Another Day, Another Job Rejection

Medicating with special lime drink and cookie dough.

Today was a pretty emotional day. I found out that I didn't get a job that I thought I was perfect for. The teacher leaving recommended me for goodness sake. I lost it to another girl from my UVA program... The principal said I would be better suited for upper elementary. Too bad since I want to teach in the primary grades.

Since it is now August and teachers start in 12 days, I'm beginning to look at other lines of work. Unfortunately, I can't be a substitute teacher or work full time at the research lab because neither offers benefits. It's super sad when you hold two masters degrees and a crapload of awards and scholarships and you are now looking at hourly positions. I'm considering applying to be a secretary in a school - just so I can be in the atmosphere. I'm also the last of my friends without a job. Please keep the prayers coming. My depression has worsened.

On a lighter note, AK IS HERE! She brought her boyfriend Mike down and today we ate lunch at Bodos, visited Holy Comforter and Alumni Hall and I showed her everything I've made so far. Tomorrow morning Joey is going to come by and the three of us are going to push out some wedding things for a couple hours. It will be nice to have 2 bridesmaids helping at one time.

Also, my dress came in! It's in Gainsville, but I'm planning to go pick it up tomorrow. AK wants to see me in the ACTUAL dress so we're going to leave here late afternoon, drive up, do the dress thing and then grab dinner before they head off to DC. The one light at the end of the darkness I suppose.

Adult lime drink and AK are my friends. And Suzie's cookie dough. It rocks.

Reunited Again!

SCORE! She's BACK!
(Photo circa August 2007)

Before Christopher and I moved into our house, I lived on the other side of town with my good friend Stephanye. We randomly met on Craigslist looking for roommates and found we had more in common than we could have ever expected. Steph and I had our apartment (with her dog, our love, Rosie) for a year and it was a beautiful apartment. It was new. And pretty. And organized. And labeled. And it was full of estrogen.

Now I live with a boy. A stinky boy who leaves clothes all over the house. Who forgets to turn lights off. And who is - well, just an ordinary man. I lived with my fair share of boys in college (1 female roommate, 5 male roommates), but that was another time in my life. It's funny how getting married makes you think - well this is the last roommate I will ever have. I get so excited about our marriage when that thought crosses my mind. But then... then I miss the labels. And the girly talk. And Steph. And Rosie.

Well, lucky for us we have a spare bedroom/bathroom and Steph and Rosie needed a place to live for two months before they move to Israel. (I KNOW, jealous, RIGHT?!?) It could not have worked out more perfectly. We have new additions to family dinner night and it has been so much fun.

Steph has really pulled through with helping me with wedding decisions. She tasted the sample cake (we both voted no, but trust me - I didn't have to force it down her throat!), she thinks everything I make is "so pretty!" and she backs me up when I come up with new ideas that Christopher isn't yet sure about. She loves the ribbon boards, and the fabric - she helps me pick the right ribbons and talks about the food. I am so sad that her and Regev (her boyfriend) and Rosie will be in Israel (Regev's home) when we get married. I would love to have them there. We've been discussing options to webcast it to her in Tel Aviv. :-D

So the final horah with a female roommate (well two if you count the puppy!) and I couldn't have gotten stuck with a better pair. Lovers of diet coke and all things pretty - a shout out to one of my closest friends who lives right downstairs. :-D Steph and Rosie, Christopher and I BOTH love you BOTH so much and are so blessed to have you here!! Thanks for all your help and happiness!

Our southern belle, Rosalind, experiencing her first snow.

January 2008

PS. Anyone in the market for a 2-door Chevy Blazer? Steph's selling hers. :)

Happy Moving Day, Bubby!

Christmas 2007

So here I sit, wide awake at 4:00 in the morning. My insomnia has been pretty bad because of the employment situation (or lack thereof) and I was thinking that I wanted to post something un-wedding related that just made me happy. Then I remembered, BUBBY CLOSES ON HIS HOUSE TODAY!! Perfect opportunity to brag about my big brother.

I absolutely adore this picture. Bubby has issues with creating double chins in his photos and this one was just a quick random shot in the kitchen. It reminds me of how much we look alike (until I look at our Tom Petty photo -- Chris thinks we're twins!)

