Running from the Law

Friday, September 4, 2009

Things I Love…This Week

I’ve seen a number of blogs do a weekly feature of their “Favorite Finds” from around the World Wide Web. I’m not going to promise I’ll get around to doing this every week, but I thought it might be fun to take a shot at it. Yes, some of this is wedding-related – forgive me!! My Google Reader is still full of about a million wedding blogs, that’s my excuse. And yes, I know my wedding is over, I’m a bit in denial and dealing with the withdrawal symptoms, but I’ll get there eventually. Here are 10 things I’m loving this week…

1. Sarah Seven --

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5978864

I know Sarah Seven is not really new to the “favorite finds” feature. She’s a favorite of nearly every woman in the world. I’m desperately trying to come up with a good enough reason to order one of these dresses – they are amazing! How could I possibly get myself invited to some incredible red carpet event or dinner with the President so I can wear one of these? I love the ruffles, the softness and the delicacy of her dresses. Consider me smitten.

2. Cakewrecks -- http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/

If you haven’t checked out this blog, you are missing out on some of the funniest stuff out there. I have a hard time keeping myself from belly laughing and rolling on the floor when I read some of these entries. It is amazing that these are REAL cakes – people ordered them, people had to eat them. Please check out this blog – and let the hilarity ensue. These are some of my favorite “pregnancy and baby” cake disasters, but you MUST go to the blog and read the commentary that goes along with each wreck of a cake. I’m laughing just thinking about these.

3. Custom Wedding Dress Sketch by Megan Hamilton -- http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7155558

Megan Hamilton, a fashion design graduate of Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia, PA, took her degree to work in New York City and spent many years designing for companies like Macy's and David's Bridal using her illustration skills to sketch new wedding gown designs. With a photo of your dress (add a fabric swatch for extra oomph), Megan will create a design-style sketch and send it in a sleek black folder. I think these would be a fantastic gift for yourself or any of your bride friends. Designs could be just the wedding gown, gown and tux/suit combo, or gown with the bridesmaid dresses. This is a fantastic way to preserve the memories of your special day in a one-of-a-kind custom-made piece of art. P.S. I’ve already ordered mine. :) I'll post pictures when I get it in!

4. Monique Lhuillier’s Racetrack Photoshoot -- http://junebugweddings.com/fashion-report/monique-lhuillier-wedding-dresses.aspx

Ummm…amazing. Enough said.

5. Big Bold Jewelry -- http://www.jcrew.com/ and http://www.anthropologie.com/

I’m loving the new trend over at J. Crew and Anthropologie of big bold flashy jewelry. I’m a conservative dresser, but I have no problem at all wearing big loud jewelry. The shinier, chunkier, flashier, more colorful, the better. Here are some of my favorites.

6. Kate Spade in St. Louis -- http://www.katespade.com/

It’s no secret to anyone that knows me that Kate Spade and I have been having a torrid love affair for years now. She is one of my all-time favorite designers. I am obsessed with her handbags (I probably own around 20 of them), I give her stuff as gifts all the time, I wore her shoes at my wedding, and even my china pattern is Kate Spade. A few weeks ago she launched a new ready-to-wear clothing line that I’m dying to try! And now, she goes and opens a store in my hometown…a mere couple miles from my house…that I have to drive by every day twice on my way to and from work. Damn you Kate! My pocketbook (Kate Spade, of course) may never recover…

7. Snippet & Ink -- http://snippetandink.blogspot.com/

I’m not just saying this because our wedding was recently featured on this amazing site, but Snippet & Ink is just about the coolest wedding website out there. Kathryn has impeccable taste, an eye for details and a color-sensory palette that is unrivaled. Her inspiration boards can be found on nearly every wedding website in the world and have probably inspired more brides than anyone other than Martha Stewart herself. Here are some of my favorites:

8. The Twilight Saga -- http://www.thetwilightsaga.com/

Seriously, who doesn’t love dramatic teenage love stories about vampires and werewolves. I am slightly embarrassed to admit that how truly addicted I am to these books. I'm currently reading book 3 and can't get through it fast enough! No, they’re not well written. No, they’re not even all that good. Yes, they are horribly cheesy. And really…how in love could you possibly be at 16? Come on! But I still LOVE love LOVE them.

9. Project Runway, Season 6 -- http://www.mylifetime.com/on-tv/shows/project-runway

The new season of Project Runway is now in full swing. With 3 people eliminated already and twelve more to go, I’m really enjoying this season. I will admit that I don’t think it’s as good as the previous seasons (which might have something to do with it now being on Lifetime as opposed to Bravo), but it’s still so much fun to watch them struggle week after week and then be so surprised by the amazing pieces they come up with. I think this season has some really strong female designers (I like Shirin, Althea, Carol Hannah) and I’m hoping for another Leanne or Laura this year. Plus, the guest judges have been awesome – Monique Lhuillier and Max Axria are 2 of my all time favorites. Celebrity judges have included Rachel Bilson, Lindsey Lohan and Rebecca Romijn. Plus, an extra bonus of “Models of the Runway” is on right after PR, which follows the lives (and drama) of the models competing for the chance to be paired with the winning designer. So far I’ve been very disappointed with it – it’s so boring, nothing’s happening. Kind of like America’s Next Top Model without any of the crying, cat fights, conniving, back-stabbing (you know, all the good stuff). Maybe it’ll heat up next week.

