We made a LOT of wedding planning progress over the weekend. My cousin Lynsey and I visited the Wedding Festival in Greenville on Thursday evening -- we sampled the food, picked up some coupons and ideas, talked to our florist, and booked a PHOTOGRAPHER (Michael Lamb Photography - his updated website is coming soon). We also saw a hideous "fashion" show complete with obnoxious local emcee's. On Friday evening, my dad and I went to hear a possible BAND for the reception. They were playing locally at the Poinsett Club - my parents had heard them before. That was fun! On Saturday I decided to book the band, so we're all set. We're just working on a set list for them, and a song list for songs that they will download to play during their breaks. Any suggestions??Saturday I went over to my grandmother's house and helped her address the wedding INVITATIONS. Many of those are now ready to be sent out this week. I still have a few straggling address that I need, and my mom and I are still having some minor squabbles about the guest list. She thinks that the percentage of attendees for a summer wedding tends to be low, so she wants to over-invite on that probability. I'm more conservative about projections because I'm the one that has to stick to a budget!! On Sunday I worked some more on invitations, and then headed to an outlet in Gaffney to purchase a FLOWER GIRL DRESS. Oh my goodness, sooooo cute. My mom had found little ivory smocked outfits at an outlet for my two nephews to wear, and this store in Gaffney had the corresponding ivory little girl dress. I am SO excited about seeing my adorable niece in her pretty dr
ess, and my rambunctious nephews looking like little princes (for about 3 minutes, until they go rolling in the dirt somewhere and turn their ivory outfits brown!!). Lots more to do, but it's nice to check off a few things!!
Apparently I’ve been tagged by Amber for this blog tag game. These are the rules: At the end of the post, the blogger tags 6 people and posts their names or screen names, then goes to their blog and leave a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged. 1. What was I doing 10 years ago? Hmm. 1998. I would've just finished eighth grade. I was probably freaking out about the fact that I was going to start attending a private high school where I did not know a single person. And playing in my friend Whitney's pool.
2. What are 5 things on my to-do list today? [My to-do list was from yesterday, but I got too busy to end up posting this blog entry!]1- Get my files, inbox, everything (!) at work ready to hand over to someone new on Monday. Write out Procedures for her to use. 2- Schedule an eye appointment. I need new contacts before I move to TN.3- Process several stock transfers and contracts.4- Work on the wedding guest list / gather addresses for it.5- Go hear a possible wedding reception band at 9:30 or 10 PM.3. Snacks I enjoy: Anything salty, cheesy, or spicy. Especially tortilla chips with queso. I also enjoy fruit and cake. 4. Places I’ve lived: Basically just in Greenville, SC. Brief stints in Washington D.C. (3 months), Seaside, FL (3 months), and the special world that is the "Furman bubble." 5. Things I’d do if I were a billionaire: Buy my Dad a Porsche. Move to Romania (because we would be able to afford the airfare back and forth when we want to come back to the States!). Lobby for adoption causes and start a foundation to help families pay for adoption. Give away LOADS of money. Pay for John to not have to take out any loans for pharmacy school. Pay for myself to go to city planning school AND civic engineering school AND public health school AND counseling school! (I guess that's selfish - but how cool would that be!) Start a really cool charity foundation about healthy cities and community living. And be a stay-at-home mom while serving on several committees in town. Start my own jewelry business and learn to sew clothes.6. People I want to know more about: Basically every historical person past WWII. John and I were just talking the other day about how most basic history classes never get past WWII, so I don't know much about notable figures of the second half of the 20th century. I also like to know more about soldiers that are fighting for us - I love to hear their stories. And old people. I love old people. 7. Name two things you have in common with Oprah: Umm. I like to read books and I like to talk to people. 8. You can tell a lot about a person by…what they like to read.9. Are you a yeller when you get angry? Is that a word? I don't usually yell. Sometimes if I'm extremely frustrated, I'll cry. Otherwise I just communicate extremely clearly (aka "condescendingly") in a somewhat snippy, mean manner. 10. Have you ever danced in public? Of course!!
11. What did you do to deserve your first detention? I'm that kid: I've never had detention.12. What did you do deserve your first paddling? Ah, what? Does this refer to corporal punishment in schools? I was spanked ocassionally by my parents as a child, but I'm sure I deserved it. I can't remember the bad things I did, just waiting in my brother's room for my dad to get home (so that I wouldn't have my toys to play with) and then Dad hitting me with his leather belt. 13. Name three things you like about the town you live in. I wrote a whole blog post on that below.
