Orange Ya Glad?

Happy 25th Birthday to Matt's friend and groomsman, Ryan!

For the Groom

77 days

222 invited
78 attending
15 declined

RSVPs today from my cousin, Alex and his girlfriend, Katlyn, and my former Gap coworker Amanda and her husband Brian. Sadly, my friend from college Mike has declined coming because he has a family event that weekend. But we'll be seeing him at some point!

Went today to pick up Matt's mom's dress! It is the most gorgeous blue!! Now we're just waiting on my mom's which the store was calling about to see why it hadn't shipped yet.

I got the rest of the jewelry for our readers, greeters, and gift bearers yesterday! Again, I nailed it! AND I got Matt's gift as well! His cufflinks are absolutely amazing! I can't wait until he sees them the night before the wedding!

Matt's mom has booked the rehearsal dinner at Waterplace in downtown Providence. It's a great restaurant and sits right over the river. Absolutely gorgeous!

Patent Leather

79 days

220 invited
75 attending
14 declined

RSVPs today:
-my friend from high school, Mitch, and his girlfriend, Sam
-Matt's cousin, Jake
-my friend from dance, Amanda

Another quickish entry tonight. I got three pieces of jewelry in today from Lia Sophia! Three of the four necklaces for my readers and greeters and they are beauitful! I'm really happy with what I picked out!

Yesterday I got Olivia's shoes in as well. I just have to have her try them on to make sure they fit!

Clutched

80 days

220 attending
71 attending
14 declined

RSVPs today were form my coworker, Joe, and my former coworker from the Gap, Cristhal!

Just a short post tonight to say that I got our mothers' clutches in today! They are wicked nice and I can't wait to give them to our moms! We also got the orange sofa bed from Matt's mom and sister for the shower. Matt put it together and rearranged the living room to fit it in. I love it! Now I'm going to start hunting for some pillows for it...

Purple Rain

81 days

220 invited
69 attending
14 declined

I finished the purple issue of our newsletter! It's been published on the website and now I'll post it here! I'll be printing my copy soon and then emailing them on April 1! Only one more issue to go!

I got an email today that Matt's gift got sent out today! I can't wait to see them!!

Gifts Galore

82 days

220 invited
69 attending
14 declined

RSVPs today:
-my aunt and uncle, Carol and David
-Matt's uncle and aunt, Russ and Melanie
-my friend from college and Matt's groomsman, Rich
-Matt's mom's friends, Lindy and Nick

I got the package from Oriental Trading in today! It was chock full of goodies! It had the black gift bags, so Matt and I put together the groomsmen gifts and the gifts for our parents. It also had the bags for the kids which are HUGE and wicked cute! The sunglasses for the wedding party and the bags for the cookies in the out of town bags were also included. Most important, though, were the favor boxes! They're the perfect size and I'm excited to start them soon!

Matt and I picked up the package from the UPS center today, too, which was from Crate & Barrel. It's the I Spy holders, which are perfect!

I got an email today that the clutches for our moms were shipped today! I can't wait to see what they look like!

Yesterday I ordered the jewelry for our readers, greeters, and gift bearers. That is OFFICIALLY the end of buying gifts! Now I'm just waiting on Matt's gift to come in! I'm so excited about it!

Shower Exchange

83 days

218 invited
62 attending
14 declined

Matt and I did some serious spring cleaning today! It was rather necessary due to the vast amount of gifts we got yesterday and crap we had in the house. We got rid of boxes and clothes we didn't need and made room for what came from the shower. We spent a good 5 or 6 hours going through the closet and kitchen and made room for (almost) everything! THEN we went to Bed, Bath, & Beyond to exchange the two servers and wine glasses that were duplicates. Here's what we got:

The flutes, grocery bag holder, and salt shaker and pepper mill were on our registry and I wanted a better can opener and the potato masher is something we need.

I bought somethings for the bridesmaids (I really am spoiling them): a deodorant for each to keep in their clutch, two Wisp toothbrushes, and each a pair of underwear from Victoria's Secret in their color!!

And now, I'm going to start working on thank yous for the shower gifts!

