Reception Venue: Check

Behold. A few beauties we snapped on Thursday. We've got a wedding date and everything!

Golden Shower

Last night J took pity on his little stressed out gal and took me out to dinner.  I was in the bathroom reapplying some makeup and he decided to run the doggies down to the "pee tree" before we left.  We call it that because, well, it's a little tree in a patch of grass and it's an irresistible spot for them, as well as most of the other dogs in our 'hood.  There's a few seconds of sniffing, and then the business conducting and then we're done.  Plain and simple.

All was fine when they left.  But when they returned, I could hear J grumbling in the hallway and I'm not going to lie, there were a few curse words involved.  Next thing I know, the trio of man and beasts is in the bathroom with me.  The grumbling continues.  "Is everything ok?" I ask, putting my mascara away.

J threw the shower curtain open with such force that I knew everything was definitely not ok.  A split second later, Mary is in the tub.  Water is on.  And the face-washing begins.  "J, is everything ok?"  I ask again.

J turns around to look at me.  "NO!" he shouts, pointing a demeaning finger at Leo, who all the while has been standing sheepishly beside me with his leash still attached, watching the madness.  "HE PEED ON HER FACE!!!"

Anticipation of the 4th

I kicked bum at work last week and now I get the holiday weekend to actually relax.  Since J and I are still in serious budget mode we're taking things a little lower key than originally planned.

Original plans: 

- Going to Busch Gardens on Friday ($$)

- Going to check out wedding ring options ($$$$)

Scaled back budget plans:

- going to see a few of our venue choices tomorrow.  Hooray!  Hopefully we'll rule out a few or at least one will stand out to us as a winner.  Also, I have a tentative wedding date in mind...not going to share until I know more...for now it'll suffice to say it's the feast day of the patron saint of aviators, test takers and weak students.  Seriously, wikipedia?

- heading up to Moon, VA on Friday to see Granddaddy.  We're taking the dogs so you can expect hilarious pictures and stories.  Also hoping to get some canoe time in.

- a birthday party for a girlfriend with an 8 week old baby.  What's more fun than that?

- Finally spending some time together after almost 5 days and 4 nights apart.  Which believe me, seemed MUCH longer.  Side note: my mother now reads my blog.  She called me to tell me, "Stacy, you should not be writing about when you're at home all alone.  It's just not safe.  People can figure out where you live, and ..."  People, this is the reason why I get up in the middle of the night to check if my doors are locked!  My paranoid parents!

The best voicemail ever

"Hey Stacy, I know you're busy and I know it's only 8am, but I wanted to see what you and J are up to tonight.  As you know, we had our tasting appointment with the wedding cake lady yesterday and instead of just making cupcakes for us to try, she made like huge rolled cakes with frosting on the inside.  There's tons of flavors.  Banana chocolate chip, pineapple, red velvet, chocolate...I can't remember the rest but there are tons, and we have way too much cake.  So hopefully you guys can come over tonight and help us decide on some flavors.  Call me."

Seriously, Bob?  You had me at "Banana chocolate chip."

Laugh, Smile or Frown

Things that made me laugh in the last 24 hours:

- We bought a new grill this weekend.  The old one belongs to our landlord.  I asked her if we could throw it away since it crapped out.  She said yes.  But she also reminded us not to throw away the propane tank.  What??? You mean those things are disposable?

- There is a serious "sidler" at work.  He normally sidles right up to my desk and scares the crap out of me.  Today, he sidled up to my cubemate and gave someone else a heart attack for once.

Things that made me smile in the last 24 hours:

- At father's day dinner, J's Granddaddy asking me if I wouldn't mind splitting some of my potatoes with him -- he only wanted a small taste.  So sweet, I'd give that man ALL of my potatoes if he wanted.

- Having J tell me that I'd invented his "New favorite chicken recipe EVER!"

- Opening my eyes this morning to see Leo's face about two inches from mine.

Things that made me frown in the last 24 hours:

-  Being told, "At this point people, it's best to go ahead and cancel your 4th of July weekend plans.  You'll be working."

Goin' to the Chapel

It is both a pleasure and an honor to say that Mrs. Wald's wedding was a huge success! As you probably know, the bff over at LEMonade got married last weekend in KC, and I served as her maid of honor. For the past year and a half, I've been privy to a few of her wedding planning details and have been a part of a few different projects. But what I saw when I walked into the Hobbs Building just blew me away.

This girl has been working her bum off, squeezing in meetings with vendors over the phone, traveling to KC from San Carlos for dress fittings, and yet still she managed to throw a wedding that came off with the air of effortless glam. Every detail was addressed. From the fabtastic welcome boxes in the hotel rooms (that contained very cute "Do Not Disturb" doorhangers aptly alerting passersby that we'd been dancing the night away at the M-W wedding -- so true!) to the cards on the bar with after-party locations and cab information. As a graphic designer, I truly appreciated the flawless execution, the consistent presence of her theme.

4 out of 5 BMs -- present!

