The Office Bride

Married? Check. House? Check. Enjoying life? Check :)

2012-01-09T11:47:00.004-05:00

Thought is was going to be something else, huh? ;)

Ladies!!! Can you believe how long it's been?! I was just reading through some old posts and couldn't believe that all of that wedding craziness (Did I say craziness? I meant joy...) happened a year and half ago! And man, how things have changed since then...

Shortly after our return from Italy, the Office Hubs and I got the house hunt fever. It was innocent at first, but we soon found ourselves in overdrive, checking out open houses every other weekend. Thank goodness, at some point our good friend Claire stepped in as our realtor and helped us narrow down the search.

Ok - I'm gonna say it. House hunting can be SUPER STRESSFUL. Fun, in the sense that we got to check out homes and play pretend, but stressful in every other way! It also didn't help that we dealt with a few crazy homeowners along the way (eg. One guy kept delaying the closing and finally decided not to sell with us. We later found out that he pulled out so that he could put his house back on the market for a higher price. ARGH!).

But all of that work, sweat, and tears paid off because we ended up finding a wonderful home in the west end of Toronto. We got the keys on my birthday last June and moved in a month later!

Since then we've done a lot of updating on the house (Home Depot is our second home), hosted a lot of parties (we can have more than 5 people over now, wooo!), and lots of chilling out in our new digs (a dishwasher can free up so much time, who knew?)

In typical fashion, I have decided to start blogging about life in the west end of the city, and hopefully I can bring a few of you over to the new blog: Toronto West Enders

A blog that have everything and anything to do with our beloved side of the city. And with writing contributions from Office Hubs (figured he should have a say now, ha!). Are we completely biased because we live in the west end?

Absolutely.

Hope you enjoy the new read. And as always, I look forward to hearing from you and what adventures you've taken since the big day!

Jamaica Fun!

2010-12-20T09:30:00.004-05:00

A while back, the Office Husband and I had seriously considered Jamaica as our honeymoon destination. We ended up going to Tuscany instead (amazing, will have to post about that soon), but we managed to get a taste of the Caribbean a few months later, just a couple of weeks ago! Yup, what was suppose to be a December weekend in NY with my brothers, their ladies, and us, ended up being a weekend in Jamaica, lol! And it was AWESOME! Although I had the most amazing experience in Tuscany, I can see why so many others would choose a place like Jamaica as their honeymoon destination. The weather, the people, the landscape - all so beautiful! We actually met another Canadian couple who was on their honeymoon, and they were having the best time of their lives.

Check out the lip dub video we made while we were there (You'll see that I get my sense of humour from my bros). If this doesn't make you want to buy tickets to go asap, I don't know what will!

Our Beautiful Flowers

2010-12-03T14:46:00.006-05:00

Thanks to our wedding, I now have a new appreciation and love for flowers. Gone are the days when I could name about 4 different types of flowers :) With the help of Vince from Bliss Events, our floral decoration and accessories were amazingly beautiful and affordable. And apart from our initial meeting with Vince along with a few e-mail to confirm details, Bliss took care of absolutely everything on the big day, from delivering the bouquets to my parents' place, delivering and setting up the flowers at the church, and then taking them down to transport and decorate the reception hall.

Here are a couple photos of their beautiful work...

My gorgeous bouquet
Consisting of: Lysianthus, Vendella roses, Escimo spray roses and ivory Hydrangea subtle use of blush pink blooms of Titanic roses, Valerie spray roses and pink Lysianthus with a touch of Magnolia tips around the base of the bouquet. Diamond and silver rhinestone silver jewellery were hidden into the blooms as to just pick up a bit of sparkle. And then it was finished in a braided ivory satin ribbon wrap. The rosary was from my MOH - it belonged to her grandmother.

The Altar Flowers / Head Table Centerpiece
One of the few requests our priest had was to not waste flowers, and that whatever was used in the ceremony should be used at the reception. That was fine by us, since that also meant saving moola! Bliss created two of these beauties which were put on the altar. At the reception hall, one was placed at the head table and one at the signing table.

Photos by Shannon Lepere.

A Book Themed Wedding

2010-12-02T10:58:00.012-05:00

The Office Husband and I are huge book nerds. My dad was a printer by trade in his earlier years, and that's where I grew to love and appreciate a well made book. And the Office Groom always has a new book or magazine in his hand, which he probably got after one of our many visits to Indigo.

We hadn't initially thought of having any theme at all, and it sort of happened naturally after we fell in love with an invite design found online that tells the story of how the couple met and got engaged. And that's when we came up with the saying "A lifetime full of wonderful stories," and a book theme was born.

We didn't want to go over the top and end up with a library for a reception, so we tried to incorporate the theme in little ways. Here are a few photos of how it turned out!

Guests could find out where they were sitting by referring to the seating chart, which was designed to look like a library reference list. I also added a few loose book pages to frame it.

Library cards were used as table numbers. You can find them on Etsy easily!

In lieu of the traditional flower arrangement, we decided to use books as the guest table centerpieces. Each table had a group of books which were specifically picked out with the guests in mind. It took a a lot of visits to the bookstore to do this, but luckily time was on our side. And we got some great deals just by looking throught the bargain bins and with the help of a friend whose dad works at a publishing house!

We made a donation to ABC Life Literacy Canada on behalf of our guests, and as a token of their appreciate the organization provided a small Robert Munsch book for each guest.

This was my favourite detail. To add a personal touch, we handmade these bookmarks for all the guests. But we went one step further and wrote a personal story for each guest. That took a few nights of sitting on the couch with some wine and recollecting our most favourite memories, but it was worth it! It blew the minds of so many people!

After a delicious dinner, the cupcake table opened up. I found this gem of a book at Indigo!

Photographs by Shannon Lepere and our family & friends.

The Bridesmaids Dresses

2010-11-30T09:41:00.006-05:00

When I watched the first Sex & The City movie, I knew that I wanted something similar to Carrie's wedding. That each Bridesmaid should wear their own unique dress; colour, style and fabric. But when our own wedding became a reality, OG told me that he wanted his guys to wear kilts, and I had to reconsider my vision for worry that it would look too busy.

Thus, the idea of Same But Different came to be. Each Bridesmaid could still pick their own dress, as long as it was the same colour and fabric. It was a great combination of both visions as it allowed each woman to express their own personal style, and still look uniform. And might I say, I had the best damn looking ladies to back me up on my big day :)

All of these dresses are from the Dessy line which includes designers such as Alfred Sung, After Six, and Dessy. The fabric was matte satin (not too clingy and enough movement to make the dress flow) and the colour was midnight blue (a great colour for all types of skin tones!)

The colours of the dresses tied in with the dark blue in the kilts. Don't we look like royalty?! Prince William, take notes.

Tyra would be proud.

Here's a closer look. They're so pretty!

S.B.D.? Success!

Photos by Shannon Lepere and friends.

Oh-So-Delicious-Cupcakes

2010-11-29T11:29:00.005-05:00

It has been a while...I know.

But would you believe that it has also been one of the busiest months EVER at work? I returned to Toronto completely rejuvenated and relaxed from a wonderful honeymoon, and was welcomed back with loads of assignments, late hours at the office, and work-related headaches.

Lovely.

It appears as though that storm has calmed, and some normalcy has returned to my life. And with it, I can finally get back to writing here with some more recaps of the big day. Can you believe it's already been two months since then?

Today it's all about the cupcakes. Mainly because for the next two weeks I've promised myself not to have any junk food (I've gained weight since the wedding...seriously?! And the OG and I are going away in just a couple of weeks down south, yikes!). So if I can't eat it, I should at least be able to talk about it LOL

My co-worker Julie was the mastermind behind these delicious beauties, and they were a HUGE hit at the wedding!

The cupcakes had a table all to their own. We saved a few of the hard covers books we bought over the last year for this table. Notice the geek reference on the top book? :)

A little touch of pink, of course! And the cupcake book was such a great find! (Indigo Bookstore)

How's this for detail? Julie actually recreated the pattern on the mens' kilts! AMAZING!

We had so many guests tell us how yummy they were. Sadly I had all of one bite out of one, but I'm glad everyone enjoyed them so much. And I can't really complain because I had my share of taste tests before the wedding :)

Photos by Shannon Lepere.

The Dress!!!

2010-10-19T13:09:00.007-04:00

This was probably the HARDEST topic not to blog about the months leading up to the wedding. But with the Office Groom dropping by the site every once and a while, I just coudln't risk him finding out! So with begrudgingly tight lips, I've kept it a secret but now I can finally do the reveal!

I found my gem of a dress at Ferre Sposa, a small boutique located on Bloor Street West. After trying one too many dresses at other stores, I was about ready to give up until I discovered Ferre Sposa while on a walk. The dresses displayed on the window front immediately gave me the confidence that this store would not disappoint, and once I had a look inside I knew that I was right.

The dress caught my eye almost instantly, with his bedazzled sweetheart neckline and gorgeous ivory satin fabric. And when I put it on - WOW! I felt like a movie star (coincidentally, when I looked it up online after trying it on, the description included the words "old HOllywood").

Like most images online, the photos I found didn't really do it justice. Although one shot managed to capture the amazing train.

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I loved how simple yet elegant it was. Personally I'm not one for too much beading and lace on a dress, but the Swarovski crystal detailing along the neckline was just perfect! Guests told me later that when I walked down the aisle of the church I was sparkling (literally and figuratively!).

Ok, ok... enough babbling! Here are a few photos of ME in the dress :)

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I'll have more photos soon of the detailing once I get them from our photographer!!

The Office...Wife

2010-10-18T11:31:00.003-04:00

Hey ladies! Exactly one month ago from today, the Office Groom and I made it official!!!! I can't believe the time has come for me to say that, since it truly feels like I just started this blog last week. For the next little while I'm going to recap different details of the big day and eventually our honeymoon. Who knows, maybe some of you bride-to-bes can still benefit from it? And ok, fine...I'm still on a high from that day and am in no hurry to stop talking about it LOL

Today, I just wanted to simply say this - it was an amazing day. All the planning, ups and downs, compromises, changes, arguments - it was worth it. I have never felt so much love, or that special than on that day, and if I could somehow bottle it up to have whenever I'm having a bad day, I would :)

If any of you are going through a down point right now while planning, remember why you're doing it (marrying your soul mate, I hope), and that it will all be worth it at the end!

Out Of Office

2010-09-16T17:21:00.002-04:00

Today is my final post as an Office Bride! In just a couple of days the Office Groom and I will share one of the biggest moments in our lives together and with our closest family and friends. This morning my entire department celebrated with me in my boss' office with some champagne and warm wishes. And later in the day some of my lady co-workers surprised me with some naughty gifts for OG and I! Side note - why are edible boxers not chocolate flavoured like the panties? Pina Colada? Gew.

I'd like to thank you all for being my extra eyes and "ears" throughout this whole process. What started as a means for me to get wedding talk out of my system became something so much more. Thank you for following my blog, for your kind responses and for sharing your own stories.

Still haven't decided yet whether I will continue this blog after the big day - I have a few new blog ideas I'd like to try, and hopefully a few of you will continue with on with me :) I"ll definitely do some recap though - I haven't revealed the dress yet after all!!

But either way... thanks for reading! And for those celebrating soon, best of luck!!!!

The Office Bride

Cramming in some Crafts

2010-09-14T15:22:00.006-04:00

With just 4 days left until the big day (CRAZY!), I have been in Super Craft mode. The Office Groom and I have been collecting books for the last year and a half and I was finally able to put them to use. The photos don't do any of our arrangement justice, especially with all the crap behind them, but hopefully it will look awesome in the actual space with everything else.

GUEST / GIFT TABLE
A stack of books with a flower arrangement (the pink box is just a plce holder) on top. There are loose book sheets underneath. The gift box and guest book tie in our colours.

