Six years

AKA, this might get cheesy and sappy. Forgive me.
Six years ago today, Brad and I were in Jamaica exchanging vows.
We have ahem slightly crazy families, mine more so than his. So we decided that we would get married as far away as possible. Jamaica seemed like a good location.

Brad and I are not traditional people. We [obviously] saw each other the day of the wedding. My dress was off white. Brad did not wear a suit. (But he did wear a $60 tie that I bought him, despite his objections.) I wore a tiara instead of a veil. 

Look how young we look!

Our ceremony was set for early afternoon. We had a late breakfast and then I went to the salon to get my hair done. Brad stayed in the room. He got ready and they were supposed to bring a van around for him and take him down an hour or so before me. 

This is Jamaica, they are in no hurry down there. The catch phrase for this trip was "No problem mon!" Brad gave up and walked because I threw him out of the room. (It wasn't a far walk.) The van did eventually come, I told them he was gone. 

Originally, I wanted to do my own hair. The wedding coordinator there was opposed to this. She made a deal with me that if I used their salon do to my hair, she would help me into my dress. 

She was also late. 

No problem indeed.

I kept running out of our room and staring down strangers walking by wondering if they would point and laugh at the girl in a giant petticoat slip or if they would help out. Eventually, the woman showed up. We threw the dress over my head and hauled butt to the other side of the resort. 

It's not like they could have started without me. But still. 

The ceremony was pretty. Mostly because it took place in a lush setting. I enjoyed it. And I managed not to cry. Or at least that's how I remember it. Brad did not make any jokes like claiming to take me only if I promise to do laundry or something like that. I remember that it was the pastors birthday. (So, happy birthday, where ever you are!)

It was a great day. Afterward we celebrated by getting matching sunburns. (I had previously been hiding in the shade to avoid looking like a lobster in my big day.) I wore the tiara all day. I pretended it was because it had become one with my hair via a shit-ton of bobby pins, but really, I wanted to feel special. 

Later that night we saw another wedding party, they were surrounded by friends and family. The bride was dancing in her dress. Brad and I were walking by to go to a show. And while their giant party made me a bit forlorn, I was still happy with our decision. 

I was recently reminded of the delicate nature of marriage. The way I look at it, it's me and Brad against the world. We've been together now for ten years, and I couldn't have a better partner in crime. 

Posing at Dunn's River Falls

Party at our house

This past Saturday we finally got to break in the house really well. Some of our friends got married and they wanted to have a small reception party after they got back from their honeymoon. Our house was suggested and I was all for it!
The party was a lot of fun. I made entirely too many sweets. (Not that anyone really complains about that) I made chocolate chip cookie dough truffles. They are to. die. for. Plain and simple. I know there's pretty much nobody who doesn't love cookie dough. And these guys give you that awesome cookie dough flavor in a fun little bite size and there are no eggs! So no fear of salmonella. (Which Brad fears every time I pull out chicken put tends to overlook when it comes to cookie dough. I guess he 'lives on the wild side.')

And of course, I made a small wedding cake. I wanted them to have the look of a layered cake, but I knew with so much other food that I didn't need to make a big cake. So I stuck with small layers and even alternated tall and short layers.

This was before I finished decorating. I went back and added some pearl dragee accents. Which are more visible in this photo.

All of the roses were made out of fondant. I didn't do this, but I'm considering buying a small mister bottle (like an atomizer) and filling it with extract and some of the luster dust. Then spraying the roses so they have a dewy shine without having to paint the whole thing. I've done that before but sometimes you see the painting streaks. And that can be hit or miss as far as looking intentional. I think spraying it will give just a hint of shine and sparkle and would be able to get down into the cracks.

There were kids running around everywhere. Our friends brought over their 'jump jump' for the kids to bounce in and we put it upstairs in Brad's media room. Which he calls 'the room he will never have because someone is making him take a vacation.' (Poor guy. I'm forcing him to go to Mexico with all our friends.)

And we also borrowed the projector from his work and had movies going on the wall. I think the kids were having a better party than the adults! (Here is Brad being attacked in the jump jump)

Our friends brought their son, who has made tremendous gains! I can't believe he was so small. He's walking now and just all kinds of adorable!

We did some projects before the party that I was really excited to get done. Like a shelf project in the kitchen that cost less than $50. And some side tables that we refurbished from pieces of a dining room table. I'll post the details next week.

And the funniest part of the night was when my slightly drunk husband couldn't stand the foot prints on the floor and mopped at midnight.

A [cake]full weekend

I really wanted to do a quick trial run of Traci's cake that's coming up in two weeks.  I posted the inspiration cake last week, and I just wanted to make sure that method would create the look I wanted.  

And Brad wanted to eat the cake.

So, I guess we each had our missions.

We also decided kind of spur of the moment to paint/stain our deck.  We have talked about it several times, but for some reason we ended up at Home Depot Saturday and bought stain.  

(I will talk more about that next week when we finish, but you can see it in the background of some of the pics and get a hint of what we did.  The railing and such is white, the main boards will be a dark brown.)

I didn't take the time to make the under layer dark red like she wants, so this one was slightly pinkish.   And I think that it will be much more impressive in the three layer form, rather than this single.  I'm actually considering doing a 4 tier for them, giving them a small 4" cake for their anniversary, even though we only discussed a 3 tier.

