Wedding Wednesday Update + Engagement Session Preview

It is so satisfying to cross items off my list and realize things are actually getting done. Here is where things stand currently, the ones in yellow are recent. 

Set a date Dec. 28 2013

Book Church
Book reception venue

Book photographer

Book videographer

Book music (Jeff's list)
Ask wedding party

                                                              Create wedding website see it here 

Register 

Book florist

Buy wedding dress

Book ceremony musician

                                                                    Engagement Photos See pics below
                                                         Engagement Party Invitations

Select & Order bridesmaid dresses
Select and order groom & groomsmen attire
Select and order flower girl dresses * need to get on this*
Purchase veil and accessories for dress

Book cake baker

Cake Tasting - can't wait!
Buy cake knife & server Borrowing from my sister
Order save the dates 
Finalize guest list

Send save the dates

Book officiant

Pre-marital counseling

Order guest book
Hotel room blocks

Hire calligrapher

Wedding  announcement

Find wedding shoes - cant wait to wear em!!

Find wedding jewelry - need earrings!

Find garter (apparently Jeff is totally against this)

Book makeup artist & hair stylist

Menu tasting

Hair & make up trial

1st dress fitting
2^nd dress fitting

Create/Order  ceremony programs

Order invitations (found them!)

Mail invitations
Rehearsal dinner? - not sure if we are doing one
Book Bridesmaids Lunch
Wedding Favours - Going to do a donation

Book transportation (done, Jeff's List)

Buy bridal party gifts
Order gifts for parents
Gifts for flower girls and ring bearer

Bachelorette party

Bridal shower

Purchase wedding bands

Put together picture list for photographer

Get marriage license

Book honeymoon (Jeff's List) So excited! We are going to Sandels in Antigua!

Music selections to band and ceremony artist

Order thank you notes

Wedding announcement
Seating Chart
Evening timeline for M/C
Write thank you speech

Walk down the aisle & say I do!

Here are some of the pictures from our photo session with our wedding photographers - Ilo Photography.

If I could go back and do something differently, would I? Yes, different hair and outfits haha but whatcanyoudo? We ended up with a grey day so all things considered I am quiet happy with them!

Anti-Inflammatory Diet/Cleanse

A couple weeks ago I went to a naturopth and got the full million question interview etc. I love going to a naturopath vs a Dr. if only to see about the things they ask and care about. I know its not for everyone, but I believe in it.

I want more energy and also to solve some stomach/digestive issues. Based on some initial questions she determined I have adrenal fatigue and recommended a licorice based, adrenal gland supplement that will help raise my very low blood pressure and help to get my adrenal glands back functioning. After a week of taking the supplements I noticed a big difference in being able to spring out of bed more easily in the morning and also having more energy throughout the day. I will continue with this and also maybe try acupuncture.

As for my stomach problems - unattractive consequences to most foods - she suggested doing a food sensitivity test. For 7-10 days before the test I had to consume 1-2 servings of the 96 foods they would be testing ie: fish, meat, vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains, etc. Then on test day they do a finger prick and send it away for testing. I now have to wait 4 weeks for the results. In the mean time she recommended the anti inflammatory diet cleanse along with going dairy and gluten free. I am already lactose so that helps, doing the rest though is a bit of a commitment. If only because it says no peanut butter or wine (or any alcohol but wine is all the counts to me).

On Friday night I had my last meal, as it were. We went golfing with some friends and out for dinner where I indulged in their delicious home made bread and hummus, pan seared tuna, halibut and a sorry excuse for risotto and for dessert....creme framboise carmel...heaven! Ohh and a very large glass of Kim Crawford white wine. (if you are a white wino try this you will love it!)

Saturday morning I began the cleanse....

Things I can eat include:
Vegetables (except for potatoes and tomatoes)
Fruit (only 1-2 pieces a day, no citrus)
Seeds, nuts (except peanuts or peanut butter)
Spices (woot!)
Half my weight in ounces of water daily
Meat: lean, organic, turkey and chicken
       all grass fed animals including lamb, buffalo, venison, elk and beef (once or less per week)
Fish
Rice Crackers
Hummus
Oats

Things I cannot eat include:
Any animal milk
Commercial eggs (organic ok)
All wheat products (including bread)
Citrus Fruit
Pork, grain fed animals
Any animal cheese
Zero dairy products or things containing dairy
Fruit Juice
Potatoes
Tomatoes
Processed Food
Caffeinated Teas/coffee
Corn and Corn Products
White Flour
All dried Fruit (except small amounts of unsulphured)
Fried Foods
Alcohol (le sigh)

My list of eat not is longer then the eat list...it makes cooking interesting. I am on day 3 this morning. Low points of the weekend included not being able to bake and watching my mom and Jeff eat Cheesies while I ate raspberries.

Let's just say I hope this works, let me also apologise in advance if I seem on edge...its because I'm jonesing for some pb, wine, sugar, or chocolate.

