I Left My Heart in San Francisco.... not really, he flew back with me....

J and I work together. I know some people might think that the last thing on earth they'd want to do is be coworkers with their intended. But it works really really well with J and I. We click in real life which allows us to click on the job too. In our work we have to be in sync... not like the band, silly.... like if I say "J I have this idea" he has to know how to interpret that and make beautiful, meaningful television out of it. Working with him this past weekend in San Francisco at the Walk for Life West Coast made me fall in love even deeper! He's so talented and when we work together I feel like God could be using us together as a couple to impact lives. And there's nothing more powerful than that. I love you baby. Four more months! :-)

An Open Letter to My Favorite Stores

Dear T.J. Maxx, Roth, Marshalls, Garden Ridge and Michaels,

I regret to inform you that if you do not remove all of the amazing black and white damask goodies from your shelves immediately, I will be terminating my almost daily visits to your stores. It seems that every time I enter your doors some black and white damask loveley beckon me, calls my name, FORCES me to buy them. It is due to these lovlies that I must work a part-time job in addition to my full time one.

In your aisles I call my Mother breathless, like a drug addict looking for my next fix.

“MOM” I cry “I found black and white damask LAMPS. OMG MOM, I NEEEEEEEEEEEEED these lamps”.

To which, she replies “calm down, Jill, and tell me what you’ll DO with these aforementioned lamps”.

“Ok, you’re right Mom, I don't know what I'd do with them yet... I guess I don’t NEEEEEEEEEEED them, but I really really want them”.

“Jill, put down the lamps and walk away from the store”.

Thanks Mom, your Voice of Reason has saved me from some very unnecessary purchases. But The Voice of Reason could not stop me from purchasing the black and white damask napkins with a monogrammed C, even though they were “too expensive” and I couldn’t find “enough for everyone”. Because, seriously, they're amazing.

But I did refrain from knocking down the lady that grabbed a pack of “C’s” at the same time I did. Although I did audibly gasp and had to stifle the urge to say “Are YOU getting married in 4.5 months with a black and white damask theme??? AND are YOU marrying a man with a last name that starts with ‘C’?!? Are you? Are you? ARE YOU? I DOUBT IT!”.

I am proud of my restraint.

So, my dearest T.J. Maxx, Roth, Marshalls, Garden Ridge and Michaels, it is au revoir for now. We will meet again on May 23th.

Until then,
The Aluminum Bride

My Chance

Been working my tail off today. Everything seems to be going wrong. No co-host, he's still somewhere in Mississippi, driving 80mph to get here by 7pm. We had a wild first segment with a phone interview and a skype interview. Usually when everything goes wrong BEFORE the show, it means we're going to impact lives WITH the show. Tune in. 2 songs by this amazing talented musician Jaime Thietten. And we'll end with her video My Chance. What a beautiful prolife testimony! And remember if you are in a crisis pregnancy call 1-800-395-HELP (4357)

Old Family Pictures?!?!?!

According to theKnot.com one of the 15 ways to WOW your guests is by decking out your entry way… This is what theKnot.com has to say:

We're not saying you should spend a gazillion dollars on a 20-foot-tall floral arrangement, but first impressions are important, so take time to think out the entrance to your reception. Add a couple flower arrangements to the escort card table or have your stationer create a stylish seating chart display. A table topped with your engagement photos, your parents' wedding albums, and any other from-the-family artifacts would make meaningful additions.

I think it’s so neat and personal to have a table full of family pictures at your wedding reception. I love love love the idea. I think it gives guests a better idea of where you’ve come from and who you’ve become. It can also serve as a tribute to the people who have helped you get there. I would like to develop a collection of pictures of my family members’ wedding pictures. I have my parents wedding picture. We also have one of J’s parents (although they are just standing by a car, it’s not very wedding-ey). But I don’t think we could go any farther than that. And I’m afraid that TWO pictures on a table might seem a tad underwhelming. But who else would we include? Siblings? That’s 3 more pictures. But I have a brother that’s not married and he has a sister that ALMOST married. So that might feel awkward. Do we expand to include friends? If so where do you draw the line? And as a side note, why do I always make things more complicated than they need to be?!?!? Hahaha! What about pictures from our childhoods? Sigh. I just don’t know… Maybe I should scrap it all together. What do you think?????

