And I thought rain was bad

Most brides worry about rain on their wedding day or the florist not showing up. Lucky for me, I don't fear a military coup on my wedding day like happened to this bride. I don't think I would have reacted the way she did. Panic would have definitely set in.

For the article, click here.

Shopping, shopping, shopping

Not holiday shopping but home shopping. When B is over, sometimes he will make a comment such as "If I am going to live here we need to [change something about my apartment]". So as I start to buy things for my apartment, I take his comments into consideration. Also, it gives me an excuse to buy things. Recently I have purchased a new garbage can (because of his complaints about how the garbage bags don't stay in place with the old one) and utensil dividers for the make shift utensil drawer. However, the biggest purchase is about to happen.

Drumroll, please...

A portable dishwasher. B hates doing the dishes and hates that I let the glasses pile up in the sink. So we have decided and by we I mean me, to look on Craigslist and find one. And I believe this weekend, we will bring home the newest addition to our family. The added bonus is additional counterspace for my oddly shaped, yet quite large kitchen. Since this is not a small purchase (not really a large one), this may be our christmas gift to each other. Tres romantic!

First Wedding Nightmare

So I had my first nightmare related to the wedding.

It started out harmless. A bunch of us were going swimming in the ocean the morning of the wedding (a la Little Rhody's Block Island fete). And I ran out of the water and realized that my engagement ring was missing (analysis: I am worried that I will lose my ring since it is getting too big for my ring finger). Luckily I find it. Then all of a sudden I am dressed and the wedding is going to be starting in a little bit. B is out getting pictures with the male attendants and I am hiding from him. I realize that we do not have wedding rings and I call him. He answers the phone in a sarcastic manner and I start telling him that we have no rings and he needs to get some. I suggest he go to a jeweler and just buy two plain bands and we will re-size them later - we just need something for the priest to bless. He says that no jeweler does this and that he thought we forgot about the rings but he didn't think to tell me. It is at this point that I begin to yell at him and find myself actually yelling (more like mumbling but still) and I woke myself up. I went downstairs, went to the bathroom (my mother told me that bad dreams were our minds way of trying wake us up because we had to go to the bathroom) and got a glass of water. I fell back to sleep after about 15 minutes.

I want to go out this weekend and buy rings so I am sure that we have them for the ceremony. But I won't.

Some more pictures of the reception site

I had pulled together some pictures I found on flickr.com of other weddings at the Picnic House for B to send to his mom and I thought I would share them with my adoring fans as well.

So here are some interior shots to give you a better sense of what the reception will be like.


I like the random high tables set around the other tables. I think I may "borrow" this idea. It will give people a place to hang out during the cocktail hour (since it is all the same space) and during the reception people can lean their drinks on them while talking to old friends.


I like the chinese lanterns hanging but I doubt we will have those. I also like how this picture shows you the low lighting as opposed to the site fully illuminated with all the lights on.



Fully illuminated.

The centerpiece that could have been

Continuing from the post about the martini glass centerpiece that was ripped from hands, B and I were joking about getting oversized glasses for the centerpieces. And then one day while walking through the Christmas Tree Shop in Somerville, we happened upon this beautious modern day gem:

We thought (jokingly) about having them on the tables as centerpieces or better yet, as the actual wine glasses. Imagine us, the lovely couple, gulping out of these suckers after each toast. It would be a great time for all I am sure.

Interesting article

According to two Boston-area sociologists, marriage makes you greedy and isolated. However, once you have kids, the playing field is level so that is good. I don't know how much I buy into some of the theories - such as the effects of no longer fulfilling a role like husband or wife. But you can decide for yourself (For the full article in the Boston Globe, click here.)

First Dance

Don't worry we will not be doing this dance!

Click here to see the video (sent to me by Alett - maybe she will do the dance?).

The centerpiece that could have been

Everyone admires and comments on centerpieces at a wedding. One time at a wedding of a childhood friend, I won the centerpiece (I never win anything). The prize was an oversized martini glass with glass beads and a beta fish. The kid next to me was taking the fish home so B and I fished the fish (intended to say that) out of the glass and he went to a very nice home I am sure. We then carried the martini glass out to the garden (it was very heavy with all the water and glass beads) and poured out the water without losing any glass beads.

