Wedding Favorites: Gift for the Groom

As I have mentioned before, Chris loves his restored CJ-7 Jeep. As a wedding day gift, I wanted to give him something that was a keepsake, but a little different....and if I could tie in the jeep, it would be even better. Fortunately for me, I found something I could get custom made on Etsy!

I present to you, custom made jeep cufflinks:

The one on the left is one of the classic CJ 7 headlight, the other is a wheel. These are the actual photos I took:

I emailed these photos to this Etsy Seller and was very pleased with the outcome. So was the groom!

I HEART Etsy!

Wedding Favorites: Gospel Choir

We had a few misses with the music at our wedding: our acoustic guitarist zoned out and didn't play "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" as I walked down the aisle, and the band we hired for the reception because they had a fiddle player didn't bring the fiddle. But, it's all stuff people didn't notice for the most part besides us. The part of our wedding day music that they did notice, and that we just loved was the gospel choir that sang before and after the ceremony. George Powell and Friends were everything we hoped for and more. Professional and courteous, George was a joy to work with and he and his choir are very talented.

I didn't want our wedding videotaped, but I do wish I had a videotape of the songs that I didn't hear them sing before I walked down the aisle. We had several planned and not sure if they sang all of them or not due to time, but "Uncloudy Day," "Amen," and "How Great Thou Art" were possiblities. Our mothers were seated to "Amazing Grace," so I did hear the end of that, and it was beautiful. After we were pronounced husband and wife, they broke into "Oh, Happy Day" as we walked out of the church. They were wonderful and brought a real atmosphere of praise and joy to the day that was all that we wished for. They do have an album coming out later this year, and I encourage everyone to check out the link above so perhaps you can support these talented and gifted musicians.

Video Killed the Radio Star

Video Killed the Radio Star

I discovered this website...animoto. It is awesome! You just upload photos, add music and they create an amazing video for you. They will do a little snippet for free to get you hooked, and then you can create a full length video like the one here for $3, and get DVD quality for $8 more. Good stuff!

Wedding Favorites - Our church

photo credit - Lisa Woods of Now and Then Photography

Chris and I love to drive around in his CJ-7 Jeep on the weekends. My favorite thing about the Austin area is that you can drive just a few minutes in any direction and find beautiful architecture and scenery. Southeast of Round Rock is no exception. Country roads twist and turn, and we'll just decide on whim which way to go. He gets his kicks driving his jeep (not his daily driver, but his most prized possession...he and his Dad rebuilt and restored it, and it just became a "classic" this year), and I get my kicks with photo opportunities. We did this one weekend several years ago and were trucking along to a view of farm land, trees, and cows....then all of a sudden, the loveliest countryside church popped into view!

photo credit - Lisa Woods of Now and Then Photography

We pulled up...and I got some great photos. In fact, my favorite pictures that I have ever taken...it was the perfect time of day and year for some amazing shadows:

sorry for the low-resolution, the originals are on a disk somewhere and these are my Kodak Gallery thumbnails.
I have these three all framed in my house, and this drive on this day in 2003, this little photo session made me find out something about myself - that I had a passion for photography, particularly scenery and architecture. Of that, I'm very thankful...it is wonderful to have something that I enjoy so much. Now, it is nothing I take too seriously...I don't have a fancy camera (although I do covet one!), but just something I enjoy doing.

photo credit - Lisa Woods of Now and Then Photography

So, after we got engaged and decided to get married here and not Alabama or Florida, we knew we had to do it at this church. It is New Sweden Lutheran Church - the "Church of the Countryside." It is beautiful, quaint and we just loved it. So much so that I do feel it was worth the trouble of painstakingly creating maps and having transportation for our guests from the hotel an hour and half in advance. And, from the feedback I got, most guests agreed. It was so wonderful sharing this beautiful place with our loved ones.

photo credit - Lisa Woods of Now and Then Photography

An even better part - my childhood preacher from First Presbyterian in Dothan performed our ceremony. I was the first baby he baptized at our church in Dothan, and he left when I was around 10 years old for Nashville. I was very close to him, and when he left in 1988 or so, I made him promise that he would perform my wedding one day. 20 years later, he did! It meant so much to have him and his wife there and I loved that he was able to meet Chris. I really should have given him his own "Wedding Favorites" post, but after seeing a peek of his head in that last picture, I decided to go ahead and mention it!

Favorite Wedding Things

Since I got married in Austin, and not in Alabama or the beach, I wanted to have little elements that reminded me of home. A big part of my childhood and life as a whole is the beach, so I pulled a few things from the lovely Florida Gulf Coast. I have always collected Mother of Pearl shells...I love their shimmer and beauty. I have made a few gifts out of them (a necklace for my sister, and crosses for my Mom and Mother-in-Law). So, when I found this on Etsy....I knew it was the perfect ring-carrier. My nephew (the tow-headed moppet to the right) carried this with our rings nestled safely inside. I love this seller on Etsy, and while she doesn't have this for sale right now, all of her items are unique and beautiful. Best of all, I now have the shell displayed in my home on a shelf...so it keeps on giving. More wedding favorites coming.....

11.22.08...