I got to go with the bride and groom after the ceremony while they were taking pictures with the photog (to be the dress train stylist and bouquet holder) and I already know what amazing proofs they're looking forward to. Since I got to see a few of the shots "in the raw" I know their photog really captured the happiness and excitement of their day. Not to mention that the bride was drop-dead gorgeous, the epitome of a modern bride.

All the hard work and decisions the bride made were flawless. The above-pictured cake -- delicious, and beautiful. Her mother made quite a few of the tablecloths that were featured on the highlighted tables, like the cake table and the outdoor cocktail tables. I can't say enough about how wonderful everything looked, and that this mother/daughter team really raises the bar on DIY quality. It truly is an inspiration to a bride-to-be that all of Lauren's dedication and organization really shined through. Guests felt special to be in attendance.

It must be mentioned that all pictures were taken by my amazing photog-fiance J. I was pleasantly surpised to find the "detail shots" he took.

The weekend went off without a hitch. We had so much fun the night before at the rehearsal dinner...and even more afterwards when it was just us gals. Lauren had the biggest reveal of all when she handed out our monogrammed totes, filled with goodies like eyemasks, slippers, our day-of jewelry, stationary and pen. She knows us all so well, and it was a very heart-felt thank you from our girl.



We, Lauren and I, are obviously the emotional ones of the group, which made it hard for us to communicate with each other without tearing up. This made for a fun game which I call, "Bride is not accepting compliments at this time." The first round was played in the limo on the way to the pre-wedding photo shoot. The reality of what was coming really hit her (and me) hard and any direct eye contact or compliment threatened to send her eye makeup heading for her hemline. So we'd look away, change the subject, move on, all the while looking up...so the tears would retreat. Later when the excitement took over, it was fine, and everyone could feel free to compliment "bride" (as we called her). It was the only organized way to keep our wussy emotions in check. Thanks to the other BMs for playing along. We were well aware that the only danger was ourselves. :)

The day of the actual wedding was fast-paced, but always under control. Hands down, the most hilarious moment (which will no doubt become a tradition, so get ready Joanna!) was when just a few minutes before the ceremony started and we were all feeling the jitters, some clever bridesmaid (I think it was either Jamie or Emily -- seriously genius) started the line, "Innn West Philadelphia, born and raised..." and all of a sudden, like it was scripted in a movie, we all joined in and basically rapped the theme song to Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Why, you ask? I think it was because it was fresh in our minds from the Napa trip, in which the song had a brief cameo there as well. But singing it together at an increasing volume, just 5 minutes before her wedding started, helped to ease the nerves of all ladies involved. When it was over, I looked around to flushed cheeks, smiles and laughter and thought, "Brilliant."

Lauren and Brian shared their vows (yes, I was weepy, and was informed by a groomsman afterwards that I was "too emotional") that made me choke up and the beauty of their words. Since I was standing so close to them, I was able to see the way Brian looked at her the moment she became his wife, and anybody in the audience could see how ecstatic he was. From his "I'm not a ring guy, this is new to me!" nervous banter after holding out the wrong hand for his ring, to her quiet, sincerely honest "I will," it was a ceremony that truly captured their love. Their style. Their desire to share such a special day with all of us. And I can say to you, it was an honor to be a part of it. I guess you could say I was maid-of honored.

Lauren and Brian, congratulations.

eHarmonization

Last night one of J's friends (who shall remain nameless) came over to hang out.  He recently went through a breakup that frankly was for the best; this girl did not deserve his sweetness, his cuteness and his generosity.  Since the breakup, he's been coming over more often, and as J puts it, "It's our duty to help make sure the breakup sticks."

So it came as no surprise when J told me that his buddy had signed up for eHarmony.  He wanted to see what was out there, and he wanted to see what was out there NOW.  And had been going out on dates with girls.  Normal girls.  And last night, he wanted to tell us about it.  He pulled up his account and explained to us the process of the rounds of communication, like sending each other questions and answers.

I shouted, "Oh I LOVE surveys!  And questionnaires with lots and lots of answer choices!"

Since he'd arrived at our house, a girl had completed the next round of communication and so he pulled it up and let us read it.

I shouted, "She loves her dog, eating at new restaurants, and compassionate people -- me too!  Oh she hates angry, lazy, rude, close-minded people!  So do I!  We like her already!"

He answered her back with his list of "must haves" and "can't stands."  Like, must have compassion, can't stand a victim-mentality.  Must be open to his religious beliefs, can't stand someone who puts others down all the time.  It was all very enlightening, and not just because I could see his ex-girlfriend woven into all of his "can't stand" answers.  And perhaps just a little too interesting to me because I had just watched "He's Just Not That Into You."  I couldn't stifle a giggle when he said, "I can't send this back to her right away...she's gonna think I'm desperate!" and J's response to him was, "Dude, it's a Monday night, not a Saturday night...go for it."  Haha, it's too much fun being on the other side of the playing field and seeing their thoughts on dating.  

As I excused myself to go to bed early last night, I wished him luck on his date tonight with another girl, but told him to tell me how it goes with the girl from tonight.  

"Let us know how we do."