That would be two Taccos, please.

For Our Next Magic Act....

2011-11-16T22:22:00.004-05:00

We are thrilled to introduce our future daughter, Tiny Tacco! The world premiere will be around April 4, 2012.

Alfred

2011-11-13T16:06:00.005-05:00

How pretty our new house looks with a small blanket of snow. Unfortunately, the beauty quickly melted and left us with nothing but broken tree limbs and a week without power.
Even Darcy was a bit surprised that Halloween would be snowy this year.

Our Damage:

The magnolia tree on the side of our house was the hardest hit. The pictures do not truly show how much of the tree was lost. When the electricians chopped down the broken limbs to repair the electric line, we were left with two thirds of the limbs on the ground.

The oak tree in the back also didn't like the storm. A rather large limb shredded two floors up. It has yet to fall. We don't have any way of reaching it and chopping it down. It isn't in the way of any power lines, so we couldn't have the electricians take care of it when they were here. Sooo... I believe it is what they call a "widow maker". Anybody have a chain saw and a sturdy ladder?

Announcement

2011-10-19T17:35:00.001-04:00

You are one month from a big announcement.
More to come November 16, 2011!

Making the House Home: Kitchen

2011-08-18T11:56:00.005-04:00

We probably did the most to the kitchen when we moved in. We were given a $1,000 appliance allowance. If you have ever been shopping for appliances, you know that won't take you very far unless you do some leg work. We probably ended up spending around $500 of our own money, but we put together a nice kitchen, I think.

BEFORE:AFTER:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

BEFORE: (So glad to see that filthy, crooked fridge go!)
AFTER:

Walnut Hill Rose Garden

2011-07-25T19:58:00.004-04:00

A block from our new house is an awesome park, Walunt Hill Park. We first heard about it when Chris raced in their annual bike race. He loves the crit there because it is relatively flat and it is great for spectators. Within the last few years they have revitalized the park.

Walnut Hill Park was commissioned in 1870, the park was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. Olmsted is also famous for his designs for Central Park in New York City and the "Emerald Necklace" in Boston including Charlesbank, Back Bay Fens, Riverway, Leverett Park, Jamaica Pond, Arnold Arboretum, Franklin Park, and Marine Park, and connecting parkways. The park (especially the hilltop rose garden) reminds me of some of the parks I saw in Europe. (especially Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna and St. Stephen's Green in Dublin, Ireland)

Here are some pictures of the roses. These were taken with my cellphone, so please excuse the grainy quality. Note that there is a WWI monument that reminds us of our beloved Soldiers and Sailors Monument in East Rock- New Haven.

Walnut Hill Park Rose Garden

House Stalker

2011-07-21T22:41:00.002-04:00

* I am not sure how this post will turn out. This is my first post using the Blogger app. Forgive me if the pictures don't come out clear because they were taken with the crumby Android phone.

These are pictures I have snapped of houses that I liked. The first picture comes from a house in New Britain that overlooks Walnut Hill Park. I love the house, but love the rocking chairs on the porch! The next three pictures came from houses in the East Rock neighborhood of New Haven (where we lived). The first picture has the landscaping that I imagine we will do. That house was directly behind our apartment. They did a ton of work on it within the past year. The other two pictures show adorable picket fences. I think a picket fence may be in the future. To me it is a throw back to the 1940's and 50's. I can't stop thinking of It's A Wonderful Life and the scene where Mary and George walk home from the dance. Sigh...

Sigh... again. Well, I will continue to stalk until I can find a decent source for semi urban landscaping!

Courtesy of the Marketplace.....

2011-07-21T22:36:00.001-04:00

I just downloaded the Blogger App, probably should have a while ago.....anyway while you're here, go here: http://gplus.to/TaccoInSpandex

Yay for blogs.

First Event in the House: Katherine's Shower

2011-07-20T10:36:00.022-04:00

Like a complete dolt, I decided to throw my sister Katherine's bridal shower two weeks after our closing date. I was confident that everything would be put away and ready for the shower. I completely forgot about the whole fact that buying a house cost money. Luckily, the shower came together and I created as lovely of a day as I could for my sister.The Spread: Katherine's shower was a classic tea party. I primarily served pastries and desserts. I was very fortunate to have my best friend send me her famous scones from Iowa. She shipped them over-night and they were a huge hit. (Scone flavors included: Baileys, dark chocolate & coconut, cheese & cracked peppercorn, and currant) I also baked several types of breads from my grandmother's recipes. Grammy was unable to be there, but her legendary banana bread was!

Activity/Prize: For an activity and a chance to win a fabulous prize (cheesy, love-themed kitchen gadgets) my youngest sister Kimberly and I made sugar cookies that were in the shape of wedding cakes. I bought a variety of decorating materials and challenged the guests to a contest. Katherine voted for her top 3 favorites and the prizes were awarded.

The Presents: The timeless tradition of gathering in a circle and watching the bride open homegoods to choruses of "ooos" and "ahhs" wasn't skipped. Katherine got a number of wonderful presents that she and Tim will put to great use.

Receiving the teapot from Kimberly and I
A Lenox vase

Salad Claws

The Groom: In the end, Tim showed up in time to cut the cake and see the loot that he was going to take home! My sister is very lucky to have found someone that compliments her so well. He's a great partner and a fabulous match for her.

Note:
Darcy refused to be left out of the festivities. After all, it's her house! She was a complete lady and behaved well.

Additionally, Tim illustrated that the house was perfect for Chris and I. Neither of us are over 5'8". However, Tim soars to at least 6'5". We had a great laugh over how spacious our stairwell is.

Our New House

2011-07-13T13:43:00.009-04:00

Somehow in the middle of my sister's wedding weekend, another year for The Taccos went by. We quietly celebrated our 2nd anniversary on July 10, 2011. The past year brought about big changes for The Taccos.

We purchased our first home!

MLS Pictures:
The house was built in the 1890's. We believe it is a folk Victorian. The 1932 square foot living space has 3 bedrooms and 1 bath. There is a walk-up attic and a walk-out basement. It has undergone an extensive rehabilitation with a new roof, siding, back porch, windows, high efficiency natural gas heater, water heater, remodeled kitchen, new carpet and fresh paint. We have an itty-bitty yard, but we are located a block from a spectacular park.

We closed on the house at the beginning of May and have been working on making the space our own.

... and Not-So Formal

2010-09-06T20:00:00.006-04:00

The Formal...

2010-08-22T18:16:00.014-04:00

The Newlyweds: Family: Grandparents- Siblings- Parents-Families with the new addition- Godparents- Group shots:Wedding Party:

Ceremony Pictures

2010-08-22T17:42:00.004-04:00

How quickly our first year of marriage passed. We had a very busy year with coaching, cycling weekends, SRBI nonsense at school, and the husband's quest to graduate. I have included a few of our favorites from the ceremony.Don't worry, there is only 1,200 pictures for me to sort through and post. We're nearly done. ;-)

Daily Photo #10: Darcy's First Bath

2010-05-29T15:22:00.001-04:00

Location: Hamden, CT

3rd Place Winner

2010-04-08T17:03:00.003-04:00

Darcy's picture won 3rd place in the Fifth Annual Photo Contest at the Burlington Veterinary Center. We won a 3 month supply of Frontline flea and tick prevention. SCORE! We didn't even vote!

Daily Photo #9: Washington D.C. At Sunset

2010-03-19T06:53:00.002-04:00

Location: Washington D.C.
Date: May, 2009

Daily Photo #8: Enter The Haggis

2010-03-18T05:41:00.001-04:00

Location: Fairfield, CT
Date: January, 2009

Daily Photo #7: Tea Party

2010-03-17T06:09:00.001-04:00

Location: Burlington, CT
Date: Thanksgiving, 2008

Daily Photo #6: From the Staten Island Ferry

2010-03-16T05:32:00.000-04:00

Location: New York City
Date: May, 2006 (?)

Daily Photo #5: Yosemite National Park

2010-03-15T05:26:00.000-04:00

Location: Yosemite National Park
Date: April, 2005

*This picture was scanned in from a matte finished photo. It looks like there is a lot more "noise"/graininess than there really is.

Daily Photo #4: White Rino

2010-03-14T05:30:00.001-04:00

Location: Harambe Wildlife Reserve
Date: July, 2009

Daily Photo #3: Baby Jack

2010-03-13T05:59:00.000-05:00

Location: Dover, NH
Date: Tacco Mitch Day 2009

Daily Photo #2: Womens C Crit

2010-03-12T05:30:00.002-05:00

Location: Rutgers University
Date: March, 2010

Daily Photo #1: Myakka State Park

2010-03-11T06:49:00.004-05:00

A couple of days ago Miss Dana asked if this blog was still up and running. Life has gotten in the way of keeping this blog up to date. So, I am going to post daily photos. Each of these pictures are ones that I have taken. Feel free to comment and let me know what you think.

Location: Myakka State Park
Date: February, 2010

Flying Darcy! Get's Picked!

2010-02-03T20:10:00.004-05:00

Martha Stewart Picked this picture of Darcy that Rachel took for its finalists in a competition for pictures of dogs at play...

http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/pets-at-play-contest-2009?xsc=eml_pet_2010_02_03#slide_8

Its number 8, so, we're assuming it was 8th place. Not too shabby!!

We're excited.

:O)

Darcy's First Snow and Meeting with Santa

2009-12-06T13:05:00.008-05:00

Although Darcy has been going through her wonderful ordeal of being spayed, she did get some excitement this weekend.

This is all she's been reduced to doing for 4 days. No outside playing or running. And the most sad of all is no trips to the dog park. Darcy is sad. Her parents are lame.

Arrive, the first snow of the season. Although Darcy didn't seem to notice it was snowing, or be all that interested in it at all.

We made a gingerbread house last night to get some excitement into Darcy's life. She approves of the taste of the frosting.

