parties and road trips

another dreamy One Love Photo image

What a fanfreakingtastic holiday weekend. I gained 7 pounds. And it was the best, most tasty 7 pounds of my whole life. Christmas was simply spectacular...full of New England snow scapes, warm glowing fireplaces, glittering ornaments, and all the joy and laughter that one home with 20 people could handle.

The party continued into Saturday evening when Tommy's relatives threw us an engagement party. I have to admit, I didn't feel uncomfortable as the center of attention. In fact, I was lovin' it (the wine may have helped.) No really though, surrounded by his family and my closest Rhode Island girlfriends - all congratulating us and being excited for us with smiles on their faces was rather spectacular. I mean really - it was overwhelming. I almost cried in front of everyone I was so moved.

It makes me realize that our union is bigger than just the two of us. I am gaining a new sister, a new brother, another set of parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins that love me as much as my own family does. And they really do. They like me that much. And I them.

Such a heart humbling feeling.

Today the two of us begin our road trip back to Arizona. I'm more than a little heart broken to leave Rhode Island. My time living with Tommy's family has been a dream...and I still feel there are adventures to be had! Yet. Time is up, and I need to hurry back to Arizona for my general surgery, emergency dept, and inpatient medicine rotations. We'll be hitting up Charleston, Atlanta, New Orleans, San Antonio, and El Paso on our way. Won't be able to write for a few days, but I will update next year.

2010 is going to be epic.

anniversary

Growing up, my little sisters and I would always proclaim that we would each get married on December 27th. Just like our parents. Just like our grandparents. The magic of winter is obvious...the yummiest homemade goodies are baked with care...the best music blares through the radio...the brightest smiles are on children's faces...and all of those family gatherings filled with laughter.

I used fantasize about exquisite winter weddings. Just like this inspiration board via the Perfect Palate (who compiled this amazing collection of 25 different Christmas inspiration boards!)

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad. Your life together has been such a beautiful example of love. Cheers to 29 more years!

merriest christmas

Here is a picture of the river that runs near the hospital I work. It's pretty...and as cold as it looks!

This promises to be a rather rambunctious Christmas. Brimming full of festive family gatherings with Tommy's delightful extended relatives...Yankee swaps...wine...Christmas caroling...wine... performances at the family Christmas entertainment review...more and more wine...cookies...crazy amounts of Martha-worthy cuisine... gifts...wine...delights...cookies...wine...Wii...gift exchange...their hat game...wine......
...
...and a nice long call home to my family in Arizona because I miss them something awful about right now.

Merriest Christmas to you all.
(Be back in a few days...life is out there for me to jump on)

emerson made table flowers

Well. I'm a flipping huge Emersonmade fan. I think her fabric flowers are divine. So you can imagine my delight when I received this amazing display in my inbox.

Stunning.

I love how these decorative elements can be used over and over. Pull 'em out to dress the table for a Valentine's Day...or to celebrate the blooms of Springtime...or birthday bashes...or cold blistery winters when you need to remember what flowers look like.

And. They look like they could potentially be created yourself - but I realize that my own DIY limit has been reached for our wedding. I'll still pass that along.

Read the whole story here. (thanks for sharing Linda!)

don't you want God at your wedding?

Awww...this picture is heartwarming... Alison Conklin Photography

*caution religious stuff ahead...*

I was dumb struck. Here was this girl. Telling me that she was going to get married in a church because she wanted God to be there, and then questioned "you're getting married outside? why don't you want God to be at your wedding?"

Really?

This is just one more element that confirms the fact that weddings make some people say/do really weird/freaky/tacky stuff. And with something this ridiculous, I just had to address it. Publicly.

I see God in nature. And not only do I see Him, but I experience God in nature. When I'm outside I feel the presence of all good things. It's more of a spiritual place for me than any church has ever been. What's perfect is that My Guy feels the same way. Getting married outside, in Flagstaff, is the perfect place for us.

My relationship with the church has shifted a bit over the years (this isn't exactly the place to discuss such things...sooo....). I realize that my religion believes the Eucharist to be the physical body of Christ...so technically getting married in a Catholic church is literally getting married before Christ himself. Buuuuuuut...I know God to be everywhere. In the trees. The leaves. The sand. The rain. He's not one to be confined to a house of gold and colorful glass.

We chose our ceremony space based on what feels right for us spirituality, not necessarily based on the religious elements we hail from. I don't feel that we am loosing anything by doing this, and I certainly don't feel that God would rather us marry any other way.

He will be there. He always is.

*ENTER TO WIN SOMETHING PURDY FROM COSABELLA*

snowed in

cute lil gingerbread men found at The Perfect Palette

Well. It snowed like a motha last night. Our engagement party was regrettably canceled because the roads were potentially lethal and all. That was a bummer.

