"PANIC: We're Still Hanging On"

We interrupt our regularly scheduled blog post for an "iPhone down" alert. At approximately 4:42 pm PDT, Mr. PS's phone turned off without prompting. Uh oh.

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Upon reboot, the home screen read "panic" and "we're still hanging on." For some reason, I couldn't help but think Diana Ross was trying to channel a message to Mr. PS.

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I had a date night with a dear friend and came home after 8 pm to find Mr. PS in a distressed state. We call this the "sad beagle puppy" face. 

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We'll let you be the judge, and I'm sure you can empathize if your phone's screen looked something like this, too.

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Okay, okay - maybe I'm exaggerating, but nowadays cell phones serve as our main communications pathway to the world. And if you're like us, 'landline' doesn't exist in our vocabulary, let alone our household. His phone needed fixing, and STAT!

I can troubleshoot technology pretty well, and Mr. PS reluctantly let me takeover his computer to perform the backup and restore functions, slick the device and start fresh. In all honesty, I felt a little anxious. If the restore was unsuccessful, I was the only one to blame. 

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The first attempt did not take. I got Error Code 14. Huh?! I was visibly nervous and chanted "go, go, go" and "do it, do it, do it" under my breath for the better part of 20 minutes on the second try. 

This time, victory was mine. Hooray!

I'll admit, I felt proud to display my technical ability for Mr. PS and his most cherished everyday possession. But more than that, I felt that he trusted me to take care of him during a moment when his pride could have interfered. Sync complete. Very cool. 

Now let's turn the tables. Have you had a similar experience in coming through for your beloved? I'm curious to learn about those strengths where your [future] spouse leans on you to lead the way. 

One Track Mind

This wasn't what I had in mind to reveal today, but unfortunately Mr. PS caught me with the proverbial pants down. Oh no!

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Promise not to laugh? I'm addicted to reality TV. Last night's guilty pleasure featured "The Bachelorette," courtesy of our DVR.

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We affectionately refer to it as 2 hours of your life that you will never get back, it's that bad. And yet I love it. Mr. PS rolls his eyes and endures the drama, the tears, and the ridiculous return of Bentley because he loves me. I told you he's great, and I can't say it enough! Here's a reminder of how happy we are.

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Unfortunately, my indulgence in reality TV is not the worst of it. It's time I let you in on an embarrassing character flaw. As much as I wish it were, this is NOT me:

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Although I'm learning to accept my multi-tasking incompetence, it's still difficult to say [deep breath] -- out loud. Whew, now you know, and can probably sense the perfect storm waiting to make landfall.

Mr. PS was watching intently while I was google searching at the same time. I didn't hear his comment about the nice guy on the date who didn't have much life experience. I didn't even say 'mm hmm' to semi-acknowledge he was talking to me.

After a 'hey' and a gentle nudge, Mr. PS noticed that I was facing exactly perpendicular from the proper viewing angle of the television. In that moment, he incredulously posed a question to the universe:

"What am I, watching this show 

all by myself?!"

Umm, oops. I was caught not paying attention after I had asked so nicely to please watch a show he would never choose for himself. 

I probably should have apologized.

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Instead, I let out a huge laugh and couldn't stop! My poor future husband had been sucked into a story line of my show that I wasn't even bothering to watch. We finished out the episode together and then he quickly changed the channel to watch a poker tournament. 

Manliness restored.

Have you ever experienced a time when your loved one sacrificed for your enjoyment only to find that you weren't in the moment? What was the result - laughter or tears?

Puttin' on the Ritz

I'm excited to share today's post because it's the first of many opportunities to gush over the greatness that is my future husband. You see, it's Mr. PS who demonstrated how to make a wedding decision. With ease. And good judgment. And without changing it three times over. (Can you tell I'm a teeny bit envious of his natural ability in this department?)

After several months of struggling with venues. And color palettes. And themes. And flowers...I decided it was time to punt the planning over to Mr. PS. I thought for sure that dressing the men would buy me few weeks of sanity while he was in charge. 

So on a rainy Tuesday in February, Mr. PS lovingly agreed to share our weekly date night with a third wheel. We trudged over to our local Men's Wearhouse where I secretly hoped to meet this man:

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No such luck. However, when Mr. PS crossed the threshold of the store, the warm, friendly welcome made him look like the celebrity! Little did I know that he had been buying his suits here for nearly a decade and his consultant happened to be on shift. We were in good hands. Even better, we learned about a little sale that happens every few months and as luck would have it was running just then.

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Whaaaa?! Seriously? This is where my mind is blown in 3....2....1...