Upon returning to the reception room, we placed what remained of the centerpiece on the table and continued dancing. During the last dance, Mrs. D (the bride's mom) walked by the table and took the now almost empty martini glass and put it on her table. B and I were stunned and couldn't do anything. Not only was it Mrs. D who I had known forever but it was also the bride's mom. So that became the centerpiece gift that never was. I imagined sitting at home on my couch, drinking out of the oversized glass as my then roommate came home and hopefully looked at me amused. I still think about what my life would be now had I gotten to take the martini glass home.

Christmas Bows

I have never been able to tie bows on packages and just buy bows and stick them on (unlike my sister Kathleen who always has the best wrapped gifts - every thing ties perfectly and color coordinated). But Martha has a step by step guide for the perfect bow here. Maybe this is the Christmas that I learn to tie a bow. Maybe.

Even with the whole insider trading thing, I still like Martha. She knows how to get down with the crafts.

What to do with all the books?

So I have had started some fall cleaning partly to get rid of a lot of crap I have and partly to create room for B's stuff (I hate cleaning and if I tackle a few sqaure feet of space at a time I won't seem overwhelmed). So now I am faced with the question of what to do with all this stuff.

Some of my nephews are about to get cameras that work most of the time (and if they break them by seeing how far they can throw no one will care). But that tactic is not going to work for my books and random knick-knacks. Do I try to sell them via this hing called the Internet, donate, chuck them (I could in good conscience chuck knick knacks but I don't think I could throw books out).

As of right now I have two paper shopping bags worth of books and I have only gone thorugh one room (books can be found in almost every room though this first room does have the most books). I figure there is at least another shopping bag worht of books left to find in the house. I also have started filling a rubbermaid bin with the knick-knacky kind of stuff and may need another one soon.

If you want any books, kitchen utensils, random decorating items, stuffed animals, etc. let me know, I probably have it in a bin or box. Just let me know! :)

Gobble Gobble Gobble

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Bright Side

So most of my posts about us moving in together have been my fears and neurosis but I am looking forward to it overall. It is just easier for me to look at the negatives and then prepare for them rather go in blindly thinking it will be all rainbows and roses. So here are some of the good things about merging our lives:

1) I won't be alone. Sometimes it is lonely to go home to an empty apartment and sometimes I don't think I talk to anyone once I leave work until I get back in the office. So that will be nice.

2) It will be easier to cook. Most times I don't cook because it is just me and either I eat too much for dinner because the amount of food I cooked is for a few people or I get sick of eating the same leftovers all week.

3) I won't have to fold the laundry alone. I tend to have a backlog of laundry that needs to be folded so it will be great to have an extra set of hands.

4) Making plans will be easier. Right now there is always a discussion of where should we meet, how we will get there, and nothing seems to be easy. This will get easier.

5) Conversations will be easier. Cell reception in my apartment stinks so us having a conversation will no longer involve one of us repeating "Hello. Can you hear me?"

6) Save on heat. I figure with a body in my bed I won't need to turn the heat on until Christmas at the earliest. (side note - have not turned on the heat but this was a tough weekend. I had to upgrade my sheets to flannel and that has helped a lot. Also, one of B's friends has the same rule about no heat until Thanksgiving. I think I love him.)

7) More music. B has an extensive music collection on his computer which will be mine as well. Music makes my weekend cleaning go by faster though I don't know if my landlady likes me blasting it at 9:00 on a Sunday.

What time is dinner?

Another moving in issue that has come to light is dinnertime.

We first realized that we had a difference of dinner expectations when we made our first thanksgiving dinner (I am good at preparing thanksgiving dinner imho). I said dinner would be at around 1:30 and he was expecting it to be around 4:30. My family always had Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner early in the day. And it is nice because you get it done with and then have all day to relax. Plus when you get hungry around 7:00, you have all the leftovers at your disposal. Also, while I would have to get up early, I would still be able to watch the football games on. B wanted to eat later because that is when his family ate - but I was doing all the cooking so I didn't think he really could be choosy. In the end, I think we ended up doing somewhere inbetween.

So this brings us to the new revelation that I like to prepare dinner when I get home around 6:15 but B tends to come home late, do stuff and then he ends up eating at 8:00.
This came about from our anniversary dinner when I wanted to go out at 6:30 and even stayed late at work so when I got home I didn't have to wait long for him to get there. But at 6:15 while I was walking up the Bike Path he called to say he was just leaving work. So that means he will be at my house at 6:45 (the earliest). But he didn't get there until 7:00 (empty handed by the way but then he picked up the check which saved him). So now we don't end up eating until 7:30.

