Deva by Definition

Recapping the Weekend: June 15-16

We have been go-go-go since about a week or so before the wedding. Non-stop. This past weekend, we made an effort to slow down, take it all in, eat some cake, play magic, and enjoy the litter of kittens we are fostering (more on that soon, I hope). Last weekend was our first weekend at home since the wedding, and it was busy. We often get antsy when we try to do nothing, so we made a few plans for this past weekend weekend, but nothing major.

Our weekend involved a lot of napping, spending time outside reading, and processing some of the pictures from our honeymoon. I can't believe it's been nearly four weeks since the wedding and nearly three since our honeymoon. I still remember it all like it was yesterday. One of the benefits of our house is our backyard - which is paved and has a small brick patio area in the center. The weather was perfect for hanging out in the yard this weekend, and we spend upwards of two hours per day outside, soaking up the sun and just enjoying the peace and quiet that it allowed.

Of course, that wasn't all that we did. The house definitely needed some deep-cleaning, so with a little elbow grease we got the first floor cleaned and tidied up, and are going to work on the second floor progressively throughout the week. Once we get started it's pretty easy to keep going. We are "tidy as you go" folks, so deep cleaning typically just involves putting things back in their homes if we haven't already and rolling up and cleaning under the rugs in our living and dining rooms. As a result of a bottle of Tonic Water erupting in my hands as I tried to mix a Gin-and-Tonic on Friday, the kitchen was desperate for mopping, so that was accomplished too.

We took a break mid-day Sunday to hit up the gym for some cardio. It was fun to get into a work-out routine while we were planning the wedding and we want to get back into that now that things have calmed down. From the relay up until now, workouts have been sporadic; we have been going for lots of walks, and I have been to the gym a few times, but nothing routine or regular. It was nice to get back to it, and we hope to keep it up!

As a wrap-up for our weekend, we ended up digging out our Magic cards to semi-catalogue and sort out and learn what we have and what we can build (answer: we have many decks. We can build many more). Magic was something we played pretty regularly before buying the house and getting engaged, so now that we have a lot more free time, we hope to get back into playing regularly. It was fun to get back into some old routines and habits, and we're hoping that as the summer continues, we can play more Magic, watch more movies (and catch up on Game of Thrones), and just enjoy being married for a while.

Now, while we aren't totally caught up (there is a lot of mail to go through, and cabinets, and cleaning left to do), we are refreshed and ready for the week ahead. Our next few days will be spent catching up on what we didn't do this weekend, spending time together, playing with our cats as well as the foster litter, and just enjoying our evenings.

What did you get done this weekend? Relaxing? Cleaning? A workout.

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Bears, the beach, and baseball

If it seems like these posts are a little spread out, allow me to first apologize. There was so much emotion and going-on during our wedding and in the weeks after that I am still processing a lot of it. I am also trying to figure out how to share the details without giving up too much as the time from our wedding through now has been busy, filled with emotions and a lot of goings-on. Those emotions and what has made all of this so special are all things I want to share, while at the same time, keeping parts of it close to my heart for my husband and me to remember in the weeks and years to come. 

With that in mind, up until a month before our wedding, we had no real honeymoon plans. Then, we made a spur-of-the-moment decision and a few clicks of a mouse later, we had planned a mini honeymoon in San Diego. We had two days and a night to spend there together, and to enjoy and explore the city. Rather than pack a lot into our time there, we picked just a few things to do, deciding to fill the rest of our time exploring and seeing what we could find near our hotel. What planned to do was the zoo, Coronado, Embarcadero, and a Padres Game. All of which we were thrilled to be able to accomplish.

We actually ended up spending a whole day at the zoo - we were there before they opened, and stayed right up until they were almost closed. We saw almost everything. After we left, we realized that in our eagerness to see the reptiles we somehow managed to miss the insect house. Looking back on the day, we weren't upset about that: we saw giant Galapagos turtles, kangaroos, baby capyberas, wombats, koalas, and I got to geek. out. over pandas. 

