The Sweet Wife

thank you, Jesus.

2009-07-14T11:23:00.001-04:00

A few weeks ago while in worship on a Sunday morning, I wrote myself this note on a 4x6 blue index card:

Dear Heather….
You are enough.
STOP apologizing for who you are.
You are strong enough to fight for both of you.
Spend more time with me.
Fast. and seek. both are necessary.
You need to get back in the business of encouragement.
Remember where I've brought you from and where I've taken you.
Allow YOURSELF to be encouraged by me.
Don't give up.
I love you more than he ever will. And that is beyond okay.

-All My Love, Jesus

I had it at my desk for a while, and somehow it got put behind a stack of postcards I have.
I was just sitting here, feeling a thousand different emotions, when I saw a little pastel blue peaking out behind a Dallas postcard.

I grabbed it. And felt a little bit more peace.

And that is beyond okay.

Jenna Cole + my MOHes = pure joy in my heart

2009-07-11T09:09:00.002-04:00

So as you know, I am in Denton for general bridesmaid merriment. (full recaps to come later.)

but i just had to let you know this.

last night we had a MOH photoshoot with my FAVORITE BLOGGER, Jenna Cole (of WeddingBee, That Wife, and EAD fame!) who started pursuing photography this past spring. AND IT WAS AWESOME. Just a few hours after we left her, she had a few "teaser shots" up on facebook for us. Instant Gratification, much?

I HIGHLY recommend using her for ANYTHING you want photographed: parties, weddings, engagement/anniversary/couple, family, bridals, lifestyle, portraits, children: ANYTHING.

SHE IS FABULOUS and SO MUCH FUN.

check out her website: Jennacole

and check out our teaser photos.
which one is your favorite?
(Reminder: i have three MOHs...a maid of honor, Kelly (from Texas), and two matrons of honor, Danielle (from Minnesota), and Mary (from Louisiana). :)

all photos by Jenna Cole

2009-07-08T18:45:00.001-04:00

Boarded plane. On my way to NC for a VERY quick change of planes...shall be seeing my mother in about six hours (too long)

2009-07-08T17:50:00.001-04:00

At airport waiting to board (45min) have forgotten nalgene. Boo. Love lots of albany airport upgrades. Hooray!

2009-07-08T05:48:00.001-04:00

Realized at 5 AM: am sleepy. Yet SO SO SO excited to fly to Denton tonight'

2009-07-08T01:01:00.001-04:00

Realized at 1 AM: needs: sleep now, sf red bull later.

2009-07-08T01:00:00.001-04:00

Realized at 1 AM: i have shin splints.

2009-07-08T00:59:00.001-04:00

Realized at 1 AM: can not fit everything in carry on bags. Only taking out of town invites to finish and send. Others can wait

2009-07-08T00:57:00.001-04:00

Realized at 1 AM: apartment will not be clean nor unpacked before departure for Denton.

my favorite part

2009-07-07T13:16:00.001-04:00

I have probably mentioned this before.
So far, my favorite part of the whole wedding planning thing, is when I decide we aren't going to do something in the original plan and I get to cross it off all my lists.

And, since I am a list-a-holic, I decided this might be a good one to go with.

A LIST OF THINGS WE WERE AT ONE TIME GOING TO DO AT OUR WEDDING, BUT HAVE SINCE DECIDED NOT TO, FOR ONE OF A VARIETY OF REASONS:

1. Originally was going to have memory boxes like Sarah of Stinkerpants found here: http://stinkerpants.com/blog/2008/07/09/memory-boxes-revisited/

Have decided against these for various reasons (lack of memorablia for ShugarGroom, us having our own exhibit on display, my being lazy.)

2. Cookie and Coffee Bar. (did you know I was planning on MAKING over 50 dozen cookies on my own in the two months prior to the wedding and freezing them. hahahahahaha. glad I wised up.)

3. Fortune Cookies as Favors with a little note explaining our fortune cookie story
4. Wearing a Veil
5. Getting extensions (im quite certain we can pull off my hair with out them at this point. but I will see what the bridesmaids say this weekend)

6. Having assigned seating at tables named after different DCI cores.
7. and a full blown meal, at that. (we are having lots of finger foods on a buffet instead.)
8. Having a Fun Photo Booth. (and because of my not having this anymore, I now have a box of dress up stuff and props just to hang on to for fun. Actually, we've talked about making a fake photo area at the rehersal and having my v. talented and lovely MOH-Danielle who has taken up photography lately, take some photos….this has still not come to decision. Im sure this weekend we will discuss it more :) )

9. A welcome video for the website. (I have not yet given up on this- HOWEVER- I don’t really think it will get done. We took like an hour of footage in down town schenectady last september and it has yet to be downloaded to the computer for us to edit. I have no idea what we have done with the tape, and with ShugarGrooms work schedule, I don’t really see it getting done. but I understand and its not too big of a deal for me.)

10. Martha Stewart Tissue pouches found here: http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/good-things/tissue-pouches-for-your-guests?autonomy_kw=tissue%20holder&rsc=header_11 (which explains why I found 20 travel tissue packs while unpacking last night)

11. Making "planetarium show" tickets to include in the invitation - we are having a planetarium show at the reception and I was going to make some little tickets for added detail. I give up.

12. Having an IPOD playlist for music.

sometimes when I think about all the things we AREN'T DOING, I start to feel like we aren't going to have a "cool enough wedding"

But then I remember that a) we have a lot of OTHER really cool stuff going on.
and most importantly b) I don't care how "cool" our wedding is, as long as we are surrounded by people who love us, as we declare our love and lives together with Christ.

2009-07-06T22:39:00.001-04:00

It amazes me which wedding to do items have been left until the two month mark...

oh my

2009-07-06T06:46:00.001-04:00

Oh. My. Word.

We are getting married in two months from today.
EEK!

ok. now that that's over,
I am SUPER busy and overwhelmed Pre-Denton Trip.
SO MUCH TO DO, but I am also SO EXCITED!
To see ShugarMom, ShugarDad, ShugarBrother & ShugarSister.
And all my Bridesladies.
And maybe some other friends along the way, as well.
And to meet my personal blogger hero and photographer extraordinare, THAT Jenna Cole. (Am still expecting some sort of embarrassing star struck moments to take place on Friday evening. Be prepared for recap.)

Hopefully I will find some down time today to write a little Pre-Denton excitement post.
And to tell you all the things God is teaching me, the list of things I've found that I love/hate about the new apartment (have I even told you I moved?), and maybe even a post about THE SPARK. We will see.

(we all know that I am a bit of an over-planning procrastinator, by now, right?)

Have a fabulous Monday, my friends!

TWO MONTHS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-07-03T13:22:00.000-04:00

You heard it here 1st! USA track star and world record holder Joseph Detmer is ENGAGED! Dani said yes! congrats & love!

2009-07-03T11:39:00.001-04:00

Something BIG is happening with my best friend and world record holder, Joseph Detmer, RIGHT NOW. stay tuned for details.

Theodore Fredrick

2009-06-30T14:39:00.001-04:00

Recent Phone Conversation with ShugarSister

ShugarBride: So I have this box of memories from childhood and such. A lot of high school stuff, and beyond, really. But it has some important childhood stuff in there to.

ShugarSister: Oh, yeah. Good idea. is that where you keep Teddy Freddy?
SILENCE.
ShugarBride: NO!!!! WHAT!?!? NO!!! It's got a cover on it. He wouldn't be able to BREATHE IN THERE!!!!

Okay- yes, I'm 26 years old.
I'm not afraid to admit that I have two "friends"…ok, stuffed animals, that still hang out in my room.
Kaiser, the black lab Eddie Bauer puppy circa 1999 a la best friend and world record holder (I never get tired of saying that) Joseph Detmer.

And Theodore Fredrick, known more commonly as Teddy Freddy.

Kaiser is like the best cuddle dog ever. He has helped many, MANY of my girlfriends in their time of sadness. I'm pretty sure most of my floor-mates my freshmen year of Edgewood borrowed him during homesick nights and evenings of bad-break-ups. Kaiser goes well with a Reese's Blizzard and Friends Reruns. Kaiser is a comforter. A good hugger. And he also makes a nice neck pillow on long car rides.

Teddy Freddy was my first teddy bear. My late great-grandparents, G&G Weber, gave him to me on the day of my birth. I think. I swear this is true, but something in my head is telling me my mother is going to be correcting this notion - but it doesn’t matter WHERE I got him: I LOVE HIM. and I have for a long long long time. (26 years, apparently)

Teddy Freddy is a unique little bear. He has a secret smile. His mouth does indeed smile, yet his fur is fluffy enough that you can't actually see the smile unless you part the hair around his mouth. He always looks content with a tiny black nose and two beady eyes. (the good kind of beady…if there is one). Teddy Freddy has traveled ALL OVER the great USofA with me. He has taken NUMEROUS trips to Tennessee, since the age of 2, and he too was a fan of the former Tweety City and Opryland Amusement Park (just like me). He likes the no-longer findable Cherry Rush Gatorade, and detests Grape Flavoring (just like me). And he is REALLY good at Tetris. (just like me.)

Teddy Freddy is the perfect picnic companion, and also a wonderful audience when rehearsing your Informative Speech on wrestlers using unsafe methods to cut weight (which I may or may not have given in 4 different classes in high school & college). And he is humble and kind. He never once showed a bit of jealousy upon meeting Kaiser and having to share a room with him. He is splendid.

Now. Something tells me ShugarGroom is not going to be all for sharing a room, let alone a bed, with Kaiser and/or Teddy Freddy. (which is a whole nother story, let me tell ya.) So, now I turn to you dear readers.

As I prepare to move into our soon to be "first home together" this week, do you have any creative ideas of how to display such wonderful creatures? Honestly, is it time for me to retire them to the box of doom? (don't worry, Kaiser and teddy Freddy are without internet access, they won't know what you say.)

awesome

2009-06-30T13:01:00.001-04:00

not only is this wedding photographed by jill devries (one of my latest favorite photographers) awesome.

But it looks like Rob Bell may or may not have married the bride & groom in a VERY AWESOME, VERY INTERACTIVE vow exchange. Le seigh.

CHECK OUT MY FAVORITE WEDDING BLOG POST YET.
http://www.jilldevries.net/blog/?p=211

p.s. Jana…could you IMAGINE having him marry you guys? lovewins and all, right???

Best Customer Service EVER (or something)

2009-06-25T11:44:00.000-04:00

This is a story about the best customer service EVER! (or something).

This past Tuesday, ShugarGroom and I went to MensWarehouse to confirm the Tux decision and set it up in their system.

Since we have groomsmen in Texas, North Carolina and New York, we thought it would be best to go with a national chain on this one.

While we were there I found a tie I thought would match the Bridesmaids dresses perfectly. Of course, the one time I didn't bring my HUGE Wedding Binder with me, so I didn’t have a swatch of fabric to compare it to.

Luckily, however, I remembered that we were approx a 1 minute drive from Davids. So, after calling to confirm their hours of openness, we purchased one of the teal-ish ties and headed to Davids.

When I walked in the door I recognized the store manager at the register. She and another David's employee smiled at us and asked if we needed any help. I politely told them no, we were just going to try to match this tie to a bridesmaids dress color.

The store manager said "Good Luck." with a little smirk.

After realizing I could not find ANY dresses in Juniper, I approached the counter.

"I'm sorry- do you guys not have any Juniper dresses out on the floor?"

The sales manager chuckled a little.
"Oh, no. Juniper has been discontinued. Actually, I remember you. I recognized you when you came in. You have Juniper Dresses, right?"

STUNNED FACES ALL AROUND by ShugarBride and ShugarGroom, who at this point in time had grabbed my hand and squeezed.

"Oh- Kay."

Other sales woman: There may be a dress on clearance.
ShugarBride: Okay. we can check.

After a 20 minute search, one call to MOH-Danielle, and three other saleswomen getting involved, Davids Bridal finally located the ONE Juniper Dress they had in the store. (behind the counter for some reason?)

A PERFECT MATCH. Tie + Dress = Made for one another. (only not literally- because even though Davids & MW work together to create matching pieces, this tie was not one of these pieces…hmmmm) So perfect that ShugarMom saved the day and ordered the ties from MensWarehouse during a tiesale yesterday :) WOOT WOOT! Ten Points ShugarMom!!!

A.NY.WAY.
The dress debocle of 2009 carried on Wednesday with a nice, calm discussion with MOH-K about her lack of Dress and a paniced call to Davids. I'm assuming everything has been taken care of, however. And I am calm.

Actually, I remained farely calm throughout the entire process. Because, truth be told, even if MOH-K ends up with a BRIGHT PURPLE dress. I will be A-Okay. Because I am Marrying the LOVE.OF.MY.LIFE. and I have never been more excited for anything in the world.

Everytime I think about it lately, I am a box of giggly giddiness. It's really gotten a bit out of hand.

WOO HOO!

2009-06-22T16:25:00.000-04:00

today I got a phone call.

Me: Good Afternoon, Company Name Here, this is ShugarBride, how can I help you?
Caller: HELP!
Me: Ummm…yes?
ShugarGroom: I am FREAKING OUT ABOUT THE WEDDING! Do you KNOW how soon it is?
Me: hahahaha. yes…. have you not noticed me doing wedding stuff every single day?
ShugarGroom: Yes, but do you KNOW HOW SOON IT IS!??!
Me: yes. 75 days.
ShugarGroom: I AM FREAKING OUT. We still have a BUNCH of stuff to pay for! and a TON of stuff to do!
Me: yes.
ShugarGroom: I should probably…I mean…I have to…
Me: Call the groomsmen?
ShugarGroom: YES!
Me: Why do you think I've been asking you about it every day for a few months now?
ShugarGroom: I KNOW!
Me: Did you notice I've been working on wedding projects every day?
ShugarGroom: Yes, but, DO YOU KNOW HOW SOON IT IS?
Me: hahaha. yes. you are cute.
ShugarGroom: we both need to take off a day in July to do wedding stuff for 12 hours straight.
Me: ha. I already have one requested. We will be fine.
ShugarGroom: hooray for marriage. Do you KNOW HOW SOON IT IS?!?

this made my day :)

2009-06-22T13:25:00.000-04:00

Community comes from honesty.
Spiritual nourishment comes from being known and understood.

Even within yourself.

(Just started a book I tried to read years ago, and never got very far. Am already aware God had it for me NOW, not necessarily then. The margins are marked up. Lots of highlighting going on. And post-its are scattered all along the pages. THIS IS GOOD. Currently Reading: When Wallflowers Dance: Becoming a Woman of Righteous Confidence, by Angela Thomas.)

2009-06-22T11:40:00.001-04:00

everything I eat today tastes icky.

I don't like this feeling.

exactly

2009-06-17T14:50:00.001-04:00

Remember all those times I said that we didn't want our wedding to feel like everyone else's wedding?
Remember last week when I posted about us not doing a cookie bar?

PRAISE THE LORD:

http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/roundup-magazines/are-cookies-the-new-wedding-cake-gourmet-087352

2009-06-17T08:07:00.001-04:00

Happy Birthday, ShugarGroom!

2009-06-16T14:29:00.001-04:00

Am v. Excited that i realized i can text the blog. Am sure you are all excited too. like twitter with 14 less characters.

I just need to tell you

2009-06-12T10:30:00.000-04:00

I just need to tell you,

Thanks to a heads up from one of my favorite blogger friends and real life pen pals- Kaitlyn of http://upturnedbarbie.blogspot.com/

I have found a new hero/role model/favorite blogger/person I feel connected to, even though she doesn't know I exist/person I want to grow up to be more like even though she is two years younger than me.

I feel like we've been close friends for a while, even though I have only been reading her blog for two days (although, I have been reading her posts for HOURS each day.) and, like I said, she doesn't even know I exist.

Go here: http://ministrysofabulous.com/
and Meet Amy Beth Bullard : ABB

She is awesome. Funny. Honest. Kind hearted. Shines like Christ. And has a love for all things aquatic.
Reading her posts made me laugh so hard I couldn't breathe, tear up in heart-felt admiration, tear up in a realization that I do miss working with HS & College Girls in ministry, made me nod and pray and thank Jesus for finding this in his timing.

I want to go to Tennessee and spend some time with ABB, Cousin Kate, and friends. They all seem pretty awesome…and I could use some awesome.

JennaCole

2009-06-11T10:21:00.009-04:00

Maybe you know her as Mrs. Avocado.
Or That Wife. (formerly That Bride, formerly That Girl)
Or Maybe you know her as JennaCole.
Or all of the above.
(i sure have mentioned her about a billion times on this here blog- so hopefully by now you've followed at least one of those links!)

One thing is for sure: This talented lady is MOST FABULOUS.

Well, I feel like the luckiest girl in the whole wide world.
For a few reasons.

For starters, my bridesmaids/matrons have planned a special WEEKEND OF WONDERFUL in Denton, Texas. (But more on that later) I have NO IDEA what is going to be happening during this weekend (which is a bit hard for me to handle, I must admit.) But when I found out that we were all going to be in the Dallas area in July- I threw a little fit to my MOH-Danielle and INSISTED that I get to choose ONE THING we do. It was a must in my book.

A Girlfriend Photo Session Play Date with the FABULOUS JENNACOLE!!!!

I have given up control of the event (when,where,wardrobe)- leaving the conversation to happen between MOH-Danielle and ThatJenna, but one thing is for certain- I am SO STOKED to be able to have that talent behind the lens shooting me with some of my closest ladies. And I'm thrilled to meet Jenna, as well. (I fear I may have some blogger star-struckness going on. expect a full report on what a fool of myself I am sure to make.)

Check out these GORGEOUS works of art from JennaCole Photography.

Time Tells the Truth

2009-06-11T09:53:00.004-04:00

Monday morning it happened.
My first, small, anxiety issue in regards to the wedding.

I realized we were less than 3-months away.
and I still have A LOT to do.
And I felt a little overwhelmed.

This led to a few hours of pacing, heart racing, and maybe even some brow sweating.
and the index cards.

I made 13 index cards. One for each week. Labeled on the top with the dates for the week. And what I NEED to accomplish during the week.

I figure if I keep the cards with me, all together, it will be a lot harder for me to put things off "until next week" because next week's card will be starring me in the face, itself.

So- this week has started BRIDAL BOOTCAMP: a 13 week plan to make this wedding happen. I understand (and am a bit jealous about it) that some people put their entire weddings together in weeks, and sometimes even days. So this should not be so much of a challenge as an adventure, right?

I was going to post my entire list of To-Do for this week...but then I realized that some of the people who read this blog are people whom are going to be at the wedding. And I would really like there to be certain elements of surprise available to them. (There are some things I'm not even telling Shugarmom. HA! take that, Shugarmom!)

But- in a moment of pride and accomplishment let me say this: The Catering is almost COMPLETELY firmed up. Am just waiting for instructions on how to make the deposit check out, and we are ALL SET. (I've only been working on the "catering" item of my to-do lists since NOVEMBER) :) So WOO HOO for that!!!

It should ALSO be noted that ShugarGroom has his own list. :) And MOH-Danielle may be getting one in the mail soon too, now that summer has officially started for her and I know there is NOTHING she would rather do than work on our wedding ;)

and because today is a rare day that I can actually access blogger to post photos, I'm going to go ahead and leave you with this little gem of MOH Kelly and I on the subway when she came to NY for my 26th birthday :)

my favorite kind of inspiration

2009-06-11T09:42:00.006-04:00

YUMMY DESSERT INSPIRATION

I've kind of been anti-traditional wedding cake since the begining of the whole planning process. I've seen some beautiful cakes. I've seen some really unique and interesting cakes. But I never found a cake that I felt really fit ShugarGroom and myself.

