"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." -- 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

THE END.

never enough time!

"Be glad of life, because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars; to be satisfied with your possessions... to think seldom of your enemies, often of your friends... and to spend as much time as you can, with body and with spirit. These are little guideposts on the footpath to peace." --Henry van Dyke

I am so glad of life right now... everything seems to be coming together quite perfectly personally, academically, and otherwise :) . As usual, I have an exam on Monday so I don't really have time to give you a full update, but for now, let me say that Sara and I went to Macy's Herald Square a few weeks ago to work on my registry and that's nearly complete. While we were there we decided to try on a few dresses, like this one:


I like the color and design, but I still have no idea what my girls will be wearing. Hopefully I'll post an update in the near future regarding the bridal party, more dress options, invitation ideas, new apartment stuff, registry info... so much to blog about!

"Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let them say among the nations, 'The LORD reigns!'" -- 1 Chronicles 16:31

feels like real life...

"We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us.” –- Joseph Campbell

A wedding entry is long overdue, but life has been extremely busy lately! In my last post I mentioned that Al is starting a new job in DC during the next few weeks. Since then, I've been a good future wifey by trying to find us a new apartment and some furniture, in the midst of studying for my exam (which was yesterday and went quite well, I think). But I am happy to say that everything seems to be in place for his move, and I'm ridiculously excited.

In more wedding related news, I stumbled upon these dresses by Jenny Yoo on the stylemepretty blog and I love them all! What do you think? Before I was leaning towards all my girls wearing matching dresses, but after seeing these, I think I might be able to give them a few choices and have them pick the one they like best. I even like the purple, although we are still planning on using yellow. I have so much to blog about but so little time! Hopefully I'll be able to blog again some time during the next week, but I'm not making any promises. :)

Also, a few new blogs for you to check out: my brother's, my sister's, my sister-from-another-mister's, and my med school buddy's.

"Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends!" -- Philippians 4:1

blessings & overdue praise.

"Whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should" -- Max Ehrmann

First of all, I apologize for the blog hiatus. Life has been quite busy! But anyways, on to an update (about life for now, not quite wedding related)... Several months ago I had a pretty clear idea about what I wanted in my life and for a while I was praying that everything in my head would become a reality. In the months that followed my prayers changed from "Please let this happen" to "Please let my will align with Yours," and as I began to trust in God's plan for my life, everything continued unfolding perfectly. I've been in Washington, DC for nearly 3 months now and I've been so blessed, especially by the handful of people in my life here who have supported my academically, personally, spiritually and every other possible way! The few things that still are missing here are my family, a few friends that I miss dearly, and my Alphonse.

Up until a few weeks ago Al had a few job interviews in the area, but nothing seemed to be a good match for him. That Sunday I kept praying for clarity because I was feeling a little discouraged not knowing when we'd be together. Later that afternoon one of my friends shared one of the most amazing stories I've heard about how God was "connecting the dots" in his life (ask me about the story some time... it's kinda long) and I felt quite uplifted. A few days later, I had a very discouraging encounter with my landlord, followed a few hours later by the good news that Al got a teaching job in DC! And once again, despite the emotional and mental roller coaster of a week I had, God showed me how he revealed clarity in someone else's life and then he gave me some clarity of my own. And I say it often, but I do love my life and I really am blessed. :) Here's info about the new school that Al will be working at: DC Prep.

Al and Shania on their field trip to the zoo last year (I was a chaperon!) Isn't he so adorable?!

And I promise an actual wedding entry in the near future!

"Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long" -- Psalm 25:4-5

may i have this dance?

"Music, when soft voices die, Vibrates in the memory" -- Percy Bysshe Shelley

A couple of weeks ago I asked my dad what song he wanted to dance to for our Father-daughter dance. He said he didn't know, so I decided to throw out a few options to get his wheels turning. Here are a few of the songs I suggested:

• Here Comes the Sun by the Beatles (here) -- because it's a happy optimistic song and growing up my dad always used to play the Beatles in the house because they're his favorite group.


• Somewhere Over the Rainbow, any version, but I especially like this one -- just because I love this song and it seems like a good "new start" song.


