tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68431931501382215042024-03-13T18:06:49.962-07:00m&y weddingA day to day diary of a DIY Wedding in Northern Virginiatoshellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12650822428133438283noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843193150138221504.post-10821598334356350582011-10-03T08:10:00.000-07:002011-10-03T08:10:28.126-07:00We've Moved!Hello to anyone who might be following this blog....<br />
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Sorry about the abrupt departure from blogging! I hit the "in-between" pretty hard and suddenly had nothing wedding-related to write about. So instead of a whole lotta filler plus a couple of posts a month about how we booked a bakery or started interviewing photographers, I decided to save up all those ideas for when the wedding ball started to roll again and I could guarantee some regular posting.<br />
And that day has come!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8g9dSyrPqm5vXDzPzksJd5I-94nfmRcQwWmaC4C1_R3vK9ComotWz1Qs4JT8nXZ37M-MZHzv02Nwtw5Ro11WGBGI7g9owqOMfjBQ9EM1JgCX7RQt4sMpAjVWHyXbLI0Xt2gJzxCvHsX8/s1600/bg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.love-and-lace.com/"><img border="0" height="68" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgksXKFcK2uYMHQVOpIx0gonz3vRaYNTr6gOpzrthBeO78QpC5xrJVEY2_kC_5R1H1HeCxTJNihy_XBbjo6Y2bGSNT2eTW5KNH5aI0Fh77kUf48ATNTGupzpIaVH4MPr6y0Lr7_uDXG1iE/s320/mini.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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I'd love if you all would join me at my newly revamped wedding blog, <a href="http://www.love-and-lace.com/">Love & Lace</a>. You'll find all the continuing details about our Virginia Vineyard wedding (as well as some older posts, edited and made-over). I hope to see you all there!<br />
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Love,<br />
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Y, of M&Ytoshellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12650822428133438283noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843193150138221504.post-6129729473170843432011-06-22T07:47:00.000-07:002011-06-23T10:20:44.955-07:00Classic Art Inspiration<i>Sorry for the day - I tried to post this yesterday, and Blogger wouldn't let me upload any images! Whoops...</i> <br />
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This weekend, M and I snuck off to New York to surprise my dad for his birthday/Father's Day. While we were there, we couldn't resist getting a little touristy and visiting some of the attractions, like Rockefeller Center and the Museum of Modern Art. We don't visit museums too often (though, living near DC, I think I've almost reached black-out in <a href="http://www.si.edu/Museums/">Smithsonian</a> bingo) so it's nice to take a few hours and wander around, viewing the works of the greats. Of course, being engaged, I couldn't help but wonder how some of those paintings could make their way into a wedding...<br />
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<b><span class="fn">Reflections of Clouds on the Water-Lily Pond </span></b><span class="fn">by Claude Monet</span><br />
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<span class="fn">Monet has always been one of my favorite painters, thanks to the influence of my mom and her love of impressionist art. His most famous paintings are the water lily still lifes he spent the later years of his life working on, and I lingered in this room the longest to see his gorgeous triptych up close.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6vM8eD39pgQcWymE_YwPRkJy-obqIe0NSqLL5pNRtrTzvh99WOU678fLxU3KjeZc6KAjbBCKpj4ksCIA21otgwhMTpK7HS0SVHoOU8xkplEtNkEVEw5ucFXpkFktp3YNpd3R2zIjuyb8/s1600/monet_inspiration.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6vM8eD39pgQcWymE_YwPRkJy-obqIe0NSqLL5pNRtrTzvh99WOU678fLxU3KjeZc6KAjbBCKpj4ksCIA21otgwhMTpK7HS0SVHoOU8xkplEtNkEVEw5ucFXpkFktp3YNpd3R2zIjuyb8/s400/monet_inspiration.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span class="fn"> </span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b><span class="fn">Sources</span></b></span><span class="fn" style="font-size: xx-small;"> Center: </span><span class="fn" style="font-size: xx-small;">http://www.shockleyartclass.com/?p=1336</span><span class="fn" style="font-size: xx-small;">, 1) http://www.weddingstand.com, 2) http://www.artinstituteshop.org, 3) http://www.kellyoshiroevents.com/blog/2010/04/06/bridal-style-revealed-carolina-herrera-preview/, 4) http://littlepheasant.blogspot.com/2010/07/water-lily-bouquet.html, 5) http://sierrasprings.commanderdata.com, 6) http://www.projectwedding.com, 7) http://blogs.dexknows.com/weddings/2010/08/top-pic-blue-green-wedding/, 8) http://www.etsy.com/shop/bobbijordan, 9) http://www.theknot.com.au, 10) http://www.</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;">catherines-cakes.co.uk, 11) http://www.weddingpaperdivas.com, 12) http://www.artinstituteshop.org</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">For a Monet inspired wedding, I picture soft pastel blues and greens, with pops of sapphire blue. Water lilies might be hard to find for a bouquet, but white mums and light blue hydrangeas would work well with this palette too. Floating centerpeices are one of the easiest <a href="http://wedding.weddingchannel.com/contentsets/flowers/articles/do_it_yourself.asp">DIY projects</a> and would really bring the outdoors into your reception hall.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">And of course, if you choose a botanical garden or a Japanese koi pond for your venue, half of your work is done for you! </span></span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">So what do you think? Have you been inspired by classic art at all? </span></div>toshellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12650822428133438283noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843193150138221504.post-31218871450509523772011-06-16T08:00:00.000-07:002011-06-16T14:39:53.713-07:00Inspiration Round-UpM and I are off on a secret mission today, so I'm updating quickly and from the past so you'll have something to greet you on Friday. And what better than some wedding loveliness? Joining <a href="http://pinterest.com/">Pinterest</a> has opened me up to a world of awesome pictures, here are some of my faves!<br />
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Easy reception decor with a big impact:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgygf96U00OHHgw2HNLnyXbkb89ghmlme-QiHEAXB8-ZmCU_Gs00AUBzm8mzttVAVssRVjYKhhT7iQl4FYgnwxQ63I3mslU2Zn8s8btiS5sgaulfRHVJss3GrsszuwbtcvgPAjSnlbliuw/s1600/pin1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgygf96U00OHHgw2HNLnyXbkb89ghmlme-QiHEAXB8-ZmCU_Gs00AUBzm8mzttVAVssRVjYKhhT7iQl4FYgnwxQ63I3mslU2Zn8s8btiS5sgaulfRHVJss3GrsszuwbtcvgPAjSnlbliuw/s320/pin1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://shopruche.blogspot.com/">[src]</a></td></tr>
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I love how they mixed lace with the flowers for extra oomph:<br />
<a href="http://shopruche.blogspot.com/"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijzfsCapLLjkRW_V_VrdqS3y-Dm2oLDjB09ohjSnSm12Y1xI_GJ7TbwoVXHvgM3EfS5cw8ZYlT0hzsGhJ5tOrMisO9EqQHva63T1K65Kkzn5ezwAz89b7Gde22ewJU8xJbBnuA0Oj8zyU/s1600/pin2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijzfsCapLLjkRW_V_VrdqS3y-Dm2oLDjB09ohjSnSm12Y1xI_GJ7TbwoVXHvgM3EfS5cw8ZYlT0hzsGhJ5tOrMisO9EqQHva63T1K65Kkzn5ezwAz89b7Gde22ewJU8xJbBnuA0Oj8zyU/s320/pin2.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.stylemepretty.com/2011/06/13/corona-wedding-by-melissa-munding-photography/">[src]</a></td></tr>
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And I thought custom address stamps were cute! This Etsy seller makes portrait stamps! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE31pbQvF7mUGIqCCLaXaxm3PkvyM9qrp7v5tk13zGzuhCDzgQkyx0Mn17pSYvseiqTIHAR0MMQSKF9Ymb7k1s1t7BCFlphbbX6nUQc4xgjBeNFI4DOfR3PuNQH6ghKRFhuWnVEG-nTvE/s1600/pin3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE31pbQvF7mUGIqCCLaXaxm3PkvyM9qrp7v5tk13zGzuhCDzgQkyx0Mn17pSYvseiqTIHAR0MMQSKF9Ymb7k1s1t7BCFlphbbX6nUQc4xgjBeNFI4DOfR3PuNQH6ghKRFhuWnVEG-nTvE/s320/pin3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/67351949/couple-portrait-hand-carved-rubber-stamp">[src]</a></td></tr>
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SUCH a pretty cake!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwgdDoUumIDRykL7p2ogAYIC6DXDsLuGk9_XS3gkqZQtNzkL3Q54eX3GYSh0MP405eln38YvaLpid6QWAi8JT6O78C6rkv32BnBkDnoNxHlOOC8n4Xr_i2A9m009knRYCXIhMtDuyLRiU/s1600/pin4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwgdDoUumIDRykL7p2ogAYIC6DXDsLuGk9_XS3gkqZQtNzkL3Q54eX3GYSh0MP405eln38YvaLpid6QWAi8JT6O78C6rkv32BnBkDnoNxHlOOC8n4Xr_i2A9m009knRYCXIhMtDuyLRiU/s320/pin4.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> <a href="http://d30opm7hsgivgh.cloudfront.net/upload/1266390_3eTLT0kp_c.jpg">[src]</a></td></tr>
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I can't find the original source on this one, but it's so sweet! Let me know if you know the proper credit and I'll update:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSNo-QGDRXYEVBGCJQ3uOM8ikvzz6-OYchzN4YtNtApruvNDMiRA_VUMVMea6qaFRo4J6eBk48svMFBcJJKv-phdrb00iArb9JuLkocvceICamN_XILPPWNX0XUzQojo0J5m-jMLQv-ow/s1600/pin5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSNo-QGDRXYEVBGCJQ3uOM8ikvzz6-OYchzN4YtNtApruvNDMiRA_VUMVMea6qaFRo4J6eBk48svMFBcJJKv-phdrb00iArb9JuLkocvceICamN_XILPPWNX0XUzQojo0J5m-jMLQv-ow/s1600/pin5.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
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Have a happy weekend!toshellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12650822428133438283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843193150138221504.post-61878551509809207702011-06-15T08:43:00.000-07:002011-06-15T08:43:01.653-07:00I get by with a little help from my friendsIf you've been following along so far, you know this much about me: <br />
<ul><li>I procrastinate like no one's business, and </li>
<li>I'm bad at accepting help.</li>
</ul>That does not bode well for wedding planning, does it?<br />
The fact is, when M and I first got engaged I spent <i>all</i> my time looking for venues, pricing caterers, oogling photographers... and 4 months later, only one vendor has been booked. It was past time to get serious, but I was still stalling. Part of it was bitterness because a few vendors I liked didn't work out (more on that later) and part of it was just bridal brain exhaustion. Too many decisions and too many options meant I just didn't care anymore.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjexSsP5BiQa3o_tdKxW8XVWZb5wSX0Yr1Hp1OdBvrzP3Q3dzpqoyu_rZSdfOHujT2tPc20NJVYybWOI9qlIWgNHekb8ArmbawUfW3hDsbVE_UasGi-yRidOdYTXz-6S5orA7N7CMy53lQ/s1600/stressed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjexSsP5BiQa3o_tdKxW8XVWZb5wSX0Yr1Hp1OdBvrzP3Q3dzpqoyu_rZSdfOHujT2tPc20NJVYybWOI9qlIWgNHekb8ArmbawUfW3hDsbVE_UasGi-yRidOdYTXz-6S5orA7N7CMy53lQ/s320/stressed.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was a little like this. <a href="http://www.gettyimages.com/">[src]</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Luckily, I have some pretty awesome people in my corner. When I confessed to my MOH, sister Toshella, how much trouble I was having finding a photographer and how they were all starting to blur together, she immediately volunteered to head up the search. She's the most budget-conscious person I know and has great taste - after all, she hired these amazing photographers for her wedding in New Orleans:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPHUZpdePRhalJy5w2IFzXAjysfKzDW0zI65ZN3qvdW0_UDkiQ5p5jcm2K9i6zlDlZhwDQx9mEXNz2a97c9wOYcB4Uw6GUi-Z2_l_Hi_LsfCs9t1rU5FiGxZB3O-GxLAXRMqw9ucEEg34/s1600/sheenawedding3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPHUZpdePRhalJy5w2IFzXAjysfKzDW0zI65ZN3qvdW0_UDkiQ5p5jcm2K9i6zlDlZhwDQx9mEXNz2a97c9wOYcB4Uw6GUi-Z2_l_Hi_LsfCs9t1rU5FiGxZB3O-GxLAXRMqw9ucEEg34/s320/sheenawedding3.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJZ9onYfT_L8InZirXtIsQqHNdt7Py4g_nK9WTJNkynyu7nvZUv4-SfcDtW4s9NyZ-XsSDV79YYJDekNMDoJYy28o1pr2U3lohFfJ2Zotv8lt0fvMz7AeJokTUC648wssWnI2bJVnyetA/s1600/sheenawedding2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJZ9onYfT_L8InZirXtIsQqHNdt7Py4g_nK9WTJNkynyu7nvZUv4-SfcDtW4s9NyZ-XsSDV79YYJDekNMDoJYy28o1pr2U3lohFfJ2Zotv8lt0fvMz7AeJokTUC648wssWnI2bJVnyetA/s320/sheenawedding2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWf79Kwvrp9UWuhMwGiqEL_gBrygvfEGzaPbwaLT-E_VixGrrRhHqt_SNXXIfPY-brDcheV9vXBWn_u3dIBoyjPaIkm0SPdOVN8QTkfv8594CH16feBKvQBeeOwxhWaPb1EQKvkgQ_7qE/s1600/sheenawedding1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWf79Kwvrp9UWuhMwGiqEL_gBrygvfEGzaPbwaLT-E_VixGrrRhHqt_SNXXIfPY-brDcheV9vXBWn_u3dIBoyjPaIkm0SPdOVN8QTkfv8594CH16feBKvQBeeOwxhWaPb1EQKvkgQ_7qE/s320/sheenawedding1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All images <a href="http://www.bnmphoto.com/#/home/">(c) <span dir="ltr" id=":ur">Bill and Mendy Wolfe</span></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>However, even with MOH S finding photographers in my price range and organizing them in a spreadsheet with price and comments, I was still overwhelmed by taking charge of contacting them, setting up meetings, and making a choice on top of everything else I had to do. Yikes. <br />
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That's where helper #2 comes in.... my very own husband-to-be. A lot of brides complain that their fiancés "don't do anything to help out with the wedding." I'm no exception - I started venting to M last night using those exact same words. It started out with a whine about how I was three weeks late calling a caterer and how much I hate phone calls, and devolved into me ranting about why I had to do all this stuff anyway, and couldn't he take the initiative to help out? Maybe it was unfair, but it felt true to my stressed out brain.<br />
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Thankfully, what could have been a bad argument turned into a reasonable discussion about what exactly he could take off my plate. He told me he felt like I had "secret bride criteria" regarding every decision and that he didn't know how to be that picky. When it came to picking a photographer with a good portfolio, he was clueless. On the other hand, something that felt stressful to me, like talking to a caterer about what we could afford and what meal options were available, was totally up his alley. Once we established that we were on the same page regarding catering needs (and that I didn't have any secret formula to decide which is better, Eggplant Parmesan or Three-cheese Tortellini) he took over the task.<br />
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And just like that, the two things stressing me out the most were shared between my two biggest supporters. It feels <i>good</i> to not micro-manage every decision. And even though there are probably great photographers that I'll never see because they don't make it onto sister Toshella's list, or catering details we won't pursue because M doesn't see them as important, the most important thing is that these decisions are manageable again and we can finally make some forward progress.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizAPeFyx6QR-qrO3CdihRFUiVCJLy_tshWeHnN5ZXK7O3FmfkhqepLiK7nRq594HYGtwmDx1MP1C4E5lZe4Nd8b3SwYAy6MxFSuLYt0cfR9Z49pbX9IQwFLS0lpOJXQz82NH74NoHohZY/s1600/teamwork.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizAPeFyx6QR-qrO3CdihRFUiVCJLy_tshWeHnN5ZXK7O3FmfkhqepLiK7nRq594HYGtwmDx1MP1C4E5lZe4Nd8b3SwYAy6MxFSuLYt0cfR9Z49pbX9IQwFLS0lpOJXQz82NH74NoHohZY/s400/teamwork.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://unmotivating.blogspot.com/2009/02/teamwork.html">[src]</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>toshellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12650822428133438283noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843193150138221504.post-67857024476013919612011-06-13T08:11:00.000-07:002011-06-13T08:11:27.308-07:00Breaking the IceThere was one aspect of our Countdown Party which almost got left on the chopping block... party games. Having grown up on horror stories of bad bridal shower games and the Newlywed show, I didn't really think that a party game was necessary. However, early on in planning we thought it would be cute to hide "Mickey"s around the house and have people compete to find them. The game was inspired by the Disney tradition of "Hidden Mickeys":<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGR0UAspFIrQYsWvHi8Q8DFw_VtIHDXRWmb00aSYsFvL1yzllugDTmoerRsmpYCi8hOl-b_edDHNEAU-TJujO004SPk97KzmGNAFP97hQeBXgyDZirqHoYWGdt8HA7OXrSKy9nk2O_dT0/s1600/hiddenmickey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGR0UAspFIrQYsWvHi8Q8DFw_VtIHDXRWmb00aSYsFvL1yzllugDTmoerRsmpYCi8hOl-b_edDHNEAU-TJujO004SPk97KzmGNAFP97hQeBXgyDZirqHoYWGdt8HA7OXrSKy9nk2O_dT0/s1600/hiddenmickey.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Hidden Mickey on a carosel ride at the BoardWalk Resort <a href="http://www.hiddenmickeysguide.com/item.php?aid=90">[src]</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><blockquote><i>The Disney official history goes like this: Hidden Mickeys started in the late 1980’s in Epcot as an inside joke among the Imagineers. Hiding Mickey around WDW was just plain fun! However, Jim Hill (jimhillmedia.com) believes in this "unofficial history": Hidden Mickeys were born as the Imagineers were designing Epcot in the late 1970's and early 1980's. At that time, Disney management felt that the characters belonged in the Magic Kingdom only. The Imagineers disagreed and began slipping Mickeys into Epcot! I suspect that Mickey Mouse designs that were previously in place in WDW (and Disneyland) also became known as Hidden Mickeys. Because of the popularity of HM’s, Imagineers are encouraged to place them in new construction. <a href="http://www.hiddenmickeysguide.com/whatare.php">[src]</a></i></blockquote><br />
