Thursday, December 1, 2011

Now It's Time To Say Goodbye...

Really?? 2011 is over??

31 more days and then it's a wrap!!! On to 2012!

We have our last wedding in TWO DAYS!! WOW!! S3...Shh has worked her butt over these last couple of weeks with tons of DIY projects. She is as ready as can be for her day! Then after that...what???

Ohhh ...
Looking forward to S3...Shh recaps (Dang have I even done any recaps??? LAWD!!!)

I guess we go on living without wedding talk. We move on to MARRIAGE talk! :o) Maybe even BABY talk?? LOL

Hopefully we can still blog from time to time...maybe even turn this into a marriage blog? But until then...all wedding talk is coming to an end. *sigh* Bitter sweet...


E=DC2

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

DIY Corsage

So I've asked 8 ladies to serve as hostesses on my big day. One is a friend that I met through work and grown close to over the years. The others are my buddies from college. Though we are spread out over the South, we have been thick as thieves through the years. And since we tend to travel in packs of 7 so we nicknamed ourselves the "The Septuplets" or the "The Tuplets" for short.

At any rate, each of these ladies has relentlessly teased me about my aversion to over-arching DIY projects involving feathers and sequins...so when it came time to order their corsages, I knew that an ordinary flower just would NOT do! At first, I toyed with a sassy wrist corsage but thought those would not make it past the Prelude. Plus, they would only shrivel up and die double plus, those things are PRICEY!

Belatedly, I enlisted some help for an Etsy search. But by the time I was ready to pull the trigger, my shipping window was busted. I searched The Hob and my home away from home, Michael's, for feathers, sequins and whatnots but came up empty handed. I was beginning to get frustrated! I really, really, really wanted some grey feathers and NONE could be found. I thought about buying a boa and pulling feathers off of it...but that seemed like a waste. I even had trouble find a reasonably priced decent bunch of pink flowers for my base.

But I lucked up on a trip to old faithful, The Dollar Tree. So with flower bunch, sparklies and glue gun in hand, this:



Became these:



These are still wanting for some over the top embellishment that I hope to find over the next two days. But it's a start. I'm hoping the girls will get a lifetime of jokes outta these!

Introducing....The Escort Board!

Well, that's what Michael's calls it! was looking for a stylish but easy to read option for displaying our placecards. On one of my MANY trips to Michael's s, I happened upon the "Wedding Project" display. You know that little flip-picture-binder thingee that can lull you into thinking that you can DIY every LAST detail of your wedding day? Yep, that one.

At any rate, I happened upon this jewel and said, "Self, now that's some DIY we can get behind!"

To macth my color scheme, I used a silver satin material from JoAnn's (super cheap), a broad navy ribbon with a skinny pink ribbon (both from The Hob) overlay. To make it easier to navigate, I glued the pink ribbon on to the blue. Else, I woulda needed another set of hands and those are generally in short supply at 4 AM!

I affixed all of this to a piece of foam poster board. To hide the backside construction, I centered a plain piece of white posterboard to the back. Everything was tacked on using packing tape. The instructions said to staple it but I could not get my head around how doing so wouldn't leave small punctures in the facing fabric. So I opted for the tape. I'm pretty anal so I felt confident eye-balling the spacing. The bottom row is drooping a bit in the pic but I have since tacked the blue ribbon onto the silver backing with a smidge of glue.

I also opted to run it horizontally because I'm sitting this on a knee wall. Running it vertically may have put the top rows out of reach for some of my vertically challenged guests. A verticaly run would have been fine for a table-side setup.

But enough yakking....



The hostesses will slide the placecards in between the ribbon so that the pink ribbon holds them in place. I have 7 rows which should be plenty to hold my ~130 cards.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Out of the ashes arose...

A Card Box!!!

Yeah, that's a little dramatic but this project was almost a basket as in, "I'm just gonna throw a basket on the gift table and call it a day!" But DC2 would have NONE of that! She'd already gifted me the cardboard boxes that went unused for her big day (she opted for round boxes) and the "H" was already spray painted (NO returns!). So it was time to get CRAFTY!!!

First, CTE pitched in and painted the boxes:



The smaller box had a grapevine imprint on it. Since that did not go with our theme, I needed to cover it up with a strip of wide blue ribbon (see above). That hid the vine action but looked really plain. So I topped it with a skinny pink ribbon and repeated the same on the larger box.

On one of our marathon Michael's run, DC2 & I had picked up some wooden letters to spell out "Hawkins". So I layed those out on a strip of blue painters tape and painted them "fuchsia". Don't believe me? Here it is:



Maybe my eyes are playing tricks on me but this "fuchsia" looks more like "pepto bismol" pink to me...



Oh well! It's on there now (If I have time, I'll see if I can find a true "fuchsia" and paint it again but I AM NOT gonna worry about it)! Since I had a ton left over from the Table # project, I added the sparkly doodads to the corners.

Next up was the dreaded "H". I said dreaded because I initially wanted to cover it with our Engagement pics. But my initial project plan was thrown off when I printed the pictures vertically instead of horizontally. Plus, it turned out that I did not have enough unique shots to cover the whole thing. Double plus, I had underestimated navigating those corners! Though I fancy myself a crafty DIYer, this was only my second time popping open a jar of Modge Podge (MP) and I kept second guessing my plan. Triple plus, the dang price tag left a rough spot when I removed it. I probably wasted a good 2 weeks fretting about how I could cover that up - ribbon, spackle, sand it, start over, trash the "H"???

SO I kept procastinating about starting it...Even today, I left it to the end! But DC2 has been on TOP of my task list (that's another post) so T.H.A.N.K.S. to her, I can proudly say that I FORGED AHEAD!!!

