Follow the New Blog!

So, now that the wedding is over, the dress fit, and the scale starts creeping back up again, I started a new weight loss blog: http://thegirlbehindthepounds.blogspot.com. Check it out, follow it, leave comments!

The NOW Mrs. Brown :)

Crunch time!

I had a moment yesterday when I realized, after looking at my calendar in week view, that I'm getting married... NEXT weekend. I freaked out a little. Lol. I feel as though as far as errands go, I'm not ready. I'm ready to be married. I'm ready to be Dan's wife. Heck, I've almost come to grips with the idea of being Mrs. Kacie Brown. There's just so much more to do! Or at least if feels that way... Maybe it's because we've been planning this event for over two years.

It's finally becoming real. I'm trying to enjoy the days leading up to the wedding as much as I can now. Granted, I'm getting married midway through the Fall semester of my final year of law school, and school work is piling up. AND, I hunting for a suit for interviewing for jobs next year. AND, I have to stress about what I have to get done before the big day and what the important members of the wedding celebration need to do in time. I'm really feeling like we should have just eloped and went on a fabulous vacation-- just because it's just SO MUCH work for one day. I pray it is all worth it :)

I've spent practically every free moment I've had doing wedding stuff. I've been sending TONS of emails to my wedding vendors to confirm things. I love my reception venue, but there were lots of details to iron out last minute. Details = stress. Blah. We've done the same with our photographer, DJ, pastor, etc. Now. we're making sure our bridal party and families all know where to be and when. I've done the seating chart but I still need to send the place card "replacement" to the printer. Dan has been busy assembly programs. It's my job to tie the ribbons on them, but I was just too frustrated the other day. This is not the time to be a perfectionist. lol.

Again, I'm trying to enjoy the days leading up to it. I wish I had time to go out for a mini-bachelorette party in NH this weekend with "school friends," but it looks like I have too much to get done. Blah. I just need to keep breathing and moving forward. I can't lose sight of what this is all for-- WE"RE GETTING MARRIED!

PS- In weight loss news, I lost another 2 lbs this week, putting my overall weight loss total to 70 pounds!

Less than three weeks!!!

My mother came to visit us two weekends ago. We had a really good time. She came for my final dress fitting, which went very well. I love the way it looks. The bustle is an amazing concept. I can't believe it hides all that train. I still have to learn how to walk in that beast... As of right now, I still look a little awkward.

I tried out a new photo-specific foundation and waterproof mascara. I think that the foundation makes me too white, and the mascara really lengthens my already long lashes. We'll see how it goes. I have to try it out a few more times before I make a final decision. My mom also pointed out that my Spanx were no longer working for me since they were too big. I forgot that they were from before I lost weight. Oops! So, my mom took me to buy new ones. OMG! If this is how tight they are supposed to be, the old ones TOTALLY didn't fit. I can barely breathe in the new ones. 

My mom found a dress, finally! I was very pleased with it. She looked nice and seemed like she felt comfortable. Needless to say, we spent an entire day shopping. We spent the other days touring the beautiful sites of NH, going on a picnic, walking through the woods, going to dinner, and making DIY wedding projects. I'll post pictures of the projects soon. For now, here's a picture of the card box my mom made back home.

To have and to hold...

The past few weeks, our pastor has been requesting that Dan and I send her our vows. She has assured us that we aren't sending them to her for approval. Instead, she want to: 1) make sure we complete them in time; and 2) incorporate some of the concepts into her sermon. Luckily for me, I drafted my vows while I was interning in NJ and away from Dan for months. I feel bad for Dan. I feel like it's not easy to write them on the spot... you have to be feeling it. Needless to say, we're waiting on him. 

I'm worried about the length of mine. Anyone who knows me knows that I enjoy public speaking. Dan, on the other hand, does not. I haven't counted the words or timed it, but I'm worried it's too much. The tough part is cutting them down. I like it all! Lol. 

