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1 Year Anniversary

2010-05-16T22:44:00.001-04:00

We've had a wonderful anniversary weekend...

Friday we grabbed some pizza and then went to the theater and saw Robin Hood. Back home, Philip surprised me with cupcakes from our wedding cake's bakery in the same flavor as our top tier...red velvet.

Saturday we hung around the house...I dyed my hair black {I missed a few spots, dang it.} Then we went to the Sun Dial, a restaurant above the Westin in downtown Atlanta that is 72 stories high, 360 degrees and rotates so you get a full view of the city from the floor-to-ceiling windows. We had a carpaccio appetizer, I had the lobster tail and he had trout, it was all so delicious.

My gift...

Philip designed this right-hand ring like he did my engagement ring. Its eight diamonds in the circle are from his mother's wedding band and the stone in the middle is from his great grandmother's engagement ring. I was beyond surprised and beyond floored when I saw this...I definitely teared up. So special. I love it.

I gave him a heartfelt card with a small gift {in comparison to his anyway!} when we got home in bed.

Today we ate at our favorite breakfast spot and did a little clothes and grocery shopping. Just a simple, pleasant day.

1 year ago today we were saying "I do" and enjoying an entire night with our family and friends. This year and this day we are on our own and simply enjoying each other - perfect.

DSLR Overload

2010-03-24T20:15:00.000-04:00

This past Saturday, P and I had to visit 3 stores before finding the right SD card needed for my new Sony DSLR. I picked up a carrying case along the way and finally had a field day with my new toy. I took over 100 photos in one day! To me, that's impressive since we didn't even doing anything special and there wasn't an event going on.

Here's our Saturday afternoon...

We started the afternoon with a trip to Smoothie King - this is my 1st shot ever on the new camera. {Shadow isn't great, but hey, I had to show the 1st!}

Then we went home to let the dogs play outside in the yard since it was such a pretty, sunny day.

Our pups are smothered {literally} with love. Look at that face..."I love you, but...can't breathe!"

My little adventurer - doesn't he look straight out of some African jungle special on the Travel channel? He's so stealth.

Then we waited in the car for Daddy after driving to this store so he could return something...

The photographer!

When we ran to Sam's Club to stock up on the BIG bag of dog food, Kobi decided to wait in the front seat to get a better look at the hustle and bustle of the parking lot.

Since he was already in the front driver's seat, he decided to drive us to dinner...

Not before checking on me to make sure I was wearing my seat belt, though.

We arrived at one of the best known BBQ spots in the 'burbs of Atlanta: Williamson Bros. BBQ - they're legit.

True southern style.

This is what we saw when we walked in. PORK. {Apologies if you're a vegetarian :/ }

Can't you just smell it?! Mmmm.

Since it was just 3 minutes down the road from the restaurant and it was still light outside {LOVE "spring forward"}, we stopped at the Marietta Square where there are small shops, restaurants, eateries, coffee shops, ice cream parlors, etc. all assembled in...you guessed it, a square. It's a nice area where you can walk dogs and rest on benches in the center of the Square where the fountain and gazebo are.

Tyson loves hopping up on the bench with us to get off his feet.

All 3 of my boys looking at me at the same time...this is definitely a rarity!

Hope your Saturday was as laid back and fun as mine! And also that you like the quality improvement on the photos...let me know if you can tell!

The Art of Compromise

2010-03-21T17:11:00.001-04:00

As a newlywed, I'm happy I didn't have any unrealistic ideas of how marriage would be in comparison to my dating life with Philip. I am definitely a realist and don't create too many expectations {although, yes, I do have some and need to work on conveying them in my marriage...that's a topic for another day}.

Marriage isn't rainbows and butterflies everyday, even as a newlywed. Life goes on. Sometimes it isn't happy every single moment. I knew that going into my marriage - I expected it to be a lot like our engagement since we already lived together. And it has been like that. Although, the one thing that's different, is that we keep trying to improve, so we're constantly evolving into a better version of ourselves as a couple.

I truly believe in the art of compromise. It's really the best way to make sure everyone is generally happy. I think this is one of those areas where Philip and I are actually okay at once we actually talk about whatever the issue or disagreement is, which is great. But I've been thinking...

It seems as we grow older and our lives take this turn into a new, adult chapter together {hey, I'm still a kid in my head!} our opinions and ideas on things may become stronger since the topics may be more heavy.

{Me, 2, Hawaii} {Philip, 6, Atlanta}

Simpler times with no heavy decisions to make and no need for compromising on anything except taking a nap in exchange for dessert after dinner.

Compromising on house chores is one thing, but what about decisions about how to invest money left over after bills are paid? Or if you should move to a city or state closer to your family? Or decisions on how to address a problem with your child?

We've had to discuss topics like the ones above...we obviously don't have kids yet, so we don't need to go there, but you get the idea.

There are a couple of topics on the table right now - not too serious, but not things that are as light as house chores either. He says "yes" and I say "no". So what happens when you vehemently stand by your opinion and it's over a more serious topic that makes it harder to stand down or compromise?

I have a hard time telling Philip 100% "no" to things sometimes because I don't want to be viewed as that stereotypical bitchy wife who kills all her husband's fun hopes and dreams even over the little things. But when I show hesitation and initially say "no", although not very strongly, he still views me as shooting him down "ALL the time". ::Hmph::

I'll say there are two things we're dealing with now, one more serious than the other which is the one I feel more strongly about. {I'll tell you that it involves safety, so my opinion IS legit in saying "no".}

How do you think compromise works best? Bend on every single issue so you're 50/50 on everything? Let go 100% on some things and don't give at all on others? Or if there are multiple topics on the table, make a trade - one for one?

Maybe it's a mixture of the above and you can't always map out how everything is going to be handled? I'm leaning towards that answer. And for the two items on the table for us right now, I'm leaning towards the last example I gave...give in on the one I don't feel as strongly about to make a trade for the one I do feel more strongly about. Now will it work? Who knows, you never can tell how your husband/wife will respond, but you can only try to do your best.

Is the art of compromise a big foundation of your relationship/marriage?

Delivery!

2010-03-19T11:58:00.000-04:00

My camera arrived yesterday! 2 days early!

I'm so glad I don't have to wait around all day Saturday for its arrival. It's supposed to be a gorgeous day so I wanted to be out and about with Philip and the pups testing out my new toy.

Much better than waiting for the mailman! Hope to get some fabulous photos your way soon. Enjoy the weekend :)

Michael Bublé Concert

2010-03-17T19:47:00.000-04:00

This past Sunday night, Philip and I went to the Michael Bublé concert with two other couples.

I know he is a singer that some people either looove or don't really care for, but we are all the former!
We all own his DVDs and watch them while getting tipsy on wine at each other's houses. He is such a fabulous performer and I could listen to his music forever. We're all a tad obsessed ::blush::. When tickets went on sale, we jumped on the chance to get them - they were sold out 2 hours later!

We started the night with a hibachi dinner that was delish.

Then onto the show!

See him on the bottom there? And this shot is from floor seats! They were not as close as we thought they were going to be, but we said "oh well" and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves once he took the stage.

He came off the stage to the middle of the floor in the middle of the show and sang from the sound/video platform. This is when he performed "Home". Everyone stormed over to him, leaving their seats since he was much closer now. P and I did the same and he propped me up on an empty chair. I towered over everyone and got a few shots of him closer up. This is him leaving to go back up to the main stage.

This is what the stage looked like when he came out for his 3 song encore - confetti everywhere!

The concert was so amazing - MB is the best performer I've seen live. It was like being in one of the DVDs we've all watched so many times! He's so personable and actually very, very funny. It was enjoyable on so many levels. He sang way more songs than I've heard at any other concert. We really got our money's worth and had a fabulous night.

Marriage According to My Husband Part 1 & 2

2010-03-13T23:11:00.000-05:00

PART 1

Philip: Over the last year, I've realized marriage is a lot cooler than I thought it'd be.

Me: Did you not think it would be cool?
{Pause}
Why would you ask me to marry you then?
{Silence}
You weren't thinking of marriage then, you were thinking of love.

Philip: Yeeeaaahhh.

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

PART 2

Philip: Marriage is like a big corporation. I bring all my best employees, you bring all your best employees, scrap the rest and we build a big fortune five-hundo.

My New Friend Sony

2010-03-13T18:33:00.000-05:00

In high school, I was extremely into photography. I took courses at a local arts school and did well with my Nikon D65 {old school model}. After a big, tragic event in my life {a death}, my interests slowly changed over the next few years {college} as I tried to cope and find myself again. Photography and I grew apart, although my love and appreciation for it always remained.

I have finally found that strong desire to involve myself in this hobby yet again. I'm not a professional by any means, but I definitely wanted an upgrade from my little Sony Exilim point-and-shoot.

I've been saving my pennies and researching starter DSLR cameras for 2 months now.

I just made my purchase on Amazon:

A Sony A330Y which comes with the standard 18-55mm lens, but also includes the 55-200mm zoom lens. I knew I'd want a zoom lens in the future anyway and I saved significant money by buying the bundle.

Why did I choose this make and model?

2 big reasons stood out to me:

1) Image Stabalization is BUILT IN the camera body and unnecessary within the attachment lenses.

What does this mean? For the future, if I want to buy more lenses, they will cost significantly less in comparison to Canon or Nikon lenses {the 2 other brands I considered} since this expensive, required feature is not figured in the price.

2) Probably the even more important reason I went with A) a Sony and B) this particular model instead of the A230 {less expensive} is because it's the ONLY camera in its level {compared to all Canon & Nikon models and Sony's A230} that has live image view - you know, the thing we're all so used to using with our point-and-shoots...it simply shows you the image you're taking on the LCD screen so you don't always have to look through the view finder. Sounds basic, right? Well, it's not the norm with this level of DSLRs so this played a big factor into my decision.

Also, a side feature that I really liked is this:

Yep, the screen pops out so you can see what you're shooting without having to crouch to the floor or get into an awkward position to get a great shot. Pretty cool extra I think I'll have fun using and trying out. {It comes out and bends much further than the image above shows.}

I'm so excited for the mailman to come with my big present to myself! Not going out for lunch all the time at work or going shopping for clothes has been worth it. I'm proud of myself for being so diligent. I hope you notice an improvement in picture quality on this blog of mine once I get up and running with this baby!

Images from here.

Phone Post & Sushi

2010-02-19T15:21:00.000-05:00

I've been curious about blog applications for writing posts on the go for a while now. I finally got one, Blogaway, and this is my first post using it.

Does anyone else use a blogger application on their Android phone that they recommend?

Since this is the only photo on my phone right now and I want to try that feature of this app, I'll confess the story behind it...

The first time I ever tried sushi was at a hibachi restaurant in high school before homecoming or prom with my boyfriend and friends. I was 16. I spit it out. Yes, I classlessly spit food out at a respectable restaurant.

Sushi and I took a long break of about 3 or 4 years before trying to be friendly again. I kept sporadically trying all different kinds ever since, but the taste never engaged my tastebuds. I simply did not like sushi. But I wanted to, especially since all my friends and Philip love it.

On Valentine's Day, the time had finally come. EIGHT years after our first encounter, I finally ordered a roll all for myself as my entrée. This photo commemorates this monumental occasion. Philip is so happy to finally have a partner to enjoy this dish with...because I already like his other favorite food: pizza.

Our 1st Married Valentine's Day

2010-02-16T18:45:00.000-05:00

P and I had a wonderful Valentine's Day for the first time as a married couple. It was so reflective of who we are and it was such a great day.

Saturday night we stayed up later than usual watching shows from the DVR. It was 1:30 am, technically Valentine's Day already, and he got to the bed first. As I finished up in the bathroom and walked out, I saw him laying in bed with my side's sheets half way down and a small jewelry box laying on the pillow.

Last year, P got me a heart-shaped necklace as well. I wonder if this is going to turn into a tradition? Hmmm :)

Then, after I gave him hugs and kisses for my pretty necklace and he put it on me, his hand popped up with another box. It looked exactly like this...

And this is what was inside...

P has had a Nexus One for a few weeks and it's amazing. I love my new phone! It's light-weight, SO fast, has a camera flash, etc. etc. etc. This iPhone nemesis won me over when I first saw it, not to mention our contract is literally HALF of what people pay for AT&T. Can you tell I'm super happy with my Valentine's Day presents?!

Although 1:45 in the morning at this point, I ran downstairs to fetch P's hidden gift. I threw it in a gift bag, no card, no tissue paper, and ran back up the stairs and jumped in bed. P appreciated my gift bag since he hadn't wrapped at all! {We're so lazy lol.}

P was happy to find a sweet, yet practical gift {just how he likes 'em} of a few boxer briefs from Express. He had one pair and raved about them saying how he wished all his underwear were from Express and compared having new ones to having new bed sheets. I tell you, it's not too hard to please this one, although those boxers are NOT cheap - makes me glad I can snag a nice pair of undies at Victoria's Secret for only $7, that's for sure!

And I suppose P does look pretty cute in his new boxer briefs, so it's a duel gift ;)

On Sunday, we ate brunch at our favorite spot, caught the Valentine's Day matinee, went home and just hung out for a few hours till we ate dinner at this new Japanese place we discovered that is delish. It was a day that just makes you breathe "ahhhh" with a big, big smile :)

Handmade Birthday Cards

2010-02-04T21:56:00.000-05:00

January is a very, very busy birthday month for me. Here are all the people I am close with who have birthdays in January:

11th & 18th: nephews
19th: mom
14th: 2 best friends {same day & year!}
28th & 29th: 2 close coworkers

Yeah. Seven. That's a lot!

Since I've gotten into digital scrapbooking, I decided to try to make some birthday cards out of the papers and elements I have on hand. I know this isn't true card-making, but for my purposes, it worked out well. I made 3 unique cards with my scrapbook materials, printed high-quality on cardstock and then cut the image out accordingly once on the paper.

My first card {and ironically my favorite} made for my best friend, Jess.

On the back of all the cards, I stamped them with this "handmade with love" stamp I got at Michael's a long while ago. I never thought I'd get crafty enough to use it! I'm glad I didn't return it :)

This one was for my mom - in the top right corner, the image says "January 2010".

