The Background Stays and Thoughts

1. 14 days until the wedding............ *cries from stress*

2. The night of the wedding is going to be a full moon!!! Yay for pretty pictures!

3. My mom has always told me that a full moon means rain. Boo for uncertainty. 

4. 15 days until we leave for Vegas!!! Woot!

5. 15 days until we leave for Vegas and I'm broke.

6. The chairs are almost completely finished. All that is missing is the letters we made to be arm braces.

7. Bonnie has fleas and I'm trying desperately to get rid of them before she goes to the kennel. I don't want to be one of those moms who sends their child to the kennel with bugs and then passes them on.

8. On second thought, I probably shouldn't send my child to a kennel.

9. Kayla come over last weekend for a girl's weekend and we spent way too much money.... but I got cute make up out of it and a dress to wear on the plane to Vegas.

10. The back ground stays. Or so your polls say.

11. I made cute earrings for the beach.

12. Kayla and I got 2 more pomanders finished for the wedding.

13. I'm almost to the point of feeling relaxed about everything for the wedding.

That is all..... for now.

Packing and Planning

We looked crazy last night because we mapped out the 20' x 30' tent in our parking lot with screw drivers. Seriously. Our neighbors saw me twirling around the parking lot saying things like "The gazebo is here", "The dance floor is here", "I want lights going here" and "This is a really big tent". I'll probably be sending my Christmas cards from a mental institute.

It all started when Bryan and I were figuring out how to work the music at the wedding. See, we aren't using a D.J. and we will be using my computer with iTunes as our music source. The problem we were running into was how to use a microphone. Also, Adam has been very kind and offered to bring down his speakers from his gym but we wanted to also bring the surround sound from the house just in case something happens which meant we needed to learn how to use everything while we were still here. So this is what we needed, we are plugging my computer into the aux. line of my surround sound so the music plays through the speakers. But we also needed to use a microphone which the surround sound doesn't have a plug for so we needed a way to plug a microphone into my computer and have it come out the external speakers.

*tap tap* Are you there? Stay with me.

I got to looking around the interwebz and found a program for Macs called LineIn. I was a little skeptical because the program is made by a company called Rogue Amoeba..... um.... that just sounds virus-y. I then found reviews on Cnet so I figured it had to be legit. I downloaded the software, told Bryan of my findings and he brought home a spare USB microphone from the office. We plugged it in, got the music going and voila! We had sound coming out the speakers.

After we did this, Bryan ran over to the printer and got a sheet of paper out to do a rough sketch up of the reception area because we needed to figure out where everything was going to go. That is when I said "I need to get a feel for how big the tent will be so I can figure out how to organize everything and where to put the tables". That is when we ended up outside with screw drivers and tape measurers. Now that I'm typing this, I am thinking that we should do it again and use sidewalk chalk so we can draw out the tables and stuff......... then again, that would get me further up at the mental facility, wouldn't it? Scratch that.

So here I am, sitting in a partially packed apartment watching reruns of 16 and Pregnant. Yes, I love that show. I'm supposed to be finishing up with the packing but I'm having a hard time staying focused because I found a website with live webcams from the Sandpiper at the beach. I've actually found this website to be very helpful. It gives you ideas on where to go, what to do, places to eat and even gives a calendar of what all is going on in the area. There are a few kids movies that will be playing while we are down there that some people may be interested in. Go check it out when you get a chance. I'm sure you'll find something to do.

The guest chairs are almost completely finished. All that is left is the little braces under the arm rests but we came up with a new idea for those so they're the last part. Oh, yeah, I said guest chairs because we aren't going to have a guest book. Instead Bryan built two adirondack chairs and the guests will be signing those with paint pens. They look amazing and he did a wonderful job.

This weekend is a girls weekend at the apartment because Bryan will be gone for his bachelor party. Kayla and Jessica will be joining me to help out with the programs and pomanders. I'll be showing pictures of those later on so you can see how they look.

24 days.... can you believe it?

The One Month ABCs

Adirondack chairs have been started and will be completed this weekend.

Bridesmaids gifts have been started and will be completed soon.

Cornhole boards will be at the wedding so fun will be had by all.

Dad has his outfit picked out but is still requesting "Don't Stop Crying" by WetWilly as the father-daughter dance..... not sure about that.

Everyone will have a good time. No exceptions.

Fans will be provided at the wedding ceremony so that may help with the hotness of the evening.

Groomsmen gifts have been bought and we're super excited about them. "Them" being the groomsmen and the gifts.