However. Tommy's flight got in with no problems (way before the snow started to fall)! I love him. And instead of our future marriage, we celebrated the 29th wedding anniversary of my future inlaws. I adore them.

The house was full of bodies, festive music, laughter, wine, and deliciousness. The tree was lit up displaying 29 years of memories. We are blessed. Beyond blessed.

*ENTER HERE TO WIN COSABELLA LINGERIE*

our winter reunion

I think snowy winter love stories epitomize romance - Katie Jenkins Photography

Well friends. Our four month 3000 mile separation ends today, Saturday, December 19, 2009. My Guy arrives in Rhode Island! (Weather permitting of course...as there is a HUGE snow storm moving in to devastate the region). Plans are to frolic in the magical winter wonderland that is cozy New England. We will celebrate with family and friends...bring to life a snowman and a snow angel or two....shovel snow...shovel snow....shovel snow...and consume vast quantities of hot cocoa. I adore this time of year. (even more so now that I own a couple pairs of long underwear.)

The day after Christmas (or so) we will begin our long trek back to Arizona in my trusty lil sedan. Another fab adventure to enjoy together. When we arrive in our desert home of Phoenix, I will be moving (yet again!) 1.5 hours south to Tucson. At least it's the same area. At least we can see each other whenever we have a spare afternoon!

This evening, his Aunt Sally and Cousin Eliza will be hosting an engagement party for us! I literally couldn't be more EXCITED! This party will bring together my best east coast girl friends (and their beaus), some of our groomsmen (and their ladies!) and all of Tommy's family. That's his name, My Guy. He's Tommy. It's about time I finally come out with that - as it is bound to slip one of these days anyway *smile*

I'm so full of joy my face hurts from smiling!

designated driver

One Love Photo

This has been the single item that I have spent the most time thinking about during this wedding planning. Even more than the ceremony (yikes!). Even more than the flowers (gasp!).

How will we get our friends and family down the mountain after an evening of partying?

Perhaps I'm a worry wart - but the thought of someone attempting to drive down that mountain after just one drink is rather frightful...it's a very topsy turvy winding mountain road. My mom's solution - no booze. Not an option (but thanks for your input mom). We want people to drink and be merry at our celebration!

So. I made a couple calls to shuttle services in Phoenix (as I didn't find any local to Flagstaff) and one quoted me:

$3152. 16

Seriously.

And this was only to transport our bridal party. No lie.

In that case, I think we can trust our friends and family. They have been attending weddings, parties, and keggers for years. They are responsible. They are intelligent.

Was this a concern for you? I'm still nervous about it. Might keep looking.

*ENTER TO WIN COSABELLA LINGERIE HERE*

wedding wish wednesday #22: keep it small

The wedding of Mrs. Espresso via Wedding Bee. I would have probably invited myself to this one.

I was talking to one of my girlfriends the other night. She was telling me that while she was planning her wedding she would get phones calls from co-workers and childhood friends inquiring if they were invited to her wedding. Awkward.

I must admit, I have experienced something similar to this and it makes me feel awful. (I felt like a deer caught in the headlights and managed to laugh it off while changing the subject rapidly.... sooooo.... yikes!)

Our wedding will be small. We want it that way. But, it's difficult to pick and choose our nearest and dearest. We could very well fill auditoriums with the people in our lives (especially since I'm still a student, I could probably invite my entire class and faculty!) and My Guy has loads of friend/co-workers from his work and grad school. And what about all the friends whose weddings I have attended in the past? Believe me. If money wasn't an option, we'd consider inviting everyone we know.

However, we can't. And we won't. But through the process, I hope people understand.

let's talk bridal showers

Truth be told, I've only been to a couple bridal showers. Brimming with yum yummy food, (no really - like amazing food), a couple sweet banners of congratulations, tables full of perfectly wrapped gifts, and rooms full of loving women. Pretty cute actually.

Recently my sisters were trying to get my feel for this tradition. They know that I'm not the biggest fan of being the center of attention, and they wanted to know if this was something I wanted to do.

Ummmm...yes.

Whereas the silly games typically played at these occasions tend to be more of the awkward variety, it's still sounds like a blast to have all the women in my life in one place. Well - obviously it won't be all the women in my life - but a handful of them at any rate. We will most likely have this party in Phoenix where my sisters and I live, and where several of my girlfriends live. But I'm bummed not to include all of my east coast ladies (my closest friends and My Guy's family - the women in his fam are a blast!)...and what about the women in my family living far far away? Or my old friends in my hometown? Just thinking about it makes my heart swell that I have so many incredible ladies close to my heart.

