PowerPoint-less?

I have never taken a PowerPoint class, never known any PowerPoint experts, and never even opened up the program. Until today, that is. I found myself becoming captivated by these cute little maps that everyone puts in their wedding invitations. They are completely adorable, and most all of them look something really cute like this:

Or very detailed and elaborate, like this:

I was told that by using PowerPoint I could create a map similar to these very, very easily. So all day today I have been putting my best effort forward, and I have to be honest with you guys. My maps look nothing like the cuties you see above. Should I still include them in the invitations even though they aren't five star? I am very proud of them, but that is only because it was my first attempt at PowerPoint and it kind of worked. Also, I am not planning on printing them all out on really nice ivory paper to match the invites. Do you think anyone will really care? I'll post a pic of my maps up later.......then you can see for yourselves. I do need some feedback on this a.s.a.p. because the invites are going out next week. eeek!

Two Peas in a Condo

Mark it down in the books, check it off the list, get ready for the housewarming party....Russell and I have found a place to live! Our first place! Wow that sounds so strange to say. Strange and exciting at the same time. In case you were wondering, we decided on Apartment #2, and signed a one year lease last night. It is a one bedroom with a den, with plenty of room for all our things. It also comes with extra storage outside of our unit, which is absolutely essential (especially when you take into consideration that we would otherwise have nowhere to put all the boxes of random stuff Russell has accummulated throughout his lifetime). We are on the first floor, and we have a nice patio which looks out into a courtyard. All we need is brand new furniture, a new computer, and a 50" flat screen television with HDTV..... and let's just say we'll be livin' sweet. Hmmmm, that all might take quite a while to accummulate, so while we save our money we find ourselves very fortunate to be living in such a great town with lots of stuff to do to keep us out of trouble. Our new hometown will continue to stay the same. If that makes any sense....but just to make it clear, we are remaining in Naperville, which has become a really great place for us. There is so much to do, with its' bustling downtown district, the Riverwalk, Centennial Beach, plenty of shopping, and we will still be close to all major congested highways. As I stated in a previous blog, we wont be shortening our commute, but we definitely wont be making it any longer, so life should remain pretty stable for us. Which is good, because we'll have enough adjusting to do when we start seeing each other all the time! I'm pretty easy to live with, and Russell seems to be as well. We will both find out the real deal in about two months..........and neither of us can wait! We are especially looking forward to cutting our driving out, as we go back and forth and back and forth to visit each other all week long. While we currently only live about fifteen minutes away from each other, it will be so nice when we wont have to worry about it. Russell will be moving in July 15th....I will be joining him in September. Look, ma! I'm a grown-up! : )

Here are some pics of Naperville to give you an idea of our new surroundings (all of which are VERY cicada-free, to Russell's delight):

The infamous Naperville Riverwalk. This stretches for miles along the DuPage River, and is our favorite place to walk. It really is gorgeous. Oh, and our engagement photos will be taken here as well (look for those after June 30th)

Russell's favorite fountain along the Riverwalk:

A view of the North side of Downtown Naperville

Fast Facts About Naperville

-Population: 140,358

-County: DuPage & Will

-Is the fourth largest city in Illinois, behind Chicago, Aurora, and Rockford

-In July of 2006, CNN/Money and Money magazine ranked Naperville second on its list of the 100 best places to live in the United States (behind Fort Collins, Colorado). This was up one spot from the previous year, where the city was honored with third place

-Founded in 1831 by Joseph Nader

-Has six different zip codes (ours happens to be 60563)

-Land area: 35.5mi

-Originally a stage-coach stop (in early 1800's) from Chicago to Galena

-Since 1998, the Naperville Public Library was ranked the #1 public library in the U.S. in the 100,000 to 249,999-population category by American Libraries magazine, the official magazine of the American Library Association

-Home to five public high schools

-Nitra, Slovakia has been Naperville's official sister city since the Naperville City Council approved the partnership on November 17, 1993. Nitra was chosen, in part, due to a desire to create a special bond with a city in one of the newly-formed democracies brought about by the fall of the Iron Curtain

-Is a college town, home to North Central College

What an Invention!

