Maui Wowee

We settled upon accommodations for our days in Maui. Yay!!! We had decided a while ago to rent a condo for Maui and that is what we did. We went to Vacation Rentals By Owner and we decided upon the neighborhood of Kaanapali (I am sure there are grammar marks in there somewhere but I am fine with bastardizing the spelling right now). We are staying at what may be the same place MOH Ann stayed at. It is on a great beach, has two pools, and a good restaurant. So we are psyched. We also got an amazing rate on the place which is even better.

Though I did get my first real sense of sticker shock when I saw how much car rentals are on the islands. Wowee!

Belated Birthday

Forgot to wish my brother Rich a happy 4-0!!!! on Sunday. He claims not to feel old. Good for him.

Economy Doesn't Affect Dress Purchase

According to this article, brides will scale back on wine and food but not the dress. This all feeds into the notion that a bride is a princess crap or "Say Yes to the Dress". Let's focus on the main thing - the marriage. You know the thing that is forever and lasts longer than a day.

Read the article here. I sound a little bitter today.

Speaking of "Say Yes to the Dress" it looks like Claudia got the ol' heave ho as she is no longer on the show. Too bad. I liked her.

Bride Shot Dead in Honeymoon Hotel

Thank God we are not going to Antigua.

A bride was killed in a bungled robbery attempt - read about it here.

Financial Infidelity

Secret spending in a marriage was a big discussion item today on the Internet. The story about secret spending was on CNN.com and can be found here.

I am going to watch B like a hawk, like a hawk I tell you.

Versamarker...

A little trick that I learned from some peeps is that you have a code on all the RSVP cards that links back to a guest. This way if someone forgets to write in their name on the card, we know the response (and more importantly the food choice).

So to do this we are using Versamarker. It will put a mark on the back like a watermark and it will be inconspicuous for the most part. I just bought mine since we are doing invitations next month (I am taking any offers of help. I have some wine and may spring for the pizza. Anyone?)

Photog has a blog...

I stumbled upon a new blog by my photographer. Now she doesn't update nearly as much as I do but it gives me another site to stalk on the Internet - which I really don't need but I like.s

I hope she updates soon so I can see what kinds of pictures I like and want to have at the wedding.

Where in NY are E and B?

Now that we have a date for the engagement pictures, we have to pick a spot. One thought we had is to go to Prospect Park. This way we could scout out locations for the wedding day pictures. But then all the pictures would be from the same place.

Then B thought about Central Park - Bethesda Fountain specifically. I have always LOVED this area. You have water and trees and the rest of the city can seem miles away. Plus then we could walk over to the Arsenal where I used work and B can go to the Zoo.





Then there is a place I used to run a lot in New York City - Roosevelt Island. I loved to run around the Lighthouse. (I love any place with water.) There is also the remnants of the Smallpox Hospital and B said it looked like something you would find in an English country side. Though the facade did crumple recently so we would have to take the picture kind of quickly.




However, we have a few weeks to figure it out and we may come up with a new place we haven't thought of.

For his feet...

And B may be wearing these but he has yet to decide:

For my feet...

What I wanted to originally wear on my feet:


However, I was told that this will not provide enough support during the day and I will end up with achy feet and just not happy about it. So then I thought I would get something like these:


But then I thought I may take a cue from some people on Indie Bride and Alett and have my shoes have a bit of color, specifically blue and I thought about something like:


And while many brides change into white flip flops after the ceremony, I want to change into these:


Shout out to MOH Ann: it is her birthday!

You're so vain

Yes I am. I went to the eye doctor today and I got contact lenses. I have wanted them for awhile (I had tried them out once before but it didn't turn out well) and decided that now was the time. Basically I wanted to be able to see people on my wedding and not have my glasses on and my glasses on in pictures. So yes - this second attempt has A LOT to do with vanity and I admit it.

In my everyday life I do not wear my glasses that often. I wear them on my commute to work and then take them off unless I have to go to a meeting (I can't see the screen sometimes). I also wear them when I watch TV or drive. BUt often when we go out I don't want to wear my glasses so I don't and then just squint through the night. But I don't need to do that anymore because I am committed to lenses this time around.

