So much has happened since the last time I wrote. We bought our house, moved in, and had my bridal shower. There was so much going on all the time that I had forgotten to write about it! I guess that is what happens with life! Can't plan too much as Life does what it wants!
So my shower was wonderful! I got to see so many people that I love and care about. I was so happy and thankful for everyone coming out that day to see me. I brought home some AMAZING gifts, and although I do not have a lot of space in the kitchen to store things, miraculously everything fit into one cabinet or another. That is not to say that is where those items will permanently be, but for now, everything is put away!
So the home buying process was fantastic. It was great signing the papers and finally getting the keys to our new home. We have done a few things to the home already. Mostly just washing walls and painting. We are working on our main living room first. We painted the ceiling and the walls and are putting up replacement molding above the wainscoting as the previous owners had dogs who clearly were part beaver! Once that is done we'll move our new couch and TV into the room to start making it our living room. We are trying to work on one room at a time. It seems to be a good approach but I wish it was happening faster! I wish I was the Geanie and I could cross my arms and nod my head/blink and the house would be done to perfection! Oh what a dream!
We bought a new fridge, washer, dryer, dining room table, and couch for the house so far. Also tools and a ride-on mower for Steve with a trailer. Seeing as how we have tons of house manure on the side yard, we need a trailer to move it! Good thing it does not stink!
Well. Not sure what the plan is for today. Maybe more painting or maybe a day of lounging around. We'll see what Life has to say about that!
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Monday, April 4, 2011
Hair and Makeup!!
I am sooooooo excited. I went for my hair and make-up trial this past Saturday. It began at 12:45pm and ended around 2. She did not use any product in my hair and it was a "rough" trial. We did not use anything but a hair tie and bobby pins, which was nice to know. I was so excited with how it turned out.
I had told her that I really wanted something low and to the left. I am not sure why I want it there, but I just feel like that is where it is supposed to be and what would look best with my dress, so we went with it!
So... I had purposely planned to get my hair and makeup trial done this past weekend because Steve was not going to be able to come to the Vineyard for my brother, Aaron's wedding, and I didn't want him to see it. Well, Steve decided to surprise me by coming down for the night and staying through until Saturday afternoon; which meant he had to take me to my appointment. I was a little nervous about him seeing me all gussied up, but he won't remember, so that helped me get through it!
So a girl I went to high school with is doing my hair, Liz. I was never close with her in high school, not even sure if we ever spoke in high school now that I think of it. Anyway, she works at the salon my friend Diana (also my MOH) works at, so I figured I would go there. Let me say I am soooo glad that I did, because I loved it!
So, Steve came in when I was getting my make-up done. I am not one to wear a lot of make-up, so getting it done was slightly strange to me. I really wanted to make sure that my make-up was subtle and not over the top. I really like browns and golds and was so happy when those were the colors her brush headed towards. I have to say that when I looked in the mirror when she was done I was pleasantly surprised, and Steve told me that I was as" pretty as a princess." I just could not wait for our wedding day to come around when he told me that!
So when we got home I asked Steve to take pictures of it all for me. The first round of photoes I was smiling and happy because I thought he was taking pictures.... He wasn't! He thought he would be funny by taking a close up picture of my eyes, each of my ears, and a single curl. When he showed me the photos I ran out of the room crying. I was sooo pissed. I just wanted normal pictures and he couldn't do it right. So when he actually took the photos, I am not smiling at all. I was still pissed that I had to have the pictures taken again. So that is why I look like I want to claw his eyes out with the side shots!!
I had told her that I really wanted something low and to the left. I am not sure why I want it there, but I just feel like that is where it is supposed to be and what would look best with my dress, so we went with it!
So... I had purposely planned to get my hair and makeup trial done this past weekend because Steve was not going to be able to come to the Vineyard for my brother, Aaron's wedding, and I didn't want him to see it. Well, Steve decided to surprise me by coming down for the night and staying through until Saturday afternoon; which meant he had to take me to my appointment. I was a little nervous about him seeing me all gussied up, but he won't remember, so that helped me get through it!
