Woo!

And we are now in the double-digits! 99 Days!

Heading to VT after work today for the weekend to hopefully iron out some little details! Hoping the weather doesn't stop me...

TGIF! Hope everyone has a lovely weekend!

T-100 Days!

So in honor of it being 100 days until the Big Day, I dedicate this post to the past 278 days of being engaged and wedding planning.

Wow I can not believe we've been engaged for 278 days!! It feels like just yesterday we were boarding the plane to St. Lucia...him acting soo strange...and then the first night him getting down on one knee under the stars, with a perfect tropical beach night as our background...and him asking me "will you be my wife." AH! I love replaying that moment over and over again in my head. Whenever I'm having a bad day all I think about is that moment and I have an instant smile.

People always say that "it will fly by." And to be honest, I doubted all of them. I thought the days and the months would drag by, due to the fact that Jeff & I would be separated by hundreds of miles for the entire time of our engagement. I also thought that since I wanted June 5th to come so badly the universe would find it funny to slow down time. But looking back, the past 9+ months have flownnnn by! Yes some days and weeks seem longer then others, but overall it has gone by so fast.

100 days still seems like forever to me. But I can start to see the 'light at the end of the tunnel.' I know these next 100 days will fly by even faster. And I am ready! All my wedding planning is done. Just a few minor details and decisions, and a few things we can't do until the time gets closer. So bring on June 5th!

So one of my lovely Bridesmaids, Bernadette, sent me this adorable cocktail! It sounds really yummy and looks super simple to make!

The Blushing Bride Martini:

1 lemon wedge

2 ounces vodka

1/2 cup pulp-free pink lemonade

Directions:

1. Rub lemon around rims of two martini glasses; dip in pink sugar!

2. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice; add vodka and lemonade

3. Shake well

4. Strain into glasses

5. Enjoy!

http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/

Drum Roll Please...

I am honored to announce the 8th and final groomsmen that Jeff has chosen...

Drum roll please...

Ralph Johnson!

After much thought Jeff thought it would be nice to include his sister, Elisa's, new husband, Ralph (his brother-in-law) in the bridal party!

Welcome to the fun Ralph!!

The Perfect Valentines Day

For Valentines Day 2010 I ventured out to Kentucky to be with my Valentine. Kentucky is not an easy place to get to, obviously. But being picked up at the Louisville airport by my solider in full uniform with a huge smile on his face is completely worth the trip.

Jeff basically had the entire weekend planned out. It was perfect. We celebrated V-Day a day early with a nice night in Louisville. We ate at a great restaurant called Z Fusion. During our dinner toast a good point was brought up, this is "our first and last Valentines Day engaged!" Dinner, the evening, the surprise gift (which he seriously needs to stop spoiling me!!), was all perfect.

On Sunday, Valentines Day, we layed low which was nice and watched movies. For dinner he ordered a 'pineapple pizza' because that is the first thing that connected us. Random but true! Romantic and so yummy! He then took me out to see Valentines Day, which I was dyinggg to see, however I was slightly disappointed. Great cast, but the storyline ehhh.

While we were together we also accomplished a few wedding errands!

We got Jeff's wedding band and had it engraved! I love it, it is so him. Seeing the ring on his finger made me smile for the rest of the day.

We also made a trip to Mens Warehouse outside of Louisville so he could see what I chose for the tuxes and to make sure he liked it, which of course he did! We got his tux measurements, even though it is months early (They recommend getting measurements around a month before the wedding) just in case he was unable to go back due to his crazy training schedule. He also bought a new suit to wear to our rehearsal dinner and some other fun events coming up!

Overall it was a great trip, absolutely perfect, which made the goodbyes that much harder....

Trying hard to get into that groove again.

The Day Lovers Enjoy and the Day Others Hate.

In honor of Valentines Day and for all you love birds out there...

The Love Bird Cocktail

1.5 oz Vodka

2 oz Sour Mix

Dash of Dark Rum

.5 oz of Grenadine

Add all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, shake, and then strain into a fun glass. Add a cherry or a strawberry to garnish!

