Move In Day!

So I have been up to my elbows in packing up Frick for college. Sorry about my absence.

A few things:

Yesterday was my 3rd wedding anniversary. I can't believe it has been three years because it feels like I have been with My Guy forever! We are so lucky to have found each other and I just want to say Happy Anniversary to the best husband, father and to one of the greatest men I know. 

I am currently in New York city about to embark on moving Frick into her dorm. I will then enjoy the rest of my Anniversary weekend with my husband and daughter in the Big Apple. (Frack had to stay home with his grandparents. Golf team practice has started) I will be absent from the bloggersphere from today, August 29, 2013 and will not be returning until Tuesday, September 3, 2013. 

Happy Labor Day bloggers! Make sure you BBQ all your summertime favorites and enjoy all the outdoor activities you can! 

A Load Of Crockery

As some of you know, I went to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico for my fabulous honeymoon. While there, I couldn't help but notice that everything that was served to me during a meal was on coordinated, magnificent, Mexican crockery. And I mean everything. The plates, bowls, condiment trays, salt and pepper shakers, mugs, small dishes, etc., all coordinated with each other. It was beautiful. Since I am never one to turn her nose up at a retail opportunity, I decided that I had to take some of this beauty home with me. My Guy agreed, and we set out to find beautiful matching crockery to bring home to compliment our new married life.

We went to downtown Cabo and talked/bargained with some of the shop keepers, looking for the best deal. Each one had crockery more beautiful than the next, but what we were most concerned with was how we would get the stuff home. We knew it would need to be shipped. On our last afternoon, we were chatting with the manager of the hotel, telling him about our plans for the day, which were to secure the gorgeous Mexican crockery to send home, when he pulled out a business card and sent us to a place that sells the stuff to the hotels, wholesale. I was ecstatic! We immediately got in a cab and rode over to the warehouse. When we arrived I was overwhelmed by the number of beautiful styles, but I got right to work.

I selected service for 8, meaning I chose 8 coordinating dinner plates, salad plates, mugs, bowls, creamer and sugar, a butter dish, a serving bowl and a pitcher. The warehouse had a staff, but when we asked for help in locating a certain bowl or dish, their lack of English or their disinterest in our plight as they pointed a finger in the direction we were already in, told us we were pretty much on our own. There was a large sign at the cash desk that said, "CASH ONLY. NO CREDIT." We literally stole the gorgeous set of crockery, as it was relatively inexpensive for what we got, and My Guy paid the two Mexican gentleman extra to wrap up our purchases.

We returned to our hotel/resort and called in our butler. She had agreed to take care of having the 2 large boxes shipped back to the US for us, but when we got the price to do so, it was slightly more than we paid for the entire set of crockery. In hindsight, we should have carried the boxes onto the plane ourselves, because we paid the shipping and when they arrived home to us, almost every single plate; dinner plate, salad plate, was broken. And a few mugs and bowls too. And one of the salt and pepper shakers. Yes, they were insured by the shipper DHL, but I really don't care because I want the dishes more than I want the money. It's not like I can call the place that we got them and have them look the number up on the computer and re-ship me what was broken.

So I have been sitting on this for over a month now, and every day when I look at my coffee mug, all I see are the broken dishes and the lost opportunity. Until today. This morning I went online to try and locate my dishes and I did! The plate above is almost identical to the ones that were broken. BUT-the kicker is they are on eBay, and you know since I got screwed by eBay a few months ago. I'm not really looking forward to dealing with them again. The other issue; they are only advertising one plate for sale and I want 10. I sent the seller a message, so we shall see what happens. I would LOVE to replace the items we lost in shipping, but could I be that lucky? And with eBay? I'll keep you posted.

It's either that, or My Guy has to take me back to Cabo and soon.

Sadie, Sadie, Married Lady

Ok, so enough already about me. I promise I won't bore you with the details about my fabulous wedding anymore. Really, I wont.....after today?

You want to hear about the honeymoon???

Yeah, I thought so.

Sure, I'll give you some of the deets on the honeymoon, but not the ones you're looking for. Hehehehe....Some things are better left unsaid. (Alright, down boys...)

Anyway, Cabo was HEAVEN and rather than tell you I'll show you.

This is the SPECTACULAR Las Ventanas Resort in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. I have to tell you, it was the nicest resort I have ever been to. (and I've been to a lot of nice resorts) Believe it or not the pics do not do the minimalistic beauty of this place justice.




This is the view from our outdoor terrace. I took a nap on that couch one afternoon. What you can't see is to the left of this picture, just on the other side of the sofa, the "just small and cozy enough for 2", jacuzzi.















This is the view of the resort from our roof top terrace, one of two terraces that we had with our suite. SICK huh? When we got to our suite, they had Harry Connick Jr crooning on the stereo system, serenading us. Later that evening they served us a private, candle light dinner on the roof top deck.



Sorry for the blurry shot. As beautiful as this dinner upon our arrival was, it was pitch black up there, so they gave us mini flash lights so we could read the menus.

This is the bed in our suite and after we enjoyed our dinner up above, we came down to see it looking like this:

They had aromatherapy candles burning and had drawn us a bath with rose petals.

