Today is THE Day

It's New Year's Eve 2010.

I am marrying my best friend.

I can't believe this day is all ready here.

Since I was little, I had longed for this day, and now that it's here, I'm wishing time had slowed down.

I didn't know it would be here so quickly!

For the first time all week, I don't have somewhere to rush off to in the morning.

I am lounging in bed at my parent's place before I tackle a few last minute errands.

I am hoping that this day will be relaxing and not stressful.

The church is decorated; the reception hall has been decorated since Wednesday morning; the rehearsal is complete.

Now, all that's left on my To Do List is to relax and enjoy this day.

I'm fairly certain that I can succeed in this task.

In less than 12 hours, I will be pronounced Mrs. GrapeJuice, and we will live in peace and harmony for the next seventy plus years!

What a way to ring in the new year.

2011, here we come!!!!!!!!

Please Reset Me

 I am most definitely in panic mode. 

With only two weeks left until the wedding date, I'm starting to freak out a little bit here. It hit me last night that we haven't even gone to get our marriage license! {oh dear...} Plus, I haven't finished Christmas shopping. AND, to top it all off, our house had a carbon monoxide leak that lead to our heat having to be turned off which means that we're obviously not living there right now which means that I'm not able to get some wedding things finished up...unless I decide to brave my house which is probably 40 degrees inside. Also, we're expecting Mr. GrapeJuice's family to stay with next week (if we have heat by then)! WHY NOW??! And because all this craziness if going on, I keep eating junk so now I might not even fit into my dress!!!!!!! Please pray for my sanity as I live with my parents, buy last minute Christmas gifts, finish up all the last minute details of my wedding, and hope that I fit into my gorgeous dress. Hopefully, I'll be back with better news tomorrow.

source :: inspirationfactor.com

I Can Do That!

I have a jam packed next few weeks before school starts, and I'm stoked about it!

Tomorrow

I'll be meeting with a DJ, going to see some chairs {and hopefully like them!}, and I hope to be signing the catering contract. And, somewhere in there, I'm supposed to be meeting up with my MOH for a coffee date!

Saturday

Mr. GrapeJuice and I will be attending a marriage workshop through the Catholic Diocese of Nashville. It is an Engaged Couples Retreat at Scarritt-Bennett. If you want to read about it, you can click here. We have to fill out a Myers Briggs personality questionnaire form. I hate filling them out because I always get nervous that people will judge me and that I'm answering the questions wrong! {so silly.}

Next Saturday

Mr. GrapeJuice and I will be heading over to Street Tuxedo to check out their suits and tuxedos. I'm hoping to convince him that a gray suit would be the way to go. They look so sleek and would fit into the style of our wedding so well! Hopefully, he'll go for it.

The Last Saturday in July

My ladies from NC are coming in, and we are hopefully going to find a bridesmaid dress! Sadly, my sister won't be joining us because she'll a little newborn to take care of. {I'm going to be an aunt soon!!}

Plus, during all this time, I'm supposed to be setting up my classroom and getting it ready for the next school year. I haven't been able to go in yet though since they're in the process of replacing all of the flooring due to the flood at the beginning of May.

photo :: lolcars

Matching Your Couple Personality

In other words, choosing the right cake topper.

Trivial? yes.

Important none-the-less? yes.

When picking your cake topper, it's got to reflect you!

Not your mother or your grandmother or our sister or your mother-in-law.

You're putting it on your wedding cake after all.

You have to walk into the reception and see it there.

You don't want to walk in, see it, and think, "ugh! why?"

So, for Mr. GrapeJuice and I, our cake topper will reflect our playful couple personality.

We're always joking around or sneaking little love taps on each others derriere.

Meaning, floral cake toppers and monogram cake toppers are out for us!

Here's what I like...

Cheeky Couple Figurine: "My Main Squeeze"

source :: cute party supplies & elegant wedding accessories

"Romance" Kissing Couple

source :: that's my topper

"Super Sexy Dancing" Wedding Bride and Groom Cake Topper Figurine

source :: wedding collectibles

"Picture Perfect" Couple Figurine

source :: cute party supplies

Playful Football Wedding Couple Figurine

source :: online bridal store

"The Love Pinch" Bridal Couple Figurine

 sources :: kiwi cakes & jw caketops

True Romance Couple Figurine

source :: wedding favours

Reckless Abandonment

It's June?!

WHAT?!

Where did the time go?

So much has happened since I last blogged.

I can't believe I abandoned you for nearly a month.

I'm an awful person.

I wish I could say that something devastating happened to me to render me incapable of blogging, but it didn't.

I simply didn't have the time.

Silly career! 

Why do you have to suck up all my time?

Well, it's summer time, which means I have time to myself to plan my wedding - finally.

This also means I'll have a lot more content to share with you all!

That's always good, right?

I'll have more tomorrow.

Thematic Wedding Centerpiece

As you know, Mr. GrapeJuice and I are getting married on New Years Eve. We are very excited about this! However, I've been kind of lackadaisical with my planning efforts. It's not that I don't want to plan because I really, really do. I just feel soooooooooooooooooooooo overwhelmed by everything that is going on in my life. My mom, trooper that she is and ever motivating her young, dragged me out to Hobby Lobby over the weekend. And now, thanks to her, I have a NEW centerpiece!

The recipe for said centerpiece is...

 two pieces blue ostrich feathers,

two pieces white ostrich feathers,

one cylindrical clear vase

one silver decorative item {which I do not have a picture of}

 and a million mylar shreds.

Put it all together, and what do you get?!