This one was for my coworker who turned 27. I didn't fold this card once printed and simply wrote my happy birthday message to him on the light blue space.

I haven't perfected making the cards; it's been difficult matching sizes to printing and my computer running slowly with such large files, etc. But I've liked making them knowing they're more personalized and thoughtful than just picking one up at the store again. {Even though I do love browsing through them sometimes!}

Now just one birthday this month, 2 in March, 1 in April and then home free all summer!

Achilles Princeton

2010-02-03T21:02:00.000-05:00

I know, I'm horribly horribly wretched for taking such a hiatus...what can I say? Babysitting wore me out so bad I needed over a 2 week break? ::Sigh:: No excuses...here is my new baby nephew!

At 8 lbs. and 21", Achilles beat both his brothers in size at birth!

He loved being swaddled and cried whenever he was unwrapped!

Eldest brother, Nate, beaming!

Middle brother, Troy, not the youngest anymore...not sure if he's grasped on to that yet lol.

My sweet husband holding this few hour old baby in his lap...puts in perspective just how little they really are. "Hi little guy."

"That's the baby."

Happy Mommy :) {Glad to not be pregnant anymore! Hehe}

And finally, ME, Aunt Kiki with her 3 fabulous boys.

I hadn't held a little baby in so long, much less a newborn, it was so nice and he was simply so small!

Unfortunately, Achilles developed jaundice that held him and parents in the hospital for much longer than anticipated. He spent a lot of time sunbathing under that lamp and after a few days finally got his levels down more normal. We went back to visit one more time in the hospital to give Achilles his birthday present: a pack of absolutely adorable onesies that, truthfully, P and I almost kept for ourselves for our unborn, unknown sex, baby!

Do not let your hopes get too high. No, we do not have "baby fever" {especially after babysitting a 3 & 5 year old all week! lol} We actually talked about this topic recently and feel that in roughly 2 years, end of 2011-ish, we'll start "trying"...maybe. Haha. Ahh, I'm scared! I tell myself in 2 years I won't be though and I am banking on that.

Baby Boy Coming Soon...

2010-01-18T11:09:00.000-05:00

As I watch SpongeBob SquarePants...

We've been babysitting our nephews since last night and it's definitely not the easiest thing. They are mostly well-behaved, but we do not have a "child-proof" home. There are many delicates. I feel like a broken record: "Don't touch that", "Put that down", "That's not a toy". They listen, though, which is more than we can ask for!

I think Mr. P and I have figured out the best babysitting tactics: pizza, Disney movies and SpongeBob. It's pretty much scientifically proven by now.

New baby boy should already be here in the world! We are waiting till my sister-in-law is out of recovery {c-section} to go up to the hospital. {I'm sure it wouldn't be very easy entertaining a 5 and 3 year old for long in a hospital waiting room!}

We can't wait to meet him! Here's my sister-in-law and the new daddy last night - her last day of the baby in her belly:

Can you believe she was kind enough and up to giving both P and I haircuts! {She's a hair stylist.} We were super thankful - we both needed it lol.

I hope to have a post up by tomorrow of the baby's arrival! My camera is charged and ready to go to take lots of pictures of this new little one.

Nephew on the Way = Babysitting

2010-01-12T10:00:00.043-05:00

My sister-in-law is very, very pregnant.

Her due date is January 18th - less than a week now! She has a planned c-section since she's not able to deliver naturally due to problems the doctors discovered during her 1st birth. This will be her 3rd boy!

So who will be watching the other 2 little ones while their mommy is in the hospital for 3-4 days?

Yep, Aunt Kiki and Uncle Phil.
{Yes, "Kiki" is my actual nickname that adults use as well. "Kiks" for even shorter.}

I'd say this is going to be as close as we'll ever get to having a true "test-run" for having children. Nate is 5 as of yesterday and Troy is 3.

Philip and I haven't discussed them coming to stay with us. I'm not sure what there is to discuss, but there must be something. I've been getting a little direction from my sister-in-law and asked her to leave us with some notes. I've told him to remember these things as well, but that's it.

These aren't our children, so, we'll {for the most part} have to discipline and care for them the way his sister does. Does that leave any room for discussion about how this experience could relate to our family down the road...?

I wonder if the opportunity for us in this situation is opening up the door to conversation about how we'll raise our children - more of the nitty-gritty. We already know our timeline, how many we want, roughly how to reward, discipline and have fun. But I know there has to be more - what would you talk about? Maybe about who will be responsible for what {with our nephews and later with our own kids}? Any suggestions for us? And please, any advice on long-term babysitting? I haven't babysat in 10 years!

I think we're just going to wing it.

Image from Google Image

Snowed On

2010-01-11T19:09:00.002-05:00

Everyone knows it's freezing outside, even in Florida! Here is our house's blog debut covered in a thin sheet of snow...

We moved in August 2009.

Here's the fenced-in backyard. We will never live in another location that does not have a fence! It's amazing for our two, big boys.

Those trees are so tall and amazing for privacy. It's even more closed in when the trees in the corners have their big leaves.

But the prettiest, thickest snow on our property, is on the brick path alongside the house that takes you to the gate of the backyard fence.

Philip and one of our best friends designed and created this brick path all by themselves! They used leftover bricks and stones that were in the backyard from the previous owner, bought a ton of sand {literally, a ton!} and laid down this cute brick path.

We love to joke and say we have a "waterfront property" and that whenever we decide to sell, that will be our winning advantage. {Check out the cute neighborhood gazebo in snow in the back right of the photo.}

We really do have the best lot in our neighborhood - no one else is right on the lake, has this view and only one neighbor!

The pups are loving playing in snow {now that our little one has a sweater on!} Our big boy is a shepherd/husky mix so he is just fine in this cold.

They love being boys and chasing after each other!

He hates his picture being taken and always looks away, so this is an extremely lucky shot! Look at that beautiful coat made for the winter :)

I don't know about you, but I've come to say that if it's going to be cold, it might as well snow! The ice on the roads is not fun, but our house looks so cute with the white fluff sprinkled everywhere.

Autumn Scrapbook Pages

2010-01-10T18:28:00.000-05:00

I've recently mentioned I started digital scrapbooking and that's how I came to create our family holiday card this season.

Here is my Halloween page. Philip and I, along with our friends {who just got engaged Christmas Eve!}, dressed in the Batman theme.

There are lot of beautiful parks in the suburbs of Atlanta, where we live. We love walking around sometimes for the scenery that follows the Chattahoochee river, especially in the fall.

In the beginning of October, my sister-in-law had her baby shower at her mother-in-law's house. I haven't spoken about her pregnancy on this blog yet, but she is due in 8 days! January 18th she'll be delivering and her 3rd baby boy will be born in the morning. I can't wait to meet my new nephew!

I also scrapped a page for Thanksgiving. I was difficult getting all those pictures in, but I did it! I love that little turkey die-cut - so cute.

I have many, many Christmas and winter scrapbook elements I've been gathering and can't wait to use. I'm going to start those pages soon.

Does anyone else digital scrapbook? I would love any pointers you have since I am new at it! Or, rather, if you have any questions for me, don't hesitate to comment or email.

Meal Planning & Healthy Alfredo Recipe

2010-01-05T20:01:00.000-05:00

We are officially in our first week of meal planning.

We are planning dinners only and last night was my night to cook. Along with planning meals comes some great advantages like saving money at the grocery store and eating healthier. I plan and hope we benefit from both of those things.

For our first meal-planned dinner, I tried a new recipe: Healthy Angel Hair Alfredo. {Yes, it's technically supposed to be fettuccine, but we had angel hair on hand already and Philip prefers it anyway.}

I LOVE fettuccine alfredo. I will try it at all Italian restaurants we go to and Olive Garden's is hands-down my favorite. Yep, Olive Garden, a chain, not the authentic mom-and-pop.

I have Olive Garden's recipe from the 1st volume of Top Secret Restaurant Recipes, but I have not tried it yet. I wanted to try this healthier version I came across instead since both Philip and I are trying to lose a couple pounds. It's a great, easy recipe since I always have all the ingredients laying around in my kitchen anyway except the heavy cream. It came out good and I added some spinach leaves and cut-up chicken to make a hearty meal out of it.

Healthy Eats Fettuccine Alfredo

Serves: 4
8 oz. fettuccine
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
1/4 heavy cream
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
4 oz. light cream cheese
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add cream, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Simmer for 2-3 minutes as the sauce thickens.
Add cream cheese and mix well with a whisk until smooth.
Add cooked pasta and grated cheese. Toss well to combine.
If mixture appears too dry, add small amounts of reserved cooking liquid until the sauce is smooth and pasta is well coated.

Nutrition Info (per 1 cup of pasta):
Calories: 400
Total Fat: 16.5 g
Saturated Fat: 10 g
Carbohydrates: 47 g
Cholesterol: 56 mg
Sodium: 538 mg
Protein: 18 g
Fiber: 6 g

I calculated the Weight Watcher's points myself at 9 points.
Original recipe from Healthy Eats Blog.

Compare to Olive Garden's Fettuccine Alfredo nutrition facts:
Calories: 1,220
Fat: 75 g
Saturated Fat: 47 g
Sodium: 1350 mg
Carbohydrates: 99 g
Fiber: 5 g

Fashion Lust

2009-12-29T14:47:00.000-05:00

Does anyone else LUST over things that are in no way, shape or form every going to be in your possession?? WHY do we do it to ourselves?!

Purchase at Neiman Marcus for $475

Holiday Décor

2009-12-22T14:43:00.000-05:00

Starting out in a new home can get expensive fast to get the look and décor you want. Luckily, Philip and I were mostly set with everything we could want or need for the house after wedding gifts and since we had already been living together for two years.

Christmas decorations, on the other hand, is a different story!

We have some items, like our 7.5 ft. pre-lit tree we got in a Black Friday sale last year for a ridiculously low price! Also, I was given some hand-me-downs from my mom. It filled an apartment nicely. But now...in a house...there's a LOT more space!

I love our Christmas tree! ...but notice the teeny tree skirt with bears on it :/
It's definitely too little in proportion to the size of the tree and, well, bears aren't exactly my thing.

These stockings are from Philip's family. The one on the far right is our dog Tyson's. Technically, we should have four hanging, but the only others I found were not in great condition or had someone's name stitched on it.

We're making do with hand-me-down decorations to fill the house, like the tree skirt and stockings. But we do have some of our own that I've been collecting for the past few years that we love.

This is a hand-painted nativity set bought in Mexico City in the summer of 2008. I went shopping in the markets after my cousin's wedding and found this precious scene displayed. My family is very big on finding décor and artifacts from around the world and making them work in the modern style of our homes. This was the perfect addition for Philip and me during Christmas.

This adorable snowman set is now displayed as the centerpiece on our dining table. I love their tiny circles for mouths as if they are singing.

And because we both come from half Jewish backgrounds, we have our menorah that my parents gave us as the centerpiece on our kitchen table.

Does anyone know where to get really great tree skirts, stockings or Hanukkah decorations? I'm willing to hit some after-Christmas sales to prepare for next year and make our Christmas-decorated home more our own!

Virtual Holiday Card

2009-12-14T23:01:00.001-05:00

Last year, during my family's Thanksgiving visit, my dad took an impromptu photo of Philip, me and our two pups. It turned out to be a fabulous family photo (despite my lack of makeup!). A month later, I randomly decided to use it as our holiday photo. But it was only a couple days from Christmas and Hanukkah had already started. So I simply emailed it as an attachment with a short message to my list of family and friends whose email addresses I had.

This year, I decided to get a little more creative, yet still didn't want to fuss with cards, handwriting and stamps.

I've been dabbling in digital scrapbooking lately and am loving it! It gave me the skills to create this for our holiday card this year...

The above card with its font was created with elements downloaded from Kevin and Amanda. Amanda has the most fabulous site which offers tons of free digital scrapbooking elements and fonts. She'll even make your own handwriting into a font...for FREE!

Does anyone else do virtual holiday cards?

P.S. Take a sec' and check out this blog's new look if you're using Reader or RSS. I've given it a bit of a makeover now that I'm no longer planning a wedding and am enjoying being a newlywed. New life = new blog!

Holiday Treat :: Red Velvet Chocolate Balls

2009-12-12T19:31:00.000-05:00

Philip and I are very social and love having people over our house for football, parties, holidays, etc. I am big on hostessing and love to serve food while our friends are visiting. Since it's the holidays and football is coming to a close with big games, our house has been pretty full every weekend.

I have a new go-to dessert that everyone absolutely LOVES and I wanted to share with you so you can impress your family and friends too!

Luckily, this recipe is extremely simple even if you are not a big baker. Even more lucky is that they taste as if they were extremely difficult. Always a sneaky plus! And the inside of the dessert is red - perfect for Christmas.

RED VELVET CHOCOLATE BALLS {aka RVCB's}

Ingredients
1 box red velvet cake mix (cook as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake)
1 can cream cheese frosting (16 oz.)
1 package chocolate bark
Wax paper

1) After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl
2) Mix thoroughly with 1 can cream cheese frosting (I use a mixer, but you can use your hands)
3) Roll mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet - should make ~50 balls
4) Chill for several hours (I put them in the freezer to speed this up and take them out after ~20-30 minutes)
5) Melt chocolate in microwave per directions on package - only melt a few pieces at a time so it doesn't start to cool and harden while you're using it
6) Roll balls in chocolate and lay on wax paper until firm - use a spoon to dip and roll in chocolate and then tap off extra

Here I am at Thanksgiving dinner enjoying the RVCB's and a scoop of chocolate chip ice cream - delish!

Enjoy!
Original recipe from Bakerella.

Secret Santa Gifts

2009-12-08T19:40:00.000-05:00

I have had PRESENTS on the brain lately! No, not receiving. Giving...does anyone else struggle every year to find different and creative gifts for their loved ones?

Before I can get to my family, I have TWO Secret Santa gifts to think about.

The 1st is for work, a $10 limit and the catch is the gift has to correspond with the recipient's name (ie Holly Smith = holiday scarf). I have the initials N.C. I think I have this one covered, but any new suggestions from you creative people out there would be amazing! We exchange on Thursday.

I'm going to get nerds candy and a nature calendar.

