3 weeks !!!

Oh man! Things are getting crazy around here! Just 3 weeks til people start arriving and the wedding fun begins! I just ordered my pretty pretty flowers and while I am a little nervous about ordering them online, I think it will all work out. Here are the flowers I ordered!

Mini Spider Gerbera Daisy

I am so excited! I can't believe I am counting weeks! Days! Hours! Just kidding about the hours...but you know..it's happening!

Saturday I spent having a dress fitting with my mom. It turns out that my dress will need to be hemmed after all (sorry mom), but it looks great! I love it and things are really coming together. The shoes look awesome with it and we tried some things with my hair. Speaking of which, I went to get my final trim before the wedding and also had my hair colored all over. I just matched it to my natural roots and it is a pretty nut brown. I think it will lighten up to just right in a week or so! Hooray!

This Thursday is our final marriage class! Where does the time go!? It's crazy but I know it is just gonna be that way for the next few weeks. I am confident that we will get it all done and have a great time doing it! Happy Monday everyone :-)

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Raleigh ,what what!

Well whaddya know, according to the U.S Census Bureau, Raleigh is "one of the fastest growing cities in the United States". We even surpassed my hometown, Tampa, FL in population! Dang! As I was driving home from work the other day, I was just looking around and noticed how many trees there are! I love that about the City of Oaks :-). We have a 'little big city' feel and it is just perfect.

Aside from meeting Jerry as a result of not moving to NYC (that's a given), I am SO glad that I stayed in this beautiful place. There are so many new restaurants and great little corners popping up that we can't keep up with it all! It's wonderful! I just love how the planning committees have really kept a balance of history, architecture, and nature throughout the city, especially downtown. I'm just so proud!! Way to go Raleigh!

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More Flowers!!

Most of you know that I will be doing all the flowers for the wedding. A big reason for that is cost, but another part of it is that I love working with cut flowers and harbor a (not so secret) dream to one day have my own shop. This dream is something that I cannot allow myself to spend much time on pre-wedding, but recently a friend of mine had a very small, private ceremony and asked me to provide a bouquet. I jumped at the chance to be a part of her special day and also knew that it would give me some great practice for my own bouquet.

Her only request was "something with gerbs" and have fun! Well, lucky for me, peonies were in peak season that weekend so I found a lovely mix of bright pink peonies and a variety of gerber daisies. I think I did pretty well for my first time "out". I just got these pictures and I am already seeing things that I could have done differently, but I think the flowers speak for themselves and it was an honor to be a part of her day. What do you think?

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Accessories are fun!!

So far I have (almost) everything I need for the wedding day:

Dress
Shoes
Undergarments
Pin
Earrings

And now, my bag! I didn't want this to be a big expense, just something pretty and simple to carry around my mints, lipstick and yes of course, MY camera! As you can probably tell from my posts, I take my camera everywhere! I love having pictures to document things and having a photographer doesn't mean I can't have my own special pics! I can just see myself whipping it out to catch Jerry's expression as I am walking down the aisle....I kid I kid....but, you WILL see my with my camera come August 25th, and what better way to tote it around than in my cute new pink clutch!


I bought it new off ebay for just under $13.00. It says it's BCBG, but who knows, it came from Flushing, NY :-). I don't care if it's a knockoff, all I know is it works!! I still need to get my hair accessories and a bracelet. Other than that, we're done!

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Ribbons and a Birthday!

As I mentioned in my previous post, Jerry helped me quite a bit this weekend in finishing up some wedding projects! Sidenote; he constantly surprises me with not only his willingness to help me do "girly" things, but he also shares in my excitement (even when it's silly) !!! That's love folks!

We needed to finish the Ribbon Wand Project (of 2007) so that we can make our hasty retreat after the wedding in style. So, this weekend I made the trek once again to AC Moore to get even more ribbon for our ribbon wands. I picked those up and a couple other things and headed home. Jerry was just finishing up with his volunteering that morning so we met with some friends for lunch at Cooper's BBQ downtown. THEN it was time to get to work! I got busy cutting the strips of tulle and ribbon for the wands, while Jerry was tying them together with one knot in the middle. Later, he would glue them to the tops of the dowels that I had and voila! Ribbon wands!

Here are a couple pics of Jerry and his handiwork. Note: Yes, he is wearing my apron.

GLU - with gluegun

Testing out the Ribbon Wands!

We had a really productive and fun weekend!! I love it when things work out like that! We've had such a busy week that it is hard to believe it's Wednesday already! Monday night we went to help with some construction on the new space for our church (also the location of our reception). More on that to come! Last night we had a meeting and went to dinner with some friends. THEN, even though today is my actual birthday, Jerry gave me my present early.....a new bike!!!