...was a really good day

I'll be posting my favorite wedding things in a bit...the little touches and planning tips and diy projects that worked for me.

To have your LOVED ones - family, dear friends- surround you as you promise to love your best friend forever...that was the most amazing part.

almost the big day

Of course, life is crazy today.....but I think tomorrow will be relaxing once things fall into place, and hopefully Saturday will be a breeze!
I am so ready for the wedding! Friends and family are here and still arriving - joy is in the air! I can't believe it is here, that it is real, and that everyone is here for us! It is a little weird to think about....
I feel so showered with loved by everyone, and so blessed that they would take the time and effort and money to be here. What an honor!
Mexico is the light at the end of the tunnel....well, that, and of course Chris will be my husband!
Much Love,
LW

Things that make you bloat

Who Knew?


I get these "bridal tips" emails from brides.com, and they sent one the other day for foods, etc. to avoid the week of your wedding because they can cause bloating. I figured it would be good for all to know...there are always events us ladies want to decrease the swelling...so here you go:
broccoli
cauliflower
cabbage
onions
gum
soft drinks
soup
beans
lettuce
brussel sprouts
peas
high fiber cereal

Basically, anything that gives you gas! :)

Less than a month!

I've been a really bad blog poster. I keep thinking of little things in the middle of the night that I want to post about, and then obviously forget. So just know I have some really clever topics. Just don't have a memory!
Tonight, Chris is out on his bachelor party. His best friend (and man), Wade organized it all. They went to the UT/Oklahoma State game (what a game!), out for barbecue, and who knows about the rest! I'm not worried about what the guys take Chris to though...besides being a good, trustworthy guy...he is generally very grossed out by "dancers." That's one of the good points of his extreme cleanliness (which don't we all want that quality in a chef?)...they don't like dirty things!
I am a little delirous right now, I had to get up at 5:30 this morning and then worked 12 hours.... I know, all the moms out there are scoffing at me, but I'm very much in that childless mindset of "I need my sleep." It affected me so much that on this, the "Third Saturday in October," I actually considered taking a nap during halftime of the Alabama/Tennessee game.

So, my goal is to at some point post all the little details of my wedding that meant the most to me...the little touches and diy projects or etsy purchases that I love. It amazes me the blogs and websites devoted to daily postings on this subject...truly insane. But it is neat to take an idea here, another there, and have your own twist on it.

I truly can't believe our wedding is in less than a month. At this point, I was fearful of the stress taking over. While there is stress with the little to do lists, I am happy to report that the excitement of marrying my best friend and having my family and friends here to celebrate easily overrides it. Besides, there are those six days in Puerto Morelos to remember. I thought I would do all this research on stuff we can do, and while I have that information, I am pretty much sure of the fact that I will spend the first few days in a relaxed coma-like state of de-stressing bliss.

I'm so happy that I have experience in event planning and am a firm believer in the excel spreadsheet. Otherwise, this whole thing could be a disaster. My sister has gone above and beyond the heavy title of Matron of Honor and has designed every piece of paper that you will see involved in my wedding. She is amazing. The time she has spent doing these things for me could be someone's full time job for a month, and she actually still has one of those and is amazing wife and mother to an-almost-seven-year-old, and a happy, chunky 14-month-old.

This whole engagement experience started out amazing. I loved that walking-on-air, nothing-can-upset-me cloud of fluff and love and all things nice that I floated on for a few weeks. Then, this stressful do-this, do-that thing happened. I missed that happy, non-realistic period. So did Chris! My dear friend Caroline recently got engaged and I advised her to hold on to that feeling as long as she can because the stress will poke it's head in at some point. However, Caroline...do not fret...the good feeling comes back just in time before the big day.

Now, for fun...favorite tv shows that you watch on a weekly basis (the ones you DVR). These are mine, comment, or post, yours.

• Jon & Kate Plus 8 (Aiden is my fave...the one with glasses. spend each episode just watching his reactions and what he says ("the froggy is raisiny" and "I can't see sheep!" are my personal faves))
• Oprah (although I am quicker to delete before watching lately...but I just can't write her off 100% yet)
• The Mentalist (new show, we're giving it a try...it's ok)
• Criminal Minds (LOVE it!)
• Grey's Anatomy (although it has kinda mostly sucked the past two seasons)
• Desperate Housewives (DITTO, times 10)
• Project Runway
• Entourage
• Big Love (not coming back on until January 2009)

Of these, I heart Criminal Minds, Jon and Kate, Runway, and Entourage the best. The rest, I pretty much watch in the hope that it will improve and be awesome again and when it does, I won't have to catch up.

Other non-dvr's: Design to Sell (Lisa Laporta only!), House Hunters, No Reservations (Anthony Bourdain show), whatever that Bear Grylls show is called, and Kathy Griffin specials.

I guess that is a tag, but whatever...just wanted to share this and would love to hear your faves.

Wedding posts later...

Hello, My Love -

Yes, I am having a brief affair before my wedding - with this shoe!!!! I first saw it a month ago or so, and thought it would be perfect for my wedding day shoe. But, it was out of my price range and I tried to get it out of my mind. But, I kept running into it - it would pop up on websites, or I would see a bow on a shoe - but it would only make me think of this one and it funky bow on the side and how I love the asymetrics of it all. And, the sparkles...well, those sparkles just make it!

