We interrupt this blog for a wedding recap.....

First of all, let me apologize for neglecting this humble blog. You see, life has been one mad whirlwind for so long now I'm not completely sure what day it is. Now, let's get to the good stuff, the long awaited wedding of Princess and the new Mr. Princess. I'm struggling here for a name as my son already stole the Prince title, so any suggestions are welcomed in this fairy tale! Anyway, let's try to start in the chaos of late. First off, let's say my dear son the Prince had to travel here in a serious blizzard over 2 days just to be here to help out. It also entailed him spending the night in his car in a truck stop in middle of nowhere Wyoming, so I can't begin to thank him for all the hard work he poured into the prep work in spite of no sleep for several days.Here is a miracle of large magnitude. The Princess and Prince doing mundane household chores, TOGETHER! No blood involved! Well, they did drop a brand new rose platter old Mom had shelled out a big $2 for at the thrift store, but hey--I can handle that. Notice however the chore was to hand wash and dry all the platters and vases. See how they expertly avoided the dirty food dishes piled in the sink and on the counter? Pretty crafty kids.

Here we have the Prince doing another "you want me to do what?" Mom project. See I bought monogram letters intending to cover in lovely paper and bits to display on the cake table. Instead I made the professional auto painter rattle can them over my compost pile in the wind the day before the wedding. Yeah, brilliant.

This dear friends is the new Mr. Princess, wearing his appropriate "groom to be button" his MIL made him wear. Sporting the air compressor hose he was using to clean some salvaged garage carpet for use under the aisle runner in the grass to prevent his future bride from injury in heels on the grass... Did I mention his normal job is for Stanley Steamer and cleaning carpets was not on his agenda for the day? Ha ha ha, evil MIL strikes again. Of course Prince was not thrilled at the flying dirt in his paint job...

What does one do with a large, bulky, ugly, rusting storage locker in the middle of the buffet area? Why slap cling stickers from the dollar store on it to cover rust and dents of course! Planned to paint but too cold and windy....
Here is what Prince Charming does after hearing his wife utter for the 5 millionth time "honey, can you assemble this and move it again?" On strike he was and the dogs were on his side.

Alrighty then, let the party begin! Rehearsal went ok except some of the wedding party was missing. Prince stepped in to be the best "person" Alicia, we were doing the best walk down the aisle ever. The pastor they chose however did not have a sense of humor. Boy was he sorry he said yes to this wedding! Here you see the happy couple, groomsman John, bridesmaid Lisa, and the groom's parents-Lisa and Jenny. Yes, that makes three Lisas, and we are all nurses! Scarey isn't it? See the miniature gazebo in the back corner, long story, you will see more later....

Here is Princess doing her favorite hobby, eating! Mighty good stew hit the spot as it was downright COLD!

This is the general state of my house since last July when this mess originally started. Piles of flower arrangements, confetti, bouquets, serveware, tablecloths, platters, you name it. This was only one small PILE, there were literally more EVERYWHERE!



Ok, so dinner was over, the gang decided we hadn't killed each other yet so we wanted a nice fire. Prince Charming is a pro at this, Prince usually wants to use some combustable liquid and isn't allowed to help....

Now the party is started! Let me just say, this old chick learned YEARS ago never do shots, and NEVER mix alcohol varieties. These guys learned the hard way.... They had more combo shots than I can list or count and all paid dearly later and the next day. No sympathy from dear old mom! Notice blankets, fire, down right cold, but we kept at it til 1am shivering.....

This was my living room at 3am the day of the wedding. Piles now spread over every inch of floor and stacked 3 deep. One box for each table/area for decorating the morning of the wedding. The black polka dot dress and bright pink flower were for Gidget, the flowerdog!

Up next, more wedding prep leading to the big ceremony.

