Ashley and Jared's Wedding Blog

I Think We Are Doing This

2010-05-19T18:20:00.000-07:00

Yep, that's right. I think me and that boy who used to have long hair and bought a school bus are getting hitched!

Only 10 more days to go and most of our friends and family will be gathering together for our wedding. We simply cannot wait to see everyone and celebrate together. We still have a few things more things to do, but we are ALMOST there!

Wedding Schmedding - Let's Talk Honeymoon!

2010-05-16T06:20:00.000-07:00

We are two weeks out from the wedding, but we are also two weeks out from HAWAII!!! That part of it still seems VERY surreal to me. I only have been waiting to go there my entire life. We enlisted the help of some friends who have been to Kauai for some must-see's, and so far this is what we (I) are thinking.

1) Take a ride on Captain Andy's Na Pali Cost Catamaran - yes please! Jared and I loved the catamaran adventure we took in Aruba, and this sounds surreal. I can't wait.

{via .blake's flickr}

2) See Wailua Falls - Whether we are hiking around it or just going to see it, we need to go here. They say the best time to view this site is early morning as the sun shines on the falls. Sign me up right now (although I wonder how difficult it will be to wake Jared up. Oh wait, what is the time difference?! We will be fine!)

3) Eat a Puka Dog - That is correct. We are going on our honeymoon to eat a fancy hot dog. This comes highly recommended, and in fact we have heard that we may want to go multiple times. Apparently, this isn't your normal hot dog (because otherwise I most likely wouldn't eat it!)

4) Hike the Kalalau Trail - I may have some difficulty getting Jared to do this, but I think it would be WELL worth it. If I am unsuccessful in my persuasion, we can at least hike up to the overlook for a view of the coastline and Kee Beach. That may be more realistic. And let's be honest, I am not sure I want to deal with muddy shoes.

5) Check out Waimea Canyon - This is the largest canyon in the Pacific and supposedly has a ton of beautiful scenic overlooks.

6) Take a helicopter tour - I am on the fence about this one, although this was my one friend's favorite activity while staying in Kauai. I think I may get really scared to do this, but the videos and pictures on the site make it look breathtaking.

And that is just stuff to do in Kauai! We will also be spending a few days in Maui, so we need to look into the offerings there as well.

Do you have any additional recommendations? Have you been to Kauai or Maui?

Wedding Counseling - Communication Session

2010-05-14T18:54:00.000-07:00

In order for Rev. Taylor Smith to marry us, Jared and I are required to take four wedding counseling sessions. While initially it didn't sound all that fun, it has actually been extremely eye-opening and helpful thus far. I think many people have to complete different types of counseling or pre-marriage courses before getting married, but I truly believe that the For a Lifetime classes that the Pastoral Services of Maryland offers is very straight-forward and refreshing.

For example, during the session that covered communication, we learned how to fight fairly. How can you really do that you ask? Well, take a look at the document we received. How often can you say that you really argue this dipolmatically? Probably not often, but I think it's completely possible to do this. Maybe Jared and I are into a lot of this self-improvement stuff, but how could it hurt, you know?

Anyway, this is just one little example of some of the things we are covering. It isn't just psychobabble or religious persuading. We are discussing real-life situations and learning models of behavior that could really assist us in the future. I like it.

Rehearsal and brunch invites

2010-05-10T17:48:00.000-07:00

Surprise! I actually was able to post during the week. (Confession: I totally wrote this yesterday and pre-scheduled this one because that is what a good blogger would do - not that I can even pretend to be one).

BUT, I also was able to be home all evening because "Brad" from Heritage Mazda called in sick and the other workers apparently didn't know where my stuff was. As in, they weren't aware that a) my car was there and b) what service it required. Ummm, that's comforting. Thanks for nothing, Heritage Mazda. I am glad one service man disrupts your flow of service for the entire day. I'm not bitter, though.

Anyway, like most weddings, we have a rehearsal dinner the evening before our wedding. Wendy wanted me to find some cute invites for this, but she also wanted me to find something for the brunch the day after the wedding that complimented it.

So guess where I went? ETSY! And thanks to a wonderful lady named Kim Henrie, we found some super cute invites in her Silly Me Design store.

Dinner (this is just a sample so don't go getting any ideas that we are having some dual purpose rehearsal dinner to announce babies and such. I just didn't want to include all of the nitty gritty details on this here world wide web.)

Brunch: Again, this is a sample with dummy text. Wendy and my mom wanted to provide the out-of-towner's staying in the hotel with some grub prior to hitting the road or checking out the city. Thanks, moms!

I think they look great and it was fun to incorporate some new colors into the wedding. I think some people's refrigerator doors are getting rather full.

3 weeks to go

2010-05-09T17:40:00.000-07:00

I fear that this week is going to be tad crazy. Well, I think every week from here on out is going to be total chaos, but it seems we have something every night that is sort of wedding related. As a result, not only will I be forced to work out in the mornings with no option of going in the evening in case I oversleep, I also will not be able to play on the internet in the evenings (in other words blog).

Here's the ugly schedule for this week, (And yes I realize normal busy people who juggle school, work, second jobs, etc. think this is nothing. But, I can come from the thinking that any sort of scheduled event on a weekday night is a punishment. I NEED my sleep).

Monday: Pick up my car from the Mazda, because I had to get new tires. This isn't wedding related, but it still interrupts my ability to be home all evening. What can I say, I LOATHE errands or activities in the evening. And this also requires a huge chunk of change at such a convenient time. Sarcasm. Look how new and shiny my car was at one point? This was in 2004 when I first got it. Poor thing.

Tuesday: Meet with the wedding planner at our venue to discuss final details!! Too bad we have this big form to complete, and I don't have everything filled in yet. Oops. AND THEN, straight from there we need to meet with the Jewish officiant who will be participating in our wedding. That evening sounds like it's going to go way past our bedtime.

{via Mary Kate McKenna}

Wednesday: Attend the third of four wedding counseling classes. Mind you, our appointment doesn't begin until 8pm and it lasts for 50 minutes. We are total geriatrics and will likely fall asleep driving home.

Thursday: I will attend my second (and hopefully final) dress fitting, and Jared will be going to see his other love, Eddie Veder, with some friends.

Friday: Have a sushi date night and go to sleep early, because THAT is our ideal night. :) Yes, we are awesome.

Overloaded

2010-05-08T19:55:00.000-07:00

It's true what they say; wedding's bring out the crazy in people. I have been feeling super stressed, and I have not been enjoying the wedding planning as of late. Is it because we are three weeks out? It's highly probable. Regardless, we need to remember that this is one day. We just want to be married to each other, and this party just happens to highlight the beginning of our life together.

So, here's a little of what we have been up to:

1) We finally selected the groomsman's ties, and I love them. Surprisingly, I did not get them on Etsy as the person I was dealing with up and left me out of nowhere. Granted, we are giving these to them as gifts, I am 99% sure none of them are reading this blog. :)

2) We picked up our rings and they fit perfectly (and look beautiful!!)

3) We went to some marriage counseling classes after finding an awesome priest to be a part of our wedding. Coincidentally, he is also my bosses' husband. It seems like some sort of blessing that she was able to recommend him to us. It's not so easy to find people to marry an interfaith couple. Sometimes, I love this small little world.

4) Tai continues to rest up for his big day. Preparing for his big walk down the aisle is REALLY exhausting.

5) I compiled all of the music submissions and made a kick-ass cocktail reception/dinner playlist. Granted we do have a DJ, we just made his job REALLY easy.

6) We selected our cake!

I am sure I am forgetting a bunch of other things, but that is what I can remember at the moment. Everyday of the next three weeks are pretty booked with appointments of some sort, and I keep forgetting that we are going to Hawaii in three weeks!!! It's going to be such a wonderful, wonderful trip.

A loss

2010-04-28T17:44:00.000-07:00

Today our family suffered a big loss. My great aunt, Garnetta, who you may remember from my Pittsburgh shower, unexpectedly passed away.

Of course, any time someone dies it's unexpected. It just seems more difficult when everything seems fine and then out of the blue, they are not. My great aunt wasn't a spring chicken, but she still had her zest about her. In the end, she suffered an infection that her body could not handle, and within hours things went from okay to fatal. It's never easy and it never makes sense.

You may not know this but we also lost my cousin Tiffany (above) last year, and that was my Aunt Garnetta's granddaughter. Tiffany was just barely into her 30's, and it was incredibly difficult to grasp how something like that could really happen. My aunt Garnetta and Tiffany were always very close growing up, and I have this feeling that Tiffany really needed some company. It's the only way my head makes sense of this.

While I would love to have them both at our wedding, I truly feel like they both will be there...together. And in some ways it makes me feel better knowing that Tiffany actually has someone there with her watching down as Caelin (Tiffany's son) tries to wrangle Tai Poochie down the aisle. We will be missing them and thinking of them a lot that night. They should be there. But, there is obviously a greater plan, and it gives me a little bit of comfort thinking that finally have each other again.

Your blog is boring

2010-04-25T18:05:00.000-07:00

A conversation between my mom and I on Skype:

Mom: Have you updated your blog?
Me: No
Mom: Oh, well you really should, that last one is getting really boring.
Me: Yeaaaaaa, I'm awesome.

Yes, I know. It's been a bit crazy. As expected and like I have mentioned, things are getting a LOT busier now that the wedding is nearly a month away. However, I know that is no excuse to withhold all the juicy details from all of you. :)

In technology news, Wendy, my mom and I hold many, many skype wedding meetings. It's kind of amazing, that there technology. So, when I am not at work, this is my life right now:

As you can see, the topic of discussion at that time was ties. I think the groomsmen already know this, but we are getting them their ties as a gift. And, it's not easy. We already have Jared's tie (I seriously type the word Tai every time I try to type the word tie. Obsessed much?) Actually, you can take a quick peak at it below.

It's hard to find a tie to match this, keep in line with the color scheme and also rock my socks off. But, I think I have some pretty good contenders. Who knew selecting a tie (did it again, TAI), would be so difficult?

Two Shout Out's to Down and Out Chic

2010-04-18T17:50:00.000-07:00

I saw this painting on the blog Down and Out Chic while perusing my blogs today, and it so perfectly illustrated how I have felt the past week. It was just so perfect, I wanted to share. I think it would actually be an awesome painting to own...in our bedroom...as a reminder to not let life get you to this point.

{via pictures of her}

In addition to finding this lovely painting, Down and Out Chic also directed me to a new blog called "My Own Barn." Helllloooooo, I love owls. She is a genius for finding this and sharing it with all of her lovely readers. From awesome owl finds on Etsy to owl-themed freebies online, this site is the home of all things owl-related. I LOVE IT.

{via My Owl Barn}

Was this a totally random post? Yes. Was it necessary to share? Absolutely!

Pittsburgh Shower Part 2

2010-04-17T18:13:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has taken me about a week to post this, but I was waiting on some photos from someone, and then I got really tired/overhwhelmed/cranky at the end of the week. I must say that so far wedding planning has been a cake walk. I have enjoyed mostly all of it, and giving ourselves the time to really think about what we wanted was crucial. Now we are getting down to the wire, though, and life in general is just a smidge crazy.

Anywho, back to the Pittsburgh shower. I wanted to actually show some of the PEOPLE, since I am sure they all wanted to make an appearance on this here lovely blog. Sure.

First of all, that would be my awesome, talented mother who put the shower together and the best dad in entire the world (aka Ned Flanders, aka Gene!).

On my dad's side, his sister (my Aunt Lorraine or Al as I call her), her daughter/my cousin Lauren and my Grandma all came. Lauren is in the wedding party, and we were pretty much BFF's growing up.

On my mom's side, we have Linda (my mom's cousin on the left), my great Aunt Garnetta (in the chair), my Aunt Daneen (in the turquoise shirt, who is married to my mom's brother), and my grandma. Don't we all kind of sort of look alike? We all also apparently really like the color aqua.

