August Vows

Greener Grass

2010-10-15T00:47:00.000-07:00

Do you ever look at blogs or other websites late at night, when you can't sleep, and magically find exactly what you didn't know you needed?

I do. I'm going to share this thought – it's obviously a sentiment that has been expressed by many, but I am grateful to have stumbled upon it tonight.

"The grass isn't greener on the other side. The grass is greener where you water and fertilize it."

I hope your grass is green and healthy.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-10-12T21:58:00.000-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving! I have a good excuse for being a day late on this one. I hosted the family dinner.

That's right, you heard me.

It was the first time I had more than two people over for a meal. The first time my parents and my in-laws shared a holiday meal. The first time I made a turkey. The first time I bathed a baby in the kitchen sink (yes, really).

My lovely friend Andrea arrived on Sunday night from Victoria, on a whim, with her baby. I'm glad she did. There's something comforting about not knowing what you're doing when nobody else does either.

We set a table.

I think it turned out really well. The turkey was maybe just a little overdone, but at least it was cooked! My stuffing tasted like mom's which was the most important part. There were brussels sprouts, and we have tons of leftover everything (except stuffing). The baby was happy.

And there were turkey cookies. Yes.

Sunday's Simple Daybook

2010-09-12T20:54:00.000-07:00

For today... Sunday, September 12, 2010

Outside my window... dark now, and has been pouring all day.

I am thinking... about many ides for the new church-school year.

I am thankful for... the impending fall. There is really nothing about fall that I don't love.

From the learning rooms... still need to get on my herbalism course. I will have a good report on this next week.

From the kitchen... embarrassingly, nothing today. It's time to use up leftovers and pantry items.

I am wearing... pajamas. It's only 8:30 but it feels like the right sort of thing tonight. I've also brought the slippers out to stay.

I am creating... a routine.

I am going... to order my wedding photos this week, for real.

I am reading... Women, Food, and God, as per last week. I do like it.

I am hoping... that the momentum I'm feeling around here really keeps up.

I am hearing... My favourite song this week, The Prayer (I like the version by Celtic Woman).

Around the house... I've put the heavy duvet on the bed. We have stacks of plastic bins that need to be dealt with this week – if they aren't filled for storage, they'll be going to my mom's for her use.

One of my favorite things... my new Aroma Geni nebulizer from Saje Aromatherapy (a birthday gift). It's been going all evening with Love Potion #10 and it smells fantastic around here.

A few plans for the week... Focus on unpacking boxes that are still hanging around, fix the china cabinet, send in a set of lessons (I know, I know), run.

Here is a picture for thought... this is the photo I've chosen as our wedding portrait.

Play along with the Simple Woman's Daybook!

Sunday's Simple Daybook

2010-09-05T15:12:00.000-07:00

For today... Sunday, September 5, 2010

Outside my window... suddenly sunny after a very grey day!

I am thinking... about revamping our budget.

I am thankful for... having met my husband's gran in England. She is 98 years old and he hadn't seen her for 13 years. I am grateful that we had the opportunity to go, chat, and take photos.

From the learning rooms... need to get working (hard) on my herbalism course.

From the kitchen... Dinner Diva Detox from Leanne Ely at Saving Dinner. Time to get food in order.

I am wearing... Black yoga pants and a long-sleeved pink running room shirt.

I am creating... a better me.

I am going... to my mom's this afternoon, to pick up some pantry items. She and I shop at Costco and split the bounty.

I am reading... Women, Food, and God by Geneen Roth. I'm not yet sure what I think of it.

I am hoping... that my husband gets lots of work in September.

I am hearing... the laundry going, going, going...

Around the house... busy unpacking from our recent trip to the UK!

One of my favorite things... sprouted grain bread with almond butter. Yummy.

A few plans for the week... I need to see my grandparents, get ready for church to start up, order wedding photos, and mail in a set of correspondence lessons.

Here is a picture for thought... Dan and I with his grandmother, Marion.

Play along with the Simple Woman's Daybook!

I'm a Terrible Blogger – Have a Cookie

2010-03-12T22:31:00.000-08:00

I'm terrible at blogging when I say I will!

I'm back with a good cookie recipe though, so I'm sure you'll forgive me.

This is a single-serve oatmeal cookie. I recently bought some packs of plain instant oatmeal. I was really excited about them. I always find the packaged instant oatmeal to be too sweet, so I thought these would be great to have at work. They were salty. I couldn't eat them. But I COULD make one into a cookie! This made a moist, jumbo cookie – but only one, so I don't have to resist a whole bunch.

I ate this straight out of the oven for a sweet fix, but it was pretty filling. I could see making one up in the evening and taking it for an on-the-go breakfast.

Ingredients

One pack of instant oatmeal (any flavour - I used plain)
1 TBS. brown sugar - you wouldn't really need this if your oatmeal was sweetened.
1 TBS. whole-wheat flour.
2 TBS. unsweetened applesauce
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. vanilla
Additions (nuts, raisins, etc.) as desired.

Combine, mix well, form into a cookie, place on a greased baking sheet and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes (you'll know when it's done!)

Bricks of Bread

2010-01-25T00:03:00.000-08:00

I've become interested in making bread lately, and have been dabbling with yeast-free breads for the last couple of weeks. I made an Irish soda bread, which was frankly awful. Tonight I made a loaf of rye bread from a mix I bought in the IKEA marketplace.

This was an interesting thing to make. The mix comes in a large container which looks like a milk carton. Basically, you add water, shake like crazy, and pour it into a loaf pan. It didn't rise much, and then it's baked for an hour.

I don't think I'll make it again because it's awkward to get out of the carton. It is very heavy, dense & thick – no kidding, it feels like a brick. But it was delicious warm with a little butter! We'll be using it this week with soups and such.

But, the plan is to give a yeast bread a try. This week I'm going to try out the basic recipe from the Hillbilly Housewife. Wish me luck! I'll let you know how it goes.