DESSERT TABLE
I'm all about recycling and reusing. So when I saw these pots at my bridal shower, I wanted to use them again. Luckily the ribbon around them mathces our colours (and OG kilt) perfectly! There will be cupcakes in the pots, and then rest of them will be scattered around the books.

DINNER TABLE
My personal fave. We picked up books with all of our guests in mind. Everything from music, comedy, video games, hockey, and travel. Hopefully most of them will notice the titles and realize the connection :) At the end of the night one lucky guest at each table will get to take the books home.

There were a lot more crafts done over the weekend with my BMs. More photos to come!

Getting Sick :(

2010-09-10T16:25:00.002-04:00

I knew the last couple of weeks before the wedding were going to be hectic. Between last minute changes, finishing up details, and working ahead so that I've got all my work assignments done before the honeymoon, has left me one very tired and run down Office Bride. And now I think I'm getting sick! GAH!

Enter Oil of Oregano. A number of friends have suggested using this in the past, but for one reason or another I never tried it until now. I just picked up a small (expensive!) bottle at one of the health stores in the underground, and gave it a shot in the office washroom.

BLECH! This stuffs tastes AWFUL! But already I can tell it works! My throat burned after just a few drops, and I quickly chased it with some water. I'm going to be strict about taking it just as directed, and dear God, I hope this *thing* I've caught goes away immediately!!!

Sniff

2010-09-09T13:18:00.005-04:00

I know there's going to be a lot of tears (hopefully happy ones) on the day of the wedding, so I wanted to be well prepared for myself and for the women around me. While I could have gone with a boring pack of tissues at the drug store for 49 cents each, I thought I would splurge a little and pick up some fun Sniff products. May as well cry in style, right? You've probably seen them at random stores, and there are hundreds of designs to choose from.

I picked these cuties up at Indigo, for my future SILs:

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And when I saw these "manly" tissues, I knew had to pick up a few for the dads!

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The moms are getting handkerchiefs I purchased in a Portugese store in Kensington Market. And I think I'll buy my MOH a box of kleenex - both because it's funny, and she will likely need that much anyway, lol.

Flowers - Done & Done!

2010-09-08T17:02:00.003-04:00

Between meetings, post audio sessions, script revisions, and being assigned new projects, I somehow managed to sneak away during my lunch today and pay the balance for our flowers!

WooOOOoooOOO!

Seriously - it feels good to have one more big thing out of the way and taken care of. Nothing is worse than debt AFTER the wedding, you know? And the Office Groom and I are doing everything we can to minimize it. There's no fun is being welcomed home with a "You owe us" after our honeymoon, lol.

Random Shoppin'

2010-09-07T14:02:00.006-04:00

The Office Groom and I live near a Shopper's Drug Mart, one of my all-time favourite stores which I'm convinced is either a gift from God or a temptuous treat from Satan. We were about to watch a movie last Thursday night and made the mistake of popping over to pick up some snacks beforehand.

This is what we came home with:

Um yup... 2 magazines (the Archie one was for me LOL), shaving cream, milk, soap, toothpaste (3 because they were on sale!), crayons (to add the the Ring Bearer's gift), a gluestick, 2 for $10 movies (notice our differences in taste?), oh, yeah, and some chips for the movie.

Sigh... Damn you Shoppers.

Gift Card Box for $2...Not Too Shabby!

2010-09-07T13:50:00.003-04:00

This weekend, I went a little crazy at the Dollorama, and picked up a whole bunch of wedding related items like gift bags and ribbon. The latter plays a big part in the decor at our reception, so I needed to find good enough ribbon in our colours, at a reasonable price.

One of my crafty assignments over the weekend was to bedazzle our card box. Last week I posted about the challenge in finding a nice card box that wasn't too pricey. Luckily for me, my co-wokrer lent me hers - a Martha Stewart Eyelit Gift Card box purchased at Walmart. I just checked out Walmart's site however, so that I could pass on the info to you all, and unfortunately, it's no longer available. Le booooo. I'm guessing that it would have cost something between $25-35 since one of the comments on the site said:

This is very nice product. The box is sturdy and pretty. Great if you do not want to spend the $50+ on a gift box or cage that you will only be using once. There is not a lock but a bow to tie around to keep it somewhat secure. I would recommend this item.

The box itself is all white, and I wanted to jazz it up with some ribboon and doodads to tie in our colours a bit more - no pun intended. So with some $2 navy blue ribbon, and an old pin I found in my jewellry box, I came up with this!

Not bad for a total of $2, huh? Hopefully the contents in the box will be worth more ;)

Wine Tours in Tuscany

2010-09-02T10:13:00.004-04:00

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With the big day fast approaching, and nervous/anxious vibes coming at me from all directions, I decided that I would focus on the honeymoon a.k.a. Reward-For-A-Year-And-A-Half-Of-Planning, to calm myself down. I've been checking site after site about wine tours and cooking lessons, and man, I wish we were there now!

If you're planning your honeymoon or just a regular trip to this area, here are just a few of my favourite so far:

Lucca Wine and Oil Tours Cooking in Amazing Tuscany. The tours take place in Lucca and Montecarlo, where you will taste wine made from a mix of Italian and French grapes. You can also taste the extra virgin oil made in the area. They have one guided tour for just 12 Euros!

Experience Florence offers a wide range of tours that made me drool at my desk just reading the descriptions. Feast your eyes on this:

Tour Code: MT-TUSC-WINE-4
Duration: Full Day
Cost: 275.00€ p/p based on 2
Brunello di Montalcino has become one of the handful of DOC wines hunted by wine collectors, because its depth of flafor and tongue-curling tannins give it the potential to age for decade. The lighter-styled Rosso di Montalcino, sort of a younger, "declassified" Brunello, was created so people could drink a more immediately accessible Montalcino to age; DOCG law requires a minimum of four years before Brunello can go on the market.
Itinerary :
09.30 a.m. Departure from Florence or your villa or hotel in another areas.
11.30 a.m. Arrival at Montalcino and visit to the winery Fattoria de Barbi. Where you can visit the cellar, finally wine tasting. 01.00 p.m. Light lunch at the local restaurant( if is required) or in a winery.
02.45 p.m. Driving along the hills where you can see the different typ of vineyard.
03.30 p.m. Visit to the winery Tenute Silvio Nardi where you can meet the wine grower who will show you the techniques of viticulture.
04.30 p.m. Return to Florence arriving arround 6:00 pm

WANT.TO.GO.NOW!

I'm so busy today...

2010-09-01T15:52:00.002-04:00

...that it was only at around 3:30 pm that I realized I never had a lunch. Between adding new assignment at work, to replying to 7 wedding related e-mail, I haven't had much time to relax.

Sigh...

The Final Fitting

2010-08-31T15:43:00.002-04:00

In just 3 hours I will be putting on my gown for (hopefully) the last fitting before the big day. Please, oh please, tell me that...

... the last year of working my butt off at the gym has paid off
... my mom will give me even the slightest positive "Ooh" when I come out of the dressing room
... That my BMs keep their cool - 'cause if they lose it, I'll lose it LOL
... I didn't accidentaly spend the balance for the dress on something else. I'll soon find out when I go to the bank to pull out the money.
...I still love my dress as much as the first time I laid eyes on it

Amen.

Trash The Dress?

2010-08-27T12:22:00.007-04:00

I love how this trend is becoming more and more popular! Pretty pictures of a bride the Big Day is lovely. But wicked cool pictures of a bride in lush forest is awesome! I haven't decided yet whether I'm going to do a TTD shoot after the wedding, mostly because I have to somehow convince the Office Groom...and my mom that this would be a good idea! I wonder if I could convince them if I showed them a few samples of other risk taking Brides like this...

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...or this...

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...ok, maybe not this...

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The trend is is becoming so popular that CBS did a segment about it earlier this week.

So tempting!

Bustin' my a$$ to find a Busta Box

2010-08-26T14:08:00.005-04:00

Busta Boxes, aka Wedding Card/Money Boxes, are not easy to find in Toronto. At least, not one that isn't over priced or shaped like a Cinderalla pumpkin carriage complete with plastic horse...not that there's anything wrong with that.

Office Groom's mom offered to rent one for us but when she told us that it would cost $50, I figured I could find something more affordable to buy. So I began my search at Etsy, where I found one beautiful box after the other. My favourite was from NY Etsy artist Ellen of BWITHU. She can customize boxes with a variety of sizes, shapes, colours, and fabrics. FAB! It didn't take me long to fall in love with this one:

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The colours worked perfectly, I loved the silver detailing, and the price was affordable. So where does this perfect match made in Craft Heaven end? When I discovered that to ship it to the Great White North would cost an additional $25 US. Le boo (That's "Crap" in French).

My co-worker who sits beside must have noticed my search and eventual fail because she told me about her own Card Box - a Martha Stewart design from Wal-Mart.

Whaaaaat?!

Searching for it on-line wasn't the easiest, so my co-worker stepped it up a notch and brought hers in today for me to borrow! Ok, so I'll admit that for a split second I had a Prissy Bride moment and thought to myself "But I want my OWN box!! Waaaaah!" But then I snapped back to reality and realized that I was stressing over a BOX (how many times have I written "box" in this post, geez?) and I was happy again :)

Clothes Shopping After Work = Big Mistake

2010-08-25T08:40:00.003-04:00

Especially when you're lugging around a laptop bag and the entire population of the Toronto seems to have chosen to shop at the same store as you and preceisly the same time. I know I live in the most populated city in Canada...but GEEZ. Where did all these people come from?!

You might recall my excitement about getting an H&M card as a bridal shower gift from OG's office. Well, in usual Office Bride fashion, I wanted to use it right away and somehow convinced my better half that going to the mall afer work was a good idea.

Nope.

The extra luggage and the crowd didn't help. But the worse thing was I didn't find any of the pieces I found online. BOOOOOOOOO! Apparently not all of the Fall/Winter clothes have come in yet. What a disappointment. I refused to leave empty handed though, so I did pick up a cardigan and a leopard print top (it's all about animal print this season!).

I hate bad shopping experiences, lol. Hopefully next week will prove to be a better one.

Office Bridal Shower - H&M Gift Card

2010-08-24T14:32:00.001-04:00

AND...inside the card was a gift certificate for H&M! Wooohooo! OG and I were told we could pick from any store, so we figured why not get something that wasn't in the wedding budget? And now we can get a few new outfits for our honeymoon!

Oh, and why didn't anyone tell me about Fashion Studio on the H&M website?! OG and I perused the site last night to start thinking of some outfits when we discovered this way cool program. You can pick from a range of different models and then piece together outfits from head to toe. SO. MUCH. FUN.

I often have a problem with buying a piece but not having anything to wear it with, so this solves the problem! Here are a few outfits I put together, using a few repeat pieces.

Looking forward to some free shopping next week!!

Office Bridal Shower - Crafty Card

2010-08-24T14:31:00.001-04:00

The awesomeness didn't end there. One of OG's co-workers asked a crafty friend to make a card for us that was signed by the whole office. How cute is this?

She used one of our engagement shots that we posted on Facebook. And how's this for a weird coincidence? The mastermind behind the card, The Scrappy Stamper, is a classmate of mine from university! Weeeeird! I'll definitely have to blog more about her in the future!

Office Bridal Shower - Blue Cake

2010-08-24T14:15:00.006-04:00

Just got back from The Office Groom's work, where his co-workers organized a shower for us! There was so much awesomeness invovled in this shower, I think I'll write several posts.

Although it wasn't a suprise, I was genuinely in awe of how thoughful a gesture it was. The entire...and I mean ENTIRE office gathered in the common room and OG and I stood at center stage while his very cool boss embarrassed us LOL. We did a quick game of Marriage Prepatation (we had our backs to each other and had to answer questions about who is more likely to--fill in blank). Then everyone enjoyed some yummy blue icing cake and within seconds everyone was sporting blue teeth grins. Love it!