We made a list 27 places to place HMs around our house, but by the day of the party, still hadn't made a single one. I was ready to give up on the project, but M recruited my Dad and began cutting Mickey ears out of construction paper and placing them around any circular object they could find! <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixsOu3Keh4skoC-buNNR4OTtzmiAgzUtwbmDEZSXyGNGfQ2ypXT8XdR446QGAvxfDKSysIYSBB1upOLanp9rT5oo1v94KBv90tPC-CvN0v0vgalOPYTmfIUy4rRiIjt6HaHU0cXare_hM/s1600/IMG_0129.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixsOu3Keh4skoC-buNNR4OTtzmiAgzUtwbmDEZSXyGNGfQ2ypXT8XdR446QGAvxfDKSysIYSBB1upOLanp9rT5oo1v94KBv90tPC-CvN0v0vgalOPYTmfIUy4rRiIjt6HaHU0cXare_hM/s400/IMG_0129.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two HMs "hidden" in our Welcome banner</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_wsno479kz_3KsPa8_BlOM9i6AmRv1-kBjPxE6SPm2VTWfW-wCBTLGHB1BlMlaSZPYJ4BpIbEHWw_UCUqzbjK6hef0YufP6mLy3IVJGRzGYCDFdnD2_Qsfrzyx3qP5_LcHFAZ1Ev-PT8/s1600/IMG_0132.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_wsno479kz_3KsPa8_BlOM9i6AmRv1-kBjPxE6SPm2VTWfW-wCBTLGHB1BlMlaSZPYJ4BpIbEHWw_UCUqzbjK6hef0YufP6mLy3IVJGRzGYCDFdnD2_Qsfrzyx3qP5_LcHFAZ1Ev-PT8/s400/IMG_0132.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magnets disguised as HMs</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
By the start of the party we had all 27 HMs up, and people actually had a blast trying to find them all. It gave guests something to do when they first arrived, when everyone's a little awkward anyway. M's brother and Best Man really took to the challenge and found all 27 within the first half hour!<br />
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The other party game we played was a variation of the popular Baby Shower <a href="http://www.babyshower101.com/baby_shower_games.html">"Pin"</a> game. As guests walked in we gave them a necklace, and instructed them that if they heard someone say the word "wedding" they could steal their beads. At the end of the night whoever had the most beads would win.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2g5P1T6eXH-Q0E2jS4Oz8U-qlbYxuruUfBpblc7o64OhGorEgC-tHgVXroFmk5AhpMEX8yLzHKS8pJabXV5s6B88Oxpp4s0FXWScG7bfCZLtUPXKXguk2Kug9XAQbZyJQJjqTsYukrG0/s1600/IMG_0200.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2g5P1T6eXH-Q0E2jS4Oz8U-qlbYxuruUfBpblc7o64OhGorEgC-tHgVXroFmk5AhpMEX8yLzHKS8pJabXV5s6B88Oxpp4s0FXWScG7bfCZLtUPXKXguk2Kug9XAQbZyJQJjqTsYukrG0/s400/IMG_0200.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our friend Andrew won his necklaces legitimately....</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I was the worst at this game, naturally! People kept trying to steal my necklace, so after a while future-FIL gave me all the beads he'd won just to see how quickly I'd run through them. :D<br />
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All in all, it made me think differently about party games. While they may seem outdated or cheesy, they really did get people comfortable and talking to each other. I've been to a few weddings where there are icebreakers during the cocktail hour or rehearsal dinner, and after this experience I think it's definitely something we'll include.<br />
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How do you all feel about icebreaker games? Fun or cheesy? Are you going to include any at your wedding or at a party?toshellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12650822428133438283noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843193150138221504.post-59633920779986282902011-06-10T10:33:00.000-07:002011-06-10T10:35:41.898-07:00A Memorabilia MuseumOne of the Countdown Party decorations I'd planned from the very beginning was a museum-like display of some iconic Disney memorabilia. Unfortunately, even though I'd had this idea in mind for over a month, and knew almost exactly what I wanted represented, and even bought and painted the frames <i>weeks</i> before our party...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBzv3Pc1l1uNpCxd5p3d_2LJKThJ-QLmdeJuCePPCt-ykl6WQB2A9KM8t2xE-qYvyxIbMuIt8TqVCR1cdNu6Oa_Qqy8BTa8zcF1-YgTLn6DrCXUPizG3IbRgVnRdQ_DyE5q2i-iDfCfjA/s1600/2011-05-06+18.14.21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBzv3Pc1l1uNpCxd5p3d_2LJKThJ-QLmdeJuCePPCt-ykl6WQB2A9KM8t2xE-qYvyxIbMuIt8TqVCR1cdNu6Oa_Qqy8BTa8zcF1-YgTLn6DrCXUPizG3IbRgVnRdQ_DyE5q2i-iDfCfjA/s320/2011-05-06+18.14.21.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">M was kind enough to spray paint the frames that weren't already gold</td></tr>
</tbody></table>...well, you guessed it. This became a last minute DIY project. I'm not sure why I procrastinated so long on a project I wanted to complete so badly. I think I was overwhelmed by the enormity of the task, and afraid that it wouldn't turn out exactly as it looked in my head.<br />
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But I shouldn't have worried, because after 3 hours of kneeling on the floor with a hot glue gun while my mom made potato salad (mmmm) my Memorabilia Museum turned out exactly how I pictured it!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkK2rd-I6ak2iS-ShLzXz5j8Vl1G9aS7HfIkAG4Y3IPOt21fRc8iOV-5LUkSFKLGwLif5O50lCgwa3ETXW1_buhpUfjmScuZhXk1HgIFxnlQJ5d5gQKs4H3nh1Sd0WpVQGDMH73b_vnVY/s1600/countdownmuseum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkK2rd-I6ak2iS-ShLzXz5j8Vl1G9aS7HfIkAG4Y3IPOt21fRc8iOV-5LUkSFKLGwLif5O50lCgwa3ETXW1_buhpUfjmScuZhXk1HgIFxnlQJ5d5gQKs4H3nh1Sd0WpVQGDMH73b_vnVY/s640/countdownmuseum.jpg" width="508" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A compilation of all the frames and their "captions"</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
I made six displays using frames I'd found in thrift stores, heavy black poster board, ribbon, and props for each movie. For inspiration, we picked films that were near and dear to us (Aladdin, Beauty & The Beast, and M's favorite, Lilo & Stitch) and some that were more 'classic' like Cinderella and Snow White. Our guests loved them, and it made me happy to see people wandering around the perimeter of our backyard (where the frames were prettying up our ugly fence) as if it really was a museum. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivKUfJNWst9a-7nKfjPn26R44jSJrFo9bkXsstiPPmf-ZCnGYK_Jon6kMHi1a2xjXXXQF9DInO9VTNDNOpFVo_CVRckHRJpRGqBBXYW8C6E-bwr7mE2yFKnAalXaM9lxr8BVJtSmCNYbQ/s1600/IMG_0141.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivKUfJNWst9a-7nKfjPn26R44jSJrFo9bkXsstiPPmf-ZCnGYK_Jon6kMHi1a2xjXXXQF9DInO9VTNDNOpFVo_CVRckHRJpRGqBBXYW8C6E-bwr7mE2yFKnAalXaM9lxr8BVJtSmCNYbQ/s320/IMG_0141.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL1sdQwjG7Xp6vflaDcOAik_H0PBU1udBPEFUPC5gI3E_61ZUd-Q_ltSfDYRMvNhC5vBk9k7vbVtaX4YN4PVJxakRaRHaA3Tn8B8yW15WB2X_HVjo63Hjo36MiWIm8gsEVv_ktx6h3ChA/s1600/IMG_0138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL1sdQwjG7Xp6vflaDcOAik_H0PBU1udBPEFUPC5gI3E_61ZUd-Q_ltSfDYRMvNhC5vBk9k7vbVtaX4YN4PVJxakRaRHaA3Tn8B8yW15WB2X_HVjo63Hjo36MiWIm8gsEVv_ktx6h3ChA/s320/IMG_0138.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
My only regrets came from rushing the project to finish it at the last moment. Although I never intended them to be permanent works of art, some of the backings were already starting to fall off by the end of the night because I'd hot glued them to the frames so carelessly. My other nit-picky mistake was how the ribbons looked once they were staple-gunned on. The little corners and ends of ribbon sticking out past the frames could have been fixed so easily and it would have made for a more polished product. I wish I'd taken to heart the saying, "If a job is worth doing, it's worth doing well" - and I certainly will in the future! But I'm glad that we included this in our party, and I'm sure those frames will find reuse in our wedding decorations...toshellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12650822428133438283noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843193150138221504.post-61406953923403020182011-06-06T06:58:00.000-07:002011-06-06T06:58:10.578-07:00Countdown Party Recaps!Hi everyone, and sorry for the lack of updates last week! I took off Friday and Monday to prepare for our Countdown Party and spend some quality time with my parents and had every intention of sharing some e-party recaps with you guys on Wednesday. Well... of course, then my computer crashed in a Blue-Screen-Of-Death kind of way and took the rest of the week to fix.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwSUGLCLrOpzz9GgTh3yiGKjBnxwaS2BWgqKfSmbI4OSNX3BBsyyTVTB3n5GIYFK39Y5fPbeqoRaKmZ3jK16jz8c6nGmBnhOB-cY7dq9KvQFmczgrbAUhlk9IffJtwVzGEVu9bNDCmQ1A/s1600/bsod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwSUGLCLrOpzz9GgTh3yiGKjBnxwaS2BWgqKfSmbI4OSNX3BBsyyTVTB3n5GIYFK39Y5fPbeqoRaKmZ3jK16jz8c6nGmBnhOB-cY7dq9KvQFmczgrbAUhlk9IffJtwVzGEVu9bNDCmQ1A/s320/bsod.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kitties are <i>always</i> to blame <a href="http://www.mylot.com/w/image/2278585.aspx">[src]</a></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>But I'm back and I have a ton of pictures and stories to tell about our Countdown Party, which was, in a word, LEGEN - (wait for it) - DARY!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBlClsGyB-qaSWAxeHsQnAx9YEPYeliCCzdgdTe3MWJKHiZ-snHczQVuvd-l20f-REUXKiVRSC-bBuRL98lbzJUF1ZkwO1csz_lyZMt9vrW_U5s1LhvVc5khBDe4eVhMbY57jR2KnIywU/s1600/IMG_0168.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBlClsGyB-qaSWAxeHsQnAx9YEPYeliCCzdgdTe3MWJKHiZ-snHczQVuvd-l20f-REUXKiVRSC-bBuRL98lbzJUF1ZkwO1csz_lyZMt9vrW_U5s1LhvVc5khBDe4eVhMbY57jR2KnIywU/s400/IMG_0168.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">M and I thanking everyone for coming out with a toast</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We had about 20 people make it out, including both sets of our parents and several of Matt's groomsmen. I was worried that having an engagement party 3 months after we got engaged - and hosted in our house, nonetheless! - would seem overkill to some guests, but to my delight everyone loved the idea of our "-1 anniversary" party. It was really heartwarming to have so many people celebrating our relationship and excited to hear details about the wedding. To anyone who is wavering about hosting their own e-party, I say go for it!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-oWkKk3a6e_ICfiq9yOUbktbioP3tSUc_hxCvo9zc_pwCZcJfaLdK6YTRTkQNWliacsM_yf2GZ-xkdJT22KlqJVCgLu0rBq0b34julUmVDeuyrD8PrRJ_YxMakucOPj53R629PJnzVWc/s1600/IMG_0207.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-oWkKk3a6e_ICfiq9yOUbktbioP3tSUc_hxCvo9zc_pwCZcJfaLdK6YTRTkQNWliacsM_yf2GZ-xkdJT22KlqJVCgLu0rBq0b34julUmVDeuyrD8PrRJ_YxMakucOPj53R629PJnzVWc/s400/IMG_0207.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An epic game of Jenga took place</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
The day of the party was stressful though, and honestly, I don't think it would have been nearly as successful if my parents weren't there. My mom cooked pretty much all the food while my dad helped us hang decorations. I thought I'd been proactive by making some of the decorations ahead of time (like my <a href="http://m-y-wedding.blogspot.com/2011/05/quick-bunting-tutorial.html">bunting</a>) but there were still SO many things to do that day! There were a lot of projects we could (and should!) have made in advance, and a few ideas we had to cut because of time. Overall, it went off without a hitch, but I learned some important lessons that I'll keep in mind for our wedding. You hear these again and again in the wedding world, but somehow you don't take them to heart until you experience them yourself. Things like "<i>accept help and delegate!</i>" and "<i>don't procrastinate!</i>" really do ring true.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHvx4mAsu4-JNsKm4j-zspXXjyQqDgKUXBtnXKTGJDMLxhXDJXZCHFH_Y2vz1bjrHMJiL-O64jUKPk1RVa_pacDeE95M48ZW_HElMyggg6qazZj6dji0JUcWarZYnmmkN3w0hLIDQb0Bo/s1600/IMG_0123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHvx4mAsu4-JNsKm4j-zspXXjyQqDgKUXBtnXKTGJDMLxhXDJXZCHFH_Y2vz1bjrHMJiL-O64jUKPk1RVa_pacDeE95M48ZW_HElMyggg6qazZj6dji0JUcWarZYnmmkN3w0hLIDQb0Bo/s320/IMG_0123.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dads are always willing to help taste test!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
I'm excited to share some of our last-minute projects and decorations with you guys, and share some ideas for those of you who might be planning your own engagement parties. Stay tuned!toshellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12650822428133438283noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843193150138221504.post-52317296660850973352011-05-25T08:24:00.000-07:002011-05-25T08:25:11.562-07:00A Quick Bunting TutorialThe second little detail I conquered for our party wasn't really Disney related at all. But visions of bunting were swirling around in my head, and I knew our Countdown was the perfect opportunity to try my hand at this adorable darling of the wedding world:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6HuT5MujlO4SKBQRYnnp46kX5m9PwVZO06IcqL_vbKFRbH1AMdiSfe4jdkcPxWs4aadbmk2einlQW6ieSO1DjSTVu5cZaWfsD5rcl4P_0HLuRP2okrxdLCmAV7AYn3lyxfjP0tXbpwGE/s1600/2011-05-25+09.41.34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6HuT5MujlO4SKBQRYnnp46kX5m9PwVZO06IcqL_vbKFRbH1AMdiSfe4jdkcPxWs4aadbmk2einlQW6ieSO1DjSTVu5cZaWfsD5rcl4P_0HLuRP2okrxdLCmAV7AYn3lyxfjP0tXbpwGE/s320/2011-05-25+09.41.34.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bundles of bunting!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I haven't measured out how much I made, but I'd estimate it's somewhere around 60ft. Yikes. The whole project took me about four nights: two to cut out the triangles, two to glue them on string (or, about 8 episodes of Battlestar Galactica). Supplies were minimal, just scrapbook paper and embroidery thread - I ended up using ten sheets of paper total.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi7j3vtV2VyvXHbetneouY125BBzqwPNreCe786mY9QWcpSxqd_eNXGk3XuF4yvyDFIelmlBS2IYqP7xN-n43ebM6QGNcG_nZyv0IfuYQ_CjFFqtERx3T8ZoQUMUXRiDqZAFZtOSC_sc0/s1600/mosaic4b606382242319101c0859225cdfc19c81ccfaf4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi7j3vtV2VyvXHbetneouY125BBzqwPNreCe786mY9QWcpSxqd_eNXGk3XuF4yvyDFIelmlBS2IYqP7xN-n43ebM6QGNcG_nZyv0IfuYQ_CjFFqtERx3T8ZoQUMUXRiDqZAFZtOSC_sc0/s320/mosaic4b606382242319101c0859225cdfc19c81ccfaf4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Materials from <a href="http://acmoore.com/">acmoore.com</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>For the most part, I followed the mini-bunting tutorial that <a href="http://www.weddingbee.com/2011/02/26/diy-pennant-flags/">Mrs. Stripes posted on Weddingbee</a>. However, after a day or two of fruitless searching, I couldn't find a diamond or triangle punch for a decent price. The frugal part of me didn't want to spend $13.99 on a crafty puncher that I'd only use for one project. So instead, I cut out the pennants using regular scissors. Here's the easy way to fold and cut your paper for perfect 2" x 1.5" pennants:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMD-6Pdhq7k2fiBaxWc0s878TYdAN5pnkILdsxk0JqvtlNjikuqP7Ta25XWaTP9a6Ickt7Wuq1yISmUujmPg6al7gJL6H3eOrTaqS6qhJHayJWg5Ey8ilMrTKj9nDE0sQeMW78gecoitU/s1600/buntingtut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMD-6Pdhq7k2fiBaxWc0s878TYdAN5pnkILdsxk0JqvtlNjikuqP7Ta25XWaTP9a6Ickt7Wuq1yISmUujmPg6al7gJL6H3eOrTaqS6qhJHayJWg5Ey8ilMrTKj9nDE0sQeMW78gecoitU/s320/buntingtut.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not my photo, but you get the idea <a href="http://www.scheib.net/play/paper/index.html">[src]</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>1. Accordion fold your paper so that each fold is as long as you want your pennants. For 12"x12" scrapbook paper, this meant folding it 6 times so that each fold was 2" across.<br />
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2. Cut your strip in half, and then fourths. Now your strip should be 2" x 3", fold it in half one more time:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGBt3SauR-Ks9-bQGSXw3N394jg7sv8d3O9a8QgbDK2obEnI54miybbDiWDP56ADihkE0MB2qrYuVwrU6cc0Iv7iXaKxRmQLyUXipj2_WBm5Y9MlEV-2AnpH-3_KbDkCb1qZv7-KA3OhA/s1600/buntingtut2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGBt3SauR-Ks9-bQGSXw3N394jg7sv8d3O9a8QgbDK2obEnI54miybbDiWDP56ADihkE0MB2qrYuVwrU6cc0Iv7iXaKxRmQLyUXipj2_WBm5Y9MlEV-2AnpH-3_KbDkCb1qZv7-KA3OhA/s320/buntingtut2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>3. At this point your paper is about 12 layers thick, but you should still be able to cut it. Cut from the corners of the short end to the middle of the long end to cut out your triangle:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN9qFh3C6-A_qJnkmmWG9w3sWYxRptMGdNrFZuOykrJiwtFqafh6JpdE0E-N4ERv816lHCTnMi5chnrSlOMhp-3OcCraBVJ-sqCzJMB2fRrfULhITn7N2UxhyphenhyphenDwCDnJfiOlKUvCbEYRzk/s1600/buntingtut3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN9qFh3C6-A_qJnkmmWG9w3sWYxRptMGdNrFZuOykrJiwtFqafh6JpdE0E-N4ERv816lHCTnMi5chnrSlOMhp-3OcCraBVJ-sqCzJMB2fRrfULhITn7N2UxhyphenhyphenDwCDnJfiOlKUvCbEYRzk/s320/buntingtut3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The benefit of this is that in addition to the 6 pennants you cut out, you get another 3 pennants along the folded edge. This way, each sheet of paper should yield 32 flags. Plus, they're pre-folded!<br />
