PhanGirl

Reason No. 1* that you know you're married

2005-11-06T16:30:00.000-06:00

As you move about the house, attempting to unpack the mountain-load of boxes while your sweet hubby is watching football (note: you consented to this, trying to be a good wife), you realize you are sweating profusely. Why? Because the thermostat is at a balmy 77 degrees. Why? Because hubby likes it warm. And now that you don't have a steady income, having changed jobs after the marriage, you can't afford to keep the thermostat how *you* like it: 65. Just enough to where you need a blanket to cover your legs.

Back to unpacking.

*This is unranked. I figured I'd start with one and move up.

We're back!

2005-11-04T23:41:00.000-06:00

So, I'm officially a wife now. We're back from our honeymoon and we had a blast. Highlights: A soccer game in Buenos Aires; seeing M.I.A. at 3:45 a.m.; having lots of fabulous steak and red wine for insanely cheap prices. Oh, and we took a tango class too. C.'s got skills.

Too tired to write more, as we have literally been traveling since yesterday afternoon. (And it's now midnight!) Will catch up later.

But it's nice to be a wife. So far. My only question is this: Will this box-filled space we call an apartment ever become liveable? Will we ever unearth that darn comforter and actually *use* it??

Moving in with the hubby-to-be

2005-10-10T14:06:00.000-05:00

It didn't hit me that I'm actually moving in with my fiancé until Saturday night, when he put the bed together. (As an aside, I was asleep on the couch, totally exhausted after going to sleep at TWO A.M. on Friday night and waking up at SIX THIRTY A.M. to start packing.) I walked in, bleary-eyed, to our new bedroom and thought, "What's my bed doing in his apartment?"
But it's our bed now. *Our* bed!

Then yesterday morning he made me oatmeal.

I said, "Can you put some cranberries in it?" He said sure. But I get the bowl and it's almost all cranberries, and just a teensy bit of oats. "Doesn't this man know that I don't like this many cranberries?" I think. But no, he doesn't, and so I eat it until I'm just about to explode from all that cran flavor, and then when his oatmeal is finally ready I pass him the little mound of cranberries I've piled in my bowl. Because there were really that many.

"Hmm," he says, chewing. "A little bit of cranberry really goes a long way. You can't just pop these things like raisins."

So, we're in for an adjustment period. (There was also an incident with a half-gallon of expired milk this morning, but I won't go into that.) It is all worth it, though, when I think about times like this morning, when I was in my bathrobe and he was brushing his teeth, getting ready for work. I was drinking coffee. We had KEXP playing in the background and newspapers strewn all over the bed. He just looked so cute, and I was so happy to be near him.

We're getting married!, I thought.

Twelve days. Y despues, estaré la wifa.

Wedding Nightmare #2: "The reception's today?"

2005-10-04T08:37:00.000-05:00

I seriously thought it was real. How could my mom have NOT understood that our reception was immediately after the wedding? Instead, she thought it was the next day, so she told the man who managed the hall -- this was a new hall we decided to book at the last minute -- that we didn't need it. Meanwhile, I'd already told the Southwest Craft Center that we didn't need their chapel, because we already had another hall! The thought of people not being able to eat or dance was sending me into convulsions of pure terror.

(I think this was all in Rancho Cucamonga, by the way. The first hall was some strange house up in the mountains. Kinda Heidi-esque.)

Then, to top it off, I forgot my earrings and for some reason was wearing my navy blue slacks to the wedding -- albeit with a cute, long-sleeved ivory lace top.

We ended up being an hour late to the wedding because we were sorting out the hall fiasco. And we never got to do our vows!

Very strange.

Sixteen days, by the way.

24 Days!

2005-09-28T10:12:00.000-05:00

I really should be packing, or finishing up packing, to go to Denver right now, but since I like to fly by the seat of my pants, I thought, "Why not write a new post?"

Wedding plans are flying along. I'm like the woman holding on to the back of the speeding 18-wheeler, clinging for dear life. It's really not that stressful -- just tons of stuff happening at the same time. As I wrote to my illustrious bridesmaid Bri, Note to self: Do not attempt to get married, move, and start a new career path all at the same time. Although freelancing may not technically be considered a new career path. But it's going to take a LOT of work. If anyone can cut me a deal on an ergonomically sound chair, let me know.

At least I get to go to Argentina? We already got our guide book.

So. I leave work Oct. 7 and move Oct. 8. I will spend next week trying to pack and/or not freak out.

Denver's going to be fun! I need a break from the madness.

My first shower: A surprise, and then menudo

2005-09-19T23:04:00.000-05:00

Got back from the San Diego shower yesterday. It was a blast! As fun as expected -- even more so, actually. Saw everyone, including old school Cali peeps, and my extended family, who is even *more* old school. (I haven't seen most of them in three years.) My once-baby cousins are now totally gorgeous and my aunts are more fun than I remembered. We also got tons of stuff, which totally blew me away. I'm still in shock that my aunts gave us all of our dishes -- all 12 sets! And my mom went to town on the cookbooks and silverware, which was so sweet.

And then I got the best surprise of all about a half-hour into the shower: C. showed up! My mom kept telling me to sit in this chair draped with a serape, and I kept asking why, and no, I didn't want to sit in the chair, I wanted to eat some chips and homemade guacamole -- this guac was *good*, creamy and just the teensiest bit picoso -- but she just kept saying, "Sit in the chair," and then finally I did and looked around and then in walked Crayton. He was supposed to be in Dallas. He'd said he didn't want to come, but it was all a big ruse. My mom flew him out. I saw him and started crying.

It was so, so nice to have him there.

Then Sunday we woke up and had homemade menudo, prepared by my mom's stepmother, Terry. It was the best menudo I've ever had in my LIFE, and I'm not even the hugest menudo fan. I think I've just been having menudo that was prepared wrong. Gosh, it was so good. Oh, and we ate these fresh sweet rolls from the Filipino bakery down the street. ("Chinese," my aunt called it. "Filipino!" my cousin immediately corrected. It was funny.)

So now I have to start the thank-you notes.

But at least I have other wedding stuff done. Meena came over tonight and we made the tags for the out-of-towner bags (they are SO cute, Joaq rules!), and then we scooped wax out of our religious-size pillar candles and trimmed the wicks, in order to comply with our venue's regulations that all flames must be below the lip of the glass. Sigh.

What's left: The guestbook, finishing the picture boxes, tying ribbon on the goblets, and returning a few picture frames. And gathering pictures. Oh, and creating the seating chart, but that shouldn't be too hard. We're not assigning seats, just tables. Who wants to sit at "El Borracho"? (Just kidding, family members who read this.)

Nothing in Vegas is free, unless you're on the list*

2005-09-13T22:37:00.000-05:00

I got back on Sunday, and most of you who read this already know the insanity that was SATURDAY NIGHT. Can anyone say "Thunder From Down Under"? Endless rum and Diet Cokes? A veil with a little plastic bride and groom on the top? A sticky dance floor at Harrah's that for some reason, didn't render me completely dance-less?

But back to Thunder From Down Under, because I know you care. It's this Australian male review (voted by the Las Vegas Journal, or some such paper, as the "best male dancers on the strip"), and I won a picture with all the hot guys! It was pretty cool. I think maybe I'll get to see it before Crayton torches it in the fireplace. Ashley is currently holding on to it for safe keeping.

Oh, and outside seeing the show, we also relaxed by the pool at Green Valley Ranch and got spa treatments. And rented a cabana AND a limo. It was really, really nice. I love my girls.

So now I gotta get back in, knee-deep, to wedding planning. Met with the caterer today to die up some last-minute details. Also still gotta book my U-Haul to move to Dallas, tie these ribbons on these goblets, tie more ribbon around these packages, prepare our welcome bags and all the items that go inside, finish the programs, do the guest book, figure out who's coming and who's not (which will actually be fun), try not to get stressed out, and on, and on.

I wish they had a perfume called "Eau de Green Valley Ranch," and then I could just spray it and feel better. Or maybe I mean "Eau de Thunder From Down Under"?

*My new motto for Vegas.

Back from Houston

2005-09-04T20:43:00.000-05:00

There's nothing better than this: Dinner in the oven, filling the house with this wonderful ground-beefy-spicy smell, and my fiance sitting next to me doing the crossword, and clean clothes hanging dry in my room, and one of C.'s mix CD playing on my stereo. Oh, and a cold beer, too.

Sorry I've been MIA lately -- I was in Houston covering the evacuee situation for work, which was harrowing but completely amazing too. It was really weird to come back and remember that I have a wedding to plan. (When these people have nothing left.) I couldn't help feeling a bit guilty. Actually started crying in church today when we started singing "This Little Light of Mine." The only thing I can do is donate, I guess. And write about everything I saw and heard. Can't even get into it here, it's too much...

Anyway. Back to wedding planning-land. We had our second dance lesson today, which was really fun. We learned our complete first dance so tomorrow we're moving on to salsa. Oh, and I started creating our guest book today, but I forgot how to put it together so I'm going to ask Lluvia and her mom to help me.

