We've reached 18,000 page views this week, and its been an amazing 5 months: meeting new people, talking with local businesses, and becoming Twitter, Facebook and blogging experts has really proven to us the importance of social media. Social media has proven to be a very important evolution of communication; it connects and allows us to bring together people who would never have met in this new world, and allows them to work together for a common goal. It allows for promotion of business, the individual to be recognized and for everyone to reconnect with people they know, have missed, or have not yet met. The total success of our project has relied on social media and all the people who use it.
Thank you, everybody who has made our project this successful and allowing us to share it with you; I had no idea that we would have had this many hits and this much of a positive response. Thank you for your support and thank you for you, from the bottom of our hearts. We've got five months to go, and lots left to do...we look forward to completing our project with all of you.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Dress: Accomplished...and much, much more
There’s no way to talk about this past week that won’t sound a little crazy, so I’m not going to edit; I’m just going to write ‘til you know everything you need to know.
First: Brian’s health. He’s feeling a whole lot better, and so far, test results are coming back negative (as in, no bad scary things), so we do a few more tests to rule out a few more things, at which time, we accept that this may have just been a weird virus, strange food poisoning, or some other fleeting ailment. I’m optimistic that this may be the case, but we are leaving no stone unturned. Brian was so moved by the well-wishes we received on the blog, twitter, facebook, and email. He couldn’t believe how many people took the time to wish him better. Well, knockonwood and all that good stuff, but I would say that all you wonderful well-wishers may have played a major part in his recovery…so thank you to all of you, from the bottoms of our hearts.
Next: my dress. I know many of you are salivating with eager anticipation to hear what I’ve done about my dress dilemma. Well, before I tell you, I have to send huge thank yous to the people who flocked to my aid and rose to the challenge of looking for an offbeat wedding dress. Kelly and Eric of Full Circles (http://ottawa.fullcircles.org/) both stepped up to the plate, with Eric offering to help me hunt down his mother’s wedding gown, which went to an antique dress collector last year, and Kelly, who exceeded any and all hopes I had by giving me a long list of vintage clothing dealers, marketplaces, and other insider info that could lead me to the right dress. Kelly’s dogged assurance that we would find me the right dress helped me to relax about the whole thing, and cleared my head…and that, of course, is when I found my dress!
It is not second-hand, and it was not, unfortunately, offered to me through P:P. But we knew from the start that this might happen with the dress, and it was stipulated from the start that the right dress may not be a free dress. That being said, it was darn cheap. It’s a bridesmaid dress, technically, but we’re going to stick a green crinoline under its ivory skirt, and I’m going to sew buttons into the middle of each stylized flower along the hem. It has a very vintage, Audrey Hepburn-worth silhouette, with enough of a modern twist to make it something very true to my own style. Paired with my cowboy boots, it should be quite the bohemian-rocker-tea-party dress, indeed. The moment I put it on with my boots, I could picture walking down the aisle in it, in a way I had been unable to picture with any other dress. And despite its price tag of 260.00, I didn’t fret. If this is my one big purchase over $10 for this wedding, I never hesitated or felt like it was too much. Truly, it was less than the sales tax on most of the dresses I’d seen! (For those of you drooling, you can peek at the dress in the ‘No Brian Zone’.) I could have made it green, but I went with ivory because I liked the idea of it being funkified with green accessories and buttons more than I liked the idea of the reverse; and of course, we love to thumb our nose, gently, at tradition. When you see the dress, you’ll see that, other than being white and bought at a bridal shop, it’s not the typical wedding dress at all. Oh! And, it was on sale. Thank you, universe! When I went home to talk about the dress with Bri, we remembered we have $150.00 from my uncle to spend on the wedding; we agreed this was a good place to spend it, and when I sold an old dresser this week for 50.00, we realized we’re only 60.00 away from paying for the whole dress without actually hitting our bank accounts. So we’re feeling pretty good about it!
The shop we bought from was wonderful, as well. Hopes & Dreams Bridal, in Kanata (http://www.hopesanddreamsbridal.com/), a suburb of Ottawa, had a real variety of silhouttes in their dresses, and that was really helpful; indeed, it was this shop where I had tried on dresses a week prior but had never noticed the bridesmaid gown tucked in the rack. I came back Thursday night and tried it on, and fell in love. I came back Friday afternoon and bought it. Linda, the owner of Hopes & Dreams, was great; she rolled with the non-traditional ideas we were throwing around and got excited, too. After the many, many dress shops I’ve been to these past five months, I can tell you, I really love it when the shopkeep can think outside the box with me. Linda hopes to offer something to the project, though she was unable to offer my dress, and we’ll be talking more with her soon! Linda, thanks for helping me and my girls make this tricky decision.
Two days after I put money down and placed my order, I heard back from a dress shop I’d approached before Christmas: Vivien of Holloway (http://www.vivienofholloway.com/) was ready to talk about what I was looking for. I hesitated for about 2 seconds, and then said we were too late for a wedding dress offer…but how about an engagement photo shoot dress? They said yes, and I have this beauty on its way:
This should really go in the next ‘offers’ post, but I mention it because it did give me pause for thought for a brief time, especially once I realized I could have the dress I’d been in love with for four months. But I talked with our wedding planner Amy (http://www.splendidevents.ca/index.html) from Splendid Events, and she was a lovely, calming voice over twitter, assuaging my fears and my (I’ll admit) guilt over purchasing my dress.
Oh, another treat that arrived in the past week: my garters are here! Bree at http://www.bridalgarters.ca has made me a pair of the most lovely garters ever, in our colours and complete with a little feather and sheriff badge. Amazing. Pictures soon! I knew I had the right dress picked out when I went to try it on the second time and almost brought the garter with me to try on with it. The critic that lives in my brain won, however, and I left it at home rather than look silly or overly dramatic at the bridal shop.
