Who does that?

Uninvited guests: the bane of every bride’s existence.

See, you spend all this time strategically deciding who to invite, thinking through all the possible justifications for why they make the cut, and agonizing over people who don’t get a high enough grade on your rubric to guarantee the invite.

And all that is before the invitations even go out. In fact, usually its before you know what they’re even going to look like! Not surprisingly, as October 3rd approaches, I’ve been having more run-ins with possible uninvited guests. And I’m always pretty surprised at the source of the inquiry. Actually, my response each time has been “Who does that?!?” Here’s whats happened (so far):

My first run-in came from one of my ‘maids. Long story short, she wants to bring her boyfriend to the wedding and for several reasons – the main one being that neither I nor the PHI have a relationship with him – we’ve essentially told her no. Honestly, I thought the matter was settled a year ago (yes, I am saying that in a year we still don’t feel like we know him; long story). But I was accosted at my FL shower about this dead-horse issue. The difference this time was she asked me in front of a small crowd of people. So I couldn’t say “What makes you think he’d be invited now when his name is not on the invitation label I printed last week?” like I wanted to (lol). Instead I punked out and said “We’ll have to see when the RSVPs start coming in.” I can’t believe I said that. I can’t believe she wants to invite someone to our wedding. I know, it doesn’t put us on the hook for actually giving him a seat at the reception, but I think opened her up to the possibility. But in all seriousness, who does that?

The next run-in came the very next day. I was at MamaP’s house packing my suitcase and trying to figure out how to get mostly everything home when there was a knock at the door. It was my mama’s godbrother’s ex-wife (were you able to keep up with that?) wondering why she had not been invited to the shower. She heard about at her ex-mother in law’s (MamaP’s godmommy) house, and after hearing that the shower was fab, proceeded to find out what happened to her invite. Thankfully she blamed MamaP and not me for the “oversight.” But my favorite part was when she said “I guess that means I wont be invited to the wedding…” Yup, especially after that stunt you just pulled, you’re probably right. Who. does. that.

My most recent try arrived in my inbox (yes, you read that right) last week during a pit stop to drop off the stuff we got at Sams. The PHI and I were having a domestic day (I’m now off every other Friday) and we took the opportunity to run some errands together. He’d never done Sams, and I imagine that from now on I’ll probably be venturing in there alone – lol. But anyway, for the sake of not getting worked up, the email was telling us that my sister-in-law’s sister-in-law (I know) has not only invited herself to our wedding, but has already purchased a plane ticket to SoFla.

Say it with me: who does that!?

It was initially framed as a question (i.e. “is it okay if she comes) but eventually turned into a request, complete with offering to pay for her plate and a reminder that she doesn’t have much family and considers the PHI and his family (her in-laws) to be her family too.

Fine. This stuff is all gradually driving my pressure up.

But not anymore. I’ve deposited here, I’ve told my friends (and co-workers), and now I’m back to the old Patti we know and love. I refuse for people to take away our choice in the name of wanting to celebrate with us. We’d love to invite everyone. But we cant. Nor are we going to initiate our own personal recession by trying to. So I’m putting it out there:

If you thought you were getting an invite and it never came, we’re sorry.

If you read my blog, and are interested in coming, thank you (!) but I am very sorry.

And if you think that you can just bop your way over to the Harriet Tubman* Theater on October 3rd, and we’re going to just let you in without a returned RSVP nor an initial invite, you’re sorry.

::stepping down from my soapbox::

I’ll be back very soon with pics and info on our invites and our menus that I just had printed. Unfortunately the invites didn’t price out as cheap as I’d like, but our invites more than made up for it. I am just swooning with love for them.

xoxox

*hilarious inside joke from my FL shower. Pics and recap are on the list, I promise.

The Photo Sharing Experiment

Today I want to show you the results of a project that was a pain in my arse, but that I hope will yield some interesting results. In this day and age, most of the people I know have a digital camera surgically attached to their hand when they attend events. And I don't assume that my showers or the wedding will be any different. As such, I got this idea (probably off TheKnot or WeddingBee) to give guests the opportunity to share their digital photos with us. Lets call this "The Photo Sharing Experiment." And I'm going to use my wedding shower guests as my sample (sans informed consent, thank you!)

I designed these cute and instructional cards in PowerPoint (surprise surprise). Initially, I wanted to do business cards, but I was having a hard time uploading a business card size image to Vistaprint. So I made postcards instead. And found a coupon code to get 100 postcards for free. Postcards are significantly larger than a business card, but still small enough to slide in a purse. Maybe this larger size will mean they'll be less likely to end up in the deep recesses of a handbag (cause I assume everyone's handbag is as deep as mine - lol).

With postcards, you can never quite call which side you're going to see first. But technically, this is the side I expect people to see first:


Naturally, I used the wedding fonts, and for good measure I included our wedding website url. If I'm able to collect any good photos from my showers, I'll make a slideshow for the website. According to Vistaprint, this is the back. Black and white text was included for the back(I did have to pay to upload my image), so I made it black and white. The additional charge to print in color was not worth it.