First, I laid out the pics using blue painters tape. I left a little edge around each so the underlying silver could "frame" each image. Once I had a good layout, I cracked open the MP and went for it! Once the pics were in place, I went back to my overflowing stash of sparkly doodads (already open so again NO returns) and glued a row down each side. I have to say that after all that hemhawing around, this wasn't NEARLY as hard as I'd drummed up in my head. And, if I may so myself, turned out pretty darn good!



I haven't yet cut a hole in the box. I'm going to consult an expert (DC2) in the matter before I do. But I've done enought to o-fficially cross this off my "To Do" list! I am pleased with the final result. I am especially tickled that I managed to get her done WHILE writing a blog post about it!


DC2 - I hope you're proud of me!!!



Saturday, October 29, 2011

A Touch of Sparkle!



I purchased my wedding shoes months ago from DSW. The height and color made them a perfect selection.









But they were a little plain so I added "A Touch of Sparkle" to spice them up a bit:



I have a bit too much glue peeping out of the sides but I'm working on cleaning that up. You can't see it just looking down on them but the camera doesn't miss it!




Thursday, October 20, 2011

A crafting we will go!

Sorry for the LONG delay in my posts...I have a HOST of stories to tell but little time for typing! Here's a quickie to let you know I'm still in the game!



A few ladies joined me two Saturdays ago to dig into my first DIY project: Bedazzled Table Numbers! Early on in the wedding shopapolooza, I purchased these lovely numbers from a local Dollar Tree.

And we Crafty Bees turned those into THESE:::





We had loads of fun creating these little "jewels". We hope the guests love them as much as we do!


Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Bouquets...Recap

So you all may remember where I was head over heels obsessed over those composite bouquets!!! I'm sooo thrilled with the way they turned out!




The bridesmaids had the smaller ivory ones with a champagne ribbon tied around the handle. And mine was done with a green rose and ivory ribbon!!! They were PERFECT!! And I was able to dry mine out and now I have it FOREVER!!!!!!!!!! Not sure what I'm going to do with it, but...I have it! LOL!!

Are you looking forward to your wedding flowers? Or were you absolutely pleased with your wedding flowers??

E=DC2

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Is there a DOC in the House?

Nooo not a Doctor...but a Day Of Coordinator (DOC)





This is a MUST HAVE! I don't know HOW I thought I was going to be able to do this without one. Can you be in 18 different places at one time??? Uhhhh NO! If you are a DIYer and can't really see giving full control over for your day, at least consider a DOC. She/He can help make sure YOUR day is exactly what you wanted it to be!

But even more importantly, that DOC must be ON POINT! She/He has to know exactly what to do. Be ready for any and everything to happen. And when it all happens because it WILL happen be prepared for plan B, C, and D!!!!!!

Suggestions on how to go about hiring a DOC.

  1. You must do an interview!!!! I did one at a local Starbucks. On paper everything looks great also you suggest her allow you to attend an event she (no longer doing he/she because I'm referring to someone specific lol) is coordinating. Or at least peak in. You need to see her in ACTION! If this is going too far...at least give her scenarios and see what she comes up with. This is the ONE thing I wish I had done. I do not think my DOC was prepared for plan D when it needed to happen. Actually if she was more prepared plan A would have worked...but anyway!!!
  2. POISE!!!!!!!!!!! You can't have someone that will be a deer in headlights when you can't find the ring bearer pillow or realize the tables are set up with no dance floor! They need to know how to make something happen!
  3. Specify the attire! Do not just assume she will show up looking her best. Everyone doesn't get that a wedding is not a casual summer dress event!!!!
  4. Preferably find someone with a STAFF!!!
  5. Just PAY THE MONEY! Don't try to get a deal. YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR!!
  6. HAVE THE BEST GROUP OF FRIENDS IN YOUR WEDDING PARTY*
Even with some of the flubs that my DOC should have corrected but did NOT, my girls jumped right on in and MADE IT HAPPEN! Had me thinking...should they

??????

NAWWWWWWWWWWWWW lol

*I'll be posting about the best wedding party since sliced bread later! :o)

E=DC2

Friday, September 9, 2011

I'm A Mrs...

WHEW!!!!!!!!!!!

I can NOT believe I am on the other side of this thing called WEDDING PLANNING!!! I'm so glad to be apart of this thing called MARRIAGE now!! :o)

I'se married now!!!

I will definitely have to give the recaps! The good, the bad, and the UGLY!! Unfortunately there was some ugly! LOL!!!!! But to overlook that I'll give you the GREAT as well!!

So two down and ONE to go!!! S3...SSH the ball is in your court now!! :o)

E=DC2

Monday, September 5, 2011

89 DAYSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just cannot even beleive that our wedding is only 89 days away!!!

I swear I was went dress shopping like 2 weeks ago...(it was more like June)...Where-o-where has the time gone???

In true bridal fashion, I have already started to light-weight panic. I am writing this now through the fog of a near-blinding headache. This is particularly nuts cause I really have no valid reason to fret. I have everything but the cakes squared away. But that hasn't stopped me from losing sleep, breaking out in a cold sweat when viewing Macy's vast towel selection, and dropping a few pounds even though I haven't seen the inside of a gym in well over a month.

I know, I know. I need to calm it on down. I will. Promise. I'm sure some chocolate would help :).

Maybe I'll have some after going over my "To Do" list one last time!

Happy Labor Day!
S3...SSH!

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Coupon Goof!!!

A few months back, I purchased a $50 Vista Print (VP) voucher for $10 from Living Social. At the time I thought that I had a major score as I was SURE to need TONS of stuff from VP.

WELL....Since VP gives so much stuff away, I seriously should have known better!!! I have repeatedly tried to redeem this voucher WITH NO LUCK! I never came up with $50 worth of anything that I needed to buy.

And as luck would have it, the voucher expired TODAY. So with less than 45 minutes to spare, I hopped on VP searching for something, anything that I needed and could safely order today.

