My favorite designer is and always has been Priscilla of Boston. There was a dress called Maeve that I have been lusting after for years. The dress has a sweetheart neckline, made of ivory silk taffeta, a ballgown sillouhette and a big bow on the hip. Part of me believed deep down in my heart that I could rationalize spending $2675 on a wedding dress.
Then in June or so of 2011, they announced that they were closing their doors on December 31st after 65 years of being in business. If you have time at some point, look up Priscilla Kidder, the mother of the company who started it herself when no bank would give a woman a loan. She was one tough cookie, and just another reason why I love this company.
I was so sad because FH (future husband) hadn't proposed yet and now I wouldn't get my chance to have my dream dress, as they had stopped production and were only selling samples. I am on the email list for Priscilla so each time the dresses got discounted I was given a notice. First 30% off, which didn't make much of a dent in the price. Then in October it was discounted 70% to $800. Still expensive but now within reach. It was a few days after FH had proposed so I gave the Denver salon a call. They had sold my Maeve two days before. I thought, "that's it, I've got to buy a dress online or worse at David's Bridal."
Then, the last week of November, I got another email. All dresses from $2000-$3999 were discounted to $299. Holy $#!# , I thought! This was my chance. If there was a sample Maeve still unpurchased in any salon in the country, I was going to buy her. I started with Atlanta (alphabetical order), and they told me they had it! Perfect condition, Ivory, Sample Size 10 Maeve. And they could ship it for only $50.
I was ready to buy it right then and there, as not to risk losing the dress (lucky for me the salon was only open another 13 minutes). But I took a night to think on it and talk with FH. My mom (who I had been texting like mad about THE dress), said she would like to buy the dress for me. So the next morning on December 1st, I called the salon the minute they opened and bought the dress.
The dress arrived at my work a week later in a giant white box. All the ladies I worked with wanted to see the dress on, so I got to put on my beautiful gown. Since it's a sample size 10 (street size 4-6) and I'm a size 2 and not exactly tall, the dress is about 1 1/2 inches too big around the bust and about 4 inches too long. I have to get it altered but other than that, it is everything I had hoped for. A few little dirty marks here and there, nothing that will show in pictures or that can't be dry cleaned out.
So the moral of this story is: If it is meant to be, it will be. Don't settle for something that won't make you happy just because you think you have to make a decsision RIGHT NOW! Let things happen as they should because more than likely you will be happy with the result. But on the flipside, don't second guess yourself either. If your dream dress (man, shoes, job opportunity, house) is within reach, don't say no worrying about something better coming along.
I got my dream dress and I couldn't be happier!
Any of you have any great dress stories where you were able to get your dream dress almost magically? Any one worried about having to settle for a dress?
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Fate - Our background story
I would absolutely be lying if I said I didn't believe in fate. I'm standing here on the edge of the rest of my life and I realize how everything in my entire world has been headed towards this point. I'll start from the beginning. My parents could have decided to stay in California, they could have picked another town in Idaho, they could have picked a totally different state, and things wouldn't have happened the way they have happened. But no, they picked here.
And in 2000 when FH went to boarding school, his parents, who lived in Colorado could have picked any boarding school in the country. But they picked the one just 30 minutes away from where I live. FH could have gotten into trouble and not been able to go on the Field trip to the bay, but he went, and knew that one day he would be back. His parents could've decided not to visit and just wait for FH to come home but they visited, and realized that this was a place that could be home. They could have picked a different place to build a house, there are a lot of great spots on the lake, but they chose the cabin one door down from N.R.'s family cabin.
I was never supposed to be with N.R., but I was supposed to meet him, have crush on him in high school, and then become friends with him. He could have been in a different Fraternity, and I in a different Sorority, but no we were in the houses that were next door to each other.
I could have worked at a differen't restaurant that summer. I possible woudln't have even worked that day, but I did. FH and his family could have come in a half hour later or chosen a different restaurant and we wouldn't have met but we did.
My friend N.R. could have stayed at his house in town that day, but instead he was out at the cabin, where FH told him about me. It was a few nights later that N.R. invited me out to his cabin to meet FH, I could've been busy, I couldve said no. But I said yes and I rushed out as soon as I was off work.
Upon meeting him, I fell completely into him. We were hooked and that was the end of it.
Now that I am planning our wedding, everything is coming together uncannily well. It is all being orchastrated perfectly.
I have my dream dress - Another post coming about my dress. And I couldn't have gotten it if my favorite designer wasn't going out of business at the end of the year. I found a photographer for under $500 because she wants to expand her portfolio.
