Where do I fall on the Dork Scale?

So, we are officially well into the double digits in the countdown until the big day (94 days)!  I am getting SO excited!  3 months is not very long at all, and that's all we have left!  There was an article in the newspaper tonight, written by one of the columnists who graduated a year ahead of me (with the Tortoise) that is also engaged.  She was talking about how it was really starting to hit her that her wedding was only 5 months away.  I was like HELLO!  That means I should REALLY be freaking out!  I am pumped!

We have officially started the apartment hunt, and are really looking forward to living together.  Although I think that I am going to be exausted from the commute, I know it will be worth it.  I will definitely have to schedule my life around Cubs/White Sox games, though.  I spent over 2 hours in the car last night trying to make my way to see the Tortoise.  It normally only takes me about an hour.  Yuck.  At one point I was yelling and pounding on the steering wheel.  Not a good sign....

I have also decided that it is time to kick this whole work out plan/healthy eating thing into gear!  I am going to be staring at these wedding pictures for the rest of my life, so it's time to get serious!  While I really don't want to lose weight (my dress fits REALLY well), I wouldn't mind toning up, tightening a tinge, and just feeling really, really good and healthy for the wedding.  That's my goal, and I think it's pretty attainable.  I will have to keep you updated on the progess.  Eating was not great today, but not horrible.  I went to Zumba, so that was good!

We got our invitations in the mail today!  They are AWESOME!  I highly reccommend the website 123print.com for all of your printing needs.  To check them out, click  HERE.  Now, we definitely were not super worried about traditional wedding invitations with all the frills, so this was perfect for us.  They were very easy to design, VERY affordable (like, $170.00 for ALL of our invitations, RSVP cards, and pre-addressed envelopes), and came so quickly!  Perfect!

Last but not least, I have a totally dorky idea that I am so excited about, and I would love some blog-reader feedback.  Let me know where I fall on the Dork Scale. Here goes.
I had this little problem, and that was that I think I am in ONLY bride in the history of the universe to be jealous of her bridesmaids' dresses.  They are SO cute.  The color is AWESOME.  I WANT ONE.  So, I bought one.  HA!  The girl at David's Bridal got a little chuckle from it.  This is seriously a dress that I will most definitely be able to wear on several occasions, and all of my bridesmaids agree.  I just couldn't resist once I saw how cute everyone looked wearing them!  That being said, while I am very interested in your feedback, please remember, the dress is already purchased.  So, before telling me I'm TOO much of a dork, remember, the major dorkiness has already happened.
Here's where you come in.  I want to wear this dress to something wedding related.  I think it's a cute, fun, idea, and my mom agrees.  She is actually super pumped about it.  My question is, would is be TOTALLY tacky to wear it to the rehersal?  Keep in mind that this dress is VERY simple, VERY pretty, and VERY normal looking.  It really just looks like a cute little dress.  Some people might not even make the connection.  However, I thought it might be kind of fun to have a "today I'm just one of the girls, but tomorrow I'll be a bride" vibe going on.  Let me know if you think this is fun, cute, tacky, stupid, or down right dorky (or maybe a combination of a few of those).  Bottom line, I'm a dork, and I accept it!

Be nice!

100 DAYS!

We have officially hit day 100 on the countdown to the wedding!  How awesome is that?  I can't believe that we only have 100 days until we are a married couple... NUTSO!  It's so awesome!

I also can't believe we only have 100 days until everything has to be done for the wedding... crazy!  I know we will get there, though, and I am sure it will be wonderful.  As long as we end up married, it will be wonderful!

In 103 days, I will be in Jamaica.  Just saying =).



I also have to take a minute to vent.  My kids at school were totally crazy today!  I teach 4th grade, and my class that used to be full of sweet, innocent children is quickly turning into a class with hormones and attitudes!  5th grade... here they come! 

Another Great Weekend

I spent another awesome weekend in Chicago with the Tortoise.  It gets harder and harder to leave each time I go.  You would think it would get easier because I should be used to it, but it's definitely not!  The countdown is officially on, though!  Only 3 more months!

I've started to stay on Sunday nights, so I can try out the commute in the morning.  So far, so good!  Traffic is really easy in the morning because I am a reverse-commuter.  I get to laugh at all the people on 94 that are trying to get into the city to work, while I am going back to Indiana!  I should watch what I say, though... karma could get me!

We have gotten a lot of wedding stuff done. He and I designed our wedding invitiations online. If you are looking for a great, easy, cheap place to get invites or any sort of printing done, try 123print.com. We were so happy with it (I guess maybe I should wait and see if the invitations actually arrive).I am not going to  put our actual invitation online, but I will put the template that we chose to use.  I think it is so cute, and it goes perfectly with our colors. 

We keep getting more and more excited as the day draws closer.  Niether of us can believe how fast it is going.  While we have been great about not getting caught up in little wedding problems, we did have a bit of a "Tortoise Vs. The Hare" moment this weekend... thought you might find it amusing.  Remember, I am fully aware that I am something impulsive and irrational!