I love it! We have been talking about how we want to ride our bikes around to church, the store, out to eat...etc. But I didn't have a bike anymore and he had to get his tuned up. Well, he repaired his bike a few weeks ago and then surprised me with this Trek! I love it! now we can be in Bob's bike gang :-) And don't even try to start a Segway Club just to keep us out. It will never catch on. So far it has been a wonderful birthday and there is more to come! We are going out for Sushi tonight and I can't wait!!

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Rehearsal Dinner!!

Well we sent our Rehearsal Dinner invitations on Saturday and I am so relieved! Hooray for crossing something else off the list! I am really excited about the dinner because it will be at Tir Na Nog, which has yummy food and a fun, relaxed atmosphere. Plus it will be Friday night so there is sure to be a fun band playing.

We will be having the rehearsal and then head over to eat and hang out. It looks like we will have like 50 people there!!! I had no idea we'd have so many, but the number could have actually been higher which is totally crazy to me! We decided to go with the same centerpieces I had at my luncheon, along with some tea lights in little blue glass holders. I have a couple different kinds ( both in blue - even though the 2nd pic is white) so I think it will look nice all together.


Things are really coming together! We only have 4 weeks to go! This Saturday I am going to my mom's for a dress fitting and (hopefully) getting my hair done while I am out that way. It's so exciting! This weekend was great. Jerry and I finished the ribbon wands together and let me just say that Jerry + glue gun + ribbons & sticks = Laughing Andrea :-) I'll leave the rest for a separate post though! Happy Monday!

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Bridesmaids Gift - DIY Charms!

When I was trying to decide on bridesmaids/friends gifts, I knew I would be mixing a little bit of DIY with little things I have picked up here and there. So, for the DIY portion I found a great project to make little charms!

I started my shopping at Ornamentea which is amazing, both here in Raleigh and online. And of course, my flavor of the month (and possibly year) Gallery Shibui where I purchased Japanese Chiyogami paper in different prints and sizes. From Ornamentea I got the charm trays and the amazing Diamond Glaze!

I am so excited about how easy this project was that I will definitely be experimenting with more ideas! To make these charms however, I wanted to keep it simple.

I started by looking through magazines for special words like Love, Create, Inspiration...etc. that were small enough yet had a cute font to fit the charm. Domino was by far the best magazine to find what I was looking for. Once I clipped out the words, I traced the inner circle of my charm and cut out circles from the Chiyogami paper.

Then using the glaze, I set the circles into the tray and glued them in place, then glued down the word. The cool thing is that you really don't have to wait for each step to dry before moving on. Once the papers were in place, I filled over the top with more glaze and let it dry overnight. Done! **Be sure that you don't shake the glaze or you will have to contend with bubbles!!**

I love the way they turned out and I had no idea that the style I have been admiring for years was so easy to replicate!

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Time...is NOT on my side....

Well I am sorry that I haven't updated as much these days. The truth is, I just haven't had any time to get any wedding stuff done! You don't even want to know about my calendar. I assure you. The good news is, I have lots of plans....Hopefully THIS weekend we can get them off the list and into reality!

I speak for everyone I know when I say, this summer has been crazy! I don't feel bad speaking for you, person I know, because I know you ok? And you are having a crazy summer. On top of the wedding plans, our church is moving into a new building this month. This means lots of needs and lots of extra hours on the part of staff, volunteers and random people on the street that we can coax into the building with the words "free pizza". Everyone knows there is no such thing!

Jerry and I are super excited to get married and be boring again! I will say though, it has been pretty awesome to work together and try to find time to get things done. I think we are both surprised at our abilities to work hard and learn to be patient with each other. Hopefully, that will stick with us! We have our marriage class Thursday and have not even really had time to work on the homework. We have a date set for tomorrow night, so hopefully we will get it done!

In the meantime, I will leave you with this little trick:

I made this centerpiece for my un-bridesmaids' lunch and I plan to do the same thing for the rehearsal dinner:




I read in Bride and Bloom that carnations are indeed a very versatile flower and the trick is packing them tightly together for a fresh look. My whole life I have hated carnations and stuck them in the "cheap & ugly" flower category. But I really love them like this! And they are still cheap! Since I already had the "vase" ( a re-commissioned water goblet) The whole thing was $5 !! Woohoo!

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An Un-Bridesmaids Lunch!!

Well I just got back from lunch and wanted to go ahead and post before Jerry gets here for a fun filled afternoon of yard work!!


