Weight-loss Plan For The OSB
January 31st, 2008 @ 10:32 am by Mrs. Cupcake
…..Ya know, the OSB: Over-Scheduled Bride.Yesterday, I ventured to the gym for the first time in about *cough, cough, static* months. What’s that? You didn’t hear me? Well, let’s just say that the packed gym bag that has been living in my car all this time had a magazine in it which I had planned to read on the elliptical….. so when I finally got to the gym yesterday, I found myself reading about Thanksgiving dinner tips in late January.
Yup, it’s been a while.
It’s not that I’m lazy. It’s that I’ve been so. damn. busy. that it’s really hard to find time to get there. I know it’s the classic excuse, but balancing a new job with wedding planning and trying to keep somewhat sane and connected with my loved ones has proven to be really, really hard. Getting to the gym isn’t always the first thing on my list of things to do with my spare time. (Ha, sorry, I just hallucinated a little bit there and implied that I have spare time!)
A Hug Or A Handshake?
January 24th, 2008 @ 8:30 am by Mrs. Cupcake
I am sure that others have felt the same awkwardness in similar situations, but sometimes I feel that I am particularly awkward and hesitant when it comes to one simple question: a hug or a handshake?
You know how it is….. you run into someone that you haven’t seen in a while, maybe someone you’re not particularly close to anymore…. you’re caught off guard by running into them, and all of a sudden, you think, am I supposed to hug them? Do I stand here uncomfortably with my arms crossed and see if they initiate a hug? Do I just wave like a dork?
There are friends who I see often and immediately give a big bear-hug to every time I see them. I always give my parents a kiss on the cheek and a half-hug when I see them. Cousins, aunts, uncles, former roommates….. hug, hug, hug, hug. But when it comes to my wedding day, there will be a range of people making their way through the receiving line. There will be guests who are closer to Mr. Cupcake than they are to me, or some of his extended family members who I’ve only met a few times, or co-workers’ spouses that I’ve made small-talk with here and there; I get strangely terrified at the thought of the awkwardness that could ensue. After all, there is nothing worse then reaching out for a handshake only to realize that the HSR (HandShake Recipient) is going in for the hug, making for a painfully uncomfortable back-patting debacle.
I’m A Blog Stalker
January 22nd, 2008 @ 10:30 am by Mrs. Cupcake
I have to come clean: I completely stalk my photographers’ blog. Like, if blog restraining orders existed, I might be issued one and asked to stay 100 yards away from their blog at all times. There are not many days that go by that I don’t check it out, hoping for some fabulous new photos to drool over. When there is nothing new going on, I’m a little bummed out, especially during this time of year when there might not be as many weddings taking place.
Well now, the Wiebners have really gone and done it…. they have made their blog even bigger and better and more fabulous. The photos are larger, there are more photos shown from each wedding, you can comment on posts, and you can rate your favorite photos as you scroll through them. The top 14 favorites are shown as thumbnails at the top of each page, so you can choose to check out what everyone is loving the most.
Momma Cupcake’s Wedding Invitations
January 19th, 2008 @ 6:32 pm by Mrs. Cupcake
You may have noticed that my posts have been a little sparse over the last few weeks, but I assure you it is with good reason: my mom, who is getting married next month, asked me to design her wedding invitations, and I happily obliged! Since the wedding isn’t too far off, time was of the essence, so I had to put blogging on the back-burner for a little while.Momma Cupcake and her fiance, George, are having a small ceremony and brunch reception with about 40 guests at Simon Pearce, a fantastic restaurant in the heart of Chester County, Pa., on the banks of the Brandywine River. The restaurant is named for the Irish glassblower of the same name, whose amazing glass designs (and that of his artisans) are found throughout the restaurant and its attached shop. You can also hang out on the first floor of the beautiful building and watch artisans creating their masterpieces — sometimes Mr. Cupcake and I will go if we’re in the area just to sit and watch the glassblowers.
Momma Cupcake and George met at Simon Pearce on their first date six years ago (set up by mutual friends), and it is where they go to celebrate anniversaries and other special occasions, so it is the perfect place for their wedding. The ceremony will be held in a private dining room and the brunch reception will be held in the main restaurant area. This is a perfect, intimate place for a wedding with less than 50 guests!
Venue Envy
January 18th, 2008 @ 1:10 pm by Mrs. Cupcake
Miss Hydrangea’s post from the other day brought up the interesting point that a lot of brides, at least at first, tend to be opposed to the idea of having their wedding reception in a hotel ballroom. I guess the issue with hotel ballrooms is that they’re not seen as unique as all of the amazing spaces people are using for their receptions these days. Warehouses, historical homes, tented outdoor spaces, and art museums are all on the list of extraordinary venues. And, since we live in an age where it is not uncommon to feel pressure to come up with the coolest, hippest, newest ideas, hotels often fall into the “not as cool” category.
