More Google Wedding Fun!

These past few weeks have been CRAZY! Before I go on a posting spree and fill you all in, I thought I would share something fun that showed up in my inbox this morning. Google, as part of their docs application, has added a few wedding specific templates. Although I have pretty much created my own budgeting spreadsheet, payment schedules and to-do lists, I thought these might be really helpful for the recently engaged. Although there are these kinds of checklists on every wedding website out there, I like being able to modify the style and method as well as keep everything in one place, i.e. my Google docs. I also like that you can easily share these with others without having to create Versions 1 through 2433.

I thought this budgeting template would be particularly helpful:



And the checklist:



And a photo album as part of their Presentation (kinda like PowerPoint) application:


Even though I only have 6 weeks to go (AHHHH!), it was nice to run through the budgeting worksheet and the to-do list, as it never hurts to double check! It actually made me feel as if I was on top of my game. We will see how I am feeling a few weeks from now...

Distractions For Little Hands

We didn't invite every kid in our life as a guest to the wedding, although it is starting to feel like we are planning a circus. But who doesn't love a circus (without the clowns)?

These cases of fun are for the three eight/nine year old girls. I included some little goodies from Bath and Body Works (Bubble Gum lip gloss, Sweet Pea lotion, a plastic pocket mirror), a bouncy ball and a card game in a Paper Source suitcase. Our four year old attendant will receive a coloring book game, markers and other fun drawing supplies. Their ballet flats and a sweet little headband from twigs and honey will also be included before we hand them over.


Our two five year old boys will receive an Old Navy backpack with some fun games and coloring activities inside. The two year old is receiving the same thing, only more age appropriate.

I love that fishing game!

We will ask their parents to bring them along to the wedding so that they will have some distractions when things get slow- when they aren't smiling for pictures, during cocktails, when their feet hurt from dancing. Cafe Brauer is part of the Lincoln Park Zoo, so if that doesn't serve as a distraction between the ceremony and cocktails, I don't know what will!

What are you doing to keep the little guys in your wedding busy?

Fresh As a Peony

It seemed like kind of a random thing, but people get really excited their deodorant. There have been quite a few posts on Weddingbee as we worry about how to stay dry on our wedding day. Us brides will be running around, smiling for the camera, hugging aunts and uncles, trying to sneak in private moments with our new hubby, all while trying to look and smell fresh. My favorite Kiehl's Superbly Efficient Anti-Perspirant and Deodorant.

I love it because it smoothes on like lotion- not a stick, gel or other goo- and absorbs into your skin. It doesn't smell like anything. I don't know about you, but when I warm up I would rather not be smelling my deodorant, even if it smells "tropical fresh." It just fights sweat and I love it. The fact that it is Kiehl's and I love all of their products doesn't hurt. It is a little pricier than most drug store brands, but the big tube lasts for such a long time that I feel justified.

My deodorant passed its first test last summer in Key Largo, Florida. It was 92 degrees and humid as can be without actual rain forming. I spent all morning laying out by the ocean and was literally dripping in sweat. Pretty picture, I know. You know how when you are on vacation, sometimes showers fall by the wayside? I put my deodorant on the day before and around 3:00 the next day it was still working. If I was going to trust anything on my wedding day, it would be my deodorant. My dress might rip while I am putting it on, right before I spill red wine all over it. My florist might show up with a truck-full of spray painted purple carnations. Mr. Peacock might decide to go for the Fighting Illini tux after all. But I will smell fresh as a peony.

Anyone else really tested their deodorant? Don't make me stand alone with my gross story :)

Make My Decisions For Me

I like shoes. I wouldn't say that I love shoes, unless I am talking about my. But looking for shoes for the wedding has been driving. me. crazy. I decided awhile ago that my shoes would be my something blue. That plan has taken a nose dive as I have not been able to find one pair over the past year (aside from these blue Loubs, but those weren't a realistic option) that is the right shade, shape, height, etc. I have settled on gold shoes, possibly with a blue shoe clip to finish it off.

I bought one fancy pair that were about as close to perfect as they could get. They were a little more than I was planning to spend. As much as I loved how they looked and felt, the price didn't sit very well with me. When I stumbled upon a pair of shoes that looked very similar to the first pair, I snapped them up. I am still undecided on which pair to keep.

I thought I would throw this out to the hive for a vote. I have attempted to black out the brands so as not to dissuade the brand conscious. Shoe sleuths- don't give it away! Here they are...

Number 1 and Number 2

Number 1 (bottom) and Number 2 (top)

Number 2 and Number 1

Number 1

Number 2

Here is shoe #1 with a "clip" (a clip-on earring). Shoe #2 doesn't work as well with the clip.


I took some pictures of them on my feet, but I think feet are icky and I couldn't bring myself to post them here. What if you were eating and reading this at the same time?!

So, ladies- time to vote! Number 1 or Number 2?

Our Bridal Shower Brunch

This past Sunday, Mr. Peacock's sister Sharon was kind enough to host a brunch in our honor. Everything was absolutely gorgeous.

They were greeted at the door with this lovely chalkboard sign. This has become a trend at our showers and it will be carried through to the wedding day!

Mmm... mimosas with raspberries.

All the ladies brunchy foods were present, and delicious.

The chocolate fountain was a highlight of the party.

Presents!

There were hydrangeas and tulle everywhere! Mr. P's mom put together the cases, adding black and white pictures of us along with the overflowing flowers.

If you look closely, you can see Mr. Peacock's shortly lived beard. It looked pretty good on him, actually!

Me, Erin and my sister. They were very helpful during present time.

Sharon purchased these mugs to pass around while we were opening gifts. Everyone was able to write a little note and sign their name. I need to bake these for an hour or so to ensure that the signatures set. It was a wonderful idea!