I don't even remember what else I have to do, except for go to VEGAS for my bachelorette party next weekend!! (OMG, don't even go there!) And then go to my first wedding shower after that. (SA wedding show to follow on Sept. 25 -- thanks, Helen!) Already have my outfit picked out for the latter. Still trying to plan my wardrobe for the former.

Other than that, just happy to be home. And have a home to come back to.

Why?

2005-08-25T22:07:00.000-05:00

Why, why, WHY am I up at 10:15 p.m. when I'm utterly exhausted?

Because I have to say: I HAVE MY HOUSE BACK!

Now, I absolutely adore my wedding planner and think she's an excellent creative mind. But I'm sure she's eager to move on and go to Graceland. (She's going on a road trip with a friend... "Graceland" is not a euphemism for anything.)

So it's all done. All centerpieces -- check. The basket to put the pens in for the guest book -- check. Two small terra cotta pots that I have no idea what they'll be used for, but they're cute -- check. I just have to do the guest book and send LB updates on what else we still have to do. And then I'm pretty much DONE. Save for the seating chart and stuff, but that should be fun. I'm looking forward to it.

I even bought bags for my bridesmaids' gifts today! I felt so organized. For once in this long, harrowing week.

I was thinking as I was sitting outside the quickie mart/gas station the other day: What will I remember most about my engagement when it's all over? I was resting my hands on the steering wheel and watching my ring glint in the sunlight (I was waiting on the aforementioned wedding planner, who wanted to stop in and get a Coke). Am I going to remember how happy and la-la everything was? Or am I going to think about the fact that my wedding planner is taking an awful long to get a Coke, and I've got to get back to work, and what about my guest list, and are we going to even have *time* to buy that extra black ribbon, and oops I forgot to buy a hole punch, and on and on and on....

My vote is for happy la-la.

This weekend I get a nice rest: Off to Dallas, finally, to see my dear love.

First wedding casualty

2005-08-22T08:48:00.000-05:00

Note to self: Do not pull of a piece of tape from your mouth thinking it will not hurt.

"Is your mouth bleeding?" Lluvia asked me.
"Umm..... I don't know," I said.
"What did you do?"
"I wasn't thinking!"

This was us at almost midnight last night, finishing up wrapping these boxes for our picture table. Yes, I put a piece of tape on my mouth to "hold it" while I was folding corners. Who knew it would bleed so much?

Okay, anyway, moving on from the gross-out section of this entry, we had *so* much fun last night! Or at least I did. We wrapped the dinner napkins and added curly ribbon and a flower, and LB (my wedding planner) made these really cool maraca centerpieces for the cocktail tables. As she would say, they're a mix of "whimsical" and "natural." (Sorry so many quotation marks.) What's left to do: So much I don't really want to think about it. But at least we got one portion down.

By the way -- LB is staying here until Thursday, so we have lots more scheduled. Today we're meeting with the table rentals person; on Wednesday, the florist, and hopefully sometime in between, the caterer. Lots of questions to ask, such as: Is the caterer providing cocktail napkins?

These are the joys of wedding planning.

Invitations and guayaberas

2005-08-15T06:37:00.000-05:00

First off: We got the invitations sent! Last Wednesday morning, actually. I was a bit scared when I mailed them -- it looked like rain, and I had to walk a few blocks to the post office. Yes, I could have mailed them at my normal post office, but me being somewhat bridezilla, I wanted them hand-cancelled, which means I had to go to a less-busy post office downtown. Luckily the skies didn't open and drench my newly stamped invitations.

Anyway -- so we sent those off -- yay! (That's a pic of one above, before we stuck it in the envelope.) Now onto other things. The guys' guayaberas also came in this weekend, so we can scratch that off the list. They look great. Also, I found C. an orange linen one (more like a muted, spicy orange, not like a bright "hello, it's orange!" orange), so he may wear that for the wedding. It has cool gold embroidery. But we're not sure.

He also ordered a black silk suit from Penner's, but we're still waiting to hear for sure that the manufacturer has his size in stock. They're going to call him today.

Let's see, what else? Oh yes: My wedding planner/family friend comes in Wednesday! So there'll be lots more done. Hopefully at least 20 percent more. (Yes, I keep track of things this way.)

Now I have to clean.

Why am I up so early, you ask? Because someone had to be at the airport by 6 a.m. Gotta love that fiance.

Por fin!

2005-08-02T22:57:00.000-05:00

Not *that* por fin -- as in, "Guess what, I'm married now!" -- but the second por fin, that my invitations arrived today! Save for the RSVP postcard, which is still at the printer, but Ash has it on a rush order so hopefully I'll get it early next week sometime. Hopefully it isn't horribly bad manners to send an invite with only about three weeks until the RSVP... but I'm assuming lots of people from my side of the family probably won't RSVP anyway, no offense to them, I think it's just a cultural thing.

ANYWAY. The point is that they're here and they look soooo cool. I would post a picture, but you know, privacy and all that. And I want to keep you in suspense. But they fit the feel of what I'm trying to accomplish perfectly: A colorful, fun affair that's kind of funky but still the teensiest bit elegant, all at the same time. Yes, I am the only one who will probably notice these things, but that's okay.

We're hoping to send them out by next Thursday. Watch your mailboxes! Oh, and "por fin" means finally in Spanish.

Registry's done!

2005-08-01T09:12:00.000-05:00

We finally, *finally* finished up our registry this weekend, after one hugely long day at the mall (C. was ready to die when it was over) and then a short stop at BBB on Sunday. It feels good that we got it all done, though -- pots and pans at Williams Sonoma; dishes at Macy's, and linens and stemware at Bed, Bath and Beyond.

I told C. in the car on Saturday -- after we were thorougly exhausted, driving back, and everytime I blinked I was seeing ceramic bakeware and wooden spoons and knives and forks -- that I used to think that people's registries were so detailed, and must have been such hard work to put together, with the couple having collected their preferences over the duration of their engagement.

Now I know the truth: You see something. You ask your fiance, "Do you like it?" He says yes. You scan. You move on.

By the way, the makeover last week went okay. I'm going to have a hair trial ("test" hairdo for the wedding) on Thursday, and that lady does makeup too, so I'm going to ask her for an appointment.

Oh, and we fired our dance instructor for being too flaky. We're going with another lady. First lesson, Aug. 13.

Addressing the invites this weekend!

Bridal Makeup

2005-07-28T08:55:00.000-05:00

Who knew you actually had to make a decision on this stuff? I guess it is one of the biggest days of your life -- you want your foundation to blend into your neck, no? Anyway, tonight after work I'm getting a Mary Kay makeover. We'll see how it goes. I've technically already verbally booked Chad's friend, but she's a wee bit on the expensive side, and also in Austin (and has as somewhat unusual schedule) so I'm searching around to see if I could get a better deal.

Next Thursday I have a hair trial, too. The lady told me, "Make sure you go somewhere afterward! Get your fiance to take you out to a nice dinner!" I said he lives in Dallas. She said.... nevermind. But she's cutting me a discount, so that's good. And no, she doesn't speak Spanish, so my nightmare was completely WRONG.

Oh, and the wedding planner booked her tickets -- she's coming for a week in August. I've already made (natch) several lists of stuff for us to do.

Fun!

Wedding Nightmare #1: "Necesito un hairdo!"

2005-07-25T07:36:00.000-05:00

I went to bed anxious last night. And even though I went and bought all my bridesmaids gifts' yesterday (yay!!), I came back to update my list and realized.... oh wait. There's still a ton left to do. (Note to other brides, or anyone who cares: Do not update your list the same day. FIGHT the urge. Relish in getting a task done.) Then C. and I couldn't agree over whether to get a horse-drawn carriage to take us on a ride after the reception's over. The hotel, C. says, is only two blocks away. Why don't we save the money and get someone to drive us? I say (in one of my few pampered-bride moments): I want a carriage! And wouldn't a downtown carriage ride be cool?

So I didn't sleep well. I dreamt that I completely forgot it was my wedding day. Like, it completely slipped my mind -- what? Wear white today? Huh?

I hadn't booked a hairdresser or anything -- something else on the aforementioned "task list" -- so I had to frantically call hairdressers on my cell phone like two hours before the wedding was supposed to start. The one lady I could reach spoke only Spanish, so I had to spell out for her as best I could what I wanted. But I couldn't remember the word for "hairdo." I just kept saying, "Necesito un hairdo" and "Se me olvido el dia de la boda..." and wondering, Am I saying this right?

Decorating our new home

2005-07-19T09:03:00.000-05:00

So guess what we did this weekend: We started our registry!

I know it's supposed to be rude for me to mention my registry to the general public, or I think I read something like that anyway, but I'm strictly mentioning it as part of the wedding planning process.

It was SO fun!