Yes, I believe in Fate. Because my whole life has been planned with me in mind. Good things are to come. And this wedding is important, it's going to be the gunshot that starts everything else.
And in 2000 when FH went to boarding school, his parents, who lived in Colorado could have picked any boarding school in the country. But they picked the one just 30 minutes away from where I live. FH could have gotten into trouble and not been able to go on the Field trip to the bay, but he went, and knew that one day he would be back. His parents could've decided not to visit and just wait for FH to come home but they visited, and realized that this was a place that could be home. They could have picked a different place to build a house, there are a lot of great spots on the lake, but they chose the cabin one door down from N.R.'s family cabin.
I was never supposed to be with N.R., but I was supposed to meet him, have crush on him in high school, and then become friends with him. He could have been in a different Fraternity, and I in a different Sorority, but no we were in the houses that were next door to each other.
I could have worked at a differen't restaurant that summer. I possible woudln't have even worked that day, but I did. FH and his family could have come in a half hour later or chosen a different restaurant and we wouldn't have met but we did.
My friend N.R. could have stayed at his house in town that day, but instead he was out at the cabin, where FH told him about me. It was a few nights later that N.R. invited me out to his cabin to meet FH, I could've been busy, I couldve said no. But I said yes and I rushed out as soon as I was off work.
Upon meeting him, I fell completely into him. We were hooked and that was the end of it.
Now that I am planning our wedding, everything is coming together uncannily well. It is all being orchastrated perfectly.
I have my dream dress - Another post coming about my dress. And I couldn't have gotten it if my favorite designer wasn't going out of business at the end of the year. I found a photographer for under $500 because she wants to expand her portfolio.
Yes, I believe in Fate. Because my whole life has been planned with me in mind. Good things are to come. And this wedding is important, it's going to be the gunshot that starts everything else.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
He Stole my Heart so I'm stealing his last name!
I am not the original author of that title, I stole if from a friend who is getting married to an awesome guy in September 2012.
We are getting married. He proposed on October 13th by slipping the ring on my finger while I was asleep. Tell me that isn't adorable (remember Time Travelers Wife).
We are still undecided on the date but it's going to be soon. We are undecided on the guest list because it seems like we can't trim it down to a necessary number.
I have been waiting to plan this for so long and now that I'm able to I'm totally freaking out. I hoped I would be a calm cool and collected bride but I have no idea where to start.
More to come soon. Including inspiration boards and such.
Ring is personal photo.
We are getting married. He proposed on October 13th by slipping the ring on my finger while I was asleep. Tell me that isn't adorable (remember Time Travelers Wife).We are still undecided on the date but it's going to be soon. We are undecided on the guest list because it seems like we can't trim it down to a necessary number.
I have been waiting to plan this for so long and now that I'm able to I'm totally freaking out. I hoped I would be a calm cool and collected bride but I have no idea where to start.
More to come soon. Including inspiration boards and such.
Ring is personal photo.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
The Kitties
Now, in this post, I am going to seem like a total crazy cat lady. But I'm not. I promise.
My first cat actually is my first cat. Simon James is a fat beautiful baby that I have had since November 2001. I was eleven. This cat has been my baby since I was a baby. His nicknames include: Simey, Timey, Fat Squishey, Lord Tubbington, Sigh, and Kittypotomus, He loves the outdoors but while outdoors he is usually sprawled out in the sun somewhere. Otherwise he is on a couch hogging your spot or on the bed hogging your spot. He will snake your couch space in the time it takes you to get a glass of water. Also, he is very smart and even spiteful at times. He likes to drink out of the sink faucet and no where else. If we don't turn on the faucet for him he will whine (which for him sounds like a little moan, he doesn't have a real meow). If we kick him off the bed too much or are gone for too long, he will poop on the floor. This cat weighs nineteen (19!) pounds. He's looking at me as I type this... Don't try to give me advice about "oh you should put him on a diet". Because it doesn't work. Simon eats Royal Canin Light Indoor food and it does nothing. But it was a big step up from meow mix. Simon is the cuddliest, loviest cat ever. All he wants to do is have a good cuddle while your taking a nap on the couch or sleeping in bed.
Our second "child" is Aunichee Rose. She usually goes by Neech or Peach though. Greg got her when she was just a tiny little kitten back in 2004. Neech can be a little prickly but only because she likes to be loved on her terms. As soon as you sit down, Neech will want to curl up in perfect kitty position to sleep. But move an inch and she will spaz out and run away. Weird sweet little kitty. She has a beautiful coat and always looks like she's posing to be in Cat Fancy. She is also very tiny and light. A perfect black haired little model. She always sleeps next to me and her favorite thing is being chased by Riley and then hissing at him when he catches her.
