.jackpot part 4.

When picking a bridal party, it is important to pick the people who you know have your back. While a bridesmaid doesn’t “technically” have to do anything other than show up to your wedding, there are some who fly to the moon and back for you. For my wedding, I was lucky enough to pick two Zillaz who would fly to outer space and back for me.

They are planning all pre-wedding activities with two others who each live 2,000+ miles away and are three hours ahead of us. They both have families, jobs and one is even back in school taking classes.

When it comes time to work out the details of a shower that is in disarray, they were ready willing and able to meet with me at a moment’s notice and work out the details. When I need someone to go shopping with me, they are available at any time, even if one starts the day with me and the other finishes with me. When I feel like the wedding world is against me, they both reassure me that everything will come together, everything will be fine and I will be beautiful.

When I express concerns about fitting into my dress, they offer to work out with me and if all else fails, rip off our insulin pumps and go rogue with me. Even though we won’t do it, I care that she cares. When I tweet about someone upsetting me or calling me a word that I have to look up on dictionary.com, they will immediately send an email, asking if everything is OK and offer their great advice, even if it is from a cartoon, “Smile and wave, boys. Smile and wave.”

They both cried when I asked them to be in my wedding and to stand up with me and watch me marry the love of my life. They both cried with me when I was shared with them what it felt like when I was diagnosed with diabetes and shared with them some very personal details of my struggle with my life and health. When I need a pick-me-up, it isn’t too far off to find a silly video posted on my facebook account or a request for a sushi date at our “first date spot.”

I know that these two Zillaz are friends for life because of what we’ve been through and what we will continue to experience together. I also know that we will be friends for ever because we have already crossed all of the bumps in the roads from brutally honest emails to just plain old not speaking to each other and look at us now…we all have matching slippers.

To K-Zilla and M-Zilla, thank you from the bottom of my Bride-Zilla heart for all that you have done for me, to me and bring to my life!

.2009 my best year yet.

When the countdown to 2009 began, it was like every other countdown 10…9…8… and then the clock struck midnight and the New Year started out normal and that lasted for about 18 seconds. Just enough time for a hug and a kiss to my boyfriend and my parents, who were there with us. And then, my boyfriend gave me a letter to read. While reading this letter, he was trying to gauge how far along I was so that he can time his proposal correctly. Yes, it was the moment I had been waiting 50 weeks for, the moment when he finally proposed. I say finally because when you know that someone is your lobster, it feels like forever until they ask you to share your life with them.

2009 was my best year, ever. It started off on a high note and is ending on a high note. The year didn’t kick off with resolutions of losing weight (at this point, I could have stood to gain back a lbs. actually); it didn’t kick off with a vow to travel or read more or to volunteer my time. It started off with me just being grateful to be alive and to be surrounded by so much love. Besides, when you have a wedding to plan, you life becomes all encompassed and you really don’t think about much else: wake up. Think about wedding colors. Eat breakfast. Think about wedding menu. Go to work. Sneak a few minute on line to browse photos. Drive home. Create your binder. You get the picture.

The year continued to go on the up and up….here, I share just a few highlights from the year:
January- started off great as you know. We then celebrated our birthdays with a weekend ski trip to Big Bear, CA. It was soooo much fun, if you missed it, then you really missed a grand old time. The weather was great, the wine was perfect, and the company was great. We had a blast and then followed up with my traditional birthday party at Caramel at Bellagio. That was the last year for the big birthday bash…. I am getting too old and am now too busy with life to focus on a big party. Although- they will probably resume in 2011. If you are wondering, Mr. Nearlywed celebrates his birthday on January 23 and me… I am the 24th. We are a few years and one day apart. It was January 22nd when I got the results back from my antibody test, confirming what we long knew: I am a Type 1 Diabetic. I was put on insulin that day and that was the last day of getting along with the scale. For the first few weeks, I was incessantly hungry. And it showed- within a month I had gained almost 10 lbs.

