The Countdown has begun!

T- 10 hours until "The Day Before Christmas Eve" girls night with Sara, Stef, Monica & Michelle!

T - 1 day until Christmas Eve dinner, specially made by Chef Todd, with sous chef Melissa

T- 2 days until Christmas!!

T- 4 days until the Schwass' are in town/Wizards game box seats!!

T- 8 days until New Years Eve...with *hopefully* another special made dinner by Chef Todd ;)

T- 11 days until Scranton/New York City/Broadway with the Schwass'!

T- 7 months and 2 days until we get MARRIED!!!!!!!!!!

So cute...

my mom just read my latest blog entry and sent me this email note:

...and that song [Wouldn't it be nice] was playing on the radio when Dad and I were actually dating...it brought back memories and butterflies for me, too...I love you.

I remember the first time I played an N'Sync song for my mom. We were going up to PA to pick up my brother from college for Easter weekend. For some reason Dad couldn't go with us so mom and I made the long, winding, cold journey up to Moon Township, just us girls in her mini van. She let me play DJ and I put in my beloved N'Sync CD. I skipped songs quickly to get to my favorite track -- "Everything I Own". Within seconds of the song coming through the speakers, I noticed tears streaming down my mom's cheeks. I had no idea what was wrong and practically yelled "Oh my gosh!! Are you ok??!" My mom laughed and smiled back at me as she said "your father used to sing this song to me when we were dating. It's originally by a group called 'Bread'".

That memory...that pure, real moment of love, has never left me. I look forward to one day, when I have a teenage daughter, that I too can share sweet memories of Todd and I being young and oh-so-in-love. And more so, I look forward to that day when I know Todd and I are still oh-so-in-love. Because I need not look any further than my own shining example of true love, honor, commitment, respect, and friendship -- my parents.

Mid week date night

Todd and I had a Christmas shopping rendezvous last night at Tyson's Corner mall. We planned to meet outside Coastal Flats at 6:30pm, dine in the bar (our favorite bartender/softball cheerleader/mom Faith was working!), and then finish up the last of our Christmas shopping. Well due to horrendous holiday traffic, Todd was running a little behind so I did a little shopping on my own, and we met at Coastal a little after 7pm. It was so great to see Faith. She is quite possibly the most adorable, big-hearted person I have ever met. Sadly, the bar was beyond crowded...I'm talking flowing into the mall crowded...and Faith wasn't closing, so we decided against eating there.

So we wandered around the mall for a little...finished up some shopping...all the while Todd was an incredible sport. (He's already proving to be a fabulous husband...I bet he would've even held my purse if I'd asked) ;) and then we went to subway for dinner (hey, it was cheap!). While we were eating in Subway, I said to T "you know, if you hadn't proposed back in July, I would totally be expecting it to happen next week" to which Todd replied "I think if I hadn't already proposed, it would be pretty obvious that I was planning to do so next week". Which gave me butterflies (the good, head-over-heels butterflies) in my stomach, and I just felt overcome with this lucky feeling. I am so lucky.

After we ate, we got some ice cream (we're cute daters -- Todd will be embarrassed that I said that) and walked towards our cars -- at which point we had to bid each other farewell, as we were both going in separate directions. As he kissed me goodnight, Todd said "one day we'll go home together" which again gave me butterflies...and for some reason had The Beach Boys "Wouldn't It Be Nice..." playing on repeat in my head as I drove home. It was a great mid-week date night with my future hubby :).

Wouldn't It Be Nice

Wouldn't it be nice if we were older

Then we wouldn't have to wait so long

And wouldn't it be nice to live together

In the kind of world where we belong

You know its gonna make it that much better

When we can say goodnight and stay together

Wouldn't it be nice if we could wake up

In the morning when the day is new

And after having spent the day together

Hold each other close the whole night through

Happy times together we've been spending

I wish that every kiss was never ending

Wouldn't it be nice

Maybe if we think and wish and hope and pray it might come true

Baby then there wouldn't be a single thing we couldn't do

We could be married

And then we'd be happy

Wouldn't it be nice

You know it seems the more we talk about it

It only makes it worse to live without it

But lets talk about it

Wouldn't it be nice

Good night my baby

Sleep tight my baby

--The Beach Boys

the ring picture below

If you were curious, and have never seen my ring before, the picture below is what it looks like. 4 prong, round cut, 1+ carats (I can't remember the exact weight...I'll have to check the appraisal), white gold cathedral setting. I love it :) -- no more soap & water baths for this ring!!

PS -- Good stocking stuffer idea for me (ahem...family, are you reading??) jewelry cleaner. I want to keep this puppy sparkling!

A good old fashioned rub down...

...on my ring that is!

It has come to my attention that I am most in awe of my beautiful diamond engagement ring right after I have gone to the bathroom.

Wait, scratch that. What I MEEEEAN...is right after I have gone to the bathroom and then WASHED MY HANDS. Right after I wash my hands (also a good method of preventing the spread of cold and flu germs in winter) my ring seems to sparkle with it's utmost potential. This always gets the little hamster in my head running, making me wonder why there are so many jewelry cleaning products on the market today. And furthermore, with the dwindling economy, why would anyone spend the money on one of these products when good old fashioned soap and water will do the trick?

WELL...au contraire mon frere...soap and water is no bueno for jewelry. (That's right, I just tri-lingualed in one sentence).

According to http://www.lovetoknow.com/:

"Many people believe that simply wearing your engagement ring while washing your hands is an adequate way to clean it. In fact, the soaps and other cleaners used on your hands can cloud and dull your ring, and it should be cleaned periodically to keep it brilliant."

Well I'll be (insert timeless phrase such as "a monkey's uncle" here). I was wrong all along. I feel like I should say a vow to my engagement ring to always care for and cherish it...to always love and respect it...and to promise to always pay attention to the following guidelines for engagement ring maintenance:

General Dos of Caring for Your Engagement Ring:

• Do take your ring off before participating in a sport or other vigorous activity that could involve sharp blows. (hilarious...better remove before participating in all of my high risk sports!)


• Do place your ring in the same, safe place every day to avoid accidentally misplacing it.


• Do clean your ring at least once a week to keep it as brilliant as the day you first put it on. (NOT with soap and water! HA!)


• Do remove your engagement ring before beginning housecleaning or yard work that involves harsh chemicals or rough equipment. (sorry honey, no yard work for me today, I'm wearing a symbol of our love) :)


• Do have your ring inspected at least twice a year by a qualified jeweler to guarantee the setting is secure.


• Do have an accurate appraisal of your engagement ring updated every few years in case of loss.


• Do insure your valuable engagement ring against theft, loss, or accidental damage.

General Don’ts of Caring for Your Engagement Ring:

• Don’t take your ring off or place it near vulnerable places, such as sinks or bathtubs, where it could easily be knocked off and lost. (I have done this...almost went down the drain. WORST immediate reaction feeling of my life. Fortunately the drain was closed.)


• Don’t wear your engagement ring while cleaning with harsh chemicals because they may discolor, dissolve, or otherwise damage either the stone or the metal. (Sorry honey, I can't clean the house this week...I'm still wearing that symbol of our love!)


