so here is what I got...

and soon to be hanging in my closet, waiting for winter...


Only in red. I am so excited!!!!

are you there summer? It's me Katy

Summer? Summer?

I love fall. I will say though with me being off all this week is making me want to spend some time pool side. Getting kissed by summer rays and splish splashing in the cool crystal swimming pool. Today dashed my hopes, it was one of those fall preview days, a crisp, sunny day with big Simpson like clouds. We have had the windows open all day and as we speak I am sitting here in my hoodie and pj pants, that I will add I had to put on after I went to bed, I had a night shirt on and got to cold. To cave in to fall, I even bought the sweet cinnamon pumpkin wall flowers and candles at bath and body works on Friday. They are an amazing scent that makes me want to bundle up and drink some cider.

The one cool (no pun intended... ok well maybe a little) thing is the fall clothes!!!!

With the autumnal equinox, a 25lb. weight loss,a possible new start and school right around the corner, I thought that this was the perfect time to overhaul my closet. I am going to get rid of stuff that doesn't fit (for a good reason) and bring in some new pieces that will go great with what I already have.
Old Navy is my favorite store and right now they are having there stuff and save right now, which is 20% off!!!

I will let you know what savings shannangins will ensue.

Advice

Seeing as how it is crunch time and am hours away from being in a single digit countdown to my wedding I have some advice to future brides:

1. HIRE A PLANNER!!!!! If you are in your planning process and you see that your DIY list is growing and growing. Save yourself the head ache and hire a professional to help or enlist your Martha Stewart wanna be friend to do it.
2. When looking at dresses try everything on. And try to go someplace that is going to have dresses in your size. I am a voluptuous girl and do not fit in the size 4 and 6's they have in the upscale boutiques so I couldn't even get an idea of what silhouette I looked good in. Don't be afraid to try something new. What you wanted may not work and what you were totally against my take your breath away.
3. DO NOT LET YOUR SOON TO BE HUSBAND RELY ON THE AGE OLD GROOM TESTAMENT THAT ALL HE HAS TO DO IS SHOW UP. Make them help you, or you will resent them for being so chilax and you are about to collapse from exhaustion and stress.
4. No matter how well you get along with your FMIL this is where the power struggle will begin. You the soon to be wife, and her the mother that is feeling like she has been replaced and unloved.
5. Your body is going to attack its self, in ways you never thought. i.e. having 2 periods a month, loosing so much hair you are just waiting to wake up in the morning to bald spots, or having such muscle tightness in your shoulders, because that is where you hold your tension, you can't move your left arm above your head.
6. That no matter how bad it gets, on your wedding day all the stress, the fighting, the tears will not have been in vain because everything will fall in to place and nothing can stress you out because you are in your bride bliss bubble where everything will work itself out and nothing can touch you in that white dress and veil because you are an invincible woman. <--- I don't have first hand experience with this yet, but from what I am told this is what you feel like.

To much to do and to little time to do it in!

Alright so things are going well but because my wedding is next weekend I can't procrastinate... which after 23 years have perfected in to an art form.


Alas, art form or not I have to be at the top of my game... so with my game face on this is what my next 12 days are going to be like:

Dress fitting tonight
Order the Lemons and Limes for centerpieces
Print out recipes for bags
Assemble bags
Pay final balance to DJ
Pay final balance to Pinnacle
Get Seating chart finished
escort cards printed and assembled
Do Final make up run
Get eyebrows done (I only put this on here because it is so unpleasant it is in the front of my mind)
Call Bakery to confirm cake pick up time
Give the pupper dog a bath
Get carpets cleaned
Clean the apartment
Get car washed
Pack stuff up for Erin to take to Pinnacle
Get rosary to florist
Get Mani Pedi
Pick people up from airport
Pack overnight bag for Saturday and Sunday night
Go to the rehearsal
Go to rehearsal dinner (I separate the 2 because there is a dress change)
Tan a little bit more
I think I am forgetting something... what could it be... OH YEAH GET MARRIED!!!!

Thank goodness I have Wednesday- Friday off next week.

Wish me luck!

I am a soon to be... well a lot things.

This weekend I finally realized that I am a soon to be in more ways than one. Let me explain....