Brother Cupcake and his wife got married in June at the stunning Angel Orensanz Foundation in NYC. The structure was originally built as a synagogue in 1849, and was converted into an arts/event space in 1992.
But It’s Not Just A Mixer
January 14th, 2008 @ 12:55 pm by Mrs. Cupcake
It’s the mixer. The KitchenAid Stand Mixer, that is!Mr. Cupcake and I are still slowly adding things to our Bed, Bath & Beyond and Crate and Barrel gift registries, but this one item was a no-brainer. It is the Dalai Lama of all stand mixers. I am not exactly a chef, but I have always loved to bake and there’s nothing like having a really good mixer to help you out. I miss using my mom’s retro pea green mixer from the 70s now that I don’t live at home anymore, and I’m really excited to have one of my own soon.
When we were out registering, Mr. Cupcake was allowed full control over the scanner gun (because he’s still a little kid like that), but I wanted to personally scan my dream mixer myself, which he so graciously allowed. We originally registered for the 5-Quart Artisan Stand Mixer in Metallic Chrome, which is $299:
Hooray For Free Samples!
January 10th, 2008 @ 4:23 pm by Mrs. Cupcake
No, I’m not talking about the little free samples of strange concoctions at the grocery store…. free paper samples! My favorite kind!
I recently found some pocket-folds on paperpresentation.com that I’m thinking about using for our save-the-dates. The pockets they offer are a good price, and there is a nice range of colors and styles. When I was perusing the website to find a place to order samples, I couldn’t find any such information. Most of these paper websites offer samples, but they typically run from $5-$7 per sample, which can get a little pricey if you are comparing several colors, styles, etc.
I proceeded to use the handy dandy “contact us” link and emailed the Paper Presentation folks to see if I could get a sample or two. They wrote back to tell me that I could get up to FIVE samples, at no charge! Unheard of! Exactly six days later, I received the five different samples I ordered, in an envelope with $2 worth of postage. And I didn’t have to pay a penny.
“Her Mother And I Do”
January 8th, 2008 @ 3:54 pm by Mrs. Cupcake
Although I’m going a bit traditional and having both of my parents walk me down the aisle on my wedding day, I’m still not a big fan of the whole “who gives this woman” thing. I’m 27 — I’ll be 28 by the time we get married — and I don’t think I need to be “given away” by anyone. Our walk down the aisle will certainly mean a lot to me, but I feel that it is more symbolic of my love for my parents, their love for me, and their support of my relationship with Mr. Cupcake; it doesn’t need to be translated into me being handed over like an object. I’ve been a pretty independent person since going away to college, and I have lived away from my parents entirely since I was 22. I like to think that I am my own person who can stand on her own two feet without anyone else having to support me.
This weekend, while catching up on some episodes of “Brothers & Sisters” on my DVR, I happened to catch the episode where Calista Flockhart and Rob Lowe’s characters got married. After Sally Field walked her daughter down the aisle, the minister asked “who gives this woman?”, to which Sally Field proudly replied, “she gives herself freely, with my love and support.” What a perfect and appropriate reply for an independent woman of the twenty-first century!
Cry Me A River
January 8th, 2008 @ 8:29 am by Mrs. Cupcake
If there is one thing that Mr. Cupcake needs to love and accept about me (because I will never change), it’s that I cry. A lot. A bit more than even the most hormonal average person, I think. Sometimes I cry because I’ve been running myself ragged and something sets me off, like spilling something on a favorite shirt. Sometimes I cry if I’m upset about something happening in my or someone else’s life that I can’t control.
Finding Inspiration Where You Least Expect
January 7th, 2008 @ 12:57 pm by Mrs. Cupcake
I have found that there is often better inspiration for wedding decor in magazines and on websites that are not intended to be wedding-related resources. I recently paged through an old (July 2007) issue of Real Simple magazine and found this lovely idea for displaying candles with a table centerpiece:
I love how the cake stand adds importance to the candles, and I love how it is an unexpected way of displaying them. What a cool centerpiece this would create, without needing any flowers at all.
Mrs. Cupcake, Philadelphia
Age and Occupation: 27, Graphic Designer
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Construction Project Manager
Engagement Date: February 10, 2007
Wedding Date: September, 2008
Blogging Since: December 7, 2007
Venue: The Desmond Hotel in Malvern, PA
About Me: Mr. Cupcake and I hit it off at a Halloween party and immediately began a long-distance relationship. After two years, he moved to my neck of the woods, and a year and a half after that, he proposed at the “place we fell in love.” I am a true perfectionist who enjoys designing and creating more work for myself, so wedding planning is my perfect outlet. Mr. Cupcake and I are both old souls, and we hope to weave that aspect of our personalities into our wedding day.
