361 Days To Go: At David's request...

I have (temporarily) removed my last two posts. His brother is well, but his mother continues to decline, or stagnate.

Anyway, it's just a really sensitive time, and subject, and he really didn't want me to broadcast the nitty-gritty to the rest of the world.

Sorry...

In other news, still searching for a venue and photographer.

oh, and LESS THAN A YEAR LEFT.

Why yes, I am excited, why do you ask?

375 Days to Go: More Nightmares

Have I talked about my overwhelming nightmares yet?

No?

Hmmm.

Well, last night was a doozey. First, David and I "crashed" some trashy arts and crafts extravaganza complete with runway stage and super sized all-my-homies wedding party. I mean like twenty-seven-ish people in badly tempra painted denim and white tee shirt combos. And David... David, who is NEVER less than reserved and observant, was a hard partying, loud, obnoxious ass. Oh, did I mention he spent like forty-five dream minutes haggling with the photographer to get a better price... while the photographer is photographing this hellacious shindig. What?

And then we are magically transported in the way only dreams - nightmares - can to a florist, who designed seven superbly hideous boutonniere monstrosities that cost me $600 in dream money, three hundred now and three hundred "later." The worst part... I liked them, in my nightmare.

And then... THEN... I wake up, log onto The Knot and realize very bluntly that I have exactly ONE YEAR AND TEN FREAKING DAYS TO FINISH PLANNING

And do you know what I've accomplished to this point? My dress... I've purchased my dress, a dress I'm fifty pounds to big to fit into. So really... I've accomplished nothing.

That court house is looking better and better.

397 Days to Go: Well, no wonder I couldn't find it.

I've spent the last few days scouring the intrawebs for bubble glass. I love the way it looks, rustic but careful.



And I couldn't find a damn thing. Okay, that's a lie. I found lots of ugly candy dishes that in no way resembled my beloved bubble glass. You know, the glass with bubbles in it. Bubble glass.

Buuuuuuuuuut... this:



I learned after a phone call to my mother and an informational trip to The Home Depot, is seeded glass. Because the bubbles look like seeds... or something.



So, for future reference: bubble glass = ugly candy dishes and seeded glass=ooo purty.

400 Days to go: Four hundred days!!!!

In FOUR HUNDRED DAYS I will be Mrs. David Serrette. I will be MARRIED... The day I NEVER though would come is only four hundred days way... I'm excited.

And I have SO MUCH SHIT TO DO!!!!!!!!

411 Days to Go: I just can't help myself.

I can't get enough of this.

You know you can't either. That's why the damn thing has eight billion hits.

415 Days to Go: Did I just find my palette?

I think I did. I really think I did.

Chocolate, Apple, Cranberry, Baked Pumpkin, and Mustard.
(oooo Lawd! I think this diet is going to my head!)

It's so me. It's so perfect. It's so fall. It's so amazing.

I love it.

Don't you?


(idea courtesy of whoever runs the show at The Perfect Palette. Thank you, you're a genius.)

416 Days to Go: My groom, the serpent slayer

Dear David just iced a snake for me.

Turns out it was completely benign and none of us were in immediate danger.

But why take a chance? Or so he said.

441 Days to Go: Oh god, it's hoovering

At 300 guests. That's invitees, kids, wedding party, significant others, and possible dates. I think I've planned for every contingency here. Covered all my bases.

All I can do now is pray.

445 Days to Go: A First

I was sitting on the couch with the windows open, editing play list options for the reception, when I see David walking through the courtyard carrying these

(this is them a few weeks out)

Cher, bebe! He brought me flowers for absolutely no reason at all. And they are gorgeous.

451 Days to Go: Moving is the easy part...

It's the unpacking that might kill you, and the shelf paper that will really test your relationship.

I actually told him to calm down or I would leave. Not leave leave, but you know, drive to Jo's or something.

On the plus side, today our dainty little duplex bungalow quit looking like a war zone and started to resemble a living room.

On the minus side: The kitchen is an absolute clusterfuck of dishes, boxes, food, and little glass bottles. The master bedroom belies some major textile explosion. The office looks surprisingly like the storage room of B&N after a delivery, or even better, the circ room after transit (if you don't work in a library, you don't have any idea what this means).

We won't discuss the actual laundry list of items to fix/repair/replace, or the garden that has succumbed to Banana Plants from Hell.

But, at the end of the day, clusterfucks and explosions and banana plants aside, it's ours, just ours, all ours.

Awesome.

456 Days to Go: And I am FREAKING OUT about colors.

Confession: I don't exactly remember what my dress looks like, and by exactly, I mean actually. I can sorta picture the neck line, and a I have a vague recollection of the train (almost called in a skirt), but beyond that...not a damn clue. This is the most important dress of my life (let's be honest, it's probably the only dress of my life...well, there was prom) and I couldn't describe it for a sketch artist. WTF?

