For one, I am absolutely loving having a long engagement. There's no pressure on things!
Last weekend I found THE DRESS and even though it won't arrive for months, there's still plenty of time for alterations (which means plenty of time to tone my arms and back!).
We decided on favors and I was able to find part of it for super cheap on Etsy. By super cheap, I mean half of what it would cost at Michael's (and I didn't have to get dressed). We don't have our favor idea 100% finalized, but I have months to play with it. I'm not worried. Once I finalize the design, I anticipate a wine and craft night with my girls.
I've got a solid idea on what to do for favors, found some gorgeous thank you cards, and am enjoying getting to savor planning.
Up next?
I'll be painting our guest book.
Yes, painting. I picked up two large S wood signs to serve as the guest book (and one in photos). We'll be using it in our engagement and wedding photos, so we need one to serve as the guestbook as well.
It will be gold with a bronze edge (to make it look vintage). Guests will be signing with black sharpies. It will hang as a focal piece in our gallery wall.
Second task?
Photobooth scrapbook.
We are doing a photobooth and they print and assemble the scrapbook. However, I didn't necessarily trust their ideas of customization, so I awkwardly asked for my scrapbook early to decorate the background pages, then will give it back to them before the wedding.
Amazingly, they said yes and reassured me I wasn't the first bride to want to do this. It will be a white album with gold and black embellishments (a timeless look). I'll be doing background ideas, then adding more embellishments after the pictures are glued in. I'll possibility meet with the photobooth attendants before the wedding and just make sure we are on the same page in terms of my scrapbook hopes.
This past week was a blur at work. I had a surprise IEP meeting due to a date mix up, duty, a counseling lesson, Battle of the Books, a staff meeting, report cards, and teaching. I rushed to get everything done by Thursday because my mom was coming in for the weekend!
Let's recap:
Thursday
She had a late flight (after nine pm), so I took a nap after work. We picked her up, chatted for a few once we got home, and crashed. I had work the next day and need a full night's rest when dealing with teaching three dozen ten year olds long division with decimals, without the algorithm.
Friday
Friday morning we walked Waffles, I put dinner in the crockpot, and we headed to work. A colleague was super chatty that morning, so I wasn't as productive as I would have liked. It was also my off prep day, but that made for a quick afternoon. We were able to Skype with my bestie at Yale. We'd just learned about Connecticut, so it was academically appropriate. She gave the students a walking tour of Yale and answered their inquisitive questions. I also gave my students question time to ask my mom what they wanted (I was sure to set a timer!). We had a pretty standard day with no ridiculous student behavior.
We headed home and B brought home Redbox movies. We enjoyed dinner, watching Minions and the newest Mission Impossible movie, looked at bridal magazines, wedding planned, and enjoyed bonding time.
Saturday
Once again, our day started with a walk with Waffles. Isn't she precious? (She's 10 months, so she may get a little bigger. She's from ARP (Adopt a Rescue Pet), so we aren't entirely sure of her breed. We think collie-shepherd mix, but who knows. More importantly, who cares?)
She still isn't aware that dogs go to the bathroom while on walks, but wasn't scared by passing vehicles, so progress!
From there, we headed to {Babystacks} and it was amazing. If you're ever in Vegas, go here. Plain and simple. Since it was a cheat day, I devoured an omelet, seasoned potatoes, and two of the most wonderful pancakes I've ever encountered. They were German chocolate with peppermint and white chocolate chips. I could have died happy on the spot. As a silly twist of fate, we were right next to my coworker Mrs. O, her hubby, and their precious two year old, so that was fun to chat over pancakes.
We headed to Alfred Angelo for our noon dress appointment. I went in with eight styles picked out from their website, but ended up falling for a brand new one on the mannequin.
(Read the full dress shopping saga {here}).
We were 99% sure that was the one, but had a 4 pm appointment at another store just to be sure. The consultants totally understood and wished us luck!
