Jem - Living

I'm Alive!

2011-04-05T09:57:00.000-04:00

... and pregnant. Finally! I know I haven't been on here in a while but I thought I should share my wonderful news with you. I am now 16 weeks along and finally able to keep my head out of the toilet. I've been sooooooo sick. There wasn't morning sickness, it was all day and sometimes night sickness. I've been to the hospital twice for dehydration on IVs and all kinds of medication. I think i've had every symptom in the book.

There was no eating for me. For days I would go by without eating and drinking only sprite, something I never drank before. I lost 17 lbs during that time. Of course now I do right? But i'm happy to report that i'm absolutely better now and it's true what they say about the first trimester usually being the worst.

I don't know the sex yet but we definitely want to know beforehand. We're not great with surprises, especially since we already have a son, it would be nice to know what sibling he'll have. So that's my news other than the fact that i'm trying to get my house in order. After being sick for so long, you can imagine what it must look like.

So my lovlies, i'll keep you guys posted as to my progress.

JEM.

Hello Lovelies

2010-11-12T09:59:00.000-05:00

Soooooooo, we're all friends here right?
You all know about my little cookie monster. Well he's turning 3 this month and we thought it was time we gave him a sibling, hopefully a sister (fingers crossed). The thing is that we've been trying since September and nothing, nada, zip. I'm beginning to wonder if there's something wrong.
You hear about people just looking at each other the wrong way and getting pregnant. I'm 34 and I really don't want to be pregnant past 35 so i'm getting a little anxious. I need a little encouragement yall.

In the meant time, i've taken on our apartment as a new project. It's pretty hard to not have anything major to do after years of planning our wedding.

The plan is to make over the living room, put the dining furniture in there and use the dining room as a playroom for our son. It's hard enough for him living in an apartment without a backyard. Then i'll tackle the bathroom, kitchen and our bedroom. My son's bedroom was completely made over for his birth and i'm always tweaking things here and there, so that's fine. He's now in his big boy bed but his crib is still up in our room.

Notice I said I. The mister has no interest in decor and design. He'll move furniture or go out to buy me something if I ask but really doesn't have any input. The standard response to any question is it looks great. I don't even think he knows what i'm talking about half the time.

Anyways, that's what's happening in my neck of the woods these days. I'll keep you posted.

JEM.

Some More Photos

2010-11-10T09:17:00.000-05:00

I'm sure i've mentioned this before but my ladies (all 3 of them) looked lovely. I was supposed to have 3 BMs and a MOH but one of the BMs had some dumbass excuse and got there so late that she couldn't be included in any of our pictures. At first Here are some pics of my ladies.

Someone had the bright idea to dance like Beyonce.

Major fail! It was hilarious.

We had so much fun taking those pictures. There was so much giggling and funny faces. Many a photo was ruined that day. Ruining is a strong word because I love them i'll keep them just to remind me how much fun we had and how happy everyone was.

JEM.

More Photos.

2010-10-26T13:37:00.001-04:00

These are some random pics.

Our little family in our faux-to-booth

Guests dancing up a storm. My nephew thought it would be cool to dance with a wine bottle until his mom caught him.

Me feeding my hubby cake.

I got in on the action too. I think this was the dreadful but awesomely fun electric slide.

JEM.

Follow Up

2010-10-15T09:39:00.000-04:00

So my recaps aren't going as well as i'd hoped so as of next week, i'm just going to post pictures so that you can kinda see how our day went. Maybe with a few captions thrown in. Nothing elaborate. I think i'm suffering from wedding brain freeze.

JEM.

Our pseudo-ceremony

2010-10-14T00:11:00.000-04:00

I really didn't want to be late so I made sure to tell everyone to meet at our apartment and we would all be there at the same time. My cousin from CT who was supposed to be there from that morning for some reason wasn't there by 6:30 so we left. That means we were down to 2 BMs and MOH.

When we got to the venue, my DOC was just pulling in. I was so mad. The DJ was also just setting up so we waited out in the parking lot. I was too pissed to go in.

Finally the DJ started playing music so the wedding party lined up to go in. I wanted Black Eyed Peas' I got a Feeling to play to kinda hype up the crowd but my dumb ass DJ mixed up the songs and played Anita Baker's Sweet Love for the entry song. That was supposed to be our song for cutting the cake. I honesly felt like crying. All my hard work and preparation ruined.

In spite of the fact that I gave him a chronological list kinda like an idiot's list. Honestly the list went like - the wedding party line up, you play "I got a feeling, by Black Eyed Peas". Let it play until we come in and are ready to start. I mean seriously the only way you can mess that up is if you can't read.

Saying a prayer

The guys and ladies paired up and walked in to the lame ass song and stood on opposite sides of the dance floor.

We waited at the entrance till we got the go ahead from the DOC and then my husband, son and I all walked in holding hands. I had to let go and gold to my dress because it was seriously tripping me up.

As soon as we entered, everyone broke out in applause, whistles and cheers. OMG, I was so shocked.What the hell were they clapping for? Well as it turned out, word had spread that I done all the decor pretty much myself and I guess people were impressed. Really impressed.

They clapped and clapped until Mr. M's cousin / oficiant quieted them down.

I don't think I have to tell you how much better I felt right then. The night just took a turn for the better and from then on it was fun, fun, fun. I didn't think of anything else going wrong. Things would be what they would be. I had written the whole ceremony beforehand and Charles the officiant and I had gone over it and tweaked things here and there a few days before and in my estimation, it was just perfect.

Our son wouldn't let anyone take him away, so we did the whole thing with him in his daddy's arms.

Charles conducted the little ceremony just as I had anticipated, even saying that I told him not to add anything and make it lively.

We didn't exchange vows since we had already done so at City Hall but we did kiss again for our audience. It was much appreciated.

Of course our photographer didn't get the actual kiss and since we're not very comfortable kissing in front of people, it was a quick one.

JEM.

Disclaimer: the pictures are mostly dark because one of the banquet hall's managers had the bright idea to turn off the bright lights for ambience and none of us noticed till we saw the photos.

Our Wedding Party

2010-10-10T22:49:00.000-04:00

In spite of the fact that we weren't having a ceremony, I still wanted a wedding party especially since I had bought the bridesmaids dresses and groomsmen ties almost a year before. There was no way I would just have these sit around and not use them. Mr. M got his 2 closest friends, my nephew and my cousin's husband to all wear black suits with white shirts and I made bouttonieres with the same beads, wires and ribbons that I used to make the bouquets.

The ladies looked stunning in their dresses. Although I had bought the dresses before actually finalizing who the bridesmaids would be, (I kinda had an idea) it really was a miracle that they fit my 3 cousins so perfectly with no alterations. My sister who was my maid of honor had to buy her dress and 2 days before the wedding, she was frantically going from store to store trying to find one. I absolutely loved how well it went with the bridesmaids' dresses. One of my cousins who lives in CT got to the wedding so late that she wasn't in any pictures. That left us with only 2 bridesmaids and a maid of honor.

They goofed off in the parking lot before going in

While I was sitting in our car talking to the DOC on the phone telling her where, what and how since she had shown up so late.

I was not a happy camper.

My cousin tried to get me to smile saying that I would have these photos forever but this is the closest I came, I was seriously unhappy at this point. My ass wipe guests were so late. We just sat in my car waiting for them to arrive and go in before we could. and every five minutes my DOC called with another dumb question.

Since my cousin was a BM and her husband was a GM, we couldn't leave their 6 yr old son out, and of course our little man was a pillow bearer since there were no rings on it.

My bouquet

BM bouquet.

JEM.

A Break in Recaps- Jem living

2010-10-07T22:52:00.000-04:00

So remember a few days ago, I mentioned that I was redoing my living room? Well so far, i've painted with this beautiful color called Renoir, it's almost like a salmon color but a shade darker. The trim is bright glossy white. Now I need a few colors to really pop. I thought black would look really great against the wall plus jade or olive green, burgundy or even dark brown. I have a rug with all these colors and I could just tie the other colors in with accent pieces.I already have a few pieces of furniture that work, but I really need 2 console tables, a coffee table and two end tables. I went to CSN Stores since i've shopped with them before and was always very happy with my purchase and their customer service.

I got all the disposables for my wedding from them as well as the table skirts for the buffet tables. I also bought this beautiful wall clock for my friend as a wedding present.

Here are the tables i'm trying to make a decision on:

The pictures are a bit fuzzy for some reason but I think you can still see them.

There is free shipping on both of these so that's not a factor. Please help me decide. Which one would you choose?

JEM.

This is how it started

2010-10-07T00:59:00.000-04:00

These recaps will be somewhat random since I have no idea how to proceed here.

Our wedding was a roaring success! As far as my guests were concerned anyway. They never knew about all the behind the scenes crap. At first , I was really bummed but then I told myself the hell with it and it will be what it will be. As you know, my wedding was mostly all DIY. Like all you other brides, I planned this thing down to the letter but when dealing with other humans, you really can't account for other people's doings. My DOC was so late that she was calling me at 6:45pm saying she was lost. The reception was to start at 7. She was very little help although she kept saying 'everything's under control.' If I was the crying type, I would have been a hot mess.

Many things went wrong but so many things were just great.
The ladies and guys of our wedding party looked hot;

the food was delish;

The venue and decor were beautiful

I kinda took matters into my own hands and just started directing people and things really picked up then. Thank goodness I did otherwise I think everyone would have had a lousy time, especially me. Although we didn't have a professional photog, we got some really cool pics.

I have to say I absolutely loved the way the place looked. My crystal trees sparkled and shone in the light. My turquoise napkins went beautifully with the aqua tablecloths and white overlays. Although we totally forgot to light the candles on the tables. Sigh...

More to come tomorrow, stay tuned...
JEM.

Hi Y'all

2010-10-05T10:30:00.000-04:00

Ok, don't kill me. I know i've been gone for ever but I weely sowwy, (puppy dog eyes).
I want to wish all the beautiful ladies who recently got married congratulations. I've been horrible, I know. I've managed to follow a little bit, I know the lovely Dancy, Jacin, Alicia and so many other of my darling bloggers tied the knot and as far as I saw from your little teasers, you all looked smokin hot, Congrats.

So much has happened since the wedding. Too numerous to mention all.
I started a kinda unofficial store making wedding stuff like card boxes, parasols etc and i've been really busy.

I've remodeled my entire living room, I mean from scratch and by myself people.

Mr. Muscle lost his ring at a freakin Yankee game. Yeah I know, i'm still bummed about that even if we've since replaced it. It's not the one I so lovingly picked out and slaved to pay for and slipped on his finger.

There has been some things better than others for instance we've decided to have another child so that been fun. he, he- bad, bad Jem.

I'm going to do a recap/recaps although not as detailed as many other brides since we didn't have the standard wedding with ceremony etc. so it will be a lot more compressed.

Stay tuned my lovlies and here's a little pic from our wedding day.

JEM.

Sorry for the hiatus.

2010-08-17T17:29:00.001-04:00

I'm kinda back. I've been MIA for a few reasons:

I needed a break, I was burnt out from wedding planning, reading about weddings, eating and sleeping wedding. I just needed a much deserved break.
Although we didn't go on our honeymoon (yet) my baby took the week after the wedding off and we made it a small family vacation, we went to the zoo, the beach, pennsylvania to hershey park. Really lame stuff but it felt so good to not have a schedule or timeline. And my little man had a blast having both mama and daddy for a whole week together.
I'm still waiting for my pictures to be ready. We didn't have a pro photog but my bro took our pics and I'm going to do the editing in photoshop. Wish me luck, i've already started.

I will try to start recaps first thing next week, so please bear with me. I still read all your posts and comment even though I haven't been posting anything. Thanks for all your lovely compliments about the photos I posted.

One major thing I did this week was to join Facebook. I finally caved and joined the masses and so far it's been really interesting. My hubby had to practically drag me off last night. Go figure...

JEM.

A sneak Peak.

2010-08-10T16:05:00.000-04:00

I don't have official pics back yet, of course but here are a few I got from my friend's camera. Just a teaser:

Our son wouldn't let go of his daddy so we had our pseudo ceremony with him.

