We Won! We Won! We Won!

So, a few weeks ago, I entered a giveaway, this giveaway, on the Green Orchid Events blog to win a photography session in Vegas. I was stalking the blog nearly every day as the winner would be chosen randomly from the comments. There were still only 5 commenters (I was the 5th) so I figured we had a 20% chance at it, which isn't all that high.

The contest ended last night at midnight, Vegas time, so I went to sleep hoping I'd wake up to find out that I'd won. Y'all might know how addicted to my Blackberry I am. I check email and twitter constantly. Well, when back pain woke me at 5am, I checked it, scrolling quickly through the emails until I saw it...
"Congratulations - You're the winner of the photo contest"

I started grinning and it took me a while to fall back to sleep. I started telling Steve we'd won, but, well, it was 5am and he was dead asleep. This morning, there was a tweet about it pointing to Juliet's blog post. Yeah, I totally retweeted it.

Even before we won, I was in touch with the photographer, Jessie of Emeric Photography & Design, and really can't wait to work with her and her husband. I told her we'd already booked our wedding photographer, but if we'd won, I'd love to do a day after session. It looks like we get to after all! I'm thinking day after, possibly trash the dress only because I desperately want to go to the Neon Boneyard or possibly Red Rocks Canyon.

Prize package:
* Lifestyle Portrait Session (which can be used for Engagement, Trash the Dress, Day After Session, Anniversary, etc...)
* 3 hours of photography time
* Online photo gallery to share with family & friends
* High resolution disk with choice of 45 print-ready images (printable up to 8×10) A print release will also be included.
* Photo session is valid only in Las Vegas

The Luna Story

There seems to be some confusion and wondering amongst my friends as to why I got a new car. I've been getting gchat and email questions about it. I love y'all for being concerned, but it's cool.. I know what I'm doing. ♥

For starters, I'm not stupid enough to buy something I can't afford. Y'all know that. Y'all also know that money had been exceptionally tight for the 4 months Steve was unemployed and I was paying as many of our bills as I could handle and still pay for my own. Now, on the paltry salary I'm making, that was way worse than paycheck to paycheck since our rent was 90% of 1 of my 2 paychecks each month. And it's not like he wasn't going out every single day and trying to find something, the hiring processes were just taking forever. Since he's been employed, and actually likes his job, money has been much better for the last few months. However, it's not my business to post about that stuff, so y'all really didn't know anything that was actually happening. I know, some of you are on my FB and saw the tiny tidbit's of info I was posting there. But I don't post like 80% of my life on FB because there are too many people on there that I just don't care to share everything with.

My payments on Luna are about $20 more than my Moxie payments and still under $300. I managed to talk them down well over $150 off their original "suggested" monthly payment. I was at the dealer for about 7 hours by myself haggling and very sick the whole time. After a while, they were actually impressed with how I was holding my ground and not just rolling over and taking what they offered. I've learned how the game works with my previous 2 cars and knew what I wanted to pay and just wasn't accepting it. I did almost leave a few times – my dad and Steve were proud of that. LOL. When I brought the 2nd set of Moxie keys in over a week later, they knew who I was without even asking my name and asked about the car, etc.

I did a ton of research on cars in the weeks leading up to buying her. Again, I'm not a nitwit. I had a plan, I knew what I wanted, then during my research I switched what I wanted. I was shocked, quite frankly, that the Hyundai Elantra Touring had such high ratings and amazing reviews over and over again. Plus, hello my price range! I was shocked as I had a Hyundai prior to Moxie and was so over it by the time she was 5 years old. Notice a trend there? I keep my cars for 5 years then trade them in. :)

So here are some of the better things I love about Luna, in no particular order...

• Bluetooth
• Sunroof
• Crossover SUV/ wagon
• 4 times the amount of storage space
• Huge back seat to hold 2-3 baby seats
• XM radio (just found that today!)
• Brand spanking new 2010 model car
• Phenomenal warranty
• Roadside assistance
• Automatic – ok, not so crazy about that, but important for when we have kids *I* think

Financially:

• $8200 for Moxie – let that sink in for a bit :D
• Graduate student discount
• Purchase/ financing price is $3,000+ off the sticker price and on the low end of the "price paid" in all the reviews I've read
• Virtually the same size gas tank and mileage as Moxie – at current prices, $25 to fill it
• Full coverage insurance was $15 more/month on a brand spanking new 2010 car
• Moxie needed roughly $1500 of work as she was 5 years old, needed new brakes, a new battery and replaced motor mounts

veil combs

I want to wear my veil, but not my hair, like this:

Image source

Tonight I started looking for combs to attach my lovely knitted veil to so I can shove it into my hair.However, I also have a total bling comb that I bought ages ago. I cannot and will not attach the veil to the bling comb since there are rhinestones and crystals all over the place that can snag it. And after knitting it for months, I don't want it ruined! :)

