Help Me Find a Veil!

As I mentioned in my last post, the excuse I gave the bridal salon this weekend for an appointment to "visit" my dress was because I wanted to try on veils... this wasn't completely a lie. I've been "window shopping" online recently for veils but it's so hard to figure out what you want without actually trying it on with the dress!

I kinda fell in love with two veils at the shop... but can't really afford either one of them, so I remembered as much info as I could about what I wanted, then came home and hit the 'net hoping to find a good deal for a similar veil elsewhere. Alas, I wasn't particularly successful... so I'm hoping one or two of you guys may have some resources/knowledge and that you'll spread the wealth. =)

What I'm looking for: Diamond white, single tier, fingertip veil with beading (if everything else is there, I'm willing to go for an elbow length veil... but nothing longer or shorter).

What I loved at the bridal salon: Floral embroidered beading... it matched my dress SOO well! But the $100-$200 price tags did NOT.

Here's a small section of my dress with the beading... I would love to find a veil with a similar look! Can you help??

Visiting My Dress

Yesterday I went to "my" bridal shop (which is holding my dress for me until August) for a little visit and to try on some veils with my dress... this is the excuse I gave the shop, but really Iwanted to see how I looked in my dress after dropping 20 lbs. ;)

If you've been reading for awhile you'll remember that I got my dress 50% off, off the rack, at a sample sale this winter. Additionally, since I'm the perfect height for wedding dresses (5'10") if I was able to dropped an inch or two around my hips, I wouldn't have to make any alternations to the dress (read: not spend more money)... which was my goal.

Well... let me tell you! lol When I got the dress shop I was introduced to their seamstress (is this P.C. any more? I don't know... alterationist? lol) who was going to be helping me into the gown. As she was cinching up the back she asked how it felt. I told her that it was fine... and then I mentioned that I'd just dropped some weight and was really looking forward to seeing how it fit. THAT is when she made my day! She said:

"It actually looks like we may have to take it IN a little bit"

Take it IN! Not let it OUT! No mention about the hips at all!!!!! Now, while I liked the idea of not having to pay for alternations, I LOVE the idea that if alterations need to be made it's because I'm too SMALL... NOT too big!! Woo hoo!!


P.S. I loved my dress more yesterday than I did the day I bought it... I think maybe because I wasn't trying to make a decision... just enjoying myself in it. =)

I just had to share =)

Only Two Days Left....

... to enter my poster print giveaway! =)

Have a fantastic weekend! I'm headed "home" this weekend to spend some time with my family and go dancing with a couple of my girls! Woo hoo! It's been to long since I've had the opportunity to "let my hair down"!

Wanna Buy A Ring?

So, we got Jacob's ring in the mail the other day...


It didn't scream his name....

So he found a new one...



Wanna buy a ring? =) Size 10 tungsten carbide with a black ceramic spinning center... only $75! (And I'll throw in the shipping!).

P.S. I'm willing to negotiate. =)

Mail Call!

I was home for TWO HOURS today before I realized that we got THREE packages in the mail!

Ate dinner, watched some TV, then wandered into the office to check my e-mail... and there, on our futon were three boxes. Jacob said, "oh yeah... we got those today".

"oh yeah"??!! lol... gawd... being the nerd that I am I was so excited! We got both the business cards I received for hosting a Uprinting giveaway (business cards for my cousin who is going to be our DOC) and the poster printer I won from Shooting for a $3,000 Wedding (it looks FANTASTIC). But I wasn't really sure what the third package was... I couldn't remember what else I'd ordered. lol

Turned out the third package was the best one! I GOT MY PAPER! =) I'm a nerd, yes I am, but I was so excited about it. Paper for invitations and programs. Woo hoo! Now I have 2.5 months to actually put the invites together... I've already told some family and friends that they can expected invitations to a "paper assembly party" soon. *wink*

P.S. Here is the photo we decided to enlarge; which is now on our living room wall:

by Justin @ Sky Blue Iris Event Photography

Thankful for the Frat!

