I'm going to take photos of the animals I made for my nieces and nephews tomorrow. I will probably post them tomorrow too, the kiddos aren't really at blog-browsing age and my brothers don't subscribe here, as far as I know.
I've been keeping quite busy trying to get everything done. I'm on my last one, just sewing on some stubby little hippopotamus legs before I get started on a commissioned project that I can't mention.
I have a little more time now that I quit Facebook. You can't ever really quit Facebook, as they apparently hold on to your information until the rest of time, but I probably won't go back for a while. I took a break for several reasons, from my displeasure with the privacy of the site, to some negative experiences I had with friends, to the fact that I'm one of those people who gets an inferiority complex from looking at the facades of other peoples' perfect lives, then feeling bad for feeling bad about my life. To quote Joe Walsh, I can't complain but sometimes I still do.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Working on my fitness
Yesterday, I activated a one-year membership to our local YMCA that I received from my dad as a very, very generous Christmas gift. I had a free session with a trainer, and he took me through a variety of strength activities, as well as a little bit of cardio.
I am super-sore today, especially in my arms and chest. The treadmill is my comfort zone and my happy place, and I was definitely out of my comfort zone. I was happy to meet with the trainer, as we walked through some workouts and set some goals I hope I will be able to achieve.
I'm not allowed to look at the scale for two weeks, as the trainer is trying to get me to focus on how I feel rather than how many pounds I've lost.
My plan right now is to work out two times a week for the next two to three weeks, and try to get through the holidays without giving up. I think with the other program I was in ( a weight-loss contest of sorts) I was more interested in winning then pacing myself and making eventual changes that would work for me. I overloaded myself, working out five times a week and volunteering and going to Bible study, and I didn't think about how fast I would burn out.
One thing the program did show me is that I can reduce my diet by a bit without being too terribly deprived, and that I am capable of losing weight. I lost about 20 pounds at 1 point, from switching to diet cola and working out, but I have gained some of that back. I just need to maintain the workouts.
If you, dear reader, want to support me with a "Keep it up!" on Facebook or something, that would be wonderfully motivating. I am trying to be realistic this time, and really take baby steps, so hopefully I will be able to do it myself.
I am super-sore today, especially in my arms and chest. The treadmill is my comfort zone and my happy place, and I was definitely out of my comfort zone. I was happy to meet with the trainer, as we walked through some workouts and set some goals I hope I will be able to achieve.
I'm not allowed to look at the scale for two weeks, as the trainer is trying to get me to focus on how I feel rather than how many pounds I've lost.
My plan right now is to work out two times a week for the next two to three weeks, and try to get through the holidays without giving up. I think with the other program I was in ( a weight-loss contest of sorts) I was more interested in winning then pacing myself and making eventual changes that would work for me. I overloaded myself, working out five times a week and volunteering and going to Bible study, and I didn't think about how fast I would burn out.
One thing the program did show me is that I can reduce my diet by a bit without being too terribly deprived, and that I am capable of losing weight. I lost about 20 pounds at 1 point, from switching to diet cola and working out, but I have gained some of that back. I just need to maintain the workouts.
If you, dear reader, want to support me with a "Keep it up!" on Facebook or something, that would be wonderfully motivating. I am trying to be realistic this time, and really take baby steps, so hopefully I will be able to do it myself.
Friday, December 2, 2011
Life after marriage
Our married life has been going pretty well, just working and trying to save money for a house, a honeymoon, another car.
I've been working on various crafts, from some things people have commissioned to a crocheted scarf for Special Olympics athletes competing in the Winter Games. Right now, I'm mostly working on Christmas presents, which of course I can't post details about until after Christmas. I will say, the nieces and nephews are getting an animal theme this year.
Dan has been busy with a number of new video games, including Battlefield 3 and Skyrim. I prefer watching him play Skyrim, because he gets to fight dragons and I can side-seat drive when he makes his dialog choices.
I'm looking forward to seeing our family at Christmas. I was able to get the day in question off, so we are planning to take that lovely trip back to Indiana once again.
The logical step that everyone makes once a couple gets married is, of course, now it's baby time. While we are interested in children eventually, I would like Dan to get his associate's degree before there's an infant in the house, and I would like to establish just a bit more job security before I'm off for maternity leave. I am studying up on pregnancy and babies, just because I have no idea in general what to expect. I didn't do much babysitting growing up.
Both of us are interested in getting in shape. Dan is more interested in getting "buff," while I would like to be able to run a 5K again and shed a few pounds.
I am generally a pretty confident lady, but in the past few months I have had several people asking me if I'm pregnant. I don't know if my clothes just don't fit, or if my body is just shaped like a preggo lady's. Either way, I am not really offended and I try to take it as a compliment - I must be glowing. Of course, it means people think I'm fat, too.
I'm not hurt to be thought of as fat, because I have come to accept that with my job and my genes, I'm going to be built for comfort and not for speed basically no matter what I do. The thing that bothers me about strangers asking me if I'm pregnant is that it's rude and reductive to me as a human being.
Once a woman becomes pregnant, it's like her body even more than usual becomes the public domain upon which to comment. She can't hold a coffee cup without people gasping in shock, and I've heard people say that strangers will take the liberty of touching their stomachs. None of that is all right, and furthermore, I don't think it's all right for people to ask about what's going on in your reproductive system. What it comes down to is it's not any stranger's business, and it's not an appropriate or polite way for people to start a conversation.
Of course, for family, all those rules go right out the window. But family members should know if we have any announcements, they'll be clued in as soon as possible.
I've been working on various crafts, from some things people have commissioned to a crocheted scarf for Special Olympics athletes competing in the Winter Games. Right now, I'm mostly working on Christmas presents, which of course I can't post details about until after Christmas. I will say, the nieces and nephews are getting an animal theme this year.
Dan has been busy with a number of new video games, including Battlefield 3 and Skyrim. I prefer watching him play Skyrim, because he gets to fight dragons and I can side-seat drive when he makes his dialog choices.
I'm looking forward to seeing our family at Christmas. I was able to get the day in question off, so we are planning to take that lovely trip back to Indiana once again.
The logical step that everyone makes once a couple gets married is, of course, now it's baby time. While we are interested in children eventually, I would like Dan to get his associate's degree before there's an infant in the house, and I would like to establish just a bit more job security before I'm off for maternity leave. I am studying up on pregnancy and babies, just because I have no idea in general what to expect. I didn't do much babysitting growing up.
