echo2_62

Hey Claire - that bridge you're on... is it around Waterloo/St. Jacobs area by any chance? For some reason that was the place I thought of when I saw it - I totally miss that area!! Mel - have to admit that I kind of had a laugh about your morning too but only because that's totally something I would end up doing and be whining about all day too! Hope the rest of your day goes a little better though

Wow you're doing better than my order is!! I ordered on Feb.12 and just got the shipping notice for Feb.27 and still haven't received my package yet The tracking number hasn't been very useful as the site was down for a couple days and then just shows that it left the country (india) with no updates since. Boo. I'm really nervous about the fit on the pants to be honest, but I'm hoping that they'll be alright given that nearly everyone has had such great comments so far! Fingers crossed that I'll have a notice on my door in the next day or two!

Yay! Just getting ready to send off my guest list and Q&A form to Jacy with the details for our wedding!! I had emailed her about a couple requests the other day and she was really fast replying. So it turns out that there is someone else getting married on my same date but of course was reassured that it won't be a problem or conflicting at all I remembered that FI's grandparents don't have great mobility and a beach reception was likely going to be difficult for them so it looks like we'll be poolside which is fine by me!! I can't believe that six months ++ is now down to six WEEKS! SO EXCITED!! I really do need to sit down and get a bunch of DIY projects finished up though yikes!

Okay funny enough I haven't heard of escort cards before this morning and now I've got through a few separate threads about them! Are they just the same thing as place cards?? But to answer your question about card stock and inkjet printers, you should be okay to use them! I printed all my invites on cardstock and it seemed to work just fine! Because they are fed through more slowly than a laser printer/copier the paper doesn't seem to jam as easily. Sometimes I would print a group of pages (say 10) then let my printer sit for a few seconds before sending off the next group to print. This helped keep the quality consistent as sometimes when you're running a large number of pages through the ink doesn't quite seem to keep up and just needs a few extra seconds to get back to full strength. The easiest way to do this was in your print menu instead of selecting 100 copies, select 10 copies and hit okay 10 times. Then you're not stuck sitting there the entire time hitting 'ok'.

Quote: Originally Posted by endlesslove Packing List $1.00, 5 back of sterling Silver starfish $5 about 1.5 inches Where did you buy your packing list from? I'd love to get one like that but someone has already claimed yours

Quote: Originally Posted by PaperBagPrincess I've made the magnets before, really great craft to do while watching an old movie. I've also seen them sell at a store here for 4 for $12!!! Here are the instructions I used. not martha — to make: marble magnets To dress up the back/hide the paper try some sparkle glue. Awesome thank you so much for the link! I never knew these were so easy to make and I love the look! I totally know what I'm doing this weekend now Quote: Originally Posted by shae hey there – yes, you must use a laser printer. lasers use toner (powder substance) instead of ink and require laser-specific paper that doesn't easily absorb water as regular copy paper. a few other tips: if you don't have access to a color laser printer you can get a few sheets printed at staples or something which will probably cost a few bucks (be aware that colors on your computer screen differ from what you will see on paper). i was able to fit 120 of the little circles on a sheet of paper and 30 of the large ones on another sheet so you'll only need to print a few sheets of each! i used aleene's clear gel tacky glue from michaels to adhere the paper to the marble. it worked great! make sure to smooth out any air bubbles before the glue dries. i used weldbond, also from michaels, to bond the magnet to the back of the paper/marble. this glue was a little frustrating to work with and think there are probably better glues that you can experiment with. i just chose to stick with it because it was the only brand that claimed to be "green". if you buy your canisters from another supplier other than specialtybottle.com make sure to measure the height and width of your marbles and canisters so they fit perfectly. also, as i mentioned below, make sure to get extra marbles since ALOT of them will likely have imperfections or dimples in them. just holler if you have other questions! Thank you for all the extra tips and pointers! I've had troubles with some projects already, flipping between the laser printer at work and my inkjet printer at home. Good to know just to use the work one this time around Quote: Originally Posted by shae hi! i bought these at ikea in the garden section. i just checked their website and it's not available online. the great thing about these is that it's not as heavy as glass and i don't have to worry about whether they might break when i bring it to mexico. i found my inspiration pic at the link below. check it out because they've got other great ideas! AD Inspiration: October 2009 I really like those wood boxes!! I'm so conflicted about what to do for my centerpieces now that I've seen these - and so little time left to decide LOL!

