88 and doing (not so) great...lol

Some days, as I have stated, I have it all together and other days...well, lets just say, "I'm lucky I know where I am." Some may say, I'm that way all the time, but they are VERY bad people...LOL.

My biggest helper with the wedding, so far, has been my 9 year old, Claudia. She tells me exactly what she likes or says things like, "Mommy, I like this for when I get married."...It's cute to watch her. She was sooooo adorable helping me choose ribbon this week. Ahhh, who am I kidding? She is adorable ALL the time. I probably would have chosen whatever she had picked, but since she is so much like me...we were on the same page. HER dress, though...we differ a bit, but I'll end up letting her get whatever she wants...I always do.

Catarina, well, she has opinions, too. She freaked me out a tad this week, though. The song she is going to sing at the wedding came on...and she had no idea what it was...I'm going to cut her some slack, however, it was the original version and she is familiar with a different version so no panic, YET...LOL.

It is wonderful to have their blessings. It is very important to me that they approve of this marriage. Their feelings and opinions have been just like the relationship between Mr. Chad and I...there has been ups and downs, but more of the first and less of the latter.

88,87,86,85,84...and so on. I hope you will stick with me.

89...time to panic.

groom-check (hehe)
wedding rings-check (little white gold ones...they are perfect!)
wedding theme-check("C", it was meant to "B". monogram theme)
church-check (from Coal Miner's Daughter movie)
reception-check (hometown fave)
wedding dress(es)-check (one for wedding/one for reception)
bridal party-check (I think?)
calligrapher-check (hope my Mom feels up to it)
cake topper-wwwaaaahhhhhh...still waiting and crying!
glasses-kinda, sorta check ( need 4...me, Mr. Chad, Catarina and Claudia)
garter-I'm buying Mary's...she's buying mine...not really ...but that would be funny!
cake-check (Robin's cakes...need to taste test, though)

OK, so I'm not that far behind, but I am starting to wig out a bit.

89,88,87,86,85...and so on. I hope you will stick with me.

90 minutes behind Mary

Today I have to eat crow!!!!!!!!!!!

My friend Mary(who is marrying Joseph...i kid you not) is soooo laid back about her wedding, until last week she had nothing...No, really, NOTHING completed for her wedding...now she is WAY ahead of me. WTF? I can't make fun of her now. What am I going to do? I mean, today she is having her invitations addressed. I haven't even finalized mine...I know, I know...Mr.Chad said, " to buck up and just get the damn things"...everyone else agrees, except for Mary who is now laughing or should i say gloating.

*I feel guilty spending so much money on paper when I am such an awesome paper crafter and could make some that would blow people away. However, to quote The Steve Miller Band, "Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin' into the future." and I am running out of time.

Invitations will be finalized and mailed within 2 weeks...that gives people plenty of time to RSVP(etiquette window is 4 to 6 weeks) and it's mainly family anyway, so I'm on it. The invitations have been chosen, I promise. I just need to get them. I will.........tomorrow, I promise...LOL.

By the way, that's Mary and J.D. (Joseph). Aren't they just heavenly?...LOL

90,89,88,87,86...and so on. I hope you will stick with me.

91 wedding websites, OH MY!

There are sooooo many wedding websites these days, and I swear I think I have seen them all. I have gathered much needed info from some of these and some are just plain awesome. With that being said, today I'm just sharing some of those sites and giving my own little commentary on them. Enjoy!

http://www.stylemepretty.com/ *If you have not been to this site, you are truly missing out. There are beautiful boards and ideas. Plus, the "how to" section is beyond words. Simply put, this is the one site YOU have to check-out. Especially if you are a micro-manager like me!

http://www.weddingbee.com/ *I like this site...the classifieds section is pretty cool, but it takes a tad more to navigate than some of the other sites. Still a thumbs up for it!

http://www.theknot.com/ * The end all/be all of wedding websites. You can check out Mr. Chad and I looking like an ad for a "bud light" wedding. (We will update it soon, I hope.) Just search for us and please, if you haven't already...sign the guestbook. :o)

http://budgiebird.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!5D10A53DAE1F80A4!995.entry
Templates, Templates, Templates!!!!

http://www.favorwarehouse.com/ *Very Reasonable prices. GREAT for ideas! Yet, I think it is much better to "do" your own favors and add a personal touch that says, "this is from us, thanks for coming"...but definately much easier to order, pull out of the box, and set at the reception.

