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

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!

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

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

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

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

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!!!

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

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*

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

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 :(

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*

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!

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'

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!

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

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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...

...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

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?

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

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 :)