Christmas for Newleyweds

This was our first Christmas as a married couple.  It was so much fun to be able to call Eric my husband on such an important holiday.  It was the first year we both got to participate in the holiday traditions with each other's families.  While it was very hectic, it was also amazing.  


Our holidays started off with baking cookies with my family.  This was the first time Eric got to help us make our millions of cookies.  We made butter cookies, boiled cookies, Hungarian butterhorns, chocolate chip cookies, sugar cookies, reeses cookies, Hershey kiss cookies, snowballs, nutbread, and I think that might be it.  It was very eventful.  He got to watch the SPECIAL way our family makes Christmas cookies...nothing odd about our tradition, we just don't let outsiders watch for good reason.  We didn't get a picture of us actually making the cookies, but here is some of the artwork.

We had to wait until Christmas Eve to eat the cookies, but it was worth it.  Christmas Eve luckily started out bright and early at 8 in the morning.  We got to my parents and got to eat all our goodies.  We then exchanged gifts with the family.  It was a full house this year with many significant others being present.  Yet somehow the 4-5 hour usual gift exchange was only 3 hours.  Not sure how that happened.  It was a lot of fun.  We changed up the order we handed out gifts this year by drawing names out of a hat.  It added another element of surprise to our celebration.  Sadly Eric and I had to give out our gifts last, but I guess they saved the best for last so it was worth it.  :)  There were lots of laughs, lots of AMAZING gifts, and lots of surprised reactions.  

After the gift exchange with our family, we watched Sherlock Holmes, looked at some wedding pictures, then took a nap.  We then got dressed a little more formally and headed to Eric's family's house for their Christmas.  His family does things a little differently.  They don't hand out the presents one at a time and have everyone open one at a time.  Usually, as Eric explained it to me, it's just pure madness.  However, after I explained how my family did it, his family actually decided to change it up a little bit this year.  They decided to hand out the presents to each person and have only one person open all their presents while everyone watched.  I liked it a lot and his family even said they liked it that way.  They enjoyed being able to actually watch everyone's faces as they opened each gift.  I thought it was really sweet that his family took a little of my family tradition into their holiday.


After his family's Christmas, we headed back to my parent's house to get ready for Mass.  This was our first time going to Midnight Mass so we were not sure what to expect.  It ended up being really relaxing and nice.  We were not as tired as we thought we would be.


After Mass we headed BACK to my parent's house where we stayed the night.  It felt so weird to be spending the night with a man in my parent's house.  I honestly felt like I was going to get in trouble and kicked out.  It was very strange and my parents were laughing at me and my hesitation to sleep with my husband under their roof.  I managed to talk my self out of my crazy scenario and let myself try to fall asleep.  After sleeping about three hours we woke up at 5:40 to do Christmas AGAIN.  We went into my sisters room where we all hung out until my parents said it was time to go downstairs.  Then, just like every year, we walked down the stairs where we saw all the presents Santa brought everyone.  Christmas music was playing, cookies and nutbread were set out, and coffee was brewing.  Then, like every year, we went into the living room and sat down by our piles of gifts from Santa and opened all of our goodies.  Later I took a nap and then we all headed out to see Sherlock Holmes 2, since we always try to see a big movie on Christmas Day.


And that was the end of our Christmas.  Our FIRST Christmas as a married couple.  It was a lot of fun, very hectic, and I still haven't caught up on sleep.  But it was worth it and I cannot wait to see how traditions change and how they stay the same throughout our lifetime.

Dress Regret

I have major dress regret.  

Since my first fitting, I decided that I no longer liked my wedding gown.  However, unlike women on Say Yes to the Dress, I did not go out and buy ANOTHER wedding gown.  I tried to reason with myself.  If I loved this gown at one point in time, then there was a reason I bought it and that means I should stick with it.  I don't know if my regret comes from the fact that the dress really isn't for me, or if it comes from the fact that since I got my gown I have been to other bridal shops and watched wedding shows, or maybe it's because I never did enough research before getting my gown and didn't try on enough variety.  I honestly don't know why I hate my dress, but I know that I do and I know that I am really hoping on my wedding day I end up feeling beautiful.


I only really tried on two different silhouettes.  I only tried on 3 dresses total.  That might have been where my mistake was.  But I thought I knew for sure that was my dress.  But like any normal (yet completely insane) bride, I now am over thinking every decision I have made, and sadly I am regretting the most important gown I will ever wear in my life.  


