Vikki

I am loving this! I don't this will be a diet for me I think I'm going to just do this permanently. I haven't really delved into the Eat Clean diet cookbook yet because to jump start myself I'm doing a 2 week plan they recommend that is a bit more restrictive. I wanted to start there because I want to feel and see the benefit from going all out before I commit. But even the restrictive plan is not really that hard for me. I always pack a lunch at work that includes a snack for mid morning and mid afternoon so it wasn't hard to just change around the composition of those snacks to fit the recommendations. Thanks for sharing this, it's really helped me take my eating to the next step. I've even eaten out a couple times and been able to find things on the menu that fit right into my restrictive plan just by modifying things slightly. Oh, and the Agave I have is made by Wholesome Sweeteners, Inc out of Sugar Land TX. It's a low glycemic index sweetener that absorbs into the body slower so there isn't a spike in blood sugar. It's actually sweeter to me than sugar so I just add a little to my morning meal and it takes away the kind of bitter taste from the ground flax seed and wheatgerm. Brandon won't join me on the restrictive plan but he's looked through the book and agreed (rather grudgingly) that he actually likes most of the recipes so when I back off on the extreme part he said he thought he could live with it. While I was browsing for recipe ideas I came across another book that's awesome. Clean Food, Terry Walters, Book - Barnes & Noble It is separated into 4 parts. Each part is geared around fruit and vegetables that are harvested in that season and easier to find locally and fresh. The only downside is it is 100% vegetarian ( I don't mind but B was not impressed) but the collection of recipes are all really easy and I love the idea of taking advantage of the best local crops in their peak.

Congratulations! That is a huge accomplishment and such a positive lifestyle change for you. I hope you plan to continue on with the eating habits-maybe scaled back a little with some flexibility. At this rate you'll definitely make your end goal in time for your wedding. Way to go!

I am so sorry you're having to go through this. I don't know what I would do without my Dad there. He sounds a lot like your Dad in personality and I know he would be crushed too. I actually think I would postpone the wedding. Although I know that's probably not an option for you.

I am so sorry you're having to go through this. I don't know what I would do without my Dad there. He sounds a lot like your Dad in personality and I know he would be crushed too. I actually think I would postpone the wedding. Although I know that's probably not an option for you.

Very nice! Your guests will love your extra little details. And I love the bag!!!

Whew....I'm feeling the time flying by-but still it seems to be so slow, I'm not exactly sure how that's happening.... Melissa-I would probably skip OOT bags or keep them to a bare minimum-something like a short welcome card to thank them for coming and some special chocolate or something like that. At such a last minute you'll feel rushed to find things to make it special and the cost will add up fast. Especially since your guests will be there for such a short time. I'm so excited, my shower is this weekend. It's funny because months ago when I joined I had this post about being sad for not having anyone I would invite to a shower since I don't really have a lot of close girlfriends where I live. I didn't really even want a shower but my mom was really looking forward to throwing one for me so I decided to go ahead. Now we have maxed out the number of people for the location she chose that have all RSVP'd for the shower. I guess I didn't realize how many people in my life are genuinely interested in my life and were thrilled to be invited. Even a couple of my long-time clients found out and wanted to come. I thought I would dread it but I'm actually looking forward to it. Brandon's bachelor party is this weekend also, he and his buddies are going to the bikini bar for a night of drunken debauchery. I asked one of his friends to set something up and offered to cover the expenses so his buddies suprised him with it last weekend and he was so thrilled. I don't think it's the bar part, it's more the fact that his buddies are doing it.

Quote: Originally Posted by SgtPepperette So Im debating on OOT bags or not. We are a really tight budget first of all, and everyone is staying at different hotels....so how would I get it to them? How many guests will you have Melissa?

Well done girl!

That's so cute! And something so personalized you'll have to remember. Nice job :-)

Based on your options above I would suggest JCPenny's. Simply for quality purposes. Maurice's and Target are OK but you'll find the clothing probably won't hold it's shape or color as long. I have yet to purchase an item of clothing at Target that has lasted me more than 5 or 6 wears before starting to look cheap. The material and workmanship are on the cheap side. Not that JCPenny is perfect but I think you'll get longer wear out of your clothes for the $$ you spend. Once you get your basics watch for sales at places like Macy's or Dillard's, you can pick up a $300 suit for 75 - 80% off sometimes. I also like Burlington and Kohl's on occasion but it's hit or miss. Also-pay close attention to how you wash your clothes. Consider handwashing and special detergent to help your clothes keep from fading and stretching/shrinking. I hope that helps. I was in the same situation when I started my job 4 or 5 years ago. I had to go from wearing casual clothing to tailored suits. (I still miss the casual wear). It was a hefty investment but I still have some of those classic pieces that I can re-accessorize to keep fresh. Congratulations on the new job!