On to the next Secret Santa...this one is with friends, 4 couples, with a $20 limit. I drew a girl. There are no rules like the work SS, so anything goes. She's in the "One Who Has Everything" category, so I'm a little stumped since I don't know her super well yet (she's the newest to our group). I definitely want something great and maybe creative. I'd like to stay away from the impersonal bath gels and lotions and those types of presents. Any thoughts? Any great Secret Santa gifts you've given or received?

The only thing I've thought of is maybe a cool accessory for her iPhone...but I'm not an owner and don't know much about what's desired or not.

Any help would be amazing! What do you think?

Hosting Thanksgiving

2009-12-01T21:45:00.000-05:00

We've been busy the past week and a half preparing for and then entertaining my family for Thanksgiving. It was our first time hosting this big dinner at our home. I was so excited to use all of our new silverware, glassware, china and pretty holiday place mats we received as wedding gifts.

Here's a look at the table setting...

My dad has a great homemade caesar salad recipe he makes for holidays, so we asked if he could make it again to help out. He was in the kitchen with me making the dressing while I peeled potatoes.

This apron is so cute and was a bridal shower gift from a friend. It has my new initials embroidered on the front in red.

My dad was in charge of the salad, I was in charge of all the sides and dessert and Philip was in charge of...the turkey. Fried turkey, that is. I was introduced to fried turkey the first Thanksgiving after Philip and I started dating (only 2 weeks later). He came to my parents house and we decided we'd try it his way, so he brought over his turkey fryer...we haven't gone back since! It's so delicious, especially to someone who doesn't particularly enjoy regular (boring) turkey...ahem, me. If you haven't tried it, try it!

Setting the table with all the food: caesar salad, corn on the cob, mashed potatoes, corn bread stuffing, dinner rolls and a single serving of sweet potatoes for Philip.

My brother was super excited to eat.

This was taken after dinner and dessert - we look so tired! It was a lot of hard work, but a successful and wonderful evening.

How were your Thanksgivings? Did you host?

Our Wedding :: The Last Dance

2009-11-19T14:05:00.000-05:00

It was finally midnight, the end of our reception. My hotel coordinator had just passed out bubbles to everyone. The DJ announced to gather around as Philip and I had our last dance.

The bubbles were fun and everyone got into them.

We danced to "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong.

The song was ending and Philip unexpectedly and romantically started to dip me...

Sweet ending to the night.

{This is the other photo I mentioned that we are framing. Our friend who dabbles in photography took it. It's my favorite of the entire wedding.}

The wedding recaps are now over. I'm actually happy for this. I'm excited to start blogging about what is actually going on in my life now which I think a lot of readers will relate to having just married as well. For those of you still engaged and waiting to wed, I hope you enjoy the content and don't worry, there will be sprinkles of weddingness here and there. I'll also have a honeymoon recap or two before diving into newlywed life.

Is there anything you'd like me to blog about in particular or that you'd like to know? I'll cover it if you'd like me to :)

Our Wedding :: Bouquet & Garter Toss

2009-11-16T15:00:00.012-05:00

*Sidenote: Today is Philip's & my 6 month wedding anniversary! We decided for the 1st year of marriage we'd celebrate the half-way mark. After that, it'll be a normal yearly celebration. We're going to have a nice dinner at Ruth Chris. It's hard to believe it's been 6 months already, but we've been very much absorbed in our new lives of marriage with many new things happening. I can't wait to transition this blog into "newlywed" status when the recaps are done and share with you all that is going on! Until then, enjoy the 2nd to last wedding recap!

Getting ready as the girls gather 'round. "Single Ladies" by Beyonce was at the height of popularity, but it was too obvious to me. I had the DJ loop the Sex and the City theme song. It was perfect!

About to toss...

And there it goes! Note everyone in the background watching in anticipation hehe.

Onto the Garter Toss with Mr. P reaching in and putting on a little show ;)

I knew I wanted to do a bouquet toss, but I wasn't sure about the garter toss. When I asked Mr. P if he wanted to {without mentioning my concerns} he said "of course, it's tradition". I didn't want to do the whole raunchy, head up-the-dress type garter toss and that was really my only reason for considering not doing it. When I told Mr. P what I wanted since we'd be in front of family and all, he was completely on board and made it fun, yet respectable.

Did/Do you have any concerns about the garter toss?

We played "I Know What Boys Like" by The Waitresses. Such snooty lyrics, but it was cute in this context especially with it being an 80's song. It was super fun.

Almost off!

Wiggling around his prize.

Mid throw! Wish the actual garter got in the pic, but cute nonetheless.

The winners: a friend & a bridesmaid!

All photos except 6th by Edward Zeltser Photography.

Our Wedding :: The Reception

2009-11-14T20:48:00.000-05:00

Our reception flew by and we had so much fun - here are the highlights.

One of my bridesmaids made us take this picture while we were sitting at our table. It's our only other ring shot than the professional one I showed you here. {Which, by the way, from your suggestions, we are framing!}

Bridesmaids and my new sister-in-law in front of the city view.

Starting to get down and belt out some tunes :)

I took my veil off after the Father/Daughter dance to get a different look and also I thought I'd feel more comfortable. But actually, I really didn't notice the veil when it was in. My hair stylist got it in there good. Are you planning on taking your veil off at some point during the wedding? Or did you? What was your reason?

Group shot with the guys! My mom loves it lol.

Simply happy.

This picture is GREAT - My MOH is literally in the middle of a 'talking to' to Mr. P spurred by her tipsyness about how she knows he'll treat me well, but that he better ;) lol. She loves me.

Getting into it! Dancing our little hearts away!

Aw, dancing kisses.

In our own world.

Outside the reception room where the guest book was set up with the leftover favors. Being silly because it was the end of the night.

All photos except the first & last by Edward Zeltser Photography.

Our Wedding :: Father/Daughter Dance

2009-11-05T14:12:00.000-05:00

I mentioned in one of my first posts about the ceremony that Disney is very special to me and my family. I asked my dad what he would like to dance to for our Father/Daughter dance and after some pondering he decided "You'll Be In My Heart" by Phil Collins from the movie Tarzan.

My dad always makes me laugh, even in sentimental moments.

Once the DJ asked everyone to join in dancing, my dad started to tell me that just because I'm married now, doesn't mean him and my mom aren't my parents anymore...

...that they weren't going to stop parenting, or caring, or calling to see what's going on in our lives...

...and after the laughing and sillyness of the conversation subsided, while he was still finishing up his parental "lecture", I knew that masked behind the words, he was trying to hold on.

All photos except the 1st are by Edward Zeltser Photography.

Our Wedding :: The Cake

2009-10-24T15:51:00.000-04:00

If you've been following for a while you know we got a great deal on our wedding cake by my good, non-engaged friend winning a $150 discount at a bridal show she accompanied me to. Cakes by Darcy turned out to be a lovely vendor. The cake was absolutely delicious and everyone seemed to enjoy it. It turned out exactly how we envisioned it - super cute!

Cutting the cake was a more difficult task than we anticipated! We tried to make a smooth cut, but it just wasn't going through right. Laughing at ourselves ("Are we idiots? Are we doing this right?"), we continued to try until we finally cut through all the way down.

Mmm, kiss after that first chocolatey bite.

As we were fiddling with the cake, cutting, eating, laughing, the DJ played That's Amore by Dean Martin. It was light, fun and sweet.

Cheers!

All photos by Edward Zeltser Photography

Check out my amazing photographer's new site! Our wedding is featured a few times to showcase his work!

Our Wedding :: The Toasts

2009-10-13T23:40:00.001-04:00

We had a very special dinner after our 1st dance. One of the ways we really personalized our wedding was by infusing family elements and background.

My great grandfather, Eduardo Hernández, was a famous Mexican composer. We played his first symphony, "Primera Sifonía", during dinner. While our guests listened to his interesting classical sounds they dined on a special family recipe of chilaquiles, a popular Mexican dish, that the Hernández family switched up and cook differently for special occasions.

As dinner came to a close, Adam, the Best Man gave his speech. It was priceless. He made us laugh, almost cry and made us feel the warmth of friends and family.

"Philip and I have been best friends since high school, and I’m glad that I get this once in a lifetime opportunity to tell some incriminating stories about him…..unfortunately, I can’t do so without incriminating myself and all of the groomsmen."

"Here is my challenge to you Phil and Kiana. Philip, put your own wants, desires and needs aside. Make the decision to treat Kiana as if she is more important than you, every day, all the time. And Kiana, put your own wants, desires and needs aside. Make the decision to treat Philip as if he is more important than you, every day, all the time. When that happens, you will no longer have to look after your own interests because your spouse will be doing it for you. We fall in love, the noun. But true love, lasting love, is a verb. It's something we do. And as a little added bonus, I’ve heard it said

'If you make love a verb, you’ll make more of it!'"

"There are two people that aren’t physically here with us today, but are certainly here with us in spirit."

"We miss them dearly, but we know they’re smiling down on us today and are as proud of Philip and Kiana as the rest of us are. So Kiana, welcome to OUR family, we are lucky to have you!"

I got a lump in my throat when he said "welcome to our family". Most of Philip's closest friends have all been together since they were 8 years old. They are a posse. Brothers. Family. To be truly accepted and welcomed into that family now that his parents were gone was beyond extraordinary to hear aloud.

The MOH, Jessica. We're so lucky to have hilarious friends.

A good view of what the reception looked like with the floor-to-ceiling windows exposing the gorgeous city lights.

My dad told us that the luckiest day of his life was the day he met my mother and to consider the day we met ours.

All photos by Edward Zelter Photography.

Our Wedding :: The 1st Dance

2009-10-09T18:20:00.000-04:00

After our "Superman" entrance, we went straight into our 1st dance.

We chose to dance to Tony Bennett's "The Way You Look Tonight". We wanted something soft, beautiful, slow and romantic. Although it's one of the more cliche songs, it's one of my favorites and we loved our choice.

All eyes on us, we began...

Framer! This photo was featured in a local Atlanta luxury magazine called Jezebel. If you live in the area, it's the issue with Kim Kardashian on the cover.

Dancing in front of everyone was something I was definitely not used to, so I tried to just enjoy the song and not think about everyone staring at us! We kissed a lot and reveled in the moment.

Super in love :)

Happiness

All photos by Edward Zeltser Photography

Our Wedding :: The Entrance

2009-09-27T22:05:00.000-04:00

While choosing our music for the wedding, we struggled with what song to enter the reception to as Mr. & Mrs.

While at our big meeting with the DJ, Philip got super excited about using the Superman theme (he's a fan).

OK, fine, whatever, haha. So we had our grand entrance to John Williams' Superman Theme and it was fun.

All photos except the last by Edward Zeltser Photography

Our Wedding :: Reception Details

2009-09-22T21:05:00.000-04:00

After changing the entire direction of the theme and colors of our wedding AND anemones being out of stock (except for a few in my bouquet), we were very happy with how the look of the reception turned out. What do you think?

And remember the wedding favor I wanted to make in honor of Philip's parents? We had them set up right next to our candy boxes (inside we had a little note "Hugs & Kisses from the Mr. & Mrs.").

The pink sign you see in the photo said, "Please take a recipe card in honor of Sande & Robert LastName".

I got the recipe of Philip's favorite childhood meal his mom used to make from his sister and made damask-themed recipe cards. While going through all of his family's old photo albums for our slideshow (which was a HUGE hit by the way - some people stood there for 30 minutes just watching it through!) I came across a photo of his mom and dad that I absolutely loved. His mom looked the prettiest I'd seen her and his dad looked so healthy. I converted the photo to black & white for a classic look and to match our theme. I think they were in a restaurant in Europe...

After taking our formal photos, Philip and I had a moment alone before making our reception entrance. I took him over to where the favors were set up to show him the surprise. I told him that his sister helped by getting me the recipe and that I wanted to surprise him by doing something to honor them. My words were short and his eyes welled. I saw the appreciation in his face and knew that my subtle choice was the right way to go. We hugged as he tried to gather himself. After a couple deep breaths we went into the reception happy as can be. It was a special moment.

All photos except the last one by Edward Zeltser Photography.

Our Wedding :: Formal Photos

2009-09-21T18:02:00.000-04:00

Remember my feet were already hurting before the ceremony even started? Since this was my only chance and no one could tell, most of these photos were taken with my heels off!

We still haven't framed any wedding photos and we're looking to put up 4 vertical ones in a row in black & white on an empty wall. We have one picked out (you'll see it at the end of the recaps), but need to choose the other 3.

So we need your help - of the photos below, which should we frame?!

I love our only ring shot!

The boys having some fun since they didn't get their photo session at the park.

All photos by Edward Zeltser Photography

Our Wedding :: Post Ceremony

2009-09-19T16:43:00.005-04:00

After walking down the aisle as husband and wife, we snuck in some more big kisses while the rest of the bridal party came down.

We all went into a boardroom to let it all sink in while our guests moved to the reception site for the cocktail hour.

We were elated...

...but also had some emotional moments...

All photos except the 1st were taken by Edward Zeltser Photography

Our Wedding :: The Rings & The Kiss

2009-09-06T20:17:00.000-04:00

*Note: SO sorry for my absence. We moved into a house! It was Philip's dad's house and we are living there to try to sell it (so we're not paying rent AND mortgage). Wish us luck once we put it on the market! I also just got back from my cousin's wedding in New Jersey. I'll post about it soon because it was so beautiful, especially her dress, I couldn't get over it. Just wanted to let you know why I haven't been around lately. On to the recaps...

After our self-written vows, the officiant led us into the ring vows. I wanted to say "I do" at my wedding, so this is where we worked that in.

The wedding ring is an outward sign of an inward commitment. May these rings be to you a consistent and loving reminder of the ties that bind you together as husband and wife.

The officiant asked Philip, then me, to repeat after him:

I give you this ring

as a symbol of my love and devotion.

May its presence on your hand

serve always to remind you of my love.

Philip/Kiana, Do you take Kiana/Philip to be your lawfully wedded wife/husband?

I DO.

Reading:

May the love that you share give you strength

May the life that you share bring you joy

May the dreams that you share bring you hope

May the faith that you share bring you peace

And wherever you are in your journey through life

May your hearts always find their way home

And now having pledged your love and loyalty to each other, I, by the power vested in me, now pronounce you husband and wife. It's my privilege to introduce to you Mr. and Mrs. Philip and Kiana LastName. You may kiss the bride!

