bunnies'n'beagles

The Craftiest Broad

2012-01-27T07:00:00.003-06:00

I would be amiss not to talk about one of the most important people of the day, Cindy Savage of Crafty Broads. I can only talk about the things I know this lady did — I'm sure there were fires she put out that I don't even know about.

We hired Cindy for a few small duties right as she was getting into her stage managing biz, and she ended up day of coordinating most of the day. She was on hand to meet the chair delivery men and show them how and where to set them up. I can only assume she probably had to shoo a few random people out of the courtyard when guests started arriving. She lined us up and cued our entrances. The second after our formal family portraits were over, she got on her hands and knees to help me change out of my high-heeled shoes and into my flats. She also stayed until the chair guys came back to pick up the chairs.

Then she hightailed it over to the reception to run interference between the wait staff and us. When the pizzas were slow to come out, Cindy was on top of them trying to get more to come out quicker. She set up our wedding wish station as a substitute for a guest book, and she moved hightop tables around to create dance floor space.

Cindy's wife Julia came with her, and I was happy that near the end she took off her managing hat and enjoyed a little of the reception with Julia, especially since this was just days before their anniversary.

If anyone is looking for someone to help plan or day of coordinate a wedding (or some other event), I fully recommend Cindy. I know she was instrument in the magic of the day.

photos by Justin Runquist and Craig Watson

Please do not repost any of our wedding pictures without our written permission.

Dancing on the Roof

2012-01-26T07:00:00.001-06:00

Soon the dance floor filled up. Mr. Beagle and I made our own playlist on his computer, which was plugged in near the bar. A friend of ours manned it when we needed anything adjusted (he also did the sound at our ceremony).

The first half of the music was great. I was really proud of the flow and how it got almost everyone out on the dance floor.

My grandfather and I took a spin around the dance floor to a polka.

Somehow the ribbon wands I made for the ceremony exit made their way to the reception. I totally didn't plan for this. It was unexpected and completely hilarious that our guests brought them with them, and naturally they became part of the dancing.

I took the center of the dance floor to Britney's "Till the World Ends." My friends and family will tell you how much I love dancing and being the center of attention on the dance floor. This was a good moment.

Instead of cake, we had an ice cream sundae bar. There were brownies for Mr. Beagle, vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate ice cream, and lots of toppings.

We did a first scoop and spoon fed the sundae to each other instead of cutting the cake. I was worried about getting chocolate on my dress — we didn't even realize how close of a call it was until we got the pictures back and saw it dripping down the side of the bowl.

But no chocolate touched the dress and it was a cute moment.

Moments later fireworks started going off nearby. Crazy because we were totally not expecting them, even though it was July 3. The city of Chicago no longer does July 3 fireworks, and these weren't coming from the lakefront. They must have been some nearby neighborhood — they were much bigger than just some backyard thing.

Unfortunately after the ice cream and the fireworks, the mood mellowed and the dance floor cleared a bit. By the end it was just me and my closest girl friends.

Looking back I think the music for the second half of the party could have been improved. Right after the wedding this bummed me out, but it's great how time lessens those regrets. Now I realize it was what it was. And it was a great time regardless of how many people were dancing.

By 11 p.m. I was wiped out. I was glad that we only booked the venue for four hours. I'm sure our friends and family could have kept going, but I know myself, and I wouldn't have wanted to leave early and miss anything even though I was tired. So it was good the party ended when it did. And I was happy to hear lots of people went out in Chicago afterward.

photos by Justin Runquist and Craig Watson

Please do not repost any of our wedding pictures without our written permission.

Up on the Roof

2012-01-25T07:00:00.001-06:00

The magic didn't stop after the ceremony. Mr. Beagle and I arrived at our reception on a rooftop to our friends and family milling around, drinking, and having fun. We jumped right in without a formal announcement.

For dinner we had caesar salad, pasta, and an assortment of gourmet pizzas. No, this was not traditional wedding food. It was so much better. I have to say it was delicious. I scarfed down a bunch of pieces — one of the benefits of being the bride is line jumping to the front.

The only problem was the food's timing. I have to admit, this was probably the biggest bummer of the whole day (which I think means it was a pretty successful wedding). The kitchen only prepared 3 pizzas at a time with a huge wait between rounds. Honestly, I got a little cranky at this point. I was worried about our guests and their hungry bellies. But eventually everyone got fed good food, so I hope no one was too grumpy.

My dad, my best woman, Lois Lane, and Mr. Beagle's best man, his brother, gave toasts. They were full of love, funny, and deeply touching. Lois Lane said that watching our relationship during its long distance phase is what gave her hope that her long distance relationship could work. Does it get much better than that?

Mr. Beagle and I opened the dance floor with our first dance to Howie Day's "Collide." It's our song, so it felt fitting.

Then my dad and I shook things up by dancing to "It's Only Rock 'n' Roll (But I Like It)" by the Rolling Stones.

And Mr. Beagle took to the floor with his mom to Bob Seger's "Like a Rock."

The first half of the reception was a fun, but I couldn't wait to get everyone on the dance floor.

photos by Justin Runquist and Craig Watson

Please do not repost any of our wedding pictures without our written permission.

A Bunny Beagle Ceremony

2012-01-24T12:00:00.004-06:00

I am so excited to share our ceremony because it was so meaningful to us. We found an Episcopalian priest, Rev. Julianne, who we connected with to lead it.

We used the New Zealand Prayer Book (copyright the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia) for the base of our ceremony. We added a few parts such as our marriage equality statement and community vows and made some other small changes in the order of things.

Mr. Beagle and I wrote our vows together so that they would be specific to each of us but symmetrical in tone and phrasing.

So without further ado, our ceremony:

New Zealand Episcopal Prayer Book* — Marriage Liturgy Third Form

Introduction

The priest may greet the people.

The priest says to the congregation

We have gathered to celebrate the marriage of Bunny and Beagle. Marriage is the promise of hope between two people who love each other, who trust that love, and who wish to share the future together.

It enables two separate people to share their desires, longings, dreams, and memories and to help each other through their uncertainties. It provides the encouragement to risk more and thus to gain more. In marriage, husband and wife belong together, providing mutual support and stability.

Here in the presence of God we recognize and affirm their relationship as they begin their married life in the community.

Bunny and Beagle believe that marriage is a universal human right. We look forward to the day when all of their friends will be free to marry.

Welcome

The priest says to the couple

Beagle and Bunny, we welcome you.

We are glad to join with you

in the celebration of your marriage,

to witness your vows, to pray with you,

and to wish you joy in your life together.

The priest and people say together

God of love,

we thank you

for the gift of marriage

and for the joys it brings.

Bless us as we share

in this wedding.

We thank you for the love

which has brought Bunny and Beagle

to each other

and for their desire

to share that love

for the rest of their lives.

Amen.

The Ministry of the Word

First reading: Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up the other; but woe to one who is alone and falls and does not have another to help. Again, if two lie together, they keep warm; but how can one keep warm alone? And though one might prevail against another, two will withstand one. A threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Second reading: Excerpts from the Irrational Season, by Madeline L'Engle

But ultimately there comes a moment when a decision must be made. Ultimately two people who love each other must ask themselves how much they hope for as their love grows and deepens, and how much risk they are willing to take. It is indeed a fearful gamble. Because it is the nature of love to create, a marriage itself is something which has to be created, so that, together we become a new creature.

To marry is the biggest risk in human relations that a person can take. If we commit ourselves to one person for life this is not, as many people think, a rejection of freedom; rather it demands the courage to move into all the risks of freedom, and the risk of love which is permanent; into that love which is not possession, but participation. It takes a lifetime to learn another person. When love is not possession, but participation, then it is part of that co-creation which is our human calling, and which implies such risk that it is often rejected.

Gospel: Mark 4:21-25

He said to them, ‘Is a lamp brought in to be put under the bushel basket, or under the bed, and not on the lampstand? For there is nothing hidden, except to be disclosed; nor is anything secret, except to come to light. Let anyone with ears to hear listen!’ And he said to them, ‘Pay attention to what you hear; the measure you give will be the measure you get, and still more will be given you. For to those who have, more will be given; and from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.’

The Declarations

The priest asks the groom

Beagle, do you love and trust Bunny and want to be her husband?

The groom answers

Yes, I do.

The priest asks the groom

Will you stand by her no matter what happens, respecting her as a person, understanding her needs and enjoying her love until death parts you?

The groom answers

Yes, I will.

The priest asks the bride

Bunny, do you love and trust Beagle and want to be his wife?

The bride answers

Yes, I do.

The priest asks the bride

Will you stand by him no matter what happens, respecting him as a person, understanding his needs and enjoying his love until death parts you?

The bride answers

Yes, I will.

Affirmation

The priest asks the parents

Are you willing to strengthen this marriage by upholding both Bunny and Beagle with your love and concern?

The parents reply

We are.

May you find a rich and full life together.

The priest may ask the whole congregation

Will you, their friends and family, do all in your power to support this couple now, and in the years ahead?

The people reply

We will.

We, as friends and family, vow to be guardians of this marriage. In happiness and in sadness, we will protect the commitment Beagle and Bunny make to one another today. We will guide them as individuals and as partners. We will counsel them in togetherness, love and respect.

The Marriage

The Vows

Bride’s vows

I take you, Beagle, as you are, to share my love and my life. I commit myself to our partnership in marriage, in the presence of our friends and family.

I promise to encourage your dreams and support your goals

because your success is important to me.

I promise to celebrate your joys and shoulder your challenges

because we are stronger together than apart.

I promise to provide fun, laughter, and affection

in order to create a home full of comfort and love.

I promise to do the laundry before you run out of clothes

because I know it's your least favorite chore.

I promise to share my adventures and my passions

because you are my favorite companion.

I promise to grow with you as a friend and lover

until we are parted by death.

Groom’s vows

I take you, Bunny, as you are, to share my love and my life. I commit myself to our partnership in marriage, in the presence of our friends and family.

I promise to encourage your dreams and support your goals

because your success is important to me.

I promise to celebrate your joys and shoulder your challenges

because we are stronger together than apart.

I promise to provide fun, laughter, and affection

in order to create a home full of comfort and love.

I promise to do the dishes before you run out of forks

because I know it's your least favorite chore.

I promise to share my adventures and my passions

because you are my favorite companion.

I promise to grow with you as a friend and lover

until we are parted by death.

The Ring

The priest receives the rings and says

Let these rings say to all that your commitment is deep and life-long.

Groom places the ring on bride’s finger, holds it there and says

This ring is a token of my faithfulness and love,

and a symbol that all I have I share with you.

Bride places the ring on groom’s finger, holds it there and says

This ring is a token of my faithfulness and love,

and a symbol that all I have I share with you.

God’s Guidance

The priest says to the couple

Bunny and Beagle, you have committed yourselves to one another in love, joy, and tenderness. Become one. Fulfill your promises. And may God’s grace be with you forever.

