Partyin' it up on June 26th...

*The Bridal Shower -- No Water Required!*

My bridal shower was a few weeks ago, but I only just uploaded my pictures onto my laptop, 

so here it is, the long awaited entry regarding my Bride-To-Be Par'tay!

It was a warm Saturday afternoon and Mother Nature was kind enough to refrain from starting a thunderstorm. The day of my bridal shower had finally arrived and I had never been so excited and nervous to go to the Fraser home before! All the build-up leading to this day had my stomach doing cartwheels, and while I still wasn't sure how I felt about opening a ton of presents in front of a large group of women, I knew it wasn't worth stressing over. Brenda, my mother-in-law-to be, went to extremes in throwing a fantastic soirée in my honor, and I kid you not when I say she had been planning this bridal shower since, like, December. The decor, the tasty home-cookin', the gifts.... EVERYthing was color-coordinated and tied in with our wedding theme of yellow, orange, green, and gerbera daisies. I couldn't believe how much work had been put into the set-up and preparation; I was truly flabbergasted and tried hard not to let the on that I was overwhelmed with emotion.

Cake reads: "57 Days... ...and counting!"  Kudos and thanks to Aunty Cheryl for making such a grand dessert!

It's a pretty outstanding thing, realizing that you are the recipient of an outstanding fiesta, all the while being surrounded by family and friends from both coasts and "showered" with nothin' but words of support, encouragement, and love. It was a happy celebration indeed and I think all the ladies there enjoyed themselves. How couldn't they?? The food was phenomenal and the ambiance was perfect: low-key, but cheerful.

My step-mom, Sondra, was kind enough to foot the bill for a rent-a-tent, just in case of rain. We got barely a mist toward the end of the party, but I loved having the tent anyway because it was so fun and festive...and matched the color scheme!

The gift-opening was a lengthy process, but I was ever-grateful for all the fabulous things I received! In a nut shell: 

* lots of orange (towels, kitchen gadgets, home decor!)

* many items from our Target registry (no shortage of Pyrex, hehe!)

* various items that weren't on the registry but are very "us" (fun!)

* Lowe's gift cards (hallelujah!)

One great gift idea came from my mom, where she gave each guest a stamped envelope addressed to me containing a few recipe cards. Each guest is expected to write out some of their favorite recipes and mail them to me so I can add them to my groovy new recipe box! Clever, eh? Looks like I'll be learning to like cooking in the very near future! ;o)

Above: Jackie, Alyssa and Julia engorge on tasty treats created by Brenda and Gram---mmm!

Right: Brenda saw this centerpiece idea in a wedding magazine a while back and thought, "Ooh! This is perfect for Miss Ashalilly!"  
("Ashalilly" is the nickname she gave me when I moved here three years ago)

The time seemed to fly by, and after the gifts had been opened and the food had been consumed, people started to trickle out. It amazes me how fast a few hours can zoom by, making it seem as though no time has passed at all. I felt bad because I didn't get to talk to all the ladies who were kind enough to come and celebrate my bride-to-be'ness. I can only imagine how quickly the time will pass on our wedding day.... Eeek!

Jackie, my Maid of Honor, had the great idea of providing magnets, stickers, and markers so that shower guests could write out messages of "love, life, and marriage." Adam and I stuck them up on our fridge that night, and I find myself stopping to re-read them often. SUCH a fun idea, Roomie---thank you! :o)

Though a good amount of guests had left by 5 o'clock (the shower started at 1:00), the party was still hoppin' and the young ladies who remained participated in the Toilet Paper Bridal Gown game!! Our dress models were Savannah (my cousin-in-law-to-be), Haley (my half-sister), and Isabel (one of my two flower girls). The designers had 5 minutes to create a wedding dress of toilet paper, and I must say that we all did a fantastic job under such time constraints and with such a fragile material! ;o)

My littlest flower girl, Annie, practiced walking down the aisle with my "practice bouquet." Again, my Maid of Honor did a pretty outstanding job in putting said arrangement together---it's fun, it's festive, it's sturdy. I can't wait to put it to use at the rehearsal on August 20th! 