My ladies were so gorgeous. See the crystal bouquets? My absolute favorite DIY project and wedding detail. My sister/MOH Sharon, cousin/BM Denise and cousin/BM Berthy. My other BM was so late that she couldn't even be in the ceremony. (That's another story). Anyway you'll hear all about it soon. Girl scouts honor.
JEM.

We DId It!!!

2010-08-08T11:46:00.000-04:00

We got married!!! It was great!!! and I'll tell you all about it later!!!!

JEM.

3 Days to go and this is what i'm wearing

2010-08-05T08:24:00.000-04:00

I've lost a total of 4 lbs. Count them 1,2,3,4. That's all it took for my dress to fit the way that I want it to. Don't get me wrong, I still have about 20 to go but for the purposes of me being bootylicious in my dress, yeah it works.

So this is all i'm wearing under my dress

I certainly don't need a bra since the ladies aren't fully grown yet or so it seems and my dress is so snug, that it acts as body hugging underwear. So that's it. Todo.

And just in case you need some more cute eye candy, this is what my hunk is wearing.

My 2 year old hunk, that is.
JEM.

5 More Days and the Weather's Fine

2010-08-03T08:22:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Mrs. Beever who clued me onto this really cool feature from, I signed up to receive my wedding weather updates the wedding week and I have to say that every day when I open my inbox, it looks better and better. This is what greeted me today (click to magnify)

Do you see Saturday, August 7th? 0% chance of precipitation. Zero people. How freakin cool is that? And on top of that, the day after, our parents thought we should get together for a little bbq at my sister's house. Again 0% chance of rain. The Gods are really smiling down on us aren't t they? The temperature is also going to be a very comfortable 82 degrees.

Considering the sweltering days we've been having here in NY, this is just beautiful. Hopefully our outdoor photo shoot will be gorgeous and no one will get too hot and bothered. One can only hope.
JEM.

8 Days to go!

2010-07-30T19:52:00.000-04:00

Can you believe we have only 8 DAYS TO GO?! I'm so happy/excited/scared/ jubilated etc. I don't know why, considering i'm already married but like I told you before, it was only 4 of us. Well 5 with my little person (my son).

Everything is falling nicely into place. I went to pay the final balance on my cake, actually my big sis did since she's gifting us our cake. I had a tasting. A little late I know but the guy had asked me to come back anytime because the day we placed the order, he was running around. I know what the cakes taste like cause we get all our cakes from that bakery. I still wanted a tasting though, to make everything official, you know. It was my big sis/MOH and cousin/BM and of course my 2 year old drill sergeant. We had red velvet with cream cheese and white cake with vanilla filling. My boy even got a butter less/milk less cookie with sprinkles (allergies). He wasn't too impressed though. My son is a very healthy eater. Even if he's unaware of it.

On another positive not, my chair covers came today. Thank goodness. I initially wasn't going to do anything but table linens but after I saw the chairs again, I couldn't get over their ivory green color. They just clashed with my color scheme.

I had received an email 2 days ago from UPS saying that they were having a delay due to flooring between Oregon and Illinois and I was seriously freaking out. But today when my buzzer went off and the man announced UPS, I could have kissed him. So now i'm 100 chair covers richer and one happy ~~married lady~~ bride to be.

I only have a few things to do like choreograph a simple dance for our first dance. Get my hair colored and relaxed etc. This should be interesting.

JEM.

A Really Great Place To Shop

2010-07-26T21:40:00.001-04:00

I've been looking for really good luggage for our semi honeymoon. We're going to Miami for one week to just lie on the beach and veg out. We'll be going on our official honeymoon next year in St. Lucia. Glorious St.Lucia. The set we have is black and very, very boring, plus it has snow stains.
Anyway I was introduced to CSN Stores recently when I was asked to do a promotion and now I browse their site all the time and found these awesome pieces of luggage. This one looked kinda cool. I know the mister would like it. He's really into the quiet earth tones. And the price is nothing to sneeze at. At only $93.99 and free shipping. I mean what more can you ask for? Seriously?

I however am all about the aqua. This one's $125 and again, shipping's on CSN. If this gets lost, then airport people are really incompetent. For real! Isn't she a beaut? I think i'll name her Lucky.

There are so many more colors and sizes and ranging from really affordable for the budget people like me and for those of you who absolutely have to have the bestest of the best, they can hook you up too. So if I were you, i'd really check out CSN Stores. All you future honeymooners, for real, go check them out.

JEM.

Almost There

2010-07-26T12:25:00.000-04:00

Countdown: 12 days

No. Invited: 116

Rsvp Yes: 90

Rsvps still missing: 3

and still lots of projects.
We made our final payment for our banquet hall and made all the arrangements for chairs, tables and flatware, stemware and dinnerware rentals. We were told that we cannot get to decorate the place until 11 am, the morning of and I think that leaves us enough time to get everything done. Our reception doesn't start till 7pm anyway.

I still have to

make half of my centerpieces (6)
complete sitting chart
make 40 more napkins
slightly alter one of my lady's dresses
iron napkins
make glitter monogram cake topper
make stand to hang faux-to-booth background
get trays for cocktail hour
pack up all the crap and label boxes to be taken to banquet hall day of
decorate bouquets with ribbon
find some better eye makeup
pick up stuff for baker to decorate our dessert buffet cakes

That's all I can remember but i'm pretty sure there'll be more after I consult my lists.

JEM.

More DIY Goodness- Programs

2010-07-22T18:14:00.000-04:00

Countdown: 16 days

No. Invited: 116

Rsvp Yes: 90

Rsvps still missing: 10

We're not having an official ceremony so the traditional programs are not exactly appropriate for us. However, i'd already started on my programs way back when and I really didn't want to just discard them (no waste here), so I kinda repurposed them to some sort of keepsake while still keeping guests in the know. Hence the reception program.

I used the same shimmery aqua card stock that I used for our invites to make a booklet. I found some glittery silver letters from Michael's but they only had 4 or 5 of each of our initials so I used the other letters and created Js and Es. As a result, they all look slightly different, which I really like. I found my inspiration from Jeana's programs from My Dream Ring now called My Dream Life..

I placed our "tears of joy packets" on the inside cover.

Since we didn't have official e-pics, I used our civil ceremony pics so our guests can get a glimpse of what took place.

I wrote up a little sum,sum for my sister in law to read during the pseudo-ceremony. You can click on it to see it better.

The "order of proceedings" is on the next page,

Another picture on the back

And on the back cover, our thanks.

Sorry about the lousy pic.

And that's our program.

JEM.

Our kids' tables will be rad,

2010-07-21T09:23:00.000-04:00

Countdown: 17 days

No. Invited: 116

Rsvp Yes: 84

Rsvp still missing: 14

at least as far as they're concerned. Way back when, I asked for opinions about whether to have kids at the wedding. I got very good feedback from all my darling followers with the general consensus being, "do what works for you."

We realized that so many of our guests would have trouble getting babysitters for their kids and some our guests practically begged us to have their kids so we caved. When we first made our guest list, we had 24 children under 10. That was hard to take in but now that we've received rsvps, we only have 16 children so I figure 2 tables of 8 each would be fine with someone supervising their tables.

I want them to have fun and be occupied so that their parents can have some fun. Unfortunately, our venue doesn't have another room where I could ~~throw~~ put them, so i'm going to just make a corner of the room theirs.

This is the little activity book and crayons that will be in each place setting.

There are puzzles and pictures to color,

they get to decorate a wedding cake.

and draw their own pictures of the bride and groom. One of the ideas that I, um ~~stole~~ borrowed. This one from Happily After All.

I found these really cute aqua/teal and white flower pencils at Micheal's. They were full length pencils that I cut in half and sharpened an end of each.

These are the centerpieces for their tables. I wrapped some ribbon around a plastic mayonnaise jar and stuck some shimmery butterflies (cut with my Martha Stewart punch) on them. I also stuck some of the little plastic diamonds on there too. I then wrapped the bottom of a tissue pom with a pipe cleaner and made a large flower. I stuck some other flowers and filler in the center and I was done. I'm going to weigh down the jar with sand or rocks.

During the dessert buffet, I really don't want these little things tripping up the adults so I decided that they'll be served first and made these little cupcake stands for them. They're from cake rounds that I stuck some ribbon around and the stands are styrofoam balls painted aqua.

Their cupcakes will be brought out before the dessert buffet is announced and we'll serve them some mini ice cream cones as well. That should take care of the little ~~buggers~~ darlings. They will also have their dinner served first, again offsetting the trample to the buffet. They'll have macaroni and cheese, french fries and chicken fingers. Which kid doesn't like that. I figured I wouldn't use our wedding to try to get people's kids eating their vegs. Plus the adult buffet will have vegs so if a parent is concerned, they can grab some for their kids.

I think that should keep the munchkins occupied for four hours or so, plus they can always come and party on the dance floor.

JEM.

Our pseudo-ceremony

2010-07-18T21:53:00.000-04:00

You guys know we had a civil ceremony and are having a reception August 7th right?

Well as far as i'm concerned, it's a wedding reception and will be treated as such. Our reception will be treated as if we just finished our ceremony and cocktail hour and just came in. We'll have cutting of the cake, first dance etc. The only difference is that we'll have a 10 minute pseudo- ceremony right at the very beginning. This is what I have in mind.
When we are announced and come in, our guests will throw petals on us. Those petals will be in the aqua cones that I made. Our DOH will pass them around right before our entrance.

Good Evening Ladies and Gentlemen

We are all here tonight to celebrate the very happy occasion of Jem and Mr. Muscle's marriage. As we all know they were married in a civil ceremony and I would like you to please join me in saying CONGRATULATIONS!

I think it’s fitting here as I’m sure you will agree that we commemorate their union with a few words.

Each of us knows that a marriage is not created by a law or a religion, but in the hearts of two human beings. It grows out of loving, caring, and sharing ourselves with another.

Marriage is a bold step into an unknown future. It is risking who we are for the sake of who we can be. In marriage, two lives are intimately shared; and the blending of the two must not diminish either one. Rather, it should enhance the individuality of each partner.

The lord works in mysterious ways and sometimes we look at our lives and wonder how we found this person who just seems to match us perfectly. Who is all we hoped to find in a life partner and we know it’s God’s hand at work and for this we are immensely grateful. Thank you Father.

Ladies and gentlemen let’s all bow our heads as we lift our hearts to God to thank him for this blessed occasion.

(Prayer inserted here.)

I know you must have done this in your civil ceremony but it can’t hurt to do it again.

Mr. Muscle, please kiss your bride.

Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. and Mrs. Muscle.

to which I expect lots of applause. Mr. Muscle's cousin is an almost pastor so he will be presiding. I decided to write everything because he said he was a little nervous and he would do it any way I wanted.

I again ~~stole~~ borrowed alot of this from Miss Fancy Pants. She found most of it online so I guess this came from a lot of different sources. I tweaked it and added a little here and there to make it my own. I ran it by Mr. Muscle and he seems to like it but then again it was during a yankee game so he may have just said that to get rid of me.

My SIL wanted to do a reading in the original ceremony so I thought she could still do it so I wrote something for her:
Love
You are born and cocooned by the love of your family
You then grow up and there comes a time when you shed that cocoon to seek a life partner
That's not to say that when you find that person, life is going to be perfect
Nothing is
But you will find someone who is matched to you in spirit and makes your heart sing
Someone who who you can't imagine your life without
Someone who you're drawn to even from across the word
And your heart rejoices
That is when you know you've found LOVE.
I ran it by Mr. Muscle and he seems to like it but then again it was during a yankee game so he may have just said that to get rid of me.

Either way, this is it.

JEM.

Ok back to Planning.

2010-07-15T17:26:00.000-04:00

I hope you guys don't think that in no way anything has changed. Well except that i'm now married, ha, ha. It's so cool to say that. Anyhoo, the plans are still in full swing for August 7th which leaves us 22 days. All our family and friends will be here except the most important. My dad who isn't well and my mom since my stepdad is very ill. They'll be with us in spirit and I want to do something that will involve them a bit.