Both of us are interested in getting in shape. Dan is more interested in getting "buff," while I would like to be able to run a 5K again and shed a few pounds.
I am generally a pretty confident lady, but in the past few months I have had several people asking me if I'm pregnant. I don't know if my clothes just don't fit, or if my body is just shaped like a preggo lady's. Either way, I am not really offended and I try to take it as a compliment - I must be glowing. Of course, it means people think I'm fat, too.
I'm not hurt to be thought of as fat, because I have come to accept that with my job and my genes, I'm going to be built for comfort and not for speed basically no matter what I do. The thing that bothers me about strangers asking me if I'm pregnant is that it's rude and reductive to me as a human being.
Once a woman becomes pregnant, it's like her body even more than usual becomes the public domain upon which to comment. She can't hold a coffee cup without people gasping in shock, and I've heard people say that strangers will take the liberty of touching their stomachs. None of that is all right, and furthermore, I don't think it's all right for people to ask about what's going on in your reproductive system. What it comes down to is it's not any stranger's business, and it's not an appropriate or polite way for people to start a conversation.
Of course, for family, all those rules go right out the window. But family members should know if we have any announcements, they'll be clued in as soon as possible.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Keeping it up
I just stumbled across another blog, Young House Love, where the couple ostensibly have continued to blog about their house projects and other things. I think I'd like to do that. Though I'm terrible at keeping the blog updated, Dan and I do love to make stuff, so I think I might try to keep it up.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
A rundown of our awesome day - aka the longest post ever
It will be difficult to craft a post that does justice to the beautiful day we had on July 16. I'm sure I'll forget something!
Our save-the-dates and invitations were designed by Arippke on Etsy. I had them printed at A & K Printing in Mt. Vernon, Il.
The big day:
Daniel and I were married at the Garden Chapel in Greenfield, Ind., on July 16, 2011, at 3 p.m.
The chapel is a beautiful building with a high ceiling and stained glass. It is actually the original St. Michael's Church, where I attended church when I lived in Greenfield, and is more than 100 years old. The upstairs area, which was commandeered by my bridesmaids and me, had a lovely antique mirror and a tiny room with stained glass, where I admit I took a few deep breaths before the ceremony.
My bridesmaids and I carried purple and white stock flowers from Andree's Florist. My bouquet also had small orange spray roses. They smelled divine!
The ceremony was officiated by Brother Ira Scott from the Greenfield Church of God. During the ceremony, we did a wine box ceremony with a wine box made by my friend's wife, Vonderberry77. The box included love letters and a bottle of our favorite wine, Oliver Winery's muscat canelli.
My bridesmaids were three cousins and three friends; my maid of honor was my best friend. Dan's groomsmen were all friends.
My brothers were ushers, and my nieces were flower girls. They carried handmade baskets from Hilltop Baskets in Bluford, Il., and wore lavender gowns customized by my sister-in-law. My nephew was the ring bearer, but he had second thoughts at the last second and the show went on without him. He had just woken up and was so not into the idea!
The bridesmaids wore 'lapis' dresses from David's Bridal, which were actually a deep purple rather than a blue as suggested by the name. My bridesmaids also wore purple and silver multi-strand glass bead bracelets I made as their favors. The groomsmen and my groom wore coordinating tuxes from Men's Wearhouse.
I wore an ivory satin-and-tulle gown made by my mother from a 1959 Vogue design and spangled with swarovski crystals and glass pearls (by me). My mom actually broke a sewing machine on my dress, which I may never live down. My veil was made by me, from the same material my mom used on her wedding dress when she married my step dad. I edged the veil with glass beads, a trick I practiced on the veil I made for my dear friend Kasey's wedding. I wore a rhinestone bracelet from daniel12 and blue rhinestone earrings and a matching bracelet I borrowed from my maid of honor, Katie. I made my garter from leftover dress material and a violet heart-shaped Swarovski crystal.
Our reception was at the American Legion in Greenfield, Ind., where we decorated the head table with twinkle lights and purple and clear toasting glasses for the bridal party, bought secondhand. The reception was decorated with ficus trees borrowed from my aunt's church and fluffy white paper balls Dan's aunt and uncle sent us in a huge box of wedding decorations. We decorated the head table with twinkle lights my godmother had.
The centerpieces were clear glass bowls filled with sand and purple candles. The tables also had some mini candles one of my aunts brought from my cousin's wedding. My awesome cousin and bridesmaid Mattie made a flag quiz to keep people entertained - the Legion hall had all the state flags hung from the ceiling! The gift and cake tables were decorated with ivy garlands and white tulle. Everything at the reception was a collaborative effort from our wonderful friends and family, and I'm so incredibly thankful everyone offered their help.
As you know, the favors were tiny crocheted hearts made by me, which surrounded the bowls on the tables.
Our reception was DJ'ed by Jeromy Pierce. The beautiful, delicious wedding cakes were made by Willow Branch Bakery. We had a main cake with red velvet cake and butter cream icing, and a smaller groom's cake with lemon cake and raspberry filling. Daniel's grandmother also made a delicious (and huge!) carrot cake, and my cousin Colleen made a lovely and delicious strawberry cake.
For the father/daughter dance, my dad and I started out dancing to Butterfly Kisses, a song my dad found hilariously gag-worthy, and then we surprised most of the crowd by dancing an Irish jig. My grandmother was the youngest of 13 children, and her grandpa said he wanted to do a jig when she got married, so my dad paid homage to his memory and sense of humor.
Our breathtaking photos were taken by Adam Sturm, who runs his own business, Seegull Media, out of Indianapolis (though he has traveled all over the country for his work). Adam also does video and website design, so he is quite multi-talented!
The process of planning the wedding has had its stressful moments, but they were negligible compared to the love, caring and friendship Daniel and I were so blessed to receive from every angle. Our wedding weekend was the most wonderful time, and we will always look back on it with nothing but joy and happiness.
Our save-the-dates and invitations were designed by Arippke on Etsy. I had them printed at A & K Printing in Mt. Vernon, Il.
The big day:
Daniel and I were married at the Garden Chapel in Greenfield, Ind., on July 16, 2011, at 3 p.m.