Amen.

The Prayers

The priest and congregation say the following

Loving Spirit,

grant to Beagle and Bunny,

that in giving and forgiving

they may receive from each other lasting joy.

Bind them together with cords that cannot be broken.

Bind them together with love.

Grant that they may always take delight in each other,

and each remain the other’s heart’s desire.

Bind them together with cords that cannot be broken.

Bind them together with love.

May they reach such trust and confidence in each other

as shall keep them from unnecessary distress.

May they find courage to meet

the heartaches, disappointments and agonies life can bring.

Be their rock, their fortress,

for they put their trust in you.

Help them to look beyond their own family

and their own concerns

to see the world, suffering and struggling,

the world you have given us to share with one another.

Open their eyes and their hearts.

Give them grace to accept that they are mortal,

to face the possibility of death

and the separation it must bring.

Jesus, you are resurrection, you are life.

The Blessing

The Marriage Blessing

The priest says

All praise and blessing to you, God of love,

creator of the universe, maker of man and woman in your likeness,

source of blessing for married life.

All praise to you for you have created courtship and marriage,

joy and gladness, feasting and laughter, pleasure and delight.

May your blessing come in full upon Bunny and Beagle.

May they know your presence in their joys and in their sorrows.

May they reach old age in the company of friends

and come at last to your eternal kingdom.

Amen.

The Pronouncement

The priest says to the congregation

We have witnessed the promises made by Beagle and Bunny, and now recognize them as husband and wife.

Priest says to the couple

Bunny and Beagle, you may now seal your marriage with a kiss.

Priest says to the congregation

Ladies and gentlemen, it is with great pleasure that I present to you, for the first time as husband and wife: Beagle and Bunny.

The Dismissal

The priest says to the congregation

Go now in peace and love.

Amen.

Couple, followed by wedding party, recesses.

photos by Justin Runquist and Craig Watson

Please do not repost any of our wedding pictures without our written permission.

The Best High

2012-01-24T07:00:00.018-06:00

This next section will be hard, because it is going to be about our ceremony. Our ceremony was my hands-down favorite part of the day. We put a lot of time and thought into choosing and adapting our ceremony script and the readings, writing our vows together, and picking and editing the music. When it all came together it gave me a high like I've never felt.

Mr. Beagle and his youngest sister walking down the aisle to Mark Robinson's instrumental version of "Catalog and Classify" — Hey, if I had to do an aisle walk with someone, I felt that he should too.

My dad and I walking in to Penguin Cafe Orchestra's "Prelude and Yodel"

I remember standing up on the platform thinking, holy cow, this thing that we crafted so carefully is happening. I tried to stay totally in the moment, but there were a few when I couldn't help myself and drifted into my mind, incredulously watching it unfold.

At one point I realized how far along through the ceremony we were. It was a jarring moment. This ceremony thing is almost over, I thought. It's flying by! I wish it was longer! This is too much fun!

When our recessional music started and our priest announced us as husband and wife and welcomed us to kiss, I was lifted up. Walking back down the aisle, I started laughing/crying and kind of blacked out. I mean, it was like so much good joy that I can't remember the whole exit. I was overwhelmed. That's how good it felt to be married to Mr. Beagle.

Mr. Beagle and I processing out to Penguin Cafe Orchestra's "Perpetuum Mobile"

But yes, I'm getting ahead of myself. So next I'll dissect the ceremony itself.

photos by Justin Runquist and Craig Watson

Please do not repost any of our wedding pictures without our written permission.

The Part In Which We Crashed a House Party

2012-01-23T07:00:00.002-06:00

After our portraits were done in the park, we walked to the L and took the train from the Loop to Lincoln Square. The ride was a bit subdued. Even though we weren't in direct sun during pictures (thanks clouds), we were all a little wiped out from the heat and initial excitement.

We got to the Lincoln Square neighborhood a little earlier than necessary. Everyone was still so low on energy. I was a little worried, but hoped that when we got to the ceremony site the mood would turn around. Little did I know what was coming when we rounded the corner into the alley that would take us to the Giddings Plaza courtyard.

We started down the alley and heard cheers. There was a house party taking place behind some apartment buildings. The people hanging out and drinking all called to us to join them. Mr. Beagle waved at them and kept going. But I stopped. I don't know what made me stop, but it seemed like just the magic we needed at that very moment. I called to Mr. Beagle and told him we needed to have a drink with these awesome people.

I don't know who these people were, but they were incredibly friendly. In no time we had solo cups and were drinking keg beer. They were excited we were on our way to get married and full of good wishes.

All of our wedding party got drinks. The cool beverages and party music was just the thing we needed. Suddenly the mood was joyful and I could feel excitement coursing through everyone.

The hosts of the party convinced Mr. Beagle and I that we needed to play a quick game of beer pong. We took three shots each and I beat my fiance, making two of my three shots.

We looked at the time and realized we needed to get going. We made one last cheers to this magical moment and the people who invited us to join them. And then, full of glee, we headed to our ceremony site to get married.

photos by Justin Runquist and Craig Watson

Please do not repost any of our wedding pictures without our written permission.

Photo Friends

2012-01-18T07:00:00.008-06:00

Before I go any further, I should probably stop and tell you about our amazing photographers. It might go without saying, but photography was a top concern for Mr. Beagle. In my biased opinion, he's one of the best photographers I know, but unfortunately he couldn't photograph his own wedding.*

Justin of Studio Vérité and Craig of Craig Watson Photography are really good friends of ours. Mr. Beagle has worked with both of them, they are trained photojournalists, and we've known both of them for years. We often stay with Justin when we are in Chicago. Craig shot Mr. Beagle's sister's wedding.

When it came to hiring our own photographers, we have no shortage of photographer friends. One of our friends was Mr. Beagle's groomswoman, another was our reader, and a third set up our photobooth. It was a hard decision but we are so happy we hired Justin and Craig.

Justin shot me getting ready, and Craig shot Mr. Beagle. Together they tag teamed our portraits, ceremony, and reception. They were both amazing, doing crazy things to get some great shots. And because they are our friends, we had a blast with them.

And toward the end of the night, they were able to hang out and party with us. They even jumped into the photobooth. Photogs taking photos of themselves. Awesome.

*Although he did shoot our engagement.

photos by Justin Runquist and Craig Watson

Please do not repost any of our wedding pictures without our written permission.

The Wedding Bunny and Beagle

2012-01-16T07:00:00.001-06:00

We were shooting individual portraits in the park, when I spotted something out of the corner of my eye.

Mr. Beagle was approaching with a beagle and his owner.

It turns out there was a dog park in Lake Shore East Park, and Mr. Beagle convinced the owner to let us take pictures with his pup. That's how much my man loves beagles.

And just to top off the park magic, we spotted a bunny too! Swoon.

photos by Justin Runquist and Craig Watson

Please do not repost any of our wedding pictures without our written permission.

In the Park

2012-01-13T07:00:00.003-06:00

We decided to take pictures before the ceremony downtown. We wanted an urban background. But it being the 4th of July weekend and the second to last day of Taste of Chicago, our first choice to take pictures in Millennium Park was unrealistic with all the mobs of people.

So we decided to take shots in Lake Shore East Park, a little known park near the lake sunken below street level. It's just north of Millennium Park and is surrounded by residential high rises.

It ended up being gold. Mr. Beagle and his groomspeople arrived first. A few minutes later I arrived with my brideswomen and hid near the top of the stairs. When Mr. Beagle was in position, I popped out and ran down the stairs into the park.

This was the first time he saw my dress. I was really nervous whether or not he would like it.

It turns out he did.

And while I had seen Mr. Beagle's wedding ensemble before, I have to admit, he had never looked so good. I couldn't keep my hands off him.

Our friends wanted to snap a few pictures first. Louis Lane sent pictures straight to her mom from her cell phone. But trust me, we did have professional photographs.

We got a mix of posed and candid shots. Luckily the sun had a slight cloud cover, so we got pretty, indirect light.

photos by Justin Runquist and Craig Watson

Please do not repost any of our wedding pictures without our written permission.

Flowers and Foliage

2012-01-11T07:00:00.005-06:00

Wedding flowers was one area I went off script. And I don't regret it one bit, thankyouverymuch.

There are many naysayers about choosing nontraditional wedding flowers. They say every bride needs a bouquet and that it should be made of fresh flowers. They contend that the bridesmaids won't know what to do with their hands if you don't give them a bouquet to hold.

To that I say bollocks.

I decided I didn't want to hold a bouquet. It was too much like a prop and I wanted something different than every other wedding I had seen. But I did want some pretty flowers. And I wanted something modern. The solution was a wrist corsage.

But not just any corsage. A bridal corsage. I loved it. My hands were free but my flowers were always with me.*

My corsage had vanda orchids, which are the pricy purple ones with white specs, white cymbidium orchids, purple filler flowers, and sheer white ribbon. The thing was substantially large and oh so pretty.

Unfortunately my maternal grandmother didn't feel well enough to make the trip to Chicago. In her place she sent a blue ribbon that she wore pinned under her dress on her wedding day in 1951. The ribbon was from a single ladies church group that my grandmother belonged to before she got married. When the women would get engaged, they received a little medal attached to the blue ribbon. It was tradition to include it in their wedding ensemble, often hidden, as their something blue.

When my aunt got married she also pinned the blue ribbon under her wedding dress.

So I pinned the ribbon to my corsage and was able to look at it all day and think of my grandma.

My brideswomen also got wrist corsages. They were slightly smaller than mine and consisted of white cymbidium orchids, purple filler flowers, and sheer black ribbon. They were very elegant.

When it came to the boutonnieres for Mr. Beagle and his groomspeople, we decided to, yet again, deviate from the script. Mr. Beagle loves bamboo for it's modern and minimal look, so I proposed the idea to our florist of bamboo boutonnieres. She loved them.

Each boutonniere was wrapped in sheer black ribbon and was made of two stalks. Mr. Beagle's boutonniere had the addition of silver wire wrapping.

Even the groomswoman wore a bamboo boutonniere. She looked smashing with it on.

For our ceremony readers, Mr. Beagle's youngest sister, and the girlfriend of Mr. Beagle's brother, we gave them each a white rose wristlet (see the right wrist of my friend doing a reading above). It was literally a bracelet made up of roses! I thought this was an incredibly clever idea by our florist.

Our fathers and my grandfather received a Picasso calla lily. It is white on the outside with a purple interior.

And our mothers wore a slightly smaller version of the brideswomen's corsages with white sheer ribbon.

I thought we all looked quite sharp with our nontraditional flowers and foliage. And see, women can figure out what to do with their hands even if they aren't holding a bouquet!

We hired Jenna of Avant Gardenia to do our flowers and definitely recommend her. I never got a chance to meet her since I live so far away, but she knew her stuff and was excited about my unusual ideas and didn't mind our small budget and small amount of product.** She understood my vision for modern, unique, and chic and executed perfectly. And the flowers were delivered right on time for a very small delivery fee.