I never in my life thought that I would be thankful for a fraternity. Frats have a beer-guzzling, date-raping, academically-challenged stereotype... I would have never put "frat" and "wedding" in the same sentence... until tonight.

Jacob's frat brother has offered to cater our wedding! What this means is a PLATED, multi-course dinner for less than $10 per person! AND on top of that, there is an offer that perhaps the new pledges can be our wait staff FREE OF CHARGE.

We met with frat-brother-caterer Ethan tonight to talk about some details. We pretty much told him that we weren't picky and to come up with some home-cooked-style menu options. So, he's going to put together some menus and schedule a tasting with us in the upcoming weeks. =D I'm sooo happy! Now I just have to figure out the logistics with the hotel. We're allowed to cater the event ourselves (I have that in writing), but I'm not sure what kind of facilities we'll be able to use, so, that may be a bit tricky... but a plated dinner for less than the hotel's buffet is definitely worth a little extra effort on my part!

P.S.

You have one more week to enter my poster print giveaway!

3 1/2 More Things Checked Off the List!

WARNING! LONG post! =)

Today was a VERY productive (read: spendy) wedding purchase day!* And we managed to check 3 1/2 more things off the "To Do" list! =)

*For those of you who remember the "no spend" pact that Jacob and I made for this month, I should mention that wedding related purchases were NOT covered by that since we're keeping our eyes open for the best deals and don't want to miss something!

Our first stop today was Men's Wearhouse. At the bridal show Jacob and I went to a couple weeks back we put down a deposit for their "Rent 5 tuxes get a free suit" deal they had going on. So, the plan was originally to go look at possible tuxes. However, when we got to the store there was a big sign in the window advertising 50% off all suits. Now originally I wanted a more casual, non-tux sort of affair... but Jacob really wanted a nice suit so the prospect of getting a free $400 suit just by renting tuxes appealed to him. However, when we saw the deal we determined that we could afford to get him a really nice suit and still stay to the original vest idea for the groomsmen. So we went in to look for a suit for Jacob and the shopping began! lol

Jacob tried on about 10 different suit jackets and found "the one". (Funny thing is, it was more obviously "the one" than any of the wedding dresses I tried on! lol)... a 3-button, charcoal pinstriped Perry Ellis suit (the bride-to-be was VERY happy about his selection... couldn't stop grinning... it very much accentuated his gorgeous derriere! lol) He also found a couple shirts, a couple ties, some socks and shoes (all on sale). We went over our anticipated budget a little bit, but that's o.k. I wanted Jacob to look and feel as good on his wedding day as I was going to feel in my pretty dress... it is his day, too after all! And, as he mentioned, his investment can be worn over and over again. Very true... as much as I may want to, I don't think you'll see me grocery shopping in my wedding dress any time soon. =)




So, we bought his suit and accessories and got the alternations to the slacks ordered... should be ready to pick up in a week or two. I told Jacob that he wasn't allowed to wear the suit until the wedding... I think he was a little disappointed and asked if he could at least try it on. lol

Next we went over to Jared's to take a look at some men's rings to get an idea of style that he liked. He has been a fan of titanium or tungsten, I knew this, but I'm glad that we looked together because it turns out he also wanted a carbon fiber inlay... I had no idea about this! He tried on a couple rings, but we were simply "window shopping" at that point, so we left.

We then took a nice hour long forested hike and a picnic lunch to enjoy the BEAUTIFUL day in Oregon! =)

On the way home we stopped at JCPenney's to take a look at vests for the guys... they had a few, but nothing popped out at me. We then stopped by another jewelry store to look at more ring styles. There Jacob discovered black ceramic and he did a little shift on the type of ring he wanted. ;) Again, glad we looked!

Back at home, with the new knowledge I'd gained, I set to work looking for fantastic deals online for what we wanted. On Overstock.com we found a handful of rings and Jacob decided to order one specifically... tungsten with a "spinner" of black ceramic.

