getting lost in stupid stuff

[sillyberry]

FMS, I think that dress is super freaking cute! To be honest, I'm not crazy about the trend of switching to a reception dress (I want to wear my wedding dress ALL NIGHT!), but I love the idea of switching to an after-party dress!

And I'm so glad you asked your grandpa. I think his response is evidence that you made the totally right decision !

I had my floral show-and-tell, which was very fun! My planner (who is doing decor) totally gets the vision and executed it wonderfully. Dark purple linens, lots of lavender and butter yellow flowers. I'm really trying to save money on decor and she's done a great job keeping the cost down while still making everything look soft, lush, and romantic. Total A+!

Which is good, because this dress thing is honestly going to send me into a nervous breakdown and if something else didn't go right I was going to flip my effing sh!t.

In random news, afterwards I stopped into the Benefit boutique where they did my makeup for the engagement shoot to show them the pics. They ooohed and aahed at our adorableness and then one girl took a bunch of pictures of my ring to send to her boyfriend and it was just the absolute best pick-me-up I could imagine.

Tomorrow we line and stuff envelopes, then I fly home where my postage stamp and return address should be waiting for me and then the invitations go out Thursday!!!!!!! So freaking excited.

Hmmm...lots of narcissism in this post...

 

[vc10um]

I am, FMS! I'm actually in the Metro DC area and work for a division of the Department of Commerce.

I would really just love to know what my departments plans are if we DO shut down. They're keeping everything so hush-hush that it's really starting to bug me. I know we don't report if there's a shutdown (we're far from "emergency employees") but I have no clue what the procedures will be if we shut down! It's REALLY annoying!

I am also really glad you asked your grandfather. He sounds like a tough cookie (ESPECIALLY since they know he can handle radiation and chemo simultaneously!) so I have no doubts he will be there for you on your wedding day! Oh! And I LOOOOOVE your after party dress! I'm with SB...I'm not into the different dress for the reception, except in cultural situations...but a different dress for an after party sounds awesome! I might look into the same, since our reception ends at 9 (on a Sunday) and there's a possibility we'll head to the bars afterward. Or maybe I'll just rewear my rehearsal dress (which, of course, I don't have yet...)...

SB, glad to hear your decor/floral S&T went so well! I can NOT wait to see the pictures from your wedding. They are going to be FAB-U-LOUS! And that's so cute with the girls at Benefit! Sounds like the pick me up you needed after all the crap the last few days! Have fun stuffing envelopes! That's what I'm going to be doing this weekend! GAH!

ETA: I've been informed by friends that I'm allowed to be narcissistic until 1 week after my wedding pictures arrive. After that, they'll start calling me out on it.

 

[Future Mrs. Sterling]

SB - I detected no narcissism. None whatsoever, just happy bride feelings. So glad you your flowers and decor turned out well and that SOMETHING is going right for you!

VC - I work at Social Security, and I can't imagine what we'd do if the government shuts down. All those people that come into the office every day... Only time will tell!

 

[Future Mrs. Sterling]

VC, I forgot to answer your question about genoise. It is really delicious, and I don't know how to describe it myself, so here's something I stole from the internets: an Italian sponge cake named after the city of Genoa and closely associated with Italian and French cuisine that uses air suspended in the batter during mixing to give volume to the cake. In the culinary arts, the word Genoise refers to a sponge cake made with eggs, sugar, cake flour, and melted butter along with vanilla extract.

I also want to show off my final piece of bling purchased today on etsy - my headpiece! Will be worn with a birdcage veil:

 

[sillyberry]

Oh, that's just stunning FMS...it'll be gorgeous with a birdcage veil!

I need to find a new veil...the one I ordered was too scratchy and not delicate enough! But it's really difficult to figure that out online, so I might just need to skip etsy and order from a B&M store.

Also, I'm currently looking for something to pin on my bouquet (I had hoped to use a sentimental brooch, but no one has one!). Right now this is the leading contender:
Our invitations look gorgeous! The liners were so the perfect touch. I need to get photos! However, I SUCK at stamping on the return address label! Totally demoralizing. Didn't we learn to do that in elementary school? I decided to just do it tomorrow morning when I'm not in such an atrocious mood.