After months of killing myself to lose weight, I wish I had found this sooner! For all you ladies out there, I am about to let you in on a brand new shoe that not only looks adorable, but helps you lose weight and tone those beautiful legs! They are known as "Fit Flops", and I am currently on backorder to receive my pair. In case you are wondering, they are available at Bath & Body Works for a mere $45.00. You may be thinking that this is a little pricey for sandals, and yes, that may be true, but I'll do just about anything at this point to give myself the extra tone that I need. Not to mention I am not so crazy about exercising, and while this may be a cheap cheat, so be it! I'll let you know if it works.....
Here is a product summary:
"Get a workout while you walk! Every step you take in your FitFlops™ improves your core muscle strength, absorbs shock on your feet, knees and back, and strengthens and tones muscles in your feet, legs, buttocks, stomach and back."

What do you think? Worth a try? I say why not! Cheers to lazy brides everywhere!

Trash Your Dress

In my recent searches for wedding ideas, I have come across many new trends in decor, gown styles, color schemes, tuxedoes, cakes, hairdos, and so on. Lots of great ideas, but nothing shocking, nothing that seemed extremely different from what I've already seen. That is, until today, when I came across this interesting new wave of photography: Trash The Dress.

You may not know about it yet, but there is this huge uprising going on in post-wedding day wives, an uprising that has been slowly making its way across the United States, sweeping through the largest cities, and winding across the smallest towns. Have you seen it yet? This phenom is known as trash the dress. Women everywhere are refusing to hang their gowns in their closet and allow them to be mere dust collectors. Rather, they are assuring their husbands that there will never be a need to wear their designer gown again by putting it on one more time (in front of a photographer, of course!) and having some good old fashioned, mud-wrestling fun in them. I think it is a great idea, although it would be very difficult to part with your beautiful couture gown in such a manner. A little disrespectful? Maybe. But then again what does become of the wedding gown? Maybe we should let them escape eternal closet imprisonment and have them die quickly, with honor, like a true fashionista would want. After all, it's better to burn out than fade away (at least that's what I've heard one or two times). Their only memory to remain in the form of some whacked-out, yet intriguing, professional photos. I think the idea is quite beautiful. Would I do it? Maybe...in a couple of years. But I would like to know: Would you put your gown through this?

Update On Writings Below...

I just wanted to let everyone know that Russell and I haven't signed on that apartment yet. We decided we should look at a couple of other places first before we make a decision. While it is what we are looking for, we will feel more confident about it once we have seen other places. So it is still in the running, but not for sure yet. So, from now on, I will write up each apartment we visit, and maybe you could help us choose by giving your opinion. Just wanted to give you our "after we slept on it" update. : )
Back to wedding doings.....

We're In This Together Now

and our first apartment together makes it official......we did it! We found a place to call home (at least for the next 12 months). This house is in downtown Elmhurst, two blocks from the train, and within walking distance of everything downtown Elmhurst has to offer...the historic York Theater, Wednesday classic car cruise nights, the Rainbow Cafe, and so many fabulous restaurants I can't begin to name them all. Too bad I am going to have to be saving my money when we move in, because Elmhurst is also home to all my favorite clothing boutiques.

Anyways, we will be living on the second floor of this two flat. And if you think you see something growing on the roof, you are not going crazy! There are plants growing on the roof. Evidentally we will be sharing the house with a landscape architect who loves all things Illinois Prairie. Including the plants. The man got a grant from DuPage County to build a roof-greenhouse. Or something like that. All throughout the yard are plants and flowers that are native to Illinois as well. Although I think I saw a cactus somewhere in the mix of them....don't know where that came from! He has made this house bloom, literally! It is now featured on the DuPage Prairie Garden Walk.......I think that is funny. Russell and I absolutely loved the place as soon as we walked in. There is a huge kitchen, oak flooring, central heat and air, a garage, and best of all, a basement for all of Russell's stuff (j/k....sort of!). Here are some pics:

Our backyard....

Family Room (oak floors throughout...I love it!)

View of Kitchen.

Bedroom #1

Our large kitchen! (this is my favorite room) Bedroom #2 (we might use this as a computer room/den)

Bathroom (small but lovely)

Here are some pics of Elmhurst, our new town! We're so excited!

