34 Weeks - Our little Canteloupe

This past Friday I hit the 34 week mark - so that means we have 6 weeks to go! I feel so connected to Baby Boy Carr - as he has been a kicking machine lately. We are getting so excited to meet him. According to Baby Center little "BBC" weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (average canteloupe) and is almost 18 inches long!

Peter's sisters and mom hosted a baby shower for me this past Saturday. It was ADORABLE. It was right up my alley in terms of creativity and color coodination - I LOVE the above picture of the favors ("Dee Dee's Little Bun in the Oven" - and inside the box was a YUMMY sticky bun) - such a clever idea. And one of his sisters also snagged my 20 week ultrasound pics and had them framed with decorative paper - so cute.

Today we celebrated Father's Day. The girls and I gave Peter a few gifts (a cute key chain that has a pic of the little gals and a travel mug with a picture of the two gals) and of course many homemade cards from Cate/Margaret. Even "BBC" wrote a little card for Daddy - a hilarious card I found of a Dad and a little boy both in their underwear and super hero capes. The card read: Are we a Super-Duo or What? Happy Father's Day. The card made me laugh. We then went to an awesome brunch at Maya Del Sol and indulged in lots of YUMMY food.

I have enjoyed talking to two of my college friends who recently had their first babies. I've been asking them many questions - such as "I've got 6ish weeks left...any ADVICE to do now until the baby comes." And I've also drilled them about the first couple of weeks afterwards - things to expect! They have been invaluable and so helpful. Motherhood is such an interesting "CLUB" -and being pregnant with some close friends has been so much fun. I have lots of veteran moms in town that I talk to about pregnancy/babies/motherhood (which I don't know what I would do without) and there has been something so special about connecting with my friends that are having a baby for the first time (as well) that has been so wonderful.

PS - I'm so excited about our wedding spread in the mag Brides Chicago!

Brides Chicago - Our Debut!

Our wedding photographers, Brett and Kiri of Pen Carlson, emailed us a month or so ago and told us that Brides Chicago magazine wanted to feature our wedding as one of their "Real Weddings." So fun - and I found out today that the magazine is out and about! The gals and I stopped by the grocery store and picked up a few hard copies of the magazine (brides Chicago - Fall/Winter 2010, pages 132-133 and 264). Pen Carlson also posted the feature on their site as well.

Here is the article and overview of our wedding and here is "The Moment" that Brides Chicago featured. 

I have to laugh...because I'm 6 weeks away from meeting Baby Boy Carr and it was fun to revisit our wedding through the magazine!

I'm so glad that some of our favorite vendors (and our venue) were featured! At times I forgot that our vendors were not on our guest list as I grew close to so many of them! 

• We loved holding our reception at A New Leaf. 
• We LOVED LOVED LOVED our wedding photographers Brett and Kiri of Pen Carlson. Totally rocked. 
• I MISS my wedding planner Katie Kozlowski of Dettagli Weddings. Seriously, I cannot imagine planning our wedding without her. The two of us worked so well together. 
• LOVED our cake by Amy Beck Cake Design - she and my mom totally jived from a design standpoint and Amy came up with such a special way to visually tie the details of my wedding dress into the YUMMY cake. 
• So enjoyed working with Nicole and Erin of Bird & Banner on our unique wedding invitations. Our invitations were featured in Real Simple as Out of the Box Ideas to Spread the Word and they were in a post on the blog 100 Layer Cake. 
• Appreciated the energy and vibe of our DJ gals from Toast & Jam. 

Here are some past posts on our wedding - it was such a special weekend! 