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From there, I just used a glue stick and pasted them on my embroidery string at regular intervals. I liked the look with a little bit of spacing, but you could paste them so they touch, too. And voila!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKOMO7nLowM0LrEbsSW6w-dhCMMICdUf0kEecmqLqe5R64aYAeiDrSpM5KNFu_chz5hzHdIFhNyPz3LMWeZ-bj2igV_VrDqNNxDWj8RTz_Rc_vclxf_fuz5I9yFc6WSSEOo2nwcl8r_ys/s1600/2011-05-25+09.42.44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKOMO7nLowM0LrEbsSW6w-dhCMMICdUf0kEecmqLqe5R64aYAeiDrSpM5KNFu_chz5hzHdIFhNyPz3LMWeZ-bj2igV_VrDqNNxDWj8RTz_Rc_vclxf_fuz5I9yFc6WSSEOo2nwcl8r_ys/s320/2011-05-25+09.42.44.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kitties love bunting, too</td></tr>
</tbody></table><i>*All personal photos unless otherwise noted</i>toshellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12650822428133438283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843193150138221504.post-82301291424571750562011-05-23T09:33:00.000-07:002011-05-23T09:33:26.844-07:00Countdown to... Countdown!We're a week away from my and M's <a href="http://m-y-wedding.blogspot.com/2011/04/countdown-to-fun.html">365 Day Countdown Party</a>, which means preparations are in high gear! (It also means we're almost a year away from our wedding...eek!) We've been planning this party for almost a month, but somehow there's still a TON to do. I've been doing my best to tackle some of my DIY projects early on, but of course they're the smallest of details that probably no one will notice but me. Still, they make me happy and I'm here to share them with you, fellow brides, who understand why vintage teacups and washi tape are absolute essentials. Right??<br />
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As I've mentioned, our Countdown Party is Disney themed. And what better way to throw a party than to take some inspiration from the wackiest party in Wonderland....<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKNwI289XZzW38fFNhgAcO1ZFxvPypwPWXWNM2xiMN3tUdtmdzUehJ_KMoRdVv2wpWMlIt-EohaLzEbgjMxhtlXtzIquLgKA1ndfQxWfcb6bTgQ_s1vNB1UANdyHvtyLIJd3iCdCzEpw/s1600/cdp-mad-tea-party-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKNwI289XZzW38fFNhgAcO1ZFxvPypwPWXWNM2xiMN3tUdtmdzUehJ_KMoRdVv2wpWMlIt-EohaLzEbgjMxhtlXtzIquLgKA1ndfQxWfcb6bTgQ_s1vNB1UANdyHvtyLIJd3iCdCzEpw/s320/cdp-mad-tea-party-4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From Disney's Alice in Wonderland</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table>Since learning about bridal blogging, I've swooned over garden-party weddings complete with vintage saucers, but that kind of wedding is not in the cards for us. However, since our e-party is on a much smaller scale, we can bring a little of that whimsy to life! I'm thinking vintage teacups to serve punch, and some classic Alice catchphrases:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHsQNsyOhPFdmMb9y8YDIqgzqssUnAwIs7NwSKlWo9iM1KYtkzHwV_d3YsMXGyeCO37bmLjf-7n1WFAbC96eMKrQJl8lwboKvLHU8mPdGLj5Iq_mBYzZKRSanmTiAE8-l9W7qM6o8pe0o/s1600/2011-05-05+09.30.34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHsQNsyOhPFdmMb9y8YDIqgzqssUnAwIs7NwSKlWo9iM1KYtkzHwV_d3YsMXGyeCO37bmLjf-7n1WFAbC96eMKrQJl8lwboKvLHU8mPdGLj5Iq_mBYzZKRSanmTiAE8-l9W7qM6o8pe0o/s320/2011-05-05+09.30.34.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drink tags and Washi-tape flags</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxcMGejI3ioesK7f5MNfEjmO6YkDCMnrEDRcmrJrlMbS7bIH5DFRIPIP9qS9K_BsszJFp224NZkSabk8TxeqPmr-eKDOqC4JLTLWp0pjmPXz4lcFqXEv1Q0TeQD6Z8GuQ031eK7WcPesQ/s1600/2011-05-05+09.31.09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxcMGejI3ioesK7f5MNfEjmO6YkDCMnrEDRcmrJrlMbS7bIH5DFRIPIP9qS9K_BsszJFp224NZkSabk8TxeqPmr-eKDOqC4JLTLWp0pjmPXz4lcFqXEv1Q0TeQD6Z8GuQ031eK7WcPesQ/s320/2011-05-05+09.31.09.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Punch cups</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
The drink tags are made with shipping labels and tied with bakers twine. After my first draft decorating the drink tags I decided to add some flair with a gold calligraphy pen. The flags are just washi tape wrapped around tall toothpicks with some decorative cuts to the end. I cut them up with scissors, but I bet if you have a triangle or diamond punch it would go even faster. I'm planning to stick them into cupcakes or some sturdy hors d'oeuvres. <br />
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The shipping tags, washi tape, and bakers twine I bought from a cute etsy store, <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/parcelandpaper">Parcel and Paper</a>, who offers an abundance of adorable paper products. The teacup pictured above was bought at my local thrift store. I've collected about 20 mismatched teacups so far and I'm looking forward to seeing how they all look together (after a run through the dishwasher...). <br />
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Have you had any dashed wedding plans brought to life in other ways? How do feel about small details - waste of time, or worth it?toshellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12650822428133438283noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843193150138221504.post-57656637737082714142011-05-20T07:40:00.000-07:002011-05-20T07:40:58.728-07:00#WINE-ING!Last Saturday, M's parents invited us over for (as they named it) a "Welcome Y to the Family!" party. M is the eldest of three boys, so his mom is pretty excited about finally having a girl in the family. Her and her husband put together a wonderful afternoon of M's favorite foods (teriyaki beef and kalua pig), a whole lotta family, and a wine tasting with wines from our <a href="http://www.oldhousevineyards.com/">vineyard</a>! I didn't get to take any pictures because I was so busy getting wedding advice and eating delicious gouda, so you'll have to settle for some pictures of our delicious wine.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAnMxZfad9V147RuogG9g0HhtPaH9Xlasr5wxRz_65WywWCmD7zasZVyKoO6MMu6gx1bTl6p9nfa4tvUUn-k_7ldJpZgmwDpWnWoUt1e2rcQ7H1d_mppclFXlRMvcH6B92ooIgY7sZGKs/s1600/ohv_gallery_gen_pic_9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAnMxZfad9V147RuogG9g0HhtPaH9Xlasr5wxRz_65WywWCmD7zasZVyKoO6MMu6gx1bTl6p9nfa4tvUUn-k_7ldJpZgmwDpWnWoUt1e2rcQ7H1d_mppclFXlRMvcH6B92ooIgY7sZGKs/s320/ohv_gallery_gen_pic_9.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tasting room at OHV</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Let me just say, I <i>love</i> the wines at our venue. When we were picking a vineyard our decision was probably based 60% on aesthetics, 30% on wine, and maybe 10% on other stuff like convenience, price, blah blah blah. I know, we're terrible. That said, I felt super lucky that we stumbled on a place with a gorgeous <a href="http://m-y-wedding.blogspot.com/2011/04/venue-of-our-very-own.html">view</a> and a fantastic selection of wines. Especially since the first day we visited, tasting the wine was about<a href="http://m-y-wedding.blogspot.com/2011/04/nitty-gritty-how-we-decided-on-our.html"> all we could do</a>.<br />
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However, I'm well aware that my taste in wines is incredibly biased toward sweet, fruity wines. So when we first thought about what we'd be serving at our wedding, I immediately voted for the crisp, fruity rosé and the sweeter vidal blanc. In my mind that fit the requirements of a white and a red and everyone would be happy (especially me). Luckily, the wine tasting that M's mom organized gave me a lot of insight into what wines his family liked and didn't like, who might drink wine and who would opt for beer/liquor, and just how many wines we should serve.<br />
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So without further ado, our first draft at a wine list:<br />
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<div align="center"><div style="text-align: center;"><a clear:none"="" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7D_c7IfOCIZKQa3RrygOS5jdp_2LL7rp9K0AJ_NB_PbJSg9v1HcKTNZWsgpGs_tCJYhG3r-mV7DWFR7Y8lluEMxRmSf6Nhq9wDeujIISgfA2K7nuw5YwH9nY54c7KlJSgT2gN8SspQRI/s1600/ohv_rosie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="float: left;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7D_c7IfOCIZKQa3RrygOS5jdp_2LL7rp9K0AJ_NB_PbJSg9v1HcKTNZWsgpGs_tCJYhG3r-mV7DWFR7Y8lluEMxRmSf6Nhq9wDeujIISgfA2K7nuw5YwH9nY54c7KlJSgT2gN8SspQRI/s1600/ohv_rosie.jpg" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPJOh85OKs3HgUXCYIrN1Ke4AN-deHkH5M_VnOGHCmm6_Jfc8o6arb6bUDKd_o-PdMD3G_EBn6AYApXtrJckjN8v8nZjShaLnOC5O62RENrW3eP_AlXrQX9nh7CFSqYch-FH6rBjloM94/s1600/ohv_vidal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: none; float: left;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPJOh85OKs3HgUXCYIrN1Ke4AN-deHkH5M_VnOGHCmm6_Jfc8o6arb6bUDKd_o-PdMD3G_EBn6AYApXtrJckjN8v8nZjShaLnOC5O62RENrW3eP_AlXrQX9nh7CFSqYch-FH6rBjloM94/s1600/ohv_vidal.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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<i>Rosie's Rosé </i>and <i>Vidal Blanc</i><br />
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Woohoo! Maybe I don't have terrible taste after all! Rosie's Rosé was almost universally liked by everyone at the party, and was the first bottle to empty after the tasting. The Vidal was slightly less popular, but definitely won out the whites category (okay, maybe it was the only wine in the whites category). M's brother/best man liked it the best, as well as a few of his aunts. And it's certainly <i>my</i> favorite, so I suppose that's worth something...!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH0JAuiIV_Rlc8_XRPKczaFPYdnwtGokDLPqTozBNhbwmRaumFrnaCsXCbwMHcxtLDQ2WpC1mpKRLAg0-mEX50oYVAbMZJcJcMUY1nKrBZYURuCni4D1x5qYJdTRb1ROvAKG52FwSOAC8/s1600/ohv_wicked.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH0JAuiIV_Rlc8_XRPKczaFPYdnwtGokDLPqTozBNhbwmRaumFrnaCsXCbwMHcxtLDQ2WpC1mpKRLAg0-mEX50oYVAbMZJcJcMUY1nKrBZYURuCni4D1x5qYJdTRb1ROvAKG52FwSOAC8/s1600/ohv_wicked.jpg" /></a></div><i> </i><br />
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<i>Wicked Bottom</i><br />
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I always think of this Chambourcin as OHV's signature red, so I was happily surprised to see that it was the favorite red wine, winning out over their <i>Cabernet Franc</i> and the fruity <i>an Sambradh</i>. <i> </i>Although I didn't anticipate serving a red wine at our reception, knowing that so many of M's uncles liked it made me think twice. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikyGyASaqGJq4xWYbJpU2U4N5JI2VwOr9n5xN5r_oGN2Cxcx_nsHvof0ruWuKUEyyBPhJtYw82EXnScHxVcgXO8n9n6da69HPTHd4v05HIUK58chBeTb4Yhyphenhyphen109HDQq9iO9XRmrelusQg/s1600/ohv_dessert.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikyGyASaqGJq4xWYbJpU2U4N5JI2VwOr9n5xN5r_oGN2Cxcx_nsHvof0ruWuKUEyyBPhJtYw82EXnScHxVcgXO8n9n6da69HPTHd4v05HIUK58chBeTb4Yhyphenhyphen109HDQq9iO9XRmrelusQg/s200/ohv_dessert.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://swirlsipsnark.com/">[src]</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<i>Chambourcin Dessert Wine</i><br />
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Another unanticipated favorite was the dessert wine. Not pictured on OHV's website, M and I picked up a bottle during our first visit after enjoying it at the tasting. I didn't think it would appeal to most people since it's very berry sweet, but to my surprise, everyone loved it. If we have room in our budget, I could definitely see serving a glass during the cake cutting - sort of like the opposite of a champagne toast!<br />
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As you can tell, we ended up doubling our list. Luckily, having our wedding at a vineyard gives us a lot of options for wine. We could even hold a tasting during the reception if we wanted! OHV has made it easy for us to pick and choose bottles and aren't limiting us to buy in crate quantities. Plus if we run out of an unexpected favorite, they'll walk up to the tasting room and grab a few more bottles. Of course, we'll probably have to do some more "research" at our Countdown Party next weekend, but this was a great start at finding out what wine we should serve.<br />
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And thanks Mr. and Mrs. T - you threw us an awesome party! Can't wait to get down with you guys at the reception! <br />
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What about you guys - what are you serving? Did you get any input from friends and family? And have I convinced you VA brides to go buy a bottle of OHV wine yet? ;) (pssst: They sell it at Total Wine...)<br />
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<i>All pictures from Old House Vineyard's <a href="http://www.oldhousevineyards.com/">website</a>, unless otherwise stated.</i>toshellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12650822428133438283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843193150138221504.post-42438040262422977332011-05-18T07:11:00.000-07:002011-05-18T07:11:40.586-07:00Thrifting FindsA couple of weekends ago, M and I went down to Culpeper to visit our wedding venue and pick up some wine. (The perks of getting married at a vineyard, let me tell you them...) When we got off the highway, M saw an army surplus store and asked if we could go in so he could get some camo pants for paintball. Since I'd been dragging him around to talk to caterers, I thought it was only fair that we stop in for a minute. As we pulled in he pointed out that it was an indoor flea market as well, and pointed to some rugs they had in the front. I was not optimistic, but decided to browse the cramped little flea market while he shopped for pants.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtLN-N8eANMDXYwbMDuh41xjwk8CbWN-d4q46MFfI18WfHmFFPI82OlfOhHI-lNAZhAbrrq7yR7PGbm3WJx7v9FOA1INQrm-3ywcxaIQynD4N4PzmkS9g9j7rbRQlkMGJJK1hMFIip98w/s1600/fleamarket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtLN-N8eANMDXYwbMDuh41xjwk8CbWN-d4q46MFfI18WfHmFFPI82OlfOhHI-lNAZhAbrrq7yR7PGbm3WJx7v9FOA1INQrm-3ywcxaIQynD4N4PzmkS9g9j7rbRQlkMGJJK1hMFIip98w/s320/fleamarket.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slindy's Flea Market (courtesy of Google satellite view)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Talk about your diamonds in the rough. Innocuous from the outside, Slindy's was a treasure trove inside. The cramped room we walked into led to an underground basement of 7 or 8 rooms crammed high with furniture, vases, records, dishes, anything you could wish for*. M quickly abandoned his search for pants and we spent the next hour investigating the flea market. We picked up some cool stuff, but there were a lot of things I would have liked to get if I'd known what to do with them.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtLWjcBg9cbwAx4hFfkqrIaD926-_-LXSDx3sSu2A5K-XVng3m5nND3j78bmbrOezvqH7NIQ7CWRrWDtcB4u8FZSnpOIUhqfhDzC-serRhs_vLVaJpfMRJ6_Odvshsz7PGdOUyJalNQtk/s1600/2011-05-07+15.02.21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtLWjcBg9cbwAx4hFfkqrIaD926-_-LXSDx3sSu2A5K-XVng3m5nND3j78bmbrOezvqH7NIQ7CWRrWDtcB4u8FZSnpOIUhqfhDzC-serRhs_vLVaJpfMRJ6_Odvshsz7PGdOUyJalNQtk/s320/2011-05-07+15.02.21.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">[personal photo]</td></tr>
</tbody></table>There was an entire room filled with vases - I counted over 70 of the red vases on the top shelf, and probably 30 of the little blue vases on the bottom. We seriously considered making red one of our wedding colors when we found out they were all on sale for $1 each. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb3eQQlKIFuuJjJq-v6FGxvodfYmEcyrenckBbAGT3ZzSa5PXAuMeQvOv7c8-n6gAsFzTr4wrBx7q6Zf6RKtgw211FXdjjmxWgyjWUGMiFsbKcYv5vDc1m5yxfmALVD0M5dG4hWRbDv-U/s1600/2011-05-07+15.05.27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb3eQQlKIFuuJjJq-v6FGxvodfYmEcyrenckBbAGT3ZzSa5PXAuMeQvOv7c8-n6gAsFzTr4wrBx7q6Zf6RKtgw211FXdjjmxWgyjWUGMiFsbKcYv5vDc1m5yxfmALVD0M5dG4hWRbDv-U/s320/2011-05-07+15.05.27.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">[personal photo]</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I found about two dozen of these gold hanging pots in two different sizes. I didn't pick any up, but I'm thinking about buying them the next time we're down there. What do you think - wedding decor? They're about 4 in and 6 in across. I'm considering putting candles or flowers in them and hanging them around our venue, which already has hooks on the outer walls. Any ideas? Anyone know what these actually are??<br />
<br />
<br />
Luckily we did find a few things that we bought right away, I'll share those with you guys a little later. In the meanwhile, if you're in Culpeper, I recommend checking out Slindy's (especially if your wedding colors are red and you need vases... just saying). <br />
<br />
*Except a cake stand. I was wishing for a cake stand. :(toshellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12650822428133438283noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843193150138221504.post-33685898510643731792011-05-16T10:25:00.000-07:002011-05-16T07:37:48.682-07:00Flower PowerA long time ago (like, last month), I promised myself I would never use flower balls or pomanders for our wedding decor. They were just too <i>everywhere</i>, I thought. It seemed like every bridal blog had a tutorial for tissue paper pomanders, and every bride had at least a few strung up at her reception.<br />
<br />
