cougs

we had a jr. jacuzzi suite and definitely had problems with the air conditioning in the bedroom area of the suite (seemed to work fine in the living room/dining area). we had maintenance come up several times and every time they tried something different to fix it, but nothing seemed to work. we finally decided to give up and switch rooms on day 4 i think. air in the new room worked just fine. all rooms to my knowledge do have individual controls. we didn't have any problems getting tables at restaurants or chairs by the pools or beach, BUT we went in the height of the swine flu drama (may) and the resort was pretty empty. actually worked in our favor. not sure what it would be like at full capacity. overall, all the rooms could use updating. the furniture and decor is OLD. however, they are always kept spotlessly clean. in all, dreams cancun isn't as "pretty" as some of the other resorts. it's more minimalist. it's the level of service at dreams that makes it wonderful, as well as the stunning location. you cannot beat the location if you want to be surrounded by water and close to clubs/shopping/downtown.

bottom line: i think if you try one on and feel beautiful in it, then no one else's opinion (not even the experts') matters. i LOVE trumpet style above all others, but with my personal body shape (very bottom heavy) i would have felt self-conscious and fat, not curvy and sexy. so despite loving the style, for me it was out. "curvy" means different things for all of us tho. if your weight is more evenly distributed, or if curvy just means big-busted for you, then go for it! and i say try on at least one in that style regardless of what anyone says! i was pleasantly surprised at how i looked in some things that even *i* hated on the hanger or thought would be disasterous on me. good luck!

flirted : freight

i confess that i just SCREAMED at work because i am terrified of spiders! thanks to amandseth, i won't be checking this thread again until november, lol!

oh hooray! so glad to hear the starfish made it in the nick of time! unsure what is going on with jacilynda and her family but sending my best wishes to her that things get better. the starfish passing is just another example of the many wonderful things this forum is responsible for. i got more compliments on the fact that my "something borrowed" was being passed from DW bride to bride than on the starfish itself. everyone thought it was a really sweet idea. keep him traveling, ladies!

i've just had to increase both my personal and my team's fundraising goals! in just a few days we've already raised over $1,600 toward the cause ... much of that success is due to my "forum family." i can't say it enough ... you guys are the best!

bright : brilliant

omg, how adorable are you two?!? love the balloon and the amazing colors ... great sweater choice!

what happened to the original white starfish? did jacilynda never pass it on? did it get lost in the mail, or forgotten in mexico? i'm so sad about this, not only for the girls who had yet to borrow it, but for those like myself who already have and hoped to be a part of something bigger. i'm also sure diana would have liked to have had it returned to her someday, to see all the places he's been and all the weddings she played a small part in by lending him out.

bubbles : blurted

popping in to see how all my preggers ladies are doing ... omg kat your little one is almost here!

doubled : baubles

manure : fertilize

oooh so excited that you're bringing her home for thanksgiving ... that's huge! glad to see the love story is still ongoing ... i hadn't checked in for awhile!

yay erika on the weight loss! truly amazing, and you will be gorge on your big day! apparently, all the cool lisas are changing their usernames. hehe --lisa, aka mummergirl, aka cougs

that particular photo was seriously very cool ... but i heart all of them. OF COURSE they are going to use it since all you wanted was credit. tell them you'll offer the other photos for a small fee (even if that fee is a few bottles of wine)!

pasture : farm

congrats to all those who recently set dates, and yay for maria (i can't believe how close it is now)! just wanted to let you all know that i just this past week received my translated and apostilled marriage documents back from mexico (from our legal ceremony this past may)! i feel like it's really, truly, finally official now!

Quote: Originally Posted by carly Wow, that's amazing! BDW never ceases to amaze me. Sorry to hear that about your dad though, I didn't know he was sick. i know, carly ... over $500 toward the cause, from people i would have never known if not for this forum. i was fully blown away every time another BDW name popped up on the donor list. dad is doing well so far with radiation and chemo. i don't expect any money i raise to be able to help him directly, but if in the future it helps prevent a diagnosis of GBM from being dismissed as a hopeless case (a death sentence), then we've all done an amazing thing here.

Quote: Originally Posted by BachataBride when you are at your absolute lowest, or experiencing your highest of highs, you know that your desties will be there for you!!! yay for our desties! i saw the kindness of my fellow desties after erika's accident, and now have witnessed it on a more personal level ... i do truly feel blessed for knowing you all.

sorry nadine, but the rest of BDW needed to know how wonderful my shoutbox girls are! maybe if you all stopped being so sweet i could stop crying at work too, lol! one day we WILL manage a get-together and it's going to be madness!

oh amy ... there will be no *running* on my part, lol! i'll be walking! "wedding planning may have brought us here, but it is the friendships and comradery that keep us coming back" ... so very well said.

Many of you know that my father has recently been diagnosed with Glioblastoma Multiforme, or GBM, which is an incurable primary brain tumor. Despite the surgery he's had and the chemo and radiation treatments he is currently undergoing, prognosis is still only 18 months. This is the same very aggressive type of malignant brain tumor that recently took the life of Senator Ted Kennedy. I stumbled upon the Race for Hope (Philadelphia), which is a 5K run/walk benefiting the National Brain Tumor Society (see siggy for link), and knew I had to be a part of it ... to help raise money for this cause. What I never expected was the caring, support, and generosity displayed by the women (and men) of this forum. Donations from BDW forum members alone (primarily the shout box ladies) total $565!!! Words will never be enough to express the gratefulness I have for these women whom I've never met in real life. These are women who *should be* too wrapped up in their own lives and wedding planning to think of offering their support (and much-needed funds) to a virtual stranger ... but they weren't. The women of BDW are nothing short of inspiring and amazing. I've already told those who donated, but it's worth saying to the entire forum, so I will repeat it here: I believe that all things happen for a reason, and that fate was in play when I decided to have a destination wedding ... that decision not only made it possible to have my father with me on my wedding day (since we moved the wedding up 5 months, unaware of what we'd be facing this fall), but also resulted in my making the acquaintance of so many wonderful women on this forum. True serendipity. You've all become my most cherished and relied on support system. Even now, well beyond my wedding day, you are the friends I *always* go to FIRST whenever I need to share, to vent, to laugh, to cry, or even just get a virtual hug. I cannot imagine how much more difficult it would be to get through this without the strength (and the laughs) you ladies give me daily. Many people tend to downplay or mock the idea of "internet friends" ... until they experience the kind of friendships--the second family--that a forum like BDW offers, they'll never understand. Thank you again to the ladies of the shout box, the women (and men) of BDW, and to Tammy for creating an environment where such amazing friendships can be forged.

wtf is going on here? geez ladies, put things into perspective. i thought taking the monetary prize out of it would end the drama, but clearly i was wrong. looks like it doesn't take much for hungry girls to get cranky! hehe big picture, ladies. do any of you *really* care whether anyone sends in their weight every week or not? worry about YOURSELF. bottom line, sending your weight in weekly is only there for the accountability factor. don't *not* send your weight in because you've gained, for whatever reason. gaining should make you all the more motivated to have a big loss the following week. and we are all here to share in each other's successes AND struggles, and to offer compassion and helpful hints. this is supposed to be about support! p.s. notifying ginalyn if you cannot send in your weight is just to be courteous so she's not left wondering and waiting. two *consecutive* weeks (for any reason, even *with* notification) should result in a DQ.

i confess that i just listened to about 2 bars of the song i used for the father/daughter dance at my wedding, and got so upset i almost puked all over my keyboard. won't be doing that again anytime soon.