Andria 2009-05-18T16:23:59Z 2009-05-18 46 This past weekend, Ryan and I finally got moving on the last stage of our backyard remodel. We've been putting off what seems like a fairly simple task of laying sod in the back yard...but thanks to our procrastination (and some weather delays) we had a ton of work to do. The yard had become overgrown with weeds and the dirt had dried out to the point it was like trying to break ground in the Mojave Desert. Needless to say it took some serious elbow grease to get those weeds out, but we were able to get 50% of the yard cleared of weeds and covered in weed-free soft and rich new dirt. All we need to do now is finish the second half, pack the dirt down, add a bit more and then lay out the sod! All so Eddy can have a large grass filled playground to run around and swim through to his heart's content. :) Yes, he literally swims in the grass. lol. It also means we're one step closer to finally throwing our house-warming party! Considering Ryan bought the place over 4 years ago, and I moved in over 2 years ago, we're a bit overdue. :) 2009-05-18T16:23:59Z

Andria 2009-05-07T21:36:41Z 2009-05-07 44 With my dress fitting less than a month away, I've had to start focusing on picking out my shoes for the wedding. They'll need to know where to cut the dress hem based on my shoe height, so I had to get crackin'. After purchasing a few more options today, I now have FIVE pair of shoes to pick from for the big day. Now, don't think I'm crazy. lol. All but one pair of the shoes can be returned for a full refund if they turn out not to be the winning pair. The pair I can't return were only $20 and will go with normal clothes so they were worth getting as an option. Plus, they happen to be the current favorite, so I might just luck out with the cheapest bridal shoes ever:) I wonder if the girls at the bridal salon will think I'm nuts for bringing in 5 different pairs of shoes to try on with my dress. That has to be normal, right? I know you don't see the shoes most of the time, but this is an important decision! Not only do I need a few extra inches of height since Ryan's over 6 feet tall and I'm barely 5'5'', but these shoes have to match my dress and be comfortable to boot! Often style and comfort don't mix, so I HAD to get a few options. :) 2009-05-07T21:36:41Z

Andria 2009-05-07T21:24:47Z 2009-05-04 43 So anyone who knows me knows that I'm a planner. This means I'm constantly looking at my calendar and probably couldn't survive without out it as it's the only way I can manage to sort out all the things going on in my life. So how is it that a super planner like myself can't seem to realize how quickly time is going by? It's May 4th already! My first dress fitting is exactly one month from today! ONE MONTH! I had big plans of taking up spinning, walking Eddy more often, going to the gym at my office - all ideas to get more active and slim down so my clingy dress will fit perfectly in September. In fact, I recall setting this goal with 3 months to go, giving me loads of time to incorporate subtle changes in my eating & drinking habits, along with a few extra days of exercise per week. Suddenly I've only got 1 month to go and looking back, I haven't done a darn thing different, except maybe eat a little worse and drink a little more! How on earth do I loose track of time like this?! Is it even possible to trim up in just 30 days? No wonder the girls at the bridal salon said that most brides loose 5 pounds for their wedding. I'm sure brides plan on loosing a lot more than 5 pounds, but those months between picking the dress and then putting it back on again really fly by and maybe 5 pounds is all you can loose in a few weeks. So here I am setting a new goal, perhaps one that is a bit more obtainable given the short duration. Eat better, drink less, and get more exercise each week until the fitting. That's only 4 weeks of needing to make better decisions. Hopefully if I succeed in that, my actions will become habit and going forward towards the wedding (and for life beyond) this won't require much effort - just like loosing track of time seems to come so easily! 2009-05-07T21:25:57Z

Andria 2009-05-07T21:38:58Z 2009-04-27 45 Today after work I am finally meeting with a florist to start getting a better sense for what floral options we have for the wedding, or more likely, what options fall into our budget. Just chatting on the phone with one florist made it obvious that bouquets and centerpieces are just the start in the growing list of floral accessories a bride can dream up for the big day. For instance, apparently I need to decide whether to order corsages/boutonnieres for "significant" guests at the wedding. Seems like another way to alienate your friends and family to me. Not only do we have to break the news about who's in the bridal party, who's invited, and who's invited with guest, now we also have to decide whether you're significant enough to warrant a personal flower. Fortunately all our guests are significant, which means none of you will get a corsage/boutonniere. BYOB/BYOC. :) I also spent some time over lunch today browsing etsy.com for earrings to wear with my dress. Hard to make a decision though, considering I'm a professional buy-now-keep-the-receipt-think-it-over-and-return-what-i-don't-like shopper. Here are a few of my favorites so far: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=23856872 http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=24224708&ref=cat3_gallery_14 http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=22243030&ref=sr_gallery_3&&ga_search_query=pearl+cluster&ga_search_type=category&category=jewelry.earrings&ga_page=10&includes[]=tags&includes[]=title Guess I'll just give that some more thought since I doubt these independent sellers offer any sort of return policy. Up next on the agenda? Shoes! 2009-05-07T21:38:58Z

Andria 2009-02-03 41 Welcome to our new website!! As you can see, we're still working on a few things, but we think there is already some useful information on here! Check back occasionally to see what new information we add, including new photos and the scoop on who's in the wedding! Aside from the website, what else am I up to these days? Dress shopping!! I've now been to 9 different salons and have tried on more than 60 dresses. Watching countless episodes of Say Yes to the Dress on TLC did nothing to prepare me for this process - dress shopping is exhausting and man, you can't be shy! The ladies that host each appointment don't leave you alone for a second! Thankfully I've narrowed it down to three final choices and will go back to San Francisco on Thursday to hopefully make the big decision. 2009-05-06T18:18:28Z