The chapel is a beautiful building with a high ceiling and stained glass. It is actually the original St. Michael's Church, where I attended church when I lived in Greenfield, and is more than 100 years old. The upstairs area, which was commandeered by my bridesmaids and me, had a lovely antique mirror and a tiny room with stained glass, where I admit I took a few deep breaths before the ceremony.
My bridesmaids and I carried purple and white stock flowers from Andree's Florist. My bouquet also had small orange spray roses. They smelled divine!
The ceremony was officiated by Brother Ira Scott from the Greenfield Church of God. During the ceremony, we did a wine box ceremony with a wine box made by my friend's wife, Vonderberry77. The box included love letters and a bottle of our favorite wine, Oliver Winery's muscat canelli.
My bridesmaids were three cousins and three friends; my maid of honor was my best friend. Dan's groomsmen were all friends.
My brothers were ushers, and my nieces were flower girls. They carried handmade baskets from Hilltop Baskets in Bluford, Il., and wore lavender gowns customized by my sister-in-law. My nephew was the ring bearer, but he had second thoughts at the last second and the show went on without him. He had just woken up and was so not into the idea!
The bridesmaids wore 'lapis' dresses from David's Bridal, which were actually a deep purple rather than a blue as suggested by the name. My bridesmaids also wore purple and silver multi-strand glass bead bracelets I made as their favors. The groomsmen and my groom wore coordinating tuxes from Men's Wearhouse.
I wore an ivory satin-and-tulle gown made by my mother from a 1959 Vogue design and spangled with swarovski crystals and glass pearls (by me). My mom actually broke a sewing machine on my dress, which I may never live down. My veil was made by me, from the same material my mom used on her wedding dress when she married my step dad. I edged the veil with glass beads, a trick I practiced on the veil I made for my dear friend Kasey's wedding. I wore a rhinestone bracelet from daniel12 and blue rhinestone earrings and a matching bracelet I borrowed from my maid of honor, Katie. I made my garter from leftover dress material and a violet heart-shaped Swarovski crystal.
Our reception was at the American Legion in Greenfield, Ind., where we decorated the head table with twinkle lights and purple and clear toasting glasses for the bridal party, bought secondhand. The reception was decorated with ficus trees borrowed from my aunt's church and fluffy white paper balls Dan's aunt and uncle sent us in a huge box of wedding decorations. We decorated the head table with twinkle lights my godmother had.
The centerpieces were clear glass bowls filled with sand and purple candles. The tables also had some mini candles one of my aunts brought from my cousin's wedding. My awesome cousin and bridesmaid Mattie made a flag quiz to keep people entertained - the Legion hall had all the state flags hung from the ceiling! The gift and cake tables were decorated with ivy garlands and white tulle. Everything at the reception was a collaborative effort from our wonderful friends and family, and I'm so incredibly thankful everyone offered their help.
As you know, the favors were tiny crocheted hearts made by me, which surrounded the bowls on the tables.
Our reception was DJ'ed by Jeromy Pierce. The beautiful, delicious wedding cakes were made by Willow Branch Bakery. We had a main cake with red velvet cake and butter cream icing, and a smaller groom's cake with lemon cake and raspberry filling. Daniel's grandmother also made a delicious (and huge!) carrot cake, and my cousin Colleen made a lovely and delicious strawberry cake.
For the father/daughter dance, my dad and I started out dancing to Butterfly Kisses, a song my dad found hilariously gag-worthy, and then we surprised most of the crowd by dancing an Irish jig. My grandmother was the youngest of 13 children, and her grandpa said he wanted to do a jig when she got married, so my dad paid homage to his memory and sense of humor.
Our breathtaking photos were taken by Adam Sturm, who runs his own business, Seegull Media, out of Indianapolis (though he has traveled all over the country for his work). Adam also does video and website design, so he is quite multi-talented!
The process of planning the wedding has had its stressful moments, but they were negligible compared to the love, caring and friendship Daniel and I were so blessed to receive from every angle. Our wedding weekend was the most wonderful time, and we will always look back on it with nothing but joy and happiness.
It happened!
Sorry I'm so terrible at updating the blog! I'm working on a big, 'here's everything that happened' sort of post. I lost my camera cord (and my mind) about a month before the wedding and so I didn't post until now. I want to share all the BEAUTIFUL photos our photographer took, so I'll definitely post soon. Keep an eye out.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Getting ready
I'm leaving tomorrow for my hometown for the shower and bachelorette party, so today I wrapped up the gifts for my bridesmaids and special helpers throughout this process. I can't believe that there's basically only a month left before the wedding. I can remember when it was still a year and a half out and I couldn't get my dad to take my flailing seriously (love you, Dad).We just have to finalize a few things on the flowers, the menu, the ceremony and the tuxes, and we'll be good to go. Oh, and I have to finish sewing the beads on the dress. But I have faith that I'm going to get that done in time and without further injury to myself.
I'm starting to get really excited.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
44 days
FORTY-FOUR DAYS.
We got the invites done tonight and we are sending them out tomorrow morning. Everybody should be receiving them this week!
I think we might make this happen - I just need to find someone in Dan's family to do the second reading, because I don't think the person he asked initially is going to attend.
We got the invites done tonight and we are sending them out tomorrow morning. Everybody should be receiving them this week!
I think we might make this happen - I just need to find someone in Dan's family to do the second reading, because I don't think the person he asked initially is going to attend.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Three months to go!
It's three months until the wedding! I'm so close to being done with everything. We picked up our wedding bands today; they are prettier than I remembered.
I'm really hoping my wrists and thumbs will recover soon so I can get back to making the things I still need to make. I didn't mention it earlier, but I got done with my veil just about a week ago.
I found the same fabric my mom used to make her wedding gown when she married my step dad. She saved a sample of it and had brought it out when we were talking about what fabrics I might want my dress in. I am not using it for my whole dress, but I liked the idea of tying it to my mom somehow.
I sewed czech glass seed beads around the edges of the fingertip length veil, and along the comb as well. I made a similar veil for my dear friend Kasey for her wedding last September, but it didn't occur to me then to sew beads along the comb. She seemed to like it anyway. :)
Since I've been using every possible moment to make items for the wedding for the past 6 months or so, this self-imposed break has been strange for me, to say the least. I now find it really difficult to just sit and watch a movie, because I'm so used to having some "employment" as Jane Austen would say. (I'm reading "Sense and Sensibility).
I still need to make about 10 hearts, six bridesmaids' gifts, and two gifts for special people helping out.
I can't believe it's actually going to happen!