My mom's best friend, Rennie, came too! She is just the sweetest, and I am so excited for her to come down to Maryland for the wedding.

And then we have some of the best friends a girl could ask for: Elizabeth (matron of honor), Kathleen (bridesmaid), me (duh), Lauren (cousin and bridesmaid), and Hannah (college friend).

And of course, we can't forget my wonderful future-mother-in-law pictured here with my mama. I am such a blessed girl.

As I mentioned before, everything has just been so wonderful and I sure have been showered with lots of gifts and love. The only real party left is the wedding!!

Pittsburgh Shower Part 1

2010-04-13T18:23:00.000-07:00

Since I am a very bad blogger/fiance/normal young lady, I totally forgot to bring my camera to Pittsburgh for the shower (which was a total dream by the way)! Luckily, both my mom, Kathleen and E took pictures for me. However, the only ones I have so far are my mom's (wink wink nudge nudge).

Let me just tell you, my mom is very talented. She has been working on putting this shower together for a while now, and it DEFINITELY showed. No detail was overlooked, and she just knows my style so well. She also gives me style that I do not have.

From the little glass birds she had created to match the colors of our wedding...

....to the adorable ribbon-adorned bird cage to hold the cards.

She has a real talent for party planning and decorating. Seriously, it's amazing. Like I mentioned before, the shower was at the Johnston House for tea. Because so often tea requires sugar, she had little yellow flowered sugar cubes created.

My mom had my neighbor who is a baker at The Ultimate Pastry Shop in Sewickley make adorable little yellow and white cupcakes, and she got little boxes to put them in. And, of course they were stamped with the awesome bird stamp she had created for us.

You can actually see the stamp on the adorable yellow bags my mom gave to everyone to carry their goodies.

As if that wasn't enough, my mom also got everyone a cute little yellow globe (pictured on the table below) with a little light inside of it as a "thank you for coming" gift. I thought they were beautiful, and they complimented the tables so nicely. Of course, the little lanterns that she tied ribbon around weren't too shabby either.

As you can see, everything was just so beautiful, and I cannot thank my mom enough for putting all of this together for me. I never EVER thought that during the wedding process I would have such wonderful memories of the journey there. But, I am so blessed. This has all been so incredibly amazing, I kind of never want it to end.

There are a lot more picture and stories I would like to share, but those are going to have to wait until someone sends me their photos. :)

Getting showered in Pittsburgh

2010-04-09T13:43:00.000-07:00

Hopefully, I am not getting showered in the literal sense. But, I AM getting showered by my Pittsburgh/Cleveland friends and family. I have been unbelievably lucky in the party department. First, I had a shower here in Baltimore, which was amazing. Then, I had my wonderful bachelorette party weekend in Florida. And now, I am having a shower in Pittsburgh at a place I loved since I can remember.

I was always my moms shopping buddy when I was little (and then I progressed to being a professional shopper of my own of course). She took me to all sorts of cute shops, boutiques and arsty festivals. But one place that always stuck out in my mind was the Johnston House. It is a fine furnishings store that also has a tea room. It's beautifully nestled in an old house, and I just loved the charm of it. I remember trying to peak into the tea rooms and wanting to be able to "tea" with my friends. And now, I am finally going to experience it.

Tonight, I am hopping in my car with Wendy and Kathleen and heading to Pittsburgh to see my friends and family. Tomorrow morning we will be heading over to the Johnston House for the shower and tea, and I am so excited. It will be so nice to hang out with the family, see my some of my friends and finally get to TEA!

Have a great weekend!

A sneak peak

2010-04-08T16:54:00.000-07:00

I don't think it's any secret that Jared bought a 52-passenger school bus last year. However, he still seems to take a step back and blush when I just come out and say that he did it. Sure, it's not the most common purchase, but hey, we all have our likes. Many people ask us why he bought it and the short story is that he got in trouble on a bus when he was little, had to sit in the front and became obsessed with the mechanics and architecture of it. It led him to industrial design and an initial desire to design buses, trucks and cars.

While he didn't end up doing that as his daily profession, he does a lot of this on the side and continues (obviously) to be very obsessed with school buses. If you are in the car with him, he can tell you the make, model, year AND number of any bus on the road (EVEN when it's on the opposed site 500 ft away). It's crazy. He is also the only almost 30 year old drawing unreal sketches of cars and buses on the place mats at restaurants. Our favorite sushi waitress knows to bring him extra paper.

That said, the bus has become a part of us. It's always the funny story we tell - "Oh yea, we have a bus. It's at Jared's grandparents...in a garage...that Jared built." "Yea, Jared went and picked up his friend Maryn on the side of the road in his bus...and all the cars stopped."

So it seems only natural to have it be a part of our wedding. While it may or may not make an appearance in it's real form, it will definitely be making a debut on our wedding cake. Yes, you read that right. Granted, our cake is NOT going to be a school bus, but it will be sitting pretty on the top. Check it out!

That would be, me, Jared, the infamous bus and Sir Tai Poochie. Jared is obsessed with his bus, and I am obsessed with my dog. It just works. :)

I debated whether or not to reveal this, but I feared most people may miss this anyway. After all, sometimes the intricate details of the cake often go overlooked (at least by me they do). I couldn't believe how well Tai turned out either - he's so cute! The coloring and facial expression is just perfect.

So, yea, that is our wedding cake topper. I never said our wedding would be traditional, but it definitely screams "Ashley and Jared."

Yellow Cowboy Boots, Yes Please!

2010-04-05T17:22:00.000-07:00

You better believe if I wasn't getting married in May where it's likely that my feet would get very hot, I would be rocking yellow cowboy boots under my dress. I definitely considered it because I love the look, but I just know I will get too hot. Regardless, I love these babies.

{via Zappos by Frye}

{via Flickr}

The Invites Are Out

2010-04-04T06:07:00.000-07:00

Since the invitations went out last week, and we already received a bunch of the reply cards, I thought I could finally share them on here! Like I mentioned before, these were not your traditional invites. I HEAVILY debated on beautiful, letter-pressed invites early on because I appreciate amazing paper, but then quickly realized it wasn't one of our top priority items. By top priority, I mean that there were certain things we were willing to justify the cost. The invites turned out not to be one of them.

My mom actually found the invites found on Etsy (we love Etsy, what can I say!?), and as SOON as I saw them, I knew they would be perfect. A lady by the name of Jennifer from Pasaii designed and printed them for us. They were simple, SO us and unbelievably cost effective. So, without further ado, below are the invites.

There was a finch, there was yellow and gray and there was the overall look. There isn't any fussy ribbons or fancy paper overlay, but it is right up our alley.

We debated over the RSVP cards because I wanted to save some trees and have everyone RSVP online. However, the mom's quickly vetoed that one because we have some older folk attendees who wouldn't appreciate the tree-loving, cyber-friendly option. In the end, I was happy we went with them too.

We included the online RSVP on the card in case anyone preferred to respond that way and pointed everyone to our web site. Hopefully, people will submit some music while they are on there too (wink wink, nudge nudge).

The invites were sent in a very bright yellow envelope, and we even had custom stamps made from Zazzle (thanks to my mom, of course.)

All in all, I was very happy with the invites and thought they looked very "us." So now we move on to seating arrangements and final numbers. 8 weeks, what?!?!?!?

Bachelorette Glory

2010-04-01T16:37:00.000-07:00

I am back from my Bachelorette weekend in West Palm Beach, and let me tell you, I have the best friends, family and bridesmaids a girl could ask for. I am incredibly blessed, and it couldn't have been more obvious this past week.

Thursday evening, Kristen, Kathleen and I hopped on plane filled with 80 other safety patrol kids. :) It actually wasn't too bad, and we were given free drinks on the flight. Nice.

We pretty much all got in that night and went straight to bed (after getting the room situation all figured out of course.) Friday morning we got up (Kath and E went to the grocery store), and the rest of us laid around the pool. Glorious.

After a few hours, we started getting thirsty, so cocktail hour (which we decided sounded much better and classier than happy hour) began. Everyone spread out their showers, and we got ready for a BBQ!

Kathleen and Kristen pretty much tore up the kitchen and grill, and if it weren't for them, we would have probably all gone hungry. Later that night, we took a walk to digest, and fell asleep giggling in our respective rooms.

Saturday came, and Kath and I went for a run (I ran/walked, she ran). Wendy's house is the PERFECT location for running/biking/etc. After we returned, we hurried up and changed and we all headed over to the country club!

As soon as we got there, I found out that everyone bought me a massage, and I was so excited. It was AMAZING, and it totally relaxed me. Kristin and Morag also got massages, and laughed about how it was our first time with a male masseuse. We laid out, ate the most delicious, fresh lunch and enjoyed our surroundings.

Later, we came home and started to get ready and again had to start the night off right with cocktail hour. Cocktail hour on vacations after your are tanned, showered and ready are the best. I have some pretty hot friends.

With the help of Wendy who so kindly offered to take us to the restaurant in TWO trips, we made it to our destination. We went to a Greek restaurant that had belly dancers, and the atmosphere was perfect. The first crew waited for the second crew outside at the bar.

We started off with some flaming cheese, hummus and dips, and some other things I can't remember.

Obviously, we thought it was delicious.

And then I received an obscene amount of gift cards that totally shocked me. I have the BEST friends, have I mentioned that? I love you, guys.

After eating more than enough food, the belly dancer's led us to the dance floor. AND THEN, it got a bit out of control. We even had Wendy getting down with us. :)

It truly was the best night I can ever remember, and I loved every single minute of it. Apparently, I asked Christian to tell me a story before bed because "I like falling asleep to people talking?", and her story took all of 30 seconds to knock me out. BEST. NIGHT. EVER. Girls - thank you so much. I can never repay you for this.

Sadly, Sunday morning we had to take some of the girls to the airport to go home. :( The rest of us went to the mall (it was raining), and we picked out the bridesmaids shoes, woot woot! And of course, what would a trip to West Palm be without going to my favorite spot, City Place? So, we headed out for dinner and proceeded to have yet another wonderful evening full of laughs, cracked-out waiters and the FUNNIEST bedtime conversation EVER. "Opps I just bottom-burped."

I can't put into words how wonderful this weekend was for me. Elizabeth, my matron of honor worked really hard to make sure it was the best party ever, and she succeeded x 10. Wendy, Erin and Kathleen worked with E to plan it all out, and I just love all of them so much. All of my friends who came just totally made my weekend, and I almost cried (and did cry) about 10 times. Girls - you are the best and I love you with all of my heart. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Fitness and Flower Fun

2010-03-22T17:34:00.000-07:00

This morning I wore my Fitbloggin t-shirt by Thriv to work out, and I have to tell you, it is soooo soft. I actually wish I hadn't worn it to work out so that I could wear it now and to bed. I gave it a true sweat test, and while it did wick pretty well, I think my lululemon ones absorb a wee bit better.

I also gave these little guys a try...

I never realized how much socks can impact a run, but they are critical in preventing blisters. I learned this last year when getting properly fitted for running shoes, and I haven't looked back. So when I got a free pair from New Balance (because these babies don't come cheap), I was thrilled! They even have a little left and right letter on each them - how cute is that? In all seriousness though, good socks can really affect a workout.

I thought it was going to be a tough workout/morning being that I couldn't breathe, but this odd contraption pretty much saved me!

Have you ever used a Neti Pot (this video KILLS me by the way)?Well, it certainly isn't the most glamorous device, but it works wonders on the sinuses. It really helps me clear me up, and I think I will be perfect in time for my flight on Thursday.

Tonight, Jared and I met with our florist Karen Lock. She is such a joy to work with, and she really gets our vision. She showed us our centerpieces, and we went over what flowers will be going where. I just loved it all! Her ideas were so helpful and she really pulled everything together.

