Sorry & Hooray

First, I have to apologize for the weird formatting of the "home" page of the blog.  In order to accomodate the width of the RSVP option, I had to make some adjustments.  I swear after the whole RSVP thing is done, it will go back to "normal."

Along those lines, though....I'm pretty impressed with my RSVP page.  Google Docs has amazed me with their fancy forms and the ease and ability to embed things in Blogger.  That includes the whole Google Maps thing. 

The hooray is reserved for the fact that our invitations should be mailed out in the next few days (hopefully and fingers crossed).  This means that everyone will really be checking out the blog since it's how you all have to RSVP.  :-)  So, if you've never checked it out before now - the RSVP page is really the most important if you want to ignore all of the rest.  But, the other pages listed at the top are pretty great too....they let you find out about overnight accomodations, what we'll be eating and lets you request music for the reception.  Please comment for this...we really do want to know what people want to hear. 

Decisions, Decisions

Okay, so I've been able to make plenty of wedding decisions without input from others, but I'm really stuck on hairstyles.  The problem is that there are so many that I love!  I thought I knew what I wanted, but I just don't know.  So, that's where all of you come in.  Here are my main criteria for a hairstyle: (1) pretty; (2) will appear "loose" in the front (aka shows plenty of hair - aka not flat against my head); and, (3) can accomodate a large feathery flower.  I apologize in advance for how many choices there are - it really just shows how difficult of a time I'm having.  :-/

Here are your choices (letter corresponds to the picture above the letter):

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

A Sneak Peak

Okay, so I just cannot ruin the surprise of the invitations with a whole preview of what's to come....but I can give you little sneak peaks.  Trust me, there would be such a let-down if I showed you the whole thing on here before it even arrived to you in the mail.  So, without further ado....here are your invitation "teasers:"

BIG News!

We decided on a last name!  And, more importantly....we decided that we are changing last names.  BUT, we're not disclosing it yet!  You'll just have to wait and see....

Oh, and my cranky pants disappeared once I started working on the addressing of envelopes for the wedding invitations.  Let me just tell you that I LOVE them!  I can't wait until all of it's put together!

Cranky Pants

I try not to wear my cranky pants very often.  I mean, if you know me, you know they come out sometimes.  You also have figured out by now that when they do, they are for real CRANKY pants.  Lots of things can contribute to cranky pants.  And, I'm not the only one who gets them.  For some people they might look more like they're wearing "sensy slippers," but nonetheless....cranky pants happen.  And, man it sucks when they do.

As great as some things have been this weekend (Sugar Creek Arts Festival, time with friends, baby shower for Amanda and Doug, etc...) - my cranky pants are on BIG TIME right now.  I mean, we went for our first dress fitting yesterday morning.  Yay.....but Cranky Pants reason #1.  Both Crissy and I spending about $150 each to alter our dresses.  Ugh.  And, it just wasn't money we thought we'd have to spend up front right now.  We thought it wouldn't be due until the alterations were done.

You know those lovely blush colored high wedges in one of my recent posts?  Yeah, they're not really comfortable.  I wore them for about a whole whopping 15 minutes during my dress fitting so the height was right....but they hurt my feet.  This wasn't initially a cranky pants reason....but it became one today when I checked out the sale room at Von Maur for some of their options.  One, wedges either suck and aren't that great looking.  Or, the ones they have don't fit my feet.  Beyond that, I don't like wedges.  Honestly, they're so not my favorite shoe at all.  I love heels.  Love them.  I just want to wear heels....not stupid wedges.  The only wedges I liked today were these:

They're pretty cute on, really.  But, they're super slippery on the bottom.  And, they're made by Paris Hilton.  Ugh.  I don't want to support her.  They don't exactly scream bridal.  And, I'd love to think I'd wear with them with lots of other things - but again, I just don't love wedges.  But, after trying on all of these stupid wedges today....my cranky pants came on again.  So, cranky pants reason #2.

It's hot out.  I mean, that's not a shocker to anyone.  But, today's heat makes me cranky for some reason.  Reason #3.