March Showers

84 days

218 invited
62 attending
14 declined

Today was my shower and the bridal party brunch! It was SO much fun!! My bridesmaids had a great time at the brunch. My dad made crepes, which are my favorite, and we had mimosas. It was the girls and the hosts of my shower: my mom, gram, and two aunts, and we sat around eating and chatting. A couple hours later the shower began. We ate some more and played a couple games. My Aunt Dee made an ice breaking game out of two truths and a lie. Whoever got the most correct won a prize: a set of 6 wine glasses that went to....Nicole! We also played the "Nearlywed Game". I had to answer questions that Matt had already answered and got points for the ones that were right. Whoever guessed what score I ended up with won another prize: a Panera gift card that went to Shannon! Everyone ate dessert while I opened gifts. Matt and I got GREAT stuff, including 3 of the same serving tray set. (Good thing we got gift receipts with them.) Now Matt and I just have to find room for everything as well as go through our current stuff and get rid of some stuff. (And maybe move into a bigger place soon...)

RSVPs from yesterday and today:
-my cousin, Kevin, and his girlfriend, Kristen
-my former coworker, Michelle, and her boyfriend, Adam
-my friends from college and brothers, Andre & Calvin

A couple of packages yesterday:
1. Another dress I ordered for the honeymoon from Charlotte Russe.

2. Our readers' cufflinks

3. The corsage we ordered for the anniversary dance.
4. A shower gift from my friend Diana! She got us one of our new couch pillows and a set of shot glasses that I wanted!

To see all the pictures and gifts from the shower, click here!

Down to the Nitty Gritty

86 days

218 invited
56 attending
14 declined

Only one RSVP today from Shannon and Mason! They're coming! (Obviously.)

I FINALLY got the packages that UPS had been holding hostage for almost a week. And I was right about their contents!

The first was the last of the centerpiece supplies! Which means that I was able to finish them tonight! I'm so happy that they're done and now I'm down to 3 DIY projects! Here's a picture of the finished product:

The second box was our luggage! It was a gift from a family friend for the shower! It is SO nice and I'm really happy with what we picked out!! Now I can't wait to use it for the honeymoon!!

I got two other packages in today that were small: the socks I bought for Cole and the shoes I bought for my sister Hannah. Both are really cute and will go perfectly with the rest of their outfits!

AND I bought the clutches for our moms! I got them from Etsy seller syl2830 and they're going to be in the colors of their dresses. Can't wait to see them, but here is the generic picture:

Only one more day until my shower! Holy crap!

Lemon Drop

Happy 24th Birthday to my good friend and bridesmaid, Cristina!

Final Installment

87 days

218 invited
54 attending
14 declined

RSVPs today (and one from yesterday):
-my parents friends, Steve & Karen (decline)
-Matt's friend from college, Andy
-Matt's cousin, Kate
-and my grampa's brother, Michael, and his wife, Diane

Still waiting on a couple packages no thanks to UPS. They tried delivering and left no notices the last two times. I called and I'll be picking it up tomorrow after work. I also think I'll get a manicure tomorrow after work since I deserve one and want my nails to look nice for the shower on Saturday!!

Matt and I went to the Biltmore tonight and paid the last installment of the payment! We are officially paying them! Thanks to Joanne for helping us!

Excess Luggage

89 days

216 invited
50 attending
12 declined

RSVPs today:
-Matt's godparents, Doc & Natalie
-their daughter, Cait
-my friends from high school, Kevin and Sam

I found a UPS sticker on our door today that says we have two packages that couldn't be delivered. Of course, there was one buried on the table from Friday that Matt never told me about as well as a thin package. I opened it and it was a cute Mr. and Mrs. set of luggage tags from Target! That means that one of the big packages is our luggage! (My mom's friend Liz ordered it for the shower and had it shipped here instead.) I'm so excited to be getting it!! Here's a picture of the luggage we chose:

And here are the luggage tags:

I'm hoping that the other package is the rest of our centerpiece vases!!

Super Sweet Sixteen

Happy 16th Birthday to Matt's sister and my junior bridesmaid, Nicole!

Cobalt, Eggplant, & Petunia

90 days

216 invited
45 attending
12 declined

RSVPs (from yesterday): my first bridesmaid, Jess; my friend from dance, Margaret, and my boss and Jersey Shore enthusiast, Rob!

