ack!

I have seen the future, and it foreshadows my doom:





I can only hope there's no DC Universe Online* cake hiding out there ... (gulp).
(photo 1 from whoops -- please tell me! photo 2 from Let Them Eat Cake, via Cake Wrecks)

*bucksboys.com: select "content & viral", then "justin janowitz", then the bottom left video. That's Mr. UB in action. Yes, it takes forever to load.

picture of us #1

Seeing as how I've been talking about our various points-of-view, but I haven't said much yet about how me & Mr. UB are together, I thought I'd share this first (in hopefully a series) of pics .... This one was taken in Akumal, Mexico, at the wedding of Adam & Julia. Yes, the same Julia who will be marrying us. It's one of the few pictures in which I'm not pulling a silly face. (I'm sorry -- I don't know how that happened.) Also, a Win of a self-portrait by Mr. UB! Him: earnest & cute + Me: posing = another day in the life.

D. I. ... Me(?)

As long as I'm going to try to make the invites & do the decor myself, I may as well see just exactly what I can whip up. And who knew! (you probably did, but I had no idea) about all those websites & blogs out there with cool ideas.?!

For example, I find myself oddly intrigued by this pomander made of craft paper & ribbon. (photo from article on Once Wed here) Which is surprising because when I first discovered the existence of said objet, I thought it looked ... well, stupid. But it's clearly growing on me. Now, I have no idea how much "real," aka "made of flowers" pomanders cost, but I'm betting they're not cheap. (Just a hunch, based on the recurring theme of "anything we know is for a wedding costs 30 to 300% more".) But anyway ... the rather adorable little thing pictured here costs only about $5 in craft materials, plus the sweat of my brow. (And from what I've heard, that can be had for a very reasonable rate. Even though it's for a wedding.)

There's also this project (also on Once Wed, here) for a cupcake stand that could be pretty freakin' sweet as part of the display for the candy buffet.For the record, I'm deliberately choosing projects that don't seem too ambitious -- I just hope I'm not over-estimating my abilities. Frankly, for the right look at the right price, I'll stay up as many nights as I have to, playing with cutesy-shaped hole punches and fancy paper.

In other news, my mom wants to have a telephone pow-wow with me & my sister, to discuss ... things? ... i'm not sure what, exactly. But I'm sorta guessing that she thinks I'm gonna f@ck this whole thing up. Or maybe she just knows they have expertise to impart -- I'm probably projecting my own exhaustion-imposed self-doubt onto other people. (It's not even exhaustion I can blame on wedding planning. It's just life this week. Which doesn't give me high hopes for the situation improving.)

Oh ... and I think I finally saw a cake that I a) don't hate, and b) can imagine having at a wedding for me:
(photo from The Polka Dot Bride here) No idea what to put on top (do I have to?!) but we've got time for that. Maybe I'll hole-punch something on fancy paper.

confused = me

So it turns out that when Mr. UB said "you plan the wedding -- just tell me when & where to show up," he was sort of ... exaggerating. Because so far he's nixed my idea for dishes, and had a whole dissertation about why my bribery of Marija (see previous post) was jumping the gun. Also, he has re-iterated his love for dark wood furniture. (Something that needed no such re-iteration, as I am reminded of it every time I set foot in his room, but I digress.)

I know there will be compromise, and this isn't a hill I'm prepared to die on (I may fight a skirmish or three here) ... but I simply cannot take major input on the aesthetics of a) the wedding or b) our home-to-be's decor from someone who is still living in Bachelor Guy In His 20's Land. Two mis-matched futons, a Halo 3 poster displayed above his replica Master Chief helmet, (if you don't know what that means, spare yourself,) and a pair of recliners that he refers to as his "Chandler & Joey chairs" as if that was a good thing. I love this man, but he needs major housebreaking -- in an "I miss his old coke-head roommate who loved to clean the apartment when he was high" kind of way.

So: we may have to take this slowly, and one item at a time ... but no freakin' mahogany. And these Vera Wang dishes are beautiful.

There. I feel much better.

bribery will get you everywhere

HOORAY!! I saw Marija today, and in a flash of inspiration I grabbed both her hands and asked, "If I buy you a Marc Jacobs dress, will you photograph my wedding?" And she said YES!!! (Is this what it felt like to be Mr. UB on the night he proposed, I wonder?)

I know what Marc Jacobs dresses cost. I also know what my sister spent on the photographer for her wedding. And this = one serious bargain.

an idea for the look

Why the hell didn't I get married before the economy went into the toilet? Oh, right ... I wasn't asked. Ah well -- I love a challenge.

First, I finally know what I want my invitations to look like. This one. Just with different colors. (Thanks, The Knot!) I can definitely pull this off. Apparently the bride made them herself, using a stamp for the flowery design thing. I think I'll do a gold frame, ivory paper & dark green ink. Does anybody out there know what gets craft glue out of your hair?

As far as the "look" of the whole thing goes, I'm finding myself kind of inspired by these images.

And I found serious reasons to raid Ikea's day-after-Christmas sale this year:
Just the white one of these:


Also, I found a nice, simple guest book at Crane's:


And I love these bags for my candy bar favors:

(That's the pattern, I mean. They're clear plastic bags -- you get the idea.)

In other fabulous news, I stumbled across the fact that both Costco and Overstock.com sell bulk flowers. That may end up being a bit more labor-intensive than I'd imagined, but if I keep it simple and stick to 1 or 2 kinds of blooms + greenery, I just might be able to pull it off. Especially with some help from Jamali Garden Supplies. Some of what I'm digging, and think I can work with:
Bells of Ireland -- 100 stems for $109.99

White hydrangea -- 30 clusters for $85.99


Roses ("green" like above or white) -- 100 stems for $104.99

I absolutely intend to get bouquets that are professionally made. I'm just thinking about reception decorations. On which topic, I've made NO real progress. Grrrr.

In less-fabulous news, I ran into my friend Marija today, and it seems that she isn't rocking her photography business again just yet (she recently had a baby) ... but just because I love her & I think her work is lovely, check out her stuff here. Oh well ... thank goodness I know a few more photographers. (Occupational hazard.)

b-maids bearing booze

I just received confirmation of what fabulous choices I made in the Sonoma County contingent of my bridesmaids. Not only because they are two of my favorite people ... but also because they are hooked up. Christmas (yes, really) works at a brewery. Sunny works at a winery. Let the rejoicing begin!

The brewery in question is Russian River Brewing Company -- owned by two people I adore, who happen to make some seriously yummy beer. (Read more about the goings-on there from The Beer Babe, who is also my beer babe.) The winery is also up there in Sonoma, but I need to find out if Sunny is currently mad at her boss before I pimp their label here ....

I told them they have about 10 months ahead of them to "misplace inventory" in preparation for the reception. They replied that they, in fact, like their jobs and wish to keep them. But they both get a pretty swell employee allotment/discount -- and that will do just fine.