When I say geek out, I mean geek out. I love pandas and have since I was little. I saw the giant panda exhibit at the National Zoo in DC when I was very young, and then saw pandas at the Columbus Zoo again when I was a little older (probably close to seven). To see giant pandas now? I was beyond thrilled, even giddy, so when we saw them not once, but twice in the same day? I was positively in heaven.

In addition to the pandas, I was also beyond excited to see koalas. I haven't seen koalas in I don't know how long. Possibly not at all? So I was excited to learn that the new Australian Outback Exhibit at the San Diego Zoo had opened on our wedding day and that we were going to see pandas. Again with the excited freak out. These were all subdued and were more babbling than anything, but the number of pictures we took just at these two exhibits are numerous, and I am glad we got to visit!

In addition to the zoo, numerous people we knew told us that we needed to go to the Coronado. We did just that during our second day in the city, hopping a ferry over to the peninsula to explore the area. Our real intent in going was to spend time on the beach and to walk in the ocean, which we did. This was a big deal, guys, because I love the beach. Love. We used to go visit the beach in Ocean City, MD, when I was growing up, and it had been ten years since my last trip. Walking into the ocean on Coronado made me feel like a kid again, and I grinned like I had the day we got married. It was breathtaking - perfect weather, perfect sand, and a perfect day to enjoy the sand and surf. We hadn't packed to spend a full day on the beach, so not quite dressed for the occation, we spent a good bit of time just walking around, exploring, and taking photos, right up until our stomachs announced - loudly - that it was lunch, which is when we started to make our way back to the city.

The time we weren't on the beach and at the zoo (or the ballgame, which I will get to a bit later), we explored the city on foot. We stayed in the Gaslamp district, which was incredible. Our hotel had tons of character, and there were several restaurants, galleries, and shops all within a few blocks of where we stayed. We ended up stumbling upon Karl's Brewery for dinner one night, which was delicious, and enjoyed some of the best short ribs I have ever had at a Mexican restaurant another. By chance, we found a Chuck Jones gallery, which had me in awe - I love Chuck Jones' work. We spent a good half hour in the small space, admiring the cels and prints from him and others, including Dr. Seuss.

To wrap up our honeymoon, however, we managed to check another ballpark off of our list. We actually have a goal to visit all of the Major League Ballparks (and many of the Minor League ones as well), so one of the first things we did as soon as our flights were booked was buy tickets to a Padres game. Our last night in the city was spent in the truly amazing ballpark. While its capacity is similar to that of Great American, home of the Reds, the park looked (and felt) huge. It was connected to a hotel, and had towers housing suites while they also served the purpose of holding up the field lighting. One of the sections of outfield seats was connected to an old building, which was incredible. The scoreboard was both old and new, and the atmosphere incredible. Somehow, the game only lasted a mere two hours and twenty-one minutes, but we loved every moment we were there.

Leaving San Diego was hard and easy, if that makes any sense. We had a blast celebrating part of our first week as newlyweds there and saw so many awesome sights - bears, the beach, and a ballgame! We both missed home and our cats, and while we weren't going to get back to normal right away, we were ready for some of our normal life. Things had been busy since before the wedding, so it was nice to come home to our cats, house, friends, and everything we know to be familiar. We may be married, which is a big change, but even as things and our relationship changed, they stayed the same. Our honeymoon was a great cap to an already fantastic week, and we're already looking forward to our next trip together. 

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Weekend Recap: April 5-7, 2013

This weekend was a whirlwind of one and I am still recovering from how busy we were and have been! We took a long weekend to go home to wrap up a LOT of wedding planning details! In the midst of all of the craziness, we got to bring the cat home from the vet, and because he is caught in an e-collar for another week, decided that instead of boarding him, we would take him with us. He slept the majority of the trip home and back, which was surprising! Normally he hates the car, but he didn't seem to mind once we got out on the road.

Friday was a crazy busy wedding-planning-filled day. I ended up having my hair trial and last dress fitting back-to-back. Everything worked out great! I had a blast at my hair trial while The Boy sat and watched Dorian. After showing the stylist my inspiration pictures, which included some from Anne's wedding hair-do, she got to work creating something full of braids and twists. We plan to incorporate my something borrowed, which is a strand of my grandmother's pearls, and my gorgeous hairpiece in when I go the morning of the wedding. I loved how the hair style turned out and cannot wait to dance the night away on our wedding day!

