Four Wedding Truths in Late Nights

I was up a lot later than I really should have been last night, however, I have a list of venues near us that we can go scope out. I  sent out some emails to get information on certain places. (Which was done on our wedding email account that I created! Eeeee!!!) So, my late hours were/are pretty productive! :) 

I made phone calls this afternoon to touch base with other venues I didn't hear from on email. Anyone who knows me knows that I am terrible about making phone calls. I always feel like I'm stumbling over myself and my words and feel like I'm extremely unintelligent. I bit the bullet today and made 4 or 5 phone calls. Go me! 

I have been reading my planning book on and off the last couple weeks, thumbing to different spots in the book and spot reading. I will say, this book is fantastic & has a lot of good insight & ideas. It was a good buy! Thanks Momma! :) 

Well, last night I started at the introduction. (Imagine that!) In this section the authors go into four truths about weddings that no one tells you. So, it's on those four truths that I'd like to give my thoughts & feelings on in my planning process. 

Truth #1 - The wedding is for you and your fiance. FALSE! 
I'm paraphrasing now, but it says that weddings tend to become less of a celebration of marriage & more of a large social torture test. Brides/Grooms/Parents are often guilty of making their weddings into spectacles to impress friends. 

I am somewhat guilty already in the ideas I have swirling about or pinned on Pintrest. However, I am doing my best to keep my feet on the floor & really add elements of Freddy & I to our day. We're both unique individuals who have our quirks. Though these quirks may be opposites, they complete the other person making them whole. That's what I want our wedding to be. Think... a glittery nerd! 

Truth #2 - Weddings end up twice as large as planned!
We made a preliminary guest list & did it much like the way we shop at Target. Put everyone in & before we checkout, we thin out our purchases saving our wallets some major damage. 

The thinning out has been difficult due to that feeling called guilt. I don't want anyone to feel left out, but the honest truth is -- we are paying for this on our own & limits need to be set. Pintrest has helped with how to thin out the guest list, along with removing my feelings & just keepin' it REAL!

Truth #3 - Perfect weddings don't exist in the free world. 
This is hard to swallow because I am a perfectionist. But my new mantra has to be... "Aim for fantastically wonderful!" (I love those words anyways!) I am putting that mantra on every mirror in the house starting NOW! :) 

Truth #4 - The 'wedding industry' isn't as innocent as it looks. 
Big Business + Novice Buyers = Disaster Waiting to Happen

The wedding business needs to make money, no doubt! The vendors have families to take care of & bills to pay. This is their livelihood. However, taking advantage is not cool! Fun Fact -- The wedding industry makes more than big breakfast cereal companies. I'm serving Lucky Charms at my wedding then! haha... I am nervous about scouting out venues & rental equipment. I have very specific ideas & I am not too willing to let them go. I am hoping to find a place that is going to be flexible & help make this day better than I could have dreamed. 

Oh please wedding gods, be with me!!! :) 

Summer of Color 4: Week 3

This is my first week taking part in this challenge. Better late than never! :) 
Twinkle, Twinkle, Sparkly Things - Summer of Color Challenge

I did this piece fairly quickly because the deadline was approaching to post. I am on the fence with how I feel about it. I love it in one look at it, and then the next look I'm like "Ehhhh..". 

My fiance told me it was dark. I am usually a bright colored girl, so this was a challenge for me. My mom loves everything purple, so this will probably go to her! :) 

I used an 8x10 stretched canvas, acrylic paint, rhinestones and Stickles as embellishments. My palms kind of remind me of truffula trees. I maybe should have written, "I speak for the trees." 

Happy Mail Day

I recently placed orders on Stitch Fix and Erin Condren, and coincidentally they both arrived on the same day! (The afternoon of my surgery, which make me feel a little better!) 

Stitch Fix is an affordable personal shopper kind of service. I saw it on a teacher blog that I follow and decided to give it a try. It was pretty fantastic! I am a gal who is frequently between sizes, and shopping can sometimes be downright frustrating! Searching through stores, finding something that I absolutely love on the hanger, rushing to the fitting room, only to find out that my boobs are too big, or that the piece is just a little too baggy in other areas, or finding I can't even get it on, causing me to triple check that I have grabbed the right size. All of that adds up to a lot of wasted time, and a very frustrated Aerin. So, I've been skipping the fitting room all together & spending a couple hundred to bring everything I like home, to have the let down of the whole "not fitting" issue in the comforts of my own home. Then, I have to make a return trip to the store to return the items. 

Stitch Fix has given me the freedom to not have to search through millions of racks & just go straight to the 'try on' step. Someone else does the searching & sends it to me in the mail. :) (In a super cute box, might I add!) You fill out a little style profile and give as much info as you'd like on the items & styles you like. Then, you schedule how often you'd like your "fixes". Simple as that! Here are some pics of my first fix. (Sorry they aren't the best!) 