2010 Reading Challenge - 2/30 Done

2010-01-17T18:26:00.000-08:00

The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory

A Christmas gift from my wonderful husband, The Constant Princess was my second finished book of the year. It was a beautiful, lovely read. Chronologically, it precedes The Other Boleyn Girl and The Boleyn Inheritance, though I read both of those last year.

I've loved all three, but I loved this the most. Katherine of Aragon was an amazing, interesting Princess and Queen, and this book has inspired me to look into her life even more.

Inspired by The Literate Housewife's recommendations (whom, by the way, I love), I'm now reading the Tudor-era historical fiction in chronological order. She's made a wonderful comprehensive list that even "fills in the gaps" of Philippa Gregory's series. So, next up will be a new (to me) author, Vanora Bennett. I look forward to reading and reviewing her work as well!

Happy Reading,

Things I Love

2010-01-14T14:02:00.000-08:00

It is Things I Love Thursday over at The Diaper Diaries, and inspired by my friend at Bowmania, I'm joining in! Yes, it's a bit odd that I'm linking to a blog called The Diaper Diaries, but I couldn't pass this one up. So, I'm going with a couple wedding things, because you all should know.

I love comfortable shoes at weddings.

I chose Skechers, and they were awesome. I walked, I stood, I danced, I did just fine - and even managed to change into fancy heels at the end of the night! A bride needs to feel great on her wedding day.

I love traditions.

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. Hokey? Not at all. This is a beautiful lovely tradition and I'm so glad I took part. For something old, I used my mom's veil. Something new was my dress. Something borrowed was my great-grandmother's engagement ring, and I felt SO honoured to be allowed to wear it all day. Something blue was created for me by my grandma, who is the master embroiderer in the family. Behold, my wedding-day monogram. The photo below is my beautiful mom sewing it into the lining of my skirt on the morning of the wedding:

I love beautiful, delicious cake.

This was our cake. 'Nuff said... well, almost. Up until the day before the wedding, I was worried that the cake was the one thing we had over-spent on. I no longer have any doubts. It was a four-tier chocolate caramel cake. The bottom three tiers were cut for the wedding reception, and every single piece was eaten. The top tier was served at the gift-opening the following day. People are still talking about it, no kidding. I've determined that people truly, universally appreciate only a couple of wedding things, and good cake is one of them.

I think that's enough for today, but this was fun - stay tuned for more!

2010 Reading Challenge

2010-01-14T00:49:00.001-08:00

I'm participating in a reading challenge for 2010. My goal is to read 30 books this year, no re-reads. I made 15 last year, so this will be a push for me, but I think it is doable. I am also including audiobooks, as I've decided to make the most of my long commute.

Tonight I finished listening to Chronicles of Avonlea by one of my all-time favourite authors, L.M. Montgomery. A collection of short stories, our dear Anne Shirley appears several times. She isn't featured in any of the stories, but it nonetheless gave me a little thrill each time I heard her name, like running into an old friend.

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book. The short stories were just perfect for my commute to work – at an average of half an hour apiece, I could listen to approximately 3 between my drives to and from work. The stories were engrossing, and I found myself laughing many times. I am addicted to audiobooks all of a sudden, and I look forward to the Further Chronicles of Avonlea in the near future.

I highly recommend this book to anybody who has known Anne, though of course it isn't necessary at all! This would be a delightful read at nearly any age, and I'm sure I will listen to it, and probably pick up a paper copy, again and again.

Oh and... 1 down, 29 to go!

I'm Back!

2010-01-08T22:53:00.001-08:00

It took me nearly a month pre-wedding, and four months post-wedding to focus, pull off a huge event, go on a honeymoon, move, and recover.

I'm moved. I'm recovered. I'm even going through photos and such now. And thus, it is time for me to blog again.

I got stuck. I wanted to blog about the wedding events before I started blogging about other things, but I wasn't ready to tackle the rest of the wedding things. So I've made a decision – I'm going to blog both. Every few days you'll get a wedding post because I don't want to leave things hanging with the shower! And every now and then you'll get something else.

I have some goals for 2010. I want to read 30 books. I want to bake bread, which makes me very nervous. I plan to get in better shape and to do some embroidery. I'm going to have to move again.

Please join me as I figure out how to live a marriage now that I'm done with planning a wedding. Here, the real work starts.

Cheers!

Showers of Love

2009-08-05T00:16:00.000-07:00

The last Saturday of July was my beautiful bridal shower. I came home from a business trip to Minneapolis late Friday night, and enjoyed a lazy Saturday morning before heading over. I need to reiterate that my Maid of Honour, Michelle, is truly amazing.

So many amazing women were there to greet me when I arrived. Looking around, I was really amazed at what a diverse look at my life they represented. My grandmother was there, with my great-aunt. Cousins, girlfriends... work friends, school friends... some I've known for only a couple of years, and some I've known since I was 5. One of my oldest friends brought her baby girl, and it was delightful to have her there too!

I suddenly understand the meaning of "shower." I've always assumed it was a showering gifts. I got spoiled, no doubt, but in so many ways. It was a shower of love, laughter, and stories. It was a shower of wisdom and blessings that having a group of women together can bring. It was nothing short of awe-inspiring.

I have to brag about two gifts that astounded me. My grandmother presented me with a floral cross-stitch she did for me. I love my grandma's needlework. She taught me (I'm not that good), and it really is a defining part of our relationship. My mom has spent time putting together a cookbook of family recipes for me. It includes all my favourites and I can't wait to get started with them!

Today's Already-Dones

2009-07-04T20:10:00.000-07:00

I'm going to list some of my already-dones instead of talking about everything I have to do still. Reporting on accomplishments keeps me motivated to do more, much more than a massive list does. Speaking of massive lists... I have one. I find it overwhelming, so my new method is to look at it once a day and pick 5 or so things that I, or my mom, can get done that very day. A list of 5 things is much more approachable than a list of 50 things.

Today's Dones:

1. Dropped off the hairband I chose for my headpiece. The seamstress who is working on my dress is going to attach my mom's beautiful veil to this after she covers it with a coordinating fabric. I'm nervous because I don't really understand how this going to look, but I'm sure it will turn out beautifully.

