Wedding Insanity

Dear Readers,

It’s time for a confession. No, I’m not a lesbian, and No, I’m not the person who steals candy out of the bulk bin at the super market (ok, maybe I did snag a rootbeer barrel once or twice – like you haven’t?). I’m pleading insanity by wedding. Really. I am. How do I know? Because I spent a large part of my Sunday evening meticulously cutting out glittery little letters, and then ironing them to sweatshirts. Want proof?

Yes - It's Martha Stewart meets David's Bridal. I am aware of these implications.

Yes, that is a white, hoody sweatshirt that says MRS CURRAN. Yes, I will wear it on my wedding day when I’m getting my hair and makeup done. Because? When you get your hair done, you don’t want to have to pull a shirt over your head, hence the zipper. Yes, I realize it’s ridiculous. Why is it ridiculous? Because a normal 25-year-old graduate student would probably be studying, or watching TV, or drinking fuzzy navels in a smoky bar. But no. I have fallen victim to the silly, the trite- the DETAILS. I have always been a fan of details. Details make the world go ’round. Telling someone that a bird is chirping is okay, but telling someone that a beautiful, red-bellied robin sat on a bough singing a melody is SO much better.  Next thing you know, I’ll be wearing christmas tree sweaters and taking those lame family portraits where everyone is wearing reindeer horns (including the dog).

Ask a common bride what her biggest wedding stress is, and she’ll probably say she’s afraid that the photographer won’t show up, or the tri-tip will give everyone food poisoning. It’s not that I don’t care about those things, it’s that I am more concerned that my guests won’t notice our personalized cocktail napkins, or the embossed bee stamp on the favor bag. Why am I this way? I don’t know. I blame it on my mother, who buys someone a sweater, and then obsesses over buying matching socks.  I do know that come August 7, I will be rocking a custom, personalized hoody sweatshirt, and I will feel great doing so. Even better? Seeing my bridesmaids wear theirs. Oh yes. That’s right. I made the bridesmaids custom hoodies, too. That, my friends – is wedding insanity.

Life is what happens when you’re busy making plans

Whew! We’re six weeks out and as you can probably tell by my infrequent posting, I am BUSY! I’ve been out of town two weekends in a row and have started a new job (which is totally fun, btw). Leo decided to get sick again (He’s the golden cat – and I’m not referring to his hair color. I think that cat breathes dollar signs) and Matt and I have been dealing with life’s usual little jokes, like cleaning up over 7,000 ants that decided to swarm our kitchen. The picture of our great American life: It’s 6:30. Dishes piled high in the sink. Recycling stacked up on the counter. Mail unopened. Matt and I come home. Don’t know what to make for dinner. No groceries. Decide to make oatmeal. Begin to boil water. Cat jumps on counter. Knocks over open oatmeal canister. Seven million oats flutter to the floor in slow motion. Get broom. Sweep up oats. Turn around. Ants are back. Attempt to wash ants down the drain. Sink is clogged.

You know when you turn 18, they say you’re really an adult? I didn’t really FEEL like an adult until I was about 24. Even though I was independent through college, when I graduated and started working full-time, THEN I felt like an adult. Then I had to deal with the car insurance bills, the clogged toilets, the leaking air conditioner, the brakes going out, the jury duty and the insomnia. I was recently crabbing to my mom that being a grown-up sucks. She reminded me that it DOES suck, but in addition to all the hard times, there’s so many good times. And she’s right. Absolutely, unequivocally, honestly right. No matter how many ants invade my house or how many times I have to bring that damn cat to the vet, there are a million and ten good things that will outweigh the bad. Like getting to sit with my dads (new and old) on Father’s day and eating homemade biscuits and gravy. Like being able to go to the Home Depot this weekend and buy a flat of impatiens just because I can. Like being able to marry an awesome guy in front of about 150 people that love me – and then celebrate by jetting off to the Caribbean. So when I get stressed out about something, I need to stop and remind myself what really matters. Sometimes I need “attitude adjustments”, when I find myself getting all “Woe is me, I have so much to do.” Because even though I end the day exhausted, I’m lucky I have that opportunity. Have you had to give yourself a little “attitude adjustment” lately? How do you inspire yourself to stay positive when you’re feeling a little grumpy?

We're so cute, but we cost an arm and a leg. Good practice for kids?

Wedding Weekend

Hello again from the road: I’m writing this from the front seat of a dusty Honda Civic barreling down the I-5. Matt and I are returning from another productive wedding weekend, and this time we tackled final catering meetings, alterations, favors and flower girl dresses.

