The first "real" project

Mr. G is set on having a cigar bar at the reception. I am not a huge fan of cigars but I am appeasing him...

After having told him that this one is all on him if he really wants it, I thought it would be cute to have some personalized match books or boxes. I searched around for websites and found a great one www.foryourparty.com, but at $50 per 50 match boxes I wasn't impressed!

Back a square one...

Then, out of the blue, I start looking at my small little match box and thought "I could totally do this myself with my fab sticker machine!" Soooo...a few hours later I have come up with a design for the top of the box. I measured the top of the box and created a design in powerpoint. Printed that baby out and cut it carefully, ran it through the sticker machine and voila! A nice-looking, personalized match box! And it won't cost me $50 plus shipping!

I would have pictures, but I ran out of color ink and my camera is dead...shoot!

Where to begin?

Well...in the last couple weeks since I last posted things have been super busy! I haven't accomplished a whole lot wedding related because of Christmas and such...but we did do a few things.

We tasted cake at Freeport Bakery and decided that it was much better tasting and almost $400 cheaper!! Where do I sign? Needless to say, we are going with this bakery rather than the first that we tasted.

All of our Christmas cards with save the dates were sent out, however, not without a few screaming matches with the printer...ugh! Let's just say that I thought printing labels would save me some time...yeah...not so much. I ended up having to buy twice as many packages of labels because the stupid things wouldn't print in the right place! I still have a few more save the dates to mail, but have yet to work up the patience for another fight with the printer...

I met with all the bridesmaids and saw each of them in their dress...yes, I even flew to Tucson for Brittney and Stephanie! There was a game of "musical dresses" as dresses were exchanged and others were tried on. In the end, 2 girls traded dresses and another returned hers and got a different style. The count...1 scoopneck, 2 strapless, and 4 halter. Poofiness to be fixed at a later date...

We recieved our first gifts off our Crate and Barrel registry! Mr. G's parents bought us 2 bowls, 2 square plates, and 2 wine glasses for Christmas. Soo exciting! I can't help but admit I was checking the list and saw that they had been purchased...I'm just glad to finally know who now!

I had a hair and make-up trial run today with a fabulous make-up artist. She came to my house and did me up right in the living room! I think I look great in the pictures, but a bit scary in real life...she's going to look for some different, more natural looking lashes for me to wear. Still not sure about my hair...

Check another off the list!

Save the dates and Christmas Cards are ordered! Brought to you by your friendly mail carrier shortly! :)

Let them eat cake! (and picture updates)

So we just tasted the cakes that I picked up tonight from the lovely John at Shelton's Wedding Cakes. We met with him last week and choose three different flavors to taste. We chose, chocolate cake with raspberry filling, lemon cake with lemon filling, white cake with chocolate mousse filling. Tonight we invited the parents over for chinese food and wedding cake...best combination ever!

Bridesmaid dresses from the fabulous JCrew:

And finally...my garters...a surprise for Mr. G. (Orange and blue are the colors of the high school where he coaches.)

Done and Done!

After having a full week off from work, I have been rather productive.

1. We finally got to look at our engagement pictures on pictage! Whoo Hoo! LOVE them and can't wait to use them for the many projects that I have in mind. (photobook guest book, Christmas cards, save-the-date magnets, possibly table number cards?)

2. We met with a fabulous man at Shelton's Wedding Cakes and were able to pick three flavros of cake for him to make for us. I will be picking up 3 mini cakes on Wednesday for us to sample at home. As long as the cake is tasty, we will most likely go with him. I think we'll still taste a few others...just for fun!

3. I was able to get Mr. G to Crate & Barrel to register there. Whew! Let me just say...I love having a fiance who wants to be invloved, but seriously...its KITCHEN stuff! You aren't allowed to argue with me about something you're never going to use!

4. All of the bridesmaids have a dress either in their posession or on order. Yay to J Crew finally putting all the dresses on sale! Big check for that one off the list!

5. I have the invitation finalized and should have a printed mock-up in the mail in the next couple of days. I will definitely post pictures as soon as it arrives.

6. My garters (one to save and one to toss) arrived today from www.thegartermaker.net/. LOVE it! Another surprise for Mr. G. as the toss garter is orange and blue (his football team's colors) and the keep is ivory with a navy button and a letter G in orange. If my camera weren't out of batteries I would take a picture :(

Finally, I have bought the first of the gifts for the bridesmaids. I know you're all wondering what it could possibly be, but you're just going to have to wait...241 days to be exact ;) I have a few more things in mind and I will be buying them a few at a time as the months go on.

Happy December everyone!

Eeee!

Engagement pictures...yay!

Vacation and Cake!

Whew...after a week of parent-teacher conferences, I am DEFINITELY ready for a week off! Here are the things I plan to accomplish in the world of weddings this week:

1. Meet with baker on Wednesday to taste cake!
2. Email invitation changes back to designer
3. Begin the search for bridesmaid gifts...sorry girls this will be the only post about that one!
4. Call photographer (again) to check on our engagement pictures that were taken the first week of October...grr!
5. Drag Mr. G to register at Crate & Barrel

Cake ideas

Who gets the gun?

Well...I finally dragged Mr. G to Macy's yesterday. (I told him he could have the gun :) So we get there about 3:30 and have to wait for awhile for a salesperson to help us...man the wedding registry department was busy! While we're waiting we looked at china and tried to pick something out of the masses of plates that are available. Finally, Liz, who is quite the chatter, comes to find us and we sit down in her office. She goes over everything...and I mean EVERYTHING that we need to know about registering at Macys...whew...I was tired just listening to her! Finally she gets to the good part and hands over the "gun". Mr. G heads directly for the beer dispenser, of course...while I try to decide on which china pattern. Seriously...too many choices. Once I decided on a china pattern, Liz starts to bring me flatware options...and stemware options. I am overwhelmed...how am I supposed to pick something now, when I'm 25 that I will still like when I'm 80?? Aye...