The Historic York Cinema (only four blocks from our house)

We're easy to get to, just off the Metra line. We know gas is expensive, so we made sure to be easily accessible by train! Now there's no excuses not to visit. : )
Here is a pic of the lovely prairie path....it goes all the way to Elgin! It gets pretty crowded on weekends with cyclists, walkers, and runners. We'll be joining them soon enough!

This is York High School. I couldn't find any other nice color photos of Elmhurst, but most of the area looks kind of like this, except right now it is covered in cicadas! Russell was freaking out. haha!

Russell's archnemesis:

There's So Much on Our Agenda

its freakin' me out. According to our countdown we have 81 days till our wedding. That's about 2.5 months, or 11.5 weeks, or 1,944 hours. That doesn't leave very much time, people! All of our weekends are jam packed, and most of our weekdays are as well. I still have to get invitations (that is going to be a topic of discussion soon) and we still have so much to sort out it is not even funny! One of the most important things we must accomplish: finding a place to live. The second most important thing: buying our wedding rings (sometimes I am afraid I will forget about these completely! I could just picture it being our wedding day, and when the priest asks for the rings Russell and I look at each other completely dumbfounded. So whenever you see me, be sure to remind me that we need to get these because for some reason it is always the one thing I forget, and it is probably the most important...right behind finding shelter, of course!)

God forbid should that happen. That is why I have made a list of everything that still needs to be done. I kept getting more and more anxious as I was typing this list, because it started to become apparent that there really is a lot to do. crap. Here goes it:

What’s Left, You Ask?

Ø Menus
Ø Wedding Program Fans
Ø Ceremony Music
Ø Cello Music for Baylen
Ø Engagement Photo Shoot
Ø Book Car Rental for Honeymoon
Ø Pick out & finalize Music for reception
Ø Honeymoon clothes/accessories
Ø International Drier’s License
Ø Doctor’s visits
Ø Wedding Rings
Ø Marriage License
Ø Bridal Shoes
Ø Make hair/makeup appointments
Ø Bubbles for ceremony
Ø Table placecards
Ø Photos for Easel
Ø Gift box (bird cage @ site)
Ø Contact St. John’s Ceremony Planner
Ø Update Website
Ø Practice Father/Daughter Dance with Dad
Ø Find Apartment! (Elmhurst one is soooo perfect!)
Ø Bridal party gifts
Ø Speech for reception?
Ø Assemble favors, menus, fans

I hope I got most everything. Every couple minutes I think of something else to add to it because I forgot. I just hope I get everything right now, so maybe I'll have a week or two to relax? Highly doubtful. Everyone better make sure I'm totally relaxed and having a great time on Sept. 1st! I'm already positive I will be though. : )

It Doesn't Get Cuter Than This, People!

Okay, I think the search for my cake toppers is officially over. Check out these cuties:
I almost died when I saw these little guys! The woman will even custom make them to incorporate your wedding colors.....but it doesn't look to difficult to make these puppies yourself. I think I feel another DIY project comin' on!

Hair Happenings

It is getting to be about that time where I stop worrying about interior decorations and start worrying about personal style. The time has come for me to start deciding on shoes, make-up, jewelry, and hair styles....and this is extremely difficult for me! I am still waiting anxiously to see the BM dresses in person, so I figure I should wait until then to decide on shoes and such. Same goes for my dress...I was told that the dresses should be in soon, hopefully before the end of the month! (if they are not I will march down to that store and have a few words with the woman who told me the dresses would be in the first week of June). Since I am still waiting on those, I started thinking about hair-dos for both myself and the bridal party. Ever since I was a little girl, I have always pictured my hair long, curly, and down at my wedding. And while that may be similar to how I wear it everyday (except the curly part), I just love my hair down. Then I would probably have the BMs wear their hair up. But not all crazy tight up so it looks as though their hair is pulling their eyelids up. I want it to be really loosely up, so that if they want to take it down at the reception, they can. This would also mix up the photos a bit, so everyone doesn't look the same throughout the day. Here are some up-do styles for the BMs....What do you think?

