The Spiral Journey

I was wrong about the universe not always being out to get you. Sometimes it just tries to prep (tease?) you for a much bigger, steaming pile of crap it's planning to send your way....

Yesterday my mom sent me an e-mail about a florist in New Orleans called Fat Cat Flowers.  I'd actually found them a while back but was 99.8%-Ivory Soap-sure that I couldn't afford them.  I loved their stuff online and I hate to admit it, but I loved their name just as much!!!!!!  Something about "Fat Cat" that made me happy- maybe because that was one of my nicknames for Thumper, my kitty who passed away at the end of March.

Well, the budget said that flowers would be DIY- not that I probably cound't get a florist of some sort to do something, but I know my taste and for the money I had, I know it would take DIY to get what I wanted.  No florist would agree to do what I had in mind for the budget I have.

Well, after talking with my mom, I called up Fat Cat yesterday and made a consultation appointment anyways, more to appease her and to say that I talked to *someone* who is a professional.  She is really worried about the stress doing my own flowers will put on me.  The owner of Fat Cat keeps her calendar online so I know she had no weddings or major events scheduled for August 8th, which I think was in my benefit, as almost every other weekend was "closed" as she had booked it solid.  Her consultation calendar was very full, so the earliest she said she could talk to me was June 17th.  Considering the fact that I didn't expect to book anything with her, waiting a month (and only 50 days from the wedding) didn't bother me that much.  I'd still have time to get my DIY materials if it didn't work out and I wouldn't be ordering my flowers til early July anyways.  And I'm doing my boutonnieres regardless. :)

Well, today, my dad calls me.  My mom was cleaning out her jewlery box looking for a certified copy of their marriage license (I'm not clear why), and they found some bonds that my Meema and Papa bought as a present for me- one each year over the course of 5 years, starting with the year after I was born.  (Papa passed away in 1991, and Meema passed away at the venerable age of 96 in 2007).  Two out of the 5 are mature (all 30-year bonds), one matures in a month, and the last two mature next year and the year following.  They spent about $100 for the 5 bonds- and today they are worth more than $600!!!!!!!!!!!

I feel like Meema and Papa have been planning this in a way, I feel like this is their wedding present to me, completely unexpected, but there is not a single moment in time that I can think of that it is more welcome than now.  Even mom and dad had forgotten until they saw the envelope to me from my grandparents.  My mom cashed them in today for me (even if I waited for the remainder ot mature, it would only be another $30 or so).  I'd like to think this is more than Serendipity.

So... maybe I'll be able to have a florist do some of the flowers after all!  Maybe it was meant that I schedule that consultation yesterday for June 17th.  As excited as I am about DIY, I am also not a fool, and I know having someone professional help out could take a huge load off and give me time to enjoy mysefl with my girls and my family!  I think Meema and Papa would love the idea that they gave me my bouquet, thirty-some odd years later.

I love you Meema and Papa.  I miss you both so much.  Thank you!!  For some reason this feel like you giving me your blessing. :) :) :)

This is a very important day, not related to the wedding, but to someone who is near and dear to me, but I'll let them share the wonderful news later!

I'm very happy that I made myself a schedule- alot of folks thought it was grueling or stressful, but in fact it has helped me organize my time tremendously, and hasn't been stressful at all!

Last weekend, I successfully got my ballroom shoes; found music online for yamguitar , Rivka, and one piece for gypsyariana since she is going to do double duty; ordered my feathers and dried coxcomb, booked some needed hotel rooms, and got my rehearsal dinner invites.  I priced linen rentals and more importantly discovered they don't make chair covers for the style of chairs at the reception place, so scratched that.  I also scratched the rubber stamps too.  Oh, and I purchased wedding insurance!

I did't get to some stuff last weekend that I did this weekend: ordered the fans, mailed the tour deposit, and finally got my registry at Replacements, Ltd, for china and silver (although they don't do online registries- phone only).  I also selected the menu and met with Darci from DG Invites to finalize the invitation design (and then subsequently emailed her b/c I forgot to include the menu choice card, oops).  I also got the feathers and dried coxocomb in.

