not_joanna_eggs' PJ - 1/24/2010 WP/CG: TR: MK/Epcot Photo shoot link posted

[not_Joanna_eggs]

haha your too funny Joanna, I bet we are long lost cousins or something lol!

Now wait a sec, your invites are suppose to go out BEFORE shower invites... well shoot now I have a bunch more work to do! I have to make mine... what was I thinking... oh well

You are super organized and doing stuff right now btw, I am going to try and keep up so I dont get crazy in a month or so lol!

My mother was adement about that one... I'm not sure if it's a real rule or not, but I wasn't going to argue with her I guess it makes sense, the shower is in conjunction with the wedding, so you invite the person to the wedding first.... I'm sure no one would notice if you did it the other way around, as long as your not inviting my mother

We're moving in September, so I'm trying to get as much stuff out of the way now, so that it doesn't hit me like a ton of bricks in November. Never fear, I will soon return to my slacker-bride status, and procrastinate all day long

* * *​

I got my floral budget back, and I was SHOCKED (in a good way) it was less than 1/2 what I thought/feared it would be and at this very moment, I'm $41 under my minimum!!! (Now, I'm sure it won't stay that way for long, and I'll find something to fill that with... also, I was told my MK photo shoot doesn't count towards the minimum, so I'm actually over the minum but not...)

 

[princess22]

Alright, I'm all caught up on your wonderful TR! Love all the pictures! I agree about Patricia! Stacey, wherever you are, GO WITH PATRICIA! She is amazing! I loved her. She is so sweet and nice and she wants your hair and make up perfect. She did an awesome job on me and my bridesmaids! I highly recommend her!

Can't wait to hear more... Loving everything. I do really like that bouquet!

 

[not_Joanna_eggs]

Thanks Stacey! You're back!!!

I totally agree, Patricia is fantastic.

 

[not_Joanna_eggs]

So I haven’t been around a lot lately, it’s been a crazy couple of weeks. We’re moving from a TINY 2 bedroom apartment into a 4 bedroom house, and are currently startling between the two locations. So life is pretty chaotic. I also received a promotion at work, and the person who I worked closely with that I didn’t get along with transferred out of our department, which is great, but until we hire someone else, I am picking up the slack from her job on top of my new and old responsibilities. DF started school and has class Wednesday and Thursday nights until 9:30. Last week, I was making myself a sandwich, and the knife slipped - I have 5 stitches in my finger and cut deep enough to have nerve damage. Oh how I long to sit on the couch with a glass of wine and surf DIS all night!

Okay... enough whining... I have a little time here at work today...

Today is the 1 year anniversary of our engagement! When we started planning, my little day ticker said over 500 days, and now we’re down to 136!

We got a huge checkmark off our list today - the invitations are now officially mailed! After all the drama and indecision, they’re done. I don’t know why, but the invitations were and are something that really bothered me through this whole process, and something that my mother and I really clashed on. We’ve been fine for almost every other piece of the planning... but these were brutal. In the end we both compromised and I think they came out decent. I’m not in love with them, but I don’t hate them, and they’re just going to be garbage anyway, so I’m not too concerned.

We’re in the process of moving, and my camera is MIA, and I had to use this old dinosaur of a camera to take these pictures - so I apologize in advance for their quality.

How it looks:

All the pieces:

The invitation:

The “events” card:

(yes, this one is smudged - that’s why it was relegated to “my” copy)

The RSVP:

I’m so relieved to have these done and out the door! I feel so official now.

Oh and we heard for 100% official sure that DF’s dad will be coming to the wedding. He’s thrilled. I just wish there was any possibility of his mom coming... but I don’t think there is. His dad is worried about being bored... Seriously? Who worries about being bored in Disney?

And I’m having trouble getting in touch with the company for the slide show that I won at the auction. I’ve emailed them several time, and when I call them I get a generic machine voice “the person you called is not available. Please leave a message.” It’s pretty sketch. I’m bummed because even though we got a rockin’ deal, it was still a lot of money... you know? At least it went to a good cause.

I’m trying to convince DF to take a Disney break in November or early December, for the weekend. We’ve been so crazy - we need a break! I’ve got him almost convinced... I just have to come up with some wedding related thing to do while down there, and I’ve got him for sure!

