Holy cow! My last post was September 14th!!! I'm sorry!
So, I bought my wedding dress! It was one of the hardest processes ever!
I tore out pictures from my Brides Magazines and created this Frankenstein picture, with different elements from different dresses so I could show my dress consultants. I had notes of what I wanted the top to look like, what kind of line, how puffy, how much beading, lace, what color sash. I was so ready to go!!
A little more than a month ago, I went to David's Bridal, and talked to Luvia (my consultant) about what I wanted. The first dress she pulled looked almost exactly like my crazy picture, and I got so excited! My excitement vanished once I saw it on. I didn't like it at all. Luvia got another that sorta looked like my picture, but again, it just didn't look good on me. I let Luvia take over and use her wedding-dress-finding magic. The first dress she pulled for me, oh my goodness! Vera Wang! Love! Of course, it wasn't anything like my pictures, but it was beautiful! Mom and grandma got a little teary when I walked out in it. I really thought I found "the one", which we nicknamed "the fern dress".
The following week, we went to Alfred Angelo to try more dresses. This place carries the Disney Princess collection, so I so totally had to try at least one princess dress! I tried on the Cinderella dress because it was big and puffy and ridiculous! After I got my giggles out, it was down to business. I let my consultant, Lilly, pick out dresses after telling her about David's Bridal. After trying on her picks, the fern dress was still #1. The last dress Lilly picked was on a whim. It was a new arrival, completely not like the fern dress, and she was just curious about how it would look on a person. It was amazing! My mom actually started crying when she saw me in it. Other brides-to-be and consultants kept telling me how beautiful I was in it. I was glowing! I thought I found "the one" with the fern dress, but with this on, I wasn't sure anymore.
I went home and make a Pro-Con list and looked at the pictures mom took of me in both dresses. I really LOVED both dresses. They were the same price, so that didn't help. Because they were both so different, style-wise, I couldn't compare the two. The fern dress was soft and romantic and flowy; very "Nicki". The Alfred Angelo dress was not me at all, but I liked that. Modern, with a little sexy-ness.
Two weeks ago, Alfred Angelo called, saying that they were having sale, and if I bought the dress before the end of November, I would save $250! Wow, $250 is a lot! It could pay for so much! I needed to make a decision.
I was so excited to wear the fern dress again. I loved the fern dress. I was telling people about the fern dress. Even knowing that I could save money by picking the other, I still thought that the fern dress was going to be my wedding dress. When I put it back on, however, it just didn't look as nice as I remembered. I didn't like it as much as before. But I had my mind made up that this was going to be my wedding dress. What happened?
Then we went back to Alfred Angelo and re-tried on that dress. And then I realized why I didn't like the fern dress anymore... it was because I loved the Alfred dress. Mom cried again. Grandma didn't come the first time we were here, so this was the first time she saw me in this dress, and she started crying. I'm really, REALLY surprised I didn't cry! I ALWAYS cry! But I couldn't stop smiling and laughing. We bought the dress that day. And the veil and the shoes and the corset thing that sucks in my belly! The whole ride home, I kept saying, "Oh my god. I have a wedding dress.". I have a wedding dress!!
Oh, and because I'm not getting the fern dress, I can show you what it would have looked like...
http://www.davidsbridal.com/Product_Organza-Gown-with-Fern-Embroidery-and-Net-Overlay-VW351062_Bridal-Gowns-Shop-By-Designer-White-by-Vera-Wang
Monday, November 21, 2011
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
June 16th??
So Chris and I set a preliminary date for the wedding... Sunday, June 16th 2012.
Chris is doing his 5th semester in Miramar from January to April. He needs to take his STEP test before May 31st if he wants to start clinical rotations on July 30. But from the day after he takes his STEP test until the middle of July, he pretty has nothing else to do, school-wise. We thought that this time would be best for the wedding. Once he starts rotations, he'll be going non-stop for quite a while. June will give us just enough time for a ceremony and a honeymoon!
Because June is less than a year away, mom and I really have to get planning and nail down a site. We visited 3 places this afternoon. Two were recommended by friends, and they weren't what we were looking for. They were golf course reception halls, and they just looked bland. The third place is in the running. They have a pretty outside area to have the ceremony, and a fancy-looking reception room inside. An added bonus is that June 16th is still available.
