Friday, February 25, 2011

I'm a Beta Tau Beta

I was formally initiated as a Beta Tau Beta on Wednesday.

Apparently I was only a BTB (bride-to-be) pledge to this point. But now there's no denying it - I'm officially part of the sisterhood.


Only this time there was no secret password, candle light or promise of raised letters.


There was just one big fat awful wedding nightmare.


And as president of
my sorority in college, I can assure you that it was a rite of passage far scarier than that of my freshmen year.

I awoke on Thursday from a wedding day with no photographer, no manicure and no idea how to pull together the mess around me.


It left me anxious and forlorn for most of the afternoon, certain that my future was destined to such misfortune.

But then my BTB sisters shared with me their inaugural wedding nightmares, and I felt much better.

I'm back to being the big (wo)man on campus - with even
greater resolve to ensure there are no loose ends by July 16.

So tell me, what is your worst wedding nightmare?


Life Loyal,

BTB


* - to be true to my Delta Delta Delta roots, I must clarify that we call our ladies "new members" not pledges. But in the context of the blog, the terminology made greater stereotypical sense.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

J'adore Polyvore

Bridesmaids


I feel like I just ran a marathon.

In heels.

This afternoon I learned of the brilliant Polyvore from my writer/stylist/foodie friend Caite.

Caite is currently using the web-based application to create new looks for her personal styling business Sparrow & Whistle.

Like Pinterest, Polyvore allows you to capture images of things you adore online - but the fun doesn't stop there.

Within Polyvore's interface, you can mix and match these items to create cohesive collections - in Caite's case, entire new wardrobes.

Moreover, Polyvore provides pricing information and links to the retailer's website!

Therefore, being quite impressed, I took on the (Poly)voracious challenge of creating a few looks for my bridesmaids.

Lately, I had been intimidated by their dress' print and beloved belt, and was thinking there was little room for fun accessories.

But today, I think I proved myself wrong - with the help of Polyvore and Caite, of course.

What do you think?
Do you have a favorite?

Click the image above to be linked directly to my Polyvore page.

xoxo,
BTB


PS - If my font appears two different sizes, please excuse the blip! Formatting has been tricky today.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Royal Affair


It was released this weekend that Prince William and Kate Middleton invited 1,900 people to their April wedding at Westminster Abbey.

To put things in perspective, our guest list is barely 7% of that of Kate and Will's.

My favorite factoids from this royal affair:

On this side of the Atlantic, brides-to-be can invite American "royalty" to their wedding. By sending a wedding invitation to the President and First lady, formal etiquette requires a letter of congratulations be sent in return. How fancy!

Consider adding two more to your guest list under:

The Honorable Barack and Mrs. Obama
The White House
Greetings Office, Room 39
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, D.C. 20500


Cheers!

BTB

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

A Valentine from EE Cummings

On Valentine's Day last year, Adam and his roommate Austin made dinner for "Katie Lady" and "Megatron" (pictured above).

This was after a day hike at Ijams Nature Center where Adam propped his camera on a ledge but prefaced the self-timer by blurting out, "I'm not proposing!"

Guys are so edgy around Valentine's Day. Poor things.

This year, we are eating crepes at the The French Market and then going to see Audrey Hepburn's "Sabrina" at the Tennessee Theatre.

Now, that is romantic.

And so is this Valentine snippet from EE Cummings "dive for dreams"-

trust your heart
if the seas catch fire
(and live by love
though the stars walk backward)
honour the past
but welcome the future
(and dance your death
away at the wedding)

What are your Valentine plans?
xoxo,
BTB

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Save the Seals


During my parents' visit this weekend, we reminisced over lunch with Adam's mom about our respective childhood memories.

Needless to say, I sounded like the bigger freak.


There was no need for the family photo album. Everyone got the picture:


To begin, this is 3-year-old Kate as she pretends to marry her dad in front of the fireplace.


Oh, oh! This was when Kate was really into baby dolls. She named this little one after LeAnn Rimes.


(
I'll do the math for you: LeAnn Rimes' debut album, Blue, topped billboard charts in 1996. That means I was a 10-year-old baby-doll-carrying country music fan.)

And just to bring it up to speed: This is Ross, Kate's seal puppet. She sleeps with him to this very day.


Now, how in the heck am I suppose to justify that one to my future mother-in-law? To ANYONE, really?


You know what, I just can't. I have a stuffed animal named Ross. He happens to be a seal and a puppet all in one, and I love him.


If you want one, too, I found you one on
ebay.

Please save the seals,

BTB

Friday, February 4, 2011

The Break-Up

Speaking of my first wedding dress, I received this email from Cindy yesterday.

The day I met Cindy was the day that playing dress-up died. On November 13, she poked and prodded me into my first
real wedding dress faster than I could say "I do."

I
still felt like a 4-year-old.

But Cindy eased me into dresses and out of dismay. She listened to me as I described the ideal dress, and sympathized with me when I disliked each one of them in the mirror.


She commiserated with my mother, who once worked in a wedding boutique, over the brides who seemingly forgot to wear underwear the day of their dress consultation.


She had extra hair ties and bobby pins.

She offered us punch.

She sent a handwritten thank you even though we left the store
empty handed.

And now this.


I just can't bring myself to tell Cindy that I bought my dress elsewhere.
I never expected having to break-up with anyone while being engaged.

Love,

BTB

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Throwback Wedding Dress

This is my first wedding dress.

I hope to not be caught between the same angel/Egyptian pose at my actual wedding.

However, in that 1990 moment, I know this was the perfect, most bride-like posture I knew to make.

I mean, take it from Ariel.

I did.

Hugs,
BTB

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Roll Over

I'm not sure if Adam knows what shams are, but he's getting two!

Pictured above are the duvet and shams we picked* for our registry**. For reference, they are the Deirdre Organic Duvet and Shams from Pottery Barn.

* When I say "picked," I mean it's the one (of five patterns that I liked) that we agreed on. After driving Adam crazy only 10 minutes into our PB visit, I knew my number one was not high on his list.

Thankfully, having all but memorized Pottery Barn's bedding inventory, I was able to find something less "dirty looking," as Adam requested, and something that didn't "look like my mother," a goal I had set knowing that I tend towards such decisions.

Case in point.

Plus, it was on sale.

** With that being said, I knew the sale item wouldn't stand a chance on our registry. Thankfully, my future mother-in-law gobbled it up to ensure that we had a true starting point as we begin the registry process. We are so excited and thankful!

That's a win-win-win-win.

Hooray,
BTB

House Update

Sadly, we have not moved forward on this house. Therefore, we will not be moving into this house. Without anyone to sublet Adam's apartment, we are unable to sign a new lease.

I've come to terms with this reality rather quickly, which makes me think things are as they should be. There's something to be said about having a clean sense about something.

What has been equally reassuring is that we've decided on our bedding for the future house. No matter where we live, we know what blankets will be on our bed! And that tiny yet permanent fixture of our life together seals the deal in my mind: we will have a new home.

As my dear
Kimberly once said, "Kate, you're not going to be homeless during your first year of marriage."

Now the second or third year... that's up for debate.

Yours,
BTB

Side note about the picture: This summer, Adam took a photo of me looking equally childish and devilish which he has since managed to Photoshop into almost any photo. Here, you can see, I appear to be angry about not getting this house. But as I just explained, that is not the case.