Happy Holidays!

I hope everyone is having a fabulous holiday. We're having a great time down in California!

Snow Day!

Well, there is clearly no way that I can get in to work today, so I decided that it has been a long time since I did an inspiration board. Since the ideas have morphed and changed over the last 6 months, I thought I'd reorganize.

There are still some of the original elements, but otherwise lots of changes...

Many of these elements are things that are already a part of our wedding.
The location (center) is Shinneyboo Cabin Creek Resort
Top (tile 4) the sweet dress!
Bottom right: the engagement ring
3rd down on left: the shoes

My dress is in! My dress is in!

I found and ordered my dress on November 29th. That was less than 3 weeks ago. I was told that it would arrive in March or April. It came in today!

I don't know what happened, but I did have an email exchange with the folks at Sophia Tolli about jewelry. Could that have had something to do with it?

Now the conundrum is how and when to pick it up. We're going through Portland tomorrow on our way home for the holidays, but Charlotte's Bridal is closed tomorrow. They'll be open Friday at 11, but by that time we should be well on our way to California. Aagh! What to do?

Fit Bride, Part III: The daily grind

I'm checking in again, and trying not to be too boring or repetitive about the whole business... but it's true, we sort of are in the daily grind portion of the fitness program.

Yoga continues. Besides increasing my strength and flexibility, it's getting more fun too, probably because I'm not suffering the whole time!

In order to keep things interesting, I just got the class schedule for the downtown branch of my gym. It's two blocks from work, which is great, but unfortunately, the really good classes seem to be right in the middle of the work day.

Yeah, I haven't actually done it yet, but at least I'm in the contemplative phase. They seem to love spin classes there, which don't sound fun to me. In fact, the class description used the word pain--which doesn't seem like an enticing way to get people into your class. Also, I googled spin class images, and in all the pics (exhibit A above), people look pretty miserable. So if you've got a great reason to try it, I'm willing to listen. Otherwise, forget the spin class!

I've also learned that completely avoiding Kit Kats and other sweets completely is impossible. I'm allowing small amounts and trying not to over restrict. Otherwise, despite the holiday, the diet is on track. I'm super strict on weekdays, and then on weekends am much more flexible. (Fried chicken last Friday- yum). Still rocking the whole grains too. Popcorn is also a hero food!

Here are the results in graph format. (Thanks, FitDay.com) I should be super-pleased, since I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be, but I guess I had this vision that once I got my act together, the weight would magically disappear. Well, this is the real world and things are working exactly how they should. And for that, I am grateful.

Veiled or unveiled?

I've been casual browsing veils to see 1) whether I wanted one at all 2) what I thought would look good with the sweet dress.

Suffice it to say that with all the traditional veils, nothing caught my eye. Then I stumbled on this one today by Erica Koesler. I thought it was pretty nifty.

It's sort of a combo between the birdcage blusher and a traditional veil, and though I could do without star sparklies, I think it's a good starting point. What do you think?

The "need" for personal eye candy (or wedding porn if you prefer)

As you can see from my last post, I've been struggling with the "stuff" of the wedding and the meaning of the wedding. I mention in that post that Chris and I had decided not to do engagement pictures. We thought it was an unnecessary expense, and for us, self-indulgent.

But this decision has continued to gnaw in the background somewhere. Maybe there is something about capturing the joy of the engagement process that is important. Or maybe it is the cool idea for a photo shoot that keeps this in my mind.

I justify the consideration a couple of ways... Comfort with your photographer is very important, especially for goofy and camera-shy folks like Chris and I. We love our photographer's work. Frankly, I think she's one of the best out there... not just in Tahoe, but anywhere. I want to share her work with you because it is so great.


Annie X photographie

and her blog

Who wouldn't want the opportunity to have some extra photos from Annie? Her work is AMAZING!

Also, isn't it somewhat important to capture this time? We don't need photos to make memories, but they certainly do help sharpen the details in our minds. Looking at them evokes emotion, fills in the color, and provides an anchor for the time.

Finally, my mom has been bugging me for years to give her a photo for her desk. This would be a way to do that without having the photo be of me in a wedding dress!

