Thursday, April 28, 2011

These Five Things


Earlier today, fellow blogger and friend Caite followed Marcy May's lead and wrote 10 (well, 8) little things about herself. She then turned the table on her readers, and asked them to do the same.

I took interest in this challenge because after college I kept a tiny blog called
These Five Things. While I wasn't divulging five facts about myself, I was sharing five things in which I'd taken interest.

One day shy of exactly two years ago, I had taken an interest in
Mr. and Mrs. O. More so, Mrs. O's style, but who hadn't from the moment she started wearing belts around cardigans and shopping at Target?

Back to the point - I'm going to play along with Caite, but today I'm aiming to write five wedding-related things about myself.


1. The first time I heard Pachelbel's Canon on the 5-disc changer in my aunt and uncle's Volvo, I knew I'd walk down the aisle to that song. I slaved away to learn it on the piano, which always put a smile on my mother's face, and it's probably the only song I can still play by heart. With that being said, there are no secrets come July 16th!


Admittedly, Adam and I thoroughly discussed using the acoustic intro to Sigur Ros' "ágætis byrjun" off their hvard-heim album. But that wasn't in the cards for our string trio.


2. After a service trip to the redwoods during college, I broke my habit of religiously wearing mascara. These days, my make-up regimen is minimal. I get by with under-eye concealer, blush and bronzer - and when I'm feeling sassy, a little clear mascara on the brows. All that to say, the thought of wedding make-up scares the crap out of me. It's the one time where, "more is more!"

3. When I was the flower girl in my cousin's wedding, I lost my two front teeth at the rehearsal dinner. The daughters of that bride will be handing out programs at my wedding! At the wedding of another cousin, I was snuck my first mimosa. Her red-headed cutie-
patootie is my flower girl.

4. My wedding paradigm was shaped by the following cinematic moments: 1) The armadillo groom's cake in the "blush and bashful" wedding //
Steel Magnolias; 2) A father in denial befriends the cooky wedding coordinator // Father of the Bride; 3) Julia Roberts' bridesmaid fitting with Cameron Diaz // My Best Friend's Wedding.

5. I have never been a bridesmaid. Imagine that - planning a wedding without ever having been in one!


Enough said!

BTB


Hide and Seek

This has nothing to do with weddings.


The south was unexpectedly hit by a series of tornadoes yesterday.
Tuscaloosa, AL bore the brunt of the storm while pockets of severe weather continued to sweep through South-eastern Tennessee and Southern Virginia. Reports indicate that over 170 people were killed.

I pray that number does not rise throughout today.


This morning we are extremely thankful that our family and friends are safe after such an eerie day in Knoxville.

Adam's brother, sister-in-law and nephew who live in West Knox took cover in the bathroom during a hail storm that shattered windshields and house windows, while his parents withdrew to the basement as a funnel cloud was spotted in Morristown, TN.

We had several friends who lost power for the second time this week, and knew of others with significant damage to their homes due to fallen trees.



My roommate Meghan,
Lily monster and I spent most of the night between our house and our neighbors' who have a basement. Meghan is from Alaska and was largely unfamiliar (and therefore super calm) with the storm scare.

However, I was reminded of the time my 12-year-old home alone self hid under the basement steps with our dog Windsor, the Brita water pitcher and my Bible after hearing that a tornado was coming up I-81.

Mind you, that particular interstate runs the
entire length of Virginia.

Thankfully, I felt less alone yesterday.


Despite covering the developing storm from the newsroom, Adam kept in touch the entire day. I received funny little texts asking me to "keep an eye on things" and "be safe." But as conditions worsened, I understood more deeply Adam's concern and care.


At one point he even thanked me for taking cover.


My sweetheart.


Contained in this post are several photos Adam took yesterday courtesy of knoxnews.com. Below is my favorite scene which he captured from the top of the parking garage I use for work.




Y'all take care now!
BTB

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Round and Round

Many of you have asked for an update on our wedding bands.

Here is the full scoop!


Earlier this month, Adam and I purchased our wedding bands.


Less than 30 days later, we returned both of them thanks to a glorious return policy at a large-scale jeweler where "he" infamously "went."


The reason behind this decision was that I was having a
crisis concerning the prospect of wearing an additional ring, yet I was also caught up in the idea that "bigger is better."

Could that make any less sense?


Of course not.