My idea is to have them video tape a toast to us and we'll have our DJ play it at the reception. If I can't do it with a projector, i'll just play the sound. I won't listen to it or watch it beforehand so it'll be a surprise to us on the day. I think it's the best I can do. I love my parents so much and however I can incorporate them in our wedding, I will. My sister and brothers will be here so it won't be all bad.
JEM.

Big News Part 2. (Pic Heavy)

2010-07-14T17:44:00.001-04:00

We weren't sure when we should have our civil ceremony since as far as i'm concerned, our wedding date will always be August 7th. So we went to the court house to get our marriage license and just chose a random date - last Tuesday. Most people were at work so we asked Mr. M's sister and my cousin/best friend to be witnesses. The four of us and my son jumped in the car and drove down to Manhattan.

Once we got our license, I scoured the net for a dress and found this pretty ivory dress from David's Bridal for only $99. And most of you may remember my $14 aqua shoes.

I really didn't want to be too over the top because I didn't want anyone staring at me and wondering where I was going so I wore jeans and changed into my dress when we got there. I was so surprised to see people there in full wedding attire, veil and all and full entourage. Flower girl and bridal party.

Anyway Mr. Muscle wore a nice suit (although not the one we bought for the "real" wedding) and I think we looked pretty decent. The process was pretty clinical and if I didn't know that we would be having a celebration after, i'd be very disappointed and unhappy. You get there and present your info, license, ID and the form you're supposed to fill out; pay $35 and you're given a number.

We were then asked to wait till our number was called. We were called to another window where we presented all our info again and this time we were asked to sign the certificate. Our witnesses were also asked to sign. We were given another number and asked to wait again.

When we were called this time, we were told to wait in this little waiting area and my cousin turned to us and said "this is it guys, you are about to be married". I honestly didn't feel like I was getting married and crossing a threshold. As a matter of fact, I felt a little sad because it didn't feel very romantic. Most of our loved ones weren't there to see us getting married. Mr. Muscle saw how down I looked so he pulled me aside and told me he loved me (awwww) and said that we didn't have to do it if I didn't want to and we could do it after the celebration in August. I realized then that I was really marrying my darling and nothing else should matter.

I was still a little serious when we came back to sit. My cousin said she wanted the day documented, so she took as many pictures as possible although she didn't take us when we had our little chat because she said that was private.

Mr. M decided to cheer me up by doing some silly faces and then got up and started dancing. It really made me laugh and further cemented how much I love this guy. My son also joined in the dancing but those pictures got messed up. Don't ask me how.

Finally a lady came into the little waiting area yelling over her shoulder "left or right?" to which someone shouted out "right". I had no idea what that meant until she marched past us and went opened a door on the right which was our chapel.

She started rattling off the beginning of our "ceremony" before we even realized we had started. We then scrambled to get our rings out of my son's Thomas the Train bag and she didn't stop for a second. By the time we got the rings and were properly ready, it was time to place them on our fingers.

It was really awkward and our "officiant" really didn't help the matter. She just recited everything like it was her hundredth time (i'm sure that it was).

Then it was time to kiss. My cousin made some silly remark like careful this woman doesn't hit you or something like that and we started laughing, hence our faces looking like we were about to explode during our kiss.

Our son was running around the room the whole time and playing with his trains.
These are just some pictures we took while waiting to be called:

UNfortunately we didn't take any pictures outside because 1. my SIL got a call from her son's school and she had to go asap and 2. it was hot as a mother trucker last Tuesday.

The night after, we had a little get together for just family at our apartment and that was really fun. we had cake, beer, and of course chicken. We danced and sang and we really had a great time.

So there you have it, that's our story.

JEM.

My Big News!!!!!! PT1

2010-07-14T12:25:00.000-04:00

First of all, thanks al you lovely ladies for your congratulations. For those of you who've been following for a little while, you'll remember that I told you about my employment issues or lack thereof and that we had decided to downgrade our wedding. A bit.

The plan was to have a civil ceremony and then a reception later. So our reception was planned for August 7th, our original wedding date and invites were sent out stating that there'd been a slight change to the plans. I won 100 postcards for hosting a giveaway and used them to indicate the change in plans. The invitation wording basically announced our marriage and gave the details for the reception.

If you click on the image maybe you can read the wording. If you can't, it goes like this

Our names

are happy to announce our marriage and

invite you to join us to celebrate the beginning of our life

together at a cocktail reception

Saturday, August seventh two thousand and ten

Seven o'clock in the evening

Name of the place and address

So everything about the reception remains the same but we won't have an official ceremony before. Mr. Muscle's cousin who's a pastor in training will say a few words before the "partay" starts. So our plans really aren't changing that much we're still taking pictures in the same park that we would have been married in.

I'm sure some of you are thinking if we're going to do all that, why not just have a ceremony, well after all was said and done we would be paying almost $1000 for the ceremony with rentals, officiant fee, travel costs etc. so we just boycotted the whole idea. We went to City Hall in Manhattan and just did the deed. Stay tuned for part 2. Actually doing the deed.

Don't worry, I won't leave you hanging it'll be right after.

JEM.

25 Random Facts Award and Surprise...

2010-07-13T11:34:00.000-04:00

I received this award back from Dancy of Beer Budget Bride's Musings and I just love it. he, he

1. I was born in St.Lucia where the population is about 300,000. That's like the number of people living

in my building in the Bronx (just kidding) and no everybody doesn't know everybody.

2. I love peanut butter and cheese sandwiches. I know, yum!

3. I used to swear like a sailor but stopped when I became a mommy, well sort of. I may still let one slip when my son is out of earshot.

4. I can't hold my liquor so I don't drink anymore. Although I plan to drink more than my fair share at my wedding.

5. Surprisingly I never smoked weed/ganga/spliff/chronic/grass (you get the drift) but I did smoke

cigarettes for 6 months. It got old, so I stopped, since it was all about image.

6. I lived in Toronto for 5 years where I graduated at Seneca College. It's such a beautiful, polite and friendly city. Now I live in NY. Enough said. ha, ha

7. Mr. Muscle is Jamaican but I speak better Jamaican patois than him.

8. I got a degree in Hospitality Studies, changed my mind and got a degree in Accounting then became

an office assistant. Now I want to be David Tutera. Go figure.

9. I've become so enamored with wedding planning and DIY projects that I'm going to get certified in

wedding planning. See 8

10. I climbed St. Lucia's 2nd tallest mountain. Twice. Although not on the same day. This is me at the top. It's the shorter mountain you see in the picture in number 1. My skinnier days.

11. Like a lot of my fellow bloggers, I want to write a book and started a few times. The closest I ever got was writing one full chapter about men and sex. well mostly men and sexual encounters. Both imagined and real. Ha, ha. I settled on writing poetry and had a notebook full of poems.

12. I lost said book of poetry, all novels, old text books, clothes, and basically all my stuff from Toronto when my ex roommate decided to hold them hostage or whatever the hell she did when I moved back to St.Lucia. I had planned to have them shipped to me after. She refused to send them and I really didn't think a trip to Toronto to try to find a few material things was worth it at the time. Plus i'd probably have to bust a cap in her ass. Just kidding. Remember kids, violence is not the answer.

13. I love, love the sea, beach, ocean, water and Mr. Muscle is the exact opposite. Sometimes I wonder if he really came from Jamaica.

14. People say that after a couple has been together for a while, they start to look like each other. Just look at Mr. M and I. See a resemblance?

15. Between Mr. Muscle and I, we have 8 parents. Both of our parents divorced and remarried. My son gets a hell of a lot more presents at christmas and birthdays from his Nana, Grandma, Granny and Ms. Paulette; his Papa, Granpa, Uncle Tony (don't ask) and Daddy.

16. I was an elementary school teacher for 4 years and loved it but when the school politics tok over, it became very unenjoyable, so I quit and flew to Canada.

17. My cousin/best friend and I once bussed to Montreal for Jazz Festival and tried to speak French the whole time. Needless to say people were staring at us like we were crazy since our french wasn't french after all. It was hilarious. Oui, oui monsieur.

18. A a teenager and in my early 20s, I had the thickest eyebrows ever and refused to have them done. Don't believe me?

19. My maiden name is my mom's maiden name for some reason and she's remarried and has her husband's name. So my last name isn't either of my parent's name. It raises some eyebrows when I fill out family info on forms. Some people must think I was a foster kid or adopted.

20. I would love to move to North Carolina. I know after living in NY, it will be a much slower and laid back pace but that's really what I want right now. I think.

21. When I was little, I had shirley Temple curls and especially hated when little old ladies said I was so cute. I wanted straight hair like my sisters but my mom wouldn't hear of it.

22. My son is named Anthony and if I have a daughter, i'll either name her Teresa Lyzette after my and Mr. Muscle's mother. Or i'll just name her Skyla cause I love that name.

23. I just might make it. Almost at 25.

24. I have huge news for you. Coming soon.Wait for it.

25. WE GOT MARRIED! YES WE DID! Now you HAVE to come back for my next post.

Thanks again Dancy for starting this post and now i'll pass this award on to:

Jacin of She Said Yes
Frugalista of Frugalista Getting Married
Ms. Sunday of Sunday Bride
Tamar of The 2500 Mile Wedding
Erica of Love at eh Lodge
Tova of The Tova 100 Song ADD fun hour
Leigh of All you need is Love
Penga
Sara of Olive Wedding

The only rule is to pass it on to however many people you like.

JEM.

Congratulations Frugalista

2010-07-11T00:12:00.002-04:00

Today Frugalista is getting married and I would just like to wish her and MJ the best wedding day ever. I know you'll be a beautiful bride and your handsome groom will complete the package. Congratulations again.

JEM.

Inspiration

2010-07-03T22:37:00.000-04:00

This post was inspired by Dancy from Beer Budget Musings. She started this random thoughts blog posting which was hilarious by the way and a few other bloggers have joined in the fun. So I decided to take it a step further and actually create an award for it before I jot down my random 25 things. I got to tinkering with Word and Grab and came up with this pretty little thing.

So without further ado, I pass this on to the lady who started it all. Dancy.
The only rule is you now pass it on. It doesn't matter to how many people. I see that a few other ladies have already listed theirs so it should be easy to get the ball rolling. I hope it comes back to me (hint, hint). Then I can list my 25 randoms. Thanks Dancy!
JEM.

CSN GC Winner

2010-06-27T19:22:00.000-04:00

I completely goofed on my CSN giveaway draw. I am happy to announce that the winner is Lilian of Nu Flaiir who said that she hosted a CSN giveaway a few days ago. I guess what goes around comes around. Good things anyway. If and when you read this, please contact me so I can get your info.

I did go to random.org and plugged in my numbers but neglected to post the winner with the full intention of doing so the day after the draw. However since my oldest nephew graduated from high school, we've been running around planning his bash and i've only come up for air today.

Here's a pic of him and his mom (my sister) I think he's in training for a toothpaste commercial.

My sister and I. I know the sun's glare made me look like I had a large bald spot on the side of my head. For whatever reason, we both decided to wear black but I had to add a little aqua in my shoes and clutch.

This is my little munchkin, isn't he adorable all decked out? Although he doesn't look too happy after his nap was cut short.That's my Mr. Muscle standing next to him btw. Me and my great photography skills cut his head off. Sorry hunny boo. It was sooooo hot that Mr. Muscle went back home to change into a short sleeved shirt.

And here's one of just me, I was vogueing big time. Again with the sun created balled spot. I guess bad photography must run in the family because this one was taken by my sister.

Once again, congratulations Nu Flaiir and please get in touch with me to claim your gift certificate.

JEM.

DJ horror!

2010-06-24T08:59:00.000-04:00

"5,10,15,20,25,30,35,40 hundred stab, thousand jook". If you're confused, then you have every right to be. That first sentence (if you can call it that) is actually the way a song starts and guess what, it's one of the songs my DJ was going to play at my wedding. Apparently it's not a violent song, the stabbing and jooking going on is supposed to have a sexual connotation. Now this would almost be funny if it wasn't my wedding. I can just see Grandpa dancing to this one.

My ex SIL's (used to be married to my brother) new husband is our DJ friendor - as in vendor we're not paying. He did a really god job at a wedding that I went to in January so when my ex SIL offered as their wedding present, I was thrilled. But when I had them over and asked him to bring his laptop so that we could just run through a "Play" and "Don't Play" list. Most of his songs ended up on my "Don't Play" list. So now with the 3, 876,432.1 things already on my TO-DO list, i've now added create reception playlist.