You getting this?

There was not one request the staff did not cater to and it was always "a pleasure" as they tell you. We had our own butler, who was waiting for us every day to take us to whatever scheduled activity we had, or to bring us whatever we needed. This was heaven to me considering I am the butler to everyone else at home.

We played golf twice and I played quite well, considering I did not play at all this summer. Especially after 9 holes, when I did a complimentary shot of tequila! These people love their tequila and I can see why. Smooth stuff.

Anyway, Las Ventanas is the playground to the stars. Who did we meet there??

That' Ryan Seacrest and his beautiful girlfriend Julianne Hough. They were there for the Labor Day weekend and were quite friendly. I have to give him credit, they were all over the resort, at the restaurants for dinner, breakfast and lunch. They were at the bars, they were at the pool and he didn't really pull a power "celebrity" play. We even had a nice chat with them both in the gift shop. He's really cute and so is she.

The only time I saw him play the celeb card was during this shot. They were eating lunch at the sea grill by the water and wouldn't you know the paparazzi pulled up on a boat to snap pics. Here they are moving them to the back of another restaurant so they could get away from the blood sucking paparazzi.

While sitting at the pool I also met, Bob Harper the trainer from The Biggest Loser. I didn't know it at the time and I still don't know him because I don't watch the show, but I LOVED him and his partner. We had the nicest conversation. Now in hindsight, I can only imagine what he must have thought of me, in my BIKINI...oh, the horror.
Anyway, the honeymoon was unforgettable, the wedding spectacular and today, life is good. Which is really all one can ask for.



But the real bonus for us was the children. They literally stole the show.

They gave the toast which was written by them one night just before the wedding (it was the most time they ever spent together NOT fighting) which brought. the. house. down. They were articulate, dramatic, funny, and serious. They both told My Guy he was officially their father, which brought a tear to his eye, and everyone else's. Then Frick sang, "Today was a Fairytale" by Taylor Swift with the band and everyone was on their feet.



The speech and the song was the proudest 15 minutes of my life.

So if I ever question whether or not my kids were happy with my decision to marry My Guy, all I have to do is look to this picture for the answer.




That day truly was a Fairytale.

We Did It!!!

Say Hello To The Old Ball And Chain

So tomorrow is the day.

Yup, I become the "old ball and chain". Or the new ball and chain, which ever way you want to look at it. And he becomes my ball and chain. And I couldn't be more excited! How lucky I am to have found a great man to share the rest of my life with. We are all so fortunate. So this is my last post as a single woman. Do I feel different? No, just better, in the best way possible.

I'll be on my honeymoon for a week in fabulous Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and will return to the bloggersphere on Tuesday, September 7, 2010. The question remains as to whether or not I will post a picture. Maybe sooner, maybe later. It all depends, but I will give you all a look at my big day eventually. Thanks so much for all your kind words of support and encouragement.

Blessings and love to you all.

I'm really going to do it!!

2 Days And Counting

The excitement is building.

The out of town guests are arriving daily.

The task list keeps getting bigger and longer.

The suitcases are lovingly organized and packed.

The weather is clearing up.

The ceremony has been written.

Minor details are the order of today.

Got to squeeze in a work out.

Got to blog.

Got to stop and take it all in.

Got to remember, this is the fun part.

Just breathe.

It will all be over before I know it, got to enjoy it all.

Second time's a charm, right? Or is that the third? Oh well, I hope I never have to find out about thirds.

There's something so right about this time. Maybe because I'm older and I'm smarter. Maybe because I look and feel better. Maybe because my kids will be beside me because we are all getting married.

Maybe, just maybe, because he's the right one.

The Right Stuff

So the countdown to the BIG DAY stands at 8, as of today.


8 days.


Today is my final fitting on my wedding gown. I am soooo happy to have lost close to 21 lbs this year so I can look FLY in my gown.


I did it by working out hard and abstaining from sugar.


That's right, no sugar..no way.



I shudder to think about what the stress of planning a wedding could have done to my body.


I could have completely gone the other way.


.....on a steady diet of cookies and cream puffs.....

God, forgive me.........just saying.

Have a great weekend bloggers!

Divine Intervention

So I was at my store the other day and one of my favorite customers and I were having a chat. We were talking about marriage and spouses and such, seeing as I'm heading down that path again in just 5 short weeks. We talked about longevity and commitment and how marriage is work. I was telling her that my mom has been complaining that she is really frustrated with my dad lately, for one reason or another. My customer then relayed this story to me, which I found to be quite amusing, indeed. I then, immediately relayed the story to my mom. True or not, this is one I will remember.

She told me that she had seen an interview with the Rev Billy Graham and that she always calls it to mind when she is feeling less than amorous with her spouse. She said it gives her peace.
The story goes like this:

The Reverend was asked by the interviewer if the Lord had ever spoken to him directly. The Reverend response was, "Only once." He went on to say that he had been arguing with his wife one day and while shaving his face alone in the bathroom, still stewing over the specifics of their argument, the Lord spoke to him and said, "You're no bargain, either."

I couldn't help but think it was genius.

