out of state actually) and I was scared to death. I am so happy he is safe and I can't wait to get home. I know it is not going to be fun being amidst the chaos and lack of power, but with all this going on, I just want to be home. I had tornado warnings yesterday, over night and more severe ones around 3 am this morning - where I am visiting now - so I have been up for quite a while. I need sleep. The day before all this happened, I was exhausted from trying to find hair/makeup people for the bridal party and flowers as well. I wish I could have someone arrange all that for me. At this point, like I said, I just want to go home. :( But, on a brighter note... The Royal Wedding is tomorrow morning! That is where the beauty part of the sleep comes in. ;) I need to look my best for the wedding. Oh wait, that's right... I didn't get an invitation. Well, that's okay. I am happy being in my pjs and cuddled in my blanket watching it from bed. :) Good night all.

I Have Proof!

Yes, I do have proof. Actually I have a proof for our invitations! 

That deserves a big Yay!! :)

I went a few days back and designed how I wanted them and I received the proof back already.

I have to go in today to meet with her and make a few changes and then I will have to wait for the second proof to come back before we can place our order. That will have to wait until the first week of May. There's a lot going on from today through the first week of May so I won't be able to make it back in to the shop before then. Thankfully we can go over things via e-mail, but I have to actually sign off on things to make it official. So exciting!

So today we are heading back down and we will take care of that. I have a few other quick places to stop as long as it is okay with my two amigos that are coming with me (Mom and Mono). There may be a few wedding updates on here this coming, but I am not sure when I will have the time to post... maybe late at night. We shall see. If not, you can look forward to some updates in that first week of May, when things settle down!

I hope you all have a very blessed and Happy Easter!!

She Said To Add Everything I Could Dream Of....

I'm not sure if she* really knew what she was saying when she said this to me tonight:

"Add Everything You Could Dream Of...."

If that is really the case, I say 

"Dear Pottery Barn, Please just truck out your entire store and deliver it to the following address. Thank you. - Mary Anne"

And no, I am not kidding.

I will be registering at the normal stores everyone seems to register at, but I have a few favorite home stores (besides places like Home Goods - you can't really register there), that will have registry wish lists as I will refer to them. I am sure most of the things on the lists won't be purchased, but I will take her advice to add everything I could dream of.

Places like Pottery Barn, Williams-Sonoma and Restoration Hardware hold a dear place in my heart. When I walk into Pottery Barn, I feel like I could be at home. When I walk into Williams-Sonoma, I just want to cook and bake and even... clean my kitchen. And at Restoration Hardware, well they stole my heart when I felt a certain little blanket they sell. Each place makes me want to have a very welcoming home. 

I want my home to be a place where when family and friends visit, they too feel like they are at home. I know that it's not what is in the home, but the love that fills your house that makes it a home... but these things do help set the mood, don't they? ;)

The process of registering has been all fun, exciting, a tad overwhelming and now proving to be quite dangerous. I am working with a few stores and am in the middle of editing my lists due to the lack of items in certain stores and the multitude of options on-line.

I am hoping to pretty much have my registries completed by the end of this week. Some tweaking may be made in Pottery Barn if I do end up making a list there. I would like to visit the store once more to scout out a few things to decide which of a few things I like more. I do have to limit my list a little, even if it is all dreaming. I mean, after all, I can't have 7 different sets of everyday glasses. I'd like to, but even I think that is a bit much.

*(she) will remain nameless in case her grand (and I truly mean that) advice ends up backfiring when she sees my wish lists. ;) You know who you are though. hehe- 

We're Registered... Almost!