• You are the Sunshine of My Life by Stevie Wonder (here) -- because I love this song too and because my dad is my sunshine and my inspiration, and because Stevie has brought a lot of good to my life so far, I mean, Al proposed to me during Stevie!


• Butterfly Kisses by Bob Carlisle (here) -- because I've loved this song for years ever since my babysitter used to play it for me and my siblings.


• What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong (here) -- because it's such an optimistic song... Can you tell I like optimistic songs?! I can't help it, I'm so optimistically mushy about my future with my boy.
  

He likes Butterfly Kisses best, and said that he actually had that in mind before. The only bad thing about that song is that I cry every single time I hear it! I don't know why, but it gets me so emotional, especially the end! And if I'm crying when I'm listening to it in my bedroom, I can only imagine the happy/sad emotional mess I'll be on my wedding day. For now the song hunt continues... To hear/see what we finally decide you'll have to wait until 08-23-09!

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him." -- 1 John 3:1

simply the best!

"Sometimes being a brother is even better than being a superhero." -- Marc Brown

I just realized that even though I announced my MoH a while ago, I never announced Alphonse's Best Man! That honor belongs to none other than Alphonse's baby brother, Stephen. And being the good BM that he is, he's informed us that he's already started working on his speech! Of course there's a lot more than just a speech that goes into being the BM, just check out this list. Luckily there are websites like thebestman.com that make everything on that list seem like a walk in the park (definitely a fun website, even if you, like me, are not a best man :P).

Unfortunately, the photos you see below are the best I can provide based on what I have on my computer at this time. But since Steve is now my brother for life, I'm sure there will be many other opportunities for Steve-Al-Kat or Kat-Steve-Al photos, and any other permutations in between. TOP: At the PA engagement party. Alphonse is usually more clothed and Steve is usually more smiley, but you get the idea :) . BOTTOM: All of my current and future siblings at Nanina's. I have no idea why it's so blurry, but it does look kinda artsy.

"And when God had me wander from my father's household, I said to her, 'This is how you can show your love to me: Everywhere we go, say of me, ''He is my brother.''" -- Genesis 20:13

engagement party recap!

"You are my very greatest earthly blessing." -- Martha Finley

This past Saturday was our NJ engagement party hosted by my lovely future in-laws, Rosanne and Alan. Everything turned out quite perfect, from the food to the dancing to the fellowship. And speaking of perfect things, that boy of mine said all the right things all weekend... He always makes it so hard to leave him, and he makes me wanna marry him right now!

We both would like to thank everyone who came out and made the event so enjoyable for us, whether you traveled for hours by car or train, or whether you just took a stroll down the street... We're glad that you were able to share in our happiness and we're very blessed to have you all in our lives. And of course there were many that were missed, but there will be plenty of time to celebrate over the next year! And in the midst of all the picture-taking and people-greeting we did, we were told that that was just a small dose of what we'll have to do at our wedding, so any interim celebrations will be good practice! :) . Here are a few pictures for your enjoyment, feel free to email us others at alphonse.katrina@gmail.com!

Click to enlarge.

For more pictures, click here. And a few other random tidbits that I wanted to share: (1) congrats to my se17-mate Len, who recently got engaged (I think this captures the moment pretty well), (2) as of this afternoon I'm through with another one of those dreaded med school exams, and (3) someone bought the toy car that Al added to our registry (now we're waiting in anticipation to see who did it!)

"I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings" -- 1 Corinthians 9:23

him + me + sports = ?

"Be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars. In the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul" -- Max Ehrmann

This past Monday marked the end of Week 1 of football season. And with the Mets vs. Phillies series wrapping up over the weekend it is once again quite clear to us why our original plan to have a September wedding was a poor idea. While I may be the love of Alphonse's life, I can't really compete with that "other" love of his life, sports. And to be fair, he did love baseball and football long before he even knew me, so I can see this fight for Al's heart/his Monday nights ending badly. Instead, we've decided to just all get along (sports, Al, and me)... We've bonded over many a game (live or on tv), and I even have my very "own" fantasy football team this year (perhaps a bad idea for med school). The three-way relationship seems to be working out quite peacefully so far...

us dressed up in Mets gear. click to enlarge.

