Tiny Terrariums for Everyone!

I don't even know if we're going to have favours at our wedding. It just seems like such a waste of money for something that will either be eaten or tossed out! A waste of money that could be better used elsewhere in our budget or a waste of money that could be donated towards a charity.

Then again, would it really be a waste of money if we were to give out TINY TERRARIUMS?!?



How cool is that? And do they not fit PERFECTLY with our outdoorsy theme?

I found the DIY over at cottageliving a while back and I just can't stop thinking about them. I realize they would be a HUGE undertaking, and I'd probably want to stab my eyes out by the end of it. But how amazing would they look on all the tables? Heck, we could even incorporate them into the decor as part of our centrepieces or something.

I mean, I have LOTS of time right? I could do a practice run to see how easy it is, and to see if they last longer than 2 days before dying right? RIGHT?

Or perhaps I'm just crazy?

:)

Bridal Elegance

While I was home for the holidays in December, I went dress shopping for the first time, and I couldn't have asked for a better experience!

Like many women, I wanted my mom to be with me the first time I tried on wedding gowns. When I suggested the possibility of a dress shopping excursion during my trip home, she mentioned a bridal store that she had recently visited with my soon-to-be sister in law. Thus my first dress shopping appointment was made!

I'll admit I was feeling a bit nervous prior to my appointment. I'd heard horror stories about haughty and intimidating bridal consultants and hoity-toity bridal stores with all sorts of rules and regulations. Of course, I should have known I'd have nothing to worry about.

From the moment I stepped foot in Bridal Elegance, Wilma and her daughter Tara made me feel right at home. Tara looked through my favorite dress clippings and asked me some questions to get an idea of the look and feel I was hoping to achieve. She also asked if I was open to suggestions, which I assured her I was. Together we picked out 8 or 9 dresses to try on!

When Tara heard me complain about the crappy (and only) strapless bra I'd brought, she offered a much nicer one for my use. As an added touch, they also provide a slip for the bashful bride who is unaccustomed to the help of a "lady in waiting" in the change room ;)

Tara was the perfect consultant; she listened, she made suggestions, she was honest, she was courteous and she was friendly. She spent over two hours with me, tying up dresses, doing up buttons, carrying trains, and watching me primp in front of the mirror. All this while knowing that my wedding was more than 1.5 years away and would be held in Vancouver.

So for all the southwestern ontario brides out there in the midst of the wedding dress hunt, make sure you give Bridal Elegance a call. Beautiful dresses, affordable prices, and friendly consultants, equal a really fun dress shopping experience!

So what kinds of dresses did I try on? I didn't take any pics while in the dresses, but I managed to find a few of the professional photos online from the designer websites.

Ah the trumpet style dress! The above is from the Alfred Sung collection. I don't think it's the exact one I tried on, but it's very similar. A very beautiful dress; unfortunately, it didn't really work on my figure. I am somewhat straight waisted, without a whole lot of hip, thus all the wrong areas were emphasized!

Again, this dress with the cute little cap sleeves is from the San Patrick collection. Again, it's not the exact one I tried on, but I did try on a couple that were similar in styling. I really wanted to find a dress that wasn't strapless - just to be a little unique from EVERY other dress on the market these days. Alas, the sleeves ended up making my shoulders look like that of a football player. And I don't actually have broad shoulders to begin with!

This lovely number from the Jasmine collection was the 3rd runner up on my list! The full pleated bottom and the unusual detailing around the natural waist were both quite unique; the drop waist was to dye for - perfect for my body type! Unfortunately the seam around the drop waist between the beaded area and the pleated area just didn't sit right on me.

This is another dress from the Alfred Sung collection, and the 2nd runner up that day. I really loved this little A line dress with a slight empire waist and a beautiful lace overlay. The sample size was a tad bit too small on me, so it was hard to get a really good idea of what it would look like when properly fitted. And as the consultant pointed out, the next size up might be too big, thus requiring a whole wackload of alterations (aka more money).

And again, another from the Alfred Sung collection. The lace and sequined overlay on this dress were gorgeous. But the ruching at the top, and the visible line across the midline just didn't do it for me. Also, the sequins sewn under the arm area felt like they would wreak havoc if worn for longer than half an hour at a time!

I definitely learned a few things from my first excursion!

1. Finding a non strapless dress that looks good on me might be a difficult feat.
2. Empire waist is not always a good thing.
3. As beautiful as the trumpet style dress is, it's not really suited to my body type.
4. Dresses with a bit more beading and a bit more train are not a bad thing.
5. Sweetheart necklines look good on me.

Can't wait for the next dress outting!

SAVE THE DATE!!

The event coordinator from the DAC booked our date - so it's OFFICIAL!!

Everyone mark Friday July 17, 2009!!!! on your calendars and get ready for a party - BC styles!!


Lucky for me, my fiance is free that day, so it looks like we're getting MARRIED!

:)

PS. Happy Birthday Babe!!

One step closer...

The coordinator from the DAC is sending us the paperwork for the venue contract. Our day is open, so as soon as we send back the signed paperwork with the deposit, it's ours.

I can not WAIT to finally have a set date.

Almost there....

*giggles*

Project SeXXXy

Like many brides-to-be, I want to look beautiful on my wedding day! Now I know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and beauty is a state of mind and so on and such forth, but for me personally, beauty also means feeling good about myself.