We went to Bed Bath and Beyond and C. got the little scanner-gun thing, and we picked out some linens and towels and even a laundry hamper. (Because you know when you get married, you share the same hamper... it's been a strange concept to wrap around my single-woman brain.)

Walking around that store, it was like we were a real married couple! I realized I liked calming colors in the bedroom; C. liked bright ones. I said we needed four sets of towels each; C. insisted that we don't need more than two sets. (To which I said, "Two towels??? Um, NO!") Don't worry, I'm trying not to be bossy. You each grow up your own way, and marriage is all about finding the common ground. Or at least that's what my book says.

So -- we've started at BBB (as it's known in wedding lingo), and we've started Williams Sonoma. Next time we're together we'll start Macy's, where our plates are. We're getting Fiestaware. Yay!

Oh, and I got my appraisal back on my wedding band. Turns out it's worth more than twice what I paid for it. Go me and my luck on Ebay.

Off to work now!

Sew Cool

2005-07-10T01:22:00.000-05:00

This isn't exactly wedding related (more post-wedding related), but I've had a sewing machine since Christmas and finally, today, I learned how to use it! I went to a friend's house tonight and her mom taught me how to thread the machine, and I made some simple stuff like a little bag to hold my spools of thread. It was so fun! I even used this zig-zag stitch. Pretty fancy.

I'm buying some fabric tomorrow and my plan is to get started on some curtains to replace the god-awful brown ones in my room.

Also: I have this friend, I don't think I've mentioned him before, but his name is Schmubb and he's Brianna's husband -- husband!! (I'm still getting used to that) -- and he's a really cool guy. Oh, and they just got a dog. McClusky. I think he's a dalmation. SO cute.

Pies and Rings

2005-07-06T21:46:00.000-05:00

So number one: I got my wedding ring in the mail!

And it's absolutely exquisite. I adore it. (Go Ebay!) The engraving is perfectly detailed, and the width is just what I was hoping for. I would post a picture but I left the digital camera at the fiance's house. Oh well. Maybe next time.

I also booked the pies this morning -- which means THE VERY LAST VENDOR IS DONE. Well, almost. I still have to drop off the deposit. So the very last vendor is almost done. But we're going to have an array of pies at this shindig, let me tell you. Pecan, peach, apple, buttermilk... the list goes on. I'll keep you in suspense. There will also be cookies. (Which is quite fitting, for anyone who knows me.) And the whole thing turned out to be a lot cheaper than what we'd expected. So my advice to all you brides-to-be is, Do the pie thing!

Let's see, what else. Oh yes -- the parents hit it off swimmingly. They were gabbing and joking by the end of the weekend, after my mom's homemade salsa made everyone cry. (Almost.) We had a lot of fun.

All that's left for this wedding of ours is little things. Buying the reception decorations, the attendants' gifts, choosing the final flowers. Oh, and picking out what the groomsmen are wearing. And learning how to salsa. But we'll get it all down.

The next time C. is in town, we'll only have three months! Will we get it all done?

Cleaning, schmeaning

2005-06-30T22:05:00.000-05:00

Well, I should be cleaning my house right now since the parents -- both sets! -- are coming in this weekend. But, as per my journalism background, I am procrastinating. I wanted to tell you: I have more help on the wedding! A co-worker, bless his heart as they say in the South, as graciously agreed to help decorate on the wedding day. And I really trust his judgement. So this is a good thing.

Let's see, what else can I say?

Hmmm. Um.... I guess that's all that's going on. We'll be tasting pies this weekend. And wine tasting. And... I think that's it.

Oh, my ring is supposed to get here next weekend! We'll see how that turns out.

Alright, I'm cleaning, I'm cleaning.

Got the linens

2005-06-25T15:52:00.000-05:00

Met with the linens lady for almost two hours today.... we couldn't stop talking! Please don't get two women who are planning weddings together in the same room, you don't know what can happen.

Anyway: We decided on lemon, fuschia, orange and lime. (What's going where will be the surprise. Because I know ya'll are wondering.) So, even though I said that was technically the last vendor, I lied. I still have to get the pies. We're going to taste when everyone comes into town July 4.

I guess I'm about halfway done? Or 60 percent? It's scary to think about.

By the way...

2005-06-23T09:03:00.000-05:00

Only four more months!

My wedding band

2005-06-23T09:00:00.000-05:00

Being the uber-technological yet budget-conscious couple we are -- I bought my dress of Ebay, we have a yahoo groups wedding site, this blog, etc. -- it is only fitting (isn't it?) that I found my wedding band, and bought it, yesterday on Ebay!

Isn't it pretty? It's platinum with engraved filigree. I hope it looks good with the engagement ring. Now, onto convincing Crayton that he shouldn't spend 96 cents on his own Ebay wedding band. ("But it's exactly what I want!")

In other wedding news, the last vendor to book is the linens. I'm doing that this weekend. My wedding planner, LB, is also coming to town at the end of August so that should be fun. We'll probably purchase all the reception decorations.

And the parents will finally meet each other July 4! Good thing I brought back three bottles of wine from Sonoma. (Just kidding, moms.)

Quieres merengue?

2005-05-30T22:27:00.000-05:00

We had our first dance lesson this weekend -- two days later, my calves are still sore. (I'm embarrassed to admit.) We're learning to salsa and merengue, did I tell you? We danced merengue for 1 1/2 hours during our introductory lesson on Saturday, it was so fun! Now I just have to teach C. to walk and move his hips at the same time. Our next lesson is sometime in July, so we'll be practicing...

We also had our first premarital counseling session this weekend, with Fred the Preacher. He was nice.

In other wedding news, I still have to book our very last vendor. (At least, I think it's our last vendor.) The linens. I'm waiting on this one lady to get back to me with a revised, cheaper proposal. We'll see what happens.

Bridal portrait on June 5!

The final shirt!

2005-04-30T16:02:00.000-05:00

The shirt!
Originally uploaded by ltellez.

Aqui esta. (With the skirt, although you can't really see it.)

What do you think?

The girls will also probably wear shawls (in a color TBD) and some fun chandelier earrings.

Six months to go

2005-04-30T15:53:00.000-05:00

Sorry I've been M.I.A. Lots of stuff going on and no time to write. I just got back from meeting with the linens people and I am *so* excited! The woman had tons of great ideas to turn everything festive -- including may poles with long ribbons hanging down, fuschia table clothes with yellow/pink/blue Mexican-looking overlays; and pinata centerpieces! It's going to look SO cool. If I do say so myself.

So. We've booked our tables and chairs, and I also decided to get bridal portraits. Chad's shooting them June 5. (Early because that's the only weekend he'll be in Austin.) C. also lined up new mariachis, since the other ones dissed. These ones are cheaper -- and all female -- so that's good.

And I picked a bridesmaid shirt! FINALLY. I'll post that in a sec.

Only six more months to go. Can you believe it?

Shake your maracas

2005-03-12T21:16:00.000-06:00

Back from Nuevo Laredo. We had a great time! I almost bought a gorgeous ivory beaded party dress for $89 ("I could wear it at the reception!" I thought) but luckily I came to my senses, after talking with the maid-of-honor and my mom.

The main buy: 10 sets of hand-painted maracas! They're totally cute and all different colors -- pink, blue, gold, turqouise, and on. We got them for only $1 for each set, thanks to my hard-bargaining co-worker. (She rules!) I'm thinking about putting a pair on each table, underneath the pie, maybe with some confetti scattered around. Woudln't that be cute? My co-worker also mentioned maybe some curly paper streamers we could scatter around. I have no idea what these look like, but she swears they exist.

Anyway. I also got lots of ideas for Out-of-Town bags. (They're the things guests get when they check in.) I'll probably get colorful plastic totes -- saw them everywhere -- and fill them with all the appropos information, plus water and a few other goodies I'm thinking about. Oh, and possibly an assortment of Mexican snacks and candy, too, all of which are insanely affordable.

I'm also tossing around a new wedding appetizer idea. Co-worker and I had the most *awesome* fruit/cucumber/jicama mix with chile powder on top today, bought for a buck from a street vendor. Everything was cold and crunchy, and it was so refreshing and good. I wonder if we can recreate it during the cocktail hour? Maybe in place of the veggies and ranch? I wonder how you could keep everything cold....

Run for the border

2005-03-11T09:21:00.000-06:00

My co-worker and I are driving down to Laredo tomorrow, on the hunt for gift bags for our out-of-town guests, and linens and decorations for the reception. You can find all that stuff here -- well, not the linens -- but hopefully heading down to the border will save me some cash. Plus I can drink margaritas.

Should be lots of fun!

I'll let you know what I end up getting....

In other wedding news, C. and I have begun our pre-marital counseling at the Methodist church that's going to marry us. It's been interesting so far, but more time consuming than I thought. We barely delved into the first chapter of our book -- like, um, the first 10 pages -- and it took more than an hour! Which is good, because we were talking a lot.

