Dates

Yesterday, May 6, Vince and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary. It was slightly surreal. It feels like so long ago that we were at the church, at the reception, that it was 1 AM and I didn't want to take off my dress because then it would mean the day was really over.

I made us pancakes for breakfast...we took Jules to the bark park in Wilmington, ran some errands which included stopping by my parents place, wishing them a happy 33rd wedding anniversary, and then had dinner at the Towne House. It was fantastic to go back and be in the same place we were a year ago.

It's my mission this week to do a few wedding related things...my dress is still hanging here in my closet. Of course I need to try it on again. But I also need to get it preserved. My box of proofs needs to be sorted and placed in the cute albums I found on the bargain rack at Borders. My wedding scrapbook I started last fall needs to be completed, but I'd settle for a few more pages and now that Martha Stewart has graced Michael's, there's no excuse! Oh and we need to nibble on the top of our cake. Yes, we hauled it from the depths of the freezer, opened it and to our surprise, the entire top of it there staring at us, icing and flowers and all.

Meanwhile, Vince is enjoying his sandlewood shaving stuff and I am enjoying my 4 dozen roses.

2 years in a house, 1 year married, and a 6 mo. old doggie. Yay for us.

Snapshots

Sans a camera on our wedding day, I relied wholeheartedly on my memory to capture the moments. Ian captured everything else!

Sleeping horribly the night before at Betty and Ed's.
A surprise guest 6 days before it was due to arrive - Ibuprofen being my good friend.
Bethann and I dragging ourselves to the hair salon and neither feeling fully awake until hair and makeup were finished and we looked fabulous.
Oh wait, I take that back - Bethann hated her makeup and I was talking her off the ledge at 9:30 that morning.
Jocelyn and Kristen arriving at the house, getting dressed, and then helping me into my gown, everyone laughing seeing boobies.
On the porch, dressed finally, Ia snapping away, attempting to pin on dad's boutinier.
WHERE WAS THAT STINKIN LIMO?! (I cannot wait to see the photo of Jocelyn "That bastard!")...
Me trying to get into that limo when it finally arrived at 2 minutes before 11.
Last minute guests arriving at the church…I wait anxiously in the limo.
Looking up, seeing Jill on the steps waiting for her cue.
That crazy aisle runner!
How surreal it was walking down the aisle with dad then seeing the entire church packed full of people.
My leg shaking on the altar – is this ceremony almost over?!
Looking around to stay calm - Look at all these people! This church is PACKED! Jill is in the balcony and sounds amazing with the organ and the trumpet...
Walking hand in hand with Vince to the back, people clapping...
Grandparent photos outside the church.
How glorious it was at the park - wasn't it supposed to rain today?! I cannot believe it's 70 plus degrees and sunny.
The random dude peeing in the park.
The ice cream truck.
Getting to the TH and all of us devouring the appetizers!
Our parents being introduced to the Cure.
The bridal party being introduced to Fleetwood Mac's Don't Stop - everyone standing and clapping and all of us dancing.
Going right into our first dance and everything around us feeling like a blur.
Me and dad dancing to Paul Simon's Father & Daughter and both of us being all teary eyed.
All of us crying while Vince danced with Aunt Eileen.
Trying to compose ourselves as our food was served and taking it all in from our head table view. Scott spun all my singer songwriter tunes - I distinctly remember David Gray, Dave Matthews, U2, Crowded House and the Finn Brothers, Lindsey Buckingham, Richard Ashcroft (I dragged Vince onto the dance floor for C'mon People)...
Eating every last bit of my food!
Picking up the digital camera and taking a few photos with it.
Liz coming over and offering uplifting words to us.
Becca knocking over the candelabra (thankfully after it was blown out).
Some of the first songs being We Are Family and Shout (A little bit louder now).
Dad busting out the Turtle.
Being dragged into a big ol family photo just as Kool & The Gang came on (hello? I want to dance!?)...
THE NEUTRON DANCE!
Dancing with Susie to Katrina and the Waves
I cannot believe Uncle Joe caught that garter?! Where was my back up Morrissey song then?
Devon helping me to the bathroom.
Wandering into the Den and Brian, Johnny, and Mitchie getting everyone a round of camacazie shots.
Standing by the doorway and just watching everyone for 5 minutes.
Last snapshots outside on the deck.

The Holiday Party

I prepare for a small gathering. Months went by and with wedding plans, ill members of the family, house projects, the time was never quite right. I finally decided to just do it. For two weeks I've been spanking my house into shape, painting window moulding, touching up areas, washing curtains, you name it. The more I do, the more I find to do. The more things seem like they will never look put together. I suppose it's always a work in progress.

I discovered a great place in Old City - Fosters Urban Homeware, right on 3rd St. Many moons ago I was in there and while some things are quite mod and plastic, some things, like the fabulous Wallbands, have resurrected the whole wallpaper/border idea. I cannot wait to paint the living room and go to town with these wallbands - vertical and horizontal. How fun.

Speaking of furnishing places, I've come to the conclusion that bridal registries are no fun. We all think they are - Yay, pick out all the great stuff I want and everyone buys it for me! No. First off, as cool as that bar code toy looks, it's excitement wears off very quickly when you wonder around Macy's and scan 10 things and realize you must scan about 150 more things and the departments don't have what you want anyway. So then you resort to online shopping which is much easier, but alas, the online stores don't carry absolutely everything either. In fact, I feel like the online stores, while convenient (I have added to my list at 11pm), have the tiniest selection. And who wants to choose between Ralph Lauren sheets and Donna Karan? Not me. Or why do they only carry 3 desk frames? That are all brushed stainless steel? By Kate Spade for $100 for a 5x7?

Just give me nice Egyptian cotton sheets and a quality black wood frame, please. And no designers.

Finally, you realize that as much as you love that copper bottom 10 piece cookware, it's $700. And even the 7 piece stainless set is $400. No one in this family has that kind of money to drop on a shower gift for me. And then come back to a wedding and bring another gift. So in reality, a bridal registry is nothing more than managing the needs and price points of department stores and people. Something like registering becomes a business.

In spite of all the managing I've been doing lately, I found time about 6 weeks ago to fix up the yard. Rather, my friend Jocelyn was in town for our friend's wedding and she and Vince got all dirty in the soil, pulled weeds and mulched. I went to Home Depot and purchased the 15 bags of mulch. Here are some photos of our yard with the fabulous mums that have since died with our first frost and first snow.