Since I made my menu selection last Friday, this was of course the only thing on my mind. So I did what any rushed and drowsy bride-to-be would do...I ordered menu cards:



(This is the bottom half)




I know what you're thinking. At least, I know what I'm thinking. It's way too soon. Things could change. You couldn't think of anything else??? Yeah, I know. And to make matters worse...I managed to NOT EVEN USE THE VOUCHER during checkout! In my haste to redeem, I went straight to VP and started shopping. I was SUPPOSED to click on a special link that would allow me to provide a special promo code. Now I knew about the promo code and was looking for it when I clicked what turned out to be my final NEXT. But unfortunately, I read the bit about the link after I'd confirmed my order!



By then, it was 11:45 PM and I still had a voucher to spend.




I bought some yard signs. I hope our guests appreciate them :)!




I'm going to bed before I goof on something else.




S3...SSH

Monday, August 15, 2011

Invitations...RSVPS

So I'm sooooo behind on blogs but still wanted to post some of these drafts that I had.

So with only 12 days til the big day obviously the invitations are OUT THE DOOR!!! So excited!!! I guess ain't no turning back now huh??



I also vowed  would NOT do a RSVP post! So I'm not...however I will say I was super naive to think that I would not go though the process of having to call, text, email, even FACEBOOK people to see if they are attending or not! Oooh that is for the birds! LOL!!

I'm like what are you going to do with the little envelope addresses back to ME with the stamp? Keep it as a souvenir?

Did you have to HAWK people down to get an answer?

E=DC2

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend

RIGHT???

Not always...I'm going for PEARLS!!! :o)

I found this bracelet and just FELL IN LOVE!! I knew I had to have it and just HAD to wear it.

Then to top it of my BFF's mom is giving me my something borrowed with her pearl necklace. It's so touching!!! I can't wait to see it all put together!!

What are you wearing?

E=DC2

Pre-Marital Counseling

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE...whatever you do…do NOT skip this part of your planning process. It has totally changed the way we communicate. We had the best sessions ever! We joined the group at our church. It started with just getting a root foundation in our relationship with Christ first…and then focused on our relationship with each other! The sessions were in a group form. The five couples have joined a small group and we now meet monthly for fellowship. So what Ed and I have only been to two meetings. WE LOVE IT.

Admittedly, I didn’t really think we needed it or that we would learn anything new. WELL WAS I WRONG!!! Not only did it help to grow our relationship but it also helped us develop relationships with a great group of couples that are doing this thing the right way as well. We learned that we are not the only ones going through typcial relationship woes.

So again…take the time out to go to some sort of counseling. Allow someone into your space so that you can air out all issues. It’s SOOOOOOO worth it.

Here’s our certificate. We’s OFFICIAL! J


Did you go to counseling?

E=DC2
16 days to go!!!

Monday, August 1, 2011

THIS month

WHOA!!!! We are now saying we are getting married THIS month. So crazy! Time just flies by. No more saying next August. No more in 3 months. No...THIS month. 26 days!! End of the months!!

I'm excited about the progress we have. I'm not super stressed and as of now there is minimal to do.

Press linens

Print out all necessary materials...programs, signs, etc.

My bachelorette weekend is this weekend. I'm excited!!!

AUGUST IS HERE!!!!!!!!

What did you do the month of your wedding?

E=DC2

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Metal Mania!!!

If you have been shopping for men's wedding bands lately, you know that the blinged out platinum craze of the last decade has been upstaged by the rough & rugged "fit your lifestlye comfort fit bands" made in a medley of metals aka Metal Mania!!!! In searching for CTE's band, I have encountered all manner of metals: tungsten, titanium, cobalt, silver, stainless steel and the old standby white & yellow gold. And the prices are as varied as the metals! Bands range from $50 in the store. Internet searches and local flea markets are hawking some popular stainless steel styles for less than $10!



By all accounts, CTE is not one for foolishness, so I was not at all surprised that he gravitated towards the plainest, simplest, no frillest bands he saw. No matter the jeweler, no matter the case, the most he'd go for was a beveled edge stainless steel ala:





Not to exciting, huh? Yeah, it didn't blow my skirt up either. It's just a slip of metal! Shoot, I could almost get away with a hex nut from Home Depot! Though it was what he wanted, it was awful plain jain. I could just imagine the side glances that I'd get during the reception - LOL!




Well a trip to Shane Company here in Atlanta has brightened the day. We stopped by to get his measurements; neither one of us could remember what size he actually wore. While there, something caught CTE's eye:



Well, that's not exactly it but it's close enough. That one is from Scott Kaye's Cobalt collection. CTE's has a silver inlay (not sure which metal SK has used). My attempts to take a picture of the actual ring (yep I have it already!!!) were juvenile at best. So, I had to rely on SK to get my point across.

Hope you like it as much as we do! The inlay provided just enough "umph" to please both of us!

S3...SSH

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Another FREE photobook

MIXBOOK is offering a FREE photobook TODAY (06/30) only!!

                        

Use code FREEBK at checkout.

And if you do a 20 page book you won't even owe anything for SHIPPING. So yes...FREE FREE FREE!! Can't beat that at all!!!!!

E=DC2

Friday, June 24, 2011

PhotoBook...FREE

                                  

Savemore.com has a great deal TODAY!! If you sign up with them you get a $10 credit and they have a Large 20-page Photobook from PhotoBin for only $8.50!! YES that's right...you'll have some change left over! :o)

Click here and get your deal today! The deal expires in two days, but can be used until December 27, 2011. 4 months exactly from our wedding date! :o)

You can use this as your wedding album or even as your Photo Guest Book. Something very different that your guest will love! Shoot.........for FREE you need to get this and use it for ANYTHING!! :o)

Don't say I've never share anything with you! HA!!

CHOW!!!!!

E=DC2

Monday, June 13, 2011

Double digits???