After ring shopping, I made a couple calls to Kinkos and Staples for invitation price quotes... I discovered that the quote doesn't change if I bring in my own paper... soooo.... decided not to order white linen paper and save the extra $15. I'm sure I can find something that will work well in Staples or Kinkos supply. BUT I did order paper for the programs and to wrap my invitations in, as well as envelopes, from Paper and More!

I want to design our programs like these from Becoming His Mrs. For the covers I ordered cardstock in cobalt blue and (get this!) sunflower! (I was pretty excited about this one. lol). Thanks to the option to purchase single sheets, I was able to get both colors in just the amount I needed... saves myself about 50% of the cost. I also ordered cobalt blue sheets for the invitation wraps, and recycled sand-speck envelopes to tie in the beach-y theme just a little more. =) I can't wait to start on the invites!

So that's our three things... grooms suit, ring and invitation/program paper. I also did a little research for groomsmen wear and we decided on this vest from Macy's and this tie from The Tie Bar. The groomsmen will also wear black dress slacks of their choice and a solid white dress shirt (no textures/stripes/etc.)



However, I noticed on Macy's website that the current sale on the vest is over TODAY. So, before we send out the e-mail to the guys telling them what to buy, I want to make sure the price doesn't jump TOO dramatically tomorrow and that they are still available. But, hopefully we have this "done" as well!

I'm so excited... and feeling so accomplished! Woo hoo for productive days! =)

I'm a Nerd

When I was in school I used to LOVE school supply shopping time. When I decided to go back to grad school last fall Jacob teased me when I bought myself a cute pencil pouch.

I'm a nerd... I admit it... I enjoy "window shopping" in office supply stores. So, it should be no surprise that I was quite delighted today when my paper samples from Paper and More were waiting for me in the mail.

I ordered samples of card stock and regular paper for our invitations and our programs. And I LOVE them. I got samples of four different kinds of paper for $3 (.50 a sheet plus $1 flat rate shipping). I'm excited to go back to the website and order the actual paper! Not to mention actually MAKE the invites and programs. Yay! lol

P.S. I also got my gift card for my free name change kit from Miss Now Mrs. that I won via The Relentless Bride! It was a good mail day. =)

Up and Running!

Yay! My blog is looking presentable again! BIG thanks to Jacob for helping me out with the coding (I don't get it... thankfully he does! lol).

SO.... wedding world updates? Umm... none. We're skipping this weekend's cake tasting fun (which really sucks 'cause I'm craving sweets like no one's business). We were supposed to have another cake tasting, but when I called the bakery to make an appointment the woman who answered the phone was kind of bitchy (apparently it is a HUGE inconvenience to have a consultation at 5:30 when the bakery closes at 6... however, when I offered to simple pick up samples and make the consultation appointment later at a more convenient time, that was apparently unheard of as well).

After mentioning her attitude to Jacob he said, "we don't have to go there"... and he was right, we don't have to. We really liked the place we got samples from last weekend and we're pretty sure we're going to go with them, so, I had Jacob call the other bakery a couple days later and cancel our tasting. Instead, we scheduled a consultation with Lamb's... which has turned into ANOTHER tasting (shh! They don't know we already had one! lol).

So, in a couple weeks time we should have a cake order in! Woo hoo! =) Not really sure if it's going to be a cake or cupcakes anymore though... depends if they can put filling in the cupcakes. Jacob really wanted cupcakes, but after he tasted their fillings he started to waver a bit! =) I'm not picky... cake is cake... so this one is completely up to him.

Work in Progress...

As the signs in the local Winco say:

"We are open during construction"

This goes for my blog, too... I decided it need a little revamp. So, with Jacob's help I'm working on getting everything in order, so... Don't mind the mess! =)

I Need Advice...

I have a big forehead. It's a four-finger forehead. When I pull my hair back in a ponytail I look bald (especially since I'm so blond). So, here's my question... should I stay as is:



Or should I get my bangs back?



