Sunday, February 27, 2011

LongLazySunday: Dreaming of Programs!

My Longlazysunday was spent going to church with the Godson and his mama! It was a good time and for a one year old, he did a good job of sitting still except for the times he had to move around.  And he decided to crawl under the pews, lie in the middle of the aisle, spill water while attempting to make bubbles and other adorable yet distracting ways.  Needless to say we had a great time in church. 

But the rest of my sunday is going to be filled with wedding planning including dreaming about my wedding programs.  I have decided to complete another DIY and this is perhaps my most ambitious project yet. I am looking forward to creating something that is uniquely Mr. Pancakes and I and quite cute!

Here are some of my inspirations for wedding programs!

Get With The Program :  wedding diy programs san francisco stationery Z11913507 IMG_2835
 I love the simplicity of this program.  I also look the booklet programs.  Just love them.  They are more time consuming however!

My DIY Ceremony Program Fan  Not a huge fan (LOL) of the fan programs but they would be simple to create! Since my wedding is not in the summer time, it wouldn't be as useful i guess.



Square Programs with option to fan sections :  wedding diy programs Z14617705.jpgThis program is gorgeous but honestly i don't think i am cut out for making all the details it needs.  I wouldn't be able to do it justice!





With these ideas in mind, i have some plans of action and i am going to start on them this week.  Therefore i have a stamper, cardstock paper, an edge puncher (my new discovery), glue and scissor, i feel armed and ready to create something amazing and fun for the Pancakes wedding. 

What were some of your favourite aspects of your wedding program?

Friday, February 25, 2011

The Bustle that made me Cry....

Ladies, i went for my first fitting and i am in love with my wedding gown all over again!

The alteration lady, who was awesome, i couldn't pronouce her name so we will call her Elsa.  Anyway Elsa was amazing and she fitted me into that dress and i was blown away! I have been doing really well with my work outs and eating and it definitely showed when i tried on the dress again. 

The first time i purchased the dress, it was tight all over, my stomach was bulging and i was about to pop out of the dress but i was in love.  Low and behold months later, there was plenty of room to take in and i couldn't be happier.  The wedding pictures are going to last forever and so i wanted to look my best. 

22 1910The dress has several parts to it: there is a bow in the back that comes off to reveal this amazing pleating in the back which is simply exquisit! When i first purchased the dress, i loved the pleating but i didn't see the wonder of it until Elsa started working on my bustle.   I actually started to tear up...there have been several since the whole wedding planning process started.  


If i haven't told you how much i love the dress, i am telling you again, i love my dress...it's simplicity and elegance...i love it! But when Elsa gathered up my bustle and pinned everything in place and i turned around and looked, i was completely and utterly floored.  I LOVE THE BUSTLE! i think it makes the dress come alive and it takes it to a whole other dimension!







Ladies and ladies i present to you the BUSTLE that Elsa created that made me cry!




Tuesday, February 22, 2011

60 Days and Counting...

I officially have 60 days before our wedding day and I am excited!

Wedding dress and accessories--check
Venue--check
\photographer--check
pre-marital counselling--check and check....

I cannot wait to be Mrs. Pancakes and soon enough I will be. Amazing that ten months has gone by so quickly. I knew it would come and it was so far away when it was six to four months away. Now it is two months close and in the near future and I cannot wait.

My bachelorette party which is in Canada and being planned by my girls is less than a month away. I am looking forward to all the festivities they have planned!

Mr. Pancakes and I are pretty much done with the big budget items and now it's all the extra things I want like a photobooth and I keep on thinking how many pay days are there in a month?! I want to make all the little things happen because I think it will be fun for us to have a photobooth. But then I also want to have a little money to add to the honeymoon fund.

Decisions, decisions! All in all everything will figure itself out with some planning of course!

Next Up is meeting with the DJ to decide on music selections!

Saturday, February 19, 2011

LongLazySunday: I Do...Let's Eat...

We met with the caterer today and it was the most fun I've had with a vendor since the whole wedding planning process! We met the event coordinator who i have become well acquainted because he has become so helpful throughout this process.  While we were being served, the chef came out to sit with us after the meals were served and we had a ball, talking and chatting and enjoying his meals.  It definitely helps to have vendors that are friendly and easy to engage with.

Aside from the fun we had talking and enjoying each other's company, we were there for food tasting. I must tell you, they put out an very impressive spread. Mr. Pancakes and I definitely brought our hungry bellies and we boy was it good eats! We tried various options and came up with some good eats!


Cockails
One of the options we had was crab wrapped in bacon, sort of like the picture but they had it in skewer.  It was so good!
We had another veggie option...which was also excellent.  We figured a small array of options for cocktails because we do not want our cocktail time to be too long.

                                                                                                       Salad                                                                                                 
We chose a garden salad because this goes down easy prior to dinner i believe.  Dressing was balsamic and ceasar salad and ranch (i believe).  
They decorated the salad so nice i wished i had take a picture.





  Entrees
We chose chicken florentine and salmon with cheesapeake sauce which were both amazing to the taste.  We tried other entrees including talipia in crabmeat which was Mr. Pancakes favourite.  The sides which i enjoyed was the rice pilaf--amazing and the string beans.  We had a choice of asparagus but not many people are fans of that vegetable. I wish i had taken the pictures of the actual meals because they are so much better than these google pictures.
     
 Dessert
We chose a chocolate mousse cake which was delicious.  My diet definitely was out the window for the day!  We may possibly have a candy/sweet buffet but if not, there will be wedding cake and or chocolate mousse cake.





