Flowers!!!

Went to the 3rd florist this morning and O my goodness I think that we FINALLY found some one that is capable of giving me THE BRIDE what I want! When I told him that I did not want specific flowers he did not even flinch or give me the evil eye, like others, he just moved on to what I do like and want! And I got out my pictures and list of plants/flowers that I liked and he found them for me and showed me how we could use them. Like I had this specific berry that I wanted to use and when I showed him he got the book out and showed me how we could use it! PLUS, my favorite flower can bruise easily, and instead of freaking out about that fact like the last florist...seriously she tried to get me to not use the one thing I have ALWAYS known I wanted the flower...so I was upset that she tried to get me not to use it. But this florist reassured me that he takes extra measures to keep them safe and was glad to use them for me!
Also, he gave me the "Ahh-hha" moment by reading my mind in a way. He was willing to give me the flowers and accent foliage I liked and wanted. Plus, when creating the guys flowers he totally used the flower that I was thinking about AND right on the spot created a unique lil something for the groomsmen! It was just really nice to have someone listen to me and be willing to work with me VERSES telling me what to do or trying to create something that I had JUST said that I did not want! Plus, he knows the venue and was like, "I will run down there later this week to refresh my memory and draw out where and how we could decorate..." I love the above and beyond attitude and willingness!
SO I am pretty smitten with the guy...3rd time IS a charm!!! Now lets just hope that it's not an arm and a leg cost wise! ;-)

Thinking out loud

Sometimes I wonder what this life is going to bring. If I am taking the paths that are the best, most prosperous.
Justin is the best path that I have ever taken...the off beatin path that I ventured down and never looked back!
But I wonder about the other paths that I have or currently am walking down. Grad school, it's a path that irritates and brings more tears then anything else and has a way of breaking down my world in just one night of class. Though, it is a path that is to better educate me, make me look better to the world and individuals that make up this nation. Though this MA will not bring in the money unless something magical occurs...haha! Plus, I am in this internship that does not tailor to the area that I would like to work, so I find myself frustrated or feeling like I am not putting my best foot forward. I know that I have to take these steps that I may not enjoy, but what is the point at the end of the day when you are not fulfilled? What is the point when you come home grumpy? Dread class? I try to carry optimism around me the best I can but then there are moments when I have to Qin it all.
I am 24, college grad, engaged, but working as an ABA therapist and in a sense nanny for one family. O and counselor trainee who makes little for her hrs. I feel like I should be more in this world or at least contribute more to the economy and my household. I hate that little of my earned money is going towards this wedding and because of that other dreams Justin and i have must be put on hold. Like buying a house! He loves looking at houses on the market, like a hobby, and I hate that we can not be serious about looking into them. Not even next fall after the wedding. We can not wait to begin our own family together, but want to have a house over our heads not our apartment. I am fine with the fact that we will still be living with our rmmt after we are married, but I don't want to live with him for too much longer.
Basically, I wonder sometimes if I should get another job and consume my life of work and school only for the time being...or if I should look for a full time job and put school on the back burner...I just feel like I could or should be doing more to attain our dream. I know that I am still young (25 in a month ahhh) and have plenty of time to do so much...I just wonder. It's Sunday and I have had a lot of time to think.
I love my life for the most part right now and LOVE where it has brought me thus far...I just wonder sometimes. I am so excited SOOOOO excited about the wedding and starting my life with Justin. It will be the most beautiful event of the beginning of our lives as Man and Wife!
I just really needed to spill out my thoughts...irrational or rational...taking my advice for my clients ;-)

***I hope that everyone is happy, healthy and taking the paths that are paved or unpaved that make them feel fulfilled!***

Only 237 days til the BIG DAY!!!

Thanks for listening to me vent...Love to all!