I'm also considering getting married in a church. I've always wanted to walk down an "aisle" and have a grand entrance. The only problem is that Chris was never baptized, which means a church (any denomination) is a no-go. Friday, mom and I are checking out Breakers West and International Polo Club. On my next day off, we're headed out to Singer Island and places along the beach.
Oh, and my ring is finally sized right! Hooray!
Oh, and I had my first bridezilla moment this afternoon with Chris. I only ask him to do small, easy things because he has classes and studying (as he puts it, more important things to do). Anyways, I was skyping him after I got home from checking out venues, and he was back in his apartment just relaxing. I wanted him to try to work on his guest list with me, and he was being difficult. And I wanted his opinion of the places I looked at, and he was being more difficult. I got very cranky and snapped at him. We don't have the luxury of time on our side, so I need him to make decisions.
Uggg...
Chris is doing his 5th semester in Miramar from January to April. He needs to take his STEP test before May 31st if he wants to start clinical rotations on July 30. But from the day after he takes his STEP test until the middle of July, he pretty has nothing else to do, school-wise. We thought that this time would be best for the wedding. Once he starts rotations, he'll be going non-stop for quite a while. June will give us just enough time for a ceremony and a honeymoon!
Because June is less than a year away, mom and I really have to get planning and nail down a site. We visited 3 places this afternoon. Two were recommended by friends, and they weren't what we were looking for. They were golf course reception halls, and they just looked bland. The third place is in the running. They have a pretty outside area to have the ceremony, and a fancy-looking reception room inside. An added bonus is that June 16th is still available.
I'm also considering getting married in a church. I've always wanted to walk down an "aisle" and have a grand entrance. The only problem is that Chris was never baptized, which means a church (any denomination) is a no-go. Friday, mom and I are checking out Breakers West and International Polo Club. On my next day off, we're headed out to Singer Island and places along the beach.
Oh, and my ring is finally sized right! Hooray!
Oh, and I had my first bridezilla moment this afternoon with Chris. I only ask him to do small, easy things because he has classes and studying (as he puts it, more important things to do). Anyways, I was skyping him after I got home from checking out venues, and he was back in his apartment just relaxing. I wanted him to try to work on his guest list with me, and he was being difficult. And I wanted his opinion of the places I looked at, and he was being more difficult. I got very cranky and snapped at him. We don't have the luxury of time on our side, so I need him to make decisions.
Uggg...
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Hot List
BOOKS
Hector and the Search for Happiness, and Hector and the Secrets of Love - Francois Lelord. These short and sweet books are about a psychiatrist named Hector who travels the world looking for answers to life's difficult questions. In the first book, he travels to the corners of the world asking different people what happiness means to them. Along the way, he keeps a notebook of the lessons he's learned, like "Happiness is knowing your family lacks for nothing" and "Happiness is to be loved for exactly who you are". In the second book, he's sent to find a friend who has stolen a new pharmaceutical drug that can cause people to fall in love. In this adventure, he questions love and what it means to love someone and be loved in return.
Bossypants - Tina Fey. I want to be her friend so badly!!
Lies Chelsea Handler Told Me - Chelsea's family and friends. I want to be her friend so badly too!
Big Bang Theory. Started watching it through Netflix, and now I own the DVD sets. Love.
MUSIC
The Antlers. Indie rock love right now. I listen to their song "I Don't Want Love" just about every day.
Ratatat. I was watching this year's Coachella feed on Youtube, waiting for the Strokes, and Ratatat came on. They're so cool. Two guys playing music. That's it. Music. No words or lyrics. I love "Loud Pipes"!
Music that I listened to in high school. Lately I've been listening to a lot of old school Weezer, The Strokes, The Killers. I'll throw in some Dashboard and Coldplay. With a lot of the songs, I can remember specific things I was doing while listening to that song. The Killer's Hot Fuss album reminds me of driving to play frisbee at a neighborhood park after a hurricane. The Strokes' Reptilia reminds me of driving to my crazy SAT tutor's house everyweek in the summer.
COOL STUFF
Whole Foods Market softball team! We sucked so bad! I've never played softball, so I was an assistant coach/official cheerleader. The team was put together because all of us wanted to go out and play for fun. Not many of us were "athletes". There was Dawn, 38-years old with one arthritic knee; Seafood Steve (not to be confused with Produce Steve or Specialty Steve) who is 50-pounds over weight; and Sandra, who has never played a sport in her life. We were part of a 8-team league that held games every Thursday night. Of the 12 games we played, we lost all of them. And the scores weren't even close. Three games had to be called early because of the Mercy Rule. Even after being killed 25-8, 26-10, or 11-1 (yes, real game scores), we would laugh and make fun of each other and show up the next week, just to be creamed again. I can't wait until next season!
