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!

Down for the Count

Hello, my darlings!

I was so excited to come back from our weekend retreat and share the highlights of our experience with you. Unfortunately, I have been sick with a sinus infection and laryngitis for a week now.

I went straight to bed when we got home, and except for 10 minutes when Mr. PS woke me to eat dinner he made, I have been asleep for 16 hours. Yes, and I'm ready to sleep for 16 more.

Please accept my apologies, I hope to be back on the blog with real content soon!

Here's a teaser photo of us on the weekend to tide you over until tomorrow...

Thanks for stopping by and feel free to leave a comment below...

A Wedding Is A Day...

...A Marriage is a Lifetime.

I've spent the first week of blog resurrection focused on a small-ish detail that sent me reeling back into wedding planning. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't have devoted 4 posts about battling to flower victory if it weren't important to me.

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However, I feel a detour is now appropriate because Mr.PS and I have arrived at the weekend of our Engaged Encounter. As Catholics, we must complete a weekend seminar to fulfill a requirement for marriage in our local parish. Specifically, we seek:

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This little piece of paper is our passport to matrimony! But more than that, the weekend is a timeout from real life to connect and reflect on our relationship. Don't trust me, it's on their website...

"Wondering why to attend for an Entire Weekend? The weekend experience offers each couple the insights, the tools and the confidence to enrich their relationship and strengthen their love for one another. They learn that good marriages don't just happen."

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Sounds good to us! We devoted a lot of time prior to our engagement on counseling to develop great communication skills, and I'm interested to discover what new things we might learn in a retreat format. 

The title and header is the Engaged Encounter motto. I wholeheartedly agree and look forward to another [very short] break from wedding planning - how convenient for me! 

I won't leave you without a dose of planning prettiness to fend against withdrawal until my return. Please head over and visit my friend at Our Common Cup, http://ourcommoncup.wordpress.com/. Like me, she's fairly new to the scene and you'll find that is a natural blogger. My favorite posts so far are The Dress and My Wedding Look Book..., although you will find all of her writing lovely! Be sure to post a comment so she knows you stopped by.

Think good thoughts for Mr.PS this weekend. Especially since we can't be each other's roommates, we're sure to bring a pair of these. Just in case.

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What steps have you taken to keep the marriage at the forefront of wedding planning? Was it a requirement or self-recommended? And how satisfying did you find the process of reflection and connection? Take a moment to comment and show me some love :)

I'll apologize in advance if the formatting is wonky. I can't get it to smooth out - sorry. Have a great weekend and I'll see you on Monday!

Nothing is ever easy.

The title becomes my mantra whenever things like wedding flowers derail forward momentum in my fuzzy mind's eye. I finally googled the quote today to discover that this man is owed some PS props, and I'll admit he looks like a guy who might say something like that. With all due respect, sir:

Author Terry Goodkind 

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My eternal optimist fiance and I discovered a shirt in a Tahoe souvenir shop that explains the same sentiment a little differently...although Mr.PS feels that it accurately describes his dealings with me on occassion, and we both laugh when we see it - ha! Yes, this shirt is in my pajama rotation.

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My trouble is that I didn't want to care about wedding flowers. Pretty enough, I prefer to love succulent plants. To me they are the real-life translation of a Dr. Seuss book setting. Case in point, here's a look at our balcony, with not a traditional flower in sight.

Initial attempts at flower inspiration included these lovelies in the equation.

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Succulents happen to be a major trend in wedding decor nowadays. And trends usually up the asking price. Since we decided that flowers fall low on the list of budgeted priorities, it was back to the drawing board. Several months, hundreds of hours logged on google and one parrot later, I found IT - perfection. Ahhhh, sweet flower relief and my new happy place! Thankfully, they go with decisions already made, especially the attire of the entire wedding party. Whew.

The fascinating part of the wedding planning process for me is that when I truly get it and it feels right, everything falls into place and is naturally very easy! Wait a minute, did I just say that?!  

And now here it is, my final flower inspiration you've all been patiently waiting 4 posts to see...

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Now that I've revealed mine, what's your favorite? And where do flowers rank on your list of priorities? Post a comment and show me some love!

Rule of 2: Cheap - Fast - Good

So by now you've met my new friend, Groucho...

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At least some'one' was there to greet us. Upon calling and finding our church contact was at a BBQ, we waited for the grower to come in from the fields to meet us. For our 10am appointment.  * SIGH *  Our flower idea was quickly costing me more in time and sanity that I cared to invest to get blooms done well at minimum cost.

AHA! I recalled a customer service lesson learned as an intelligence officer at the Pentagon:

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The philosophy succinctly captures the interaction of cost, quality, and speed. And the challenge is that you can only have 2 aspects, not all 3. By applying this "Rule of 2" to wedding planning, I can decide what a task or project is worth. Here's how it works:

If it's GOOD and FAST, it can't be CHEAP.

If it's CHEAP and GOOD, you won't get it FAST.

If it's FAST and CHEAP, it won't be GOOD.

I wasn't getting anywhere close to 2 of these elements with the current approach to sourcing our ceremony flowers.  What a headache! So I did what any naturally introverted analytical would -- spend two hours scouring google images for floral inspiration.

Here's some of the loveliness I found:

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Pretty, but not perfect. My tragic flaw is that my mind's eye has blurry vision. I have a fuzzy idea in my head like a Magic Eye 3-D picture. Remember those? You simultaneously squint and de-focus while holding it close to your face to make the image pop like a turkey thermometer.  In my world, I am unable to articulate what I want and can't figure it out without a lot of stress and strain. Sounds fun, huh? Unfortunately for those who love me, this trait is maddening to experience until I finally 'get' it. Like this:

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Do you see what I see? Welcome to my world!

Can you relate to my struggle or are you able to easily translate your ideas into reality?! Add a comment and show me some love! Bonus points if you can tell me what 'pops' out of the 3-D image...