All in all, my bridal shower was just right; I couldn't have asked for a better way to celebrate with all the females in my life. There were a few lady-friends and family members who were unable to make it due to work or distance, but they were definitely there in my heart and I'm excited to see them next month for our wedding!

To those of you who WERE able to attend,  I am forever grateful and fear I will never be able to thank you enough for all you did to make my bridal shower such a special celebration. I truly am the luckiest and have never felt so special This bridal shower really made me stop and think about how fortunate I am. Solely focusing on this bridal celebration, I am extremely blessed because....
*... my mom, sister, "aunty," and bridesmaid Crystal flew out from San Diego to be a part of this day
*...I am welcomed and loved by all of my fiancé's family and family-friends  

*...I have a good amount of female friends in my life that are all fun, intelligent, interesting, and lovey

*...I have four hilarious, amazing, beautiful and supportive bridesmaids who are willing to help with anything

*...everyone who came to my bridal shower truly wanted to be there

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!! 

Shake yo' groove thang!

"May I have this dance?"
"Sure! But only if you're willing to pop and lock and shake what yo' mama gave ya..."

Joy of joys! Adam and I are on Day 3 of choreographing /  practicing our super-fly First Dance and already it's ridiculously fun and full of awesome (if 'awesome' was a noun).

I. am. so. PSYCHED! 

I cannot tell you how {thrilled} I am to be marrying someone who is so willing (and dare I say excited?) to bust a move. As a long-time performer and dance teacher, having a fun and upbeat First Dance has been at the top of my priority list. It would be a crime NOT to do something lively and untraditional, don't you agree??? This is why I feel so fortunate to have found Adam, my "perfect match" Not every guy out there is willing and able to appease his Dancing Queen wife-to-be in this arena. Thankfully, Adam is a guy who is comfortable in public and confident enough in himself to be okay with "acting a fool" every once in a while. Not only that, but he knows that to dance in front of people does not require professional training or being perfect (whatever "perfect" is)---it's all about having F U N. I have little to no shame and am alwayswilling to dance crazy-like in front of people, so it looks as though I was destined to meet Adam Fraser eh?? *hehe* ;o) Knowing that I'll soon be sharing the stage with my significant other is a very exciting thing for me---I just envision us doing our First Dance routine and a big fat smile spreads over my face! Never fails, every time our song comes on (admittedly, I've been listening to it on repeat on my drive to and from work this week--ha!), I feel the rush of happy hormones and get more and more excited over our dance-in-progress. :o) The reality of it all fills me with such glee that I can't help but feel giddy; I can't wait for the moment we are announced as Mr. and Mrs. Fraser and dance together for the first time as a married couple! 

The heat wave we've been experiencing in New England this past week has presented us with the challenge of keeping cool whilst dancing. [ Fun fact: we are cheapskates and don't choose to invest in A.C. ] Boy howdy, I kid you not when I say that our house is hot enough for a killer Bikram yoga sesh--it is just so damn HOT in here!! Luckily, the tile *finally* went down on the finished side of our basement just two weeks ago so it's a good 15 degrees cooler down there; makes for an ideal dance studio!  [EDIT (Adam): "Ideal" with one exception: head is a mere 4 inches from the ceiling which makes some moves kind of - dare I say - dangerous.] It's still hotter than Hades, but it's fun to be spending time together, dancing and sweating up a storm, and putting our creative minds and bodies to work. I'm wicked proud of Adam actually, not only for being open to learning some of my serious dance moves, but also for coming up with a few ideas of his own! Just today, in fact, he suggested something and it filled up an 8-count perfectly! *Good job, Fiend!!!*  I'm having a blast creating choreography that we can both do and have a good time with, and it seems like Adam is really having fun with it all---couldn't ask for anything better!

