4.21.2006
And So It Begins. . .
So far, I've told all my family and friends (I think; but Nana didn't seem to have come through with my uncle & cousins) and coworkers that I'm engaged (not like they could miss the ring because it's disco-ball sparkly) and bought one wedding planner from the bookstore.
I've browsed wedding sites and collected a lot of great information, some of which I've "saved" in an online "notebook", some of which I've printed or written out and hole-punched to go into our planning binder. We may need a thicker one, but it's good for now.
We've pared the guest-list down to bare-bones minimum of family, friends and Matt's coworkers. After discussing things with our parents, whose advice, love and financial support we will need to round out the final numbers, we'll be able to start visiting reception sites. Although we did a dry-run of one the other night; neither of us was very impressed, but they must have a GREAT photographer because the site looked beautiful in the pictures. *sigh!*
I'm thinking about colors; Matt wants his parents' approval. :eyeroll:
We're starting to talk about non-negotiables. . .like:
* Ceremony Site. For me, this is a no-budge location. I have a lot of emotional connections to it, it's relatively inexpensive and he's agreed to it. His mom remembers falling asleep there while she was in college; I've performed there as part of the choir. No if's, and's or but's, I'm determined to have the ceremony there.
* Polka. Grandma always says you're not really married until you polka. I think it would be a lot of fun to learn how to dance the polka, considering I already learned how to waltz, so this'll be fun. Matt wasn't so sure at first, but now that he's met Grandma and knows how much it means to our family, I think he's willing to make one compromise. All we have to do is warn the wedding party.
* Reception Music "Death List." There are certain songs that, no matter how much fun they are at parties, junior high dances or karaoke, should NEVER be heard at a wedding. We've been working on the complete list, in pen, for a while now. We've already vetoed Paradise by the Dashboard Light and The Chicken Dance. This should go quickly.
* Favors. "I've got a fever! And the only prescription for that fever is. . .MORE COWBELL!" We got this idea the other night. We love it, btw. We'd also like to burn CD's of our "wedding soundtrack", which will be very memorable, I'm sure. And since even my grandparents have a CD player, we should be good-to-go on that one.
Anyway, this is probably going to be the #1 place to vent about the whole shebang because it won't be fair to overburden my coworkers with things I'm excited about but won't necessarily be able to share with them too. We've begun to say "we're planning a small wedding, close friends and family only" hoping that people will get the hint.
And we're brushing up on ettiquette. This is HUGE, so it's a very good thing that Matt's mom has Emily Post permanently etched in her memory. She will save me many a faux pas as the important stuff comes up, I am sure. And for this, I am VERY thankful.
So far, I've told all my family and friends (I think; but Nana didn't seem to have come through with my uncle & cousins) and coworkers that I'm engaged (not like they could miss the ring because it's disco-ball sparkly) and bought one wedding planner from the bookstore.
I've browsed wedding sites and collected a lot of great information, some of which I've "saved" in an online "notebook", some of which I've printed or written out and hole-punched to go into our planning binder. We may need a thicker one, but it's good for now.
We've pared the guest-list down to bare-bones minimum of family, friends and Matt's coworkers. After discussing things with our parents, whose advice, love and financial support we will need to round out the final numbers, we'll be able to start visiting reception sites. Although we did a dry-run of one the other night; neither of us was very impressed, but they must have a GREAT photographer because the site looked beautiful in the pictures. *sigh!*
I'm thinking about colors; Matt wants his parents' approval. :eyeroll:
We're starting to talk about non-negotiables. . .like:
* Ceremony Site. For me, this is a no-budge location. I have a lot of emotional connections to it, it's relatively inexpensive and he's agreed to it. His mom remembers falling asleep there while she was in college; I've performed there as part of the choir. No if's, and's or but's, I'm determined to have the ceremony there.
* Polka. Grandma always says you're not really married until you polka. I think it would be a lot of fun to learn how to dance the polka, considering I already learned how to waltz, so this'll be fun. Matt wasn't so sure at first, but now that he's met Grandma and knows how much it means to our family, I think he's willing to make one compromise. All we have to do is warn the wedding party.
* Reception Music "Death List." There are certain songs that, no matter how much fun they are at parties, junior high dances or karaoke, should NEVER be heard at a wedding. We've been working on the complete list, in pen, for a while now. We've already vetoed Paradise by the Dashboard Light and The Chicken Dance. This should go quickly.
* Favors. "I've got a fever! And the only prescription for that fever is. . .MORE COWBELL!" We got this idea the other night. We love it, btw. We'd also like to burn CD's of our "wedding soundtrack", which will be very memorable, I'm sure. And since even my grandparents have a CD player, we should be good-to-go on that one.