So I am sitting here, with contact lenses on and I am afraid to take them out. I can put them in no problem, it is the getting them out that scares me.

Our E-Pics

B and I are hoping to have a whirlwind wedding weekend in September. We are taking our engagement pictures (something we did NOT want but it is part of the photographer's package as she uses it as a way to get us used to the camera and learns how to best work with us), getting a marriage license on the Monday (it will be 55 days before the wedding), hopefully I will be getting a make-up and hair trial and B will try to arrange a meeting with the DJ. Oh the fun I will have checking off all those to-do items.

Oh and in order to have the best light, we could choose to have our pictures taken at 8 AM or 5 PM. We took the 5 PM option. It suits our lifestyle much better.

Now I just have to figure out where we are going to take the pictures. Any ideas are welcome.

Bridezillas is no longer a favorite

I barely watch this show. The brides are just over the top and ridiculous. It is like they are just doing things to say they are a bridezilla. And one bride (Lisa Copolla) in particular just yells all the time and makes me uncomfortable. It turns out that Kristen is friends with one of the bridesmaids and she claims a lot of it staged and fake. This particular bride looks like she is about to laugh at the end of most of her tirades.

It is so sad that I don't watch this show faithfully anymore. I loved it so and the first few seasons were great.

Puttin' on the ritz

Last night B and GM John went to look and pick out tuxedos (and then came home and watched the DVR'ed Mets game while eating Anna's). I was glad because we had many to-do items with exclamation points in front of them because they needed to get done right away and more than half had to do with the groom thinking or picking out the day's outfit. So I was so happy to go and check off FOUR items last night. And I am glad that B has picked out his outfits and both he and GM John have told me I will like it. And I am trusting them because what they described sounds nice. I am sure B will look great in whatever he wears.

Hint on what he is wearing: It is black.

Rings!!

We finally picked up my ring and I was so excited. It looks so pretty. When talking to the saleslady, I tried it on and quickly put it back in the box. I was afraid to look at it too long because that is how pretty it is. It came with the cutest pouch that has two pockets for the wedding day: one for his ring and one for my rings.

We then go in the car and after five minutes I ask B if I can play with the ring. He says yes and expresses surprise that I didn't gush more in the store. But I was trying to play it cool with the ring.

You never want the ring to know how much you like it. It is all about maintaining the upper hand. You have to have the hand.

Now we have to finalize what we are engraving on the ring.

Run Bride Run

Well I signed up for the Boston Half Marathon (http://www.baa.org/HalfMarathon/Default.asp). I haven't run in awhile so I don't know how I will do but I figure even just training a little bit will help me get in and stay in shape for the wedding. But B is running it as well so I have motivation to train. I mean, it will be hard for me to sit on the couch when I know he is out doing an eight mile run. Guilt really works well on me.

M'head

Yesterday we went to a wonderful wedding (the only other wedding we have to attend besides our own this year) in Marblehead (M'head to the locals) and I want to say congratulations to Hugh and Alett!!

On Tuesday, me and the girls will meet up at the Red Hat to discuss Alett's wedding and this will be the last Alett focused get together. After this week, my wedding will become the focus of the get togethers. I hope I don't start crying at the bars, that will be sad.

Also a note that my wedding day is Hugh's birthday - thought you would want to know.

What we learned at the shower

We learned that I will no doubt cry at the shower. I cried when I got there (even though I had a strong suspicion I was going to my shower) and at the end (but that may have been wine induced). The new trend, that happened today is me welling up with tears just thinking about the wedding.

Case in point, today:
Set scene - in the car driving to the Burlington Mall.
Me: I told Ann I am going to wear her pearls at the wedding.
B: That will be your something borrowed then right?
Me: Yes and I may wear Aunt Betty's earrings and that will be my something blue. And the dress is the something new, I just have to work on the something old.
B: What is wrong?
Me: Nothing.
B: You look like you are going to cry? What is wrong?
Me: I start to cry when I think about the wedding lately.
B: Oh man you are going to be a mess.
Me: I know.
End scene.