And of course, what Rachel has been waiting for for MONTHS! Darcy had her first encounter with Good Ole St. Nick. She was a little restless on his lap, but was quite content to be happy and jolly in front of him. The Happy Tails Foundation in Hamden hosted this fun dog friendly event. I am glad we went, now I know what it'll feel like bringing my rug rats to see The Man in the future.

Yay for the Christmas Season.

Darcy Loves Daddy and His Friends

2009-10-18T16:04:00.009-04:00

Darcy Visits Uncle Steve and Aunt Heather in Mystic, CT:

Wait... where is my piece?!

Darcy Visits Uncle Sean and Aunt Liz at Sleeping Giant:

Both Darcy and Uncle Sean gave Aunt Liz "puppy love" faces.

Darcy couldn't look at the camera... the feeling of love overwhelmed her.

Aunt Liz is the best!

Wake Up Sleeping Giant!!

2009-09-06T10:07:00.019-04:00

Well, it turns out that Darcy loves to hike. One Sunday we decided instead walking on the Canal Trail, we'd drive over to Sleeping Giant and give it whirl. Darcy was so happy there, we have had to go back, a lot. Its really great. Below you'll find various pictures of Darcy doing things at Sleeping Giant.

Playing Catch! Rach snapped this awesome action shot as she was running back to her.

Doesn't this look like a scene from a Disney Movie or something, so tranquil.

Darcy isn't so sure about the water. She'll get her front paws wet, but that's it.

Another action shot, Rach is getting good at this speed photography thing.

At the tower, she's to cute.

Thinking hard on a weekend, and Darcy doesn't approve either! That's a scary sight! But way too cute also!

Still not sure about that water.

At the tower. Way up there. Too cute.

She loves when I crush her.

Look at that face!

Queen of the Forest

Mommy, really! Do you have to keep taking pictures! I am getting self conscious.

Run, Run, Run!

Here I come!!

I love it up here!

Our Ring Bear and Flower Girl

2009-09-06T08:33:00.010-04:00

Again, we will let the pictures speak for themselves.

Braeden before the ceremony

Of course all eyes should be on her!!

Like any other 3 year old, the hustle and bustle of a full house and 3 photographers made Braeden a little cranky. What solved that? I gave her my flowers.

Ceremony

Peter

Check out the yawn!

When you join the cutest little girl and cutest little boy you get...

* All photos are courtesy of KM Photography.

Our Baby Friends

2009-08-28T17:49:00.010-04:00

I can't express how incredible it is when the friends we have had (many of which we have known since we were babies!) are now parents. A lot of people have baby-free weddings. We understand some of the logic behind that, but it meant a lot to us that our baby friends were welcome to attend our wedding. So, this is a gratuitous post of our adorable baby friends.

Kaitlyn
daughter of Allison & Jeff

Kaitlyn and Braeden became pals.

Jack
son of Miss Dana & Michael

Nicholas
son of Katherine & Brian
baby brother of Peter the Ring Bear

Look at those eyes!!!
Soooo sleepy!!

We also invited my "former baby friends", my cousins Mackenzie and Brian. I used to babysit them when they were "baby friends". It is AMAZING how big they have gotten in what seems like a blink of an eye. I will forever remember when the doors of the sanctuary opened and I heard Brian say to his grandfather, "There's Rachel!" It warmed my heart in an instant!! Little Mackenzie danced up a storm at the reception!! I love those guys so much... I couldn't imagine them not being there.

Mackenzie
daughter of BJ & Becky
sister of Brian

Oh, I wish I could have heard what Braeden was telling Mackenzie!
See?! This girl can dance!
Tuckered out!

Brian
son of BJ & Becky
brother of Mackenzie

Ah ha!! A little camera shy... but we got him!
Goodnight!!

Just wait until you see how cute our little flower girl and ring bear were!!

* All photos are courtesy of KM Photography.

Gorgeous In Green

2009-08-28T12:44:00.015-04:00

Our Girls

My expression says, "You have got to be kidding me!"

I love how warm this picture looks. We could be at the beach or something!

Matron of Honor:
Allison

This picture makes me smile.

Bridesmaid & Sister:
Katherine grrrrrr

Bridesmaid & Sister:
Kimberly Isn't she cute?!

Bridesmaid & Sister-in-Law:
Tisha Here is Tisha going down the aisle.

Bridesmaid & Cousin:
Brittany I love this picture.

Bridesmaid & Friend:
Heather

No matter what the situation, Heather always does it with style. I love that about her.

Bridesmaid & Friend:
Kim

Awesome.

Bridesmaid & New Sister-in-Law:
Pamela I love Pam's expression in this picture of her dancing with her cousin Carol.

Brother And Sister

Favorite Shots:

This picture cracks me up because both Kim and Allison bonded over using our hotel room for various reasons. Miss Kim also spearheaded mission to move our presents to our room.

Here are Brittany, Katherine and Kimmy apparently pleading...

Kim and Katherine with their new brother-in-law.

Got to love seeing pictures of everyone all together having a blast.

Thank you, ladies!

* All photos are courtesy of KM Photography.

Darcy is Nearly 3 Months!!

2009-08-25T22:35:00.005-04:00

Hello All!! Darcy is a few days shy of being 3 months old. She has adjusted fairly well to apartment life. She has just now started telling us when she needs to go out. Now if only we listen every time! Often her telling us is just whining and giving us "the look". We are madly in love with this little girl. Here she is taking up the entire width of the couch. Her check up at the vet is on Thursday. We wouldn't be surprised if she weighs at least 12 pounds (double what she weighed 3 weeks ago!).Darcy makes friends easily!

And just in case you don't believe me that she is the most adorable dog ever... I have included a video to prove it.

The Last Moments of Being a Wall

2009-08-18T15:12:00.012-04:00

Getting Our Hair Done:

Here is Tisha and Braeden while they wait their turn.She was completely still and behaved in the chair.

Of course Braeden draws a crowd of onlookers... (Katherine and Kimmy)

Here is the Queen of the World getting pampered. (Brittany and Mom.)

Here is Heather checking out the jewelery section at the salon.

Allison looking gorgeous!

Here is Miss Kim... a little shy. Her hair needed a little TLC when we got home, but she looked great!

Here is Katherine's final look. It might have been the best up-do of the day.

Here is my hair- topped off with my hair comb from Lulu Splendor.

**Sadly, I had to leave for my make-up appointment so I didn't get to snap a picture of Tisha & Kimberly's hair appointment.

Later that day...

The Veil:

The Garter: (Made exclusively by Miss Dana!)My Something Borrowed: (Allison's Wedding Shoes)The Rings: The Flowers:We bought boutonnieres for our fathers, grandfathers and godfathers. Our mothers, grandmothers and godmothers received wrist corsages. My flowers consisted of ivory roses and green hydrangea. It was all accented with green hypericum berries and bear grass.
Chris, Allison and I made the girls' bouquets- pedal by pedal! These are none other than Martha Stewart's crepe paper flowers. They were accented by manzanita branches. I will post about these later!

My Something Old:If you look closely, you could see the sapphire and diamond ring on my right hand. That ring was one of the first rings my grandfather, Bumpy, gave my Grammy.

Getting the Cutest Flower Girl in the World Ready:

Oh boy!!

Just in case: (Allison's gift to me!)

Come on! Let's get this show on the road!!!!!

Let's Go!!

* All photos starting with my hair are courtesy of KM Photography. The rest came from Goliath, my Nikon D90.

Darcy's First Weeks Home

2009-08-05T16:38:00.004-04:00

Here are pictures from Darcy's first two weeks with us. We are totally in love with our little girl. She is a very smart, sweet little pup. She immediately realized who her parents are! Unfortunately, that means she doesn't want either of us out of her sight. She hates her crate and HATES being left alone. She will have to get over that... school will be starting soon! Here is Darcy Wembley Ritacco, our first child.

This picture was taken in DC when we visited Katherine, Peter & Nicholas. Notice Nicholas's little chubby feet were inches from her face. Darcy didn't nibble him once! (Heck, I was even tempted to! They are some seriously adorable feet!) Darcy had only kisses for baby Nicholas.

Again, here she was "terrorizing" Katherine and Brian's household. She was such a good girl!! Not one single accident.
Asleep on our stinky couch!

This is from Darcy's first canal trail walk. She loved it!

It's a good thing we bought this bowl holder from Etsy.com. She likes to put her paw in her bowl and flip it over!

The Happy Taccos!

My Two Loves

Making Two Taccos One

2009-07-28T17:59:00.020-04:00

Remember tonight, for it is the beginning of always. A promise. Like a reward for persisting through life so long alone. A belief in each other and the possibility of love. A decision to ignore, simply rise above the pain of the past. A covenant, which at once binds two souls, and yet severs prior ties. A celebration of the chance taken and the challenge that lies ahead. For two will always be stronger than one, like a team braced against the tempest civil world. And love will always be the guiding force in our lives. For tonight is mere formality. Only an announcement to the world of feelings long held. Promises made long ago. In the sacred spaces of our hearts.

The Spectacular Music

Joshua Stubbs singing Ralph Vaughn Williams' "The Call"

Joshua Stubbs and Sarah Nale singing "The Prayer"

* Sarah also sang "The Lord's Prayer"; however, there wasn't enough room on my camera to capture the moment. She was amazing, though. See the following picture that was captured of me laughing after bawling so much!

The Marriage
Laughing because I kept crying hysterically. And so did my sisters!

Here we are gazing into each others eyes.

The Vows

SMOOCH!

Mr. and Mrs. ...at last!!

Professional pictures will be posted soon... but I have to say, these are probably the best angles of the moments. My photographers were banished to the balcony.

*Pictures stolen from the Facebook albums of Miss Dana and Chris's Aunt Barbara. Video was masterfully shot by my cousin Neil. xoxox!!!

