.my eyebrows.

As you may have read, this past Saturday was finally brow waxing day. Much overdo.

Here is the before:

Here is the after:

I LOVE my waxer. For real.

.vendor saturday.

Today is going to be one busy day....it doesn't help that I went to bed at 1 am and woke up just after 6 am. Why, you ask? When you find out, let me know.

FINALLY it is eyebrow wax time. Is it just me or does it seem like your hair grows twice as fast once you make the appointment? I made this appointment about 10 days ago, instead of styling my hair, I need to style my 'brows to keep them out of my face. They are so gawd awful right now that my sister commented on them being "rather full". How did she do this? Via webcam on Skype. Yes, you can tell from 2,500 miles away how in need they are of some grooming.

The brow obsession started back in about 6th grade when I realized that my brows resembled Bert's brows.

No, really, I mean it. And NO pre-teen should EVER attempt to fix her own brow. EVER. Doing that caused me about 18.5 years of uneven brows. So now I only trust them to Tessa, my esthetician. She's been caring for my hairs for coming up on four years. One of the few long term relationships I have here in Vegas, so that goes to show you how good she really, truly is.

Dear Tessa,

I am sorry for the beast who is coming to see you today, forgive me, Tessa for it has been about 8 weeks since my last brow wax.

Love,

The NearlyWed

Then.... I can come home, nap-- I should take my flab to the gym, but sweating for 24 hours while your pores are open from a wax is bad news, darn-- so then I will nap and head back out to meet an invite stationer and then a something super special and super secret for our wedding. What is it?? Well I may just crack and spill what it is..... lemme think about that one.

Tomorrow finds us meeting with out wedding planner to discuss what is left to do (a LOT!) in the next 3 months.... and then the final wrap ups that are due in the last three months. Wow.... only two quarters of a year until we get married. Where does the time go?

So I leave you with no exciting photos of today, but stay tuned for my invite inspiration and meeting recap. And maybe, just maybe I will share a secret with you!

I can’t wait to stop being a bride and just be a wife. Although wedding planning isnt’ new to me and being a bride isn’t a brand new concept, this wedding “stuff” is overwhelming at times. Not because I am high maintenance or because I am indecisive. But when you work, have a life, write for a magazine and four blogs, oh and have to manage an illness, it gets to be all consuming.

Right now, when I look at my work schedule, my life schedule and my wedding calendar, I am so overwhelmed that I just want to curl up and elope. There are times when I feel so untraditional that I don’t belong on wedding forum sites. There are times when I feel like too many women place too much importance on the little things… this is one of those weeks.

I will update my checklist and provide an update of where we are and where we need to go…. When will this happen? Good question!

The count down is on…. Just over seven months to go.

.more of the nearlywed whereabouts.

Ok- so in one of my last posts I said that you would soon know why I've been a mish-mash of a person. You still have to wait.


In the meantime, you can see some of the fabulous things that I've written. The fabulous is clearly subjective.


When setting up my blog, it was a no brainer to try to write for someone else too! So I sent in apps to a few blog sites and they all took me! YAY! Which means, that I am a busy writing woman right now....and in return, my blog has taken a backseat. BUT I will post some of those entries here.

On Mondays, you can find me on Tweet My Wedding, where I take one of my Twitter tweets and turn it into a blog. This is where I write the "ugly", the stuff that may not be for all public eyes. This is almost like my journal that stays hidden. But now...well....that won't happen any longer.

Twice weekly, you can find me on Bridal Buds, where I am Poinsettia Bud. This is where I try to post some inspiration, whether it is for my wedding or just in general. I find it challenging to post inspiration for something that may not work for me, but it is a work in progress.

You can also find me at Weddzilla, where I am just me (Jennifer B.). I love this blog and try to post some of my "hot topics" or current challenges with planning.

Blogging is one of my favorite things. Do I think that maybe it is over committing? Maybe, sometimes, but the stuff gets written. Whether everyone finds it interesting or not...that is personal. Most readers seem to enjoy me and for that, I thank you, dear readers. And promise to get you more content more often.

Have a great day!

.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!

.service without a smile, part 2.

::::::::::A follow up to this post.::::::::::

This will kept light, short and sweet. We had our venue walk through on Tuesday. Is it a bad sign that I was nervous? Nervous to walk into a venue that we’ve booked and are paying for? It wasn’t like we are sneaking into an Art Museum after hours, right???

Long story short…. Everything went well until we overstayed our welcome. I just personally feel like if you need something to do something unfavorable, there is a right way and a wrong way to address it. For example, if the room was being used for something else and we were still in there (after being told “psh, take your time”), instead of “If you need more time, you will have to book another appointment. We thought you were only going to be here for a few minutes” … Why not try, “Nearlywed, if you guys need more time to work on your details, would you like to use the couch in the foyer? We have to turn the room over for another event. Thank you”. Just my opinion.