                                                    

Goodness you really start to feel the pressure when your countdown has double digits!! Finally did a centerpiece mock up! So I'm feeling better about that! I know exactly what I need.

I made table numbers and put them inside the frame and on the other side is a picture of us. I submerged a callalily in the cylinder and added rocks at the bottom! I'm debating the green water. I may just do green rocks/jewels...you get the point! Right? LOL!!

We will also be adding votive candles and rose petals. I plan to do a table mock up this week as well!

Whew...75 days to go!!

E=DC2

Monday, June 6, 2011

Calgon Take Me Away...

We are going to Riviera Maya for our honeymoon!!!!

I am ready to leave like NOW! Neither of us have ever gone to an All-Inclusive Resort. So to say we are excited would be an understatement! :)

Where are you going for your honeymoon??

E=DC2

Thursday, June 2, 2011

What Does Your Wedding Color Say About You?

My wedding colors are Champagne and Celadon/Sage...yeah GREEN! LOL!

Green: Green shades symbolize life, freshness, nature and fertility. A common choice for eco-friendly brides, green shows that you value your health and the environment. A harmonized and balanced color, green is a mixture of warm yellow and cool blue, just like its admirers. A calming and tranquil hue, brides who select green are affectionate, frank and responsible. You seek stability and balance, yet remain fiercely principled and refined.



As I first started reading this I was like NAW...they ain't me! WELL WELL WELL!!
brides who select green are affectionate, frank and responsible. You seek stability and balance, yet remain fiercely principled and refined.
YUP!!!!!!!!! That would be me!!! HA!

So what are your colors and does what it say true about you?

E=DC2

Thursday, May 19, 2011

100 DAYS!!!

Can't believe I have 100 days til I'se married!! I'm so excited and so ready!! It seems like it's close but then it seems like it's far away! I haven't done a daily countdown. But I admit not that we are over the three digit hump it may start! LOL!!

Are you counting down!?!?

E=DC2

Friday, May 13, 2011

DREAM WEDDING

What was that one thing that you wanted that you just can not have in your wedding? Or have you had all of your dreams fulfilled!

I was trying to think about if I had an unlimited budget what would I change. The only thing I could think of was shuttles from the airport! LOL!! And that's free now, they just won't run after 10pm! Soooo then I'm thinking maybe I need to think bigger. And it hit me.

DESTINATION WEDDING
         

That was the original plan and it didn't quite work because of family not having passports and having to pay to stay at a resort. But if my budget was unlimited I would just pay for those that couldn't...or shoot EVERYONE and we would be on SOMEONE'S island, sipping on some drink, and preparing to walk down the aisle ON THE BEACH!!!

AHHHHHH...lol

What's your dream?

E=DC2

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

My linen closet is FULL!

And I have more serving dishes than the average bear. In fact, my cup runneth over. So much so that I'm planning for a monster yard sale at the end of the month. Between the two of us, CTE and I have two of everything: shower curtains, TV trays, dishes, TVs, couches...you get the picture. As we speak, there is a growing pile-of-crap taking over the living room. Whatever doesn't sell, will be given away. I don't care where it ends up as long as it's G.O.N.E. Once that's done, registering for even more STUFF will be the LAST thing on my "To Do" list!


DC2 recommended a Honeymoon Registry and so I'm off to research those. On the surface, it seems like the perfect solution: a convenient means to a gift will actually need & use. BUT...I'm a wee bit leary because A) it so darn close to being tacky (as in asking for moolah) and B) a lot of these places seem to profit off of charging your guest a service fee (I guess that's the equivalent of paying tax @ a brick & mortar). But this might be our best bet - else, y'all might see me on an episode of Clean House (JUST JOKING - I'm far too much of a germ freak to allow that to ever happen).


So have any of y'all looked into honeymoon registries? Can you spare any words of advice or caution? Please share and save me from a pile of dish towels!


S3...SSH

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

"Jumping The Broom" Movie Review



 
Let me start by saying we are not jumping the broom! *sigh* I really wanted to but Mr. E didn't and I just didn't want to make the case. However, the history of "jumping the broom" is in our blood. Marriage was not recognized for blacks during slavery. Jumping the broom was a symbol declaring they were now one. After the end of slavery, this ritual declined but still is quite a tradition in the African American community!
 
 
ANYWAY...on to the movie! :)
 
Quick Synopsis
 
Sabrina Watson and Jason Taylor have fallen madly in love and decide to get married after knowing each other only six months. Their families are not thrilled with the last minute affair. Sabrina is from a wealthy family that lives in the Hamptons. And Jason is from a single parent home in Brooklyn. When both families come together for, what's supposed to be, a wonderful wedding weekend, the family drama BEGINS!!!
 
My Review
 
WAYYYYYYY BETTER THAN EXPECTED!!! I could feel the love between the two characters. The supporting cast was HILARIOUS!! There was just enough drama. Not too over the top! I cried practically the whole movie while laughing at the same time. There were unexpected twists that really put the movie up there. Now was this the best movie ever? NO. But would I suggest you go see it? YES!
 
At one point in the movie, my mother leans over and whispers "I'm so glad you get along with Mr. E's mother". LOL And I'm so glad too!
 
E=DC2

Monday, May 9, 2011

Napkin Folds

WHO KNEW THIS WOULD BE SO INTENSE??? LOL

It's very serious to make sure you have the PERFECT fold for your day! I first decided to go with the traditional or what I thought was traditional flat fold.

Once I ordered our menus, I realized that may not be the best look! Now I've found another one that I am falling for QUICKLY!!!


Isn't it lovely???
 So now the change...it's not that simple. HOW IN THE WORLD DO YOU FOLD THE NAPKIN THIS WAY? I am on a mad search for a tutorial. If you run across any please send them my way! :o) THANKS!!!

How are you folding YOUR napkins?? LOL

E=DC2

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Very productive weekend!