1. Mrs. Gnann. I know you all know this but it is still number one on my list. I can't believe I get married next weekend!
2. Aunt!!!! That's right Bloggies! My Brother and Sister in law told everyone this weekend they are pregnant. Baby will be due April 24th!
3. Wildcat. I know this one is obscure without some sort of definition. I got in to Johnson and Wales University in Charlotte, North Carolina!!!!!! More on this in a few weeks...

Well I am in the home stretch and I can't be more excited. My list of to do's is slowly dwindling down which honestly is a relief in it's self. I still have a few more things to do on top of clean my apartment because we are going to be having house guests next weekend. But it will all get done.

Wish me luck!

Thankful Thursdays

What I am thankful for today.
1. My Future Hubs, He took me out for a date night last and made the cutest comment about this being out last date night as just a couple and not a married couple.
2.The lightening last night. There is nothing I love more than thunderstorms so it helped me relax last night.
3. My mom. She has been the biggest support and help throughout the wedding planning process and I am so sad that I may have to leave her soon.
4.The Pedi-egg. I gave myself a little pedi last night and my feet are truly thankful as well.
5. The way my hair looks and feels after I dye it, like butta!!!

There you go kids... Enjoy your Friday eve!

Makeover

Alright bloggers...
Seeing as I am only going to be a soon to me Mrs. for 18 more days it is time to start contemplating what will come next for my blog. I have a few ideas as to what my new site will have. Here are a few post ideas and directions for my new blog.

For sures:
1.For one week I am going to recap my wedding with posts dedicated to certain aspects.
the posts I am thinking about are Ceremony, Reception, Bride, Groom, Flowers, The wedding party and Honeymoon (when we go a month later)

2. Themed days like Recap Mondays -where I will recap my weekend. Tasty Tuesdays- where I give you all a recipe that I have tried or created and think you will enjoy. Wardrobe Wednesdays- there was a challenge going around that I found at alwaysanortherner where you are challenged to do something new with your current wardrobe. Mix pieces you currently own and see what trendy new outfits you can come up with (really excited about this one),Thankful Thursdays- I have already started this one and I really like taking the time to really think of everything I am thankful for. TGIF- a post to celebrate the last day of the work week.

3. I will of course be blogging about being a new wife, the trials and errors, the laughs and the tears.

4. School. That's right lovely bloggies I am trying my darnedest to start school in December. But not here :( I have been accepted in to Johnson and Wales University in Charlotte, NC. We will see where this takes me and my blog.

As my wedding planning is coming to a close before the big day it is relief that getting my life back to some sort of norm is right around the corner. My life for the past 9 months has been centered around this one day and it is just thrilling to see what is on the other side.

That is what I leave you with today.

TaTa!

19 days

19 Days!!! I can't believe I am getting married in 19 days....

And nothing got done this weekend :(

That's right nothing.... well I did cut ribbon.

So This is what happened.

On Friday put my car in the shop and waited to see what the diagnosis was. For those of you who don't know on Wednesday of last week my car crapped out on me, I had no power locks, no head lights, no windshield wipers, and best of all no speedometer.

Got the call late Friday that is was in fact my computer, and that the estimated cost of repair was $1000.00! I was so upset. I had just put $800.00 in to my car for a new air conditioner and now the computer? I had already started looking for a replacement car just in case.

I called a car dealership inquiring about a Honda element. I decided I wanted something that I had personal experience with and knew I could run in to the ground... case and point my brothers first car 1989 Honda accord had 300,000 miles on it before it crapped out. I called the car place on Friday and the element was still there and Andy said he would have it pulled around waiting for me on Saturday morning. Fiance and I get up and roll on over to the car dealership and we meet Andy. I like this guy instantly, he is freaking hysterical and so eases my worry a smidge. We go and we test drive the element ( I let Matthew drive because I had already test driven one before) and he doesn't like it. Needless to say the engine isn't powerful enough to pull that big of a car, so what was going to be the case when I have to haul something? While we are driving around Andy calls me to get my car, So we drive to Hilliard and I get my car... now remember all that I listed was wrong with it? So now I have to drive this thing on the Free way. Can you say nervous? Yeah totally was. We are on our way back to the dealership and of course my check engine light comes on. I throw on my hazards because I am now waiting for my car to either die or explode. Fiance calls me, Frantic because he is thinking the same thing, I tell him it is just a precaution.