When I was a wedding coordinator at Caesars Palace, I dealt with this all of time. Often, a couple who just booked a wedding or hot & tired tourists would use our chapels for a place of rest or planning. My line was, “Hi- we have a wedding starting in about 10 minutes [this is usually where people get the message and just get up and leave anyway] so I need to ask that you allow for their guests to come in. If you’d like, there are chairs in the office/hallway, etc.”

I totally understand that our venue is an active adult community, not an event venue, and that their residents are priority #1. Totally get that. My problem is how they interact with clients. Hopefully this uneasy feeling wears off…. Right now, I’m having awful thoughts and visions about the reception. Gawd, is this being Bridezilla-y?? Am I really becoming that bride? Or is there a difference between demanding that people cater to you and expecting to be treated a certain way, as a client???




On an unrelated note, my mom met M-Zilla at our GNO over the weekend.
Here is a pic of us all together- My face is rather large, isn't it?

Bridal Body, 1

Welcome to what I call the stepchild of Gluttony: The Bridal Body. Every bride has at one time or a hundred looked in the mirror and pinched a little here, tugged a little there, sucked and tucked it all in. Heck, even if you aren’t getting married and you are female, chances are you can relate.

Since moving to Vegas, I’ve gained 30 lbs. and subesquently lost 50 lbs. I told you- this blog would talk about the good bad and ugly. The 50 lbs came off in two ways: The South Beach Diet and getting ill with Diabetes. Unfortunately, the latter of the two was an unhealthy weight loss that left me looking sick and sunken; I would have even preferred a few extra pounds to look human again.

To look in the mirror now, or at any stage of your body, and pick oneself apart is depleting and not warranted. Love ourselves, ladies. I told my doctors not to allow me to gain any weight so that I can fit into my wedding dress come next April. The fingers are crossed. Anyway, like any Bride would, I look in the mirror and play nip/tuck with myself. If I could change one thing about my physical self, it would be that when I stand ankle to ankle, a gentle breeze blows through my thighs. Instead, the gentle breezes reach a relentless stop sign which allows for nothing to break on through. Surely, I am not the only one with a little extra inner thigh that serves no purpose other than keeping Smokey the Bear employed. You see, if I dare wear a skirt without some Spanx or other gut sucking, thigh squeezing apparatus, Smokey pops out with his unsolicited PSA and suggest that I don’t start forest fires when I walk.

Rest assured that on my wedding day, one of two things will happen: I will either get my loins high and tight or I will be wearing a gut sucking thigh squeezing apparatus. I’d like to say that you will be clueless but because of my blog babble, you are sure to read about it here before anyone tilts their head to the left and attempts to look for a girdle line.

With less than one year to go, I plan to keep my gym membership card dust free and use it often. As of today, I am not on any “official” Bridal Body workout, but I will certainly write about my attempts at building nice, shapely arms and removing the unwanted thigh.

.engagement photo eve.

Finally-tomorrow is our engagement photo session with Scott! Excited is an understatement. Nervous is an accurate statement. Not nervous about the photos themselves, but nervous that l will forget something at home. Or that the wind blows my hair around and I can’t fix it or that one of the selected outfits won’t work, match or fit properly. Yes, I’ve tried everything on. Twice. I have binder clips to help the red dress fit better, double stick tape to de-pouf the sleeves on the blue dress. Skinny underwear, boy short underwear. Strapless bra. Bra with straps. Camisole. Black shoes, nude shoes, green shoes, purple shoes and super high black dress shoes. That ought to do it. Oh! Props. There are some props in the trunk of the car, can’t forget those.

Had The Ring cleaned today while at work. Funny, the lady who discouraged the type of ring that I wanted said, “Oh beautiful setting!” That’s right, lady. And because of your lack of desire to sell anything other than what is in your store, we went elsewhere to buy the ring but thank you for cleaning it. Moving along…. She wouldn’t even let me try on gemstone rings when I saw the setting that I liked. Roo!

Once the photos are taken, Laura and I will begin to collaborate on the Save the Date cards or STDs for short. There is an immature part of me who chuckles each time I write “STD”; I can admit that but only to you.

Flo and I are stoked for these photos and to see how they turn out. This is the first actual organized pre-wedding activity so far! We haven’t had an engagement party because 80% of the bridal party, including our families is from out of town. Maybe down the road? Or how about the “co-ed” shower/engagement celebration?? Upon further research, that may be a viable option. Flo needs love too and needs to be showered with things like towels, video games, shams & bed skirts. Maybe I can register him for some cookware and tie a big hint to it?? Silly, I am.

Time to get rested, at this rate, I can get a full 8 hours of sleep if we try. Hair at 9 am. Makeup at 10:30 am. Photos begin at 11am. Follow my tweets tomorrow for as much play by play as I can give. www.twitter.com/thenearlywed.