2. Visited Western Tux to discuss switching over there from Moores. More on this later.

3. Found a Barn Star for a project I'm planning to do. Stay tuned! Does anybody know where to get small versions of these? Mine is quite large, and I'd like 2 smaller ones as well.

4. Resent three invitations that had come back undelivered.

5. Updated list of guests for the wedding -- we have 57 confirmed so far!

And, had a Starbucks iced coffee with milk, which is clearly the thing that's fueling me through this list.

Customization of a Dress

2009-06-23T22:01:00.000-07:00

First of all, I need to apologize for not having any photos of the dress process. I keep meaning to, and I keep forgetting. Perhaps this is how it should be.

I had my first official dress fitting last week. Have I mentioned it's perfect? The first time I tried the dress on, it was a little tight. This time, it did up so beautifully. I'm thrilled, it really felt wonderful. The seamstress I'm working with has not many size alterations to do... really just a hem.

However, we've decided on two changes. First, we're making a design change, and I'm extremely happy with it. I think it takes this dress, which is gorgeous, and makes it MINE. It totally speaks to my personality and style, which has got to be a win.

Second, we're altering the veil. My mom's veil is gorgeous, but the lace headpiece is just too fragile to work with. Since we have a little extra dress fabric, we're having a headpiece made. We will be attaching my mom's actual veil (the tulle part) to this new piece. I'm nervous about it. Even though I know it's the right thing to do, part of me really resists changing what my mom wore.

But, I can't wait to show you the results!

Camcorder Giveaway!

2009-06-02T08:31:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to learn to be more frugal, since Dan is going back to school and we'll be living "skinny" for a while. I've recently been introduced to The Grocery Shrink, and I love Angela's blog!

Today, she's posted a giveaway for a Vado HD Camcorder! Get thee to her blog and enter... I personally think it'd be excellent to have this little device around for all the many events leading up to the wedding!

The Grocery Shrink Blog is here: http://www.groceryshrink.typepad.com/

Invitation Inserts

2009-05-23T00:32:00.000-07:00

Our invitations have arrived, and I love them. I think it was wise to order them and not make them myself. However, I did forget one small detail to add to them... our website address! I've worked hard on the website and really wanted people to know where to find it! When I realized this, I tried to come up with all sorts of possibilities to add it on there. Dan heard the conundrum and instantly remarked:

"Why not just print it up on a separate little card?"

... umm, I needed somebody to tell me this? Clearly I am sleep deprived, but to be fair, my friend who was with me hadn't thought of it either.

So, tonight with the help of Apple's Pages, I did just that. I managed to match the border and colour pretty closely, and Pages has a great business card template that made it a snap. I'm thrilled!

I do have one more "insert card" I'd like to add to the package, but I'm happy to have figured out how.

It's Christmas in May...

2009-05-18T23:11:00.000-07:00

Seriously, all I need is a red suit and I'd be Santa Claus. I'm making my list folks, and I'm checking it twice... and three, four, five times over.

I am completely and utterly paranoid that now, when it comes down to finalizing the list and writing out all those addresses, that I'm going to forget somebody.

So far, the count is 116 "parties" (that is, the number of invitations) and just shy of 200 people. Mom & I still need to go back through and figure out which kids are invited, and who exactly we've missed.

And then I'll probably have nightmares about not sending an invitation to my grandma, or one friend out of a group or something ridiculous like that. How do people handle this part?

A Fun Purchase

2009-05-14T19:37:00.001-07:00

Today I went shopping with my mom to look for mother-of-the-bride outfits, and made a very fun purchase of my own. I bought a dress for the rehearsal dinner. This was obviously not as important as my bridal gown, but it was way easier. It's turquoise and brown, and I adore it. I think I will even take it on the cruise! I've not typically been a dress kind of girl, and certainly never dresses that aren't long, but I think I can pull it off.

I'm surprised at how excited I am for this small item done. I'm trying to do one wedding task per day, and this was a good one!

100 Days!

2009-05-13T23:13:00.000-07:00

The countdown may officially begin!

I almost missed it... good thing I stay up late. ;)

What Not To Do

2009-05-13T21:50:00.001-07:00

Alright, so, because a good friend got engaged this past weekend, my mind buzzes along with things she's just gotta know. And since I've learned that people DO actually read this blog (please leave comments so I know!) I figure somebody out there might be interested in hearing me blather on. I've been engaged for a really long time (very close to too long), so I've seen my share of magazines, blogs, wedding shows, and bridal fairs. I've talked to many brides, and many people in the bridal business. Today's list is "What NOT To Do." Observe:

