So I'm set on a reception site. I spoke with the gallery owner today and I will definitely be holding the reception there. How exciting! The gallery will provide tables and linens - all I'll need is serving and dining plates, utensils, etc. I mean, I don't even need to decorate - there will be real live art!
I don't think I can adequately express how excited I am. I've been having these nightmares about how the wedding turns into this circa 1987 extravaganza complete with a baby's breath and purple polyester explosion all over the reception. I mean, my mother even spoke of a "head table." I don't even want tables! I want standing and viewing and chatting and munching. And then afterwards I want us to revel long into the night - but no head tables! and no baby's breath or polyester!
To explain - it's not that I'm trying to be difficult, but I hate how things become about other people. This is my first (ha!) wedding and I really want it to be about me -- my likes, my tastes, my vision. I have no interest in what other people expect from the generic wedding. I know that what I want is not what every other person wants -- but why does it have to be? Why should I be held hostage by other people's parameters or expectations?
Here's a hint: If you're coming to my wedding because a) you think you have to or b) you didn't grocery shop this week and you're hungry? Don't come. My theme is "The Sweet Life" and that's what you'll get from our wedding. Sweets and treats and just a touch of something other. And that's OK. Ya know?
My entire life people have expected and demanded that I do things like everyone else is doing, or what people think everyone else is doing -- and I've never fallen into that mold. In jr high and high school it was about clothes and music, in college it was about degrees and careers, as a parent it's been about the "shoulds" and "should nots." But guess what?! I've gone my own way at each turn and I've lived a fabulous life. I love where I've been - I've been happy and I've been sad, but I lived my life on my terms. That's all I'm doing with this wedding - regardless of external pressures.
Ahhhh. Now that I've gotten that out. As the old proverb goes: If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies. Or dragonflies in this case :).
My newest obsession is a lavendar or mint (or both) table runner thing that hangs in front instead of to the sides of the food tables. And I need to think about decorations on the cake table. And and and!
--xoxo, Kelly
17.1.06
Day 15 of the diet and I've lost 8.2 lbs. I think Billy's down about 12 lbs. I keep telling myself I'll hit the gym this week but it's Tuesday and I haven't made it yet. I even miss it, but it's hard to get motivated when you work from home and never really have to get out of your pajamas.
Anyway, things are moving along with the wedding. I sent my measurements to my sister, who is drafting a pattern for my wedding dress. Billy and I went to Sam's Club this weekend and priced out food (mini cheese cakes - yum!). We've settled on a wedding favor and have begun making them.
So I'm feeling good about things. Luckily I have Amy coordinating everything - she's a great task master - tho my mother is a little resentful I think. But, hey, Amy gets things done and gets them done well ahead of time!
Next on the agenda is firming up my plan B (and possibly plan A) reception site and finding a dress maker.
--xoxo, Kelly
Anyway, things are moving along with the wedding. I sent my measurements to my sister, who is drafting a pattern for my wedding dress. Billy and I went to Sam's Club this weekend and priced out food (mini cheese cakes - yum!). We've settled on a wedding favor and have begun making them.
So I'm feeling good about things. Luckily I have Amy coordinating everything - she's a great task master - tho my mother is a little resentful I think. But, hey, Amy gets things done and gets them done well ahead of time!
Next on the agenda is firming up my plan B (and possibly plan A) reception site and finding a dress maker.
--xoxo, Kelly
12.1.06
Getting Things Done
A month or so has passed since I last updated and lots of good stuff has happened. Amy and I put my printer in a head lock and got my save-the-dates in the mail. I put together a menu for the event and have appointments with several photographers.
So! There's more to be done, but I'm feeling a good sense of organization and accomplishment. Billy has set up residence in the back seat of this wagon (I mean, I think he has his own zip code now), but I'm trying to take that with a grain of salt as there are several things going on in his life now (and he's not the best at juggling stressful situations).
Billy is in class four nights a week now and his supervisors at work have both left -- leaving him to a) take on several of their responsibilities and b) train their replacements. We think he'll become one of those replacements (and be paid for it finally), but he's having to present his case now... If you know Billy then you probably don't need me to tell you he's a bit harried these days.
