Bridesmaid Dress Dilemma

I love all of my bridesmaids a lot... they are all so different and unique and provide me with different friendship experiences! They all love me very much as well! So when I think about them on the big day, I want them to look as beautiful and stunning as they can be! I have done a lot of research, and because they are all starting new chapters in their lives and paying for their own dresses, I wanted them to get the most bang for their buck!

This could only mean our favorite bridal store: David's Bridal! I purchased my BM dress from there for Lisa's wedding, and it was such a quick and easy experience, and I paid far less than I would have locally. Also, because I purchased my lovely there, they will all get discounts.

I just received an email from them saying that they have received their new styles in, and right away... this one stuck out. It was like POW BAM BOOM like an old Batman cartoon!!! I love it for my girls, but what color to go with? I love the Oasis because that's my favorite color, but the more I think about it, the more I think maybe we should put them in a color that they would for sure wear again, like Pewter. They could still coordinate with Oasis or Kelly shoes, but look classic and lovely!

Which color do you prefer?

PEWTER

OASIS

KELLY

I'll be leaving the final decision to the girls (they have to wear the dresses) but I'm leaning towards Oasis or Pewter right now.

We're not shopping until June so we can make the proper decision just in case one of them or many of them are pregnant, so we have time. But I'm interested... which is your favorite?

My Headpiece...

Long before the trend of birdcage veils began, I had an obsession with the look of them! They are so classic and Old Hollywood, and I knew I'd be wearing one. I was on my favorite website Etsy yesterday (and it is DANGEROUS for me to be on there during work hours cause I click BUY way too quickly) and saw this lovely image:

Not only did I find it stunning, but it was on sale!!! So I called my mom first because I was going to make one, but she convinced me to just buy her and call it a day.

I love that it not only classic, but has a modern flair with the feathers (which are slowly encorporating themselves into little touches throughout our wedding) and the pearls (which are going to be all over me from my belt to my jewellery to my shoes!), and still gives a lot of romance! I can't wait to see what it looks like when it arrives!

Flower Power

On Sunday, after my 7km walk, Aaron and I made our way to our old stomping grounds of Commercial Drive. We had an appointment at noon with The Flower Box for our wedding bouquets. We LOVED The Flower Box when we lived on Commercial. We bought all of our flowers there as gifts, to dress up our home, or as a surprise for me from my guy! So when we got engaged, it seemed natural to use them! Sacha is a brilliant floral artist, and she always has a smile on her face and passion in her work! She recognized me immediately from when I used to be a regular customer there, which was so nice since we hadn't been there in over a year and a half due to the move to the valley!

Courtesy of The Flower Box

We went over my vision for the big day, and she quoted us exactly in our budget for a bridal bouquet and 4 bridesmaids bouquets, and also offered us 10% off for our advance booking! I was in love with her vision!

We had lunch at Havana's, and then went back to place our order! We can't wait to see her vision on the wedding day! It will be a lovely mix of greenery, flowers, and herbs - and I just know that it will be sooooo us! :)

25 Christmas Questions

1. Eggnog or Hot Chocolate?

Hot Chocolate ALL the way! With Baileys, or Khalua!

2. Does Santa wrap presents for you or just sit them under the tree?

Always wrapped! A few go under the tree, and some in the stocking.

3. Colored lights on the tree/house or white lights?

I prefer white (I'm all about the classy decor) but Aaron got his way this year and we bought a pre-lit tree with colored lights.

4. Do you hang mistletoe?

Yes indeed! Usually it's hanging up high, but we didn't put a new nail in the year, so it's hanging from a cupboard handle.

5. When do you hang your decorations?

Usually the first weekend in December. I have to wait until after my birthday on November 29th.

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?

My uncle makes a killer cheese ball, but I also love mashed potatoes smothered in real butter! Yum!

7. Favorite holiday memory as a child?

Christmas Eve was always a wonderful event in our house. We would get together with my aunt and her family (my cousins) and ride around in the van to look at Christmas lights, and then exchange gifts, eat appetizers, and watch the dads get tipsy on beer! And then we'd put all our bows from gifts on my Grandpa's head after he'd fallen asleep.

8. What is on your Christmas wish list?

I thought I'd try for fashion this year and ask for a faux-leather bomber jacket! :)

9. Do you open gifts on Christmas Eve?

Only from the relatives. My parents always gave us new pj's on Christmas Eve, so I still get a pair from my mom, and sometimes Aaron can't wait and makes us open one as well.

10. How do you decorate your tree?

Lights, ornaments from my childhood, ornaments I've collected in my travels, and ones that Aaron and I have collected over the last 3 1/2 years. And a shiny star on top.

11. Snow... love it or dread it?

I love to look at it but don't love driving in it! Especially after the Christmas storm of 2008!

12. Real tree or fake tree?

REAL! I love real, but with my monster Keiko in the house, we have to do fake.