Excluding the tiaras, of course!...if anyone is wearing one, it'll be yours truly : )

I like both of these styles, but I am not crazy about them....I'm still on the prowl for the perfect do.

As for my hair, it will definitely be down, but I want a little curl to it, kind of like how Gisele Bundchen always wears her hair (I think her hair is just gorgeous). Here is an example:

I also found some other styles which I think are fantastic:

Aren't These Hydrangeas Beautiful?

The Good Ole' College Try....

Throughout my wedding plannings (i know that plannings probably isn't a word, but it is now) I have encountered many amazing Websites where the ever-present theme is DIY. Everyone is DIY'in these days, whether it be their wedding programs, invitations, wedding cake; I even saw a DIY wedding gown (that is completely insane!). Just what is this DIY, you ask? It took me a while to figure that one out myself. Little did all of us non-weddingoers know that there is a whole set of wedding lingo and abbreviations that we had no idea existed. Like FI, MOH, MIL, FIL, STDs (I hate that one....it is supposed to be save the dates but it isn't the first thing I think of : ) and so on. It took me a while to realize what the heck everyone was discussing on these sites. Especially when it came to DIY: Do-It-Yourself. Every engaged woman in cyber space has a DIY project going on, and frankly, I got a little jealous. While I usually prefer other people to do things for me, I wanted to be more hands-on with my wedding.....at least more than just filling out on-line forms and waiting blindly for a package to arrive in the mail. So I decided upon my very first DIY project: I am going to design my own wedding fans........with a lil' help from my fabulous graphic designer friend, Debbie. This is my first DIY [wedding] project, and I am extremely excited for it! I am also thrilled that Debbie is going to help me out with it. She is my creatively-apt, good friend/fashionista advisor. Good eye for details, that woman. Anyways....per my previous post, instead of having regular, run-of-the-mill ceremony programs, we will instead hand out wedding program fans. Originally I saw the traditional fans that look like this and was completely satisfied: Not only were they unique, but they were also cost-effective, and most importantly, informative!

However, not two weeks after making up my mind about the fans, I came across a much more sophisticated style that I just had to have. I spoke with Susanne from Cards de Luxe and she was very willing to work with me. Originally I had wanted her to do all my fans, from scratch. The only problem was that she wants $7.50 per fan! Multiply that by 80 fans and you have officially gone WAY over our program budget. While it would be worth it (her designs are so lovely, charming, romantic...) We just plain don't have the cash for it. So instead I worked it out with her where she would send me the template to design the fans, I would buy my own paper, and print off the designs, then send them back to her for cutting and assembly. The finished product will definitely be worth $7.50/fan, but I wont be paying that much! Here is an example of the new fans (I still have yet to work on them, but when I finish, maybe I'll post the final product)

I like the flip-fans so much more....they are more of a keepsake and I thought they looked a little more feminine (only the females will be receiving programs....I figured guys never look twice at those things). I am so excited! Susanne just sent me the template today, so hopefully I can work on it a little this weekend and get them printed out soon! I'm so excited about these, you have no idea! I have more DIY projects in the making, when we get a move on those, I will let you know........

The Perpetual Search for Perfection

That's right. I want everything to be just perfect. Does that make me crazy? It sure makes me feel crazy, especially when I find myself spending hours and hours searching the Internet for new ideas, or ideas that are better than the ones I already have, or new ideas about ideas, or....you get the point. The problem is, I feel as though I am continually searching, and not getting anything done! There are so many great ideas out there, and not enough time to sift through them all. & there is definitely not enough time to make up my mind on anything! It is enough to make you go insane! When Russell and I first got engaged, I was glad that our wedding date was only nine months away. I thought, "why have a long engagement?...I know I love him, why wait so long!" But now, I don't know....yesterday Russell and I went out for pizza (at Braconi's, of course!) and while we were there we started talking about how we almost wished we had more time to just relax and be engaged. We didn't really know how engaging the engagement process could be! (ha, ha) At least, I didn't know. While Russell has been extremely helpful, (he's the mastermind behind our menus--which should be done next week, yay!) I tend to take charge on things. If I don't know exactly what is going on, I constantly feel as though it will not be done right. It is just part of my personality/character to want to take care of things myself. The only thing I refuse to do is repeatedly call our vendors with all the changes we have made....and [luckily] Russell has definitely picked up the slack on that one. I don't know....I guess I was hoping that writing this post would make me feel like everything already is perfect. Which maybe, it is. But now I just feel like I wrote a whole lot of nothing, and am back where I started. Oh well......Maybe it is time Noel takes another mini-vacation. Hmmmm......

p.s. bridal bootcamp update......holy !?@# Beth & I are going to be in tip top shape come September!

