So Far So Good

As I have been doing my due diligence for the New Years Resolution that I made, I have found it to be very interesting and helpful as to what I am uncovering when searching and reading other bridal blogs of future brides just like myself.

I found this helpful little list found here and was refreshed to know that I am ahead of the game! I have most of the items complete and ready to check off that are listed under the 9-12 months and we are still about 14.5 months out! What a fabulous feeling that is!

I advise you to take a look at the list, I know there are many lists out there to reference (I was using one from Real Simple) but maybe this one offers something that may have been left off your master list that is important to you.

What other wedding checklist do you currently have? Is there something on yours that is not on this list??

Reunited and it Feels so Good

I had anxiously been awaiting the knock of the FedEx man at the door all morning. To take you back a bit, I had been procrastinating at getting my ring sized properly for the second time because I didn't want to have to part with her again. While I was home over Christmas, BFF Kiki sized me up properly and we decided that I was not indeed a size 6 but in between a size 5.5 and a 5.25. Due to my slightly oversized knuckle on my ring finger this posed as sort of a problem. I left my ring with Kiki over the New Year to have her folks size the ring.

Kiki called me at work that next Wednesday and said she had spoken with her people and they suggested that since I was in between sizes to add the little beads to the inside of the ring. I was a bit apprehensive about this method as I was just a little afraid to toy with the ring but I had agreed as I had heard similar positive reviews of the beads.

As I laid awake in bed this morning I was fearful that I would receive the ring and I wouldn't be able to get it over my knuckle. Around 10 am the knock on the door came and Groomzilla and I double teamed the multiple FedEx packaged ring (thanks Kiki for safe keeping). Finally we produced the ring in a white envelope signed with love by Kiki. I slipped the ring over my knuckle with just a little challenge and it slid safely over onto the base of my ring finger. Groomzilla and I both sighed a sigh of relief.

The beads are definitely something I will have to get used to and hope as I wear the ring they will soften up a bit because they seem to pinch my skin a little. I think now I can finally rest easy knowing the ring wont slip off my finger never to be found again. See pics below of the beads for all of you who have never seen them before!

Chicken Soup for the Soul

My eldest sister gave me the book “Chicken Soup for the Bride’s Soul” as a Christmas gift this year. I thought it very thoughtful of her. Would you believe I have never owned nor read a book from the Chicken Soup for the Soul series? I consider myself quite an avid reader and I suppose it surprises me that I have never even opened one up before.

When I opened the gift, my brother in law warned to keep a tissue box near when reading the book. I brushed it off as a joke. I didn’t realize he was serious until I settled into my aisle seat on our flight home and immediately plunged into the book. With each short story I read, I struggled to fight back the tears that sprang to my eyes hoping the strangers sitting next to me wouldn't notice my glassy eyes. Each story, so different in their meaning, touched a soft spot in my heart.

After completing a few of the short stories and to the point where I couldn’t fight off my heavy sleep deprived eye lids anymore, I looked across the aisle at Groomzilla and couldn’t help but wonder if one day someone would be reading about our love story and the crazy silly things that only we can understand that make us keel over in a fit of laughter. That’s the last thing I remember before I drifted off into a soft wedding dream filled slumber.

Thanks for the book N, it is currently my new coffee table book!

Non-Wedding Wednesday (on Thursday)

I know this seems to becoming a trend where I forget to post my Non-Wedding Wednesday on the actual day of Wednesday but as they say better late than never. Apparently I should have called this segment “Non-Wedding Thursday” but that tune does not ring as nicely.

I have recently been looking for incite on how to gain more followers and avid readers of my blog. When I first started the blog I really only had intentions of sharing my thoughts with close friends and family so they could keep up with the doings of my wedding planning but as I started posting more frequently and keeping up a steady commitment to the blog I realized I wanted more out of it. I love putting my thoughts and ideas out there for others to provide feedback as well as presenting others with ideas to use in their own weddings.

In the beginning I found it a little tough to find and gain new followers and slightly time consuming to boot. I would almost consider it a part time job searching, commenting on other blogs, joining twitter, looking for other future bride bloggers who might be interested in reading my blog, etc. and between my full time job which requires all 8 hours of my brain time, and the common household needs I just couldn’t find the time or the energy (I painfully admit) to do it.

So as I was sitting here tonight a thought popped into my head and there I devised a plan to make more of a commitment to gain a stronger following. I will do this by becoming a better follower myself. I vow to put more time into searching, reading, and agree to comment on at least ten new blogs a day in hopes that those ten bloggers will return the favor. It is only fair that if I want to entice more avid readers to my site, I need to first become a more avid reader of their sites. So I figure what better time to implement this new plan then the beginning of the New Year. And that’s how a new New Years Resolution was born!

Wish me luck with this new endeavor and I encourage any other bloggers out there to please feel free to offer any advice on how to increase my following.

Found this photo only so fitting giving my blog post today!

Boot Camp Update

Bridezilla Day 2
Groomzilla Day 1

Tonight I razzed Groomzilla into joining me for my self boot camp. I did it for the first time over the weekend and wow did it kick my butt. Tonight I saw someone else experience that pain, yes Groomzilla.

We pushed aside the coffee table in the living room, cranked up the tunes on the music channels on the TV, and high kicked into our first set of jumping jacks. Our only real challenge was keeping our 50 pound Jack Russell Terrier look alike dog from thinking that we were playing with him while we were down on the floor cranking out sit ups and plank holds.

Groomzilla made it through his first night of boot camp and I am slightly glad he struggled through as he had talked a big game up until today. I hope boot camp is something we can stick with as with most of my other fitness routines and healthy new years resolutions in the past they have quickly fallen to the waste side. Groomzilla and I tend to be more motivated when we compete for something or set a goal for a reward, for instance, a nice dinner out if we complete workouts 3 times a week at the gym for the whole month. We have not set a competition yet but I sense one closely on the horizon.

What are some of your healthy fitness routines that you can recommend to try?

Asking my Many Lads

I posted a few weeks ago to stay tuned for another upcoming creative post. Since I did something creative to ask my maids to accompany me down the aisle I wanted to do something creative for my lads as well.

My lads include:

The Officiate: my brother who became an ordained minister in order to perform my younger sister’s ceremony this past June.

The Ring Bearers: my three adorable nephews, Benjamin, Cameron, and Nicholas.

Below is what went into asking them to be a part of my special day.

Although finding something for my brother posed to be a little difficult, with the help of his wife we were able to settle on a gift card to Starbucks (I had hoped for something a little more sentimental but men are a bit tough).

For the boys I ordered a bunch of little trinkets and toys for them to play with. I apologized in advance to their parents for littering their children with a bunch of junk but the boys seemed to really enjoy it! To be honest even I had fun playing with some of the trinkets.

Thankfully they all accepted!

Here are the pictures of my special creations.

The Front and Back of the cards. The front said: Will you.... turn it over and the back said: Marry us? or Be my ring bearer??



All the fun Junk to play with!


The finished kit and caboodle

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all and wishing 2011 brings great things. Next year at this time we will be less then three months away from our big day! I am sure at that time I will be in a less relaxed wedding state than I am now. Don't take this the wrong way but I kinda hope 2011 flies by!

I have yet to think of a decent New Years Resolution for 2011 that I will actually keep. Of course there is the resolution that I make every year to exercise more and eat healthier but that usually only lasts for the first week of the New Year. Saving money for the wedding was another resolution made but I have been doing that all along since we got engaged.

I did make one resolution in which I do intend to keep, to begin saving for my retirement beach house. At this rate I will have the house by about 2050 but by then I will be sooo ready for it!

What are your new years resolutions for 2011??