30 days from today, I will be Mrs. Tara Kirkman!

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind, and I sense it is only going to get more intense. I've got a lot accomplished though. The bakery I finally settled on is called Paddy Cake Bakery, located in Pittsburgh's Bloomfield neighborhood. The samples we tasted were amazing, and we were able to get the cake/pudding combo we wanted. The whole experience was such a contrast to the other ones. The coordinator was oustanding and I am happy with the design I've chosen. And the price made me even happier - a 3 tier cake for $275 - much more reasonable in my mind. Especially after I sampled a $600 cake and it tasted like shit.

I have had a few snafus, particularly regarding my dress, but I think everything is on track now. As you may recall, I bought a basic dress from eBay about a year ago. The plan was to make some alterations to give it a more "vintage" look. My seamstress, a friend of a friend, took on the project but then realized - very recently - that it would be more difficult to 'disassemble and rebuild' the dress versus starting from scratch with a pattern and a dozen yards of fabric.

At first, I was skeptical...and a little alarmed. But as a professional graphic artist, I can actually understand the logic behind what she had explained to me - as it happens all the time. Someone comes to me with some piece of shit project that they want revamped. Often, it's somebody elses' work that I have to go in and disassemble and try to modify to make it look less like shit. This process can be very aggravating and time-consuming. As crazy as it sounds, I actually prefer to just scrap it and start fresh, with my own design. This takes less time and is much more satisfying in the end. Can you say, control freak? :P

So I was on board with her new plan of attack - and after she found a pattern of a vintagey dress online, we went shopping and I picked out the fabric. It was a little maddening, as I had a hard time imagining the finished product while draping bolts of fabric across my body. But again, I trust my seamstress knows what she is doing so I purchased the materials that she needed. I definitely spent way more on the materials than I anticipated - and way more than I thought I was going to spend on the first one. As I think I've stated before, I've basically failed at being a budget wedding warrior - but from what I've read and what many people have told me, paying a little less than $300 for a wedding dress (that I truly love) is still considered a bargain.

The upswing is that I am going to have a custom, one-of-a-kind, vintage-style wedding dress that I think is going to be absolutely gorgeous - much more so that the first one. I am basically getting exactly what I want, totally tailored to my body, and I think something that will become a very sentimental family heirloom.

Aside from the dress excitement, Dan and I hosted our non-traditional wedding shower last weekend at my Dad's house. The idea behind the 'shower' was to include both men, women, kids - and keep it very casual. Stuffy, traditional bridal showers are just not my cup of tea. So we planned a backyard picnic - grilled food, beer and lawn games. The invite list was kept pretty small too, only close friends and family.

In hindsight, I probably should have reconsidered even having it. Because my Mom was in the hospital for 2 weeks in the beginning of July, the whole process of planning/sending invitations got pushed back. But the ball was in motion and I decided to follow through despite the shower having to be so close to the wedding. The other factor was the mild confusion that was experienced by some who had a hard time understanding the logic behind our non-traditional shower.

One of the requests we made was to *not* buy/bring gifts from our registries. Instead, we asked our guests to bring bottles of wine or liquor so that we could build up our 'stock'. We then labeled each one with who got it for us, so we could remember and appreciate it more when we cracked them open. I didn't think this was too off-the-wall a concept - but perhaps it was to some.

We are so thankful to everyone who helped us that day. Everyone chipped in to some degree and made the day relaxing and fun for us. A big shout out to my sis and maid-of honour, Andrea, who really took charge of the setup and cleanup.

In addition, we've been placing food/decoration orders and making final payments for the vendors. We also bought eachother our wedding bands. Scary stuff - as there is no turning back now. Well, there is, but that's certainly not a concern.

Now I am tackling various crafty projects for the wedding. I love this stuff, but wish I had more time for it. I hate only having an hour or two in the evening to work on things. If I could, I'd work on stuff all day. Last night I designed the centerpiece for the bridal party table and was pleasantly surprised with the finished product. I suppose being the daughter of a florist who designed dozens of wedding floral arrangements rubbed off a little. :)

This weekend we are attending the wedding of friends who are getting married in a barn, about 2 hours outside of the city. I'm really looking forward to it, as I have a not-so-secret love for rural settings. My dream wedding when I was younger was to be married in the woods, but alas, I was unable to do that. So in a way, I will appreciate this wedding in a vicarious way.

The other exciting part of this weekend is that Dan and I decided to book a room at a local bed & breakfast for the night, so we won't have to drive the 2 hours back after the reception. It's in of course a beautiful old farmhouse, nestled in the mountains. The next day (Monday) is Labor Day, and we both have off (amazing!) so we are going to explore a nearby state park, specifically to see Fallingwater which is the famous home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright on top of a waterfall (owned by the famous Kaufmann Family) - and now a museum that offers tours during the day.

We're psyched to actually do something relaxing and romantic for a change. I think it will really help me as I dive into the final push towards our special day.