The Taccos are now complete

2009-07-28T14:12:00.003-04:00

Taccos' To-Dos

New apartment----- check!
Visit with Heather & Kelvin----- check!
Get Married----- check!
Disney Honeymoon------ check!
Gulf of Mexico Honeymoon----- check!
Round trip to Loganton, PA to get Darcy----- check!

There are two very happy Taccos! Soon, we will be sharing our wedding pictures, honeymoon pictures and of course, our puppy pictures!!! Here is a video of our newest little Tacco on her first trip to the Canal Trail. She had a great time running down the path... but quickly got tired out! She is just plain adorable and a very well behaved pup!

Somebody is getting married....

2009-07-10T16:00:00.001-04:00

An Early Picture of Darcy... 5 weeks and 2 days

2009-07-04T09:18:00.002-04:00

Here she is... again. She gets her shots Monday.

So close I can taste it....

2009-07-01T21:57:00.002-04:00

The countdown is in the single digits now, ts was over 560 when it stared. I can't believe it. Its been forever. We just had our final meeting with our venue tonight. Dropped off all of the things Rachel was worried about not finishing in time. Favors and all the other things a wedding needs. Jennifer at the Heritage is great, really fantastic. It was also awesome to only have a tiny bill due. She says we are more organized then most couples, which is good to know because we've put a lot into it. We look forward to seeing you all soon and celebrating our Wedding!!! OMG!!!

:0)

Last Dance

2009-06-30T09:49:00.003-04:00

"Last dance
Last dance for love
Yes, its my last change
For romance tonight

I need you, by me,
Beside me, to guide me,
To hold me, to scold me,
cause when I'm bad
I'm so, so bad

So lets dance, the last dance
Lets dance, the last dance
Lets dance, this last dance tonight..."

Sorry Donna Summer, but you will not be gracing our play list. Our final dance song is Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now".

The Best Thing From England Since The BBC's Pride and Prejudice... maybe!

Allison and I agree. Everyone secretly loves Queen! Even you, Jeff, will be rocking out!!

Darcy is 5 Weeks Old and Frisky!

2009-06-29T21:23:00.001-04:00

New pictures of Darcy have arrived. The breeder says she is very playful. She isn't shy and doesn't hold back when it comes to playing with the other pups (and dachshunds?!) even though she is a lot smaller than the rest. It's nice to see her with a dachshund. Perhaps she will get along with Heidi!

How could you not love that face?!!

Darcy is 4 Weeks Old!

2009-06-24T08:14:00.001-04:00

Here are Darcy's latest pictures. She seems to be catching up in size to her sister, the other red tri. Her naked mole rat days are long past. She is adorable!

Darcy is 3 Weeks Old!

2009-06-17T21:40:00.001-04:00

Darcy's eyes are open and she is unbelievably adorable. She is less naked mole rat and more baby bear cub. She is still MUCH smaller than the other pups. Look how big that merle looks next to her! I can't wait until we are back from our honeymoon to get her!

I can't wait to show my students!!

*I am sorry one of the pictures of Darcy makes her look like she is on her head.

Showered!

2009-06-13T08:37:00.000-04:00

Our Shower was May 30th. We were really honored that so many of our loved ones made it. There were 45 people total. I know I felt torn trying to do my rounds and talk a little bit to everyone. People seemed to pick spots throughout the house and outside which made our jobs difficult! Such is life!

We are pleased to report that both of our newest baby friends were in attendance. That was a thrill! Jack and his parents Dana and Mike came all the way from Dover, New Hampshire for the occasion. After hanging out with little Kaitlyn, I was shocked how big my buddy Jack has gotten. His hands are huge in comparison! They were a huge hit!

Here is my friend Kaitlyn who napped while the ladies made sandwiches.

Here is Jack. Mommy (Miss Dana) thought it would be funny to put the bows on my head.

Jack looked so handsome... and he even was coordinated with my shower dress!

We received a number of great gifts. We are really thankful to our family and friends for their generosity! It was quite overwhelming opening all of the presents. Allison kept track of the presents, so we could write thank you notes. Kimmy and Pam organized the presents after they were opened. In addition, Katherine and Miss Kim handed us the presents. Trust me, that wasn't an easy job! Some of those suckers were quite heavy!

Here we are reading a card.

Here we are smiling for a photo op.
And of course some quirky comment was made that resulted in this face.

We would like to thank my mom, Allison, Miss Kim, Katherine and Kimmy for putting together such a great day for us. We appreciate all of your baking and your attention to the fine details. A special thank you goes to my cousin Lisa who arrived early and quickly got to work making sandwiches! THANKS! Additionally, we thank Miss Dana for helping put together cookie trays and Jeff for putting up the tent... IN THE DARK the night before. We are grateful to have a time to visit with those who attended the shower. We look forward to spending more time with you (and those of you who were unable to make it) at the wedding.

Darcy: 12 Days Old

2009-06-08T17:35:00.002-04:00

Darcy is 12 days old!!!

Darcy is coming along with her adorableness. She is 12 days old. She is a lighter red than her sister and much, much smaller. She is starting to open her eyes and Tammi, the breeder, promises a picture with her eyes open soon. Here she is!Here is a picture with her sister so you could see how much smaller she is. Here she is cuddling with the rest of the litter.

Can you imagine what it will be like when we are pregnant!?

Darcy is 5 Days Old

2009-06-01T22:30:00.002-04:00

THIS JUST IN!

The first two pictures are of the runt of the litter. The third picture is of the other red tri. We are thinking Darcy is the runt. She has really cute white markings! We can't wait to see her grow up!

*Additional pictures just arrived. Here are pictures of the litter. You could see Darcy is the smallest of the pack. The mother dog is a red tri, too. Darcy will look like Mama when she grows up.

Get Me to the Church On Time

2009-05-31T10:00:00.001-04:00

With a wedding party of 18+ people, transporting them all around could get out of hand. How many limos would it take to transport them!?! How many can we afford!?! What's the answer to our plight? Lucky for us we didn't have took to hard. Black Swan Antique Limo Service in Bethlehem, CT had our answer.

Party Limo!

The 22 person party bus will hold the whole wedding party. We went to visit the place and it was spotless, the limos were ridiculously clean and the people really nice. We also were excited to learn that the party bus runs on BioDiesel, which goes along with our green/minimalist wedding plans.

The party bus will pick the groomsmen and myself up at the Heritage and bring us the church. Then it'll zip on over to Rachel's where the the beautiful Bride and Bridesmaids will be waiting.

We really like that everyone will be together on the way to the Heritage after the ceremony. Its going to be a fun ride!!

Manzanita Trees (Part One)

2009-05-31T09:00:00.000-04:00

Yes... there is more than one part for this one and yes, this post is about trees. My parents could stop scratching their heads and actually see what we have been talking about for 14+ months. They thought I was insane for buying tree branches from Nettleton Hollow when we essentially we live in a forest! Chris and I worked on our manzanita trees last weekend. We will show you the final product in a future post when we get the hanging votives on them.

*DISCLAIMER: Please excuse the mess of the garage. I am in the process of packing and hording furniture. My parents have been without a garage for a VERY long time and it is all my fault.

This is a gratuitous picture of Chris and a bit of the tree. He's so dreamy!

First, my mom painted "R" and "C" on the black pots that we got from Jamali Gardens. We got square Styrofoam from Jo-Ann Fabrics and a little tub of joint compound from Home Depot. Chris drilled a hole in the styrofoam so the tree would fit and then put the compound in the hole.

Here is the tree stuck into the compound. To make sure that the tree would stay in place while the compound was drying, we hot glued the edges where the tree met the styrofoam.

Then we took little round rocks that we got from IKEA and hot glued them to the styrofoam.

Then we filled (hot glued) in all the cracks between the rocks with reindeer moss that we got from Jo-Ann Fabrics. We made sure we hot glued extra moss at the base of the tree to cover the compound. Essentially, all of the styrofoam is covered. (Better pictures will follow!)

So, the whole thought is that we will string our placecards between the two trees in the cocktail hour room. We are really happy with how they came out!

Mini Aussie Pups

2009-05-28T23:02:00.001-04:00

Baby Darcy is here!!! The pups were born last night.

We are going to get one of the red ones.

Since they were born early we'll be able to get her right after our honeymoon.

They look like fetuses.

Oh Give Me A Home...

2009-05-09T18:21:00.003-04:00

It's official. We are moving to Hamden, CT. We just chose our apartment and put through our deposit and applications. The apartment will be open June 13th, so we will be moving things in and getting settled bit by bit before the wedding.

The apartment is in a large complex called Town Walk at Hamden Hills. (See the pictures below!) Our apartment's entrance is on the first floor; however, it is situated on a hill so we have balcony porch off our bedroom. It has a nice view of the woods. It will be just like home! It also is on the end of the building so our bedroom has an extra window. Natural light galore! The apartments butt up against the canal trail. Chris will be able to hop on his bike and have a very safe ride to work every morning.

We are excited to be coming home to such a great place! (And of course, eachother!)

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

We were Movie Stars.

2009-05-05T17:14:00.003-04:00

There are pictures that we like more than others... but here they are in all of their glory. Can you spot the "zombie couple" picture??

The Tuxedos

2009-04-29T09:25:00.004-04:00

Rachel's dresses for the bridesmaids are a green, its either sage or mint or jade or kelly. I have no idea. It is green. We went to MW Tux to check out their rental packages and colors and things. The first step was to find a vest that matched the color, thankfully Rachel carries the swatch around wherever she goes. This proved to be something impossible. Its like MW Tux called Alfred Angelo got a swatch and made sure that none of their greens would match ours. It was really that bad. So we started playing with other colors. Brown or red or bright blue, ok maybe not bright blue. No matter what we picked it didn't look good, Black tuxes and brown vests....no good. We were there about an hour and tried nearly every possible combination or types of clothing and colors and patterns, with the exception of cummerbunds, whatever happened to those anyway? There was a set up of a brown tux with a cream vest that kept catching my eye, and after enough prodding Rachel let me try it out and see how it looked. Bingo, that was it. Brown tuxes with an ivory tie and vest for me and Brown tuxes with brown ties and vests for the groomsmen. Here are some quick pics trying it out:

We are also going with pocket squares instead of boutonnieres. I think they pretty darned good.