• Don’t wear your ring while applying heavy makeup, lotion, or creams to your hands to avoid excessive buildup that can dull the stones.


• Don’t wear your ring while swimming in a pool or other open water such as a lake or the ocean when your fingers could shrink, allowing the ring to fall off. (yikes...definitely guilty of this one. I mean, we got engaged at the beach!)


• Don’t excessively touch the stones in your ring – the oils in your hands can cloud the gems and reduce their sparkle. (again...totally guilty.)


• Don’t store your engagement ring with other jewelry where it can be easily scratched or chipped by other diamonds or gems.
  

Here comes Santa Clausinosky

Not too much more wedding planning has been going on lately as we turn our attention to the holiday season. Mom & Dad keep asking us what we want for Christmas or else we'll be getting items off the registry...which is totally fine by us (hey, that's why they call it a "wish list" right?)...but at the same time I keep telling them "all I want for Christmas is a wedding"...and, well, would you look at that? That's what we're getting! My parents are amazing. I hope they truly know that.

This past friday was our annual LLC Holiday Party (my company). It went extremely well, and if we were looking for a caterer for our wedding, I would totally go straight to the caterers our company uses -- RSVP Catering. They are awesome, the food was delicious, the whole office looked beautiful (also thanks to Kate and I...wink, wink), and the staff was fantastic. If you're looking for a caterer, I HIGHLY recommend them. Anyway, the party was exciting because several of our clients and other assistants that we work with, etc. came and most of them didn't know I was engaged and they were all excited and wanted to see the ring and meet "the man"...which fortunately, Todd was in attendance so that made for easy introductions :).

As usual my parents and grandparents came and were the absolute hit of the party (as if there was any question! -- side note, Grampa's debut calendar "The Hunks of Greenspring" came out this past week, which we're all looking forward to seeing in final form -- I'll be sure to blog about that after the Holidays/after I get my copy!)

This year my brother Matt and his girlfriend Marissa came to the party as well, which was awesome to have them join us -- plus they looked stunning in their matching holiday attire! And, Todd's dad, Charlie, came to the party too as he was in town for a meeting. It was great to have so much of my current and future family in attendance! :) After the party Matt, Marissa, Todd and I all went down to Carlyle for dinner (because most of us didn't really eat at the party). Sadly we were too early to use Todd's house card, so now Todd is going to have to put the receipt from dinner in my stocking and claim it as one of my Christmas presents because, let's just say dinner wasn't cheap ;). BUT it was amazing!

Saturday we had a day date...just me and Todd...and the 76,000 other people at Potomac Mills.

We had lunch in the food court...I had Sbarro and Todd had "you like try sample bourbon chicken??" Seriously, I said it right before the lady handing out the samples said it... Anyway, we shopped til we dropped. The blood was rushing out of my hands and sweat was about to drip down my face from the ridiculously heavy presents we bought all over the mall and then carried from Neighborhood 6, all the way to Neighborhood 1. I was trying (TRYING!) not to be cranky, but I got so irritable that Todd had to buy me a Cinnabon to make me smile. If this is what the future holds, I'm going to be a HUGE wife. Fortunately I have a Wii Fit at home. The ultimate in personal training. ;) Anyway, it was a great day as future husband and wife. Fun to picture what the next 50 (or so) years of our lives together will be like when prepping for the holidays. After that shopping trip we were both in agreement that after we have kids one day, the holiday shopping will all be done online, or while the kids are at the baby sitter. :)

Now we're just looking forward to game night with my family this Friday -- mom's homemade chili, lots of game, and LOTS of fun... some upcoming time off work...Christmas...New Years eve (Todd has promised me an entirely homemade meal by chef Todd!)...our 2nd annual New York City Broadway show/trip with the Schwass'!...and a couple more holiday parties....which will all bring us into the New Year. And what a great year 2009 will be...because we'll be getting MARRIED!! :)

Merry Christmas to all...who read my blog... :)

It's the best time of the year!

I love Christmas. Seriously, love it. I have been non-stop decorating my apartment with newly acquired and hand-me-down (from Mom and Gramma) Christmas decorations. Very exciting. I can't wait to have a house and be able to decorate the whole thing. Though that should be a fun family discussion when Todd wants to put up the giant block M for Michigan on our roof ;). That may have to be reserved for the "man cave" down in the future basement.

Anyway, I talked it over with mom and we've decided to wait to send out the save-the-date magnets until after the 1st of the year. Real quick, just wanted to say that 2009 is going to be a great year. :)

We're going up to New York by way of Scranton with Jay and Larissa again this year for our 2nd annual Christmas on Broadway celebration. Jay won't reveal what show we're going to see, but regardless I'm so excited!!!

Just a mini update for now...time to go decorate some more...and shop for all my family and friends :) xoxoxo

Miss me?

Daddy said I couldn't blog again until the save-the-dates went out. Well, they still haven't gone out. But I'm having blog withdrawal. Sorry, Dad :( I NEED to type!

Anyhow, to sum up the past couple weeks...we've been busy with all kinds of random stuff. Two Friday's ago (21 November) we went to Neighborhood Night at Dolce Vita in Fairfax. The food was pretty decent...the wine was even better...and the singing guitarist was just unexplainable. He had a fabulous Italian accent, and strummed a little guitar while singing classic American hits such as "Country Road...Take me Home" (yes it is beyond interesting to watch a crooning Italian sing the words "West Virginia...Mountain Mama...Take me home...") and the ever popular 90's hit "I believe I can fly". He also serenaded each female at the table by incorporating our names into "My Girl" by singing "...what can make me feel this way...Melissa" etc. around the table. Considering there were 7 ladies at the table, this clearly took him a while. Todd and I are currently debating hiring him to sing at our wedding. No doubt he would be quite a crowd pleaser. :)

We have also been house-hunting online. It occurred to me last night that we have about 4 months and 5 days to figure out where we plan to live, because my lease is up in April. And I think living at home with mom and dad for a little while is probably out of the question, considering I've been trying to move back in with them for the past 3.5 years and they've continuously turned me down ;). I guess they want me to be more independent...getting married means cutting the umbilical cord so to speak...but I'm so attached to my parents, this is going to prove difficult for all of us. Fortunately I am marrying the most patient man, who knows how much I value my family time. I think it will be an exciting and fun new frontier living with Todd. I can't wait! It also makes me think about that friends episode when Rachel moves out so that Chandler can move in with Monica and Monica starts crying and says to Rachel "I have to live with a boy!!" haha...

Also we went to Matt & Marissa's for Thanksgiving...the food was awesome -- Marissa is an amazing cook. I'm definitely hiring her out to cook one day when we host Thanksgiving :) Although that is kind of Todd's forte...kitchen manager...chef...you know...but I don't think he'd mind a vacation from cooking :). Sadly Thanksgiving seemed to fly by, but I did feel blessed to be able to spend it with my amazing Grandparents. They are so wonderful and so inspiring. And my Gramma looked fabulous, which was great. And, over (too many, but all incredibly delicous) dessert I asked Marissa to be one of my bridesmaids and she accepted! I just couldn't picture my wedding day without her up there with all of us. She is part of the family and I need her there.

