Brides

My best friend got me a gag subscription to Brides for Christmas.
The more I read it, the more I'm like...I just want to elope.

The Side Project Public Release

My side project is finally ready for public viewing and I've gotten the go ahead from Steven to let other's in on the gig.

What is this mysterious project?

It's a Wedding Planning Blog to get ideas started, thoughts flowing, weed out the stuff we don't want to do, plan the things we do.

So, you are all invited to peek in and help me out! I know my married friends have ample advice to throw my way and I intend to use it all.

It is just in the beginning stages, but it will grow along with us and I hope you will all be along for the journey.

Just visit (and bookmark): HERE

Hodge Podge

Ok, I am seriously behind on my blogging. Apologies to my "faithful few" but I've been trying to get school work done. Schoolwork is technically what I should be doing right now, but you know, I need some me time before I start on it again.

However, for a while I was blogging about 5 times a day. So if you have been away from my little world for a while, you might want to scope out the older posts. Hint, Hint.

I have so many things I need to blog about so I'm just going to roll them into one big installment.

1st: James and Caitlin's wedding was amazing! I had such a great time and it was such a beautiful experience. I got to catch up with a lot of people including my blog family Sarah and Caitlin. It was so great to see Caitlin again! She was so gorgeous in her dress! And it was even better to see James and Sarah and all of their family. I haven't seen James since before he shipped off to Hawaii and it was an honor to witness his wedding. I also haven't seen him that genuinely happy in a long time and that made my heart swell. The fact that Caitlin was the cause of that happiness made my heart swell for her too. James seriously could not have done better. Caitlin is so amazing and her wedding was so well planned and just beautiful. Congratulations to you both! You deserve only the best, and only the best together. And I promise I will be sending your present soon. It is sitting right here on my dining room table. I didn't want to send it while no one was home to get it. I always have trouble with the mail and the last thing I want is to have it returned.

2nd: My time at home was a very interesting experience. I ran into a bunch of people! Some were good experiences, others not so much. I found out a few of my old friends were expecting children! So many things have changed back home it is amazing. Lots of construction and lots of new shops. I had a very fabulous experience with a person I have "bad blood" with. My encounter with her kind of MADE my weekend back home so I will have to relate the story to cyberspace. Now this girl and I have never gotten along but for quite sometime she pretended to be my friend while simultaneously being a complete backstabber. We were only acquaintances through my best- best- best- friend who I take a great deal of care for and anything that concerns her concerns me. It's like a mafia situation of family loyalty. About a year ago, said nasty girl proceeded to tell my best friend that her mother (who really is the greatest woman who has ever lived, and should really be cannonized for the pure beauty of her huge and selfless heart) was a horrible mother even after she had known her for years and had been on the receiving end of all the amazingness of my best friend's mother. Most insulting thing to say EVER! So my best friend and I were finally like: "this is it, absolutely no communication with two-faced girl." And who do I run into at Starbucks? Oh yes: the insulting-one. I had a moment of pure bitchiness. Even though it was out of character, it was AMAZING! She tried to say hello to me like she didn't hate me like we were just old friends who hadn't seen one another in years. I gave her the most soul-stabbing look and she just turned away and never looked at me again. I loved it.

3rd: While I was at home I went through the remaining items I left at my parent's house. I found my 8th grade dance dress and I had to try it on. I haven't been able to fit into that dress since the 8th grade, eight years ago, and it didn't even zip up last summer. I tried it on just for kicks and IT FIT! I was elated! I brought it back with me to my apartment and now I need an excuse to get fancy! Where does one wear a ballgown these days?

On a side note: Oliver, the kitten, is driving me out of my mind! He will not stop attacking me. He's getting big enough that everything hurts. I've tried everything! Loud claps, loud "NO"'s, spray bottles: I mean everything. My latest tactic is hissing at him. I figure when he gets annoyed or doesn't like something he hisses, so the same body language might translate a little better. I dunno. I'm really trying but I'm also getting extremely frustrated and I've got more scratches and bites then I know what to do with. I'm getting warn out. He gets fixed next week so I'm hoping that will calm him down a bit.

Wedding Anecdotes

Since Steven and I were in my hometown for a wedding, naturally the subject came up a lot and not even from me. I wanted to share a few of the more humorous stories.

#1: Steven and I went to Williamsburg on Sunday. Williamsburg is my favorite place! We found a great pancake place called the Gazebo. I highly recommend it! They even have a signed photo of Jon Stewart who went to William and Mary, so you know it's good if it's Jon Stewart approved. Well on the way there we passed a Christmas shop. I've been on the lookout for pickle ornaments in order to prove to Steven that the legend of the pickle ornament is actually pretty popular. He and his mother had never heard of it and that shocked me. Steven says we will go there after we eat and he bets me a kiss that they don't have them. Well, guess who was right? Me. They had them and they even had little note cards explaining the history. So I got one for myself and for Steven's family as a Christmas gift. As the lady at the register was ringing me up I was telling her that "His mother had never heard of them can you believe it?" and later she asked me: "which note do you want for the ornament for your mother in-law?" I didn't deny her... how awkward would that have been? Hehe.