8 MONTH COUNT DOWN

***ONLY 8 MONTHS TILL THE WEDDING***
Thus far on the wedding...we got another contract for reception signed and paid! Yay! AND Justin took care of it!!! I made ONE more meeting with the 3rd florist to see what they say, think, and compare to other two.
The 1st one: woman did not listen to what I said I wanted/liked, in her proposal she added flowers I said multiple times that I DID NOT WANT.
The 2nd: She was cool and creative, but a lil condescending and rubbed Justin wrong (which I guess my dad caught on to, too). Plus, we met right after I left work/internship and I was flying trying to make the apt so my mind was FAR from wedding flowers so I could not think straight or be affirmative...though Justin and my dad did a great job painting the picture of what I wanted.

SO now we are meeting with the 3rd florist on the top 3 list. I spoke with him today and WOW he is going to be entertaining! Gay and very vibrant! I have a feeling that I will be smiling and giggling a lot...as well as Justin and Dad. I love new people who get super excited with me/us about the wedding. And hopefully I will get that "YES" feeling with him unlike the other's. Or he will at least see what I am seeing! And be creative...basically have the positive aspects of the first 2 with an added something special I have been looking for...if not then we will see (probably go with 2).

As for the bridesmaids dresses I found one that I really like, just need to get the ONLY store in OH to get back with me about if I can see it or at least the color swatches of the fabric. What sucks is that those stores don't open til 12pm, which by then I am at work or getting ready for school and I work Sat morning into the afternoon, which after Iam usually running home to get ready for something we have planned...therefore I have limited time to run all over the Tri-State to stores, especially if they don't have what i want to see!


Well that's what's going down on the Wedding Planning Front! Hope everyone is staying safe and warm this fridged winter!

Snow Day!!!

SO the weather ppl were FINALLY right! Starting at midnight the flakes poured down, so I thru my scarf/gloves/coat on and danced around in the street under it...while Justin snored in bed ;-) It was fun! Then @ 6:30am Justin got a text that UC and XU were closed for the day=Snow day for us...kind of. He still had to work at home, but at lunch we froliced in the snow. More of him tackling me into the ground and me falling trying to take him down! Haha! Here is my lovely
Snow Angel:
Then while warming up with grilled chz and soup, I pulled up potential Bridesmaid dresses and consulted with Justin. I tried getting the thoughts of the girls, but one would get excited and another would give me the "that's...cute..." I have decided, no offense to the others, that I will consult Justin, Dana and my sister only. SO I tried to get pricing from the bridal shop on a specific designer they sell..but they suck and won't return emails or calls! Which I don't understand! Don't these ppl want the sale and commission? I mean when I have Qs about suits for the guys I have sales ppl fighting to answer or help me...too bad we have an in at the shop in CVG...as long as our rmmt doesn't screw it up (he is dating the girl now)...though she is pretty cool so I am going to assume that she would take the sale either way. Gotta love connections with good ppl!

So the florist we met with 2 wks ago called me today to make sure things were going well and that we did not have any further Qs. This really made me smile and love them more. Other florists just send emails and seemed like they could have cared less about us. This florist and her team seem to really want to be a part of our wedding! Wonder if that's because of my dad and his affiliation within the plant business or what...either way I love that they took the time to CALL us instead of an impersonal email or nothing at all. I feel that they will get a good referral from us...but not saying 100% until the Wedding and I physically am holding the bouquet that I dreamed and floral I envisioned! Hate to say it but I am questionable until I see it! Like my dress...I loved it when purchasing it, but while waiting for it to get made I was full of Qs and emotions. Then it came in, I put it on and showed it to my parents/sister/JDS' mom and I cried a lil in excitement! It was never doubt just concern. This is one day that I would like to be perfect to Justin n I.

