What a Weekend!

With just under 50 days to go until the wedding, we're racing against the clock to make sure that all the details are getting ironed out. This weekend, we knocked out some really big things. First, I had my dress fitting. I approached this with some apprehension, as there was a little concern about my dress actually fitting. And, in a moment of excitement, tugging, pulling, and some oxygen loss, it fit! There's certainly more work to be done, but this is a HUGE thing we don't have to worry about now.

After my fitting, my mother accompanied me to Maggiano's, where we met with our event manager and finalized the menu, timing, and room layout. If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times --- book vendors you feel comfortable with. I am SO pleased with Maggiano's right now. Beyond the food being fabulous, the service is just impeccable. They're so flexible and let us completely customize how the event will flow, rather than just following the typical schedule. They're even going to have waiters walking around passing drinks as people come in, rather than have people wait in line at the bar! We don't even have to pay extra for that, which is a rarity in the wedding planning world. Fresh flower centerpieces and exquisite linens are all included -- and surprisingly, they live up to my standards. Love, I tell ya. I just plain love this place.

I am feeling so much better about everything now. I feel like everything that's left undone is simply small details. If they happen, they happen. If they don't, it won't change our day.

Oh, and since writing the ceremony the other day, I read it daily. I am IN LOVE with it. It's so sweet, simple and honest. I can't imagine having anything else right now!

I know I'm rambling, but I just feel like I'm on cloud 9 right now. Everything is coming together in the most perfect of ways -- this day is simply about celebrating Tom and I, and I am so pleased that it truly reflects us as a couple.

May Checklist - Semi-Successful!

I think I was pretty successful this month... Without further ado:

• Workout 5 days a week. Umm...I worked out 4 times this week. Does that count?
• Schedule bridal fitting for June Check! Meeting Sue on June 20th!
• Gocco the invitation suite Uhhh...let's go with check on this one. At least they're "finished"
• Address all wedding invitations Also a check...sort of...
• Paint the house! No painting, but the dining room is halfway prepped...?

Okay, so May (with all of its outsourcing) was much better than April. Here's to hoping June is even better!

June goals (and there's a lot of them):

• Workout 5 days a week.
• Assemble, stuff & ship envelopes.
• Celebrate birthday!
• Make sure Tom gets his passport (or else I'm honeymooning by myself...)
• Attend 2nd shower, write thank-yous, unpack new stuff!
• Confirm men's attire with the groomsmen, and hound them until they've figured out what they're doing...
• Paperwork. Arrange new insurance policies, draft will, etc.
• Remind Tom to figure out day-of transportation...
• Begin working on writing ceremony and vows (!)
• Get new accessories for Thomas (shoes, shirt, cuff links, etc.)
• Finalize bridal party gifts...
• Decide on veil...(?)
• Make rehearsal dinner arrangements
• Finalize wedding timeline and photographer schedule
• Finalize floral selections & send to florist
• Draft program & get quote from printer
• Reserve & confirm honeymoon hotels

Okay, so it's going to be a busy month. But I'm SO excited that we're almost there!!

In Commemoration...

Does anyone know what today is?

Yes, May Day, but that's not what I mean.

Today marks 100 days until the wedding!!

In commemoration, we're launching our new blog. This will follow our non-wedding adventures, and will become our only blog once the wedding is over. You'll probably find that I'll begin posting more over there than here soon, but I'll try to be diligent and fair!

So, I humbly present to you: Living with Murdock

Baby Steps...

If any of you have stuck around thus far, congratulations. I'll be rewarding you with some wedding updates today.

According to the ever-present, always looming Knot checklist, I have 61 things left to due, with four of them being "overdue." Truthfully, we are right on schedule --- the four things overdue being 1) book honeymoon arrangements (flights booked, waiting on hotel prices to drop, so no worries there), 2) arrange tuxedo rental and let the guys know (since we're just going with suits, we don't have to worry about this), 3) verify menu with caterer (not time pressing -- will determine MUCH closer to the wedding) and 4) book rehearsal dinner site (I think we'll be hosting a BBQ at our new house, so this isn't an issue, either).

With the move this month, I've left all my Gocco supplies at my parents' house, so I might not do that all this weekend, but definitely soon. I'll be starting to address the invitations shortly, and will post pictures of our work.

I'll be scheduling my first dress fitting now, but that won't be until June (gotta be quick during wedding season, though).

We'll have to take Tom (and his suit) for alterations, because he hasn't actually worn it since last October, and his muscles have grown and his waistline has shrunk...We'll also need to get him some new dress shoes (I'm crossing my fingers that he'll get some REALLY shiny ones!). He also needs to get his passport, or else I'll be flying to Oz by myself!!

Our first wedding shower is in less than 3 weeks, and I am soooo excited! My mother has been doing an excellent job planning, and it sounds like it's going to be a fun time. Tom's mother has also verified the date for our second shower, which will be in late June. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited to start eating off of real plates, instead of glad ware! :)

More soon!!