Engagement Photos Can Actually be Fun

2010-08-23T11:07:00.006-04:00

That's what the Office Groom and I learned when we did ours a week ago. We hadn't planned on doing any but when our good friend Wendy who is currently taking photography lessons asked us to be her guinea pigs in exchange for free photos, we figured, why not?

And we are so happy we did them! Not only did she take some amazing photos...

... It gave us the chance to get the photo shyness out of the way before the big day.
... We were able to be more "ourselves" and take less traditional shots.
... We now have really nice photos of us in everyday clothes and locations.
... We learned what our "best sides" are and what we should do more of / less of (eg. I will avoid tucking my chin in).

So, without further ado, here is just a sample of what took place. We walked around The Annex and took photos of us doing everything from kissing, joking around in a playground, dancing, reading, and more kissing :) If you're wondering about all the back shots, it's just to keep up the secret identity for a bit longer! And if you're interested in more of Wendy's photography, you can check out her blog!

Stealing a kiss in our secret garden path

Book Smooch (For our Book Theme!)

Peek-A-Book

Taking a stroll in our neighbourhood

We love to dance

Busy Bride!

2010-08-20T13:43:00.002-04:00

So busy that I missed my very first entry yesterday :(

Hmmmm, let's recap this week. In the midst of assignments and meetings at work (and man, was it ever a busy week at work!), I...

...Got in contact with a friend about limo rentals. Man, limos ain't cheap!
...E-mailed our pianist for the ceremony about our requested music
...Designed and printed custom menus for our Rehearsal Dinner
...Purchased my mom's gift from Etsy. She's gonna love it!!
...Purchased the last of our ring bearer's gift, also from Etsy. 4 words: "Lord Of The Rings" HA!
...Starting researching where to rent or buy a money box (any suggestions are greatly appreciated!!)
...Sent out Thank You cards to all of the lovely ladies who attended my bridal shower
...Hunted down my passport in our currently messy home office, to apply for our marriage license today! WooOOOoooOOOO!

Phwef! So, needless to say I haven't had much time to be bored this week.

I am soooo looking forward to some down time with Office Groom tonight!!

The Countdown Begins...

2010-08-18T15:18:00.003-04:00

I've been plugging away all day here at work, trying to get a few projects under way so that there's nothing outstanding next month. And then it suddenly hit me. NEXT MONTH! Holy Crickey, our wedding is exactly one month away from today!

WooOOOooOOoooOO!

Obviously I'm excited for the big day itself. But I gotta be honest. I'm also excited with the idea of not having to plan for this day anymore, and have some sense of normalcy back in my life. Is it bad to admit that?

Don't get me wrong. The planning has been loads of fun! And all of the special attention that the Office Groom and I have had (for the most part) in the last few months was really nice. However we've been planning this wedding for more than a year and half, and we got a lot of stuff done in the first few months. Now it just feels like we're tying up the loose ends, and man will I be happy once it's all done!

One month to go...YAY!

Hair & Make-Up Trial

2010-08-17T14:24:00.002-04:00

Le sigh... having a four day weekend was lovely, but man is it ever hard to get back into work mode!

I had a VERY eventful weekend...I had my hair and make-up trial on Friday afternoon, my bachelorette on Friday night, and then 2 days of recovery following that LOL.

While I'm oh-so-tempted to go straight to the party stories (oh man, they're GOOD), today's post is about my hair!!

while I go to a salon regularly to get my hair cut, it had been a while since I got it professionally done up. Seven years in fact, for my brother's wedding! I also wear little to no make-up on a regular basis (years of acne prone skin back in high school has given me a HUGE appreciation for my now-clear skin so I like to keep it natural). So I was pretty stoked to get all doll'd up for my trial.

The magic happened at Busy Beauty, a salon opened and run by an old high school friend named Julia. Even as a teen Julia had an eye for fashion and make-up, and it was no surprise when she decided to pursue it as a career after school. The great thing about her salon is that it's built from her home and it's only her, so it was really intimate and I got her undivided attention. I also got the most awesome makeover ever! For the overall look, I asked her for something "soft and romantic." Check out the beautiful hair style she came up with!!!

I wanted to do my hair trial on the same day as my Bachelorette so that I'd be all doll'd up (I got so many compliments, I felt fabulous!) and I could also test it out. It was a success :) I can't wait to do it all over again on the big day!!

Why Am I Sweating The Small Stuff?

2010-08-12T16:17:00.004-04:00

I spent almost 30 minutes at Essence du Papier today during my lunch, staring at a wall of guest book options. I kid you not. STARING. I picked up one book and looked it over on all sides. And then I put it down and picked up another book.

I debated everything from size, colour, traditional write-in, or photo. The sales people probably thought I was some crazy homeless lady dressed up decent just looking for a place to stay cool from the outdoor heat. Sigh.

And then... when I FINALLY made my choice (a photo guest book with white paper), and headed back to the office... it was only about an hour afterwards when I started to doubt my choice.

WTF? In my head I could hear my sensible side telling me to "Take it easy - it's just a guest book!" However it was having to compete with my more emotional side who wanted me to "Put real thought into this, because after all, this is your WEDDING GUEST BOOK!!"

So, like a madwoman with a split personality, I picked up the shopping bag and made my way back to the store. And it was only after I had exited the elevator that I realized I forgot one of the items on my desk.

ARRRGH.

I took that as a sign from the world that I should go back to my desk, live with my choice, and actually get some work done.

A friggin' guest book. Who woulda guessed? lol

Bridal Shower - Games

2010-08-11T13:42:00.006-04:00

It's the age old tradition of getting your favourite ladies together and then watching them embarrass themselves while they try to wrap toilet paper around themselves in an effort to design a wedding gown.

Bridal Shower Games... Some love it...some hate it. The latter is mostly because you are forcing women who don't know each other to play games together like it's a big girl birthday party. But done right, everyone can have a good time!

I haven't been to too many showers in my lifetime so far, but I learned a few things about bridal shower games after my special day. My ladies did a really good job of comming up with games that (a) were not wasteful (b) were not too difficult or embarrassing (c) did not have to involve everyone at once (d) had a nice reward at the end of each one.

The first game was "Dress The Bridesmaid." Only four (un)willing participants were needed and each were given a Barbie doll, some tissue paper, tape, and glitter. It was a lot of fun to see what the ladies came up with. Some were, um, "creative" while others came up with dresses I would actually wear!

The second game was called "Dress The Bride" and the same rules applied. I was in charge of choosing the winner for both games, and for this one I made my decision based on the fact that the doll itself looked like me lol.

The last game was my favourite. It was a custom made BINGO game designed by one of my bridesmaids, and each block contained a wedding related word or something from our registry. While I opened presents, the women played a round. I thought this was a great way to pass the time while lucky ol' me opened up the gifts, instead of everyone just sitting there and watching me.

I think my ladies did a fantastic job of keeping everyone entertained and ease the tension of not knowing one another!

What kind of bridal shower games did you have?

Bridal Shower - Yummy Eats!

2010-08-10T12:49:00.004-04:00

Last Sunday my lovely ladies organized my Bridal Shower! Although it wasn't a surprise that they were putting this together, what they had in store for me was kept a secret. The festivities took place at my brother and sister-in-law's house, which was the perfect size and look for a party like this. There was so much to take in, and I'll definitely have to write more than one post about the day, but the first thing I wanted to write about was the yummy FOOD!!!

It was the first thing that caught my eye when I entered the house. The dining room table was covered with amazing sweet and savoury treats, all prepared by my bridesmaids, my mom, and aunts. Tea sandwiches, strawberry cheesecake, Rice & Mango "sushi", fruit bouquets, shortbread cookies - there were SO many choices! I also loved that there were several cultural influences present at the food table, which was a good representation of what I grew up with. And um, yeah, of course I tried at least one of everything :)

My friends spent the entire previous evening preparing the sandwiches and treats, and my mom was up until about 4 IN THE MORNING putting things together! I was so overwhelemed by the labour of love that was put into the food. And by the end of the day I was stuffed and happy :)

Sweet Berry Wine!

2010-08-06T11:40:00.003-04:00

Tonight the Office Groom and I are having some friends over to do a wedding wine test! Woooooo!

Luckily for us, our venue will permit us to bring our own alcohol (with the purchase of a liquor license) which means that not only are we not paying bar prices, we can also return any unopened bottles after the wedding. Although the latter is kind of unlikely if I consider all the "Oh man, I'm getting LOADED at your wedding" comments we've been getting lately lol.

Hard liquor is a no brainer, but the wine is a bit of a challenge since it's being served during dinner, and we've got a few wine snob friends (love you guys!). So tonight, we're picking up a few different brands, all recommended to us by friends, and we're going to have ourselves a little par-tay!

Sweet berry wine here we come!

Cough....Sneeze...Ugh!

2010-08-05T15:34:00.003-04:00

A combination of the summer heat and running around like a chicken with its head cut off has now resulted in a cold. Ugh! Being sick in this heat is NO fun, especially when I have dinner plans tomorrow and bridal events this weekend!

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Ah well, hopefully this will mean I'll get it all out of my system before September!

Excuse me while I go grab a tissue.

The Dreaded RSVP Check-In

2010-08-04T14:14:00.002-04:00

Ugh. I know it has to be done. How else are we to know how many to expect and what each guest wants for his/her meal?

But I still hate having to call people to get an answer from them! Why oh why could the RSVP date on our invite not be enough?! I know that delayed responses can be for a number of reasons - figuring out work schedules, pending events, etc - but let's be honest. For the most part, it's usually because people forget or think to themselves "I'll get to that later." And of course, "later" turns out to be 2 months later.

Sigh...so far, the RSVP check-in has been going well. People don't seem at all phased that I'm calling them up to confirm their attendance - sigh of relief.

But I still hate doing it, LOL.

Made With Love

2010-08-03T09:26:00.003-04:00

This past weekend my mom and I went to Montreal, my birthplace and childhood home, to visit my grandmother. I really wanted to see my grandmother before the wedding, since she will not be able to attend due to her physical condition. It was so nice to spend time with her, and at 90 years old, she is as quick as she ever was :)

Another reason for the visit was so that she could help make our ring pillow. My grandmother was an amazing seamstress in her younger years, and I have her to thank for all the many beautiful dresses and awesome Halloween costumes I had when I was a kid. Thankfully her hands and eyes are still very strong, so she was able to be a part of the wedding in a small but meaningful way.

There were moments of nostalgia, sitting with my mom and grandmother while they sewed and spoke in filipino, their native language. It reminded me when I was a kid sitting by them, anxiously waiting for my new custom made outfit to be ready to wear :)

I'm admittedly sad that she can't be there on the big day. She has been a HUGE part of my life, practically a second mother who raised me. But I can also understand that travelling such a far distance would not be easy for her, and I wouldn't want to put her through that. I'm just so happy that I could spend that time with her, and on the big day when our little ring bearer walks down the aisle, he will be holding a token of my grandma's love in his hands :)

Why Didn't I Discover These Earlier?!

2010-07-30T09:58:00.004-04:00

How cute are these custom hangers by Etsy seller Lila Frances? Perfect for THE wedding dress photo or as gifts for the special ladies in your bridal party! Unfortunately for me, the wait time is anywhere between 8-10 weeks - so it looks like I'm a bit too late for this awesomeness.

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Although... it has given me a few ideas about making my own type of custom hangers...hmmmm...

Sharin' Some More Blog Love

2010-07-29T12:50:00.005-04:00

In the last year and half I have seen my fair share of fabulous wedding blogs and websites. The women who work on these put their everything into it, and I just wanted to show them a little gratitude for sharing their stories and inspiring me to put together the best damn wedding I can :)

As a token of my appreciation, I'd like to share a little blog love with this Best Blog Award.