Anyway, this is probably going to be the #1 place to vent about the whole shebang because it won't be fair to overburden my coworkers with things I'm excited about but won't necessarily be able to share with them too. We've begun to say "we're planning a small wedding, close friends and family only" hoping that people will get the hint.
And we're brushing up on ettiquette. This is HUGE, so it's a very good thing that Matt's mom has Emily Post permanently etched in her memory. She will save me many a faux pas as the important stuff comes up, I am sure. And for this, I am VERY thankful.
4.13.2006
Did I Forget to Mention. . .?
I am fashion-inept most of the time. Usually, I don't care because I don't like to get all gussied up for work, and I have refrained from wearing pajama pants to the office lately. Having to walk through the entry lobby kind of changes your perspective on what's acceptable office attire and what isn't.
And when even the site-lead wears jeans, you're not going to be wearing a suit.
That being said, I was thrilled to read Dahlia Lithwick's piece last week in Slate, Paper Doll, which asks the question "can a book teach you how to dress?"
The answer?
A deafening. . .maybe.
I am fashion-inept most of the time. Usually, I don't care because I don't like to get all gussied up for work, and I have refrained from wearing pajama pants to the office lately. Having to walk through the entry lobby kind of changes your perspective on what's acceptable office attire and what isn't.
And when even the site-lead wears jeans, you're not going to be wearing a suit.
That being said, I was thrilled to read Dahlia Lithwick's piece last week in Slate, Paper Doll, which asks the question "can a book teach you how to dress?"
The answer?
A deafening. . .maybe.
4.06.2006
I Am EXHAUSTED. . .
. . . but I still made dinner 3 nights in a row this week.
Mostly from scratch, because I did use a little help from frozen veggies, sauce mixes and boullion cubes.
And all in under 40 minutes. Except the rice I botched on Monday.
Last night, I made casseroles in the spirit of Thanksgiving. Frozen green beans with sauce, pre-cooked turkey breast, low-fat mayo, poultry seasoning, a box of StoveTop stuffing and some dried cranberries . . . and you've got most of the tastes of a turkey dinner in 25 minutes. Honest.
Add to that a mashed sweet-potato casserole topped with brown sugar and chopped pecans and you have dinner AND dessert.
I watch WAAAY too much Food Network.
. . . but I still made dinner 3 nights in a row this week.
Mostly from scratch, because I did use a little help from frozen veggies, sauce mixes and boullion cubes.
And all in under 40 minutes. Except the rice I botched on Monday.
Last night, I made casseroles in the spirit of Thanksgiving. Frozen green beans with sauce, pre-cooked turkey breast, low-fat mayo, poultry seasoning, a box of StoveTop stuffing and some dried cranberries . . . and you've got most of the tastes of a turkey dinner in 25 minutes. Honest.
Add to that a mashed sweet-potato casserole topped with brown sugar and chopped pecans and you have dinner AND dessert.
I watch WAAAY too much Food Network.
4.04.2006
The Agony of the Feet
Or, rather, my calves.
See, I really want to get knee-high boots, BUT I have wiiiiide calves.
I will ALWAYS have wide calves; I accept this but still allow boots to cause me heartbreak.
These:
Are allegedly "wide-calf" boots, so they should fit my calves.
They're very pretty and I want them very much. They will "go" with most of my wardrobe, even if they're a little "light".
I also like this purple pair:
But. . .they also run about $220 (OK, to be fair, they're currently on sale. . .but only until Friday) and I don't have $220 to spend on boots no matter how pretty they are or how much of an asset I think they'll be to my wardrobe.
This is very stinky and I don't like it.
Or, rather, my calves.
See, I really want to get knee-high boots, BUT I have wiiiiide calves.
I will ALWAYS have wide calves; I accept this but still allow boots to cause me heartbreak.
These:
Are allegedly "wide-calf" boots, so they should fit my calves.
They're very pretty and I want them very much. They will "go" with most of my wardrobe, even if they're a little "light".
I also like this purple pair:
But. . .they also run about $220 (OK, to be fair, they're currently on sale. . .but only until Friday) and I don't have $220 to spend on boots no matter how pretty they are or how much of an asset I think they'll be to my wardrobe.
This is very stinky and I don't like it.
Spotted on TV
I just saw that the Bedazzler that I'd recently ranted about has been cloned into something that does the SAME THING, but costs twice as much.
Why????
I just saw that the Bedazzler that I'd recently ranted about has been cloned into something that does the SAME THING, but costs twice as much.
Why????