But lately, images like these have been changing my mind...<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcoqcGCxk1qjTvkKeFw7VGWn0Tl-F8rM4-WYBglRhXZ7VMykx_rCw4iJvUW3Hn4L9cMLKziEK248L9tSXovonwgTeElY9JXUK-84gBG8z_uHYugY8QiLJ_a3ijsSioBXjv30L3upYHSlw/s1600/hanging+pomanders+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcoqcGCxk1qjTvkKeFw7VGWn0Tl-F8rM4-WYBglRhXZ7VMykx_rCw4iJvUW3Hn4L9cMLKziEK248L9tSXovonwgTeElY9JXUK-84gBG8z_uHYugY8QiLJ_a3ijsSioBXjv30L3upYHSlw/s320/hanging+pomanders+1.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://elitebridalconcierge.com/blog/2009/03/event-design-ideas-hanging-pomanders/">[src]</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiwvdm_-UsHO-nzz_JQw47fazFfkiBXdlme2mtjUhdz1JGrnGTFf91RUy3lqUR1yL76jL4B9a0Glvb0oUv2xzB8VS_vL1-bRhwbeTVV3vD0TusQM4XjpohkED4WaQaNjNZ-uhiW5AktC8/s1600/HangingPomanders3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiwvdm_-UsHO-nzz_JQw47fazFfkiBXdlme2mtjUhdz1JGrnGTFf91RUy3lqUR1yL76jL4B9a0Glvb0oUv2xzB8VS_vL1-bRhwbeTVV3vD0TusQM4XjpohkED4WaQaNjNZ-uhiW5AktC8/s320/HangingPomanders3.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.elizabethannedesigns.com/blog/2008/10/20/real-weddings-julie-roozbeh-9608/">[src]</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYtxXGuGPEjwc5qbBsCDjp5BSYNn5izF5K4HVC9KboYnkgU_iHUFhevc2K0mibAxye_ekmPCK2Hh-oU5mWPftIDbIeCvxorphvbbIOtysY7LB9kYxt58WKOWz2oBhT_LmVl7qTGvFjlLs/s1600/HangingPomanders2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYtxXGuGPEjwc5qbBsCDjp5BSYNn5izF5K4HVC9KboYnkgU_iHUFhevc2K0mibAxye_ekmPCK2Hh-oU5mWPftIDbIeCvxorphvbbIOtysY7LB9kYxt58WKOWz2oBhT_LmVl7qTGvFjlLs/s320/HangingPomanders2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breathtaking, no?<a href="http://elitebridalconcierge.com/blog/2009/03/event-design-ideas-hanging-pomanders/"> [src]</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Pomanders for the flower girl are pretty common, but what about...<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYnw6qgmk7c6H8bOBgwDrifyYPLOF8_p_yOBHTsnDIcxXQn_nijsJAeb8zzmQydnbIXpWXu8qwDwbp735V2hZhhmmI3adwZMVOPJZvIT8bQiIgvKSiY16M5q7UD4IliqLCIuuZzvslwHI/s1600/BM_balls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYnw6qgmk7c6H8bOBgwDrifyYPLOF8_p_yOBHTsnDIcxXQn_nijsJAeb8zzmQydnbIXpWXu8qwDwbp735V2hZhhmmI3adwZMVOPJZvIT8bQiIgvKSiY16M5q7UD4IliqLCIuuZzvslwHI/s320/BM_balls.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mini flower balls for the bridesmaids... <a href="http://weddingsbygeorgia.blogspot.com/2010/09/can-bridesmaid-carry-something-other.html">[source]</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit-rNJvhuH3q_5C2Cnabx1rhsEojL0VDB2wulRMhdH7_UfqWChl8uaerjIqx2zf48Eha-lK4MN47wD9pq4C8x92UYcyeVnFTrnftIvfEIxegiJvAD_MSIq-VQdEl-DvaCnm3O1UgP8xGk/s1600/bridal_pom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit-rNJvhuH3q_5C2Cnabx1rhsEojL0VDB2wulRMhdH7_UfqWChl8uaerjIqx2zf48Eha-lK4MN47wD9pq4C8x92UYcyeVnFTrnftIvfEIxegiJvAD_MSIq-VQdEl-DvaCnm3O1UgP8xGk/s320/bridal_pom.jpg" width="216" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...Or a whimsical moss ball bouquet for the bride? <a href="http://wedding.theknot.com/wedding-planning/wedding-flowers.aspx">[from]</a> </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Still, it wasn't until I saw this picture that I realized how beautiful these little fluffy flowers looked as aisle decor:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip9vuZj6af68M8tcx8R2chA6GHITznCfzITo4NoPdU9mBjH80rURtavs0Zk7v6PLPg_DZ7pKobRQLOD62cCiSQ_1qv-itXyZFwwP7dy4VdT_v5USKAnSNqxZUlrYKBdwqmiIR-911ujVQ/s1600/aisle_decor_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip9vuZj6af68M8tcx8R2chA6GHITznCfzITo4NoPdU9mBjH80rURtavs0Zk7v6PLPg_DZ7pKobRQLOD62cCiSQ_1qv-itXyZFwwP7dy4VdT_v5USKAnSNqxZUlrYKBdwqmiIR-911ujVQ/s1600/aisle_decor_3.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cgi.ebay.com/5-Purple-Hydrangea-KISSING-BALL-WEDDING-DECORATIONS-/360208405226">[src]</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Love at first sight? I think so! I went out and bought 16 short shepherd's hooks at <a href="http://www.dollartree.com/">Dollar Tree</a> practically the next day. My grand vision is to spray paint them gold and hang a mix of purple flower balls and lanterns on each side of the aisle. Our ceremony site has white chairs like the ones pictures above, and the walkway from the boardwalk to the pergola is paved with slate flagstones so I think the overall effect will be pretty similar to my inspiration photo.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXavX9SG4rjPGg-siNCxM-ue1wW1W8lIoRcK61w6l9bQ-KE4dcteDIJbwM1NTIG6r9vCQ0gpXw1je9VghusvrE4ysJWRxuLYhqyovbWyA8x-VSmeFPHgxjVdYcwL9oPxuzb4eC1JmZj-8/s1600/inspiration_aisledecor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXavX9SG4rjPGg-siNCxM-ue1wW1W8lIoRcK61w6l9bQ-KE4dcteDIJbwM1NTIG6r9vCQ0gpXw1je9VghusvrE4ysJWRxuLYhqyovbWyA8x-VSmeFPHgxjVdYcwL9oPxuzb4eC1JmZj-8/s1600/inspiration_aisledecor.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Like this maybe? [src above, photoshopped by moi]</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
So what's your opinion on pomanders? Love them? Hate them? Have you ever had a strong opinion change the more you looked at pictures?toshellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12650822428133438283noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843193150138221504.post-10185873645881689702011-05-11T11:59:00.000-07:002011-05-11T11:59:15.172-07:00Be Our GuestI'm pretty sure all our Countdown Party invites are out by now, so time to show them off! :)<br />
<br />
I knew from the get-go that I wanted a soft, whimsical looking invite. I wanted balloons like in Up and nothing too overtly Disney. I was digging pastels and ended up using purple and yellow just because I like those colors so much. I added a light blue so it didn't took too much like wedding-color overload. And finally, we decided on the phrase, "Be our guest" to clue people in on what we were planning:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUVomOxkGjCxGZJsygEwSQXCs9Ef4ov-Yekv3tAip3ATioH4JAXdzwlkII-MVp3vvT03q11F5p-PmjsBxCiPEg1tcSdLwu7aRgJn1TqmdUSNH5A72yq1V1R1EI1va1HsFQeE1KmKD37Hs/s1600/countdowninvite1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUVomOxkGjCxGZJsygEwSQXCs9Ef4ov-Yekv3tAip3ATioH4JAXdzwlkII-MVp3vvT03q11F5p-PmjsBxCiPEg1tcSdLwu7aRgJn1TqmdUSNH5A72yq1V1R1EI1va1HsFQeE1KmKD37Hs/s400/countdowninvite1.png" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Attempt 1 [personal photo]</td></tr>
</tbody></table>My first try was with the big round balloons, which I liked, but I really didn't like the weird spacing for the information at the bottom. M said my balloons looked like lollipops, which is understandable, and although I liked the presence/presents pun, it felt weird to write it in. To be honest, including anything about presents (even not wanting them) seemed grabby to me.<br />
<br />
I made a few changes, came up with a different layout, and added in the free <a href="http://www.dafont.com/walt-disney.font">Waltograph</a> font I ended up using on the envelopes:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha-nJKFmhYUcU0NNLcFgiBFppbCWjt0T3kRHKLG24ov-SjI2KTj31thNkuyfvjzG1w2ixMdVOkSJOXUNCzXSrJkfkHf7FAkMGS6N7EqvALrmuz_ItR827JIvd-bRIQ3s1WJnGOFMuBg2U/s1600/countdownInvite2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha-nJKFmhYUcU0NNLcFgiBFppbCWjt0T3kRHKLG24ov-SjI2KTj31thNkuyfvjzG1w2ixMdVOkSJOXUNCzXSrJkfkHf7FAkMGS6N7EqvALrmuz_ItR827JIvd-bRIQ3s1WJnGOFMuBg2U/s400/countdownInvite2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Final version [personal photo]</td></tr>
</tbody></table>On the back, I created a map of our neighborhood since parking is a little weird:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfxdKT5inS7z2kzYgcwRagw0gH57rCcvvu1sqQttNirDR0udc9aBionwZVkKsAJArxO1J1v1THKqxrxAAaMHGzA491e-rpEPKMxx6ZTRIjeQ1_kzNbGG7VTx6-sjUL-XzEkh9mIiF4M7E/s1600/countdownInvite3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfxdKT5inS7z2kzYgcwRagw0gH57rCcvvu1sqQttNirDR0udc9aBionwZVkKsAJArxO1J1v1THKqxrxAAaMHGzA491e-rpEPKMxx6ZTRIjeQ1_kzNbGG7VTx6-sjUL-XzEkh9mIiF4M7E/s400/countdownInvite3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">[personal photo]</td></tr>
</tbody></table>It wasn't until after everything was printed that I noticed a number of mistakes. Did you see the big, glaring error? Here's a hint, it's correct on my first version and terribly, terribly wrong on the final version. ....That's right, we're hosting a party in the <i>past</i>. 2010 to be precise. Whoops. If I had thought through it more I would have changed the wording to "Saturday, May 28" so there would be no confusion, but oh well. Hopefully everyone will get what we mean. <br />
<br />
The other errors were less important, but still annoying: <br />
1) I'd really meant to have round balloons like the first draft, but somewhere along the line they got stretched into oval. Not a big deal, but I wish I'd noticed earlier so I could have fixed it. <br />
2) The map on the back is really hard to read where parking/our house is. If I'd thought it through more, I would have made it bigger. Luckily most of our guests have been to our house and dealt with the unusual parking situation before. <br />
<br />
I'd run the draft by M and my mom, but none of us found these errors until it was too late. Another lesson learned for invites: show a draft to an uninterested party and triple, quadruple, quintuple check it!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijewRnFbjdg_yEy_Qu4bm2hgUO-OjGg8dw4Y7ZzbAhFy7X3nQ9zSMpOfPcQcSrY-luTM73R-8eslbOXGRByD9fGA7VfMbuOlh2XiXPgSmJWdT4y1B8U_WbwnRzR1i3_A5D-KrPnO-ShNU/s1600/countdownInvite4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijewRnFbjdg_yEy_Qu4bm2hgUO-OjGg8dw4Y7ZzbAhFy7X3nQ9zSMpOfPcQcSrY-luTM73R-8eslbOXGRByD9fGA7VfMbuOlh2XiXPgSmJWdT4y1B8U_WbwnRzR1i3_A5D-KrPnO-ShNU/s400/countdownInvite4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our final, printed invite [personal photo]</td></tr>
</tbody></table>toshellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12650822428133438283noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843193150138221504.post-38630250778948290442011-05-09T12:04:00.000-07:002011-05-09T12:04:38.218-07:00Enveloper Pusher<div class="MsoNormal">Last week, M and I mailed the invites to our <a href="http://m-y-wedding.blogspot.com/2011/04/countdown-to-fun.html">Countdown Party</a>. It was my first foray into the wonderful world of stationary and design and a good crash course for DIYing our save the dates and actual wedding invites. I designed the invitation, then outsourced the printing to <a href="http://www.vistaprint.com/">VistaPrint</a> because I had a $50 for $10 Living Social deal I wanted to use. We went with flat cards with a glossy, color front and matte black/white back. But I'll reveal those to you on Wednesday, when hopefully all our guests have gotten them!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Today we're talking envelopes. Who knew that such a little package could yield such fun (and anguish)? I used the default white paper envelopes that VistaPrint gave us for free, mostly because the cards were such a weird size I didn't want to try and match envelopes. It made me sad that they weren't more colorful, but luckily I solved the problem myself by accident...</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDE4Rp5OmtsA5I6zjy1NvBFLsbaVH395viyFU_9soRYIVAPU37NaaN62Ba3hpb9_8hupzpPYHokE6Hf3pSfPFpFkcsjpRMEUWkeHBcOvnEaFN_u7UnU_y10mRS31V5rgwbVOMku8epOv0/s1600/envelopes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDE4Rp5OmtsA5I6zjy1NvBFLsbaVH395viyFU_9soRYIVAPU37NaaN62Ba3hpb9_8hupzpPYHokE6Hf3pSfPFpFkcsjpRMEUWkeHBcOvnEaFN_u7UnU_y10mRS31V5rgwbVOMku8epOv0/s400/envelopes.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">[personal photo]</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal">About halfway through printing we started running out of ink, and my printer produced some awesome color effects! Addresses printed in purple and fuchsia – and one lucky guest who got a rainbow-effect with multiple colors! Eventually we had to give up and buy more ink because the addresses became illegible, but I think about 30% of our guests got a cool color for their address.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Clearly I didn't mind the color change, and buying more ink only set us back a day and maybe 3 envelopes that got ruined. All in all, no big deal, but definitely a cautionary tale for when we print our invites. I have a feeling I'll be a lot more picky about color, and will be sure to give the task plenty of time. Another thing to keep in mind is always ordering more envelopes than needed! Luckily we had extra invites and envelopes, because it took me about 6 tries (on 2 envelopes) to get the text aligned properly, and another 6 or so envelopes messed up when the printer fed wrong. Again, no big deal because we had the extras.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">My favorite part of the whole invite, though, is the stamps. As soon as I knew we were having a Disney themed e-party, I started searching for stamps. Unfortunately, the post office doesn't have any current Disney stamps (though they're coming out with an awesome Pixar collection later this summer... so jealous!)</div><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmRhYzB_MStVMAzbKKnnPQnwKIifW0uFp7RtItY78IuU1ZyHQwI9cA2Bz5XlZi3p-8QE25pIvCvOxBZCCpZKnjy5U29cP2OACDfIf9UsNtuLXrdCS_v9-M6qq3hO6xo-sKv-5kaZ2ACeY/s1600/stamps-pixar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmRhYzB_MStVMAzbKKnnPQnwKIifW0uFp7RtItY78IuU1ZyHQwI9cA2Bz5XlZi3p-8QE25pIvCvOxBZCCpZKnjy5U29cP2OACDfIf9UsNtuLXrdCS_v9-M6qq3hO6xo-sKv-5kaZ2ACeY/s320/stamps-pixar.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.slashfilm.com/pixar-stamps/">[src]</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Instead I turned to eBay, and found quite a few options. I settled on the Disney Romance sheet for obvious reasons, which sold at just a little higher than face value once you added in shipping. Since they're only 39¢, I found these vintage Walt Disney stamps from 1968 to get up to current letter postage. Don't they look sweet together? </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGvJjhBB2bDcPRMrqjiys9cR3Dr5UN1_Z7xz45dupylOkc1Uzc1NElaH1YU6SIsrO-_ApvOxjaKgEdx9FsI7SiHjPVhrmUtzGlfOwhWLCIaAmBHymcoFO9XnrVBCmCZlVRm6HhARgw6qM/s1600/stamps-disney.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGvJjhBB2bDcPRMrqjiys9cR3Dr5UN1_Z7xz45dupylOkc1Uzc1NElaH1YU6SIsrO-_ApvOxjaKgEdx9FsI7SiHjPVhrmUtzGlfOwhWLCIaAmBHymcoFO9XnrVBCmCZlVRm6HhARgw6qM/s320/stamps-disney.jpg" width="254" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.disneymike.com/blog/archives/2006/04/a_touch_of_disn.html">[src]</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixw4cu9iWxTjLT0MSWNJGP5ejGqGVRKEuO4sjVOhuDTw4alH3uAJx6ibzj4lCmlcSZniCXkv1aAQaEIEOcuEWkISdPVglOUmBKIQ9o70QsL0PqH5KNZ1n8s_KHVXr3JSmahLuBtanIno4/s1600/stamp-walt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixw4cu9iWxTjLT0MSWNJGP5ejGqGVRKEuO4sjVOhuDTw4alH3uAJx6ibzj4lCmlcSZniCXkv1aAQaEIEOcuEWkISdPVglOUmBKIQ9o70QsL0PqH5KNZ1n8s_KHVXr3JSmahLuBtanIno4/s1600/stamp-walt.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.islandnet.com/%7Ekpolsson/stamps/disney/year.htm">[src]</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Has anyone else become stamp-obsessed once you started sending (or receiving) invites? Would you buy vintage stamps off eBay? </div>toshellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12650822428133438283noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843193150138221504.post-14334245815696862122011-05-04T08:48:00.000-07:002011-05-04T08:48:16.052-07:00Surprise, Surprise<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>This weekend M and I celebrated our two-year dating anniversary. Yep, we got engaged before we'd even been dating for two years, and what's more, we moved in together after only dating about 3 months. What can I say? When you know, you know.<br />
<br />
Because we're saving for the wedding we didn't splurge too much on our anniversary. We thought about going to a Bed and Breakfast for the weekend, but since those can often cost upwards of $300 for two nights we decided to stay a little closer to home. Just up the street from us is the <a href="http://www.restontowncenter.com/">Reston Town Center</a> - one of my favorite places in Northern Virginia. We go here all the time for dinner and movies, so when we found out they were having a wine festival on the weekend of our anniversary, we were sold.<br />
<br />
Why, yes, now that you mention it, we <i>do</i> love wine!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqYaeXygKjUQLAeZ641cHsX0XP5LIkMI0TV121_zbRO79bleNotx038GY9rQprWb8Jm62dqOctAGK49Y1r4z1-SQCcQOPWsqcXjke2wvn6k3hzzr_HBmHZHW_0WCapGytxKr7nzY0LMhk/s1600/reston.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqYaeXygKjUQLAeZ641cHsX0XP5LIkMI0TV121_zbRO79bleNotx038GY9rQprWb8Jm62dqOctAGK49Y1r4z1-SQCcQOPWsqcXjke2wvn6k3hzzr_HBmHZHW_0WCapGytxKr7nzY0LMhk/s320/reston.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not us, but we did enjoy some sipping on the hill <a href="http://www.uncorkthefun.com/reston-va-fall/relax-lawn-bottle-wine">[src]</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Afterwards, I managed to surprise M with a fancy schmancy room for the night at the Hyatt. And I mean, really surprise! I snuck an overnight bag into the car while he wasn't looking, and checked in under the premise of using the lobby bathroom. I am SO sneaky. ;) The cost wasn't nearly as high as those B&Bs, and I upgraded to have champagne and strawberries waiting for us in the room.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtkRIQmxlFmhPfl6R-Z4pSDAlDlhb5mku6G6tD9qRd8Pc6QWEII3IxDfdpsK_GP5-uSATJG6kTR_NhaH8S4mITYaIwtngVHdNeVuUcrBpv3VylhAxYqlNI7gvPSJqd63iEab6LGGIshnQ/s1600/reston2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtkRIQmxlFmhPfl6R-Z4pSDAlDlhb5mku6G6tD9qRd8Pc6QWEII3IxDfdpsK_GP5-uSATJG6kTR_NhaH8S4mITYaIwtngVHdNeVuUcrBpv3VylhAxYqlNI7gvPSJqd63iEab6LGGIshnQ/s320/reston2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.reston.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/">[src]</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Here's what you should know about me. I <i>love</i> surprises. I love being surprised, and I love surprising other people (especially M!). Last year for our anniversary I booked a whole trip in secret, then on the morning we left, doctored up <i>fake</i> airplane tickets for a different (less exciting) location, and didn't reveal that we were actually going to <b>Las Vegas</b>* until we were at the gate. The look of excitement on his face was completely worth it!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXZMg_UdQ6pM1S4esR6U7mo2_suUtLIvMC3nr0YH0I6-VlwvcTsFGgkrb00zMfsI8bSEgcNhtSbVDwjYffqGNSHWTu0gi2_m9Alv9JPjfvehxArkbDBPG9HeWD2tyJV-93ZOdutPoQGz4/s1600/vegas.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXZMg_UdQ6pM1S4esR6U7mo2_suUtLIvMC3nr0YH0I6-VlwvcTsFGgkrb00zMfsI8bSEgcNhtSbVDwjYffqGNSHWTu0gi2_m9Alv9JPjfvehxArkbDBPG9HeWD2tyJV-93ZOdutPoQGz4/s400/vegas.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just chillin with our homie (personal photo)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>So when it comes to our wedding, I don't think I'll be able to resist the urge to surprise him. Whether it's a <a href="http://www.weddingbee.com/2008/06/26/a-gift-fit-for-a-groom/">groom's gift of cigar</a>s, an <a href="http://www.weddingbee.com/2011/02/07/a-ring-for-mr-lox/">engraving in his ring</a>, or an <a href="http://www.weddingbee.com/2011/04/22/wedding-thoughts-2/">upgrade for a vendor service</a> he has his heart set on, I want to give him something special on our big day. Aside from the perfect wife, <i>of course</i>. ;)<br />