Karen offers such a beautiful, simple touch, and thank god she knows the names of flowers, because I certainly don't. I think I can now officially say, flowers - check!

Fitbloggin' 2010

2010-03-20T17:55:00.000-07:00

The past two days have been a whirlwind, but it was such a fantastic time! Friday night Kathleen met me at my house, and we headed down to the Waterfront Marriott for FitBloggin' 2010. As a little background, the FitBloggin’ Conference is for anyone who blogs about fitness, wellness, good food and a healthy lifestyle – regardless of where they are in their journey. Obviously, this blog is wedding-related right now, but I have been addicted to healthy living blogs for a few years now. While my blog isn't totally focused on food, I think it will be a bit more healthy-living targeted once the wedding is over as this is where my true passion resides.

Last night, we checked in, got our swag (oh my god, the swag), and went up to the room. We were upgraded to a harbor view, and all I can say is I have never seen Baltimore look so beautiful. I am so glad we decided to stay over night, even though I live 25 minutes away. I was completely blown away by the free New Balance shoes and shorts, and we also got to keep our gruve pedometers (which we initially thought we had to give back after the conference.) Needless to say, we were both in swag heaven. Check out the goodies below (totally took this picture after I got home, hence our bedspread).

Yes, you can see some awesome New Balance socks (you never realized how important good socks are until you run try good ones and your feet don't blister), a food scale by Eat Smart, the cutest little bowl and spoon by Green Lite Bites, a super comfy and organic blend FitBloggin' t-shirt that is made by thriv, a 10-minute solutions DVD by Jessica Smith, an awesome water bottle ( I hoard good ones) from LA boxing, POM juice, a Weight Watchers pedometer with points tracker, a new balance and 10-minute solutions USB (can never have enough of those), an adorable POM recycled bag, mints from yoga tune-up as well as a coupon for free massage balls, a few samples from pure 2 raw, a sample of Click espresso protein drink, a Skinny Cow towel and magnet, and some coupons which included a free bottle of tide sport detergent. WHEW!

We even hurried up and tried on our shorts and shoes as soon as we got in the room. I am not a huge running shorts fan as they tend to ride up and fit weird on me, but these were awesome. I am definitely taking them with me on the honeymoon, along with the shoes, which are the 740's. They are perfect for running (I even wore them on the 5k - more on that below), and I am a VERY harsh critic when it comes to running shoes. My feet are fragile, and I never skimp on running shoes, and these totally won be over. My arches didn't scream at me once.

After the swag fest, we headed down to the POM Wonderful cocktail reception, and it was great to finally put some faces to the names. The health blogger community seems to be such a great group of supportive, strong women, and it's very inspiring to all be in the same room. Because the pom-tini line took so long the first time around, Kath and I headed out for sushi for and called it an early night. We had to get up early for the 5k, and we both knew our grandma bodies couldn't handle otherwise. Of course, we made sure to cap our night off with a glass of red wine...in bed, right next to our water bottles. So typical.

Saturday morning, after a lot of tossing and turning (I think I was worried that I wouldn't wake up, and I had a nasty cold brewing), we awoke at 6am and got all dressed for our early run. We ran around the Inner Harbor, and it was the most perfect morning! Kathleen had to pace me because I severely lack in the running department, but she stuck with me, and I did it. :)

taken from Caitlin's photos

After showering, we packed our bags and headed down to breakfast for oatmeal and fixins'. The agenda for the day went like this:

Don't Write About Junk Science: How to Critically Evaluate Research - Presented by Scott Stawarz
Wordpress from .com to Self Hosted: An in Depth look into one of the most popular blogging software out there - Presented by Jim Doran.
LUNCH - it was so delicious!
POM presentation
Beyond the Blog: Getting Published with Charlie Hills, Linda Konner, Jennette Fulda, Caitlin Boyle and Brett Blumenthal
Making Money From Your Blog: Should You? Could You? How? With Esther Brady Crawford, Ted Rubin, Emi Hofmeister and Brett Blumenthal.
Closing keynote by Dave Grotto, author of 101 Foods That Can Save Your Life.

Overall, it was an information-packed day, and I can honestly say that I learned a so much. Ronni sure outdid herself in planning this conference. So much of what I learned could be applied personally and professionally, and I am so excited to continue down this blogging path. One of my favorite presenters was Jim Doran, and I didn't realize until he started speaking that he is a Hopkins employee as well. He was so down to earth, but incredibly smart. He definitely has me thinking about making the switch to Wordpress. I actually wanted to start this blog on Wordless, but the fiance create it, and I didn't want him to have to do more work. :)

With all that said, I think my body has now decided that I need to rest because a mean, ugly cold has taken over me. While I usually push on through these stupid colds, I am honoring my body and letting it relax because I have a BIG BACHELORETTE WEEKEND coming up in Florida. That's right, another jam-packed awesome weekend ahead. I can't wait!

Cheers!

The Great Tablecloth Debate

2010-03-17T15:58:00.000-07:00

I am not going to lie. I am frustrated...with tablecloths. What a stupid thing to be frustrated over - I know - but, I just don't seem to feel one way or the other about them. Our venue offers some very simple linens that I could use OR I could rent some from a local vendor. I could also mix and match if I want. That's the part I don't know - WHAT I WANT! It seems silly to spend money on something I am not feeling one way or the other about, but I it's something I may actually care a lot about when I see it.

When I envision the tables, I don't see a tablecloth sticking out that much. But, I can see how it brings things together. It could definitely help the ambiance of a room. In terms of the cocktail hour, that room may need a little punch of color with some tablecloths. Same goes for the room where we will be shaking our tailfeathers.

So, how do you feel about tablecloths? Do they make a room? Should I DIY? Should I rent the ones for dinner and then maybe do a mish mash of ones for the cocktail hour/dance floor? I need help, obviously. In six months, I know I will look back and think, "really, Ashley, tablecloths? Who cares?!"

I need some thoughts on this...please. :)

Monday Musings

2010-03-15T16:58:00.000-07:00

I haven't done a style/inspiration post in a while, and it certainly isn't because of a lack of inspiring details out there. So, without further babble, check out my latest loves:
I love the photography and hairstyle of the top picture and the absolutely exquisite and antique style of the jewelry on the bottom. The mix of metals on that ring is perfect. TO DIE FOR. I want it. Can I have it? I am not even remotely joking. I swear.

(Via Green Wedding Shoes}

A little pop of color on the feet ;)

{via Green Wedding Shoes}

The different prints for the bridesmaids dresses work perfectly here. I really like the mixing of materials and prints, and I particularly like this one because it's done with yellow and gray!

{via Green Wedding Shoes}

A beautiful bolero made by Russian artist TianaChe that would compliment a simple dress so well. I love the ruffles and flowers (do I even need to point that out?) I probably need to consider investing in something like this to keep me warm in case the weather is crappy. Although, I may want to focus on finding a veil first! Mom(s), what do you think?

{via Eco Chic Wedding}

P.S. I totally want that ring up there. Really badly.

75 days

2010-03-14T17:19:00.000-07:00

While in my head 75 days seems like a lot of time, when I think of the time we have left to plan in terms of weekends, it's not all that much. Next weekend, I will be devoting all my time to fitblogging, and I am even staying in a hotel downtown with my friend, Kathleen. Because we are going to run a 5k early Saturday before the conference starts, we thought it would be best to have a place we could get ready quickly. I mentioned the conference a few months ago, and I am so excited it's finally here. It will be great to finally meet some of the bloggers that I feel like I already know, plus test out some of the gear they are offering to attendees. Expect a full recap next week.

The following weekend is my bachelorette party in Florida - WOOHOO! I seriously can't even believe it's so soon. Granted, I have no idea of the activities we will be partaking in, I am sure it will be absolutely perfect thanks to the wonderful planning of my bridesmaids. :) I really could use some sun. I will be parking my very pale body right in one of those chairs.

During the time we are there, our invites are supposed to go out. And...I haven't actually sent in my final list yet to the printers. EEKS! But, she said it shouldn't take more than a week to turn them around, so I'm not that worried. The good thing, though, is that our designer said she already started printing the invitations, RSVP card and return addres labels, so printing out the envelopes shoudln't be too hard. I can't wait to see them; I can't wait for everyone to see them!

Then, the weekend after that is Easter (and my first dress fitting - whaaaaa!), and then the one after that is my shower in Pittsburgh. It's going to be a crazy, but wonderful few weeks.

One of the things I seemed to overlook is outfits for the Pittsburgh shower, rehearsal dinner, the bachelorette party and the honeymoon! Being that I have a love of clothes, it's one of the fun things that I couldn't believe I put last on the list. Not to worry, though, I did find some adorable dresses (and no, they aren't all from Anthropologie), but they are cute. While I won't share the outfits I bought, I thought it would be fun to share some of the accessories I found to compliment some of the outfits. :)

{Looping lanes belt via Anthropologie}

I have been eyeing this belt for a while now and think it would be cute with so many dresses. And, if you know me, you are aware that I pretty much live in dresses all summer long. So, it may or may not make an appearance.

{via ruche}

I think this bracelet will look darling with one dress I bought which I think I am going to wear to the rehearsal dinner. If not then, then definitely for the honeymoon. I just love the mix of metal and leather. The shop I bought it from, Ruche, has some adorable clothes and accesories for a great price. They offer a vintage vibe with some eco-friendly options as well.

Have a great week all, and thanks for reading. I get so excited when someone else tells me that they read my blog. It makes me wish I did it more often.

Free things to do in Baltimore

2010-03-01T15:34:00.000-08:00

For some of our guests who are coming into down early to check out the Baltimore scene, Baltimore.org boasts a ton of options for all types/ages of people. I think the "50 free things to do list" is really helpful, and I hope it can provide some wallet-friendly activities for our friends and family. Check it out here: http://baltimore.org/50-free-things/

{via Baltimore.org}

Out of town bags

2010-02-23T15:26:00.000-08:00

There are many things to think about while planning a wedding, and some of the to-do's seem rather small in the big scheme of things. These items, however, still need to be addressed and planned regardless. Actually, that is not true. If you don't want to do them, then don't. BUT... there are certain traditions/things that we will not be doing/participating, and there are others we are doing, but maybe with a different twist. Have I totally lost you? Well...

Out the bajillion weddings I had the honor of attending in the past few years, I have seen some pretty creative and simple out of town bags. These bags are not required by any means and probably are not all that necessary. They are giving to the guests staying in hotels from out of town and include things like little snacks, bottled water and some wedding token from the couple. But, I think they can be a bit more fun than that. I debated about doing them (I know that sounds terrible to my out of town guests), but I didn't know if they were just a waste of money that we didn't have. Do people even care about them? Do they just discard them? I didn't know! However, after some discussion with my brother and sister-in-law, my mom and Wendy, I am totally convinced we have come up with some great ideas.

So, we are currently working on putting together some kick-ass-Maryland-touting out of town bags. Get exited.

Moving along nicely...

2010-02-21T15:24:00.000-08:00

Hello lovely readers. :)

The wedding planning is definitely picking up and progressing. I found my shoes!!! I know I mentioned that I wanted something unique, comfy and super awesome. And, I am pretty sure I have found them; although, I have yet to actually try them on my lovely "dogs." I should be receiving them in the mail this week, and I hope they are as fantastic and comfortable in person as they are online. As a hint, they may or may not look similar to one of these shoes. ;)

Honestly, it's none of those, but I like all three of these hot shoes. And, there is one similarity in my shoes from each one of the shoes pictured above. Hehehe, oh how I wish I could reveal all of my finds on this little here bloggy, but that wouldn't make things very fun on May 29th, would it?