Found on www.morecooldrinks.com

Hope you all have wonderful Valentines Day plans! Me...I'm flying out to Kentucky this afternoon to spend the weekend with my valentine :) He spoils me way to much, he has tons of surprises planned for the weekend! Can't wait!

A Quaint & Lovely Bridal Shower in VT is in the Works!

Just a shout out to my MOH, Emily (with a lot of help from my Mom) who have started putting together what seems to be a lovely bridal shower for me! (No..it's not a surprise, not a huge fan of surprises like that)

I always thought it would be nice to have the bridal shower at my home in VT....my Mom originally had different plans because she was worried about it being to crowded. My thought is Hey!...We all love each other and it will be nice and cozy and I feel like people will have more fun and be more relaxed! (There is more then enough room)

I'm really really excited because they booked a local caterer that I reallyyyy enjoy and its going to be put on by such great hostesses!

I can not wait to have all my favorite gals in one place!

Anxious...

So while browsing Boston.com's list of 'Top 20 Most Romantic Movies' I stumbled upon a quote which I am now in love with and describes what I'm feeling right now...

"When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible." ~From When Harry Met Sally.

I seriously have to wait 115 more days to marry Jeff? Reallyyy?? AH! I can not wait to start the rest of my life with him and our future together. I am beyond excited for the future and all that is in store for us!

So hurry up days...fly by a little faster!

Top Things to Register for...According to Amazon.com

Jeff and I registered at a few of our favorite places a couple months ago....mine being Simon Pearce in Quechee, VT and his being Crate & Barrel (his choice!) and Bed Bath & Beyond because it seemed practical.

Recently I've taken a revisit to my registries to make sure everything was still available and if I still liked the things we registered for. Doing so reminded me of an email I received from projectwedding.com with the tops things to register for according to Amazon.com.

According to Amazon.com here are the 10 ten things people are registering for...

1. Wii
2. Nonstick-bakeware sets
3. Slow cookers
4. The Kindle Wireless Reading Device
5. Wii Fit Plus with Balancing Board
6. Pyrex storage 10-piece set
7. Spatula sets
8. Nonstick silicone baking mat
9. Oxo Good Grips Box Grater
10. Amazon.com gift card

I don't know about you but some of these things seem a bit odd and out of place....What happened to the days when you registered for like china, silver, and crystal? Now people are registering for electronics such as a Wii? Call me old fashion but isn't the purpose of a registry is for people to help you start a home together....start your life together...

Some may argue that a Wii could help 'create a home' by playing together and spending time together...ok but it just seems that some of those items are more for like a big birthday party instead of a celebration of becoming one, becoming a family.

That's my random thought and opinion of the day....

Stress?

Stress? I have none in regards to the wedding? Should I??

A lot of people have been asking me and commenting me on how I appear to be so calm and collected. And the truth is, I truly am...

This is such a huge and exciting part of my life, it will only come once, so why not enjoy and make the most of it?? For the past couple of years I've been trying to live my life with a positive attitude, not let little things affect me, and live each day to the fullest. I admit I don't live each day to the fullest as I should, but I will work on that part!

But around this time (the countdown is down to less then 4 months!) brides tend to turn into bridezillas. Honestly, this is my worst fear. I know that it is inevitable and I will have my unnecessary moments, but truly, I don't see what the point of that is.

I want to enjoy every second of this moment, and I also want my friends and bridesmaids to enjoy it with me! I don't want them to be stressed or upset with me. It's a happy time not a time to be bitter!

I am truly blessed to have absolutely amazing bridesmaids, family, and friends who have helped minimize my 'stress.' I really have no reason to lash out at them or make them miserable (the thought of that makes me sick actually). My bridesmaids have all stepped up and I know all their hearts are in the right place and truly happy and are there for me. And its nice not having to stress about them or anything they are planning. So shout-out to the best 8 girls in the world!!!

