EEEP!

long lost blog!!  i have not been able to access the editing tool and have been wanting so badly to update this!

wow. we have done so much.  we have everything printed.  we have packaging for s'mores.  we have our readings.  we have our table names.  we have small details. signage. a guest book.  a PLAN!  the count down isn't months or weeks, it is days!  our rehearsal dinner is on the 10 day forecast (which means our wedding day is on the 10 day forecast tomorrow, holy schmoly!).

people will arrive in c'ville next thursday (cinco de mayo!) and we don't have a lot planned for that day except organizing ourselves, putting together the hotel bags, and dinner!  friday starts the wedding-official-fun! bridal luncheon, boys' golf outing, rehearsal, dinner, welcome cocktails, etc!

it's so soon! and I just can't believe it! i am going to try to update this with more behind-the-scenes... but this little BTB is bizzzzy!

So much to catch up on!

This will serve a place holder for the MANY posts I am due to write!  Which will include:

• Bachelorette Party!!  Affectionately dubbed the #BBBB (Blair's Bachelorette Beach Bash). It is safe to say my girls spoiled me rotten!
• Engagement pictures: a good friend took them for us in & around Georgetown on a mild mid-March Saturday.  We got some great shots and now feel more comfortable in front of the camera!  I have trouble uploading pics to Blogger at work, but I'll post a few to Facebook :)
• Bridal Shower: oh boy...what a fun night!  It was "entertainment" themed and we had the best time.  There were so many small touches (Blair & Adam M&M's, napkins, cookies, etc) and the food was outstanding!  We had a ball.
• Whirlwind trip to C'ville: we have another coming up this weekend (hair-trial!), but the one we did in March covered big topics - wedding ceremony, finalizing the cake, tasting the white wines!

I can't believe we are about to hit the 1 month mark!  Which also falls on our 6 year anniversary (dang!).  Not sure we'll be doing any celebrating together, though.  For Adam leaves with his buds for his BACHELOR party. Charleston, SC - you've been warned.

Updates with pictures are next...promise!

Wedding Crasher

Confession: this weekend Adam, Meredith, and I snuck into the Fairfax Bar Association's (black tie) Gala (so, not technically "wedding" crashing, but close enough).  But we had a good reason to be there!  10 Spot, our wedding band, was playing!

See, Adam and I went about this whole "choosing  wedding band" somewhat unconventionally.  When I was the social chair for Pi Phi, I worked closely with Sam Hill Entertainment (the booking dudes for bands in C'ville).  So I figured I'd use them again for this big event! And to my pleasant surprise, my contact from my Pi Phi days responded back to me! He said he saw my name pop up on the request list - sweet!  He immediately sent us a list of bands that fit our qualifications (we wanted a band that would keep people dancing, but definitely had to keep budget in mind).  In the end, we got the "best band bang for our buck" and just went for it... without hearing them live!  I know, that's pretty much a wedding-planning-sin.  But, we were working under tight time restrictions (i.e. they were booking up FAST) and I totally trusted Andrew (my guy at Sam Hill).

So when we heard that 10 Spot was going to be in our area for a gig, we knew we had to check them out!  And thank GOODNESS we trusted Andrew's advice - this band was rockin'.  People didn't leave the dance floor! They played crowd favorites! They sounded awesome! Oh, I just can't wait!  I knew they would be great, but it was a huge sigh of relief to know that they'll sound good live.

We only stayed for 5 or 6 songs.  I think I was blushing the entire time we were there.  We weren't doing anything wrong (Andrew told the band we'd come), but of course, the hundreds of lawyers + spouses had NO CLUE who these kids were, clearly NOT in black tie (Mere & I had casual dresses on, but kept our coats on the entire time! Adam had on khakis & a blazer).  Ah oh well :)

60 days!

100.

In exactly 100 Days I'll be getting ready to walk that aisle and become Adam's wife (!!!!).

Crazy how fast these last few months have gone by, but I knew they would.  And now the real work fun starts :)  We had an insanely productive weekend in Charlottesville (Mere, my momma, Mrs. Matthews, and Kate joined Adam & I for the weekend) - we crossed off lots from our "to-do" list, got great ideas, ate TONS of yummy food, and just got to spend a lot of great time together.

My mom and Mere have all the pictures of the weekend (in all the hustle & bustle of getting ready I completely forgot my camera) but we did document the trip!  It was so great tasting all the food we'll be serving at the reception (y'all better come HUNGRY!), choosing our linens/serving plates/etc (I'm so excited about the final product), and - one of the highlights - meeting with the organist to choose the songs for our ceremony (and on May 7th there will be 100% chance of bride-tears, seriously, no way around it! I started tearing up just hearing the song I'm going to walk out to with my dad).  Sheesh.

With just 100 days to go (well, the weekend actually kicks off in 98 days!), we're trying to cross off as many small tasks that we can get done NOW instead of later.  I've been spending time researching decorations, DIY projects, etc. I can now picture the ENTIRE weekend and it is going to be a dream come true - we just have to get it all done :)

We're off for a weekend of skiing with our family!  We're actually heading to a place we were this summer for my friend & b'maid, Nancy's wedding! Yay!

