weekend! so close!

Here are some flower girl dress ideas - I love love love the first dress, esp if I end up getting an ivory dress... it's by UsAngels.

Other than that, we (her mother & I) are digging the sash - either being black (BM dresses) OR red... and accent color I'm using.

Tomorrow: having dinner (sushi!) with a couple of old friends :-)

Saturday: 2 dress appointments starting at 11:30 am with my mom, a close friend & the flower girl! yeah! I'm excited.

Sunday: 9-11am Wedding Registry event at C&B - one more thing off the list! Then onto a 1y.o. bday party :-)

I'm taking a hiatus from grad school this weekend - was given no HW in one class, and we just had a large presentation last night in the other BUT just got a 100+ page book to read (quickly) from the Rev for our counseling sessions, so going to get a head start on that!

It's thunderstorming outside right now, and it's March this weekend...... please let that mean it's SPRING very very soon!!

hiatus

I haven't been blogging because I haven't been doing much... although the hotel is now blocked with rooms for the wedding weekend and I will soon post the info on the sidebar. I purchased some willow sticks and this weekend we may try to put some centerpieces together to get some ideas - I have in my mind what I want the centerpieces to look like, but not sure if it will turn out ok.... I am only having 10-11 round tables and then having about 6-7 hightops - so will have different centerpieces on each... I'm keeping my eye on these votive holders on C&B: http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=1340&f=26397 seeing if they go on sale... I'd like to mix them with regular votives on the table..

I can't wait to go dress shopping - I found a line I really like and will be trying on: Saison Blanche - we go in a week from Saturday! But i am all over the place [again] in what I like, so who knows what will be THE dress!!

contracts......... signed!

We are SET. Contracts signed and in the mail for both 19thCC and caterer. ahhhhh, relief! Sunday have another bridal show in Tinely at Odessey Country Club and then... taking a break until next dress appts on Sat. 2/28:

• The Dress by Nicole (Wheaton): http://www.shopthedress.com/


• Wolsfelt's (Aurora): http://www.wolsfelts.com/

There is a brand I'm really liking (http://www.saisonblanche.com/) that I will be trying on at The Dress :-) I'd post the picture of the dress, but I don't want to in case it's the ONE, but it's similar to the Melissa Sweet Becca that is in a previous post.

have a great weekend! I'm having a girls weekend as my BOY is away for a boys weekend!

yah!

update: everything was great on our visit Saturday. The contract for the 19thCC is being sent in the mail as I type. We will be putting a deposit down with the caterer. We ate at his restaurant on Saturday and the food was aaaahhhhhmazing!! We visited the hotel we will work with, the Carleton, and it's beautiful! I am so excited!! Ceremony & Reception location, done! Date, done! Wedding Officiant, done! (my very good friend's father is marrying us!). And i started dress shopping on Sunday and it went well - Jamie from Bella Sposa is HIGHLY recommended! I feel good, things are moving.

Here is website pics of hotel: http://www.carletonhotel.com/photogallery.asp

The suite rooms are HUGE so will work perfectly when getting ready with my girls!

sidenote

i'm trying to add a pic to every post b/c pictures are more fun than words - so explains my random shamrock shuffle pic below. ha.

so excited!

tomorrow we go to the 19th CC at 2pm to see Anthony (caterer) setting up for a wedding! It is me, my momma, FH mom, & future SIL. I am excited to see it again and to show them how much I love the place! We will do dinner later, and drive around Oak Park (and suppose to be 50 degrees!!) since I haven't been there in the day time; and hopefully visit some of the possible hotels and get a feel for the area! I am excited!

I have booked my first appointment to try on dresses at Bella Sposa in Tinely Park on Sunday in the morning - It's a smaller place, i was referred from a friend, and all of thier reviews on line are fab (which is HARD to find when it comes to bridal dress salons!!). I'm excited and hoping it will kickstart my diet I should have started... I am in a biggest loser contest (potentially $800ish at stake!!) and have had a hard time getting started... AND i'm running the Shamrock Shuffle (5mile) marathon March 29th! This weekend I MUST run 2 miles. Must.

registry

so I really shouldn't be blogging because I'm in my computer lab at school and suppose to be doing homework that is due Friday, but before it escapes my mind, I must share a little of our registering experience yesterday. We went to Macy's in Oak Brook for a wedding registry event (free bag with wine glasses & wine traveler deal) - We were early (about 30 minutes) and get inside the store and I start looking on the legend for where housewares are... I did not see them listed and then remember Oak Brook has a "home store", so I ask the guy in mens [where we were] where "home wares" are and if they are at the seperate Macy's store down the street - he replies YES.... NOW, i can't remember if I said "home wares" or "home furnishings", but I immediately think we are in the wrong place and we leave...

As we are driving to the other store, I am being questioned "are you sure? did you bring the card? do you have info on this event?" - thank god it's just 2 minutes away - We get to Macy's HOME STORE and there are literally 3 cars in the parking lot... Now i'm 2nd guessing what I asked the clerk... Long story short, we get inside, wrong place! AT the main store in Oak Brook... My FH smiles and is very patient (for once!) and tells me I am lucky they are so close... we finally get back to the right store and find the event upstairs...

At the end of the day, we had fun - he was more fun than I thought he'd be and we picked out a china pattern! everyone says that's the hardest thing, but was easy for us? we have similar tastes and I guess that means the hard part is over?! OH, and i went to the bathroom and while I was in there, my FH scanned 19 ceramic bunnies, 10 puppies & chocolates valentines, an ice cream maker, 5 popcorn bins, and 9 godiva caramel chocolates? I have since deleted them... :-) Here's our china pattern:

registering before picking venue!

Tomorrow we are going to a Macy's "sip & scan" event. They arm you with a gun, cocktails & appetizers, along with a list of "what you should register" for. I am feeling a little strange about it since we have not officially signed on with a venue yet - but we are very close. I guess how i am thinking about it is that you do not have to do things in a particular order, and if this is one thing crossed off the list to do, then fabulous!

We have an appointment to do Crate & Barrel on Sunday, March 1st from 9am-11am - you have the store to yourself (not just US, but other engaged couples) - this one is called the "Wedding Party" event -and they give you a free gift....... why not?