That is way too late for me. And too dependent on outside factors. I like routine. I don't know what the end result will be for this one.

Tu y Yo

That is where we went. Tu y Yo in Somerville. It had been a place B had wanted to try (I had already eaten there once). It is authentic Mexican food and a bit different. We opted to try the fried grasshoppers on another night but I did eat cactus for the first time. The texture was not what I was expecting and it reminded me of green beans. I had some chicken dish that was really good and B had Tinga.

However, the best part of the night was coming home to a package next to my door - from Macy's. Since it was the first wedding package we have received I waited for B to come over. When he got there I promptly told him that this was the only time I was waiting for him to open the box. Next time I am tearing in like a 3 year-old on Christmas morning.

So here it is in a pictorial format.

The big box full of peanuts

ooohhhh pretty bow

The engagement cards have gone and now we are putting up wedding cards.

Yes we did open the gift and we have stored the boxes in the china cabinent (Miriam is her name. Long story but yes, my china closet has a name. Though the best part about New England houses is the built in cabinents in the dining rooms. Pure genius.) until next November.

And no, I am not going to post pictures every time I am fortunate enough to receive a gift. But this is the first one and I am excited. Kind of like how you take a ton of pictures of the first kid and by the last one you have none. You know what I mean.

366 days to go!

It is exactly one year from the wedding day. 2008 is a leap year so that is why it is 366 days away and not 365 days.

Because I am me, B and I are going out to dinner tonight for a pre-anniversary dinner. I was planning on going to Anna's (It is the BEST burrito place in all the land - seriously next time you are in Boston you HAVE to go. Much better than that chain owned by McDonald's called Chiptotle. I can't even believe I ever went to Chiptotle. Yes I can. I got a coupon for a free burrito so of course I went.) but B mentioned going to a decent place that actually has table service. We haven't yet decided. I will let you know tomorrow where we go because I am acutely aware that many of you will have trouble sleeping until you get this information. I have a high EQ and highly attuned to these things.

Happy birthday shout out to Hugh.

We found it!

So this weekend not only did I find my dress but also the bridal party's dress. After I tried on eight dresses at RK Bridal (limit was seven but I sweet talked one more dress - the extra dress turned out to be the one I bought), we made Kim try on bridesmaid's dresses. She was a great dress try-oner. If you ever need some to try on dresses for you, she is your girl. After trying on the one that she found online and a few others, we all liked the first one. Below is a picture of the Alfred Angelo dress. I have worn Alfred Angelo before and found that dress to be extremely comfortable. So hopefully these dresses will be as well.



Ann may opt for the jacketed version.




Since it will be November we may have to find a shrug or shawl for them to wear. If you have any ideas throw them my way.

Happy birthday to Erica and Jen C.

I found it!

I have found the dress and just have to order it (thanks Aunt Carol) and get my measurements taken. The only debate I am having now is whether to have the alterations done at the store or in Massachusetts. I don't know how hard (or easy) it will be to find a trusted source who will do the alterations in Massachusetts.

Because I love my dress so much and don't want her to be cheapened, I am not posting a link. She is a dress that is so beautiful that she must have the right setting, musical accompaniment, lighting in order to be unveiled. She is a bit shy - sorry.

While I am Away

I am off to NYC for more dress try ons and seeing family. In my absence enjoy this picture of Massachusetts fall foliage.





(pic from massroads.com)

New realization about making room

So I have been thinking about how I am going to fit B into my apartment and then this morning I received an email which sent me into a bit of a conundrum.


An item on my registry (thanks K & C you rock) was purchased but placed on backorder. (I hope I don't get emails all the time, I like surprises). But then I realized that we will be receiving gifts and we will have to make room for them. The easiest solution is that we just open the boxes and put the gifts away in cabinets, closets, kitchens, etc. However, we are not taking gifts out of the boxes until after the wedding. Just to make sure, we are not using any gifts until the papers are signed. You never know when one of us will flake out. And then returning gifts will be easier since nothing has been used.


But the problems is that we will have boxes waiting to opened. And I don't know where they will go. The guest bedroom (no boxes yet and dying for some visitors if you want to use it) is our go-to-place but who knows what it will look like after the merger.