So I got my dress figured out, and literally minutes after signing the invoice, I realized that I have no idea what my bridesmaids should wear. It hadn’t really occurred to me that they needed to “look” like anything, but my maids pointed out that they should dress in a silhouette that compliments my dress, and a style/era/feel that suits the wedding. Combine that with tricky colour options (apple-limey green, and mango orange) and you’ve got yourself a quandary. I started panicking on Saturday night and actually ended up cutting out little vests and dresses out of paint chips, trying to make a colour combination work. There I sat on my bed in half my PJ’s (the other half forgotten in my haste), arranging and rearranging little paper ties and sashes.(Here's an example):
It looks like the royal purple, which was supposed to be only an accent colour, may save the day, because every shop in town seems to have a slew of purple dresses. I’m still considering, though, as our green is beginning to pop up in stores and I want to give it a week more before I give up on it. And an orange would be even better. We’ll have to wait and see.
I feel like some sort of…nesting?...instinct has kicked in this week. You know how they say that when a woman is pregnant and getting close to delivery, she suddenly has bursts of energy that she insistently directs towards cleaning and preparing the house and nursery for the newborn? Something like that is happening to me, but specific to the wedding. Yesterday I got out of the shower and cleaned the giant bathroom mirror. I waited for it to dry, then drew the entire floor plan for our wedding venue, complete with shrubs, steps, and aisle makers. I then proceeded to make notes and lists all over the schematic, noting where every item and details comes into play and what we are still missing. When I stepped back and returned to reality, I realized I was still nude but completely dry from standing there so long. I left the bathroom to get dressed and forgot all about it, until Brian came home, went to pee, and said, “Jordan….uh…?” I realized then that the mirror looked like secret plans for an epic war battle or some sort of hyper-complex bank heist. I couldn’t find the words to explain, and Brian just smiled gently and gave me a quiet hug. He’s such a good fiancé.
That’s it for now; I’ll have to post again this week because we have lots of new offers, and we’re also going to start doing some showcase posts, partially to revisit some of the amazing offers we’ve had but also to help us mentally organize everything. You’ll enjoy it. In the meantime, I’m frantically searching for my whiteboard markers, which I am certain Brian has hidden somewhere in here…
Monday, March 14, 2011
Apocalypse Dress
I woke up Saturday morning and knew something terrible...an unalterable, undeniable truth: I don't have a dress.
I was suddenly absolutely certain that I did not want to wear the green one for the ceremony. A passing comment while trying on white dresses the week before had made me realize that, while I love the concept and the colour of the green one, it is not a cut or style I would ever choose for myself or my figure. And for reasons only my fickle internal self will ever understand, this realization meant that the dress was immediately out of the game. Okay...fine. But without the green one settled, I have...no dress settled.
Panic set in. I began searching through websites again, aware that every minute that ticked by was another minute I was too late to be ordering a dress from a bridal place. I found my mind racing through every dress I've ever tried on, trying to recall where there may be a sample dress that fits, and if there's any hope of the style I truly want. It seemed grim, which just seemed to make me more angry and crazy. I promptly took myself to Brian's work where he was having his lunch break, and told him I was calling off the wedding.
Brian is a good yin to my wild yang. He didn't argue or respond with outrage, but rather, asked me what the problem was. I told him I couldn't find a dress. I told him that I'd found dresses I loved, online, but almost all of them were way out of our price range, assuming we came up with a price range. I told him this whole thing was stupid anyway, because why did people get married? Bri had no quick answer, and I said that was exactly right: there was no answer. I asked him what role models did we have for marriage? Our friends, numerous ones who are getting messy divorces, or are cheating on their spouses, or are from an older generation to which we cannot relate? (Wide eyes and flailing hands accompanied this.) Ohhh, sure, I have a friend we'll call Marie, and she blogs and chatters away on facebook about how 'beautiful her kids are, and how perfect her Julia Child cooking journey is going', but I know, I just know, Marie, that you've gotta be hiding something pretty juicy behind all that June Cleaver cheer...no one is that cheery without sporting a serious pill habit!
I may have actually been shouting by the end of my rant. Brian tried to talk me down, but I was deafened by the panic in my own ears. I left and called Mo and told her I wanted to call the whole thing off. I told her (and this is probably the real root of all the panic) that Brian's trip to the hospital had shaken me and I didn't understand why anyone would put themselves in a position to be so attached to something as fragile as another human being: something so breakable, unreliable, fickle, and emotional. (Well, I doubt I was that clear or eloquent, but that was definitely what I was trying to say.)
I can't tell you what Mo said to calm me down because I'm not sure I actually did calm down; I think I just got distracted. I know I ranted on about wedding details for another twenty minutes, and by the end of it, I was pretty sure that figuring out this dress issue would at least calm me down about the big day itself. That gave me some reprieve: surely to god I can find one perfect, cost free/low-cost dress that will make me feel beautiful and young and vibrant? Right?
It wasn't until this morning that I calmed down about the rest of my worries...the real ones, the ones about marriage and people. My bridesmaid Tam received a harried email about dresses and dying and divorce last night, and replied this morning over a series of texts. She said that like it or not, Brian and I had already been on the path to real bonding for some time, and that the wedding wasn't really going to make that worse or better. She said I know how much it would hurt to lose each other, and that the ring on a finger (or tattoo on an arm) isn't going to change that aspect of things. I read that and felt a feeling much like I did when I was hanging one hundred feet over the jungle canopy in Mexico on a zipline: I realized that there wasn't any point in screaming or clawing at the ropes anymore, because I was already past the point of no return; after that, I relaxed to an almost humorous state and enjoy the zip-ride. Tam made me realize, I am already at the point of no return: Brian is as important to me now as he will be in five months on that special day. So I might as well stop scrabbling at the safety lines and surrender to the adventure.
