summer's lease hath all too short a date

Oh, where has the summer gone!  I cannot believe that it is already mid-August. The other day, I was riding bikes with Tim and Andy and first noticed the leaves beginning to change. The days are a little shorter and it's much cooler after 5pm. I love summer and I'm trying to hold on for as long as possible.

This summer has been pretty indulgent. I took three classes at the local community college (if you need to take any prereqs for programs, the community college system is the absolute best!), so now my prereqs are done for school. Sociology, Abnormal Psychology, Anatomy and Physiology I and II, and Statistics. Done! Other than that, I've been relaxing, planning, and having fun with family and friends.

I'm excited for school, but also a little nervous. I start classes on September 8th and move to Pennsylvania on the 2nd. It will be sad to leave home again and start something new. I think it will be worth it, though--I pray it will be worth it!

On the wedding front, mostly everything is done. We have booked the photographer, florist, and DJ. I even chose my dress this week! I went with my mom and the second I tried it on, I knew that it was the one! On the whole, everything has gone pretty smoothly. My sister and I stuffed the Save the Dates last night and I'm very happy with those, as well. We got them from Wedding Paper Divas, where I'm thinking of getting our wedding invitations (they won't be the same as our Save the Dates). The only thing that is potentially stressful is our guest list. I would really like to have Tim and I know everyone there, instead of adding people that we have not met. Also, it's very easy to go way over budget when including all our friends, family, and guests. Right now, we are at about 150, which is where we'd like to keep it.

I'm listening to "The Villagers", which is actually one Irish musician. The album "Becoming a Jackal" is very good. Kind of moody, which will be good for fall.

photo from dianasdesserts.com.

summer

Having summers off is absolutely wonderful. I love how the days just blend together, and the only decisions to be made are which books to read and what time to get ice cream. Lovely.

I've been at Tim's for the past couple of days. Today we went for a ride by the cranberry bogs in Carver. Then we came home, ate lunch, went swimming, and fell asleep in the hammock. Before I knew it, it was time to go for drinks and dinner with Natalie. It was so nice to catch up and talk about the wedding. Overall, a very good day. Tomorrow is looking like it will be more of the same.

On the wedding front, the date, our Church, and reception site are confirmed. I won't list them here, due to privacy issues. If you'd like, you can email me about it. We've decided on navy and dark pink for the general color scheme. I would like to keep the wedding as local and independent as possible and we've been interested in hiring those recommended by family and friends. I'd like to add some personal touches to the wedding. Etsy, oncewed, and snippet and ink are great for inspiration.

I tried on some J. Crew dresses earlier this week. I will be going with J. Crew for the bridesmaids for a few reasons. My bridesmaids live in various areas of the country and I'd like to make it easier for them. J. Crew has various styles of dresses that are flattering for all body types and at various price points (they have discounts for teachers and grad students, too!). Below are some of the styles that I like:

I also tried on the below wedding dress, which looked terrible on me! It would need serious alterations, but I wasn't a huge fan of the shape or coloring:

For my dress, I'll be looking at independent boutiques in the southeastern Massachusetts area. I think that will be my best bet. I was surprised to find that I liked the strapless and "pouf" dresses!

We are looking for vendors. If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know!



Top photo by Stephanie Congdon Barnes, other photos from J.Crew and greenbride.wordpress.com.