Adventures of a Modern Day Bride

Monograms

2007-05-17T06:58:00.000-05:00

My friend Deena has an online graphic design business and does fabulous monograms! You can find her online here or by clicking the MediaDia blog link to the right. Enjoy and send some business her way -- you won't be disappointed by her responsiveness or the quality of her work, I promise! :)

A different kind of Wedding Guide

2007-05-01T11:15:00.000-05:00

Just in time for summer -- it's the Summer Wedding Guide brought to you by Indie Fixx! (Which has become one of my favorite blogs -- such fabulously cool stuff!)

Our first Rsvp!

2007-04-27T17:23:00.000-05:00

I have the best soon-to-be sister-in-law ever! :) Modern technology is wonderful! I mailed our invites yesterday (yes, I'm a tad bit behind) and got our first Rsvp via the internet today! She's so internet-savvy... :)

Only 2 months left!

2007-04-08T12:11:00.000-05:00

Yay! I'm not even going to attempt to post my to-do list here, as it's pretty much just out-of-control at this point. :)

My list isn't getting any shorter it seems, and it's not helped by the fact that I'm flying out to Ohio tonight, back on Tuesday. Flying to Houston on Wednesday and back on Thursday. Driving to Atlanta on Friday and back on Monday! I'm allegedly off next week... We'll see.

Not long until I'm a Mrs!

Rumor has it

2007-03-29T15:21:00.000-05:00

My shower invitations are in the mail! Yay!! :)

Marking things off my to-do list...

2007-03-25T17:07:00.000-05:00

I've had a busy/productive weekend and I'm pooped! Things I've accomplished and marked off my wedding to-do list are:

1. Purchased the remainder of goodies for Bridal Party gift bags.
2. Stuffed said gift bags and wrote out my share of the cards. ($20 says Jamie's share doesn't get a card at the rate we're going -- any takers?) The bags look uber-cute! They're hot pink (for the girls) and lime/chartreuse green (for the boys) stuffed with green/pink/brown tissue paper. Fun!
3. Finally found the perfect pen to address invitations with (after 4 trips to Target) and address all the outer envelopes and gatefolds I'm using instead of an inner envelope -- now I'm just waiting for the actual invitations to arrive and I will stuff and mail them!
4. Finished putting the guest book together! I found a really cool decorative corner punch on clearance at Wal-Mart. I punched the corners of 5x7 sheets of chocolate brown paper, and then slid 4x6 photos into each punched corner and mounted into my guest book. It looks really really nice and I can't wait to see what everyone has to say. We're supplying gold and silver pens and allowing our guests to write messages, poems, advice, etc throughout the book -- sort of a cross between the traditional guest book and the ever popular signing mat!
5. Bought a dress for our second reception -- so cute and on sale! Still on the hunt for comfy/cute shoes to go with it though.

Still plenty to do, but I'm making a substantial dent in my list every weekend! Only 74 more days!

St. Patty's Day/Bachelorette Party

2007-03-21T11:22:00.000-05:00

1. Themed Bachelorette Parties rock.
2. My girlfriends rock.
3. The two guys who didn't fall for the "if you'll help me cross this item off of my Mission Impossible Bachelorette Party list, I'll let you buy me and my friend a drink" line really really suck. :)
4. My head finally quit hurting on Monday.
5. I think my liver still hurts!

84 Days...

2007-03-16T16:37:00.000-05:00

Tick, tock. Tick, tock.

Off to Atlanta tomorrow morning (after picking up Bridesmaid Sara at the airport in Birmingham) for the debauchery that will be my St. Patrick's Day-themed Bachelorette Par-tay. Woo hoo. I'm sure plenty of blackmail-worthy pictures will follow next week! :)

Double Digits

2007-03-01T15:41:00.000-05:00

That's right folks -- I'm getting married in 99 days. We have reached double digits! Where has the time gone? I remember when we got engaged it seemed soooo far away. But now here we are. :)

I've gotten to that point where things don't really matter anymore. I just want to get married! I'm coordinator-less, poor Amy had work conflicts and couldn't get off! I'm excited for her, because her work conflict sounds like a lot of fun, but sad for me, because I need her. So if you know a good coordinator who works for free... ;) Otherwise, I'm probably going to take advantage of offers by my brother (who has fabulous taste) and one of my friends. Poor things.

