What does the real world mean now?!

We're back!! We had a glorious 2 weeks in France and Italy that involved a marathon, plenty of wine, bread, cheese, and pasta, hiking and walking, exploring backroads, beating the touristy pavement, sights and sounds, music and art, and most importantly... each other! This was the first time my man and I have done Europe together, and while there was a learning curve with real travel (as opposed to easy vacationing which we have done together quite a few times!), we truly enjoyed each other's company. I had one afternoon where I was craving some alone time (not surprising, though, as I am a VERY independent person, and absolutely adore alone time!), but for the most part, we couldn't really get enough of each other. It was exciting for me to watch my man come to enjoy wine (he is a tried-and-tested devoted beer drinker!), and we both were amazed at the beauty, history, and soul of the places we visited. I, of course, will share much of the trip with you all, as my recaps get to the honeymoon, but in the mean time, I am excited to talk all things wedding with you.

I've gotta put it out there though... I came home to over 1000 unread posts in my google reader, and I thought, OK, I could try to catch up on them... but I gave up! I checked to make sure I hadn't missed any of my blogger friends weddings, and caught up on some pics from August 15 Bride, but then I did the unthinkable.... I clicked the "mark all as read" button! I know I know... it's bad!! I still TOTALLY value all of the hard work, creativity, and emotion that everyone has put into sharing the wedding journey with their readers, but I really couldn't find the energy or emotion within myself to swoon over other peoples' details. The fact is, our wedding has passed... it was amazing... but not PERFECT. It was heartfelt, meaningful, and tonnes of fun, but there were some things I overlooked or simply ran out of time to attend to. It was family filled, memorable, fresh-mountain-air exciting, but there will always be little things I could have done differently. The simple fact is, I love the details... all details. Even those details I read about and think "oh come on now, who has the time to do THAT?!" yep, I love those details too! I could have 4 or 5 more weddings (of course to my one and only man, cause he is my dreamy-delicious-kind-fun HUSBAND forever!!) and still never incorporate all the details that I think are FABULOUS! So, I couldn't go back in time to look at my 1000+ posts, but I will still read wedding blogs I think... they are just so dreamy! I especially look forward to watching all the brides out there make their own leap of faith... all you brides are so brave! I definitely realized what a HUGE deal it is to get married... HUGE!!

Most recaps are different from each other... the way brides organize their thoughts/emotions/sentiments related to their wedding is unique to themselves. So yes, my recaps will probably not look like anyone elses. I have thought about how they will look, and it is hard even now to imagine it, but the one thing I really want to work hard to express are the feelings that surged through every moment of the whole wedding weekend. Some feelings I expected, others I was surprised by... they were all over the map!! So the story will likely unfold chronologically, but the focus will likely be on the emotion. I hope you are all with me for this journey, because you have all been supportive so far... and I have to come to rely on you a bit ;) And, if my experiences can help any of you prepare for or anticipate feelings on your own wedding day, I know it will be worth it!

the most amazing day... ever!!

Hey friends! I know I have been MIA lately... the fact is, I am a married woman, on her honeymoon, loving every minute of QT with my HUSBAND!! It was a crazy busy homestretch the last week before the wedding, but it all resulted in the most fantastic wedding weekend... better than I could have imagined. All the work that we had put into creating a three day retreat in the mountains for our family and closest friends brought the most delightful experience to fruition... and the best part... at the end of the Sunday, we were man and wife!!

Above all else, I can tell you that the weekend was filled with LAUGHTER (I am talking a LOT of it!!), and lovelovelove... between my man and I of course, but it also floated through the air like laughing gas, hitting everyone to come within the vicinity of our lodge... it was EVERYWHERE! It was so unbelievably humbling how much our family and friends that stayed at the amazing lodge helped make our day possible... like, beyond 'help'.... they were seriously integral in how the whole weekend unfolded, and for that, we are forever indebted... they took our vision to heart, and worked tirelessly to make it happen! My eyes are getting wet just typing this and picturing my little brother giving directions like he was football coach... "no, that table goes here... ok boys, let's mop the floor before we set up the chairs... come on people, I need all hands on deck to move these couches...", and one of my bestest girlfriends working around the clock like freaking Martha Stewart to create a BEAUTIFUL room that surpassed any/all expectations that I might have had... seriously, I had the BEST team ever working to make our day the best possible!

