House Renovation Update

I mentioned in an earlier post that Patrick's house flooded, and there's been some progress on the renovations. Especially for our parents, I wanted to give an update with a couple pictures.

First though, let's go back... September 17th, 2011, 5:30pm.

Taken about an hour into our progress

After a great day of jet skiing with some friends at Bartlett Lake, Patrick/Chance/Belle/I planned on quickly stopping by his house to get a change of clothes before heading to the Mercury playoff game. We were stopped in our tracks by a couple inches of water throughout his entire house.

We kicked into 'emergency mode' and immediately got to work making phone calls to insurance & Servicemaster and then started getting the water out of the house.

Three hours later, we finally had most of the water out and were EXHAUSTED. Servicemaster wound up coming the next day and set up 3 dehumidifiers and over 20 fans throughout the house. Those ran for over 5-6 days and finally dried out the walls... but it left his house unlivable because of the 110 degree inside temperature.

By the time everything was dry, there were a few areas with significant damage:
   ●  The baseboards (shown in the picture to the right) took in water and expanded so they no longer matched up at the corners. They had to be taken off, and while doing that, paint peeled both off the walls and the floors.
   ●  Since the water was pouring out the cabinet under the kitchen sink for hours, the water damaged some of the cabinets, and the kickboards of the cabinets had to be taken off to make sure water wasn't trapped underneath (resulting in mold/mildew).
   ●  As one of the exit points for the water, the frame of the front door became warped - you can see light coming in when you have the front door closed.

Here's the progress so far:
   ●   The baseboards have been replaced and painted white. The entire house has been repainted to touch up anywhere that the paint peeled (each wall was repainted, not just the area that needed it). Since it would be happening anyway, Patrick's room no longer has the orange accent wall (he's a little sad about this); the accent wall is now a navy/cornflower-ish blue color, and the other three walls are a light gray. The gray looks kind of similar to a baby blue, but as we put things up on the walls, it's looking more and more gray.

Upside-down broken countertop

   ●   The countertop had to be taken off to repair the cabinets. Although it didn't break as they were removing it, it broke in their process of putting it back on. We're now officially getting new countertops!! They put in a couple new cabinets and matched the stain so it matches up. Some retouches need to be done, but the cabinets are just about finished.
   ●   A new front door is leaning up against the living room wall - just waiting to be installed. Instead of the lovely gold-trimmed window in the door & gold hardware, we'll have a dark brown, fiberglass door with brushed nickel hardware.
   ●   We've chosen the type of carpet we want and are going to get a 2nd quote this week in order to get the best possible pricing.

Patrick and I have also made some upgrades/additions of our own. We:

   ●  ...bought a new stainless under-mount sink for the kitchen. With the new granite countertops, we figured it was worth it to make the investment in a new sink since he currently has a top-mount, off-white, porcelain sink. It's not very attractive. ;)
   ●  ...moved the ceiling fan/light from his bedroom to the dining area; now the fans in the living room and dining area match when you look through the room.
   ●  ...installed a new ceiling fan/light in Patrick's bedroom that ties in the dark wood of the headboard and base of the bed.
   ●  ...installed a new light above the island in the kitchen and were even able to position it so it's centered over the island (as compared to being directly over the walkway between the island and refrigerator).

   ●  ...bought a new big clock for the living room.
   ●  ...decided to get rid of the reverse osmosis system - No need to risk having another flood! To replace that, we got a new water dispenser that puts out either hot or cold water, and the 5-gallon jug is hidden inside.
   ● ...installed a motion-detection light in the guest bathroom since the lightswitch is in an awkward spot and guests never know where the light is located.

Even though it seems like it's been a slow process, the house is actually coming together!

-Lisa

Our Garage Sale

This isn't a "wedding" post, but it's kind of related... We're having a garage sale!

If you're worried about us having a lack of garage sale experience, you need not worry. I'm not sure about Patrick, but garage sale-ing is in my blood ;). I'm a proud bargain-hunter who grew up with a mom and a grandma who went to garage sales almost every Saturday. We would usually have our own garage sale every couple years, and I remember how much fun it was to work the garage sale - Grandma would usually come over (sometimes aunts/cousins would come, too), we'd get up early to hang the signs, someone would go get donuts and we'd help with making change, putting purchases into bags and just being there to "help." As kids, we probably got in the way more than anything, but having the garage sales as a family has always been a really fun memory.

Twice a year, Patrick's HOA sponsors a subdivision garage sale. I had been asking him to keep an eye out for notification of the next one, and he got an email today saying the next one is coming up the weekend of November 10th-12th! That leaves us just over 2 weeks to get ready for a Saturday sale. Yikes!