Also, the NJ engagement party is this weekend, and I'm extremely excited to see everyone (even though I have an exam Monday morning... why?!) Check back for a post-party picture update :)

"David said to Saul, 'Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him'" -- 1 Samuel 17:32

old school chucks.

"True Love is like a pair of socks: you gotta have two and they've gotta match" -- Unknown

A couple of days ago, Alphonse informed, out of the blue, that he wanted to buy a pair of old school canvas Converse Chucks. I thought the news was ironic since earlier that week I read a blog about how it's increasingly common that grooms, brides, and bridal parties are going casual with the wedding footwear. And while I don't see us going the "Chucks with the Tux" route any time soon, I'm sure we'll find some fun, creative ways to express ourselves on our big day, since we are, after all, fun, creative people.

"'Do not come any closer,' God said. 'Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.'" -- Exodus 3:5

one GIANT night.

"The moments of happiness we enjoy take us by surprise. It is not that we seize them, but that they seize us" -- Ashley Montagu

Tonight was the first night of football season, opened with a win by none other than our Superbowl XLII champs, the NY Giants. As the first regular season game since their amazing end-of-the-season run last year, this was quite an exciting night for Giant fans, such as my future hubby (who had food catered for the event with his buddies, sans the wives/girl friends). Now you may be wondering what tonight or the Giants or football has to do with our wedding planning. Well, in fact it has everything to do with our wedding! As I told you many months ago, Al proposed to me the Thursday after the Superbowl because he "was having such a good week, that he just had to do it!" And he said that his original plan was to propose the following week, on Valentine's Day, but who knows... without that Giants confidence/happiness boost, he could still be just my boyfriend (although I don't know why he said he was nervous, of course I was always going to say "yes.") So thank you, NY Giants, for winning the Superbowl and making Alphonse's week/our life so wonderful.

And congrats to my SE17 friends, Mark and Pam, who recently got engaged!

Superbowl XLII with my boy

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you" -- Deuteronomy 31:6

i'm with the band...

"My idea is that there is music in the air, music all around us; the world is full of it, and you simply take as much as you require." -- Edward Elgar

It's been a week since my last entry (which is forever in blog-land), but in my defense I did spend the last 7 days traveling to NY and back, spending a lot of time with my sister and my honey, and studying for yesterday's medical school exam... so it's been a busy past few days! But now that I finally have a few moments, I just wanted to give you a couple of exciting updates about our planning...

1) The band is booked! We've chosen The Infernos, a lovely 13-piece ensemble of Jersey's finest. Check out their website for more info and to hear a few of their songs. Now we just have to pick a few "must-have" songs for our big day...

2) Another engagement celebration is in our midst! Stay tuned for a post-engagement party photo recap in a few weeks.

The Infernos

Overall, I'm very excited. Things are moving along little by little... even though there's still so much to plan! And with medical school taking over all spare moments of my life, I'm feeling like a bit of a wedding planning slacker. But alas, things always seem to work out as they should in the end, and I'm sure this is no exception. :)

Also, in addition to being a wedding planning slacker, I might be a blogging slacker over the next few months as I adjust to medical school. But fret not, check out our long-distance relationship blog (spearheaded by miss rhea) or Al's sports blog for reading entertainment in the meantime.

"My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make music" -- Psalm 57:7

some registry inspiration

"If you carry your childhood with you, you never become older." -- Tom Stoppard

So it's been a few days since I last blogged (med school is taking over my life!) and much has happened in the wedding planning world since then, but sadly I once again do not have enough time to share all the exciting things that have been going on (I promise to do some substantial blogging in the near future)!

For now, I just wanted to congratulate our friends Peter and Marianne, and Michelle and DJ, who celebrated their one year anniversary and wedding, respectively, this past Sunday (see below).

Also, I thought you should know that I left Al in charge of working on completing our registry while I was studying last night and to my surprise, when I logged in today I found that he had added this... yes, that is a remote control car. Today he informed me that he'll be adding more "toys" to the registry. Alas, I guess that's what happens when I leave such tasks to someone who is one of the biggest kids I know... or maybe it's just a guy thing? Either way, he makes me laugh so I wouldn't have it any other way. And speaking of registries, ours are almost done, so expect a link to those soon :) .