Since I slacked on ordering the fans I decided to make my test boutonniere this weekend to knock that out, using cheap feathers from Michaels (in case I really messed up), but it came out pretty ok for my first try!  ( Pics and my step-by-step )
I hope to work on the table placement stuff tonight, just an easy first draft, nothing major.  I have my music in mind and should have purchased it already but haven't, so I'll do that tonight.  I have smiths_hammer 's information so will fed-ex that to the parrish tomorrow to ger her registered as an officiant, yea!  Haven't gotten the NoLa packets together, maybe this week. 

The best thing I feel like I've done is come up with a centerpiece idea, and I'm reaching out to Emily, my weekend-of coordinator that my sister hired as my gift to see if I can rent the materials or if purchasing wholesale would be better.  I've redone my thoughts on flowers a bit because the reception room has green wallpaper and dusty rose chairs.  Black & White + Green & Rose aren't the easiest to mix, but I think I may have come up with a way to just work with the room instead of against it, and save money in the long run, yea!  Flowers will definitely be ordered online.

I realized that my wedding rings aren't coming in 3-4 weeks from the order date like I'd thought, apparently the receipt says 4-6 weeks, so they may not come in til mid-June.  Ah-well!  The invites should be ready the last weekend of May, which means my mom may get her dream of helping to address them (and she has MUCH better handwriting than myself) since she will be in town that weekend for my niece's 7th birthday.  (I can't believe she's going to be 7 and is finishing up 1st grade!)

Charles and I are off to ATL next weekend.  Originally we thought he'd have his bachelor party but that's been scrapped.  I think they may try to re-do it in July.  I'm a bit worried to be honest because he'll be off for 2 weeks for the wedding and we're so tight with bills as it is, missing another weekend could really hurt him (since he bartends, that's the best time for earning money).  It will be what it will be, I know!  And we both need this coming weekend off mentally, so I don't want to scrap it altogether, although I may beg Charles not to leave til late Friday so I don't have to take it off from work (and maybe he can pick up a shift).

That's that!

visited 25 states (50%)
Create your own visited map of The United States or Best time to visit Turkey

Crossposted on facebook....

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I went shopping for my veil yesterday.  I really thought about making one- I discovered back when my best friend got married in 2000 that it's super easy to make a basic one, but along with my last post about being semi-DIY- I knew this is one thing that I just didn't have time for.  So I paid for the convenience of having someone else make it!

I really knew what I wanted- I went to a place close to work simply because I could get there during the day, and my sister, mother (who was wrapping up her visit in Charlotte), and my other bridesmaid in Charlotte, Lisa, came along (my sister, Lisa, and I all work within 1 1/2 blocks of each other, and this place was 2 1/2 blocks from my day job). 

I wanted a chapel length, simple veil.  Pretty and flow-y!  I tried it on, and I loved it- just had to decide whether to get an edge or not.  I knew that if I wanted crystals or other decoration I'd do that part myself.  But you know, I'd had a sneaking suspicion in the back of my head about another veil style- one I had pushed away- I didn't want it!- but I knew it would look good, so I tried it out...  the birdcage.

Birdcages are popular all over again and something told me it would look good with the dress, and with the location of the wedding.  And being outdoors, it's true that a nice breeze could have the chapel length tulle veil blowing in the faces of the guests, or the bridesmaids.  hmmm....

Well, guess what I went with?  The gut beat out the heart- I have a pretty, ivory birdcage out of what I think is called French netting, and the bottom edge has the tiniest of crystals along the netting.  Very simple indeed.  I knew even before I picked my veil that I wanted a bold headpiece with feathers, and now I think that will make it look GREAT!  Now all I need are red lips...  I can't find my exact veil online, but here is a pic of what I'd love it to come out like, with maybe the feathers a little farther down on the head, and my hair would be completely up.

... or, at least, as Sandra Lee on Food Network calls it, a "semi-homemade" bride.  Between the two jobs, and with only 3 people (other than myself) living in my city actually being invited to the Wedding Redux, being 100% DIY just isn't in my stars.  Not to mention that DIY doesn't always have to be "cheap."  Martha Stewart DIY, for instance, LOL.