The brown also fits the woodsy theme we've been running with. Overall we'll be a pretty darned looking group. No?

Flower Girl Basket: COMPLETED!

2009-04-22T09:44:00.003-04:00

To fit our wedding's woodsy theme, I created Braeden's flower girl basket to look like a bird's nest. (Obviously, the pedals will go in the center of the basket.) First, I took an old basket that was pretty rustic looking. Then added cotton batting and covered that with a piece of brown satin. I finished it off by hot gluing reindeer moss around the edges. Voila!

Tasty!

2009-04-22T07:31:00.007-04:00

Our Menu

Cocktail Hour

Open Bar Service

Displays:

*Fresh Vegetable Crudites Served with dipping sauce

*Regional American Artisan Cheeses and Fruit Served with French baguette and assorted crackers

Butler-Passed Hors d'oeuvres:

*Stuffed Chicken with Avocado Salad Tartlet

*Prosciutto and Melon Canapes

*Tomato Basil Bruschetta

*Spinach Brie Tart

*Vegetable Spring Rolls

*Scallops Wrapped in Bacon

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Dinner

Salad:

*Capriccio Salad: Romaine, Diced Tomatoes, Red Onions, Fetta Cheese, and Baby Bella Mushrooms served with a Fresh Basil Vinaigrette Dressing

Entrees:

*Fresh Herb Roasted Half Chicken with Roasted Garlic and Tomato Demi-glace

*Roast Prime Rib with Caramelized Onion and Au Jus

*Pan Roasted Salmon Fillet with Balsamic Reduction

**Chicken Fingers or Pasta for the kiddies

***Pasta Primavera for vegetarians (if you are out there...)

Our Cake

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

We made our final decisions on our dinner menu for our reception. A fear that the food would be disgusting has been set aside. The food was delicious!

Capriccio Salad

Chris even liked it!

Then they brought us our an enormous plate that had three entrees for us to try:

*Crispy Sauteed Chicken Breast with Creamy Mustard Sauce (although... I am pretty sure that wasn't the sauce that was on it)

*Fresh Herb Roasted Half Chicken with Roasted Garlic and Tomato Demi-glace

*Grilled Mahi-Mahi Fillet with Tropical Mango Salsa

Each entree will come with yummy potatoes, string beans, and carrots. (They are cooked, Katherine H. ... but you could scrape them off or request extra beans.)

We weren't crazy about the Mahi-Mahi. I had originally picked this as our fish choice. We didn't like the salsa that was on it. That made up our minds. We are going with the salmon. I figure that is a pretty standard meal.

We had already chosen the prime rib, so we asked to taste the two chicken dishes. We were glad we did. The half chicken was heads and shoulders better than the chicken breast. The chicken breast was a little dry and just "blah". The half chicken was moist and just an overall better dish.

We snuck in to check out our venue. Here are some pictures of the room. It is set up for a conference banquet.

the ceiling

our sweetheart table will be set up in front of this fireplace

2009-04-13T17:49:00.000-04:00

Local WTNH Channel 8 put together a full news clip on.

Good times!!!

2009-04-11T18:41:00.002-04:00

Cake baker, cake baker, bake us a cake......

2009-02-18T15:36:00.009-05:00

It's a well known fact that my family is talented musically and artistically. My mom is a professional singer. Multiple members of my family have showed their creativity through gorgeous paintings. My cousins in CA have a really amazing eyes for photography. Grammy could out craft, out knit, and bake the pants off the likes of Martha Stewart. What I didn't know was when my Uncle Jamie married my new aunt, Connie, he would be adding culinary genius to the mix. She has graciously accepted our plea to make our wedding cake.

Connie is an executive for Harley Davidson and started baking cakes as a hobby for the past few years now. Take a look at some of the cakes she has made for friends and clients:

Perhaps this is the most fitting cake?!

This cake was her latest wedding cake.

Aren't her cakes incredible?! I think she deserves to be on a reality show like Ace of Cakes or something. Her talents are totally not being tapped at Harley! However, it was at Harley Davidson that she got her start. She has made a tradition of baking a Harley fuel tank cake for all of her co-workers that retire.

So, I sent Connie pictures of cakes that we liked. We are looking for something green (are you really surprised?!) with vines/tree branches on it. Here are some pictures that I had in mind.

I really love this one... but make it round!

We are very sure she will do a tremendous job with the cake. We are so blessed to have such a talented, generous person in our lives.

Or... maybe I should have this cake.

Thanks to Alchemy...

2009-02-17T18:04:00.014-05:00

Late in May, my parents are throwing us a bridal shower. Because our friends and spouses are invited, the guest list is pretty substantial. I offered to help my mom find an affordable invitation. Chris and I first thought we would design and print them ourselves. The more we tinkered and worked on the invites, the more we realized that the cost was going to add up. So, we took the image we had pirated (Oh, did I say that!?) and went to Etsy.com.

On Etsy.com, there is a place called Alchemy where you could post work orders for artists to bid on. We wrote that we were looking to spend no more than $30 on the invitations with the envelopes. We also included our colors and inspiration image (above) that had a couple with a bike. Personally, I thought the request was a little far fetched, but it was worth a shot.

Much to our amazement and utter disbelief, the emails and bids on the job came flooding in. If this wasn't a testament to the bad economy, I don't know what is. Most of the artists submitted examples of what they intended to do or examples of their previous creations. There were several artists that were contenders. This included Kandy Ann's Kreations who created the image shown here. She made a die cut from our image and paired it up with some paper with various textures. We were floored! Unfortunately we decided to stay close to our original idea and pick a graphic artist who would print the cards. You really should check out Kandy Ann's Creations for more crafty options! Her work is beyond impressive AND is really cute.

Lindsey Ryan Design offered the look that we were looking for and lacked the know-how to create on our own. Her shop was filled with stationary that was just fantastic. She sent us a link to her online portfolio. We loved her work! We even had thoughts of possibly asking her to design our invitations. (We just love those Cat Seto's Willow invitations!) But, what really sold us was her rough sketch of what she planned on doing for us. We loved it! Well, not the bike, but the rest of it we loved. She quickly set off on a hunt for a more realistic road bike and we settled on this one. Then, Chris was happy. Lindsey has been a true professional. She has showed us draft after draft. I believe we have come to an agreement and the invitation is as follows:

What do you think!? Here is a picture of my love at Easterns last year. You should see how skinny he is right now!

Play that funky music...

2009-01-31T14:50:00.006-05:00

Have you ever been to a wedding where everyone was up and dancing until the DJ changed to a song that was rather "undance-able"? Maybe the song was unfamiliar. Maybe it was a stark contrast to the song that was just previously played. Maybe you would call the song a "dud". Or is it the DJ that's a dud?! Either way the dance floor empties and kills the mood. The mark of a good DJ is one that can get the crowd up dancing and then STAY dancing.

We decided on our DJ long before any other wedding-related plan had been made; Keith Alan of Keith Alan Productions. The decision was easy because I have seen Keith in action and he comes highly recommended. Keith has become a tradition of sorts for Jeff's (Allison's husband) family. He entertained several of the family's weddings including Allison and Jeff's. For that wedding, things were seamless. It was a perfect reception and everyone had a blast. The reception was perfectly orchestrated. Everyone danced! In fact, there wasn't a person who didn't comment about how great the entertainment was.

At another one of Jeff's relative's weddings, things didn't go quite as well- to no fault of Keith Alan's. A kitchen fire led the reception hall to be evacuated and the party was stalled. Without adding any more stress on the bride and groom, Keith enlisted one of the young cousins to help him pack up direct him to an impromptu backyard reception. Once he arrived, he set up on a pile of wood/woodchips and the party went on. He also negotiated with the local police who were ready to pull the plug on the party. Keith Alan went above and beyond what was expected of him and made a potential disaster a reception everyone has remembered.

Not all of our songs have been selected, yet. We do have a plan for our first dance. We will be dancing to our song, "Cupid" by Jack Johnson.

Our song will melt into Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwo`ole's "Wonderful World" for our wedding party to dance to. Yes, there will be the traditional wedding party dance.

We have a few other lovey songs picked like... Jason Mraz and Colbie Callait's "Lucky",

Ben Fold's "The Luckiest",

and Ingrid Michaelson's "The Way I Am".

We also chose some favorite songs like John Denver's "Country Roads", The Proclaimers' "I'm Gonna Be (500 miles)", Devo's "Whip It", and of course Rick James's "Super Freak". :-)

I will leave you with Chris's Weird Al song of choice, "White and Nerdy".

Kimmy is Crazy...

2009-01-30T20:23:00.008-05:00

Kimberly is usually very shy and quiet. On Sunday, January 25th, she really stepped out of her comfort zone on. Literally! Kim raised money and participated in the Penguin Plunge for Special Olympics. In order to be on her team, she was only required to raise $50 . She raised $185! On top of her shyness, she only had a week to raise the money!

And was so cold... 16 degrees to be exact. Even the dogs were really cold! Who in their right mind would take their dog to the Penguin Plunge. No, this isn't Heidi... this is just a much thinner cousin. Chris was not loving the temperature, either.

Kim's teammates decided that the less clothing they wore the better off they would be. She sported her little bikini and a pair of gym shorts.

Yes, she is crazy. We are very proud.