<br />
Did you surprise your groom on your wedding day? Are you planning to? You can tell me, I promise I won't let him know!<br />
<br />
*<i>Not <a href="http://blog.zap2it.com/ithappenedlastnight/2011/05/chuck-recap-solve-for-agent-x.html">Las Vecas</a>! </i>toshellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12650822428133438283noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843193150138221504.post-63537211531582009162011-04-29T10:36:00.000-07:002011-04-29T10:39:27.043-07:00Checkmate, Kate!<i>Fair warning, if you're sick of hearing about the Royal Wedding, you may want to skip this post.</i><br />
<i>But let's face it, you're reading a wedding blog. You probably love it as much as I do.</i><br />
<i> </i><br />
Hands up, ladies - who woke up to watch the Royal Wedding this morning? When I first started hearing about the RW (that's what the cool bloggers call it, right?) I wasn't all that interested. Sure, Kate Middleton seemed nice, and had <i>fantastic</i> hair, but what did a $34 million dollar wedding have in common with mine?<br />
<br />
But as we drew closer, I grew more obsessed. I eagerly read wedding predictions, dress ideas, rumors that cropped up... by Monday I was at a fever pitch, waiting for the week to be over so the WEDDING could begin! (I can't even imagine what I'll be like the week I get married) M was pretty indulgent, even when he saw me making weird faces before going to bed and asked me about what I was thinking....<br />
<br />
"Oh... nothing."<br />
"Is it about the Royal Wedding?"<br />
"I'mjustwonderingwhatKate'sfeelingrightnowshemustbeSOexcited!!"<br />
<br />
Ah-hem. Of course, maybe the worst was setting the alarm for 5am without telling him and <strike>sneaking</strike> out of bed this morning so I could watch the wedding, leaving him unable to get back to sleep. But he should have seen that coming, right? Nonetheless, this morning I donned a fancy hat, brewed a cuppa tea, and settled in to watch The Wedding.<br />
<br />
<br />
First and foremost... the dress. My first reaction was LACE! (I love lace) I was happy to see her in a Princess Grace style, since that's what I predicted she'd wear. I know not everyone was happy with a conservative choice, but let's be honest...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbDBNR8jX1yn4ZBQIQsMhjoSTTWPkuG7heTzGh5gY6ZQClnKdg8_-BEbOdf2VzAhBtNcWy7CcjxzakUNm-4XwBi1rlr54rp6Rz8OsrbQdBpn5Jbkd4y4ZiaaUYrnreio7NHqYJfpStXUo/s1600/katedress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbDBNR8jX1yn4ZBQIQsMhjoSTTWPkuG7heTzGh5gY6ZQClnKdg8_-BEbOdf2VzAhBtNcWy7CcjxzakUNm-4XwBi1rlr54rp6Rz8OsrbQdBpn5Jbkd4y4ZiaaUYrnreio7NHqYJfpStXUo/s320/katedress.jpg" width="257" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kate says it best. <a href="http://katemiddletonforthewin.tumblr.com/">[src]</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>For what it's worth, it's not something I would have picked, but hey - I didn't have the entire monarchy judging me. I think it was classy and timeless, and complimented her figure. It won't be setting trends for the next 10 years, but I think women have enough inspiration.<br />
<br />
To me, the most interesting part was the ceremony itself. For some reason, I loved the tradition of William facing away from Kate as she processed down the aisle. One of my favorite moments was when Prince Harry peeked at Kate, then turned to tease William, who in turn couldn't help but sneak a quick look. Adorable!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwdmcDlQCDMPKxQYoBOcwZoxbw5S9YeYlHVjkmgT79mSkdSyzxXrR00GAb46dLKRvy8eSbtitkUD4bAfeSap0-TdiIzdGOegFfEA1d821IL3fonSQ98_y1P8cbP3zm8XtrgcF_RwxfTSg/s1600/harrykate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwdmcDlQCDMPKxQYoBOcwZoxbw5S9YeYlHVjkmgT79mSkdSyzxXrR00GAb46dLKRvy8eSbtitkUD4bAfeSap0-TdiIzdGOegFfEA1d821IL3fonSQ98_y1P8cbP3zm8XtrgcF_RwxfTSg/s320/harrykate.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harry gets a sneak peek <a href="http://swoonworthy.net/2011/04/29/the-5-most-swoonworthy-moments-of-the-royal-wedding/">[src]</a></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I also enjoyed the readings, even though I'm not overly big on tradition or highly religious readings, I thought they had some great public speakers with real words of wisdom. In any case, I wasn't as bored as William! The choir was lovely too, singing some very original pieces. "Jerusalem’, (by Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, words by William Blake) was my favorite and really captured a modern take on a traditional hymn.<br />
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Kate and Will, I wish you the best of luck - thanks for sharing your engagement with the rest of us and letting us see a fairytale wedding come true!<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Ckmoeizwksl2z5EpPluCbsMy4FPY0CLUE6o33ciiNIAxLR-2wRf3252FXng7sR3_4L166dk_W_Eu9KXcAg4DnV6OzrqcTMgqjUFS78wo899j9Fj_TXYDJJWyhFLhZOSuj2N7TN3WGDQ/s1600/katekiss.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Ckmoeizwksl2z5EpPluCbsMy4FPY0CLUE6o33ciiNIAxLR-2wRf3252FXng7sR3_4L166dk_W_Eu9KXcAg4DnV6OzrqcTMgqjUFS78wo899j9Fj_TXYDJJWyhFLhZOSuj2N7TN3WGDQ/s1600/katekiss.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Have a great weekend! <a href="http://katemiddletonforthewin.tumblr.com/">[src]</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>toshellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12650822428133438283noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843193150138221504.post-84221945732375821922011-04-25T14:42:00.000-07:002011-04-25T14:42:32.275-07:00Countdown to FunFriends, we are almost 13 months out from the wedding and being a frugal and utterly practical bride (right) I've been very good and refrained from doing too much buying or planning. But I'm itching to get my DIY craftiness on and start whipping up some adorable decorations and stationary! So what's a girl obsessed with party planning to do?<br />
<br />
Throw an engagement party!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKEaAj-Ge5cSXyZfBgjSfZObxtY9w3m7Dp_ro5ZJYkV0PdyDFHkWzF3tiHAmSLgB4Sr4-wmFuoN9b9aJhL4L040KlMJieV0b29huIHr8Y6LI7FKyeRmk2RFaEmhuMIPL7AwaRxC_D3sR4/s1600/party-planner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKEaAj-Ge5cSXyZfBgjSfZObxtY9w3m7Dp_ro5ZJYkV0PdyDFHkWzF3tiHAmSLgB4Sr4-wmFuoN9b9aJhL4L040KlMJieV0b29huIHr8Y6LI7FKyeRmk2RFaEmhuMIPL7AwaRxC_D3sR4/s1600/party-planner.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buying this game probably would have been cheaper <a href="http://parentscorner.us.ubi.com/imagine-party-planner.php">[src]</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>My parents are visiting on Memorial Day weekend this year, and since that nicely coincided with the negative one-year anniversary of our future wedding <strike>I bullied them into hosting</strike> they graciously offered to host an engagement party. And by "host" I mean put-their-name-on-the-invite-for-etiquette-reasons since I've already started planning the whole thing and also, it's at my and M's house.<br />
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We're calling it our "Countdown" party, a la <a href="http://www.weddingbee.com/2009/03/18/it-may-sound-corny-part-i/">Mrs. Bruschetta </a>and it's a complete departure from everything we've planned for the wedding so far. I wanted something whimsical and casual - we'll be barbequing in our backyard, entertaining throughout the house, and friends and family should feel welcome to come and go. But most of all, I wanted the theme to reflect M and I and some of our shared history. You all remember my <a href="http://m-y-wedding.blogspot.com/2011/03/flavor-of-week.html">obsession with themes</a>, right?<br />
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Here's the thing - M and I <i>love</i> Disney. We sing duets to "A Whole New World" during car trips, we watch Mulan on rainy days, my favorite coffee mug has Mickey all over it. Our first vacation as a couple was to Walt Disney World, and we still reminisce about how much fun we had. So our engagement party will be Disney themed - hopefully in a very classy, "child at heart" way. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS3k83tglTKAWyvS4zfjBr4PYlSu5rYOWL8vkgRyCMjBGj706hYvXeH2d6zhyphenhyphensIGAf1dwlHX4cJ0VPlwl3OOQfFWqD21I9KKOW0qLVXF78La0vqAGrf92SWrNxrbOZbDlj1HCkGeC-lMo/s1600/dana+c.ow.mickey+mouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS3k83tglTKAWyvS4zfjBr4PYlSu5rYOWL8vkgRyCMjBGj706hYvXeH2d6zhyphenhyphensIGAf1dwlHX4cJ0VPlwl3OOQfFWqD21I9KKOW0qLVXF78La0vqAGrf92SWrNxrbOZbDlj1HCkGeC-lMo/s320/dana+c.ow.mickey+mouse.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">NOT LIKE THIS. Never like this. <a href="http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/2010/04/taking-mickey-out-of-em.html">[src]</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>More details ahead... stay tuned!toshellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12650822428133438283noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843193150138221504.post-15205675708072679492011-04-22T10:22:00.000-07:002011-04-22T10:24:04.241-07:00Dresses Part 2Okay, so you've seen the dresses <a href="http://m-y-wedding.blogspot.com/2011/04/dresses-and-family.html">I didn't like</a>. What about the ones that made it into the Top 3?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ3njhnzFqGAofEXdhtSog3FLxBz__aUFtQlO9ND9kNOLRux6f1uvG0BGiYe7qTkxBNtA0Esdqha6RAI4HA51thrfWyO818LVeCMVbGHrpBCiJ_jFkvWE_lP4kOaXX6OSqm4_phlZzZIw/s1600/avast.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ3njhnzFqGAofEXdhtSog3FLxBz__aUFtQlO9ND9kNOLRux6f1uvG0BGiYe7qTkxBNtA0Esdqha6RAI4HA51thrfWyO818LVeCMVbGHrpBCiJ_jFkvWE_lP4kOaXX6OSqm4_phlZzZIw/s1600/avast.png" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5e7G-b-Lo1gztPM9nXher2ne-cumO88VMX05iE6Dn8D2YgUeiq5gw5B-P02XQkTFLALC_2tJbXw7R3aaNQQmCClMwXVI2LioFJULngCWrJzFEBNQpgV5uCI2T_aos9Uh0x544TDrYuSw/s1600/avast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
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Unlike, I think, many girls, dress shopping really wasn't a priority for me. I glanced a few, but I honestly began looking for bridesmaid dresses before I started looking for my own wedding gown. Still, reading about other brides shopping for dresses made me think that I should at least have a better idea of what style I was attracted to. Then I saw... her:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Ied6OPQzve_Du2L8FZ38cw0b8w9PK0QqqKzAEaAWbfpvNl0f4luqbzptbAnkkTsjdJR-w18QMH53mUfy55CAbjWqQSmzd6lBFCtoQH92ISITgEAdFaYpGPiYpvYBuDSdLWOSRpGOsQw/s1600/vineyard_nora.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Ied6OPQzve_Du2L8FZ38cw0b8w9PK0QqqKzAEaAWbfpvNl0f4luqbzptbAnkkTsjdJR-w18QMH53mUfy55CAbjWqQSmzd6lBFCtoQH92ISITgEAdFaYpGPiYpvYBuDSdLWOSRpGOsQw/s320/vineyard_nora.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.priscillaofboston.com/Designer-Vineyard-Style-50436">Vineyard Nora by Priscilla of Boston</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>How perfect could it be? The word "vineyard" was even in the name! I loved the delicate sleeves, the silhouette that wasn't a traditional A-line, but not as constricting as a mermaid, and most of all, the <i>lace. </i>And how kind of PoB to list their prices and let me know immediately that this dress was out of my price range, even used.<br />
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Luckily, lace dresses are <i>en vogue</i> and once I had an idea in mind, it was easy to find other dresses that had this same style. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Yw_ioDyA9QaY16JegzGJ8G-U16tCxvPOgNK75lcH5AAIU8K4C_sY52tWR9IeLSnlZQxp3TL_UYrjmm5r4qlnO36Yd9mwDNctMGJ-UiGz8BLgx5Z4AKx8_Y6xQpH97Mom4hk_ijwovfA/s1600/allure8825.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Yw_ioDyA9QaY16JegzGJ8G-U16tCxvPOgNK75lcH5AAIU8K4C_sY52tWR9IeLSnlZQxp3TL_UYrjmm5r4qlnO36Yd9mwDNctMGJ-UiGz8BLgx5Z4AKx8_Y6xQpH97Mom4hk_ijwovfA/s320/allure8825.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rkbridal.com/bridal-collections/allure/allure-bridal-8825.html">[src]</a></td></tr>
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Allure 8825 fit the bill, with lacy sleeves and a pretty shape reminiscent of the Vineyard Nora. They didn't have the black sash on the sample, which is probably best since it's a little too modern for my tastes. However, I did find that this dress really needs a sash to accentuate the waist. I tried it with a matching ivory sash and it did the trick, though I think I'd look for something with more <i>bang</i> if I bought this dress.<br />
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The next dress wasn't at all similar to my inspiration dress, but it was one of the few dress pictures I saw in a magazine and loved enough to tear it out:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9WrtrdK3dzbZAm4bEVv7dbfIMijW_yHsJjryfiDuh_1vccBm40SDNAl_rc70Ticb9t0WHqdHOxPTKBRi3Gkt5sg9oHyjaUcVTwx1k_yIm0rnTt2UMTmYiMOSW8VnjujhlBUYsIBOlt4k/s1600/impression10023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9WrtrdK3dzbZAm4bEVv7dbfIMijW_yHsJjryfiDuh_1vccBm40SDNAl_rc70Ticb9t0WHqdHOxPTKBRi3Gkt5sg9oHyjaUcVTwx1k_yIm0rnTt2UMTmYiMOSW8VnjujhlBUYsIBOlt4k/s320/impression10023.jpg" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.theknot.com/wedding-dress/impression-bridal/10023">Impression 10023</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>I loved the curvy shape and especially the organza flowers that reminded me so much of the Mori Lee details <a href="http://m-y-wedding.blogspot.com/2011/04/dresses-and-family.html">my mom and I liked</a>. Trying it on, it did not disappoint. This was my dad's favorite out of all the ones I tried on, and even though it's not lacy and I've never quite liked one-shoulder dresses, it's still a strong contender in my mind. I tried it on it white, but I'd love to see it in ivory. I'd also probably remove the ginormo flower on the bust and replace it with something a little more subtle so I could still wear a fascinator.<br />
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Finally, we come to the dress that when I first saw it online, I almost bought it without even trying it on. It seemed to embody the lacy, vintage elegance that I'd been hoping for in a dress. It was also sleeveless, which - even though I love the look of capped and halter sleeves - I secretly felt would suit me best.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju-HfHSRG6OtBe8w-t64O13gI00TiabMcSi55azgTjogDb4iGwWHi7zEATBDPmF5efWGLw7IVv-Os98gEkdoUOctEqdzqo-JZHGvnWkObDcZKx_xHUF-9i2-YUrM_KqlYMqackJ1SBK4Y/s1600/casablanca_1827.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju-HfHSRG6OtBe8w-t64O13gI00TiabMcSi55azgTjogDb4iGwWHi7zEATBDPmF5efWGLw7IVv-Os98gEkdoUOctEqdzqo-JZHGvnWkObDcZKx_xHUF-9i2-YUrM_KqlYMqackJ1SBK4Y/s320/casablanca_1827.jpg" width="248" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.casablancabridal.com/collections/view/5/84#">Casablanca 1827</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjELApUOUXGnlMFvDY3dy80IbfhLIj7Fr1lkwQ-N7NInuOOjuHwvwywECGQystpPgqxhYSZ-wE9aQxz7tvaTRIOqqI9o9XbFXfEqeD4kPH4TM5ceZkfbTcxdDCd50v2K9TKWHcsDQGfD04/s1600/casablanca_1827back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjELApUOUXGnlMFvDY3dy80IbfhLIj7Fr1lkwQ-N7NInuOOjuHwvwywECGQystpPgqxhYSZ-wE9aQxz7tvaTRIOqqI9o9XbFXfEqeD4kPH4TM5ceZkfbTcxdDCd50v2K9TKWHcsDQGfD04/s320/casablanca_1827back.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The trailing lace in the back?? Swoon.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>It's more of a traditional A-line than I really wanted, and in person was a tiny bit plainer than I'd hoped (I think I got spoiled on all the bling from previous dresses I tried on). I tried it on with a shiny sash and it perked right up, as well as defining my waist more. I never saw myself as a sash girl, but they really do add some <i>oomph</i>.<br />