Going in for it!

Reveling in the moment.

Our Wedding :: The Vows

2009-08-20T01:04:00.000-04:00

We knew early on that we would be writing our own vows. I waited till 2 weeks before the wedding to write mine, he waited till 2 days before.

I was admittedly intimidated about writing my vows. I wanted them to be perfect. One day I wrote a page and a half full of notes. Another day I wrote a rough draft. Then, late another night around 2 AM, while Philip was sleeping in the bed next to me, I had a sudden jolt of inspiration. I scrapped my 1st draft and wrote my entire vows in one sitting. Only one edit was made before the wedding.

During the ceremony, Philip went first.

Kiana, my soul mate, my best friend, my everything...I know our path has been one of many winding turns, but your unrelenting love, passion, caring and support has led me through the most difficult times one could ever face. You were, have been, and will be forever the guiding light in my life that points my way back through.

From this day forward, I promise to you every ounce of love, life, support, respect, inspiration and passion that one is capable of giving another - in this life and the next, from my heart's final beat, till my very last breath.

I'll love you forever, through sickness and health, good times and bad, fame and fortune, happy and sad. I give myself to you and promise to stand by your side for the rest of our lives if you'll only let me.

"...fame and fortune..."

Philip,

If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you.

You have this indescribable way about you that warms my heart and makes me melt for you.

Your smile is irresistible and always makes me smile back at you.

Your passion and drive about everything you do inspires me.

Your way of making me forget we were arguing comforts me.

Your perfect overuse of analogies always entertains me.

And your addiction to making up acronyms makes my laugh.

But it's the way you look at me in those quiet moments when I know nothing else is on your mind and you're thinking "I love her" that makes me fall even more in love with you.

You are everything to me:

My best friend and confidant

My sounding board and inspiration

My safeguard and ally

My passion and joy

My greatest challenge

You are my hero and I am your biggest fan.

I love you today. And I will everyday.

I promise to always love and respect you

Trust in your decisions and support your ideas

I promise to encourage and believe in your capabilities

Cherish and appreciate who you are and never take you for granted

I promise to try to be patient and compromise when we argue

Listen and offer shelter from the world when you've had a bad day

I promise to be loyal and faithful to you and always stand by you

Share in your dreams and goals and give you my fullest devotion

How wonderful life is, now you're in the world.

All photos by Edward Zeltser Photography

Our Wedding :: The Ceremony Part I

2009-08-18T23:20:00.001-04:00

With everyone intently watching, the ceremony began.

As the officiant spoke, we held hands. I knew what he was saying, but I didn't quite hear him. I was fixated on Philip. The words were beautiful, though, and everyone at the wedding loved the meaningful readings that represented what we, as a couple, felt about love and marriage.

~Reading 1~

A good marriage must be created.

In the marriage, the little things are the big things.

It is never being too old to hold hands.

It is remembering to say "I love you" at least once each day,

It is never going to sleep angry.

It is having a mutual sense of values and objectives.

It is standing together and facing the world.

It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family.

It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.

It is having the capacity to forgive and forget.

It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each person can grow.

It is a common search for the good and the beautiful.

It is not only marrying the right person

It is being the right partner.

~Reading 2~

Seek love and never take it for granted. Love is believing, sharing, caring and dreaming together. It is honesty, friendship, companionship, and selflessness. Love is the desire and commitment to be intimate physically, psychologically, and emotionally. It is devotion, celebration, understanding, forgiveness and sacrifice. Love is strong, yet it can be fragile. Love is gentleness, kindness, and patience. It is trusting, protecting, inspiring, and supporting.

Smitten.

All photos by Edward Zeltser Photograp hy

Our Wedding :: Walking Down the Aisle

2009-08-13T20:44:00.000-04:00

One by one, the girls stepped through the door and left the corridor to join the guys they were paired with.

My dad came to stand by my side as we inched our way closer to the door.

Suddenly, the music playing became clear to my ears. My dad turned to me with a smile and said, "Hey! I like the music choice!" I had kept all our music selections a secret for nice surprises.

An instrumental, classic version of "When You Wish Upon a Star" played as the bridal party walked towards the stage. My dad worked for Disney for 9 years, all through my childhood. It's the entire reason we moved from the west coast to Florida. Disney has an extra special place in my heart because of all I got to experience with the company, movies and theme parks.

Suddenly, the smooth, classical sounds of Disney and Pinocchio faded and the familiar sound of a ukelele began. I took a deep breath, linked my arm with my dad's and took my first step to American Idol's Jason Castro's "Somewhere Over the Rainbow".

I walked down the aisle and saw Philip beaming calmly at me. I looked around at our guests for the first few seconds, but then only kept my eyes on the prize.

And because we hadn't seen or talked to each other all day and because of all the emotion built

up inside, this is what happened to Philip as I drew nearer and nearer to him...

Fighting back the tears :)

The song faded as the officiant asked, "Who gives this woman?" and my dad replied, "Her mother and I." Philip and my dad shook hands as I gave my bouquet to my Maid of Honor. We were ready for the ceremony to begin and to get married!

All photos by Edward Zeltser Photography

Click the song titles to hear the exact versions we used on YouTube

Our Wedding :: Pre-Ceremony & 100th Post

2009-08-02T23:33:00.009-04:00

On the limo ride back to the hotel after taking pictures at Piedmont Park, the mood was happy and I could tell my bridesmaids were trying to make every light and relaxing. Thus, came our rendition of 'Chapel of Love'. We could only remember the beginning: Going to the chapel and we're gonna get married; "repeat"; Gee I really love you and we're gonna get married; Going to the chapel of love".

"What other wedding songs are there?"

Rendition of 'Get Me to the Church on Time' from 'My Fair Lady' ensues from my parents and me...and then we were out of wedding songs. Can anyone else think of any?

The groomsmen and Philip's sister's escort down the aisle.

When we arrived at the hotel, we went to the room quickly for a bathroom break and also so the florist could fix our bouquets. (She didn't finish the ribbon on any of them - wasn't happy about that, moving on...)

We were then escorted by my hotel coordinator through a service elevator to the back of the room where the ceremony was being held. We then walked down a corridor till we hit the door that we'd be walking out of.

Then we waited.

My feet were actually already hurting (so much for those foot pads I bought!) I knelt down on the floor to give myself a break since I knew I had a long night ahead. Kneeling down made me feel more relaxed for the moment as well.

Suddenly, my wedding planner came through the door and said, "He's asking for you," nodding in my general direction.

Philip's sister who was kneeling next to me said, "Me?" puzzled. My planner confirmed it was her who he was asking for (yes, I felt the teeniest jolt of panic! lol who wouldn't?!)

Then we waited some more.

His sister came back and took her place next to me again. With emotion, "All I have to say...is I love my brother. That's all I have to say."

I lost it.

All day I had been relaxed. Ready. And then, knowing the background of the entire situation - that both of his parents were gone, his dad having just passed away 3 weeks ago, her being the only 'close' family left and the emotion he must've been feeling at the moment...I lost it.

I didn't pry and ask what he said to her or why he needed her. She made a general statement that he just needed to know everything was okay and needed to hear it from her. I was content with that and I know it was their moment to have.

The uncontrollable emotion that surged through me just by hearing her say those simplistic words completely worried me. I was about to walk down the aisle and all I felt like doing was totally letting go, not caring about my makeup, lying down and crying like a baby. The emotion of the day, the past few weeks, the months of planning and engagement finally all came rushing to me in that instant.

My mom is truly a perfectionist because, while I thought I was going to be strong like iron and not shed any tears (I really was questioning whether I would - what an idiot) she knew to tell both my brother and my dad to stuff a few tissues in their jacket pockets. Luckily, some jokes incurred, I swallowed the frog in my throat and that insatiable urge to let it all go was overcome by "Pull it together and look beautiful so you can relish in the moment of walking down the aisle towards the love of your life!" And so I did...

All photos by Edward Zeltser Photography

P.S. 100th post! Woo! Congrats to my bloggity blog :)

Our Wedding :: The Invitations

2009-08-01T18:10:00.002-04:00

Remember my complete and utter frustration with my do-it-yourself invitations from Target? Well, my mom came to the rescue while she was in town for my Bridal Shower and we got them all taken care of. Don't moms always come to the rescue? :) They turned out really great for invitations on a budget!

I love the edgy peonies and the way I spelled out RSVP on the top of the response cards for a little twist.

Our Wedding :: The Groom

2009-07-27T00:23:00.008-04:00

Philip looked so handsome on our wedding day. The very first picture taken of him (above) shows off the classic, suave look he so easily slid into that day. His boutonniere was by far the best of all the men in the wedding party and somehow made him look just that much more gorgeous. After the wedding, he went on at least three different times about how his hair just somehow knew where to fall into place and was perfect. It must've been his lucky day.

OMG how gorgeous is the pic above?! :)

All photos by Edward Zeltser Photography

Our Wedding :: The Bride

2009-07-26T12:00:00.000-04:00

I felt absolutely gorgeous on my wedding day.

I was very lucky to find the makeup artist and hair stylist that I did who both had the same vision for me as I did. I told them what I wanted and they delivered. My M.A.C. makeup was in place for hours (10 to be exact!) and my hair stayed curled all night, only dropping a bit towards the end. I was so pleased. And the fake lashes topped off my look.

I didn't feel like a model. I didn't feel like a celebrity. I didn't feel like a princess.

I felt like me. The most beautiful me.

All photos by Edward Zeltser Photography

Our Wedding :: Piedmont Park

2009-07-16T18:40:00.000-04:00

After the limo ride, we arrived at Piedmont Park. Because it had been raining all day long, the girls had to hold my dress up the entire time we were there so my train wouldn't get dirty. Poor things, it was actually a bit heavy after a while!

We hung out for a little bit at the top of the stairs and then headed down to the dock.

Unusually, the ducks and birds were walking around on the dock. The cutest were 3 little ducklings following their mama. Aww.

Where we were all standing was where the ceremony was supposed to take place if it hadn't rained. See how beautiful and natural the backdrop is? At least the girls and my family were able to take some pictures here. I love how the blue of the bridesmaids dresses pop against the greenery.

And then, as if in a blink of an eye, it was time to leave, go back to the hotel (pee) and get MARRIED.

Our Wedding :: The Transportation

2009-07-06T18:40:00.001-04:00

While getting ready, the rain had lightened, but I had to make a decision about where the ceremony was going to be. My brother went to the hotel lobby's computer to check the hourly forecast one last time. 6 p.m. called for rain. The wedding would now be officially inside at the hotel. I had given my planner either phone numbers or instructions for each person on our guest list to get in touch with them in the event of this happening. She got on it a-sap and we went on without missing a beat.

At about 3 p.m. it stopped raining, though, so we decided to make use of the limo and the park (that we already paid for!) to take some pictures. My parents, brother, sister-in-law, 4 bridesmaids, photographer and myself piled into the limo.

All photos except the 3rd by: Edward Zeltser Photography

Our Wedding :: The Garter

2009-07-02T20:28:00.000-04:00

The finishing touch for my wedding ensemble was my garter set. Then, we'd be out the door to ride in our awaiting limo.

My sister-in-law helped me with putting them on.

Images by Edward Zeltser Photography

Many thanks again to Peterene from Etsy for creating this gorgeous set for me as my 'something blue.'

Our Wedding :: The Veil

2009-06-23T16:50:00.014-04:00

One of the final touches to getting ready was putting on my veil. It was simple and matched the applique on my dress perfectly. I always thought I'd wear a flower in my hair on my wedding day, but the veil just made me feel complete in my dress and I truly felt like a bride.

My mother helping me by holding up the mirror.

Finally a full dress shot!

All images by Edward Zeltser Photograhpy except the last one.

I was almost ready to walk out the door for pictures. I just needed to put on my keep & toss Etsy garters...

Our Wedding :: The Dress

2009-06-22T17:01:00.001-04:00

After hair and makeup, I pulled my dress down from its pretty hanger and stepped in.

My mom zipped me up...

...even though the bodice was being difficult and I had to really suck in.

And then came putting on my pretty Nina shoes. Since I couldn't really bend over, my mom helped with this too as I felt my way in.

Our Wedding :: Getting Ready

2009-06-16T14:23:00.000-04:00

My bridesmaids and I had a sleepover in my hotel room Friday night.

I woke up on Wedding Day a lot earlier than the alarm was set for, but thankfully I did get some sleep.

*Tip for Brides: If you're worried about getting sleep the night before the wedding and are thinking of taking a sleeping pill, make sure to test its effects on you beforehand. I tried Ambien Thursday night and liked that I wasn't groggy or still sleepy in the morning. I took it again Friday night and woke up Saturday feeling just fine.

The day was actually leisurely for me since all the girls and my mom had their hair and makeup done first. I showered, made the room as neat as possible as the girls checked into their own room and lounged on the couch.

As you know, weather was a big concern. And as we expected, the weather became terrible very early on. It poured rain for hours.

My mom and the hairdresser checking the weather out the window.

I remained extremely calm. No sense in worrying on your wedding day! I had until the afternoon to make a final decision on the ceremony location. I was just glad I had unexpected time to kick around and somewhat relax. I watched as the girls got ready...

Wine from a straw - don't stain the teeth!

Then, it was finally my turn...

All images (except the 1st two) are from Edward Zeltser Photography

Our Wedding :: Rehearsal Dinner & Drinks

2009-06-10T11:26:00.001-04:00

The bridal party, everyone at the Rehearsal, went to a quaint tapas restaurant for dinner Friday night. It was nice to have this smaller group together before going out for drinks with all the out-of-towners.

When we started thinking about a Rehearsal Dinner, we became very overwhelmed. Over half of our guests were out-of-towners and we knew they'd all want to spend some extra time with us outside of the wedding. And unfortunately, we could not afford a traditional Rehearsal Dinner with that many people since we paid for the majority of the wedding already (it was going to be like another 1/3 of a wedding!) We decided to ask our bridal party to a casual dinner and then asked all the out-of-towners to meet us for drinks afterwards at one of our favorite spots in town.

