The Avocado Temple Time Capsule

Let's journey back 7 years and take a look inside the mind of 16 year old Miss Avo. A girl who loves to sing and dance, who has already become slightly wedding obsessed. We won't be using a time machine for this journey, instead we'll be using a time capsule!

I've mentioned before how important temple marriage is in the LDS faith, and as teenage girl I participated in many youth group activities learning about temple marriage. The best activity I attended involved filling up canning jars with wedding themed items, and sealing them ourselves using a canning trailer. I was so excited to move home after getting engaged, break out the can opener, and see what had been waiting inside for 7 years.

We were told to open the can with our fiance, but I had a hunch that inside the can was a letter I had written to my future husband, and I was correct. It ended up being part of my ring ceremony reading, which I will be sharing with you all when I do my wedding recaps.

It turns out the can was sealed on October 10, 2001, and I was married on October 11th, 2008. It probably doesn't mean anything, but I thought it was cool how close the dates matched up! On the back of the can the "ingredients" were listed. The can was filled with things like traits I wanted my husband to have, traits I want for myself, a letter from my church leader, and other various objects. Many of those things would probably be of no interest to you, and are a little bit personal for me to share.

Of course what I will be sharing are the most entertaining things: my desired wedding colors, ring, dress, even the physical characteristics I was looking for in a husband!

I must have been imagining a spring time wedding, as these colors would have looked ridiculous at my fall nuptials.

I imagine that this is what I wanted for an engagement ring, as I have always been rather adamant that I didn't want anything "sticking up" on my ring. I don't regret the ring that I have, but my 16 year old self was right, it does snag on things.

I like the sweet little neckline on this dress, but is about all I like. The pattern is busy and the skirt would drown me. Also, is there something weird about the glove on her left hand? Are these the kind of gloves that only loop over your middle finger?

Here he is, my dream guy. I think I modeled this picture after meeting the boyfriend of a woman interviewing to be my dad's secretary. He had dark hair and green eyes and he left my best friend and I giggling when he pretended to drink out of a non-functioning drinking fountain (hey, it seemed funny at the time).

Last but not least.......baby names! Yes, we did a page where we named our children. I don't have a picture of it, though I did write them down before I left Washington however in order to share them with you.

Joselynn
Syrina
Prayton
Calistra
Jurima
Alandra
Tranden
Bryant
Renton

Apparently I really liked the letter R?

What can you remember about your teenage, preteen, or childhood wedding fantasies?

Choosing the Right

Most of the decisions we have to make while planning weddings can be passed off as rather trivial in comparison with things like the economy, political matters, and the many other issues we see on the news and hear about on the radio every day. However, there are a few times when a bride, groom, or a couple may be faced with a choice that will have lasting effects beyond their wedding day. It may be a situation which will strengthen or damage an intimate relationship, or it may be a financial decision that limit freedoms in the future. My dilemma had to do with my dress and my integrity.

Here is Evelyn getting all bustled up. Oh Evelyn, I'm so sorry I trashed you on the big day!

I went in for three different fittings to enlarge the sleeves, create a bustle, and hem the bottom of my dress. At my first fitting I inquired about the remaining balance on my dress, thinking I had paid off half and would have to be putting down a final payment that day. The sales girl informed me that the dress was marked as paid off on full. I did a double take as my mind raced, wondering if I had a magical fairy god-mother that might have paid off the rest of my dress for me. I asked her to check again, she said it was paid off. I asked her to check a third time. She reassured me that I had nothing left to pay on the dress.

I started to tell myself that maybe I had been wrong, that maybe I HAD paid off the entire thing in May and been confused about the cost, or confused about what I had paid. Except, deep down I knew that she was wrong and I was right. So I let myself daydream for a few days about all of the different ways that money could be used in the wedding budget (we could afford to valet the cars of ALL the guests!), and then I committed to resolve the issue when I went in for the next fitting.

The next time I went in, the owner of the shop was the one helping me. When I brought up payment again she instantly quoted me a price. I realized that the sales girl must have been reading things wrong. I wonder if she had been letting other dresses go for less than the asking price?!?!?!

I was actually happy to hand over the rest of the money, because it felt like I was doing something honest. LOL, I know that I was really just giving the amount I had previously committed to pay, but in some small way it felt like a little victory. I had been given the chance to really make a wedding decision that truly meant something, and I had made the right choice.