I make sure to turn off my hazards when I pull in to the car dealership, but I made it there in once piece. As to not bore you I will cut the next few hours of my life down to a few sentences...
they don't turn my car on they look it over and check the millage.
they said they will give me the $67oo that my jeep is worth
we start negotiating price
we call our parents because we are both inexperienced car buyers
then the moment happened. We were getting ready to walk away when Andy looks up my cars carfax report. We look it over and see that the computer had already been replaced once before. WHAT!?!?!?!? Now, I recall quite clearly when I bought the jeep they told me there was a short and showed me the carfax report and nothing was yellow or red (which in carfax means stay away). So when Andy showed it to us and there it was in black and white we decided we needed to walk away with a car that day, from Andy because they already agreed to give me bluebook for my hunk of crap jeep. After 4 and a half hours at the car dealership we walked away with a 2006 Subaru Forester. It totally isn't something that I would EVER pick for myself but for my family it will be perfect.

The rest of Saturday I cut ribbon and tried to get the recipe cards to print.... yeah right. That FAILED!

Sunday I had all of this help just sitting around because 1. it took forever to get the set up for the program correct and 2. the printer was soooooooooooooooooooooooooo slow. So my DIY weekend really turned out to be a lot of frustation and sitting around. I think tonight I am going to suck it up and pay office max to do it... no biggie.

Best man update.... He is a douche and all he did was let Fiance down and piss me off. I hope he comes up here so I can get tipsy and give him a piece of my mind ( I want people to be able to blame it alcohol and not me being rude).

Hair update: Hair trial number 2 went really well an I like what she did soooooooooo much better. So it is going to be half up with a little Bouffant. Can't wait. She also put extensions in and I couldn't stop loving how full my hair looked.... I was actually kind of sad to see them out.

So this is weird but I think I am getting a stye? My upper eyelid is really red and inflamed... great. That will look hot in pictures.

Speaking of Pictures...

Here is my new mom car... er.. I mean ride....

alright I do done for now.

Love.

Thankful Thursdays... even though it is Friday

1. That it is the day before Friday
2. That it is the day before Payday
3. That I have great friends
4. That Matthew wants to figure stuff out together, and won't shoot my down.
5. That I found the glory of a neutella and peanut butter English muffin
6. That I got in to Johnson and Wales

There is my list for this week.

Best man, I think not

Fiance has 2 best men... that's right 2.

One being his best friend since the age of 5 or something sentimental like that and the other being his father.

*NOTE* He asked BFF first and then being as his family was still dealing with his Grandpa's death (Grandpa was FFIL best man at his wedding) his mom was very sensitive to the fact that his dad wasn't going to be involved. This being said she kind of guilted him in to it.*

When Fiance picked out the tux's he let all of his groomsmen know and I will say kept on them all equally about getting fitted and such. Some of his groomsmen got the point a lot quicker than others but none the less the list started to dwindle down to 2 people. One being my Father and the other being BFF. I took care of my dad with playful threats of him not walking me down the aisle and that got him in to gear. Bff on the other hand wasn't getting Fiance's calls, or returning them for that matter and still hadn't gotten fitted. So the time came to go down to Bham for our cook out and my tea and BFF was there and he and Fiance got some face time, and Fiance reminded him about his tux and then said something to him also about his plane tickets (that was July 17th) and the fact that he needed to start looking and pricing stuff out.

Fiance even did some of the leg work for him and gave him prices that he had found, thinking because BFF hasn't travelled as much as he has may not know how to go about things. Now this whole time I am getting more and more hot under the collar. I will say that I am a worry wart which in turn makes me stress out. So when I found this next part out I about had a conniption.

I don't know a lot about BFF, So I decided for my own piece of mind to ask Fiance about him and see if like me if he is a procrastinator or some explanation why he was slacking in the BFF department. Fiance told me he is all football, if it isn't football he doesn't really care. It was starting to become a little more clear now.

What I found out yesterday set me threw the roof and I really almost lost my cool.

Fiance had been trying to get in touch with BFF because he hadn't RSVPed to the wedding. I mean we knew he was coming so Now we needed to know what he was eating. As Fiance is talking to BFF Men's Warehouse beeps in and says there is only one more person to get fitted and if they don't by August 15th there will be a rush fee. Can we guess who this person is?

