DIY Invitations

I think Amanda and I have been good and being thrifty for all things wedding-related.

In that spirit I offered to design our wedding invitations. I have a decent handle on design and imaging software, so I figured it'd be worthwhile and cost effective. Invitations can cost $3 or $4 each if you're doing them professionally, and that's a cost I'm glad we're skipping.

Per my brother Sergio's advice, we bought a Gocco Japanese screen printer of eBay for $200. It shipped from Osaka in just a few days and we were ready to get our hands inky.

The problem was that we didn't really know what we wanted to say, or what we wanted the invitations to look like. We obviously wanted to use our wedding colors - purple and yellow - but weren't sure about images or fonts.

I managed to turn out a couple decent designs over the weekend that I emailed to Indiana for feedback. Amanda and I went to Paper Zone on Sunday to look at paper colors and weights, so hopefully we'll have a chance to test the Gocco later this week.

I'm excited to share with everyone our final design. If anyone has tips or tricks for DIY invitations, please let us know!

February 10th

Hello, February 10th! This Friday, we will be three months from our trip to Indiana. This trip is a special one because we will be getting married:) I have been using my Tuesday evenings to run errands and do wedding planning, while Paolo is at school. Last Tuesday I bought my niece her flower girl dress and she is looking stunning. Here is a photo of Abby.


Paolo is working hard on designing our wedding invitations. We're trying to come up with something super creative, so stay tuned for that.

Another thing we are working on is finding the perfect wedding bands. My ring is so unique and that means my band will be unique too. Good luck to me in this adventure of finding the perfect band. I tried to get one designed, but it was a little too expensive. Paolo hasn't decided what he wants yet, but I am excited to find out.

Speaking of Paolo, he is a lucky man because he got to open up an early gift. I purchased our cake topper and let him open it up early. It was important to me to pick a meaningful cake topper (cupcake topper) and I found the perfect one. Here is a picture of it.



I will share more details as they come along.

Marriage

Marriage is...

Chains do not hold a marriage together. It is threads, hundreds of tiny threads which sew people together through the years. ~Simone Signoret

When the one man loves the one woman and the one woman loves the one man, the very angels desert heaven and come and sit in that house and sing for joy. ~The Brahma Sutras

When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible. ~Nora Ephron, When Harry Met Sally

Love is blind, but marriage restores its sight. ~Samuel Lichtenberg

Wedlock is a padlock. ~John Ray, English Proverbs

There is no more lovely, friendly and charming relationship, communion or company than a good marriage. ~Martin Luther

People do not marry people, not real ones anyway; they marry what they think the person is; they marry illusions and images. The exciting adventure of marriage is finding out who the partner really is. ~James L. Framo, "Explorations in Marital & Family Therapy"

No man expects a great deal from marriage. He is quite satisfied if his wife is a good cook, a good valet, an attentive audience, and a patient nurse. ~Author Unknown

I dreamed of a wedding of elaborate elegance,
A church filled with family and friends.
I asked him what kind of a wedding he wished for,
He said one that would make me his wife.
~Author Unknown

quotegarden.com

Gym Fashion

I have realized ,in the last month, that fashion at the gym is important to some.
I am not a total Fashionista when I go to the gym, but I do try and match. Here is a photo of the man who works out next to me.


Really, Paolo?

Long Weekends and Holidays

Hi everyone. These past couple weeks have been amazing. In the last 2 months, I might have worked 1 full week and I love it. This is the last day I will be taking off for awhile and I have to admit I am a little sad:(

Last Thursday, I spent the day in Seattle and I did a little shopping at the Frock Shop, in Phinney Ridge. When in need of a dress last minute, this place will not disappoint you. I always find something amazing here.

The day was beautiful and I spent a little time with the little guys I used to nanny for. They are getting so big and it's the best feeling in the world that I can still make them laugh:)

I met up with a friend for coffee and I experienced an amazing Mocha.

Finally, Paolo splurged and took me to one of my favorite restaurants in Seattle....Black Bottle!

Friday morning, I woke up and hauled butt to finish painting the laundry room. It looks amazing and I definitely surprised Paolo. He thought I would spend the day relaxing, but I wanted to prove that a stay-at-home fiancee is what I CAN be. Here are a few pics!