SO, Saturday I took 6 of my 7 lovely bridesmaids (Stef had to work, bummer) to David's Bridal to look at bridesmaid dresses. They all tried on the three that Lor and Stef had tried on when we went the last time, and we narrowed it down to one simple satin gown in "Marine" (think dark blue, almost Navy) with a simple sash in the same color. The gowns looked beautiful on everyone, so I'm thrilled! I told them I wasn't going to give them the line about "you can just shorten them and wear them again!" and then my cute mom (who didn't hear me say that) said "and you could totally wear these again!" haha...I felt like I was Katherine Heigl in 27 Dresses. But they are very pretty, simple dresses, that if they needed a gown for something, they could be worn again. And they don't have layers of crinoline or fluff under them, so they should stay pretty cool in an outdoor July wedding. After they all tried on the dresses and we made a decision, then I tried on my dress for them to see. I took a flying leap out of the dressing room to say "Ta Da!" and almost ripped a hole in the back of my dress. My mom was not impressed. Good thing it's tradition to have your father walk you down the aisle because I think if I had to do it alone, my dress wouldn't make it in one piece. I should wear a sign on my head that says "accident prone" at all times.

My lovely bridesmaids! (and me in the back)

After dress try-on we went to Mike's American Grill for a delicious lunch, complete with a flourless chocolate waffle (my fav.) with a candle and "Congratulations" written in choclate on the plate. The manager came over to see what we were celebrating, and I told him I was marrying into the "GAR family" and he told me he knew Todd from serving days at Sweetwater. I'm marrying a celebrity :). I like it.

So then last night I decorated my apartment for Christmas and Todd told me we could get a bigger tree when we have our own house, which makes me happy because my tiny tree claims to be 6 feet tall, but when I stand next to it, it barely passes my head. And the fact that I can wrap my arms around it and move it with one hand it kind of sad. But it will look better once I start stuffing it's underside full of presents :). I love Christmas!

That about catches us up...I'm sure I'm forgetting some things that have happened...but my mind is drawing a blank at the moment. All I've been able to focus on for the past few weeks has been my new obsession with Edward Cullen and the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. I suggest if you have not read it...START. You will be hooked.

With that, I promise that the save the dates WILL go out soon....so stay tuned.

no dress yet...

We were going to do a girls day on Sunday -- try-on and pick up the dress, followed by lunch at Mike's American Grill with my mom and Aunt Lauri. Unfortunately Aunt Lauri was very sick so we had to postpone the outing until after Thanksgiving. My only concern is having too much indulgence at Thanksgiving and looking like a stuffed turkey myself when I try on the dress! :) Guess I'll have to look forward to a big Thanksgiving salad instead!

Otherwise in wedding-planning land, Todd and I have been exploring more honeymoon ideas and registering for a wide array of tools at Lowe's online. Fingers crossed for the 36 piece drill bit set! Just what every new bride dreams of!! But seriously...I do want that cordless drill.

Bridal Barbie...

I get to pick up my wedding dress this weekend. As in, it's mine, all mine, to have and to hold, from this day forward, until it yellows and fades, and I have to give it to the Salvation Army.

WHEEEEEEEEE!!!!! I AM SO EXCITED!!!

I'm progressively highlighting my hair to the point of blondness that I actually do, in fact, look like Bridal Barbie. :)

YAY!!!!!!!!

planning lull, as time flies by...

I think we've kind of come to a planning lull...which makes me a teeny bit nervous because I have 75 different wedding check-lists from 75 different resources (magazines, friends, family, homeless people on the street...) that say during this time period of 6-8 months prior to the wedding we should be doing x, y, and z in terms of preparation. Currently x, y, and z for us consists of x) talking about sending out the save the dates, y) thinking about sending out the save the dates, and z) smiling at each other. (I like that one) :)

Don't get me wrong, we are ferociously [read: kind of] trying to gather addresses to get the save the dates sent out ASAP. I say ferociously [read: kind of] trying because Todd has been ferociously trying and I have been kind of thinking about trying to get addresses together. He's on his game...I need a little push. Or swift kick in the pants.

But, other than save the date stuff, we haven't really done much of the three crucial P's -- planning/prepping/preparing -- lately. My adorable mom/wedding coordinator (much to her chagrin, she gets that title no matter what) keeps me on my toes reminding me that we have linens to pick out and invites to design...cakes to taste and wedding favors to buy...but I guess it's that little procrastinator in me that's yelling "wait! you've got time! don't worry about it! no need to rush!" but then again, it feels like just yesterday I was wearing tank-tops and flip flops, and now I'm trudging to work in my knee length wool coat and fuzzy uggs...time actually, truly does fly by...we'll be married sooner than I can say "honeymoon destination resort vacation, here we come". And I can NOT wait to be married to Todd, saying "Life, here we come!" :)

I've missed you, blog

I have been blogger MIA for 10 days. OMG, I don't even know myself anymore. Just kidding, I do. I've just been SO incredibly busy that blogging hasn't stood a chance against my schedule. So here's a quick little post to get my blog fix in the midst of an uber-crazy week (it's Reunion time for my boss' Vietnam Company at work, so between regular work and all the Reunion events I have zero minutos to write/type).

UPDATES TO MENTION:

1.) On Sunday, November 2, Regency (our beloved venue for those of you clearly not paying attention to previous posts) had an open house. Todd had to work, so Mom, Dad and I ventured out to Haymarket, met some local preferred vendors, ate our weight in bacon wrapped scallops and wedding cake (some pretty icky cakes, i'll have you know), discovered which hotels are closest to Regency, and realized that picking out table linens is actually really difficult and at the bottom of my list of "fun things you get to plan for your wedding!" Our DJ (David from Horizon) was also at the open house, so that made me feel good that he was scoping out the scene well in advance.

2.) This past Thursday Todd took me to my first VA Tech tailgate and football game. I received a fair amount of teasing, as well as guidelines for marrying "The Godfather" from the Shandy Council. The majority of you reading this have no idea what the Shandy Council is or why they call Todd "The Godfather", but I promise I will post a blog dedicated just to the Shandy Council for all to understand. Tailgate was awesome -- Connor and Lauren made delicious chili, Todd cooked some amazing steaks, Lauren brought her hilarious dad, who brought some super rich cannoli's and fantastic dancing skills, Keith brought some Captain Morgan, which is against his own personal rules (for good reason), Ameer brought himself, some camo pants, and his C.A.P.S. CAPS CAPS CAPS! cheer, broke his glasses, and called Jamie to tell her about my amazing upchuck skills after their wedding, Tommy got into an "I love him more" "no, I love him more" kindergarten argument with me over Todd and informed me that the entire Shandy Council will be standing up front at our wedding and will all have to say "I Do" in order for me to be accepted. He also informed me that Lauren was his favorite wife, which is understandable because she's known them all the longest, and well, she's just completely adorable! And I brought cupcakes hand decorated with little VT's on the top, which made it all the way from Arlington to Centreville to Blacksburg unharmed, and [not so] surreptitiously turned upside down in their container minutes before arriving at the tailgate. That batch never again saw daylight. But, aside from the cupcake snafu, all-in-all my first experience was awesome and I can't wait to go back.