And now for Riley Trace. Riley often goes by Ry-roo, Roo, Rye, Little Dude, Punk-Ass Kid, etc. We got him in September 2010 when he was just a kitten. We went into the pet store in the mall and Greg wants to hold the kitten. Greg then says, "we have to get him." I told him no, that we already have two other cats. And he says, "just hold him." And then it was all over. Riley was sick however from the time that we got him. He slept all the time and had diarrhea. Four or five days after we got him, he started throwing up, wouldn't eat and wouldn't drink. His condition deteriorated quickly and he wobbled when he tried to stand, he was listless and cold. Greg stayed up all night watching to see if his chest was moving. In the morning we rushed him to the hospital. The doctor took a look at him. He weighed only 1.6 pounds and his temperature was 93 (cats are supposed to be at least 102). The doctor told us that he was very sick and that there was a chance we could lose him. We were already so attached to this little ball of black and white fuzz. After two nights in the hospital and heated IV fluids, he was able to come home. On a special diet of canned wet food he gained weight and did better.
Now he is an 8 pound fully grown cat, although he still hasn't matured. This was not the lethargic sleepy little kitten we bought at the pet store. He is a wild ball of energy. Bouncing off walls and finding something to mess up no matter what. He is a whiner and thinks he's tough but is too scared to be outside without mommy or daddy or Simon. Total third child.
So now I'm sure you think I'm a crazy cat lady who mutters to herself and smells like cat pee on a bus but I'm not. Somehow, we keep the house clean and pee-free even though sometimes I feel like I have to follow Riley around with a vacuum.
Greg and I love our kitties. Although it would be nice to have a bigger place for them. But more on that another time.
My first cat actually is my first cat. Simon James is a fat beautiful baby that I have had since November 2001. I was eleven. This cat has been my baby since I was a baby. His nicknames include: Simey, Timey, Fat Squishey, Lord Tubbington, Sigh, and Kittypotomus, He loves the outdoors but while outdoors he is usually sprawled out in the sun somewhere. Otherwise he is on a couch hogging your spot or on the bed hogging your spot. He will snake your couch space in the time it takes you to get a glass of water. Also, he is very smart and even spiteful at times. He likes to drink out of the sink faucet and no where else. If we don't turn on the faucet for him he will whine (which for him sounds like a little moan, he doesn't have a real meow). If we kick him off the bed too much or are gone for too long, he will poop on the floor. This cat weighs nineteen (19!) pounds. He's looking at me as I type this... Don't try to give me advice about "oh you should put him on a diet". Because it doesn't work. Simon eats Royal Canin Light Indoor food and it does nothing. But it was a big step up from meow mix. Simon is the cuddliest, loviest cat ever. All he wants to do is have a good cuddle while your taking a nap on the couch or sleeping in bed.
Our second "child" is Aunichee Rose. She usually goes by Neech or Peach though. Greg got her when she was just a tiny little kitten back in 2004. Neech can be a little prickly but only because she likes to be loved on her terms. As soon as you sit down, Neech will want to curl up in perfect kitty position to sleep. But move an inch and she will spaz out and run away. Weird sweet little kitty. She has a beautiful coat and always looks like she's posing to be in Cat Fancy. She is also very tiny and light. A perfect black haired little model. She always sleeps next to me and her favorite thing is being chased by Riley and then hissing at him when he catches her.
And now for Riley Trace. Riley often goes by Ry-roo, Roo, Rye, Little Dude, Punk-Ass Kid, etc. We got him in September 2010 when he was just a kitten. We went into the pet store in the mall and Greg wants to hold the kitten. Greg then says, "we have to get him." I told him no, that we already have two other cats. And he says, "just hold him." And then it was all over. Riley was sick however from the time that we got him. He slept all the time and had diarrhea. Four or five days after we got him, he started throwing up, wouldn't eat and wouldn't drink. His condition deteriorated quickly and he wobbled when he tried to stand, he was listless and cold. Greg stayed up all night watching to see if his chest was moving. In the morning we rushed him to the hospital. The doctor took a look at him. He weighed only 1.6 pounds and his temperature was 93 (cats are supposed to be at least 102). The doctor told us that he was very sick and that there was a chance we could lose him. We were already so attached to this little ball of black and white fuzz. After two nights in the hospital and heated IV fluids, he was able to come home. On a special diet of canned wet food he gained weight and did better.