*Except on the dance floor when I decided that I needed to be able to throw my arms in the air (and wave them around like you just don't care. [yes, i'm a nerd]).

**I was turned away by many florists who felt our event just wasn't big enough to be worth their time.

photos by Justin Runquist and Craig Watson

Please do not repost any of our wedding pictures without our written permission.

A Bunny Gets Dressed

2012-01-10T07:00:00.007-06:00

I woke up the morning of the wedding snuggling with my groom. It was great. After his shower I kicked him out of the suite and he headed down to get ready with his brother and brother-in-law. His other groomsman and groomswomen met them there later.

I showered and started prepping. Soon my mom came down and I did her makeup.

My best woman, Louis Lane showed up soon after. At this point I was hanging out in the slip for my dress. She had not seen the dress before and gave me and up and down look with a half hearted, "Oh you look nice." At first I couldn't figure out what was wrong, but she looked really worried. And then I realized she thought my slip (which was slightly transparent) was actually my wedding dress! I burst into laughter and told her that this wasn't my dress and that it was only my slip. Relief spread across her face and my mom, Louis Lane and I all nearly broke down into tears laughing at her mixup.

And then she got the mimosas flowing. Blunder was quickly forgiven.

Mr. Beagle's sister and my other two brideswomen, Ms. Kitty and Sparty arrived to put on their final touches. We ate lunch and hung around for a little while. Mr. Beagle's groomwomen also visited the suite for a little while. I tried to play it cool and pretend I was relaxed, but I was so excited and needlessly worried about being late,* I wanted to get the show on the road.

Finally it was time to get into the dress.

Once we were all ready and all the finishing touches applied, our heels were strapped on and off to Lake Shore East Park we went.

*I'm a bit known for being late. That's kind of who I am. So leading up to the wedding, I had all sorts of dreams that I was running late or realized as we were walking out the door to the ceremony that I had only shaved one leg or forgotten to tweeze my eyebrows. I had similar dreams before the prom in high school. I'm surprised these dreams didn't give me an ulcer.

photos by Justin Runquist

Please do not repost any of our wedding pictures without our written permission.

The Magic Begins to Flow

2012-01-09T07:00:00.005-06:00

We left off in last week's archive post when I had just returned to the hotel room after a rotten day before our wedding. And now we pick up the story with brand new posts. Here we go...

I was at the end of my rope. It really couldn't get any worse than this could it, I thought. No, I wouldn't let it. It was time to do SOMETHING.

It turned out that that something was cleaning. Cleaning?! I'm still surprised that cleaning was my reaction. I am not a cleaner. I am a piler. I am a mess maker. So why in that moment did I decide that cleaning was the solution to all my problems is beyond me, but that's what I did.

It turned out that cleaning can actually end up being therapeutic. At least it was something to do with my hands.

First, I washed my soon-to-be husband's clothes in the bath tub. You know, the ones he had vomited all over the night before (and that his siblings had decided to stick in a plastic bag to ferment into the most vile smelling things ever).

In that moment of trying to hold back my own vomit from the smell of his, I had some kind of realization about love wash over me. Love was washing your partner's vomit-covered clothes the night before you got married. I'm not exactly sure what kind of a metaphor that was, but it definitely meant something to me then and now. It was what I wanted to be doing, but, damnit, I love this man and that sometimes means cleaning up his vomit.

Next I moved onto the rest of the hotel suite. Most normal people would walk into a hotel room and think, yes this is a nice clean room. Unfortunately, I am not a normal person now. I was about to marry a photographer, and all I could see were little "hotel-ish things" that he would want to clone out of the photos. Things like the cheesy little comment cards and the list of TV channels. So I started hiding the "hotel-ish things" in every nook and cranny I could.

After the room had been purged from looking like a hotel, I started laying out my wedding things. This was when it started to get real. My shoes came out and so did my accessories.

I put away everything I didn't need the next day and laid out every lotion, hair spray, makeup brush, blow dryer, etc. I would need in the bathroom. The dress was attended to in the closet so I could easily get it out of it's garment bag the next morning. I found a robe in the closet I could put on when I first woke up.

And then the magic started to unfold.

I found the good luck horseshoe that Ellie had sent to me. She actually wore this horseshoe under her ball gown on her wedding day and now she wanted me to have it. It was imbued with all the love and luck from her wedding. It needed a prominent place so I hung it up above the door to the suite. Let only good luck flow within this room I thought.

Then I found the pearl necklace that Robin had lent to me. It ended up being my something borrowed. She sent it to me when I couldn't find any necklaces that worked with my dress, and it ended up being the very perfect addition.

After the wedding bits were laid out and the magic had started flowing, I put on a calming face mask and got on the Twitter. Out came the #nosybitches, or as they are also called, the cyber bridesmaids. They cheered me and wished me the greatest things for my wedding day. It was then that I knew everything really would be OK, because my women were sending love and wishes into the universe. And when the universe is filled with that much good stuff for you, you know things can't go wrong.

And from there I got a phone call that Mr. Beagle was finally feeling better and keeping food down. He sorted out his errands and was on his way back to me. We would go to sleep together one last time as fiancée and fiance and wake up a bride and groom.

photos by Justin Runquist

Please do not repost any of our wedding pictures without our written permission.

From the Archives: The Dress Part 2

2012-01-06T14:00:00.001-06:00

Yesterday I showed you my inspiration and talked a little about the process. Today without further ado, I give you The Dress.

photo by Craig Watson

photo by Justin Runquist

I told you this dress had good movement.

Please do not repost any of our wedding pictures without written permission.

From the Archives: The Dress Part 1

2012-01-06T07:00:00.000-06:00

In case you missed my previous posts, in order to finally tell the story of the wedding, I'm starting over from the beginning and reposting a few recaps I wrote right after the wedding. Next up, the dress part 1.

The concept of my wedding dress started because of the movie Atonement. If you've read the book or seen the movie, you'll know the dress is its own character. It thrusts the main characters into a dramatic event. Ever since I saw the movie, I knew that my wedding dress would have to be made after the green dress from the film.

It had amazing movement in the skirt, was cut on the bias, and was sexy. Not sexy in an overt, here-are-my-breasts kind of way. Sexy in a bare back and subtle hint of lack of undergarments. I look best in a natural waist like this dress had. So that was my goal.

If you were with me at the beginning of this blog, you may remember I had a pattern once upon a time. There was some talk online that this pattern would create a dress similar to the Atonement dress with a few alterations.

They both appeared to have the same faux wrap around the hips, a slight train, handkerchief hem (although the pattern's was much shorter), and bias cut. However, after a lot of internet sleuthing, I discovered this pattern did not make a dress that looked like the illustration, much less the Atonement dress. This pattern is a 1920s dress, and truth be told, 1920s dresses often are much more sack like than the illustrations appear to be. I didn't like how exaggerated handkerchief hem was nor the low waistline.

So I began hunting for a pattern again. I decided that I definitely needed to be looking at 1930s patterns, since that was when the first half of Atonement was set. You may remember I considered a number of different options.

I finally settled on the pattern below. It met the swishy skirt, interesting back, and natural waist criteria. I bought fabric and notions over Christmas in Michigan and then stared at the pattern and fabric for a very long time. I was scared. Terrified. I made a start at it finally, cutting the pattern pieces out of muslin fabric. And then I stared at it for a few more weeks, unable to move forward.

Eventually I broke down and hired someone. Peter was a local costume designer with experience making historically based garments. I was embarrassed and felt like a quitter. But you all cheered me on.

It took a lot of fittings. First Peter made it in a satiny polyester to get the fit right and whatever changes I wanted figured out. The neckline was lowered, a seam in the skirt was removed (because my fabric was incredibly wide, so the seam wasn't needed), and the dress was taken in more at the waist.

Once constructed in the actual fabric, the dress grew longer and longer because it was on the bias. I debated whether or not I actually liked the neckline and wanted it to be changed. A lot of small adjustments were made. Finally I got to take it home.

It hung in our apartment in a garment bag tempting Mr. Beagle. But he promises he never peaked.

From the Archives: The Low Point

2012-01-05T14:00:00.000-06:00

I woke up feel hung over. A bagel from room service was ordered. Got dressed and headed back to our wedding hotel. And that was when I discovered Mr. Beagle was sick. Actually, sick is an understatement. The man had alcohol poisoning. Apparently after the ladies left to go dancing the night before, a few of the guys decided Mr. Beagle wasn't drunk enough for their tastes. Irish car bombs were ordered. Multiple. And then there was vomiting. A lot of vomiting.

So I found Mr. Beagle the next morning in his brother and sister's hotel room covered in his own vomit. He had broken blood vessels in the inner corners of both eyes. He was not cooperating with me — I honestly think he was still drunk. I tried to stay call but panic started building. How in the world was I going to get him ready to go, herd his family to the L to go to the rehearsal lunch, and get him to the rehearsal too. Oh and the fact that Mr. Beagle's dad's car had broken down the day before and was just kind of hanging out somewhere in the city loomed over us.

Luckily my best woman Louis Lane was able to drive. Mr. Beagle had to hang his head out the window, much like a pup. But it wasn't because he was enjoying the ride. We still owe her a car wash.

Somehow we all arrived at the rehearsal lunch — many of us got there a little late. Mr. Beagle and I had to stop at his car along the way and pick up the wedding party gifts we forgot about. It was over 90 degrees outside with super high humidity, and we were supposed to sit in the beer garden. Unfortunately neither Mr. Beagle, in his condition, nor his father, who was in the middle of chemo at the time, would be able to handle the heat. Thank goodness the restaurant was able to move us in, and pushed like 10 tables together to accommodate us. They got a big tip.

The rehearsal lunch for the most part ran smoothly. Mr. Beagle couldn't keep anything down, including water, so he did not eat or drink. There were a few tense moments, like when our Episcopal priest and my dad started talking about Catholicism and my mom did not seem amused. But no major issues arose. We thanked our friends and families for helping us, and our parents got to know our priest.

I must give credit where credit is due. I got the idea to do a rehearsal lunch from Ellie. It was such a smart idea. Not only because I'm sure Mr. Beagle could not have lasted a full day (which was of course not foreseen), but also because my patience hadn't been pulled too thin yet, and I could still deal with the big group of people.

After lunch, Mr. Beagle's dad headed back to the hotel. He had had all he could handle for the day. The rest of us walked half a mile up to the rehearsal site and met up with Cindy Savage, day of coordinator extraordinaire.

It took longer than I expected to run through the rehearsal. It was hot. We were all dripping sweat. The microphones were giving off a strange, static feedback that they hadn't done previously. Mr. Beagle had forgotten his laptop with the ceremony music, but luckily I had it on my iPhone. By the power of Cindy, our priest Julianne, and myself, we figured out how we would walk in, where people would stand, etc., etc. Did I mention were were sweating buckets?