What types of truly important decisions have you been faced with during the planning of your wedding?

The Bedding Down Fulfilled

Note: You will not be shaking with laughter while reading this post (as I am during the composing of it) unless you go read this post first.

Are you back from reading that first post? Do you have any idea where all of our wedding party could be headed in the elevator they are all crammed into?

Oh yes they did! I have no idea whose idea this was, or who let them in, but those are our groomsmen "warming up the bed" for us. Just like in days of old in Poland.

We only had 80 guests at our wedding (that includes 4 vendor meals!). How could we not notice when 1/8th of our guest went missing? Credit must be given to all the wedding party members for not spilling the beans about such a funny event to either of us. Thanks to the bridesmaids for checking to make sure that the bed was "sturdy" enough for us.

I can only forgive Kelli for this (for I suspect it was she who suggested it) because she leaked another photo of Mr. Avocado and I right before the temple sealing ceremony.

What types of shennanigans did your wedding party engage in at your wedding? Was any of it without your knowledge until after the fact?

Relaximoon: Part 2

Maybe you thought that after spending the day at the aquarium we would want to participate in some "mature" activities like a couples massage or visiting a fancy museum.

Nawwwwww. We went to the Pacific Science Center where I learned cool facts while emptying my bladder.

We felt like little kids again as we sat in the giant kitchen table and chairs.

Before the wedding I made myself a weddingbee jacket and wore it proudly multiple times throughout the honeymoon. Yes, I know, I am just a leeeetle bit obsessed.

I remembered this room from when I was a kid. You go inside, press yourself up against the wall, and wait for a big flash to go off. Then you step away and your shadow is frozen in place. I am not sure if this is Mr. Avocado's rock star post or his "Police! put your hands where I can see them!" stance.

We spent something like 20 minutes rolling on the floor laughing in front of this machine. You line your face up with a dotted line, and then it will match up two halves of the right side of your face, and two halves of the left side of your face. Takes the phrase "Don't get on her bad side" to a whole new level I think. Seriously, can you believe how horrible that photo on the left is? I do like the way the neckline on my jacket looks though :)

I was kind of feeling bad about myself until I saw Mr. Avocado's face split up, with one side looking like a testosterone filled football player and the other looking like a card carrying member of the chess club (actually he *would* be a card carrying member of a chess club if he could find one to join).

Hands down the best part of the PSC is the butterfly room. The temperature is balmy and hundreds of butterflies float all over the room. I didn't want to leave with so many photo opportunities right at my fingertips.

As soon as we saw the beehive Mr. Avocado asked "Where is Miss Dumpling?" I think he has a crush on you Miss D :)

We did a photo exchange with a nearby couple to get the classic "couple standing in front of the space needle" shot, which should be a part of every Seattle honeymoon album.

Apparently the cake from the wedding wasn't enough, we needed much, much more. So we headed back to Simply Desserts (I felt a little embarrassed considering I had just purchased 8 cakes from them 4 days before), and ordered ourselves enough slices to make sure we could have cake for breakfast every morning on the honeymoon. And also a few extra slices for mid-afternoon snacks. And midnight snacks.

We arrived at Cave B Inn on Tuesday evening to find things just the way I had planned. The biggest bonus to honeymooning at your work would be the connections with the housekeeping staff. I was able to spot $20 for the sparkling cider and the roses, and they even had a CD playing for us when we walked into the room. Definitely very relaxing after a very long drive.

Although, I would like to know what you are supposed to do with the rose petals once it is time for actually getting in the bed? Haha. That is the kind of stuff you don't see in the movies.

Want to know why people stay at Cave B? Because this is the view you have from your own private balcony.

I can't resist posting a teaser shot from the after wedding shoot Mamacado did with us on the last day of our honeymoon.

The very last thing we did on our honeymoon involved fulfilling a lifelong dream of mine (really, lifelong dream!). About 30 minutes away from where I live there is a place called Vantage, with a huge bridge that takes you across the Columbia river. Right before you go over the bridge there is a patch of smooth white sand, and every time I drive by there is a new message written in the sand with the rocks.

We drove up and rudely tore apart the previous message. It just so happens that Mr. Avocado's name starts with S, so we were able to reuse both the heart and the S from the previous lovers.

