The Marcheses

We did it! What a lovely, amazing time we had. {More to come... still acclimating to returning home}

Attack of the Killer Lists

As time grows short {Paul says today that it still feels like it's taking FOREVER to get here. I find that "kid at Christmas" reaction to be a good sign that he's enthusiastic}, we are being head-on assaulted by to-do lists. We make them - "we" being the operative word - and cross things off, then move the leftover items to the new list.

I have lists for work, drifting around my desk, slipping under piles of books, scribbled on scrap paper, and honey-do lists and lists of things to pick up or pack or move or drop off. These lists are not typed out or have neat little boxes sitting pretty, ready to be checked. Like most creatives, they are written across the lines in a wild slant or on post-its with unfamiliar phone numbers etched on the corners.

If I had time to be creative with my lists instead of hastily worded reminders, they might look a little like this:

• Create space for all Paul's stuff amongst my stuff. Note: try to contain his stuff, as he is male and should need only food and companionship.
• Feel guilt about the size of our newly combined carbon footprint.
• Seek therapy for the magnitude of our stuff and how we need a house big enough to contain it all. {See George Carlin on stuff - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvgN5gCuLac}
• Go to Target. Register for more {much needed} stuff. :)
• Spend any remaining wedding budget on attempt to look thinner, younger, buffer, tanner, hipper, and more like the female cast of Grey's Anatomy.
• Write meaningful, non-cheesy vows that will not induce giggling or gagging amongst our family.
• Clean and organize office so that should something tragic happen while out, no one is horrified by the mess. {You know, it's like, wear clean underwear.}
• Write lists for all the other people involved in the next couple of weeks so they are properly micromanaged.
• Pray that Paul still wants to marry me after Bridezilla-like freakouts over: a) our stuff, b) being thinner, buffer, hipper, c) writing meaningful vows, d) being organized, and e) making lists.

Sneak Peek

My incredibly talented and brilliant brother turned his eductation and skills towards making us into a caketopper that any person in 3-D would be envious of.

I'll post the full image and shots of the happy Pixar-ated "us" topping our cakes, in Napa and in Ohio, after the shindigs.

I love it. I think we are much more interesting as cartoons than we ever will be in actual wedding photos!

Catorce Días!

Turns out, Cinco de Mayo will always fall two weeks before our wedding anniversary. Maybe we'll plan on celebrating early with Mexican getaways. Or a few weeks later over that rousing June holiday, Flag Day.

Paul and I did host a small, on-the-fly Cinco de Mayo party, serving up margaritas and chips and Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass. {One friend brought over the little "potted plants" of ice cream and Oreo left from my Saturday bachelorette party. Yum.} We haven't hosted much in the last few weeks because - well, my house is messy. With planning for Napa, coordinating with Mom, attempted house buying, and looming work deadlines- laundry, dusting, and de-winterizing my porch has fallen somewhere below sleeping and eating on the to do list.

We decided against the house we were buying after the seller wouldn't compromise with us on issues revealed in the inspection. But it's okay - we'll just put Paul's stuff in trash bags and keep them alongside the Ivy house. I have plenty of driveway space left. And when we resume the search for a home... we'll be much more educated than before. "Before" being the time when we NOTHING about house buying.

But the messy house and the real estate education are little ripples in this pond of getting ready for our "big day" as they call it. I think Paul and I just hope for a very lovely day that keeps us together down this path of our "Big Life". And tomorrow, our lovely day and trip is only thirteen days away. To that, I say: "Salud!"

FAQs for bored, web-surfing friends

About our run-off-and-get-married plans...

Are you still getting hitched at that place on the blog, the Miliken?

Nope. Our party grew beyond the five that they are limited to for a small wedding but we found an excellent B&B, La Belle Epoque (pic left), in Napa to host our merry marrying crew.

What time?

We are partial to early evening, but still flexible. We just want some time to enjoy the location with our family before they head home. We'll have a leisurely, nice meal out after the ceremony, then cake back at the B&B.

Who's coming?
Our sisters, brother, plus an animal doctor and a chubby baby. We'll greatly miss the batch of brother-in-laws, newphews and niece, parents, and a grandmother that can't be there but we're eager to celebrate with most of them in Ohio the following weekend.

What are you wearing?

Right now? A charcoal slacks and... Oh, the wedding. A dress, of course. Paul is getting a new suit.

Getting married in wine country, eh? You guys going to be drunk all week?

No... we are too poor for that...but we do plan to be gluttonous.

Will you stay in Napa for awhile?

We are actually heading for the Sonoma Valley shortly after the gang takes off. Healdsburg sounds amazing.

Calendar-a-Go-Go

The days are slipping by and our "to do" list - a concept with which Paul has been vigorously introduced-- is filled with plenty of crossed-out items but an equal, perhaps growing, amount of uncrossed tasks remain.



We haven't helped ourselves any by seriously contemplating becoming homeowners-- a long saga for another day. We have learned loads in the last couple of weeks about financing and realtors and "the market". Whether this knowledge is useful now or needs to be shelved until after May... that still remains to be seen.



One item still to do is "register". Or decide not to register. Paul and I have found ourselves in an interesting debate about what it means to be adults with functioning households, with respectable jobs, and what a wedding gift registry means. The retailers haven't helped, in my opinion, either as they've created options for separate registries, a bride's and a groom's. To me, it's not a wedding registry then, as wedding implies the couple. Take the groom out of it, and I have no wedding. Just a pretty dress. Call me old-fashioned but the original purpose was to prepare the young couple for leaving their families homes and start a household together... not a bride's household and a groom's separate household.



Another thing that we've discussed is the determination between needs and wants. We, as a couple, do not need a Swiss ball for our household. I, Shannon, want a Swiss ball to... you know... do those weird ball exercises. Paul may surprise me, but I don't think he'd use the Swiss ball, really. Therefore it shouldn't go on the registry. But do we really need anything?


Perhaps if we get a house...

With all the beauty

As we sit here trying to figure out which is more pressing, to take the recyclables to the recycling center or take a walk on this most beautiful spring day, I can not help but be most pleased with my company and the thought of doing either while in her company. For that matter any number of things in her company. It is indeed "A cup overflowing" for me this and every day forthcoming…life is beautiful! 

Paul 

PS: I think we might go with a nap ;-)