Loved!

That is the best way I can describe the feeling I had on Sunday. Absolutely, positively, whole heartedly loved. I was so grateful for everything that everyone did for me and I thank each and every one of you who made the journey to the party- I hope you had a great time.

JUST SOME OF THE FABULOUS WOMEN WHO ATTENDED

The day started with my hair and make up trial - done by the FABULOUS Lindsay - and I felt so absolutely pampered. She is utterly flawless in her make up and hair; Lindsay has a real eye for what looks good and her hands just seem to sculpt you into a fabulous creation.

Then the ladies started to arrive and we enjoyed good conversation, great food and beautiful weather. I was so happy that everyone was able to make it and enjoy themselves. And again- so grateful to the wonderful women who threw the shower for me.

I loved the shower. It was a time for the women in my life to come together and bond. And I liked that it was just that- women coming together and bonding. It was relaxing and made this whole wedding thing real. I had to keep repeating to myself "This is a bridal shower. For me. I'm a bride. What the hell?" I fought back a lot of tears of joy [but couldn't fight them all] and really spent the day taking in the company of these wonderful women.

So, again I say Thank You!! I felt love like I've never felt before and am so excited about October. Thank you!!!

Wedding Induced Obsession: Shoes

Before this whole wedding planning thing started, I was pretty low maintenance. I hardly wore make up, had two pairs of jeans that I alternated between and wore the same tennis shoes pretty much every day I wasn't working. Since then?! Yeah- I've turned into a girl. Big time. The biggest change?! I am now in love with shoes!


During my outfit planning (for the shower, the rehearsal and of course the big day!), I scoured the internet for hours looking for the perfect shoes. I wanted my feet to look cute, sexy and playful- what better way to accomplish that then by getting fabulous shoes?! Some of my favorites?! Oh well just scroll down and take a gander...

Disobey - Steve Madden

JESSICA SIMPSON- ASTOR

 NINA SHOES- ELGA

Ahh.. shoes! I bought two out of the three I showed you- the Elga's I've written about before. And the Jessica Simpson Astor's?! Oh- perfection. My feet look tiny, they are comfortable and sexy as hell! I am telling you- I am a changed woman. I recently went into the city with my mom and was so excited to help her pick out shoes for the wedding. Of course, I was picking beautiful platform, peep toe heels- not exactly what she was looking for- but even my mom was looking at me with a funny look. After the wedding I hope to expand my shoe collection. It's official- this wedding is making me into a girly girl.

Any other ladies out there with a shoe obsession?

Still amazing...

::checks official countdown via Weddingwire:: Official countdown- 58 days! I still can't believe it's coming as fast as it is.
The next few weekends promise to be very hectic, but very exciting. I almost fell out of my chair yesterday when I realized my bridal shower was next weekend. Next weekend! Holy moly! Next weekend will also count as my official trial. The gorgeous, talented, super spunky stylist I call Lindsay will be manning the mane and the face. I am so excited about the look she will create for me- the girl is just BEYOND talented- for realz!
So what is on the calendar the next couple of weekends?! Well take a gander, shall we?!
This Weekend
Saturday- I am going to the city with my mommy! Where I hope to find my wedding day accessories (finally!) and recharge my self-doubting batteries.
Sunday- Off to Sea Ranch to spend some time with Mr. Yankee's family :o)
August 21/22
Saturday- Work on some DIY projects, prepare my thank you gifts to the hosts of my shower.
Sunday- Bridal shower! So excited to see all my friends and family :o) And, of course- my hair/make up trial
August 28/29
Saturday- First alterations appointment at 11am!
Sunday- I am going to celebrate my good friend Michelle's last Sunday being a single girl!
September 4/5
Saturday- Put together wedding wish tree, finish tissue pomanders and get all baskets done.
Sunday- The wedding of two of the most awesomist people in the world! JOSH AND MICHELLE!
September 11/12
Saturday & Sunday- Head down to Milpitas to have some non wedding related family time. Probably use Mr. Yankee's parents printer since it is super awesome to print menus, programs and other misc. paper.
September 17/18
Saturday-Monday: Bachelorette party in DISNEYLAND!!! And Mr. Yankee will be in Vegas. I am super excited about this for a couple of reasons:

1. World of Color!!!!!

2. Halloween Time!

3. The new dragon in FANTASMIC!

September 25/26
I am leaving this weekend open since I will probably have to have another/final alterations appointment. But I assume I will be calling late responders (so make sure you put the RSVP in the mail, k?!). I will also send out our Rehearsal Dinner invites!
October 2/3
Saturday- Seating chart! This will be my task to end all tasks.
Sunday- Finalize the wedding weekend timeline packet. Confirm details!
October 9/10
Saturday- Rehearse! Holy moly! And of course my final girls night of being a single girl!
Sunday- We get murried!!!!

..whew. I can't believe we're just a few weekends away. It's going to be fun, stressful, exciting and busy! Just the way I like it :o)

How did you get your mind around the last few weeks of singlehood?!

And there they go...

