maps and DIY madness

i was at an affordable housing conference for the last two days and i "created" the maps that we will either include on our invitation suite, or in the gift bags. i am going to make a bet now that they end up in the gift bags as the two mothers involved in this wedding will find a hand drawn map SOOOOO TACKY. but still... i think they are so cute. i think i did my fufure husbands hair much justice in this little drawing. that is what i am most proud of.

now i just need to find a sweet and cheap printer. and:

order the out of towners bags

decide what to fill em up with. thoughts so far: barefoot contessas granola (which means i need to find cute little plastic bags, ties, and stickers to put on them), waters, postcard from big sur with stamp on it- so people can send it while they are staying the weekend saying how my fun they are having at MY wedding, tide pens or wipes, alka seltzer, emergen-c, deck of cards, big sure newsletter (free), the map (above) with little blurbs on what to do, the intinerary, some fruit, maybe a chocolate bar, maybe some of that "starbucks to go" stuff, hmm... what else???

AND- here is the logo i want to go on the bags. cutie.

yes, it is the same logo that we wanted to "brand" the chargers with. but that is going to cost THOUSANDS of dollars (wtf???) so we scratched that genius idea. on to the next.

all images via me me me

namaste...

There is too much to do. I am officially overwhelmed. I have my *first* bridal shower this weekend, so I have to be “on” and it is all hitting me. Maybe it is because we only have 107 days (!!!!AHHHHHH!!!) to go. Fuck.
Here is my list:

1. Vows- we have to start thinking of this a tad bit more… this one is going to be impossible.
2. Order or make custom party flags for the dessert area ( I have contacted a few artists but I think I will end up just doing it myself). Sayings that I want the flags to say... i dont officially have any yet... return to this.
3. Find a custom made iron branding tool (as well as the tool that heats it) so that I can brand each of the wood chargers that will be at each place setting. I have designed the “logo” to be either this redwood tree, and then the date or two poppies and the date. Below. I have asked my future husband to help with this- and he has yet to follow up with me… hmmm…

4. Come up with a recipe for something our guest can make (that we both think is delicious) on the cedar chargers that will be branded. I am thinking a delicious salmon somethingorother and a baked brie type of app. (side note- my mother mentioned to maybe have the recipe card double as the place card. Cute number on the front, and cute recipe on back. I like. That’s why its on the list!).
5. Find linens to go over the plane jane white linens we are ordering… maybe something opaque and in an earth tone? I would like to have a few different so that not every table looks the same… my mother says it is too busy, but I don’t care about her opinions on this one.
6. Invitations! They need to go out by July 15th. I have been working with a friend to design them and they invites we “created” got nixed by the future mother in law. She had one word in response to them: NO. so, redo. And then we need to find paper (linen or seed paper- how cute would seed paper be if it had California poppy seeds in it?), a printer, envelopes, stamps. This is so stupid and trivial yet I am going to spend hours on this nonsense.
7. Cake- we are meeting with the Patisserie next month to lock that shit down.
8. Grooms cake- ???
9. programs- and then I guess they have to match the invitation “suite” so I guess we need to get that worked out first. I want to include a few lines about everyone in the wedding party. My parents, his parents, our grandparesnts, the bridal party, little anecdotes or intros so that the people who have not met them know a little something about them.
10. Groomsmen- I am thinking khaki pants, white collared shirt with sleeved rolled to the elbows, madras ties (I am thinking I am going to need to order them for the boys- they cannot be trusted), boat shoes (if I am not going to make them buy a suit, can I make them but boat shoes?) or brown shoes, cute colorful printed socks. Cute cute cute!
11. Groomsmen gifts- this is a tuffy. The boys are going camping/ white water rafting for the bachelor party- so maybe a cool Swiss army knife? Or canteen? Flask has been done. hmmm…
12. My maids- what in the world am I going to do here?? Clutches? Cool hair pieces? I want them to be the coolest presents ever. Oy!
13. Hair and Makeup- I think I am going to be on my own for hair. I will probably have to drive up to Carmel or Monterey and find a Clinique counter somewhere and have them make us look smokin hot. My maids are babes, though, so I aint worried man.
14. The band! We need to nail down the music we want. We have the band booked. But that is it. Lots to do. Lots to do.
15. Get the lounge furniture ordered
16. Get the rehearsal dinner rentals ordered.
17. get the preliminary budget for the flowers
18. get the menu locked down for the wedding
19. get the room for the rabbi and his wife
20. order the ketubah
21. Get the booz order for the rehearsal dinner and the wedding. breathe… I think that is all for now.
22. Wedding gift for my man. WTF!?!?!?!?!!?!?!?!?!? I cannot even begin to start thinking of this impossible task... nope. Not today. Howevere, here is what I want from him. His gift to me for being the nicest wife who worked so hard to plan the nicest wedding that will represent our amazing future. Art Room please, Mr. Lippy. Thanks.

my future craft space via here and here

My Maids

I want to get the most awesomest coolest treats for my girls. I am the worst at gift giving. All 6 of my ladies happen to be some of the most thoughtful people I know (aside from my mother who lives on planet thoughtful and makes everyone else look bad).

