Par--tay!!!

On a happier note, I cannot express how absolutely THRILLED I am for our big Saturday shindig. Among many reasons, these are the ones that elate me:


1. The sheer diversity of people. I am overwhelmed with the purest of joy to realize how many, and how many different, people who have chosen to come together to be with us during this time. To share such an occasion and to feel the love and support of so many is a blessing. To know further that the party will be a barrage of every facet of our culture, coming together to have an awesome time...well, that's just awesome! We'll have mohawks and long denim skit types. Uber intellectual liberals. Uber intellectual conservatives. Office types, carny workers, artists, moms, mom artists, skinny people, big people,  little people, old folks....all hanging around, enjoying a hamburger, hitting a pinata. Yup. Awesome.

2. The gift of people. So, we're starving artists, and I fully understand wanting to contribute to this awesome thing but being broke. It's actually wonderful. So many people have sheepishly come up to us and said, "I wish I could give you something but I don't have any money. Can I help set up/clean up/do something?" To this we reply a hardy Heck Yes! Your gift will be one of sanity, of peace, of incredible party without incredible stress. Thank you sooo much, in advance, to the great number of people who have allowed us to draw on their talents and sheer helpfulness. The Alton Undead has even offered to do their freak show act that night! Which, I don't want to reveal too much of, but anything involving stilts and staples is just rad.

3. Potluck. You did realize that invite said "and a dish to share" didn't you? Ooo...how clever. You didn't know you'd have the perfect excuse to make your kick ass caramel brownie bars or your scrumptious potato salad, did you? Well, you do now. With ratio of food snobs to non-food snobs RSVPed to our Saturday party, how can I not be excited. Something tells me that this party will be  veritable cornucopia of  tasty.

4. Sunday Brunch. There is something about waking up to a Milton-sized houseful of partied out people that makes me smile. Orange juice and ibuprofen, anyone?

For the sake of sanity and time!

Just a quick little note here...

...I know it's an awful taboo to talk about gifts and such, but I thought ya'll might like to know that I am decent in the ways of the kicthen. I happen to be responsible for cooking breakfast, lunch, and dinner at Milton- which really isn't too much of a problem- except that our kitchen happens to be missing a few things that could make life a heckuva lot easier.

For example, I have been using a single 1/4 cup measuring cup for all of my baking for the last seven months...because somewhere between college and here, all of the other matching cups have gone AWOL. Same with measuring spoons. My cobbler turned out swell yesterday, but having to measure everything in approximations of tablespoons or 1/8 tsp is a little bit of a pain in the rumpus.

So, if you are worried about gifting kitchen stuffs because you think we might already have it, please do not worry. I've been forbidden to remedy any of my kitchen woes until post wedding because Joel thinks it would be just horrible to have to return something I really needed, that you were generous enough to give, but that I was not patient enough to wait to receive.

Thus, unlike the poor sad bride above who doesn't need much more than a microwave, a gladware bowl, and a husband who is content to smile through endless meals of Chow Mein...I would love a meat thermometer, a real live cookie pan, or anything else from our registry at Target.

If you are on Joel's side, look at this as a selfless plea to better survive Joel's endless appetite for quiche and duck rather than a blatant wish list. Anyone from my side can look at it as a wish list, because I'm pretty sure you are just happy I got the link out there. :-)

Fun Colors!

Among many other wedding things, the lanterns came today! Over 100 lovely, bright colored lanterns to bring color to the school during the big weekend.

I still need to procure sockets for the big lantern chandelier that we're building for Friday's dinner. In the meantime, I'm having a good time looking at all the lovely colors.

I'm thinking it'll be Uncle Ken's job to hang all these suckers. ::winks::

Buff and Tuff

Within the first ten thoughts that enter a woman's head when she becomes engaged, whether you're a minga or a super model, is "OMG! I've got to do (______) to look good before the wedding!". Don't blames it all on superficial whateverness- a wedding is a day where even the most bland woman imagines herself to be a rock star. In a way, every bride is; even in a recession, my photographer friend tells me that families rich and poor spend as much as they can on wedding photography. There isn't many times in anyone's life where there will be dozens of photos take of them within the span of a few hours. The photographer you hire might be good at flattering your flaws- but lord forbid Aunt Jemima stick her camera phone in your face and enthusiastically post the FIRST photo of your wedding on Facebook, making you look something like a cow stuffed in a white sausage lining.

We were engaged in the winter, and everyone's a little less toned and tanned then. Yes, I may have been a little worried- but it turns out that those worries have become superfluous. If we in anyway get this building close to what we hope for this wedding, I'm more worried about falling on the freaky muscle-builder side than the flabby. Every other Facebook advert on my page has been something like "loose 20 lbs fast!" or "look good for the big day with this one simple tip!".

Yeah. I've got a tip for you:

Hand mix and pour 350 sq ft of concrete in the blistering sun.

Or, how about this one:

Tear down an entire rooms worth of 1930's drywall ceiling with nothing but a hoe and your will power.

or

walk up and down 40 flights of stairs everyday

work 14 hours a day

strip paint off of a 600 sq ft wood floor

...and then strip the paint off of another 600 sq ft room floor.

Or, all of the above!

If you don't sweat off that 20lbs, I'd be surprise. I've lost seven pounds since February, which isn't uncommon for winter to summer around here, and I wouldn't be surprised to loose some more- and gain it back in muscle before September.

Hiring security for Saturday is going to be a convenience thing at this point; I'm pretty sure by September I'll be able to kick any rowdy drunk's a$$.

Boxes everywhere!

Six of eight boxes arrived today with our place settings for the dinner. Instead of tearing them open and throwing the packaging everywhere, I'm waiting until Joel is finished working on his current project so we can open them together. How grown-up of me....

Still, as the pieces begin to come together, I become more and more excited about the festivities of the wedding. Yesterday I pulled the oil lamps we'll be using to accent the table Friday evening, washed them, and packed them away so nothing has the chance of damaging them before then. Today, there's plates. I made the first payment for the 150 succulents that will be nuzzled together with limes and roses in our planter boxes...we're on a roll!

Heart Strings.

It is very upsetting to me that there has apparently been some discord over our invitation list for our private, intimate wedding on Saturday.

Very briefly, I would like to explain that Joel and I view this wedding as a time to not only commit ourselves to one another with the blessing of our closest loved ones- but as a time to joyfully express our thanks for the people who have influenced us, raised us, saved us, and aided us in becoming the awesome couple we are.

Translation: This is a very, very intimate ceremony where we will be spending time to personally address individuals throughout the evening.

We will not let this opportunity be open and appreciative of those attending our wedding be diluted by petty passive aggressiveness. We will not let this sacred and spiritual time be tainted by folks who have never been involved in our lives, and are making a fuss because they somehow feel they now have a say in what we do.

Friday is going to be a wedding that is probably more heartfelt and inclusive of those in attendance than weddings you may have attended in the past. This is why most of our friends- even the majority of our closest friends- are being invited on Saturday only.

Finally, if you would like to protest, please call Joel or myself (depending upon which side you are on) directly instead of torturing those on our invitation list behind our backs.

Honestly, what civilized person would truly think such behavior would endear themselves to anyone? I'm ashamed of you.

80 days!

We're working on it.