Finally, I spent a lot of time with Fabrizio. He has been a little grouchy lately and I think it's due to lack of mommy time. Here are a few pictures of his new gift of grass from the Chaffees.

Goodbye 2009

Hello, 2010. I have been waiting for you my whole life and I have a lot on my mind. One thing that has been on my mind is, I never thought I would get married in the year 2010! I have to admit....I LIKE IT. I am anxiously awaiting May to arrive so I can squeeze into my wedding dress and marry the man of my dreams.

Another thing that's been on my mind, is the gym. I have been working out 5-6 times a week and eating healthier, so I shouldn't use the term squeeze when describing my dress.
I didn't make a 2010 new years resolution, but I am enjoying spending time being active with Paolo. I have made a lifestyle change. I love it that we get to ski together and that we can go to our local gym and get a great workout in. Believe it or not, last night I went to the gym all by myself and as I was on the stair master, I noticed all the men checking out all the ladies. If you want to meet someone at the gym, go at 7:30 in the evening. I was working hard core on the stair master and I had to concentrate on smiling instead of making excruciating faces. Good thing I have a man because I am sure with my funky outfit and facial expressions I would scare off anything that moves.

So,I have been super busy over these past couple weeks. Work and getting ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas took up a lot of my time. That explains the non-existent posts.

During the Holiday season I talked to all of my relatives over Skype. That's why using Skype more has been on my mind. I want to see my family more and although the computer isn't the same as in person, but it sure does beat the telephone.

I am sure all of you have heard that we are planning on going to Costa Rica for our honeymoon,the price is right. So warm weather is on my mind. I am totally stoked about this fabulous 3 1/2 weeks away from Tacoma, but I will miss Fabrizio dearly. This means I will be able to go on a shopping spree for sexy summer clothes:)

The last thing that has been on my mind is vitamins. I have started taking vitamins again. I usually do this during the winter for the extra beat sickness factor. I know everyone has noticed when you take vitamins, your pee is pretty yellow because of all the water soluble vitamins that are leaving your body. The one question I have is....If you hold your pee in your bladder longer, will your bladder soak the vitamins back up?

Indiana Trip

Well, we are back in Washington. Our trip to Indiana went great. Nothing better than hanging with family and friends. It was a fun-filled all about Amanda trip,in a way, and I am not going to complain about that. Here is everything that went on.

We arrived Wednesday night to eat a great meal,with Mom and Dad, but then mom and I scurried off to hang out with the ladies for a bridal shower. My BF Daish, planned a last minute shower that was perfect. I got to see my closest friends and have some girl time with food and gifts.

Thursday, I was up bright and early to do a practice run with my hair. One of my closest friends Sheila practiced an updo before my dress fitting. After we were done with my hair, mom, Sheila, Daisha, and I met at the boutique. All I can say is, I LOVE MY DRESS. It's perfect. Mom and I met up with Paolo and Dad, since they were feeling neglected. Then we had a shopping spree at Macy's. After the shopping spree we had a fabulous lunch at 800 Degrees Fired Pizza.

That evening Paolo, Ty (bro), Amber (sis-in-law), and I went to El Azteca. It's my favorite restaurant and I always eat there when I am home. This time I only made it there once;(

Friday, we hung out and had a great early-brithday meal cooked by my Mom.

Saturday, I had another bridal shower. This time it was with my family. They bought me gifts from Indiana to remember my roots, plus gifts on my registry.

After the shower we went Christmas Tree hunting with the Green's (my Godparents). This is a yearly tradition that's been going on for 30+ years.
After we hunted down the perfect tree, per Paolo's request, we went to the Nolt Family Dinner Haus. This is an Amish home that is used as a restaurant and it's the best country home cooking.
You can visit Paolo and Amber's blog for pictures.

My best friend Jenny was in and out of the hospital, but eventually gave birth to a little tiny baby. He was 28 weeks gestation and he is a little fighter. He weighs 2 lbs. 9 oz. and he is 15 inches long. They will be visiting the hospital daily until they can take that little guy home with them. His name is Henry:) You can find more about Henry here.

Thanks, to all my friends and family for making our trip home wonderful.