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth." -- 3 John 1:4

happy future anniversary?

"A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person." -- Germaine Greer

August 23rd. Today is a very important day (for a couple of reasons). First off, my sister is returning from Uganda/Dubai today! Now while this reality may be sad news to her, it makes me quite happy since I have greatly missed her over the past few months (and I can't wait to hear stories/see pictures of her adventures abroad). And now that she's back in the States, she can reprise her MoH duties, which I'm sure she was thinking about constantly while she was being a humanitarian in a war-torn country (just kidding). But all jokes aside, today is also exactly one year from my wedding AND Alphonse is on his was down to visit again this weekend! So happy future anniversary to us... I'm so happy that I get to spend it with my honey (even though he laughs at me everytime I mention "happy future anniversary"). The way I see it, this is the only future anniversary we have, so why not celebrate it, champagne and all :P ?! And if that isn't corny enough, I just thought you should know that it's both the big things (like looking for jobs in DC) and the little things (like unexpected kisses) that Al does that keep me falling in love with him... and I doubt that will change over our many anniversaries to come.

My favorite girl + my favorite boy + me = sallykat

"...And that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob."-- Deuteronomy 30:20

veil time! :)

"Humility is a necessary veil to all other graces." -- William Gurnall

It's been a pretty busy week for me, and to top it off, a few of my favorite people (including my friends Sydnie and Gemina, and that silly love of life, Alphonse) were in the area contributing to the happy, speedy disappearance of the past few days. So while I don't quite have time to share with you all of the wedding details we've been working on, here are a few really gorgeous photos of some beautiful veils I found looking through wedding portfolios. I'm leaning towards a cathedral length veil (so I can do this! looks like fun) however, veils are surprisingly expensive! Or perhaps not so surprisingly, since all things wedding-related seem to be quite pricey... but it's just a piece of fancy lace, isn't it?

Top: photos by Orange Turtle, Bottom: photos by Ed Pingol

click to enlarge

Also, I know Al's not supposed to see me in my wedding dress before the big day, but what about the veil? Does anyone know? I have pictures of me in a veil I was thinking of posting.

"How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh, how beautiful! Your eyes behind your veil are doves. Your hair is like a flock of goats descending from Mount Gilead."-- Song of Solomon 4:1

suit yourself.

"Overwear, underwear, any time, anywhere... Dress has always been my strongest suit" -- From the musical Aida

When Al and I first started discussing wedding apparel, Al made it quite clear that he wanted to wear "a nice suit" and not a tuxedo. A few months back, when we first met with our photographer, she said that recently she's been seeing a lot of grooms opt for suits, particularly for summer weddings. So, considering our wedding is on a summer afternoon, and Alphonse and I are not really the super formal type anyways, we're on the hunt for a nice summer suit. Below are photos (courtesy of style me pretty) of a few recent summer weddings that Al and I both like.

For more info on this first wedding, click here or here. I like this wedding because their colors are the same as ours (yellow and blue!) and they do a nice job of bringing everything together:


and for more info on this second wedding, click here or here. I love this wedding because it has a lot of great details and the bride's dress is so pretty!


Enjoy! We'll keep you posted as we figure out more details (style, color, etc.) about what my lovely future hubby will be wearing. Also, we're in the process of registering, so stay tuned for that info :) .

"The LORD God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him'" -- Genesis 2:18

blessings big and small.

"Come, Thou Fount of every blessing, Tune my heart to sing Thy grace; / Streams of mercy, never ceasing, Call for songs of loudest praise. / Teach me some melodious sonnet, Sung by flaming tongues above. / Praise the mount! I’m fixed upon it, Mount of Thy redeeming love." -- Robert Robinson

On Monday was my dreaded first exam of medical school, and I'm happy to say (results in hand) that it went over quite well. In fact, I'm having a ridiculously good week, and Al is coming down to visit on Friday, so it looks like it should just keep getting better. Last week while I was studying I played my favorite hymn (Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing) on repeat because I can always relate to the lyrics, whether I'm celebrating a really good day or just trying to get through an extra tough hour (actually it's the most played song on my iTunes, with >630 plays, no joke). Anyways, when I went to church on Sunday I was just so thankful for how blessed I've been over the past few months and I lifted up my exam and any anxiety I had about medical school. And right when I finished my prayer, none other than this hymn started to play. I almost started to cry because it's such a beautiful song and so relevant in my life (to be fair, I should admit that I also almost cried during the National Anthem when Michael Phelps got his first gold medal of the year over the weekend). I guess, all in all, it's been a week full of happy (almost) tears and lots to be thankful for.