This is the side I expect everyone to see second:


According to Vistaprint, this the front. So the color printing was included, but I still had to pay to upload my image. Here is where I outlined (hopefully) very simple instructions on how to upload photos to our Flickr site. I chose Flickr for this project for a couple of reasons. First, brides speak very highly of it for this particular purpose. Second, I used Flickr when I designed our Blurb guestbook, and could easily see making an additional photobooks using images guests uploaded. Flickr and Blurb are BFFs, so importing photos into the Blurb software is seamless and stress free.

Ya'll already know this experiment did not cost me very much. About $18, including the uploading fees and shipping. I really hope that the ladies at my shower will pick up a card and upload their photos. I'm not entirely sure this will work, but if people use them, I'm definitely going to order more for the wedding. Probably business card sized this time.

I'll let you know how my little experiment turns out, k.

♥

DIY Week: All the Little Ladies (day three)

All the little ladies (all the little ladies)
All the little ladies (all the little ladies)
All the little ladies (all the little ladies)
All the little ladies...now throw your flowers up!

Yesterday I showed you what our little guys were toting down the aisle, so naturally today is about the little girls. As I mentioned before, we're having four little ladies in the wedding. Three of the flower throwing variety (i.e. flower girls), and one of the flower carrying variety (e.g. junior 'maid).

Lets start with the flower girl baskets. In the spirit of full disclosure, I have not quite completed the flower girl baskets. They're in SoFla right now with MamaP, so I couldn't finish them this past weekend while tying up other DIY loose ends. They're on the list for August when I'm home for my shower. Here's what I've got so far:

{side view}
Buying any kind of flower girl accessory/prop for three can get expensive quickly. Per my usual, I took matters into my own hands, and purchased plain baskets (from where else, Hobby Lobby) and proceeded to hook them up with some glossy spray paint. It took way more spray paint than I expected to get fairly even coats on the baskets. I'll probably have to touch them up again in August as you can tell they have been bumped around a bit in transit.

{here are all three together}
After several coats of paint, I purchased some ivory fabric and proceeded to hot glue some of it inside in a non-bootleg way. Now that I think about it, fitting the satin inside the baskets was more complicated than I anticipated too - lol.

I plan to finish these baskets off with some teal and (probably polka dot) kiwi ribbon. I'll probably wrap the ribbon around the handle and put some bows at the bottom on each side. We'll have to see when they're in front of me again.

{the flower pomander}
I have a hard time calling the oldest little girl a junior 'maid. She's a good bit older than the other girls, and will love this more grown up role. I'd much rather think of her as the Head Flower Girl (Hm, I kinda like that...it may show up in the program, lol). As such, she gets to carry her flowers down the aisle in the form of a pomander. I got this idea from MnOH Krissi, as I carried a flower pomander in her wedding almost 3 years ago.

{all secure!}
MnOH Krissi gave me some pretty straightforward instructions. To start, I purchased a foam ball and used straight pins to attach the handle to the ball. Depending on the type of flowers you decide to attach, a little ball will go a long way. Also, put more pins than you think you need. I recommend you try to angle the pins as you insert them to make the handle more secure. And then don't use the handle to carry it until absolutely necessary. The handles can be a real headache, and once it decides it wants to come out, its hard to seriously secure it again.

{I call this the Mohawk technique}
After you secure the handle, you can add the flowers. This part is largely trial and error. I ended up using a chopstick to stick a hole in the foam ball first, then I filled it with hot glue and stuck the flower pieces in.

I used pieces of silk hydrangea for the flower ball, since that's what I'm carrying. Unfortunately, they are not the cheapest flower, but I got them on sale at Michaels (surprise, surprise). I would recommend that you pull apart the flowers before you start to stick and glue. It kind of wrecks your flow if you have to keep stopping to this. Also, I cant emphasize enough that you should buy more flowers than you think you need. Like, 2x the amount. I sucks to have to stop mid project because you ran out of materials. Trust me, I know.

{about halfway done}
Once you get your rhythm, the ball comes together quickly. Its just poke and glue, poke and glue. Try and place the flowers fairly close together so that you don't have bald spots in your pomander. If you put them too close, it will take many more flowers. I wouldn't worry too much about it though, bald spots can be fixed. And if you have a disaster, you can just pull the flowers out and start again.

{one last pic}
I love how the ball turned out. Its a little bigger than I intended, but I really think my Head Flower Girl will enjoy carrying this down the aisle, like the other big girls.

So there you have it folks. For the most part, all the props for our little ladies are ready to go. I cant wait to see it all together - them in their dresses and carrying their props. They're going to be so cute!

Tomorrow I'm going to show you something for our guests. And no, I don't mean the favors. Adi!

♥

DIY Week: Giving the Boys Their Props (day two)

Today lets talk entourage. Not the 'maids, but my other set of attendants: the kids!