14. Name four things that you love to do.1- Spend time with John.2- Sing.3- Eat Mexican food with big groups of friends.4- Take 2 hour baths.
15. Name something unusual you carry with you wherever you go. I don't think it's too unusual, but I do generally tend to have a book or magazine with me everywhere I go so that I'll have something to read. I won't purchase purses that are too small to put a book in. 16. What’s your favorite website? Wikipedia. Facebook. my iGoogle page because it shows me the news headlines, health news headlines, personal countdowns, my Gmail, local movies, Spanish word of the day, etc. 17. Where and when was your first kiss? On a bench on a path through the woods behind the Kingsbridge Clubhouse. At the Afterprom party after attending Prom at the end of my freshman year of high school. My date did ask permission first.18. What would an enemy have to say about you? I'm not sure.19. Favorite childhood memory. Anything that involved Papa and Nanoo, cousins from either side of the family, and Glad Oaks. Like making peanut butter toast with syrup or having big bonfires in the fire pit.
20. Any regrets? Of course. But I believe in a God who is WAY bigger than my mistakes and failures, and I know that he is the God of Redemption, and that even means redeeming my personal messes. He is busy putting His created universe back at rights. Therefore I believe that "God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28, NAS).
OK, I’m tagging the following bloggers:Ben, Vance, and Hall family - because they're my friends that I give a hard time about not updating their blogs enough.Bridgette - because I love her blogging style and what she has to say.Jill - because she's new to blogging - here's some blog fodder!Marie - because she's my sister-in-law and she likes to blog as much as I do! Yay! :) Although y'all won't be able to see it because her blog has pretty high security. Sorry!
Put in my 2-week notice [a little scary!]
Date
Time
Reception location
Preacher
Church
Bridal party set
Wedding website (inquire if interested)
Guest list – need a few more addresses
Wedding Dress - needs hemming
Bridesmaid Attire
Groomsmen Attire
Accommodations - rooms are blocked at lower rates. have to figure out lodging for bridal party.
Caterer
Reception menu – need to schedule a tasting
Cake
Photographer – needed! [Update 6/14/08: Booked!!]
Reception décor – decisions in process
Florist
Invitations printed
Invitations sent John's wedding band purchased
Programs - found the right person for this, but the text will depend on service, hymns, etc.
Hotel room gift bags (if any)- have some ideas
Ceremony music – decisions in process
Reception music – needed! [Update 6/14/08: Booked!!]
Sparklers - apparently I’m supposed to order the super long kind? Honeymoon [Update 6/14/08: Down to 2 options. John will decide which one by Tuesday and book it!]
There will be NO:
Toasts at the reception hopefully [they may be at the rehearsal dinner –which is, ironically for toasting, “dry”] Unity Candle
Garter
Ringbearer with an expensive ribbon-tied fake pillow, although my nephew may be involved in some capacity Other updates:I had my first ever bridal shower in TN this weekend -- beautiful!My sister-in-law and bridesmaids are having a small lake day/lingerie shower evening soon!My H-family aunts are hosting my Bridesmaids Brunch on the day of the wedding. My G-family aunts are trying to plan a shower.There will be a cookout shower for John in TN in July.Rehearsal dinner is coming along -- we get to use Hartness!!There's a lot involved in a wedding...it's actually quite bizarre.
I guess blogging can be viral, like the common cold. Well, I'm catching this "now list" from Amber's blog. (What? A list on a Wednesday?!) Thanks, Amber!What I am listening to right now: Online radio station ("Radio Paradise") in the office. And about 20 new "kids" they've recently hired talking about their respective love lives as they gather for a meeting. Many of them are here for a 3-month stint, much like a paid internship. I feel old.
What computer I am using right now: My work computer. It's a Dell. I bought a new personal laptop about 3 weeks ago. It's still in it's box.
What I am eating right now: Nothing. I just finished an oatmeal raisin SlimFast meal bar for breakfast.
What I am drinking right now: Water. Will need caffeine soon.
What I have just finished doing: Getting my boss' credit card authorization form signed to send back to the hotel in Zurich he'll be staying in next week. They're requiring complete pre-payment because he will be there during national soccer championship time.
What I will do immediately after posting this: Respond to emails, process contracts, attempt to change his Amsterdam to Zurich flight to an earlier time. Meeting at 10 AM.
What I am reading now: Unfortunately, nothing very fun.Last email/text I received: An e-card from John. He sent me a hug. :)
Last email/text I sent: None yet this morning. Last thing yesterday I emailed my wedding invitation proof to a friend.