The rules of this award are as follows:

1. To accept the award, you must post it on your blog with the name of the person who has granted you the award, and a link to their blog.
2. Pass the award on to approximately 10-15 other blogs that you recently discovered, and think are great!
3. Contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

In no particular order, here is the list of whom I'm passing on to:

1. Classic Bride - Modern is cool, but classic is forever...
2. Forget.Me.Knot.Weddings - The punny name alone drew me to this blog!
3. With This Ring - Awesome blogger, and owner of the cutest pup named Lola :)
4. A Million Little Details - Created by a dynamic duo of sisters. Awesome blog ladies!
5. The Green Wedding Blog - Go Green!!
6. Shaun And Renee - Could this photography couple be any more beautiful? Yeesh.
7. Here Comes The Blog - Love all the inspiration photos!
8. Pink Pearl Images - Searching for a Toronto-based photographer? Look no further!
9. Running From The Law - What started off as a marathon training blog has now evolved into a fun wedding planning blog :)
10. Newly Wed Adventures - Love her sense of fun and humour!
11. Newly Wed In New Orleans - Note to self...must visit Nawlins one of these days...
12. Kari and Raul - Love all the photos! What a cute couple :)

Thanks for sharing your ideas, discoveries, and stories ladies!!

xoxo The Office Bride

10 Things I've Learned About...

2010-07-28T14:10:00.004-04:00

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1. Sometimes the person you believed would be the first to respond, will be the last.

2. Receiving RSVPs on a wedding site is fun and exciting. But there will always be a few guests, bless their hearts, who are technologically challenged.

3. Don't take it personal if people don't respond right away. Everyone is the main character in their own story. In other words, there's plenty of other stuff happening outside of one wedding.

4. After the invites are sent out, it's not a bad idea to casually ask if they've been received after a couple of weeks. In our case, a few never got to their destination! And we wouldn't have known unless we asked.

5. People love chicken, lol.

6. Getting a response is awesome. Getting a personal message along with the response is even more awesome.

7. If the invites were sent out more than 2 months ago, don't be surprised if people have forgotten dates and deadlines as you get closer to the day.

8. You will always get at least one or two casual "Yeah, I'll be there" or "Just count him/her as a yes"

9. Sometimes a "No" is more welcomed than a "Yes," as bad as that sounds.

10. I will always try to respond to future wedding invites early from now on. Karma.

Hula Hoop Your Way Down The Aisle

2010-07-27T13:40:00.003-04:00

Who knew a childhood past time could be the latest fitness craze for women?!

Celebrities such as Marisa Tomei, Michelle Obama, and Liv Tyler are all fans of this retro toy-turned-waist-slimming-device. And I don't doubt for a second that it works, especially considering these ladies' fabulous physiques!

What I love is that this doesn't require a gym membership or an investment of thousands of dollars in workout machines. All you need is a good hoop from your local toy store and enough room in your living room to get your hips going! According to Celebrity Diet Doctor, "hooping strengthens your core, improves your balance and can even serve as a really good aerobic workout, adding variety to your current one."

I found this fun hula hoop workout video on Youtube.

I think a visit to Toys 'R Us this weekend is in order...

Let's Talk Music

2010-07-26T14:07:00.003-04:00

As some of you may recall, last March the Office Groom and I booked our wedding DJ. After some debate on whether we should do it ourselves or not, we finally decided that having a pro look after one of the most important elements in a wedding reception (in our opinion) was the better way to go.

Luckily, we were referred to DJ Andrew Hussey by our venue co-ordinator, and we immediately loved his style when we checked out his site.

Well, today, we will be meeting Andrew in person for the first time! The Office Groom actually met him a while back to give him our deposit, but today we will have the chance to sit down and talk about our music in more detail.

Not wanting to come unprepared, OG and I set aside last Friday to figure out what key songs we wanted for the night. With a couple bottles of wine, we chilled out in our living room and had a great time picking out tunes for entrances, the garter toss, special dances, and general partaying :)

We're hoping for some classic jazz and blues during dinner, and then the real fun begins for the dancing. We're going to ask that the night begins with some oldies but goodies for the older crowd - The Loco-Motion... Tutti Frutti..that kind stuff. Then we'll follow that up with some classic rock like More Than A Feeling, a sure hit with everyone especially our karaoke loving guests. Then some retro 70's to 90's (sigh, how sad is it that the 90's is officially retro? lol), and finally we'll end the night with some contemporary music that ranges anywhere between The Beastie Boys to Dave Matthews Band.

I'll be interested to know how open Andrew is to all this, and I hope our first meeting goes well! Fingers crossed!

"Discontinued" = Frustration

2010-07-23T14:38:00.002-04:00

Here's my wedding rant for the week. I have to go back to the department store where we are registered to replaced a whole bunch of items that have been discontinued...AGAIN. Seriously, how many times do I need to scan a new toaster?!

End of rant.

Showing Some Book Love To Our Guests

2010-07-22T10:41:00.006-04:00

What is normally a 20 minute commute to work on the subway took me FORTY FIVE FRIGGIN MINUTES this morning. They kept stopping between stations, so we just stood there in the dark tunnel, while someone on the intercom would explain what was going on, but all we could hear was "St...gre....bu....mor....ple...." Why do they even bother?!

So needless to say, I was a bit flustered when I got into the office, but my sour mood quickly dissipated when I noticed a package on my desk. And I knew instantly what it was...

The guests gifts had arrived!!!

I hurriedly set my purse down, turned on my computer, and got nice and comfy at my desk so that I could open the box. And there they were. 150 brand new, fresh smelling (it's all about the smell for me) Robert Munsch books and announcement cards. Le sigh...

Early in the wedding process, after OG and I had decided that we wanted a book theme, we came up with the idea of donating to a good cause that related to the theme in some way. Enter ABC Life Literacy Canada (formerly ABC Canada) - a non-for-profit organization that promotes the cause of literacy nationally through various programs, and helps adults with low literacy to develop the skills they need to succeed in reading, writing, and numeracy.

All it took was an e-mail, and soon I was in touch with the lovely people in the ABC marketing department. They set it up so that once we made a donation they would provide us with enough books for each of our guests as a token of thanks. How cool is that?!

We're also really happy that they've provided us with a title by Robert Munsch, one of Canada's most popular Canadian children's authors, and a personal favourite of both OG and mine (and pretty much every kid in North America, right?!).

I can't wait to see everyone open their little books at the reception, and I hope know that they were part of a good cause :)

We Got Our Bling!

2010-07-21T14:02:00.005-04:00

Yesterday, the Office Groom and I picked up our wedding bands. WHOA!

Even though I've been sporting my fabulous engagement ring for the last year and a half, there was something about getting these rings that made it seem so much more real. Maybe it was because this was something we were doing together as a couple, as opposed as a gift from one to the other.

And I gotta tell you that it felt really good to put on my new ring, and even better to see OG with a little bling on his finger now :)

Our rings were custom made by a Toronto-based jeweller / friend-of-a-friend. The whole process was painless and intimate, and we got exactly what we wanted at our price range.

After we wrote a big cheque and walked away with our bling, we decided that a little mid-afternoon celebration was in order. So we decided on a chocolate brownie with some Tim Horton's coffee...

...What can I say? We're Canadian...

Wedding Planning...with a cat

2010-07-20T14:47:00.002-04:00

This is what happens when I try to get some stuff done on the living room floor...

I'm not sure if it was the rustling of the paper, or the movement of the pen as I wrote things done, but my cute little kitty was all up in my grill while I was making some wedding related lists last night lol.

I will not pull an Alexander Skargard

2010-07-19T15:20:00.003-04:00

Don't get me wrong, I dig the guy. He plays one of my favourite characters on "True Blood" and ok, fine, he's easy on the eyes. But dear god, doesn't the poor Swede know anything about mixing alcohol and digital video cameras?

To not possibly offend readers, or worse, scare Alexander fans, I won't post the video directly, but you can see what I'm talking about here.

I guess even vampires can be, what my friend and I call, "drunk girls."

The Dreaded Aisle Walk

2010-07-16T11:29:00.003-04:00

Our church is big. And I mean traditional Roman Catholic BIG. So the thought of having to walk down the aisle which feels infinitely long makes me a tad nervous. My mom, bless her, she means well, suggested that I walk on my own half way, and then meet her and my dad to walk the rest of the way. "I saw it done in another wedding and it looked beautiful" she reasoned. Riiiight. While I'm all up theatrics and choreography, there's no way I'm walking on my own for any length of time!

So I respectfully exnayed that idea and told her we were doing it the good ol' fashion way. That way I will have the support (literally. I don't think I'll be able to hold myself up on my own) of my parents as I make my way down to join my future husband.

Here's the other thing. The church may be huge, but the number of guests is not. So unless we keep the doors open and invite homeless people to join in and fill in the back rows, we're only going to fill the first three rows of the church.

Great.

The irony to all this is that being a stage performer, I never have a problem being the center of attention, as long as I'm not being me. So the idea of all eyes on me as me is really weird and intimidating! If there was some way that my parents and I could sprint up until we hit the first row of guests, that'd be awesome. But highly unlikely.

Looks like I'm gonna suck it up and find a way to hold my head up, and the rest of my body for this friggin' walk...

A Home Away Honeymoon

2010-07-15T14:11:00.005-04:00

After nine different ideas about where we would honeymoon - yes, NINE - the Office Groom and I finally decided to go back to our original idea of Tuscany. Tuscany to me is the picture perfect idea of a romantic getaway. My favourite movie Under The Tuscan Sun may have a small part to play in this idea of course :) But Hollywood glamour aside, the thought of spending a vacation in a villa that overlooks the rolling hills of olive groves and grape vines, while enjoying a glass of the finest Italian red wine and devouring a delicious home cooked meal sounded right up our alley after all the wedding madness.

So when a friend of ours told us about Home Away, we discovered that we could have just that for our honeymoon!

I LOVE this site. Aside from the fact that I have this fascination with the way other people decorate their homes, the site allowed us to search for rental homes all over the world, at a wide range of prices and aesthetic requirements. We decided to focus around the area of Lucca, since it was the closest thing to an authentic medieval city, and was central to other cities of interest like Pisa and Sienna. The latter being top on the list of things to see for The Office Groom, since it was one of the filming locations for the last Bond film :)

We're film buffs, what can we say?

We decided on a beautiful old farmhouse located in a town just north of Lucca. It's very private with the most amazing views of the mountains. And the best part - it was only $800 CAD for a week and a half!! BOOKED! While I'd rather not say where exactly we're staying, I thought I would at least tease you with a few photos which the owner sent us. Mwahahaha!

The town

The view from our house

I love cobblestone

If you and your partner are looking for a quiet get-away honeymoon that allows you to sit back and relax and feel at home, definitely check out Home Away. Happy Searching!!

Great Finds At Winner's

2010-07-14T09:05:00.006-04:00

This is why I shouldn't be allowed mid afternoon strolls in the underground mall! After sitting in front of the computer for a solid 3 hours, I decided that I needed a break, at the very least for my very sore eyes. It was too hot to walk outside, so I decided on the next best thing - walking underground and doing a little "window shopping" at Winner's. Which of course led to a full on shopping extravaganza. However, my reasoning was that I was looking for some little items to throw into the BM clutches and Flower Girl purses anyway so... *cough*

I couldn't resist this pack of 6 scented hand sanitizers by Simples Pleasures. Reasoning in my head - the girls are going to be shaking a lot of hands that day.

And then I saw this pack of Elf lip gloss, which I just couldn't put down. Reasoning in my head - Lips get chapped. C'mon! Every girl can use a little touch up throughout the day!

Finally, I stopped in my tracks when I saw these too-cute Hello Kitty lip balm phones. Reasoning in my head - Hello Kitty. Enough said.