Okay. So I have stopped freaking out about the concept of marriage, itself. Thank you, sweet Tam. But my dress is still a problem. I am ready, willing, and able to enter into a lifetime of loving matrimony with this sweet person...but like I said to him on his lunch break (albeit during some sort of psychotic episode), I refuse to do it if I don't look good. The dress is my armor, uniform, and statement for the day. Aside from a cool cake, it's the only thing I've had a real insistence on, and I am absolutely certain that no one can argue whether I've been a flexible bride to this point (case in point: this entire wedding project). I just want one lovely dress. Yes, I am a little surprised (read: disgusted) that it turns out, I'm one of those girls who freaks out about her wedding dress...but god help me, I am, and I can't change it. So let's review:
White (well, ivory).
Some texture...maybe lace. Not satin.
1950's circle dress (aka 'swing dress') silhouette.
Apple green crinoline or petticoat...I still don't know the difference.
Tea or knee length, to show off my cowboy boots.
Suggestions welcome. Offers heartily encouraged. Save a good sporty girl from total GIRLBEAST meltdown.
I was suddenly absolutely certain that I did not want to wear the green one for the ceremony. A passing comment while trying on white dresses the week before had made me realize that, while I love the concept and the colour of the green one, it is not a cut or style I would ever choose for myself or my figure. And for reasons only my fickle internal self will ever understand, this realization meant that the dress was immediately out of the game. Okay...fine. But without the green one settled, I have...no dress settled.
Panic set in. I began searching through websites again, aware that every minute that ticked by was another minute I was too late to be ordering a dress from a bridal place. I found my mind racing through every dress I've ever tried on, trying to recall where there may be a sample dress that fits, and if there's any hope of the style I truly want. It seemed grim, which just seemed to make me more angry and crazy. I promptly took myself to Brian's work where he was having his lunch break, and told him I was calling off the wedding.
Brian is a good yin to my wild yang. He didn't argue or respond with outrage, but rather, asked me what the problem was. I told him I couldn't find a dress. I told him that I'd found dresses I loved, online, but almost all of them were way out of our price range, assuming we came up with a price range. I told him this whole thing was stupid anyway, because why did people get married? Bri had no quick answer, and I said that was exactly right: there was no answer. I asked him what role models did we have for marriage? Our friends, numerous ones who are getting messy divorces, or are cheating on their spouses, or are from an older generation to which we cannot relate? (Wide eyes and flailing hands accompanied this.) Ohhh, sure, I have a friend we'll call Marie, and she blogs and chatters away on facebook about how 'beautiful her kids are, and how perfect her Julia Child cooking journey is going', but I know, I just know, Marie, that you've gotta be hiding something pretty juicy behind all that June Cleaver cheer...no one is that cheery without sporting a serious pill habit!
I may have actually been shouting by the end of my rant. Brian tried to talk me down, but I was deafened by the panic in my own ears. I left and called Mo and told her I wanted to call the whole thing off. I told her (and this is probably the real root of all the panic) that Brian's trip to the hospital had shaken me and I didn't understand why anyone would put themselves in a position to be so attached to something as fragile as another human being: something so breakable, unreliable, fickle, and emotional. (Well, I doubt I was that clear or eloquent, but that was definitely what I was trying to say.)
I can't tell you what Mo said to calm me down because I'm not sure I actually did calm down; I think I just got distracted. I know I ranted on about wedding details for another twenty minutes, and by the end of it, I was pretty sure that figuring out this dress issue would at least calm me down about the big day itself. That gave me some reprieve: surely to god I can find one perfect, cost free/low-cost dress that will make me feel beautiful and young and vibrant? Right?
It wasn't until this morning that I calmed down about the rest of my worries...the real ones, the ones about marriage and people. My bridesmaid Tam received a harried email about dresses and dying and divorce last night, and replied this morning over a series of texts. She said that like it or not, Brian and I had already been on the path to real bonding for some time, and that the wedding wasn't really going to make that worse or better. She said I know how much it would hurt to lose each other, and that the ring on a finger (or tattoo on an arm) isn't going to change that aspect of things. I read that and felt a feeling much like I did when I was hanging one hundred feet over the jungle canopy in Mexico on a zipline: I realized that there wasn't any point in screaming or clawing at the ropes anymore, because I was already past the point of no return; after that, I relaxed to an almost humorous state and enjoy the zip-ride. Tam made me realize, I am already at the point of no return: Brian is as important to me now as he will be in five months on that special day. So I might as well stop scrabbling at the safety lines and surrender to the adventure.
Okay. So I have stopped freaking out about the concept of marriage, itself. Thank you, sweet Tam. But my dress is still a problem. I am ready, willing, and able to enter into a lifetime of loving matrimony with this sweet person...but like I said to him on his lunch break (albeit during some sort of psychotic episode), I refuse to do it if I don't look good. The dress is my armor, uniform, and statement for the day. Aside from a cool cake, it's the only thing I've had a real insistence on, and I am absolutely certain that no one can argue whether I've been a flexible bride to this point (case in point: this entire wedding project). I just want one lovely dress. Yes, I am a little surprised (read: disgusted) that it turns out, I'm one of those girls who freaks out about her wedding dress...but god help me, I am, and I can't change it. So let's review:
White (well, ivory).
Some texture...maybe lace. Not satin.
1950's circle dress (aka 'swing dress') silhouette.
Apple green crinoline or petticoat...I still don't know the difference.
Tea or knee length, to show off my cowboy boots.
Suggestions welcome. Offers heartily encouraged. Save a good sporty girl from total GIRLBEAST meltdown.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Middle of the Night
The scene: an apartment in central Ottawa, middle of the night. JORDAN is wakened by a tapping sound, followed by the sound of a lock being moved.
JORDAN: [whispering] Brian, wake up.
BRIAN: mmffttt???
JORDAN: Brian, I think there's someone trying to get into the house.
