Velveteen (věl'vĭ-tēn') (n.):A cotton pile fabric resembling velvet.

"What is REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. "Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?"

"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but Really loves you, then you become Real."

"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.

"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."

"Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?"

"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get all loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."
Excerpt from The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams

Rome (rōm)(n.) :a city in and the capital of Italy

My best friend, who is very possibly thee best friend of all best friends is sending Guy and I on a ten day tour of Europe, with one of our stops being Rome. Guy has always wanted to go to Rome. His father is somewhat of an aficionado as far as their history is concerned and that interest has rubbed off on Guy over the past twenty-one years. I can't even imagine how cool it is going to be to see all the sights, eat authentic pasta, drink some exceptional wine on the roof of our hotel overlooking Rome and spend time with my newly assigned husband. We just booked our hotel for Rome at Hotel Forty-Seven and I am so excited about it that I wanted to post some pictures.







To see in Rome:

• The Colosseum
  
• The Forum
• The Spanish Steps
• The Trevi Fountain

For those of you who have been to Rome, what cannot we absolutely not miss?

Go (gō)(v.) : to die

Things to Do Before I Go:
Part One
Numbers One through Ten.
Inspired By Mighty Girl!

Picture courtesy of Rolf Hicker

• One: Own a home
• Two: Get Married
• Three: Have or adopt at least one child
• Four: See Orcas in the wild
• Five: Be a foster pet parent
• Six: Learn to drive
• Seven: Have a job where I can take my dog to work with me
• Eight: Have a dog well-behaved enough to take to my job where I can take my dog with me
• Nine: Take a photography class
• Ten: Get a tattoo

Phenomenal (fĭ-nŏm'ə-nəl) (adj).: highly extraordinary or prodigious

Phenomenal Woman by Maya Angelou

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies.
I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size
But when I start to tell them,
They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips,
The stride of my step,
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please,
And to a man,
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees.
Then they swarm around me,
A hive of honey bees.
I say,
It's the fire in my eyes,
And the flash of my teeth,
The swing in my waist,
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me.
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can't see.
I say,
It's in the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman

Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed.
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It's in the click of my heels,
The bend of my hair,
the palm of my hand,
The need of my care,
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That's me.

Progress (prŏg'rěs')(n.) : a movement toward a goal or to a further or higher stage

100 days from now I will be preparing to officially make the plunge, getting married. In celebration of this milestone I have decided that a progress post is in order.

Us:
Rachel and Guy



Cooper&Scout

Rachel and Guy
Establish 02.16.2005
Engaged 02.17.2007
Adopted Cooper on 06.21.2007
Adopted Scout on 09.22.2008
Making it official 06.13.2009

Wedding Website:
RachelAndGuy.com

The Save the Date:

Thanks Vista Print!

The Church:

Grace Lutheran Chuch

The Reception Venue:

Bahia Resort and Hotel
Mission Bay, San Diego

The Dress:
Link to Picture
(Just in case Guy reads)

The Garter:
Link to Picture
I only purchased the smaller one. It has since been customized.

The Chucks:





These are obviously screen shots of my shoes. I designed them on Converse.com and had them shipped to my friends house because we were having trouble with our mail. If you click on the pictures it will bring up a larger image so you can see the images better. The heel stripe reads 13june2009.

The Rings:

1/2 carat round cut diamonds in a prong settings

14K white gold

The Fake Rings (For Europe):

His&Hers

The Food:
Appetizers:

• Blackened Shrimp with Garlic cream cheese on Asiago Crostini
• Scallop and Tiger Shrimp Brochette
• Crab Cakes with Lime and Ginger
• Artichoke Hearts with Boursin Cheese and Toasted Pecans

Salad:

• Baby Spinach Salad with Sun Dried Cranberries and Almonds in a Raspberry Vinaigrette

Dinner:

• Baked Breast of Chicken with Pomegranate Glaze
• Filet Mignon with Cabernet Sauce
• Whipped Garlic Mashed Potatoes
• Steamed Vegetables

Dessert:

• White Chocolate Vanilla Ice Cream Truffle with Raspberry Sauce

The Cake:
Our cake is still up in the air, sort of. Its ordered but up until 10 days before we can change it however we want. Right now its a three tier white cake with whipped cream frosting. We were planning on adorning it with flowers and a ribbon at the base of each tier but while browsing the internet we found a cake that we both think is amazing. We are going to go to our bakery, a lovely local place called Flour Power and talk to them about how much more it would cost to do our dream cake.
The flavors will remain the same.

