5 days.

I was pretty sure that, at this point, we'd be ready. All the details taken care of. Done and Done.

And we are. Almost.

But there are still a million things running through my head at any given moment. And I still have a hard time falling asleep at night because I'm constantly checking items off my to-do list and adding new ones.

Mostly we're just excited. And more than ready to be married. We can finally stop splitting our time between LA and OC, and we can start doing all the things we've talked about and dreamed about for years. It's a nice feeling.

We're also really looking forward to spending some time here....

Aaahh, Cancun.

Easy to get to, warm tropical waters, really good food, and everything is cheap. Our kind of place. And my mom graciously offered us the use of her timeshare, so our gorgeous condo is free.

We considered going somewhere a bit more exotic, or adventurous, or whatever. But we have the rest of our lives for that. And when all this planning is over, and we've just finished hosting a party for 100 people, we're really going to need a week of pure bliss. And lots and lots of sleep.

It's hard to believe it's so close! I can't wait to share all of our wedding details with you. We've kept a lot of things secret and I'm just itching to do the big reveal.

Where are you going (or where did you go) on your Honeymoon? Did you plan out an itinerary or just wing it?

good question.

via I Can Read.

true.

I Can Read, via LittleMiss.

100th Birthday Parties

If I make it to 100, I'm going to celebrate in style like these people did...





Read about all 15 of these fabulous 100th birthdays here... it will make you smile!

buzzfeed.com via A Cup of Jo

4 Months??

yikes.


there is still a LOT to do.

10 things that make me happy

1.) Miss TTO (A $10,000 Wedding) finally showed her lovely little face. Their wedding was exquisite. Max's pictures? Perfection, as always.


2.) The abundance of succulents at Vanessa and Doug's wedding, via Snippet & Ink.



I'm thinking we need to put succulents on at least one of the cakes. Maybe a pair of succulents instead of a cake topper? hm. I like.


3.) This ring shot by one of my ultimate photog crushes, The Image is Found



4.) Blue and Orange

sfgirlbybay, via Lake Jane

In Denver we picked up a yard of fabric pretty similar to the one used for the blanket in that first picture. Boss Vintage is a great place for unique vintage finds if you're ever in the Cherry Creek area... they had a few storage bins full of small bundles of fabric. We'll probably end up using it to make a couple throw pillows for the couch.... that is, once we get a couch :) We're loving these colors set against lots of natural woods and textured, menswear-inspired grays. Obviously I'm getting way too excited about post-wedding nesting.


5.) All the details of Marisa and John's surprise wedding via 100 Layer Cake.


6.) This engagement session at a greenhouse/nursery type place in San Francisco:

Tinywater Photography, via Green Wedding Shoes. See more here and here.

7.) Once Wed's fabulous makeover (and I didn't think it was possible to be more in love with that site...)


8.) Woolly Pockets! These nifty little things helped Miguel and Sherry created the succulent walls/ vertical gardens at Marvimon and Smog Shoppe, and now Miguel is selling them. We're totally using these to spruce up the balcony at our new place.

9.) This inspiration board from Green Wedding Shoes, which is making me ridiculously excited for our E-session at the OC Fair next month!

10.) Good Food and Good Movies. I went to the movies twice in three days (that never happens!) We saw Up on Saturday and The Hangover last night. Seriously, if you don't get a little teary-eyed in the first 15 minutes of Up, then your heart is made of stone. And The Hangover, while quite... uh, raunchy... is full of great laughs. Just make sure your groomsmen don't get too "inspired." As for good food, I'm still stuffed from the fried chicken and biscuits we ate at Honey's Kettle last night. Sweet Baby Jesus it was delicious. But definitely a once-every-6-months kind of thing. Way too fattening. No more till after the wedding.


I would love to hear about 10 things that are making you happy! Share them on your blog!!

I can see!

Y'all have no idea how much I've missed you. This computer hiatus has been torture. But I'm so glad to be back! And I'm writing this post without any help from contacts or glasses, which is AMAZING.

Thank you so much for all your sweet comments and emails. My Lasik procedure went perfectly and it was honestly such an easy (and totally painless!) process. I'm so glad I did it.



Glasses + zero makeup = not a pretty combination. I called Curt right before I walked in for surgery because the nerves really started to hit. I didn't realize it was going to be such a cakewalk! The procedure itself only takes about 8 minutes and the results are almost instantaneous. I sat up from the operating chair and I could see my mom waving at me through the window! So cool.

Me, my mom, and Heather last night at her "bachelorette party," which consisted of wine and dessert at Beatrice and Woodsley, that place downtown that I also posted about here. It was just how Heather wanted it... nice, low-key girl time.


As far as Heather's wedding is concerned, everything is coming along just fine. It's definitely been chaotic around here, mostly due to the logistics of getting 60 people up to a remote location in the mountains. But I'm sure everything will turn out beautifully. I can't wait to post some pictures so y'all can see what we've been working on! Meanwhile, you can check out their wedding website here.

Also, it just so happens that this is my 100th post! I know it's not a very exciting one so I promise I'll make up for it soon :)

For now, I should probably stop staring at this bright screen. I will leave you with this:

david + grace's same day edit // cape may NJ from StillMotion on Vimeo.

Just beautiful. And I'm pretty sure that while she's getting ready, the bride is wearing the same shirt I'm wearing in the picture above. haha :)

Thanks almost-husband!

So my surgery is tomorrow at 4:00 Colorado time. Pre-op went really well today and the surgeon thinks I will recover very quickly!