In other news, we've begun doing the South Beach diet together. I say together because we eat the same food, but I'm doing all the cooking and meal planning. I don't mind so much except for breakfast ... I'm having to wake up and have breakfast ready by 6:30 on weekdays. That's a.m. people!
Okay, I have a list of things to do today that won't get done if I don't get a move on.
-- xoxo, Kelly
So! There's more to be done, but I'm feeling a good sense of organization and accomplishment. Billy has set up residence in the back seat of this wagon (I mean, I think he has his own zip code now), but I'm trying to take that with a grain of salt as there are several things going on in his life now (and he's not the best at juggling stressful situations).
Billy is in class four nights a week now and his supervisors at work have both left -- leaving him to a) take on several of their responsibilities and b) train their replacements. We think he'll become one of those replacements (and be paid for it finally), but he's having to present his case now... If you know Billy then you probably don't need me to tell you he's a bit harried these days.
In other news, we've begun doing the South Beach diet together. I say together because we eat the same food, but I'm doing all the cooking and meal planning. I don't mind so much except for breakfast ... I'm having to wake up and have breakfast ready by 6:30 on weekdays. That's a.m. people!
Okay, I have a list of things to do today that won't get done if I don't get a move on.
-- xoxo, Kelly
22.12.05
Christmas Approaches
Christmas is three days away and I've still not mailed out save-the-dates. Part of this is because my mother was inviting everyone she'd ever met while I was having a meltdown in the corner hearing loud cha-chings as the invite list grew. I mean, I don't know about you, but I'm not made of money.
So we've cleared up a few things: 1) She's paying for some (maybe all?) of the reception so I can breathe easier and 2) she's finally accepting that I really just want something small/intimate. So, while I'm not disinviting her people, I'm just not inviting them. If someone wants to throw a fit about it, I'll just explain the whole "small/intimate" concept. Because, really, who wants to go to a wedding? It's not like the opera or tickets to Oprah, right? Right.
So, I've got a ton of ideas and the save-the-dates need to be addressed and mailed, but I'm relaxing over the holiday. I plan to attempt to get save the dates out in the week after my mom returns from England. I say attempt because my mom has a hard time with deadlines and schedules and sticking to a timeline.
Best Christmas, Hannukah, Ramadan, Kwanzaa and any other holiday wishes to you all.
-- xoxo, Kelly
So we've cleared up a few things: 1) She's paying for some (maybe all?) of the reception so I can breathe easier and 2) she's finally accepting that I really just want something small/intimate. So, while I'm not disinviting her people, I'm just not inviting them. If someone wants to throw a fit about it, I'll just explain the whole "small/intimate" concept. Because, really, who wants to go to a wedding? It's not like the opera or tickets to Oprah, right? Right.
So, I've got a ton of ideas and the save-the-dates need to be addressed and mailed, but I'm relaxing over the holiday. I plan to attempt to get save the dates out in the week after my mom returns from England. I say attempt because my mom has a hard time with deadlines and schedules and sticking to a timeline.
Best Christmas, Hannukah, Ramadan, Kwanzaa and any other holiday wishes to you all.
-- xoxo, Kelly
26.11.05
Mid-Holiday Meditation
Whew ... Thanksgiving's over. We made it out alive. I must say, though there were a few in the bunch who tried to sour things up, no one else supplied the energy necessary for the negativity to gain momentum.
An uneventful Thanksgiving is what I strive for, so I slapped the "success" label on it after everyone finally left at about 9 pm Thursday night. I made out pretty OK with birthday gifts: an espresso machine and burr coffee grinder from billy; dish cloths, glass fruit bowls and a wire cooling rack from mom and erin; a framed picture from ashlee; and a sapphire-pendant necklace from marlene (billy's mom).
unfortunately, i'll spend my actual birthday (sunday, nov 27) stamping save the date cards at brenda's house. i'm hoping that i'll get over it as billy presented me with breakfast in bed this morning and i convinced him to give me the rest of my present a day early. yes, there's more. i also received the first three Harry Potter books in hardcover.