Honorary Second Flower Girl: Kaitlyn

2009-01-24T11:50:00.004-05:00

December 30, 2008

6:05 PM

Allison and Jeff have welcomed Kaitlyn Jeanne into the world! Kaitlyn was 19.5 inches long and 7 pounds 1 ounce. Allison was a rockstar! She had a very short labor and only pushed for an hour. (The evidence of this is Kaitlyn's perfectly round head! No cone-head for this little one!!) Maybe this is her payback for all of the morning sickness!! Both are doing very well... despite the lack of sleep! I think having this perfect little girl helped soften the blow of Allison's 30th birthday. Congratulations to both Allison and Jeff!

The very tired family... only Kaitlyn gets to sleep.

Kaitlyn with her honorary Auntie Rachel

Kaitlyn loves snuggling with Uncle Brian

Jeff's gorgeous women

Pretty little things

2009-01-05T20:20:00.006-05:00

I am currently in the process of getting a custom-made comb for my hair on our wedding day. I have been a big fan of Etsy for a while now. If you are unfamiliar with the website, it is a site where artist of all sorts sell their wares. There a lot of really talented jewelry artists. I stumbled upon Lulu Splendor and loved her designs. Her work is mostly in metal. To me her pieces have a 1940's flair. I started looking at her hair pieces and realized that they had a natural theme. JUST LIKE OUR WEDDING!

There was one problem. The majority of her hair pieces are set on a clip or barrette. I also wanted the vine to be slightly different. I saw it climbing up my head instead of out. I spoke with Carla, the designer and she was eager to adjust her design for a pittance ($3?!). She has kept me in the loop about the whole process and I have really enjoyed seeing how the piece has evolved. I would highly recommend her shop to anyone!!

Check out Lulu Splendor's excellent work:

Before Plating

(shown with another design that I liked)

After Plating

So, after all that, I am sure you would assume that I spent upwards to $100-$150. For the amount of time put into a piece like this, it would be a justified expense. Instead, I spent less than $25. Seriously, you need to check out this shop!!

The Apparent Many Faces of Dear Little Darcy

2009-01-04T16:08:00.002-05:00

As you may remember Rachel had set her heart on Darcy being a small little Yorkie. But yesterday on our way by the Puppy Center, we stopped in for a look and what to our amazing eyes should appear, a whole bunch of Miniature Aussies(Australian Shepherds). We had Rachel's sister with us and she wanted to look at one of them.

So we asked the owner to take one out, here are some pictures and a video of the cute little dog:

This little thing was cute. It was cuddly and had no intention of getting off of Rachel or Kim's lap. It had the prettiest blue eyes. It didn't make a peep at all, not a whimper, whine or bark, it just wanted to cuddle on a lap.

This little girl is on the small end, and the owner of the shop said that she would not get much over 17 pounds or so. So, Rachel is back to dog research mode. From the sounds of it one of these guys would definitely be a nice little pup.

What does this mean? The fate of Darcy is in limbo, a Yorkie, a Mini Aussie? Or perhaps the next cute little dog that just wants to be in Rachel's lap.

Stay tuned to find out!

Math

2008-12-19T19:53:00.006-05:00

+

=

Bridesmaids having fits...

2008-12-14T17:19:00.005-05:00

Here are several pictures of our bridesmaids trying on the dress(s) I chose.

Allison
(at 8 months pregnant)

Katherine
(taking a break from med school stresses)
Tisha
(all the way from West Virginia)
Kim
(Recent Mrs.)
Brittany
(putting in all together from FL)
Kim

(tearing herself from Dan for the afternoon)What troopers they were!! The dresses were ordered and will be arriving in late March/early April.

* Not pictured are Heather and Pam.

Darcy and Tungsten

2008-12-14T16:04:00.007-05:00

If I am a really good girl and curb my spending, in the fall, Darcy will be coming home with us. For good. Tungsten may come shortly thereafter. It would be wonderful if they grew up together. I could picture them frolicking on the grass and snuggling up together every night. No, these aren't our future children, but will be our babies nonetheless.

Chris and I are puppy crazy.

We have decided on a Yorkshire Terrier and a Puggle. The Puggle was a great compromise since I HATE pugs. I know. I KNOW! But, I hate them for exactly the same reasons why everyone loves them. Their bugged eyes creep me out. I find their under bite to be gross. Seriously, anything that makes that much noise just breathing isn't cute. Puggle's have the same pug charm, but are a heck of a lot cuter. For one thing, they can breathe properly! Darcy (the Yorkie) would be named after Mr. Darcy from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Tungsten (the Puggle) would be named after the metal on the Periodic Table of Elements.

In the meantime, Chris and I keep day dreaming and scheduling puppy therapy time at The Puppy Center. Here are some of our almost Darcys and Tungstens.

Darcy
(all the same one)
Tungsten
(In various forms...)

Sightings

2008-12-06T14:33:00.014-05:00

Subject: Kim
Date Last Sighted: October 11, 2008
Whereabouts: Waterbury, Connecticut/Seymor, Connecticut
Notes: I think the subject may have bound herself to another subject legally. Evidence:

Exhibit A

Exhibit B

Exhibit C

Subject: Allison
Date Last Sighted: November, 2008
Whereabouts: Thomaston, Connecticut
Notes: I think the subject may have spawned a duplicate subject. This will add to our guest list.
Evidence:

Exhibit A

Exhibit BExhibit C* Will have to wait until approximately December 25, 2008 for further evidence.

Subject: Braeden
Date Last Sighted: November, 2008
Whereabouts: Burlington, Connecticut
Notes: I think the subject is thoroughly prepared for for the wedding.
Evidence:

Exhibit AExhibit B

Exhibit C Exhibit D

Exhibit E

Subject: Heather
Date Last Sighted: November, 2008
Whereabouts: Naperville, Illinois
Notes: I think the subject is honing her culinary skills so that she will be able to critique the fine food at The Heritage Hotel.
Evidence:

Exhibit A
Exhibit B

The Men, The Myths, The Legends

2008-12-06T12:30:00.002-05:00

In the fall of 1995 I started what would be the most influential and life changing four years of my life. It has now been 13 years since my friendships with my groomsmen began, which is nearly half my life. There is Brian(Verd), supposedly the only real normal one. Sean, the one missing something rather important in his cognitive skills, which is probably attributed to the water in Leicester. Lee, the Polish kid from Webster, who went from four foot nothing to six feet tall in that span of four years. JBC, where the hell did JBC go now? His car is gone again and his parents are looking for him. And Timmy, I will not say anything about a conch shell here in fear of retribution.

In no particular order:

Verd - My friendship with V started in a church gymnasium on Rte 9 Shrewsbury, our freshman year. It was a Greenbar meeting and I was wearing "the shirt." Most of my classmates know the shirt of which I speak, and I may have to bust it out at a Reunion. Anyway, from that point we became really good friends, through Scouts, School and Cycling. I will most likely never forget the look on his face when summer after Senior year I took my graduation money to Bike Alley and said, I've got $700, what can you do me for? After years of saying I would never spend that much on a bike. Not only myself but our group has spent a lot of time in his parents basement in 'The Burn', as we have never called it before. We're a pretty lucky crew to have such a good friend as a member. We stayed in touch, albeit hit or miss over the years since college graduation. We've both moved away from Worcester and yes, he was the first one to get married, and then HAVE a child. Peter is now 2 and half or so, and Brian & Katherine just had their second child, Nicholas. Great people they deserve it. I have been blessed and lucky to have Brian in my life over the years, how else would I have a road bike to ride!

O'Rourke - I don't think there are any other stories that I enjoy telling about Sean more then the Stage Crew ridiculousness. Yes, he screwed a piece of wood into a pavement using a HAND screw driver. WOW... And then there was the hog tying with duct tape, and throwing him in the Spring Show dumpster, why? I don't think we really thought that through, but lucky enough for us, he didn't hate us. Of course the story ends with Wilke throwing him a knife, us looking around going, wtf, what did you just do...and closing the dumpster door and running away. Oh lord, we were lucky he didn't kill anyone. My third story stems from his Escort, that blue little hatchback that just wouldn't die, trust me, he beat that thing when he drove it, I was often afraid we wouldn't get to our destination. After he sold it for $300, it got totaled by the new owner, who got a check for $800. Back to the story.. That little hatchback, was light. Amtrak and myself would regularly push it up on to the sidewalk, until he figured out he should be putting on the E-Brake. One day, during rehearsal, we grabbed some bricks, picked up the little thing, and put the rear wheels on blocks. He wasn't nearly as mad as just amused, which was also good. Speaking of moving cars, "Hans, you need to move your Mustang!"......."Hans, its OK we moved your Mustang!" :0) We have shared a lot over the years, and I am glad we have been able to keep in touch.

Lee - Lee is sort of a constant. He's always there, and some how never ends up doing anything regrettable, except for that one time after we won the State Hockey Championship, how long was ride back to SJ? Yeah, that's what I thought. Lee will just up do just about anything you suggest, on a whim, nearly the exact opposite of myself. He's been a great friend over the years, and I wish I had some exciting story to tell but I don't. I can only thank him for being there year after year through this thing called life.

Timmy - We had home room together all four years at SJ, and I can tell you, that sophomore year when we were reading a certain book which shall not be named, Tim was none to pleased with most of us. But that's OK, here's another Stage Crew bond. With the amount of hours we've spent in that gym doing work, there are few other people who know me as well. You could count on Tim for dancing Coins and a good laugh. He has a flair for the dramatic, just ask PJ about a single knife incident over 10 years ago. I remember spending the Spring Show weekend at his house junior year, being the youngest of the group, I didn't get my license until the WEEK AFTER spring show. Tim's a good kid, and a good friend, and now a good neighborhood. My parents have moved about 1 mile around the corner from his house. Yes, for those that didn't know, my parents have left the boondocks of East Brookfield, for the Boondocks of Boylston.