That being said, semi-DIY is my target, to help save money.  Ok, or, maybe a better phrase would be, "to make the most of the budget I have."  Like many women, I have Dom Perignon taste,  but a PBR [in cans] budget (or Miller Lite- whatever is cheaper in your area, LOL).  If I was REALLY in it to save a ton of money, Wedding Redux would have been at the local jail and the reception would have been a barbecue (as in smoked pork) in my backyard.  Ok, the barbecue doesn't sound that bad- it was the original rehearsal dinner plan, actually, along with a crawfish boil.  But the jail, you say?  Why yes- guess what, here in Char-Meck you can't be guaranteed a wedding in the courthouse unless it's Monday or Wednesday.  Maybe Friday's but it's a gamble due to the docket.  The alternate location for nuptial ceremonies for any other day of the week is the jail and just to add to the charm and atmosphere of the location you can only have 2 witnesses there, because of the size.

Ummm.  No.

Ok, so back to the Redux.   Some things were set because of contracts- what it would cost to break a contract was more than moving the item to New Orleans [and yes, the cost of moving to New Orleans still outweighed the physical costs of stuff here in Charlotte, as well as the mental.  Downsizing and then explaining to relatives living in your city why you are having the wedding there but they aren't invited isn't pleasant.  It's alot easier when it's not in the original location].  So, the photographers (Casey Cunningham and his wife Drea) and the cake are coming with us.  Luckily flights are cheap, cheap, cheap to New Orleans in August from Charlotte, so 2 roundtrip tickets and the hotel for the photographers saved us the cost of breaking the contract and rebooking someone else.   The cake, as some of you may know, has it's very own plane seat to ride in, and will be securely fastened by it's very own seatbelt.  I'm betting it won't need the oxygen mask, though.  Sounds awfully "Platinum Weddings" doesn't it?  Except when you realize that my deposit was non-refundable for that cake- and the deposit for the original cake paid-in-full for the entire new, downsized cake.  And while she was willing to give it to us on another date, she couldn't lock it in because we didn't have another date selected [she only does so many cakes a weekend, and September/ October is busy season here- she quite understandably  couldn't block out random chunks of time].  Airline carry-on measurements changed at some point and the box will be 1"- yes, 1"- over carryon.  The airline did not seem keen on having a wedding cake in the cargo hold, I have no idea why, LOLOL.  (Can we say "turbulence?")  Thanks to the magic of rewards points on cards, the cake, which only needed a one way ticket (it's round trip will be in my belly!), got it's own seat!  I promise it will sit happily and quietly- no unnecessary talking from the buttercream passenger while you're trying to nap- although it may waft tempting smells your way.  The cake artist- Lisa from Elizabethan Delights- is going to have it pre-stacked and packed with dry ice.  Yep- as long as it's less than 4.4lbs, dry ice is acceptable to bring in-cabin to preserve perishables.  The fun part will probably be security hand-checking the cake.  I have nightmares of  "Ma'am, I'm afraid we'll have to cut into the cake and taste it to ensure that it's safe for transport in the cabin."  I also have nightmares of TSA not realizing that dry ice is ok to bring- it's not explicitly listed on the TSA site, and instead it falls into a funny category of "other hazardous materials" that the TSA refers to the FAA site.  But I've done my homework- regulation 49 CFR 175.10 (a), #10 permits it, provided that the packaging allows the carbon dioxide to vent, and is not one of those faux-dry-ice gel packs.  So, you know, when the cake starts looking like it's smoking as the dry ice turns back into gas, THEN it's ok, LOLOLOL.  I'm sure that won't alarm any passengers at all.... I should also add that the cake is very graciously being transported by my parents since I'll be leaving too early before the wedding date to take it myself.  All the better to prevent stale cake, my dears!  Just to tempt you all- the two flavors are Key Lime (french vanilla cake with homemade lime curd filling- tastes just like key lime pie) and Cherry-Almond (I'm not usually a fruit girl, but this is awesome almond cake with a filling made of cherries mixed with almond buttercream).