So a girl I went to high school with is doing my hair, Liz. I was never close with her in high school, not even sure if we ever spoke in high school now that I think of it. Anyway, she works at the salon my friend Diana (also my MOH) works at, so I figured I would go there. Let me say I am soooo glad that I did, because I loved it!
So, Steve came in when I was getting my make-up done. I am not one to wear a lot of make-up, so getting it done was slightly strange to me. I really wanted to make sure that my make-up was subtle and not over the top. I really like browns and golds and was so happy when those were the colors her brush headed towards. I have to say that when I looked in the mirror when she was done I was pleasantly surprised, and Steve told me that I was as" pretty as a princess." I just could not wait for our wedding day to come around when he told me that!
So when we got home I asked Steve to take pictures of it all for me. The first round of photoes I was smiling and happy because I thought he was taking pictures.... He wasn't! He thought he would be funny by taking a close up picture of my eyes, each of my ears, and a single curl. When he showed me the photos I ran out of the room crying. I was sooo pissed. I just wanted normal pictures and he couldn't do it right. So when he actually took the photos, I am not smiling at all. I was still pissed that I had to have the pictures taken again. So that is why I look like I want to claw his eyes out with the side shots!!
 |
| See what I mean about clawing his eyes out?!!! I was MAD! :) |
 |
| LOVE LOVE LOVE!!! |
 |
| About 3/4 around there was a slight smile :-) |
 |
| It will clearly be neater at the wedding, but for a rough trial, I think it looked fabulous! |
 |
| So I was still mad, but not as much as before... see the slight cocky smile! I love that I look like me, but only nicer! |
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| Very subtle but still me underneath the makeup. |
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| Again, all the wispies will be gone for the wedding, but you get the idea! |
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| I just love it! |
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| So serious! But when I smile one eye opens bigger than the other and it drives me nuts! So no smile makes even eyes! |
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Wedding Superstitions
I have been thinking about wedding superstitions lately, as I was listing my something old, something new, etc. What are some wedding superstitions or some of you may call them "traditions" that you are doing at your wedding? I was looking on Google and found a list from The Knot of 50 wedding superstitions. Any of them relate to you? If so which ones?
2. The English believe a spider found in a wedding dress means good luck. Yikes!
3. In English tradition, Wednesday is considered the "best day" to marry, although Monday is for wealth and Tuesday is for health.
4. The groom carries the bride across the threshold to bravely protect her from evil spirits lurking below.
5. Saturday is the unluckiest wedding day, according to English folklore. Funny -- it's the most popular day of the week to marry!
6. Ancient Romans studied pig entrails to determine the luckiest time to marry.
7. Rain on your wedding day is actually considered good luck, according to Hindu tradition!
8. For good luck, Egyptian women pinch the bride on her wedding day. Ouch!
9. Middle Eastern brides paint henna on their hands and feet to protect themselves from the evil eye. Find out about Muslim wedding rituals.
10. Peas are thrown at Czech newlyweds instead of rice.
11. A Swedish bride puts a silver coin from her father and a gold coin from her mother in each shoe to ensure that she'll never do without. Learn more about Swedish wedding traditions.
12. A Finnish bride traditionally went door-to-door collecting gifts in a pillowcase, accompanied by an older married man who represented long marriage.
13. Moroccan women take a milk bath to purify themselves before their wedding ceremony. See more Moroccan wedding customs.
14. In Holland, a pine tree is planted outside the newlyweds' home as a symbol of fertility and luck.
16. About 70% of all brides sport the traditional diamond on the fourth finger of their left hand.
17. Priscilla Presley's engagement ring was a whopping 3 1/2-carat rock surrounded by a detachable row of smaller diamonds.
18. Diamonds set in gold or silver became popular as betrothal rings among wealthy Venetians toward the end of the fifteenth century.
19. In the symbolic language of jewels, a sapphire in a wedding ring means marital happiness.
20. A pearl engagement ring is said to be bad luck because its shape echoes that of a tear.
21. One of history's earliest engagement rings was given to Princess Mary, daughter of Henry VIII. She was two years old at the time.
