wedding progress: 142 days to go

(no i don't know that by heart. yes i check the status of the counter i have on facebook. yes i have a counter on facebook.)

not much to say on progress here, but i did make an appointment for my first dress fitting, it is in three weeks. i was watching say yes to the dress the other day, and i had a major major desire to put my dress on again, so that really pushed me to making the appointment! i'm still not 100% sure on what shoes i'll be wearing, so i really need to get searching online and at more stores (hello DSW, i will be back this weekend, i'm sure). i just wish the shoes i bought weren't so dang HIGH. other than that, color, style - everything - is perfect. plus i got them online with a DSW sale & coupon so i paid like, $26.00 for them, including shipping.

have i shared with you the shoe yet? well here it is...

ta da! 3 1/2" heel...
(ha, i almost wrote "hell." how appropriate...)

i'm thinking i might end up wearing this for the ceremony and finding some cheap ballet flats or jewely sandal flats for the reception. it also depends on what shoes the guys (Josh) wear(s). i guess i'll have to figure that out with him way sooner than i thought. sorry, Josh :(

seriously though, AREN'T THOSE SHOES AWESOME?

in other news, i've made myself a to-do list of more immediate things that need to be done. hopefully by the end of April, mum and i will meet with our florist friends. we might have to do a weeknight, though, since we are both very busy with other things on Saturdays.

oh ALSO, i got called 1 1/2 months ago about our honeymoon return flights being changed, and they said they would email me an updated itinerary, and they STILL HAVEN'T! i do not want to call them again, as last time i was on and off hold for over an hour while the guy waited for someone else to tell him the flights were changed (um, hello, just CALL ME BACK WHEN THEY HAVE THE INFO). ugh. oh well, there's another thing-i-don't-want-to-deal-with on my to-do list :(

other than that my to-do list of things that need to be done ASAP or pretty darn soon are:

• registries (doing this weekend WOOT!)
• song list & initial meeting with DJ
• tuxes & shoes for guys
• shoes for gals
• call expedia (dumb!)****
  
• contact the Etsy vendor i'm using for bridesmaid's gifts
• call florist, set up appointment
• contact reception vendor:
  *need to visit site and try out the decorations i am thinking of using and get a better idea on what they have
  *need to know info on seats per table, table dimensions, dimensions of room if possible, dance floor dimensions, max amount of tables on first floor (there is a balcony we are trying NOT to use) can you tell i do space planning for a living?
  *talk about dessert table ideas (and having someone man the station so people don't eat stuff before they are supposed to!!)
  

phew. and that is only a few things!

****UPDATE! UPDATE! i just checked online and it looks like they DID change our flights, and they aren't QUITE as bad as i thought (they said it was going to be departure at 8am, get back into Erie after 9pm, looks like it is departure at 8am, get back into Erie around 5pm. MUCH BETTER)!!

birthday updates!

i've been really slacking on the blogging lately! i've been super busy with church, volleyball, (kind of) going to the gym, work and of course celebrating my birthday ALL WEEKEND LONG!

so yes, i celebrated all weekend long. i mean, it's only appropriate.

staci and kristen celebrated with me Friday night for happy hour at The Plymouth. Fried soft pretzels, buffalo chicken wrap and $1 single-mixed drinks with friends was a great way to celebrate! not to mention their gifts for me - a Penn State organic T-shirt and (a picture of) Rachael Ray casserole dishes i've been wanting! i'm not sure if they got me the dishes or just the picture...

osh also gave me my gifts Friday night. he gave me a mall gift card on Sunday which i used that day, and Friday he gave me an awesome silver iPod shuffle and new case for my iPhone. i'm so excited to use the shuffle and so far i'm loving the phone case!