Mini Moments

The other day I was driving down the highway and noticed a Coca-Cola sign that read "Enjoy a Mini Moment" - it was an ad for their 7.5 ounce mini cans. The campaign is trying to reach the "health conscious" by giving consumers a better way to manage their calories. The ad itself made me think of the concept of enjoying "mini moments" - below are a few of my mini-moments: 

• Dunkin Donuts (Coconut flavored with skim milk and 1 splenda), however, now I opt for the decaf sans the splenda (due to little Baby Carr). 
• A one on one breakfast or lunch with a friend. 
• Listening to a VM message from a friend that I have not heard from in awhile. 
• Sitting down with Peter for dinner after a long day. 
• Potbelly sandwich (turkey) - YUM! Something about it makes me smile (maybe because I don't live down the street from one anymore and when I have a chance to eat one I get super excited). 
• Listening to the girls chat in the backseat of the car (never fails to make me laugh - as their conversations can be so hilarious). 
• Enjoying a cup of Graeter's Ice Cream (from Cincy!) - fave flavor = black raspberry chip - YUM! 
• Writing a note to someone on my new stationery. Side note, and I always jumble the two words stationary and stationery and this seemed to help me- "A common school house trick for remembering the proper spelling is to remember station-ery means pap-er." 

This leads me to the MANY MINI MOMENTS from our wedding. Pen Carlson recently posted our wedding on their blog (and oh my gosh, btw, I love their new intro on their site - totally rocks). The mini moments they captured during our wedding weekend make me smile. Side note, I love the last line of our photographer's intro/hello= Have a riot. Be you. We'll be us. 

What are some of your mini moments? 

Recap: Virgin Gorda (Part 2 of Honeymoon)

Part 2 of our honeymoon was on Virgin Gorda at Little Dix Bay. We took a plane from San Maarten to Tortola and then a boat from there to Virgin Gorda. Virgin Gorda was equally as beautiful as Anguilla - but looks completely different. Virgin Gorda is much more lush and green and the beaches are not as wide. We loved our room, it was peaceful and open - and we loved the outdoor shower. 

We took a sunset cruise one evening which took us to a few different spots - Bitter End Yacht Club and Saba Rock (a tiny island with some accommodations and a restaurant). 

Our second to last night in Virgin Gorda we went to the Mine Shaft Cafe as we were told that it is one of the best spots to watch the sunset. We had a great dinner and had an amazing view of the sunset. One of the funny things about this restaurant is that there is a tree where all the chickens come to sleep (at the top). Hard to explain (but the chickens sit high up in the tree and fall asleep there). 

On our last day we had a sunset massage and hung out at the spa pool (which had an amazing view). That evening we had a private beach dinner - perfect end to our amazing trip. 

PS - And we just received a sneak peek of our pictures from Brett and Kiri of Pen Carlson (who we LOVE). They ROCK! I miss all my wedding vendors! 

Recap: Anguilla (Part 1 of Honeymoon)

Peter and I made a list of criteria when looking for a honeymoon spot = warm weather, easy to travel to, great accommodations/service, beautiful scenery. We came up with two spots in the Caribbean with the help of Lauren from Jet Set World Travel. Our first half of the trip was spent at Cap Juluca (pics of resorts) on Anguilla off of St. Maarten (and our second half of our stay was on Virgin Gorda off of Tortola at Little Dix Bay). We loved both places equally as much for different reasons. The pic above was after dinner at Pimm's Restaurant at Cap Juluca on our first night in Anguilla.

On day 2 of our trip we met this lovely American woman who worked at Cap Juluca who was doing some errands in town. She offered to show us around. She was invaluable - as she gave us quite the overview of the local restaurants/hot spots/gossip, etc. She was basically our personal tour guide for the day. Peter forgot his swimsuit (ha!) so she steered us away from buying one at the resort's overpriced shop and took us to Irie Life. She then took us to Pyrat Rum where Peter participated in a rum tasting. She dropped us off at the local Johnno's Beach Stop in Sandy Ground for lunch (Yummy!). That evening we had dinner at Smokey's and met the owner Clyde Gumbs (son of Jeremiah Gumbs - who led the Anguillan protest in 1967).

One morning we worked out with Cardigan Connor, a famous past cricket player. He was a delight to chat w/. Talk about FIT FIT FIT. We met a family (the Miller's) who were staying at a Villa just off Cap Juluca's property for Thanksgiving. They have gotten to know Cardigan over the years and said that he has the best stories. We also enjoyed talking with the Miller's son Bryce Miller, a race car driver.