Of course, we've also considered that we could probably get a friend to do photos for the cost of a burrito and some beer... and that we don't really "need" more photos, since we're getting some from our wedding day. Still, it's not really the same as working with our photographer. For a couple of folks that are committed to keeping costs down and the wedding industrial complex at bay, it feels a little like a compromise.

So I ask those of you who are engaged or married, did you do engagement photos? Are you glad you did or did it end up being unnecessary? Did it help to practice with your photographer? For those of you that know me well, do you think I'm losing sight of our goal by doing something like this? Should we just forget it? Or should we go for it?

Next things next

Now that I have a dress, I have to admit that I'm kind of at a loss for what to do next. I feel like most of the macro issues that you are supposed to do for weddings are taken care of now.

Venue-check (even if they are trying to sell it... yikes!)
Catering-check (thanks, babe!)
Color scheme-check
Photographer-check
Officiant-check
Best folks/dog-check
Obligatory paper lanterns-check (and from a long lost friend that I found through a wedding blog!)
Invitations-holding pattern, but decided

I feel like a little hamster running frantically on that wheel thingy, thinking of all these little details like jewelry, wedding yoga, horse and carriage, music playlist, ceremony, favors, best people gifts... The list seems like it has the potential to be endless...

hackedgadgets.com/.../_human_hamster_wheel_2.jpg


I'm actually starting to create extra work for myself because I keep dreaming up new things. My latest is an idea for an engagement shoot (really cool idea, I might add!), but that would mean having to get engagement pictures, which weren't in our budget and are not something we were planning on doing. Now that I'm considering them, I have to wonder is it self-indulgent busy work or something I should really be doing?

So what's a girl supposed to do next? And where, oh where, do I draw the line? This stuff is really fun, and a bit addictive I might say... but I don't want our wedding to be about "stuff" and really cool looking images. This is about a great new life together, the start of a new family and the growth of love-- these are the most important things to me. Isn't doing more "stuff" a step toward losing sight of that?

Fit Bride, Part II: It's all about the yoga!

I planned to hold myself accountable for fitness progress and pitfalls weekly. Because of the holiday, I didn't quite make it... but I'm checking in now.

So far, I've been sticking to the plan pretty well. I've been doing yoga about 3 times a week and doing cardio, well, not enough, but some!

I swear yoga is the best exercise for me. It changes my metabolism so that I burn more calories all the time, and my flexibility and mental health are improving too. The last time I did a big healthy push was in my second year of residency. I tried everything with very little success. I was working out and eating smaller portions, but I just seemed to bulk up muscle-wise. I added yoga, and dropped down to my pre-residency weight. So, I knew yoga worked for me, but it seemed too expensive for me to do sustainably-- until I joined a gym that had classes. Yay!

Here is a snippet from a review article (science geek alert) that I read,
"There is a need to have yoga better recognized by the health care community as a complement to conventional medical care. Over the last 10 years, a growing number of research studies have shown that the practice of Hatha Yoga can improve strength and flexibility, and may help control such physiological variables as blood pressure, respiration and heart rate, and metabolic rate to improve overall exercise capacity."

J Altern Complement Med. 2002 Dec;8(6):797-812.

Psychophysiologic effects of Hatha Yoga on musculoskeletal and cardiopulmonary function: a literature review.

Raub JA.

In addition to the yoga, I've cut out simple carbs. It was hard to do initially, but you start to get used to it after a while. Whole grains can actually taste good, and I've learned to love Wheat Germ! I've increased my fiber from next to nothing to nearly 30 grams a day... no easy feat...

I've also cut down my processed sugar intake. This is so hard for me to do... Sometimes I just crave something sweet. I can't help it. So, I haven't been perfect on this, but I'm not binging on Kit Kats either ;) and hopefully I'll get there with baby steps.

I'm also using www.fitday.com where I can track every single thing I put in my mouth (if I wanted to) and all of my activity. It's a bit obsessive, and it sends me into a slightly anorexic freakout mode, so I use it sparingly...

