Ack!

So, here we are--three days before the wedding.  THREE.  Tonight, I will try to come up with table numbers and finish the ring bearer pillow.  I also need to get together everything that needs to go to the wedding. 

Tomorrow, I get a little relaxation time and maybe a little time to use a Victoria's Secret gift card that I have.  ;)  Kerry comes back into town tomorrow night and I can't wait.

Thursdsay we have mani/pedi day, take stuff to the lodge, and rehearsal dinner.  Friday is wedding.  Good Lord, help me get through it all with a bit of sanity.

***********************************************************************************

My bachelorette party was this past weekend and it was a blast.  We started the day with a couple friends, my mom, my sister, and my niece.  We had lunch and explored Bellevue's Art in the Park.  So fun.  Then, we hit up Hofbrahaus and drank until I passed out.  It didn't take as long as I thought.

Sunday, in my very hungover state, we got together all of the wedding favors.  These were made with love, people, and please don't forget that. 

--Melanie

Wedding Showers Bring Crowded Living Rooms

Over the summer, I had two wonderful bridal showers thrown in my honor.  The first, in July, was thrown by my best friend, with help from my bridesmaids and my momma.  We had it at my apartment and had a simple menu of yummy (mostly finger) foods.  Chicken ring and buffalo dip.  Veggies and fruit.  Cupcakes and carrot cake.  There was also a request in the invitation that each guest bring a picture of me.  This request was made so that the guests could put together scrapbook pages for me at the shower.  I have an adorable book filled with loved ones' memories of time with me.

The second shower was in August and was thrown by a mother-daughter duo from church.  This shower had a potato theme and it was carried out so beautifully.  There were Mr. Potato Heads placed around their home (I collect these guys) and guests brought me gifts along a potato theme, as well.  Brad and I received potato chips and chip clips, actual potatoes with a microwave bag to make baked potatoes, and delicious recipes.

From the August shower.  Look at the beautiful table!

Disney Mr. and Mrs. Potato Heads

From the July shower. Brad and his nephew showed up with flowers and a "training dog" for me.

From the July shower. My "bouquet" for rehearsal.

From the July shower.  Check out all of the people in my living room!  It did get a little warm...

I am not one for being the center of attention, but weddings don't care about that.  I was a little uncomfortable with having a fuss over me (and Brad!) and all the gifts, but I loved being surrounded by people I love and eating way too much delicious food.  Plus, planning a wedding loses its fun real quick and a shower or two helps bring back the excitement over getting to marry someone you love dearly.  

--Melanie

Less than Two Months Out...

Folks, we are entering extreme countdown mode.  I have 60 days until the wedding a TON of things to get done!  Take a look:

• address invites
• punch holes in invites
• mail invites--will be mailed this morning!!!!!!
• cake topper
• music
• do/do not play list
• ceremony music
• card box
• flowers
• alter dresses
• bridesmaid dress for Kerry's wedding
• my wedding dress
• centerpiece "plates"
• jars
• favors
• order supplies
• construct
• hair trial--scheduled for July 28
• makeup trial--scheduled for July 28
• set appointments for wedding
• engagement pictures--scheduled for July 28
• guestbook
• supplies
• frame
• signs
• Krippendorf
• guestbook
• other
• Krippendorf layout
• parent gifts
• bridesmaid gifts
• ring pillow
• jeweler
• bathroom basket
• finalize cake design

Are you feeling as stressed as I am?  I also have to clean the house this week because Kerry arrives on Friday in order to throw me a shower on Sunday.  I'm so excited. Also, since invitations are going out as soon as I finish this post, I feel a huge weight off my shoulders.  Some items on the list are actually being completed by other people and I just have to cross them off the list when the time comes.  That is a great feeling.  :)

In order to keep me accountable, my goals for the week include cleaning the house, working on the ring pillow, and gathering supplies for the guestbook and bathroom basket.  Engagement pictures, trials, and setting appointments will be tops on the list for next week.  

Finally, as you'll recall from previous crazy posts, I need to figure out what I'm doing for flowers.  I saw a picture in a magazine and I really like it.  I'm hoping that I can recreate that bouquet, maybe throw in a daisy or two and be done with the flower insanity.  

Anybody up for a night of wedding planning?

