Save the Dates

I really don't think of myself as crafty.  I have a good friend NH who can make anything with paper.  She made her own save the dates, and is a whiz on a Cricut.  She was kind of my inspiration when it came to giving this a go on my own.

During the last few weeks, I've been printing, cutting, folding, and measuring to get the dimensions just right.  I made a template, and now have folded 60 card stock folders with pockets to be stuffed with info for our guests.


All the tools ant templates ready to start cutting and folding:

Making the pocket for information about the wedding

 Folded with a pocket

All ready to be stuffed and mailed.  

It was so much easier than I thought it would be, and very rewarding.  As soon as I get these out I'll start on the invitations.

Who Invited Irene anyway?

Irene will not be a guest at our wedding!  And neither will any of her brothers and sisters.  It's one of the reasons we've picked May over August in OBX.  No Hurricanes!

I can't remember a time when I was so effected by a hurricane.  Irene is apparently going to slam right into us sometime Saturday evening.  I went shopping for some essentials for Nic, our neighbor Eileen, and I today just in case.  I must state the obvious and say that I am not looking forward to this.  I am also not looking forward to seeing and hearing about any damage done to the Outer Banks by this monster of a storm. Irene is effecting my home in Boston, and my wedding 15 hours south in NC.

We love The Outer Banks so much that we're getting married there even though it's not the most convenient place for anyone (us especially since we HAVE to drive).  We love the long stretches of open beach, the salty sea air, the houses on stilts, the cute little towns along route 12.  We love that we can rent a house on the Pamlico Sound, and yet walk to the ocean beach clear across the island and up a dune in 15 minutes.  But the point that we can do that means that it's one narrow Island that will hopefully still be there after this storm is finished.

I got an email from our photographer today that she'd love to take our deposit and set our contract, but she's been evacuated so no dice!  Same with the caterer.  It's crazy.  Let's hope the home we've picked is not damaged in the storm, and that all of our vendors luck out with no damage as well.  Heck let's hope that Irene leave OBX with minimal damage all together.  Fingers and toes crossed. 

I'm going to hunker down in Boston with my candles, flashlight, radio, canned food, Nic and Maizey, and finish assembling the pocket cards for our save the dates.  My goal is to have them out next week.  So maybe a day inside is exactly what I need to do it!

Getting in shape for my wedding, with a worthy cause

I have had a goal now for 2 years that I have not accomplished.  I'd like to run a marathon.  For those of you who know me, you know I run, sometimes.  My Dr. told me I shouldn't do a whole marathon for reasons I won't go into here, but he said a half marathon would be fine.

So I'm doing one.  January 7th, 2012 in Disney!!!  Yay!


This is a great way to get in shape for my wedding, but it's about way more than that. 


I know families that have lost loved ones to blood cancers.  Team in Training helps to raise money for treatment and cures for Leukemia, and Lymphoma.  I'm running for them. About 10 years ago someone I worked with at Wegmans lost her 2 year old daughter to Leukemia.  It was tragic.  It was my first time being personally impacted by this cancer.  Just a few years ago some friends of our family lost their dad to Leukemia.  When I decided to run a half marathon, I could think of no better way to do it.

So I'll benefit by getting in shape for my big day, and I'll contribute to supporting a worthy cause.  Win win :)

I just built my page, it's nothing special but visit it, and support me if you can!
http://pages.teamintraining.org/ma/wdw12/kcontario#My-Fundraising-Page

Katie
XOXO

Happily Overwhelmed...mostly

Talk about a whirlwind!  Once the planning started it was game on.  It's all I do.  My DVR is full because I have spent all of my time wedding planning, that I don't leave the office.  Nic informed me today I was taking over his space.  Yes, "His Space."  Our apartment is the size of our kitchen and living room in VA.  There is no my space/your space.  But I do understand what he means, because my mind is so consumed with wedding.

I've made save the dates, with pockets and magnets this week, begun the invitations, table numbers and all things stationary.  I'm doing it myself so it will be a while before they get mailed.  I do feel very accomplished though!  I have all but put deposits down with a DJ, Caterer for the rehearsal and reception, rental equipment, and Beach family photos for the day after the wedding.  I'm in a good spot finally.