The net effect is that I've dropped 4 lbs, in 2 weeks, healthily. I know it's better to only drop a half pound a week, but I'm just going with what happens and not depriving myself, so I feel ok with it. That's great, right? Well, in just the course of me changing my dietary habits and going to yoga, Mr. Chris managed to drop 10 lbs!!!

First of all, I'm jealous (and a little frustrated), but secondly, he doesn't need to lose any weight-- at all. So now I have to figure out a way to shrink myself while keeping the boy adequately fed. Sigh.

I've fallen for someone...

And that someone is a dress.

I've spent a huge amount of time and energy trying on, thinking about, talking about, and soliciting opinions on dresses.

This weekend, we made a trip to Portland to finally try on some of the dresses that have been part of my most recent dress fantasies. Chris's cousin Annie came to the bridal salon to be opinion-giver and photographer. Thanks Annie!

All the decision making and agonizing went out the window when I tried on *the* dress. There was no thought process, just love. No frantic phone calls for sibling approval or friend advice, just action. No pro and con list, just self-assurance. There was also the scary down payment, but the wallet damage wasn't too bad.

It just *was*... and it was perfect.

I'm almost nervous to show her off, because I'm in such love... so lest anyone be too critical, I know there are some challenges associated with my "sweet" dress. But I'm gonna learn how to rock her in all her beauty confidently. There will be train-- for part of the day, but for part of the day she'll probably be train-less.

Please bear with the pictures, we did the best we could in the circumstances... So, without further ado, I present Sophia Tolli's Dolce in Gold/Ivory... (except for Chris who should read no further)

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The crazy train!:
Train off:
Anyway, I wanted to make sure and thank Jen, Kate, Janna, Sandie, Liz, my mom, and all the endless parade of friends and acquaintances who lovingly critiqued and provided advice on dresses. You all are the best!

Oh, she's super comfy too!

The hair affair

I was trying to think of how my hair should look for the wedding... or in general really, since my hairstylist needs a "vision" to work with, as he says.

So I found some lovely pictures that capture a vintage look, but will still appear modern. Finger waves are great, but they might look out of place. I found a few looks that I like. Hopefully, my rockstar stylist can work with them to get me ready. Chris's close friend will be doing my hair the day of the wedding.

Here are Grace Kelly, Lauren Bacall and Katherine Heigel... Not that I can hope to look like any of them, but maybe my hair can!

The bait and switch

www.flickr.com/photos/13525219@N00/360104197

I think most people know by now, but my amazing weekend of trying on dream dresses turned into a jilted at the alter scenario. I'm trying to be understanding about what happened, but it's still baffling.

Last week, as you can see from the post entitled "A happy accident", I found a salon that is about half an hour away that carries Sophia Tolli dresses. I called the store and ran through a list of several style numbers that I wished to try on. From the other end of the phone I could hear the tappity tap of computer keys and then the cheerful voice of the salesperson saying, "Yes, we have all 3 of those dresses!"

Now to be fair, maybe in my excitement I misheard the salesperson, but she went on and on about how beautiful one of the dresses was, so I could only surmise that she'd seen it and it was in the store... But I was oh so wrong.

To get my friends together (many of whom are very busy) is no small feat, but we were able to arrange to have 2 of my girls come with me. When we got to the salon, the same cheerful woman from the phone call met us and told me to pick out 6 or 8 dresses. I told her that mostly I wanted to try on the 3 dresses we had come to see, and could she pull those out? She said, "sure, sure" and then disappeared. She came back empty handed. I was still clueless and trusting.

And then, she tried to steer me toward high-end dresses. It was only then that she admitted that she didn't have *any* of the dresses that I called about. Now reality started settling in for me. What an awkward situation. I was bummed, the saleswoman was clearly uncomfortable, and my amazing friends were trying to salvage the situation.

I did try on some dresses, a few of which were quite lovely... but my heart just wasn't in it, and we quickly realized it was time to cut our losses. Before we got ready to leave, one of my friends said to the salesperson, "You should have told her you didn't have the dresses..." in her best mom-like disappointed voice. She was my hero in that moment.

