Menu Meal Choices...

My mom thought of this, but we couldn't find it at the time and leave it up to Paper-Source to read my mind. I wanted to use little stamps of animals to designate meal choices for the wait staff to know what to serve my guests. It would have been a lot cuter and more 'me' than stickers that said 'lamb' and 'fish'...I don't know how this would work for all cultures as they don't include lamb/goat, BUT that's for another day. Check out the link to purchase and see scale, etc.

If I Could Pick Another Gown...

While I LOVED my gown. I always had a 'crush' on this one by Eden Bridals. It's so glamourous and potentially convertible to a short gown. This would make for a great city wedding or even an upscale suburban one. It's very last year (or even the year before) but who really cares, if you look good in a dress, it doesn't matter when they designed it...unless of course you're a slave to fasion in which case I think you have bigger problems.

Getting through the final steps in changing my name. Definitely start with the social security office and work your way through banks, brokerage institutions, credit cards, banks, and work.

Wedding Pics

We've been married just over a month. We're starting to write thank you's and are still opening beleated gifts. Technically, not belated as guests have one year to give a gift to the happy couple. I find myself speaking in the terms of the royal 'we' more and more. In addition, I seem to stumble on my words when remembering I have a new last name...(not officially, but more on that later).

As I said in my last post, the wedding was fantastic and a whilrwind of activity. From what I've heard, guests enjoyed themselves, the food was great and the music helped keep everyone moving. Our friends serenaded us with our song, "Tell Me" by Sara Evans. My cousin's and sister wowed our guests with a Bollywood routine to "Desi Girl". I have no idea where it came from, but it was perfect with a combination of Hindi and English. During the traditonal garba (Gujarati Folk Dance), I snuck out and changed into the beautiful gold lenga choli that my Groom purchased for me earlier this year. Here are a few highlights of the day:

We're married!

The rest of yesterday got busy and now a total blur of friends, family, music, food and more music.  Pics coming soon. Lessons learned... take a bouquet meant to cascade out of water upon delivery. Other than that not much went wrong. We are heading to brunch to open presents and hang out with our guests.

Make up done... almost. Still waiting on lips.

Make up

Heading to put my face on. Trying to post pics. This is pretty sweet

E-mail posting

Trying to post via gmail. Just finished hair. I love it!

Just got up. Going to jump in the shower while first maid gets her hair did. Let our crazy day begin!

Mendhi!

Here's a few shots from my mendhi last night. The artist (my cousin-in-law) had never decorated a bride before. I am very happy with the results and the color's soaking in nicely. It's turning a dark orange and will soon turn more black/red by tomorrow.

Bridal Shoes...

I was working on the escort card displays with Matron of Honor and she had a few pairs of shoes to run by me. This was one of them and immediately fell in love (not like I love Groom, but you know what I mean). They will match my something borrowed - a broach to cover my bustle pin up spot along with the necklace I'm turning into a hair ornament.

Bridal party gifts are completed.   I think they turned out pretty well.  I will post a listing of all items in the totes after the wedding (incase my bridesmaids are actually reading this). 

Can't think of anything else interesting at the moment, will have LOTS of pictures in a few weeks. T minus 5!

Trend Setting....

I love Paper Source....I love Paper Source....I love Paper Source.  Of course they'd roll out a whole India Collection 11 days before the wedding.  There's even a Rajastani paisley print that would have been PERFECT for our big day.

I have also noticed a lot of coral this season and the one shouldered dresses are making a strong statement.... Maybe I should have considered working in wedding fashion planning.  

This week has been tough. I've been up really late most nights and getting up early since I am gainfully employed.  We're hoping to get the last of our projects completed this week.....

Still left on the list:

• Memory Locket
  
• Escort Cards
  
• Ceremony Programs (Thank goodness for Kinko's and Adobe InDesign)
  
• Wedding Day/weekend Timeline tweaking....Special Thanks to Luci for spending A LOT of time on this project with us.
  
• Final Meeting with the Venue on Sunday!!! 
• Politely explaining to friends why we're not encouraging non relationshippy date bringing
• Sanely attempting to arrange tables so that all the screamers (read small children under 5) are in the same spot, far and away from the sweetheart table, bar and speakers.

We're also trying to finalize songs...we had a good list of stuff but then we heard something new (well not really new) just new perspective.  

Sister Hazel's "In the Moment" from Lift for our parent/child dance... I was driving in the car today and heard it and I literally got goosebumps.  

Escort Card Display

Here's the escort cards we made.  I'll post other pictures when I'm not running around like a crazy person!

Escort Cards

You know how they say "it takes a village" to raise a child? I think it takes one to prepare for a wedding.  I am very lucky to have the greatest friends and family (and future family) coming together to make this event a very personalized, memorable and creative part of our lives.  

Groom, MOG, MOH and I got together to make escort card holders for the reception.  We got the idea from a bride in California that made paper accordion holders for her guests.  We enlarged the idea and made them fit the look of our wedding and got to use the paper that's in my inspiration board.  I can't wait to do a comparison of the two to see how everything in my head actually plays out.  