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We wanted suits, and suits we got. Instead of asking our guys to rent a tux and fork out $149 for a rental, they are getting a suit they can keep. The suit retails for $200, and with the sale applied came out to $100 each. Their ties and shirts were also BOGO. Their shirts, originally $40, were on sale for $20 and with the offer averaged to $10 per shirt. SCORE! You wanna see the goods? Of course you do!

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Just like that and in an instant, the boys were dressed. Mr. PS gave me a hug and a kiss, and a bit of advice - "Wedding planning is easy." I hate to admit it, but he's right. Too bad his skill has yet to rub off of me.  

Friends, this is totally the way to go IMHO. Trusting Mr. PS with wedding tasks has given us with so many memories and great stories. When I see all the decisions we've made on W-Day, I'll feel pride and happiness to remember that we're in it and did it together.

What hidden strengths or talents has wedding planning revealed of your future spouse? Have you had any similar serendipitous moments where decision-making was this easy? Share your thoughts and post a comment below!

Bridal Breakdown # ?? - I've lost count.

Hello dear friends, happy Monday! I hope your weekend was full of fun and happiness. Mine certainly was, although it didn't start out that way...

Remember last week I was all insightful and inspired? I even had the nerve to use 'om' in one of those posts. Well, it only took a mysteriously missing bridesmaid's dress to derail the zen-like approach to wedding planning in one quick instant. My FB status update says it all.

WTH is right, Miss Rachel. It's a bit of a story that I'll save for later this week. Here's a preview of that super fun day with my girls 3 months ago. 

For now, suffice it to say that I ordered and paid for all the dresses at that same time in one transaction. The dresses finally came in - YAY! and I picked them up last Friday before rushing off to the airport to visit my Maid of Honor in SoCal. Imagine my surprise turned frustration when the consultant said "she hasn't ordered hers yet" after I asked about the one that didn't come in. 

I now fully understand why couples elope, and those who don't wish they had. Here's a glimpse of our dream wedding heaven if I could have only let go of marriage in the church. Ahhhhh, Cabo.

But I digress. After a mildly tearful meltdown alone in the car, I laughed at myself for thinking that "nothing is ever easy." Thankfully, I was on my way to visit my dear Maid of Honor. If anyone could make this process fun again, it would be her. 

We even managed to squeeze in some computer time devoted to wedding planning. She came through in a big way and I'm back from the brink of another bridal breakdown - thanks, friend!

Now you know how I regain sanity when the going gets rough...I jet off to somewhere fun with friends! Who keeps you grounded on this roller-coaster journey to matrimony? What are your favorite escapes or de-stressing tips? I could definitely use them for a rainy day, so please take a moment and comment below!

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Got a Devil's Haircut in My Mind

Happy Friday, we made it. I'm finally making a return to work today after a weeklong battle with a sinus infection and laryngitis - yuk. Talk about good timing, I'm getting back just in time for the weekend. TGIF!

I'll pause to bring you a quick wedding freakout: TODAY MARKS 100 DAYS UNTIL W-DAY. That means it's a double-digit countdown for the next three months, AAAACK! Okay, freakout over. I just needed to capture that in writing somewhere, haha!

Yesterday's ramblings about wedding planning as a process of self-discovery sidetracked my initial intent to entertain you with outrageous hair styling. Some may argue 'high fashion' or 'couture,' and I'll let you be the judge.

For example, I thought about adding a flower as an accessory to my wedding hairstyle. Something romantic like a real gardenia would be easy enough to get from my florist and tuck behind my ear. Then again...maybe I want my stylist to work harder and create flowers out of my hair, like this?

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I'm not sure what to make of this next style, so I consulted a creative genius, Mr. PS. I'm afraid to report that his imagination failed us here. Do you see a pig snout? Neither did I. He quickly recovered to say that it looked like a modern-day take on Princess Leia's locks, but I'm not letting the original suggestion go that easily.

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Now you might be thinking that it would be impossible to combine the first two styles into one. I'll ask you to think again, my friends. It HAS been done:

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And our last stop on the tour of outrageous hair needs no explanation. My only question is - how did they do THAT?!

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Needless to say, I'll stick with the tamer selections I shared yesterday. Especially after a second look, none of those fancy 'dos seem veil-friendly. So which will it be -- Beyonce, Anne, or Sandra? And the winner is...

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Here's another example I found that's similarly inspired.

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Did your choice align with mine, or did you prefer another style? Post a comment and let me know what you're thinking. Thanks for sharing another week with me. Have a great weekend and see you back here on Monday!

p.s. In case you're wondering, the title is a song blast from the mid-90s past by Beck. He explained the song as being "A really simplistic metaphor for the evil of vanity." via    Fitting, no?