Oh! And I got my save the dates back from Ashley, who got them back from the printer. They look *really* cool. So those will go out mid-next month. I have to start addressing them. Anyone know the etiquette on printing your return address in the corner?

The Bridesmaid Shirt Search continues

2005-03-08T21:03:00.000-06:00

Here's a few other shirts I'm considering, both from Anthropologie. Girls -- and anyone else who cares to comment, because I definitely need the advice -- what do you think?

R.I.P., Cranberry and Mango

2005-02-21T09:04:00.000-06:00

With this new skirt, the wedding colors have changed. All the hot, bright tones are out -- although I still hold a secret hope that I'll be able to incorporate fuschia somehow.

It's looking like the new palette is coral, peach, chartreuse and ivory. More traditional, but I think it'll still be pretty.

Bridesmaid skirt

2005-02-21T08:59:00.000-06:00

Originally uploaded by ltellez.

Back from H-Town

2005-02-21T08:54:00.000-06:00

And I bought my veil! It's the same one I tried on before, but this time, I got to try it on in a chi-chi bridal salon, AND I met the veil's designer, who was the one assisting me! If that's not princess for a day, I don't know what is. It was sooo fun. I think C.'s jaw is going to drop when I walk down the aisle.....

Oh, and I also found the skirt that my bridesmaids are going to wear, finally. We're going with the cute black one at Urban outfitters. I'll post a pic soon.

Off to work now.

All the way to Houston

2005-02-16T21:11:00.000-06:00

Don't know if I told you -- actually, I don't think I did -- but in my quest to find the specific veil I want, and to spite the local store that gave me horrible customer service, I'm going to Houston this weekend for a veil trunk show!

A trunk show, I recently learned, harkens back to the days of yore when designers brought their designs to a store in a big, old trunk. Probably in the days of steamer ships. Or trains. Anyway, this is the only trunk show this designer is having *anywhere* in the Southwest. The only other one in the West is in Reno, NV. (Because Nevada is just a hotbed of brides crazy for Canadian veils, apparently.)

I'm soo excited. Booked my hotel and everything. My friend from work, who went to Rice, is going too, and we're going to eat lots of yummy food. Did you know their local newspaper's "Best Of" Food issue included a "Best Jamaican Food" category? You know this is a culinary city.

Can't wait! I know I'm going to find something I like.

In non-related wedding news, I've also been sick with a flu/cold thing for the past three days. It's clearing up, though -- will probably go back to work tomorrow.

Another vintage skirt

2005-02-13T22:13:00.000-06:00

Originally uploaded by ltellez.

Isn't it cute?

Bridesmaid dresses.... aagh

2005-02-13T22:12:00.000-06:00

Originally uploaded by ltellez.

So, finding bridesmaid dresses has been majorly bumming me out, if I can go all California on you, because I can't seem to find anything I like, or when I find something I like, the whole idea of choosing a color scheme (i.e., one dress, different colors) makes my head hurt.

So. After a phone call from Michelle, who pointed out that Urban Outfitters has a great Spanish-inspired skirt, I thought, why don't we just do a skirt and a top? And then it would fit the casual theme of the wedding, and I don't have to worry about "Are we being too elegant to eat off of plastic plates?" I googled around and came upon the trend of vintage Mexican circle skirts, which I think are absolutely adorable.

My wild idea, which might not be very good considering it's 10:09 p.m. and I'm kind of tired and a little sick, is that maybe I'll hunt around for some cute ones on the web -- similar to this style shown above; they're all over E-bay, cost about $100 each, vintage from 1950s -- and everyone will wear one with a black top. I think it'd look really neat.

Thoughts from anyone? Is this totally not anyones' style at all and never something you'd wear?

By the way, I'm also open to choosing the Urban Outfitter's one, but I don't know what it looks like yet.

Hotel rooms unveiled

2005-02-06T22:36:00.000-06:00

The hotel rooms are blocked! We reserved rooms here, and, for those who want something a tad more affordable, here . Or you can stay wherever you want. As long as you show up for the wedding.

So, there's been veil madness going on. I meant to go get the thing this weekend, after falling in love -- or rather, liking it, mulling it over and then realizing I was in love -- with a veil at a bridal salon three weeks ago, when Ashley was in town. I called the salon and they said they still had it, but, sorry, I couldn't try it on with my dress. You didn't buy your dress here, they told me. Sorry. It's a policy.

I said: Umm.... I tried it on with my dress last time.

They said: We must have made an exception. But we really don't have the room for you to come in and try on the veil (THAT COSTS $375!!!) again with your dress.

So freak them, as my friend Jill would say. I'm buying a veil elsewhere. Or at least, I'm going to try. Turns out this veil manufacturer is based in Canada -- I can hear C. groan -- and only sells in a handful of stores in Texas. Oh well. At least I have a lot of time to find another veil, if I like it, and fall in love again.

About that salsa band

2005-01-30T23:13:00.000-06:00

We saw them play on Friday night, and they were SO good! This time I paid lots of attention to everything. They sing, play the congas, lots of horns, and some other percussion instruments. Everyone be ready to shake your groove thang. (That means party it up on the dance floor, for our readers who don't know.)

Did I mention we booked a 12-person salsa band for the wedding?

Halfway there... or maybe 1/3

2005-01-30T12:11:00.000-06:00

Originally uploaded by ltellez.

"You can't back out now," I told C. a few days ago. (Jokingly, of course.) We are SO getting married, because we have now officially booked all of the big stuff -- catering, photography, florist, band, and mariachi.

Someone said, "You're going to be all done months before the big day!" Probably in hopes of making me feel better, bless their hearts, but in reality it just makes me think of all the other stuff that's still left, like making a final list for the rehearsal dinner, finishing save-the-dates, starting invites, out-of-town bags, booking hotel rooms, getting bridesmaid/groomsmen apparel, figuring out the transportation, updating budgetary spreadsheets, and on, and on....

But I am not stressed. Really. I am way ahead of the game here.

On a semi-related wedding note, this weeked was lots of fun. My future in-laws were in town, so I showed them the wedding spot and they loved it. (That's a picture of the reception area above -- it's inside an old chapel.) Plus we had lots of good food, including a very yummy peach cobbler. I need to know how to make peach cobbler.

Oh! And my future mother-in-law also gave me a book filled with C.'s favorite recipes. (examples: chocolate chip pie, fried chicken, chicken country captain.) I think I'll make the chocolate chip pie first.

Busy busy busy

2005-01-21T18:26:00.000-06:00

I know the wedding isn't for nine months, but I am now officially knee-deep in planning. Ya need a hotel room in San Antonio the week of the wedding? Wanna know the best place to have a rehearsal dinner on the Riverwalk? I gotcha. Ya need a halter-style, ruffly dress made to fit your body? I gotcha. Ya need a good band? Mariachi? Five percent off on your flight? Yes, yes and yes. (Just signed up for the airline discount today. It's a paltry percentage in the scheme of things, but still. It's a discount.)

Through it all, though -- as I was explaining to a friend today -- I'm having fun! Really and seriously. I have actually thought that maybe I have some type of talent in event planning. Then I thought: Maybe I don't care about an event unless it's mine. So I gave up that notion.

Anyway. Off to the airport to see my cute fiance, who I haven't seen in three weeks. We're going to see the Arcade Fire this weekend and do lots of non-wedding related stuff. Should be a nice break.

Place cards

2005-01-18T20:53:00.000-06:00

Originally uploaded by ltellez.

In a burst of inspiration -- and after being convinced by Ash that I needed to give people a table number, to lower the potential chaos -- I decided that I could use Loteria cards to name the tables!

This is the old Mexican lottery game, by the way. (Although now it's taken on this cool cultural significance.) One table could be El Sol, one El Catrin, one La Sirena, etc. Everyone will get a little card during the cocktail reception with a picture of their table on the back... and then they can have another keepsake of the wedding!

Sorry, I'm WAY excited about this idea. And I came up with it all by myself.

Earrings

2005-01-18T20:44:00.000-06:00

Originally uploaded by ltellez.

Ashley found them at Market Square this weekend. I've already burned her five CDs in recompense.

Save The Date!

2005-01-18T20:33:00.000-06:00

Originally uploaded by ltellez.

Got soooo much wedding stuff done this weekend, not the least of which -- perhaps the MOST of which -- was deciding on the inspiration for our save the date cards.

Ash and I (that's the illustrious maid of honor, who was in from San Francisco) picked the above picture out of a book of old Mexican movie posters, which Ash already owned because she's cool like that.

The plan is to substitute the sexy Latina lady for a pic of Crayton and I, colorized to look like it's from the 1930s or 40s. "Fantasia Ranchera" will be replaced with "A San Antonio Wedding."

Doesn't that sound great?

Also: (or perhaps this deserves an exclamation point) I got the bridal lingerie! Went to a frou-frou store where that's all they sell, which was way fun because you get to wear this silky robe and they wait on you hand and foot. (They even have a lady to hook the bra! Who knew?)

