The Best Man, Joe, arrived last week, my Dad arrived yesterday, my Doctor (& family friend) today, my college-years best friend, Gina, and his 2nd oldest brother and nephew, Brian and Charlie - all tomorrow.
Tonight most of the family was at our place, boy, talk about crowded and 5 people were still missing!
We're starting to load the vehicles for the wedding. The Volvo Wagon has all the decor for the church stowed in it, and Saturday, Martin takes it to my other best friend's house. She and her partner don't have a car and needed one for all the festivities - we had a car full of stuff and nobody to drive it. Her partner, Shaun, made sure his license and personal driving insurance are all current for it - which is awesome, most people wouldn't even think about it. So we helped each other out in a very awesome way. (They're also happy to be driving a metal tank from the 70s around, they have a 13 month old and are both paranoid about accidents. )
Tomorrow, he closes on our mortgage refinance and picks up my newly fused wedding ring set, while I finish wedding shopping, afterward we'll go visiting bed-ridden elderly relatives who can't make it to the wedding. Then I pick up Gina and come home to get ready for our bachelor/ette party. He and Joe are going to pick up his costume for our party (we're going as the Easter Bunny and his chocolate confection! woot!), pick up the wedding cakes and deliver them to the cake sculptor, along with the board and dowel she requested for the base. (She's making a lighthouse, on a cliff over the ocean... out of cake!)
At the cake sculptor's place, they are also having a potluck - so the guys are staying for that. While Gina and I meet up with my Dad and go to Sobo 151 early for a Czech dinner. At 9 the guests for the party should arrive and by 10pm we'll be on the party bus ride for the night.
Saturday, we have the rehearsal and set up a couple of things early. The guys go pick up the tuxes, while I take the rest of the family to the restaurant for the rehearsal luncheon. This is where things start getting fuzzy and slow. The ladies and I are going to the spa to get our wedding nails done, while the guys deliver things to the hotel, get the wedding party people settled in their prospective places and deliver the Volvo to Rachel and Shaun. (It may not seem fair, but I've done a bulk of the work on the wedding, early on and mostly by myself, so that I can relax the night before and Martin procrastinated his end of the planning, so he gets stuck with the last minute stuff while I get pampered!)
Sunday is the Wedding!!! O.O
OMG!!
I'm getting married fo' realz yo!
lol
Friday, December 18, 2009
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
The Bachelor/ette Party
We got a party bus - it seats 47 people. If we fill it up, that's only $10 per person to pay for it AND we'll give a good tip to the driver!
It's the same party bus company that the Rocky Mountain Roller Girls use.
We'll start @ 9pm at Sobo 151
http://www.sobo151.net/
The bus picks us up at 10pm and we head towards Capital Hill. We're still needing people's opinions on which places to go between the Baker District and Capital Hill. We will hit Charlie Browns and Netherworld at some point, the final stop on the bus will be back at Sobo 151.
We know money is tight these days. If you're trying to decide between a cool wedding present for us or using the moolah to join us for this - we'd prefer your company partying up on a cool bus, than more material items in our already crowded house. ;)
See you in a few weeks! We're so excited (and Nervous! We're Getting Married!! O.O HOLY!!)
♥
The Colonel and Future Mrs. Mustard
It's the same party bus company that the Rocky Mountain Roller Girls use.
We'll start @ 9pm at Sobo 151
http://www.sobo151.net/
The bus picks us up at 10pm and we head towards Capital Hill. We're still needing people's opinions on which places to go between the Baker District and Capital Hill. We will hit Charlie Browns and Netherworld at some point, the final stop on the bus will be back at Sobo 151.
We know money is tight these days. If you're trying to decide between a cool wedding present for us or using the moolah to join us for this - we'd prefer your company partying up on a cool bus, than more material items in our already crowded house. ;)
See you in a few weeks! We're so excited (and Nervous! We're Getting Married!! O.O HOLY!!)
♥
The Colonel and Future Mrs. Mustard
Monday, November 30, 2009
Wedding Schedule
We're only 20 days from the wedding, 16 from when it all becomes crazy. I thought you would all appreciate from seeing what this month is going to look like.
The flowers from Sturtz and Copeland should show up about then, we only ordered wedding party flowers, mine and the flowergirl's are in Victorian baskets - we did not order decor pieces, nor corsages/boutonnieres for the parents (I handmade those instead, so they can have them as keepsakes.)
Mar and Dwight will be there with the cake @ that time as well - maybe setting up the cake table first would be good, the wedding cake's going to be a lighthouse on a cliff over the ocean and large enough to feed 120 people... the least they have to move it the better. ;)
****In order to get our house back, so that we may more easily accommodate our out of town guests before the wedding, we're taking the completed decor containers and the food bank stuff up to my art space in Boulder. I'm praying someone will be able and willing to go pick it all up and make sure it's all at the church by no later than 1:45pm! No decorating can happen until those bins are at the church, so it's crucial that whoever volunteers is willing to commit to being on time. They'd need to get the warehouse keys from me on Saturday.*****
Ok! So, everything's all set up, John's ready to start playing his set in the sanctuary, people are being seated - the groom's party shows up at 3:30pm, and the bride's party at 3:45pm.
Hopefully we'll have everyone in and seated by 4pm, we'll find out the day before how long it's going to be in reality. There are programs - they are one sheet, folded in half and mostly thank yous.
Now the schedule for the reception.
Beginning somewhere between 445 and 5pm:
We've reserved two of the suites directly across the hall from the party room at the hotel for changing plus there's an indoor pool and whirlpool included. Our after party is going to be awesome. Here's hoping it doesn't get too big though!
One last, but definitely not least, thing: We need to figure out how to get Gina to DIA in time for an 815pm flight out, the day of - which means she has to leave in the middle of the reception. I'm hoping someone will be willing to help us out, or at least get her on a Boulder bus to DIA on time - we would be forever grateful, she's making a lot of really amazing gifts for everyone attending, as a present to us and is flying out from Chicago just for the weekend.
We're both nervous wrecks. My head's in the clouds and Martin's neck froze up again. On the plus side, my health is swinging up finally and I'm dropping weight fast - while Martin is rapidly making all the changes to his life that he procrastinated for so long.
- Dec. 9th, Best Man, Joe's arriving and staying to help for a month.
- Dec. 16th, my Dad arrives and I have my hair practice run with Gabby in Castle Rock.
- Dec 17th, all the guys go to Al's Tux at Flat Irons Mall @ 6pm for their final fittings.
- Dec. 18th, Gina arrives from Chicago, the plain cakes are delivered to Mar to be sculpted, and we have our combined bachelor/ette party in Denver that evening.
- Dec. 19th Rehearsal in Boulder @ the church @ 1130am.
- Pick up tuxedos from Al's on the way to the
- Rehearsal luncheon 2pm @ Great Scott's Eatery in Broomfield
- 430 is when the ladies need to be across the highway at the Mokara spa to get their nails done for the wedding - we head to the hotel from there.
- The guys head over to Martin's place for the night.
- Dec 20th A.M. = getting ready for everything at our perspective places.
- 2pm SET-UP - they only have 2 hours between when we can occupy the space and when the ceremony starts. I've put each table's worth of decor in separate bags with cards detailing what goes where and how. There will be about 6 storage containers worth of decor for 3 halls worth of stuff. Nothing hanging, except pew bows - it's all on the tables. If they can't figure out what I'm talking about, they can ask Scarlet or Canadian Rachel. Food goes into the kitchen immediately, Becky is being paid to take care of making sure the food and champagne is set up and served, she's a pro and will grab people to help her if she needs it. Someone will set out the boards and platters, start the hot water and coffee, make the first bowl of punch - she'll take it from there. Scarlet is going to need all the hands she can get to help set everything up. There's chairs to move in the sanctuary, coat racks to move from the Sky Room to the lobby, tables to set up all over and decor to be put out on everything.
The flowers from Sturtz and Copeland should show up about then, we only ordered wedding party flowers, mine and the flowergirl's are in Victorian baskets - we did not order decor pieces, nor corsages/boutonnieres for the parents (I handmade those instead, so they can have them as keepsakes.)
Mar and Dwight will be there with the cake @ that time as well - maybe setting up the cake table first would be good, the wedding cake's going to be a lighthouse on a cliff over the ocean and large enough to feed 120 people... the least they have to move it the better. ;)
****In order to get our house back, so that we may more easily accommodate our out of town guests before the wedding, we're taking the completed decor containers and the food bank stuff up to my art space in Boulder. I'm praying someone will be able and willing to go pick it all up and make sure it's all at the church by no later than 1:45pm! No decorating can happen until those bins are at the church, so it's crucial that whoever volunteers is willing to commit to being on time. They'd need to get the warehouse keys from me on Saturday.*****
Ok! So, everything's all set up, John's ready to start playing his set in the sanctuary, people are being seated - the groom's party shows up at 3:30pm, and the bride's party at 3:45pm.
Hopefully we'll have everyone in and seated by 4pm, we'll find out the day before how long it's going to be in reality. There are programs - they are one sheet, folded in half and mostly thank yous.
