Dress Fittings.
*double huff* When I went inside to go work half a day, it was merely speckling. Four hours later there was 2 inches of snow on my car. Just this morning I saw someone's scraper brush in their car and thought to myself "I should really dig ours out of the hallway closet this weekend...before it snows." I guess my follow-through is a little slower than neccessary. I'm sitting here in my hotel room, watching the white flakes fly across my ceiling-to-floor window.....semi trucks are whizzing by on the interstate as a snowplow scrapes a path down the off ramp. *sigh* Hopefully it will begin clearing up by tomorrow afternoon when I head for home, otherwise I may as well just stay here and work some more. I would like to get home though.
studiodoctor and I are planning on going to a new members' meeting at church tomorrow night. We're considering a methodist church, even though we were both raised lutheran. There isn't much difference in their theology......and it's what's in your heart that matters, not where you worship. What's important to us in a place of worship is really what we feel when we're there: the pastor / minister--do we click with him? the music--does it jive? the people--do we feel welcome? what ministries are they involved with? child care? Sunday school? preschool? adult study groups? handbells? contemporary services? supporting the troops? outreach programs? mentoring programs? There are so many things to take into consideration. What do you look for in a church? I like a church that is welcoming, and quite liberal in its' beliefs while at the same time having a nice blend of traditional and conservative values. Is the best of both worlds too much to ask? *smile* I hope not.
Ah, now that the pictures are edited and uploaded....I will now post about the dress fittings. We're still waiting on the professional pictures and I'm trying to post about the wedding in a somewhat chronological order. Unfortunately all we have for pictures so far are the pictures from the disposable camera and what was on our digicam. :( Please send more pictures. :( I know there are more out there. I wish I were in MN so I could teach my mom how to upload to snapfish, help Donna get her pictures loaded up, etc. Anyways, on to beautiful women.
Kyle's aunt, Ruth did all of our alterations. I was at first very skeptical when Kyle, Mom R and Nicki all suggested that Ruth make my dress or do my alterations. I thought...."Oh a family member that sews on the side. I've never seen her work...." I was wary because you always here horror stories of a "family friend" or relative offering their hobbiest services and then, though doing their best, screw things up royally. So I was a little shy. But at Christmas I talked with her a little bit about it. By the time we went home again in June, I still didn't know who to go to...and I couldn't exactly shop around living so far away. So I crossed my fingers and gave Ruth a call. Mom R assured me that she did great work and made dresses all of the time. ...and besides she was in a very good location for all of my girls.
Ruth pinning the hem on zannahope's dress.
Ruth was very flexible with our late timing.......and I do mean literally and chronically late timing. We kept getting lost and making detours on our way to her place. I think we've found about 5 different ways to get there now. By our final fitting, we knew that it was a straight shot from my parents' house, but then they had that road closed. Boooo....construction season. Yeay...Red Stripe!
Zanna & Donna trying on their dresses....and my mom in the background. That colorguard "attention" stance is still engraved in Zanna's physical memory. :D
Erin wasn't able to make it to the first dress fitting, since she was visiting her boyfriend, John in Sweden at the time. He had gone over there for an advertising internship and she went over to see him when he was done....and they traveled down to Spain for a week or so. I should be jealous, but I'm really happy for her that she got to go to Europe for the first time......especially happy that she got to tour Sweden & Spain with such a great guy. :D No problem, Mon though. Right?
Erin trying on her dress after my bridal shower. This was the first time she had seen her dress.
We decided to do our second fittings after the bridal shower that Ruth & Nicki hosted in my honor. We were all there and the flower girls brought their dresses as well. This was the first time that Tracy and Kayla had met each other. They both tried on their dresses and it was like they were looking in a mirror at each other. They looked so much a like that they could have been twins. We never even thought about how much alike they looked until that moment. :D
Kyle sneaking into the picture, behind Kayla & Tracy. Kyle showed up towards the end of my bridal shower. He had the car...so he had to get it back to me and catch up with his mom to get a ride to the airport. It was nice that he came and was able to see everyone from all sides of the family.
This is the dress that we ordered for the flower girls. I was really impressed with the company and highly recommend them. (Especially with their lightening fast shipping.) I had the petals taken out of the bottom of the skirt however, since they tended to bunch up in one spot....and I thought it was just "too much".
At this time I also tried on my dress for the....idontknowhowmany-th time. :D My mom wouldn't let me take pictures of my dress until the wedding, except for when I tried it on in the store. :( The final fitting was a week before the wedding (Friday before my B-party). We all showed up late and everyone forgot their shoes, but Ruth had time for us and I had brought my 3 pairs of wedding shoes--all in different heights. It was raining and I was REALLY tired......and finally got the feeling of "it's all beginning to roll".
Donna trying on her dress. Ruth had some great suggestions for the dresses that saved the girls a lot of money on not having to find a special bra.
After our final fittings we all went to lunch. Then Mom, Donna & I ran over to the Mall of America to do some shopping for the bachelorette party. Donna and I found club outfits and I found a top to wear for the groom's dinner. :D I don't think Donna and I had been shopping together at the MOA in more than 10 years! ...when we went to go buy each other graduation gifts: Girbaud jeans (sp?).