Today we went to start registry for the wedding! It was a lot of fun, yet a little overwhelming! We got a good bulk of it done, but we are going to go back tomorrow and another day to finish and tidy up the list. We started at one store and had the greatest guy to help us get started with the process. I wish we got a picture with him... Usher. He really got into it and really was good at what he did. And no, he wasn't even gay! He'd talk to us, and when he got real serious, he'd lower his voice and continue on. It was quite funny, but honestly, we couldn't have gotten off to a better start. He's engaged too, so he was telling us stories of him and his fiance registering. He and Mono could really get the guy side of it! :) So we had fun. We took that little scanning gun and walked up each aisle and got the ball rolling! My Mom came with us too which was fun. She brought up good points and help us pick out certain things. The most overwhelming part was the linens. Oh. My. Gosh! The different types of cotton, the thread counts, the feel, how well they will wash, etc. Endless! I was so overwhelmed and I called Mono's Mom more times than I should have! She is the queen of knowing that stuff. I am going to have to have her teach me what she knows, because she is real good. I wish she could have been there with us too. Mono and I have such great Moms (and Dads!!) and I like having them all involved as much as I can. So, I am done with the first half of registering. Now I am going to go online and switch some things up that they didn't have in the store. Hopefully we made some good decisions for it!! Oh, and a random funny part: My Mom, Mono and I were walking out of one store through the mall and all of a sudden my Mom said, "OH MY GOSH! MARE! WHAT'S ON YOUR FACE!? WHAT HAPPENED?!" haha- I thought I had blood on my face or something was seriously wrong and then within seconds the two of them were hysterical laughing at me! I had black soot or something on my face. Who the heck knows how it got there, but it was there! It wouldn't just wipe off, and then my Mom gave me antibacterial sanitizer stuff from her purse and that just burned! haha- What craziness! Thankfully I got it off, but it certainly didn't help my already very tired look. I wasn't sure if I should laugh with them or just get mad at them for laughing at me. I think it was a little of both! ;) We also picked out invitations!! :) I have to go back next week though to finalize it. What excitement!!

Two Full Days Ahead!

So much has been going on these past few days! 

It's been kinda crazy and now I have a whole new area to work on ahead of me. 

Tomorrow and Friday are going to be completely full days.

I am going to have to drive down to B'ham for a meeting and also to look for invitations. I have to go to a few places to price around, see the style I'll want for our budget, etc. Lots to look at. 

After Mono gets off of work, we are going to go start registering too. When that is done, that will be a big load off! I am really excited to do that. I have a feeling we will be fighting over the little gun to scan things!! :) It will be an adventure for sure! Invitations and Registry are two biggies that we will soon be able to cross off! I am starting two DIY projects and I am working on some things for the bridesmaids. Lots to still do, but I think we are staying at a great pace!

Off to bed now!

She Was Down to the Wire!

Fabric draping above me, racks upon racks of white dresses hanging from the ceiling, tri-fold mirrors... I was sitting on a fancy chair, catching the reflection of all the wedding dresses in the surrounding mirrors when I overheard another bride shopping for her jewelry... for her wedding... only two days away. Yes, two. I thought to myself, "Boy, she's crazy! How can she leave things to the last minute!?" She still had decorations to figure out and jewelry to buy... and maybe even other things that I had not heard about.

This morning as I was taking my shower, I found my thoughts thinking about that bride. Wondering how her wedding was and if she figured out all she needed to before her special day. It also lead me to get thinking that I could be like her if I don't give myself a huge kick in the butt! I do have to wait on certain dates for certain things, but there are things I could be getting done right now. This week I have to sit down and print out a to-do list of every.single.thing I need to get done before my big day so I don't end up like the bride I overheard in the shop.

An Update

Yes, another boring subject... It has been a long few days and honestly, I am exhausted. You're not going to get much creativity out of me tonight... We went to our second marriage prep class last night and took our test (150 or so questions). I thought it was fun! :) I have started some DIY projects for the Church and for the decorations at the reception. It involved gold spray paint and I didn't think to wear gloves. What a mess! I still can't get it all out from underneath my fingernails! ;) My Mom has been looking for her dress and we think we may have a winner! :) It is so wonderful to see my Mom so happy. She will be stunning. And, last update for tonight... it looks like we will be honeymooning in Aruba!! We are both quite excited at the trip that we have ahead of us. Mono has done a really fantastic job researching and speaking with people about where to go and all that jazz. :) Thanks Mon!! You're the best.

That's the update for tonight. Lame, I know. I will try to get more sleep so I can be creative and exciting again.

Say Yes to the Dress

I was watching Say Yes to the Dress and I have some random thoughts... 

Some of the brides have to deal with their moms, sisters or best friends not liking the dress or saying, "It's really nice...." and you know there is a but coming along. (I hate buts) Thankfully I had none of that. I took my Mom and Maid of Honor along with me and we all had some dresses we didn't like, but we all agreed on it. I can't wait to see my actual dress and then on my wedding day for everyone else to see the final outcome. :)

I thought I had a large wedding party. A bride on the show had eighteen bridesmaids!!! Even I can't imagine that!

I wish a few more people could have come to see my dress at the bridal salon, but I am not the type that would bring over a dozen people with me. That's too much. I'd have to split them up into different visits.

Why do some women bring their fiances?! I thought they aren't supposed to see you until the big day!! Don't ruin the surprise! For you or him!

