Friday's Confession: When you have a bad day

Exactly what I needed to hear on a day like today. 

And exactly why weddings are so special!

Originally posted on Wedding Chicks under "Friday's Chalk Board".

6 Month Mark!

We have 6 months to go until our wedding day! We celebrated with some Dairy Queen Blizzards (not working with my diet, but after yesterday's cake post, well, I could no longer hold out!)

So where are we in the wedding planning? We are getting closer and closer to hitting what I refer to as the "downhill slope". (I think it stems from skiing and mountains for inspiration).

Here is an updated to-do list!

• Get the guys gussied up
• Pick out our wedding rings
• Make invitations (and send), programs
• Get accessories for myself!
• Get accessories and gifts for my ladies!
• Secure hotels 
• Update Wedding Website and publish!
• Get a hair and makeup person secured and do trial runs
• Continue fitness journey
• Write ceremony
• Plan our set list!

As you can see, things have become a bit more detailed in the planning sphere. And if you couldn't tell, I am extremely excited.

Cheers to 6 months! Look for all the fun to come, and thank you once again for sharing in our journey with us thus far!

Love,

Erica and Kyle

Reneeclancyphotography.com

Wednesday Wish: Let Them Eat Cake!

As I begin my quest for health and wellness (like I haven't been working my butt off the last 8 months already...), I cannot think of anything in this world except wedding cake! I like cake so much that I usually sneak bites off the neglected plates at others' seats during weddings. (I guess you better watch out next time you're at a wedding with me). Kyle, not liking cake himself, donates his pieces to me graciously. In the age of alternative wedding desserts, I cannot imagine anything in the world besides the good old-fashioned cake! I will dream about thee, cake, as I eat this scrumptious, low-fat granola and Greek yogurt dessert. I will refrain from saying how I really feel about this, though, too many choice words involved!

My Wonderful Wedding Attendant!

The best story I have from over break, when I spent time in Colorado where wedding planning is always on the agenda, is from spending time with my second family. When I was in college, I became a nanny for Megan, a Delta Gamma sister I met at a yard sale, watching her daughter Ellie. Ellie and Megan, along with their newer family additions the Brokers, have been a major part of my life ever since. For this reason, I couldn't wait to invite Ellie to be a part of my wedding. I wanted to make the invitation extra special, and wanted to ask in person to see her reaction! I bought her a special cupcake from my favorite Dillon bakery, Blue Moon, and wrote her a card asking her to be my guest book attendant. When she opened the cupcake and card, she was glowing, Megan almost teared up, and all three of us shared the special moment. Then dress shopping online at Nordstrom and JCrew immediately followed. It renewed my excitement in planning for my wedding.

In Colorado Springs, I am always welcomed by the Broker family. I love that they are a family that runs together, eats together, does homework at the kitchen table together, and the fact that they are kind to others, strangers or old friends alike. Thank you for letting me join the family on occasion, and inspiring me in my own future family.

Megan and Ellie (borrowed from Facebook, hope they don't mind!)

Confession: Groom Frustrations!

If I weren't so excited to get our wedding over with, I'd probably kill my groom some days. Ironically, one of the reasons I am marrying him is his spontaneity, and how it complements my tendency to over-plan. Yet, something just screams "get this wedding planning over with already" and I cannot even seem to schedule in time for sitting down to do some wedding planning with him. I am not talking about wedding planning that includes finding vendors and sending checks. I am talking about wedding planning that involves thinking about our relationship and how we can capture that during our special day. These details are what will make our ceremony and reception memorable, unique, and exciting! However, I feel lately like they are all my details, my ideas, and my view of our relationship, and that I don't have any input from Kyle. My biggest fear is that we'll arrive at our wedding and he'll feel a complete disappointment in how it turned out. But then again, who else will he have to blame but himself. I don't think he is avoiding planning because he is tentative about the wedding itself, but instead I think he is just being a guy here (I hope I am right, please reassure me!) and procrastinating the emotional conversations that may ensue.

AND HE STILL HASN'T OFFICIALLY TOLD HIS GROOMSMEN!

Ah men, can't live with them or without them, but in the case of a wedding, I have to figure out a way to bribe him to stop procrastinating (worse than I do) and get this show rolling. I really don't want to spend my summer trying to catch up!