Patrick and I have contradicting opinions about the total amount of belongings I own ;)... He thinks that I have way too much "STUFF," and I think that I'm prepared for just about anything - haha. When I bought my townhouse (which has 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a loft), I had a lot of fun filling the house. Each of the rooms is decorated and is completely furnished. The main negative about the idea of Patrick and I eventually moving in together is that his story is identical: when he bought his house, he completely furnished it. That totals 2 houses worth of furniture, clothes, decorations - and yes, Patrick: "stuff" - that will have to go into one house. Arizona doesn't give us the luxury of having a basement to hide stuff in, so the bottom line is that we need to get rid of a lot.

Now that we have the garage sale date, both of us got to work on our houses tonight. I had started by organizing my closet last week, and as of tonight, I have a pile of trash bags, a big Rubbermaid container and a big box filled with garage sale items (see picture for some of it).

We're probably going to have some big items for the sale. This could provide a nice addition to our honeymoon fund or $ to go towards the renovations in his house, and hey, even the little things add up! Anything that isn't sold at the garage sale could either be posted on Craigslist, donated to Goodwill or held onto for a future sale... although I don't necessarily see a May sale (a few weeks before our wedding) making a lot of sense.

I'm excited because just like the half marathon, this gives us a goal to work towards, & it gives a set timeline of when we need to have everything ready to go. In the next couple weeks, there's a lot of work to be done.

-Lisa

Meeting With Potential Officiant #1

Last night, Patrick and I met with a potential wedding officiant for about an hour.

This guy seems genuine and said that he performs weddings because he feels there's a need for someone who would perform Catholic-focused weddings without the requirements the Phoenix Catholic diocese has put in place (9 months of premarital counseling to include 4 months of 'natural family planning,' and the ceremony has to be performed inside a church). He's definitely a talker, and he got off subject easily when asked questions, but we think he'd be good if he had a script to follow. He admitted he isn't the most organized person, but as long as he would have the details we give him for the ceremony, that should go smoothly. He's happy to give suggestions (we got a couple sample scripts), but he said he's more than open to changing the order/wording/details per our preferences.

The only thing that I'm not completely sold on is the fact that we don't really know him, and he doesn't really know us... I'd like whoever officiates our wedding to know us in some way, but how well can you really get to know someone after 1 (or 2) meetings? Patrick put it well in saying that a wedding ceremony is part show, and we need to make sure we find someone who can carry that out well.

We still haven't given up on the idea of finding a priest who will perform the ceremony at Aldea, but nothing has been figured out yet. Until we exhaust all the options, we're not rushing into a decision on the officiant. IF we can't find a priest, we're still planning on meeting with a priest to have our marriage "recognized" by the church, but that'll be some point after our ceremony on May 26th.

Our day is going to be a really special occasion, and I'm sure we'll find the person who will perform the ceremony of our dreams.

-Lisa

A Half Marathon?!

Yes, that's right: Patrick and I signed up for the Arizona Half Marathon on February 25th, 2012.

I'm excited at the thought of having a goal to work towards, and I think that this is an ideal time to train for a half marathon. Patrick has mentioned a few times that he'd like to get back into running, and I want to continue getting into better shape and toning up for the wedding.

Now, let me point out the reasons I'm also terrified... ;) I've never really been someone who enjoys running; I've joked around with people that the only way I'm able to run is if I'm distracted with a basketball, soccer ball, etc and don't realize I'm running ;). Patrick keeps telling me that I'll gain a new appreciation for how relaxing ("RELAXING"?!) running can be, and is convinced I'll start to really enjoy it. We'll see on that... lol. Tomorrow is the one year anniversary of my Achilles surgery, and it's crazy to think that a year ago, I wasn't able to even WALK. I'd say that I'm back to about 100%, but it still scares me to push myself too far b/c my Achilles ruptured while I was standing still (in the last minute of an alumni basketball game); I do NOT want to go through that surgery again.

It's a huge commitment, and yes, I'm scared, but I think that it's something that both of us can work towards - and achieve - together.

Still, I'm going back and forth between the reactions of, "I can do this," and "Are you freaking kidding me?! What did I get myself into?" Yikes!

- Lisa

The Suits Have Been Ordered

We got the suits figured out tonight! I really like them and think they're going to look very good, but I have to admit I'm disappointed in one thing: this suit doesn't come with a vest. We had picked out a black suit with a vest originally, and when we went to check out another Men's Wearhouse, we found this similar, charcoal suit by the same designer... Apparently, we didn't realize it was vest-less.

