Are You Ready to Rumble?

Sorry, I wish it had a cool video to play along, but I couldn't find one.  Anyway, my brother used to always play this song as he was getting ready for basketball games and I always associated it with preparing for something big, something exciting.  So, as I got ready to write this post, this is the first song that popped into my head and thus, the title was born. Can you imagine me playing this song on the morning of the wedding, jumping on the bed as everyone else in the room is getting ready? :)

Today is my last day as Miss Lace.  Tonight, I'll be sitting in a very nice Orange County hotel with full amenities, but I can't help but wish I lived a bit closer to a venue so I could spend my last night as Miss Lace in my white wooden bed that Mr. Lace helped me build, see my white wooden desk with my Harry Potter collection sitting on the corner, surrounded by my many photographs of family and friends, look through my bookcases of books (which, when I told Mr. Lace we'd have to move, he said, "why? Haven't you read all those books already?") and use my plush throw from Restoration Hardware one last time. I know what you're thinking, "you can still bring all your stuff over to your new house with Mr. Lace."  It's true, but it'll be different.  Something about this change creates a bit of dissonance within me.  On the one hand, I am so excited to start my life and home with Mr. Lace, but on the other hand, I'm a little sad to be leaving my home for so many years behind.  It's a big change and my feelings are bittersweet.

I'm a ball of emotion. Everything that I've been doing this week has been filled with emotion. I felt giddy as I went to pick up my wedding dress.  I thought to myself, "this is my last Thursday as a single lady."  I felt nervous excitement even as I drove from one wedding errand to another. I'm excited to get all gussied up with my girls. I'm nervous about seeing Mr. Lace for the first time. I'm ready to see all of our planning through.  I'm worried about how things will go even though every single bride I've talked to said to just let it go and roll with the punches (though they speak from wisdom and experience, it's hard to adopt that mindset from this side of the wedding).  My vows are done, all my luggage is ready to go and I'm ready to do this!

You know how people write wedding vows to say during the ceremony? Well, we should call those marriage vows.  We should write vows about the actual wedding. Here are mine:

Tomorrow, I promise to smile when Uncle Lee is red in the face from drinking too much beer and talking at supersonic levels. I promise that I won't grimace if my bouquet doesn't turn out exactly the way I want. I promise that I will sit down and eat dinner...all of it.  I promise to not be a bridezilla.  I promise to look the other way when Aunt Marge takes a little icing off the cake thinking no one is watching. I promise to answer gracefully instead of rolling my eyes when our relatives suggest anything about having children.  I promise to have fun. I promise to enjoy Mr. Lace, myself and our big day.

I feel like a kid (umm..or a young at heart adult :)) the night before a trip to Disneyland!  My heart is racing with excitement now as I get ready to start the wedding festivities.  Today I'm a Miss. Tomorrow I'll be a Mrs.! See you on the other side, Hive!

Find Your Soundtrack

No, not for your wedding, not for your first dance or grand entrance. Find your soundtrack. Make your playlist.  Find some music that calms and soothes you because you're going to need it.

I told you previously that I wasn't stressed. I had worked so hard so that there'd be very little left to do during this last week of the wedding.  I had maybe 5 things I needed to do this week - two meetings, write vows, pack for the honeymoon and get a manicure and pedicure.  Since yesterday, five more things have popped up, all pressing and needing to be done NOW.  So, today I worked on getting those 5 things done and now I still have my original five things to do and one less day to do them.  

I tried my best to not be outwardly annoyed. I vented to some of my BM's and then turned on my soundtrack.  Luckily, I randomly created this playlist a long time ago to play while I write and journal.  It's entitled, "Mellow Out Miss Lace."  I turned this on as I prepared to do some packing and write vows (not at the same time of course) and I instantly felt my shoulders unbury themselves from my ears.  Ahhhh...music. So soothing and healing to the soul!

What's on my playlist? We have some Coldplay, a lot of Jack Johnson, Lifehouse, John Mayer, Lauryn Hill, Snow Patrol and many many more. My favorites on here are "Tell Him" by Lauryn Hill, " "Monsoon" by Jack Johnson, "Amber" by 311, "Such Great Heights" by Iron and Wine and "Let Go" by Frou Frou (to pump me up, but in a mellow manner). 

Up next? A nice hot shower to relax my shoulders and then time to buckle down!

