Keeping on track

For the first time since the wedding planning began, I suddenly feel dangerously close to getting off track with my timeline!

My life has become complete chaos in the last few weeks (albeit wonderful, welcomed chaos), but I am trying my best to stay on target with the things I need to get done for the wedding each month. I am finally realizing that it's time to really get down to business and start making lots and lots of decisions -- it's not all about looking through pretty magazines and browsing the web anymore! Apparently, I have to actually do stuff? Hmph.

During my "wedding coma" of this weekend (ie, two weddings in one weekend in two different states, involving lots of driving, one lipstick stain, and two very tired feet that had to get up bright and early for work this morning), I decided that I can't be this exhausted, burnt out person for the next eleven months!!! I asked Mr. Blushing if he would mind if I gave him a "to-do" list every month to help me out with some wedding details, and he happily obliged. October is already halfway over but my list isn't quite crossed off yet, so I need to pick up the pace and I need his help. We decided that he will do all the research for the honeymoon, narrow down his favorite locations, and then we can decide on a place together. This will be one less thing for me to do, and I think it will be fun for him to be in charge of this big detail.

I haven't always been the best at delegating (stupid perfectionism!), but I trust Mr. Blushing enough to marry him, so why not trust him to make decisions for our day???

My Inspiration Board

Amidst all of the chaos and changes going on over the last several weeks, I have really been wanting to create an inspiration board for my wedding. I have been collecting photos since day one (well, er, before day one!), and I was ready to put everything together to see if I like the direction things are going in. I felt like if I didn't do it now, I'd just end up getting caught up in my new job and putting it off for another few months.

With my few days off before my new job begins, I spent some time getting all the images together in a QuarkXPress layout. I have been worried that the colors won't be vivid enough, or that they'll be too vivid and not classy enough, or everything won't represent my "vintage charm meets modern whimsy" theme quite enough, but now that I have my inspiration board together I'm confident that I'm happy with where things are going!

Click on image to enlarge

I'll be honest -- a lot of the images were collected before I thought about crediting sources; I'm going to try to get as many as I can at some point!

A few things I'll point out:

• The ring towards the top left is my ring from A. Jaffe. I don't have to worry about what band to choose to go with it, because A. Jaffe already makes one! Check!
• The blue dress towards the bottom left is the latest bridesmaid's dress that I found; it is an Alfred Sung creation. I normally don't like halters, but something about this halter is done in a more retro/vintage way, and I think the dress is just charming. It would go perfectly with everything else that I am imagining. It is a new 2007 style, and the style number/color options are not yet listed on the website. It is shown online in an icy blue color, but with the magic of photoshop I made it a lovely peacock blue. If I'm lucky, they'll offer something similar to this, or perhaps a nice purple jewel-tone?
• The photobooth at the top right represents an extra that I'd reeeaaaaaaalllly like to have at the reception; I am still working on talking my mom into that one!
  

What do you think about my board? Is there anything you've seen out there in wedding world that you think would be an excellent addition to it?

Do you believe in signs?

Today is a big day -- today marks exactly ONE YEAR until our wedding day!

I woke up this morning excited at the thought that at the same time in 365 days, I'll be waking up as a single woman for the very last time. It seems like a sort of long time away, but when I think about the fact that we've already been engaged for 7 months, it doesn't seem that far away after all. Time really does fly, and I want to savor this next year and enjoy it as much as possible.

When I got into work today (still at my "old" job for another week), I settled in, and then put on my headphones so I could concentrate and get down to business. As I do just about every other day, I opened my iTunes and pressed "play" -- I have it set to shuffle my music, so I'm never sure what tune in my library of 3,909 songs will play. Wouldn't you know it that the first song that came on is the very song that Mr. Blushing and I plan to dance to for our first dance at our wedding. It's a lovely song by Billy Joel called "You're My Home." There is both a studio and a live version, and the live version is the one I like best; that is the version we will be dancing to, and the same version that delighted my ears this morning. Here are the lyrics:

When you look into my eyes
and you see the crazy gypsy in my soul
it always comes as a surprise
when I feel my withered roots begin to grow.

Well I never had a place
that I could call my very own
but that's alright my love
'cause you're my home.

When you touch my weary head
and you tell me everything will be all right.
You say use my body for your bed
and my love will keep you warm throughout the night.

Well I'll never be a stranger
and I'll never be alone
wherever we're together
that's my home.

Home could be the Pennsylvania turnpike*
Indiana's early morning dew
high up in the hills of California
home is just another word for you.

Well I never had a place that I could call my very own
but that's all right my love
'cause you're my home.

If I travel all my life
and I never get stop and settle down
long as I have you by my side
there's a roof above and good walls all around.
You're my castle, you're my cabin
and my instant pleasure dome.
I need you in my house
'cause you're my home...
you're my home.