Still very excited though -- 99 days! I'll try not to be too obnoxious with the countdowns. ;)

Happy Fat Tuesday!

2007-02-20T07:36:00.000-05:00

Laissez les bon temps rouler, y'all! Lots of fun pictures from the parades we attended this weekend coming soon! (I'm stuck in Ohio this week, but will post as soon as I get home and have a chance to upload them.)

In the meantime, here's a Mardi Gras webcam from Mobile for your viewing pleasure during parade times, and a little Mardi Gras music to put you in the mood! :)

4 Months To Go!

2007-02-09T16:42:00.000-05:00

I missed the actual 4 month mark (yes, again -- I'm not good at this whole countdown thing, huh?) this month! But here we are...

Lots going on! We're officially in Mobile -- well, I'm sort of in Mobile, I've only been here one week out of three so far, and I'm back in Ohio again for another two weeks on Monday. :) We also managed to find a house here! We're so excited! It's in the Midtown area of Mobile and is such a great find -- historic, completely gutted and renovated, 4 bedrooms and 2.5 baths! I'm so thrilled -- we were worried we were going to end up on an apartment waiting list or something with the way the housing market is here.

I've got lots of pictures -- if you're interested, just email me!

Mobile vs. Atlanta

2007-02-03T18:59:00.000-05:00

In the short time we've been here in Mobile (very short for me as I've spent most of the last two weeks in Ohio for work) we've had some time to compare and contrast our new home to Atlanta. We're really enjoying Mobile, and miss Atlanta in a lot of ways, but Mobile DOES have a lot going for it.

1. Palm Trees. Yep, that's right, palm trees. They're everywhere! In front yards, at gas stations, decorating the landscaping in front of restaurants and businesses. It's a big change from Atlanta where we were so close to the mountains the majority of the trees were of the pine variety.

2. Live Oaks. Beautiful old live oaks, some of them hundreds of years old and so huge their branches entwine with the branches of the trees across the street. They're also draped with Spanish Moss and look very romantic lining some of the older streets in the city.

3. Architecture. Mobile has some really beautiful old architecture. I don't know if it's because more of it survived post-Civil War since it wasn't burned down like Atlanta was, but they've got tons more old homes and buildings than Atlanta does it seems! Gorgeous old antebellum mansions and businesses that have been lovingly restored and are still in use today!

4. The Original Oyster House. Mmm mmm mmm. Jamie took me here for lunch today and it was soooo yummy. There are tons of other really great seafood places in town as well, but this is one of our favorites! For non-seafood, we also really love Guido's too! Atlanta has some really great restaurants, and Mobile definitely has fewer of them, but we haven't gone wrong in a restaurant yet.

5. Mardi Gras. Nuff said! How fun to live somewhere with 3-4 weeks of parades every year. People still have Christmas trees up -- only they've taken the decorations off of them and replaced them with purple, gold, and green Mardi Gras decor!

6. Ocean. It's still such a novelty. This was the beginning of a gorgeous sunset when we visited Dauphin Island this weekend!

7. Airport. It's a small regional airport, but there's something to be said for 30 minutes of free parking, no waiting in lines, and being able to show up 30 minutes before your flight and still make it through security and to your gate, instead of the 2-3 hours it takes at Atlanta.

8. Little Big City. Mobile is just that. The pace is slower. The cost of living is lower. Traffic is still annoying, but there's a whole lot less of it!

Update!

2007-01-26T11:24:00.000-05:00

The new job is going great! I flew to Ohio on Sunday, January 21 and it was sooooo cold and a really rough flight. I went to orientation on Monday morning and then worked through Thursday afternoon and flew back to Atlanta. It was really fun to meet some of my coworkers and to really dive into the new gig headfirst. I'm so excited to be part of this team and this company!