I also picked a veil. But that's all I will say about that. Girls, e-me if you want more info.

More to come on choosing bridesmaid dresses, a process that I have nicknamed Indecision 2005, and jewelry and place cards.

I found the wedding purse

2005-01-06T23:29:00.000-06:00

Or at least, I think I did: It's a small, white beaded clutch -- with a rhinestone clasp! -- that I got for only $3.99!! (Exclamation points used for obvious insanity/emphasis.) Found it today at the Goodwill while I was researching next week's cover story. It's in perfect working condition, although I saw a few light ink stains on the lining inside. But who's going to look in there? Also found a really cool purple knit capelet, which probably won't play a part in the wedding. It's definitely cute, though. I'm already dreaming of it with jeans, heels and a cute tank top. (And, umm... while we're disclosing everything... I also bought some hot pink plastic earrings at the local vintage place. They're swingy and cool.)

I am *so* proud of myself.

Oh, and I booked the florist. Haven't sent a check yet, but I'm going to this week.

Still haven't heard from the caterer.... called him yesterday... maybe he fell off Earth?

Forget the DJ

2004-12-29T22:07:00.000-06:00

salsa
Originally uploaded by ltellez.

So, after getting a little disgusted with the DJ search, we're now leaning toward getting a salsa band! Which would be TONS of fun. Assuming they play some American music too, I mean. (We still have to find that out.)

We put in a call to Orquesta Tropicante (turn your music down if you're at work, the website plays a little tune), an 11-member band that performs weekly at an upscale "Nuevo Latino" restaurant near my house.

C., who talked to them, says they're priced quite reasonably. We can afford them if we cut back a little bit on flowers, which is okay, because I budgeted high for flowers anyway. (I was totally wanting one of those six-foot-tall flowery centerpieces.... just kidding.)

C. says he'll probably call this week or next to ask more questions. Ideally we could bring in an instructor, too, who could give everyone a big lesson! Wouldn't that be fun? Of course, I have no idea how much that would cost, but it wouldn't be hard to find out. I got contacts.

Thoughts from anyone?

The Girlfriend Abides

2004-12-22T22:19:00.000-06:00

I haven't posted in awhile because nothing is going on! Holidays. Gifts. Visiting family, la la la. Oh, and C. and I (or should I say FI? God, I've been spending too much time on The Knot) are gearing up for our trip to the Dabbs Railroad Hotel tomorrow. Should be lots of fun.

Still no caterer. (Calling after the first of the year.) No florist yet. (Meeting with a fourth florist on Dec. 27.) And no DJ -- C. is kinda stressing that they're going to end up playing what they want, and not what we want -- but he's making the decision on his own. I told him I'd support whatever he thinks. The mariachi people have not called me back, but I'll probably try them after the first of the year. And another mariachi who might WANT MY BUSINESS.

Oh: And we decided that eating inside the chapel for dinner would be best, since that's where the dancing will go on, and we don't want to rent multiple large tables, etc.

Off to watch Big Lebowski with C. now.

You want a toe? I can get you a toe.

Luminarias

2004-12-07T00:14:00.000-06:00

luminarias
Originally uploaded by ltellez.

On my travels for Latino-inspired gifts last week, I came across some brightly colored luminarias at one of the local folk art galleries. They were SO cool. And I thought they'd look perfect -- with a hurricane glass cover inside the bag, of course, we don't want any fires -- lighting the way in the SW School garden, because there's very little light once it gets dark.

Granted, dinner will be over once it gets dark, but what if someone wants to go outside later?

It's past my bedtime.

Getting annoyed with florists

2004-12-06T21:26:00.000-06:00

And procrastinating, because I really should be writing a story right now. But anyway: A florist I was supposed to meet with tomorrow called today and told me he needed to reschedule until after the holidays. "We're just too busy," he said. And you accepted an appointment with me purposely *before* the holidays because...?

Maybe I'm just being too picky, but my point of view is: If you want my business, and if I'm spending more in the range of $1,000, you will not make appointments and then cancel because you're "too busy," and you will not tell me to "call back later." (Which another florist said.) You will also not purse your lips at me when I tell you that all my bridesmaids will be wearing different color dresses, and that we will be eating with plastic forks.

What is wrong with you, bridal industry?

I also have not heard from two of the caterers we were dealing with who said they'd send me revised estimates. One I don't care about, but the other we were probably going to book. I called him a few days ago and he didn't call me back. Crayton's probably going to call tomorrow morning, but let's hope this isn't a sign that he has crummy service. (Which heretofore has been fine.)

Nothing else too exciting going on in Wedding World. Oh! This isn't wedding related, but C. and I are going to lovely Llano, Texas for Christmas, to spend a few nights at the Dabbs Railroad Hotel. Doesn't it look cool?

More bouquets!

2004-11-23T20:57:00.000-06:00

More bouquets!
Originally uploaded by ltellez.

Visited another florist tonight, this one much more my style. She operated out of a small house on the West side, which is worlds away from Bluffs USA, or whatever it was called.

She was very businesslike, but nice. And she completely got my Latin-fiesta theme -- actually, she said, she just did a bouquet that morning in bright pink, sage green, purple and gold! Which is pretty much now my color combination. Plus blue. That bouquet is going to be on the cover of San Antonio Weddings magazine next month, by the way.

So, the color combination. I saw it saw it on a tin Christmas ornament at Market Square this weekend. After looking for another hour, everything started to look the same, so I'm just going to go with this. Maybe I'll post a picture sometime soon.

Question for moms: Did you want wrist corsages or pinned?

Next step: Meetings with two more florists. And I still haven't heard a word with any of the caterers we met with. Whatever happened to getting me a full proposal back?

Mariachis

2004-11-18T22:48:00.000-06:00

mariachi
Originally uploaded by ltellez.

This is the group we're thinking about booking -- "one of the premier mariachi groups in America," according to their website. They've toured around the country and also play at Fiesta Texas.

"We're not just compadres, friends, or whatever," the manager, Roy, told me. "We're professional musicians. We audition people. If one person wants to leave, we have four or five waiting to take their place!"

Which left C. to wonder whether or not this is just a front for the Mariachi mafia. But I digress.

Sorry the picture's kinda small. I took it off Amazon. The manager is coming back from vacation next week and he said he'd drop me off a CD then. We'll probably end up going with them, though. I've heard raves.

Flowers, pies and a vision rejuvenated

2004-11-16T22:33:00.000-06:00

Just got off the phone with LB, my wedding planner. We had a marathon two-hour conversation. (Does this make you scared, Crayton?) Decided the following things:
1. I will not be intimidated by florists.
2. Theme Fiesta is in full swing.
3. My color scheme will be determined by an "inspiration piece," which I'll find this weekend at Market Square in SA. This could be a blanket, a shirt, or a piece of pottery. Mexican-inspired, natch.
4. Traditional bridesmaids dresses are wrong, wrong, wrong! For my theme, I mean. The plan is to head to Mexico for ideas, or search out Anne Taylor, J Crew, or other cool stores in early spring for more "cotton/embroidery" type of looks. Something more Mejico, like the thing I saw hanging in Vianna's closet. (Deep red, sleeveless, empire waist, with red embroidery on the bottom.) Don't worry girls, you won't be wearing mumus or look like you bought your outfit in TJ. They will be classic, but more casual.
5. Dare I say guayaberas for the groomsmen? They make them in several fabulous colors at a shop near my house.
5. We're running with pies on every table. What kind could be determined by a small question on the invites. (i.e., "check here for pecan.")
6. I will arrive by boat. The crowd will be waiting in a long line.
7. Wedding pie will be cut inside the chapel. Then, it's OOON. (The dancing.)
8. We are getting a DJ and not a live band. And we won't be doing the music ourselves. Too much trouble.

Let's see, am I leaving anything out? We came up with several other ceremony "traditions" that I'm not at liberty to describe yet. (Don't worry mom, they're not too wacky.)

I'm just excited! Again.

Guess I'll head off to bed now.

Dueling caterers

2004-11-13T18:23:00.001-06:00

Tamale and Shish Kabob Brisket n' Fajitas
Originally uploaded by ltellez.

So. We're a lot more full now. And I have a fridge full of leftovers. Okay, not a full fridge, but definitely a shelf. Now the question is: Who to pick?

The caterer on the left, who came to my house -- yes, that's right, to my house -- with her goodies on Friday night, was friendly and professional, and as evidenced by the house call, very accessible. Her prices are reasonable and she seemed like she'd be a good person to have in charge on the big day.

"She's definitely in the lead," Crayton and I agreed after she left.

Then today we tasted the caterer on the right, whose office was, as I like to say, "puro West Side." As in West Side SA, people, not Cali. His prices were the lowest and I wasn't too sure about the food. But when he brought it out.... WHOA. Homemade tortilla chips, warm, with gooey, slightly spicy queso draped on top; and crunchy, deep-friend jalapenos. And that's just the appetizer. (There'd be a veggie tray, too.)

