I'm A Barbie Girl

Growing up I used to love to Barbie dolls. I had every accessory, including the Barbie dream house, that you could imagine. My Barbie even had the red Ferrari (every time we pull up next to a red Ferrari I remind Joe that my Barbie used to have one). Each year for Christmas my grandma always got me a collector Barbie. I have tons of Barbies still in their boxes in perfect condition (imagine how hard it was being a little girl and having to leave a new doll in the box...torture!). It was only fitting that at my bridal shower my grandma gave me a wedding Barbie. I'm sure it was no surprise that I picked black, white and hot pink for my wedding colors. But I do think Joe and I surprised our wedding party and 180 guests at our reception when the DJ played "Barbie Girl" by Aqua for our entrance song. I'll never forget how Joe and I danced our way in and out of the tables right onto the dance floor where our wedding party of 16 was jumping around and laughing. I even sacrificed my train during our entrance, and somehow it made it safely into my grandma's arms where she held onto it for the rest of the night.

I truly felt like a Barbie on my wedding day. My dress fit like a glove and I couldn't have been happier with my hair and makeup (it is so worth it to pay to have your makeup done by a professional). Everything went as planned, well with the exception of one minor glitch. Men's Wearhouse forgot to order Joe's tux. How could they forget the groom's tux? They ended up getting Joe a tux with uneven pant legs and a jacket that was too small. Other than the tux, everything was fabulous.

I started the morning by meeting my dad in the hotel lobby for a run. It's not exactly warm in St. Louis in December, so our outdoor run turned into a sprint around the block and ended in the comfort of the hotel's fitness center. When I got back to the bridal suite, the pamper party was in full swing. We had two hair stations, a makeup station and never-ending mimosas. OJ and champagne...yes please! Joe surprised me with apples and yogurt (does he know me or what?) from the breakfast buffet and a wonderful card. (Women are really easy to please. All men have to do is listen to us. A while ago I mentioned to a future groom that he should write his bride-to-be a card. Joe clearly picked up on my obvious clue.) Throughout the morning all of my bridesmaids piled into the suite. We rocked out to a stellar hip-hop and techno playlist and got ready for the big event.

The party continued, minus the mimosas, at the church. I managed to find a boom box and did a solo dance to Beyonce's "Single Ladies" right before putting on my dress. I remember seeing my grandma before the ceremony and she surprised me by wearing a bright pink shirt that was just perfect with the rest of the decor. The minutes before my big walk down the aisle went by in a blur. My dad rang the church bells to signal that a wedding was about to begin and then it was time. The moment that played in my mind over and over again. I plastered a giant smile across my face, bit my inner lip to keep the tears from flowing, threw back my shoulders and proudly walked into the church anxiously looking for my groom at the end of the aisle.

The ceremony was perfect. I only cried a bit during the vows. Luckily, I cried like a baby during the rehearsal so I got it all out before the real event. When Joe and I said our vows, I felt like we were the only people in the room. We executed the kiss precisely (yes, we practiced and choreographed a kiss!) and pranced back down the aisle as husband and wife. I loved having a receiving line immediately after the ceremony. It gave me a chance to say hello to our guests and allowed for plenty of time on the dance floor (which I took full advantage of) at the reception. After a few quick pictures at the church, the real party started.

I highly recommend getting a giant bus, one big enough for your wedding party and all of their dates, for the picture transportation. Some of my favorite memories from the night occurred during the picture taking hours. Of course, the bus needs to be fully stocked to keep the wedding party content during pictures. We put our wedding party through a bit of torture with a few outdoor pictures at our high school (I had to. It's where Joe and I met 12 years ago.), but made up for it with champagne, vodka and beer. I also recommend stopping a few fun places like a casino and bar during the pictures. Not only do casinos have great backdrops for fun pictures, but there is a chance someone could win big. Thanks Ameristar for the shots at the bar on the way to the reception! I knew things were going well when we saw the bus shaking from the wedding party dancing in the aisle while we finished up pictures in the casino. There were tons of empty seats on the bus as everyone continued to dance in the aisle as we made our way to the reception. Joe's bus playlist rocked!

