It's all coming together....

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

My parents came up to hang out tonight and brought (examples) of everything acquired thus far. I was so excited to get a peek at the table linens and I was very excited. They were perfect. The pictures below don't really show the true color, but these are an iridescent crushed taffeta fabric with a crinkle texture and multi-colored sheen. Depending on the way the light hits the linens, it looks sage with hints of black. Anyway, it's perfect and looked pretty spectacular with the black vases and copper and eggplant colored flowers. YAY!

They also brought up one of the ficus trees that they bought from Garden Ridge. It was exactly what I had wanted. Most of the fake ficus trees you see (like the ones at Michaels) are like one tall trunk with a large "ball" of foilage at the top. This one was two trunks with an even distribution of leaves and was 6'2. They bought four to start with, so we'll just kind of collect more as we go along (and they go on sale). Mom also picked up another component for the bridesmaids gifts and I'm excited to add this to the Przygocki wedding survival kit. Can't wait!

I was also able to show Mom the invites. She cried....which was the response I wanted. I'm excited that they got her approval and that it was another thing I could check off my list.

I was also able to show my mom more of the flowers to add to the Bridesmaid's bouquet. Yayyyyy!

So, now most of the major wedding stuff is now at my parent's house (our dining room was being overwhelmed) and we'll start working on the flowers after mom's surgery when she'll have plenty of downtime.

I've been able to knock out most of the large stuff as well as some of the small stuff and I feel like I'm pretty much on track with all my wedding to do lists.

Sunday = Football

Sunday, September 28, 2008

It's that time of the year again.....FOOTBALL SEASON!!!!

Between college and NFL, our weekends are pretty much planned out (unless other important things come up). I last about halfway through the season before I can't stand being home ALL day long and get something akin to cabin fever.

For now, I'm happy to immerse myself in football until my brain oozes out, which means we watch anywhere from 3 to 4 games on Sunday's. And....since the Boston Red Sox are in the baseball playoffs, I'm subjected to that in between multiple football games.....

Sigh.....the things we do for love.....

Let's get political, political.....

Friday, September 26, 2008

Ok, so I'm no Olivia Newton John, and I promise that I will not be using this particular blog as a forum/soapbox for my political beliefs, however, I would be remiss if I did not at least mention such a historical event.

So, Friday night was the first political debate of this election year with Barack Obama and John McCain. Al and I headed up to our friendss Debbie and Gautam's house to hang out and watch the debates. Thank God for the power of Tivo as it took us 3 hours to get through a 90 minute debate as we would pause and discuss amongst ourselves. What an awesome thing that there is so much buzz and passion around this historic election race. I'm just generally excited. I've always been an acitivist, so it's nice to have people on my train for a little while.

We had such an amazing time hanging out and really talking about both candidates and their respective views.

So with that being said....VOTE!

PLEASE!!!! Any of you who can, register and make sure that your voice is heard in this election.

Enough said....

Cake and Knife Set - Check!

Friday, September 26, 2008

I did it! After searching, researching, second guessing and just finally doing it, I ordered my cake and knife server set (in Gold) from Forever Wed Store. http://www.foreverwedstore.com
They didn't have a picture of the set in gold, so I just kind have to keep my fingers crossed that it will be ok.
I ordered the set with our names and wedding date engraved on the server. I can't wait to see it.

I also ordered a mini-jewelry box to house my precious at night. I have no idea what it looks like on the inside, so again, I'm kind of ordering sight-unseen and hoping for the best. The description does not say if it has a lining or not.
Forever Wed Store was a great online shopping experience. Turnaround time was very fast, and they shipped my engraved items within two days.
Can't wait to get them and see what they look like.

No cake for you.....back of the line

Monday, September 22, 2008

So, no Eileen Carter - otherwise knows as "The Cake Lady"- for me.

Eileen was first recommended to me by my bridesmaid Erin who had her cake at her wedding. She is also highly praised by the Atlanta Knot board as well, so I knew that I wanted to meet with her.

It was my own fault really...but we just couldn't get our schedules to mesh so that we could get to a tasting. Now, she's booked for another wedding at the same time. Oh well.....

I'm really bummed, but I'm still hoping for the best when it comes to the cake.