Our wedding site was in beautiful full bloom and there was a nice breeze blowing in from the cypress trees. I hope we get a wedding day like yesterday- mid 70s, blue sky, shining sun. We went to the alterations lady and had her start working on my “waterfall butt”, aka French bustle. It’s actually not at all like a waterfall butt because all of the draping occurs in the lower leg region. Everytime I try on that Dress it feels more comfortable, so I’m psyched to wear it soon.

We bought our adorable flower girl dresses- ivory with silk hydrangea accents. Adorable, and a steal from Burlington Coat Factory! We also dined twice with my soon-to-be inlaws: Matt’s dad cooked his butt off and for breakfast we had an amazing brunch with biscuits and gravy. It was a good, fun productive weekend.

Exciting news on the non-wedding front: I got a promotion! I’ll now be online content manager for my company, which means I’ll be bloggig, facebooking and twittering my days away as the official brand social media contact. I’m so psyched and got a nice lil raise, which will certainly help pay for this big old fancy wedding!

I’ll try to write more regularly this week- for now, I’m out!

Shower me with kisses

This weekend I attended a bridal shower in Chicago. My family put on a typical Kopecky event – loud, bawdy and filled with all sorts of “salads” in which creamy dressings and fattening cheeses play much more of a role than vegetables. It was hectic, overwhelming and incredibly fun!

My trip started with a cramped late night flight from LAX to Midway. I had the pleasure of sitting next to two charming young men, who “told me” their names were Jess and Dan. One worked in construction and the other did some sort of alumni sporting event management. It was the first flight I’d ever had where I spent the whole time talking, and it made the flight fly by. I wish they were next to me now (I’m flying home as I type this- love ya, iPhone!) but I’m seated next to the far-more common middle-aged silent seatmate (at least they’re not farting, crying, morbidly obese or resting their head on my shoulder). These two different but dynamic dudes again showed me how cool people can be found all over the country, and how sharing a simple statement (in my case it was, “exit aisle seats are good for Vikings like us”) can quickly start a friendship. Good times. I wish them well and hope everyone gets a chance to travel next to friendly, funny strangers.

I arrived at midnight in Chicago and was instantly shrouded in a thick blanket of humidity. My clothes felt sticky and damp, but I could breathe! My normally swollen sinuses shrank to normal size and I felt like the grass was just landscaping instead of a field of evil. My mom and I slept at a pleasantly plush Holiday Inn and the next day, traveled through pounding rain to go to my uncle’s yacht. We cruised over the Illinois river and ate sausages, sandwiches and my aunt’s famous potato salad. There were raunchy jokes, peer pressure (I can’t tell you how many times my mom mentioned “grandbabies”), lots of farts (we’re pretty proper, you know) and a whole lot of love.

Sunday was my shower, complete with adorable handpoured mason jar candles made by auntie Nanette. My cousin Kelley made unique and pretty floral arrangements, and a bunch of my cousins and aunts chipped in to make lots of “salads”. We played the toilet paper bride game again and all of the women shared bits of advice for my upcoming marriage. I also scored more loot, including awesome Beatles pint glasses and a pizza stone. After the shower my cousins and I went in the hot tub, drank cheap wine, and gossiped about the family (hey, at least I’m honest).

Monday I woke up to rain, got dropped off at my aunt’s house by my awesome cousin Becky, and then had one last Portillo’s beef and cheddar before I got dropped off at the airport. It was an awesome but too short trip (as usual) and I found myself having a lot of pride and nostalgia for the Midwest I know and love. I had forgotten how beautful the fireflies are – little gems of light glimmering in the night, or how the green, endless fields of corn look like emerald waves. Lone red barns dot the fields like poppies, yet somewhere, no matter how far out in the boonies, there’s a welcoming face.

If I had to describe my feelings seven weeks from the wedding, it’d mainly be stressed, but more importantly, it’s gratitude! How lucky Matt and I are to be surrounded by such loving, supportive family. I truly believe that our marriage will always be supported and upheld by the strength of our family and friends. I’ve always known how blessed I am to have a big, loving family, but seeing their love emerge over and over again in regards to our wedding makes me feel like a warm, fuzzy lil’ butterfly filled with joy. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

What can we learn from women?

As I begin my 26th year, I’ve noticed I’ve become more and more aware of my incredible pride of  being a woman. I’ve always been rah-rah feminist, because women are amazing. But as I age, I am really starting to admire and respect women of all ages, sizes and types. I interviewed for a promotion today with a very well-respected woman at my company. She’s come in and managed to work along side of some very challenging men, but has maintained her cool, positive demeanor the whole while. Those are the type of women I admire on an every day basis.