Now he is an 8 pound fully grown cat, although he still hasn't matured. This was not the lethargic sleepy little kitten we bought at the pet store. He is a wild ball of energy. Bouncing off walls and finding something to mess up no matter what. He is a whiner and thinks he's tough but is too scared to be outside without mommy or daddy or Simon. Total third child.So now I'm sure you think I'm a crazy cat lady who mutters to herself and smells like cat pee on a bus but I'm not. Somehow, we keep the house clean and pee-free even though sometimes I feel like I have to follow Riley around with a vacuum.
Greg and I love our kitties. Although it would be nice to have a bigger place for them. But more on that another time.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Haven't Posted in Awhile
This year will be a year of blogging. I have plenty to blog about. I am very much in love and I have a home. Greg and I have three kids (they are fuzzy kids that meow and poop in a litter box). We are both working extremely flexible hours that give us time together. I really do feel good with who I am and where I am in life. I have a good trajectory and I have plenty of things I still want to do. I am very blessed and I will try to count my blessings on this blog as often as possible. Don't get me wrong, I have some things that are still in process in my life but I am grateful for the opportunity to grow.
For a long time in my adolescence, I always felt like I was gripping a carpet that was about to be ripped out from under me. Nothing in my life was certain from the time I was fifteen. Through high school I survived and worked to hold my head high. In college, I was finally able to let loose and have a bit of a wild streak. I made mistakes and things that I wish I hadn't done but definitely nothing life altering. In fact, I forged some incredible friendships with some pretty awesome ladies. I feel as though I got the full college experience and while I do miss it, I probably wouldn't go back.
Though I didn't know it at the time, I emotionally prepared myself for meeting Greg just before I met him. I made a conscious decision that I would not waste my time with people who did not make me feel good. And I would stop apologizing for my needs and who I am. I still felt like I was standing on a rug about to be ripped away but now I was accepting that fact and ready to go on without my rug.
And then, as if on cue, Greg walked on in. "My soul saw you and kind of said, "Oh there you are. I've been looking for you." The rug was suddenly there, and a floor, and a foundation and walls and a ceiling and roof. Someone shook up the puzzle that was my life, and when it was dumped onto the ground it was all put together just as it was supposed to. For the first few months we dated, every time I saw him, I would just lean against him and breath. Like I couldn't breath anywhere but next to him.
The universe knew I needed him. Of course I suppose I could have gone along in my life without him, never knowing him. I'm sure I would have been okay but there is no way to know where I would be right now. I do know that it wouldn't be as great as where I am now.
So here is to love and life and the tiny moments that make Mondays and shots and toe stubbings worth it.
Here is to my three fuzzy babies, Simon, Neech and Riley.
Here is to my great friends even though I'm not the greatest at keeping in touch ( I'll work on it I promise)
And here's to my family which feels as though it grows every day.
And also to my love Greg. May I always strive to be my greatest so that we can work together as our best.
For a long time in my adolescence, I always felt like I was gripping a carpet that was about to be ripped out from under me. Nothing in my life was certain from the time I was fifteen. Through high school I survived and worked to hold my head high. In college, I was finally able to let loose and have a bit of a wild streak. I made mistakes and things that I wish I hadn't done but definitely nothing life altering. In fact, I forged some incredible friendships with some pretty awesome ladies. I feel as though I got the full college experience and while I do miss it, I probably wouldn't go back.
Though I didn't know it at the time, I emotionally prepared myself for meeting Greg just before I met him. I made a conscious decision that I would not waste my time with people who did not make me feel good. And I would stop apologizing for my needs and who I am. I still felt like I was standing on a rug about to be ripped away but now I was accepting that fact and ready to go on without my rug.
And then, as if on cue, Greg walked on in. "My soul saw you and kind of said, "Oh there you are. I've been looking for you." The rug was suddenly there, and a floor, and a foundation and walls and a ceiling and roof. Someone shook up the puzzle that was my life, and when it was dumped onto the ground it was all put together just as it was supposed to. For the first few months we dated, every time I saw him, I would just lean against him and breath. Like I couldn't breath anywhere but next to him.
The universe knew I needed him. Of course I suppose I could have gone along in my life without him, never knowing him. I'm sure I would have been okay but there is no way to know where I would be right now. I do know that it wouldn't be as great as where I am now.
So here is to love and life and the tiny moments that make Mondays and shots and toe stubbings worth it.
Here is to my three fuzzy babies, Simon, Neech and Riley.
Here is to my great friends even though I'm not the greatest at keeping in touch ( I'll work on it I promise)
And here's to my family which feels as though it grows every day.
And also to my love Greg. May I always strive to be my greatest so that we can work together as our best.
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