Dress thoughts

So I have been contemplating on dresses again. After I got over the shock of seeing my recently widened hips in a dress that I normally could have fit into - I have a new resolve to be healthier. Starting today. Kind of started yesterday, but it was more of a lazy diet than actually trying.


I looked at some dresses online today from David's Bridal (on my Ipad, because I fried my laptop with sweet tea). I found some potentials, but I really, really do not want to get a dress from David's Bridal because of their snotty attitude and general unfriendliness. But I digress. I did find some new dresses that I want to take a look at and if it is necessary, I will purchase a dress from hateful people, but I won't force my bridesmaids to get their dresses there. I need an empire style dress - anything that fits over my hips is automatically a nightmare because of my booty. There are some ballgowns (without trains) that i like and if I go with an outdoor theme, would be easier to move around in.


The one dress that didn't invoke a complete and udder shudder (ha) when I tried it on was a Maggie Sotero. It is lovely. And heavy. Heavy. I was sweating and lightheaded when I finally got out of it. The train was a little long for an outdoor wedding, but might be able to have it altered if I decide on that one.


I may decide to forget about my dress for a while and focus on the bridesmaid dresses. That will be fun and super easy because they get to pick them out! bwahahaha. Now I only have to let them know who they are to start the dress selections!! I will be sending out invites once I figure out the wedding venue so I can give them as many details as possible. *Cheers!

Dresses. Pt. 1

I am already not a fan of dress shopping, five dresses in. One: it reminds me I need to lose weight. Two: these darn dresses are heavy. Three: currently I am stuck in a dress while my aunt runs around looking for more. Four: it leaves her plenty of time to try and convince me that my ideas aren't going to work for one reason or another.  Blah.

My ring arrives...

Well. Kinda. This ring is the ring I chose when we went to pick up the ring from The Getting Place.

Shawn called and told me it was in when I got off work at 4...but the lady leaves at 5 so we had to hurry. We got there and she pulls the ring out...hold your breath.

A diamond is still missing.  Go ahead.  Gasp if you want to, giggle, curse, smack your forehead. I did two of the four actions. You can guess which ones.

There was a ring in the display case that I liked so I asked to see it. It is a little loose but come on...I am not sending the old ring off again. Who knows when it will come back!  Nor am I sending this one off. 

I will take this one somewhere else to be sized...while I am standing there. Whew.

* for the record Shawn ok'ed the switch. The lady even admitted if it was already loose it would probably keep losing them.*

The ring saga...

My ring is Perfect for me. Perfect size, perfect cut, everything. Do I have it so you can see a picture? No. Why you might ask? Because we took it to be resized on August 7, 2011 and to have a diamond replaced. I haven't seen it since.

When we dropped it off on Sunday, we were told that it would take about a week to week and a half to get back. We reschedule pictures. So I told everyone it was being fixed and I would have it on Monday - Wednesday of the next week. Shawn calls on Monday. The getting place: "You sent it off last Monday? It should be back tomorrow or Wednesday at the latest." Cool.

He calls Tuesday; the getting place "Oh, I just sent it off today." I'm sorry what?!?!? He tells them we have already had to reschedule our engagement pictures twice because of this and now we would have to do it again. The getting place, "I will have him put a rush on it. Now we were just replacing a diamond correct?" ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! No, he explains, we needed it resized too. The getting place, "Oh, she didn't write that down." Yes-yes she did. I saw her write it down. It's on our copy of the receipt. She must have used disappearing ink on their copy. Got that figured out. Apparently, "she" was on vacation for a couple of days and the other lady either wasn't authorized or didn't send the ring off. GRRRRR. We reschedule pictures again.

We hear nothing the rest of the week. Shawn calls Monday morning (the 22nd), and UPS has not run yet, so there is no ring. Call back tomorrow when the lead person is in. He calls later Monday to confirm no ring. No ring. Call tomorrow. It better be perfect when it finally gets back. P-E-R-F-E-C-T. Or they will eat it.

Tuesday - called for an update. No ring, no mail. Call the repair guy and see what is going on. Call me back. She calls back. "He overnighted it, but the mail hasn't run yet so I don't know if it is going to be here today or not." --Should we reschedule pictures again or wait until ring is on finger?" Either way, we have to reschedule the rescheduled picture session because Shawn has to work the newest scheduled day. Shoot me.

