Let's Go to the Movies!

I think R and I have FINALLY found a place for our reception(and hopefully ceremony). We've decided on the Screenland Theatre on Armour Rd in North Kansas City. It's awesome, it's ten minutes max from the city, and I believe it will be convenient for R's family coming from Richmond. They will even put our names on the marquee that night, which is lots of fun.

As for the ceremony, they do have a beautiful theatre there to rent. R and I are completely sold on the idea for multiple reasons. Here are the pros:

-Beautiful cushy red seats.
-One row of seats are recliner seats(not that any of you will be reclining at my wedding).
-If we make a slideshow or movie, they will totally play it on the screen for us. R had joked that we could re-enact our favorite movie moments, and we could play it while everyone is waiting for the ceremony to begin. Or we could piece together clips of us(we better get filming), to have playing at some point.
-Beautiful red curtain that covers the screen, and the giant robot man that moves to open said curtain.
-R and I have wanted a wedding on some kind of stage from the beginning. We're not opposed to a church wedding, but the stage/movie thing is more "us".
-It's right in the same location as the reception. Hello convenient!

The only cons are:

-There's no REAL aisle. There's the entrance to the theatre, but no one would see me coming in until I was towards the front of the theatre. However, I could close of the aisle of recliners(b/c it's wider), and walk down that, and then turn and walk to the front and meet R on the stage. Or, I could come in from the front side door, and everyone would see me come out that way.The non-real aisle doesn't exactly bother me, b/c to be honest, walking down a big long aisle with everyone looking at me freaks me out. You can't tell me that's not intimidating.
-My mom is SO not sold on this idea, so we have some convincing to do.

I took some photos of the loft space and the theatre. You'll have to excuse their crappiness, as I took them with my iPhone.

The Bridesmaid Dress Search is Over!

Today the girls and I decided on a bridesmaid dress. They will be black, not purple. I think everyone is going to look beautiful(and don't call me crazy for picking out a long dress for August, they all decided on the long dress, but at least it's light. We'll all suffer together in the heat.) Ta da!

And the bride wore...

...a dress! I found one! What the heck? I hoped I'd find one, but wasn't counting on it. I was nearly sold on finding a seamstress to make me a short dress. I do love the short ones. However, I found a gorgeous long dress that will do the job perfectly. And...AND it's lighter, so I won't die from heat exhaustion. Ha. The only thing is, I might have to give up my dyed crinoline idea, because the color would probably show through the dress. I don't know. We'll see what happens. My backup plan is to wear a fun bright shoe. Perhaps green to go with my colors, or maybe just do polka dot shoes to match our black and white. Guess we'll see.

The dress is perfect. It has a vintage feel, and it just feels like "me". The photo I found online doesn't do it justice(they wouldn't let me take a photo in it until it was purchased, and I was dressed by the time we did that), b/c the model is totally sexing it up, but trust me, it looks good on me. I decided maybe I'll incorporate a cute short dress for the rehearsal/rehearsal dinner night, and that'll give me the satisfaction of both worlds. Except I can wear whatever color I want for the rehearsal. Hooray! If you want to see a photo, you're going to have to give me a message, b/c the fiance' will see it.

La, la, la....

Note to Self

These flags are awesome. I must get some(or make some). I love hooray!

The Short Wedding Dress

I'm kind of loving the idea of a short vintage inspired wedding dress. There's a good chance it's going to be pretty hot in August when R and I tie the knot, a shorter dress might help me keep my sanity and not want to ditch my dress on the sidewalk and run free in my skivies.

Heat isn't my number one attraction to the shorter dresses, they're completely adorable and I love the styles of some of the. Here are some photos I've found for inspiration. Does anyone know a seamstress who could just make me a vintage style wedding dress? Ha.

And calm...

I'm feeling much calmer today. I think we're going to change our date again. Imagine that. My mom brought up a good point today by asking if wedding planning was no longer feeling fun. I said no, that it wasn't. She said maybe I should change the date(which is what my original question to her was). I don't want to be limited in dresses I can order b/c of the date. I don't want to stress about invitations getting out in the next six weeks or so. I don't want to worry about finding a place for the wedding/reception ASAP.

The only thing that sucks about August is 1) I'm impatient. May is so much sooner. 2) The weather. CJ pointed out to me that if we do outdoor photos, it'd probably be 30-60 minutes at most. The rest will be indoors, and the evening will be cooler. We can suck it up. She's right. I mean, we did survive band camp and football games in our uniforms(even if I did pass out once). 3) Plane tickets ARE a little bit more expensive, but it's January. There's plenty of time to save some money for those who plan on coming from out of town.

The things that suck about May are 1) It's so SOON(which I'm all about, b/c I get to be with R sooner, but there's that whole wedding thing getting in the way). 2) It'd be on a holiday weekend(this could be a plus or minus). 3) I'll probably have to get a dress off the rack b/c there isn't enough time to order one. 4) All the other planning stuff, basically has to get done ASAP. 5) R and I are fixing up a house. Planning a wedding within a few months, AND trying to get a house in liveable shape is going to be difficult. I don't want that kind of pressure.

