I Love Paper Flowers!

You all know that I love reading Wedding Bee blogs and boards. I love the supportive community and the creativity that the bloggers and members bring! It's such a great place for brides to come together to support and encourage one another and to get advice. And I have been finding some beautiful inspiration and wonderful craft projects that I really want to incorporate into our wedding.

So this week has been paper flower week for me! I have been folding, cutting and gluing flowers together! Both flower mock-ups I made were from wedding bee bloggers, the first is an inspiration from Miss Cinnamon Bun. I had so much fun trying this tutorial! I'm thinking of using these as some kind of favors, or maybe in the centerpieces...hmm...possibilities! (Anyway, onto the photos!)

 The tutorial is great! And shows pictures step by step. This is my first try, can you tell? Well...it was my first try!

Now THAT'S more like it!

Getting better! Yay!

Now, for my next number! I saw this on Mrs. Button's adorable gift wrapping tutorial: Wax paper peonies!

A little blurry, and it looks like a loofah...
Again, first try..

This flower is super easy to make and is so pretty (once I got the hang of it!) Anyway, here's all of them together! So much fun to make! Don't you love crafting?

Best,

Micah

Stress and Wedding Dreams

I have been quite a busy little bee for the past couple of months; I was a lead in a musical, went away to Florida for a week, and began work on a new play (goes up in April, will speak more of it soon over in WWW*), and have been auditioning like a madwoman and working full time as well as searching for a permanent job! Top that with a very (and thankfully so) active social life and visits to families and whew! I'm...le tired!

Lately, and by lately, I mean since about two weeks after we were engaged ::sheepish grin:: I have had wedding nightmares. Well, you know what, nightmare is not the right word --- because I don't take them seriously and I think they are funny and absolutely silly. They come from a place of slight stress from me who is a little overwhelmed right now with all of the things I am currently juggling. The dreams themselves are funny because they are so ridiculous! In one of them, my dress was assembled incorrectly and looked like a melting buttercream cake!

Yep, kind of like that..

Please, don't get me wrong, I am a very happy person right now and in a great place with my life, my friends, family, my acting and most importantly, with my fiancée. I really am laughing dreams like this off. I think I just need to take some more time than I have been allowing myself to relax. I cannot wait for our wedding, and I am having so much fun thinking about it!

...Of course, I was trolling the wondrous boards of WeddingBee and I found a link to some very helpful tips on how to relax. I am going to make a priority of focusing on that, and all of the things that I am lucky to have and all the positive energy I can.

Until next time (when I share about my DIY paper flowers)!

-Micah

*My other blog, Words, Words, Words.

Woo me with a poem!

Shall I compare thee to a Summer's day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate:

Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,

And Summer's lease hath all too short a date:

Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,

And oft' is his gold complexion dimm'd;

And every fair from fair sometime declines,

By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd:

But thy eternal Summer shall not fade

Nor lose possession of that fair thou owe'st;

Nor shall Death brag thou wanderest in his shade,

When in eternal lines to time thou growest:

So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,

So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

Sonnet XVIII

Patrick memorized and recited this to me on one of our very first dates. ::Sigh:: SO romantic! We have decided to incorporate the sonnets in our wedding reception since they mean so much to us as a couple.

I'll keep you posted on how!

Best,

Micah

Literature and Guidance

(Warning: the following post may sound like a promotion, it's not, it's just me being crazy about all things wedding!)
So, I don't know about everyone else, but my coffee table is COVERED with Wedding mags! All of which I am obsessed with! I think it may be taking over my personal library collection...

I'm telling you! It's taking over my morning commute! :)

I have to say, I love that they cover a lot of different questions about wedding etiquette like what types of entertainment are cute and what can be tacky, and what to do if a monetary gift check bounces, things like that which maybe awkward to talk about. Also, I love that they feature great varieties of inspirational pictures so that you can really get a sense of what you want your day to look like. I've gotten a lot of ideas from these mags and my inspirational book is chock full of cut outs! EEE!

Another thing I LOVE:

I love that all those who participate in the board discussions seem to be genuinely happy to help and ready to answer any questions. I also like getting advice from fellow brides. It is stressful to plan a wedding, as I am slowly discovering, but it's really nice to know that I have a plethora of sources as well as bee-friends to guide me through!

I know I haven't BEGUN to cover everything. These are just two things that I have latched on to so far in the planning process :)

See you soon!