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Now, if you've been reading this post and thinking, "All these dresses are nice, but what we really need is a picture of Y <i>in</i> a dress!" You're in luck! We weren't technically allowed to take pictures of any of the dresses, but the consultant helping us wandered away for about 20 minutes after I tried on my last dress, the Casablanca. After a bit of "WTH?" we took advantage of her negligence and snapped a few quick shots on my dad's camera phone. So, without further ado...<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0zxZAqzO2htZS-BXCs24cj1-8qkNAcFWLdCYhWAefFxyQHwar19UpkJWH-HzkyPygJSK8ILnwBe-OkIZEEeolJgpKTMdb8ti9Xi9Z5PSRsxGsCVbocwXsr763ZY9oghKRhlSRSx4DT1Q/s1600/casablanca_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAhdQT6Ec0H9aIKzsNnkJ9K6JMmiVu2JQWuqzt29gYzL69pIjODqlDs1RpeZUqUr6i3xYTyrcthjoJ2I7jwk7lFSnaVQrRalVHMxOvJcSwoa1YRNvg_IL2B2tO-Kpdksm4ATC8oLx4fIM/s1600/casablanca_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAhdQT6Ec0H9aIKzsNnkJ9K6JMmiVu2JQWuqzt29gYzL69pIjODqlDs1RpeZUqUr6i3xYTyrcthjoJ2I7jwk7lFSnaVQrRalVHMxOvJcSwoa1YRNvg_IL2B2tO-Kpdksm4ATC8oLx4fIM/s400/casablanca_2.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorry about the 'meh' expression, I was trying to be sneaky!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8pwi6ShkkdiHtNpOYxUy53gFI5u1qLOhe4p9Lg3MPi27Stzo_fyMK7dUYiJP9DMMupiVjxvHE6b3ZnZmG1FcHl4kManQuKm_KfNIXNSylML_dWVKvEsatx8WOg3si_WSI_c3FTFEnGcI/s1600/casablanca_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8pwi6ShkkdiHtNpOYxUy53gFI5u1qLOhe4p9Lg3MPi27Stzo_fyMK7dUYiJP9DMMupiVjxvHE6b3ZnZmG1FcHl4kManQuKm_KfNIXNSylML_dWVKvEsatx8WOg3si_WSI_c3FTFEnGcI/s400/casablanca_1.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With a blingy sash</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
As you can probably guess, I didn't break down and buy a dress on Sunday. I didn't even pick a favorite. Now that I know a little more about what silhouettes look best and what details I like, I want to search around more and try some more styles on before I decide. Honestly, I'm still hoping for that "OMGYES!" moment, but who knows if that will really happen.<br />
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Did you pick a dress on your first time out? Did you immediately know which one you wanted, or was your reaction less emotional? And, hey, if you had to pick - which one of these three would <i>you</i> go for?toshellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12650822428133438283noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843193150138221504.post-36270864973844856102011-04-20T15:03:00.000-07:002011-04-20T15:03:22.019-07:00Dresses and FamilyLast weekend I headed to New York to see my sister/MOH starring in HMS Pinafore and spend some quality time with la familia. This was actually the first time I'd seen my family since Christmas, so they hadn't even seen my engagement ring yet! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBN7_43PoGibIH4HQgaCMO1ndIdocAa747nmWwkhwrCw_GGwnPYJ1D0wjzDnYoV1m08zVtML9a6Fg32N0uJZAr-j65dZ2pz8FK4RF2UhB54QL3Ur4HRoKOTqyp2ALE96l5c9DZjuILG5w/s1600/217659_1964930811396_1486651613_32190564_6585390_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBN7_43PoGibIH4HQgaCMO1ndIdocAa747nmWwkhwrCw_GGwnPYJ1D0wjzDnYoV1m08zVtML9a6Fg32N0uJZAr-j65dZ2pz8FK4RF2UhB54QL3Ur4HRoKOTqyp2ALE96l5c9DZjuILG5w/s400/217659_1964930811396_1486651613_32190564_6585390_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Family and extended family congratulating my sister after her show<br />
(From left) Me, Mom, Dad, and Sister</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table>I didn't really have any plans except for seeing MOH's show, so when I had some free time with my parents on Saturday I was really surprised when they suggested looking at wedding dresses. See, I had this whole schedule for my planning process in mind, and that included not shopping for dresses until 9 months before the wedding (September-ish). I've heard too many stories about dress-regret, and wanted the chance to tone up a bit before I picked out a dress and had to worry about alterations.<br />
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But I could tell my mom was eager to share this experience with her little girl, and since I don't get to see her as often as I'd like, of course I said yes!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg31HBpLqfbaGHnR8nudPu92at3rLMiXJLxyQcGElvuA6IqZDiPWtd1mk_R76aZ25jMvnSiqrD_Ei2S5Ra0ghC93I6t8zDAuNnbeNJsyU8aB_vbg0wLf6iY-MtywU_UCKFSZh6ThzkUqzA/s1600/puppy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg31HBpLqfbaGHnR8nudPu92at3rLMiXJLxyQcGElvuA6IqZDiPWtd1mk_R76aZ25jMvnSiqrD_Ei2S5Ra0ghC93I6t8zDAuNnbeNJsyU8aB_vbg0wLf6iY-MtywU_UCKFSZh6ThzkUqzA/s320/puppy.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who could resist her mom looking like this? <a href="http://studentlifeceu.wordpress.com/2011/01/02/how-to-cross-an-eu-border-without-a-visa/">[src]</a></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>Continue to read more, if you're not M! <br />
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We went to <a href="http://www.rkbridal.com/">RK Bridal</a>, where my sister bought her dress off the clearance rack for the amazing super unbelievable price of $125. If you're in New York and want to look for a specific dress, I'd say this is the place to do it. They had hundreds of designer and name-brand dresses, organized by brand and silhouette. In fact they're so popular that when we got there on Saturday afternoon, they had already filled up their first-come, first-serve list and I wasn't able to try any on. That didn't stop us from looking, and it was really exciting to get to see some of the dresses I'd been ogling online in actual fabric - even if they were encased in plastic bags. I made a mental note of which dresses I wanted to try on, and we decided to come back first thing on Sunday.<br />
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We made sure to arrive about 20 minutes before they opened on Saturday and there were already a few girls wandering around the lobby. When the doors opened we were first on the list (#winning!) and there were already ten or so names after ours before the store even opened.<br />
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Since I wasn't looking to buy that day, I mostly avoided the clearance section and instead looked around for some of the dream dresses I'd been clipping out. They had a rather strict procedure, probably since the store is so popular, so I was only allowed to try on seven dresses. I found three that I really wanted, then to round out my selection, I picked a few different styles just for fun<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take pictures, but here are some of the dresses I pulled just to see:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5meJFhONIfqhblQbgQ-XR9KbTbu-Reb-dcT_FVRM2VZNqi8FSX0OUxphdmrev6xFH152xcwzp_1sYE9NsuW0smb37quyFkXYqF-9RzYI2SGFy5TlOA2H7qYGQD3pLiNt9wsr_sDaFq8U/s1600/morilee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5meJFhONIfqhblQbgQ-XR9KbTbu-Reb-dcT_FVRM2VZNqi8FSX0OUxphdmrev6xFH152xcwzp_1sYE9NsuW0smb37quyFkXYqF-9RzYI2SGFy5TlOA2H7qYGQD3pLiNt9wsr_sDaFq8U/s320/morilee.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.morilee.com/bridals/bridal/1601">Mori Lee Style 1601</a></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>The first one I tried on was a big, huge princess-y ballgown. Go big or go home, right? I had a feeling I wasn't a princess kind of girl, but it never hurts to try. I loved the flower details, they felt soft and romantic and perfect for our outdoor wedding. The voluminous skirt felt overpowering though and I could barely walk around in it - I couldn't imagine trying to sit or dance! My mom loved the sweetheart neckline and organza and these ended up being trends in all the dresses we liked the best.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcJK76xTJaJgO1SSS2hiCjW8TZ1T2ACDVdxqSWkpBj0N2jHADQA4Pj0NM_zHFDe3xOPn-JSQw7eS_aqWFAvV4rM38nXkesdV4L_TbgutlbLo9sBFakhzrLviVYnCpnWh7gOZTe-M6mR0k/s1600/casablanca_mermaid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcJK76xTJaJgO1SSS2hiCjW8TZ1T2ACDVdxqSWkpBj0N2jHADQA4Pj0NM_zHFDe3xOPn-JSQw7eS_aqWFAvV4rM38nXkesdV4L_TbgutlbLo9sBFakhzrLviVYnCpnWh7gOZTe-M6mR0k/s320/casablanca_mermaid.jpg" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.theknot.com/wedding-dress/casablanca-bridal/2016?src=res">Casablanca 2016</a></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Now here's where I have a bad blogger moment and admit I can't remember what the next few dresses I tried on were. I think this one was a Casablanca, and I know it was a mermaid style, and it looked awfully similar to the picture above, but I have no idea if that was it or not. Regardless, I wanted to try on a mermaid dress because I thought they looked oh-so-elegant. Mom was not on board, but thought maybe if she saw it in person, she'd change her mind. Well, she didn't. Turns out this style is not for me. I liked the curve-accentuating waistline, but we later realized that could be easily achieved with a dropped waistline dress. I did not like the feeling of not being able to move my knees, and worrying that one small gust would blow me over. Onward.<br />
<br />
The third and fourth dresses didn't even make it out of the dressing room. One had gorgeous beading that mom and I both loved, but it was off-the-shoulder, and our consultant pointed out that I wouldn't be able to lift my arms to hug M that night! Big no-no. The next one was a pretty silk gown with gold thread that I loved because it would match our color scheme so well. But it was clearly meant to be a winter dress, with heavy fabric and a cathedral length train. I would swelter in it at our outdoor summer wedding.<br />
<br />
In the end, the ones we loved the best were the three I'd picked out in advance, which I'll show off in my next post...<br />
<br />
So, what was your first dress experience like? Did you find a winner right away, or have to sort through a bunch? Did you end up picking a style that surprised you?toshellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12650822428133438283noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843193150138221504.post-39023080767545744872011-04-14T09:42:00.000-07:002011-04-14T12:31:03.989-07:00Tool Tips: EvernoteWith our venue booked, paid (halfway anyway), and signed for, M and I are taking a bit of a breather. He's in a play right now with performances the last two weekends, I'm heading to New York this weekend for some family time and to see MOH/Sister star in yet another play (I'm surrounded by talented people!), and our 2 year anniversary is two weeks from now. So our weekends are pretty busy this month and it seemed like a good time to take a break from the whole wedding process. We're still over a year out, and while I know lots of <a href="http://boards.weddingbee.com/board/may-2012">May 2012 brides</a> already have their caterers, photographers, florists, and coordinators booked... I think we can take a month off.<br />
<br />
Does that mean I've stopped looking at wedding inspiration and researching vendors? Of course not! I have a list of caterers in my back pocket (ok, gMail) waiting for us to go back to Culpeper and meet with them in May. And I've spent a few hours looking up photographers and emailing them for rates. But there's definitely less urgency than there was when we first got engaged and I felt like we were rushing to find a venue. And now that our spot is picked, I can focus on more enjoyable tasks, like looking at invitations and picking out decorations. <br />
<br />
So what do I have to share today? How about an awesome new tool? Fun, right?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNLyeTc6AcAQ4f8108g-4GgbQ8WCnXyf8L6o3xF9JAKQuSkjIMhZlB3HkBPAFFdQXloYdO-B9877QNiTuY3UCo0KoXkYTSeJ4ZPVIcfN5UrKtSw5I9c01-rX7ht4J4cGuYEGGwpvek9es/s1600/evernote1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNLyeTc6AcAQ4f8108g-4GgbQ8WCnXyf8L6o3xF9JAKQuSkjIMhZlB3HkBPAFFdQXloYdO-B9877QNiTuY3UCo0KoXkYTSeJ4ZPVIcfN5UrKtSw5I9c01-rX7ht4J4cGuYEGGwpvek9es/s400/evernote1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Screen Cap from Evernote.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Friends, this is <a href="https://www.evernote.com/">Evernote</a>. Now you all know I am ALL about being organized, right? M and I keep Google Docs on <i>everything</i>, our budget is kept in a super efficient Excel spreadsheet (with macros and everything!) and I use gMail labels like they're going out of style. But the heart and soul of my organize-y little world is Evernote. I could write sonnets to how much I love this app.<br />
<br />
Evernote has a quick and easy <a href="http://www.evernote.com/about/getting_started/">getting started guide</a>, so I won't bore you with details on how it works. Instead, let's talk features - specifically, wedding related features. (I apologize in advance if this sounds like an infomercial - it's hard for me to talk about how much I like this app without going a bit overboard!)<br />
<br />
<b>Visual Inspiration</b><br />
<br />
I'm a pretty visual person. I need to see all my wedding choices together in order to really figure out which ones I like the best. Inspiration Boards have always been an essential tool for brides, but Evernote lets you create dynamic boards - just search with some parameters and it'll show you all your thumbnails for the notes that match in a handy grid.<br />
<b> </b><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjZy5cM7vVwQPdoS_IeheFNjVWoN9ypt3uN8raRF855SOmiLQNBsveiWCu2q0xXKC2miZ9e3fFRPVSsuyAagUwDF66hONJ-Su0_JMGlqRRaq_60UK2BdJIkoLjNEj74sdbecudWUFzFb0/s1600/evernote2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjZy5cM7vVwQPdoS_IeheFNjVWoN9ypt3uN8raRF855SOmiLQNBsveiWCu2q0xXKC2miZ9e3fFRPVSsuyAagUwDF66hONJ-Su0_JMGlqRRaq_60UK2BdJIkoLjNEj74sdbecudWUFzFb0/s400/evernote2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Screen Cap from Evernote.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table><b> </b>I have a <a href="https://www.evernote.com/about/kb/article/saved-searches?lang=en">Saved Search</a> for "Paper Products" - anything I've tagged with <i>stationary</i> or <i>invitations</i>. This makes it extra easy to see all my current paper ideas, and quickly compile, oh say, a blog post about invitation styles (...coming soon).<br />
<br />
<b>Everywhere Access</b><br />
<br />
<b> </b>I tend to use Evernote in a few different places - my work computer, both our home laptops, and my smart phone. Luckily, everything is synched up. I can snap a picture of flowers on my phone, file it in Evernote, and see it on my computer evermore. Or I can clip an invitation I like off the web, and quickly pull it up on my phone to show my paper-obsessed cousin exactly what style I was thinking about. No more trying to google search "Purple invitation with grapes" on my tiny mobile browser to find the image I spotted a few weeks ago.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4rdBNrj8S7eWrA78voyYXZ0v5bRgSYPPhnMcFOQg9HYwv36eN_S8gyRjFgvxLi6ieHNcCcuklNob_YTafLhyphenhyphen4IprNHtwlNnHq_ndEvOdnIE0BxS-Q_U10dJaWUpJoeV4YBuxLzB4aBHI/s1600/evernote_android.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4rdBNrj8S7eWrA78voyYXZ0v5bRgSYPPhnMcFOQg9HYwv36eN_S8gyRjFgvxLi6ieHNcCcuklNob_YTafLhyphenhyphen4IprNHtwlNnHq_ndEvOdnIE0BxS-Q_U10dJaWUpJoeV4YBuxLzB4aBHI/s400/evernote_android.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Android Screencap <a href="http://www.evernote.com/about/download/android.php">[src]</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Honestly, though? I'd take Evernote for the web capability alone. It has browser plugins that lets you just highlight the picture you want, click "Clip to Evernote", and then a popup screen to fill in tags and file it in a folder. Couldn't be easier to save your wedding inspiration. So even if you have a no bells-and-whistles phone, it's worth it to create an account.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_v1KKO_aW0bGaJz8zNU4sVVvQAIv6xH8jwa4aWksIX0bxU9YJChJrOxKi9KuzsMWpRvj8GQdvBzFo-3iWw0kazGi-B1YkVInIaEmvntaBeIFqUXpF9srDhyJvIWSqOI58M6oYaXq27LQ/s1600/evernote3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_v1KKO_aW0bGaJz8zNU4sVVvQAIv6xH8jwa4aWksIX0bxU9YJChJrOxKi9KuzsMWpRvj8GQdvBzFo-3iWw0kazGi-B1YkVInIaEmvntaBeIFqUXpF9srDhyJvIWSqOI58M6oYaXq27LQ/s400/evernote3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Screencap of Evernote plugin for Firefox</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<b>Staying Organized</b><br />
<br />
Ah yes, the meat and potatoes of this post. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that most brides reading this blog <i>probably</i> have a folder on their computer with a ton of inspiration images saved. And that folder has subfolders and creative titles and other mnemonics to help keep those pictures organized. Here's what I really like about Evernote - labels. Just like the tags we all use for blogging, Evernote lets you assign different labels to a note. So that picture from <a href="http://www.stylemepretty.com/">Style Me Pretty</a> of the awesome cake you love can be filed under <i>yellow, brown, cake, </i>and <i>flowers</i>. Which makes it easy if you want a quick inspiration board of everything "Yellow and Brown" you've found so far, or all the cakes you've saved!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia-6AAyOdezrAl6IWMK6r2KhDbeNY-RX2VZJJLKfSUv_Zwu1Oym_rXJw_QkJxHkjpToBu4pQjaN1-3t1LwvhuagTDHPZ4fukttq8DdfrKnHVymhqCyBw1jtVqBoOG8-_V1o9yezD9vd1k/s1600/cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia-6AAyOdezrAl6IWMK6r2KhDbeNY-RX2VZJJLKfSUv_Zwu1Oym_rXJw_QkJxHkjpToBu4pQjaN1-3t1LwvhuagTDHPZ4fukttq8DdfrKnHVymhqCyBw1jtVqBoOG8-_V1o9yezD9vd1k/s1600/cake.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://circle.stylemepretty.com/jcalvin2007/blog/2009/09/20/wedding-cake/">[src]</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Now lets say it's not a picture you want to save, but a quote or a snippet from a ceremony that you <i>lurve</i> and don't want to forget about? Yep, you can clip those too. They won't show up with cute little thumbnails (unless you highlight a picture as well) but they'll be saved and what's more - searchable! You can search by text in your notes, or in your images! Oh <i>yeah.</i> So snap a picture of that florist's business card and rest assured you can find it later by just searching her name.<br />