Now the schedule for the reception.
Beginning somewhere between 445 and 5pm:
- Ceremony lets out - people are ushered into Sky Room for "Cocktail 1/2hr" and Erika starts the kids songs, invites families to go ahead and start feeding any hungry kids, parents hand out the fairy wings - there's going to be around 30 kids, all between 1 month and 16 yrs old. (We'll all be back in the Sanctuary with Ara taking the professional portraits of everybody.)
- Wedding Party Intro
- Grand Entrance of Bride and Groom
- Eat and Mingle
- Blessing of the Marriage by Bride's Father
- Toasts
- Cake Cutting
- Bouquet/Garter Tosses
- First (and only) Dance - they can step in halfway through if they like, we don't have time to do a bunch of different dances.
- Open Dancing
- 7:00PM Bride and Groom Depart
- Clean-up to take everything straight over to the hotel.
- Head to after-party and put everything out on tables all willy-nilly.
- RELAX and Have FUN!!
We've reserved two of the suites directly across the hall from the party room at the hotel for changing plus there's an indoor pool and whirlpool included. Our after party is going to be awesome. Here's hoping it doesn't get too big though!
One last, but definitely not least, thing: We need to figure out how to get Gina to DIA in time for an 815pm flight out, the day of - which means she has to leave in the middle of the reception. I'm hoping someone will be willing to help us out, or at least get her on a Boulder bus to DIA on time - we would be forever grateful, she's making a lot of really amazing gifts for everyone attending, as a present to us and is flying out from Chicago just for the weekend.
We're both nervous wrecks. My head's in the clouds and Martin's neck froze up again. On the plus side, my health is swinging up finally and I'm dropping weight fast - while Martin is rapidly making all the changes to his life that he procrastinated for so long.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
26 Days!
I'm having the "will I get it all done?" jitters with insomnia.
I think I'm close to the end of my list and someone reminds me of something I forgot.
We're both nervous but I think we're ready for the day to just get here so we can stop spending money, time and energy on it.
I think the fact that I've been very ill for the last year and the medicine/extreme diet I'm now on saps my energy, makes everything seem so much harder right now. At least I know ahead of time that he really will stick with me through sickness and health. (The plus side of this is that I'm dropping weight quickly, though, here's hoping I don't lose too much before the day of and end up making my dress too big for me!)
We're renting a party bus for the combined bachelor/ette party, since neither of us are interested in strippers and the only way to distract our friends from that is to have a bar hop with the driving done for them. Thankfully I can't have any booze because of my illness, so I won't have a hang over the next day for the rehearsal. I can't say the same for Martin, his Best Man, Joe, and my MoH, Stephanie, all of them like a good night out drinking.
The list that's left:
Whew! I'm tired just thinking about it. I'm normally super OCD and an artist to boot, the caveat that I not show up at the church until 20mins before the ceremony and not help put everything together is hard for me. Since I will not be there to see what I missed, I'm trying to not worry about forgetting anything before hand - this is hard as well. I keep trying to just breathe and remember that having my friends and family put it all together for me will make it even more magical for us when we finally see the big picture manifested.
I think I'm close to the end of my list and someone reminds me of something I forgot.
We're both nervous but I think we're ready for the day to just get here so we can stop spending money, time and energy on it.
I think the fact that I've been very ill for the last year and the medicine/extreme diet I'm now on saps my energy, makes everything seem so much harder right now. At least I know ahead of time that he really will stick with me through sickness and health. (The plus side of this is that I'm dropping weight quickly, though, here's hoping I don't lose too much before the day of and end up making my dress too big for me!)
We're renting a party bus for the combined bachelor/ette party, since neither of us are interested in strippers and the only way to distract our friends from that is to have a bar hop with the driving done for them. Thankfully I can't have any booze because of my illness, so I won't have a hang over the next day for the rehearsal. I can't say the same for Martin, his Best Man, Joe, and my MoH, Stephanie, all of them like a good night out drinking.
The list that's left:
- Stain the bows for the pews with tea to age them and add the ribbons from the wedding to them.
- Put together the slideshow of us as kids and together to play on the wall behind everyone throughout the reception and afterparty. (I'm thinking of scaling down from the projector and just getting a large digital frame instead.)
- finish making the embroidered tablerunner for the cake table (the embroidery is done - I just have to assemble it all.)
- Put together the organization tubs with everything for the decor of the church sanctuary and reception spaces. (I'm not allowed to be there for any of the set-up or tear-down, per the request of my family and friends - so I'm making it super easy on them to put it all together without me.)
- Buy bridal hosiery - the last piece of my undergarments yet to be purchased.
- repaint the bars for the afterparty - we made bars for the Burning Man camp we used to be a part of, I'm sanding down the old paint job and repainting them to reflect us instead of a dusty art camp.)
- Make the signs for the different areas: gift table, birdcage for cards, guest-tree instructions, box of fairy wings, box for food bank donations.
- Talk to my daughter about her hair.
- Confirm spa time for the ladies after the rehearsal luncheon.
- buy booze for after party
- hand out the catering pans for all the food the ladies in our families are making for the wedding.
- buy the biodegrable plates and cups, and the sternos for the hot stuff on the buffet.
- make the chili for the wedding. (I'm making vegan red and pork green.)
- buy the meat with my SiL (my brother's wife) so she can make the turkeys and get everything ready to go. My brother and his family are storing and bringing the majority of the food, as they have an extra fridge in the garage that's currently empty.
- Go to the church before the rehearsal with the photographer and my wedding coordinator for a walk through.
- Go in for my practice hair appt with my veil (which I finished!! w00t! It's perfect, I can't believe I did it - took me 5 hrs to hand stitch the string of pink beads around the edge of the top layer and 2 days to figure out how to make the ribbons work on the combs but it's done! Whew!!)
- Make sure the guys make it in for their tux fittings and to pick them up between the rehearsal and the luncheon.
Whew! I'm tired just thinking about it. I'm normally super OCD and an artist to boot, the caveat that I not show up at the church until 20mins before the ceremony and not help put everything together is hard for me. Since I will not be there to see what I missed, I'm trying to not worry about forgetting anything before hand - this is hard as well. I keep trying to just breathe and remember that having my friends and family put it all together for me will make it even more magical for us when we finally see the big picture manifested.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Glorious!
Since we lost our venue and it was too close to the date to find something that fit our first vision on our current budget, we had to change our vision instead.
I'm beyond pleased to say that this is working out 5000 times better than we imagined it could.
We're now having food at the formal reception and a cocktail after-party at the hotel where all of our out of town guests are staying. We get to use the indoor pool and hot tub and we'll be using the suites directly across the hall from the conference room where the dj and bar will be, the pool is on the same floor and end of the hotel as the conference room and suites, as in so close that the doors to the pool room are adjacent to those rooms doors!
We'll have a party going throughout that part of the hotel me thinks! teehee!!
For the food we're going roast and carve up two turkeys before hand, add ham, roast beef, veggies and cheeses and we have a sandwich board . This would allow us to have a smaller budget, and not have to have too many things need to be hot. I've always enjoyed those, since people can make their own sandwiches according to their diets, we just provide the different kinds of food to go on the sandwich plus different kinds of salad. Have a hot appetizer, like the meatballs and lil smokies and maybe a chili or soup. I can make chili and soup by the gallons without breaking a sweat.
I'm meeting with the women of both families next week to finalize the menu and delegate who's in charge of what dish, we're making everything ourselves and friends of mine in the service industry will take care of making sure everything stays stocked and passing out the champagne for the toasts.
At the hotel, the space is big enough for 80 plus the indoor pool area and two suites across the hall for $330!! O,O (Really?!? WOOOOHOOOO!!)
That should be more than enough for an after-party and it means that we'll be spending about the same amount between the fee and the bar, as we would've if the Pub had stayed open for us. The hotel doesn't have a restaurant and bar, so we get to bring everything in ourselves and have a friend bartending - taking care of the extra expenses much more cheaply than one would normally wracked up at hotels which provide everything for you. It's perfect and I'm glad it happened this way. Now I don't have to worry about drunk drivers coming from my party; anyone who cannot drive can either crash in one of the suites or get one of their own at the front desk.
The older I get the more I appreciate my community and how much easier life is when one isn't set in a specific vision with all the details just so. If it's a bit hazy and nebulous on the edges magic is able to flow and things work out so much better than you ever imagined possible!
I'm beyond pleased to say that this is working out 5000 times better than we imagined it could.
We're now having food at the formal reception and a cocktail after-party at the hotel where all of our out of town guests are staying. We get to use the indoor pool and hot tub and we'll be using the suites directly across the hall from the conference room where the dj and bar will be, the pool is on the same floor and end of the hotel as the conference room and suites, as in so close that the doors to the pool room are adjacent to those rooms doors!
We'll have a party going throughout that part of the hotel me thinks! teehee!!