My family and I before dinner, leaving the hotel.

My sister-in-law, me, MOH, bridesmaid, bridesmaid.

(No, the two on the end did not plan on wearing the same dress. One bought hers in Las Vegas, one bought hers in Ft. Lauderdale and they happened to both bring it to wear for Friday night. They both still wore it because they had nothing else packed! True story.)

MOH and Bride-to-be at the restaurant.

Bride with bridesmaids and our good friend walking Philip's sister down the aisle.

The about-to-be-married couple.

Our Wedding :: The Rehearsal

2009-06-01T12:05:00.006-04:00

The Rehearsal was held at the park on Friday, the day before the wedding. It was supposed to rain that day, but it was beautiful out, giving us high hopes for the next day.

Everyone was in attendance and on time except for one bridesmaid who couldn't make it because of work. I chatted with the Best Man, who we asked to run the Rehearsal for us, to let him know how things were supposed to go. We ironed out a few details and then he took over.

I went to the end of the dock where the ceremony would be held to see how everything would look with the bridal party coming down the staircases and down the aisle.

The 1st run-through went well. Then it was my turn...

And then we practiced what we'd be doing the next day, only 26 hours from then...

My Maid of Honor made a joke, "You gonna be bouncing around like that tomorrow, too?" Apparently, I was so elated/anxious, I was doing a nervous, happy bounce while holding Philip's hands and the officiant was practicing his part of the ceremony.

Our immediate family, bridesmaids minus one, groomsmen and "honorary groomsmen" - one of Philip's best friends who we asked to walk his sister down the aisle in place of his dad.

It was a hot, sunny day and a great Rehearsal. We were all glad with how things went, but were glad to get out of the heat and get fancied up to go to dinner and drinks...

Recaps Coming Soon

2009-05-26T23:29:00.003-04:00

Hi all!

We're back from our honeymoon in Cancun and it was WONDERFUL.

Just wanted to check in since it's been so long and let you all know that I'll be starting recaps soon. I can't wait to tell you guys all about it and share the pics.

Coming up first, Friday before the wedding...

I'm Married!!!

2009-05-18T00:55:00.003-04:00

I'm a Mrs.!!!

The wedding was AH-MAZING and gorgeous...and inside ;)

It actually all worked out for the best anyway and in hindsight was probably better that the ceremony was inside so everyone could hear us well.

We're leaving for the airport in 6 hours for Cancun! I'm exhausted and plan on sleeping on the plane for the whole ride. Can't wait to start the recap posts in a couple weeks!

Gag gift from my parents given to us during a family dinner this past Tuesday since we're going to Mexico just after this swine flu craze...

Look closely, his says "Just" and mine says "Married"

Last Post Before MARRIAGE

2009-05-15T01:25:00.003-04:00

I'm checking into the hotel tomorrow and staying there with my bridesmaids at night.

I won't have internet access, so this is my last post before the wedding...

As I lay here in the dark with Philip fast asleep next to me, it truly feels surreal that our big day is only a day away when I wake up in the morning. I'll be sitting in the suite getting my hair and makeup done, slipping my dress on, clasping my bracelet and worrying if my vows will be any match for his well-written, eloquent words.

A final decision will be made at 3:30pm the day of the wedding whether to have the 6pm ceremony at the park as planned, or in the barren hotel. We'll see what happens, but I'm hoping Mother Nature gets the rain out of her system in the morning or something and the rest of the day is clear. I'm not even asking for sunshine! just no rain! Again, everyone cross their fingers for us!

Either way, the majority of our time will be in the hotel at the reception anyway and I know we'll have a great time there. I'm looking forward to spending time with everyone and getting some great photos of the night. Most of all, and especially now (something peaceful about the person you love sleeping next to you), I'm excited to put those rings on our fingers and having that moment to relish in the fact that we are married: husband and wife.

I'll miss the blogging for the next week and a half, but I know there will be great content when I'm back.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone :)

The 11th Hour: The Bad & Good

2009-05-13T15:51:00.006-04:00

Bad things

1) Anemones are completely out of stock. My bouquet and the main centerpieces need to be altered.

2) Weather. Duh.

3) Minor items incorrect in final event order for hotel

4) Have to decide final bad weather backup plan (either hotel or visitor's center at the park) by tomorrow

5) Wedding planner annoying me

Good things

1) Philip bought his ring today...for 80 bucks!

2) My family is here and we had a wonderful dinner last night

3) American Idol is on tonight (wedding brain detox)

4) I'm getting married in 3 days!

Although the bad is outweighing the good right now, I know it only feels that way. When everyone is coming to you for E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G. you don't even realize the stress creeping up on you. I feel I'm calm overall - all the things I, personally, wanted to get done are done because, well, I'm good like that ;) So now it's all the last minute things that are hitting me...and how I wish they weren't, but such is life and things will work out no matter what.

Like my coworker said this morning: "As long as you, the officiant and the groom show up, that's all that matters!"

Ceremony Backup Plan

2009-05-11T22:58:00.004-04:00

The weather forecast is not cooperating with our wedding day. As you can see, things have changed dramatically from 5 days ago. Philip and I have been stubborn and have refused to formulate a backup plan. Not acknowledging the issue just makes the possibility of it go away, right? I got a little sassy with my mom about it since she was pushing the topic - with good reason of course, but like I said, I just did not want to accept it and said 'oh well, bring an umbrella'...yikes.

I called my hotel coordinator today to ask her a question and somehow the topic of the weather got brought up since she knows our ceremony is outdoors. She said, "Don't worry, we've got you covered." Huh? Wait, the hotel has me covered if the ceremony is rained out? She sensed my confusion, I could tell and after some coaxing, I got it out of her. My parents had called her about the weather and the hotel has a room reserved for the ceremony, just in case! Those sneaky, sneaky parents of mine. They're lucky I love them! They don't know that I know - I think I'll keep that a secret until I see them tomorrow and call them out at our family dinner lol.

These Seats Are Reserved

2009-05-10T22:15:00.000-04:00

I wanted to do a few DIY projects for the wedding and making signs for the first chairs on the first aisles for the ceremony was a fairly easy one I thought I could do.

I don't have any crafty machines like the CriCut or anything like that so this was all on me.

First I cut pink and black cardstock to size.

Then Kobi wanted to help...

Then I printed "Reserved" in the size and font I wanted. Since the paper was cardstock, I couldn't trace on the desk because I couldn't see through. So I had to hold the "Reserved" paper and the pink cardstock up to the desk lamp and trace messily and lightly in the air with a pencil. I traced back over the pencil with a black scrapbook marker.

Then I just had to put them together.

Now all I need to do is punch a hole on either side at the top and tie black ribbon to them so they can hang on the chairs. Waiting on Mom to come on Tuesday with her hole punch and black ribbon.

First Forecast

2009-05-07T10:41:00.002-04:00

Today was the first day I could check the weather for W-Day with the 10-day forecast.

This is what I saw:

Please stay this way! Those other days look wretched. Cross your fingers for us!

Save the Date!

2009-05-06T16:58:00.004-04:00

Save the date...in 10 days, Kiana and Mr. P are getting married!

While reminiscing over my engagement, I realized I've been a bad, bad blogger and have not made some pretty significant posts. So, I'm turning back the clock and am going to try to play catch up before the wedding arrives.

This is a big post...our Save the Date cards. And, I'm announcing Mr. P's actual first name. I was going to wait till after the wedding, but this post proves worthy.

If you recognize this card, (and please disregard the poor picture quality,) it's because it's from Wedding Paper Divas. Loved using them. But Philip and I really wanted to have magnets on our cards, although we didn't want to get actual magnet save the dates. Solution: After the STDs came in, we went to Staples and bought business card size magnets. It was perfect and SO easy. I just peeled off the backing and pasted it on the back of each card before putting them in the envelopes. It was the most piece of cake semi-DIY project ever. Highly recommended.

So who guessed Philip as Mr. P's name??? ;)

Late Night Inspiration

2009-05-04T00:07:00.003-04:00

I just tried to write my vows for the second time because I was hating what I tried to write the first. And...

these are it.

Load off!!! I am so happy - they're not complete and need some sprucing, but the basics are down and just some fillers are needed which I am not worried about at all since I jotted a bunch of notes a while back.

Why is it I'm able to write so well late at night? (This was a downfall in school lol)

Less than 2 weeks now...

When to Toss?

2009-04-29T13:13:00.005-04:00

I think a lot of people either get all of the traditions, like the dances, cake cutting, etc. out of the way to let the rest of the reception be just for dancing and mingling, allowing guests to start leaving whenever they please OR they hold the bouquet and garter toss off till midway through to mix up the time so it doesn't feel you rushed everything and also so guests will stay longer since they'll want to see those events.

What do you think is the best way? How will/did you do it?

Source

For Every Death There is a Marriage

2009-04-26T23:20:00.004-04:00

For those of you who follow this blog on a more regular basis, you know that Mr. P's parents were both ill and that's why we moved to Atlanta from Florida.

Mr. P's mom passed last year on June 28, 2008 and his dad passed ten months later on April 25, 2009.

This weekend has been a whirlwind. Mr. P was in New Orleans for his Bachelor Party. When his sister (who lives with their dad) couldn't get ahold of him, she called me and I was then in the midst of everything without Mr. P. On only 3 hours of sleep from being out all night on Bourbon St. I finally woke him through calling one of his friends and he had to endure the long car ride home, cutting his Bachelor Party weekend short.

The funniest thing is that one of the many random thoughts that went through my mind on Saturday is that a coworker of mine, who I don't know very well, was getting married in Orlando that day.

His forever happy day would be our forever saddened day. And how weird that was to think, but it's true that most likely that's the case for everyone. For every death, there is a birth and maybe even a marriage.

Not sure how I'll be with posting this week - either back to normal because the wedding is so close and the show must go on, or maybe a little less than usual, we'll see. I wanted to give the heads up because, well, what's a blog if it isn't personal?

The Moment

2009-04-24T15:47:00.004-04:00

Every bride has that moment. The moment where all of a sudden, the reality of marriage, your husband-to-be, living a life together all comes together to knock you over the head and depending on your emotional threshold, tears may come to your eyes. Common times for this to happen to brides are usually during seeing yourself in a wedding dress for the first time, starting to write your vows, trying on your own wedding dress for the first time, etc.

I've tried on numerous wedding dresses. I've had my hair and makeup done. I've tried on my wedding dress for my first alterations fitting. I've tried on my dress, my veil, my shoes, my bracelet all together for my second fitting when the dress fit perfectly. I've seen and tried on my wedding ring. And I've even started to write my vows.

And nothing.

Until today.

Four weeks ago, when I found my wedding day shoes at Macy's, my mom went on about how she loved them on me and even my current Barbie pink toenail polish with them. She said to get that exact color again for my wedding day and not French, like I was planning.

Today, the first time back to the nail salon since I bought my shoes, I got the same color for my toes and fingers. As I came to the end of my manicure and see this Barbie pink color on my nails and think back on my mom's advice, it hit me.

I'm getting married. In three weeks. This is probably the last time I'll go to the nail salon before I get them done for my wedding day. I could potentially be wearing this color again on that day. I'm getting married.

And there you have it. My moment was alone at the nail salon.

I'm Missing "Something"

2009-04-24T13:43:00.003-04:00

I have my something new, well, many something news: my dress, shoes, veil and bracelet. I have my something borrowed: earrings from my aunt. I have my something blue: my garter from Etsy.

But I am missing my something old.

I want it to be somewhat sentimental and not chaulk it up to old makeup or old bobby pins or something like that, but I'm wondering if that's what'll have to happen. I really have no idea and nothing to go off of at this point. I need help!

What are/did you ladies using/use as your something old?

Engagement Party & Photos vs. Anniversary Photos

2009-04-23T15:46:00.005-04:00

Everyone has different ideas of how weddings 'should' be and what events 'should' happen before the big day. I like to think I'm a nice mix of traditional and non. The traditional side of me wanted all the pre-wedding events: engagement party, bridal shower, bachelorette party and maybe even a joint bachelor/bachelorette party to throw in the mix. I wanted to celebrate!

Mr. P and I got engaged March 21, 2008. Truth be told, the ring was probably burning a hole in his pocket, as we weren't entirely prepared to actually start planning a wedding for several reasons. So we didn't start planning anything, even setting the date, until late August, about 5 months later. But, that didn't mean we weren't engaged, so we wanted to throw a little party. We knew we couldn't do anything extravagant, so we just invited friends in town and four friends from Orlando (my hometown and where we met) over to our apartment for a cocktail party on a Saturday in June. The Wednesday prior, Mr. P's mom passed away.

Needless to say, the engagement party was immediately cancelled. It was not the time for many people, drinks and parties.

Time passed...and passed some more. Finally I mentioned trying again to celebrate our engagement, even though we had passed the traditional engagement party threshold of about 3 months. Mr. P said it felt funny because we had been engaged for so long already and passed on the opportunity.

Through the midst of all this, not knowing much about the wedding world at the time, the opportunity to have engagement pictures taken also passed us by. I had a hard time finding a photographer who I really loved (not to mention it was November by this point) and had to drop "includes engagement session" from my list of must-haves in a photography package.

Do I feel like I missed out? Well, I'll be honest, a little. Do I think a party and some photos are a necessity to feel good about my wedding experience as a whole? Absolutely not.

I was catching up on my Google Reader and came across a post at The Bride's Cafe about an anniversary shoot. LIGHTBULB!

This couple had an amazingly gorgeous photoshoot - old hollywood glam inspired - to celebrate their 2-year anniversary. Mr. P has wanted me to take some 'modeling' type photos again and what better way to accomplish than to include us both and channel our inner divas since this won't be used for Save-the-Dates or anything wedding related?!

It may not be a party. It may not be 'official' & 'traditional' engagement photos. But it's something. Something that a year from now could bring us back to thoughts of our wedding and the excitement of being married for one whole year.

So, do you think this is a good idea to present to Mr. P as a 1-year anniversary event? What type/style of shoot would you recommend for an anniversary shoot opposed to an engagement session?

Shoe Change

2009-04-22T16:53:00.004-04:00

Unfortunately one of my bridesmaids has waited till the last minute to buy her shoes that we all agreed on for them to wear and now they are out of stock. There are two shoes from ALDO that are similar that she'll have to choose from. Which do you think are the best?

