Mobile blogging from ATL

Hi guys! I'm posting from the big ATL....via mobile blogging? I honestly dont know what the heck I'm doing, but I'm giving it a go.
Anywho...going back to Wednesdays post about LaRaines, my wedding dress, and this being the 4th trip to Atlanta. Its 12:41pm here exactly. Our appointment was at 11:00am. It took 40 minutes before they finally brought the dress up, about ten minutes for me to try it on, and and were at about 40 minutes waiting for the last final touches.
I may just be sour about this whole situation, but they arent giving us any good reason to feel otherwise.
My veil was not listed as "rush", therefore it isn't ready for pickup today either.
According to LaRaine, they will have to ship it to us. Okk..does that mean youre footing the shipping costs since it was due to lacking on your part?
*breathe* *sigh*

wedding wednesday's: updates

86 Days to go!

Do I freak out now or later?

Just kidding.

I think I'll make it.

I never knew weddings were soo much in depth.

Decisions, decisions, and mooooore decisions.

Whew.

June 10th, can you please hurry?

Thankyoumuch.

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Upcoming calendar:

3.12.11--1st Dress alteration appointment in Atlanta/ordered veil

3.15.11-- Hair color appointment/Hair trial #1

3.18.11-- 2nd Alteration appointment in Atlanta (Bring home dress) 

3.19.11--First Bridal Shower!

4.8.11-- Bridal Portraits

4.10.11-- CWF Bridal Shower (at my families church)

4.23.11-- Bridal Tea with Cliff's family

5.28.11--Bachelorette Weekend!

6.4.11-- Bridesmaids Luncheon

6.9.11 --Rehearsal & Dinner

6.10.11--The BIG Day!

  

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Still left to do:

Bridesmaids dresses: 4 out of the 7 are ordered!

Groom's tuxes: Cliff says he is handling this part..

Invitations: we purchased several kits. we are actually behind schedule on printing & assembling these. We tried to print them from my Mom's computer a few weeks ago and the printer kept snatching the paper sideways! I'm hoping to work on these this week & figure out an easier solution.

Wedding bands: I purchased my wedding band last week! After days of searching online, I found the band I was looking for at overstock.com! I was impressed. I recieved the band within two days after ordering. It's perfect!

Beauty regimen: I have nasty Crest Whitestrips glued to my teeth as I'm typing this (which would be last night). Yuckk. Does anyone else use these? They make my mouth seriously water like crazy. I realize this is disgusting, but I have to spit constantly.. they're horrible.

I've been trying to tan when I find the time. It used to be convenient before we moved & left the tanning bed at my Grandma's. Now, making the 5 minute drive out there (sad, I know)& wasting 20 minutes of precious time is kicking my bootay.

Hair cut & color: a few weeks ago I got my hair trimmed & my stylist chopped it underneath to make it lighter! Yesterday I went in for a color/hair trial appointment. I did what I said I was planning on doing back in February.

Bridal Portraits: April 8th from 3:30-5:30pm at the Botanical Gardens with our wonderful photographer!

Dress Alterations: I spent this past weekend in Atlanta for my first dress alteration appointment. We drove in on Friday night & had plans with my FMIL for Saturday. Some of you may know, me and my FMIL own a vinyl monogramming business called Embellish Boutique. This past weekend in Atlanta was a wholesale show at the Atlanta AmericaMart. Saturday morning was spent there shopping for new inventory!

At noon, we pulled into LaRaine's & I slipped on my dress!

We were originally quoted $150 for all alterations needed. ALSO due to the fact we live 4 hours away we were told prior to making the appointment, that ALL alterations could be done for us in a single day to eliminate the need to return back to Atlanta for a second time.

Hummphhh. Here comes the bad part.

As I am about to slip on the dress, LaRaine herself comes be-bopping into the dressing room. She looks at me and says, "I know we said $150 for the alteration, but there's no way we can do that. Our seamstress is one of a kind and very, very talented. Therefore, something like this normally costs a few hundred dollars. I am going to have to charge at least $250."

Say whatttt? Are you kidding?

You mean to tell me we drove 4 hours down here and you NOW want to tell us the alterations we were originally quoted at $150 are now being up'd to $250. Nuh,uh. I don't think so.

We asked her to pull our file, where clearly SHE (LaRaine- the owner) had wrote the quote and attached it to our paperwork.

Thankfully, it was there & there was no way in heck she was changing it now.

Next, things are progressing along and the question arises about how long it will take to make all of the alterations.

Note: we were told WHEN WE MADE THE APPOINTMENT that all alterations could and would be done the same day of our appointment.