I figure I could give him some leeway with the cocktail hour and the other music like for first dance, cutting of the cake etc. are already in the bag. If he plays some crazy song during the cocktail hour, most people won't notice with all the talking, eating and mingling but the reception is another story.

So now I have to go rifling through my old CD collection; my itunes library; and ask my brother and nephew for the latest music. I don't what's out there now considering the only time I listen to the radio is in the car and it's usually "The wheels on the bus go round and round", thanks to my little man or the current Yankees game thanks to Mr. Muscle.

Sigh, the joys of being the 'little woman' and the mommy.

JEM.

I lost one.

2010-06-23T15:34:00.004-04:00

What the heck? Today I noticed that I had one less follower. I'm not sure who it was because I have quite a few followers who have no pictures and rarely ever comment. I don't know why someone would stop following me but I hope it's not something I said.

I have to say I absolutely love blogging and love reading comments from fellow bloggers and I in no way ever want to offend anyone. It can be totally innocent and the person who dropped out did so for their own reasons, but it does kinda burn when that happens because it makes you feel like a friend has stopped talking to you. Waa-waa, come back, i'll be good, I pwo-mise...
JEM.

To the people who still love me, please don't forget to enter my CSN giveaway here.

Another Giveaway

2010-06-21T23:02:00.000-04:00

I have another giveaway for you my darling readers. This one is from CSN Stores. I told you about their stores yesterday and now i'm going to help one lucky winner start their shopping spree with them by giving you a $20 gift certificate.

You can put your gift card towards something more expensive or you can get something like:

This great Tote for $17.79 or these adorable cow collection for $20.

This cute little coin purse for $10 Or tealight holder for $16.01

This garment bags for the Mister's suit or your dress for 18.89 and antique gold candle holder for $18

or maybe this cute little set for a little cutie for $14.40

this really cool candle holder for $15

There are so many other uses that you can put your gift certificate to.
Here is the only very simple entry requirement.

You have to be a follower to partake. Simply enter by leaving a comment and a way to contact you. Easy peasy. This giveaway will be open till friday June 25th. Good luck ladies .
JEM.

CSN Stores Sneak Peek

2010-06-20T09:42:00.000-04:00

I recently went to the CSN website after being contacted by them and let me tell you that I was so blown away. The have over 200 stores selling pretty much everything that your little heart can desire. As soon as the wedding is over, I know i'll need another project and making over my home seems like a great enough project. I'll probably start with the master bedroom and include a really great bed from their collection of amazing beds and bedroom furniture.

CSN stores has everything, I'm talking furniture, Home Decor, Baby and kids,Shoes and Bags and so so many other things.
Here are some of the things i've been eyeing:

And a little something for myself:

This pretty clutch is only $35.99 You should really check them out. I think you'll be very pleased. Their prices are great and there's free shipping on so many items.

And if i'm feeling really nice, I may just giveaway something from one of the CSN stores. Stay tuned.

JEM.

Another One

2010-06-18T09:53:00.000-04:00

We are down to 1 month and 20 days to our wedding and i'm knocking down projects left and right. Being unemployed has it's advantages. Lots of time for DIY projects.
So you remember we downgraded our wedding a bit and decided to got he City Hall route and have a reception for friends and family. Well although i'm not knocking a civil ceremony, it really isn't that personal or romantic so we (mostly me) decided that we should have a mini ceremony right there in the banquet hall before the party starts. So we;ll have our legal ceremony at City Hall and our romantic one at our banquet hall.

I kinda still wanted to incorporate wedding things into it but didn't want to decorate too much so I got some white rose petals from Deals and I had a whole lot of aqua paper left so I made some cones for my petals.

I printed labels from Avery address labels with our names and wedding date and stuck them on. I think i'll put 2 on each table and guests can toss them.

This is what the paper looked like after I cut them out. I didn't throw them out just thinking that I could find a use for them.

I had a eureka moment when I saw this at Michael's yesterday. A butterfly stamp on sale for $7. How could I say no.

Look at my lovelies. Since I won't have my diamond confetti, I can scatter paper butterflies on the tables.

This is what the papers looked like when I was done with them, I think now I can throw them out. Maybe.
With just a little imagination, you can find uses for just about anything. I'm very happy with my cones and butterflies.

So whadya think?

JEM.

Drink Up

2010-06-18T09:17:00.000-04:00

I really don't like the idea of disposables at a wedding but since our wedding is going to be self catered, we decided that at least the cocktail hour would have disposables. We'll rent real dishes for everything else. Also the champagne glasses that will be used for all of 5 minutes will also be disposable.

However there's no question that the guests of honor (US) have to have gorgeous flutes. Enter my freebie from Macy's Sip and Scan Event. Among other things, Macy's gave me a set of champagne flutes as a 'Thank you' for coming. Of course they had to have their darn star on them.

Although I have really great flutes at my house that we could have used, (I really didn't want personalized ones) I thought it would be a great idea to do something with these, you know spruce them up a bit. After all, I figured if I messed them up, it wouldn't be my expensive crystal ones that we have at home. So I pulled out my trusty glue gun and some diamond confetti crystals. I had planned on scattering the diamond confetti on our tables instead os using petals but since we have white satin overlays, you can barely see the crystals so I decided to repurpose them. I also used some crystal beads and one aqua one and made a little bracelet type thing for the bottom. This is what the glasses look like now:

There are those friggin stars again. I tried to find ways online to remove etching but I learnt that it's on pretty much for life. I don't quite know yet what i'll do about them. As much as I didn't want personalization, i'll probably end up sticking a rhinestone smack dab in the center of that star and adding crystal initials on each side of the star to downplay it. After all, I don't think our guests will be peering really closely at our flutes. I can't honestly say i've ever noticed anyone's flutes (besides my sister's) and i've been to countless weddings. And if they do, oh well.

Close up:

and closer still.
Maybe i'll post a pic again when it's completely done. If I decide to do anything that is.

JEM.

Shameful Pitch

2010-06-17T22:23:00.000-04:00

I know, I know, it's shameful for asking people to nominate me but it would really be nice to win. Maybe in the DIY category. he, he.
Weddingchannel.com is having their annual blog awards and it's open to brides and blogs/bloggers. If you like a blog (not necessarily mine) and you want to nominate it, go here you can. You can read all the details there too. A blog can be nominated more than once so go ahead and nominate to your heart's content. Thanks so much.

JEM.

DIY Napkins Revisited

2010-06-16T09:23:00.001-04:00

Way back when I had no followers or maybe 1 or 2, I mentioned here that I would be attempting DIY napkins. Cloth napkins. Well fast forward 7 months and ta-daaaaa...

these are my aqua napkins that only Mr.Muscle and I will use.

these white ones are for the bridal party

and the rest of the guests will have these turquoise ones. I actually thought that I was getting aqua when I ordered these table runners that I converted into napkins. I tried them on the table and I kinda like the slightly different shades.

I also made the napkin rings from toilet paper/paper towel rolls and ribbon. Tutorial can be found on my DIY page. Damask for us so we they can stand out a little. Aqua for bridal party and white for other guests.

The centerpiece has evolved as well. It's still flowerless but I've decided that the aqua boxes would be aqua overkill. Will post the new centerpieces when I've completed a prototype.

The kids are having all disposables in aqua and white.

JEM.

Invitation(s) Revealed!!!

2010-06-11T09:08:00.000-04:00

I have to say that I love, love, love my invites. They took forever to make but I'm very happy with how they turned out. First I must tell you that I have 2 invitations and by that I mean 2 different invitations for the same wedding. I know you're probably confused so let me explain. Initially I planned on making only 32 invitations for our 60 guests and one extra to keep for us. When our guest list expanded to 101 people, I had no choice but to make more but at some point, I just got tired and decided that all the out-of-town guests would get slightly different invitations.

This is my pretty. She's actually called Tiffany. The pictures truly don't do her justice. I think it's my camera. She's made from metallic aqua lagoon card stock. I printed our initials in Chopin script on strips of linen paper and hot glued black rhinestones as the dots with a square aqua stone in the center.

Close-up. I really suck at taking these photos.

This is the inside. Notice my butterflies? The invitation measures 10 X 7 and when folded, measures 5X7.

This is the back with the little pocket I made using aqua lagoon and embossed metallic silver shimmery card stock.

This is the back with my RSVP card tucked nicely
inside.

Side view.

This is the second invitation that I made.

I called her Baby Tiffany. As you can see here, the name strip is missing as well as the black rhinestones. I added the aqua square stone for some bling. The inside and the back is the same as the other one.

As mentioned before, I made these mostly for our out-of-town guests who were late to be added to the guest list. I also sent them to people overseas who I know won't be coming but want an invitation anyway. So in total, I made 45 of the original Tiffany and 10 Baby Tiffany invitations. I love them so much, I kinda felt sad sending them away.

So there you have it folks, my babies are out there and will hopefully be delivered by Friday, Saturday or early next week. Then the RSVPs can come rolling in. I hope. I'm so excited about that part. I just hope people send them back and I don't have to call everyone. Or else.

What do you think?

JEM.

Invites Are Off

2010-06-10T20:33:00.000-04:00

O.M.G. Whew, I can't tell you how relieved I am and nervous all at the same time. My invitations are finally out there and I am so relieved that they're done and over. Yet, this makes it so real and people are now going to look for clothes and arranging for sitters and transportation and hair appointments etc. all for us. It makes me nervous that we now have to deliver, big time.

So onto the good stuff. These are what my babies looked like when I handed them over to the very nice post-office lady yesterday.

I used AA7 Pearl White Metallic Envelopes, 5 1/4 X 7 1/4 from Paper and More. My wedding cake stamp looked very pretty all by its self. You see that cute little butterfly. I did it. I got a stamp from Michael's in the dollar bin.

See the word soar on there. Yeah that got cut off. I just took an exacto knife and cut the rubber part with the word off the stamp. I then mixed up some paint, yes paint not ink. I used the same paint that I used for my bathroom baskets. I didn't have a stamp pad so I just spread the paint onto a piece of felt and used that. Surprisingly enough, I didn't smudge any envelopes.

I also made return labels from leftover card stock and more shimmery program paper.

I wanted to post the actual invitations here but I realized that would make the post too long so i'll do it another post. They were a labor of love and I want to give them their own spotlight. Don't worry, I won't keep you hanging. It will come up right after.
JEM.

Let's Toss It...

2010-06-08T21:01:00.000-04:00

or not. We haven't decided if we're doing the bouquet and garter toss yet. I was all against it but Mr. Muscle kinda wants to surprisingly. Well he hasn't exactly said so but he mentioned it which if you know him, is kinda the same thing. Since we're having crystal bouquets, chances are that someone will end up in the hospital if I throw one of them so I will have to come up with another bouquet. Probably one made from silk flowers, maybe all white roses.

The garter however is another story. I definitely want a garter, even if we don't do the the whole (oral sex simulation) thing. At least I can surprise my groom on our wedding night because let's face it ladies, I'm getting laid on my wedding night, exhausted or not. I had some left over aqua fabric from my ring pillows, flower/bubble baskets, and DIY napkins projects so I thought why not make my own garter. And so I did:

here's my cutie in all her glory. I know it looks like a scrunchie here but it's large enough to fit way up on my thigh. Tutorial on DIY page.

What do you think, are you doing or did you do the bouquet and garter toss?

JEM.

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

2010-06-07T15:33:00.000-04:00

Wheeeeeeeeee! Wheeeeeeeee! We got a package today and guess what was in it. Oh my goodness, our first wedding present arrived today. When ~~my new best friend~~ the UPS man buzzed my apartment, I was kinda confused as to what it could be since I wasn't expecting anything. Well he got upstairs and placed the box in my hot little hands and I hurriedly signed. I looked the box all over but only saw a from address, no name.

Well then folks, I opened the brown shipping box and look what greeted me. This beautiful box.

In case you didn't see it closely enough.