This little confession is a segue to a much bigger confession: I don't have the damnedest notion for to my colors. The problem: I like everything. Burgundy and cream? Oooo, that's pretty. Plum, gold, and burnt orange? Like that too. Chocolate and mint? Now I just want ice cream. Lavender and smoke? Hot stuff. Merlot, latte and fuchsia? Despite my best judgment, yes.

It's all sooooooo pretty. Okay, I lied about the lavender and smoke, but a fall wedding just lends itself so readily to every freaking possible color combination on the effing wheel, and I have ADD (seriously, I do. Adult ADD, formerly just childhood ADHD. Scout's honor). I mean EVERYTHING sounds good, EVERYTHING looks soooo good, and this would all be much easier if I knew exactly what my dress looked like and exactly what color it was.

I do know a few things:

While I love red, and I love brown...they do not love each other. Merlot is not aubergine, no matter how much I like the sound of the latter. Claret is the color, chalet is a word I made up in my brain. There is no "A" in burgundy. Despite my best efforts, gold may be on the guest list, burnt orange too.

And regardless of color, decorations, venue or food, I'll get to spend the rest of my life with this guy:




Don't worry, I'm still freaking out.

463 Days to Go: Karma gives us a 180

So, while I haven't expounded as well as I should, for the past few months Karma has shat on us more than I feel was necessary.

Today she apologized, kissed our feet, and promised to treat us better.

First: David got his non-training, semi permanent schedule at work: 40 hours a week before lunch breaks. Woot.

Second: The adorable little duplex bungalow thing we looked at last week and with which we both fell desparately in love? The one I haven't mentioned until now to prevent jinxing? Yeah, Owner totally approved our application. Sign the lease next week, and it OURS...well, you know, ish. double Woot.

Three: Grandmother called. Dearest rich uncle who owns the fabulous (and fabulously dilapitated) railroad warehouse turned restaurant/reception hall brimming with antique Acadian charm literally blocks from the church where we are to be wed...has leased it for use as a reception hall. This is the building I dreamed for my reception since I was twelve. This is the missing half to my perfect ceremony/reception duo. This is the place I was told not to hold my breath about because it was all kinds of fubared after being left all but vacant for four years. AND NOW IT'S TOTALLY EFFING AVAILABLE!!!

Thank you, Karma. I needed that.

470 Days to Go: One down, 55 million to go.

Houston, we have a dress.

I did NOT think I would find THE Dress today. I really only went to appease a bridesmaid and a wedding coordinator. After a few "maybe"s and several "Not if Hell froze Over"s, The saleschick comes in with a few more options, two of which were discontinued, could not be ordered, take it now or leave it for ever types. The first of these two was lukewarm at best. But the second... the second made everyone catch her respective breath.

Except me. I'm indecisive to say the very very least, and this is, after all, my wedding gown, the be all and end all of my dress wearing career. I'm also as NOT a dressy, fussy, girly girl as a girl can get. Walking into this place, I was dumbfounded. The only articulate thought I might have had sounded something like "Ooooo, pretty..." I thought I knew what I wanted. I thought I wanted a high neck halter with LOTS of lace... like almost all lace. I thought I wanted an antique white at the very least, and an ivory for sure.

This gown had no lace, was NOT a halter, and might be antique white in the right light. And it had a zipper - did I mention no zippers?

And somehow it really was perfect. I looked good, and other than that I was still wearing my slacks, it was comfortable. It was beautiful. It was only $323.25 after taxes.

Wait, what? You spend HOW much on your WEDDING GOWN?!?!?!

That's right ladies and gents, not just under budget, Two/thirds under budget. Can I get a what? what?

The icing on the cake? My two year old dress expert looks at me - done up in veil, jewelry, et al. and says "You beautiful Jon."

Sold.

477 Days to go: Of Caters and burgers

We met with our first caterer today. He's the sweetest man I've met in a while, and he talks more than I do (this a quite the feat BTW). And from what Dave tells me, the food is to die for.

But, he's in the middle of downtown Lafayette, so parking is an issue. He's at least $2100 out of our price range, and we're not too sure about his decorating sense.

I'm torn, people. Torn. On the other hand, we still have quite a few options to entertain. I just hope the other people we'll talk to are a sweet and wonderful as Keith. Because then my decision will be really hard.

After out meeting with Keith, we had lunch at Hub City Diner. I miss hamburgers, and the onion rings are the closest I've gotten to Tookie's yet. And sweet potato fries with salt are oddly amazing.

Just an FYI.

479 Days to Go: I didn't flake, I swear

So, we didn't go shopping today, for two reasons.

One: MY wedding planner/aunt had to cancel except...

Two: I cancelled on her first. Yesterday was a bad day, and last night even worse, so I wasn't in the shape nor mood to go try on eighty-seven different dresses.

We'll try again next week. Or we'll push it back for a month. Not knowing where you'll be living in two weeks really puts your life in perspective.

482 Days to Go: I should be more excited about this...

But I'm dreading this Tuesday.

Why, you ask?