I heard someone say that the wedding party sets the tone for the reception. Considering that girls were crawling through Joe's unlce's legs during the reception, people licked our ice sculpture and the dance floor stayed packed until midnight, our party did a great job! The reception ballroom looked stunning. In fact, I cried (shocking, I know) when I saw the room. My aunt and uncle surprised me with chair covers. There are worth every extra dollar. They made the room! Our head table was covered in pink and I loved it! The pink and white cupcakes in the middle of the dance floor looked beautiful as we walked in to cut the cake. My dad even surprised me by wearing pink socks during the dad/daughter dance.

Thank you to everyone who helped make my wedding day amazing. It was beyond my wildest dreams. I have no regrets! I appreciate all of the advice I received before the big day and did my best to remember things throughout the day. I made it a point to look around during all points of the day to take everything in. The day does fly by. I was selfish and did what I wanted throughout the day. When a song came on that I wanted to dance to with Joe, I ran and grabbed him away from a conversation to dance. I can honestly say that I enjoyed every minute of my wedding day and made sure to share it with my husband. I couldn't have been happier with my vendors. If we had to do it all over again, I would use every single vendor and venue in a heartbeat. You do find out who your true friends are during a wedding and I am so blessed. Joe and I have so many wonderful people in our lives. I'm so glad we did a big wedding back in St. Louis. It was just as perfect as Barbie.

27 Days

I logged onto theknot.com last night and saw my wedding countdown. We are getting so close. Only 27 more days to go. I can't begin to explain the emotions I am feeling. I am incredibly excited to marry my best friend and high school sweetheart. I am so nervous (not about marrying Joe), but about getting everything done. I have wedding things in three different locations. My dad's house, Joe's parents' house and here in LA (I hope I don't forget something). I have notes of things to do, things to buy and questions for vendors. If I lost my binder and spiral notebook I don't think we'd be able to have this wedding! I am also going through this intense reflection period. I have cried more in the last week than I have all year, but they are not tears of sadness. I really can't think of a word to describe this last feeling (For those of you who know me, this is a first. Me speechless?). For nearly 27 years, I have been Kristin K and in 27 days I will be Kristin B. My identity and role will shift. I will be a wife. To me, this is a huge responsibility.

Last night, I was at a colleague's housewarming party. Several people asked me, "Where's your husband?" The words at the time did not mean much (considering that Joe is not yet my husband, but fiance). I am anxious to hear the word husband for the first time after we are married. That's when the word will mean the world to me.

Joe and I have been engaged for nearly one year. Have I let this time pass me by without truly savoring it? So much of my energy and focus has been on the planning process. Yes, invitations were a giant burden (but they ended up being so perfect! Sophisticated and modern, black & white with a splash of hot pink). In terms of planning, everything else has just fallen into place. I can't wait to walk into the reception room and see our vision come together. I picture the dance floor jam packed with people having a blast (at least I sure hope this is the case). I keep overlooking these precious days of our engagement and focusing on the big day. I feel like I need to buy bridal magazines for my flight to STL over Thanksgiving. Not because I need more ideas or help with planning. At this stage in the game, if it is not decided upon, it's not happening. But because, I will never be engaged again. I keep reflecting on the things I have accomplished and done in my life. Have I done everything I ever wanted to as a single person? I can't name one thing I want to do while I am still single (well, with the exception of having a fabulous bachelorette party). Everything I want to do and accomplish in life involves Joe.

When we first got engaged there was no question in my mind about the kind of wedding I wanted to have. Ever since I was a little girl, I have dreamed of a big wedding. As Joe and I started to bring my vision to life, I couldn't help but wonder if we are doing the right thing. We are covering the cost of this big affair and digging ourselves deeper into debt. With each decision comes a deposit and final payment. The amount of money we are spending on one day is sickening. We could buy a new car, furnish our second bedroom, take a honeymoon and add to my purse collection with a Chanel, Louis, Prada and Gucci. My trip to St. Louis last weekend proved to me that we are making the right decision. The cost of this wedding is ridiculous (it doesn't help that I have gone over budget on everything except for the cupcakes. I want a champagne wedding on a beer budget!), but being able to experience the day with all of our friends and family is priceless.

