His ring.

For months, Mike has been trying to find her 'perfect' wedding band. I find it so cute that he is being so picky! He is an artist..so he wants something different than the norm. We have looked at all the local jewelers, chain jewelers, online jewelers...and we finally found the one!

Source

It's not only what he wants-but it's extremely affordable too! I am hoping to make the purchase this weekend! It is a special order-so we won't receive for a few weeks. But I can't wait for us to have it, and another thing checked off our list!

Has your fiance been picky about his ring?

Playing dress up!

I've been a bad blogger. I am really sorry! I blame the Holidays! I had a great Holiday by the way... I hope everyone else did too! I was constantly reminded how fast the wedding will come after these Holidays are over. It definitely put me back in gear!! The excitement is back on! Woo hoo!

This weekend me and my boy went and registered for our tuxes! It was so fun to play dress up! (Well..for me anyway!)

We decided to go with the Perry Ellis 1-button notch.


I wish the flash wasn't so bright....new camera-still working on using it properly! But you get the idea! Doesn't he look so cute!?!

We also chose the plain ivory satin vest. With a paisley tie. (this was all Mike's idea-it's definitely the artist in him!) And I think it looks fabulous!! I just LOVE it!!


Now on to the groomsmen....

The closest green they had was Sage. And here is a picture...not a very good picture (I'm a noob!) I just don't think it goes well with the bridesmaid dresses.
What do you think?

Here is my other option...again thanks baby! I love his artistic talent... He is so good with putting things together!

"How about ivory vests and brown paisley ties...since we our colors are green and brown?", he says.

"Wow...you're a genius!", I say.

Viola!



I'm still not 100% sure about this. That's why I need you guys!! What do you think? Do I risk the green? Or do I go with ivory and brown?

I have to admit...I really hate the matchy-ness of all the groomsmen in the same color (like all green). To me-it's like color overload. And I've been thinking about how I was going to incorporate more brown..and this may be perfect.

And if I go with ivory and brown for the boys-Should I give the ushers and my Dad a brown hanky or no hanky? Soooo many options!



Now I'm off to order my invitations!

Camera Crazy

I hope everyone had a fabulous Holiday! We definitely did! It has been so nice to spend time with family for the last few days. It is also nice to relax now.... we have had 3 days straight of Christmas's!

One of my favorite gifts is the new camera I received from my Dad! The Canon Powershot A2000IS. I was in desperate need of a new camera.. Thank you Daddy!

After I read Anne Ruthmann's tutorial on Weddingbee...I have been dying to take some shots of my ring. And I'm sorry for stealing your blog idea Bella! But you inspired me!!! Check her ring shots! They are amazing!

I have been playing with my camera all night..and possibly went a little overboard! But here is what I came up with!

These 2 are my favorites.

(Dimitri decided he wanted to be included!)

Dear blog friends,

I have been a bad blogger. I have been so wrapped up in baking things like Potica for my Grandpa, shopping for last minute presents (I'm a procrastinator..), wrapping presents, dogsitting, and cleaning up the house for Holiday guests!

Christmas is my favorite time of year. And today Christmas Eve..is my ultimate favorite day! Today we will go to my Grandma's house and hang out-watch old time Christmas classics like, Suzie Snowflake, Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer, Hard Rock Coco And Joe, The 3 Wise Men....And we will all feast on Christmas dinner. (I'm also in the middle of making the scalloped potatoes as we speak) Then we will listen to a Christmas story by my Uncle Fr. Bart. He loves to drag it on....to make the gift opening suspense even stronger! Then we open all of our presents!! I have 6 cousins and Mike and my cousin's boyfriend have joined our clan...so we all pull out of a hat-then exchange gifts. I pulled Troy-Annie's (BM) boyfriend. I'm so glad we include all our significant others now. It really makes them feel special and part of the family.

We will all miss my cousin Nate, he is in California at Camp Pendleton. He and I loved to spend Christmas together. We were connected at the hip-as my Grandma likes to say.. He will be home for our wedding-so exciting! Which makes it a little easier without him at Christmas. (Love you Nate!)