Speaking of perfection, I am working to get my body tighter and toner. I started meeting with Justin & my mutual friend who is a Pilates teacher. I was tryin to get Justin to come with me but that was mission impossible. NE ways, I met with our friend for the 1st time last night after class. OMG pilates is...wow! The start was good. We started on the mat or this table that looks like one in a physically therapists table, using my own body weight and teaching me the correct moves. Then moved to the machine or sled. Though I excelled on the mat, the sled was another thing. At first I did well, but then I could tell Mike (teacher) was getting frustrated with me...though did a great job of not verbalizing! haha! He was telling me to curl my hips in, lift torso up, abs in and up...I was trying SSOOO hard not to get frustrated but there were moments when I thought my hips were curled in and had no clue how they could move any more! Being an athlete and used to cardio and weight lifting kinda screwed me I felt. I have the ab and body muscle, which he told me, but there were areas/ muscles he wanted me to engage and I had no clue how! Though I can say that I am a bit sore today..it's awesome! I have been trying to practice holding my abs in and lifting my torso w/o shrugging my shoulders or arching my back! HAHAHA..he would tell me to sit up tall and I thought I was but really I was arching my back like crazy! I was comical relief for sure! I hope to continue meeting with him 1/2x a wk, but I feel I need to get better at it...mainly bc as we were leaving he told me that he refused to charge us until I could do the workout correctly and get all I could from it. I thought I did well., but I am not a Pilates Master like Mike! He is crazy awesome! I am hoping tonight to get Justin outside to run and frolic more in the snow...nothing like 3-4 inches of snow and ice to run thru to engage the muscles! ;-)

Well, enough rambling for the day! Hope everyone is enjoying the snow or environment they are in! (I apologize for any grammatical mistakes...Justin told me that I can make a few when I type fast...hope no one thinks I am an idiot, I try to spell check).

Love to all!
*Carly*

Procrastination

So today I am having one of those days...the day where I am at work but actually have time to do HW & read for class, BUT instead I want to do anything BUT school. SO I have been looking at bridesmaid dresses online and driving myself crazy.

I find something I really like but then it's WAY too expensive! Or I find something but it's not in the color I want... For the past 5-6 months random females have been telling me, "You have to shop around and hunt for the bargain..." Well I have been hunting and looking around...but find myself at the same place every time. I just hope that one day I will be 'hunting and shopping around' and have that "TA DA" moment where 'the' dress is there...right color/style/sizes!

Sizes that's another hard part. All my girls range in height, weight, curve and bust. I have tall & stick like, tall & built, short & busty, tall but curvy, and maybe one girl that is relatively similar to my size. Try finding a dress that fits and looks good on all of them, or at least they feel good and comfortable wearing! AND I KNOW...I can pick a color and fabric then let the girls find a dress they like from that criteria. Which at first I was all for. But looking at it now I am not sure that I want or will like that at our wedding...where we are having it and all. O I don't know! It's crazy! Well that's my battle of the day: Finding dresses and the motivation to read for class.


Hope everyone has a great Friday and weekend!

*LOVE*
Carly

keeping all posted

I decided that instead of sending multiple emails all over the place, I would throw stuff on a Blog for all to view.
Justin and I are doing better with keeping sanity with lil over 8 months to go til the wedding! Though, we still have our moments of strain and stress. Weddings are not cheap or easy to plan...unless you are doing the court house (but who knows that might be a handful, too). For those who are not or have not planned before let me tell you...everything you say/said that you would do get thrown out the window for the most part. If your lucky some of the ideas come back around, but just be prepared that it's not as easy as one hopes...coping skills and patience are key!

I have to laugh bc while I am working to assist children and thier families to have healthy coping skills, good self-talk and retaining their sanity...I find myself doing the opposite in my own life @ times! However, I have made the oath to try not to get so overwhelmed now in 2009, as I was at the beginning in 2008! ;-)

So far Justin and I have done a pretty darn good job on our own. We have the venue for Ceremony & Reception + food/drink, photographers, MY DRESS!!!, and some other fun stuff.
I am attempting to finalize the florist...though I really liked the last woman I met so we need to just cross the ts and dot the i's. And I think we have the bakery for the cake/desserts...but honestly that is not at the top of our list (JDS and I are not some much cake ppl).

SO that's a summary of what is/has gone on thus far. Justin and I are busy, not only with the wedding, but with School (class+practicum+internship 4 me) and work, but we are getting thru it together...which is a great start to our future lives together!

Love to all!