Quote: Originally Posted by caribbeanLover Yes, sorry for repeating my vent about the whole BM, Def didn't mean to take your thunder away for your venting lol we should try and remember after it's our day and it doesn't matter about the parties (bachelore/ette) doesn't matter who's standing up there. It matter that the 2 of (two of you) are up there making a memory of a life time. (I have to try and remember this for myself!!) Are you getting the guys to escort the girls down the asile before you walk down? Or just for interdoucing? No thunder stealing JEEZ! LOL! Nope, don't feel bad at all Tracy I like your reminder that this whole wedding thing is supposed to be about ourselves and it's easy to get overwhelmed otherwise. I think we're going to have the guys walking down the aisle with the girls, as long as FI doesn't mind standing up there on his own for a few minutes! It just seems to work out well and then people aren't waiting for all four girls to walk down on their own. It's a short enough ceremony as is, so I'd rather not drag it out waiting for everyone to get up and down the aisle. None of the girls are actually in real couples with the guys either (from the wedding party) so I think it'll be a good way to go! Oh yes the training is going well. I'll be doing one personal training and two group classes a week for the entire month which should give my body a good kick and end up with a more obvious change. Honestly though my energy level has been WAY better and that's definitely the biggest change I've noticed so far. No weight loss but I'll live with that if there is still some toning and muscle mass building in there And I had to add in Jenna cuz she posted about her date yesterday and it didn't make the list yet - and it's the first one up!! Also added Katie and both Tara's! Finally bridej9 - I feel like a jerk because you're at my same resort just a few days before me and I can't for the life of me think of your name right now SORRY!!! But I do think we should grab a drink before you head home (we get to DPA on your wedding day!). April 2010 Brides April 3 - (hoyt75) Jenna from Fort Worth - Valentin Imperial Maya April 9 - (kimmyg) Kimmy from Cincinnati - RPRM April 9 - (Chicken764) Martine from Casselman - Grand Palladium-Punta Cana April 10 - (jerseykitten) Michele from Jersey (Central Jersey by Six Flags) – Jamaica April 10 - (taratoons) Tara from Ottawa ONT - Dreams Punta Cana April 12 - (bridej9) - ______ from MI - Dreams Puerto Aventuras April 16 - (echo2_62) Meghan from Calgary - Dreams Puerto Aventuras, Mexico April 19 - (Sasse75) Jill from Hamilton, ONT - Grand Sunset Princess April 22 - (taraappl) Tara from Coon Rapids MN - Isla Mujeres, MX April 24 - (jess3414) Jessica from Phoenix, AZ - Dreams Cabo San Lucas April 24 - (katie424) Katie?! from Denver, CO - Beaches Negril April 25 - (shortnsweet7675) Natasha from Atlanta, GA - Miami, FL (Carnival Glory Eastern Caribbean cruise) April 28 - (ebredhawk) Erin from Cincinnati - Dreams Punta Cana April 28 - (Melidell) Mel from NWT - Melia Las Dunas, Cuba April 29 - (SuzyQ76) Suzanne from Calgary, Grand Riviera Princess, Mexico

Yah Tracy I knew you were going through some of the same things with your BM's! I think that asking the one girl to do your readings instead of a bm is okay since she hasn't been too involved so far. If it were me, I'd totally play it up like she was doing me this HUGE favour and that it was important to me for her to take this other role etc... so then it doesn't sound like a demotion!! LOL! Plus then you might not feel as let down by her for not helping more with the rest of the planning you have left, because she's just not expected to anymore. It makes sense. I giggled a bit about the numbers only because FI has this really weird thing about "balance" so yes, all our pictures are lined up perfectly in the middle of the wall and a plant on the left means a plant on the right etc. SO, given that we currently have two groomsmen (his brother was supposed to be the best man but can't come) and three bridesmaids I figured that adding one more bridesmaid would actually make our numbers fit better since it meant two BM's per GM... if you follow So assuming my other friend accepts being a BM when I ask her this week, that's the way it'll go! Four girls, two guys plus me & FI.

It sucks that you're going through this but LOTS of us here have had issues with people inviting themselves or with family members doing the inviting for us. You're definitely not alone there. The important thing here is to sit down with your FI and really make a firm decision on what the two of you want, and what you're willing to negotiate about. If you can't or don't want to handle a large number of guests then that's YOUR decision to make. Sit down with your family members and let them know exactly where you stand and that it is not up to them on who gets to come or not, regardless of who is paying. I had issues with my FMIL because she didn't like how we were handling our planning and in the end FI finally had to tell her to get over it or don't come to the wedding at all. It's a scary thing sometimes to put your foot down firmly like that but you have to do what is right for you. The best thing is communication so I'd definitely start there. Good luck and hopefully your family listens to what you say!