All I can do is hope it's all in my head and that next week I will feel as beautiful as I once did in my wedding gown.  So with that said, here are some gowns I really am now wishing I had tried on or bought.  I feel that this type of gown would have looked better on me and I wish I had given these a try.  I actually swoon over these gowns. :(

So there you have it...the gowns above are now what I wish I would have gone with.  They're beautiful...or maybe I'm just losing my mind.

BOWS!!!

Yes, the wedding is in 9 days.  You would assume that I am going to write about wedding things, but nope, I want to talk about bows.  I have been doing a lot of Googling lately to try to keep my mind occupied and my Googling obsession is over baby items.  Most specifically, GIANT BOWS!  The bigger the bow on a girl's head, the better.  That's my stance.  And not just giant bows, giant MATCHING bows.  Gets me every time.

In doing my giant bow research I came across a few other times that giant bows are allowed.  However, aside from the few examples below, there is no reason anyone should take this amazing fashion accessory and add it to their look. 


1.  Lady Gaga.  She doesn't follow normal fashion rules, so she is allowed to take this adorable baby trait and apply it to her daily wardrobe.  I don't recommend it for the normal person though.

2.  Minnie Mouse impersonators.  Whether trying to actually be Minnie or just dressing up as her, I have decided this is an OK time to wear a giant bow on your head when older than 5.  It makes the outfit legit.

3.  Couture models.  It doesn't come as a surprise that many couture models wear extremely odd accessories.  From giant hair to goth makeup, it is expected that models on the runway will look a lot different than the actual people who will be wearing the clothes they are modeling.  The odd accessories just add to the overall look, so I approve of them taking bows from children.

4.  Rockin that 80's look.  Big bows are important if you want to complete an 80's ensemble effectively.  I approve of giant 80's bows.

So that is my professional (profession of awesomeness) opinion of when it is acceptable to wear giant bows.  I do not think it is acceptable when you sport a giant bow on a regular Tuesday(or any other day) or if your bow is offensive...like this one:

AAAH! Shield your eyes children! That bow is RIDICULOUS!...and completely uncalled for.  I cannot justify that one.


To end this post on a positive note, I will give you somebaby bow picture porn...LOTS of amazing baby bow pictures that prove who is the best candidate to REALLY rock that giant bow.

Sugar Isn't Cheese?

Today is officially one month out from the wedding.  That means tomorrow, I will have less than a month until I become a wife.  When... did this happen?!?

I feel like when I first got engaged, I started planning SO much and got SO much taken care of that I figured I would be completely done with everything by a couple months out.  The next thing I realize, I have one month until the big day...and I have a list as long as Santa's naughty list of things I still need to do.  If you don't think Santa's naughty list is long, you obviously haven't seen teenagers on Facebook lately.


Granted, everything I have left to do is minor, but I would rather have one LARGE thing to do instead of 1,000 tiny things to do.  I think it doesn't help that I also have to plan Christmas, the honeymoon, and moving.  That is a WHOLE bunch of things to consider.  I sat down today and attempted to make a list of my to-do's, and it completely took me off guard.  I thought it would have six bullet points, not 600.  I immediately went into anxiety mode and wanted to cancel tanning, massages, work outs, basically anything that stood in the way of me completing this to do list by the wedding.  CLEAR MY CALENDAR! NO PLANS FOR A MONTH! I GOT STUFF TO DO!


Luckily my fiance and my MOH slapped reality into my head and helped me realize I CAN get this stuff done.  I have the help of my family, my friends, and luckily my fiance since he'll be in town for a whole week!  BUT, that doesn't change the fact that I do indeed only have a month.  One month left in my "single" life, one month left to not be a MRS, one month left of having my last name.  Every possible emotion that anyone could possibly feel is being felt by me right now.  It's a lot to handle.  Good thing is that at the end of this stress tunnel, there is a bright light.  I will be a wife, a partner, a better half.  Until that day happens though, I am stressed, sleepy, and all over the place.


What are some good stress relievers I should try?  How can I not let my stress get in the way of accomplishing everything I need to accomplish?  What are some things that as a bride, I NEED to try to remember that a lot of people sometimes forget?  HELP ME PLEASE! ADVICE WELCOME!

Balloons, Schmalloons

Balloons are fun, whimsical, and cheap!  Birthday parties, festivals, and special days are times I love to incorporate balloons.  

Cute balloon for Mother's Day

Cute balloons for my bridal shower

However, on one of the most special days of my life, I really don't think balloons are appropriate.  I think balloons cheapen the look of a wedding.  I am not saying that they necessarily ARE cheap, but I feel like they make the wedding look like it wasn't put together ahead of time so someone just threw in balloons.  That's my personal opinion at least.  I don't know what has caused my dislike of balloons at weddings, I have never been to a wedding with balloons.  I just know that I despise them.  Look at the way balloons change the look of a wedding.