BRIAN: 'Kay. [BRIAN goes silent and still.]
JORDAN: Why don't we have any weapons in the bedroom?
BRIAN: Huh?
JORDAN: There's no weapons in the bedroom for just such an occasion. We need weapons in the bedroom, Brian.
BRIAN: Yep. 'Kay. [Stares blankly at Jordan from prostrate position, waves leg around.]
JORDAN: Be careful when you go out there.
BRIAN: What?
JORDAN: Be careful when you go out there!
BRIAN: Never give up, never surrender. [Stays perfectly still.]
JORDAN: [more loudly now] Brian!
BRIAN: [startled] Wassat? Huh?
[JORDAN stares at BRIAN for a long moment.] JORDAN: You're not even awake, are you!
BRIAN: [grinning] Nope!
JORDAN: Get out there and check for bad guys!
BRIAN: heeheehee...okay. [BRIAN teeters off.]
(There weren't any bad guys.)
Hope your weekends are starting off well.
JORDAN: [whispering] Brian, wake up.
BRIAN: mmffttt???
JORDAN: Brian, I think there's someone trying to get into the house.
BRIAN: 'Kay. [BRIAN goes silent and still.]
JORDAN: Why don't we have any weapons in the bedroom?
BRIAN: Huh?
JORDAN: There's no weapons in the bedroom for just such an occasion. We need weapons in the bedroom, Brian.
BRIAN: Yep. 'Kay. [Stares blankly at Jordan from prostrate position, waves leg around.]
JORDAN: Be careful when you go out there.
BRIAN: What?
JORDAN: Be careful when you go out there!
BRIAN: Never give up, never surrender. [Stays perfectly still.]
JORDAN: [more loudly now] Brian!
BRIAN: [startled] Wassat? Huh?
[JORDAN stares at BRIAN for a long moment.] JORDAN: You're not even awake, are you!
BRIAN: [grinning] Nope!
JORDAN: Get out there and check for bad guys!
BRIAN: heeheehee...okay. [BRIAN teeters off.]
(There weren't any bad guys.)
Hope your weekends are starting off well.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Update on Brian
This is may be short and disjointed; I apologize.
Brian is feeling better; they did some invasive tests and find no signs of cancers, chronic illness, etc., though they took a few biopsies to be sure of some slightly questionable zones. But we are happy for the reprieve, that he is feeling normal again right now, with the acute pain gone. We are hopeful that that is the end of the ordeal, but I'm keeping his hospital card on hand just in case.
And apparently failing to eat or drink for three days while taking care of Brian, coupled with running around the germ factory known as the modern hospital, has left me crippled with a stomach flu. So, I'm very grateful that Brian is feeling better right now, as I would be lost without him...well, or at least I'd have a much larger mess to clean up and I'd be sleeping in the tub for easier access to the facilities.
Brian is amazing, trying to get me rehydrated and laying out my yoga mat so I can crawl along it to get to the washroom (as standing up resulted in blacking out). I won't let him carry me in case it hurts his belly. We continue to wait on tests and test results for Bri, but having ruled out some of the scariest stuff, we're feeling more hopeful. We are certain that everyone's good karma, well wishes, and prayers are helping. Keep him in your thoughts for the next couple weeks while the tests get wrapped up, if you can!
We met with our premarital counselling pastor (a very cool dude) last week and talked about the big things that a couple can face in life. Given that discussion, this week's challenges are very timely. I can appreciate the awesome mutual care and love that Bri and I have practiced this week, with one and now the other sick. Bri remarked that we are closer now than we could have ever been a week ago. As much as I'd rather these adventures had never happened, he's right.
More updates soon. Again, if you got good wishes, prayers, and karma to continue sending to Bri, we're not out of the woods yet, and we appreciate it so very much. Everyone's kind words has brought tears to my eyes, and I read them all to Bri while he was at his worst, and I just have such a sense of care and love from the community...yeah, I just can't find the right words at the moment, but know that you are all so amazing.
Brian is feeling better; they did some invasive tests and find no signs of cancers, chronic illness, etc., though they took a few biopsies to be sure of some slightly questionable zones. But we are happy for the reprieve, that he is feeling normal again right now, with the acute pain gone. We are hopeful that that is the end of the ordeal, but I'm keeping his hospital card on hand just in case.
And apparently failing to eat or drink for three days while taking care of Brian, coupled with running around the germ factory known as the modern hospital, has left me crippled with a stomach flu. So, I'm very grateful that Brian is feeling better right now, as I would be lost without him...well, or at least I'd have a much larger mess to clean up and I'd be sleeping in the tub for easier access to the facilities.
Brian is amazing, trying to get me rehydrated and laying out my yoga mat so I can crawl along it to get to the washroom (as standing up resulted in blacking out). I won't let him carry me in case it hurts his belly. We continue to wait on tests and test results for Bri, but having ruled out some of the scariest stuff, we're feeling more hopeful. We are certain that everyone's good karma, well wishes, and prayers are helping. Keep him in your thoughts for the next couple weeks while the tests get wrapped up, if you can!
We met with our premarital counselling pastor (a very cool dude) last week and talked about the big things that a couple can face in life. Given that discussion, this week's challenges are very timely. I can appreciate the awesome mutual care and love that Bri and I have practiced this week, with one and now the other sick. Bri remarked that we are closer now than we could have ever been a week ago. As much as I'd rather these adventures had never happened, he's right.
More updates soon. Again, if you got good wishes, prayers, and karma to continue sending to Bri, we're not out of the woods yet, and we appreciate it so very much. Everyone's kind words has brought tears to my eyes, and I read them all to Bri while he was at his worst, and I just have such a sense of care and love from the community...yeah, I just can't find the right words at the moment, but know that you are all so amazing.