Do not plan anything (I mean that) without having planned a location and a date first. This is critical. This is the backbone of your wedding. You can do this in one of two ways. The first, is to choose your exact date and then find something that is available. The earlier you do this, the more availability there will be. The second way is to pick a place you adore and then choose a date they have available. Pick your priority, but you can't get around this truth. I once ran into a bride who was buying her gown. She had no idea where the wedding would be, or even when. Believe it or not, clothes – even wedding gowns – are seasonal. It is prudent to know when your wedding will be and what the vague style of it will be before you purchase anything.
Don't buy anything you don't love. Weddings are expensive, no doubt. But there's this funny thing that happens. You may find something on sale that could be useful, so you buy it. Then you find something you like better. Shop around as you need to, buy what you love, and cherish it.
Don't ever look at a wedding magazine and think you'll be able to find that same idea later on. You will have stacks of magazines. More than you will ever buy, because people will give you theirs. If you like it, flag it with a sticky note or tear it out and put it in a folder.
Don't be nasty to your friends. I'm horrified by how many people wear the term "Bridezilla" like it's a badge of honour. It's not nice, it's not right, and you'll end up with no friends. Presumably you've chosen your bridesmaids because you have a good relationship with them, and you want that to continue. I know of a bride whose gals all left the wedding as soon as they could and didn't talk to her for a good 6 months post. Think about that... your first year of marriage with no friends? Bad plan.
Don't think you have to do everything yourself. You can hire people, you can ask people (nicely), and you can even let some things go. Just because your sister's-hairdresser's-babysitter made her invitations for 450 people and still had time to monogram sugar cubes, doesn't mean you have to.
Don't make your registry too early. People might tell you to, and it might even seem logical and helpful to them. But it will be a pain in the butt when you have to go in frequently to change discontinued items.
Don't ignore your groom. He asked you to marry him because he loves you. Everybody knows that weddings are busy and sometimes stressful, but with the average engagement length of 17 months, you really can't afford to lose date nights and time to connect. Your goal is to come out of this all with a husband... make sure he's still with you along the way.
Don't change who you are. You want to lose a few pounds or tone up your arms? Fine. You want to eat cabbage soup for a month only to put all the weight back on the minute you look at the buffet on your all-inclusive honeymoon? No. Order a dress that fits you, that reflects who you are, and that you feel wonderful in. Otherwise, your kids won't know who's standing beside their dad in all those photos...
Don't lose who you are, either. I've seen brides give up every interest and hobby in the time it takes to plan a wedding. You may want to put aside needlepoint to learn calligraphy (yeah hi, me right here), and that's fine. But read a book now and then, not just magazines, and stay on top of the things that define you. If you don't, two things will happen. You'll become a complete bore and you won't know what to do with yourself after the wedding. Nobody needs post-wedding-depression because they don't know how to fill their time.
Related to the above, don't talk about the wedding non-stop. I love the blog because people who want to hear what I have to say, can. Of course you're excited, and people are happy for you. But life goes on for them, and most people are happier if you're part of that.

(hey... do you like my signature?)

Cruising to Alaska!

2009-05-05T18:17:00.000-07:00

So, a couple major things have happened in the last month.

1. Dan got accepted into UBC for the Bachelor of Education program! This is great news for him, obviously. I'm very excited. It's a July-start program, which means (we thought) that he's basically going to be doing school all the way through the wedding. Ahh well... at least we picked a Saturday, right?

2. I took a closer look at the calendar, and learned that he has 3 weeks off at the end of summer -- RIGHT over the time of the wedding! In fact, his last day of school is my last day of work. We both have the full week off before the wedding, and then he has 2 weeks off afterward (I have one week and a couple days).

3. We booked a honeymoon! There is bliss to look forward to. We'll be sailing on the Holland America Volendam, roundtrip to Alaska. We leave from Vancouver, which I love, because we don't have to fly anywhere. And, we head out 4 days after the wedding, giving us opportunity to visit with some out of town guests and pack. I'm super excited that Dan has time off, and thrilled we've booked a trip!

Gucci Shoes!

2009-04-11T17:20:00.000-07:00

Miss Janice over at Etiquette with Miss Janice has a gorgeous pair of Gucci shoes for giveaway! Get thee to her blog and enter -- I can see these being perfect with a cute rehearsal dinner or engagement photo outfit!

Wedding Contracts

2009-04-11T14:30:00.000-07:00

I read today that You and Your Wedding Magazine recently did a survey of 1000 brides-to-be to determine how many people were interested in bridesmaids contracts.

What's a bridesmaid contract?

Well, the idea is that when you ask your nearest and dearest friends to stand beside you in support on your big day, you require them to sign a contract. This contract may outline things such as not drastically changing their appearance before the wedding (hello... hair cuts?), not to drink more than a certain amount of alcohol, not to make any "advances" toward the groom (umm... aren't these your best friends?), and not to gain any weight between the date you request their presence and the date of the wedding.

1 in 5 brides agreed that such contracts were a good idea.

I thought I'd take a little poll of my own. How many brides would sign a contract if the proposal included a caveat explaining that they could only keep the ring and actually get married if they didn't gain a single pound?

Surprise!

2009-03-29T20:32:00.000-07:00

There are a few things that have surprised me along the wedding-planning way. Here's my list so far -- I'm sure there are MANY more to come.

The average flower girl dress that cost more than what we're spending on the bridesmaids dresses. We will NOT be buying one of these.
The most enjoyable Wedding Fair I went to is theone we took the guys along for. :)
The flowers are really less expensive than I had anticipated, and I think the work-from-home florist is the least expensive option.
That I am really, truly, not a good multi-tasker.
Some wedding boutiques out there are just really snotty. I'm so glad to have found one that's not.
How weird I feel without my engagement ring right now, while it's back with the jeweler.
If you find the right vendors, they really are your best resource in saving money.
How attached I get to people involved. Two of the people involved in services for the wedding have had to leave for various reasons, and even though we have wonderful replacements, I really miss them.
That my dad would like to take dancing lessons. I think this is because he thinks it is as easy as it looks on Dancing With the Stars.
How much everybody is willing to pitch in and help.

I Have a Dress!

2009-03-19T23:34:00.000-07:00

I got the call yesterday letting me know that my dress had arrived. That's right -- it came on the day my parents left town. I deliberated on what to do about picking it up. I had originally wanted to go try it on for the first time with my mom there, and all the bridesmaids when they were trying their dresses as well.

I changed my mind.

Sometime between getting that call and having a long work day, I decided that trying on my dress for the first time, by myself, was the right thing to do. I worried a little about it not fitting, and didn't want everyone there if that was true. I wanted a moment of calmness with it. I wanted some time to really look at myself wearing it, in the mirror. The one on the wall, not the one that I would get from seeing half a dozen opinionated faces. I knew that going by myself was exactly what I should do.

And I was right.

The dress is absolutely perfect. It doesn't need many alterations even. It's a tiny bit more snug than I would like it to be, but it fits and does up. It doesn't need much of a hem. After trying on so many wedding gowns, the funny thing to wrap my head around is that this is my dress. Nobody else has ever tried it on. Nobody else will have it on before me. It was ordered just for me, and it is exactly what I will get married in. I love it.