--Melanie

Busy Bees

I know I owe you guys pictures of Kerry's shower and I will get to those early next week, I think, along with pictures from the weekend we're about to have.  You see, last weekend I was in Pittsburgh for Kerry's shower and Brad and I head to Atlanta tomorrow for an awesome post-wedding/post-birthday bash.  I don't get to unpack my suitcase for very long and that is why I am a slacker.  So, next week we'll have pics of both awesome events, maybe my office redo, too.  Anyhoo, I'm sorry.  I have been noticing this summer-slacker trend among other bloggers, so hang in there.

--Melanie

Recap

This summer has started off crazy-busy! I don't even know when that happened (or why!), but I feel crazy and pulled in a million directions. Last night, I crawled into bed at 11:30 and told Brad I missed him. It feels like we're on different schedules lately and I don't like that at all. I'm hoping June is crazy and then it calms down, but with 88 (!!) days to go, I doubt we'll calm down before Christmas. Here's a quick recap of what I've been doing lately:

Mom had a cookout for Memorial Day and we made sure these lovely ladies got some swimming time.

School ended and this guy took me to Cheesecake Factory to celebrate.

We went to this beautiful wedding for Brad's cousin.

He proposed in the pictured canoe.  :) Lots of sweet touches and details for their day.

Barn reception.  I swooned.

She is so gorgeous.

Oreo truffle.

First dance.

Vows.

One of Brad's uncles made hangers for the above wedding and made me one, too!

On a recent dinner/movie night, Brad ate baby octopus.  Gross.

I had dinner for my dad and grandma.  I bought these blooming branches and alstromeria from Kroger.

It's an old picture, but this is my grandma and me.

Mom and I took these ladies to see butterflies.

Brad got our City Passes in the mail.

I made a father's day card complete with dinosaurs.

I also painted some flower pots. More on those later.

Told you I was busy.  There's so much on the to-do list and more is added every morning at 4 AM.  Soon I need to schedule engagement pics, throw Kerry's shower, go to Atlanta for a reception, finalize some details and start construction on others.  If you see me and I look crazy, just feed me chocolate and remind me that we have a dress and an officiant.  We are good to get married.  :)

--Melanie

One Hundred Seven

107.  That's how many days there are until I get to marry Brad and I'm a little bit freaking out.

I second-guess every decision and obsess over details.  I'm afraid to let go of things and cross them off the list.  I don't know why.  It could be that I just want this day to be magical and wonderful, when I know it will be flawed and still beautiful.

It could be that I have a touch of cold feet. Please don't get me wrong--I want to marry Brad and make beautiful dark-haired babies and sit with him when we're 80.  I wonder, though, how I know he's The One.  What sets him apart?  It's enough to cause a slight freak-out in anyone.  Talking with Kerry helps and she's been wonderful.   Since we're both getting married, she's right with me on all my freak-outs and we support each other through them.  (I have lots of supportive people around me and don't want to discount them.  You know who you are and I love you.)

I guess I'm finally starting to feel like a grown up.  I'm getting married.  We've talked about babies and mortgages.  I'm 26 years old and I wonder if I'm ready to grow up.  I think I'll be OK as long as Brad and I grow together and embrace the adventure we're officially starting in September.

--Melanie

Feeling Good

Great things that have happened this week:

1. Thank You Card

I received a thank you card from a parent who appreciated the kindness I showed her son and her family as we completed some updated IQ and academic testing that the son needed for transition needs.  The son is an 18 year old with Asperger's who was wonderful to work with and I was so happy to help him with this need so that he could explore college program options for students with special needs.  Also, he is a genius and I had to google some of his answers (he answered in French at times, for pete's sake).  The mom wrote me a beautiful card that makes me feel like I'm doing a good job and included a gift card to a bookstore.  So sweet!

2. Exercise

Brad and I walked for close to 4 miles on Tuesday and, if the rain holds out, I'd like to walk today.  I'm hoping to donate blood, so I guess a walk is contingent on that, but I love that Brad and I are getting out and increasing our activity.  It makes me feel good.  Also, my mom is going to count weight watcher's points with me starting Tuesday (Memorial Day cookout is sure to be fantastic).  I am not doing this just for the wedding pictures.  I have gained about 10 pounds since two or three years ago and I'm not really a fan of that.  I lost that weight doing WW, but then stopped tracking so it's no wonder that I gained it back.  Anyway, I want to feel better physically and self-esteem wise, so here we go.

