Wedding shower etiquette

Hi ladies! I'm coming to you with a question since many of you have already "been there, done that" as far as wedding showers go.

We are beginning to have people ask us if they can throw us a shower, for which we are beyond grateful! However, this has me thinking about guest lists for said showers- mainly what I do about inviting our wedding party.

Did you invite your wedding party to every shower? I'd love to invite them to all of them, and here is my reasoning. The people throwing them are from various parts of our lives. My bridesmaids know some of them, but they don't know others. I'd love for them to be able to interact with people that are going to be involved in our wedding prior to the big day. I just think a wedding is a lot more fun when people are comfortable around each other at the reception and have already made each other's acquaintance.

However, I do not want them to feel obligated to attend every shower or party. I don't know how many there will be, and I may be jumping the gun, but if there are multiple showers, I don't expect them to drop everything to attend them all. But, I want to extend the invitation so that they can come if they are able and want to. I also do not want them to bring me a present to every shower. I don't expect them to pay for a dress, pay for other things they'll be involved with, and then feel like they have to buy me a present for everything. I could care less about the presents-seriously.

I'm sure many of you were faced with a similar situation, so how did you handle it?

What's your "real"?

I heard this song on the radio last night, and I really liked it. I'm not a big fan of television, and especially not reality shows. (My apologies to those of you who are. I certainly am not trying to offend anyone.)

The song is called "Real" and it's by James Wesley. It made me laugh at first because it pokes fun at reality shows, but then I listened to the rest of the lyrics and the meaning of those and the reality of them. When it talks about the farmer facing a drought, I couldn't help but think of my dad and the reasons he had to quit farming.

Here they are:
**Disclaimer- the grammar kills me, but it's country music, so you know how that goes.

Five hundred channels and there ain't much on tonight
Except reality shows about some folks' so-called lives.
A pretty girl cries 'cause she don't get a rose
But she'll find love next year on her own show

And they call that real

Real is a hand you hold fifty-seven years
Real is a band of gold tremblin' with fear
It's the first long tear down an old man's face, watchin' his angel slippin' away
His heart's so broke, it's never gonna heal

I call that real

Where I live, housewives don't act like that
And the survivors are farmers in John Deere hats
Our amazin' race is beating the check
Prayin' that the bank ain't ran it through yet

Real, like too much rain fallin' from the sky
Real, like the drought that came around here last July
It's the damn boll weevils and the market and the weeds, the prayer they're sayin' when they plant the seeds
And the chance they take to bring us our next meal

I call that real

Real, like a job you lose 'cause it moves to Mexico
Like a mama and a baby with no safe place to go
Like a little dream house, with a big old foreclosed sign
Like a flag-draped coffin and a twenty-one gun goodbye

I call that real
Man, I call that real
Oh, I call that real

Thank goodness it's Friiiiiiday!

I have been such a slacker this past week!! I went home for the weekend and did not have internet access and then when I returned, we got snow and ice and did not have to work on Monday or Tuesday. I just did not feel like picking up my computer to blog! Here's a picture of me with Abe and the snowman WEG and I built. Yes, it's quite small- building a snowman is hard when you have absolutely no experience. And yes, those look like meatballs for the snowman's face, but they are actually chocolates. You work with what you have!

In other news, I got my dress!! I didn't intend on buying a dress on Saturday, but I went with my parents to the Brides Against Breast Cancer shop near my hometown and found "THE" dress. It was perfect, and I couldn't pass it up, and if I told you the price, you'd be shocked. The store raises money for the Making Memories Foundation that gives people with terminal breast cancer one of their wishes, similar to the Make a Wish Foundation for children. The dresses sold are either from the runway or donated by a bride after she has worn it. So, I may be wearing someone else's wedding dress, but I don't know them, so I'm okay with that! And, it could be new- so who knows. Brides Against Breast Cancer has a TON of dresses and I always love a good cause! If you would like to read more about this, go here: Brides Against Breast Cancer. And if you're ever in the Santee, SC area and looking for a dress, stop in!