Chocolate Cake

2009-03-16T22:04:00.000-07:00

We all agreed very early on that we wanted a chocolate cake. Choosing a design, however, has not been as easy. I love all these beautiful chocolate cakes. They all have a different statement, and I've chosen my design, but I still love to look at these beautiful deserts. What do you think of this one? The chocolate and pearl motif was definitely a runner up for me.

Cleaning the Veil

2009-03-15T22:31:00.000-07:00

Okay... I'm mainly trying this post as a way to try working with pictures. I happen to have pictures of the cleaning-the-veil process. As you may remember from previous posts, I've decided to wear my mom's veil for my ceremony, which I'm pretty excited about it. But at 30 years old, it needed a good cleaning. Here is a closeup of the headpiece pre-cleaning:

I don't know if you can tell, but it has some age-spot stains here that I wanted to remove. I was really nervous about cleaning it up, but all it took was some liquid tide, a bit of Oxy-Clean, a bathtub full of warm water, and patience. I let it soak in the sudsy tub for about 30 minutes, going in now and then to swish it around. Then I rinsed it well, and hung it in the shower, like so (my apologies for the photo-quality here. The lighting in the shower was terrible):

The veil came out really, really white. My dress is not white. There is some irony to the fact that I cleaned it so well and now have to see if I can "antique" it a bit using tea. But the yellowing is gone, at least. I do need to do a bit of repair. You can see here that some of the lace un-glued in the cleaning process:

And finally, the picture you probably all want to see -- the veil on yours truly. I like this picture because it shows the fullness and the length. No, we do not still have a Christmas wreath hanging. I did this picture before the cleaning! I'm cheating the order just a little.

By the way, when I took this veil in to compare next to my dress, the owner of the store says she really sees these cap-style headpieces taking the place of the combs and tiaras and becoming the style again. What do you think? Is this vintage look ready for a comeback?

Tasting Cakes

2009-02-11T20:40:00.000-08:00

First of all, I've been terribly slack in posting and I'm so sorry! I've been sick, I've been tired of being online, and most importantly... I've been playing with my new camera! Many pictures to come!

Today I was calling around to make appointments for cake tastings, and I have three so far.

I contacted one whose cakes I have been admiring in the window for quite a long time. I asked if they did tastings, and the reply was (I quote):

"No, we don't, because everybody's tasting palate is so different."

umm... isn't that why you need to do them?

Organizing Guest Lists

2009-01-21T23:04:00.000-08:00

Everybody has their favourite way of keeping a guest list organized. Mine is probably a little different from the standard website or spreadsheet, and I really love it. Obviously the key is to find what works for you, and so I decided to go with my old stand-by, index cards. This is my dad's preferred method of gathering information, and I inherited it from him. And look what I found!

The real gem in this set are the printed cards of course. The front of the card has a standard address section, an RSVP section (check yes or no), and check boxes for the wedding-related things you might need to send, right from Invitation to Thank You Notes, Thank Yous for showers and more. The bottom has a line on which to record any gifts that have been received.

The back of the card is just as cool! You can record up to 4 names and birthdays for the family, and there's space for a nine year record of holiday cards sent & received. It really leaves no excuse not to be immaculate about correspondence in the future.

This is by far my most impressive wedding-organization piece so far. Do you like it? Do you have another novel way to organize your guest list?

Correspondence Cards

2009-01-19T12:26:00.000-08:00

On a forum I participate in, a December gift exchange was created. I deliberated for a while about whether or not to join, but I'm so glad I did!

We had to send the organizer a little bit about ourselves. She wanted to know what sort of colours we like, what things we like, what our hobbies are etc. I said I loved stationary and chocolate, soft colours & neutrals, read a lot, like to cook and am planning my wedding.

I got spoiled.

I got yummy chocolate, and a whole book on cooking with the stuff. I plan to pack it away for after the wedding (please reference previous post for why).

And I got two boxes of gorgeous, creamy, hand-engraved correspondence cards with lined envelopes. And, they match my wedding colours. How did my buddy DO that? I really think they're absolutely beautiful, and I love them.

One item marked off my to do list... acquire personal stationary for pre-wedding thank you notes: Check!

Bride Wars

2009-01-18T00:50:00.000-08:00

***spoiler alert!***

Tonight my mom, Michelle (my MOH) and I went to see a late showing of Bride Wars. Now I know that it hasn't been getting stellar reviews, but I thought it was very good. Only...

it stressed me out a little.

I loved it. I laughed a lot. But I was simultaneously horrified. I am sure that as my own wedding is pulled smoothly together, I will find this more & more funny.

I think it was interesting to note that the things in the movie that I found most cringe-worry are probably the ones I worry about in my own life & wedding planning. Can anybody guess what that is? Though it was startling, I wasn't that stressed about the orange tan (because I don't plan to tan for my wedding), or the getting tackled on my walk down the aisle (because my best friend isn't a complete whacko). What I found most stress-worthy was watching the adorable Liv stuff her face with cookies & candy, and *gasp* not fit into her wedding dress the week before the wedding!

Oh, for the love of all that is white & tulle... can you IMAGINE? All I could do was put my popcorn down and go over my fitness plan in my head. My trainer Juan will be getting a call from me tomorrow.

Girls with Flowers

2009-01-12T12:16:00.000-08:00

I am so, so excited to have 2 flower girls in our wedding. Flower girl H has known since she was a tiny baby that she'd be our flower girl. Admittedly, we thought she'd be a lot younger, but how fun is it now that she's 3? H was a flower girl last summer as well, so she knows ALL about it. We don't see her often, since her family has moved out of town, but I was glad to have some time with her on New Year's Eve. Allow me to recount our wedding conversation:

Kate: So, tell me what you know about weddings.

H: I will be at YOUR wedding.

Kate: Yes, you will be!

H: And there will be a beach ball there! (As you can probably tell, last year's wedding was on a local beach)

Kate: Well, there is no beach at our wedding.

H: No sand?

Kate: No.

H: Any grass?

Kate: Some outside, but the wedding will be inside.

H: Oh. Well, I will have flowers, and I will Put. Them. Down. And then I will take off my shoes.

