A Case of the Mondays? Not Me!

“Welcome every morning with a smile. Look on the new day as another special gift from your Creator, another golden opportunity to complete what you were unable to finish yesterday. Be a self-starter. Let your first hour set the theme of success and positive action that is certain to echo through your entire day. Today will never happen again. Don’t waste it with a false start or no start at all. You were not born to fail.”
- Og Mandino

I knew this morning was going to be a good one. As I was driving home last night, the fog was rolling in. As night settled in, the fog gently came to rest on every branch of every tree. Slowly the sun came up, fighting through the leftover clouds. And nature left us a wonderful surprise: hoarfrost! …also known as a frosty coating of white on tree branches. I love it! It makes the ugly, brown, bare trees beautiful and glittery!

Passive Aggressive Notes

The other day I went to the lobby to grab my mail and found this beauty:

Some days...

You wake up late. And end up with shitty hair.

Some days...

Snow Day Craziness

As you might have heard... we had a blizzard here! It started snowing later Friday night and snowed hard core for about 24 hours. We received about 17-21 inches of snow (depending where you live) and have gigantic snowdrifts from all the harsh winds.

Normal people would have taken shelter in the cozy homes to make cookies and watch movies. Nope, not us.

It started with me driving down to AV Friday night to take care of my parent's dogs (Drake and Bella). They are on cruise, lucky them. Then I drove back up to St. Paul on Saturday morning around 9am. It took an hour. And visibility kinda sucked but wasn't too horrible yet. Somehow Tony and I got a grand idea to go out to lunch. I think it was mostly to cheer him up because he was really bummed about not being able to go ice fishing. We bundled up, took the car out of the garage, and headed to Roseville!

Trying so hard not to smile...

Birthday Boy

Yesterday was our dog Jaxson's 2nd birthday! He has a ton of personality, keeps us on our toes, and makes us laugh almost daily.

Color Changes

Tony and I have been hard at work chipping away at our debt snowball, per Dave Ramsey's FPU class. That being said, we have decided to go easy on the Christmas presents this year. I know it's not as fun, but this year our financial peace has been the best present of all. I know, sappy.

So... my present from Tony is to decorate our bedroom (affordably). To kick things off, Tony painted three of the five walls (yes, we have an odd-shaped room) in our bedroom on his day off last Thursday. I had narrowed it down to a bright granny apple green, a dark masculine purple, or a rich deep tiffany blue. Tony was appalled at the thought of purple. And he definitely wasn't thrilled about green. So here is the winner:

Meatballs!

I got home late, it took forever to put everything together, the house was a mess… but… Tony and I got to enjoy a nice meal together at our kitchen table instead of on the couch in front of a blaring TV. To me, eating dinner together (especially at home) is a huge part of being a family.

Easing Back In...

So I have been avoiding the blog world for a multitude of reasons. These include, but are not limited to, telling myself that we must get our thank you cards done before we can do anything else, we have to de-clutter our place and finish unpacking and decorating, my camera is dead, etc.

"The Excuse Queen" (as my husband as so kindly nicknamed me) is done! I enjoy blogging far too much to avoid it for such piddly reasons. If no one ever reads this, oh well. I am doing it to make myself happy, to de-stress, to record memories, and for a variety of other reasons I cannot quite form the words for.

And so it begins... again.

Apt #311 at TWP

Coming Soon...

...another post! I have some great ideas brewing... but have been spending the majority of internet time putting together a budget plan for me and Tony. We started a new class about two weeks ago about managing our money. We really want to start our marriage out on the right path and since money seems to be the leading cause for divorce, we want to get a handle on it right from the get go.

So stayed tuned... hopefully tomorrow! My free Saturday of having nothing planned suddenly turned into 1) Picking up my car 2) Picking up the dog 3) Grocery shopping 4) Working out with Kel 5) Driving my parents to the airport 6) Hanging some decor 7) Hanging with three big black dogs. Hmm.

Fishies

Goldfish. You know, those little yellow cheesy crackers shaped like fishies? Have you had them since elementary school? If not… give them a whirl again! But buyer beware! They are super yummy but addicting.

How did I get back into Goldfish? I had originally wanted to include two real goldfish per centerpiece at our wedding. Logistically, it did not work out. Plus I did not want people to be grossed out if the fish went belly up halfway through dinner. To keep with the up north “fish” type theme, we decided to have Goldfish as a snack during our cocktail hour.