It was February 24th when we wrote out the first check for the wedding: we put a deposit on our venue that we later kicked to the curb. On that same February 24th, we had 14 months to go. It seemed like an eternity. We now have less than four months to go. Yes, it flies by.

In March, I had the pleasure of taking an icy cold, freezing trip back to NYC for my BFFs (A-Zilla) bridal shower and my sister’s baby shower. It was cold on the East Coast! Whew… but we still managed to trudge through NYC trying on bridal gowns. This is where my sister earned her Jackpot status—she was seven months pregnant and walked all over NYC and helped me to try on dresses. It was this time when I truly felt like there would never be the right dress for me. All of the dresses we liked were way more expensive than my budget would allow. In March, it also felt like A-Zilla’s wedding was still so far away. She is now married almost seven months and well…six-and-a-half months pregnant.

In April, most of the month is a blur, but we did manage to celebrate our “minus one” anniversary (marking the day when we will be married in one year). That was on the 24th and on the 28th we had our engagement photos. They turned out fabulous- I lurve them.

In May… The highlight of my year was getting engaged and then becoming an aunt. I will never forget the text, “Sue’s in labor. She thinks her water broke.” That text came from my dad. I was home alone and no one would answer their phones- my fiancé, my BFF, no one. I could barely contain my excitement and my desire to book a flight to New Jersey. But I waited through the nite with zero updates. So when I awoke at 5:30 am, I frantically called my dad. They were pulling up to my sister’s house and off to the hospital they were… within 90 minutes, no this is not a joke, my beautiful little angel was born. First baby. No drugs. Ninety minutes. Let’s all take a minute to hate on Ster. Ok, done. My angel was three weeks old before I got to meet her but holding her for the first time in unforgettable.

May turned into June, where I stayed for two weeks to enjoy my family and my niece. I also walked down the aisle for the first time in A-Zilla’s wedding. As soon as Trumpets Voluntary started, I looked at my dad who was in the back of the church and fought back the tears. All I could do was picture my own wedding and the emotion that went along with it. And I also was elated for my dear friend to marry the love of her life. Mr. Nearlywed and I also spent some time enjoying a little vacay time in NYC. We love NYC. Period, new line.

My wedding dress was also picked out and purchased in June. After my weight got back down and before it went back up. UGH! I actually bought a size bigger than the sample and still have issues with it…more on that.

This is also when The Nearlywed Report made its debut in Las Vegas Bride Magazine. It was my first published piece and let tell you…. I was (still am) so proud. I gave my parents an autographed copy. In case I ever hit it big.

August- the only highlight I can remember is working with the JW Marriott on moving our wedding. We spent most of the month crossing our fingers and biting our nails. We weren’t sure if we could swing the $$ but in the end it worked out.

September rolled around and we signed our contract with the JW Marriott. Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy.

As the year rolled on, so many more great things happened: I found out that A-Zilla is pregnant and expecting in late March, thus taking her out of the wedding, but this is much more fabu. I continued writing and discovered things like twitter and that people do enjoy my blogs and my writing!

As the year rolled on, I also continued to grow as a person and as a wife-to-be. While I didn’t try to start cooking, I did try to be more domestic and really enjoy the moments at home with my fiancé. It worked. Our house is still comfy and cozy and the quiet moments truly helped us to build a stronger bond and cherish our relationship. It is easy to get caught up in the grind of the wedding planning and the pressure of the planning. It is easy to forget about the goal of the day and that is to become a wife, not a princess (for me at least). I could see a difference in the depth of our relationship over the past year and few months.

Moving on…. In October, I interviewed for a position with Las Vegas Bride magazine to become their editor. I was offered and accepted the position. One step closer to my goal of being a writer. I love this job and I love the company! This year probably could not have been better. When December arrived, the holiday season was already flying by. Since I wasn’t at the mall this year, I didn’t get to enjoy the season as much, but that is OK- it helped to keep us from over spending. We pulled a Four Christmases and took off for the holiday weekend to our favorite get-a-way, Lake Las Vegas. It was glorious. Our last vacation as a single couple, the last vacation before we tie the knot. It was bittersweet. The next time we stay there will be as a mini-moon.