Hurricane season is underway and the wedding is on the beach. I think you can put those pieces together.

I went for a trial run with wedding hair styles yesterday. I'm super excited about what Christy will do!!!

Joe's ceremony readings are beautiful and I'm pretty sure I'll cry the entire time... which will make him cry.... and mom.... and Bry. This is going to be a mess.

Kayla and Amanda's dresses are finished and look wonderful! Kayla's is in the mail and I can't wait to see her in it!

Las Vegas is going to be hot.... period.

Mom seems to be getting excited about the wedding too. She has ordered some really cool Styrofoam cups that have our names on them.

New beginnings are always exciting.

One month until the big day. I'm ready but not ready.

Pictures are now posted to our shutterfly account. I think you can make an account with our album and add pictures that you have taken at the wedding.

Quiet time will be needed shortly before the wedding to make sure Kayla makes it down the aisle without screaming.

Reminder to self: don't lock your knees and remember to breathe.

Song requests on the RSVPs are getting interesting. Spice Girls has been requested.

Temperature for Panama City Beach, Florida at 9 am on June 15, 2011, 85 but it feels like 96. I'm sorry to all of our guests.

Under no circumstances will it rain on the wedding day.... I don't care what Mother Nature says.

Vows still need to be written. That is kind of important.

We are very thankful to everyone who is coming to the wedding and to those who have helped put everything together.

Xylophones will not be at the wedding. What else was I supposed to put for X?

Yodeling will not occur but Daniel will be providing us with his musical talent.

Zebras also won't be making an appearance at our wedding.

Homemade Invitations

So it has been a while since I've sent the invites and I promised I would show how we made them. Like I've said before, I wanted to be a DIY bride and boy did I chew off too much with this project. But, our invitations came out beautifully and I couldn't be happier with them.

Every part of the invitation was created in Photoshop. Have I told you that Photoshop is my new favorite software? I felt like it was much easier to use than Word for a project like this.

First, I began by creating a design that had the wording and look that I was going for. I found an

image of a stamp online and put it in the image so that I had an idea of where my real stamp would go. I also added a red stripe for where the ribbon would be placed.

After Bryan and I had decided we like this look, it was time to take away the stamp and stripe and print them out. I printed them two to a page and made them slightly smaller than a 5"x 7" postcard.

Next I worked on the RSVP cards. *Fun Fact* Did you know that RSVP stands for répondez s'il vous plaît? Which means "please respond" in french. *Fun Fact* I took 3 french classes in high school. Ok, done with that. When we started planning the wedding, I fell in love with www.weddingbee.com. Mainly because it has a DIY section and is where I'm getting most of the ideas for the wedding. I got the idea of the song request there and thought it was super cute to have people suggest different songs they would like to hear at a wedding. Here is a picture of the RSVP card

Pretty!!! I'm getting excited all over again but Bryan will make that face. Do I need to show the picture again? I think not.

I was so happy with the way these turned out but it is only a small slip of paper so what could really go wrong with it?

After we were finished with these, I began to rack my brain wondering how the invitations were going to come together. I had thrown out the idea of even attempting an envelope that had pockets in it. I didn't want to dabble in that mess so I consulted my fellow DIYers on weddingbee. Of course they had great ideas that they used for their own invitations. This is where I came up with the box tie. I thought it would be perfect to hold all of the pieces together and not allow them to wiggle too much. I messed around with how it would look in the end and something didn't look right. That's when I decided to add a little square piece of paper to the front to help hold the ribbon together as it wrapped around everything.

The original idea was W + B and the website below that. I quickly printed those out because I wanted to put together a sample before we went to my parents house that weekend.

This is what it looked like

I was so happy with these and thought they looked beautiful so I sent a picture to Bryan who was in Washington, D.C. at the time on business. Why do I ask him stuff? He said it looked like "a bad advertisement". ....... Well, that hurt. But then I came up with a new idea which was a quote from a Corey Smith song that we both really love.

I took the sample home to my mom and she loved them too. My grandmother was coming into town that weekend so it would be the perfect time to put them all together.

The stamp is probably my number one favorite part of the invitations. I also found this idea on weddingbee. The stamp is embossed on the invitation and ends up adding a glossy look as well as a raised texture.

Here is that process.

Bryan was in charge of stamping so he had to make a template first.

Then he would put the stamp on the invitation. The trick to embossing is that you have to use pigmented ink instead of dye ink. The dye dries too fast and you wouldn't be able to use the powder. I forgot the powder step in the pictures but you pour a colored powder ( or clear if you're using colored ink) over the top of the ink.