Bring on the silly games! The yummy food! The smiles and hugs! I'm excited. Well...maybe ex the silly games and let everyone drink martinis and consume insane amounts of delish whatevers.

Found a few super cute shower invitations from Wedding Paper Divas. Doesn't a bridal shower give you the perfect excuse to be super girlie?

saja dresses

Boho Bride

Pretty pretty Saja dresses. I love the look of floaty, whispy, romantic wedding dresses. Perfect for a mountain wedding. Or a beach wedding. Or a country side wedding. Or a church wedding. Yea. Pretty perfect for any wedding.

why meg is so damn rad

Yesterday she reminded me of these great reads here, here and here.

I just love her blog. It's my favorite.

love words weekend (perhaps my favorite)

image via Sarah Neal Photography

in that book which is
my memory...
on the first page
that is the chapter when
i first met you
appear the words...
here begins a new life.

-dante alighieri

*quote via One Love Photo

my brilliant bff

One Love Photo

Remember me talking about my best friend Becky? She recently got married and was such a relaxed bride! I was chatting with her recently about our own wedding plans...

and she poetically inspired me when she said:

"You know, there are a million beautiful ways to get married."

That Becky....she's a smart one...with phenomenally simple advice.

i want a rad address stamp

Modern Art Stamp

We will be sending our invitations out in January. No, we don't know what our invite will say...
nor do we even know what time our ceremony will take place (how do we pick that!??) but I do know that I want a pretty return address stamp. They are relatively affordable and will keep my hand from cramping after 100 envelopes. (I briefly entertained the thought of having the return address printed, and it would cost roughly $81 - making the stamp option more economical.)

Some things I am thinking about: our invitations will most likely have two sweet little birds perched upon a whimsical branch with leaves. So the question is, with an address stamp, do I want the design to compliment the invitation design? Or do I want it to stand alone as it's own design? Do I care?

Well. For some damn reason I care. Who knows why. But I do.

Next thought, I do like the idea of having more of a complimentary design. Therefore, even though I am drawn to the birdie images, I'm thinking that may be toooo many birds for one piece of mail. We will most likely only use this stamp on these wedding invitations - as we will be moving by the time our "thank you" notes go out. Sooooo...anyhow.

These are all Etsy born...and so cute...

Note Trunk

Love To Create Stamps

Rubber Stamp Press

wedding wish wednesday #21: banish bashfulness

oh man, Sedona is so powerful! Jenni Goldman Photography

I wrote about my confessions of a shy bride a long while back and I'm ready to revisit that issue.

Like I said in the previous post, I'm not a big fan of being the center of attention. I don't like people making a fuss over me. I tend to feel awkward in these situations, though I wish I didn't. My shyness doesn't pop up in small group settings of course, or one on one situations...but in large groups...don't know quite what it is. (yep...I can just feeeeeeel my friends shaking their heads at this...because around them I am confident and self assured!)

So. Dear Wish Granter...please kick the silly bashfulness out the window (how about forever, not just my wedding?) Many thanks.

blog policy update

There have been some new laws go into effect this month relating to blogging...and sponsors...and comments...and lots o hoopla. So I figured this would be a dynamite time to post a few blog policies.

A Mountain Bride tries to site all images used responsibly, and to give credit where credit is due. If you see an image that is incorrectly labeled, or if you would like it removed, please let me know! I strive to use all images that are copyrighted to their owner, and are used here under the Fair Use Doctrine of US Copyright Law. I do my best to source all images properly. Again, should any situation arise - please email me!

One of my personal joys through this blog is inducing conversation, collecting ideas, and stimulating thought. I love when readers take the time to share their experiences and insights with me. However, it must be noted that if there are mean, inappropriate or otherwise offensive comments made, I have the right to delete such comments. Understand that by adding your comments you are authorizing that they are subject to approval...by me. *smile*

Fortunately, A Mountain Bride has several lovely sponsors, most of whom are vendors with whom through our own wedding planning has been established. Occasionally, a posts may feature a sponsor's goods or services. Not all posts discussing sponsors/shops/services/vendors are paid features!!  99% of my posts are written because I feel the sponsor/shop/service/vendor has a bangarang product that deserves a shout out.  Occassionally, a sponsor or vendor will pay for advertisement on the sidebar of the page.  This payment may take the forms of discounts on services/goods, cash, giveaways, or bartering goods to be used by A Mountain Bride.