Saturday afternoon i stopped at Josh's gram's house and saw his parents and gramma. they gave me some clothes and jewelry for our honeymoon trip to Mexico (woo hoo!) and made some cupcakes!

in the evening, i saw my family at my parents house. my parents and sister & brother-in-law (and niece and cats...etc...) gave me some money to go towards the NY & Co. shopping spree i did a few weeks ago. so, they ultimately bought me clothes. plus, mom made dinner and dessert and rach also made a cake. my cousin and aunt gave me the NEW MOON DVD (to which josh is SUPER excited about ;) ) and some new athletic shorts and under armor. sweet!!!

i celebrated at hibachi on Sunday night, which was super fun and super yummy. also, Josh's sister-in-law is planning on taking me to lunch sometime for my birthday! oh, and a few weeks ago my friend Bethany gave me the new Sims 3 expansion pack (yes, i still play that game!) and a T-shirt.

i had a great weekend with friends, family and future-family! birthdays are fun. i like to celebrate mine for at LEAST three days. :)

fun find!

i found this image while browsing one of our vendor's websites, www.ki.com. it was on their Environmental Commitment information page.

i just really liked it!

colors & tuxes

hey readers out there who like to follow along with my wedding planning...

i thought i would give an update since i ACTUALLY GOT SOME THINGS ACCOMPLISHED THIS WEEKEND. this is big, big news.

Saturday my friend Bethany accompanied me to the mall where we shopped for shoes and some other wedding-y things. i did purchase a pair of shoes and they are perfect in color and style, but they are a wee bit too high and probably not too comfy, so i'm on the lookout for something else. i'm leaning towards funky flats (purple) or kitten heels. we were not successful in shoe finding (and i need to do this ASAP cause i kinda need to get fitted for that dress pretty soon...).

we WERE successful, however, in finding some awesome fake flowers for color inspiration. i'm tossing around the idea of using fake for the ceremony decorations, so these would be perfect. so, i'm pretty sure i've nailed down the colors (i really wanted something physical to say - "no, it should match this," instead of saying, "no, not quite so bright," "more orangey," "less red, more pink," and so on and so forth). i'll have to take a few pics and post them.

also, did you know there are only 157 more days till the wedding? EEEK!

another thing i did this weekend was register for the guys' tuxes. since we have over seven people i got a sweet deal at American Commodore, plus their shirts, vests and ties are included (many places those are extra, plus shoes!!). now we're working on what shoes the guys are gonna wear - make them rent for $20 or find something they can purchase and keep for $25-$30.

also i was able to get an appointment for THURSDAY with my hair stylist and friend Ellen who will be doing my hair for the wedding. we're going to try out doing low lights, plus i have split-ends out the wah-zu (how do you even spell that), i need it cut again.

so, things are progressing slowly...but they are progressing. hopefully i can get more things accomplished this week and firm up a date for my first fitting (shoes or no shoes!!). i'll post some pics of the flowers and maybe the shoes i love oh-so-much but are impractical, just to see the blogosphere's opinion!

day 2, week 2 meal plan

here's an update on what's been going on with me, that meal plan and that workout schedule:

• been doing really good with staying under my calories (not as good with staying on the plan, but calories, yes. except for sunday...that baby shower...arglghghlgh).
  i track my calories here: http://www.livestrong.com/myplate/. i really like it. my sister got me using it a few years ago and they've done some amazing updates within the last 6-9 months making it so much easier and quicker to use. i also have the iPhone app, which is great for on the go!
  
• kind of ran out of money so i wasn't able to go shopping for new food this week. that means i've been eating the same meals last week and this week, and i'm ok with that.
  luckily i get paid this week. i'm excited for next week's lunches of California Chicken Salad with Avocado and Mango and Grilled Sirloin Salad. i'm also going to get some turkey cutlets and do something fun with those. i've been eating chicken for two weeks. i crave variety!!!
  
• been going to the gym three times a week. this is monumental. i usually go with my cousin, but she was out of town over the weekend so i did go once by myself. i'm getting more used to the routine and the machines and i actually miss going when i can't go.
  and i stay for at least 1 1/2 hours each time!
  