On Tuesday evening, when I got back to my hotel, I found these cute flowers waiting on me! I thought, "wow, this is really nice -- I didn't know Marriott's put fresh flowers in your room!" Hehe. They don't! Jamie sent these to me as a congratulations/good luck kinda thing -- how sweet is that?? It brightened up my whole week and boy, did I need it! The cold is really difficult to get used to, and for this southern girl who loves her heat and sunshine, it's especially challenging! I just avoid going outside if at all possible and it all works out well. Luckily my hotel is just across the street from the office so I don't have to be out in the elements for very long and I figure summer has to come to Ohio at some point, right? :)

The move went well, everything is in storage and we're now in temporary housing. We think we've found a house that will work well for us -- I'll let you know if it does and you know there will be pictures!

5 Month Checklist

2007-01-12T10:16:00.000-05:00

I'm just a few days late in posting this! Monday, the 8th, we hit the 5 month mark -- which means today we're at 4 months and 25 days or something like that. So here's an update on where we stand as far as our to do list!

Still left to do:
- finalize rentals
- decide on videographer (or lack of)
- finish designing invitations - update: Tam wil be ready to work on these after February 1
- decide on table numbers/placecards
- get Bridesmaids measurements - update: BridesmaidSara™ is going to be in charge of this and placing the order on February 8
- get Guys measurements for tuxes - update: need to mail them their measurement cards
- finish adding e-pics to guest book
- purchase RB tuxes
- finish FG sashes ansd table runners - update: Suzanne is working on these
- order extra flowers/petals for reception centerpieces and FG baskets
- order Groom's cake
- finalize program layout and print
- schedule dance lessons
- finalize music selections for ceremony
- finalize music selections for reception
- start day-of timelines and to do lists for all vendors and review with coordinator
- find gifts for RB's
- purchase informal notes with either monogram or new last name
- enlarge engagement portrait
- schedule travel for Bridals
- enlarge Bridal portrait
- purchase 5 tall/thin vases to hold bouquets at reception
- get old family wedding pictures for reception - update: this is half completed!
- pay down balances owed
- finalize arrangements with all vendors

Completed already:
- began program layout/design
- scheduled Bridal portrait with venue, photographer, and hair/makeup artist
- booked venue, officiants, caterer, bakery, florist, photogrpahers, harpist, DJ, hair/makeup artist, coordinator
- chose and asked all Bridal Party
- Save the Dates designed, purchased, and mailed
- informal notes with maiden name purchased
- purchased cocktail napkins, fans, and parasols
- purchased gifts for Bridesmaids, Hostesses, Ushers, Groomsmen, and FG's
- purchased dress, shoes, jewelry, veil, and accessories
- purchased toasting glasses, serving set, aisle candles, reception vases
- menu finalized
- Bride's cake design finalized

Exciting Announcements

2007-01-06T10:11:00.000-05:00

1. I am starting a new job on January 22! I will still be working in the insurance industry, but with this opportunity will go back to working on large accounts as an account manager, which is what I really love. It's a brand new division of a company and a totally new market, so I'm very excited to have a chance to be a part of it!

2. Jamie is starting a new job on January 29 -- he will be an Executive Producer! For those of you who know him, it's really the next step in his career as he'd really reached a glass ceiling at his current station. He's had several offers over the past year, but nothing that we really took seriously until we got this one! It's a great station that is very solid in it's market, and Jamie was amazed at the number of people who've been there for 20+ years! That really says something about the leadership. :) We're excited to be joining this news family!

3. And last, but certainly not least -- we're moving to Mobile, Alabama! The Azalea City, home of Cain's Merry Widows, the original Mardis Gras (dating back to 1703), gorgeous old homes and architecture, the battleship USS Alabama, amazing food, loads of history, and less than an hour from some great beaches!

The station that offered Jamie the job is located there, so we're busy preparing for a big move! Luckily, they're packing and moving us -- and we're going to be in corporate housing for several months since Jamie's condo is still on the market here in Atlanta. Also VERY luckily, my job offer came at a most opportune time -- I will be working from home regardless of where we live, so Jamie didn't have to hesitate at all in accepting his offer, because I will have no problem working from Mobile just as easily as I would have from Atlanta! God always has a plan! We're busy learning how to speak Mobilian, anticipating all the good eats, and trying not to overplan for something that has literally just fallen into our laps!

Merry Christmas!

