320 and counting...

As the holiday season is upon us, wanted to check in again before everything got too crazy. I am headed back up to NYC for three weeks and brandon is finally finishing his training in Punxy. We will be moving to Monroeville between Christmas and New Years, so we are in for a busy next month.

I was searching around on the web today looking at possible sites for bridesmaids dresses and flower girls dresses and found some potential sites! Never too soon to start looking, right? Check out the following sites and anything red is perfect. Purple is no, Orange and Pink are also no's. Just reds:) heh.

So wanted to post some sites and to send our love. Happy Holidays!!

http://www.davidsbridal.com/
http://www.alfredangelo.com/
http://www.edenbridals.com/
http://www.jcrew.com/
http://www.anntaylor.com/
http://www.dessy.com/
http://www.barijay.com/

Down to 340

Greetings from Punxy! Hah! This is our soon to be christmas card picture of us and brandon's favorite groundhog statue. The coal miner Phil. Omi. Anyway, all is well here. Brandon is still working hard and we are dogsitting for Kayla's boyfriend. He has a little chiuachua named Ricky and he's cute as anything. We had a Steeler party yesterday at our little apt. yesterday and had a blast. It was good to have all our family together cheering on the Steelers, who won, thank goodness.

My mom, Mare, and Grammar Studer are working on the bridal shower, which is on Sunday, July 27th from 12-2pm at St. Barnabus Church hall. We found out we won't be able to start decorating until after 9:30am mass, which means we are going to be buzzing around to get that place together before noon. No worries, I'm sure though, it will be fabulous.

The decision has been made by Brandon (and me!!) that the groomsmen will wear black tuxes, ivory shirts, black ties, and camo vests. yes, i said camo vests. Since all the girls are wearing varying shades of red, it would be impossible to match guys with girls. Brandon is thrilled as the groomsmen will be, i'm sure. i said as long as the jackets are buttoned up at church, i don't care what they look like at the reception...keep it classy for the Lord, ya know? hah. If you want to see what it looks like, check out: http://www.jimsformalwear.com/ac_fb_camo.htm Again, with BLACK ties, not the weird camo tie that guy has on in the picture.

Brand and I are going to start looking for new apts. in monroeville so that we can make the move after Christmas and before New Years. Hope the weather holds out. Hope all is well with everyone...the holidays are on their way, so try to stay stress-free. Remember to keep your eyes peeled for red dresses, and any ideas for the flower girls, I'm still looking too. Love youns!

375 days!

Well, things have been pretty busy in our neck of the woods over the past couple of weeks. Brand is still working really hard at the Punxsy ALDI store everyday. He has found some solace however in his tree stand during archery season. I have been traveling/training over the past 3 weeks in NYC with Scantron. It was a good run, and I got a lot of practice. I am actually headed back up to the city tomorrow for one night to do another training. No rest for the weary, I suppose.

Some important decisions about the wedding have been made:

1. The date of the plunge has been changed. Please keep your calendars open for August 16, 2008.

2. We have booked our photographer and i'm sooo excited. Her website is http://www.michellemisner.com/ and she's fabulous.

Alright-that's it. Hah! More to come soon, at the one year away mark. A little intimidating that it will be official wedding crunch time in a little over a week. Oh well, so excited, but lots to do.

miss you all.

398 days left..

I was thinking today about how the wedding seems like a bagillion years away and I'm so excited that I wish it would hurry up. We finally got our desktop working and I was looking through picture slideshows (typical) and found this pic. of brand and I one year ago:

We took it at the West Indies Parade in Brooklyn. fun. So, my point..a year has gone by pretty quickly, so yay for the wedding being a year away because we have ALOT to do until then. haha.

All is going well in Punxsy. Brandon is working like a maniac at the store, and it is really starting to shape up nice. Literally, he works 15 hour days (at least1-2 times a week). I never get to see him, so I take him dinner and watch him unload canned goods. Romantic, we realize.

I am off to New York as of tomorrow and will be there until October 5. Brand is going to have to try to survive without me at his every need. haha, I flatter myself. I will be in training sessions 5 days a week and then have my weekends to myself. Hopefully going to visit PS 27 and all my kiddies one day. Hopefully Elena stops working so hard so I can squeeze in a visit to Boston (maybe birthday weekend?)