As much as I've always wanted and dreamed of a traditional reception, it's not to be.  That makes me very sad- more sad than I think people realize- but I have to make the most of it.  The one thing that the French Quarter in New Orleans allows is for a sneaky way to modify the traditional reception and create a "wedding crawl" for the budget bride (me!).  Ok, that doesn't sound like what I want it to be- so let's think of it in N'awlins terms- a pseudo-second line.  A second line is that infamous parade you see for weddings and for funerals where people process with music from one location to the next (in weddings, that's ceremony to reception, and in funerals, church to graveside).  I can't actually afford to hire a second-line band, but we're going to turn the wedding into one big procession.  The ceremony is in Jackson Square, in the beautiful green grounds just in front of St. Louis Cathedral, and then we'll process for cocktails- Pat O'Brien's, home of the hurricanes!  Then we'll process to dinner at a wonderful, old Creole-style restaurant, along with cake and the three traditional dances.  From there, the goal (although admittedly this has to be arranged still) to a jazz club for dancing.  The after party, if there's time, will be at an awesome karaoke bar.  See?  I took advantage of what the city has to offer that is unique, and saved a bunch of money in the process.  [And for the rehearsal too- dinner at an oyster bar restaurant then we've arranged for a Quarter walking tour for all the guests.]  I am telling myself [over and over and over] that this wedding will be the Big Easy in the Big Easy.

So where's the semi-homemade part?  Well, mostly that's in the decor.  We're still trying to decide if we will HAVE any decor- the French Quarter really ought to be more than enough, LOL, but there's that Dom Perignon taste again, and I'd love to have something in my hands as I walk down the aisle, and something on the tables at the restaurant. (I checked with them- nothing exciting that I can borrow except for your basic votive).  So even though people are telling me I'm nuts, I am almost 100% sure I'll be ordering my flowers online and having them shipped to the hotel.  I'm going to make the boutonnieres ahead of time out of dried or non-perishable materials and bring them with me.  I'm going to make up my own menus and programs and place cards- yes, we're still having place cards!  Don't forget I wanted a formal wedding originally and I'm still aiming for it.  In a Big Easy sort of way (is that an oxymoron- Big Easy formal?).  I'm even thinking of making my own hair piece.  And I have a ton more to say on these subjects- the original reason I started this post, LOL... but it's time to get to a meeting.  Ack!  I'll pick up more later on these subjects.

Not much of a cliffhanger for a post, I'll do better next time, LOL.

Ok, this post actually should have come before the one I just did on the bachelorette Party, but that's ok, at least it's going up!

Alot of people said "you should have videoed it." The answer is- I DID! LOLOL. I still need to get it off tape on onto my computer but I am working on it, LOL.


( Here's the story... )

 
Ok, so I've been meaning to update everyone on the awesome party that supergoober and gypsyariana threw for me, with the help of whyvette ! This is actually the second time I’m writing this, because LJ ate the first version, ARRGHHH! So I know it's not as long or detailed as the first time around... but I'm scared LJ will eat it again, so I want to just post it, lol.

The "bachelorette" party was thrown in Atlanta, and supergoober and gypsyariana organized it about a week before the Running of the brides! We were originally thinking it should be on Memorial Day weekend when C. and I would both be down in Atlanta, but after some thought, Supergoober realized that with Mini-goober on the way, the earlier the better. Coming to the Running of the Brides was a perfect opportunity, especially as my mom and sister would both be in town with me. She and Gypsyariana were galvanized into action and not only got the invites out, but made all the reservations. I am still amazed!!! I couldn't believe they did it.

It was really simple- in the way that a single orchid blossom is simple [and yet stunning] - which was perfect because I was running on 2 hours of sleep (on the sidewalk) the night before! LOLOL. We went to have Thai food at the Thai Chili, one of my favorite restaurants in Atlanta/ Decatur, and they rented the party room for it. This was awesome, because the setup is such that you take you shoes off as you enter the room, and it looks like you will sit at a traditional low, Thai-style table. But, they are so sneaky and they know we western folk aren't quite so nimble- under the table they've opened up the platform so you have a place to put your feet! The room had two tables and I had fun playing musical tables to visit with everyone, because it is always far too long in between visits! Besides supergoober , gypsyariana , whyvette, my mom, and my sister, apersonalchef , scarletravynn , elliedee , and smiths_hammer (who is pulling double duty as friend and officiant) attended (and the beautiful Rivka joined us later after her show). I love Thai food and of course the panang curry I had was spectacular. YUM! I was adorned as any pretty, pretty bride should be- with a laser flashing "bride-to-be" button and a spectacular 1980's veil and headpiece (courtesy of whyvette). It was awesome!!!! I am not, unless I am in my dance persona, a very flashy person. I don't wear much make-up, and my clothing is pretty plain. Inside I have a laser-blinky part of me that is dying to come out, but is generally too shy. I really WANTED to be the center of attention, LOL, and it was so much fun to have other people put me in that position. I can't exactly explain it, but it was perfect!


