More of the Usual

Somewhere along the line I forgot to introduce you to this little heart breaker. Meet Henry! His mommy is a friend of mine who I met on the second day of my very first job out of college, and she’s pretty much the sweetest person ever (plus she can make a killer meatloaf and sweet potato fries while nursing a baby, so basically she’s a superwoman). She’s also Japanese which explains where this little guy gets his exotic good looks 🙂 Henry and Connor might have to have a baby-off in the category of most squishable cheeks ever.

So now that we’ve got the baby talk out of the way, it’s time for my other most blogged about subject — weddings! As in we went to a wedding this past Saturday of one of Joey’s best friends, and I’ve decided that we’re officially old. We may or may not have broken our no drinking Whole30 rule. Ok, who am I kidding? We definitely broke it. Exhibit A:

This is in fact the only picture I have of the two of us from the wedding, and in a true reversal of roles Joey looks completely normal while I look…well…completely drunk. Awesome.

Back to the fact that we’re getting old. I swear it took me two days to fully recover from a weekend that included a rehearsal dinner on Friday, wedding on Saturday and birthday party for my Mom on Sunday. We’re so out of practice with these marathon type social engagements! Despite the achy bones and breaking out my walker, this weekend was pretty freakin’ awesome given I got to spend time with awesome family and friends. Can’t complain about that.

You know what else I can’t complain about? The dentist! After putting off going to the dentist for more years than I care to admit, I finally got my teeth cleaned a few weeks back and my one sad little cavity filled this evening. All those dental fears were for nothing! The hygienist that cleaned my teeth was so nice and straight-out-of-Jersey funny. She said she’d pronounce my last name like the Italians intended — Tro-EEE-Zeeeee. Love that. Then today when I went to get my cavity filled the dentist said it would hurt less than a flu shot, and he was totally right! I didn’t feel a darn thing, not even the needle to give me novocaine. Had it not been for the post-cavity-filled crooked smile, I would have sworn there was no needle involved.

You know that’s a good look.

So what’s going on with the usual in your life? Any cute babies or party hardy weekends? Do you see the dentist every 6 months? I’m totally starting.

Chronicles of a Bride: The End

I remember when I used to watch The Real World (circa late 90s Real World, when it was arguably half decent), and I’d wonder why the people on the show had to make everything so complicated. I mean, they were living in these ridiculously awesome houses, had cool jobs handed to them, and they got to be on TV. What did they have to complain about? I used to think there was no need for all the drama, why couldn’t they just live and have fun?

(Ok, this is the part where I’m about to compare my wedding experience with a MTV reality show, bear with me)

When Joey proposed I was on Cloud 9. It was such a happy and thrilling time, there was an outpouring of love and excitement from all our family and friends, and I tried so hard just to soak it all in. When I think back to that day in Central Park, my heart literally sings. It was a defining moment. I talk a lot about Little Big Moments, but that was a Big Big Moment. The feeling of pure elation lasted about, oh, give or take two weeks. Then reality started to set in. What were we going to do about a wedding?

I’m not the girl who had been picturing her wedding day her entire life. In fact, it took Joey and I a long time to decide that we even wanted to get married, and it wasn’t because we weren’t completely committed to one another, but rather we questioned the entire institution. So now that we made the huge decision to get married, was I really supposed to be freaking out about color schemes and place cards? I should preface this all by saying I truly believe that weddings are an amazing experience. I cried when this girl walked down the aisle, and I would have walked through fire for any of the brides I was honored to stand with on their wedding days last year. But when it came to myself, I didn’t want all the pomp and circumstance. Even the thought of a bridal shower made me want to crawl into a hole.

But I’m nothing if not a person who cares deeply about the thoughts and opinions of those around me (for better or for worse, no pun intended) and anything less than a traditional wedding where everyone was invited felt, to me, like I was disappointing our loved ones. As if our wedding was a direct reflection of how much we appreciated them. So we kinda, sorta, heart-was-never-in-it planned for a June 2012 waterfront wedding. That wedding would have been beautiful. I hope one of my brothers will get married some day to a girl who wants that wedding, because I’d be thrilled to help plan it. But that’s the thing, as much as I wanted to fit the mold, to make everyone happy, that wedding wasn’t our wedding. Sure we could have gone through the motions, and we would have survived it, but I think everyone deserves more than to ‘just survive’ their wedding.

In October, we finally had the “what the heck are we doing” moment, followed by “how do we get back to doing us?” And a December wedding was born! When someone asked me, “Why December?” my answer was “November is too soon and January is too far away.” And that was the absolute truth. We had about 6ish weeks to plan our wedding, and instead of that freaking me out, it was completely freeing. I finally felt like we were on the path we were always meant to travel.