She's the expert, what can I say? H loves to dance, and so I assume this is where the "taking off the shoes" might come in handy. I'm a bit nervous at the idea of having everybody watch me while we dance, so I may take advantage of her eagerness... this is what flower girls are for, right? I'd be more than willing to let H steal the show!

Technology & Weddings

2009-01-08T21:26:00.000-08:00

Did you or do you have a wedding website? I know these have been kicking around for a while, but I still find them really fascinating. Basically, it's website creation for the non-techy. Similar format to a blog, you just type in the fields you want to fill in, drop in your pictures, and save. It really is that simple, and I find myself wondering why it's not this easy to make any website.

A lot of these services are done through wedding planning sites. I chose EWeddings for my site. For a nominal fee of $10 per month I have a custom url too (among other perks).

As you know we recently just sent out the Save the Dates, and we included our wedding website address on the cards. Which was great, but meant I really had to get my butt in gear and work on the site!

I buckled down and updated it last night. I now have added local accommodation information (because most of the people who are receiving Save the Dates would come from out of town), Registry information, and some more photos. I don't have to use all the sections that are available, of course, but I'm still puzzling over this one... what is supposed to go on a wedding website in a section called "Wishlist?"

Save the Date!

2009-01-07T23:23:00.000-08:00

Well, there's no turning back now (kidding! I really wouldn't anyway!). The Save the Dates have been mailed.I'm really pretty proud of this project. I put them together myself scrapbook-style. They're not very uniform, but they look handmade, right? I don't have an adequate printer, so I had the insert printed on a heavy weight paper at Kinko's. I think they turned out pretty well, but if I had to do it again I would have them print one per sheet instead of four, to make cutting them to the right size easier.

And since the pictures are going to tell it better than I can... voila! My first true DIY wedding project.

That Veil Again

2008-12-29T14:55:00.000-08:00

There was one important task to be done over the holidays, and that was to take my bridesmaid Hannah to the dress shop to get her measurements done. I was definitely looking forward to this trip because I thought Hannah would actually fit the sample dress in the shop, and it was very exciting to see it on her!

So about that veil... I took it with me to see if there is any chance that it goes well with the dress. It does, and I think it's beautiful. Everybody seems to love it. I'm going to post pictures as soon as I can get some to get further opinions, because I worry that its a simple case of everybody's enthusiasm being cued from mine. But I do adore it. And I've now been told twice that I simply HAVE to keep the vintage headpiece intact.

I have to get it cleaned. It's been sitting in my mom's closet for almost 30 years, and it has to be cleaned. I worry about two things here:

1. That it will be TOO white once it's clean. My dress is not white, and really, an ivory piece would be a better match.

2. That cleaning will somehow damage the delicate lace.

The owner of the dress store I'm dealing with, Michelle, gave me a card for the dry cleaner she recommends. I'm going to take the plunge and do it. Fingers crossed!

Scents and Sensibility

2008-12-27T12:37:00.000-08:00

Why has choosing a wedding perfume consumed me for months, to the point of being the most difficult decision I've made?

Choosing a special cologne for Dan to wear was simple. One late evening at a Shoppers Drug Mart he tried a squirt of Dolce & Gabbana Masculine, and we both liked it. I even liked it a lot. We decided there and then that this would be what he would wear on our wedding day, and it felt right. We didn't buy it right away, but he did buy it soon after when we learned it was being discontinued -- a fact that still annoys me now that I'm certain it will become an addiction.

Picking a perfume for me, however, could not have been more complicated. I wanted something that felt out of the ordinary and special. Burberry wasn't going to cut it no matter how much I loved it. I wanted something pretty -- the very bottle that was going to later sit on my dresser reminding me of my wedding day had to be simply gorgeous. And importantly, it couldn't be bothersome to my father, who abhors most perfumes and would be walking me down the aisle.

I became obsessed. EVERY time I walked through a drug store or a department store I would spritz the scent du jour, sniffing it frequently throughout the day, running it past Dan and sitting near my dad while he watched T.V. to see if he would complain. He usually didn't. I would research online and in wedding magazines the perfect top notes to compliment my gown, and get more and more confused. I fell in love with many scents -- Dior's Cherie, Nina Gold, and more than one by Chanel -- but none of them felt right. I realized that most of the scents I truly adored smelled fantastic in the cold of the fall and winter, but would likely be too heavy and nauseating in the August heat. And I'm not kidding you... this went on for months.

My most recent obsession was Vera Wang's Princess. Ordinary for a bride, perhaps, but so classic. How could one resist the charming purple heart under the wedding queen's label? And has anybody noticed that you can get anything in this scent, right down to wedding-eve bubble bath? I still don't love it quite as much as Nina Gold, but it seemed to have a higher approval among my many consultants (Dan, Mom, Michelle and my unaware Dad).

The deal was sealed on Christmas morning when I unwrapped a lovely small package from Dan. Perfection in a beautiful purple bottle with a crown top, and I couldn't be happier about it.

I still wonder why I became so overwhelmed with such a small task, when choosing a dress was so easy. They say scent is the strongest sense associated with memory, and I know that is certainly true for me. I can still smell Tommy Girl and I'm in my 14th summer again (hello California!), Chanel Allure and I'm in Paris for the first time.

Maybe choosing a scent for my wedding IS in fact a big deal that will be important and memorable forever. And maybe I'm just an escapist who needed something to take her mind off more complex realistic matters.

The problem with Christmas shopping

2008-12-22T22:54:00.001-08:00

The problem with Christmas shopping this year, is that I'm officially a bride. I'm officially planning a wedding, and I officially have projects to do and things to buy. And the real problem with Christmas shopping is that I'm in the stores finding these things.

It started with my beautiful ring bear, moved onto a few GREAT deals on jewelry, and headed right into the shoe store today.

That's right, I bought shoes and I love them. What am I wearing? 4" heels? Strappy sandles? Kitten heels? No no my dear reader... I have bought myself a beautiful pair of ivory Skechers, complete with lace detail and a perfect prim bow.

