100 DAYS TO GO, WOOHOO! (or not)

                                                                          Source

We are officially 100 days from our wedding day. Although if I don't get a job by June 1st (my self imposed deadline), we may have to postpone to later in the year. I really hope that doesn't happen since i'm so loving 08.07.10. Everything thankfully is bought, it's just to finish the venue payment and the caterers. Most of the deposits are non refundable so we're screwed if we have to postpone.  Please pray for us everyone.

JEM.

Scanned, Sealed, Delivered Pt.2

I know I promised the second installment to this captivating story but i've been delinquent. Thanks to some situations beyond my control - yes i'm looking at you HP. My 2 month old printer conked out on me on Tuesday last week and they promised to send me a new one by Friday and it's still not here.  Since I used the printer to get my pics from my camera media card to my MAC ( I don't know how to otherwise),  and my Toshiba laptop aka piece-a-crap-from-hell also doesn't recognize my media card, i'm fresh outta luck.

I really wanted to share some of the photos I took of the things I registered for but alas I will use what I can get from their website. So here goes:

The obligatory aqua things.  A steamer, towels, colanders, a chopping board all from Martha Stewart. These are all from the Macy's website. I know these items are really cheap but we wanted to have some options for guests who aren't financially endowed. Our Target registry also has some cheaper items.

We also registered for stuff like luggage since ours are a little worn out;
a bunch of picture frames for my million wedding photos
serving platters since I have none in my house (shame on me)
some pyrex mixing bowls
some glasses to complete a set I already have
a crystal-like decanter

Cuisinart blender and food processor combo. My sister broke our blender so I put a replacement here for her. Maybe she'll get it for us. lol.












This is supposed to be really cool. You should be able to rip off a paper towel with one hand. I really don't like paper towels since it's such a waste of paper but I guess I'll some in my house at some point so it might as well look pretty.











I figured i'd get some fine china so that I could pass it down to my daughter someday if I ever have one. I also registered for an everyday dinnerware set but there was a sale on at Macy's and I bought it for myself. I've bought so much stuff off my registry that I fear there'll be nothing left for the guests.

I really like the look of stainless steel so I thought this would look really great on our counter top.

These are basically the things on our registry. Macy's suggests we register for twice the amount of items as guests but I can't really find anything that we don't already have or need. Anything else would just be wasteful so I think we're done.





What were some of your registry items if you did one?

JEM.

Scanned, Sealed, Delivered

UPDATE: first of I need to apologize for jumping the gun about BM N. I said that she hadn't called and I was not really happy but as soon as I published the post, the phone rang. She apologized for not calling the night before and said that she was really terrified of trains  especially in NYC (a fact that i wasn't aware of). She said that was why  she had kinda changed her mind when she found out that we would be taking the train and that she would more than make it up to me. So my bad, for saying not- so- nice things. I shouldn't rush to judgement so fast sometimes. I sawwy BM N.



This is the madness that is Macy's Herald Square. Every. Day. And the inside isn't that much better.

The store spans a whole block, on all four sides. It is huge and very entertaining and I love all the excitement. It's a must see for anyone planning to come into NYC.


This post is going to have to be a two part series otherwise it'll be way too long and I don't think you love me enough to read this much for me, or by me, or something like that.

Now on to Macy's- let's set the stage...
As I told you before, I ended up going all by lonesome. The Macy's ladies and one gentleman were really nice. First I had to sign in and my registry that I had previously started online (as per their instructions) was found in a list and handed to me along with a checklist and a Sandals gift basket raffle entry all on a clipboard. Then this woman held court and gave this spiel about if we enrolled in the rewards program that every time someone bought something off our registry we'd get 5% back, and when we bought something we'd get 10% back and that would all accumulate and sent to us in the form of a gift card and mailed to us 6 weeks after the wedding. I'm pretty sure you know what I did and pretty quickly too. She then gave us each a scanner, scanned the barcode on our printed registries and sent us on our merry way. "Fly, fly, little butterflies, go and make Macy's more money". I know that's what you're thinking, evil Macy's lady, you're not fooling me with your nice ways and helpful attitude.  Yeah, I was on to her. ha, ha

There weren't a lot of people when I first got there but people started trickling in as time went by and within an hour, the place was swarming with scanner armed couples. I felt a little sad since my baby wasn't there especially when I saw some couple's smooching or holding hands. Awwww...

The food was a little late but was really good when it arrived. I completely forgot to take a picture of the table. There were some pretty little canapes with ham, prosciutto, roast beef and cream cheese with this zesty little sauce;  mozzarella and cherry tomatoes on skewers with pesto sauce, some italian bread slices kinda like baguette with some dip like thing,  I have no idea what it was. It looked good but I could never get to it, there always seemed to be a line when I was around.