I don't know about you, but I tend to feel good about myself when I am working out and following a nutritious healthy diet; something I haven't excelled at lately. In fact, if I were to grade myself, I'd probably award a D- for my lack lustre efforts. Breakfasting on chocolate for the win!! Admittedly, I knew the month of December was going to be a complete bust, so I willingly threw myself off the wagon with a simultaneous promise of climbing back on come the New Year.

And so with the New Year began a New Assignment. A little task I like to call PROJECT SEXXXY! Unfortunately I can't take credit for such a fabulous title, and I can't give credit where credit is due as I don't know where I first read the caption. I know it was among the many wedding blogs I browse, and I know it was a term used by a bride-to-be with similar wedding day aspirations, but darned if I can find it now. So if I borrowed this title from you, please do let me know and I'll be sure to give you credit!

In the past I have done weight watchers with great success. But after I reached my goal weight, I had a very hard time sticking with the plan. They claim it's a lifestyle change, and that you CAN eat what you want, but that's just a big load of crap, at least in my case. Because eating two pounds of chocolate for breakfast does NOT fit into their plan!

Now I know that eating two pounds of chocolate doesn't really fit into any healthy lifestyle plan, but I realized after a while, that weight watchers created a bit of an unhealthy obsessive compulsive reaction to the foods I ate. Because of that, the passion for continuing the "lifestyle change" waned. The pounds crept back on. The "good feelings" started to slip.

And then I got engaged! Hurray, I'm getting married. Oh no, everyone will be looking at me. Hurray I'm going on a honeymoon. Oh no, I have to wear a bathing suit. Yada yada yada. But at least now I have a goal. And I'm starting very early so I can ease into a new routine. And this time it WILL become a lifestyle change.

I'm actually feeling pretty confident about Project Sexxxy and the idea of a lifestyle change. Mainly because I have a fabulous friend who has offered to be my personal trainer in return for knitting and snowboarding lessons (I'm totoally getting the better deal out of this bargain)! Michelle is a competitive cyclist, but in the past has also been a competitive runner, rower, and triathlon athlete. Truly inspiring!

Needless to say, she knows her stuff, and her motivational skills are next to none ;) She is EXACTLY what I need to get my butt in gear.

So what are we doing and what are my goals? At the moment, I'm starting off slowly. Mainly cardio and some weight training. Running, exercise tapes, hiking, biking, and snowboarding. Changing it up to keep it interesting is key! My long term goals are fairly simple - look my absolute best for the wedding and more importantly the HONEYMOON. I really want to have a nicely toned back and arms for the wedding dress, and a trim tummy and legs for the honeymoon bikini. Short term goals include running a 10k race, incorporating more fruits and veggies into my diet, and "looking good" for my brother's wedding in August 2008.

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.....





(I'll keep ya updated)

Happy New Year!

Wow, I can't believe the Christmas holidays are over and the New Year has begun!! We had a wonderful holiday full of (way too much) good food, lots of family fun, amazing snowboarding runs, and a whole wack load of crafty goodness :)

I flew home to visit my family over the second weekend of December, which meant lots of quality time spent with my adorable niece! She was full of smiles for her aunty and was *this* close to walking. I'm sure I'll hear about her first steps any day now.

Of course, right before I left for home, I was crafting away like a mad woman, trying to complete a zillion christmas presents! I was a little concerned that I was in over my head, but all was complete in the nick of time ;)

The cute little fun fur cape and pyjama outfit I made for Jordyn turned out really well. I'll have to post a pic of it later. I was able to finish my mom's scarf (while out there - AFTER I wrapped it up and gave it to her - haha) and my (soon to be) sister in law's wrist warmers (on the plane ride home) as well. And thanks to a lovely Micheal's gift certificate, and an amazing New Years sale at Fabricland, I am completely stocked up on yarn and fabric once again.

Both Patrick and I completed our Christmas shopping a whole week in advance (completely UNHEARD of) and had a devil of a time waiting until Christmas eve to open all the presents under the tree! On the 24th we drove out to Chilliwack to pick up our Christmas dinner. During the drive we found some fresh cut wood being sold along the side of the road. Sooooo much cheaper than buying it at the local gas store; and much nicer smelling than a firelog from the local grocery store.

We had Patrick's brother and girlfriend over for dinner on Christmas eve, and Christmas Day. And ooooooooh did we EAT! Baked brie, matzo ball soup, sausage rolls, broccoli soup, roast goose, roast potatoes, wild rice, steamed carrots, and chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate!!

Luckily our holidays weren't all about eating and sitting around. We made sure to fit some snowboarding and hiking in there too! I tested out my new snowboarding boots (bestest present evar) which are amazing; good bye heel slip! Helloooooo control. So much so, that I'm actually working on a new trick - buttering! And of course, we've been out with the pup every day hiking up a storm at Robert Burnaby Park and Buntzen Lake.

New Years was a quiet but fun affair. We stayed in, ordered Thai food, drank some Yuki Hotaru (only the best saki ever) and played board game after board game! Good times. Not much completed on the wedding front, but with a year and a half to go, I've still got plenty of time.

We'll be booking the venue this week; finally we'll have a date for everyone. The next big vendor to book will be the photographer. More about that soon!