Tons of wedding items were scratched off the list this weekend! I am soooooooooo happy!!! It started when my best friend said she would come over and help me with me veil. She and another bridesmaid came over and we knocked so much stuff out.

Of course we got side tracked SEVERAL times. It felt like the good ole days. The three of us used to live together! :) So sitting around watching "Martin" and eating chips brought back lots of memories! LOL!!

But we DID get work done.

First up was the veil...

Now I know E does NOT read this blog. But it would really be my luck to post a picture here and he for some reason read THIS VERY POST! Sorry no pic! LOL!! I'll post to weddingbee! HA!

Then the card box. YES... finally finished the card box! KIND OF...HA!! I plan to add a few flowers to it later. But for the most part it's done...right??? LOL


We also finished all of the flowers. The corsages, boutonnieres, two bouquets for the moms, and the aisle enders for the ceremony.

Sidenote-I also ordered the menu cards and they came in without THREE days!

I'll post more pics of all that in another post! :o)

Next on the list is working on a mock up of my centerpieces and invitations! WHOOP WHOOP!

E=DC2

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

A frock for my fella

On more than one occasion, CTE has shook his head at me and said "You are your own person."

I'd rather be in football cleats than heals, managing software seems easier to me than putting on makeup and Home Depot is hands down my favorite store. Now, I'm not a total slob or Tom Boy. I've been known to pull it together when I put my mind to it. But truth be told, my sweetie has seen me in more sweats than skirts. He knows that comfort rules over fashion for me any day. He swears I'm cute no matter what I'm sporting. But all the same, I try to get dolled up for him every now and then cause I know it sets his heart all a flutter. And can you believe that makes him look even CUTER?!?! Like he morphs into the Cutest CTE! Amazing, right?

When planning my wedding ensem, I have but one goal for 12.3 and that is to BLOW HIM AWAY when he first sees me. I'll settle for nothing less than instant tears, a knee buckle, and a bead of sweat on his super cute upper lip! *SIGH*

Besides that, I want my inner Diva to step out this one special night. I want a fun and sassy figure flattering gown that screams "Tonight's gonna be a good night" I want my Sweetie to know that I'm madly in love with him, honored to take his hand and purposed to enjoy the rest of lives together.

I think I found the perfect frock for the occasion...you'll have to check back to see if I blew his socks off. No preview pics here - just can't risk it. But if I was a betting man, I'd bet the house on this one :).

S3...SSH

Monday, April 25, 2011

Third time's a charm

I don't mind telling y'all that Imma a take charge kinda girl. I hate to lose and coming in last is a tough pill to swallow for da K.I.D. But pulling up the rear has its advantages when you're playing the Wedding Planning Game. I mean, can you think of a more opportune time to learn from your buds? After they draw the winning ticket? Nah. After they eat that last piece of yummy goodness were eyeing? Nope! Being the last dog in the 2011 Race to the Altar has loads of bennies:


  1. Bird's Eye View of the Craziness - By the time we wrap up, we three merry lasses will have been in planning mode for nigh on two years! In that time, we've imagined grand plots and schemes of Royal proportions scaled to Georgian budgets, stealthily navigated the male aversion to planning, been twice burned by the Chinese Dress Barns, dealth with a challenging maiden or two, and braved a frightful number of Bridal Fairs. By the time my own planning began, I had a fairly decent list of Dos and Donts!

  2. 20/20 view in ForeSight - Yeah, I kinda made that one up but what I mean to say is, I don't have to wait until 12.4.11 to realize that some stuff just ain't worth stressing about. Having watched these gals fret or not fret and seeing the end result is a refreshing and constant reminder to not sweat the small stuff, kick back and relax, and just a make decision already cause in the end, it'll all come together for a beautiful day!

  3. Pick of the Venue/Vendor List - This is by far the absolute best perk of them all. Because Ladies RoBo and E=DC2 squared had blazed the trail before me, I have a wealth of very current and personal recommendations to glean from. I begin each of my "planning tasks" with a note to these two. Within no time, I am sure to have an advance starting point in my InBox. This has proven invaluable and has given my already impulsive self license to pull the trigger several times already.

  4. More fun than a girl should have - Ask any member of our circle of friends and you'll get the same answer "We have cried more and laughed more and loved more over the last year!" I've tried to keep a stiff upper lip but I've been the biggest baby punk of late. I should probably buy stock in Kleenex. The celebrations just keep on coming and it never fails that somebody tears up before the night is over. My manly pride aside, it has truly been a blessing to see the Happy Jar get passed around.

S3...SSH

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Oh, what fun we'll have!

What comes to mind when you think of a Southern wedding? Saying I Do under a graceful old oak tree against the backdrop of beautiful spring meadow? Or maybe a circle of loved ones gathered on a grand garden courtyard on a midsummer eve?

Yeah me too, but since since CTE and I are planning a winter wedding, our venue options were kinda limited - asking our guests to sit outside in early December was NOT an option. Sure, our winters grow wackier every year but a balmy December day is a pleasant (err unsettling in the larger scheme of our changing planet) surprise not a given. And I am looking to avoid any and all surprises on 12.3.11 - that is unless of course they are chocolate, shiny, sparkly or smell good!

With that said, CTE, I and some trusty elves set out researching venues. We relied upon personal recommendations and websites to identify our targets. The perfect place for us had to be budget friendly, allow outside food and drink, have plenty of room for the ceremony and reception (no or an unobtrusive flip), have a great location and most importantly have a responsive management staff (!GEESH! - shouldn't this be a given???). Neither of us likes to dilly-dally, so we readily ruled out the misfits and narrowed the places we wanted to visit down to two:





The Trolley Barn (TB) appeared to have loads of rustic charm just ripe for a "Color Purple/Juke Joint" theme. The space was wide open with loads of potential. Lambert Place (LP) offered a cosmopolitan vibe with its lounge area scoring major bonus points with its separate ceremony and reception areas.