Oh and.... I think I’ve mentioned before that although we don’t have the best relationship with DF’s parents, his grandma is one of my favorite people. She’s so sweet and supportive of us, and DF’s (second) biggest cheerleader. So a few weeks ago, we took her out for a fish fry and we were talking about the wedding and my dress and I said that I needed to find a bolero or something because I have a skin condition on my arms that makes me really self conscious, but I was striking out big time and getting nervous. So she called me last Friday all excited and asked how white my dress is... she went to the store and bought fabric and is going to make me a bolero! How sweet, and way more special than anything I was looking at. (She sells stuff at craft fairs and is a really good seamstress, so I’m not worried about quality at all)

Now that the invitations are out, I’m hoping I’ll be able to just sit back and let the RSVPs roll in for a month or so, while we get settled into our new house, and avoid overlapping chaos.

 

[princess22]

Yay for getting the invites out! That was one of my favorite parts because it was such a big chore I was glad to be done! You're getting close now! It's going to be here before you know it! That is awesome that she is going to make you a bolero, you will have to post pics when she is done!

 

[not_Joanna_eggs]

Thanks Stacey! I was so glad they were out. Except, we spent all this time and effort making the cheap invitations not look cheap... and almost everyone we talked to said that the envelope shredded in the mail, and the bow was poking through to the outside by the time they got it. Guess we didn't take into account the cheap envelopes. Oops.

We're getting RSVPs in. No surprises yet. It's so real now. We're just under 4 months now!

I took my dress to Chris's grandma's to make sure the material she bought would work, and the material matches perfectly. I forgot to take a picture though.

 

[Sarah <3 Disney]

Your invites are really pretty!

But I have a question, your avatar... Which movie is that from! I know I have seen it, but I can't remember which! I am failing at Disney today!

 

[princess22]

Thanks Stacey! I was so glad they were out. Except, we spent all this time and effort making the cheap invitations not look cheap... and almost everyone we talked to said that the envelope shredded in the mail, and the bow was poking through to the outside by the time they got it. Guess we didn't take into account the cheap envelopes. Oops.

We're getting RSVPs in. No surprises yet. It's so real now. We're just under 4 months now!

I took my dress to Chris's grandma's to make sure the material she bought would work, and the material matches perfectly. I forgot to take a picture though.

I loved getting RSVP's even if I knew what they were, it was still fun! I'm glad the material matches. I can't wait to see the finished product. The time is going to FLY by and before you know it, you're big day will be here

And then you will be bored because you won't have any wedding planning to do...

 

[tiggersam00]

Hey there girl! Wow I cant wait till I get invited out in the next week or so and can go back to wedding slacker mode too! I am very jealous, but so happy you got them all done. I agree about invites, they usually just get thrown out anyways so why stress ya know! I will keep my fingers crossed that you get a bonus trip... maybe you could create a DFTW emergency that requires all Disney Brides to come to WDW and ride the haunted mansion... then I could join you lol!

 

[not_Joanna_eggs]

Your invites are really pretty!

But I have a question, your avatar... Which movie is that from! I know I have seen it, but I can't remember which! I am failing at Disney today!

Thanks Sarah.

It's from Rescuers Down under. The lizard's name is Joanna. And it's the scene where the bad dude has the Eagle eggs, and the lizard is trying to steal them, and he goes "those are not Joanna eggs" hence my screen name too. It's one of the first movies DF and I saw together, and whenever I do something that he doesn't want me to he says "Those are not Joanna eggs"

Yes, I'm a dork

I loved getting RSVP's even if I knew what they were, it was still fun! I'm glad the material matches. I can't wait to see the finished product. The time is going to FLY by and before you know it, you're big day will be here

And then you will be bored because you won't have any wedding planning to do...

You're right it is fun to get the RSVPS. DF's grandma and I were go excited when the material matched. It was just meant to be.

I totally hear you. I'm worried about post-wedding withdrawal... Is there a 12 step program?