And in case you haven't noticed, we aren't the most TRADITIONAL in terms of our wedding.

In the very early stages of planning, before I opened my eyes to reality, I thought we were going to have a home made cookie bar. With, you know, 30 dozen cookies that I bake myself the week before the wedding. ha. What goals! What dreams!

Let's just say I've opened up my mind to a few things. (small kitchen, no storage space, and two jobs, for example.)

If I've learned one thing about myself during this wedding planning process it's that I have a hard time sticking to decisions. (this is not necessarily a good thing. in any regard)
So- things, of course, have changed.

Our new plan is a dessert bar of sorts. With a variety of treats. Here are some inspiration photos, all from Once Wed. (Whose new website is FABULOUS, by the way!)

and a few more, whose sources I don't remember! (so sorry! please let me know if they are yours and I will source you!)

I love the idea of non-cake desserts on display. Pies, brownies, creme puffs, even rice crispie treats!!!

Next week I plan on TACKLING the dessert challenge :) Calling bakeries and such for prices. Any suggestions on good places to look?

Why didn't I think of that!?

2009-06-11T09:37:00.001-04:00

cowboy boots with bridesmaids dresses....
we could have def. brought the Texas to NY :)

all photos by the fabulous, Steven Myers

the truth about absence

2009-06-09T09:42:00.001-04:00

I used to blog during my breaks at work.
and if you follow this blog, or just happen to read it ever so often, you've probably noticed that I don't so much anymore.

(and haven't for a while.)

part of this has something to do with my lack of being able to post photos from my work computer anymore.
(blogger has become blocked. as has so many other things- which is why my google reader has been at 1000+ for months now. I can't view photos on most of my blogs- only about 30 of the ones I follow can I view completely in the reader [note: this hasn't stopped me from reading your blogs every day, Jenna, MLP, Kaitlyn & others- I just can't view your actual websites to comment anymore :( )

so, clearly- my blogger life has been considerably shortened.

part of this has to do with me being crazy busy and hardly even taking a real "lunch break" anymore.
(it’s a good thing that my division at work is slam packed with jobs - job security is super important right now)

but recently, during a morning quiet time, I realized that I need to take some time to breathe.
and do things I truly enjoy.
and writing a blog now and again (or every day, even)
is something I truly enjoy.
as is "playing crafts".
Sudoku puzzles.
and drinking an icee and reading trivial pursuit cards.

so often I allow myself to be CONSUMED by life.
and by what's going on around me.
and I forget to feed my soul, deep down, with what makes me feel alive. Sure, big things make me feel alive. Epic things: driving through the mountains in awe of God's Majesty. Spending Holidays with Family and Friends. Celebrating milestones with people I love. But mostly- it's little things.

one of my favorite quotes speaks so loudly to me this week:
"Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who come alive." - Howard Thurman

sometimes I feel guilty for spending time on the things I love that don't seem to "benefit" others.
what does my Sudoku book have to do with saving the world ? ;) (cause isn't that everyone's ultimate goal in the end?)
well, during my scripture reading recently (and sadly, I don't even know WHICH scripture passage I was reading when this revelation came to me :( ) I had a change of thought.

Doing the things that make me happy - the little things: the puzzles, the lemonade, the cutting images out of magazines, the reorganizing the same box of materials I've reorganized ten times before: these things keep me sane- and healthy- and happy- and loving life: in order that I can love others. In order that I can keep the energy positive, and the flow of goodness strong. In order that my attitude can point to the goodness of Christ, and not the selfishness of Me.

So- all this to say.
I'm back to the blogging.
Can't post photos from my work PC, but one day soon, maybe we will have a computer of our own again and I will be able to get on that to share some eye candy :)

Happy Tuesday, World!

What are you doing today that feeds your soul?

blog luxe

2009-06-05T10:32:00.001-04:00

Go Place your votes for the Blog Luxe Awards

http://www.socialluxelounge.com/blogluxe/

my choice favs:
eye candy: Jasmine Star
Learned the most from: According to Nina
inspiring: Fit After Thirty

in the celebration of Follow Friday, let me also give a heads up on a few more favorites of mine you must check out:
(the list of blogs I check EVERY SINGLE DAY I am infront of a computer)

www.jennacole.com/blog
www.thatwifeblog.com
http://marcusleepowers.blogspot.com
http://stinkerpants.com/blog/
http://wemetinabar.com
www.hostessblog.com
www.100layercake.com
www.jennsylvania.com
www.thekitchn.com/
www.sarahrhoads.com/blog/
http://photogen-inc.com/blog/

good bye, gall bladder.

2009-05-13T13:34:00.001-04:00

so, funny story.

My sister graduated from college on the 3rd of may in Moorhead, Minnesota.

on the 2nd I flew out to the cities and stayed with Danielle, my matron of honor, and her hubby Eric. we were going to wake up at 7AM and road trip to Fargo. (Moorhead is RIGHT next to Fargo)

We went shopping and had dinner and wine.
all day long Eric, Danielle's husband, was talking about the swine flu. the day i flew in 9 cases had been reported and they had started to shut down some schools, Danielle, being a teacher, kept checking the internet to see if her school was closed. no dice.

I started having some serious ab pain around 8 pm. it didn't go away. i went to bed at midnight when i just couldn't take it anymore.

I couldn't sleep because the pain was severe. I kept getting up, walking around, changing positions, etc. and PRAYING TO GOD to take away the pain.

at 3 am i found myself vomiting in the rest room for approx 12 straight minutes. Danielle came to my rescue.
she took me to the ER. (because at this point, all three of us were quite sure i was dying of the swine flu. oink oink.)

after vomiting again in the ER, nothing but stomach acid as nothing else was left in my stomach, they gave me nausea medicine. and about an hour later, after seeing the doctor (dr. Megan Iverson, the female equivalent to doogie houzer...or so it seemed) they finally gave me morphine, sent me for ultrasounds, and finally sent me home with a bottle of pain meds and a bottle of "no more puking pills" at 8 AM....with instructions to check my self into the hospital when i got back to NY and have my gall bladder removed. they didn't want to do the surgery in Minnesota because i wouldn't be able to travel home for several days.

clearly i did not make it to the graduation.

Monday morning, 5 AM, Danielle takes me to the airport for my return flight.
i fly at 6:00 AM to my Atlanta lay over.
my 12:30 flight is cancelled.
i get booked for a 7:15.
I eat a chicken salad sandwich.
I read an entire book.
i meet a two year old named Ryan who likes to play catch with a nurf ball.
i am on pain meds.

i go to my gate, ready to go HOME already.
all of air tran is down. like, ALL of air tran, across the country, is NOT taking off.
their computers are down-
i eat another chicken salad sandwich and have a cup of tea.
I FINALLY board my plane at 10:30 PM.

I arrive IN THE CITY at 12:07 AM, Tuesday morning. Michael is on his way to get me since we live 2 1/2hours away.
he gets caught behind an accident on the thruway.

i finally get into the truck at 1:34 AM.

we drive home.

we finally get home around 4:30 AM.
i take a nap.

we go to the hospital at 9 AM.
at this point in time i am not in pain.
the ER admits me, but my cool nurse jenn tells me that honestly, she doesn't think anything will happen because I'm not in pain.
we wait.
they give me an IV.
we wait.
they take lots of blood.
we wait.
we see the doctor.
i tell him I'm barely in any pain.
he gives me morphine, because he has a feeling things are about to be getting worse for me.
he sends me for more ultra sounds.
he says i have lots of stones, and also, a thickened wall of my gall bladder. and thats a bad thing. and its going to be causing me a lot of pain if i dont get it taken care of.
he schedules me for surgery.

now. I'm not sure if you know this...but I'm kind of a baby.
ok. I'm def. a baby. a scarried cat, and a worrying Whitney.

in middle school when everyone else was wearing those "no fear" shirts, I was cowering in the corner, thinking something tragically wrong was going to go on if everyone continued to carryon n like they weren't afraid of anything.....

and I've never been "put under".
I've never even broken a bone or needed stitches.
when i had my wisdom teeth out, they couldn't find my vain for the IV, so they just gave me Novocain and I stayed awake through it all. (which is another horrible story in the encyclopedia of heather is v. unlucky when it comes to this stuff)

so i am clearly terrified of this surgery.
but, at the same time, i never ever EVER want to experience the kind of pain i had on Sunday morning- and so i say "oh, why the hell not"- through tears and anxiety.

i meet the surgeon practitioner, as the Surgeon is not in yet.
he signs me off to be moved up to "my room" which i will be staying in over night.
(by the way- i know 3 people who came in the morning of their surgery, were in a recovery room for an hour, and left that day. the whole thing taking less than 5 hours- why the hell am i sleeping at the hospital???)

my room happens to be on the geriatrics wings. Everyone i see is old and dying.
this does not comfort me.
my roommate doesn't really speak in coherent sentences, is afraid of sunshine and only will eat food that is off-white or yellow in color. she did not like when i wanted to watch "keeping up the with the kardashians" and E news pre-opp.
this does not comfort me either (but seeing as we each had our OWN tv's with speakers by our own heads- i watched it anyway. what can I say- Kim, Kourt, & Khloe comfort me)

they finally take me down for surgery at 8 pm.
and i have no idea what happened.
but when i woke up.
i was wailing.
in pain and terrified.
and then the morphine kicked in again.

my recovery process was just as lame.
throughout the night i had a bunch of "not really caring" nurses
and was disappointed until 6AM rolled around and Kim, super nurse, became my saving grace.
she was sarcastic, yet kind, and made sure all my needs were met- and even yelled at Michael when he was an hour late to when I "thought he should have been there" (don't judge. i was DRUGGED up)

Michael has been amazing. constantly putting my needs and wants before his own .

I'm just not entirely sure why recovery is taking SO DARN LONG.
honestly.
people keep reminding me i was sliced open and that my body is trying to figure out how to work again without an organ (even if its not an important one)
but I cant really do anything for more than 20 minutes without becoming light headed and what i have started to call "twisty" which is a combination of dizzy, belly button pain, and also a flip flopping of the tummy. it is lame. It's been a week and I still get worn out after 6 hours of work.

I'm having a hard time letting everyone "do everything" for me, and I'm sad that i haven't been to the gym in 10 days. (and the doctor told me no running or lifting for at least two-three more weeks :( )

but, my living room looks like a florist. and I've watched the entire season 4 of one tree hill. And I'm reading some good books, flipping through magazines, on my 62nd Sudoku puzzle, and have rented approx two dozen movies from the library in the last week.

2009-04-28T13:43:00.001-04:00

love this from southern weddings' post from Jennifer & Briggs Wedding:

in the interview, Jennifer is asked:

What advice would you give to someone planning their wedding?
Be nice to your mother.

shugarmom, I'm going to work on this :)

Why Today is Totally Awesome

2009-04-23T14:01:00.001-04:00

Why Today is Totally Awesome:

A List by ShugarBride

1. Mrs. Sea Breeze over from Weddingbee twittered today about this wonderful reality game called Akoha (akoha.com) I ordered the starter deck (for five dollars, NO shipping, mind you!) as a little pre-birthday gift for myself. It's all about acts-of-kindness and I am so excited to get started with this.

2. MOH Kelly is ON HER WAY HERE from Texas RIGHT NOW. remember a few weeks ago when I posted about him buying her plane ticket here in order to give me a "girlfriend for a weekend"…. I am so stoked! She won't be in town until after 10 this evening, but I am so excited for our reuniting! The other night on the phone she said "I was thinking that it has been nine months since we last saw each other. That is the GESTATION PERIOD OF A HUMAN! I have been away from you for the same time it takes to make a baby!" Ha. I love her.

3. Rob Bell's teaching from this past Sunday was SO GOOD. I listened to it today- you should too! go to marshill.org, and download the mp3! It's all about the SPIRIT and it is lovely.

4. Lauren Conrad, of mtv's Laguna beach & the hills fame, and also spokes model for mark. , has a twitter! lclaurenconrad :) Woot Woot! she's one of my all time favorite celebrities :)

5. tomorrow is my pre-birthday nighttime cookout that ShugarGroom is throwing for me with some v. close friends. I am excited for many reasons. a) a small guest list b) brats! c) Tara is bringing me a yummy birthday cake from villa italia bakery :) yum yum yum! just looking at their website makes my taste buds dance : http://www.villaitaliabakery.com/ the only sadness of the cookout is that our dear friend Cody is back in Texas visiting and won't be with us to celebrate!

6. in one week and two days I will be in St. Paul visiting MOH-Danielle, and getting reading for our road trip to Fargo to celebrate my sister's graduation with our fam! so excited to see everyone. V. excited for more girl time with Danielle :)

7. pizza & such tonight with Kel, ShugarGroom, Jared, Tara, bm-Dave, and his brother Jonathan, who is also visiting from Texas. I am v. excited :) such a wonderful celebration to be had.

Why is today totally awesome for you?!?!

they will know by our love?

2009-04-08T12:26:00.001-04:00

scene: the shop guys in the break room while I fill up my water bottle

Brian: what is good Friday anyway?
other guys: ummm…I don’t know.
Brian: heather, do you know?
me: Good Friday is the day Christ was crucified, Easter is the day he was resurrected.
guys: oh. ok. yeah. that makes sense.
Eric: wait? shouldn't it be called bad Friday if he died?
laughter
Jeff: wait. what is palm Sunday then?
everyone looks at me
Me: palm Sunday is the day that Jesus came into town. he rode on a donkey, and the believers waved branches from palm trees and shouted hosanna.

Brian: so, if we have any religious questions we should come to you then?
me: well. I guess. I used to be a youth pastor before I came here, so I know a tiny bit. but not all the answers. but yes. you can ask me anything.

LOOKS OF HORROR ON THEIR FACES.
exit scene.
yeah. lovely.

just for the record

2009-04-06T14:13:00.000-04:00

I've asked ShugarGroom if we can elope about a dozen times in the last week.

maybe I'm not cut out for this planning my own celebration thing?

2009-04-03T14:21:00.000-04:00

Just because you know how odd I am…. and also know that I'm rarely afraid to ask for help….

you may be able to help with this.

one of my favorite bloggers/designers- Sara @ stinkerpants designs made this AWESOME piece of art months ago, and its been on my mind ever since.

Well- i recently received an envelope at work with a really cool stamp that inspired me to show this photo to Michael, who LOVED it, and said he thinks something like this would look AWESOME in our living room one day.

Well…shocked and in awe that we agreed on something "homemade art-work", I decided to get to work. I would love love love love To have this done for the wedding in September. but I know that collecting stamps takes a LONG time….so I come to you for help.

I've started collecting stamps off of envelopes i receive in the mail. I'm basically collecting EVERY stamp i find, even doubles, because as you can see, she uses a lot of repetition and it looks v. good. I'm just keeping a little pile at my desk at work, and a little container of them on my desk at home.

So...this is my plea....if you want to start a pile of used stamps for me, i wouldn't be sad ;) You can just cut out around the stamp and I will take care of removing them from the envelope. I am also willing to send you a postage paid envelope for you to return the stamps to me. Clearly I am v. serious about this project ;) So…if you can help me out, at all (every little stamp counts), please let me know.

Oh, and if you want to see the project itself- http://stinkerpants.com/blog/2008/11/12/sentimental-art/
Take a look around her site and blog.
She is super talented and basically just awesome. I am often sparked with creativity after spending some time reading her blogs or browsing her site. (i.e.: I want to raise chickens) And…I LOVE LOVE LOVE her design style. customized cartoons are always a favorite of mine, but hers are just spectacular!

Saturday's earth hour

2009-03-27T09:00:00.001-04:00

Happy Friday, Friends.

I wanted to write to you about something kind of BIG going on. Something to consider no matter what your stance is on global warming, in my honest opinion.

On THIS Saturday, March 28, 2009, at 8:30 pm, I am taking part in Earth Hour-a global event in which millions of people will turn out their lights to make a statement of concern about our planet and climate change. I want to invite you to join, too! Sponsored by World Wildlife Fund, Earth Hour got started just two years ago and is now the largest event of its kind in the world. Last year, more than 50 million participated and the lights went out at the Empire State Building, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Sydney Opera House and the Coliseum in Rome, just to name a few. Even Google's homepage went black for the day! In Israel, President Shimon Peres personally turned off lights in Tel Aviv.

This year, Earth Hour will be even bigger-already 2900 cities in 83 countries have agreed to take part including Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, New York City, San Francisco and Washington DC, with more signing up every day. Around the world cities like Moscow, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Shanghai and Mexico City will turn out their lights.

But Earth Hour isn't just for big cities-anyone can participate. To get a better sense of the event, check out this video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjWD8pbK5t8.

Participating in Earth Hour is easy, fun and free. I hope you will join me for this amazing event. To sign up, visit http://www.earthhourUS.org where you'll learn more including ways you can spread the word about Earth Hour, plus creative things to do when the lights go out in case you need inspiration!

May your hearts be filled with the Warmth and Light that will long sustain when the world seems dark.
Peace and Joy to you.

p.s. I encourage you to spread the word :)

Thursday FUN-Do

2009-03-26T16:14:00.001-04:00

Apposed to a To-Do…

Follow Nina & MojitoMaven. Tweet Tweet.
Catch up on Google Reader.
Call some BFFs.
Go on a walk with Mates of State.
Read Citizen Girl (which I'm really liking!).
Do some strength training arms with my body pump bar.
Get my Storage Compartments from the basement/garage.
Rearrange my room .
set up my new CRAFT TABLE :) .
Prepare some Tin Cans for Desk supplies.
Read a few chapters of Genesis.
Organize Stuff.
Make Chicken & Dumplings.
Prepare the Laundry for this weekend.

is it sad that I've reached the point that organizing and laundry are on my "fun" list? hmmmmmmmmmmmm….

Spring has Sprung

2009-03-20T08:34:00.001-04:00

Happy First Day of Spring, faithful readers whom have decided not to boycott reading even though I have a bit of a posting problem. (womp womp)

I hope that you find yourself in parts of the country experiencing WARMNESS. (I'm sorry for you northern Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan and north Dakota readers whom won't see 40 today : ( ) As for us in the Capital District of NY, it has been GORGEOUS all week. Granted, it did rain Wednesday night, and cool down last night quite a bit…but its back to sunny and suppose to hit 45 today. with another weekend in the 50's. :)

To celebrate the warm weather this week, I somehow managed to WEAR A SKIRT to work everyday (and only with leggings ONCE!). This is something I might consider a modern day miracle. I even wore heels one day. now that is a rarity. I used to wear heels ALL THE TIME, but Shugar Groom and I are the same height when barefoot, and so I've become quite accustomed to cute flats instead.

I'm not sure what came over me with all this skirt wearing, but I think it's the SPRING in the air. Sometimes it just makes you do crazy things.

Have you noticed yourself doing something seemingly unusual for your character when warm (or cold!) weather appears?

Braggin'

2009-03-12T11:44:00.000-04:00

Can I just brag on my man for a bit?

I was texting our dear friend Karen today, catching up and talking girl talk and as I was going on and on about ShugarGroom, I realized, I want to shout it off the roof tops….so I guess off the "blog-tops" works just as well.