I love the wedding weekend survival kit! It all looks great!

I know this was a tough decision for you but it sounds like the right one at this time. Maybe for your 1 or 5 year you could do a "vow renewal" if the idea of the destination ceremony is really important. For now try to forget about what you're not going to get to do and focus on all the ways you can make your at home wedding special. I sure hope everything works out ok and wish you the best.

Everything looks great! I love the little details-you're going to have a fabulous time.

I would be asking for some freebies! Especially since you had to find out on your own. They have to have known about this closure prior to now and since you weren't informed that's pretty poor service IMO. Even with the upgraded resort I would ask for something to make it worth the hassle.

My hair is only slightly longer than yours. I haven't figured out a final plan yet but I do have a bunch of pictures on my inspiration board. I wasted time trying to search for short hair wedding pictures with very little luck so instead I started looking through wedding dress sites. Usually the model is all dolled up for the picture and not all of them have long hair. When you see a model with hair you like, just save the image to a file. Then you can go through the files later and crop and arrange all the hairstyles you like! Warning: This is a good way to end up with a second wedding dress so try to ignore the model from the neck down!

Congratulations on being a Mrs. and have a wonderful weddingmoon.

Congratulations on being a Mrs! I hope your day was perfect and you're enjoying your honeymoon.

Congratulations on your big day! I hope everything is just like you dreamed.

I think a lot of brides experience this. You may be amazed by who does and doesn't show up. But you'll have the best time regardless. Try not to let it get you down because like you said-it's your wedding not theirs. Keep smiling! (Oh, and $580pp AI + Air is a really great price, they have nothing to complain about)

Isn't that the best surprise? I was expecting to have to pay for all my luggage but when I pulled up the current Delta policies last week we have the same - 2 free checked and 1 carry-on. And since our tickets were fully booked at that time even if the change the policy between now and then we still fall under the same policy. I think it's due to the international flight that we have the extra bags though, I know it's different for flights that are only inside the continental US. The most reliable way to know if your flight will qualify is to check with the airline either by phone or on the website and they can give you the specifics. Especially for traveling with your dress. Our TA said she made notes in our tickets about the dress and told us to call the day before as well.

Quote: Originally Posted by Prettyhazardous OMG Ladies sorry I was in the midst of writing one post when i received the phone call that Cuji was at the shelter. She was "seized by the police in a standby operation"? Whatever that means. But get this she was in a home like 7 blocks from our house. OMG she lost 20 lbs in 1 week and 1 day. She was at least 75 lbs when she was taken and she is now 55. They must not have fed her the entire time. She has one scar on her head but that's it. She is not acting like herself at all though. She's depressed. She isn't very playful she laid down the entire ride home vs how she normally has her head out the window. She wouldn't play with me in the house and her and Brian usually play really rough as soon as he gets in from work. Today when he came home she didn't even lift her head. We gave her a bath in the yard and she played with the water like she normally does but as soon as we went in the house she was depressed again. She also got all her shots (which she didn't even need) at the shelter so we're expecting her to be back to herself by the weekend. We scheduled an appt with her reg vet for tomm tho just in case. Vikki your clover and everyone prayer and thoughts really helped. Thanks ladies!!!! I got up this morning to get ready to head for the gym and saw your posts-I got tears in my eyes! I'm so glad you found her, what a miracle. I was so sad yesterday after you told me about your morning routine and how you were trying to get used to her not being there when you woke up. I hope everything goes well with the appt, I'm sure she's just incredibly stressed out, I'm pretty sure I'd mope around for a while after being kidnapped for a week with very little to eat too. Now that she's home where she belongs she'll be back to her normal self soon enough. Oh, and my cake topper shipped to the store yesterday and I picked it up last night. It's seriously the cutest thing I've gotten for the wedding yet.

Pretty cool!

I am about to spend 20 minutes in traffic to go to this amazing ice cream place (Cold Stone) and eat a large ice cream by myself. Apparently not keeping the temptations in the house doesn't stop me. And the wedding clock is ticking down. Not sure when I'm going to be bikini ready *sigh*

What a gorgeous dress-great choice.

Congratulations! Your trip sounds like it was perfect and I'm glad the flowers worked out.