<br />
And here's the best part - Evernote stores the url for every clip you take from the web. So if you're, <i>say</i>, writing a blog post and want to make sure to give credit, it's easy to look up where you found that particular image or quote. <br />
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Okay, that's it! Hopefully I've convinced you all that you should go sign up (for free!) and start using <a href="http://www.evernote.com/">Evernote</a> for all your wedding needs. Or maybe you have another way of organizing your inspiration? I'd love to hear about it in the comments!<br />
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<i>Also, if you'd like to see my wedding "folder" full of inspiration and whatnot, here's the link! <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_727885083">Wedding </a></i><a href="http://www.evernote.com/pub/orange_avocado/weddingnotes"><i>Notebook</i></a>toshellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12650822428133438283noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843193150138221504.post-3254149020375057882011-04-08T13:28:00.000-07:002011-04-08T13:28:46.351-07:00The Nitty-Gritty - How we Decided on Our VenueI can't believe it's been over a month since I first hinted about our wedding location to you. Moreover, I can't believe it too us that long to come to a decision and sign a contract with our venue. For some reason I thought we'd see the perfect site and sign within a week. Well, we knew within moments of seeing the site that "this was it", but like M and I's relationship in general, we waited an appropriate amount of time to get serious.*<br />
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To be honest, I love our location, as you could probably tell from my <a href="http://m-y-wedding.blogspot.com/2011/04/venue-of-our-very-own.html">last post</a>, but I think it's worth talking about the process of deciding and how we became sure that Old House Vineyards was the right place for us. <br />
<br />
Our first visit to the venue was on the same cold, rainy day we visited <a href="http://m-y-wedding.blogspot.com/2011/03/varied-venues-on-right-track.html">Bristow Manor</a>. While I was planning out our day, I noticed we'd only be about 30 minutes from a venue I'd seen online and dreamed about, and since we didn't make it that far south very often, I jumped on the opportunity. So our first impression of the venue was this:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxr2qyLtTrMdBs44H2VzhXRTEbjTEr6LUEnG-wVoOoZ7P2tMKv8B4ZkYfdjmVXYIeEa5KIOFErrW7_6Cks3xEhZZNE3r7-DaXx5tN3C40EuoxaQtM8Jbf7N4HXeiUshyphenhyphenEs9XirULQC72E/s1600/ohv1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxr2qyLtTrMdBs44H2VzhXRTEbjTEr6LUEnG-wVoOoZ7P2tMKv8B4ZkYfdjmVXYIeEa5KIOFErrW7_6Cks3xEhZZNE3r7-DaXx5tN3C40EuoxaQtM8Jbf7N4HXeiUshyphenhyphenEs9XirULQC72E/s320/ohv1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rainy, wet, gloomy, and yet <i>still gorgeous.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>We couldn't even make it out to see the island or reception pavilion that day, it was raining too hard! But we did meet with the owner and liked her right away, and and got to taste their wines (yum!).<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRhFgmVJRdSgvLAwXB57THxIRLfgcb0WdD3UYMaxC-3WQg2WUlsQsp4HF8TITxXPVHjKyPpn2GgJ6rW4B7IL-l7462te8V9KHpuTym7XunkAa_4dCPWKIbA84yGqRDHI43ua07ImQwVgg/s1600/ohv_wine.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRhFgmVJRdSgvLAwXB57THxIRLfgcb0WdD3UYMaxC-3WQg2WUlsQsp4HF8TITxXPVHjKyPpn2GgJ6rW4B7IL-l7462te8V9KHpuTym7XunkAa_4dCPWKIbA84yGqRDHI43ua07ImQwVgg/s320/ohv_wine.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favorite - Rosie's Red</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We had our misgivings about how far out from Northern Virginia the vineyard was, and of course, the price tag. The rates she quoted us were nearly double our venue budget, and we even though we knew it was the most unique and beautiful location we'd seen so far, I didn't really think we could afford it. But I couldn't give up just yet. Since the Vineyard didn't have an in-house caterer, I started looking up catering costs in Culpeper, and found that it was significantly cheaper than all the venues we'd seen so far. My budget was based on spending $50pp on food (a reasonable rate at the country clubs and historic manors we'd visited so far), but in this small town, catering could be had for closer to $20-$30 a head (and at some places for just $15!). I re-ran the numbers and figured out that if we pinched our budget a little, we could afford this gorgeous location.<br />
<br />
But even with that settled, I started to worry that we were crazy for putting this place on the top of our list. It was <i>expensive</i> and we hadn't even been to the reception location or the island. Another trip was scheduled only two weeks after the first, this time with FMIL Toshella to give her stamp of approval. She loved it, the site was even more lovely up close, we got a detailed tour, and had figured out we could afford it. Old House Vineyard could be ours! <br />
<br />
But... was it worth it? Requiring our OOT friends and family to rent a car and travel an extra hour away from the airport? Asking all of our local friends to rent a room for the night since it was too far away to drive home? We deliberated, and began asking friends and family what they thought. Much to our relief, our friends were excited about the vineyard wedding and were completely willing to stay the night in Culpeper to party with us. My mom and cousin reassured me that most of our family would rent cars or caravan down, and an extra hour of driving wasn't a huge deal. We breathed a huge sigh of relief.<br />
<br />
M had one more requirement before we signed - find 3 caterers in our price range. He wanted to be sure that we had options if one or two caterers didn't work out or if we didn't like the food. It took some creative budget finagling, but I was able to come up with three reasonably priced options that would give us the wedding food we wanted - more on that another day.<br />
<br />
With all systems a go, we contacted the owner and told her we were ready to sign. This began another three weeks of emails back and forth about the contract terms , where we considered just driving back down to Culpeper to sign in person (this got veto-ed when Matt's schedule changed unexpectedly). The owner was really nice to work with though, and took my crazy emails in stride. She was willing to change the contract to specify some of the things she'd said she could change in person (like the ending time for the reception), and finally we were comfortable mailing her our signed contract and deposit.<br />
<br />
Assuming there are no more bumps along the road (cross your fingers for us!) we are locked in at our venue and date, and couldn't be happier! Standing on the island where we're going to be married with Matt was one of my favorite moments in this journey so far, and I can't wait until 1 year, 6 weeks, and 5 days** from now when we're standing there for real. :)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtHAZEvlZSxNxfm8-wJOnzIkfItjbEe2vL8k-x0NVFqmHpDzRIX9NPXK-gJa0IBP6pz3yIacKYh0Wc-WUimzDfz3qqynukOw-YfNVyV9hbEZaosooDkjgqaaxC3Ti5ZwxBsfNlSSgY5X0/s1600/ohv_us.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtHAZEvlZSxNxfm8-wJOnzIkfItjbEe2vL8k-x0NVFqmHpDzRIX9NPXK-gJa0IBP6pz3yIacKYh0Wc-WUimzDfz3qqynukOw-YfNVyV9hbEZaosooDkjgqaaxC3Ti5ZwxBsfNlSSgY5X0/s400/ohv_us.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Okay, mostly we just look tired, but I promise, we're happy!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<br />
* Okay, not really. We moved in together only 3 months after we started dating, and if it were up to me, we'd have been engaged about a month in. <br />
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** Thank you, wedding countdown ticker!<br />
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<i>All personal photos.</i>toshellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12650822428133438283noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843193150138221504.post-30134537761530513052011-04-07T11:56:00.000-07:002011-04-07T11:56:17.807-07:00A Venue of Our Very OwnKnow what this is....?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf-jdbm5zXiAsZAvRfU8mm5CEXQLm5pM6e1k6RqR-mdM-kNxfwrZBea5fObkhmzPvED1LpF-4yrJrPGSDrARgFOXb0ybjX2odmM1FVEcEAB7YYkWmFbT9ozrxoK4kOxabDaKc6lh3RwiU/s1600/2011-04-06+21.26.43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf-jdbm5zXiAsZAvRfU8mm5CEXQLm5pM6e1k6RqR-mdM-kNxfwrZBea5fObkhmzPvED1LpF-4yrJrPGSDrARgFOXb0ybjX2odmM1FVEcEAB7YYkWmFbT9ozrxoK4kOxabDaKc6lh3RwiU/s320/2011-04-06+21.26.43.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">[personal photo]</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Certainly not the world's prettiest envelope, but it <i>does</i> contain our wedding venue contract and deposit! That's right folks, we are official!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4d6U6bbZjAVkVAWwChGduJoxqGP0gjFE0-P81d9WPSxv6dJJJYH_FNvZ7j6fgxDkqe0ZM66YWF7Jcxg02bBduxSgPa7W7EJluaNplsAObe5loJdfNIxLvfb_hxqvzGTpGM10CUeJfw6c/s1600/facebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4d6U6bbZjAVkVAWwChGduJoxqGP0gjFE0-P81d9WPSxv6dJJJYH_FNvZ7j6fgxDkqe0ZM66YWF7Jcxg02bBduxSgPa7W7EJluaNplsAObe5loJdfNIxLvfb_hxqvzGTpGM10CUeJfw6c/s1600/facebook.jpg" /></a></div> So now, I can finally, <i>finally</i> tell you about out amazing wedding venue. Or maybe I'll just show you....<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9b5tm2Qz0xfNDaEhYeE6uelC2EM-XvT5vw9Q4-lFJmo4AWu_WpegcRoWIVN7HLDToCVg37Ek6T3M5fqwJ5i1l_DOEyJEs-14CbGkvpE9DvMr7ftadEhy1U6rfPoyKOPFjpr-xZiTpvcw/s1600/winery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9b5tm2Qz0xfNDaEhYeE6uelC2EM-XvT5vw9Q4-lFJmo4AWu_WpegcRoWIVN7HLDToCVg37Ek6T3M5fqwJ5i1l_DOEyJEs-14CbGkvpE9DvMr7ftadEhy1U6rfPoyKOPFjpr-xZiTpvcw/s400/winery.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jenniferling.wordpress.com/2010/07/31/old-house-vineyards-and-horses/">[src]</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Remember this <a href="http://m-y-wedding.blogspot.com/2011/03/leaving-you-hanging.html">sneak peak</a> I gave you? That's the island we'll be getting married on. It holds up to 150, and has a fountain backdrop that will be turned on as we start the recessional.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkEu0cxIMC8gRUFrsYekIeZHWAaID8T0CSKDKz9aDIDqkphz9q4M_307teP-VT805fRKxAVwgE9GqPfg5Q0fl6__uTCPV3hKw6tm1k49qFbYVlYZeR_meHtnROzmDK4MUopY1yU2FNZjo/s1600/ohv_island_closeup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkEu0cxIMC8gRUFrsYekIeZHWAaID8T0CSKDKz9aDIDqkphz9q4M_307teP-VT805fRKxAVwgE9GqPfg5Q0fl6__uTCPV3hKw6tm1k49qFbYVlYZeR_meHtnROzmDK4MUopY1yU2FNZjo/s400/ohv_island_closeup.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close up of the ceremony site <a href="http://www.oldhousevineyards.com/gallery_weddings.htm">[src]</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>They recently paved the 'aisle' leading up to the pergola with slate flagstones and created a platform for the bride and groom, so no worries about heels sticking in the grass, or slowly sinking while we're saying our vows. The pergola looks gorgeous draped with white fabric and decorated with wreaths and flowers. I can't even begin to imagine what we're going to do with it!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJgJ4TqugzBpqjKaB6aSJRPictgY-lqOg7TB19kVHqwYREqGdUxUxK6mRkV91SKLuzs8GRmkko74vl70ho6ZRZGALh6u39hBbrmXlokvA-qO0AXvM7wLezzv4U9mEeWg0JwlvcQmk7bYo/s1600/ohv_island_ceremony.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJgJ4TqugzBpqjKaB6aSJRPictgY-lqOg7TB19kVHqwYREqGdUxUxK6mRkV91SKLuzs8GRmkko74vl70ho6ZRZGALh6u39hBbrmXlokvA-qO0AXvM7wLezzv4U9mEeWg0JwlvcQmk7bYo/s400/ohv_island_ceremony.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.coltonphotography.com/blog/?p=770">[src]</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
The benches in the pictures are above are no longer available, so we'll have simple white chairs for our ceremony, which I think looks just as lovely:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF9foleg1UBq3ZA8PFvFjoWcr9Km0Ah69KCQ-nTcaXsJxGtGhfER5KZN0ckwIriYFC3ldEQeeUqKmP_hRDFYnFnzWRfL82680CX5xc5ckhg1PEfIZCLEmi6OqksHP2DRaiRIJaxRePz54/s1600/ohv_island_ceremony2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF9foleg1UBq3ZA8PFvFjoWcr9Km0Ah69KCQ-nTcaXsJxGtGhfER5KZN0ckwIriYFC3ldEQeeUqKmP_hRDFYnFnzWRfL82680CX5xc5ckhg1PEfIZCLEmi6OqksHP2DRaiRIJaxRePz54/s400/ohv_island_ceremony2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.oldhousevineyards.com/gallery_weddings.htm">[src]</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>After the ceremony, guests will leave the island and find themselves at the cocktail hour, staged between the ceremony site and the pavillion. OHV provides several round tables for us to use for stationary appetizers, and we'll have the bar open to refresh our guests. I want to set up our guest book here, as well as pictures and other activities to keep our guests engaged while we're traipsing along the vineyard taking pictures.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiBcfyO5yTPGtfFCd8OWZkXsYIP-KYptB5NMPKReQkr0blZRvDNfUUM_fhFcUFPabicm8uMziKbYwfC6lurJOWTc6ArTvt7hEDMtYhJYayCz524HlY5cdUZZXvbIxvkcGLVRLonB8RYKE/s1600/ohv_path.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiBcfyO5yTPGtfFCd8OWZkXsYIP-KYptB5NMPKReQkr0blZRvDNfUUM_fhFcUFPabicm8uMziKbYwfC6lurJOWTc6ArTvt7hEDMtYhJYayCz524HlY5cdUZZXvbIxvkcGLVRLonB8RYKE/s400/ohv_path.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Staging area for the cocktail hour <a href="http://jenniferling.wordpress.com/2010/07/31/old-house-vineyards-and-horses/">[src]</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>The pavilion for the reception is gah. or. geous. It's draped with white fabric, bringing in the tent-look I'd <a href="http://m-y-wedding.blogspot.com/2011/02/dreams-vs-reality.html">originally wanted</a>, but is completely indoors. There are large doors on two sides which open, letting guests mingle between the outdoors and inside, and benches we can use to set up an outdoor "lounge" area.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioQlbs_UdLgonhEtEGkmz6iyuMxuMZS-i3jvdMuH9WDOEUwX978n0GwNZD1OzMAupdSZ_j0Ij4rz-aqk_0bfKCfuIa1PWw5Yfl-fNpIlIo_R3_4EmbKrF9EwOhhCrf2Y8eSxBLDvKudEs/s1600/ohv_reception1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioQlbs_UdLgonhEtEGkmz6iyuMxuMZS-i3jvdMuH9WDOEUwX978n0GwNZD1OzMAupdSZ_j0Ij4rz-aqk_0bfKCfuIa1PWw5Yfl-fNpIlIo_R3_4EmbKrF9EwOhhCrf2Y8eSxBLDvKudEs/s400/ohv_reception1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.oldhousevineyards.com/gallery_weddings.htm">[src]</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>The lanterns and fabric are already set up, and although there isn't A/C the owner has assured us that it stays pretty cool because the fabric traps the heat in the upper ceiling, and the fans circulate the air. If nothing else, we'll have lots of cool drinks!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAxDHnm8Chq1Dw8TcQLLcxBzRaXoJj9Upgl0uQr6JlfxpPovUDyDQeEXJFPIBNjY21A6SCC6km9UfTUa_0EJqSsK_GVZL3xkO06APQQrS1rvyNBlvevGtMwR7WcLsPRiDrSsbSxB8azX4/s1600/ohv_reception2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAxDHnm8Chq1Dw8TcQLLcxBzRaXoJj9Upgl0uQr6JlfxpPovUDyDQeEXJFPIBNjY21A6SCC6km9UfTUa_0EJqSsK_GVZL3xkO06APQQrS1rvyNBlvevGtMwR7WcLsPRiDrSsbSxB8azX4/s400/ohv_reception2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Set up with round tables, which is what we'll do <a href="http://www.oldhousevineyards.com/gallery_weddings.htm">[src]</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
So, do you like? Was it worth the wait? I'll talk tomorrow a little bit about why it took us so long to make up our minds and send the contract in, as well as some of the hard questions we asked ourselves when settling on a venue.<br />
<br />