This is the next major decision we have to get through, so I'm hoping we can get this taken care of sooner rather than later.

Still on the hunt...

May I introduce...my women of honor

Sunday, September 21, 2008

So, today I planned to ask the final member of my Bridal Party to stand with me. I wanted to make sure that I had the first part of everyone's gift ready. So, I went to work to edit and print pictures and get things straight.

So, now that everything is finalized, I want to introduce you to.....my Women of Honor.

Lindsay, Laura, Erin and Lisa.

Here's the thing.....I hate the word Bridesmaid. It just seems so archaic and demeaning, so, that being said, each of these ladies are my women of honor, with the only distinction going to Lindsay as my Best Woman of Honor (I would label it Diva of Honor - but I don't want the negative part of that word associated with Lindsay's special title). In addition, all of these ladies are married, so I don't like bridesmaid and I especially detest anything with the word matron.....so, I'm giving them their own official title. I will do a follow-up post with more details of each of the special roles these women have played in my life, but for now, a brief introduction...in no particular order.

Lindsay S. - My Best Woman of Honor
Lindsay and I met my first day of college as she was my R.A. We clicked instantly and have been pretty inseparable (despite grad school) since. She's such a huge part of my life and I'm truly lucky to have her.

Laura C. - Woman of Honor
Laura and I met when I was 12 and she was 13. She has been such a fundamental part of my life and who I am. I'm so honored that she will stand up with me as I start the next Chapter in my life.

Lisa K. - Woman of Honor
Lisa and I met through Al. She and her husband Scott are part of the Georgia Tech crowd that Al used to hang with when he was in school. It's kind of a 6 degrees of separation thing. Lisa and I met and John and Kamber's wedding and instantly clicked. She represents my girly side and is the most recent of my friends to get married, so we bonded over wedding "stuff" as well.

Erin G. - Woman of Honor
Erin and I met at Agnes Scott and she is truly my peapod. We were both Anthropology/Sociology majors and shared the pain of a few insane classes together. She's been my sanity through the many ups and downs that we've both experienced with relationships and is just all around one of the greatest people I know.

So there you have it, the offical bridal party line up. Each woman of honor will get their own post, so you can meet them and hear how each of them have had a significant impact on my life.
Thanks ladies for being my heart and soul and being with me on one of the most important days of my life. I love you guys!

Football and wedding.....perfect day

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Today I accomplished two of my favorite things with the power of delegation.

We had a noon game today against Mississippi State (38-7 : GO JACKETS!) and had a really great time baking in the sun. I managed to give myself defined stripes on my forearms, but didn't get burned anywhere else...yay!

While simultaneously, I gave my mom multiple wedding errands. Can I just express how difficult it is to give up any and all control when it comes to anything wedding?

In her ever present hyper-wedding mode, my mom noticed that garden ridge was having a sale on ficus trees, so I asked her to pick up at least 4 for us to decorate the reception room.
While she was there, I also asked her to look into and decide on some components of the bridesmaid's gifts. SUCCESS!!!! I'm excited to have these things taken care of and off of my list.

In addition, I gave my mom the responsibility of scoping out and ultimately buying our table linens for the reception. Quite a while ago I responded to a Knot post about linens that were for sale. It seemed as if the timing was never quite right enough for me to actually go and see them in person. So, I decided that at this point, the best (and most cost efficient) option was to send my mom to check them out and unless they were completely the wrong color, to go ahead and purchase them. So, she did just that and from her description, I think they will be perfect.
I can't wait to see them and will subsequently post pictures.

YAY!!!! More checks off of my checklist!

Gold Chargers

Friday, September 19, 2008

I know you will think I'm crazy when I say that I actually care about gold chargers.

There's this curious transformation that occurs in Brides-to-be when they get immersed in the culture of the wedding industry.

Now, I'm not saying these are on my HAVE TO HAVE list, but I really think they add an awesome dimension to the tablescape.....that's right, I've even crossed over to using bridal jargon. That's the other phase of the transformation. You are introduced and then slowly succumb to a whole new vocabulary that is "bridal". Sheesh.....what have I become? I digress....