Last weekend I met Joe in St. Louis for a weekend full of wedding planning activities and a good friends' wedding. On Friday night we went to our friends' house for what I thought was going to be a small, intimate dinner party. Joke was on me! I got the surprise of my life. I walked into the house and started hugging the girls I expected at the dinner. I looked up and noticed a person I used to work with taking pictures...random? I glanced to the other side of the room and saw about 60 of our friends and family members. OMG!!!! I was so confused and overwhelmed with emotions. I burst into tears (shocking, I know!) and couldn't breathe. Once I gained some composure, I made my way around the room greeting everyone. It took me a while to learn that this was a surprise shower for ME! That was the moment that confirmed our decision to have a big wedding in St. Louis. I can not believe our wedding party (especially Joe's brother) worked so hard to arrange this event. Every detail screamed K. We had a Christmas tree for gifts with a giant pink bow, pink ornaments and cute little candy rings. Instead of cake, we had an ice cream sundae bar (for those of you that have read past blog posts, you know how I feel about ice cream!). I had my very own engagement ring martini glass that was always full of my favorite cocktail...Pearl Pomegranate vodka and water. DJ Tiesto blasted on the stereo, despite my dad's disapproval of the house music. The food spread...awesome. Humus, meatless pasta, my sis' cheese dip, fruit and these amazing stuffed mushrooms. Heaven! I have never felt so loved in my life. The feeling in that house (can't believe our friends opened up their home for us, thank you!) that night was magical. My bucket was overflowing.

I woke up Saturday morning and met my dad for a long walk around a park. Just like old times. For two hours we walked, I talked and he listened. We discussed everything from the wedding to work to working out to life in general. I miss those weekly therapy and inspirational sessions. I am so blessed to have such a fabulous relationship with my dad. I can't wait for him to walk me down the aisle. He is ringing the bells at the church before our wedding, just like he used to do when he worked at the church when I was a little girl. (Why am I crying now? Are all of these emotions normal?)

Saturday afternoon Joe and I attended a high school friend's wedding. As Joe stood on the alter dressed in his tux fulfilling his groomsman duties, I couldn't help but think of us on the alter saying our vows. Speaking of vows, when we met with the minister before my surprise party and discussed vows I cried. Why? That was when the wedding started to feel real. It is about Joe and I becoming one, not about cake flavors and flower colors.

After the wedding, I went for my trial up-do. Love, love, love my wedding hair. It felt like homecoming or prom until I put on the veil. Not only, did I finally start to feel like a bride (it took 11 months and a giant shower to start to feel like a bride), but now I looked like a bride.

On Sunday, my MOH and I met my florist (for the first time...ah the joys of planning a wedding from far away) and finalized flower choices. We then headed out to one of Joe's relative's homes for another shower. The shower cake..ice cream cake from Cold Stone. Do my friends and family know me or what? We got showered with tons of gifts. Thank you! I left St. Louis after the shower exhausted, but feeling extremely loved and fortunate.

As we head into this final stretch before the wedding, I am trying to enjoy every moment. I am taking in every decision. For every task that I cross off my to-do list, I add 10 more, but it doesn't matter. December 19th is our day. We have tons to do to pull it all together, but I can take pride in the fact that we did it all ourselves (no wedding planners here!) and we did it for our friends and family.

I was starting to wonder if the people I used to see all of the time still cared. I don't do the best job of staying in touch (life has this crazy way of getting in the way). I learned over last weekend that my relationships with friends and family are resilient. They are flexible, but not breakable. We may be 1,800 miles away and not able to talk all of the time, but I know everyone still cares. I can't wait to see them all in the church and then to celebrate with them on the dance floor. I might be in a wedding dress, but I will definitely be dropping it like it's hot! Let the countdown begin and tears flow. I am a very ecstatic bride-to-be! Now, back to that to-do list :)

Going Home or Am I?

This weekend Joe and I are headed to St. Louis for a jam-packed weekend. It is going to be a bitter-sweet trip. We are going to see friends and family, tackle some wedding planning tasks and attend a memorial service for my grandma.

My alarm blared this morning at 4:30am. I usually snooze an extra 15 minutes, if not 30, but this morning I got out of bed without a lot of hesitation. I finally got in a decent workout, so the weekend is already off to a great start. (Note to self...try getting up earlier more often!). The work day blew by, which I don't know if it is a good thing or a bad thing. I love that my days end before I have time to look at the clock and long to go home, but man is the to-do list ever going to get accomplished? Joe dropped the boys off at their foster mom's house. (I miss the little guys already. Joe and I finally gave in and have started letting the boys up on the couch. It's so much better than the hard floor.) Now, the only think standing between me and the weekend is a long flight.

