MIA...I apologize

Wow! It has been awhile. Anyone who has been in the swimming world, knows it consumes your life for about 8 weeks, then you are back to reality. It has been a semi-nice break from wedding planning as I told you I was in a funk, but I am back to my positive, happy, and energetic self. Not to mention a tan and good hair cut do wonders for your self-esteem. 


So wedding planning goals before I go back to teaching:

• Bridesmaid Cards delivering them - this is HORRIBLE of me
• Ordering of Bridesmaid dresses for ALL of my bridesmaids
• Finalize guest list
• Order wedding invitations paper and out of town fun stuff - doing a passport and airline ticket style invitation :)
• Decide on Rehearsal Dinner - finalize budget on this (In-Laws)
• Finalize plans with my pastor - he is pretty sure he can make it to ARUBA!!
• Plan for Welcome Bags - what do I want to include
• Update Registries and finalize any additional items that we need
• Make a wedding website
• Decide on food, drinks, and anything else to tell the Marriott about our Reception
• Figure out Ceremony
• WOW the list is never ending.

Hope everyone is having a fabulous August and I am so excited to catch myself up on what you all have been doing. As always thank you SOOOO much for your comments. They keep me going!

Until next time.... AmazingFabulousWedding@gmail.com

MIL's

Okay I have to ask. I am sitting on the train home from NY, went to a wedding that was beautiful! Sunflowers and pink, outside -- which was hot as hell, but so beautiful. So back to that in a minute, main question: Mother-in-Law's. Do they change after you get engaged? Then do they change again once you are married.

I have to give a bit of background, mine has for 98% of the time been wonderful. We have only gotten into one "miscommunication" as I like to call it because we didn't really fight in the past 7 years that I have been dating Mr. C. And it was because her son waits to the last minute to make any decision, so believe you me, he heard it from me afterwards. But besides the point I love him even though he is a procrastinator. I have always LOVED Mr. C's family. They are caring, welcoming, and just wonderful. And we always joke that I'm the crazy southerner, and she's the crazy New Yorker (yes, you have to say it with the accent). I have started to notice the change... and it is hard to describe -- just completely different. She is still extremely nice to me although I feel the wedding planning things are making things weird. Openly she talks about how she hates weddings, said it numerous times on the way to the one we went to, then would be like oh I'm sorry yours is different it's to my son. But said how she didn't even want to have one to for herself and doesn't understand spending so much money and inviting all these people that you don't really want to spend time with anyways. I have to say I bit my tongue through it all. Didn't say a word. Luckily, my father-in-law, did chime in and say numerous things about family, tradition, and 99% of women (excluding her) love weddings and she should respect that fact. So I didn't feel the need to respond. But I am wondering if she see's how I might feel in this entire situation.

I am starting feel like she doesn't want to go to our wedding, doesn't care about the people invited, and would rather us go to court and do it ourselves. We aren't having a big wedding -- just a NY party afterwards, which she requested and I happily agreed to as I thought it would be great for all of the family up there to be apart of celebrating.

I guess I had such a great time at the wedding and then when we got home to hear all of this, I am a little down and just having a hard time picking myself back up since my previous post about wedding blues. I'm getting so stressed about not having drama and making everyone happy I might be loosing my mind a bit!

Until next time....AmazingFabulousWedding@gmail.com

Happy 4th of July

So proud to be an American and be able to celebrate our freedom this weekend. What a blessed nation we are to have soldiers fighting for that freedom and keep us safe! Thank you for all that you do.


I have been absent from posting, I apologize. I have so many blogs to catch up on what you all are doing, be ready for the comments. Plus, I have SOOO much to tell you.


Swim Team is going great. We are 1-1. Plus who doesn't love having Sunday and Monday off for the 4th of July. I have been working on my classes to finish my teaching license, which is why I have been absent, so many papers, projects, tests, and work to complete while coaching - which has been extremely dramatic. As any teacher or coach knows, the parents are often more difficult than the students or athletes. Well, let's just say I have had a ton of drama because ONE mother likes to gossip and make things up. You will love this, she spread a rumor around the swim team that I am expecting! AND I AM NOT! We are waiting until we are married for a while before this. I was completely upset and cried. She was telling everyone how I am immoral and a bad influence on their children because I wasn't married yet and expecting. I couldn't believe it. So I finally had to confront her yesterday. She was at the swim meet talking badly about me, in front of my face to numerous parents, so I called a meeting with her and the swim team board to have witnesses. I was surprisingly not as upset as I thought I would get while talking with her. Tried to put her in her place in the nicest/firmest way possible. And let me tell you, I was able to sleep last night. It was just amazing. 


Okay, on to more fun things! We decided on a dog. We are getting a Golden Mountain Dog. Which is part Golden Retriever and part Bernese Mountain Dog. We contacted the breeder who is local here in Virginia and she has a dog that is expecting within the next couple of weeks. We of course could not get her until she is 8 weeks old. But we are so excited. Here is a pick of what she will potentially look like:

I think I have finally almost unpacked everything and reorganized my wedding planning station. Yes, in the new place I have a room devoted to my desk, projects, and wedding planning materials. My hope is to go back into full wedding planning mode in August. So do not be surprised if my posts are taking a break from wedding and all things swimming, doggies, and building our relationship.