As I've mentioned before, we have lots of little ones in our wedding. They range in age from 3 to 10, and are all pretty cute and full of personality. Yes, I know having kids in the wedding is a potential attention-hog, but it was a huge wedding compromise for the PHI and I. He wanted kids in the wedding, and I said if were going to do it, we're doing it big. Six kids big.

Four of the kids are little girls - three are our official flower girls (petal throwing) and one will be like a junior bridesmaid (petal carrying). Figuring out what the girls would do was easy, and I'll show you their props in another post. Getting the boys situated was a little more difficult. The youngest boy will be about 3, and he'll get to carry the official ring bearer pillow. This pillow.

{the color is a little off, I promise its teal and kiwi}
I found this fabric at Hobby Lobby, and made this pillow (under MamaP's casual supervision) back while I was home in December. I won't go into detail about how I made the pillow, as they are generally very easy to pull together. Two pieces of fabric, some needle and thread, more stuffing than you might think, and some ribbon to dress it up a bit. Oh, and about 20 minutes of your time. I love how the pattern is green and teal, with an appropriate level of whimsy. Perfect for a little boy to carry down the aisle. Sans rings of course - there's no way I'm placing my diamonds in the hands of a three year old.

The other little boy in the wedding is going to be eight by October. In my opinion, that's a little old for ring-bearing. We needed something him to do. Initially, I thought it would be cute if he walked or ran down the aisle, ringing a bell and shouting "the bride is coming!" While cute in theory, I quickly came to my senses as my mind started going through all the permutations of what could potentially go wrong with that plan. Back to the drawing board.

{image source}
A couple of months ago, I came across these Here Comes the Bride Banners on the I Do Originals website. Loved the look, and the potential photo op, but I was not terribly wild about the cost. Or the size. Or the font. And again, the cost.

Enter DIY...

{I would have heart hooks next to the front door, right?
This is my version of a Here Comes the Bride Banner. I made ours smaller, since only one little boy will be carrying it, and with green accents (since he'll be in the same teal that the bridal party is wearing).

The fabric (muslin; used for rough drafts of sewing projects) was purchased at Hobby Lobby. I chose this fabric because I wanted it to be light weight, but heavier than your standard issue broadcloth. And it was a happy medium between the white and ivory cloth in the fabric section. I think I bought a half a yard and it cost next to nothing. The dowel and the fabric glue (no sewing!) I also got at Hobby Lobby.

I seriously ♥ Hobby Lobby.

The text is stickers. Scrapbooking stickers to be exact. I still have not gotten over my aisle runner experience, so there was no way I was going to be painting anything soon. The stickers worked out perfectly, and were on clearance (score!). The ribbon is some of that same $1 bin ribbon from Michaels. I used a thicker one on the banner itself, and a thinner one for the handle. Still no sewing. All that ribbon is either tied or sewed on, and I used the fabric glue to turn under the sides and make a pocket to slide the dowel through.

The whole banner, including the handle is about 18 inches long. I was a little afraid of making it too big for an 8 year old to manage, but I think the sizing came out just right. All in all, I spent next to nothing on this project, and I'm absolutely enamored with it.

Cute, budget friendly little boys props? Check!

Wanna know what the little girls are carrying?
Guess I'll be seeing you tomorrow, wont I.

♥

DIY Week: U-N-I-T-Y (day one)

Welcome to DIY Week! I'll spare you some grandiose introduction and get right to the goodness.

{that taper on the right has a gangsta lean}
That, my lovely readers, is our recently completed unity candle set. The unity candle, like many other things in the wedding world at large, has the tendency to look tired and cliche, and cost way more than its actually worth (physically, not symbolically of course). I was not willing to spend very much on this, and I was not willing to buy an ugly one. Low cost and non-cookie cutter? Sounds like I needed to make my own.


You should recognize this monogram. Its the same one on our aisle runner, with a slight modification in the way the date is typed. All I had to do to make it candle-ready was make it ALOT smaller. Initially, I wanted to print the monogram on clear vellum, and use teal ribbon as accents. However, my Epson printer was not having any part of that plan, as it refused to print anything on my vellum. Instead, I printed the monogram on white copy paper, and used some teal card stock scraps as an accent. To "decorate" the tapers, I opted to simply wrap some kiwi green ribbon close the the base of the candles. I think its just enough green and teal to keep up with the rest of the decor, but not so much that it beats you over the head with kiwi and teal. I think it turned out pretty cute.

Now lets talk money (for a bit). Remember, in order to be a success, the set needed to not only be aesthetically pleasing, but also inexpensive.

I purchased all of my materials at Michaels and Hobby Lobby. Interestingly, Michaels charged less for the pillar candle (the big one in the middle), and Hobby Lobby always has the tapers on sale (usually half off). I spent $3 for the pillar, and another $1 for the tapers. The silver-tone stand was half off the day I got it, so I only spent $5 on that. Oh, and the ribbon is from the dollar bin at Michaels. All together, the materials ran me $10, since I already had the paper here at the crib. Unity candle sets in the stores start at $19.99, so I was definitely right that it was cheaper to make my own.