VERY CAREFULLY brush the excess powder off of the paper and this is what you're left with.

Then you're ready to emboss those puppies. This is no trick of the camera. You can actually see where the powder goes from dry to melted when you move the heat gun across the paper. Even looking at them now makes me happy.

We did the same on the RSVP cards except the stamp was turned in a different direction. We also rounded the corners of all the paper with a nifty little rounding tool from Hobby Lobby. It worked out so easily and made a pretty corner on the paper.

Here is one last look at the finished product.

Many thanks to my mom, grandmother and Bryan.

Memorial Day

I do realize this is a wedding blog and we're supposed to be blogging about the wedding....... have you ever known us to follow the rules? I like to use this space to tell people just what happens in our house and give you the behind the scenes look into what is our lives. You can't just show up on July 15th at 5 pm and listen to our vows without knowing who we really are. I hope all of you have been enjoying this "Mr. Roger's" -esque time we have had together. And for those of you out there in cyberspace (because our blog shows up on Google searches) I hope you have enjoyed reading about the ups, downs and sometimes crazy things we have posted here. I also hope that you have learned a few tips and tricks to how we are putting together our wedding.

So let's begin by saying that Bryan and I would like to thank each and every one of our servicemen who have fought, is fighting or will fight for our country. There aren't enough ways I can think of to show my appreciation for everything you have done. I would especially like to thank my sister and maid of honor, Michelle, for the time that she spent in the United States Army. I was very young when she joined so I really just remember making countless trips to the airport to pick her up and to take her back. It is the people like her, the moms, sisters, daughters, nieces, aunts, granddaughters, that make me proud of where I come from. They selflessly put their lives on the line so that we can have simple luxuries in our lives and to make our own decisions. Thank you, Michelle Tingler, for serving your time for our country.

Got that? Ok, time for wedding stuffs.

The weekend started off with date night on Friday. We spent most of the evening down in Alpharetta at the Shane Co purchasing Bryan's wedding band...... YAY!!!!!! I have to say the ring is amazing and really does fit his personality. I would put up a picture but I kind of want it to be a surprise for the wedding day. I guess that's kind of annoying, huh?

Ok, you twisted my arm..... I'll post one....... JUST ONE!

Well, those are actually all the rings but I think you get which one is his.

Later that night, we went and watched The Hangover Part 2. Please do yourself a favor and carve out some time to see this movie. I think I laughed harder in this one than I did in the first. *Spoiler Alert* Chow makes more of an appearance than in the first one which really makes the movie.

Saturday we were up early..... sort of..... ok we got up at 11 and went kayaking down the hooch. Number one best thing about living in Cumming, there is an outfitter only 5 miles down the road that will drop you off and come back to pick you up. That was super fun but now I have horrible sunburns and tan lines that I have to get rid of in 45 days.

Sunday was nice. Bryan went on a dirt bike ride that morning and I studied for NCLEX. Have I reminded you that NCLEX is this Thursday? Pray for me.... I'm pretty sure my mom already has me on the prayer list at church.

Monday was fantastic! We went to the mall to take advantage of the sales and ended up walking away with Bryan's outfit for the wedding! But wait, did I tell you that he also bought all of the groomsmen their shirts last week? HE DID!!! And then my mom drug my dad to the store and got his outfit!!! Everyone is going to be dressed at the wedding!!!!! :D I'm getting a little over excited. Here is the face that Bryan makes when I get overly excited:

This is also the face he makes when he has lost his phone, wallet, keys, favorite pair of dirty shorts, belt, etc..

He's going to hate me for posting that picture.

Well, that's all I have for now. I hate to leave you with a weird picture of Bryan so here's Bonnie instead. Enjoy!

Just Another Manic Monday

What a fitting title... don't you think?

We've been home (Jefferson) for the last 3 weekends and I'm exhausted. Why you ask? I'll tell you:

1.) I've had to pack up my entire car 6 times. (3 to get there and 3 to return)

2.) Bonnie's internal clock has been off for 21 days and it's beginning to bug me.

3.) I've woken up 3 times in the middle of the night wondering where the heck I am and then figure out which side of the room the bathroom door is on.

4.) I have gained a total of 1,758 pounds off of my mom's cooking. No bueno.

5.) I've dealt with way too much of my extended family's drama. That in itself is like running a 5k every hour on the hour.