Then he brought out the entree: Tender brisket, succulent chicken fajitas and all the rest of the fixins you see above. Everything was quite tasty.

"This is a man's dream!" I told Crayton. (I didn't finish mine. He did.)

But everything was fantastic. We also both liked the caterer, Nick -- he's been in the business for more than 20 years, and he deals with the convention center, and he seemed concerned about fitting in with our budget. He also said we could pay the deposit whenever we could, maybe sometime after the first of the year. "I know how it is, you have to pay for the hall, the music, all that," he assured us.

On the car ride home, we said: "He's definitely in the lead."

The last caterer isn't pictured because they won't let us do a tasting unless we sign a contract. Despite that, we were quite impressed with them, because they handle everything, would throw in pie stands for the tables and cool Mexican serving pottery for free, they have every color of table linens imaginable, and they'd have people passing margaritas out to guests immediately following the ceremony. (And who wouldn't love that?) It's not looking like they'll fit within our monetary constraints, though, unless we could convince them to let us find our own bar service. Overtime for their bar services, which we would need, would cost us upwards of FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS.

Isn't this fun?

We'll probably make a decision sometime next week. This has definitely been the most fun of the planning so far, though.

Off to rent a DVD and eat leftovers with my fiance....

Hydrangea, berries, pods and... tequila limes?

2004-11-12T09:48:00.000-06:00

Met with the first florist this week. She was.... interesting. She runs the business out of her gigantic home on the north side of SA -- I'd never been up that far before. She was very knowledgeable, and offered tons of beautiful ideas (willow branches! candelabrum! votives! bridal bouquet of orchids, spray roses, hydrangea, and I don't remember what else!), but she didn't really want to talk budget. Which makes me uneasy.

"Don't worry, you won't get a $5,000 proposal," she promised.

Yes. It'll only be $3,000!

She did have a cool idea of making pies the centerpieces of the tables. My mom originally suggested a pie on every table, and the florist said, why not add a wreathlette (me: "A what?") underneath the pie stand, with greenery, some flowers I can't remember, kumquats and tequila limes? It'd go with the whole "Latin fiesta" theme.

I really liked that idea. So at the very least, if she's too expensive, we can suggest it to someone else or figure out how to do it on our own.

I'm planning to call a few more florists here in the next few weeks. Oh, and I need help deciding on the color pallette for bridesmaids dresses. Any suggestions, bridesmaids? So far, I have cranberry, chocolate, and blue.... was also thinking about maybe a butterscotch and a brighter pink, but then I'm not sure ya'll would be able to wear those color dresses again, although it would go with the fiesta theme.

Let me know what you think!

Off to work.

Calling all florists

2004-11-04T21:36:00.000-06:00

Botanika bouquet
Originally uploaded by ltellez.

I was browsing through the wedding planning book my mom got me and saw that now's the time to start "researching" a florist and DJ. (What do people do who don't plan their wedding a year in advance? This is according to the book, people. Eleven months out you're supposed to do these things!)

So. I called Botanika, which produced the bouquet above, and comes very highly recommended on such esteemed message boards as The Knot. (Which is the only message board I.... ah.... religiously visit. But you knew that already.)

A receptionist -- who sounded old and frou-frou, like Julia Child -- took my name and number and told me "she" would call me back. Some other she, not Julia Child.

A few hours later, I got a call from the owner, a younger woman who was very cordial and professional. We arranged a "consultation" -- she only works by consultation first -- next week in some area called Bluffs USA, or something like that. That's where the offices are. It sounded like a compound.

Hmmm... mysterious. I'll update ya.

Other than that, anyone know a good DJ in SA? We actually still haven't decided whether or not we're going to do it ourselves, or leave it in the hands of professionals. We'll have to talk about that next time C.'s in town. (Weekend of Nov. 13, also known as "Caterers Tasting Weekend.")

Oh, and I gotta call the mariachis. Mom's been buggin' me about that, yo!

Speaking of buggin', and on a completely unrelated wedding note, I told a girl from Georgia the other day that George Stephanopoulos bugs. (He DOES. He's like, "Look at me, I'm so pretty!" Maybe this was because the television was on mute.) Anyway, she looked at me blankly because that slang hasn't hit the South yet. Bugs=annoys.

Off to the message boards....

Engagement Pictures

2004-11-01T09:09:00.000-06:00

Austin Gardens
Originally uploaded by ltellez.

Back from another wonderful weekend with my fiance. We spent Friday night in Dallas, and then Saturday we drove down to Austin for Halloween. We also took our engagement pictures on Saturday at the Zilker Park Botanical Gardens -- the best ones were from this little bridge. Chad did a great job, so we're pretty certain we're going to use him for the Big Day.

Also: I scratched another caterer off the list, who tried to tell me -- AGAIN! -- that she wasn't sure if I could taste the food before I signed a contract. These people are really insane.

Saw a wedding band I liked, too.

A poem

2004-11-01T08:45:00.000-06:00

On Sunday, just before C. was about to leave, I showed him this poem that's been running around my head as of late -- I saw it in Poets and Writers magazine a few months ago and was so impressed, I bought the book.

It kind of reminds me of us someday.... maybe on our own tenth anniversary.

Michael Ryan wrote it -- it's from his latest book, "New and Selected Poems":

A French Cafe in Orange County
(on our tenth anniversary)

If I could track the converging forces
that put me here, they'd culminate
with you who go for milky coffee in bowls
and croissants as big as couch pillows, but where
would they begin? I mean before
something congealing in the Ur-bacteria soup
began to yearn for some other congealing thing.
Yearning to please the beloved
compounds that first felt urge, I think--
even if God didn't plan it that way for Himself
when He yearned for the world
and it instantly emerged from nothingness
as a difficult Beauty to deal with.
Despite what we've seen since,
there are still such moments of grace
when we see each other in the old light
when it was all just chemistry and promise--
the promise, we found out, to each be changed
by how we each had to change to stay together,
as love made us the peristent
mysteries to each other we became.

Barbecue

2004-10-28T09:25:00.000-05:00

Barbecue
Originally uploaded by ltellez.

So we probably won't have a grill at the wedding -- I don't think they allow open flames at a century-plus old convent -- but this is kind of what we're going for. I'm meeting with possible caterers in a few weeks, one of which says we can't taste the food before we sign a contract! Seems a bit fishy to me. We'll see how dodgy they are when we meet in person.

Oh, and it'll be barbecue mixed with Mexican, by the way. Fajitas and brisket. And tons of ice tea. YUM.

The dress arrived tonight

2004-10-18T21:47:00.000-05:00

AND IT FITS!!

Here's what happened:

I came home after a late interview and found the box at my door. So I grabbed it, rushed inside, threw my keys on the table and tore it open, with the help of some scissors. Then I called my mom, so she could hear my reaction while I took it out. (And I put some music on; I was picturing something soft and romantic but not corny. Stevie Wonder's Innervisions seemed to fit the fancy. Kinda.) With mom on the phone -- "did you see it yet? what does it look like?" -- I took it out of the box, opened up the zippered garment bag and.... eh. Was not too impressed, to tell you the truth. But that's because I was looking at it wrong. They'd hooked the train up to the top of the hanger so I was actually looking at the inside.

When I finally took it out (my mom saying "Try it on! Try it on!" in the background), it looked quite pretty. Do I step into it or put it on over my head? I asked her. "Over your head!" she said.

So, with the dress splayed over my bed, I lifted the skirt and put it over my head, wiggling so it came over my waist. When I finally looked in the mirror -- with the dress on, but not zipped up -- I kind of yelped-screamed with the whole realization of it all. I'M TRYING ON MY WEDDING DRESS!!!! AND IT FITS!!!!!

"What, what? What's wrong?" my mom said. "Is everything okay?"

I said: "Yes! I've just never tried on a wedding dress before and it's really, really cool."

She told me to take a picture and send it to her, but I realized that I left the cord that attaches to the computer in the car. ("And you can't go very well like that to the car," she told me. Dontcha love it? I'm going to be exactly like that one day!) So I took it off, got the cord (and the newspaper, which I hadn't read yet) and took a few pics. She had to go because she's tending to her sick fiance.

Let me know if you want to see the pictures I took. I may have some SA peeps coming over tomorrow to help me take a few more without the actual camera in the shot. (The perils of shooting yourself in a mirror.)

For now, though: I'm floating. It's unreal.

Engagement pics

2004-10-18T08:15:00.000-05:00

We're shooting them Halloween weekend in Austin. Courtesy of Chad.

La vie en rose

2004-10-18T08:14:00.000-05:00

Eiffel
Originally uploaded by ltellez.

Last night I was scanning honeymoon sites -- actually, my plan was to research Egypt -- when I stumbled across a Top 10 list, and Paris was among the top five.