(These are not the actual strawberries, I got this from google images)

There were little chocolate squares with this delightful red filling that tasted like red velvet cake and the fattest, juiciest chocolate covered strawberries I ever tasted.  There  was raspberry and blueberry cosmopolitans, sprite and San Pellegrino sparkling water. All in all, it was an impressive little spread. I wasn't being greedy, but I ate a little more than my fair share but so did a lot of other people, so there.

I took my scanner, put on my serious face and channeled Rupaul and her voice in my ear saying "don't f@#$ it up". Then I went into battle.

Ha, ha.You'll just have to tune in tomorrow kids if you want to hear more of this story.
Till tomorrow my friends for the real juithy thtuff, stay tuned...

JEM.

Sip and Scan Event today

(sorry about the poor pic quality but you get the point)

It's today folks! I'm going to Macy's to get my second registry done and hopefully score some freebies and ideas. I think BM N is flaking on me. I say flaking because it's in process. Earlier this week, it was "sure i'll go with you, it sounds like fun".  Yesterday it had deteriorated to "I don't know yet, i'll call you later". Needless to say no call came but i'm really not upset, just a little disappointed. Not that I can't go alone, since Mr. Muscle expresses zero interest in these things but I just thought it would be more fun with someone. I didn't have any pictures from my registry at target and I was hoping to get pictures from Macy's plus I plan to get some makeup tips and it would be nice to not have to ask some random person to take pictures of me.

Well she doesn't know what she's done because I will never invite her to go anywhere with me again, that's for sure. This is the second time she's done this. Call it passive aggressive or whatever but I won't say a thing to her about it but when she hears that I did this with so and so and she didn't hear about it then she'll know why.

So now it's a solo mission but I think i'll make it. I'm going well armed.  I hear there will be cocktails and music, what's not to love. After all i'm going to Macy's Herald Square. How can that not make me happy? I'm hoping to get the Brooke sisters exchanged. I still haven't told them so let's keep it between you and me, ok?

I'll be back later with all the deets.

Ta ta for now,
JEM.

We Registered...

By that I mean I  registered.  Mr. Muscle would rather stand on an ant hill before he goes to a store and pick things out. Whenever we go to any store, even the supermarket he just sits in the car and waits. I hate it but at least when he's in the car, I don't feel rushed. His strategy is just take what you need and leave. Ladies you know that's not how we operate. We go in for a dishtowel and leave with a set of china, a shower curtain, dishwashing liquid and we just have to have these cute fridge magnets over there, and that tank top and you know i'm not leaving till I visit the clearance bin. That drives Mr. Muscle up the wall. And sometimes guess what, we never remembered the dishtowel we went in for in the first place so what do you do? You go back in ... and it's starts all over again. So I really don't blame the poor guy. I've learnt to go shopping by myself and I love it. Nobody hovering and scowling over my shoulder.

So on Saturday, on my way to my sister's house I popped into Target to see if I could find her a little something in the way of a present. We always bring each other something whenever we go to visit. The boys were home so I was free as a little meadow lark. A few weeks ago, I received something in the mail from Target. It was a $20 gift certificate that would be activated  if I started a registry with them with at least 10 items. Well if you know me, you know I love me some free stuff (main reason why I registered). I rummaged through my bag looking for that certificate and took it to the customer service counter. The lady explained to me that I had to get on their machine, create a registry, print it out and bring it back to her which I did. She then handed me the big red scanner thingy. She held my license hostage (to make sure I didn't skip town with the scanner - as if I would, the darn thing didn't work half of the time) and I was on my way.

The first thing I scanned or tried to scan was was a pretty aqua medallion lamp. Didn't work. I called over a sales associate who had no clue what to do. This wasn't starting out very well. But I would not be denied my gift certificate registry. I persevered and registered for:

I didn't have my camera with me which is very strange since we're attached at the hip and for some reason I couldn't get many of the other images from Target.com. I registered for exactly 18 items.







The other things are:

• filters for the Brita 
• a rice cooker (will come in so handy)
• a 3-piece living room table set ( 2 side tables and a coffee table)
• 2 beautiful espresso woven lamp bases (I'll decide on the shades later)
• 2 paisley throw pillows
• Paisley window panels
• Valances for the windows
• A  bunch of baking things like a bundt pan, a magic cut dough mat, a lasagna pan, a spring form pan and a cookie sheet

Most of the items cost under $50 except for the table set which was $199. I'm really excited to see if people will find the registry since we won't tell anyone directly unless they ask.
You know there's no way i'm not registering at Macy's. BM N and I are going to the Sip and scan party on Friday so i'll let you know.