Monday, March 7, 2011
The Hospital Visit
I woke up this morning, an hour ahead of my alarm, with a bladder so full that it was paining me. I lay there, unable to move for almost an hour, at that awful point where what was once just a full bladder now feels like a stomach flu. Yet I still couldn’t get up; I couldn’t bring myself to leave Brian’s side after yesterday.
Brian took ill early in the day on Sunday, and steadily worsened as the day progressed. A mysterious pain in his belly, one that had been mildly nagging him for some weeks now, had become more and more severe as the day went on until finally, fearing it was appendicitis, I threw him into the car and drove to the hospital. They rushed him through the usually lengthy intake process and put him in an observation bed, where he writhed in pain for the next six hours.
I don’t know if I’ve ever felt as helpless as I did that day. I tried so hard to be brave, to look calm and collected, but time and again I just started crying. I saved my hardest sobs for the times he was in various xray rooms, leaning against the cold sterile walls of the hospital and just sobbing. My beautiful, vivacious boy, twisted in pain that I could do nothing about.
I had my darling friend MJ on the phone, texting me, and I had Mo by my side. I called my dad throughout the ordeal, and was grateful for his calm, almost dismissive style of dealing with a crisis. I kissed Bri’s head as he fought spasms of pain, and I laughed when he could muster a joke.
We got him home, full of morphine, late last night. He lay down in bed and I lay down beside him, and he gently pulled me onto his chest where I love to sleep, and I cried. I cried because he was home, and I was so grateful to have his chest to lay my head on; I cried because we are five months from saying our vows and this reminded me of how fragile life is; I cried because we still don’t know what’s wrong with him. I fell asleep to an episode of Big Bang Theory that I’d turned on for us to listen to, and woke up once in the night, panicked, until I felt Brian’s strong arm around me and the sound of Mr Darcy’s snores and James (our feline temporary refugee…long story) purring like a motor, right beside my head. Allergies aside, it was such a reassuring sound. I rolled back over and only woke when my bladder cried out in the morning.
I’m posting this on Monday evening; Brian has a big test tomorrow that could tell us what’s going on, and could even be a chance for any…repairs…that need to happen. We’ve got a lot of people who read our blog, and no doubt a lot of different faiths and beliefs. Brian and I have always been a ‘come one, come all’ kinda people, so we truly, genuinely, and respectfully are grateful for any and all prayers that come Brian’s way right now. I’m nervous about the test, even though it’s such a good thing; it feels a bit like when we went snorkelling on the barrier reef in Grand Cayman: I tried to keep focused on the coral to the left, but it was impossible not to look into the deep, black ocean to the right. While you want to see the shark coming from the depths, it’s hard to look into the unknown and stare it down. Tomorrow, we do that together.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Wishlist 3: updated, with some priorities!
This is an older wishlist post. To see the newest one, go here: http://projectpriceless.blogspot.com/2011/04/wishlist-update-4.html
Here's our wishlist, updated with the areas that we've been able to cross off lately. Look through and see what's still missing. Our main focuses right now are:
Outfits for the bridesmaids--in our purple
Outfits for the groomsmen--something less formal than a whole suit or tux
Outfit for Brian
Motorcycle Jacket for Bri...picture below of the ideal one!
Seamstress for Jordan's ceremony dress (will need to be experienced)
Videographer
THEME: 'Leather and Feathers'--'cuz Brian is a motorcycle-riding cowboy, and I'm his motorcycle-ridin' angel. Star shapes recurring throughout, for lots of special reasons.
THE FEEL: Rockabilly meets Harley Davidson with a twist of Donna Reid and a splash of skateboard/surf fanaticism, the focus being FUN and ATYPICAL! Examples: cowboy boots, a motorcycle wheel for a cookie display, sugar skulls, nautical stars, sheriff stars, argyle, stripes, cherries, guitars, Kawaii animals, cute folkart deer and owls, etc etc etc...use your imagination!
COLOURS:
Okay, so to see the wedding colours, go to
http://tinyurl.com/4wdlyvu
(You should be on the 'explore colour' page of the Behr website. Next, click to use the 'ColorSmart' program.)
And then put in the following codes:
Crisp green: 410B-6
Exotic Purple 660B-7
Vanilla Delight V-B-220
Orange Peel S_G-290
Here are some swatches, though you should remember that everyone's computer screens show colour differently, and if you want to see the true shades, we suggest stopping by the Home Depot to pick up some paint chips!
NOTE:We would really, really appreciate the offer of an event coordinator for the big day. If you're an event planner or wedding planner who can help us out, please let us know; we may be able to sweeten the deal with promo space on usedeverywhere.com, so tell your friends!The good news: We got one!Read about Amy at Splendid Events on our newer entries!
-RSVP cards: postcard recipe cards printed up...basically, need 150 printed.
WANNA OFFER? Email us at projectpriceless@gmail.com.
Here's our wishlist, updated with the areas that we've been able to cross off lately. Look through and see what's still missing. Our main focuses right now are:
Outfits for the bridesmaids--in our purple
Outfits for the groomsmen--something less formal than a whole suit or tux
Outfit for Brian
Motorcycle Jacket for Bri...picture below of the ideal one!
Seamstress for Jordan's ceremony dress (will need to be experienced)
Videographer
THEME: 'Leather and Feathers'--'cuz Brian is a motorcycle-riding cowboy, and I'm his motorcycle-ridin' angel. Star shapes recurring throughout, for lots of special reasons.
THE FEEL: Rockabilly meets Harley Davidson with a twist of Donna Reid and a splash of skateboard/surf fanaticism, the focus being FUN and ATYPICAL! Examples: cowboy boots, a motorcycle wheel for a cookie display, sugar skulls, nautical stars, sheriff stars, argyle, stripes, cherries, guitars, Kawaii animals, cute folkart deer and owls, etc etc etc...use your imagination!
