8 month mark...

Wedding updates:
Flowers: Brandon and I met with the florist and got everything settled. We are really excited about it. It will be a little different, but really pretty. I can't wait to see it all together. The flower girls are going to wear flower halos and it is going to be so adorable.
Cake: We have talked about switching the cake up a little more than what I had previously posted. We are meeting with baker in April and will have details to come. For dessert we are tossing around the idea of serving pie instead of cake (staying within the fall theme) but have not decided anything in stone yet. What do you think?
Invitations: I have been working with some different ideas and have decided to go with a leaf theme for the invitations. Really simple, but cute and along with the theme of things. I am doing them myself, and will be working on them over the next couple of months, yay for something to do!
Save-the-dates: Our checklist has announced its time to get those together, so B and I have been throwing some ideas around. Look forward to them coming around in the near future!
Bridesmaids: Remember any RED hue of dress and gold shoes and jewelry (both your choice). And that is Gold-Gold, not the bronzey-gold (thanks Karpy for clarifying! heh). Please let me know when you get your dress and I would love to see pics!

Brandon updates: Finished with his Washington, PA training and will be in Jamestown, NY for 6 weeks. I told him that IF he shoots a turkey, we can incorporate the feathers in the groomsmen's boutonnieres. He is too happy and desperate now to shoot one. hah. He's still totally handsome too, by the way.

Tabitha updates: Still working for Scantron and is back and forth to NYC every few weeks. I am looking into the process for switching my NY teaching liscense to PA so that next year, wherever we may be, I can get my own classroom again; I really miss the kids.

Miss you all and love you! We are both so excited for all the upcoming events and to be with all of you!!

268 folks...

Hi my loves,

So we have been making really great headway on the wedding plans. My mom, Marianne, and Kayla, and I went to visit the amazing florists last wednesday and it was a blast. We were there for 2.5 hours and it took awhile for them to get what I had in mind, but they finally came around. They are working on coming up with exact bouquets and will get back to me. What is definite is we will have three different kinds of bridesmaids bouquets and the flower girls are wearing hair halos (of flowers). My bouquet will be a mixture of everyone's bouquet flowers. From what we talked about it, I love it. yay!

I also went on a cake tasting with my grandma and brand's gram. It was fun and we booked the baker. We haven't made a for sure decision about what it will look like with the exception of it definitely being three tiers of round cakes and beading at the bottom of each tier. Like this:

...And instead of those flowers on this cake, it will be berries (like in the bouquets). I want it to be simple and pretty.

I also got my wedding day shoes. I saw the pic in a bridal magazine and fell in love. I got them at David's Bridal and love them. The david's bridal lady gave me a catalog of their most recent dresses, so if anyone wants to check it out, let me know and i'll get it to you!

We are in the works talking to a DJ and getting it all worked out. If we could just get that settled, I would feel a little less anxious.

Brandon and I spent a whole day registering for gifts at crate&barrel online and bed, bath & beyond. All we have to do now is actually go to bb&b and register for our sheets and towels, you kind of have to feel that stuff to choose it, ya know.

Talked to the church and have determined that the ceremony will start at 2pm and reception will begin at 5pm at the fire hall. Brandon and I signed up for our religious counseling in April, woohoo!! He is really looking forward to that...hah.

As I posted earlier, all girls are welcome to stay at my parent's house on the wedding eve. We are going to have the hairdresser at our house on the wedding morn along with snacks and mimosas. Kayla says shes going to make a sweet CD including "Goin' to the Chapel" hahh! can't wait. The hairdresser says, "$35 a head, have dry hair, and have the hairstyle in mind." word.

Other than that, I am sooooo flipping excited about the wedding and all the festivities to come. Thank you to everyone who has been putting up with my extreme giddiness!! Love you!

278 days and counting...

Quick post:
New links for bridesmaids dresses and also wanted to say that we are going with red dresses and gold shoes and jewelry, both your choice. :) Let me know any questions!
Links:
http://www.bridesmaidsandflowergirls.com/
http://www.melissasweet.com/
http://priscillaofboston.com/
http://vineyardcollection.com/
http://www.jimhjelmoccasions.com/

love you!

Happy 2008 and wedding year!

Hello and happy new year from Brandon and I. We are offically gypsies and starting out the new year with some adventure...hah! Please read on to any updates you are most interested in:

Brandon: Finally finished his in-store training in Punxsutawney (yay!). He has now moved on to his district manager training as of Dec.31st and has six weeks to learn the ins and outs in his old stomping ground of Washington, PA. He has lightened his work hours (thank goodness), is eating regularly again, and so thrilled that he will get to go to all the home W&J basketball games. After six weeks in WashPa, he will be six weeks in Jamestown, NY, still learning. Then it will be to Monroeville until the middle of May. Thus, we are gypsies leaving in hotels/out of the car until then. Romantic.

Tab: Still working with Scantron and surprisingly, cannot leave NYC no matter what. I'm scheduled to go back up for the month of January to do trainings and then possibly into February as well, if I'm needed. As of the new year, i'm trying to be fully dedicated to taking care of myself and losing so much weight that people will think i need to be committed...any support would be appreciated. (hah..only half kidding) After brandon and i get a real home that is somewhat permanent i want to get back in to teaching because i miss kids.

Wedding: invitations have been purchased and i'm doing them myself. they are pretty simple but cute. Brandon is almost finished asking all the guys, so soon we will have an offical partner list. We still don't have a DJ booked (panic ensue) but are looking and getting a lot of suggestions. I am also beginning to think about flowers...but not positive yet on anything. We have three hairdressers coming to my parents house on the day of the wedding to do our hair, all bridesmaids are welcome to stay at my mum&dad's house on wedding eve. Please do, i'll probably have insomnia and need company.

Bridesmaid Dress Deadline: August 18, 2008
*Please forward pics to me:)

Now that it is FINALLY 2008, i'm going to be really excited and squeal-ly about everything. I'm going to apologize in advance for the level of annoying-ness that i will reach, but also say thank you for your enthusiasm and patience with me. Besides, that's why i picked youns, i knew you would at least pretend to be excited about shower plans and table settings. i love you!

ps. i'm seriously considering wearing cowboy boots on the wedding day. anyone gonna try and stop me? heh, but seriously.

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.