I wanted to get good pictures, which meant that we couldn't have a whole bunch of ugly rocks obscuring our photo, so I made Suavocado pick up all of the rocks and toss them down the hill to clear the shot. I helped a little bit, but I also took pictures. So I mostly didn't help.

What a wonderful way to end our dreamy relaximoon.

Were you able to achieve any "lifelong dreams" on your honeymoon?

The BeeSuit!

I'm playing on the internet today while wearing the white pantsuit I wore the morning of my wedding. What makes this pantsuit so special? Why, it's my BeeSuit!

Photos by Shaylene Rene'

I'm so proud to be a Bee, I knew I had to honor it in some way on my wedding day. My Aunt has a professional embroidery machine and so I ordered a white jacket and pants through her and had her put on my avocado icon and the words "Bee Bride" in the same font that Weddingbee uses. The entire thing cost me $30, which I think is a steal for how absolutely adorable it is.

If I lived closer to her and her machine I would go into business creating these for brides full time, but alas, she is in Washington and I am in Texas now. It was such a wonderful thing for her to do for me and since I am taking classes online at home I plan on wearing it multiple times each week. Good thing we are getting a washer/dryer this weekend so I can keep it sparkling clean!

What are you/did you wear(ing) the morning of your wedding?

Daily Candy Wedding Guides

Daily Candy is one of the first emails I open every morning. Haven't heard of it? I couldn't think of a better description than the one the website provides:

DailyCandy, a free daily e-mail newsletter and website, is the insider’s guide to what’s hot, new, and undiscovered — from fashion and style to gadgets and travel. As useful as it is entertaining, it’s like getting an e-mail from your clever, unpredictable, and totally in-the-know best friend. The one who knows about secret beauty treatments, must-have jeans, hot new restaurants — and always shares the scoop.

How is this revelant to weddings? They just published 14 different wedding guides full of all kinds of goodness.

In the wedding guide for Everywhere they suggest buying the Isaac Mizahri strapless sheath and replacing the pink sash with some vintage ribbon or trim.

Could be fab right?

Daily Candy wedding guides are available for Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, London, Los Angeles, Miami, New York (which suggests that Poland is the new hot spot for a honeymoon!), Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington D.C.

Come back and tell us what goodies you found for your area!

The Avocado Bun in Action

Remember this post? The one that featured a video that ended up on the Glamour beauty blog?

I did a nicer version for the hometown reception. Here is what the bun can look like when you take more than 3 minutes to do it.

The bottom fell out rather quickly, but Mr. Avocado wasn't very good at telling me what looked loose. I think I did this one in 6 sections total. Surprisingly, it does not look sticky and gross depsite the bottle of hairspray I sprayed on it.

How are you going to ensure that your DIY wedding hair makes it through the night?

Continuation of Previous Goals

I had a hard time buttoning my pants for dinner on Friday night. Eating cake, cheese, and butter in unlimited amounts on the honeymoon may not have been the best idea.

After washer, dryer, couch and bed this will likely be the next thing on our "must purchase" list. Yes, this is a metal DDR dance pad. We are fanatics.

Source

Obsessive calorie counting using Fitday begins once again on Tuesday.

Anyone else feel a little pudgier after the honyemoon?

Hometown Reception Eats

In all of my blogging about the actual wedding I have rarely mentioned my hometown reception happening tonight. Since I am honeymooning up until the reception, I am not exactly setting this event up. I sort of planned it. I rented the tent, and emailed the caterer a few times. It's strange letting someone else do most of the work after planning such a huge event down to the tiniest detail this past weekend.

We are planning for somewhere around 140, but expecting around 100. We are re-purposing the wedding centerpieces. There will be a tent. There will be the wedding slideshow. There will be lots of solar lights glowing like fairies. There will possibly be golf carts transporting people from the makeshift gravel parking lot to the house. There will be food.

Polish poppyseed cake!

Oh the food! The caterer has been researching traditional Polish dishes and will be incorporating them into what I like to think of as our Bitty Bites Menu. I drool a little bit every time I read through this menu.........

Polish Foods

Savory:

Mini cabbage rolls

Pierogi w/ meat filling

Potato pancakes (MILacado's favorite dish!)

Sweet:

Pierogi w/ fruit filling

Sernik (Polish cheesecake with chocolate glaze)

Poppyseed cake

American Foods

Savory:

Beef satay

Sliders

Mini french fry packets

Crudites with hummus

Sweet:

Fruit w/ dip (the caterer's mother's recipe!)