Now you may be wondering what on earth this has to do with our wedding... well, as it may be, Al and I decided that we would have this hymn played at our ceremony. I mean it makes sense, after all, since the song is about praising God for his grace and blessings, and I feel sooo blessed that Alphonse is in my life for always.

Since the wedding is still a while away, I definitely recommend that you check out the lyrics to the song if you're not familiar with it, and to hear the song for yourself, click here and simply press play as shown here:

O to grace how great a debtor Daily I’m constrained to be! Let Thy goodness, like a fetter, Bind my wandering heart to Thee. Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love; Here’s my heart, O take and seal it, Seal it for Thy courts above.

a transatlantic wedding

"Live in the moment and make it so beautiful that it will be worth remembering!" -- Fanny Crosby

With classwork starting to build up, I'm finding I have less time to blog (although there's always so much to write about!). To hold you over for a little while, I thought I'd share a fun update about my sister with you. As many of you know she's spending the summer in Uganda again this year, and just a few weeks ago she had the pleasure of partaking in a wedding over there. Since I love all things wedding related at the moment, I thought I'd share a snippet of her experience with you. She writes:

"Last Saturday I got to go to a traditional Uganadan wedding, actually I got to be in it! I met the groom in town, he works for the teso maternity project. It was soo cool, it was the "introduction" which is basically the traditional ceremony before the actual church wedding which will probably be sometime next year. The two families basically meet officially and the groom pays the dowry (it was 10 goats and some cows) and presents tons of gifts to the bride's family. And they do this skit where they pretend to be selecting the bride from a group of women (I think to imitate how it was traditionally done). I actually got to be in the wedding -- picture me carrying a basket of fruit on my head during the procession, which was presented to the bride's family from the groom."

Sounds like fun. Here's a photo of my sister at the wedding in the traditional kikoi with her friends Sarah and Jeje.


"When I smiled at them, they scarcely believed it; the light of my face was precious to them." -- Job 29:24

08 x 3 and recent happiness

"I can only think of one thing greater than being happy and that is to help another to be happy, too." -- Jim Thompson

Last night was a big night... not only did it mark the start of the 2008 summer Olympics, but it also was the most popular day to get married so far in 2008. I mean who wouldn't want to get married on 08/08/08? And on top of that, one of my good friends proposed yesterday (an engagement of Olympic proportions perhaps?). Together with all of my other friends who have been sharing happy news of their recent engagements, this new addition to the engaged club made me quite happy, to say the least. Seeing other people happy and in love makes smile (a lot).

Here are a few of my friends who recently got engaged: (L-R) Andrew and Julia, Julie and Dean, Jeff and Tara. Mazel Tov to each of you!


"...Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!" -- Matthew 25:21

happy 6 month engagement!

"When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible." -- From When Harry Met Sally

Today is exactly six months from when Al first proposed to me. Part of me is in disbelief about how quickly time has gone by since that day, while the rest of me feels like: "Let's just do this already!" I can't believe it's still over a year until our wedding!

Six months, twelve months... one thing's for sure: we're still as in love and as silly as ever. To prove it, here are a few pictures from my NJ visit a few weeks ago:

Click to enlarge

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven" -- Ecclesiastes 3:1

blooming bridal party...

"Surround yourself with only people who are going to lift you higher" -- Oprah Winfrey

Sooo, Al and I have a pretty big bridal party (so many family and friends). To be honest, I tried to veto the big bridal party, but after many a discussion, we decided to move forward and keep all the people that we originally hoped to include. And after browsing pictures of weddings on theknot.com and of my friend's weddings, I'm much more at ease about having a large bridal party. The more the merrier... I'll be posting the bridal party on the blog soon!