I'm really hoping my wrists and thumbs will recover soon so I can get back to making the things I still need to make. I didn't mention it earlier, but I got done with my veil just about a week ago.
I found the same fabric my mom used to make her wedding gown when she married my step dad. She saved a sample of it and had brought it out when we were talking about what fabrics I might want my dress in. I am not using it for my whole dress, but I liked the idea of tying it to my mom somehow.I sewed czech glass seed beads around the edges of the fingertip length veil, and along the comb as well. I made a similar veil for my dear friend Kasey for her wedding last September, but it didn't occur to me then to sew beads along the comb. She seemed to like it anyway. :)
Since I've been using every possible moment to make items for the wedding for the past 6 months or so, this self-imposed break has been strange for me, to say the least. I now find it really difficult to just sit and watch a movie, because I'm so used to having some "employment" as Jane Austen would say. (I'm reading "Sense and Sensibility).
I still need to make about 10 hearts, six bridesmaids' gifts, and two gifts for special people helping out.
I can't believe it's actually going to happen!
Friday, April 15, 2011
Eurgh.
I basically took the whole week off from crafting for the wedding, because I'm starting to get some pretty serious carpal tunnel symptoms. Before I gave in to my gentleman's urging to take a friggin' rest, I started stringing a long necklace for someone in the wedding who has been helping me a lot.
I started it back up today after I got off work, but as I was nearing the end of the very long string, I turned to the gentleman and said, "I'm starting to think this is ugly." As I was working, I was imagining giving it to this person. It wasn't going well in my head - I was begging forgiveness and telling the person they don't have to wear it to the wedding.
The gentleman agreed. It was an ugly piece.
So I'm trying to figure out something else, which, eh, kind of annoying. But I'd rather give nice things than give something I don't even like. I just have to figure out what I'm going to do - work with the components I have in a different way, or go in an entirely different direction.
It doesn't help that I just got done writing a story about a local jewelry maker who makes beautiful, meticulous woven pieces and I'm feeling somewhat (ok, rather) inferior. You can see her pretty, pretty stuff here.
I think maybe I got in too much of a hurry and got preoccupied with getting DONE rather than making gifts that I know I like and that others will like and wear.
I started it back up today after I got off work, but as I was nearing the end of the very long string, I turned to the gentleman and said, "I'm starting to think this is ugly." As I was working, I was imagining giving it to this person. It wasn't going well in my head - I was begging forgiveness and telling the person they don't have to wear it to the wedding.
The gentleman agreed. It was an ugly piece.
So I'm trying to figure out something else, which, eh, kind of annoying. But I'd rather give nice things than give something I don't even like. I just have to figure out what I'm going to do - work with the components I have in a different way, or go in an entirely different direction.
It doesn't help that I just got done writing a story about a local jewelry maker who makes beautiful, meticulous woven pieces and I'm feeling somewhat (ok, rather) inferior. You can see her pretty, pretty stuff here.
I think maybe I got in too much of a hurry and got preoccupied with getting DONE rather than making gifts that I know I like and that others will like and wear.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Very bad, no good blogger
Sorry about the lack of posts lately! I have been a very busy little bee, with work and preparation for the wedding. I've got 95 hearts done, and I need only about 105, so I am much more relaxed about that. I have gotten several of the bridesmaids' gifts done, and I started on my veil. I am also working on design sketches for something for a couple special people who have been helping me a lot.
Today I picked up the flower girl baskets from the Amish or Mennonite lady I ordered them from. I am fascinated by the Amish and their ability to maintain a microcosm of "plainness" as they do. There are many Amish or Amish Mennonites in Southern Indiana, where my grandparents are from, and I recently discovered there are a fair number where I live in Illinois.
Esther and her husband have a small farm southeast of where I live. Their lifestyle is interesting to me. The Amish Mennonite church, like any other, has a multitude of differences throughout the world, so it's not like you can say, "All Amish don't use a telephone."
Ben, Esther's wife, was plowing their garden with a pair of Belgian horses when Dan and I showed up to pick up the baskets. I found that particularly exciting because my great-uncle Lawrence used to breed Belgian draft horses. They are beautiful, gentle animals that I can remember visiting as a child. My great-uncle also had a Chihuahua named "Half-Pint."
Anyway, that's kind of off topic, but what can you do. I am hopefully going to spend the rest of this weekend finishing my veil and being awesome.
Today I picked up the flower girl baskets from the Amish or Mennonite lady I ordered them from. I am fascinated by the Amish and their ability to maintain a microcosm of "plainness" as they do. There are many Amish or Amish Mennonites in Southern Indiana, where my grandparents are from, and I recently discovered there are a fair number where I live in Illinois.
Esther and her husband have a small farm southeast of where I live. Their lifestyle is interesting to me. The Amish Mennonite church, like any other, has a multitude of differences throughout the world, so it's not like you can say, "All Amish don't use a telephone."
Ben, Esther's wife, was plowing their garden with a pair of Belgian horses when Dan and I showed up to pick up the baskets. I found that particularly exciting because my great-uncle Lawrence used to breed Belgian draft horses. They are beautiful, gentle animals that I can remember visiting as a child. My great-uncle also had a Chihuahua named "Half-Pint."
Anyway, that's kind of off topic, but what can you do. I am hopefully going to spend the rest of this weekend finishing my veil and being awesome.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Just breathe.
It's four months until our wedding. Things are shaping up. I'm headed to my hometown in a couple days to meet my hairstylist, consult with the photographer, converse with the officiant, see the reception site and taste cake. I'm treated to regular updates on my dress from my mom, who sends me frequent cell phone photos.
I'm still not done with the hearts, but I'm trying. I just have to make my veil and the bridesmaids' gifts after that. I have one of the bridesmaids' gifts done, and they won't take long. I can make the veil as easy or as difficult as I have time for it to be.
I have been really heartbroken for the people of Japan and looking for ways to help. Reading all the news coverage has put a damper on wedding excitement for me for a while. I wish there were a way for me to help that didn't involve money, but it looks like a contribution to the Red Cross or another aid organization is going to be the way to go for a while at least. I don't know what I could do; make hats or blankets or something, maybe? It sounds like food and shelter are the biggest needs for the Japanese affected by the tsunami and earthquakes right now.