Throughout all this, Cindy and Julianne remarked that I was the most organized and laid-back bride they had encountered. Considering the circumstances, I'm quite proud of that. I can only thank Becca for her logistical post, which is what helped keep me organized, and all the other bloggers who I've followed for giving me a heads up about rolling with the punches. I made decisions when I felt something specific but left many other things up to the others' who had good eyes. I mean, when you get married in a public space that you don't have a permit for, you have to be prepared for anything and accept it.

After the rehearsal, people were dispersing. Mr. Beagle needed to move his car from where it was currently parked or he'd be ticketed. I had the keys in my purse. But wait, I didn't have the keys. And that was when I broke. I started crying. Just another thing to add to the stress. Thankfully they were found in Louis Lane's car 15 minutes later, but it was a stressful 15 minutes. Mr. Beagle left with his family. I went to church with my mom, dad, Louis Lane, and her fiance. After we had to track down one of our readers because I had forgotten to give her a day pass for the L to be used on the wedding day.

When we returned back to the hotel, Mr. Beagle admitted he had thrown up some more. Were things ever going to turn around, I wondered. He left to move his car and drop off his laptop with our friend who was acting as our music technician. It was getting late already. I sat down for the first time all day to breathe and cry a little.

From the Archives: The Big Hurrah

2012-01-05T07:00:00.005-06:00

In case you missed my post yesterday, in order to finally tell the story of the wedding, I'm starting over from the beginning and reposting a few recaps I wrote right after the wedding. And now we continue on to...

Friday before our wedding were our bachelorette/bachelor parties.

While the women were taking high tea at the Drake Hotel, the guys went to a BYOB billiards hall.

Tea was a blast. I had Bombay chai. The finger food was delicious. I wore my fascinator, and to our amusement, it turned out there was a hat and fashion show going on that afternoon in the Palm Court. My mother, mother-in-law, and Mr. Beagle's youngest sister joined my friends and me for this portion.

Can we focus for a moment on the awesome sash my best woman, Louis Lane (seen above), gave me. Her aunt embroidered the words "Bride To Be" on it and her mom sewed it together. It was so original, really well made, and made me feel pretty damn special.

After tea, my friends and I left the mothers and youngest sister and headed to Hotel Allegro. I wish I had taken more pictures of this place, because it was pretty cool and trendy. More friends arrived, and we ate Thai and cupcakes. Louis Lane set up a vintage lingerie theme. Naughty presents were unwrapped. I changed into the sparkle dress.

Then it was on to Second City. I traded my fascinator for a tiara, and we met up with the guys to combine forces. The show was no holds barred hilarious.

After the show, we found a bar that wasn't carding (lucky for Mr. Beagle's brother and his girlfriend). We hung out for awhile altogether, joking around, and getting drunk. But then the girls wanted to go dancing.

We parted from the guys and hit up some trendy, meat-market type club in River North. And we danced.

And then Ke$ha's "Blow"* came on. So the Sparkle Bunny busted out her best moves that she was saving for just the right song.

I don't mean to brag, but Sparkle Bunny has moves. I may have had an audience. It was epic and just the way I wanted to end the night.

Shortly after, we all made our way back to our sleeping locations — Louis Lane and I went back to Hotel Allegro. Some rumors of the guys getting Mr. Beagle incredibly drunk had reached us, and I started to worry a little. Mr. Beagle isn't big on getting drunk, and I knew it must mean that he had really had a lot to drink. But I tried to focus on drinking enough water myself before I fell asleep so that I wouldn't feel so hungover in the morning.

*It's plausible that our group requested that song at least a half dozen times before the DJ finally played it.

From the Archives: Licensed to Wed

2012-01-04T07:00:00.001-06:00

I am finally getting my act together and ready to tell the story of our wedding. I kind of started and then stopped abruptly before getting to the actual day. But I promise this time I will forge ahead and tell the damn story already.

But in order to do that, I find myself needing to start back at the beginning. So you're going to get a few posts I wrote shortly after the wedding a second time around to give this thing proper justice. At least that is what I'm telling myself.

So let's head back to the week before the wedding. I took a bus and then a plane from Fargo to Chicago the Wednesday before the wedding. And then...

On the Thursday before the wedding, Mr. Beagle and I headed downtown to get our wedding license. I had heard cute stories of other couples getting theirs, but alas, we did not have such good luck.

We found our way to the Marriage Bureau inside the Daley Center. Luckily when we arrived there was only one person in front of us in line. At least we had good timing, because the second we got in line, a ton of people arrived in line behind us.

We waited our turn and watched the cutest 60-year-old male couple apply for a civil union. In fact, the majority of the couples around us were same-sex couples applying for civil unions. We were outnumbered three to one it seemed. This made me really happy to see all these couples who had obviously been waiting so long to be recognized finally get some of the recognition and legal rights they deserve.

Finally it was our turn. We approached a clerk and she started asking us a bunch of questions — things like our parents names and states of birth, our addresses, our job descriptions. I told her I was a museum professional, but she didn't like that answer. So I told her I was a collection manager. She asked if we had ever been married, and when we told her no, I felt like she was looking at us skeptically.

Then she asked for our $40. But she won't take a check or a Visa. Neither of us had cash or a Mastercard. Grumpily Mr. Beagle had to go to the ATM down the hallway to withdraw enough money.

Then she printed off the form she had been filling out. That's when we discovered that she was partially incompetent. The amount of mistakes on the form was ridiculous. Every time we'd find something, we'd show her, she'd correct it on the computer, print out a new copy, and then we'd find another mistake. Even though we both have the same street address and city, she listed two different states as our addresses. She wrote a different name for Mr. Beagle's mom than we told her. She wrote that I was a manager! No, I said, that won't do. Please change it to curator. She was not happy we made her fix all her mistakes.

Finally we had a correct copy of the form. We had to sign something, write our phone numbers somewhere else. And then we had our marriage certificate. She barked at us that we had to wait until the next day for it to be legal. Ok, we told her. She was not amused with us.

We were done. It wasn't quite as much fun as I thought it would be, but we did make a lot of "licensed to wed" puns.

A Nosy Bitches Surprise

2011-12-21T07:00:00.001-06:00

On Saturday I came home to a package. Filled with glee I ripped it open!

It turned out to be from Amber of @leafygreens from our Nosy Bitches gift exchange.

And inside I found:

stationary with rabbits and my initials & cranberry, white chocolate cookies (delicious!).

I don't know how she knew that I have a huge weakness for greeting cards. But I guess it's pretty obvious about me and the bunnies.

It felt especially good right now to get stationary with my initials on it because more than half our holiday cards have been addressed to Beagle and Bunny Hislast or Mr. and Mrs. Hislast. Of course no one named Bunny Hislast exists.

The cookies are so good too. I hate baking, but loved baked goods. So they were perfect.

Fashion Flicks

2011-12-20T10:32:00.001-06:00

I've been on a period drama and fashion movie/tv binge lately.

photograph: BBC

I had the apartment to myself this past weekend and finished the new series of Upstairs, Downstairs by the BBC. It's very good and is set in 1936 focusing on a husband and wife who have just moved into a townhouse with the husband's mother and wife's younger sister. New servants must be hired, but rising pro-labor and fascist movements create an interesting dynamic in the post-World War I society. It only consists of three episodes that left me hanging. Luckily Wikipedia says more will be coming in 2012.

I am incredibly impatient for Downtown Abbey's new season to air in the States. Very jealous of my friends across the pond who already know what happens (and what the costumes look like).

As a fashion historian, period dramas can cause problems for me to watch. If the costumes aren't accurate, it can ruin an entire movie for me no matter how good the plot or acting.

I also streamed the documentary Bill Cunningham New York. I'm really not sure why it took me so long to get around to watching it. Cunningham's life story is fascinating.

I'm curious, what are your favorite period movies or tv shows? I'm putting the original Upstairs, Downstairs series in my Netflix queue. What else should I add?

Blogging Plans

2011-12-19T14:15:00.001-06:00

I have my wedding pictures now, I've started two drafts for an APW grad post, and I think I'm ready to wrap things up on this blog. Which means I am finally planning to chronicle my day on here with recaps.

I'm going to start writing this week and whatever down time I have next week between the holidays. So look for the full shabang of recaps starting the first week of January (yes, that would be six months after I got married). I promised I'd do these for myself and for you guys, and I won't let either of us down.

Hopefully I'll also have the new blog up and running in early January as well. Expect fashion history, favorite design ideas, contemporary fashion, and a little about my life.

Stay tuned.

Nosy Bitches Non-Denominational Gift Giver

2011-11-29T11:50:00.002-06:00

So those of us that talk on the Twitter wanted to do a gift swap. So here it is: the ~~Twitter friends~~ first Nosy Bitches Non-Denominational Gift Giver.

Please fill out the form below by Dec 2 to be included in the swap. You will receive your person in an email on Dec 4. Please mail your gift no later than December 16 for recipients inside the USA, December 12 for international recipients.

By completing this form, you are agreeing to participate in the Nosy Bitches Non-Denominational Gift Giver. Please only submit your information if you can uphold your commitment and mail out your gift by the dates above. We don't want any Twitter friends to be sad they never received a gift.

I will vet everyone who submits a form to make sure they are indeed a real twitter friend and not a spambot or a creeper.

Gifts should not exceed $15 in price (not including shipping). Homemade items are highly encouraged as is doing a little research on the person you are gifting to figure out their interests and/or needs.

Happy holidays!!!

**Update: "Twitter Friends Non-Denominational Gift Giver" has been rechristened "Nosy Bitches Non-Denominational Gift Giver" per Ellie's excellent idea for our group's name.

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Sequins fit for a Bride

2011-11-18T11:03:00.001-06:00

I don't post a whole lot about weddings now (although I promise my belated recaps are coming soon — Mr. Beagle has started editing our photos **squee**), but I was "researching" sequins this morning and came across these pretty dresses. I just needed to share in case a soon-to-be bride* needed a short little sequined number.

Tahari 'Tommy' Sequin & Chiffon Sleeveless Dress

The first is pretty and sweet. Beading and sequins on the bodice with a soft pleated skirt. This look is delicate and would be perfect for a daytime wedding.

Pisarro Nights Sequin Sheath Dress

I'm generally not a huge fan of switching to a reception dress, but this could possibly be the perfect reception dress if someone needed something short and sassy for late in the evening. Or it could be the only dress for a bride who is getting married at night in a trendy spot.

Pisarro Nights Sequined Silk Shift Dress

And this flapper-inspired number could take a bride from day to night if she wanted a little glam throughout the day. I love the art nouveau scalloped beading.

*Are there any engaged ladies still reading this blog? Do you guys still want to see wedding ideas other than mine own or should I move on?