After dinner we reconvened at my hotel for dessert (and I know they all love me because the hotel was in Buckhead!!). This is when Rivka joined us too! There was a henna artist- Bindu- that they had brought in to do mehndi on my hands, as any good Indian or Arabic bride would have done. I LOVED this!!!!!!! I was so happy that other people also chose to have henna done too. Bindu was amazing and I could not believe how fast she was able to do such amazing patterns. They had a Disney Princess cake (Cinderella b/c they said the grocery store didn't do penis cakes, LOLOLOL) and it was CARROT CAKE. MMMMMMMMMMMMMM. It was really, really good cake too! What's so funny is that the cake was supposed to say "Don't I look innocent?" but the cake person made a teensy error and wrote:

Hee hee hee!!!!!

Whyvette also set up a bar and made cosmos for us all too- YUMMY. They even had matching napkins and plates in black and hot pink, I love it. I just can't say enough how much this all meant to me, because I am just not into drunken bars, and after having to scrap my first wedding plans and downsize for New Orleans, I had also scrapped all hopes of Bachelorette Parties or Bridal Showers in any city (especially with such a long engagement). I don’t know if they realized that! Everyone went to such trouble to put together an event that was perfect for me- and also perfect for the fact that I was running on pure adrenaline after the Running of the brides! And on such short notice... I was and still am floored. THANK YOU EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Especially Supergoober and Gypsyariana- you all are rockin’ bridesmaids!

Now, I suck, because I still have thank you notes that I have written and I need to get into the mail, and I promise that will happen asap! I am a bad bride, LOL. :) :) :)

Oh yeah- Happy St. Patty's Day!

Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I am so excited for you and Jeff!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wanted to let you know I am thinking of you and Jeff and your safety (and your house) as Ike swings your way.

Please take care of yourselves!!!!!

Big, fierce hugs!!!!

Yea, my first meme in years, from gypsyariana</lj> and supergoober</lj> ...
( Husband (to be) meme... )

... begins tonight.  I had to post this for SuperGoober b/c she is another wedding lover!

Tonight:  Lisa's Rehersal Dinner luau!
Tomorrow:  Lisa and Steve get married!  (Charlotte, NC)

Next Friday (9/21)- Beck and Wade's Rehearsal and rehearsal Dinner!
Next Sat, 9/22:  Beck and Wade get Married!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  (I'm a bridesmaid!) (Atlanta, GA)

Friday 9/28: Stacey and Justin's Rehearsal  and Rehearsal Dinner
Sat 9/29:  Justin and Stacey get married!!!!  (Chaz sings at the wedding!) (Whittier, NC)

then a week's break just for a dance workshop...

October 13- Shadow and Jason get married!!!!!!!!!!  (Atlanta, GA)...


**girlie squeals***

Moon Sister O' Mine- wanted to post this to you but worried it would get lost in your Con post-

I am SO sad i didn't get to go to Con this year!  Next year I'm doing it.  So there.  And you are SO amazingly gorgeous and glowing and sexy and drop-dead beautiful- inside and out- and girl, I totally know what you mean about feeling like the wallflower and standing around while people want pictures of Jack, because I feel like that most of the time in the dance community- I stand around hoping i did an OK job while people fawn over a few of the other dancers.  I say next year we go take Con by storm and be our sexy selves!  In whatever costumes we so desire ;)  [And I am working on just being the best dancer i can be, to heck with whether people say "good job" or not- but i think we Cancer women like to have our moment in the sun too, we are usually in our shell!]

Much love to you, I can not WAIT to see you in 2 weeks and 1 day, and wedding in 16 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  What time do I need to be in ATL for the rehearsal on Friday???

I am thinking about you every day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!