JEM.

Ma Eliot Danori Bling is hurre...

Remember that gift card  I had from Macy's that I used to buy my bcbg babies? Well if you recall, I hadn't quite used up all of it so I took a trip down to my fave store to look for some bling. I wanted something sparkly, and shiny in keeping with my crystal theme. I kinda knew what I wanted but not quite how to explain to a salesperson, plus the lady I asked wasn't exactly falling over herself to help me. 

I wasn't fazed though, something about Macy's Herald Square in Manhattan just puts me in a good mood. I walked around the jewelry counters and just like that I spotted her. She was so beautiful. It was at the Eliot Danori counter that I first met her and fell in love with Alexis (that's what i've decided to call her).

She is sooo much prettier and sparklier up close. Made up of Rhodium plated sterling silver and swarovski crystals, she's just what I wanted, I just didn't know it.  All along the entire necklace has crystals, even the clasp has crystals. The lady handed her to me and I tried her on. Perfect.  So what did I do?  Duh I swiped my card - ka-ching!  Then I had a radical thought. Maybe I could find her a little sister to wear on my wrist. But the very bitchy nice saleslady said they didn't have any. As you can imagine I was in an even better mood after scoring my necklace so I just ignored her and continued to browse, hoping that maybe i'd find something that matched at another counter.  Nope. I just kept coming back to Eliot. 

This time I went to the other end of the counter and asked another lady who was super nice and helpful.  She said 'as a matter of fact...'  and started rifling through drawers . This is what she showed me:

Alexis' little sister Emily. She was a perfect match. Needless to say, my day was getting better and better.   So why had that other woman told me she didn't have any? Bitch! Ok sorry maybe she was just having a bad day or something. I forgive her.

Then the very sweet, darling saleslady aka my new best friend asked if I had earrings. No I said, do you have something nice for me? (batting eyes) she said wait -  I think I do.  Ta da...

The twins the Brooke sisters. I couldn't give them individual names considering I wouldn't be able to tell them apart anyway. 

Now how much did this all cost, you ask? Well...

Alexis was $116

Emily was $65

and Brooke(s) were $30

making the total $211

How much did I pay? 

The saleslady said that Eliot Danori never went on sale but I could use coupons which I gladly did and ended up paying $136 

Yup I saved $75 on my girls. I know a lot of people say it's just a scam and you really don't save anything but if I had come in without any coupons I would have had to pay full price so I did save. Yay, score! Our attire and jewelry are not included in the budget so it doesn't get deducted from there.

P.S. When I went to the site after that, I  saw these babies: 

A perfect match. I'm kinda tempted to trade in the Brooke sisters (shh, don't tell them I said so). We'll see, if they're still in the store on my next visit, I just might. So you likey?

JEM.

I've completed another DIY project

This is the banner that I'm going to hang in front of the dessert buffet table.

I couldn't get a close shot of the entire thing so I just closed up on one word so you can get a better look. You can also click on the image to get an even closer look.

I got the motivation from none other than the great one herself, the one and only Martha Stewart.

I've seen these from some real weddings and they looked really cute. So this definitely isn't an original idea but a great one nonetheless. As i'm sure most other brides did, I simply printed the template onto white shimmery paper and then cut them out. Then I realized  the tablecloth that i'm using for the buffet table is also white, so I decided to back them up with some aqua card stock to make them stand out more.  Nice no?

Another one down and uuhhh... a hundred more to go? JK, I still have quite a few things to take care of though  like:

• yet another centerpiece mock-up
• embellish aqua ceremony shoes
• come up with and try out ceremony decor
• hair and makeup trial
• get my son's suit 
• reception music
• get bridesmaids off their butts to get their dresses
• sign contract with photographer and videographer
• and a host of others that I can't remember right now

I'm the little ant that could though and I know i'll get everything done on time. I'm as cool as a cucumber.

JEM.

Over or Under, The all important potty question- NWR

This is a total non-wedding related post but I just thought it would be really thought provoking. (he- he, read on dear readers). What is the deal  with toilet paper on the roll. In my house growing up, the toilet paper was always placed over and I always assumed that was the only way to do it, so naturally when I moved out on my own at 21, I just took it with me.

When I moved in with Mr. Muscle 4 years ago, he thought I was crazy to put the paper over on the roll. He had all these reasons about why it should be under. I of course would always change it  around after he left the bathroom. Anyways, I guess he didn't think it worth arguing over or just used that as an excuse to not replace the roll but whatever.

