Beginning of the Coconut Brooches

Challenge for you:
In the 4 pictures in this post and the next, can you find the mini picture of Becca? I assure you that the placement of that picture was entirely unintentional. :)

Coconut Brooches

So I was unsure of whether to reveal this coveted information now or to wait til later. Then I decided what the heck... after all, you all are probably starting to think about coordinating jewelry with the dresses and now shawls too (yay!). By the way- have we talked about this? Becca do you have any opinions or ideas about jewelry- necklaces, bracelets, earrings, etc.?

Anyways, as I might of mentioned a couple times, I have been hard at work hand-crafting coconut brooches to replace those silly fake diamond sparkly plasticky looking pins on the bridesmaid dresses... This process started with going to the store, buying a coconut, and eating it. That was the easy part. Then I let it dry out, sanded the outside surface, broke it up into smaller pieces, sanded edges, applied a varnish, drilled holes, and finally added decorative silver and shell bits. The only part I have left to do is glue the pin backs on to the backs of the coconut pieces. :) Here are some pictures of the process and the (almost) final products. Hope you all enjoy the pins on the day of the wedding and for a long time afterwards as well!

Oh God, I still need shoes!

I just thought this image was funny. I was looking around on the Web for wedding humor.

Yesterday it occurred to me that, while I've gotten the shopping part of finding my wedding boots all done, I have yet to complete the transaction (i.e., hand over the moolah). I guess I keep hoping REI will have a big sale or something. I almost never buy anything there full price. Oh well. Off to REI after work I think. I really like those boots and don't want to have to settle for something else. I've never had hiking boots that actually fit and were comfortable.

I feel sort of deliquent in my duties as bride'smaid. Other then helping stuff invitations, I've done very little. And I know I've heard bridezilla stories where the bride'smaid job description is more...expansive. Thankfully my sister is practical, and has not yet aquired a "zilla" appellation. But what to do? I'm sure there are dozens of last minute projects. I know I had them. I seem to remember spending several hours, just days before the wedding, tying teeny ribbons to dowel rods. Are we throwing rice? Do we need to acquire rice? What kind is most representative of the couple? Wild rice? Organic brown rice? Arborio? Uncle Ben's? That's sort of a fun question. I think my sister is sushi rice. Not sure about Dave.

Met a clerk at Borders who also works at the Irish Pub on the square. He made it sounds like a great place to go for the bachelor party. I was angling for coupons or something. No luck. He says there are all sorts of Irish students who work there. At least three Caitlins.

I'm not sure if I'm bringing a guest yet. I said no guests on my reply card, but my sort-of-boyfriend might come after all. It's an I-don't-really-like-weddings-but-I'll-go-if-you-want-me-to kind of thing. Made more complicated by the sort-of status. Do I NEED a date. Am I a total loser without one? Or will my relatives think I'm...off...somehow if I have a date and I just got divorced. I don't know the etiquette on this.

Enough ranting. More ranting later. Lots to rant about .

So Many Random Things

I went on a buying spree today for random things for the wedding. Didn't actually spend a lot, but it does amaze me how many tiny things there are, that all manage to be important in their own rite. Never thought I'd wake up in the middle of the night thinking "crayons! We need more crayons!" Actually, I think I might have woken up a few times like that when I was 5 or 6, but there just aren't a lot of extreme coloring situations when you get to be this age.

We have a lot of activities and little kitschy things planned for the wedding/reception, that we hope people will enjoy. Hopefully fun and light hearted. The above basket contains a smattering of objects that will be used at some point during the day. Basket includes:

1 roll paper towels (Bounty)

1 bottle Famous Dave's BBQ Sauce (Rich & Sassy)

1 box crayola crayons (24 count)

4 plastic wine glasses (assembly required)

1 length silk rope (in box with Chinese writing; indeciferable)

1 pashmina (light green)

Some day, perhaps aliens will find this basket, buried among the remenants of our long gone civilization. What will they say about these strange beings, I wonder?

And some more photos

Also from the invitation stuffing party:

This is "pre" stuffing...when we were still in stuff our faces and drink wine mode.

and more photos!

Finally found my cord for my camera so I could upload these!

Erica!

Cat thought he was being very helpful.

The girls working hard! Becca, Caitlin, Josie, Erica (l to r)

Not too many, but I thought I'd share anyway! I bought my boots (the same ones Caitlin linked to in an earlier post here, from REI!), got my dress fitted and am waiting impatiently for it to be hemmed... definitely anxious to have it done! I can't believe it's just over a month away! I'm sure this last month will just fly by.

images of times past ...

thought i'd get in to the wedding-sharing spirit and share some pictures of my travels and such with Rebecca.


this first one is from a day trip to Chicago.

celebrating/mourning the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows















a weekend in Paris! taking a breather on a bench overlooking the Seine after the Musee d'Orsay.













visiting San Diego and popping into the (cold) Pacific Ocean

Sending out invites!

Here are the girls addressing envelopes, stuffing envelopes, attaching stamps, and sealing and sending!! It was an exciting night full of fun and lots of planning!