Straight away after the hair trial, it was time for my dress fitting. Fortunately the salon and the dress shop are walking distance from one another! I was so excited to see how my dress fit after having all of the alterations done. I had some staves trimmed, cups sewn in, a bustle added, and had the dress hemmed. The hemming took off so much fabric! My height means that even with my 4.25 inch-high heels the dress was still about 4 inches too long! I was eager to see how the dress fit in length and was thrilled when everything fit perfectly! The alterations were done amazingly well - you can't even tell that it was altered at all! I love knowing that everything is all set for my dress and cannot wait to share it with all of you!

Of course, our primary reason for going home Friday and taking a long weekend was because we needed to get a Very Important Document - one we couldn't get on a Saturday or Sunday. After making several phone calls and getting together all of the necessary information, we headed down to the courthouse to get our marriage license! The process for obtaining it was really simple, and after answering just a few questions and signing a couple documents, we had our license to marry in our hands! It was definitely an exciting feeling when we left with the paperwork at hand, ready to hand to our officiant the day of our wedding.

That being said, Friday was a fairly packed day. Once we had everything squared away, we spent the rest of our evening visiting with The Boy's parents, watching some TV, and catching up on some reading. We discussed what we needed to do Saturday before heading back to Cincinnati and what planning-related tasks would remain once we headed home. Fortunately, we have a lot of support both in our hometowns and Cincinnati, so everything is coming together very smoothly. 

Saturday was less packed, but not any less busy. We had to meet with the caterer to get our order started for food, I wanted to meet with our hotel to confirm a few things about the block of rooms we have set aside, and The Boy needed to go with his groomsmen so they could start the process of getting their slacks hemmed. With all of that taken care of, we started our journey back home, eager to see our other cats and to prepare for our low-key Sunday.

Sunday was the easiest day of our weekend - we had no plans beyond a six-mile run on our agenda. Knowing we would need to care for all of the cats and ensure that Dorian was doing well in his e-collar, we got up early, mapped our run out, fueled up, and headed out for a slow six miles. We've been working hard to maintain a slow speed for our long runs, to ensure that we can finish them without coming away exhausted. Last week we set out far too fast and wore ourselves out before we were halfway done. This week, we were determined not to make the same error. We averaged an 11:20 pace for our six-miler, but we finished strong. The Boy set a new PDR for the run, and is now really excited for his leg of the relay. 

The rest of our weekend was spent resting, catching up on some blogs and laundry, and playing with the cats. We caught up on a few TV shows we have been following through Netflix, and I started a new book: Queen Bees and Wannabes. Surprisingly one I haven't read. I'm excited to read the book that inspired the Mean Girls movie, and I'm eager to see what this week brings.

What did you get into this weekend?

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Weddings, Gift-Giving, and Love

When The Boy and I got engaged, I bought two books: Bridal Bargains (which was an advice book and planning binder) and A Practical Wedding. I was led to the APW website through a friend, and fell in love with the red shoes on the cover of the book. Since I’m planning on wearing red peep-toe shoes at my wedding, it made me smile (and still does).

One piece of advice that stood out to me in Meg Keene’s book was about weddings and gift-giving, and the culture around showering a wedded-couple-to-be with gifts before they say their “I do’s.” The culture around weddings and gift-giving has always intrigued me, pretty much since I realized that KitchenAid Stand Mixers were a must-have item on many a registry. It certainly was a must-have on mine. When one of my bridesmaids showed up with it around the holidays last year as my big bridal gift, I squealed, and it’s quickly become a most-used item in our kitchen. How our waistlines aren’t in a state of constant expansion with how many baked goods I prepare on the regular now is totally beyond me.

Our registries have sat, mostly untouched and un looked at, since we first put them together last fall. It wasn’t until the invitations went out for my wedding shower at the end of February that I realized that I needed to ensure that they were complete. Of course, the idea of my shower was both exciting and nerve-wracking. The last time I opened gifts with all eyes on me in a setting like a shower was probably my seventh birthday party. It felt a little awkward, but it was something I was excited for – in addition to the games and food. Sure, that sounds a bit “gimme, gimme,” but I never thought I would have a wedding shower, not until we got engaged, started planning a wedding, and my friend offered to host. Then I said yes and was grateful for the opportunity to “build out” our household even more.