13. Do you remember your favorite gift?

The year I got about 15 different My Little Ponies from my parents was pretty amazing. Also, one year my parents built us a little house in the basement. That was pretty amazing too! My favorite adult gift was my brother - when he recovered from a bad motorcycle injury and got out of the hospital in Thailand in time to celebrate Christmas.

14. What's the most important thing about Christmas to you?

Being around my family, and having a new family to celebrate with as well.

15. What is your favorite holiday dessert?

I'm not really a dessert person, but I love my mom's shortbread and fudge.

16. What is your favorite tradition?

New pajamas. I also love having coffee at my mom's on Christmas morning sitting on her floor with her and my brother and Aaron opening gifts and laughing.

17. What tops your tree?

A shiny sparkley star.

18. Do you prfer giving or receiving?

Giving for sure!!! I love seeing the look on their face when they open things. Especially Aaron and his parents - they get really excited!

19. What is your favorite Christmas song?

Anything by Michael Buble!

20. Candy canes... yuck or yum?

YUMMY IN MY TUMMY!

21. Favorite Christmas movie?

Tough one, but probably Love Actually. I also love Scrooged. And It's a Wonderful Life. And A Christmas Story. And Christmas Vacation. So hard.

22. What do you leave for Santa?

Nothing now but when I was a kid it was always cookies (which I'm sure my dad ate) and carrots for the reindeer (which I'm sure ended up in the garbage).

23. Do you have a Christmas morning tradition?

It used to be waking up early, climbing into bed with my dad and having cinnamon toast, going down to see my mom taking pictures, stockings, presents, breakfast, and playing with toys. Now Aaron and I get up, have coffee and a piece of toast, open stockings and gifts, then making our way to my mom's to do it all over again.

24. Do you prefer shopping online or at the mall?

Both... I like online for the deals but the mall for the atmosphere of Christmas!

25. Christmas letter or card?

Card! I love seeing what people send us, especially if they include a picture of the kiddies!

Tsk Tsk Tardy Vendors

At work I rely on my vendors to reply to me quickly, or else we'll lose business with our customers. The response time is a huge factor in whether or not we get orders and maintain good relationships with our customers and distributors.

In wedding planning, the same rules should apply! However, I've been experiencing serious bridezilla tendancies when thinking about the vendors I've chosen to work with not responding to me. I'm not talking here about just not getting back to me in the same day, I'm talking about AT ALL!

After we got engaged, I tried numerous times to get in touch with various vendors. I'd call their stores, email them, write on their websites, etc. etc. etc.

I just don't understand in this economy how people can pass up opportunities for business? I'm holding out hope, however, that they will all come through to make my wedding a wonderful event... with no snags! :)

A little Apple love...

Aaron and I went out after work on Friday night to shop-til-we-drop! We managed to get the majority of our Christmas shopping done, and didn't get home until 11pm!

While at HomeSense (my favorite store in the whole world for home goods!) I spotted these pretties hanging on a hook in the Christmas section:

We've been overloading on owl figurines for the wedding, but knowing that apples are part of the theme as well, I convinced Aaron to let me buy these two in our colors for the head table. They were only $7.99 each and in our colors and just perfect, so in our buggy they went!

They are actually a lot bigger than they appear in this photo, and I know that they will be perfect on either side of our initials that I bought a while back!

I am so excited to see all of these little details come together on our big day!

It Arrived... 16 weeks early!!!

My lovely white beauty has arrived! I got the email yesterday that my dress has arrived at David's! I was told that it would take 18 weeks, but alas, 12 days after purchase she is waiting for me at the shop waiting for me to take her home.

So what's a girl to do about having only 14 days from arrival to get her dress? Oh that's right, call Momma D and treat her to a day of shopping, lunch, and dress pick-up in the states on her birthday no less!

I'm very excited to spend my mom's birthday with her next Friday!

Say Cheese!

Oooooohhhhhhhh how I lust after the wonderful world of wedding photobooths! I see them on blogs and I always let out a little woeful sigh! I love the lovely images of the bride and groom just after they've said I do, the funny shots of their bridal party letting loose, and the guests having a blash with the props!

But alas, the photobooth concept far exceeds our budget. It is definately a "want" as opposed to a "need" and we just don't have the funds for it. :( It makes me sad, but I'm going to scour wedding shows for free draws that include the booths in hopes that I'll win one!

In the meantime, I'll just have severe envy while perusing blogs that feature the beauties!

An Under-thing...

I wanted something as classy and romantic as my dress for one of my under-things, so I logged on to my favorite website EVER... Etsy! I have had nothing but wonderful experiences with them, and knowing that many women are on there handcrafting things for an income makes me very happy to support it!

I was looking for something ivory with pearls and feathers, and found my dream garter at BellaDivaCouture.

Isn't she pretty!!! I bought a set - one for me to throw and one for me to keep! The pretty one that I'm keeping will be passed down to my daughter on her wedding day if she'd like it, but the toss one is going to get a little "Aaron" flavor just for him! :)