Christmas day didn’t pass us by without the wonderful news of becoming an Aunt and Uncle again! My sister in law is pregnant with a little boy and we can’t wait until he enters the world and we get to spoil the life out of him!

Life is good.

As 2010 knocks on my door, I am not trying to set more resolutions. I am not trying to become a super woman. I resolve to continue to be a good fiancé/wife, a good friend, a good daughter, sister, aunt. I resolve to surround my life with positivity and put myself, my husband (to be) and my health first. That will mean saying no once in a while and it will mean being tired because of hitting the gym so early, but in the end, it is my life and I love it.
So there ya have it folks…. 2009 was the best year yet and I can only hope that 2010 at least matches it but I have a feeling it will surpass it.

I wish you all a healthy year, a successful year and one that brings you all that yuo desire- without being greedy!

My wish for you all is good health, great happiness and much success- no matter what you set out to do, do it honestly and always be positive.

Cheers!

.where i've been part 2.

Ok- Where I have been, part 2…

What a few months it has been, as you already know.

During a shaky economy, nothing can be more wonderful than being slammed at work, right? Sure- if you aren’t planning a wedding, writing for four blogs and a magazine. My life in August-October flew by. At my Event Planning job, we were slammed with events, especially in the month of September. I find that on days when you are on your feet, physically and mentally, all day long it leaves you with zero motivation for your own life once you get home.
So you all know that in addition to this blog, I write for Tweet My Wedding (catch me every Monday), Weddzilla and Bridal Buds… I tired to give each new content, but it became too much and I slacked as evidenced by this blog. I still write my column, The Nearlywed Report for Las Vegas Bride and one day…. I just happened to stumble upon the publisher on the right day. A long story short, I am now the Editor-in-Chief of Las Vegas Bride and another fabulous publication, Dine Out Las Vegas.

Whew… so needless to say, I am no longer an event planner, but planning is in my veins and will never go away. Being in the wedding industry does not grant any additional time for my own wedding, as I am trying to put my heart and soul into this publication- for several reasons: my loyalty to the publisher, my loyalty to myself and my desire to spend the rest of my life at the mercy of a keyboard, writing.

If I thought that there was an extreme amount of wedding planning pressure when I was just an event planner, imagine the pressure of being the editor of a bridal mag and throwing a wedding. Can you say yikes with me?

I am so excited to be embarking on this career path, which is now in its fifth week and my first publication is at the printers and I await it with great excitement…mostly to see how many typos were missed, but hey, we all live and lean. I've been blessed with an amazing opportunity and am thankful for it each day.

So there you have it folks, my life has been flipped and turned upside down and right side up all within the five months leading up to the wedding. Maybe all of this change will turn into a wedding novel someday. Hey- if anyone wants to publish it, let me know. I’d be cool with that! (Yes, wouldn’t we all?!?)

.with these rings.

The checklist is still overflowing with tons of to-do’s….but one thing that can be checked off:
OUR WEDDING BANDS!!!

We ordered them on the 5th and they came in on the 12th. When I say “they”, I mean Mr. Nearlywed’s bands. Yes, he ordered two. One for the ring exchange, the one that is his formal, good band. And one for his recreational time, like snowboarding and hiking.


As I think about the rings, I am also challenged with engraving. Yes, we do have little silly isms that are just “us”, but they change constantly. He did use an ism in my proposal letter so that may be the winner. But readers, what are YOU having engraved into hubby’s band?? Or what did you engrave, if you are willing to share?

.kreativ blogger award.