My mother is another woman I admire. My mom is a force to reckon with. Those that know her call her things like “wild,” “a hoot”, “hilarious” or “a crack up”. Fiercely social, she can talk your ear off and charm you at the same time. She’s started her own successful business and raised three pretty awesome kids, but she’s a mom to so many more than her biological children. She’s the mom that childhood friends call when they’re at the hospital, the mom that people run to when family troubles break even the calmest demeanor. She’s an inspiration for moms everywhere – a mom who made her passion her priority, but never lost perspective of her true loves – her kids.

I always thinks it’s sad when I see women fighting or using petty, snarky drama to hurt each other’s feelings. Women should be allies, not competitors. It’s taken a long time to  get equal footing in this man’s world – so why would we want to diminish our names by using things like cleavage, whining or – even worse – “playing dumb”? When I see a strong woman, I see intelligence, confidence and compassion. A woman who’s not afraid to fight for what she’s worth or stand up to a cat-calling man. A woman who can grill a mean steak but still arrange an artful bouquet. A  woman who can beat’ em in the boardroom but kick back with her kids on the weekend. A strong woman is so much more than a CEO or a Mom or a Governor or a Celebrity. A strong woman is who I aspire to be, and whom I can confidently say I am.

5 minutes, 1 roll of tape, and 1 roll of toilet paper. May the best design win!

 I look at this picture and feel a swelling of gratitude – to be surrounded by such beautiful, compassionate women. They all have true, sincere smiles – and they all have long lists of amazing accomplishments. In this photo we have a graduate student, a reading specialist, a ceramist, an insurance executive, and a receptionist. Most of them are moms. Some are married, some are divorced, some are engaged. What a mix of strong, beautiful women! We can learn so much from women all around the world. We are not just the carriers of life – we are the carriers of energy, light and strength. We can do so much if we persevere through the fear, the negativity and the bad stereotypes.

 Washington Irving said, ““There is in every true woman’s heart, a spark of heavenly fire, which lies dormant in the broad daylight of prosperity, but which kindles up and beams and blazes in the dark hour of adversity.”

Don’t you agree?

Do me a favor and help me vote!

So, what’s the latest thing I’ve been stressing about? Favors! To some people, a favor is meaningless at a wedding, but I’ve always enjoyed a little trinket or treasure to take home. I had my mind set on a candy buffet, but as the cost of the candy started adding up, I realized it wasn’t a practical favor for an outdoor wedding. Not to mention the fact that Miss Type A (Hi, that’s me) would be worried about how the table was set up and all that. So I started to ponder new wedding favors. Egg-shaped soap? No thanks.

I'm not gonna blow my nest egg on these sweet lil' suds...

Personalized M&Ms? WAAAAAY too expensive. I decided I like shot glasses, but then my dad brought up the point that the older guests may not enjoy shot glasses as much. My next idea? Brilliant! Personalized champagne flutes. We’d kill two birds with one stone by having favors AND glasses for the toast. But, along came shipping costs, and our inexpensive favors were up to $400. No thanks! My next idea was a cute one too – $1 scratchers. Very cute! I sent an e-mail to Matt and my dad, and once again, Dad rained on my parade by mentioning the cost. SHEEEEESH! I’m about ready to order cheesey personalized pencils  and call it a day! I had had silver jordan almonds at a friends wedding and loved how cool they looked, but the cost was a little steep. (Did I mention I have 150 plum organza bags that are non-refundable? Yup, I’m hell-bent on using those, too). Thanks to tons of googling, I MAY have found the compromise. Silver Amorini Hearts! Amorini hearts are a quality chocolate coated in a fine, sugared shell. And they come in all sorts of beautiful colors. They’re relatively inexpensive, and thanks to the shell, they won’t melt in the potential hot hot August heat.

Amorini hearts also have significance – amorini means “little loves” in italian. Once again, I am stuck on a detail, a detail which will likely be scarfed down before dinner or left on the table. Big picture, Alyssa, Big picture! Have you ever had a favorite favor at a wedding?

Edited to add: I talked to my mom and now am re-considering the shot glasses. OH THE INSANITY!!! Wouldn’t it be so cute to have a personalized shot glass filled with candy that says “I went to Alyssa and Matt’s wedding and all I got was this lousy shot glass!” ? Or is it tacky? What do you think? My mom thinks it’s cute… I think it’s cute… Matt thinks it’s cute…

OR

A bundle of flavored honey sticks tied with twine and a tag that says “We’re so thankful you could bee a part of our celebration.”