But when it came down to visiting, we never even made it to TB. The place is only open for visits from 10 am til 1 pm (or something like that) M-F and on the weekend by appt only. CTE and I have tricky schedules so we couldn't readily fit this into the plan. We were easily able to visit LP one afternoon and it was love at first sight!



Save for not allowing outside food, the place had everything we wanted. So a few days later, we signed on the dotted line! Wahoo!

S3...SSH

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

No China Direct for Me

So... its confession time.  I had to wait a few weeks (ok, months) before I told this story, it was just TOO FRESH and TOO REAL for me to tell before I got to the very end.  In several moments of insanity, I decided to save my bridesmaids money, and have their dresses ordered from China.  From the first attempt that my buddy, Sssh... and I went out to look at dresses, my eyes fell on this dress that was just adorable.  Bari Jay #108.  It was a one-shoulder display of Japanese-inspired, kimono like wonderfulness.  But, I had a few reservations about ordering from Bari Jay.  Their color wheel was not as diverse as I wanted it to be, the sizes of the dresses stopped lower than I needed them to, etc.  So, thanks to the power of Google, when I was searching for the dress online to share with some pals, I kept coming across a few sites that were not Bari Jay, yet they had the dress.  At first, I did not understand, but before long, I caught on.  OH... you're ordering them direct from the maker, bypassing that brand name mark-up.  SWEET!

In the store, the dress would have been around $160.  Given that there were 2 other weddings coming down the pike, I'm all for helping folks save some cash, so I went with the one that was going to allow us to purchase the dress for $57 (free shipping thrown in).  I liked the dress so much, I decided that I would get one as well, never know when a girl wants a night out on the town with her new hubby in a one-sleeve kimono inspired dress, right?  I had everyone to take her measurements (they were custom-making them based on size, great right?) to send to me, then I placed the order.  Now, I did have a few concerns about the communication efforts of the person that I had to communicate with on-line, but considering that I have to figure out a way to decipher what some FB friends are saying, I figured that it would be no different.  Hmm...

So, I am compiling a list of sorts to share the highlights of my experience:
Chinese New Year - When I placed the order, it was RIGHT when the best holiday in ALL the world was about to be set off.  While I've never been there, I suppose that Chinese New Year must be sort of like Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Easter & Mother's Day all wrapped into one.  Like - it is a HUGE deal.  They SHUT DOWN at that time.  They shut down in order to start getting ready for it, then they celebrate it, and after that - I suppose that they have to recover.  I couldn't imagine, I don't think that I ever want to witness all of what goes on.  So, my order got no attention once I placed it, they were Chinese New Yearing...

Communication - I really appreciate having some strong mastery of the English language.  I prefer if the person that I am dealing with for business has the same.  As a matter of fact, I think that I am going to start to insist upon it.  I would write an email asking 3-4 questions that required direct responses.  The response would be something like - yes, yes... we will make it VERY beautiful for you.  WHAT THE HECK DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH WHAT I ASKED???  Yes, that should have been a clue, but...

Reviews - WHY didn't I read all of the reviews that I read AFTER this ordeal before I placed the order?  I know that I read some, but where were any of the reviews warning me that this was a dumb idea?  I found them all AFTER the fact!  Also, with a blog website that they have specifically dedicated to offset the folks who complain.  Amazingly, the folks who write the blog speak proper English!  WHAT??? 

Quality - Consistenly through the process of considering the order (I started in December) until the time that the dress was to be returned (late Feb, early March) - it was consistenly told that I would get a 'very nice' dress.  What I received in the mail was 'very horrible'.  While it had the spirit of the dress that was intended, it was a long ways off.  The material was fine, but the stitching looked like a 'C' student who was doing special favors for the Home Ed teacher completed it.  The measurements were off and did not seem to be symetrical at all.  If worn, the bridesmaids were not going to be allowed to sit down for fear that Uncle Pete's pacemaker would skip a beat from the eyeful that he received!

Response - Luckily, my fiance was there when the dresses arrived.  I was so excited, I left work a little early to see the dresses and as soon as I picked my jaw off of the floor, went online to promptly 'dispute' the dresses.  Based on responses from others, had I not done it that quickly, the funds would have gone through DH Gate to the seller & I would have been out of luck.  I immediately responded to the seller that the dresses sucked and I wanted a refund.  They responded that they would give me $30.  $30 per dress?  I respond back, I'll take $500.  They come back with $50.  Oh... they meant $30 total.  I went down a little more, they went down to $100 and asked me to 'feel sorry for us, the dress was mostly like what I wanted'.  At this point, I am livid!  I ended up escalating the issue to DH Gate, they had a half of an English class more than the seller (but went home sick before it was over) and in the end, got the majority of my cash returned in lieu of returning the package and risking their threat of customs seizing it or my real fear - them pretending that it never came. 

I'll take an intermediary when I deal with China the next time.  The only contact that I think that I'll want with them is the little tag on the bottom of the product that says 'Made in China'...

*YES, we do have other dresses, I'll tell you about those later, my blood pressure increased just thinking about this whole bit of nonsense and I need a nap!

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Linens Purchased

                                 
Found a great color (Antique sage) at CV Linens. Looking forward to seeing them in person.

WOW this process was one of the hardest for me! I had to decide on the layout of the tables and coordinate everything in my head and then purchased based on a dream! I like to work with FACTS!! lol My BFF created a great layout for me to be able to see the space clearly!!! So that was a blessing!!! Now I feel like it's coming together!!

Anyway, finally purchased them and now I can say WOOSAH that is until they arrive. HA! I'll update when they come!

Anyone else have a hard time purchasing linens or anything else?

UPDATE: The linens are in (they came two days later) and they are SOOOOO perfect!!!

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Can I get my morning back?