Cute + cheap = DIY success.

{one more pic, please excuse my junky apartment}
I struggled with this project for a long time. I've had these materials for ages! Just couldn't decide what I wanted it to look like. This past weekend, while working on some other projects, inspiration finally struck. It was so simple, I felt silly for not having thought of it sooner. And after inspiration arrived (fashionably late), I ran with it because I could see the end result in my mind. I know its going to be a lovely addition to our ceremony space.

One project down, several more to go.

So what do we really think about unity candles? Symbolic? Traditional? Antiquated? In need of a much cooler replacement?

...until tomorrow!
♥

Hot Date w/ Hydrangea, part 2

Now that we had the basics straightened out, the first hands-on thing (think: fun with flowers) we did was sort out the centerpieces. As I mentioned earlier, she suggested we provide our own glassware, and told me that for the size tables were having (60 inch rounds that seat 8-10 people), a 5-inch cube vase would be nice. Turns out 5-inch cubes are a little difficult to come by locally (and not to mention EXPENSIVE), but I found some 8 inch bubble vases that had a 5 inch opening. I brought those along instead.

Here's a mock-up of the centerpiece using green hydrangea and the bubble vases:

That's MamaP's hand. It was right at that point that she asked Darines if it was possible to add some greenery to the centerpieces. She went and retrieved these wide green leaf things and stuck a couple in there ( so we could get the look). Here is Centerpiece 2.0:

Not the best pic, but you can see the wide ribbon looking leaf I was talking about. She's going to add about five of them to each centerpiece and we're going to sit the centerpieces on a dark teal satin table runner. I just love them. They're exactly what I requested, but better.

Then we moved on to altar arrangements. I know I got on my bridal soapbox and declared that I wanted an arbor at the ceremony. Well, I've stepped down off said box, and have opted to have Darines design some arrangements to put at the front, rather than the arbor. I didn't have anything specific in mind, but we decided to use some silvery looking urns, filled with hydrangea arrangements. Initially we were thinking something like this:

That's Darines trying to hide - lol. We really liked the look of the white against the modern but still neutral containers. And we definitely could see using these arrangements somewhere else in the event space after the ceremony. But then Darines suggested throwing in a touch of color to these arrangements. Something like this:

She added some standard sized hydrangea stems that have a hints of green and blue on the leaves. From a distance they read green, but upon closer inspection you can see the touches of blue. I like AltarArrangement 2.0 better because the additional stems adds visual interest to the arrangements, and is a nice way to incorporate the wedding colors without beating everyone over the head with them.

Overall, I am so pleased with today's appointment. I went in not knowing what I wanted the ceremony decor to look like, and having all of the flowers turn out better than I imagined. Hydrangeas will be everywhere! I love that I'm able to use the bubble vases (that I can get at Michaels for the low), and that MamaP and Darines totally hit it off. I know everyone getting along is not necessary to work together, but it sure does make the process go a lot smoother.

Hiring a florist is definitely not the cheapest way to approach wedding flowers, but I definitely think its worth it. When its your turn, how are you planning to approach flowers? Do you already know what you want, or will you require an expert to help develop your vision?

♥

Hot Date w/Hydrangea,part 1

Back in January, on a whim I decided to hire a florist rather than have my godmother arrange the flowers. Godmommy is not a florist by profession, but has this unbelievable talent when it comes to flowers - live, silk, it doesn't matter. While I knew hiring a professional would cost us more money, I really wanted Godmommy to be able to enjoy my wedding as the godmother of the bride, rather than the florist. Unfortunately, I decided this towards the end of my 2.5 week holiday break.

Enter Darines at Simply Flowers. I called to see if she could meet with me on such short notice, and she was crazy enough to schedule an appointment with me before I skipped town, and we hit it off immediately. She shares my love of hydrangeas and did not scoff at our very tiny floral budget. I had done my homework, so I knew I wanted:

• Simple, but elegant flowers. I DO NOT like my flowers fussy. Designs featuring one or two types of flowers really speak to me
• My bouquet to be white hydrangeas and ivory roses, and the 'maids flowers to have some green in them
• Simple low round hydrangea centerpieces (white or green)

I also needed several boutonnieres and corsages. And after some discussion, MamaP and I decided we needed some floral ceremony decor. Thankfully, Darines sent a proposal back that was well within our budget, and told us that our centerpiece costs would decrease significantly if we could provide our own glassware. She also suggested we brainstorm ceremony decor when I was home in March.

I recruited MamaP to come with me to the floral meeting today. She wanted to meet Darines, and eyeball the flowers...even though she isn't paying for them. I think its a mama thing. Technically, the first thing we did was review the plans for the personal flowers: my bouquet, the 'maids, the boutonnieres and corsages. I'm carrying white hydrangeas with ivory roses, the 'maids are carrying ivory roses with kiwi green button mums, the PHI's bout will be roses and hydrangea like mine, the other bouts will be green button mums, and the corsages will be ivory roses. Just needed to verify that was still the plan. It was.

