Thursday, August 24, 2006

Ring Watch '06

Sorry - I've been such a busy little wedding planner and not updating. Who am I saying sorry to??? oh yea... nobody reads this. HA!

Ring...

Check!

Date...
November 25th, 2006

Check!

Reception site...

Check!

Dress...

see previous post

Check!

Bridesmaid dresses...

Check!

Groom's dinner site...

Check!

Groom's dinner food...

Eheck!

Pretty soon all I'll have to do is twiddle my thumbs and will my boobs to shrink so I can breath in my dress.

Sunday, August 13, 2006

Not Planning On It

Yesterday my sister and I went dress shopping for the wedding that is now dominating my every thought.

DO I have a ring yet?

No

It'll be here in a week.

Has my Dad been asked yet?

No

Not till we have the ring.

Have we picked a date?

No

But I'm thinking November... because I'm a project manager by trade it's difficult for me to wait 6+ months for a project to come to fruition. Plus... I'm an impatient child.

So we went dress shopping just to see what's out there. I felt like a bit of an imposter since I didn't have a ring on my finger. My sister convinced me that I'm just as entitled to be at those stores trying those dresses on as the next girl with the rock on her finger.

I looked online for styles that I liked and wrote down some numbers. I went to David's Bridal since I thought they'd be the most low key and I could just browse. Um.... not the case! Did you all know that you have to have an appt. at David's Bridal ?!?! Who the hell do they think they are? Aren't they off the rack? Don't they have 6 sizes of each dress sitting there for you to take up with a free oil change??? Guess I was wrong about all of those assumptions.

The next shop we went to I found online, they seemed to have every dress that I liked online so we went to check it out. I called ahead this time... no appointment needed.

They told me they didn't have any of the ones I liked in stock but I said I'd still like to start trying some on to start getting some ideas of what looks good on me. I grabbed about 10 dresses and my sister picked a few she liked out of that ten.

THe first few I tried were the style I thought I"d like... the big puffy princess dresses with fitted waists and strapless.

Then... I tried on this



I bought it.

FUCK!

Friday, August 11, 2006

OMG I FORGOT TO TELL YOU

I totally neglected to tell the internet about the crazy batshit jewelery lady who came to our house the other night.

Both of my best friends, Jess and Emy, got HUGELY discounted diamonds from the batshit lady. I got her number from Jess and she explicity told me not to waste this lady's time and to be very respectful of her. Um.... DUH... I work in corporate america it comes with the territory to do that kinda shit.

So I get ahold of the lady and ask her if she's still in the business. Of course she is! I send her some emails with pictures of rings that I like. She sends me this cryptic email:

YES<<< YES, dear suzanne, we will have many options for you to select from. Weds... at 5:45 pm... inside lobby of plymouth building<<< i WILL MEET YOU & mr. m at elevator, to ride upstairs with you ,,,
This will be a special appointment, and the rush of their day will be near past << Kathie cell in mpls xxx-xxx-xxxx <<< will you carry a check for deposit with you that day <<< Mr. M ?? I receive the lowest prices for 36 years because I pay this fine company PROMPTLY !! God Bless & See you then >> I will check this e -mail again Tues 3 :00 pm ,,,,,,,,,,Batshit Crazy Lady
all style of rings & all prices & qualities of diamonds scintilating, DANCING diamonds !!


Ok - so she can't type... or spell...or form sentences whatsoever. Still I thought I'd give it a shot... 2! people recommended her and they have beautiful rings.

She calls me at about 5:00 on Tuesday - the day before we're suppose to meet her. SHe wants to stop by the house that night at 7:30. I was a bit weirded out but whatever... come on over.

She shows up carrying about 6 plastic grocery bags full of SHIT! I come out to help her at her car to carry the loads of shit. I grab one for her and its filled with corn.

Yes... I said CORN.

She brought us some corn because she passed a stand on the way up from BFE where she lives.

SHe starts unloading her wares on my dining room table. Out comes piece after piece of giant, fake, gas station, gold jewelery. I said, "Did you get my email with the pictures of the rings I found?" Thinking that clearly she didn't look at that email.