The Best Air Freshener Ever

2011-11-14T14:00:00.000-06:00

I mentioned this morning that one of the things I did this weekend was purchase some flowers for the apartment. It's amazing how much a few little flowers can brighten a place up. They are so pretty to look at.

But I never experienced flowers like the lilies above. I bought a single stalk and placed them in the bedroom. They are the most fragrant flowers I've ever come in contact with. They have literally filled the entire apartment with the smell of lilies. They pack such a punch, they are almost overwhelming sometimes. I get a little dizzy breathing in their perfume. Just two flowers. It's amazing.

The Long Weekend

2011-11-14T07:00:00.002-06:00

Mr. Beagle is out of town and I had the apartment to myself for a three-day weekend thanks to Veterans Day. Having an extra day off while your partner is gone can be really good for the mind. It allows you to start to shift through some of the mental backlog without interruption. It gives you some space to have non guilty down time and get some chores done that you've been meaning to do forever. Like finally recycle the beer bottles, which had to be hauled to a parking lot a few miles away with collection bins. Or watch hours of Felicity streaming on Netflix.

I bought flowers for the apartment, purchased a few early Christmas presents, and found a suit* in case I ever get called for an interview.

I also finally cleaned up the closet. I was not a neat person before I lived with Mr. Beagle, and I have a tendency to fall back into messy patterns when life gets tough. As might be assumed with my recent postings and silence, this was the case. Life got tough, so I got messy. But the simple act of picking up the clothing off the floor, picking out a few pieces to take to the thrift shop, and reordering my hanging clothing has done wonders for my psyche.

I miss Mr. Beagle and his snuggles. He won't be home until Thursday. The past three days have been nice to get my head in a little better place, but now that the work week has started back up I suspect that my loneliness is going to kick in full blast. When I'm working I definitely function better when I have my partner to share the home work. So let's hope this week flies by and that this state of mind can maintain itself for awhile.

*If I had been living under a rock for the past few years, I would have had no idea that there was a recession on based on my trip to the mall Saturday. Holy bananas, I feel bad for the retail workers in town. The place was a mad house. I'm a social person, but I had large crowds of meandering shoppers. They make me irrationally angery. Ironic since the mall at its busiest time seemed like the coolest place when I was in high school.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T13:11:00.002-05:00

Wishing you a happily frightful Halloween from a girl who has always had a slight obsession with pumpkins!

Unsettled

2011-10-18T12:25:00.000-05:00

I've written a few times about our living situation. We currently have a lease through the end of November and then it goes month-to-month. For now it's our "permanent" home. But of course there is the nagging hope that we might be leaving and moving back to Chicago.

We have furniture now in our new space, but the shelves for the bookcases haven't been put up and the books stay in their boxes. We aren't really personalizing the space, like for instance with our own towel racks in the bathroom even though the ones that are currently in there are not efficient to the way we live. We haven't hung up any of our artwork. The only thing that's really been done is putting up our customizable closet fixtures.

So we aren't quite living in limbo anymore, but we aren't really setting in either. It concerns me that we are going to get into the habit of living like this. While it's nice to come home and lay on the couch, it's irritating not to have easy access to my books.

Bunnies on a Monday

2011-10-10T10:38:00.000-05:00

via The Daily Bunny

It's so dull and grey outside today. I'm glad we went on our pumpkin patch outing on Saturday before the rain showed up yesterday. Also, when I turned on public radio this morning while taking a shower, all I heard was a litany of bad news. It made me want to crawl back in bed and put the covers over my head.

I'm flipping through The Daily Bunny this morning to cheer me up. What do you do to perk yourself up on a good for nothing Monday?

La Fiesta de Despedida de Soltera — Part 2

2011-10-06T07:00:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I showed you the invitation that inspired the decorations for my best friend's "fiesta de despedida de soltera" themed bachelorette party. Now let's move on to the decorations.

The first project I worked on was to make a striped hot pink and orange piñata. I haven't done papier-mâché since I was a little kid so it brought back memories. You can see the finished piñata sitting on the coffee table below. Unfortunately we didn't have anywhere to safely hang it, so Louis Lane stomped on it to break it. I filled it with candy, condoms, a couple flamenco hair flowers, and a few mustaches.

The tote bag with flamenco dancers on the chair below was purchased on Etsy and filled with two types of sangria — Señor red and Señorita white — bought on my honeymoon. In the background you can also see the faux papel picado I made out of tissue above the window. I cut out designs in the tissue the way you do to make snowflakes and then glued them to a length of string.

Another project that took a long time but looked awesome was the ruffled streamers. I used the tutorial here and they turned out great. I loved how layering different colors together created a lively effect. It wasn't very hard to make, but it did try my patience a few times.

And what was quite possibly my favorite part of the night was the cake. OK, so this wasn't homemade. I ordered a Kahlua fudge cake with chocolate ganache filling and fondant with Italian meringue buttercream frosting from A Piece O'Cake. The owner used Lizzie's invitation as inspiration. I was blown away by the level of intricacy of the fondant. The chevron stripes are represented around the base and the top layer has the same bunting-papel picado hybrid from the invitations!

This may have been the best cake I've ever tasted in my life. The cake itself was so fresh and moist and rich. The icing, which could have been bad since it was fondant, tasted like marshmallows. Louis Lane approved. All I wanted to do was pig out.

Below you can see a little bit of Louis Lane's "Bride To Be" sash with ruffled lace layers. She also had a giant red flamenco hair flower as a finishing accouterment.

Louis Lane's friends made an incredible amount of Spanish and Columbian tapas that we ended up canceling our dinner reservations and just staying in to eat. Seriously, the ladies over did it with the most amazing tasting food. Not to mention sangria, Mexican beer, and agua de Valencia.*

After dinner the drinking continued with a game of Taboo,** and then it was off to bars. It was a crazy night hitting up the same places we used to frequent as college students. I admit, the night was a riot. Someone brought a game with challenges Louis Lane had to do, but she didn't get past the second one — which was get a man to give her a condom. Apparently the men of mid-Michigan don't carry protection anymore!

It only took a few drinks to convince me to put on one of the mustaches.*** I received much more attention than I expected though. Guys kept asking "why do you have a mustache?" I asked them "why wouldn't I have a mustache?" or "where is your mustache?" A fresh-faced college kid asked me if he could kiss me on the lips toward the end of the night. I explained I didn't think my husband would like that, and he bolted. It does make a 27-year old, married lady feel hot to get hit on by baby 21-year-olds.

The night was a success, and I'm so glad I was able to send Louis Lane off in fiesta-themed style before her wedding.

*If you've never had this before, you need to make some. Holy cow, it's tasty and dangerous!
**Is it just me or does this game always descend into penis jokes?
***Let's be honest, I was plotting to wear one from the time I bought them.

La Fiesta de Despedida de Soltera — Part 1

2011-10-05T07:00:00.004-05:00

My best friend Louis Lane got married at the end of August, and she asked me to be her maid of honor. This was my first time in a wedding that wasn't family related or my own, so I was quite excited to take my duties seriously. And one of those was throwing the most kick ass bachelorette party I could.

Louis Lane is a Hispanophile. She speaks Spanish really well (she once interviewed some of the Detroit Tigers in the locker room in Spanish for the newspaper she used to work for). She did a semester study abroad in Valencia, Spain. And she has a little bit of a thing for Mexicans. Louis Lane loves tapas and sangria. So I thought, what could be better than using Spain and Latin America for inspiration.

After a bit of sleuthing, I discovered that in Spain a bachelorette party is called la fiesta de "despedida de soltera," which translates to "goodbye to the single woman." And thus I set to work with my theme.

A killer bachelorette party needs a killer invitation. I turned to my friend Lizzie of the blog Love Your Way. In case you don't know her, which you should, she's a graphic designer and social media manager. And very creative lady.

I told her about the theme and that I wanted lots of color. She sent back an inspiration board.

inspiration board assembled by Lizzie

I gave her a little feedback on what I liked, and then she hit the ground running. It only took a few exchanges before we had invitations that were to die for. The final design was inspired by a Mexican bathing suit that Lizzie found.

The suite she made included a main invitation with a crazy awesome chevron print on its reverse, a size guide insert for guests who wanted to buy lingerie for Louis Lane, and a second insert inviting the bridesmaids to a picnic for just us and the bride. Lizzie turned bunting into a papel picado hybrid as another design motif.

I bought Latin Music Legends stamps for the final touch.

The process of working with Lizzie was a lot of fun and I adore the way the invitations turned out. They really became the focal point for the rest of the party. If you have a project that involves graphic design, I would total recommend you contact this talented lady now.

Stayed tuned tomorrow for the hand-crafted decorations...

The Work We Do

2011-09-28T07:00:00.001-05:00

Yesterday a lot of conversation came out of twitter regarding what does "work" in a relationship mean. It was sparked from an APW post about divorce and knowing when to call it quits.

I think a lot of the conversation was wrapped up in the semantics of the word work. The word is both a verb and a noun, and I think that was what was causing confusion.

So I started thinking about it. I rarely feel like my relationship with Mr. Beagle is work or takes work. For the most part it feels easy. We fit together well. But we do do relationship building things — and I wonder if what I consider to be relationship building is what others think of as work.

For example, I think of snuggling outside of bedtime to be relationship building. So is cooking a meal together. These things help us reconnect. Because let's be honest, sometimes we all neglect the other person a little. We let our outside lives run the show and we take the relationship for granted. These moments of reconnecting do make our relationship work. They reunite us and remind us why we are in this marriage. But they don't feel like work. Yet, in a way, you could say they are.

Now there are some issues that do feel like work between Mr. Beagle and myself. Unfortunately to have a healthy relationship, we do need to address them. Things like religion or deciding to move across a country for one partner's job are not fun things to do. The discussion itself is very important work to make sure we know how the other is feeling and find a way to compromise. Without this work, there'd be a breakdown of open exchange of thoughts. Things would bottle up. Then explode and shatter the relationship.

I guess what I'm saying is that relationship building exercises can be fun or feel difficult. Working on a relationship has multiple dimensions — the kind that help you reconnect and the kind that allow you to communicate difficult opinions.

However when every component in the relationship feels like work, even the parts that are supposed to feel fun, you know there is a problem. And it seems like most people would agree that those are relationships that need to end.

What worries me the most is the idea that my easy relationship might stop being easy. Most of the discussion on APW about divorce has revolved around the idea that the two people were never right for each other from the start. But what about the relationships that were easy at some point that suddenly stopped being that way? I know those situations exist. If that's the case, should the two people in question try to work through things even it really sucks? Is it possible to get back to that easy point? How much work do you put in before you decide that you can't get back to that easy point? There's been talk here and there about "good years" and "bad years." How do you know that you are going through a bad year/s and that things will eventually turn around? And conversely, how do you know things are not going to ever get better and that it's best to dissolve the relationship before things get worse?

