Merry Christmas

Twenty-five days left, folks!  Can you believe it?  We're only one Advent calendar away from the wedding day!  But first things first:  Christmas.  Homemade candy?  Check.  Cookies?  Check.  Presents, cards, tree-trimming?  Check, check, and...check!  We've been busy preparing not only for the big day but for the really Big Day:  the celebration of the birth our Savior.  Amidst all the hustle and bustle of the season, we haven't forgotten the "reason for the season."  Our hearts and our homes are ready, and as we prepare for the Feast of Christmas we can't help but be filled with the joy, excitment, and anticipation for the days to come.  We look forward to celebrating with each and every one of our friends and family members, both at Christmas and on our wedding day! 

♥, Michael & Dorothy

Waiting Game...

Even when I say it aloud it's sometimes hard to believe. "We're getting married in ONE MONTH." One month!!! Thirty-one days from now we will be joined as husband and wife in the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony. The wait will be almost unbearable. That being said, today is also the deadline we placed on RSVP cards. We've been waiting anxiously by my mailbox every day since the invites went out, hoping for a flood of replies. At 31 days out, we've received replies from about HALF our guest list. Disappointed? Yes. But we'll be patient and count on those last minute sender-inners.

Much has been accomplished since you last heard from us:
- Flower details have been finalized, and the deposit paid
- The schedule and playlists have been discussed and finalized with our DJ
- We met with our cake baker to finalize plans for the cakes
- The final piece of the bridesmaids' attire has been acquired
- Engagement and bridal portraits have been ordered
- Rehearsal dinner invites went out
- Menu for the reception is almost finalized
- Favors have been ordered
- Continued progress on the numerous DIY "special touches" projects

There's still lots more to do and get sorted out in the next 31 days, but we'll get there eventually. We've got so much to look forward to between now and then with Christmas drawing ever nearer. My favorite moments over the past few weeks involved shopping for and wrapping presents with Michael--under the soft glow of Christmas lights and the sweet sounds of Christmas music, of course! 

If you're reading this and have yet to send back your RSVP card, please call us and let us know whether or not you plan on attending.  We need a head count ASAP!  :)

♥, Dorothy

Thankful

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend, and even though it's been difficult readjusting to our daily work routine after so many days off, we are grateful for the time we received.  Michael and I had a wonderful time cooking the Thanksgiving meal we shared with his immediate family (minus his oldest brother and his clan), and we eagerly look forward to preparing many more holiday meals together.

I had to opportunity to meet more of the Cavells over the weekend during our visit with Michael's grandparents, but I know I've still got more to go before I can say I've met the extensive Cavell family!  With Christmas just around the corner, I'm sure there will plenty more chances to meet everyone before the wedding :)

With the wedding drawing ever nearer, it seems I can't escape the "Wedding Questions Drill" from everyone I meet.  The questions go something like this:

• "Gettin' close!" (or any variant of "Just around the corner!", "Almost time!", etc.)
• "How's the wedding planning coming along?"
• "Are you getting nervous?"

To which I pretty much always reply:

• "Yep.  Only ___ Days to go!"  (the countdown is ON!)
• "Pretty good.  The big things are taken care of.  Now it's just the little details."
• "Nope.  I'm ready."

Not that I'm complaining--I love being asked about the wedding!  It reminds me how much everyone cares about us, and it warms my heart to know that people genuinely care for and are rooting for us.  Besides, I relish any opportunity I get to verbally announce how many days are left until the wedding...I'm that excited!  Of course, those questions also bring to light how much stuff we have left to do before the Big Day.  Or rather, crafty stuff.  You're-crazy-for-DIY-ing-that-stuff-stuff.  Until now, the wedding planning phase has consisted of brainstorming, coupon collecting, and late evening Hobby Lobby/Michael's runs to gather supplies.  In other words, FUN TIMES.  We're plenty full in the ideas and supplies department, but now we're in the hard part:  execution of said ideas. 

Creating tangible (and beautiful, homemade but not "looks homemade") items hasn't always been easy, but we've managed to push through so far.  Working on wedding crafts has been a surprisingly good bonding experience for us as a couple.  I'll admit I was a little apprehensive at first, given my tendency be controlling and exacting when it comes to crafting, but I'm slowly learning to let go!  Michael has been such an amazing helper and partner during our crafty escapades, and I'm so thankful for him and his willingness to go along with all my crazy ideas! ♥

♥, Dorothy

Welcome!