Let me begin by saying, my brother is one of my very very best friends. He always rags on me for not calling enough and the fact that I have never, in 27 years, actually held a job. (Hooray for 5 years of grad school!) But he is the freaking funniest and wittiest person I've ever met. He actually likes Christopher; as much as a protective brother can like the guy his sister is dating. Christopher knows how much Bubby means to me and so when he asked Daddy if he could marry me, he asked Jeff as well. I thought that was just the sweetest thing.

Bubby has lived in a townhouse in Clarion, PA for years. I remember helping to move him up there sometime early in college. It was snowing - but what else is new for that area of the country? He has been throwing around the idea of buying a house forever but something always came up (e.g. buying a new truck). And FINALLY, a few weeks ago I get a call telling me he's found a house he likes and he's putting down an offer. WOOHOO!

I don't mean for this to sound belittling, but I am really really proud of him. Today is a huge deal and he has worked SO hard to get to where he is. Unlike me (school obsessed nerdfest), Bubby has never been one for school. And although many people tried to push him into the college route, he knew it wasn't for him and he followed his passion. Yes, he started out making no money. Sure there was no guarantee that something lucrative would come along. But he is, by far, the most knowledgeable person about hunting equipment I have ever met in my life and boy can he sell the crap out of it. Jeff was lucky enough to get Daddy's salesman charm and personality. And he knows his stuff and it shows. He gets huge bonuses and brings in tons of sales, and although he's rarely home and can't hold onto a girlfriend longer than a week - I think he is fantastically accomplished.

When I decided to check myself into the hospital a few years ago, it was a very rough time. I hadn't told Bubby about the eating disorder that had consumed my life for years and although Daddy was aware (obviously Mama kept him updated), I couldn't face either one of them. I couldn't stand the thought that either one of my favorite two men in the world would be disappointed in me. When Jeff found out - he was angry. And then he blew off some steam and made a smart choice - he called Matty. Bub knows that Burk was my bestest friend and was taking care of me, and could offer a male perspective. Burk reassured him that everything was ok and when Jeff and I finally spoke about my illness he brought a sense of reality to something that was so abstract in my life. He even gave me the "Jethro's guide to eating: food in mouth, chew, swallow, digest, poop, start over." I think deep down he knew how hard it was for me emotionally, but by focusing solely on the practice of eating, he helped recovery seem like less of an enormous life-changing challenge.

Ok- and all that babble leads to my point. Half way through the hospital I decided to leave engineering - that I wanted to be a school teacher. I was walking away from a PhD and an amazing job offer to teach kids for no money. And I've never told him this (and he doesn't read blogs so...), but he really inspired me to make that decision. I watched him make his own pathway for his career, without ever worrying about what other people thought. And he kept telling me over and over - "it's not how much money you make, it's not what other people think you should be doing - do what makes you happy. It is what it is."

He helped turn my life around; what more could you ask from a sibling? We are 180 degrees from each other in our view of academics, clothing, friends, etc. but sometimes I feel like he is my twin. He can make me laugh so hard and brighten my days and I am so happy that something so wonderful - this house - has finally worked out for him. He deserves it more than anyone...

I love you, Bubby. I can't WAIT to see your new house, with your new garden gnome riding a turtle, and I cannot wait for you to be in our wedding. I love you to the bottom of my heart. (Probably because as a kid you used to fart on my head).

xoxoxo
CONGRATULATIONS, HOME OWNER!!

Tom Petty concert.
The night before I was discharged from the hospital.

Ribbon Boards

Ta da! Two completed ribbon boards!

Yesterday I got out to Michaels and bought a few more spools of 50 cent ribbon to finish off the ribbon boards. Honestly, they really aren't that difficult to make once you figure out the quirks behind the specific materials you are using. I am in love with them - especially the fabric. It's a Waverly pattern I found at Wal-Mart and is serving as the inspiration behind our Save the Date cards (Christopher is in the process of designing those right now).

"H is for Hartwell, that's good enough for me!"

I have emailed most of our family, but if I accidentally left you out of the list, my apologies! Please mail us a snapshot of you and your beloved on your wedding day. It does not need to be a professional shot - anything will do. We just want to display the models of love and affection that we see everyday. :-)

Hard to see the brads, but they read:
k l m
l o v e
c g h

If you want to make your own ribbon board, here is how I made mine (on a budget)... step by step.

Materials:

• Stretched canvas. I bought mine at Michaels - 2 for $15 and then with a 50% off coupon, taking them down to $3.25 each.
• Fabric. Originally going for toile, I couldn't find a Jamestown print in light pink and ended up with this ADORABLE (and oh-so-Kristi) striped fabric from Wal-Mart. 1.5 yards for $5 and I had a ton left over. So probably $1.50 for each board.
• Craft batting. Again, I got mine at Michaels (no coupon) but it was about $4.00 which covered both boards. Rock a coupon and you can do this for $1.00/board.
  