I was so impatient, I started ripping through the ribbon before I remembered you ladies and kinda put the ribbon back on to take the pictures. That's why you see it a little messed up here.

When I opened that pretty, this is what lay inside.

Tiffany crystal candlesticks. I was so excited to get something off our registry that I never even remembered to look for a card. It was only when I called Mr. Muscle at work screaming into the phone, he asked me who it was from and then duh I looked for a card.

It turned out to be one of my friends who will not be here for the wedding because her extended family made plans for a reunion in Spain this summer. I was so touched. She is so generous. Aren't they gorgeous?

I have a Tiffany registry with like only 4 items and that's what she chose from, inspite of my Target and Macy's registries. Gotta love her. Thanks S, even if you know nothing of this blog.

JEM.

Oh My Goodness My First Wedding Dream - Not Good

2010-06-06T12:31:00.000-04:00

Source: Google Images

I remember reading about other bloggers' dreams and I have to say that I felt that I was immune to it. I even thought that these other bloggers were maybe somehow or the other not handling their thoughts well and they overflowed into dreams.

Well let me tell you something fellow bloggers, forgive me for even thinking that because last night I joined your ranks. I woke up sweating and even my cheeks were wet and I rarely ever cry. The dream, or rather nightmare - was horrible.

I didn't dream about the ceremony. It was all the reception, if you could call it that. I never once saw my groom throughout the whole dream. He was just somehow there at one time.

First my reception was in some sort of basement place. We had to go down some stairs from the ground floor to get to it which was a little hole in the wall with no windows.

I walked down those stairs by myself without being announced for some reason and no one noticed. Everyone was just walking or sitting around doing their own thing. Someone then told me to go back out/up and we would be announced. I went back up the stairs and me and my groom, who was somehow there but who I didn't see were announced by my brother. He (my brother) was dressed in jeans, t-shirt and a fishing hat. He announced us as his kids (meaning he said his kids names) and not ours. Someone shouted out newlyweds and he then said the newlyweds and our names and went back into whatever hole he had come from. No one clapped or anything.

Then we got into the room and the linen was all ivory and salmon and stained. No aqua in sight. The centerpieces were a large plastic cups/tumblers with dollar store items in it. I mean not pretty dollar store items but stuff like straws, blow-out toys and just a whole lot of crap.

I vagely recognized some of the people there but none were my actual guests except my sister/MOH who kept trying to reassure/placate me. There was no cake and I was told that it was still at home along with the linens and everything else. Why, I don't know. Everywhere I turned something was missing or wrong.

The dream ended with me saying F it, that I was going home to get all my stuff and I didn't care who liked it. Mind you, it was already 8pm by then and reception was supposed to end at 11 and my sister kept trying to tell me that it was pointless and that by the time I got back, it would be time to leave. I was adamant however until something woke me up. I think it was my son.

I am rreasured though that this won't happen for real because with the number of lists and timelines that i've drawn up, even if I forget something, hopefully someone else will remember.
This reminded me of when I was pregnant and dreamed I was having cats. ha, ha
Has anyone had THE nightmare yet or was it a beautiful dream?
JEM.

Bicoastal Bride is getting hitched

2010-06-04T11:18:00.000-04:00

Heather over at Bicoastal Bride is getting married today and I wish her and her hubby to be (very shortly) the very best day. We know form her blog how much work and effort has gone in today and i'm sure you will join me in congratulating her and wishing her the very best. Congratulations honey!

JEM.

The stars are aligning

2010-06-02T16:54:00.000-04:00

Today I took one completed invitation to the post office to be weighed. Guess how much it costs? A whopping $0.61. What are the odds that they'd be the exact cost of the stamps that I already bought.

While I was still employed, I went to the post office to mail a package for my then boss and saw these cute wedding cake stamps for which I promptly purchased hoping that my invitations wouldn't need any more than that. I also bought the wedding rings stamp for the rsvp.

Everything is exactly right, not under, not over. Apparently the stars are aligning for me. Even if it's just this once.
If they had cost anymore that, I would have bought these beauties:

Invitations will be revealed soon. I'm mailing hopefully on Saturday so all will be revealed.
What stamps did you use?
JEM.

Bathroom Boxes anyone?

2010-05-31T22:15:00.000-04:00

At this point, I just don't want o keep buying more material for wedding craft projects, especially if I can't justify the purchase or know what i'm going to do with it after the wedding. But I really wanted bathroom baskets. I can't tell you how many weddings i've been to where someone spilled something, ripped something, got an unexpected period or didn't plan very well for menstrual issues (ladies you know what I mean. So when I first heard about bathroom baskets, I thought the originator of this idea has to be brilliant as hell.

I however didn't want to buy 2 baskets that I probably not use again. I already have baskets galore at home but none at the right size or shape. Enter my boxes. I found these boxes for $1.99 from Michael's a long time ago and I bought them just because. I do that a lot.

I also had some paint form one of my 2 year old's craft projects but it was too blue. It was royal blue so I bought a small bottle of yellow acrylic pint for $59 and got to mixing, until I got the perfect aqua shade.

I swear it turned out perfectly. The boxes are very sturdy and kinda feel like wood. I then headed to my nearest CVS and stocked up on all those travel size toiletries? I also had some stuff that I had bought before so without further ado, here are my bathroom boxes. Well one of them anyway with all basically the same stuff that all the other bloggers have mentioned before.

I then sanded down 2 glassy brown 5x7 picture frames that I had but was not using and painted them white. I printed my little quote on a 5x7 shimmer piece of card stock and voila.

You can click on any of the images to see them better. And remember my little "butterflies that I didn't know what to do with? Well that's 2 down. About 23 to go. And in case you can't read what written in the bathroom sign:

Should you happen to get in a bind
A rip, a tear or of the spilling kind

Take what you need and leave the rest
so it can be used by another guest

Clean up, spruce up, and you're done
now hurry back and enjoy the fun

As always, if you need the tutorial, please click on my DIY link at the top of my page.
JEM.

We've decided...

2010-05-28T10:02:00.000-04:00

to downgrade. A bit. So remember my last rant about our predicament? I want to thank you guys so much for your support. In spite of never having met any of you, it's amazing how much your support means to me. I felt so much better after reading all your comments.

Anyways, Mr. M and I had a talk and discussed our options:
1. We could postpone our wedding until our financial situation changes - (wah, wah, wah)
2. We could cut our guest list down dramatically
3. We could have a civil ceremony and a cocktail reception.

Option 1 was the least desirable one for me since I really want to get married now. Not just because of all the plans and projects done but I want to move on with my life. I want to get pregnant sometime this year, you see i'm 34 yrs old and I really don't want to be pregnant after 35. (personal choice.) We own a Co-op now but I want to buy a house. I don't want to be saving for a wedding a year from now or God forbid, even longer.

Option 2 was not practical since we sent out STDs and I think it's just plain rude to tell some people that they couldn't come and that we were cutting them out of the guest list, plus everyone on our guest list is special to us.

If you guessed that we went with option 3 ding, ding, ding. You're right. We decided that it was the best option for us. That way we won't lose our deposits on our venue (since we're self-catering), DJ, Baker etc. I'm so relieved and honestly a little calmer. I was seriously worried about trying to squeeze $1 out of 50 cents. There is so much less pressure now. I can still use almost everything that we already have. I will have to change a few things around but I won't need to get anything new or different per se. Mr. Muscle felt so bad for making me feel bad that I started to feel bad (ha, ha). He kept calling every few hours while at work yesterday to see if I was ok that I had to start reassuring him. I told him that it was ok and we would talk when he got home last night and we did. I have a really good man who does really dumb things sometimes but I still love him. He's my hunny boy.

So all's well in the JEM household. Our plans continue and i'll keep you abreast about my cocktail reception plans. Thanks again lovely ladies and oh I told him that all my blogger friends were mad at him and he said to apologize for him and that he's an ass. I swear those were his words. lol

JEM.

2 Posts in 1 Day

2010-05-25T23:50:00.000-04:00

I'm so f-ing mad.. You will never believe what Mr. Muscle did. So you know about my job (or lack thereof) situation, right? Well we've talked about it and decided - or at least that's what I thought - that if I didn't get a job by the 2nd week in June, sadly we would have to postpone since that's when I wanted to send out invites.

Well anyway, Mr. Muscle decided to take it upon himself and tell practically everyone that the wedding was off until further notice. It's only May 25th and I know June is almost here but it's not the deadline yet. Now today my Dad who is not in the greatest health is not going to be coming from St.Lucia to the wedding. It saddens me but I understand. Today when I told him about possibly postponing, he said he would pay the balance of our venue cost. That was our biggest issue. Everything else is almost done or practically paid for. That basically solves things and here is my darling fiance telling people the wedding's off.

I'm fuming now. Now he feels that he can't go back and tell them it's back on. Like it's somehow embarrassing to do so. He even told his groomsmen and says that the people may have made alternate plans already. WTF???!!! At this point I don't care who can or cannot come. I just want this wedding over. He says he still wants to marry me of course but we have to do it right. What does that mean. No, we have to do it the way we want to.
I'm sorry about this rant but I just really needed to vent. Thanks y'all.

JEM.

So Much

2010-05-25T17:54:00.000-04:00

I'm still here everyone. With just about 2 months to go, there's still a lot to be done and i'm trying to get to the point where the last two weeks are pretty much for relaxing (ha). Seriously i'm hoping to be done with all projects at least 2 weeks before.

I'm working on so many things right now and will post them once i'm done. Here's a little teaser.

What is that and what is it used for, you ask? Stay tuned. Tomorrow you'll find out.

TTFN,
JEM.

Winner of Uprinting Giveaway...

2010-05-23T00:34:00.000-04:00

is none other than Heather at Bicoastal Bride who said "We would use them to send out cute post-wedding postcards to our guests as a fun way to share pictures and thank them for coming! " Congratulations honey. Have fun creating your postcards.

I had 18 entries to the Uprinting giveaway and I thank everyone for entering.

JEM.

Gifting my Peoples.

2010-05-21T11:02:00.001-04:00

Since none of my wedding party know about this blog, I don't have to shoo anyone away.
All members of wedding parties have to spend money from their own pockets. Even when the dresses are bought for them, they still may need to get their hair done or nails etc. Not that it's required for our wedding but most people feel the need to look their best.

The boys in our party were asked to wear a black suit because we figured that most guys already have a black suit but 2 of them still need to get one. So I think regardless of what the dress code or style is , there will be some spending going on. Plus you choose the people closest to you whom love and who love you and if you're lucky you may even get them to help you with some of your projects. Not in my case since all my ladies live far, far away.

Anyway, to show our appreciation for them just being there to stand with us we got them a little sum' sum'...

The two black boxes are from Zales and the third box is you guessed it Tiffany & Co.

Sorry about the picture orientation. I tried to change it but it wouldn't work. These are the cufflinks for the gents. They're sterling silver with gold edges. I was able to get the on clearance after christmas at Zales. All in all, I paid something like $17 for them. I also had a $50 coupon they had given me when I had made a previous purchase for my mom. They're gorgeous and I know those gentlemen will love them.

The second box contains my MOH necklace. The pictures don't look very good and don't do them justice. I wanted to get her something a little different from the BMs. It's also sterling silver and came from Zales.

This is the BMs' necklace. Don't let the Tiffany Box fool you. They ain't from Tiffany. I got them from a site called Jewelry TV. They were really a great price. They too are sterling silver and I paid only $12 for each. I used coupons here as well. I had these Tiffany boxes from presents from the FH. Actually only 2 of them. A friend gave me the other one.

The ladies at Zales were nice enough to wrap the men's gifts in silver paper. They also gave me some very "manly" black ribbon to tie them but i'll use some aqua ribbon to co-ordinate with our colors. That should make the guys happier. lol

I also took advantage of a sale at Ann Taylor for my ladies. I got Almond Vanilla Warm Fig body lotion and body mist. Unfortunately I only found the one type. It might actually be a good thing since no one will say that they would have preferred the other person's type/flavor/scent. I got them for 3 for $10 and I stocked up.

I wanted to get monogram totes to put them in but that may not happen. I'll find some cute gift bags and tissue and whip up a cute little presentation for the ladies. The guys' gifts came with Zales gift bags so that's taken care of.