On day 3 we took a boat out with a group from our resort and snorkeled and stopped by Shoal Bay (pic above). We also stopped at this tiny island, called Scilly Cay, and had an awesome lunch. The island is super small and has a tiny restaurant on it - owned by Eudoxie and Sandra Wallace. We loved all the folks in our group that we got everyone on board to head to the Dunes (scroll down to read about the history behind the Dunes) that night to hear Bankie Banx play and have dinner.

Our last night in Anguilla was Thanksgiving and we had dinner at Mango's Seaside Grill. We had an incredible dinner and loved being right on the water - definitely different from the tryptophan induced traditional meal of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, etc. The owner of Mango's recently passed away and everyone on the island was talking about it. Mango Dave was known by all as someone who truly lived the dream (by selling his business in New Jersey and buying a restaurant in the Caribbean).  

Recap: Wedding Reception

I have loved A New Leaf (as a florist and as a venue) for years. I used to live in the Old Town/Lincoln Park area and at night drive or walk by the space - and it was always so pretty - candle lit with beautiful flowers. I made a mental note that someday I wanted to host an event there. I remember calling ANL (A New Leaf) and asking them if they had any available Saturdays in 2009 - they had one - which ended up being our wedding day = Saturday, November 21, 2009

The flowers and candles were gorgeous. I loved all the fall colors and the orange calla lilies submerged in water filled vases. Simple and beautiful. 

ANL has two levels - a mezzanine level looking down. Dancing took place upstairs. We LOVED our DJs from Toast and Jam. They rocked out. Everyone loved them. 

This is a picture from above looking down. Peter and I loved our caterers from Limelight Catering. The awesome gals of Bird and Banner who designed our invitations put together a complementary menu. I'm still waiting to hear from the caterer with the recipe for the Bosc Pear, Local Apple and Goat Cheese Gratin. It was DIVINE! 

My cousin got married at the end of October and she had a Candy Buffet at her wedding. It was a HUGE hit. My sister and I loved it and ate our favorite candy all night long. Two weeks before the wedding I decided to do it. It was such a hit with everyone. Who doesn't love candy? My favorites were the Melt Away Mints - YUM! 

Recap: Wedding Dress

I absolutely LOVED my wedding dress. It was definitely my PRINCESS moment for sure.  My mom and I looked for dresses last spring and had a great time. My sisters and I are always vying for one on one time with my mom so having an entire weekend together was so much fun. We had a blast trying on dress after dress - I didn't know how I was going to make my decision as I loved so many of them. This past fall I even tried on my Mom's wedding dress (that had not been taken out of the box since her wedding) - so fun! 

My mom also came to Chicago this past fall and she went with me to meet with Amy Beck ofAmy Beck Cake Design. My mom fell in love with Amy's work and we came up with the above design (to replicate my wedding dress). It was so beautiful (and tasty). We had 3 different layers - Coconut Cake with Key Lime Buttercream, Carrot Cake with Cinnamon Spiced Ginger Buttercream, and lastly Chocolate Bourbon with Raspberry Buttercream. YUM, YUM, YUM! 

Recap: Wedding Ceremony

I loved our wedding ceremony. LOVED it. We were blessed with a beautiful fall day - high of 55 and sunny. Cate and Margaret were so excited to be the flower girls - and for weeks they talked about their flower "crowns" which were a hit w/them. 

I remember walking down the aisle with my Dad and not even hearing the processional songO'Carolan's Concerto. I do remember seeing all my family and friends and smiling and waving to everyone. I loved every moment of it. I was beaming to the point where my cheeks HURT! 

And then I saw Peter and he looked so handsome in his tux. OMG - I'm going to marry him. I then looked to my right and saw Cate and Margaret sitting there hugging one another - looking so cute. My two stepsisters read and my now sister in laws said the Prayers of the Faithful. 

I then lost it during our vows. It hit me - wow - I'm getting married - I didn't know if I would be able to continue. But after a few moments - with Peter's reassuring squeeze I made it through. I loved seeing everyone out there and having my two sisters stand up there with me. So special. I'm thrilled we decided to go with a videographer because I know there is so much I missed. 