My sneaky way of incorporating pink into the guys' outfits was by those vests: the lining of the inside of the suits and the back part of the vests is a pink silky material with a turquoise logo print. With no longer having the vests, the guys won't be showing any pink when they take off their suit jackets. ::sigh:: Patrick DID promise me though to have a couple pictures taken with the guys showing off the inside lining of the suit jackets, though; that made me smile!

Growing up, the vision I always had of "a wedding" was to have the guys in black tuxes, and it's a little strange for me that we'll be having charcoal-colored suits. Don't get me wrong; I think the dark gray will look great on the guys, and it makes it more spring-y AND gets the look away from a stereotypical penguin suit lol. It's just making the wedding 'us' instead of what's 'expected;' that part is fantastic.

This suit is made from a nicer fabric and is higher quality than the original black tone-on-tone suit with the vest, and like I mentioned before, Patrick really didn't want to go with a black suit... Even though this doesn't have distinct stripes he originally wanted, I think we're both happy!

We still like the idea of getting shirts and ties that match the bridesmaid dresses, and we'll probably just skip the idea of having vests altogether... At this point, our thought for all the guys is:

• Groomsmen: Blue shirt, Blue tie
• Patrick: Blue shirt, White tie
• Dads: White shirt, Blue tie

Closeup of the fabric (it looks lighter b/c of the flash)

Patrick's going to get the details sent out to each of the groomsmen and dads; that'll be coming soon.

Despite my (small) disappointment in the lack of the vest, Patrick looked REALLY sharp in the suit when he tried it on. It was kind of a strange feeling seeing him try it on with a white dress shirt, and it's crazy to think he'll be wearing that in a little over 7 months - for OUR WEDDING!

-Lisa

I'm an Invitation MACHINE!

Most wedding advice/etiquette websites I've found say to send out the invitations 6-8 weeks before the wedding. Since one website said "Plan to place your invitation order at least 3-4 months in advance," we're wayyy ahead b/c I FINISHED THE INVITATIONS TONIGHT!

Traditional wedding etiquette also says that it's necessary to address each envelope by hand, but Martha Stewart is on my side; on her website, she says, "calligraphy done by computer directly on the envelope is gaining popularity and acceptability."

Not that we're doing everything by the book, but thank you, Martha! I printed each of the envelopes using the same two fonts as our invitations, and they're ready to be sealed, stamped and sent at the end of March!

I won't post a clear picture of the actual invitations yet (I'll do that after they're mailed out), but a teaser is posted below. I should have kept track to see how many hours the 100-ish invitations took to make from scratch... but maybe it's better not to know! Let's just say Patrick and I were thrilled that these were safe at my house when his house flooded; if they had been ruined by the water, I may have lost it...! ;)

Even with the ridiculous number of hours printing, cutting, gluing, assembling, etc, etc, etc, looking back, I'd make the decision to do it again! Invitations can get soooo expensive, and I wanted to avoid huge unnecessary expenses. Sure, I'm not charging myself for labor expenses, but by keeping an eye on the sales at Joann's and Michael's, the invitations have wound up costing less than $0.75 each! We still have to get the stamps, but considering I read that "The average couple spends $659 on invitations and reply-cards," I have to think our invitations have been a pretty darn good deal so far!

The hard work paid off!

It's such a great feeling to look at the stacks of invitations and know they came together better than I had hoped. I LOVE them!

On DIY-related note, I got some orders for personalized hangers! I posted pictures of the hangers I had made so far on Facebook last night, and I've received a few requests already (for a total of 5 hangers)! My friend Rachael is coming over on Wednesday night, and we're going to have a crafty night to work on hangers: I'm going to show her what's worked well for me, and then we'll both be making some. It's fun to share the love of crafts with someone!

-Lisa

Garter #2: Finished

Can you believe this is blog entry #51?! Apparently, they add up quickly.

I sat down tonight to work on the 2nd garter, and it's finished! I made it a larger version of the first one: the first will be the throwing garter, and the second will be the one we keep. I liked it a lot in person, but I'm thinking it looks kind of awkward in the picture lol... I'll have to do some thinking if it should be changed in any way - or if I should just stop trying to be a perfectionist and say it looks great. ;)

No need to make a decision at this second, and thank goodness b/c it's time for me to get to sleep. Goodnight!

- Lisa

Next Up: Card Box

The next project I want to start working on is the card box for the reception. Necessary? No. Going to happen? Yep!

The version that I want to make will include probably have the word 'CARDS' on it to make it clear, and I think it would also look good to have the "L&P" monogram included somehow. There are some really cute ideas/examples online, and here are some of my favorites...

Hmm... Now to turn the ideas into reality.