For the food we're going roast and carve up two turkeys before hand, add ham, roast beef, veggies and cheeses and we have a sandwich board . This would allow us to have a smaller budget, and not have to have too many things need to be hot. I've always enjoyed those, since people can make their own sandwiches according to their diets, we just provide the different kinds of food to go on the sandwich plus different kinds of salad. Have a hot appetizer, like the meatballs and lil smokies and maybe a chili or soup. I can make chili and soup by the gallons without breaking a sweat.
I'm meeting with the women of both families next week to finalize the menu and delegate who's in charge of what dish, we're making everything ourselves and friends of mine in the service industry will take care of making sure everything stays stocked and passing out the champagne for the toasts.
At the hotel, the space is big enough for 80 plus the indoor pool area and two suites across the hall for $330!! O,O (Really?!? WOOOOHOOOO!!)
That should be more than enough for an after-party and it means that we'll be spending about the same amount between the fee and the bar, as we would've if the Pub had stayed open for us. The hotel doesn't have a restaurant and bar, so we get to bring everything in ourselves and have a friend bartending - taking care of the extra expenses much more cheaply than one would normally wracked up at hotels which provide everything for you. It's perfect and I'm glad it happened this way. Now I don't have to worry about drunk drivers coming from my party; anyone who cannot drive can either crash in one of the suites or get one of their own at the front desk.
The older I get the more I appreciate my community and how much easier life is when one isn't set in a specific vision with all the details just so. If it's a bit hazy and nebulous on the edges magic is able to flow and things work out so much better than you ever imagined possible!
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Wow! Awesome Cakes!
Our engagement cake ended up in LA Weekly's Food Blog as one of the nerdiest pastries in the universe. LOL I think they're exaggerating a bit... maybe? We're #3 - the people are modeled off of our engagement photos.
http://blogs.laweekly.com/squidink/baking/dungeons-dragons-cakes-the-ner/
Mar's also making our wedding cake, which will not be nerdy - it'll be the Pigeon Point lighthouse, with the house attached, on a cliff over a beach and the ocean. No really, that's what she told me and that the lighthouse will light up behind it's sugared glass windows (it's better than the actual lighthouse which doesn't light up at all these days.)
My cake is going to Awesome!
http://blogs.laweekly.com/squidink/baking/dungeons-dragons-cakes-the-ner/
Mar's also making our wedding cake, which will not be nerdy - it'll be the Pigeon Point lighthouse, with the house attached, on a cliff over a beach and the ocean. No really, that's what she told me and that the lighthouse will light up behind it's sugared glass windows (it's better than the actual lighthouse which doesn't light up at all these days.)
My cake is going to Awesome!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Last Minute Arghs!
Because the economy has gone down the toilet, the venue for our 2nd reception site had to close for good.
We feel really bad for the owners, that was their lifeblood, their whole income and with a new house and a toddler - this is a horrible time for them to go under. Our prayers are with them as they go through this transition in their lives.
So we don't have any hard feelings toward them, but it certainly put a bunch in our planning panties!
We started looking for something else immediately and have had people all over trying to help.
Every place we've looked so far has been one or more of the following :
A. Too small
B. Too expensive
C. Already Booked
D. Doesn't allow booze and/or food
We're now rearranging our thoughts and plans instead of panicking.
We've decided to go ahead and have food at the formal reception - homemade Church potluck style. We'll still have a box for food donations and we'll still be donating a large amount of food to the UUCB's favored food bank for the holidays.
Right now we're trying to decide what needs to happen and how.
With an actual meal added to the Church events, we can make the other reception an after-party cocktail event with dancing instead of a full-blown second reception.
We go on Friday to talk to the manager of the hotel where we have our out-of-town guests staying. They have a conference room which is ok, but there's an indoor pool down the hall and if we can stretch it between the two (maybe reserve two rooms for people to use as changing stations) - it would work well for us in this capacity AND those staying at the hotel don't have to worry about getting back to it when they are done for the evening.
Hopefully we can get this figured out, then ironed out by the end of this coming weekend. We're running out of time.
As far as everything else goes, we're ahead of schedule on almost all of it. Which is exceedingly happy for me.
Still to do:
I need to get the cakes ordered for Mar (she's a food sculptor, not a baker as she puts it, so we're getting her cakes to sculpt from Whole Foods.)
Make my veil - which I have scheduled for next week on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at my Mom's house.
Finish putting together the centerpieces and attaching the gifts to them.
Finish the guestbook tree and the birdcage for the gift card collection.
Finish the cake table runner.
Put everything in their bins and mark the tubs according to what part of set-up they go to.
(I'm trying to make it super easy to put together without me. Each area gets a tub with everything they need to decorate, a list of what is in it and a diagram of how it all goes.)
Tea dye the sanctuary pew bows and the table runner.
Schedule the guys' haircuts day and the gals' spa day.
Finish the slideshow.
Make the music list for Dodo
Make the menu for the food.
Make the food for the reception.
Print the programs.
That should take up the next month and a half - keep me busy at a nice even pace.
In the meantime, I'm getting my teeth fixed to improve my oral health and going to physical therapy, as well as a pain management doctor, to get my fibromyalgia under control.
I want to look and feel spectacular for my wedding day - after all, I'm hoping I'll only get to do this day once.
We feel really bad for the owners, that was their lifeblood, their whole income and with a new house and a toddler - this is a horrible time for them to go under. Our prayers are with them as they go through this transition in their lives.
So we don't have any hard feelings toward them, but it certainly put a bunch in our planning panties!
We started looking for something else immediately and have had people all over trying to help.
Every place we've looked so far has been one or more of the following :
A. Too small
B. Too expensive
C. Already Booked
D. Doesn't allow booze and/or food
We're now rearranging our thoughts and plans instead of panicking.
We've decided to go ahead and have food at the formal reception - homemade Church potluck style. We'll still have a box for food donations and we'll still be donating a large amount of food to the UUCB's favored food bank for the holidays.
Right now we're trying to decide what needs to happen and how.
With an actual meal added to the Church events, we can make the other reception an after-party cocktail event with dancing instead of a full-blown second reception.
We go on Friday to talk to the manager of the hotel where we have our out-of-town guests staying. They have a conference room which is ok, but there's an indoor pool down the hall and if we can stretch it between the two (maybe reserve two rooms for people to use as changing stations) - it would work well for us in this capacity AND those staying at the hotel don't have to worry about getting back to it when they are done for the evening.
Hopefully we can get this figured out, then ironed out by the end of this coming weekend. We're running out of time.
As far as everything else goes, we're ahead of schedule on almost all of it. Which is exceedingly happy for me.
Still to do:
I need to get the cakes ordered for Mar (she's a food sculptor, not a baker as she puts it, so we're getting her cakes to sculpt from Whole Foods.)
Make my veil - which I have scheduled for next week on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at my Mom's house.
Finish putting together the centerpieces and attaching the gifts to them.
Finish the guestbook tree and the birdcage for the gift card collection.
Finish the cake table runner.
Put everything in their bins and mark the tubs according to what part of set-up they go to.
(I'm trying to make it super easy to put together without me. Each area gets a tub with everything they need to decorate, a list of what is in it and a diagram of how it all goes.)
Tea dye the sanctuary pew bows and the table runner.
Schedule the guys' haircuts day and the gals' spa day.
Finish the slideshow.
Make the music list for Dodo
Make the menu for the food.
Make the food for the reception.
Print the programs.
That should take up the next month and a half - keep me busy at a nice even pace.
In the meantime, I'm getting my teeth fixed to improve my oral health and going to physical therapy, as well as a pain management doctor, to get my fibromyalgia under control.
I want to look and feel spectacular for my wedding day - after all, I'm hoping I'll only get to do this day once.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
The Centerpice Tins and Candy Boxes
What a lot of creative and beautiful decorations which fit our Victorian Faerietale perfectly.I'm just going to post pics and a brief explanation.
These are the tins and candy boxes we'll use for the centerpieces at the reception. Twigs and stones go in the tins to create mini trees and small gifts are tied to the branches for people to take.
Close up, the ladies used a mix of decoupaging and affixing jewelry, shells, and paste gems to them. They look really cool and very unique. I had no idea they would turn out like this! Wow!
Hey Ethel, your prince now has a cool spray of feathers coming from his hands!
A little faux treasure chest that Stephanie created as a decoration for the cake table! Yay!
Yay For Scarlett!
I have this amazing friend, she's a whiz at organizing events and understanding how people work. I've had the joy and pleasure of working with her before on another community event and so she knows how I work and how I like things.
Tonight she showed up at my art showing at the Phoenix Asylum in Boulder and offered her services to us for whatever we may need! I had to pick my jaw up off the ground and felt my heart swell. I had been aimlessly searching for someone exactly like her, someone capable and willing to be in charge of all the decorations and set-up for the ceremony and receptions the day of.
Everyone knows I'm a control freak with major OCD and "I Do It!" habits, many of the women helping have been repeating like a mantra "You need someone to take charge of getting everything done for you." These lovely women are doing quite a bit already, and don't feel up to the task of making sure the big picture happens.