My exquisite ribbon bouquet. Everyone was nice to me and I didn't need to break any ribbons. There were some fun flowers and other little curiosities to top it off.

My Goddaughter/cousin Martha and Mr. Peacock's cousin Jenna. These two were BFF 30 seconds after they met. They even exchanged email addresses!

The lovely couple and their mothers.

Everything was absolutely perfect. When most of the guests had left, we sat on Sharon's couch and tried to take it all in. Showers are kind of crazy things. The love is a little overwhelming. Sharon and Mr. P's mom were up until 4:00 am getting her home ready and making food. There were so many friends and family members that, until Sunday, I had only heard about. Everyone was so generous, both with their lovely gifts and the amount of time they spent traveling. We both felt so blessed!

In Recovery

I had the craziest weekend, rendering me unable to do anything than surf the web and watch Will and Grace reruns. Its a real condition, I swear.

Mr. Peacock and started the long weekend by moving out of our condo. After days of packing dishes, lamps, books and shoes, I cannot believe that it still took us an entire day just to move out. We have accumulated so much crap in our short lives. I don't understand how it was possible. Unfortunately, our new home won't be ready for a few months so we will be moving in with my parents. This made packing much more complicated as we had to divide our belongings into either "need right now" and "pack away for later" piles. After a quick escape to Jake's families lake house in Michigan for the Fourth of July, we were back home to try and get comfortable in my parent's home before The Saturday of Two Weddings and our bridal shower brunch on Sunday.

Maisy, loving the boat and the sunshine, during our quick getaway.

I have been anxious about The Saturday of Two Weddings for months. My cousin and one of my best friends both picked July 5th as wedding dates. How do I pick between these two? I chose to do both, even though it meant missing the ceremony for one and the reception for the other. Fortunately, they were only 45 minutes apart and I was able to pull it off without a hitch.

My cousin Mikey is only nine months older than me. I think that my mom became pregnant the moment the moment she saw how cute he was. I mean, isn't he?

Mike and Jessica were married at Union Station in Joliet. It was a very neat place with lots of old fashioned train travel ambiance. After enjoying the outdoor ceremony and a quick cocktail, Mr. Peacock and I were out the door and on our way to wedding #2.

I know that I have mentioned the pool group before. I now have a more complete photo of them, although one (I'm looking at you, Stevie) left a little early.

Ging, BO (the groom), me, Kev (Brian's little bro/Best Man), Holden, Saxty, Erin and Crazy Ben.

In true pool group fashion, we closed the place down and then went back to their old neighborhood for more inside jokes and cocktails. Man, I love you guys!

We were up early on Sunday for our bridal shower, hosted by Jake's sister. I will dedicate a post to the shower because everything was really beautiful, but here is a sneak peak.

After the shower, we were back at our old condo to pack up a few more things and to clean. Thank goodness they only requested a broom clean in our contract because I was totally wiped out. I did a quickie job on the floors, countertops and bathrooms and we said goodbye to our old home. We were barely able to make it back to my mom's home before crashing for the night.

I am tired just talking about it. Anyone else have a crazy holiday weekend?

Pole Dancing the Night Away

Pole dancing is hard work. Your arms and legs ache for days. You find bruises in weird parts of your body. And trying to keep your hair out of your lip gloss while spinning around and around is darn near impossible. I can't even imagine doing this on a daily basis, much less in front of a crowd. I developed this new found admiration for exotic dancers a few weeks ago at a friend's bachelorette party.

To celebrate my friend Melissa's last night out as a single gal, her two sisters/co-MOH's booked a private class at Flirty Girl Fitness in Chicago. FGF offers a variety of stripper-in-training classes, as well as party space and a nail salon. We started out the evening with manis and pedis before heading into the pole dancing studio. I would like to give a little review of the place in case anyone else is interested in checking it out, but first, the photos.

The studio. The bride tried to wear her veil throughout the performance, but it inhibited her swing.

I don't normally say things like this, but I was having a good hair day! I really didn't want to get sweaty before heading out to Manor. Hence, I was not able to show off my true skills with a pole. However, I did spin around a few times.

Please excuse the weird look on my face. Apparently looking good while spinning around a pole is also hard work.

Back to the start, ready to try it again!

Gina proves that being a mommy doesn't affect your stripper skills.

Erin prefers to watch with her Chardonnay.

Flirty Girl was a blast. It was pretty hilarious seeing which of my friends could have gone an entirely different way with their careers. The music- and all the fruity drinks from the in-house bar- kept us moving. There were locker rooms so that we could freshen up before heading out for the night. The decor was also very cool and creative. Before I fully recommend them to the Chicago and Toronto bees, however, I thought I would mention a couple of things to consider.

1) It is pricey. Melissa was able to negotiate a bit of a discount, but $50 per person just for the class seemed a little excessive to me- particularly since our group was quite large and there weren't enough poles for everyone. We were asked to share poles, but to be honest that was really difficult. Erin just gave up and stuck to her wine- which made her happy, but she basically wasted the $50.

2) Our instructor was definitely... a professional, however she was not the best teacher. She moved very quickly, frequently using dance terminology. A few of my friends danced in high school and college, so they were able to follow along, but most of us just gave up and stuck to the easy moves. She pretty much ignored anyone who wasn't keeping up.

3) The bar was also expensive and, although we were able to bring in our own food, we could not do so with drinks.

4) You do get sweaty! If you are planning to go out afterward, this is something to consider. The locker room has showers so, if you give yourself enough time, you can clean up before heading out.

My girlfriends always have fun together and this was no exception. The cons weren't enough to spoil our fun. If you are looking for a unique bachelorette experience, I would definitely recommend it!