We met with my pastor from my childhood who I found out is still local and he has agreed to be our pastor for our wedding. He said he has frequent flyer miles he would love to use to be able to come down. I have known the man for 15 years so I am SOOO excited. We are starting the pre-marital counseling next week. We meet with the pastor for a bunch of sessions to discuss the wedding of course, but ultimately how to make our marriage work. Have any of you taken these courses and did you learn good things??

We also started reading "The 5 Love Languages". If you have not read this book with your man, whether you are married or not, you should read it! Due to moving, we had a fight and completely lost it and try not to ever do that. I was talking to a girl friend who recommended we read the book. I have already learned so much about the way we express our love to one another and how to understand what the other person wants, is not necessarily what you want. It is all things I guarantee you have thought about but never sat down and put logic to it! I love it.




Have an incredible 4th of July! I have missed blogging with you all.
Until next time.... AmazingFabulousWedding@gmail.com

I am so behind!

Wow! It is amazing how quickly this week flew by. Unpacking, preparing for the future in-laws to come this weekend, and getting ready for father's day has put all wedding planning on hold!


Okay, Mr. C and I decided, we are going to get a dog! Any ideas on what breeds would be perfect for an apartment and aren't too barky!?? I am used to very large dogs which we aren't going to do. We are probably going to do 30-40 pounds.


We are so excited, another big step in our relationship, plus I am thinking this will show me how he is going to be with children. He is SUPER excited about getting a dog and I think he is really cute. Also, let me know where you take your doggies with you and any good dog walking companies in the DC area!!! You guys as always are wonderful. I promise I am spending all day Sunday looking over all my favorite blogs so I can catch myself up with what you all are doing!!!


Until next time.... AmazingFabulousWedding@gmail.com

STUFF & Cleaning!!!

Okay everything is in the place! I did not realize how much STUFF we both have collectively until I saw it in boxes and all of the entire house. We both agreed we need to throw or donate some stuff away!


THANK YOU for all of your comments. I am so using all of your suggestions. Not to mention it is always comforting to know I am not the only person who is figuring out this whole living together thing. 


No internet or TV until Sunday which has been actually really good. We have to entertain each other and talk with each other. It has been a great way to bond in our new place. When I read an article about not putting a TV in the bedroom, especially your first year of marriage, those people really knew what they were talking about.

BIG QUESTION!!! How do you all divide up your cleaning duties around the house!? I come from a "old school home". Where my mom stayed home and did all the housework and my dad did the yard work or fixed things around the house when they broke. His parents always had a house keeper, plus similar "old school" roles for his mom and dad. Plus, I don't think he has ever cleaned up after himself. I don't necessarily want to have this type of set up. Mr. C CANNOT do laundry to save his life, he always finds the RED or Pink something and puts it in with the wrong load. So he is banded from doing laundry. Or shrinks his clothes. So this was the first decision made. The only rule I made was I would only launder things in the hamper. I hope this is a good incentive. 


As for everything else, the only other things we agreed on was he would take out the trash. So I need some serious help/suggestions. I'm thinking like a teacher and wanting to give him a rewards chart, which won't go over well :)


Until next time.... AmazingFabulousWedding@gmail.com

MOVING DAY!!!

I almost forgot to tell you all that I decided to take the plunge and move with Mr. C into the new place in McLean. Moving day is TODAY!! I can not believe it. I have the best future in-laws to come down to help supervise while Mr. C and I both work. Ugh. It was horrible that we both could not get off, but to have both of our apartments not charge us a fortune we had to make it work.


Can I say nervous? YES! I mean I love him to pieces that is not the question, it is just a lot of decisions, hopefully not too many fights, and well how do I say this:

We have very different decorating ideas!!!!!

I think this is going to be our biggest problem. I am a whites, pinks, and blacks. He is all black or dark wood with modern "silver" decorations. He has already said you got the pink wedding, I don't want too much pink in our house. So I get a bathroom and the kitchen. Plus of course my closet since almost everything I own is pink.

We decided on Navy Blue for our bathroom. Bright Blue and Black for the Bedroom, Red and Black for the living area. Needless to say, his parents have been in town so we haven't been fighting with them but another difference we have is he is MESSY and I am organized. I would say I am the queen of organization by any means I have my organized chaos moments as I would like to call them. But I am not messy by any stretch of the imagination and always clean up after I get home from work.

Here is life's first journey together!!! Very excited and nervous.

Until next time.... AmazingFabulousWedding@gmail.com

Wedding Jewelry!

I found a website http://www.budgetbridez.com with lots of jewelry that I am wanting to wear for my wedding day and of course, I need your advice.

I am looking at earrings, headband, bracelet, and evening bag they are in my price range but do not have a matching set, so my question is will this all go well together. I also got a coupon for following them on twitter which I think is so sweet.

I wanted to do a Navy evening gown since my sash and shoes will be Fushia.

I am using my Mother's Veil and wanted to Modernize it with my sense of flair. I loved this, not too much but still a little bling.

I fell in love with this bracelet and just think it is so pretty.

I absolutely love these earrings.

Total Cost for Jewelry & Bag $150.

Until next time....AmazingFabulousWedding@gmail.com