I'm going dress shopping.

Pray.

492 Days to Go: The best part about looking for a Wedding Dress is...

The inordinate number of maternity wedding gowns with which I'm inundated.

I don't think I'm old-fashioned or narrow minded, though I will admit to being a little old-school with in my own relationship, but really ladies?

You should have worn the dress before you needed to purchase maternity wear, or at the very least, waited until after you need to the maternity wear to purchase the wedding dress.

Because this

is not only a really, ugly dress, but the absolute pennicle of TRASH.

528 Days to Go: Houston, We have a Date.

Met with Fr. Bill today.

Got reamed for living together before marriage, took an hour and a half to answer an oral questionnaire about our relationship and why we want to spend eternity together.

Got our date on the calendar.

We're actually, truly, honestly, for real getting married.

And I get to spend the rest of my life with this guy.



Please believe me when I say,

"Awesome."

539 Days to Go: Wait...what?

The job market on the Gulf Coast consists primarily of refinery "careers," and teaching positions.

My dad works in a refinery and my mother is a teacher. Whodathunk?

These economic positions in and of themselves aren't special, or especially disappointing. They can, however, wreak havoc when attempting to plan a fall wedding.

As it turns out, our estimated date of matrimony lands smack in the middle of a big fat turnaround for Dad, and midterms for Mom, necessitating a date change...all the way into November, 26th.

This is the very edge of acceptable for my dream fall wedding. Obviously, my dad's attendance is infinitely more important than the season, and marrying at the end of a week of vacation for my mother ensures Mom will be with me when I need her most.

On the plus side, this gives us another month to plan, and allows us to wed on a Friday.

On the not plus side, few people we truly, truly wish to attended may not make it due to familial obligations (this is the day after Thanksgiving). It's not my beloved and much desired October wedding, and I still don't know if we can find a caterer and a venue.

I think I'm okay with this. I'm trying to be as accommodating and easily pleased as possible.

We'll see how long this lasts.

504 Days to Go: The real ring

Not that my purple ring is any less real, but this little-and by little I mean humongous-sucker is the ring everybody wants to see.



He's so awesome, he brought it to me at work as soon as it was ready. I was with a patron and she asked "Is this for real?"

Yup, sure is. For real, and really, really beautiful.

(You know, I have a degree in English... you'd think I could be more eloquent...)

511 Days to Go: The Actual Beginning

David Just Proposed!!!

Okay, not just... more like eleven hours ago.

It's not my permanent ring...obviously. But it's an amazingly sweet gesture.



He had to special order my actual ring, and the designer sent the wrong setting to the jeweler.

So rather than put off proposing to a less meaningful moment, my dear, darling fiance` went to the local Super1 and bought the gem above for a fat $.50 .

And I couldn't be happier!!!!!

This weekend is the first BugStock of the year. Our first "date," the first day we spent any real time together was the final BugStock of last year, so David decided this weekend was the weekend, ring or no ring.

It's the best idea he's had so far, if I do say so myself.

535 Days to Go: Not quite the beginning...

But it'll do.

The groom snores away next to me. He spent nearly twenty minutes complaining about the sheets (magenta jersey knit Xhileration sheets from Target, if you must know).

There were so many better points at which to start documenting our impending lives together, but there's really no time like the present.

Of course, that leaves me to fill in a little back story.

The vital statistics are as follows:

-We're young. He's 22. I'm 25. Before somebody mumbles "Cougar," "Cradle robber," or any other snide remark about how "backward" this may seem, let me tell you how over it I am. Yes, yes I know. I've never dated guys younger than I, never given them the time of day. Well I'll be damned if that hasn't already come back to kick me in the ass. Loathe as I am to admit, you were all right. Age is relatively unimportant in matters of the heart (gag). Wanna buy a beer or run for federal office, then yes, age matters. Wanna fall in love and get hitched? So long as you're both consenting adults, who gives a shit?

-We're broke. Well, broke-ish. No, just flat broke. We're both liberal arts majors. I work part time at the library. He has yet to finish college, and I mean a few. Like three. And then off to the job market. But what about the tanking economy? you ask. Tanking? We're past tanking; we're tanked, my friend. And he's got a BA in English.

-We're getting married. Okay, this one might just be a little obvious. I keep saying it's not official, no ring or actual proposal. But we've already started a few essential little tasks. We still have soooooooo many more to go...

And thus, the meat of my...ahem, our blog. I say "our" like he might actually contribute. And who knows, he might, but I doubt it.

So how's that for an introduction? Pretty nice, huh?

Yeah, well I had a whole though process planned out and then I took a potty break. So this is what there is. For now.

I plan to update daily, more as a chronicle of this odyssey of insanity on which we've chosen to embark. I have plans for the information here, lest they "aft gang aglee" (bonus points if you recognize that).

Allow me to end with:

Nothing terribly interesting happened today. No camera yet means no pictures yet, but really, nothing photographic for day 535, so nothing missed.