 I mean, I'm already doing three, what's another tiny cake?  And it could be really cute to cut out their monogram and the little birds.  We'll see if I have time!

Their theme is 'love birds,' which seems to be a lot of people's themes lately.  OK, fine, I know one other person.  It feels like 'everybody.'

So here is a close up of the birds from their invitation. 

 I can't decide if the border will be ribbon (as shown-actually, better than shown,  I ripped that one off the invitation! That's why it's a little crinkly...) or if I want to pipe a pearl border in that color.  

I had fun, and Brad?  Well, he got his cake!

Insta-wedding

Yesterday was hectic.  I worked a partial day - I feel obligated, since I am the only writer, I hate to leave them stranded for a whole day.  And then I was off.  Running at lightning speed, putting together a wedding on a shoe string budget and in 7 hours no less.  I pick out flowers, call sister 1 and meet her at the location.  She hadn't actually seen it yet.  Then I was off to decorate the cup cakes.  It was easier than a full blown wedding cake, plus I wanted something big and showy without the PILE of cake left over.  I ran to the grocery store to pick up fresh strawberries, and back to the bakery to dip them in chocolate.  Calling my husband in between to coordinate everything I needed him to find/wash/pack into his car.  Grab us dinner and transfer the contents of my car into his and head back to the location.  Devour my first real meal of the day, I had been living on Mt. Dew so far and start putting everything together.  My sister and her husband/husband to be arrive and help.  We rearrange the furniture and put out candles and flowers.  It wasn't much, but it was heaps better than the event my sister had originally planned in her living room.  And seeing that she sprung this on me only two short weeks ahead, and the fact that I didn't have confirmation on the location until a mere 48 hours prior to the event, I think it went well.  The only hitch came in my uneducation about the proper means to burn a CD on a mac.  As a reformed pc user, I am still confused by the overwhelming simplicity of this tiny thing sitting on my lap.  So, the music played from the tiny speaker of my G4.  

Although I wanted desperately to make fun of my sisters event, I mean, she re-married a guy she never even divorced, after almost marrying a completely different guy.  And the bride was beautiful despite the three visible tattoos on her back.  And the groom was probably the guy she should be marrying [again], despite the "I have a huge pen" shirt that he eventually changed into.  But, the ceremony actually made me tear up.  And I really hope that she has found what she has always been desperately seeking.  And the fact that it is something she has had at her disposal for over six years, makes me hope that she truly appreciates that it is still there.

That doesn't count!

So far, the majority of this blog has been dedicated to me whining.  Shocker, right?  Well, lately, since the MIL is well into her third month at the BIL's house, I haven't had anything to whine about.  And since we haven't really (really) started on the house, I don't have that to talk about either.  

So, I will revert to my trusted stand-by. 

My crazy family.

I grew up in a small town.  A town looked down on by the rest of the state, a state which is usually the butt of all other states jokes.  The state that always gets picked last for any sport.  (And I mean that in a memories of high school joke kind of way, not that the state actually comes in last for sports, which it kind of does...)  So, small town.  Well, as with any small town, there are things you love and things you hate.  Personally, I am to the point of lying about where I grew up (notice I have never EVER mentioned it here?) mostly because of how embarrassing it is.  Well, I moved away, went to college, got two degrees, got married, bought a house and some dogs.  All the normal stuff people do.  During all of this, I had one goal in mind: to never return to un-named small town. 

My sister, was not so lucky.  She got away, but as they say, 'you can take the girl out of the small town, but you can't take the small town out of the girl.'  She joined me at college, where she completed one semester.  During which, she ran off and got married (while living with me), ended up pregnant, and dropped out of school.  

While I was working on my MBA, she decided to work on turning her body into a canvas, painting it with a variety of subjects and lots of colors.  

While I was getting married in Jamaica, she was deciding that she didn't want to be married to her husband anymore.

They separated and she began seeing someone else earlier this year.  They got engaged.  They also go pregnant.  (The baby was lost) and they broke up.  She bought a dress and was planning a wedding.

Friday of last week, about a month and a half after breaking up with they guy, we have this conversation via text:

Her: Can you make me a wedding cake?

Me:  Sure.  When?

Her: The 24th

Me: Of sept?

Her: yes.

Hmmm.  I call her.  Who are you marrying?  The answer?  Her ex-husband.  OK, not a complete surprise, she told me they were seeing each other the week before.  

Which leads me to ask her, last year, when you guys got divorced, did you really get divorced?  (I ask because I never got a definitive answer when they talked about it.  She borrowed money to have the divorce, but never did the, "I'm divorced!" thing.

No, they never actually got divorced.  Then how were you going to marry someone else?!?!?!

It was just easier to say they were divorced than actually do it.  Um, OK.  My sister is a lot of talk and no action.  So, next week, she will be "renewing her vows" to her husband on their 6th anniversary.  Which, I am dying to point out that 'anniversary' is about how long you have been together, and since they have been broken up but legally married that it doesn't actually count...

But, I know my sister.  She would change a game mid-way through and declare herself the winner, while I would stand by screaming, "That doesn't count!"  

She didn't listen then, and I'm sure she won't now.  So all I can do is stand by, watch, and make her a cake.