Mini apple pie bites

Chocolate decadence (I actually don't know what this is, but doesn't it sound amazing?)

Drinks:

Warm Apple Cider

Fruit flavored water

I am not really sure how I am so spoiled as to enjoy two wedding reception so utterly fabulous. This started off as a small little get together we were going to do for our friends back home, and has turned into quite the party! I think it's going to be such a fairy tale moment when we drive up and see how everything has come together. Plus I get to wear my dress again! We aren't having a pro photographer for this one, but I am sure there will be someone to wield my mom's camera and capture the event. I'm so excited to share the details (and so many others) with you very soon!

The Avocado Wedding Slideshow

I had two last minute projects. One was my bouquet (perfectly imperfect, photos to come once the pro shots are done). The other was a video slideshow that played in the library during cocktail hour. It will also play using a projector at our hometown reception.

I used Windows Movie Maker to create it, and it probably took me 2 hours total to do. Everything is drag and drop and really intuitive. Just create a new project, import your photos, drag them down to the timeline, add music if you would like, and then choose "Publish to this computer".

I drove to Seattle with my mom on Wednesday before the wedding and that is when I imported all of the photos. After they were all arranged, I hit export on Friday night before the wedding and loaded it to the desktop. I didn't put any sound on because we would have sound coming over the master sound system. Also I was out of time :) It's not particularly fancy or beautiful, but it certainly tells the story of us.

The quality isn't as great as I would like it to be, but it works. It starts with photos from our time dating, moves to our engagement/proposal shots, and ends with photos from Poland, and then loops through all of that one more time to make the video 50 minutes. I don't expect anyone to watch to the whole thing! If you would like to scroll to see the shots from Poland, move to 21:30 in the timeline.

Gifting Goodness

As a thank you to my bridesmaids I put together little red gift bags full of goodies. Each girl got an umbrella (brides getting married in Seattle always expect rain), a set of notecards, and a cocktail ring that I picked up in Rome this past May.

Each girl received a different ring, and when I get my pro photos back you will be able to see how fantastic they really are! BM Maggie put up a shot on Facebook that gives you an idea of how gorgeous they are.


BM Princess Jess received a little extra something for hand addressing about 100 of my invitation envelopes and acting as my chauffeur for the weekend as I did not have a car. And I also can't forget about the sandwhich she bought me, which I chowed down in a very un-ladylike manner at one point int he day. I bought her a pretty necklace that I don't have a picture of, but the piece de resistance was this Pride and Prejudice bracelet. The creator, Brookish, ut strips of text out of the novel and glued them around a bangle to create one of the most literary pieces of jewelrey I have ever seen. BM Jess and I took English Novel together in college and so this gift just describes our relationship so well.


The bracelet text depicts the scene of Jane's letter to Lizzy regarding seeing Miss Bingley in London. I don't know if she will ever actually wear it, but it was just so perfect for her.


MOH Shay received the gift with the most meaning. I had Sudlow create a globe shaped piece for each of us. On the outside there are two hearts, one on each side of the locket. One heart says "Sister" in English, the other says "Siostra" in Polish. If you don't know Polish, both of those words mean sister :) I love that the locket is round like a globe, and that the hearts on opposite sides of each other stand for us, sisters one day living a world apart from each other.

I left the insides unfilled, and we both have yet to agree what we will put inside. I am thinking of putting a photo of each of us from the wedding, and then one day putting one of her bridal portraits inside. Until then I have a few cute childhood photos of us that should work.

In what ways did you try to thank your bridesmaids for such a heartfelt contribution to your wedding?

Almost The Best Thing

Mr. Avocado is still sleeping, and I am just to excited to stay in bed. I'll have you know that he not only supports my honeymoon blogging, but encourages it. Yesterday he asked me "Have you done your blogging for the day yet?"

Am I not the luckiest?

I think it is time to show you one of my favorite wedding planning epiphanies. I read all the bride blogs (really, I try to read all of them because I am crazy) and I have never seen anyone else do this. If you know me, you know that there are few things I love more than originality.


That, would be the wedding cake. Preserved for days through the power of tupperware. I packed the container in with my wedding decor boxes and bags with a note inside instructing my DOC to put cake inside and send it up to our room.