I will keep you update on progress. I figure its worth a shot! For my birthday my mom bought me Gwyneth Paltrow's Its' all good cookbook and lots of the recipes are gluten free and cleanse friendly so I am going to try some of those out. First up, mango/avocado salad :)

DIY Summer Wreath

This summer I felt the uncontrollable urge to craft. Yep. I said it, I wanted to craft. I wanted  a glue gun and sparkles and some kind of project. Sooo I headed to Michaels Crafts...wandered the aisles for 2 hours, asked for help 30 times and finally left with the supplies to make my own wreath.

I had seen one at a greenhouse I absolutely loved, but for $80 I thought...I could make this myself. Boy was I right, however it cost over $100. Crafts ain't cheap...Lesson #1.

Lesson #2....Don't cheap out on a glue gun...even though it is pink and polka dot. Get one that will bloody well work.

I had seen a wreath on Pinterest, where you basically take a wreath frame, cut up some peonies and glue them, get a bow, learn how to form a bow on your own (HA! not) and stick it on. It wasn't quite this easy. Excuse my pictures, I took them on my soon to be extinct blackberry.

This is the start...I just cut the flowers off their stem and placed them to see how they would look.

View from the back

This is how it looked after my first attempt. I also failed miserably at making a bow, my burlap wasn't wide enough. #burlap problems

The finished product

After my first go at the wreath my mother and grandmother convinced me it needed more and also to be less symmetrical. This is where I learned Lesson#3 I love things to be even, which makes making a "natural" looking flower arrangement damn near impossible. So after weeks of searching I my mother found the perfect bow and extra flowers. I just cut them up and glued them in. Not sure you can see in this not great quality photo but it really does look better.

Lesson #3....maybe I am not so crafty after all
Lesson#4....next time I see a wreath I love for $80 buy it...save the headache!

I confess...

In light of my lack of blogging lately I figured a confession blog would be appropriate.

 I confess…

That I vowed to blog twice a week and I have already fallen off the map

That I am a Gemini and I like to do a little bit of everything and not a lot of one thing…unless that one thing involves eating peanut butter haha I love peanut butter!!

That I hate sleeping alone

That baking is my stress reliever

That watching movies is one of my favourite things to do, though I don’t get much time to watch them lately

That this summer I feel like I have no control over what’s happening and when and that it is flying by and that is a bit scary!

That I have I have a really hard time saying no when people ask me to do things

That I love rainy days & snowy days

That I am excited to wear fall clothes (though it has been so cold I pretty much am)

That I have seen EVERY episode of Grey’s Anatomy

That Christmas music is my favourite music

That I make a decision based on the saying “When in Rome” at least once a week

That too often lately I feel reminded life is short and that makes me sad

That I love organizing and secretly wish I could take a week of holidays to just organize everything I own

That my To Do list is a mile long

That I procrastinate on wedding related items

That I am excited for the wedding day, but really excited to be married and not planning a wedding

That I miss my friends in Australia and in London, Ontario and wish we lived closer!

That I LOVE wine, especially sweet white and especially cab sauv, and especially ice wine!

That I come from a long line of tea lovers, so my habit is justified

That I miss my university days and travelling around Europe

That I think I could live in Italy

That I can’t wait to go on a trip

That I should really get on publishing my bucket list as I think that would be fun for everyone to start one!

Okay there ya have it! I confess! Now I will try and get back on the bloggin’ train!

See you soon!

After rereading this I realize I should also confess I over use !! and although I take them out when I re-read I still have lots left (I guess im super HAPPY!)

 

Updates & Surprise!!!!

Sorry I have been neglecting posting this past week..its been crazy!

Wednesday - WINE WEDNESDAY which involves good girl friends, a beautiful sunny evening, and wine on the patio at the marina. Its heaven! I highly recommend starting one up! Although it can make for a rough Thursday.

Thursday: Wedding Food tasting! It was as good and as much fun as it sounds! We ate until we were stuffed. I think we have figured out the menu (but I will keep that a surprise). Here are a few pictures

The After Photo

My dad says "and one year we better not be back for..."lol

Friday night we went to a benefit for a local young guy who recently developed a brain tumor. An awful story, but the benefit and turn out was unbelievable! So amazing to see so many people out to support him and his family. Wishing them all the best.

The attendance prize for the event was a classic Harley Davidson Motorcycle....and yours truly won. That's right... I WON A HARLEY!  I am still in shock about it. Jeff and I think we will get our motorcycle license now (much to my mother's dismay). I will post a picture when I get the bike but in the mean time Jeff's parents outfitted us with some new gear....now all we need is a helmet and some chaps, maybe a vest, maybe a jacket, oh and some goggles - ohh  boy :)

Dyna Convertible

Saturday my parents hosted a Hawaiian Luau Engagement Part for us. It was so wonderful to be surround by all our family and wedding party and close friends. It was rainy and threatening thunderstorms but the clouds parted and the sun came out and it turned out to be one of the nicest evenings of the summer. We were so lucky.

