Planning Update

Bryan took this picture in Sausalito during our recent trip to California.

So, this week I had a chat with the caterer at Sweetwater Branch Inn and made our menu selections for the reception! We also sent out the save the dates and publish our wedding website- check it out here.

I also recently had my first dress fitting. The story of how I got my dress is so amazing. Thanks to this organization, I was able to get my wedding dress for free!! It's a sample Lazaro couture gown from 2004 and it is beautiful! Although it needed to be altered just a tad ;) Sylvia is the lady at the store where I am having my alterations done and ordered the bridesmaid dresses. In order to permit me breathing during the wedding, we have to have the back of the dress restructured (more details after the wedding because to be honest, Bryan reads this). I am very excited about it and about the work they are doing on the bustle. I go for my next fitting on October 8th!

Other notes include purchasing my shoes and working with a calligrapher in Gainesville to create the invitation suite (very, very excited about this) and figuring out how to get them printed.

Bryan and I are spending a spontaneous weekend together just relaxin' and watching the Gators beat Kentucky (although we are still trying to catch our breath after that whole Tim-Tebow-laying-on-the-ground-motionless-injury-ESPN2-cutting-to-commercial-thing).

More to come!

Maryel

Goin' back home to the west coast

Bryan and I recently returned from a trip to Northern California. The purpose of our trip was that Bryan was a groomsman in a wedding of our dear friend Matt and his lovely wife Emily. Bryan and I both love California. I swear I feel pure bliss when I am in California. The weather was beautiful, although it is crazy hot during the day and quite chilly at night in Davis, exactly what you would expect from north-central California.

We started the trip with lunch in Sausalito with Clarissa. She and I have been friends since the first grade and since she lives in San Francisco, I only get to see her every three years or so. It was so good to see her again! We had a wonderful lunch (and ice cream of course), and spent most of the time reminiscing about our times together.

Matt and Emily live in Davis. Matt was in ROTC with Bryan and me at Florida and Bryan and Matt were roommates when Bryan was stationed at Beale. The first night we were there, we had In n' Out Burger (a California highlight, trust me) followed by gelato in Davis. It was delightful.

On Saturday, the Gators gathered at The Graduate in Davis to watch the Florida/Tennessee game. It wasn't the prettiest win, but a win is a win. The top picture is at Matt and Emily's rehearsal dinner at Il Fornaio in downtown Sacramento. It was a delish italian restaurant with a patio with white twinkly lights.

Sunday was wedding day. Matt and Emily had an absolutely beautiful ceremony and reception at the Putah Creek Lodge in the UC Davis Arboretum. Their ceremony was underneath a huge tree that had two hearts carved into the trunk. The whole afternoon was filled with such joy and love and it was a blessing to be a part of it.

Tennis, Baseball, and Football, oh my!

Bryan came to visit for Labor Day and we had an amazing time. We spent Friday taking the 7 train from Manhattan to Queens for the day session at US Open Tennis and a Mets v. Cubs game at night. Both venues are at the same subway stop so it was quite convenient. I have never been to a tennis tournament before. It was awesome. We got to see Serena Williams and Andy Murray at Arthur Ashe Stadium. THe weather was beautiful!! The Mets game was pretty great and I love Citi Field, but the day was so long we ended up leaving the game early.

On Saturday we went to the Apple store and got Bryan a MacBook Pro!! Now we just wait for his cell phone contract to expire so we can get him an iPhone! After the Apple store we headed to the Philadelphia Gator Club to watch the Gators beat up on Charleston Southern. It was quite enjoyable. We Gators take our college football very seriously.

On Sunday, after church, we had our first pre-marital counseling session with the rector at my church here in NJ. Since we won't be able to get to Florida more than once between now and the wedding, we are able to meet with my church up here instead.

Monday, we went to Six Flags, but we both got sick on our third ride... so we went home early from that.

We had planned to get some wedding stuff done but we were exhausted from all of the sports... next visit for sure.

