So Thankful!

I really, truly, am feeling like the luckiest person ever.  I mean, besides my job (which I hate and have no idea what I'd rather be doing...  oh the stress!), everything in my life is so great.

• I have the most wonderful fiance, who says sweet things like "I like to be close to you" and other such things.  
• My family is amazing and supportive, and I can't imagine life without them.  
• My mom is nearly done with her chemo treatments, which is enough to be thankful for!  Only 2 more treatments, 2 more weeks!  
• I'm thankful my dad and brother are around to take care of her.  
• I'm thankful that when our roof was leaking, and basement started forming puddles, I could not only rely on Dino but also my dad to make me feel better about the situation and stop freaking out.  And I'm thankful that the roofing company is fixing it and also has to pay for our drywall to be replaced!  If a house issue comes up, it sure is nice to not be responsible for the cost.
• I am so thankful that I am for the most part healthy, and have a warm home to live in.
• I'm also thankful the utility company is fixing the leaky pipe in our yard, and that yet again it is not our expense since it is on their side of the meter!  

One of the biggest things I am thankful for, and this is somewhat wedding related, is that I am marrying into the best family.  I am so grateful for that, and for them!  We spent last weekend at his parents' house, and had thanksgiving with them.  They are beyond wonderful by being so flexible with celebrating holidays; we discussed Christmas plans as well, and they are okay with us celebrating early with them for that as well.  I feel a little bad that my family is hogging us for the actual days, but it almost works out better this way.  

They are also just wonderful people.  I guess his parents had talked about not being those demanding in-laws that get a bad rap.  They couldn't be further from that!  They are not too involved, don't make any crazy demands or guest list changes or anything, and basically are more than happy to just let us do our thing and help out where they can.  Seriously, I don't think I could ask for better in-laws.

My FMIL is also taking this rehearsal dinner thing and totally running with it!  Unfortunately, my #1 choice and reason for thinking of food trucks, Molly Moons, is not sure they will be doing private parties next year. WHY?!?!  It's like, guaranteed money!  I want to pay you!  Argh.  But they won't know for sure until the spring, so we just have to sit tight, or make other plans.  So I'm not sure what we want to do, but I'm kind of okay letting her make those decisions.

They are also letting us tag along on another trip to Hawaii next year, after the wedding!  It'll be like a second honeymoon, but with his family...  Not as awkward as it sounds!  So exciting!  Just like the trip this year, when we got engaged.  

Anyway, on the eve of Thanksgiving, I wanted to take a moment to mention how lucky and grateful I am for everyone and everything in my life.  When I was little, more than anything I always said I wanted to be HAPPY when I grew up, and I think I am well on my way to that goal!

Losing steam...

Exhibit A: I opened this post about a half hour ago, and didn't write a word!

I don't know what is going on, but I just don't feel motivated to get things finished!  Looking at our to-do list, I'm getting a little worried.  There are a LOT of things on there, and only 3 are marked "Done."  To be fair, though, I didn't add some things that are already finished in steps, like I have added some future projects, and some things we don't need to worry about at all, like the officiant.  But this month, according to my to-do list, we need to book a caterer, buy my dress, interview/research DJs, block hotel rooms, and register.  Yikes, those are big things, and the month is already half over!

We did attend another tasting event last night for a caterer.  It was fun, again, but I honestly didn't like the food nearly as much as the last one - at this one most of the food was cold already, and a lot of it tasted sweet.  The last one had killer short ribs, roasted veggies and mashed potatoes, this one had tasty cheese selections, salmon (cooked on individual little cedar pieces!  So cute!) and apparently really good marinated cold veggies.  I guess it might depend on price a little, though, and I haven't gotten a quote from the one last night yet.  Dino told me he doesn't care too much about the caterer, since he doesn't think we'll be eating too much on the day, but it is important to me that we serve our family and friends really good food.