I will give all sorts of juicy details when we return from France/Italy, but for now, a few of my fav pics from our photogs... enjoy!!

His and Hers

OK, the countdown is on... 6 days till I'm married, and 4 days till we will be on the road to Fernie... yup, that means some things are getting deleted from the DIY dreamlist!! BUT, more importantly, things getting done at a rapid rate (can you hear the optimism... the reality is things are taking longer than I ever expected them to, but heh, they're getting done) (2nd bracket: the sneeze just reminded me tell you that, as expected, as soon as the defense finished, my body started releasing all of the stress I have been holding on to the last few months, and I am now sick?!?! I asked my body so firmly to stay healthy until the defense was over cause I couldn't handle being sick... why didn't I ask it to hold on until the wedding?! oh well...)

So, this post is allll about my new favorite tool: the circle punch, and my new favorite supply: the full-page labels (P.S.... seriously, how did I live before the full-page labels?!?! They are so friggin awesome!). First things first... our OOT bags, or shall I say, baskets! I can only show you some of the items that are going into the basket, since my step-mom has gloriously offered to assemble the apple crates (I guess those aren't baskets?!) complete with croissants, homemade cherry jelly, coffee packets, and I really don't know what else. But, to add our personal touch to it, the circle punch and labels made a big appearance!!

I formatted a page worth of labels, in different colors, and pre-cut them using scissors (this was my first punch, so I soon realized that at least one edge had to be cut pretty close to the edge of the circle, but in no time I got the hang of this new trust tool... look, there's even a window to make sure everything is lined up (told ya, total newbie!!)

My stack of purple and green labels:

And the candy supplies: my favorites (lindt chocolate, and hot tamales), his favorites (after eight bars and nibs), small clear plastic bags, and of course, the labels! What I didn't get a picture of was the beef jerkey we ALWAYS pick-up when we drive to Fernie, which of course was labelled as a favorite of the bride AND groom, and a couple packs of gum for good measure!!

All the goodies labelled with hearts:

And the stack... a couple will go in each basket (we are only doing baskets for the 4 houses we have rented, which will have about half of our guests... the rest are in individual hotel rooms, and we drew the line there... I know, I tried to avoid the special treatment of the house guests, but what can I say??)

And since we're on the topic of circle punch and labels, here's a glimpse into their second use... gift tags!! (PS: don't you just love those adorable round purple tins I wrapped the girls' head pieces in?? Now they have the perfect storage case for them!!)

The gift pile seems so small... how did I go so broke buying a wee-little basket of gifts??

OK, I warned you, labels and circle cutters... my new best friends!!

Dr. Bride

OK, I am actually back... after a successful PhD defense!! I'm not gonna lie, it was probably the hardest day of my life, but in the end, I heard the words "pass", so I am a happy girl. I would have LOVED for it to go more smoothly, and I have spent a few days feeling sorry for myself, and mourning the loss of those 2 hours that I had envisioned being confident, strong, and impressive, and am now coming to terms with the fact that they simply were not my best hours, but it's ok... I passed, and life goes on. Thank-you all for your kind words of support, it really did mean a lot!!

OK, I am actually back... as a bride 8 days away from getting married?!?! WHAT?? I know I know, catch your breath, relax, and hold on for the ride!! I can't believe the wedding is almost here, and I have been so MIA with you guys I barely know where to start?? We leave for Fernie on Thursday next week, so I have a mere 6 days left to get everything ready... the only problem is, I don't know what to do?! The defense took EVERYTHING out of me, and I am finding it difficult to convince myself to get up and get productive. On top of that all, the PhD was definitely a stress on the important relationship... with me and my man... but I know in the end it will make us stronger. The only unfortunate thing, is it coincides with the inherent stress of wedding planning (time, money, emotions, energy... the works!). So, we are going to try to spend some time today on us, just good ol' fashioned fun time together putzing away in the garage (yes, on wedding DIY stuff, but still, it will be fun!), and trying to bounce back from the last couple of months where it has admittedly been all about me, with very little attention paid to him. I know we will get through it, and in 11 short days, we will be drinking wine together in France, as husband and wife... yes, we can get through this!!

BUT, because I have been so negligent here for a long time, I will share some goodies with you... nothing will be in order, all is random (like the thousands of thoughts swirling around in my head right now... someone to deliver bouts.... Cajun appetizers?!.... remember to bring steamer.... did I ask P to bring Cranium or did I just think about asking.... get licence renewed... YOU GET THE POINT RIGHT!!).