6.) I had to watch Bryan drive home on the bike last night and have a guy almost hit him. My heart has just begun to beat again.

7.) We have neglected our apartment for 3 weeks (due to studying and work) and things are beginning to grow in places they aren't supposed to. Please call before you "drop in".

But the positive to the last 3 weekends:

1.) I've been able to see my family more than I have in the past 2 years.

2.) Bonnie has channeled her inner otter and went for 3 swims. She's happy.

3.) We've had 2 wedding showers and received many fabulous gifts.

The last 3 weekends were a lot of fun. The shower this past weekend was amazing and we had a blast. We played a few games that were interesting to say the least. One of the games we played was the plunger game. One person has a plunger between their legs and the other has a roll of toilet paper. You have to get the toilet paper on the plunger stick before your competition does without using your hands.

Another was where Bryan and I had to search through a duffle bag and get dress while blind folded. This was to imitate the lights going out on our honeymoon....... because the lights always go out in Vegas.

I have a few pictures on my camera....at home.... that I will be posting soon. I've set up a flickr account so I'll be putting them there. There will also be a link on the homepage of the blog so that you can access them to take a look.

We received a lot of really nice gifts at that shower too. One of my favorites was the recipe box. Everyone who got an invitation to the shower also got a recipe card that they had to fill out and bring to the shower. The hosts also gave me a really nice box to put them in so they are kept safe. SUPER excited about that.

On Sunday, we went to church and was surprised to find 3 gifts in the pew where we sit. We received our first pieces of crystal. Not sure what to do with those. They're gorgeous but too pretty to use for anything and I'm afraid of breaking them.

The planning is slowing down for now. We have almost finished the invitations and actually started handing them out at the showers this past weekend. Not much to report there.

That's all I have for today but stay tuned for the next edition. The posts may become more frequent as we move closer to the wedding.

Have a good week and here's to a Manic Monday!

What a Weekend!

The grandparents came into town this past weekend. You know how that is. First they get there and tell you how much you've grown, they complain about the trip to see you, take your room so that you have to move elsewhere and then when you think you can't handle the insanity any longer, they retreat back to their homes in another state..... WRONG! You obviously haven't met my grandparents if you think this is the norm in my house.

My grandparents living Panama City Beach, Florida. Huh, doesn't that sound like a familiar place? I think I have something going on down there in about 2 months. I'll check my calendar and get back with you.

Anyway, they live at the beach and we don't get to see them very often but when we do, it is like we haven't seen in them in FOOOORRRRREEEEVVVVEEEERRRRR. Can you say "gossip galore"? They are amazing people and we love it when they come to visit.

They came into town for a baby shower that was thrown for my cousin and ended up getting to come to my first bridal shower. Speaking of which, the shower was great! I had a blast and I think Bryan did too. We got a few things that were on our registry and a few gift cards too. Have I told you I love gift cards? Not sure why. I think it might be because it's like a credit card that I don't have to pay the balance on at the end of the month. Don't worry, Bryan got a Bass Pro Shop gift card just like he wanted. You think they sell Fiesta kitchenware there?

Seeing how we had an extra set of hands in the house this weekend, we put together the invitations. That was a chore. I thought it would be easy but I soon found that it was going to take a little longer than planned but they look amazing when they're all finished. I'm a few short so I'll have to get those put together on my days off. I don't want to show a picture of what they look like because that will ruin the surprise when you get them but here are a few hints

Exciting! Hopefully you can't tell too much from those. I'm going to post the entire process about 2 weeks after they are sent out. That way everyone who is getting one should have it and we shouldn't have to worry about spoiler alerts.

We also nailed down what the groomsmen will be wearing in the wedding. As I've told you before, they will be wearing linen pants and here are the shirts:

Pretty awesome. Bryan also wants them to wear aviator sunglasses which looks really good. Bryan tried on the whole outfit at Macy's one day and I'm very happy with it. Just as long as they are comfortable and not miserably hot, which they may be seeing how the shirts are black, then I'm happy too.

The weekend was going great and was going to end great until Bryan and I made a to-do list of things that need to be done in the next 2 months. After making a list of about 20 items, he then said it was time to go to bed and before I turned the light off, he was snoring and dreaming of Jennifer Anniston and Tina Fey. I don't think I slept last night at all. Luckily I know I have friends and family that will help us get some of the things done.... I think. They may have all just de-friended me on Facebook and now I'm all alone in the world.

That's all I have for now. I'll give you another update next week.

-Busy and Friendless