By now, (almost) all invitations have been delivered (there are still a few hold outs that we are waiting to deliver in person).  Chances are, many of you have found our handy little web address cards in the invitation suite and are first time visitors to our site.  Welcome!

It's an exciting time of year; the holidays are fast approaching, and we look forward to sharing our first Thanksgiving meal together tonight.  Diana is Louisiana-bound this morning, and the Nguyen family will be celebrating tonight because of her work obligations on Black Friday.  Next week, we'll be cooking a Thanksgiving meal together at Michael's parents' home.  On the menu:

- Turkey
- Dressing
- Mashed potatoes and gravy
- Homemade cranberry sauce
- Sauteed green beans with caramelized onions and mushrooms
- Carrots
- Corn maque choux
- Sweet potato casserole
- Rolls
- Pie (not sure what kind)

Whew!  We'll be stuffing ourselves silly! 

Blessings to you all as we enter into this joyous time of year, and safe journeys to all who will be travelling to be with loved ones next week.  We'll be back with updates after Thanksgiving!

♥, Michael and Dorothy

The End is Near.

The end of our engagement, that is.  We're only 68 days out from The Big Day!  Can you believe it?!?!  We got a lot accomplished this weekend, despite Michael being knocked out by a nasty head cold.  He was a trooper for sure, enduring a nearly 2-hour long engagement photo session with three outfit changes!  We can't wait to get our proofs in and decide on which poses to purchase... hopefully we can get in a Christmas card order as well!  The weather was gorgeous: cool, sunny, and just a bit breezy, so I'm really looking forward to seeing how our outdoor pictures came out!  Next weekend, I'll bid farewell to Michael for the better part of Saturday as I head back to Roger Broussard Photography's "Studio on the Lake" for my bridal portraits!

Our major accomplishment this weekend was finishing up the wedding invitations.  While Michael was fighting a cold and getting some much-needed rest, I punched, stickered, weaved, and trimmed up the invites.  We stuffed all the envelopes last night, and they're almost ready to go!  I visited the Post Office today with a completed invitation packet to get it weighed.  Good news:  it's still within the single 44-cent stamp limit!  Yay!  :)

I also got a message last night from the talented folks who are making our wedding cake topper.  It's finally done (I ordered it in July, and the waiting list is THAT long!) and should ship out this week.  I can't wait to see it in person; it is BEYOND cute!  You'll have to wait until January to see it though, but for now here's a sneak peek:

Photo courtesy of The Lollipop Workshop.  (I've added some editing)

♥, Dorothy

Happy Halloween!

As promised, here are pictures of us dressed for Halloween:

That's right--we went as Dorothy Gale and the Cowardly Lion from The Wizard of Oz!  Michael's costume was pretty easy to put together.  A long-sleeved shirt and matching sweats made for a great lion's body, and a ball of brown bouclé yarn was the perfect material to construct the mane and tail.  Would you believe he made it by himself?!?!  :)   The "Courage" medal was printed on cardstock and attached to the shirt with a ribbon and safety pin.

I already had a fabulous pair of ruby slippers, a white peasant-style chemise, and blue gingham fabric, so the answer of what costume to make for Halloween was simple.  Costume construction was most definitely a learning experience with my sister's old sewing machine, but I'm pretty happy with the final outcome.  For added fullness under the skirt, I wore a square dancing petticoat I got from and online consignment shop.  It was a twirly, swirly good time!

Mmmm...tastes like chicken!

The runner-up for my favorite picture of the set.

My favorite picture!

 So...what are YOU dressing as for Halloween?

♥, Dorothy

T-Minus 84 Days: Crafty Sneak Peek

A sneak preview of some wedding craftiness

 Only 12 weeks to go!  Can you believe it?!?!  

RSVP cards and envelopes are printed up and ready to go.  Invitations are up next, but we might hold off on those until after Halloween.  Our current project is taking precedence, and if all goes well we'll post a picture of us in our fancy pants get-up.  Homemade Halloween costumes?  No problem--we got it covered!  We're hoping for more of a "Wow, ya'll made your own costumes?!?!" rather than a "Oh.  Looks homemade."  Stay tuned!
♥,  Dorothy

96 Days: The Countdown Continues...

It's official: we're now in the double-digits zone of the wedding day countdown!  Here's what's new since the last posting:

- Music for the Nuptial Mass has been selected
- The cake stand has been assembled and primed 
- Construction on the card box has started
- Groomsmen have acquired their attire
- Appointments have been scheduled for engagement and bridal portraits
- Hair and makeup trials have been scheduled
- Wedding website is now finished!  Have you seen it?