Steven took it in stride and we had a giant pickle giggle the whole way home.

#2: As we were driving back or maybe as we were driving there, I can't remember, we got talking about rings. I was telling him about all the cool stuff you could do with stimulant diamonds including getting the diamond engraved. Then I started telling him about a ring on the Carat website that has a princess cut center and baguettes on the side. The poor boys says to me: "so you want me to get you a ring and some bread?" I had to explain that they're little bread shaped diamonds and not actual bread. Now I genuinely expect bread when he eventually proposes... it's the goofiness I love about us anyway.

Carrie. Would. Be. Proud.

I'm busting out heels for Caitlin and James' wedding. I never wear heels. However, I found some super cute, brown, NINE WEST shoes at Ross yesterday for $14.99. They were too good to pass up. Nine West is about as close to Manolo Blahnik's as I will be for a while. I know you can't really see them but I've got to leave something up to the imagination! That, and I wanted to get a really artsy shot with my new lamp from Ikea and my first real flower arrangement.

Now I just need to find a way to break them in. I could always do housework in the heels...but is that too...Stepfordish?

Bookie Updates

So the engagement list for the sumer of '08 has gotten a little longer. Yesterday a good friend from school got engaged. Super exciting! Their wedding is going to be the most nontraditional event, ever, and I loves it! Like I loves them!

So the tally:

M.D. Married May 17th
K.G. Engaged May 19th
L.H. Engaged May 25th
L's Sister Engaged in June (I meant to update then but I forgot to and then I forgot the exact date)
J.B. Engaged June 29th

Um...Pardon?

So a person I went to school with in Gloucester sent me a message on Facebook that reads:

"So, my mom was reading the Gloucester Gazette and saw that you and Steve had gotten a marriage license. I suppose a congratulations are in order...."

Now, I haven't talked to this person since 11th grade English AP... and I have not applied for any marriage licenses unless I've developed an alter-ego that takes control of my body and some how managed to get Steven to sign some paperwork... Indeed, a very great super-power to have... I am Marriage Girl? The facilitator of things that currently seem impossible?

Anyone know about this? Anyone got a copy of the most recent Gazette Journal? Anybody else having a good laugh with me?

Small town gossip. I love it. This is even better then the one about me converting to Hinduism.

You can't even buy this much publicity. :D

I Like To Showcase Talent When I See It:

(Image Property of Caitlin's Designs)

I just wanted to give my friend Caitlin some double exposure for her AMAZING monograms. I'm so pleased that she has a website up and running for it, and I wish her the best of luck making this a lucrative endeavor! She has quite a natural talent for color, pattern, and style and her designs are simply gorgeous! She already has a very wide selection of styles!

Check out the website for Caitlin's Designs to see all of her amazing outlines, and while your surfing around take a look at the Planning Blog she has for her wedding to hear about it in her own words (No worries Caitlin, James doesn't even know my blog). Her wedding is sure to be the social highlight of my year and I cannot wait!

I have also already booked her for a few years from now: as should you.

Amanda:

want.

Boy, I can dream can't I?

Haha.

What is this?

So just for kicks I was looking at information for the Yorktown beach. And it turns out that there is no fee to rent the beach for a wedding... Yorktown beach is probably my number one choice for a wedding site. The beach and I are kindred spirits. I love being out on the water and I love the ocean air. Not to mention it is an area I'm very familiar with, there is parking, and it's fairly close to the airport and numerous hotels as well as lots of touristy stuff for guests to do afterwards. There is a fee for using the new spiffy reception building that they have there, but the fee is really pretty reasonable.

Just more wishful thinking. I know so many people who are planning weddings or who just had them, so let me have my fun imagining a wedding I'm not really planning or that isn't happening for a very long time from now (as far as I know). Although... I could probably be ready in a week since I know exactly what I want. That's kind of sad.

Wishful Thinking Captured On Film

This Picture Says:

Dear demiurge of marriage in the sky,

Pick me next! Please and Thank you.

Love,

Amanda

Dropping. Like. Flies.

Pay no attention to this new, sick, little hobby, but since so many people I know have just gotten engaged, I feel the need to record it. I want to see how long this list gets by the end of the summer. Am I turning into a wedding bookie? Bets?

M.D. Married May 17th
K.G. Engaged May 19th
L.H. Engaged May 25th
L's Sister Engaged in June
J.B. Engaged June 29th

Um... this is a very shocking trend...

And you know I'm completely jealous!

But also extremely happy for everyone!