So, I think we're learning towards August again. Stay tuned. We'll officially announce it when we book a place.

The Registry

So, how does this registry thing work. I've read everywhere that it's rude to put registry info in with the invitations, so how else are you supposed to do it? I think most wedding invitations I've received have had registry info with them. Thoughts? Opinions? GO!

Why It's Good to Check Your Registry...

Because something you scanned could have come up wrong, and you'll have "Desitin Baby Diaper Rash Cream" on your registry. While it's a good way to freak out your guests and make them think you're having a shot gun wedding, what the heck are you going to do with diaper rash cream should someone actually get it for you?

Sigh.

Stupid Target scanner gun!

Wedding Day Madness

I tried on dresses today for the first time today, and also went to a bridal show in Overland Park. Holy. Hell. I'm exhausted.

Let's just discuss the bridal show for a second, I'm sure you won't mind hearing about my day in reverse order. It's a mad house. A MAD. HOUSE. You start off by being tagged with a sticker that says "BRIDE" nice and big. You think it's to make you feel special at first, but then you understand what's just happened. You turn the corner only to see a massive room filled tons of girls scattering back and forth, and booth after booth, so many vendors you don't even know where to start. You realize that that big "BRIDE" sticker is a target. Yep, I was a walking human target today. My lady friends with me basically didn't have a soul pay attention to them as we walked through, but I was attacked every few minutes by someone new, shoving an informational sheet into my hand. I will say, the cake samples did make it a bit easier to handle. I'm not big on crowds, confusion, and chaos, but I am big on cake. And punch. Refill. And more punch.

There was also a bridal fashion show. My contacts were hurting by this point in the day, and I probably looked like I was convulsing in my seat, or at least ready to scratch my eyes out from discomfort. I felt even more discomfort when four male models in jeans and suit jackets came strolling, no grinding, down the runway doing all kinds of things that made me embarrassed for them. I didn't have a pillow to hide behind. However, I did see a dress or two that looked interesting, so I'm keeping my hopes up to find something. As cranky as I sound about the whole thing, I did have fun. I ran into a few friends, had some cake, and enjoyed running around like a chicken with her head cut off for a few hours. Ladies, thanks for being there. I'm sorry if I appeared to be having a melt down by the end of it(melt down in my world is just being out of it, not talking much, and sporting cranky undertones). The truth was, I needed a nap. Clearly, I am ten.

Which brings me to the dress shopping this morning. Hrm. I was underwhelmed. I don't know if it was the lady I had, the fact that I needed to have a dress ordered five months ago(even though I just got engaged about three weeks ago), or the fact that I have pain in my ribs, and being corseted into a dress was not my idea of fun. Ouch. Speaking of which, are wedding dresses supposed to be that uncomfortable? I felt like I was sucked and tied in to every dress I put on. I'm a creature of comfort. I'd like to be able to sit at my wedding. Maybe even eat something. Or you know, breathe. I could lean forward and hang there, and the dress held me up. My dress lady was not messing around with the corset tying. Blech.

I found a dress or two that were interesting, but they weren't winners. Bless my lady party for being patient while I tried them on. I just wasn't that impressed. I did, however, discover that I can wear white. I never thought I'd be able to. Turns out, the ivory colors look not-so-great on me. My lady said I had "Snow White skin", so can pull it off. Raise the roof to being pale. Being able to wear white will work out well with our color scheme. Perhaps I'll have better luck this week. This post sounds grumpy and complainy. I need sleep.

Here's a photo of me in one of the dresses. Looking back, I think this one may have been the most flattering, even though it wasn't the crowd favorite. I officially miss my long hair. And I'm allowed to post this photo, b/c I'm not getting this dress.

Calling All Lovely Ladies!

The bridesmaid lineup is complete! I'm excited!

First up, we have KG. She's my MOH. She's also my little sister. No, we don't always get along, but she's my only sister, and I love her to death. We talk about boys a lot, eat sushi together, and we make fun of each other for the kinds of music we listen to. She's pretty funny, too. She has excellent party planning skills, and will be fun to have around through out all of this wedding madness. KG is graduating from college this May. I'm very excited for and proud of her. Go KG!

Next up, we have DB. BRASS MONKEY! What can I say? DB is my oldest friend(since I was in 8th grade!). We crack each other up, love cotton candy, and of course, have a huge love of puppies...and kitties...and monkeys. Okay, fine, all animals. Although, I think DB might be just a hair more animal obsessed than I am. DB and I have also discovered that we're basically going to be married to male versions of each other. DB and R's personalities are quite alike, and my forgetfulness is definitely a match to EB's (DB's husband). DB and I are like friend soul mates. (It cracks me up that we thought it would be funny to make it look like we had nothing on in this photo. We are, in fact, fully clothed. Promise.)