Best,

Micah

Our Venue

Are there any brides out there who had one thing, just one thing that absolutely-no-questions-no-doubts knew from the VERY beginning about their wedding that they would want need to have?
Well, I did. And it's not (surprisingly) a ridiculously expensive dress or food cooked by my favorite chef from the food network (although having both of those things would be awesome any any bride who can and wants to, should), it was actually a particular venue.

Don't get me wrong, we were certainly open to and actually searched for and looked at a lot of different venues, but none of them felt right or had that certain magic. We tried but all roads led to the seashore (I'll explain later). Honestly, from the beginning I always knew and so did Patrick.

We decided (and just booked) the place where we *found* each other and the place where we first said "I love you" and the place where he proposed! (I may or may not have mentioned this already). The Towers at Narragansett!

It is a GORGEOUS place, and has a very special room in our hearts. We can think of no other place where it would be right for us to join our lives. And I feel so lucky and so happy that we're actually getting married there!

*Squeal!*

Best,

Micah

Asking the Girls...Or...My First DIY!

My first DO-IT-YOURSELF project was super simple, but I really wanted it to come from the heart. I knew from the beginning who my bridesmaids would be and I knew that I wanted to ask them in a special way, so that they would know how much they mean to me. 

Now, of course, since I have been trolling the Weddingbee since before I was even engaged, (did I say that out loud?), I have been wanting to do a lot of DIY projects for our wedding. I am most certainly a budget bride, and I aspire to also be a crafty bride. Anywho, on with it. I decided to write letters to my girls to ask them if they would participate in our wedding. But not just any letters...crafty-homemade-artsy letters. 

It was a simple project that involved me finding beautiful blue stationary and designing a card for each girl. I have six bridesmaids. Basically, I found this beautiful poem from one of the Bees on Weddingbee! It made me tear up so I had to include it. 

I got to work drawing and cutting out six blue hearts as mock seals for the envelopes.

Then, I wrote them each a special note on the bottom half of the card, and attached the poem to the top half of the folded card. I finished by decorating around their names on the envelopes.

A very simple project, but all the girls loved them and my sister, who is my Maid of Honor, called me with happy tears the moment she got hers! I am happy I was able to ask them in a way that makes them feel as special as they are to me. And wouldn't you know? Patrick wrote letters to the boys as well!

Until next time!

Micah

 

My E-Ring!

So, you've got the love story. Now...for the shiny part...

My Engagement Ring! He did a good job!

Nestled amongst...blue roses!

A Princess-cut Leo Diamond in a white gold, art deco setting. LOVE!

I am so happy with it. I think that he really gave me a one of a kind ring that speaks of who I really am. I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful symbol of our love.

-Micah

The Proposal

Or...The best night of my life. January 29, 2011.

We left our apartment on January 28th to go down to Madison, CT, where Patrick’s family lives. We were headed there to celebrate Patrick’s mother’s birthday and to see his family. We arrived that evening accompanied by a light flurry of snow. After a wonderful cup of hot chocolate and some happy conversation, we drifted up to bed. We woke up the next day to a bright, beautiful morning. We passed the afternoon, and had a wonderful, relaxed brunch prepared by Patrick and his father. Afterwards, Patrick’s mother asked me to join her in getting her nails done. I thought it would be a really nice way for her to relax on her birthday, and love getting my nails done so of course, I agreed! It was a nice, relaxing visit to the salon. With fresh manicures and a wonderful massage, we headed back. Patrick had made a reservation for us for 6:30, so I was just able to slip on my dress and brush my hair and head out. We were going to our favorite spot; Narragansett beach, RI. We got out at the Coast Guard House, a lovely restaurant, right on the beach. Over a delicious diner, Patrick and I shared memories of our beginnings, and a decadent bottle of cabernet sauvignon. We both shed a few happy tears, and felt immensely grateful to have found each other in such a beautiful place. Narragansett beach is where our relationship bloomed; it is a very special place to us. We would go there to talk for hours walking along the beach. It has always been *our* spot. We had planned on a stroll on the beach, no matter what the weather, so I slipped out of my heels and into some boots. All bundled up, we took each other’s arm and set off. Climbing down the stone wall, Patrick helped me down onto the sand. We walked hand in hand, gazing at the stars and listening to the rolling waves. When Patrick suggested we head back to the car, I was a little saddened; I just didn’t want the night to be over. He then pointed off along the shore to what looked like a plastic bag on the beach. He asked me what I thought it was. “It looks like garbage or something” I said. We went over to see what it was, and I knelt to pick it up…and it was a bouquet of beautiful blue roses! I turned and Patrick was down on his knee. He said: “Micah, you are my beginning and my end, my sunrise and my sunset, and you are music. Will you marry me?” He held up an ivory box with my beautiful ring sparkling inside! “YES!” I shouted through tears, my heart racing. I flung myself into his arms and we laughed and cried together. More surprises! Patrick’s best friends Devin, Andrew and Doug had been hiding out there waiting. They had placed the flowers and Devin was able to capture the moment on film! They told me the girls were waiting for us, and we were not going home that night! We were staying at the Tower House; a beautiful Bed & Breakfast nearby. When we got there, the girls were waiting with champagne and yummy treats! It was the best night of my life. Patrick and I were surrounded by our friends to share our first night as a betrothed couple! I couldn’t have asked for a more romantic night. It is a night that I will treasure always. And now, I get to marry my best friend in the whole world!

