Engagement Party - St. Louis Style

We just got back from an incredible weekend in St. Louis with my family. Our flight landed in STL on Friday afternoon and went with my mom straight to Cecil Whittakers, my favorite pizza place, for lunch. They have St. Louis-style pizza; it's a thin crust pizza with provel cheese - and soooo good. After lunch, we went over to my cousin (and matron of honor) Lindsey's house to see her and her two boys. Gavin just turned 6 months old, and I hadn't been able to see him in person; I had met Logan (who's now 2) a couple times, but it's amazing how much bigger he's gotten!

The guys showing off our fish

My dad suggested going fishing the next morning, so 4 of us got up before 5am and drove a couple hours to Maramac Springs Park. The creek is stocked with trout every night, and we had a very successful fishing trip. David (my brother) and my dad each got their limit of 4 trout in the first hour, and Patrick & I helped get that total up to 14 by the time we left. It was gorgeous: there was fog over the water when we arrived, and the water was so clear you could see the fish swimming around.

My dad announcing Patrick's new title

After getting back to my parents' house and taking naps, it was time for the engagement party! It was really hard for me not to mention anything to Patrick in the week leading up to our trip, but my dad had been planning a surprise for him - a ceremony to induct Patrick into our royal Polish family. My Uncle Dave took Patrick away to go to the gas station (so we could get everything prepared), and he came back to see everyone sitting in the living room & some of us wearing crowns; there was also Polish music playing. The initial look of confusion/fear/amusement on his face was PRICELESS.

The Royal Family

The ceremony was hilarious, and my dad went above and beyond anything I expected! He had put together a 3-page script, had Burger King crowns for all of us and he had decorated a red velvet crown for Patrick. He also had a scepter, a sword, pierogies, polish sausage and polish pickles to present to him. A couple of my dad's uncles acted as the elders, and they all walked in with a blanket around each of their shoulders and their Burger King crown. The two of them even stood up and sang a song in Polish! Just thinking about the ceremony makes me start giggling, and it was the perfect addition to the party.

It was an incredible weekend overall, and I'm very thankful for how much my family has embraced Patrick. Everyone adores him, and they easily see why I'm so happy with him. After a really rough year last year, all the fun & laughter is definitely a huge step in turning that around.

-Lisa

Yep... It's Another Shoe Update

In doing research on making strassed shoes, I read that it took some people 30+ hours to finish their shoes. After going through my 4,320 crystals, my question to those people is: WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG?!

I apparently FLEW through the process of decorating these shoes. I'd say it took maaaaybe 10 hours, but even that # is pushing it, and the time went by fast b/c there was a movie or tv on the whole time.

Unfortunately, I ran out of crystals just before I finished... but I only have to finish decorating the part of the straps that surround the buckle. No problem: I can just pick some similar crystals up at Michaels!

The latest picture update is to the right:

Because these 4-inch heels are probably going to kill my feet after a while - and b/c I don't want to break/sprain an ankle while trying to dance in them - I have plans for a pair of reception shoes, too... and those were started tonight!

In order to prevent the glitter from getting everywhere, I used a thin pink glitter and fabric glue that said it would stay flexible after drying to made a paste, and then that paste was painted on a pair of comfortable flats. The shoes still need some work b/c the paste needs to be applied smoothly and they need a couple more coats, but my vision is coming together. Even though it looks like there are multiple pink colors in the picture, it's only b/c it's still wet.

It's so much fun to be allowed (and encouraged!) to make my outfit for our big celebration 'ME'! Can you tell I'm still loving this whole process?!

-Lisa

Ceremony Shoes - 1 Down... 1 to Go!

I got the crystals from ebay in the mail this week, so I started working on decorating my shoes yesterday! I definitely get more entertainment from gluing the crystals on than Patrick did... He watched for about 2 minutes, said, "This is worse than watching paint dry!" and walked off. ;)

I worked on gluing for about an hour yesterday and finished the first shoe today (besides for the area surrounding the buckle) while listening/watching some shark shows for a few hours. Check it out!

Starting out by lining the edges:

Shoe #1 - DONE!:

- Lisa

Tonight's Open House at Aldea

We went to Aldea tonight for their weekly open house. Because tonight was the last Wednesday of the month, they had it set up like they would for a ceremony and cocktail hour - in addition to just the reception area. It was gorgeous.