At the shower, we had a lot of fun playing games, talking, coming up with ideas for my “something borrowed” on my wedding day, and oohing and aahing over present-time. I’ll be the first to admit that we got many things we needed and wanted for our kitchen and bathrooms. As I drove home from my shower that afternoon and The Boy and I worked to put away our many gifts that evening and the following day, I really started to understand the culture behind weddings and gift-giving. Any major life event, really.

I’ve read in many places, including APW, that it’s about helping you to start your life and to put together your home,and that it’s also about the memories you’ll associate with the people who gave you the gifts, every time you reach for them. I struggled with that idea until the very first day we had everything here, unwrapped and put away. We’re going a bit unconventional and using the gifts we were given well before the wedding, and the first time I reached into the flatware drawer and pulled out a spoon to eat cereal with, I couldn’t help but think of my grandmother, who was the one who gave us the flatware set we wanted. When I baked the sugar cookies for the girls’ night this weekend, I grinned as I rolled out the gluten-free dough, imagining how much Jessica, who gave me my rolling pin, would enjoy them. Mentally, I thank Jessica’s mom for the kitchen tools I use on a near-daily basis, every time I reach for them, and when The Boy uses the apple slicer and bamboo cutting boards, he talks about how happy he is that Sheena gave us those often-used pieces of equipment.

Now, I can see how, as The Boy and I are mere weeks away from our wedding, we are being and have been showered in love. How the tools, towels, gadgets, flatware, and all of the other gifts we’ve been given to this point were given to us in love, and will be filled with memories as we use them on a regular basis – memories of the early days of our marriage. I know one day, as I am making sugar cookies with The Boy and our future kids, wrapping them in towels after baths, watching DVDs with them in the living room, I will be sharing memories of the friends and family members who helped us start our relationship and marriage with both tangible and intangible gifts. I can tell them about how my mom helped me complete my wedding look with the perfect hairpiece, as I pin it in my hair, talk about how The Boy’s mom makes amazing butter cake at the holidays as we fill a cake carrier with a frosted layer cake. I can tell stories of The Boy’s Gran when using some of my favorite mixing bowls, and talk about the memories I made with my grandparents over cereal in the morning.

Every note, card, email, and gift that I have received during the wedding has been put into a special home somewhere, to look back on (or to use) later, after the wedding. There have been countless emailed conversations with my parents, grandparents, and The Boy’s parents. Memories made during dress fittings, and while looking for a florist, all of which I will look back on fondly after the wedding is over (and with many giggles now and after the wedding has come and gone). I cannot wait to share those memories with our children, and to look back on these days with joy, as I remember how much we were showered with love. To me, that is what matters even more than a gift: love. That is what it’s all about.

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Weekend Recap: Easter 2013

It's April Fools' Day and I'm not feeling much the Fool. I am sick and home for the day as a result (nothing like a simultaneously stuffed up and runny nose with pounding headache to start the week off, eh?). However, this weekend was a good one: relaxing and busy, without being overwhelming.

Saturday, I ran 5 miles for the first time since last fall, and while it didn't fell great, it wasn't awful. We got it done, and The Boy has a new PDR (and new, BRIGHT NEON YELLOW shoes) to start off the sixth week of relay training. They go nicely with my black, pink, and green shoes, and are too bright to misplace (hopefully). 

I also had the pleasure of spending Saturday evening at Erica's with several friends for a fun girls' night. We had chips and salsa, mini snickers cheesecakes, gluten-free cookies, and margaritas. All were enjoyed while watching Magic Mike. Our fun movie night chased away Erica's husband, who spent the time we giggled over the movie giving their dogs baths and leaving us be.

Sunday was relatively relaxing. I was awakened by a cat who wanted to cuddle, and when I realized I had plenty of time to get dressed and head to church, I did just that, throwing on a blue and white tiered skirt, white tee and jacket. The service was PACKED, which is exactly what I would expect for Easter, and it was a lot of fun. I enjoyed getting an opportunity to catch up with my small group leader at the start of service and sang my heart out. The message in the sermon left me uplifted, and by the time I headed home, it was with a happy heart, ready to take on the rest of the day.