Sweet Success

Well, I can check one more item off my unrelenting "to-do" list: We have decided upon a cake! I was never too worried about the whole cake business, in fact, I can never remember what the cake looked or tasted like at anybody else's wedding, but it is an important part of the reception nontheless. It will be a three-tiered cake, with a little water fountain thingy underneath it. In fact, that is why we chose this particular cake. Extra toys are always a bonus, and the water fountain gives the cake an extra appeal. Who knows, maybe someone will actually remember it after our wedding! That will prove difficult, however, because I think we'll have all of five minutes to view it (Russell and I will be cutting the cake BEFORE dinner, not after....this way they can cut and serve the cake for desert) Not only does the cake have a neat water fountain, but the biggest bonus is that it actually tastes good! When the cake lady brought out a sample piece, My Mom and I cleaned the plate! I'm not sure of your experience, but I have never had wedding cake that didn't taste dry, or slightly odd in some way or another...although this is primarily because the baker makes the cake one to two days beforehand....Anyways, if the baker we chose doesn't change the batter ingredients before September, we should be all good! We chose a marble cake (chocolate and vanilla swirl) with raspberry filling and buttercream icing. MMMM sooo yummy! & I don't like cake! I personally liked the whipped cream icing better but September can still be hot, and we didn't want our cake melting all over the dance floor (that's our guests' job!). Be sure to try at least a taste of it!

This cake is similar to the one we will have, although ours has roses and hydrangeas on it, with fresh flowers covering the base. (sorry the pic is so small) Actually, I think the one we picked out is a lot prettier : )


There is the fountain I am talking about: We will have a periwinkle blue light in the bottom, with fresh flowers scattered so you can't actually see the base. I just think it'll look so cool...I know, I'm way too excited about cake accessories....now all we need is a topper!

Flower Girl Frenzy

After months of procrastination, I finally picked out a flower girl dress for our perfect petal princess, Meredith. This is not just any flower girl. She is THE flower girl, and therefore deserves the best....and I think the dress I found yesterday is the one! You seriously couldn't ask for anything cuter. Much to my amazement [and dismay], it takes just as much ordering time for the flower girl dress than it does for bridesmaids dresses. The woman at the bridal store scolded me quite a bit for waiting so long! She started freaking out, saying, "Oh my goodness! They have to cut the material and dye it and tailor it...blah blah blah...Let me see what I can do". I knew full well the whole time that she would be able to get the dress to me before September 1st (it is a business, after all...and businesses have to make money), and all we had to do was put a rush order on the dress to get it by the second week of August. And while that is a lot of time for such a little dress, we made it happen. I'm just upset that I have to wait so long to see it in person. After quadruple checking to make sure we would have the dress on time for the wedding, I placed the order. Just in the nic of time, and it will be totally worth it... I am holding back quite a bit by not posting a picture of it for all to see, but I have to leave some surprises for the big day! My Mom keeps telling me to stop posting too much information about everything, but I figure why not? At least now everyone (everyone who reads this, at least) will notice all the small details that they ordinarily might not have...i.e. bathroom baskets : )

I am also excited to see how Meredith will do...she will only be about 2 1/2 in September....a lil' tiny one. She's a pretty outgoing girl, but may need a little coaxing down the aisle. I'm sure it looks like a much longer journey to her than it does to us! Although at the same time, she might just be confident enough to do it all her own. I guess we'll find out. Either way, she'll steal the show!

