We've had a rollercoaster of changes in our home the last couple of months, mostly related to jobs. By the time i left my last job (which was only ever supposed to be a short-term commitment anyway) i had stress pouring out my ears. The final straw was a maintenance issue at our apartment and it sent me tumbling over the edge of cope-ability into a sea of GAH! It also drove us out of our home temporarily.
That turned out to be the best thing that could have happened for me. P-mom took us in for the night, gave us much-needed hugs, made us dinner, and tried to help us not feel so out of sorts. She was really wonderful. I had the next day off and she suggested (nay, insisted) i stay and have a nice relaxing soak in her tub and do whatever i needed to unwind.
After a nice warm bath and a good cup of tea, i sat down with my huge wedding binder (it seems to follow me everywhere these days) and turned to a fresh sheet of paper. While the sun filtered gently through the curtains and the birds of spring chirped merrily out the window i took a deep breath or three and made a list: "Things i can do to Reduce my Stress Level."
Every day i try to make sure i get in as many of these stress-reducing keys as i can, and i add to the list as i find other things that help. I am trying to focus on the positive aspects of wedding planning and not dwell on the crap as much. Life itself can be stressful enough, but planning a wedding is particularly stressful. In the last year I've already had a few meltdowns over stuff that really shouldn't have sent me into hysterics. I really don't want to be one of those crazy, so-whacked-out-on-stress-no-one-wants-to-be-around-her brides. So I'm doing what i can to fix and prevent that.
In the meantime, P is working hard at his new job while i keep looking for one. I've started selling some of my sewing on Etsy, and am trying to make as much progress on wedding-related stuff as possible.
Dress
After much deliberation (and soliciting opinions from just about everyone (my almost 6 year old nephew even weighed in)), i finally picked and purchased the silk for my dress. It was stuck in customs for a while, but i got a note from my supplier this morning that they are expecting to ship it out to me today. ^_^ yay!
Decorations
I've been making good progress on the decorations and scrounging the internet for tips to make sure they turn out just right.
FlowersI've gotten quotes from a couple of florists for the bouquets and have a couple of meetings to discuss options etc. I've also found a supplier for the dried flowers we wanted.
Silk
Shipping out to me today
Officiate
I've solicited quotes from several local officiates but am still hoping we can find someone we know to officiate for us. i really dislike the idea of having our wedding officiated by a stranger. :\
Paper things
We have a full mock-up of our invitations completed. I need to get down to the art supply store to look at card stock and pick up a rubber stamp blank, but other than that i think they are about ready to print. Still need to choose an envelope source, though. I'm resisting the urge to just make my own.
Music
All of the important songs have been chosen, except for our first dance. We've been listening to a lot of miscellaneous music lately trying to pick fill-in music we like for the reception. I have found that I'm particularly fond of Klezmer.
Dress
Should have the silk in a couple of days as it is shipping out to me today.
Cake
Yeah... i kinda need to get back to that... i got freaked out about the cost and just let it all drop. There is a part of me that says, "for $20 bucks i can make the same thing they want to charge me $400 for." Repeat to self: i'm paying for the convenience not the cake, i'm paying for the convenience not the cake...
FoodFood was pretty well set before, just coming up with lists/amounts of hors d'ouvres we'll need to get a week or so beforehand. Being all food-paranoid as i am, i'm ordering a couple of Elisa tests to test my own food with and bringing myself a backup meal. I really am an 'expect the best but prepare for the worst' kinda girl.
Guess that's all for now. Here's hoping things continue to go progress in a timely fashion. Here's hoping i can remember to breathe and not stress out too much. Here's to hope: it's invaluable.
(did i mention my silk is shipping today?! ^_^ )
