Wedding Plans Update

For those of you who are curious about the behind-the-scenes goings-on in planning a Mexican destination wedding, here are the latest updates:

I bought a dress - haven't picked it up yet, but it's paid in full. It's a light, taffeta (any Young Frankenstein fans out there???) dress that needs a few modifications to be perfect, but the price was right - $200!!! Can't argue with that.

My shoes are ordered and will be arriving (at David's Bridal, ick, the ONLY thing I will buy there, and only 'cause they were dyeable) at the end of December. The alterations appointment is scheduled for the first week of January.


Clint picked his ring - a very cool, textured palladium band. It's being held at Thomas Joseph & Sons where I know it'll be safe 'til the week before the wedding. I'm getting a "band," too, but not to wear along with my 'real' ring. The new one will merely be a placeholder for when I'm horseback riding, swimming in the ocean, or doing any other type of activity which scares me while wearing this rock.


For Clint's attire we're thinking silk pants with a short-sleeved, silk shirt. Originally we wanted a Tommy Bahama shirt, but they don't make white silk, only natural. So, we're re-thinking. I want silk because it's so swingy but still durable. Linen's just too wrinkly.

I'm also going through the process of choosing a hairstyle...I already had a "trial" done, but the styles I'd chosen just didn't look right with the texture and AMOUNT of hair I have. So, I'm thinking something along the lines of a low, messy chignon or some type of bun...thing.

Since we're starting over, I have another "trial" appointment with my hairdresser in January. Why have a trial run with a hair stylist HERE, you might ask...well, because she's going, too! Crazy, and random...but most of all, lucky!

Other than hashing out ceremony details (via email) with the person in charge at Le Kliff, I think that's about it for now. Oh, and here's the image I shot from the boat to Yelapa this past spring when Clint and I saw it for the first time...okay, I probably saw it sometime in passing since I was 11, but this is the first time I NOTICED it :)

Halloween '08

I sort of can't believe I blogged about my dog (and her new toy) before I made mention of my nieces and their '08 Halloween endeavors.

While it's Sophia's 3rd Halloween - so of course she has the drill down pat - it's merely Charlotte's first...so it was considered a success that she stayed awake for most of it.

Sophia got to be a mermaid this year - albeit a "cold weather mermaid". See, 3-year-olds are so smart and they have brains like sponges, remembering EVERYTHING. When my sister got home with the mermaid costume one night and presented it to her daughter, Sophia's first reaction - after approximately 4 seconds of looking at it - was, "Mom. Mermaids don't have sleeves!"

She has a point...my sister had to think on her feet and replied, "Well, Sophia, you're going to be a Northern Mermaid - because it's cold, you have sleeves. Mermaids who live in warm weather, like Ariel, don't have sleeves."

"OK" was the reply. Whew. Crisis averted.

Charlotte, on the other hand, was quite content to hang out in the baby carrier and watch the festivities with eyes bigger than the new moon.
She made it 'til about 7:30 before becoming a wilted baby flower and nodding off.

Oh, and Clint even dressed up...he was Creepy White Collar Guy lurking in the shadows. Goober.

However, I do have to admit the coolest part of the evening was heading over to my sister's neighbors' house, where they'd decorated the ENTIRE yard with ~36 blow-up statues. Not sure of the technical term, but it was a veritable Halloween Paradise!

They received about 180 trick-or-treaters that night...evidently the word is out on the street that Robbinsdale has a pretty cool place to go!

It got even better after dark...

Unfortunately, my camera's not too good at taking the low-light pictures...so I didn't get any of kids actually going through the tunnels.

But, I DID happen to catch the ghost of a creepy guy in business casual attire...

Zada's New (Old) Toy

The last time I was with Dani, she had a neat toy for Tucker, and I asked her where she got it. She told me the dollar bin at Target - of course, not everything is $1, but close enough. Although I can't remember for the life of me what that toy was, I made sure to browse that section while in Target today, and instead stumbled upon an old family favorite: The Mop.

It's not a 'mop', but we always called it that name with my family's previous shepherd, Ivan. Not sure why. Speaking of that mop, we still have it. Yup, Ivan stumbled into my life right before I turned 15; we put him down right before I turned 24. Aaaand we still have one of his favorite toys.

I guess that's not as bad as my mother still having the dog bed from FOUR dogs ago. Yes, 4. That dog - Gitta - we got when I was 5. Same dog bed they have today. Did I mention Mom had Gitta's name stitched on it??? It's survived Gitta, Ivan, Maggie, and now Tesa. Heaven forbid Mom gets a bed that a) has the current dog's name on it or b) gets a non-specific bed.

Anyway...so as soon as I got Zada, I purchased a knotted rope to have as her very own 'mop'. Thing was, she had such a sensitive stomach I was afraid of what would happen when she started to - inevitably - pull off and eat the loose ends.

Turns out this was the Godsend I'd been waiting for, as soon after she started having solid...doo doo. So, I let her keep eating it. Plus, there was the added bonus of her flossing every time she tried to rip off the strings. She puts a paw on either side, and with the strings in her mouth, starts at the bottom, where they're attached, and RRRRIIIIIIIPPPS upwards 'til she gets a mouthful to disconnect. It's rather comical when she tries and tries but can't get the pieces out of her teeth.

Unfortunately, that didn't happen tonight, when I gave her the one I brought home. She hasn't had one in a long time - not sure why - so it was a picture-worthy event to see her reunited with an old friend.



She didn't make it very long before she petered out...not sure if it's because it's Sunday (meaning she's more laid-back because she's been out all day) or just the excitement of a new toy. Either way, I have a feeling she'll be pooing solidly for the next few days while she rips away all the loose strings.

And, just to clarify: I'm NOT in the habit of buying her GIRLY toys...it just so happens that a) the rope toy only came in pink or Christmas colors, and b) the purple bone also featured in the photos only came in purple. Don't judge me.

PS: Yup, I did it. I just blogged about my dog's new toy.