Hopefully, I will have a picture of the PERFECT ring on my finger to post very soon. Along with some Olan Mills engagement pictures that Shawn booked before he even asked me. I love this man.

How it happened...

Oh this poor man.

We had gone to visit my sister in Michigan. Shawn has never been to a beach so I thought his innocent request to walk on the beach (Lake MI) at sunset was just that. An innocent request.

At about 9:30-ish, after I had pulled out fingernail polish to paint my sister's nails, after questioning glances, I looked at Shawn and said, "So I guess we aren't going to the beach?" "We can if you want to." (Poor man) I threw on a little summer dress and some flip flops, he put some shorts, t-shirt and flip flops on and we headed out.

Earlier in the day, my bro-in-law had shown us some places we could park in order to make it out to the pier (Note: We went during Coast Guard week. You never know how busy it will be.) without having to hike from the apartment. We parked in the YMCA parking lot after a failed attempt to park right beside the pier. Stupid campground and it's permit rules. As we are pulling into the Y's parking lot, there is a sign stating that we have to be out by 11:00 pm. I read it to Shawn, and I got "Well, it's only ten o'clock," in return. Ok, let's go!

We start walking, weather is mild, people are milling around, kids are being noisy kids and we are enjoying the THUNDERSTORM brewing nearby. (For those of you that know me, you know my history with lightening) There is a brief discussion, some nervous glances at the clouds, and a consensus that the storm is going in a different direction. Walking, walking, walking and the Feet-dragger-from-Grand-Haven starts following us. What a pet peeve of mine...or anyone's after the person follows you dragging their flip flops through the gritty sand for longer than 30 seconds. (drrrag, drrrrag, drrrag...) I am confident she was going to run us over, so we slowed down and let her pass. F-D-F-G-H eventually turns off, two sweaty teenagers run by and we are blissfully walking side-by-side once again. Wait! What is that? F-D-F-G-H is back? Great. She took a wrong turn to the bathroom. By this point, it's just funny so once she reaches her destination, we can laugh about it. And continue walking.

After a while, we reach the pier and realize there is no rails to keep us on said pier. We could trip and end up in Lake MI before we know what happened. We stay towards the middle. I'm clumsy. We pass a large group of kids jumping off the side of the pier into "really f@*&#(ing shallow water," according to one jumper. We have almost walked to the end of the pier when I spot a group of shady looking characters milling around the dark areas at the edge. I really don't want to go swimming in Lake MI or get accosted by strangers so I ask Shawn if we can stop "here" and go back. And thus begins our journey back.

Fast Forward

We reach the home stretch of the walk and my thighs are burning. Not from the exercise. From the forest fire that my tiny unshaven hairs are trying to start. OMGosh. Hurts so bad. "Ouch."Don't want to walk, but I must. "Ouch, I should have shaved my thighs better this morning, the five o'clock shadow is killing me." Can I make my dress into a shorts set? No. "Ouch." Crap. Keep walking. Waddle? So not attractive. Grimace. Frown. Shut up and bear it. "I SHOULD HAVE USED SUGAR SCRUB TO SHAVE!" "What's sugar scrub?" "YOU KNOW, SUGAR SCRUB. A SCRUB THAT'S MADE FROM SUGAR! IT EXFOLIATES YOUR LEGS SO YOU DON'T START FOREST FIRES WITH YOUR THIGHS!" "So it's not a razor?" "NO!"

We made it to the car. I am confident my legs are bleeding. They are not. Poor man.

The drive home is a little more uneventful. Little traffic, cool breeze, I'm not rubbing my thighs together so there is no friction, we laugh about the walk. Maybe we can do it another night and I'll wear shorts. We park next to the dumpster. I backed in so my door is next to the trash receptacle. We get out. He walks around to my side and hugs me. Tells me he loves me and wants to spend the rest of his life with me. I echo this. He pulls something out of his pocket. "What is that? Is that for me? Is that for me?" "Will You Marry Me?" "Yes! Of course!"

I can't believe he still asked me after that walk. I love him.