I received 4 shirts and 1 dress, along with a cute bracelet. It is up to you what you'd like to keep, or send back. I sent back 2 shirts, the dress, and the bracelet. They pay for the return shipping and give you an easy to use mailing bag. I signed on to stitchfix.com and checked out. They asked for some feedback on the pieces I received to help style for my next fix, and I bought my 2 shirts and called it a day! :) If you'd like to try out Stitch Fix, you can check it out here! http://www.stitchfix.com/referral/3837853 

My other piece of mail that I received was from Erin Condren. I ordered a life planner from her. It is oh so cute & I'm obsessed already! It's a perfect size that I can carry it wherever I go & I was able to choose exactly what colors I wanted, so I will never tire of them! :) If you want to check out Erin Condren's products & see what she can design for you, you can check that out here! https://www.erincondren.com/referral/invite/aerinhector0205

The box was super cute as well, and I got a few extra goodies in my box that made me even happier! Here's some photos of that packaging & the goodies! 

I love happy mail days! What about you? 

Bubble Child

I'm the middle child in my family & unfortunately I got most of the health hazards in the family, which aren't just run of the mill health issues either! Haha... When I was younger, we used to go back home to CT to visit family & friends. It was never a complete visit unless we made a trip to the walk in clinic. I legit just need a bubble & we'll just call it a day! ;)

This week has been full of doctor appointments. Allergist testing & follow ups for the first half of the week. This was followed by a consultation with an oral surgeon for a wisdom tooth that was impacted & growing into my cheek. Surgery was this morning. I was extremely nervous for many reason, but the 2 major reasons... 1. Needles! (I hate needles!) 2. The 'informational' video & forms I had to watch & sign which had me utterly convinced that this morning was my last day on earth!

Needless to say... The nurse starting my IV was FANTASTIC & was super sensitive to the fact that I was crying because I was scared. (Hi! Some things will never change!) My surgery was over before I knew it & my fiance & mom came for support & a few laughs while I was waking up. I mean... Look at my face! I didn't even remember falling asleep.

LOL! So silly! 

I am nervous to eat still & my Mac & cheese is waiting for me. But, the guaze is helping to keep everything under control & I am a little less than an hour out from my next pain pill. I am feeling it a tiny bit, but mom told me to keep ahead of the pain. So, I'm counting down the minutes. I told Freddy B I don't want to feel anything! Hope my body with keep good on that wish! :) 

 This was me shortly after I got home. I was ready to go back to sleep & that I surely did! :)

This is me currently about 7 hrs after surgery. Feeling OK, other than the fact that I am overwhelming warm & kinda hungry. I have my overhead fan going & a floor fan going in my room trying to keep cool. 

Hoping I keep improving! The paperwork says day 3 will have the most swelling & day 5 I have to use a syringe to clean it out. Might need my mom for that since my Freddy B is leaving for another work training that day! 

I received some fantastic mail today which brightened my day. I'll have to blog on that later because it's pretty exciting!!! 

Happy Friday my friends!!!

I'm Reminded

Every now and then the glimmer from my ring catches my eye and I'm reminded that I am ENGAGED! What!? Then the giddiness, excitement, and butterflies flutter about in my body. 

I've dreamed about this my whole life, but never realized how amazing it could feel. I want to bottle up this feeling & hand it out freely.

It's a good life Aerin Noel. <3 

Took a Little Break/Breather... Mixed With a Little Shopping & a Splurge!

I put myself on wedding suspension for 2 days. Haha...

I got out of the house yesterday & spent the afternoon & evening with a good friend of mine and her adorable/funny Littles! (I want kids just like hers!!! Her oldest cracks me up... Yet, she's only 2! She's my buddy!) 

We had an afternoon of crafts and painting, with a touch of a hovering shop owner who was a total control freak & was really unwilling to let my girlfriend have complete creative freedom on a project that SHE was paying for. It wasn't quite the experience we were hoping for, BUT the mission was completed! :) 

After that experience, it was nap time for the Littles & some TV for us! She's been hooked on Prison Break & I quite enjoyed the few episodes we got to watch together. (Now I know why my brother was into the show!) After nap time, we dropped the Littles off with G-ma & G-pa, while we headed off to dance class with my fantastic dance instructor, Greg. It's Cha Cha Cha this month. The class is really a lot of fun & it feels great to be dancing again! l'm sad I'll miss Rumba next month while I am gone visiting my family. :( So, I'm enjoying the classes we have available to us now! :) 

Today, I cleaned the house and made a yummy, simple dinner for myself. Ok, I have NOT been to the grocery store this week & desperately need to go, so I used what I had! This led me to FINALLY use the fresh mozzarella that was about to expire, deli pepperoni, and crescent rolls. Um, I'm getting pretty good with these "creative" meals! haha... Publix is on the agenda for tomorrow! Swear it! 