Seeing the last Harry Potter movie at midnight! The plan was for Mike (brother) and I to see HP/DH Part 2 together at midnight. He loves HP as much as me, so we wanted to go all out and see it in IMAX 3D. When the advanced tickets went on sale in June, we got them and were killer excited! But, I kid you not, the next day he found out that Ohio State University scheduled his campus tour the same week as the movie!! I had his ticket and everyone else I knew already had their tickets already, so I ended up dragging Matt (other brother, who has never read a HP book or sat through a HP movie from start to finish) with me. On the car ride to Muvico, I gave him the basic details and told him to not bother me during the movie with his questions. And I told him that if he looks over at me during the movie and sees me crying, to just let me be and not say anything.
When the movie started, I already started to cry. This was it. The last Harry Potter anything. No more books to read. No more movies after this one. This was probably my favorite HP movie. Funny when it needed to be, and heartbreaking at all the right times. Some parts could have been done better, but from start to finish, it was amazing. At the very end, when the credits started to roll, I had such sadness in my heart. Harry Potter has been linked to so many treasured memories I have. All the midnight book release parties and midnight premieres. Making wands and bracelets. Crying over Sirius and Dumbledore. Laughing everytime Ron says "bloody hell". Spending hours trying to figure out what JK Rowling meant when she wrote about this or that, or why characters keep saying that Harry has his mother's eyes. I really don't think anything will come into my life that will hold the same magnitude as Harry Potter.
Vacation! 34 days until we leave!
Hector and the Search for Happiness, and Hector and the Secrets of Love - Francois Lelord. These short and sweet books are about a psychiatrist named Hector who travels the world looking for answers to life's difficult questions. In the first book, he travels to the corners of the world asking different people what happiness means to them. Along the way, he keeps a notebook of the lessons he's learned, like "Happiness is knowing your family lacks for nothing" and "Happiness is to be loved for exactly who you are". In the second book, he's sent to find a friend who has stolen a new pharmaceutical drug that can cause people to fall in love. In this adventure, he questions love and what it means to love someone and be loved in return.
Bossypants - Tina Fey. I want to be her friend so badly!!
Lies Chelsea Handler Told Me - Chelsea's family and friends. I want to be her friend so badly too!
TV
Bones. I started watching this show on Netflix Instant just last week, and I already finished the first season and half of the second! I can't stop watching! If I have to work, I'll give myself an extra hour or two in the morning so I can squeeze in at least one episode before going.
So You Think You Can Dance. I look forward to the summer just for this show!Big Bang Theory. Started watching it through Netflix, and now I own the DVD sets. Love.
MUSIC
The Antlers. Indie rock love right now. I listen to their song "I Don't Want Love" just about every day.
Ratatat. I was watching this year's Coachella feed on Youtube, waiting for the Strokes, and Ratatat came on. They're so cool. Two guys playing music. That's it. Music. No words or lyrics. I love "Loud Pipes"!
Music that I listened to in high school. Lately I've been listening to a lot of old school Weezer, The Strokes, The Killers. I'll throw in some Dashboard and Coldplay. With a lot of the songs, I can remember specific things I was doing while listening to that song. The Killer's Hot Fuss album reminds me of driving to play frisbee at a neighborhood park after a hurricane. The Strokes' Reptilia reminds me of driving to my crazy SAT tutor's house everyweek in the summer.
COOL STUFF
Whole Foods Market softball team! We sucked so bad! I've never played softball, so I was an assistant coach/official cheerleader. The team was put together because all of us wanted to go out and play for fun. Not many of us were "athletes". There was Dawn, 38-years old with one arthritic knee; Seafood Steve (not to be confused with Produce Steve or Specialty Steve) who is 50-pounds over weight; and Sandra, who has never played a sport in her life. We were part of a 8-team league that held games every Thursday night. Of the 12 games we played, we lost all of them. And the scores weren't even close. Three games had to be called early because of the Mercy Rule. Even after being killed 25-8, 26-10, or 11-1 (yes, real game scores), we would laugh and make fun of each other and show up the next week, just to be creamed again. I can't wait until next season!