Lakes Area Photography

Quick side note: I loved everything about our wedding. Nothing was really missed, majorly screwed up, or overly dramatic. It was more than I thought it would turn out to be (as you maybe could have seen from my constant happy tears during the ceremony that continued well into the next day opening gifts). I am soooo grateful for all of the fabulous people that helped pull everything together.

(Note the ugly cry face... it stayed there pretty much the whole ceremony!) Photo by Tom Hall

One thing that I personally kind of screwed up on was communication. I slightly blame my parents… they are not the greatest communicators and I learn from my elders, right? I had all these awesome visions and I did my part to make these things come to fruition. However… I forgot about telling key people what I envisioned. I don’t know if I assumed they knew, if I thought I already told them, or if I simply was so busy I forgot. Either way… it happened with a few things over the course of the weekend.

Back to the Goldfish. I calculated enough to fill the vases at least once and then possibly a refill or two. Yes, I asked people to fill them up for me during set up, but I forgot to communicate the role of refilling. I also forgot to communicate the fact that “a full bar” during the reception means to me: beer, wine, hard liquor the entire time (7pm-midnight)… but more on that another time.

So because I did not communicate the need to refill the vases and I also probably overestimated how much people would eat... we are left with quite the abundance of Goldfish! I put one of the large bags in my desk at work. My thinking was "better this than something from the vending machine." But maybe I was off track... these things are addicting! Especially when you have a never-ending super huge bag of them :) Oh well. Either I will get my fill and won't buy them again until I have kiddos or I will buy a much, much smaller bag once this one runs out. I'll be sure to let you know if they become a staple in my lunch bag.

Jax Loves Squirrels!

Apparently this is how he spends his day while we are at work.

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Picking Out Rugs... I Realized: I'm Married!

So whenever somebody finds out I just got married, they ask, "How's married life treatin ya?" It's been two weeks people! One of which was our honeymoon! This question is especially noticeable at work.

For those who do not know, I work at an apartment community. We have a pretty great relationship with our residents - better than any place I have ever rented at. With this solid relationship comes a lot of chatting with residents. For anybody who knows me pretty well... I'm not exactly a social butterfly, especially when it comes to small talk. I am just awkward. But, for our residents, I give it my best.

(TWP in Burnsville)

Anyway, even with all those questions about being married, it never really hit me until this past Sunday morning. We were shopping at Target with a few gift cards from the wedding. We wanted to pick out a some items for our new place in St. Paul. I know, I know... we have lived here for almost two months now. But it's still new to me since I was in the wedding-planning-fog most of the time! For example... I still don't quite punch our microwave buttons right (which results in changing the clock frequently instead of cooking something).

So back to Target... I had my heart set on a particular set of rugs. They were even on our registry. I picked them out MONTHS ago. Sunday morning I was thinking a quick trip to Target Boutique (read with french accent) to return some double items, pick up the rugs, and maybe a few other small items. Nope. Wrongo. Tony despises these rugs! He has the largest version in the lobby of his office. He can't stand looking at it there everyday and then coming home to it and seeing it all over our entry/kitchen area. Plus he doesn't want to hear the comments if we have people over from work and they see the rugs.

Silhouette Vine at Target

I'm devastated. Ok... maybe a little dramatic. But I am highly disappointed. It is the only patterned rug that does not have any red in it (I'm not a fan) and that doesn't look floral antiquey. And it is dark... therefore dirt won't be quite as noticeable right away.

After a few debates, I put on my big girl pants and remembered that we are married now. It's not my home to decorate, it's OUR home. It's not my money we are spending, it's OUR money. I guess I have to start considering his opinions a little more than I used to... even with home decor. Yup... I'M MARRIED!!! It's not all about ME anymore!

I asked him about which rugs he preferred and we settled on a rug that would work for both of us. It wasn't my favorite and I'm not sure if it was his, but it's something that we both enjoy enough to buy it for our home. We are really shooting for a "grown-up" feel for our place. We are even thinking of inviting people over for dinner and such! :)

Left = Modern Botanical at Target . Right = Modern Botanical in Our Home :)

Testing Larger Photo Sizes!

Trying to fix these pics... I am horrible with HTML code... but I think I finally got it!!! Please let me know if this pic is outside the borders of the column, it seems each browser is a little different sometimes but I think I got the codes set to auto-adjust now. We shall see! I'll try more tomorrow.

Also... I am trying to decide what to put in the tabs up above. Or should I skip it? What ideas do you have for good pages? Thanks for the help revamping our blog!

Under Construction

Working on revamping the blog this week... in the meantime, stay patient. Thanks!