And with that, i'm done with gifts.

1 more day for my giveaway , enter here for 100 postcards.

JEM.

2 More days...

2010-05-20T22:09:00.001-04:00

...no not till the wedding. I still have 80 something days for that - thank goodness. What i'm talking about is my Uprinting giveaway. It ends on May 22nd, in 2 days. Click here to enter.

You get:

100 4 x 6 Postcards for One (1) Winner

Paper Stock: 14pt Cardstock Gloss

Specifications: Full Color Both Sides; 3 Business

Days Turnaround

Shipping: FREE UPS Ground Shipping

Eligibility: Limited to US Residents only

Good luck!

JEM.

Progress in the Jem Wedding Workshop

2010-05-18T19:45:00.002-04:00

Another one down ladies. I bought some parasols a while back from save-on-crafts and was very happy with the quality. There were no rips, or stains or any of the other problems that i've heard from other brides. (Thank God)

As pretty as I thought they were, I still wanted to spruce them up a bit. With all the gorgeous parasols - complete with tutorials - floating around in the blog world, I didn't see why I shouldn't. So without further ado these are my parasols:

I'm having 4 ladies (now) so I decided to give each of them a letter spelling out the most important word, which is the reason for us having a wedding day after all.

That's a train track in the back there. My little engineer wouldn't let me move them out of the way to take the picture.

And the piece - de - resistance:

I'm totally in love with them. The aqua one I did with a stencil that I made in Microsoft Word. The print looks a little small but I assure you it looks amazing. I just winged the white ones freehand.

The tops don't look so great with the unpainted wood and all so i'll paint them with some white acrylic paint or wrap it with some ribbon or maybe i'll use the leftover strip of feather boa. I'll play around with them and see what works best. Otherwise done!

Don't forget to enter my giveaway for 100 free postcards from Uprinting.

JEM.

Siiiiiigggggghhhhhhhh...

2010-05-17T19:43:00.001-04:00

Remember my post about adding another bridesmaid and therefore a "partner" groomsman to the wedding party? Well my FSIL, the bridesmaid who was added, has now informed me that she is pregnant and that although she's only 2 months along she knows she'll be too sick to be in the wedding.

Although I totally understand and feel for her, it does kinda put me in a bind. If you recall, we initially had a MOH, BM and 3 BMs and GM each. Another reason why it's never good to make decisions based on what other people want. My FSIL and I are not that close and although I like her, she was not high on my wedding party list. My other FSIL who's Mr. Muscle's half sister is. When we chose the original wedding party, Mr. Muscle was fine with it until the other FSIL said she was moving back to NY and all of a sudden we had to include her according to my sister and FH.

As you can guess, this created a few problems:

We had to get another groomsman to be her partner
I had to create another bouquet and bout when I thought I was already done, adding to the DIY list
Then I had to rethink the whole dress decision because I had already bought 3 and that dress was discontinued so I couldn't find a 4th
Since we're self catering, I had all the special glasses and square dishes for the head table for 8 people. When it changed to 10, that was squashed.
I had to get another bridesmaid and groomsman gift
I had to get another parasol and if you know what Save-on-crafts shipping is, you know it's a pain in the patootie
blah blah blah blah...

Needless to say, i'm not a happy camper and i'm definitely not going to replace her. But that leaves me with an extra groomsman. So what do I do now, un-ask the last groomsman? Do I just let it be with 5 men and 4 women? I don't know what to do now. This is not what I want to be dealing with now. Help!!!!

Don't forget to enter my giveaway for 100 free customizable postcards from Uprinting.
JEM.

Yay I have a Giveaway for You!

2010-05-12T21:19:00.006-04:00

Since I love you guys so much and you're my BFFs, I have a great giveaway for you. It's from Uprinting.

They have very kindly agreed to let me give to one of my darling readers 100 ( yes count them) 100 postcards that you can use whichever way you want. Consider using them as:

Thank You cards, Save The Dates, Invitations or to promote/advertise a new or existing business. The possibilities are endless. Well not endless but quite plentiful. Here are the specs:

100 4 x 6 Postcards for One (1) Winner

Paper Stock: 14pt Cardstock Gloss

Specifications: Full Color Both Sides; 3 Business

Days Turnaround

Shipping: FREE UPS Ground Shipping

Eligibility: Limited to US Residents only

So you really can't lose with this. Even the shipping is free.

All you have to do is...

Blog about this giveaway and post the link back to me - 2 entries
Become a follower or let me know you're already following - 2 entries
Tell me how you would use the postcards - 1 entry

and that's it. This contest is open till Saturday May 22nd.
Good luck ladies!

I will also be receiving 100 postcards for hosting this giveaway.
JEM.

Make Up and Hair Score (In My Opinion)

2010-05-11T21:07:00.002-04:00

Remember yesterday when I lamented my major makeup fail, I also promised that I would use products that I already have to DIY my own makeup.
This is the blank slate (except for lipstick), I don't mind showing it since I never wear makeup anyway so everyone is used to seeing me like this. I forgot to take a picture before I started everything. I then wiped the lipstick off to start over.

I tried to remember all the techniques that the woman used on Saturday. For instance she did my eyes first, eyeshadow, liner both above and below the lid, then the mascara. Then the foundation and powder, then the lips. I used my own colors that I had at home. I've bought makeup in the past promising myself that I would start using and usually ended up not doing so. Anyway, this is what I came up with:
I'm not very good at taking my own picture, especially when i'm looking into the mirror at the same time.

This one is a little better since I used the flash this time. As you can see here, i'm also wearing the Brooke sisters. I couldn't get them changed since I didn't have the receipt and they would only give me half the credit without it. Oh well I love my girls and I'd never dream of changing them. I don't know what you've heard.

I may use a different color for my lips, something a little bronzer. Maybe.

The other side. I even did my own eyebrows. I hate going to the beauty salon. I know, I know, i'm not the typical woman.

I figured if I was going to do my face, I might as well do my hair too, so this is what I came up with. I actually liked it a lot. See my shower curtain. You know there has to be some aqua involved.

My hair form the back. I just put it in a high ponytail and took up a little at a time, curled it under with my fingers and clipped it in place with a bobby pin. Forgive the look, I was in my bathroom in my pajamas.

I decided to go a step further and invited my veil to the party. Tags and all. It's not a very good picture but you get the idea.
All in all, i'm very happy with my makeup and hair. Not to shabby for an amateur. I'm going to experiment with the lipstick shades but otherwise i'm sold. I don't feel like my face is heavy and goopy and I actually like the way I look which is what is most important. I'll feel confident walking down the aisle. If I feel uncomfortable, it'll definitely show and who wants that on their wedding day?

JEM.

Make Up Major Fail

2010-05-10T19:30:00.000-04:00

I had an appointment to have my make-up done with a Clinique consultant at Macy's on Saturday. It was set for 2:30pm and I got there at about 1:30. I wanted to have someone to instruct me on how to do my makeup and then i'd buy some to do my own on my wedding day.

Anyway I got there and asked for the lady that I was scheduled to see. Since I was early I didn't mind when she very pleasantly told me that she was with someone else and I would have to wait. I really didn't feel like walking around the store so I just sat there waiting. She must have felt bad for me or something because she said that she'd get someone else to do me. An expert, she said. She said that this woman did makeup for weddings and that she'd know exactly what to do for me. Yay me!

Well that didn't turn out so great. The "expert" was although nice, clueless as to what to do with me. Maybe the fact that the she's latina and i'm black, we were just destined for failure, I don't know. She started out by asking me what I had in mind. Now dear readers I know nothing about makeup so I really didn't know how to answer that. She asked if I had any pictures and I said no. She said she couldn't really work unless she knew what I wanted. At this point, I was getting frustrated, you see the lady I had the appointment with was also black and I figured she'd have a better understanding of what would look good on me. After a whole lot of talk and no action, I finally said that the whole point of me coming for a consultation was so that I could have an "expert try colors and products out on me so we can decide what I needed to buy. If I knew what I wanted, I would simply buy it.

This lady really, really laid it on thick, literally. Maybe it was punishment for me not giving her more direction or maybe her expertise didn't extend to dark skin. She put on this liquid goop on my face that literally looked like mud, the eye makeup made me look like I was recovering from something, I kid you not. I actually liked the eye liner and mascara that she did. It was the only thing I would like from the whole experience, and it was an experience. I looked like a drag queen when all was said and done. I had this shiny burgundy-like lipstick and a muddy face with eyes that looked like Miss 2 piece and a biscuit herself -Mystique from Rupaul's drag race. What's worse another colleague kept saying "pretty" every time she went past, further patronizing me.

Mystique from Rupaul's Drag Race

Needless to say, I won't be using any of her colors or tips. I only bought a powder and got a whole lot of crap as a bonus (best part of the day) and tomorrow I plan on trying out my own makeup from stuff that I already have at home and see how that turns out. Stay tuned...

JEM.

I got an Award (sung to the tune of "you can't catch me")

2010-05-06T14:39:00.000-04:00

They love me, they really love me. Chocolate Lover that is. Thank you so much for my newest award. The ever so sweet Chocolate Lover (pun intended) donned this award on me and I'd like to say a big merci beaucoup! It's gorgeous, (again pun intended). If you haven't already, check out her blog, if for nothing else but some sweet inspiration. (wink, wink)

The rules:
Accept and thank the person who gave it to you!
List 10 things about yourself
List 5 additional things you DON'T like
Then pick ten people to give this lovely award to!

10 Things about Moi

I eat way too much bread.

I really don't like living in an apartment. Being a West Indian and growing up running around in the backyard and climbing trees, this is a huge adjustment.

I absolutely love blogging. My wedding would not be so well organized had I not found the blog world. I love reading and getting inspiration from all my fellow bloggers.

In spite of my occasional rants, I absolutely love wedding planning; I go to sleep with wedding thoughts and wake up with them in the morning.

I've written about 50 poems that no one has ever seen.

I'm told I look exactly like my dad although I don't see it.

My son looks exactly like his dad and I can definitely see it.

I want to have a daughter someday whom I will name Theresa, Lyzette after both of her grandmothers.
I love, love , love my life. I wouldn't have it any other way.

I cannot wait for my wedding in August and I pray that we don't have to move it.

5 Things I Don't Like

People who talk badly about others even when they don't know them
Liars
Being so lazy sometimes that I would not be motivated to work out for days
Seeing and hearing teenage girls and boys cussing up and being disrespectful - It hurts my heart
The fact that people have become so dependent on technology that they can't write a proper sentence or have a face-face conversation anymore

Now I in turn must pass this award onto 10 other lovely bloggers. So here goes:

1. My Dream Life
2. Sonya at Bridal Bliss
3. The Pink Bride
4. Heather @ Soon to be Mrs. K
5. Nuflaiir
6. San Diego Budget Bride
7. Bee @ BP Wedding
8. Amber
9. Buhdoop
10. Gonna Be His Mrs.

Enjoy ladies and thanks again Chocolate Lover.
JEM.

More DIY Projects Done. (oops)

2010-05-05T15:50:00.001-04:00

In my previous post, I mentioned that I had completed my table numbers as well but got so carried away talking about my card trifecta (gift tag, place card and photo-sharing card) that I completely forgot to include my other DIY project - the table number/menu.

This project actually came about from excess. I've mentioned how much I hate waste, so when I was left with 10 program covers after deciding that I was only going to make 50 programs (more on that later) . I had no idea what I was going to use the extras for. I was actually surprised that I had 10 left over. I must have cut the paper while watching a movie or something and got carried away. Anyway, here I was with 10 extras and based on my guest list, I think i'll have about 10 tables. Ding, ding, ding! You see my eureka moment?

So with a cut here, some glue there, I had me another combo. Ta da...

Our table number and Menu all in one. I just didn't have the patience to create a menu for all of my 90 guests plus it seems like a real waste of paper to me. How many people (except me) really take home the menu?

The front cover:
The great part is that our initials on the front are these really cute stickers that can be peeled off so if anyone wants to use these again, providing they have the same tastes in food and it doesn't have to be for a wedding but just a dinner party or something, they totally can.
My menu is very West Indian since most of my guests are West Indian. The food for the cocktail hour will be a mix of all types. I still have paper, in case I have to make a few more. So what do we do now? Check another one off the DIY list y'all.

