Aaarrggghhh! Prozac, anyone?

It is 23 days and 1 hour till wedding and I just today found out that I have 2 major projects due in the next two weeks!!!111!!omg!!!wtf!!!

By Monday I have to be ready to roll out a new feature to to the massive Excel spreadsheets we use to track everything, and then the rest of the week schedule with my counterparts for them to zip & email me theirs. Then I will make the modifications, test them and zip and email back. Ten times. In addition to my other duties.

And then by the end of the next week I have to enter into a veeerrrryyyy sslloooowwww web database all of the classes scheduled for FY10 in my district. AND come up with the FY10 spreadsheet with requested upgrades.

This in addition to wedding ceremony programs, favors (may fall by the wayside) and beading on my gown. A couple more fittings, another hair/makeup session and could I lose 10 pounds in there, please? Finalizing ceremony, ceremony music, reception playlist.

I think I'm already having an anxiety attack. Aaak!


What do you think of the hair & makeup trial run? You can't see much of the hair (the hair dresser was shorter--which not that many people are--and shot from an odd angle) and the off-centered-ness of my nose is pretty obvious. But color-wise? Feedback appreciated!

If only common law marraiges were legal in Missouri

You've been engaged for how long?!?
me: over 5 years.

Ohhhh. I see....

me: We've set a date twice, and each time one of us lost our jobs. The first time we had the initial deposit check in a stamped envelope when we had to have the conversation that maybe he wouldn't find a job right away and we'd better hold off. Good thing we did, as it took 9 months for him to find a real job.

And the second time?

me: We had just visited a reception location and decided on a date, and actually saying the "W" word again, when bam! My job disappeared.

You must be confident it won't happen a third time, if you are going ahead with it in this economy.

me: Well, it almost did happen a third time. My sweetie and I were just starting to talk about dates again, when the company I worked for outsourced our department. The good news is, the new company hired the entire department. But it shook me up enough to relegate the "W" to the back burner, at least until I felt some confidence in the new employer. This was a year and a half ago.

But still, to spend that kind of money in this economy?

me: Well, my sweetie is the only software guy at his company that knows two of their systems. And I feel confident that my position is not going away. We own our own home (with a low, fixed rate mortgage) and the only other debt is a car payment. So we find ourselves in a better situation than most out there and we are doing our part to keep the economy moving!

You only gave yourself 3 months to plan the wedding. Isn't that a little insane?
me: Two main factors. First, my younger sister may be leaving the country after this school year to teach abroad for a year or two. And my sister and her girlfriend are must-shows for our wedding.

Second, my sweetie's baby sister is getting married in August. She's been engaged for only a year and a half and there is no way she is having her wedding before me!

Well good luck, and take lots of pictures!

me: Thanks, I will! Here is one of my tiara which came in last week:

Lists and more lists, and lists of lists

The wedding planning is going pretty well. Last weekend bridesmaids dresses were ordered. That dress is a full-length version of this dress, in the color on the dressform: Deep Navy (though it looks like a dark peackock blue.) With that decision made, everything else starts falling in place following the dark teal & silver color scheme.

My gown is being handmade by my former wedding dress designer boss, Dauria. The fabric is a luxurious silk dupioni or shantung in a color I might call cameo. It does not have yellow undertones like an ivory, but more of a pink undertone, which compliments my skintone better. My mockup fitting is next week, so more about that gown later.

Invitation supplies have been ordered and I am going to print myself. Yeah, I might just be crazy. But I am just not finding anything I like in my pricerange or in the short turn-around time I've left myself. So I am researching fonts and verbiage, so that I will be ready to print when the stock comes in. Many of my friends have offered their help, so I may be calling on them for an afternoon of movies and assembly at some point soon!

I've also set up my hair appointments, for both color two weeks prior (what, you thought my hair was naturally this red?) and for a trial run for my updraft and makeup.

What else is on my list...

Flower girls: Now that I have the bridesmaids gowns and colors picked, I think white or very light pink dupioni or organza gown for my nieces and I will supply the sashes in the dark teal (easier to say that than dark peacock blue!) Looking at the little girl dresses, I'm a little shocked at how adult some of them look. I know some traditions hold with dressing them like little brides, with veil and all, but it's not even that. I mean the spaghetti straps and backless dresses for 4 year-olds! Not at my wedding!

Registering for gifts: Dave and I have lived together for a number of years now, and bought a house 2.5 years ago, so we have most of the "stuff", but I will take the chance to upgrade some of my bargain cookwear. I really do not desire fine china, and I just purchased new dishes when Linens-n-Things was going out of business. Ooh, maybe I'll finally get a stand mixer like I've been lusting after the past few years! I mentioned to my sweetie that we could register for a flat-screen tv or somesuch and he didn't sound too enthusiastic.

Photographer: I've interviewed one that I really liked, and want to check with at least one more before committing.

Wedding Cake: Just not high enough on my list to worry about yet!

I know there is more, but my list that contains each of the lists above is not within reach. Though I don't leave home without it these days. Not much else on my mind these days. Happy
spring!

At Last!

Cue Etta James!

I started this blog with some great ideas for posts, but then, BAM! My sweetie and I go and set a date for our wedding...only 87 days away! For a more precise count, see the nifty countdown in the panel on the right. We've been engaged for going on five years, so I should have everything planned out, right?

Ummm...not quite.

So while I scramble to nail down the menu, design invitations, find a florist, photographer and cake maker, consider favors and ceremony programs, wedding bands (as in jewelry, not musical group!), find a gown for me and the ladies, and pray for good weather, I don't have much brain space for other blog content. If you don't mind hearing about all that, feel free to stick around. There may be some non-bridal musings along the way, too!