10 days to go and 3 years together!

Today is 10 days before our wedding! I am getting SO excited (have I mentioned that yet????) 

Tonight we are dropping off the final paperwork/payment for the caterers and I will get the payment for the Eisner together to be mailed tomorrow...then all paperwork and payments are in! That will be a huge weight off my mind since almost every night I have a dream that I forgot to pay someone and they cancelled our date because of it. Thank goodness that didn't happen!

***ROMANTIC STORY ABOUT KATE AND JIM!!!!*****

Today (Sept. 23rd) Is the day that Jim and I made our relationship official three years ago! I remember it fondly..It was right around my birthday and Jim took me to downtown Chicago (Millennium Park) and to the art museum for my birthday present/adventure...we hadn't really known each other long so I told him I didn't want him to buy me a gift, but if he insisted on doing something, I wanted an adventure! It was after we went through the art museum (Jim was the MOST PATIENT guy ever when I was so excited about a particular self-portrait of Vincent VanGogh that I stood in front of it for a solid 25 minutes examining every brush stroke and Jim did not once ask me if we could continue on and even let me revisit it for 5 more minutes on the way out of the museum. What a sweetheart) It was during those last 5 minutes with not even a protest of the amount of time that I spent in front of that one painting that I realized I was stupid if I didn't exclusively date Jim. On our way back to the car we walked through Millennium park and stopped at what I call "the Bean" - that large reflective sculpture-on what that year was the first day of fall, my favorite season, and told Jim (to his reflection in the bean) that I was "falling" for him and wished nothing more than for him to be my boyfriend. :) 

That seems like it was a long time ago! Funny though, if you would have told me then that, three years from that day I would be preparing for our wedding I don't think I would have been surprised. I just knew that Jim was going to be the one.

12 DAYS!

WOW only 12 days until our wedding!!!!! I can't believe 5 months has flown by so quickly!!!

I had the final walk through last week and I feel better about the details coming together now....we did have a change in schedule from the invitation....the event coordinators suggested that we cut the cake right after we are announced and right before the food starts coming out because we are doing a cupcake tree and that way none of the cupcakes "disappear" before we have the official cake cutting....I agree with that.

I spent the whole weekend getting little odds and ends for the ceremony and reception put together.

This coming saturday is my "Golden Birthday" because I am turning 27 on Sept 27th...I have had quite a few people ask me what I am doing for my Golden Birthday and I just tell them "I am getting married the weekend after....my present this year is a husband!" :)

I also think that my birthday being 1 week apart from our "anniversary" will make it easy for Jim to remember...not that I don't think he will be able to remember it... :)

We also applied for our marriage license last friday, and it will be all ready for us to pick up this friday! It feels like it is all "legal" and everything now!

Our final guest count ended up being exactly 100 people! That is the exact number that we wanted! How did that happen????

Still quite a bit of things to do before the big day, but I think it will all get done with time to spare. I am SO EXCITED to be Jim's wife and see all my friends and family all at the same time...some of which I haven't seen for years....and also to meet more of my new family! I think it is going to be a blast!

Cake tree trimming!

Well only 3 weeks to go now before the big day! Friday after work I stopped by the bakery to get the cupcake tree. Little did I know it came flat packed and I had to put it together AND decorate it! I spend a good 4 hours (and about 25 sticks of hot glue) putting the cake tier together, gluing ribbon to all the edges and gluing "precious petals" to the rest of the cake tier....but it is all ready! Now all I have to do is take it back to the bakery at least 3 days before the wedding!!!

This coming week Jim and I are applying for our marriage license, I have the final walk through at the Eisner with their staff and the caterers, and I need to tie up a few more loose ends mailing in payments and prepping things for the ceremony. I am getting really excited!!!!!


Putting together the tower for cupcakes!!!!


Leo watches from a safe distance to avoid having a "hot glue incident"
Finished! Can't wait to see it full of cupcakes!!!

ONE MONTH!!!!!

Well folks, it is CRUNCH TIME!

One month from today, I will become the happiest woman alive....Jim and I are SO excited that the big day is almost here! The wedding stuff is all coming together nicely (still a lot of work to do, but I am confident it will get done and everything will be great!)