I know a wedding blog isn't really the place for thoughts on the disaster in Japan, but it has honestly been at the forefront of my thoughts since it occurred. For now, I suppose, I will continue to pray and hope the gentleman and I can make a charitable contribution to an organization helping soon.
I'm still not done with the hearts, but I'm trying. I just have to make my veil and the bridesmaids' gifts after that. I have one of the bridesmaids' gifts done, and they won't take long. I can make the veil as easy or as difficult as I have time for it to be.
I have been really heartbroken for the people of Japan and looking for ways to help. Reading all the news coverage has put a damper on wedding excitement for me for a while. I wish there were a way for me to help that didn't involve money, but it looks like a contribution to the Red Cross or another aid organization is going to be the way to go for a while at least. I don't know what I could do; make hats or blankets or something, maybe? It sounds like food and shelter are the biggest needs for the Japanese affected by the tsunami and earthquakes right now.
I know a wedding blog isn't really the place for thoughts on the disaster in Japan, but it has honestly been at the forefront of my thoughts since it occurred. For now, I suppose, I will continue to pray and hope the gentleman and I can make a charitable contribution to an organization helping soon.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Et cetera
Sorry about last night's pity party. I got a trifle overwhelmed. I don't want this blog to turn into my anxiety corner, but rather to celebrate the creativity that we're trying to put into the celebration we want to have. So here are some pictures of our save the dates!
Dan wanted to be the one to put the magnets on the cards, and he decided he wanted them all to be heart-shaped. Which was adorable, and looks awesome. It's a little detail, but it is just cute.
We've got all the envelopes sealed, we just need to address them and get them in the mail.
For the next couple days, I might take the advice of a little Zen wedding book my future mother-in-law got me, and put a moratorium on the W word. I seem to be less overwhelmed, but I need to temper my headlong dives into the details.
Dan wanted to be the one to put the magnets on the cards, and he decided he wanted them all to be heart-shaped. Which was adorable, and looks awesome. It's a little detail, but it is just cute.We've got all the envelopes sealed, we just need to address them and get them in the mail.
For the next couple days, I might take the advice of a little Zen wedding book my future mother-in-law got me, and put a moratorium on the W word. I seem to be less overwhelmed, but I need to temper my headlong dives into the details.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Blogorrhea
I'm officially sick of hearing myself talk about the wedding. Is there some sort of wall people hit, where it's all you think about, and every once in a while you still tear up listening to a song or imagining something, but mostly, you just want yourself to STFU about hair, dates, favors, songs and all that?
That seems like a complicated concept. Maybe there's a word for it in German.
There are four months and nine days until the wedding. Dan has been extremely helpful with everything I'm doing.
We have finished the save the dates, except for addressing them. All the envelopes have our return address on there. I hope to get them sent out Friday or Saturday, which means it's cursive time again. Then we get to do it one more time for the actual invites, and I forget when those are supposed to be sent out. A month in advance? Idk.
If there's anything I do know, it's that my family has my back like whoa.
We had a problem with the reception site, namely, that it was less than desirable in parking and number of sinks per bathroom (none), and it wasn't 12 hours before my aunt, grandparents and dad had found a shiny new reception site and got that sucker reserved. I can't even figure out how to thank them. A card seems insufficient.
I have completed 72 hearts. I am inching ever closer to my goal.
But anyway, I am tired of hearing myself talk about the wedding. As much as I know I will cherish the day with Daniel, I can't wait until I don't have to think about the little details anymore.
That seems like a complicated concept. Maybe there's a word for it in German.
There are four months and nine days until the wedding. Dan has been extremely helpful with everything I'm doing.
We have finished the save the dates, except for addressing them. All the envelopes have our return address on there. I hope to get them sent out Friday or Saturday, which means it's cursive time again. Then we get to do it one more time for the actual invites, and I forget when those are supposed to be sent out. A month in advance? Idk.
If there's anything I do know, it's that my family has my back like whoa.
We had a problem with the reception site, namely, that it was less than desirable in parking and number of sinks per bathroom (none), and it wasn't 12 hours before my aunt, grandparents and dad had found a shiny new reception site and got that sucker reserved. I can't even figure out how to thank them. A card seems insufficient.
I have completed 72 hearts. I am inching ever closer to my goal.
But anyway, I am tired of hearing myself talk about the wedding. As much as I know I will cherish the day with Daniel, I can't wait until I don't have to think about the little details anymore.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Super quick update
I'm at 65 hearts - getting there slowly but surely.
I picked up the save the dates today, so we'll be busy addressing and putting magnets on the cardstock, I'm sure.
Every "The Knot" e-mail I get tells me how many days to go, and it's starting to make me majorly nervous. Not in a cold feet sort of way, but a "how will we ever pull this off???" sort of way.
I picked up the save the dates today, so we'll be busy addressing and putting magnets on the cardstock, I'm sure.
Every "The Knot" e-mail I get tells me how many days to go, and it's starting to make me majorly nervous. Not in a cold feet sort of way, but a "how will we ever pull this off???" sort of way.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Corazoncitos
As of this evening, I have made 52 crochet hearts. That is just about halfway done. I've still got a lot of work to do, but I feel halfway is cause for a little celebration. So, huzzah!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
A tisket, a tasket...
One of the things I haven't done much so far in my wedding planning is support small business, either in my hometown or where I live now. We're trying to save money whenever possible, and one of the double-edged swords of American industry in my (often flawed) point of view is that often, the cheapest options and more choices are offered at bigger businesses.
We are getting the cakes from a small local bakery, but we got the fabric for my dress from a large craft store chain, and the paper goods came from a number of large craft store chains. Our bridal party is getting their dresses and tuxes from two national retailers, in no small part because we have friends and family all over the country. We're getting the food and serving items from Gordon Food Service, a huge company that is all over Canada and the Midwest. I'm not saying I don't like those businesses, in fact, the opposite is true. I'm just saying a little hippie part of me feels bad that our dollars aren't always staying local and small business.
So I'm excited about my flower girl baskets. I just ordered them from a local basket maker and baker, a husband and wife team who are either Amish or Mennonite, and who make lovely baskets. They live in a small town about 10 miles east of where we live.
I had been keeping one eyeball peeled for anything interesting, because I was somewhat underwhelmed with the offerings of the wedding sections of the aforementioned giant craft stores. I know if you put the word wedding on the box, the price goes up at least 10 percent, but the Barbie quality of the snowy satin on the flower girl baskets I've seen so far didn't have me opening my pocketbook.