I hope you like some of these sites. I found them very helpful or very fun.

91,90,89,88,87...and so on. I hope you will stick with me.

92 family members...ha, if we're lucky

100 invitations...92 family members...one branch on the family tree. ( a story for another day)

When Mr. Chad and I started planning this-again(LOL...but we've established that...LOL), we wanted something very intimate and very family focused. One of the reasons for the date was my family reunion is to be held earlier in the day. We thought it would be a nice closing for the day's festivities and most out-of-towners would be in town.

However, it appears that many of the family have no idea when the reunion is (3rd Saturday in June, people), other plans have been made for their summer already, and the best one of all...it appears EVERYONE has decided to get or be preggers...LOL. (Karen, Gin, Sarah Lee, and J.A....Actually J.A. isn't pregs, but is directly involved in an impregnation...LOL)

Mr. Chad and I want to be surrounded by those we love when we say, "I DO". It just seems that maybe those we love don't want to surround us...LOL. With only 100 people being invited, it's a pretty exclusive ticket...oh well, it just means the fewer the guests the more cake for the rest of us.Can you tell I'm bummed today?

92,91,90,89,88...and so on. I hope you will stick with me.

93...who knew?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/93_(Thelema)

This is a great little tidbit of info. I had never heard of this until I looked it up today.

Nothing deep on the platter of wedding plans, so just a shared idea for y'all to enjoy!

93,92,91,90,89...and so on. I hope you will stick with me.

94 more and discovering like a kid...

It is true, I have very little "common" sense at times. I spend soooo much time trying to be educated that I overlook simple stuff that, evidently, is a given.

Mr. Chad and I are trying our hand at planting a little garden, this year. I figured, surely, if we can grow crops together, we can live in harmony forever. We are testing this theory for the first, and hopefully last, time. (Not the "growing the crops" thing, but the "harmony forever" thing.) Only time will tell, though.

That brings me to today's lesson...in common sense.While out raking, and breaking up dirt, and clearing a place for the strawberry plants, Mr. Chad and I started looking at an old tree that needs to be cut down. This tree is dead, and has been for as long as we have been together-roughly 5 years. Yet, today, it seemed alive to me. The tree was full, with thousands, of woodpecker holes. Now, not to give my age away, but I did watch Woody Woodpecker as a kid, and although I knew woodpeckers pecked on trees...I HAD NEVER SEEN the actual holes. I was amazed! You would have thought I had figured out the meaning of life.

At this point, as he watched me see something that truly was "NEW" to me, I think he realized that I may not have figured out the meaning of life, but I was extremely happy with the person that I plan to share the rest of my life with...and happy with discovering little things matter.

94, 93, 92, 91,90...and so on. I hope you will stick with me.

95-ish words of wisdom

So, it may not be 95 words, but it's dang close(97) and it is what Claudia is reading at the wedding:

The Magic of Love" , by Helen Steiner Rice
“Love is like magic, and it always will be,
For love still remains life's sweet mystery.
Love works in ways that are wondrous and strange,
And there's nothing in life that love cannot change!
Love can transform the most commonplace
Into beauty and splendor and sweetness and grace.
Love is unselfish, understanding and kind,
For it sees with its heart, and not with its mind.
Love is the answer that everyone seeks;
Love is the language that every heart speaks.
Love can't be bought, it is priceless and free.
Love, like pure magic, is life's sweet mystery!!”


Mr. Chad and I wanted the girls to be involved in the wedding in more than just the traditional roles of maids and flowergirls, so one will read and the other will sing...we hope.