From there, my mom and I parted ways with my future MIL and one of our maids until later. We picked up some items at Target, hit up a local craft store for ideas, then stopped by the Cannery and Sam's Town so she could get a feel for the locations and report back to my aunts. We had a little bit of time to kill, so I showed her the super awesome dog park where we take Waffles and she got to admire little dogs in sweaters for a few.
We went to the second appointment and it was simply alright. I really only liked one dress out of six and it was quite similar to the other one at Alfred Angelo, except more expensive and with a super awkward seam in the middle of the dress. The store was also filled with lots of teenagers buying their prom dresses and if I have a group with me, sitting in chairs, because I have an appointment, I kind of get first dibs at the podium and the big mirrors. I shouldn't have to stand to the side, in a wedding dress, waiting for hopeful prom queens to move from my spot.
(Seriously girls, move. Wedding trumps prom.)
It also irked me that another bridal party was offered champagne and we weren't. The sales woman did her best and I left my contact information, but I won't be back. Going to the second store that day really solidified that the other dress was it.
As soon as we left that appointment, I said the other dress was it. All of my bridesmaids agreed and well, it's quite the feat if ten women all agree on something!
We headed to my favorite {pizza and pasta joint} for dinner where we met up with B and a few more friends. Dinner was delicious and afterward, my mom and I headed back to Alfred Angelo to officially say yes to the dress.
I posted on social media that I'd said yes to the dress and I'm floored by how many people are genuinely excited about it. I have such an amazing tribe. Thanks friends!
Of course, we also watched the Cardinals defeat the Packers and I had a lot of loud words about that amazing ending.
Sunday
Because it's Vegas, we started our day with brunch at {Crepe Expectations}, which is another family owned shop and is amazing. My mom, B, and I each got our own savory crepe and shared a sweet one for dessert. Because it's brunch, a white peach mimosa was also involved:
We then went to {Popped}, a gourmet specialty popcorn store that's conveniently right next to breakfast. I've gone there for popcorn for baby showers and other events. Thank goodness for their loyalty program!
We then headed to Green Valley Ranch for Bingo. We'd never done it before, it was more expensive than I expected, and we won nothing. I'd do it again, but not on a weekly basis. We were the youngest in the room by decades and the woman next to us was loudly praying to the Holy Spirit that her husband would win. That got old quite quickly.
Afterwards, we headed to Target to complete our wedding registry, then headed to {Cream}, a specialty ice cream parlor where you make your own ice cream sandwiches. Or in B's case, ice cream taco!
Alas, after enjoying fine foods and wedding gowns, it was time to take my mom back to the airport. I talk to her almost daily and we'll see her in March when we're down for a close friend's wedding, so the goodbyes aren't that hard when I know it's seven weeks until I see her again.
When we got home, I napped on the couch while B enjoyed his team (the Broncos) defeating the Steelers. We both play next week and if both teams win, the Super Bowl will be incredibly awkward. We already decided if it's a Broncos-Cardinals match up, we're watching separately, for the sake of our relationship.
The rest of Sunday was devoted to grading (I set a timer), laundry, and watching a movie. Today we have off to celebrate Dr. King and my day will be spent grading and working on work stuff. My bridal glow is dimming, thanks in part to reality.
Naturally, I have helpers for grading essays:
So I'll be heading to Panera soon since I'm clearly not going to be productive at home.
It's official.
I said yes to the dress. When my mom and I went back to purchase it and say yes, tears ensued. Let's recap the experience.
Long before there was my sparkling ring on my left hand, I searched high and low on pinterest for potential dresses.
I went to a bridal show a few months ago and won $50 off a dress, so I made my first appointment at Alfred Angelo.
My maids (the ones who were in town) and my future MIL went in the middle of December. I think I had "The ONE" and I tried it on. It was okay, but wasn't it. It was very sparkly in person, but I was told that wouldn't translate well to pictures. The top part was very structured (think vertical lines) and did not flatter my hour glass shape. It's pretty...but it's not for me. That was a little difficult to let go of the idea of that one, considering how many times I'd pinned it to my board and showed my maids. There were a few I liked and made a second appointment for the middle of January when my mom was coming up for the weekend.