This whole First Dance topic makes me think about one of many reasons why I love Adam so much:

I love that he isn't afraid to be wild and zany with me; he's game to have fun and isn't scared to be in the spotlight every once in a while. He may not be a trained dancer like myself, but he accepts and respects our differences and is STILL able to have fun, and that scores him some major Brownie points. He compliments my high level of energy with his own unique energy, and together we make quite a team! Planning this wedding with him has truly been a joy because we both share the desire to have nothing short of an AWESOME time together with our family and friends. We want it to be memorable and beautiful, enjoyable and fun, all the while remaining true to ourselves. This, of course, includes lots and lots of dancing at the reception....CAN'T WAIT!!!

*Note: I'm sure you're dying to know what our First Dance song is.....and I'm sorry to break your heart but it's a secret---you're just gonna hafta' wait and find out when the day comes! I *will* tell you, however, that we're doing a fast n' funky dance, as well as the more traditional slow dance. Double-wammy! 

Las Flores

Florist: check!  (it's about time, I know...)

'Tis true, I had put off booking a florist long enough to make my mother-in-law-to-be gasp in horror...which later made me cry because I was fearful I had really effed up, and in the words of Modest Mouse, "truly missed the boat." Here we were in the middle of June and I had not yet booked a florist. For reasons unknown, I wasn't too worried about this reality and the procrastinator in me figured that it'd all fall into place last-minute, which was perfectly fine as long as there were actual flowers and not hand-picked weeds from the side of the road. I had faith that I'd stumble upon the answer...though I hadn't a CLUE what that answer would be. A professional florist that would cost me loads of money? Buying wholesale flowers from Costco or online and tackling yet another DIY project?? Bite the bullet and buy silk flowers from A.C. Moore in hopes of no one noticing the strangs of thread jutting out from various petals of felt-covered stems????

I'm a pretty outstanding procrastinator (which is what I learned best during my 4 years at UCSC), so again, I just wasn't worried about flowers for some reason. Why stress about a bunch o' flowers, right???

Well, when Adam's mom and grandmother showed GRAVE concern for my not yet having booked a florist, I became incredibly stressed. Just ask Adam--it was like a switch had been flipped and I experienced a minor panic attack and cried. I knew it was time to stop lollygaggin', and deep down inside I knew it wasn't too late to get flowers somewhere....but I think I was just a tad bit embarrassed. What kind of bride-to-be doesn't have her friggin' FLOWERS figured out just two months before her wedding????

So the very next day I referred to some notes I had jotted down back in January---back when  I was recently finished with graduate school and had no job, so time was plentiful and wedding planning happened every day (which has SO not been the case over the past few months, ha!). My faithful maid of honor, Jackie, helped me round up some details from two florists up in North Conway< New Hampshire and within a day and a half I had booked Adrien, The Faaaaabulous Florist of The Flower Drum! *huzzah* I must say, after talkin' with Adrien over the phone and paying my deposit, I felt ten times better. Knowing I had a florist to help make our day beautiful brought a sense of calming over me; how pleased I was to know someone else would be arranging bouquets and delivering fresh flowers to The Brass Heart Inn the day of the wedding. No stress!

Some "deets" (aka: details):
1. Adrien suggests the boutonnieres NOT be made out of gerber daisies because they tend to wilt in a rapid manner. While he has offered various options that go along with our color scheme, I'm trying to hunt down silk gerber daisies (that look real enough and aren't too humongous) so as to make the groom & groomsmen bouttonieres myself. What do guys care if their "flower pin" is a live flower or not? And technically, once picked and wrapped in sticky green florist tape, the flower is dead anyway. May as well make it fake... :o)

2. The price for four bridesmaid bouquets, two flower bouquets, and my bouquet isn't too bad...though I still need to figure out what the grand total will be once we add in the single stems for decorating the aisle and centerpieces. Many, MANY thanks to my faithful bridesmaid (once again!) for offering to help pay for the flowers, 50-50. SUCH an excellent gift idea, Roomie!!! *future maids of honor, take note!*

3. I'm drivin' up to meet with Adrien on the 29th of July. Yeah, seems kinda last minute, I know...and yeah, it probably is....But whatever, I have faith that this will all be fine. The florist knows that the only flower I want is the gerber daisy, and our colors are orange, yellow and green. Easy-peazy! They're JUST flowers, after all...why stress over pretty plantlife??? ;o)

Custom Made!