I was picky, but not like some of them. I knew what I wanted and made my decision pretty easily. I think if you try too many dresses on, it becomes overwhelming and is really hard to decide!

If you're on the larger side, why do you reveal SO much? I certainly know my dress will be different. One thing I said right from the beginning, I didn't want to be so revealing.

And my last really random thought. I'm glad I was able to work with a lady... a classy lady.

Another Update (Great titles, huh?)

This is going to be an uninteresting and non-creative post... just a plain ol' update. ;)

We had our first marriage prep class on the 1st. That was great. I enjoyed the first class. It helps that we are taking it with a priest that we really like and are friendly with. At one point he asked if I had some piece of information so I took my planner out (just my notebook one) and I think he was quite impressed. Well that is what I am telling myself. It could have been that he was a little nervous with all my papers! What has he gotten himself into! haha

So that class was good. We have a lot to read before our next class. It's once a month for 6 months... I think. 

I made a deposit with our videographer so I have the contract set so we have the date held. I wish I was up in Maryland so I could have looked around and met with companies. My photographer was a no-brainer. I knew I wanted her even before I was anywhere near being engaged. She recommended this company so I know I will be getting quality.

I am beginning to get my DIY materials together. I have a lot to do and really have to get my act together with that stuff. The 6 month mark is going to be here before we know it. I would like to have things done to bring up when I go up north at different times in the months prior to the Wedding. That way we don't have to bring as much (there will still be quite a lot) up for the actual trip for the Wedding. 

Speaking of that trip for the wedding, my dress alone is going to take up a huge portion of the car! I think we are going to have to take 2 cars. I am hoping Mono can come up at the same time and he and I drive up in one car and my parents can take the other car. We shall see. But it would be a lot easier to have a second driver in both cars. 11 hours is a long ride alone. 

My muslin "pattern" dress is in. I don't know exactly what they are called. It's my dress but in a muslin version. I have an appointment for this coming Tuesday to have my first fitting. I am pretty excited! I cannot wait to see it. It won't give me the full idea of what my dress looks like, but at least I will get a pretty good feel for it. I wish I could post pictures, but out of all the wedding plans, the dress is the biggest secret... a lot because one of my blog readers is Mono! haha- And we cannot let him even get a hint of what it looks like.

So, I think these are all the updates (at least worth writing about) for now. I will write soon.

A Brief Update!

I haven't posted in a while. At least it seems that way. The past week or two has been a little bit quieter with the planning, but I have to get back on some things, especially when it comes to DIY, as the list is rather long. :) We have our DJ booked. The two limos are set aside for us. I'm working on options for a videographer. Hmmm, what else? That's all that is coming to mind right now. There will be a lot more to come though. Some I want to keep a secret, but maybe I can post vaguely what I am working on when the time comes. ;) Today marks the 7 month mark! It's 10:30 CT, which means it is 11:30 ET, which means..... at this time, in seven short months, we will be married!!! Let the fun begin continue! :)

Tab Happy

Why did I do this to myself?! I had to write out my return address a lot of times today, more than the usual paperwork going out in the day…and so I started wishing I had a cute return address label to ease up my work. I also anticipate many envelopes needing to have my address on for thank you's and such once the wedding comes around. So now, my brain starts going… I of course get sidetracked from what I should have been doing…and let's just say I got a little tab happy and, well, 17 tabs later,  I am looking at custom calligraphy stamps with wooden handles and all! They're actually not too pricey when you think of how many times you will indeed be using it! Even after the wedding fun is over! So now I am all super excited, want to know exactly where I am going to live, my address and everything because I want to order one… NOW! haha- But of course, as I was looking at all the lovely ideas for stamps, I saw ideas for customized cards as well. Wouldn't that be so nice? A matching stamp with an "F" or something for nice writing paper or note cards?! The possibilities are endless and I just wish I could order some right now. :)

Bridesmaid Burgers

A few days ago, a long awaited package arrived in the mail....

Part of the gift for my lovely bridesmaids (all twelve gals - to make it easy I'm just saying bridesmaids)!!

I have been eagerly waiting for this very box. I just wish I could give the girls their gifts right now! I want to show them! 

But to the part with the burgers...yes, burgers.

I received the box in the mail late in the afternoon and that night I had a dream. 