After DB, we have SM! Hooray for SM! She's my next oldest friend(friends since my freshman year!). We've lived together, gotten back stage at concerts together, watched a lot of Buffy the Vampire Slayer together, and she's also the reason I met R. Thanks to SM for inviting me to that Pier 1 Christmas party, and luckily R decided to go to his old work's Christmas party. I win. SM is afraid of birds and rodents, so don't put them near her. SM also deeply shares my unicorn silliness. Cheers to SM with an economy sized bottle of chianti!

Next is CJ! Hooray! I've actually known CJ since elementary, but we weren't really friends until sophomore year of high school when she joined the drumline and invited me over to a sleep over at her house. It's been hilarious "HANH" laughs ever since. She shares my interest in random humor, found in movies like Drop Dead Gorgeous or Summer Heights High. We've played more Mario Party games together than I can even begin to count, we lived together for a year in college, and were in drumline in high school and college together. We laugh a lot, and we can talk or not talk about anything.

AW! AW is next! AW is also an old friend. We became friends on the swim team in high school during my sophomore year. I had her co-captain with me in high school my senior year, and she danced for the drill team with the marching band. So, including AW, every girl mentioned above except for KG was in the band in high school. Join the band, folks! AW is my fun-loving, dry-humored friend. My "Miranda" if you will. She also shares my dark side, which I enjoy. She's graduating from vet school this May. I'm so proud of her.

Last, but not least, is RK. She's R's little sister, and my future sister-in-law. It's so exciting to be getting another sister. RK and I have similar tastes in movies, books, and strangeness (ie: she got me a "Strange Sock Creature Book and Kit" for Christmas. Um, awesome?) and we bonded when we had to share a hotel room together when traveling with R's family to a wedding in Illinois and talked about girl things(boys). RK is a nurse, so I guess if I decide to pass out, trip, or hurt myself in some way on my wedding day, at least I know she'll know what to do. Ha. I think we're going to get along quite well in the future(especially since we already do).

I love all of these ladies very much, and I'm blessed to have such great women in my life. I can't imagine getting married without having them standing with me during the ceremony. Now, what are the chances I could get them to learn this dance to do at the reception with me?

Ha. Juuust kidding.

Dyed Crinoline, anyone?

I love the idea of adding a pop of color underneath my wedding dress! Apparently, you can dye the crinoline yourself, and it's not that difficult(already found instructions!). I could do blue for my "something blue", the spring green we're using for our colors, or black to also match our colors. Oh the possibilities!

Who Knew Cake Toppers Could Be So Fun?

I'm extremely excited about our cake topper, probably more than I should be. I found a little shop on Etsy quite some time ago that made funny little figurines of half people half animal(FYI, R and I both really like half animal half humans. R draws them quite a bit, and they just make me happy). The first one I saw had a horse head groom, and just a regular bride. I'm having one custom made, and I'm not going to tell you what the heads will be until I receive it...or maybe I'll wait until the wedding to show it off. I'm just not sure I can wait that long. Here's the link to Megan Bogonovich's Etsy store.

I Shouldn't Be Looking At Jewelry Yet

I'm hooked on Etsy. Love, love, love that site. Most of my bookmarks on my computer are for various artists site, I've been a fan for a few years now. I came across these asymmetrical earrings, which I'm kind of in love with. I just don't know if they're too strange. They're intended to be bridal jewelry, AND they just happen to be black AND white.

Colors!

R and I decided on our colors this past week. I've always liked the idea of black and white, and love that combination(yes, I know it's not "springy" or vibrant, but it's classic). We decided to add a spring green color to the mix, just to make it more fun, and we both love that color. Here are some idea boards I found on good 'ol Google.

If You're Really My Friend...

...you won't encourage me to eat chocolate or anything sweet(unless it's fruit) with you over the next few months. Mama's gotta work out and get in shape.

I'm officially a total cliche'.

It's time to get back in shape, I was doing so well last spring/summer, and thanks to grad school awesomeness, I let myself go again. If not for the wedding, then for at least the honeymoon. Or hey, even better, for my own health. I don't have a "pounds to lose" goal, I just want to be healthy. So, maybe my goal should be a healthy BMI. I'd like to have a goal of a BMI of 22. Mine's about 26 or 27. Eek.

So, here are my goals:

1) No wine (or anything of the like) during the week with dinner. Maybe once on the weekends.

2) No starving myself. Like I could...

3) No eliminating a certain food group(and I know, ice cream is not a food group), I just want to eat healthily. I want to stick mostly to fresh foods if possible. As Martha Stewart says, "If you can't pronounce the words on the label, put it back on the shelf."

4) Exercise, exercise, exercise. My gym membership and Wii Fit are going to be key players here. So will keeping a gym bag in my car at all times so I can go straight from work.

Motivation in 3...2...1...GO!

Best Engagement Card Ever

I got this card from Meg B. today, and it made me laugh. Thanks, Meg!