Scarlett loves doing these kinds of things and is amazing at achieving miracles. To have her want to help on a trade basis is even better. (I think she wants art, maybe something else - whatever she wants, she gets for this! This lady knows I have a hard time receiving without giving back.)
This is a prayer answered in hearts and rainbows. Yay!
Tonight she showed up at my art showing at the Phoenix Asylum in Boulder and offered her services to us for whatever we may need! I had to pick my jaw up off the ground and felt my heart swell. I had been aimlessly searching for someone exactly like her, someone capable and willing to be in charge of all the decorations and set-up for the ceremony and receptions the day of.
Everyone knows I'm a control freak with major OCD and "I Do It!" habits, many of the women helping have been repeating like a mantra "You need someone to take charge of getting everything done for you." These lovely women are doing quite a bit already, and don't feel up to the task of making sure the big picture happens.
Scarlett loves doing these kinds of things and is amazing at achieving miracles. To have her want to help on a trade basis is even better. (I think she wants art, maybe something else - whatever she wants, she gets for this! This lady knows I have a hard time receiving without giving back.)
This is a prayer answered in hearts and rainbows. Yay!
Our Party Reception Venue Went Under!!
I received a general "we're sorry, dear customer's, but the economy made us close" email from them.
Sad for them, trying not to panic for us.
We did an extensive venue search before we settled on the Pub, most of those places are booked now or super expensive for us - like a minimum of $5K to book there for anything...
We need space for over 100 people, maybe upwards of 200 with booze and food available to all.
I have a contact with a brewery, we can get a keg of good beer for the price of a keg of PBR with them.
We have a ton of champagne already and a discount with a big liquor store thru another friend.
My Not-a-MoH's saying that we can cook for that many people.
It would not be a stretch for me to make army sized portions, I already make platoon sized ones. ;P
We pick easy dishes and let anyone who wants to volunteer, each make one dish in a large quantity.
It's just finding the right space to be able to do this in, with less than 3 months to go.
I sent an email back, giving our regards and reminding them of both our contract and the deposit we'd already paid to them for our reception. I figured either they are so far up to their eyeballs in panic that they forgot or they've talked about how to deal with these kinds of things and have been brainstorming how to fix it at little to no stress/extra cost to either side.
All I can say right now, about my feelings on all of this is: D'oh!!
The owners sent a response email to us, apologizing and offering to help us find a new place. She said they hadn't run our card yet, just put the deposit amount on hold, so she'll undo that and void the receipts. I'm really glad that they were able to respond and be so helpful. Even if they didn't do it in an order which would cause less of a freak out, the fact that they did this at all gives them even higher marks in my book.
Supposedly, she talked to the owners of another restaurant next door to them, today. Asking if they'd take our contract at the same terms and prices. There are other options as well. But it's really nice of them to go out of their way to help us find a replacement venue.
Goodbye Scotch Corner Pub - we loved you while you were around, we're sad to see you go.
Sad for them, trying not to panic for us.
We did an extensive venue search before we settled on the Pub, most of those places are booked now or super expensive for us - like a minimum of $5K to book there for anything...
We need space for over 100 people, maybe upwards of 200 with booze and food available to all.
I have a contact with a brewery, we can get a keg of good beer for the price of a keg of PBR with them.
We have a ton of champagne already and a discount with a big liquor store thru another friend.
My Not-a-MoH's saying that we can cook for that many people.
It would not be a stretch for me to make army sized portions, I already make platoon sized ones. ;P
We pick easy dishes and let anyone who wants to volunteer, each make one dish in a large quantity.
It's just finding the right space to be able to do this in, with less than 3 months to go.
I sent an email back, giving our regards and reminding them of both our contract and the deposit we'd already paid to them for our reception. I figured either they are so far up to their eyeballs in panic that they forgot or they've talked about how to deal with these kinds of things and have been brainstorming how to fix it at little to no stress/extra cost to either side.
All I can say right now, about my feelings on all of this is: D'oh!!
The owners sent a response email to us, apologizing and offering to help us find a new place. She said they hadn't run our card yet, just put the deposit amount on hold, so she'll undo that and void the receipts. I'm really glad that they were able to respond and be so helpful. Even if they didn't do it in an order which would cause less of a freak out, the fact that they did this at all gives them even higher marks in my book.
Supposedly, she talked to the owners of another restaurant next door to them, today. Asking if they'd take our contract at the same terms and prices. There are other options as well. But it's really nice of them to go out of their way to help us find a replacement venue.
Goodbye Scotch Corner Pub - we loved you while you were around, we're sad to see you go.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Hair Stylist booked and hair style chosen!
I have jawline-length, fine, slightly wavy, and very thick hair, I have to have it thinned out more often than I need the length trimmed.So we talked about my dress and veil, we talked about the wedding themes and the tiara - I was considering the hair styles of young Liz Taylor, young Audrey Hepburn and an older Audrey. It was Gabby who said she thought the young Audrey was the right one. It'll be strong enough to hold the veil and perfect for the height of the tiara. ~>
Gabby said one thing which made me extremely happy.
"I'm going to use my mother as my practice model between now and your practice day. You have similar hair and the same length, it'll help me be able to perfect the look you're asking for."
My Practice styling is booked, she booked for day of as well!
One more thing down - a bajillion more to go!
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Oh no, the break is over!
Where did the summer go? The kids have all started back to school, we have four and a half months til the wedding and almost the whole thing is Do It Yourself (DIY)! Eep!
I have to make all of the invitations, thankfully I can assign the printing of them and the labeling and stuffing to Martin. I'll take care of the fanciful edges, ribbons and getting the stickers on straight. I need to go through and figure out who gets paper RSVP cards and who gets only the online info, since we're trying to be paper-light, eco-conscious as much as we can. (I made the green paper wraps out of the wedding schmutz they sent me in the mail from that damned bridal show and my mother's shreddeds. The dye was mostly spinach based, with a little food coloring to blue it. Who says I'm not girly?)
I have to make my veil, I have everything I need, I just need to get off my butt and figure it out.
I've been told my idea might be impossible, I say only improbable and I can work with improbable. I'll get it to do what I have in mind, simply because I only have the rough sketch, the details aren't coherent as a full piece and that gives me room to play.
I'm afraid I've offended some of Martin's friends. You can warn people that one is exceedingly weird and means no offense, but people will take things as they will according to their experience and paradigm views. I make no apology for how I am, and I am Inappropriate Girl!
;-)
The first craft day for anyone interested is September 18th @ Canadian Rachel's on Denver's Capital Hill. Start in the afternoon and go until we're done or we're keeping the baby awake too long. We'll be making the first set of decorations, the decoupaging of the formula cans to make bases/vases for the centerpieces. There will be enough cans for people who want to just make one to take home as well. A good glue and some scissors/exacto knives would be good to bring if you're planning on coming, that way we can be sure to have enough supplies for everyone. If you don't have these things and can't afford to buy them just for this, no worries I do have some extras of everything.
I need to get the Bridal Shower invite list to Mom and Stephanie (and Rachel and Erin...) and trust that they will take care of that one event for me. (Please, please, just that one is all I ask...)
At least that's not until October 18th and the location is free! (Thanks to Erin, Luke and Scott)
The guys need to go for/turn in their tuxedo measurements in September, so that we can put in the order on time. It's the only thing they are being asked to do, other than show up on time for the weekend of the wedding and the wedding itself, in their proper clothes and do what the officiant tells them to.
Need to reserve our honeymoon place and the figure out the best rental price for large passenger vans to drive people back and forth from the airport/hotel/church/bar. Thank goodness for Norris who said he'd drive for us, I prefer a driver I know and trust.
I need to have Erika and Doug both set up times to talk to us and have us fill out the music checklists for the receptions, talk set-up and prices. It's nice to know so many talented people in so many different genres and areas of life. We want to be surrounded by our community in all ways and it's happening.
I have to make all of the invitations, thankfully I can assign the printing of them and the labeling and stuffing to Martin. I'll take care of the fanciful edges, ribbons and getting the stickers on straight. I need to go through and figure out who gets paper RSVP cards and who gets only the online info, since we're trying to be paper-light, eco-conscious as much as we can. (I made the green paper wraps out of the wedding schmutz they sent me in the mail from that damned bridal show and my mother's shreddeds. The dye was mostly spinach based, with a little food coloring to blue it. Who says I'm not girly?)
I have to make my veil, I have everything I need, I just need to get off my butt and figure it out.
I've been told my idea might be impossible, I say only improbable and I can work with improbable. I'll get it to do what I have in mind, simply because I only have the rough sketch, the details aren't coherent as a full piece and that gives me room to play.
I'm afraid I've offended some of Martin's friends. You can warn people that one is exceedingly weird and means no offense, but people will take things as they will according to their experience and paradigm views. I make no apology for how I am, and I am Inappropriate Girl!
;-)
The first craft day for anyone interested is September 18th @ Canadian Rachel's on Denver's Capital Hill. Start in the afternoon and go until we're done or we're keeping the baby awake too long. We'll be making the first set of decorations, the decoupaging of the formula cans to make bases/vases for the centerpieces. There will be enough cans for people who want to just make one to take home as well. A good glue and some scissors/exacto knives would be good to bring if you're planning on coming, that way we can be sure to have enough supplies for everyone. If you don't have these things and can't afford to buy them just for this, no worries I do have some extras of everything.