I need the opinion of someone other than my fiance... who's response is usually something along the lines of "that could work"** I've been growing my bangs out for over a year now and worry about chopping them off after all the work/patience to get them long... and I keep thinking about *wedding hair*... which is going to be up/pulled back...but I really feel like I need to hide my massive forehead! lol

**(I absolutely DESPISE this response).

Fini!

At 12:04PM on February 14, 2010 I hit the "send" button. My final graduate school paper is "done"... and I finally get my weekends back!

P.S. Here's a little V-Day humor for you care of "Shit My Dad Says".

7 Down, 6 To Go! (And a Little Surprise for My Readers!)

Not only is today Valentine's Day, but it's also the six month countdown before the big day!

Today: Sitting at my computer, in my pjs, watching the rainy goodness that is February in Oregon.

6 months from now: Standing barefoot on a beach in a beautiful dress surrounded by family and friends as I say vows and promise to spend my life loving my best friend.

I think I much prefer the the activities in 6 months! lol

As a little gift for my readers today to celebrate my 6-month pre-nniversary I have a giveaway for you care of OnlinePosterPrinting.com! OnlinePosterPrinting.com puts your digital photos on posters... maybe blow up an engagement/wedding photo for your living room, or maybe for the gift/guestbook table at the wedding?




What You'll Win!:
One 18X24 Digital Photo Enlargement poster print,
High Gloss or Semi Gloss Paper,
ONE Business Day Turnaround,
and FREE UPS Ground Shipping
(Contest open to US addresses only).

Alright, here are FOUR different ways to enter! (Please do each in a SEPARATE comment!)

1) Leave a comment telling me how you'd use the print,
2) Since I'm at my six-month countdown, tell me where you'll be or how your life will be different 6 months from now;
3) Become a follower, or tell me you already are one;
4) Blog about the giveaway, linking back to my blog and leave me the URL;

and... for an EXTRA entry, ask anyone who finds my giveaway via YOU to leave me a comment telling me so. That entry will count as an extra entry for BOTH of you!

You have through Feb. 28th to enter! Then I'll make someone's Monday morning, March 1st a little brighter! =)

*P.S. I'll be getting one of these too for hosting the giveaway! Woo hoo!

Three In One!

I have THREE wedding-y related things for you today... so, here's a three-in-one post for you. =) (Don't want to fill up your google readers with three different posts from me within 30 minutes! lol)

Bad Dreams

I had a wedding related nightmare last night. Before I tell you about it, let me preface by saying that my dream world has always been quite weird... so bare with me!

My dream last night was about the reception. In my waking hours I'm stressing out about our reception venue not being big enough (I'm pretty sure the capacity was over estimated to us when we signed the contract--we may be able to FIT that many people in, but probably not comfortably). However, in my dream last night, the reception venue was actually quite nice... the problem is that nothing else was! We were told that we'd have round tables, but in my dream all the tables were long (which, in actuality I would prefer, but I've already bought linens for round tables). Also, the flowers looked horrible and I don't think I saw a single sunflower. Plus, the centerpiece look I envisioned for round tables did NOT look good on long ones. And non of the table runners I bought matched... they all looked like weird, cheap tie patters in various shades of blue.

The weirdest part though was that, in my dream, Jacob was not only black, but had a twin brother... whom I accidentally tried to kiss not knowing it wasn't Jacob! lol


Vases!

Last week I finally got some input from our florist about what kind of vases I should purchase, so, I did a little shopping and found these!



Nine inch cylinder vases! I think they'll look great with bunches of sunflowers (I did a little Internet stalking and found images like this that made me decide for cylinder rather than rounded). Best part? I got 18 vases for.... wait for it.... less than $25!! Big thanks to the Dollar Tree's online shopping capabilities! =)

(My PWC is getting bigger now though... I currently have four boxes not stacked behind my TV... and I anticipate this number growing in the upcoming months).


Tasting #2!