2006-12-25T09:26:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas! We've had a very busy holiday season and I think it's just going to get busier over the next couple of weeks! We should have some exciting news to announce soon -- lots of changes going on in our lives right now. :)

We're so blessed to have such wonderful families and so many friends -- on this very special day, we'd like to send you all our loves and hope that you find yourself equally blessed!

All our love -- Sarah & Jamie

Almost Famous

2006-12-11T22:20:00.000-05:00

Well, in this picture I'm standing next to a relatively famous person. That counts for something, right? I thought I would entertain you with some photos of my venue that I found on my memory card that I hadn't uploaded to my computer yet, and stumbled across this gem. This is my fabulous coordinator (Amy) and I with Donnie Brown -- a Dallas wedding coordinator/florist who is often the featured coordinator on the Style Network's Whose Wedding is it Anyway? (Which I actually prefer to Bridezillas -- it still has the "drama" just not quite as much of it.) And yes, I made a total fool of myself when we walked into my venue and saw Donnie and his team hard at work. I'm a geek. I can admit it.

This is my venue (we'll make sure not to have any satin ribbons on the urns and vases outside on the big day -- not a fan of decking everything out in ribbons and bows)! I love everything about this place -- the story behind it, the style, the beautiful wood on the walls inside -- it's such a fun venue and just around the corner and a few streets over from where Jamie grew up in historic Dallas! The front terrace where we will potentially have cocktail hour and take my Bridal portraits, and a view from the back of the house across the lawn where the ceremony will take place. We're going to have it in the far corner, and the aisle will be set on this same diagonal so I just walk a straight line from the house to Jamie. :) It's sooo gorgeous back here and at 7:00 p.m. it should be pretty shaded and hopefully not too warm!

This is the living room (will be set up for the reception, not the ceremony) and the sitting room off of the living room. The sitting room opens up to the back lawn as well -- I love all of the seating areas in the house.

The ballroom where we will have the DJ and dancing (will be set for dinner initially and then the tables will be cleared), and the dining room which is usually set up with a large dining table which is used for the buffet -- we won't have it set up with tables as shown here.

This is the staircase -- probably one of my favorite things about the house! Hopefully this isn't too dark to see the details! The staircase is one of the first things you see when you come in the front doors. Upstairs is the HUGE Bridal suite (full bathroom with giant tub, separate shower, etc.), mirrored closet/dressing area, large room for relaxing and getting ready, another bathroom joining to another room used for Bridesmaids or other wedding party. A second waiting room. And then the Groom's suite with a bathroom. It's very pretty and everything is decorated beautifully!

If you've made it this far -- thanks for indulging me! I'm so excited about our venue (as if you couldn't tell) -- it seemed like it took a long time to find just the right one, but since we have, it's gone so smoothly! I'm so happy we found somewhere with character and charm that won't need a lot of decoration or improvements. I also think that it will be a great experience for our guests, which is the most important part (second only to us actually getting married, which is the point of the day)!

To Do: 6 Months and Counting!

2006-12-08T06:41:00.000-05:00

We've hit the 6 month mark today! We've really had a chance to get so much done already -- there are just a few details left to nail down and then some last minute projects to make sure I keep in mind so I don't lose track of where I am on them!

Still left to do:

finalize rentals
decide on videographer (or lack of)
finish designing invitations
decide on table numbers/placecards
get Bridesmaids measurements
get Guys measurements for tuxes
finish adding photos to guest book
get Ring Bearer tuxes
finishes Flower Girl sashes and table runners
order extra flowers/petals and Groom's cake
begin program layout
schedule dance lessons
finalize music selections for ceremony
finalize music selections for reception
start day of timelines and to do lists for all vendors, go over with coordinator
find gifts for FG's and RB's
purchase monogram notes with married monogram/new last name
enlarge engagement portrait

schedule Bridal portraits/travel

enlarge bridal portrait

purchase 5 tall/thin vases to hold bouquets at reception

get old family wedding pictures for reception

pay down balances owed

finalize arrangements with all vendors

Completed already:

booked venue, officiants, caterer, bakery, florist, photographers, harpist, DJ, hair/makeup artist, coordinator

chose and asked all Bridal Party

save the dates designed, purchased, and mailed

informal notes with maiden name purchased

purchased cocktail napkins, fans, and parasols

purchased gifts for Bridesmaids, Hostesses, Ushers, Groomsmen

purchased dress, shoes, jewelry, veil, and accessories

purchased toasting glasses, serving set, aisle candles, reception vases

menu finalized

Bride's cake design finalized

Hehe. It's really not as much as it looks like! It's just a matter of keeping all of the little details in order. My goal all along has been to knock out as much as possible early on in the game, so I can really enjoy the last few months! Plus, it's sort of difficult to plan and stress from 783.9 miles away. :) I might as well save myself the hassle and not stress!