Sunday afternoon, rather than stay in, The Boy and I decided we would take a trip outdoors to enjoy the beautiful warm, spring-like (FINALLY) weather we had going on. We took a trek into downtown and Fountain Square to get some Graeter's ice cream and to see if the Budweiser Clydesdales were still in the area. Sadly, they were no longer at the square, but we did enjoy some amazing ice cream and visuals as we stretched our legs.

Our walk back included a visit to the ballpark, where they were testing out the sound system in preparation for today (Opening Day). We were excited to see all of the improvements made to the ballpark in the off season and are counting the days to our first trip over to the stadium to see the 2013 Reds play (including the new centerfielder, Choo!). 

All in all, it was a good and relaxing weekend, so it was a big bummer to wake up this morning feeling a bit like I'd been taken out by a steamroller. I hope tomorrow things get better. For now, it's time to sip more tea and curl up with another book. 

How was your weekend?

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Sweet Sunday Breakfast: Pancakes

I love pancakes. They are so simple and so delicious, especially when devoured late on a Sunday morning with a hot cup of coffee. Topped with butter and syrup? Divine.

A few years ago, I posted a pancake recipe, but I am convinced this one is better. The pancakes are light and fluffy, thin and versatile. My previous pancake recipe was heavy on the baking powder, but this one is lighter, giving them a flavor not unlike some of my favorites from a restaurant. I hope you enjoy this easy recipe for pancakes as much as I do.

Simple Pancakes

Makes 4 servings of 2 pancakes.

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 1 large egg

What you'll do:

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-heat on your stovetop. While the skillet is preheating, in a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Whisk in the milk and egg until all ingredients are incorporated. The batter may be a little lumpy, this is okay.
2. Test the skillet by adding a few drops of water. If the water sizzles and evaporates quickly, you are ready to cook. If not, give the skillet another minute to warm up. 
3. Cooking about two pancakes at a time, spoon the batter into rounds into the skillet, using 3-4 tablespoons of batter per round. Allow the pancakes to cook on the first side until bubbles rise to the surface of the cakes and the edges begin to look dry - approximately 2-3 minutes. Flip the pancakes and allow to cook another 1-2 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.
4. Remove cakes from the skillet onto a warm, towel-covered plate. Repeat step three with the remaining batter until it is gone. Turn off the stove and serve the pancakes hot with butter, maple syrup, or any other delicious topping. 

Enjoy!

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Just a Small Shower

Wehad a very busy weekend. My parents, The Boy's mother, and one of my bridesmaids came in from out of town to my bridal shower! My Maid of Honor was a very gracious host, and Erica helped her with set-up, favors, and games.

We had such a blast at the shower - there was a lot of giggling and it was a small and intimate gathering. Jessica really outdid herself at this one! We had a delicious spread of food, including devilled eggs, bleu cheese and walnut stuffed dates, sliced pears with goat cheese, dried cranberries and almond slivers, red peppers and hummus, pesto toasts with tomatoes, veggie wraps, and delicious cupcakes! I loved the sugar roses on the cupcakes, which were moist and delicious. I was so happy I'd eaten a late breakfast and had room for all of the goodies. I'm pretty sure I had four stuffed dates and countless pear slices - so good!




There were just a few shower games. When Jessica and Erica started planning my shower last year they asked me if there were any games I didn't want at my shower, and the only one I was really dead-set against was making dresses out of toilet paper! It sounds like and looks like a fun game, but it's one that makes me cringe, too. Instead of tissue gowns, we played only two games: how well do you know the groom (and how well does the bride?), along with a game using pictures of me growing up. The goal? To guess how old I was at the time of the photo! We had many laughs over both games. The groom questionnaire included some questions about what his first pet was and what was her name, and how many times a day he toots! Everyone got a handful of questions right with the pictures, but I was surprised at how much older my friends thought I was when I was much younger!