I admire Skechers often by the dozens, but buy them rarely. These summer shoes were on clearance though, and a bride can't pass up a good sale. So I bought them. It is still possible that I will find that perfect pair of kitten heels, but if so I'm happy to become a two-shoe bride (or to relegate my ivory flats to weekend wear with a great pair of jeans).

A Ring Bear for my Ring Bearer.

2008-12-16T21:47:00.000-08:00

I have this totally adorable ring bearer, and tonight I bought him a bear. The little guy who will be carrying our rings is very young, and I've decided that I'm going to give him a "ring bear" to carry instead of a pillow. Cute idea, right? And since our colours include chocolate brown, it was just too easy, and too hard to resist.

So tonight I bought a beautiful, soft curly haired bear. I actually bought two, because I want to keep one for ourselves and make sure our little guy gets to keep one as well. He already has a beautiful brown organza ribbon, and I'll be sewing on some thin peach ones as well.

I can't wait to see how this idea pans out!

I've Fallen In Love...

2008-12-15T23:12:00.000-08:00

With a veil. My mother's veil, to be exact. So here's the scoop. I've been away in Vegas, with my dad, schmoozing with clients. While we were there, Dan & my mom were cleaning out the master bedroom in preparation for new carpet. I'm talking MASSIVE cleanout, everything must go, right to the back of the walk in closet.

They found her veil, and I adore it.

My parents got married in the late 70s, and, while mom's veil fit perfectly with her 70s dress, I think it is truly a classic. It is double-layered, waist-length with a simple rolled edge. It is exactly the fullness and length I wanted with my own dress. I love the slight vintage look of the lace appliques scattered throughout. I love the sentiment behind wearing my mom's veil.

Here I admit that Dan has seen me with it on my head, completing an outfit of jeans and a hoodie. I was on my way out to meet my MOH Michelle, and my hands were otherwise full. He laughed at me when he looked at me strangely and I simply said "I'm going out," but I assure you I did NOT wear it to the shopping mall.

So, what's the problem? It's a little old and dusty, but that can be fixed. It's also very white, and my dress is not white. I'm trying to figure out whether it can be dyed, but I don't want to risk ruining it either. I'm conflicted -- do you have any advice? Do I have myself a project, or is this beyond what I should attempt?

The Easiest Shopping Ever

2008-12-02T22:18:00.000-08:00

So... I'm shocked.

Selecting bridesmaid dresses is literally some of the easiest shopping I've ever done. I really didn't expect it to be, I thought it would be one of the more difficult tasks. Looking through www.realbridesmaids.com, I was worried to choose something that the gals hadn't all managed to try on. I'm aware that most bridal shops don't carry much in a range of sizes, and knew that we couldn't go by catalogue picture alone.

I knew what I wanted for the basics: deep chocolate brown, tea length, summery material like chiffon.

A couple of the girls knew what they wanted for sure: straps that provided a bit of support (and who can blame them, really?).

We tossed around ideas including having them made, but it turned out to be much simpler than that. My friend & bridesmaid Heather & I stopped at the bridal shop to put the deposit on my dress (YAY! Another post coming soon!). I literally pulled this chocolate brown, chiffon little beauty off the rack and said "see, I was thinking about something sort of like this."

She tried it on, and it looked fabulous. We both fell in love with it right away. We wanted to capitalize on the same sale that I was taking advantage of for my gown, so we had to move fast. Within a couple of hours, photos had been shown to the other 3 girls online, and we had unanimous approval! Deposits were placed the very next day, and I even had measurements ready to go all the way from Newfoundland.

Did anything you expect to be hard turn out to be really easy?

2008-11-20T21:44:00.000-08:00

Guest blogging from Dan:

Having now done the engagement photo session with our photographer of choice, I have come to the conclusion that some couples must get married just to have their pictures taken. It's surprisingly fun! Someone follows you around all day oohing and ahhing over how good you look together, what a great couple you are (etc. etc.), and basically makes it their mission of the day to make you look like the perfect pair of people. What's not to love?

Done right, the whole experience becomes an affirmation of your decision to get married. By the end of it all, with a photographer as great as ours, you and your intended should both be feeling chipper, refreshed and more on track toward wedded bliss than ever. Or you might just find yourself exhausted with straw in your pants, but either way it's worthwhile.

Notes from Kate:

I loved doing our engagement shoot! I had so much fun with this whole day, and am grateful to Christine for making it such a great day. We started out in Fort Langley with the requisite train station, tracks & coffee shop shots. We then spent some time at the Fort Wine Co. (one of my favourite places for a rainy afternoon), and headed over to my family's farm. Dan's quip about straw in your pants is not much of an exaggeration.

We don't have any official photos to show you yet, but Dan & I played around with my camera phone (I know, I know) before the photographer arrived, so here are a couple of shots of us being our usual goofy selves.

Searching for China

2008-11-18T00:16:00.000-08:00

I have a secret. I adore dishes. It really does border on obsession. I love pretty homey things in general, and beautiful dishes are just about one of the most wonderful things I can think of. Ranks as high as having pretty stationary.

I've started my gift registry (fairly early, at the good advice of one of my bridesmaids),

and so far finding my kitchenware as been the most pleasing task. I already have started to collect a set of casual dinnerware, because my grandmother thought it was important to start this collection off years ago. So yes, I picked dinnerware at 18, and yes, I still love it. It is Royal Doulton Cinnabar (see right), and here it is in all it's glory. Doesn't it just call up images of home-cooked casseroles straight out of the oven? I still think it was a wonderful choice.

So, I really only needed to find formal china to complete my collection. I've looked through almost every Mikasa, Noritake & Royal Doulton pattern we could find. The first one we chose

was this lovely set by Noritake. It's called "White Palace" (see right) and I still adore it. In addition to the beautiful gold rim, this set has a cream textured border. Texture really is important to me, and it was definitely the selling point on this set. That all said, I thought it was a little too formal and a lot too expensive for what we needed.