• i'm incorporating a huge amount of fresh fruit and veggies. i've really been enjoying it.
• it's possible that i've lost two pounds already.
  it's possible, but not confirmed. i know you can fluctuate that much within a given day, but i'm fluctuating lower than before.

well, that's about all there is to update. thanks for all you readers out there being supportive and giving me advice from your own "meal plans!"


oh, also, i have the most beautiful baby niece EVER, but i posted that last week. but here's another picture just to leave this post out on a beautiful note:

day 4 meal plan, a baby and a little insight

today is day 4 of "making the cut" meal plan. i've been doing pretty good, staying on my caloric goal for 2 of my 3 full days, having a major lapse Tuesday which is TOTALLY excusable because my baby niece Chloe was born!! she is absolutely beautiful and my sister and brian (and family and friends...) couldn't be more excited!

i've been pretty good at sticking to the meal plan except for the last two days of lunches. yesterday i even tried a brand new meal - Garlic Chicken and Grilled Fennel. it was...interesting. fennel has an "anise/licorice" aftertaste, and i do NOT like any of that, but it was very mild when grilled. the charred bits of fennel tasted like a grilled sweet onion, which i enjoyed. i'm proud of myself for trying something different!

i was thinking last night about the last time i lost a good amount of weight. almost five years ago i was in a weird stage of my life. i was working at Walmart in the Photo Department (quite a bit), plus going to school, plus i was mostly broke (though living with my parents) so i didn't eat much (also because i would spend hours in the studio) and i wasn't in a very healthy relationship. during this time, i somehow managed to drop almost 30 lbs lower than i currently am, and i did this by doing NOTHING. i was not eating better or working out. i know that things in my life were not good, and there was a point i dropped down to 119lbs and i remember looking at myself in the mirror and realizing this was not good. i could see my collar bone popping out.

so, i started making some changes. relationships changed, my job changed, school was almost over. i was happier. i was healthier. and i gained weight back.

i know i'm at a healthy weight now and i'm more happy than i've ever EVER been, but i'm definitely not in good physical shape. it's hard to remember the time i lost so much from doing "nothing" as i walk/jog/run on a treadmill for 25 minutes after already doing 30 minutes of other work outs...but, i have a goal now, i have a good reason for wanting to be in shape. i've been to the gym four times in a week (this is a record, people), and i've been enjoying it and look forward to going back.

i want to enjoy working out because it's good for you.
i want to be happy about eating healthy because it's beneficial.
i want to fit into my clothes better because i can't afford to buy anything else!
on a shallower note...i want to look awesome for our wedding and honeymoon!

a lot of exciting things are happening in my life right now. the next five months are going to be one awesome thing after the next.

it's that time again...

to watch what i eat! be healthy! say i'm going to work out! hopefully shed a few pounds!

no, but really, it is. i started Jillian Michaels "Making the Cut" 30-day diet this morning. since i did this last year, i already have a bunch of the work done for me - random spices in my cabinet, know which meals i'm going to loath and which i'll love, i have the book and i have most of the meals all worked out (there are some meals [that involve fish] that i don't like, so i have to rearrange them a little...).

i started out the day with a scrambled egg (which seems to always taste gross to me in the morning, especially without salt) and Kashi GO LEAN! Crisp. let me tell you though - this cereal is really good. it's "berry crumble" flavored. yum.

again, since i've done this so many times before (okay, once), i know that it works if you are dedicated to staying on the meal plan. now, if you work out too??? who knows, cause i didn't do that last time. last week i went to the new LECOM Wellness Center with my cousin twice, and both times stayed for OVER TWO HOURS. never in my LIFE have i stayed at the gym for this amount of time. she's good at getting me motivated, so couple 2-3 times a week at the gym with this meal plan and who knows where i'll be in 30 days?! hopefully, somewhere skinnier. i know i fit into my wedding dress already, but i want to fit into it even BETTER!

i really believe that calling this a "meal-plan" (not a diet) and giving yourself a time limit (30 days in my case), really can make this work. i've told myself time and time again i'm going to "eat better," and honestly, that never works. also, not limiting yourself to eating nothing on special occasions - birthday parties, bridal or baby showers, etc., as long as you don't go overboard and allow yourself to eat this way every weekend...or every day...

so, my goals for the next 30 days:

1. stay on the meal plan 95% of the time (exception i already know about: my birthday!)
   