So where's the last place you expect to find a skittish bride who suffers from Cootie Phobia???
FILENE'S BASEMENT on March 18, 2011

I know, what was I thinking? Clearly, I wasn't really thinking. Cause if I'd really sat down and thought about it, there should have been no way in the world that I would have even been within half-a-kuntry-mile of Buckhead much less in da midst of the madness! Particularly since in my pre-betrothal days I have scoffed and sneered at the mere notion of participating in such foolishness. I got 99 problems but risking a limb for a dress ain't one! So how in da world did I end up on Peachtree that lone Spring morn???

I'm nosey! Pure and simple. I'll not have another chance in life to witness this firsthand so I felt compelled to seize the day!


I will say that my MOH and I had already planned to take the day off for a leisurely jaunt to NashVegas to kick-off a dear friend's Surprise Baby Shower weekend extravaganza. Since we had the day before us, we agreed to just stop by Filene's just in case we found a winner on the racks. After reading a few posts online, we agreed to:



  • Not camp out. I'm only willing to do so if my beloved VOLS are at the end of that rainbow.


  • Wait until the frenzy calmed down. Again - risking a limb for a dress just ain't prudent.


  • Not stress about the venture. Nuff said.

So we sat out with an extra buddy in tow for good luck and stepped into the jungle.


WOW. ARE YOU SERIOUS? DOES THAT GIRL HAVE ON A GOLD LAME BIKINI? DID SHE JUST BEND OVA & SHOW ME ALL OF HER BEEZWAX? ARE YOU SERIOUS? ARE THESE CHICKS REALLY WALKING AROUND IN THEIR DRAWLS???


WHAT IS THAT SMELL!?!?!?!


To say this was a disappointmet is an understatement. To say this may be one of the most overhyped, sensationalized, mismanaged and dare I say sexist displays of the wedding biz taking us for granted may be a bit dramatic but I submit the following to support my case.


First - Most of the gowns were totally old styles. I saw ONE chick, count 'EM, UNO who had two cute dresses that I actually would have considered buying. I saw far more ladies walking around desperatly seeking some of the more recent styles. So the BIG mark down was somewhat suspect. Those gowns SHOULD have been on sale! And "low" was a relative term. I heard one chick exclaim "This is a $6000 dress for $400!" Really? Would that dress really retail for $6000 today? And are you happy cause you "found" a $5600 coupon or because that is the dress you've been dreaming about?


Second - It's set up to encourage chaos. The gowns are not arranged by size or style. So apparently the girls just ran in there smashing and grabbing as many gowns as they could. Once loaded down, they started bartering which quickly took an ugly turn. Gals were sitting on stockpiles of dresses that they had NO intention of buying. But the were "theirs" and you couldn't touch them for fear of a beatdown. It was sooo pre-K. And chicks were stripping down to next to nothing all out in the middle of the floor completely disregarding our Southern sensibilities. AND since many of them had camped out, the place was funky!


Third - With all of this nonsense, the gowns were getting ABUSED! As the morning wore on, folks were just piling gowns up on the floor, not bothering to hang them properly, dragging them around or worse just walking right over them! I tried on 3 dresses and all were torn in some fashion.


Fourth - As we bid our adieus, we saw two chicks "posing" with their gowns. Both had purchased some standard issue gowns that they could have easily scored from David's Bridal while wearing clean underpants! So that got our merry bunch of three pondering what we'd just witnessed. Did some Brides take the plunge simply because they got caught up in the hoopla? By chance did they feel obligated to leave with a bag having wasted their friends' time with the camp out? Did any of the Buying Brides have remorse later and end up buying a 2nd gown under saner circumstances? I know my head's always clearer after my morning shower.


Fifth - On our way to breakfast, we saw 3 or 4 groups of girls (in their FB matching T's) heading into Demetrios' Bridal on Piedmont. Clearly, they didn't get lucky either.


I rest my case. www, you be the judge!


S3...SSH

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Oh... you wanted those back???

RSVP's...
Where do we begin?  You send out your lovely invitations that are carefully coordinated to match the envelope and matching RSVP response cards that have a .28 stamp on them.  (We will not get into how WRONG the United States Postal Service is for offering ONE lone postcard stamp design)  You get texts, phone calls and Facebook wall posts telling you how lovely the invite was and how excited they are that the day has finally come.  At first, you get a nice, steady flow of RSVP's in the mail.  Oh, yeah... looking good!  Then, it slows down a little.  Then... it is almost at a complete standstill.  After a few days of not receiving anymore RSVP's in the mail, but nearly 3 weeks left to the close of the invites, I decided to start reaching out to those who were outstanding in a way in which they might be easily accessible.  WHY did nearly half of the people that we spoke with tell us that they no longer had the postcard, or had forgotten where they placed it for 'safekeeping'?  I went into this whole thing in a very practical matter.  While it can be the cutest thing going for ME... to a typical guest, they just need the basic information so that they can show up to the shindig...  I don't think that they care that there was a polar bear on the postage stamp.  Shoot... 

And then there were THREE!

As it seems that I can delay this NOT a SECOND longer....


DRUMROLL please


Hello Everyone!!!!


Yes, the rumors are true, our already larger than life crew is celebrating Three Weddings and a Baby in 2011. No, I'm not preggers but I, S3...SSH!, am planning to wed the Cutest Thing Ever! on Saturday, Dec 3rd! Why the big secret, the reluctance to post, the Liz Taylor entrance????


Well for one, I am a bit overwhelmed! Helping the Original Zillas plan their days has given me a bird's eye view at just how stressful, crazy, exciting and admittedly FUN wedding plan can be. At first, I kept my little joy a secret cause my honey & I wanted to speak with our parents and immediate families first. Then we broadened the circle to include our closest circle of friends (though I still have a few calls to make!). And now it seems that our circle is including "dat internets" (said in my kuntriest old-timers voice)!


