The sweet things stats show you... and Happy Christmas!

Yes I know I haven't blogged for weeks and now I'm doing it on Christmas Day, of all days... Happy Christmas everybody!

Boringly, I checked my stats. I was online anyway and just thought I'd check...

Someone visited who I don't think will visit again - it was more of an accident I think. Because what they searched for was "words to say when you get down on one knee" and they found me.

And I'm so happy for whoever they are preparing to ask! Made me smile.

A planning update...

A little bit of a wedding update for you today.

I’ve been losing a bit of interest in the wedding planning but I’m glad that that level of intensity has passed me by. It really takes over your life and consumes all your thoughts – well it did mine anyway. And what really grounded me in the end was the wedding in Tuscany. It made me realise that, no, I wasn’t the only person ever to get married and other people have lives too!

Bought my wedding shoes which I adored. I would love to share these with you because they are the prettiest darn things I have ever seen but I have readers who are guests and they are top colour secret. (Hence the beautiful shoes photo above instead!) The nerdy ‘To Do’ list and geeky budget spreadsheet were adjusted but after getting very excited when they arrived, I tried them on and just didn’t feel it. They were gorgeous to look at but just didn’t look as good on. In the end I sent them back because they didn’t give me ‘the feeling’. Yes, they are only shoes and I’m not even a big shoe fan but they had to feel good.

I love adjusting the To Do list and the budget spreadsheet and wish there was more I could get on/off it.

The lovely flower lady has been booked and I’m looking forward to meeting with her again to go over our plans.

I went along to a cake tasting appointment with my sister when the time came to book a baker. We had a brilliant brain storming session as well as some divine cake to taste! Chocolate Fudge Cake, White Chocolate and Raspberry and Zingy Lemon were the three flavours I chose to sample – all three were delicious and we’re currently waiting on sketches of what our cake could look like.

The bridesmaid dresses are due in at the end of January so getting a bit impatient about that because I expected them before Christmas.

Waiting to be called back for a second measuring session for my dress. This was due to happen just before they started making mine so the fact that this hasn’t happened yet is stressing me a bit because I also expected it to be in just before Christmas.

Card has been bought for the stationery and final draft of all invites etc has been settled.

Hairdressing and beauty appointments have all been made.

Wow when I look at this it makes me feel quite satisfied!

I’m hoping to enjoy Christmas and then let the mania start in the New Year at which stage we can say “We are getting married in April!” instead of “next year” which was a big turning point when we entered 2010.

Photo above by the fabulous NI photographer Paula O'Hara.

Please go check out her website for some seriously inspirational wedding photography.

One for the scrapbookers...

At last I managed to do a layout - the first of the Tuscany ones. Well if they can't inspire me nothing can!

I actually really enjoyed playing with paper again and it was all down to Mr M. At dinner one night this week he asked why I don't do it anymore. He told me how much he loved it and thought they were beautiful no matter what I felt about them not being as good as other people's. And then he told me he wants me to scrapbook an album of our wedding photos and that put the fear in me. We'll see whether this actually happens but I'd need to find my mojo to do that!

Wedding-wise, this week we have been to that place called "Should We Postpone The Wedding To 2012?" and back.

Snapshots of Tuscany... (photo heavy!)

Well, I knew I would have a fabulous time.
Really, the best trip ever, and Mr M was nowhere in sight. If I could have shipped him over I would never have left.
It was a great chance for me to catch up with my girlfriends, who haven’t all been together for over 2 years and I realised how much I miss and need my friends more in my life. I’ve been dreaming about us all being back there together again every night since!
I want to share with you some photos from the trip. I did rather rashly buy a new lens for this trip, thinking that I couldn’t go without it and in the end never even took it out of its little case. Shame on me.

The town of San Gimignano is so pretty, rustic and photogenic…

The wedding, bride and groom absolutely gorgeous...

Mmm, would put you in the mood to get married yourself ;)

Talking Italian...

Mr M made me laugh last night.
We were lying in bed, just about to fall asleep when I started talking, as I always do. I was jibbering on about how I needed to find out about some Italian phrases to get by when I'm away and how I could find them out, did I know any already etc etc etc etc (be quiet and go to sleep already!). I asked Mr M did he know any Italian and after a short pause he said "You talkin' to me?" from Taxi Driver.
Just reminded me why I love him.

Hello Tuscany...

The posts are coming thick and fast these days eh! Don't get carried away. I'm going to be missing for a little while (not that you'd usually notice by the general lack of posts!) to travel to Tuscany, Italy for one of my best friends' weddings. This is something I just had to borrow some money from the wedding pot for so I could join her and her lovely guy for their big day.

She is marrying a fabulous photographer, Mark McCormick. Mark is a very successful Northern Ireland based photographer who shoots weddings as well as travel, press and fashion to name a few. He has launched a website after much badgering from everyone he knows to share his work. There are some stunning images on his site, markmccormickphotography.com, and I recommend you have a look, if only for a little daydream about the places he has been!

I’m sure there will be beauty and inspiration overload in Tuscany and my little camera friend will definitely be joining me so hopefully I’ll have some photos to share with you afterwards.

photo from here

The one where Mr M asserts his independence...

As a follow up to this post, Mr M carried through with his intention to pick the suits himself and took a whole day off work to dedicate to the task. He 'Googled' some local firms he had heard off and made an appointment for that afternoon at one chosen shop - solo. No best man.

He confessed to me afterwards that

a) he found when he got there that the staff/owner expected his other half to be with him and said something to the effect of "You're a brave man!"

b) he wanted me to go with him again so I could help him decide on ties and pay a deposit.

So off we went to met with Aaron at Groom Formal Hire in Banbridge - who was really lovely, absolutely knew his stuff and greeted me as "The Boss". At one point he tried to tell me that there was something I couldn't do but I had to warn him not to use those words or I would be determined that that was exactly what I wanted.

I had a fab time dressing up someone else and them loving it! Mr M looked really hot and after trying on a few looks I told him which I thought he looked most fanciable in.

The deal was done and Aaron reassured me that I could bring Mr M back anytime to dress him up and fancy him!

Another job ticked off the list.

photo from here