Today though, let's talk about the rehearsal dinner... otherwise known as the welcome BBQ! We have decided to throw a casual lunch at the wedding lodge, to which all of our guests are invited! And yes, a LOT of them are coming... 90 to be exact! So, my mom and step-dad, famous for their steaks, are bringing 90 AAA Alberta (the best!) beef tenderloin steaks from their butcher, and grilling them up with some homemade baked beans, and my grandmas buns... with a little Caesar salad thrown in for some greenery! Most of the food has already been cooked and frozen, which should make the process pretty simple. We aren't afraid of the big parties (we have a cabin where we regularly have 30-40 people over for steak!), but this is definitely one of the biggest ones we have done!! What does this have to do with DIY... well, this isn't all that creative, and definitely not challenging or even original for that matter, but, it is still worth sharing (I hope you agree!):

UTENSILS: you might remember this post about Ecoware utensils, so you've maybe already seen these before, but here are a few more details...

I bought green and white IKEA napkins (super affordable, nice and big, and pretty thick and soft!). I bought 100 white and 100 green, which I believe came to something like $12 or $15. We are also using the utensils for the day-after-brunch, but yes, we will definitely have MORE than enough!

Rolling utensils is not too exciting, but for those of you without waitressing experience (I have rolled quite a few 'roll-ups' in my day!), I thought I would show you the process:

You definitely want to leave some of the utensil showing (I think they are adorable!)

Because our napkins were pretty big, and I was a bit anal about how the final product looked, I folded the corners of the napkins in, to ensure a straight edge at the end:

To secure the roll-ups, I used some of that homemade paper (in purple) that feels like fabric. This paper ended up being awesome. Because of the texture, it rolled really easily, and laid smooth (sometimes a normal paper will get creased/crunchy, and in my opinion, doesn't look as clean as these turned out). The lady from the paper store that I bought it from told me definitely don't use a glue stick... she suggested double sided tape. BUT, double sided tape just got caught up in the fibres of the paper, while the glue stick worked really well! (Just a note about the paper, I bought one sheet for $5, and cut it into strips ~1" wide, and maybe 3" long... I did 200 roll-ups with it, and still have some left over!!)

The finished product front and back. You can notice the nice straight edge on the back (and I made sure the folds were such that the edge would land on the back and not the front of the roll-up... I told you I was anal!)

The stack getting bigger:

Kinda cute right? But wait, since we're on the topic of welcome BBQ, I thought I would share with you the outfit... and I am just gonna put it out there... I think I almost like this dress more than my wedding dress... yup, I said it! I LOVE this dress... it is just so unique and fun that I want to where it at every possible opportunity. I will likely be overdressed for the party, but heh, it's my party right?! And I'll over-dress if I want to ;) So without further adieu... The first 2 pics are taken in the dressing room at BCBG when I was trying to convince myself that since it was waaaayyyyy over budget, I would take pictures of it just so I could think about how it felt, but that there was no way I could afford it!!

The super cute embellishment:

And even though it TOTALLY broke the bank... I bought it!! And, I have already worn it to one wedding (check out me with my man back in July...)

Whew... first post in a while... sorry it was so random!! How are y'all doing?! I've missed you!!

the countdown is officially on... 3 and 14

Hey All,

I had a glorious weekend with mom-daughter-sister spoiling, QT with the nephew, and the most amazing non-shower shower a girl could ever ask for!! As soon as I get pictures, I will share, but in the meantime, I have to put this in print so I will actually believe it:

In 3 days I will have a PhD!!!

In 14 days I will have a husband!!!

wowowowow!!! Where has the time gone?! It was a fast (I'm talking short people, like I can still remember the smell of the Vietnamese soup we were eating when he proposed 8 months ago short!!) process from returning from Austria to do PhD research, to completing (almost) that PhD and becoming a wife, and to be honest, I am having a bit of trouble catching my breath!! I am finishing up my Defense presentation right now (hence the short diversion to update you!), and it is truly unimaginable that these 2 HUGE life accomplishments are within arms reach... someone pinch me!!

Edgy-glam

OK, so it's probably only edgy in my mind, but heh, it's all about how you feel right?!