• The First Tier: pudding chiffon-yellow cake-with peach slices drifting throughout & peach mousse.
• The Middle Tier: white cake infused with coconut and tied together with a coconut cream.
• The Bottom Tier: The Works- white cake with our light Bavarian cream, one thin layer of raspberry & one thin layer of lemon jam.

• Guy's grooms cake (which will most likely be frozen and kept for the first anniversary) is Chocolate Peanut Butter: Chocolate peanut butter cake with peanut butter folded into the mousse, and a layer of fudge to top it off.

The Flowers:

We are using all white flowers so imagine these in white. Half the centerpieces will be tulips. The other half will be something like this except only the calla lilies which will be bowed out more, much like the tulips.




The Invitations:


Ours are not in these colors. The Pocket is teal, the insert is white and the ribbon is royal blue. Ordered from AlaunByDesign.com . We just finalized the proofs today and hope to get them in about 3 weeks.

The Limo:

Chrysler 300 Stretch Limo
Seats up to 10.

Cake Cutting Set:

Vera Wang "With Love"
My mother is getting them engraved as a gift for us.

Other Stuff that has been completed:

• The DJ
• The Month of Coordinator
• The Officiant
• Passports
• The Photographer
• Rehearsal Dinner
• Website invitation inserts
• Hotel for Rome
• Ring Bowl
• Chair Covers
• Unity Candle
• Linens
• Library Cards
• Library Pockets
• Get rings sized
• Favor Tags
• Pre-marriage Couseling
• Perfume
• Send Invitations
• Registries
• Champagne Flutes
• Make Boarding Appointment for Dogs
• Marriage license
• Menus

What's Left to Do:

• Book Hair and Makeup
• Guestbook
• Escort Cards
• Place Cards
• Table Names
• Table Signs
  
• Signs

-candy bar
-guestbook

• Candy Buffet Stuff (IP)
• OOT Baskets
• Gifts (IP)
  
• Guy's Clothes (IP)
• Figure out the ceremony
• Music for the reception
• Share your photo cards
• 
  
• Kids packets (IP)
  
• Programs
• Bouquet charms (IP)
  
• Undergarments
• Dress fittings (IP)
  
• 
  
• Card Box (IP)
• Letters for Candy Buffet (IP)
• 
  

hi⋅jack (hī'jāk')(v.):To seize control of

This blog has officially been hijacked by love, to be more specific my wedding. This is fair warning that from here on out a whole lot of the posts are going to be about my upcoming nuptials in some way. Its going to be venting, ranting, tears, and a whole lot of mushy love stuff. This is the only apology I will make. We are at the 100 day mark!

Bicycle (bī'sĭk'əl)(n): a vehicle with two wheels,propelled by pedals connected to the rear wheel by a chain,and having handlebars for steering

Wedding wise we are at crunch time and this past weekend we started looking at readings. Even though we are having a church wedding we are planning on having at least one reading that's not from the bible. During our search we found this and I thought it was really cute.


Marriage Made for Two:

"A successful marriage can learn a lot from bicycle riding.You should promise each other that you will not be fair weather riders, but venture out together in the wind and the rain. Only by braving the storms as a team will you reap the rewards when the sunshine arrives.Look after each other. A well oiled bike will run smoothly and change gear easily.Marriage is like a tandem…keep pedaling or the one at the front shouts at you!You should promise each other to not only enjoy new adventures and explorations, but appreciate the same old routes you know and love.Marriage is a promise to each other to endure the climbs so that you may chase the swoops and swerves of perfect single track.The journey may be long and may have hills ahead, but if you climb together with love and passion, you will be able to achieve everything you both desire!"