This is my frustrated face...

Wish: Wedding Hair and Makeup

I am giving in to my inner girly-girl. I want to treat myself for my wedding with the best hair I've ever had, and the best makeup! But the real challenge is trying to find someone who will do this for me on my wedding day for a reasonable price. Having a destination wedding, it is not possible for me to just call up my local hairstylist and get the advice of all the other local brides for makeup. At the same time, if someone is a professional, can I really go wrong? There are trial runs for a reason, after all!

I spent some time researching over the past week while on break in Colorado. I hope that I have found some great options and that they will still be available in early June for me to have a trial and still switch if things don't seem to fit. Paying to have my hair done is a must, since I want to wear it up. Paying for makeup seems like an absolute indulgence. I believe I deserve to be pampered for just one day, however!

Here are my potential hair styles so far: Which is your favorite?

Wednesday's Wish Delayed

SHOES! I may or may not have gone shopping for shoes while on my Spring Break. And online shopping for WEDDING SHOES!

Why I've been away so long...

Ah, it feels so nice to be writing again! I have spent way too much time these last 2 weeks reading and grading, planning and packing, and have sorrily neglected my most cathartic pastime. Since this blog is about being candid and honest, the truth is that writing, and for that matter wedding planning, have been too far down on the "to do" list. I know I've said it before, but I'll reiterate, that life cannot be about one single thing, for instance a wedding, because there are just too many factors involved. For one, work, which is something I am equally as passionate about as my wedding, but that takes up as much of my brain power as I can spare at times, like the ends of the quarter. Luckily I have 2 week breaks to get back to a balanced life. Another distraction is people, sometimes time spent with friends is much more rewarding than time spent writing a blog for friends to read from afar. This weekend we've been skiing, last weekend we were camping, it's all about the outdoors in our house, obviously. Now I have some down time, some "me time", thanks to a week of Spring break in Colorado, driving through the state to visit with some of the most important people in my life, and given time to myself to sleep in, read The Hunger Games trilogy, and write once more. I have many stories to tell, and now that I have the time to tell them, I will hopefully be updating more often and will get back into the habit for everyone's enjoyment.

Brides-to-be out there, remember this: Don't apologize when you get tired of the wedding, because sometimes you need balance in life, and weddings tend to tip the scales in one direction for too long a time. Find that balance, take time off, and don't worry about it!

Confession: I'd rather be Pinteresting

This week's confession encompasses 2 things: 1. I've spent way too many hours lately browsing through Pinterest to not only plan and organize my wedding, but also just to shop. 2. I've decided that I am not contributing enough of my own unique ideas to Pinterest, because let's face it, I'm not as interesting as those other pinners!

I'd love to say that I am crafty, I'll go out and buy the supplies for the projects I see on Pinterest and complete them, but the reality is that as artistically creative as I may be, I do not have the given time to complete the tasks. I also would love to have enough kitchen supplies and ingredients to cook the recipes I pin, but the thought of buying a new bread pan and updating my spice rack seems overwhelming.

Other than time, I feel like I just want the people on Pinterest to start their own Etsy sites so THEY can make the crafts, cookies, and do-it-yourself laundry detergent and I'll just BUY it from them. So, to my pinners out there (and lately I've chosen to follow way more), please start selling these banners, hair flowers, greeting cards, and pies at our local farmer's market so I can get my hands on some.

And then I'll just take the credit when people ask "Did you see that on Pinterest?!"

Copyright Pinterest, I am sure... but hey, it is free advertising!

7 Month Mark!

How incredibly lucky are we that we actually HAVE the 7-month mark to celebrate this year?! A year earlier or later and we wouldn't have this extra day to wait, but also this extra landmark to celebrate!

Leap years are supposed to be lucky, and Leap Day is supposed to be the day you try something new and crazy, because it is not supposed to count. Although I can't claim to have done anything new or exciting today, I did get to go out to dinner with good friends to celebrate, and you could technically count the fact that I somehow got Kyle to want to marry me that "crazy something new".

And do you really want me to blow your mind- 7 is a lucky number, and that is how many months we have left on this lucky, extra day! Can you believe it?! That must be the reason why this wedding just feels right, like everything has fallen into place, and that this entire relationship (of nearly 7 years now) has just been fated by the Heavens.