Reasons Why My Fiancé is Super Awesome (the recent edition):
1. last night, I got in the truck as we were headed to the mall, and he said, "I just want to tell you that while you were walking over here I was thinking, "ShugarBride is Crazy Beautiful." I thought he was kidding. my nose is red and eyes are puffy - I have a cold (again!) I was having a bad hair day (again!) and I was just not feeling very comfortable at all. But then he said…

2. "no, I'm serious. I was just thinking, ShugarBride IS beautiful, and I really need to make an effort to tell her that more often." all together now…awwwwwwwwwwwww.

3. I've noticed him making little notes about how to be a good husband. He is really dedicated to working for the marriage and not just letting it take place as a bystander. This is fabulous. He's been speaking with our pastor, and his boss, and a few other married men to get advice- it's really cute how much effort he's putting in because he wants to "be prepared". (although we all know that NOTHING can prepare you enough for marriage! I've heard that one a million times!)

4. the other night, driving to his dad's house, we pull into the bk drive through, I was so confused…"where are we going?" I asked…."I wanted to get you an Icee."

5. this morning he complimented me on my change container (a cool old almond box thing) and then gave me two dollars to add to my money jar.

6. He planned a SUPER AWESOME birthday surprise…and because I am a GENIUS, I've already figured it out. (which is a long story on its own.) But…here's the thing…I'm always talking about how I wish I had a GIRL friend or two up here. (I have some GREAT girls all around the US, but none near me :( ) So, for the weekend before my birthday, ShugarGroom has purchased a plane ticket to fly my MOH-Kelly up here!!! He said to me last night when I confronted him about knowing…"well, I know your hearts desire is for a girl friend in NY, so I thought that I could at least help with that for a few days…." Isn't that the sweetest thing? Apparently there are a lot more surprises for the weekend (another weekend of me not having any control over what we do. hmmmmm…control freaks don't like this, guys) and I am so excited to see what else he has up his sleeve.

7. He has been planning this little "pre-marriage focus dates". First, we made a list of ten questions to ask one another over dinner last week. Now he wants to take time to sit across the table from one another and write each other a love letter. yes, I'm serious. How did I end up with this guy? I win! I win!

8. he is really good at eating my cooking and saying it was good.

9. he has been going ON and ON and ON about me owning my own business. He seems to think that I am REALLY GOOD at a whole bunch of things (baking, coming up with recipes, planning parties/events, writing). I think perhaps he just hasn't been EXPOSED to much of the world yet. Clearly I am mediocre at all these things. What I am really good at (typing quickly without looking at the keyboard, Tetris, eating pizza, cutting up magazines, sending mail) there doesn't seem to be much of a market for.

10. this is what he has ALWAYS been good at, and I wish this upon everyone in a relationship: he sends REALLY sweet, cute little texts randomly through out the week. day brighteners, much?

What types of things does your S.O. do to show you he/she cares? Is there anything that has happened lately to remind you how lucky you are?

<3

2009-03-12T11:14:00.001-04:00

We aren't really planning a get-away.
at the end of the reception, around midnight, we plan on getting in a limo (ShugarGroom preference) and driving the .6 of a mile to the hotel where we have our honeymoon suite booked.
yes, that's right. .6 of a mile. (a limo is one of the only "wedding dreams" ShugarGroom has had in his life. You know, when you picture your wedding, what do you see type of stuff…a limo has always been in his dream. And I want to make his dreams come true ;) )

we've discussed the idea of an after party.
specifically with our bridal party and close friends, since we don't really get to see any of them, being as they are ALL, with the exception of best man Dave (who moved to NY because he can't live with out us ;) ), traveling to the wedding.

I thought of late night glow bowling (how sweet would by white wedding dress be in the black light?). I thought hotel bar for snacks and toasts. I thought a trip to a 24 hr diner would be fab. (think Hilary swank after she won best actress for million dollar baby all dressed up, chowing down on a burger and fries).
but something tells me come midnight I may be ready to retire to the bed.

but part of me REALLY wants a getaway.
I've been to a lot of weddings the last few years.
some have getaways. Some don’t.
sometimes the couple leave the church and are celebrated on their way to the reception. sometimes the couple leave the reception before everyone else does, and we throw things at them ;)
but sometimes, the lovebirds party like rock stars and are a few of the last people in the place, dancing the night away.

I've always kind of thought of us as the latter. being the last group out the door. cleaning up as we head out.

but, as stated before, part of me REALLY wants a getaway.
birdseed. ecofetti. sparklers.
and even though I would NEVER have guessed I would like this….flower petals????

I love the looks of this.

from Tracy Turpen

Are you planning a "getaway"? When do you plan on making your getaway?

listing

2009-03-07T19:42:00.007-05:00

I've always been a bit of a lister.
listography.com
LOVE IT.
and the TO-DO List Book
OWN IT.
I am the kind of girl who makes lists of my lists.
I'm not kidding.
I have two ever-famous books (at least with my closest friends) called the Ellusive Green Books. Two books full of LISTS. Lists of things that make me smile. Lists of guys that I know who have a "Zach Morris" complex. Lists of songs that mean things. Lists of memories that involve dancing. Etc.
I LOVE LISTS.

I'm not sure when all the listing began, but I do know that I can't remember ever NOT listing.

When ShugarMom and Miss J were here last weekend, I shared with them my yellow wedding list notebook. A notebook of lists for the wedding. Places/Pricing for cookie jars. Welcome basket contents ideas. And..... One of the lists is a ~~six~~ seven page to-do list with EVERY LITTLE TINY thing I think of that I need to do pre-wedding. This includes things like "pick up dress"...you know, the dress i haven't even taken anywhere yet...its in my closet.

The list is a little out of hand, because it lists things in steps, such as "collect list of possible caterers. Call caterers for menus. Narrow Down caterers. Discuss caterers with ShugarGroom. Set up Tastings with Caterer(s). Attend Tasting(s). Decide on Caterer. Pay Caterer Deposit. Decide on final menu. Give Caterer final head count. Pay Remainder of Caterer Cost. Tip Caterer. Double Check Times with Caterer. Send Caterer Thank You Note." and so on and so forth. I add a few new "to do's" a day. But, It's in my plans to do at least one item on the list each week- and as time gets closer, i know some of these to-do items will be done all at once, and eventually, they will all be crossed off. (currently, only 5 items are crossed off- but 27 of them have been started :) )

My MOH-D is a lister too. (She has a few lists of her own in my the EGBs: see end of post) And I am excited to get to see her TWICE before the BIG DAY (once in May, and once in July) in order that she can help me TACKLE said super long list.

And I'm super excited to sit with her the day before my wedding and make my "wedding-day to do."

(our lists from the week of her wedding)

Last year, for her wedding (a year ago this month! happy early anniversary D&E!!!), I made a nice long Wedding Day To Do List that Jen Cress got a kick out of and took some photos....

(photos by jenn cress)

You will note that "S.F. Red Bull" made the top five :)
And that there was a .5 before the 1 because I roll like that ;)

I have a feeling that my Wedding Day List is going to be one of my favorite Keepsakes from our big day. Is that Silly? Perhaps I will frame it.

Oh, and as promised, further proof of D's listing abilities...
as her MOH, I gave my toast by reading off a list she had left in my green book years before..."Danielle's Perfect Guy List".....(thanks to MOH-K for helping me out when I forgot the green book at home! she read the list to me over the phone from Texas while I was in Minnesota!)

(photos by jenn cress)

and in case you were wondering....E made the cut. He really is her perfect guy :)

(photos by jenn cress)

blogging break

2009-03-01T10:58:00.005-05:00

Perhaps you've noticed I took a little break from blogging.

I'm going to spare you the two paragraph explanation and apologies and just say:
HELLO! I've missed you! Tell me...HOW HAVE YOU BEEN!?! It's GREAT to see you again.

:)

ShugarMom (from Dallas) and her Best Friend, Miss Judi,(from Chicago) are here for the weekend to visit and it has been WONDERFUL!!!

After I showed them my "wedding to do list" notebook, they decided it was their goal to cross off some things while they were here. A rundown of our weekend for you:

THURSDAY - ShugarGroom meets Miss J :) And they love each other! (hooray! if either one of them disapproved of the other, we were going to have to rethink this marriage ;) ) We went to Ruby Tuesdays for dinner- and I had a FABULOUS turkey burger and glass of red, and it was TERRIFIC. We sat and talked for hours and it was so nice to relax without a place to run off to next.

FRIDAY - I got off of work an hour early, and ShugarMom and Miss J picked me up from the office and took me back to their hotel. We finished designing the invitations and ordered supplies from papersource. And I've ordered samples from envelopemall to see which colors will work best with our paper choice. It's true: the envelopes at envelopemall are SO MUCH more affordable than most other places. If we were to order the envelopes at papersource, we would be paying $4.25 for 10. for the 170 we need, that would be $72.75. But at envelope mall, we can get the same size envelopes 100 for $9.95-14.95 depending on which envelopes/color we choose. There are four samples I'm ordering to test out, and of course, I'm hoping that the $9.95 envelopes are the winners- to save us the 10 dollars ;) I'm ~~cheap~~ thrifty.

After the invitation session, we headed to dinner. This would be the first time ShugarMom would be meeting ShugarGroom's parents. We had dinner at my favorite place in Albany- the Albany Pump Station- and it was terrific. "The food was great, the company was better!" is what ShugarMom said as we left. No embarrassing stories on either parties, and everyone got along splendidly.

After dinner, I headed back to the hotel with ShugarMom and Miss J, where we talked more about weddings, marriage and weddingbee. Apparently, I mention weddingbee about 12 times an hour when discussing wedding ideas, and Miss Judi was confused by this, so I had to give her a brief rundown.

SATURDAY- ShugarMom and Miss J picked me up for breakfast and a quick stop by Hannaford for their v. popular (at least in my book) Pistachio Walnut Muffins to snack on later in the day. During Breakfast at BMH Cafe, we started crossing things off of the list. And so far, I have completed 4 things, decided not to do one, and started 19 things on the list. So I have vowed to my mother to finish these things I've started in the next two weeks so that I can make even more progress.

After a yummy breakfast, we headed to The Schenectady Museum & Suits-Bueche Planetarium also known as our reception site. I gave them a quick tour and we sat down in the lobby to discuss where we were going to have things set up. I feel so much more confidant about the space now that ShugarMom and Miss J have visited and seem to approve. They are both very excited to see what Jennifer Cress comes up with with all the exhibits.

When we left the museum (after a quick stop in the gift shop, of course) we headed to Michael's for some tabletop inspiration. Originally we were thinking of incorporating balloons in our decor, but we are all agreeing that there is SO MUCH going on in the museum, that the balloons would take away from the surroundings. We came up with a few ideas, but I know that this is going to be an ongoing project and I have some ideas floating around that I want to play around with the next few months as well. We can't have confetti, candles or fresh flowers or plants- so I can't rely on any standards. This is a challenge I'm really looking forward to, however.

Ok- I'm moving on to be productive again.
More to do today to complete my "weekend to do list".
I foresee grocery shopping, laundry, and visiting tourist attractions in my near future. (and hopefully some coffee- I'm in need to good strong cup of java.)

:)

why don't you encourage loveliness with your words

2009-02-19T13:22:00.000-05:00

I like reading things that are only a few pages in length.
Give me a book of short stories or essays and I will be one happy girl.
Maybe it's an attention span thing. Maybe it's about feeling "accomplished", being able to create a list of "all the things I've read today".
I like magazine articles. And 15 page descriptive works dissecting a writers work. I like news paper special features. and I like one act plays.

Today, I was pleased to learn of this cover story from Harper's Bazaar on Sarah Jessica Parker.

While reading the article, I realized that I want to speak with more of a retro-tinged vocabulary. While Sarah is discussing Gossip Girl, she asks "I hear it's pretty sophisticated, the content. Is there any concern over the impression that it's making on young women? I'm not asking in condemnation, but I'm just curious" The way those words flow in everyday conversation is beautiful. And I'm all for beauty in all forms. More beautiful words in 2009!!!

Back in the 40's & 50's Harper's then fashion editor, Diana Vreeland, (who later was Vogue's editor-in-chief) wrote a column titled "Why Don't You…?"

In the cover story I read today, Sarah Jessica Parker shares her own version of the column, and I loved it so much I HAD to share.
I'm also posing a copy on my bulletin board to remember often :-)

WHY DON’T YOU…?
SARAH JESSICA PARKER shares her tips for a chic and gracious life.
• Try, for every 20 e-mails you send, to write a letter, an old-fashioned letter, and post it. Remember how it felt to receive an actual letter or postcard in the mail?

• Keep a bucket filled with candy. Cheap, good candy. From butterscotch hard candies to Bulls-Eyes to spice drops. Pretty cheap per pound, low calorie, and great late at night while working or staying up too late reading or watching television. It will scratch the itch.

• Use your local library. So few people do anymore. And if you are a parent, introduce your children to their neighborhood library. It will give them a real sense of independence to have their own library card and enjoy borrowing books.

• Empty out your purse twice a week, tossing all coins into a mason jar, an old coffee can, or a strange-shaped and not particularly practical porcelain jar. It’s wonderfully surprising to discover what can accumulate. You can give the money to charity (always feels good), and it’s grand to do in the spring when charities are not on people’s minds.

• Cook or bake something outrageous that you are convinced will be impossible. The advantage of this endeavor is that it can actually get you cooking more meals at home. Once you are triumphant with the absurdly difficult, a meal for yourself or your family will seem like a cakewalk (so to say). And it can be a great money saver.

• Walk more. It simply feels great. And for those who have an “allergy” to working out, it’s a great way to get the blood moving. If you are feeling extra adventurous, try putting some speed into that walk.

• Read the editorial page of your local paper. It introduces you to opinion and can be terrifically provocative and perhaps a great motivating force for you to get involved in your community, regardless of your political ideology.

• Get eight hours of sleep, though I never do.

Six Week Spend Free

2009-02-19T11:46:00.000-05:00

Shugar Groom and I have been going over our budgets together piece by piece for the last few weeks.

The V-Day trip was kind of a last slice of cheesecake before the diet.
Our last splurge before tightening our belts.

With the wedding, the economy, and the big purchases we plan on making in the next few years, we know its time to save.
Shugar Groom's work really picks up in the summer time. He will be working 12 hour days, six days a week starting in April. Clearly, our income will increase starting in April, but until then, we both know its time to buckle down.

We just had the "no more spending" talk.

And we've decided on a "SIX WEEK SPEND FREE" from now until April 4th.

I've already committed to cooking for him every night, and packing a lunch for the next day for both of us. (which is going surprisingly well) No more eating out.

And I'm going to start grocery shopping at my FAVORITE budget grocery store, aldi. It's a 15 minute drive, compared to the 2 minutes I've been driving to Hannaford, but I'm guessing it will pay off big time. (and, yes, I realize 13 minutes is not that much!)

and here's the big one: I' m not even going to LOOK at wedding purchases until after the six weeks is up. I don't want to be tempted. (of course, when shugarmom and miss j are here, this is null & void- as I HAVE to go with them! :) :) :) but that doesn’t mean I have to spend money. I will be good. [shugarmom, hold me to this, please])

I'm also making a list of "FREE FUN" to hang up on the fridge. So that when we are tempted to go do something that costs cash, we can reference the list instead. (please comment with your favorite free date ideas.)

So, we have budgeted our bills and suspected gas & grocery money, and I'm preparing the envelope system. And at the end of the six weeks we are looking to increase our saving accounts by as much as possible.

In the next 5 years we plan to get two new vehicles, and be able to put a down payment down on a house. not to mention the wedding we are having in September (which I am trying to cut costs for every single day), and the computer I am planning to purchase near my birthday. We want to start organizing how the saving and spending in our marriage will take place, and have decided that there has never been a better time than now.

do you have any advice for how to save? any suggestions of books to read, or media-friendly financial advisors to follow? Any free activities you suggest?

I'm so excited to accomplish this six week goal!

:) can't wait to report back in April.

5. 5 subjects. 5 subjects on the blog.

2009-02-18T08:40:00.000-05:00

5 notes of news because its been so long since I've blogged:

1. Surprise Valentine's Day trip location: New York City.
: 0 ) We spent about 28 hours total in the city, which was not enough time by any means, but it was a nice little trip regardless.

What we squeezed into our day (in no order):
-coffee, twice
-a visit to times square
-rode the subway, a lot
-visited the American natural history museum. it.was.wonderful. and huge. and we probably only saw a third of the exhibits. but it was wonderful.

-meeting our v. good friend, Joey, for cheesecake at Roxie's
-an over priced, semi-tasty breakfast
-socal infused Mexican food at blockheads
-sat basically onstage at comic strip live and laughed for hours at five funny men (who picked on shugar groom :) )
-ate the best bread ever at a little deli on the upper east side
-did not see Sarah Jessica parker
-visited mtv store and purchased a few "team Lauren" buttons for self and two of my favorite friends.
-told shugar groom we could not move to nyc because I love my job
-arrived home at 6:30 AM Sunday, just in time to get ready for church

2. had a very long, very great, phone conversation with moh-d last night.
she seriously always has the best advice. about everything.
I'm ready for us to live closer to one another. (we've been 9 or more driving hours apart since fall of 2000)
I'm so excited that I may get to see her 4 times this year. (which will be the most since 2003.
* She may be coming for a mini-vacay in the city which would mean shugar groom & would take a day & go have dinner with her & E.

*Shugar Sister graduates in May. I am flying into the cities and MOH-D and I are road tripping to fargo to be there to celebrate with the fam.
*the bridesmaids&matrons seem to be plotting something for this summer….all I've been told is "there may be a possibility I see most of them before the wedding"
:) :) :)
*obvs. the wedding. which, depending on her teaching schedule next year, I may get to steal her for a few days prior to the wedding festivities, which wouldn’t make me sad in any way shape or form.

3. made orange-apricot pork chops with rice last night for dinner.
we all agreed it was better on bread than on rice.
that was, until I fried up an egg, added some soy sauce, and made my own version of fried goodness.
which I plan on recreating at lunch today.

4. there are now 199 days until the wedding. last night I made super long list for wedding to-do. seriously. every little thing I can think of that needs to be done, I'm putting on the list. I need to have it all laid out in front of me.

and now I feel so much better about getting stuff done. I'm starting today. I want to try to at least SEEM like I'm doing things when my mom gets here next week ;)

5. I've decided that I'm going to try to go 200 days without eating fast food. we will see how this goes. I haven't decided if subway is fast food or not. and I've already decided that on the chances of me being forced to eat fast food (think airport layovers/delays, etc.) I will get a salad. end of story. I wanted to make another healthy change pre-wedding (im trying to make one healthy change every few weeks) and I think this will help me a)with the weight loss/toning up, etc. b) keep bad stuff out of my body and therefore me feeling better, which will inevitably help me c)feel best when the times get a bit more near stress as the wedding gets closer and closer.

surprises

2009-02-13T09:56:00.000-05:00

Today, Shugar Groom is taking me on a trip.
I don't know where.
I don't know what we are doing.
I've known for a few weeks that he was plotting an extra special valentine's day surprise.
I've known for a week that it was a trip.
and according to him, I won't know until we are "in transit" and I "figure it out" myself, later this evening.

