In Four Days...

I'm getting married in 4 days. This year has gone by so quickly, but what a great and busy year it has been. Like Emily Dickenson said, "To live is so startling it leaves little time for anything else."

Only a few lingering tasks await me these next few days. Family and friends have begun to arrive and emotions are running high for all involved. Me? I'm a bit of a roller coaster, actually, but fairing pretty well. If anything, I wish I didn't feel guilty that I didn't work out every day like I promised myself I would. Guilt's a hard emotion for me to shake, too. Oh well. Multivitamin, lowfat yogurt and big glass of water, here I come! (And really...if that's the worst emotion I feel, I'll find a way to push through. Ha!)

I wish I could find a way to put into words everything I'm feeling, but I can't. Or maybe it's that I won't? For me, this is a time for reflection, introspection, goodbyes, hellos, truth, love and promises. It isn't a party. It isn't about the money spent (or saved). It isn't about the decor, the flowers, the dress. It's a marriage. A powerful and true covenant between two people willing to go in front of God and everyone to commit ourselves to one another forever. These last few days, that's where my thoughts have been. How do you thank someone for loving so deeply in you that they make this commitment to you? That's love to me, pure and simple. We believe in one another that pledge of faith and friendship. We know things won't always be perfect -- they never have been, why would it change now? But we know that we can work through anything. We can apologize (*though one of us is better than the other, but I'm learning.) We can forgive. We can laugh, dream, work hard, work together, love, respect and honor one another. Though, technically, "the rest of our lives together" began years ago, I'm looking forward to the new, the unexpected, the unplanned and also the mundane, the routine and the constant our future together holds.

I feel like standing at the top of the tallest tree and shouting to the world and to God, "Thank you!" Every day, everything looks a bit richer somehow, colors more vibrant. I think my heart is smiling.

A funny thing happened on the way to the outlet mall...

Oops.
{source}

As much as I'd love to take credit for the following hilarious story, it is all my sister's doing. She even said to me, "Oh, this story so needs to go on your blog." And thus, I begin the story of my sister's ill-fated trip to the outlet mall.

Back Story: Sissy is freaking out a little bit about what to wear to the rehearsal dinner. She tells me a few days ago, "Oh, please don't ask. I just don't know yet. I have to try to put something together, but I'm not sure I have the perfect pieces."

Then, yesterday, I get this text message:

"I effed up im in mexico! I missed my exit and i had to go thru the mexico border! OMG pray for me please. Say a prayer we make it back to the usa!!!"

Of course, I had a baby heart attack and wrote her back and called her, trying to figure out why:
1. She was anywhere nearer to Mexico than she is normally...one of the side effects to living in SoCal.
2. If she needs me to fax her birth certificate or if I had to talk to a border guard to beg them to let her back in so she doesn't miss her flight home for the wedding in a few days!

The story goes something like this...

Sissy and her roommate CC got this great idea to go shopping and Sissy really wanted to find the outlet mall. She knew it was somewhere not too far away and after looking up the directions, realizes it's a pretty straight shot. Just take highway 5 all the way to Exit 1A. Yep. The first exit inside the States. Undaunted, they jump into the car and head out for a mini shopping adventure. Only they were having too much fun, apparently, because the next thing Sissy knows is CC is freaking out and yelling that she had missed the exit and they're now in Mexico and that CC doesn't have his driver's license! Sissy is yelling at the border gate lady, "Is there a place to turn around? I missed my exit!" And the lady just keeps flagging her forward and saying, "Go! Go!" So much for that idea.

Sissy is now freaking out, too, because getting into Mexico is as easy as missing an exit. So they're freaking out, trying to call some people, trying to figure out how to turn around. Now there tends to be some different traffic rules in foreign countries -- Mexico included. We decided to call it a traffic fiesta. So Sissy is driving around in this traffic fiesta, manages to find a McDonald's and they start to figure out how to make it back. Miraculously, Sissy finds some kind of roundabouts or something and gets back to the border. Where she gets to wait in traffic for 2. Whole. Hours. At this point, she tells me, "We're so hot. We're pissed off. I'm running low on gas and NO I DON'T WANT A CHURRO I JUST WANT TO GO HOME." (And, of course, I about died laughing.) She says to me, "No. You don't understand. It's not like it's missing the outlet to Jeffersonville and ending up in Cincinnati, folks. It's Hi. Mexico. We're in Mexico." And, of course, I laugh harder.

So, then comes the border patrol guy. Now, I don't know about you, but I'm fairly certain they're getting through because, really. Who in their right mind could make up a story like this?! Sissy hands the guard her ID and asks if she has a passport.

Sissy: "No. I don't have my passport. I'm not even supposed to be in Mexico."

Guard: (a bit confused) "Then what are you doing here?"

Sissy: "I got lost because I missed my exit looking for the outlet mall. Now, I just want to go home." (I can only imagine the look on the guard's face.)

The guard asked CC for his ID, which, of course, he didn't have.

Sissy: "No, he doesn't have his ID. We weren't planning on coming to Mexico. We were just trying to get to the outlet mall."

After the rigmarole the guards have to go through ("Is this your car, etc.") They let the two crazy Americans go home.

You know what? They didn't even make it to the outlet mall. I think that's the last time Sissy ever tries to discount shop!

The moral of the story: Make sure you carry your ID at all times, you aren't enjoying your road trip so much you miss an exit and end up in Mexico and that outlet mall discounts aren't always worth the hassle. Thanks to Sissy for the great story!!

Post-Halloween, Pre-Wedding Fun

Yay! I stole a few moments from an otherwise crazy-busy day to say what a great time we had on Halloween, share some fun pictures and gush about wedding stuff. And who doesn't love all that good stuff?!

Let's start with Halloween. Oh it was SO much fun! Passed out treats at Momma's house. It's nothing short of amazing that I managed to bribe convince two other people to don mouse costumes, but it worked! Momma, D. and I were the Three Blind Mice for trick-or-treating and Mr. M was one VERY scary butcher. /shudder

My completely adorable future nieces. Cutest flower fairies ever!

Then, as if one costume wasn't enough fun for all, D. and I went home, changed costumes (Sookie Stackhouse & Vampire Bill from True Blood) and headed off to the Short North Highball. Aside from being very cold, it was a blast. Spiked hot apple cider for me, beer for D., friends, music and some of the most creative, brilliant costumes I've ever seen...and nearly all hand-made! Yay! We were too cold to see who made away with the $1,000 Grand Prize costume prize. Can't wait for next year!

After a whirlwind weekend, bright and early Monday morning, I had my final dress fitting! Hurrah! And aside from the seamstress accidentally giving my crinoline away to another bride just a few days ago, it was perfect. The bustle. OH! Who knew I'd love my dress even more with a bustle?! Seriously, folks. I didn't want to take the dress off. Momma had to tell me we had to go. Twice. As far as wedding dresses go, I think that's about as much dress love as I've had. But really. I have to find a way to wear it again, somewhere, sometime. Once just isn't enough!

This week is the last big push for wrapping up those pesky To Do list items, but I am feeling pretty good. Honestly, I can say that the hard work up to this point was completely worth it. Next week, all I'll need to do is get a massage, a mani/pedi, drop off my vases to the florist and relax with my friends and family. Then? It's GO time!

10 more days and counting..!

Remembering the Irish in Halloween | Peterman's Eye

Remembering the Irish in Halloween | Peterman's Eye

This was too good not to share, Irish or no. Enjoy :)

And, of course, nothing beats a zombie cat.


moar funny pictures

Happy Halloween, my pretties! Costume pics to come!

xo, Eve