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!

Playing Catch Up

This is getting REAL.

We're under 80 days (!) and have been able to keep the productivity in full-gear.  Besides all of the small details we've done over the last few weeks (ordered our sparklers for the send-off, scheduled hair appointments, looked into flower girl baskets and moss letters), I had one HUGE detail to check off my list...MY FIRST DRESS FITTING.

We went this past Saturday, which worked out well because Adam was out of town (yep, I totally lied when I said he wasn't going to be doing any more international traveling before the wedding! Whoops!).  So Mere, my mom, and I made a day of it - dress fitting, a yummy lunch, and some wedding-related errands!  The fitting was not only AMAZING (y'all, I love my dress!), but it took a lot longer than we had anticipated.  I was able to try it on with all of my accessories so we really got the entire-package-look :) I go back at the end of March for my next fitting, and then once more before the big day!

We're headed to FLORIDA tomorrow for a wedding weekend - one of Adam's buds from high school is getting hitched.  I can't wait to wear flip-flops, drink a cold drink, and sit by the pool.  The weather is looking niiiice.  Of course, I'll have to stick to strapless bathing suits (if you remember me posting about my tan lines from this ancient post!).

Enjoy the warmer temps!!

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!

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!

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 :)

Wedding day in Annapolis

Adam and I went to a fabulous wedding in Annapolis the other weekend!  It was one of Adam's friends from high school and who graduated from the Naval Academy (Beat Army!) and his bride-to-be is from Annapolis, so it was the perfect wedding location.  We stayed at the Irish themed O'Callaghan Hotel (the only thing Irish about it was the lady at the reception desk with an Irish accent!) which was within walking distance to the church!  They had a beautiful ceremony, and this being my first Marine wedding, we were able to witness the "sword tunnel" - the newly wed couple passes through the swords, but before passing they have to kiss ;)  Once they make it through the last pair of swords, one of the Marines slaps the bride on the tush and proclaims "Welcome To The Marine Corps!" I LOVED IT :)

The reception was at the Chesepeake Bay Foundation - SUCH a fitting location for Annapolis.  It was right on the water, with a dock, beach, and amazing views.  The dancing & bar were outside under a tent, and the dinner & cake were inside.  Crab cakes, mini grilled cheeses, shrimp cocktail, and mushroom-cheese tarts were passed around while we enjoyed the open bar during cocktail hour.  They had this great 2-man band who played very appropriate songs (Jimmy Buffett and Beach Boys during cocktails, and then other fun wedding songs once the party started!).  The Marine men got up at one point and sang songs from the ship (hilarious, I wish I had taken a video!). 

We finished the night off with a round at Pussers and then some live music at Middleton Tavern.  The bride & groom got a beer with us at Pussers, but went to bed shortly after (they had a 7am flight out of Dulles...AHHH!).  (Adam and I are still debating about going out after our reception - half of me wants to continue the celebrations with everyone on the corner, but the other half of me wants to just start my new life with the hubs right away!! We'll make that decision closer to the big day :) ) We walked around the harbor on Sunday morning, had a great brunch at Kitchen (we couldn't get into Chick & Ruths!), and "oooh & awed" at all the massive boats yachts!

This weekend we're going back to Atlanta for Adam's cousin's wedding (can't wait!!).  Todd (Adam's cousin) and Leah are such a FUN FUN couple.  I'm sure it'll be a blog-worthy wedding :)

Back from Vacation!

Oh man!  A week(+) of vacation is never enough, is it?  It's always the 5th or 6th day of vacation when you really start to r e l a x :)  But we had a great time!

First - the girls weekend at the Greenbrier was a success, and I think the bride-to-be was thrilled with how the weekend went!  We stayed in a beautiful cottage, had great weather, and tons of time to catch up and have fun. 

Our family's week at the beach was full of bocce, corn-hole, happy-hours on the beach, World Cup viewings, and lots of yummy food!  The fact that the next time we'll all be at the beach together, I'll be a MRS was brought up a time or two as well :)  My twin cousins will also have graduated from high school AND know where they are going to college this time next year!  A lot to look forward to!

As far as OUR wedding plans go, we have nothing new to report!  The next BIG thing on our to-do list are the Save-The-Dates.  There are so many awesome designs to chose from, it's going to be hard!  OH- and we're almost done our wedding "wedsite"!!  The last piece of the puzzle is making sure all the groomsmen know that they are in the wedding (ahem, cough, Adam, cough).

I hope you had a wonderful Fourth of July and that you're surviving this heat wave! More posts SOON!

Happiness is...

...the fact that in less than 24 hours I'll be reunited with dear friends to celebrate for a bachlorette weekend!  Indeed, one of my b'maids is getting hitched this July, and we're headed to The Greenbrier for some relaxation, games of black jack at the casino, and much more for the bride-to-be!  Her gracious MOH has a cottage at The Greenbrier and is hosting us for the weekend.  I used to go to The Greenbrier when we were younger (my mom's lawfirm would host retreats there) and I remember it being sooo gorgeous!! Can't wait!

AND, happiness is the fact that I'll be driving straight from the bachlorette party to THE BEACH!!  It is one of my most favorite times of the year!  Our family and my mom's sisters' families all crammed into one house.  Days full of reading good books, drinking cold drinks, bocce, crabbing, and just plain old fun.  It's funny, right after Adam and I got engaged, this week at the beach was one of the things I was looking forward to most!  Not that I imagine we'll be doing a lot of wedding planning at the beach, but just that it'll be us with our extended family, having fun!  Hopefully just like we'll be doing on May 7 ;)

Before I forget! I need to post soon about our recent weekend trip to Charlottesville!  My mom and I met with almost all of our vendors, and OH MY GOSH.  They all blew me away.  I've said it once, I'll say it 1 million more times - they are all so nice and put out the best vibes!  It is making this whole "planning a wedding" thing much less stressful :)

The McLean Engagement Party! (part 2)

Now for a post about the timeline of events leading up to the engagement party (which, even though it was almost two weeks ago, I still can't stop thinking about! Gosh it was fun).