I wish I could post them on here, but just like my concerns with my dress, I can't because Dan reads this. I can give you an idea of the structure. I start of discussing how our relationship has grown in our 7.5 years together. Then, I go into what I love about him. Finally, I end with my many promises to him (alternating between serious ones and funny ones).

I can't wait until I get to hear his. He's not always the most eloquent, but I can't wait to see what he comes up with.

I've come a long way

I jogged around my neighborhood today. I had the idea to wake up early and go jogging with Dan, but when the alarm went off this morning, he quickly reset the alarm. I went without him anyway. I could have gone to the gym, but I would have been really strapped for time because I was dragging this morning. Plus, I really just wanted to run outside. I started a new level of the Couch to 5K program where I had to run for 8 minutes, walk for 5, then run again for 8. I had been putting it off because I thought there was no way I could do it. As it turns out, I could! I didn't die! I'm stressing about my next workout because it calls for me to jog for 20 minutes straight. Going from 5 minutes to 8 minutes was a big step... I doubt I can complete the 20 minutes. I don't want to fail :( I've been doing so well. I'll let you know how it goes.

I stepped on the scale again this morning (unofficial weigh-in). At this point, I've lost 70 lbs. over all. That's a lot!  Unfortunately, I still have a lot more to go, but I'll get there eventually.

We're 24 days out from the wedding. We're flying my mother to NH for my final dress fitting. For a little while, I was stressing that I would have to go alone. I'm not going to lie, I'm nervous that the dress won't fit right. When I was there last, the seamstress told me that I had to lose a few more pounds in order for the dress to fit perfectly. Although it zipped up fine, the back was being puckering in the back. I want that thing to fit like a glove! lol. I'm determined. AND I'm determined to do it the right way. No crash diets or hunger strikes, like some brides have done. I'm going to eat right and exercise because, although my weigh loss started because of this dress, I'm going to continue to get into shape well after the wedding. Wish me luck!

A prayer for those who spread lies...

I promise to update soon on my wedding plans and weight loss progress. School has started up again, and the wedding is less than a month away. Needless to say, I've been very busy.

I plan to talk about my mother's upcoming visit for my final dress fitting, my weight loss rut, finalizing wedding details, and even my not-so-ordinary ring sizing experience. Stay tuned.

Before I return to my homework, I'd like to ask everyone to pray for my Great Aunt Kay, who has been suffering from heart and renal failure recently. My thoughts are with the whole family. I'd also like everyone to pray for those who spread lies at the expense of others. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but there comes a point when statements become defamatory. Thanks to some investigation, we now know the responsible parties. So long as we can provide evidence that the false statements were made maliciously, we will proceed with harassment and defamation charges.  I won't stoop to your level because I am a stronger person than that. I hope that you look deep inside yourself and look to God to help you become a better person for your foiled attempt at ruining someone's day. Legal action speaks louder than words ;)

Weekend of wedding festivities

Family

Dan and I left NH around 3:30 am on Friday morning after only sleeping about three hours. I was excited to see my family and spend the day with them. My youngest sister, Jaimie, has grown SO MUCH since I've seen her last.

I spent the day with my mom, sisters, and Dan running my mom around to do last minute shopping for my bridal shower. It was nice just spending time with them, even it it was sitting in a car, or standing idly at the grocery store.

That evening, Dan and I took Jaimie out to go roller skating. Dan and I were the oldest people there by far, but we still had a blast. We laughed so hard, and no one fell the whole time. By the time we left, we were sweaty and out feet hurt. It made a great opportunity for ice cream. I indulged in peanut butter TastyKake.

Bridal Shower

My bridesmaids threw me a bridal shower early Saturday afternoon with the help of my mom. It was a little awkward for me at first. I felt like a dog on display. LOL! I didn't know what to do, and the entire room was watching me. I didn't want to eat for the same reason, but the food looked so good! They decorated the hall with red roses and polka dot and damask prints just like I like :) I'm so grateful for all the hard work my girls put into it. Things went great. I am very thankful for the many generous gifts I received. I couldn't wait to show Dan. (He was just as excited and thankful when we went through the gifts together on Sunday afternoon).