Birthday review

Birthdays at our house are done according to the birthday owner's desires. Usually it involves an activity and a meal followed by the ultimate cake. Some want to go out, some want to stay in and we have done some WILD activities over the years. But hey, birthdays are special so we try to accommodate the eclectic mix we call family. Princess is as unpredictable as they come. We have done the Ultimate Rush ride (well, she and Prince as NO WAY Mom is being suspended from a million foot pole and fly thru the air in a harness and sling), the usual roller skating, arcades, game playing, always something different. This year Mom got lazy as I needed to do the trial run of the cheesecake for the wedding, and frankly after working and being sick all week I couldn't stand the thought of leaving home. So, without the normal foot stomping pout, she agreed and we had a lovely day of fun (can you say Wii Fit will kick your butt if you are not 19?), watching movies, and eating our hearts out.

Best Brussel Sprouts! Seriously even my best friend who HATES sprouts ate two helpings of these babies! And yes, Princess insisted on Brussel Sprouts for her dinner.

Orange Duck! Seriously, what kid asks for duck for their birthday dinner? Yeah, that would be mine. So, off to the experimental test lab, I mean kitchen. Not too shabby if I do say so myself.

And with a drum roll please...............

That's my girl, make a wish, and blow them all out!

Happy Birthday Princess! Excuse the lousy photo quality but I was determined to save the smoke wafting thru as a memento for her of what happens when you get "old" HA! Blow out 19 candles and suddenly the room is filled with the dreaded smoke haze as though you are really old like your mom!

Happy Birthday to my Princess! Not sure where the last 19 years flew off to, but I am so proud to have such a strong, intelligent, caring, adventurous, and wild child! No mother could ask for a better child to share her life with and I am lucky to be your Mom. My wish for you is a life of love, happiness, learning, and pure joy. My heart is full of joy for you and the beautiful young woman you have become and I know you will live each day with passion, determination, and no fear. Now, let's eat some white chocolate raspberry cheesecake shall we?

(Notice she is licking the cheesecake off the candles, yeah, nothing wasted around this place folks!)

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

I hope you all have a wonderful day and may the luck of the Irish be with you! My corned beef and cabbage is simmering, taters are scrubbed to throw in later, now to come up with a desert to top it off. Enjoy the day!

Productive weekend

Well, at least I have made some wedding progress, although not as much as I need to. This weekend I managed to:
1. Pick up both the wedding dress and my dress from the alterations lady. She did a terrific job with the bustle-made hand done beaded flowers to hide the buttons when the train is down. I still have to hold my breath, but is much better than it was prior to letting mine out about 3/4 of an inch which is all the material she had to work with.

2. Made a White Chocolate/Raspberry Cheesecake for the birthday party that was a hit-so now will make another for the wedding.

3. Completed bouquets for-myself, the maid of honor, the best person who is standing up with the groom, and the toss bouquet. Didn't want to risk throwing Princess's real one as she has decided on a long arm bouquet with only a few stems. They turned out pretty well. Threw together a couple of mixed centerpieces with the left over. Lots more to make.

4. Filled the tulle circles with the hot pink confetti. Used a mix of white/pink/brown circles but now wish had stuck to the brown. The light pink circle looks more dirty white against the others but oh well. Bought this crazy Eco friendly, biodegradable confetti- looks more like flakes of hot pink Styrofoam and doesn't throw real great (had to give it a try in the kitchen). I got it because it is supposed to dissolve in water so after we aren't picking up tiny confetti for years in the yard. Here's the kicker-it really does dissolve! Although the small amount I tried left kind of a slick film in the glass-note to self-don't wet down anywhere you want to walk while the stuff is still wet!

5. Decided we are going with the chairs and table mismatched mess we can borrow and use from here rather than rent. The money has flown out the window and it has to stop somewhere. Will it look tacky, yes. At this point I frankly don't care.

6. Bought another cake pan and did some research for some cake recipes. Now have to get the time to get the darn things made and frozen asap.

7. Bought a nice western suit jacket, new brown jeans, hot pink shirt, and brown silk tie with tiny silver horseshoes on it for Prince Charming to wear walking her down the aisle. He will look so handsome I can hardly wait. She will freak if she sees the horseshoes, so saving it for the last second of-oh by the way kind of deal.

