Busy busy!

Photos will be posted... sometime this weekend since we're going to Costco and batteries are on the "to get" list.

This weekend boasts: coffee with a former professor, massive trip to Costco and Walmart, oil in cars changed, consult with make up gal, meeting with friends to obtain bridesmaid dress that I have to put a corset in, wedding ring shopping, and dinner with B. Granted, B's with me for most of those (not the coffee or the makeup gal), so the dinner is sort of the icing on the busy day. And that's Saturday! Sunday: Cooking, cooking, cooking.

The cake birds are STILL adorable. Must take photos. B's going to base paint them white this weekend. And, he gets to paint the cake flowers in food coloring. He seems REALLY excited about this.

Life is a busy whirlwind. As far as weight, I'm happy! I'm still about 10 from my lowest point, but I'm ok with that-- I looked really thin then on my chest in photos and I don't want that for the wedding (how I can still have a behind but yet you can see my sternum bumps is ridiculous. Darn body). So yay, especially since the dress fitting is MONDAY! I boxed up the dress, shoes, and veil which are sitting in my office (since I won't go home until after the fitting Monday-- headed south this weekend). My coworkers keep trying to get me to take the dress out, but nope, not now! Maybe post-fitting. :)

I'm normally one at work to take on additional projects and whatnot, but I'm having to put the brakes on for June. Seriously, it's like I have two jobs: wedding planner and my day job. I get home by 6 and work on things! But, 29 days (ONLY) remain. Things are definitely coming together.

Cake birds, placemats, dress rehearsal...

Last night was busy!

Finished cake bird #2. He has to dry. Then he'll get painted and an outfit made. I can't wait. I'm hoping to do it on Thursday night, but we'll see.

Last night I also made and finished all the dress rehearsal and dress rehearsal dinner invitations. I think most people already know the deal, but I wanted to send out official invites, you know?

Finally, last night I worked on placemats. I have the goal of finishing those tonight... but we'll see.

That leaves the gift bags-- to do this weekend. We already finished one round of biscotti. I will work on another round tonight. We're going to do the dipping at B's this weekend. Well, he'll work on that while I cook.

Next week I work on linens, and then... wow! We're nearing the end. I mean, LOTS of odds and ends, but it's really getting there!!

TICKED OFF.

I had an overall great weekend, that was a bit clouded by childish actions on someone's behalf (not B). Ever feel like you were REALLY hurt by someone, but the more you react the more they get defensive and mad? I'm so sick and tired of swallowing my pride with these people.

Ever feel like if you were someone else (a friend, rather than best friend, a neighbor rather than family) with someone, then they would treat you better? Why is it that the people whom we're supposed to be closest to (family, etc) we're treated the worst by? Is it because we'll supposedly be by their sides no matter what?

Nothing is a never-talk-to-them-again offense, but I'm just tired of feeling like I've been kicked in the gut. It's these little jabs of meanness. And if I say anything, I'm labeled as "oooh, sensitive."

So what do I do? Say something and risk really sticking my foot in my mouth? Say something and risk massive grumpiness at the wedding? Or remain quiet and let these ulcers they've caused get larger?

Big day. Swearing Time.

I usually keep job stuff off this site, but on a day like today, I'll make an exception.

Today I become an attorney. Holy crud.

I passed the bar exam a few weeks ago. I took it in late February, found out the results mid-April. I couldn't get sworn in until AFTER the official ceremony, which I didn't go to for various reasons. So today is the day. Private quick ceremony with parents and B and a judge. Raise right hand, etc etc. Swear. And then basically become liable for any and all actions I do.

I'd kind of been playing this down. For me, passing the bar was the HUGE, massively huge, deal. The swearing just seemed like a formality.

But as today faces me, I realize that today is a culmination of sorts. I look back over all the challenges, all the education, all the trials (no pun intended) and tribulations. In a sense, all has been working for this. Today a small part ends and another begins. One could argue the new part began on May 1 when I officially switched job titles to attorney, but I was still limited in what I could do without actually being "official."

I should add that of COURSE the cats decided to lay on my black suit I had laid out, resulting in a waste of about 20 lint sheets and 30 minutes of my time. But, finally fur-less, I'm ready. Granted, I have a day of work ahead of me before this comes along, but I'm ready.

One chapter closes, one chapter begins. This is in the professional book.

Next month, another chapter closes, a new one begins. This is in the personal life book.

Change can be good and astounding at times.

Ringbearer outfit!

This is his outfit, minus the hat. Isn't it great? We may not have the bowtie; we'll see. And, best of all, he already has the outfit! No extra cost to us or his parents. I'm making a little pillow to attach to his back as a backpack, and on that pillow the rings will be tied (so he can't grab at them). And he'll have a yellow rose patch on him in lieu of a live rose boutoniere. :)

This is our ringbearer! Adorable, right?

Cake BIRD!!!