When it comes to a bridesmaid gift I really want it to be special. And even more than special I want it to be bad ass! I was actually about to post some pics of some cool purses i saw and then realized that a purse is in no way special. But at least I am not doing this to them:

cakes

When I was first asked about a cake I could not care less. I knew a few things: 1. I did not want cupcakes. They are so 2009.
2. Whoopie pies are just silly.
3. I love the tradition of grooms cakes. And I have no idea what would make a good one? A bottle of vodka? A pack of parliaments? A slumlord? This one is gonna be a tuffy. Maybe I will lean towards taste and do pecan pie a la mode, or his favorite- noddle coogle (do you think I could get my future mother in law to make coogle the morning of the wedding? ha!) :)


But now I think I DO care...these cakes are bomb. I have sent them to our patisserie.





This decision will also be a tuffy. Whatever kind of cake we choose- get in my mouth! I can't wait to meet you!

Baby Blue Suit

So- Daddy bought a suit! We had tried a few from JCrew (irish linen and faded black stripe) because originally he HAD to have a three piece. But alas, he decided on this one:
Brook Brothers. It fits him like a sexy little blue glove. He didn’t want to take it off. When I told his mom he decided on a suit she was so happy. When I told her it was baby blue I thought she was going to drive us off the road. She seriously turned red she was so upset. She said he wasn’t taking the wedding seriously; I don’t entirely agree with this. She said “he paid that much for a suit he will never wear again?”. I said, I paid a nice chuck of change for my dress, and I don’t plan on wearing it ever again. She said he was going to “stand out” from everyone else. I said “I will too! Isn’t that the point???” Her face went back to a calmer shade and I think we left it ok.
Either way- He is happy. He didn’t want to take it off. He looks fucking hot. It is going to be a ridiculously stylish party. I can not wait to see him in it! 117 days! Woop Woop!

Hello Honeymoon...

Booked! At least half of it. Amalfi Coast here we come! We were originally going to put it off a week or two after the wedding- but now we are taking off right after! "Father of the Bride" style!

This will be our home for two weeks. YAYAYAYAYYAYAYYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY!

This is where I will lay out after a long afternoon and get my little boobies burned.

I can't wait! Thank you to my super future mother-in-law for being our very special travel agent!

engageiversarry

Yesterday was bittersweet. As I was celebrating (we didn’t actually do anything except for go to sushi happy hour) our one year engagiversary I was also mourning the one year “death” of my bff. The night we got engaged was basically the night we stopped being close- or even friends for that matter. Aside from the fact that she is BATSHIT CRAZY and the most delusional and selfish person ever, I miss her. I joked a few posts back about her showing up in a white gown, but it is actually not really all that funny. She has always been crazy. That’s what I liked about her. I’m crazy. We helped each other. But the day I got engaged, she was no longer a supportive friend. She no longer wanted to be happy for me. She no longer wanted to hang out with me- unless it was just the two of us, and even then, all talk of my man or our wedding was off limits. The night we got engaged she said to me- “don’t be one of those brides that talks about your wedding non stop”) and then she never asked a single question regarding the wedding, our engagement, or me. Nuthin. She didn’t come to our engagement party, she didn’t even RSVP. I have not heard from her since October. I can honestly say that it has been pretty bittersweet planning all of this without her in my life. Everyone says how awful she was, and how selfish and one sided our friendship was, and yadda yadda yadda. But she was still my girlfriend from third grade… a sister really. It will be very interesting to see how things will turn out… but there has definitely been a (silent) void in my life.

I think my example is extreme, but I know this is something that a lot of brides (and wives?) go through. I have supportive friends who still can’t help but make little negative comments. Like: youre having TWO showers? Mocking my invitations (WHO does that?????), or making "fun" of the fact that I had eleven hostesses for my first shower. I get it, I am spoiled. I had showers thrown for me at country clubs. Whatever. It’s easier to let those go- because I know it has nothing to do with ME or my man, but with their own insecurities (they all happen to be in relationships that have gone on a tad too long without a ring... they arent upset that there is glitter on MY shower invitation, they are upset that they dont have a shower invitation at all) I get it ladies. And I dont really care. But this one, my bestie, has been tough. Even if she isn’t there for me right now- I hope she is there the day of- wearing a white wedding gown or not.