Our favorite engagement photos...taken by my fabulous Bridesmaid/photographer/college roommate Sara (seen here in all her super-hottness along with myself on NYE 2005)! She's also taking my Bridal Portraits and does tons of freelance portraiture including maternity and family, in addition to engagement photos and bridals. She's also done some fabulous weddings and graphic design work! If you want her info, drop me a line via the contact me link and I'll be happy to pass her info along! (Unless she wants to send me her website info so I can pimp her full force via the WWW.)

My current favorite wedding-related reads...

2006-12-04T06:48:00.000-05:00

These are my current Top 5 picks that I've stumbled across in my marriage/wedding-related research. Some are self-help. Some are biographical. Some are just down-right entertaining!

While some of these didn't apply to my wedding/marriage entirely (I'm not a divorced single mom, and Jamie and I aren't facing any racial tensions), I found them all to be pretty well-written for the most part, thought-provoking, insightful, or just amusing. They aren't necessarily the final word on the subject, but I chose these because they weren't the usual focus on dress/hair/jewelry/BIG DAY, etc. I think it's important that Jamie and I look past these next 6 months and into the next 60 years with great anticipation! It's my goal to remember that regardless of how many people show up to the wedding, whether vendors do their jobs, and regardless of the weather -- as long as he and I both show up, we're able to get our marriage license, and someone is there to legally marry us, we're gold!

1. The Toaster Broke, So We're Getting Married - by Pamela Holm

A hilarious and heartwarming look at one woman's odyssey from divorced single mom with a rebellious streak and a string of soured relationships to blushing bride, shamelessly seduced by the kind of satin-and-lace fantasies that short-circuit logic, practicality, and self-control. While diving into an ocean of tulle and other trappings--determined to remain true to the person she is--Holms offers funny insights into:

Living Together: "It wasn't just about love anymore, it was about laundry and garbage and wet towels and who put the spoons in the dishwasher upside down."

The Dress: "Judith clips a long veil to the back of my head and lets it tumble to the floor. I nearly burst into tears. I am the Barbie Dream Bride."

The Cake: "Something about this woman makes me think she may have learned cake decorating in jail."

The Jitters: "Right now, 'Till death do us part' seems like a very long time."

With honesty and delicious humor, Holm chronicles her adventure to the altar, sharing her anxieties and fears about true commitment. Her story will resonate with anyone who has ever taken a leap of faith.

2. In the Garden of our Dreams: Memoirs of our Marriage - Shirlee Taylor Haizlip

Like a storybook romance, this one begins when a beautiful and captivating young woman of privilege and a brilliant Harvard man meet at college, fall in love and marry. Together they have children and combine successful careers with an unflagging commitment to each other. Told in alternating voices, this is a portrait of a marriage, a Rashoman-like view of a nearly forty-year love affair. But unlike other love stories, the story the Haizlips have to tell also opens a window on some of the most important years in America's struggles with issues of education, race, class, opportunity and equality. Born into a generation reared in segregation. Harold, the Southerner, and Shirlee, the Northerner, used their many talents to engage white and black America at all levels, whether it was the charity circuit of New York high society or school integration in the South End of Boston. Just as they strove to marry their differences in reaching for a common happiness, so they joined the larger struggle of their generation to achieve integration and racial equality. By turns intimate, funny and blissful; at others raw with honesty, bitterness and passion, the Haizlips are born storytellers. As often as they relive the triumphs and joys of their journey together, they recall the failures, the racism and the despair that attended them as well. Yet underlying all their efforts remains the ballast of their love and the endurance of their commitment - not only to each other but to the highest ideals of their time and their country.