Thankfully our meeting was not all talk. In the next part I'll show you some pretty flowers...

♥

Reading it Into Existence: Part 5

I hadn't planned to seriously revive the readings series, but I seem to be coming across more viable options lately. Maybe because its getting to be wedding season and people have ceremonies on the brain. Anyway, I found today's reading here. Enjoy!

from Still Life with Woodpecker
by Tom Robbins

"Love is the ultimate outlaw. It just won't adhere to any rules. The most any of us can do is to sign on as its accomplice. Instead of vowing to honor and obey, maybe we should swear to aid and abet. That would mean that security is out of the question. The words "make" and "stay" become inappropriate. My love for you has no strings attached. I love you for free.

Considering the PHI majored in criminal justice and spent the last almost 2 years as an officer of the law, this might be a serious contender. I like that its has some personality and is a little offbeat, yet still is honest and true.

You know, all the things you want your wedding ceremony readings to be.
♥

Reading it Into Existence: Part 4

I almost cant believe I haven't posted this yet, but last night while looking at some wedding bios, I came across one of my favorite Bible passages. It just so happens to be very popular on the wedding circuit. You'll see why in a second.

1 Corinthians 13
(New International Version)

Love

(1) If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. (2) If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. (3) If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

(4) Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. (5) It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. (6) Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. (7) It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

(8) Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. (9) For we know in part and we prophesy in part, (10) but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. (11) When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. (12) Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

(13) And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Love love LOVE this passage. Not terribly wild about that "when I was a child" bit, but I know its part of the point. I cant promise that if we use this at the wedding, I wont ask for it to be taken out. Just keeping it real :)

♥

Can I have one of these?

(found it here)
I haven't given a whole lot of thought to ceremony decor. But I do know that I want something like this up at the altar. I think I've been avoiding thinking about ceremony decor because I haven't been able to get this (or something like it). But that time is over. I'm going to use all my little resources to accomplish this for our ceremony. Painted a soft ivory, or stained dark cherry (oh how I ♥ cherry wood). With better greenery and fewer flowers.

In the meantime, how would you decorate your ceremony space? I still need some ideas for the rest of it!

Before I go, I know I've been absentee this week. And I feel bad about it. I've been swamped with school, work, gym...life. I know I owe you the follow up to the veil series, and I'm dying to show you our save-the-dates. The PHI is away this weekend, so lets pencil in some quality time together this weekend, k? Just you and me.

♥

DIY Details: Signage

click on it to enlarge...you know you want to!
To date, we have taken care of the majors: we have a place, a date, someone to prepare the food, take the pictures, and everyone mostly has something to wear (even me). So now it feels like we're basically dealing in details.

So what have I been cooking up? Those lovelies at the top of this post. Say hello to our table numbers, reserved seating signs, and our bathroom basket signs! Now people will know where to sit, where not to sit, and who provided the goodies in the bathroom (people would assume I did it anyway - lol). The swirly font is Freebooter Script, and the plainer font is Century Gothic. I'll be using those two on everything (so get used to it).

Oh, and so you can see my the reserved seating signs in action, I did a mock-up:


I wont spend the remainder of this post prattling on about what I would have done differently. Believe it or not, it took me very little time to design and assemble them (not like that aisle runner that I still have some choice words for) so I consider them to be a rewarding use of my time. Plus, for those of you (still) struggling with the kiwi/teal combo, I think my signage provides a lovely preview.

Long story short: I already love them to pieces.
Next stop on the DIY train? Gotta get those save the dates out.
♥

Reading It Into Existence: Part 3

The following reading is very popular in the wedding blogosphere. Couples are using this in part or its entirety, and you'll see why in a second. If we use it, we'd only use a small portion (which, I have no idea). Enjoy:

I Like You
by Sandol Stoddard Warburg

I like you and I know why.
I like you because you are a good person to like.
I like you because when I tell you something special, you know it's special
And you remember it a long, long time.
You say, Remember when you told me something special
And both of us remember

When I think something is important
you think it's important too
We have good ideas
When I say something funny, you laugh
I think I'm funny and you think I'm funny too
Hah-hah!

I like you because you know where I'm ticklish
And you don't tickle me there except just a little tiny bit sometimes
But if you do, then I know where to tickle you too
You know how to be silly
That's why I like you
Boy are you ever silly
I never met anybody sillier than me till I met you
I like you because you know when it's time to stop being silly
Maybe day after tomorrow
Maybe never
Too late, it's a quarter past silly
Sometimes we don't say a word
We snurkle under fences
We spy secret places
If I am a goofus on the roofus hollering my head off
You are one too
If I pretend I am drowing, you pretend you are saving me
If I am getting ready to pop a paper bag,
then you are getting ready to jump
HOORAY

That's because you really like me
You really like me, don't you
And I really like you back
And you like me back and I like you back
And that's the way we keep on going every day

If you go away, then I go away too
or if I stay home, you send me a postcard
You don't just say Well see you around sometime, bye
I like you a lot because of that
If I go away, I send you a postcard too
And I like you because if we go away together
And if we are in Grand Central Station
And if I get lost
Then you are the one that is yelling for me