Once inside, we were starving and started with food. We got food from the caterer who hasn't been very easy to work with, and we were very underwhelmed with the food. The grilled vegetables that looked incredible turned out to be refrigerated and a little soggy. The pork roast tasted like it had Campbell's cream of chicken soup poured over it. We then went over to Babbo's table and once again loved the food. The bread salad, pasta, bruschetta... all good. Love them, and they're moving further and further ahead of their competition.

After eating, it was time for dessert, and we went to the two bakers to try some cake. The first had 3 types of cake to try: strawberry/banana, chocolate/banana and vanilla/raspberry. It was good, and the example cakes they brought were very pretty (I loved that 2 of them had crystals on them in some way :) ). The second baker wasn't there in person, but she had dropped off some cake to be used as samples. Patrick and I both stared at one of them that could either be carrot or pumpkin; when we were told it was pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting, his eyes absolutely lit up. Mr. "I don't really like cake and don't eat much sugar" went back for a couple extra little pieces. I admit it was very good, but he's sold.

We met with Manny, the DJ from Push Play Entertainment. We had looked at his website and did research on reviews and were very satisfied; we just needed to meet with him. I set it up that we'd meet him at the open house, and he was ready for us with a questionnaire that already had our name and wedding date on there. He seems very organized and knowledgeable, and we both felt comfortable enough with him that we booked him before we left. We're very excited, and now get to start working on the questionnaire that includes all of our specifications/requests of songs/games/etc.

We're definitely moving in the right direction!

-Lisa

Some Wedding Traditions Explained

It seems like everything wedding-related goes back to some tradition, and that caught my curiosity. I used a number of different websites, and I'm admitting I'm not going to give credit to those pages for the information; good thing I'm not in school ;). Who knows if these are actually true, but in doing research, these were the traditions I was most amused/intrigued by:

• The word "bridal" - That word originated from beer! At some point, the bride and groom would drink together, and "bridal" evolved from "bride's ale."
• Throwing the bouquet - One of the explanations says that the bride threw a bouquet of flowers into a crowd in order to distract them so she could escape.
• Left side / right side - The reason the bride stands on the left goes back to the days when the groom would have to kidnap his bride. In case he had to fight someone, he held his bride's hand with his left hand - that left his right hand free to use his sword.
• Wedding rings - Why are wedding rings worn on the left hand on the second to last finger? Both Romans and Egyptians believed that there was a vein that ran from that finger directly to the heart.
• The toast - Why is it called that? An old French custom was to place a small piece of bread into a wine glass - for flavor.
• Throwing the garter - Anything brides wear is considered to be good luck. At one point in history, people would tear off pieces of the bride's dress so they could get good luck. In order to keep her dress unharmed, brides used a garter as a distraction.
• Veils - Arranged marriages were part of history, and there was a chance that if the groom saw his bride before the wedding, he could try to refuse to marry her. To avoid that, brides started wearing veils to hide their face until she was given away by her father at the altar.
• White dress - Even though the Japanese have always used white dresses in weddings, Queen Victoria is to thank for starting that popular tradition in the western world. Prior to her wedding, brides just wore their best dress.
• Something Old - Brides wear something old to symbolize that they're still connected with their family & past.
• Something New - Symbolized the bride's optimism & hope for her life ahead.
• Something Borrowed - The borrowed item is often from someone who is happily married; the item is said to pass on their good fortune in marriage. Another explanation is that it reminds the bride she can rely on her friends & family.
• Something Blue - The color blue symbolized purity, fidelity and love.
• ...and a Sixpence in Your Shoe - Apparently that's the last line in the "something borrowed" rhyme. It's meant to signify good fortune and prosperity.

Who knew!

-Lisa

Tuxedo Appointment - Attempt #2

We were really productive this Saturday! We got up early and both worked out. From there, we met up with some friends for lunch and stopped by David's Bridal to get a fabric swatch & then to another Men's Wearhouse. This experience was a LOT better. Kathy (the saleslady who introduced herself first thing!) walked us through all the details of the types of tuxedos & accessories. She showed us all the vests and ties, and I have to admit that the flowered & striped combination (shown in the picture) didn't look too bad when put with a tuxedo.