When I look back at our wedding photos, the undeniable theme is happiness. Every scene is just swimming in happiness. And me, I don’t think I stopped smiling the entire day! I have chins dimples I didn’t even know existed. We didn’t do save the dates, we didn’t do formal invitations, I didn’t pick linens and I certainly didn’t pick the court house chapel decor, but my gosh we had a wedding. It was a little different, but it was ours, and it was great. Would I want to do it again? Absolutely not. But will I cherish every last photo for the rest of my life? Yes.

To bring this thing full circle, the reason my mind wonders to The Real World is that this whole wedding experience made me realize that the journeys in life that look glamorous, easy and fun are sometimes the ones that cause us to look deep inside, and force us to get to know ourselves a little better. They teach us not only to listen to our heart, but to follow it too. I think these lessons are learned in the struggle. And it’s all worth it because in the end you discover the truth that you’re the only one who can write Your Story, and so you better make sure you work to make it a good one.

PS: I wanted to try to pick my top 10 pictures, but it’s impossible. 

PSS: Hilary, if you’re reading this, I miss the crap out of you. If there was one thing missing from our wedding day, it was certainly you. Can’t wait to celebrate the hell out of life when you get back!

All the Small Things

Sunday we received the motherload. The online gallery of all our wedding photos. Nearly 800 pictures to pour over, the culmination of a very interesting journey. And as we looked through the photos, I kept thinking wow I make a lot of really stupid faces man I really need to get thank you notes ordered about how we really got it right in the end. Like Kate Hudson’s character says in Almost Famous, “Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it isn’t the end.” I can say with a very happy heart that it was okay (better than okay in fact) and I’m so glad it’s the end.

I promised more thoughts on the whole wedding process, and that post is coming later this week with what I’m trying to somehow narrow down into my top 10 favorite photos, but tonight I’m sharing the small things. Because just like the ‘big picture’, the happy little details have their time and place too.

Our “Message in a Bottle” Guest Book

Framed chalkboard custom gift from Kacie, blue bottle from thrift store

Seating Chart — From Etsy

Candy Favors

Bags and labels from Etsy, dark chocolate covered almonds from Whole Foods

Clay Cake Topper with Yellow Labs — Etsy

Koozie Wedding Favors

Ordered online, forget where! Came with free Bride & Groom Koozie though, so that was cool 🙂

Necklace and Earrings

You all remember this necklace from way back when, earrings came from same Etsy shop. 

Mason Jar Centerpieces

Jars from grocery story, berry/twig garland and candles from Michaels, bottom filled with rock salt.

Something Blue

Quite possibly my favorite detail, my blue shoes from Zappos. Highly suggest fun colored shoes!

If you’re anxious for more photos, and your name is Kacie and you don’t use social media, check out my Facebook album HERE. 

Oh, and speaking of Kacie, here’s something else to get excited about…

We were onto them the night of the wedding, but finally I can confirm and share the news that these two love birds are expecting a baby in August! Who’s ready to talk baby showers?! (Two hands high in the air over here)

Love Is All Around

Did you know Valentine’s Day is next week? How did that happen? A typical Valentine’s Day for us is sitting around eating an entire heart shaped box of chocolates, but this year I’m thinking maybe we should do it up a bit more — you know, with it being our first ‘married’ Valentine’s Day and all. NBD.

With no idea as to what ‘doing it up’ will consist of, I decided to at least try and get into the fake holiday spirit. I had some old boxes of conversation hearts (yummy), chalkboard banners from our wedding (used as table chart, bought from this shop on Etsy), and of course my trusty makes-everything-instantly-more-charming mason jars.

I doubt Martha’s jumping up and down over my quicky craft, but in this house it’s getting two paws up…errr, make that four. Eight if you count Moose.

I think we can all benefit from a little extra love here and there.

One Month In

I want to offer a deep reflection on marriage now that we’re one month in.

Ha! That was a joke. Here’s my ‘deep reflection’ — being married is a lot like before being married. Only now when I yell at Joey to stop playing stupid video games all night long, I’m yelling at my HUSBAND instead of my boyfriend or fiance. And when he yells at me for being on the computer all the time, he’s yelling at his WIFE not just his girlfriend. It’s so romantic.

Now about planning that honeymoon…

Sticking A Fork in 2011

It’s the last day of 2011. I’m sitting on the couch, Moose is sleeping next to me, Riggo’s sleeping on me,  and I’m watching old episodes of The Rachel Zoe Project, which probably explains why, as I’m trying to figure out where to start wrapping up 2011, I’m tempted to use phrases like ‘it was so major’ and ‘2011 was everything.’