But I do have a whole bunch of clues.
and you know what's worth than not knowing?
not knowing where, having a bunch of clues, and feeling like your "Nancy drew-ness" has worn off, because you just can't understand how everything adds up.

Here is what I know:
-Shugar groom gave me a list of what to pack/wear
Friday: jeans and black top
Saturday morning: really comfortable clothes
Saturday afternoon: something nice, but nothing too nice. something I might wear to church. (I'm thinking a sweater and jeans)

Saturday night: something REALLY nice. (as in, "I might wear a tie"-Shugar groom)

THEN, about 5 minutes after he gave me the list of four outfits, he said to me:
"oh. we may need to pack light. but I'm not sure yet. I'll let you know."

Pack light? what does that mean? the only reasons I can think of as to why we would need to pack light:
-we are going on a space ship.
-we are arriving to our destination on horse back.
-we are taking a hot air balloon
-we are jumping out of an air plane.

Shugar Groom also has told me:
-we are probably going to be up really late on Friday night.
I'm assuming this is the travel part. WHERE would be traveling to that is super far away? for a one night stay??? hmmmmmm.
when I asked him how late, he said five or six am.
we have a church event until about 9:30 tonight. That puts us on the road by ten. meaning five am arrival would be seven hours away.
what is seven hours away? NOTHING.
also- he told me that we will be home by nine on Saturday night.
NINE!?!?!? Then why am I dressing up, if it is seven hours away? to drive home dressing up? that makes no sense.
ok, Shugar bride….get out your Sherlock Holmes guide to life, and figure this out.

Olivia Benson always seeks witnesses…so I did too….
Best Man Dave said that if he were I, he wouldn't sleep AT ALL Friday night.
best man Dave seems REALLY excited about this weekend.
like, scarily excited.
when I asked him if the trip was something that I would pick, or something Shugargroom would pick and try to play it off like it was for me, he assured me that it was 75% my desired trip.

ok. Steve from blue's clues lent me his notebook.
lets review our clues:

-pack light.
-late night.
-home early.
-my desire.

if only I was matt Parkman, then I would know.
or Angela patrelli, then I could see it.
but I'm not.
I need to wait.
twelve more hours.

and that's okay with me. because I'm kind of excited about the surprises.
and I'm actually doing okay with not being in control of the situation.

12 hours til departure.

do you fellow detectives have any ideas as to what might be going on?

Save the Dates, Part Three: The Tools That Cost You

2009-02-09T18:47:00.005-05:00

You know that I DIYed our Save the Dates.
You saw inspiration here.
And you saw the beginning of the designing and the lack of luck finding materials here...when I decided to go to Michaels, determined to leave with a new plan and supplies to get started later that day.

After a call Shugar Mom (a DIY GODDESS, by the way) and a quick look around the store, I decided that although I couldn’t find what I needed to make the two layers of the postcard in my original imagination creation (juniper colored paper and a ny state die cut) I could still achieve the two layers using a few other products.

The first decision I had to make was what color paper I would be using for the post cards.
Our original color scheme included the juniper with a brown, ivory, and olive green. I found a package of cardstock which included all three of these colors, and decided that they would work perfectly.

I really wanted to add some texture to the design. Texture was the original reason I was planning on using a NY State cut out on top of the postcard, to give it some dimension. One of my favorite paper crafting techniques is heat embossing, and after another quick call to Shugar Mom to learn about the best products to use and what colors I should consider, I finally decided that a gold embossing would look nice on the green & brown papers.

Well, now, it’s time to talk tools.

It started back when I was an RA at Edgewood College in Madison.
The Desire for mobile DIY projects.
I’ve been known to carry around a laundry basket of project contents from one room to another. And sometimes, the laundry basket makes its way to my vehicle, where I transport it to a friends’ home, the church, my parent’s dining room, the library, a coffee shop or my office.

With the Save the Dates, however, I was able to fit everything into a nice little picture box.

my Save the Date traveling box of tools, along with my “bridal juggie”

a view inside the box

Here is the list of tools needed to make our version of post card Save the Dates:

gel pen, embossing powder and ink

gel pen- I chose white to write on the dark brown paper, and black to write on the green.
embossing powder/dust- I chose the extra fine in gold
embossin ink pad – Shugar Mom had a few extra on hand, so she sent one my way

abstract star rubber stamp & heat gun

Because we are having our reception at a planetarium, Shugar Groom and I had begun hunting early on for a star design we could incorporate throughout a few of our design elements. However, we had trouble finding any actual stars we liked. A lot of what we found either seemed too childish or too holiday-themed. We started looking for “abstract” star designs and found this rubber stamp on ebay for $7. Shugar Groom and I both love it. I’m excited to see what other elements we use it on.

Shugar Mom sent me the heat gun as well. Because she is a super-all-star-stamping genius and had extra’s on hand. This was especially helpful, as the heat gun was the most expensive tool cost, had I of purchased a new one.

the front and back of the postcard designs

I designed the postcard in Microsoft Publisher and printed them four on a sheet. One side had the NY State outline, and the other had a place for an address as well as the Save the Date info. In order to make the Save the Date design more like a postcard one would send while visiting NY, I added a little info caption in the top left corner that reads
“Schenectady, NY - First settled as part of the Dutch colony New Netherland in 1661, Schenectady was once known as The City that Lights and Hauls the World. Schenectady, NY is home to Union College, General Electric and the 2009 Wedding of Shugar Bride and Shugar Groom.”

My only regret is that I forgot to add “Invitation to Follow” on the postcard until the day after I printed them. Not that big of a deal, but I’m pretty sure a lot of the people who received one of these cards don’t actually know what a Save the Date is, and a part of me fears that they think this is their invitation. Thankfully, I am not too concerned about this and have yet to let it worry me to the point where I send out “save the dates, round two”.

I had originally budgeted $100 for the Save the Dates… here is the Pricing&Cost of the DIY STD’s:

Cardstock – 2 packages of 50 sheets - $12
Embossing Ink – $4
Embossing Dust - $4
Gel Pens - $1 each of white and black - $2
Embossing Gun – $28
Abstract Starry Night Stamp - $7 plus shipping - $12
Postage – mailed 100 postcards - $27

Total Priced - $89.00

And the actual cost:
Cardstock - $8 (with coupon from Michaels)
Embossing Ink - $0 (thanks Shugar Mom!)
Embossing Dust - $3 (with coupon from Michaels)
Gel Pens - $0 (had in collection)
Embossing Gun - $0 (thanks Shugar Mom!)
Abstract Starry Night Stamp w/shipping - $12
Postage - $0 (I have a collection of postage - my former boss decided that forever stamps were an investment when they first came out. Thanks to him, I have stamps to last a while)

Total Cost - $23.00

Woo Hoo! Seventy Seven Dollars under budget. Don’t you just LOVE that?

Up next: The process…..

What items on your budget cost surprising less than you had set aside in the beginning?

fiveten. fifteen. twenty.

2009-02-07T20:23:00.004-05:00

I am tall.
five foot. ten inches.
Shugar Groom is the same.
five foot. ten inches.

I'm also clumsy. Clumsy beyond belief.

So, it should be no surprise that it was decided early on that I will not be wearing heels on September 6th. This is fine by me. I am not one of the members of the female population that NEEDS to be four inches taller than God made me (not that there is anything wrong with that), and I've rocked a pair of tall shoes in the past- making me a towering six-two. I know that the wedding is "my day" and all, but I don't need to tower over everyone. Let's not give my friends and family and other reason to find me controlling.

MOH-K gives her suggestion of the pose the ice sculptor of me at the wedding will look like.
i promise i'm not ACTUALLY as bad as they make me seem

So, it was decided, flats. I mentioned the other day that I'm already prepared for the fact that I may be wearing more than one pair of shoes throughout the wedding process. Even if I'm not wearing uncomfortable shoes for the ceremony, I wouldn't mind wearing a different pair of shoes for the reception. Especially if I could wear a fun, bright color pair of flats.

The other day while visiting our Best Man, Dave, at work in the mall, I noticed a really cute prom dress was on display in the window of DEB.

DEB. I hadn't visited a DEB since I was in high school. I don't remember much about shopping there, other than a friend of mine got a prom dress on clearance there our junior year for $28.00. Having some time to kill, I decided to take a browse through the store.

Being the thrifty gal I am, my eyes focused on a wall of clearance shoes.
Upon closer inspection I found these flats. With a bow. In my (big-footed) size.

HMMMMMMMMM.....let me get out my fabric swatch for the bridesmaids dresses/color scheme. THEY MATCH PERFECTLY.

And wait...what...they are SIX DOLLARS?

closer look at the bow detail.
you know I love a bow.

Have you found anything for your wedding day apparel while browsing? Find any 'accidental must-haves'?

tune in, tune out

2009-02-06T09:55:00.000-05:00

We decided early on to have an "iPod wedding."
not familiar?

Basically here is the gist:
Rather than spend an ungodly amount of money on a band or a DJ, we thought we could be the king & queen of a rockin' playlist to play with our iPod.*

Some people argue that we will fail at this task- It's been said more than once that we can't possibly know the "moods" of the guests at the reception, and a DJ/band would be able to "read the crowd".

Well, I myself am hoping that the mood of the crowd will be joyous, celebratory, and down right happy! And I've experienced too many DJs that don't please the bride & groom with their choice of music. (MOH-D had E "threaten" the DJ at her reception if he didn't start playing Ike Reilly soon. :) another reason why I love them)

It also helps that on "Team Moore" and "Team Shugar" we have some pretty rockin' musical genius. (pun completely intended.) So of course, I've requested the help of my bridesmaids and the groomsmen to come up with a "possibly put on playlist" list.

Now, being the organized-in-my-own-way, list-loving bride to be that I am, I've made some categories. First of all, we are still deciding on ceremony music, so that is a list in itself. But the reception list is broken up as follows:

-Cocktail Hour Music
-Dinner music
-background music for thank you's, speeches, etc.
-important dances (first dance, father daughter, mother son, etc.)
-slow songs
-fast songs
-musts (songs that are non-negotiable)
-group dancing songs (still in negotiations as to weither we will be playing these or not)
-AVOID AT ALL COSTS (songs that one or both of us refuse to play, mostly because when hearing them they make us want to "scratch our eyes out and throw them at people"-mohk)

I know we still have 211 days until we dance the night away, but I wanted to start this list early (we've had the list for a few months, but haven't done much on it yet) so that I'm not in a frantic search for music 20 days out.

Is anyone else taking this cost-cutting route? How did you make your playlist? Do you have any song suggestions for our lists?

*we were going to go for the IPod and planned on purchasing a new "wedding iPod" sometime this summer in preparation for the ultimate playlist…but since we've decided that instead we will just play iTunes off of my laptop. Well, my laptop that I don't have yet. I plan on getting one by my birthday (late April). Having my computer with us will come in handy because we also plan on having a slideshow, which can be run from the computer as well.

Save the Dates, part two.

2009-02-04T11:41:00.004-05:00

Because we are getting married hundreds of miles away from about 98% of our guest list, the more we thought about the wedding design, the more we focused on location.

When I saw this DIY save the date, I was determined to make my own.

The problem?
a) At the time I didn't have a very good photo editing program. That’s right, I was trying to do this on PAINT.
b) Schenectady is a VERY VERY long word.
c) The photos I found for filling the letters in Schenectady were nothing to be too excited about. While we are really excited about Downtown Schenectady, we didn’t feel like the postcard was doing it justice.

So, instead of getting super stressed out and throwing things everytime I accidentally erased too much on paint, I decided to go for a much simpler redesign. After all, Simple is often better. Less is more. And so on and so forth.

I had dreamed of creating a very simple post card with a “juniper” NY State cut posted on a simple cardstock post card in either light blue, olive, or tan.

I searched the local scrapbook and craftstores for a NY State Die cut. The one scrapbook store in the area that has a die cut machine did not have the NY State mold. I asked the owner of the store how much it would be to buy the mold…to put it simply, it was out of the budget. I wanted to make these as inexpensive as possible.

I had also been shopping for juniper colored paper. I knew for the invitations that the paper was going to be a lot more important than the save the dates. And because of my procrastinating during the planning & design stage, I was coming to a point where I couldn’t wait to find paper online, request a sample, make a decision, order online, and await for delivery. I needed to get these suckers started PRONTO, while I had the motivation.

So, after I had been to about a dozen stores on the search for paper in the color scheme of juniper and didn’t have any luck, I decided that I needed to find another way to go.

So, one Saturday morning I headed to Michaels, determined to leave with a new plan and supplies to get started later that day… (stay tuned for the decision!)

Did any of your paper projects change along the way because you were ~~cheap~~ thrifty and couldn’t find what you were looking for at a reasonable price?

admittance is the first step

2009-02-03T15:10:00.000-05:00

MOH-D to me via email yesterday afternoon: what fun wedding plans are you on now?
My reply:
current planning includes:
-figuring out the least expensive method to purchasing the cardstock that matches your soon to be dress.
-figuring out how Isabel will be our "flower girl" or something.
-continuing putting off finding a caterer. (why do i dread this so much?)
-finding a hair stylist whom i like enough to use her before the wedding, and therefore, for the wedding.
-taking my dress from YOUR wedding to get altered to make sure i trust people with my wedding gown.
-deciding to let shugar groom pick out my wedding ring on his own (scary for the control freak in me)
-browsing for attendants gifts, always.
-searching for the perfect envelopes
-grabbing flower inspiration whenever i find something that strikes me.
-trying to be a better bride aka: communicating with bridesmaids more regularly
-TRYING to find motivation to work out....and stop avoiding it.
-finding a photographer friend who wants to let me use their camera/maybe self to make a pseudo photo booth area with props a la Jenna (that wife/mrs. avocado http://www.weddingbee.com/2009/01/23/that-wedding-photobooth/ )
-and therefore getting props every once in a while....i got a big pink&orange clown tie the other day :-)
-planning things for the welcome baskets and such. for example: for the kids that come, i want to have a little something for them in the baskets- one thing I'm doing is making fun shaped crayons so this weekend i got a HUGE bucket of crayons from a church that was giving them away, and started the process.

It is my goal to do as MUCH DIY as possible BEFORE July 15th. We will see how that goes.
right now i feel like my planning is completely unorganized. i think this comes from my room being massive piles of boxes because i refuse to set up shop until I've painted. I've been collecting things every few weeks while shopping. every time I'm at the dollar store, i pick up two of these Reynolds star/heart things to make these lollipops http://www.weddingbee.com/2008/10/12/some-favor-food-for-thought/ I have no idea why. I don't even know if i want to have these at the wedding, but i keep doing it. i have like 15 boxes of them .

I did buy a pair of shoes for $6 the other day that i plan on wearing at the wedding. (I'm not sure which part- but they are def. my first pair of "wedding shoes") I saw them, checked the price, and then got out my fabric swatch. SAME STINKING COLOR. how cute is that photo going to be of my shoes matching your dresses?

I have a billion other projects i can be/should be/ want to be working on. i need to really sit down and make some lists. this email is helping me realize that. I can't believe i have 15 boxes of those cake molds. what am i doing. hahaha. i can't stop laughing about this.

i wish you were here.

So last night I started my complete list of to-do. Big and little things that I want to/plan to/am going to get done in the next 214 days. I am not done yet, but I already feel better about things. When I talked to BM-J on the phone last night and told her I felt completely unorganized, she didn’t believe me. Apparently I am "organization queen" and my unorganized is other people's over-organized. (see wedding binder post). Who would have thought?

Have you ever found yourself in complete planning shambles? what have you done to get focused and "buckle down"?

proactive planning

2009-02-03T14:35:00.000-05:00

This morning, after my regular 8:30 Planning meeting, I returned to my desk to find this waiting for me in my inbox…

Will you send me a list of what all you want to get done this week?

I think that it would be good me you and I to have this week figured out...and I will list some of my goals for this week…

1. Have a good Bible Study at least 2 times this week.

2. Get a good nights sleep tonight (Like in bed by 10:30)

3. Figure out why my foot is hurting so bad.

4. Do a one day fast (Not for religious reason, but to get the "poison" as mom calls it, out of my body)

5. Skiing (Which today I will bring a projected budget for that for you)

6. Plan V-Day with myself (for surprises!)

7. Read up to page 60 in the book that mom gave me for christmas

8. Have an enjoyable evening with you.

9. PR on Halo 3

10. GO to the gym at least for 4 hours this weekend.

11. Do something nice for Heather.

-Shugar Groom

Perhaps I'm rubbing off on him? I love his list so much for so many reasons, (obvs. #6, 8, & 11 are good ;) ) but my favorite one is #9. Personal Record on Halo 3. I love my fiancé for many many reasons, and I love so many things that his way of living has taught me, and is still teaching me, every day. When I read his list I realized that it is a priority for him to do things that relax him, and that he truly enjoys. even things like "play video games". So important that he puts them on his to-do list! I love this. I def. need to implement this in my daily to-do listing, as well.

I sent him back two to-do lists.
One of things for him to do in the next 5 months for the wedding (after a nice discussion with MOH-D and BM-J yesterday about how I feel completely unorganized in my planning….i may post on this in a minute)

and one of things to do this week.

this week SHUGAR GROOM to do:
*call bank of america
*hug me.
*inquire with the parker inn about reserving the presidential suite for sept 6th

and he replied a few minutes later with this:

baby,
Parker Inn
September 6-7.
Check in time in 3pm
Check out time is 12pm
$XXX.00 Per Night + Tax
Confirmation Number is 9XXXXX
can't wait.

I'm v. impressed with his to-do.ing. ten points shugargroom. :) we now have wedding night accommodations. woot woot.

Has your groom taken charge with any planning as of late? Did you experience a switch in him of a sudden desire to participate in proactive planning?

dignified, true love-enforced romance

2009-02-02T13:06:00.002-05:00

Have you seen the SATC Movie?
And have you relished in the love letters from great men?
I, personally, LOVE IT.
Shugar Groom has written me a few old-fashioned love letters in the past when I had an antique typewriter at my house. HE would get all fancy and burn the edges of the paper, and seal the letter with wax. He. Is. Cute. :)

You may remember my mentioning that I was engulfed in Gabler's Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination. My friend, Marcus, had recommended my reading it, and so I ordered it from the library. Apparently I didn't pay too close attention while placing my intra-library-loan order, because when it arrived, it was the audio book, on 8-cds. This didn't upset me, because books on cds allow me to enjoy the literature while doing other things, such as folding laundry, cutting paper, washing dishes, or stretching. And so, as I was replacing the first disc in my player with the second, I was reminded. I LIKE AUDIO BOOKS.

Saturday I returned to the library, and knowing I was almost complete with the Gabler book, I thought I would look into getting another book on cd set to occupy my chore time this week.

Yesterday afternoon, I finished the Disney book. After Walt's death, at his funeral, Gabler states that Lily, Walt's wife, approached his body and said "I loved you so much, I loved you so much."
The way in which the vocalist, Leonardo Leoncavallo recited these lines gave my heart a tug and my eyes a watering.
But this was only the beginning. One of the audio books I picked up Saturday is Nancy Reagan's book, "I Love You, Ronnie; the Letters of Ronald Reagan to Nancy Reagan." And let me just tell you. BREATH TAKING.

If you are in the mood for a good story AND a boat load of true romance, get this book NOW. And I don't mean sugar-coated, candy colored, too much you can't stomach chick flick romance (not that I don't love a good girly-film)…I mean authentic stuff you will want to read (or hear) again and again.