 I mean if you put it under, could you do this?

Until last night when he put one on and it was under and I told him not to touch the toilet paper again. I know this is the stupidest thing ever. What does it really matter anyway, over or under does the same job right?  I know this is a totally random post, I told you it would be thought provoking. I can just see you drop everything and give this some serious thought with your hand under your chin. You may have to cancel your plans for tonight and call in sick tomorrow just to ponder this all important question. So I'm conducting a survey. Which way do you like over or under?  

I know what you're thinking, "I just wasted 50 braincells reading this".  He-he  don't sweat it, some randomness is good for the soul.

JEM.

Uprinting Giveaway

Britteny over at Sand dollars and Sunflowers is hosting a giveaway for 100 4x6 postcards. Head on over there and enter as Sunday is the deadline.


JEM.

Thankee hunny bunnies

I know it's not a big deal but I would just really like to express gratitude to all my readers in blogland. I actually have 23 followers and although you don't always comment on my posts, I still am very grateful that you are reading what I have to say especially since i'm not on facebook or twitter or any of the other social networking sites. I love your feedback and appreciate all the advice and support. BTW if there are any NY brides out there, please give me a shout out.

JEM.

Wedding Channel Done Messed Up

I've been using Weddingchannel.com from day one for planning and i've been very happy with them... until now. There was a list of tools such as a guest list manager where you put in a list of your guests and their guests etc. It added them all up and gave you the final tally. There was  a planning checklist, a free wedding website, scrap book, the option to send an online STD, and my personal favorite, the budget calculator. The best part is that they are all interactive. I really liked working with it  and the fact that I could access it from anywhere and any computer made it even sweeter.


Well they say all good things must end or in this case be modified. With a heavy heart, I signed in to adjust my guest list to remove one of Mr. Muscle's co-workers. She was such a nice lady but unknown to any of us, she had been sick for a long time with cancer and she passed away last Tuesday. It was so sad to think of removing someone from the guest list because of death.  So you can see why I was so PO'd to find that wedding channel had changed everything and I couldn't go in and change it. And on top of that they didn't even just transfer everything over. They have all these complex set of rules (for me anyway)  like import this to your PC and export into the new system.


It sounds easy enough right, except that it doesn't work. I tried doing this thing from every angle. Nada.  And they have the nerve to say that you should hurry up and transfer your info or you'll lose all of it when they switch completely to the new system. Thank goodness I always back things up with hard copy. "Wedding channel, it was nice knowing ya. The Knot, here I come even if you are sister sites".

Is anyone else on wedding channel? If yes, I suggest you head on over there. Maybe you'll have better luck than me.

 JEM.

More Rants

As of today, our wedding is 4 months away. Only 4 months and for the most part, I feel like we're in a good place. But it seems like the people you expect to be most supportive of you just aren't. For example, a few years ago my sister got married and I was her MOH, wedding planner, DOC, and just about everything else. I can honestly say I didn't enjoy the wedding because I was so tired and frustrated. I was like the girl from the Exorcist - head spinning all around. I tried to make my sister's day special for her so that she didn't have to worry about anything and it was. Even when we had mild catastrophes, I made sure she never found out. Basically without tooting my own horn, trumpet whatever, the day was enjoyable for her because I along with help from a few other people made it that way.

Now for my wedding, I have a DOC, and i'm my own planner. I tell friends and family my ideas and listen to their opinions. They're not always what I want to hear but I listen and consider them. Sometimes they have far better ideas than me and I appreciate that. But if I heaven forbid I should disagree with anything they say, it's like a personal snub to them.

For instance my sister asked me who was walking me down the aisle since my father can't make it. He had a minor stroke a few years back and has since been on medication for high cholesterol, high blood pressure and a host of other little ailments and since he lives in St.Lucia, it's kinda hard to fly up here in the midst of all that. He's even going through acupuncture treatments. Anyway I said no one,  to which she replied  "that's not how things are done". Like who the hell cares how things are done? It's my wedding, things are done how I want them to be done. I'm so sick of people expecting things to be done their way or the traditional way. It's like everywhere I turn, someone is telling me "well that's not how it's done or how they did it, or I should make everyone happy". She then suggested that I  have my nephew ( her 18 year old son) walk me down. Are you effing kidding me? Although she's my MOH, she wasn't very happy that my nephew wasn't also part of the wedding party. The conversation suddenly took a turn and it was like "anyway i'll talk to you later" . WTF!!! Why do I need my nephew (or anyone else for that matter) walk me down. My father isn't able to be there so fine i'll deal with it. Plus the way i've organised our entry, Mr. Muscle, my son and I are walking in together.