-Lisa

Suits - Trying Again

Patrick loves stripes

Yesterday evening, Patrick and I went to Men's Wearhouse to take another look at potential suits for the wedding. His ideal suit for the wedding would be black with white pinstripes (or white with black pinstripes!), and my ideal look would be as close as possible to a tux: solid black. His opinion is the most important in this b/c he's the one who'll be wearing the suit after the wedding. Even though I want the look to be classy (and definitely want to have a say), I want to make sure he's happy with the decision - as long as there are no 'gangster stripe' suits. ;)

Very similar to the suit we like

We found a suit that is a combination of both of our preferences: it's a dark charcoal (it's a lot closer to black than gray) and has subtle stripe in the material. It comes with a matching vest, and it should be a really good deal. Men's Wearhouse has Buy One Get One Free sales, and with that sale PLUS an additional discount the manager offered, buying the suit should be less expensive than renting a tux! Sure, there will be additional costs for tailoring and it doesn't come with a shirt/shoes, but the guys will get to keep the suit after the wedding!

We were throwing around ideas on the way back from Men's Wearhouse, and Patrick had a great idea: instead of going with the traditional white shirts, he suggested having the guys wear shirts & ties that match the bridesmaids' dresses. It took a minute for the idea to register, and then I realized I love the idea.

Malibu shirt & tie

I tried to find a picture that shows the vision we have in our heads, and the only ones I could find are of kids' suits! The picture to the left shows a general idea of what a dark suit would look like with a dark vest and teal/turquoise (David's Bridal's "Malibu" color) shirt and tie. We think that it's a great way to add a little fun mixed with a twist on the traditional black suit & white shirt. I went to a couple department stores tonight, and I have a feeling it's going to be tougher than I thought to find a shirt that exactly matches the color. No worries... If I MUST, I'll continue shopping - with my fabric swatch in hand!

Black vest or white vest?

Patrick's shirt and tie color still hasn't been decided, but I think both would look good in white. He could also get a white vest, but the black could look good, too. Hmm...

The manager from Men's Wearhouse is going to call Patrick tomorrow to get the suits set up and ordered! We'll figure the shirts and ties out later, but I think this is huge! Besides for the officiant and a musician for the ceremony, the guys' attire is one of the last big things we have to figure out. With over 200 days left, we're doing still doing really well with the planning progress. I love it.

- Lisa

Working Out for the Wedding

Weight is always a touchy subject - especially for females in general - and even more for women trying to look the best they've ever looked for their wedding. In writing a blog entry on this subject, I want to start it off by saying that I'm not trying to say I'm fat. Don't worry... I don't have unrealistic expectations; I'm above the weight I feel comfortable, and I'm just trying to make myself healthier in general!

When I graduated from college, I went from being a college athlete - who worked out every day and could eat whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted - to working in the sports industry with really long hours. When I got home, the last thing I wanted to do was work out, and I wanted to eat the first/easiest thing available. I did a good job of not letting myself get too out-of-control, but over the 5.5 years of working at the arena, I gained about 10 pounds total. I still felt ok with how I looked, and I think those extra few pounds are to be expected in that much of a change!

A year ago, I tore my achilles which led to me not being able to work out (or even walk for a while) for months. I gained 10-15 pounds over that time, and I was way above where I felt comfortable. I didn't feel the same in my favorite clothes, and I didn't like how I looked in pictures. Getting engaged was the best motivation to lose that weight I could imagine ;).

Over the last five months, I've tried to focus on eating healthy (well, at least "healthier") and working out more than I had been. Patrick has been great about helping to get healthier meals and becoming more active. For example, we went on a 4.5 mile hike yesterday, and according to our heart rate monitors, each of us burned over 1,000 calories! We go on walks with the dogs, and he got a treadmill that's been helpful, too. In order to keep my sanity, I've realized that there have to be 'splurge days,' and we still have our favorite meals from time to time and also go out for drinks with friends... just not as often as we did before.

I admit that I've gotten frustrated at times because I want the change to be IMMEDIATE, and it's a slow process (especially b/c I'm trying to make changes slowly so they can be maintained). I've really been feeling better lately though, and I'm proud to say I've lost the 10-15 pounds that I gained after my surgery!

I would like to get down to the same weight I was in college (which was actually the same as it was in high school - I was just more toned in college). That's the goal, and weight training will definitely be a part of that process. Hey, I gotta get my back/shoulders/arms to look stunning in my dress! ;). For now, it's moving in the right direction!