Almost Back to Reality

Thank you so so much for all of the love, happiness, and great times last weekend! We had a blast and couldn't have asked for a better day!!!

I will be changing up the blog next week when I get back to real life (still up north at the cabin). Thinking something more along the lines of just everyday life and such...

In the meantime, please feel free to share your pictures from the wedding weekend and browse other people's pictures: www.tonyandjustine.shutterfly.com.

Love you all!

Welcome to Tony & Justine's Wedding Week!!!

The wait is over! Welcome to Leech Lake – the land of fun, sun, and relaxation!

We are both so happy and feel very blessed to be able to have our wedding here in the north woods of Minnesota, where we have already enjoyed many special memories. We are especially honored that you have traveled here to be a part of our marriage celebration.

Many years from now when we look back upon this day, we will remember that it was not the flowers, the music, or the food that made our day so special; it is the memories of you – our family and friends, helping to celebrate the beginning of our lives as husband and wife – that we will cherish most. Having you here for our celebration will make our wedding truly wonderful and we thank you for sharing in one of our happiest occasions.

Included in this post is some helpful information and schedule of events. Please take some time to enjoy our beautiful surroundings, play in the lake, and explore the area. We hope that the next few days will be as memorable for you as they will be us.

With much love and appreciation,
Tony & Justine

schedule of events
Thursday, August 26th
Welcome Gathering & Lawn Games
Approximately 8pm

Friday, August 27th
Pre-Wedding Bonfire: Don’t forget your s'mores!
Approximately 9pm

Saturday, August 28th THE MAIN EVENT!
Ceremony at 5pm
Cocktail Hour 5:30-7pm
Dinner 7-8pm
Dance 8pm-Midnight
Bonfire Midnight-whenever!

Sunday, August 29th
Farewell Brunch at IronFire Grille
Anytime between 8-11am

photo sharing
After the wedding, we will be uploading our non-professional pictures (including guest book pictures) to www.tonyandjustine.shutterfly.com. There is no username or password required to access our site. We would greatly appreciate it if you would upload your pictures from the wedding so that everyone can share in the memories and enjoy different perspectives of the event. If you prefer an alternative, you could email us at jmstein22@gmail.com, drop a picture CD in the mail to 1170 Cushing Circle, Saint Paul, MN 55108, or transfer your pics via memory card on Justine’s laptop before leaving town. Thanks!

important notes
• Get some rest Friday night after the bonfire… Saturday we will be up late partying and we want YOU to be there!!!
• Cocktail Hour on the Lawn will be hosted by us and will include Coors Light, Pinot Grigio, and Merlot.
• Reception is a Cash Bar + Free Leftover from Cocktail Hour. It truly is a CASH ONLY bar, no credit/debit cards accepted. There is also NO ATM onsite so PLEASE make arrangements beforehand (the closest ATM is located at the YMart where Hwy 371 & 200 split by the casino).
• There will be a Farewell Buffet Brunch on Sunday morning at the IronFire Grille, $13/person.
• Need your hair or nails done? Contact The Beehive in Walker.
• Hungry? Try the IronFire Grille onsite or venture into town!
• Forgot your swimsuit? Check out Reed’s Sporting Goods in Walker.
• There is free wi-fi throughout the resort, however it works best near the lodge/office.
• Questions/Concerns on the day of the wedding? Try Tony first! ;)


places to eat
Benson’s
Café Zona Rosa
Charlie’s Up North/Boat Bar
Lucky Moose
Village Square Pizza & Ice Cream
Jimmy’s
Ranch House Supper Club
502 at The Chase

things to do
Enjoy ALL of Horseshoe’s Amenities!
Bear Pause Theater
Downtown Walker Shopping
Forestedge Winery
Heartland State Trail
Itasca State Park
Tianna Golf Course/Longbow Golf Course
Northern Lights Casino

Last Minute Crafts & Bach Parties

One week to go... not expecting to see a post again until Sept? You were wrong! I'm still going!

I can be a big procrastinator sometimes but I am also a big perfectionist... a combination that can be quite time-consuming sometimes :)

Fortunately, Tony has helped me calm down a bit over the years and I think I have become much more productive and a little more forgiving over the years. Wednesday night we put together our music selections for the ceremony and start of reception. Thursday night we started the assembly on the programs and last night I finished them up! Here a few pics:

Jumbo Popsicle Sticks, Double-sided Tape, Cardstock, and Printed Program Inserts:

Variety of Color to Keep It Interesting:

Equals A Fun-Sized Fan to Keep Cool with Important Ceremony Info!