JEM.

More DIY Projects Done.

2010-05-04T14:17:00.004-04:00

My table numbers are done and so are my photo-sharing / place cards. Whoever came up with the photo-sharing card is brilliant. Almost every guest who attends a wedding these days has a camera and usually gets awesome shots of everything. I know a lot of brides had someone design theirs through Etsy and then printed them through Vista Print or 123 Print. But I neither had the patience, nor resources for that. Plus I had all this leftover paper I had ordered to make invites and other stationery so I thought I should tackle this myself. Here's what I came up with:

The scanner didn't do it justice. Plus I was thinking of giving it a border with my mettalic silver sharpie. I'll see how that looks after I try one.

You may need to click on it to see it clearer.

I also wanted to use place cards for my guests since I want to make a seating chart. So I thought I would use the back of this card for the guest's name and I will attach it to the favor that will already be at each place setting. This way, chances are guests won't leave them behind. This is the back of the photo-sharing card which will be the front on the table attached to the favor:

I used clean edge business cards that I already had. They cut off so easily and there are no perforations. I know the cards look a little colorless but since the favor wrappings are aqua, I think they'll do just fine.
I will punch a hole in the card and thread it through the ribbon that is going to be used to tie the favor.

So it will serve triple duty: gift tag, place card and photo-sharing card. I will post a picture of the final product at a later date.

I know they're not as pretty as the other's i've seen like Bee's over at BP Wedding which are gorgeous by the way but you can't beat free and immediate. I'm pretty much done with those. I may have to discard or make a few more if there are any changes to our guest list but for now, check off another DIY project.

JEM.

100 DAYS TO GO, WOOHOO! (or not)

2010-04-30T11:45:00.000-04:00

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

2010-04-27T23:28:00.003-04:00

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

2010-04-24T00:49:00.004-04:00

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

2010-04-23T10:12:00.001-04:00

(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...

2010-04-21T11:55:00.000-04:00

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...

2010-04-20T00:51:00.000-04:00

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

2010-04-16T22:59:00.001-04:00

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

2010-04-13T23:12:00.000-04:00

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

2010-04-13T22:31:00.000-04:00

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

2010-04-11T21:40:00.000-04:00

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

2010-04-09T23:15:00.002-04:00

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

2010-04-06T23:34:00.001-04:00

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!!!

2010-04-04T17:13:00.001-04:00

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

2010-04-01T16:28:00.001-04:00

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.

The Sweet Stuff

2010-03-29T10:14:00.012-04:00

Wheeeeee, we had our cake tasting yesterday! My sister has the cake connection in the family and always makes cakes her gifts to us. She orders from this amazing bakery ( E & L Bakery in the Bronx) for birthdays and all other celebrations. She even ordered ours for our engagement/announcement/celebration party. (I'll explain in a later post). Anyway, the cakes thus far have been really basic designs like just round with happy birthday or Elmo with edible pictures etc. I didn't know that they had more elaborate designs like these
and this one

You get the idea.
The best part though is how they taste. I swear this is the best cake i've ever tasted, hands down. Every single celebration we've served these cakes at, we never have any left over. I've found myself requesting bigger and bigger ones just to have a little piece left over after the party. We - my sister and I- went to the appointment since my son wasn't well and Daddy had to stay home with him. The bakery was so cute and nicely decorated that I further fell in love with it.
When I explained to the very nice owner that I wanted a tiffany style cake, he showed me this:
I thought it was ok but just a tad babyish. To me it looked like a little boy birthday cake or a christening cake. I tried to explain what I wanted but there was a slight communication problem with my sister, me and him talking all at once, so I whipped out the pictures in my arsenal/wedding binder:
That's more like it but since we're having a dessert buffet and not serving wedding cake, we needed a smaller cake. We settled on a smaller, 2-tier cake that will serve 65 people.
The ribbon will be more like the 3 - tier one above and not the gift type bow seen here.The bottom tier will be red velvet with cream cheese filling and the top tier will be yellow cake with vanilla filling. Yuuuuuum and since my sister is gifting us, double yum.

Evolution of Favor Presentation

2010-03-28T17:56:00.015-04:00

My favors are very personal to me. They may be just coasters to everyone else but since I slaved over every single one of them, they're my labor of love. Getting inspiration from Style Me Pretty DIY coasters, I embarked on my own DIY coaster quest. I bought 3 boxes of 4"x4" tiles for 12.80 each from Home Depot and the other materials from Michael's, such things like glue, mod podge, scrapbook paper and felt for backing. I followed the instructions and came up with these. I've shown these before but just for a recap: I thought they needed a little sprucing up
I still wasn't altogether happy with them since they really didn't say tiffany and weren't aqua at all. Anyway for hosting the Paper and More giveaway, I was given a $25 gift certificate and I used it to purchase a pack of Tiffany Blue text paper for only $6.99. I had no idea what I was going to use them for at the time. After agonizing over it for a while, this is what I came up with.Now if this doesn't say Tiffany or Aqua, I don't know what will. I'm so proud of them. The paper is so smooth and pretty. I almost don't want to give them away. Siiigggghhhhh! but I will. These are just for the ladies though.

The gents will receive a bottle of this:
Miniature bottles of Appleton Jamaican Rum since Mr. Muscle has a Jamaican background.
I'll put them in an organza aqua bag with a few hershey's kisses. What's better than chocolates and rum?
Favors done- again.

A Huge Mistake

2010-03-26T22:39:00.002-04:00

Today I received an email form blogger advertising some new blog templates which I thought was really cool since I thought mine was a bit blah. Anyhow I went in there and there were lots of really cool templates but for some reason they just weren't working with my blog and how I wanted things to look. Needless to say I ended up with this template and i'm not a happy camper. I will keep working at it though because I want my aqua back. See sometimes, it's good to just stick to what you know and be happy with what you have. Oh well...

TTFN (ta ta for now).

My Ceremony Music and Procession

2010-03-22T09:34:00.013-04:00

IN ORDER TO STOP THE MUSIC FROM PLAYING, SCROLL DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE AND CLICK THE PAUSE BUTTON ON THE MUSIC PLAYER.

So in my last post, I gave you a little taste of my ceremony music. I'm getting married in a really beautiful park and I want my wedding party to be more involved in the ceremony than just looking great and standing there so I came up with this whole production. Let me know if it's silly or superb. Our venue, in case you forgot:

We will all be in the back of the monument. It's really wide and tall so our guests who will be seated on the landing below the stairs won't see us. Instead of having our guys and ladies walk down the aisle arm in arm, i've decided I want to put a little twist on it. It's a little hard to see, but the nicely- clad gentlemen will be coming in from the left side of the monument and walking in to this song They can do a little jig while coming in and knowing these guys, they probably will. The men will be carrying the parasols, closed of course. The guests can also get involved, singing or clapping or whatever.

After the men take their places on the stairs, starting with the best man on the top step and the other 4 groomsmen on a descending diagonal. The ladies will come in from the right side. I can't decide between this song, Shaggy's "Hey Sexy Lady"
and this one

When the first lady (MOH) gets to the first step, the best man will come down to her, open the parasol and escort her to her place on the top step across from him. The next groomsman will do the same and so on. The men will hang on to the parasols since the ladies will have their bouquets. I don't know how well that will go over yet although the parasols will be closed. They will then use them again to shield the ladies on their way out.

Then the officiant will announce the arrival of the "couple". Yes Mr. Muscle and I will be coming in together. As a matter of fact my son will also be coming in with us. He's a tad anti-social and instead of causing WWIII by having someone else keep him during the ceremony, we've decided he'll just be part of it. After all, our little family is getting married, not just Mr. Muscle and me.

Mr. Muscle will come from the left just like his guys and I from the right like my ladies but we will be coming all the way around from the first set of stairs (not shown in photo) making our walk longer than the bridal party. We will meet at the base of the stairs, take one of our son's hands each and walk up the stairs together. We'll subtly attempt to have our son sit at the front at this point and if that fails, just keep him standing next to his dad. This is our song

This is the ultimate wedding song and I know I'll be bawling. I absolutely adore this song and I tear up every time I think of myself walking to it. It's called the wedding song by Julie Rogers.

These are the lyrics:
You by my side, that's how I see us.
I close my eyes and I can see us.
We're on our way to say "I do".
My secret dreams have all come true.

I see the church, I see the people.
Your folks and mine, happy and smiling.
And I can hear sweet voices
singing "Ave Maria".

Oh my love, my love, this can really be.
That some day you'll walk down the aisle with me.
Let it be, make it be that I'm the one for you.
I'd be yours all yours now and forever.

I see us now, your hand in my hand.
This is the hour, this is the moment.
And I can hear sweet voices singing
"Ave Maria, Ave Maria, Ave Maria, Ave Maria"

So what do you think about my song choices, cheesy or cool?

Please do tell ladies, TTFN (ta ta for now).

Let the Music Play!

2010-03-21T16:34:00.005-04:00

What was that? Did you hear that? If you listen closely, you'll hear my new playlist that i've added to my blog. I found this on Sony's "Bridal Bliss" blog and thought it was such a great idea. When I read posts by other bloggers, I think it's nice to have a little background music. The songs heard here are some of the songs that i've chosen for our wedding so this is just a small taste.

My next post will be the music that is planned for our wedding so stay tuned. Till then let the music play!
TTFN (ta ta for now)

Earring giveaway by "I Do Budget Weddings"

2010-03-20T10:03:00.009-04:00

Enter Here for a chance to win a lovely pair of gold and swarovski crystal drop earrings from Bellalu and Me on Etsy. Giveaway ends April 2nd. Good luck ladies and TTFN (ta ta for now).

Let those waters flow

2010-03-18T20:47:00.013-04:00

As usual, a lot and I mean a lot of my inspiration comes from you fellow bloggers. There are some things I had never even heard of like the little tissue packs for guests' tears. I had bought some little white paper bags from Michael's a while back hoping to put fruit in them for my guests during the ceremony but after putting in some strawberries, the bags simply wouldn't stand.

Since i'm determined not to let anything go to waste, I decided to repurpose these little cuties. Here's where you ladies came in.

I layered some aqua ribbon onto some teal ribbon and wrapped that around the middle of the bag like a belt and glued it in the front. I printed two labels onto a business card. Since I had 50 bags, I only needed 25 cards. The labels read , you guessed it "For your tears of Joy". I then cut them in half, framed them with a silver metallic marker and glued them in the center over the part where the ribbon met. I cut off the very top flap of the bags because they overlapped to much.

I then simply folded the tops over to close them. In keeping with my reusing and repurposing habit. I didn't want to throw them out so I came up with these.

I also had these ribbon bits left over from making the tears of joy bags so ta- da, they both came in handy. I love butterflies. The problem is I have no idea what to use them for. So ladies now that you know how heavily I really on your judgement, any ideas on where to use them?

Thanks and TTFN (ta ta for now).

My BCBG babies.

2010-03-14T10:21:00.012-04:00

So as you all know I'm getting married in a park so the shoes are a little issue. Although the actual ceremony will be on a concrete structure, we'll be taking our pre-ceremony pictures mostly on the grassy areas. I don't want to be sinking into the dirt at every step, but I didn't want to wear flip flops or anything like that. Well I went into a Payless shoe store a few weeks ago to find some shoes for my son. I have nothing against Payless but their shoes are not the most comfortable so I don't shop there. But they're really good for Blue's Clue's or Hulk or whatever shoes for kids.

Well after I picked up my son's Blue's Clue's sneakers and was making my way to pay, out of the corner of my eye I saw those cuties:

Haha, they're not BCBG. Far from it, they're American Eagle and they were $14. How could I not get them. They were the perfect aqua but a little blah. I thought I could easily get some shoe clips or even embellish them myself with some bling. So that was solved. I quickly bought them and my son wasn't the only one happy with Blue shoes that day.

Well I as good as they were for the park , I didn't think they were sexy party shoes. I plan on changing into a reception dress and these shoes just wouldn't do.