3.) Friday afternoon we got back from Tech just in time to shower and hit the road for Silver Spring, MD to visit Gus, the jeweler. Found our wedding bands, which makes my heart happier and fuller than I could ever imagine, bought them, which makes my/Todd's bank account emptier than ever, and drove home hungry because we couldn't afford dinner. Just kidding, we could. I love our wedding bands. I can't explain the feeling of seeing Todd with a ring on his finger, knowing what that ring would symbolize for the rest of our lives. And my ring, well, it makes my beautiful engagement ring look even more amazing and I can't wait to wear it every day. Todd said as soon as the rings are ready he's shipping them up to Jay in Scranton so that I can't even sneak a pre-wedding try-on. I'm ok with that.

4.) Saturday morning we watched Michigan kick Minnesota's tails, dontcha know! and then headed to mom and dad's to review/make changes to the guest list. Surprisingly no blood was shed...nor were any tears...and the list was sorted out in record time! I absolutely LOVE the guest list we have put together and can't wait to see everyone at our wedding. We counted up the wedding party and it makes up almost 1/3rd of the entire guest list. Amazing! Which means that is going to make for one heck of a rehearsal dinner as well!

5.) Saturday evening we went from mom & dad's over to Fair Oaks Mall to register at Macy's. Let me just say that registering is NOT as easy as it sounds. Todd and I hadn't even thought about what hand towels and matching soap dispensers we envisioned in our future guest bathrooms! We did manage to register for a serious collection of Calphalon One cookware (can you tell I'm marrying a chef!!) and some beautiful silverware. Otherwise, I wasn't completely thrilled with Macy's selection and hope to have better luck with their online registry. By 8pm we were exhausted, headed out for a late dinner, and went home to fall into bed.

6.) Sunday morning we got up uber early for us on a non-workday, and headed to Bed Bath & Beyond to check out their registry process/options/etc. We thought we'd be slick and get there right at store opening (9am) but sadly we were mistaken as they don't open until 10am on Sundays. So instead we went to Kohl's and purchased a handful (read: armload) of unnecessary items. BACK to BB&B...wow! They are the mecca of registries. The pricing gun was easy to use, the selection was fantastic, and Sarah (our registrant...is that a word?) was awesome and super helpful. I made Todd register for almost every oxo kitchen utensil on the wall-o-kitchen-wonder. He informed me (with a big smile) that he envisions all of those items ending up in our Christmas stockings. OK by me! We also registered for my dream vaccuum...a Dyson...and some great classic white dishes, which I'm psyched about. PLUS, BB&B keeps your registry open for your first 2 years of marriage, so anything you don't get for your wedding, is still available for future birthday's, anniversaries, holiday's, etc. Nice!

Sadly I had to cut our registry fun short on Sunday as I had to sprint back out to Arlington for the start of the Veteran's Day -- Vietnam Company Reunion events. I just got back from the second of three events (tomorrow caps it off with brunch and the Veteran's Day ceremonies at the Vietnam Wall Memorial), and wanted to finish my post that I've been working on for so long now. Todd has been on vacation, and has been so wonderful to spend the majority of his vacation doing wedding things with me. This morning he drove up to PA to spend some time with Jay (best man) and his wife Larissa. I wish I could have gone with him because they are two of the best people I've ever met...AND Jay's parents are so cute I could just squeeze them!! :) Ahh Mary and Lou...

Anyway, off to bed to prep for another busy day...which will bring to a close the jam-packed schedule of the past 6 days. I can't wait to get home tomorrow evening, fall onto my couch, and watch my DVR'd episode of Bridezilla's from Sunday night!!

Oh how I love you, Sandals.

Last night Todd used the rest of his house card at Carlyle where we had a fabulous dinner with Lori and Josh (the Suess's). It was great to catch up with them, and laugh, and talk politics (wait, that wasn't great) and see what's been going on in their lives. I know you're thinking "wait, Lori works downstairs from you...and don't they live down the hall from you too??" Yes. Yes, they do. But we've all been so crazy busy lately, that we just haven't had time to sit down and catch up -- so last night was great for just that! Plus they are really funny, so it's never a dull time with the Suess'sssess (I will never get used to writing that -- someone please tell me how to correctly write the plural of my best friend & her husband.)

Prior to dinner, Todd and I sat down at the computer to look at some possible honeymoon ideas. Chris (one of Todd's best men) sent us a link to some great deals on Sandals resort packages. WOW. Can I just say I want to go RIGHT now?! If the pictures are even HALF as amazing as the actual resort stay, then I will be in complete heaven. The four locations we looked at were Jamaica, St. Lucia, Antigua, and the Bahamas. Jamaica was the lowest priced option of those four (but hardly any less amazing!). The packages include EVERYTHING you could imagine. well, except the spa :( But some of these packages have private villas or suites with their own private plunge pools. Holy cow! A private pool?! Now that's awesome. And...it comes for the very cheap price of only $10,000! I guess it's time to buy some scratch off lotto tickets.

So now I think we might really be leaning towards the Sandals resort stay (NOT the $10,000 one because we would enjoy it if we didn't have to file bankruptcy during our first year of marriage). I kept asking Todd if we could go right now. He said that would kind of ruin the point of a 'honeymoon'. I suppose he's right. That being said, my new favorite wedding obsession has officially shifted from having a chocolate cake at the reception to having a tropical island getaway-honeymoon. Which also officially means it's time to go back to bootcamp. Fortunately Lori told me last night that our gym is starting up another one. Freezing cold, 5:30am wake-ups, to do windsprints and strength training. Where do I sign up!! All I know is it will all be worth it when I'm lying in the white sand and clear water in front of a Sandals resort, (wearing a bikini...yikes), holding a pina colada, married to the love of my life.

Did you know...

...that CMT has a TV show called My Big Redneck Wedding? I kid you not. I know my dear friend Sara, who works for CMT, [most likely] already knew this fact. What I don't know is why she never told me. (For shame!)

Anyway, last night I showed the save the date magnets to Todd, and we are both in agreement that they are awesome. After looking at the magnets, Todd took me (and Rich and Allan) to dinner at Artie's (which was fantastic -- not gonna lie, I love the perk of marry a man with a 'house card'!) After dinner we went back to Todd's (where Whinnie peed on the floor...just FYI) and watched TV. Todd was doing a crossword puzzle (forsight into our oh-so-dear-and-adorable future) and let me flip the channels. Hence, how I came across My Big Redneck Wedding.