3. The Hard Questions: 100 Essential Questions to Ask Before You Say I Do - Susan Piver

Thought-provoking questions that challenge and inspire couples to build a lasting, intimate relationship.When Susan Piver's husband, Duncan, proposed, her first impulse was to break up with him. "How does one enter into marriage knowing that almost half of all couples these days get divorced?" she thought in a panic. "Suppose he wants to live somewhere I hate? What if I wish we had ten times more money than he wishes for, or he wants to spend more time with his family than I do?"One by one, she and Duncan answered these questions and many more, alternately delighted, appalled, infuriated, and mystified by the other's responses. In exploring each area of uncertainty, Piver learned something about her husband-to-be, herself, and their relationship. Focusing on key areas of married life, such as home, money, work, sex, community and friends, family, and spirituality, her list of questions became the basis for this book. The Hard Questions should be required reading for engaged couples, newlyweds, and those in long-term relationships. It is a simple yet profound tool that will challenge and inspire couples to gain a deeper understanding of each other and build a lasting, intimate relationship.

4. I Do. I Did. Now What?! - by Jenny Lee

Plenty of books can help you plan a wedding. And there are always plenty of friends to argue the finer points of engagement rings, prenuptial diets, French bustles, and tiara vs. headpiece. But once the band stops playing and the guests go home, you are on your own.

Jenny Lee found this out the hard way. One minute she was a swinging single whose life revolved around nights on the town and Jimmy Choo shoes. The next thing she knew, she met "the One" and got...married! And there was no one around to explain how to "Love, Honor, and Cherish" a man who spends more time in the bathroom than she does and thinks pistachio shells make nice coffee table decor.

5. As for Me and My House: Crafting Your Marriage to Last - by Walter Wangerin, Jr.

Most books on marriage offer ten easy steps and twenty-five proven principles for achieving marital bliss. But Walter Wangerin side-steps such easy answers and offers us instead an intimate portrait of his own courtship and thirty-two year marriage—and a pastoral view of married life that inspires readers to view their own marriages with new honesty and hope. Wangerin's six tasks of marriage encourages couples to better understand and happily live out the vows they made, giving them tools to nurture and maintain a strong marital relationship. In his endorsement, Philip Yancey accurately describes this book as “an enduring classic and a book of wisdom, beauty, compassion, and piercing honesty.”

Bridesmaids beware! ;)

2006-12-03T22:11:00.000-05:00

I have recently been reminded by my to-do list, that I needed to give my Bridesmaids a head up regarding measurements and ordering for their dresses. This is has probably been one of the areas that I've given the most thought to when it comes to planning!

My dress? First dress I tried on, at the second store I went to. Knew it was "the one." I purchased it that day -- easy enough.

Bridesmaids dresses? Oy vey. I've been fretting over these since Day 1. I want all of the girls to like their dresses! The four of them range in height from 5'1" to 5'11". Busty and not-so-busty. Red hair, blonde, and brunette. I've got the whole spectrum! Early in the game I fell in love with a Watters style that came in a beautiful dupioni/shantung silk. Gorgeous! I found out that the style was going to be discontinued and was worried that when I was going to order the dresses a year later, it wouldn't be available. I wasn't enamored with any of the other Watters gowns, but loved the silk -- I even found flower girl dresses with a shantung silk bodice and fluffy tulle skirt from another vendor!

So I began the search for a pretty dress for my girls and stumbled across Aria Bridesmaids. Brilliant! I fell in love with the concept of being able to choose a fabric, color, and length, and letting the girls all choose their own gown (see photos below of mixed styles). I've gotten no protests so far, and the girls all picked a style different from one another. Hopefully this means that the dress they've chosen will truly be one they will wear again -- and none of them will end up on Ugly Dress!

2007 Wedding Trends

2006-12-01T07:08:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it's December already! In honor of the fact that we only have a month left in 2006, I thought I'd share the 2007 Wedding Trends I've stumbled across on The Knot. Let's send just how "trendy" I really am. :)

1. Orange is hot. (So are aqua and aubergine.) -- Score 1 for BrideSarah™ -- I'm all about the oranges, corals, and bright pinks. I'm such a trend-setter, y'all -- I picked my colors out in 2006! ;) The aqua and aubergine? Um, no.