P is for PRODUCTIVE

Man alive - this whole wedding thing really is starting to come together!!  Adam was out of town for a week with business (hopefully his last international trip before the big day!), so I found myself with some free time on my hands... luckily I used it wisely (instead of just watching The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills).  We conquered a lot!

• I have my rehearsal dinner dress!  It seems funny that I've had my wedding dress for months and haven't really given that much thought to what I'll wear the rest of the weekend.  BUT, did I hit the jackpot a Neiman Marcus :)  The morning we went shopping, I had brunch with a few girlfriends and told them, honestly, I didn't think I was going to buy anything - I didn't know what I wanted!  But when I saw the dress, it hit my like a ton of bricks! I am SO excited about it... but I am not going to post it here :) 
• WEDDING INVITATIONS ARE ORDERED!! Holy-weight-off-my-shoulders.  We aren't really "paper" people, so we had no clue what we wanted these to end up looking like.  We ended up ordering something very "Blair & Adam" that is still simple, modern, and classic.  We also ordered some of our other "wedding stationery" (escort cards, out of town bag labels, etc.) - I love progress!
• The ultimate wedding-vendor meet-up takes place in 4 days - yeehaw!  Both of our moms will be with us as we do our tastings, meet with wedding planner, all of our venues, and more.  Plus, I love a good excuse to head down to Charlottesville ;)
• The smaller stuff: Mere & I went to Michaels to get our craft-on.  I get great ideas from blogs, but really needed to see what was available to us from the stores in our area. There are some things I am not going to make (like monogrammed moss letters), but others I'll definitely tackle (like the rustic wooden "Wedding" sign I'd love to have outside of King Family Vineyards).  For these DIY projects - the earlier you start the better!

The entire day/weekend is really starting to take shape, and I can totally "picture" it now :)  OH, and we're creeping up on 100 days... AHHH!!! :)

Wedding Nightmares

I've read about them, and now I've started having my OWN...wedding nightmares(!!!).  I've only had a few, but they all include:

• Everything running extremely behind schedule
• Adam hanging out with me WHILE I'm getting ready (we're going to stay traditional and have the first time we see each other be walking down the aisle!)
• Having no one to help with my hair & make-up
• Not having the right shoes...or any to wear (thankfully, that won't happen...just got my wedding shoes, yes!)

My mom and Meredith assure me they won't let any of the above actually happen, but still! It's consuming my thoughts, eeeka!

Besides wedding nightmares, we've done some other things for the big day!  The Saturday after Thanksgiving we went back to KFV, did some wine tasting, and chose the wines to be served at the wedding!  'Twas a very fun task, and I think our guests will be happy with the vinos we've selected.  With the holidays coming up, and the countdown to 2011 quickly approaching, we are trying very hard to make sure we've got everything covered!  I see many very busy weekends in our future... ;)

Happy Holidays!

...Creeping In...

We're creeping in on the 6 month countdown!

But I'm feeling pretty good about our progress!  We've addressed ~80% of the save-the-dates (which turned out ahhh-mazing!!), our wedsite is ready for launch (minus a few more pics Adam and I need to scan in), we've narrowed in our invitations (thanks to this lovely store), and we're in the midst of finding wedding cake designs!  We all know that from Nov 1 - Jan 1, time basically fast forwards and flies by more quickly than any of time of the year.  PLUS, we've got all 4 Reilly kids bday's, plus the holidays, plus trips to Atlanta, West Palm, Richmond, and of course Charlottesville.  The weekend of Dec 4th we have our big tasting with our caterer and our first visit to Festive Fare (it's where we will rent all of our "stuff" from - linens, cups, plates, decor, etc!).

The first of the save-the-dates are being mailed yesterday/today/tomorrow (I left them at my parents, haha, and I'm not sure when my mom will get to the post office!), I can't wait for people to get them!!

Under 200!!

MOH Mere just alerted me that we've hit another big milestone...WE'RE LESS THAN 200 DAYS TIL MAY 7, 2011!!! We're actually at 196 days, but I was too busy being excited about winning the calligraphy prize on Monday to realize that we were 200 days out ;)

HIP HIP HOORAY!

Take THAT To-Do List!

Oh me oh my! Adam and I were busy this weekend, literally driving all over the greater Commonwealth of VA to get things done for the BIG day. Want a little break down?

1. We met with our priest!  And we like him a lot!  We had originally thought we would be doing our pre-marital "counseling" (I hate calling it counseling because it's not like our relationship is in jeopardy...but I do like the idea of fixing something before it happens, so this is like taking your marriage-vitamins!), BUT he said he's not a licensed therapist, so why would he do it (touche, Reverend Jim, touche).  So, while our chat with him went well (and we'll plan on meeting with him a few more times before the wedding) we're now on the prowl for a couples/family counselor in the DC area.