PS - Check out yesterday's post on our rehearsal dinner - I added pics. 

Recap: Rehearsal Dinner

So, we are back and as I'm typing this there is snow falling. Pretty yes, but COLD = ugh. I have dedicated this week to our wedding - details, details and more details.

Our rehearsal dinner was amazing and it set the tone for the weekend. We held the dinner at The Bristol in Bucktown. We had our dinner upstairs and it couldn't have worked out better. Originally we were supposed to have our dinner at Vivo - long story short we ended up switching to The Bristol two weeks out. We were thrilled with The Bristol and I cannot wait to go back there and have dinner or brunch. People rave about the place!

MENU

Starters

• Monkey Bread with Dill Dipping Sauce (unbelievable, I could have eaten an entire loaf). Soft, warm and right out of the oven.
• Apple and Manchego Salad (yummy, but honestly I don't remember as much because I was in LOVE w/the Monkey Bread).

Entrees (passed family style)

• Ravioli with cheese/herbs and egg yolk that oozes out when you cut into it. They were DIVINE (and huge!). One was enough to keep you satisfied.
• Beef Brisket (yummy, and my best friend's father who is jewish and knows good beef brisket gave it a thumbs up!).
• Side of Beets (not sure how they were prepared but LOVED them).

Dessert

• Homemade Nutter Butter w/a chocolate dipping sauce (need I say more!).

Overall, the night was perfect - great vibe - loved the brown linens and white flowers that were on the table. The staff were beyond friendly and everyone raved about their signature drinks and beers on tap.

For some reason I'm having trouble uploading pics from the dinner (to give you a visual) - stay tuned - will add some tomorrow.

Ode to Weddings!

Okay, so there really isn't a countdown left. It is GO time. Off to do errands and hang with my mom and sisters - girl time - before the rehearsal dinner. 

When Joanna (my girl crush) of A Cup of Jo left for her honeymoon this fall she featured different couples and their "secret to a happy marriage" - I found all of them inspiring. I thought these would be a nice way to end the week before I start my new chapter with Peter and the girls. 

ENJOY the posts. Scroll down and you will see more and more to read. 

So, this is my last POST until I get back from our honeymoon - Wednesday, December 2. We leave next Monday. Cannot wait to write all about our wedding and honeymoon. Toodles until then! 

2 more days...

OMG. WOW - tomorrow is the rehearsal dinner at The Bristol. And then the BIG DAY. I cannot believe that it is finally here. So excited. An excitement that I cannot even define. I'm thrilled to be spending the day with my closest friends and family - to celebrate the next chapter in my (our) life. I think sometimes you can get so wrapped up in the planning piece of weddings that you forget why the party (per se) is even happening (you are getting married - saying your vows to someone who you plan on spending the rest of your life w/). WOW - big stuff. 

I'm thinking of writing a letter to Peter for him to open Saturday morning. There is something about pen to paper that feels good to me. In all the craziness of the planning, being w/the girls, I want to take some time out to write him a letter - I like this idea. We wrote letters to one another in our pre cana class and I still have mine. I keep it in my wallet. I love it. I think I was born in the wrong era - when emails are means of communication now (don't get me wrong I'm definitely pro texting / IMing / emailing for sure) but there is something special about reading a handwritten letter and touching the paper. 

So tonight I'm going to sit down and write Peter a letter - and I will just write what comes to me. The other night when we were discussing this past year and a half he mentioned he "knew" that this was going the distance when I met the girls. I remember that night so vividly. It was a magical night. 

11 Days to GO!

NOTE: Above picture was taken the night we got engaged! I LOVED that night. 

OMG. I cannot believe it. 11 days to go until the wedding. Lots on our to do list. Last minute details and things to cross off our list. Guests start arriving next week. My mom and stepdad Travis are flying in next Wednesday and my Dad and his girlfriend Bonnie come Thursday. 

I remember when we had 64 days to go and when we sent out our wedding invitations. Time flies. Lately I have been a bit emotional about getting married. This is something you think about for so long and then you start to truly imagine it once you meet that special person. I'm so excited. I'm excited for our journey together - with the girls - and adding more kids to the mix! 