• Thumb tacks. Originally I was going to use nails, but found out that the canvas is much too narrow depth-wise, so thumb tacks worked perfectly. Late night run to CVS gave me 150 for $2.50 with some left over. About $1.00/board.
• Brads. The cost of these all depend on your taste. I was going to use antique looking pewter brads, but then I found ones that had letters on them and thought they were adorable. I got 2 packs at JoAnn Fabric for $4.00/pack. I could have used just one pack but I wanted to make sure I got all the letters I wanted to spell things out. If you're not letter conscious - $2.00/board; I spent $4.00/board with lots of leftovers!
• Ribbon of your choice. The ribbon was tricky because it had to be smaller than the brads. I found this cute eyelet like ribbon for $0.50/spool at Michaels. I used 3 spools altogether - this will just depend on how many crosses you want. We'll call it $0.75 per board.
• X-acto knife. Most people just have these.

So there we go for materials. I estimate I spent $12.50 per board, but could have done it for much cheaper if I had used a coupon for the batting and not been particular about the brads. Either way, MUCH better than $80 to buy one. Plus, you get to customize it to your liking! I figure with the colors and look of these boards, I'll hang them in my office after the wedding and use them for a long time to come. Well worth the time and energy!

Now for the directions...

1. Start with a plain stretched canvas - whatever size you want.

2. Stretch the batting tightly around the canvas and throw a few thumb tacks in to hold it in place. Cut off the extra batting.

3. Cut your fabric to size (leaving at LEAST 2-3 inches on each side of your canvas). Iron out all the wrinkles. (Note: I broke my iron after this - dropped it twice. Oops)

4. Starting on the top, pin your fabric to the board, working your way from the middle out to reduce any slack. Stretch the fabric tightly. If you're working with stripes or another pattern, be sure it's lined up correctly.

5. Use "hospital corners" to keep the corners solid and work your way down the board, stretching and keeping it as level as possible.

6. A completed board! The stripes are just a TAD off, but once you get the ribbon on, no one will notice. Plus, I'm just a perfectionist.

7. SO much easier the second time around! The second board took me far less time, less pins, and probably looks a lot better!

8. Now it's time to apply the ribbon. (I don't have photos of these). What I did was run a "measuring ribbon" (different color) from one corner diagonally to the opposite corner to make an X and pinned those in place. I used these as a marking point to be sure the ribbons were spaced correctly.

9. Working off the measuring ribbon, calculate the distance you want between the rows. My first board I did 4" between each, the second I learned better and did 6". It all depends on how many crosses you want.

10. Measure 1/2 that amount off the measuring ribbon. So for the first board I measured 2" and made sure it was parallel the entire way. Then 2" on the opposite side of the measuring ribbon; thus, ensuring a 4" spread.

11. Measure the full amount as you work out from the center. So 4" from the newly placed ribbons, I would put another one. Make sure the spacing is even the entire way down. With each new ribbon, make sure it's pulled tight and put a pushpin in the back of the board to hold it.

12. Repeat for the opposite side creating the diamond pattern. It works well if you have a striped pattern because you can sort of follow the fabric to help ensure accuracy.

12. Definitely not the most beautiful thing from the back!

13. Next turn to the front and at each cross, hold the ribbons tightly and push the x-acto knife through the ribbons, batting and canvas.

14. Insert the brad into the hole and push out the sides to hold it in place. HERE is where I ran into a heck of a problem on the first board. The crosses were too close the edge and ended up on top of the frame. Since the canvas isn't stapled in the front, it is possible to pull it away from the wood but it is really difficult without bending the brads. I learned my lesson on the second board and made less crosses. It all turned out for the best though because now I have two boards that will hold differing size photos!

15. And .... your completed ribbon board!

This is board number 1 that reads:
k l m
l o v e
c g h
l o v e
k l m
l o v e
c g h

Board number 2 (less crosses) reads:
k m
w e d
c h
w e d
k m

So there you have it! A relatively easy do-it-yourself project. It does take some patience, but the outcome is super cute. I may even go buy some smaller canvases and use up the rest of my materials! Hooray! Now... what project should I move on to next?!?!