Of course, then there were presents. I was advised that the number of bows I broke foretold the number of children we would have, so I did my best not to break MANY bows. I think I broke three - but I won't say how many of those I WANTED to break, haha! We got a lot of fun gifts and gadgets for our kitchen, and we've already broken several of them in. I'm really excited to try out the cake holder, cat creamer (my friends know me far too well), and the mustache cookies cutters!




After we finished with presents, we made a bow-quet, which was hilarious. Erica is going to keep it safe at her house until the rehearsal. I love that everyone incorporated our wedding colors into their wrappings so the bow-quet is red and white and so pretty! I had never made one before, so it was fun to help with the assembly of this paper-plate and shower-bow "bouquet"

I had such a blast at my shower, and I cannot BELIEVE that our wedding is just around the corner! It feels like we just got engaged. I felt so loved this weekend, and am already looking forward to the next group gathering (movie night!!). I'm baking cookies for that one.

How was your weekend?

Weekend Recap, March 9 and 10

I had a busy but fabulously fun weekend! So much to share, but not many photos - I was too busy having fun and getting ish done this weekend - and there was a lot to be done.

For starters, it was my brother's birthday this weekend, and he and my parents came into town because he had a couple hockey games to play. It was fun to have a full house and we spent a lot of time Friday night and Saturday giggling over so much - from joking about teenaged boys to enjoying birthday cake, going to two hockey games and eating Indian buffet with my parents, it was a busy Saturday for sure! Because my brother was going to be here for his birthday I baked him a yellow cake with cream cheese frosting at his request, and decorate the top with sanding sugar.

Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of it before we covered it with candles and then dug in. I have maybe 1/4 of a cake left at home, and I plan to share what is left with some coworkers. The Boy isn't the biggest fan of cream cheese frosting, and I have a bridal shower this weekend and anticipate a lot of cake. Yum-tastic. After my parents left on Saturday, The Boy and I ended up watching some TV for the rest of the night, catching up on "Bleach" and "Naruto" on Cartoon Network, while I worked a little more on the playlist for the wedding and set all the clocks forward an hour before heading to bed.

Sunday was less busy, but really relaxing. The weather for the first day of daylight savings time was fabulously warm - in the mid-sixties. The Boy and I slept in, got up, and went for a very hard three-mile run. I struggled to finish as my asthma was acting up and my feet and shins hurt. Before we'd set out for our run I had looked at the tread on my shoes, which I've had since just after the half-marathon last May. It was pretty worn down, and the cushioning in my shoes was showing signs of compression.

As The Boy and I walked back to the house, I told him I wanted to go buy new running shoes. It wasn't an impulse buy, I knew I was going to need shoes soon, and the pain in my feet and shins indicated that "soon" was actually "this week." Running shoes cost way less than injury or long-term physical therapy, so not long after we got home, we headed right back out to the running spot, where I replaced my Asics Gel Kayano 18s with the Gel Kayano 19s, in some incredibly fantastic colors.

 I love the black, neon pink, and bright green colors on these shoes. When I got them, I was still dressed from my run - in black, neon pink, and green capris, a reflective pullover, and a Reds hat to guard from the sun. These match the capris almost exactly, and the minute I slipped them on I could definitely tell a difference in the cushion between my old shoes and these. I cannot wait to get out on my first training run in these bad-ass shoes!

Saturday afternoon, after the trip to the running store for shoes, we spent a lot of time enjoying the warm weather in the back yard, taking care of some yard work and enjoying our back patio. There were a lot of birds out and it's finally starting to feel like spring, which is exciting. When we finally went back inside, I set to work inviting our wedding invitations, and by the end of the night had all but three ready to go. The three I'm waiting to address are folks who have moved since we sent our save-the-dates out, and I want to be absolutely sure I have their addresses correct.

I'm excited by how much we got accomplished this weekend, and how much resting we go to do on Sunday. It was a fun, busy, but relaxing weekend, and I'm already looking forward to next weekend, which will be jam-packed with guests, cake, and even more fun.

What did you get into this weekend?

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A Planning-Packed Weekend

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a great weekend. Ours was jam. Packed. It was also very fun! We had several wedding-planning tasks on the agenda for the weekend and we managed to get most of them completed.

