Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Top 100 Wedding Blogs


How many wedding blogs do you read? Only LA Brides, right? Just kidding! Well, most brides to be overwhelm themselves with wedding blogs in search of inspiration, deals, DIY instructions, and advice. I admit I'm one of them. I would be lost without Google Reader to manage all the blogs I read.

In case you feel like you're missing a blog or two BrideTide.com announced the Top 100 Wedding Blogs of 2009. The links are categorized by topic and there's something to be found for every bride.

I've been reading wedding blogs since long before I was engaged. Blogs have provided me with tons of great ideas and serve as a way to see a variety of weddings and styles. At this point in my planning process (102 days to go), I simply use blogs to search out details and day of advice. Most of my "big decisions" are done and I hope to blog about those soon.

What do you use wedding blogs for? What's your favorite?

--Love

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Shower Oops!

My FMIL, and her friends, are throwing B and I a shower next weekend. The invitation finally arrived yesterday (a mere 11 days in advance). The shower will be held at the church were B's dad is currently pastor. B knows the guests and I've only briefly met most of those invited.

From my understanding, the shower is supposed to be a "home improvement" themed shower. Since B knows everyone better and we desperately need tools and things to begin our home renovations (more to come on that later, but we get to start fixing up the house in the next few weeks). So we registered at Home Depot. . . if you can call it that. Home Depot technically has a wedding registry, but demand was so low that they no longer offer scanners. That's right--we took a clip board and pen and registered what I imagine is the old fashion way. The registry is also not available online, but guests can access the registry in store from any Home Depot nationally. Let me tell you. . . that was an experience!

The invitations that came specified that this will be a "Jack and Jill shower." I had to Google it to figure out what that, according to this site it's basically a shower that's for both the bride and groom with gifts that both would enjoy. My FMIL told me months ago that she was planning on having a book passed around where guests shared their marriage advice with us. Well, when the invitation came it suggested that guests bring their favorite home improvement advice to share with us! I expected to get marriage advice and will instead get advice on how to properly paint a wall!

It was also important to my FMIL that I register with Pampered Chef. She said that her local consultant was popular and many women in her community favored Pampered Chef for wedding gifts. However, when the shower invitation arrived it didn't list Pampered Chef as one of our listed registries. After a quick check of the registry online, I discovered that no gifts have been purchased from it yet. This isn't a big deal except that this is the only reason I registered there at all.

I'm very grateful for the shower and I want to appear appreciative for all their work, but do I say anything?

Did you experience any "shower oops?"

--Love

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

If the Shoe Fits


I love shoes that beg for attention. . . that stand out. . . that have color! I vowed to wear colored shoes on my wedding day look long before I was engaged. I wore red high heels for my engagement pictures. I proudly flaunt turquoise shoes to brighten up my bland, black every day look at work.

My wedding colors are black, white, and sage green. I have been on a mission to find perfect green heels. . . within my budget. It seems that since green is also the color of money it takes lot to get fabulous green shoes that don't look cheap.

Yesterday I found the perfect pair of green shoes, but because Overstock.com only receives well, overstocks they didn't have it in my size. So, the more "bridal looking" version will have to. Meet my wedding shoes! They were only available in my size, which meant they called to me. They are Nine West, satin, and meant for me!

I love colored shoes, but lately I also love being "bridal." Sure I won't be able to wear these shoes lots after the wedding (unless I get brave with some DIY dye), but these shoes will make me feel bridal. . . right down to the tips of my toes!

What makes you feel "bridal?"

--Love

Monday, March 16, 2009

Shower Inspiration

BM Tabitha's mother is one of the women I look up to most. She is fabulous, successful, creative, and has craft skills I can only dream about. Tabitha's older sister is expecting her first child and her mother coordinated an amazing shower! Now I know this is a wedding blog and I am not ready to be talking about babies, but a lot of her ideas can translate well into a wedding shower. . . it's all about a fabulous celebration no matter what the occasion!

The shower was "The Sweetest Thing" themed.:















She used the green paper lanterns left over from Tabitha's wedding and purchased new green ones to celebrate the baby boy!















Her mother took her pregnant pictures and made this mural above the gift table. I can only imagine how fabulous engagement pictures could look like this too!



















What are some shower ideas you have?


--Love

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Wedding Dreams?

It happened again last night. I had another wedding dream. . . no nightmare.

A few months ago I started the wedding dreams. One of the most memorable was a dream in which only those I was cutting from the guest list attended. I was walking around the reception with a fake smile on my face and kept wondering where my best friends were!

In lots of my wedding dreams something has gone wrong: photographer didn't show, my hair didn't get fixed before walking down the aisle, or there was no music at the reception.