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It's your's too

J and I were shopping this past weekend. I don't remember the exact convo, but it went something like this:

Aluminum Bride: I don't think I'm going to wear a necklace
Aluminum Groom: You're not going to wear a necklace to your wedding
Aluminum Bride: Um, it's your wedding too. Sorry, I might have forgotten to tell you that. :-)

Monograms!

I don’t know what J and I could possibly need a custom monogram for, but that sure doesn’t keep me from wanting one. Have you ever typed “custom monogram” into Etsy. OMG. Hello, stealer of my time and obsession of my soul. Etsy found 10,032 results for Custom Monogram. 10,032. And I pined after each and ever one of them. (Actually, I only got to page 20 before I decided I’d opened enough new tabs to keep me busy for a while.)

Here are a few of my favorites

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I love this sash. I think it’s beautiful, elegant, classy, timeless, all those things I aspire to be! ;-) I think there are probably a gazillion things you could do with it, but I think it’s wonderful tied around the bouquet as they show it. This is available through Etsy seller, Michaelangela, she’s got oodles of other wedding related items that warrant your perusal. Check out the “New MRS.” aprons too. I’m a sucka for aprons.

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Here’s another fav. Personalized wedding monograms. Yes. PERSONALIZED. For… get this… FIVE DOLLARS!!!!!!! Etsy seller Double Trouble Designs also has a blog... on which I’ve spent wayyyyyyy too much time. I feel like I need about 20 different personalized monograms. How do you choose?!?!? And where exactly do they go?? Yes, programs would be nice. And maybe somewhere on our invitations? But where else? I’m not sure… but that’s not going to stop me from buying one… or 20….

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Hey Miss Jill

So, I’m still learning the intricacies of living in the south. For instance a co-worker just said “hey, Miss Jill”. I started thinking. Will I still be referred to as Miss Jill, after I’m married? Is that when you officially become Ma’am? As a result of musing what I’d be called when I was officially MRS. Jill, I started thinking about changing my name.

Changing my name has to be one of the most dreaded parts of the wedding process for me. I mean, girls get married and change their names every day. But this seemingly mundane task is leaving me with hives. Where do I start? WHEN do I start? How do we book a honeymoon, do I book it as MISS Jill or MRS Jill??? I need to renew my passport. Do I renew it with my maiden name AND THEN change it to my married name? This is complicated. I’ve been poking around the internet for tips on how to do this. The more lists I read the more hives I get. I mean, this is a serious deal! Should I get a “name change kit” or can I do it on my own? Is there anything I can do ahead of time?

According to about.com these are some of the steps I have to take to change my name.(In between planning the party of a lifetime. Setting up a home. Losing a gazillion pounds.) Maybe while I’m at it, I should change my first name too, to something with a little more flair… like OPRAH. That’d get me noticed, doncha think????

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• Get a new social security card
Once you get your marriage license (which usually takes a couple of weeks to arrive in the mail), download a form from the Social Security website. Then take that completed form, the license and your identification to your local social security office to get a new card. (if you've gotten creative with your last name, you may also need to go through more formal name change procedures.)

• Get a new drivers license
You'll also want to change your name on the other main form of identification – your drivers license. Most DMVs will change it with a copy of a marriage certificate, although others require you to wait until your social security card has been changed. Check with your local DMV for their rules.

• Change that paperwork
Visit your office's HR department again with your new social security card to change your name on financial information, including your tax deductions. You'll want to be credited properly with those deductions come tax time, and with your social security contributions when you retire.
For everyone else, including bank, insurance policies, credit cards, utilities, creditors, and membership organizations, type up a letter with all of your information on it, including name, address, new name, account number, and possibly your social security number, and include a copy of your marriage license. No one should charge you money to change your name.

Don't forget to order new checks and credit cards

• Start using it
It will sound a little funny at first, but as you start using your new last name, everyone else will catch on. Don't be afraid to courteously correct people when they erroneously use your maiden name.