We don't have too much left to do. I'm going a bit crazy this week with the goal of being done by Memorial Day weekend so we can enjoy the week leading up to the wedding.  Our last 'large' task is writing out the escort card envelopes and assigning guests to their tables. Most of that's been done, but we're in final stages of approval from MOG, my parents and one another!   

Pictures coming soon.

Trying to blog via my phone. Watching the Blackhawks at very random bar in the 'ville. Making a lot of wedding progress. Will post update soon!

T Minus WAY too soon.

The wedding is coming up quick!  We celebrated Easter with family and then took a little time to ourselves today.  Groom has officially moved out of the big city and is now in suburbia...I think he's still wrapping his head around this lifestyle change.  We're officially house hunting (well I am house hunting, he's studying for the GMAT) 

As the wedding approaches, we find ourselves getting into the most ridiculous arguments. Sometimes we take a step back and ask, 'Are we really fighting about the text direction on the escort cards?"   I think some alone time is in order when we're on each other's nerves like that. At least we're not fighting about Money, Family, our Relationship, or other important issues. This is always a good sign, right? 

I'm now working on the remainder of the stationary for the ceremony/ reception.  I have designed escort cards to be the size of business cards. I'm printing them myself on cover weight paper that I used for the directions card in the invitations.  I bought 250 sheets, so I have lots.

 

The ceremony programs are stumping me currently since there are so many things I can do with it. I currently like the idea of a simple sheet of paper folded in half with a strip of vellum or decorative paper for effect.  I am also weighing that against the possibility of cover weight stock w/ an insert allowing me to go stamp crazy!  

Will post pictures soon. 

My Blogging Type

Just for fun. Here's what my blog says about me. Try it out and let me know what it says your's says about you!

ESTP - The Doers

The active and playful type. They are especially attuned to people and things around them and often full of energy, talking, joking and engaging in physical out-door activities. 

The Doers are happiest with action-filled work which craves their full attention and focus. They might be very impulsive and more keen on starting something new than following it through. They might have a problem with sitting still or remaining inactive for any period of time.

Click the title to find out what your blog personality is like.

Celebrate Generously

Everyone registers for gifts and that is a daunting task, just ask Groom! I wanted to include a way to give to our favorite causes since we're older and have a lot of stuff already. While we registered for gifts the old fashioned way, we did so through Wedding Channel which allows a percentage of the purchase to go to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Groom picked the cause since one of his close buddies (and groomsman) has two boys living with the condition.

I then learned you can register for gifts to charity in lieu of actual gifts through the I Do Foundation. You can select an existing partner, or suggest your own not-for-profit. Read on to learn more!

Now you can support your favorite charity by registering with the I Do Foundation. From honeymoons to invitations to wedding gifts to charitable wedding favors, the I Do Foundation allows couples and their guests to make wedding-related purchases that generate donations for charity.

The I Do Foundation's Donation Registry service also makes it easy for guests to make donations in lieu of gifts. All of these services are available free of cost at www.IDoFoundation.org. Check it out today, and be sure to suggest your favorite charity as the beneficiary of your charitable wedding.

Invitations Sent!

I designed and made my own invitations with the help of Groom, family and friends.  I am happy to say that they're being distributed or are already in the mail. It's custom for Indian families to hand deliver invitations as a sign of respect, I think.  Plus it is a good chance to sit and visit and drink tea.  At any rate, the invitations included five pieces:

Flat Invitation Card on Luxe Cream

Flat Directions Card on Superfine White

Flat RSVP Post Card on Luxe Cream 

Flat Mendhi Card on Luxe Cream

Envelope in Luxe Cream

I used Color Block chalk stamp pads in Tangerine and Lipstick Red for the Colonial Stamp and the Henna Flower.

I didn't want an outer envelope or an RSVP envelope because it gets heavy and is quite a waste of paper.  I used Paper Source for just about everything except the henna stamp which I bought at Archiver's.  

The total cost of this project was about $250 for 150 complete sets.   Pretty sweet. 

I had my good friend Cadiz gave us the gift of calligraphy and addressed all the envelopes by hand. Alas, I got so excited to send them out, that I only have blank ones left. I will link to her post when she puts them up.  She rocks. 

Off to do more wedding stuff: I'll post soon about tuxes, pre-wedding parties and all that other good stuff as we get into the final stretch!

Bachelorette Party

I'm still learning this blogging stuff.... please click the link above for an 'old' post that's really new. I forgot to change the date. My bad.  

Ring Shopping

I have to find a suitable wedding band for Groom.  I'm thinking something sturdy and definitely a comfort fit band.  Men's rings have come a long way from the thin gold past of our parents' day. There are those fancy braided looking things, miniature diamond encrusted, or even that 'man' engagement ring look.  Groom inherited one of the latter, and it is beautiful, but very noticeable and probably not something he can wear everyday.  Maybe we'll use it in the ceremony, but even that might be a bit much. 