My Mom's Wedding Dress

I had my second wedding dress fitting last week and my little buddy Margaret was with me. She was in heaven - who wouldn't be - surrounded by so many beautiful dresses! I love my dress more and more. 

I thought back to when I tried on my Mom's wedding dress last spring when I was home. I have always heard her talk about her dress - as she made it herself. It took her months and months to make it - and she loved it. I had never seen it in person so we decided to unwrap it from the box that it had been in for 30 plus years. I was so nervous trying on her dress - as she was a mere 98 pounds when she got married! 

We took it out of its box and wow - it is GORGEOUS. I think a part of you always wonders if your daughter will wear your wedding dress. I know I think about it with my dress. My Dad's two sisters wore their mother's dress and then one of my Aunt's 2 daughters wore it as well. It is such a wonderful tradition. And my stepsister wore a dress that was in her husband's family. I love the idea of walking down the aisle wearing a dress that has been worn by your mother or your grandmother - so special. 

Obviously I decided on my own dress (which you will see pics of in 17 DAYS) but I wanted to share the experience of trying on my mom's dress. I loved it. And I love it even more knowing the hard work and time she put in to making it. She was taking a grad school tailoring class at the time and made the cardboard slopers which made the dress custom fit for her. She used peau de soie (duchess satin) and embroidered silk organza and hand sewed on lots of tiny seed pearls. 

Okay, so I'll give you a description of my dress (pics to come AFTER the wedding): 

Ivory silk organza scoop neck, fitted torso with net overlay with Alencon appliques, pleated tulle skirt accented with lace chapel train. I LOVE IT! 

Have any of you worn your mother's dress or a relative? Please tell! 

Our Honeymoon

So, lately all I can think about is our HONEYMOON (and our wedding day)! I'm so excited. For us, our honeymoon will be one of the first times we are going away (alone and without the girls) and for ourselves (and not a wedding / family trip, etc.). We have taken a weekend together here and there but dating someone with kids is another ball game.  You cannot just on a whim head to Napa or somewhere fun - trips need to be more thought out. 

We had the following criteria for our honeymoon: somewhere warm / somewhere not too far away as we are only going for 10 days / someplace chill/relaxing / place with excellent service. We talked with one of the gals at Jet Set World Travel and she mentioned a few places that were on my (our) list. We decided on Cap Juluca and Jumby Bay - only later to find out that Jumby Bay was going to be closed for a bit longer due to some damage. So now we are heading to Cap Jaluca and then on to Little Dix Bay. I cannot WAIT! 36 MORE DAYS and we will be basking in the sun. 

Above is a pic from a trip we took to Costa Rica (Peninsula Papagayo) last February. It was AMAZING. We had a taste of what our trip will be like - basking in the sun and amazing dinners! 

Where did "honeymoons" originate? I found a few different sources. Interesting. However they came about...I'm thrilled by the idea of 10 days of SUNSHINE, fun, relaxation, massages, amazing dinners and sleeping in! 

My Princess Moment

Cate and Margaret love the colors pink and purple, high heels, lipstick, dresses, skirts, bows, ribbons, sparkles, glitter, and fancy nancy books,  - all which in their mind = "I'm a PRINCESS!" What is it about Princesses and girls (or women for that matter)? From the moment we are born we are thrown into the world of Princesses and are always on the hunt for our Prince Charming. From an early age all of us were exposed to the lovely Disney Princesses.

There is Cinderella, Snow White, Ariel, Belle - the list goes on and on. I guess there is something about looking beautiful - being dressed up - and feeling like the belle of the ball. I had my moment last Friday when I had my first wedding dress fitting. I took the girls with me and I wish I would have videotaped it. There were many ohhs and ahhs and "you look beautiful". It was so much fun to have them there - something we can talk about years down the road. I did feel beautiful and I LOVE my dress (even more than I did when I bought it at the store months ago). It fits like a glove and makes me feel like a Princess. I'm so excited for the big day. 