Also Some of the advertisements that appear on this web site are delivered to you by national internet advertising and application company such as Cox Digital Solutions.  This company utilizes certain technologies to deliver advertisements and marketing messages and to collect anonymous information about your visit to our site, including information about the banner ads they display, and cookie they place on your computer and your IP address. To opt out of information collection by Cox Digital Solutions, or to obtain information about the technologies they use or their own privacy policy, please visit their website at: http://www.coxdigitalsolutions.com/privacy-policy/consumer-opt-out-program http://www.networkadvertising.org/managing/opt_out.asp”

to choreograph or not?

All photos via Alison Conklin

Having choreographed dances are more than all the rage these days. They are practically required for a first dance! The majority of weddings I attend, the bride and groom twirl with style and grace on the dance floor as we all gaze out with smiles and applause. I like this idea and think it's fun! Though, I think it's monstrously intimidating.

One thing that My Guy and I have always wanted to do was take dance lessons. Swear. Not necessarily solely for the purpose of our "first" public husband/wife dance, but because we actually want to know how to dance, as opposed to just standing with my arms gripping his neck and swaying back and forth.

But. Time is not on our side for this endeavor for our wedding. As I won't even be living in the same TOWN as my sweetie until the month before the wedding, taking months of dance lessons is clearly not in the picture. And, from what I've heard, it's quite a costly venture as well! We recently had some friends price dance lessons in Phoenix and they were upwards of $700!

What are you doing? Tango? Twist? Waltz? Booty-licious moves out of MTV? Good old fashion jr. high sway? I'm curious. I wonder what we will end up doing. Probably the jr. high sway. I'm cool with that.

Someday we'll learn all the fancy steps. We have a lifetime to learn.

real life: do-able details

This pretty wedding was sent my way from Sarah...and thank goodness it was! There are a few things incorporated into this celebration that I have been talking about for ours...and I'm pleased to see it all working in such glorious harmony. All photos by Alison Conklin Photography.

*personal note: I moved to Rhode Island Thanksgiving weekend... I always love it here. I started my last east coast hospital rotation a week ago - and whoa...intense! On a brighter note, it really feels like Christmas here...New England is charming everywhere I look. And the love shown to me by my new family makes me all warm and cozy inside. They are a blessing.

I just adore these beautiful birdseed outdoor ornaments. We will definitely be using these on our day! Ours are found at an etsy shop called Nature Favors (crazy affordable and such a selection of lovely shapes!)

Couple things I'd like to hit on. One...that the wooden table is exposed...our venue has great wooden tables, and I'd hate to cover ALL of that glorious wood with table cloths. I like how they used burlap runners (our tables are round...any suggestions on how to accomplish a similar look??). Also, jars with candles. Love. And blooms in a cohesive color scheme throughout - double love.

The mix and match wooden chairs is a subtle, yet chic choice. Also noteworthy is that there don't have to be flowers draping every square inch of the table for it to look lovely and decorated. I need not go overboard on blooms because a few go a long way.

Tree gifts. Oh how I flipping love tree saplings as favors. We aren't doing this...but it's still so awesome.

As of late I've been trying to come up with a cute "find your table" idea. I still have no idea what we will do...but found this to be rather noteworthy. I love the trees drawn on them. Cute.

All in all - very beautiful wedding. The details were lovely - not in your face - and they all seem magical and manageable at the same time. I like that.

love words weekend: without words

will i be a good wife?

another me and my sweetie shot - Sarah Neal Photography

Over morning coffee in the cutest lil cafe in Old City Philadelphia, I started somewhat rambling about how I wondered if I would be a "good wife." My Guy calmed my heart with this,

"Being a 'wife' isn't a role you have to play. I'm marrying you because you are wonderful and I love you and I can't imagine a life without you."

He's great like that.

american honeymoons

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

I love to entertain my thoughts with this quandary. I have a list about a mile long of places I yearn to experience. Currently at the top of my list are classics like Prague, Venice, Greece, Ireland....oh and from here my list can get obnoxiously long. Unfortunately (or fortunately...depends on how you'd like to look at it) fantastical journeys abroad aren't in the cards for us this year.

So now we are looking at honeymoon spots here on our American soil. We are toying around with the idea of camping...and some places we are entertaining:

Yosemite National Park

Glacier National Park

Yellowstone National Park via here

Are you honeymooning stateside? Where are you going?

feed the birds this season

I'm so obsessed with these ornaments! They are such a great gift for a loved one to find under the tree...or for a co-worker...or for the teacher at school...or for the person who already has everything under the sun... or as favors at a wedding or bridal shower. PERFECT for the gardener, or nature lover, or bird appreciator :-) These little organic beauties are from etsy shop NatureFavors...hand crafted ornaments made entirely out of birdseed! Hang them outside to feed our winged friends...functional and fabulous. I love.