Tonight, we are having a sleep over at my dad's. I'm so excited. You know the feeling you used to get when you were a little kid getting ready to go to a friend's house for a sleep over? Yeah, that same feeling, but only better. Tonight's sleep over will involve a good amount of vino. My sister is even coming to my dad's tonight. She texted me today to tell me that dad bought stuff to make homemade pizzas. It's just like old school sleep overs, late night junk food and lots of gossip. Yes, I somewhat gossip with my dad. He is one of my best friends. We talk about everything.

In the am we are planning on going for a run and a swim. I packed all my gear, but let's see how ambitious we are after late night talking and drinking. I hope we have time for some coffee on his patio! After lunch my dad is dropping me off at the jewelers, where the wedding planning festivities will begin. Joe and I are going to look at wedding bands. My soon-to-be sister-in-law (wow that's a lot of -) told me that our jeweler will lend out jewelry for the wedding day. I hope this is still the case. If so, hello layers of diamond tennis bracelets and diamond/pearl chandelier earrings. If not, it's a good thing fashion district is only a few blocks from our place. I'm sure I can find some fake bling for the big day on Santee Alley. After dreaming big at the jewelry store, Joe and I are headed to meet with our minister. We have to go in for our marriage counseling session. I'm sure it will be pretty good. There is not much we don't know about one another after 11 years of dating. We are ending the day with dinner at this fantastic mom and pop pizza place with friends. OMG! I can't wait.

On Sunday, I am taking a spin class with my sis and dad. I seriously have enough gear in my luggage to complete a triathlon. My grandma's memorial service is Sunday afternoon. This will be the first time I have to come face-to-face with the reality of my grandma passing. I don't think I am ready to realize that she is gone. Nothing like heading to the bridal shop after a memorial. I have a few hours to grieve and then it is back to wedding planning. Geeze...our weekends are packed when we come to St. Louis. I have my dress fitting Sunday afternoon....yikes! There is a lot of vino and ice cream to blame if that dress doesn't fit. Sunday night I am hanging out with my goddaughter and her parents of course. I can't wait to see her. I told Joe I call dibs on holding her first. :)

Monday morning we are off, back to LA. Am I headed home this weekend or will I be headed home Monday morning? It is starting to feel like St. Louis is where I am from, but LA is home. LA is where Joe and I are building our lives. It is a slow process, but we are moving along. We started our family by getting our boys. (Puppies of course. I am way too selfish for children right now!) We are both making strides in our careers and we are meeting tons and tons of people. Of course, it is always nice to go back and connect with the people we love. But, LA is exciting and full of opportunity. I can't wait to see what our future has in store.

K Visits St. Louis

Last weekend I went to St. Louis for the first time since I moved to LA. Yay! I will admit that I was a little nervous about the trip. I was afraid that I would have such a good time and would not want to come back to LA, especially since Joe was staying in St. Louis. I did have a good time, maybe too good of time, but I was thrilled to get back to LA. When I walked off the plane and into LAX I felt like I was at home. I was even greeted with LA traffic on the 405 at 10:30pm on a Sunday night...nothing says home in LA like a jam packed highway.

My weekend started off on the right foot with a 3:45am wake up call on Friday. I had to hit the gym before our flight since I knew the weekend would be a calorie disaster (turns out I was right). I seem to have the best luck with seats on the plane (no that I mentioned it my luck will change). I was in a row with no one in the middle seat, so I was able to spread out and get comfy. I made great progress in Jen Lancaster's 4th book, Pretty in Plaid on the flight. The flight was uneventful until we got to the landing. I almost lost my breakfast on the seat in front of me. The plane would not stop tipping from side-to-side. When we finally touched down I was greeted with rain (what a surprise). I had not seen rain since February.

Joe and I met up with my sister and after lunch, my sis and I went to my bridal shop. I bought my veil and we got the low-down on ordering the bridesmaid dresses. My sister took me to my hotel and on our way I completely forgot about a major highway being closed. Funny how when I lived in St. Louis the highway 40 closure was a topic of every day conversation. After a major detour, we finally got to the hotel. We pulled up to valet and my sister asked me if I thought the valet could drive a stick. Duh! I told my sister that she is not the only one in St. Louis who drives a stick. Imagine our laughter when it took forever to get her car back from valet, because the guy who went to retrieve her car could not drive a stick. The valet company really needs to improve their interviewing process.