Guest Book Cards

My newest DIY (do-it-yourself) wedding project has been a personalized "guest book." Although I love the tradition of "signing in" to a wedding (it reminds me of taking roll at school - hehe), I want our guests to write more than their names and a "we love you!" My vision for the guest book is that it should be something to serve as a written connection between Christopher and me and each individual guest.

I went through so many ideas of ways that our friends and family could add their own thoughts to our guest book and I came up with the card idea. We will have mini notecards and pens at the guest book table, as well as a tin or jar in which to place completed notes. Guests can use the notecards to write personal messages, memories, wishes for us, or even just a signed drawing! After the wedding, I plan to take the cards and tape them into memory book so we can look at them years from now.

After searching for mini-cards and envelopes online in our wedding colors, I decided to make them myself. Each piece of double-sided cardstock cost $0.59 - I got 8 cards out of one piece of paper. The only other thing I had to buy was a paper edger, which I got at Michaels with a coupon for less than $8. Chris wants his name in here so here it is. He wants it to look like he has contributed to the creative aspect of these projects where in reality, he's just peering over my shoulder.

Back to the project. The edger can be used again and I got to hand pick the style of cardstock that I wanted. So here they are - with a step-by-step guide on how to make your own!

1. Start with your favorite 12x12 double-sided cardstock.

2. Cut into 3" strips.

3. Cut each strip in half so you have 8 slips of paper (3" x 6").

4. Using a paper edger (mine Martha Stewart), edge one short edge of each slip.

5. Fold each strip in half, using the decorative edge as the front of the card.

And... VOILA!

By using lots of different paper designs within the same color family, you can get a really varied look. And 6" of space for guests to write their hearts out! HOORAY!

I also began the ribbon boards tonight. One is almost complete but I ran out of ribbon. I am LOVING them and they are much cheaper (and more personal) than purchasing boards from a store. Pictures to come soon!

Dance Dance Revolution

If only our bridal party was this coordinated... AWESOME! Thanks to Mrs. Molnar and Miss Reightler for bringing this to our attention. Love it!

Photo Ribbon Board

Sample Ribbon Board from Restoration Hardware ($80!!)

Well, it's Thursday and I'm still in bed. Heading back to the doctor for the 4th time this afternoon because my ear infections refuse to go away. The past few days I've been feeling a LITTLE bit better and that has allowed me time to play on the internet and get new ideas for the wedding. My newest project will be creating a ribbon board. I want to have photos of our family members on their wedding days displayed on the guest book table. We have seen so many successful marriages that we want to honor the people who have served as our role models. Since I don't want to damage any of the photos and can't afford to frame each and every one, I thought it would be a cute idea to have a ribbon board display leaning against the wall. This will allow for lots of photos in all different shapes and sizes and there will be no need for pins. I have found a bunch of different places online explaining how to make them, but I think the best will be one that suggests using an artist canvas (Big Lots baby), batting, fabric, ribbon, nails and decorative brads. I'm thinking a pink toile with green ribbon. Man, I just love toile... Perhaps a Jamestown toile to bring in a little of the Virginia heritage??? I can't wait to get healthy so I can get my materials and get to work!!

Editorial Correction

Per my mother this afternoon. Good to know!

I do not know how to comment on this page, they ask too many questions and I don't know the answers.

Anyway, that picture was taken in July 1994, and you would have been 12. A very cute 12, if I may add. We had just left Canaan with Joe and Tammy and Brit and stopped at Deep Creek on the way home and spent the night. It was fun. Brit was only 1 1/2 and, as I recall, beautiful weather. So now you can adjust your blog and make it right.

I stand corrected. Well, actually, Dody stands corrected. I was only the messenger. Thanks, mama! :-)

You Can Always Count on a Godmama...

... to make you feel better when you're ill. Dody sent me this picture today from when our family went to Deep Creek, Maryland - she thinks it was 1991 so I would have been 9. Godmama thinks this is funny because it looks like I had pink eye then too... and a load of metal in my mouth. :-) This really made me feel good today because the one thing I really remember about that trip was my grandmother teaching me how to shuffle a deck of cards... I've been having a difficult time dealing with the fact that neither Christopher nor myself will have any grandparents in attendance at the wedding. My grandmothers both died before I graduated high school and I would have loved for them to meet Chris. I did get him in to meet my Aunt Nellie though, and although she won't be at the wedding, at least she knows he's not all bad. :-)

Also - a quick photo I've been meaning to post but kept forgetting. Dody gave me a gardenia plant last year for my birthday. For the life of me, I could not get the darn thing to flower. Everytime it would begin to bud, pfft, the buds would all drop off and I would have just another green plant. Well, Christopher made it his MISSION this summer to get the Dody gardenia to bloom and it DID! And it smelled WONDERFUL. He put so much work into creating these flowers - I call it his labor of love. :-)

Woohoo! It bloomed!