Now, I'm not sure that I believe in signs, but I believe that if ever there were one, hearing this song today would be it. :-)

* The first two years of our relationship were long distance, and just about every single weekend (I think we missed a total of two), one of us would drive two long, boring hours on the Pennsylvania Turnpike to see the other. That's not the reason we chose the song, but it sure makes it seem all that much more personal!

Button up!

I had a "case of the Mondays" yesterday, so on my way home from work I stopped at the grocery store and got two things sure to lift my spirits: a roll of Pillsbury chocolate chip cookie dough, and the new issue of InStyle Weddings. (You can feel my day getting better already, can't you?)

While chowing down on some raw cookie dough (I know, Mom, I shouldn't do that!) and reading my magazine, I came across this adorable table number idea using buttons:

photo via Brooklyn Bride, via InStyle Weddings

I started thinking about my new vintage theme that is slowly falling into place, and I realized that incorporating vintage-looking buttons would be the perfect flair that I am looking for!

With the help of a Weddingbee member who pointed me in the direction of these cute napkin rings from Martha, I searched a little further and found this cake that made my heart literally skip a beat:

photo via Martha Stewart Weddings

Is that not the. cutest. thing. you've ever seen????? I must have it!!!!!

It's so exciting when things actually start to come together.... Between this and my cut glass/eclectic candle holder idea for the centerpieces, I feel like I'm well on my way to a cohesive look and feel for our wedding, after a while of wandering aimlessly through this overwhelming (and sometimes frightening) wedding world.

Was there a moment or idea that suddenly pulled everything together for you?

A pretty big week for Miss Blushing

The last week has been pretty big/exciting for me, for two reasons:

1.) I got the job! I received an offer on Monday evening, and handed in my resignation at my current job on Tuesday. I was a nervous wreck before doing so, because it's just such a difficult thing to do, but once it was over I felt liberated and nothing but excited for the next chapter in my career. I will wrap things up in two weeks, have a few days off to get myself situated, and then begin my new adventure on October 3!

2.) I got "the" dress! Last Saturday Mama Blushing, MIL Blushing, and my MatOH came along when I went to try on the Casablanca dress one more time at The Wedding Touch. As MatOH said, it was a "no brainer" and the troops were unanimous -- I HAD to get this dress! I kept it on for maybe 15 or 20 minutes, loving every second of it and loving the dress more and more the longer I kept it on. So, I got measured, and wonderful Mama Blushing (who does so much for me and is doing so much for our wedding that I could never thank her enough) put down the deposit. DONE! Such a great feeling!

Without further ado, here is the dress, once again, but with yours truly wearing it! (Mr. Blushing, I know you are really not into this blog thing, but if for some reason you are reading this.... STOP NOW!!!!!!! Thankyouverymuch :-) )

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That's me! In MY wedding dress! Teehee.

The back.... we didn't take a lot of time to lay out the train all pretty, but you get the gist.



Aside from the few clips, the sample was very close to my normal size, so this is the size we ordered. For an extra $85, we will also have it custom cut to my height (which will probably save us a few hundred dollars in the alterations that would have otherwise been needed removing and re-stitching all of the detailed lace along the bottom hem). It is hard to tell, but the sample is champagne and that is the same color I ended up ordering. It's basically a more pink ivory that is flattering to my Italian skin tone (where as regular ivory has more yellow, which brings out the olive tone of my skin, which I am not a fan of!).

Also, you can't see in pictures, but each button on the back is beaded with the same detail as the rest of the dress. Truly spectacular!!!

I really like the veil that I am wearing, too. I didn't see the need to order that right away, but I might end up buying this one. I like how the subtle scalloped edge picks up the detail of the dropped waist, and the beading along the edge frames my face while picking up the beading on the dress. I'm also not a fan of "poof" so I like that this veil is a single layer -- no blusher for me (just not my thing and I swear I feel claustrophobic when I wear a blusher.... yes, I'm weird like that!). I would get it a bit longer (I honestly forget the length I want.... 50-something inches? They wrote it down!) because I liked the way another longer veil looked with the dress.

I am so ecstatic about this purchase; I feel like I really found the dress that suits my body, style, and personality to a T. I also like that it will help to set the tone for a somewhat vintage-meets-modern/eclectic style wedding, in terms of decor, flowers, and stationery.

Now I can start diving into the world of shoes, jewelry, and bridesmaid dresses!!!! :-)

Gocco, I love you so

The time has come.... I finally own my very own Gocco!


My wonderful brother and new sister-in-law got me this most fabulous device as a (belated) birthday present. With all of the chaos that this time of year brings to my life, I have not yet been able to break in my cute new screen-printing friend, but I am chomping at the bit to start! I used to L-O-V-E spending hours on end in the screen printing studio during my senior year at the University of Delaware, but continuing the art of printmaking beyond college became difficult with a lack of a studio space to get messy. I can't wait to (sort of) experience that again.... it may be on a smaller scale, but I have a feeling that I will love it just as much!