Originals - picture in GOLD:

Option #1:

Option #2:

My Ring - Bought!

2009-04-21T16:03:00.003-04:00

Mr. P just called - he has my ring!!!

I'm so excited to see it. He says he's so happy with it and it matches my e-ring perfectly, which is great because it wasn't part of a set.

Apparently, Mr. P wants to be a part of my excitement, because he hid it in the house 'in case we get robbed' and he'll show me when he's home from soccer practice at 7PM tonight. (He coaches little kids.) So that's t-minus 3 hours!

Pictures will be posted, but I have to see before you see! lol. Yay, exciting day.

This Is My Wedding

2009-04-19T12:46:00.004-04:00

Source

My four girls in their blue dresses and my mom in her black and white dress with pearls.

(I think that actually is her dress, it looks exactly the same.)

I hope to get such a beautifully natural candid like this - they truly look like they were having a great time.

Real Wedding :: Joanne & David

2009-04-16T14:39:00.006-04:00

One of my bridesmaids went to BALI with a guy, now her boyfriend, as a date to his friend's wedding a month ago. All I can say is breathtaking!

I can't believe MY friend got to go to this amazing wedding in Bali! Everything was so gorgeous. I love how the couple kept to the tropical feel of their surroundings for the ceremony and played it up a bit more for the reception. To see more, check out international photographer, Gabriel Mendes's Blog.

Ceremony: Complete

2009-04-14T15:05:00.003-04:00

WARNING: Bridesmaids or anyone invited to this wedding - DO NOT read this post or I will come after you. You will undoubtedly feel immense guilt if you do and the ceremony will be spoiled for you. Be warned!
*
*
*
We met with the officiant this past Saturday for a face-to-face chat about how the ceremony would go. I brought my write up of the sequence, the general wording, readings, etc. Basically, he said it was perfect and we didn't change a thing! Wow, I was flattered. I really just spent some time one night researching/googling example ceremonies and readings. I put together everything I really loved and thought represented Mr. P and I as a couple and also what we wanted to get across through our ceremony.

Even though things turned out really well, this part of wedding planning was a real struggle for me at first. Once I got going, it somehow flowed together, but you know it's always hardest to start and gather thoughts initially.

To help others, here is the structure of our ceremony along with the readings. Let me know what you think!

Ceremony
We are gathered here today to celebrate one of life's greatest moments, to give recognition to the worth and beauty of love, and to cherish the words which shall unite Mr. P and Kiana in marriage.

I would like to take a moment to recognize the family members of Kiana and Mr. P and to thank them for their love, support and devotion, as they grew from adolescence into the two beautiful individuals who stand here before us on this special day. We thank you for teaching them values and showing them the beauty and joy of loving another person.

A good marriage must be created.
In the marriage, the little things are the big things.
It is never being too old to hold hands.
It is remembering to say "I love you" at least once each day,
It is never going to sleep angry.
It is having a mutual sense of values and objectives.
It is standing together and facing the world.
It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family.
It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.
It is having the capacity to forgive and forget.
It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each person can grow.
It is a common search for the good and the beautiful.
It is not only marrying the right personIt is being the right partner.

Seek love and never take it for granted. Love is believing, sharing, caring and dreaming together. It is honesty, friendship, companionship, and selflessness. Love is the desire and commitment to be intimate physically, psychologically, and emotionally. It is devotion, celebration, understanding, forgiveness and sacrifice. Love is strong, yet it can be fragile. Love is gentleness, kindness, and patience. It is trusting, protecting, inspiring, and supporting.

Officiant: Introduce Kiana & Mr. P to read their self-written vows
Mr. P: Vows
Kiana: Vows

The wedding ring is an outward sign of an inward commitment. May these rings be to you a constant and loving reminder of the ties that bind you together as husband and wife.

Mr. P, repeat after me:
I give you this ring
as a symbol of my love and devotion.
May its presence on your hand
serve always to remind you
of my love.

Do you take Kiana to be your lawfully wedded wife?
Mr. P: I do.

Kiana, repeat after me:
I give you this ring
as a symbol of my love and devotion.
May its presence on your hand
serve always to remind you
of my love.

Do you take Mr. P to be your lawfully wedded husband?
Kiana: I do.

May the love that you share give you strength
May the life that you share bring you joy
May the dreams that you share bring you hope
May the faith that you share bring you peace
And wherever you are in your journey through life
May your hearts always find their way home

And now having pledged your love and loyalty to each other, I, by the power vested in me, now pronounce you husband and wife. It's my privelege and honor to introduce to you Mr. & Mrs. P and Kiana Last Name. You may kiss the bride!

Save the Date Video

2009-04-09T15:15:00.002-04:00

Now this is what I call a Save the Date. Wow.

View here.

Details & Etsy Love

2009-04-09T10:47:00.006-04:00

There's only 5.5 weeks till W-Day. So naturally, I'm tying up all loose ends, dealing with details, etc.

The past couple days have been successes with the details. Here's what's been done:

>I found perfect wedding day panties at Victoria's Secret.

>I ordered a runner

>I made the final decision to NOT order rose petals for the aisle because my aisle is huge at 125 ft. and I couldn't find anything under $420 to cover both sides for a total of 250 ft.!

>We/I decided our first dance, cake cutting, garter & bouquet toss songs

>My dad decided the father/daughter dance song

>We bought bathing suits for Cancun

>I made my hair and makeup trial appointments (hair trial in tomorrow!)

>I've finalized details with the florist and included a toss bouqet for cheap

And most recently, about 30 minutes ago, I gave the go ahead for Peterene from Etsy to make a reserve order for me for this gorgeous garter:

She has this one available on its own, but I asked if she could make me another as my toss garter. It's going to be a simple white band with the same flower. Perfect, I'm sold! This is my 'something blue'.

Another thing I wanted to get on Etsy was a pretty hanger for my dress to be showcased on in the hotel room. I did a search but only found one or two. I was a little surprised. But I found these at Target:

For $12.99, they might be the best bet and I can just give some of the extras to my bridesmaids. Anyone else find a pretty (and inexpensive) hanger for their dress?

Bachelorette Party - Midtown Atlanta

2009-04-08T12:42:00.004-04:00

After dinner at Geisha House, we went into the hot spot of clubs, lounges and bars in Midtown Atlanta. We stopped into a club that my guy friend knows the owner and got us VIP. There wasn't too much going on there, so we snapped some pics, drank the complimentary champagne and left. But, on the way out, there was a bright red stipper pole! My friend has been taking "Poleateaz" - basically pole dancing classes as workouts. (Get it? Pilates, Poleateaz?) She gave us a mini show, nothing raunchy, and you know, she's actually really good! lol She tried to teach me. It was a bit of a failure. Luckily there weren't many people there, so we weren't attracting much attention, otherwise I might've been embarassed lol.

My MOH, JR, and my Bridesmaid LK, made up a list of things I had to do while out at my Bachelorette Party that coordinated with the word "BACHELORETTE"...

I got B, 1st E, T, & T accomplished, but that's it! I wasn't exactly paying attention to it throughout the night, but it did somehow end up surviving and made it safely home for an addition to my scrapbook.

VIP at a couple more clubs and the night was over!

Bridal Party

Previous series posts:

Bachelorette Dreaming

Bachelorette Party - Apartment Pre-Game

Bachelorette Party - Dinner

2009-04-02T10:28:00.005-04:00

After playing the fabulous "Kiana's Bachelorette Game" we headed out to Geisha House for dinner and drinks. We got a few free shots for the occassion and the GM came over to us personally to give us the 2nd round...

This incident makes me wonder what people really think of as appropriate in their heads...

GM: Which one of you is getting married? You? (Nodding at me once he noticed the sash and crown.)

Me: Yep, me!

GM: How old are you?

Me: 23.

GM: You'll be divorced by the time you're 27.

Everyone: Whoooaa!

Then we took the shots.

Me - What I wish I would have said, but wasn't thinking on my feet: Well that's why you're divorced, isn't it?

I mean, yah, I get it, ha-ha, I'm young and you could maybe get away with a cute joke about that by saying it in the right way. But C'MON! Straight-faced and everything. Tasteless.

Luckily the food made up for it! Edamame, miso soup, and lamb = delish!

I bought everyone big, fake engagements rings from the $1 section at Target! Unfortunately, all the clear ones broke and we were left with too many reds lol. Mine is the huge, clear one on the right which I got at a bridal show.

Up next...the partying! Stay tuned ;)

Ceremony Overload

2009-03-31T22:09:00.004-04:00

Breaking from the B & B Weekend recap, the main thing on my wedding agenda right now is the ceremony. We have an officiant who has basically left everything into our hands. From the structure, to the order, to the words, to the vows, it's all on us. He gave us a packet to go by and choose from, but none of it has blown me away. I'll probably only use the 'repeat after me' vows from it and maybe the ring vows. We are definitely writing our own vows, but what about everything else? I've been searching the net like mad and there's so much information out there! It's good and bad on the same token because a lot of it is definitely not what I'm looking for (ie traditional, religious, etc.) I'm looking for simple, non-religious, beautiful words. I want it to be as if the officiant were saying them to Mr. P and me as words of wisdom, telling us all the good, wonderful and truthful things that marriage will really be for us.

Has anyone had to put together their own ceremony like this? Any websites or advice you can recommend?

Bachelorette Party - Apartment Pre-Game

2009-03-30T11:07:00.007-04:00

I only figured out why my friends asked some of those questions in this Pre B & B Weekend post, not all.

Do you have a single hole punch?

For DIY confetti for the tables at the shower

Do you have a Party City near your place?

They got pink and black streamers, bachelorette party balloons, balloons for the shower and wall signs for both ("Bachelorette Party" and "Bridal Shower".)

Do you have a blow-up doll?

Definitely to throw me off haha

Do you have computer paper?

For my "List" of things to do while out for the Bachelorette Party - I think I only got 3 done out of 12 lol

The questions about past guys and asking for the story on how Mr. P and I met...I'm still stumped. The story of how we met never came up and neither did those guys' names. Hmm.

My MOH, JR (initials abbrv), shipped an enormous box to my place from NYC. I never saw it, but when I called my leasing office to inquire about its arrival, the lady didn't sound very pleased that it was there because of its size! lol JR and bridesmaid LK picked it up and I was so curious as to what it was. This is what it was...

A board game!!! How do people come up with these amazing, creative ideas?! Every time you landed on a picture of me with some guy, I had to tell the story behind the picture. Yikes, lol. The other squares you could land on were 'socials', 'loves' and 'woo' cards. Socials were a topic where everyone had to participate with what the card said and drink. Love cards were reasons why Mr. P loves me. Aww. And Woo cards (my favorites!) were cards that said something cute or fun or silly and everyone just yells "wooo!" afterwards. It sounds funny, but once you're doing it in person, it makes sense and is silly fun. Example: "Kiana is getting married!!" "Wooo!!" Get it?? haha

Playing the game. LK on left, me in middle and CM (Jay Waddles sleep talker) on right.

The Big 5-0!

2009-03-27T15:59:00.003-04:00

DAYS TILL WEDDING DAY!!!

Other BIG items:

*All invitations went out yesterday - woo! They are on time, too with 7.5 weeks till the wedding. My mom was a MAJOR help with putting the templates together (she's a Word wiz) and we tossed the templates the stationary company provided. If anyone else is planning on doing DIY invitations bought from the store, I highly recommend doing that. You'll save yourself a lot of trouble.

*Most of the logistics for the wedding are figured out and everyone is on the same page and knows about them (ie planner, hotel coordinator and ceremony site coordinator.)

*Makeup artist is booked!! Hair stylist is almost booked!

I promise the next post will be the B & B Weekend recap, but I couldn't ignore my 50 day mark and I don't have my pics on this computer.

T.G.I.F.!!!

image source

Bachelorette Dreaming

2009-03-25T16:26:00.004-04:00

Where: My apartment, on the couch
When: Morning after the bachelorette party, 8:30 a.m.
Who: Bridesmaids CM and JR and Me

Bridesmaid CM sleep talking: *Giggle* "Jay Waddles!" *Giggle*

Bridesmaid JR & Me: *Laughter* "What did she just say?? Jay WADDLES?"

Bridesmaid CM now half-conscious: *Giggle* "Did I just say that out loud?"

Bridesmaid JR & Me: "Haha, YES! What's Jay Waddles??"

Bridesmaid CM: "Jay Waddles. He's the midget...he's, he's the dwarf stripper at your bachelorette party. It says 'Jay Waddles' on his shirt. Jay Waddles...'cause he waddles."

Bridesmaid JR & Me: "Huh?! Whaaaa?!" *Laughter*

Upcoming posts: B & B Weekend updates and photos

Passion or Peck?

2009-03-20T12:28:00.002-04:00

Source

Mr. P said to me "You better not give me one of your little peck kisses on our wedding day." I was appalled he said that! He only gets those when I have lipgloss on! Of course my lipgloss will not matter in that moment. But some people like peck kisses and think they're cute. We'll be having a passionate kiss, what about you?

Award Catch Up

2009-03-18T17:28:00.004-04:00

This is seriously about 2 weeks overdue - yikes!

Thank you SO much to Tina from Tina & Steve for this Blog Award.

Tina is seriously so sweet and I can't believe the kind words she said about me and my blog when she tagged me! I'm mega busy and cheating by not tagging anyone (sorry!) but I, of course, still wanted to express my gratitude and thanks to Tina. Thank you!!

Check out her fab blog!

Pre B & B Weekend

2009-03-18T12:19:00.004-04:00

My Bachelorette Party and Bridal Shower are this weekend!

The B-Party was supposed to be on Friday night, but it JUST got changed to Saturday night yesterday because my bridesmaid who did the majority of the planning for it was all of a sudden not going to be able to make it from out of town. (The situation was out of her hands.) So we accommodated her and so glad we did because it's going to be a blast and she'll see the fruits of her labor!

So everything for this weekend is supposed to be a surprise, but I've been getting some really interesting/funny questions asked of me that all start out with, "Okay, random question...." or "Random question...and don't ask me why I'm asking..." lol.