I applied to Randy to the Rescue, as they are coming to our city soon.  They want me to make a video application, and I'm nervous to do so - do I really want to put my dress search on national tv?!?!  Yikes.  But it might help?  I've been dragging my feet in general, keep making plans to go try on dresses, but don't follow through.  Boo.  I REALLY need to, though!  It's to the point where I almost just want to just go with the Pronovias dress I liked, just to get that item checked off the list.  I just would hate to have regret.

We haven't even STARTED looking at DJs, although I did kind of contact one awhile ago.  Prices are just so big, and I don't even know what I'm looking for, really...

We haven't contacted the hotel, yet, to block rooms.  Probably ought to do so!

The one thing we have done this month is REGISTER!!!  Last weekend!  We wandered around Macy's and picked out some things we like (and I had already started an amazon registry, but refined it a lot).  I hate all of the checklists everywhere provides, though.  You cannot convince me we need fine china or serving things or new silverware.  I have like, 3 packs of the same silverware already, so we're fine there.  We aren't fancy.  And we have a lot of things already.  Like, I considered not registering for a Le Creuset dutch oven because I have a Martha Stewart one that works just fine.  (But I did!  I've always longed for one...  and this one would be blue, whereas the current one I have is red, so...  Totally necessary...).  We did also register for some luggage, but holy cow is that expensive.  So many things on our registries are crazy expensive.  Sorry guests!

Registering wasn't too bad, though.  We had fun envisioning our future stuff, but it is also a little stressful picking out things you might have for the REST OF YOUR LIFE.  Deciding between Victorinox and Wustof  and Henkles knives was so hard.  We went with Henkles because the handles felt the best and they weren't as shockingly expensive, but I really really want Wustof.  I'm still not sure we need a new knife set, we already have some nicer knives, and I would love to just add a few more pieces to make our own custom set.  Dino is a little bit stuck on needing a set, though.  Maybe I'll take another look, and present my case again...

Man, there is so much left to do.  I'm ready for it all to be done for me, so I can think about the details and other little things.  Instead, I'm finding myself caught up on things I don't need to think about at all for another few months.  I need to keep it going, and get back into the decision making!

Let's Just be MARRIED Already!

Poor Dino.  He puts up with a lot.  He wanted us to be married by now, and the fact that I decided we should wait over a year is probably killing him.  He's told me on many occasions that he just wants to be married already!

It's weird, though, to think about the timing.  We got to arbitrarily pick a day that we would start our married life together.  I wanted enough time to plan without stressing out (ha!), and we both wanted to be outside for a portion so the summer was ideal.  A weekend made the most sense for our friends and family.  Then we just picked a day we thought sounded good, and voila!  Our wedding date, future anniversary date, and one of the most special days of our lives was decided!

Now I'm wondering if we should have moved the day closer to our engagement.  It would definitely not suck to be married right now.  I'm getting to the point where I'm ready to just BE MARRIED.  It's not like all that much will change, right?  I know some people say you feel different, but we're already living together, we're already acting as a support system for each other, and we're already taking care of each other.  We won't know each other any better, presumably, and we won't change who we are, other than wearing a ring on a daily basis (and I already do that, so it'd just be another ring!), and my last name will change.  We're not going to start trying to have kids anytime soon, even (not until after the next World Cup!).  The #1 thing I'm looking forward to is being able to be on his health insurance - how romantic!

So I do want a wedding, and I would always regret it if we skipped that step, but I'm ready for it to be here already.  I'm tired of making decisions and thinking about little details that honestly won't impact the day or our marriage much at all!  I'm tired of thinking about money and budgets and worrying about who to invite.

I know this is just a moment of overwhelmed-ness, and that I'll get over it and back into the excitement soon, but for right now, I'm ready to just be married.

