Thursday, February 4, 2010

A Whole New World

I've discovered a whole new world out there. It's the world of wedding websites. I mean, seriously, you should google it and see how many sites you get of these things. It's crazy! Crazy, but I'm LOVING it!

So, here is a list of my some of my current web finds. I know there are tons more that I haven't found. If you have some great ones, leave a comment. I'm so new to all this still and sometimes get a bit overwhelmed by the wealth of information out there.


Must Love Weddings...One of my oldest friends, Kate, runs this with her Mom, sister, and several others. It's great! I loved looking through the old posts and seeing what other people have done, talking things over, posting up things I'm thinking about. Side note--I am trying not to be 'wedding talk' to everyone, everywhere, all the time. I love that whenever I want to think some choices out or narrow them down, I can go here and everyone loves to talk about it, all the time. That way, when Micah and I talk about it, I don't have to drive him nuts with 50,000 different choices. I've already done the crazy narrow down process and then we get to make the final decisions. Ps. I can't look at this in the evening. If I do, then I stay up half the night reading things and then getting new ideas. I have to give myself a cut-off time. However, most of the time I ignore it because I like this site so much. =)

Weddingbee...I found this site off of a Top Ten Wedding Websites article in the final issue of Modern Bride. I didn't know sites like this existed. It combines blogging (I love looking into other peoples lives and see what they are thinking about and doing), weddings, forums, and DIY projects. LOVE IT! I've gotten some decoration stuff off of the classified section and I've found some of the Bees (the bloggers) 'other' blogs. I did notice of the members that commented on some things that I liked and followed her profile to her blog. Yes, that's right, it's my next favorite site on this list.


Bee and Patrick...So, I first click on this and I'm like, oh yeah, she's a pretty girl with dark hair. I just love me some dark hair! =) Then, I start reading through her posts and I'm like, "Oh, I like that. Look at that. I've got to do that. That's a great idea. Etc. Etc. Etc." So, I totally read through every post to 'catch' up on everything. Then I study her projects. Yep, totally doing the "Tears of Joy" packets. Don't know how many people will actually use them, but I'm SO doing them. (Once they are done this weekend, I'll post pics up) She is also doing a great contest, so scoot on over there and check it out. It's for 100 (yes! 100!) free cards from VistaPrint. You could use them for invitations, save the dates, thank you's! So exciting. You have until February 13th, so get going and comment to enter! Check here.

Wedding Planning with Joy...This is Miss Poodle from Wedding Bee. Loved her giant letters that she is working on. Check them out. When I started reading the post, I thought, "Letters--I'm thinking about using that too. They ARE really cute. Wow! She is going to make her own." Then I saw the size and heard how she was doing it and I was like, "She is not playing around. She just leapt to another level of creativity!" I mean, for real, look at them! They are going to be so cool!
She is also doing an awesome contest for some rockin' stickers from Uprinting. 250 stickers, baby! Those of you who aren't planning weddings don't realize the need, the want, the desire to have stickers for some wedding project. But, there is that need, want, and desire. Check it out and enter here. You have until February 5th.

OnceWed...The person who recommend this site to me said that you can search for photos, projects, etc. based on colors or styles. I love it. Every wedding I've seen on here is very chic, yet personable, and to-die-for. LOVE IT. Seriously.

My Coin Purse...I found this one off of Weddingbee. I loved Mrs. Green Tea's stuff and just love that I found the other blog. I mean, really, it's all awesome stuff. Loved her wedding pics, the colors, everything.

DIY Bride...Okay, this one is a bit self-explanatory, but it speaks to me. If I had all the time in the world, I would do every DIY aspect I could. For real. I would make and create EVERYTHING. Unfortunately, this is the real world and that just won't happen. But, I can check out ideas, etc. here.

Paper Source...So, I know that this post isn't exactly wedding specific, but since I've been thinking about STD's (Save the Dates---I'm learning all the lingo), invitations, hostess gifts, rehearsal dinner, OOT bags (Out of Town bags) and more, I've found myself drawn to the beauty and abundance that is known as Paper Source. It's a good thing that I haven't found one in a 500 mile radius to me. It would be so hard to resist. There is one up in Kansas City, MI. Seriously, that's like the closest one to me. Whenever I go up with my family to go shopping there, I stop by at least once a day that we are there on our trip. Sometimes twice a day. So wonderful.

Let me know what your favorites are. I love new recommendations and it's something so easy to access and feed this growing addiction of wedding anything.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Spazz Out Time

First, I'd like to acknowledge that my last post looks like I posted it on Wednesday, January 13 before my birthday and yet I talked about how 'last Friday was so awesome' (meaning my birthday). I'm sure you read it and thought, "that's was a bit weird" and it's what I get for not finishing the post when I originally start it. So, next time, when I start a post, I will finish it!

So, with that out of the way, onto the topic that is on my mind all the time. I've heard other brides say, "Once you get engaged, wedding is all you'll think and all you'll study until your wedding." I was like, sure you think that, you're stressed out, not me...I'll be fine. Uhm, they were right. Like, really right. Totally right.

Now don't get worried that I'm spazzing out (by the way, my new favorite phrase). I'm not really. Well, not all the time. Just kidding. But, seriously.

The thing that I've realized in my short time of planning (right now I've got 1 month under my belt) is that there is a lot of information. Tons of it. I've got a subscription to a Bridal magazine and I've realized that there is a lot of information that is just presented in several different ways. That's not a bad thing, it just means that you hear it many, many times. My very Momma has given me some of the best advice---once you find what you like or decide on something, stop looking at things that deal with it. (That's not verbatim, but the main gist of it--she definitely said it more eloquently) For instance, I've found my dress. It was the 2nd one I tried on. I was done. D-O-N-E, done. We ordered, purchased it, and now I'm waiting to go pick it up. (By the way, it came in a couple of months early and I get to make an appointment to pick it up---so very excited!!!!) So, I stopped looking at dresses. I haven't been to other dress stores, trying on other ones, etc. I didn't have to waste time or brain power worrying about it. (PS. I've realized this is like the 2nd time or 3rd time I've written about the dress, but it's awesome. A story worth telling. Again.)

So, right now I'm just thinking about the different stuff we need to decide about, but for the most part, things are already picked. I know the where the ceremony will happen, where the reception will be, what music will be played (that was so hard--just kidding!), and things like that. It's the little things that I mull about and waffle back and forth about. But, every time I start to spazz out, I hear my very Momma's voice in my head and I calm down and I realize it's not that hard. I already found the hardest part.

I've found my love.

The one that is for me.

The one that makes me smile when I think about him.

The one that gets me.


I found my Micah.