Sometimes wedding stuff makes me cranky.  It's not that I don't want to get married.  It's that I don't want to stress about things.  Some days it's just so darn tempting to have a cookout and tell people if they want to come, they can.  No biggie.  But, then there are all of these pretty things sitting taking up space in our house...and man will it all look pretty.  And, it's what we want.  Really, it is.  Today I feel cranky, though.

I HATE having to stay in Farmersville all week, every week.  No offense to Crissy's parents - because it has nothing to do with them.  In reality, they take really nice care of me each week when I'm there.  It's just not home.  Crissy's not there.  I live out of a suitcase ALL the time - there and at home now.  And, I'm just tired of it.  I really can't wait for wedding expenses to be over so that our extra money can be used for gasoline in my car to get me home more often.  Today, this makes me ULTRA cranky.

We have lots of wedding tasks to do, lunches to pack, and my clothing packing to do for the week.  I don't want to make lunches or pack my clothes.  I don't want to do laundry.  I don't mind the wedding tasks....in fact, I really wish we could just sit down, have dinner and enjoy the evening making some of the other things for the wedding.  But stupid packing has to happen too.  Ugh.

Today I just feel like this:

Sorry for my ranting, rambling post.  But, now I need to go pout and do laundry.  :-(

Almond Joy's Got Nuts...

Crissy and I have been discussing a dessert table since about the time we got engaged.  I like variety...and really, I typically prefer about 2 bites of 3-4 different things.  Who on earth wants to commit to a full dessert, anyway?  So, we've been discussing things like cupcakes (obviously), lemon tarts/bars/tasty-goodness, fruit snacks, mini-pies, gluten free yummy-ness, and well, whatever struck our fancy.  As great as all of that is, Crissy doesn't LOVE any of it.  She'll eat some of those things....but she just doesn't love them.  What she does love is/are almond joys.  You know, those tasty little chocolate covered coconutty bites that come wrapped like this:

Wrapped candy just doesn't strike my fancy, you know?  So, I decided I'd experiment with a few recipes to see what was feasible for me to make for the wedding and not take up too much time.  I first tried an almond joy cookie recipe.  And, they turned out okay.  But, really - just okay.  Nothing spectacular, in my opinion - though, Crissy did like them more than I did.  So, this weekend I decided to try a recipe for "almond joy balls."  It's really a recipe for the actual candy.  They taste pretty darn close to the real thing.  Here is the recipe I used as my basis (from here):

Almond Joy Balls

Ingredients

• 2 (16-ounce) boxes confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 1 (14-ounce) package shredded coconut
• 1 1/2 cups chopped nuts
• 1 (12-ounce) package chocolate chips

Directions

Cream together sugar and butter in a bowl; add milk. Stir in almond extract, coconut, and nuts; mix well. Form candy into 1-inch balls. Place on waxed paper and refrigerate at least 3 hours. Melt chocolate in top of double boiler, stirring well. Remove from heat but allow chocolate to remain over hot water. (If chocolate becomes too thick, return to heat for a minute or so to thin). With a toothpick, dip each ball in chocolate and place on waxed paper until set.

Now, mind you - I don't typically truly follow directions or measure.  The only thing I did NOT measure this time was the almond extract.  Though, I should first note what I did differently than the recipe.  I did NOT use the chopped nuts - I used whole natural almonds (no salt or anything) and placed on top of the coconut ball portion before refrigerating.  I accidentally melted my butter rather than it just being softened.  Oops.  And, in addition to not measuring the almond extract, I used a little vanilla extract, as well.  I like almond - but it can be a really overwhelming flavor, in my opinion.  So, I used a little of each and I think it was a nice balance.  Oh, and I didn't dip into the chocolate....I spooned the chocolate on top.  I like it better.

BUT...here's what I would do differently next time:  I would use slightly less powdered sugar.  The full 32oz is really too much - and these are pretty rich and sweet.  I would use a smidge more coconut.  And, most importantly....I would make them into MUCH smaller balls than I did. Seriously, the way I made mine made somewhere around 40.  I think I should make them in such a small size that it makes at least 60, if not more.  They're so rich they really deserve to be 2-bite-size.  Tops.

Here they are in their delicious goodness:

Wondering if these will make an appearance at the wedding on the dessert table?  You bet your booty they will!  Crissy loved them (they really are pretty tasty) - and they're pretty easy.  Plus, it turns out....I think only one batch is needed.  Even better. 