10:45:  Mere and I arrive in McLean with Starbucks and our game-faces on, it's time to be put to work!
11:45:  My two aunts from Richmond arrive with food, coolers, and more helping hands, YAY!
1:15:    We take a lunch break and meet Adam and his momma (who is in town for the party) in town for a quick bite and we end up bringing them back to the house with us to help.  Seriously, we needed all the help we could get!
2-5pm: we are running and scurrying around outside & inside prepping, scrubbing, chopping, etc! Oh, and did I mention it was about 100 degrees outside and full humidity? Yep, welcome to a DC summer!  Luckily we had the A/C cranked up inside and lots of cold drinks to look forward to.  At this point we had enlisted the help of all my cousins, brothers, 1 neighbor (she was going to be our waitress for the night), and our roommate!  It was literally "all hands on deck."
6pm: party starts!  By the time we had our first margarita our nerves had calmed :)  I have no idea how we would have done it without everyone's help!

 Just some of the gorgeous & thoughtful decor my mom did :)

The party went by in a blur (albeit a happy, happy blur!), but I think Adam and I were able to speak with each and every one of the guests.  The outpouring of love, support, and well wishes from our friends and family was truly unbelievable!  And what I loved best was that our 20-something friends, my family, and our parents' friends got along SO WELL.  Everyone dealt with the sweltering heat without one complaint.  And the big hit of the night was when Auntie UVA brought out PATRON shots!!  My mom, and Adam's mom took some, too!  Too fun :)

Sweet sorority sisters who came to celebrate!

Wasn't kidding about that Patron!

Cheers!!

I think we're going to have our Atlanta engagement party this fall, and I'm already looking forward to round two.  If our McLean engagement party was any indication of what the wedding is going to be like, than I can't wait until May 7, 2011 :)

The McLean Engagement Party! (part 1)

I can't wait to share all the details from this crazy, amazing, wonderful, hectic, perfect weekend!  It was hot has as heck and we were all sweaty, but it (a) didn't rain, and (b) after the first margarita I don't think people really cared how hot it was!

Here are a few pictures from the weekend! I'll be back with more details soon!

before the guests arrived

me with some of the cousins (and bro!) in attendance 

 great surprise from my aunt: Patron Shots!

some of our great friends who made it for the party, thanks everyone!!

My parents put on one of the best parties I'd ever been to (and I'm not just saying that because they are my parents! It really and truly surpassed all of my expectations!)!  Thank you Mom & Dad for EVERYTHING.  And to everyone else who helped out, you rock! Thank you x 1,000!  

All photos are Mere's

Engagement Party Plans!

Howdy!

I survived Memorial Day weekend without any tan-lines (see previous post), so +1 for me :)  And it is a good thing because this weekend my mom & dad are hosting our Engagement Party!  It has been so fun planning it with them over the last few weeks, so excited that it is finally here!  They have been busy beautifying the house (it looks great), ordering food & drinks, and gathering RSVP's.  We're serving Margaritas & Fajitas and looking forward to celebrating with everyone!  I still haven't seen all of our family and family-friends yet!

We made other big "moves" over the long weekend, including the BAND (yesssssss).  Sadly we didn't get a chance to view them live (I know, serious wedding faux pas), but I completely trust the booking-agent (I worked with him when I was social chair for my sorority!), and he said the band will have us all on the dance floor all night!  That's all we want.

Also, two of my dear friends got married this weekend!  While we weren't at the wedding I've seen some pics and omgosh.  Too precious for words.  They make the cutest, happiest couple, and I wish them nothing but happiness!

AND, one of my b'maids celebrated her 1-year anniversary with her hubby!! How has 1 year gone by already?!  Here's to 101 more years :)

(don't they look like models?! I stole this from her facebook, shhh)

Happy Monday Tuesday!!

SPF 55

Happy (almost) Memorial Day!! The official kick-off to a much deserved summer of warm weather & hopefully lots of sunshine :)

Starting this weekend, I will be spending most weekends between now & September poolside (and most likely) bridal-magazine in hand.  And this got me thinking about bathing suits (I always like starting off the summer with 1 or 2 cute new suits!)...and then I started thinking about being tan...and then...BATHING SUIT TAN LINES.  I get tan (thanks, Dad!), but I'm not so good about being evenly tan, which means I get bathing suit tan lines bad.  Like, I still have my tan lines from LAST SUMMER (ok ok, and from Puerto Rico).  So I think I need to strategically plan my bikini buying for the next 12 months, because I'm pretty positive I'll be wearing a strapless white dress next May, and bathing suit tan lines are not invited to the wedding!

Another challenge I have, is that even though I get super dark, I still burn.  And my burns then turn into realllllly dark tans.  Again, not lookin' good for my tan lines. ARGH!

So here's my summer strategy: 

(source)

• SPF 30 for arms, legs, torso (ALL summer), and SPF 55 for my face + hat

• Bandeau bikini's non-stop (or at least, a majority of the time! How cute is this one on sale at Jcrew?)

And other than that, just try not to get toooo many tan lines!  I hope you have a great holiday weekend!!

[the top pic was taken at Pawley's Island last summer, one of my happy places!]