Good luck with the furloughs...I'm watching the news closely!

 

[vc10um]

Well, I have good and bad news.

Just received word from the Director of our Agency that we (as an independently funded agency) have 6 days worth of operating funds at our disposal, so we will be open on Monday, shut down or not. Good news because we finally have an answer. Bad news because, frankly, I don't think the shut down (if it happens) will last more than a few days and I was looking forward to a short vacation from work to just concentrate on the wedding. *sigh* Oh well.

FMS, I L VE that headpiece! I agree, it'll look SMASHING with a birdcage veil! And genoise sounds absolutely delectable. It already has my vote (not that I get one )!

SB, I love that brooch for your bouquet. Although, I might see if there are any sentimental family pendants you can use, perhaps, in lieu of a brooch? Should be just as easy to attach on the morning of the wedding!

AFM, our invitations are almost done! I had a huge fight with the printer yesterday when it came to our RSVP cards, and as a result, have to run our reception cards on purchased cardstock (the RSVPs and reception cards were to be printed on identical cards...but I had too many screw-ups trying to print RSVPs so I no longer have enough of the cards to do reception cards!) but the bright side to that is...I'm using purple! So our originally all B&W invites are getting two punches of color: purple reception cards and green ribbon.

 

[sillyberry]

Oh, the woes of being an independent agency. Hopefully they'll be slow days for you all?

I think the purple envelopes will be awesome. In fact, I think that sounds better than just having everything be B&W. It'll also make it easy for guests to distinguish the various pieces.

And there just isn't a lot of jewelry floating around in my family. Tragic! I really miss my mom's 3 carat oval...

But my invitations are (mostly) in the mail! Whoop!

 

[vc10um]

Oh, the woes of being an independent agency. Hopefully they'll be slow days for you all?

I think the purple envelopes will be awesome. In fact, I think that sounds better than just having everything be B&W. It'll also make it easy for guests to distinguish the various pieces.

And there just isn't a lot of jewelry floating around in my family. Tragic! I really miss my mom's 3 carat oval...

But my invitations are (mostly) in the mail! Whoop!

Sadly there is no such thing as a slow day for us. Or a "fast" day for that matter. We are a production based agency, so every 2 weeks, I have a certain amount of cases that I need to complete. That number doesn't change unless I take vacation/sick leave/have training or other ways I need to be spending my time.

We don't have a lot of family jewelry either, so I feel ya. I'll be wearing my grandmother's engagement ring (the one in my avi) and that's about it for "family jewelry"...my mom has a lot of awesome pieces, though, that will eventually become heirlooms.

Yay for mailing invites! If you don't mind me asking...what was the postage required for your suite?

 

[sillyberry]

I got lucky - postage was only $.44!!! A2 envelope with liner, A2 invitation, reply card and reply envelope. No ribbon or other accents. The postal worker (who is really great - he knows me now) said it was just under the 1oz limit.

Although right now I'm ready to start all over because I just fell head over heels in love with a new font! Oh how I wish this font existed back in November when I went searching. So much gorgeousness. I still love what we ended up with, but I have to be honest - this font really really speaks to me. I totally need a house so I can start planning parties that require fancy invitations...

 

[vc10um]

Yeah, I think we'll be over $0.44 because we have a cardstock pocketfold and a ribbon. *Sigh*

AND our Post Office was out of both the Love AND Ring stamps yesterday! So now I have to spend the next couple days trying to amass enough stamps for our RSVP envelopes AND our invites...hopefully without having to use forever stamps. GAH.

After we get one suite weighed, though, I need to check on Zazzle and see if we can get custom stamps with quick turnaround. SB, how long did yours take? I'd willingly pay the extra $ for custom stamps to ensure we 1) only need to use a single stamp on the envelope and 2) don't have to use forever stamps!

Oh, and that font is FAAAABULOUS! WANT!