*Finally!* We can show off another fabulous facet of our wedding: the invites and rsvp postcards!!

I have long waited for the chance to share our wedding stationary designs with the world, knowing that it was going to be a great accomplishment and something worth boasting. ;o) It took Adam and myself a while to agree on the layout of the invitation, and then once THAT was finally accomplished, the challenge of creating the "perfect" rsvp postcard had to be added on, taking all the more time! If you don't already know, Adam is incredibly talented with computers and graphic design, but with this great talent comes great perfectionism. Admittedly, I was nagging at him from time to time, telling him to just "move on, it's fine!" because I was anxious to do this on the to-do list: design invitations and rsvp postcards

I knew from the get-go that we weren't going to go with some hum-drum pre-fab design; the DIY approach was agreed upon early in the engagement game, and I was both pleased and excited over the idea of expressing our creativity on the pieces of paper that would be sent to the home of every single guest. But we were pretty clueless as to how to make our goal turn into reality. All we knew was that we wanted to include a barn somewhere on the invite, and make the rsvp cards postcards because they make for cheaper postage! *rinnnnng riiinnnggg, money saving alarm!!!!!!* ;o)  Once we had a rough outline of the invite design, we then found it difficult to find a printing press that would take Adam's jpeg file and print HIS design on THEIR paper. *Curses!*

Companies like Wedding Paper Divas failed us, along with countless others that came highly recommended or just looked good in general, but after lots of time and perseverance (and maybe with a touch of luck), Adam came across www.pixxlz.com---an eco-friendly printing company! That was another thing Adam and I knew we wanted to do: make our wedding invites as "green" as possible, because we are all about the love, the peace, and the three R's (reduce, reuse, recycle). This company proved to be two things: completely awesome and SUPER-DUPER affordable. We're talkin' ~150 invites and ~150 rsvp postcards printed for the low price of $105.00. No, I'm not kidding and yes, I know that is an incredible bargain. After reading in wedding mags that the average cost runs from $4 to $8 per invite, I can't help but feel like we're the luckiest S.O.B.'s this side of the Mississippi! 

So, without further ado, here are the stationary masterpieces, designed by my beloved fiancé  and printed with tender love and care by the amazing Regan Smith Clarke at pixxlz.com!  :o)

*  The front side of the rsvp postcard. I love it! It's so bold and funky-fun! And while it is a bit straight and to the point (i.e. "There is no way you can lose this, and please friggin' respond on time!"), we did include the word "kindly" so it's not totally screamin' in your face.... ;o) Love the font, love the colors, love the rustic-country touches mixed with modern funk.

* The back side of the rsvp postcard is fabulous too, don't you agree?? The meal preference icons were my idea, and we had a good laugh over the hilariously-stupid silhouette of a piece of lasagna (which was obviously replaced with a leaf to represent that it's the vegetarian option). The kids meal icon cracks me up, too! Stuck a polar bear postcard stamp on each of these puppies and DONE!

* The invitation is a 5.5" x 8" piece of cardstock. Adam was incredibly meticulous about the color gradation from yellow to orange to green, the rustic "wash," and the placement of the font. Speaking of font, we realize that it's not very formal...and that is EXACTLY what we were going for. The invitation should really reflect the time of vibe you are going for, and while we are mixing in bits of traditional American wedding, we are also uniquely making this special day our own and do NOT want our guests to think that they ought to be showing up in stuffy suits and ball gowns! The image is serene, the font is varied and fun; we went with a less-than-formal wording ( "Food and merriment to follow!" for example), and feel really good about this decision. What I ALSO feel really good about: This single piece of cardstock and a 4 x 6 rsvp postcard stuffed into a single large envelope only required a regular .44 cent postage stamp! No extra postage needed for being overweight or oversized, and no wasted paper with pointless inner-envelopes, velum flaps, ribbons, etc.  YAY!

