June 10 in history

Courtesy of Rob... who writes me an email that says "I thought you might like to know:
June 10, 1922 Singer/Actress Judy Garland born in Grand Rapids, Minnesota by the name of Frances Gumm. (Our "fabulous" friends will be so delighted on this holy day!~A)

Other day in History June 10th:

1902 Americus F. Callahan patents the see-through envelope
1935 Alcoholics Anonymous founded in Akron, Ohio. (How appropriate! LOL ~A)
1940 Italy declared war on France and Great Britain.
1942 Gestapo massacres 173 maless of Lidice, Czechoslovakia in retaliation for the killing of a Nazi official. (That's a nice nuptial thought. ~A)
1967 Six-Days war ends.

Top of the Chart Hits June 10th... (Maybe you will hear some of these played! :) ~A)

1958

Yakety Yak - The Coasters
Endless Sleep - Jody Reynolds
Patricia - Perez Prado
The Purple People Eater - Sheb Wooley

1966
When a Man Loves a Woman - Percy Sledge
I Am a Rock - Simon and Garfunkel
Strangers in the Night - Frank Sinatra
The Last Word in Lonesome is Me - Eddy Arnold

1974
Band on the Run - Paul McCartney & Wings
Help Me - Joni Mitchell
Sundown - Gordon Lightfoot
I Will Always Love You - Dolly Parton

1982
Ebony & Ivory - Paul McCartney with Stevie Wonder
Always on My Mind - Willie Nelson
Crimson & Clover - Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
Finally - T.G. Sheppard

Everyone told me...

...that the seating chart was the worst part of wedding planning. And boy were they right. This one can't sit with that one, this one must bring a date, this one isn't sure, this one wants to know about kids being invited, and on it goes. For God's sake, it's a buffet meal, people. At the worst, you sit with the table for what an hour maximum? But I digress.

While we did not get the stuffing done, we did get other things done like the ring bearer pillow (ADORABLE!), stuffing some gift bags, eliminating some names, and going over items on the checklist. Boy was my eye twitching. Still is.

I've come to the conclusion that no matter what I do, someone is going to be pissed off that:
A) They are not invited.
B) They are invited but can't bring a guest.
C) They are invited but can't bring their kid(s).
D) They are not invited to the meal but can come afterwards for dancing.

And I have to learn to accept and deal with that.
*Sigh*
I am trying so hard not to be a Bridezilla. I truly am. But I can very easily see how brides lose it as the event draws nearer.

106 days to go

And this B2B (bride 2 be) is starting to really get excited about the big day. Gosh, it seems like just yesterday Rob asked me to be his wife. But in reality, over 180 days have gone by. Let's see. where are we... invitations have been recieved and are being stuffed this weekend by myself, mom, dad, momma 2, dad 2, and of course Rob. He's not gettting out of this one! :) I printed up directions to the church and reception to insert in the invitations. MOH has ordered her dress, MB will be doing so this week I think, we found the flower girl dresses (Just WAIT til you see them!) March 7 brings a visit to Rev. Peggy, a trip to the flower store, and a detailing appointment with the Holiday Inn. It's really starting to come together. Got the gifts for the bridal party, groom's attendants, and a few other little surprises. :) Did a preliminary seating chart just to see if I could make all the guests fit, and they do! That way when responses come in, we can just plug them in to the chart and it will be ready to go. The favors are all done. Must get going on getting our passports.

This is a pretty funny email from my groom to be. Even more so was Derek and Bob (the co-best men) suggesting to Rob that it could a fun thing for "day after wedding party" watching. How about NO?
~A

From: Robert Haskell
Sent: Monday, February 20, 2006 10:00 AM
To: Jeffrey, Andrea
Subject: OH NO!

Read this and you'll understand the subject
~R

"Saturday night at the RAW Live Event at the Nassau Coliseum, Tazz introduced Paul Heyman who delivered huge news regarding ECW. According to Heyman, ECW will hold another One Night Stand. The event will originate from the "original scene of the crime" at Manhattan Center’s Hammerstein Ballroom on Sunday, June 11, 2006. Tickets for the event will go on sale Saturday, April 15 at 10 a.m. If this year's ECW One Night Stand is anything like the original, you can expect to see some of the most extreme action ever."

All I can say is, I love you enough to miss it LOL

Love
Rob

ECW, for those of you not in the know, is Extreme Championship Wrestling. Back in the day, Rob, Derek, and Bob started their own version called EBW - which stood for Extreme Backyard Wrestling - where they would slam eachother with various items found around the house like chairs, ladders, recycling bins, and much more. And somehow, Derek and Bob think the day after my wedding that I will have nothing else to do but watch steroid induced men beat the crap out of eachother? Oh, the romance. ~A

Valentine's Day

So once again Rob has managed to pull off the "Awwww" factor to me by delivering a Valentine's Day gift to my work.

I got a pajama gram.... rich purple silk pj's with a do not disturb sign, lavender sachet, and a beautiful note about how much he loves me.

Could he be any sweeter? Honestly? I think not.