I also indulged in some pre-wedding/pre-bachelorette party pampering today! Got some waxing done and my nails done. I decided to be a little more fun and do my fingernails a bright pink because I usually just leave them clear. Not sure if I'm a huge fan but they will be gone in a week anyway.

And the theme for tomorrow's night party = pink, black, & white! Ashley has got me really excited!!! Hope I can behave ;)

See you all in a week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Engagement Pics

Engagement Pictures Are In! Check out my facebook page to see more: click here. If it doesn't work, you might have to friend request me.

Getting Crafty

So in the last week, a few things have been put in the works. All DIY, all DAY! lol

Ash, Kel, and Jen came over Friday night to work on all things paper. This included: favor tags, programs, thank you cards, water bottle labels, and welcome flyers.

Since we are only 12 days from the big event, and work is crazy busy, this post is short and sweet! Enjoy the pics :)

Hair & Make-up Trial

Ashley and I ran up to the cabin late Sunday night to get a few things lined up. First thing Monday morning, we went to The Beehive for my make-up and hair consultation. It was at 8:30am and after a long night of driving... we were lookin a little rough. Thankfully Stacy is fabulous and made us feel super at ease with the plan for wedding day!


We ended up just playing around with my hair instead of doing a full trial. The plan is to wear it in a low, side, curly ponytail and then convert it up into a low, side bun for the reception if I start getting too hot. If it's anything like the weather has been the last few days here (90 and crazy humid) we will skip straight to the bun. What do you think of the flower? Too big? Just the right size?

In other news... my dress fitting "Take 2" went much smoother. I should be able to pick up my dress tonight! :)

Pics from Date Night!

Last night was AWESOME! And much needed :)

I got stuck at work a little late, then had to get gas on my way home. So by the time I got home, it was almost 6pm. I had wanted to stop at Target and pick up a new sundress. And I had wanted to take the time to do my hair and get "prettied up" for my man. Needless to say... my plans flew out the window. My hair was a mess, my dress wasn't my fav, and it was hot and humid out.

But... every little stress seemed to flow out of the car as we eased down the hill into old downtown Stillwater. The closer we got to the water, the better we felt. I love how water eases my troubles! I've had a love affair with water since I can remember.

Our first stop was at Northern Vineyards for a little wine tasting. We tried four whites, one blush, four reds, and a dessert wine. Some were fabulous and some were almost gross. We agreed on three bottles to purchase: Yellow Moccasin, Old Vines, and "Red". Then we each got a glass of our favorite taste of the evening and headed upstairs to their shaded deck overlooking the river. I chose Mainstreet Red and Tony chose "Red"... they were huge portions for only $4 each. Yum! We were feeling pretty good and definitely very hungry by the end of our wine excursion.

We walked down the street to a place called Charlie's looking for a good app and a cold drink. Unfortunately their kitchen was super backed up because of a wedding (about 30-45 minute wait on any food order). We were starving so we kept walking. We came up to the Freight House next and sat on their ginormous patio for some artichoke dip and drinks. After a little more walking and the sun setting, we were ready for some dinner.

We picked the Dock Cafe and it was absolutely delicious! I highly recommend it! I had the halibut with mango pineapple salsa, asparagus, and herb baby reds. Tony had the twin tenderloins with green beans and mashed potatoes. It was melt in your mouth wonderfulness! See his excitement below:

After dinner we walked along shore back to our car, listening to the waves, faint music in the background, small lights flickering here and there. Date Night was a SUCCESS!

Date Night

Tony and I are having a wedding-free date night tonight! We are venturing out to Stillwater for some yummy wine tasting at Northern Vineyards. After that, we are planning to do some window shopping around town and grab a bite to eat. Hopefully this rain will stop! Any good recommendations on places to eat in Stillwater?

DIY!

Check out these awesome signs Tony made! And I thought I was the crafty one...

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Rough Draft of Important Check-in Notes!

Heyo!

We will be making a little flyer that the staff at Horseshoe will hand out to you as you check-in (or if we can manage the logistics, we will have it waiting in your room for you). It will contain a little schedule of events and important notices. Something along these lines:

Thursday Evening:
8pm Welcome Cocktails on the Lawn Outside IronFire Grill

Cocktails

Friday:
5pm Rehearsal at Ceremony Site (Wedding Party and Immediate Family)
6:30pm Rehearsal Dinner @ Benson's in Walker (Wedding Party and Immediate Family)
9pm BONFIRE! Everyone Welcome! Located on the Beach in Front of Courtyard Suites

Campfire

Saturday:
5pm Ceremony
5:30pm Cocktails on the Lawn
7pm Dinner in the Banquet Hall
8pm DANCING!
11pm "Midnight Snack" + More Dancing + Karoke + Bonfires + Awesomeness!