I brought my sisters' and Nicole's dresses home this weekend! I had them try them on, so here are the pictures:

I ordered Hannah's shoes yesterday, but I'm still on the hunt for Olivia. I like a pair from David's Bridal, but I'm looking for something cheaper if possible. We'll see what I can find!

Buy, Buy, Buy!

91 days

216 invited
42 attending
12 declined

RSVPs (from yesterday): only one and it was a decline from Matt's uncle and aunt from Kentucky. They are going to be out of the country on June 16!

I ordered several things from Oriental Trading last night, totaling $73 (with free shipping). I got the small black gift bags for the groomsmen's gifts, the totes for the kids' bags, sunglasses for the wedding party (for photos), the cellophane cookie bags for the out of town bags, and, most importantly, the boxes for the M&M favors! It was one of the larger purchases I had to make, so I'm glad it's out of the way.

I also ordered another dress from Charlotte Russe for the honeymoon. I HAD to have it since it's ORANGE! Here's a picture:

I'm also ordering little place card holders for the I Spy cards for the wedding. They're from Crate and Barrel and they went on sale! Perfect!

I finally found some argyle socks for Cole! I had bought all the groomsmen a pair in their color from Express and he's too small for theirs. I ended up finding a pair from Brooks Brothers (didn't know they even had a kids section) for $12. They've got just a little pink, so they aren't too much either.

AND I'm ordering the cufflinks for the two readers, Greg and CJ. I found a nice pair on Amazon that are very versatile. Here's a picture:

And I'm ordering the new cufflinks for Matt that I found a couple posts ago!

Three Blind Mice

3 months until our wedding!!

On the Short List

93 days

214 invited
42 attending
10 declined

RSVPs today were friends of my family, Josh & Tiffanie (decline) and Matt's cousin, Dan, and his girlfriend, Desiree.

I got the black gems in for one of the centerpieces today! I only need the square vases to come in and I'll be done!! Here's a picture of the centerpiece that I finished as well as the one for our sweetheart table:

The other day I wrote down everything that we still need to buy for the wedding. Surprisingly, it wasn't a long list! So that I have a virtual copy that I can't lose, here it is:
favors
-boxes
-purple & pink M&Ms
out of town bags
-bags (Michael's)
-bottled water (BJs)
-individual packets of aspirin
-cookie bags
-Friars car stickers (PC)
-CDs (Staples)
-CD mailers
kids bags
-reusable tote bags
-disposable cameras
-handheld games
-snacks (BJs)
gifts
-moms' clutches
-readers' cufflinks
-girls' jewelry (Lia Sophia)
-Jos A. Bank gift cards
-groomsmen t-shirts (debating between making and having them made)
-small black bags (for groomsmen gifts)
-Matt's cufflinks
attire
-Hannah's shoes
-Olivia's shoes
-Cole's socks
-sunglasses
ceremony/reception
-basket for bubbles at ceremony (Michael's)
-fans
-I spy card holders

We're so close! I'm so EXCITED!!

Pain in the Tux

94 days

212 invited
40 attending
8 declined

RSVPs today:
-Jay & Donna, Matt's uncle and aunt
-Luke, Matt's cousin
-J.M., Matt's friend from college and
-Joslyn and Tom, my friend from high school and her boyfriend

Today I went to pick up Nicole's dress at Alfred Angelo and got a VERY pleasant surprise: ALL of the girls' dresses have come in! I picked them all up, except for Shannon's because she has a balance due on hers, and brought them home! They are beautiful!!

I then took Nick to get his measurements done in Cranston. Those men have no idea how to use a computer. It took almost an hour! In the end, everything was fine, but it was a ridiculously painful experience. Ugh

And, last, I found a different pair of cufflinks for Matt! They're going to be a surprise, though! Here is the original picture:

Obviously they'll have our initials and date, but I love them!

For the Kidlings

95 days

212 invited
34 attending
8 declined

RSVPs today: my friend from dance, Meagan, and our friends, Justin and Lenny! (Justin is making our cake as our wedding gift!)

Matt talked to his mom tonight and she said that Nicole's dress came in! I'm going to pick it up tomorrow after work so we can bring it home this weekend! Now if the other dresses will just come in...

I started buying some stuff for the kids' bags. I got the coloring/activity books, crayons/colored pencils, and small toys at the dollar store tonight. I also found the bags that I'm going to put them in: reusable totes from Oriental Trading.