We have enjoyed it so much, we are headed back to the shop today to buy a few more slices for the rest of the honeymoon. I am going to have to inquire about shipping costs to Dallas for next October.

If you are married what epiphany did you enjoy the most in retrospect?

The new MRS. Avocado!

Congratulations to the Avocados!! They have made the official step into married life and were sealed this afternoon in the LDS temple and afterward had a ridiculously beautiful ring ceremony and reception. The dress was the die for, the food was delectable, and the bride and groom were simply stunning. Mrs. Avocado made me cry during her vows.

Oh yeah, this is the Avocado's photographer :). The lovely pair are enjoying the beginning of their honeymoon and I promised to get a picture up asap (reception has been over for...3 hours). To the wonderful newlyweds, I love you!! Congratulations and many wishes for a beautiful life and eternity together!

We Will Walk This World

Today I enter the temple to make sacred promises to the Lord. Tomorrow I enter once again to make sacred promises with my husband. I have been searching for the right phrase to describe the way I am feeling, and I think the only sufficient term I can offer is "emotional overstimulation". I tear up rather easily and constantly find myself attempting to extract the most possible meaning and enjoyment out of every moment. This overstimulation isn't a negative feeling but it is a foreign concept that I haven't had the opportunity to experience in my life thus far.

Yesterday I saw Mr. Avocado for the first time in 73 very long days. It did not go the way I expected and I was left confused. I had imagined a moment right out of a movie, with me running towards him, jumping up and throwing my arms and legs around him, crying and kissing and the inability to let go of one another. Let's just say the time felt stressed and strange and was altogether a little shorter than what I was hoping for. I started to wonder why we were doing this, what the chemistry was. I didn't want to run, I just wanted to find reassurance. I am not grateful for this because it forced me to really reflect on our past, and the deeply intimate moments we have shared which had helped us realize how wonderful we would be together in marriage. I have no doubts or apprehension now.

The wedding weekend disasters have already begun. We have a groomsmen who bought his plane ticket for Thursday the 16th, only yesterday learning that the wedding is this weekend, not next. He also doesn't have a black suit, something I emailed him about over three months ago. I anticipate many more things just like this to happen over and over within the next two days, but after shedding a few tears curled up in my bed last night I told myself to get over it, and I did. I just want to get married to the man I love, no matter who attends and what they are wearing.

To you, my dear friends (for you truly are my friends), I can only express a deep seated admiration and wholehearted appreciation. The amount of love and support I have garnered from you over the time period I have been writing has many times been the stronghold I needed to make it through one more day. Thank you for reaching out to a complete stranger and showing you care many times over throughout the past few months.

To my dear amost-husband who will likely never read this :) I love you because of your strengths, and even after beginning to learn your faults. I think we are both starting to believe if we can make it through this we can make it through anything. You support me, love me, and cherish me. I am marrying you forever and there is nothing I want more.

While flipping through some of the old books we are using as centerpieces this week, I found *this passage which so perfectly describes trembling joy I am currently experiencing.

""My wife, my life. Oh! We will walk this world,
Yoked in all exercise of noble end,
And so through those dark gates across the wild
That no man knows. My hopes and thine are one;
Accomplish thou my manhood, and thyself
Lay thy sweet hands in mine and trust to me."

St. Elmo, by Augusta J. Evans



For the last time as a Miss,

Avocado

Sneaky Peeky!

Things I can't wait to see in action this weekend!

Tables named after the settings of classic novels and printed on pages torn out of an old novel.

Place cards with black, gold, or cream buttons depending on the meal choice.

A beyond adorable sweetheart table centerpiece crafted entirely by hand by Mamacado. If you like this, you will DIE when you see what she came up with for the centerpieces. I am lucky, and that is all there is to it.

One more day!

Old, New, Borrowed, Blue

My mother's veil, bought for $25 back in the 80's.

You've seen these before. Don't they look better now?

Grandma's heirloom family cameo pin. It's going to look fabulous pinned under the bust of my dress.

At 11 pm tonight I cut INTO my dress and replaced one of the original ivory buttons with a blue cloth covered ones. It won't show when I put the dress on and do it up, and I love that it is my little secret something blue. (Have you detected my love for secret things yet?)

What creative ways did you find to fulfill the old/new/borrowed/blue?