Here are some of the questions I've been asked over the past couple weeks:

What's the name of that guy you hooked up with in college that you brought to Harry's once? (Harry's is the restaurant I did marketing for and I guessed about 5 guys before I got this one right, oh geez)
Do you have a single hole punch?
Is there a Party City near your place?
Do you have a portable CD player?
Tell me the story of how you and Mr. P met.
Do you have a blow-up doll? (I think this one was to throw me off haha)
Who was the other bartender that worked with Vespa? (Vespa is the last name of a guy I had a thing with in college...and his fellow bartender as you can tell lol oh goodness)
Do you have a hot glue gun or super glue?
Do you have computer paper?

I can ONLY imagine what's in store for Saturday night! My own B-Party & Shower will be my first! I have no idea what to expect except for FUN. (Expect except, whoa that was a hard one lol.)

This weekend will be jam-packed because the girls arrive tomorrow night and late Friday night and my mom arrives on Saturday. Saturday afternoon is my first official dress fitting! SO excited for my bridesmaids to all be there for that. Then the B-Party is that night, then the Shower the next day at 1 p.m., then the girls leave. My mom and I will be meeting with a hair stylist, my planner at the ceremony site and do the food tasting at the hotel all on Saturday. She doesn't know it yet, but in spare time, she will be helping me with my big invitations project!

Hopefully there will be pictures galore next week!

Pooh

2009-03-13T10:28:00.001-04:00

"If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day, so I never have to live without you."

-Winnie the Pooh

In my vows. End of story. How can you not love the innocence and sincerity of Pooh Bear?

Invitations: Test After Test, Problem After Problem

2009-03-11T21:35:00.005-04:00

We're printing our own invitations to save money as some of you already know. What you don't know is that I've returned these invitations and bought new ones that now match our new theme.

Last week I get an urge to be diligent. I finished scanning all the pictures for our slideshow. Then, in the same night, I started on our invitation template in Word. Well, let's just say scanning went a little smoother than configuring the template.

I have a macbook. I love it. It does not love our printer. The struggle between formatting on Word, the page setup and the printer seemed endless. And it would have been if I hadn't stopped the madness and gotten on our PC desktop to try it on there.

After a fight with Mr.P, 25 test sheets and an empty ink cartridge, the template is finally formatted correctly.

Sneak peek at the invites!

So test after test after test, you'd think we'd be all dandy and ready to go after buying a new ink cartridge right? Absolutely not. The fonts we wanted are on my mac and not the PC. I tried to get them to the PC, but mac got super smart on me and I can't do that. Dilemma. So I found out about dafont.com. AWESOME! I had heard about it before, but never looked into it.

So font problem solved, all I have to do is pick a couple and see what they look like on the computer, right? Wrong. Our desktop decides it wants to kapoot on us. This was 2 days ago and I need to have the invitations printed, addressed and mailed by next Thursday! Oh lordy. Wedding anxiety is setting in!

Relaxation Gift Basket

2009-03-09T14:09:00.007-04:00

This weekend I put together a "relaxation gift basket" for Mr. P's best man's mom to say 'thank you' for opening up her home for my bridal shower in 2 weeks. That's the idea most of you suggested, so I figured I couldn't go wrong. It turned out cute! Thanks for the ideas everyone! I hope she likes it.

I included wine (of course,) bath salt, lotion, foaming milk bath, chocolate, foot scrub and a candle - fresh linen. I think I might add a ribbon to pretty it up. Hmm.

Forgotten Task

2009-03-05T12:31:00.004-05:00

Little details come up in random conversation that you had previously forgetten about and you think, "shoot, I've got to remember to do that." But today, something randomly crossed my mind that I hadn't thought of before. Well, let me rephrase, I'd thought of this before, just not about executing it.

The name change.

Whoa mama, can't forget that one!

I think it was drilled so far back in my mind, thinking that I had such a long time to take care of it and figure out everything I needed to do for it that it just never came up in my mind again.

I'm not a huge fan of what my name sounds like with Mr. P's last name to be honest, but I'm sure it's just because I'm so used to hearing it with only my last name for over 20 years. And my first name is a little unique so I feel it's harder to match. Although, Kiana McConaughey doesn't sound half bad ;) lol just kidding.

Mr. P seems to think I should keep my last name and make it my middle name, which would be very easy for me because I actually do not have a middle name. But the thought of my last name suddenly becoming my middle name and also never having had a middle name before seems awkward for me. Hyphenating is just not for me. So the only other option would be to go traditional and take on his last name only. I think I am leaning towards this option, but it all feels so final and official. I mean, it's your name - that's a pretty big part of what identifies you as you. What do you guys think? How will you be changing your names?

I also find myself needing some simple info on how to get this done and when (before/after wedding.) How much will it cost and how long will the process take? Does anyone know the best places to go to get the name change done?

Special Gift

2009-03-02T16:22:00.005-05:00

I haven't mentioned this (why? dunno,) but my bridal shower and bachelorette combo weekend is coming up soon! It's the 20-22 of this month (17 days!) I've been calling it the 'B&B Weekend' with my bridesmaids - so much easier/shorter to write! lol

Anyway, more details on the actual weekend later. The matter at hand is a special thank you gift. Mr. P's best friend/man's mom stepped up to the plate and kindly offered her home for the bridal shower location after only meeting me TWO times, and recently might I add. Some people are so genuinely nice and really want to help out. I was going to have it at my apartment - talk about cramped! And without any family here, Mr. P's mom having passed and his father not being in good enough condition to have anyone in his house, I was at a loss to keep things on a budget for my girls. So, the apartment it was until Suzanne came along.

Obviously I need to get her something as a special thank you for this. We're going to try to go over to her house this weekend to say 'hi' and give her the gift. So I thought, who better to ask then all of you for ideas on what to get her.

I'm on a budget of course, I'm thinking no more than $35. I could get her one thing or a bunch of little things and the sorority girl in me can arrange them super cute in a basket or something like this:

I think I'm too short on time for anything DIY except maybe a nice card. That's about as far as I've gotten lol.

Any ideas? What do you think would be appropriate?

Checking Off the List

2009-03-01T18:44:00.005-05:00

Isn't checking things off a list one of the best feelings ever? It's such a sense of accomplishment. I love that.

I am almost completely done scanning photos for the slideshow! This is so exciting. You know when you build something up in your head that is going to be tedious and awful, but then when you sit down to actually do it, it's not that bad? Well that's definitely what has happened to me with scanning and cropping all these photos. I think I'm "on a roll," lol.

I will say that peeling back the sticky paper from old school albums to get to the photos is a little scary. I'm realizing it's ok though and I won't ruin the photos or paper.

While in this process, what Mr. P doesn't know is that I am on the hunt for a really great pic of his mom to put next to the small display I'm going to make for her. I think I have found one or two contenders where I can crop her and she looks really fabulous.

Speaking of which, I've decided what I'm going to do to honor his mom. Yay! Another decision checked off the list! Thanks so much for the ideas and help; it really got my wheels turning and I've finally decided exactly what I'm going to do. The only other person who knows about it is Mr. P's sister because I needed some info from her to accomplish the DIY project. Sorry I'm not telling this one...I love, love surprises so I'm trying to keep a couple for the wedding because usually I'm such an open book! But don't worry, I'll of course take some pics of the process and post after the wedding - hopefully you guys can wait till then ;) Just wanted to mention it because I feel relieved to have thought of something really good to do and also wanted to thank you for the help again.

I love these 'memorials' incorporated into weddings as well.

Source

This last one is my fave.

My Dress Has Arrived!

2009-02-26T11:15:00.004-05:00

YAY! How exciting?!

I'm so lucky that it's perfectly on time with no hiccups AND that my bridesmaids will be here in 3 weeks to go to the official fitting with me - the one wedding related thing we can really all do together since 3 out of 4 are from out of town.

This will soon be my dress, hanging in the hotel suite with us all getting ready around it...

And this is SO going to be me right before heading out the door!

Both photos: source

Honest Life & Challenges

2009-02-24T10:38:00.016-05:00

I will be honest, I have not been fully wedding-imersed this past week. The biggest things I've done are go to a bridal show this past Sunday (which was mostly just for something to do because I have all my vendors except hair and makeup) and selecting photos for the slideshow.

What's really been on my mind? Oh you know, that thing that happens when the wedding is over and you have a second ring on your finger...oh, right, marriage.

I've been nervous about posting this because I know this isn't a hot topic, at least when spoken about blatantly - the fact that we all have our ups and downs...that sometimes, it's not the fairytale, that us engaged couples, you know, the ones who are blissfully happy and smiley and sex crazy in the movies aren't actually living in that movie world.

Mr. P and I do not always live in that world. We've had excruciatingly hard times and truthfully, are still struggling even with getting married in 12 weeks. I know we are not the typical couple and that we've been through far more than the majority of other couples have at this point in their relationships. To give you a little insight without going into the nasty details (in chronological order):

Our relationship started out long distance
We found out his mother had stage 3 lung cancer
He quit his job, tried to start a business on his own and then could not move forward with it
After I graduated college, we moved to a new city without knowing anyone and moved in together
I began "real world" living during this time
We started having financial concerns
We got a puppy
He lost his job
We found out his father had stage 4 lung cancer
Within 3 days he moved to Atlanta and I quit my job
Within a month I joined him
We struggled more financially and emotionally while I waitressed and tried to figure out a different/new career path
I finally got a job
We started realizing our puppy had a food aggression problem
Our apartment got robbed and we lost everything valuable including family jewelry
We got engaged
His mother passed away
He took a second job and we finally started planning the wedding after being engaged for 5 months
We almost broke up
Our puppy bit both of us numerous times as his aggression problem became severe
Currently: His father has worsened and could pass soon, we're shelling out money for medication and training to give the puppy a proper chance and we still have some financial and personal struggles.

Wow, and that was without details or any of the little stuff along the way - I've never written that out before.

So why am I being so open with the intimate parts of my life?
Mr. P and I went to a Marriage Workshop 5 weeks ago. (I've been meaning to post a recap about it and will soon now after writing this.) But you know the one thing he said that I think helped him tremendously? That he realized it wasn't just us...that this very nice, quiet Jamaican guy with dreads and an accent who he probably had almost nothing in common with had similar problems with his fiance as he did with me. I wasn't offended about the problem that was mentioned, it wasn't a dealbreaker and was something I can work on. What was nice to hear was that he didn't feel completely alone, isolated, weird about having problems or issues within our relationship. It seemed like a relevation for him. Like, even though it seems obvious that we're all people and it happens, especially to people who have had to overcome so many hardships within only 2.5 years, it wasn't so apparent.

It's almost embarassing really to talk about these things, even with your family and friends sometimes. I think sometimes it's even harder to talk to those people who you care about most because you actually care what they think and value their opinions. Trust me, I know...and I haven't opened up to my own family and friends about every little thing.

Mr. P came across this article on MSN: 7 Scary Truths About Getting Engaged. Some of the truths are a little silly, as MSN articles can sometimes be, but Scary Truth #5 & #7 seemed to me like they'd really hit home with the majortiy of couples (and maybe #6 if you have not lived together yet.)

'Little Signs "We're Not Meant to Be" Start Cropping Up' - wow, somebody said it. I'd been thinking about it, call it 'pre-wedding jitters' whatever you want, but some people do think about it. Now, I don't personally believe the examples given in the article are particularly good ones, but the concept was there, out in the open. Wow. Okay...I'm not alone in this. The fact that Mr. P doesn't take the dogs out right when I ask him to and that he leaves the kitchen filthy are NOT dealbreakers. Chill out. It's funny how all the little things can ball up and make a really big thing. Now, I'm not discounting our past or current more serious issues...oops, I mean "challenges" as Mr. P likes to say ("issues" sounds bad he says lol,) but what if you did discount ALL of the little things...and I mean ALL??? Nothing could snowball. You would literally only be able to have attention on a challenge that actually was very important to you and your relationship and none of the other little items would be in your or his mind snowballing to create a seemingly worse off situation.

So, I've been thinking about life, marriage, the real world lately. Helping my relationship continue to grow and changing certain things for the better are things I've been trying to concentrate on. While I love practically everything wedding including all the planning (and of course it's still something that is there in the back of my mind,) I believe it needs to take a back seat if you know there are more important things for your mind to wander to and for yourself to take action to. And you know what? I've genuinely been significantly happier the past few days from doing this - the things I know I can easily do/not do to better our relationship which better prepares us for marriage which overall makes life happier for both of us, currently and for later on.

The purpose of this post: Well, let's be honest, sometimes the point of a personal blog is that you have a place to put your thoughts and your vents. And also, if I could reach anyone out there who has had similar feelings or situations in their relationships and engagements, then that's worth it. Knowing that there are other REAL people out there NOT in fairytale land, sex crazy and smiley 24/7 is SO refreshing and comforting. And I really realized that when Mr. P commented on the nice Jamaican whose fiance had a similar unlikeable trait as me and he realized he was not the ONLY one out there.

P.S. I know this post was a little all over the place, but I hope it did at least make sense overall.

Creative Overhaul Part 2

2009-02-19T22:02:00.000-05:00

So I told the story. Now here are the inspiration images.

Source

Last 3 images: Source

New Color Palette: Light/blush pink and black with white.

New Style: Modern vintage

New Details: Touches of damask, floral and pretty lettering

New Flowers: Anemones, peonies, ranunculuses, dendrobium orchids, spray roses, hydrangeas and dahlias (all white, ivory or light pink)

Big, different change, I know. Thoughts??

Ring a ling a ling

2009-02-17T20:49:00.006-05:00

I'm such a bad blogger! No, it's just been crazy busy here - work, personal, wedding, etc. But there are obviously things to update on since it's been so long...

We finally went ring shopping this weekend! (I've been bugging Mr. P about it for a couple months!) It's so nice to cross things off the list...well, this is a half cross off since they're not actually bought yet. But some decisions were made and that is always nice. We decided on the width that looks right with my e-ring and also design elements that will make them look like

they go together. For his ring, well...basically he decided that he'd get it off the internet for $30 last minute - his words, not mine. Haha oh well, it's on him - he's said he will take care of everything pertaining to the bands.