There have been so many parts of letters I have to pause to reflect on, and I didn't even know WHICH one to post (I just started the 2nd of three discs) so I just picked up where I was in the story, and took down a few of my favorite lines…. Please, indulge yourself.

From a letter dated May 24, 1963 away on business, while working for GE.

…and then I will call you and tell you I love you and I’ll mean it but somehow because of the inhabitations we all have I won’t feel that I’ve expressed all that you really mean to me…

…But what is really important is that having fulfilled our responsibilities to our offspring we haven’t been careless with the treasure that is ours; namely what we are to each other. Do you know that when you sleep you curl your fists up under your chin and many mornings when it is barely dawn I lie facing you and looking at you until finally I have to touch you ever so lightly so you won’t wake up. But touch you I must or I’ll burst…

…but still it helps to know there are others who might just possibly know a little about what it’s like to love someone so much that it seems as if I have my hands stretched clear across the mountains and desert until it’s holding your hand there in our room in front of the fire place.

Probably this letter will reach you only a few hours before I arrive myself but not really. Because right now as I try to say what is in my heart I think my thoughts must be reaching you without waiting for paper and ink and stamps and such.

If I ache it’s because we are apart. And yet that can’t be because you are inside and apart of me. So we aren’t really apart at all

Yet I ache. But wouldn’t be without the ache,
Because that would mean me without you. And that I can’t be. Because I love you.

Your Husband.

here

here

here

Have you received any letters of epic romance?

caught me red footed

2009-02-02T09:59:00.000-05:00

During a phone conversation with MOH-K regarding wedding shoes:

SB: I'm pretty sure that it doesn't matter if I am a two dress bride or not, I'm def. going to be a two, three or four shoe bride.

MOHK: That's understandable. I'm going to have two pairs, too. Pretty Heels for the church, and flats for dancing.
SB: OH! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE. I triple dog dare you to get those Jessica Simpson five inch heels.
MOHK: HA. You triple dog dare me to fall on my ass down the aisle. That's your plan, isn't it? Make me fall down so you look better.

SB: you're on to me, K.

Two in One, part 2

2009-01-30T13:35:00.005-05:00

[Part 1 is here.]

The summer after JP & AP were married, we got some great news.
A little baby was coming. And it was good. :)

Even more exciting for me, for a month during the middle of the preggo-ness, JP&AP were moving from one place to another, and needed a place to bunk up for a while. And so they stayed with me :) And it was good. I loved feeling that baby kick. And seeing two of my v. best friends every day.

And then, before I knew it, this little bundle of joy was born. And I fell in love. As a matter of fact, this baby changed me. Suddenly I LIKED babies. And a few months later, I was moving across the country and devastated to leave my favorite little girl in the world (and her wonderful parents- whom i miss SO VERY MUCH!!!)

Please meet the GORGEOUS, Isabel Kole (photos courteous of her mother, who sends me a new picture message everytime she's cute: about 30 today ;) )

Back when Izzie was, oh, about five months old, we asked her to be our flower girl. She will barely be a year and half when the wedding comes around, but I don't care. This little one HAS GOT to be part of our big day.

Originally , I envisioned AR pushing her in something like this, but prettier, a la Monica pushing Ben in The One with the Lesbian Wedding on the 2nd season of Friends.

But it's not like Isabel is going to be a baby-baby. More of a toddler. Here is another idea I found from this wedding here.

Flower mamas and flower babies. Now, this could work. We, however, are not having flower petals tossed down the aisle, so it would just be Mama & Izzie carrying some sort of bouquet or something.

The other idea I had involved Isabel dancing down the aisle with a ribbon dancer (in wedding colors, of course) waving about. Or a bell. I don't know.

But this is when I turn to you, oh faithful friends of the Internet.

What other ideas have you seen or heard of, or for you ultra-creative types, can think of to use for Isabel?

Two in One, part One

2009-01-30T12:38:00.006-05:00

It's time for you to meet a few very special people...

Once upon a time, a handful of years ago, Shugar Groom and his best friend JP worked together in youth ministry. As a matter of fact, when I first became friends with Shugar Groom, it was actually a friendship of the three of us. We all worked full time at the church (although only Shugar Groom was on staff- JP and I were volunteer) and spent our days together, and our nights together. And it was good.

We actually had a really great schedule of being up at the church in the evenings, and after any meetings, practices or work-events we had the three of us, reasonably self-proclaimed the "Clique at Night" would stay up at the church for hours, in deep discussions, night long cleaning or planning sessions, and most often intense worship and prayer time. We would put on CDs, or JP would play his guitar, and we would rest in the presence of the Lord. It was beautiful, and one of my most missed moments of working in the youth ministry. Occasionally, of course, we would also play Tetris. for hours. and fellowship. And it was good.

JP was dating a pretty girl named ARay, a year his junior, putting her as a senior in high school. She was not able to be in the clique, much to our dismay, because she had to go to sleep and be home at a "decent hour". The Clique did not know much about a "decent hour" but they did know about $1 burgers from 24hr Jack in the Box. ARay often was sad should could not hang out with the clique, but she understood her devotion to being a good student, and knew that one day we would all be able to ~~procrastinate~~ hang out together. And it was good.

One week, ARay approached me about teaching a sunday evening session on prayer for 6 months. And it was SUPER GOOD. We became very good friends, spending time preparing and teaching together, and realized we made a good team. And so she asked me to teach her more. And I did. And she became my pseudo intern type thing, but just like best friends, at the same time . And it was good.

At this point in time, I was harvesting feelings for Shugar Groom, but I was currently on this hardcore (yet short term) devotion to believing girls should not make the first move. (this came from reading the wonderful Elizabeth Elliot's Passion & Purity) I don't mean "the first move" in a general sense. I mean at all. I was determined not to say anything AT ALL to ANYONE, let alone Shugar Groom, about my feelings for him. And so I stayed silent in my ever growing feelings for him. And it was good.

And nine months passed.
and my feelings were still growing.
and I was still silent.

Until one day, Shugar Groom made some flirtatious comment, and I freaked out and had a sit down with JP. It went a little something like this.

ShugarBride: So...ummm...yeah....(more stalling)....Shugar Groom asked me I liked him today....ish...kind of....(explanation of story)
JP: WHAT!? Why would he do that? You OBVIOUSLY don't like him...is he trying to make your friendship awkward (speaking of awkward)?!?!?! I mean, he's not your type, and you clearly would never like a guy like him.
SB: (silence)
JP: I know, I'm speechless too!
SB: (silence and terrified look in eye)
JP: WAIT A MINUTE.....

For the next 5 weeks, JP, ARAY and I prayed together EVERY DAY about my feelings for Shugar Groom. I had this tendency to pray that my feelings would GO AWAY and thankfully, JP & ARAY talked me into a bit better solution- praying for God's Will. And we did. And it was good.

This story gets longer, and more complicated, and maybe one day I will tell you more details, involving two hurricanes, a trip to Nashville, our dear friend Karen, and lots of pizza. But for now I will just say this: EVENTUALLY, a few months later, Shugar Groom liked me too. And it was good. VERY GOOD.

JP & ARAY are two of my very best friends, and two of my favorite people in the entire world. We feel a connection to them unlike any other couple. I will defend them TO THE DEATH. They are truly like family to us. And THAT is good ;)

And eventually they got engaged. And then they were married. ARAY became AP.

Here are a few of my favorite photos of their engagement session, with the WONDERFULLY TALENTED Abel, of detour designs [check out that website NOW, you guys]

there is more to come.... i promise

Vision Casting: Save the Dates, part one.

2009-01-29T23:07:00.004-05:00

DISCLAIMER: Back before I was a blogger, I collected inspirational wedding pictures without making a note of the source. Therefore, these pictures remain sourceless, due to my own stupidity. If your photo is shown below, I apologize for not giving you the nod you so greatly deserve. Please leave a comment and I will be sure to make an edit.

A week or two after we got engaged, Shugar Groom and I were under the impression we were going to be moving to Denver in January of 2009. For the first three weeks, we were planning a Denver wedding.

For reasons we don't necessarily need to get into (mainly because they are boring), we are not getting married in Denver. We, clearly, are not living in Denver this January 2009 (unless we move in the next two days, which i don't see happening for any reason). And we don't plan on moving anywhere for the next few years, and maybe a few more after that.

We love the Capital District of NY. I'm still learning about all the coolest places, but it seems like every day I fall more and more for this cluster of cities.

And we are super excited to be getting married here. In such a historic city. In such a beautiful county. In such a tax-loving state. (ha! boo. hiss!)

Once we had found our venue (i promise more on this later), I knew it was time to start thinking about Save the Dates. We were to be wed hundred of miles away from 99% of the invite list, and we wanted to give everyone ample time to save money, search for transportation, and plan vacations if they were going to be able to join us for our celebration. Save the Dates were a must.

The only thing we knew for sure was that we wanted the Save the Dates to be "un-formal". And so this is where the vision casting started.

This is the collection of pictures from the file folder labled "GREAT Save the Dates!"

How did you first start planning your save the dates? Did you use other peoples work for inspiration, or are you creative enough to start from scratch???

Save The EyEyDate-ys!

2009-01-29T16:20:00.002-05:00

yeah. I went there.

After reading Miss Lemonade's Post today about her deliciously designed return address stamp, I found the COOLEST SAVE THE DATE i've yet to see (i've seen many a cool save the date!)

from here

Makes me want to scratch the ENTIRE wedding plan RIGHT NOW and go with a pirate theme.
Ok- maybe not. But regardless, pretty darn cool. (especially if you read this post about our first valentines day)

Today's Answers

2009-01-29T15:45:00.000-05:00

Come on guys. One more day!

Name: Dana LaRue & Hunter Stiebel

Date: 5/24/09

What is more original for Valentines Day as a gift: an acre of trees dedication

How much is the value of the amex gift card on the Love story giveaway?: $250

Where are trees planted for a Bar / Bat Mitzvah?: Moshav Nehalim, Israel

Complete this based on title on our memorial trees page "THE FAMILY RECEIVES AN ELEGANT......CONDOLENCE": Tree

divide on conquer

2009-01-29T08:33:00.000-05:00

last night, while visiting rm/bm Dave at work, I got into a discussion about organization with his co-worker Colin.

I love to organize.
(this is proven by the wedding binder, I remind you)

Now, I have a few blogs in my google reader.
(as I'm sure most of you do)
I recently went through and, gasp, deleted some that I often skipped over from my list, cutting me down to 235 subscriptions.

on a RARE occasion, when I get to google reader, I select "all items" and read the posts in chronological order, starting with the most recent post.

Most often, however, I read the blog posts in SECTIONS.

Here is my CURRENT section list (subject to change daily):
FAVORITES!!!
Photo Blogs!
Wedding
best sharers
Brides to be like me
crafty!
designers
foodie
people I actually know in real life
funny reading

How do you read your blog list? can your list be broken up to ten categories or less?

update on the contest for Dana & Hunter

2009-01-28T11:19:00.001-05:00

Here are the most up-to-date answers for the contest today! As of last night, they're 62 votes down, but the race is so tight that puts them in 3rd place!

Every single vote counts, so please be extra vigilant about getting yours in. Remember you can vote from any IP address, so vote from work, home, your phone, your friends computer.... or recruit a few good friends and family members to do something kind for a stranger today.

They're changing the questions every few hours, and I'll try to keep this as updated as possible, but please do pay close attention so your vote is counted and the answers are correct :)

The contest closes tomorrow (Thursday) at midnight, eeep!
Vote here: http://www.treesinstead.com/Green_Wedding_Contest.html

Name: Dana LaRue & Hunter Stiebel
Date: 5/24/09
Title of the B-day Day Tree Dedication Page?: Eco Friendly Birthday Gift
How much is the value of the amex gift card on the Love story giveaway?: $250
Where are trees planted for a Bar / Bat Mitzvah?: Moshav Nehalim, Israel
Complete this based on title on our memorial trees page "THE MOST THOUGHTFUL & UPLIFTING..........GIFT": Sympathy

favor update

2009-01-27T13:12:00.002-05:00

Here is today's info for Dana & Hunter's chance to win the contest:

Todays Answers:
Names: Hunter Stiebel and Dana LaRue
Date: May 24 2009
Title of Bday page: Go Green Giving a Planted a Tree to Honor Someone in his/her B-day
Color of Valentine's Certificate Title: Green
Planting Ground in Israel: Moshav Nehalim
Finish the sentence: sympathy

go HERE to do it, NOW:

http://www.treesinstead.com/Green_Wedding_Contest.html
and tell a friend, too!

more of this

2009-01-27T10:16:00.007-05:00

I've realized recently that I am starting to come into my own, how do i put this, "style identity", as of late.

proof:
It used to be that I would wear something close to pjs everyday. The very minute i arrived home from work I would change into sweatpants and a tshirt, and no matter where I went after work, I would look something like this:

tshirt. sweatpants. hair in very sloppy bun type thing on top of head. basically looking like i've been sleeping ALL.DAY.LONG

Back in Texas, at work, I would wear whatever was easiest for me to put on in the morning. Usually, some sort of wrap dress....

proof:

flattering: No. Easy to put on in the morning: yes.

My mother and sister have often suggested someone nominate me for What Not to Wear.

Then I moved to NY.
and I somehow landed an AWESOME job. (proof that Jesus loves me? I think so)
and I started to be able to dress a bit more "business casual".
RG, my old boss, used to say that we had to dress the woman's equivalent to a suit and tie. I fought that with everything in me, apparently. I wore a lot of skirts & light sweaters (IT WAS TEXAS), and many many MANY a dress. never.wore.a.suit.
NOW, I wear a lot of pants that "aren't jeans"- some days are more dressy than others. With tops that are functional, and comfortable, and a bit "relaxed and easy."

I tend to like cardigans, and other layered looks.
and suddenly, i love accessories. And by accessories, I guess i mean things you wear around your neck...because I dig having a scarf on. or a rad little necklace.

PROOF:

One of my new years resolutions last year was to accessorize daily. This became MUCH easier in an instant, after July 24th....

But have you ever been somewhere, saw something you LOVED and then thought:
I can't pull that off! I'm not the kind of lady that wears that!
WELL ENOUGH OF THAT FOR ME!!! If i see something that I TRULY adore, I'm not going to say "not for me" anymore.

I've been reading, thinking, writing, a lot about identity lately. And I think now is a time where I really come into my "style identity".

So I am pledging to MORE ACCESSORIES in 2009.
not a resolution, just a declaration. And what better way for ME, craft-allstar-wannabee to accessorize than to make cute things I love to "flaunt"...

Starting with this...(yes, the entire purpose of this VERY LONG post was to show you all this...)

I get a few emails from Martha every day. One is the "craft of the day" email.

Check this little brooch of wonders out:

directions can be found here:

since i happen to have received a sewing machine from santa, and have recently become the proud owner of a billion vintage buttons and spools of old ribbon and lace, i can foresee these in my future. :) A few little blossoms in a cluster perhaps? On a cute cardigan or jacket?

Now...I just need to define "machine-baste"...

Have you recently gone through any style changes? How would you describe your "style identity"?

Two Favors

2009-01-27T09:21:00.003-05:00

Not Wedding Favors, however.

I have two favors to ask of you loyal internet friends and readers.

First off, one of my favorite bloggers, Dana (also Miss Meatball at Weddingbee) is in a contest and needs our help.

I've been voting all month- and I've watched her and her fiancé, Hunter's votes go from a bit behind, to IN THE LEAD (but not by much). The voting ends in three days- and I would LOVE to hear they won a FREE HONEYMOON (especially considering that if they don't win, a honeymoon is a no go due to the sad economic times)

If everyone could vote, and also forward this message to at least one other person who you think will vote for the next 3 days, the gap will be closed and Dana & Hunter will keep first place!

So first of all: GO HERE: http://www.treesinstead.com/Green_Wedding_Contest.html

The answers change every day or two, but here are the current answers:
Today's Answers to insure you are not a computer:
Name: Dana LaRue & Hunter Stiebel
Date: 5/24/09
Title of the Mother's Day Tree Dedication Page? Go Green on your Mother's day Gift
Title of our Valentines Day Page? Go Green for Valentine's Day
Sentence Below the title @ the plant a Memorial tree in Israel...end in Holy Land: Plant a tree in Memory of a loved one in the Holy Land.
Complete this based on title on our memorial trees page "THE MOST THOUGHTFUL & UPLIFTING..........GIFT": Sympathy

*Remember you can vote once a day, from each IP address at your disposal (ie: home, work, other peoples 'puters, phone, coffeeshop, etc!*

2ndly...

My BFF & MOH-D (who you hear about quite often) needs some help...

Here is an excerpt from her blog:

E has been put in charge of coming up with an Amazing Race style activity for a family friendly work event a couple weeks from now, which really means that I have been put in charge of creating the activity. We will be at a hotel out of town, based in a ballroom. Neither one of us has ever seen the show, so I really need some help!

E has suggested maybe putting together a sudoku game (or possibly crossword puzzle) where groups have to go to different locations in the hotel (and possibly complete some kind of activity) to find the clue or answer.

Has anyone ever done this kind of activity before or have any ideas about what to do?

If you have a few creative ideas, suggestions, and/or encouragements, head here to let her know. Since this is the kind of challenge I LIVE FOR (planning events with themes), I will be daydreaming, plotting and planning all day. Join me in helping her?

What kind of things do you need help with? I love being a helpful blog-friend.
[Proof here, from Kaitlyn :) ]

Product Review (as if you didn't know)

2009-01-26T15:07:00.003-05:00

I needed to give the blogging world a heads up.
And by a heads up, I'm guessing I mean reminder, because it seems to me that everyone has already heard of this lovely little product called Gorilla Glue.

I remember hearing about Gorilla Glue back in Texas, but I never actually had used it. And then something amazing happened.

My BFF and MOH-D went to Cabo after Christmas with her hubby E.(oh, I like calling him E- like on Entourage!) Anyway, while she found me a little somethin' somethin' and sent it my way upon her return to Minnesota.

Saturday afternoon, I opened this:

EEK! what happened!?!?

i very carefully removed all the pieces and played humpty dumpty.

determined to make this work!

Jared suggested I use this little bottle of goodness:

And after CAREFULLY following the directions and letting it sit for a few hours, THIS is what happened:

GOOD AS NEW!

WOO HOO! Gorilla Glue is terrific because:
a)its super easy to use.
b)its not super runny, its more like a gel, so it doesn't get smeared all over your project
c)its STURDY
d)it doesnt smell like chemicals for three days after you've applied it

and a big THANK YOU!!! to you, my friend, for this WONDERFUL gift!!!

Fuzzy Wuzzy

2009-01-23T08:09:00.003-05:00

Just incase you don't have an RSS Feed to Southern Wedding Daily Blog (which by the way you should...and you Northerns don't be afraid of that term "Southern"...I promise you that you will barely even notice) I had to post this.

Because, well, this is completely something I would do (If I had an abundance of fuzzy balls in our wedding colors)

Please see the adorable Megan & John:

Yes, those are those craft fuzzy balls you see there, being thrown at them as they walk down the aisle. Let us discuss the merits.

1. There is a good possibily that you can find these super cheap. A lot cheaper than rose petals.

2. There is a decent possibility that your Grandmother who used to be a preschool teacher, or your Mother, who was the worlds greatest Girl Scout Leader & Sunday School Superintendant, may have a stash of these in their crafting ~~closet~~ room.