Needless to say we only got to china, flatware, and stemware before I was done. We'll have to go back for another round with the gun...

PS...Happy Birthday to my MOH! :)

Fun stuff!

The ring is originally from QVC, but I found it on Ebay for $20. It is also a little more blue than the picture I found. The earrings and bracelet are an early present from my mom. They are Nadri and they're from Nordstrom. The SECRET something blue undies with my new last name on them are from http://www.customglamgirl.com/. Love it all!

Dress shopping

Same dress below, but in a different color and with a sash.

So many dresses to try on...

So far...

Here is our ceremony and reception site:

So far we have the big vendors booked...

DJ - Mike Anderson, Creative Memories

Caterer - All Seasons, All Reasons

Florist (only for bouquets and boutonnieres) - Ambience Floral Designs
Photographer - Katie Fretland, Platinum Photography

I am also working on many little projects that I will be doing myself. These include, escort cards, table numbers, guestbook, centerpieces, and more to come...

Centerpiece ideas...will be white, green and deep pink instead of the blue flowers.

Picture from Jill and Shane: An Beach Wedding in Half Moon Bay, CA - the knot real weddings.

Painted initials for the guestbook table. (The color looks different in the picture!)

Escort cards will look something like this, but in green, pink and black. They will be pinned on a ribbon that hangs in between 2 columns. (More on these when I actually get them put together)

Picture from knottie Tdiddy

The Proposal

After many conversations about getting married, I had given up the fact that I was going to have any say in my ring and was told that I would be completely surprised. Great! But when...

Eventually, I convinced Mr. G that we should at least "go look" so that he could see what I liked and what looked good on my finger. We set out looking on Friday, July 11. We went to a few stores close to our house and found "THE ring". I was disappointed when he told me that he now knew how much it cost and that it would be at least 6 months to a year before he would have enough money for it. (Big siiiiiigh)

The next day we were on our way to my dad's house for a BBQ when I remembered that there was a ShaneCo on the way...I slyly suggest that we should look there to see if they have anything else and to see what their prices are like. So we do...again we find "THE ring" (the same one)! I try it on again and sigh knowing that it will be awhile before I get to wear it again. We leave the store and head to my dad's, me in a sour mood, but trying really hard not to let it show.

Sunday morning rolls around, and Mr. G gets up and says that he needs to run errands to Home Depot and Lowes, etc. He is gone for a VERY long time, but calls to tell me that the Home Depot by our house didn't have what he needed and that he has been to a couple different stores and will be home soon.

Fast forward to the next Friday evening...we are sitting on the couch relaxing and talking about the fact that I would be leaving on Sunday morning to be out of town for a week. Mr. G suggests that we "do something fun" tomorrow to spend some time together before I leave. We decide upon Napa to wine taste for the day.

Satruday morning (July 19th) comes and Mr. G is out of bed before the alarm goes off. What guy gets in the shower first, right?? That's what I was thinking...and yet I roll over, happy that I don't have to get up yet. He gets out of the shower, gets dressed and I eventually hop in the shower. When I get out, I notice that he has changed his clothes. Weird again...so I ask...he says this is "more comfortable". Whatever...we finally make our way over to Napa.

We make a few stops at Sterling Vineyards and Dean & Deluca and finally end up at the Rubicon Estate where we are members. I should mention that they have a long red carpet that leads up to they entrance of the building. As we "walk the red carpet" Mr. G grabs my hand and says that we should go over here (by the fountain). I, not knowing anything, say "Why...let's go in...they're waiting for us..." Opps...little did I know until he started saying all these wonderful things (which I do not remember!) that he was proposing to me right then! He gets down on his knee and asks me to marry him and pulls out "THE ring" to put on my finger! I, of course, am a blubbering mess, but manage to get a "YES" out of my mouth.

After much kissing and hugging, we make our way inside to celebrate with a bottle of champagne and more wine.




Turns out that he went to buy my ring when he told me he was going to Home Depot. He bought my ring and took it over to my dad's house to ask him if he could marry me. He got up early that morning because he had kept the ring in his truck all week and had to go get it while I was in the shower. He changed clothes so that you couldn't see the box in his pocket!

If I had only known...maybe I wouldn't have been in such a sour mood! Sorry honey...

From the beginning...

Well, here it is...I've finally created a blog. Hopefully I will keep it updated as I plan our wedding for August 1, 2009!

I guess I will start from the beginning when Mr. G and I met. We met through eHarmony and chatted online for a week or so before we began to chat on the phone. After a few more days we decided that we should meet in person. On December 14th, 2006, we met at Elephant Bar (we consider that our first date) for dinner. I was really nervous...I'm pretty sure he was too. He brought me flowers which was a good start! :) We had a great dinner and hugged goodbye. Later that night, Mr. G called and asked me out for the next night, which was a Friday. I was reluctant to go out with him on a Friday night, but agreed. We went to Dos Coyotes for dinner and made our way to the movie theater to see "The Pursuit of Happiness". We hugged goodbye again, but before I got out of the car, Mr. G asked if he could see me the next night. At this point, I was thinking...2 nights in a row?? I again agreed and we said we would figure out plans tomorrow. He invited me to his house for dinner (he cooked!) and we ended up watching a movie after dinner.

That was pretty much the beginning of our relationship and as they say..."the rest is history!"

More to come on the wedding planning...