Higgins & Roche Wedding

This past Saturday was the wedding of Paul Roche and Kelli Higgins in Skaneateles, NY. It was a perfect day, sunny and brisk. The ceremony was held at St. Mary's of the Lake and the reception was at the Skaneateles Country Club.

Paul and Kelli actually met at my Pimps and Hos Party in June 2005. Oh, how far we have come.
Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Roche! Enjoy your honeymoon in Arizona.

Couple Time

Ahh. The holiday weekend is over and it was a great one! Michael and I got a lot done and had tons of fun too. Friday night we rented a DVD and ordered a pizza. We watched M. Knight Shyamalan's "The Happening". I would describe this movie as an apocalyptic thriller, borderline horror film. IMBD states, "It's a paranoid thriller about a family on the run from a natural crisis that presents a large-scale threat to humanity." We both really liked it. I knew it affected me when I had a nightmare about it Sunday night. Freaky.

Saturday morning I slept in. It was glorious. Then I went outside and took photographs of the dogs frolicking in the backyard. Check it out: The top dog is Shadow. The middle dog is Tyson. The bottom dog is Daisy.

Saturday afternoon, Mike and I went to a 50th Birthday/Housewarming party at Mike's Accountant's house in Round Top. Mike and the company he works for helped build her brand new dream house. This party was extravagant! It was catered by Mod Gourmet Cafe in Catskill. There was a chocolate fountain, a pumpkin-painting table, luminaries lining the long driveway, open bar, a huge heated tent, and flower arrangements in big pumpkins. I even indulged in the "Bouncy Bounce". We were some of the last guests to leave (who can blame us?). One the way home we spontaneously decided to stop at the Blackthorne Resort for a beer. Well, of course we had to go to the Massacre Mansion while we were there. The Massacre Mansion is the on-site haunted house that the Blackthorne Resort hosts every year [since 1997]. This was my fifth straight year attending. My group of friends used to go to the Massacre Mansion and the Blackthorne Resort during our Annual Fall Camping Trips (in the three years we went to North South Lake in Haines Falls, NY). Although we don't go as a group anymore, I've been able to attend since I now live 10 minutes away. "Michael the Irish Bartender" was there and all three of us downed an "Irish Car Bomb" [for old time's sake].

On Sunday, Mike and I arose early (much to my hangover's dismay) and drove to East Rutherford, NJ for the 1:00 PM New York Jets football game. We arrived several hours early and tailgated in the parking lot. Mike successfully negotiated with a T-shirt vendor in the parking lot: a tie-dye T-shirt of Brett Favre (for me) for a sausage sandwich, a beer, and $7. This was my first Jets game. Mike was giddy with excitement at seeing his favorite NFL team. The New York Jets beat the Cincinnati Bengals, 26-14. Yay! Check out the progress on the new stadium.

Monday was a packed day of household chores and errands. Mike and I went to East Berne and Greenville and drove through Westerlo too. The foliage was at its best. I gave Tyson a trim and bath in the afternoon. I also drove up to the Windham area to get water from a mountain spring. I brought home 9 gallons. I took a relaxing bubble bath. Then I drew a bath for Mike and he did the same. As we ate an omelet dinner, we started to watch the New York Giants game. After some police presence on our street regarding our neighbors, we went to bed.

Caterer Interview

Yesterday I met for the first time with a potential caterer. I brought my Mom with me and we drove to the caterer's office/facility in Albany. Although we had to wait almost 15 minutes past our appointment time, we were offered (and gladly accepted) cold drinks (apple juice and diet soda). I had prepared a list of questions based on online guidance and personal preferences and concerns. Our planner, Kathy, was polite, knowledgeable, and patient. This catering company has done many weddings at the Pruyn House before and Kathy was very familiar with the layout and grounds. She had many good ideas and advice for us. For the purpose of Kathy preparing us a detailed proposal, my Mom and I picked-out specific menu items and food selections. This caterer, if hired, would be able to take care of the tent rental, linens, dining supplies, and even the cake. To check out Classé Catering, click here.

Now I am waiting for them to prepare our proposal and e-mail it to me. I'm prepared for a high price. My parent(s) and I plan on meeting with a few more caterers to fully research our options.