YAY! Hooray! My first blog award…. It is an honor to just be nom, er… I mean just to have a reader! Just kidding, my following is growing and I am thrilled to give you some entertainment! Moving along…

The dearest, sweet, adorable, fun, knowledgeable and all around great girl Ashley tagged me as a Kreativ Blogger! Yippeee!!! So now you have to endure 7-10 things about me and then, I pass the Kreativ torch onto other bloggers! I "know" Ashley though our coveted wedding forum site and am honored that she reads my blog and then gave me a Kreativ Blogger Award! So thank you, Ashley, for this honor:


1. Ok, I will get this out in the open because if I don’t, then my sister just may do it for me. I watched Mr. Rogers’ neighborhood up until I was about 9 years old. It was fun- who wouldn’t want to visit The Land of Make Believe? Won’t you be my neighbor??

2. I love even numbers. My favorite number is 22 because not only is 2 and even number, but 22 is two #2’s.

3. I’ve been told- from a tarot card reader- that I have a little bit of psychic ability. And I believe her. When my last boyfriend and I broke up, during one of our heated “I can do better than you” arguments, he said, “You are probably going to run off and find some suit and tie wearing guy.” To which I replied, “Yea, and I’ll probably meet him at the dog park.” And I did- both. Everything happens for a reason. So thank you for putting that out into the Universe for me.

4. I love sports. I love the Steelers. And the Yankees. There are other teams I follow as a here and there fan, but if it is live sports, count me in to spectate. However, I have ZERO athletic ability. None. The adage, “You blank like a girl”, that is me. I run, throw, kick, etc. like a girl.

5. I HATE feet. HATE. THEM. Hate looking at them, anything. My feet are quite ugly so it has to stem from that. If you run after me and try to touch me with your feet, I scream and probably cry if you succeed.

6. I am petrified of the dark. There always had to be a light on in the house. If I am going to bed, I have to go and turn on the bedroom light, then come back into the hallway and turn off that light. It started when I was in Italy and went to the beach, it was dark. The ocean scares me because it is so vast and full of deadly creatures.

7. I been both a T2 and a T1 diabetic already in my life. How? Well, I was diagnosed with diabetes at age 29. My idiot endo- who I’d love to share the name with you and if anyone reco’s her to you, RUN FAR AWAY- looked at my and said, “No you are a T2.” She did that by looking at my 29 year old body, all 5 ft., 7 inches and 138 lbs of me. Turns out, the only way you can tell is by an antibody test, which I failed. I am a T1…or 1.5 (Latent Autoimmune/Adult Onset). So now, I am kept alive by a piece of plastic called an Omnipod. So when you have a hang nail or a bad day, just remember, I am kept alive by a piece of plastic.


Here are the procedures connected with the Kreativ Blogger Award:

1. Copy the award to your site.

2. Link to the person from whom you received the award.

3. Nominate 7 other bloggers.

4. Link to those sites on your blog.

5. Leave a message on the blogs you nominate.- I may just send them an email!



My nominees for this Kreativ Blogger Award go to:

1. Jenny. We've never met but I consider her a friend- she is humorous, always gives great advice and is a great supporter. She generously donated to the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes! Read her blog here.


2. Kelly. My friend and Zilla. When it comes to friends, everyone needs a Kelly. She is the slap that you need when you really want to be hugged. She is the truth when you want to look in the mirror and lie. But when you want to cry, she will have a tissue and bottle of Merlot ready and waiting. Read her blog here


3. Sarah. My friend and fellow bride, She is hilarious and keeps me entertained via email and Twitter all day long. Read her blog here.


4. Kari. The Crazy Baykah. There is nothing crazy about her, but her energy is contagious. And her cupcakes....even better. Words like addictive and can't have just one come to mind. Read about the good, the bad, the ugly and sweet of being a crazy baykah.


5. TweetMyWedding. This is both an award and a shameless plug. TMW was one of the first places to accept my application as a blogger. What is TweetMyWedding? Well just head on over there and find out. You will be glad that you did.