I surely hope that this isn't the store's usual customer service policy, but just an isolated incident involving one salesperson... As such, I'm not posting the name of the store, though if you are curious I'll share it privately. Still, it was sort of embarassing to haul my friends down there into a rather uncomfortable situation, though they were so sweet and tried to console me with lunch afterward.

On the bright side, the experience motivated me to find dealers who had these dresses in Western Washington (no easy task). It also showed me that continuing to look is probably a good idea, as I feel very strongly about these dresses (which are as elusive as unicorns). One is in Tacoma, and two more are in Portland, so we'll visit Chris's cousin and to try on the other two! (PS no sales tax in Oregon!) So maybe, this will all come up roses after all :)

Alternative Invitations

A couple of weeks ago, Chris and I were walking down the street in Ballard. We saw an art poster that caught my eye, and I haven't been able to get it out of my head. I thought it might be nice to use an image like this as a totally alternative wedding invitation. It's very much our style, and also somewhat reflective of our venue.

We discussed a collaboration with the artist, and he said he's willing to do it! He's been suspicious of doing wedding invitations in the past because he had a bad experience with one customer, but because we only need artwork and not the whole suite he said yes.

The first design is the one I originally fell for.

Here is another that looks surprisingly like our save the dates which are below:

Source: http://www.powerslidedesign.com/posters_html

Our save the date image:

A happy accident

Another bride-to-be inadvertently steered me toward the Sophia Tolli site. I haven't even gazed at a dress site in months. I've been trying to avoid buyers remorse and analysis paralysis... And let's face it, I don't want to try on another wedding dress, well, ever...

But, I haven't been able to decide between the two dresses that I've been looking at, and my poor friends keep having to make special trips to the bridal salon to look at them. I wasn't really conscious of why the decision has been so hard. Maybe it is because I'm not much of a girlie girl and dresses don't matter so much to me. But maybe, just maybe, it is because I haven't met the *right* dress (yet).

Just looking at Sophia Tolli dresses feels different. It is not at all clear to me whether any of these will even look good on me... BUT, if one did, let me tell you, I would be so excited about my dress (and that means a lot coming from me!)

It's sort of like guys. I always thought I wasn't the marrying type... and I wasn't. But it was because I hadn't met the right guy. When I started hanging out with Chris, I absolutely knew that this was different. Maybe it's the same way with dresses?

Without further ado, here are some of my favorite Sophia Tolli dresses. I'm scheduled to try them on (sigh) Saturday. Please, let there be one that I love!

The first is the Selene... This dress has optional straps with a lace back or peak a boo corset. I wouldn't even know how to decide which way to wear it. They are both beautiful in their own way. Maybe some pics with and some pics without? Oh Selene, please look good on me...




The second is the Emily. I love how it has elements of the Betina and the Mori Lee. I also love the diagonal edge that reminds me so much of a sari. So elegant and beautiful!


There are too many that I love to show you them all, but in honor of my sister's extreme passion for this one, I'll show you it too. I think it is not structured enough through the waist to look good on me, but it'll be fun to try on!

I've got a bad crush... I just hope this new relationship works out ;) Does everyone "just know" when they have the right dress? Was it similar to the way you "knew" about your fiance? (because, that I get)... I kept waiting for that moment while trying on dresses and it just hasn't happened. Pray that Saturday it does!

Fit Bride

I've found new motivation to achieve some weight loss and health goals. It's a no brainer when I look at myself in dresses and see a different image than what is in my head. It's a hard thing to even talk about, actually.

I know that I wasn't healthy at 98 lbs during medical school (though that's a whole other story), but I'm not exactly in peak condition at 136 either. I still definitely think of myself at 118 lbs when starting residency... Though I don't anticipate being able to get there.

The situation has required a re-dedication of my efforts. I want to feel really good about myself on my wedding day, and to know that I did everything I could to look and feel my best.

This week I started going to yoga at my gym. I can go up to 4 times a week, though I'm being realistic and setting a goal of 3 yoga classes. I'm also taking a dance class, and using the eliptical machine a couple of times a week... Increased energy output--check!