Last blog entry I read: Amber's list, which I promptly copied.
What I did last night: Met with a potential wedding photographer. Picked up food to take home for dinner. Oooo'ed and ahhh'ed over my mom's new (used) car. Fielded phone calls about 2 different upcoming showers. Was told that I am "in denial" of how "fat" I've become. Watched the McCain and Obama speeches.
What I’m doing tonight: Hopefully meeting my friend CB for dinner. Cardio in some form.
What I just looked at right now: My cubicle walls. Right ahead of me, I have an company flow chart, directories/contact information, Office Depot coupons, and a free calendar. The month of June features colorful Converse tennis shoes.Your turn!! Thanks, Amber!
It's time for another Tuesday list, folks!1. You've Got Mail -- This is my all-time comfort-food movie. This is the mac 'n' cheese of all movies. It's the perfect romantic comedy PLUS the heroine owns a bookstore. Can't get better. And I have almost every line memorized. 2. Life Is Beautiful -- I love this movie. It's a beautiful story of family, perserverance, and hope. I don't watch it very often though, because it makes me cry. Schindler's List and Swing Kids are runners-up in the sad movie category.3. Any film version of the Peter Pan story: Peter Pan, Hook, Finding Neverland, etc...4. Moulin Rouge5. Elizabethtown6. Almost Famous7. Almost all romantic comedies. My favorites are: When Harry Met Sally, Fever Pitch, The Cutting Edge, Runaway Bride, Chocolat8. "Lite" fantasy movies: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the Tolkien movies, the Harry Potter movies, the Matrix movies, fairy-tale type movies such as Shrek, Ella Enchanted, or The Princess Bride 9. Make-over movies: Pretty Woman, Princess Diaries, My Fair Lady, My Big Fat Greek Wedding10. Inspirational sports-themed movies: Jerry Macguire, Cinderella Man, The Rookie, Sandlot, Miracle, Remember the Titans, Cool Runnings, and Field of Dreams top the list.11. Old movies and musicals like Casablanca, Camelot, Singin' in the Rain, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Guys and Dolls, Meet Me in St. Louis, Grease, Shirley Temple movies such as Little Princess12. Epic movies: Braveheart, Gladiator, Troy, even Titanic13. Almost all movies having to do with dancing, including Dirty Dancing (and yes, even Dirty Dancing 2: Havana Nights!), Simply Ballroom, Shag14. Political "lite" thrillers (if they're not too violent), such as the Bourne series 15. How could I forget? All Austen, Bronte, or Alcott movies!
I don't even really watch that many movies, so I had no idea how hard this would be! I mean, you can't leave off the Back to the Future series...or Three Amigos...or The Breakfast Club...or Eternal Sunshine...or Amelie...or every John Cusack movie ever made...I've decided that I'm not very good at lists because I don't have very discriminating tastes -- and I love options. So I make very long lists!
Finally starting to feel a lot better. Still trying to shake a lingering croupy cough though. Had a very quiet weekend visiting with friends who were in town for FU's graduation, resting, recovering, and ordering wedding invitations. Unfortunately now my mom is sick! The invites are ordered (although they are still in the "proofing" process). That means that we have to get married on August 2nd at 6:30 PM or I will have wasted some moola! I couldn't get the design/motif I wanted, so, as usual, I had to settle on an alternative or "option B." The invitations are still very beautiful. I guess I shouldn't have had such a clear picture in my mind for what I wanted! I do know it will still be very nice though -- John keeps reminding me of that when I don't get what I want for all these stupid, trivial decisions. At the end, we'll still be married -- and the groom is definitely FIRST CHOICE! :) I'm relieved to see the long list of things we "don't have" secured for the wedding finally (slowly!) getting checked off.Please pray for me because I need to make some tough financial/logistical decisions soon. Funny how much it can hang over you when you know you have a decision to make! I've been in a bit of a 'blue-funk' today -- a little more than the typical Monday! Might be a good night to go for a run and eat some ice cream, eh? :) I'll try to come up with a list tomorrow.
We made a LOT of wedding planning progress over the weekend. My cousin Lynsey and I visited the Wedding Festival in Greenville on Thursday evening -- we sampled the food, picked up some coupons and ideas, talked to our florist, and booked a PHOTOGRAPHER (Michael Lamb Photography - his updated website is coming soon). We also saw a hideous "fashion" show complete with obnoxious local emcee's. 
ess, and my rambunctious nephews looking like little princes (for about 3 minutes, until they go rolling in the dirt somewhere and turn their ivory outfits brown!!). 