10. Zebra Print -- http://www.instyle.com/

I have been seeing zebra print everywhere lately. And I love it! I’m seeing it in accessories (handbags, scarves, shoes), in decorating (pillows, prints, towels), and on celebrities (Katy Perry and Nicole Richie). I have got to figure out a way to incorporate a little zebra into my life.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Project Honeymoon

Going on a honeymoon has been something I’ve been thinking about and looking forward to for a

while – as I’m sure most brides and grooms do. It’s your first big trip together as husband and wife. It’s a nice way to relax and decompress after the chaos of planning (and going through with) a wedding. Just the idea of lying on a tropical beach for days makes it a little easier to deal with whiny wedding guests, unresponsive vendors, dress disasters and seating charts. I loved the idea of hopping on a plane the day after the wedding, leaving all the clean-up and work to someone else, and vegging out in a hammock sipping some fruity frozen boat drink.

However, in reality, it doesn’t always work like that. For us, taking a honeymoon right after the wedding was not an option. I just started a new job in the middle of December and have to “earn” my vacation days each month for my first year - I accumulate 2 days a month. Our wedding was in July, which meant that I had earned approximately 14 days. Then subtract the days I had already taken for sick days (2) and trips to Chicago (1), Jackson Hole (1), and Florida twice (4). That left me with six days. Since we were having a destination wedding in the mountains and we had a LOT of things to do before the wedding out there, it would require arriving a couple days early to get everything set up. There goes 4 days. And since we were already going to be in Jackson Hole (and it is one of our favorite places in the world) we decided to stay a few extra days there together to unwind after the wedding before returning to work (a mini-moon if you will). No more days.

So, we decided to postpone our honeymoon for a few months and take it over the holidays.

We knew we wanted to do something exotic (and far away), which would probably require 2+ weeks, so if we split my time off over the end of 2009 and the beginning of 2010, I could use my remaining days of 2009 and then I would be in my second year of work and would receive all my days off at the beginning of the year (as opposed to earning them), so I could use them right away. It took some creative planning, but I think it’ll work! Plus, this would give some extra time to save up moolah for a bigger, better, beachier honeymoon. Christmas on the beach...bring it on!

With a time frame picked, we just had to decide on a destination. A while ago I posted on possible honeymoon locations – since we knew we would have around 2+ weeks, we wanted something exotic and romantic and warm, which in December/January meant going south. Anywhere far away with a beautiful beach and great snorkeling would be fine with us. We discussed Tahiti, New Zealand, Fiji, Chile, South Africa, Costa Rica, Australia, and Bora Bora. All amazing options! We had a lot of trouble narrowing down the decision, but we ultimately picked Fiji. Next step = booking it.

Here’s where we hit a snag. Apparently, it is impossible to go to the South Pacific for 2+ weeks over the holidays (peak season) for less than a couple million dollars (ok, not that much, but a whole freaking lot). We had a budget and it was impossible to even get close to it unless we cut our trip short and only stayed about 4 days. We didn’t want to go all that way just for a few days – hell, it takes 2 whole days just to get there! We didn’t have enough miles or points to get us a deal to somewhere that far away. We didn’t want to stay in a dump of a hotel, but we didn’t want to spend a million dollars. So, we had to rethink our strategy.

I proposed that we split the trip up into two separate trips: one week over the holidays somewhere warm (like we’d planned), but much closer to home (i.e. Caribbean) and one week in the summer/spring to Europe (Italy, Greece or Ireland). Two amazing trips instead of one! Ryan liked the idea, so we agreed to look into it. First up, the Caribbean. I’ve never really been to the Caribbean, so I really didn’t know anything about the different areas, islands or resorts. All I knew was that we wanted somewhere with great snorkeling/scuba, other activities (kayaking, hiking, etc.) and privacy. We split our budget in half and contacted the travel agent again, to see what options we had…which apparently, were not many.

Again we were thwarted by the time of year and the tropical destination. Flights were outrageous, hotels were limited, islands were completely booked…or so we were told. I was starting to get the feeling that this whole honeymoon trip was a bad idea. Nothing was going our way. I also got a sneaking suspicion that maybe we weren’t getting the full picture of what’s going on and available from a travel agent. I remember hearing that they make their money by booking certain “participating” hotels and those are the only ones they offer their clients. Surely there were a million other options, right? I really like our agent, but I was positive I could find a better deal myself.