Now, I've read all 6 books, however, I borrowed the first five from a friend. Over the years I've collected books 4-6 but I never managed to get the first three. Therefore, this was a real treasure trove. I plan to begin re-reading the series immediately. I read books 1-5 in the span of about a month, so a lot of it really ran together. I must say, out of the movies, Prisoner of Azkaban remains my absolute favorite. Goblet of Fire runs a close second, though. I have a feeling that Order of the Phoenix will blow both movies out of the water.
In other non-wedding news: My friends Jessica and Ben from UNCG gave birth to their first child, a boy named Noah Henry. That's a very good, strong Appalachian name in my opinion. I'm not really close to them any longer, but I am so happy for them. They live an enchanged life to which Noah Henry will only add laughter and joy.
-- Kelly
An uneventful Thanksgiving is what I strive for, so I slapped the "success" label on it after everyone finally left at about 9 pm Thursday night. I made out pretty OK with birthday gifts: an espresso machine and burr coffee grinder from billy; dish cloths, glass fruit bowls and a wire cooling rack from mom and erin; a framed picture from ashlee; and a sapphire-pendant necklace from marlene (billy's mom).
unfortunately, i'll spend my actual birthday (sunday, nov 27) stamping save the date cards at brenda's house. i'm hoping that i'll get over it as billy presented me with breakfast in bed this morning and i convinced him to give me the rest of my present a day early. yes, there's more. i also received the first three Harry Potter books in hardcover.
Now, I've read all 6 books, however, I borrowed the first five from a friend. Over the years I've collected books 4-6 but I never managed to get the first three. Therefore, this was a real treasure trove. I plan to begin re-reading the series immediately. I read books 1-5 in the span of about a month, so a lot of it really ran together. I must say, out of the movies, Prisoner of Azkaban remains my absolute favorite. Goblet of Fire runs a close second, though. I have a feeling that Order of the Phoenix will blow both movies out of the water.
In other non-wedding news: My friends Jessica and Ben from UNCG gave birth to their first child, a boy named Noah Henry. That's a very good, strong Appalachian name in my opinion. I'm not really close to them any longer, but I am so happy for them. They live an enchanged life to which Noah Henry will only add laughter and joy.
-- Kelly
23.11.05
Thanksgiving
I am thankful for my family and my health and all those things...
But dude. Last year when I hosted Thanksgiving, it was smooth sailing - no one complained about the time, no one moaned about having to bring something, no one came up with reasons why we had to do their part for them.
This year is completely different. I don't know if it's because other people really wanted to do Thanksgiving and think that we usurped the holiday (which, c'mon, speak up!) or if our families just really don't want to participate.
To be honest, it makes driving across here and yonder to eat with everyone on Thanksgiving almost worth it. Notice I say almost - the fact is, it's completely unfair for our one- and two-person household family members to expect us to eat full meals at each place. That's why we decided to just do it at our house and have people come over if they wanted... Simple, really. Majority rules.
Because I am the cooking 2/3 of the holiday meal by myself, preparing the house by myself and will wind up cleaning by myself, I've decided to make some executive decisions about next year. Yes, we will have Thanksgiving dinner at 4 pm sharp -- 3, 3:30, or 5. Yes, will only be having turkey or ham -- not both, unless of course you want to bring one. No, I will not buy the ingredients you need to prepare the dish you're bringing. And, no, you cannot make your dish at my house -- if you can't make it ahead of time then we won't be eating it.
Does everyone's family make things this difficult or is mine the only one?
Now - on to wonderful wedding updates:
* I think I've finally decided on centerpieces. I want hurricane glass filled with green apples, pears and grapes, along with miscellanous green herbs like rosmary and sage. I will tie a lavender ribbon around the belly of each glass.
* My ideas for favors have gone from super cheap to super time-consuming. I think I've finally settled on putting together green and purple tissue flowers filled with candies. I'll attached a word to each flower: hope, love, faith, wisdom, etc.