Ok, back to Earth.

2011 was a big year. A REALLY big year. It was probably a bit of foreshadowing when it kicked off in such a big way with the sort of unexpected addition of our second four-legged child (you can read about that here).

Life got a little crazier and a lot happier. And that theme continued for the next 11 months. In March, we got engaged. Talk about crazy happy. Then the ‘Year of the Wedding’ really began with Christine’s wedding in April.

It was a perfectly intimate affair, the love between her and Aaron permeated the room. My favorite memory was the end of the night. All their friends were outside, music playing on the ipod, and somehow we ended up in a giant circle, arms wrapped around one another, swaying to the music in celebration of the happy couple. It was a moment that leaves you thinking, “THIS is what it’s all about.” Everything else is just details.

But the details are fun too.

The rest of the year looked like this in chronological order: Jackie’s Bridal Shower, Alex’s Bridal Shower & Bachelorette weekend, TJ & Caitlin’s wedding,  Kacie’s Bridal Shower, Dominican Republic for Alex’s wedding…

…Jackie’s Bachelorette party, Kacie’s Bachelorette party, Joey turned the big 3-0, Jackie’s wedding…

….Kacie’s wedding…

Steve & Heather’s wedding, Joey and I hatch our wedding plan, my bridal shower, Our wedding…

Our First Dance 

Sprinkle in the usual lunch/dinner/coffee/skype dates with friends, weekend trips, family get togethers, and holidays and holy moly was this year full. To the brim in fact.

Let me get a little sappy now and bring this sucker home. 2011 was what IT is all about. Friends, old and new, supporting one another, love, happiness, fun, laughter, family, growing, learning. The lessons were all there. I’ve watched so many of my girlfriends, my sisters, climb mountains this year and come out victorious. I’ve watched others navigate hardships with unimaginable grace and strength. The resolve of the human spirit has inspired me this year to say the least. We are all SO capable.

2011 set the bar high, but I firmly believe that the best is always yet to come.

Here’s looking at you 2012.

Aftermath

We Did It

It’s the morning after our wedding day and I’m wide awake while my husband sleeps off last night’s party. Yesterday is running like a movie through my mind, and I just keep thinking – we did it. Like, really freakin did it.

And it. was. awesome.

We had our perfect day – it was happy, unique, memorable and simply as easy as breathing from start to finish. I promise to write more soon (when I’m at a computer and not typing on my phone from a hotel room), but Alex gave the most heartfelt toast of which a piece of it is too good to make you wait:

“Most people meet later in life and then fill each other in on the details. Joey and Diana, you are each other’s details.”

Our marriage was written in the stars a very long time ago, and it was a little bit of courage and a lotta bit of fate that brought us to our wedding day.

Thank you from the bottom of my very full heart to all our family and friends who celebrated with us yesterday, and to everyone who sent their love and well wishes from afar.

My cup runneth over.

Out Of The Park

Since it seems like the only things I’ve been blogging about lately are our wedding and our dogs, I’m going to knock this one out of the park by combining the two into one post about a wedding gift of our dogs!

Joey and I made the decision not to register anywhere for our wedding — partly because we put ourselves on a bit of a time crunch by deciding late October to get married early December, but mostly because after living in our house for 3 years, there isn’t a lot of “stuff” we need. And I’m not a fan of stuff for the sake of stuff. What I am a fan of is thoughtfulness, meaning and creativity.

That being said, the above fabulous gift came from my MOH Alex, and I may have freaked out a bit over its awesomeness — a black and white original sketch of Moose & Riggo. It’s actually the first picture we ever took of the two of them, and it’s a piece we’ll love forever. Totally knocked it out of the park.

Little Big Moments

There’s a line at the end of the movie version of Pride & Prejudice (the Keira Knightly one), where her character uses the phrase “incandescently happy,” and I’ve always thought that was such a beautiful pairing of words. Seriously, why don’t people still talk like that?

I can honestly say there have been three moments since March where I have felt so happy that the only way to describe it would be incandescently. The first was the moment Joey asked me to marry him. The second was as we left the jewelry store after purchasing our wedding bands.  And the third was this morning as I walked out of the court house holding our marriage license.

The dress, the mason jars, the necklace, the cake topper — these things are all fun (kinda), but they are also just that — things. It’s the items that bring me one step closer to marrying my best friend, that moments that remind me I’m about to start a new and exciting journey with him, that fill me with a sense of pure joy.

The moments are fleeting, like all moments are, but the feeling of being so happy you want to hug a complete stranger and say, “do you realize what just happened?!”, is something you put in the emotional safe deposit box of your heart and save forever.