Somebody's getting Married!

Lovelies, the Tall Englishman and I tied the knot - TWICE!  Once on April 8th (for the civil ceremony) and once on August 27th (for the "real" wedding).

Here's our first set of wedding pics from the NYC "paperwork" wedding, Compliments of Nathan Johnson Photography...

We had our ceremony at Rice Park in St. Paul, MN and the reception across the street at the historic James J. Hill Library.  It was a stunning venue.  (yes that's right, Landmark center behind us is featured in the movie the Mighty Ducks...)

My uncle Chuck took the pic below - not our photographer...

Here's some wedding thing-y's that I'm very proud of (and they have lived on through my friends copying them!  Which I love!  Immitation is the biggest form of flattery!)

1. Our Photographers DNK Photography/Video - AMAZING.  And I've had 2 friends ask to use them...  They took some truly spectacular pictures...

2. The flowers.  Shelli De Blitzen at Forever in Bloom floral did just beautiful work.  I was obsessed with my bouquet and LOVED what she did for our centerpieces...

 My Boquet was orchids, English Roses (for my tall englishman), and regular roses... I was obsessed.  Plus it held up for 3 days!  Well done Shelli - I will use you again!

3. Our Cake & cake topper.  Amazing Spice cake with apple filling - compliments of Queen of Cakes.  I want to eat that cake everyday!  So yummy!  Plus- look at the cute design I asked them to do - they executed it brilliantly!  (Bottom tier, NYC; Middle Tier, Minneapolis/ St. Paul, Top tier: Liverpool - where we're from and where we met.)  Plus my girlfriends mom made us the topper- SO Cute, right??  It's The Englishman, myself and Crumpet!

Lou-lou- LOUBOUTINS!!!

Lovelies - My dreams have come true!!

No, no, I'm not married... Yet.  BUT I am the proud owner of a fancy pair of Louboutin shoes!

Oh JOY, lovelies!

Marriage... is what brings us.... together today... (A la Princess Bride)

Lovelies,  I am in the bowels of wedding planning...

The Tall Englishman and I tie the knot on August 27th and we are currently seeing the price tag go up and up and up...  (and I'm not helping - look at the cute ring bowl that I want to get from ETSY!  We can keep our rings in it after the big day - I love a good ring bowl!)

Le sigh.

Here's some things that got added to the wish list:

1. Video-ographer...  Very good thing to have to remember those moments in between when the photographers will be shooting.  We might just end up giving one of our friends a flip cam and saying "go in peace".  Any thoughts about this from other brides??

2. Flower upgrades.  Instead of doing 2 big arrangements with hydrangeas, I thought it would be nice to do 6 small arrangements with lovely tea roses, some hydrangeas and also other flowers in shades of purple!
 

Plus I want to have anyone who wants to be an "honorary flower person" whatever age go to the back and grab a little basket of petals and TOSS AWAY down the aisle before any of the wedding party go down!  (Side note: I'm still a little bitter - but I was a very bitter 10 year old as NO ONE had asked me to be a flower girl.  I don't want anyone to say "If only I could've been a flower girl" - well now is their chance! Go to the back - grab a basket - and off you go!)

3.  Wine and Beer Open bar - all night, not just the one hour we planned....  In every magazine I've read it says that you wouldn't invite your guests to come to your house, serve them a glass of wine and then say "Hey - now I don't want to give  you any more wine - so tough cookies.  You have to pay for your own now."

So thus at a wedding you should pay for at least wine and beer for the whole night.  Now my family are not big drinkers, so this should not be a problem.  But the Tall Englishman's family is... English.  Fill in the blanks yourselves, Chickens - there will be booze a-flowing with the aide of our guests from across the pond...  (ca-ching! ca-ching! ca-ching!)

This is not mentioning the pair of Louboutins I'd like to get... They're only $695.  A small price to pay for happiness if you ask me... (PS - that was supposed to be sarcasm via typing...  I haven't worked on the Upper East Side THAT long, thank you very much!)  

Best 30th Birthday morning ever.

Lovelies!  I woke up and found THIS:

So Awesome, right??  I think I may have the best fiance ever.  He's so thoughtful and lovely... He made me breakfast, got me the Canon Rebel camera I've been lusting after for the past 2 years and got me the awesome camera storage bag to go with it!

And he even got me this rockin' 30th B'day cake from Kitchenette!  Isn't it cute!?!  The sprinkles, lovelies!

Yum!  And this afternoon I am going to go to the new Sprinkles cupcakery on the Upper East side and get cupcakes for the little dudes and dudette I nanny for!  We're having an "Auntie Musical 30th Birthday Party"!  Isn't that Brilliant?!

It's good to be 30.

I'm turning 30. (or Oh Dear God, I'm Old...)

Lovelies!  Fear not!  I have not left, but have just been in hiding over the past 8 months!

I have been generally lazy, but secretly loving not blogging, not doing too much auditioning and sleeping in nearly every morning of the week!  (I really do love sleeping in...)

I'm turning 30 in less than 60 minutes.  Oh sweet Jeebuz...

29 - where are you going??!!  I'm hanging onto you by my fingernails!  But at least I had a pretty good last day of being 29.  Let's re-cap the day, shall we lovelies?!

First off,  I woke up to the Tall Englishman bringing coffee into the bedroom for me.  He's such a good guy.

Then the Englishman proceeded to tell me that he was probably going to get an Xbox.  Yes, definitely was going to get an Xbox when I went away this summer.  (FYI -Hampton's Monday-Friday in July and Ranch in Canada in August -- all with Lady of the House and her brood.)

Now, lovelies.  I was planning on getting the Tall Englishman an Xbox with the connect thing for a wedding gift.  I was so excited!  What a great gift, right?  He's been asking for it since March, begging to go play the new Star Wars xbox game at our friends house, and overall excited about getting one.

WELL, lovelies - my secret had to come out of the bag this morning.  And I was not happy about it.
There may have been tears.  Lots of tears.

Here I thought I had come up with the best wedding pressy ever.  No stupid cuff links, no watch with something corny like "for all time" engraved on the back, no "Thanks for this ugly wallet" gift.  I was GOLDEN with my idea...  And an idea he would USE!  AND LOVE!

Needless to say, I was crazy disappointed when he figured it out...  But good news is that he's lovely and told me that he would still be surprised and excited to get it.  (and I found out about my engagement ring before he popped the question - so he said "Now we're even.")  I just really REALLY wanted him to be surprised...  Le sigh...

So then I went to the auditions - one at Actors Equity for  new musical called CHICK 6.

 I felt really good about it - but it was a Rock show and Miss Musical isn't much of a rocker.  (a mover and a shaker, maybe, but a rocker... well... let's just say I opt out on tattoos.  And loud bars.  And staying out past 12 at night.)  But I always love auditioning for Gale & Scott-of Seay Wojick casting.  They are stars in my book.  Just delightful people to audition for.

After that it was off to Ripley Greer to audition for the play Man and Boy.  It was sides there - no singing.  I felt good about it!  I showed up, had an honest conversation in the room and tried to be a good scene partner!

More later on my surprise party from last weekend, my Tony party (complete with in-house red carpet) and the upcoming nuptials with the Handsome Tall Englishman....

Now I need to focus again on turning 30...  Perhaps its time to break out the paper bag and breathe deeply....