So here's my choices for the combs:
1. http://bit.ly/a67bJi 
2. http://bit.ly/96cutE 
3. http://bit.ly/9UaGBP 
4. http://bit.ly/cWdddN 
5. http://bit.ly/9tZobq

Read the sizes in their descriptions and let me know whatcha think, please. :)

We Have a Ketubah! part 1

Holy crow people... we have wording for our Ketubah! I just emailed it off to the lovely and talented Amanda of Swoonoverit who is doing the calligraphy. Steve and I have been tossing around a few design ideas for the other 8" of paper. As a reminder, I bought 12x12 cardstock for Amanda to use 4" down the side for the vows and signature lines and us to use 8" for the artwork.

And without further ado.... here are our wonderful and fabulous vows:

This Ketubah certifies before God and all those present that, on the Tenth Day of the Month of October, in the Year 2010, corresponding to the Second Day of the Month of Cheshvan, in the Year 5771, in the City of Las Vegas, in the State of Nevada, the Holy Covenant of Marriage was entered into between the Groom, [him], Son of [Mom], and the Bride, [her], Daughter of [parents].

Surrounded by family and friends, we affirm our commitment to each other as husband and wife. Our lives are now and forever intertwined. Our similarities will bind us, our differences will enrich us, and our love will define us. We will celebrate all of the passages of life together with joy and reverence. In times of happiness we will cherish each other, and in times of trouble we will protect each other. Together, we will create a home where both of our traditions are celebrated with honor, and where the values of our families are nurtured and passed on. We willingly enter into this covenant of companionship and love: from this day forward, we are as one.

Officiant_________________
Bride____________________
Groom __________________
Witness _________________
Witness _________________

And a design idea:

 

This is, and has been, my favorite design. It started by my looking for trees, but when I saw all the details on it, it was just love. Steve and I just need to figure out what to put on our tree.

Dress Dilemma

I am having a bit of a dilemma right now. Y'all all know that I want a new dress. This weekend is the Brides Against Breast Cancer dress sale here in Raleigh. They have hundreds of dresses vastly discounted AND each purchase is for a good cause.

My dilemma... do I continue to hold onto the existing dress? Or do I go to the dress sale and try on and possibly buy another dress? Or do I just donate the dress to them as a tax write off for my 2010 taxes? OK, well, the choices aren't exactly all stand alone. Liiike, I could go to the dress sale and look, but not buy. Or I could buy and donate. Or I could just say screw it and do nothing.

By the way, my weight loss plan? Yeah, it's non-existant at this point. Due to the massive amounts of snow we just had, I sprained my ankle. I also fell on my butt in a different incident 2 days after the ankle sprain. Yeah, I know, I'm amazing like that. I was shut up in the house for 3 days because I refused to venture out in the ice and snow in my car. Not just any car, but my 10 days old car.

Oh yeah, I got a new car! She's super cute and I love her. I've named her Luna and she's a Hyundai Elantra Touring Wagon. Yes, Hyundai. I was shocked as well, but she's got some of the highest ratings I've seen in a long time and I'm planning for the future. As in, the future with babies and children and all the stuff that involves raising them. Luna has a massive storage area and plenty of room for 2 or 3 car seats.

Snow in Chapel Hill

I have lived in North Carolina since July 2006 and this is the worse snow I've seen. Not that it was bad, but it'd definitely the most accumulated snow. It's kinda like a hurricane category 5 warning when only a category 1 or 2 shows up. Since I've lived here, we've gotten 1-2" at most each time it's snowed. Not this time! When we went to sleep last night, we already had a couple inches. Around 8am when I went outside, there was about 5-6" already and it snowed on and off all day.

Work was closed today and reports are already in for tomorrow closings. At this rate, we might not even be open on Monday either! That's just crazy to me, but I totally love it.

Even spraining my ankle on a rogue covered up hole can't dampen my mood. I love this white flaky prettiness!

Beautiful night time snowfall, Friday evening.

 

My new car is already covered!

This was around 8am Saturday morning on top of my car. Roughly 6" of snow.

4" of snow and 8-9" of puppy... you do the math. :)

Lola with one of her BFFs, Tobin. Yes, he's an Irish Setter & she's a Miniature Pinscher.

One of her other BFFs, Brindle. Lola was totally body slammed but got right back up to play.

She was walking in my footprints to sink less. By this point it was about 5-6" on the ground.

More pictures on my facebook, viewable to everyone with an account.

It's Been Awhile

Where have I been?

I've been sick! Steve and I both have the crud that's been going around Chapel Hill and have had it for over a week. Not only that, but when I'm feeling ill, I don't feel like writing.