So far I haven't asked anyone to do anything for me until now. I asked Bm B to have her friend call me so I can have her put in some hair extensions for me to do a hair trial run. She was like oh  no, you should go to the hair dresser to do that. I lost my job almost 4 weeks ago so our limited budget is even more limited now so I would think that these people would be the most supportive but noooooo, that's too much to ask. I said that I would go professional for the big day but I wanted to have a few different do's to see whether I wanted my hair up, down, curly, straight whatever. Then she says, as a matter of fact she needs to get her hair done so we can go together even after I kept harping on the money part. Made no difference.

So now i've decided that I ain't telling nobody shit. Everything will be a surprise to everyone including my wedding party. I'm seriously effing sick of this.And what kills me is that i'm always soooo supportive of everyone. My adage is just help out with whatever, work my ass off for any event that i'm asked to. Is it too much to expect the same?   Thanks for letting me vent y'all.


JEM.

125 days to go/ HAPPY EASTER!!!

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!

According to Project Wedding, we're 125 days from our wedding and I'm so excited. I still have so much to do. It's also around the time i'm supposed to get my first dress fitting. Thanks Project wedding, but that's been taken care of and I look smashing, if I do say so myelf. So here are some tips for you ladies who haven't tried on your slinky, sexy bridal gowns. Source: Project Wedding

After you've selected and ordered the dress, you will need to prepare for your first fitting. It's very important that you schedule this fitting, because it will identify any changes or alterations which need to be made to the dress. Below, you will find some important things to consider when preparing for your first fitting.

Setting Up the Appointment

After you've ordered your first dress, set up the appointment for your first fitting with the bridal boutique or shop. The appointment should be at least 6 to 8 weeks before your wedding day. Of course, your first fitting should be timed to the day or week your wedding dress is supposed to arrive at the boutique (unless they had your size available at the shop.) Call the day before your first fitting to confirm that the dress has arrived and that it's your correct size.

The Day of Your First Fitting
In order to prepare for your first fitting, you should wear the undergarments and shoes that you will be wearing on the day of your wedding. The undergarments you've chosen can make a big difference in the way your wedding dress fits and looks on your body. The shoes will help you identify whether the length is correct or needs to be adjusted. In a perfect world, the dress would fit perfectly on this day, however many brides need to have a round of alterations done to ensure that the dress fits correctly.

You may also want to try on the accessories with your wedding dress on this day to ensure that nothing needs to be changed. Is your veil the perfect length? If you'll be wearing a headpiece, does it coordinate well? Determining these things will help your entire look come together for the wedding day.


Things to Think About
For your first fitting, you should make a note of all changes which need to be made. Make sure the boutique owner or salesperson understands which alterations need to be made and what your desires are. Consider how the dress feels; walk around with the dress on, sit down with the dress on and raise your arms above your head. Does the dress stay in place, feel too tight or just perfect? Will the undergarments you've chosen work well with the dress?

Once you've made a note of all changes which need to be made, find out how long those changes will take and schedule a second fitting. By knowing how to prepare for your first fitting, you can ensure that the dress is perfect for your wedding day.

Has everyone tried on their dresses and if so how did you feel in it?

TTFN,
JEM.

Ceremony Decor/Treats

Our ceremony is going to be in a park in the middle of summer so no doubt it will be hot as hell. 



As a result, I initially thought it would be nice to have some water on hand for my guests. Then I saw some templates for dolling up regular old water bottles so duh naturally, I had to have it. So there goes my water bottle:

Then I pondered on the way in which to present these bottles. Since my wedding is kinda self catered, we  really want a lot of self service. so I thought why not just put them in a tub of ice and guests can just take them if they wish. enter the tub from BJ's . I don't have a picture of the actual one but this is close enough. The one I got (well my sister bought and I will use) is not as deep as this one and is a little wider. I will tie an aqua ribbon around it, slap a label on it saying "water" and voila. Self serve water stand.

But of course my pondering didn't stop there. I thought why stop at water, maybe lemonade and iced tea would be a nice touch served from these cute dispensers in cute aqua cups.

But then why not go even further, my guests are already drinking, why not give them something to munch on as well and why not just make it after the ceremony. That's when I actually went really crazy and thought I can have some really cute table cloths spread onto some picnic tables and serve chicken skewers, bar b que pork ribs, meat balls on toothpicks, and some other cocktail fare at the park itself. 






Is that completely crazy to want to have the cocktail hour in the park and then have guests go to the reception site to start the real party?  I was thinking that our guests could watch us taking pictures and even partake in the pictures. What do you think ladies. Am I really off the mark with this one?


JEM.