Keep plugging along....

XOXO
Katie

IT'S WEDDING PLANNING TIME!

Consider this to be my first wedding planning post.  I had ideas, and now they're becoming reality.  The last week has been filled with choosing houses only to find out they're booked when I call.  Not anymore.  We booked our Wedding House!

Here's the link if you'd like a closer look:
http://www.carolinadesigns.com/vacation-rentals/ohana-mau-loa.aspx

I also made a great craigslist find.  A woman had a bedroom full (literally) of Aqua blue and Coral wedding accessories.  Check this out:

 I got these Nantucket Baskets all made up with shells, starfish and ribbon

 Some more baskets and skeins of ribbon all ready to be put to good use.

 17 pew bows.  I don't need 17, but I have them to put on door knobs and to decorate the house with!

This tray and sand will house the escort cards that will actually look like this...

This will be on the way from the house to the beach, I'm taking my shoes off!

These tumblers are Mexican blown glass with Starfish on them.  I got 30 to scatter around the wedding house.

This is everything I got all nicely packaged they way the proud mother of the bride had it.  She was so nice, and gave me one heck of a deal!

I also called the Hampton Inn in Corolla to block off rooms , but they don't do that.  What they will do is take our wedding info and will offer our guest 10% off of their room when they reference our wedding; which reminds me I have to finish that paperwork so guests can start calling!

Shrimp and Grits

While in the Outer Banks, Nic, his family, and I went to Mack Daddy's in Avon.  We'd avoided this place in the past because of tales of long lines, poor service, and overpriced menu items.  I am not sure what made us go there that night, but boy am I glad we did.  The line was short, the service great, and the food was awesome!

Nic has told me that I can pick his food out anywhere because he always likes what I pick.  This time, he was the winner.  Linds, Vince and I all got the same meal.  Fresh caught tuna seared rare with some sort of starch.  It was very good, but obviously not as memorable as Nic's since I've forgotten the rest.  Tina and Rick both got delicious shrimp dishes that was very well prepared, but Nic got shrimp and grits. 

I've had shrimp and grits, and I've made shrimp and grits.  They've all been forgettable until Mack Daddy's.  These were unbelievable, and I've been thinking about them since.  Being prompted by Nic's recent inquiry as to weather or not I've forgotten how to cook, I decided I was going to give these a try.

I made them today, and they were fantastic.  The secret ingredient....coffee in the sauce.  OMG, they are good!

 I started by making grits, and adding cheddar cheese.  I let them sit for 30ish minutes to firm up.

After frying some bacon I got my mise en place together so I could work quickly with a sauce I thought for sure would break.

 A quick roux with bacon fat and flour mixed with shallot, garlic, salt and pepper, wine, a dash of french vanilla brewed D&D coffee, and finally heavy cream.  Paula Dean would be proud!

The shrimp are the real star of this dish, but the bacon doesn't hurt!

Tossed the shrimp and sauce together with tomato concasse and bacon and served it over the grits that I cut into squares and pan fried.  Yum-O!

Mack Daddy's yours are still be best I've had, but I am going to tweak my recipe until it tastes just like yours!

I gauge all meals by asking Nic a simple question:  Is this a make again, or a Fugetaboutit ?  This was a make again!

June, July, and August...phew...

After over a month of being in Virginia, we've arrived home to Massachusetts.  It was swelteringly (is that even a word) hot, but was filled with fun times with family and friends.  Nic enjoyed his firm, and I enjoyed walking to Georgetown Cupcake more than I care to admit.  We're settle back in, and have fallen back into normal life.

Nic made law review.  This was big news, and makes me very proud.  He's so busy now, but that might free me up to get some wedding things done.  It has today.  He had been asking a lot of questions, and wanting me to make spreadsheets of expenditures for the wedding, but I think he's now to busy to care.  I've agreed to stay within the budget, and he's agreed to let me plan.

I did a lot today, and will be booking a place this week.  Save the dates to follow shortly, along with some details!