I need to get the Bridal Shower invite list to Mom and Stephanie (and Rachel and Erin...) and trust that they will take care of that one event for me. (Please, please, just that one is all I ask...)
At least that's not until October 18th and the location is free! (Thanks to Erin, Luke and Scott)
The guys need to go for/turn in their tuxedo measurements in September, so that we can put in the order on time. It's the only thing they are being asked to do, other than show up on time for the weekend of the wedding and the wedding itself, in their proper clothes and do what the officiant tells them to.
Need to reserve our honeymoon place and the figure out the best rental price for large passenger vans to drive people back and forth from the airport/hotel/church/bar. Thank goodness for Norris who said he'd drive for us, I prefer a driver I know and trust.
I need to have Erika and Doug both set up times to talk to us and have us fill out the music checklists for the receptions, talk set-up and prices. It's nice to know so many talented people in so many different genres and areas of life. We want to be surrounded by our community in all ways and it's happening.
Monday, June 1, 2009
My Real Life
We're ahead of schedule by a few months now.
Some may think I'm strange for it but I always have my reasons. Even if I can't always remember what they are at the time I'm asked for them.
Summers are busy for me. Artists play hard in the warm months. It's a time of showing what you did during hibernation season, getting together to collaborate on fun, big projects and the fairest season for art and music festivals. When I was younger and thought a life of art and festivals would be easy and adventurous - I made a pact with myself to become a professional festivaler. Nowhere else is the air so strongly charged with imagination, innovation and revelation than at a big art/music festival.
And a pro I became, I even organized a few of my own over the years. It's not easy and fun is the name of the game, but it takes a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get there when you're an active artist. It's not enough to just go camp and be a tourist - I have the overwhelming urge to participate, contribute and create big. So I do. I've learned a lot about myself, my society, my communities, my friends, my family, my world - all from going to and participating in (organizing, planning) artist events and festivals.
And so, this year is not unlike every year for the last 10 for me. Even with a wedding coming up. I'm ahead, I can stop and focus on my art for a time. Build my connections in this world, juice up my brain and show Martin the full energy, positive and raring to go side of me.
Today was a crazy day for me. I was on an assisted living program, today I signed with a notary a notice that I am leaving the program and my current residence when my lease is up. My security net is about to disappear, I asked Martin if he's ready for this and he said yes. It makes me tremble a little since he's still job hunting, but there's a few leads which are already sounding promising. I remain positive for our future and that we're doing the right thing. For me there's no backing out now, I must believe and commit to US - it's slowly sinking in, I've not gone this far into trusting someone in a very long time.
This weekend is the first of festivals for us (we're only doing 2 this year because of the job situation. Thankfully I have it figured out very cheaply after so many years of it.) He's stressed and I'm stressed and it's definitely showing us each other's true faces. The honeymoon isn't over though, we're continuing to amaze each other more each day. These things always put relationships to the test in extreme ways.
Martin is amazing and wonderful. I am so lucky to have found him.
PS the engagement party was wonderful but went by in a huge blur for both of us. We are blessed to have so many loved ones surrounding us.
Some may think I'm strange for it but I always have my reasons. Even if I can't always remember what they are at the time I'm asked for them.
Summers are busy for me. Artists play hard in the warm months. It's a time of showing what you did during hibernation season, getting together to collaborate on fun, big projects and the fairest season for art and music festivals. When I was younger and thought a life of art and festivals would be easy and adventurous - I made a pact with myself to become a professional festivaler. Nowhere else is the air so strongly charged with imagination, innovation and revelation than at a big art/music festival.
And a pro I became, I even organized a few of my own over the years. It's not easy and fun is the name of the game, but it takes a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get there when you're an active artist. It's not enough to just go camp and be a tourist - I have the overwhelming urge to participate, contribute and create big. So I do. I've learned a lot about myself, my society, my communities, my friends, my family, my world - all from going to and participating in (organizing, planning) artist events and festivals.
And so, this year is not unlike every year for the last 10 for me. Even with a wedding coming up. I'm ahead, I can stop and focus on my art for a time. Build my connections in this world, juice up my brain and show Martin the full energy, positive and raring to go side of me.
Today was a crazy day for me. I was on an assisted living program, today I signed with a notary a notice that I am leaving the program and my current residence when my lease is up. My security net is about to disappear, I asked Martin if he's ready for this and he said yes. It makes me tremble a little since he's still job hunting, but there's a few leads which are already sounding promising. I remain positive for our future and that we're doing the right thing. For me there's no backing out now, I must believe and commit to US - it's slowly sinking in, I've not gone this far into trusting someone in a very long time.
This weekend is the first of festivals for us (we're only doing 2 this year because of the job situation. Thankfully I have it figured out very cheaply after so many years of it.) He's stressed and I'm stressed and it's definitely showing us each other's true faces. The honeymoon isn't over though, we're continuing to amaze each other more each day. These things always put relationships to the test in extreme ways.
Martin is amazing and wonderful. I am so lucky to have found him.
PS the engagement party was wonderful but went by in a huge blur for both of us. We are blessed to have so many loved ones surrounding us.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Family
The dress fitting went fantastically!
So many women showed up, half with kids in tow. My mother, maternal grandmother and aunt, sister-in-law (my brother's wife), his mother and 7 or 8 of my closer female friends attended.
The dress fits wonderfully, there's a few problems which need to be fixed but we're going to wait until closer to the day since I'm now on a strict diet and exercise regimen to get back down to a healthier weight.
The table of projects and things already acquired looked great. It'll be a lovely reception hall when everything's set up. A vision is now forming solidly in my head of where everything goes and what the final look will be. There's a few things I still need to consider, like where in the world do we put the coat racks which are currently standing where I want our wedding party/cake table to be?
Having his mother there was nice, she was able to meet the women who helped to shape me into the woman I am today. (Aunt Mary, Granny and Mom had the greatest influence on me throughout my childhood in learning how to be a woman, wife and mother.) She was able to meet my girlfriends and see how supported and loved both Martin and I are. She and my family were able to see that we have a ready and waiting community of families to build our family foundation with, to raise our children in and they were able to see me interact with a large age range of children.
Animals and children adore me, from first sight most kids want to talk to and play with me. If the old saying is true, that you can tell the character of a person by how small children and animals react to them - then I'm a pretty good person. They always want to have my attention and love to be around me, even when I have to discipline them for wrong behavior. I adore children of all ages and believe in treating them as equals who are still gathering the basic information needed to survive in this world. They regard Martin the same as they do me and he's very similar in beliefs.
We never even considered having our wedding and reception be child-free, instead almost 1/3 of the guest list is 16 yrs or younger. A large majority of those are between 2 and 9.
Last night we spent several hours with his family, since the brother directly above him in age is in town with his son this weekend. It went rather well. We're trying to make sure his family feels included in everything and has every opportunity to participate on a level they are comfortable with. I cannot but help to include my immediate family on my end of things, it's only fair that his side is given the same consideration.
This is the part in a relationship I've never had before: the inclusion of the families. It's very odd and causes some anxiety on my part just from the unfamiliarity of it. Eventually this awkwardness will go away and I'll wonder what I was so worried about to begin with.
Next month we're going to visit my father in Missouri. He and his wife are excited that we're coming out, I haven't seen him since my brother was married in 2005 and I haven't visited since my 10 year reunion in 2001. They have been looking forward to communicating with and meeting Martin.
(I think my family had given up on me ever finding someone to marry and have a family with. They seem so relieved that Martin and I found each other! LOL The main topic besides the wedding these days is "When can we expect grandbabies??")
It's awfully funny to witness the change in people's behavior towards me now that I'm being made an "honest woman" by Martin. Some old beliefs are hard to break on the women's lib front it seems...
Ok, enough rambling about family for now. This coming Saturday is our Engagement Party at Enzo's End Pizzaria. The two families meet for the first time and many of our friends will be there as well - hopefully it'll be an easy merging of two worlds and not a collision!
So many women showed up, half with kids in tow. My mother, maternal grandmother and aunt, sister-in-law (my brother's wife), his mother and 7 or 8 of my closer female friends attended.
The dress fits wonderfully, there's a few problems which need to be fixed but we're going to wait until closer to the day since I'm now on a strict diet and exercise regimen to get back down to a healthier weight.
The table of projects and things already acquired looked great. It'll be a lovely reception hall when everything's set up. A vision is now forming solidly in my head of where everything goes and what the final look will be. There's a few things I still need to consider, like where in the world do we put the coat racks which are currently standing where I want our wedding party/cake table to be?
Having his mother there was nice, she was able to meet the women who helped to shape me into the woman I am today. (Aunt Mary, Granny and Mom had the greatest influence on me throughout my childhood in learning how to be a woman, wife and mother.) She was able to meet my girlfriends and see how supported and loved both Martin and I are. She and my family were able to see that we have a ready and waiting community of families to build our family foundation with, to raise our children in and they were able to see me interact with a large age range of children.