Picking out the flower girl dress also allotted me some time to try on my dress again. [did I fake you out by inserting a hyperlink there? While that is my designer, it is not my dress, HA!---nor is my dress currently on the Website. Yes, that MUST be a surprise for all!] After a couple weeks of bridal bootcamp I'm looking better and better in it! I'll find any excuse to go and try it on and stare at myself...or sometimes I'll walk in sans excuse... They are starting to get to know me pretty well around the House of Brides these days. I can't help it though, every day I feel myself getting more and more excited. Like now! Since I will not be posting the flower girl dress, I feel as though I should have some pic for your enjoyment, so here are some cute flower girl photos I found today (not half as cute as Meredith, though!)

<--------Cute couple, crazy-lookin' dress!

<-----Great pic!

Picture Perfect

After months of toying with many different photog possibilities, Russell and I finally found the perfect fit! We met with the nice folks at Studio One Photography last night for our consultation, and we knew almost immediately that our search had ended. They made us feel special, unlike many of the previous vendors we have met. The whole place was very modern, with nice flat screen televisions where they could show you DVDs of whichever photographer you decided to choose, so you could get examples of their work before sealing the deal. For the past couple of months we had been eyeing the photos that Studio One has posted on their webpage, and there was one photographer in particular that stood out. His photos stood out so much, in fact, that even Russell was captivated. We looked at each other and smiled....we found our photog, right? Well.......you see, our favorite photographer was also the most expensive man for the job, and I thought that this would make Russell want to bolt immediately. Instead, he said, "This is the guy for us". Immediately I felt my happiness surge. Yes, I surged with happiness upon the decision of a wedding photographer. Hard to believe, I know. But so very true.....And so be it! We got the best photographer. The photographer we chose is the ever elusive Michael. B., as it turns out. I say elusive because everyone who was at the studio last night only knew him by name, not by face. It was interesting. I was like, "This picture is amazing", and the girl would answer, "Well, of course it is, it's a Michael B." I responded, "Who is this Michael B., what does he look like?" and she replied, with a smile on her face, "I have no idea, I've never met him, but he is just fabulous". Well, I am proud to announce that everyone at the wedding will be able to meet the infamous Michael B. in person. Here are some examples of his work:

He takes a photo-journalistic approach rather than your traditional "say cheese!" and smile style (which Russell and I definitely prefer!) I can't wait to see how it all turns out!

If you want to see more, click here.

Hydrangea Heaven

Only three months to go and there is still so much to do! I've recently been toying with possible centerpieces for our reception hall, but of course, everything I fall in love with is WAYYYY out of the price range I'm looking for...what can I say, I have great taste : ) I originally wanted to go with something like these:

Aren't they beautiful? When the lights are dimmed in the hall, and all the candles are lit around the piece, it looks as though the flowers are hanging from the ceiling! How cool! But at about $300.00 a pop for these puppies, forget it! I'll find something simple, yet elegant, and affordable. I have become really good at that lately...and let me tell you, it is an asset while planning a wedding : ) My internet search for the perfect centerpiece continues.....

Speaking of internet, I wonder how brides back in the day did anything without it. Almost everything I have done for the wedding: registries, favors, dresses, photographer, videographer, dj's, etc., have all been made easy by my trusty computer. The bridal industry would be in shambles without it. I suppose that is also why the wedding industry has been gaining quite a bit of steam in recent years, not surprisingly since the advent of easy access internet, climbing to a $161 Billion dollar industry. I guess that's amore, right? Only if you're a wedding planner! The days of having the reception @ church and your honeymoon in Florida are long over. This pressure to have the perfect wedding doesn't just stem from the brides, however. Even the guests expect the weddings they attend to be some lavish affair. Whatever happened to just being happy for the love you were invited to witness? What do you think of extravagant weddings people are 'expected' to have these days? Is it getting out of control?

p.s. I am finished with my wedding spending, so don't think I'm asking to see if I need to get more or less stuff! I guarantee a perfect wedding day for all invited, I'm just trying to stir some debate! : )

Classic

This has nothing to do with weddings or love or anything, but I came across this t-shirt and it made me laugh out loud. It is just the type of humor I live for. To this day I may never figure out why, but every time someone uses their fingers to make their spoken word become a quotation, I laugh. I just wanted to share this quality t-shirt (courtesy of Palmer Cash T's), and keep in mind you will probably see me wearing this around town sometime soon. Feel free to make fun of me for it too!