If I Didn't Already Have Enough Pairs of Shoes...

I would buy these to wear as my "something blue." Sigh.
Image courtesy of Oprah Magazine.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your loved ones! A and I are celebrating in Chicago with my family, so we'll see you again on Monday! Cheers!

Image from: cbdyag.wordpress.com/.../

Maid of Honor Attire

My sister, my mother and I are going shopping on Wednesday so my sister can find and order her Maid of Honor(MOH) gown. Since she is the MOH, she will be distinguished from the other bridesmaids by wearing a different syle gown in a different color (light pink). I love the affect of this in pictures, and since she is 10 years younger (literally) than the rest of us, I thought a different dress would be more appropriate. While all of the other lovely ladies are wearing dresses from the J. Crew Occassions Cotton Cady Collection in brown, she is currently favoring these little numbers(in light pink):

This one, which for some reason turned out HUGE compared to other pictures, is her favorite choice.

This is another simple option. I like the idea of her wearing a brown sash, as all of the other girls will wear pink ones. I have a cute broach I would give her to add to the sash as well.

This picure was added to show which color her dress will be. Luckily, she likes pink too:)

All pictures taken from:http://www.jimhjelmoccasions.com/teas/index.html

Meet the Parents

Andrew and I are finally introducing our parents to one another on the day after Thanksgiving. We are all getting together for lunch; A's parents are driving from Red Wing, MN to Morris, IL where A's only living grandfather resides. My parents, A and I will drive from my parents' place in Frankfort, IL (a SW suburb of Chicago near Orland Park) and meet them there. I predict they will get along well, but here are some tips from The Knot I found to read to calm myself a bit beforehand:

DON'T FORGET
*You can prepare until your eyes pop out, but whatever happens will happen. Here are some mantras and tips to keep in mind once the food starts flying:
*You Are Not Responsible For Them: Parents are adults (too) and you can't tell them what to say or how to act. They are responsible for their own actions and mistakes.
Have a Sense of Humor: The best defense against disastrous first meetings? Lighten up and keep your sense of humor cemented firmly in place.
*Cut Your Parents Some Slack:Don't sweat it if your dad tries too hard to be funny or your mom fusses over every little thing: Remember that your parents are very likely nervous about this meeting. It's not everyday they meet people soon to be permanent (albeit extended) members of the family!
*Steer the Conversation Away From Dangerous Waters:The purpose of this first meeting is simply to get acquainted. This means no wedding talk -- especially about the budget! -- no white elephants (charged issues), no political debates, no talk about exes. Remember: This is not the negotiating table.
*Don't Force Them to Click:You'll likely be stunned at how different your parents are! Don't try too hard to find things they have in common or to show how much they should like each other. The chemistry may take time, or may never happen. All you can hope for it that they get along -- many couples don't even enjoy that luxury!
*Edit Yourself:No matter how comfortable you are with your parents or with his, remember that they don't share the same easy rapport with each other (yet). Keep dirty jokes and personal stories hush hush for now.
*Suck It Up:If the evening seems interminable, remember that this may be the only time you'll have to spend with both sets of parents alone. From here on, other family members and friends are often included in the mix, easing the pressure considerably (whew).

Good luck to all of you who are meeting your FI's parents for the first time or are introducing your parents to one another! Please let me know how it goes, or feel free to share any tips you may have with us all!

Source:http://www.theknot.com/ch_article_local.html?Object=A00801171351&keyword=DC&market=&MsdVisit=1

Time Off

I'm taking today and tomorrow off from posting to celebrate my birthday! I hope everyone has a wonderful end to their week!

A Little Black Dress

For my birthday date with A coming up this Saturday. I found it at J. Crew and I love it! What do you think? What shoes would you pair it with? I am thinking some calf-length, high-heeled, suede boots...

Gifts For The Cure

As my grandmother is a breast cancer survivor, I've done all that I can to support breast cancer research and support and do at least one Race for the Cure each year (I once ran one on showshoes!). Naturally, when I saw this in the American Cancer Society's Hope Shop , I had to buy them for my bridesmaids.

I will use them as welcome bags (which will include each girl's favorite snack, a Nalgene waterbottle in her favorite color, a pair of flip flops from Old Navy in her favorite color and an enamel picture frame in the wedding colors.)

Portions of the proceeds from the sale of the bags benefit the American Cancer Society. To purchase, for $10 each visit www.cancer.org/hopeshop. Happy shopping!

Boot Camp

Tomorrow I think I may drop in at Genesis Fitness for a Boot Camp workout. I'm looking to shake up my routine and to look toned in my dress. Have you ever been to a boot camp workout? What did you think? I'll be sure to let you know how it goes if I make it instead of going for a run.