<i>Sorry for the lack of personal pictures (such a bad blogger!), my camera died when we visited. I'll be sure to get plenty of pics the next time we're down there! </i>toshellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12650822428133438283noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843193150138221504.post-43447448943382539292011-04-04T10:13:00.000-07:002011-04-04T10:13:13.562-07:00All about Moi!I've been posting here for almost 2 months now, and realized that you all don't know a whole lot about me or M (...aside from <strike>our</strike> my wedding tastes). So I thought I'd join in with a fun game from Keely at <a href="http://www.mannland5.com/">Mannland5</a>:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpzPhCPd-JU1q_6py-M0od-SciO5hdsldUDp5FSJXmFVf2E18A2u4VNny8fVpWKl8lWqnNsFV4txcTbqw9STcyahKTj__W9EF746IqIT-z-B3iJAiW_ZRoKNCnWkrX9sMtxA4vxqhj-Rw/s1600/GettingtoknowYOU.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpzPhCPd-JU1q_6py-M0od-SciO5hdsldUDp5FSJXmFVf2E18A2u4VNny8fVpWKl8lWqnNsFV4txcTbqw9STcyahKTj__W9EF746IqIT-z-B3iJAiW_ZRoKNCnWkrX9sMtxA4vxqhj-Rw/s1600/GettingtoknowYOU.jpg" /></a></div><div align="left" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>1. do you weigh yourself?</strong></span></div><div align="left" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong> </strong></span></div><div align="left" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">Yes, on at least a weekly basis. I'm in the process of losing weight, and find that I lose motivation if I stop stepping on the scale. I measure by other factors too - how my clothes fit, my body fat percentage, body measurements - but the scale is a quick way for me to check in with my goals.</span></strong></span></div><div align="left" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong> </strong></span></div><div align="left" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>2. what's the nastiest thing you've ever eaten?</strong></span></div><div align="left" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong> </strong></span></div><div align="left" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">I tried making some mussel dish to serve at my first-ever dinner party. They were terrible! I'm pretty sure the mussels didn't cook all the way and the wine sauce just tasted like vinegar. Only one guest was kind enough to choke one down, and I can hardly blame them! </span></strong></span></div><div align="left" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong> </strong></span></div><div align="left" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>3. snail mail or email?</strong></span></div><div align="left" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong> </strong></span></div><div align="left" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">Email for sure! I'm attached to my computer and phone, so I like communicating in the easiest way possible. Though, like most people, I enjoy getting things in the mail other than credit card offers and magazines. </span></strong></span></div><div align="left" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong> </strong></span></div><div align="left" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>4. do you have any irrational fears...what are they?</strong></span></div><div align="left" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong> </strong></span></div><div align="left" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">Chickens. Can't go near them. They have beady eyes and pecky beaks and carry all sorts of diseases, so this is </span><i style="font-weight: normal;">actually</i><span style="font-weight: normal;"> a perfectly rational fear. Yup!</span> </strong></span></div><div align="left" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong> </strong></span></div><div align="left" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>5. do you play an instrument?</strong></span></div><div align="left" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong> </strong></span></div><div align="left" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">Not currently, but I played French Horn for about 8 years from middle school til college, Mellophone in high school marching band, and Trumpet very briefly. Go brass, baby! </span></strong></span></div><div align="left" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong> </strong></span></div><div align="left" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>6. would you rather be bitten by a snake or attacked by a bear?</strong></span></div><div align="left" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong> </strong></span></div><div align="left" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">Snake - I figure most venom can be counteracted and don't cause immediate death, unlike attack by bear which sounds pretty brutal and 100% chance of death for my weak self.</span></strong></span></div><div align="left" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong> </strong></span></div><div align="left" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>7. do you ever go braless in public?</strong></span></div><div align="left" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong> </strong></span></div><div align="left" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">When I have a dress with pretty good cup support, or very rarely when I'm wearing a heavy sweatshirt so that you can't tell. I figure built-in bra shirts don't count here. </span></strong></span></div><div align="left" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong> </strong></span></div><div align="left" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>8. today i am thankful for........................?</strong></span></div><div align="left" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong> </strong></span></div><div align="left" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">My sister! Her birthday was this Saturday, and even though I won't get a chance to see her for another two weeks, I hope she knows how grateful I am to have her in my life and as my MOH. She's my most dedicated reader, too! ;)</span></strong></span></div>toshellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12650822428133438283noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843193150138221504.post-47801950947674167162011-04-01T10:13:00.000-07:002011-04-01T10:13:45.741-07:00We Finally Have a Venue!I know I've held off on sharing our venue for a while, so today, I'm happy as a peach to finally show off... our wedding venue!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTjhNQITPokpR2CS80qpOy5HJiW-KqYKxsDjH4r-TUC_QF_ZdPVk-PQepsWLZTsTT7dc5I27kOpG9SoqK-XnqS6hA28tZ1QGcbywfZorjErTZPsoihRQHDs49NJSTX3O1SHWc7BRCZ8Us/s1600/fake_location.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTjhNQITPokpR2CS80qpOy5HJiW-KqYKxsDjH4r-TUC_QF_ZdPVk-PQepsWLZTsTT7dc5I27kOpG9SoqK-XnqS6hA28tZ1QGcbywfZorjErTZPsoihRQHDs49NJSTX3O1SHWc7BRCZ8Us/s320/fake_location.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.merchantcircle.com/business/FIRE.And.BRIMSTONE.EXTREME.SPORTS.208-512-1362">[source]</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>I realized I was being selfish with our wedding choices - wanting to including things like flowers, wine, dresses. After all, those things don't really define us as a couple. So for our wedding, we'll be embracing one of M's favorite hobbies - <b>paintball</b>.<br />
It took me a while to get into it, but now I'm imagining a picturesque ceremony in the bunkers:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDw7SrWyYdlpOe5HTJQ0xRW-P06LjsnERm5rnW_oJkxgCbEHQ4txD9laROHhIzNY3fKJKR3tMhv8LrhxepujcrAuq9RTeetJaLuW9j2x_uMM7FDsFG6UAxE6486TKQqjHL3e5vA-CELMU/s1600/fake_ceremony.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDw7SrWyYdlpOe5HTJQ0xRW-P06LjsnERm5rnW_oJkxgCbEHQ4txD9laROHhIzNY3fKJKR3tMhv8LrhxepujcrAuq9RTeetJaLuW9j2x_uMM7FDsFG6UAxE6486TKQqjHL3e5vA-CELMU/s320/fake_ceremony.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Romantic, no? <a href="http://wedinator.icanhascheezburger.com/tag/paintball-wedding/">[source]</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiem9_kGDdnzq4euZuNAD6uWmztPrQGuhmzfG1w_O13iJnyPrQu-tGDOBxKrLt7pJtKCDJW6Sa8vVbI7UtJR_X0SVprF__MqwbwRDnKDOV0LriBHjmAulRZ7Ck6eeH1g_a5TvHTY-uIp5Y/s1600/fake_ceremony2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiem9_kGDdnzq4euZuNAD6uWmztPrQGuhmzfG1w_O13iJnyPrQu-tGDOBxKrLt7pJtKCDJW6Sa8vVbI7UtJR_X0SVprF__MqwbwRDnKDOV0LriBHjmAulRZ7Ck6eeH1g_a5TvHTY-uIp5Y/s320/fake_ceremony2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tons of opportunities for great wedding photos! <a href="http://bumataystudio.com/editorial/07/e-entertainment-segment-on-trash-the-dress/">[src]</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
And no reason our wedding party can't be just as formal!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNIRa8T4jqIdm8nsXQovOtHOBs6BiIeIo3ZILdDNyT5KlCIS7w5UYnTOpvKNiIn3VkHdTktuOpNGameNeaVuAxdDlwVMIKchvMBQT2YMuAAchq15j2CrNytTrWMKDfaKKmBXWTTZrRidY/s1600/fake_BM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNIRa8T4jqIdm8nsXQovOtHOBs6BiIeIo3ZILdDNyT5KlCIS7w5UYnTOpvKNiIn3VkHdTktuOpNGameNeaVuAxdDlwVMIKchvMBQT2YMuAAchq15j2CrNytTrWMKDfaKKmBXWTTZrRidY/s320/fake_BM.jpeg" width="213" /></a></td> <td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzP3OLXqBQUZuBuzCOFz-5abSFOVP39TIUUasm6xNZHHEM5_DtFBhuDgaUxkcvhc3XHww9jdET3WltzwNhp2RJGxGhUZfO8pkfZYOPqg1eLKKbNVhiYM5_t-oNMmhZdq0oypEXdBleFow/s1600/fake_GM.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzP3OLXqBQUZuBuzCOFz-5abSFOVP39TIUUasm6xNZHHEM5_DtFBhuDgaUxkcvhc3XHww9jdET3WltzwNhp2RJGxGhUZfO8pkfZYOPqg1eLKKbNVhiYM5_t-oNMmhZdq0oypEXdBleFow/s1600/fake_GM.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.omwall.com/2010/11/04/camo-wedding-dress-a-unique-formal-dress-for-your-special-day/camo-wedding-dress/">[source]</a></td> <td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://wvuncovered-archive.wvu.edu/r/images/galleries/camo_wedding">[source]</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>And forget those costly Trash the Dress sessions - our wedding will be all-inclusive!<br />
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<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrS3mf8wDgnLGXc1v78AAPAS25EYKiO8VQ7HiVmLIGY8G4Li94sF_YCiUI-kHKtrWX5lnWn-Hq2p9H40Kl1t_kCzkQeUyGGH3Gnz59HTj74upipUr37r-7seExZR3Vfb4se3uBr9v88Yk/s1600/fake_dress.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrS3mf8wDgnLGXc1v78AAPAS25EYKiO8VQ7HiVmLIGY8G4Li94sF_YCiUI-kHKtrWX5lnWn-Hq2p9H40Kl1t_kCzkQeUyGGH3Gnz59HTj74upipUr37r-7seExZR3Vfb4se3uBr9v88Yk/s320/fake_dress.jpeg" width="197" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="http://www.simonburtphotography.com/trash-the-dress.html">[source]</a></div><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEluXZW_WwtxnlMVoDWc-zdRuCqE0wAf3MlB3yywqaAzSTbnAmLW2wmRwiGOvdgzjopHrUlCep95FDfHqFFh1cFnC-sVf8495BxDIQY4HUvcL3aBsiFBFMn2-3niI1RZPChMSB7bCSzVE/s1600/fake_dress2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEluXZW_WwtxnlMVoDWc-zdRuCqE0wAf3MlB3yywqaAzSTbnAmLW2wmRwiGOvdgzjopHrUlCep95FDfHqFFh1cFnC-sVf8495BxDIQY4HUvcL3aBsiFBFMn2-3niI1RZPChMSB7bCSzVE/s320/fake_dress2.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://bridetide.blogspot.com/2010/01/paintball-bride.html">[source]</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Well... what do you guys think?? :D<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Okay, I kid, I kid! Kudos to any bride with the guts to defy convention and go all out country for her wedding. I think M will be sticking to a paintball bachelor party, though. ;)</i></span>toshellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12650822428133438283noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6843193150138221504.post-5537840846741174562011-03-30T10:58:00.000-07:002011-03-30T10:59:56.756-07:00Flavor of the WeekGuess what? This weekend, M and I are taking yet another roadtrip down to our venue-to-be... and signing the contract! Thanks for your patience leading up to the big reveal. I'd have hated to show off our gorgeous, awesome venue to you all and then have it not worked out. Next week you can look forward to a bunch of venue posts, about all the lovely details of our site to the nitty-gritty logic and how we came to sign our contract. It's been a month in the making, folks, and I'm excited!<br />
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Today though, let's talk about <b>theme</b>. It seems like you can't have a wedding anymore without some kind of theme. Whether it's just your wedding colors that inspire the decor, a motif or quote used throughout, or a full-blown creative choice that dictates the look and feel of the wedding.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj15QlNd0Jc6LRI9GEMgpZ8QqNunR1qzqjEgr6AE0mAbhgF2QxsOJQOdp9wU3eNze8gbfdI0JxRIXupSjxLSzT4iX5VQJB5yr2ywTlM55Kfug5vsOZhZZgSzY-1Dft1_yo7c2-F6GOnfVQ/s1600/lavender_theme.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj15QlNd0Jc6LRI9GEMgpZ8QqNunR1qzqjEgr6AE0mAbhgF2QxsOJQOdp9wU3eNze8gbfdI0JxRIXupSjxLSzT4iX5VQJB5yr2ywTlM55Kfug5vsOZhZZgSzY-1Dft1_yo7c2-F6GOnfVQ/s1600/lavender_theme.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An inspiration board showcasing lavender and pink decor <a href="http://weddingsiniowa.blogspot.com/2011/03/wedding-colors-pantone-hues.html">[source]</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>It could be that less is more, but I want it all. I'm in love with the large-scale themed weddings some brides have put together:<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL-vvNzXCLra24n70ts5KnKdRECi4xQnGxPgmD5pMS1sUqheIm4Ys_gS8GiPzoXc-SKHEztCoSr6mhmB2SYDadCJkyGA632CGbNkqXlmgM59DE1yVOGmJDXknpTAbxyiA14V-EY5mYm0o/s1600/theme_carnival.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL-vvNzXCLra24n70ts5KnKdRECi4xQnGxPgmD5pMS1sUqheIm4Ys_gS8GiPzoXc-SKHEztCoSr6mhmB2SYDadCJkyGA632CGbNkqXlmgM59DE1yVOGmJDXknpTAbxyiA14V-EY5mYm0o/s320/theme_carnival.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://somekindofwedding.blogspot.com/2009/08/carnival-inspired-wedding.html">[sources credited here]</a><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table></td></tr>
<tr></tr>
</tbody></table>What's not to love about a carnival themed wedding? It's the perfect mix of fun and love (without the carnies). I even briefly considered this theme while having a small love affair with <a href="http://www.glenechopark.org/">Glen Echo Park</a>, but sadly, it was a short-lived fantasy.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyaIyF0AWLyIbVsr5sqG9y2gudXvWOHnGa4ktjXQ2cX6zhTlmVOBDqOz0o9r3zrdvuCeCNQY-HwR7oK0q3vrvIzYfjbFkwXDdGBPQtSqyPh2lkhUx7Av8GZnQUPYIhbwhyphenhyphenXABUsC_Zbkk/s1600/theme_up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyaIyF0AWLyIbVsr5sqG9y2gudXvWOHnGa4ktjXQ2cX6zhTlmVOBDqOz0o9r3zrdvuCeCNQY-HwR7oK0q3vrvIzYfjbFkwXDdGBPQtSqyPh2lkhUx7Av8GZnQUPYIhbwhyphenhyphenXABUsC_Zbkk/s320/theme_up.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All photos from <a href="http://www.weddingchicks.com/2010/07/21/disney-pixars-up-the-wedding/">WeddingChicks</a>, Image created by <a href="http://bighugelabs.com/mosaic.php">MosaicMaker</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Then there's the adorably whimsical Up-themed wedding that Lynnette and James created. M and I have a special spot in our heart for all things Disney (we visited Disney World on our first vacation together!) and I love the giant balloons, pastel palette, and romantic touches (the mailbox?? *sigh*). I doubt there's a bride out there who hasn't spent at least a second awww-ing at these pictures.<br />
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But even though I love these all-out efforts, it doesn't seem like it's in the cards for our wedding day. Still, I want something to tie our wedding together outside of our color scheme. Something we can repeat on signs and stationary, that will inspire the centerpieces and cakes, and remind us and our guests of our wedding for years to come:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRQQ3WVeEbI8IN3vczhMZ1cr_6BOi7E2vIpW3joQevb38CEDC1WbYR5NHR7gZplpRpv5KMT9fypxaaeIRrNtFt0_4AUf4jZ7sN4wPP8R0YHufRf68PFuuQxDGOburAOr8GB85-dRuovCc/s1600/theme_typewriter.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRQQ3WVeEbI8IN3vczhMZ1cr_6BOi7E2vIpW3joQevb38CEDC1WbYR5NHR7gZplpRpv5KMT9fypxaaeIRrNtFt0_4AUf4jZ7sN4wPP8R0YHufRf68PFuuQxDGOburAOr8GB85-dRuovCc/s320/theme_typewriter.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All photos from <a href="http://www.weddingbee.com/author/lovebug/">WeddingBee</a>, Image created by <a href="http://bighugelabs.com/mosaic.php">MosaicMaker</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Like the super sweet typewriter theme that the erudite Mrs. Lovebug put together? Adorable. I'd rip this off right now if I felt like I was literary enough to pull it off. Unfortunately, I've never owned a typewriter, and gave up my creative writing major after one semester. This blog, and a certain love for <span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Courier</span> is all I've got.<br />
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But wait, there's more.... <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9j1br4cvJN1GDpBfMDIoIDg9azrF6zTV0kWA80c-6enlNmcYAqCTl3J_DiT0j21lGsWpdqAxFYm855sZ8OFWrfdYtQjTZUS7M3OYfkJEnNbbqdzPCn7Jk0O8QZMjzp8ra6AMAF8DWqgg/s1600/theme_lovebird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9j1br4cvJN1GDpBfMDIoIDg9azrF6zTV0kWA80c-6enlNmcYAqCTl3J_DiT0j21lGsWpdqAxFYm855sZ8OFWrfdYtQjTZUS7M3OYfkJEnNbbqdzPCn7Jk0O8QZMjzp8ra6AMAF8DWqgg/s320/theme_lovebird.jpg" width="252" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lovebirds <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bestweddingsites/">[source]</a></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKn43K0Aqk5bWKAbAAgvtkNCmSGknbaLG1e75QYQR2j4PrJ7Ieo2kPYw_F-J43HdkG5AYt8Eopb8_WFAitge_Vo1qDe4ve1yGn9UPcSCc3Ern6SMAscU9Qn3aN46WJm9eh4OqE0n7FU2A/s1600/theme_damask.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKn43K0Aqk5bWKAbAAgvtkNCmSGknbaLG1e75QYQR2j4PrJ7Ieo2kPYw_F-J43HdkG5AYt8Eopb8_WFAitge_Vo1qDe4ve1yGn9UPcSCc3Ern6SMAscU9Qn3aN46WJm9eh4OqE0n7FU2A/s400/theme_damask.jpg" width="226" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Damask motif <a href="http://www.freeprettythingsforyou.com/2010/01/my-diy-black-white-damask-wedding.html">[source]</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWaZ0QiPI0Y_h_aeSiYXmNcrAGZJ0q5DofS76jcrV12o5tUsHDBvCM7wJU6U1lR2MpK3TRD91k2Qy-_A3MDvUz0SUCBihhIEcJEoWyGqt3jGidPkmjf_hfFMFiRI-aZMJL5l6dNr7Co1c/s1600/theme_music.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWaZ0QiPI0Y_h_aeSiYXmNcrAGZJ0q5DofS76jcrV12o5tUsHDBvCM7wJU6U1lR2MpK3TRD91k2Qy-_A3MDvUz0SUCBihhIEcJEoWyGqt3jGidPkmjf_hfFMFiRI-aZMJL5l6dNr7Co1c/s320/theme_music.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Music theme <a href="http://www.weddingwindow.com/blog/2010/04/28/add-personality-to-your-wedding-details/">[source]</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>In the end, having our wedding at a vineyard will surely end up influencing almost every aspect of our wedding (I've already been browsing wine-themed centerpieces, invitations, escort cards, favors... and on.) But I wouldn't call M and I master sommeliers, or even great wine-lovers. We're just as likely to be sipping micro-brews or a mixed drink (we're equal-opportunity drinkers). So I'd like to find something more personal to us to flavor our wedding. What that is? I have <i>no</i> idea.toshellahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12650822428133438283noreply@blogger.com4