We picked up our second round of cake samples today! This time we went to the bakery at Lamb's Market. I had a sample of their cake at the last bridal show that I went to. I had never heard of Lamb's before and didn't realize they were a grocery store... I was kind of surprised! But, the cake sample I had was great, and then I heard that they were quite popular with weddings (not to mention cheap!).



Six samples this time (I couldn't help myself.... we ate one before the camera phone came out... oops!). We got hazelnut with hazelnut filling, chocolate chip with chocolate mousse filling, chocolate with fudge filling, white with raspberry filling, almond poppy seed with strawberry filling, and banana with Bavarian cream filling. Haven't eaten more than the one yet (Jacob had a big breakfast/lunch) but.... mmmm... I can't wait! =)

Wedding Diet.... Oxymoron

Dieting before your wedding is a hard task to accomplish... especially when you need to *taste* everything!


Jacob and I did our first "cake" tasting this weekend via Saint Cupcake here in Portland. (Excuse the lack of 4 cupcakes... we got excited and started munching before I thought about taking a picture! lol). They had a lot of great sounding options (check out their menu), but all in all, we just weren't that impressed. Most of the cupcakes didn't taste particularly unique... I could have made them myself. I don't want a wedding cake that tastes like I could have made it... unless I did! While I really did like the "Fat Elvis" (banana chocolate chip pound cake... mmmmm...), Jacob was not a fan of their frequent use of cream cheese frosting (he's more a butter cream guy). The highest rating any one cupcake got was a 7/10 (Jacob and I devised a rating system so we could keep track of what we liked) and the bakery as a whole only got 5.5/10 on average. So, it looks like we're moving on.

We have three more bakeries on our list... the goal is one a weekend. Wish us luck! =)

Randomness

I had this song stuck in my head last night before bed... for no apparent reason (i.e. I don't think I've heard it in YEARS):



I used to love 98 Degrees, but haven't really listened to them since high school I think... and here I am just pulling wedding-type songs out of thin air. I think I may need a wedding-break.

I also found these orchid hair things that I really like (and Jacob's boutonniere is going to be an orchid, so we'll match!)... but I just can't decide if I want to get them. My dress is "off-white" and I'm afraid to get anything "white" as an accessory. Plus I still don't know what I'm going to do about my veil. I really need to go veil shopping. I think I'm going to do that at the end of the month when I go "visit" my dress (20 llbs down, baby!).

On a Lighter Note....

Ran across this while reading through my blogs this morning. =)

I'm Being Stalked

My blog is being stalked by someone in my home town and it's kind of creeping me out.

I'm not talking stalked like reading every time something new pops up. I'm talking stalked like checking 4 or 5 times a day... sometimes on an hourly basis! I know it's not different people from my home town because the signal is coming from a specific operating system/Internet combo that is not particularly common... plus, of my friends and family, I know none of them are THAT obsessed with my blog! lol

I originally started tracking my "traffic" because I thought it was kind of cool to see all the foreign locations that people were coming from (countries that I have never even heard of before!). But now I just have this weird feeling like I'm being watched. It's creepy.

(I'm hoping who ever it is sees this and either a) comes clean about it, or b) realizes they are being creepy and knocks it off!)

No Spend

Back in September I read this post from Aubrey over at High Heeled Love. She and her fiance had declared September a "no spend month" in order to catch up on bills. No spending of money on any unnecessary items.

This post has been on my mind since then. I thought it was a great idea but I needed to make it past the holidays in order for it to stand a chance. So, last month I explained the concept to my fiance to find out what he thought... he was completely on board. So, with the exception of two days this month that have already been planned, February will be a no spend month in our household. No going out to dinner, getting fancy coffee beverages or new shoes. Money will only be spend on groceries, bills, gas, etc.

I anticipate this being fairly difficult... especially for me as I work outside the home and am over all more social. (The two days that we have to cheat are both days that *I* have a social event already planned... lol). We'll see how this goes. =)