Tomorrow is Christmas with my future In-laws! We get up early, she makes us breakfast, we take all day to open our presents...and then we feast on dinner! It's so fun hanging out with his brothers-they really make me feel like family. It's nice having older brothers! (even if they tease me!) And I love his parents too....(they also tease me! But all in good fun!)

I wish all of you a safe and Happy Holiday!!!



PS: I wish all this snow would stop! We have had almost 20 inches of snow since Friday...and it's still coming down hard. Whoever wished for a white Christmas-got their wish! I like snow as much as the next person-but enough is a enough! :)

Snow Day!

Today was a perfect kind of day.

I woke up to our Instant Alert system-advising me that our school is closed to inclement weather. Woo hoo! Snow day! No work for me! I laid around the house and took occasional naps. It was wonderful.

Here is a picture of my antique angel. I inherited from my Grandma. She is old but I love her. (the angel that is...)

Another family tradition

The week before Christmas, my Grandma and I make Kolachkys. They are a Polish cookie made from pie dough and fruit filling. We use apricot, raspberry and a few prune (for Grandpa!). My Grandma has been making these since she was a little girl and she taught me when I was a little girl. It's so much fun to make these little treasures of yumminess. Over the years, I was voted (by Grams) as the best 'pincher'...but the last 2 years I've been promoted to the 'dough roller'. My Grams just doesn't have the strength anymore. But I am Kolachky police! They have to be pinched correctly or they open up. And we are Polish and make them the correct Polish (closed) way. I'm picky about my Kolachkys. So, if someone isn't pinching properly I fix them!

Here they are ready to be put in the oven..

And here they are piping hot. As you can tell...someone wasn't pinching properly!


And here they are after the have been properly sprinkled with powdered sugar!

I had 2. (even though they are not part of my diet..) But no Christmas is complete without a Kolachky or 2...

Do you have any traditions passed down by your Grandparents?

I'm not a morning person.

Source

This is what I feel like in the mornings. (and look like!)

Mike will tell you (and so will my Dad)...I am a horrible person to wake up in the morning. I kick. I yell. I push. I moan. I throw my alarm across the room.

It's not pretty.

Both of my parents are like this. So, it's definitely genetic.

This is Mike's biggest pet peeve.. I will let my alarm go off for 45 minutes. Sometimes I don't even hear it..Mike has to reach over me and turn it off. He gets up 30 minutes after I do-and I definitely ruin his morning zzzz's. Yes, I feel bad..but I physically can't help it. I've tried.

Which leads me to this thought...

How will I be the day of my wedding? I have invited my bridesmaids to sleep over and have a slumber party! I'm hoping the excitement alone will get my ass up in the morning. But if not I have 6 girls to help me!!

Do any of you have serious problems waking up in the morning??

My favorite ornament

Christmas is my favorite holiday. I actually don't even care about presents, it's more about traditions and spending time with family. Every year Mike and I have made it tradition that we and my Dad go out to a local tree farm and pick a out a real tree. This year we got a tree a little too big.. But is has got to be the most perfect tree I've ever seen. It's perfect in shape and extremely healthy (it is dripping sap onto my carpet! Yikes!)!

Here is my dad trying to get the tree just right.. (please excuse my ugly curtains...my 'landlord' wants them to stay..)


See how big it is? It takes up half of my living room! My love seat is almost pushed to the corner of the living room! And it isn't even done 'falling' yet..

Here she is! All dressed up! Ain't she puuurrrtty??!

Note: I really hope I get a new camera for Christmas-my camera is getting worse and worse..

I personally like collected and meaningful ornaments. Not the ones that are all the same. I like my tree to have some character. We both have collected all of our ornaments since we were babies. We both get one every year from our parents. It has become a tradition.

Last year, we started our own tradition by getting each other one. And here is our 1st one. I have to say it's my favorite. Isn't it so cute?!