Anyways, the dresses turned out wonderful and Ruth gave the girls a great deal on alterations. The day before the wedding, when we were having lunch and getting our manicures / pedicures done, I sent Kyle to go pick them up for us all. I had forgotten to tell Ruth that he would pick them up instead of me, 'cuz things had just gotten so crazy-busy. *LOL* She was a little surprised. I had also forgotten to send the checkbook with Kyle so that he could pay for them. So I gave Nicki a check to deliver to Ruth the day of the wedding. When I called to find out how much it was, Nicki didn't know. So I had to call Ruth to find out.......and she told me to not worry about it, because it was part of her wedding gift to me. :D I need to send an extra thank you out to her. :D
studiodoctor and I are planning on going to a new members' meeting at church tomorrow night. We're considering a methodist church, even though we were both raised lutheran. There isn't much difference in their theology......and it's what's in your heart that matters, not where you worship. What's important to us in a place of worship is really what we feel when we're there: the pastor / minister--do we click with him? the music--does it jive? the people--do we feel welcome? what ministries are they involved with? child care? Sunday school? preschool? adult study groups? handbells? contemporary services? supporting the troops? outreach programs? mentoring programs? There are so many things to take into consideration. What do you look for in a church? I like a church that is welcoming, and quite liberal in its' beliefs while at the same time having a nice blend of traditional and conservative values. Is the best of both worlds too much to ask? *smile* I hope not.
Ah, now that the pictures are edited and uploaded....I will now post about the dress fittings. We're still waiting on the professional pictures and I'm trying to post about the wedding in a somewhat chronological order. Unfortunately all we have for pictures so far are the pictures from the disposable camera and what was on our digicam. :( Please send more pictures. :( I know there are more out there. I wish I were in MN so I could teach my mom how to upload to snapfish, help Donna get her pictures loaded up, etc. Anyways, on to beautiful women.
Kyle's aunt, Ruth did all of our alterations. I was at first very skeptical when Kyle, Mom R and Nicki all suggested that Ruth make my dress or do my alterations. I thought...."Oh a family member that sews on the side. I've never seen her work...." I was wary because you always here horror stories of a "family friend" or relative offering their hobbiest services and then, though doing their best, screw things up royally. So I was a little shy. But at Christmas I talked with her a little bit about it. By the time we went home again in June, I still didn't know who to go to...and I couldn't exactly shop around living so far away. So I crossed my fingers and gave Ruth a call. Mom R assured me that she did great work and made dresses all of the time. ...and besides she was in a very good location for all of my girls.
Ruth pinning the hem on zannahope's dress.
Ruth was very flexible with our late timing.......and I do mean literally and chronically late timing. We kept getting lost and making detours on our way to her place. I think we've found about 5 different ways to get there now. By our final fitting, we knew that it was a straight shot from my parents' house, but then they had that road closed. Boooo....construction season. Yeay...Red Stripe!
Zanna & Donna trying on their dresses....and my mom in the background. That colorguard "attention" stance is still engraved in Zanna's physical memory. :D
Erin wasn't able to make it to the first dress fitting, since she was visiting her boyfriend, John in Sweden at the time. He had gone over there for an advertising internship and she went over to see him when he was done....and they traveled down to Spain for a week or so. I should be jealous, but I'm really happy for her that she got to go to Europe for the first time......especially happy that she got to tour Sweden & Spain with such a great guy. :D No problem, Mon though. Right?
Erin trying on her dress after my bridal shower. This was the first time she had seen her dress.
We decided to do our second fittings after the bridal shower that Ruth & Nicki hosted in my honor. We were all there and the flower girls brought their dresses as well. This was the first time that Tracy and Kayla had met each other. They both tried on their dresses and it was like they were looking in a mirror at each other. They looked so much a like that they could have been twins. We never even thought about how much alike they looked until that moment. :D
Kyle sneaking into the picture, behind Kayla & Tracy. Kyle showed up towards the end of my bridal shower. He had the car...so he had to get it back to me and catch up with his mom to get a ride to the airport. It was nice that he came and was able to see everyone from all sides of the family.
This is the dress that we ordered for the flower girls. I was really impressed with the company and highly recommend them. (Especially with their lightening fast shipping.) I had the petals taken out of the bottom of the skirt however, since they tended to bunch up in one spot....and I thought it was just "too much".
At this time I also tried on my dress for the....idontknowhowmany-th time. :D My mom wouldn't let me take pictures of my dress until the wedding, except for when I tried it on in the store. :( The final fitting was a week before the wedding (Friday before my B-party). We all showed up late and everyone forgot their shoes, but Ruth had time for us and I had brought my 3 pairs of wedding shoes--all in different heights. It was raining and I was REALLY tired......and finally got the feeling of "it's all beginning to roll".
Donna trying on her dress. Ruth had some great suggestions for the dresses that saved the girls a lot of money on not having to find a special bra.
After our final fittings we all went to lunch. Then Mom, Donna & I ran over to the Mall of America to do some shopping for the bachelorette party. Donna and I found club outfits and I found a top to wear for the groom's dinner. :D I don't think Donna and I had been shopping together at the MOA in more than 10 years! ...when we went to go buy each other graduation gifts: Girbaud jeans (sp?).
Anyways, the dresses turned out wonderful and Ruth gave the girls a great deal on alterations. The day before the wedding, when we were having lunch and getting our manicures / pedicures done, I sent Kyle to go pick them up for us all. I had forgotten to tell Ruth that he would pick them up instead of me, 'cuz things had just gotten so crazy-busy. *LOL* She was a little surprised. I had also forgotten to send the checkbook with Kyle so that he could pay for them. So I gave Nicki a check to deliver to Ruth the day of the wedding. When I called to find out how much it was, Nicki didn't know. So I had to call Ruth to find out.......and she told me to not worry about it, because it was part of her wedding gift to me. :D I need to send an extra thank you out to her. :D