What's on your playlist?

I'm So Excited...I'm So Scared!

Any Saved By the Bell Fans here? Remember when Jesse Spano was taking caffeine pills because she was so stressed and how so much to do?  Then at the end, she pretty much flipped out and sang, "I'm so excited! I'm so excited! I'm so scared!"  I'm not flipping out, but I do understand the mix of feelings she had!

Last night, as I was lying in bed reflecting upon the day, I felt weird.  Happy yet nervous. Excited yet scared.  I couldn't feel TRULY happy and excited because it was mingled with a ton of other emotions.  I think a lot of people only emphasize the stress that brides feel the week of their wedding, maybe some of the giddy excitement of getting married too, but the main picture is of a frazzled bride who has more things to do than is humanly possible in the week leading up the the wedding. 

While I do feel a bit of stress (writing vows, last minute family requests, last minute additions from out of nowhere, changes to the schedule, etc.), Mr. Lace and I are in pretty good shape.  But the other emotions I'm feeling are much stronger. Maybe you can relate (or you will when you get closer to the wedding).

1. Happy - like overjoyed happy whenever I see Mr. Lace because in a few short days we'll begin a new chapter in our lives together AND we're going to Disneyworld!  Many of our family and friends are beginning to come into town and I'm happy seeing and spending time with them.  Oh and happy that the wedding day is almost here and I can finally put down my scissors and glue. 

2. Nervous - I don't really like having a ton of attention on me.  I won't faint or keel over (knock on wood), but I will be all awkward and not know how to receive the attention.  A nervous smile? Fidgeting with my hands? My mean looking resting face? I'm nervous about making such a huge commitment (no, not scared, just nervous).  

3. Worried - No, not about how the wedding will go. I'm worried about having enough energy to say hi to everyone and spend the entire day smiling (will my cheeks hurt?). I've become an introvert as I've gotten older and although I love spending time with people, I get tired more easily with people, namely large groups.  I do better in small groups and I always enjoy retreating back home to have some time for myself.   I'm worried though because I don't want to come across tired or unhappy to see my guests. When else will I have all my closest family and friends in one room?

I'm whirring with emotions, but it usually mainly goes back to a light-headed excitement as I get ready to marry Mr. Lace!  How have you been feeling in the wedding planning process?

Why Is It...

Why is it that 12 days out from my wedding....

-family tragedies and woes occur?
-I get the hiccups randomly throughout the day?
-I keep walking into things and become covered in bruises?
-I break out?
-I am getting tension headaches (okay, I guess I know the answer to this one)?


This is a tough case of Murphy's Law! Let me count the ways!

1. My grandpa went into the hospital last week and two days later, passed away.  His funeral will be the weekend before my wedding.  Unfortunately, because of Chinese traditions, I'm not supposed to attend his funeral because it's so close to my wedding. Instead, I'm supposed to wait 100 days after my wedding to make a visit to Northern California to pay my respects.  My Dad's entire side who will have to travel from Northern California to the wedding is in a planning frenzy as they prepare for the funeral.

2. I haven't gotten hiccups in months, maybe even years!  However, I came down with a bad case of hiccups...you know, the really loud ones that make your entire abdomen and head move? The kind that make you feel like you might yak? Well, after an hour or so, they went away, but then came back 4 or 5 times throughout the day.  Right when I was least expecting it, they'd return!  It's been like that for a few days now!  I'm hoping they go away in time for the wedding so I don't hiccup through my vows (I, Miss Lace, *hiccup* take you, Mr. Lace, *hiccup* to be *hiccup*...).

3.  I've been walking into beds, tables, chairs, etc. I don't know if I'm being extra uncareful or if my depth perception is off.  My legs are covered in bumps and bruises.  I burned my hand on my flat iron this morning.  And the other day, I was walking toward Starbucks and right before I got to the door, my shoe lost traction and I slipped and fell on my butt.  LUCKILY, there was a man sitting outside Starbucks to laugh at me and then ask if I was okay.

4. My skin has been in pretty good condition for the past few weeks thanks to drinking lots of water and eating less dairy.  But, today, two monsters appeared. They're looming under the surface, just waiting for my wedding day to roll around!