Best,

Micah

P.S. That place in the background...is where we're getting married!!!!!

Blue Roses: We meet!

You must be thinking..."Silly girl, roses are red, or white, or yellow, or pink even, I don't know. But it is a scientific FACT that they are definitely not blue." And I am going to have to agree with you...to a point. They can be blue, artificially. And a little wikibird tells me that they have recently created genetically engineered blue roses! What's the POINT? The point is...blue roses, whether they be genetic monsters or simply dyed white roses, are my favorite flowers! This is where Patrick (heroically) steps in.


Over two and a half years ago, I was called one night by a director looking to cast me in a summer musical. Realistically, I should not have said yes. I was scheduled for a semester abroad in England the following school year and I needed all the work hours I could get that summer. I whined a little, but something in my gut told me that I needed to participate in this show, and as an aspiring actress, I should always take work. So I said, "Sure, I'm in."


Patrick on the other hand, (way on the other hand), had just spent some time with one of his friends and his family in NEPAL! (No big deal!) He had just come home, literally two days before and was severely jet lagged and kind of sick. The same director, who happened to be a professor at Patrick's Alma Mater, Trinity College in Hartford, CT, gave him a call roping him into this same project. (Which was being done in RI, and did I mention Patrick was at the time living with his parents in CT over an hour away?).


Needless to say, both of us had absolutely no reason to accept roles in this random show (Birds of Paradise) that summer. Neither of us knew the show, or how it was going to play but for some strange reason, we agreed. He was playing Andy the mechanic and volunteer fireman, unhappy and bored with his life, while I played Julia, the starstruck, lovesick waitress/actress who fell in love with her best friend's estranged father (ew). Want to know something else? Our characters never spoke to one another. Not once. But for us, we were simply drawn to each other.

Patrick started up conversation by asking me about my theatre program at school, and from there, it became a ridiculous game of tag with both of us trying different tactics to get the other to stay late and chat, or message each other on Facebook. Our first date was to Applebees, where the waitress had to come back to us four times before taking our order (we hadn't looked at the menus because we were talking). And from there, we kept falling.

On July 4th, in 2008, it was raining. Patrick had made up his mind, and he asked me to be his girlfriend by giving me a beautiful bright blue rose, along with a framed piece of music I loved that he wrote. He took a joker card (I'm obsessed with Batman) and taped a single question: Will you be my girlfriend? As the rain fell, I said yes.


So now you know. Our humble beginnings and the legend of the blue rose!

Best,

Micah

Hello!

Hello there!
My name is Micah, I am twenty two years old, I am an actress living in Boston, MA. Some of you may read my primary blog, (a haven for theatre geeks, Shakespeare fiends, and an all around blog for me to blab about acting and...life) where I have just posted some big news: I just got engaged to my best friend!
I'm sure you couldn't tell, but this blog is for me to put all my ideas, musings and dreams for our wedding! (EEE!)

Okay, okay...I'll calm down a little and introduce us to you.

I am trying to be a professional actress, or someone who makes pretend for a living...yay! So, after graduating, I moved up here to begin my career. I've actually been doing pretty well, I have been in a couple of shows, including an amazing chance to be in one of my favorite musicals!!! I went to school in my homestate of Rhode Island which is actually where I met my fiancee...

Patrick is a composer of art music, and actually, he's beginning to really establish himself here in Boston as he is getting a lot of commissions and working with some pretty amazing people lately. He is also one of the best singers I have ever heard in my life (and I'm a singer...and a theatre person...so yeah)!

We met in 2008 in a show that both of us didn't want to do (Patrick enjoys theatre, so he acts as often as he can --- but more on that later). And ever since then, we've been inseparable.

Well that was the brief-est of hellos I could allow myself, I'll be sure to give deets about our beginnings and of course, the proposal! (To be continued...)

It's nice to meet you! Let's be friends!

Micah