O.M.G. this show is ridiculous. Honestly, who says "I'd really like to have a hot dog eating contest at my wedding"??? No, seriously. This woman (a guest at this redneck wedding) actually TOOK OUT HER TEETH to compete in a hot dog eating contest. I almost vomitted on Todd's shirt. What I don't understand about these weddings -- more so than having a first dance barefoot in the dirt, or removing the backseat of your conversion van to be used as seating for your WEDDING ceremony -- is, why on earth would you want to be subjected to public humiliation and mockery by having the whole bout of shenanigans (ha, shenanigans) filmed and shown to the entire nationwide cable-dwelling population?!

Anyway, I visited the Redneck Wedding website (on CMT.com) and looked through pictures of all of the Big Redneck Weddings. Apparently to be on the show, the groom must commit himself to wearing camo hunting gear for the actual ceremony and the bride must agree that the best decor for the wedding is mallard ducks, bud light posters, and anything with "Southern Comfort" written on the front. After the weddings air, the couples submit a short blog. Here is an excerpt from Gail and John's Redneck wedding blog:

" We wanted a fun wedding that would bring out our personalities. It was full of a beer can archway, beer cans to carry our flowers in, and basset hounds as the ring bearers and flower girls."

Hmm...a beer can archway...maybe I'll have to suggest that to Todd. Now THAT'S classy!

I can't wait for the next episode!!

A couple of my fave pics from the Redneck Wedding blogs:

shotgun shell centerpieces

a barn wedding cake

enjoying the view from the ceremony

(all photos from CMT.com)

You know I love surveys...

It's been a slow day, so I've been googling some wedding things, and came across this little survey. Considering I plan on printing out all of my wedding blogs to keep as a diary after we get married, I thought this would be a fun one to keep in the collection.

1. How long did you date before you got engaged? We dated for just under a year and 1/2 before Todd popped the question. However, we met 4 years prior to our first date. I used to ask Todd "do you think we'd still be dating if we'd started dating when we met 4 years ago" and he would answer "no, because we'd be married by now" and I would think "ugh, I wish we could just be getting married NOW" and now we are! Time really flies when you're having fun!

2. Did you get the ring you wanted? Yes. 100%. We had talked about rings once coming back from a visit up in Scranton to see Jay & Larissa. We stopped at some outlet malls and Todd suggested going in the jewelry store, but for some reason we got sidetracked, I got sad, we got in the car and I was silent for a good 10 minutes before Todd said "well you'll have to tell me what you like at some point" and I said "well I wanted to go in the store and look!" Anyway, I told him I wanted a solitare diamond on a white metal band. I told Lori I loved round cut, she told Todd, and needless to say, I got exactly what I'd dreamt about. I loooove my ring!

3. Was the proposal a complete surprise? I'd say it was 98-99% a surprise. I give that 1-2% margin for the following reasons: a.)I was hoping (praying) it would happen on vacation. b.)Lori had been talking (adamantly) about coming up to the beach with us, when I knew she most likely couldn't take the time off work. c.)walking on the beach is somewhat out of the norm of suggestions for Todd, and he was so quiet and nervous as we walked to the shore. :)

4. Do you wish you had a bigger/smaller diamond? If so How big or small? No. I love my diamond and wouldn't wish for it to look any different! I just can't wait until it's enhanced by a beautiful wedding band ;)

5. Did you cry when he proposed? Not really, but only because I was in shock and so excited that I could barely talk! (Todd kept asking why I wasn't crying!) I did get a little choked up when I called my parents afterwards and my dad told me what he told Todd when he asked him if he could marry me.

6. Was the proposal romantic or creative? It was a very romantic setting, minus the pea-soup thick fog. It was a night that I will never forget, and it was perfect.

7. Where do you want to go for your honeymoon? somewhere tropical! Right now we're leaning towards one of the "Saint" Islands in the Caribbean. (Suggestions welcome.) I'm so looking forward to spending a week of sun and fun, just me and my favorite guy :).

8. Are you buying his wedding band for him? We are buying our wedding bands together from "our jeweler". I use the quotes because technically he's Annie & Chris' jeweler, who became Todd's jeweler when he was in the engagement ring buying process, and now he'll be "our's" when we go to him to look at wedding bands. I can't WAIT to see Todd try on wedding bands! I think that might get me a little emotional (happy tears).

9. Have you gone over your origional wedding budget? um...Mom? Dad? This question is not for me to answer correctly. Let's just say my parents are the most wonderful people in the whole world, and I owe them everything for what they are doing for us. I love them so much more than I could ever begin to explain in a blog post.

10. What song do you want played for your first dance? This one has been discussed quite a few times and we think we have settled on a song (which I won't post here until we've decided for sure). My dad has picked our song, and now Todd is working on a mother-son dance song. Any suggestions for any songs are definitely welcome! Apparently Todd's dad and my mom have similar outlooks on wedding music. I hope our guests are looking forward to a lot of 70's make-out music. Jefferson Starship it is!

Update

Our save-the-date magnets arrived this morning and they are adorable and I can't wait to get them sent out! I can't wait for everyone to see them! Once they are completely sent out, I'll post a picture. Next comes the guest list revisions...dun dun DUN! (that was my dramatic drum noise).

Hooray for save-the-dates!!! :) :) :)

I'm only embarassing myself...

Last night as Todd was watching the Tulsa vs. UCF game (aka: battle of the golden mascots...extremely manly), I snuck off to the bedroom to watch a little of my own Sunday guilty pleasure, Bridezillas, on WE TV (don't ask me what channel it's on, I can NEVER remember. Plus I have it set on my DVR. Lame, right?)

Todd came in to see what I was doing and sat down to watch a little Bridezillas with me. Little being 2 minutes, before he became utterly revolted by the bride (yeah, she was pretty awful) and changed the channel. But! not before witnessing the classiest of classy moments ever brought to this [horribly-distasteful-train-wreck, that is so-addicting-I-can't-look-away] show. What happened? Well.. the groom grabbed a handful -- I'm talking grapefruit sized handful -- of cake and slammed, SLAMMED! it into the brides face. Like clowns doing a pie-in-the-face routine. Full face of cake...no more nice make-up. Frosting in the hair. Disgusting.

I IMMEDIATELY threw my hand up, pointer finger in Todd's face (I mean seriously, who did I think I was?!) and said (ok, announced) "That will NOT be happening at our wedding!!" Todd's reply was "I wasn't planning on it, but thanks for the clarification!" I realized I was having (yet another) Bridezilla moment. Fortunately Todd knew that smashing cake in your beloved's face is supposedly bad luck, and we are in complete agreement that THAT will not be happening at our wedding.

So I didn't get to see the rest of the episode, but I plan to watch the rest on DVR this evening ;). And don't worry, I'll keep you all posted on any other distasteful things that come up on the show that will NOT be taking place on our special day. Like the groom that went hunting the morning of the wedding...or the bride that had her mom call the florist and pretend that the wedding had been called off so she didn't have to pay the bill!

Ok, now I'm just embarassed that I watch this stuff...

Halloween or Halloweird?