 

[Future Mrs. Sterling]

The commissioner of Social Security said our field offices (where I work) and teleservice centers will still be open if we furlough. Only non-essential locations like Regional offices and headquarters would close. They did say, however, that they will let each office manager know who are the essential personnel needed at our FOs and TCs. So, I still have no idea if I'm working Monday or not. I would love a few days off! I am tired! And I have a super busy weekend coming up, none of which is wedding related, so I could totally use the time.

SB - I love that brooch. If it goes with your bouquet, I say use it! I may be biased though, because it reminds me of what will be my something old - a pearl ring my dad gave to my mom for one of their very early anniversaries (5 year maybe?). They are now divorced, but the ring is still pretty!

 

[Future Mrs. Sterling]

Apparently I'm essential - I'll be with you VC and working Monday. So much for a couple of days off! Hmph.

 

[sillyberry]

After we get one suite weighed, though, I need to check on Zazzle and see if we can get custom stamps with quick turnaround. SB, how long did yours take? I'd willingly pay the extra $ for custom stamps to ensure we 1) only need to use a single stamp on the envelope and 2) don't have to use forever stamps!

I ordered at 4:24pm on the 31st, it queued for shipment on April 1 (a Friday), and it arrived via UPS on Tuesday. I paid for for 2-day shipping (obviously the weekend got in the way!).

 

[sillyberry]

And...I just ordered my garter! It'll be in shades of blue instead of green.

I had emailed a different seller about a garter, and she just never got back to me. Finally I realized she wasn't interested in my business, freaked out about the fact that time was running out, and thus went searching. And then I liked this one better! I have to pay a rush fee to get it to me by the boudoir photos, but I decided it was worth it. Now to get the veil solved...

 

[vc10um]

Apparently I'm essential - I'll be with you VC and working Monday. So much for a couple of days off! Hmph.

Well, it looks like no one gets them...

In other news...SB, thanks for the info on the stamps. If we need more than $0.44 to mail each envelope, I think we're going to go custom so that we can have a single stamp that we LIKE on each envelope. Our RSVP envelopes are already stamped with the Purple Pansy "LOVE" stamps, and our rehearsal luncheon invites got the wedding ring stamps.

And I L-O-V-E your garter, SB! That's so glam! Does it come with a toss garter, or are you picking up one of those separately?

AFM: this weekend is invitation assembly. Just need to go pick up labels so I can put them on the RSVP envelopes so I don't have to write out our address 52 times, print those, and get to work!

 

[sillyberry]

No toss garter. I refuse!

Now get those invitations assembled! ::cracks whip::

 

[sillyberry]

Just realized...

50 days!!!!!!!!!!

Man time is flying.

 

[vc10um]

No toss garter. I refuse!

Now get those invitations assembled! ::cracks whip::

LOL. Well then. No toss garter it is! I don't think FI is looking forward to the garter removal at our wedding...but I think in the moment, he'll be excited, LOL. Just like with engagement pictures. He dreaded the second round and then totally had a blast.

(Also...I have NO ATTENTION SPAN. I keep taking a break after like every third invite!!! Invite Assembly FAIL.)

OMG YAY FIFTY DAYS!!!

 

[Future Mrs. Sterling]

Wow, SB. That is a super cute garter!

VC - I hope you were able to get your invites done. I can't believe how the weekend just got away from me. Where does the time go, ladies???

 

[vc10um]

FMS -- I finished the invites, but not until I got home from work today. Fortunately, FI and I are on Maxi-Flex, so we go in at 7 and leave at 3:30. Got home in time to take care of the last 8 and then ran them over to the post office. The clerk even hand-cancelled them ALL for me, bless her heart! Sooooo, 52 invites out! Can't WAIT to start getting RSVPs back!!! Finally...some GOOD mail for once!!!

 

[sillyberry]

FMS -- I finished the invites, but not until I got home from work today. Fortunately, FI and I are on Maxi-Flex, so we go in at 7 and leave at 3:30. Got home in time to take care of the last 8 and then ran them over to the post office. The clerk even hand-cancelled them ALL for me, bless her heart! Sooooo, 52 invites out! Can't WAIT to start getting RSVPs back!!! Finally...some GOOD mail for once!!!