It was awesome to walk into the church for the rehearsal (I was a bridesmaid in a friend's wedding) and see my girlfriends. I think the wedding coordinator might have been a little annoyed with us since we talked during the entire rehearsal...opps. After the rehearsal we went to the soon-to-be married couple's house for dinner. Despite the fact that I had been up since 4am I was still feeling the need to socialize after the dinner, so Joe and I made an appearance at Harry's. We walked to Harry's from our hotel (it was just like being at home in downtown LA). Someone told us that we looked very LA...score! It was probably not my brightest idea to stay out until 2am, but it was worth the lack of sleep.

When my alarm went off around 7am on Saturday I could barley peel my eyes open. I knew it would be a long day and that my only opportunity to workout would be in the am. I grudgingly put on my running shoes, grabbed a water bottle (wonder why I was a bit dehydrated?) and headed out for a run. I don't get the chance to run outside much in LA and I miss it terribly. (It is a bit scary in downtown LA when it is dark and there are crosswalks everywhere which would mean I would have to stop every few steps). I ran down to the Arch and had to touch both sides and I also ran by Bush Stadium. I felt at home and a bit hungover :)

After my run I had to race to shower and pack a bag for the wedding. (What a surprise..me be crunched for time.) I got to my hair appointment a few minutes late, because the valet at our hotel was terrible. My stylist was able to give me a hair cut and an up-do in 70 minutes (that must be a record). I was headed to the bride's hotel room with one of my girlfriends when she pointed out that I did not have my bridesmaid dress. I had everything but in my wedding day bag (two pairs of heels, an apple for a snack, a new tube of lipstick, my jewelry and makeup). How could I forget the dress? Luckily, my hotel room was only a couple of blocks from the bride's room.

I had a great time getting dressed with my girlfriends and I made a mental note to do the same thing on my wedding. In fact, I made a lot of mental notes on my friend's wedding day. It is funny how your entire wedding experience changes when you are in the midst of planning your own day. My friend had perfect weather for her wedding (I was a bit chilly and people thought I was nuts. I guess your blood do thin quickly out here in LA). The after party was not even an option. Once the reception ended, I was ready for bed.

On Sunday morning, Joe and I had brunch with my mom and sister. I despise the person that thought having dessert at brunch would be a good idea. How do you not eat it when you have to pass the dessert table to get to the regular food? After brunch my mom, sister and I stopped by my grandma's house. I showed my grandma pictures of my wedding dress and asked her for some pearls to borrow. (After attending the wedding I got into full planning mode. I started thinking about my something old, new, borrowed and blue. I also planned my picture spots and picked out a rehearsal dinner place. I apologize to my bridesmaids that had to hear me talk about my soon-to-be wedding day all weekend long). My grandma ended up giving me the pearls, so they now count as my something old. I am still working on the something borrowed piece. My time with my family was cut short, because Joe and I had one more major event to attend. Our Goddaughter's baptism.

Joe and I went to church with his brother and our soon-to-be Goddaughter. I will admit when I sat down in the pew the exhaustion finally hit. I was at church, but I was definitely not present. After the mass we had the baptism ceremony for Emily. This was the first time I saw Emily outside of the hospital. She is adorable. Emily was a perfect angel during the ceremony, except when the priest dumped the water on her head. I am pretty sure all babies scream during this part. After the ceremony we went back to Emily's mom's parent's house for a celebration lunch. As soon as I walked in the door I knew I was in trouble. There were white chocolate covered strawberries on the table. I broke the deal I had with myself to not eat any more sweets since I had dessert at brunch. I even had a piece of the baptism cake, because it had butter cream icing. My prediction about the weekend being a calorie disaster was dead on.

On the flight home I finished Pretty in Plaid (I think I set a new personal reading record). Jen Lancaster will be in California at a Barnes & Noble this Thursday. I totally plan on going to see her. When I walked off the plane I was happy to be back in LA. I miss my friends and family, but I am having such a great time out here. One of my girlfriends asked me if I would ever leave LA and my quick response was no. I like my job, the beach is super close and I am meeting some fabulous new people (I had dinner with a new friend last Monday and I have lunch plans with a new friend today :)). It is nice to go back home and to be reminded of where you came from so you can look forward to where you are going!

Save the Dates...Save the Drama

In my opinion, save the date cards are such a hassle. I know according to wedding etiquette they are necessary for destination weddings and weddings near holidays. Unfortunately, Joe and I are not doing a destination wedding, but we are doing a wedding the weekend before Christmas. I guess our date falls under the need to send a save the date category. Lucky me!!!

