Oh hello, Monday.

Why is it that the weekend just never seems long enough? For someone who for quite some time was not only used to working on Saturdays, but rarely had more than one day off at a time, I still can't seem to quite accomplish all that I want to on my weekends. It always feels like I've just touched the tip of the iceberg, just gotten going on projects, and then here it is, the dreaded Monday morning, once again. With a full work week stretching ahead of me, I wonder how I managed not to do any laundry, not to finish this, that, or the other thing I had started, and when I will have time to get back to doing the actual *fun* stuff I was hoping to do! Ugh!


I haven't been very good about posting lately, so I have quite a bit to catch up on. The first thing I'm excited about, is that I've finally made my bridal party decisions, I feel good about it (mostly), and I started my first DIY wedding-related project. I saw this adorable idea online (or in a magazine? I can't even remember) and then on another bride's blog. After doing some research on other options (i.e. to buy as opposed to make), I settled on just having to do my own, with the string of paper dolls & all. It is proving even MORE difficult & time consuming than expected for the least-crafty-person-on-the-planet (ME), but I'm still having fun with it. I'm going to come up with something similar for the girls I can't include as bridesmaids, but want to have participating, as basically honorary wedding party members just the same.


Here's the original idea: Super cute DIY Bridesmaid Cards
And to credit the other blogger: Wedding & Life Nonsense: Card Making!


And now for some pictures of my progress (because I am realizing one thing my blog is sorely lacking so far is pictures!)

I am especially proud of the hair! (despite the fact that this somewhat ruins the surprise for those girls that read the blog... can you tell who you are?) I haven't 'officially' asked anyone yet - hence the cards - but I am sure they all have some idea they will get asked. It was a very tough final decision for me to limit to six, but I have other important jobs for those I can't have as bridesmaids, and I hope they will understand. Even as it is, I feel like we have a huge bridal party.


The paper dolls themselves took me forever to get right. I couldn't find 18" craft paper (only construction paper which I felt would be too flimsy...), so they had to be skinnier than suggested in the original project. At first I made them smaller overall from a template I found online (see first two pictures), but they didn't look how I wanted them to. That left me to freehand draw a new template, which shockingly turned out all right! The hardest part is the detailed cutting out of the dolls through six layers of cardstock with little tiny (very sharp, but tiny!) craft scissors. I took a break from cutting dolls to work on hair and dresses, and then I got sidetracked for the rest of the day. I'm really excited I found a card & envelope set with more or less the exact blue I want for my color (which I call 'peacock blue' but turquoise is basically what it is), as well as cardstock in an almost exact match for the dresses! yay! I'm feeling very empowered and crafty, as I also started decorating my wedding inspiration book/binder. Did not get very far on that, so no pictures just yet. But I'm trying very hard to conjure up & embrace my inner DIY bride, as our choice of venue and certain other details are driving up the original budget, and anything I can do myself or get creative about will really make a difference!


The other major thing we did this weekend was OFFICIALLY reserve our date and reception venue. And by officially, I mean, we still need to send him a deposit and we are still planning on looking around at a few other places we could have our tented reception... but I sort of feel this is it. Even though it puts a pinch on our bottom line... it just feels like we can make it happen and it feels right. It's going to be exactly as I have been picturing all along... St. Peter's ceremony and Greystone reception... with a beautiful tent, candles, flowers, the waves crashing against the rocks. It's going to be elegant, but earthy, summery, and ultimately, a big PARTY! :-)


I feel like Johnny & I were meant for each other in so many ways, and I feel like our wedding is meant to happen this way. I have vivid recollections and dreams of my childhood in that neighborhood, and it just seems so fitting to mark this occasion, this next step in my life, somewhere I feel immensely connected to and have continued to return to over and over again throughout my life. Although I do not currently attend church regularly, I have always considered myself not just a religious, but a very spiritual person, and I strongly believe that everything does happen for a reason, in its own way & time, and that instinct, intuition, and ultimately a higher power, if we let it, play an enormous part in shaping our decisions and our lives.


In addition to confirming the date with the owner of Greystone


I think I shall wrap it up here for now. It's a very quiet, rainy Monday in Portsmouth, but now that emails and my typical Monday tasks are out of the way, it's a good opportunity for me to try to get ahead with appraisals and some other projects I've been putting on the back burner. Of course, I woke up with a headache that I can't shake (despite efforts involving food, water, coffee, vitamins, and excedrin), so staring at a computer is not what I should or want to be doing whether for personal or work-related reasons.