Enjoy your Monday! Tell me about your Princess MOMENT! 

Check out these adorable ballerinas. 

Bachelor/Bachelorette Parties

Peter is off to Vegas with his high school friends for his bachelor party. I think it is hilarious that this decision was made after we saw "The Hangover." I had mine in August and all my college friends came to Chicago for the weekend. We had a blast - nothing like a GIRLS WEEKEND! My friends planned the perfect weekend - spa, great food, good times and lots of laughs. 

Where did bachelor and bachelorette parties originate? It sounds like the bachelor party originated in the late 1800s. A quote from poet Percy Shelley testifies to the spirit of a time period when the newly-married often enough did abandon their less-respectable comrades: "When a man marries, dies, or turns Hindu, his best friends hear no more of him," Shelley lamented in a letter. One article states that the "The Bachelorette party is not only a send-off for the guest-of-honor, but a celebration of female bonding and treasuring those friendships that got us to where we are today." In the UK they call bachelorette parties Hen or Stagette Parties. Check out this "Hen Party" video. Pretty funny. 

I do feel that my bachelorette party was a celebration of female bonding and treasuring those relationships. My bachelorette party attendee list was made up of my core group of gals from college and my best friend from high school and some close friends that I have made during my time in Chicago. 

Well, from Sassy and Single I go - to Marvelous and Married (in 44 days)! 

Our First Song

46 Days to GO!

So, Peter has put together a list of options for our First Song (he has them all in a spreadsheet - hilarious). We haven't decided on our song yet. Below is our compiled list - we have had a blast playing them the last few nights! So fun. Some are a bit more difficult to dance to - that is for sure!

I would LOVE TO HEAR COMMENTS/THOUGHTS BELOW!!! Or VOTE.

I know my favorites but would love to hear from all of you! Send a comment or VOTE to the right of this post. (Umm...Peter doesn't know that I listed out these songs - so SHHH!).

Drift Away by Doby Gillis

My Sweet Love by Joe Panzetta (one of Peter's good friend's from college)

Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours by Stevie Wonder

Harvest Moon by Neil Young

Into the Mystic by Van Morrison

Into your Arms by Lemonheads

Wouldn't It Be Nice by The Beach Boys

Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop by Landon Pigg

Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me by Mel Carter

What Light by Wilco

Woman by John Lennon

I Can't Help Falling In Love With You by Elvis Presley

You Send Me by Sam Cooke

Songbird by Eva Cassidy/Fleetwood Mac

Let Your Love Flow by Bellamy Brothers

64 DAYS TO GO!!!

You think about your wedding your entire life. And now my wedding is 64 days away! So exciting. My mom (JuJu) and my stepdad (Travis) are in town for a long weekend. My mom/I have been doing some wedding errands and one of Peter's dear friends is hosting a party for us tomorrow PM. 

It is all becoming more real. We received our first RESPONSE today in the mail. Today I took my mom to the reception site - A New Leaf. She fell in love with it and now knows why I love it so much. She also met Katie our wedding planner who ROCKS! She is adorable. We loaded up on sugar at our cake tasting at Amy Beck Cake Design. The designer is going to replicate the silk tulle and alencon lace in my dress on the cake. So fun! My mom and I rolled out of the place and did some damage shopping. Starting tomorrow I'm swearing off sugar until my honeymoon (and won't ask myself again why I chose such a form fitted dress!). 

Cate and Margaret are so excited to be a part of the wedding. Every day they ask if their flower girl dresses have arrived. The florist is making them little crowns - so they will feel like princesses. The cutest thing about it all is that they keep saying that once we get married that I will be their MOM. My heart melts every time they say that. So cute. 

Check out our wedding website! 

Wedding Invitations are OUT!

Hooray! Our wedding invitations went out today. I LOVE them. I searched long and hard for what I wanted in an invitation. I definitely wanted letterpress but also wanted something unique/different. I decided on fabric. I wasn't sure how I wanted to incorporate fabric into the invitations until I came across Bird and Banner. They are awesome. We went with something similar to their Cape Cod set. 

Cannot wait!