Happy Earth Day!

In honor of Earth Day, I thought I'd devote a few moments to talk about one of the hottest wedding trends right now: eco-friendly affairs.

A lot of couples have taken sustainability to a whole new level by using local business, locally-grown food, and recycled items for their wedding. There are companies devoted to recycling old jewelry and gold to create unique wedding bands and engagement rings. Couples use either recycled paper or go completely paperless with their wedding invitations. More and more wedding menus are going organic, and favors, if there are any, are tree seedlings, plant seeds, or local products (i.e. organic honey, tea, etc.).

I think the concept in and of itself is pretty cool, especially when you consider how much waste that this one day will generate. One of the major drawbacks, though, is the cost of going eco-friendly.

Tom and I are trying to take a "less is more" approach to our lifestyle (though we're not always successful!), and the same applies to our wedding. Below are a few eco-friendly ideas that I've come across in the wedding blog world:

• Ditch the inner envelope. The tradition, dating back to when correspondence was delivered via livery, was started so that the butler could remove the dusty envelope and present a clean one to the lord/lady of the house. (And while you're at it, ditch the silly tissue paper included with invitations. Again, the origin of this "tradition" used to serve a purpose, but somewhere along the way, the purpose was eliminated and the paper wasn't.)
• Rent. It might save you $1 or $2 to purchase vases from a wholesaler, but renting them from a florist is much more eco-friendly. (Ditto this on linens, too!)
• Skip all the fancy packaging for favors. Not only is there an abundance of it, but most of the time, it isn't biodegradable.
• Serve beer from a keg. You can hide the keg behind the bar, eliminating all the bottles that have to be produced, recycled, and disposed of.
• Forget the stretch Hummer limo. Pretty self-explanatory...

Anybody else have any good tips?

So It's Safe to Say...

...that I love our dog!!

He is so absolutely sweet and lovable! He's pretty well trained already, which is amazing considering he's only 13 weeks old. He's playful and rambunctious, but he listens well when we tell him "no."

Last night was an adventure for all of us. Here are a few good pictures I managed to get:


(He sits very politely for pictures, because he thinks my cell phone is a treat. We're working on that.)

(My two favorite boys!)

Onward!

Here's something they never tell you in the "What Happens When You're Engaged" book:

Sometimes, you're so engrossed in the wedding that you forget there are other areas of your life.

But you know what? There's more to Tom and I than color swatches and the occasional track meet. In fact, there's a whole other world we live in, complete with people, jobs, houses, and cars. And while I tend not to delve too much into those "teeny, insignificant details" (Nicole, name that movie!), I can't ignore our good news much longer!

This week will be one for the record books for us --- we're moving and adopting a puppy!!

I took a straw poll (Nicole, name that movie again!), and it turns out, we are certifiably crazy for trying to do both this week. But, we've fallen head over heels in love with this puppy, and he needs a home. By chance, it turns out, we have one to offer him.

So, lovely readers and wanderers, I'd like to introduce you to Murdock:



I know, right? He's absolutely, eat him with a spoon, pick him up and squeeze him, adorable!! He's a 13-week old Australian Cattle Dog, or Blue Heeler. He's extremely intelligent (already sits on command and is housebroken), he's great with other dogs, cats and kids, and from what I hear, he's quite the cuddler!

So, dear readers, please forgive me if my postings become sporadic and sparse. It's highly likely I'll either be a) engrossed with my new DVR, b) trying to figure out how to paint a vaulted ceiling without hiring a professional, c) teaching Murdock how to make my morning coffee, or d) attempting to move my multitude of boxes labelled "wedding" from my parents' house.

We're bringing our new boy home on Thursday, so I'm hoping I'll have some fresh pictures of him soon!

PS - Does anyone have some great puppy training tips? We've pretty much read everything we can get our hands on, but are always looking for more suggestions until we've gotten him registered for "Puppy School."

Happy Easter!

What's Easter without some Peeps?

And what's 2009 without a reference to the pop-culture phenomenon, the Snuggie?!?!

Peeps on Parade finalist, via the Chicago Tribune.

Happy Easter, everybody! Signing off until Monday...

Moving Right Along...

I feel like we can safely say we're in the home stretch of planning now. Every aspect of planning is decision-making, not just gathering inspiration or narrowing down options.

This morning, I finalized the order for the custom ties (Tom chose to wear "apple" green, put all the boys in the "light turquoise" and give the fathers "apple" green, if you were wondering...). In the next week, I'll be finalizing the order for the favors (more to come on that later --- it's turning out to be awesome!) and hopefully beginning to work on some of the minor stationery elements (napkins, "guest book" cards, etc.). Yesterday, I finalized the wording for the response card.

I really wanted something fun, instead of the etiquette-appropriate "Accepts with Pleasure/Declines with Regret." So, this is what I found:



In case you can't read it, the options are "Wouldn't miss it for the world" or "Be there in spirit."

I can't wait to see how it turns out!!