In the spirit of halloween, I thought if I were to dress up, it would be funny if I went as bridezilla. So I googled "Bridezilla Halloween Costume" in the hopes that some form of a hideous white dress and dinosaur-esque mask would pop up. Nope. Instead I got this:

A. How does this costume apply to the term "Bridezilla"?

and

B. How is this costume even funny?

It's not. Halloween costume designers are seriously confused. Needless to say, IF I dress up for Halloween, Bridezilla is not going to be on the top of my list of choices. I'd be better off wearing a bullhorn, carrying around a clip board, and sticking bridal post-it notes to things. Now that's Bridezilla! Or is that just a preview of my wedding day...(just kidding!)

Happy (early) Halloween!

Still waiting...

...on our save the dates. They still haven't arrived, which is fine, but I'm getting anxious to send them out. Although we still have to review the guest list so that we don't send a save-the-date to someone who we don't have room for on the final guest list. Ah guest list revisions...the fairest (and nicest possible) way to give friends and family the boot. Yup...'thems the brakes'. Or whatever they say. Seriously, I love you all, but we're not the Kardashians. We can't invite EVERYONE we've ever met. In the words of the late, great Tupac (wait, is he still alive?) "That's just the way it is..." I know my R&B-loving-fiance is impressed with that pull...

On another note, a friend of mine from the office downstairs (she shall remain anonymous unless she wants to come forward (: ) found this website where you can combine pictures of you and your partner (or friends if you're weird) and see what your babies would looke like. I uploaded pics of Todd and I to see what our potential future children would look like. The baby had teeth. Creepy! I refuse to post the picture here to avoid any unwelcome comments, but if you would like to see the picture feel free to email me and I'll send it to you. It's actually kind of cute...but like I said...in a creepy way. I suggest trying it out. A fun distraction in the middle of the day. However, we won't be having babies anytime soon (much to my mom and gramma's chagrin). It's just for fun & giggles :) Enjoy! http://www.makemebabies.com/

me -- 4 years old -- enjoying a pepsi on the beach. no, the make-me-baby did not look like this :)

278 days and 8 hours to go...

Yes, I just typed our wedding date into an online date "countdown" timer and found out there are 278 days and just under 8 hours to go until we get married! I wish I was good enough at math to have figured that out without using the help of the internet, but alas, that is why I am marrying Todd. He's good at math. Oh, did I mention he can cook too? And he has blue eyes and cute dimples. It's a good thing I'm marrying him, considering how smitten I apparently am ;).

With all that time left, and all the planning still left to be done, you'd think I'd have a ton of blog updates. But as of today...Monday, 20 October (just think on Friday it will be EXACTLY 9 months until our wedding...enough time to have a baby! ha, I'm pretty sure my dad would have a fit if that happened...no worries dad!!) anyway, as of today, the wedding planning pot has ceased boiling over and slowed to a simmer. I thought of that analogy all by myself. Score one for the bride. Not that it has stopped all together, don't get me wrong...there is PLENTY left to do...but we took the weekend off and enjoyed some good sports (ok, maybe they weren't so good seeing as only 1 of the 4 teams we watched this weekend won) and took a little time off from the hustle-bustle of planning.

However, I did go to DSW on Sunday with the agenda of looking at wedding shoes...and walked out with a pair of adorable 1/2 priced black Coach wedges (SERIOUSLY, when do you EVER find Coach ANYTHING for half price?!?) and no prospective wedding shoes. At least not at DSW anyway. I found a pair online that I love, but Mom suggested that I might like to try them on, considering I will be wearing them during only the most important ceremony in my whole life to date. So I am taking her advice -- because let's face it, it's darn good advice -- and I'm hoping that next weekend while Todd is visiting The Big House (not jail -- he's going to Ann Arbor) mom and I can go shopping for some fabulous wedding shoes. Which reminds me...my dress is supposed to be ready for pick up at the end of the month.

So I send my apologies for a fairly colorless (or uninteresting if you will) blog post. I promise things will pick up once we schedule the cake tasting. I love cake like...well...a fat kid loves cake! I seriously hope it's chocolate...

Modern Bride with a little tradition on the side

One of the perks of being in the first group of attendees to the Washington Bridal Showcase (are you singing the radio commercial in your head right now??) is receiving a free (FREE!!) subscription to Modern Bride magazine. I checked my mailbox last night and jammed into my tiny mailbox were not one, but TWO issues of this glorious glossy-paged bridal-idea-overload dream. When I say jammed, I mean jammed. My mailbox is the size of a shoe box. One issue was 420 pages, the other about 800+ pages. Naturally, I had to start flipping through the magazines immediately, and let's just say, I have serious bridal fever. I have already sent my mom 3 emails today regarding wedding day items...venue stuff, hair-do's, shoes...and no, she has not yet responded. But, I digress...back to the magazine. As I was flipping through, I found something about a new wedding "origami crane craze". Apparently, a new wedding trend 'taking flight' (yes I copied that from the magazine, please no plagiarism accusations) is couples incorporating cranes into their wedding decor. The best part about this incorporation, at least in my eyes/mind, is that (in many Asian cultures) cranes symbolize peace and longevity...but even more so, cranes mate for life. How beautifully sweet is that?? So now I'm thinking that perhaps I'll have to add cranes into our decor. Don't worry, I'm not talking swans waddling in the tulip border a la Steve Martin and 1991's "Father of the Bride"...but perhaps little white origami paper cranes holding escort cards. Although, you know...Antarctica's Adelie Penguins also mate for life, and who doesn't love a penguin?! Only problem is they're also known to steal pebbles from their neighbors nests, and I don't think I'd want that kind of karma at our wedding. :)

So much to update!

So the weekend with the in-laws was lots of fun...Friday afternoon we got to Todd's mom's house, ran inside to use the bathroom, and ran right back out the door for dinner. Had dinner at a cute little marina-side/water-front seafood restaurant that had amazing broccoli...yes you read that right...broccoli, and hollandaise sauce. The seafood was great too, but this broccoli was somethin' else. So the three of us ate (me, T, Mama Mo), and then Charlie (Todd's dad) joined us and we all headed to the football game. I have never seen a high school football game SO jam packed with fans and students. We somehow finagled 4 seats amongst a group of 11 year old ruffian's...or youth club football players, but I prefer ruffians....and squeezed ourselves in for some good football. Well Phoebus ended up whooping Hampton 42 to 6. Pretty exciting!