I went in to my hair trial with basically no inspiration photos... my poor stylist right?! Well, she's a friend, and luckily we were able to take our time, she had a bit of her own vision, and she knew I was pretty easy going about it all. My dress is a deep-V neckline, with a cross in the back... the cross in the back is really the only visually interesting aspect of the dress (not in a bad way, I like that it is simple), and I knew I didn't want to hide it. I also knew that I like my hair pulled back, especially when eating (and eating RIBS!!), so it doesn't get all up in my food yo! BUT, my man likes my long locks, so I knew it still needed some sexy curls... who's confused yet?? Well, here are the results:

from the side, showing off my veil and headpiece from Miss Myra

from the front

A better shot of the makeup in natural light

So, I was feeling pretty good about the first go... but something just wasn't right. I looked too "CUTE", and cute is definitely not my thing. I knew my hair had to come down a bit, it was just too cheerleader-curl-ish... Instantly I knew the 2nd round was better:

From the front... better right?

And from the side:

OK, so it was really close, but I was still feeling a bit chipmunk-ish... yes, I have an extreme phobia of fat-face-syndrome! I definitely gain weight in my face first, and since I have been working really hard to NOT gain weight, I needed to make sure I didn't have fat-face-syndrome... something was just telling me it needed a bit of tweaking. Jordy, my hair and make-up guru asked what was on my mind, and I told her I needed a bit more lift at the front... and... voila: the final product:

What do you think?? Did we get it right? I always love her makeup, so I knew she would do a great job, and the hair really turned out perfect... just like I had pictured! Another thing off the wedding to-do list!! VICTORY!!

My Man's Look

This is a detail that started way-back-when... I dunno if you remember, but I had some issues with an etsy seller (catch up on the rant here). I didn't want to specify the seller in case something terrible had happened, and as it turned out, there was apparently some sort of 'family emergency' that made it difficult to fill the order. I tried to overlook everything, but was hoping at least for some sort of apology for being totally MIA for over a month, but alas, I didn't get an apology, and after another 2-ish weeks, I finally got our... ties!!

We ended up going with etsy's Cyberoptix ('Ties that Don't Suck'). Because I have been in such an 'execute' mode lately, I hastily gift-wrapped these suckers to give to our groomsmen before I got a picture, but the picture shows you what my man's tie looks like (gold on beige). The three ties for the guys were printed on khaki, which is slightly darker than my groom's, and they were printed with ink matching the girls' dresses... remember?

The ties really do look great... we are both really happy with how they turned out, and hopefully the boys will love them too! The engine print really suits my man, who is all about cars, and swears one day the Alpha Romeo that is sitting in our garage will be spiffed up and we will drive to the coast in it with the top down!! I had my eye on a fiddlehead print, but let's face it, this is one of his only ways to show his style, and he loves the print! I wish that everything had happened more smoothly with the seller, especially since I know how great of reviews she has had from so many of you blogging-brides. I have already purchased one of her ties for my man as a stocking stuffer last year, and, well, it did not make it in time to get stuffed. To be honest, I'm not sure if I will buy from her again, but rest assured, those of you willing to wait will end up with a product you love... the ties really do rock!!

Another quick note about bridal-party-fashion... my sis, MOH, best friend, and now... MOM TO BE... can't fit into her bridesmaid dress?!?! We both knew there was a good chance she would be pregnant at the wedding, but the dress she got was well suited for a small baby-bump. Well, as this is her 2nd baby, her 'small' baby bump is a little bit bigger than expected, and, yup, last week, with less than 30 days till the wedding, she broke the news... the dress simply did not fit. She had already been out shopping, and found a cute maternity dress she liked (which fit in with the color scheme), but then I found out the price... $250+. Now, considering the cost of bridesmaid dresses, this isn't bad, but one of the main reasons my girls were able to pick out their own dresses, was to give them the opportunity to stick to their own budget. If you remember my post about their gorgeous mis-matched dresses, my sis originally paid something like $60 for her dress... so I was really not keen on the idea of her spending nearly $300 on a replacement. Well, next to etsy, my favorite wedding shopping store is ebay!! And yes, I found her exact same dress, one size bigger, brand spanking new, for around $60 including shipping!! WAHOO... crisis averted!!

The best part... the tie that I got color-matched to this exact dress, still matches!!

So, with the ties, the groomsmen are taken care of (easy-squeezie, they're wearing their own black suit, white shirt, and black shoes!), and my groom was one step closer to being dressed!! Check and Check!