And here are our very first ornaments. Mine is on the right-it says "Baby's 1st Christmas" and Mike's is on the left-we aren't sure what it symbolized. But it still is special.

Do you have any special traditions?

Happy Birthday Bella!

Today is my friend Bella's birthday! I just wanted to wish her a Happy 26th Birthday!

Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday dear Bella!
Happy Birthday to you!

She is a wonderful friend. I'm so glad I have her in my life. She has been a godsend. She is such a great listener, and has been so helpful with wedding planning...even with all the wedding planning she has had to do. It's been so much fun planning our weddings together. I feel so lucky to share such a special time with her.

Her wedding is coming up so soon! January 31! She is pretty busy getting all the last minute details done. I can't wait for her wedding, it's going to be such a beautiful day.

Happy Birthday Bella!

Problem Solved.

I dropped the stained bridesmaid dress off at the dry cleaner's yesterday morning. And picked it up without any stains! Our dry cleaner is awesome!

Check it out.

Before:

After:



Note to Self: Leave the dresses in the closet.

I've been tagged!

I was tagged by my blogger friend Krista over at Canadian Bride...

1. Link to the person that tagged you
2. Post the rules on your blog
3. Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself
4. Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs
5. Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.

Here are 6 random things about me:

1. I leave every drawer in the house open. I will grab a shirt and forget to close it. I've done this ever since I was a little. Mike HATES it. He will try to get up to pee in the middle of the night and bang his leg on one of my drawers... I'm glad he loves me!

2. I'm an extremely picky eater. I won't eat Chinese, pork, BBQ, seafood...the list could go on and on.

3. I've never been on an airplane. Or left the Mid-west. I live in Illinois, and I've only traveled to WI., MI., IN. and recently IA. (I'm damn excited for our Californian honeymoon!)

4. I'm a hairstylist. I went to school-got my cosmetologist license......loved it. But I needed a place where I could receive good benefits and make more money. So, now I work in Accounts Payable for an School District. The ladies I work with are my family...I love all of them. (Kinda like a salon...without all the unnecessary drama) I still do hair-but for friends and family only. I'm hoping one day I will get back into the salon-I do miss it a lot!

5. I was always a size 7/8 until I turned 18. From 18-19 yrs. old I went from a size 7/8 to a size 22. (I know...you're probably thinking WHAAATT??!!) I developed Insulin Resistance (or Metabolic X)-apparently it runs in my family. But from 20-21 I dropped from a size 22 to a size 9/10. It only took me a year to loose that 100lbs. It took a lot of hard work-and the medicine helped too. I met Mike when I was 21, now I'm 26. My weight has gone up and down-but at the moment it's going waaayy down. I'm almost back into my 9/10's...and hopefully by the wedding I'll be in my 7/8's!

6. I'm daddy's little girl. My parents got divorced when I was only 2 years old. And I grew up with my Dad-and my Dad and I have nothing in common...but I look just like my mother...and sometimes I act just like her. But nonetheless...I'm daddy's little girl. And always will be.

Ok I'm going to tag the following....(I'm going to try not to duplicate!)

Blabber And Blunder
Project Subrosa
An Atlanta Bride
NYC Newlywed
Our Little Haus
That Wife

Picked up the girl's dresses..

I came home last night and was lucky enough to be carrying in hand our bridesmaid dresses! I was so excited!!


No you don't understand. I was really excited.

(Mike looks thrilled, right?!)

I tried on Bella's (MOH) dress. And had a bandaid (with Neosporin in it).

Something horrible happened.

I can't believe I did this.



Is it noticeable? I swear it seems more noticeable in pictures. Maybe because I've been hyperventilating since it happened....I'm delusional now.

The dry cleaner told me if I spot clean it-it will leave spots. And if I have it dry cleaned it might fade-and they can't guarentee the spot will come out.

WTF.

What do I do now? I'm going to call a few different dry cleaner's in my area. (Does anyone know of a good dry cleaner in the Northern Chicago suburbs?????)

I feel horrible. It's not my dress. Bella paid good money (almost $200) for this dress. I want this spot(s) to come out!!!!