It's My Name

2011-09-27T07:00:00.000-05:00

Last week we went to a registry wrap-up event at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. They were offering 20% off of all purchases at the event for couples whose wedding had already occurred. Generally these kinds of things scare me. I didn't really want to wander back into the land of WIC post wedding, but 20% off a Roomba and our reuseable food containers without those coupons that come in the mail sounded like a good deal.

When we arrived there was a short line. When each couple reached the front they asked for the woman's last name, "maiden" of course, lest you should think the man actually cared about stocking the home.

When we reached the front they asked for my last name. I said, "Bunnyslast." "Is that your maiden name?" they asked. "It's my name," I said.

I am turning into my mother.

A Problem

2011-09-22T13:16:00.000-05:00

I had a bit of an episode at the beginning of this week. For those of you who follow me on twitter, you might know that I cried so hard that I worked myself into hysteria. Subsequently that induced a migraine that hung around until Wednesday night. Tough to get back to an OK place when your brain hurts and you no longer want to exist.

I am seeing a therapist. I've done this before for short periods and then one of two things happens: I run out of free visits or they want me to go see someone else. Well I've used two of my eight free appointments through work, so eventually these free sessions will end too. Also, this therapist isn't licensed to prescribe drugs, and she thinks I need to be medicated. So she has referred me to a psychiatrist, which of course isn't covered by my work's mental health program. I need to look into whether my health insurance will. Unfortunately starting over with a new mental health care provider is rather daunting. It's not easy to discuss your intimate demons with a person. And being told you have to do it all over again with a new person feels like hell.

My depression is reoccurring, and this time around it seems much darker and deeper than usual. I'm feeling a bit like things will never get better. All I wanted to do on Monday was go home. Mr. Beagle asked me where home was. But I don't know. That's part of the problem. Home is supposed to be safe and comforting. But I have no home now and that's incredibly scary. To have no place in the world that I feel secure makes me feel incredibly vulnerable.

Highs and Lows

2011-09-14T07:00:00.000-05:00

This whole settling my brain down thing is hard. Some days I'm so optimistic and other days I come crashing down into a pity party. Some times I wallow while at the same time hope things are going to turn around. I'm a walking oxymoron over here.

All I know is I miss the wedding. It was such a great day. As close to perfect as I can probably ever hope to get. And it's over now, and that makes me sad.

That and that I really miss my family and friends and I really cannot believe I live so far away from them. I'm missing so much.

I know I need to step up my game and make some projects happen to further my career. But I'm so tired and motivation comes and goes.

Absence

2011-08-26T07:00:00.000-05:00

I ended up taking a nonplanned blogging break the last few weeks because there are just too many thoughts racing through my head at once. Every time I try to sit down and write a focused post, I can't settle my brain down long enough to get one thought down in writing. Do you ever have that problem?

Hopefully I'll be back next week with a post about the bachelorette party I threw for my best friend, Louis Lane. It really was a blast. AND she is getting married tomorrow, so I'll have news on that as well.

Everyone send some love and magic into the universe for Louis Lane please!

The Dress Part 2

2011-08-09T07:00:00.005-05:00

Yesterday I showed you my inspiration and talked a little about the process. Today without further ado, I give you The Dress.

photo by Craig Watson

photo by Justin Runquist

I told you this dress had good movement.

Please do not repost any of our wedding pictures without permission.

The Dress Part 1

2011-08-08T07:00:00.004-05:00

Eventually I broke down and hired someone. Peter was a local costume designer with experience making historically based garments. I was embarrassed and felt like a quitter. But you all cheered me on.

It hung in our apartment in a garment bag tempting Mr. Beagle. But he promises he never peaked.

The Low Point

2011-08-04T07:00:00.003-05:00

I left off at Friday night when I had just gone to bed after an amazing bachelorette party. We'll resume the story Saturday morning — the day that it all fell apart. This seems to be a trend among the other bloggers who are recapping right now too. So I guess take this as a warning that the day before your wedding is going to be down right shitty.

I woke up feel hung over. A bagel from room service was ordered. Got dressed and headed back to our wedding hotel. And that was when I discovered Mr. Beagle was sick. Actually, sick is an understatement. The man had alcohol poisoning. Apparently after the ladies left to go dancing the night before, a few of the guys decided Mr. Beagle wasn't drunk enough for their tastes. Irish car bombs were ordered. Multiple. And then there was vomiting. A lot of vomiting.

So I found Mr. Beagle the next morning in his brother and sister's hotel room covered in his own vomit. He had broken blood vessels in the inner corners of both eyes. He was not cooperating with me — I honestly think he was still drunk. I tried to stay call but panic started building. How in the world was I going to get him ready to go, herd his family to the L to go to the rehearsal lunch, and get him to the rehearsal too. Oh and the fact that Mr. Beagle's dad's car had broken down the day before and was just kind of hanging out somewhere in the city loomed over us.

Luckily my best woman Louis Lane was able to drive. Mr. Beagle had to hang his head out the window, much like a pup. But it wasn't because he was enjoying the ride. We still owe her a car wash.

Somehow we all arrived at the rehearsal lunch — many of us got there a little late. Mr. Beagle and I had to stop at his car along the way and pick up the wedding party gifts we forgot about. It was over 90 degrees outside with super high humidity, and we were supposed to sit in the beer garden. Unfortunately neither Mr. Beagle, in his condition, nor his father, who was in the middle of chemo at the time, would be able to handle the heat. Thank goodness the restaurant was able to move us in, and pushed like 10 tables together to accommodate us. They got a big tip.

The rehearsal lunch for the most part ran smoothly. Mr. Beagle couldn't keep anything down, including water, so he did not eat or drink. There were a few tense moments, like when our Episcopal priest and my dad started talking about Catholicism and my mom did not seem amused. But no major issues arose. We thanked our friends and families for helping us, and our parents got to know our priest.

I must give credit where credit is due. I got the idea to do a rehearsal lunch from Ellie. It was such a smart idea. Not only because I'm sure Mr. Beagle could not have lasted a full day (which was of course not foreseen), but also because my patience hadn't been pulled too thin yet, and I could still deal with the big group of people.

After lunch, Mr. Beagle's dad headed back to the hotel. He had had all he could handle for the day. The rest of us walked half a mile up to the rehearsal site and met up with Cindy Savage, day of coordinator extraordinaire.

It took longer than I expected to run through the rehearsal. It was hot. We were all dripping sweat. The microphones were giving off a strange, static feedback that they hadn't done previously. Mr. Beagle had forgotten his laptop with the ceremony music, but luckily I had it on my iPhone. By the power of Cindy, our priest Julianne, and myself, we figured out how we would walk in, where people would stand, etc., etc. Did I mention were were sweating buckets?

Throughout all this, Cindy and Julianne remarked that I was the most organized and laid-back bride they had encountered. Considering the circumstances, I'm quite proud of that. I can only thank Becca for her logistical post, which is what helped keep me organized, and all the other bloggers who I've followed for giving me a heads up about rolling with the punches. I made decisions when I felt something specific but left many other things up to the others' who had good eyes. I mean, when you get married in a public space that you don't have a permit for, you have to be prepared for anything and accept it.

After the rehearsal, people were dispersing. Mr. Beagle needed to move his car from where it was currently parked or he'd be ticketed. I had the keys in my purse. But wait, I didn't have the keys. And that was when I broke. I started crying. Just another thing to add to the stress. Thankfully they were found in Louis Lane's car 15 minutes later, but it was a stressful 15 minutes. Mr. Beagle left with his family. I went to church with my mom, dad, Louis Lane, and her fiance. After we had to track down one of our readers because I had forgotten to give her a day pass for the L to be used on the wedding day.

When we returned back to the hotel, Mr. Beagle admitted he had thrown up some more. Were things ever going to turn around, I wondered. He left to move his car and drop off his laptop with our friend who was acting as our music technician. It was getting late already. I sat down for the first time all day to breathe and cry a little.

A Month Passes

2011-08-03T07:00:00.005-05:00

Mr. Beagle and I were married a month ago.

You may have noticed when I first got back, I started the recaps with the bachelorette party and then just kind of stopped. I really wanted to be the kind of person who documented the day right away — who shared it with those of you who really wanted to know.

I had hoped to do it with pictures. I didn't think it would be this long before they were done. But Mr. Beagle's other clients obviously were in the front of the queue. And by the time he was ready to start ours, we had to pack and move our stuff into storage. Then he left to shoot a wedding more than 15 hours away.

So on our one month anniversary I am alone, I have no pictures, and I live in a crummy temporary apartment that I'm growing to resent quite a bit. I'm not in a "good place."

Thank you for all of your words of encouragement on the last post. It's good to know I have your support.

Anyway, back to the recaps. I'm starting to wonder how important they are. How much does anyone even care about them? And now that it's a month behind me, what have I already forgotten? I don't have a good memory, and I'm really worried that I've already forgotten about a lot of what I experienced.

UPDATE: Maybe I shouldn't whine so much and just learn to be a little more patient. I woke up this morning to an email from Mr. Beagle wishing me happy anniversary with a link to download my top 30 wedding pictures. Oh I love that Beagle.

Mixed Emotions

2011-07-25T07:00:00.000-05:00

Guilt is an overwhelming emotion. And it causes a lot of conflicted feelings.

We packed and moved the whole weekend long. And it was a beautiful weekend. A good weekend to have gone exploring or taken in a minor league baseball game. We could have gone up to Winnepeg like I've been dying to do. Or finish the Harry Potter series again and finally gone to see the last Harry Potter movie.

But no. We packed and moved our possessions into a storage unit.

I feel so sad that I missed such a great weekend with my husband. My new husband. I want to enjoy newlywedness. I want to be happy and enjoy each other's company. I feel robbed.

But then I remember why we are in this situation in the first place. It was because I put my foot down and said I wanted to move here to follow my passion. It would be a good stepping stone for my career. So how can I feel so sad if it was my fault in the first place. Enter guilt.

I sit around and think about the guilt for a few minutes and then rage boils up in me. I shouldn't have to live my life feeling guilty. Sure I made the decision to move here, but the predicament we are in shouldn't be entirely pinned on me. Doesn't our management company hold some blame for forcing us out? Doesn't Mother Nature hold some responsibility for making 3/4 of the year so miserable? Etc., etc.

Do you know that sometimes I actually catch myself enjoying something small here and there. Up until this move, I could walk to work if it is nice enough. The warm mornings are quite pleasant walking down the shaded, quiet sidewalk in the nearby neighborhood. But as soon as I catch myself feeling good, I remember how much I hate it here. I remember that I'm not supposed to be happy.

Isn't that ridiculous? My guilt won't let me be happy or sad. I'm just supposed to push down my emotions. No anger, no sadness, no joy. Just live. This is my punishment.

How the heck can I let myself off the hook for this? Because I can't go on feeling so much weight on my shoulders or I'm going to really break down.