Chris is totally supportive, so we've cut the meat in our diet at least in half. And hardest thing of all-- I've cut out processed foods :( Only whole grains for me. Bye, bye white rice. See ya, plain pasta. Good riddance snack foods. (I am allowing for a smidge of after dinner dark chocolate, but no more real dessert). Decreased energy intake--check!

Hopefully, all of my friends will be equally supportive, because this is going to be damned hard!

One motivation I found today is a site called www.weightview.com You simply upload a picture of yourself, they use some pixel magic to shave off the pounds to your goal weight, and presto... you are that much lighter. Maybe this will help me stick to it!

One version of a wedding invitation

Though I love letterpress from the bottom of my heart, it is *way* out of our price range. That being said, we still wanted great invitations to set the tone for a great day. They're all just too expensive, but electronic invites seem to be out of the question.

So, I went to Costco Invitations online. And, they happened to be having a sale... And, that sale happened to be 40% off on certain invitations. And, one of them happens to be to my liking, though not what we had anticipated...

What do you think?

And then there were 2

OK, final two.

I think I know what you all are going to say, but I'm putting it all out there for comments. I won't tell you what I think because I don't want to color anyone's opinion. I will say that there are pros and cons to each, which makes this a hard decision.

I have a feeling that at this point my decision will be in agreement with popular opinion. Let me know what you think, and most importantly, if I should keep looking! (Please don't say I should keep looking)...

I should add: OK, I take it back, I have no idea which one I'm leaning towards now. I keep going back and forth about straps/no straps, the fancy back of the Betina, the beautiful detail on the Mori Lee, the $1,000 price difference. I just wish I could show my man, but he wants this to be a surprise now.

Vote for Change!

Whatever your political orientation, I beg you to go out and vote today. Let your voice be heard! I will not pretend to be non-partisan, but I do respect everyone's individual decision to support who they think will be best for our nation. Personally, I've been working for Barack Obama since November, and I feel like I own part of this campaign. Never have I been so politically energized and included! History will be made today, and I am so happy to be a part of it!
Also, California friends, please consider voting no on Proposition 8. I know most of you are.... but as someone who is getting married in California next year, I want to make sure that every single person in the state shares that same right. The world will not end, morals will not crumble. Families will be created and we'll all be better off for it. I point to MA. for those concerned. The world has not ended there, divorce rates have not worsened (and in fact they've actually improved).

I understand that not all of us meet eye to eye on this, but I had to say it. I still love those of you who disagree, just as I love my gay and lesbian friends who I write about No on Prop 8 for.

Shoe reveal

So I've had a couple of phone requests and Betrothed Bean's online request to see the shoes.

Now, I had no idea that these very shoes were becoming a rampant wedding trend, but apparently they are. So sue me, I'm trendy for once...

I wanted something really comfortable. As I said, I was going to wear Chuck Taylors, but they seemed too blah for the kind of dresses I'm looking at. I went to try these on a whim when I was in Downtown Seattle. John Fluevog, I love your shoes so! They were so comfortable and seemed like they were made for me.

I thought, eeks, should I really buy shoes before the gown? That doesn't even make sense... But the more I thought about these, the more I was narrowing down dress choices. I also wanted a place where I could really express myself without anyone (oh, you know who you are ;) having a heart attack.

Some may love them, some may hate them, but all I know is that Chris and I are both wild for them... and that's enough for me!




I plan to lace them with either blue laces or blue ribbon. So much fun!

Shoe Love!

Remember when I was going to wear these?



Well, I don't think that's going to be the case anymore.

I found a new shoe and I'm totally in love. It's different, it's comfortable and it's so me!

Do you want to see it or do you want to be surprised? It's up to you... for now I won't post it... but I would be happy to if you want.

The minds (part 3)

I've been putting off writing the next installment of Meet the Minds. Why, you ask?

Simple. Writing about this chick is no easy task! I wanted to write something perfect and witty... fully befitting Jen, but knowing that I'll probably fall short, I kept putting it off until divine inspiration hit. Well, that's never going to happen, so I thought I would just dive in.