95, 94, 93, 92, 91...and so on. I hope you will stick with me.

96 days and still in a haze, purple...that is.

I guess, it turns out, songs are very important to a ceremony.

Well, I knew that! In fact, to me(and probably Mr. Chad), it is the most important aspect of this whole event. He said to me once, "until you came along...songs had words, but no meanings". I would like to be able to tell you this was a poetic way of him saying how much he loved me, but it is not. It is quite literal, songs were just songs to him. Either they sounded good or they didn't. There was no meaning.

Now, EVERYSONG has a meaning and he knows that I read into EVERYTHING. (Which is something I need to let go of, because unlike me, there are people that just listen to music for melodic sake...who knew?) ***Let's just say, I find it hard to think he likes Buckcherry's "Crazy Bitch" because it sounds good and you can dance to it. Get my point. :o)

Anyhoo, with all that being said, music is now such a staple of "our" life together, it must hold an integral part in our ceremony. LATE NIGHTS of him drinking and playing Itunes, while I try to stay awake, while really wanting to sleep, but realizing how sweet he's trying to be playing Conway Twitty's version of "Slow Hand". (which he knows I am VERY aware of the Pointer Sister's version). HOURS of him trying to stump me with, "Who is this, baby?". I can't remember all the hair bands, but I try and he loves it.

Music is soooo good for a couple.

However, Mr. Chad and I are not always on the same page-music wise. Nothing will ever make him like Josh Grogan(Groban), as he calls him, but he has decided that Michael Buble' singing "Home" is very nice. I, on the other hand, have also come to realize that Poison had more songs than, "Talk Dirty to Me". At this point, the music has not been decided for the ceremony, with the exception of "Let it Be" to close both ceremony and reception, but we are working on it...and I know both Alabama and maybe Jim Croce have a place in our "I Do's".

96, 95, 94, 93, 92...and so on. I hope you will stick with me.

97 days...including this lazy Sunday.

Sundays were created for rest and we did just that.

It took Mr. Chad most of the day to recover from his hangover.
OK, not most of the day-it took ALL day.

I did his laundry and looked at a few wedding sites, but other than that, watching the race, and beating his butt at Trivial Pursuit on Playstation was about all that got accomplished.

I didn't feel too good today. My stomach ached and I didn't get to speak to my girls.
Well, tomorrow is another day...and I LOVE mondays...no, really,...I do!

97, 96, 95, 94, 93...and so on. I hope you will stick with me.

98 more

98 days until THE "big day".

At times, I have it soooo under control and at other times...I really want to throw in the towel.

Today, We let the wedding fall to the wayside for a few hours and just had fun and enjoyed our extracurricular activity. What did we do? Mr. Chad and I went to the Sharpie Mini 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway. It was our 1st NASCAR race. He has been watching this stuff all his life, and it still amazes me that he had never been to a race. We had such a fun day! The only thing missing were the girls, Catarina and Claudia.

Rain was in the forecast and it did just that...it rained, and rained, and rained...but we stuck it out! It was wet and he drank too much, but all in all it was one of my favorite things that he and I have ever done together.

So for today, there was no talk of centerpieces, favors, or ceremonial readings...it was all NASCAR and we had an AWESOME time. Congratulations, Clint Bowyer!

98, 97, 96, 95, 94...and so on. I hope you will stick with me.

99 bottles of...

Rantings today are about food and drinks for our "special" day.

Mr. Chad, the groom-to-be, only eats chicken, bacon, and bread...and candy, so when trying to plan a reception with memorable "good eats" for EVERYONE this bride-to-be thought she would be overwrought with decisions. Thanks to our venue, this may well have been the easiest part of the planning. We decided to go with a local place that has a beautiful, upscale cabin-ish feel, but would in no way make people feel any less than "down home".