I could buy her a new dress and have it rushed delivered.

To me-I wouldn't care if she wore it like that. I don't think it's too terribly bad. But I feel so horrible.

I'm going to make it my mission to fix it.

I'm open to any and all suggestions.



Why me. I have the worst luck.

I'm back up and running!

Woo hoo!

Modem was delivered. There is peace in my house now.

Let me start by showing you one of my favorite Christmas decorations.

It's my Nativity Scene. My Grandpa made it for me when I moved out. It's a little small, but-to me-it's perfect.



Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus came from my Uncle Danny. He passed about 16 years ago..but we remember him daily. He was a very important part of all of our lives. He was a wonderful man. And always made sure we ate our fruit! I can still hear him now.. "Here-eat a banana!"

Love you Uncle Danny. I miss you.

My modem is broken :(

Sorry for the lack of posts. My modem went to modem heaven. (I'm sneaking in a post at work!!) I should have my modem on my doorstep when I get home.

I have lots of things to tell you about..

I bought a tree too big for my house.

I finally decorated.

I picked up my girl's bridesmaid dresses. And some how got neosporin on my MOH's... (Still haven't found a cure.)

I've been really crabby lately with no computer.

I'm crossing my fingers that it comes today.

RSVP's -Help!

While we were at The Country Squire planning our reception with our wonderful wedding coordinator. He told us that he wants us to have a name card for each person. And for each person should have a red dot for beef and a yellow dot for chicken. This way it won't look tacky when the waiter comes to the table asking who wants what. I couldn't agree more. However, I'm having a problem with the RSVP wording. I don't want it to look tacky!

Here is where I need your help.

We look for forward to celebrating with you!
Kindly respond by April ? 2009
_Regrets _Accepts
M_____________
Please indicate name(s) for your choice of entrée
_____Filet Mignon _____ Chicken Imperial
_____Chicken tenders (10/under)


We look forward to celebrating with you!
Kindly respond by April ? 2009
Please indicate an entrée choice for each guest attending
Filet Mignon
Name(s)_________________
Chicken Imperial
Name(s)_________________
Chicken tenders (12/under)
Name(s)_________________
Unable to attend
Name(s)_________________


The favor of your reply is
requested by April ? 2009
M_______________
__ Accepts __ Regrets
Please intial your entrée choice below:
__ Filet Mignon
__ Chicken Imperial
__ Chicken fingers (12/under)


Please indicate 1, 2 or 3 for the one you like the best. Or if you have another suggestion please share!

Also, for the children's plate...should I omit Chicken fingers and just write 12 under? Chicken tenders just seems tacky to me. (Or am I just over thinking it?!)

I hate having to put the menu choices down. But our caterers are perfectionists, and want to be able to take each guest his/her food without having to ask "who had chicken" etc. I think they have this vision of the food magically appearing in front of everyone without the guests even having to think about it. Which is great..but now I'm stuck figuring out how to word our response card without looking tacky!

Please help!

Early presents-daily!!

It all started last Friday when I picked up my dress from Brides by Demetrios. I can't put in to words how much I love my dress. It's going to be an agonizing 3 months before my first fitting. I just might have to go visit her and try her on a few times in between...

On Thursday, Mike and I headed over to The Country Squire-where our reception will be-to finalize our menu. Pick out our FABULOUS cake. Pick out our linens. Got our seating plans. Planned a 'kid's room'. Oh how very exciting is was to talk about it and plan this all out! I'm working on an ispiriation board..and hopefully it will be at the bottom of this post!

Yesterday, I received a phone call from Demetrios (again) telling me my bridesmaid dresses are in! Yipppeee!! They previously told me they might not be here until April and well let just say I wasn't too happy about that. So, them coming early is such a wonderful surprise! We have 2 weeks to pick them up. I just can't wait to see them in person! The suspense is killing me!

And over the last a couple days I've picked out our cake topper. Thanks to all of you-my blogger friends!!! Thank you for all the comments! I truly appreciate it! It's helped tremendously!