Once I ate, I went online & ordered myself an Erin Condren planner. That's my splurge! However, I feel like this will be a good investment with the coming school year & wedding appointments it'll be put to good use! Plus, it's pretty! You can visit here & choose and design one of your own!!! 

https://www.erincondren.com/referral/invite/aerinhector0205 Happy Splurging!!!! :) 

Earlier this week, I did pick up the look books from Alfred Angelo's which included the Disney princess line. I've been OBSESSED with this line since it started, and I really feel like I don't want anything else or want to look anywhere else because these gowns are FAN-STINKIN'-TASTIC! I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO looking forward to getting my bridesmaids officially asked & gathered so we can begin the process of picking just ONE dress. Uhhhh, hardest decision of my life coming right up! I can't even get Freddy's opinion on any of it! I KNOW I'm going to struggle with that. 

So, I'm wondering... Should I go to other shops if I find that I fall in love with a princess dress, or do I stop because NOTHING could top a princess? 

I know, I am quite ridiculous & I own that! :) 

And the wedding bug is for real tugging at me now! I also have to put order back into my closet, which I promised Freddy B I would do! Fun, or not fun? That is the question! 

Here's a look at the amazing dresses I want!!! Fairy Godmother, you can come along at ANY time now! :) 

I mean really! Really!?!? This is a one stop shop I'm feeling! They are all so pretty. I just might have to have a costume change every half hour! 

Wedding Idea OVERLOAD!

I LEGIT have spent the better half, or maybe 3/4 of today browsing site by site trying to gather some insight and clarity as to what I'd like our day to look like. 

With the exception of the few hours I stepped out of the house to go see my mom at work (where she showed me 'real life' wedding ideas), I have had my laptop or phone in my lap scrolling, clicking, and pinning. YIKES! I may need an intervention soon! 

Has any of this affected my excitement? NOPE! 
However, if I didn't need sleep, I'd be set! 

tbdress.com was sent my way courtesy of my mom and cut to an hour and a half later, I am having to show some self control and put myself to bed!

I get to go shopping with my mom tomorrow to buy an official wedding planning binder! Yay!!! I'll also be picking up look books from local shops! However, my heart is pretty set on Alfred Angelo's Disney Princess Collection. 

We'll see how it goes! 

For now, it's time for my Doodle to go out and my Penelope bunny to be fed & me to go to bed! :) 

Here are some of my finds for today! Save the dates... Color schemes... shoes... centerpieces... bouquets... CAN'T I JUST HAVE IT ALL!?!?!?

Where is my Fairy Godmother!? Haha... 

Love this pop up idea! 

Will have to put this together once all of our wedding party has been picked out and properly asked!

I love the colors!

I'm not sure why this theme has resonated with me, but it sure has!

Loving the teal/tiffany blue & gray together!

Cakes!!!!!!

Converse may be our choice of footwear for the wedding party! Score on the comfort Freddy B! :) 

Loving the multiple hues! 

Can't decide what we want the guys in!

I love the interactive activities that I've stumbled across!

While the peacock has mostly flooded my pintrest followers' feeds, I'm loving the chevron, coral, and aqua as well!

Obviously we're not going for yellow, but I love the converse! 

Different spin on the boutonniere! 

Fun!!!

What do I do now? What comes next?

My first blog post! Yay! 

I've been contemplating starting a blog for a while and didn't feel the time was right. However, I've recently had a big life moment that has begun a brand new chapter in my life and what better way to capture all the feelings, thoughts, and rises and falls than a blog! :) 

My Lovey and I just celebrated our 5th anniversary on June 6th. We always go back and relive our first date each year at the Naples Zoo. However, this year was extra special! We arrived in Naples a little behind schedule thanks to ME! (Which is typical! To know this, is to love me!) 

When we reached the corner that we first met on... (side note: it was a blind internet date.) Freddy stopped me and began reminiscing and got serious. It took me a minute to realize what was happening, but the tremors going through his body made it very apparent and SWEET! So, right on that very corner where it all began, our forever also began! He did so good! He even had my mom across the street, with a good friend of mine, recording and snapping pictures the whole time. It was a fantastically wonderful day! I still haven't stopped smiling and gazing at my ring since then! 

And so begins the planning! :) :) :) :) :) 

Pintrest and I are already Besties... But we will be joined at the hip for real! 

I think we are deciding on a New Year's Wedding. So, we have unofficially decided on Dec. 31st, 2017. 

I know it seems like a long ways off, however, we are both teachers and anyone who is anyone knows the pay isn't that great. So, we'll have ample time to figure the dollars out! 

So, here begins my blog adventure! I'm thinking this will combine wedding planning, documenting my crafting (wedding related and not wedding related), documenting my classroom adventures (I suppose I should have started this last school year because I just survived my most trying year - but the rewards and growth were REAL!), and just living life in general! 

Thanks for stopping by and reading! I'm looking forward to sharing more with you very soon! :)