Therefore, Adam returned my first band and we turned to
East Tennessee Diamond - where he purchased my diamond and setting - to find a matching knife-edged band.

The hometown jeweler ordered two sample bands from the same designer as my ring, and we thankfully found a winner between the two.


On top of that, ETD offered a discount on the grooms' band since my diamond was purchased in-house. This not only suited my fancy, it sat well with Adam who preferred to buy the bands from the same (local) place.


What a practical man he is!


So, Adam went ahead and ordered my band on the spot. I returned his original one the next day, and ordered a new band from ETD which gave me the opportunity to have it engraved - something that slipped my mind the first time around.


When the bands came in (today!), the wrong one was accidentally shipped for me.
This gave Adam the chance to have mine engraved - something that slipped his mind the first two times around.

We can't wait to share our inscriptions with you!

But until then, here's a picture of the lone wolf.



xoxo,
BTB

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Like A Glove

I'm a little skiddish as I write this for fear of giving something away. I almost blew it the first time I approached this topic.

On Friday, I had my first fitting since the wedding dress was altered.


And boy, did it fit like a glove!


It's amazing how they can do that. A little nip, a little tuck and voila! You no longer look like a saggy wedding cake.


Believe you me, I never doubted Michelle's ability as a seamstress. During my first appointment, she floored me with her working knowledge of
my dress - the dress that I (secretly) thought was the most unique, most special, never-before-seen dress.

Michelle humbled me with the fact that she has altered
my dress several times.

And praiza Lord for all those brides who have gone before me!

Michelle had learned that its fabric was actually longer than the underpinning of the dress so she knew what to expect during alternations; she had created both a traditional and french bustle on the gown and was able to demonstrate both options; she even assured me that my EXACT undergarments were a common choice among brides who chose this dress.


I mean, is she good? Or is she good?


In my opinion, she's up there with
Cindy.

One lucky bride,

BTB

Doodle


Having a professional photographer as a fiance is a dream.

He always has his camera(s). Your photos are never blurry. Plus, you end up with quite a stock pile of profile pictures.

(Can you
imagine our children's profile pictures?! Pffft.)

However, what
also ends up happening is that he barely shows up in any of them! I may as well be single according to half my photo albums.

That's why I'm super excited for our official engagement session this coming Sunday with Texture Photo (see Carrie, it totally works!).

It had been difficult to find a time that worked for all of us; professional photographers have tricky schedules - and we had two in the mix!

To remedy this, I used a helpful online scheduling system called Doodle.

After I selected several possible dates and times, a poll was created and we each voted on what worked best. Before I knew it, we were able to see our common availabilities.

While this may not be my favorite doodle, it is fantastic for efficiently scheduling an event between several people without a headache. It would be perfect for planning bridal showers or bachelorette parties.

Now if I could just find something to help plan my outfits for downtown scenes and dogwoods...

xoxo,
BTB

p.s. - again, thanks to my MOH Sara for shooing our save the date photos back in November!

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Name Change

As much as I loooove all things Google, I had not looked into securing my married email address.

I've doodled my new name all over things for months now (many, many months).


But I hadn't given much thought to my electronic signature.


Good thing I had a bridesmaid lookin out!


Lindsay emailed me yesterday to let me know that she checked the availability of my new name and went ahead and set up the account.


Coming soon to an inbox near you!


BTB

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Bride(smaid)


One of my best friends got engaged on Monday.

I had to keep it a secret for a whole 48 hours, and I don't think I have ever been so excited.


I take that back.

I was pretty much itching for my proposal.


Since being engaged, an entire piece of my heart has been beating to a slightly different tune. It's not as though my single friends are out of tune - rather, we've formed a new song.


But I'm overjoyed to have another gal pal join the chorus.

I can't wait to listen to her as she processes, prays and laughs her way through this.

My favorite line from William Shakespeare holds true: If music be the food of love, play on.

Congrats L and J!
BTB

Hitchin Age


I turned 25 this past Sunday.

That sounds old enough to get married!

Thanks to everyone who celebrated me on top of what seems like an entire season of celebration leading up to the wedding.

I feel some kind of special.

xoxo,
BTB

p.s. - That's the first time I saw 25 in writing. Phew. Where has this little girl gone?

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

OCDirections

As detail-oriented as I try to be, some things manage to sneak past me. And when they do, I try to be as relaxed as possible while I let my obsessive compulsiveness run its course.