22. Seventeen tons of gold are made into wedding rings each year in the United States!
23. Snake rings dotted with ruby eyes were popular wedding bands in Victorian England -- the coils winding into a circle symbolized eternity.
24. Aquamarine represents marital harmony and is said to ensure a long, happy marriage.
26. In Asia, wearing robes with embroidered cranes symbolizes fidelity for the length of a marriage.
27. Ancient Greeks and Romans thought the veil protected the bride from evil spirits. Brides have worn veils ever since.
28. On her wedding day, Grace Kelly wore a dress with a bodice made from beautiful 125-year-old lace.
29. Of course, Jackie Kennedy's bridesmaids were far from frumpy. She chose pink silk faille and red satin gowns created by African-American designer Ann Lowe (also the creator of Jackie's dress).
30. In Japan, white was always the color of choice for bridal ensembles -- long before Queen Victoria popularized it in the Western world.
31. Most expensive wedding ever? The marriage of Sheik Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum's son to Princess Salama in Dubai in May 1981. The price tag? $44 million.
32. In Korea, brides don bright hues of red and yellow to take their vows.
33. Brides carry or wear "something old" on their wedding day to symbolize continuity with the past.
34. In Denmark, brides and grooms traditionally cross-dressed to confuse evil spirits!
35. The "something blue" in a bridal ensemble symbolizes purity, fidelity, and love.
37. In South Africa, the parents of both bride and groom traditionally carried fire from their hearths to light a new fire in the newlyweds' hearth.
38. The tradition of a wedding cake comes from ancient Rome, where revelers broke a loaf of bread over a bride's head for fertility's sake.
39. The custom of tiered cakes emerged from a game where the bride and groom attempted to kiss over an ever-higher cake without knocking it over.
40. Queen Victoria's wedding cake weighed a whopping 300 pounds.
41. Legend says single women will dream of their future husbands if they sleep with a slice of groom's cake under their pillows.
42. An old wives' tale: If the younger of two sisters marries first, the older sister must dance barefoot at the wedding or risk never landing a husband.
44. The Roman goddess Juno rules over marriage, the hearth, and childbirth, hence the popularity of June weddings.
45. Princess Victoria established the tradition of playing Wagner's "Bridal Chorus" during her wedding processional in 1858.
46. The bride stands to the groom's left during a Christian ceremony, because in bygone days the groom needed his right hand free to fight off other suitors.
47. On average, 7,000 couples marry each day in the United States.
48. Valentine's Day and New Year's Eve are the two busiest "marriage" days in Las Vegas -- elopement central!
49. The Catholic tradition of "posting the banns" to announce a marriage originated as a way to ensure the bride and groom were not related.
50. Stag parties were first held by ancient Spartan soldiers, who kissed their bachelor days goodbye with a raucous party.
Good Luck and Bad Luck
1. Hey, brides, tuck a sugar cube into your glove -- according to Greek culture, the sugar will sweeten your union.2. The English believe a spider found in a wedding dress means good luck. Yikes!
3. In English tradition, Wednesday is considered the "best day" to marry, although Monday is for wealth and Tuesday is for health.
4. The groom carries the bride across the threshold to bravely protect her from evil spirits lurking below.
5. Saturday is the unluckiest wedding day, according to English folklore. Funny -- it's the most popular day of the week to marry!
6. Ancient Romans studied pig entrails to determine the luckiest time to marry.
7. Rain on your wedding day is actually considered good luck, according to Hindu tradition!
8. For good luck, Egyptian women pinch the bride on her wedding day. Ouch!
9. Middle Eastern brides paint henna on their hands and feet to protect themselves from the evil eye. Find out about Muslim wedding rituals.
10. Peas are thrown at Czech newlyweds instead of rice.
11. A Swedish bride puts a silver coin from her father and a gold coin from her mother in each shoe to ensure that she'll never do without. Learn more about Swedish wedding traditions.
12. A Finnish bride traditionally went door-to-door collecting gifts in a pillowcase, accompanied by an older married man who represented long marriage.