I mean, if I cry thinking about the wedding and the shower which I highly suspected, I am going to be a mess at the wedding for sure.

May flowers

bring July showers.

I had my shower on Sunday (as most of you know because you were there) and it was perfect.
Many thanks go out to MOH Ann, BM Kim and BM Ellen.

I think my favorite part was the recipe box and if anyone wants to send more recipes, feel free to. I can read those instead of cookbooks.

Who is in charge of travel documents?

Not me.

We already heard about me losing my license in the airport but then today (another travel day for work and I hope not to travel again too soon) I lost me boarding pass. Twice.

First I lost my boarding pass for Boston to New York. I gave the boarding pass to the flight attendant only to be told it was the boarding pass for my return flight. Oops! Quickly they issued me another one.

Now my return flight's boarding pass has already been torn (and covered in coffee stains). So I handed in one half of the boarding pass and walked onto the plane. I couldn't find the other half and didn't know what seat I was sitting in. The flight attendant told me to just wait a bit to most people sat down and then just sit anywhere. What about the manifest? I guess it doesnt matter. All I know is that B has to hold all travel documents for the honeymoon.

And the winner was...(clarification on I love hot dogs)

After the dog-off (historic I should say), one winner was finally crowned.
He won by seven seconds.
He is an American.
He is Joey Chestnut.

My Green Thumb

I know that tomato plants are pretty hearty but I am excited that mine are growing so well. Over the weekend, they grew a few inches and the main stalk is thickening up. We now have FIVE tomatoes that have formed. I can't wait for them to be ready for harvesting.

The thai pepper plant is doing well also but they take longer to actually bear fruit so it is not as instantly gratifying.

Here are pictures of our growing family.

I love hot dogs

B and I have watched the Nathan's Hot Dog Contest since we first started dating. We love it. We think they are true athletes. When I realized that July 4th fell on Friday my first thought was "we have to go to Coney Island." Lucky for me, B was just as excited as I was. So we set the plans in motion and even convinced BFD (Best Friend Debbie for those who have forgotten) to join us.

We thought the contest started at noon but that is when the televised portion starts. They didn't eat until almost one o'clock. This was a blessing in disguise since BFD arrived late as she was coming from E. 91st Street. And she even arrived in the color of the day - yellow (B and I were wearing yellow by accident and then BFD showed up in yellow). We love you BFD!!

While we were waiting, B walked around and happened upon the bus of athletes about to arrive. Like any good fiance he ran over to get me and whisked me to the arrival area that was inexplicably empty. And then they all started coming off the bus - Sonia "The Black Widow", Badlands Booker, Kobyashi.








I missed getting a shot of Joey Chestnut - the reigning champion and world record holder. But I more than made up for that later.

Here are some pictures of the event. In the ten minutes, B, BFD and I screamed, yelled, and clapped all we could but it end in a tie. The first ever tie. To the dog-off we went. 5 hot dogs, first one to finish wins. All or nothing. America versus Japan. It was more than we had ever dreamed of. It was history in the making. And we were there to witness it first hand.

Pictures of the contest...







After the contest we walked up the boardwalk and caught up. We were getting hungry and decided to head to Park Slope for some food and a drink. While we were walking towards the subway we happened upon two crowds. One around Joey and one around Kobyashi. I thought fast and pushed my way to the top of the crowd and B followed. He got Joey to sign his t-shirt and then he muscled in towards Kobyashi and got his autograph. We are now the proud owners of an autographed shirt commemorating this historic day. We are getting it framed. No joke.

Other pictures of the day...







Shout outs: Happy belated birthday Tim in Georgia, Happy anniversary Jody and Katie, Happy birthday Matthew

Today's Hot Mess

B and I had a great weekend (Go Joey Chestnut! more on that later) but at one point we were discussing what the phrase "hot mess" means. And I provide the below videos as a definition. If La Pequena isn't a hot mess, then I don't know who is.

The Hillary Clinton video made after she conceded the nomination is brilliant but they all are - let's be honest. I like the Mother Teresa one as well. For more, look up La Pequena on youtube.

The final frontier...

Let's get married in space!!! It only costs $2.3 million. Read more here.