Where in the World are Erin Marie and Andrew?

Since Andrew's busy season as a wind energy project manager is summer, we'll only be taking a quick mini-moon after the wedding (from the Monday through Thursday follwing the wedding). We're toying with a few ideas; the wish list includes a locale with a relatively brief flight (3 hours or less), a combination of romance/adventure, and a place that is somewhat inexpensive. We plan to go to South America (Peru to hike the Inca Trail and possibly Ecuador to dive the Galapagos), so this will just be a quick trip for us to get away as newlyweds and to enjoy one another's company in a relaxed setting after the stress of the wedding. So far, we have these ideas....

Nappa Valley (http://www.flickr.com/)

Lake Tahoe (http://www.beautifulvista.com/)

Oregon Coast (http://www.oregoncoast.edu/)

Sedona (www.traveleze.com)

Which would you recommend? Do you have any other ideas that we have not considered?

Cocktail Hour

Since we met at the Kentucky Derby, Andrew and I are planning to serve mint juleps during the cocktail hour. I've found several recipes, and I can't wait to try some of them out (in the name of wedding planning, of course)!

Recipe #1
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
Sprigs of fresh mint
Crushed ice
Early Times Kentucky Whisky
Silver Julep Cups
Make a simple syrup by boiling sugar and water together for five minutes. Cool and place in a covered container with six or eight sprigs of fresh mint, then refrigerate overnight. Make one julep at a time by filling a julep cup with crushed ice, adding one tablespoon mint syrup and two ounces of Early Times Kentucky Whisky. Stir rapidly with a spoon to frost the outside of the cup. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.

http://www.kentuckyderby.com/2004/derby_experience/mint_julep.html

Recipe #2

Ingredients
4 cups bourbon
2 bunches fresh spearmint
1 cup distilled water
1 cup granulated sugar
Powdered sugar
Directions
To prepare mint extract, remove about 40 small mint leaves. Wash and place in a small bowl. Cover with 3 ounces bourbon. Allow the leaves to soak for 15 minutes. Then gather the leaves in paper toweling. Thoroughly wring the mint over the bowl of whisky. Dip the bundle again and repeat the process several times.
To prepare simple syrup, mix 1 cup of granulated sugar and 1 cup of distilled water in a small saucepan. Heat to dissolve sugar. Stir constantly so the sugar does not burn. Set aside to cool.
To prepare mint julep mixture, pour 3 1/2 cups of bourbon into a large glass bowl or glass pitcher. Add 1 cup of the simple syrup to the bourbon.
Now begin adding the mint extract 1 tablespoon at a time to the julep mixture. Each batch of mint extract is different, so you must taste and smell after each tablespoon is added. You are looking for a soft mint aroma and taste-generally about 3 tablespoons. When you think it's right, pour the whole mixture back into the empty liter bottle and refrigerate it for at least 24 hours to "marry" the flavors.
To serve the julep, fill each glass (preferably a silver mint julep cup) 1/2 full with shaved ice. Insert a spring of mint and then pack in more ice to about 1-inch over the top of the cup. Then, insert a straw that has been cut to 1-inch above the top of the cup so the nose is forced close to the mint when sipping the julep.
When frost forms on the cup, pour the refrigerated julep mixture over the ice and add a sprinkle of powdered sugar to the top of the ice. Serve immediately.

Are you serving a signature drink? Do you think that we can get away with only serving mint juleps at cocktail hour, or should we plan on serving another drink(s) as well (We plan to have a full open bar afterward.)?

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sara-moulton/the-perfect-mint-julep-recipe/index.html

I Couldn't Resist...

So I made the tags that I will tie with ribbon to the postcards I plan to order for the OOT bags. Here they are, from zazzle.com. I got them on super sale, 100 cards for $12 including shipping. What seemingly small wedding details have you been really excited about?

The front has our monogram printed on it, and the back reads "We are so glad that you are here! We can not wait to celebrate and to have you join us on our wedding day. If you would like, please send us a postcard after the wedding describing your favorite memory from the weekend. Keep the other postcard for yourself or for a friend."

New Love....MultiColor

I love this new tool, which I found out about via Mrs. Cherry Pie on weddingbee. It is called Multicolor http://labs.ideeinc.com/multicolr/. It's fun and easy to use...the perfect distraction from work and graduate school. Simply pick up to 10 colors and Multicolor will generate a color palate with the colors you chose. Perfect for seeing your wedding colors come to life!