I am one happy, lucky, Leap year girl right now! Hope that I can help spread a little of that joy your way on this Wednesday!

Confession: I am a bad bride

Lately, I have had to face the realization that I am not a very good bride. I am not a Bridezilla, so don't take it that way, I am the opposite, I don't have enough opinions or enough "vision" in my mind to insist upon perfection.

For example, although my sisters found a fabulous bridesmaid dress that they both liked on the first day we shopped, I waited until recently to give the go-ahead for the dress. Then I have procrastinated sending out the information for ordering to all my other bridesmaids. I feel like such a slacker!

I tried to dissect this issue. I believe part of my problem is the fact that I'm afraid to disappoint my girls with my choice. Since day one, I've been worried about making everyone else at the wedding happy (as you've seen in previous posts). I also just think that I gave myself a LOT of time between the engagement and the wedding, so I am not working well without the pressure (once an AP kid, always an AP kid!)

But anyway, I hope that this is just paranoia and that I really am not falling behind in my planning, nor do I have as much to do as I fear (lurking behind every corner, more wedding must-haves that I missed).

Here's a teaser for you:

Which one

did I

choose????

 

 

 

 

 Dresses from Pinterest collection- Da Vinci, Impressions, Dessy, and the Perfect Palette blog

Wishing for Trees

Lately I have had a massive tree obsession. I think that sometimes I just crave some shade, hearing the breeze running through the leaves, and the colors (green, gold, red, whatever!) that the trees provide. People claim that there are "trees" in Arizona, but anything under 10 feet tall doesn't count in my book, and anything that pricks you with thorns, scratches you with needles, or you can't climb, isn't a reliable tree, either.

Here are my latest tree-inspired wishes:

ALIBI NYC

Anthropologie

 

 

 

 Thank you, Pinterest, for feeding my tree/shopping/jewelry obsession...

More domestic bliss!

Ok, after my post about past Valentine's Days gone bad, I wound up eating my words a bit this past Tuesday. I had rolled my eyes all day long as my students brought giant stuffed dogs to class, bouquets of flowers were delivered in the middle of quizzes, and all too much chocolate was passed around (none to me, mind you), but when I got home to roses and a romantic date night, I was put in my place.

My romantic "give in to this Hallmark holiday" place.

So I cooked a home made meal. The kicker- NO RECIPE. NO BOX. NO FROZEN FOODS. I chopped vegetables, I added spices, and I made it FROM SCRATCH! (Ok, I had bought the pasta at the Farmer's Market, but still). Then I bought a bottle of Pinot Noir, rented a Rom Com, and spent the night with Kyle. And there were tears. Tears over a Facebook post about an old man who was buying his wife, deceased for 3 years, a Valentine and a rose because she was the only person who would ever have his heart. Tears over the movie One Day with Anne Hathaway. But mostly I think the tears were from the past few weeks of stress adding up and the realization that Kyle, no matter what my world looks like, will always be that rock and we'll have many, many more Valentine's Days to remind us of the love that keeps me going.

The results! Look at the color. Bob Harper would be proud!

Proff that I really cook!

Whiskey Wish

This week's wish is not for me, but for Kyle. After all, the guys have to get something they want for the wedding, too!

http://www.bowtiesandbliss.com

Bachelorette- Vegas Style!

We are lucky girls!

Alright, I have just witnessed, participated in, and survived my second Vegas bachelorette weekend of all time, and this time I had real cause to celebrate with my own upcoming nuptials.

The last time I was in Vegas for a bachelorette party was for my college friend Melissa. The weekend involved such shenanigans as "travelers" (drinks to go, with the lax open-container laws of Vegas, only ours were full-on bottles of booze), yard drinks by the pool, flamingos, and some sun-poisoning.

This visit was to celebrate my friends Jill and Sarah's bachelorette parties, and I went along for the triple threat! Nothing is more fun than telling people that ALL 3 of you are getting married. We were joined by other friends and Jill's families (current and future), and it was one of the best times I've had, ever, not just in Vegas.

Friday night we hit the country bar/restaurant, Toby Keith's, and danced the night away. Saturday we hit up Fremont Street (the "classic" strip) and went ziplining. After a necessary stop at the buffet at Fitzgerald's (you can't avoid a buffet in Vegas!) we returned to the hotel, when the REAL celebration began!

