Flowers

So I really want to make the flowers for the bridesmaids and with the help of the new Cricut I got for Christmas I am hoping to emulate what this bride did. We will see if I have the time/patience though.

http://cricutblog.org/?tag=ideas-flowers

One of my future husbands favorite dinners (aka I don't mess this one up)

Taco Casserole

What you will need:

• Ground beef
• Taco seasoning
• Salsa
• Sour Cream
• Cheese
• Tortilla Chips
•   Jalapenos
•   Oven preheated to 350

Step 1: Brown the ground beef and add seasoning per the instructions on the package

  

Step 2: Crush enough tortilla chips in the bottom of casserole dish to cover the bottom.

Step 3: Drain meat and put on top of layer of crushed chips (and also have a beer according to this picture.)

 

Step 4: Add a layer of cheese on top of meat.

 

Step 5: Add a layer of Salsa

 

Step 6: Add a layer of sour cream

 

Step 7: Add Jalapenos

 

Step 8: Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until sour cream and cheese are melted

 

Step 9: Serve on a bed of shredded lettuce (optional) with leftover chips for dipping.

Full Steam Ahead

My awesome Bridesmaids and I shared brunch this weekend at my sister/Maid of Honors home. It was a great way to relax and brainstorm about the wedding.

The girls decided on matching converse sneakers.

Plus we were able to get a few more girls out to try on dresses :)

They are so awesome!

With the save the dates and guest list almost finalized I am getting really excited!!!

I want this

I have talked about this before but I really want the fluffy stuff under my dress to be rainbow colored like this except all the way around :

A Place to get Hitched!

Zack and I have chosen the American Visionary Art Museum (www.avam.org) for our upcoming nuptials. It is beautiful and quirky just the way we like it.

The museum is located in Baltimore and is surrounded by unique buildings and a lot of greenery. There is also a ferry that takes you across the water from the inner harbour to where the museum is located. Yay for boats :)

The location for the ceremony has a backdrop of Fifi the Pink Poodle and a beautiful Hot Air Balloon sculpture that floats above our heads.

The reception will take place two floors above in a giant brick hall. It is really a beautiful empty space that will look amazing covered in all of our color.

Here are a couple more photo from places around the museum that I am sure will make their way into our wedding album :) 

Can't wait to see you all there :)

Let the Coundown Begin (unless you're Liz because then you already have)

Well the biggest hurdle has been overcome. Zack and I have finalized the venue and have chosen a date for the wedding. We had to go earlier than we had hoped due to Jewish Traditions that require that the ceremony start after sundown. So with daylight savings occurring next year on March 11th we chose (drum roll please) March 10th to seal the deal :) It is nice having a date to look forward to now and also to make a schedule to get things done.

Bridesmaid Dresses

Probably a little early but I did pick out the bridesmaid dresses. I am not sure that everyone will love them but I know that they will look amazing on everyone and they are dramatic and unique which I love. I am going to hopefully be able to add a color sash around the waist so that each person has a different color. We will see if that turns out though. Might have to opt for colored bouquets and accessories. Anyway, here is the dress:

Candy

So I am trying to come up with some really unique favor ideas for the wedding. One thing that I can't seem to get away from is using as much candy as possible at the reception. I know that candy doesn't seem like a very unique wedding idea but I think that the types of candy and the way that we are using them are a little different.

I definitely want Pez bride and groom wedding toppers for the cake. Being an avid Pez collector means that since I first saw that this was an option I knew that I had to do it.

So far the only "favors" that I have found that I like are these little mini double bubble machines. They are super colorful and I can't help but things that are smaller than they should be are just adorable.

I am also pretty sure that I want either a set of wax lips or a wax moustache sitting at each persons seat at their table. I hate over formal weddings where everyone at the table pictures looks all stuffy. I want to encourage my guest not to take themselves too seriously and to really have fun. Not to mention the table photos of all my friends and relatives with them on will be amazing :)

As I have said I am not a huge flower person so the idea of building floral arrangements for the center pieces does not excite me. My little sister did candles for her wedding which were beautiful but I am not sure that I want to go that route. I would love to make centerpieces out of candy. All the colors in the lollipops and jellybeans etc. in the photo below not only make my mouth water but also fill me with the same childhood excitement that I used to feel when my dad would let us pick out candy at 7-11 after Hebrew school.