More to come!
Maryel

Random Acts of Homemaking

So each time Bryan comes to visit, I try out a new dessert recipe and let him try it. For his last trip I made a peach custard pie which he says he liked, but I am not sure I believed him :) For his Labor Day trip I made an Apple upside-down pie. You can find the recipe here. Of course what I made looks nothing like the picture, but Bryan ate it up. The recipe said to fold the crust over the sides, but as you can see in the picture that creates a crease all the way around, so I think next time I make it, i'll bring the bottom crust up over the top one (which ends up being the bottom once you flip it, does that make sense?).

I seem to practice homemaking in manic spurts. I'll pick a recipe, prepare it, and then while whatever's cooking is cooking, I do laundry, clean the bathroom, the kitchen, the living room- whatever else needs to be done. My back usually ends up killing me by the time everything is finished, but I feel accomplished! I am just trying now to learn and cultivate the skills i'll need for later ;)

More to come!
Maryel

Bridesmaid dress picked!

Seriously this time... I finally found it. This is just a picture of the sample, the ones we order will be tea-length. Searching for the bridesmaid dress was by far the most difficult decision I have had to make. There are soooo many options I just couldn't decide. I had an aha moment at a bridal store last week and decided on this dress. And... it fits in with the idea i had in my head at the beginning of this whole adventure :)

I love, love this time of year. It is the week of the first Gator football game!! The past 10 days have been filled with such anticipation. As I scroll down the status updates of my friends on facebook, all of my Gator friends have their countdown until the first football game. I love that this happens every year. It's like Christmas! Merry football season everyone!

More to come!

Maryel

Best. Breakfast. Ever.

This is the Lazy Breakfast from Max Brenner. It is delightful and by far one of the best breakfasts I have ever tasted. The little dishes are butter, peanut butter, chocolate, and apple jam. It also comes with a basket of raisin cinnamon bread. This pic is from a visit with Bryan and our friend Sarah to NYC. I can't wait to explore the Philadelphia location!

Anyway, enough with the chocolate. I went to Lithe at the beginning of the week and felt 100 times better coming out of the class than I did last week. I feel back to normal, but that first class after my break really took its toll on me.

I ended up getting a 95% and 100% on my two papers due at the end of last week for my most recent seminar so that is very exciting. Now I have one more week off before I begin my very last seminar to complete my master's coursework!

In wedding news, Bryan and I have decided to change the location of our reception. Based on trusted observations by my future mother-in-law and her dear friend we have decided that Plantation Hall is not the best location for us. Instead, the reception will now be at the Sweetwater Branch Inn in Gainesville. We are very excited about this change.

This week I will be busy at home preparing for Bryan's visit for Labor Day and assembling some general order in the apartment. Bryan and I have a packed... I mean PACKED... Labor Day weekend. Lots of sports and lots of wedding stuff! The to-do list includes: US Open Tennis, Mets v. Cubs game, and the first Gator football game of the season!

More to come!

Maryel

Quick update

Pink Peonies bouquet
Originally uploaded by L'esprit Sud Magazine

The past week has been a bit crazy. I went to my Lithe class, which is this amazing evolved-pilates class I go to in Philadelphia (blog fithiphealthy over at the right). I haven't been to class in about a month, so it was crazy difficult. My legs are like stone for the rest of the week. The plus here is that I found the Max Brenner in Philadelphia so when you come to visit, expect a trip there!

I wrote my 6 page Leadership Development Portfolio (the paper I have to write at the end of each seminar) and my 14 page Applied Organizational Analysis and uploaded them to my school website on Saturday. I started writing at 0700 and was done just in time to get in the car and drive to DC at 4pm. I was exhausted!!

Saturday night was the Frustrations final show. My Alpha Chi little sister, Kristen, is a rock star and has been singing in a band for two and half years. It was a fantastic show. Sunday, she, my grandlittle Alex and I enjoyed a wonderful brunch outside and then a little bridesmaid dress shopping. Kristen and I also enjoyed a Chopt salad and a couple of epsiodes of Mad Men before I drove back to NJ.

Wedding planning was put on hold while I finished up my school work. But now I have two weeks off before I start my next and final seminar, so hopefully I will accomplish a lot before then.

More to come!

Maryel