Next, I fell in love with Challinor by Royal Douton (see left). If for whatever reason I ever needed to choose a second set, this would be it. A rich blue and gold, it's beautiful and luxurious. I especially loved how every piece in the setting was a little bit different. Even with the blue it was still a very warm set, as the border was a lovely cream colour. It was a very close choice, but it wasn't quite right.

We finally settled on Noritake's Glenrose Platinum. I love it. It reminds me just slightly of my mom's pattern (she chose Noritake when it was still new and unknown), but is different enough too. Silvery blue with a textured rim, I think it will be perfect for all occasions and can be set with many different colour schemes. It is truly perfect for us in every way, and I am excited about our choice. And here it is, in all it's beautiful glory:

Did you have a hard time selecting your dinnerware, or was it an easy choice for you? Do you think you picked the right one?

I Won!

2008-10-20T18:39:00.000-07:00

I already mentioned that I adore Weddingbee. Well, one of the cool things about this website is that they have great giveaways to enter! I was pleasantly surprised this morning to have received an email from Mrs. Bee herself. I won a giveaway draw I entered last week -- a custom canvas print by GeeZees!

Mr.s Bee connected me right away with Stephanie, the owner of GeeZees. I'm super excited to be working with her! We'll talk about what I'm looking for and create something really special. GeeZees prints words, pictures, or a combination of the two onto their canvas. I swooned when I saw all their beautiful colours. I think their work is just beautiful.

So, what am I doing with this wonderful prize? I'm not telling. Dan, Michelle, and Mrs. Bee know... the rest of you will have to stay tuned until the surprise is unveiled.

Oh, and exciting news for YOU, my dear readers. Stephanie has been kind enough to allow me to offer you 5% off an order from GeeZees! Just let her know you found her through my blog, augustvows.

Say Cheese!

2008-10-17T18:27:00.000-07:00

We have a photographer. Christine Vantol from Bluehaze Photography will be recording our big day, and I think she's absolutely wonderful. Please check out the Bluehaze Blog for a sampling of her talent. I am ridiculously excited about this.

Picking a photographer really wasn't that hard for me. I was really looking for somebody with a photojournalistic style to their wedding photography, and with this vendor more than any others, I felt it was extremely important to choose somebody we got along with. After all, our photographer will be with us all day long, so I figure we should like each other! Dan and I both liked Christine as soon as we met her at the Milsean Shoppe in Aldergrove. She spent a good hour chatting with us, really taking the time to get to know who we were as individuals and as a couple. We did some checking around, got good feedback on her work, and enjoyed looking at the photos from weddings she's done in the past. Bonus, her package was a pretty good deal! However, Dan (ever the responsible one) thought we should shop around a little. Many websites and one short meeting later he was totally convinced, and I booked my dream photographer!

Since I was already deep into investigating photos, I've also been stalking other blogs (I particularly adore Weddingbee), and collecting files of photos that inspire me. The one here is by Rock the Wedding Photography in Victoria, and it felt so much like fall on our rainy West Coast. Isn't it beautiful? I just love it, and I'd really love for our engagement photographs to have the same cozy feel.

Speaking of which, we're planning our engagement session for November 1st! I really can't wait. The only big decision left to make... what do I wear?

The Bridal Circus

2008-09-28T18:17:00.000-07:00

err... wedding fairs, that is. Seems that the fall brings on the new season, and I attended my first one of the year tonight (yes, I've been before, but was on hiatus while we came up with the date).

This evening's event was the Welcome Wagon show, which I think is pretty wonderful. It's small and local, which means there aren't a lot of competing vendors. Basically one from each category, which is easy on my memory! I attended with my mom and maid of honour, Michelle. Before we go any further, let me assure you all that I have the world's best maid of honour. No really, she could do this for a living. I lucked out, I only bought her dinner.

Michelle comes with me to these things, she carries my look bag, and she listens to all my strong opinions on everything (no over-sugary first dance songs, no kitschy heart motifs). She cried when I tried on wedding gowns. I think she likes to think of herself as my big sister, and I'm okay with that. She even called me prior to our outing to check on what I was going to wear, lest she "accidently outshine the bride." Which of course she does anyway, but nobody can hold that against her because she doesn't mean to. She's just beautiful and lovely, and can't help it.

Enough goopy stuff, it's clearly too early to be emotional. So, let me let you in on the real secret. Brides go to wedding fairs for the good deals, and the loot. Especially Welcome Wagon ones, where they hand you the bag at the door (no need to collect table to table)! Want to get in on my amazing stash? Read on for a sampling of all that was received:

PartyLite candles. Appletini mixer (I've never had an appletini, but see no reason not to try one right away). A dish towel. Some sort of red candy, which ironically came from a fitness company (aha! I see their evil plot!). A compact mirror. Recipes from the Pampered Chef. Sparkly body lotion. Really, really good chocolate. I should have figured out what it was before we ate it, because now I want more. Gorgeous lavender bath salts from Nectar Lingerie. A whole bunch of magnets and pens, and a key taped to a postcard from a realtor (admittedly, this one is a little odd).

The fashion show was great (though I've already picked my dress), and I got to talk to lots of interesting people. Among others on my long list, we haven't chosen vendors yet for stationary, music, flowers, or clothes for the gentlemen, so it was a great opportunity to get some ideas. Most of all, it really was fun, if not a little exhausting. And I get to do it all again on October 8th.

Until then, appletini cheers!

The "Negative Anniversary"

2008-08-22T18:10:00.000-07:00

Before I say anything else, an entry today would be entirely incomplete without wishing my grandparents a very happy 55th anniversary. We'll be getting married on their 56th next year, and I don't think I could possibly think of a better date.

This morning, my father pointed out that today is our "negative one" anniversary. He's right of course, so the official countdown begins!

So, where are we as of today? We have a venue booked, our bridal party set, and a vague guest list. We've talked about roughly 4000 ideas, and need to start narrowing it down. We finally have a good picture of the two of us, and we've talked to a couple photographers. I've tried on a few dresses, and want to try on a whole bunch more.

Beyond that, we're basically acutely aware that this year is going to go by in no time, and thank you for joining us.