Posting will probably be really light (or nonexistent) for the next few days... I'm not really supposed to use the computer until Monday. But I promise there will be lots of updates as soon as I'm able to post something!

Thank you so much for all your sweet comments and encouragement. I'm feeling really optimistic and I'm sure everything will go perfectly. Y'all are the best :)

I'm headed to Denver for my sister's wedding! Hopefully I'll manage to get in a few posts... I'm also getting Lasik while I'm there, which I'm incredibly nervous/excited about. I've been wearing glasses or contacts since 3rd grade, and my eyes are so bad that I can't see more than 6 inches from my face. I'm legally blind. It's kind of crazy.

Please send your prayers/happy thoughts/good vibes in my general direction tomorrow (Thursday) around 2:00 Mountain Standard Time.

Have any of you had a Lasik procedure? I would love to be reassured by your success stories :)

Happy Birthday to Me...

So, it's my last birthday as a single woman. (Yay!) Here's my plan for today:

Work. But we're having a really great trunk show for Modern Trousseau so the day should go pretty fast.

See Iron and Wine at the Troubadour with Kathryn.

Come home and eat the rest of my birthday cheesecake, if there's any left :)


Enjoy your weekend!


*image from here

choked up.

from reading this.

Almost-Husband picks out my clothes.

A few days ago we were browsing the racks in one of my favorite stores. Almost-husband handed me this ruffly chiffon blouse and said, "Gingham is supposed to be really big for spring."


I didn't stare at him wide-eyed. My jaw did not drop.


Because this is actually a totally normal scenario.


See, he's got a really good track record when it comes to selecting things for my wardrobe. He's just got this uncanny knack for it. And he understands fashion and he knows what looks good on me. Is that weird? Maybe. I kind of don't care though.


He lovingly reassured me that if there is some freak accident during my Lasik surgery next month that results in blindness, he'll dress me and make sure I look cute every day (which got me thinking, would he learn how to do my hair and makeup too? that's a really funny thought).


Oh, by the way. That gingham chiffon blouse? It's in my closet right now. And I luuurve it.

What you don't need

You must go read what Meg's latest words of wisdom. And maybe all 50 (and counting) of the comments.

Hooray, sanity!

I mean, yeah, I consider myself a pretty practical bride. We're being smart and sensible about our budget, and making this wedding a really accurate reflection of who we are. Which is great.

BUT.

The WIC is a tricky little biatch. And I still have moments of anxiety and confusion because of it... I start stressing about what I do and don't need and end up just feeling paralyzed... the "wedding blackouts" that Meg refers to.

I feel pressured to keep up with all those silly little checklists. You know, the ones that just assume you're going to hire a calligrapher, and go to cake tastings, and sit for your bridal portraits. Not that any of those things are bad... it's just, I don't need them.

So. In an effort to keep myself as sane as possible, here is my list of things to which I will "just say no."

letterpress, chiavari chairs, custom-colored linens, favors (see here), amazing fondant-covered cakes, hair and makeup trials (other than the ones I do myself), a seating chart and escort cards, a pre-wedding massage (especially since the almost-husband is so good at giving them, for free), a champagne toast....


There. I'm sure the list could go on. But I already feel a lot better. Very liberated. Aaaaah.


Do you have a list? Spill it, sista!




*I know all my readers are smart, sensible people who won't take this too personally, but, uhh, just don't. Because this is my list. And yours will definitely be different. And if you can have letterpress and champagne, then by all means go for it! But don't go for it just because you feel like that's what you have to do or because it's what's expected. Just had to throw in that little disclaimer. Ya know, just in case.

Happy Birthday

Dear almost-husband,


Your birthday will officially be over in about 20 minutes. Obvs I'm a little late on this. But at least I'm not out of the country or something ridiculous like that, like I usually am on your birthday (true story, folks... in all the years we've been dating I've celebrated Curt's birthday with him... maybe twice?) And once again I was unable to be with you on your actual birthday.... sorry 'bout that. Traffic school just sounded WAY more interesting. I promise I will bake you a yummy cake.

I love you.


Jessica


P.S. how come I have NO recent pictures of us?? what's with that. just wondering.

P.P.S. you are really tan and sexy in this picture.

Exactly seven months from today...

I will be a Mrs.



YAY :)


*photo by Sarah K. Chen

Him: Can you taste it?


Me: What


Him: Marriage.

I got all giddy and giggly.


photo by Matthew Morgan, via Blush

Counting My Blessings

1. My mommy got a new job! Her first interview in over 20 years and she nailed it! Go hot mama!

2. I got a new job! Details to come...

3. Going to Denver tomorrow to visit my mom and sister (and her new fiance!) for the holidays... and it looks like a White Christmas is in store :)

4. Six people were laid off at Curt's work, and Curt was not one of them. Of course my sympathies and condolences go out to those who unexpectedly lost their jobs... at the same time, I'm so grateful that Curt does not have to deal with the pain of finding something in this economy (because, I just dealt with it. It ain't pretty.)

5. I'm officially a college graduate! The diploma will take a good 5 or 6 months to show up, but that's fine with me. As long as no one makes me write anymore 15-page research papers.

6. Christmas trees. LOVE them.

7. We met with our mentor couple last weekend and they are awesome and so much cooler than we expected.

8. I'm healthy.

9. I'm happy.

10. I'm marrying the man who was made for me. In less than 10 months. ohmygod.


Stay tuned for pretty pictures from my adventures in Denver!