PLEASE  VOTE!

Wish you were here

WOAH – in two days, it will be exactly two months until the wedding. My how time flies! (I feel like I’ve been saying that a lot lately!) Today, I had a wedding-riffic Saturday, and booked our honeymoon hotel, sent more invitations, checked registries, returned a gift and worked on the photos for our memorial table. Matt and I will each have one surviving grandparent attending our wedding, and we wanted to make sure everyone knew that there is a whole slew of people that we wish could be there. I started collecting vinatage-looking white frames from discount stores, and began pestering people for photos. My trial run today ended up like this:

I’m still waiting for a few more pictures, but I consider this pretty close to the rough draft. We’ll have some fresh flowers and a candle lit. I felt very nostalgic looking at these photos, but not in a sad way. There’s a picture of my grandfather with a fishing pole in his hand, and his face is lit by the setting sun. At that moment I felt happiness, because his smile tells me that he was on his boat in Tennessee and didn’t have a care in the world. My grandmother is sitting in a recliner, reading a letter. She has a wide smile and a comfortable glow. My other grandfather is in his plaid-checked shirt, with a hat that says “World War Veteran – and proud of it!” He appears to be mid-sentence, beaming and laughing, probably making a sarcastic comment.

I still need photos from Matt’s side of the family, but I did something that MAY stir up a little bit of controvery. Included in our memorial table now are pictures of the family dogs. I thought about this for awhile, and then I realized that I don’t care what people think. Dogs are family, and in my family, and matt’s, those dogs were well loved. There’s no reason that we can’t include them in our memorial table, and it’s a cute picture, and might spread a little light over a potentially sad feeling. See Bailey and Peaches back there?

 

There’s a tiny bit of sadness associated with this project, but I’m not too down about it because I do believe that all of these people will be with us in some way on that special day. And if they’re not, I can still imagine them sitting in the front row, dabbing away tears and throwing rose petals with the rest of our guests. On August 7, I won’t choose to think of them as the dearly departed – I’ll think of them as memories.

Showered with love

On Saturday, I had my first bridal shower! The lovely garden-themed fete was held at my mom and dad’s house in Petaluma, Calif. I had my makeup trial that morning, and while I was sleepy and groggy from a seven hour drive the night before, the whole day was incredible. Here I am waiting for the shower to begin, with fancy made-up eyes:

The food was AWESOME! My sister slaved away and came up with adorable and delicious things, like these dark-chocolate butterfly shaped pretzel rods and chocolate dipped peanut butter hearts. There was also home-made sangria and fresh-squeezed lavender lemonade!

A highlight of the day was playing toilet paper bride. I wish I had the photos to post – gotta get those from my mom! The party split off into 5 groups, and each had five minutes and one roll of toilet paper. They had to create a wedding gown entirely out of toilet paper! I ended up choosing Katelyn’s mom Susan as the winner, whose team created a gown complete with a train and bouquet. It was a hilarious game and a great ice-breaker for the events to come. Next, I had to answer a series of questions about Matt. I did shockingly well, but for each question I missed, I had to chew a giant piece of watermelon bubble-yum. That is a BIG piece of gum. So even though I only missed 7 out of 30 – I ended up with a big wad of watermelon gum in my mouth! (Again – wish I had the photos!) Next up I unwrapped some amazing and generous gifts, like a le creuset dutch oven and some frilly lingerie. It was an incredibly awesome day and I felt so touched that so many people drove long distances to come shower me with love.  I know my mom, my sister and my best friend worked their butts off to throw an amazing party, and it was beautiful! I am so grateful to be surrounded by such wonderful people!  My brother’s girlfriend Allison even baked me this adorable and yummy buttermilk cake!

The next day we had another fun event planned – our officiant, Dennis, came to my parent’s house with his wife Barbara! She knit us a beautiful, cream-colored throw blanket, and we all feasted on things like marinated tri-tip, twice-baked potatos, and three berry pie. My dad cooked his butt off for this party and I ate so well that I felt like royalty. It was really nice to spend time with Dennis and his wife because they’re good, funny people. I am so excited Dennis will be officiating our ceremony, because he’s awesome! Check out a photo of the lovely couple (Barb, don’t kill me. You look great!):

All in all, it was an awesome, busy weekend! I can’t believe we’re officially about two months away from the big day. My, my, how time flies! Coming up this week: Music choices, favor poll, and more goofy bridal shower photos! Hope you’re having a great week!