Fiance "confronts" (I use the word loosely because he avoids confrontation like the plague) Bff about it. He said it is because there aren't any MW's in his town and he is kind of broke right now too. We come to add a few more feet to the grave he is digging himself and he lets it slip that he bought $500.00 Alabama game tickets and that is why he is so broke. And he still has yet to buy his plane ticket (which is crap because his Dad offered to pay for it).

ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?!?!?!?!?!?

Fiance is telling me this on the phone and I say the above phrase loud enough that it gets some of the attention from my fellow co-workers.

Fiance tries to calm me down and say that he told BFF that if he didn't do it by Saturday that he couldn't be in the wedding.

I told Fiance he was a better person than I was. I told him that BFF was disrespecting him and that Fiance was letting him do it. I told Fiance that I would be pissed if anyone, ANYONE in my party or family for that matter would have chosen a football game over our wedding. I mean it isn't like you are blowing off prom or something, this is your best friends wedding, a huge step in his life and you are choosing foot ball. Is it because I am a girl that I see it this way? I mean I would hope that by the physical age of 24 (the emotional age of 17) you could tell this is huge for your friend and that it is huge that he wants you there. I mean its not like it is the wedding is interfering with it, It is the rehearsal, that will last about an hour and then we eat. Check the game on your phone all you want for all I care.

Anyway, Fiance tells me this and I let loose. I tell him that Bff is being rude and that I would bet money on the fact 1. he won't get his tux 2. he won't get a plane ticket and 3. he won't come up.

Needless to say Fiance got made at me.

I said because I so badly want him to prove me wrong.

26 days and counting

From here on out my blogs are probably going to be sparatic and scatter brained.


So. There are 26 days left until I am married at this very moment in time I could not be more petrified (note: its not of marriage, it is of the hurdles I have to get through to get to the I do's).

Off the list is:
Get my bustle done
Book Hotel rooms
Get transportation for after rehearsal (wasn't on the list but future hubs let me know it was booked)
Almost done calling the no RSVPr's... Hazaa! Now we are up 101 people!!!!

To do this week:
Tomorrow:
Meet with Lisa to Finalize everything for ceremony and reception
Marriage License
Meet with Erin to go through her tasks for the day

Friday:
Buy everything that is left for DIY's

Saturday:
Get Last hair cut
Lay out for at least an hour (need to jolt my skin back to a summery sun kissed again)
Finish Monogram ribbons
Get recipe bags finished

Sunday:
Hair Trial number 2

I think it is funny, through this whole process I forgot to add to my to do list my beauty stuff. Meh... The wedding will be beautiful but I will look a mess!

A tale of two dresses.... revisited.

When the disaster dress from bridal and formal didn't fit I held my breath about the bridesmaid dresses and the MOB dress. When the dresses came in the weight was slowly lifted as each maids dress zipped up and only needed a hem or a tuck.

My mom since the day my dress crashed and burned had been stressing me out to the max with thoughts and anxieties of her dress not fitting. Her dress came in the weekend after and low and behold her dress did not fit. It was to small, which sent me through the roof! They wanted her to go with the smaller size but my mom wanted it to be roomier and it was so small she couldn't raise her arms!!! I convinced her to please take it to the family seamstress and see if she could salvage her beautiful dress.

Fast forward to Wednesday and we are at Barbra's house and my mom is standing in her dress and Barbra is shaking her head. She breaks the news to us that it can't be fixed, they didn't even leave enough fabric to fix it if it tore. I was upset, my mom was upset, so as she did for me in my dress crisis I did for her. We were no more than 5 minutes away from Davids Bridal and I told my mom with have to find something on sale and off the rack that will work.

We pull up defeated yet still determined. We start pulling dresses and I come across one that she of course poo poo's and I tell her to remember I tried on some dresses for her that were not to my liking.

First dress: she really liked it. only issue was it was yellow and that is the color of the bridesmaid dresses. Also, it was a sleeveless dress and my mom doesn't like to show her arms.

Second dress: was a yellow tea length dress with a matching bolero. She looked cute, I liked the vintage style and it was good because she could get it in green. She didn't like her legs being shown.