My dream:

I opened the box to find the hamburgers (which was apparently what I meant to order)... on puffy fabric buns (again as it was supposed to be). I was so happy to see my order there nicely in front of me. But then after the excitement wore off that they had arrived, I got real concerned. I though to myself, Gosh, how am I going to keep these hamburgers fresh enough for the next few months?! Yes, I was some how going to have to keep these babies fresh for quite some time! And the thing was, because of the delicate fabric buns, I was not able to refrigerate or freeze them... it'd ruin the fabric!

That was the end of my dream. I never did find out what happened with keeping the gifts fresh for the next few months. My mind is either more creative than I thought, or just on overload. ;)

Oh, and don't worry girls. You are not getting burgers! I have no idea where any of this dream came from!

........ or are you? ;)

All Over The Map

I feel like I have literally been all over the map! I have so much on my mind right now. I know I still have 8 months until our wedding, but I not only like looking for ideas, but I want to get as many decisions made as soon as possible...thus my mind traveling the globe! I have videographers, hairstyles, make-up, bridesmaids dresses, shoes, jewelry, flowers, table decor, DIY projects, etc... It's all on the mind these days.

I have opened a gazillion and one tabs on my computer screen to find hairstyles, bridesmaids dresses and videographers. I have spent my night going through tab after tab after tab of possibilities and finally, I have my dresses for the girls. It is not set in stone, but I am going to send the formal "order" e-mail of the style and color I want and request the swatches, etc tomorrow. :) I am happy beyond belief right now.

I've sent numerous e-mails to videographers, asking for prices and their availability, so hopefully after a lot of searching, I will find something in my style and my price range.

Let's see.... To be a little more detailed in my searches of things, I am looking for shoes: flats, but cute and comfortable, maybe embellished some how. I don't just want a plain shoe. I kinda want something a little surprising when I let a peek out from under my dress. Nothing crazy, just something fun. I am thinking of possibly embellishing them myself. I may just wear a very nice flip flop. I only want to buy one shoe. Shoes aren't too big to me so I would rather spend that extra money elsewhere (like my videographer). I need to find these babies within a maximum amount of time of six weeks! (Right before my birthday... will these end up being a b-day gift to myself?)

For my hair, my unmanageable and thin hair, I am looking at updo's. I originally thought I wanted my hair down, but we shall see. I have a few ideas, but I don't want to give anything away. I'm trying to steer away from painting a picture of myself on my wedding day for all of you!

In the line of jewelry, I won't be wearing too much of it. I would like a nice earring, nothing too dangly and maybe a nice bracelet, and I think I may make that on my own, so I might just be looking for the earrings. I might not do those though until I see the dress in person.

I have a lot of DIY projects and in fact, I'm going hunting again tomorrow! I am hoping to find some good things! I have phone calls to make tomorrow as well so it should end up being a busy day in the line of wedding planning.

I was supposed to be going up north this week for a bridal show, but it is looking like that might not work out with the winter storm they are scheduled to get. We shall see. I'm not going to worry about that though. If we do go though, I will need to pack... fast!! ;)

I will update again soon. It's getting late and I have a lot to still do, save on the computer, write down, etc. And I am honestly a bit tired and would like to get to bed at a decent hour. :) I do promise more updates soon!

The Makings Of My Dress!

Today I bought my wedding dress (Is that what you'd say? It sounds like it is more important than just "I bought my dress"). You know, I've been looking through countless dresses on magazine pages and I have had several in-store appointments trying dresses on, and though I've seen some that I've liked, or parts of ones I liked, I knew that I hadn't found the one. They say you will know and I never got that feeling. I was questioning what wasn't right. Something was missing and I couldn't figure it out for sure. So, I got my sketch pad out and drew the one. Today I had the amazing opportunity to meet with an actual wedding dress designer. So you know how real she was, she kept talking about her friend Vera and I thought oh that's nice. Well she was talking about Vera. You know, Vera as in Vera Wang. This lady was the sweetest thing ever and we clicked instantly. I showed her my designs of what look I was looking for and then I scoured the racks of dresses she brought with her and the store had in, and I said kinda like this, and kinda like that and about 8 dresses later, I had my perfect sketch, detailed and with physical pieces of dresses to show her exactly what my little marks meant on my sketches. I wish I could tell the entire world right now what it is going to look like, but I have to keep it on the DL. Plus, to be honest, I am not even going to know completely what my dress looks like until it arrives to the store. Being that I designed it from the bottom up, I was not able to see my dress yet. On paper and in my mind yes, but not in flesh in one entire piece. I am not sure how long it will be until I get to see it done, but I am quite excited to see my dress. And for everyone else, it will be soon enough that you will get to see it... 244 days to go to be exact. :) One thought that makes me smile: my dress was created by me, and it will be one of a kind with no other one like it!