I know it's a small detail, but I'm excited to have good, handmade baskets that my flower girls can keep when the day is over.
We are getting the cakes from a small local bakery, but we got the fabric for my dress from a large craft store chain, and the paper goods came from a number of large craft store chains. Our bridal party is getting their dresses and tuxes from two national retailers, in no small part because we have friends and family all over the country. We're getting the food and serving items from Gordon Food Service, a huge company that is all over Canada and the Midwest. I'm not saying I don't like those businesses, in fact, the opposite is true. I'm just saying a little hippie part of me feels bad that our dollars aren't always staying local and small business.
So I'm excited about my flower girl baskets. I just ordered them from a local basket maker and baker, a husband and wife team who are either Amish or Mennonite, and who make lovely baskets. They live in a small town about 10 miles east of where we live.
I had been keeping one eyeball peeled for anything interesting, because I was somewhat underwhelmed with the offerings of the wedding sections of the aforementioned giant craft stores. I know if you put the word wedding on the box, the price goes up at least 10 percent, but the Barbie quality of the snowy satin on the flower girl baskets I've seen so far didn't have me opening my pocketbook.
I know it's a small detail, but I'm excited to have good, handmade baskets that my flower girls can keep when the day is over.
Monday, February 14, 2011
You're invited!
Planning our wedding has been a humbling process. I don't know if it's supposed to be, but it has been.
I started out thinking I was going to apply my boundless creativity to every aspect of the process. I quickly figured out that my skills only expand so far.
We bought paper products for our invitations early on, because I was confident I could design a beautiful invitation for us with ease, having forgotten the painstaking hours spent in computer labs for my design classes in college.
We initially were leaning toward a Wall-E theme, because it's one of our favorite movies and it's impossibly adorable.
However, Wall-E is really hard to draw, as evidenced by my failed attempts at creating a save-the-date.
After I gave up on Wall-E, we compromised on a bird theme. I trolled the Etsy pages for wedding invitations, looking for inspiration. I bought a 30-day trial to Adobe InDesign in hopes that I would become a good artist in that amount of time. By day three, I'd given up and put out feelers for anyone who would design the invites for me.
I did what's called an alchemy request on Etsy, looking for someone to help me draw the birds for the save-the-dates. Typography and extremely basic things are not beyond my grasp, but I was having an awful time electronically rendering two cute little birds. I set my desired cost at $25.
More than a dozen people applied for the job, which surprised me a lot. On the second day, one of the people whose designs I had admired, arippke, said she would do everything - save the dates, invites and RSVP cards and envelopes for $40.
She's done a beautiful job, and we're going to get the save-the-dates printed tomorrow. Out of respect for her designs, I won't post the original image. I will take some photos when we start stuffing envelopes.
What I've learned is that you can't do everything yourself, but if you spend a little bit of time looking, you will find someone who will be willing to help you out.
I started out thinking I was going to apply my boundless creativity to every aspect of the process. I quickly figured out that my skills only expand so far.
We bought paper products for our invitations early on, because I was confident I could design a beautiful invitation for us with ease, having forgotten the painstaking hours spent in computer labs for my design classes in college.
We initially were leaning toward a Wall-E theme, because it's one of our favorite movies and it's impossibly adorable.
However, Wall-E is really hard to draw, as evidenced by my failed attempts at creating a save-the-date.
After I gave up on Wall-E, we compromised on a bird theme. I trolled the Etsy pages for wedding invitations, looking for inspiration. I bought a 30-day trial to Adobe InDesign in hopes that I would become a good artist in that amount of time. By day three, I'd given up and put out feelers for anyone who would design the invites for me.
I did what's called an alchemy request on Etsy, looking for someone to help me draw the birds for the save-the-dates. Typography and extremely basic things are not beyond my grasp, but I was having an awful time electronically rendering two cute little birds. I set my desired cost at $25.
More than a dozen people applied for the job, which surprised me a lot. On the second day, one of the people whose designs I had admired, arippke, said she would do everything - save the dates, invites and RSVP cards and envelopes for $40.
She's done a beautiful job, and we're going to get the save-the-dates printed tomorrow. Out of respect for her designs, I won't post the original image. I will take some photos when we start stuffing envelopes.
What I've learned is that you can't do everything yourself, but if you spend a little bit of time looking, you will find someone who will be willing to help you out.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Saturday, February 12, 2011
The cake problem
I've known since I got engaged that I would most likely be getting the services of a professional baker for our wedding cake. My mom used to be a professional cake decorator, and a good one at that, but she is also making my dress, and I want her to be able to have fun at the wedding, not worry about every little detail. I also was concerned about the transportation issue, since my mom lives in Missouri and my wedding will be in Indiana.
I've been worried about the cake for a while due to the wedding magazine industry's insistence that $30 a slice is perfectly reasonable unless you're just completely bourgeoisie. I knew that couldn't be right, but I've been realizing, as soon as you mention the word wedding, prices suddenly increase.
In addition, I've been reading a book called "The DIY Wedding: Celebrate Your Day Your Way." One of the things they mention is having a number of different cakes instead of one giant, expensive, elaborate cake from a baker. The people in the book ordered all their cakes from one baker, but we want to have family members make a couple of cakes to honor their culinary talents. That way, my mom can make a cake, and that will please her, but she doesn't have to have the pressure of the dress and *the* cake on her shoulders. My mom, my cousin, and my fiance's grandma have said they will make cakes for the big day. We will still have a traditional cake to cut for the photo opportunity, but it will be smaller. We will honor our family members who are contributing with a placard saying what kind of cake it is and who made it.
I've been e-mailing back and forth with a baker in my hometown for about a year, about the possibility of them making our wedding cake. When my aunt offered to take over some of the duties and chores involved in wedding planning, calling the baker was one of them. She initially made the call to this bakery, Moxie, and told them about the small cake we wanted.
She said they offered an estimate of $200, and mentioned they were "the only game in town," meaning unless we wanted to order our cake from a grocery store (what's wrong with that??) we would have to pay a delivery charge.
I called them to tell them our plans and find out if $200 was really their estimate for a 30-slice cake. As soon as I mentioned my family members making cakes, this is what the baker told me:
"We don't really have our cakes at events where other cakes will be. We have a reputation to uphold, and if those cakes don't taste good, or don't look good, that could reflect poorly on us."