I returned to my office, carrying a large Winner's shopping bag proudly, and realizing I needed to catch up on some last minute work... Oh, to be an Office Bride :)

Shoes & Cake

2010-07-13T12:11:00.003-04:00

Why not combine the two and have a shoe shaped cake cutter?

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I know these have been around for a while, but as I was dinkin' around on the internet this morning, one thought led to another and these popped in my head.

You can pick up a pair...err... I mean one, at Amazon.

Too cute!

A Gift That's Close To My Heart

2010-07-12T09:51:00.004-04:00

A couple of weeks ago I celebrated my best birthday yet. The Office Groom and a couple of my BMs oragnized a little at-home shindig and some of my closest friends came to party, and a few of them came with gifts which was so unexpected and greatly appreciated!

One gift in particular almost got me choked up because of the level of thoughtfulness that went towards it. My friend and fellow blogger, Rhonda, bought me this beautiful locket. Her husband and fellow troupe member, remembered that I loved lockets and passed on the info to her. Good memory!

But here's the best part. Inside the locket, she inserted hand drawn pictures of The Office Groom and our cat! How amazing is that?!

I'm wearing the necklace today, and will be sure to show it off as much as possible throughout the day :)

RAIN!!!

2010-07-09T13:08:00.003-04:00

Finally!!! Maybe it'll cool down now, at least for a few days. The Office Groom and I are still living out of our bags, and crossing our fingers we can go back to our apartment soon. Ugh...not liking the heat right now. It's so hot, it's even hard for Jack Nicholson to stay cool, lol. I saw that online, so I can't take that line for my own :)

Have a happy (and cooler) weekend ladies!

A Funny Wedding Commercial

2010-07-08T13:55:00.000-04:00

It Takes Two To Tango

2010-07-07T09:10:00.006-04:00

Two Tango shoes, that is.

Check out these awesome pair of Kate & Mel flats I picked up for myself a week ago for my birthday!!!

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When I was a kid I had this fascination with black and white tango shoes - blame it on the movies - but I never owned a pair. Then in high school, I got my hands on a great pair for only $10, and from all places, Payless!

Side story - I wore them on my 19th birthday. In Ontario, that's the starting legal age for drinking, and I had a bit too much fun that night. One of the highlights was walking down a street with my friends and telling strangers that my shoes only cost $10, lol. It was a good night.

A few years later I found another pair, but as pumps. I can't find a pic of them, but trust me, they are damn hot (and high). And now I have these more updated versions to add to the collection :)

Now I just need to learn how to tango. In the meantime, I think I'll wear them when my troupe performs in the upcoming Toronto Just For Laughs Festival (sorry, shameless plug, but it's a huge deal!!!!)

Something Blue

2010-07-06T14:31:00.003-04:00

How gorgeous are these Christian Dior Haute Couture dresses?!

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Heat Wave In Toronto

2010-07-06T08:35:00.002-04:00

Ugh. Please for the love of all good things, don't let it get any hotter than this! Especially when we're still living in an apartment with no air conditioning!!

Is it just me or does it feel like Toronto and the area around it has fallen apart in the last couple of weeks? Tornados and earthquakes. The G20 choas. A major heat wave that will last for the rest of the week. Yeesh.

It definitely didn't make for an easy sleep last night. Thank goodness Office Groom's sister offered to let us sleep over (our cat included) for the next couple of nights until the weather cools off.

For anyone celebrating their big day in this heat - I'm sending positive and cool vibes your way :)

From the Desk of... Wendy

2010-07-05T11:39:00.004-04:00

After another 4 day weekend - this time up north with the family for our annual camping trip - it's back to some normalcy at the office. I almost forgot what it was like to work 5 days a week after these last two weeks, lol!

And to start off this week, I thought I'd share the wonderful story of how my friends Wendy and Greg got engaged! It took 5 years in the same high school, 4 years in the same university, and then a graduation before these two scholarly lovebirds realized they were meant to be together :)

"It happened on October 28, 2005. Greg made up a story that his friend was coming in from London to celebrate a birthday (which is in November) - and his friend's girlfriend was hooking him up with a night at the Westin (I am super gullible). So he picked me up from work - and took me to the hotel. We went up to the hotel room, and we knock on the door - and no one comes to the door! I remember being SO annoyed that he didn't have things organized with his friends.

So I walked away from the door - and he actually calls another friend to keep up the facade that he was trying to hook up with everyone. And then I hear him say "What? The key's in my pocket?" I was so confused! I turned around, and he reached into his pocket - and there was the key to the room (it all happened so fast!).

He opened the door to the room and there were little white lights hung up all around the room, rose petals on the bed and a bottle of ice wine chilling in the ice bucket. Once I realized what was going on, I began to cry (blubbering in fact) and he got down on one knee. What he actually said still escapes me (and he won't tell me again!). Once I said yes though, I guess all of the pressure was off and he plopped himself down on the chair and opened the ice wine...and helped himself! Ha!"

From the desk of Wendy.

I Have Been Up For 4 Hours So Far...

2010-06-30T08:50:00.003-04:00

And it's only 8:30 am.

Yup, at the crack of dawn I was suddenly woken up by my cat and then for some reason the first thing that popped into my head was "Hair." And once I started thinking about it, I couldn't stop.

Why I worrying about what to do with my hair (and my bridesmaids hair) at 4:30 in the morning, 3 months before the wedding, was beyond me. But there I was, fully awake in bed thinking about it while the Office Groom was fast asleep, peaceful and undisturbed.

The thought of trying to coordinate six women, including myself, and making sure everyone was pleased with the outcome filled me with anxiety. Time, money - throw those into the worry mix too. And before I knew it, the alarm went off at 6 am (our gym time) and it was time to officialy start the day.

Luckily for me, the Office Groom functions well in the morning, and when he woke up, he listened to everything I was worried about and offered some suggestions. I think more than anything, I just needed to say it out loud, and once I got everything off mychest, I felt a lot better.

However, I am now sleep deprived, and I have a busy day ahead of me with work and a dinner party we're hosting at our place later the evening.

Woooo.

Movie Review: "Knight And Day"

2010-06-29T10:09:00.004-04:00

Last Sunday, after a relaxing couples massage at Novo Spa (Office Groom's birthday present to me), we headed over to the movie theatre and watched "Knight And Day." I saw the trailer a month ago and remember thinking "That's the Tom Cruise I remembered loving!" And while watching the film, I kept thinking the same thing.

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If you like a light hearted comedy with loads of action and eye candy, this is a great summer flick to check out. With friends, or on a date night, this movie will definitely keep you entertained for two hours.

There's great chemistry between the two leading stars, Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz, and as I mentioned before, you almost forget all the "crazy" that Mr. Cruise has made himself out to be in the last few years, and fall in love with him all over again :)

How Do You Say "No"?

2010-06-28T16:48:00.003-04:00

Without having to actually say it?

This is a question that most brides and grooms will ask themselves at some point in the planning, when friends and family members start volunteering ideas or services which they believe are "helpful" for the wedding.

Your aunt has a green thumb and wants to make your bouquet using her garden flowers. You fiance's cousin's husband plays in a cover band and wants to do the music for the reception. Your friend from university insists on doing your invites as her gift to you because she learned how to use Photoshop recently.

It's a tough call, because while on one hand we should be appreciative of others wanting to make a contrubution, there's also the risk that it's not the kind of contribution we needed in the first place.

And then there is the oh-so-awkward scenario when guests ask - sorry, tell -a couple that they are bringing a date, someone who wasn't accounted for in the numbers. That's a fun phone call to make, huh?

NOT.

"Oh...hi Jerry. Good, good. Things are going well! Hey, I noticed that you were bringing a date to the wedding? Oh, you met her in a bar last weekend? That's nice. Yeah, so about that..."

AWKWARD.

So...how do you say "no"?

Restaurant Review: Spuntini

2010-06-25T11:54:00.004-04:00

Last night, I went out for dinner with the Office Groom and our families to celebrate my birthday. OG organized the whole thing and dinner took place at a swanky Italian restaurant called Spuntini.

PROS
Located on Avenue Road just north of the Yorkville action, Spuntini is a beautifully decorated restaurant with an impressive menu and wine list to boot. Many celebrities frequent the restaurant, as proof will show with the many framed photographs on the wall as you enter the restaurant. Johnny Depp, Kim Catrell, Matthew Broderick - we may have been seated at the same table as one of these stars :)

I enjoyed my Coda D'Aragosta - Cuban lobster tails, oven baked, and dressed with roasted garlic, butter, and white wine.

YUM!

Paired with a glass of Amarone ( Amarone Della Valpolicella, Luigi Righetti, Italy), it was one of the best meals I've had in a long time. I know this makes me sound like a total uppity snob, and I just want to point out that we don't eat like this regularly, lol. When I ordered the lobster my brother jokingly commented "Geez, you'd think this was your birthday or something."

CON
The service could have been better. The place got pretty busy by 8 o'clock and it was definitely under staffed. It took a while for us to order our meals and then to receive them. Our waiter was a bit snooty too, but at least he was nice about taking a group picture for us.

All in all, it was a great dining experience and I am so happy to have been with my family to celebrate!

A Happy G20 Birthday

2010-06-24T15:14:00.004-04:00

Traffic jams. Gun shots. An unnerving amount of cops everywhere. And a security wall that eerily resembles East Berlin 30 years ago.

All thanks to the G20 Summit.

But, I'm not going to complain. Why? Because thanks to G20, I have the next two days off (as in, "working" from home), and today also happens to be my birthday :) Having grown up in Quebec, where every June 24th was a holiday (St. Jean Baptiste), it's nice having a day off to celebrate my 28th year in Ontario without having to take a holiday.

Dear God. 28. I'm not one for numbers. I still act like I'm 17 most of the time. But there's something about "28" that sounds so mature! Luckily, that didn't stop the Office Groom from getting the most awesome and silly birthday card for me...

And the fun continues all through the weekend. A fancy shmancy dinner awaits me tonight with my family. Tomorrow night my ladies have put together a Derby themed birthday party for me and friends. And Sunday the Office Groom is taking me to the spa for a couples massage.

I'm a lucky gal!

For anyone else celebrating another year today, Happy Birthday!!!

Earthquake in Toronto?

2010-06-23T13:51:00.002-04:00

Just plugging away at work when suddenly I noticed my desk and filing cabinet shaking! Just confirmed that Toronto (and other parts of Ontario apparently) just had an earthquake!

Yeesh...G20...cops everywhere...earthquakes.

And my birthday tomorrow, lol.

Sigh...

2010-06-23T08:51:00.004-04:00

Yesterday was the first time I didn't get a chance to blog. Boo. And there's a reason for it too. Ever have one of those days where nothing seems to go right, especially the things that were presumably suppose to be easy to accomplish? That was yesterday. Work, the wedding, personal stuff...it's like the day decided on it's own that it was going to be a bad one and forgot to send me a memo.

With regards to the wedding, the problem is that as we are getting closer to the date, more and more people are coming at all sides and trying to tell us how to run the show. Some requests are doable while others I just want to give the WTF look as a response. And such minute details! It's as if people have forgotten why we're doing this to begin with.

A part of me just wants to remind everyone that this is after all our wedding, and what we says goes. Deal with it. But then that lovely term "Bridezilla" would come outta the woodwork, wouldn't it? It just boggles my mind that people don't get it. Especially since by wedding standards, the Office Groom and I have been really accomodating and pretty chill about the whole thing.

I guess it's one of those situations that if the people who are suppose to be stressing aren't, someone else will find a way to make up for it, lol.

Sigh - I only hope that today goes a lot better than yesterday.

Source of Photo.

Catholic Wedding Ceremony Music

2010-06-21T11:31:00.003-04:00

I was in the church choir when I was a teenager.

There - I said it.

