Excited Again about this wedding thing!

I think I just got bitten by the wedding bug again! I have super cool news to share with my budget brides! First here are some super sites that I am loving right now:

• Fox News and Friends: The Budget Celeb Wedding with David Tutera. I just Love it:

http://video.aol.com/video-detail/fox-and-friends-to-have-and-to-hold/1174767360

• I'm really feeling David Tutera, he is so cool and smart about this weeding stuff. I loved him on Get Married Tv and I know I will love him on My Fair Wedding. I hope they can make dvds of this show! Here's a sneak peak:
  
  David Tutera in My Fair Wedding!
  by WEtv

Wedding Dress Tips from David Tutera!
by WEtv

• I DO NOW I DONT.com- Which is a jewelry site that helps people buy and sell jewelry. Sort of like consignment for bad engagements. http://www.idonowidont.com/

• Dollar Store Crafts.com and Craftster.org- When I tell folks that you can find all sorts of stuff at your local dollar store they laughed at me but I got my golden picture frames which will hold baby pictures of me and my FI, candles, stationery and alot more from the Dollar store. Plus you can also get wholesalers prices from the dollar store too.DIY is the way to save moola, folks! Search weddings. http://www.dollarstorecrafts.com/ and http://www.craftster.org/

• Kay Jewelers: I am getting my FI's ring from there! yahhhhhh! http://www.kayjewelers.com/

• Dial Directions.com- I love this site!!! Let's say that you , the Bride is having an event but its in an area that alot of your guest are not familar with. Do you sit on the phone for hours giving each guest verbal directions? NO! You do the smart 2009 thing: You have a map made and you put a memo on the invites saying that they can call dial directions.com if they get lost.! Check them out: http://www.dialdirections.com/default.aspx

• Shop Wild Things.com and Cristalier.com- I am SO in to this site!!!!!Its bling-tastic! It has all the super cool stuff that all the fancy wedding planners have at po' boy prices! I love the chandeliers. I think bling is super important at weddings. Three months ago I would've died if you told me that I couldn't have dozens and dozens of roses but now I'm here accepting carnations with blinged out wedding trees! Here's a DIY tip: You can use beaded curtains as crystals for your wedding tree if you want that dripping with diamonds look or Go with a few real crystals! Here's a video:http://www.cristalier.com/ http://www.shopwildthings.com/

Thats all for now folks!

Super Deals! Office Depot Closing Steal!

I am super excited I found an ultra deal at Office Depot. The office depot near my home is closing and everything must go so I was with my FI and I gave him a pick of pretty pink rose invites or gold invites with rings on it, Of course, He picked the non girly invites. I was a little bummed but I decided the simple elegant ones are versatile. The invites are from Gartner Studios and they are printable invites a.k.a DIY invites and they were only $21.00 for 100! No lie, $21.00! My jaw dropped right there in the store. It was super cool...very cool. My invites less than a pair of shoes at DSW. If you look at the Office Depot website it will not have the phone number of the stores that are closing immediately but if you call around to different stores a friendly sales person may tell you where you can score too!

super deals on PAPER!!!!!!

Here are some super deals I have discovered for wedding stationary:

• Gartner Studios...The outlet online! super cool site to get invites and stationary. www.gartneroutlet.com
• Cards and Pockets! A great site for the DIY Brides out there. www.cardsandpockets.com
• Vista Print for save the date magnets. www.vistaprint.com
• Invitation Outlet- Make your own Invites! http://www.invitationoutlet.com/pageone.html

Here are some of my quick sites to avoid wedding paper debt madness!

Some many sites charge so much for stupid stuff like paper! Its so dumb. You can get the white paper for $56.99 for 100 or the fancy paper you know you will want for $208 for 100! BS! Its just a big hoax to get in your pockets and personally its a bit insulting. Its not like paper is a major part of the whole wedding thing:

"Wedding dress? Check! Wedding bands? Check! Reception Site? Check! Paper for Invites? Oh my God, there is no paper...Stop the wedding!"

Ummm, no. Its stupid to pay so much for something like that. Most invites get thrown away after the wedding. Only your immediate family and best friends keep that stuff which means a good 70% is going into the waste basket. Seriously, just give me the plain ole white paper.

Me VS The Gut: the battle at Fort Fridge!