Best Bridesmaids

2010-02-14T15:37:00.000-08:00

I received the cutest little invitation for my bachelorette party today (thanks to freaking awesome matron of honor, E), and it is just TOO cute! I didn't want to put the actual one on here since it includes some private information, but how adorable are these? The paper quality and printing is fantastic, and it seems like Wedding Paper Diva's know their stuff. Thank you, girls! I CANNOT wait for some sun. :)

{via weddingpaperdivas.com}

Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T15:29:00.000-08:00

Just because I don't particularly love the hoopla of Valentine's Day doesn't mean I don't enjoy some parts of it. For example, it's actually Jared and my anniversary. We both totally agree that it's completely cheesy, but it just happened that way. Four years ago today, Jared and I decided to kick the old friend routine up a notch. :) Anyway, I kind of felt like crap today from too much fun last night, but it was a great weekend spent with our friends Matt and Tracy. And, it was nice to have a double date full of laughs and yummy food.

Anywho, moving on to more wedding-related things, I was able to accomplish one wedding task today; I bought my shoes!! I so wish I could share them on here, but I am trying to fight the urge to give everything away. Regardless, they definitely aren't your traditional bride shoe, but they totally scream "Ashley." My mom actually found them, and knew it would they would be perfect. I'm also happy to report that I purchased them from an eco-friendly online store, which made the shoes that much sweeter. I just hope they fit.

On a totally unrelated note, I stumbled across the most adorable short wedding dress today by Elizabeth Dye. It's darling. I almost went with a shorter dress, but out of luck found a long that I really loved. Had I not found it, this would have been RIGHT up my alley. The attention to detail on this dress is amazing.

{Via Elizabeth Dye}

Valentines Hoopla

2010-02-10T04:42:00.000-08:00

I have never been a big fan of Valentines Day. Maybe it's because I am not that much of a romantic, or maybe it's because I am a monster. Regardless, I tend to get annoyed by it and a little uncomfortable. I do have to say, though, that I have seen so many cute things on my designs blogs, that I am slowly starting to have a little appreciation for the "holiday." While I still don't like that there is one day that is slated for me to tell people I love them or vice versa, there are some super cute Valentine's items that I think capture the simplicity of it all quite nicely. I wouldn't mind giving these to my sweetie or a friend I think I couldn't live without. Or maybe even Tai. You know.

{via Eat Drink Chic}

{via Julene's etsy shop}

{via creature comforts}

{via Love.Obsess.Inspire}

Monday Loves

2010-02-08T16:33:00.000-08:00

In the middle of the snowpocalypse that we are dealing with here, I have been trying to keep myself busy looing at pretty things. With 30 inches of snow already on the ground, and possibly 20 more, my 764,329 blogs are keeping me going right now. So, without further babble, I came across another yellow/grey themed wedding that I thought was too cute for words and wanted to share. I definitely could see myself doing some of these things. Actually, I almost don't want to share this because you may end up seeing some very similar things.

I really like the touches of yellow in the table settings. It shows what a bright little napkin can do. And then we have this little diddy of a table topper, and it's pretty much spot on with our style. The gray pattern on the six is just perfect. And, I am pretty sure I see a bird. Hmmmmmm.

And come someone please make me an awesome quilt (pictured in the middle), so we could do something as charming as this? Seriously, this is ridiculous. It's so creative, thoughtful and ever-lasting. I want one. Now. Give me.

{all photos via Brooklyn Bride}

The Honeymoon

2010-02-02T17:10:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, we are going to Hawaii for our honeymoon. Neither Jared nor I have been there before, and it's always been on the top of both of our vacation lists. So, without that hard decision to make, Hawaii it was. Jared's parents were so generous to offer us their timeshare and points with the Marriott, so we will be actually going to two islands in Hawaii.

First, we will be going to Kaui. It looks like heaven! Waimei Canyon, here we come. We will be staying at the Marriott Kaui Beach Club.

After spending 5 days relaxing, hiking, biking and sight-seeing our way around Kaui, we will be headed to Maui. There, we will be staying at the Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa. Again, this looks like heaven.

At this point, it just seems unreal. With all the planning we do, it's never really for the honeymoon. But, this is going to truly amazing. We tend to stay to our usual vacation spots (aka Florida), so being able to hike, bike and lay though such a beautiful, tropical area is going to be such a treat.

We still need to plan some of the things we will be doing there, so please let us know of any suggestions you may have. Thank you Mommy Wendy and Daddy Steve. :)

Little yellow lovlies

2010-02-01T17:46:00.000-08:00

So, I am not really a shoe girl. In fact, this year I made a vow to myself to stop wearing uncomfortable shoes, because 1) they hurt me and 2) I don't want big ugly feet. That said, I CAN'T HELP but have a little envy when I see Louboutin's. They make your foot look beautiful. And, seriously, when I saw these, I thought, "how cute would these be for the wedding?" Granted, they are an absurd price (and the price shown here is about half of what they normally are), but they are HOT!

Four months, a finch and a pop of color

2010-01-27T17:13:00.000-08:00

That's right, we are down to four months. I can't believe it, actually. We gave ourselves SO much time that none of the planning seemed "urgent." Other than the initial booking of the venue because it's over Memorial Day weekend, we haven't had to really rush very much. Well, it's time to get serious.

Now, we don't have to get crazy, but each week, there is something that has to be done for the wedding. I am SO happy to say, however, that we found our invitations. And...we found them on Etsy!! I would put the designers name, but if you looked her up, you would totally know which ones we selected. :) I'll give you a little visual hint, though.

It kind of happened by accident, and my mom was really the one that found them; but when I saw them, everything came together. And, that is because they aren't just invitations. We found the invitations, programs, table numbers and name cards. It's all in our color scheme, and it's perfect. For some reason that seemed to be a GIANT load off of my shoulders, because I just didn't have a clear vision of what I wanted. And, the kind I thought I wanted were CRAZY expensive. The ones we purchased, however, were not. Score.

In addition to the invitations, Jared has also been doing little tweaks to our site. One of things that Jared and I love is music. And, we want it to be just right on our wedding day. To do that, we need all of our friend's help. We added a section to our website where you can submit your requests, and we will compile all of this for our DJ. I think a party is often driven by the music, and it's important that everyone can have some of their favorites played. So, with that said, come on and SUBMIT YOUR FAVORITE SONGS!: Just click on the "submit music" button.

Next, I have to work on some of the fun things...shoes and accessories. On one hand, I would LOVE to pick a vibrant pair of shoes that would pop. On the other hand, my dress isn't all that poofy, and my brightly colored, hot shoes may just come off as distracting. So, I am on a mission to find out what is perfect for me. Suggestions are welcome. :)

{via Green Wedding Shoes}

Wedding Bands - Check!

2010-01-03T15:20:00.000-08:00

Welp, we crossed off a pretty big to-do on the list today. We selected and bought our wedding bands!

We are both absolutely in love with them and want to wear them NOW. Actually, Jared asked me (in the store when making the final purchase) if we could start wearing them as soon we had them in hand as he didn't realize that you only get them at the ceremony. He said, and I quote, "Oh, I thought we just took them off at the wedding and put them back on during the ceremony." I had to giggle a little bit at that. Although, my brother did wear his as an engagement ring too, so it would make sense how he would think that. Come to think of it, maybe men should wear one just like women do to show they are "off the market." Hmmmmmm.

Moving on - on Tuesday, we are finally sitting our butts down with our wedding coordinator, Austin, at Grey Rock and selecting the menu. This will give us a firm price per head so that we now know exactly how much we need to save to have all of our dearest family and friends there with us. It's hard to truly understand the budget without this.

To top if all off, we will be selecting our invitations next week with Maryn, so that makes things feel like they are moving. It's funny because it all of a sudden went from "oh, you guys have a plennnnnnty of time" to "oh wow...you guys really need to get moving on stuff."

It is time to get down to business....but FIRST, I get to experience my best friends wedding THIS SATURDAY!!! I can't wait to see how everything came together and to see the look on E's face on that day. I don't even have words.

On 2009

2009-12-23T07:06:00.000-08:00

As I look back and reflect on 2009 (because that is what we all do around this time of year), I can't believe 1) how fast it has gone 2) how much has happened. I realize that is common and almost cliche, but for someone who is usually a grandma and appreciates time to herself and unplanned weekends, it's been a crazy ride. Let me recap:

1) Jared and I started planning a wedding! What? That's insane. Fortunately, it hasn't been all that stressful. I think we gave ourselves more than enough time to research what we like and slowly make the big decisions. I am sure that will change as the big day gets closer, but so far, it's not bad at all. Finding the person you want to spend forever with is a pretty incredible thing, and while the wedding is important, realizing you get to grow old with your best friend is even better.

2) I changed jobs...twice. Who the heck does that? Ohhhh, me. What have I learned from that? Every person has the power within them to make themselves happy in their job. If you find yourself complaining every day and living for the weekend, it's probably a good idea to reevaluate your current position. I will never accept that thinking. I am in such a wonderfully content place right now and couldn't ask for more. All the craziness/disappointment/uncertainty of the changes was worth it, 100%. The worst thing anyone can do is sit around hoping things will change.

3) My brother got married. It wasn't just any wedding, though. I got to visit Portland and experience his life for the first time. Something really changed in me when I went there. I don't know what it was, but I felt like that was when I began to TRULY appreciate each and every moment. I feel like I look at things a little differently now, and when I get upset I think, "does it really matter?" Most of the time, it doesn't, and I accept it and move on. Why did this approach to life begin there? I can't really say, but it was like I saw some form of pure happiness and realized what was actually important in life. It was so wonderful to spend time with my family and see my brother so sincerely and blissfully happy. I STILL tear up when I talk about it. Oh, and that is another thing, I cry like a baby now. It was like all my emotions had been backed up for years and the dam finally broke. It's a good thing, though - I have come a long way.

4) My best friend got engaged and started planning her wedding in which I am a maid of honor. It's pretty cool to be able to share the process of planning a wedding with your best friend. We got to (still do) bounce ideas off each other and ask the questions we need answered that no one else will. Her wedding is January 9th, and I am still trying to plan my toast. :) She should be worried.

5) I gained some new friends that added so much to my life. It's amazing how positive people can affect you, and that is the case for me. I truly believe some people are toxic and just bring you down. I do my best to stay away from them. Alternatively, there are people who always make you smile and see the good in everything. They are genuine and do not have ulterior motives. This year, I was lucky to add a few of them to my life. It may seem like a small thing, but nothing beats having supportive, happy people around you.

All in all, 2009 was a blessing. I have always said that things in my life have a way of working out in some way or the other. I have a lot of faith that someone above is leading me to where I need to be. I definitely had some awful moments, but I wouldn't give those up because it most certainly led me to where I am today. I have never felt more content, and that is HUGE. I only hope that 2010 will be just as nice. :)

Fun with Fitness

2009-12-21T09:03:00.000-08:00

I mentioned a while back that I was going to start taking my health more seriously, and I meant it. I would say about five months ago, I finally decided to make an effort to 1) stop the fat talk 2) eat more whole, clean foods 3) keep exercising, but add in more things I enjoy for fun.

Stopping the “fat talk” was really difficult as it’s something that has become so mainstream; however, knowing that it is detrimental to me and everyone else around me motivates me to zip it. It's very easy to slip into when you aren’t feeling 100% with yourself, but it's important to remember just how crippling it is. When I started paying attention to it, I couldn’t believe how often I did it. I wanted to slap myself. But, I can now say, I rarely do it. Don’t get me wrong, I have some REALLY bad days where I am not feeling so hot, but bashing my body is totally unnecessary. My body allows me do a lot of amazing things, and I am doing my best to eliminate all the negative banter.

To really understand the types of food I needed to become stronger and get more energy, I actually sought the help of a nutritionist, Ana Goldseker, of Mindful Nutrition. While you would think it would be as simple as picking up a book on healthy foods, it wasn’t to me. I wanted to understand why I felt sluggish at certain times of the day and why I got lightheaded so often. Turns out, I am hypoglycemic and basically eating all the wrong foods at the wrong time of day.