On Saturday morning we got up early...ha, ok 10am...and went up to Buffalo Wild Wings to join Todd's dad and his crew for the Michigan festivities. Todd's dad had this fantastic Michigan paraphernalia spread complete with a long set of connected PVC pipes that he assembled on site to hang three large banners from. (I haven't uploaded the pictures yet, but will post them as soon as I do!) Well, if you follow college football you know the game didn't turn out as hoped, but we won't re-visit that. All I know is more than one person said to me "see what you're marrying into?!" and to be honest, I loved every second of it and am SO happy to be marrying into something so fun! :) After the game we swung back by his mom's house to say our goodbyes and got on the road. During the ride home we listened to Todd's XM radio and I wrote down song selections for various parts of the wedding reception. There are about 4 million songs we would like to have played at some point during the reception...trying to narrow that down is going to be fun! haha

SO! Sunday was the big photographer meeting! Todd had to work, so my mom, dad and I jumped on the road at 9am for our meeting that we thought was in Fredericksburg. Well my dad keyed the address into his Garmin, and it said we were expected to arrive at 10:45am. For our 10:30am appointment. Yikes! The appointment was actually in Atlee, VA which is closer to Richmond than Fredericksburg. Fortunately my dad is a big fan of NASCAR so plowing his Tahoe down 95 at 80-90 miles an hour was easy for him, and we arrived at 10:30am on the dot. :)

Mike, the photographer, was waiting outside with open arms (seriously, he is the nicest guy!) to greet us. We walked around his 'studio' and saw various portraits, slide shows, and albums he had done. We even saw Lori's bridal portrait, which he has on display because A) he loved it so much...due to the fact that B) Lori was the most gorgeous bride ever! (So I guess this secret is out, we are using the same photog. that Lori and Josh used). Anyway, my parents were totally sold on Mike and he signed us up right then and there. Now the big decision is whether or not we want to have his daughter (who works for the company...actually he has 4 daughters and 3 work for the company, the 4th is 8yrs. old but she wants to work for the company) do the videography for the wedding. Also, as part of Mike's photography package, we get to do an engagement shoot, which Todd and I are SUPER excited about! I'm already planning wardrobe changes...and even bringing Whinnie along...which would mean we'd need to bring a dog sitter along too b/c, hi, have you met Whinnie? She's crazy. (I love her for it.)

So Mom and Dad were so generous to sign us up with Mike. Thank you, Mom and Dad!! XOXOXO

Finally, what I know you have ALL been waiting for...the final proof for the save-the-dates came in and Todd and I liked them so we sent in our approval. They are being created now (after only 8 different picture selections!) and should arrive in 2-3 weeks. Which will lead us straight into guest list planning. I won't lie...the guest list is my least favorite part of all of the planning. Fortunately we're hoping to have a cake tasting meeting soon...and you KNOW I'm looking forward to that...minus the detriment it might do to any pre-wedding diet/exercise plans. Oh well, there's still 9 months til the wedding. However, there are only 74 (or so) days left of Christmas Shopping! Which reminds me...we need to get registered...

Happy [80+ degrees] Fall to All!

Weekend plans...

The photog. meeting on Sunday has been pushed up to 10:30am. This means Daddy Dearest will be able to catch his beloved skins in plenty of time. Great news for Mr. Larry! Who am I kidding...great news for me too! Haven't missed a game all season...and if you know the Henson clan, you know how superstitious we (well, at least the men) are about their Redskins games. If you watch one Sunday and they win, then you are required to watch the following Sunday. If you miss a game and they win, you can not watch the next game...etc. etc. Anyway, we're excited about the timeline change.

We're hading down south tomorrow afternoon to see the future in-laws (that's so fun to say...I know, I'm a dork) :) Going out to dinner with Todd's mom, then to the Phoebus vs. Hampton high school football game with Todd's dad (note to all you fairfaxians...Phoebus vs. Hampton would be like Lake Braddock vs. Robinson...or Chantilly vs. Westfields -- that kind of rivalry). Then Saturday I get my initiation into Todd's dad's Michigan rituals. I am quite excited about this because this is pretty much the closest I'll get to his family's love of Michigan until Todd finally takes me up to Ann Arbor :)

Should be a great weekend! In-laws, photographer meeting, and a holiday on Monday! (Thanks Chris Columbus) Stay tuned...I'm sure I'll have lots to re-cap next Tuesday...unless of course I get an update on the save-the-dates this afternoon.

Going postal

No...I don't mean going postal as in the save-the-date magnets are being mailed out. I mean I'm going postal OVER these magnets. We are on our FOURTH round of pictures to try out on the magnets. The very first picture we sent in, they called and left Todd a voicemail and claimed it was not bright enough, so the resolution turned out poorly. So Todd sent in another picture. That proof came back to me via email and the picture was blurry. Last night I sent in a third picture. (Note: every time, the picture has been different). This morning I got the proof email back and the picture was too "pixilated". She requested I send an original shot, and that I set the camera to high resolution when taking pictures. Considering we need the magnets to arrive and be sent out soon, we don't really have time to be taking pictures of ourselves for this project (you know...considering how rediculously picky I am about pictures of myself...). Not to mention we have a million and one pictures of us already, so you would think that ONE of them would work! Anyway, I just sent in what I am hoping is the original of one of my favorite pictures of us. I also attached 3 other shots of us as back-up. If these don't work, I'm going to go postal on the company and demand Todd's money back. Uh-oh. Am I becoming a bridezilla??

Paparazzi meeting

We have a meeting scheduled for this Sunday to meet a potential photographer. He was highly recommended (thank you to the recommender -- you know who you are), is reasonably priced, and I love his work...but! no other details until after the meeting. I don't want to jinx anything. Sadly my dad is not thrilled about this meeting because it's at 12:30pm. In Fredericksburg. And the Skins play at 1:00pm. I promised my dad we could go to lunch somewhere after the meeting with lots of TV's so that he could watch the game. He agreed to the plan. What a good Dad. :) Fingers crossed for a good photog. meeting...and another Skins win!

Wedding Slideshow

It pays to have blog stalkers. Or amazing friends and bridesmaids. My fabulous bridesmaid/best friend of over a decade, Sara Ross, admitted to following my blog last Friday. She said (and I quote) " i've become a daily watcher of your blog :) and i saw the note about the slide show...feel free to say no, but...I'd be happy to help." So now Sara is in charge of the slideshow, which totally rocks, and it is a HUGE weight off our shoulders. Not to mention she works in TV, so this is like second nature to her, and I am completely confident that she is going to make the most amazing slideshow, ever. How lucky am I?! Thank you, Sara, you are my hero! I love you forever...but you already knew that. :)

my slideshow aficionado!

Save the date update

Todd received a call from the magnet company that we purchased our save-the-date magnets from and, apparently, the picture we sent in...that took us 2 hours to decide on...out of the 9 billion pictures we have taken together...was too blurry and too dark. Which means we get to start the picture selection process over from the beginning. And if you know me, you know how horribly picky I am about pictures of myself. Oh well...maybe going through all the pictures again will help with the slideshow we want to make for the cocktail hour. Sheesh...there is SO much to do!! I need a nap! :)

Bonding experience

Today rounded out week 3 of boot camp. Thank goodness for my awesome MOH, Lori, because without her, I would never get my lazy buns to the gym.

This morning we walked over to the Energy Club bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and more than thrilled that it wasn't raining. At exactly 6:00am on the dot, a total of 5 people had shown up for week 3. That's 5...out of 15. So, the 5 of us jogged up to the basketball courts next to the weenie beenie (yes, you read that correctly!) and started a normal Thursday morning boot camp strength training rotation. (To their credit, 2 more people showed up so we ended up with a class of 7. But, that's still less than 50%.)