First of all I wanted to say a big CONGRATULATIONS!! to my fellow wedding blogger, Alyssa at Ring Around The Roses- today is her wedding day and I am sure she is going to be a beautiful bride. Have a great wedding, Alyssa- it's the start of a beautiful together!!!

Today is the day I let go of my beautiful wedding invitations. They have been labeled, stuffed, stamped and sitting a box ready to go for about two weeks. As excited as I am to put these babies in the mail, I am also kind of sad- these babies have been a labor of love. A lot of emails and a few moments of stress created what I think are the most gorgeous little pieces of paper known to weddings. I am so greatful for Chelsea at Fourth & Folded who responded quickly to my half a dozen emails and made me sit and think on the design for a few days before going through with the printing.

As you've read in my numerous paper posts, the invitations have been a massive evolution. When I first started planning I was determined to be simple and cheap. At the end of the process, they are beautiful and more than I wanted to spend, but bring me little flutters of happiness everytime I think of them and so I think they are worth it.

I will post a photo shoot of the invites next week, but here is a little teaser for you...

iphone photo- yes, I invited Mickey & Minnie- what?!

Did you fall in love with your invitations?

It all happens for a reason.

I've been vacant. I know. If you follow my personal blog then you already get a sense as to why I haven't been wedding crafts and blog posty feeling recently. It's been a hard couple of weeks, but I am doing my very best to let. it. go. and get back to enjoying this whole thing called wedding planning.

The biggest piece of news to break is that we received our invitations. And they are absolutely beautiful. I had a minor freak out when we received the wrong envelopes (and an even bigger freak out when everyone kept telling me it was no big deal. Just let a girl be irrational and crazy for 5 minutes, would you?), but Chelsea was an absolute gem and worked herself ragged to make sure we got the right envelopes by the end of the weekend. They are all currently stuffed and awaiting their trip to the post office- I was searching high and low for some pretty twine that wasn't going to cost an arm and a leg to tie it all together, but have since given up on that idea. They're pretty enough. I don't need to add anything, no matter how much I want to.

The countdown?! 72 days. Amazing how time has been flying since we hit the 100 day mark. I feel like before I am over with breakfast it will be time to get hitched. But I am not sweating the small stuff. If I have learned one thing about whats going on in my personal life is that everything happens for a reason. As much as I want to be able to control everything and plan everything out to the last detail, life will get in the way.

I guess what I am saying is that I am finally embracing the idea that life is what happens while you're busy making plans. So while I am still the type A, plan everything down to the minute control freak, I am also beginning to take a step back and just let it ride. Because no matter what happens I can't change it.


Any other brides out there learning some life lessons while in the midst of planning?!

You've GOT to be kidding!

I am going to forget for 5 minutes that I write this blog for people and rant. You heard that- I am about to rant my little butt off, so if you don't want to hear/read/deal with it- skip this entry right about now.

Planning a wedding is filled with the small things. All the little things that you normally wouldn't even let phase you suddenly become all you can think about. I imagine planning a wedding is a little bit how raising children can be- take an otherwise sane, normal person who is interested in plenty of activities and topics and once they start focusing on raising this child all else goes out the window. They become so concerned with what to do, how to do it and what other people will think that all other rationalization goes out the window.

Wedding planning... is stressful. I feel like that is the under statement of century. And because it's stressful I feel like you let yourself get ridiculously excited over stupid things. Example?! My invitations. I was so excited about these things for so many reasons.
It was the one thing about the wedding that I didn't have to compromise on. They were beautiful, in my budget and completely timeless. I felt like I could put them in a shadow box and look at them in 5, 10, 15 years and still find them beautiful and classic. They were also custom- not everyone and their mother was going to have these and therefore I felt special. And they had cute little touches that I came up to make them that much better.

I've waited patiently for these beautiful pieces of paper all week. I rushed home this afternoon after work and carefully cut the priority box open and was so excited- until I saw the envelopes. They were the wrong color. Instead of the rich chocolate brown they were supposed to be, they were green.

Stupid thing to be upset about, but I just felt like it was the tiny straw that was breaking the camels back. Unfortunately not much of this wedding planning has gone smoothly, despite my being organized and on top of things. And now I really just want to crawl into a hole and cry.

One piece of advice from brides out there: Evites. Problem solved.

SO over it...

Wedding planning, that is. At the time Mr. Yankee and I say "I Do," I'll have been planning this wedding for twenty-two months and three days. Yeah- twenty-two months and three days. I have thought and re-thought every decision, detail, vendor and color scheme imaginable and I am just ready for it to be over with. I try to remind myself every time I get in this mood that I need to step back and enjoy this time, but you can only enjoy budgeting and assembling and gathering so much before it starts to drive you insane.

SOURCE

Of course I was reading weddingbee this morning and it looks like another bride to be, Miss Taco, has been planning her wedding for quite some time and is so over it. Inspired by another Bee, she posted a list of things she was excited for Post Wedding. I think I will release some of wedding planning frustration and think of all the things I really can't wait for after wedding...