It smells/feels like fall today, and it makes me sooo happy. I really couldn't love a season any more than I love fall. I definitely wouldn't want to get married in any other season. i love love love fall! yay.

go steelers. hah.

409 days and counting...

Official Punxsy residents as of this weekend. Still unpacking and will probably be all the way up until we need start re-packing. ah, well. Brand and I are having a blast playing house. Punxsy has yet to reveal itself as the mega party town as i'm sure it secretly is...riiight. not even a movie theater, not cool. So far so good, though.

Brand and I visited the reception hall this past weekend, and were able to get some good ideas (and questions) about how we are going to set things up for the big day. In any case, it is going to look fabulous. heh.

I am now definitely being shipped back to nyc with scantron from Sept. 16-October 5. Hopefully will get a chance to make some visits while I am there thanks to the Chinatown bus (i.e. Boston and Baltimore)! Brandon is working super-hard already and is completely in charge of the store.

Some dates to [try to] keep open:

Sunday, July 27: Wedding Shower (Johnstown, PA)

**Planners: Moms of the B&G

Saturday, August 9: Bridal Party Plunge (Johnstown, PA)

**Planners: B&G

TBA: Bachelor/ette Parties

**Planners: you, heh.

Friday, October 17: Rehearsal &Dinner (Johnstown, PA)

Saturday, October 18: Wedding, (yay yay yay!!)

..okay, love you all.

yipee.

431 days to go, yippee!

Back from a very busy week into weekend, we are feeling re-inspired and even more excited about our own wedding. Stefanie and Justin's wedding was so fun and fabulous. They both looked absolutely gorgeous and truly happy. Such a blast that Brand and I were both able to be a part of their special day.

San Diego was englightening and educational. I am glad to be back on the east coast. As you know, I have sent out my bridesmaids invitations and I am having so much fun reading the response cards, your emails, and listening to voicemails. heh, I know it is waaay in advance, but I could barely keep my mouth quiet about who I wanted to join us on our big day. Brand has yet to officially ask the guys...but we will eventually let everyone in on the line-up and partners. hehe, so fun! After I get all the response cards back, I am going to send out a bridesmaid's email so everyone can keep in touch in that way.

Well, loves. Enjoy the last few weeks of summer. Tasha is off to Lock Haven this weekend, and Brand and I will make our semi-permanant move to Punxsy as of Sept. 1. Miss you all a lot.

Cheers.

441 days to go!

yoooohooooo, big things happening in our neck of the woods. Just to update all on our ever-changing lives.

a) Brandon is still working for ALDI and will transfer to the Punxsutawney store in September until Christmas eve of this year. From there we will move to Monroeville, so he can train as District Manager out there until June. Then, we don't know where ALDI will take us.
b) I got a job with Scantron corporation (ya know the online testing system at schools!) I am a training consultant and will travel all over the nation to train teachers and administration how to use the program. Yay for traveling! I am leaving for my Train-the-trainer session on Sunday in San Diego. Fun, I've never been to the west coast.
c) Brand and I have been progressively moving to our mini-Punxsy apartment. Its adorable, and there will be pictures to follow.
d) I bought my wedding gown, yay yay yay! Tasha and I went into the city and it should be delivered to my parents house by Thanksgiving! It's beautiful and I love it.
e) I bought a new laptop and i'm really excited about it.

Meesh's wedding today and Stef&Justin's bachelor(ette) parties tonight. Next weekend is their wedding, soooo excited!

Well, all for now. Enjoy the steaming weather.
ciao.

480 Days to go!

Hooray for starting a blog in honor of the wedding. Love it. Brandon and I are very slowly starting to get things together for the big day. Fyi: it is October 18, 2008. Already have the reception hall booked: Richland Hills Fire Hall (whoot whoot!) and the ceremony will be at Saint Gregory's Catholic Church in Cover Hill (both in Johnstown, PA). All plans and updates will be posted here. Hopefully after I figure out how to use this a little better, it will be a little more organized. How fun... blogging, I mean..who knew?

First on the agenda, get through the summer '07 weddings in August. Katie&Michael's was on June 16 (absolute perfection).

Meesh's on August 4; Stef&Justin's on August 11; and Steph&Garrett's on August 18. Then it is alllllll about us. heh. but seriously.

Also, check out our wedding website at http://weddings.theknot.com/pwp/view/co_main.aspx?coupleid=3231538553484375

cheers.