6. BrideOnBudget. Two words that typically don't fit harmoniously into one sentence. but somehow, Ashley makes it work!! BrideOnBudget is having a fabu wedding without breaking her bank- and she shows you how every step of the way!

7. Becca. Another fellow bride who is also getting married in Vegas. I've been trying my best to help her out and am pretty sure that I am responsible for her bakery selection. Who is it? See above, #4.

.i'm back and feeling alive.

If you are a new friend or blog follower, you aren’t acquainted with my hair color history. I am a red head. Out of a box. It’s true. I will admit it and my stylist will allow me to admit it. She doesn’t take credit for the color…just the low lights.

Once I found Herbal Essences #44…my life changed forever and I have been defined by my hair color. Between that and my height, I easily stand out in a crowd. Because of the color, people remember me from the make up counter, the grocery store and the manicure place.

When I have coupons, I stock up. There was a time when it would have been safe to say that I had…..10-12 boxes stashed away. As someone who uses two boxes per coloring this lasts a decent amount of time.

Earlier this year, tragedy struck and I was unable to locate my color for quite some time. GASP!! So I found some others, they were decent….but a part of me was missing. Luckily, Wal-Mart (yea, yea I know…. You hate that place) seems to be carrying some in low quantities. When I spot them, I buy them. 2 boxes, four boxes, however many they may have.

If I play my cards right, there will be enough to carry me through our wedding in April.

This is great news because I’ve been feeling a little blah the past few months and now I feel complete again. Sounds weird and no, I shouldn’t be defined by a color, but it is so fabulous! It shines, it stands out and random people on the street stop to compliment me. It is a big of a confidence booster; it makes me feel sassy and invincible alive. And it covers the damn grey hair that I found.

Allow me to reintroduce you to Herbal Essences #44. DO NOT buy any of these from my local Wal-Mart. Said with love, of course…..

.my shoes have arrived.

To much delight and dismay, I received my shoes. They arrived via USPS on Monday in a lovely little box for shoes that has since made it's way to my box pile for keeping. Here is my problem with shoes:

1. I HATE, despise, would rather pour lemon juice in paper cuts than be around feet. I am sooo anti-foot it is bizarre.
2. I hate my feet too. Their size and shape. They are a secent size for my height by they are wide. And my arch can reach the moon, it is that high.

Having a to the moon and back arch means that I have to put lots of stuff into my shoes to make them comfy. They need arch supports, padding on teh ball of my foot and usually a good heel wrap also. There can be no cute shots of the inside of my wedding shoes because they will be a mangled mess.

Anyway, the shoes that I settled on:

Liz Rene Couture, Giselle.

Here is how the shoe arrival unfolded:

.here comes the dress.

HOLY CRAPPPP!!! I just got the call that my dress is in! Final payment is due and pick up is available. Here is the sucky part- the dress is in NJ. Ster has to go and pick it up for me, pay for it and ship it to me. Lucky for me, she is still on maternity leave so she has time to go and get it. Let’s hope that she can go Tuesday, ship it and by this time next week, I should have my dress?

Now it is time to accessorize that beauty. I needed to see the dress again before buying anything because it needs to not conflict with the dress. Stay tuned and watch me accessorize. And wrap up the great shoe debate!

You will not see ANY pics of my dress until after the wedding, but I will show you what didn’t make the cut.

**Vera Wang**

**Elizabeth Fillmore**

**Kenneth Poole**

.when good things happen to great people.

One of my favorite things is celebrating the joys, accomplishments and successes of others. Really, I do. I know that this is a rare find...but I truly think that if you are happy for others, good things come your way and others can be happy for you.

I'd love for my blogging friends to get book deals... then I can go to their signings and have a gront spot in the line...or do their hair or style their clothes. I love when new businesses take off and become hugely popular thanks for social networking sites and their own personal triumphs.