But more importantly...I am a SLACKER! Yes, it is true. I have grand schemes and aspirations at blogging but I never seem to make good on my plots. What's more, I am known in some circles as the world's foremost staller and can double-book like it's nobody's business! I mean well but I tell ya, if left to my own devices which includes a more than healthy dose of self-diagnosed ADD, I would stay in an infinite loop of "I meant tos". So y'all may have to prod me along this cyber journey from time-to-time else I'll fall up MIA!


But enough of that! I'm sure you want some deets on the dude, the deed, and the design.


WHO am I?

I have had the pleasure of knowing Lady RoBo and E=DC2 for now on 8 years. Since meeting, our circle of friends has grown to include a childhood best friend, a roommate, fashionista here and there, and some nuts just looking for a good laugh. We have shared A LOT over the years and so why not throw anotha wedding into the mix?


WHO is CTE?

OMG(osh)!!! He is just about...where do I start....LAWD AMERCY I grow faint just trying to describe him!!! Gracious...he is Hands down the most patient, sweetest, silliest, proudest, and strongest Giant of a Babe that a girl could ever want. *SIGH*


HOW did he pop THE Question?

CTE and I have been pratically inseperable since the day we met. Truth be told...in another post for another day...we've been talking marriage for quite some time now. We've known for awhile that we wanted to wed in 2011. So a few days after V-Day, CTE and I were waxing poetically about how much we meant to each other and our hope for our future when he very sweetly asked Me to Marry Him.


And I said Yes.


And then we chose a date - 12.3.11 (which happens to be the weekend in between our bdays!).


There you have it! The veil has been lifted. Now I don't wanna give up too much on our first date and all so till next time

S3...SSH!

Friday, March 25, 2011

The Big Reveal...

WHEN will this next chick reveal herself?  Certainly, she has exceeded her deadline to get a blog post up here?  I'm calling on the authorities to look into this! 

Website Shared

OK, I can't talk a lot about this one, I gotta go hang out with my Partna in Crime for a little while.  But, before I go... I have GOT to share this website with you.  I have fallen in love & I can't get up!  LOL  I've been dreaming about all of the different products that they have to offer and can't wait to finally figure out what I want to order!

Smarty Had A Party!  WHEW HEW!!!  Check it out and PLEASE let me know what you think!  Are your wheels just CHURNING like mad???

RoBo

Running Down the Aisle Anyone?

I've been trying to figure out my aisle runner for the last few weeks.  Talked to a few folks about taking on the challenge and having a few meetings.  And, we ALL know that I am far too complicated to have a simple white piece of carpet-like substance on the floor for the folks to walk on, no... RoBo Gal gotta have it personalized, based on the theme, all of THOSE bells & whistles, right?  Good, you know me well, then!  So... in my web searches, I've come across a few things to pique my interest!

 So, the quandary now is to figure out if the design would be handpainted by an artist OR a graphic design that is placed on the fabric by some sort of screen-printing.    Initially, I loved the idea of it being hand-designed, but then I considered having it made by a graphic artist.  I could give them some things that I was thinking of and see it before it is created to have a feel for what I want.  Also, I could use the same logo for other things... Menu Cards, Signage, possibilities go on and on!

Both of the options are on the table right now, what will be my guide?  You got it... PRICE!  LOL  I'll let you know what I come up with after this week!

Awesome Vendor Booked: ...Pho-tog-ra-phy

So, I've been a busy little bee...  bzzz... 

For all of those folks who say that there is nothing good to be found on Craigslist, I say pooh on you!  (I don't know how or why that has been my phrase as of late, but I'll roll with it for now!)  I was tired of going to websites to find a photographer within my limited budget, getting a little fatigued at folks who wanted to bring me in to upsell me to getting stuff that were simply not in my target list, and felt like I had reached the end of Google.  So, I did what any reasonable woman would do, I posted a 'wanted ad' on Craigslist.  And, the photographers that cared to work with me contacted me!  Now, why didn't I think of that in the first place?  Hmmm...

Well, I'm glad that I did what I did exactly when I did it, I found Sonya Yim!  Mr. RoBo & I met with her initially at a little restaurant and just hung out with her for a little while.  She's quite an interesting person, we had a ton of OCDs in common, and she's a pretty laid back, cool person.  We looked at the work that she had for weddings thus far and we thought that she had done a great job, we went back to the lab to make sure that it was the right decision.  I was on the high of the bridesmaids dresses almost arriving and was quickly deflated (I'll tell y'all the gory details about that one once I have a final solution, I'm telling that story ONCE), so I got scared of all vendors all of a sudden.  I reached out to her to explain our concerns - she agreed to do a photoshoot with the two of us so that we could see how well we worked together.  Not only did she come, but she bought along a second shooter with her.  (its her father in law, I read that story on her blog, it was so stinking cute, it was nearly unbearable)  We had a blast, and walking away, the guy & I already knew that we were going to go ahead and book her!

She's organized, takes a great photo, is responsive, constantly developing her talent and a pretty awesome person to boot!

So...  yep, go ahead and take a chance, honey!  Sonya Yim for RoBo photographer!  Whoop, Whoop!!!

RoBo

DOLLAR TREE FIND

Thanks to Miss Tattoo I went back to the dollar tree hoping that maybe just maybe they will have something that we need! AND GUESS WHAT?!?!?! They did!!!

My Fiance had been telling me about the cylinders he saw. They were 7 inches so I wasn't too excited about getting them!

Well we stopped by a Dollar Tree as we were headed to the movies kind of far from the house and look what we found...
9 inch cylinders!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm so excited! Only thing is we only found 8 and we need 16. However, what a coincidence that we have HALF. So I'm thinking if we can't find 8 more we can try to find 8 of something else?? WHO KNOWS!! I'm just excited about these! LOL!!

Anyone else have great finds?

E=DC2