Update

2011-07-22T22:45:00.000-05:00

It looks like we've got a place to stay for the month of August. So at there will be a roof over our heads while we wait in limbo.

Timing

2011-07-22T07:00:00.003-05:00

The timing couldn't be worse, but we are moving. We started packing up our lives, once again, into boxes last night. But we don't know where we are moving to.

All we know is that we can't stay here past July 31. Our landlords are refusing to let us do a month-to-month agreement after staying here for a year (even though our lease is written to make us believe we could). They also denied us a one month extension on our lease (until this morning it was unrented, but apparently the university has rented up all the empty apartments).

Mr. Beagle will be in Michigan shooting a wedding on July 30, so this weekend is the only time we can move with him around. So it looks like most of our possessions are headed for a storage unit.

I don't know where we will be in nine days. Worse comes to worse, it might be a Motel 6. We can't make any commitment longer than a month-to-month living agreement. This is going to be a rough next few weeks as we wait in limbo* figuring out what's going to happen.

*No I'm not telling the whole story here. There's more to it, but I don't feel comfortable sharing online yet.

Waiting Is Hard

2011-07-18T14:15:00.003-05:00

Since Mr. Beagle is a photographer, obviously it should come as no surprise that photography was important to him. We hired two of his friends who are extremely talented. They worked out a deal in which they would shoot all day (longer than their standard package includes) and would turn over all the raw files to Mr. Beagle. Mr. Beagle would then do all the editing.

The minute we returned from our honeymoon I began to panic for absolutely no reason. I started second guessing whether or not I would look pretty in the pictures. I second guessed whether or not our really talented photographers would take pictures of certain things and people and whether the shots would be beautifully composed. I couldn't stand the anticipation.

The first hard drive of images arrived last Tuesday. But Mr. Beagle, being the beaglely boy he is, wouldn't let either of us look at them until the second photographer's hard drive showed up. It finally did on Friday. Together we had a little more than 5,600 raw images to look at.

Going through them was a huge relief. Even though they weren't edited, there were so many gorgeous shots of joy, beauty, and love. I calmed down. It took more than three hours to go through them. We began tagging the best and worked the number down to around 900.

Last night I decided to narrow them down a little more by myself. Originally I had planned to pick 10 pictures for Mr. Beagle to edit right away so I'd have a little something to play with. But I couldn't get that number any lower than 30.

At that point I should have gone to bed. But I had slept in a lot this past weekend, and wasn't feeling particularly tired. Plus the desire to look at the photos more was strong. So I stayed up until 3:30 a.m. picking the photos I wanted to be edited out of the 900 tagged. I'm not sure exactly what I got the number down to, but I would bet somewhere around 300.

I know you guys want to see the pictures. I want to show them to you. But they do need to be edited. So if you really want to see them, leave a comment begging Mr. Beagle to get on them. Maybe if we all give him a little encouragement, he'll do a few a day until they are done.

Double Celebration

2011-07-16T12:20:00.000-05:00

creative commons image by Yasuo Osakabe

Two of my favorite bloggers are getting married today. Lauren of Better than Real Life and Robin of Hitched. I've gotten to know both of these hilarious women very well through their blogs and am so happy that their weddings are today.

Congratulations!

The Big Hurrah

2011-07-14T07:00:00.000-05:00

Friday before our wedding were our bachelorette/bachelor parties.

While the women were taking high tea at the Drake Hotel, the guys went to a BYOB billiards hall.

Tea was a blast. I had Bombay chai. The finger food was delicious. I wore my fascinator, and to our amusement, it turned out there was a hat and fashion show going on that afternoon in the Palm Court. My mother, mother-in-law, and Mr. Beagle's youngest sister joined my friends and me for this portion.

Then it was on to Second City. I traded my fascinator for a tiara, and we met up with the guys to combine forces. The show was no holds barred hilarious.

We parted from the guys and hit up some trendy, meat-market type club in River North. And we danced.

And then Ke$ha's "Blow"* came on. So the Sparkle Bunny busted out her best moves that she was saving for just the right song.

I don't mean to brag, but Sparkle Bunny has moves. I may have had an audience. It was epic and just the way I wanted to end the night.

*It's plausible that our group requested that song at least a half dozen times before the DJ finally played it.

Oh Hair

2011-07-13T13:00:00.002-05:00

Along with my recaps, I am going to be writing a series of posts that talk about the aftermath of having a wedding. Posts that aren't specifically about the wedding, but about how I'm feeling in the wake of it.

Let's start with hair.

The post-wedding chop is pretty typical for newly-married women to undergo. They've been growing out their hair for a beautiful wedding coif, but are now sick of it. So after the wedding, away it goes.

But what about short-haired brides like me? Even though my hair is short, I've been taking very good care of it for the past 8 months in lead up to the wedding. Frequent trims so my hair stylist could get very experienced at cutting the style I wanted for the wedding. Using good shampoo and products to practice my style. Resisting the urge for change.

I don't really have much hair to chop. I mean I could go shorter to a pixie, but I did that in high school and couldn't stand the frequency it needed to be trimmed.

I want a change. I'm the kind of person who craves style changes. So the hair, while super fitting for me, needs a revamp.

I'm considering dyeing my hair a bold color. Maybe red? My hair doesn't hold red very well though, so I'd have to have frequent touch ups. So perhaps not. I could grow it out, which is like the reverse post-wedding chop. But I want some immediate gratification. Highlights aren't quite dramatic enough for me though. And don't even think about suggesting bangs. I cannot stand bangs across my forehead. I look cute with them, but they drive me absolutely batty.

Licensed to Wed

2011-07-13T07:00:00.002-05:00

On the Thursday before the wedding, Mr. Beagle and I headed downtown to get our wedding license. I had heard cute stories of other couples getting theirs, but alas, we did not have such good luck.

Then she asked for our $40. But she won't take a check or a Visa. Neither of us had cash or a Mastercard. Grumpily Mr. Beagle had to go to the ATM down the hallway to withdraw enough money.

We were done. It wasn't quite as much fun as I thought it would be, but we did make a lot of "licensed to wed" puns.

A Married Bunny

2011-07-11T07:00:00.002-05:00

I must start by thanking all of you. Goodness, the wedding magic and good vibes you wished for Mr. Beagle and myself really worked. I mean, you couldn't have really wished for a more perfect day.

I was getting pretty nervous in the days before. Not about the actual wedding and marrying the man I love. No, when it came to that I was cool as a cucumber. But in the days proceeding the wedding it seemed that anything that could go wrong did. An alcohol-poisoned fiance, car trouble, too few L passes purchased, moving sleeping location almost every night, incredibly hot and humid weather, etc.

But then the actual wedding day arrived. And the wedding magic arrived. There was just so much. It was just so unbelievable. I can't wait to share all of it with you guys.

The recaps will come in a variety of forms. Some chronological, some thematic. There's so much to tell.

But I'll leave you with a picture from the end of the night of bachelorette party. Sparkle Bunny by popular request...

Happy Wedding Day to Jo and C

2011-07-10T13:43:00.000-05:00

I don't think it's any secret that I love Jo. She has become such a good friend from the time I started chatting with her on twitter and following her blog to when we got to meet while she was driving through North Dakota.

So here's to Jo and C on their wedding day. May it be filled with joyous love and magic!

Signing Out

2011-07-01T12:00:00.000-05:00

Well this pre-wedding stuff is madness. I thought we were pretty much done with the prep, but then we remembered all this other stuff that needs to get taken care of. So I'm signing off for the weekend.

Thank you all so so much for following my blog on this journey to get married. Your readership, comments, and friendships mean so incredibly much to me. You've given me advice and supported me during hard times. This community has done so much for me and means so much to me too.

So thank you!

And now I'm off to get my bachelorette on, rehearsal done, and then get married on Sunday. Send me some good (and no rain) vibes. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!

Celebrating Singlehood One Last Time

2011-07-01T07:00:00.000-05:00

Today is our joint bachelor and bachelorette parties.

The beginning of them will start out separately. Us women are going to have tea at the Drake Hotel. I have my fancy sparkle dress and hat. The men in the meantime will go play pool, darts, foozeball, etc. at a byob billiards hall. Then both groups will do dinner separately.

Later we will get together and go to Second City. We're going to have a huge group, but I anticipate that it will be oodles of fun. And we'll end at a bar or two.

I'm really excited. Any stress about who was coming to what has been worked out. I'm just ready to celebrate with my friends.

Chicago

2011-06-30T09:01:00.000-05:00

I arrived in Chicago yesterday afternoon. It feels great to be back in this so familiar city.

But the whole "actually getting married in three days" thing still hasn't clicked yet. For some reason I'm having a hard time processing the fact that this thing we've been planning for so long is happening.

There are brief glimpses of realization. Last night on the way to dinner and the way home from dinner it felt suddenly real. But during dinner, our only time alone after arriving in Chicago until the honeymoon, it was all business. Over sushi we discussed the final things we need to do. There wasn't a whole lot of joy and excitement yet.

I'm not freaking out. I haven't reached wedding zen. I'm just in business mode.

Today we are going to get our wedding license. I hope maybe that helps my brain process this big thing we are about to do.

Easy Evites

2011-06-28T07:00:00.002-05:00

After Becca extolled the site Pingg.com for modern evites, I decided to use it for our rehearsal lunch RSVPs. Mr. Beagle made up the graphic, and it was a very easy process of uploading to use our own image.

The templates they had for the text all looked great as well, and we chose one that worked well with the graphic. I typed up the necessary details, added everyone's email address, and pressed send. Simple.

This is what we sent.

Managing the RSVPs has been pretty easy. Well I guess it would except for the fact that a few people RSVPd for other folks who also RSVPd for themselves. So I had to change a few people's guest counts. But that was easy too.

And then I found $5.

The Last Week of Engagement

2011-06-27T10:33:00.000-05:00

Well folks, we are officially less than a week until the Bunny/Beagle wedding. Six days left. How anyone expects me to be productive at work today and tomorrow is beyond me.

This weekend was a flurry of activity. On Friday a friend came over and we finished the programs in three hours. On Saturday Mr. Beagle second shot a local wedding, while I updated lists, went to the store for last minute needs, and finalized the dance party playlist.

Yesterday Mr. Beagle came up with new projects (I kid about him being a groomzilla sometimes, but seriously yesterday the guy had lost the plot) — reserved seating signs and wedding day timelines. Both of which needed to be cut out with a paper cutter and mounted onto kraft card stock with rubber cement. Seriously, I have absolutely had it with rubber cement. The next person to ask me to glue something with rubber cement will have it dumped on their head.

Then there was the packing. Packing for the wedding. Packing for the honeymoon. I tell you, packing for both at the same time is not easy. I'm pretty confident I overpacked and won't wear half of the things I am bringing for the honeymoon. At this point I say, oh well.

I went to sleep while Mr. Beagle loaded up the car. This morning he hit the road for Chicago. I leave on Wednesday. I'm taking a bus to Minneapolis and then a plane to Chicago.