♥, Michael & Dorothy

The Planning So Far...

With 110 days left to go, here's what's happened in the past two weeks:

-Our parents met each other for the first time
-The rehearsal dinner has been booked & the menu selected
-We did a wedding cake tasting, and are *this* close to picking a flavor
-Completed the optional Theological portion of the Foundations of Christian Marriage Course held at the Immaculata Center
-We became betrothed during Mass at the Immaculata Chapel
-All four priests have responded and confirmed
-Readings have been selected
-Music selection has started
-Materials for building the cake stand have been purchased
-Ribbons and invitation embellishments have been prepared
-The guest list has been merged and finalized!
-Acquired (and repaired, thanks to Mike) a very nice laser printer at little cost 
-Purchased plane tickets to Orlando for our Disney World honeymoon
-Tried yet another recipe for an edible wedding favor
-Received our wedding bands:

Whew!  Looks like we had our hands full, but it was all actually pretty easy to go through.  There's still loads more to get done, but we're making great progress so far.  

This week's goals: 

• finish collecting ALL address needed for invitations
• finalize wording and formatting of invitation
• finalize wording and formatting of RSVP cards 

What challenges did you encounter in your wedding planning time line?

♥, Michael & Dorothy

120 Days and Counting...

That's right, folks: only 120 days left until the wedding!  We crossed the 4-month mark this week, and although everyone keeps telling me that January 15th will be here "in no time," I know the wait will be agonizing as we approach the Big Day. 


Mike's titanium band

We braved the heat and the hustle and bustle of the mall last weekend to look at and try on wedding bands once more. Though we had no intention of purchasing from the jeweler, we needed to double check band and finger sizes.  We ordered our rings online Monday night from e-weddingbands.com.  The selection and prices are great, and as an added bonus we get free FedEx shipping and free engraving inside the rings.  We're both fairly traditional when it comes to wedding bands, so we both selected plain polished domed bands (surprising, considering how much "tradition" we're trying to shy away from).  

My palladium band

Mike chose titanium for its lightweight durability (apparently he's a rough-and-tumble kind of guy), while I had to opt for palladium.  My first choice was 10K white gold, which I preferred to 14K white gold because it is both harder and whiter...and cheaper.  A win- win!  When it came time to decide on band widths, I caught a case of Baby Bear Syndrome. The 3mm band I tried on at the mall was too narrow, while the 4mm looked a bit thick.  No middle ground? (the sales lady told me 3.5mm doesn't exist.)  Well as it turns out, I could get a 3.5mm ring from e-WeddingBands.com--but only in palladium, 14K gold, 18K gold, and platinum.  We were really aiming for a band in a lower price point, but in the long run the palladium band wins out over the white gold because it will never need rhodium re-plating.

And now...we wait.  Rings should be arriving next week, and I'm eagerly looking forward to prancing around in my new wedding band!  I have a sneaking suspicion Mike will need to confiscate the ring from me pre-wedding so I don't end up wearing it every. single. day.

♥ Dorothy



Gettin' Bustled

In less than seven hours, Bridesmaid Shelly and I will be making our way to David's Bridal (yet again) for my appointment with the Alterations Lady. 

My concerns:

• The dress--which fit snugly to begin with--might be even tighter.  Yikes!
• The design of the dress might make bustling difficult and/or costly (though I was quoted $35-$50).
• I will have to say goodbye to my dress (which has been hanging in my laundry room since May) for X number of weeks while Alterations Lady does her magic.

That doesn't mean I'm not excited about the appointment, though. 

Actually, I wish I had made the call to David's Bridal sooner.  Why the delay?  Well...up until last week I had decided against having the dress bustled.  Since I will be changing into a shorter dress for the reception, I saw no need to bustle the short sweep train--it wouldn't get that dirty anyway, right?  That was my line of thinking...until I realized that the train is still long enough for people (or me!) to step on.  So, it's off to David's Bridal we go!

♥  Dorothy