So I did find a coupon for $50 towards these and the stakes got higher. My friends at work pushed me over the edge with encouraging comments like, "it's your wedding - you gotta do it!" It doesn't take much to talk me into something like this, so now they are on their way to be worn on my wedding!

Good Thing I'm Marrying a Chef

I had this recipe I have been wanting to try, and thought I would make it last night for Chris. It is time consuming, and takes me a few hours. The recipe called for me to put parchment paper on a pan in the oven. I couldn't find parchment paper, but I found generic brand wax paper. I figured it was the same.

It's not!

After a few minutes, I smelled something familiar, but not tasty. I opened the oven, and smoke comes pouring out, even though the food is not cooked. "Must have been something on the bottom of the oven," I tell myself. Ten minutes later, it is much worse. Chris comes to diagnose the situation, despite my objections (I wanted to keep the meal a surprise).

Suddenly, the familiar smell was clear: melted crayons from a elementary school art project come flooding to mind. I grab the wax paper box. "DO NOT USE IN CONVENTIONAL OVENS." So, all the ingredients, prep, etc. were a waste. The food went in the trash. To be honest with you, I nibbled a bit before throwing it away and despite the strong wax taste, I think I messed up the recipe anyway b/c it had a little bit of egg whites in it, but it tasted very eggy. So maybe it's just as well!

We just threw some chicken on the grill and had some broccoli and ready rice. Not exciting or impressive, but edible!

I can cook, and I have learned a ton from the chef. I would consider myself a "foodie" at times, but sometimes I feel like a little kid in the kitchen....last night was one of those!

Coming Together

This past month has had a lot of list checks for the wedding, and that is the best feeling!
-found the dress
-moved reception location
-finalized musicans for ceremony and reception
-figuring out transportation
All big things, so such a huge relief!

Wedding Dress

I always thought the wedding dress shopping process would be the best part of wedding planning. Is it bad if I can't stand it? I'm sure it will be better once I find one I love, and I have found a few I have liked. Granted, I've only been to three places (mostly due to this year's crazy baseball schedule).

First Shop: My sister-in-law lives in Los Angeles, and she rented her wedding gown. It was a very high-end, designer gown - very elegant. I thought this would be great - because I didn't want to have to figure out what to do with the dress after the wedding. And while I want a dress that I love, I don't want to spend a fortune for a dress worn for such a brief period of time. So, I looked into wedding dress rental in the area, and there is a place near my work in Round Rock. It sounds great - once you pick your dress, it is yours until your wedding. No one else can rent it. It is altered to your measurements so that it fits perfectly. The only problem was that I did not like ANY of the dresses. At all.

Second Shop: I went to a bridal shop in Austin with a lovely name and posh location. Big mistake. I had to make an appointment and actually got there a little early. The girl before me was still gushing over her dress - she decided it was "the one." She was in her mid-20's and would not quit squealing. It was cute at first, but after 20 minutes of her voice, I was getting frustrated. She was annoying, yes, but also eating well into my appointment time. I perused the dresses while I waited, and the prices were not friendly. I picked three of four to try on. The lady that was helping me was nice enough, but when she said to me that I knew that I was a "full-figured gal," I was ready to go. I know what she meant, but it still wasn't a welcome comment. Didn't really like any of the dresses anyway...small selection.

Third Shop: This shop was in-between the vibe of the first two. Huge selection, and I liked how they had the dresses categorized by style, not designer or size. It made it a lot easier for me to just avoid the princess-y racks. Attentive, young girl helped me and the prices were reasonable. I found about 2 maybes and 2 others that are half-maybes. A lot less formal than the first shop, which was a relief.

What I find most frustrating is that it is hard to even picture yourself even when you find a dress in a style you like. In these stores, they usually have one size for the dresses, and it is either huge or small. It seemed the ones I liked were always the teeniest ones. So you try it on, but they are clipping it and zipping it, etc....I had no idea I was expected to agree to order a dress and spend a lot of money based on trying it on like that. I mean, come on! So, I am going to a few more places...I have three targeted that are all different types of stores than what I have been to. I feel like such an "anti-bride" for not enjoying this dress process...did everyone else?

Thankfully, my Mom is coming to help. Wedding planning in general can be overwhelming, even for an event planner! Throw in some hard-core pining for Mama-and-Daddy time, and it gets even more stressful. Poor Chris, he had no idea...
So, Mom is coming next Friday evening and staying until Tuesday morning. I don't have games that weekend, so we are going to do all sorts of wedding "stuff." Since I will have games straight through from now until she gets here, I won't be able to try any others on to narrow down the field. She calms me down so much in this process though, and I am so, so excited she is coming to save the day!

first post

It has been several years since I've blogged, but with this year shaping up to be a pretty cool one, I thought I should document it.
Chris and I are getting married in November, so planning a wedding during baseball season should be pretty interesting.
This will be a good outlet to record my thoughts during this process, and hopefully remind myself along the way all of our many blessings.