It is surreal that we are in the final stages of engagement. That in less than a week we will be married. That something we have been planning for more than 1 1/2 years is actually going to take place.

In Need of a Few Good Books

2011-06-24T07:00:00.002-05:00

In 10 days Mr. Beagle and I will leave on our honeymoon. I've talked about our cute log cabin in the woods of Wisconsin before, and I am getting more and more excited about blissing out there, without any care for work or family drama (or wedding planning for that matter).

But because we aren't going somewhere exotic like Hawaii or cultural like Paris, there will probably be a little less site seeing than goes on on most honeymoons. There will be more sleeping in, cooking, and hanging around the cabin on the porch.

So that means I need some books. Good books. Now, I could take my Harry Potter books with me. And I am kind of tempted to, seeing how the final movie comes out five days after we return from our honeymoon.

But I'd kind of like something new. And that's where I need your help.

I like books with strong female roles, that are somewhat romantic and/or fantasy driven, but don't screw with what actually happened in history. I like books written in vignettes that have poetic prose, but aren't actually poetry. I also like coming of age stories and classic literature.

So I would love it if you could please recommend a good book, I would appreciate it. Books that are a little lighter or happy (ie will not depress me), will be favored.

Thanks in advance!

The Aisle

2011-06-22T07:00:00.001-05:00

Last night my dad and I got to talking about the rehearsal. The conversation was going well and we were getting things cleared up. And then he asked about the aisle walk.

Specifically he asked if he was walking alone with me or if my mom was going to be walking with us too.

And I folded. Just folded. I couldn't bring myself to tell him that Mr. Beagle and I had talked about walking down the aisle together.

So I said something about him and my mom walking me up to the beginning of the aisle and Mr. Beagle's parents walking him up to the beginning of the aisle from the opposite side and then the parents walking down ahead of us. He seemed confused and said ok, he would just have to wait to see at the rehearsal.

I don't know how to tell him that I don't want to partake in this tradition. Jenn from Me, Myself, and Bride gave me good advice about just being honest and asking him how he felt about Mr. Beagle and I walking in together. But I just couldn't tell him.

I've always been extremely close with my dad. Up until the whole religion debacle a year ago, I never had really been in a real fight with him nor felt distant from him. And while I never really got the apology I had hoped for from him, I let it pass and we are slowly rebuilding that closeness.

In all honesty I don't think I would mind having my dad walk with me, but I know it would hurt my mom. To her it would feel patriarchal and/or like I was choosing my father over her. Unfortunately I would be very uncomfortable with the pair of them walking me down the aisle.

Also, it really appeals to me to walk in with Mr. Beagle. It feels mature and practical. It also makes my heart fluttery. So how do I tell my dad that without hurting his feelings? I just can't seem to do it.

The Wedding Suit, Part 2

2011-06-21T07:00:00.001-05:00

Early Sunday morning our alarm went off. Grudgingly we both got up and hit the road. After a four-hour drive, we arrived at the Minneapolis outlets, which are in a western suburb.

We immediately went straight to the Calvin Klein outlet. As they rang up our return, we prayed that it would go through. Since technically it was before 4 p.m., we were within their return policy. But if they didn't take time into account, the return might not go through. We also prayed that they didn't notice a few of the tags had been removed* and then stealthily reattached.** But lucky for us they didn't notice and the return was processed. We bolted out of there just in case they changed their mind.

We checked out a few stores nearby, but I was anxious to get to Macy's because it seemed like the store with the most potential. So we headed down to a mall in the southern suburbs. I was not pleased we weren't going to a closer one, but Mr. Beagle thought we'd have more luck at this one particular mall. I tried to keep my enthusiasm and hopeful energy up.

At Macy's I thrust two of grey suits at Mr. Beagle and sent him into the fitting room. Both fit the basic criteria (light grey, skinny lapels, slim fit, lightweight, double vent), but unfortunately neither fit his body. We tried two Men's Wearhouses to no avail. At one point we thought the second Men's Wearhouse would be able to get the perfect suit shipped to us, but no store in the U.S. ended up having it in stock. Disappointed we followed google maps to two locations that promised to sell suits — but neither existed.

This was a really low point. We were ready to give up. We got back on the expressway and started heading back home. I suggested stopping at Banana Republic on the way out of the Cities, but Mr. Beagle had had enough. As we approached the outlets where we started the day, I convinced him to stop and check out the Banana Republic outlet, which was on the other side of the street from the Calvin Klein outlet. It seemed unlikely they would have anything, but I thought we should be safe, rather than sorry.

We entered the store and started making our way toward the men's professional section. What was that up ahead? It couldn't be a light grey suit with skinny lapels, slim fit, and lightweight material? Oh my goodness it is! And it has double vents! Wait, do they have the right size? They do!

We rushed to the fitting room. This time I came in. I was too excited to wait for him to emerge from the fitting room. He put it on and it fit almost perfectly!

Suddenly we realized we had found a wedding suit for Mr. Beagle and our frustration melted away to be replaced with giddy love. We were getting married and Mr. Beagle had a wedding suit. Awww.

The suit was purchased. The next day we ended up tracking down the same jacket from a Wisconsin Banana Republic outlet that was slightly smaller and had it shipped. It fit slightly better than the one we bought in person. We took the suit to the tailor who approved of our choice and got to work with some very minor alterations.

When we got this suit back, I have to say that Mr. Beagle looked incredibly handsome. I can't wait to see him in the suit on our wedding day.

*Let this be a lesson not to remove labels until you are 100% sure you are going to keep a garment.
**My needle and thread had to come out.

An Angry Organ

2011-06-20T08:09:00.002-05:00

My skin is in full out revolt.

I finally went to see the dermatologist on Thursday regarding my back. The bright red pustules just keep coming and, as they dry up, leave scars. When I got there I told her my wedding was in a little more than two weeks. Then she berated me for not giving her two months to clear up my skin — she didn't seem to care that that was when the outbreak started and I was hoping it was a temporary flare up, nor that by the time I decided I needed professional intervention there wasn't an opening in any of the doctors' schedules to see me for a month.

She prescribed an antibiotic and a topic cream.

Three days after starting the antibiotic, I started noticing small red dots on my legs. By the evening a noticeable rash had spread to my forearms. Yesterday morning the rash was very strong and all over my arms and legs. I went to the pharmacy and they told me I definitely needed to stop taking the medication and add another antibiotic to the list of allergens. By evening the rash had started to itch.

I'll call the dermatologist first thing this morning and see what she says.

All this and two new pustules showed up last night with no sign of slowing down. Ugh. I am really starting to regret choosing a dress that shows so much of my back.

UPDATE: The doctor wants to put me on a new medication but there's a really big risk of sunburn. Oh yeah...my whole wedding is outside, weather permitting. Do I start a new medication with less than two weeks to go and risk sunburn or throw in the towel and just stick with the cream she gave me?

The Bachelorette Getup

2011-06-16T13:58:00.001-05:00

So a few days ago my mom spilled the beans on the secret afternoon outing my best woman, Louis Lane, had planned. Bluntly in an email she told me, "afternoon tea at The Drake Hotel." I responded, "well there goes the element of surprise."

But the lemon has been turned into lemonade. I have been lusting after a particular fascinator on Etsy for far too long, but had no excuse to buy it. But what could be a better excuse than high tea during my bachelorette party!

hat by Hats By Cressida

So I swooped in and bought it. It's being sent to a friend in Chicago just in case it doesn't quite make it to Fargo in time.

And yesterday I also bought a dress for hitting the town in the evening. We will be going to Second City and then out to a few bars. I figured a sparkle dress would be appropriate.

Aidan Mattox Sequin Sheath Dress from Nordstrom

When I saw this show stopper I knew it was the one. I hope it fits!

A Detour to the ER

2011-06-15T11:53:00.000-05:00

If you didn't read on twitter last night, I sliced my finger pretty deep while cutting an avocado. Had to take myself to the ER because it was so deep and I couldn't stop the bleeding. Plus I felt like I was going to faint or vomit.

They saw me super quickly (another advantage to a small city I guess) and gave me liquid stitches and a splint.

Typing is a little tough, so I might be away from the blog for a few days.

Last Minute Decor Doubts

2011-06-14T07:00:00.000-05:00

It is barely less than three weeks until our wedding and I'm having a small freakout of doubt about reception decor. You can see our reception venue here. I thought it looked so beautiful already that I did not plan for ANY decor. But suddenly I'm having doubt.

Suddenly I feel like it won't look "festive" enough. Like maybe we need a little "something" to punch it up.

Am I crazy? Or is this a concern I should address if I have a little extra time? And if so, anyone have any suggestions for super cheap, super easy festive decor I can make?

And on a related note, do I need a card box? And if I don't, where the heck do I put the cards? My mom said my dad can hang onto them, but I don't want my dad to feel forced babysitting a stack of cards.

The Wedding Suit, Part 1

2011-06-07T13:22:00.000-05:00

After enough pleading, I finally relented and agreed that Mr. Beagle could buy a new suit for the wedding. This would be a third another grey suit to add to his collection, which already contained two grey suits.

But this suit would be very light grey, have skinny lapels, lightweight fabric, and have a slim fit.

He bought a suit back at the end of April, right before my wedding shower. He got it from the Calvin Klein outlet in one of the Chicago suburbs, and I was not present.

When we both had finally returned back to Fargo, he tried it on for me. It did not fit. It was wonky in a few places, but it didn't look horrible to me. The worst part was that he got a center back vent instead of double vents. Mr. Beagle has a butt, and that booty needs double vents. I prayed the tailor would be able to work some magic to make this suit fit.

Two Saturdays ago we went to see the tailor at Men's Wearhouse. Mr. Beagle's new suit was immediately pronounced too small. The tailor explained we would be so much better off buying a suit a size larger and making minor alterations than getting a too small suit tailored to fit. Tailoring the too small suit would mean taking it almost totally apart. And that meant lots of money.

We headed home a bit discouraged but ready to research some new options. That was when we realized that the Calvin Klein outlet allowed 30 day returns, and the following day was day 30. The closest Calvin Klein outlet was in Minneapolis.

So we made a list of possible stores in the Minneapolis area that we could try after returning the suit, and went to bed early with the intention of getting up early to drive to the cities to return the bad suit...

A Month

2011-06-03T07:00:00.000-05:00

In exactly a month I will be getting married. Mr. Beagle and I are going to wed on July 3.

The days are ticking off faster than we expected. The home stretch is flying by. Sure check marks are appearing on the to do list, but of course new line items are appearing on it as well.

You may have noticed posting slow down. I really didn't want that to be the case, but it is what it is. I hope to keep writing a little in the next month, but I'm sure it'll become quite infrequent.

Thank you all for your support, encourage, and suggestions. My blogging community means more to me than you will ever know. I seriously wish I could invite all of you to the wedding!