So, I found these particularly awesome square, gold hologram checked chargers at Michael's. I fell in love, I showed Al and he offered what he could of an opinion. For him, this falls into the I don't really care category. So as long as he even generally likes them, I'm going for it.

So I purchased the first 2 of our set of 6. These will be on our sweetheart table and we will use the remaining 4 for the regular home use set.

So maybe it wasn't enough to warrant a post, but it's the little things that excite me. :)

Bridesmaids Gifts

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Here I go again with that whole doing things backward "thing". I have not yet asked my girls to be my women of honor and be part of my bridal party. However, I'm pretty confident that each of the women that I have in mind will accept and stand beside me on my wedding day.

That being said, I've been steadily collecting things/components to be part of each girl's gift.

Each of these women have been/are a huge part of my life and I really want to spoil them with my version of the Przygocki wedding survival kit.

So, because *some* of them actually read this blog, I can't detail the gift(s) but all will be revealed in time.

Thank you guys SO much for being a part of my big day and I'm so excited to have you stand with me in front of all those people as I marry my best friend in the entire world.

Parent's Gifts

Thursday, September 18, 2008

How does one thank your parents on your wedding day?
I've been thinking about this....I mean, really, it's a milestone for both of us.

My mom has been my anchor, my angel, my inspiration, my savior.....my all around everything and my best friend. And now, she's putting her faith in me (and her stellar parenting skills) that I have chosen a partner for life that will shoulder the burden of most of those "roles" without technically replacing her.

So how do you thank someone for the last 27 years of your life. I mean, is my life a reflection of her? How do you begin to show appreciation for a parent. And in my case, a step parent who stepped in and played a hugely significant role in my life.

I know I couldn't possibly thank them enough, but I'm hoping that they will do me the honor of walking me down the aisle, dancing with me, and being as involved as possible in this wedding.
I'm so thankful, grateful, you name it for everything that they've done for me and I know I'm truly blessed to have them in my life.

Thank you Mommy for making me who I am. For instilling in me a sense of independence and self-worth along with a sense to seek out justice and make my own decisions. This is priceless.

Thank you Lyle for being there for me through those incredibly tough first years. I know I don't express my appreciation enough for you and everything you've done in my life. You've been a great support system for both me and mom and you truly love her, which is the greatest gift ever.

I can't wait for you guys to walk me down that aisle.

My Precious...

Thursday, September 18, 2008

So I finally got a chance to take in my ring to the Rubin Brothers for the appraisal that they should have done in the first place. We walked in the store and as usual were ignored by Mitch and Darren. The girl whom I spoke with was nice while we just kind of busied ourselves looking around the store. Darren took notes, then they cleaned my ring and we were out of the store. We probably spent a total of 10 minutes there and were barely spoken to.
UGH!!!!!
I REFUSE to go there ever again. I'm going to make sure that we get our wedding bands elsewhere in order to actually get service.
Once again, sucky service, good product.
So, we headed out and were told that we would get the appraisal that week.

True to form, we had received nothing by Wednesday. So I called and they promised they would get it to me that day. Still nothing, so today I called and requested that they either send it to me while I'm on the phone or fax it to me.
I received an e-mail 3 minutes later.....
So.....I got my ring appraisal back from Rubin Brothers....and I disagree with them. My parents had previously had the diamonds appraised and they were given a value double of what Rubin Brothers quoted us. So, now I have to go elsewhere for a second opinion.

Blah....
Again, DO NOT USE RUBIN BROTHERS!!!!! EVER!!!

I just want to get this insured.....I mean, seriously, it's the most valuable thing I (we) own.
Such a hassle!

Programs, Place cards and Thank you's...oh my...

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Hugely productive day in terms of wedding purchases.

I've been completely utilizing the 50% coupon at Michael's and COMPLETELY lucked out when the Michael's over on LaVista put their entire BRIDE line on sale for 50% off.

WHEW! I was freaking out that I wouldn't be able to make enough trips to the store to get everything.

And, I was able to get Lindsay's approval on all my lofty paper ideas after we met for dinner.
YAY!!!

Sooooo.....here we go:

Invites:I'm SO thrilled with my invites. They're so cute, perfect for our theme, completely the right color, they "look" expensive, and they come with their own little band so that we can add other cards (directions, accomodations, reception, etc.). YAY!