Also I know that my heart is in the right place. I went into this wedding planning knowing the main objective...marry Jeff. That's what I want most in this world. And like I've said before, its not about the guest list, the venue, the glamour or the glitz...it's about the love and the commitment you make.

So no stress here (knock on wood!) only a touch of wishing that it was tomorrow and not 116 days away!

The Dress Fitting...

Dun Dun Dun.....

The dress fitting...

The day I was for some reason dreading? For absolutely absurd and silly reasons...

1. I'm not nearly in the shape I want to be in for my wedding...
2. What if I decide I HATEEE my dress??
3. What if I decide that I look absolutely ridiculous in it, and there's nothing I can do about it.
4. Ok I'll stop I'll admit I was a crazy! (According to a couple of my bridesmaids!)

I knew in my heart that everything was going to be fine, and I was going to love my dress just as much as I did when I first put it on, perhaps even more because it was more my size and not the stocked size. But I couldn't help not feeling a touch of anxiety. It was such a huge moment.

With a few cancellations due to schedules not matching up, my Mom, my sister, and I finally made our way back to Priscilla's on Boylston Street last Thursday.

I was greeted by Nella, the manager of the alteration department, and she led me to the room where my dress was awaiting me. Again it was love at first sight...even in the clear garment bag I knew I was going to love it.

SO the moment of truth...Nella helped me dress and put me on the pedestal. And all I could do was smile. I loved it. It was perfect. It was truly my dress.

It was pretty big (which I was happy about) and they pinned accordingly to mark where it had to be taken in. Their main objective is to make the dress fit 'like a glove' and to make it look like that dress was especially made for you, which it should be!

I can not praise the alteration ladies enough. The alteration ladies at Priscilla's are adorable. They truly make you feel beautiful and like a princess. They couldn't stop raving about the dress, my beauty and my 'glow' in it and also the beauty of my mom, sister, and I. It was fun!

I can not wait until I go back to see the latest changes and alterations. This time I will go in with more confidence and hopefully bring a couple of my bridesmaids!

One thing I have to keep in mind is I can not gain an ounce...the pressure is on!

So everyone was right...I ended up loving my dress 100000x more then before...if that was even possible! So since then I've basically been on cloud 9.

Invitation Designing

Invitations are such an important/big decision you need to make. Your invitations reflect your personality as a couple, the personality of your wedding, and one of the first impressions you will make to your guests.

..........That is some peoples views.

Mine...is its a piece of paper. HOWEVER I do completely agree with those thoughts, it should be special and it should reflect the personality of your wedding and you as a couple.

When starting to talk about invitations with Carrie, I knew I wanted them to be special. I visited a few stationary stores and looked through those big-god-awful books but I didn't really find anything that really 'jumped out' to me or 'wowed' me.

Carrie from the beginning recommended doing 'custom' invitations. And I should have just listened to her and not wasted hours of my life looking through the books (ha!).

Carrie set me up with a custom-invitation designer in VT, a few towns over from me. Her name was Carey as well, from Lasso'd Moons Designs.

We met with Carey January 16th in Brandon, VT at a cute little coffee shop. We talked on the phone a few weeks before to discuss what I was looking for, my ideas, etc. So she came prepared with paper samples, designs, layouts, her portfolio etc. She made it SO easy and so fun to pick the exact look I wanted.

The difference between custom invitations and picking out of a book, is you have complete control over everything. Down to the fonts, the paper sizes/texture/colors etc, to the tiny little fun details. I thought it would be so overwhelming with all the decisions, but surprisingly I was able to make quick decisions (which seems to be a common trend in my wedding planning which I love and I'm surprised by myself at!!).

Carey was so great to work with and she gave some great ideas and thoughts. I highly recommend her to anyone in the VT/NH area!

We left the meeting with an absolutely perfect invitation designed, along with all our other paper materials designed, i.e. table numbers, tags for our favors, escort cards, programs, and some other fun ideas...which you'll just have to wait and see! :)

Carey helped me achieve the look I was going for, the look that reflects the theme of my wedding, Jeff & I as a couple, and the invitation I've always dreamed of!