Everything feels like it's coming into place now. For last few months, I've sort of been taking a 'break' from planning because there wasn't much to do. It was a nice little break. But now it feels like we are FULL STEAM AHEAD! And it's just the best thrilling feeling in the world! It;s all so exciting..and I'm taking everything in day by day. I will never forget all these wonderful memories.

I'm so happy I've joined this wonderful blogosphere...it's truly a blessing to meet such wonderful and beautiful brides!

Here is a little preview of what our wedding will look like.... (I'm a newbie at making these collages..)

Sources: top; Tying the knot, Country Squire, American Wedding, After-Six, Bridal People
Bottom; Country Squire, unknown, Bridal People, Country Squire, The knot

PS: Does anyone know where those shoes are from!?? I lost the source and it's driving me crazy! I really want to purchase them!

Still Dreaming..

Thank you so much for all the cake topper feedback! It's greatly appreciated!

I am not one for monograms because I think they are too modern for me. However, they are lovely. And I have grown out of the children figurines...I agree-they are a bit weird. And I'm still on the fence with the doves.

Here are few more I came up with. I'm going to choose between these 4. The top right seems very vintage to me. Simple yet elegant. And the price of $11.90 isn't too shabby either! And the bottom left is very romantic and the bottom is a keepsake holder. I'm still not sure about the doves, but they are very sweet-they make me smile. And the top right might be a little too much for me-but it looks vintage..doesn't it?

Sources: top left, top right, bottom left, bottom right

Which one do you like the best?

Think vintage...

Dreaming of the perfect Cake topper

I've been having such a hard time choosing the perfect cake topper. They either look cheesy or too modern. I'm a traditional kind of girl who is envisioning a vintage wedding. But the cake topper industry is making it so hard on me.

Here are a few I kind of like..

Sources: Wedding Collectables, Rexcraft, That's my topper

I am lost in the cake topper world. Which one is your favorite?

Finalizing the guest list

Oh boy. I sat down the other night and entered in all our guest addresses. It took almost 4 hours!! I couldn't believe it.

Drum roll please...




Grand total: 288

I have HUGE family. Just my side alone equals about 175. The rest is Mike's side and our friends.

Back when we first got engaged...My Dad offered to host my wedding. He told me to invite whoever I want. And I asked him "Are you sure?" a few times-knowing that each guest plate would equal around $50. He had no problem with it. But now I can't help but feel bad. He still says he doesn't care. And even if I wanted to downsize the guest list-it's almost impossible. We truly only picked the friends most dear to us. The majority of the list is family..and family friends.

Our family are really excited for our wedding because we haven't had one in quite some time. And my Dad is happy that we will all be together for a happy occasion rather than a sad one...we have had far too many funerals in the last few years. We will be happy to see a lot of family and friends we haven't seen in a while. And my Grandparents will see their 1st grandchild get married. I see the twinkle in my Grandpa's eye every time we talk about the wedding. And my Dad says that is worth every penny of the wedding..

5 more months!!!

Secured in a safe place

Dropped my dress off today in a safe smoke-free and pet free zone. My wonderful Aunt took it for safe keeping. She is so sweet and so generous. I am so lucky!

Today was another eventful day..another Turkey day on my Mom's side. I think I'm done with turkey for a LONG time.

Tomorrow is my last say of vacation. I'm hoping to put up some Christmas stuff and just relax. We both need some down time.

Here is a sneak peak at my dress! Isn't she lovely?!

I fell in love all over again

I picked up my dress today! And I swear I love it more than the day I ordered it. It's such a beautiful dress. I love it even more that it's ivory. And it's too big! Yay! I could have probably fit my arm down the corset. Thank God for alterations! I'm hoping that it will be even bigger by March for my 1st fitting. I have a few more pounds to loose...

I wish I could show you all pictures...but I can't. Mike reads this daily. And I don't want to ruin the surprise! If you want to see it-comment me and I will send you pix!