So I'm still stuck in bed, but the antibiotics seem to be doing something because I'm feeling a little bit better. I'm hoping by the end of the week I might be able to make it out of the house!

Illness Update

So here's the update on whatever is attacking my body this week. I was up at 4:00 am this morning dry heaving and vomiting. I had the chills yet felt like I was standing on the equator. My pink eye got 20 times worse and when I awoke I couldn't peel my eyes apart to see my way to the bathroom. Christopher took me BACK to the doctor (for the 3rd time this week). The pink eye HAD gotten worse - so they put me on a different eye drop. My left ear is badly infected so I (finally) got some antibiotics. I was really dehydrated so they decided to IV me with some fluids. Christopher - the saint that he is - went and got all my medications from the hospital pharmacy and then sat in the dimly lit hospital room for two hours while I was hooked up to an IV. (Granted, the nurse did get him on to the wireless internet - but STILL). I also got some drugs to help with the nausea in case that little bug returns tonight. The doctor said that it all started out viral but because my body refused to get rid of the virus it caused bacterial infections everywhere. Basically this has been the worst week of my life. Oh, and I still have a sore throat and can't breathe. Lovely.

Thanks to everyone who has sent emails! For the few minutes a day I can get on my laptop, they really make me smile!! Fingers crossed I get some sleep tonight!!

SERIOUSLY!?!?!

I woke up this morning with my eyes glued shut. To add insult to injury... it turns out I have pink eye -- IN BOTH EYES. I went back to the doctor today - I have an ear infection, the pink eye, and this is all on top of all the other symptoms that have kept me bedridden for four days. My eyes are SO itchy and goopy (sorry for the details, but I need to vent) and I can't breathe because my sinuses are so congested and I haven't eaten anything but chicken broth all day. I feel special...

The best it's looked all day - if you can believe that.

Kill me now.

Reception Photos

I am still down for the count... The little virus that made my throat so angry has now moved into my sinuses. I feel like death and am unable to eat anything besides Lipton noodle soup and ice cream (I'm going through 1/2 gal. per day). I feel like a pile of crap - so much so that I FORGOT to pick up a sample wedding cake from Albemarle Baking Company today. WHAT!??! Me - forget about cake?!?! I'm sorely disappointed in myself and am going to have Christopher pick it up first thing tomorrow morning... Not that I'll be able to taste it. Great timing for my bug.

Dancing with Mr. and Mrs. Molnar
(Note: Christopher would NOT dance with me)

Apologizing for not dancing with me.

Above are a few photos from the reception. I found my camera - in the purse I took with me to the wedding (duh). I figured posting these would make me feel a little bit better for the time being. Off to down some more drugs and ice cream. Hip hip hooray for ruined summer days!

Negative

For all concerned parties with whom I did not get a chance to call today, the rapid strep test came back negative. The doctor still took a throat culture and if it turns out I do have strep, I should know within a day or two.

I felt fine all weekend and then Sunday night I came home and BAM - my throat started to hurt. I was up all Sunday night nauseous with severe throat pain. My lymph nodes blew up and alas, this is how I have been for the past few days. Let it be known that I completely, 100%, blame Lindsey Urbaniak Molnar for this. Had I not partaken in her joyous occasion, I may not have picked up this lovely little bug. Love shmove, wedding shmedding. ;-)

I did get to wear this ADORABLE mask all day long at the hospital. Not that I looked my finest to begin with, but you gotta love a nurse shoving a mask in your face while a hot doctor walks by. I suppose that's what I get for trying to check out the hot doctors while my loving, caring fiance is at home. Oops! :-) He can make a mean Lipton noodle soup... (Christopher, not the doctor. Although I'm sure the doctor can follow directions well too - and it's not that it takes too much talent). Christopher: I love you. Thank you for taking care of me. Your soup is better than that ol' hot doctor's soup could ever be.

I miss my mama. :-( Being sick is the pits!!

Congratulations Lindsey and Tyler!!

Presenting... Mr. and Mrs. Tyler and Lindsey Molnar!