We also popped into David's Bridal because it was literally right around the corner. The sales woman stopped her previous appointment to greet us, which I didn't think was fair to the customers she was working with. Since we came in with a large party, she must have saw dollar signs for her potential commission check. She was incredibly pushy and insisted that I needed to try on and order a dress that day...for a wedding that was 11 months away. I refused and said the walk in was to look at bridesmaid dresses. She then argued with me that I needed to narrow down my fabric choices because giving my maids the option of mesh or chiffon would be devastating and ruin my wedding. Some of the dresses my maids picked were discontinued and not able to be ordered, a simple fact that should have been disclosed before they zipped those dresses up.
Alas, I gave David's Bridal another shot by making an appointment in Arizona. The second chance was also ruined. The new consultant told me, over and over again, for an hour, that I was too curvy and dresses I liked (A line gowns) weren't available in my size. Their locations service women size 0-30 and I'm right in the middle. I was in tears, my maids got the managers involved, and I switched consultants. The second consultant was better, but it's difficult to feel gorgeous and want to spend money on this once in a life time moment when you've heard, for an hour, that you're too large for what you like.
Her lack of tact has been incredibly motivating for work's biggest loser weight loss challenge!
(These appointments were awful enough to warrant my first ever {Yelp Review}).
Flash forward a few weeks. My mom came up to visit and we had two appointments, one at Alfred Angelo (again) and a second at Celebrations, which came highly recommended.
I went into Alfred Angelo with eight styles in mind and ended up falling in love with a brand new one that was on the mannequin. It wasn't on my list and was a little out of my budget, but that didn't matter. I wanted a headpiece (instead of a tiara or a veil, because those reminded me of itchy mosquito nets) and because I bought an accessory, my dress was $400 off (SCORE!). I tried on a few before I came to THE ONE. I tried it on in white, but my amazing consultant pried the ivory one off the mannequin for me to try and that was it. All seven of my maids, myself, my mom, and my future MIL agreed that it was it. When ten women agree, that must mean something!
I said I'd think about it because I had a second appointment later that day and wanted to be sure. They were gracious and completely understanding.
(Second {Yelp Review} of the day regarding Alfred Angelo)
After running a few errands, I went to the second appointment. The store was crowded and had lots of girls trying on prom dresses. I had my entourage (my mom, my officiant/bridesmaid, and my future MIL) in the chairs and I had to wait for other girls to get off the podium so my party could see the wedding dresses. Sorry teens, but wedding trumps prom. There were also random customers who kept giving their feedback on my dress choices which was awkward and not appreciated. I tried on a few that were quite similar to THE ONE, but were several hundred dollars more and did not fit as well. I know alterations would occur, but one appeared to have a seam running horizontally across the middle of the dress, making it appear to be a top and a skirt. For a two thousand dollar dress, that was a terrible decision. The consultant was nice at the second appointment and I said I'd think about it, but I could tell from my entourage's faces that none of the dresses were it.
They kept asking how I felt and I said we'd talk about it at dinner because I didn't want to hurt the consultant's feelings. The dresses were nice...but they didn't compare to THE ONE.
We had a lovely dinner at my friend Gina's parents' {restaurant} (and it was amazing, as always. I very much enjoyed a cheat day filled with garlic knots, cannoli, pasta Susan, salad, and a slice of cheese pizza.) From there, my mom and I went back and purchased the dress. Tears ensued and it was a very special mother-daughter moment.
Naturally, I'm giving B a hard time regarding the dress. I've told him it has feathers, sequins, puffy sleeves, a corset, and a hoop skirt. None of this is true, but I'm enjoying teasing him.
I shared pictures with my hair stylist so she can start brainstorming ideas for the headpiece and how to compliment the dress's neckline (strapless, sweetheart). I showed my aunts and my best friend's mom (because her parents graciously gave me money toward the dress as my wedding gift, which was another tear-inducing moment). I showed a few close friends and am going to do my best to refrain from showing anyone else because I want it to be a surprise.
Next up? Wedding shoes and bridesmaid jewelry...
One task at a time!