I thought: Duh. I totally forgot about Paris! I've never been (save for a 15-minute walk between its two train stations; but I didn't see the Eiffel Tower or anything), and neither has Crayton. So we're going to research some more -- actually, he is, because he's technically planning this whole deal -- but I have a pretty good feeling this is where we're going to end up.

Can't you see it? Sipping French Roast at a sidewalk cafe, half-eaten croissants in front of us, a jaunty scarf tied around my neck, my wedding ring glinting in the sunlight..... and from my new pink mini iPod, which of course I have tucked into my purse, Edith Piaf croons.

The High Life

2004-10-14T22:43:00.000-05:00

The High Life
Originally uploaded by ltellez.

We absolutely MUST take this picture at our wedding.

Bridesmaid Gown

2004-10-10T12:01:00.000-05:00

Bridesmaid Gown
Originally uploaded by ltellez.

Saw this at 1:30 a.m. last night, I'm ashamed to admit. I did just get home from a night on the town, but still. NEED TO GET OFF THE COMPUTER. (And find more friends!)

But guess what? Talked with the wedding planner last night and she offered another great idea... since I really want to incorporate color in all of this, she asked, "Why don't the bridesmaids all wear different color gowns?" Complimentary to each other, of course -- I don't want this to look like a circus.

So while I was at Taco Haven this morning waiting on my egg-and-potato and ham-and-egg tacos, I had a vision: one maid in a cranberry dress, one maid in a deep blue dress, one maid in a dusky chartreuse, maybe another in a deep magenta... and they'd all be carrying white flowers. (As the wedding planner suggested.) Wouldn't that look neat?

These Vivian Diamond ones are kind of what I'm envisioning. I think they may be too expensive, though.

Anyway. I have lots of time to figure it out.

Gotta get back to work. Voting guides are calling my name.

Oh, and the wedding dress arrives a week from Tuesday!

I GOT IT!

2004-10-08T17:05:00.000-05:00

The E-bay auction just ended, and guess who's the winner? ME, your favorite soon-to-be bride! (Well... second favorite, after Brianna.) I wish I could share the details, but alas, since Crayton reads this blog, I'll have to keep mum. Suffice to say that it's a 100 percent silk Jasmine Haute Couture gown that retails at $3,000, that I got for $170, including shipping. INCLUDING SHIPPING!

Now, let me pray that I did my measurements correctly. And that it's not totally the wrong dress for my body type.

And that I don't change my mind too much before next October. (Although, if I do, I can always sell it again.... but I don't want to do that, unless that Monique Lhuillier I saw in the bridal magazine happens to pop up on E-Bay for $170, including shipping. But I checked and all of her stuff is in the thousands.)

Back to work.

I put in a bid!

2004-10-07T18:28:00.000-05:00

So, after lots of input from my mom and friends, (hopefully I wasn't too annoying), I'm going for it -- I put a bid today on the E-bay dress! I did it about six hours ago and so far, I'm winning. (It's green, it's green! Sorry... price turns a bold green color when you're in the lead.)

Yes, E-Bay is a whole other world and to tell you the truth, it kind of freaks me out. Especially when I saw "Great Ebayer!" in someone's feedback. They're inventing their own NOUNS.

The thing ends tomorrow at around four. I'll let you know how I did.

But, um... I kind of want the dress more now. The line "Save $$$$ on your DREAM HONEYMOON!!" (from the item description) keeps repeating over and over in my head.

A festejar!

2004-10-04T09:11:00.000-05:00

We decided this weekend that our wedding's going to have a Mexican fiesta kind of theme.... lots of colors, papel picado, maybe pretty centerpieces with pottery made in Mexico. You can find all of that here, so it won't be too hard to incorporate. And if anyone has any suggestions along these lines, I'm all ears.

An E-Bay dilemma

2004-10-04T08:54:00.000-05:00

I finally -- for the first time -- looked on E-bay last night, and immediately started searching for wedding gowns. I saw at the bottom of the screen that they had 10 pages of dresses -- and then realized that no, it was actually 82 pages. EIGHTY TWO PAGES! Saw one I liked after about 10 minutes of scrolling.

Because Crayton looks at this blog, I can't post what it looks like, but let's say it's a 100% silk haute coture gown valued at $3,000 (double-checked this value in my Bridal Bargains book)... and the starting bid is $125. The measurements appear to fit me, too.

So my question is: Do I get it? The price is extremely appealing. But it is only October 2004, a full year away from when I'm actually walking down the aisle. What if my tastes change? (Little impulsive-shopper voice on my shoulder: "You can get another gown!") Plus I'm kinda scared that it's a bit too fancy for the ceremony/reception. I need advice!

If anyone besides Crayton wants, I can email them a picture.....

The food. The FOOD!

2004-09-29T18:11:00.000-05:00

I'm kind of an insane foodie. I try to work it off by going to the gym, although that hasn't worked too well because I'm ditching it to do wedding stuff. (And I'm in this media variety show, but that's another story.) Anyway. Dad's been running around -- the gem he is -- trying to book our caterer. He's gotten four proposals so far. One's way out of our price range, so we're really deciding between three. (Well, four, if you want to count the one that hasn't come in yet.)

One actually brings in ladies who make tortillas by hand! How cool is that?

Once we get the last proposal in, I guess we'll start setting up tastings. (Yay, yay!) If everything goes as planned, the barbecue, Mexican food, pie, ice tea, beer, wine and margaritas will be floooowin' the night of the reception. No ice sculpture -- too stuffy for us.

In other wedding news, C. and I might meet with our photographer this weekend. It's his college friend. Stuff looks good on the website, so I'm excited. Maybe we can get our engagement shots done too, now that I have the ring.

Oh, and happy wedding days to my friend Erin Graham, who'll be married in two weeks, and Stefanie Sugarman -- the woman, the myth, the legend; wearer of white fur coats and spiky dog-collar chokers -- who'll tie the knot on Oct. 23 on this show.

Off to rehearsal.

Un vestido que me gusta

2004-09-23T19:25:00.000-05:00

Un vestido que me gusta
Originally uploaded by ltellez.

Don't know if you'll be able to see the detail in this, but this is one I just saw that I loved. It's too small for me -- they didn't have Latina hips in the 1930s.

Must... find... wedding dress...

2004-09-23T19:09:00.000-05:00

I had another wedding revelation today when I ditched the gym in favor of going home and scouring the Internet for vintage wedding gowns. Just when I started to feel really guilty -- I've only gone to the gym once this week -- it hit me: Wait a second! I'm engaged! What's wrong with looking at wedding gowns for an hour or two? (Or three?.... ha ha, just kidding.) I'm never going to do this again after next October. Or rather, after early next year, when I'm supposed to buy this thing.

That doesn't mean that I should get so fat that I don't fit into the gown of my dreams. (And actually, these vintage gowns are small! Who knew so many people had 24-inch waists in the 1930s? Were they getting married at 13 or what?) The gym IS important. But, c'mon, I wanna look at some gowns.....

Back to hunting.

And at least it's not 1 in the morning!

The Ring

2004-09-22T22:34:00.000-05:00

The Ring
Originally uploaded by ltellez.

I awoke Tuesday morning to a knock on the door --it was Fed Ex, with THIS hidden inside a brown box. It's fabulous, I love it, and yes, this is THE engagement ring.

I've been on a cloud, again, for the past few days... all of a sudden, reaching for a door handle, driving and washing my hands have a whole new meaning! I just stare and think: I'm going to be married. I'm going to be MARRIED! And my fiance thought so much of me that he bought me this fantastic diamond. I'm so lucky.

(gush, gush.)

C. already got it insured.

I got me some bridesmaids

2004-09-19T23:35:00.000-05:00

All of my bridesmaids -- Bri-ness, Jodes, Chelle, Whitney and the illustrious Ashley, my maid-of-honor -- said YES! I sent them each a package last week with a teacup (the kind with no handles), plus some tea, and a homemade card asking each whether they'd honor me with their presence at my wedding. Awwww. The cards had a little dress on the front with their name; the personal note was inside. I teared up writing every one.

The tea, by the way, is for all the long planning chats we're going to have. (Thanks to my wedding planner, LB, for this idea!)

We have lots of time to figure out bridesmaid dresses, but I'm thinking something kinda short and fun (have I already said that on this blog?). They can wear their own shoes and do their hair however they like, although I might object if someone sprays a can of Aquanet into their hair and does 80s bangs.

So. It's late, but I haven't been staying up all night on the computer doing wedding stuff. For once. Just got back from the Austin City Limits fest with fiance and Chelle. We had a BLAST. Although it was muy hot. But we got over it.

It was just great to see C. again.... I'm just more confident and sure that this whole marriage thing is the right decision for me. He's The One.

I can't wait!