Dancing

Sunday:
8-11am Brunch at IronFire Grill - Everyone Welcome!
11:30am Gift Opening in Family Room of Courtyard Suites
1pm Michele and Gerry's Open House (lunch, swimming, boating, chilling)

Important Notes:
* Cocktail Hour will be hosted by us and will include Coors Light, Pinot Grigio, and Merlot.
* Reception is a Cash Bar + Free Leftovers from Cocktail Hour. It truly is a CASH ONLY bar, no credit/debit cards accepted. There is also NO ATM onsite so PLEASE make arrangement beforehand (the closest ATM is located at the YMart where 371 & 200 split by the Casino).
* Get some rest Friday night after the bonfire... Saturday we will be up late partying and we want YOU to be there!!!
* Need your hair or nails done? Contact The Beehive in Walker.
* Hungry? Try the IronFire Grill onsite or venture into town!
* Do NOT forget your swimsuit - they have an awesome beach!
* Questions/Concerns on the day of the wedding? Try Tony first! ;)

ATM

Time's A-Tickin!

BREATHE. DON'T WORRY. I'M IN LOVE AND THAT'S ALL THAT MATTERS!

(Fall 2005)

So much to do, so little time! I just have to learn to let the little things go. Everyone will have a wonderful time no matter what centerpieces I have or how cramped the tables are. Or how long or short the ceremony is. Speaking of ceremony... I have a rough draft of the order! Just need our pastor's input and we should be set. Happy to check something off the list in a time when it feels like nothing is getting checked off, things keep being added, and time is running out.

P.S. The ceremony will make you cry! It is very sweet :0)

Centerpieces

So... we were planning on having round tables... but now found out that we will actually need long tables. I was going to do a fun arrangement using these flowers, water, river rocks, candles, and these cylinders:

... but now I'm worried they are going to be too big & tall. And too many to rent to make an impact, which could get expensive.

Back to the drawing board I guess! Any suggestions would be wonderful :)

Marriage Mentor

We met with our marriage mentors for the first time about a week and a half ago. They are a great couple that hosted our table at our marriage prep class earlier this spring at Hosanna. Earlier in the year, Tony and I each took an inventory about personalities, family stuff, and future ideals. Now we get to meet with our mentor couple a few times before the wedding to go over what our answers meant. Our first topic was communication... which is a BIG one for any couple!

We got to go back and forth talking about our strengths and weaknesses when it comes to communicating with each other. We also learned how to be more assertive and to actively listen to our spouse's needs and requests. One of our topics was about how I get worked up and talk really loud when I'm excited about something, whether that is good excited or mad excited. I go "dino" on Tony (like Dino on The Flintstones, I start talking super fast and get louder and louder). Tony is definitely much more of a quiet volume guy and I like it loud.

So when I was shopping at Target the other day, I thought this little sign was a very relevant little reminder for me to put up somewhere in our new place:

B-E-A-Utiful

So I have been noticing lately that I am starting to get some nasty crow's feet around my eyes! Check it out:

I figured I better start to freshen up my look since we are close to one month away! Here are my new essentials:

Got my hair, tan, teeth, feet, fitness, skin, and eyes all covered hopefully :)

Hillbilly Bone

Ever heard of the country song "Hillbilly Bone"? Well my hubby-to-be definitely has that bone! Check out this thing Tony put together for our surround sound speaker:

Yup, you saw it right... gauze, twine, and dangling from our curtain rods. I'm glad he is so handy & savvy ;)

P.S. If you see speaker mounts/stands on sale anywhere, please let me know.

RSVPs

Have you RSVPed yet? Current stats... waiting for 143 responses! Please respond by August 1st - it's important for a variety of vendor stuff. Thanks guys!

Budget

Everybody's favorite topic in life right? I am pulling together some of our final numbers and trying to work out a payment schedule. Does anyone know where to find a good budget layout for wedding planning items? Something that I can save to my desktop and print out if needed would be preferable compared to solely web-based.

Please email, comment, call, or text with any ideas! Thanks for the help :)


P.S. I updated some info under the Wedding FAQ page!

Painting

I've been busy unpacking & cleaning... Tony's been a painting fool... and Jax... he's just soakin it all in! I will take some pics of our progress tonight and post soon :)