Programs:

I love these programs. Again they are printed on that ecru linen textured paper with the fern letterpress. They're cute, small and square. I'm excited because I hope to make these super informative for our guests (especially with the Catholic service).

Save the Dates:

These are rockin!!!! They are pocket invites with a die-cut design in the center. So basically you print your Save the Date on the ecru linen paper and it pulls out of the pocket. So cool. I'll probably attach a photo magnet of us that when you pull off will reveal all the info. including the wedding website.

Place Cards:

Yay for matching! So I'll have these done in calligraphy and they will actually be escort cards.

We'll have assigned tables, but guests can then sit at whatever place they choose. I thought that was a good way to not be TOO formal.

Thank you Cards:

Seriously, BRIDES thought of everything. Meet my matching thank you cards.

So pretty and definitely a cool way to carry the theme all the way through the wedding.

We'll do our thank you notes for gifts on these and probably send a Thank you photo collage card/post card after the wedding.

Seals:

Ok, so these were kinda unnecessary, but they were so darned cute. Again, carrying the theme all the way through, just a cute little detail to seal the invite.

I'm so excited to have found a really great medium in order to solve my paper dillema. And with all the sales, I ended up paying about $150 for EVERYTHING.

How's that for cutting corners on a tight budget?!?! WOOT!

Wedding Programs - Check

Monday, September 15, 2008

With the awesome sale and coupons available at Michael's we are picking up all the elements and paper products for the wedding. Today we purchased the programs which match the letterpressed fern invitations.

Although they are the kind that are self-printable, they still have that kind of elegant look and feel with the textured paper and color design.
I was also able to get a copy of a catholic mass program from a girl on weddingbee, so I'm pretty much ready to go. The programs will require some assembly, but not too much. That will definitely be a last minute project to complete due to all the finalization with the priest and musicians.

I was also able to pick up the first pack of our save the dates. I'm a little concerned about this because there were only 2 packages available and we need 5.....so, I may be making some trips to a different Michael's.

I'm excited about this option because basically, I don't have to stress over the programs (or invitations) anymore AND because the paper "stuff" will have the look and feeling of being way more expensive than it actually is.....petty much my motto for this wedding.
WOO!

Random side note: GO COWBOYS! (shout-out to T.O. and Romo)
GAME WAS AWESOME!!!!!!

What's the Good Word?

Sunday, September 15, 2008

So tonight I finally got Al to put together a Savastio e-mail list in order to spread the word that we're getting married next year. Because almost all of his father's side of the family lives out of state (mostly in New York), I wanted to make sure that they knew as quickly as possible in order to make travel arrangements to make it to the wedding. I'm kinda excited to see who will be joining us.
I met a majority of them last year at Thanksgiving and genuinely enjoyed each and every one of them. They even told me welcome to the family last year.
I'm keeping my fingers crossed that most of them can make it.

Meanwhile, the good news spread like wildfire on my side of the family. My mom's side is relatively small and again, all out of town. I know that my Uncle Woody and Aunt Jean will be coming for sure, but I'm pretty sure those cousins won't come down.
On my father's side, the only family left is my grandfather and then my cousins who all live in Virginia. Courtney may actually make it, but I'm not sure.

So, at this point, we're casting the net, letting people know, and gathering contact information in order to create a guest list. I have to say, this is not the part I'm looking forward to.
I think it's the most tedious and administrative part of wedding planning.

So.....here we go....fun times.

***Update***
Almost every person on the list has expressed an interest in attending the wedding and have asked for travel instructions.
WOW!!!! Totally wasn't expecting that. It'll be interesting to see how this all pans out.

The Ring Box - Part Une

Sunday, September 14, 2008

So, I'm on the hunt for the perfect ring box to basically house "my precious" at night because I can't sleep with my ring on for fear of hurting either myself or Al.
So basically I take it off at night when I go to sleep or when I get in the shower. Lately I've just been placing it on the night stand, but I feel like I should have a "safe" place to put it.