2. Trumpet skirts. The runways are seeing wedding gowns filled with this fit-and-flare style for 2007. -- Survey says?? Notsomuch.

3. Italy. Brides are all about the Destination Wedding in beautiful Italy a la TomKat in 2007. -- That's a negative, we're all about Aldredge House -- which IS an Italiante style estate, but in Dallas, not Tuscany. :)

4. Cocktail hour. Signature cocktails, hors d'oeuvres on fancy-schmancy displays, and live mariachi bands or jazz trios are all the rage for 2007. -- We're having a cocktail hour? We've got plenty to drink, but nothing "signature." There will be hors d'oeuvres, although they'll be butler-passed. And the DJ will play music...? :) I'm gonna claim this one, 1 and 1/2 out of 3 isn't bad in my book. Score 1 for BrideSarah™.

5. Dessert buffets. -- Nope, we're doing a boring old carving station and buffet with real dinner foods, not just sweets. Darn. I'm so old school.

6. Monumental honeymoons. Basically they're talking about anything non-resorty/beachy here. River rafting, hiking ancient ruins, visiting the Grand Canyon, Mount Rushmore, and the likes. -- We haven't decided on our official honeymoon yet, which will come in late 2007 or early 2008, but it definitely won't involve a beach if Jamie has anything to do with it, so Score 1 for BrideSarah™.

(For those of you playing along at home, I'm 3 for 6 on the 2007 Trendy Scale.)

7. Mini-moons. A long weekend away approximately 6 months before the wedding date. -- What???? My definition of mini-moon is a mini-honeymoon (sometimes not quite as lengthy in time as a regular honeymoon, or something more local requiring less travel) immediately following the wedding, until the Bride & Groom can take a longer/more elaborate honeymoon at a later date. I'm going to claim this one based on my definition, not that I'm trying to be trendy, but until I read this article I had NEVER heard of a mini-moon as a mid-engagement getaway from wedding planning. Ridic! We are going to take a mini-moon, followed by a larger honeymoon later. Score 1 for BrideSarah™.

8. Destination Bachelorette parties. Vegas and South Beach aren't just for the guys and their Bachelor parties anymore! -- Nope! My Bachelorette party will be here on St. Patty's Day 2007. :) Nothing destination about it, unless you count the fact that we're driving all the way up to Kennesaw to go to Cowboys. :)

9. Unique ring settings. Elaborate settings, vintage, and white metals are all the rage. -- Now who's the trend-setter? Jamie is all over this one -- he did such a great job and he proposed way back in 2005. ;) A man ahead of his time. Score 1 for BrideSarah™.

10. Eco-friendly shindigs. -- I'm not even gonna touch this one! I'm not anti-environment, but I can't say that I've done one conscious thing to minimize our wedding's impact on the eco-system during my planning process! Bad Sarah!

Final Score - 5 out of 10. Our wedding is only going to be halfway trendy by 2007 definitions!

Furniture shopping extravaganza!

2006-11-26T09:08:00.000-05:00

Remember my previous post about Jamie being a total traditionalist? :) I witnessed that phenomenon in full-force yesterday!

We've been on the hunt for an entertainment center/media wall since we heard Storehouse was going out of business! When Jamie bought his plasma a year and a half ago, he asked me to help him pick out something to put it on. At Storehouse, I found a great modular media center manufactured by d-Scan -- who, oddly enough, Storehouse owed $1 million to and put out of business just a month or two before they announced their own bankruptcy -- Jamie purchased the TV stand portion and we decided that he could buy some of the bookshelves, bridge, etc. at a later date. Afterall, "it's not like they're going to go out of business or anything, right?" (Yes, I actually said those words to make him feel better about not buying the whole thing right then and there -- so our entire day yesterday could technically be attributed to my silly rationalization that a major furniture store wouldn't go out of business a year and some change later.)

