The Nest

Wedding Band

Posted Sunday, July 06, 2008 9:43 PM

I finally had a weekend off from work. We really didn't do a whole lot of wedding planning stuff. But today we went shopping for wedding bands. We went to Shane Co and International Diamond Center. The guy at Shane Co cleaned my ring so it's really pretty again. The salesman was really helpful showing us tons of bands for me, and then for FI. I saw some that I liked but wasn't convinced. FI saw a couple that he liked. But can I just say that the knot's budget tool is way off. According to them, we would be wayyyy over budget if we went with the rings we liked. Next we went to IDC. They had a band there that I liked and the price was really reasonable, but I wasn't ready to buy, especially since I have been eying the matching band on Blue Nile. FI didn't see anything he was crazy about. I have a feeling it will be a long process to find FI's wedding ring. I even told him not to worry about price, but he's really picky. I am a quick shopper, too. So shopping with FI can be tedious.

We got home and I showed FI the band on Blue Nile. Before shopping today, I thought it was kind of pricey, but after trying on bands that cost $1,000 or more, the band on Blue Nile was a bargain. It cost more than the one at IDC but the total carat weight of diamonds was twice the weight of the band from IDC. Also the Blue Nile band was 18K gold, not 14K. So FI was like, do you want me to buy it now. I said sure. We found a 10% coupon code and the ring should be here on Wednesday. Yay!!! Now just gotta keep searching for FI's ring.

Yummy check!

Posted Tuesday, July 01, 2008 10:03 AM

FI and I met with a 2nd baker yesterday. I originally thought we were going with some lady we met with back in March. But a local knottie recommended this baker (Michael Anthony Cakes). I was sooo looking forward to the cake tasting. We had to push it back several times because of my work schedule. Not to mention Lake Mary is a bit of a hike from East Orlando (about 25 miles). His flavors all sounded so yummy and have really creative names.

So we got there and he had 2 plates ready for FI and me with 3 different flavors that we wanted to taste (he probably has about 10 flavors and it was hard to choose only 3). With each bite I took, I was like mmmm, this is so good. FI ate his cake so fast and then started to go for my cake.

We LOVED the white chocolate cake (white cake, white chocolate mousse, fresh strawberries). We decided to do the entire cake (3 tiers) in that flavor. FI really liked the custard (it was on a different flavor cake), but it had raspberries, which we weren't crazy about. The chocolate cake was delicious but a little too rich. I was disappointed in myself for not finishing it.

Anyway the prices were really reasonable. We signed the contract and put in our deposit. He also includes a free small cake for the first anniversary, so we don't have to eat freezer-burned cake on our 1 yr anniversary. 

Wedding Nightmares

Posted Tuesday, July 01, 2008 10:03 AM

I had 2 wedding nightmares last night. Everything went wrong. I was never so glad to be awake in my life! My nightmares don't make a lot of sense, i.e. they are not logical. Nonetheless, they were horrible.

In the first nightmare, I was at my parents' house in Miami and we needed something from the store. So I drove to Publix to get it and I think I was in my wedding dress. When I got home, it was dark and I was posing for pics with my photographer with a cigarette in my hand (I don't smoke). Then I go inside (this is where things are not logical) and into the reception. It's like I'm at the Grand Bohemian hotel (but no where in my dream do I remember actually getting there) and we are in a HUGE ballroom. My DJ was there doing an awesome job, but then he started doing things we didn't ask for, like a magician was there doing tricks. We were worried about the price of all this. Then I remember that I never did a seating chart and I freak out (all the guests are already sitting down and eating) so I go to my DOC and ask her if there were any problems. She says yes and there are 200 guests at my wedding (IRL the guest list is about 70). I look around and notice people I haven't talked to since high school and college. Then FI and I really freak out because there are 3 times the guests and we don't know how we are going to pay for it.

Thank God I had to pee so I woke up from this nightmare. I woke up FI and told him about it. He probably doesn't remember...

I go back to sleep and have another nightmare. In this one, more things go wrong.

Before the wedding, I am checking the reception site to make sure everything is okay. Someone decided to "surprise" me with a candy and cookie bar. The cookies were the cheap ones from Wal-Mart and still in their original packaging. I tried to fix it but there were no pretty containers.

Then it was time to walk down the aisle. It was a really long aisle. First of all, FI walks down and he is announced like it's a sporting event with sports music playing. Then I walk down and as I'm walking my florist is walking with me fixing my flowers and they were ugly and all the wrong colors. Then I hear the music. My violinist wasn't there. It was some lady playing the keyboard which I could barely hear and she wasn't playing the songs I wanted. As I walked down the aisle (florist was not there anymore) I was walking alone and I almost tripped. To top if off, I was wearing these hideous white lace gloves. I finally made it to end of the aisle and while the ceremony was going on, I was whispering to FI about the keyboard lady and she heard me and glared at me. I as up there, feeling like I wanted to cry, because everything that could go wrong, went wrong. Oh and my MOH wasn't in her dress. She was wearing some ugly white lace suit.

Thank God it was just a nightmare... 

Lots of updates

Posted Thursday, June 19, 2008 11:55 PM

May was a slow month for wedding planning, but June has been a lot more exciting. So on with the updates...

We did book our ceremony muscian. Very exciting stuff. We met with Lisa again last weekend. This time her husband was there. He plays the oboe. They played a few songs together and all I can say is Wow! Trumpet Voluntary sounded amazing. So did Canon. FI was impressed and agreed that having the oboe player really enhanced the music. We signed the contract and paid the deposit.