And you know what? I'm glad I did! While it may have not screamed "cool," especially at an age when everything depended on whether it was cool or not, the choir I sang with was actually really good, and still is. Years ago, while I was still living under the same roof with my devout Catholic mom, going to church on Sunday was not questioned. After years of doing my best not to fall asleep during mass, I eventually realized that the best way to keep myself busy (and awake) was to join the choir.

To this day I can still sing along to most of the songs from memory. And while I haven't quite figured out how knowing the lyrics to "On Eagle's Wings" can help me in every day conversation, it has been very helpful as of late when deciding on the music for our wedding.

Our priest, who by priest standards is very cool and modern, requested that we either choose traditional music from the choir music selection or classical music. So far in my research, I've really grown attached to these pieces:

You Are Mine by David Haas

The Prayer by Sager/Foster

For The Beauty of the Earth by Conrad Kocher:

Lord Of All Hopefulness, a Traditional Irish hymn

Luckily, the Office Groom and I were able to sell him on the idea of playing the UP theme song (our favourite movie) during the signing. Hopefully our guests will catch on to what the song is and be as choked up as I will undeniably be lol :)

I'm not quite sure how many songs should be sung or played during the ceremony, so the search continues!

Invitations MIA :(

2010-06-18T10:04:00.004-04:00

Canada Post - I shake my fist at you!!!

Trying to get ahead of the game, the Office Groom and I sent out our invites the last week of May. Several were received just days after they were sent out which was awesome. But others - all living in the same city - have not yet received anything!

Aaarrrrgh!

The only reason I know this is because in one example, certain members of my comedy troupe didn't receive their invites. I don't know whether to wait it out, or start inquiring if others have received their invites yet. My worry with the latter option is that people will think we're just asking ebcause we want them RSVP! But I'm also worried about invites that were sent to out-of-town guests! What if I checked in with them in August to find out they never recieved one?

Grrrrrr!

TGIF.

My First Wedding Dream

2010-06-16T10:16:00.003-04:00

After planning a wedding for over a year, thinking about it daily at work and at home, bringing it up at least once in every casual converstion, and blogging about it for months... it was bound to happen. Last night I had my first wedding dream, lol.

Source

I was already at the church, waiting for my grand entrance. For some reason my MOH's dress was lying on a table. It wasn't the same one she's actually going to wear, but I got all chocked up nonetheless because it looked so pretty. I peeked through the doors to see the church and was overwhelemed with the "beauty" of the set up. Everything was dark except for a spotlight on a giant Christmas Tree at the altar covered in blush pink flowers. For whatever reason in my dream, I thought this was gorgeous, ha! Then it hit me. I had the sudden urge to pee, lol. So I ran downstairs where the washrooms are, but the women's washroom had the oddest toilets I had ever seen. They looked like buckets, and they were not hidden behind stalls. I considered it for a second but then thought against it. No friggin' way would I use something like that in a wedding dress, lol. So I spent the rest of the dream trying to find another washroom.

And then I woke up.

WTF? I have to remember not to have beer and chocolate before bed, huh?

If you have had any weird wedding dreams, please share!

Hasslebot - When you need a good reminder

2010-06-15T12:03:00.002-04:00

Between getting assignments done at work, putting together a review show with my comedy troupe, and spending quality time with the Office Groom, friends and family, it's amazing that I find the time to plan a wedding! While we've been relatively on top of everything for the wedding, there have been days of slacking and putting things off.

That's where the Hasslebot comes in handy. HassleMe is an automatic virtual nagger. Need a reminder to apply for wedding licenses? Find a florist? Pay off your caterer? Just set up a hassle every few days reminding you to get them done via email! The nice thing about this is that it's essentially a reminder from yourself, so you can be as funny (or harsh) as you'd like in your message.

I had one pop up this morning reminding me to write in my blog :)

Radioactive Love

2010-06-14T16:20:00.003-04:00

Love comes in all forms. Even radioactive. Check out this new blog put together by a group of very funny guys who also happen to be my co-workers!

It goes to show you that even the likes of Godzilla and Spiderman can find true love :)

Morning Cupcake!

2010-06-14T13:39:00.005-04:00

Look what I found on my desk this morning!

Not a bad way to start off the week, huh? My co-worker Julie is making our wedding cupcakes and she dropped off these yummy treats for me and Office Groom to taste test (She's a techy wiz by day and baking fiend by night). Luckily I had the strength to put them in the office fridge right away otherwise they would have been entirely consumed (by me) before lunch lol.

Curious as to what they are? The cupcake itself is a decadent chocolate flavour topped with Italian meringue buttercream.

YUM!

I'll post tasting results tomorrow!

PS - If you're in the Toronto area and you're shopping around for wedding desserts, drop me an e-mail at officebride(at)gmail(dot)com and I'll pass along Julie's info!

GOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLL

2010-06-11T13:48:00.003-04:00

What's one thing that the Office Groom and I have in common?

The love for the "beautiful game"! While we are staunch supporters of our local team, Toronto FC, there's nothing better than a good game of footy between different countries!

Today marked the opening game for World Cup, and the both of us are so stoked to cheer on our teams (England for him and Germany for me).

There is an energy in Toronto right now and it's undeniably Football Fever (I prefer the more appropriate name for the game, lol). A long walk around the city and you're bound to pass by bars in every neighbourhood cheering on for Italy, Portugal, France, etc. I love it!

For all other followers of the game out there, may the best team win!

BM Gift #3 - Custom Clutches

2010-06-10T15:01:00.004-04:00

The third and final gift for the ladies arrived last Friday. I'm so happy with the end results!!

Some of you may be aware with the Etsy ordeal I had a few months back. Long story short, I decided to go with a seemingly professional Etsy seller who worked diligently with me to design the perfect clutch. Everything was going well until - she disappeared. *Poof* Just like that. While I was pretty upset at the time, I'm fully recovered from my first (and hopefully last) bad Etsy experience and I hope that the seller, wherever she may be now, is ok and has taken up a different hobby more suitable for her.

Thankfully, there are plenty of other fish in the Etsy sea, and I soon found myself dealing with the very lovely and talented Rena of ItsSoClutch. When I first messaged her I told her about my not-so-wonderful-previous experience, and right off the bat I could tell that she sincerely sympathized and wanted to make things better.

She was able to recreate what I had originally come up with, and then stepped it up a notch by using beautiful raw black silk (the original fabric was satin), adding a silver frame (the original design was just fabric), adding a removeable flower pin similar to my hair piece, and selling it at a VERY affordable and competitive price.

My cat is trying to sneak a cameo in this shot :)

I love them so much, I've asked her to create a clutch for me as well! Same design, only in blush pink - to match my shoes of course - with an ivory flower pin.

The clutch matched with the bedazzled mirror and crystal jewellry will be a wonderful gift to each of my girls, showing them my appreciation for all their love and support this last year and a half :)

The Symbolism Of Flowers

2010-06-09T16:12:00.004-04:00

I stumbled upon this very interesting post today by One Wed, about the symbolism behind different types of flowers. If you're like me and love to find the deeper meaning / history behind things, you'll probably want to be sure that the flowers you've chosen represents "true love," and not "best buds for life" or something like that lol :) And I learned a few new blooms too!

Source

For instance..."Gloxinia"? Huh?! Beautiful flower, but I had no idea that was it's name, lol. And now I also now it represents "Love at first sight"!

So sweet!!

With This Ring...

2010-06-08T11:44:00.004-04:00

Today during lunch, the Office Groom and I are meeting with a local jewellry designer named Dana McLaven. She's a friend of one of my co-workers and was highly recommended. Dana creates custom designed jewellry. According to her site, "because the “middle man” is eliminated, and there are no expensive overhead costs associated with traditional retail operations, Dana can pass on a significant savings to her clients."

Originally, OG and I thought we would just go to one of the big retail stores to get our rings, but the idea of getting custom rings came up after hearing about Dana really appealed to us. Something uniquely ours and one-of-a-kind - sounds good to us!

Today Dana will bring in some samples of her work, along with other samples that resemble the rings from inspiration photos we sent her via e-mail. Hopefully we'll be able to develop a design for both rings that will fit our style...and our budget perfectly.

Here's hoping!

Computer Abort

2010-06-07T17:05:00.002-04:00

Grrrr. I wasn't able to blog all day because I kept getting a message saying that the site was down (????).

Quick update:

Cleveland trip was AWESOME.

My Bridesmaid clutches came in on Friday!! Post about that tomorrow.

Most recent honeymoon idea - Tuscany (Um, yup, you got it. The very FIRST idea we had when we started planning our honeymoon all those months ago. Sigh...there's something to be said about going with your gut feeling)

Rock 'n Roll Road Trip

2010-06-04T11:55:00.003-04:00

This weekend the Office Groom is off on yet another awesome trip, this time to Chicago with his dad for some manly father/son time :) Office Groom is the first to admit how lucky and happy he's been this year to be able to go on all these great trips, and I'm equally happy for him!

However, not wanting to twiddle my thumbs waiting for him to return, lol, I decided that this weekend would be great chance to do a short road trip with some friends!

The destination - Cleveland.

Yes, I know it may not be the most exotic location, but the city boasts some of the most impressive museums in North America, most notably The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!

Source

Tomorrow morning at the crack of dawn (or a couple of hours after it), I'm hitting the road with 4 other friends (2 are BMs), hoping to arrive at a decent PM hour to check out the museum and pay respects to our favourite rockers!

An added plus... A friend of mine who goes to Cleveland every year with his dad and guy friends for a sports event, highly suggested that we stay at the Embassy Suites downtown. While it's a bit pricier than other hotels, it's not so bad as group sharing one room (with two separate rooms). But that's not the best part. From 5-7 PM the hotel hosts a "Managers Reception" which apparently is 2 hours of free unlimited drinks!

Whhhaaaaaaat!!!

So, needless to say, while we're also paying homage to rock stars, we're also going to party like one :)

Have an awesome weekend!

Where Did The Summer Go?!

2010-06-03T14:43:00.003-04:00

It isn't even officially summer, yet it seems that every weekend from now until September is booked up! A weekend at a friend's cottage, camping with my co-workers, going out of town to visit my Grandma, keeping days open for events that I can't know about (lol), yeesh!

When do I get any me time (as in - NOT doing anything)?

Why does it seem that when we've got something big to plan, there are a dozen other things that come up? And if I turn any of them down I feel bad or selfish!

Sorry, I know there are a lot of rhetorical questions being put out here, but I just had a look at my itouch calendar and was so surprised at how many different activities are lined up! I really shouldn't complain - I'm lucky to have so many wonderful people in my life who all want a piece of the Office Bride action, lol. However, it can be a bit overwhelming when I realize I've got an hour here or there to myself.

Sigh.

Some More Food For Thought

2010-06-02T11:03:00.007-04:00

Taste Test? Done and done. And such a great experience!

When the Office Groom and I arrived at the main office of Eatertainment, our day-of planner Jennifer brought us down to the Bloor Street Diner, located on the main floor of the Manulife Centre. We've been there before for a non-wedding related meal, and really enjoyed it, so we were already off to a good start.

We were seated at table right by the kitchen and half expected that other couples would be joining us. We've heard about other taste tests that happen in groups, but in our case, it was just us and the day-planner. Awesome!

No time was wasted to get started, which was fine by me because I was pretty hungry at that point (I made sure to show up with an empty stomach lol). The taste test was divided up into 4 parts. Cold Canapes (aka hor d'hoeurves), Hot Canapes, Appetizers, and Main Course. We had to narrow down the choices of the canapes (2 of each), the appetizers (1), and give our final stamp of approval on the three main course options (we're giving our guests the choice of chicken, fish, and veggie).

While I can go on an on about the food, I'll let the pictures do most of the telling. Here are a few pictures I took. I won't announce just yet what we decided on for canapes, just in case some of my readers are also my guests lol. You'll have to wait until September!

Cold Canapes

Hot Canapes

One of the Appetizer options

One of the Main Course options

Can you say "YUUUMMMM"?!