My MOH Bella and my other bestie Devon came with me... along with Devon's daughter (my flower girl), Mahala came with. She was a little hellion while we were there. But she was good once we put some flower girl dresses on her! I didn't like any that they had...so I let her pick whatever she wanted.

Does anyone have ideas for flower girl dresses? Please send me some links!

Here is the little beauty!

Check out that runway pose!

Even though I didn't like the dress.. I really do like the vintage lace shown above.

Practicing to be a housewife

For the last few years, I've been in charge of bringing food to family holidays and get-togethers. It's fun for me because I love to cook. And I hear that once you are married-it's your obligation to make something for every party.. So, here is what I am making for Thanksgiving.

Appetizer

Taco dip
Ingredients:
2 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
8 oz. taco sauce or salsa
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 can (15 oz.) refried beans
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 md. tomato, diced
1/4 cup ripe olives, chopped
1/4 cup canned green chilies, chopped
Tortilla chips or Pita chips

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sour cream until smooth. Stir in taco sauce and cumin; set aside. Spread the refried beans over the bottom of a serving platter or 13x9x2-inch dish. Spread cream cheese mixture over the beans, leaving about 1 inch uncovered around the edges. Top with layers of lettuce, cheese, tomato, olives and chilies. Serve with tortilla chips or pita chips.

Dessert

My wonder Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cinnamon
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1-1/2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups rolled oats (I used Quaker Oats-Old fashion oatmeal)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Beat butter w/ electric mixer on medium-high for 30 sec. Add brown sugar, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Beat until combined...scraping sides of bowl. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Beat as much flour as you can...then stir in remaining flour. Stir in rolled oats and chocolate chips.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2inches apart onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or till the edges are light brown.

And I will also be making a tossed salad and the mashed potatoes to serve with dinner.

Happy Turkey Day!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

What are you thankful for?

This year I am thankful of so many things. My family for supporting me through this engagement and planning process. My friends for always being there by listening to my vent (or freak out), giving support and helping so much with planning. Most of all I'm thankful to have Mike. We have been through so much in the last 4-1/2 years. Some bad...but so many good things. He is my best friend. And he is there for me unconditionally. (Even if he's laughing at me for crying at a animal adoption commercial..) I'm truly grateful to have him..and to be marring him in just 5 short months. And I know if I asked him what he was thankful for, I know he would say the same thing. He has had some rough times lately, and I have been by his side every step of the way. We are going to make such a great team.

Tomorrow is Turkey day! Yippee! But it's also what I am calling the "Meet the Parents" day. Mike's parents are going to join my family for Thanksgiving. I'm really excited for everyone to meet. They are such great people. I think my Grams is a little stressed out though.. She has cleaned the whole house-top to bottom. I'm serious..she dry cleaned the chairs in the dining room and took down our chandelier and cleaned it to perfection. I think she went a little overboard! She even asked if I think they will like her-she is so funny!!

My uncle (Fr. Bart-our officiant) will also be interviewing Mike's parents under oath. And that will be the final factor in all our wedding paperwork! When it's completed he will take downtown and get the stamp of approval! Woo hoo!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm a Wishpot Wedding Expert!

I was recently notified by Wishpot to be a featured Wedding Expert. How exciting is that?! I am a huge fan of Wishpot. Wishpot is a free social shopping service that makes it easy to save and share interesting things you find iun stores or online. In all of a touch of a button- You can create wishlists and catagozing them, saving you the hassle of bookmarking everything. I don't know about you but I have several different bookmark folders. And they are a mess. I can never find what I have saved. And when I do I'm too tired to browse. Wishpot definintely makes it easy for you to bookmark and save things easily. You can also send lists to friends and family. I recommend everyone should try it. Once you start you can't stop.

Go NOW.

I'll wait.



Amazing, right?!

I'll be guest blogging at Wishpot soon so make sure to check it out!

Isn't she lovely?!

Katie (another bridesmaid) and I had the honor of making Bella's rehearsal bouquet. Isn't it cute! And isn't Bella glowing!?? She is gonna make a gorgeous bride.