Hey there girl! Wow I cant wait till I get invited out in the next week or so and can go back to wedding slacker mode too! I am very jealous, but so happy you got them all done. I agree about invites, they usually just get thrown out anyways so why stress ya know! I will keep my fingers crossed that you get a bonus trip... maybe you could create a DFTW emergency that requires all Disney Brides to come to WDW and ride the haunted mansion... then I could join you lol!

Hey Sam! It's such a wonderful feeling to get the invitations out. It was a very trying few weeks before we got them out. Slackertude is so much better than actually doing anything (See I'm such a slacker I didn't even bother to make that sentence make sense)

Fingers still crossed on the bonus trip. Currently, I'm working the angle that we need to get some things for the Welcome bags that you can only get at the Parks. I'm leaving out the part that we most likely could pick up those things when we get there before the wedding since we are going before all out guests.....

But I like the DFTW emergency... I'll have to come up with something and let you know. But If I can share the bonus trip wealth, I'm all for it

 

[Sarah <3 Disney]

It's from Rescuers Down under. The lizard's name is Joanna. And it's the scene where the bad dude has the Eagle eggs, and the lizard is trying to steal them, and he goes "those are not Joanna eggs" hence my screen name too. It's one of the first movies DF and I saw together, and whenever I do something that he doesn't want me to he says "Those are not Joanna eggs"

Thaaaat's right! Thank you so much! You have no idea how much that was driving me crazy! It is sad, I totally own that movie too! I should go an watch it now... hehehe!

 

[hollybearsmom]

I just got here from a link on a link....anyway, love, love those shoes. And many other things too, but since I'm so late I'll just sit back and watch the rest of it!

Any pictures of that crystal bouquet?

 

[kmg148]

Okay... my sister and I were going over some ceremony music last night. We're looking into having a mix of classical and not. We were discussing how to incorporate some personal "classics" sort of like musical inside jokes that would sound pretty, but have added meaning to us.

When Chris and I first met, we were in a "media" class, and our for our final project, we had to create an interactive website game. At the time, I worked at a Children's Museum (and I'm just a huge geek), so I created a Sesame Street trivia website. And I incorporated a bunch of Sesame Street Music into it. When Chris went away for collage, I made him a "Joanna" CD - and included my favorite Sesame Street song - "I don't want to live on the moon"

Well my sister and I were getting silly and joking that I should use this song in the wedding. Then she found a piano version of the song here and you know what - It's really pretty! We were thinking it might be a nice song for me to walk down the aisle to. I'm guessing most people won't know what the song is....

What do you think? Hokey? Weird? Cute? I need opinions!

Awesome! I have a spot in my heart for "Love in the Junkyard" as sung by Oscar. Listen to it, I think you'll love it too! (It's on iTunes!)

I just read through your entire PJ! I'm excited to read more!

 

[not_Joanna_eggs]

Thaaaat's right! Thank you so much! You have no idea how much that was driving me crazy! It is sad, I totally own that movie too! I should go an watch it now... hehehe!

You know, I haven't watched it in forever either, and you inspired me to watch it too. I that movie!

I just got here from a link on a link....anyway, love, love those shoes. And many other things too, but since I'm so late I'll just sit back and watch the rest of it!

Any pictures of that crystal bouquet?

Welcome to the insanity. I love the shoes too, and I had my first dress fitting this weekend, and they added enough height that I just need like 2-3 inches off the dress in the front! Bonus.

I decided against the crystal bouquet, because to get the size I wanted, it would be super heavy and expensive, and it would detract from the beading on my dress. But if you're interested, this is a great site with pictures and instructions how to make your own. http://www.geocities.com/chris_breecher/beadbouquets.html

Awesome! I have a spot in my heart for "Love in the Junkyard" as sung by Oscar. Listen to it, I think you'll love it too! (It's on iTunes!)

I just read through your entire PJ! I'm excited to read more!

Thanks for reading. I totally forgot about Love in the Junk Yard.... One of my favorites was "I love trash" by Oscar so awesome. Gotta love the 'Street (as I call it to make it less strange that a 26 year old has a love of Sesame Street)

Actually on that subject, Since my mom and the pastor nixed the idea of walking down the isle to I don't want to live on the moon, I was trying to incorporate it somewhere, and I stumbled upon this version which is AWESOME. So we're going to use it at the beginning of our slide show.