My family actually used to tease me as a little girl because I would complain that I was getting “shaky” when I was hungry on a long road trip. But, it’s because my blood sugar drastically drops when I don’t eat for a few hours, and it makes me 1) shaky 2) cranky 3) super lightheaded and weak. With the help of Ana, I now have a better understanding of what to eat and when. It has made a remarkable difference.

In addition to rearranging my eating habits, I started relying on my favorite food bloggers even more. I have always read health food blogs (and was totally made fun of for it too); I actually started with Cristin from Eat Like Me, and then branched out to Kath Eats, Carrots n’ Cake, Eat Live Run, Healthy Tipping Point and Oh She Glows (who introduced me to the Green Monster that I drink every single morning). There are numerous others as well, but these are the ones I read on a daily basis. While I don't have my own food blog because I don’t eat as nearly as attractive foods as they do, I am extremely interested in it. It's a HUGE time commitment taking photos of each and every bite, and I don't know if it would be beneficial for me at this point. I am interested in having a healthy living blog, though.

My profession is in the health care industry, and I was so happy when my boss said they would front the fee for my ticket to the upcoming fitbloggin’ conference, hosted in Baltimore (woohoo!) So often these are held in other (read more glamorous) locations, but for once, one is being held in my town. These bloggers and blogs give me a great source of encouragement. It totally makes my day when I discover new fitness bloggers in the Baltimore area, like Ashley of Daily Goods, because it’s great to “meet” someone else desiring the same healthy path.

In regards to exercise, I used to be a dancer, and I didn’t really have to work out to stay in shape. It was honestly the best exercise I could do for myself. Once I graduated, though, that all changed and I felt myself losing muscle and strength. While I like working out at the gym, nothing gave me the rush I got from dance. I even began working out with a trainer this year that really pushed me in the weight training department. I have cut back on my appointments now, but I have a whole book of workouts to keep me going. (We do have wedding to pay for, after all).

I decided after some time, though, that I wanted to start incorporating a greater variety of exercises in my routine. The most notable of those was hot yoga. It’s incredible. It reminds me so much of dance, and I will challenge anyone that says it’s not one of the most intense workouts they have done. I have noticed the sweat factor does change within 5-7 degrees, but as long as you challenge yourself with each and every pose, you walk out feeling like gold. It is – by far – the most amazing workout in terms of mental and physical strength, and I thank those at Charm City Yoga for adding something so great to my life.

All in all, I think I have made some great first steps in the health and wellness department. And, no, it’s not just for the wedding. These are principles that I plan to carry on forever as I would never want to put a deadline on my health. It’s a lifestyle; and as long as you are realistic with yourself, it is incredibly rewarding.

On my owl obsession

2009-12-15T17:11:00.000-08:00

First of all, I was totally overwhelmed by the response on my last post. Thank you for all the helpful comments.....oh wait....I didn't...right. Grandma, I will teach you how to comment later.

Secondly, I felt the need to share how my owl obsession began. I am starting to see trendy owl things pop up, and I don't like it one bit. Not ONE bit. I don't like it because it will make all the owl things I ooooh and ahhh over seem cheapened.

Anywho, I have never seen an owl in real life. I heard them ALL the time while growing up in the woods, but I never saw one. But then, my friend Chara who is in vet school happened to be working in the wildlife ward (I actually don't even think she knows this). She posted some pictures of her time there, and POOF, I was jelly. She worked on a male great horned owl with neurological disorders and posted a picture of it. It was unreal. I have never seen something so beautiful and intriguing. Check them out. Those EYES!

So then the other day, I happened to stumble upon another post that instantly jolted me into "SEE, THAT IS WHY I LOVE OWLS SO MUCH PEOPLE!" mode. Kate Pruitt posted the pictures below on HER blog, but she found them here. But, after looking at these pictures (and potentially reading the story of how that couple helped out the owl), how can you NOT love them? They look like magical creatures, and I apparently live in a magical world.

Menswear

2009-12-08T17:37:00.000-08:00

One of the most challenging things we are dealing with at the moment is finding appropriate attire for the groomsmen. Our entire vision of the wedding is a relaxed, cozy, fun and happy event. We don't want people to feel like they need to go all out and dress to the nines. Dress as you normally would in whatever way makes you feel special.

We also feel this way about the wedding party. While I think I found a dress that looks adorable and classy on the ladies, Jared nor I like the idea of tuxes. They just don't seem appropriate for what we are going for that day. That's not to say they aren't great looking, it's just not "us." That said, it's rather hard to find suits to rent. In fact, it's nearly impossible.

So, just throwing this out there, but has anyone dealt with this issue before? We have come to a decision ( I think), but I am curious to see how other couples have dealt with this? If you don't want the men to wear tuxes, what other options did you have? Was it more expensive? Do tell (6 or so loyal readers, hehe).

If money grew on trees

2009-12-01T15:24:00.000-08:00

and it was of no concern to anyone whatsoever, there would be two insanely-priced items I would purchased immediately.

1) The Vita-mix- with my daily protein shake habit where I throw ice, spinach, bananas and other items into my blender, how long could one normal blender really last? While the price is OUTRAGEOUSLY (like what where they thinking??) expensive, this has got to be one of the coolest kitchen items out there. Just check out the reviews on this baby.

{via cooking.com}

2) The Dyson DC14 Animal Upright Vacuum - I am fairly certain I will always have animals. And, despite the fact that it would be awesome to have hypoallergenic pets, Jared and I seem to gravitate towards the special-looking-monster-shedding ones. If we had this lovely "puppy," though, I bet our place would be a little less hairy (oh, I crack myself up). A friend of mine mentioned she is getting one for Christmas, and I was absurdly, if not inappropriately excited for her.

{via overstock.com}

Creative Shower Gift

2009-12-01T14:39:00.000-08:00

Many people asked me about the poem that came along with one of the multi-part shower gifts I received, so I thought I would share it on here as well. The gift revolved around the poem, and I had to open gifts where it said to in the poem. Check it out below, and click on the links to see the gift:

Your wedding is a big day for you. It will be the happiest day of your (open gift 1). It's the day when you and Jared (open gift 2) your love for each other. I am (open gift 3) it will be a (open gift 4) day and you will look (open gift 5) in you wedding gown. Your (open gift 6) will be to bring (open gift 7) and (open gift 8) into each others lives. Yet, there will be times when you scream and (open gift 9), but you will (open gift 10) right back with love and (open gift 11). I know that happiness will always (open gift 11) over your both because you have done a wonderful job in choosing each other. I am (open gift 12) for both of you and I know your marriage will be (open gift 13)!!!

Hopefully, you tried to guess what some of the items were before clicking on them, but it was definitely one of my favorite gifts. Not only was it clever and cute, I can use each and every single I item included.

I am hoping to use this on someone else someday (who hopefully doesn't read this blog).

Monday loves

2009-11-30T16:35:00.000-08:00

I just have two quick items to share because I just love them so:

1) How adorable is this print? A tree, a bird, a cute little haiku - perfection. I will keep this in my bookmarks for future gift ideas because it's just the cutest. The custom print also includes the couple's name, wedding date and location.

{via khamm75on etsy}

2) Eco-friendly fabric gift wrap - made my chewingthecud, this is printed on 100% organic cotton with soy-based inks. I originally saw this on style me pretty, where they were doing a give-away to win a set of ten!!! The pattern sucks me in, and I WANT. They would also make cute decorations.

{via style me pretty}

Shower Madness

2009-11-27T14:22:00.000-08:00

It's been a pretty busy few weeks in regards to the good ol' wedding. Last weekend I had my Baltimore shower, and let me tell you, it was intense. Intense in a good way, of course. While I was totally overwhelmed, I think that is to be expected when so many of your friends and family come to see you and then sit around and watch you open presents. But, much to my chagrin, it was totally amazing.

My parents came down for the weekend, and it was wonderful having them here as always. My little Canadian munchkin friend came to surprise me, and it was awesome to catch up. I saw some of my friends I hadn't seen in a while and it was SO SO SO nice to see their faces and laugh. I miss so many people that I no longer see on a daily basis, but am so happy they are a part of my life in some way. A bunch of generous women helped plan the event. Kathleen and Erin did a ridiculously good job of helping me not hyperventilate. Really, it was extremely enlightening. Jared and I both agreed that we will be on cloud 9 when it comes to our wedding, because everyone that is important to us will be in one room having a party. That's pretty amazing.

Throughout this entire process, it's been so wonderful having so many caring people around us. Jared and I have so many great people in our lives, and we can't thank them enough for their support. We really are blessed.

In the upcoming weeks, we have some additional details to sort out and hopefully that will go smoothly. We have to determine the menu, decide on what the men are wearing and get thinking about our rings. Not too much, but we tend to procrastinate...in case you haven't noticed.

Food Tasting

2009-11-17T18:07:00.000-08:00

STUFFED - the one word to describe how Jared and I are feeling right now. Tonight, we attended Simply Elegant's (our venues caterer) food tasting, and we got to experience a variety of the menu offerings. I was hoping that this would help us organize our thoughts about what we were having and how much it would cost. This, however, was not the case. We tried a lot of great food, but I have no idea where that puts us budget wise.

To give you an idea of what and how much we ate, we took some pictures. Yes, I am aware that I am the worst food photographer ever, but you have to start somewhere.

To begin, we tried warm crab and cheddar fondue and baked french brie encroute with mango chutney and dried fruits and nuts. I adored and could have taken a bath in the fondue (shocker), and the brie was absolutely repulsive. I think brie can have a weird texture and can sometimes taste old. Additionally, we tried the St. Andrew torte, which was just okay and the brushetta bar, which was nothing too special. I think the brushetta bar is a nice idea, though.It's just one of those more basic items.

Some of the wait staff was walking around with hors doeuvres, and we (Jared) really liked the bourbon street shrimp dusted with cajon rub and sauteed with honey, lemon and white wine and the crab balls on a bremer wafer topped with a dollop of old bay cream. I knew those would be his favorite, and I am sure, the most expensive. He also tried grilled scallops, which were quite tasty, and spinach stuffed mushrooms. He thought the mushrooms were really good, and I trusted him. I like to keep mushrooms as far away as possible.

Then came the meal (I know, I was already stuffed), and it was really good.

This was my plate and it contained the following:

Harvest salad mixed field greens, sliced pears & granny apples, crumbled maytag blue cheese & toasted walnuts & lightly dressed with ginger vinaigrette - I REALLY liked this salad and would love to include this in our menu.
Gala salad with seasonal berries, mandarin oranges & candied walnuts with raspberry vinaigrette - While this was a tasty salad, it was a bit sweet for my liking. In general, I gravitate towards salty salads as opposed to sweet.
Pasta santa rosa bow tie pasta, fresh spinach, pine nuts, olive oil, herbs and sun dried tomato pesto - I really enjoy pasta, and while I thought it was okay, it was also a bit bland.
Sicilian Brushetta - AMAZING. It reminded of delicious pizza.
Chicken Chesapeake topped with lump crab - I was expecting this to blow me away, but it didn't. Don't get me wrong, it was good, but it lacked some flavor. It needed more punch.

Jared's plate included the following:

Grilled rosemary chicken accompanied by smoked tomato chutney & charred pineapple salsa - It was a pretty good chicken with just enough flavor. This is a possibility.
Herb crusted tenderloin of beef - Jared gave this a 9/10, which I think is pretty high. I don't really like beef, so I relied on him for this one. I heard other people saying it was really good.
Mashed potatoes with a touch of horseradish - This was a hands down winner to J; a 10/10. I don't know how we could incorporate this in the menu with what we are currently leaning to, but it was amazing.
Chicken Chesapeake topped with lump crab - he felt the same way I did on this one. It needed some umph.
Pasta santa rosa bow tie pasta, fresh spinach, pine nuts, olive oil, herbs and sun dried tomato pesto - J liked this a lot and thought we should keep this as a possibility. I am a pretty tough pasta critic, so he may be right.