* Today's Stroke of Genius brought to you by the letter "B" as in "Belt" *

Personal touch....

I am so impressed with myself right now (lol!), and just had to share this genius idea I had no more than 20 minutes ago.

(picture by moi) ---------------------------------->

What you see here is a practice / miniature version of my orange gerber daisy bouquet...wrapped in what used to be my grandfather's belt.

*Cue tears*

After my Papa Springett passed away in 2001, I inherited a few of his groovy pieces of apparel---some plaid shirts, a pair of pants, and this sweet leather belt with a Western silver buckle. While I was doing my Spring Cleaning two months agol, I came across my grandfather's belt. As I was putting it on, the worn-down leather in one particular spot ripped, causing the belt to split into two pieces. I was devastated. I took the buckle off and tucked it away for safe keeping, then I angrily dropped the two pieces of leather belt into an empty trash can. I couldn't believe my grandfather's belt just frickin' broke into two. It's irreplaceable. "What do I do NOW?"

A few days went by and I couldn't stand seeing the two bits of  my grandfather's belt in the trash, so I took them out and set 'em aside, thinking maybe I could use it for scrapbooking or some other creative project one day.

Cut to today: I'm tidying up around the house and come across the pieces of leather belt. I look at 'em, once again disappointed to not have the belt in one piece so I could wear it like I used to, and unsure as to what the heck I could do with these worn pieces of leather. Then it was like something knocked me right upside the head---must have been what they call a "stroke of genius"---and I started crying instantly, overwhelmed with memories of my grandfather and upset that he isn't alive to see his one and only granddaughter get married, but completely overjoyed with the creative thought that came to me. I dashed to the kitchen where I had a few daisies in a vase of water, and when I took 'em out I wrapped the longest piece of salvaged leather belt around the stems. The tears kept comin'.....I couldn't believe how awesome it looked and how fitting it is for the type of wedding we're having. It's rustic, it's personal, it's significant.....it's perfect.

Now I'm thinking of adding my grandmother's pearl necklace and having my deceased grandparents represented in this way, rather than the photo charms I was originally going to buy (or considered just making myself). I miss my grandparents so much.....but by having pieces of my them as part of my bouquet, it'll almost be like they are there with me and my dad walkin' down the aisle.

[In loving memory of Harry and Dodie Springett <3]

Antique aesthetic, programs, etc.

Old mixed with new...


I have always been a fan of antiques.

Okay wait, I take that back. A more accurate statement might be, "I have always been surrounded by antiques...and while I didn't dig the "old crap" at first, it grew on me and now I can't live without it." ;o)

As a kid I loathed stopping into antique stores with my parents. On every family vacation, whether in Northern California, Oregon, Wyoming, heck, ANYWHERE, we'd pull off the road and pop into a shop full of old stuff. It never failed. If they saw an antique shop, we were most definitely going in it. My parentals were big on displaying old rustic stuff in the house---i.e. old saws hung on our wall of the living room, ancient firefighter gear was proudly displayed on top of our entertainment center, and old tin Coca Cola signs were in our kitchen. Obviously I was too young to understand nostalgia or appreciate the art of collecting and adding a sense of "old" to the new....

....But my parent's habit and liking for the rustic, funky aesthetic clearly grew on me (thanks, Mom and Dad!), because there is nothing I want more than to incorporate old furniture and rustic good'ness into our Big Day. After getting engaged, the first thing I felt was the strong desire to have an abundance of glass bottles. I'm proud to say this mission was accomplished in just a few short months, almost effortlessly; we're talkin' various Rubbermaid tubs FULL of glassware! Since succeeding with my bottle collection, I've since been on the hunt for antique side tables. I sadly had to leave my FAVORITE piece of antique furniture back in San Diego when I moved because it didn't fit in my Jeep Cherokee, so I'm constantly hoping to come across another long-legged, small table with a single drawer to fill the void. So far, no dice.....but we still have 2.5 months, and MANY yard sales and second-hand stores to check out, so I'm not feeling too defeated just yet. ;o) Other rustic pieces on my mind: whiskey barrels, horse shoes, picture frames, wooden boxes, arm chairs, sofas, ottomans, an old bicycle..... Yeah, basically anything and everything that speaks to me.