In the end, I am actually incredibly thankful that we picked a day next summer.  I'm glad I have the time to stop and think about this stuff, and had the time to wrap my head around this event.  But more than anything, I'm glad we are waiting for my mom.  When we picked the day, we didn't know about her cancer.  She's been fighting so hard lately, and it's taken a toll on her in so many ways, so I am glad she will get some time to fight, rest, and recover before all the wedding stuff rolls around.  I can focus more of my time on her and trying to be there for her because I do have this time.  I want her to be able to enjoy our wedding, without her health making it more difficult.  I know she is looking forward to it, and I like to think that having the wedding coming up is just a little extra something good to think about.

Maybe the main reason I am ready to just be married already is because I am so impatient!

Smells Like Love!

Another wedding purchase made, debated, questioned, and reaffirmed!

It may be a silly little detail to some, but I've always loved the idea of having a "Wedding Day Purfume," one that will take you back to that day whenever you smell it, and can be used for romantic, special occasions afterwards.  I always thought (for like, 2 or 3 years!) I would go with one scent in particular after smelling a sample, and had refrained buying it because I wanted to wait until I was engaged and actually planning to make that purchase.

Image from Sephora.com

That fragrance was FlowerbyKenzo.  Sweet, light, and floral, it is summery, pleasant, and I loved how it smelled on my skin.  I finally made a trip to Sephora on a Saturday to give it another try, and potentially buy it, and while I was there another bottle caught my eye, and I happened to try a spray on my right wrist, with FlowerbyKenzo on the left wrist.  Hm.  I couldn't stop smelling my right wrist all afternoon, and walked out of the store having not made a purchase.

On Monday, I couldn't handle it, I had to go try this random find again, but I couldn't remember the name for the life of me!  I searched the Sephora website, hoping the look of the bottle would jog my memory.  I remembered a pink, angular bottle, and at the store I was at it was sitting kind of on its side.  None of the pictures looked like that!  So that evening, after work, I went to a different Sephora location, and tried to explain what I was looking for.  I think the sales associate thought I was a little crazy, but tried to help me!  But I mostly had to smell to find it, so I worked my way across their fragrance wall, when I found it!

Image from Sephora.com

Here it is!  Flowerbomb by Victor&Rolf.  I bought it that day, and sprayed a sample on my wrist again to make sure it was the one.  Well, I got home, let Dino smell my wrist, and he thought it smelled "Baby-Powdery," which I took as a bad sign.  I had some FlowerbyKenzo samples, and a KenzoAmour sample, so I sprayed those on, and was even more confused.  What to do!

So this last weekend, we went back.  I sprayed FlowerbyKenzo on one wrist, Flowerbomb on the other, and together we decided the Flowerbomb won!  So I kept my previous purchase, opened it, and then set it aside for the wedding day.  I hope I can resist sneaking smells now and again, it is just beautiful.  Light but rich, floral and clean, kind of silky and just makes me happy.

One more decision down!

A Beautiful Dress!

This weekend, I went for a 3rd dress appointment.  I was so hoping to find my dream dress with tulle, lace, bling, and an awesome shape, but apparently the dress I am looking for doesn't exist with bling.  It does, however, exist without, and I think I might have found the one!

I hope Dino doesn't ever find this, because I want to put a picture here!!!

Image from Pronovias.US

There she is, the beautiful Pronovias Dagen (I only wish the name was a little prettier, and less dagger-like...).  It is quite similar to the Alfred Angelo 867 that I also loved, except better.  The bodice is more sculpted, and even more flattering.  It doesn't have the eyelash lace along the top, which kind of bugged me.  But it fits me just right, and flares out at the right spot for my body.  I would probably get it in optical white, and have a corset back put in, as well as get/make a sash (not the one that you can buy with the dress), have a sparkly veil, and a chunky statement necklace.  In fact, I think I found a great necklace contender!

Image from Etsy.com

It has a matching bracelet and everything!  It would add a little bling and something shiny.  I'm thisclose to buying it too!  It's only $73 for both, so I think I might...  But I'm not convinced they would go perfectly with the dress.  Hm.