Ta-Da!

Sorry, this post won't actually include any pictures - or really any "finished product."  However, that's how it feels to get so much done this weekend.  Sadly for us, "so much done" translates to "lots of money spent."  But, seriously...check out what all we have accomplished since I got home Friday night:

• Tried on, picked up, and paid final amount for my wedding dress.  Did I mention a woo-hoo for this one?  Because, seriously....I LOVE my dress!
• Ordered wedding bands through a lovely Etsy designer.  We can't afford the "ideal" wedding bands right now (we found those...they have diamonds and are lovely....just out of the "now" budget).
• Ordered Crissy's wedding shoes for the wedding.
• Ordered my shoes for the wedding.
• Picked up a very pretty pair of earrings for Crissy for the wedding - and they were a fantastic buy!
• Bought a whole bunch of wine and 2-18 packs of beer for the wedding.  No worries, there's more beer on the way....
• Found an AWESOME dress for me to wear for the bachelorette party and some other fun stuff coming up.  I don't always like things once they're on me....and finding a dress that fits really well isn't the easiest thing.  But, this one....it's fantastic!
• Bought bamboo torches to use with citronella for the reception area to keep some bugs away.
• Found Crissy a bachelorette party (and other fun stuff) dress.  It's such a fun dress - and she looks great in it!!!
• Crissy also found a fantastic pair of heels to wear with her sassy new dress.  Well, in reality - I found her a pair of shoes.  But, they're for her....
• We each found hair accessories.  I'm so excited to wear mine!

On top of that, my parents were wonderful enough to make a trip to UFS today to pick up far more vodka than most people buy in one trip and a bunch of other beer.  Not only were they nice enough to go and buy it, but it's even more appreciated since they didn't have much warning for it.  Thanks dad & Linda! :-)

While the rest isn't done as of this very moment....Crissy's parents are also buying/ordering some of the other stuff we need this coming weekend.  Things like paper lanterns, tablecloths and our remaining mason jars.  Thanks Mark & Ladonna!!

So much is finally coming together!

For the love of shoes

Do you know how hard it is to find a great pair of wedding shoes?  No?  Well, to complicate it further, Crissy and I decided we wanted/needed wedges for wedding shoes.  Not because we particularly love wedges.  Not because we found a pair we loved.  But, because it seemed like the practical thing to do.  You see, with a wedding and reception on grass...heels seemed impractical.  Which caused a lot of crying on my part.  I LOVE heels.  Gorgeous, impractical, lovely, tall, heels.  Like these:

Oh, how I wish I could justify these shoes.  I mean, I could justify them....just not for the wedding.  So, that leaves us with practical....which sometimes translates to not as fun.  Crissy's dress requires (or so she says) shoes that "go" with the dress more.  Mine?  Mine absolutely allows me to wear things like I normally would - loads of necklaces and "more" fun shoes.  I've done A LOT of searching for shoes.  A LOT.  But, when it came down to ordering them -I just couldn't spend extra money on shoes.  This is pretty tragic, really.  Well, at least if you know me.  I wanted to spend the $70 on this great pair with a row of organza flowers up the front with lovely straps all over the place.  And, really....$70 isn't that much.  But, for us....right now....that's a lot.  So, frugal it is.  And these are our wedding shoe selections:

Crissy's shoes (found on www.endless.com)

My shoes  (found at, you guessed it....Target)

Now, what you may or may not be thinking to yourself right now is....."Um, aren't these shoes just going to further emphasize Crissy's midge status?"  And, the answer is yes.  Of course.  Crissy will appear just as short as usual on our wedding day.  I know some brides refuse to wear heels on their wedding day so that their height is more similar to their groom's; however, I see a few things with this that I just can't get on board with.  1.  That whole groom thing.  That doesn't apply.  2.  Crissy is, and will always be, shorter than me.  Always.  3.  I love heels.  So, if I can't have some rockin' heels like I posted, I might as well be able have the extra heigh from these. Until, you know, several hours into the whole deal when they come off - as is typical for me.

You'll know it's a good party if my shoes are off at the end of the night.  :)