NC Holiday Bee Meet Up!

Hi Bees! I posted this on the boards, but wanted to post it here as well. We're planning a meet up soon to get together, celebrate the holidays, and de-stress with wine...or your drink of choice!


Where: The Melting Pot in Durham, NC. 7011 Fayetteville Road, Suite 101, Durham, NC 27713

What: The Melting Pot has a "Girl's Night Out" Special, where ladies can get cheese fondue, salad, and chocolate fondue for 19$! Guys are welcome to come too, you just might have to pay more for your fondue goodness.

Image via CitySearch

When: Thursday, December 8th, 7:30.

Let me know if you can make it, as they need reservations a few days in advance. Hope to see you there!

Post-Wedding Feelings

Let me tell you something.

 Being married is awesome. But post wedding emotions are so confusing!

Like Mrs. Panther wrote about recently, I am having a lot of post-wedding feelings. Like, a LOT. And they are all jumbled up and are making me feel really confused and emotional and disorganized and stressed and happy.

First off, I think, like many of you who posted on Mrs. Panther's posts, I just feel a bit of a void where wedding planning was. At least if everything else sucked, like laundry and work, I could immerse myself in some wedding craft and imagine our Big Day. And when things in other areas slacked, I told myself "After the wedding, I'll tackle that." Well, now it's after the wedding, and there's a long, scary list of things that need to be dealt with but nothing to really daydream about, and frankly, it sucks. Like, literally is sucking the life out of me. Like a dementor.

 Image via Twenteen Something

I'm also in this weird place where I get so happy when I look at pictures our friends have taken, but get really sad and disappointed and annoyed at certain things that did NOT happen. For instance, these ugly chairs which were supposed to be hidden away were in plain sight when people pulled up to our venue and while we were all walking out of the barn for the ceremony. Not cool.

 Seriously? What is all that crap in the background????

Plus most of the poms I worked so hard on were not even displayed! Is this lack of follow through on someone else's part, or lack of communication on mine? I'm not sure...probably a combination. And yes, I KNOW these are tiny details but they are sticking in my brain and will not go away.

But...being married is so much better. I thought it would feel the same. I mean, Mr. M and I have been together for a bazillion years already. We've lived together for years. What could change?

It feels like it did change though, and in a really good, awesome, surprising way. I think we really are in the honeymoon phase. We're more careful with each other...we're kinder with each other...we've become a strong team that is working together. You know, in the whole twelve days we've been married.

But...that whole team approach mentality has also caused a lot of stress on me, because I am still in the "starting my own business" phase and am really feeling a lot of financial strain, especially after all those wedding costs. I'm worried I'm not contributing enough financially, or that I spent too much on the wedding. I'm freaked out that we're never gonna be able to have kids because we just can't afford them. Plus I want to go on another honeymoon already!

Then I feel guilty, for feeling like this after we had such a  beautiful wedding and now I'm married to an awesome guy. Shouldn't I be totally blissed out?

Too many feelings. Can you relate?

The Married Magics

Hi, Hive!

We did it. We got married! Here's a sneak peak:

 

I just wanted to pop in real quick and tell you the following things:

1. Weddings are super fun, especially your own wedding!

2. Being married is even more fun.

3. I have fourteen loads of laundry to do before I go on our still-a-surprise-to-me honeymoon tomorrow. Turns out, laundry doesn't stop even for a wedding.

I'll be updating you guys with some last minute projects until we get our pro pics back. Thanks for all the wishes!

Love, Mrs. Magic

It's Here! And Lessons Learned

The big day is here! I slept in my wedding earrings so I wouldn't forget them. I've got my Spanx on under my sweats and am about to head to the store - Miss Leave it Til the Last Minute needs to get a few more things!

Tomorrow, that's MRS. Leave it Til the Last Minute to you!

And now for the highly overly dramatic lessons learned. Spoiler Alert: References to Season 2 of The Walking Dead are ahead. If you are behind and don't want to continue reading, just know I'm getting married today and love you all!