At this point, we really couldn't think of trying anything else, but then Jared saw the cake. Oh yes, Artistic Designs provides the cakes for Grey Rock, and we sucked it up and tried them. I am not a huge cake fan at all, but Jared is a sweets'aholic. This was probably his favorite part.

In this photo was the Italian double chocolate custard, swiss raspberry marmalade and peanut butter cream. All of them were decent, but not winners. The chef did share with us that the raspberry one is the #1 choice by most brides.

Above is the red velvet cake and the heath bar cake. These were both fantastic, and our favorite was the heath bar by a long shot. We had no idea that we would like the heath bar one so much, but it was the best out of the ones we sampled. We will most likely need to use a few flavors for the cake, but that is going to require some fine tuning (aka more face stuffing).

Needless to say, we were at "maximum capacity" when we left and had to come home and put on the elastic waist pants. All in all, we were very pleased with the menu, but we need to nail down the costs of everything.

Looks like we need to spend some extra time whittling our middles tomorrow!

The little details

2009-11-10T17:16:00.000-08:00

We are at the point in our wedding planning where we need to start thinking about the little details. Sure, we have a few larger things to nail down (you know, the whole who is marrying us thing, the rings, tasting/selecting the food, etc.) But, those things are slowly coming along...barely.

Thankfully, my brother has offered to help design some of the small things (by offer, I mean I asked and he reluctantly agreed). Being that he is a graphic designer - and a pretty talented one at that - I really wanted to incorporate some of his style. He may not be so thrilled when I get all, "well, that's nice, BUT, do you think maybe you could make that a littttle bit bigger, and maybe like, change all of that," but I am super excited to enlist his help.

Specifically, Brandon will be helping with the table number system and maybe some other tags (surprise!). So, while I was trying to think of what I wanted, I stumbled upon on some images that are in the right arena.

{via 100 layer cake}

I really like the feel of paper bags. And, much to my happiness, Brandon always makes things out of paper bags! I love the color, the simplicity and the texture. I think it will contrast nicely with the yellow, and I know Brandon will be able to "make it happen." (If he reads this he is totally going to be making fun of me.)

{via 100 layer cake}

The look of the tags and table cards above are just so cute and sweet. I think it is charming yet understated. And, I think, that is what we are going for...at least right now. Like I mentioned before, it seems to change a lot.

On an unrelated noted (because let's be honest, why would I stick to one thing), how cute are these prints? Their messages are perfect. Of course, I forget who made these because I bookmarked them too long ago, but I sure do like them.

{via Design Sponge}

Come here, boy!!

2009-10-27T16:34:00.000-07:00

You recall the Puppy Love section of The Sweetest Occasion I mentioned a few days/weeks ago? Well, if you don't you need to go there, because the most recent entry is painstakingly adorable. This is what I envision in my head when I think of Tai Pooch flying down the aisle. Seriously.

On an unrelated note, I got my ring back today - woooohoooooooo!! They had to re-fuse (that word looks weird) all the diamonds, so hopefully all the little baby things will stay put.

To keep this post going in the "there is absolutely no theme here" direction, below is a website I stumbled upon featuring drool-worthy stationary. I know you are all going to think that I just like it because there is an owl on it and in the name of the company, Night Owl Paper Goods, but that's not the reason. Granted, it definitely helps make it more *awesome, * but the work created by Alan Henderson and Jennifer Tatham is so unique and charming. They also make these adorable owl plushies (which are just the baby cutest) that I wouldn't mind getting, but again it's not because they owls. You can just tell the time and thought that went into each and every piece. I love them, and I wouldn't mind ordering an item or two.

Birds and Owls

2009-10-18T07:37:00.000-07:00

Oh how I love anything that has these two creatures on them. Check out these cute little items below.

We already registered for dishes way back when and received them as an engagement gift. Now, I want these too. I mean how freaking cute are they? They do have a few cute vases and a picture frame in the same pattern too...hmm, there is an idea. I have to monitor myself, though, as we will end up being registered at 27 places soon (NOT Anthropologie, though. Nooooo, no, wouldn't want to have that option. Hmph).

{via Love.Obsess.Inspire, available at Macy's}

Also, I just love this owl umbrella stand. Seeing as those we haven't experienced anything BUT rain the past week, it made me realize much these little gems come in handy. Adorable.

{via Taxidermy Church}

Another Day, Another Blog

2009-10-14T16:19:00.000-07:00

That's right. Not a day goes by that I do not stumble upon yet another blog to add to my ridiculously long list. I know, I have said this before. I don't even bother putting them into my reader anymore, because once it got above 2,000 unread entries, I just flat out gave up. Plus, the sites I had been adding were so pretty, I didn't want to see them in the viewer.

Anywho, I discovered the blog The Sweetest Occasion a few days ago, but I discovered this special feature on that blog today. Can you guess what it is? It's something AWESOME. It's a Puppy Love feature where the blogger will showcase adorable dogs attending, participating in and stealing the show at weddings of all varieties. How freaking adorable is that???

{via the Sweetest Occasion of With this Ring's wedding}

So, I will now be glued to this special feature. And maybe after our wedding, we can get Sir Tai Poochie on there. I am also excited to get some potential ideas of how to dress him too. We all know how pretty he is all by himself. :)

{via the Sweetest Occasion of With this Ring's wedding}

Colors - A Serious Debate

2009-10-13T17:23:00.000-07:00

{via the sweetest occasion}

I could honestly change the colors/theme of our wedding every day. While yellow is my favorite in general, I see things like the images above and think, "HOLD UP! Purple and aqua are awesome colors together, and I need to have it" (not too mention the owls and the wood textures too). This is actually from a baby shower, but how pretty and perfect are they?

{via the sweetest occasion}

I just adore the aqua color here and am really thinking that it could be incorporated...maybe. I have a problem.

On another pretty note, I also saw these adorable save the dates. While I realize mine are done and out the door, I couldn't help but share these as they are as cute as pie. The birds, the colors..."I die."

{via 100 layer cake}

Bye Bye Ring

2009-10-12T15:42:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago as I was sitting minding my own little business, I noticed that one of the pave diamonds in the halo part of my ring was sitting funny. Sickened that I could possibly LOSE a little baby diamond, I took it the very next day to Radcliffe to say "FIX IT!" I didn't really say it like that, but you know what I mean. I FELT like saying it that way. Anyway, they said it was definitely fixable, and three days later they called me back to say I could pick it up.

In the three days I didn't have my ring, I whined a lot (shocker) and told everyone I felt naked, but once I got it back and saw how sparkly and shiny it was, I got over it. It was like a brand new ring. Jared was the one who picked it up and he actually asked me to marry him this time when he gave it to me (you know, unlike the first time he pseudo asked me to marry him without actually saying the words, but rather looked like a dying, scared little boy).

Fast forward a week and half (Friday). I was sitting at my desk at work, looked down at my hand and *GASP* a little baby pave diamond was missing. MISSING! Happy Friday to you too pretty little ring.

So, I rushed back to Radcliffe's after work and said "REALLY FIX IT!" I should note that this time I went to a different Radcliffe - one that is 2 miles from our house. I don't know if that makes a difference or not, but it seems important to mention. The jeweler looked at it with his funny little magnifying contraption and said that - ACTUALLY - another diamond was almost loose. So, to be safe and to make sure my ring isn't defected, they sent it back to the designer and he has to reset the little diamonds and make sure everything is perfect. I was told that may take three weeks. grrrrrrr.

My hand's naked again.

I've been busy

2009-09-29T15:36:00.000-07:00

It's true - I have been busy. I realize that is no excuse not to blog because most people in this world are, in fact, very busy. So, I guess I have also been lazy.

After returning from Florida, I attended a 3-day orientation at Johns Hopkins and then jetted off to my brother's wedding on the west coast. It was nothing short of amazing. The whole experience was fun, eye-opening and really makes me want to focus on exploring more adventurous areas around here. Portland is so cool, and Jill and Brandon live in such a spectacular area. There is a different attitude out there, and it was incredibly calming. I need to live simply - in so many ways - and take advantage of some of the things I have overlooked in the past.

Once I returned from Portland, I immediately started my new job at Johns Hopkins in their marketing department. I love it. It's one of those places where you immediately feel a part of a greater something, but also comforted enough that it feels like a second home. There is SO much going on, and I am just so excited to be a part of it.

In terms of our wedding, we actually checked a few things off of our list. I previously shared with you that we selected our flowers and DJ, but now our photographer is also confirmed. William Gray from Gray Picture s will be capturing our special day, and we couldn't be happier. Looking for a photographer was rough. I (yes, I) really wanted a particular style - think Jose Villa - for a reasonable price and close to Baltimore. While it wasn't a fun search, Bill Gray had all of the elements I was looking for... and more. He even loves and photographs dogs (the picture below is his work). That's pretty good considering he is going to have to get a good shot of our albino alien walking down the aisle. I wouldn't want that job. Most impressive to me, though, was that he wasn't just a wedding photographer. He does it all.

I am coming down off a pretty high high after traveling to Portland and watching/experiencing my brothers wedding. I really hope to get back there soon, but I also hope to add in the elements of happiness that I felt there to my life here.

Labor Day Likes

2009-09-12T19:12:00.000-07:00

**Warning - it's a long one***

It's been a few days since I updated because I was in Florida, enjoying a little R&R in Wendy and Steve's amazing new house. You can take a peak at our loads of pictures here.

Even though I was away, the rest of the world did not stop, and I am thankful for that. :) I came back to an insane amount of incredible blog posts and some exciting new updates. Let's start.

1.) As you may know, I have the pleasure of being a Maid of Honor in my best friend, Elizabeth's, wedding. Her sister, Alison - also a Maid of Honor, and I are beginning to plan her bachelorette party. While I would love to share an idea I am thinking of for her, I can't share it on here...because she may read it. But stayed tuned, the creative wheels are grinding. Love ya, Biatch.

2.) My brother is getting married one week from today!!!! I can't begin to tell you how excited I am to not only watch my brother smile on this special day, but also to see Portland in all it's glory. Planning my wedding and learning of all the creative talent that comes out of the Northwest has really made me want to spend some time there. While Jared and I will only be there for a few days, I am hoping to see as much as possible. And, how COOL is the place we are staying?? They have chalkboards in the rooms! Also, Jill posted the ring bearer photos on her Flickr, and I am obsessed. They are perfect, and I want them. :)

3.) While catching up on the wedding blogroll (my Google reader was above 700), I saw these framed objects by the., and decided I needed them. Seriously, how cute are these? I want. I need.

{via .c is for charmed}

4.) Jared owns a bus. Yes, a big, yellow 54-passenger-not-a-little-tiny-short-bus. Many people ask us what we will do with said bus. We aren't sure, but I saw this picture and thought, "heh, maybe we could do a cute photo shoot."

{via OnceWed}

5.) Don't be surprised if you see these exact same invites as our own (Maryn, thoughts?) I adore them. As in, I think these are the ones. I love the mix of textures, the twine, the birds, the natural look to them. Everything. I want. I need (I am needing a lot of things, aren't I?)But really, this is perfection to me.

{via 100 Layer cake}

I believe that is all for now. It's been a crazy week despite not actually working. Monday is my first day of orientation at Johns Hopkins, and I am completely pumped. I really can't express the gratitude I have for this new opportunity. I feel pretty blessed. I have been trying to make sure everything is lined up to get started, and then...you know...jet across the country to watch my brother marry his soul mate.

Hope you all had had fantastic Labor Day weekends and short weeks!