One thing that is still left on our "To-Do" list, is looking for and purchasing wedding bands.  Now, I have never shopped for a ring.  I don't know the best ways to do it.  So, I just kind of went with what I thought we should do.  Where better to start than the store where the Tortoise bought my engagement ring?  That store happens to be downtown, on Jeweler's Row.  So, I get all pumped up about looking at wedding bands this weekend, and I'm thinking, "Yes!  Trip downtown!  Awesome!"  Apparently, the Tortoise had different ideas.  He was thinking more along the lines of just looking online for ideas and possible price points.  He's always so rational...

This would have all been fine and dandy, except the Tortoise did not inform me of his different ideas until we were already on the Redline train, headed downtown, in the middle of the Cubs game that he had been planning on watching.  

I told the Tortoise he should have said something before we got on the train, and long story short, we ended up back home $10 and one very quiet train ride later. 

We both laughed about it later, and I told him that it was the perfect example of our Tortoise and Hare-like tendencies!

Hope everyone has a great week!

Weekend Wedding Checklist

So, as much as I like to tease the Tortoise about being slow, he and I have BOTH been exhibiting Tortoise like behavior when it comes to wedding plans recently.  My poor mom, I know it has to be stressing her out that we are so slow and indecisive, but she is such a great help.  Here is the agenda for the weekend.  It's business time:

Wedding ring shopping (so excited about this)
Groom/Groomsmen Attire
Final Guest List Check
Picking Invitations


If you have any ideas for great/affordable places we could get invitations (hopefully somewhere easy, preferably online) and men's attire, we would be so appreciative of any suggestions.  We are just so happy and can't believe the wedding is so close.

Also, a HUGE item on the checklist is apartment hunting.  I am LOVING this, and can't wait to find the place that we will call home for awhile!

I think that's just fabulous...

I can't believe we are only 3 and 1/2 months away from the wedding.  Time has flown, but at the same time, it seems like it is still going to be forever until we get to move into our apartment and see each other everyday.  While we have done a really good job (in my opinion) of getting into a good groove with this "weekends only" business, we are both getting very antsy to see each other on a much more regular basis.


I know it is going to bring a lot of changes, but I can't help but think how lucky I am that we've finally made it here.  We started dating when we were kids... literally.  If you would have told me at the moment that we got together (when I was barely driving) that I was with the person I was going to marry, I have no clue what I would have said.  Things just work so easily between us, and we genuinely enjoy each other's company.  I know it sounds totally cliche', but I am totally marrying my best friend, and I think that's just fabulous.


We are so ready to be together all the time, but in so many ways, I am totally happy that we decided to live apart this year.  We have talked about how much we are going to appreciate our wedding, knowing that literally starting that day, we will be living together.  I know for a lot of people living together before marriage makes all the sense in the world, and believe me, I have NO problem with it what-so-ever.  We even considered it last year at this time.  Still, for me personally, it makes the wedding mean even more knowing that we are literally starting a brand new life on that day. 


And I think that's just fabulous.

Ahhh....

Well, I have to say, the last week of my life was pretty wonderful.  One of the amazing things about being a teacher, is although I have a "real job" and I'm a big girl now, I still get Spring Break.  It was WONDERFUL.  Like I told you before, my grandparents stay in Siesta Key from February until Mid-April.  They were kind enough to let Ashlie, Katie and I take over part of the condo this week.  My Aunt Judi, cousin Delanie, and Delanie's friend were also there.  Our last night, my Uncle came, so needless to say, it was  FULL house!  It was so much fun and I was constantly reminded of how lucky I am to have such an amazing family.

I started my spring break by visiting the Tortoise in Chicago for a couple of days.  We had a blast in the very mild Chicago weather, and it totally got me pumped to spend a week on the beach.  Being the wonderful person that he is, the Tortoise woke up bright and early to take the three of us to the airport.  When I say bright and early, I mean it.  We left his apartment around 5 am.

After arriving in Sarasota, we spent the week sunning ourselves on the powder-white beach, eating lots of high-calorie food, and simply relaxing.  I read 4 books over the course of vacation.  It was wonderful.  My grandma is a saint, and had snacks waiting for us every time we came back from the beach.  She kept us VERY well fed with home-cooked meals each night as well.  I loved catching up with my grandparents (since they had been gone since February), my aunt (because although we work together, we don't often get a chance to just chat), and my cousin (who is growing up WAY too fast).  It was also wonderful to spend one of the nights playing cards with everyone after my uncle arrived.

It truly was so relaxing and wonderful.  I miss it already.

Bonus:  On the way home, we had a connecting flight in Atlanta.  They needed someone to give up their seat so they could get some of the stand-by people on the plane.  I volunteered after being lured with $400 of flight credit toward Delta Airlines (which happens to be the airline that the Tortoise and I are taking to Jamaica).  They put my up in a hotel, gave me some money for food, and flew me home this morning with a free ticket in my pocket!  Awesome!

Here are some of my favorite pics from the vacation (thanks, Ashlie, for forcing us to take pictures each night!:

More to come later!

Bronzed Blogger

Just wanted to say Hi!  I'm on my vacation with my family and friends in Siesta Key, so I haven't had much time to blog.

I will post a long one about all of the happenings of the week when I get home!  We will get in LATE Friday night.

It's been beautiful!