13. Moroccan women take a milk bath to purify themselves before their wedding ceremony. See more Moroccan wedding customs.
14. In Holland, a pine tree is planted outside the newlyweds' home as a symbol of fertility and luck.
It's Got a Ring To It
15. Engagement and wedding rings are worn on the fourth finger of the left hand because it was once thought that a vein in that finger led directly to the heart.16. About 70% of all brides sport the traditional diamond on the fourth finger of their left hand.
17. Priscilla Presley's engagement ring was a whopping 3 1/2-carat rock surrounded by a detachable row of smaller diamonds.
18. Diamonds set in gold or silver became popular as betrothal rings among wealthy Venetians toward the end of the fifteenth century.
19. In the symbolic language of jewels, a sapphire in a wedding ring means marital happiness.
20. A pearl engagement ring is said to be bad luck because its shape echoes that of a tear.
21. One of history's earliest engagement rings was given to Princess Mary, daughter of Henry VIII. She was two years old at the time.
22. Seventeen tons of gold are made into wedding rings each year in the United States!
23. Snake rings dotted with ruby eyes were popular wedding bands in Victorian England -- the coils winding into a circle symbolized eternity.
24. Aquamarine represents marital harmony and is said to ensure a long, happy marriage.
Fashionable Lore
25. Queen Victoria started the Western world's white wedding dress trend in 1840 -- before then, brides simply wore their best dress.26. In Asia, wearing robes with embroidered cranes symbolizes fidelity for the length of a marriage.
27. Ancient Greeks and Romans thought the veil protected the bride from evil spirits. Brides have worn veils ever since.
28. On her wedding day, Grace Kelly wore a dress with a bodice made from beautiful 125-year-old lace.
29. Of course, Jackie Kennedy's bridesmaids were far from frumpy. She chose pink silk faille and red satin gowns created by African-American designer Ann Lowe (also the creator of Jackie's dress).
30. In Japan, white was always the color of choice for bridal ensembles -- long before Queen Victoria popularized it in the Western world.
31. Most expensive wedding ever? The marriage of Sheik Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum's son to Princess Salama in Dubai in May 1981. The price tag? $44 million.
32. In Korea, brides don bright hues of red and yellow to take their vows.
33. Brides carry or wear "something old" on their wedding day to symbolize continuity with the past.
34. In Denmark, brides and grooms traditionally cross-dressed to confuse evil spirits!
35. The "something blue" in a bridal ensemble symbolizes purity, fidelity, and love.
Food and Family
36. In Egypt, the bride's family traditionally does all the cooking for a week after the wedding, so the couple can…relax.37. In South Africa, the parents of both bride and groom traditionally carried fire from their hearths to light a new fire in the newlyweds' hearth.
38. The tradition of a wedding cake comes from ancient Rome, where revelers broke a loaf of bread over a bride's head for fertility's sake.
39. The custom of tiered cakes emerged from a game where the bride and groom attempted to kiss over an ever-higher cake without knocking it over.
40. Queen Victoria's wedding cake weighed a whopping 300 pounds.
41. Legend says single women will dream of their future husbands if they sleep with a slice of groom's cake under their pillows.
42. An old wives' tale: If the younger of two sisters marries first, the older sister must dance barefoot at the wedding or risk never landing a husband.
Show Off at a Cocktail Party
43. In many cultures around the world -- including Celtic, Hindu and Egyptian weddings -- the hands of a bride and groom are literally tied together to demonstrate the couple's commitment to each other and their new bond as a married couple (giving us the popular phrase "tying the knot").44. The Roman goddess Juno rules over marriage, the hearth, and childbirth, hence the popularity of June weddings.
45. Princess Victoria established the tradition of playing Wagner's "Bridal Chorus" during her wedding processional in 1858.
46. The bride stands to the groom's left during a Christian ceremony, because in bygone days the groom needed his right hand free to fight off other suitors.
47. On average, 7,000 couples marry each day in the United States.
48. Valentine's Day and New Year's Eve are the two busiest "marriage" days in Las Vegas -- elopement central!
49. The Catholic tradition of "posting the banns" to announce a marriage originated as a way to ensure the bride and groom were not related.
