My Missing "R"

Remember when I was looking for the R so I could totally use this at our guest book table? I thought it was perfect and so I went to about sixty TJ Maxx stores and never found it. Well, last night I was in a TJ Maxx and found the missing "R". I actually laughed out loud! (and then bought it...).

My So Unorganized Life

I saw this post from Tara and in all honestly, I am in the process of buying this right now. I am hoping it organizes us as a couple. Seriously, the craziest part about this marriage is combining two very similar but different people. As similar as we are in tastes, beliefs, etc. - there are also things we are not so similar on. Like I know when all my bills are due, and can rattle them off if need be. My fiance - even though he has paid the mortgage every month - couldn't tell you when it is due every month. It drives me mad crazy, especially because I am suppose to be handling all bill duties.

I have been fighting to get organized. I think to a certain extent I am rebelling from the fact that for the last year and a half I was on a schedule - A Knot schedule (telling me when I had to find a photographer, when I needed to send out invitations, etc., etc.).

Now I am free from it, but unfortunately, my life is a little off because I keep telling myself that I am going to do a blurb book with our honeymoon photos (darnit - and I missed Brooklyn Bride's 10 percent off offer), I am going to call our photographer and tell them which photos I like so they can create my album. But another week goes by and I have not done this. Maybe the Knot could create a Newlywed Knot schedule. Or maybe someone just needs to kick me in the ass.

Helpful Hint for The Brides-To-Be

I have been behind but always wanted to give some love to some of my favorite girls. I recently forwarded to a newbie Bride-to-Be one site when she told me she had bought about five bridal magazines that day. I told her - This is all you need when planning a wedding - The Library. I am behind in giving my reviews, but got my wonderful photographer and florist in there. Seriously - this site rocks.

Wedding Budget Woes

A friend's fiancee outed me the other day. I have kept this blog very underwraps with co-workers and friends - actually very underwrap because I never even mentioned it to them! But she outed me. However, it was good. We talked about weddings and why they are so ridiculous in price. Especially in Chicago. She had one of my favorite quotes -

These wedding prices are so ridiculous that they honestly make me want to curse at times. Like really, do they think that being madly in love with each other is going to leave us so oxygen deprived that the wedding prices are going to suddenly make us ready to sign over our financial future?

It made me laugh because it is so true. I do remember looking at a place very early in our search and actually going "we have to give them 6,000 bucks for the empty space - that is not too bad, right?" Thank god my husband slapped me silly and made me repeat over and over "Must stay under budget." (Note - please don't call the abuse line - I was kidding about the slap). So the question is are there really any great steals in Chicago? Or have all these places realized how they can make a nice big fat buck off these oxygen deprived brides? (If you know any -please, please pass along)

In other news - my new favorite blog. I think she is as peeved as my friend's fiancee.

For Brides-To-Be

I so wish I had this when I was planning a wedding. A very nice contest for brides to be. And SwishDesigns does a fantastic job!

Green With Envy

(Indiana Weddings)

So I gave some love to the fellow Chicago Bloggers on my blogger links. If I missed you, please email me and I will add you to the list!

OH - and anyone thinking about getting married outside of the city limits - please, please visit this blogger's site - Indiana Weddings. I am in love with her venue, Mon Lac Ciel in LaPorte, Indiana. It is a beautiful Tudor style manor....and seriously, the coolest thing ever - they can stay there the whole weekend because it has eight bedrooms you can rent out too! I am so envious right now!

Our Favors

(www.studiothisis.com)

I was asked to make my Buckeyes for a BBQ party this past weekend, which reminded me that I never posted about my favors. (Oops, three months later).

I really wanted to do chocolate Buckeyes (being from a long line of Ohio State graduates), but I also wanted to do something with my husband's irish heritage. I know it was pretty much a typical favor - but I still thought it was a neat way of showing both our personalities.

So a friend of my sister's created these - Chocolate Buckeyes, a chocolate clover leaf and then our initials. They tasted amazing! I then printed out our "logo" and found ribbon that matched our colors, which we alternated on each box.We had one issue. The boxes became a little too greasy, so we had to find new boxes the day before the wedding. I then used my bridesmaids (my own little sweatshop) to put them all together.