At the end of class, Ryan (trainer/instructor) had us all do partner stretches. As per the usual, just like anything in the past 10+ years of our lives that has required a partner, Lori and I naturally gravitated towards each other to be partners. The first two stretches were pretty normal, but the third stretch required one person to lay on their back, pull their knees up to their chest, and their partner would push on their feet, thus stretching the gluteal muscles (I know, I sound so work-out savvy). When it was my turn to lay on the ground and receive the stretch, I couldn't help but cracking up as I looked up at Lori. I said"so now we know what it would be like if I was giving birth and you were delivering the baby!" Yep...it was quite the bonding experience. Reason # 93,243,908,234 why Lori is my MOH.

P.S. we're only referring to her as MOH from now on because she's married so she can't be "maid of honor" but we decided that "matron of honor" just sounds to old. I love you, Lor :)

Lori, me and our moms - Lor's Bridal Shower, November 2007

Shout out to mis padres!

Just wanted to give a quick shout-out to the best parents in the whole world!

Not only are they paying for Todd and I to have the wedding of our dreams, but they are a true inspiration of love, devotion, and lasting marriage.

From matching plaid pants, a la their high school sweetheart days...to true best friends and companions after over 30 years of marriage.

Thank you, Mom & Dad. You are truly amazing, and we are forever grateful for all that you have done, and still do...not just for us...but for all of those who are important in your lives.

I love you!

Xoxo,

Sweet Melissa

Sore Chicken Wings

Que? What was that? Yeah, my chicken wings are sore.

Lori (MOH) and I have been doing boot camp twice a week from 6:00am-7:00am (oh yeah, love THAT wake-up call!) at our gym, The Energy Club. We just started week 3 yesterday and while most of yesterday's work out was 200 meter sprints, we did a little strength training of push-ups and pull-ups (not my forte). Today the part of my arms where shoulder and armpit meet, which I call my chicken wings, are incredibly sore. Good thing...since I signed up for boot camp to get my arse in gear to get in shape for the wedding. I don't feel as though I've seen any results yet, but if my chicken wings are sore and my ability to walk up and down stairs has been hindered by aching thighs, then it must be working, right?

Cheers to having small buns at a big wedding! At least, that's my plan...

Save-the-Date!

Last night my adorable kitchen-manager-fiance took Stef and I out to dinner at one of his GAR affiliates (Carlyle here in Shirlington...walking distance from my work and apartment). After dinner, with our pants unbuttoned due to the gluttony we par-took in, we all traipsed back to my apartment where Stef demanded we finally work on (and complete) our save-the-date's.

We had decided a while ago that we wanted to do magnets because frankly, they are less likely to be lost, thrown away, or misplaced. They can just be thrown on the refrigerator door and stared at day-in and day-out until the date being saved finally arrives.

We thought we would start by picking out a picture of ourselves and then pick out the magnet layout. Well...I recently uploaded all of the pictures on my digital camera to my computer and seeing as I NEVER delete pictures off my camera, I had about, oh, 6 or 7 months worth of pictures to upload. Needless to say, as we started going through the pictures, we were distracted by shots we either hadn't seen before, or hadn't seen in a loooong while. Todd came across all of his pictures from his trip to Cooperstown with the boys this past spring, and his men-only road trip from last October. He was completely enthralled with the pictures, and I'm pretty sure if he had time, would have started emailing them to his buddies... We both were getting severely off track from the save-the-dates. Fortunately Stef was there to get us both on track. Every time Todd opened another picture that did not have both of us in it, Stef in her i'm-not-cranky-yet-but-your-serious-A.D.D.-is-getting-me-there voice would ask "oh, is that going on your save the dates?" And we'd (kind of) get back to the task at hand. (PS: a big apology goes out to Stef for missing 90210 because of this adventure. We'll just watch it on DVR next week.)

Thank goodness for this girl!

Finally after almost 2 hours of working on a project that could have literally taken 15 minutes, we found a magnet lay-out that we loved, sent in a picture that was NOT in the group of 5 we had originally decided on, and Todd sent in the payment.

I should be receiving a proof via email in 1-2 days and the actual magnets should arrive in 2-3 weeks. I can't wait to see them! But, no sneak-peeks until they arrive. Just know that when you receive your magnet, you won't be surprised. And no, it does not have a big Michigan block M on it...much to Todd's chagrin...

My Save-The-Date Guru and adorable kitchen-manager-fiance/ultimate stud muffin. :)

Slow and steady wins the race...but a little push doesn't hurt either

As most of you know, Todd popped the question on July 5th, 2008, and I have recently become slightly obsessed with Wedding planning. I have done a bit of wedding 'stalking' -- or 'research' if you will -- on various engaged couples websites, facebooks, and myspace pages. I am pretty sure if I know you and you are engaged or married, I have visited your knot.com site. So, needless to say, I 'researched' a few people, found some inspiration, and thought it would be a fun idea to blog my way down the aisle!

I suppose I could start this first blog with a re-count of how Todd and I met, followed by the story of the proposal, but then this site wouldn't be much different from our site on TheKnot.com. So for those details visit http://weddings.theknot.com/pwp/view/co_main.aspx?coupleid=5576515610581406. (Side note, I just visited our page to copy and paste the link, and when I saw our names and the date of our wedding, I totally got butterflies in my stomach. Like the good, swooning, we-just-had-the-best-first-kiss, i'm-head-over-heels-for-you butterflies. I love it.)

Anyway, to bring you up to speed -- which is slightly ironic given the title of this blog post -- let me tell you where we are with wedding plans as of today:

• Venue and date secured -- Regency at Dominion Valley, July 25, 2009


• Budget talk with mom & dad has (sort-of) happened


• Mom and I ventured out to the DC Bridal Showcase which was tons of fun, with tons of freebies, and led us to Horizon Entertainment...meaning...


• DJ secured -- DJ David Taylor from Horizon Entertainment (he's the bomb.com!)


• Our friends threw us a fantastic engagement party at Garrett's in Georgetown, DC.


• Dress has been found, paid for, and swooned over both online and in the store every chance I've had...no details to be revealed to the outside public until July 25, 2009.


• Bridesmaid dress shopping is in progress (my maids are also the bomb.com and allowed me to make them try on just about every dress in David's Bridal...in the ugliest colors possible. Honestly, who buys putrid green or salmon pink bridesmaid dresses? barf. I'm just sayin...)

Ok so that's about all that's been done thus far. Which brings me to the whole "slow and steady wins the race" title. We have approximately 10 months (just under) until we say our "I Do's". Now granted, we need to find a photographer, cake specialist, make-up/hair person, etc. etc. etc. but I feel like taking our time, exploring our options, and really figuring out what we want will ultimately make for the wedding of both of our dreams (yup, both. Todd proposed and 10 minutes later he was showing me the list of date options and guest list he had developed 2 months prior. He's just as excited as I am!) With that said, I'm so grateful for all of the ideas, recommendations, and over-all enthusiasm and support that all of my friends and family members. Lori (best Matron of Honor ever) sent me info on her photographer, florist, and make-up/hair person, which was an enormous help. And my mom and I have been tossing around ideas non-stop about center pieces, table settings, ceremony ideas, and more. Like I said...a little push doesn't hurt either....

"I get by with a little help...from my friends."