Closer and Closer

Wedding planning... oh JOY! I'm at the point where I can finally take a breather and just enjoy the time right now. I have been a bad friend... not returning phone calls, not answering emails. I get stressed out and crabby about wedding invitations and silly wedding to-dos. Tomorrow is my last day of work for 5 glorious weeks! I need these days off. I come home from work and there is always something going on at night! ALWAYS! T and I made a pact to not add so much to the month of July. To just enjoy the last month as a "dating" couple before we are a "married" couple. T has to work on selling his house, I need to work on my house getting ready for out of town guests and a rehearsal dinner in my backyard. So if we are absent in July... it's just because we decided we need some us time. On a great note, our pre-marriage counselor says we make a great couple. I mean we already new that, but it's nice to hear it from a professional. :)

The invitations are in the mail!!!! There is no turning back now... 225 invites arriving in mailboxes from Minnesota to Michigan to Texas to Massachusetts to Florida to Canada to Germany to Australia! OOOFTA! I am pleased as punch on how they turned out... despite the fact that I broke every etiquette rule on the addressing the envelopes. Ask me if I care?

I am realizing more and more that when it comes to a wedding, that it's okay to break a few rules. It's a special day about two people who love and care about each other deeply and those that love and care about them. So who cares if I used labels instead of hand writing each envelope!

So 45 days until the big day! I have my dress, my shoes and my big pink flower I will be rockin' in my hair.

Wedding Shoes!

Par Avion

I am now in the summer months of my job. Meaning no kids, no teachers. But that also means the piles of overdue notices I have to get out. Because God forbid that i didn't get these out and some kid can't register for the their parking permit next year because "We didn't know lil' Bobby had an overdue book!". ugh.
So while am addressing and stuffing some 300 envelopes, it reminds me that when I go home I have to do the same thing!!
The wedding invites are done! I decided to create my own and I found $14 packs of 50 blank invites at Walmart. We started printing the first batch last night and they look beautiful, simple and chic. I also saved a lot of moola! Invites were one of the things I didn't want to spend a lot of money on. Yes, i know they set the mood for the wedding, but they also get thrown away. So i feel like I accomplished both agendas.
I am also realizing that planning a wedding is all about the little details. It is easy to find a venue and a photographer, but what about all the decorations, wedding favors, brides maids jewelry and gifts? I am getting there, with 53 days left, it's all about the little things.

Oh... and amidst all this wedding planning and overdue notice sending, we got a dog! I insisted that we wait until after the wedding but I knew that Tim really wanted a dog now. So we picked up Laeza from my mom. My mom raises and breeds Bichon Frises and Shitzu. Laeza is a 4 year old Bichon and she is sweet and cuddly. Our family is slowly growing. But just by animals for now.

I FINALLY got it!

I haven't been doing much baking lately. But now that I got this awesome gift at my first bridal shower, I will be doing a lot more baking!! Excited is an understatement!!!

Days...

The days are speeding by! I can't believe its already JUNE! Things have been so busy, but all of it has been wonderful!

Last Tuesday I met with my musicians for the wedding. It works out great because they are my friends so we just had a nice happy hour over Chicken Artichoke Quesadillas! I am fortunate to work at a job with orchestra teachers and choir directors. I get a viola player and a singer for my wedding!
On Wednesday, Tim, my mom and I went over to our venue site. It's on a farm that is located on a park district. The three of us were giddy with anticipation for the big wedding day. I was envisioning where i would put all the decorations and what the big day would look like! I can't wait!
Thursday we went to Nye's Polonaise Bar for dinner and photo booth photo sessions with my cousins and family. My big bellied cousin Erin and her boyfriend Carsten met up with us to say goodbye, as she was heading to Germany the next day. And just months away from having her baby girl! The next time we see her she will be a MOM! woah!
Friday, my home girl Shannon and her boyfriend Nate came in from Michigan for the weekend. We made a party of it and invited over a couple of our close friends. Then it turned into a slumber party! It was wonderful to see her again! I miss her so much!
Saturday, Tim and I went to Sex and The City 2. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was just different this time around. I liked the first movie, but this one was pretty cheesy at times. Overall though it was fun to see the girls back in action.
Saturday night we had 2 BBQs. A birthday party for our oldest cousin Chris. He is 40 and Fabulous! And a BBQ for one of Tim's friends who just finished her Masters.
Sunday night we went to see The Dollhouse at the Guthrie Theatre. Courtesy of Kelly and her cool job. It was a good play, kept my attention and very interesting premise.
Tim, Kelly, Kyle and I then went over to Kindee for Thai Happy Hour. The restaurant kindly stayed open for us and we ate yummy apps and played a card game. We then proceeded to shut the place down! Kelly said, You know you are getting old when instead of shutting bars down at 2am you are shutting Thai restaurants down!
Monday was my leisure day. With Tim out with friends, I decided to enjoy some outdoor hammock weather. I piled magazines and books and Nintendo DS into the hammock and had a most lovely time. How can you go wrong?
I hope you all had a great Memorial Weekend!