And I like you because when I am feeling sad
You don't always cheer me up right away
Sometimes it is better to be sad
You can't stand the others being so googly and gaggly every single minute
You want to think about things
It takes time

I like you because if I am mad at you
Then you are mad at me too
It's awful when the other person isn't
They are so nice and hoo-hoo you could just about punch them in the nose

I like you because if I think I am going to throw up
then you are really sorry
You don't just pretend you are busy looking at the birdies and all that
You say, maybe it was something you ate
You say, the same thing happened to me one time
And the same thing did

If you find two four-leaf clovers, you give me one
If I find four, I give you two
If we only find three, we keep on looking
Sometimes we have good luck, and sometimes we don't

If I break my arm, and if you break your arm too
Then it's fun to have a broken arm
I tell you about mine, you tell me about yours
We are both sorry
We write our names and draw pictures
We show everybody and they wish they had a broken arm too

I like you because I don't know why but
Everything that happens is nicer with you
I can't remember when I didn't like you
It must have been lonesome then

I like you because because because
I forget why I like you but I do
So many reasons
On the 4th of July I like you because it's the 4th of July
On the fifth of July, I like you too
If you and I had some drums and some horns and some horses
If we had some hats and some flags and some fire engines
We could be a HOLIDAY
We could be a CELEBRATION
We could be a WHOLE PARADE
See what I mean?

Even if it was the 999th of July
Even if it was August
Even if it was way down at the bottom of November
Even if it was no place particular in January
I would go on choosing you
And you would go on choosing me
Over and over again
That's how it would happen every time
I don't know why
I guess I don't know why I really like you
Why do I like you
I guess I just like you
I guess I just like you because I like you.

Pretty cute huh? And an excellent candidate for a group reading. I'm not sure how the PHI will feel about it though...were cutesy, but that might just be the line*.

Ah well, its up for consideration. Let a girl know what you're thinking.
♥

*you know, you never really notice the line until you've crossed it - lol.

Reading It Into Existence: Part 2

I got another reading to share today. It's a fairly strong contender on the possibles list.

an excerpt from Resignation
by Nikki Giovanni

I love you
because the Earth turns round the sun
because the North wind blows North

Sometimes
because the Pope is Catholic
and most Rabbis Jewish
because Winters flow into Springs
and the air clears after a storm
because only my love for you
despite the charms of gravity
keeps me from falling off the Earth
into another dimension

I love you
because it is the natural order of things.

When I talk to people about the PHI and I's relationship, I almost always use the phrase "it feels so natural" as if he and I were just meant to be and we finally found each other. I think thats why I'm drawn to this particular reading - sista Nikki is saying I love you because thats just what I do.

'Cause that's just how we roll.
♥

Finally floor-ready

Sorry for the pic quality, but I had to turn off
the flash so you could see; click to enlarge.
It only took like 12 hours, but I finally finished our aisle runner. I'm like 90% happy with it - still trying to figure out those dots underneath. They were a last minute addition and the spacing is off. Maybe more dots? Maybe add different colored dots? Maybe paint those dots a different color? Like green? Teal?

I know what MamaP and Dani would say: "Its fine, its going on the floor."

Of course they're right. So idunno. 90% satisfaction may prove sufficient. I'm just glad its done. Finally.

♥

Reading It Into Existence: Part 1

One of the things I'm most looking forward to in planning our wedding is deciding on the ceremony readings. I've started a file of possible readings to run by the PHI. They all lend themselves to being spoken aloud and some I can hear voices attached to. Since I've collected quite a few, I'm just going to deposit the ones I've found so far. No, this won't replace normal wedding talk...it will just give you something else to think about.

Oh, before I proceed, I just want to say that we dont have official readers yet. I know I want readings, and I know that I really want a reading that will incorporate multiple speakers - kind of like a choral reading. I'm also considering having some of the bridal party participate in the readings.

For example, I can hear my Maid of Honor Dani reciting this one:

Union
by Robert Fulghum

You have known each other from the first glance of acquaintance to this point of commitment. At some point, you decided to marry. From that moment of yes, to this moment of yes, indeed, you have been making commitments in an informal way. All of those conversations that were held in a car, or over a meal, or during long walks – all those conversations that began with, “When we’re married”, and continued with “I will” and “you will” and “we will” – all those late night talks that included “someday” and “somehow” and “maybe” – and all those promises that are unspoken matters of the heart. All these common things, and more, are the real process of a wedding.

The symbolic vows that you are about to make are a way of saying to one another, “You know all those things that we’ve promised, and hoped, and dreamed – well, I meant it all, every word.”Look at one another and remember this moment in time. Before this moment you have been many things to one another – acquaintance, friend, companion, lover, dancing partner, even teacher, for you have learned much from one another these past few years. Shortly you shall say a few words that will take you across a threshold of life, and things between you will never quite be the same.

For after today you shall say to the world –
This is my husband. This is my wife.