"There's no way we can do this today." they said.

I'm sorry..did I hear you correctly?

You can't do it today??

And why not?

"We have a bridal show tomorrow and we are preparing for it! There's no way I would have time to do this today."

Ok, well can we possibly pick it up tomorrow?

"I can't have it done by tomorrow either. It'll be a few days before I can even get to it."

Are you serious??

We literally drove 4 hours at $3.50/gallon for you to tell us that you 1) are going to charge $250 rather than $150 and 2) that we are going to have to make a 2nd trip to Atlanta to pick the dress up because the alterations can't be done in a single day.

I was fuming.

But, I figured.. hey, if you want the dress to look and fit as it should.. just let them take their time and do it right.

Okkkk.

So that's where we're at.

We have to make ANOTHER (#4) trip to Atlanta to pick up the dress for the LAST time.

Alteration costs (plus new additions & veil)= $529

Bump in the road? Check!

Bridal Showers: My first bridal shower is this coming up Saturday and I couldn't be more excited! It's being hosted by 10 of our family members and over 150 people have been invited! It's going to be held at Cliff's church's reception hall.

All of the invitees received a blank recipe card along with their invitation. They were asked to fill it out with their favorite recipe & bring it along to the shower.

My Christian Women's Fellowship of my church have offered to throw me a second shower. It's going to be held on April 10th.

On April 23rd, we are traveling to Florida for the day in order to meet with Cliff's family for a Bridal Tea.

Bachelorette & Lingerie: My MOH and BF Brooke are busy planning the Bachelorette weekend agenda and lingerie shower for Memorial Day Weekend!

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I think that about sums it up!

Any wedding stress reliever tips?

ha.

♥

afternoon of fishing.

I'm thankful we live so close to Fort Stewart. 

The land is split into "areas" and when they aren't training, burning, or having special hunts, they allow locals to hunt and fish the open areas. 

The animals are abundant. 

The landscape is beautiful.

It makes me thankful to be a Southern gal.

{I was trying to snap pictures on the way to the ponds. My fiance is a little speed demon! I didn't have my camera on the right setting, but I thought the picture turned out neat.}

I finally got to see my brother after weeks of having to stay at college for baseball!

I'm glad he got to spend the weekend at home.

Dad and Dixie (Bella's sister)

 

Jig poles. Catfish like to swim close to the bank at night searching for food. 

In the morning when you go to check them, the ends of the bamboo will be moving up and down.

Such beautiful dogs!

And SO funny!

While I was busy snapping pictures of Dixie. My line had a bite!

Cliff hooked him & called me over to reel him in.

Baby bass!

I let him go and shortly after caught two more of similar size!

Dixie had an active afternoon.

First, she played "bull" with Cliff...

Next was a game of "catch the hat as it goes in and out of Cliff's legs".

And finally, hide and seek.

 

 

"Dixie, look. Pinecone."

"Dixie, find pincone" as he tosses it into thigh high bushes.

 

"I can't find it Dad.

 Let me try again.. "

 

 

"Found it!"

"It's been a long, hot day. Please excuse me for a minute..or two...or three".

Have a great day friends!

itty bitties.

We've got a new batch of furries that are in the midst of hatching!

Mama Hen is keeping the babies nice & warm.

I couldn't resist, I had to make her move so I could snap just a few pictures!

Doesn't this just make your heart smile?

There's no better way to bring in the warm, beaming sunshine of Spring than with new baby hatchlings!

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

guest bathroom remodeling

If many of you don't know, the hubby-to-be bought my Aunt's old home a few years back that was built back in the 70's.

Since he's moved in, he's remodeled the bedroom from old wood paneling to pretty tan painted walls, the master bath/laundry room from wall paper to pretty sage green painted walls & new laminate flooring, the spare bedroom from a light pink baby room to a home office, and the kitchen from a pinky color to mocha and new flooring. 

He's a pretty busy fella.

After these rooms were done, we moved on to the living room and guest bath. 

Since we are both in school full-time, there's little time to get the job done.

We have been working on them both along and along from installing new windows and patching up the holes in the walls in the living room to purchasing a new vanity, toilet, and tub for the bathroom.

In exchange for a home irrigation system, Cliff got a friend to lay tile around the tub and bathroom floor.

After months of putting it all aside, we have finally picked back up where we left off.

{After priming}

{And, now after painting}

{Color: Totally Teal Glidden from Lowes}

All we have left is to install the toilet, hook up the water lines, install the knobs in the shower, hang mirror, and decorate!

Whoop-whoop!

More pictures to come :)