A phone photo of my mock-up!

photos : shuttershock, fredaldous, brilliant event planning, hobby lobby

Wedding Progress

Over the weekend, my mother asked me if I had made any wedding progress. I looked at her and laughed. I just got back from a cruise and was not even ready to think about those things. She gave me the mom talk though. You know, the one that says you need to get on that sooner rather then later; the one that makes you feel like a disappointing child again. =]
Well, she got bored on Saturday and wanted to head over to Hobby Lobby because she had a coupon. She made a copy for me so that I could use one too. 25% goes a long way when you're on a budget and trying to buy a house. (more on the house later) While at Hobby Lobby, I had a planning break through. I picked a centerpiece style, which is perfect for our wedding, and I decided on flowers for the bridesmaids to carry. Later on this week, I will break it down and show you what I am thinking. Plus, I will attempt to show you the DIY step-by-steps that go along with the project. =]

2 Years! (& a Giveaway)

I honestly cannot believe that Mr. GrapeJuice and I have hit the two year mark! It seems like we just met. I'll never forget that night.

It was January and nearly midnight, and it began to flurry outside {in NC}. My college BFF K-Bean {who is
from Savannah} and I got killer excited and started prancing around {and making fools of ourselves} in the snow! We were thoroughly enjoying it knowing full well that school would be closed the next day. However, Mr. GrapeJuice told us we were wrong and that we would have class the next day. K-Bean and I bust out in laughter. Everyone in the South knows that even a small dusting of snow means that school will be canceled.

 {K-Bean and I being silly. We were practicing our show choreography.}

{I'm the girl in the dark red jacket; he's the guy on the right side of the picture in the gray jacket.}

{This is when he's telling us that what's falling isn't enough to cancel school.}

For the next month, Mr. GrapeJuice and I started to hang out a lot. Apparently, during the fall semester, we had admired each other from afar without even realizing it. About two weeks after knowing each other, I told K-Bean that I thought I might have a crush on Mr. GrapeJuice. In February, Mr. GrapeJuice and I were jokingly lamenting our lack of Valentine's; so, we agreed to be each others. Easy fix! We didn't exactly get to Valentine's Day before he asked me to be his girlfriend. It was like 2 minutes until midnight though. =] He got me some adorable cute things though. A bear, which I still have to this day, a rose, and a sweet card for our first Valentine's Day.

 

I didn't have class for awhile that day so I relaxed in K-Bean's room and watched Love, Actually, which apparently a poor decision as Mr. GrapeJuice had planned to watch it with me later that night. However, that night he took me to Chili's for our first date. He kept it a complete secret from me the whole day; so sweet. I had to rush out of my class and all the way back to my dorm to get ready in time. We had to rush to eat because I had to be at rehearsal at 6:30 for the show I was choreographing. We still had a wonderful time eating dinner and getting to know each other!

Without a doubt, these past two years have flown by. I had no idea I would be here or doing this. I mean, getting married? Teaching at a school I used to attend? Buying a house? Planning a wedding? Phew! Best two years together. I can't wait for the rest of our lives. =]

In honor of being together for two years, I have decided to host my first giveaway. [I also happen to have 50+ followers now too.] I will be giving away a set of personalized note cards from Just Wright Designs, a personalized hanger from Lila Frances, and a gift card for MyWeddingFavors.com.

To enter my giveaway:

1. You must be a follower {and tell me that you are in a comment}

2. Tell me about how you and your honey met or tell me how you would like to meet your future honey {in a separate comment from the one above}

3. Follow me on Twitter and tweet about the giveaway {in a separate comment}

4. Post about it on your blog {leave another comment with the url}

That's FOUR ways to enter!!

:)

I will announce the winner on February 22, 2010!

Surprise Wedding Reception

I was clicking around YouTube this morning and found a wonderfully sweet video. It's by a group called Improv Everywhere, and they stage scenes in random places at random times. This scene really touched my heart because not everyone has the luxury of throwing a wedding and having all the amenities that come with it. I hope you enjoy the video.

Light the Way

I love light. There is just something about it that can make or break your mood. For example, I seriously dislike fluorescent lights. They are unflattering to both figure and face. I always seem to look tired and pasty in fluorescent lighting. {This is why makeup is a girl's best friend.} And, trying on clothes in a dressing room, let's just not even go there. {This is why girls shop in pairs/groups.}

photo : archi expo

Now, uplighting I like. It's dramatic and can completely change the ambiance of a room. Why go for just a dimly lit room when you can completely make your own with uplighting. Bring in an amber color to set a romantic mood. Or, use colors from the scheme of your wedding/event. However, you choose to use it; you won't be sorry. Change something ordinary into something extraordinary.

photos : entertainment tonite

Me? I'm a fan of the blues, the yellows/ambers, and the purples. It's soft and welcoming while adding a "Let's Celebrate" vibe, especially the purple uplighting. I just have to see a picture, and I start melting. I would love to add something like this to my wedding reception - wherever it may be! :) However, I'm not quite sure it's in the budget. Again, a girl can dream, right?! {Of course.}

photo : slyvia wayfer events

photo : it's your night

photo : love and splendor

Free Monogram!

I absolutely adore monograms and think they are positively essential for any wedding. They are so chic and are a great detail for every aspect of your big day.

You could...

 make them into a stamp for your wedding envelopes

or use it as wedding favor tags

or have it put into your cake design.

See?

Endless uses!

If you are looking for a monogram design, you need to friend Custom Printable on Twitter.

If you become a follower and comment on a post on her blog, you can get a free monogram.

Oh, yes.

That's right.

FREE!

Hurry.

Go now.

This deal ends tomorrow!

If you need more convincing, check out the monogram I got on Saturday.

It's so perfect. She made me two actually. One with our married last name and one without.

{I just didn't feel comfortable putting that up on the blog.}

I love that I got this free.

It's beautiful!

Thanks, Valerie.

[as a note:: this is not a sponsored/compensated post. no money/product was given in exchange for advertisement.]