8. My son says he is coming now, will hold my breath til I see the whites of his eyes but gotta trust that he will.

So, now that I look, OMG-I have to get a move on here people. We are struggling with the blue part of the equation. Any brillian ideas out there? She is wearing a new dress, borrowing my mom's diamond earrings, will tie the antque locket my mother had her photo and my dad in to her bouquet. We are stumped on the blue. She doesn't want a blue garter or underwear. Her hair is going to be spotlight with the veil and tiara but no way to affix anything to them anyway. I am running out of creative ideas here folks.

all a blur....and in need of creative assistance-soon

Has a seriously been over a month since last writing here? Yeah, well no surprise given it was all a blur here. Daily wedding plans changing daily, massive snow to shovel, mud to track in, leaking washing machine, dresses to alter....endless list.

So, I have to get on the stick and get this entire wedding ordeal wrapped up before the 6Th. Still have all the baking, cooking, flower arranging, well basically everything to do between now and then. Never fear, I still peak in on everyone as often as I can as I find so much inspiration in your lives that I hope will spark a fire in me here very soon.

On that note, if anyone knows some terrific cheap, fast, easy appetizers, a white chocolate/raspberry cheesecake, wedding cake, or killer punch recipe please send them to me a quick as you can. I need all the help I can get.

Other questions I am pondering:
1. How the heck do I make an empty garden (now dirt IE mud and sticks) a lovely backdrop for a wedding ceremony? I have the arch deal, but what else can I do to camo the ugly mess that will be a garden if spring ever arrives? Cheap here people, I have essentially no money for this ordeal.
2. How to make the fabric runner a bit easier to walk on in heels over the grass leading to the arch? Too long a section to lay plywood or I would as already using what we have to get a semi clean path from the front to back yard so she has a grand entrance.
3. Creative ideas for the old, new, borrowed, blue routine? Her dress is new (white with pink/white flowers and scattered sequins and beads), shoes are red with rhinestones, has a veil and tiara (yeah, princess remember?) She is allergic to metals except white gold so the jewelry route is kind of out of the price range now....
4. Suggestions for songs to walk down the isle aside from the old standby?
5.A poem to place in a frame with photos of our 4 family members who have passed away as a tribute to remember?
6. Fun bridal shower themes, games, ideas?
7. Decor for the event-I have some silk flowers and glass fish bowls and plan on candles, white lights, a few hanging lanterns. Have a feeling we can expect wind and some rather cool temps given the date. I have a fire pit and hope to find a outdoor heater to use somewhere. I can't afford a tent rental, so pray to every spirit you know it doesn't rain or snow because my house is too small for 25 plus people.
8. Ideas for where I can buy a unique garter and perhaps find some cheap hankies? Would like to set a few in a basket for guests who decide to cry-or just for me when I start bawling my eyes out.
9. Card box ideas?
10. Guest book ideas? Expecting about 25 or so people so the standard ones are a bit big for so few people.

Seriously, any ideas, suggestions, thoughts. They are a unique couple, so it kind of makes me a bit stumped here. My original ideas were all fall based and now here we are with spring. He loves firefighter deals, movies, and is rather picky with food. She is a tomboy princess who loves Asian inspired ideas, simple things, but goes for the sparkly things too. The colors are hot pink, chocolate brown, and teal. I get to be the matron of honor and am wearing a prom dress I found that is a cross between pink and coral? let's hope my spanx can suck me in a bit more as the dress I got was about an inch around too small for comfort and the most material they can let out is about a 3/4 at best. It was only $30 and I frankly couldn't pass it up! My best friend is her bridesmaid and is wearing chocolate brown. The Prince is walking her down as her father has been 'uninvited" and is a cowboy who will wind up in jeans and a pink shirt. The favors for guests will be fortune cookies in little take out boxes. Dinner was changed to appetizers.

So, any and all ideas are greatly appreciated. I need all the help I can get!

Monday again?