Dude, we lost our cat Monster on Wednesday.

No, we didn't "lose" him as in he "died." He was just missing for, like, 36-48 hours. As you may know, Monster (and his sister Smizz) are very beloved. VERY. There is not really a way to over estimate how much these cats are loved. Mr. M especially loves cats, and in particular, Monster.

We had search parties. We posted over 100 flyers.

We asked our internet friends to spread the word on Facebook, Twitter, even here on Weddingbee. I spent over 100$ on mega heavy duty search lights so we could search at night. We crawled through the jungle forest searching high and low for this cat, me sobbing and shaking treats and wondering "How are we going to spend all day Saturday at a wedding while Monster is in danger??? How can I give Mr. M his present if our cat is gone???" Injuries were sustained in the hunt.

I swear, it felt as dramatic as when they are searching for Sophia who is lost in the woods with the zombies in The Walking Dead.

Image via Aspirant Film Journal

Overly dramatic? OK, yes. But this bridey was already sick with a cold, exhausted, and had barely been hanging on by a thread. This pushed me over the edge into sobbing, snot running, crazy cat mommy mode.

Oh. We found him. You know, in the crawl space under the house. Where we had searched like seventeen times already.

I think Monster, and the powers that be, were teaching us a much needed lesson. For me, I learned that no one cares if the wedding day is rainy like Seattle and cold like the Arctic (which it is, so far). It's not important that you have the best, cutest cake topper. What's important is family, communication, and love. Mr. M was feeling pretty nervous about the whole wedding thing...standing up in front of all those people, and saying "I Dos" forever and ever. But, after this whole lost Monster debacle, the wedding seems like a piece of cake. 

And marriage seems like the most natural, plainest thing in the world.

 Tift Merritt - The Plainest Thing - Via You Tube

Silly lesson? Maybe.Overly dramatic? OK. But for us, it was what we needed to focus on what's important.

So now I'm off to the store, for a guestbook tree pen and to get some brownie supplies. Later, we'll get married.

It's the plainest thing.

See you on the other side, Hive! I love you all.

xoxo,

Miss Magic

Amazing Button Chalkboard Seating Chart

It's amazing, if I do say so myself.

personal photo taken on iPhone...sorry...one day, I will have a real adult camera....

OK, here's how you do it! I did this in a really haphazard order, because I am losing my mind. But you are probably more organized and can figure out the most logical way to follow these steps.

1. Make your seating chart. I made mine with an enormous post it stuck to the wall, circles drawn on it, and tiny posts its with people's names written on them. It was much easier for me to visualize and rearrange this way.

2. Decide what you are naming your tables. I couldn't decide so I punted it to Mr. M. He immediately said "Creatures." OK. At one week out, ladies, just nod and say "ok!" So creatures it is: Monster, Zombies, Mermaid, Fairy, Big Foot, Dragon, Ghost, Goblin, Manticore, Sphinx, Werewolf, Vampire, Phoenix, Witch.

3. Make some buttons! See my awesome tutorial here! Button making is easy and fun, and even college girls like Mini Magic and Snapback love to do it! Do this step early and often. Oh, and I ordered my buttons from Start to Finish Supplies, they seem to have the best deal.

4. Get some cork boards and spray paint them with chalkboard paint. The bad news is, the cork board absorbs the paint so you'll have to do maybe 4-5 coats. The good news is, the paint is absorbed and therefore dries quickly, so you don't have to wait too long between coats.

5. Buy or make tags. If you buy the tags, you will have to punch the holes in each one - 1 hole for the thumbtack and 2 holes strategically placed apart so the button pin will fit in nicely. I made my tags on my Silhouette and did trial and error until I got the holes in the right spot. It took a lot of wine and caffeine.

6. Write the names on the tags. I did first name last initial. Then write the table name or number.

7. Glue the pin backs on the buttons. Pro tip: hot glue is crap and will not cut it on this job. Go straight to the super glue. Enlist a friend, like Bridesmaid Pumpkin to help!