2. We met our potential baker!  Y'all, we just loved Jenny from Paradox Pastry! She's a firey lil lady who knows how to make some delicious cakes.  Adam and I had zero clue about what we wanted our cake to look like (and to be honest we're still looking for inspiration), but I have a feeling Jenny will be a source of great ideas and of course yummy cake :)  Oh! And her bakery is called "Paradox Pastry" because she is also a personal trainer. @#$% what?! It's insane. Flavors we greatly enjoyed: Almond cake with chocolate ganache, and red velvet.

3. WE ORDERED THE SAVE-THE-DATES!!!!!!!! Wait, WHAT? Yup, we did! I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off our back!  This whole time I was nervous we would just pick something because it as getting down to the wire (we're on the cusp of the 6-7 month sendout), but you know what? WE LOVE THEM.  I'll post a pic of the picture we used, soon.  But hey, I want them to be a surprise for our guests :)

4. We have totally jacked up our website.  It's awesome. We are sort of obsessed with it and can't wait for our save-the-dates to go out so everyone can love up on it!

Phew. I'm exhausted just from recapping it all!  Our weekend also included wine tasting, bbq'ing, time with the fam, and football (way to go 'Skins!).  Next weekend: invitations (yup, already!).  Before that though, I FINALLY get to see b'maid MARIAH! Who I haven't seen since January, which is way too long. I'm so excited :)

STDs (not those...!)

My friends...I think we're almost there(!).  Adam and I are down to our two FAVORITE layouts for our STDs (ahem...save-the-dates).  They are both postcards (I love how you can fit so much information on the backside of the postcard), and they both feature the same picture (taken of us during our weekend in Greenwich, CT).  However, one is vertical and black & white, and the other is horizontal and in color.  And gosh almighty it is hard to choose!  In the end, though, I know we're going to be verrry happy :)  Added plus - these puppies don't look like they'll cost a fortune to produce & send!

I am also happy to announce we have a meeting with a cake baker!! If you'll remember, that was one of our BIG things to accomplish this fall.  Much like when we met with the florist, I have no "vision" of what I want for our wedding cake.  I am crossing my fingers our consult will end with us having a much clearer picture of what we want!  Our first consult is with Paradox Pastry, which is just off of 29 South (har har har).

AND, we're making headway with our engagement pictures!...sort of.  There is an awesome photographer in DC who I've actually been able to "work with" (i.e. he has taken my pic) a few times.  But, now Adam and I need to decide whether we want to spend the money on an engagement session OR take the money and buy our own nice camera (something Adam has been wanting to do for a long time!).  If we bought our own camera, we'd have to find a friend or family member to take the pics for us (which could be fun!).

Lots of progress, but as always, lots still left to do... 214 days!! :)

Lonely Wedding Blog

Do you see the last time I posted? AUGUST 23!!!  That is a true testament to the fact that Adam and I have, well, taken a break from wedding planning.  I know I've mentioned that in previous posts, but tonight we're going to turn that around!  We have a "8-month Countdown" meeting tonight at my parents' house to discuss what needs to be done!

I am happy to report, one thing we have accomplished is the flower girl dress :) Oh my goshhh - I'm afraid she might steal the show!  My cousin, Naomi ("Omi"), is our flower girl and she is just the cutest little thing EVER.  We were recently with my dad's side of the family for a long weekend, and while we go every summer,  this trip was particularly important because Adam met the my extended family on my dad's side!  It was a great weekend, and we had a LOT of fun playing dress-up with Omi :)  My mom got her the CUTEST dress - it's lilac with a grosgrain ribbon the exact same color as the b'maids dresses.  She's going to look adorable.  The dress also has a lot of twirl-ability, so I have a feeling she'll be one of the most popular dance partners of the night!

Our Summer Whirlwind

My two weeks in Greece were absolutely blissful!  It was a great time to relax, recharge, and think about all that has happened (and will happen!) this year.  I guess you could call it "soul searching," as I was also able to reflect on some of the this summer's "milestones."  This summer has been a whirlwind - starting with our engagement party, family trips, selling my car, and now, another huge step - starting a new job!!  When Adam and I first got engaged, I decided to put my job search on the shelf.  I thought I would be CRAZY for planning a wedding AND getting adjusted to a new job all in one year!  However, an opportunity arose that I just couldn't pass up!  The timing was just right, and taking this job seemed like the exact right thing to do. I will have a solid 8 months in my new position before the wedding.  Honestly, it feels like getting a new job was the last piece to my frantic-summer-puzzle!  And now that I've completed my job search, I can get back to the wedding :)

I'll admit - we've all but taken the summer off!  Theknot.com tells me I've completed 99% of the things I needed to do 12-9months before the wedding (yippie!).  But we're creeping up on 8 months... which brings with it A LOT!  My original goal was to have our STD's out by Labor Day (ehh...maybe that'll happen?).  But seeing that we haven't finalized the guest list (well not entirely!), asked all the wedding party (...crickets...), finalized our colors (we're SO close!), taken engagement pics, we've got a few obstacles in our way :)  We know what needs to be done, and I'm really excited about all the planning we have left to do and I'm trying to savor every moment of our engagement!

Negative 1 Year Anniversary!

In exactly one year from now I'll be walking down the aisle to become a MRS. (!!!!!)

So excited! So much to do! So much to blog & share!!

365 days from now...ahhh! :)