Seeing the last Harry Potter movie at midnight! The plan was for Mike (brother) and I to see HP/DH Part 2 together at midnight. He loves HP as much as me, so we wanted to go all out and see it in IMAX 3D. When the advanced tickets went on sale in June, we got them and were killer excited! But, I kid you not, the next day he found out that Ohio State University scheduled his campus tour the same week as the movie!! I had his ticket and everyone else I knew already had their tickets already, so I ended up dragging Matt (other brother, who has never read a HP book or sat through a HP movie from start to finish) with me. On the car ride to Muvico, I gave him the basic details and told him to not bother me during the movie with his questions. And I told him that if he looks over at me during the movie and sees me crying, to just let me be and not say anything.
When the movie started, I already started to cry. This was it. The last Harry Potter anything. No more books to read. No more movies after this one. This was probably my favorite HP movie. Funny when it needed to be, and heartbreaking at all the right times. Some parts could have been done better, but from start to finish, it was amazing. At the very end, when the credits started to roll, I had such sadness in my heart. Harry Potter has been linked to so many treasured memories I have. All the midnight book release parties and midnight premieres. Making wands and bracelets. Crying over Sirius and Dumbledore. Laughing everytime Ron says "bloody hell". Spending hours trying to figure out what JK Rowling meant when she wrote about this or that, or why characters keep saying that Harry has his mother's eyes. I really don't think anything will come into my life that will hold the same magnitude as Harry Potter.
Vacation! 34 days until we leave!
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
OMG OMG OMG SECRET!
Can you keep a secret...?!
I was at home yesterday, on the computer in the office working on the Europe trip, and mom called me into the livingroom. I could see that she's on the laptop, so I assumed she had some website she wanted to show me. As I'm walking over, she suddenly covers up the computer screen, like she doesn't want me to see what she's looking at. She said that she changed her mind and that I should go back into the office.
I'm back on the computer and I can hear mom dialing the phone and talking to someone. I can just barely hear sniffling like she's crying, and then I hear her say "Yeah, I'm crying too". At this point, I'm getting really worried that something bad happened and she doesn't want me to know.
After a couple minutes, she comes into the office and says, "I got an email from Chris." My heart stops. What?! Why is an email from Chris making my mom cry? She tells me that in it, Chris writes that he's been thinking about his future, and our future together, and that he loves me very much. And that when he gets back to Wellington, the night before we leave from Europe, he wants to know if he can sit down and talk with mom and dad.
OMG! Chris is going to propose when we're in Europe!! OMG OMG OMG! Now I have to act like I don't know everytime I skype him. I've been giggling for the past two days! I just want to explode!
Chris can't know that I kinda already know! I've totally imagined that he would propose while we were away, but I think it's actually going to happen! This is going to be such a hard secret!
I was at home yesterday, on the computer in the office working on the Europe trip, and mom called me into the livingroom. I could see that she's on the laptop, so I assumed she had some website she wanted to show me. As I'm walking over, she suddenly covers up the computer screen, like she doesn't want me to see what she's looking at. She said that she changed her mind and that I should go back into the office.
I'm back on the computer and I can hear mom dialing the phone and talking to someone. I can just barely hear sniffling like she's crying, and then I hear her say "Yeah, I'm crying too". At this point, I'm getting really worried that something bad happened and she doesn't want me to know.
After a couple minutes, she comes into the office and says, "I got an email from Chris." My heart stops. What?! Why is an email from Chris making my mom cry? She tells me that in it, Chris writes that he's been thinking about his future, and our future together, and that he loves me very much. And that when he gets back to Wellington, the night before we leave from Europe, he wants to know if he can sit down and talk with mom and dad.
OMG! Chris is going to propose when we're in Europe!! OMG OMG OMG! Now I have to act like I don't know everytime I skype him. I've been giggling for the past two days! I just want to explode!
Chris can't know that I kinda already know! I've totally imagined that he would propose while we were away, but I think it's actually going to happen! This is going to be such a hard secret!
Friday, May 20, 2011
Chricki Reunited!
Chris was back last month! Hooray! He was here April 21-23, and then from the 30th-May 6th. In between, he went to Tennessee to see his family and get his wisdom teeth out (and let me tell you, he is so much less clever now. haha, get it. Wisdom teeth humor.)
Originally, the plan was for me to go to Dominica this time, but we decided it wasn't the best idea. We would run out of activities to do on the island. It would get boring really quick. And he was worried that I would get sick eating the food on the island. I was fine with him coming here. I don't feel like I missed out on anything by not going to Dominica.