My mom and I

I have come a long way from my vegetarian days!

My beautiful sister-in-law and niece to be!

Elise chasing Joey

The girls

Everyone here from our wedding party!

The boys

Jeff and I asked for donations to the local food bank instead of gifts and we got a truck full of food and monetary donations. Our friends and family were so generous! I am so happy we did this and so thankful for their generosity. We feel so blessed to have so many amazing people in our lives. I cannot wait for our wedding to celebrate with everyone again. However, if Saturday was any indication of the party it will be, we are in for an amazing time!

Have a great week!

xoxo

Blender Mojitos

Today I give you a recipe that will change your life! It's really that delicious. Based on a drink my sister once had we turned to the Vitamix to create this tasty treat. The result is the best mojito I have ever had. Why? Because we blended the **** out of the mint, no mouthfuls of mint leaves, just good ol flavour heaven.

Blended Mojitos:

Ingredients
2 limes peeled and sliced in half
handful of mint leaves
6 oz of white rum
6 tbsp of white sugar
6 cups of ice

Directions
Combine all the ingredients in a high power blender. BLEND. Enjoy!


I dare you not to have a Sunday-Funday now!

Canada Day Weekend Recap

This past weekend was a dream weekend. Filled with sunshine, fun, delicious drinks, relaxation and friends and family.

Friday night Jeff and I had a date night, we went out for salad and wine then went grocery shopping. (Always better to drag a guy grocery shopping after a glass of wine). After knocking groceries off our list we relaxed and finished up Season 4 of 24. We have been watching them on Netflix and are quite addicted. Now the only hard part is deciding when to dive into Season 5…Anyone else watch this show?

Saturday morning we woke up bright and early and dragged ourselves to the gym. We have signed up for an in-line marathon in September and time is ticking on our training. After this we finished up some errands and spent the afternoon cleaning and doing yard work.

Update: My garden has sprouted!! I am so excited. I am also so happy because we planted a couple of raspberry bushes. Growing up my grandma had a giant yard full so I am looking forward to one day getting to have a big patch in our yard!

Spaghetti Squash & Zucchini

Saturday evening my sister and her husband had us and some other friends over for a BBQ, Bonfire and drinks. It was a fabulous night!

Sunday morning the crew from the BBQ we went to our favourite local restaurant where we downed platefuls of delicious finish pancakes. With a major sugar rush, Jeff and I headed to the yacht club to work on his sailboat. Jeff’s Uncle gave him and his sister his sailboat so they have been working on fixing it up and this Friday it will be launched at the Marina! We cannot wait. I am no sailor, but I sure enjoy a glass of wine on the water and that’s pretty much the same thing! iamright?! ;)

In the afternoon we bee-lined it for my house to kayak, paddle board, drink margaritas and bask in the hot sunshine. For my birthday this year I got a Vitamix blender and this was the first chance I have had to try it out.  So far I can say it’s the Porsche of blenders….I give you the best margarita EVER! Ask anyone!

Vitamix Margarita!

Ingredients

1/4 cup of cold water
1/2 an orange peeled and seeded
1 lime peeled and cut into halves
1 lemon peeled, seeded and cut into halves
6 oz of tequila
4 oz of triple sec
6tbsp of white sugar (can use agave)
6 cups of ice

Directions
Combine in high powered blender, puree. Use a piece of lime to soak the rim of the glass, then dip in salt. Garnish with lime and enjoy!! Serves 6.

Cheers!

Paddle boarding and Kayaking

Joey!

Monday morning was Canada Day so we all had the day off. We started the day with some homemade French toast and I even remember to take a picture this time. Let me present.. Heavenly French Toast

Yum!

Drool Worthy French Toast

Ingredients

6 eggs
1.5 cups of milk (use your judgement if it needs more)
1/3 cup of pure vanilla extract (yes I know that seems like a lot)
Your favourite fresh bread
Fresh berries
Icing Sugar


Directions
Combine eggs, milk and vanilla and whip until combined. Heat frying pan on high and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Soak both sides of the bread (not too long or it will fall apart). Cook in frying pan until both sides are firm. You want firm on outside and soft on inside. Sprinkle with icing sugar and decorate with your favourite fruit. Serve with real Canadian maple syrup. The secret to this recipe is lots of vanilla and a really hot frying pan! Serves 6-8 people.


In the afternoon my dad, Jeff and I ventured to the new highway, which has not yet been opened - aka rollerblading heaven...a freshly paved, empty road! We skated for an hour, getting our sea legs back.

I got really excited when I saw two deer ahead, I skated full speed ahead to check them out...then realizing they were two wolves...I quickly retreated and dragged Jeff and my dad to leave asap. Talk about motivation to move quickly!

After a nap in the sunshine we headed into town to watch the fireworks. Happy Birthday Canada!

There you have it, a fantastic long weekend! Making the reality of going to work today that much harder.