Wedding DIY projects: here I COME!

ch-ch-ch-changes...

What a hectic time the last several weeks have been! I realize I haven't written much, but I have good reason -- there is a good possibility that tomorrow, I will be getting a job offer with a company that I have been pursuing for a year now. Yes -- a YEAR! It's all a little overwhelming, and a little scary with the big change of becoming a wife also on the horizon (we are almost at the one-year mark!), but I think it's a change that I need.

Mr. Blushing is 100% supportive of the change, as he has witnessed first-hand how miserable I have been at my job for a little while now... this new job will be a challenge, but I think it will ultimately make me much happier, and that means I will be able to focus my free time on planning for our big day and enjoying Mr. Blushing's company, instead of complaining about work all the time.

Has anyone out there had a career change greatly impact their personal relationships in a positive way?

Or, has starting a new job while planning a wedding been overwhelming for anyone? In the end, was it worth it?

I heart Ikea

A few weeks ago I helped to host a bridal shower for my future cousin-in-law (Mr. Blushing's cousin's fiancee... got that??). I was put in charge of the favors, so I went to Ikea -- one of my favorite places to just wander and imagine all the possibilities -- and got these cute little jars that are like miniature versions of old school candy shop jars. For 36 jars, I paid about $28. They can sit upright or tilted on their side. I bought a slew of lavender satin ribbon from papermart.com to wrap around the lids, designed little labels with the happy couple's names and wedding date, and filled them with mini pastel mints.


Voila! They were a big hit with guests of all ages. Cute, no?

Running to the altar

I found this random article today on MLive.com:

FLINT - This bride clearly didn't have cold feet: She ran down the aisle.

An aisle almost 10 miles long.

Cheeks flushed, veil-donning Patty Sawdon gracefully wore a white running skirt and matching jogger's bra. Her bridegroom, Matt Wilson, was dashing in black Nike gear and sneakers.

They were both a tad sweaty, but not because of nerves. They were running Saturday's Crim 10-mile race - which for them was a race to the altar.

The couple wed around the 9.8-mile mark, on the lawn of the Genesee County Courthouse.

They then crossed the finish line hand in hand.

"I'm a hurry-up bride rather than a bridezilla," Sawdon laughed, holding a bouquet sprinkled with pink roses and green baby's breath. "The Crim is really meaningful to us, and running is really meaningful to us, so this made sense."

The newlyweds' addiction to running brought them together.

Sawdon, 47, of Haslett, and Flint-area native Wilson, 45 - who both recently moved to Pennsylvania - might go down in Crim history for their on-the-course moment.

There were other head-turners Saturday, such as the leopard-print-donning Catwoman, cape-draping Batman and Robin duo and the hula girls.

But Sawdon, who ran with her veil flying behind her, stirred the juiciest buzz. She became known as the bride dashing to get to her 9:45 a.m. wedding on S. Saginaw Street.

"People would ask, 'When is the wedding?' I'd say 'I'm hoping to make it,'" said Sawdon. "I got a couple of wedding proposals and a lot of people congratulated me. It was so fun. I'm going to wear the veil in all of my races."

Wilson got to the ribbon-decked tent first and waited for Sawdon, along with a minister and family and friends who were ready with a "just married" sign.

A nearly breathless Sawdon sprinted to her bridegroom amid chiming cow bells and the "Wedding March" processional for a five-minute ceremony of exchanging gold bands, vows and a kiss - before dashing down the last stretch of the course together.

"At first, I thought it was crazy, but now I think it's just wonderful," said the bridegroom's mother, Marilyn Wilson of Flint Township. "You can see they really enjoy each other and sharing it with this many people."

The couple came back to the Team Playmakers tent for pink champagne, cake and music.

The two met in January through Sawdon's brother. She said she thought Wilson was "this crazy guy who ran 100-plus miles per week."

But then they started sharing the perfect dates: running together.

"We really supported each other's lifestyles and encouraged each other and just kind of fell in love. We didn't mean to," Sawdon said, laughing. "It's a second marriage for both of us. We were married to non-runners before - a terrible mistake."

Sawdon, a business systems analyst for a pharmaceutical company, and Wilson, who works for a railroad company, hope to travel for more races and do a marathon together.

"I love her," said Wilson, who fell for Sawdon's easygoing personality and runner's fervor. "Running brought us together so this seemed the natural thing."

Sawdon said she fell for Wilson's sense of humor and smarts.

Oh, and it helps that "he's got really great legs," she said.

Not my idea of a dream wedding (puh-lease, I can barely run a 1/2 mile on the treadmill without getting winded!), but it sounds like it suited them perfectly. And it's most definitely unique! :-)

Have any of you ever been to or seen a really out-of-the-ordinary wedding? Tell us about it!