- Lisa

Hidden Blessings

A little over three years ago, I made the decision that I was independent enough - and didn't need to wait for a guy - to buy a house. I figured that since there was no guarantee on when/if that guy was coming along, I could get the pieces of my life together, and whenever/if the right guy came along, he could just fit into the open piece of the puzzle. I bought my townhouse with the thought that I'd eventually live there with the guy I'd marry, and I've put a lot of thought/time into making it exactly like I wanted.

Wellllll, I didn't plan on meeting a guy who was in the process of buying his own house in order get HIS life together ;). Only a few weeks into dating (and even before he closed on it), Patrick gave me a tour of the house. Throughout the entire process, he has been incredible about asking my opinion on decorating and getting the house to the place it is today... well... the place it was a few weeks ago... but I'll get to that.

After we get married, Patrick and I are planning on living in his house and renting out my house. It makes more sense b/c he has 3 bedrooms (compared to my 2), has a backyard & doggy door (compared to my patio and grassy area nearby) and it a couple hundred square feet larger than my place. My place is ideal to rent out to roommates, so that shouldn't be a problem finding someone. Still, I've had a really hard time with the idea of moving into "his" house. I've thought it out many times, and I think that the reason I've been really struggling with it is that I was just imagining moving into the house as is.

We've talked about this multiple times, and one of his main points is correct: he has been amazing in including me on many of the decisions of the house, but [especially early on] I've put it together with just him in mind - not "us" in mind. He's been more than willing to consider changing the bedroom (for example) when I move in; as much as my fuchsia wall accent suits me - and his orange accent wall suits him - neither one would be good for us as a couple ;). We decided on a blue and gray theme for the bedroom which is going to be gorgeous & calming at the same time. We were also talking about getting carpeting for the house because it's currently painted concrete throughout the house.

Here's the thing I referenced earlier... A few weeks ago, Patrick's house flooded (with about 2 inches of water throughout the whole house) due to a broken reverse osmosis system under the sink. We've been working with insurance and contractors, and apparently, his house will be getting new baseboards, a new color of paint on the walls and carpet (to replace the painted floors). Also, since the cabinets in the kitchen need to be repaired, they're going to have to take off the countertops - and the contractor said that the countertop will crack in that process 99.9% of the time. Because of that, we'll probably have to get new countertops (neither of us likes the current countertops).

As much of a headache as this has been for Patrick - and the fact that his house is kind of in shambles with the torn off baseboards and damaged/ruined personal items - I think this is one of the biggest blessings in disguise possible. Now, we'll be able to put the house together as a couple - with us as a couple in mind! It'll make it a LOT easier for me to think of it as my house, too, and the plan is a project we can work on together. Looking at the situation optimistically, it's actually really exciting!

He gets back in town (from a work trip) tomorrow night, and the contractors may come again on Thursday to get more details together. For his sanity, I'm thinking the sooner the process gets going, the better!

-Lisa

Let Them Eat Cake

We met with one of Aldea's preferred bakers on Wednesday night. I don't know if my expectation of our meeting was unrealistic, but I have to admit that I felt a little let down at the end of our meeting. 

Don't get me wrong; she was very nice and seemed to be VERY willing to work with our ideas to the best of her ability. Her cakes looked nice, and she was great with the idea of doing cupcakes and a small cake. I guess I just expected that she'd bring samples of a lot of different combinations of flavors/fillings/icings... and she only had samples of 3: pumpkin and red velvet (that I had told her we had tried at an open house and already decided on) - and a chocolate with peanut butter mousse (it tasted like Reeses peanut butter cups, but the chocolate cake was dry). 

I also felt like she wasn't really listening when we told her multiple times that we wanted to stay away from chocolate flavors since Patrick doesn't like chocolate. We asked for her suggestion on numerous occasions, and she kept responding with suggestions that included chocolate in some way. 

She showed pictures of her cupcake stand, and I actually loved it. We provide the decorations for the stand (paper/fabric/ribbon/etc) and let her know our vision & she'll put it together. She was also more than willing to put on cupcake picks (potentially with our monogram) and/or cupcake wrappers. 

Patrick and I were talking about making our own cupcake stand, but this would give time for us to work on other projects. The pink/black design shows the size it would probably be for our reception, and the peach version shows what it looks like while in use. 

My parents (and Patrick) were giving me a hard time earlier today b/c I just expect people to do their job. If someone is a design consultant for carpet, I want them to act as a consultant to help figure out what it is that would work best overall. For the baker, I want to be able to try flavors outside of what I ask for and to have him/her listen if we don't want a flavor.

Eh. I don't know. Maybe I'm being too hard on her b/c I'm tired; there actually were a lot of things that we liked about her and her work. Who knows; after a good night's sleep, it may be a completely different outlook.

We'll see!
-Lisa