3. Super Secret Project = Bridal Shower Invites for my BFF = Success

Remember my to-do list about assembling invitations?  Well, I'm hosting a bridal shower for my BFF next month.  She's getting married in August and I'm just so happy and excited for her.  Anyway, invitations can get pricey and I'm broke from my own wedding planning.  Also, I am planning my wedding and trying to finish my first year in a school, so I'm busy, which means I wasn't sure if I could order and receive invites in time for this shindig next month.  So I made invitations.  Lots of invitations.

Pretty stamps.

I make cards from time to time and I figured it was pretty much the same thing.  Kerry's shower is a blue-theme shower, so I tried to keep with that when I bought the paper.

Also, Kerry really liked invitation designs with a bride and a groom, so I went with the couple part when I bought the stamp.  I figured I could emboss that image on the invite, which I did.  Super easy, super quick.

I played around in pages on Brad's Mac and created the invite, which I printed in blue ink on blue cardstock (from the pack).  Then, I just took the paper cutter and corner-rounder to the dentist when Dad had surgery and cut paper for 90 minutes.  I continued doing this at Dad's house after supplying him with Vicodin and gauze.  Then, I continued doing this at my mom's house the next day.  Good gravy.  It was a little more time than I anticipated, but I ended up with 40 beautiful, homemade, and from the heart invitations.  Also, Kerry loves them.  :)

Finished invitation!  Also, rhyme that I stuck on the back of each invite encouraging everyone to wear blue.  The invites were placed in the envelopes so that the rhyme would be seen first when opening.  (Click on the pictures to make them bigger.)

4. Cooking

Guys, I am starting to get the hang of this cooking thing, I think.  This was our dinner Tuesday night--sweet potato fries, fruit salad, steak.  Simple, but good (and full of iron!).  I also bought some flowers from Kroger to spruce up the table a little.  

Two weeks ago, when I was in search of a good dessert, my sister rescued me and sent me a dessert pizza recipe.  Delish!  

Here's the recipe:

18oz sugar cookie dough

8oz cream cheese, softened

1/2 C brown sugar

1/4 C creamy peanut butter

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 medium granny smith apples (I went with presliced apples for convenience and non-browning.)

1/4 C caramel ice cream topping

1/2 C chopped peanuts (I omitted this.)

Preheat oven to 350.  Roll out cookie dough and bake for 16-18 minutes.  Let cool, then loosen from baking stone (or whatever you baked on).  Combine cream cheese, brown sugar, vanilla, and peanut butter.  Spread on cookie.  Peel, core, and slice apples thinly. Arrange evenly over mixture.  Drizzle warm caramel over apple.  Sprinkle peanuts on top.

(I left the peel on the apples and it was fine, just a bit harder to take bites of apples.)

In Which I Procrastinate

School is out next Friday and I'm ready for a break. I say this and laugh, though, for this summer I will continue working at the pharmacy in attempt to pay for the wedding. Also, I will be flitting off to Atlanta for a reception and will be back and forth to Pittsburgh a few times for my dear friend's wedding and festivities. I will be very busy, so I don't know why I think of this summer as a "break". Oh, well. Next summer, maybe.

I have a few more things to finish up before school lets out (hence the title) and I'll probably buckle down and have a very productive afternoon today. (See, Mom? I work. Promise.)

I completed a super secret project this weekend and should be blogging about it tomorrow or Thursday, so please sit tight.

On Friday, Brad and I had a date night that was so fun and almost didn't happen. My dad had dental surgery and I sat with him all day making sure he had fresh gauze, on-time doses of Vicodin, and soft foods in the fridge. So, by the time I felt OK leaving him it was 7:30 PM. But, Brad waited to have dinner with me and I love him for that. We just ran out to KFC/Long John Silver's so it wasn't healthy at all, but it was food and I was starving. Then we headed over to a benefit at Powerhouse Factories where we listened to a performance from Bad Veins, bought a benefit t-shirt, and bought some amazing posters. I'm thinking of enlisting Emily (of Go, haus, go!) to help me redo the living room to include the posters and look amazing, while costing me next to nothing. Again, I'll keep you updated.

