Rooms and Hair

Hey ladies,

So there are two things on the docket today: rooms and hair.

Rooms
Gavin and I have blocked out sixty rooms in three of Fort Dodge's hotels.  We will likely have any out of town wedding wedding party staying at the AmericInn, just across the highway from the Opera House.  We would like to start figuring out room combinations (who is planning on staying with whom), so that we could possibly reserve specific rooms for the wedding party.  I know that some of you will be staying at home, with dates/husbands or will want to stay with specific people.  Please talk amongst yourselves and start figuring on a plan.  I know that it seems early, but there is a baseball tournament in Fort Dodge the same weekend as the wedding -how inconsiderate of them, I know -and we'd like to fit things into place earlier rather than later.

Hair
So, my mom is going to chat with my beautician from Sheldon and see if she would be willing to come to Fort Dodge to do hair.  She knows my head so well, and she is probably the sweetest beautician on the planet.  My mom and I were wondering how many of us are planning on having our hair done professionally and how many people were planning on doing their own hair.  I'm fine with either.  I'd just like to see what do you're thinking of before the morning of the big day.  You can post ideas here or e-mail me directly.
I'm really excited.  I know that it seems like the wedding is really far away, but the next six months are going to fly by, and the sooner I have things in order, the better.  As I told Gavin this morning, I really want to sleep the week before the wedding.

Thanks for all of your help!

P.S. My hair will be very simple, but it will be "up".  I'm not looking for crazy updo's, or elaborate curls.  Have fun with your ideas though.

Hey Attendants!

I am getting antsy about settling on dresses and ordering them.  I guess I'm thinking that if we get that done in the next few months -by January -we can be sure that we find dresses you like, likely at better prices than the dresses we'd find in-season.  We decided upon blue, cocktail length, not strapless.  I'll post the dresses from Mod Cloth that Kim and Emma (and Becky) approved in July. At least one of them is still online.

No Toes

Shoes!  Glorious shoes.  It has come to my attention that in beginning to think about sewing dresses, we also need to be thinking about shoes.  My mother brought this up with a couple of my bridesmaids, so she does not cut any fabric too short.  Immediately, the question was tossed my way: What kind of shoes are we wearing?!  The following is a description of my vision although it still remains pretty vague.

I would prefer black shoes.  I do not have a height requirement of any kind.  If one is worried about being in heels all day, please wear flats.  If one is vertically challenged and feels the need for a lift, hit the heels.  My only great concern is the amount of toe showing.  I'd prefer a closed toe shoe, however, I would never say no to a peep toe.  My reasoning is this:  I do not want to have to dictate what color toe nail polish everyone must wear, that's just silly.  As this is also a semi formal event, I really don't want to see more foot than shoe.  Finally, let's face it, none of us are extremely tan.  A stark white foot underneath a beautiful, black bridesmaid dress will be rather distracting.  

I think that exhausts all kinds of shoe/foot logic.  I think my mom and I will have fabric sent out by October... I think.  I know that I'm anxious for everything to get rolling.  

Light sabers, anyone?

As long as I am in the posting mood... I thought I would share and get reactions to a little something I found a few weeks ago. It really does pay to go into the hardware and garden store with Lowell on a Sunday afternoon. While he was rummaging for some nuts or bolts or sour cherry balls, I was browsing the shelves near the checkout. Oddsbodkins! I saw what looked like a mini-light saber!

It is actually a little glow light, with an LED flashlight and whistle, all in one. I bought the blue one, but they are available in several different colors. In the photo above (yeah, my hand is not always steady with the camera in my phone, but you should get the idea) I have both the glow and the flashlight turned on, standing in a tall hurricane glass. I am thinking of the reception, and the possibility of somehow incorporating them into the table centerpieces... what do you all think? I might also add that if we were to go this route, I think I might consider taking off the whistle part, since it would only take two or three people discovering that capability to sort of spoil the party for the MOB.

And just to make clear, I believe firmly in the dignity and sacredness of the church ceremony, but as far as I am concerned, the reception is the party, so, let the Force be with us!!

~Karen

Good Things in All Sizes of Packages!

It has been a busy day for delivery people out here at the farm. Two very major and special receipts are the roll of black silk charmeuse for the bridesmaid dresses, and for Amalie's eyes only, a package from the UK! It looks very pretty, and I am so excited to work with it! I laid it out in your room, Amer, but I will have to pick it up and secret it away before your intended might happen across it!

But, back to the bridesmaids' fabric. I still need to get the lining fabric, and then we should be able to send out the measures of fabrics with the patterns. It may seem a bit early, in one sense, because it is still a little more than nine months away, but I want to make sure you all have time to make arrangements for a seamstress, or to let me know how much work I should plan on doing. I do have measurements from Marlena and Kylie, and I should start on muslin practices dresses for you in the near future. If anyone else wants to enlist my seamstress services, let me know! You don't have to post measurements here; you can e-mail that information to momappleton@gmail.com

I think I am having more fun than even the MOB should have!

~Karen

TUESDAY!!

YEA Random Tuesday!!  So, I don't have much time for a suggestion today, so I'm going to keep this a little short.  I need to catch a very large plane tomorrow morning. ;)

My suggestion today is more for Betsy.  And it's cupcakes for the wedding cake.

And now we wait to see when Betsy sees this.  (Please still pick me up from the airport!!)

Tuesday Randomness!! (Save the Dates)

Okay, so it isn't Tuesday.  But I have an excuse.  It involves electricity to run an internet router.  And by involves, I mean it lacks involvement.  :)

So this week's idea is about the save the date cards.  Some ways to do unique things with these would be to include little games on them.  You could do a crossword that hints at important parts of the wedding.  Goom's name, bride's name, month that comes before July, etc.  Or you could do a word-find.  It would be different from other save-the-dates, and could be whimsical.  Of course, for the party poopers on the invite list, you'd want to include all the necessary info on the back.  But you could make it tiny and force them to find magnifying glasses. ;)