So, fast forward to present date. We're getting married and consolidating what we have already and figuring out what we need to get. High on that list are some things for the living room. Jamie has really great sofas and such, but obviously we can't do much about the entertainment center without getting something new. His coffee table and end tables are hand-me-downs and two totally different styles themselves. They're functional, but if we're going to pick something out we should just go ahead and get it all over at once! Right? Notsomuch. :)

Over the course of the day we drove to both Norcross and Alpharetta from Atlanta! ("Have frustrated fiancee' -- will travel to find perfect furniture?") We went into/called every single Storehouse in the metro area to see if they had any remaining d-Scan pieces, and when that failed, we ended up looking at other stores. We FINALLY agreed on an entertainment center at Crate & Barrel! (Do you hear the angels singing "Hallelujah" too?) This set is modular as well (but we WILL buy all the pieces we want at the same time), but ours will have narrower 20" bookshelves with no doors on them, whereas the picture here shows the larger audio piers.

All in all, Jamie was a VERY good sport! I give him all the credit for me making it through yesterday in one piece -- if I were him, I probably would've left me standing in front of a Z Gallerie somewhere. I'm a lucky girl. ;) Speaking of which, I'm pretty sure that store scares him. I love it, because it's just the right eclectic blend of antique, modern, and kitsch that I really love. I think he only felt comfortable in the art section, and looked VERY dismayed when I sat down on this sofa -- I think he was frightened that I wanted to buy it. Hehe. Poor guy.

It's Thanksgiving? Already??

2006-11-22T20:04:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving! Jamie and I have so much to be thankful for this year -- despite the difficulty of the past six months with so many sad and stressful things going on, we remain truly blessed. I thank God for all of our family and friends each and every day!

We're sorry we won't be able to go home to Texas for Thanksgiving (Who knew people actually want/need to watch the news on Thanksgiving?? I thought it was all parades and football until I met Jamie -- this year he's working both Thursday and Friday!), but know that you're all in our thoughts and prayers and we're looking forward to celebrating with you next June!

I'll be having lunch with my co-worker Janet and her family -- and all that's required of me is that I show up and bring the rolls. Easy enough. :) After Jamie's show is over, we'll have our traditional (three years and counting) middle-of-the-night Thanksgiving dinner at Ryan & Ryan's house. Mmmm!

Time is flying by...

2006-11-21T06:34:00.000-05:00

Only 199 days left until the wedding according to the countdown clock on my webpage! WOW! That's only six and a half months to go! There are some days it still seem so surreal and far away and then others when it's just right around the corner!

The Save-the-Dates have been mailed (late Saturday afternoon, in fact) and already received by my buddy in California! Before his birthday present even made it out to him -- whoops! But here's a birthday shout out to my friend Thomas! HAPPY BIRTHDAY! (I would post a picture of he and I together, but he went and moved himself off to San Diego a year and a half ago and totally abandoned me. Hehe.)

So we're on to the next big project -- invitations! All of the major vendors are booked, it's just a matter of working out the details closer to the date. Probably one of my favorite vendors so far is the

bakery. Yum. It's tough being a bride and having to taste all of that yummy cake. Although I did somehow manage it with my trusty to-go cup of milk at my side!

Welcome to my wedding planning blog!

2006-11-20T06:21:00.000-05:00

Wedding planning is definitely not for the faint of heart these days! When Jamie asked me to be his wife, I had no idea the rollercoaster ride I was about to climb onto. It's been crazy and fun (mostly just crazy), and we've learned so much about each other along the way! We've just started pre-marital counseling so I don't have much insight as to what we'll learn in those sessions, but here's what wedding planning has taught us about each other so far:

- We both work in the wrong industry. Seriously. SERIOUSLY. There is much highway robbery going on in the world and it all starts with a simple question and a piece of jewelry.
- Jamie is a traditionalist, I'm not. Well, maybe we knew that going into this, but it has been highlighted and emphasized over and over and over many times since I said "yes."
- For someone who is such a control-freak in general, I am amazingly laid back about the actual wedding part of all this. Maybe because we have so much going on in our lives otherwise, but I'm being very anti-bridezilla-ish. So far.
- We're both pretty good at compromising with one another on some pretty big issues! Yay!
- Did I mention Jamie is a traditionalist? Old-fashioned, even.

Despite our differences, we somehow seem to balance each other out! I'll be happy I couldn't convince him to go to Vegas afterall, and he'll be happy he let me use my bright/funky colors. And in the end, we love each other and we'll be married. Isn't that all that really matters?