3. These are CLEARLY reusable. I hope that Megan and John had someone collect them all after the service (this sounds like a good job for the flower girl & ring bearer. Extra chocolate milk for the child with the most collected ;) ) and have already started stringing them together with a needle and fishing line to make a SWEET GARLAND for their Christmas tree.
Or that Megan made two little keychains out of a few of these cute tiny fabric spheres to serve as constant reminders as the day they pledge their lives to one another.
Or that John secret had his Best Man collect them to save to use in a very creative art project for their first anniversary.

Okay...I'm getting a little carried away.

Regardless- I LOVE THIS.

Now my brain is scanning through all my ideas to think of something extra special and extraordinary that we can use during the wedding and use uniquely afterwards in our lives.

Have you planned on doing this? What have you decided to incorporate that you also plan on using in your married life together?

side note: After the fact, I found here, that Megan says this:
I (Megan) really wanted to use pom poms in my wedding for the guests to toss after we said our I do’s. So we actually used the pom poms a lot. A strand of ivory pom pom’s were wrapped around my bouquet as well. We gave all of our guests an antique handkerchief that had a sewn tag that read our names and the date of the wedding.
(go read more about their weddign. so cute!!!

Type A

2009-01-21T15:44:00.003-05:00

A few posts ago, in my comments section, Ana asked for some more info on my wedding binder.

Now heed this warning: Shugar Groom would say that I am a little bit of a "control freak". I wouldn't say that I agree with that statement, but I'm not going to say that I disagree either.

It should be noted that I actually have 3 wedding binders.

My first wedding binder was put together before we actually started seriously planning anything. It was just a bunch of ideas that I had found online and in magazines. Things that inspired me. Clippings I didn't want to forget. And a whole bunch of doodles, sketches, and brain storm pages I had made early on. No biggie.

The first binder was labeled "Wedding Planner: Inspiration and Ideas."

And then, when plans first started coming together, I made a 2nd binder.

The general concept for this binder came from MOH-D. The first time I had seen her binder was six months before her wedding when I had a layover in the cities and we met at the airport for dinner. After spending a lot more time with the binder during her bachelorette weekend, and wedding weekend, I knew it was such a great system for organization that I had to copy the idea.

And this is what we have now, "Binder #2: Wedding Planner: Information & How-To"

The front cover of the binder.

detail shot of the front cover: My first ladies of wedding planning, Darcy and Martha.

detail shot of front cover: "Small Details" mantra, and a quote clipped from a magazine that really embodies what we want our wedding to feel like. 1)not stuffy, 2) fun!, and 3) about us

shot of the back cover

a little note from MOH-D, who sent me the BEST wedding planning package when we got engaged- a bunch of tips and articles from her own planner and magazine collection

another suggestion to enjoy the entire process clipped from a magazine. You can also see our color scheme fabric inspiration, as well as another note from MOH-D

a rather blurry table of contents shot: each heading has sub headings which explains what kind of information can be found and filed there.

my business card holder and calendars start off my binder of wonderfulness.

After this information, each section has a tab divider followed by blog printouts, magazine articles and clippings, as well as my own notes and sketches and contracts, lists and information from different vendors. There are also lots of DIY "how-to" instructions I've collected for various projects.

Certain tabs have a 9 by 7 envelope which hole punched and added to the binder to hold little clippings. (this has been a brillant idea for tabs such as "flowers" or "hair/makeup" because there are lots of little clippings from wedding magazines that I've wanted to save and reference later.

At the end of my binder, I have a binder organizer with three pouches, which is basically a little supply kit that has the three holes on it to fit into the binder. In it I keep pens and post its of various sizes, as well as a book of stamps. The back of the binder organizer has spots for 10 cds- so it has the honeymoon dvd's we've received from various companies, as well as the disney information we requested early on in the planning.

My third binder is a keepsake binder I plan on putting together after the wedding- transfering some of the info from my other binders into later on.

How do you stay organized during the wedding planning? Do you keep up to date with your planner? (i open mine 3-4 times a week for one reason or another)

Oh, Happy Day!

2009-01-20T07:49:00.001-05:00

Dear Jesus,

Thank you.

Amen.

The Economy Sucks

2009-01-19T09:32:00.003-05:00

BUT THE WEDDING DOESN'T HAVE TO! (SHUGAR MOTTO)

I agree, it's super sad that day after day, I hear of more people being laid off.
And I admit, I pray often for a change in the route the economy has been going the last year….

Shugar Groom and I have joked that it's time to "recession proof" the wedding. (although, I'm not too sure that it's actually a joke.) Just trying to have a fabulous wedding for less than a billion dollars ;)

Truth be told, shugar groom has always said I can stretch a dollar (mad props to Shugar Mom for this skill). Way back in the day, before we had started dating, he had his mind made up that I was a Bargin Babe! We had met, and become extremly close friends, working in Youth Ministry together. (at the time, Shugar Groom was the Youth Pastor, and I was a volunteer leader) We were having a Jr. High "boot camp themed" lock-in weekend: with a compition, boys vs. girls, all weekend long, of different games and challenges. SO.MUCH.FUN.

Shugar Groom had put me in charge of planning the events, and gave me a budget of $50 for a long list of things we needed. When I returned with everything on the list, plus some snacks, and $37 in change, he was shocked. That may have been the very moment he decided to marry me.*

anyway- when it comes to finding ways to save on the little stuff, I would consider myself on verge of professional.**

The other night, while picking up Best Man- D from my favorite little shoe store, I had a brillant idea.
I NEEDED to go into KBToys and find a new game to bring home, you know, for 80% off.

As I walked up and down the aisles, a light bulb went off.

with all these businesses closing, I should be paying a lot more attention, focusing on wedding stuff!!!!*

Orginally, before we figured out what city we were going to be married in (did I mention at one point we were going to be moving to, and planning a wedding in, Denver?), let alone searched for a venue, I always figured I would be a cool "aunt heather" and provide the kiddo's with some fun reception kid kits (here's a link to Mrs. Toucan's post on them) I had invisioned being the AWESOMEST AUNT EVER and packing these kits full of fun toys the kids could take home with them and keep forever, and everytime they picked up their etch-a-sketch, which was clearly in our wedding colors, child would no doubt, remember how awesome aunt heather is.

Then we found a venue. And one day, on the telephone, in passing, i mentioned to Shugar Mom about my vision for kid kits.

And she reminded me I'm having my reception at a childrens museum. (more on this later).

"The children are not going to be bored. If you give them an etch-a-sketch and such, they will ignore it to play in the shadow room."

Ten points, Shugar Mom!

Now, I haven't completely gotten rid of the kid kits ideas. I still dream of being "awesome aunt heather" (i gain 13 nieces and nephews, come sept 6th) and I have a few things stewing around in my DIY brain files, but alas, I digress....

This post, filled with two completely pointless stories, is basically here to tell YOU, bride to be, that when you are walking through the mall, or driving down the street, and see a GOING OUT OF BUSINESS sign, don't roll your eyes.

STOP RIGHT NOW and check it out.

My list of things to be on the lookout for while shopping going out of business sales:

-attendants gifts
-frames for photos
-welcome basket extras
-a cool card box/container
-other containers for various things (baskets for the rest rooms, program holders, etc.)
-candles
-decor of any kinds
-etc.

Here's a few ideas (that we are not using) I had while walking through KB...

-Groomsmen Gifts: - they had tons and tons of boxes of poker chips, marked down to like 75 cents a box. And dice, and cards, galore. How cool would boker sets be for groomsmen. You could put together "poker night" sets, with snacks, drinks, poker stuff, etc.

-Kid Kits (clearly)

-Trivial Pursuit/other trivia games- I have been debating making little boxes for each table with "table talk" type questions, or maybe trivia cards, to spark conversation during/after dinner.

-Ring Bearer/Flower Girl Gifts. When MOH-D got married, we searched for the Wii-sports pack for her ring-man. They def. have video games and such at KB toys. As well as tons of other stuff suitable for your Very.Important.Little.Ones.

Have you found any wedding deals at store closing sales?

p.s. if you want to buy someone a HUGE stuffed animal for valentines day- rather than spend $50- go to KB toys and spend $7. I'm just saying :)

* okay, maybe not.
** maybe I should consider doing this for a living? does anyone want to hire me to "buy stuff?"
***MOH-D and I have been talking about Cost Plus World Markets closing down in certain areas- this would be an AWESOME place to find wedding stuff, I'm sure.

That Photo Challenge: January

2009-01-16T09:08:00.004-05:00

Jenna challenged us.
And although I haven't taken the perfect photo yet (I still have 15 days, y'all) I thought I should share a few attempts.

Not quite quality photos.
But the emotion is there for sure.
Because the 1092 is a place full of laughter, all the time.

Codes and Dave.

Heather, Candace, Codes and Dave.

Color Theory

2009-01-15T16:22:00.004-05:00

Someone asked me the other day how we picked our wedding colors.

When I first started dreaming of my wedding, you know, back at the tender age of "in the womb", I wanted a rainbow wedding.

rainbow wedding of old

And I can distinctively remember that in high school, I was dead set on black and hot pink. I knew I wanted my bridesmaids to wear black with pink shoes and ribbons. My lovely MOH-D had a pink & black wedding last march- GORGEOUS! And I got to wear a black dress with a pink bow :)

When I was in college, my mind had drifted and when planning my dream wedding with the BBC (my best friends at Edgewood College), I decided I wanted pink & green.

But of course, that didn't last long- because I wanted a fall wedding- which lead me to brown and robins egg blue.

But, I started to feel like every wedding on the planet was being done in brown and blue, or brown and pink, or brown and green- and I just couldn't bare to do it myself.

When Shugar Groom and I first started talking seriously about tying the knot, MOH-K and found a really fun, bright color scheme we thought was pretty "fetch".

But then I was swayed by some ribbons, and wanted a bright, sunny color palete.

After the ring, Shugar groom and I sat down with a book of colors and discussed what we both liked. He was TOTALLY against green. OK. He also did not like my idea of the bridesmaids wearing all black, each with a different bright color shoe. Finally, we decided that we could both settle on "some kind of blue color"

The first one we loved was a swatch from David's Bridal - Serene. Much like this:

So when MOH-K and I first went to browse bridesmaids dresses, we looked at some serene colored ones and nothing really pleased me.

And then I moved to NY.
and I took two weeks to choose our bridesmaids dresses.
I decided early on that David's Bridal was going to be our source for Bridesmaids Dresses because I wanted all my girls, spread across the nation, to be able to go try them on before ordering (i've had some bad luck NOT trying on dresses I've ordered), and i knew I could get fairly reasonable prices from David's, and seeing as all of my lovely ladies will be traveling many many miles to come celebrate with us, and therefore spending a ton of money, i wanted to keep the costs at a minimum.

So one day, I went into David's and stayed there for four hours.
I tried on bridesmaids dresses, myself.
and I decided I really really liked two of them, that matched, and sadly did not come in a color I could safely call "blue".

Meet JUNIPER....kinda blue. kinda green.

Shugar Groom assured me that juniper is not green-green and therefore, we could definitely use it for our wedding. He gave me two thumbs up, and so the decision was made...

and, as I've already mentioned, they now have ANOTHER option, so my ladies have 3 dresses to choose from...

How did you choose your wedding colors?

Arrgggggggggggggg you celebrating?

2009-01-15T13:20:00.007-05:00

(my titles continue to scale the wall-o-lame)

I like to celebrate.
Give me a holiday, and I will make cupcakes, give a toast, and decorate my living room (no doubt with some sort of paper).

I like themes.
I like giving gifts around one central theme, throwing a theme party, and decorating a tree in all matching (but not TOO matchy/matchy) ornaments.

For our very first Valentine's Day together, I created a Pirate Themed Valentine's Day for Shugar Groom.

When he arrived at his office Valentine's Day morning, he found an inflatable pirate that attaches to one's shoulder, a pirate's hat, a scope, a patch and a hook- all accompanying his VALENTINE'S DAY TREASURE MAP!

On the map were instructions to sit tight until further instruction.

Shugar Groom throught that his pirate toys were his valentine's gift. Apparently, he wasn't paying too much attention to his map, because he was so excited about his patch and kept asking Polly if he wanted a cracker.

Five minutes later, our friend and Shugar Groom's co-worker came to see him. She handed him something. His first clue.

I made 100 clues out of black & red scrapbook paper. On the front of each clue I listed a reason why I love Shugar Groom. On the pack were instructions.

After receiving his first clue, Shugar Groom was lead to a variety of places throughout the church where he worked. Occasionally, he would receive a clue that told him to "get back to work" or "go to your desk to await your next clue", when I had other co-workers deliver clues that would lead him to his next destination.

As youth pastors in SE Texas, you are able to go to "school lunches" at the middle & high schools to connect & spend time with students. Knowing that Shugar Groom planned on attending School Lunch at a local high school at 11:15, his 11:00 delivery led him to the high school, where one by one, students would approach him with his next clue, and reason why I love him.

The last student to give Shugar Groom his clue also handed him a Starbucks gift card and a quarter. Shugar Grooms favorite drink, a triple venti white mocha, rang up for $5.25, at the time, and the clue on the back of the coupon instructed him to go get one on his way back to the office.

Imagine his surprise when he received a coupon with his drink from the barista. (hey- what can I say, I'm good). He had to pick up a package from Men's Warehouse- there was a coupon. Swing by the Pastors House (the place we FIRST met!)- there was a coupon. At band practice that evening, the lead singer, bassist, sound guy- all gave him coupons.

It was a day of coupons.

After band practice, when Shugar Groom arrived at his appartment, there was a coupon on the front door that suggested he get a coke from the fridge....
and one that reminded him he needed a glass...
and one that reminded him to get some ice...
and a coaster....and a straw...
and to go to his room and get out his slippers from his closet....

and in his walk-in closet, was the LAST clue-
along with a billion pink and red balloons, streamers galore, and a HUGE treasure chest I had filled with all of his favorite snacks and a few other treats. The clue stated where and when to come meet me.

I win. He loves to tell this story and brags on me each time he does.
The best part is, that apart from the starbucks and the treasure chest of treats, the gift was free. And I'm quite certain he loved the hunt more than any of the snacks and treats, and even, dare I say this about the coffee addict- the starbucks.

Even though it was awesome, and he loved it, and all that jazz- i still can't help but feel that I may have made a mistake. Don't get me wrong- it was LOVELY to see him so excited and happy all day long (i must have gotten a billion calls from him that day) but I did this the VERY FIRST VALENTINES DAY we spent together. Do you know what that means for the rest of the years.

DEFEAT. It's almost impossible to beat that treasure hunt on a budget. BUT THIS YEAR I AM DETERMINED!!!!!

It's been especially fun to think about with so many blogs posting Valentine's Day inspirations. And I've been keeping my eye out on etsy for some valentines day gifts and ideas.

and I've found a million things I like on etsy. (but I'm sure that surprises NO ONE)
but nothing so far that tops the treasure hunt of wonders.

please tell me your favorite creative gifts to give (inspire me, PLEASE)...
and let me know - how do you spend Valentine's Day?

If the shoe fits (2)

2009-01-15T11:55:00.004-05:00

You may remember these Isaac Mizrahi shoes that I cried about because they are my dream wedding shoe, and they don't come in this tall-and-therefore-large-footed bride's size.

:( (amazon.com)

Well today I read a blog from the Bridal Guide, found here that suggested a few of Fashion Editor Sherri Caudell Brennan's favorite wedding vendors. One of her suggestions is Blue Tux for shoes, so, while I'm lunching, I thought I would check it out.

Now, it should be noted that BEFORE i picture out my dress, i was thinking I would need some gold flats for the wedding. I was invisioning ivory tones and gold accents. And then I bought a dress with this lovely little detail:

You see that? Thats silver detail work on said dress. Clearly I needed to rethink the shoe option. No more gold.

So, I'm shifting through Blue Tux, and I find THESE beauties on sale for $19.00.

That's right.
I Said $19.
Now, these are clearly a bit different than my DREAM SHOE, and i have to admitt, although they are cute, I am not CRAZY about them.....but, i mean, they are $19.

Ok bloggosphere-What do you think?

What wedding item has left you debating, mostly because of the low price tag?

Today is AWESOME

2009-01-14T12:12:00.001-05:00

and now, I will tell you why:

1. HAPPY WEDDING DRESS DAY! I know I said the dress was suppose to be here Monday, but instead of posting a whining little number about why it was not, I will just say, DRESS DAY DRESS DAY! HOORAY!

When it arrived I walked the large box down the v. long hall to jen's office humming "here comes the bride", as it was v. aisle-like. She called Z into her office, and with all the estrogen of the company in one room, I opened the box, and showed them the loveliness that is my wonderful wedding day attire.

Since I don't have any girlfriends in the area, the ladies at work being excited about my wedding with me is very helpful. Z even let me show her every page of my wedding binder one day. (if you know me, this is amazing, if you know Z, this is a MIRACLE.)

2. Shugar Groom is taking me out to lunch! HOORAY! He is on his way now, so I mustn't blog long- but I'm v. excited about a lunch date! I love quality time with the future hubby. :)

3. I feel wonderful- but my voice still sounds like I'm in the middle of a cold from hell (oxymoron, much?) . I don't mind so much since I have so much energy and feel like dancing :)

4. And so, that's what I'm going to do. :) dance. all day long.

Tell me, why is today Awesome for you?
WOO HOO!

Dear Girlfriends,

2009-01-12T13:43:00.003-05:00

get your cute butts to Schenectady, New York so that we can sit next to each other, eat popcorn & junior mints, share a cherry cola, and laugh at these two:

I've been adviced NOT to take Shugar Groom to see this (and i doubt i could even get him through the door at this point. After I made him watch The Wedding Date, Made of Honor, and SATC with me, I'm quite certain his is DONE with the wedding-themed chick flicks.)

And seeing as I don't feel I have any girlfriends close enough to be worthy of movie-giggles and bff swoons here in Captial District, I'm putting out a cry for help via the internet. LADIES GET YOUR BUTTS OVER HERE! I'm in desperate need of a girls night. And what better for this bride to be than to go see Bridal Wars, really? (plus, who doesn't love Anne & Kate... i mean, COME ON!)

If you make the trip, I will make you these:

What's something on your "Must See/Do/Try" list?

ick. ick. hooray!

2009-01-09T12:54:00.000-05:00

I am ill.
I had a fever last night.
I rested.
I took meds.
I drank orange juice & ate chicken noodle soup.
I made Shugar Groom read me trivial pursuit cards when I couldn't sleep.

I woke up today feeling 100 times better.
sad news is, yesterday evening I was feel 200 times worst than normal,
so I still have 100 times of betterness to go.
The fever is gone. Now its all cold-ness. boo to colds.

but, this post is not ALL whining.
MY DRESS IS COMING!!!!!!!!

I just got off the phone with the fabulous Anthony at the Bridal Co, in Denton, Texas.
We tracked the package and it should be here Monday :) WOO HOO!! This excites me so.

I'm not entirely sure WHY it excites me so much, however- it's not like I can wear it for
another, you know, 240 days! But regardless, it's another thing done, done & done.

Now I just need to find a place to do alterations. I've got a few leads from some locals.
And I'm still trying to decide when to schedule my first fitting.

I think when I decide where to try I'm going to take my dress from MOH-D's wedding and have it taken in so that I can build some trust with the tailor/seamstress.