It was a great lunch and The Office Groom and I left feeling really happy with our choices. Hope our guests feel the same way :)

Taste Test Today!

2010-06-01T10:44:00.004-04:00

The Office Groom and I have a special lunch to look forward to today. We're going to our caterer's main office to do our taste test! When it comes to food, I always get excited!

Choosing our caterer was one of the very first things we decided on since it would take up the bulk of our budget. That was over a year ago, and I can't believe how quickly time has passed that we are now ready to do this!

Since we decided on Steam Whistle Brewing as our reception venue, we were limited to a selection of vendors from which to choose - all of which have worked in the space before and have a special agreement with the brewery. We were totally cool with this because it narrowed down the choices of the hundreds of other caterers in the city we could have chosen!

After a lot of e-mail and phone convos, we finally decided on one called Eatertainment. We really liked the professionalism of our contact, Jennifer, and we found a lot of great reviews on-line about them (and her). And most importantly, their prices were very competitive and fit nicely within our budget.

Today I look forward to tasting all the delicious items that until this point, we've only ever known on paper! Thank goodness I went to the gym this morning and had a light breakfast.

Bon Appetit!

Jamaica... hmmm

2010-05-31T12:49:00.003-04:00

Remember a while back I posted about the Office Groom and I finally deciding on our honeymoon location?

After the recent news coming from the island, it's making us second guess our decision. Although we've been told that we would be ok as long as we weren't in Kingston (we were planning on staying in Negril for one week), it still puts a damper on our plans of staying a second week near Kingston, where OG has some family.

However, since we're only planning on going in December, perhaps the situation won't be as bad?

Sigh. Just when we had one big decision made! Anyone else feeling the same way?

Hugging Books

2010-05-28T10:31:00.002-04:00

How perfect would these for our book themed wedding?! Or just as home decor?

Source

Let The RSVPs Begin!

2010-05-27T16:29:00.002-04:00

I just had to share this quickly - We received our first batch of RSVPs on our site today! Is it incredibly cheesy to admit how excited that made me, lol? I'm actually surprised how quickly it happened, considering that the Office Groom and I just started mailing out invites on Tuesday! Canada Post - I'm giving you a virtual High Five.

Now I just have to figure out how to not check the wedding site every 5 minutes for updates.

So sad.

DIY Paper Pendants

2010-05-27T09:30:00.005-04:00

Last month I posted about a paper pendant workshop that my sister-in-law was going to take me to, and last night was the outting!

Together with a few other lady friends, we enjoyed a healthy dinner at Fresh on Queen Street W (Try the "Green Destiny," it's delish), and then headed to the Paper Place to get our craft on.

We were a small group of 8, which made it more intimate and less hot (for all those in Toronto, you know that I'm referring to the incredible heat wave we had yesterday). Each person was given their own set of materials and tools to get started. A cutting board, utility knife, 3 types of glue, glass pendants, and oodles of pretty paper to choose from.

The process is fairly simple. Choose your paper (which is probably the hardest part!), clean the glass, add a few drops of Diamond Glaze glue to the flat side and smear it around, and then place it on the paper. And wait...

The waiting is important. You need to be sure the glue is completely dry before you go to the next stage - cutting around the edge to get rid of the excess paper. If the glue isn't set yet, you run the risk of ripping the paper or moving the glass from the desired position.

Once you've cut around the edge, you should end up with something like this:

Oooh...pretty isn't it? Luckily the paper took care of most of that for me :)

To preserve the baskside of the pendant (which is the paper) from wear and tear, add a thin layer of glue on the back, and again, wait for it to dry. When it is, you can then add the hook to the back using the second type of glue, E6000. This is an adhesive (like super glue) so be careful not to get any on your fingers!

Depending on how many you make or how creative you get using different paper and cutouts, the whole process can take anywhere from and hour to two. And again, most of that time is used to select paper and wait for glue to dry.

This is what I ended up with after our 2 hour workshop.

I'm keeping a couple for myself, giving one to each of the moms, and probably the others to friends. Fun times!

Gifts For The Little Ones

2010-05-26T09:31:00.004-04:00

Check out these uber cute items we picked up for the flower girls and ring bearer!

Since part of our gift to the BMs are their clutches, we thought that a purse for each of the little ladies would be a nice match. This paired with their pink tulle dresses will be so adorable!

And for the little man, we decided to get him an equally manly gift :) He will be wearing a kilt like the rest of the guys, but for a 4 year old, he may just mistake it for a dress. And dress = girl, which is a big no-no for a boy his age! So we thought a cool (and safe) play sword would give his outfit more of a Braveheart feel, lol.

Now we are in the search for books about being a flower girl and ring bearer. Gives the kids something to read, and fits in nicely with our book theme!

What I Learned About DIY Invitations - Part 1

2010-05-25T09:39:00.005-04:00

This should technically be Part 2, as my first lesson about DIY invitations was spelling msitakes and proofreading the sh*t outta them to be sure there are none!

However, let's call it Part 1 nonetheless because this past long weekend, I spent an hour every day fitting the pieces all together. And by "pieces" I mean: writing addresses on envelopes, indicating the number of reserved seats on the RSVP card, and adding the final touch of a custom designed stamp on the back of the envelope. Sounds easy enough, right?

Riiiight.

Writing Addresses
I decided to get all fancy shmancy and purchase a calligraphy pen at a local paper shop.

Just a side note - this particular store is located in the business district of Toronto, which means $$$. At first glace the only calligraphy pens they had were over $150. Pffft. When I asked a saleswoman for a more affordable pen, she showed me one for $90. Again, I asked "Is there anything more affordable?" That's when she half-assedly directed me to a wall of pens for $14. In my head: "WTF didn't you just show me this to begin with?" But I digress...

I have, what most people consider, nice hand writing. So when it came down to who would be writing the addresses, all fingers pointed at me (mainly from Office Groom). I was glad to do it, since I loved doing calligraphy as a kid, and I take pride in my neat writing. So with my brand new $14 pen in hand, I started the job. Everything was smooth sailing... until I messed up a name. Damn. And then I messed up an address. Damn damn. And then I was holding the pen incorrectly and it wasn't calligraphy so much as it was just ink scratches. Sigh.

Using Ink Stamps
Once the addresses were completed, the invites were inserted, and I started on the custom stamp on the envelope. That part was really easy. I took a few lessons from Etsy seller AssPocket Productions and learned the ideal way to get ink on the stamp using her on-line tutorial. It's the sealing of the envelope that proved to be more difficult. Not wanting to pull a "Susan," Office Groom used a damp cloth to wet the envelope glue. Unfortunately, with a just a bit too much water, you end up with this:

The ripped up paper is a result of me reopening the envelope in frustration to remove the invitation card. Office Groom said that it wasn't so bad, and I just gave him that look that says "Really?" He left me alone to produce a new envelope, lol.

What I learned: Patience is a virtue. I was exctied to get through as many as possible, but speeding along won't save you time in the long run. So - take your time! Don't it all in one sitting either. I found taking an hour here and there was less stressful. And lastly, having a very clean and clutter free surface to work helps a lot. Chances are it will get cluttered with all the invitation materials anway, so may as well have a clear workspace to begin with.

Part 2 coming up soon!

Revealing The Dress Before The Big Day

2010-05-21T12:16:00.003-04:00

Today was the first time that a good friend (not involved in the wedding party) asked if they could see my dress. You'd think after all the time and effort spent looking for one, and the amount of money paid to finally pay for it would make me all gung-ho to show it off.

But I'm not.

Frankly, I'm all about the surprise. I know that a photo of the dress, especially on a model, won't be a true representation of what it will look like on me, but there's something about just keeping it as much of a secret as possible that appeals to me.

Wedding dress aside, I like to have a bit of a "wow" factor when I walk into a room wearing a knock-out outfit for a special function. And there's nothing wrong with that! I think a lot of women would agree that that first initial reaction from others can be very satisfying (especially if it comes from another woman - 'cause let's face it, half the time we dress up to impress other women, not men).

So, in typical passive-aggressive-Office-Bride nature, I've chosen to ignore my friend's request (which was online, thank goodness), lol.

Have you managed to keep your dress under wraps?

Spelling Msitakes

2010-05-20T13:48:00.004-04:00

The Office Groom and I printed out our invites last night! That part is a "YAY"! After hours of designing and wording, picking out the paper at The Paper Place, and printing them on one of the office printers at O.G.'s workplace (ssshhhhh), we had ourselves some really nice looking invites. I was so proud of them, that today I decided to take one with me to work and show them off to a co-worker.

The design is pretty different - it's a short funny story of how O.G. and I met. I was inspired by this invitation that I found online over a year ago, so there's a lot of text and in different fonts.

I thought I had proofread it a billion times over - so did OG - so when my co-worker pointed out that I spelled "treked" instead of "trekked" my heart broke into little pieces! That's the "GRRRR" part.

How could I have not noticed that? I feel like such an idiot! Here I am, putting in all this time and effort, only to discover 150 printed invites later than I have a typo. Sigh. Please, oh please, tell me that I'm not the only one out there! I wouldn't normally sweat the small things, but I took a lot of pride in designing them myself :(

We're not reprinting. It's a waste of money and paper. And I can only hope that either guests don't notice or don't mention it if they do. Although, having two parents for teachers, and a plethora of academic friends and family - chances are I'll have to develop thick skin after the invites get sent out.

"Treked." Pffft.

Summer Lovin'

2010-05-19T09:35:00.002-04:00

Man on man is it ever beautiful outside today! The clear skies and bright sun was my inspiration for today's inspiration board. Nothing says summer like pink, green, and white :)

Flowers from Fleurs.
Shoes worn by beautiful bride Caitlin.
Bridesmaids photo from The Knot.
Cupcakes created by Mossy Cupcakes.
Wedding Dress by Stephanie James Couture.

The "What If..." List

2010-05-18T15:26:00.003-04:00

Today I went out for lunch with the Office Groom and we had a really good talk about marriage and life. A little deep for a mid day conversation, I know, but we've decided that there's been way too much wedding talk, and not enough life talk, like career goals, our "future kids," our personal life goals, and fears.

The latter brought up a few "what ifs" we each had and we were reminded of something we did a few years ago which we found really helpful. We called it the "What If List" at the time and the name has stuck ever since.

The idea behind the list is for each person to write a list of what if's about themselves and about the relationship. And I mean, ANYTHING. "What if you get a job in another country?" "What if I gain a whole bunch of weight and you don't find me attractive anymore?"

Once you have completed your lists you can either read them out loud or to yourselves, and then literally burn the lists. Word to the wise - use caution when doing this! Remember what your mom told you about playing with fire, ok?!

The idea behind this is that "what if's" are just that. They are questions about things that don't exist. Sometimes we get caught up on scenarios that we create in our heads, which can then lead us to behave as if they actually happened. When you write out a list, you make your fears known. That's the first step. While you shouldn't act on them, you should also not ignore them, because you'll act on them subconsciously anyway. Once you've acknowledged your fears, you can then acknowledge that what you're afraid of is just in your head.

What it comes down to is living in the now. When you do that, you have more time to appreciate everything you have at that very moment, and less time worrying about the future. It can give you and your significant other a huge breath of relief and bring you closer together. And when you discover how many similar "what if's" you share, you'll also realize you're not alone :)

Office Groom - Home Safe & Sound

2010-05-17T12:48:00.002-04:00

At about 2 am this morning, Office Groom got back home (that's what you get when you want cheaper flights lol) and got right into bed to snuggle up. I'm so happy to have him back home! Funny how much I could miss him in just a few short days!

