Happy Hodge Podge

So right now my bridesmaids and mother are keeping things from me and trying to be sneaky, so bridal shower must be soon upon us. I do know the date, because unfortunately, with all of us so spread out, there was no way not to tell me the date, but other than that, there's lot of mystery going on.

This means that this weekend was spent updating our guest list with some address revisions, updating and solidifying our registry, and agonizing a little more about wedding bands and suits.

Our suit of choice is picked (same as I already showed, nothing new here):

But we're waiting for the BOGO Labor Day sale to buy.




The rings are picked, Kyle has to to exchange the monies and that will be taken care of.







Invitation checklist stands as follows:

Order envelopes (outer envelopes, inner envelopes, response envelopes)

Order paper

Order lotka paper for trifolds and vellum to cover invitation

Buy burlap for belly bands and twine to tie invitations and feathers for decoration

Order seal

Address and stamp envelopes

Self-address (with free Shutterfly address labels) and stamp response envelopes

Cut vellum to size

Print out invitations

Rip lotka paper to size and fold into trifolds, glue pockets for RSVP/response envelope/hotel info

Rip invitations to size (rough edges)

Decorate invitations with stamps and colored pencil (like the Save the Dates)

Put invitations together: glue invite into trifold; put RSVP, response envelope, hotel info, etc... into pocket; wrap with burlap and twine and decorate with a single guinea hen feather

Stuff invitations into inner envelope and apply wax seal, stuff inner envelopes into outer envelopes, seal, and send!

Yeah, so only one more thing got crossed off, but I'm solidly on my way to the end. 8.5 bullet points crossed off, 5.5 bullet points to go! I still have a month and a week to get them done. We set the RSVP date three weeks before the wedding so I want people to have about three to four weeks to return the RSVP and allow approximately a week for mailing (because everyone's relatively close by) so that means I would like to send them out by the end of September... That's not that far away...


Kyle says to me the other day "Why didn't you address the envelopes awhile ago?" What?? Who do you think you are?? Men, right?


Hey! Who cares if he's right, that's not the point. Oh yeah, by the way, we had our pre-marital counseling this weekend!

No one got hurt :)


My G said we passed. Every question or situation he posed came back around to communication. I didn't want to keep saying "Yeah, we've dealt with that." but living with someone for five years means that if you haven't learned how to communicate with them yet, you're in trouble.

Yeah, that type of trouble. At the end, I felt like I hadn't said enough (because I didn't want to say "yeah, we've dealt with that"), that I had let my G do all the talking, and I'm hoping he doesn't feel that way. But the point he drove home multiple times is something to the effect of "Even if you don't think you need to address that right here right now, just talk to each other about it if you need to."


He surprised me a little by asking if there was any issues with our parents that might carry over to our spouse; he says that before marriage your most intense relationship is with your parents and after marriage, your most intense relationship is with your spouse. Any bad blood or insecurities etc... left over from childhood or young adulthood can transfer over to your significant other if not properly addressed.


I was less surprised when he asked if Kyle had any bitterness he was holding onto from his previous marriage (no, on account of her being a crazy beotch) and whether or not I had any daddy issues (he didn't say daddy issues) I was holding onto from not knowing my biological father (frick no, on account of having an awesome adoptive father who's more blood than my actual blood).


We also discussed our Myers Briggs personality types... this consisted mostly of Grampa comparing notes with Kyle because G is a Rational Fieldmarshal and Kyle is a Rational Mastermind and G said he doesn't often meet other Rationals, so he was excited... I guess he wasn't so surprised I turned out to be an Idealist... so he didn't spend much time on me. Turns out, according to Myers and Briggs, mine and Kyle's personality types are very compatible (whoo hoo!!).

So my to do list is getting smaller and smaller!! We also booked our regional flights in Costa Rica. Yay!! And my aunt finished our little bird cake toppers but I don't have them yet so I don't have a picture for you :( Sorry.


Up for grabs today: I have to e-mail our DOC to talk to her about table linens and finally schedule a makeup trial with my possible makeup artist.

 

So when do I get to check these things off the list?? When I've sent the e-mail or when I've actually decided on linens?? Because sending the e-mail is half the battle, but linens are still not picked... Although since it is wedding season, and I have no idea when she would be able to meet with me about linens, it seems cruel and unfair not to be able to check linens off the list just because I have to wait for a special trip to my venue just to pick out the dumb things! Whew.


I sent the e-mail, as well as one to the makeup artist, who usually takes quite a while to get back to me... I hate depending on other people to cross things off my to do list.


Anyway, so who wants to take a gander at my master checklist??

• Yarn orbs - still only 6 of 20 done
• Hair flowers - 5 of 5 done
• Fabric backdrop for alter
• Fabric archway for entrance
• Fabric strips for bride and groom chairs
• Shrug - almost 3/4 done!!
• Invitations - more than halfway done
• Trip to my aunt's farm for cool old rustic stuff (old wood for signs, old frames for menu/program/etc..., old tubs, old crates, wooden swing, whatever!!)
• Mass trip to Lancaster flower and craft warehouse - whoo hoo!! Fun fun!!
• Small burlap bunting
• Burlap ring pillow
• Bird cake topper
• Burlap table runners
• Hangers
• Music list, solidify DJ (you wanna see my music list sometime??)
• Hotel rooms night before and night off wedding
• Rings
• Suits - again, does it count that we picked the suit but we're waiting for Labor Day to order them??
• Regional Costa Rica flights
• Pre-marital counseling
• Pick a dress, then get it altered

Even though I believe I'm forgetting a few things, and because some of those things are small and I will not suffer for running out of time to do them (small burlap bunting, sorry, but you'll be the first to fall through the cracks... followed closely by you, burlap ring pillow!), my checklist is half way checked!!! This is a huge leap from a month ago when one thing was checked off, and that one thing was something my aunt was doing!

I'm getting more and more excited as we approach the 3 month mark. It's very hard to believe. Sunday was our engage-iversary and we didn't get a chance to do anything (this was the same weekend as pre-marital counseling and spending time with MOH/BM Mia and Dan) but it was duly noted. I have the proposal on video and for some insane reason, keep forgetting to post it! It's at home right now... I'm a bad blogger. I've been sitting on it for a year... horrible!

Cake soon, Jordan, I promise. How is everyone else's to do list coming along? Anyone start to get jittery at three months? I'm OK still, but I can feel it starting to creep towards me...