Insipiration Board: The Remix

I posted my original inspiration board here, but Mr. PB said it was too country - and he was right, as always (inside joke).

So this one is more what we, ok really, I am thinking now. Some of the images are not in the right color palate, but hopefully you get the idea.



Starting at top left: pumpkin aisle, cake table, milkglass centerpiece, love pumpkin, tree and outdoor fireplace are person photos from the venue, color scheme, chalkboard signs, boutonniere, colorful soda, s'mores bar, bridesmaids in cardigans

Here is my convo with FH about all this:

Mr PB: oh here it is

looks good to me

what's up with those rainbow bottles

are we going to have several flavors of soda bottles

me: YES

isnt that FUN

we can have like sun drop and cheerwine and like, whatever else in glass bottles
cute huh?

Mr PB: yeah

that's good

Hee hee hee. He loves it! What do you think about my inspiration board?

Too freaking cute not to use!

As I was perusing Anthropologie looking for all the things I want to register for, you know, for my Common Decency Be Damned post, I found these.

One could use them for a guestbook...or have folks write their well wishes and then have a friend or family member send them throughout the first year of marriage, which is what I think we might do since I already have a guestbook idea (calm down, I'll share it with you soon).

OR, one could just hang them from a clothesline as decoration. Cute, no?

OR! Use as table names! For a bride and groom who really likes to read! We really like to read!!!

Man, there are a lot of wedding ideas for these little suckers.

OMG. Invitations! Save the dates! OK, it seriously never ends.

Does anyone else see everyday random things and instantly turn it into wedding merch? Do you love these postcards as much as I do???

Common Decency Be Damned!

Previously you read about my old age and how I had already accumulated a bunch of useful junk. This is the follow up post you've been waiting [with bated breath] for.

Yep, this one's all about what I would register for if factors like landfills filling up and societal courtesy didn't exist. Just call me Veruca. Veruca Salt.



I love that the caption says "Veruca shows her love for material things."

First, I want some brightness!

Anthropologie latte bowls in jewel colors

Next, add some whimsy! Is there a way to register for mismatched but still coordinating china? Wait a sec...that's a brilliant idea! Get That Vintage Look registry! Too bad this exists already...check out Miss Tartlet's post or jump straight to the Antiquaria site!

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Throw in something practical, useful, yet so lovely...

I heart built in bookshelves way more than the average person.

Aren't these lovely and so functional?

Not having built in bookshelves is the main flaw in our home. That, and it'd be nice to have a wider front porch. And a larger entryway. And a mud room off the garage that we also don't have. And a screened in back deck. So add all those things to the registry too.

I'd also like to register for some cash. I know it's crass and tacky and all that, but it wouldn't be cash for just any purpose. It'd be cash for these...

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How great would it be if, on the day of our wedding, we could pay off my student loans???
SO GREAT.

Back to stuff.

I'd like to register for this rug, and I'd like our cat Isabella to never pee on it.

Anthropologie Finnia rug here

A fabulous bed.

Crate and Barrel's Pavillion Canopy Bed

And tons of holiday decor! I love decorating for the holidays!

Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas

What would you register for if you were a Veruca?

Hold the Phone!

I got a new plan for the wedding. It's a destination wedding in Hong Kong, all inclusive.
Check out the details here!

I'm Old and I Already Have Flatware

Ummmmm, I'm not sure what to do about this whole registry thing. You see, I am 30 and Mr. Magic is too. We aren't really old as the title of this post suggests...I mean, he's in the living room killing zombies as I type, and I get carded all the time (I mean, not all the time, just on the really rare occasions when I drink). How old can we be?!?

But...we are 30. We have lived in sin for some time now. And, I like to decorate and eat. If one combined all these facts and lifestyle choices, one (ok, I) would wind up with this:

-Approximately 4 sets of dishes. One Mr. M bought without consulting me (WTF, I know, right?).They are fine but kind of dark and manly. One is from my college years. One is my grandmother's set of dishes. Oh, and at FMIL's house there is a full set of china waiting for us that is Mr. M's Aunt's china.