I had originally been obsessed with the orb from Scarlett Alley(http://scarlettalley.com/store/item/2js38/Boxes_Holders_-_jewelry/COPPER_PORCELAIN_ORB_Ring_Holder_-_To_Have_To_Hold.html) that is copper on the outside and pale lavender porcelain on the inside inscribed on both halves with "to have" and "to hold". But with a price tag of $34.95 plus s&h, I wanted to make sure that it was perfect.

However, after thinking it over, I decided that I wanted something that was either lined with a soft material to protect my ring or was specifically made to place a ring into.

Luckily, all the invitation catalogs I received also had wedding accessories, so I found about 5 different options for my ring box. I feel like I've learned waaaay too much about the most random of things and now I can add engraveable boxes to my knowledge base....woohoo

Invitations - Check!!!

Sunday, September 14, 2008

So on the way home from our cake tasting, I decided to kidnap Al and take him to Michael's since we were already in wedding mode.

The trip was a 100% complete success. Al totally dug the fern invites and because of the massive sale Michael's is having right now, we can get everything to match, invites, save the dates, programs and thank you cards for under $150 dollars. INSANE deal! We will have to make our own accommodations, directions and events cards, but that shouldn't be too difficult.
Yay!

I have to say, I'm totally digging this invite with it's rounded corners, fern design letterpressed onto beautiful ivory linen textured paper and an elastic belly band that is already provided. It also comes with a green envelope with a white fern design as the outer envelope. Sweet! An RSVP card and envelope are also included in this set, but I have no idea what they look like, since we didn't get a chance to open up the box.

I'm SO freakin excited. I'm going to start buying all the components tomorrow. Make a few trips to the store each day in order to get the 50% off (yeah, I'm totally milking the system).

I'm also considering the 6 foot ficus trees as they are currently also on sale for $15, which is the cheapest you can find anywhere.

Fun Times!!!! Whoever thought that I would be a Michael's regular?!?! Crazy!

Celso's Cakes

Sunday, September 14, 2008

So instead of going to church, I ended up at the office, catching up on work that has been slowly but surely piling up on me. I guess I'm just not motivated to do much bankruptcy work. In this economy, we are constantly and consistently busy.

I ended up stopping by Michael's on my way home to check out the new weekly sale and to use my coupon that I had found on a bridal forum. I was so excited to find that my purple flowers were on sale and I'm so glad I waited to pick them up. I bought these to go in the copper flower arrangements. They look so beautiful!!! I also picked up a corner rounder for my general crafting needs. YAY!!!!

I also found a possibility for invites that I TOTALLY love. Apparently brides.com makes a line that is carried exclusively by Michael's that includes invites and accessories. The particular one that I favor is called Fern and it's a beautiful green fern pattern letterpressed onto this beautiful cream textured paper. GORGEOUS!!!!
I realized that I would have to kidnap Al and drag him to the store in order to get his approval before purchasing.

I finally made it home to pick up Al and race to our cake tasting. We had an appointment with Celso's Cakes, http://www.celsoscakes.com/, for an initial tasting consult. They are currently running the business out of their home, but are getting ready to move to a new bakery.
We met with both Celso and Pavla and tasted a variety of cakes.
Vanilla with white chocolate mousse and raspberry, almond cake with amaretto mousse, chocolate opera cake, and chocolate cake with grand marnier mousse. They were all pretty tasty, I have to admit. I didn't get the same, wow this is AMAZING as I did from Coffee-cakes, but I think it was because the cake we were tasting was cold and the buttercream had hardened and the cakes had become more dense. We also got a chance to taste some buttercream that was at room temperature and was a better indicator of what the cake would taste like.
We talked about shape, design, flavor, fillings and price.
He charges $4.50 per slice for buttercream with any filling and $5.50 per slice for fondant.

Total Cost for bridal cake for 100, delivery, groom's cake (ramblin wreck replica) for 40 was quoted at $800.00. Not too bad and definitely standard in the world of wedding cakes.

We have a couple of other bakers to do a tasting with then we can make a final decision.
I think the cake is one of the last few large items to take care of on our list.
I'm looking forward to taking care of the cake and getting one decision closer to the wedding.

Entebello Spa

Saturday, September 13, 2008

9 months and counting.......AAAARRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!!