Last night's dream took the cake: In my dream I walked down the aisle in our beautiful church on my father's arm. I was glowing and filled with happiness just like I hope to be except when I looked up there was no groom! I soon spotted him. . . in the pew wearing an unbuttoned shirt and acting like a casual guest. I was walking down the aisle and kept staring at him in the pew rather than straight ahead. Eventually B stood up and told people he was going to also perform the ceremony then he simply left. I was devastated and in the dream my friends crowded around to console me. I woke up gasping!

Amore has also had wedding nightmares. Apparently it's common among brides to be. According to Dream Moods:
"If you are getting married and have dreams of your pending wedding, then it highlights the stress of organizing a wedding. Conflicts over wedding details, tension with family and in-laws, fear of commitment, and loss of independence may all cause wedding anxiety dreams. Research has shown that up to 40% of brides and grooms have dreams about their ceremony and things going perfectly."

Have you had any wedding dreams or nightmares?

--Love

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Prices from 1939? No joke!


Glamour is one of my favorite magazines. I love that it offers beauty, health, and sex tips along with stories about real women and social justice. I think that Glamour is one of the magazines that comes close to reflecting real women today (well, at least closer than lots of other women's magazines).

In honor of Glamour's 70th Anniversary they're offering a one year subscription for $1.50. No joke. $1.50! That's the price of their one year subscription in 1939 when they began. Subscribe today!

This is a steal! The offer lasts until March 15. I plan on renewing my subscription and sending out a few as gifts.
*If you send the subscription yourself it automatically rewnews next year at the regular subscription rate. However, if you send a gift subscription to yourself you don't have to worry about the automatic renewal.

Find any great steals lately?

--Love

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

What Happens in Vegas. . . .


Stays in Vegas?

On Friday, B will jet off to Las Vegas for his bachelor party with his closest fraternity brothers. Yes, my fiance is celebrating his singledom in Sin City.

Will there be celebrating? Yes! Will there be drinking? Yes! Will there be boys making bad life choices? Yes! But most importantly, will there be trust? Yes.

I trust B completely and know that his long weekend in Las Vegas will be filled with fun, excitement, and time with his friends, who are spread throughout the country. I know lots of girls who would never dream of letting their fiance go to Vegas for a bachelor party. I'm not one of them.

I've been in a relationship without trust before (the one we simply call "bad life choice") and it's no good. From day one B and I have been completely trusting. I have lots of guy friends and he's cool with that. I trust him to have a night or weekend out with the guys. For us, it's so important that we have a foundation of trust.

So, I might get some late night phone calls this weekend, but I'll know he's having a great time. My only request: a souvenir, preferably tacky and wedding related. I can't imagine those are too hard to find in Vegas!

What is your FI doing for his bachelor party? How do you deal with trust in your relationship?

Viva Las Vegas!
--Love

Monday, March 2, 2009

"We are family"


When B and I marry we we will be a family. . . and we both come with our own furbabies. Yes, we will have one dog and one cat. Meet our furbabies:


Meacham is B's dog and best friend. He currently lives in Tennessee with B's parents, but will join B and I in our town in April. B found Meacham a couple of years ago as a stray dog in a park in Knoxville. He is named after Robert Meacham, former University of Tennessee football player.


Meacham only listens to B. He is not interested in following any of my commands. He craves B's attention and is none to happy to have to share with me. Meacham also chewed up my favorite red high heels last year.

B is happier when Meacham is around. He is a boy who loves his dog. I know that living with Meacham will take some getting used to on my part, but I'm willing to try because he means so much to B. I know that Meacham will provide us with many stories and adventures. . .


I'm more of a cat kind of girl. . . .

Meet Roxy, my birthday present from B (she's grown lots since the picture was taken). I'll admit that at first I was none to happy to get a kitten for my birthday, but after about a minute I fell in love and now we are best friends.

I adore her and she follows me around every where I go. Her favorite place to rest is on my chest and she purrs with delight. She's a firecracker and loves to play or chase me during my workout.


Roxy sleeps with me every night. She always starts out cute and cuddly, but that never lasts long. Roxy loves to find my ponytail holders or pearl earrings and play throughout the night. She will randomly pounce on me and wakes me up without fail an hour before my alarm. I am a hard sleeper, but B suffers from insomnia and will not be a fan of a cat who steals his precious sleep.

So soon my "family-to-be" will be living under one roof (although Meacham will become more of an outside dog). We're going to start out with problems to be solved and it will take some time for all of us to learn to live together, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Will you be "merging families?" Have you had to adjust to new pets?

--Love