Tree Houses

2009-09-03T14:07:00.000-07:00

You may recall my little infatuation with tree houses...Well, lookie look at what I found while reading through my never-ending google reader. Oh yes, BOOKS dedicated to TREE HOUSES. And not just little, dinky throw-some-wood-beams-together-and-walk-on-them-like-a- balance-beam-or-tight-rope, nooo no. They are REAL, amazing-looking, want-to-get-a-way-for-a-weekend tree houses with electricity and a balcony!! (Let's be honest, while I am obsessed with them, the whole roughing it part isn't exactly what calls me to them.)

{via where the lovely things are}

I really should have known they existed. A quick little google search would have directed me right to one of them. Alas, I never researched, but now I am going to have a date with Barnes and Noble. I don't know what it is about them, but they just look so inviting (well, most of them).

Now, how do I go about getting one of these lovely getaways? Or maybe, I could just get a bunch of pictures and make a themed room with treehouses as the focus. Hmm, the options are endless. But, wow, was this a lovely find.

A little progess

2009-09-03T11:13:00.000-07:00

We met with another DJ, Frank Young, and he seems to be quite nice. He has some great reviews, and he is going to send over some contacts so that I can personally talk to others that have used him. I find determining who to use as a DJ completely frustrating. How can you really know that a DJ is good or not? Sure, you can look at reviews, know they will play whatever music you want, etc. But how do you know? I'll keep you posted on how it all goes, but I don't find this part particulary enjoyable.

On another note (quite a fun one, actually), I think I have fallen in love with some tablecloths. While it's entirely too early for me to place any orders, Wendy and I stopped by Tabletoppers, a linen rental company, and I found an amazing print that I am completely excited to potentially use. While I don't want to put the print on here, all I can say is it is VERY pretty, and maybe...it has some yellow in it ;)

Regarding a little inspiration (because I always love to look at beautiful things), I saw this invite and had to share. I love trees and nature and something about this invite just captured me. While it isn't my typical preference, it helps me realize that my tastes are expanding.

{via 100 layer cake}

Wedding Workout Frenzy

2009-08-31T08:17:00.005-07:00

I think it is pretty normal to hear of brides doing crazy diets and starving themselves before the big day. Obviously, I would like to do whatever it is to make me feel the best I can on our wedding day, but I want to do it in a healthy way. Starving myself has never been never an option, and anyone who knows me knows that I get HANGRY if I don't eat for an extended period of time. But, it is becoming increasingly important to me to not only lead a healthy life, but to have a healthy mind.

First of all, coming from a dance background doesn't exactly give me the best body image. You are judged on not only how you dance, but how you look. Fact. Try doing that for 20 years and see where that leaves your body perception. However, it is in my power to make sure I take the necessary actions to make sure I look and feel my best in a healthy way.

In addition to reading my 239,982 style, fashion, social media, wedding and design blogs, I also read healthy food and exercise blogs. Recently, one of my favorite bloggers, Caitlin, from Healthy Tipping Point created her own health mission called Operation Beautiful. (She actually started her blog when she was preparing for her wedding and called it "See Bride Run.") Anyway, Operation Beautiful's crusade is to end "Fat Talk" and leave little post-it notes of inspiration in random places (fashion mags, the gym, dressing rooms, etc.) It is a small action that can make a HUGE difference. To me, my body perception is 100% different when I hang around body lovers as opposed to fat talkers. It shows me it isn't all about the numbers or sizes, it is about acceptance and appreciation.

To make my healthy mission even more focused, I was able to go to one of my favorite stores, Lululemon, yesterday. While it is extremely pricey, there are a few reasons I love it. First of all their workout pants are the.best. I have a pair that I wash and wear at least 3 times a week and they are in the same condition now as they were two years ago. Durable (and super cute) is an understatement. But, most importantly, I am delighted and obsessed with their manifesto. They strive to not just be a store, but a culture. And I can say that whenever I go in their stores, read their blogs entries or read stories of people who work there, Lululemon has succeeded. Again, their mission is "creating components for people to live a longer, healthier, more fun life." And, isn't that what it is all about? I have their manifesto on a little postcard that I keep by me at all times and look at it when I need that reminder to "sit back, relax, take it all in stride, be active and let life happen."

So, in other words, I will probably be trying to make health a more prominent priority in my life, but it's not just because I want to look good in a wedding dress. It's because I want to feel content and proud of my strong body and positive attitude. To me, that truly is everything.

Stepping off my soapbox now. Happy Monday!

Style Me Pretty - Oh How I Adore You

2009-08-25T16:15:00.000-07:00

One of the wedding blogs I read on a daily basis is Style Me Pretty. If you take a peak over there, it is pretty much a bride-to-be's dream. It has a ton of inspiration and offers a lot of guidance in terms of fine-tuning the look and feel of your wedding.

Well...last week (I think it was at least), they announced their own social network named Style Circle. It's described as, "...a place where brides, grooms and wedding junkies can rub elbows with one another, inspiring perfect wedding details and forever chic ideas." The most fabulous part for me is their inspiration boards!!

While I haven't personally put together many inspiration boards, I tend to stare for awkwardly long periods of time at others. Ask Jared, he says (in the Tai voice), "Ashley, what are you doing? Are you pretending that is our wedding?" And while I don't answer him out loud because my brain is too overloaded with dreamy imagery, the answer to that question is "YES!"

Other people's creative talents fascinate me, and I always wonder if somewhere - waaaay deep down there - I have any talent for it. Perhaps my brother hogged all the artistic talent (he's a graphic genius and I can't draw a stick-person to save my life), but I do know there is one thing I can do...Share my favorites with you!!

As of right now, below are the two boards I have been lusting over. Honestly, our wedding is 8 months away, and my favorites are already out.of.control. I can only imagine the state my bookmarks will be in a few months from now.

I think it is pretty obvious why I love the board above so much - HELLO YELLOW! But, it really is the whole feel of it. It's perfect. Love the candy jars, the cake and the yellow and white polka-dot ribbons.

And for this one, there is something so calming about the rustic feel of this. It probably goes along with my obsession of tree-houses too.

My problem is that I need to streamline all of my 765,9897 ideas and come up with one vision. And maybe then I will make my own inspiration board. In the meantime, I will continue to obsess over other people's creative abilities and hope that something in me snaps and I can plan our entire wedding just as I see it in my head. ;)

Monday Love's

2009-08-17T17:05:00.000-07:00

So say I were to have a wedding shower that was at a winery (ideal), wouldn't these be the cutest little invites? And also, say that your best friend was definitely planning on having her shower at a winery, don't you think said friend should use these awesome cute little invites? I do. *hint hint*

{via iDiY}

In other news, for about the 874, 933th time I have found another photographer/musician/amazing artist group located on the west coast that I am obsessed with and want to hire IMMEDIATELY. My brother doesn't realize how good he has it - there are some ridiculously talented people in the LA/Seattle/Portland area. Not to say there aren't any talented artists on the east coast, I just keep happening to find ones that I positively love that never seem to be located anywhere remotely near me. I digress...The Flashdance is a collaboration between photographers Our Labor of Love (OBSESSED with), Max Wanger, and a DJ called The Human Jukebox. Most importantly, I.want.them.at.our.wedding. They even have the smilebooth! It's not cheesy when the pictures come out so charming and happy. Seriously, they are extremely talented...and I want to hire them (just in case that wasn't clear).

And last but not least, I leave you with something un-wedding related. In light of my recent obsession with treehouses (I think it's apparent that I feel the need to seek seclusion in nature), I saw this tree house on FFFound! How relaxing and perfect does that look? Maybe Jared will build me one just like this (next project - thanks, honey).

Flowers - check (hopefully)

2009-08-16T17:58:00.000-07:00

Pending that the florist hasn't given away our wedding date (and at the rate we are going with vendors, it's totally possible), we have selected our florist!! I really only looked at one because I contacted her on the recommendation of my dear friend, Kathleen. I went to her wedding, and her flowers were GORGEOUS (she also used this florist).

As you can see, she has a beautiful selection and is very reasonable. It probably helps that we already had our centerpieces - thanks to my mom - but I am very excited to work with Karen of Karen's Flower Markets.

Now, back to that DJ issue. You would think that working with a reputable entertainment company, you would receive top-of-the-line service. It is why we didn't just pick out any DJ on our own. In our experience in working with Washington Talent thus far, however, it has been a nightmare.

We met with a DJ who seemed perfect and booked him. Two weeks later, we received a call from the an agent saying that they accidentally overbooked him and that they would cut us a deal on another DJ. Jared called back, left a message to say, "Ok, that's fine, but find us someone else" and didn't hear back from them. At that point, I was already getting suspicious of the highly unprofessional behavior.

Jared had to call the agent again to get someone on the phone. Then, the agent set us up with another DJ to meet. In the meantime, Jared got a call saying he was delinquent in his deposit. Well, he actually did pay even though we didn't even have a DJ, and he was supposed to get it back days before that since they messed up...again. To top it all off, we were supposed to meet with the new potential DJ last week, and lo and behold, he never confirmed the meeting place and hasn't contacted us since. Isn't that just perfect? Needless to say, we are more than dissapointed with Washington Talent, and are music-less at this point.

It's baby steps with vendors. Little-itsey-bitsey-puppy-sized steps. ;)

Anthropologie - Small Request

2009-08-11T18:06:00.000-07:00

Dear Anthropologie,

Hi, my name is Ashley and I am absolutely, completely out-of-control obsessed with your store. I have invested a lot of my hard earned money in you. You are a dream. I love to sit in your store, walk around at least 6 times to make sure I have seen everything, touch all the soft, pretty clothes and just pretend I live there. It's actually a joke between my fiance and I that I would like to spend our honeymoon there. I probably would, if someone wouldn't kick me out of the meticulously made bed when the store closed.

But, I do have just one little teeny tiny request. Could you please - just maybe - make it so that I could register for our wedding there? I know, I already asked a sales associate about this and she said it IS possible by putting things on a wishlist. But, the list doesn't update automatically nor does it allow people to cross off items in store. Basically, it is a big hassle, and I know my friends and family are not going to want to do all that just for a pretty little candle.

It would be greatly appreciated if you could add this functionality to your website as well as in the store. In fact, you can even contract me to lead the charge if you would like. Heck, I would do it for free. I think it would be a great investment on your part, and many anthroholics would just be falling over with excitement.

Again, I truly appreciate all that you do. I just have that one little baby-sized request.

Sincerely,
Ashley Aryn Hrycyk-soon-to-be-Grodnitzky. (Yeah, I know. Someone with that type of name totally deserves to have their registry dreams come true.)

I Heart - Tuesday Edition

2009-08-11T17:21:00.000-07:00

I love yellow. I guess that is pretty obvious considering it's the main color in our wedding, but I do. I love it because it is happy, reminds me of summer and makes me think of sun-kissed skin. That said, below are some of my most recent (as in today's) inspirational images. I absolutely adore mason jars and want to think of creative ways to use them more often. They are just so versatile, cost-effective and charming. Oh, and those invites - how pretty are those? Maryn, do you see this?

{via MS, smock., and amorology}

I also love owls (shocker, right?). I found the following image on Mint, where Ellie was discussing how to design a room for a a six year old. While I am not even remotely surprised that I love something that adorns a child's room, I still just think owls are amazingly unique animals. Ever since I saw a picture of one that my friend treated in the wildlife ward (it hurt its wing), I have been hooked. They don't even look real.

{via mint.com}

Lastly, I love this image via whateverlife. I never expected to find something like this there as I thought they only made MySpace backgrounds (and does MySpace even still exist?), but that teaches, yet again, I shouldn't be so quick to judge.

Hope you all have happy and healthy weeks.

Things and Stuff

2009-08-05T17:53:00.000-07:00

Hello lovelies, happy Wednesday!

I have a few random things I would like to share, and none of them relate to one another. This is how my brain functions - scattered. It's why my family loves me...right?