I guess there are worse problems to have. But still, the apartment can not handle much more clutter and disorganization.

I also have resigned myself to the fact that B is the neater of the two.

How long until the wedding?

It is one week and one year away.

(for those keeping score at home that means if we didn't change the wedding date it would be only one year away.)

Bridal Party Beware!

Don't piss me off or you will be stuck on armpit duty.

Those committing minor infractions will just have to keep my wine glass full.

(picture from divinecaroline.com via weddingbee.com)

But don't worry, I will never ask you or anyone else at the wedding to do this.

Compromise??

Another issue with the merging of our lives is not the number of computers he has or or the Xbox, but this innocuous golden orb:

I refuse to turn the heat on before Thanksgiving and choose to wear a hat and hooded sweatshirt around the apartment. In fact I am just starting to insulate the windows in my apartment with plastic as my bathroom is getting chilly in the morning.

I try each year to see how long I can make it without turning on the heat and I do it for two reasons:

1) I don't want to pay the high gas prices

2) It is much more efficient to regulate your personal temperature rather than force your environment to appealing temperatures.

B on the other hand is a delicate flower who does not like the cold (welcome to Boston my friend). He and J turn on the heat way too early and often in my opinion but they don't ask for it.

The thing is, this problem also goes the other way. I hate air conditioning. Again, it costs more money and I feel bad about the damage it does to the environment. (Side note: I have had these viewpoints long before Al Gore and his Inconvenient Truths - I am just saying). In fact, this is only the second year in my adult life that I have had an air conditioner. A fan on high works well for me though sometimes I do lie there with a cold, damp washcloth on my head in order to fall asleep but I am tough. B claims he can't sleep in the heat.

I think this is a debate that cannot be settled just yet. And I am not sure what the compromise is.

Making Room again

So after surveying my apartment even further, I realize that it is going to take a major effort to organize and get rid of not only the clutter, but the junk. And it is going to be harder than I thought. I admit that I watch Clean House on Style and make fun of the people who can't let go shoes that they never wore and don't actually fit them. I can laugh at them no longer. As I look at the stack of VHS tapes in the living room, some with no labels, I realize that I am one of them. I can't let go of the tapes. Nevermind the fact that it is an outdated technology and I don't have a VCR (though B does so maybe I should hold on to them just in case we want to watch them). Also it seems like a waste to just throw out Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Green Gables the Sequel. The tapes are perfect and who will appreciate the story like I do.

Another area that I realize that is not going to be easy are closets. And it is not the emotional kind of tough but physically difficult. I realize that my closets are deep and tall. There is a lot of stuff crammed in these dark spaces. I may not be brave enough to go in and take prisoners.

However, I do realize that I have to do these things and not just in order to make room. I cannot keep accumulating stuff at this rate. I may suffocate myself or become the crazy lady down the street with years worth of newspapers and many, many cats.

Making Room For B Part I

In blending two apartments, I have to make room for B in my apartment. And a problem is my pack rat-ness. I don't throw anything out. As the youngest of many, I take home furnishings/accessories hand me downs from everyone. Unfortunately, I do not store or display them in an efficient or neat manner like some (specifically Kathleen and Maureen).

The piece-de-resistance that highlights my inability to throw anything out is this picture:


This overflowing recycling bin is full of bills/bank statements dating back to 1999. The scary part is that I moved to Boston in 2002. So I moved a box of bills from New York to Boston. Why - incase I got audited. Honestly, I don't know. I thought you were supposed to save these things. This bin needs to be emptied before B moves in and I am trying to shred a little each week. It is not going well.

Congratulations!

Yesterday was Halloween and B and I braved the commuter rail and traveled up to Salem. There were thousands of people dressed up in good and some not so good costumes. And of course there were tons of sexy cops, fire fighters, football players, doctors, nurses, maids, etc. to keep us entertained. Unfortunately, this is not that kind of blog so here is are some clean photos.

Normally, we would avoid Salem on Halloween like you avoid the East side during the Puerto Rican Day Parade. However, our friend Hugh was planning on proposing to his girlfried (and avid reader/poster of this wonderful blog) Alett. They met a few years ago on Halloween, in Salem. Luckily for everyone involved, she said yes.

Here is the happy couple. He is crazy and she is Canadian so it works for them. And their dogs are excited that the two of them are making it official - it helps them feel like a real family now, just like the other dogs at the dog park.