And to top it off, I am thinking to return to Alfred Angelo for the veil they had there - it was beautiful with lace and beaded details, adding a little bling also.

I think this was the one.  Image from AlfredAngelo.com

So there you have it.  I am hoping this might be it, my wedding outfit.  I'm worried about pulling the trigger, though, on the dress, because it still does not have the sparkle on the dress that I was kind of hoping for.  I tried on a white dress that was beaded all over, but totally the wrong shape for me, and my mom, who was previously in the No-Bling! camp, really liked it...  But I love how the Dagen fits me, and how it transitions from lace to tulle so elegantly and ends up looking like I'm walking in a cloud.  It also feels pretty summery to me, which is good.

Could someone just decide for me?

The Trouble with No Budget

My parents are beyond awesome.  They have always spoiled me, and have insisted that they pay for this wedding.  I can't complain, they are totally wonderful, know that it's my and Dino's wedding and though they get a little say, our decisions are final.  They also trust me not to go crazy, as I am a pretty frugal person, and I can't imagine paying as much as some do for weddings.

The problem comes with narrowing down all of the infinite options.  Finding a venue was easy, because we found a nice place that fit our requirements enough, and jumped on it before we lost the opportunity to have it.  Photographer was even not that hard, though I tried to make it be more difficult.  I made a huge list of as many photographers as I could find, then had to narrow down that list, and the one we both liked got us (of course, I tried to stay at a reasonable price, but for such an amazing photographer, I was okay stretching what I saw as reasonable).

Now I'm on to caterers.  Our #1 option is no longer a realistic idea, so I'm back to square one.  There are so many caterers out there, between traditional caterers and restaurants that will cater.  Without a budget, I have no idea where to start narrowing the field.  I don't particularly want to call every. single. one. on my list to set up meetings, because I don't have a ton of free time to go meet with people.  We also haven't really determined what kind of food we're going for, aside from delicious.  The only parameters that we have are that we want them to do set up and clean up for us, and we want them to let us choose the menu and bring in the drinks.  Beyond that, the world is our oyster!

But that sucks.  Too many options make me shut down and not want to even think about it.  I know, we could have it way way worse, with a tiny budget that would only allow a couple of options, but it would be easier for me to choose between just a few.  Then again, we can have whatever we want, really.

I guess the solution is to buckle down and start making calls.  Am I the only one dealing with this overwhelming issue of too many options?

Rehearsal Dinner Ideas

I love ice cream.  Especially Molly Moon's ice cream.  Oh, if I could eat their Honey Lavender ice cream every day, I certainly would.  I briefly dreamed about having Molly Moon's come out to our reception with their truck, but quickly realized that wouldn't be very feasible.  The parking lot is not all that close to the reception room, and we're not allowed to have food outside of the room, which would mean everyone would leave the room for ice cream and probably have to eat it outside in the parking lot.  Meh, not a great plan in my mind.  I'm sure we could have them bring ice cream inside, but without the charm of the truck and since we're already planning to have cake AND cookies, it seemed like overkill.

Then I started thinking about the rehearsal dinner, and what we're thinking about doing for that.  Dino and I were talking, and I assured him we would only have people involved at the actual rehearsal, but we agreed that it might be nice to invite out of town guests to a pre-wedding meal, just to get to see people a little more.  That means we might end up with a lot more than we would want to pay for to have a meal in a restaurant, plus if it is nice weather, it would be nice to have the dinner outside at a park or something.

Which brings me back to ice cream!  Seattle has so many fantastic food trucks right now, with amazing food, so it would be great to get a food truck for dinner, and Molly Moon's for dessert, to share with our guests!  This is just my brainstorm, I haven't contacted anyone yet, but I am hoping Dino, his parents, my parents, and anyone else involved loves it too so I can get the ball rolling!  I so want to include the best ice cream ever in our celebration!