I remember explaining to a guy that Jen was dating once that, yes indeed he was wrong... Jen is always right. I don't mean sometimes. The girl is a wonder, and so if she says something is fact, it is. All the googling in the world will only bear her out. I used to try disagreeing with Jen, but it's a useless endeavor! Not only is Jen right, but she is also smart, funny, humble, crafty, creative, reality-based and emotionally intelligent. And I'm still selling her short with this description.

Jen and I met in the first few weeks of grad school. (Let me know if I'm getting this right, Jen). She was a nutrition chick and I was into Infectious Diseases. One of my earliest memories of hanging out with Jen was when I somehow convinced this nutrition girl to walk with me to the corner of Shattuck to go to McDonalds. Apparently, I had no shame eating the worst food in the world with one of the healthiest people I know. I reflected on this moment in August when Jen had a McDonald's biscuit waiting for me on dress try-on day. She always knows just what I need! So, on our first outing to McDonald's, I remember thinking, "Man this girl is cool." Maybe it was the witty banter or maybe it was the biology nerd in her. I can't remember the particulars, but I knew there was no going back.

Since then, Jen has been there through thick and thin. We suffered through altitude sickness and gastroenteritis together in Tibet and China. Eww, we tasted scorpion together, and we used the worst bathroom in the entire world on one of the most memorable nights in Tibet. (Side note: When I say worst bathroom in the world, I am not exaggerating. I'll save the particulars for those who are interested, but trust me when I say that you never have and never will see anything like this anywhere, ever. Period.) We've lived in Tahoe together, snowboarded together in Jackson Hole (and elsewhere), hiked, canoed, shopped, plotted, and played Taboo. Jen kicks all ass in Taboo, and I have been lucky enough to be her ass-kicking assistant. To this day, I've never been able to break our record of Taboo points with anyone else.

Now we live far from each other, but we see each other when we can. She's my fashion and decorating consultant. Jen doesn't need me for anything... she's far too competent for that. But for whatever reasons, she lets me hang out! She's way too busy for words, being such a successful person... but she still finds time for me... and for that, I am forever and ever, tears in my eyes grateful!

My taboo clue is, "Something Homer Simpson might enjoy ingesting"

Gah! The dress saga continues...

I learned something crucial today. Such a simple thing, but it may make me go back and revisit everything. The bra I've been wearing to try on dresses is no good. It seems that to give a strapless bra structure, you need to make it padded. Well, the last thing I need is padding! I took it off today to try on a couple of dresses, and lo and behold-- it's a whole different look.

Crikey, how many dresses did I dismiss that might have been ok with a different bra?

Anyway, I liked a couple that I found today... Don't get too attached to either of them ;)

The first is Vera Wang. It is so delicious!



I'm not sure who makes the next one, but it was fun, so I thought I'd show it.



So, I've got to go try on some of these other dresses again. My thoughts were to retry the Betina, the Audrey, and the Mori Lee. Anything else I should re-try?

Dress Madness, Part 2

I braved the world of dress shopping again today! I was feeling fairly well, and let's face it-- loads better in terms of physical health compared to last time.

We made it to 2 shops today:
I Do Bridal
La Belle Elaine's

Now I have to say, the staff in both places was great. However, the atmosphere of La Belle was crazy. There was a giant lighted runway lined with mirrors, and 100's of dresses in a huge circular room. I mean the place is way cool! I Do was much more utilitarian, but they made up for it with their charming staff and their prices are unbelievably amazing.

We had some good luck today. I don't know if it was my mood or that I already sort of knew what I was looking for from my previous experience, but we really did like almost all the dresses I tried on. Keep in mind that I still like the Augusta Jones, Betina... but Tia did fall off my list when I tried it on again today.

I'll try to weed them down here to the ones I really, really liked and give some images. Unfortunately neither place allows photos, which was a bummer. Fortunately, I was able to get a couple of images to help with the decision.

Enough with the talk. Let me show you some photos.

Mori Lee Style 2105. It really is hard to get an idea of how this looks on me, until you see it... But you'll have to trust me that it accentuated my waist, and laid really nicely through the hips. It wasn't too low on top either.