8. Place the tags in alphabetical order by last name, and begin to attach the buttons so the fabric designs are spread out. Give the best buttons to your friends, and give some manly men really girly buttons to be funny. Leave a space to write the last initials on the cork board / chalkboard.

9. Arrange and rearrange a million times because you left a few people out. You can skip that step, if you want. 

10. Finish it off! Write on it with real chalk (the paint chalk markers are a no go on the spray painted cork, so don't even think about that!), attach all the tags, and marvel at how lovely it turned out!

What are you doing for your seating chart?

439 People Told Me NOT To Check the Weather

I did it anyway. And now I have less than zero confidence in weather forecasters (no offense, meteorological bees!), and a whole heap of anxiety about the weather.

October 21st Weather Prediction / Screen shot from Weather.com

When I first started writing this post (on 10-21-2011) this was the forecast from Weather.com, whom I thought was the #1 weather authority. They themselves changed their mind about my wedding day weather no less than 5 times on October 21st, going from mostly cloudy to partly cloudy to scattered showers (the horror!) to mostly cloudy. Yes, I checked it, like, twenty seven times. What, is that a lot or something?

You might be thinking "Why are you freaking out, Magic? You are always so stressed! Take a chill pill, yo, that weather forecast looks fine!"

This one looks OK too. / Screenshot via Accuweather.com

As does this one. / Screenshot via Intellicast

Fast forward from October 21st til now.

Intellicast Forecast

The fact that there is a one percent chance of snow on my wedding day is really frightening. There should be NO chance of snow!!!!

Here's the bottom line. I'm hopeful it won't rain (again, no trust in these wishy-washy forecasts) but I have realized it's gonna be at least a bit chilly (and maybe downright cold), especially at night. Luckily, our venue has an enormous outdoor fireplace for s'mores, which we had already planned on doing...although, if it's raining, that won't work....

Barn at Valhalla fireplace / Image via Barn at Valhalla

And we added heaters and side walls for our tent (for another 1100$ - awesome!). And we will now be having hot apple cider, or hot cider with spiced rum if you are so inclined.

If all else fails, we have our youth and our liquor to keep us warm.

Are you worried about the weather at your wedding?

Are Wedding Gifts Necessary?

I'm not talking about gifts from guests...obviously those are necessary (just kidding!...not really...). I'm talking about the bride and groom giving gifts to each other. I mean, of course it's not necessary...but it's fun!

I''m not sure Mr. Magic is getting me a gift or not. If he does, I hope he gets me something like this, but maybe a tad smaller. And less expensive. And, you know... fake.

 

Princess Kate's Ring / Image via Mid-Day

Size 5, honey. Ok, now get out.

Image of Professor Albus Dumbledore by Murray Close via NY Times / text added by Miss Magic

I'm getting Mr. M THREE gifts, because I am a super awesome soon to be wifey. And because most of the gifts I can enjoy, too - aren't those the best kind of presents?

Present #1 is actually the groom's cake. We will be chowing down on it at the Rehearsal Dinner, and it will look something like this:

Pepperoni Pizza Cake by Pates Cake Shop via Cake Central 

He knows we are having a groom's cake but doesn't know the design. Mr. Magic loves pepperoni pizza more than anything, except maybe cats and sports. Maybe I rank above pizza...not sure.

Gift #2: Erm, it's similar to Gift #1 (he really likes pizza, no lie) but it's a total surprise! As a late night snack at the reception, we are having mini pepperoni pizzas passed around. YUM. So drink up, guests, there will be greasy pizza to fuel you for the after party.

Gift #3: OK, this is an actual gift that can be wrapped and opened. I commissioned a picture of us and our cats by artist Lucy Kagan at her etsy shop Santa Luchia. Here is the finished artwork!

By Lucy Kagan at Santa Luchia

I think the picture is really great (and that I look really young, which I kinda like).

Are you and your significant other exchanging gifts and if so, what are they?