50. Stag parties were first held by ancient Spartan soldiers, who kissed their bachelor days goodbye with a raucous party.
Traditionally, a variety of noisy tin cans or old shoes were tied to the back of the couple's carriage to scare away evil spirits. 2011 Wedding Trends?? Trendy or Trashy?
I have been looking over wedding blogs and articles to see what kinds of trends were predicted for 2011. I am not sure if I agree with everything, but some of them don't sound "way off". What do you think? These are some of the many trends that I have found. Do you agree, disagree, or maybe you are indifferent? What are your predictions for 2012? Di you think the economy will boom and more will be done at weddings? Ir do you think that the world is going to end in October of 2012, and people will make a mad rush for a quick ceremony towards the beginning of the year?
Here are a bunch of sites that I found that all have trends for 2011.
What do you say we start a trend list for 2012??
Here are a bunch of sites that I found that all have trends for 2011.
What do you say we start a trend list for 2012??
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Changing it all over
So, today began the change!! Steve and I finally headed to the bank and now have a joint checking account! I feel like we are married already. Now that we will be buying a house and having home bills, it just makes sense to have a joint checking account where all of the bills are paid from. I am only on the checking account so his savings accounts are still strictly his, and I will keep one savings account at my bank. The main reason I am keeping my bank is because it is the only one that is on the Vineyard and off-island. This way, we can use the ATM without surcharges and what not when we head to the island. It just made sense to keep one.
Well that is it for now! Everything with the house is going as scheduled, and in 3 weeks from tomorrow, we close on the house! YIPEE!!
Well that is it for now! Everything with the house is going as scheduled, and in 3 weeks from tomorrow, we close on the house! YIPEE!!
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Off Topic - Our House
So, the process has begun to get the new house. It is crazy to think that we are currently under contract to purchase a place to live; a place we could potentially raise our family in. I still cannot believe what has happened in the past 2 weeks!
So, catch-up, we out in an offer on a house on last Wednesday the 9th of March. By Friday the 11th, the sellers had accepted and we became under contract to purchase a house. On Monday the 14th we had our home inspection. Mike went through the house from top to bottom and only a few things came back that we may need to fix in the future. A few things were like, move any plants at least 18-24" from the house so that it does not attract bugs to the house or cause a rot situation. There was an electrical box outside that needs a new cover as the old one snapped off. There were a few things in the electrical panel that we need to address with an electrician. There are a couple of circuits that are doubled up that we need to have looked at and fixed. The electrical panel is 100amps and while that is sufficient, most houses built now have a 200 amp electrical panel. We may have to upgrade that in the future. Also, there is not a proper circuit in the electrical panel for the pool pump, so again, that is something we'll have to address.
We also had a Radon test done and a water quality and quantity test, as we have a private well. The water quantity was more than sufficient. However, the water quality test failed. The sellers have agreed to fix the water problem and have hired the home inspector to come back and retest the water once they have the system shocked to kill any bacteria in the well.
We are still waiting for the Radon test to come back as there was important data missing so the test could not be completed. The inspector forgot to write in some pertinent information before submitting the canisters for testing. The date the canisters were picked up and the amount of hours spent in the basement were not listed on the paperwork, so the lab would not test the sample until that information was complete. The home inspector emailed us and said that he has called the lab to verify the information so the test can be completed.
Our agent, Michelle, who has been so amazing, has told us that the sellers have ordered the title V to be completed soon. She also advised us that we should be hearing from the bank lawyers either Monday or Tuesday to sign the purchase and sales agreement, which we will have to bring another deposit check.
We also had an appraisal on Friday. Because we are using a federal loan program, we have to have the home appraised to make sure that the amount we are paying from the house is in line with what the house is worth. If the house appraised for $210,000 and we were paying $235,000 we'd have to come up with the difference because they will only pay for the value of the house. If the appraisal comes in over the price we are paying, than the loan process will move forward. Michelle advised that some appraisers will say exactly what the house is valued at while others will simple say that the value is enough to be covered by the loan. She explained that some people may run to the bank and take out a line of equity against the house for the difference, and they really do not encourage that. Michelle told us she was informed that the loan was all set, meaning that the house was appraised for more than we are paying, which is exciting!