2. go to the gym 2-3 times a week and maybe weekends
3. have a good attitude
4. schedule my first dress fitting (also meaning: buy wedding shoes)
   
5. get lots of wedding stuff done!!
   

forgotten find!

i was looking through my pictures of previous jobs for a spec clarification and found this AWESOME idea! i had totally forgotten about this! for Erie Bank's open house at their downtown Erie branch early 2008, they had these super fun martini glasses filled with water, a floating candle and flower. i think they are adorable! now, someone is gonna need to hook me up with probably 90+ of these, and i'll have great centerpieces for the wedding.

also, i found these a few months ago when searching for some inexpensive candles & holders. i adore these giant martini glasses! they are pricey though.

image from save-on-crafts, Jennifer Dery Photography
(also, check out her blog for her awesome work!)

i love the look of all these candles on the table! makes me want tons and tons of candles!! and rectangular tables...but i'm pretty much out of luck there...

lots of planning...not getting done

as my sister is bombarded with questions relating to when is she going to pop that baby out, i'm getting my own, less-annoying questions that i can't really answer. "how's wedding planning going?" actually, it's going no where. with my grandfather's passing away last week, everyone on edge for Rach & Bri's little babe and practicing and playing at two concerts that our church was asked to play in has resulting in not having much time to think about or do any wedding planning. (NOTE: i am not complaining. these are just facts!)

mum and i were going to meet with a florist, but that got pushed back. Rach and i are working on invitations and she did send me some ideas, but we'll have to put that on hold too! actually, we're going to have to finalize those sooner than later - she starts working again in May! eeek! i've been saving money and racking up ideas in my brain (and writing some down), but my main issue right now is i'm having a hard time finalizing the color scheme. i want paint samples to work off of, and don't want to order Pantone samples (to match the dresses) cause they are usually $10 or $15 (i can get benjamin moore 8x10 sheets - as many as i want - for free!). once these colors get firmed up i can start making a lot of other decisions!

things at work are slowing down at the moment (mostly projects are in a waiting stage on the customers' end), so i'm hoping to be out early this week and have more time to get wedding stuff done!

i've been looking into where we're going to register for gifts and started compiling some ideas (josh told me i can pick what i want and he'll revise as necessary). i started compiling a month meal plan "diet" that i'm going to start next week (gotta start now before the fittings come...). unfortunately, i've come to the conclusion that the shoes i bought for the wedding, though amazing in color and style, are not as amazing in height (too high) and comfort (eh...). so, there's a step BACKward...i have done some browsing for tuxes and have finally reorganized my checklist i'm using through one wed, so hopefully i can get things organized and accomplished soon!

i hope all my friends/readers out there who are also planning their wedding are having more luck than me!!

a lovely award

i don't think i've ever received a blog award before! (maybe once, in my 8ish years of blogging...), but thanks to the oh-so-lovely herself, Meighan of Fredricka Rose, i get to put my count up to TWO!!! i feel so honored to have received an award from a blog friend!! make sure you check her blog out!!

and to pass on the love myself...

and then i found 5 dollars
superyay!
brian and rachel plus
chaos symphony

not only are their blogs awesome, but the bloggers are amazing!
they are truly *lovely* and i love them!

crazy weekend

this weekend i spent a lot of time with my roomie (seeing "It's Complicated" - hilarious - and out with her and stace to the casino, then dinner with nikkie too in downtown erie). also, let me point out, that the Plymouth's fried giant soft pretzels with cheese and honey mustard are the most amazing things ever created. just wanted to throw that out there.

on Sunday, our church had the awesome opportunity to lead worship after the Erie Otters hockey game, for a "faith and family night." we went straight after church Sunday to loading up our cars, then down the Civic Center where we set up all our equipment on the back of a flat bed truck. after the game and a short word from the pastor of Erie First Assembly, the semi backed us out onto the ice where AJ, our "tech-sound guy" from church (he probably has a better more technical name, but whatever :) ) plugged us into the main system and mixed from the ice. it was a pretty awesome and totally fun experience. i'm sure i'll never get to sing at the Civic Center...on the back of a truck...on the ice...again! here's some pics from the evening...

pic by me, before we went on the ice.

pic by Aaron - on "stage" sound guy. we were probably waiting for AJ - off "stage" sound guy - to hook us up with power and into the system.

pic by AJ - off "stage" sound guy - while we were jamming.