Yah I can't remember who has the first April wedding... I know there's one April 9 (because it's my dad's birthday!!) and Tracy is before me too on the 13th. It's SO AWESOME that they're coming up this soon! I can't wait!!

hahah too funny! FI gets really tuned out when he's in front of crowds so he likely won't notice a single thing anyone does while we're standing at the front. Honestly... I've been at a presentation he gave and accidentally sat immediately in front of his line of sight and he never even noticed I had come in the room! HAHAHA, that and he tries to be funny and mostly ends up NOT being funny at all and I end up being the only one laughing at/with him so it should be amusing if he tries to pull something off because no one will be able ot hear his mumbling and I'll be laughing like a fool!

Thanks Mel!! I guess the frustration is that of the two girls who are both getting married this summer, it's the one who ISN'T currently in the wedding party who is being a bigger help than the girl who IS in the wedding party! It makes no sense! But I agree that March will just be crazy! This is a big birthday/anniversary month for nearly everyone in FI's family as well (leading into april with my family!) so it's a good thing we only have to call on birthdays since his family lives far away and isn't really big into gifts. I'm really glad we're doing a DW as well. Even though a few pieces of our planning are catered specifically to FI's family, it's mostly just things we want and that's it! Haha I asked FI last night if we were going to do our own vows on top of the traditional ones we have to say and he says "NOPE! I'm doing as little talking and standing in front of everyone as humanly possible!!!" hahaha. He's not one for being the focus of attention but then again neither am I!

Okay girls, gotta admit that I'm a little stressed right now. I've been cruising along rather easily for a number of months now and I think I'm kind of paying for it. I've told you the problems that I was having with a few friends surrounding FI's bachelor party (coming up this weekend) and unfortunately it was on-going up until last week - my friends just didn't understand that it's not at all cool that they're laughing at me for getting frustrated about their lack of communication. I finally voiced my concerns to FI and he was actually much more understanding than I thought because it turns out he's a little frustrated about the same thing. Granted that I am officially "in the know" at this point because the guys needed me to pack a bag this week etc... but it really doesn't seem like the problems will end here. In addition to all that, I talked to my sister (moh) yesterday and apparently she has been having lots of troubles with my other bridesmaids with their lack of planning and organization for my bachellorette party in a couple weeks. She feels like she's on her own with it and like they just don't feel like making the time to sit down and actually make sure everything is on track. My sister was almost in tears because she thinks I'm going to be let down and not have as good a time. And if it's any indication... the actual date was only decided on less than two weeks ago and the only sort of invite sent so far was a "save the date" at my suggestion this weekend because not all the details are ready to send everyone. And I had to practically insist the email be sent because I've got friends asking me about it and I had no answer to give them! Plus, I already know people have plans and won't be able to make it since the date is only two weeks away! The final problem is that when I was choosing my bridesmaids, I had one friend who I already knew was getting married this summer and so although I wanted her in the wedding, I talked with her and explained that I didn't want her to feel any pressure with being involved in my planning and that was why I wasn't going to ask her to be part of the wedding party. She was TOTALLY okay with that since it was pretty much equal on her part in return. Except all along, she's been a big part of planning with the girls and a ton of help for me! AND, one of the girls who I *did* ask to be a BM got engaged shortly after and has often been too busy planning her wedding this summer to be around much (nevermind that she lives about 9 hours away). So now I'm thinking of adding the other girl into the wedding party anyways but it just makes such a lot to deal with!!! AGGGHH!! So I know there are far worse things that I could be having problems with and I'm really trying not to let these things get to me but I honestly haven't asked a lot from the people around us and it seems like now that's all being taken for granted. I officially have SIX WEEKS left until the day we're headed to the airport and it just seems like I'm being let down by the people who I totally thought would step up right now. Thank god FI has been a complete doll lately and really seems to be making an effort to give me his opinions and help out when I need him. God I love that boy. Sorry for the crazy long rant...

Tracy - you did a great job on your shot glasses! I'm totally about the make-your-own labels!! tara- glad to hear that things have been slowly getting worked out. Sorry for all the sress it's put you through but it sounds like you'll be pulling it off and I'm sure your guests understand that none of it was in your control and that you're doing everything you can to help them through. Kimmy - we have the mini hand sanitizers at our dollar store here and I definitely have extras if you want me to mail them to you?! Let me know how many you need/want in total and I can get them shipped off this week probably?? Oh and for bags I was looking at discountmugs.com and they actually have a really good selection and prices are decent as well.