There was a great crowd at her shower. Such lovely people from both sides of their family.

Her Grandma is so cute!

Bella is so lucky to have such wonderful family and friends. I'm glad she had a great shower...and I'm glad I was able to help plan it!

My dress is ready for pick up!!!

Whhhaaaaattt???

It is so early!!

But yes that's right. My dress is IN! It was the best phone call EVER!!!

I am so darn excited. I think I might have texted everyone I know... (sorry about that peeps!)

I have 2 weeks to pick it up. And I can't pick it up on weekends because they tend to get busy-and they don't want anyone stepping on it. (ME NEITHER!)

I didn't think about where I'm going to store it... hmm.. I can't keep it here. And I don't want it anywhere that has animals... No shredding of the dress please. I might have to ask my aunt. But it will be hard not to visit the dress weekly!

How should I store it? Should I get a special breathable garment bag? And then air it out frequently?

Any suggestions?

PS. If any of you would like to see my dress-comment me and I will send you the link. I can't post it because Mikey reads this daily!

Happy Birthday Mama B!

Friday, November 21st was Mama B's birthday! We decided to do something special for her on Sunday for her birthday.

We made her our famous yummy spaghetti..


Bought her a cake and I decorated it..

Got her some purty flowers..

And a gift card from Dunkin Donuts!


Happy Birthday Mama B!

We love you!

Change of plans..

We originally decided that we were going to go to New Orleans for our honeymoon. But after thinking about it...I wasn't really excited about going there. I have never really been out of the midwest. (yes I was sheltered..) So, I was envisioning something a little more exciting. And we knew we wanted to stay in the states to make our trip a little less expensive since we are trying to save for a house. But our decision was hard since Mike has been to every state in the US. He was a Military brat...so it was kinda hard compromising on which state we were going to honeymoon at..


Well last night we decided to go to California for our honeymoon! I've always wanted to go to Cali...ever since I was little. I want to see palm trees, and mountains, and the ocean, and Hollywood! Ha!

I was thinking of renting a car while we are there and driving some where different each day...and soak up everything I possibly can. But also having some romantic alone time...

I need your help! Where should we center our stay around? What city? And what other cities do you suggest us driving to?

Happy Shower Day, Bella!

Today is my friend's (and MOH) Bridal shower. I am so excited for her! I hope her day is everything she dreamed it would be!

I was in charge of baking the cupcakes and the cookies. And I have to apologize. They didn't turn out the way I wanted them to. I know..I know...minor details. But I wanted it to be perfect. And it drove me crazy that I have to make 2 double batches of cupcakes until they were ok-but they still weren't ok because I ran out of cupcake cups. And then I couldn't get my fancy cake decorating tips to look pretty. So, I am serving cupcakes that I put in the cups after I made them. With not so fancy frosting. But I assure you they are yummy! I was also going to make wedding bell sugar cookies. Except I couldn't get the damn cookies to stop sticking onto the counter top. I'm sorry but I said fuck it. And I made regular round cookies. I've been baking for over 12 hours straight. I'm hoping it's not a big deal. I really tried! I swear!

OK I'm done..

Thanks for listening to me ramble.

Now I have to attend my best friend's shower...

Recaps soon!

Tuna Dip

I have a healthy low-carb recipe to share! As you have noticed, I have been loosing weight in the last few weeks. And it’s due from following the South Beach diet. I warn you: this diet is not for everyone. But it surely works for me. I’m down 22lbs in just 10 weeks!

Tuna Dip

1 large can tuna, drained

2 (8oz) Philly cream cheese, softened

6 tbs mayo

1 tsp lemon juice

½ tsp hot sauce (or to taste)

In a bowl, combine tuna, cream cheese and mayo.

Add lemon juice.

Add hot sauce.

Refrigerate for a couple of hours.

Serve with whole grain pita crackers, triscuits, or any whole wheat cracker.

(You may also use low fat cream cheese and mayo-but do not use fat-free! It tends to be higher in sugar.)

Enjoy!