COLOURS:
Okay, so to see the wedding colours, go to
http://tinyurl.com/4wdlyvu
(You should be on the 'explore colour' page of the Behr website. Next, click to use the 'ColorSmart' program.)
And then put in the following codes:
Crisp green: 410B-6
Exotic Purple 660B-7
Vanilla Delight V-B-220
Orange Peel S_G-290
Here are some swatches, though you should remember that everyone's computer screens show colour differently, and if you want to see the true shades, we suggest stopping by the Home Depot to pick up some paint chips!
NOTE:
-RSVP cards: postcard recipe cards printed up...basically, need 150 printed.
-stage/raised platform if not provided (not yet confirmed if there is a stage at the venue)
-paper cups for tea
-disposable wine cups, plates (lg and sm), cutlery
-napkins
-serving utensils
-big roll of brown paper--to cover tables, so BIG and lots of it!
-tablecloths? If we can't get big brown paper.
-crayons: at least 20 boxes--for people to draw on the brown paper on the tables!
-warming plates? For the buffet?
-stamps: a lot of stamps. For STD's and Invites and RSVP's...oh my
-In Spirit Table: a table to use, PLUS more contributions from the world (see the 'In Spirit' tab at the top of the page)
-favours for the guestsMacarons from Geek Sweets!
-scribble placemats--if we use tablecloths instead of brown paper, we'll need someone to print up 200 paper placemats for scribbling and drawing.
-paper cups for tea
-disposable wine cups, plates (lg and sm), cutlery
-napkins
-serving utensils
-big roll of brown paper--to cover tables, so BIG and lots of it!
-tablecloths? If we can't get big brown paper.
-crayons: at least 20 boxes--for people to draw on the brown paper on the tables!
-warming plates? For the buffet?
-stamps: a lot of stamps. For STD's and Invites and RSVP's...oh my
-In Spirit Table: a table to use, PLUS more contributions from the world (see the 'In Spirit' tab at the top of the page)
-scribble placemats--if we use tablecloths instead of brown paper, we'll need someone to print up 200 paper placemats for scribbling and drawing.
-soup cans: empty, cleaned ones to make into a slew of candle holders.
-candles DONE--SALE AT IKEA! Total spent: $4.60
-centrepieces: to be made by bride and crew, but may need some materials.
-feathers for lots of diff things! Especially cool: peacock, ostrich, or other long, natural feathers.
-fairy lights: lots and lots, to hang around the room.
-a videographer: seriously, how could we NOT tape this?!
-guestbook thingy (not a normal guestbook though): Bride is going to make...wait and see!
-
-centrepieces: to be made by bride and crew, but may need some materials.
-feathers for lots of diff things! Especially cool: peacock, ostrich, or other long, natural feathers.
-fairy lights: lots and lots, to hang around the room.
-a videographer: seriously, how could we NOT tape this?!
-cake knife and server--being loaned for the big day!
-dress form to display dress: after the ceremony, the green one is going on display! Being loaned from another blog follower!
-ring pillow or bowl: again, not to wedding-typical
-bridesmaids outfits: to match the deep purple of the wedding, with green accents
-groomsmen outfits: to match the white and orange of the wedding, with green accents
-Brian's entire outfit, esp shoes, motorcycle jacket: his colours are ideally white, purple, and brown leather.
-ring pillow or bowl: again, not to wedding-typical
-bridesmaids outfits: to match the deep purple of the wedding, with green accents
-groomsmen outfits: to match the white and orange of the wedding, with green accents
-Brian's entire outfit, esp shoes, motorcycle jacket: his colours are ideally white, purple, and brown leather.
-a seamstress for Jordan's dress(es)!
-bridal lingerie
-Hair piece for bride: peacock feathers--Trading for art with Flights of Fancy!
-Jewelry (for me, and/or the other gals, moms perhaps too?): two items offered thus far...encouraging more.
-Wedding party gifts: Purple Urchin soap and scrub!
-Decorations of all kinds: our biggest need, aside from wardrobe. Aisle markers and table numbers coming from Calgary; more decorations encouraged!
-Blindfolds: for the bride & groom visit before the ceremony.
-Arch: for backdrop at ceremony. Something woodsy would be cool. I'll make little hanging stars out of pie plates, perhaps.
-Handfasting rope or scarf: bride will make this. Suggestions and patterns welcome.
-Aisle markers: donated and on the way! Thanks, Angela!
-Herbs: for throwing instead of petals; also for decorating receptoin?
-Place to hide bride? (I can't figure out how to get TO the aisle without being seen walking TO the start of it.)
-Programs and menu-style table cards: printing needed...graphic design work may be donated (Martin Gouda, I'm looking at you!)
-Promo boards for donors
-Little chiming bells for ceremony: tiny bells for people to toll; as many as possible!
-Ceremony fixin's (not sure what we need, aside from handfasting rope...Kim S, I'm looking at you!)
-Outfit for herb boy? (Must confirm herb boy, who is, btw, our version of the 'flower girl')
-umbrellas/parasols (a few)
-table numbers Again, thank you to Angela Klassen!
-escort cards or other things to make and present a seating plan: materials
-anything cool and punkrocky and crazy and fun and weird.
-bridal lingerie
-Jewelry (for me, and/or the other gals, moms perhaps too?): two items offered thus far...encouraging more.
-
-Decorations of all kinds: our biggest need, aside from wardrobe. Aisle markers and table numbers coming from Calgary; more decorations encouraged!
-Blindfolds: for the bride & groom visit before the ceremony.
-Arch: for backdrop at ceremony. Something woodsy would be cool. I'll make little hanging stars out of pie plates, perhaps.
-Handfasting rope or scarf: bride will make this. Suggestions and patterns welcome.
-
-Herbs: for throwing instead of petals; also for decorating receptoin?
-Place to hide bride? (I can't figure out how to get TO the aisle without being seen walking TO the start of it.)