This is the sort of look we're going for, but with brilliant cut (round diamonds,) for my ring:

This is sort of the look we're going for, (I think,) for his ring:

And this is sort of how our rings will look together (minus the e-ring):

Creative Overhaul Part 1

2009-02-10T18:14:00.005-05:00

According to my preview post, I think I'm doing ok...I've updated you on the honeymoon (Mr. P FINALLY applied for his passport yesterday! YES!) and given you some insight to a couple DIY projects: the slideshow and something or other in memory of Mr. P's mama.

BUT, I know the biggest thing has to be the redesign, redirection, creative overhaul of the wedding! Hello?! That's HUGE.

Here's what went down:
A couple of weeks ago I was having a minor panic attack to Mr. P about how I was now uncomfortable with what the florist and I came up with for the centerpieces and that I didn't know how to properly incorporate and execute this peacock theme. And then, my whole wedding world came shattering down: Mr. P gave an inkling to the fact that he wasn't a fan in the first place. Ugh! How could he have waited SO long to tell me?! My feeling were not hurt, I was just having trouble breathing wondering HOW in the world I would pull off a completely new idea having already had trouble deciding on one in the first place. He tried to cover it up by saying that he just didn't know how I was going to do it, but I knew. I totally knew.

We spent an hour or two browsing through Knot photos and Google Image searches to see how we could pull it off to our liking. It wasn't working.

The next day, I talked to my mom about it, but I was still struggling and still bummed out. 4 months and we don't know what the wedding is going to look like now? AHH!

The day after that, I finally had an epiphany. I am almost embarassed to admit the simplicity of it all...but I will. I realized that instead of basing what the wedding would look like off of what we already had (dresses, venues, etc.) that I would think about what I truly LOVE and find a way to incorporate everything together.

*crickets*

DUH! How was I letting the items I had already chosen dictate EVERYTHING?? Ugh, the absurdity of it all. See, wasn't that ridiculously simple?

TO BE CONTINUED...

Blog Luv #2

2009-02-10T17:13:00.004-05:00

This is long overdue...Thank you SO much Michelle for the Blog Luv Award! I'm so appreciative and I hope you've noticed I added your name to the 'thank you' line under the award on the right side of my blog a few days ago already. Unfortunately, I'm going to flake. :/ Ah, I know, I'm sorry. But I just received the award a little while ago from Sony and I'm not THAT connected in wedding blog world yet to name another 10 peeps! lol But do know this award is appreciated nonetheless! Thank you again!

P.S. Check out Michelle over at Weddingbee now! Congrats again Miss Duckling ;)

Thank-You Card Etiquette

2009-02-06T14:51:00.006-05:00

Since I started planning our wedding, I've learned so much about all the nooks & cranies of it all, especially things about wedding etiquette. I've only been to 3 weddings in my life...2 of them were within the past year and 2 of them were Mexican. So, long story short, I haven't had much experience in the wedding department and have been learning as I go with a lot of the elements for our own wedding. When we sent out our save-the-dates (dang it, reminder to self: post about std's!) we received two presents from one of our registries. The cards said something to the effect of "congratulations on your engagement." So, do you guys think/know if these gifts are 'engagement' gifts (even though we've been engaged for a long time now,) or are they the actual wedding gift?

I was puzzled and had already waited too long to send a thank-you note. So I sent just a normal one (the kind you keep in the house should you need one) and not one of the ones we'll be using for closer to/after the wedding (which we actually do already have.) I know it's not a huge deal regardless, but I guess I'm just more curious than anything...do you think it was ok sending a 'non-weddingish' thank-you card?

Speaking of thank-you cards...in spirit of the Wedding Paper Divas $500 giveaway I'm sure everyone's caught wind of by now...

All images from Wedding Paper Divas

100 Days!

2009-02-05T14:26:00.004-05:00

100 days till we get married!!!

We are about to be in double digits...wow.

P.S. Please take a look at my last post, the wheels have started turning, but I'd love some more ideas and opinions from you all. Thanks :)

Introducing Mr. P's Mom

2009-02-04T15:56:00.004-05:00

Has anyone seen this on Style Me Pretty 2 days ago? Wow, I was just so moved, I'm not sure why. Actually, that's a lie, I think I do know why...

Mr. P's mama passed from cancer just 7 months ago. I'm struggling with how to deal with this in relation to the wedding. I asked Mr. P if he wanted to dance with my mom for a mother-son dance, he said 'no.' I asked Mr. P if he wanted my mom to walk with him down the aisle, he said 'no.' I asked Mr. P if he wanted to mention his mom during the ceremony, he said 'no.' I asked Mr. P if he wanted a remembrance for his mom at the reception, he said 'no.' Seeing the pattern here?

But look at that moving image above...it's a simply-framed photo of a happy David with one of his loves, cigars. (Read the bride's words here.) This memory involves the guests of the wedding in such a classy way. This is exactly the type of subtle thing I would like to do for the reception on a table right outside the room where everyone would pass before they go in.

When Mr. P and I discussed the matter (well, not really discussed, they were simple question-answer moments and that's it) he did not seem too stern about it. He just said he didn't want to make a big deal out of it (which is how he's dealt with her passing as well.) So I definitely would never push my mom to dance with him for an official mother-son dance where I sneakily tell the DJ to play a prepared song. I definitely would never alter our ceremony to include words about his mom or light a candle. But...I am toying with doing something like this. It's been months since this things have been brought up. Now that a lot of time has passed and he's more stable about it, I think he would maybe be pleased with the fact that I did something small and nice since she cannot be with us. I definitely know her family would appreciate it and I know for sure her closest cousin will be coming (she had no siblings.)

So, two questions go out to you all:

Should I frame a picture and put a small display together for Mr. P's mom in front of the reception?
If so, what should the display or giveaway be to make it personal like the image above? (Some background to help: She was from Panama, the country, she was a Spanish high school teacher and loved her job and before that was a Pan Am flight attendant...she actually got hijacked TWICE! Can you believe?! Wow.)

Honeymoon: Booked!

2009-02-02T22:55:00.006-05:00

Where are we going you ask??

HERE:

CANCUN, MEXICO - The Westin Lagunamar Ocean Resort

We decided we were going to do Cancun because the flights were the cheapest compared to Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, Costa Rica, The Dominican Republic, etc. by hundreds of dollars. Then, it came down to choosing a Starwood property because our very good friend works at a new Westin in Orlando and can get us their "Star Hot Rate." I think I am his sister because of this because it's supposed to be for family only, lol. My cousin works for the JW Marriott in Mexico City and we were going to see who could get the better deals, but when we were told we could also get 50% off all our food at a Westin, we were SOLD!

We chose between Le Meridien, The Westin Resort & Spa and The Westin Lagunamar. Well, I chose haha because I'm the diligent one and looked into each property's website/photos and their reviews on Trip Advisor. I have to be honest, I've never used Trip Advisor before, but it was seriously fabulous and such a big help in choosing. If you set aside an hour to really dig in, look everything up and actually read the reviews (not skim,) it's so worth it; I learned so much. I jotted down restaurants mentioned (good ones and ones to avoid), places to go out and the name of markets for food and shopping.

Today, I booked the two plane tickets, roundtrip for $599.74! What an awesome price, huh?!

We were supposed to book the hotel tonight, but Mr. P forgot to call our friend back (he has to book it for us to get the Star Hot Rate.) So, it's technically not completely booked, but close enough since it'll be taken care of in the morning.

Let me be frank...we wanted to originally TRY to go to Europe, maybe 3 destinations. Once we realized we'd be spending about $2,000 just for the main flight roundtrip, we thought we'd rethink that rendezvous. I wanted so badly to go to a new country I'd never been before (hence the France, Greece, Costa Rica, and DR research,) but we all have to learn to let go a little and not be stubborn. For those of you who don't know, I'm half Mexican. My mother is from Mexico City, English is her second language, all my family is there, the whole shebang. So, needless to say Mexico was far down on my list. BUT, I have swallowed that sentiment and now am SO excited to have found such a fabulous resort as the Lagunamar. I mean, who couldn't be happy with that place, and to top it off add a discounted rate and 50% off food. Whoa mama.

Wooo we're going to Cancun!

Semi Homemade Slideshow

2009-01-31T13:47:00.004-05:00

I said I'd be talking about DIY projects soon...well, this is like a semi DIY project I'll need to be working on over the next two weeks. My co-worker/friend is big into filming and editing and asked if he could make a slideshow for us AND film the wedding. Free videographer, woo! Seriously, how nice of him to offer? It's great having wonderful, giving people around you when planning such an important day, isn't it? Sooo, the semi DIY project for ME is gathering all the photos to be in this slideshow and oh-em-gee is this going to be more work than I thought!

I finally went upstairs to our loft to use the scanner for photos that are prints only (because we lost a ton of digital photos from my first laptop crashing and then Mr. P's laptop getting stolen when our last apartment got broken into exactly a year ago - ugh.) Even bigger 'ugh' is that Mr. P said it's super easy to use the scanner (which is a printer and copier also,) but I must not be doing something right because it's not scanning! Ugh.

Don't you hate when you're actually finally motivated to get something done, but then something gets in your way and prevents you from doing it?? Annoying. Oh well, I'll have to wait till Mr. P gets home.

The plan for the slideshow is to show photos of Mr. P and me throughout childhood and together. We're including family in the photos and only friends who are invited to the wedding, which I think is how it should be...I told my mom, who is helping with older photos, no ex-boyfriends! lol

When you get to the 25th floor of the hotel (where the reception room is) you walk down a corridor for a while and then there is a small wall in front of you and you need to go left or right to enter the room. Since everyone will see that wall before they enter the reception, we thought this would be a great place to showcase the slideshow. We didn't want it to be a big event or anything actually during the reception, so this was a nice way to incorporate it as something kind of subtle, but to where everyone was sure to see it.

Some of the types of photos we'll be showcasing...

With our 'kids' Tyson and Kobi

With my cousin just recently over the holidays at Disney...she's getting married in August and our fiance's were riding Aerosmith's rollercoaster, so we improvised lol

One of my favorite pics of Mr. P and me...at our ceremony site showing my mom and MOH the space for the first time.

Big Preview Post

2009-01-28T22:45:00.007-05:00

I've been trying to find time to post about a whole bunch of things, but can't seem to find it. So I figured I at least needed to do a quick preview post. Here's what's to come over the next week/two weeks...

Honeymoon plans:

Source

Save-the-Dates (long over due):

No image preview otherwise it'd be a total giveaway!

Planned DIY projects:

And last, but not least: COMPLETE overhaul of wedding style/theme/decor! OMG. I can't wait for this one! But I definitely need more time than right now to spill all the beans. And trust me, there's definitely reason behind the madness!

So this is the preview; hopefully I've left you wanting to know more! I promise to try to tackle all these topics and more very, very soon.

#40: Sweet Talkin' Cakes

2009-01-26T16:51:00.003-05:00

One of my bridesmaids found this absolutely hilarious blog post and suggested this should be a cake at my bachelorette party:

Oolala, don't you just looove the polar bear skin rug?? lol The post is a dialog of what the guy on the cake is telling you and there are more pics. The dialog for this pic reads:

"Check it. I've got a spiky polar-bear-skin rug for us to lounge on, and some suh-weet champagne glasses the size of water coolers. I even put on my navy blue tighty-whities, 'cuz I know how much you dig those."

Hahahaha.

Check out the rest of the post here from this funny blog called Cake Wrecks. It's tagline is "When professional cakes go horribly, hilariously wrong". Super funny.

P.S. Last numbered post!

#39: Great Way to Start the Weekend!

2009-01-23T16:12:00.004-05:00

I GOT A PROMOTION AND RAISE AT WORK!!!

OMG, so exciting :) This was my first review ever in the business world because I was only at my last job for 4 months (long story.) I've been with my company for a year and 2 weeks now and just had my annual review today.

These are just tough times for everyone and I've seen that all around me from other blogger's losing their jobs, to my fiance losing business from clients due to hiring freezes (he's a recruiter), my dad losing his bread & butter accounts, my best friend not getting a title or financial raise even though she truly deserves it, etc. So that's why I am so grateful and thankful to have this job and even be in the position to receive a raise. Especially with having to pay for the majority of this wedding, it's going to help us out financially so much.

Just had to shout this from the rooftops because I'm super excited and so glad to have had a great first review ever!

#38: Second Thoughts & Worries - Calm Me Down!

2009-01-22T14:13:00.005-05:00

First off, some housekeeping:
Due to learning a little more about Google's way of doing things and how this blog can be found more easily related to each post's specific topics, I'm going to cease numbering my posts (even though it's fun to count!) I'll stop on #40 to make it nice and round...yes, I'm weird like that.
Also, I'm playing around with the style of this blog until I get some graphics created. So don't mind the ups and downs of my temporary decisions lol.

On to the real post:
Why am I thinking about this so much??? ...second guessing my bridesmaid dresses?! It's nervewracking and besides, it's not like I can do anything about it now anyway! I think I just wish I had had more time so the girls could've gone into the store in their city and I could've gotten more opinions about the style, the color, the fit. (Even still, Priscilla of Boston isn't in ALL their cities.)But do you ever see other bloggers post with your color scheme or something similar and then think to yourself, "omg that's gorgeous, should've I decided on something more like that??" I am just having crazy confusion right now on a lot of things...Is my wedding going to look how I really want it to? Is it really representing Mr. P and me as a couple? Is it representing our style and likes? I really really want to say YES! to all of those questions, but a little part of me is worrying that maybe I didn't spend as much time as I should've thinking about the style, color scheme etc that I truly wanted...because truthfully, I did kind of decide a few things just on the fly and then somehow it evolved without me taking some real time to think about it (besides the peacock part.) I mean, this could drive a person crazy! And I'm normally one to just say "oh, whatever" but it's so much harder to do that with your own wedding day!

Well, here is what I think the best course of action is to not have this lingering feeling of doubt and worry follow me throughout the next 4 months of planning (because that would be horrible)...

1) Forget about the bridesmaids' dresses! They're bought and paid for and there's no turning back, so why worry about it?
2) Take some time this weekend to really think about who Mr.P and I are style-wise as a couple
3) Think of ways to portray what I come up with from #2 in the wedding (on the cheap of course!)
4) Make a plan to execute #3

Does anyone have any other suggestions?