We talked to her about the possibility of having the groomsmen buy suits instead of renting tuxes. I wasn't big on that idea...until she explained the difference between suits and tuxedos. Do you know the difference? It's not much... As compared to suits, tuxedos have:

1. A satin stripe down the leg of the pants (instead of not having the stripe)
2. A satin lapel (instead of being the same material as the rest of the jacket)
3. Buttons on the jacket sleeve are fabric-covered (instead of being plastic)

That's it?! Once I realized that there wasn't much difference between the two, and it would only be a little bit more expensive for the guys to get to keep a suit (instead of paying $ and keeping nothing), I opened up to the idea. Patrick is in the process of talking to the guys to get their opinions, but we looked at some black suits, and I think that either would look good.

We wanted to also check out JoS A. Bank, another suit/shop. I realize that we're probably a hard sell b/c we're both in sales, but simply put: we have hoooooorrible luck with our first experience at each tux shop. We walked in, and after standing and waiting patiently a couple minutes for the guy at the register to finish writing something, he told us to take a seat next to a desk with a computer. 

We started flipping through the book of vest & tie colors, and after about 5 minutes, a guy with a store manager nametag came peeking awkwardly around the corner. He was very distracted and kind of talked to us about general details of what comes with the tuxes, but kept looking around the corner - then walked away with no warning.

I looked at Patrick with wide eyes, and he calmed me down saying, "Don't worry, he's just waiting for the salesperson to finish up with his customer; that's why he kept looking around the corner." At that moment, the manager came back and handed us his card, saying, "Here's my card before I forget," and walked away again. Whaaaaattt?!

We tracked him down and Patrick did a great job of asking specific questions - that were answered briefly; he wasn't about to volunteer any information that wasn't asked about (having had a bunch of questions answered by Kathy at Men's Wearhouse, we knew the basics and knew what questions to ask). Patrick asked if the guy could write down some of the prices/info he was talking about, and the guy practically threw a pen at him and told him he could jot down whatever notes he wanted.

I asked if we could see some of the specific suits/tuxes/shoes/vests/ties, and with each question, he said we couldn't! They apparently don't keep them in the store, and we have to go by the colors (on the 1 inch x 1 inch swatches) & pictures in the book or website. After the 4th "NO" we got while asking to see a sample - and the 3rd time the guy randomly walked away - that was about all. We asked for other locations of JoS A. Banks in the valley b/c even though we liked the selection & prices, this guy was definitely not getting credit for our sale.We'll try again on that one...

Update on the Flower Dog Outfit... Belle's dress is looking REALLY good. I have it finished besides for finishing the underside (the loose ends/threads need to be covered up). She's such a good sport; as I played around with ideas of what would be the best way to make sure the dress stayed on, she patiently sat in front of me and waited until I was finished. I finally realized that instead of making a dress that had to be closed with a zipper/velcro/snaps/etc, I would just make the dress around (and attached to) the new harness I bought for her that matches the bridesmaid dresses. Genius!

That's all for now. Goodnight!

-Lisa

Chance & Belle

One of the most important things to Patrick and me is to make sure our wedding is very much US. Well, if you weren't aware of this, we're proud parents, and it just wouldn't be US if our "kids" weren't a part of our wedding.

If you're haven't met our "kids," their names are Belle and Chance, and they're our dogs. Belle (my 5lb Chihuahua) and Chance (his 35lb English Springer Spaniel) are both 3.5 to 4 years old and have become best friends over the course of our relationship; they're hilarious together. We could watch them for hours: Chance is so gentle with Belle and will lower a toy so she can grab on and play tug of war. Belle rules the roost when she wants to... that little dog can be tough and bites his nose when she wants to keep him in line. She sits between his front two paws when she wants to feel safe, and they cuddle up often to take naps together.

We've heard of people including their dogs in their wedding, and we loved that idea. Their titles are still in the works, but we want to have Belle as the "Flower Dog" (instead of Flower Girl), and Chance would be the "Ring Dog-er" or "Ring Dog" (instead of Ring Bearer). If you have a suggestion on what to call them, please let me know!

I bought material to make Belle's dress, and I started working on that tonight. I think it'll be tougher than I originally thought b/c I want to make her dress similar to mine & apparently it's not easy to replicate! That means Patrick won't get to see it until the wedding day, but he's ok with that. Chance's outfit probably won't be as intricate; we're talking about just having him in a bow tie & collar to match the groomsmen, but we'll see what I/we come up with.

It makes me smile just thinking of them being a part of our wedding day.

-Lisa