Saturday will go down in history as epic and unreal, and full of crazy laughs and crazier memories (we can only remember thanks to the digital photo evidence). As graduates of Colorado College, no night can commence without a classic dancing and drinking pre-party! This pre-party came with a little surprise, let's just say of "Russian origin", from my fabulous fiance. None of us really expected that, but it was certainly a highlight for the ladies! After that excitement, we scored VIP entrance to 1 Oak, the club at the Mirage where we were staying. We had comped drinks for the first 2 hours, which was plenty, and we all danced until our stilletos burned holes into our feet and we literally began collapsing to the dance floor. What night in Vegas would be complete without additional debauchery, with visits to Subway and McDonald's at 5:00 a.m., snapping photos with a bride and groom, walking though the casino, and starting our own dance party in the middle of the empty lounge. Oh, and "Tebowing".

<record scratch> Whhhhaaattt? 

Oh, that's right, Jill and Nadja started to Tebow all over the place, in random people's pictures, with random strangers, and yes, even with the bride.

Notice the man walking by and staring...

Hilarious. 

Guess you had to be there.

So, what happens in Vegas doesn't really STAY in Vegas, but the truth is, do we really even know what just happened in Vegas??

(It is probably better that way...)

That is us ziplining Fremont!

Dancing at 1 Oak with my DG girls!

Sarah bought us these shirts!

So cute!

Valentine's Day Confession

With the upcoming holiday growing ever so near, I feel like I need to recap my Valentine's Day history to fully explain why it is that I don't fully support this holiday. I am not a cynic, but I am also not going to give into consumerism. (Maybe on Christmas, but not in the middle of February!) However, the real reason to dislike V-day is the pressure it places on us to make the day go well, when really it most likely won't. Here are a few examples:

Valentine's Day 1987- Kindergarten exchange day- we all had boxes in the floor in a circle. As we were walking around the circle to deliver the valentines, clumsy me trips over a box of one student (I think I was pushed, actually), and sprains an ankle.

Valentine's Day 1992- 5th Grade and my teacher let my boyfriend at the time sit next to me for the exchange. We exchanged extra special valentines that year, king-sized candy bars (and small ones for everyone else). I realize that Valentine's Day could make me fat.

Valentine's Day 1996- My lovely high school boyfriend at the time gave me heart-shaped cubic zirconia earrings in a hand-made plastic and yarn heart box. Shortly afterwards we broke up. Hence forth, I hated heart-shaped jewelry.

Valentine's Day 1997- My new high school boyfriend orders a limo to take us to an Italian restaurant, invites a buddy and his girlfriend along for the ride, and then takes me to Titanic (which we had already seen)and I spend the evening in tears leading to convulsions. Upon dropping us off at home after the movie, the limo gets stuck in the ditch at the bottom of the driveway. Epic fail.

Valentine's Day The College Years- Numerous "single's awareness day" celebrations. One nice trip to the mountains, which was promptly followed by another breakup.

Valentine's Day 2007- I bought Kyle a 6 pack of Guiness and made a trail of Hershey kisses through the house to his office, where I left a Valentine that consisted of a picture of Final Fantasy. I told him to enjoy the evening without me and to have a night doing the things he really enjoyed, beer and video games. We still have the Hershey kisses in the freezer.

Other than those memorable years, Valentine's Day has been largely forgettable.

A Non-Valentine's Weekend Celebration- Westin Kierland May 2011

P.S. If you are one of those former boyfriends, sorry! And if you are Kyle, no pressure, really. Let's celebrate when the roses are cheaper, the restaurants emptier, and the love less commercialized.

Seriously Slacking Wish

We brides all hit that bump in the road, you've already heard about mine, but that wall where we can't go further with wedding planning because we are burnt out! So, my wish today has nothing to do with weddings. Sorry for my brides to be out there, I don't want to put the wrong idea in your heads, but every once in awhile it is important to remember that we are not brides-by-profession, and our professions will consume our lives at points, putting weddings on the back burner. This past weekend I traveled to Washington, D.C. and attended a leadership conference with 12 high school students. It was a really fun trip. Lots of walking around and seeing the sights, lots of motivation, and a positive feeling to spread to all upon my return (I CAN make a difference!)