-Programs and menu-style table cards: printing needed...graphic design work may be donated (Martin Gouda, I'm looking at you!)
-Promo boards for donors
-Little chiming bells for ceremony: tiny bells for people to toll; as many as possible!
-Ceremony fixin's (not sure what we need, aside from handfasting rope...Kim S, I'm looking at you!)
-Outfit for herb boy? (Must confirm herb boy, who is, btw, our version of the 'flower girl')
-umbrellas/parasols (a few)
-escort cards or other things to make and present a seating plan: materials
-anything cool and punkrocky and crazy and fun and weird.
-tattoos for bride & groom: to commemorate the occasion.
-table to display the candy buffet
-piggy bank: big one, either already funky or that we can funk up, to collect money for the bride and groom kissing (money to be donated to the Bikers' Church)
-ring for groom (see Special Projects tab)
-ring for groom (see Special Projects tab)
WANNA OFFER? Email us at projectpriceless@gmail.com.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Offers of all kinds!
It has taken me what feels like a lifetime to write this blog entry! Basically, every snippet of time I had—waiting for an appointment, waiting for Brian after work, during boring parts in movies, and so forth—I have been adding to this entry. The challenge was that we’ve received so very many offers lately! And we are by no means complaining, but more just explaining why you’ve all had to wait to read about the goodies. But here ya go, I’ll get to the point….THE OFFERS:
FASHION
We had the most lovely evening last night, stopping at Victoire to see if they could suit me up with some vintage lingerie—their offer towards P:P. Victoire is a cool little store that I plan to blog about more in a couple days, but I suggest you check out their shop. They call their vibe ‘rock and roll tea party’, and this phrase has become my mantra for the entire wedding. You can check out Victoire at http://www.victoireboutique.com/ .
Kate of Flights of Fancy and I have arranged a further treat: you may recall, Kate is donating four feather hair accessories for my bridesmaids, and they’re going to be the MOST fun. We met with Kate this week and threw some ideas around; looks like we’re heading in an ostrich feather-type direction, with bits of old, upcycled costume jewelry to add some rockin’ bling. Well, we’ve now settled on a sweet trade, too: Kate is going to make my feathered piece as well, and in exchange I’ll be designing her an avatar for her burlesque personality. I’m so excited, not just for what Kate will make, but for what I’m gonna draw for her! Flights of Fancy: http://www.bombshellscloset.com/ .
EVENT PLANNER
We met with Amy Karlin of Splendid Events last week, and got to take her on a 2-and-a-half hour wild ride through our story, from how we met each other, to what offers we’re working with. Amy is not only adorable and a little ball of energy, but a smart gal with a great professional vibe. Amy is going to help us plan out our pre-wedding events, and help us get to the finish line. We have been horrendously remiss in our homework, which involves updating our list of 65+ offers and sending her some requested info, but this is exactly why we’re happy to have her on board to help! Amy, thank you so much for lending your services to our wedding. We are truly, deeply grateful. http://www.splendidevents.ca/index.html .
Melanie Villeneuve of Fantasy Events offered her services for wedding planning, as well; as we had already confirmed with Amy at Splendid Events, we had to decline. But we are very appreciative of the offer, and hoping to hear that she may be willing to stay on our list of active offers that we can share with any other brides we discover who could use a hand. I couldn’t find a website for Fantasy Events but if you’d like to contact them, Melanie’s email is fantasy.events (at) live.com.
DELICIOUSNESS
We met with Isabelle Crowe, our cake lady, last week. Isabelle is just awesome. We sat down and threw a hundred mismatched ideas out there, and she calmly and wisely picked through them. We are planning a folky mushroom/deer/owl type motif, but in our wedding colours, which should make things look wicked unique. Remember that Isabelle isn’t selling commercially (yet, or not very much), but if you’d like her contact info, you can always ask us to send it along.
And we received confirmation this past week of an offer we have been eagerly anticipating for weeks. The Candy Store in Westboro village is basically my second grocery store…anything in the fifth food group—deliciousness—I get from The Candy Store. Katie, the manager, is one of the coolest chicks I’ve ever met; the first time she served me, we ended up chatting about which Jane Austen films were the best while I admired her super-cool bejewelled eyeglasses. Diane, the owner, is a sweetheart too, and while I haven’t bumped into her in quite a while, she is every bit as sweet as her wares. Anyway! All that to say, The Candy Store is offering us a candy buffet: awesome ornate glass jars full of colour-coordinated sugary treats for our guests to gorge themselves on as a late-night snack. They’re even providing green apple candy floss. The Candy Store, you know we love you (as does our dentist and our gym memberships), and we are through the roof excited about this offer. It’s going to be the coolest wedding ever, and the candy buffet is what tips the scales. The Candy Store has amazing treats and lots of stuff from other countries and from your childhoods, people, so go get some nugat, dutch licorice, mallow cups, gourmet malt balls, or pineapple gummi bears! http://thecandystoreottawa.ca/ .
We also connected with a very cool, very geeky, baker who goes by the handle, ‘Geek Sweets’. Jenny of Geek Sweets is kinda my new hero. She has a site and a blog, and her recent entry, talking about the release of her inner ‘GIRLBEAST’, made me laugh and cry with empathy. We got to sample her cupcakes at the COLOURBOMB trunk show (more on this later) and they were delicious, playful, and inventive. Annnyway, Geek Sweets is actually making a very special wish of mine come true: she is offering macarons as take-home favours for all our guests. There is talk of a Black Forest flavour. I am so excited; macarons are one of my favourite things, and I had my fingers crossed that they would make their way into our wedding…and now they have! Thank you so very much, Geek Sweets! Check out her awesome site and blog here: http://geeksweets.squarespace.com/ .