Columned Entry way with balloons

Columned Entry way without balloons

Dance floor with balloons

Dance Floor without balloons

Balloon Arch

Non-balloon Arch

Balloon Centerpiece

Tall and Colorful NON balloon centerpiece

Do you see what I see?  The pictures without balloons are much better, and not just because I chose amazing photos.  The pictures that are balloon free just look more elegant, more grown up, more special.  The balloons make me think of a kid's birthday party.  Yes, I know they can be in-expensive, but why can't people find a better way to use them?  I was beginning to think it was hopeless until I came across some of these inspirational balloon pictures.  I've decided if you MUST have balloons, this is the way to go.

I love this picture, although it could be because they're getting rid of balloons

These balloons are up high enough to where they add a little somethin' somethin' to the ceiling but not destroy the look of the venue

Love the look of balloons? Go with lanterns! So cutesie!

Absolutely can't live without balloons? Use them in your engagement shoot!

I don't get it. I wasn't attacked by balloons as a child, they didn't carry away my best friend, and I never swallowed one and almost died.  I can't say I have any rational reason for hating balloons at a wedding, besides the fact that they make me think of a Vegas wedding.  Have you seen any elegant or interesting balloon arrangements at weddings?  What did you think about brides who chose to use balloons in lieu of other decor?

I Forgot WHAT?!?

I am a planner.  I plan pretty much everything in my life...although often things don't go according to plan.  I pack for vacations weeks in advance, I like to know my weekend plans on Monday of that week, and I tend to go a little overboard when planning even the smallest of get togethers.  So when it came to my wedding, naturally I over-planned everything to the last detail, just as expected.


Tears of joy packets were finished about 7 months before the wedding, cake was chosen 7 months before the wedding, invitations were ordered MONTHS before wedding checklists recommend people order them, and even my makeup/hair artist was booked way before normal people even consider booking one.  So, there you have it, each and every little thing was considered.  Yay me!

Happy kitten proud of herself

Well, it's 32 days until my wedding and I recently realized I forgot one tiny, yet important detail.  Somehow amongst all the organizing and planning, I forgot a ring bearer pillow.  Seriously? How did that happen? This was one thing I had looked at right when I was engaged and chose my theme!  In fact, I even sent images of ones I liked to my mother about a week into wedding planning!!  So now, one month out from the wedding, I have to get a ring bearer pillow.  I don't want anything super unique, like a bowl or anything, but I think I don't have enough time to order one in my theme colors. 


So, now I have to find a pillow.  Here are some I like, and they match my theme.  Although I did want one a LITTLE bit different, but I kind of ruined that by forgetting about the pillow.

Image Via Etsy shop Simply Bridal

Image Via ETSY shop Comfy Heaven

Image Via ETSY shop Comfy Heaven

Image Via ETSY shop SolBijou

Image Via ETSY shop SLJ Bridal

I could honestly keep posting pictures of ring bearer pillows I love.  However, I would probably need them custom done because some of my favorites are the correct theme, but not color.  Or correct color, but need more OOMPH.  With only a month left, I don't have time to have one custom made.  My mom could probably make one of these, but she is busy doing more important tasks, ones that matter a LOT to me.  So...it's crunch time.  My options are to try to get one of the above made, buy a random one, or buy a random one and attempt to customize it myself.  Here are some simple ones that I could try to jazz up.

Lillian Rose Ring Bearer pillow via Michaels.com

Image Via WrapWithUs.com

Meh.  They're ok, but not what I want.  I know it's not a big deal, it's a pillow, but I want one that is a little more unique.  But not so unique that it's hard to find.  And I don't feel like making one.  I have good intentions, but I am more the "start a craft" kind of person, not a "finish a craft" person.  My mom usually finishes the crafts I start.


I am not planning on using this pillow as a throw pillow on my couch or bed, but I would like it to be cute and not generic.  Considering how much thought I am putting into everything else, I truly hate the idea of just buying a pillow off the store shelf.  So I am kind of torn.  I have 32 days...well technically more like 30 considering today is almost over and I would like it BEFORE the day of my wedding.  So, what should I do?  Buy a regular pillow and attempt to decorate it myself?  Buy one off ETSY that is beautiful but pay a little more and get it rushed?  Or what about trying to find a pillow already that has some teal on it?  These all seem like good options, yet my lovely bridal brain can't seem to think of what to do.  So...HELP!!!!! I cannot believe I overlooked this...oopsies.