No wedding plans have been touched. I haven't been knitting my veil. I haven't been working on the invites. I have, however, been sleeping and watching TV a lot.

Also, since I'm in my final semester for my MBA classes, I'm trying to stay on top of the homework. Yep, I'm kinda failing miserably at it since all I want to do is sleep.

But I will leave you with a funny picture. Right behind our apartment is a .8 mile long cement trail through the forest. Yesterday 2 women and 3 children were hanging out on one of the benches. The kids were drawing all over the trail with sidewalk chalk. This morning during my 7am Lola-walk, I spotted the following picture and just had to take a picture of it. #randomchalkdrawingweddingreference

Married Name Email Address

apparently rebecca fletcher, & most all variations of it, are taken on gmail. #marriedname

whatcha think: ribfletcher, beccafletcher10 or fletcher.becca for my #marriedname email addy? currently is becca.benaim

beccafletcher42 is also available

beccafletcher42 it is..


I have always identified with my name. Not the "duh" statement that it sounds like, but because my father named me after him. That is, he gave me his initials: RIB. And in just shy of 9 months, I will be losing my awesome initials. I made the decision not to hyphenate and to just have 2 middle names. My mom did it, but uses her maiden name on legal documents instead of both. I just don’t feel right saddling our kids with a huge last name just to keep mine. I am thrilled to be taking on Steve’s last name.

However, I will go from being 100% unique to quite common. Every time I Google my name, I know I will be every one of the results. I was told a few months ago by a friend that I will be the third Rebecca Fletcher on her facebook page after I change my name. Utterly common. But hey, my name will be easy to spell and pronounce!

This morning a twitter friend mentioned securing her married name’s email address. I tried so many different combinations before finally landing on benaimfletcher42. My maiden, my married, and the “Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything.” 42 is also the binary number of our wedding date. Oh yes, I went there. I admit to my geekiness!

42 is also something I've been contemplating for my next tattoo...

Ring Dishes & Ketubah!

Image Source

i'm totally getting these for Steve's and my mama's for the wedding! http://bit.ly/8D37Ry

I was perusing etsy tonight and flipping through my favorites. And saw these little ring dishes. How adorable are they?! Oh, I'm totally getting one for myself as well. I'm thinking of this dish: http://bit.ly/4zQjB9 either keeping the claddagh or replacing it with a 4-leaf clover or something Celtic. I have no idea why, but I'm totally drawn to Irish/ Celtic things. Maybe my grandmother was Irish. I like to think she was. I mean really, we're all freckled with blue eyes. A girl can pretend, right? ;-)

Have you purchased ring dishes? What did you use it for or did you just hang it on the wall? I'm picturing ours hanging near (probably underneath) our beautiful ketubah.

And on that note...

packed up the ketubah paper & the deposit and will be sending it to @swoonoverit on Monday! it's really happening!!! #wedding

It's going out on Monday! I cracked open the paper package tonight for the first time. It's beautiful and thick white paper. The hardest part was finding something to ship the paper to Amanda totally flat. I ended up finally finding a scrapbooking paper keeper and putting thick cardboard on either side of the 15 sheets in the keeper. So exciting!!

Weighty Journay

according to excel**, i need to lose 30lbs to be where i was when i bought my wedding dress. not as much as i thought. have 9 months to go.


So this was amazing to figure out. I actually don’t have all that much to lose to be the weight I was when I bought the dress. 30 pounds in 9 months? That’s only 3 pounds a month if my math is correct. And, well, since the wedding is less than 9 months and I might need dress alterations, we’ll say 6 months to lose 30 pounds. That still works out to be only 5 pounds per month. Oh, plus a whole lot of jiggly arm fat reducing exercises. Since my dress is strapless. And cuz it looks gross.

I think I might actually [try] stay up at 6:30am after Steve leaves for work and I walk Lola. That extra 90 minutes of sleep, while amazing, makes me feel like I hit a wall and it takes me forever to get back out of bed. Perhaps it’s the snuggly puppy curled against me and the warm covers, but whatever it is, it sucks. And I do have a decent amount of energy after our brisk walk in the sub-freezing temperatures. I could *gasp* do a workout DVD then take my time getting ready for work. I could actually make breakfast instead of grabbing a yogurt and swinging by Starbucks for either a bagel or spinach feta wrap and a Venti chai. Sure, I’ll miss my chai, but it may help me lose weight to not drink so many of them!

This is kinda my accountability. I figure if I write about it and have a goal in mind, I may do it. I’m just so lazy! No, not lazy, would rather sit and knit then sweat and exercise. And don’t say pool, cuz me and bathing suits have a long history of mutual hatred. =)

Inspiration. And not even the smallest I've been in my adult life.

**Yes, I tracked my weight watchers journey in excel... what of it? ;-)