I also got in the dress that I ordered from Forever 21 for the honeymoon! There's a couple more that I want to buy, too, but I have most of the clothes I need.

Let Them Eat Cake

96 days

212 invited
31 attending
8 declined

Our RSVPs today:
-my college friend Kara
-my best friend from high school and Matt's groomsman, Lars, and his girlfriend, Natasha
-my proxy godfather and his wife, Wes and Linda (declined because their daughters high school graduation is that weekend)
That gives us another 2 spaces to fill so we're inviting my actual godfather, Joel, and his wife.

We had our cake tasting yesterday with Justin (and Lenny)! We're getting a two tier cake like the one in our inspiration photo. The bottom layer will be chocolate cake with a raspberry cream filling. The top layer will be lemon and the whole cake will be frosted in Italian buttercream. It will be amazing! And Matt and I are the only ones eating it! I also asked Justin to make a small grooms cake for Matt. It's going to be chocolate with peanut butter buttercream frosting: just like his favorite candy, Reese's.

I worked some more on the centerpieces as well! We got the globe vases, silver rocks, and silver diamonds from Save on Crafts today. I completed two of the centerpieces, but of course came across a problem. I have to find some time of waterproof Glue Dots to keep the rocks in the bottom of the bowl. (They're styrofoam and so they float to the top.) I'll be on the lookout, but any suggestions are welcome!

I finished the baskets for the ceremony programs! I spray painted them silver yesterday and then added the ribbon today. I'm going to put the programs in them tonight and hide them in the closet away from the cats. Here are the baskets:

I got my registry exchange gift today! I got the set of 6 rainbow stacking mugs and they're awesome!! Here's a picture of them:

Matt and I were searching around the internet for a song to play for the slow dance between the garter and bouquet toss winners (we picked Boyz II Men's "I'll Make Love to You" as a joke) and found another great idea. It's an anniversary dance: all the married/committed couples go on the floor and the DJ eliminates them by how long they've been married (6 hours for us, 5 years, 10 years, and so on) until only one couple remains. The way we saw it, they won the tossing bouquet and garter, but we're going to have another corsage made by Maggie from Etsy and an extra boutonniere I have. We picked "Come Away With Me" by Norah Jones fading into "At Last" by Etta James to play during the dance. I'm really excited about this!

Last Man Standing

98 days

210 invited
28 attending
6 declined

I FINISHED THE LAST BOUQUET!! All seven of them are done which means that ALL of the "flowers" are done! SO EXCITED!! Here is a picture (for more click here):

I also had my hair trial this morning! I have pictures (that I have to keep for the big day) that I'll post below!

Looking at the pictures now, I want more hair around the sides of my face. I don't look how pulled back it looks from the front.

We got more gifts off the registry, but I'm too lazy to post pictures. However, they were the luggage set, the serving spoons and forks, and another serving piece for veggies.

Jess and Shannon helped me pick through the M&Ms for the favors to get rid of the brown ones. It didn't take as long as we thought but we may need to buy more in addition to the purple and pink. After I get the boxes, we'll see how it goes!

Double Digits!

99 days

207 invited
28 attending
6 declined

RSVPs today:
-Joel DeFelice, Matt's college friend
-Peggy & Alex, friends from Gap back home (declined because Peggy's brother's wedding is the same weekend)
-Brendan, my cousin (declined)
-Matt's parents
-John & Ann Madden

Jess is here for the weekend and we are going to my hair trial tomorrow morning with Shannon! I can't wait to see how it's going to look! I'm definitely bringing my camera!

Jess and I went to Michael's tonight and got the all the rest of the glass for the centerpieces except for the square vases. I came home and ordered them on Save on Crafts instead since they were drastically cheaper! I'm also ordering the black gems and then I'll be done!

I got the Vistaprint order and finished the menus tonight! They look great thanks to help from Jess! I'm so excited to have another DIY project done!

I also got the LAST brooch for Cristina's bouquet! I was going to finish her bouquet tonight until I realized that I needed to get more silver wiring. So...I'll be finishing it tomorrow.

I got the baskets for the programs today! They're a little small, so I've decided to not tie the fans and bubbles onto them. Instead, I'm going to get a big basket for the bubbles to leave outside and probably lay the fans in the pews, depending on if that's okay.