By Hook or By Crook

It's time to create my wedding day look! No intentions to accomplish this   'by any means necessary,' though I always enjoy a good rhyme...

 I've chosen the dress, which shall remain unposted here. Mr.PS reads my blog and prefers to be surprised on our wedding day. We'll honor his choice for another three months. And like my shoes, I said yes to the dress...twice. Are you sensing a theme here? [Ed. note: I probably should have considered 'indecisive bride' as my screen name - LOL!]

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The challenge is that time is quickly ticking down to W-Day and it's imperative to make decisions that I can stick with. Instead of over-thinking each task and forcing a choice in my quest for these:

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...it's more important to take a deep breath and really feel that the choice is a reflection of me. I rarely approach everyday decisions with my heart, which may be why I find wedding planning so maddening. I'm learning that it can serve as a means to self-growth if I choose to accept the challenge.  om.

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Whoa. Now I'm on a journey not only to find my inner voice, but to listen to it, too?! I didn't know I signed up for this when I said yes to the proposal and the ring...who knew decisions like flowers and shoes and makeup and hair could be so deeply affecting?

With this in mind, let's get to it, shall we? First stop is hair. I'm planning to wear it down and have narrowed 75 photo inspirations down to three distinct styles. 

We'll start with the loose, wavy locks of Beyonce. Very sexy, I'm wondering how much hairspray will be necessary to keep the curl fresh all day. Sounds like mission impossible.

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Next up, the stylish curls of Anne Hathaway. This look has potential: it's polished and more finished than my everyday hair. And it may stand the test of time. Bookmarked!

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And finally, who didn't love the sleek look of Sandra Bullock at the 2010 Academy Awards. Absolutely gorgeous in it's sophisticated simplicity.

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So now, dear readers, I turn over the choice to you. I've already decided and would love to hear which celeb you think has the most wedding-worthy hairstyle for my big day.  Comment below and I'll post my big reveal tomorrow!

WHiV SiV

I don't know about you, but it seems I'm always coming across new acronyms to interpret and add to my texting and chat vernacular. I've got the very basic ones down...

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Outside of that I end up having to ask what the acronym means. I guess that defeats the purpose of using them, but then again, ignorance is NOT bliss when it comes to acronym soup.

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So what's the message I'm trying to send you in the title? My girls are planning a bachelorette/bridal shower party for yours truly and it's looking like this:

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Get it?  WHiV SiV = What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas

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 I'm still battling a sinus infection and laryingitis. Let's just say after a trip to the doctor's office, I'm losing the battle but winning the war. Knowing that there's a girls trip to Vegas on the horizon definitely perked my spirits today. 

Share the plans or dreams for your own bachelorette party in the comments below and show me some love!

Aller guten Dinge sind drei.

No, I don't speak German. However, I was happy to discover the origin of the idea that "all good things come in threes." Things like:

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Three little kittens, the Three Stooges, and ...huh?! Let me explain.

I've spent the greater part of two days in bed trying to kick this cold to the curb. I've had zero reserve energy for TV watching, message board posting, or surfing the web. Don't get me wrong, sleeping is my favorite hobby, but this was getting ridiculous!

There was only one thing that could get me out of bed today, and I totally forgot about it until Mr.PS came home. He greeted me with a bedside kiss and told me a box came in the mail. Bolting upright, I jumped out of bed to break into my newest wedding treasure.

Those of you who have accepted the challenge of finding your wedding shoes will likely agree -- this is no easy task. Those of you who haven't are probably wondering "What's the big deal? No one will see your shoes under your dress anyway." Let me attempt to persuade you with something fellow fanatics affectionately refer to as shoe porn. Not only are they lovely, they make for a great photo op!

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You'll soon come to learn that I have fully exercised my right to change my mind with all things wedding related, and shoes were no exception. My first pair were charcoal gray Badgley Mischka 'Frank'. I fell in love with the color to match Mr. PS's wedding suit, and the fabric rosette complemented my wedding gown sash.

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Unfortunately, these shoes were sheer torture when it came to wearing them for my hour-long dress fittings. Though sad to admit it, my pretties had to be replaced. Good fortune struck when I came across the Miss America 'Zuma' at DSW. Double score - they were tall enough to wear with my dress and were on clearance for $30. Mr. PS thought my feet looked sexy in them - added bonus!

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I thought the search was over, but it was not to be so. Remember this?

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Well, I hope you will agree that these shoes are 'the ones'. They have received Mr. PS's stamp of approval of sexy feet and are a nod to my online screen name. And even better, they are comfortable! Without further ado, I'd like to introduce the pink sequined peep toe from Ann Taylor.

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Well, whaddya think? Have you experienced the phenomenon of threes in your own wedding experience? Post a comment below and show me some love!