Whether or not the higher power actually intervened and spoke those words of truth to the Reverend is completely irrelevant to the point, which is, so true.

"You're no bargain, either"

Damn, ain't that the truth.
This is not an endorsement of the Reverends teachings, or a religious or political agenda advancement. It's just a simple take on that age-old commitment of marriage.

It sure puts things into perspective doesn't it?

Pillow Talk

Overheard in another stratosphere....

HUNNY: I'm going to be needing some nookie tonight baby, and since when do I have to schedule an "appointment"?

BUNNY: Oh just you wait for the honeymoon, Mister. Rules say that on your honeymoon you have to have nookie EVERY DAY, and at least 2 or 3 times a day.

HUNNY: No, the rule is....

BUNNY: OH NO, you don't get to make the rules.

HUNNY: Why is it that you tell me your rule, and when I try to tell you mine, you jump all over me and yell.

BUNNY: Because mine is a joke.

HUNNY: How do you know mine isn't?

BUNNY: Go ahead.

HUNNY: Rule says that before you are married every time you have sex, you place a penny in a jar. After you are married, you take a penny out of the jar. The rule says you will never be able to empty the jar.

BUNNY: Ha Ha....that better be a joke. Not funny....


I'm not saying that's the conversation that My Guy and I had this morning.

What would make you think that???

Sunny Funny Honeymoon

The wedding planning is going along smoothly, so far, with a just few things left to do. One of them is the honeymoon. We have yet to finalize it because, it seems we can't agree.

At issue: Destination

I want to go to Greece. I've been talking about it for three years and I think it would be perfect.

He does not want to travel for 13-14 hours away from the kids, (yet I do) and we only have about 8 days.

The week we are gone is the first week of school for Frick and Frack (his first time in HIGH SCHOOL). My sister will stay with them for the first week and my parents can fill in for a few extra days. Plus, I have 3 too many dogs, and they make my house a crazy house. 8 days is about the max we can squeeze out.

SO at this point, the options are:

Anguilla-Cap Jaluca Resort

Cabo San Lucas-The One and Only Resort

St Barts-Any resort advice?

Mustique-????

Brittish Virgin Islands-????

Turks and Caicos-Parrot Cay Resort-we have already been here and loved it so much, it has become the standard by which we measure all resorts. BUT-I think we'd rather go somewhere we have not been.

I feel we are blessed to be able to even consider such wonderful options, so we both want it to be special. We are leaning the Cabo San Lucas way, because The One and Only seems to be an amazing resort.

Any advice bloggers??

Where is your dream destination?

What have you got? Dazzle me with your travel prowess....

It's A Fricken Racket

Not to bore you with the details of my pending nuptials or anything but I feel a rant coming on.

SO, we set the date, which is a great thing, (late Aug 2010) and found the venue. So far so good. We even found a historic, gorgeous, amazing, non-denominational chapel to have the ceremony in, which is located in the heart of Boston, on the first block of beautiful Newbury Street, a stone's throw from where the reception will be. I, being a divorced, scarlet woman in the eyes of the church, cannot get married in the church, so this is the closest thing I can get to a sacrament for the mere price of $2500.00. It's important to me, so we compromise.

Then we hired a wedding planner. More $$$.

This being my second time at the Rodeo but My Guy's first, coupled with the fact that we are both over 40, we want to have a beautiful party, but nothing over the top. I will wear a simple but stunning gown, and we are looking forward to sharing the day with 100 or so family and friends. Both of us are 1 of 5 children, so believe me when I tell you the guest list is almost all family.

Because we decided to hire a planner and have the reception in a historic Boston hotel, we are now being shown options that are in fact, ridiculous, even by my standards. The shit that is being presented to me as necessary budget items is astounding to me...and we can pretty much afford to do things the way we want to. The problem is, that when I see these things, I can't help but have a Pavlovian response to their beauty. Hence, the racket.

Things you wouldn't believe the "experts" say you must have:

• expensive linens-patterned fabric napkins, napkin rings, and flatware because the hotel linens aren't good enough?
• chairs-the hotel chairs aren't good enough?
• lighting throughout the entire room, centerpieces etc. to create an atmosphere-I have to say lighting does make a difference, but for 6 to 8 grand???
• extra furniture- couches, cocktail tables, to create a lounge-y atmosphere so that guest can relax-because again, the hotel chairs aren't good enough.
• Flowers, flowers. flowers-because you don't want the place to look bare
• bathroom baskets and custom baskets for your overnight guests-a nice idea, but really, do I have to? I think those bathroom baskets are CHEEZY!!
• Wedding favors- really? Cmon, I'm not 21 any more.
• the right band-"ummm, yeah, those guys aren't good if they are available." huh? every body's getting a cut of the cake on the "it" bands, and the band is kind of important, so we are at their mercy. It's been kinda ugly watching everyone hash it out.

So you can see where I am going with all of this, but don't worry. Mama didn't raise no fool. And I'm not marrying a fool either. We are blessed enough to have the opportunity to be able to do it this way, but we will not let this get out of hand.

For me, it is more about the marriage than the wedding and I have no doubts that it will be a memorable, beautiful event without getting fleeced all the way to the altar.