WEDDING GUESTS:

If you haven't replied to the invitations yet, the deadline is tomorrow! Please let us know ASAP! We need to get in the counts for our cake and catering stuff shortly!

If you need to make hotel reservations, please do so ASAP! The block that we have will expire on SEPT 9th...that is this coming Wednesday. I want to make sure as many people as possible get the discount!!!

Jim and I can't wait to see all of you and have you share our special day! 

Invitations are out!!!!!

The invitations are out...in fact, I think most all of you probably got them already, except for my parents. Even though I mailed my brother's invite,  my Nana's invite and my parent's invite all at the same time, the USPS seems to have a vendetta against delivering my parent's mail on time.......maybe they will get it tomorrow???

I spent an entire saturday (last saturday) Addressing envelopes, assembling envelops, stamping and sealing....and got all of them DONE at one go! My hand was useless for the rest of the day, as in this age of computers, I type most everything.....

Anyway, I already have 4 "yes" replies and only 2 "rearranging my sock drawers".....and that is because their daughter is getting married the same day as me and they opted to go to her wedding instead (a wise choice :) )

The fact that we are getting replies is exciting because it makes it really really real!!!!! Can't believe it is about 5.5 weeks away!!!!

For anyone calling the hotel to make reservations and get the discount "block" rate...be aware that for whatever reason the hotel is being difficult. They might say they can't find our information in the computer, but rest assured it is there. 

Both my parents and Jim's parents have had to call twice before getting the rooms. We have spoken to the guy in charge SEVERAL times and he assures us it will work fine now, but just be aware, and if you do have problems, let me know! ( kschalles@hotmail.com)

Not much time left and still tons to do! YIKES!

AHHHHHHH!

The last two weeks have been CRAZY!!!!!

My parents have been out visiting and helping rebuild my rotten front porch since July 24th. It is looking wonderful, but taking much longer than we thought it would! We are all exhausted from working sun up till sun down in the heat (91 degrees yesterday) and mom and dad are itching to get home. Hopefully dad is finishing it as I type this!

In addition to that major project, I have been planning the block party for my block (I am the block captain for our block watch!) which is August 23rd. I had to fill out all the paperwork and get the permit and now I need to organize the food and flyers and stuff....YIKES!

This morning I woke up and thought...oh my goodness! I think our catering packet was due yesterday! I found the packet and sure enough, it was due yesterday!!! I immediately flipped out and then contacted the caterer, who totally understood and said if I can mail it by friday, all will be well with the world. (We haven't even filled it out yet!) PHEW!

I also need to look through all my other paperwork to make sure I have any payments or paperwork for other vendors taken care of this week! YIKES!

Jim and I will be married in TWO MONTHS! I can't believe it! I am so excited!

The invitations are at the printer and I have the envelopes already so hopefully I will be able to get those ready to mail out in the next week! YIKES!

We have a venue for the rehearsal dinner, check!

Hotel is blocked off, check!

Tux stuff is picked out...guys, get your tuxes! Check!

Final dress fitting is next week, check!

Billy, I really hope you have that sound system ready!

still need to figure out the bouquet thing and the exact details of the ceremony, but otherwise, we are looking good!

AHHHHHHH! I am officially in freak out zone!

My Bridal Shower

I got so many great gifts! Thanks everyone!
Whitney and Jim's Mom!
My mom and I with the pretty frame she got me!
Jim's sister Whitney, me and cousin Harley (she came all the way from Arizona!)
what a crowd!
This is the cafe where we had the shower!

Last Saturday was my bridal shower in Woodridge, IL. Jim's sister Whitney and his Mom were nice enough to throw a shower for me even though I said I didn't need one. My Mom flew in from PA just for the weekend and she and Mrs Battle and I got my dress and then the following day went down to Woodridge for the shower. I was OVERWHELMED by the generosity of everyone who came to the shower, especially since many of them had never even met me before! It was so nice to meet more of Jim's family and I had a lovely time! I am in the process of writing thank you notes, so keep checking your mailboxes! Thanks so much to everyone!