Animals and children adore me, from first sight most kids want to talk to and play with me. If the old saying is true, that you can tell the character of a person by how small children and animals react to them - then I'm a pretty good person. They always want to have my attention and love to be around me, even when I have to discipline them for wrong behavior. I adore children of all ages and believe in treating them as equals who are still gathering the basic information needed to survive in this world. They regard Martin the same as they do me and he's very similar in beliefs.
We never even considered having our wedding and reception be child-free, instead almost 1/3 of the guest list is 16 yrs or younger. A large majority of those are between 2 and 9.
Last night we spent several hours with his family, since the brother directly above him in age is in town with his son this weekend. It went rather well. We're trying to make sure his family feels included in everything and has every opportunity to participate on a level they are comfortable with. I cannot but help to include my immediate family on my end of things, it's only fair that his side is given the same consideration.
This is the part in a relationship I've never had before: the inclusion of the families. It's very odd and causes some anxiety on my part just from the unfamiliarity of it. Eventually this awkwardness will go away and I'll wonder what I was so worried about to begin with.
Next month we're going to visit my father in Missouri. He and his wife are excited that we're coming out, I haven't seen him since my brother was married in 2005 and I haven't visited since my 10 year reunion in 2001. They have been looking forward to communicating with and meeting Martin.
(I think my family had given up on me ever finding someone to marry and have a family with. They seem so relieved that Martin and I found each other! LOL The main topic besides the wedding these days is "When can we expect grandbabies??")
It's awfully funny to witness the change in people's behavior towards me now that I'm being made an "honest woman" by Martin. Some old beliefs are hard to break on the women's lib front it seems...
Ok, enough rambling about family for now. This coming Saturday is our Engagement Party at Enzo's End Pizzaria. The two families meet for the first time and many of our friends will be there as well - hopefully it'll be an easy merging of two worlds and not a collision!
Friday, May 15, 2009
The Martha in us all
...
I was taught to be crafty as a child.
I learned how to cross stitch and make all kinds of homemade crafts through my maternal aunt and the ladies at all the churches we attended.
(My father is a Baptist Mininster who used to travel around the Midwest countryside as a temp pastor when other pastors left, died or just went on a much needed family vacation.)
I've always had an over abundance of craftiness and creative vision.
If I have all the supplies for any one project, I can do it.
From crocheting a baby blanket to building a riveted metal bar hood to creating decoupage follies.
I don't do flower arranging, unless someone wants me to accidentally summon the Elder Gods of Doom with floral voodoo dolls of them, as I've said before.
Currently I'm making at least 100 lightcatchers - prisms and glass beads in a pretty pattern on a thin wire to be hung on trees and decorations to create rainbows and sparkles everywhere.
I've taken a plain white birdcage from Oriental Trading Company and with paint, ribbon and fabric am transforming it into a faerie birdcage for all of our envelope gifts to go into. Little decoupage faeries will hang off the outside of it eventually as well.
I'm decoupaging paper mache boxes to hold old fashioned hard candies and butter mints on all the tables. I've done one as an example already.
I'm doing our invitations myself, with Martin's help - he does all the printing and editing.
I made all of the recycled paper myself, created the organic green dye for them out of spinach leaves (and a little food coloring to balance the yellow tinge out.)
I need to create one of my mini tree centerpieces tonight to bring to the dress fitting tomorrow.
I want to have at least one prototype of all the little projects which need to get done, to show them all tomorrow. I figured if I'm going to ask for help, it's only fair to present them with a hands-on example of what I'm wanting.
And tomorrow... oh man, I am so stressed out about tomorrow and the dress fittings and the schmutz of being surrounded by mostly women for an extended period of time! I hope it all works right, I have a ton of stuff to do between now and then. Not much time to do it either as I have to go to the airport to pick up Ethel and her baby girl today and a small get together tonight at 7pm to attend. Oy Vey!
Hopefully I'll remember everything. Must make a list of things I want to come with me!!
Now off to make our breakfast, get dressed and go out to find sticks for the centerpiece, then run over to hobby lobby to pick up more ribbon and the cross stitch pattern/ embroidery thread for the cake table tablecloth. I'm doing one corner and Mom wants to do the rest...
All this on allergy meds and with a cat who won't let me sleep past 9am no matter what time I go to bed. *YAWN*
I was taught to be crafty as a child.
I learned how to cross stitch and make all kinds of homemade crafts through my maternal aunt and the ladies at all the churches we attended.
(My father is a Baptist Mininster who used to travel around the Midwest countryside as a temp pastor when other pastors left, died or just went on a much needed family vacation.)
I've always had an over abundance of craftiness and creative vision.
If I have all the supplies for any one project, I can do it.
From crocheting a baby blanket to building a riveted metal bar hood to creating decoupage follies.
I don't do flower arranging, unless someone wants me to accidentally summon the Elder Gods of Doom with floral voodoo dolls of them, as I've said before.
Currently I'm making at least 100 lightcatchers - prisms and glass beads in a pretty pattern on a thin wire to be hung on trees and decorations to create rainbows and sparkles everywhere.
I've taken a plain white birdcage from Oriental Trading Company and with paint, ribbon and fabric am transforming it into a faerie birdcage for all of our envelope gifts to go into. Little decoupage faeries will hang off the outside of it eventually as well.
I'm decoupaging paper mache boxes to hold old fashioned hard candies and butter mints on all the tables. I've done one as an example already.
I'm doing our invitations myself, with Martin's help - he does all the printing and editing.
I made all of the recycled paper myself, created the organic green dye for them out of spinach leaves (and a little food coloring to balance the yellow tinge out.)
I need to create one of my mini tree centerpieces tonight to bring to the dress fitting tomorrow.
I want to have at least one prototype of all the little projects which need to get done, to show them all tomorrow. I figured if I'm going to ask for help, it's only fair to present them with a hands-on example of what I'm wanting.
And tomorrow... oh man, I am so stressed out about tomorrow and the dress fittings and the schmutz of being surrounded by mostly women for an extended period of time! I hope it all works right, I have a ton of stuff to do between now and then. Not much time to do it either as I have to go to the airport to pick up Ethel and her baby girl today and a small get together tonight at 7pm to attend. Oy Vey!
Hopefully I'll remember everything. Must make a list of things I want to come with me!!
Now off to make our breakfast, get dressed and go out to find sticks for the centerpiece, then run over to hobby lobby to pick up more ribbon and the cross stitch pattern/ embroidery thread for the cake table tablecloth. I'm doing one corner and Mom wants to do the rest...
All this on allergy meds and with a cat who won't let me sleep past 9am no matter what time I go to bed. *YAWN*
Monday, May 11, 2009
Dresses, Flowers and other girlie things
The correct wedding dress arrived and it's the perfect shade of rose pink! With it arrived Stephanie's Maid of Honor (MoH) dress - it's a magnificent dress, midnight blue with platnium embroidery and beading, I'm actually jealous of her dress!
The camera we had on hand at my Mom's house is terrible and demon-possessed. The angle the lens is pointing in is hard to gauge (and by no means close to normal center within the viewfinder!) So you get fuzzy, half peeks at what they look like. I'm almost thinking it's better this way until appropriate pictures can be taken with them on us!
My dress:
Stephanie's dress:
Alyssa, my Junior Maid of Honor and my 16 year old daughter (who I gave up in an open adoption at birth) has a beautiful indigo Purple dress which fades to a purplish-white and has rhinestones, it's in the same design as Stephanie's but not the same material. We bought it for her at Dillards at the end of prom season. A friend is making her matching jacket for me in green.
Since we are all wearing different dresses and colors, we decided the best way for cohesion (and to keep warm in Colorado's December) is to all wear the same style of jacket. My colors are Blue Green and Purple, since nobody is wearing green, we all thought having Alyssa wear a green jacket with her purple dress would do fabulously instead.
I do not have a green thumb and don't know the names of most flowers. I'm also terrible at flower arranging, I tend to create flora versions of Lovecraftian creatures by accident. Seriously, I should take pictures of Cthulu Jr and Lil Astoroth so you can all see. (These are silk flower arrangements I tried to put together for my bridal bouquet!)
This is one of the few things I'm going with a professional for, just for the wedding party.
Kathy at Sturtz and Copeland in Boulder has been a dream to work with! Below is what she's planning for my bridal party flowers.
My bridal bouquet will consist of: white oriental lilies, green cymbidium orchid blooms, purple and/or blue anemones, a touch of blue delphinium, a cascade of white and green dendrobium orchids accented with mistletoe attached to ribbons, ivy, and misc greens arranged in a basket .
My attendants will carry handtied bouquets consisting of blue and or purple anemones, green
cymbidium blooms, blue delphium, lavender freesia, burgandy dahlias framed in a mix of greenery.
Basket of mixed flowers in the same colors and feel for flowergirl.
Toss bouquet in a mix of flowers with the same colors as bridal bouquet.