JBC - JBC, got his nickname freshman year during one of our retreats, from Marcus Texiera. I don't really know why it stuck, but it did. Although rumor has it, yeah I won't go there this is a family show... There isn't really that much to say about Jon except some weird stories about Prom, whoops. He would get in his car drive around, although sometimes, he would take other people's cars. Like my escort, I had started it got out, and seconds later it was driving out of the parking lot without me. That was an experience. We don't keep in touch that well, but what can you do. He'd be there if I needed it.

Quickie: Bridesmaids Gifts...

2008-12-04T21:00:00.004-05:00

... are ready to go.
In overachiever fashion, I have already wrapped (ok, tied ribbon around) the gifts that we bought for the bridesmaids. I think the gift we are giving will be practical and something everyone would like. Well... besides Allison. She will be getting a different gift that will be more practical for her. (More on this later...)

Hi Katherine.

KM Photography

2008-10-28T19:14:00.012-04:00

A picture is worth a thousand words. Or is it worth a few thousand dollars?! That is the great dilemma. I have known many brides who were able to cut back in their photography budget and were quite happy with this decision. Unfortunately to our budget, this is the one area that I would be heart broken to have to skimp. I love photography.

Chris and I booked K.M. Photography. This photography team is based out of Clinton, Connecticut. We met with Jackie when we signed the contract. She was very down to earth and accommodating. Unlike other wedding professionals we met (ahem... Jessica...) who were pushy and abrasive, Jackie was eager to put us at ease. She even told me that she would see to it that I looked well-rested, skinny, and flawless. Yeah, I will go for that.

Although the promise of looking amazing in my pictures was really appealing, it was their work that really sold us. We first saw their exhibit at the Bridal Expo. We took their DVD and when we played it we were really impressed. I loved their artsy pictures and the way they captured details of the day. It seems like they have an artist's eye. Here are a few examples of the types of shots that really stand out to me.

The Traditional Group Shots

The Artsy Shots

The Detail Shots

The Juxtaposition Shots

The Venue Is As Pretty As A Bride Shots

The Breath-Taking Shots

The Adorable Children Shots

We will be getting our engagement pictures in the spring. We are going to have them taken down in New Haven when the trees are blooming. We will post the pictures!!

This wedding will be sponsored by EBay.

2008-10-18T13:55:00.004-04:00

For obvious reasons, our vacation to the Outer Banks this year was sponsored by Coppertone. (Can you believe that I had been at the beach for two weeks when this picture was taken?!) It is seeming more and more plausible that you could say our wedding is sponsored by EBay. We have been getting amazing deals!

It all started when I got my Cannondale off of EBay. It was a great investment of my tax return. We were able to get a $2,000+ bike for $1,100. Being a Scottish girl who was raised to always pinch and save her money, it seemed like a golden ray from heaven shone down on my computer and choirs of angels burst out in spontanious song. I had found my Mecca.

The bike came and it was in impeccable condition. Not only had EBay hooked us up with a great deal, but the product was also top knotch.

We received an engagement gift from my godparents, Linda and Bob. They instructed us that they would like us to buy something that we would keep in our future home and would remind us of them. Chris and I talked and talked about what we could buy and decided we would like to get our cake knife and server with the money. We planned on getting nice ones that we would pull out for our birthdays and special occasions. Some people never use theirs again, but we really plan on it! So, one day, Chris and I went to Macy's and looked at their selection. I would have been happy with almost anything that Chris picked out as long as it didn't have hearts or anything cheesy on the handles. So, what did we decide? We chose the Waterford Crystal Lismore cake knife and server. Then we saw the price tag. They ran for $150. Each. I could not justify spending that much money. So, we turned to EBay for help. Ahhhhhh!!! (choirs of angels) We paid $132.50 for the set.

Chris and I decided that we would like to incorporate our nationalities into the wedding. Chris's Grandma Ritacco says she will be baking Italian cookies like she did for Tim and Dannerys's wedding. Chris flirted with the idea of having the groomsmen wear kilts for Chris's Irish and my Scottish heritage. We might still have a bagpiper for that. When it came to Chris's Swedish heritage, we decided on a vintage post mailbox. We found them online for $75 and ended up landing ours for much cheaper. We got ours in red. We think it will be a nice addition to our woodsy theme as a card holder.

We will go more in depth about this later, but we also purchased our paper flowers off of EBay! We had bought our first dozen off of Martha Stewart's website, but then found them for more than 50% of the selling price there! Can you believe that these flowers are made from paper? We have made one mock bouquet and it is awesome.

Thanks EBay!

It's Like the Travelocity Gnome

2008-09-28T19:23:00.005-04:00

When we were first engaged, someone asked me if I would be showing off my ring in every picture from now on. As if that was a BAD thing?! My retort was that I only had these engagement days once in my life, so you bet I would! This post in tribute to the excitement of being engaged and knowing you have the right guy.

In which my ring tries to be domestic:

Hmmm doesn't that look good!

In which my ring tries to make healthy choices:

Hmm... I am not allergic to pears!

In which my ring becomes another driving distraction:

Don't worry, Mom. I am sure 55 was the speed limit!

In which my ring goes to work:

Thank God my school doesn't block the Wedding Bee!

In which my ring is contemplative:

Sage green? Clover green? Hunter green?

Nearly 9 months to go!! As my friend Jamie says, "I am having a baby and the baby is my wedding!"

Got Wood?!

2008-09-23T19:45:00.010-04:00

I actually fell in love a year and a month before I met Chris. Luckily, Chris is very understanding and has been a real sport. It all started back in 2006 when I visited my cousins during my April vacation. I arrived in San Francisco and quickly found my kindred spirit, my cousin Neil. It's not what you are thinking. He's not the one I fell in love with. Neil was the best host. He took time off from work and showed me around his part of the world. I had a wonderful time seeing the town and painting it red with his friend Kris.

We also visited my Uncle Alan and his lady friend, Valerie. I was doted on. They truly knew how to make me feel special.

We also visited my cousin Craig. Again, no, he's not the one I fell in love with... but you're close. Craig lives on Bass Lake which is close to the southern entrance for Yosemite. He helps take care of a cabin that is right on the lake. It was gorgeous. The cabin is nestled in a forest of sky scraping redwoods. It is truly my "happy place". One day, we went to Yosemite to see the big trees. It was incredible. I could not believe how massive these trees were. Part of the park was closed so we had to hike up to where the trees are. It was funny since we had laid out on the docks that morning and got sunburned. I was radiating! The further we climbed, the more snow and run-off there was. Yes, those are my cousins in shorts! When we started on or way down, I spied something in the woods that made my heart leap.

IT WAS...manzanita!! I just loved these trees. I have never seen anything like them! I love the green leaves and the twisty red wood.
Oooo.... look, the leaves are a sage/clover green!When I returned to California in February, it dawned on me. I could have both of my loves on my wedding day! I went on a search for branches. I stumbled upon Nettleton Hollow. This is an online shop that sells branches, flowers, and other materials for crafting. We loved this arrangement that they showed featuring their branches. We purchased branches and are in the process of making our own arrangements. (More on this later!)

Isn't this pretty!?! Chris says it isn't cheating. ;-)

Since our reception hall has a rustic feel to it and we both aren't huge fans of flowers, we are incorporating more and more of the "manzanitia feel" into our day. It took a while for it all to make sense to my mom. At first she was thinking I was a bit morbid wanting sticks instead of flowers. I think she gets it now!!

Invitations: Willow (not the movie staring the little person.)

2008-09-22T13:28:00.010-04:00

When we started budgeting for the wedding, one category we thought we'd cut back in is stationary. Who keeps all those save the dates, initiations, reception cards, place cards, thank you cards, you are welcome cards, etc? Besides me, of course. I had looked at a number of magazines when Allison was getting married and I thought I liked the simple cards with a border around them.

Chris and I looked at The American Wedding stationary, first. (www.theamericanwedding.com) We ordered several free samples and decided on the "Perfect Pastel" invitation. In the picture the one that looks blue is actually a sage green. It had the border I had mentioned and the price was right. We checked that off our "to do" list.

THEN... thanks to my obsession with every website to do with weddings, I stumbled upon Minted.com. This website specializes in high quality, designer invitations. Chris was psyched because the website was totally designed with the tech savy man in mind. It has a search engine with check boxes that will search their offerings to meet your specifications. He was quite impressed. In further investigation, we found a few invitations that had the woodsy/manzanita theme (more on that later!) that we are going for. We ordered the samples and we were more than pleasantly surprised when they arrived. We had to pay $7 a sample, highway robbery! NOT! The payment is a credit to our final purchase; score us.
It's all about presentation! As you can see, the samples came in a clear envelope that was tied with a green ribbon. Inside, along with the samples, was a note from Rick K. who had packaged and shipped the order. These samples/invitations do not even compare to the ones from The American Wedding, sorry! Chris and I quickly fell in love with the Willow design by Cat Seto.
Here the invitation is pictured with the all of the accent colors in teal. Our invitations will be printed with the teal replaced with sage. What you might not be able to see is that on some of the sporatic branches there are little Swarovski crystals in the accent color, bling bling! The branches are twisty and have flowers which mimic our quasi-rustic decor. The paper is a heavy card stock. Quality. Unfortunately, quality means money. (sad face) To keep the cost down, we are going to print the RSVP and reception cards ourselves. Thank the technology gods for high quality scanners and Illustrator!!

Pamma Lamma

2008-09-11T14:22:00.007-04:00

"Tim, its a girrrl...." I said not so enthusiastically upon a phone call from my mom telling me my newest sibling was a bouncing baby girl named Pamela. I still remember that Day, not so much the conversation. I remember everyday when my sister's due date was approaching, I'd wake up and run to my parents bedroom, albeit I had to run 3 feet, to see if mom and dad were still there. One day, a surprise, it was Gramma Delena sleeping in my parents bed. I was excited because I knew what that meant.

