Will you be my bridesmaid?

I knew I wanted to do something special to ask my friends to be my bridesmaids. I'm not an ultra crafty person, but I do enjoy putting extra imagination to an idea, so I decided to print out some pictures I have with each of my closest friends and frame them. After I did that, I went to the Container Store to purchase some blank white boxes. I wrote "I can't say 'I do' without you" on each one in the three colors of my wedding: green, navy and purple.

Then, I typed out a poem that was unique to each friend. The poems all concluded with the question: "Will you be my bridesmaid?" I packaged the frame, poem and special instructional letter inside the white box with the writing outside. Once I got everything together, I tied blue and green ribbon on the outside. I finished it with a special handwritten note.

The final product!

The Wedding Salon

Last week, my friend Carmen and I was invited to a wedding showcase in Manhattan.  I tend to jump at the chance to attend showcases that are complementary.  They are fun and it's a chance to get ideas.  There might be something I haven't thought of before.  It's tough to be planning a wedding from out of state - not completely impossible, but I'm really unable to meet with vendors, etc.

Most of the people at this showcase arranged by the "Wedding Salon," are local to NYC.  It doesn't stop me from taking advantage of their representatives and to take in all the awesome decorations!

Unfortunately, they didn't really have any "rustic" ideas.  Everything was mostly modern and sleek.  That didn't stop Carmen and I for sampling the photobooth vendors!

Magnolia Photo Booth Co.

NYC Photobooth

Photo booths are so much fun!  I've been borderline with including a photo booth for my wedding....hmm....

Guest Post: Is alcohol use an area of concern in your marriage?

Hi everyone: I received an interesting request from a graduate student from Clark University about the relationship between alcohol use and marriage.  I thought it would be worth passing along.  Please see her post below.

My name is CJ Fleming and I am a graduate student studying the relationship between marriage and help seeking for alcohol-related issues. Recent studies have shown that rates of problematic alcohol use are increasing rapidly in returning veterans, but that less than .5% of veterans who identify as having problems with alcohol actually get any help for these issues. Broadly, I am interested in better understanding the role of a spouse in a person’s decision to seek help - how do a spouse’s own drinking behaviors and attitudes towards drinking affect a drinker’s decision to make changes? Better understanding the role of the family in decisions to seek help can help us make connections between available services and the people who need them.

If alcohol use is an issue in your marriage, please click below to participate in a research survey. The survey is anonymous and entirely online. The survey has a section for both spouses, but it is also ok for only the heavier drinker (assuming one of you drinks more than the other) to take the survey. Those who complete the survey will be entered to win a raffle. https://surveys.clarku.edu/AlcoholUseSurveyStart.aspx

CJ Fleming, M.A. is a graduate student at Clark University in Worcester, Mass. Her research focuses on couples issues and help-seeking for both individual and couples' concerns.

Wedding Planning Weekend!

Not only is it six months till my soldier comes home, it's about six months till we have our church wedding!  I have been a bad bride - because I haven't spent a lot of time planning.  I've been pinning on pinterest...not exactly productive though....

This past weekend, I've decided that I will now buckle down and start getting all the details together.  I have the church and the venue.  I also have the photography part reserved.  I have been executing on the "beer bottle wrapped with lace" idea for the centerpieces in the last couple of weeks.  A couple weeks ago, I bought a couple of yards of lace with a friend.  I've also bought a couple of six packs...haha.

Here is what I pinned initially on pinterest.

It doesn't have the lace wrap, but that's the general idea of the centerpiece.  Here are pictures of my creations so far!

I just measured the circumference of the bottles and cut the lace accordingly.  I used tacky glue to hold it in place and it worked perfectly!  I just needed a couple dabs at the ends.  it dries clear and has a good secure hold!

I was thinking of having four bottles on each table, which means I need about 50 empty bottles.  Right now, I've created 8...so it seems like I'm on track!  I will have round tables and I wanted to put the bottles in a small crate with moss inside.  I'm going to make the crates and then buy the moss from a wholesaler (it would only be about 20 bucks or so!).

Imagine the beer bottles inside the crate with just a handful of moss placed in between the bottles.  I'm pretty excited to get all of this done!

I gained three pounds in the last month!

To be honest, I really just gained the weight during my soldier's leave time, which says a lot!  During the 16 days of his vacation, I spent nearly that amount of time on vacation myself.  Before he came back stateside, I told him that we should keep active.  I was even saying that we should run together when I'm off work.

Well, the opposite happened.  It seems like we spent the majority of our vacation time eating.  And when I mean eating....I mean we ate and also drank.  Granted, we did do a lot of outdoor activities: spend a lot of time at the beach, kayaked around in the ocean, snorkeled in the ocean too and practically walked everywhere we went because I don't have a car.  Still, I managed to pack it on.

I don't regret any of the food I ate during our time together.  We actually splurged on a couple of meals because dressing up for dinner is fun.  My soldier also bought a suit in Korea and needed a reason to wear it! 

My soldier and I dressed up!

I'm back at the gym now doing my cardio and portioning my meals.  Don't get me wrong, I will not deny some cake or ice cream.  I just want to be healthy overall and dessert can be included!

Just no more to gorging on all sorts of food!  :)

I'm back, but a little down in the count

I said "goodbye for now" to my soldier a couple days ago.  We had an amazing time together during his leave and I think seeing him off this time around was harder than at the beginning of his tour.

My guess is because I actually know how it feels to go through six months without seeing each other - and it was one of the biggest challenges I've ever had to encounter.  So, I was one of those hysterical crying wives in the airport (although, I wasn't really loud...just tears spewing down my face).  I tried SO hard to NOT cry...oh well.

I do have good news though!!  We are officially half way over.  I have to maintain the positive vibes to get through the next six months - and we'll finally have a home together!

I've stepped away from blogging the last couple of weeks to fully dedicate my time with my husband - and since he's been gone, I've just been a lazy bum.  Hopefully, I'll be back to my upbeat and bubbly self asap!  I do have lots to be excited about, my dad is flying to New York next month, wedding planning is in full swing and summer is really here!!

Needless to say, I miss the soldier...so much.  How long was the longest you've gone without seeing your man/woman?

The husband and I walking in my neighborhood park!

The view from the park.

The pictures are stolen from my Instagram page.  If you don't follow me already, you should!  I love sharing and exploring other pictures from friends! Here is my handle: @lilraerae06

Why I'll be MIA for a bit...

...because the soldier is BACK!!

Last Thursday night, I picked him up from the airport and yesterday we went to a Yankee game Now, for the next week I'll be busy on vacation!  Catch y'all on the flip side!!