She's back

2004-09-12T23:52:00.000-05:00

Yes, it's 11:50 p.m., and yes, I have to work tomorrow.... and YES, I'm only up because I've been puttering around on the computer doing wedding stuff. Can I help it if I like to overload? I can sleep tomorrow. (After I go to the gym and wash the mountain of dishes in my sink.) But, I did get things accomplished: Emailed my dad the list of caterers, with their websites and some commentary by me. (i.e. "Too fancy.") Then I called him and we talked about what kind of food/ambience C. and I wanted, and what questions he should ask. I think he's seriously going to buy the Bridal Bargains book for reference. Thanks, Bri!

I also -- yay! -- finally transfered our wedding budget from a dog-eared scrap of paper to an Excel spreadsheet, which I then posted on our planning site. I think I overbudgeted for some stuff, but it's okay, because any extra we're putting toward the honeymoon. Or that plan to move to Mexico.

'Night.

The colors

2004-09-12T21:37:00.000-05:00

have been set! I had this burst of inspiration a few nights ago. It was late, I was in bed and had just about fallen asleep -- or I was sleeping, I can't remember -- when I suddenly said, opening my eyes: "Crayton! I know what I want my colors to be!"

He said, or rather mumbled, since he was sleeping too: "What, honey?"

"Mango and cranberry!" I cried.

"Honey, those aren't colors, they're fruits," he said.

I sighed huffily. Whatever. The point is: I think this would be really cool! Cranberry dresses against beautiful mango-colored flowers with white and stuff mixed in. Plus it's fall-y, don'tcha think?

So, because I am That Woman, I already searched for cool bridesmaid dresses online. I'm thinking something cute and flirty, and something you CAN wear again, but bridesmaids, help me out. (Once you know who you are.... and you should sometime early this week.)

Oh, and C. and I chatted with the wedding coordinator today and she was, as usual, very helpful. Lots of ideas for the reception and ceremony.

Techie meets hot Latina, finds love on Internet

2004-09-09T17:18:00.000-05:00

I've said it before, but I'll say it again: I'm so glad I'm marrying this man. He wrote the coolest story about our wedding plans in the paper today, talking about how we're doing a lot of stuff on the Internet and how The Knot.com is really a secret cult for people in the land of FI, MOH and OOTs. (Ok, the latter was my commentary.) Supposedly there was a photo too, but I haven't seen it yet.

So I read the thing with a huge smile on my face. And I also thought, again: This is REAL! We're really doing this!

Planning-wise -- because isn't that was the blog's supposed to be about? -- I'm still not doing much. Told my dad today that I'd email him the list of approved caterers. He's going to try and start whittling them down next week, after C. and I talk about what kind of food/ambience we want. Maybe I'll rope him into talking to the wedding planner this weekend.

Not tomorrow, and not the next day

2004-09-06T22:58:00.000-05:00

And not the day after that, but the day after that! Countdown to see the Fiance: T-minus three days. I'm so excited. This is all I've been thinking about for the past month, which, as he and I have both discussed, is really too long to go without seeing each other.... can't wait until we finally live in the same city again. And then we'll have our own toaster, which will be even cooler!

Mom came and visited for a few days, which was nice. I showed her the wedding spot and she loved it.

Resting again

2004-09-04T00:20:00.000-05:00

Haven't posted in a few days because not much is goin' on.... I'm taking a step back, again, for a few weeks. From planning anything, anyway. Still can't help looking in the magazines to see those beautiful white dresses. (But I'm not going shopping yet.) Mom's in town tomorrow, which should be fun. We'll probably hop over to the Southwest School just so she can see. Don't anticipate much other wedding stuff happening.

Phant and I have much to talk about when he comes to visit in a few weeks, though. (i.e., Where in the HELL are we going to live?)

Ooh, and we might look for a ring!

I'll keep ya posted.

We're really doing this!

2004-08-31T11:20:00.000-05:00

Mark your calendars, ‘cause it’s official! We are SOOOOO getting married!!!!
On October 22, 2005, I will become Mrs. Phant.

And this is where we’ll be, rain or shine or hail or whatever. Just dropped off my deposit this morning.

I think I found the place!

2004-08-29T11:41:00.000-05:00

Toured the Southwest School of Art and Craft yesterday with my dad... the pictures on its website do it no justice. It's stunning. There's a huge, old Gothic chapel with stained glass windows and candelabras; and outside, a grassy courtyard with fountains and trees; and then, beyond THAT, another patio area with a gazebo, right next to the river.

I actually put the date on hold a week ago, but I think that expired on Friday. I'm calling tomorrow to find out.

We'll see.

Emilio who?

2004-08-27T18:01:00.000-05:00

One of the not-so-happy side effects of all of this has been a weird burst of forgetfulness. You'd think that I'd actually be able to turn this off -- stop thinking about rings and concentrate on work! -- but no.

Case in point (or rather, multiple cases in point): The week after C. proposed, I missed almost every work appointment I’d made. Yesterday, I was a half-hour late picking up my dad at the airport because I completely forgot he was coming. Where was I? Gabbing wedding stuff with a co-worker over lunch.

Today, while interviewing a group of Army band members — or bandsmen, as they’re called — I asked, before I could help myself, “Do you do weddings?” LAME. The commander kind of snorted. I’m sure they’re still talking about that one.

I have also repeatedly referred to Emilio Estefan as Emilio Estevez in the past few days.

All of this could nothing to do with engagement, of course. Maybe I'm just getting senile in my old age.

Asking for the blessing

2004-08-25T21:19:00.000-05:00

Dad's coming into town this weekend -- tomorrow, actually -- so hopefully we can tour around on Saturday and narrow down the list of ceremony sites. Plus we're going to drink LOTS of margaritas. Yay, top shelf!

Dad loves Phant, by the way. In a move oh-so-old-fashioned yet majorly appreciated by me, Phant called my dad the week before he proposed to ask for his blessing. Dad (probably in shock, even though he knew it was coming) said something like "Yes! Great! Great! Yes!" My dad, by the way, is the same man who called me after Armaggeddon came out and said, "Lesley! You have to see this! It's about a father's love for his daughter."

In other marriage news, talked to a high school friend last night who's been married about two years. She's absolutely loving it. Lots of adjustments -- like how he annoyingly checks his email every time he wakes up in the morning! -- but she got over most of them, and the ones she didn't, they talked out. Plus, she said, they always go to bed at the same time. I'm still pondering how much of an effect that could have....

Countdown to seeing my fiance: T-minus 14 days. Not counting tomorrow, because we're practically there already, or the day he arrives.

No ranch wedding afterall

2004-08-24T08:59:00.000-05:00

It was too expensive.

In search of a ring

2004-08-24T08:39:00.000-05:00

I don't think I told you, but I don't have an engagement ring yet. The b/f and I decided we would go shopping for it together when the time came. But who knew that when he'd actually propose, we'd live in different cities? It's kind of put a kink in the shopping process. I'm really in no rush, though.

We stayed up late last night discussing the merits of this setting, with an emerald cut diamond. They also have a matching band . And then there's my other fave -- it's the Oro Diamante design on the top far right. But that's probably out of our range.

Stressed already?

2004-08-24T08:30:00.000-05:00

It's morning, I'm drinking my coffee, and I actually feel nice and relaxed -- something that's kind of disappeared in the past few days. This engaged stuff IS all it's cracked up to be, but I think I let myself get sucked into the whole wedding planning thing only one week (y pico) after I got engaged. Part of me couldn't help it.... I wanted to stay up every night for hours, googling "San Antonio weddings"! Pero no se puede hacer eso without some consequences, ya feel me?

So, my attitude for the whole planning process is going to be stress-free. We'll find something. Maybe this place.

A wedding planner, or not a wedding planner?

2004-08-22T16:15:00.000-05:00

I'm going with yes. Or rather, my mom is, since she's the one paying. Anyway, just spoke with the planner, LB, for the first time. She has some fantastic ideas! Most importantly, she told me to go with what's in my gut... which for me means not a religious ceremony, but an outdoor wedding with lotsa nature and some traditions we invent ourselves. Then a kick-back casual reception with a barbecue pit and lots of pie.

I'm going to call this place tomorrow.

Doesn't it look absolutely perfect? Pray that it doesn't cost major money.

How we met

2004-08-22T12:22:00.000-05:00

Shortly after I'd moved into a new city and didn't know a lot of people, I met this guy. He worked a few desks over from me. He was really smart, always writing really cool stuff, and he was very polite.

We'd chat every now and then, but he wasn't really my type. I was looking for a smart, bad-boy Latino type. He was a white Southern dude who wore Wranglers to work on casual Fridays -- with a tapered leg! Plus, the sleeves on his dress shirts were always too long.

Then one day, we both were working late and he suggested we go out for a beer. Four months later -- after several trips to the bar, trips to the flea market, to the movies, and staying up late at his house, talking -- I realized we were best friends. So what if he wore Wranglers? The tapered leg could be fixed! The long sleeves were actually quite endearing, too. And he was funny, witty, open-minded, and had fabulous taste in music....

We fell in love. And last Friday, he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I cried and said yes.

I told him yesterday: This is the happiest I've ever been. EVER.

Now for the fun part. Planning!