I believe the guys will have either the green cymbidium orchid blooms or the white and green dendrobium orchids for their boutonniere's.
Slowly things are coming together, I've figured out how we're doing the invitations and am almost done with the writing of it. I want to have a prototype ready for the dress fitting this Saturday.
The ladies in my life are gathering to see the dresses on us and look at what projects I have for whoever wants to help out. Since I'm going almost completely homemade and recycle/reuse on the decorations, there's A Lot of projects and it's easier to have prototypes which can be picked up and looked at than to have me try to explain the visions in my head.
Ok, time to go make more sheets of paper for the invitations. Backaching work, it takes a long time to make as much paper as we need. Anyone want to help? LOL
The camera we had on hand at my Mom's house is terrible and demon-possessed. The angle the lens is pointing in is hard to gauge (and by no means close to normal center within the viewfinder!) So you get fuzzy, half peeks at what they look like. I'm almost thinking it's better this way until appropriate pictures can be taken with them on us!
My dress:
Stephanie's dress:
Alyssa, my Junior Maid of Honor and my 16 year old daughter (who I gave up in an open adoption at birth) has a beautiful indigo Purple dress which fades to a purplish-white and has rhinestones, it's in the same design as Stephanie's but not the same material. We bought it for her at Dillards at the end of prom season. A friend is making her matching jacket for me in green.
Since we are all wearing different dresses and colors, we decided the best way for cohesion (and to keep warm in Colorado's December) is to all wear the same style of jacket. My colors are Blue Green and Purple, since nobody is wearing green, we all thought having Alyssa wear a green jacket with her purple dress would do fabulously instead.
I do not have a green thumb and don't know the names of most flowers. I'm also terrible at flower arranging, I tend to create flora versions of Lovecraftian creatures by accident. Seriously, I should take pictures of Cthulu Jr and Lil Astoroth so you can all see. (These are silk flower arrangements I tried to put together for my bridal bouquet!)
This is one of the few things I'm going with a professional for, just for the wedding party.
Kathy at Sturtz and Copeland in Boulder has been a dream to work with! Below is what she's planning for my bridal party flowers.
My bridal bouquet will consist of: white oriental lilies, green cymbidium orchid blooms, purple and/or blue anemones, a touch of blue delphinium, a cascade of white and green dendrobium orchids accented with mistletoe attached to ribbons, ivy, and misc greens arranged in a basket .
My attendants will carry handtied bouquets consisting of blue and or purple anemones, green
cymbidium blooms, blue delphium, lavender freesia, burgandy dahlias framed in a mix of greenery.
Basket of mixed flowers in the same colors and feel for flowergirl.
Toss bouquet in a mix of flowers with the same colors as bridal bouquet.
I believe the guys will have either the green cymbidium orchid blooms or the white and green dendrobium orchids for their boutonniere's.
Slowly things are coming together, I've figured out how we're doing the invitations and am almost done with the writing of it. I want to have a prototype ready for the dress fitting this Saturday.
The ladies in my life are gathering to see the dresses on us and look at what projects I have for whoever wants to help out. Since I'm going almost completely homemade and recycle/reuse on the decorations, there's A Lot of projects and it's easier to have prototypes which can be picked up and looked at than to have me try to explain the visions in my head.
Ok, time to go make more sheets of paper for the invitations. Backaching work, it takes a long time to make as much paper as we need. Anyone want to help? LOL
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Invitation Eureka
We've been reading this book which Alan and Mercedes loaned us.
It's called OffBeat Bride ~ Taffeta-Free Alternatives For Independent Brides by Ariel Meadow Stallings.
I love some of the things she says and she cusses almost like a fake sailor, plus she makes up kooky titles for things, like: a Bridentity Crisis.
Ariel talks about things like alternative invitations and programs, when the groom is more feminist than the bride, and what to do when the conservative relatives and/or well-meaning creative friends try to take over.
Some things we already have covered, others though - the ideas she has given us!
I'm designing our invitations again. I talked it over with Martin and Mom, they both think it's a good idea as long as I can pull it off. I'm going to start the process of making the first prototypes tomorrow. The first stage will take a week for each batch. I'm handmaking and dying paper for most of it. Martin's working on the background of the printable parts of the invitations (you can't really print on the paper I make, we'll use sticker paper attached to it but that means we can print a cool design around the wording.)
In addition, because we can't afford to pay for a fully catered meal for 100 people, we are instead donating the amount of food we could afford to our hosting church's favorite food bank for homeless families in need. It's not the thousands we'd spend on catering and as my Mom said: "Instead of feeding people who can feed themselves, we're giving food to those who can't."
We'll be recommending people bring more canned goods to the wedding and add to the amount we donate. Instead we have friends and family who insist on making the fingerfoods we'll be serving at the family reception and we're paying for a beginning appetizer buffet and have access for people to order their own meals (and pay for themselves) with a full restaurant menu at the friends reception.
Both of us are really in love with the idea. There have been times in the past where myself and others I know have fallen on hard times and had to utilize a food bank. This is an excellent way to give back during a global recession.
I'm really excited about these new aspects. Of course as a former event organizer, this is right up my alley. I love throwing a great party and this one is no different. I want to transform the space into a magical wonderland for everyone, but especially for us and why shouldn't we, it's our day to celebrate us.
It's called OffBeat Bride ~ Taffeta-Free Alternatives For Independent Brides by Ariel Meadow Stallings.
I love some of the things she says and she cusses almost like a fake sailor, plus she makes up kooky titles for things, like: a Bridentity Crisis.
Ariel talks about things like alternative invitations and programs, when the groom is more feminist than the bride, and what to do when the conservative relatives and/or well-meaning creative friends try to take over.
Some things we already have covered, others though - the ideas she has given us!
I'm designing our invitations again. I talked it over with Martin and Mom, they both think it's a good idea as long as I can pull it off. I'm going to start the process of making the first prototypes tomorrow. The first stage will take a week for each batch. I'm handmaking and dying paper for most of it. Martin's working on the background of the printable parts of the invitations (you can't really print on the paper I make, we'll use sticker paper attached to it but that means we can print a cool design around the wording.)
In addition, because we can't afford to pay for a fully catered meal for 100 people, we are instead donating the amount of food we could afford to our hosting church's favorite food bank for homeless families in need. It's not the thousands we'd spend on catering and as my Mom said: "Instead of feeding people who can feed themselves, we're giving food to those who can't."
We'll be recommending people bring more canned goods to the wedding and add to the amount we donate. Instead we have friends and family who insist on making the fingerfoods we'll be serving at the family reception and we're paying for a beginning appetizer buffet and have access for people to order their own meals (and pay for themselves) with a full restaurant menu at the friends reception.
Both of us are really in love with the idea. There have been times in the past where myself and others I know have fallen on hard times and had to utilize a food bank. This is an excellent way to give back during a global recession.
I'm really excited about these new aspects. Of course as a former event organizer, this is right up my alley. I love throwing a great party and this one is no different. I want to transform the space into a magical wonderland for everyone, but especially for us and why shouldn't we, it's our day to celebrate us.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Engagement Photos
We're dorks, we know it and revel in it.
Hence we decided that it would be fun to dress up like a 1950s couple ala JR Bob Dobbs and Harriette Nelson.
I'll let the photos speak for themselves, we had a ton of fun - Alan Gerow is the photographer and was wonderful to work with.
There'll be more as we resize and edit the best out of almost 400 taken.
Hence we decided that it would be fun to dress up like a 1950s couple ala JR Bob Dobbs and Harriette Nelson.
I'll let the photos speak for themselves, we had a ton of fun - Alan Gerow is the photographer and was wonderful to work with.
There'll be more as we resize and edit the best out of almost 400 taken.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Everything is falling into place like butter suddenly.
Everything is falling into place like butter suddenly.
I found the key to my wedding bliss (with the occasional hiccup I'm sure.)
I stopped trying to fit my wedding into the status quo boundaries. We're eclectic, eccentric and more than a little odd. I tend to take ideas from many different sources and piece-meal things together, creating something altogether new and uniquely me.
I had been doing this with our wedding without even realizing it, while still fighting for the prescribed conformity most adhere to within the wedding world. As soon as I realized that our wedding is matching our way of life, I saw it in Big Picture finally and it all made perfect sense to me. I can blend between the themes easily, they are all toe-crossingly close to each other anyway.
I decided to do an FAQ as the first entry of this wedblog. That way I can refer people there instead of answering the same questions over and over and over and... ad nauseum.
I'm also SUPER excited about our engagement party cake.
Mar, who is doing our wedding cake, is also doing this one. She LOVES a challenge and is phenomenal with sculpting food.
She's creating marzipan sculptures of us, him dressed as JR Bob Dobbs and myself as a tattooed June Cleaver type, but with sword and staff in hands, standing on a dungeon grid map.
As Mar said "You guys are such DORKS!"
I'll definitely post pics of it, but you'll have to wait a month when the party is.
The photos for her to model off of will be taken this Saturday and some will become our engagement photos.
I'll post those as soon as Alan has them edited and ready for print.