Not as cool as walking down the isle too it, but still awesome.

 

[not_Joanna_eggs]

Also, just a funny story. I have a very strange and strained relationship with my aunt and uncle. My aunt is very strange, so this story isn't that shocking...

I got the RSVP card back from them, along with an engagement card. Inside the engagement card (with no note) were two tickets to the Renaissance Fair.... which is strange enough - not that I have anything against the Renaissance Fair, it's just not my scene. But beyond that upon looking closer as the tickets, they expired on Labor Day I even checked the postmark - it was September 30. Who does that? At least it made me laugh.

Ahh family.

Other than that, life has gotten in the way of wedding planning. We're currently living 1/2 out of the apartment and 1/2 out of our house, which is obnoxious, but we can't get out of our lease until January, so there's no rush - except the threat of snow.

We decided against the bonus trip in November, airfare was too much to make it worth it.

I ordered the luggage tags that I'm going to use for the place cards. I found them from another diser, and they are perfect. I'll have to take a picture soon.

We're just over 3 months away. I feel like I should be doing more... but I'm not sure what.

 

[padisneyfour]

Joanne hi, just catching up you are getting so close! can't wait to see the luggage tags you chose.....

 

[not_Joanna_eggs]

Joanne hi, just catching up you are getting so close! can't wait to see the luggage tags you chose.....

Thanks Tammy. It's 100 days from to day!!!!

 

[padisneyfour]

Thanks Tammy. It's 100 days from to day!!!!

That is cool! Almost double digits!

 

[princess22]

OMG Joanna, I remember when I hit the 100 day mark, it flew by after that! I can't believe how close your big day is! It's going to be here before you know it! That is too funny about your aunt by the way.

 

[not_Joanna_eggs]

OMG Joanna, I remember when I hit the 100 day mark, it flew by after that! I can't believe how close your big day is! It's going to be here before you know it! That is too funny about your aunt by the way.

Thanks Stacey. I'm amazed how fast this year has gone by. It's making me crazy how much I still have to do


We're still getting RSVPs, we've got 36 confirmed with 8 most likelys and about a dozen potentials. At this point, I'm just crossing my fingers that we don't go over 50, because then we'd outgrow the Napa room which would just be fantastic

So about a two weeks ago, my sister came home for my shower, and she again expressed her...um...distaste... for her original dress. I was okay with this since we switched our color scheme and her old dress didn't really go with the new scheme. So we went on a dress finding mission and went back to the bridal shop that I got my dress and again it did not disappoint and we got my sister's dress on super sale for $36!

It's hard to tell from this picture but it's this iridescent pink/orange color, and we got a purple shawl and purple shoes for her to accent.

Don't mind the bra... it must be a family thing to wear brightly colored bras when being photographed in strapless dresses

I believe she's much happier with this dress so all is good in the world. It fits well, just needs to be hemmed a bit, but that should be easy enough.

The shower was nice, hopefully I will have pictures soon.

The luggage tags I bought (Thanks to Steph aka Wish on a Star for the link!)
are exactly what I was looking for. We will be using them as the place cards, with the insert (where you would put your address etc.) being the color of the table (each of our tables will be a color instead of a number)

I haven't decided if these will double as our favors as well or if I'll be ambitious and go ahead with the chocolates as well. We'll see how it goes.

We bought Chris's ring. We decided to go with Stainless instead of titanium because of the nature of his work, him smashing his hand and needing the ring to be cut off is an actual possibility... so we decided that Stainless was the way to go... durable but not so strong it can't be cut off. The fact that it was less than $60 didn't hurt either - we even splurged for the one with the diamond!

We also finally made our reservations so we have a place to stay when we're at Disney

So here's the plan:

21-24 BLT
23-29 POLY
30 GF

There's some overlap with BLT and the POLY because we'll be staying in a Grand Villa with my whole family, and we weren't sure if we'd need an escape from them Plus with the 4-3 deal and the free night we had basically an extra night... either we or my sister will use it. Also because of the 4-3 deal we are able to upgrade to concierge while at the POLY.

So basically things are going quite nicely. 77 days until the wedding!