We met my parents this afternoon for lunch at Universal Joint over in Oakhurst near Agnes Scott.

Food is ok, service is great, price is waaaay jacked up.

After hanging out with my parents, we headed up to Rubin Brothers to have them look at my ring for an insurance appraisal.
Once again we had a sub-par experience. They treat us as if we don't even matter. Ugh!!!!
Whatever, once I get my appraisal, I'm done with them until I have to get my ring cleaned again.

We then drove to Entebello Spa in Buckhead http://www.entebello.com/ for Al's first facial.
We had gotten a certificate for a free express facial in our swag bag from the Atlantan Bridal Show and I was excited to get to use it.
So Al had the facial and I decided that I would treat myself to one as well.
We both had amazing experiences and I'm looking forward to hopefully using Entebello as my spa. They also do makeup, so.....fingers crossed, I'm going to book a makeup trial with them and see how it goes.

I just have to say, I've been to quite a few different salon/spas and this one was completely amazing. Everyone was so nice and genuine and VERY knowledgeable about all the different products in the store. The store is pretty amazing as well.....definitely a hidden gem.
They also have random sales going on pretty much on a monthly basis.

Both of us had such great experiences with our aestheticians and our skin felt pretty amazing.
I'm excited to check out some of the products that I was given as I literally could see a change in my skin after leaving the spa.

I made a quick stop at Michael's on the way home to pick up parts of my Bridesmaid's gifts and check out the invitation options available. Al watched football while I worked on my bridesmaid's gifts and poured through the multiple invitation catalogs that I received in today's mail. Apparently going to the upscale bridal shows ensures that your name gets put on MULTIPLE bridal lists.

The invitation issues has now become a thorn in my side. I'm pretty much done. To me this is the one place where I will be able to cut the most corners, however, I don't want it to "look" like I cheaped out. I know it sounds insanely bizarre, but I am actually experiencing this weird anxiety about this, and I'm starting to ask myself, why do I care if the Save the Dates match the invitations that match the programs that match the escort cards.
Does it really matter that much?
UGH!!!
This is where the "Bride" takes over and totally annexes Alicia.

I'm so frustrated....I mean seriously, how are these companies charging upwards of $300 - $400 for 75 inviations (re: pieces of paper).
I just don't want plain white invites....I think they're so boring and just not me (us).
But I don't want to pay an arm and a leg for something that people are just going to throw away.
I was originally excited about the wood cards, but those were pricey as well, and I'd have to create my own RSVP's anyway because you can't write on the wood cards with regular pens.....so...yeah, still at square one. I feel like this is one of the last few "large" things that we need to nail down (the other being the cake).

So now, I'm trying to corner Al every chance I get to look at different options for our invites, but with all the distractions of football season and just a general lack of interest of all things paper on his part, it's a much harder task than one might think.

I've got my work cut out for me.

Trivia at Summit's

Friday, September 12, 2008

So after an insane week at work, I was so ready to go hang out with friends and enjoy a Friday night. I drove up to Al's office to meet up with him and Gautam before driving over to pick up Debbie at their house. We hung out for awhile then headed over to Summit's for dinner and drinks.

I love playing team trivia and we pretty much always win a spot in the top 3.

I was so proud of myself for my multiple contributions this evening. Usually Al and I compete with each other in getting the answer first, but this time I was actually able to recall some random information. Woo!

We ended up staying out until 2 am before making the huge journey home (they live in Cumming).

Good way to start out the weekend that will be interspersed with wedding related errands.

The Process of Domestication

Ok, so this is out of order, but I HAD to post these pictures otherwise no one would believe me (especially my mother) when I told her that I actually cooked dinner.
This is me actually cooking(after an evening of swimming), YES, in a real kitchen with my best friend Lindsay.

She's a really good teacher, and being a cooking goddess herself has all the tools necessary to create a pretty fantastic meal.

I was so proud of myself that I actually made dinner for the four of us.

WOOOOOO!

Look Ma! I'm cookin!!!

Now, just for the record, this was most likely a fluke incident and while Lindsay vows that she will teach me how to cook, I hope she's ready for the resistance. As Al can attest, I have quite an aversion to being in the kitchen...so, we'll see.