My birthday had just passed and our 6-year anniversary was a few days in the future. We wanted to do something special and go somewhere for a couple days. We didn't was to spend a lot, so we decided to go back to Disney World! We went there on our very first vacation together, so it sounded good.
We got a Park Hopper pass and started our long day at Magic Kingdom. Of course we went on Space, Splash, and Big Thunder Mountains. After doing nearly all of Magic Kingdom, we jumped over to Animal Kingdom. I had never been to this park, so it was fun! We saw all the animals and took dorky pictures. We spent the rest of the night at EPCOT and traveled around the World Showcase area. We got beer and a pretzel at Germany, noodles, pocki, and mochi in Japan, pastries in France, chocolates in Italy, and this chocolate drizzled-raisin bread pretzel thing in Norway. Too full of food for a churro in Mexico. That would have been our next stop. We had spent 12 hours at the parks and I was exhaused at the end of the night!
We did some shopping while we were in Orlando. Unfortunantly, we didn't go to the Ikea Store. Last time we were there, Chris had to drag me out the door. Too much fun to be had in Ikea!
One night we had dinner with his family in Tequesta. His cousins got so big!! Kiera is a little dancing machine. I taught her how to do the robot. And Lily is now walking! Chris's uncle, Peter, came down from New York for a visit, so he was at dinner too. He travels a lot for his job and he was talking about some of the cool European trips he had this year. On our way home from dinner, Chris and I were talking about how cool it would be to travel around Europe together, and we kinda got thinking about maybe actually going there next time he gets a break.
We started talking about where we would like to go, then researching prices and logistics just for curiousity's sake. Then we made the decision that we were really going to do this. I talked to our family friend/travel agent and she got flights and hotels booked for us! We're going August 19-September 3. London, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, and Vienna. We'll be riding the EURail from place to place. I'm so totally more than excited! I can't believe I have to wait 3 months! I want to go now!
(Everyone from my work friends to my family keeps saying that it would be so romantic if Chris proposes in Europe. That would be so freaking amazing!)
Originally, the plan was for me to go to Dominica this time, but we decided it wasn't the best idea. We would run out of activities to do on the island. It would get boring really quick. And he was worried that I would get sick eating the food on the island. I was fine with him coming here. I don't feel like I missed out on anything by not going to Dominica.
My birthday had just passed and our 6-year anniversary was a few days in the future. We wanted to do something special and go somewhere for a couple days. We didn't was to spend a lot, so we decided to go back to Disney World! We went there on our very first vacation together, so it sounded good.
We got a Park Hopper pass and started our long day at Magic Kingdom. Of course we went on Space, Splash, and Big Thunder Mountains. After doing nearly all of Magic Kingdom, we jumped over to Animal Kingdom. I had never been to this park, so it was fun! We saw all the animals and took dorky pictures. We spent the rest of the night at EPCOT and traveled around the World Showcase area. We got beer and a pretzel at Germany, noodles, pocki, and mochi in Japan, pastries in France, chocolates in Italy, and this chocolate drizzled-raisin bread pretzel thing in Norway. Too full of food for a churro in Mexico. That would have been our next stop. We had spent 12 hours at the parks and I was exhaused at the end of the night!
We did some shopping while we were in Orlando. Unfortunantly, we didn't go to the Ikea Store. Last time we were there, Chris had to drag me out the door. Too much fun to be had in Ikea!
One night we had dinner with his family in Tequesta. His cousins got so big!! Kiera is a little dancing machine. I taught her how to do the robot. And Lily is now walking! Chris's uncle, Peter, came down from New York for a visit, so he was at dinner too. He travels a lot for his job and he was talking about some of the cool European trips he had this year. On our way home from dinner, Chris and I were talking about how cool it would be to travel around Europe together, and we kinda got thinking about maybe actually going there next time he gets a break.
We started talking about where we would like to go, then researching prices and logistics just for curiousity's sake. Then we made the decision that we were really going to do this. I talked to our family friend/travel agent and she got flights and hotels booked for us! We're going August 19-September 3. London, Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague, and Vienna. We'll be riding the EURail from place to place. I'm so totally more than excited! I can't believe I have to wait 3 months! I want to go now!
(Everyone from my work friends to my family keeps saying that it would be so romantic if Chris proposes in Europe. That would be so freaking amazing!)
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