Third dress (the one she didn't like): she was underwhelmed... at first. I will say that when I said Champagne for the Mothers I was thinking more of a pink champagne not tan. Well, most are a tan. So she felt like it washed her out, which it kind of does but with no color on her face I said anything would. It was Chiffon with a ruched bodice and very little beading at the top and it had a matching bolero. The cleavage was a bit much But, unlike bridal and formal we got someone from ALTERATIONS ( a word they are very unfamiliar with at bridal and formal) and they said that with the material my mom would have to have cut off at the bottom (gotta love being short) and build up the top so the ladies were covered.

We talked and deliberated and she really wanted the first dress but in green. I told her I would go look to see if they had it in her size. I go the MOB section and see the dress and the green next to it and it hits me. That is totally the dress FMIL was looking at. I had to go back and tell my mom. I felt bad because she was in the yellow dress again and I told her the bad news. She was glad that I remembered it and put dress number 3 back on. Second time around she really liked it and she agreed that it was more elegant than the first dress. The first dress was more cookie cutter mob dress than the third. we picked up some of the chiffon and covered the cleavage and she sighed. She loved it.

It was on sale AND I still got the extra $20.00 off which made it come to with tax $180.00.

So now everyone is outfitted for the day.

Now for alterations and we are done.

To check off of list:
Pay florist remainder
Meet with DJ

Hopefully I can check a bunch off this weekend. Fingers crossed.

P.s. Tomorrow is my Mom's birthday and we are having the festivities at my place, which means I get to break out all my new HOSTESS STUFF!!!!!! so excited! Pics to come.

P.s.s. My final make up run is bright and early on Sunday.

Thankful Thursdays

My friend Erin did this on her Blog and I too have seen it done, so I am jumping on the band wagon because I have a lot to be thankful for. So in no specific order...

1. My Fiance. I never thought someone could love me as much as he does and I him. I am so happy I found my lobster!
2. My Friends. They keep me sane and get me through a lot. I love them like family and would do anything for you.
My Family. I know we don't always see eye to eye, and we are dysfunctional (what family isn't), but they are my rock and will always love me.
3.My Dot, Dot! Nothing can turn my frown upside down like this pooch.
4. My new cookware set. They are making my everyday life more and more less complicated.
5.Chocolate milk. A twist on a tasty classic.
6. Flip flops. They are the epitome of summer for me, and a good reason to paint my toenails.
7. Mary Kay everything. My skin has never looked this good!

32 days...

That's right, only 32 days until I become a Mrs.

What to do? What to do?.... Wait!!! There is plenty to do such as....

Assemble programs
call no RSVPers, which will be an undertaking in its self considering only 68 people have said yes or no....gulp!
Finish Monograms
Finish Recipe bags
Finish place cards
Get in room bag together
Get Marriage License
Finalize Ceremony and reception details
Pay florist
Pay photographer
Meet with D J
Pay final balance with Pinnacle (ceremony and reception site)
Get my Bustle done
Book Hotel rooms for night before
Finalize wedding day look
Get "Just Married" Stuff for the golf cart get away
Get my hands on a steamer.
Pay D J

A big one on the list right now is to get my mom's dress fixed.... that's right ladies and gentleman, my mom's dress that we received yesterday is to small. Now, my mom didn't gain weight, and we ordered a size up to make room for her chest (she is also gifted). AND IT IS STILL TO SMALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ugh Bridal and Formal! UGH!!!!!!

Blogger awards

I was tagged by Erin over at Wedding planning Memoir to list 10 random things about myself...

1. I make lists about absolutely everything( i.e. grocery shopping, what to do, what to take on a trip). It is a problem because I eat up a lot of notebook paper that way.

2. I have vitaligo ( yes like Michael Jackson, and no I am not going to bleach my skin). Which means I am slowly loosing the pigment of my skin in certain spots.

3. I love to dance and wish I would have stuck with it.

4. I am getting married in 33 days.

5. I have the weirdest taste in music. It is like my ipod has multiple personalities.

6. I have the most stick straight hair you will ever see. You don't curl it you bend it... ask the poor stylist that is doing my hair for my wedding. She remembered my hair a year after the last wedding she had to style me for.

7. I love being touched (not in a dirty way), such as people playing with my hair, back rubs, foot rubs.

8. I can sleep any time and any where.

9. I love make up. I REALLY LOVE IT!!!!

10. I only buy clothes from oldnavy. I try other places but the price is always right and the clothes can be really cute.

there you go 10 things about me.