Yeah!!!!!!!!! May your RSVPs be swift and plentiful!

 

[vc10um]

FMS -- I finished the invites, but not until I got home from work today. Fortunately, FI and I are on Maxi-Flex, so we go in at 7 and leave at 3:30. Got home in time to take care of the last 8 and then ran them over to the post office. The clerk even hand-cancelled them ALL for me, bless her heart! Sooooo, 52 invites out! Can't WAIT to start getting RSVPs back!!! Finally...some GOOD mail for once!!!

Yeah!!!!!!!!! May your RSVPs be swift and plentiful!

One can only hope...

...but I'm pretty sure the beginning of June is going to roll around and I'm going to be tracking people down over phone and facebook!

 

[Future Mrs. Sterling]

How exciting to be waiting for your RSVPs!!! Good luck!

 

[vc10um]

How exciting to be waiting for your RSVPs!!! Good luck!

I got irrationally excited today heading to the mailbox hoping our first RSVPs back...and then I realized it was only Wednesday and that the first people were RECEIVING the invites today and could not possibly teleport their RSVPs into my mailbox.

On the plus side...people DID receive our invites today!!!!!!

FI asked me at dinner when I thought we were gonna get our first RSVP back. I said Friday. He said two weeks. I'm hoping my Virginia friends don't let me down!!! **Fingers crossed**

 

[sillyberry]

My invites went out last Thursday and I got my first two RSVPs back today! One yes, one no (but an unsurprising no).

Tracking invites online is more fun than it should be...

 

[vc10um]

My invites went out last Thursday and I got my first two RSVPs back today! One yes, one no (but an unsurprising no).

Tracking invites online is more fun than it should be...

YAY! People are coming to your wedding, SB!!! How exciting!!! (I mean, obviously you knew people were coming...but now it's official!) Speaking of your wedding...any updates on the arrival of the new dress?

FMS, any update on grandpa?

Next up for me: Groom and Groomsman ties. And I think I'm gonna order clutches for myself and the bridesmaids. And we need to get FI's suit pants hemmed at BR. And I need to get our digital files back from our CB e-pics so I can order our photographic marriage contract. And then I think after that, everything is out of my hands until the RSVPs come back and I can do programs, escort cards, etc etc etc...

 

[vc10um]

WE GOT OUR FIRST RSVP!

Thank you, NoVa and DC Postal Carriers, for making this ridiculously quick turn-around possible.

 

[sillyberry]

WE GOT OUR FIRST RSVP!

Thank you, NoVa and DC Postal Carriers, for making this ridiculously quick turn-around possible.

Ha. Love it! Glad you proved FI wrong!

 

[Future Mrs. Sterling]

WE GOT OUR FIRST RSVP!

Thank you, NoVa and DC Postal Carriers, for making this ridiculously quick turn-around possible.

That's awesome! Yay! And for you, too, SB with getting your first RSVP. I am so looking forward to that.

No update on grandpa other than he's lost a little weight from the chemo and radiation.

I got my headpiece in the mail yesterday and it is freaking GORGEOUS! Looks even better in person than it does in the etsy photo. I was thrilled!

 

[amc80]

WE GOT OUR FIRST RSVP!

Thank you, NoVa and DC Postal Carriers, for making this ridiculously quick turn-around possible.

Wow, that's so fast! The post office is amazing sometimes...and other times, not so much. We got an STD returned. The address was apparently old and the forwarding time had run out. Here's what gets me- instead of just sending it to the new address, which they obviously knew, it got sent back to us...with the ugly yellow label on it...which included the "forwarding time exceeded" or whatever error and the new, correct address. So I had to put together a new STD, since the other one had the sticker and writing all over it, and mail another one...talk about inefficiency.

Also, we were over the 1oz limit so had to go with the $.61 stamps (I think that's what they were). They had some really pretty wedding cake ones, so we went with those. I did have the worker hand cancel all of them. I felt mildly bad until I realized it's just part of the job.