-Novelty dishes. You know, like dishes with shoes on them, or dishes from the $1 bin at Target that have metropolitan cities on them (Paris! New York!)

-LOST drinking glasses. I got these as a birthday present one year. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love me some LOST...but I don't really want to set our Thanksgiving Day table with pint glasses depicting the different hatches from the LOST Island.

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-A blender, a toaster oven, a coffee maker, a food processor, a microwave, a griddle, cupcake pans, cupcake carrier, and cupcake stand, and baking pans of all shapes and sizes. We have 3 pizza cutters and corn on the cob holders. And other random kitchen crap.

-A brand new set of pots that I won at a Bridal Fair. Yippee!

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As you can see, we have a lot of stuff. We don't really need anything. All of these things are functional and adequate.

So, if we were to register, what would we ask for? Possibly a honeymoon registry, although I am not sure we will be able to afford to go anywhere even with the assistance of a registry.

Hi guests, I'd like 7 nights here!

Or, we could register for larger ticket items, like new furniture or a patio set. Seems a bit more greedy though than asking for, like, a pot holder (which we have enough of, thanks so much).

We could do the charity thing but honestly, I'm not that benevolent. FH and I both have careers that focus on helping others, and we both volunteer and donate to causes we believe in. Call me greedy and selfish, but I want some gifts!

Gifts from Crate and Barrel!
(Disclaimer: Even though of course I know that by getting married,
I am not entitled to any gifts and after all,
our guests' presents,
oops! I mean
our guests' presence
at our ceremony and reception is gift enough).

I'm not sure what my hang up is. I'm the person who starts making her Christmas List right after Halloween is over. And no, I'm not talking about what I need to buy for others...I'm talking about what I want to ask for. In fact, I am generally making a mental list all year long. What can I say? I like stuff. It is, after all, the American Way.

How very patriotic of you! source

OK wait...I do know what my hang ups are. I feel it's not very green of us to ask for new things just because the old ones are bumming me out. Plus, I feel greedy asking for a ton of stuff that I would probably not buy myself (because I can't afford those things). Like, one pot that costs 85$? A fancy shmancy knife for God only knows how much? We don't need those things.

So that's what it boils down to I guess...want vs. need. It's a concept I don't understand well, I admit.

Enough blathering! In the next post, I'm gonna tell you what I want to register for, economy and environment and common decency be damned! But until then, what's on your registry? And has anyone ever had this many thoughts about asking for stuff?

I'm Not Super Organized

I love organizational devices and strategies and I really, truly love the idea of being organized. It's just not for me. It's not in the cards. The fates are against me. And so on and so forth.

This is not what my office looks like.

That's where a day of coordinator comes in.

Now actually, I know a lot of women who are very organized. My mom, my step mom, my FMIL, and my work mom are all very organized ladies who could probably run a rehearsal and make sure the decor is set up properly, and the cake is there, and whatever else needs to be done (I'm so disorganized, I'm not even sure what else there is to do!). But the problem is...I might, ok, WILL be a big ball of stress and sometimes that translates to bitchiness (in some individuals, I have heard) and the last thing I want to do on my wedding day is snap at a loved one.

Or slap a loved one. Yeesh, that would be super bad.

Sometimes, I think I have a tendency to take out my frustration on my loved ones. I think probably all humans do this. I am trying to be better. But all in all, I think it is wiser for me to hire a professional, someone who is familiar with the process, who I will not have to worry about directing, and will make my wedding run smoothly. Oh and since she isn't someone I am super friendly with, I likely won't snap at her...I save those fun moments for those I love. Sweet of me, ain't it?

I interviewed a few DOCs. All three offered similar packages but their prices varied from 900$ to 1400$. I went to a bridal show to meet one and I just was not that into her. She did not take the lead in asking me questions but rather I had to gather information from her. The exchange was a bit socially awkward, and so even though she was the least expensive, I immediately nixed her.

Next, I talked to a lovely DOC whose package was 1200$. She was friendly and personable on the phone and I felt like we would have clicked in person. But, she had never heard of the caterer we are likely going with, and she had never done a wedding at our site. Plus, she has the same name as me. I kept imagining confusion on the day of. People would say "Ask Miss Magic if the pumpkins go on the right or the left" and they wouldn't know whether to ask me or her! She was an OK option but I kept looking.