Dress shopping extravaganza, vol. III

Yesterday, I went on my third dress shopping excursion. This time it was just me and my mom, and we had appointments at a whopping four bridal salons in the area. Maybe that was a little ambitious, but we had a blast!

We started out at 10 a.m. at Forever Formals in Kennett Square, PA. Tracey was our sales assistant, and she was 100% delightful to work with. She let my mom and me look through the dresses and stepped in only when we found something we thought I should try on. The fitting room here was the nicest and most spacious I had been in yet, and Tracey was helpful and speedy without rushing us.

We found some really beautiful gowns -- some looked okay on, and some looked ridiculous and I didn't even get in them all the way before I took them off! There was one in particular that we liked the best out of them all: The Maggie Sottero Marissa dress. They had it in the darkest color, which was called Vienna Cream, but try to picture it in ivory!





I was surprised by how flattering the neckline was on me; I liked the crystal details on the neckline and on the "knife pleats" below the dropped waist. I liked the asymmetrical cut and the asymmetrical crystal detail in the back. The train was a little plain for my liking, but Tracey said we could probably add some crystal details. I wasn't so sure about the corset back, since I've always been a bigger fan of buttons, and I think I could grow to like the corset. Also, I am trying not to have my mind too set on the lace thing, but it just didn't seem as "me" as the dresses I had tried with lace. My mom really loved this dress on me, and I certainly liked it a lot, but was looking forward to continuing our search to see what else was out there.

Our second stop was The Wedding Touch in Frazer, PA. Sylvia was our sales assistant, and she was very sweet (although a bit of a talker!). She truly enjoys what she does and got a good feel for what I liked the more I talked to her. I tried on a few really pretty dresses, but wasn't extremely blown away by anything. I thought that maybe I was just at the point of trying on so many gowns that I was becoming numb to the "feeling" I was supposed to have!

....Until I tried on a particular Casablanca gown.

The style # is 1860, and unfortunately I was not allowed to take photos (I still don't really get this, but what can you do?). I don't think the photos online do the dress any justice, and it looks completely different on me since I am shorter, bustier, and overall curvier than this model! But, this is all I've got, so try to visualize if you can:

This photo is a little weird to me -- like they Photoshopped her chest away!

This is a little more "normal" looking and shows the amazing lace and beading.

Love. This. Train.

It is not what I imagined for myself at the beginning, yet it has a lot of the details that I have liked in other dresses -- the v-neck (that really sits on the outermost point of the shoulder, which I love), the dropped waist, the slimmer fit (while not a sheath dress, it does have a little bit of poof without being overwhelming), and, of course: lace, lace, lace.

The detailing seems like a lot, but when I put it on, I just felt like a much better version of myself. The details weren't overwhelming to my size or figure, and I liked that the beading and lace really blended into the rest of the dress (I hate when details stand out in a different color or tone). Overall it had a very vintage, classic feel to it that seems to suit my "old soul" type of personality and style (or at least the style I've always wished I had!).

My mom was also really into this dress -- I know she is not the one who will be wearing the dress, and there were certainly some dresses that she loved on the hanger than I wouldn't even try on, but it seems like when I find something that is right, it is something that we both love equally. She is my best friend and I really value her opinion; plus, she used to be really into sewing (she sewed her own wedding gown and ALL her bridesmaid's gowns back in the 70s!), so I trust her opinion on how things are made and how nice materials are.

The real "wow" moment for this dress came when my mom started to tear up -- as much of a crier as I am, my mom has never been quite as emotional as me. So when she IS emotional, I cry, even if I don't know why she's crying! She started to get a little teary-eyed and said "it just reminds me of my mother" and we both lost it. (My grandmother died when my mom was 24, before I was born.) Through my tears I joked, "well now I have to get it!" But it was really the first dress that gave me that "the one" feeling. (It's not an urban wedding myth after all!) It felt good to know that this had the vintage charm of something my grandmother might have worn, and that didn't make me feel like I needed to work on my body to make me love it more -- it looked great on me, the way I am right now. Things just started to fall into place. And, bonus: it is under $1000!

Funny thing: when we got into the car to go to our next stop, I paged through my wedding binder and found that I had torn out a picture of this dress before! It still looked completely different, but it was fun to know that I had noticed it before.

To cut this novel short, I will say that we continued on to our last two appointments, the second of which was at a store that carried the original Jasmine "dream dress" that I thought I loved -- and this dress no longer did anything for me. Aside from it being about three sizes too big on me, I just saw that it wasn't the dress that would truly flatter me, even if it was the right size and altered to fit me. It was a great starting off point which eventually led me to "the" dress, though.

I really do think that this is the one! I'm still going to sleep on it a little bit, but I don't see anything changing my mind about this one. :-)