Yum-O!

Tonight we had our tasting at The Country Squire. All I have to say is YUM-O!

They did NOT disappoint! I have to admit, everything we tried was phenomenal. But silly me forgot to take pictures...

I give you our menu..

Minestrone soup

Mixed Greens Salad

Choice of:
Filet Mignon
Or
Chicken Imperial

Twice Baked potato

California vegetables

And the cake choices were endless!

We will have a 5 tiered cake. And have the option for 5 different types of cakes.

Mike isn't a minestone kinda guy-but he loved theirs. It was so yummy. And it definitely hit the spot with this cold Chicago weather!

The filet mignon melted in your mouth. And the chicken imperial (chicken stuffed with wild rice with a creamy wine sauce topped over it) kept you wanting more. And the potatoes were to die for... I am so STUFFED!

My Dad and us had such a fun time sharing our food..and joking around. It's one of those memories I will remember forever.

Every day brings us 1 day closer to being husband and wife..

We can't wait!

Father-daughter Dance

I've been having some issues picking my father-daughter dance. And I need your help..

My Dad is the worlds greatest Dad. He raised me and has always been there for me. He is my #1 man in my life. And always will be. I'm truly a Daddy's little girl. However, we've never had a lovey dovey kind of relationship. Which has worked for us. We know where we stand and our actions speak louder than words. So, I want our song to be perfect and most of all meaningful.

My first thought was "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac. I remember hearing Fleetwood Mac in the car when I was little. And it's such a pretty song.


But when I was listening to one of my Beatles albums..I also thought "In my Life" would also be perfect. I just love the words to this song. And I LOVE The Beatles. My Dad and I use to listen to the oldies station a lot while I was growing up.


Which one do you think I should choose? Or do you have other suggestions?

Week 10: weigh in

When we got back from vacation I thought for sure I had put on a few pounds. I was eating crappy and I stopped my exercise regimen (except for the dancing at the wedding..) And on top of it, I was PMSing.

But I got on my scale anyway. It didn't move! I stayed the same! I was ecstatic! Then for the rest of the week I was bad and didn't excerise...but I followed a healthy diet. And guess what?! I'm down 3 more pounds! Equally a full 20lb loss! WOO HOO!!!!!!!

I reached Goal 1. Which was to loose 20lbs. Now I want to loose another 20lbs by April. A month before our wedding. Just in time for dress fittings, etc. As I said before, I just want to be healthy for when I get pregnant after the wedding. But looking good in my dress is an added bonus!

One of my favorite foods to eat is chili. And in the diet I follow it's allowed. Thank god. Mike always says my chili is the best he's ever had (even after the chili cook-off they had at his work!) So, I'm going to share this special recipe with you!

Jenny's Chili

Ingredients:
1lb ground lean ground beef
1 medium or large onion (diced or minced)
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tbs of olive oil
3 cups of water
1 can kidney beans
1 can Zesty Chili style diced tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1 heaping palm full of chili seasoning
1/2 palm full of cumin
1/2 tsp of oregano
a dash of red pepper flakes
a few sprinkles of sage
salt and pepper

Heat oil in a large pot. Saute onions and garlic. Add ground beef and the dash of red pepper flakes (or more if you like it really spicy). Brown meat and drain. Then add tomatoes, tomato sauce and kidney beans, all your spices, including salt and pepper. Mix all together and add 3 cups of water. Bring to boil. Then set to simmer. Simmer for 1 hour (uncovered). Then you're ready to eat! We like to sprinkle cheddar cheese on the top before eating.

Serves 4-6 people

Enjoy!


What is your favorite healthy recipe??

Dance lessons {worth every penny!}

Mike and I have been taking dance lessons for the past couple months..and we've grown a liking to swing dancing! Scratch that. We freaking LOVE swing dancing!

We decided to show off a little and throw down some swing at Jeff and Kelly's wedding...

Here are some pictures..(Imagine "Zoot Suit Riot" by Cherry Poppin' Daddies playing in the backround..)

Enjoy!