I have had different levels of closeness with Pammy over the years. She's 7 or so years younger then myself. She was always the quiet one, but I think she used to get Tim into quite a bit of trouble. Its always the quiet ones fault.

I would go to all her cheering competitions, and I have to say I miss them. They were always a lot of fun, so much energy and enthusiasm. It was quite a proud moment when she competed at the Fleet Center for the state championship, I know I've never gotten that far with any team I've been on. That's a day I won't soon forget! Go Raiders!

We got real close the year I spent driving her to Notre Dame on a daily basis her sophomore year. This was when I realized that my sister was no longer the quiet one. You couldn't get her to say anything in the morning, contrary to myself, I am a morning person. But when I picked her up at the end of the day, she would start talking, and not stop until she got into the house. OMG. I taught her to drive essentially, in my 8 month old car. Her first experience was pulling out of Friendly's at the bottom of airport hill. OMG, I didn't almost die, but it wasn't the most pleasant experience. From there, she got a lot better. Unfortunately, I left the year after that, to do this grad school thing, way overrated by the way!!

Things have been up and down since then, she started at UNH and we would have dinner weekly, and I'd hear all about everything, because again, Pam can TALK. Sometimes, I wonder what happened to my little sister. The smallest cutest little girl I've ever known. She's grown up, and a junior in college. It makes me feel old, but it makes me really glad to know we are such good friends at heart and as we grow up and start families, I know our children, well, Pam's 329089 kids, and my 2 or 3, will be the greatest of cousins and friends.

I leave you with a little song:

From "We Go Together"
Pa-ma la-ma la-ma ka ding a da ding de dong
:0)

27 Dresses. Nah! How about 2?

2008-09-07T18:21:00.012-04:00

To be completely honest, I had an idea of what I wanted for bridesmaid dresses well before Chris proposed. I came across this fantastic dress on the David's Bridal website. The dress didn't come in green, however. When I looked after Chris proposed, I was pleasantly surprised that it had been added in "clover" green. Kimberly, Katherine and I went to the store and they tried on the dress. They liked the dress so it was an "all systems go". We didn't put any orders in just yet (THANKFULLY!). One morning, I went online before work and clicked on the website that had this dress on it. It led me to a page that said the dress had been discontinued. You would think that the people at David's Bridal would have called to let me know that!! Erase that check mark. My search was back on.

Disheartened by the lack of customer service at David's Bridal, I went online in search of a popular designer that is carried in bridal boutiques. I came across Alfred Angelo. This designer is a popular one whose designs seem to be carried in most boutiques around the country. Since the majority of my bridesmaids are scattered around, this was very important. I liked a number of the dresses and picked out two that were similar to my "vision". Their line of dresses come in a very large array of colors. They also had a "clover" green! Brittany was the first to venture out to try on the dresses. The dress that Katherine, Kim, and Heather (pictured in the left) had liked from the picture proved to produce a "nay" by Brittany. The second dress (in the blue) proved to be a winner. She likes how it looks on her and thinks it will be the most flattering on all of my beautiful girls.

Since Allison is my matron of honor, I would like her to stand out among the bridesmaids. To me, this means a different dress entirely. I made an appointment to look at dresses with Allison this past spring. Allison currently is pregnant and will have a little girl in December. She wanted to go dress shopping before she had too big of a belly!! Allison was beyond patient with me. We tried on a number of dresses and made very little progress in choosing a dress for her! Here are some of the dresses she tried on. With a trained eye you could see a little bit of a belly bump!!!

Here are the rules. I really liked the blue dress that Brittany was wearing. I wanted to find a different dress for Allison that was similar but would be different enough that it would be clear that she was my matron of honor. Allison doesn't like to be in the spotlight. She nixed having a different colored dress of the same style. She felt that would be too much. We really needed to find a dress that complimented the bridesmaids dress. I also wanted to find one that Allison felt comfortable in. This means I didn't want her to be self conscious OR physically uncomfortable. Ideally, I think she'd like a dress that has straps. Her little girl will only be 6 months old and will probably be breastfed. So, what did I do first? I pulled a dress that didn't look anything like the bridesmaid dress and was strapless!! Woops...

The Bowtie For Your Belly Dress: I pulled this dress because I really liked the train in the back. The back is just so pretty. However, most of the pictures would be taken from the front. The bowtie was bizarre. It was a shame Allison didn't have more of a pregnant belly at this point because it would have looked hilarious. Although Allison will most likely be back down to her regular size by the time of the wedding, we decided the bow would draw the eye to her stomach. This might make her a little self-conscious. The Two Piece Fit for a Blimp: Ok, so after she indulged me with that bowtie dress, I got back on task and looked for a dress that would be similar to the bridesmaid's one. I pulled this two piece dress because it had the same diagonal lines that the rouching in the bridesmaid dress had. This was the funniest to try on! The skirt was a size 28. It could probably wrapped around Allison's itty bitty body 3 times. We decided we didn't like the look of the separates. This dress really looked like it was two pieces. I think it seems less like a formal dress and more of a matching top and skirt.
In this one, the Employee played along... So, one thing was decided, we like the dress that Brittany liked. We tried to find a dress that was similar. We pulled this peach dress. The girl that was helping us offered to try it on. Talk about going the mile for customer service! Although the peach dress had spaghetti straps, I really didn't like it as much as I liked the one on Allison. I was pretty sure that was the best one I could find that complimented the dress. Although I really didn't like it, thoughts of putting the bridesmaids in the peach dress popped to mind. Thank goddness I went hom eand searched online.

Here is the one Allison will (most likely) wear: I found this dress. It is pictured in the "clover" green. It has thick straps and rouching like the bridesmaid dress. I also like the sparkly details. I think this dress did everthing we were asking it to do.

We set an appointment for all of the bridesmaids order their dresses on November 23rd. The appointment is at 1:00. I figure, if they could swing it, the local bridesmaids will come and those out of town can order over the phone. They will get a discount if the order is in that day. They will have to get their measurements from another bridal boutique... or do it themselves. Allison and I are pleased!

The Best Man

2008-08-27T13:53:00.002-04:00

So, one day mom brought home a baby from the Hospital. His name is Tim and he's my brother. We've grown up together, and done essentially the same things with me doing most of them first. Although, once we hit college, we went two different paths. My brother; got married first, got a job first, got a real apartment first. I, however, am still in school, with a fake apartment and a (an absolutely wonderful!) fiancee. It's weird that how that happens.

Most of the memories I have of Tim are in East Brookfield, and the first I remember we had just moved in, and we were 1 and 5 or so. There was a nice glass pane at eye level, and I had locked Tim out of the house, who knows why, and he was putting his face to the glass, and i was hitting it. Yeah, it broke, thankfully, he didn't really get hurt, a small cut and that's about it. Our poor mother. :0)

We've always been close, sharing a room not much bigger then a cubicle for many years. Sleeping on bunk beds until Tim went to high school and I went off to college. But Tim could have stayed on the top bunk without a problem even at that point, it wasn't until his junior year that he grew taller then me! With the addition to old house, we still shared a room, but were further apart then we had usually been, but still close enough for Tim to talk me to sleep at night. Tim is night owl, and I am not. So, he would stay up, and talk to me, and stop talking once he was sure I was asleep.

When it came time to choose a best man. There was no doubt it would be my brother. I'd like to thank him for being my best friend for all these years. I can't wait to move onto the next phase our lives at the same time.

By the way, I love this picture. I mean really, its a NERF gun and its totally unnecessary. HAHA!

How we became flower haters...

2008-08-21T08:10:00.003-04:00

The week (maybe even weekend!) after we were engaged, my mom was up the street at this local sugar house buying maple sugar. Now, my mom can talk... and one thing led to another and she told the daughter of the store's owners that I was getting married. The daughter, Jessica, just so happens to have a florist business. She told my mom to have us check out her site and request information. Chris and I had just gone to a bridal fair, and had BAGS full of information so we figured what was the harm in one more email or pamphlet.

Big mistake.

So, I filled out the online form and stated that we had just become engaged and we were in the early planning phases. The next thing I knew, my inbox was flooded with emails from Jessica suggesting different venues to hold our wedding/reception. It was really overwhelming. It wasn't like we were completely computer illiterate and couldn't find the websites for these venues on our own. Instead of being annoyed, I tried to be positive and was grateful that she had taken an interest in our wedding and had seemed really neighborly. Well, then she prodded some more and insisted we meet the following weekend. At this point, Chris and I were under the false impression that her flowers were artificial. We liked the idea that the flowers could be re-used and therefore not a wasted expense and would be "green".

Jessica made our heads spin. It was something out of the Exorcist movie. We told her that we were not the typical couple whose mommy and daddy were footing the bill for their wedding. We were looking for simple and understated. She scoffed at my idea of using daisies. She said it was cheap. She told us that the average bride spends $3,000 on their flowers. To this sentiment, we chuckled and said that was beyond our spending limit. When we told her that we were paying for the wedding, she laughed and said that's what her parents said. She said that in the end, they gave her $8,000. Not going to happen here!

Jessica was beyond pushy. She turned to me and had the audacity to say, "You aren't going to be one of those brides that tells me what flowers to use. Are you?" She spoke as if it was insane for a bride to have a say in the one day of their lives that they scrutinized and dreamed about since childhood. She went to town and we nodded and smiled. The next thing I knew, she had picked purple as our flowers' color (ICK!! BARNEY here we come!) She told us we'd have buckets of flowers on the pews, a purple flowered trellis and arrangements on every table. It was if she was trying to show us that our "simple and understated" was nothing compared to what she could do for us. At the end of this incredibly awkward meeting, Jessica made a tally of several numbers (not telling us where she was getting her figures or what each figure correlated to) and gave us the quote of $4,400 for our wedding flowers. With this news, we scurried out of the shed (did I mention she does her dealings in this child sized playhouse/shed!?) and never looked back.