I made my first cake bird last night. AND IT TURNED OUT!! We got two cubes of clay (one per bird). It looks so freakin' cute!

I put two LONG thick kabob sticks for legs. We can cut them down post-wedding, but for now, I need them to go deep into the cake so the bird can stand up and not tip over. I also used 4" long toothpicks inside so that there is extra structure to the bird (no heads falling off, please!).

We will need to paint them, then add the little top hat, beaks, maybe a few feathers, veil, etc. I will probably use copper wire and wrap that around the legs to make them look more leggish.

But it is SO CUTE!!! Photos to come (when I find my camera and find batteries...)!

Damage control and organization

I found out today that the track meet in town the day of the wedding isn't any small track meet. It's the US Track & Field's National Championships (and junior championships). Ack. Add to that info that the reception hall is only a mile away.

We knew it was an event, but we didn't realize the magnitude. And, it's on campus, so we will not be able to take pictures at our grad school like we wanted (unless we hop away from the reception for a moment, which we're thinking of doing).

So damage control was done today: email, facebook message, or phone call has been placed (or scheduled to be placed) to every single person who has not yet RSVP'd or has RSVP'd yes. The message had detailed "reserve hotel asap" info and "refer to wedding website for recommended routes and places to avoid." So here's hoping it all works out.

Additional email sent out this morning about hall prep. If the reception hall books on Friday, then we can't set up the reception hall on Friday and will be forced to do it Saturday morning. Obviously, we will need helpers for this so to not lose our minds. SO an email went out to a ton of friends today so B and I can hopefully develop a "emergency hall prep contact list" of people in case the hall books.

Whew!

Philly and more

My sis just graduated from school, so I flew out this weekend to see her and celebrate. Tired today; more on the US Airways (the bastards!) drama later. Long story short: red eye out on friday night, flight back on Sunday evening.

She was happy she got to show me her school, and that we were there to celebrate (just the parents and me).

B cleaned the apartment on Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon. I'm really appreciative. Though I wish a bit more had been done, I can't really say anything because I was gone on a "trip," right? And what wasn't done is stuff I will have to do and find time for this week. Sigh.

With the invites done, other projects can be moved to. I'm excited, since I've been so dwelling on invites for too long and other projects have stagnated. More projects and DIFFERENT projects. Hurray!

I saw photos of me in philly. Why does my butt refuse to lose weight? I swear, I am pear-shaped defined. What makes me more mad though is the face. I LOOK pudgy in my face, because my face is one of the first places to gain weight. SO FRUSTRATING. So here I am, a mere 15 lbs from my goal, but yet I still look like I've overweight. So annoying.

WHEW! DONE!

Invites are done. Well, there are 3 address stragglers whom we haven't been able to get in touch with, but yes. Done with all we can do! Only one mess-up so far; two of our friends have long last names that begin with A (Arenberg, Arsenault), and we sent at least Arsenault's invite to Arenberg. Oops. No hard feelings, but now I have an email out to Arsenault as to whether he received an invite. Oh well. Try your best, right? I suspect there may be 1-2 invites that left out the website card. When you do assemblyline that happens... I hope not though. I figure if we did, people will call us or our families.

MORE IMPORTANT THAN INVITES: Hannah has been born to Erin and Brian! Read all about her and anticipate anxiously photos of her. I bribed her sister into sending me a few, but I can't wait to see more. It was a heck of a labor, poor Erin. Her description of "I tried a bit of everything" was pretty accurate.

I'm leaving this evenign to head out to Philly for my sis's graduation. B came up last night so we could get past a squabble we had on Wednesday when I was down there to see him. Oh nice. B comes back up this weekend for a meeting, though I won't be in town. He asked for a list of things to do, and I gave him one, making sure to indicate what was truly important versus kinda important. If he does any of those, life will be so much better for me. The apartment is slowly recovering from invites.

Whenever I do a big project, I wish I had less stuff. Stuff clutters. It makes me want to move. Moving can be a cleansing process, you know? I want to move. I want to move closer to B.

I am taking no wedding stuff with me-- only work stuff. Hopefully that will give me a leg up next week. My parents are in town beginning Friday... some point before then, I have to clean out my car. It is such a pit right now; pussy willow twigs and buds all over the place and a winter of dust and grime. Ew. In my defense, it has been raining the last few days... ok, last few weeks, so I couldn't do it! But I can now, so I guess I have no excuse come Monday-Thursday.

Oh a totally unrelated side-note, the flavors cinnamon and black licorice should totally be stopped by Jelly Belly. Ew. Ok, cinnamon has some redeeming value. But not the black licorice. Bleh.

Worn out.

I'm tired. I'd had coffee. It's not that I'm not awake. I'm also alert. I just feel worn down. Exhausted. Like there's a huge weight on my shoulders. Like I want to just throw my hands up in the air, shout a surrender, and then collapse into bed and watch tv.

I sound like such a whiner. Sorry. I'm just mentally, emotionally, and physically spent.