I think Dani would totally rock it.

Whereas the first lends it self to a singular speaker, I think the following reading screams multiple speakers...at least 2, maybe even 4. You'll see what I mean when you read it:

Blessing for a Marriage
by James Dillet Freeman

May your marriage bring you all the exquisite excitements a marriage should bring, and may life grant you also patience, tolerance, and understanding.

May you always need one another - not so much to fill your emptiness as to help you to know your fullness.

A mountain needs a valley to be complete; the valley does not make the mountain less, but more; and the valley is more a valley because it has a mountain towering over it. So let it be with you and you.

May you need one another, but not out of weakness.
May you want one another, but not out of lack.
May you entice one another, but not compel one another.
May you embrace one another, but not out encircle one another.

May you succeed in all important ways with one another, and not fail in the little graces.

May you look for things to praise, often say, "I love you!" and take no notice of small faults.

If you have quarrels that push you apart, may both of you hope to have good sense enough to take the first step back.

May you enter into the mystery which is the awareness of one another's presence - no more physical than spiritual, warm and near when you are side by side, and warm and near when you are in separate rooms or even distant cities.

May you have happiness, and may you find it making one another happy.

May you have love, and may you find it loving one another.

I hadnt figured out the logistics of the (aforementioned) choral reading, but I think something with that kind of call and response cadence would be unique and meaningful. It would also allow us to incorporate more of our near and dear in the wedding ceremony without having to stack our bridal party.

Plus and plus.

So whatcha think? Am I on to something with these reading ideas?

♥

Few Words

I just spent the last FOUR HOURS working on an aisle runner that I subsequently cut off the roll and threw away. It took me 50 minutes to paint an S. FIFTY MINUTES! Times that by however long it took me to do the rest and tack on another 45 minutes of tracing and I have effectively wasted a good part of the day.

The taurus in me is hell bent on having a painted aisle runner. That thing WILL NOT get the best of me, even if it got a good part of my day so far.

The optimist in me believes I got invaluable hand-on experience with painting my own aisle runner. And she's right. I encountered some things I just could not fathom would be issues and can now proceed accordingly.

So yes, after all that huffing and puffing (and self-editing by not typing the curse words), I am having some yummy leftover turkey potpie (MamaP makes the best pot pies), catching up on GoogleReader and trying to decide how to approach the Aisle Runner Adventure Part 2.

*ugh* There are few words for how I feel right now, and trust...they mostly 4 letter and decidely un-bridal.

♥

I'm back forreal this time :)

For a good part of the last week I was on a vacation from our wedding. I'm sure all of you fellow brides out there can totally relate. Were at a little more than 11 months til the wedding (I swear the time is FLYING by) and there are loads of things to do. It doesn't help that I keep adding things to the list - LOL.

I am pleased to report that I accomplished all but one thing on my Florida visit to-do list. I didnt do number 5. It wasnt like I had an appointment with him, I was just going to see him at church. Come Sunday morning I was so exhausted I needed to sleep in.

The weekend started with mom and I talking a trip to the location (numbers 1 & 2 on the list). She loved it there and after meeting with our Linda for the better part of 3.5 hours, mom felt like we were getting excellent service for our money. Yay!

The kids (number 4 on the list) really deserve a post all by themselves. I will say this though, the five kids belong to 2 of my first cousins. I called both of them to ask their permission and both of them were surprised I was calling to ask. I thought thats what I was supposed to do before I volunteered someone's child(ren) to be in my wedding. Before I added an extra activity and financial responsibility to my wedding. My bad :) Thankfully they both agreed and I can check that off the list. Now I'm left with figuring out what the lovely little ladies (all 4 of them) will be wearing. You know mom and I have started kicking around some ideas...

(Sorry for not moving methodically through the list) Although not completely wedding related, I accomplished both numbers 3 and 6. I love my mama and I wish that she lived much closer. Even before I got engaged. Definitely now much more so. I also saw my Dani, my Brew, Dani's boo and my Dionne - not in that order I don't think. I loved seeing them but I was tired of being social by the end of the weekend. Thankfully next time I'm home I'll be there for a while and can spread out the love a little more.

As I mentioned last week I even got to see someone I hadn't planned on seeing. My godmother is my go to for all things flowers. Both real and otherwise. We popped by her house on Friday for a quickie visit. I just happened to have my wedding organizer in tow and next thing I knew on Saturday she was fetching me for a marathon Michaels trip. We discussed bouquets, boutonnieres, centerpieces and other general floral things. We now have a good working plan for the flower component of the decor. The plan is for a mix of silks and live - particularly live for the bouquets. I hadn't planned on seeing her this trip, but I'm glad I did. Not only does she rock, she's super creative and very open to my aesthetic and budget. A perfect combo!

I have loads more stuff to report on - updates from the weekend, plans that are in the works, and DIY projects I've already completed. I officially came off wedding vacay at 12:30PM, and fully intended on posting at 12:31PM to commemorate. I've been running all day. Not even with wedding stuff. I needed an oil change, I had library fees to pay, I have bills to pay, I had to figure out what to eat, I needed to go to Walmart for my class, I needed to register for next semester....on and on and on all day. Up until now really.