On 5th ave again... 100% Naturel. It's all outdoors if I remember correctly and is all covered over with beautiful trees, flowers and plant growth etc. You might almost miss it walking by on the street! We went for dinner one night and lots of places have strands of lights up everywhere and its just so pretty! My friends had some pineapple shrimp bowl and said it was absolutely delicious (I had heat stroke and don't think I even ate anything - chugged about eight two litre bottles of water though LOL!). Our waiter was amazing and even put up with our ridiculous attempts to learn the spanish names for everything on the table! He sat down with us for a while and laughed hysterically as he tried to teach us things like "this is very hot/spicy" or "a large glass of juice please" and simple phrases like that. If you look on Trip Advisor you can do a search for PdC restaurants and get lots of reviews there as well. I wish that we actually knew the names of a couple other places that we ate because they were really good!

Hahahaha! I totally don't mean spring cleaning at all, though I wasn't terribly clear about that before. My home office has become the holding grounds for all things wedding related and we don't really have shelves or anything in there so it's kind of just piled up on top of each other. I'm almost at the point where I might even pull out enough grocery bags so that I can start separating all my stuff as if they were the OOT bags! If I can get all the small stuff organized the way I want it, then adding in our mugs and switching them to the real OOT bags will be quick and easy. Plus I've got a suitcase already designated my OOT bags so I'm hoping to be able to tuck them away nice and neat in the meantime. It will mean completing some other small DIY projects this weekend though which might be a challenge in itself!!! I should also admit that you're all making me feel very guilty for not wearing sunscreen on a regular basis. The thing is, I honestly can't remember the last time I was burnt including two six-week work trips in Houston Texas and my last trip to Mexico!!! I think the strongest sunblock I even own is a 15 SPF and lower. But unlike you Michele, where you still tan lots even wearing SPF 30, I would be that pale white ghost in Mexico if that's what I was wearing!! I couldn't handle that sorry!

Quote: Originally Posted by kris If you make a trip to Edmonton I loooooved Pure Bridal. I hated the bridal centre just because like the other girls said you just have to sit there and wait for them to bring you dresses and I felt like I was being pushed out quickly. Good luck shopping Funny that you say you felt like you were being pushed out quickly... when I had my appointment it was for 4:30 or 5pm on a Saturday (which means they close at 6pm) and when the girl brought out a dress she said "oh by the way we're closing now so this is your last one" and it was a little blunt... not even a 10-minute warning or something. So once I'd changed back into my clothes my girlfriend and I headed back downstairs and they already had ALL the store lights turned off and the other staff didn't even say good night or thanks or anything as they watched me leave. To top it all off, we got back in the car and found out it was actually 5:53pm. We checked the car and our cell phones to see if we were mistaken, but NOPE. So I realize that those extra 7 minutes were going to do me any good, but to be as rude as they were about getting us out and the lights off etc... I was really ticked! Plus, the woman helping me hadn't brought a single dress for me that I'd even have considered buying. It was a bad day for me

LOL... I kept saying that I'd have things done ahead of time but I'm totally not there! I wanted to be able to put my OOT bags together when FI goes away next weekend, but I don't even have my bags yet (long story but last minute changes were necessary) so that idea is kind of out. I do want to make sure that i have the rest ready to go otherwise, down to the last detail so that it's just all ready to plop in the bag once I get them. Ideally I'd LOVE to have them all packed away and get my office at home cleaned up but we'll see. And tracy I just saw your post and I'm glad that your parents were able to get travel coverage! NO STRESSING OUT FOR YOU!!

I bought my dress at Mena's and really liked the girl who was working there! I feel bad that I totally can't remember her name but she was super nice and very helpful. The other store I would recommend is Beautiful Bride (close to Blissful I think?!). It's in teh same plaza as the Spence Diamond store immediately south of Glenmore Tr. on Macleod. It's a little tricky getting into the parking lot when you're coming from the north just to warn you! LOL! Took me a few tries to be honest And if the Bridal Centre is the one down by Ikea, it doesn't surprise me in the least that you haven't been in touch with them. Well, I should first say that I think making an appointment with them online was what worked for me pretty quickly, but I had a horrible experience when I was there and ended up at home in tears thinking I would never find a dress. On the other hand I've heard some okay stories about it too. I think it all depends on what kind of shopper you are. I want to be able to wander through and see the kind of selection a store has, or to be able to point out certain features to whomever is helping me. This place is a little like watching Kleinfeld's on tv, where you have your place to stand but they bring everything to you and you can't really wander about to check things out. I don't particularly need someone catering to me hand and foot, as long as they are around to help when I need it. Sorry for the mini rant there but I could never set foot in that place again. My other recommendations - eat first, take water, make sure you have a hair elastic/clip (it gets hot changing repeatedly!) and take people who know your personal style and recognize that it is different from their own. Have fun shopping!