So today, I am going to shout out my accomplishments....be happy if you want...post yours if you would like! Let's hear it for success!

My first ever article was published in Las Vegas Bride Magazine (Summer 2009). In meeting with the magazine to discuss wedding stuff, I asked for space and they delivered. So please, follow them on blogger and check out my article, The Nearlywed Report

I am currently blogging for myself (ahem...you are here) and three other FABULOUS wedding websites... again, congrats to those who have started these sites and have pursued making them the successes that they are!
In no order:
1. TweetMyWedding- This site had five bloggers who expand on one of the "Tweets" from the week. Happily, I can say that I am the first blogger on this site... my first post went live on Monday. There are four other talented blogger brides who write... so check them out daily!
2. Bridal Buds- I love this site! An inspirational place for brides, who are named after "buds". I love posting here and hope to continue well after I am a Misses. You can find my posts under the name of "Poinsettia" bud...along with all of the other talented brides.
3. Weddzilla- This site provides inspiration & insight to brides from brides. There are so many great posts from how to be a great MOH to e-pic ideas and beyond. My intro post is on August 5th, so stay tuned for great posts by Jennifer B. (that is my government name!)

So there ya have it! I am trying to make my way as a writer... anyone have any book deals they want to hand out?!? Ha...well if you do, who am I to say no!?

Share your recent joys with me! I'd love to be happy for you!

.five9nine.

When I woke up yesterday, there was nothing in the air to indicate that this day would different than any other. There were no breaking news stories, no devastating tragedies, not even any make-you-go-awe-heartwarming stories. Just an ordinary day until 9 pm. I woke up as I did any other day: as a daughter, a sister, a fiancé and a friend.

My dad was never much, if any, of a texter until I gave him an old Crackberry of mine. Now we text nearly every day but it was odd for the time of the text I received that my sister was having contractions and that her water had broken. Immediately, I froze and thought “Ok, what do I do?” Apparently, when you are over 2,000 miles away, you don’t do anything except become engulfed by an excited panic and think about how in a matter of mere hours, your life is now changed forever for the better. I urgently call Flo, twice. No answer, so I do what any crazy aunt-to-be would do, keep calling and start pacing. When I am angry, anxious or stressed cleaning becomes my panacea. Thankfully, I was already entering my third hour of cleaning and feverishly continued until Flo came home. It’s all a blur to rehash what was going through my mind, but I started to look up flights (obviously way too expensive and I will have to sit this one out until my trip at the end of the month), think about what I will do when the call comes in and says, “It’s A ????????!” a still unknown detail. How will I react not seeing my niece or nephew for three weeks? How will I feel as I add Aunt to my list of things I am. Something of which I proud yet scared…

To say that I am scared is an understatement. I’m not scared that my life is changing, but I am scared that there is now someone in this world who is part me, part of my DNA. Someone in this world who is going to look to up me, seek me out for advice, hopefully do as I suggest and not as I did, a being to add to my holiday and birthday gift list. Someone to spoil, someone to help with fashion! (It will need my help!! *smile*). A little someone to look at and see my sister in its eyes, to see what characteristics it may have that were my devious self as a child. To hope and pray that my T1 Diabetes is just by random selection and isn’t something that will get passed down to the next generation. To hope and pray that I can help shape this person’s world to be one in which they enjoy living and thriving. Starting today, my role in life has added a new responsibility. Starting today, we become Aunt Foof and Uncle Teddlious. Or Foof2.

When I woke up today, it was to an update that my sister was on her way to the hospital. As I finish this piece of writing, she is at the hospital and the baby is almost here. My next piece will be written by someone is still a daughter, a sister, a fiancée, a friend and now a proud Aunt.

***UPDATE***

As of about somewhere between 6:45 AM and 6:55 AM, I became an Aunt to the beautiful Marisol Acadia. I say she is beautiful because she is. And she is ours. Welcome to the world, Marisol. Happy Birthday.

.five9nine.