Lindsey's wedding was this past Saturday back home at the University of Maryland. Christopher and I left in the morning for College Park to see this GORGEOUS bride and her weepy groom say their vows. Although a Catholic ceremony, there was no mass, therefore taking the entire affair down to 25 minutes. Christopher decided he wanted to delete the mass. I decided he gets no opinion on this matter. :-)

With chapel field in the background.

My long lost college roommate. Best reunion ever.

We had 3.5 hours to kill in between the ceremony and the reception (in Clarendon, VA) so we headed over to Tom and Lori's to visit with them and the kids. The six of us sat in the living room and laughed so hard I thought I was going to bust a seam in my dress. Lindsey looks absolutely AMAZING - you can barely see her incision unless you stand over her (which I rarely do since she's much taller than me!) We didn't want to leave but the college reminiscing was calling me and we headed across the city.

I have temporarily misplaced my little camera (big surprise there...) and therefore cannot yet post pictures from the reception. I will do so as soon as it is located...

We stayed at Julie and Steve's for the night in Warrenton. After a gorey (and disturbing) Ultimate Fighting Championship party, we got some much needed sleep. We awoke this morning to Sadie telling us how great her somersaults are. As seen below.

Half way over.

After the somersaults came the "bewwy fwops" on the bed. This was absolutely hysterical and I honestly could have watched her all day long.

Bewwy fwop.

Sassy McSasserstein.

I could eat her with a spoon.

Giving "Cwithtopher" goodbye hugs.

Mama was here for the weekend and we got a lot done with the wedding shenanigans. More to come so stay tuned! :-)

Holiday Widow

Happy Independence Day!

Hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July yesterday. Christopher, of course, had to work from 11 am to midnight so I was widowed for yet another holiday. I wanted to try taking fireworks photos with my new camera so I went with Steph and Regev to Pantops (by our old house) to set up the tripod. The pictures aren't the best because we were so far away, but it was nice nonetheless.

Just a few more days until mama comes down to help me with wedding stuff. I'm super excited to show her all I've done and get some help with other things. YAY! :-D

Monogram Mania

I love monograms. There is just something about having something personalized that makes it feel more special. Christopher isn't as wild about them as I am (e.g. my pink hand towels with the green monogram are now in the linen closet), so I was totally jazzed when I discovered he liked this monogram stamp.

Ordered from Etsy, a retailer named "Love to Create Stamps" made this for me and it was shipped almost immediately. You can see all her work here: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6326086 . I love, love, love it -- and it's so me. The dots and eyelet design just add a little extra flair. Christopher is upset that his initial isn't first. I told him that his family isn't footing the bill!! :-) (Plus, I looked for the proper etiquette and I win) He asked (rightly so) if the monogram was now going to be stamped everywhere. Yes, yes it is. I feel like it would add a nice touch to the kitchen walls... ;-)

Sweet Photography

Yesterday, Christopher, Robin and I met with our wedding photographer - Coe Sweet. Coe is an old friend of Chris's and he takes the most GORGEOUS photographs. We sat down and looked through his wedding portfolios and talked about what I really want out of our photography. I, of course, had a complete detailed list of photographs I would like, where I would like them taken, our contact information, the bridal party, etc. I think he was excited that someone so organized was going to help keep his sometimes scatterbrained friend in line. :-)

I told Coe that what I really want is for the photographs to take me back to the day. I don't need 8,000 formally posed photos and I definitely don't need pictures of the rings sitting atop the invitation. Heck, I can take our rings off in 10 years, put them on top of the invitation and take a picture. I want more of a journalistic view - candids, details, etc. He loved the idea of taking shots after the ceremony both on the downtown mall and on the lawn at UVA. He seems to be a little concerned about the time of the wedding and if, in April, we'll have enough daylight left to take a good amount of shots in between the wedding and reception. Definitely something to think about.

I'm really excited about Coe shooting our wedding day. He wanted me to relay to all the guests that although he tries to stay in the background, to feel free to grab him if there is a shot that he just MUST get. He will also have slips of paper for the guests to take with them with a website where he will upload photos for everyone to view. We're not going to do a formal album; Coe is giving us the rights to all the pictures and a DVD of the full-resolution images so we can print our own. Perfect for a control freak such as myself. :-)

Today I'm setting up appointments to go to FOOD consultations - woohoo! Mama is coming down next week so we're going to bop around to some caterers and bakeries. She totally gets the best part of the wedding planning. YUM!