Quote: Originally Posted by caribbeanLover yeah exactly, I'm exactly like you. LOL talk about weighting the luggage, my scale doesn't do a good reading cause I can never get the wheels on the scale. So this time around I made a MII character on Wii and I'll weight them that way, I can get an accurate reading this way lol. You are too funny! The best way to figure out how much the bag weighs is to take your own weight then pick up the luggage and take your combined weight. Subtract one from the other and you're set! Quote: Originally Posted by taylorwd Thank you!!! You actually have a twin on here with your same date. She's getting married on the 16th at my same resort. I don't know her name anymore. She introduced herself to me months ago but has since disappeared and been inactive. That was probably Tonya She and her fiance are no longer together so she hasn't been on the forum.

I hear you about dressing according to your mood for the day but I figure that usually i would end up packing all my favourite things anyways and it's not like I'm super strict on myself that I need to wear a specific top on a specific day... just that its an outfit I plan to wear at some point in 10 days! LOL! my problem isn't that I take up a lot of baggage, its usually that I'm overweight. I can pack more than you'd imagine into a single bag but it will also weigh close to my own weight! Oops! Just make sure you've got a scale nearby when you start packing so that you can figure out how much each bag weighs as you go and know which ones can fit a little more in them. It's all a game of tetris!!

Hooray for getting your confirmation!!!!!!!!!!

ooh thanks for mentioning the avon score! I haven't looked at the last catalogue or two but I definitely will now

Oh yes and welcome to our newer thread members as well!! Taylor - my wedding is just a day before yours in MX!! I think that's the closest I have to a twin date these days!

Quote: Originally Posted by SuzyQ76 Did I mention how much I'm looking forward to the night before the wedding when I'm totally alone!?!? lol in a king size bed..................ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh, I prob won't sleep a wink because it will all be too alien! lol Not sure what arrangements your resort has, but even though ours offers a free room for the groom on the night before the wedding, we're just going to switch up a little with a couple of our friends. Girls never mind sharing a bed but it'll be funny for the guys! I figure it'll help me sleep to have *someone* else in the bed and getting a good sleep will be worth not having the king size to myself. Besides, if it's anything like my last resort king - you'll still have PLENTY of extra space to spread out! Quote: Originally Posted by jerseykitten I always go over the weight limit too - I'm glad you'll have the nice room at least - I'm going to be so totally over weight and bag limit I'm planning on 3 suitcases plus my dress and FI has his own suitcases - he thinks he can pack light but I just reminded him today he needs to bring workout clothes too...10 days is a LOT of luggage! I finally got a dress to wear to my "night before" dinner. I have very few clothes from losing weight and everything I own is black, so I've been needing to do this...the problem is there's been hardly any spring/summer stuff out and dresses are hard for me because I only look good in things above my knee, and i'm only 5'4" so things tend to be long. I tried on about 30 dresses today and bought 1... In reply to Tracy's comment about packing - it's all about setting everything out ahead of time and coordinating the clothes you want to wear on your trip. Seriously I will pick out a whole bunch of tops, a handful of bottoms etc and start matching them up "I can wear Shorts A with Top 3 & 5" so that you don't end up with a top, bottom or two plus shoes for every single day. It really does help minimize your list of stuff that's going in! And remember that there are a few days where your guests won't be with you anymore, so no one will notice if you have a repeat of some items! Clean shirts are usually the must-have because of how hot and sweaty you can get. Michele - that dress you bought is really cute! Despite having to try so many on, it must be a nice reward for you to need a smaller size dress since you've been doing so well with your workouts and losing weight. Good for you! And on a side note for everyone - SPRING ITEMS ARE HITTING THE STORES! The retail seasons are always ahead of the weather seasons and I've seen lots of capris, swim trunks etc coming out lately so there should be some good shopping before we all leave! Quote: Originally Posted by sasse75 Oops sorry Tracy Another option I saw....although it might get pricy, is that in some restaurants - in their washrooms they have vending machines that sell small packs of tylenol, advil etc. As well I know you can get them in small travel tubes.....but I think they sell for a few bucks. You're right that the cost could go up a little, but what a great idea for getting the individual packages of meds, especially if you only needed a handful of them! I wouldn't have thought of it this!!!