You see, this weekend was the weekend of my very first wedding gown fitting. My parents met me at the bridal shop and I pulled on my white, gorgeous dress for the first time in almost a year. It was exactly as I remembered it. Only this time, I had with me my most amazing and very red wedding shoes.

My dress needed a handful of alterations, once all was said and done: it definitely needs hemming to be high enough off the ground for our planned outdoor ceremony. We’re adding a bustle and making a few other alterations to ensure that it fits me perfectly without causing any issues for the wedding day.

During my dress fitting, I took the time out with my mom and dad to figure out what jewelry and accessories I will be wearing with my dress. The bridal consultant was more than happy to help us look at necklaces, earrings, and bracelets. In the end, we figured out all of the accessories to complete my look, including how to incorporate my “something borrowed,” for which we used a stand-in, which is pictured above. I’m eager to see how my whole bridal look will come together once my alterations have been completed next month.

Of course, while I was at my dress fitting, The Boy was with his groomsmen to get their suits picked out and purchased. With our wedding colors being red, black, and white, he wanted basic and comfortable black suits, and after a little deliberation, one of his groomsmen texted me their decision – basic but perfect for our day!

That isn’t all we determined and finalized this weekend, though. We are planning to stand under a Chuppah for our ceremony, and The Boy’s stepfather is helping us construct it. I was lucky enough to stumble upon some white organza while out with my parents that will be perfect for covering the Chuppah, and it enabled us to finalize how that will look in our ceremony space. Additionally, we started to think about and put together our ceremony itself – which is almost assembled. We’re cobbling together our ceremony to be quick but representative of us, and I am very excited with how it is coming together.

But the weekend wasn’t just about wedding planning. My birthday is coming up in a few days, and I was excited to be able to take the time out this weekend to sit down and enjoy some cinnamony-chocolate cake baked by my mother to celebrate. It was delicious, and I have a couple pieces waiting in the kitchen to devour this week.

All in all, it was a good weekend. Busy, but I imagine (and looking at my planner, can see) that the next twelve weeks are going to be busy and fly by. Our wedding is going to be here before we know it!

What about you? How was your weekend?

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At the Bridal Show

Two posts in one weekend! A rarity here, but I wanted to talk about my first Bridal Show experience (possibly my ONLY Bridal Show experience). I had the opportunity to go to a bridal show last year right after getting engaged, but The Boy and I were going to be out of town then, so it wasn’t until the Winter/Spring Cincinnati Bridalrama came around that I had an opportunity to make it to one.

Of course, since we have pretty much everything set for our wedding, this was purely for fun, and I invited three of my friends to come along for the fun and experience. I wanted to get some information on party rentals locally, as we may need to rent some table linens, and I wanted to look for some accessories for my gown.

The show was a bit smaller than I had anticipated, but it was really fun and well laid-out. Every single section of vendors had a good mix of venues, photographers, rental providers, and caterers. There were also many many cake bakers, which meant a lot of cake samples. At one point during our time at the show, I texted The Boy that we were having fun, but that there was “So. Much. Cake.” It was all delicious.

I definitely got the pleasure of trying out an idea I had for a hairstyle for the wedding.

The hairstyle was comfortable and really cute! The stylist who did it made room for it to accommodate a veil and a hair piece. Currently, I have no plans for a veil, but I may try a birdcage veil out while at my first dress fitting, just to see (and to be sure).

I also found the perfect garter for under my dress! We do not plan to have a garter or bouquet toss, but I thought a garter might be a fun way to add my “something blue” to my outfit for our day. I got the designer’s business card and definitely plan to be in touch with her about an order soon.

I was most excited at the bridal show to see all the different floral displays and the flowers. I am truly excited about the flowers we are going to have at our wedding. We aren’t having many, but I had so much fun picking out the various florals we will be having featured throughout our bridal party and day with Erica back in December. I saw so many different types of stem wraps, bouquet holders, and bouquet styles, and even got to hold one – which was a lot lighter than I thought it would be.

It was a great time out with my friends, and I got to see and take in a lot of information I hadn’t had before. We have a lot on our agenda in terms of wedding planning and wedding-related activities in the coming weeks, and I cannot wait!

How was your weekend?

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