The scariest part about getting married here is that we are still so New that I don't know ANYTHING about the businesses, vendors, and even neighborhoods in which I am venturing. But, I am continuing to take it all one day at a time.

Before we were actually engaged, Shugar Groom informed me we would be hiring a wedding planner in order that I would never get stressed because I would have anything to do for the wedding. This comes from his experiences with me planning parties in the past & having what he likes to call "control issues". (I choose to say "determined", but whatever) But his plan was to keep me "Stress Free" for the Wedding itself by hiring a planner to "make it easy" (boys some how have a really warped idea of what a wedding planner does, I feel- MOH-M and I talked about it a few weeks ago….Shugar Groom is basically clueless)

I informed Shugar Groom that if he really loved me, he would never take away the planning process ;) That paper products. The DIY projects. The putting together of flowers with MOH-D the night before the wedding (this is just suspected as we did this for her wedding ,too) And he realized he would a) never do that to me and b) want to hire someone just like me if he did hire a planner, so at least this way we were saving money from the wedding budget.

And I must say, that I have not been anywhere near as stressed as certain people may have expected me to be. I'm really ENJOYING the planning process. and, even though we still have a while to go (again, must I remind you, 240 days! WOOT!), I'm still feeling the "Stress Free Theme" for our wedding :)

How would you rate yourself on the wedding planning stress-o-meter? are you more or less stressed than you imagined?

Do Gooder

2009-01-06T16:04:00.002-05:00

There is this really cool fundraiser, that takes place much too far away from me. (but close to BM-B!) Let's Eat Cake is a fundraiser for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

THIS LINK is for the Let's Eat Cake Blog. If you're interested in finding more info, donating, or attending this fundraiser, check out the blog.

also...

THIS LINK tells you more about the fundraiser, the hosting company, and founder, Melissa who has a little something more up her sleeve.

For this week only, Melissa has pledged to donate $1 for every blog that features details on Let's Eat Cake! So make a post and email a link to Melissa at info@masterpieceweddings.net.

proof for my daddy

2009-01-06T13:27:00.005-05:00

I have a thing for paper.
I would probably go ahead an admit it, it's an addiction.
I'm not sure WHERE it started, or even WHEN it started, i just know, i love it.

I like to send mail.
I've be called the BPPE. (that's Best Pen Pal Ever)
One Summer, when MOH-M was away being a camp counselor, I sent her a piece of mail EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. No Joke.
I like to think I'm a pretty good mail friend.
One of my favorite things to send are Envelopes of Random Love.

Basically, here is the how-to, Shugar Bride style.

1. Take out a pile of old magazines, a few envelopes, your favorite pen, a stack of post-its and a pair of scissors.
2. Sit cross legged on floor while some sort of Television marathon is on. (it started with Law & Order, but I've been known to snip away to VH1 Nostalgia Shows, The Real World, The Cosby Show, Extreme Makeover Home Edition, and many many more)
3. flip through old magazines. When you find a picture or article that reminds you of someone, clip it. Add a post it with a note about the picture (optional). Place item in an envelope with this persons name on it.
4. Continue to find things until either legs go numb, or you have found the desired amount of clippings. Seal. Address. Send.

At one point in my life, I had gone so far to have three shoe boxes full of clippings I had cut and saved because "i liked them" or I thought I could maybe use them later.

This PEEVED my Father, to no end.

I'm not sure if it was that the actual activity seemed a bit of a time waster to him, or if he hated the idea of me moving 50+ magazines from Wisconsin to Texas, just so that I could cut them into pieces, or if he was just jealous that he didn't come up with the idea first ;)(or perhaps a mixture).

Regardless, my Dad HATES the magazine cut out activities I hold so near and dear to my heart. So much so that I've threatened to make him magazine cut out modge podge desk accessories for him to take to work when he starts teasing me.

So, when I was on my cleaning spree last week, and I decided it was time to pitch some bridal magazines, I knew it had to be documented. Remember: I'm not even married yet! We still have 9 months until the wedding! and look at what I recycled (and by way of the recycling bin, not reusing cut outs as gifts and craft particles):

(i does pain my heart a bit that martha's on top :( sorry, darcy. Still BFF, okay?)

My dad has always told me when he's proud of my accomplishments - but I'm guessing that he is going to be elated when he reads this post :)

by the way, after reading her post here, I've started wondering if this magazine thing was my one of my SSBs. Which would make me a bit more like Carrie, since her SSB involved magazines, too. ;)

Do you have a Secret Single Behavior?

2009-01-06T13:03:00.003-05:00

You may remember this post last month regarding my receiving a package in the mail from Everyday Grace. You'll remember that Andrea of Everyday Grace is amazing, and you should check out her store...like, now. [since receiving my first package, i've already ordered another gift from Andrea for the graduation of a dear friend of ours- i can't recommend her enough!]

I promised a recap of the gifts I order once Christmas came and went, and deliveries were made and I can't wait to show off Andrea's work.

I sent each bridesmaid a little luggage tag, custom for the wedding. Since our entire wedding party will be traveling to NY come September, I thought it would be pretty sweet if all the ladies had matching, extra special, wedding day luggage tags. (you will note that the tags match our wedding colors a bit, too)

Each tag has one side of contact information, and another with the first name and role of the party member.

I took some photos of Shugar Sister's tag on Christmas morning (note: she had already attached it to her luggage ;))

With each girls' tag, I included a little note, and of course, i needed to pay homage to my favorite kind of written communication; the CHEESY POEM :)

Since you are traveling, out of your way
to Celebrate our special day,

I thought you could use a special tag
For labeling your checked-in bag.

This tag has been made custom for you
to say thank you for all that you do!

Merry Christmas, lady!

Did you do anything special for your Bridal Party for Christmas?

Top Ten Tuesday

2009-01-06T12:34:00.002-05:00

A few months ago, Shugar Groom approached me, quite excitedly, and asked if he could use some of my “craft stuff” for a “secret”. (not much else has resulted in the equilibrium level of fright and excitement than this phrase)

He left for the evening and returned to me with a gift.

A very crafty (for a Shugar Groom) card, which says “Can’t Wait until 09-06-09!” on the outside. And when you open the card, you find a list (a man after my own heart, clearly). I’ve had it posted at my cork board desk since, and today while trying to come up with my top ten, I realized that I should let him have the spot light on his sweetness.

It reads:

“Shugar Bride,

This is why I love you.
(a list of ten of the reasons why my heart beats for you)

You Bake Well!
I like your stories online!*
You moved up to NY with me!
You are very encouraging.
You take PRIDE in what you do!
I LOVE it when you laugh.
I love the way that you take care of me when I’m sick.

3. I LOVE your loyalty to the BADGERS! Go Bucky!
2. I LOVE how you try your hardest to LOVE everyone. You try to do the Christ-like thing!
1. I LOVE that you LOVE me for who I am and everything we have been through. Thank you!**

Has your honey ever surprised you with a little handmade token of affection?

*I think he means my old blogs….but i'm really not too sure.
**punctuation was copied from original card. He really did use THAT many exclamation points.

awesomeness

2009-01-05T16:16:00.003-05:00

Shugar Brother is awesome.
need proof?
here he is with joey fatone.

Shugar Sister is awesome.
Need proof?
Here she is with her new guitar (only at the time she doesn't know its a new guitar.)
Look at how cute she is.

Shugar Christmas is awesome.
Need Proof?
A) I'm spoiled. B) GREAT paper :)

Denton, Texas is Awesome.
Need Proof?
Texas has Culvers (founded in Sauk City, Wisconsin. And a place i miss WAY WAY WAY too much.)
Check out this butter burger and cheese curd basket i DEVORED while visiting the fam.
P.S. Denton is awesome for other reasons too. especially for the reason: MY FAMILY IS THERE!

Today is awesome.
Need proof?
I got my sewing machine AND my box from ShugarMom in the mail today.
=) HAPPY HAPPY Monday.

Why is today awesome for you?

because i am lazy...

2009-01-03T18:18:00.004-05:00

You should read this here.

This is basically my life the last few days.
Preparing to move to the Howard Street Apartment (woot!).

I thought i liked packing....until my second day set in.
Now I am ready for the unpacking.
(and the painting, and the cleaning, and the REVAMPING the old, somewhat gross place...we got a DEAL from the landlordlady offering to paint & place fix it (thank you to HGTV for inspirations) if she bought materials :) The people before us left it quite gross and so She's knocking more than two months rent off for us. FUN FUN FUN stuff ahead)

My Creme de la Creme is that I plan on getting a nice little table and drawers for CRAFT-O-RAMA. A real place to craft my heart out (it's hard moving an entire apartment full of stuff into one tiny bedroom! ) and get all "wedding ready!"

I. am. stoked.

and also, clearly procrastinating from the packing right this minute.
okay. back to work. (boo.)

What are your feelings on packing? Do you have a love/hate relationship with moving like I do?

The Line Up Round 2

2009-01-01T21:43:00.005-05:00

Meet MOH K (on the right, here with her cousin H)....

K and I met via myspace. Yes. it's true. we are cool.
She was going to college in Beaumont while I lived there.
We met. We clicked. We were inseparable.
She moved home to go to school at MoCo.
We stayed close. I visited her. She visited me.
After a visit the summer of 2007 to help me move, i somehow convinced her move in with me that coming January.

And so, on the three year anniversary of when we first met (we are nostalgic like that) she moved into my apartment, and we became roomies :) (oh how i miss living with a girl!) And she lived with me until I moved to NY.

K is the most easy going, fun loving, unique person I know. Her taste in music, fashion and LIFE has inspired me so much. She's been there with me physically through some pretty ugly break ups an heart breaks, and when Shugar Groom told her he wanted to marry me, she threatened him- and then squealed.

She accepts me for who I am and she lets me be in control sometimes. She talks celeb gossip with me. She plays crafts with me. She watches dorky tv, and quotes movies with me. And she helps me bake AND eat cupcakes. (even the beer bacon cheddar ones) I'm ready for her to decide she wants to move to NY. I'm just saying.

Meet BM J...

OH, J. J just got engaged!!! And when I got the picture text at work, I literally jumped up and own and screeched a little.

There are some friends who understand you down to the soul of who you are...this is J. We used to have "church" on wednesdays, just her and I, because when we were together we felt it was what Jesus meant when he called us the "church". Being with J made me feel like home whenever I felt lost. She brought some "northern" to me while I was in Texas- and shes the cutest girl in the world.

She sparks my creativity - because she is a ball of creativity. And I trust her with just about anything. Any project, problem, idea- i know that if I gave it to J, she would transcend my vision. She GETS me, at the root of who I am. And her encouragement is unquestionable. She never fails to lift me up and remind me of who I am in Christ. And push me farther to be who I am inside.

Meet BM M (also Shugar Sister)...

M is 4 years behind me in school. (and today is her birthday! WOOT WOOT 22!) She is basically the complete opposite and the same as me in every aspect. She is an English Major, like I was, but she is a billion times smarter than me. And a much better writer. She's a rock star RA, like I was, but she's made a career out of it, which although was a dream of mine at one time, I never could follow though. She completes her goals, while I just make mine. And she is HELLA TALENTED in many departments (especially music- which has NEVER been my forte). Also she can jazz hand WITH BOTH HANDS.

She is my litte sister, but the Martha/Jan complex has gone a bit tipsy turvy on us- because I wish I was more like her, and sometimes I think she forgets I exist ;) (jk) She can even cook a Thanksgiving meal on her own. Even her domestic skils top mine.

She has never been afraid of being who she is, and I've never looked at her and thought (get away from the peer pressure!) She is an independent woman of wonders! And don't ever try to step between her and her friends, because she will beat you down. She's loyal to the death and I'm so lucky to have her be apart of my family.

So, it was impossible for me NOT to have all six of these lovely ladies in our Wedding- they all mean SO MUCH to me! I couldn't think of marrying Shugar Groom without this support lineup at my side.

How did you choose your bridesmaid line up? How did you ask them?

The Line Up

2009-01-01T20:43:00.006-05:00

A few things have happened regarding our wedding party.

When we first became engaged, I told Michael that he should pick how many groomsmen he wanted. When he had that list I would make mine. I told him the list could be anywhere between seven and twenty seven, because i could fit any of those lists.

So, he came up with his list, and he decided on seven. Six of his best friends, plus my best guy friend from high school. Shugar Groom asked me if we could include him in the wedding because he knew it would mean a lot to me. (and they like each other, so i guess that helps)

Sounds good.
Seven was perfect.
There were seven girls i knew RIGHT AWAY that I would HAVE to have stand near me on our special day. Each of these girls has had such a hand in helping me to become the woman I am- if I made a list of the most influential women in my life, It would be my mother, her best friend, Miss Judi, and these seven women.

I knew I wanted to ask each lady in a special way- I wish I was financially stable enough to send them all an extravagent basket full of stuff they love with a singing telegram asking them to be my bridesmaid...but alas, i am still living the "college kid" budget so I went to plan two.

I ordered some DVDs: The Wedding Planner & My Best Friends Wedding- and I made each lady a card to accompany the corresponding DVDs. The cards were each individual for the respective friend and asked the question "will you be my ________"(bridesmaid,bridesmatron, maid of honor, matron of honor).

I then packaged up the dvds and mailed them to the girls. and i waited. and i waited. to hear back.

Some girls responded right away.
One of the bridesmaid made her own response card of PERFECTION that was themed after a special memory of Shugar Groom and myself.

And one bridesmaid, I'm still waiting to hear from. ha. my former roommate was asked the night of the engagement, after a few shots- apparently i couldnt keep it a secret during the celebration. she helped Shugar Groom at the jewelrystore, and i also dragged her around to buy wedding magainzes and try on dresses and she watched two who discs of martha wedding dvds with me all in the week post engagement before we moved. she deserved to know ahead of time, IMHO. But I sent her a card anyway- and i never received a response from THAT.

So, for the past four months, I've had the seven most perfect bridesmaids.
And then, a week or so ago, I talked to one of the ladies, and after a few minutes, I knew she was feeling a bit of anxiety. I knew she wanted to back out of the wedding party. And I knew she was afraid to tell me.

I understand completely. I know how expensive it is to travel across the country to participate in a wedding. To buy a dress. and Shoes. and all that jazz. and travel arrangents, and figuring out where to stay. i know thats stressful on a girl on a budget. She is starting school this semester, and has a lot going on.

And the last thing I want is for ANYONE involved with our wedding to be stressed out about it.
I want everyone to enjoy the process and the weekend with us.
And so we had a heart to heart and I told her that we
a)totally understand.
b)love her very much.
c)would never let anything like our wedding come between us.
and d) would much rather her be able to be less stressed her first semeser at school, and then be able to come as a guest and celebrate with us than have her freak out, stretch her last cent and be freaking out about money.

Also- we are up a groomsman. Shugar Groom wanted to ask another friend to be apart of our special day. =) He has so much love to go around.

And so-
He now has EIGHT wonderful groomsmen.
I now have SIX wonderful bridesmaids.
and I couldn't be happier.

I wanted to touch a little on each of the ladies - so here we go....

Starting with my three matrons- the "smug marrieds" who I am looking to to teach me all about marriage! (aren't you ladies excited?)

I really look up to all three of these former brides' marriages for different reasons and i look forward to having them install in me what they've learned the last few years...

Meet MOH D...

D was probably the first person I planned my wedding with. And although the original plans for the wedding of my dreams were A LOT different than they are now, one thing remains the same- Her by my side.

She's a year older than me and we went to junior high and high school together in the TINY town of Lodi, Wisconsin. We became close participating in the same extra curriculars, grew even closer watching HS Wrestling (we were the biggest fans), and became inseperatable working the summers in the Dells together and living with one another throughout the summer. When she went off to college, we remained close. And, although the distance between us has grown significantly, we've always stayed in one anothers lives.

We are a lot alike, but our differences have made our friendship even stronger, I believe. We've been through a lot growing up together- (oh the stories we both could tell! ha!) and I cherish her and all she is to me. So much of who I am today has a lot to do with how I looked up to her when we were younger. I think there was a time I really wanted to be "just like d" and that shaped a lot of my decisions early on. I'm so thankful she was a "GOOD GIRL" for me to follow. :)

When she married E this past March, I was her MOH, and I've never been more honored. Their wedding was so much fun and I love those memories!

Meet MOH M...

M was my very best friend from Louisiana College. She was a freshmen when I transfered in and started my junior year, yet I never felt she was younger than me. As a matter of fact her maturity has almost led me to believe she had a few years on me.

She was the person who I felt most connected with at LC- and although in the beginning it was Madison, WI (the place my heart calls home) that brought us together, and know that our hearts are tied much deeper than that. She understands me more than most do. She knows what I need to hear and when I need to hear it and is never afraid to speak truth into my life, even when I may resist wanting to be heard I am wrong. She poured Christ into my life from the very beginning, and I really owe my relationship with Him to her. She has always been my biggest accountability and assurance of faith. She helped me though the initial struggle of figuring out my beliefs and has always held my hand and my heart as I continue to question my callings, my faith, and my humanity.

I was a bridesmaid in her gorgeous wedding to C in August of 2007. And although I took the greyhound from HELL to get there - the entire weekend was worth it.

Meet BM B...

OH, my BJD! B and I lived on the same floor freshmen year of school at Edgewood College (R2-4Life!). Our friendship grew much deeper our 2nd year, when we were part of a foursome we called the BBHC(not so original when you know our first names.) Our friendship started out with a love for must see thursdays on nbc (we rock friends trivia, by the way) and the real world. But soon we were besties. Relying on one another through heart breaks, all night study sessions, many a Perkins Trip and Father Benjamins Ethics class (how did ALL four of us manage to get in to that class together, i'm still not sure) and much much more.

When I moved to Texas/Louisiana, B and I continued to talk online and over the phone often, and when she married A in October of 2007, I was her personal attendant. We danced the night away to some of our favorite tunes, and I managed to NOT FALL down the chapel steps after my reading.

B and I have become even closer in the last year- after she and A moved to Florida (closer to me) and then I moved to NY (farther from her :( but near A's family! ) We both have been there for one another through the ups and downs of going somewhere new completely blindly, and feeling lonely and estrogen-friend-less. Those first two years in college were so defining of who we are, and I know that the inside jokes and memories of the past are only the beginning in the slide shows of our lives. She will be one of my best friends forever. without a doubt.

How many people are in your bridal party? Do you think the numbers should be even on each side, bridesmaids and groomsmen?

pants on fire

2009-01-01T13:33:00.002-05:00

I promise you it was never my intention to lie.

I know I said I would have a BUNCH of blog updates done before end of day Wednesday- but then, we got a good ten inches of snow (yes, again) which caused us to not only run the snow blower three times yesterday, but not be able to leave the house until 2:00 PM when the plow FINALLY came by our old country road.

Needless to say, I was not at the office nor anywhere with a trusty internet connection.

Therefore, i did not update the bunches of posts on wedding info.
Therefore, i was not able to stay updated on my google reader.
Therefore, i still have a pile of work on my desk I was saving for yesterday so I wouldn't be completely bored. (this week has been SO SLOW at work. There has only been 2-5 people there all week)

So, I guess I'm writing to say I'm starting off the new year with excuses :-)
Happy 2009. Happy Birthday to my Sister. Happy Rose Bowl.

=)

Why Didn't I Think of That?