I said we would look elsewhere, thanked her, and hung up a little abruptly.
I am still slightly incredulous. I would understand if we were having cake from competing bakeries at our wedding, but they're going to be homemade. They will be delicious, but they will obviously be homemade, in baking pans, AND LABELED AS SUCH. I just have to laugh.
The good news is that I was rapidly able to find another baker in the area, Willow Branch Bakery. I e-mailed them and told them our plans, and they're working with me and my fiance to create a custom design based on our invitation designs and cake topper. They're also working with our budget, which is really awesome. I guess sometimes you have to have a jaw-dropping customer service experience before you can appreciate really good customer service from someone else.
I've been worried about the cake for a while due to the wedding magazine industry's insistence that $30 a slice is perfectly reasonable unless you're just completely bourgeoisie. I knew that couldn't be right, but I've been realizing, as soon as you mention the word wedding, prices suddenly increase.
In addition, I've been reading a book called "The DIY Wedding: Celebrate Your Day Your Way." One of the things they mention is having a number of different cakes instead of one giant, expensive, elaborate cake from a baker. The people in the book ordered all their cakes from one baker, but we want to have family members make a couple of cakes to honor their culinary talents. That way, my mom can make a cake, and that will please her, but she doesn't have to have the pressure of the dress and *the* cake on her shoulders. My mom, my cousin, and my fiance's grandma have said they will make cakes for the big day. We will still have a traditional cake to cut for the photo opportunity, but it will be smaller. We will honor our family members who are contributing with a placard saying what kind of cake it is and who made it.
I've been e-mailing back and forth with a baker in my hometown for about a year, about the possibility of them making our wedding cake. When my aunt offered to take over some of the duties and chores involved in wedding planning, calling the baker was one of them. She initially made the call to this bakery, Moxie, and told them about the small cake we wanted.
She said they offered an estimate of $200, and mentioned they were "the only game in town," meaning unless we wanted to order our cake from a grocery store (what's wrong with that??) we would have to pay a delivery charge.
I called them to tell them our plans and find out if $200 was really their estimate for a 30-slice cake. As soon as I mentioned my family members making cakes, this is what the baker told me:
"We don't really have our cakes at events where other cakes will be. We have a reputation to uphold, and if those cakes don't taste good, or don't look good, that could reflect poorly on us."
I said we would look elsewhere, thanked her, and hung up a little abruptly.
I am still slightly incredulous. I would understand if we were having cake from competing bakeries at our wedding, but they're going to be homemade. They will be delicious, but they will obviously be homemade, in baking pans, AND LABELED AS SUCH. I just have to laugh.
The good news is that I was rapidly able to find another baker in the area, Willow Branch Bakery. I e-mailed them and told them our plans, and they're working with me and my fiance to create a custom design based on our invitation designs and cake topper. They're also working with our budget, which is really awesome. I guess sometimes you have to have a jaw-dropping customer service experience before you can appreciate really good customer service from someone else.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
A concession
My godmother/aunt/arbiter of good advice convinced me to take one item off my Gotta-do-it-by-July list.
We will be using some crystal birds I received as a gift some time ago as our cake topper, rather than me making the amigurumi birds I mentioned a couple of posts ago. Even just that one less item to do is a relief.
I'm so grateful to my friends and family for their sound advice. My future mother-in-law sent me a book called the Zen Bride, and I've been trying to read a little bit from it a day to keep myself grounded and rational.
When you get caught up in the tiny details, like the size of the RSVP cards or who is sitting at what table, it's easy to get tunnel vision and start to panic. That's why it's so nice to have people to remind you what the day is really about. My Maid of Honor and best friend said something wise, that the wedding is one day, but it's the marriage that matters.
We will be using some crystal birds I received as a gift some time ago as our cake topper, rather than me making the amigurumi birds I mentioned a couple of posts ago. Even just that one less item to do is a relief.
I'm so grateful to my friends and family for their sound advice. My future mother-in-law sent me a book called the Zen Bride, and I've been trying to read a little bit from it a day to keep myself grounded and rational.
When you get caught up in the tiny details, like the size of the RSVP cards or who is sitting at what table, it's easy to get tunnel vision and start to panic. That's why it's so nice to have people to remind you what the day is really about. My Maid of Honor and best friend said something wise, that the wedding is one day, but it's the marriage that matters.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Planning, planning, planning
Last weekend, I went back home to Indiana, which is fully in the grasp of the Snowpocalypse, to meet up with my cousin, aunt and dad to hopefully figure some things out.
My aunt, who is also my godmother, wanted to help me plan because she is generally awesome. We got a lot worked out, and it is a giant relief.
This week I also priced local printers for our invite printing costs. I was really pleased with the estimates. I thought it would be a lot more expensive - I think it will only be about $50 to print everything - invites, save the dates, and RSVPs. Of course, it's not embossed or on handmade paper, but you know. (I'm just kidding, I love the design for our invites).
I still have a lot on my plate. I have about 40 hearts done, and if I make two a day, I can be done in a month. After that, I still need to make my veil and the gifts for my bridesmaids. I think there may even be another thing I need to make, but I can't remember.
There are 156 days until the wedding. I feel excited and mostly calm about the whole thing, but I'm starting to have nightmares. I dreamed another cousin, one of my bridesmaids, stabbed me. I had another wedding-related dream after that, but I don't remember it.
I finally found my camera cord so I can share some pictures of my workspace and the stuff I've got done so far.
My fiance and I have set aside one corner of the house specifically for the wedding.
You can see the candles and sand we have for our centerpieces, the purple flower petals I bought for the flower girl(s), and everything else we're stockpiling like wedding industry-obsessed chipmunks. It is definitely helpful to keep everything in one area, so we can see what we still need and check everything else off our list.
Here are the favors so far. I cheated a little because I put them all in a smaller box. We're still planning to add paper tags with our names and the date if we can get around to it.
Basically I've just got to keep plugging away, and slowly but surely, I will get everything I want accomplished by July.
My aunt, who is also my godmother, wanted to help me plan because she is generally awesome. We got a lot worked out, and it is a giant relief.
This week I also priced local printers for our invite printing costs. I was really pleased with the estimates. I thought it would be a lot more expensive - I think it will only be about $50 to print everything - invites, save the dates, and RSVPs. Of course, it's not embossed or on handmade paper, but you know. (I'm just kidding, I love the design for our invites).