An Opportunity Of A Lifetime

Tomorrow morning I am meeting with a wedding dress designer and I am quite excited! This is going to be the closest thing I will get to working with a real fashion designer, and that excites me! I can't wait to sit down and show her my ideas and pick her brain and see what the two of us can come up with. And then of course, see if the outcome is even a possibility…monetarily. I know anything is possible in the fashion industry, unfortunately (there have been many unfortunate designs out there in Hollywood). But the dreams I have dreamed up that are now sketched out on paper may not be possible in the "wallet" industry…… No matter if the dress on paper turns to a dress in fabric or not, it will be an experience I will remember forever I am sure. Now if only I could be meeting with a bridesmaids dress designer, my issues in that area could be nearing completion. I'll update you all tomorrow or Sunday, whenever I am able to get back to blogging!

Love Me Some Wedding Projects!

Today I am out on the hunt for some materials and options for some of my many little (and some big) projects for our big day. I am hoping that my trip out here is successful in getting what I need to at least get started and settling some decisions. A few of the things I want to make will be determined when I see what my options are for the materials/supplies needed. :) Wish me luck! I can't wait to post more of these projects. Some I do want to keep on the DL so I don't give too much away about the Big Day!

Wedding Inspiration Day!

I'm declaring today to be Wedding Inspiration Day! I have so many random things that I should be looking up, getting ideas for and making decisions on and that is what today is going to be for. I have pew decorations, flower girl dresses, bouquets, escort cards, sashes, etc... that I have to be looking up! I have so many ideas for everything, but they have to become more orderly so I know what I am looking for. I want to make an inspiration board (sans my wedding dress so Mono doesn't see it) to keep out in my room. You can make them online, but I am more of a visual/touch type of a person so I want a physical one right in front of me. Today I am going to look online for ideas, set them aside and then when I can, print them out to go on the board. I know I won't get it all done, especially with the cleaning and wash that also has to get done today, but I'll get a good start on it. Happy Searching! :)

It Was An Absolute Nightmare!

I've had wedding dreams scattered throughout my nights since the planning began back in November, but a few nights ago was a first… I had a wedding nightmare. It was absolutely awful. It felt like eternity. I have no idea how long it lasted, but to me it felt like a full length movie.

I woke up the morning of my wedding feeling wonderful, stress-free and very excited... until the girls showed up... with the wrong dresses!!! Yes, that's right, the wrong dresses! And they were hideous things. I paid extra for different things and having them tweaked certain ways, arriving by a certain date, etc. And they came wrong! Completely, utterly wrong. I got so upset and drove over to the designers place and ended up in an icy parking garage, running and slipping, all while in my wedding dress! I went into the place and raised holy heck and argued with the guy (who was an absolute idiot in the dream) and got no where, but late and messy to my wedding! I ended up realizing that I wasn't going to let their ugly dresses and my ugly mess of myself ruin the wedding, but I was not happy at all. I woke up so upset and couldn't get back to sleep for a little bit. It may seem petty, but I was so distraught. I have been working very hard to find the type of dress I want for my bridesmaids and I want to make sure they look and feel beautiful in what I choose, so maybe that stress got to me. Ugh. What a nightmare! I pray nothing even comes close to this happening for our real wedding!!!

It's All In The Details

Registering for our wedding/shower gifts has not been high on my to do list, but recently, I have begun to look at things here and there. Today I went to a few stores with Mono and we enjoyed looking around together. I am actually a pretty lucky lady. Mono cares enough about the details of a home, but not to the extent where he makes it hard for me to pick out nice things. 

Going into this, picking things out for our future home, I want to make sure everything is picked out tastefully. I want to create a peaceful, calm and cozy home. One that he cannot wait to come home to after a long day at work. One that family and friends enjoy visiting from day to day. I want an elegant and classic look, but cozy and kid friendly all at the same time. 

So today, as we shopped, we walked throughout a few stores (some fancier than others) and enjoyed taking a peek at what some of the rooms in our future home would like to hold. I had fun with him. Yes, ladies… Fun shopping with my guy! :) He liked the little details and noticed all of the other couples doing what we were there to do. I can't wait to go for a real date to register in the stores for our shower/wedding. I think it will be a lot of fun. Of course there are always things I have to explain as to why we would need them, but I think my Mon is pretty excited himself to see what the loveliness of our home will be like! 