I socialized, opened tons of gifts, and even embarrassed myself playing a trivia game thanks to Dan's sneaky tactics.... jerk. Lol. Throughout the course of the shower, I wore a light up tiara, a sash, the crazy bow hat("business in the front, party in the back"), a bride t-shirt, and even a basket of fake flowers! I had a great time, and I can't thank everyone enough for their help putting it together and for the friends and family who attended.

Bachelorette Party

My girls did a fabulous job planning the party. I had such a blast! We went to Philly, stayed at a nice (and very welcoming) hotel. While we waited to enter the hotel, cars honked at me wearing my tiara and sash and some passersby congratulated me. The hotel front desk gave all my girls complimentary breakfast and shared in our excitement. When I got to the room, I discovered that the girls had decorated the door with hot pink caution tape (which caused some guests to woot as they passed by during our stay). I was so embarrassed! Lol. The room was FILLED with decorations. It was awesome. They gave me lots of inappropriate gifts, many items that I had to use or wear throughout the evening. We partied a little, went in the hot tub, got ready, and headed out to the nightclub. We danced the night away, even on the catwalk suspended above the crowd! I completed most of the tasks on my scavenger hunt that made me and others around me laugh so hard. We stayed until the club closed, and socialized with other club goers on our walk back to the hotel.

We played some games when we got back to the room. I don't remember much else. We eventually crashed around 6 am only to wake around 7:30 thanks to Dani and her grapes!!! LOL! The next morning we cleaned up, enjoyed our complimentary breakfast at the restaurant, and headed back to NJ, tired and hung over, but still in good spirits. I had such a good time! I really love my girls. Thank you guys for a great time. I really appreciate all your efforts. It was just what I wanted and so much more. Love you guys! 

When I got back to NJ on Sunday, I picked up Dan, and headed to my Uncle's house to wish my family off. It was sad seeing them go, but I wasn't as upset as usual because I know I'll see them again in less than two months. Can't wait! I miss them so much. I told Dan we're going to have to give them grand-babies so they come back to NJ for good ;)

Dan and I headed back to his mom's, checked out our gifts together, and accidentally fell asleep at 5 pm. We then proceeded to sleep through the entire night... lol.  

Wedding Errands 

On Monday, we went to the bakery to order our wedding cake. We had a few complications with the bakery since our contract was really under the reception venue's account. There was debate over what was covered and why a PLAIN cake is considered "fancy" and thus more expensive. Thankfully, Dan called our event coordinator, and she remedied the situation. We finally decided on square a three layer, vanilla cake with butter cream icing with one layer of rasperry filling. Yum. It will be finished smooth. Then, our venue's pastry chef is going to apply black satin ribbon and pearling. The rest of the decorations are already covered.

Then, we went to the church's florist to pick out the arrangements for the urns at the alter during the ceremony. It was hard deciding on something without pictures to choose from, but with Dan's help, we chose to go with red red roses surrounded by white flowers.

Next, we headed to our primary florist to give them the black urn I want to use and pay our remaining deposit. I can't express enough how much I really like the company we're working with. I honestly believe that Classic Floral Designs in Cinnaminson is the best in the area. The women there are wonderful.

Finally, we went to lunch with Dan's father and stepmother. We talked for HOURS. We ended up getting out of there far behind schedule, but we had a good time talking. I definetely feel like things have changed for the better with that side of the family since the wedding planning process began.

We got back to his mom's, and Dan packed the car with as many gifts as would fit in the car. Thanks to his strategic packing, we only had to leave behind two small empty laundry baskets that we'll take back next time. We got back to NH around 1:30 and quietly unpacked the car. Now, we can't wait to find places for all the new gifts!