My old apartment-mate, Nicole, married her long-time boyfriend, Pat, two weekends ago here in the Capital District. From the photos I've seen (and I've seen hundreds!), it looks like it was a beautiful day and lovely event. Check out Nicole's blog for photos and info.

I love Nicole's choice of hydrangeas, roses, and seeded eucalyptus.

Photo by Upstate Photographers

Girls' NightS Out

I have one weekend to go in the 3-week streak of fun, girlie weekends. This past weekend was Kelli's Bachelorette Party and the weekend before was the New Kids On The Block concert in Montréal, Canada.

The trip to Montréal to see the New Kids was awesome! Katie and I drove up the Northway and picked up Kelly in Keeseville, where she left her car at a friend's house. When we arrived in downtown Montréal, we checked into the Residence Inn and strolled Peel Street for a few minutes before choosing our dinner destination. We ate at Carlos & Pepes, a Mexican Restaurant and Bar. Delicious.

After a good night's rest, we spent the day shopping. We covered a lot of territory with street shops and the underground mall system. Each of us made a purchase (or two or three). At afternoon's end we headed back to the hotel to relax before the big show. Katie and I went to the grocery store and bought beer and brie to enjoy back at our room.

We did a NKOTB mad libs in my old activity book and pinned old NKOTB buttons to ourselves. We were ready for a nostalgic night of pop music and screaming. We reached the Bell Centre right at 8 PM. We had just enough time to grab a beer and find our seats when Natasha Bedingfield came on stage as the opening act. She sang well and was a fun performer but our anticipation was growing stronger and stronger for the quintet we know and love. Finally the New Kids came on stage. Their entrance was dramatic and exciting. We screamed our heads off the entire show. To read a great review of the concert from a Montréal newspaper, click here.

This past Saturday night was Kelli's Bachelorette Celebration. Like the chic woman she is, the night mirrored such a theme. Seven of us met out on Lark Street and had dinner at "A Taste of Greece". After a delicious meal and several bottles of wine, we crossed the street to the "Wine Bar & Bistro". We sat outdoors on their back patio surrounded by dim lights, fountains, and foliage. There we enjoyed several more bottles of wine (and candy necklaces). One of us had to leave and then the bar closed, so six of us then walked down the street to DeJohn's. We ensured Kelli always had her favorite drink in hand, Bombay Sapphire & Tonic. Kelli briefly indulged in adorning herself with the silly bachelorette accessories we offered her. As the time approached closing hour, Kelli and her friend called it a night. Then, the four of us scurried to the Lionheart where we had to beseech for one more drink. Even though we missed "last call", the bartender gave in to our polite and persistent request for "one more". By 4 AM we were quickly finishing our last drink and being corralled towards the door.

There will be more girl fun this weekend when several of us head out to the Finger Lakes Region of New York for Kelli's Bridal Shower and wine tasting this weekend.

Wedding Dress: √ (check) !

[In spite of a possible copyright infringement...] Last night I "said yes to the dress!" After weeks of grueling shopping (not really, it was fun!), I have made my decision. I choose the 2Be Bride dress from Yvonne's (it's not currently on the Designer's website, so you won't be able to see it). It was a tad over my originally intended price range, but (prepare for the cliché excuse now) "hey, you only get married once." I love this dress! It has no beads, no sequins, and no lace. It's a mermaid cut and it's symmetrical. It's exactly what I wanted. It will take several months to arrive so I can relax awhile and move onto other wedding matters.

This weekend I'm going to Montreal, Quebec with Katie and Kelly (also in the bridal party), to see a reunion concert of the New Kids On The Block (NKOTB). When the NKOTB were in their prime, we were in the 5th grade and at the perfect age to gush over these semi-talented teenage icons. This concert will be my first NKOTB concert (I was too young in 1990(according to my parents)). Tomorrow night will be a blast from the past and a riot! I predict the boys will sound even better than I remember (especially after a few tasty beverages). The concert is at the Bell Centre in downtown Montreal. We reserved a hotel room for the weekend and will be sure to spend "girl time" shopping, dining, drinking, and giggling.