I did want plated dinners, but that's not really feasable, so we had to settle on a buffet. The buffet is not too pricey, and allows the place settings to become homes for chocolate covered strawberries for the guest to nibble on while waiting for us to arrive at the reception. (I had to lose the chocolate fountain, in order, to have a candy buffet. Folks, we're sorry you won't actually get to dip your own fruit now.)

The venue, also, does not serve alcohol. This is not really a problem, because you can bring and serve your own. Chad and I liked, and agreed(YES, we agreed) to wine, beer, and signature drinks with our favorite liquors. I DID have to put my foot down on Makers Mark and Coke being considered as a "mixed cocktail"...LOL. I had thought of signature drinks before this and after seeing some beautiful punch displays on the web...I knew we had to do it. Also, after watching a show on cocktails, Great Cocktails on Fine Living with Stephen Phillips, we knew we had to do it even more. Check him out. He's awesome and VERY knowledgeable about drinks!!!

http://www.fineliving.com/fine/great_cocktails/

99, 98, 97, 96, 95...and so on. I hope you will stick with me.

100 days

Today's topics, thank yous and wedding cake.

I send cards for everything-birthdays, thinking of you, congrats, etc...so, last night I spent some time making "thank yous" for our wedding. I send "thank yous" all the time. Thanks for coming to visit. Thanks for the thoughtfulness. Thanks for dinner. I imagine I will send many, MANY "thank yous" over the next 6 months. They aren't completed, but they are turning out quite nicely.(I'll have to post a pic later.) I, also, made 4x6 note cards to match the color of my wedding. These note cards are for people to write their best wishes, advice, or whatever they feel like writing to us on our special day. I thought it would be a great alternative to a guest book at the reception. I figured I'd leave the guest book idea for the church only. Plus, it's really rather a small list of "guests", mainly just our families...or should I say family (long story for another day).

Lately, I get anxious and nervous about the planning. I don't really have anyone to help me and I'm such a micro-manager, I probably wouldn't let anyone help me, anyway...still, it would be nice to share things with someone other than just Mr. Chad. My friend, Mary, is getting married one week after me, so that is a bright spot...because we share ideas or she helps me see that I must be on schedule...for every 10 things I have already done, she is doing one and in no hurry to do that one...LOL. She really is a hoot.

Now, to my favorite part of any good wedding reception-the cake!!! The cake has been ordered, but Chad and I have not went to a tasting, yet. I chose a place called Robin's Cakes from back home. I have had Robin's Cakes cake before( http://robinscakes.biz/index.html ) and I swear it was the first time I realized the true meaning of "melts in your mouth". It was so YUM-O (thank you, Rachel Ray... for the best new food adjective in the world). Robin's prices are so affordable-the wedding cake is about $2 a slice, way below the national average and way below the true value of her cake. When Chad and I were to be married last year, I had asked Robin to make our cake and due to personal obligations-she couldn't do it. Now, I GOT HER! She and I chuckle that it must have been in the stars for her to make this cake. All I can say, is that I'm counting the days...

100, 99, 98, 97, 96...and so on. I hope you will stick with me.

101 Days and Counting...

After things did not go as planned for 07/07/07, I really started to wonder, "What makes people do the things they do?".

I was to be married to the "man of my dreams" last year, and roughly 40 days (and nights) before the big date, after 4 years of togetherness, he walked out. I was devasted, but more than anything...I was shocked. Our life was not perfect, but it was good. I thought we were happy, but i guess no one truly knows what another person is feeling. We just always hope we do. However, I NEVER doubted that he loved me, and I guess that's what counts the most.

Anyway, long story short, we were apart for three months then got back together. After many changes in the both of us, changes that we both needed, we are going to try it again! Marriage, that is...And although, I still can not answer, "what makes people do the things they do", I think maybe I'm not suppose to and that there is a plan and a purpose for everything...and that's where I'm at in my life's journey.

So, with the church booked, the reception site booked, the invitations picked and the wedding party obligated...here we go again.

www.theknot.com/ourwedding/christybuettner&chadboyd


101,100,99,98,97...and so on. I hope you will stick with me.