Sorry its been taking so long but I am trying to book my venue site over the phone, go to work, register for classes, deal with drama and still perform my duties as a future house wife/current girlfriend. So how's the fight? Honestly I'm losing. The Gut kicked my butt yesterday. I had a show down with the fridge and at the food court! I totally ate like six slices of bread....yuck I'm not proud. At the food court, t I ate just a bowl of oatmeal that morning and hubby's talk of hamburgers get the best of me. The damage: a veggie burger with cheese, tomatoes, lettuce and grilled mushrooms, barbecue with a fluffy bun with tons of Five Guys fries. tons. Its funny cus when you are at work and they only give you thirty minutes to eat, it just makes you want to eat more. You think "Darn it, I only have thirty minutes I need to eat as much as I can. Move it sister!" but the reality is that it only takes 1 minute to make a better choice. "greasy yummy veggie burger...no, yummy salad instead." I'm writing this cus I know there are women out there fighting the good fight to maintain a healthy weight. I just hate the women who "pretend" that their lives are so much better and brighter than yours. You know the type that say "I just wake up this thin, pretty, and perfect" when we all know they have trainers, makeup people or what not. so I will not be fake ...I gave in to carbs but dont count me out!

Me VS The Gut!!!! Week one: denial.

I am so kicking myself in the booty right now. Today I did nothing, exercise wise. Which would be great if I had been training for a marathon but I haven't. I have been gorging out on sweets, enjoying salty snacks and sitting on my ever growing butt...

I will admit I'm lazy. if I were president I would command men to exercise for the women while the women play football on the xbox!

But alas, Obama won and I wasn't even nominated.

My goal is to lose 50 before my 2010 wedding. I have my eyes on a mermaid dress and I must fit in it. Its not just a selfish personal thing, I do this for all curvy gals who have thunder thighs and cute little-big tummies. Seriously, I will write the good, the bad and the ugly of my weight-loss.

so here I go-skinny or get married as I am!

Things I'm doing to save money!!

As my wedding date gets closer I have been on a wedding savings hunt. Trying to find the most cost efficient ways to save a buck. here are some of my ideas (the ones my FI has signed off on ):

1. Keeping it short n simple: Having a short ceremony at city hall: its only $25 plus the license and my location has a chapel and having a big reception party.
2. Sistahs are doing it for themselves: DIYing everything: centerpieces,invitations, even food ( making tons of salad for the buffets and buying main entrees ala carte!)
3. NOT showing them the money: Not paying a deposit till I have everything in writing!
4. Splitting hairs: Taking time out to write vendors emails and get prices B4 trying to book.
5. Lean on me: As a student, who has two jobs, and bills I am always looking for help, so I try not to be a control freak bridezilla. Sometimes I fail.
6. Putting coins in the piggy:Making "deposits' into the wedding account. In my case a good solid ING Direct account. I am always making transfers to and fro.

Overall I think its good to try to take money saving advice from every reputable source out there. However it is also good to know what's worth the money versus whats not worth it. A great photographer=worth the money but a great manicure=not worth it just DIY it yourself.

NEW BLOG ALERT!!!!!!!

I HAVE ANOTHER BLOG:

ITS ALL ABOUT BEING A YOUNG NIGERIAN LADY FROM A FUNNY PERSPECTIVE!

ITS CALLED: FUFU IS MEANT TO BE SWALLOWED!

CHECK IT OUT: http://fufunsoup.blogspot.com/

Brides magazine :I am loving it right now!

I was in Borders and I picked up the latest Brides magazine. I was in awe at all the sites that were mentioned. This issue was super good. here are the following sites n stuff that I am loving and why: (this list isn't in order) Westhavendesign.com: Hello do you have spaces in your vendor site that you hate? Cover it up with a green bush tree thingy. ( technically they are called topiary trees but who really cares?) Missnowmrs.com. Finally, a site that makes the name changing thing easier. Here you can get you stuff filed and move on with your life all in one or two clicks. Another good source of reading material is Bridal Bargains 9th edition! if you don't have it, get it! It has the inside scoop on the super ugly side of the wedding industry and how to stay sane and keep your moola. I also found out that Lela Rose is making a bridal shoe line called Unforgettable Moments for Payless. 64 colors, hand finished, satin uppers and leather soles ( it isnt perfect) but it's very beautiful stuff for only $44.99! SCORE! I'm not giving it all away but it was a pretty good issue...

Sorry its taken so long to post: my dress

I have been so busy working hard and trying to keep up with family stuff. Any way here's my lastest update. I'm looking for the dress! I am thinking ivory and stunning but informal enough to wear during the day for a lunch reception. However here are my guidlines:

• It must be long.We are both pretty traditional and my mom wouldn't like a short dress
• I dont want a white dress since my theme is pink and gold it must be some kind of ivory.
• It must be affordable...really affordable I just cant see myself paying thousands for a dress I will wear only once.
• I must be able to make alterations to it. Because I am always losing weight in the summer and then gaining in the winter.
• Finally it cant be poufy...i abhor the poofy big old wedding dresses.

And thats it, let the search begin...

OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA

SOME PEOPLE THINK ITS NOT COOL TO TALK ABOUT POLITICS ON A WEDDING SITE. SOME PEOPLE DONT LIKE OBAMA AND SOME PEOPLE EAT OLD TUNA SANDWICHES!

this is not for any of those people...

YES WE CAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OBAMA IS PRESIDENT BABY!