So, we were trying to think of what to do with the two-story barn. I said that in 5-10 years we could make it a guest house, Steve does not want to do that. He thinks it would make a great "Man-Town".... UM NO! Who knows what we are going to do with. I would like to finish the space and use it for a living space, but he is not sure what we wants. He thinks that if we make it a guest house that we would be having guests. I told it it would be for those very few and infrequent times we have people come to stay. That way they can have their own space to stay and we would not be bothered by them; he didn't like my idea!
Oh well! We have plenty of time to change things around. April 15th will be here faster than we know, which is closing day! We are so excited it is beyond words!
Oh, finally on Century21.com they have the house as "Sale Pending" which made me very happy!!!
So, catch-up, we out in an offer on a house on last Wednesday the 9th of March. By Friday the 11th, the sellers had accepted and we became under contract to purchase a house. On Monday the 14th we had our home inspection. Mike went through the house from top to bottom and only a few things came back that we may need to fix in the future. A few things were like, move any plants at least 18-24" from the house so that it does not attract bugs to the house or cause a rot situation. There was an electrical box outside that needs a new cover as the old one snapped off. There were a few things in the electrical panel that we need to address with an electrician. There are a couple of circuits that are doubled up that we need to have looked at and fixed. The electrical panel is 100amps and while that is sufficient, most houses built now have a 200 amp electrical panel. We may have to upgrade that in the future. Also, there is not a proper circuit in the electrical panel for the pool pump, so again, that is something we'll have to address.
We also had a Radon test done and a water quality and quantity test, as we have a private well. The water quantity was more than sufficient. However, the water quality test failed. The sellers have agreed to fix the water problem and have hired the home inspector to come back and retest the water once they have the system shocked to kill any bacteria in the well.
We are still waiting for the Radon test to come back as there was important data missing so the test could not be completed. The inspector forgot to write in some pertinent information before submitting the canisters for testing. The date the canisters were picked up and the amount of hours spent in the basement were not listed on the paperwork, so the lab would not test the sample until that information was complete. The home inspector emailed us and said that he has called the lab to verify the information so the test can be completed.
Our agent, Michelle, who has been so amazing, has told us that the sellers have ordered the title V to be completed soon. She also advised us that we should be hearing from the bank lawyers either Monday or Tuesday to sign the purchase and sales agreement, which we will have to bring another deposit check.
We also had an appraisal on Friday. Because we are using a federal loan program, we have to have the home appraised to make sure that the amount we are paying from the house is in line with what the house is worth. If the house appraised for $210,000 and we were paying $235,000 we'd have to come up with the difference because they will only pay for the value of the house. If the appraisal comes in over the price we are paying, than the loan process will move forward. Michelle advised that some appraisers will say exactly what the house is valued at while others will simple say that the value is enough to be covered by the loan. She explained that some people may run to the bank and take out a line of equity against the house for the difference, and they really do not encourage that. Michelle told us she was informed that the loan was all set, meaning that the house was appraised for more than we are paying, which is exciting!
So, we were trying to think of what to do with the two-story barn. I said that in 5-10 years we could make it a guest house, Steve does not want to do that. He thinks it would make a great "Man-Town".... UM NO! Who knows what we are going to do with. I would like to finish the space and use it for a living space, but he is not sure what we wants. He thinks that if we make it a guest house that we would be having guests. I told it it would be for those very few and infrequent times we have people come to stay. That way they can have their own space to stay and we would not be bothered by them; he didn't like my idea!
Oh well! We have plenty of time to change things around. April 15th will be here faster than we know, which is closing day! We are so excited it is beyond words!
Oh, finally on Century21.com they have the house as "Sale Pending" which made me very happy!!!
Wedding Party Responsibilities
Get a Grip on Bridal Party Responsibilities!
Who Does What?
Who Does What?
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