Enter my BCBG babies:

And they have the cutest brooch-like ornament in the front
They're not exactly aqua, more turquoise but I love, love, love em. They will be worn over and over and over again for sure. Anyone who knows me knows that my wardrobe is made up of predominantly aqua and turquoise attire. I'm a freak, I know.

They're uber cute and soooo comfortable. I mean I walked around the store in them for about a minute and there was no pinching or any kind of discomfort. And the greatest part is that I got them for free. I received a $182 gift card from Macy's for sharing in their "Thanks for Sharing" charity program last christmas and that was my reward. Cool huh? The shoes were only $63 so I still have some moolah left over. Score! Whadya say ladies, are they cool or what?

TTFN (ta ta for now).

All the better to shelter you with

2010-03-11T19:39:00.012-05:00

My parasols are here. I got one 32" peppermint green which is like Tiffany blue and I got (5) 20" white ones from Save-On-Crafts.

It looks more green in the picture than it really is.
Since we plan on doing a first look. I'm hoping that we can have our pictures taken with our wedding party about an hour before the ceremony. We will then use the white parasols to either line the aisles like this.
Source
I'll have to get about 12 more to add to the ones I already have.

Or we can just give them to our guests to protect them from the sun. I really haven't decided how the aisle will be decorated but I love the idea of the parasols. I also have to finalize things with the parks and recreation department to know what is and isn't allowed. I'm just so happy that things are falling into place.
TTFN (ta ta for now).

This is where we say "I DO"

2010-03-10T18:27:00.026-05:00

I mentioned before that our ceremony will be held in a park. Pelham Bay Park to be exact. It is 2766 acres making it New York City's largest park. It's more than 3 times the size of Manhattan's Central Park. Visitors to the park enjoy miles of bridle paths and hiking trails, Orchard Beach, the Bartow-Pell Mansion, two golf courses, and a breathtaking 13-mile saltwater shoreline that hugs Long Island Sound.

Our ceremony will be at the Victory Memorial which is a beautiful winged statue memorial to the fallen war veterans.
TTFN (ta ta for now).The Bronx Victory Column and Memorial Grove, along Crimi Road, honors servicemen from the Bronx who lost their lives defending their country. Built in 1933, the 75-foot-tall limestone column supports a bronze statue of Winged Victory.

The statue at the very top

I plan on having the chairs for guests on the lower platform on two sides forming an aisle. The wedding party will be on the stairs on a diagonal and we will be on the top step with the officiant at the very top.
This is my little man modeling for us.

it's kinda hard to see, but this is the side view I found on their website. This is where the wedding party will be walking in from. We will all be in the back of the monument (it's very, very large) and the guys will come out from the left and the ladies from the right. When spring starts and the grass and other plants are green and lush, I will really get some great pictures. I think we'll also do our engagement shoot there. These were taken a few days ago. I will tell you how we'll decorate in another post.

Is anybody familiar with this park? Tell me what you think...

So we signed the contract (PT 2)

2010-03-08T12:18:00.005-05:00

So where was I? Oh yes, so Mr. Muscle told me not to worry because he was certain the man would call me back as he seriously doubted that there was any "other couple willing to pay full price". Of course he was right because about 10 minutes later the man called back, still trying to explain "his situation". I told him to put himself in our shoes and even if he had meant to say $1750, he had actually said $1650 and it just wasn't in our budget to go any higher.

Would you believe what the man who is also a Bishop said to me? He said that my guests would be bringing us money so we could cover the cost. After I picked my jaw off the floor, I said what?!!! "Sir this is certainly not why we're inviting people to our wedding, we want our family and friends to come and celebrate with us". The SOB said, "weddings are big business , maybe you should have different friends". Among many other things like God will provide the money. I told him that God could also provide us another place to have our reception. Can you believe that? This is a bishop who leads a congregation and whom people look up to. I was done. I said there was no way in hell I would do business with this guy. Well he kept calling me back and even offered to give us the price we had first told us, (even if he still denied it).

Mr. Muscle said we should just take it since he knew how stressed I was about not having a venue at 5 months before our wedding. To be honest, we really love the place. It's exactly what I wanted our event venue to look like, but just dealing with this guy who was so unchristianlike was so - for lack of a better word 'disheartening'. In the end, we took the place but I let Mr. Muscle handle the contract and deal with this guy. I still don't feel 100% good about it but I am relieved that we got a venue, since everything else can now be decided.

Just thought I would share my story with you. I'm exhausted now.

TTFN (ta ta for now).

So we signed the contract...

2010-03-05T20:12:00.005-05:00

for our venue. As you can see from my post title, I'm not as happy as I had expected I would be and that's all because of the negotiation process. I swear it left me with a dirty feeling. First of all, I prepared a list of questions and called the "man in charge" yesterday. Most of my questions were answered as I was hoping he even said that we could have wine, just no 'hard' liquor like whisky or vodka etc. so I told him we would come to make our first deposit today.

Lo and behold, when we called him to tell him we were on our way, he asked me what price he had quoted me. I told him it was $1650. That does not include anything but the banquet hall, and tables and chairs, no linens or anything else. We also get to use the kitchen for heating things up and organizing food service etc. We thought that was initially high considering our budget but we kinda moved things around to accommodate it because we really loved the place. It doesn't need any decorating except for our table decor. Well the esteemed gentleman said that he didn't remember telling us that and the price he remembered was $2000. You can imagine how stunned I was, here we had tried so hard to move things around to make this happen and this swindler was changing things on us.

Anyway I told him there was no way we could make that. He tried all kinds of tricks saying that it was costing him XYZ and he had to provide us with AC for the entire time and that he had another couple come to see the place the day before who were willing to pay full price. I was so mad, Mr. Muscle was even more pissed. So we told him to let the other couple have it since weren't going to pay a penny more than $1650 and hung up on him. I was seriously distressed at this point. I'm sorry to leave you hanging at this point but my DOC is here now and we have to go over a few things. I promise I will continue this story later.

TTFN (ta ta for now).

Venue Part 1

2010-03-03T20:00:00.003-05:00

I FOUND A PLACE! I FOUND A PLACE! well, sort of (ha ha). My FH works with the health department and as part of his job, he goes out counseling and testing for stuff (eeww) no not really just like diabetes and high blood pressure and stuff like that.

Anyway, to make a really long story short, on Valentine's day, yes Valentine's Day, they went to this church for testing and he texts saying "I FOUND A PLACE". Of course I immediately went into question mode, texting back all kinds of questions until he had to turn his phone off cause he really couldn't get any work done. Well he initiated it, so...

Well, it turns out that the church owns a building that is just for hosting affairs. So we called them up on Tuesday and made an appointment for Wednesday of that week. We went to see the place and I was not overly optimistic but I just really wanted to get the venue booked. Any venue at this point to get the ball really rolling. Only 5 months to go. I'm rambling, aren't I.

It turns out the place is gorgeous. Gorgeous I tell ya. I mean there's a ginormous chandelier in the center over the dance floor, and some amazing light sconces on the walls. This place has something like a 20ft ceiling or something with fantastic drapery.

I found one picture on their website but if we decide to take it, i'll take some and post them for you guys to see.

But here comes the downside.
1. Because it's a church building, there's to be no alcohol at all. Bummer cause I know most of my guests like to throw back a little sum sum.

2. The other thing is that now the ceremony is 11 minutes away by car.

3.Again because it's a church building I feel that my guests will somehow be restricted or limited in their dancing. Since I guess our DJ won't be able to play certain songs, not dirty songs but just real dance songs.

4. It's a lot more than I would have wanted to pay.

We are yet to sign a contract since the price kinda threw us a bit, so we'll see. For now our date is still open. Wish us luck.

We have to see just one more place and and if that doesn't do it, we're going to have to bite the bullet and go for it.

TTFN (ta ta for now).

Happy Birthday Giveaway!

2010-03-03T10:31:00.007-05:00

No, i'm not having another birthday so soon. Bee over at BP Wedding is having a birthday today and is nice enough to host a giveaway in celebration. Click here to enter for a chance to win a 16x20 photo canvas with your choice of photo. Good luck ladies and TTFN (ta ta for now).

The Almighty Dollar - (A somewhat longish post)

2010-03-02T14:50:00.007-05:00

Planning this wedding for us, and by us I mean us ladies, us brides, because let's face it, most to-be-grooms aren't as involved in the planning process as us. For us, the planning process is so exciting and in some cases (like mine) awe- inspiring, that sometimes we get pretty carried away and not always consider the financial hole we are digging ourselves into for a lot of things that we go ga-ga over. A wedding really lasts 5-6 hours (but our marriage lasts a lifetime) and in spite of us wanting it to be the greatest day of our lives, it should still be done reasonably). Don't get me wrong, if you've got the Benjamins or your wedding is being paid for by someone else, then by all means you go girl, but I would implore you not to put yourselves in debt before you've even started your lives together.

We've been going to premarital counseling and very important subjects are addressed but financial issues are never brought up. Why is that ? I mean we're told not to go to bed angry and to share our feelings with each other etc., why not don't spend what you can't afford? Considering the high rate of divorce in this country with money (finances) being one of the stronger causes, it's such a shame to see such once great couples lives collapse. For some of us (both Mr. Muscle and I) with student loans, not assessing our financial condition would just put us further into debt which can place a serious strain on our lives. Imagine worrying about every little financial decision: what toothpaste brand is cheapest as opposed to what's better; not being able to go out occasionally to have a nice dinner; putting your baby-making plans on hold because the finances just aren't in order.

I hate to be so morbid but when I watch shows like "Rich Bride, Poor Bride", "Bridezilla" and the like, I can't help but realize how petty and spoilt and unreasonable some of those women are and no matter the cost of something and regardless of how much pleading the groom does, the more irrational these bries become. Is that all posturing for TV or are people really like that? The reason for my post is that all these blogs that I read and follow, all you lovely ladies seem to be so nice and so in love with your partners and not just the idea of the wedding, that I would hate for anyone of us to fall in this trap, myself included.

I find myself getting carried away sometimes and I'm happy to have Mr. Muscle to rein me in. And out of respect for him, I would never go over his head after we've made a decision about not spending too much. We all want our weddings to be beautiful and I know they will be. Thanks to a lot of your posts, i've been able to do so many DIY projects and save myself so much money that I know we don't have to break the bank to have an unforgettable day. Thanks ladies and keep inspiring myself and others the way you do. I just hope that I can be someones inspiration even if it's a little bit.

Please tell me what you think ladies.

TTFN (ta ta for now).

PAPER & MORE GIVEAWAY WINNER!!!!!

2010-02-28T12:13:00.005-05:00

According to RANDOM.ORG, the winner of the Paper and more $25 gift certificate is - drumroll please - boom, boom, boom, boom, boom KRISTIN of Unspecified thoughts who said "I've been looking at them for our invitation envelopes! Not sure on the size yet but I'm pretty sure I'll be getting the A7 Solid Black Envelopes.. that gift card would be AWESOME!"

To all the other lovely readers who entered, I thank you very much.
Kristin, I will send you and email ASAP and congratulations on your win. It would be great if you could post what you made with your win at some point.

TTFN (ta ta for now).

Giveaway Wrap Up

2010-02-27T10:02:00.004-05:00

Last day for my giveaway y'all! If you haven't yet entered, you still can until midnight tonight. You get a $25 gift certificate from Paper and More which you can use for anything on their site. Use your paper to make, Invites, Programs, Save-the-Dates, Signs, Place or Escort cards, Water bottle labels, Thank You cards or any other number of projects. So click here and enter.

Good luck ladies and TTFN.

Let it snow, let it snow...

2010-02-26T18:48:00.001-05:00

I know that a lot of people are tired of the snow and the slush but honestly, I love it. After living in Toronto where there was snow practically throughout the winter, this is nothing. Plus I was born in St.Lucia and spent the first 21 years of life there and of course had never seen a single solitary snowflake. So you can understand why I love seeing the snow falling especially the big, fat snowflakes. My little man loves going out to play and I always take pictures. I think it's beautiful. Here are some of my pics:

This is the Super' of my building keeping our sidewalk clear.

This is our car or what's left of it.

This is right outside the 72nd St. subway in Manhattan on my way home from work.

TTFN (ta ta for now).