What purpose will these things serve? I'm so glad you asked.
* The bottles are for the center pieces. (Note to wedding guests: sorry, the center pieces are not for the taking once the reception has ended. I treasure my glass bottle collection and, well, you can't have 'em!! lol)
* The side table(s) are to display programs, escort cards, food and beverage during cocktail hour, framed photos, etc. Nothing is cooler, too, than having living room "stuff" outside amongst nature---love it!!!
* Anything and everything else is simply for the love of rustic aesthetic and personalizing our wedding day.

My mind has been racing lately with ideas for our ceremony and what to print in our programs. Naturally the programs will be another DIY project (my, how my DIY list has grown...), but I know Adam is excited about them after seeing a fine example at the wedding we "crashed" last weekend, and I am anxious to get this creation goin' as well. I love the look of the simple n' rustic program made with "paper-bag" cardstock and tied with twine. Easy-peazy, and cute to boot! We'll most likely be going the multi-page route, just to keep the programs smaller and feel good about including everything that's important to us---family members, wedding party, readings, the deceased, etc. It's a lot to think about, but a fun project nonetheless! :o)

"Shoes. Ohmigawd, shoes."

The search for the "perfect" orange ballet flat has proved to be rather unsuccessful. Why must the only pair I like be $420.00 from Prada???  *curses!* 


As if our wedding didn't scream "Low budg'!" enough already, I popped into Payless Shoe Source today....and popped back out with two pairs of ballet flats, either of which have a good shot of being worn on our wedding day (which is just 81 days away, b-t-dubs).

While my heart has been set on finding a fun pair of orange shoes (preferably flats 'cuz heels suck--they hurt, they're pricey, and they're no fun to dance in), I opted to go ahead and buy the following pairs of shoes. Just in case I never find my dream footwear, I've now got these two options in my own closet. I couldn't pass up the ol' "Buy 1, Get the Second 1/2 Off" deal at Payless had goin' on---two pairs of cute shoes for under $20.00 is a steal! And if I *do* happen to find fantastic orange slip-ons, well, then I've got two more pairs of shoes to wear this summer. :o)

Shoe #1
Brand: American Eagle
Yellow stripes with faux-suede flower

I would be a-okay with wearing these flats during the wedding reception because they are yellow, unique, comfy, and stay on my feets when walking and dancing. Yes, I tested this while in the store; the sales lady was amused. I'd like to maybe add an antique orange button in the center of the flower, but otherwise these shoes are pretty great! Simple, yet feminine, and totally works with our wedding vibe.
(Note: The ant may be kinda-cute in this here photo, but I HATE that he and all his buddies have made their way into our house to escape the heat outside. Rogue ants can be found aimlessly roaming about in nearly every room of our house and it's starting to gross me out. Not only are these ants humongous, but I'm not fully convinced that they don't bite...)

Shoe #2
Brand: Predictions
"White Eden"

There is *no way* I would wear these just the way they are. I bought these shoes as a back-up option / art project! If I can't find a pair of fun orange ballet flats, then by golly I'm gonna make 'em myself. I'll have to investigate what's best to transform "Blinding-and-Boring White" into "Citrus Fruit." Dye? Fabric paint? Spray paint? Maybe I should just B'dazzle 'em, eh?? (hehehe..kidding.) If turning them the proper shade of orange is a success, however, I do intend to add some type of embellishment on the top, like a flower or a buckle, or maybe some rick-rack ribbon. I like the idea of wearing custom-made wedding shoes, and I'll be stoked if I can create orange ballet flats that are cooler / more "fashionista" than the ones from Prada....but we'll see how fruitful this creative endeavor is. ;o)