I also ordered an invite kit from cardandpockets so I can start doing mockups. We got the 6X6 pocketfold in candy apple (a smooth red). I liked the metallic pocketfolds but the cranberrry color didn't look quite right. I have also been researching cardstock and envelopes. I want to do a metallic silver envelope so it will stand out amongst the many Christmas cards (which are usually in white or red envelopes). We haven't bought the paper yet, but I've really narrowed things down.

I also got some templates for the invites and am working on that. Tonight I was searching invitation wording and saw one that was perfect and really fits with our theme (double hearts). I emailed it to FI and he said "Wow I love it." Pretty good response, I'd have to say. Next step is to work on formatting a bit. But thanks to an awesome local knottie (Gian&Van), I don't have to start from scratch.

In other paper news (yeah how exciting... never thought I'd be obsessed with paper)... after a GTG this past week, I realized that there's some projects I might as well work on now. This knottie is getting married this weekend and she was like: Do your table numbers and unity candle now. So with that being said... FI taught me how to use photoshop and installed it on my laptop (he's amazing). With a little help from him, I made a mockup of how our table numbers will look. The city name will be on top on a red background in silver writing. Then there will be a picture of us in that city, backed on red paper. All of this will be glued onto black cardstock and placed on an easel (to incorporate FI being an artist... plus it looks nice). I may add a caption like : Rockefeller Center, December 2007... or whatever it may be. Once I order all the cardstock (I am ordering all the paper I will need for all projects at once), I can start making the table numbers.

I got a template for programs and I changed all the wording so that it is now my program. I just have a few minor tweaks. Of course this is the easy part. The assembly will take awhile, but it's still progress.

FI and I will work on our photo cardbox in a couple weeks. I have to work for the next 2 weekends so we will have to wait until the next weekend I am off. I bought the frames we need.

And the most exciting thing... my boudoir session is booked for July 24th. I am due for a cut and color so I am getting that done a few days before the session. I still need to make an appointment at the salon to get waxed and get a spray tan and get my nails done. A lot of planning goes into bpics. I did complete my wardrobe. I think I went overboard, I bought quite a few things. But if I end up not using something, I will save it for the HM. ;)

And as far as the gym is going, this is week 3. I am starting to notice that my arms are looking more defined and my abs are flatter. By the time bpics roll around, I will be on week 8 so I should be looking totally in shape by then.

Whew! That was a lot of updates. I think that's it for now...

Ceremony Musician

Posted Monday, June 09, 2008 10:27 AM

FI and I met with a violinist yesterday. I have heard great reviews about her from local knotties. Her resume is impressive as well.

So we get there and she starts playing some songs for us. I can't help but smile like an idiot as soon as I hear her play those songs. She played the bridal march for us, and although I really do not want to walk down the aisle to that song, it sounds way better on a violin than an organ. She also played Canon in D and Trumpet Voluntary. Everything sounded great. She was not only talented, but very nice. Her hubby plays the oboe and she offered his services for a reasonable price. I really would like to add him because Canon just doesn't sound as beautiful on a single violin. Also, Trumpet Voluntary will sound better on the oboe. FI has no idea what an oboe is and he gave me a hard time about it at first. But then I realized he was only joking.

So we are probably going to see the violinist again at the end of this week so we can hear her and her hubby play (he was out of town yesterday). I know for a fact I am going to book her, but I want FI to hear how much better the violin sounds with the oboe. Another check off my list!

Oh and I ordered my invite sample kit last night from cardsandpockets.com Once it comes in, I can work on the invite mockups. I am finally getting back into the planning mode.

Workout

Posted Wednesday, June 04, 2008 4:09 PM

So FI and I joined LA Fitness last month. I was very proud of him because he's really not into the gym to put it nicely. He prefers to sit in front of the TV. I hadn't been to the gym since my Gainesville days (exactly a year ago), so of course the first day or two with the weight machines was a little rough. Basically I was lost. Thank God FI and I went to the gym together and he showed me which machines to use and how to use them. So the first time I went to the gym by myself, I didn't look like a complete idiot. It's been about a week since I started working with weights and so far I am really into the gym.

I even started eating better. Yogurt for snacks instead of cookies. And I have given up Mountain Dew. I never thought I'd see the day. My co-workers thought I was crazy... I was the one who drank it like coffee... at 8 in the morning.

I have a little less than 2 months until b pics so I'm going hardcore for the next 2 months. Then about 2 months before the wedding, I'll get really into it again. And for the 6 months in between, well I'll just exercise like normal. I'm not looking to lose any weight... or at least not more than 5 pounds. I really just want to get everything tight and toned.

Not much wedding news right now... Save the dates were sent out and I got a lot of compliments from family and friends. Just working on the cake and ceremony music for now. 

Confessions of a workaholic

Posted Thursday, May 29, 2008 10:24 AM

Today is day #10 of working straight without a day-off... 120 hours in 2 weeks. After 7pm tonight, I will be off until Monday morning. Although I was able to get through it, I'm never doing this again unless I'm really desperate. I'm exhausted, haven't been into the wedding planning mood, and my house is a mess. I have so many errands to run and I miss spending time with FI and our dog. And I'm grouchy today. I was a complete B*%ch to the pharmacist on the phone (but seriously I had to repoeat myself about 5 time). On a positive note, today is payday and it was great. Like I tell FI when I'm working a lot, I might be tired now, but I'll be happy when I get my paycheck.

I promised myself that 2 months before the wedding, I will stop doing overtime so I have time to workout and do last minute wedding stuff. I'm sure I can keep this promise. But I hope not to kill myself with overtime after the wedding (since I plan to make enough to pay everything in full). But there will always be something else. If not the wedding, saving up for another house... or a new car... or grad school.

The good thing is that I like my job. If I didn't like it, I wouldn't be working all the time.