Today's Wish: For more of my students and more of my coworkers to be able to attend leadership training to inspire their souls and ignite their passions (or reignite) for the young men and women we work with daily. This is one of the motivational videos we watched that really got me thinking...

The U.S. Capitol

Georgetown Cupcakes

Lincoln Memorial

Registry Wish!

I am starting to get all the major business of wedding plan done, so I am moving on the fun job of shopping! I just have no idea where to start with my registry, as I was so many things from so many random places. Here is one, to start!

www.westelm.com

I love how unique these are, I feel like I could leave them out on display as wall hangings in between cutting vegetables. And monogrammed? This is a wish for my guests to take note of! :)

The most awkward meal ever...

Have you ever eaten a meal where you felt you were being scrutinized by chef? This is a common fear in my house I assume, as I am still in the "experimental cook" phase, but nothing tops the awkward moment of apprehension that occurs during your wedding meal tasting.

I was not worried that the food would suck, but more that my comments and praise of the chef would be inadequate. It was not our caterer's fault at all, but moreso the setting and atmosphere that created the uncomfortable tension. There we were, at the official catering kitchen, and in case you've never experienced it before, they are not exactly 5-stars in decor and atmosphere. This is good, it means I am not paying for showmanship. But I just couldn't get past the fact that my purse sat atop a stack of linens and the glasses were towered precariously close to my head.

Then the meal started. It was divine. Not to ruin any surprises, but we chose a fish and beef main course, with a vegetarian and kids option, and some amazing passed appetizers. My favorite part, as always, was the bistro salad with warm goat cheese. If I get nothing else but that during my reception I'd be a happy girl. Along with this, we got to taste 1/3 of our cake. After completely stuffing our faces, and feeling like we weren't going to be able to fit through the door, we were satisfied with our menu selections.

Pinterest

During the meal, the bizarre part was having the chef watch from across the table as we took each bite. I felt like I was taking some sort of test. I know really that he was the one being tested, but I just didn't want to take a bite and grimace. Luckily, the food didn't suck. He did teach us about how each item is made, where he gets his ingredients from, and how he plans to present and serve each item with his staff. I now better understand what party planners and food critics experience.

The last awkward moment was finishing my 10th glass of water (it is altitude, it is really dry!) and then realizing there was no obvious bathroom. Luckily we found a nice flower shop next door that let us use theirs. To think, on my wedding day those bathroom emergencies will require helpers, due to my dress!

Confession: I watched more wedding-themed shows in college than I do now...

I was one of those girls who always wanted to dress up and have fake weddings as a kid. I used to make my Barbies marry each other practically daily. I'd dress up all the Barbies and Kens in different "fancy" outfits and pretty much my entire collection was married to someone else.

Then in college, when I had ample free time in the afternoons, I got hooked on TLC's A Wedding Story. (This show, sadly, does not seem to exist anymore as I've searched in TIVO many a time.) I saw some of the weirdest theme-weddings ever, some really good stories, some really homely couples, and just about every trend available in the mid 90s to early 2000s. If nothing else, these shows gave me inspiration to not completely give up on my childhood dream of having a wedding. But they also gave a false perception of the reality of wedding planning. This is exactly why I had to blog, so that the other young women hooked on the latest and greatest wedding show trends (Say Yes to the Dress, Bridezillas, and Four Weddings) know that those "reality" shows don't provide the complete picture for you.

For instance, I am pretty sure that because my mom and younger sisters watched Say Yes to the Dress a few too many times in my dad's presence that he was a little more than freaked out about the prospect of buying an overpriced gown that I'd wear once. Took care of that, bought my own dress. I also think that the idea of attending a total stranger's wedding (or for that matter, inviting total strangers to your wedding) to simply judge them for a chance at a free honeymoon seems a bit ludicrous. It is bad enough that we brides already have all this pressure for a "perfect" wedding day, much less knowing that someone is rating your every move.

I won't deny taking a self-indulgent moment here and there to watch a cheesy wedding chick-flick, and yes, I have watched wedding-themed shows occasionally, but the romantic notion that most of these shows portray is for our younger and more idealistic views of marriage. In MY reality, THIS is what you get--a blog, embarrassing anecdotes, and raw emotions. You're welcome ;)

Say Yes to Which Dress?!