I just realized that I have not included a picture of my ring, or even blogged about rings for that matter. My camera is out of commision, so once it gets working, I'll post a picture.  While we were looking at engagement rings, what feels like forever ago, the sales consultant was telling us the benefits of white gold over platinum. Price and durability being the top two.  Platinum shows dings and looses it luster quickly while white gold tends to hold on to the shine or masks the dings.  In addition, white gold is also considerably less expensive than platinum.  This was all fine and good until we asked what would happen if I were allergic to nickel.  She stopped her pitch and said to Groom, "Sorry, but platinum is the only way to go."  I felt bad, but realized that he'd budgeted for the extra $1000 or whatever it was.  Luckily my ring is so ornate that I don't want to wear an additional wedding band with it, so he's not buying me a second ring.  

Since all this happened, I've found out that there are ways around the having to buy platinum. Titanium is an option, but you have to like that industrial and not shiny look. This seems to be more an option for men's bands since they like scratching up brick with out making even a scratch on their bands!  Another option is a gold band with a platinum setting (gold is usually very soft and many jewelers won't set stones in it).  The higher the karat, the softer it is...still pretty and goes with an Indian girl's gold sets, but I find that I don't wear my Indian gold that often...I am not entirely sure that my mom ever takes it out of the safety deposit box.  It's like a treasure hunt every time we open that thing up!

Anyways, if your finger or ears turn green or swell up or get all itchy, you might be allergic to nickel. I can't wear fashion earrings for more than a few hours and any other nickel containing jewelry makes my skin break out into a rash.  It's not pleasant and kind of sad when someone buys you something you want to wear all the time!  Since I've never fulfilled my stereotype of attending medical school, I would recommend checking in with a dermatologist to see what your options are. Maybe there's a cure or pill or shot or something.  Although really, why bother, just don't wear white gold and spring for the platinum. It's a girl's second best friend next to that rock in the center, right? I kid.  Groom is my best friend, the rock is just icing. 

Tasting Results are in!

Last night, Groom, F&MOB and MOG along with Groom's sister went to our tasting at Meson Sabika in Naperville.  Groom and I already love, love, love the food at this place.  We had to choose 10 items from the lists of menus to try out.  We were torn between serving all Tapas and a mix of Tapas and Traditional.  As a group, we decided that if our reception is going to be at a Spanish Tapas restaurant, there better be some Tapas on the table.  We were most surprised by the couscous that is served with the lamb chops.  There was a strong cumin and something else flavor that was just fantastic.  Here are the winners:

Tapas

Berenjena Con Queso

Grilled eggplant with roasted red peppers, fennel & Spanish onions, asparagus spears, goat cheese, and balsamic vinaigrette.

Pollo Al Curry

Chicken curry salad with grapes & celery

Queso De Cabra 

Oven-baked goat cheese with tomato basil sauce & garlic bread.

Pincho De Solomillo

Beef tenderloin with horseradish sour cream & caramelized red onions

Entree

Tilapia Marinada

Marinated Tilapia filet served with sauteed spinach and artichoke hearts with yellow plum tomato vinaigrette & lemon butter sauce.

Lamb Chops

Grilled lamb chops served with couscous, Portobello mushrooms, an onion potato cake and drizzled with an herbed garlic wine sauce

Something Random

Cadiz12 tagged me for this six things thingy.  

RULES: Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself.
Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs.
Let each person know that s/he's been tagged by leaving comments on their blogs. Link to the person that tagged you. Let your tagger know when your entry is up.

Here are six random quirks about me:

1.  I don't really like people, but seem to know a lot of them. 

2.  I use the phrase, "I'm just saying," WAY too much and think I got it from my mother.

3.  When I'm stressed out (which is self imposed and the majority of the time), I forget to eat.  

4.  I prefer isolation, but not total isolation, I like to have Tucker (my dog) and Luke (my cat) near.

5.  I'm much more social in the summer months.

6.  If I wasn't super organized, I would never finish anything. 

I tag RomanX, Luci ,Nick, &  Beth.  I don't have 6 friends w/ blogs, apparently. 

Superstars of Dance??

My new obsession is Superstars of Dance where a random sampling of countries are represented by not so native dancers in all cases.  I am not overly impressed with the quality of the show, but mostly am curious of how Team India will do.   Let me just say, I've personally done better (in my prime) and I've seen better and even choreographed better in some cases.  Can't they cast wider nets for these things? Even look at the already in existence national competitions that Indians have been hosting themselves for well over two decades?  Amrapali Ambegokar (pictured above) is the the Kathak (North Indian classical dancing) dancer.  She's done really well. I am NOT pleased w/ the Bhangra or Bollywood duo.  They all happen to be from California and I think one of them is even a former Miss India- California. Who knew such a competition even existed?  

I digress.  Overall, I'm disappointed thus far with the caliber of talent on Team India. They better bring their A game next week.  I think they've cut the Miss India- California and Girl in Green who were on as the Bollywood duo.  Team Bhangra better practice if they're coming back next week.  I suppose the producers succeeded in getting me to watch and care one way or another.