Well, yesterday I missed my dress fitting and today it is cold and rainy in the midwest yet somehow I am calm and relaxed and in a really good mood! One thing that is a little spooky for me – I reached my goal weight! I stepped on the scale and was pleasantly surprised and decided to try on my ’skinny jeans’ (AX sz 4) which slid right on! Normally they’d be tight for the first couple of hours and finally comfortable halfway through the day but they actually fit, right now! (Of course now is the time that I would typically start to ’self-sabotage’ so I really need to be careful. I think I need to live in these jeans this month.)

This week I was able to hire a videographer! I didn’t think I would stand a chance just weeks away from the wedding but I was actually presented with two available options – one by the Marriott wedding planner and the other by the independent wedding planner. The one offered by the independent planner is the better choice for us for many reasons but I did find it funny that the video he showcases is one he did for the Marriott! So, if Marriott will hire him to do a promotional video for them, I’m glad to hire him to do our wedding. I was presented with ‘edited’ and ‘unedited’ packages but really want both. I like the idea of a video that’s professionally edited but don’t like the idea of a stranger picking and choosing what stays and goes so I also want the raw video. Luckily he’ll also give us the raw footage for less than $100 more. (The Marriott’s package included the raw video at no extra cost but the package cost was higher.) We may never do anything with the raw video, but who knows – maybe in there will lie some cut footage of a relative we get to see for the last time (a couple of our guests are in their 80’s and some are coming from India).

My wedding band arrived and its gorgeous! We picked it out in New York and had it shipped. If you are looking for a beautiful diamond wedding band that’s a little ‘different’, check out Debeers’ Allegria band. I love that a single prong is between the diamonds – it allows a really pretty, graceful, ’scalloped’ edge. It also sits a little lower so it fits beautifully next to my solitaire.

Unfortunately I wasn’t as excited to receive my bridal wedge flip flops. I opened the box and in there are the wrong ones. The ones I purchase are all crystal and $45 and the ones I was sent are sequin and $30. I sent them an email through their website and didn’t hear back so the next day I dug deeper in the box for the invoice. On the invoice in red its marked “Final Sale, No Return” and there is NO information from the company – no return address, no phone number, no contact information for the company whatsoever. So suddenly I started feeling like I had been scammed. Last night I went back to their website and found a phone number (not an 800 number but at least a California number). I called it and got through to someone right away who totally put me at ease. She found the order and agreed I had been sent the wrong ones. So now how do they handle this return? This is interesting… She asked me to take a picture of the incorrect item and send as a reply to an email she would send me. Right away she sent the email and later that night I took a photo with my iPhone. She says when she receives the photo she will email me a return shipping label. So that’s nice. Then once they receive them back they will send the correct pair out. She confirmed they are the same height as the ones I actually wanted so she said its fine to keep them through my Monday fitting and then send them on their way Tuesday. So, the following week I should have my new shoes. I am SO glad this is something that I did not hold off until the last minute.

Anyway – I’m feeling so good I think I might actually go out and catch up with some friends tonight. We have a friend that’s DJing at our favorite wine bar. (Hence, the self-sabotage I mentioned…) And hopefully we’ll get enough of a break in the rain to go downtown and check out some of the art exhibits that are on display for a few more days… Of course if the rain persists, I might actually get to a couple of my DIY projects! Ya, its dark and rainy but now it makes me smile as I think of hot, sunny Aruba! Life is good…