So, even 9 months later, this area remains to be the one part of our wedding planning we dread. We really feel that the flowers are a huge waste of money. We feel people spend too much money on things that aren't even reusable. We would much rather put our money towards a cause that both Chris and I are passionate about. Don't be surprised if our bridesmaids are empty handed and a check is made out to cancer research!

P.S. We don't like you, Jessica.

The Big Day:

2008-08-18T16:56:00.000-04:00

We will take a break from introducing our wedding party and tell you a little about the big day. (Chris, this is your cue to start writing up the blogs for your people!)

There was actually a lot of thought that went into the choosing of our wedding date. At first, we had thought that June 27th would be a great date. We quickly scrapped that when we realized that with snow days, who knows when I will be out of school. I didn't want to be running around worrying about wrapping up the school year and preparing for our wedding! Independence Day weekend is the following weekend. Although the fireworks would be PERFECT especially with the fact that Chris proposed under the fireworks, but we were afraid people would be unable to come. We chose to get married on the Friday instead of the Saturday because our reception venue gave us roughly $35 off each person to have it on the Friday instead. So, there you have it. Friday, July 10th, 2009.

The ChurchWe chose to get married at my church, Memorial United Methodist Church. Chris has been attending the church with me and although it's not Catholic, he says he has been fairly comfortable there. "If only there was less music," he says. That is the precise reason why my family GOES to this church! I am not the hugest fan of the architecture, but it will do!

The Venue
We went and visited several places before we chose the perfect place to have our reception. Here are a few that are NOT our venue:

Pavilion on Crystal Lake: Middletown, CT- This is the first place we went to look at. It was pretty on the outside. There was a whole beach section right on the lake. The inside was too 1970's wood paneling for me. There also was this out of place red bandstand type stage. All of the curtains matched the velvet of the bandstand. It just seemed very dreary and outdated. However, the woman that met with us was very kind and accommodating.

(I am attaching the nice pictures that the venues provide on their websites. It wasn't this nice!)

Nutmeg Inn: East Windsor, CT- Wow, the lady at this facility wanted nothing to do with us. She showed us the room and then sent us out. The place was nice but the facility wouldn't hold everyone. We would have to rent the entire place or there would be a functioning restaurant steps away. We also didn't like the low ceilings. It did have a very nice chandelier over the TINY dance floor. The biggest downside was when we exited the place (five minutes after entering it!) there was a big, trashy trailer park across the street. I didn't even know there was one in Connecticut! All this time I said there weren't any trailer parks in CT... I take it back.

The Glastonbury Hills Country Club: Glastonbury, CT- I think this place could be summed up simply with the exclamation, "holy partition walls!" Where you see the ceiling dip... that was tracked for partition walls. It was literally a large room that was sectioned off at least 6 times. The picture window was a draw for us. We had thought it would be lovely... but do you see that white stream of material? That is covering the partition wall pocket. The view from the window left much to be desired, too. I figured flowers or manicured lawns. Not so much. We were also limited to a tiny section of grass next to a gazebo to take pictures in. Our 16-19 person bridal party was NOT going to fit! Also, they left us to look at photo albums of weddings that took place there. Each picture screamed 1980's. Although I LOVE the '80s... it seemed a little odd.

Farmington Club: Farmington, CT- This almost was our reception site. We loved the grounds and the look of the place. There were a lot of cute outdoor spots for photos. There also was chiavari chairs which I had learned from weddingbee.com was something I should like. However, due to our size (under 200 people) we would be designated to the small clubhouse. I hated paying the same price for everything and having a less impressive setting. It was right next to a pool and this pavilion where they hold local picnics.The main building is spectacular. Unfortunately, I kept thinking that booking there would scream "YOUR wedding=big wedding, MY wedding=little wedding." We would be in that smaller clubhouse, wishing we were in the big building. We want to be the main event. Selfish?! Plus, another wedding would be going on at the same time. Despite, all of this we were ready to book the place if they were willing to meet our "demands". Chris emailed the woman we met with and asked her if we could have the larger building if we paid for the difference in some enhancements. For instance, we would need to make up $2000 in guests we didn't have, so we'd request ice sculptures, special food display, or something ridiculous like that. They were not willing to do that. At this point, we were pretty sure the wedding industry was rigid and we were resigned to be a good little couple and take it.

OUR RECEPTION VENUE
The Heritage Hotel: Southbury, CT- A while back, my brother's friend got married at the then Heritage Inn. I had gone to babysit. The baby and I watched the ceremony and then spent the rest of the evening exploring the hotel. It struck me as a really nice place. I always had it in my mind that I would like a wedding like that. So, when we were looking at venues I put the Heritage Hotel on the list even though the online site and information packet left a lot to be desired. Chris and I set up an appointment to meet with the wedding coordinators after work one evening. Although it was a bit of a drive from our church, it was a straight shot off the highway. We thought that was good. When we met with Jade and Jennifer, they were really down to earth and eager to make our day the one we had envisioned. They gave us a tour of the facility which included two banquet rooms (each with their own private room for their cocktail hour), beautiful stone patios that adjoin the rooms and the cafe that we would have a brunch in. There is also a private bar that has billiards. Chris was excited about that! He also liked that the hotel was part of a country club, so there is golf and other sporty opportunities if he so chooses to spend the day with his groomsmen before the wedding. We went to a room where they showed us a mock up of the place settings and arrangements. We couldn't have been happier with the reception of Jade and Jennifer. For instance, they offered us water. They told us they would give us 2007 food prices. (Little did we know then that gas prices would skyrocket!) They scoffed at such things like "cake cutting fees", having to pay extra for an additional bartender. and our guest list size dictating which room we could book. AND as we were leaving, they gave me a manicure set from their spa! Oh, how we loved the Heritage Hotel. We went home and Chris started conferring with Jennifer. She tailor made a package that included things that we would have otherwise paid extra for. Things such as covered banquet chairs are deemed a necessity but will add up.

Our big decision was not if we would go with the Heritage, but which banquet room would we choose. I liked the look of the Garden Room because it opened up to a large courtyard. That is where the wedding I had seen took place. One downside was that it was open to any passers-by. The ceilings were also pretty blah. I don't know why, but Chris and I are really conscience about the ceilings.
Our other choice was the Eight Mile Brook room. In looking at it, it was a bit more rustic than I had envisioned. They assured us that they were undergoing a renovation. They showed us swatches of the new carpet and what the new dance floor would look like. Chris really liked the room! For our wedding, they will line the room with votive candles and put candles in the large fireplace that is at the foot of the stairs. Oh, and there are great stairs for us to trip down on our great entrance. Did I say that?! The ceilings are cathedral ceilings complete with rustic beams. We feel there is a big difference between the wood on these walls and the wood paneling on the walls at the Pavilion on Crystal Lake. This wood looks rustic, not outdated. Here are pictures of what we saw and what it looks after the renovation!

BEFORE:Can't you see why banquet chairs were a necessity?! I could also do without all of the potted plants. Ick!!

AFTER:

We were really excited to see this. It was what Chris had pictured when we visited. I really like the stark contrast between the wood and the white. The off-white chair sash goes with our colors. It will look pretty much like this (minus the flower arrangements) for our big day.

Here is a picture of the hotel's pub: Shadrach's. It is open until 2AM and has free billiards.

Since the reception is roughly 45-50 minutes away and most of our guests are from out of state to begin with, we have blocked off rooms to spend the night. The hotel rooms are expected to be close to $200 a night but we were given the price of $130. A bit pricey, but when we called around for alternatives, the hotels were comparable. The hotel rooms are pretty. Their claim to fame is that each room has Starbucks coffee and Bath and Body Works products.

We are really looking forward to July 10, 2009!

Groomsmen: Scott & Colin

2008-07-17T18:44:00.001-04:00

As I did with Katherine and Kimberly, I will be doing a dual post for my brothers, Scott and Colin. I know, I know... they deserve their own posts, but I am running out of summer!

Scott is my older brother. He is Tisha's husband and Braeden's papa. He is a special education and theatre arts teacher in Tyler Consolidated High School in Tyler County, West Virginia. He is also very busy as a coach. He coaches both soccer and basketball. He is a true soccer enthusiast. Every time he visits, Chris joins the horde playing FIFA on XBox 360. Scott and I both went to the same college and sang in concert chorale together. Here he is pictured rocking out to Rock Band. Always an entertainer.

Colin will be a freshman in high school this year. Like Scott, he has a quick wit. Colin loves to sports, singing, and (of course) the ladies. He likes to read and is a terrific writer. Who knows what will come of Colin. Perhaps a future collumnist!?!

My brothers are 17 or so years apart, but they have similar sense of humor. It's really scary to see how alike they are. It must be in the genes!

I am really glad that Chris decided to include Scott and Colin as groomsmen. Be prepared to see them whip out their fancy dance moves. Look out world!!

Flower girl: Braeden

2008-07-16T23:23:00.002-04:00

Our flower girl is my niece Braeden. She is currently 2 1/2 years old and residing with her parents, Scott and Tisha, in West Virginia. I just adore this little girl! I don't know how you couldn't! She is the best! She is going to do a terrific job as our flower girl. Here are some pictures of Braeden in all of her glory!

She loves me even when my hair is wet and I have my glasses on!

Here she is at only 2 months old.

Here she is at maybe 10 months?

Of course, here are some adorable bath pictures of Braeden at 11 months old.

The shirt says it all.

Here is the little kangaroo at Halloween.

Braeden loves to make tunnels. Usually they are only girls and dogs allowed, but this time she made an exception for Chris. (She is wearing a princess dress!)

Here she is playing in her pool with her Uncle Colin and Aunt Kim!

I am so lucky to have such a special little girl as my niece and our flower girl. It is so amazing watching her grow up and become a little lady.