Planning Potpourri III

100 days

207 invited
21 attending
3 declined

Our RSVPs today were from:
-my aunt, Alicia, and her husband, Frank
-my gramma (dad's mom)
-Matt's college friend Erik (one of the ushers) and his girlfriend, Sophie
-my high school friends, Greg and Liz (he's one of the readers)
-my college friend, Caitlyn, and her fiance, Anthony
-my gram's brother (on my dad's side) and his wife (decline)
With these regrets, we're able to invite Matt's dad's half sister and one of my coworkers.

We got in some of the centerpiece stuff we ordered this past weekend: the white flower candles and the white gems, both for our sweetheart centerpiece.

Saturday is my hair trial! I keep forgetting (I know I have an appointment, but it slips my mind that it's also for the trial) and they called to confirm today! I'll be sure to take some pictures! (Two of my bridesmaids are going with me, so we'll have cameras galore!)

We got an email that another item was purchased for us off our registry! The Mikasa vases that match the fine china we want were ordered! Here's a picture:

On a non-wedding related note, Matt and I went and saw the condo tonight. It is beautiful! The only problem with it is that they don't allow pets. I emailed the company that owns them and asked if there was any way that we'd be able to keep our cats. The condos aren't rented and our cats are quiet and indoor as well as spayed and litterbox trained. I'm praying it might be okay.

Tomorrow, our order from Vistaprint with the menus in it will be coming in! I'm so excited to finish that project! My parents anniversary party invites will also be in there, so I can start addressing them!

Cien

100 days until our wedding!!

Dalmatians

101 days

204 invited
12 attending
1 declined (reception only)

We got back three more RSVPs: my grandparents (mom's side), Mike Trush (a college friend), and Father Barrera (who will be officiating the ceremony but not attending the reception)!

I'm still waiting on one more brooch for Cristina's bouquet! It's making me mad that it hasn't gotten here yet!

I also really want to hear about the dresses! I don't know why they are taking so long! I'm thinking about calling and seeing if they have any way of knowing when they're coming in.

Coming In Fast!

102 days

203 invited
9 attending
0 declined

We got two more RSVPs in today: Aunt Dee and Alicia and Dennis! I love opening the mailbox and finding the envelopes!!

I finished the escort card displays tonight! I decided that theirs labels should be laminated and so I did that. I have to stick the escort cards all over them, but that isn't until the final weeks before the wedding. Here is how the display will look (for individual photos click here to go to our DIY site):

Matt and I have a showing on Thursday for one of the condos we were looking at! I'm really excited to go see it and move (as soon as possible)! I'm just worried about getting approved for financing...

First Come, First Serve

103 days

202 invited
5 attending
0 declined

WE GOT OUR FIRST RSVP BACK! Of course, it's from my parents and siblings, but it was SO exciting seeing the envelope in the mailbox!

I printed the letters for the out of town bags at work today. I needed 40 of them and my printer needs more black ink, so I had to do it at work. They have an industrial copier, so it was like nothing anyway. I'm going to start gluing them on tonight! Here's a picture of the letter:

I'm really getting annoyed that the rest of the bridesmaids' dresses haven't come in yet. I want to be able to pick them up before the shower so I can bring them home with me. I'm hoping for a call from them soon!

Basket Case

I finally found some baskets for the programs! I originally wanted ones from Save on Crafts, but when I went to buy them today they were out of stock. So I went searching (for literally hours) for a different basket that was similar. Matt helped me decide on a slightly different style from Hobby Lobby online and I ordered them tonight. They were $3.99 each and I got 40% off of one of them, so the total only ended up being $12 with shipping. I'm going to spray paint them silver once they come in since I have leftover paint from the frames and I think they'll look better. Then I'll add some ribbon and they'll be done!

Matt and I also went through our music selections for the reception and updated the lists. We are currently listening to the set that we picked for the cocktail hour and enjoying the tv on mute. We're a little strange.

I ordered a dress yesterday from Forever 21 for the honeymoon and it's already shipped! Here's a picture of it:

Forever 21 "Weekend Islander" dress

I also finished ordering everything from Vistaprint tonight! I finished getting the thank yous (including some extras) and oversized postcards that I'm using for wedding timelines for the wedding party, parents, and grandparents! Here's the timeline:

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