[tangent] Brad and I are in no shape to buy a house for a few years, so I want to make our apartment amazing. I have some ideas for the bedroom (money will flow at Ikea), so that will need to wait a little bit. I want to make our living room a little more grown-up (or at least put together). I am growing tired of the hodge-podge of hand-me-downs we have in our apartment. (I love that we have hand-me-downs and I appreciate them; I just want some things that are strictly Brad and Melanie now.)[end tangent]

To bring an end to this, Brad and I enjoyed the benefit, the free wine and beer, and the chance to go out and enjoy a night with each other. In my opinion, it doesn't happen nearly enough. :)

--Melanie

Oh, right. A picture. Here is one of my offices. They are beginning to clean carpet in the Media Center (I'm down the Fiction Aisle.) and all those tables are blocking my way out. Fire Hazard? I think so.

A Dress for Every Girl

This weekend I headed up to Pittsburgh to hang out with my best friend and MOH, Kerry Kriss. She is getting married August 20 and Brad and I are getting married September 16. Kerry and I have been friends since second grade and love that we're getting married within a month of each other.

Anyway, I went up this weekend to get sized for and purchase my dress for her wedding. We also tried on some dresses to see if I could make a decision on bridesmaids dresses. I've looked at so many, and I was no closer to a decision. I wanted to just pick the color and length and have each girl pick her own, but it became clear that too many options would be the death of all of us. So Kerry and I headed over to David's Bridal.

We walked in and told an associate that we just needed to check out bridesmaids dresses and she handed us a catalog and promised to check in with us in a bit. We pulled four dresses and headed into two rooms (apparently the rooms of two different associates). We were checking out the dresses next to each other when one associate asked us who we were working with because I was in her room. We offered to move, but she said we were fine. A dress change later, another associate told Kerry she was in her room. Again, we offered to move and was told we were fine. When I was getting dressed in my clothes again, the first associate walked in on me! She apologized, but Kerry and I were so sick of dealing with the associates. We offered to move and were told that we were OK there, when clearly they didn't really think that. Ugh!

Anyway, we narrowed it down to three options and I'll be taking the other girls soon to try on the choices and get their picks. The dresses will be navy blue and the sash would be gray. Oh, you want pictures? OK.

Wedding Checks

So far, Brad and I have booked our venue, reserved the officiant, and I’ve purchased a dress. Well, I’ve purchased two dresses, but we’ll get to that.

Brad and I will be married Friday, September 16, 2011 at the Krippendorf Lodge in Milford, Ohio. You can view the property at the following website, but it’s pretty short on photos and information. http://www.cincynature.org/krippendorf.html I’m very excited that Brad and I will be married outdoors underneath a big tree. Mark Caldwell-Reis from First Christian Church in Fort Thomas, Kentucky will be our officiant.

My best friend, and maid-of-honor, Kerry came to visit this weekend to go dress shopping with my mom, my sister (a bridesmaid), and myself. Our first stop was Bridal & Formal in the Reading Bridal District. Tracie was amazing and let us be silly while trying on the dresses. She ensured that I was staying within my budget (under $800) and wasn’t rationalizing bad dresses. There was one that I loved, and we left it downstairs while we explored their 40th anniversary sale upstairs. They had $40 and $70 dresses! Everyone pulled dresses for me and we had even more fun! I found another dress that I loved (completely different than the one I had downstairs) and I couldn’t make up my mind. I was wearing a $1250 dress that was on sale for that day only at a price of $40. We decided that for $40, I could afford to buy it and continue shopping around. I could always sell that dress and recoup my costs.

On Sunday, we continued our shopping expedition at David’s Bridal in Kenwood. Katie was our consultant and she was just adorable. The plan was for me to pick one dress so we could make sure we had the correct size and then pull other dresses I was interested in. I picked one that I loved in the catalog and we put it on. It was gorgeous—instant love. We went on to try on many more beautiful dresses and it came down to dress number 1 and another dress that I could have a colored sash with. When it came down to it, I couldn’t imagine myself in any other dress than dress number 1. I felt like myself and I felt like a beautiful bride. Katie found a veil (my sister then found a better one), a sparkly headband, and a bouquet and I walked around while all kinds of people fawned over me. I’m not gonna lie—that was pretty nice. I was given the OK to hang out in the dress while my girls tried on bridesmaids dresses and Mom tried on a few MOB dresses. At the end of the day, the only dress we purchased was mine and I couldn’t be happier. However, I now have two wedding dresses in my home and Brad might get curious. I need to find somewhere else to keep them until September. Anyone have a closet they’re not using?

—Melanie