For instance, I recently printed, cut and hole-punched over 100 direction cards only to find that the ink was a little too bold when paired with the invitation.

Did it ever cross my mind to check such a thing before I got so far into it?

Pffft, of course not.

I could have let this slide, but it irked me so. Even my mother conceded, "Kate, there are those who will never notice. And then there will be a few, who like us, will think, 'Now, that doesn't make any sense.'"

That was all she had to say.

There are now 200 direction cards - half of which will be used as scrap paper.

I certainly got my money's worth out of this $14 project!
  • $4 ream of card stock from a party & paper company close-out sale
  • $10 Martha Stewart doily lace punch on sale at Michael's


DIY,
BTB

Monday, April 11, 2011

Navy Baby


Here's a little Monday haiku for you:

We are in a bind.
Navy suits are hard to find.
Can you help us, please?

That's right. We haven't found navy suits available to rent. I never expected this to be a hang up! Do you have any suggestions??

A little desperate,
BTB


Image via
SMP

The Newlywed Game


What made me sweat at my shower was not the nightie I opened FROM MY MOTHER - but playing the newlywed game.

My friend Susan had asked Adam a series of questions in advance, and I was to guess how he answered them.

Opening gifts + talking + thinking like Adam was a lot to juggle, but it made for a hilariously sweet time. I hope someone got a picture of me fanning myself with the shower invitation.

Here are a few questions with my answers followed by Adam's. Feel free to laugh at the inconsistencies. We did.

--What is Kate's favorite flower?
K: Baby's breath
A: She isn't crazy about flowers....

-- What is Kate's favorite season of the year?
K: Spring
A: Summer, methinks

-- What is your favorite feature on Kate? g-rated :)
K: My legs?
A: Her eyes: green halos with brown in the center, one black speck in each

-- What is her favorite feature about you?
K: His hands
A: My smile

-- What is her "go-to" meal?
K: Anything with pork
A: BBQ nachos! Calhoun's patio in the summer and/or Dead End

-- What is your favorite thing that she wears?
K: A purple crewneck from JCrew
A: She has a striped shirt that looks like she'd wear it sailing... I love it. Oh and jeans and flats. that is Kate to me. She has great style.

-- What is Kate's favorite movie?
K: Pride & Prejudice or Under the Tuscan Sun
A: Star Wars :)

**Adam's response is clearly a joke as I've never seen any Star Wars movies. Apparently this is a requirement before becoming a Brimer.

-- If she could travel anywhere, where would she go?
K: Florence, Italy
A: Florence, Italy

-- What was the date of your first date?
K: I have no idea; it was a date to Litton's sometime in June. We officially started dating on June 27 after a trip to the aquarium in Chattanooga.
A: June 27 is when we got Lily... and technically when we started dating. We went to Litton's for dinner a week or so before that... so really that was our first date but I don't remember the exact date... It's like the queen's birthday, we have an official date and then the real date. I side with the Litton's dinner, but in my infinite forgetfulness I don't remember when it was.

-- How many kids does she want have?
K: 2
A: 2-3. I know she wants a girl first. I want a boy first. Guess we'll have to figure that out :)

-- What is her childhood pets name?
K: Windsor!
A: Windsor, a cocker spaniel

-- What is her top love language (words of affirmation, quality time, physical touch, acts of service, gifts)?
K: {I started out by asking if that meant giving or receiving - turns out Adam answered for both!} Receiving: words of affirmation; Giving: acts of service
A: To her: words of affirmation; From her: quality time

-- If she could change one thing about herself what would it be?
K: {I had no idea}
A: She'd be married to me already. Haha!

We're 6 for 13. We're meant to be!


xoxo,
BTB


P.S. - Thank you, Susan!

Sunday, April 10, 2011

April Showers


My small group hosted my first bridal shower over the weekend.

I'm so thankful for the generosity and loveliness of (L-R) Angela, Susan, Elizabeth, Caroline, Kasey and Nora. They made me feel so special, and certainly eased me into this shower circuit I face in the next three months.

Guests included my mentor Leah, my teacher Susanne, my mother-in-law Cheryl, my Mom and Lindsay, one of my bridesmaids.

These women are so dear to me. Pictured clockwise from top left: Leah, Susanne, Mom and Cheryl.