But I'm back now, and I hope you didn't miss me too much.
♥

I'm Going Home!

Just wanted to pop in and tell you that right about now I'm on an airplane headed to sunny South Florida for a long awaited mini-vacay and wedding business trip.

On the Florida to-do list:

1. Taking mom to the location. She's never seen it, and its hard to talk about logistics, decor, etc when she doesn't have a visual. We will be fixing that tomorrow.

2. Talking to the caterer..ahem event planner. Again, mom has never met her, and we havent met since we met so it will be good to sit down with her, talk budget and making the menu more brunchy, give mom and I both the chance to ask a tons of questions (I already have a list), and just get on the same page since the wedding is less than a year away (ahh!).

3. Kick it with some of my people. Actually, 2 of my 'maids live in town. My maid of honor/best friend/podmate (were 2 peas in a pod) and one of my favorite teachers. Hmm, I havent really introduced you to them...I better get on that. Anyway, they are on the list and since they'll be standing with me on my big day, we can lump them into the wedding business category.

4. Recruit the other 5 kids that are going to be in our wedding. Yes, I said "other five." If all goes to plan, there will be 6 little ones in our wedding. Blame it on us not being able to choose. I love all my little cousins and I couldn't decide so I figured we'd just find little jobs for everyone. I haven't talked to their parents yet, but mom and I feel like everyone will be on board to participate.

5. Talk to our officiant. I mentioned how he called us out in church the other day (by announcing our wedding to the congregation) and how he hadnt officially told us yes. I'll see him on Sunday. And even if I have to get some smoke signals, I want to be able to say "Officiant? Check." No question mark.

6. Spend as much time as I can with my mama. As you may have surmised, mom is one of my best friends. Seriously. We talk all the time, and thanks to the PHI blinging me out, we talk quite a bit about our wedding. Consider her the co-wedding planner. So yes, mom did just make the wedding list on a technicality, but she is totally on there.

Whew, that's quite a list, huh. When I'm not "working" for the wedding, I plan to be chillaxing, kicking it with the family, doing some good for the alma mater, and enjoying being in south Florida. Unfortunately that means I wont be blogging. I'll be back on Sunday, so expect something from me late Monday or on Tuesday, k.

♥

The aisle needs a little ♥ too

When the PHI and I first started talking about getting married, I immediately started doing some research. Everything I read online said that there are a gazillion options for personalizing and decorating, and that that you should spend as much time as you can looking into your options. So far, that's totally been true.

One thing that caught my eye: personalized aisle runner.

And when I started looking at the cost, I let that little dream fall by the wayside. They are expensive! But there are lots of brides who with a little bit of creative know-how are making their own! I haven't fully researched all the ins and outs of it, but I know you need a design, an aisle runner, and some craft paint.

I have the paint which I used to paint our custom cake topper (more details later), and we have an aisle runner that the PHI's Kia sister gifted us. I just didn't have a design, or even a serious contender until now.

I love the elegant simplicity of the Scriptina font. Dani and Brew say I like it because it looks like my handwriting (it kinda does). And its all over our wedding - the invites, the save the dates, the favors, the programs...its going to be very popular. Naturally, Scriptina will be on our aisle runner. Oh, and hearts. Hearts will be on the aisle runner. Enough chatting, here are the contenders:

#1 - Scriptina names, with S for our last name

#2 - Scriptina names, no S

#3 - Simple scriptina monogram
So whatcha think? Do any of the speak to you? Should I put my paint away and go back to the drawing board? Suggestions for making them better? Puh-lease let me know.

♥

I Think I Have an Event Planner

I know, what a random title for a post, but that’s seriously my thought. I think I have an event planner.

When I think of event planner, I (perhaps erroneously) think of a wedding planner. Which I don’t have. You get me. Patti = wedding planner. I also think of event/wedding coordinator – which I do have. Kind of. That’s for another post. But event planner? What is an event planner really? Someone who plans (or helps take care of the details) for the event. Okay, so maybe I do have one of those.

The whole reason I’m talking about this is because I’m going home on Thursday (so excited!) to take care of some wedding business. One of my first things: a hot date with the Himmel Theater and my contact Linda from Continental Catering. I usually call Linda my caterer, cause she’s that’s how I met her…when I started asking about catering. And she works for Continental Catering. But title on her email signature is “Event Planner.” Now that I think about it, she is handling not only the food, but the set up for the ceremony, transitioning the ceremony space to the reception space, and the timeframe that’s required for all of that to happen.

When I look at her that way, caterer seems like such an understatement. I remember when the PHI and I met her, she mentioned that she was the lady to handle the day of details (in addition to whomever is on my team). That was comforting at the time, and It’s still comforting today. I feel like my wedding (ahem event) is in good hands with Linda.

So ladies and gentlemen, I believe I have an event planner!
♥