home

I've been feeling really displaced lately, like I don't have a home.

Big Brown is my house, Ray and I own it. However, I wont be living there until after the wedding. My current living situation is fine (love my roommates), but it doesn't feel like a place where I belong. It feels like a roommate, boy-crazy, sad-girl-movie-watching phase that I've already passed through. You know? I have stuff at big brown, my current house, my car, my parent's house, etc. I just want to be settled.

I know this feeling will go away after we're married and I actually live in Big Brown. Right now, it's just another thing that's stressing me out.

Sorry about this sad girl blog.

Wedding Inspiration

As I said in the last post, I'm a little behind on all the planning. However, I have been able to find an abundant amount of inspiration online. Here are some of my favorites.

1. Hi-FiWeddings - For the indie, trendy, music loving bride.

2. Green Wedding Shoes - This is mostly just a blog of real weddings.

3. OnceWed - Perfection.

4. BHLDN - Thank you, Anthropologie.

5. East Side Bride - Sassy bridal advice.

And you're welcome.

allirayweddingextravaganza2011

I don't think it's really a secret, but I'm kind of behind on all the wedding planning stuff. With the holidays, new job and new house I haven't had much time to get things together. Also, right now I just want to get married and I'm starting to not care about the little details. Like at all.

Some planning that IS completed:

1. Bridesmaid dresses. I'm obsessed with them. My maids will be wearing handmade 50's style tea dresses in different vintage floral fabrics. They are going to be so cute!

2. My dress. It's still being made, but I think it's going to be pretty good. Cute, casual and flirty. Perfect.

3. Our location. The location issue was seriously stressing me out. We had a beautiful outdoor location picked, but because of extenuating circumstances, Ray and I were both feeling uncomfortable about it. A few weeks ago our pastor told us about a church we might like. Neither of us were too excited about the church option, but when we went to look at it we realized it was perfect. It's old with tall windows and wooden pews and floors. We love it. Also, now we don't have to worry about rain.

4. Rings. We have custom handmade wedding bands and they couldn't be better.

list

Lists are really important to me life. If I don't have a list nothing will ever get done. It needs to be something I can see and check off. Mental lists are a joke.

Some things I would like to do in the next year (or so):

1. Host the most incredible Wes Anderson party ever, including thematic food, music and entertainment.
2. Try to do my laundry on a weekly basis. Or at least bi-weekly. Or maybe just not have piles everywhere.
3. Find the perfect (or close to perfect) couch for our living room.
4. Decorate my cute house. "Decorate" is kind of a relative term. I have a friend with a completely "decorated" home, but really it looks more like a house filled with show rooms. No personality at all. I want to find/make things we love to fill our house... personality and color included.
5. Stop losing everything I own.

Jenna/Ginger

This morning I got to chat with Jenna aka Ginger, and even though it was only for a few minutes it blessed my heart so much.

I have a lot of really great friends that bless my heart everyday, but Jenna is special. We get each other on a different level. We love and appreciate so many of the same things. We also abhor many of the same things (ie. paper party). We can go for months and months without seeing each other, but still be bff4e (you liked that abbreviation, didn't you).

Good things about Jenna:
1. She doesn't eat meat, but wont hate if you do.
2. She's crafty like a fox.
3. She will comfort you after riding the Tower of Terror.
4. She can make a horizontal head band look cute.

Jenna has been in Brazil since December, but will be returning in March. Woo hoo! She will also be making an appearance in the AlliRayWeddingExtravaganza2011 as one of my bridesmaids!! I'm the most excited about this.

Please take a few minutes to say a prayer for Jenna and her ministry for the remainder of her stay in Brazil. Also, go read her blog. You will love her.

Hey, I need your help!

This isn't my dress, but isn't it cute?


Lately, Ray and I have been working on our house so much that I have kind of forgot that I have to plan a wedding. Like stat. The location we had picked out kind of fell through, but I think we may have found an even more perfect place for the ceremony. My maids all have their dresses (which are beautiful) and mine is currently being made. We've talked with one of our photographer friends and will be hammering out those details this coming weekend.

A few things I need help with:

1. What do I do about my hair? I hate weird wedding curly-q up dos. I don't want a long mosquito net veil. I don't think I would hate a cute short one... but birdcage veils are kind of weird too sometimes. Maybe a cute bow or flower? Maybe a cute vintage short veil that isn't a birdcage? I don't even know. I have a girl coming over the day of the wedding to do it... I just need some sort of ideas I guess.

2. Jewels? I love jewelry... but I'm having a hard time picking anything out because I'm still not sure what is going on with my head/hair. If I have a lot happening with hair earrings might be too much. You know what I mean? Maybe I should just go with a good necklace. Ideas?

3. Rain. We're planning on having our reception in the back yard of our house. We love the idea of it being outside... but what do we do if it rains? We don't want to get a tent. Maybe we just bank on half of our guest leaving and the rest of them can come inside? Idk. Just hope it doesn't rain? Leave for the honeymoon early?

Help!