I am looking forward to another long weekend since monday is MLK, Jr. day. I work at JTT on Saturday, but then I am booked for a massage on Monday. I can't wait! I got 3 gift certificates for massages for Christmas, and I can't wait to use them because it's not something I would normally treat myself to.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Picking your brains

Hello, dear readers. Shockingly, I am coming to you with a question that is not related to weddings, but believe me, I am sure to have plenty of those in the coming months!

Can anybody tell me where I can find a travel jewelry organizer much like this Vera Bradley version. Obviously, the VB one is a discontinued item because it is either a) sold out online or b) selling for anywhere between $60 and $80 dollars...um, no thank you. I have found a few on Etsy, but they are not exactly what I'm looking for. The VB style is preferable because of the numerous and zippered pockets. What I'm seeing on Etsy do not have zippers.

I have a friend who wants this for her birthday, and I'm on the hunt, so if you've seen something similar somewhere, do share!

As for the promised ring picture- stay tuned until Monday. I took one that was great and then I mistakenly erased it from my camera when transferring pictures to my computer...grr! I told you I was technologically challenged. So, when I post again on Monday, I promise to show you. Until then, it's an oval center stone with two half moon diamonds on either side and a plain band. I lurrrrve it!

Everyone have a good weekend- stay warm!

The story...drumroll please

I know you have all been waiting on pins and needles to hear our engagement story. What, you haven't? Ok, well just humor me!

Here goes.
On Thursday the 30th, I went to work at Just the Thing. Around noon, WEG sends me a text message to see if I wanted to go to dinner that night at our favorite restaurant, Mr. Friendly's, since we hadn't done anything special for Christmas really. Not thinking anything of it, I responded yes, of course. Ironically, we had just been talking at work about how good Mr. Friendly's is, so I told them I would be going there for dinner. One of the girls I work with, who I started working with when WEG and I first started dating, said she had a feeling he might propose that night. I didn't think that was the case either because I was almost certain he did not have a ring- if he did, it would have happened sooner because it would have burnt a hole in his pocket.

So, the day passed and after work I went home to change and get ready for dinner. WEG was already ready to go, so I was hurriedly running through the house trying to find something to wear. I was digging through my closet when he came up behind me to ask if I was choosing something nice. I responded that of course I was. And he again said, "Ok, make sure you choose something nice." I asked why and turned around as I asked to find him down on one knee with the ring in his hand. He said "I want you to wear something nice to celebrate the night I asked you to be my wife." He tells me that I did this little shake thing- of disbelief, probably. And then I started bawling. I said yes, of course, and then thought to make sure he had asked my daddy. Of course he had, so I said yes again.

I could barely get ready to go to dinner I was so excited- and my face was a WRECK from the crying! But happy tears are okay. It was the perfect engagement for us....at home and a complete surprise. I never would have wanted a public engagement, and it was sweet without being over the top sappy, which is not either one of our styles.

And, just so you know...I was right about the burning a hole in his pocket thing. He bought the ring, asked my dad, and asked me all in the same day. I know him quite well ;-)

I have not been able to take a good shot of my ring- it always comes out too blurry on my camera. Any advice on how to fix the problem?

Dear Atlantic Coast Conference,

Please release your football schedule for 2011. I am trying to plan a wedding date, and I can't do it if I don't know when Clemson has away games or a bye. The SEC released their schedule in October, so you are way behind the curve. I am too OCD to wait until February for your schedule release to pick a date.
Your prompt attention to this matter would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks so much,
Emily

If anybody knows someone in the ACC office or the Clemson Athletic Department that might be able to tell me what Clemson's schedule looks like for October 22nd, 29th, or November 5th, I'd be forever indebted to you. Waiting a month is just not sitting well with me!

Proposal story coming soon along with a picture of my ring (I just have to take one with my camera and not my phone)!

Always a bridesmaid...

FINALLY A BRIDE!

Yes, you read that right. WEG popped the question on Thursday night! I am beyond excited and happy. We haven't made any plans yet, but we have been celebrating with friends. What a great end to 2010 and a start to 2011!