So, the research began. I contacted a number of friends that vacation down there a lot and we picked out four places that we were really interested in: St. John, St. Lucia, Costa Rica and Belize – two islands and two countries. I would have been absolutely thrilled with any of these options, so then we started comparing prices. Right away, St. Lucia was crossed off the list. It had all of the things we wanted (beach plus gorgeous vegetation for hiking) but was incredibly expensive. The other three places had more of a variety of resorts/hotels at better price points. So we were down to three.

Next came flights. Now that we weren’t going to the South Pacific, there was a chance that I could use my frequent flier miles to get us to the Caribbean for free. That way we could use our entire budget on staying at a nice resort and eating amazing food. Between Ryan and I, we were able to come up with just enough miles to get us round trip tickets to the Caribbean, as long as we travelled on the “cheaper” days and around the black-out schedule. I tried every single imaginable combination of flights for all three places (as well as about 10 others, just in case) and the only place that was a possibility on the right dates was Belize. Done! I contacted around 15 hotels and resorts for pricing, which was expensive, but since we got free flights, was doable. We decided to stay on Ambergris Caye (an island off the coast) in our own private casita (beachfront hut) at a gorgeous resort. How exciting!

A little background on Belize --- Belize is a democratic, English speaking nation, once known as British Honduras, bordered by Mexico and Guatamala. The weather is mild, the beaches are beautiful, and the history is rich. Belize is a land of swaying palm trees and colorful sunsets. Ambergris Caye (where we’re staying) is the largest island in Belize, and San Pedro is the only town on the island. Ambergris Caye has been the hub of Belizean area maritime trade for centuries. Fishing, coconuts, and chicle were historic means of islanders support, but the last thirty years have led to a large growth in both the Belize dive and scuba trade, and ecotourism.

From the beautiful azure waters of the Caribbean, to the Maya Mountains and the Pine Ridge, Belize has an adventure for everyone. Spectacular caves, winding waterfalls, virgin tropical rainforest, and hundreds of limestone caves make for exciting vistas. Belize is home to many ancient Maya ruins and temples that will entice you to learn more of their history. Zip lining through the forest, cave tubing through Maya caves, scuba diving and snorkeling the Belize Barrier Reef, sailing the cayes, parasailing, or just hiking through the jungle; there are so many wonderful, unforgettable journey waiting in Belize.

Belize also has the amazing Belize coral reef system, the second largest in the world and this hemisphere's longest, running offshore, and many cayes (islands of coral sand) are surrounded by astounding reefs to snorkel or scuba dive. The reef lies one-half mile east of the Ambergris Caye shoreline and runs the entire 25 mile length of the island. This has made San Pedro Town the dive and water sports capital of Belize and Central America. The Great Blue Hole, Turneffe Islands, Shark Ray Alley, Hol Chan Marine Reserve, Mexico Rocks, Lighthouse Reef, and many other diving areas are all only a short boat ride away from this coconut palm lined island.

Does this not sound perfect for us, or what! Honestly, the only real drawback about Belize is that it supposedly has the best bonefish fly-fishing in the world. Not necessarily a bad thing, but it means I might not see much of my husband on our honeymoon! I’m going to have a hard time prying the fishing reel out of Ryan’s hands! Wish me luck.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Hot off the Press!!

I'm so thrilled to announce that our wedding has been getting quite a bit of press lately! I had no idea that one of the many perks of having an amazing photographer is being published and feeling like a celebrity bride! Carrie's pictures are just beautiful - seriously, I can't stop looking at them! And it's been so much fun being able to share our day with other brides. Not only have the pictures been featured on incredibly inspirational blogs like Snippet & Ink, LuckyMe and With This Ring, but I've been asked to be a guest blogger on Elizabeth Anne Designs and do a 5-10 post "Recap" of the wedding! I'm absolutely thrilled and honored to be a part of all of this. And I'm so humbled and flattered by all of the kind words said about our wedding (and the little details and all my DIY projects). It feels really great to know that all the time I spent on so many little details did not go unnoticed. Ok, maybe I should stop now before I start crying!

Of course, I will let you all know when I get my stuff together enough to actually write the wedding recaps for EAD -- I really need to get started on that before I forget all the little details! All the posts will be published within a one week time frame, so I'll let you know when it'll be once I get everything submitted. I have full control over the topics, so let me know if there's something you'd like to read about!

In the meantime, I guess since the wedding is over, it's time to get back to reality. I'm hoping to start running again with some consistency. And I'd like to get some more work done around the house -- all the decorating and home projects have been put on hold for a while and it's about time to get back to it. Hopefully I'll be able to post on here a little more about our day-to-day lives and our adventures as newlyweds. Until then, I'll leave you with a few more amazing photos of the big day...