Even if he thinks the above picture is really a cool idea :)
(And yes those are real scorpions and centipedes.... shudder....)

interesting article

Wedding $easonBridal spending has increased 100% over last 15 years, the average cost of a wedding now tops $27,000.NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) - The average amount spent on weddings has increased to $27,852, up nearly 100 percent since 1990, and the number of weddings per year has increased by 200,000 during that time, according to a new study.Since 2002 nearly every wedding expense has increased by over 20 percent. This includes the bride's and groom's attire (up 30 percent), engagement rings (up 25 percent) and a 60 percent increase in the cost of the wedding band, according to the Condé Nast Bridal Group.Up to 36 percent of couples end up spending more than they had planned on their big day. The average altar-bound woman is now 27 years old, her fiancé is 29, they have an estimated household income of $74,000, will be engaged for a period of 14 months, and their wedding will have 165 guests, the study said.Despite cost increases and a significant delay in taking the plunge, 2.3 million Americans will get married in 2006. There will be 44,230 weddings every weekend and there will be 23 million bridesmaids and groomsmen and 380 million wedding guests over the course of the year.Which means, chances are you are either going to a wedding or getting married this year.About 16 percent of all couples are choosing to have a destination wedding -- a 400 percent increase in the last 10 years. But couples who opt for intimate destination weddings still spend an average of $25,806 with 63 guests attending."The wedding industry is not only vital but is in fact thriving" Daniel Lagani, vice president and publisher of The Condé Nast Bridal Group, said in a statement.The winter holidays are still the most popular time to get engaged, with 15 percent of all proposals happening in the month of December.Ninety-nine percent of brides said they were proposed to, 81 percent plan to take their husband's name after marriage and only 3 percent expect to sign a prenuptial agreement.This year, only 30 percent of brides' parents will pay for the entire wedding as was once customary. Instead, 32 percent of brides and grooms will pay for their wedding themselves, and 15 percent of couples will foot the bill with the help of both sets of parents, the study said.The Condé Nast Bridal Group, publishers of Brides, Modern Bride and Elegant Bride, surveyed 1,619 brides for the "American Wedding Study 2006."

Get ready to grumble!

(your stomach, that is!)
So we've managed to dig out from the 2 feet of snow received yesterday.... and we enjoyed an early Valentine's Day dinner - Rob wishes I'd get snowbound more often! NY Strip Sirloin steak broiled with red peppers and mushrooms, red potatoes with garlic and Herbes de Provence, and corn. But the true "ta-da" was a dessert I named .... Valentine Seduction..... ooo la-la! Two triangles of fudge brownie, topped with dark chocolate marscapone cheese, resting in a pool of raspberries and blueberries, with a hand dipped Ghiradelli chocolate covered strawberry on the side. WOW!

I am truly becoming obsessed

SOMEBODY HELP ME, PLEASE!

Wedding Day Weather
My Wedding Location: Billerica, MA (01862)
Date: June 10, 2006(121 days to go!)
Time: 12:00 PM
Sunset: 8:22 PM
Moon Phase: Waxing Gibbous
Right now: 33°F Feels like 26°F

Typical Weather for June

Here are average weather conditions for the month of your wedding:
Average Temperature: High: 78°F/Low: 55°F
Typical Weather for June 10

Here are average weather conditions for the day of your wedding:
Average High Temp:76°F
Record High Temp:94°F (1959)
Average Low Temp: 53°F
Record Low Temp: 41°F (1975)
Past Weather for June 10

Here's a look at past weather in your area for the past three years.
Year Weather Hi/Lo (°F) Rain (in.)
2005 AM Clouds/PM Sun 84/59 0.01
2004 AM Light Rain 69/49 0.11
2003 Sunny 78/56 0.00

cakes, music, dreams, and hyperventilating

So a VERY full weekend is behind us, but lots of accomplishments.
Cake lady - Val Rogers - was just delightful. Very nice, baked a cake for Mom and I to taste... and when I showed her what I was thinking, she not only understood, she made it happen and expanded upon it. And best of all - its almost $500 less than Montilio's cake... home made, and it will be one of a kind. And she gave leftovers to Dad, and Rob, where the pieces of cake were so big that his parents also had a taste!) CAKE DONE AND ORDERED? CHECK!

Went down in the pouring rain to Needham to meet the DJ who was performing at a bar mitzvah. Got to hear a smidgen of music, as we got there during the ceremony non musical portion, but we met the assistant manager who was adorable, and settled ALL mom and dad's concerns. DJ BOOKED? CHECK!

OK so everyone is having strange dreams about our wedding. Including me. Somehow I blacked out the whole ring exchange part, in my latest dream. Even more funny Stacey (my MOH) dreamed that Rob couldn't find his tux so he showed up in ripped jeans and a T shirt. I then threw a hissy and said if he wasn't wearing a tux then I wasn't wearing my dress so I wore my veil, shorts, and a Tshirt. (SUCH an attractive visual!) ONGOING STRANGE DREAMS? CHECK!

Rob and I went up to NH to visit Stacey and Stephen for their birthday - they are both turning 40 tomorrow! - and talk turned, naturally, to the wedding. So Stacey says she will be there for the wedding of course, but that she has to work Saturday morning, and it's very difficult for her to get coverage (she's a sleep technician). As I start to hyperventilate, Rob asks if I want his keys to poke directly into my eye. I managed to squeak out that she needs to be there at like 9AM for hair and makeup prior to the wedding.... and she gives me the "yikes" face" and says she will have to see what she can do. So Rob changes the subject so I can calm down and I do. Over dinner, I ask if it's going to be a huge problem for her to change her day off and she nearly chokes laughing and says she was only joking with me. I could have thrown a meatball at her, if they weren't so tasty. :) BRIDAL PARTY MAKING ME CRAZY? CHECK!

invitations

Have been ordered. They should be in our hot little hands in about 3 weeks. After the envelope stuffing party then comes the next really fun thing - ::insert scary music:: the seating chart!!!! Good for hours of fun! "Can't seat so and so with so and so, they don't get along.." Do we seat gays with non gays? Which are singles, who are couples, and who might be hoping for a new romance of their own? Which ones are alcoholics? Who doesn't like noise and needs to be away from the speakers and amps? Who needs to be near exits? Who the hell is this person, I don't know them! Which ones are closeted gay single alcoholics that don't like noise? Oh the joy.