Later in the morning, at a more godly hour, we both got up and he surprised me with a gift from Vegas - a Coach wallet! WooOOooOoooo! He also brought home a porcelain 20 oz cup shaped like a hot air balloon from the Paris Hotel. He said that it was filled with tequila and strawberry daquiri and he drank walking down the strip with the guys. Only in Vegas :)

But I'm also somewhat happy to report that he wasn't able to trump my trumpet from Miami, lol. He wanted to steal a wig or set of teeth from one of the many old ladies at the slot machines. Bahaha, could you imagine?! Guess that'll have to happen next time, when we got together!

DIY Veil...unveiled

2010-05-14T16:23:00.003-04:00

Rock My Wedding has a great DIY tutorial for a simple veil. I still haven't decided whether I'm buying or making (or *cough* asking my mom to make it) my veil, but if it's easy as it seems in this tutorial I might consider the former!

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Happy Friday everyone!

What Happens In Vegas...

2010-05-13T14:09:00.004-04:00

The Office Groom is officially partaking in bachelor party debauchary at this very moment. He and his best buds headed off this morning to the sin city we all love to hate - Las Vegas.

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Am I nervous? Meh - I guess I am a bit. But it's nothing for me to stress about. After all, the girls and I had our fun in Miami, and while the Office Groom admitted to sitting at home with the cat and drinking wine while drumming his fingers on the couch armrest, he knew that ultimately there was nothing to worry about. And he was right.

So now that the tables are turned, I know the same thing. Are there going to be some crazy stories when he gets home? I sure as hell hope so! When I came home from Miami with an old trumpet in my luggage, OG first gave me a "WTF" look and then proceeded to laugh hysterically and ask me what happened (And if I have enough readers interested, I'd be more than happy to share, lol).

My most prized souvenir from Miami

That's the thing - as long as we're honest with each other, there isn't that darn little voice in the back of our heads saying "What happened?!" It's just the waiting for the return of your significant other that's hard! I'm so excited that he's getting a chance to do this with his guys, but I also miss him terribly and a tiny little part of me, just a tiny, wishes I was there too.

So, what am I doing for the next 4 days? LOTSA socializing to keep my mind off things! The way I see it, this is a weekend of opportunity to catch up with friends and family, and to also have some me time at home.

And possibly with the cat, and a few bottles of beer.

For all other brides out there patiently waiting for their men to return from their bachelor parties - you're not alone :)

Marriage Talk - What every couple should have BEFORE the wedding

2010-05-12T13:27:00.003-04:00

When it comes to wedding planning, even the most conservative bride can get caught up on the details. Flowers, colour schemes, invitation font, etc. While these are all important in making your day extra special, we often lose sight of why we're doing it to begin with.

Remember: a wedding is essentially just a big party to celebrate a new bond between two people, and to keep that bond strong for a very long time, there are other discussions to be had that don't involve table seating charts or dress fittings.

MONEY
One of the hottest topics between couples, money is usually the maker or breaker of a relationship. If you and your fiance are clear of each others financial situation and goals, you'll save yourselves a lot of misunderstandings and arguments in the future. A wedding is a great way for a couple to learn how to work together to make something happen. If you don't have financial support from your family (more specifically, your parents) look on the bright side - this is an opportunity for you and your fiance to learn how to budget together. Because you can count on bigger things coming up in the future that you will have to budget for, so you may as well get some practice now!

KIDS
(Funny, because one of my co-workers literally just walked in with her 1-month old. Crazy) Here's a question - do you know whether your fiance wants kids? Do you know if YOU want kids? Learning to live with each other is one thing, but learning to live with a new human being is a completely different thing. And back to the budget point - kids aren't cheap. If the two of you don't know how to budget with jsut the two of, adding on another member in the family isn't going to make the situation any easier.

THE NAME CHANGE
It's a whole different ball game these days. While many women still change their last name, there are more and more that are opting not to. Keeping your name can be for a number of reasons - you are well established in your career and a name change would be confusing, or it could be something as simple as "it's my name and it's a part of who I am." Regardless of what you decide, keeping an open communication with your fiance about this subjust is a good idea. You don't want to wait until the ceremony officiant announces "Mr. and Mrs..." to interrupt and share your thoughts.

FEARS
We all have them. Couples generally don't like to admit they're a little (or a lot) scared about getting married because many people think that admitting it means that there's something wrong with them. SO NOT TRUE. We're human, and anything new is both exciting and scary at the same time. Obviously there's some tact involved when you're admitting your fears, but I think it's better to share than to bottle it up and have it come out much later. you'll be surprised how many you share with your fiance.

What it boils down to is being honest with each other and always keeping an open line of communication for the topics that really matter. And then you can go back to discussing whether you want to go with the ivory of pearl white table linen :)

Flowers and Pin Wheels and Ribbon, oh my!

2010-05-11T16:07:00.008-04:00

Here's the idea: I found these beautiful pin wheels made from old book pages, from Etsy seller Twirlie Whirlies.

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The pin wheels can be made out of a wide selection of paper and book pages, and she can also source book pages from favourite titles! I'm thinking of incorporating them with the flowers for the Flower Girls. Playful, pretty, and it will tie in nicely with our book theme.

Instead of the traditional basket of flowers or a full bouquet, I thought just a handful of flowers will look really nice.

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Tie a ribbon around the pin wheels and flowers combined, and voila, one very cute Flower Girl arrangement for each of my nieces to hold!

Hotties In Glasses = A+

2010-05-10T15:04:00.008-04:00

I don't know. Maybe it's the inner nerd in me or the fact that's I've been visually impaired for almost 15 years, but a good looking anyone wearing a pair of thick plastic rimmed glasses is a-ok in my books. So when I went shopping with the Office Groom and convinced him to buy a pair for himself, I was livin' the dream. Office Groom has perfect vision (sigh...I remember those days...I was 12) so there's no need for the lens. But he also has looks that could kill and man oh man, do those glasses look good on him.

While I'll save him the embarrassment of posting pics of him here, I thought I would at least share a few photos I found on-line of other nerd hotties.

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Awkward...

2010-05-10T09:55:00.004-04:00

As I type this, I can overhear one of our interns talking to my co-worker and the conversation is the epitome of "Awkward." When asked how his weekend was, the intern replied that it wasn't so great because there was an accident at the fast food restaurant where he works. Since they're right behind me, I couldn't ignore his comment, so I turned around and said something along the lines of "hope you're doing ok." That part was fine.

But when I turned back to my computer, he started telling my co-worker that he had to go to a doctor's appointment - but he didn't leave it at just that. He then proceeded to explain the details of WHY he had to go to the doc's, and while I'll spare you the details, I can definitely say that this time, I didn't turn around to comment.

Seriously? I know some people are comfortable with sharing every detail of their personal life at work. However, I am not one of those people and I can never wrap my head around why they do it. Unless, he didn't even realize that I can clearly hear their conversation. But just because my back is to them doesn't mean that there's an invisible wall between us!

Yeesh, whenever I make phone calls (especially if they're wedding related) I try to keep it as hush as possible, which of course annoys the person I'm talking to, since they're constantly having to ask me to speak up, lol. I've learned that these kind of conversations are best made just outside of the office with my cell phone. After all, no one needs to hear whether I'm going with roses or peonies. I just wish others would follow the same rule, so I didn't need to know when their next colonoscopy appointment is.

And no - that's not what the conversation was about, but it was awfully close.

Back to work. More wedding talk later!

Movie Review: "Teenage Paparazzo"

2010-05-07T13:57:00.007-04:00

Last night, the Office Groom and I checked out a Hot Docs Festival film entitled "Teenage Paprazzo." Written and directed by Entourage star Adrian Grenier, the documentary follows the life of a 14-year old paparazzo named Austin in his hometown of Hollywood.

Yup, you read it right. 14.

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Not knowing much about the film going in, OG and I really enjoyed it. Layered with different takes on the world of paparazzi, the documentary included interviews with celebrities such as Alec Baldwin, Matt Damon, and Eva Longoria Parker, and much more (surprisingly) candid talks with some of Hollywood's most succesful paparazzi.

While there were a lot of laughs throughout the film, there were moments where the audience was quiet - mostly shocked that this kid is doing this at such a young age, and the implications of his character and his childhood upbringing. There are times where I was shaking my head in disagreement, and when the credits were rolling, OG turned to me and whispered "We're never letting our kids talk to us that way." LOL.

You'll have to watch the film to understand what he meant.

On another note, the film was screened at the new Royal Conservatory of Music venue, Koerner Hall. I was in complete awe of the interior design - a great mix of old and modern architecture.

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Along with musical performances, the venue is also open for private event bookings. No doubt that this would make one spectacular wedding venue! (See how I managed to tie this post to weddings? Crafty!)

Sew cool!

2010-05-06T11:27:00.005-04:00

(Sorry, I like puns)

Check out this invitation design I stumbled upon this morning. Yup, you're seeing it right. The designer, Anna Bond, stitched the design with needle and thread! Talk about paying attention to detail (and a whole lotta patience)! I can totally appreciate the craftmandship, growing up with a mom and grandmom who both sew (and taught me everything I know about it).

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For the finished product, check out Anna's Blog.

Paging all Office Brides - Part 2

2010-05-05T16:09:00.001-04:00

Did you plan most of your wedding from 9-5 in a cubicle? Then The Office Bride wants to hear from you! Contact officebride@gmail.com and tell us your story, and you might be featured in a "From the Desk of..." blog!

DIY Rubber Stamp Image

2010-05-04T11:45:00.005-04:00

To tie in the book theme of our wedding, we've decided that a custom stamp on the outside of the invitation envelope would be a nice added detail. Naturally, the first place that came to mind to find such a thing was Etsy, where I discovered Ass Pocket Productions.

Ok, so I know the name is a bit deceiving, but the artist, Stacey, has been creating custom stamps for a while, and her feedback has been 100% positive after selling to over a thousand customers. She has a wide selection of stamp designs to choose from - everything from bookplates to wedding themed stamps. The best part - she also welcomes personal designs, which is where my DIY project got its start.

I wanted something circular that had soemthing to do with books and with me and Office Groom. The idea is to stamp the back of the envelope on the fold - similar to the wax stamps used in the olden days.

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With a bit of internet research and photoshopping, this is what I came up with:

Waddaya think? I used the same font used in our invitations (more on those later - ooh, can you handle the suspense? LOL) and re-invented the book image (found on-line) by adding a simple heart graphic in the middle. Cute!

Now I just have to find out how much it's going to cost to have one made! More details to come!

Ferre Sposa - My Kinda Shop

2010-05-03T14:30:00.003-04:00

So I've been doing all this posting about dresses and realized that I haven't said anything about where the dresses are coming from! As of this past weekend, all of my ladies have put a deposit on their dresses (Yay!) and it all happened at a wonderful boutique shop called Ferre Sposa.

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I discovered this lovely shop on my way home, after a disappointing visit to another bridal store down the street on Bloor Street West. When I walked passed Ferre Sposa I immediately stopped in my tracks. Two beautiful gowns were displayed in the storefront and a quick peak through the window led me to believe that this was one chic (and organized) shop. My instincts were dead on once I stepped inside and had a look at the collection.

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I was greeted by a friendly woman named Alice who was more than happy to show me around. The best part - there was no one else in the shop, so I had her undivided attention without any distractions. After a couple of dresses I found THE DRESS, and she promised that she would speak to the owner about getting me a dicount (high five!) - which I did end up getting (with some additional haggling from my awesome-bargain shopping mom!)

Ferre Sposa also carries the entire Dessy line for Bridesmaid dresses - Dessy, After Six, Alfred Sung, and Lela Rose. I had a look through the catalogue and had no doubt my girls would each find something amazing to wear. As long as they picked the same colour and fabric, they could pretty much choose from over 50 different styles!

If you happen to be in the Toronto area, and more specifically around Bloor and Ossington, I would definitely recommend dropping by Ferre Sposa. A great selection along with great service made for a great shopping experience! And in my opinion, the experience plays a big part in finding the perfect dress :)