We booked our ceremony musician this week, John Milton, he's a friend of mine who's a great folk guitarist and singer. He's awesome at doing covers, which just rocks our socks. This is our list:
Party's Processional: The Story - Brandi Carlyle
Rachel's Processional: It's Always Now - Willie Nelson
Recessional: I'm Yours - Jason Mraj
Post-Recessional: Ghost Riders In The Sky - Johnny Cash
Pre-Ceremony (In no particular order):
Crazy Love - Van Morrison
I will follow you into the dark - death cab for cutie
Blue Skies For Everyone - Bob Schneider
Lay Lady Lay - Bob Dylan
Wild Horses - Rolling Stones
In a Little While - U2
Something So Right - Paul Simon style with a tempo closer to Annie Lennox
Sonnet I (And When the Sun Goes Down) - Crash Test Dummies
Then I Met You - the Proclaimers
We're real pranksters, my family is a bunch of jokers and our friends are just as hijinks prone as we are. We plan on having a ton of fun, while allowing our friends to really show their stuff to the community.
What a load off my shoulders to let go of the need to be like everyone else.
I can have my faerytale wedding and others can too and I hope to goodness they are as individual as we all are!
I found the key to my wedding bliss (with the occasional hiccup I'm sure.)
I stopped trying to fit my wedding into the status quo boundaries. We're eclectic, eccentric and more than a little odd. I tend to take ideas from many different sources and piece-meal things together, creating something altogether new and uniquely me.
I had been doing this with our wedding without even realizing it, while still fighting for the prescribed conformity most adhere to within the wedding world. As soon as I realized that our wedding is matching our way of life, I saw it in Big Picture finally and it all made perfect sense to me. I can blend between the themes easily, they are all toe-crossingly close to each other anyway.
I decided to do an FAQ as the first entry of this wedblog. That way I can refer people there instead of answering the same questions over and over and over and... ad nauseum.
I'm also SUPER excited about our engagement party cake.
Mar, who is doing our wedding cake, is also doing this one. She LOVES a challenge and is phenomenal with sculpting food.
She's creating marzipan sculptures of us, him dressed as JR Bob Dobbs and myself as a tattooed June Cleaver type, but with sword and staff in hands, standing on a dungeon grid map.
As Mar said "You guys are such DORKS!"
I'll definitely post pics of it, but you'll have to wait a month when the party is.
The photos for her to model off of will be taken this Saturday and some will become our engagement photos.
I'll post those as soon as Alan has them edited and ready for print.
We booked our ceremony musician this week, John Milton, he's a friend of mine who's a great folk guitarist and singer. He's awesome at doing covers, which just rocks our socks. This is our list:
Party's Processional: The Story - Brandi Carlyle
Rachel's Processional: It's Always Now - Willie Nelson
Recessional: I'm Yours - Jason Mraj
Post-Recessional: Ghost Riders In The Sky - Johnny Cash
Pre-Ceremony (In no particular order):
Crazy Love - Van Morrison
I will follow you into the dark - death cab for cutie
Blue Skies For Everyone - Bob Schneider
Lay Lady Lay - Bob Dylan
Wild Horses - Rolling Stones
In a Little While - U2
Something So Right - Paul Simon style with a tempo closer to Annie Lennox
Sonnet I (And When the Sun Goes Down) - Crash Test Dummies
Then I Met You - the Proclaimers
We're real pranksters, my family is a bunch of jokers and our friends are just as hijinks prone as we are. We plan on having a ton of fun, while allowing our friends to really show their stuff to the community.
What a load off my shoulders to let go of the need to be like everyone else.
I can have my faerytale wedding and others can too and I hope to goodness they are as individual as we all are!
First Post - FAQ
It's a surprise to everyone and we're not done yet.
FAQ without and with the questions:
Yes, we are getting married.
No, it hasn't fully sunk in yet.
Yes, we want 2 kids actually.
No, I'm not already pregnant.
Yes, we want kids to happen sooner than later.
The colors of the wedding are: navy blue, dark emerald green and deep purple.
My dress will hopefully be: light rose pink with ivory embroidery. (The first dress was mistakenly made in a lovely red mahogany brown color, we're waiting for the replacement to arrive.)
We've been asked about our theme and people are confused.
Is it an ocean/beach/lighthouse theme? Yes.
Is it a traditional midwestern country church theme? Yes.
Is it Christmas/Yule themed? Yes.
Is it Victorian Garden Faerie themed? Yes.
Are we mix-matching however we like because that's just the way we are? Definitely.
Are we worried about cohesive anything? Only that wedding party people show up in the outfits chosen at the prescribed time and are willing to walk down the aisle together.
Are we really trying to keep as much as possible to reuse/recycle craft projects for decorations? You bet!
Is the cake really going to be a lighthouse? Yes.
With a working light and an ocean/beach cake attached to it to feed the masses. Mar's amazing and loves to sculpt food, use fondant and edible paints; we believe in giving her challenges and letting her go with it.
Are we feeding you? Define feeding. We'll be providing enough food to make sure you don't starve, but can't afford enough to make you stuffed.
Are we getting you drunk? Probably not unless you're a lightweight. We'll be providing enough to get everyone going and hope that you all will bring bottles to share and keep the bar going until it's time to close down and clean up.
What's the music going to be like? We're romantic saps with a penchance for cheese.
The wedding ceremony: will have John Milton as our main performer on acoustic guitar and vocals. He'll be doing covers of songs we picked out specifically for the ceremony. A super surprise, tucked in the midst of too many words - I'm walking the aisle to one of Willie Nelson's newest songs "It's Always Now."
The receptions: will be grooving with DJ Dodo Glantern giving us the super fine cheeze of the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and beyond.
We had some trouble with our partyin reception site so we're looking into alternative sites for the drinking and dancing part of the evening. The cake, toasts and tosses reception will be at the ceremony site: the Unitarian Universalist Church of Boulder.
We're having 3 crafts days for those who like to make things and want to contribute to our decorations.
#1 = Friday, September 18th on Capital Hill - address to be announced on the wedsite.
#2 = Monday, September 28th on Capital Hill - address to be announced on the wedsite.
#3 = Sunday, October 4th @ the Syzergy Community Center, Rollinsville, CO.
The Bridal Shower will be Sunday, October 18th at Erin and Luke McOmie's house Aurora, CO.
All the times and addresses will be provided on the wedsite when it is finalized.
any more questions?
FAQ without and with the questions:
Yes, we are getting married.
No, it hasn't fully sunk in yet.
Yes, we want 2 kids actually.
No, I'm not already pregnant.
Yes, we want kids to happen sooner than later.
The colors of the wedding are: navy blue, dark emerald green and deep purple.
My dress will hopefully be: light rose pink with ivory embroidery. (The first dress was mistakenly made in a lovely red mahogany brown color, we're waiting for the replacement to arrive.)
We've been asked about our theme and people are confused.
Is it an ocean/beach/lighthouse theme? Yes.
Is it a traditional midwestern country church theme? Yes.
Is it Christmas/Yule themed? Yes.
Is it Victorian Garden Faerie themed? Yes.
Are we mix-matching however we like because that's just the way we are? Definitely.
Are we worried about cohesive anything? Only that wedding party people show up in the outfits chosen at the prescribed time and are willing to walk down the aisle together.
Are we really trying to keep as much as possible to reuse/recycle craft projects for decorations? You bet!
Is the cake really going to be a lighthouse? Yes.
With a working light and an ocean/beach cake attached to it to feed the masses. Mar's amazing and loves to sculpt food, use fondant and edible paints; we believe in giving her challenges and letting her go with it.
Are we feeding you? Define feeding. We'll be providing enough food to make sure you don't starve, but can't afford enough to make you stuffed.
Are we getting you drunk? Probably not unless you're a lightweight. We'll be providing enough to get everyone going and hope that you all will bring bottles to share and keep the bar going until it's time to close down and clean up.
What's the music going to be like? We're romantic saps with a penchance for cheese.
The wedding ceremony: will have John Milton as our main performer on acoustic guitar and vocals. He'll be doing covers of songs we picked out specifically for the ceremony. A super surprise, tucked in the midst of too many words - I'm walking the aisle to one of Willie Nelson's newest songs "It's Always Now."
The receptions: will be grooving with DJ Dodo Glantern giving us the super fine cheeze of the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and beyond.
We had some trouble with our partyin reception site so we're looking into alternative sites for the drinking and dancing part of the evening. The cake, toasts and tosses reception will be at the ceremony site: the Unitarian Universalist Church of Boulder.
We're having 3 crafts days for those who like to make things and want to contribute to our decorations.
#1 = Friday, September 18th on Capital Hill - address to be announced on the wedsite.
#2 = Monday, September 28th on Capital Hill - address to be announced on the wedsite.
#3 = Sunday, October 4th @ the Syzergy Community Center, Rollinsville, CO.
The Bridal Shower will be Sunday, October 18th at Erin and Luke McOmie's house Aurora, CO.
All the times and addresses will be provided on the wedsite when it is finalized.
any more questions?
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