Dress Shopping Part IV

I'm sure you're pretty tired of reading about my dress shopping by now. [I know I'm tired of going dress shopping.] So I'll be brief. This past Saturday I went wedding dress shopping with my future Mother-In-Law, Dawn. We went to a local shop called Hillary's Bridal Boutique in Cairo, NY. They did not have any dresses that fit my criteria. I still tried-on a few dresses anyway. I browsed their selection of bridesmaids dresses as well. We stayed for about an hour and even chatted with the owners for awhile (who were very nice).

On Sunday, my Friend/Bridesmaid, Lydia and her Daughter, Adelaide came over to watch 'Anne of Green Gables' on DVD. We had been meaning to get together and watch it for almost a year now. Adelaide had never seen 'Anne of Green Gables' before and Lydia and I were super-excited to show it to her and see if the magic we experienced as little girls would be bestowed upon her. Maybe she was still a little young for Anne, but I think she will fondly remember the sweet story of the little red-haired orphan girl in Prince Edward Island. We only had time to watch the first movie of the trilogy, 'Anne of Green Gables' (almost 3 and a half hours). Next time we'll watch 'Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel', and then 'Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story'.

Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe

'Anne of Green Gables: A New Beginning' premieres at the Boston Film Festival tonight. I can't wait until it airs on US television!

Dress Shopping Part III

This past Saturday I went wedding dress shopping with AnnMarie. One could say this was her first official duty as bridesmaid. I made an appointment at Annette Bridals Inc. on Central Avenue in Albany. AnnMarie and I arrived at 10:30 AM and were given instructions on how to proceed. We looked through several tightly-packed racks of dresses and pulled out the ones I wanted to try-on. Then AnnMarie took her place out in the front room on a chair while Annette and I went into a dressing room. Annette assisted me in putting on each gown (which were all several sizes too big) and adjusted the size with clothes pins to try to make the dresses fit better. I then came out into the front room to look in the mirror and have AnnMarie snap a photo (which was allowed here). Most of the dresses I tried-on were just too big to properly visualize how they would really look when the correct size was ordered and the proper alterations made.

Now is a good time to tell you what my wedding dress criteria is (and has been) since I began dress shopping a couple of months ago. "No beads, no sequins, no lace." I have stated this goal in every store I've been to. The reactions I've received have all been a little different and amusing. Mind you, I have been and are quite willing to try-on dresses that do contain one, some, or all of these characteristics. But, my initial hunch was correct that I prefer the dresses without. After trying-on a few different shapes of dresses, I knew pretty early that I also preferred a "mermaid cut" (aka "trumpet cut", aka "fishtail cut"). My last [and most ridiculous] criteria is that I want the dress to be symmetrical. When I first realized this, I remembered saying the same thing to the jeweler who was designing my engagement ring. [This also goes with the "even distribution" trend I aspire for while cooking and eating.]

Now back to dress shopping. AnnMarie and I lost track of time at Annette's and politely made our exit after 2 hours! I think Annette would have just kept bringing more and more dresses for me to try-on until I eventually bought one (or at least said I would). She was the most pushy of all the bridal shop consultants I've dealt with so far. She stated several times while we were there that she has "the biggest selection" of dresses in the area. And that she could order or alter any dress that way I wanted it (i.e. without crystal appliques or beading). She had a unique personality that mostly amused me, but one would have to be patient and open-minded to appreciate and patronize her store.

After Annette's, we rushed up the Northway to Juliet House of Brides in Latham for a 1:00 PM appointment. The parking lot was empty and the store was deserted. We were in and out in 10 minutes. I told the sales woman what I was looking for (with the caveat that I was still open-minded to other possibilities) and she basically told me that they don't have any dresses for me, but that we could look anyway. Their dress selection was much smaller than Annette's. I tried on 3 dresses in just a few minutes and was told to come back in January when "the new line comes out." [Yeah right, like I'm waiting until January!].

After our dress shopping extravaganza, AnnMarie and I went to My Place & Co. on Delaware Avenue in Delmar for a late lunch.

After three seperate dress outings and five different stores, there are two dresses that I have found that fit all my criteria. The first dress I tried-on from David's Bridal and the 2Be Bride dress from Yvonne's. I like the 2Be Bride dress a little bit more...