1) This weekend my parents came down to help Jared and me (but not really me, bc I don't actually build things) finish our closet. It literally took all weekend long. We even stayed up until 1am on Saturday night organizing. (That's late for grandpa J and me). But, it looks fantastic (thank you so much for your help, mom and dad).

I wanted to share one of the nice pictures I took on my nice camera, but Jared has taken my camera hostage and left it at work since Monday. Nonetheless, I captured a picture of it via iphone - a little fuzzy, but you get the point. It's lovely, organized and color-coated. It even had new lighting. What a dream.

2) Relaxing places - I don't know about you, but I spend a lot of time dreaming up homes/getaways/relaxing places of where I could hang out for a day/weeks/months and just completely detach from the rest of the world. It's kind of a weird obsession of mine, but when I pass places driving in a car, I literally look for little places that I would like to hide out in for day (strange, I know).

That said, while reading one of my favorite blogs, Bliss, I stumbled across an entry on "happy places." One image in particular stuck out to me, and I can't get it out of my head. I want to be there...now. The trees, the colors, the smell I can only imagine of outdoors. Couldn't you just picture laying down, reading a book and letting the wind blow in your hair? I can.

3) A new blog - As if I need to add ANY other blogs to my already-too-long list, I found another blog that I am obsessed with, thanks to an entry posted on mint. Ellie featured The Hidden Seed, and I can't seem to peal my eyes away from it. It states in the header that it is a "blog dedicated to self expression through style." And that, it is. Not only does it feature an amazing woman with impeccable taste, the blog itself is gorgeous. Check out the header (below). Anyway, I truly appreciate her style, and adore the fact that she created the blog in hopes of helping other people recognize their creative abilities.

A Week in Review

2009-07-31T14:30:00.000-07:00

Despite my best attempts to catch up on blogs and save cool images for wedding inspiration this week, I didn't get to touch any of that stuff. Want to know why? Oh, because we had a closet disaster this week. YES, a dis-as-ter (as indicated in the picture below).

If you know me at all, you know that I am OCD. If you know me well, you know I am particularly OCD about closet organization. My clothes need to be pressed, organized by color and sorted by length of sleeve. Purses need to be lined up by color and size. My shoes also have to follow much of that same pattern. It takes time to make sure it stays this neat, and it gives me great comfort to know exactly where each and every little piece of my clothing hangs and/or sits. Great comfort.

Well, I got a lovely phone call from Jared on Tuesday night (while driving home from work) stating that "we had a problem." My brain immediately flashed awful thoughts of Tai being sick all over the house or falling out a window (neurotic much?), but turns our my entire side of the closet just separated from the wall and was on the floor in complete disarray. Sure, that's fine, it's cool. Well, it was better than having something wrong with Tai. BUT, it turned me into an angry evil person, and I totally had a panic attack and wanted to throw things.

Jared so kindly dealt with me while I was throwing a tantrum and trying to put my clothes somewhere until we fixed the closet. Luckily, Jared loves to fix and build thigns, and after I DEMANDED that it had to be fixed the next night or I couldnt sleep and/or function, he went to Home Depot and literally built part of my side all over again (as seen below). :) He's good. Very good. This is just one of the many examples of how I know I am marrying the right person. In fact, he has decided that since he had to fix mine, he was going to remodel the entire closet to be more functionable to our needs. How great is that? Lovely, giant closets are kind of like my thing. When Carrie got that amazing closet in Sex and the City, I totally understood that feeling.

So after all of that drama, and other crazy things going on over here (more on that hopefully in a few weeks), I didn't have much time to sit down with my computer and read all my favorite blogs. Acutally, I didnt even have internet one night, and that is basically just torture.

But, to top off the week, I decided to bring Tai Poochie to A+T to meet my lovely coworkers. I obviously talk about him non-stop, and they expressed a little interest in meeting him . I probably made that up and took a little blink by someone blinking at something else as a sign that they REALLY wanted to meet Tai, but whatever. So, Tai Pooch came to work, was a little angel and even went to lunch with us. That's the great thing about working in Canton. There are dogs EVERYWHERE, and it is fairly easy to find a restaurant that you can sit with your dog outside and eat. As you can tell from the picture below, he was having a grand time guarding our table, until the heavens opened up and poured on us. But, that's another story.

Oh, and remember how I said we booked our DJ? Well, we got a call from the place we were working with and they said they accidentally overbooked the guy, and that we could select someone else (if we even still wanted to work with them). The good part of it all was that they would give us a deeply reduced rate, but now we just have to go through the process of meeting someone else and determining if they are right for the duty. FUN (sarcasm).

Have a great weekend!!! :)

Weekend Wrap-Up

2009-07-27T18:13:00.000-07:00

Hello darling friends and family! I figured that while I didn't really have too many updates to give you about our wedding, I could still give you a little weekend wrap-up.

This weekend we stayed with our friends Matt and Tracy's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jennings. Let me tell you this, they are amazing - ahmazing. They have a gorgeous home in Sea Girt, NJ, and were so fun. We went for bike rides, walked on the boardwalk, layed on the beach, hung out at the pool, had some REALLY good wine and laughed...a lot. It was the perfect weekend. Matt and Tracy are under one month from getting married, so they are really doing all the last minute action items. Of course, they seem completely calm and ready for it all! I even got to see Tracy's bridesmaids dresses, because her sister went for the last fitting. ADORABLE!

We also stopped at the Jackson Prime Outlets on the way back - SCORE! Jared even bought some clothes, woohoo! I may have found myself a purse...or two.

You can view all the amazing pictures from the weekend here. I took approximately 983, 569 pictures while riding a bike, but it was totally worth it. The houses are amazing, and I want to live there...yesterday.

Oh, and one last thing. We booked our DJ - so cross that off of the ever-loving vendor list!

Happy Monday (if that even really exists)!

Blogging Buddy

2009-07-23T15:32:00.000-07:00

I just had to share a quick picture of my blogging buddy. As I sit and think of things to share with all of you, he sits here and works really hard at looking cute. He does it so well that I end up taking 10,337 pictures of the same pose. I don't even know what to name the photo files in my computer, because how many files named "Tai sleeping," "Tai on bed," "Tai looking cute" can one person have??

I present to you the cutest blogging buddy ever. Don't you just want to cuddle up with "heeeim?"

All the Rage on the Netz Today

2009-07-23T15:09:00.001-07:00

Today, I saw numerous tweets, facebook posts and emails all surrounding one video from a recent wedding that displayed a little booty shaking. Not going to lie, it was pretty funny, and it's below if you want to check it out (you definitely want to check it out).

I think it is incredibly important to include elements of the bride and groom's personality throughout the entire wedding. Weddings can be really boring if you can't "see" the bride or groom in it. So, I think it is fantastic that this couple decided to break it down and dance down the aisle. I also love that the party joined in and made it look like it was suppose to be - a fun celebration.

Honestly, if I could choreograph something and actually get Jared to dance, I might do it too. Maybe. Lord knows, both of our moms want us to do something like that.

But, I digress. Weddings can be grand and glorious, but if they don't share a little bit of you, what is the point? I would rather have and attend a wedding where the guests enjoy themselves and feel like they got to know the couple just a little better that day. Don't you agree?

Inspiration Board

2009-07-19T17:46:00.000-07:00

While I am still at the point where I could - if I wanted to - change the color scheme of the wedding, I am pretty sure I have known all along what I wanted everything to look and feel like.

I have been saving images for quite some time of what I like, and I have to give most of the credit to one blog in particular that I stumbled across before Jared and I even became engaged. It was pictures of a wedding that I actually felt connected to - as if I could actually do it. For some reason the thought of being married didn't scare me so much as the whole wedding ordeal. The research, the meetings, the pressure, the invites - it all seemed too much. But, after seeing this one blog entry on thoughtfulday.com, everything pretty much changed. And finally, I started to envision what I wanted on our special day.

That said, below are a view images from that very blog as well as a few from erinheartscourt.com, that has guided me through the inspiration process. I don't want to give everything away, but by sharing some of the images I see in my head, I think you will begin to see exactly what I (we) are hoping to create. :)

The chairs in the picture above is the kind I believe we are going have at ours as well. And how cute are the flowers on the ground?
I love the yellow and white theme and the vintage/romantic feel to the flowers and the cake. And, I am obsessed with the little cake toppers.

So, what are your thoughts?

I Heart

2009-07-16T18:40:00.000-07:00

So, like I mentioned, I read a ton of blogs. That said, I always find a ton of cute things that I save either as inspiration for cute ideas to include in our wedding or for a general decorating style.

Today, I am obsessing over....

via Wedding Chicks

These beautiful owl cake toppers. Honestly, I may actually track these down for my own cake. My mom pointed out how amazing these were, and seeing that I am slightly obsessed with owls, they just may be neccesary.

via mint.com

This simple and delicate necklace. Whether it's a gift for a bridesmaid or a gift for yourself, I heart it. It's the kind of necklace you could leave on for weeks, and I am into that type of luxury.

via Once Wed

This lovely setup and color palette. I am going with a yellow and white theme, and I just love the modern look with clean touches on this table.

The Cute Ring Bearing Duo

2009-07-14T18:43:00.000-07:00

Check out the cutest ring-bearing duo ever. Caelin (right) is ready for this task. Sir Tai Poochie (left) has a lot of work to do.

Find a Venue - Check!

2009-07-14T17:52:00.000-07:00

Trying to decide where to have the wedding was the first thing we explored. While part of us wanted to escape to a beautiful, sunny island and have only our closest family and friends, we quickly realized that by escaping to a beautiful island, we actually would eliminate the possibility of having our closest friends and family attend. It would probably cost friends a lot more money than they wanted/could spend, and most of our family probably couldn't make it as a long flight is out of the question. So there went that genius idea.

Jared and I knew we wanted a casual wedding, and that translated to an outside wedding. WOOHOO! I, in particular, wanted something where we could have the ceremony outside, have the option of a tent if there was inclement weather (but not a blow over in the wind kind of tent, because let's be honest, it IS in May and it rains nearly every day here at that time), and I absolutely NEEDED it to have historic charm. Yes, needed.

So, after looking at about 5000 places (total lie, we only looked at GreyRock), we landed on Grey Rock Mansion. It was perfect. In all honesty, we didn't need to look elsewhere. It had everything we wanted and needed. It was absurdly close to our house (we could walk there if we wanted), it had an outside component, it had a LOVELY permanent tent that offered beautiful drapery on the ceiling (needed that too), a charming and historical inside, was in our budget AND came with a lovely planner that could keep me in check. The planner part sealed the deal, because she could tender all of the help that I so desperately needed. Furthermore, the caterer came with it and that was one less thing to worry about.

So, Grey Rock Mansion it was.

So We're Starting a Wedding Blog...

2009-07-14T16:45:00.000-07:00

It comes with great surprise that I decided I wanted to include a blog on our wedding site. Yes, that was a lot of I's in something that is supposed to be a we thing. Just go with it. Jared was kind enough to create the website for us, and I just wanted to make it that much more complicated...as usual.

That said, I am usually the type to read blogs, not write them. Well, that's not true. I write them professionally, but I never really reveal that much about myself. This is a stretch for me because I am not bound to 140 characters ;) Anyway, despite the fact that I was anti-wedding for quite some time, I have somehow come to LOVE all of the little details of wedding planning. I should clarify that, though. I don't particularly like making decisions or researching things for our wedding, I just spot beautiful things that I want to instantly make an appearance at our wedding.

So, lo and behold, I thought we could have a blog where I let my friends and family know where we are at in the wedding planning process and share some of the beautiful things I find that we couldn't possibly all include in our wedding. My mind changes on a daily basis for colors, styles, locations, etc., so I had to buckle down and make a choice. That, however, doesn't mean I stopped envisioning other awesome weddings.

Hopefully you will enjoy reading this, and hopefully I won't be the worst wedding planner ever.