Is it really Monday again? Seriously, wasn't it just Friday? A whirlwind weekend blew thru here and now I don't know where it went. I have vague memories of:
1. a pile of laundry that somehow morphs into a larger pile despite the continuous splash of agitation on my washer, and the inevitable ping of coins revolving in the dryer
2. the sudden realization at 3am on Saturday morning that the old married couple were still awake and upright in the living room after a marathon viewing of Brothers and Sisters on DVD
3. somewhere in the blurred images my Christmas decorations found their way to the appropriate storage bins now hiberating in the garage (yes, you heard it here first, the dumb blonde FINALLY took down the Christmas tree).
4. Fast forward to 2 straight days of cooking and cleaning and decorating to prepare for the annual Superbowl feast, I mean party.
5. hours of manual labor to clean up the scraps of remaing food, decor, noisemakers, empty bottles, cans, glasses, scrubbing rock hard baking sheets of remnants of scorched hot wing sauce
6. numbly searching for eye drops around 3 am Monday after another marathon run to devour back to back episodes of House on USA Network.

So, where did that weekend go again? Just sat around doin' good old nothing. How bout you?

Do I hear bells or was that a gong in the background?

While it is pathetic to admit, my only coping mechanism right now is denial and avoidance. Period. Life around here is just too busy, work is making me out of my mind, and I spent a week of horrid stomach flu that just about did me in. Now I am just downright exhausted and can't face anything. Pretty pathetic but its the truth.

Once again the wedding is back on for the Princess. Yah, don't go there. I even sat her down and had the good old "I am only saying this once and then I'll tell you I told you so...." conversation with her yet again. See, I have a BAD feeling that he is once again going to string her along and bail out on this at the last minute just like last time. Or worse, he will go thru with it an walk away a short time later. Just too many obvious signs that even she admits are there, but none the less, it is still on. Then, we had 3 weeks of fighting over the new date. She wants one, he wants another and they go back and forth. And yes, again she picked a Monday, in April. Hello, MOM WORKS FOR A LIVING TO SUPPORT THIS MESS and HELLO, we are liable to still have snow/sleet/hail/and drifts in April around here. So, I am avoiding thinking and doing anything about this. Oh, and she tried on the dress again, she has now lost so much weight we have to find someone competent to take it in at least 1-2 inches!!!! She has agreed to use the napkins imprinted with the October date on them out of spite and finance, ha! See, I am just going to pretend I hear bells and not a big old gong banging in my head!

Then, the young Prince finally proposed to the girl-I-LOVE-and-his-father-hates on New Years Eve. Now they tell me they set a date (he wanted August this year). It is June 2010. Ok, less pressure. WRONG. Then she tells me it will be in WY. NO WAY NO HOW!! Three days of slamming, crying, cussing etc. See, his Dad is mean, spiteful, vindictive, rude, pigheaded, egotistical, and plain mean. If they do this anywhere remotely near him, despite not inviting him or alledged makeup before then, I GUARANTEE he will ruin it in one shape or form. That's the way he rolls. THAT is why he is my ex you see. If it isn't about him, it doesn't matter. Period. Now, selfish old mom would love them to do it here out of pure convenience. I mean hey, we are doing it this year already and will have it down to a science then. Right? But seriously, I would fly them to the moon to get them away from dear old Dad on this day. Anywhere but near him. Plus, this wedding is more "up my alley" so to speak. See, she wants the dress, frills, flowers etc, but is a cowgirl at heart-born and raised. Young Prince, well, he lives, breathes, sleeps, and eats cars and hunting/fishing. Future Ms. Prince LOVES the ideas of quilts on the tables, flowers in pitchers, arch made of horns, truck seat for reception, model cars on the tables, hubcaps for trays. Baby, I told you I can rock this wedding!!!! Princess, she is all glitter and party. I can do that too, but it isn't half as much fun as the creative genious it will take to make it work for the young Prince. So, again, I am ignoring those bells/gong sounds in my head for now.

I am ignoring it all.

PS, my tree is STILL up, I think I need serious meds or something.........