Thank you, all!

Love,
The new owner of a duvet cover & shams, hamper, wine glasses, pillows, wire baskets, throw blanket, bathroom trashcan, memory board and more!

AKA BTB

Mother of the Bride

Preface: I'm sorry for the confusion in having to remove the last post about my dress fitting. It bums me out, too! However, I wasn't thorough in my fact checking, and I risked almost outing myself. Enough said.

Instead, I want to share with you the handiwork of my mother who is in her element as Mother of the Bride/wedding planner/creative director.

She certainly wears a lot of hats - stylish ones, at that!

As far as theme goes, we are envisioning a shabby chic rustic wedding, one that blends perfectly with the cobble stone & gardens at the Maple Grove Inn.

Therefore, Mom is currently white-washing grape vine wreath after grape vine wreath, and creating a gorgeous floral, twiggy, tulle-y spray on the top.

I absolutely love it and am already thinking of what we'll do with 14 wreaths after the wedding!

But most of all, I am thankful for her care and precision in carrying out the vision we've cast for this celebration.

She absolutely floored me when she revealed the "Mr." and "Mrs." signs that will hang on the back of our chairs at the reception.

The handkerchiefs belong to my dad, which she then tea-stained and hand-stitched. They are just the cutest little things. I can't wait to find a place to them in our house when all is over and done with.

Don't you wish you had a mama like her?!

Love,
BTB

Thursday, April 7, 2011

100 Days


The countdown has officially begun. We have 100 days until ze wedding.

With that being said, this weekend holds a lot of excitement.
Bring on those double digits, baby!

However, I am not only looking forward to day 99, 98 and 97 - but also to a visit from my parents, my first dress fitting and my first bridal shower.

Let the games begin!

Cheers,
BTB


P.S. - Wondering about that cute bunting pictured above? Well, that is actually an endearingly sweet wedding invitation I received yesterday from my friend Amelia. Along with her mom and some gal pals, she handmade each invitation which was designed by the talented Ashley Addair.

My invitation was created with pages torn from
A Severe Mercy - although I know others included works by Jane Austen (swoon). Guests flip up the pages & fabric to reveal a portion of the invitation beneath (as seen on the far left). A true labor of love!

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Food of Love


One of my wildest wedding dreams has come true.

Someone has purchased the Kitchenaid stand mixer off our registry!

Forget about the towels, the dishes, the much-needed 24-piece tupperware set. This is one sharp cookie.

We're looking at 325 watts, 10-speeds, a 5-quart bowl and an empire red finish.

Now, I know this is a common registry item for brides - even for those who have no intention of ever using the dough hook or the horsepower. As for them: shaaaame on you.

But to me - the girl who hand mixes everything save for the time I whip out my immersion blender from the early 90s to finish the job (do you even understand how wrong that is?) - this is the icing on the cake, literally.

Thanks to online registries, brides have the awkward but thrilling knowledge as to when items on their registry are "complete," or shall I dare say it - left unfulfilled.

HAPPY SIDENOTE - When you register at Pottery Barn, you receive 10-percent off all items left on your registry - as well as any items you wish to add - for six months after the wedding.

However, in cases like this, you're left overjoyed with a splash of intrigue and dash of excitement. You have absolutely no idea who bought it or when it will arrive - as if brides weren't antsy enough :)

So, to the Lovely Person who purchased the empire red 5-quart, 10-speed, 325-watt Kitchenaid stand mixer, I can't wait to squeeze your neck and send you cookies, or a cake, or whatever baked goods your heart desires.

xoxo
BTB

P.S. - This is the first thing I predict making! Or maybe this.

With This Ring


Please ignore how flesh-y this photo is. We are no hand models.

However, we did shamelessly run home for our own photo shoot with our newly purchased wedding bands.


It's a good thing mine is out of focus because now it's entirely out of the picture.


Yep, I'm that girl.


I picked out a wedding band and then asked my husband-to-be to return it.


Ugh. I wish I was better at this process, but I'm not.


Thinking about wearing two rings is an adjustment - especially for someone who likes to get her hands dirty in the kitchen and in the garden.


Plus, I'm content with the one I have now.


Luckily, Adam is smitten with his, plus he looks like a stud.


But what a tease! We have 3 more months to go!


That gives me plenty of time to find something.

Let's hope!
BTB