Also incredible and beyond our wildest dreams: Little Cakes cupcakes got in touch with us this week and offered to supply our wedding shower with cupcakes. We sampled Little Cakes a bit at the recent WedByHand show, and we’re super excited for their bridal sampling night coming up in March…suffice it to say, their little cakes are little bites of joy. Their generous offer of cupcakes about rounds out our desserts for Project: Priceless…short of chocolates, I feel like we’ve now collected all the dessert trading cards. Plus-twenty to sugar! Thank you, Little Cakes! We are the most excited to blog about tasting night…mmmmmmmm! http://www.littlecakes.ca/ .
MULTIPLE OFFERS FROM INDIVIDUAL OFFER-ERS:
A lovely woman named Lily K has offered us a number of things, almost too numerous to list. Her husband, a carpenter, is offering to build our archway; aside from a second dress form, some disposable flatware, lights, and a jug, she is also networking with a tattoo artist about our ‘wedding bands’ (tattoos—not on the finger—as our keepsake…an alternative to the standard wedding band). Lily, thank you for your generous offers and we’ll be chatting with you to figure out which things we can use!
Another lovely woman named Kerry H has offered us the loan of her cake knife and server thingy. And they are REALLY cool. They have a branch and leaf motif, and are actually sculpted to look like branches. We have gratefully accepted this offer. Kerry, thanks for sharing something so cool, unique, and personal!!!
Melanie Lalonde wrote to us and offered us a wide array of offers, including jewelry of her making, makeup application, photo frames, card stock, and tea favours from her own wedding. Melanie, thank you so much! We’re emailing with her now to figure out what will work best.
A very cool lady named Patty S has gifted us with a few lovely items, including a can opener that opens cans without a sharp edge left behind. This is going to be very useful as we gather cans for our candles on the dinner tables at the reception! Patty, thank you so much for your lovely gifts; we’re looking forward to meeting you!
Sara O. offered us the loan of her cake toppers, two cute lovebirds from an artisan on Etsy. We were so touched by this personal offer, and were reluctant to decline…but we have plans to make our own and we’re really excited about it! Sara, thank you for offering to share part of your special day with us!
COOL LOCAL OFFERS:
We had a really unique offer from a website called thecitybuzz.ca. CityBuzz offered to air our wedding live on their site. We really debated this one, and decided we weren’t up for it; our wedding itself—the vows, the promises, the moment itself—just isn’t something we’re ready to have go live into cyberspace. The offer was greatly appreciated, though, and we say a big thanks to CityBuzz! http://www.thecitybuzz.ca/ .
We were also contact by a woman named Kelly, the Community Liaison from the Full Circles Ottawa group. Full Circles is a freecycling group here in town that we recently connected to online. They have an annual ‘Really Really Free’ garage sale on June 4, and we’ve been offered a table. Basically, it’s one giant garage sale where you can bring stuff and take stuff for FREE. Pretty amazing. You can check out the group at http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=131795240201344
Josee from Creation Tres Art photography had offered us her services, provided we could take care of expenses, travel, etc. Josee, thank you so much for the offer; as we discussed, however, we’ve stopped accepting offers for photographers at this time. If you’d like to check out Josee’s site, go to http://tresart-eng.synthasite.com/ .
Some random updates you need to know:
We found CheeCha Puffs here in town, in our neighbourhood, in a location open til 9pm on weeknights. If you recall, CheeCha Puffs, a delicious healthy puffy potato-based snack, has been offered to us for feeding our guests. Tracey from CheeCha sent us a sample box of puffs, and we fell in love. We actually found a healthy snack that Brian loves! CheeCha is available at some Sobeys and Shoppers Drug Marts here in Ottawa, but we were having a hard time getting our hands on them because we shop at neither store very often…but lo and behold, they are now at the BulkBarn in Carlingwood Mall. I had to stop visiting the mall for the past week to stop myself from buying—and devouring—more puffs. Seriously, if you haven’t tried these yet, you’re missing out. They’re not just ‘tasty, for a healthy snack’: they’re straight-up tasty and give junky snacks a run for their money. I think I may need to stop into Carlingwood tomorrow for a cup of flour…yes, flour… http://www.cheecha.ca/
Oh, and Tamara: my sweet friend and bridesmaid Tamara completed the scarf/shawl she has been knitting for me to wear with my white dress on the big day. It is BEAUTIFUL. I hope to get a picture up here soon…or maybe I’ll make you all wait for it! I asked her to include a scrap of the yarn for me to use for any matching/coordination of other accessories, and instead she made me this really nifty knitted leaf-motif necklace. I just gotta tell the whole world: Tamara is awesome. She is one of those generous, genuine, whole-hearted people that inspire me in a special way. Tam, thank you for the love, support, and advice on weddings (and tonight, on marriage). You are an amazing friend, a kickass knitter, and generally a really cool lady. Brian taught me how to drive to Tam’s house tonight (it’s outside my usual driving sphere), so I plan to kidnap her soon for some more fun, involving either cupcakes or squash (the game, not the food)…or perhaps both.
Of course, now I can’t stop thinking of new knitting projects to get her making!
We’re having a lot of fun lately. The warming weather is raising our spirits and we are beginning the serious part of the countdown to our wedding. My hope is that our event planner Amy will help us get our timeline set so that I can feel like I can breathe, while still being effective with tasks. And I want to blog more often. Here’s hoping your spring is off to a good start, too; I encourage you to take a walk and visit a new (to you) local boutique this week! There’s some amazing talent out there, and some great little shops housing these treasures.
I’m off to try on gowns tomorrow. We’re still struggling with the tea-length white dress, and we desperately need a seamstress for the green ceremony gown, so we remind you to check out the ‘No Brian Zone’ to read more, and read through our latest wishlist post. It might be a little out-of-date as it’s hard to keep up with the plans coming together, but it’s a good place to start. Other than that, have a cup of tea and give someone you love a big hug!
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