Candles

I am currently reading a book called "The New Jewish Wedding" by Anita Diamante to gain some insight on Jewish customs that I would like to include in my wedding. Candles are something that have always been prevalent in Jewish traditions and celebrations. In the book Ms. Diamante describes one wedding that I felt used candles in a very unique and beautiful way.

"At one wedding each guest was handed a candle as she/he entered the sanctuary. The first two people in the processional acted as light bearers, row by row illuminating the candles of the people on the aisle, who in turn lit the candles of the people seated next to them, creating an ever-widening circle of light as the bride and groom walked into the room"

This reminded me of a sermon that my childhood Rabbi once gave to our congregation. I have no idea why this particular sermon stuck in my head. As a child I was never really good at focusing especially when being spoken to by a teacher but I have to think that for me to remember this particular story it must have meant something (even if I have no idea what that something is). Here is the sermon to the best of my recollection:

An old man wanted to leave all of his money to one of his three sons, but he didn't know which one he should give it to. He gave each of them a few coins and told them to buy something that would be able to fill their room. The son that was able to fill the room within the week would be the one deemed worthy of receiving his money. The first son bought straw, he spent days shoveling the straw but when his father came to see, the straw had settled leaving the room only half full.. The second son bought sticks. He labored for days attempting to fill the room but when the father came to see there were gaps that left the room only three quarters full. The third man bought books and spent his days studying and reading. The other brothers laughed at him for wasting time and saying that he would never be able to buy enough books to fill the room. When his father came to the see the last sons progress he saw the meager pile of books and asked his son “Why did you not fill your room”. His son pulled out a match from his pocket and struck it. Immediately the room was filled with light and the son said “father, I have spent my week filling this room with knowledge. The light that this knowledge brings will not settle or leave gaps and will continue to fill this room long after you are gone".

While the romanticism that candles bring is really enough of a reason to include them in this way in the ceremony, I must admit that I like the idea of the "light" that the candles symbolize. Not only to they shed brightness on the occasion and the commitment that we will be making to each other but it also unites all those that stand with us making a "new family". A family not only made up of relations but all those that care about us and have supported us thus far.

Probably a little too deep for a wedding that will most likely be taking place next to a giant pink poodle. Not to mention my nerdy safety stage manger side is having horrible visions of wax on dresses, people burning themselves, and out of control fires. Not to mention I doubt it would be legal to have that many candles burning indoors. It makes for pretty imagery though so I though I would share it.

Flowers- Blarg

Perfect for the Groomsmen and Groom

 

Lots of different flowers. Love this one.



So, I have never been a big flower person. I am dreading my "flower consultation" as a fate worse than death. I am toying with the idea of making my own bouquets with fake flowers mostly because I don't really see spending that kind of money on something that isn't even going to last for a week after the wedding. My poor sister couldn't even find her bouquet after her wedding.

I love all the colors in this one
with the big white daises.



These bright colors are what I am hoping to use.
 The mini daises are cute too.



I am a big fan of Gerber Daises and Carnations so I suppose if I do go with a live flower I will probably go that route. I do want to add some glitter or sparkly element.  Who doesn't love glitter?

  

I just really love this color.









The Dress

So since I woke up on the wrong side of the bed today I sent an email to my sister and my mom to see if they wanted to stop by a local boutique and scout out wedding dresses. Unfortunately mom had a baseball game so rather than leave her out of the dress process we postponed. I did however start doing some research online to hopefully find the winning dress.

 The most beautiful dress (in my opinion) that I have ever seen was the dress of a thousand layers that Carrie wore in one of the Paris episodes of Sex and the City. I would love to find a dress that is similar in design. Below are some that are close but none excite me so much that I can't wait to go try them on.

  It is tough for me to get as excited about the dress as I think I am supposed to be. I am not the best getting in touch with my feminine side and the idea of standing in front of a group of people as they oohhh and aaahhh makes me feel weird. I am looking forward though to picking out some fierce shoes though as they have always been my weakness. :)