5. The tension headaches can be expected I guess.  I've been immersed in wedding details, emails and finishing last minute stuff, but then came my grandfather's passing and Mr. Lace going out of town twice this week and I realized that I'd have to do a lot of these details on my own.  So far my old friends Tylenol and Excedrin have NOT been helpful.

I know that life can be unpredictable, but I was hoping that we wouldn't have so many extra things to deal with before the wedding!  Do you have any pre-wedding surprises or unanticipated issues?

RSVP's Make Me Smile

RSVP's can be a source of stress as many of the other bees have shared.  On the one hand, you have your best friend who drove to your house as soon as she got her RSVP to give you her response and ask, "Am I the first person to RSVP?!"  to the one who holds onto the card for what seems like years.  When you ask them if they're coming they say, "Oh. Is RSVP card due already?" (Yes, it was due two months ago)  So I've compiled a list of reasons why the RSVP process sucks.

RSVP WOES

• the uninvited plus one 
• the one without a name
• the late one
• the one who doesn't mark their meal choice
• the very late one
• the yes, then no
• the no, then yes
• the very, very late one
• the one you have to tactfully call so that you don't end up in an hour long conversation (you have planning to do after all!)

But, I'm on the other side now.  I received my very last RSVP and it made me smile.  As I typed their response into my guest list spreadsheet, I felt a sense of relief. It's DONE. Everyone who is coming is on there. I know their names. I know their meal choice. I know the name of their unborn children. Okay, maybe not, but I know enough for the wedding.

So, if you are collecting RSVP's, take heart, there's light at the end of the tunnel!

What's your best or worst RSVP story?

The Finals

As I sit here, watching the Lakers/Celtics game, I am thinking about the anticipation as I followed the Lakers through the season, watching their hard work culminate in entering the NBA Finals.  Putting all rivalries aside, these two teams must have been so happy to make it to the finals and the days and hours leading up to each game must be so exciting.

So, why is it, when I'm in the final days leading up to the wedding, I am hardly excited? When people ask how many days it is before the wedding and I give them the countdown, a fresh wave of adrenaline and stress runs through my body.  I am super excited about getting married and going to Disneyworld, but no one prepares you for the stress level that comes with the final weeks leading up to the wedding!

Think about it.  All those things you thought, "oh, we can do that closer to the wedding. It's too early to start that." Or, all those times you half finished a project. Or, those times you put off a decision because you didn't feel like making it or felt indecisive.  Well, it all comes back and bites you in the butt.

My to-do list, though long, is no longer growing. I am very happy about that.  I have a finite number of things that I have left to do and I refuse to add any more to it.  It's already an ungodly amount of things to do in 18 days.

And the stress? Well, that I have very little control over, but I've been doing some things to help me through it.

1. I've been going to sleep at 10 p.m. every night.  On a good night, I'll sleep at 9 p.m. I LOVE sleeping, so this isn't difficult for me to do.

2. I've been making healthy indulgences so that my tummy is happy, but my butt will still fit into my dress.  5 M&M's while I work on the schedule, a small Jamba Juice as my midday snack, stopping off at my favorite shop after running wedding errands to look around.

3. Being productive.  When I need to accomplish something, I turn off other distractions.  No TV. I work faster and more accurately when I don't have distractions.  Well, obviously, now is not one of those times since the Finals are on. I guess you have to make exceptions once in awhile.

Where are you in your planning process? Any tips for brides who are fast approaching their wedding day?

With a few weeks left until the wedding, I was still crazy enough to tackle a DIY project.  I didn't want to have a traditional guest book because I knew that I, personally, would never look at that again.  I either want something sentimental, something that can be displayed or something that's useful.  There are tons of good ideas, but I really liked the idea of the address book box and what better time to start one than when all your closest friends and family are gathered in one place?

On kraft paper, I printed the alphabet using our wedding stationery font and then used my handy dandy 1" circle punch and punched them all out. 

I made cards to put basic information on and put different wingdings at the top.

I cut cardstock to the size of the box and attached the letters.

Then I stuck it all in the box.

This had to be my easiest DIY project for the wedding because it used very few materials and very little time! So, I plan to have the three types of cards out on the table. Guests will use pen to fill out the info and then file it by last name in the box.  I won't be super anal about how they're filed because knowing me, I'll go through it after the wedding to alphabetize by first and last name.  Yes, I am aware that I make life more difficult for myself. :)

What was your easiest DIY?