Jessica, Kim, Sharon, and Kate met me at The Raleigh Times for a yummy lunch and time to catch up! It's a fun restaurant that was created in the old location of The Raleigh Times newspaper that is no longer in print. Inside they have a bunch of old papers hanging on the walls.



I wanted to have a special little time with them since Jerry and I decided to keep the wedding small. Plus, we do much better getting together for special occasions so I thought I would create one!! We had a great time! I tried Keffen beer for the first time and it was delicious! I also had the grilled tomato and cheese with avocado...and at the waitress' suggestion I added bacon. Yum!!!

I wanted to do something special for the ladies so I put together a little package of some guest soaps, a Japanese paper button, a necklace I made, a Starbucks gift card and some bride and groom tissues! It was fun putting it all together!
Here are a few pics from the day! Hooray for friends!

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Marriage Class - UPDATE

So last night was our first marriage class!! It went really well and I think there were 6 couples there plus the teaching couple. It went well. Jerry and I managed to get all of our homework done! Yippee! This week we ran short on time due to introductions and just settling in, but next week there will probably be more discussion time. I am looking forward to it!

So far, I have mixed feelings about the book. I think it is meant to give a realistic perspective of marriage and let people know that it isn't always sunshine and flowers. But it seems a bit TOO negative for me. I will admit that I am forever the optimist, but I would like to think that I am a realistic optimist. The stories presented in the book have been great. However, the author is a bit, "marriage stinks, but it will only make you stronger...(paraphrase)".

It is getting better the deeper we go (on chapter 5 now) so I won't give up just yet!!

Project Update!

We have a bunch of loose ends to tie up with various projects this weekend. I am hoping to do a few more centerpieces, finish and send out the rehearsal dinner invites, finish the ribbon wands, and maybe even start on the favors! I will post pictures as I go!

Fun Update!

Tomorrow I am having a fun un-bridesmaids luncheon with a few of my girls! I really wanted our little crew to have a special day so we are having a ladies lunch! Well, a lunch at least :-) Pics to follow!! Have a great weekend!

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My 100th Post!!!

In honor of this momentous occasion, we take a break from our regularly scheduled programming to give you this:




It's ok to love it. I know I do! Hey maybe this can be our first dance ;-)

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More Decisions Decisions....

I am still having a veil dilemma. I am trying to decide between 2 styles, or none at all. I don't want to say too much because I really want Jerry to have no idea what I will look like when I get to the top-o-the-aisle. BUT, I need help!!

So, first things first. My hair. The veils I like coincidentally would not look best with the same hairdo, so I first need to decide how to wear my hair. Partially down or all the way up?? I have crazy curls, so either would work. And if I decide that, then I can make my veil choice.

Or should I forgo the veil completely? Jerry doesn't seem to have a preference....Anyone? Anyone???

Here are some veils that may or may not be what I am considering....

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Back to school again...

This Thursday, we are beginning our 4 week long "marriage class" through our church Vintage21. I am both excited and apprehensive about it. We are reading Sacred Marriage, by Gary Thomas as well as some chapters in different books of the Bible. We will also have homework! Homework?! Don't get me wrong, I really think this class will be good for us and I am looking forward to learning new things and really concentrating on WHY we are doing this. But, the homework is definitely the part that gets me.

I don't do homework.

I mean I really REALLY don't do homework. I was the kid in school who just somehow absorbed things. I would do the bare minimum and still get good grades. I hardly ever read the book and I still wrote a decent report. Imagine what I could have been if I had studied!

The thing is, I really want to make the most of this class, so I am going to try my hardest to get it all done. I just have no idea when we will find the time to not only do all the reading, but also come together to answer the questions and talk about it all. It's only 4 classes in so many weeks so at least it will just be a little push for a little while.

Last week on our drive to Ohio, I read most of this weeks' chapters aloud so we have a pretty good start. We are going to finish the rest tonight for Thursday's class (we both have band practice tomorrow night). I just hope that in the coming weeks, without an 8 hour drive to sit and read, we don't get behind. But I will try not to borrow trouble.

Another interesting thing about the class is that we will be meeting with other couples. I am not sure how many, but I never thought of doing this as a group. At first, I was really put off by the idea, but the more I think about it, the more I am intrigued by the idea that many of us are going through the same life changes and I think it will be nice to relate to them.

Overall, I am more excited than apprehensive. Here's hoping we can get it all done!!

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Anxiety much???