Finally, I spoke with Erin of Erin McLean Events. She's the most expensive of the ones I contacted (granted, just three...I got lazy and decided a sample selection was all I needed. Go ahead, take away my Budget Bride Membership Card...again.) However, she was very personable on the phone. She has done 3 weddings at our site, and knows all about it! AND, she has worked with our caterers before...she was raving about them and their servers! When I met her in person, I found her laidback but efficient. She has a lot of great ideas.

Here's the best part though!

I kept asking her, "OK, I'm not sure if this is included in the DOC package, but can I talk to you about the layout of the ceremony and reception? Or will there be an extra fee for that? What about colors? Is there an extra consultative fee for that?"

Other coordinators I had talked to had told me that their package included only weekend of services. If I wanted to discuss layout or colors or anything like that, there would be an extra consultative fee, which was usually 75$ an hour. Erin seemed to think this was whack, and I totally agree.

That is whack. Just like crack.

So I plan on signing the contract and putting the deposit down this week. To me, this is like happiness insurance on our wedding day. And that, to me, is priceless.

Are you organized? Do you think it's time I man up and admit that my budget wedding is, um, going a little over budget? No? Good, me neither!

If you google "questions to ask a doc"...

...you get sites that lead you to these types of questions:

What do you think is causing my problem?

What is the likely course of this condition?

What is the long-term outlook with and without treatment?

If my symptoms worsen, what should I do on my own? When should I contact you?

Are you aware of each of the medications that I am taking?

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Unfortunately, I was not looking for questions to ask this type of doc.

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I was looking for questions to ask this type of DOC!

or

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A Day of Coordinator, of course! Wait...is it "of course?" In wedding world it is. All us insane, obsessed, and slightly deranged brides-to-be know the acronyms for everything from FH to DOC. We know that calling someone a BM is not an insult, and we love looking at STDs. But some folks don't know what a DOC is...even when it's spelled out for them.

Check out this gchat convo with Bridesmaid Bunny. I love her.

me:im researching day of coordinators now

Bunny: ooh what are those

me: instead of like, a total planner

its someone who runs the day of and the rehearsal, but normally they start working with you a couple of months outthey confirm all your vendors, take care of payment and tips, run the show, and generally make life stress free

Bunny: ha

i didn't even know there is such a thing

sounds amazing

how much are they

you know what you could do if you wanted to go cheap

get an intern how funny would that be

a wedding intern

me: haha
i found a few between 975 and like 1400

Bunny: hmm

that seems like a lot

god i would do it for that much

me: well, they are there like 9 hours on the day of the wedding, at least 3 hours the day before, plus other meetings, phone calls and stuff ahead of time

so it works out to like 75$ an hour or so

Bunny: hmm ok

maybe i need a new job

i am organized, diplomatic yet bitchy when needed

Just a reality check: wedding world is a fun place but not necessarily a NORMAL place.

Anyways, turns out questions to ask a medical doc and a wedding doc are about the same.

1. What do you think is causing my problem, which specifically is that [I've been having migraines] or [I'm stressed about my outdoor venue and the whole tent rental, rain option, heater issue debacle].

2. What is the likely course of this condition, because I'm wondering [how to prevent these migraines and make them go away quickly if I do get them] or [if I can find a reasonable and cost efficient solution or if I made a huge mistake in picking an outdoor venue and if I should just go bury my head in the sand again ohmygod I think I'm having a panic attack good thing you are like a medical doctor].

3. What is the long term outlook with or without [treatment] or [your fixing everything and relieving all my stress]?

4. If my [migraines] or [anxiety/stress/financial situation/mishaps/weather catastrophes/etc.] worsen, what should I do on my own? When should I contact you?

5. Are you aware of each of the medications I am taking [for my currently bridal psychotic induced state]?

See? Medical Doctor and DOC. Same, same.

Are you using a DOC? Did you pay for one or is someone you know and love doing it for free?

What do you think a reasonable rate for a DOC is?