2008-12-30T12:13:00.004-05:00

You already know that the Save the Dates post is on its way (either today or tomorrow, for sure)...and you've seen a sneak peak that may have give n you the impression that our STDs featured some mapage.

I'm wondering why I didn't think of this instead:

from The Curiosity Shoppe

How cute would this have been for me to cusomize each Save the Date card with a string stiched from our guests location to our wedding location. It wouldn't have been much harder to do than what we actually did, and especially personalized.

Did you ever want to go back and redo an aspect of your wedding after it was already said & done with?

I have a problem.

2008-12-30T10:18:00.001-05:00

It's called addiction.
My new guilty pleasures:
The City, Bromance, & Daddy's Girls.
And probably the real world Brooklyn.

After wanting to go to bed "early" last night, I stayed up WAY TOO LATE- first I watched the 2nd showing of the city premiere, since I missed the actual premiere. I love Whitney port, so there's no shocker there that I loved the show. The downtown vs. uptown vibe. loved it.

Then bromance came on. Can I just tell you, I fear this is going to be my FAVORITE show. Seriously, is that necessary. I knew I was dorky, BUT COME ON. Let's just say I'm v. excited for next Monday.

After bromance, I caught the sneak peak of "daddy's girls." I'm a big fan of all things Simmons family. Runs House, Rev Runs books, Russell & Kimorah (okay- especially life in the Fab lane….im a celebrealtiy JUNKIE, ok?) I am v. excited for this show to start as well. <3 can it be true that I love mtv, again?

Oh wait. It can. because the real world is back. and I haven't watched a season devotedly since Chicago, and even then may not count (I'm going to go ahead and say that Boston was the last seasons I watched religiously. and it remains one of my favorite seasons. Boston, Austin & London. for sure.) and after daddy's girls mtv showed an extended preview of the new season. woot.

so of course, at this point in time it was 1:30 AM- and I was so excited about the new line ups that I couldn't sleep.

So I turned on TLC and watch Jon & Kate plus 8, another favorite, and giggled myself to sleep, two hours later.

foolish, yes.
exhausted, yes.
worth it, yes.

*edit note: i forgot to tell you! my favorite part of the hills = when Kelly Cutrone and WhitWhit have a nice little chat. It made me smile a giddy smile. I hope she appears OFTEN! I <3 the way they interact, and I <3 Kelly Cutrone!

calling DownEast!

2008-12-29T15:35:00.005-05:00

Okay- so maybe i've only been farther west than Austin, TX once.
[September of '06 Vegas trip]
I'm going to go ahead and guess that the west coast has been keeping DownEast Basics from me by accident. I mean, come on coasties, share the wealth.

A few weeks ago while searching for the Affordable Fancy Dresses, I stumbled upon this super sweet webstore, learning that there are DownEast Basics stores in Washington, Arizona, Utah, and Idaho. There prices are very reasonable and the styles are, as the name says, basic- but not basic boring, basic classic! I'm going gaga over a few things....all of which are under $25 a piece! Check 'em out!

reads

2008-12-29T13:48:00.000-05:00

I'm starting my "must read 2009" book list.

So far, I have one book on the list.

Maybe you could help?

Please leave a comment with a book (or a few) that you loved, or you think I should consider reading this year.

:) xoxo

#*%$

2008-12-29T11:37:00.003-05:00

From my Inbox:
December 29, 2008
Real Simple Daily Thought
For peace of mind, resign as general manager of the universe.
-Anonymous
[something to consider as the new year approaches. especially for a ~~control freak~~ fan of control* like myself]

Now, I'm not one to blog about the d-word.
you know it.
four letters.
people hate to hear it.
starts with DIE, for Christ's sake.

But during my V. Texas Vacay, the word Diet continued to appear, and reappear, in my day to day- so its been on my mind a lot lately. I thought I would post some thoughts, and maybe spark some discussion on the topic, since it's that time of year- resolution time ;)

Of course, there is the 2008 residual goals of getting buff/slimming down a bit for the big white dress of 2009.
While I sometimes joke about "losing a million pounds", I've never been one of the brides who wants to lose X number of pounds before the Big Day. I've just wanted to
a) be healthier.
b) be toned a bit.
c) feel confidant in my dress.

With my love for the YMCA and activity in general, this hasn't been an issue.
With my love for food, and mainly, food that is bad for me, & my admiration for baking this has been an issue.
But nothing I would call a struggle. I've been gradually dropping a few pounds/toning up the last few months- thanks to a few goals I began to set (5K, anyone), Shugar Grooms new found love for getting "strong" and teaching me how to "bench like a pro", and my love for the basketball court. (bythe way- I even benched at Shugar-Manor with my brothers weight set! WOOT!)

When I first arrived at Shugar-Manor, I did v. well at not OVER-indulging on goodies. If there was something NOT so healthy for me, I ate a small portion. I ordered kids meals. I ate fairly slowly.

This lasted about 48 hours.**

I had a lot of Shugar-treats, and Texas-Treats that I had to indulge in before I was headed back to NY, way too far away from both! Sonic. Whataburger. Culvers (a wisconsin staple which has opened near my parents house!) Tex-mex.Shugarmothers Spaghetti Sauce, Chili, CHRISTMAS COOKIE TREATS, taco dip, Breakfast Caserole (christmas morning tradition) and of course, some "liquid celebration" (its true- I found a wine I liked :) ) And then Aunt Debbie sent us FANNIE MAE! (woot woot- and woot woot woot to only have three pieces the entire time I was there)
The ever popular phrase "the diet starts ___________" was repeated time and time again as I finished bites of cheesecake, burgers, and yet ANOTHER seven layer bar (I'm quite certain Shugar Sister and I could EXIST off of my mom's seven layer bars- after all- there are SEVEN LAYERS. nuts for protein, therefore they HAVE nutritional value, right?)

I fear I have already fallen into the Procrastinators Diet.
Before I left Texas my plan was the diet to start today.
When I woke up this morning remembering that I had a tin of cookies (and seven layer bars!) in my suitcase, I decided that january 1 sounded like a much better plan.
Note to Self, please don't let me make this a habit!
I read three books during my trip.
One was Jen Lancaster's third memoir, Such a Pretty Fat- (Which was WONDERFUL, as all her books are, go buy it NOW!)
In it, Jen shares her tales of weight loss.
Motivational. Most def.
and also a bit of a calorie burner since you end up laughing until your sides hurt.

And of course, the dress buying session made me
a) love that I HAVE been working out a bit and
b) increase my desire to CONTINUE the weight down/buff up plan.
[IMHO I'm pretty confidant in my dress now, but if I has some "strongs" (as Jen calls them in her book) I think my confidence would make me SPARKLE!]

And Santa left the pedometer I was wanting in my stocking, so I should definetely be on my way to a fitter self.

I sometimes wish that I had a girlfriend who would be my accountability to stay active, eat better, drink more water, etc…. but when I think back to when I did I have some close girlfriends near by, I seem to remember finding a lot more excuses to NOT go work out (ie: crafting, eating, drinking, television watching, sock folding, I'm just saying) So I guess really, being all alone in NY does have it's benefits. Maybe I don't need a NY BFF, MAYBE I need a TRAINER. (something to ponder)

So- tell me…
what do you do to stay fit? What are you favorite ways to get/stay active? What are your health struggles?

(by the way- read FIT AFTER THIRTY…even though I'm still BEFORE thirty, I'm LOVING the blog)

*that's better.
** to my credit, which apparently I think i deserve because i'm writing this footnote, even though I "indulged" i still did FAIRLY well not eating a billion calories a day. maybe only a million ;)

Martha Strikes Again

2008-12-28T13:57:00.003-05:00

Martha Stewart

Lorie at Be Different...Act Normal posted about these SUPER easy and customizable streamers Martha teaches us how to make with left over pretty wrapping paper.

I don't know about all of you, but my parents' garage currently looks like life sized jenga with all the cardboard boxes (from gifts and treats shipped to the Shugar Manor in the last few weeks). Due to my slight addiction to paper, I seem to buy abotu 50 rolls of wrapping paper on clearance each year after the holidays. (I got talked out of moving my collection of wonders to NY this summer, so my mother inherited them- i know she is excited about that!)

So- with all that cardboard and all that paper, I know these instructions will be appreciated:
spray cardboard with spray adhesive
attach the paper
cut out different size circles
punch holes
attach them together with jump wrings (although, i think ribbon may work well too- or wire, or fishing line, etc.)

Progress

2008-12-27T10:08:00.002-05:00

What's new?
Let's review.

I have a new cousin. Mee Kaitlyn...

I bought a wedding dress. (more on this later)

We are headed to paper source to find some invitation inspiration (and possibly paper :) WOO HOO!)

Because Steve & Barry's is going out of business, I got LOTS of Bitten Clothes for $5 a piece yesterday. Khakis, cardigans, leggings, a skirt...and some work pants for $9.98 a pair. WOO HOO!

okay- i apologize for my lack of posting. i've been having way too much fun with my family.

expect a full dress post asap.
and a diy std post when i return to new york.
and a bridal party (which has been adjusted a lot lately) post.
and more.
aren't you excited??? ;)

Dress Shopping

2008-12-23T23:56:00.003-05:00

Shugar Sister and I in two of the three bridesmaid dress choices, post frozen drinks and mexican food :)

A full dress shopping recap to come soon!

:)

dress shopping

2008-12-23T15:15:00.005-05:00

Today is the day.
I can't decided if I'm anxious or eager.
It's time to go shopping for the dress.

eek.
I have about an hour to finish getting ready.
I want my hair to look decent, and not just pulled up, so that I get a good picture in my head. This is difficult with a broken straightener. (i need to figet with the cord and then once the light turns on, i can't move the cord at all or it will turn off.....maybe my mother has a curling iron.

On a bit more exciting note, David's Bridal has released another cute little dress in juniper that I plan on writing to the ladies about today. So now I guess, here is the third option for my ladies:

Shugar Sister will try this on today on our shopping trip. I wil ldefinetely give you guys a good recap on the bridesmaids dresses and the gowns I try on as well. get excited.

Welcome to Texas!!!

2008-12-21T13:54:00.004-05:00

I FINALLY reached Dallas, last night at about 10:15.

A recount of some events of my trip:

*you've already heard that my Friday afternoon 4:15 trip was cancelled due to the winter storm in the north east.

*after finding out that the flight was cancelled, Shugar Groom and I were able to have some good time together. Maneuvering in the snow. Going Christmas Shopping. Lunch at Applebees (it was WONDERFUL!)

*flight was rescheduled for 7:00 AM- with a layover at Midway...

*we then proceeded to visit Joelle

*and got the truck stuck.
in the foot of snow that had accumulated on the road where we were trying to park on.

*Shugar Grooms brother in law came home. and the truck was still stuck.

*he proceeded to "unstuck" and "restuck" the truck about five times in the course of an hour, you know "to help us"

*i finally make a little suggestion of how to better the situation, and he gets the truck out in about 45 seconds. (GIRLS RULE!!!)

*had discussion with Shugar Groom of the benefits of just going to airport at 1:00 AM, since it was STILL snowing at the house, and I was super nervous about missing my 7:00 flight because we are too stupid NOT to get the truck stuck.

*Won discussion- was dropped off at airport at 1:00 AM - WOO HOO! (again, GIRLS RULE!!!)

*sat/slept in area in front of ticket booth with about a dozen other twenty somethings.

*Finished "Summer at Tiffany's" By Marjorie Hart. (GO READ IT NOW: v. good)

*probably snored and made them laugh

* Checked in for 7:00 flight. Went through security. Went to coffee beanery. Ordered double espresso, energy drink, and turkey wrap. yum-o!

*Watched CNN with really cool girl who attends Saint Rose, and debate about the necessities of Paris Hiltons stolen 2M jewels needing to be one of the six stories they play at the airport. we both vote no.

*Plane was delayed, because it was STILL snowing in Albany!!!

*finally got on plane at 9:00 AM- left about an hour later.

*Therefore, missed plane at Midway. Wonderful.

*Was put on standby for a 2:00 w/ a layover in St. Louis, a 5:00 w/a stop in Kansas City, and ordered a def. ticket for 7:20 Sunday Morning.

*went to and ordered large lunch, and a v. "girly" drink. Drink on menu was "summer breeze"...i apparently was praying that I would be saved from this winter weather via drink from bar. Drink was listed as rum***, pineapple juice, cranberry juice, and peach syrup. SOMEHOW this was the strongest drink of my life. I was tipsy at hello.

*I decided the airlines pay the foodcourt to serve strong drinks so people wont be as upset about delays.

*realized why drink was strong when waitress brought me the bill and it was the same price as my meal.

*Was not put on 2:00 flight - more waiting

*continued to read Jen Lancaster book, "Such a Pretty Fat"

*remembered that JEN LANCASTER LIVES IN CHICAGO.

*put on Nancy Drew like hat and searched airport in attempt to locate Jen Lancaster herself.

*DID NOT FIND JEN LANCASTER :(

*continued to fall asleep in chair often.

*befriended cutest guy in airport. His name is Chris

*group of 14 year old girls glared at me. ha.

*Chris and I discuss the possibility of airlines putting a light antistatic through air vents, and the stewardesses have the antidote. This would explain why we ALWAYS fall asleep even when well rested.

*Chris makes me PROMISE HIM I will watch FIGHT CLUB while in Dallas. apparently it will "change your life".

*Chris boards plane to Jackson. One of girls approach me to ask if I know Chris, or if he is famous. honestly?

*Watch the same 6 segments on CNN about eight times.

*Wait near ticket counter to find out about 5:00 flight

*pray. pace. pray. pace.

*CELEBRATE AS BOARDING PLANE!

*sit next to high school band director who is looking at concert music and "directing" the entire flight.

*order bacardi & coke.

*stop in kansas. move to front of the plane

*get cookie out of bag (have been saving since albany). order hot chocolate and baileys. celebrate homecoming with dessert.

*arrive in dallas :) find family. and luggage! HOORAY!!!

okay. i will post more v. soon. something of actual good readingness. im catching up on my 537 blogs on my google reader. ok. goodnight.

****note, it said rum, not "bacardi" or "captian" so i was thinking it was going to be well liquor, you know

NOT in Texas

2008-12-19T21:23:00.001-05:00

flight was cancelled.
We some how have managed to get LOTS of snow (at least a foot in some areas, and more in others, it would seem)

I fly out tomorrow morning at 7:30.
I told the Shugar Groom he needs to either a) be ready to leave at 4:30 incase we are stuck after the plow comes (we already got the truck stuck in front of my new apartment for about an hour and a half) or b) drop me off tonight on his way home. There is NO WAY i'm going to miss another chance to get to D-town.

So tonight, for now, I'm dominating* in Halo with Shugar Groom's StepBro & his girl, Joelle (whom I ADORE).

Until Texas, sweet dreams! Stay warm!

*by dominating i mean at least killing 2 people each game. i'm improving....i used to not be able to run :)

Snow Day!

2008-12-19T13:37:00.000-05:00

So, it's snowing hard core.
and I mean HARD CORE.

I'm assuming I will be delayed.
I'm hoping I will not be blizzarded into the airport for the rest of the Christmas season.

Whenever I DO get on the plane, I will be partaking in some hot chocolate and Baileys- thanks to the free drink passes one of the guys at the office just gave me. :) Now THAT is a happy holiday! free drinks to calm nerves and sip and reflect (while reading, of course) while in air.

Dear self: please refrain from spilling hot chocolate on self while in air. it may be hot and awkward to handle while flight attendants are in aisle delivering beverages.

okay- hopefully the shugar groom will be here soon for our last date before the separation of self; a quick lunch VERY NEAR (if not IN) the airport.

Au Revoiré!

Affordable Fancy 20

2008-12-19T12:26:00.002-05:00

OH.MY.WORD.

I just need to say, that if you need a dress for any reason at all - Go to Dillards.com RIGHT NOW! They have TONS of dresses in every color imaginable and SO many dresses are on sale right now....

Check out these selections for the v. last affordable fancy in the series!

Both Sides of this taffeta number- a stylish ball gown for $132. can't beat that.

Oleg Cassini (one of my favorite dress designers!) for $90!

Ellen Tracy - $96

Calvin Klein - $106 - isn't this darling???

274

2008-12-19T08:17:00.004-05:00

That's the CURRENT unread posts in my google reader.
Keep in mind that Weddingbee is not on my google reader and I'm four days behind in reading posts from those lovely ladies.

Since I've been working HARD CORE the last week, in order to prepare for my trip, I've spent v. little time on the reader and on the blog and v. much time getting EVERY LITTLE THING done at the office, and making 3 services worth of bulletins for the church (did i mention i work part time at the church? yeah. I do.)

The thing is, I am not at all dismayed by my, now 275 blogs to catch up on. I am thrilled. For I know what will happen on my v. texas vacay. My darling little sister and i will stay up super late in front of the tv, on laptops, approx 8 of the 9 nights we're at Casa de Shugar.

The one night we don't do this, we will stay up all night anyway, upstairs, awaiting Santa's arrival. Last year we played guitar hero and watched High School Musical and tried to learn the dances on the special features. I'm bringing SATC the movie home with me (shout out to my BJD who sent it to me for Halloween! I love my BBC AND my SJP :) ) so I'm assuming that Carrie & the girls will spend a little bit of Christmas Eve with us.

So, if we are "following friends" and i haven't commented in a while, i apologize. you can look forward to lots of comments this comming week.

If we are "following friends" and i HAVE been commenting- congratulations. You are the author of one of seven blogs I STILL read daily (and by daily, i mean three times a day I check your blog status :) i am a blog stalker). In case you haven't heard of these sweet seven wonderful writers, and/or you are in need/desire of a fresh new blog to follow, I wanted to link 'em here for you:

Propaganda - one of my all time favorite internet writters- EVER. You MUST follow MLP. He's brillant.

empatheticalist - my new friend ana, has sweet short posts that usually brighten my day in an instant.

Pink Is the New Blog - Trent brings celebrity news with a splash of pink. He keeps me in the loop.

Caddywumpus - great ideas. great food. great creative flair. love it.

THAT Wife - currently THAT Girl. followed by THAT Bride. Which led her to be Miss/Mrs. Avocado @ Weddingbee. Jenna is one of my all time favorite bloggers. I feel like i've been reading her forever.

Clever Girl Goes Blog - if you want to laugh, like to read humorus memoirs, or need to hear something witty- read her. she is clever. and HILARIOUS.

Rockstar Diaries a BEAUTIFUL couple. they make me want to be beautiful too.

What I'm most excited for about my trip, is games with the fam. I'm hope you are all ready for an ass kicking. I'm just saying.

Also, my dad is going to set up an at home tasting for me so that I can learn more about wine :) He told me on the phone a few weeks ago that he will be saving up the bottles so that I can get nice and ~~drunk~~ educated. (note: goal is not to get drunk during tasting, but i'm kind of a lightweight.)

And, by the way I've somehow managed to not only pack dirty clothes this year. Sorry I'm breaking with tradition, sis. [we usually end up doing laundry the first two days we are home] But this year I'm only bring 95% needing-to-be-laundered clothes. I am bringing one pair of clean jeans and one clean pair of sweatpants.

Note: while i type this last sentence i realize, I don't know how many shirts I actually packed. I can only think of three. hmmmmmmmmmmmm. nice going, shugar bride.

Ok. Back to work. and checking on my flight status every 15 minutes. eek.

p.s. for the hell of it i refreshed. we're at 278. =)