I am annoyed at the whole process of sending a save the date. First of all, I think it is an added expense. Can't I just send a blast email or create a Facebook event to let everyone know about the date? Second of all, Shutterfly is making my want to drink a lot of wine. In an effort to create budget friendly save the dates and exercise some creativity, I decided to make a picture card. Sounds easy right? Should be a fairly easy process when you already have professional photographs from the engagement.

Two problems...

1). I look horrible in most of the engagement pictures. I think I am getting to the point in my life when I need to start using anti-wrinkle cream (hello friends...why have you not clued me into this need?). Why do I have squinty eyes and fine lines next to my eyes in every picture? Any picture I took when I tried to look serious should be burned immediately. I would be instantly eliminated on America's Next Top Model for only having one look - the giant smile. My favorite pictures from the engagement are the ones where Joe and I are looking at one another and not at the camera, and I am guessing that relatives want to see our faces (especially since many of the wedding guests might not even know who we are). There are some pretty cute kissing pictures, but Charlotte put it best...kissing pictures are tacky.

2). The one picture I like of Joe and I facing the camera (you can still see lines by my eyes, but oh well) won't fit in the image box on the card I picked out from Shutterfly. Come on...can't an annoyed bride-to-be get a break? Joe's head is slightly cut-off (I am laughing, but it's really not funny). I thought I would outsmart the program by cropping the picture in IPhoto. Yeah, that idea didn't work. (For fun I included the picture in this post.)

Why does this have to be so complicated? I am only working on the save the date. I can't imagine what it is going to be like when Joe and I try to make our own invitations (I bet you want to be a fly on our wall that night). I better stock the house with lots of wine.

Did I mention that Joe is at the Lakers game (lucky!) and I am dealing with photo card drama by myself? He has more patience than I do and is much better equipped for anything on the computer. Perhaps, this should be a groom project. He already met with the florist a few weeks ago when he was in St. Louis for work. I personally think he is a fantastic wedding planner. Maybe I should delegate more of the wedding planning duties to Joe. After all, the fun part (shopping for my dress and the bridesmaids dresses) is already over. Leave it to me to do the clothes shopping first!

I do have a rave about the wedding. Today's knot.com newsletter talked about wedding workouts. YAY! I looked at the play lists on the site and got some good music. Some of it was downright weird (but I am sure most of you say that about my play list suggestions) and a bit scary. I always like finding new music. What else will keep me motivated on the elliptical at 5:00am?

Who's Wedding Is It Anyway

I am starting to understand why some brides and grooms elope! The wedding planning process has not been terrible so far, well probably because we have only just begun, but there is one thing that is starting to drive me crazy! I am starting to discover that family members have a tendency to offer their opinions when they are not welcome. This just creates unwanted stress! My grandma is pressuring me to invite an aunt I don't even know. I have probably seen my so-called aunt 5 times in my entire life. I realize it is only one extra person and she is "family," but it is the principle. What makes my grandma think she deserves an invite? I am struggling to do the right thing. I don't want to disappoint my elderly grandma, but I don't want to invite someone I don't know to the wedding 9I don't think my dad wants her in attendance either). Each and every invite is so important when you are paying for the event yourself. Oh boy!

Additionally, I recently found out that one of my wedding party members "hates" the dress. I have been asked to consider allowing her to wear a different dress. Sorry, but this is one area I am not willing to negotiate. I have this vision of all bridesmaids being in the same dress, with the same accessories. I like uniformity. Is that so wrong? After all, I am the bride, so shouldn't I be the one who stands out?? Don't worry I am stepping down from my bridezilla soapbox now. No, I don't plan on have the girls all wear their hair in the same up-do with the same makeup. I am not that bad. The groomsmen are wearing the same style of tux, so I think the bridesmaids should be in the same style dress.

My mom is making me feel extremely guilty because we are planning the wedding from LA. She claims that she always imagined helping me plan this glorious event. I wish I could assign her a task, but I honestly don't know what that task would be. I feel like Joe and I have it under control. We already have our key vendors secured and I have tons of ideas about other things. I guess I could send my mom to the cake tasting, so I can still fit in my dress I ordered.

It is kind of nice having a place to vent. I feel much better after documenting these issues. If only I could feel better about the cost of a wedding. Happy tax day to me. My return is going to a florist deposit and reception deposit. To think I could have had a new Louis Vuitton!