She says, "yes, I did... how about this one?"

Again... a gigantic brass ring.

So I brought out the brochure of the Ritani ring that I loved. I said, "Something more like this. Small, thin band, platinum, with a square diamond."

She says, "Oh, I get it... this is the perfect ring for you!"

Again... 1980's mob-boss gigantic wipe off gold setting with ROUND inset fake diamonds.

Hmmm.... Obviously my approach was losing something in the translation. So I figured, oh well, we'll get to the warehouse tomorrow and at least get a princess cut stone in the 1 carat range and just go elsewhere for the setting. I knew she could get it for about 2K under the retail price because it was wholesale.

So I start to help her pack up her gum-ball machine jewelry.

Then she says, "What do you use to clean your floors?"

"Ummmm, I think Mr. Clean, why?"

"Because they have TOXINS... and they are going to KILL YOUR CAT!"

"Hmmmm, yes, I definitely use the Toxins... I love toxins."

"Well, I don't want your cat to die so have you ever heard of Melaleuca?"

Out comes the Melaleuca catalogue, she goes through each.page.one.by.one explaining each vitamin and lotion. Basically she's trying to sell me Amway. Worse, she then tried to sell me some shitty makeup. THEN she says we need to hurry up and make a purchase this week because, and I quote, she's "taking a trip down to Costa Rica next week to help out the missionaries, and teach those kids about JESUS."

By the end of it I was pissed. Don't come to my house with your costume jewelry and try to sell me shitty products.

So I called and cancelled for the warehouse the next day. I also called my friends and gave them the big WTF?!? Emy never actually met the lady and only dealt with her over the phone... which makes sense. Jess says, "oh yea, she's a little nutty."

A LITTLE NUTTY!

BATSHIT CRAZY is more like it.

Monday, August 07, 2006

Roles Re-Defined

Ring shopping and venue searching has commenced.

Maybe I should explain a little better.

After my fathers wedding we drove home remarking on what a lovely little weekend it turned out to be. We stopped for 7 year aged cheddar at a cheese shop in Wisconsin on our way back. It's so sharp it makes your cheeks hurt... I love that. I also got assorted flavors of home-made salt water taffy, which Mr.M despises but it was my special treat.

Early Monday morning I woke up at 5:00AM to take Mr.M to the airport. He was going to Vegas to see some of his buddies and in general just relax. I was invited but declined since I'm in the middle of my marathon transition at work from current job to new job.

On about the third day of his vacation I got a voicemail at work. I was crazy busy trying to impress at the new position and juggle the old position. It was Mr.M, his voice was excited sounding and happy. Like a child calling from camp telling you all about the craft classes where they made lots and lots of friendship bracelets.

"Hi baby... I was wondering if we could get married and have a baby right away?"

"Ok call me back and let me know.. love you bye"

It took me a second to actually hear the message. I had to replay it. I chuckled to myself thinking... hmmmm what the hell was that.

I called him back and without a greeting said, "I don't think it counts if you leave it in a voicemessage."

He laughed and said, "take or leave it... its a good story to tell the grandkids".

So I laughed it off... but then he came home... and he was happy and still talking about it and I was caught a bit off guard.

We've decided on a location. We've picked the top 5 venues. We went to Tiffany's and various other jewelers today and we're meeting with a supersecret ring wholesaler lady on Wednesday.

Basically - a light switch went off in his head. No amout of me talking about it or nagging or begging or demanding was going to make that light switch on. He had to come to it on his own. He was in Vegas playing with the 3 year old child of one of his friends. He said he had a moment of clarity and decided that now was the time.

It's not real yet. Basically because I said it wasn't real until I have something to glitter up my ring finger. Now don't go getting all preachy on me... I require very little. Less than a carat and just a simple band.

until....

I saw this
I thought all I wanted was 1 ring... no engagement ring AND wedding ring. But this little beauty is unbelievably stunning and the matching wedding band just makes it lovely.

Of course Mr.M and I have very different taste in rings. He likes the inset, low profile, round cut stone. I told him whatever he got me I'd be more than happy to wear it the rest of my life.

So... everyone commence screaming.