The next one that we really like was a Casablanca dress, style 1908. This dress fit really well, but I'll admit that I felt a teensy bit like the top of a cake!


Next we have the Maggie Sottero Colby. It's a great dress, very light and very destination wedding. It's made of chiffon, so it feels a little flimsy compared to the others. Oh, and note that my hair will never ever look like this ;) (I promise!)
Next, I tried on a dress from a local Seattle designer. I think the line is called Audrey and the number is 1307. I put on the dress and felt pretty great about it. I tried it on again, hoping to remember it, but knowing that I wouldn't. No photos, so there was no way I could capture it.

I decided to do something I would never do. I put on a very pitiful look and told the assistant that I really really would love a photo to show my family back home in California. I wasn't exactly pouty, and I didn't cry, but I did leave enough doubt as to whether we were going there! The assistant was so lovely about it and snapped a couple of iphone photos for me. So kind! This is a lot of dress, and I do look very curvy in it. I wish you could see the details, especially since we can't find this online. It's got lace and rusching on top with a small amount of beading and crystals, but not too much. The back has two tiers... so think about dresses with pickups.


Now I know the majority of these dresses are strapless, but most of them can have straps added. The bottom one unfortunately would not look good even with spagetti straps.

Oh, and I'll show you the Betina again, since it is the one remaining on the list from my prior outing.



So what do you think? Opinions? Questions? Concerns? Let it fly!

Global financial meltdown (wedding style)

Now is a funny time to be planning a wedding. We've been so carefully planning and saving for a life together. We put together a reasonable budget and have been financially responsible. We have a plan for the wedding and for the future. Even in the best of times, throwing a wedding puts a financial burden on a fledgling couple... but add an unpredictable market and failing banks, and it makes you wonder if putting money into a wedding is such a good idea.

We're in a weird space because we've already paid for or put deposits down on the major things. But it does make me re-evaluate some of the details. I wonder if paper invitations are really essential. I also wonder how many decoration we really need. Maybe I can find a dress bargain that I can live with. How much DIY can I really do? (Especially since I'm so talentless when it comes to artistic things!)

In a way, I take this as an opportunity to re-evaluate what is important. It should be interesting to distill things down to the essential elements, and maybe in the end it will even take some of the pressure to be perfect off.

Yeah, if Chris's glass is all the way full-- 1/2 with air and 1/2 with water, I'm going to make sure mine is at least half full(!), but it does feel like we're blindly hurtling off a cliff into an abyss right now.

Anyone else feel guilty about the state of the economy and its relationship with your wedding? Are you changing or revising anything because of the crisis?

Lucky girl!

Well, I can't believe that I've actually had a stroke of luck. There are a ton of bridal contests out there, and when I run across them I'll enter-- of course never expecting to win anything.

(Although, what I really would love to score is a set of letterpress invitations... Guess I have to keep dreaming on that count!)

Nonetheless, I did score a gift certificate to Bonita J. jewelery. Check it out, and let me know if you have any opinions. I have a few ideas, but I'll be interested to see what you think!

http://www.bonitaj.com/sfnt.html

Example of one of their necklaces:

Amazing letterpress

OK, so most of you probably know that Chris and I were at first going to send out our invitations electronically. That idea didn't last very long. But lately as themes and ideas have come together, it has seemed more and more that invitations are a nice element to set the tone for our day.

I stumbled across the Dingbat's Agenda and learned all about some of the more creative things you can do with letterpress. They are giving away a full invitation suite, and I figure that their contest is the closest I'll ever get to letterpress. Here's hoping! (How perfect is this simple pear invitation?)

Pirate Name!

Friday is national talk like a pirate day! Being that I'm the pirate piece of pirates and pears, I went and searched out the pirate name generator.

My pirate name is: Bad-Rum Antonia. (I like it!)
Chris's name is: Cap'n Gus Cannonballs (funny)

Check out the site and find your pirate name!
http://gangstaname.com/pirate_name.php

Maybe we'll publish your pirate name in the wedding program!