These are the items that our guests will be eating.  Reviewing it has made me hungry all over again! I was really impressed with the way the coordinator and the chef put everything together.  I didn't know what to expect but i was impressed with the whole process.  As this was my first tasting, it couldn't have gone better.  I think more than anything, Mr. Pancakes and i were impressed with the way the coordinator and the chef interacted with us and made us feel comfortable.  The interaction felt genunine and not necessarily a sales-we are trying to get you to spend more money-pitch.  It was just good business and we couldn't have appreciated any better! 

I am glad that the tasting is complete! And went very successfully!

Ladies, did you enjoy your tasting? Was it succesful on the first try?

Sunday, February 13, 2011

LongLazySunday: Love Day

As you may all know tomorrow is Valentine's Day which i am calling Love Day because that's what the whole day is about, loving one another.  I have never been a big valentine's day person.  Perhaps my favourite love day before Mr. Pancakes was back in grade 8 when my little-boyfriend at the time dedicated a song to me during the Valentine Day dance and we danced infront of everyone--it was corny but an awesome feeling. 

Technically i met Mr. Pancakes around the Love Day week which means that our three year anniversary is coming up which is quite exciting.  In the last three years, our love has grown and matured which can only mean one thing, we are growing up in love!

And as Valentine's Day approaches tomorrow, i am reminded on this longlazysunday how beautiful love is and can be to us and for us.  If we give love, love will definitely come back to you.

Here's wishing everyone a Happy Love Day. 
Are you and your special someone doing anything fun?

Mr. Pancakes and i are going out for dinner tonight. 
I wanted to go Rock Climbing but he is working during the day...something to do another day!


What's a Valentine's Day without chocolates??!!
Enjoy the day ladies!

 

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Do-It-Yourself: Pancakes Version

I never thought i was much of an Arts & Crafts kind of person but i am working at it!
I have been able to make some incredibly nice tihings that i am very proud of!
The following are my DIY project.

Ribbon Wand

I have yet to decide whether to allow people to throw rice and or ribbons as i know people are used to such traditional things.

I made the ribbons wands out of our wedding colours and i think they look fantastic.  I used dowel from Hobby Lobby and ribbons from Michaels.  I chose to use thumbtacks to attach the ribbons to the dowel  and they are pretty sturdy.



Place Settings

This is perhaps my favourite project that i created.  The frames and easel is from Ikea.  I used stock paper and printed the table #s in nice fancy font.  It might not be as amazing as if a professional was doing it but i believe it came out amazingly! 

I love how the colours blend together so well.  I wanted my wedding colours to be incorporated into the reception area but not for it to become overwhelming.



Branded

Since i could not wear cute shoes with really high high heels, i had to go for a regular shoe but i wanted to spice it up.  I added the rhinestone "H" for Mr. Pancakes real-life last name.  If you can imagine it, without my sweatpants, i am hoping it will look fabulous!

I read another blog where the girl actually put rhinestones on the heel of her shoe but i am not that much of a DIY-selver!



Therefore ladies, these are my DIY projects and i am excited about it.  Hope you enjoyed them.

Did you or are you doing any fun DIYs that blew her away?!

Sunday, February 6, 2011

LongLazySunday: Superbowl 2011 Update

Not a very good day in the Pancakes household. Our Steelers did not win the superbowl but better luck next year! Most people take sport games so serious but i love that Mr. Pancakes enjoys watching sports and does not get too depressed after his team loses.  He is disappointed but gets over it quickly.  Myself on the other hand, i can dwell for a while but then i get over it!  Congrats to Green Bay but better luck next year, Steelers!

What was your favourite part of the superbowl?
Mine were the chicken wings and fries!

LongLazySunday: Superbowl 2011

This is Mr. Pancakes and i's 3rd Superbowl Sunday and our first as an engaged couple! Makes me excited about all of our firsts that we are going to have as a married couple come April. It is pretty exciting. But this Longlazysunday is about being thankful that I am back home from my trip to Canada safe and sound! On the plan, I was watching the kids are alright! Made it to church to listen to an amazing sermon! And I am about to take a nap and enjoy my first Superbowl game as an engaged couple! And in our household we are Steelers fan! GO STEELERS!

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Life is a series of Moments!

There was supposed to be a snow amarmagaddon where I am visiting in Canada but it never did come as much as they predicted. It's been great being back home. I almost forgot how to drive in all that snow. I really didn't think i needed this but it's been fun spending some quality time before the wedding. Yesterday my niece and I went for some lunch at a restaurant called Moxie's. We ordered some fantastic food and really enjoyed our afternoon. Then in the evening we pulled out some old archived videos of the family and had a ball watching it into the wee hours of the night. Do you ever look at the young version of yourself like in your teen days and smile at all the awkwardness that you thought was cool beyond words. In this one video I was decked out in this flowu skirt, laced up top under a jacket that looked like a nice bed comforter! I was rocking this outfit at a wedding and looking and feeling good and having a ball dancing away! That part of me hasn't changed. I'm still a dancing queen! Watching the video reminded me of the reason I wanted Mr. Pancakes and I to have a wedding reception after all so that our families can come together where we can make memories to add to our moments! Growin up I remembered a lot of parties and get togethers at my house and the videos confirmed that enjoying each others company as a family is really what life is all about! Coming together to celebrate birthdays, graduations, baptisms, summer bbqs, weddings and funerals and just comin together as a family is what life is all about. I heard someone say that life is a series of memories and watching videos last night and coming home has definitely reminded me of this! Can't wait to add the wedding to another series of family memories!