Since I was about 10 years old I have been receiving gifts for my hope chest which is now turning into an entire hope room, but that is another story, and while knowing that, I figured I wouldn't need much. But today, as we strolled the aisles, I noticed a lot of random little things that would be very useful to us come October!! 

It's the little details that make a house a home. The frames, the nice canisters to hold your flour, sugar etc, so you can bake warm goodies for your family... Oh there are so many details. I always notice them too and that can get me into trouble... Like picking out everyday flatware. To most people, you might go and just pick something out, but not to me. I like to shop around, see what is good quality, a good deal and something that is different, unique with details all of it's own. Unfortunately that normally means it is more expensive, but there are places out there you can find unique things and bargain prices!!

I can't wait to have a little place of our own and decorate it, organize it and make it cozy! 

Come on October! :)

A Visit From My Maid Of Honor

My Maid of Honor came for a visit and spent a few days here, helping me with wedding plans. It was so wonderful having her here. We made some things for the wedding, went dress shopping for the girls and myself and turned pages and pages of bridal magazines. I think we got a lot figured out and now after tomorrow, I am hoping to have a good hold on what the ladies will be wearing! I am trying to add touches of my own to a lot of things and now I am having to prioritize them. I have two possibilities for my top choices for my dress and one possibility for the bridesmaids dresses. I meet with a few people for mine next week and the girls' tomorrow. Hopefully all of that will go nice and smoothly so I can set things in stone and move on to a different task. :) I am really enjoying this whole process and it is nearly all stress-free for me so far. There's one area that has had me a little anxious, but overall I see it working out. :) So our visit was lovely, but too short. She has a busy schedule but says she is "on call" at all times. ;) For today, I have three tasks left in the lines of wedding planning and then the rest of my daily duties must get finished. I am looking forward to a quiet and relaxing weekend....and sleeping in... hopefully. :)

Flower Girl Sweetness

I had the best little conversation with my sister tonight… my flower girl. First we chatted about school and her classmate that told her she had an ugly name (and let me tell you, her name is not ugly). She told me about what they had for dinner, how the cat is doing, and the random little things going on in her cute little life.

And then her voice changed and from hundreds of miles away, on the other end of the phone I hear so sweetly, "Marezy, I'm really excited for the wedding." It was just so sweet and a quite little statement. So then we talked about the wedding. I told her I will go look for pretty dresses for her and let her help me pick her favorite out. I want her to be beautiful. She's precious and no matter what dress she ends up wearing, or how her hair is done, she will be my favorite little flower girl.

She then told me how she wants to wear her hair. She tried to explain it to me. I could tell she has the exact image in her mind, and she was trying her hardest to share in her image. She used the words, "kinda half up and half down, and a hump and a really pretty clip….and curls."

Picture that for a minute.

I can't wait to see her beautiful face on our wedding day! :)

Love you sweetie!

Fancy Feathers From A Dear Friend

Okay, so I was away for a few weeks over Christmas and when I came home, I had a little something special waiting to be opened. Turns out, it was from a peacock! Or a peacock was the delivery man because he left one of his fancy feathers behind. :) No, just kidding. It had a beautiful peacock feather on it.

Although I have a special little place in my heart for those beautiful creatures, it was from someone who has a much more special place in my heart…. my long distance sister, Jillian. She is the daughter of one of my Mom's dearest friends. We've known each other our whole lives. We have grown closer recently and she is becoming so dear to me. This is around the same time in our lives that our Mom's became such wonderful friends.




I know the gift inside of the package was itching for me to come home so it could be opened. It was a beautiful little wedding planning book. She ordered it exactly how she wanted it and it is just perfect. I am so in love with it. I am afraid to take it around with me because it is so fancy. I want to keep it as a very special keepsake. I've already begun to fill it out and I even had the perfect pen to use when I write inside of it. :)








Thank you, Jillian, first and foremost for being such a special long distance sister. I have grown even more these past few months to treasure and love our friendship and all of our similarities. I am thankful for YOU, and for the beautiful wedding planning journal you sent me. Love you.


P.S. She didn't even know I had a little place tucked away in my heart for peacocks and their fancy feathers!

272 Days = 9 Months

At this time, in 272 days, I will be Mrs. Federle! Today is January first... 9 months until our big day! We are so excited. As more plans are made and more time goes by, reality sets in with more and more excitement! :) October 1st still seems like such a long ways away, but I am sure it will be here before we even know it! What a great gift for the New Year! Happy 2011 to all!