I still have a lot on my plate. I have about 40 hearts done, and if I make two a day, I can be done in a month. After that, I still need to make my veil and the gifts for my bridesmaids. I think there may even be another thing I need to make, but I can't remember.
There are 156 days until the wedding. I feel excited and mostly calm about the whole thing, but I'm starting to have nightmares. I dreamed another cousin, one of my bridesmaids, stabbed me. I had another wedding-related dream after that, but I don't remember it.
I finally found my camera cord so I can share some pictures of my workspace and the stuff I've got done so far.
My fiance and I have set aside one corner of the house specifically for the wedding.
You can see the candles and sand we have for our centerpieces, the purple flower petals I bought for the flower girl(s), and everything else we're stockpiling like wedding industry-obsessed chipmunks. It is definitely helpful to keep everything in one area, so we can see what we still need and check everything else off our list.
Here are the favors so far. I cheated a little because I put them all in a smaller box. We're still planning to add paper tags with our names and the date if we can get around to it.Basically I've just got to keep plugging away, and slowly but surely, I will get everything I want accomplished by July.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
A cozy feeling
I spent the first several months of my engagement being shocked at the sheer amount of things people are expected to do when they get married, and the cost of those individual things. A videographer? A calligrapher for the invitations?? A cake knife and server that cost more than $50??? They don't tell you about these "traditions" when you're dating.
Shortly after a giddy visit to David's Bridal to try on dresses, I began receiving catalogs in the mail with ideas for favors, minutiae for the wedding, and gift ideas for bridesmaids and groomsmen. I know as a recent college graduate and a reporter that I don't make very much money, but I was shocked at the amount of money people spend on each favor for their guests, or at least the amount the catalogs want you to spend.
About that time is when I started brainstorming with my fiance on what we could make ourselves. I knit and crochet, and my fiance is a paper craft aficionado, so our first idea was that we would make different animals for each table at the reception. I thought I would use the amigurumi style, a simple way of crocheting shapes popularized in Japan. The problem is it takes me a really long time to make amigurumi animals, because they are simple, but sometimes there are a lot of finishing steps.
We decided to stick with amigurumi, but instead, I would make simple hearts. I am using a free pattern from a very smart blogger called owlishly, (click here to see the pattern or download it), since I'm not making any profit from the wedding favors.
Our colors are purple and black, so I have been making the majority of the hearts in various purples. There are a few in crazy colors, just because I had some yarn sitting around and I wanted to crochet it up. I'm hoping I'll have enough different colors to satisfy all the kids in the crowd.
The other thing I plan to crochet myself is our cake topper. We had initially planned on having Wall-E and Eve as our cake topper, because we love the movie Wall-E, but I started having second thoughts and fretting that it may look too like a kid's birthday cake. Then I started working on our invitations (another post) and decided I wanted a bird theme instead. Daniel has been patient and understanding with me, so it was easy to convince him of birds.
I looked to Etsy for cake toppers, and there were plenty, but they are all appallingly expensive. The proverbial light bulb then appeared over my head and I clicked to my favorite compendium of amigurumi-style patterns, Lion Brand Yarn's pattern database. There, I found the perfect little birdlets.
This photo is from the Lion Brand website, so this is not what our birds will look like. But you get the idea.
I've been able to drastically reduce our costs by making these items. Granted, it is taking some time to make 100+ crochet hearts, but I think it's worth it. I want to put effort into the things we provide for our guests. I want them to know how happy we are that they are there to celebrate our marriage.
Shortly after a giddy visit to David's Bridal to try on dresses, I began receiving catalogs in the mail with ideas for favors, minutiae for the wedding, and gift ideas for bridesmaids and groomsmen. I know as a recent college graduate and a reporter that I don't make very much money, but I was shocked at the amount of money people spend on each favor for their guests, or at least the amount the catalogs want you to spend.
About that time is when I started brainstorming with my fiance on what we could make ourselves. I knit and crochet, and my fiance is a paper craft aficionado, so our first idea was that we would make different animals for each table at the reception. I thought I would use the amigurumi style, a simple way of crocheting shapes popularized in Japan. The problem is it takes me a really long time to make amigurumi animals, because they are simple, but sometimes there are a lot of finishing steps.
We decided to stick with amigurumi, but instead, I would make simple hearts. I am using a free pattern from a very smart blogger called owlishly, (click here to see the pattern or download it), since I'm not making any profit from the wedding favors.
Our colors are purple and black, so I have been making the majority of the hearts in various purples. There are a few in crazy colors, just because I had some yarn sitting around and I wanted to crochet it up. I'm hoping I'll have enough different colors to satisfy all the kids in the crowd.The other thing I plan to crochet myself is our cake topper. We had initially planned on having Wall-E and Eve as our cake topper, because we love the movie Wall-E, but I started having second thoughts and fretting that it may look too like a kid's birthday cake. Then I started working on our invitations (another post) and decided I wanted a bird theme instead. Daniel has been patient and understanding with me, so it was easy to convince him of birds.
I looked to Etsy for cake toppers, and there were plenty, but they are all appallingly expensive. The proverbial light bulb then appeared over my head and I clicked to my favorite compendium of amigurumi-style patterns, Lion Brand Yarn's pattern database. There, I found the perfect little birdlets.
This photo is from the Lion Brand website, so this is not what our birds will look like. But you get the idea.I've been able to drastically reduce our costs by making these items. Granted, it is taking some time to make 100+ crochet hearts, but I think it's worth it. I want to put effort into the things we provide for our guests. I want them to know how happy we are that they are there to celebrate our marriage.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Gonna get married...
I thought I'd start a blog about my wedding, because I sure want to blather on about it, but I don't want to bother my social-networking-site friends, particularly those of the "I hate others who are happy" ilk. (Not that I haven't been there at one time or another.)
I'm getting married on July 16, 2011, to a neato guy named Daniel. We are really happy.
The kind of defining characteristic of our wedding is we're attempting to have much of it be handmade, and all of it on a budget. So that's what I'll be writing about, is what we're doing, and how. Thanks for reading, and I hope that my posts are more interesting from here on out.
I'm getting married on July 16, 2011, to a neato guy named Daniel. We are really happy.
The kind of defining characteristic of our wedding is we're attempting to have much of it be handmade, and all of it on a budget. So that's what I'll be writing about, is what we're doing, and how. Thanks for reading, and I hope that my posts are more interesting from here on out.
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