* I have wanted a single-flower type bouquet, but I think I've seen the light. I saw a beautiful bouquet of purple and green garden roses, lavendar, lilac and bells of ireland. just gorgeous. i think some variation of that will be perfect. I want to do a hand-tied ribbon and I plan to create a dragonfly charm to hang from the bouquet.
*My cake toppers are coming together. I want green-iced cakes with purple flowers on top. Nestled in each bunch of flowers I'll put a green crystal dragonfly brooch. I found two beautiful ones on Ebay -- and both are now in my possession. I need just one more.
* I've planned my cake display: three separate cake stands of different heights to hold the cakes (three obviously), purple glass of various shapes, sizes and hues around the cakes and green fruits (like in the centerpieces) scattered around the glass.
Okay. So I'm really excited about things and I wish I could just do it all and get it over with. Alas, there's much more to do. For example, I still have to meet with a few potential cakemakers (though now I'm thinking we could make it from scratch), nail down a photographer and get my save-the-dates and invitations out the door -- just to name a few.
I hope you all have a very happy Thanksgiving full of grateful family and friends.
-- Kelly
But dude. Last year when I hosted Thanksgiving, it was smooth sailing - no one complained about the time, no one moaned about having to bring something, no one came up with reasons why we had to do their part for them.
This year is completely different. I don't know if it's because other people really wanted to do Thanksgiving and think that we usurped the holiday (which, c'mon, speak up!) or if our families just really don't want to participate.
To be honest, it makes driving across here and yonder to eat with everyone on Thanksgiving almost worth it. Notice I say almost - the fact is, it's completely unfair for our one- and two-person household family members to expect us to eat full meals at each place. That's why we decided to just do it at our house and have people come over if they wanted... Simple, really. Majority rules.
Because I am the cooking 2/3 of the holiday meal by myself, preparing the house by myself and will wind up cleaning by myself, I've decided to make some executive decisions about next year. Yes, we will have Thanksgiving dinner at 4 pm sharp -- 3, 3:30, or 5. Yes, will only be having turkey or ham -- not both, unless of course you want to bring one. No, I will not buy the ingredients you need to prepare the dish you're bringing. And, no, you cannot make your dish at my house -- if you can't make it ahead of time then we won't be eating it.
Does everyone's family make things this difficult or is mine the only one?
Now - on to wonderful wedding updates:
* I think I've finally decided on centerpieces. I want hurricane glass filled with green apples, pears and grapes, along with miscellanous green herbs like rosmary and sage. I will tie a lavender ribbon around the belly of each glass.
* My ideas for favors have gone from super cheap to super time-consuming. I think I've finally settled on putting together green and purple tissue flowers filled with candies. I'll attached a word to each flower: hope, love, faith, wisdom, etc.
* I have wanted a single-flower type bouquet, but I think I've seen the light. I saw a beautiful bouquet of purple and green garden roses, lavendar, lilac and bells of ireland. just gorgeous. i think some variation of that will be perfect. I want to do a hand-tied ribbon and I plan to create a dragonfly charm to hang from the bouquet.
*My cake toppers are coming together. I want green-iced cakes with purple flowers on top. Nestled in each bunch of flowers I'll put a green crystal dragonfly brooch. I found two beautiful ones on Ebay -- and both are now in my possession. I need just one more.
* I've planned my cake display: three separate cake stands of different heights to hold the cakes (three obviously), purple glass of various shapes, sizes and hues around the cakes and green fruits (like in the centerpieces) scattered around the glass.
Okay. So I'm really excited about things and I wish I could just do it all and get it over with. Alas, there's much more to do. For example, I still have to meet with a few potential cakemakers (though now I'm thinking we could make it from scratch), nail down a photographer and get my save-the-dates and invitations out the door -- just to name a few.
I hope you all have a very happy Thanksgiving full of grateful family and friends.
-- Kelly
8.11.05
Here's The Update
In the time since I last posted these things have happened:
-- My sister is home from England for a month-long visit. So far we've only hung out at the house, but she will accompany us to see HARRY POTTER opening weekend at the IMAX. I'm still smarting over the fact that opening night of HP at the IMAX was sold out. I should've expected it but damn!