I have been having all kinds of anxious dreams lately, some were directly wedding related and some not so much. A couple nights ago I dreamt that I was getting a promotion at work, only when I went to go meet with my boss, I was completely naked. I totally knew it in the dream, but there was nothing I could do about it. Then it switched to me being 1 hour away from my wedding and I was completely unprepared. Running around with my hair a mess and no makeup, nothing packed for the honeymoon and I forgot my shoes, etc. Seems typical enough for the planning stress. the dream I had last night however, was a little more obscure.

My friend Jessica and I are both brides-to-be, so my first clue that this is wedding related is the fact that she was in the dream. We were out to dinner with some people eating at an expensive restaurant. We each got an entree and then split some calamari (which coincidentally sounds really good right now). The bill came and ours was together when it should have been split, so the waitress split it. However, when the checks came back, there was all this extra stuff on there that we didn't order. When we asked her to correct the check yet again, she was bing a total you-know-what and we sat there for like 30 minutes or something just fuming, while she was helping all her other tables. Finally I was irate and asked to talk to the manager who wasn't much better in the service department. Ultimately, he started in saying things like like, are you sure you can afford to eat here? You don't have a good financial track record. Basically he was saying that I was lying about not having ordered the food because I didn't really have the money to pay for it. I can physically remember the anger I felt in the dream. I was SO mad. I was yelling at him and all this HOW DARE YOU, of course I can pay, etc...it was crazy....they finally fixed the bill and we paid and left.

Any ideas???

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Yummy Delicious.

Well, I finally settled on what shoes to wear with my wedding dress! And if I decide to, I can also wear them to the rehearsal dinner. And pretty much every day for the rest of my life. I love these shoes!!! I give you, Lehana



They are almost exactly my skin color. I love that they aren't white or ivory or whatever. And the mary-jane is such a great vintage throwback! They were patiently waiting on my front porch when I got home last night and I immediately put them on. SO cute! I'll be wearing them around the house to 'break them in' for the next few weeks. Jerry doesn't mind. With these babies he's only 6 inches taller than me!

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And....we're Back!!

After a great holiday vacation with family (which I will post about later) I am back home and back to blogging! We have been gone for almost a week, but before we left I was able to get a few things done for the wedding/honeymoon. One of which is our honeymoon itinerary packet!

I know it sounds completely anal retentive to have such a thing, but since neither of us has ever made the drive from San Francisco to Seattle and we are flying/driving/staying in a million places, we wanted to have something to stay organized and that would help us maximize the vacation time! So, one day I was messing around with word and came up with a cute little theme. Then I printed out all of our confirmation emails and some google maps. I stuck them in a little clear covered report folder for easy stuffing into luggage. We still have a few more reservations to make, but I'll just keep adding to it! Hooray for being organized!

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My Fun Fun weekend of FUN!!

My bridal shower was yesterday! It was so great to spend a morning with some of my favorite people!! I was so blessed to have many great friends and family in attendance. It really makes me realize how thankful I am for all of them. They totally outdid themselves.

After a last minute location change due to a family emergency, we ended up having the shower at Kim's house. It went off without a hitch! Thanks so much to Kim, Jessica and Jane!!! You ladies completely rock!

Jessica came up with 2 games for everyone. Well, one for everyone but me, and then one for just me. I helped with the first game. She had asked me for pictures of myself growing up and the age I was in each picture. She then arranged them on a board and everyone had to guess my age. The person with the most right answers wins! My sister Angie got it with 6 out of 17 right! I am a master of disguise! Here is the board Jessica made and a picture of everyone trying to see the pics:






The game that was just for me was a 20 questions of sorts. Jessica contacted my darling dearest to get his answers to some questions about our relationship and then I had to answer them in front of everyone. He apparently loved being a part of the fun and even added some of his own questions!! His answers were really funny too!

They were so creative with the details. There was a little book with vintage paper and my shower invitation on the front. Each person wrote a little note with some great relationship advice or tips, with blank pages in between to attach the shower pictures! The notes were so sweet and heartwarming to read. And great advice too! Another great idea they had was to have everyone fill out their name and address on an envelope and then they gave them to me with the accompanying thank-you notes! Now all I have to do is write them and send them off. Awesome!

Here are a few more good times:


A full shot of my dress and the yummy food!!


Presents are fun....but...you must be careful....


Regan got us the awesome Addison bowls from Crate and Barrel. Only, on the way to the car I dropped them and they broke!!! However, hours later I tucked tail and went to the mall and the WONDERFUL ladies at C&B exchanged them on the spot! WHEW!


Here is me with my mom and sisters!


And the fantastic four (and a half) !!!

Thanks again everyone for such an amazing shower!! I can't believe I am getting married next month!!

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