New Toys: Part 2

Remember way back in April when my mom's friends hosted a shower for me and I showed you some of the wonderful gifts they gave me?  Well, I held back on showing you my favorite gift, because it deserves a post of its own.  It's one of the greatest gifts I've ever received, actually.  It even rivals the three-story fully furnished wood dollhouse my father built for me when I was five, custom made to fit my Barbies.  Yes, this gift is that wonderful.

Ready?

I have this thing for vintage days of the week embroidered dish towels.

My best friend Abby told her mom about this, who, it just so happens, is an expert at embroidery.

So as my wedding gift she made me these towels, which went along with my nautical themed wedding.

The pattern is from the 30s or 40s.

She kept going and made extras... nautical-themed, of course.

This one she designed off of the sailboat on our wedding invitation:

It features my (new) last initial and our wedding date, Aug 13.

And now, the piece de resistance!

Here's a closer look:

The nautical flags spell Andrew <3 Monica.  Awww.

Unbelievable, right??  No one in the history of weddings has ever received a more thoughtful, personal, and beautiful gift than this.  I'm a lucky girl.  Thanks, Diane!  I will cherish them all my life.

Well, hey there!

So big news!  I got married!
Well, first I turned 30, then I got promoted at work, and then I got married!  Life is amazing.

Weekend Wine Tasting

We're hammering out all the details for various wedding-related events these days, and last night we did one of the more fun ones: wine tasting!  The rehearsal dinner is on a boat, and they allow the client to supply their own beverages, so we spent the evening narrowing down white and red wine selections (beer is a whole other beast we weren't ready to tack just yet).

The idea was to keep it inexpensive, so none of the bottles exceeded $9.  You'd be surprised at how many good options you can get in this range.

It started out innocently enough...

Nine chardonnays later....

I found one that tasted like oysters - not good... unless you're eating oysters.  which we were not.

Several judges with varying palates offered their two cents, and there were a lot of serious contenders for the number one spot.

In the end, the clear winner was Fitzer 2010 chardonnay - a clean, crisp, and aromatic white wine.

The Cabernet was a no-contest situation; nothing stood up to Red Diamond.  Also a no-contest situation: Andrew drove us home that night.

The Shoes

I have decided on a shoe for the wedding!  After I wrote that post, I kept coming back to the blue Badgley Mischka Odell pumps over and over again.  I knew I was smitten.  They were about twice as much as I wanted to spend, but I knew in my heart that they were the ones.  Even though I hate it when people say, "Monica, they're so you!"  I have to admit, these shoes are so "me."

Notice the four-inch heel.  Do I get a pair of shoes with a lower heel and an ankle strap for all the booty-shaking I'll be doing later in the evening?  Maybe I just pack a pair of flip flops?

Bridal Shoes

I'm on the hunt for a shoe.  I'm going to need to have my dress fitted soon and it's important for me to make sure it will fall at the right length, which means having my shoes with me at the tailor.  The dress is a bright white satin with some bling on it.  It's sort of an "old hollywood" look.  I can't show a picture of it because Andrew reads this blog and I don't want to spoil the surprise.  He loves surprises... which is the opposite of me.  That being said, I don't think he'll care whether or not he sees my shoes ahead of time.  Here are some of the options I've come up with that are sort of in the right price range.

Traditional White:

Metallic: Silver/Pewter:

Blue to Coordinate with Wedding Colors:

These last ones aren't navy, but I think the antique blue would match the blue hydrangeas in my bouquet, so they made the list.  Not to mention they are gorgeous.  So there you have it.  Thoughts?

Delivery for Moi!

Look what came in the mail today!  300 yards of nautical ribbon!  My heart is filled with joy over these stripes!

Ok, now what to do with it?

I'm Guilty.

OK it happened - I got engaged and stopped posting on my blog because I was too busy researching venues, trying on dresses, and staring at my ring.  I never imagined myself as being a bride who gets engulfed in wedding planning, but I am living proof that it can happen to anyone if she's not careful!  It sounds like I'm apologizing, but I'm really not.  I'm loving this!  I just thought you deserved an explanation.  I'll try not to turn this into a wedding blog, but seeing as this is a blog of my own musings, wedding stuff may slip in every now and then.  Like right now.

Today I had a free moment at work (it's actually been really busy for me these days, which is another reason why I haven't had time to post), and decided to browse wedding invitations for inspiration.

Then,  I came across this gem:

Oh. My. God.

Hilarious!  I will not be having spoof invitations like that one, but I can appreciate it for what it is. Well executed, Rae and Adam!