-- I've designed and ordered save the date magnets, and chosen both my invitations and embossing style. I've also chosen a theme: Dragonflies. When I lived in Greensboro, there were no less than three local artists who were also good friends who were supposed to paint dragonfly murals for me when I finally bought a house. None of them are around to do that, but my dragonfly love has found a way to carry on. Don't tell anyone, but I saw some dragonfly wallies that would be SO CUTE in a nursery.
-- I've switched jobs at work. Now I write for the travel industry instead of the health care/lab market. The difference is that my work load is shuffled and I've wound up with a daily newswire and a bi-monthly pub. I think the actual amount of work is the same, just spaced differently. The travel industry is drastically different from my previous markets - but hopefully it'll help me stay on top of cheap travel options.
-- My father's area was hit by a tornado this weekend. Luckily, neither he nor his children live in the path of the twister. After I knew everyone was OK, I had a brief flash that maybe someone else is now traveling to the Land of Oz. I know it's stupid, but have you read the books? I just did for the first time (my knowledge of Oz is all from Hollywood) and I feel like a different person.
-- My sister (Erin), nephew (Matt) and mom played Trivial Pursuit Jr for Matt's birthday after his birthday dinner (which was a hit - Raspberry Chipotle-marinated tenderloin, oriental greenbeans and homemade mashed potatoes with gravy). Erin dominated the board, but I was the only one to answer correctly on all the pies. Therefore I win. But it was funny how much Erin enjoyed playing the game - looks like there's a boardgame geek in all of us.
-- Did I mention that I chose my colors? Dark lavendar and mint green. I love them together and it's very dragonfly-ee. For favors, the girls are going to help me make glycerin soaps (one with a lavendar bud, one with a mint leaf). I love being crafty!
OK - I think that's really all that's going on. As always, I'm wrestling with my mother for control, but if I weren't I'd think something was wrong.
--Kelly
-- My sister is home from England for a month-long visit. So far we've only hung out at the house, but she will accompany us to see HARRY POTTER opening weekend at the IMAX. I'm still smarting over the fact that opening night of HP at the IMAX was sold out. I should've expected it but damn!
-- I've designed and ordered save the date magnets, and chosen both my invitations and embossing style. I've also chosen a theme: Dragonflies. When I lived in Greensboro, there were no less than three local artists who were also good friends who were supposed to paint dragonfly murals for me when I finally bought a house. None of them are around to do that, but my dragonfly love has found a way to carry on. Don't tell anyone, but I saw some dragonfly wallies that would be SO CUTE in a nursery.
-- I've switched jobs at work. Now I write for the travel industry instead of the health care/lab market. The difference is that my work load is shuffled and I've wound up with a daily newswire and a bi-monthly pub. I think the actual amount of work is the same, just spaced differently. The travel industry is drastically different from my previous markets - but hopefully it'll help me stay on top of cheap travel options.
-- My father's area was hit by a tornado this weekend. Luckily, neither he nor his children live in the path of the twister. After I knew everyone was OK, I had a brief flash that maybe someone else is now traveling to the Land of Oz. I know it's stupid, but have you read the books? I just did for the first time (my knowledge of Oz is all from Hollywood) and I feel like a different person.
-- My sister (Erin), nephew (Matt) and mom played Trivial Pursuit Jr for Matt's birthday after his birthday dinner (which was a hit - Raspberry Chipotle-marinated tenderloin, oriental greenbeans and homemade mashed potatoes with gravy). Erin dominated the board, but I was the only one to answer correctly on all the pies. Therefore I win. But it was funny how much Erin enjoyed playing the game - looks like there's a boardgame geek in all of us.
-- Did I mention that I chose my colors? Dark lavendar and mint green. I love them together and it's very dragonfly-ee. For favors, the girls are going to help me make glycerin soaps (one with a lavendar bud, one with a mint leaf). I love being crafty!
OK - I think that's really all that's going on. As always, I'm wrestling with my mother for control, but if I weren't I'd think something was wrong.
--Kelly
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