Photo from my friends Flo & Earl Manguiat's wedding
9 bridesmaids, 10 groomsmen, 1 flower girl, and 1 ring bearer!

"The poor are shunned even by their neighbors, but the rich have many friends." -- Proverbs 14:20

more bouquets.

"If the sun always shines, there's a desert below. It takes a little rain to make love grow." -- Unknown

So a couple of entries ago I mentioned my new approach to flower finding, which excludes many different flowers (including this lovely, simple bouquet). Note to future brides: get married in the spring... tons of gorgeous flowers in season! But since a spring wedding wouldn't work for me anyways, let's not cry over spilled milk. So moving on, for the bouquets (mine and the bridesmaids') I think I want to try to keep things simple beautiful (aka not too many different flowers and vibes going on at once). To that end here are a few bouquets from theknot that I've been liking lately:


Clockwise from top left:

1. double Dutch tulips and sweet pea -- very simple and light, the sweet peas add some texture
2. yellow mini calla lilies, ivory roses, light green hydrangea, and green poms, kumquats, and berries -- a little too busy for me, but I like the way they incorporated unique pieces, like berries
   
3. blue hydrangea ball -- simple and full, i think this might make a nice bridesmaid bouquet
4. white peonies and yellow garden roses accented with green hypericum berries and sprigs of rosemary -- again, I love round flowers like peonies, and I like the way they used sprigs and berries.

"He is like a well-watered plant in the sunshine, spreading its shoots over the garden; it entwines its roots around a pile of rocks and looks for a place among the stones." -- Job 8:16-17

a new white chapter.

"White ... is not a mere absence of color; it is a shining and affirmative thing, as fierce as red, as definite as black.... God paints in many colors; but He never paints so gorgeously, I had almost said so gaudily, as when He paints in white." -- Gilbert Keith Chesterton

So today was my white coat ceremony at school, which marks the start of a new chapter of my life: being a humanist/physician. It seems quite appropriate that this event took place today since the last time someone helped me get dressed in a different really important white garment was when my sister helped me try on wedding gowns at the "running of the brides" in Manhattan back in February, marking the start of an equally important chapter in my life. As coincidence would have it, the "running of the brides" here in DC (home of the White House and my new home for the next 4+ years, also another new chapter in my life) was this morning. So cheers to crisp white clothes, and all the love, responsibility, and hope that they bring with them.


"Mordecai left the king's presence wearing royal garments of blue and white, a large crown of gold and a purple robe of fine linen. And the city of Susa held a joyous celebration." -- Esther 8:15

the dress hunt continues [3]

"There is much to support the view that it is clothes that wear us and not we them; we may make them take the mould of arm or breast, but they would mould our hearts, our brains, our tongues to their liking." -- Virginia Woolf

So it's been a while since I mentioned the bridesmaid dress search. Weeks later, nothing much has been resolved, but here goes... I think all the bridesmaids will wear matching yellow dresses and my MoH will wear a similar yellow dress with blue accents (or possibly an all blue dress). Here are a few more dresses that I'm liking lately (click on the photo to see individual dress links). Let me know which dresses (if any) you like!

And stay tuned for groomsmen-wear in the near future (at least the start)!

"I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels." -- Isaiah 61:10

hair, there, everywhere...

"Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair." -- Kahlil Gibran

So the summer heat is definitely in full effect, and (at least for me) it's back to school time, which usually means it's time for a hair change! Anyone who knows me, probably knows that I get bored with hair easily, which usually results in me cutting and/or coloring my hair. So right about now I'm very much in the mood to chop my hair off, but for the sake of the wedding I'm going to try to grow it out over the next year. Actually, I haven't had long hair since senior year of high school, so this will be a fun experiment for all of us. And to shift the focus to the wedding for a second, as far as hairstyles go, I was thinking of some sort of soft up-do. Any suggestions?


Also, Alphonse and I are going to try to register in the near future, so stay tuned for the registry details! :)

"And your fame spread among the nations on account of your beauty, because the splendor I had given you made your beauty perfect, declares the Sovereign LORD." -- Ezekiel 14:16

world wide [blog] web

"We are all connected to everyone and everything in the universe. Therefore, everything one does as an individual affects the whole. All thoughts, words, images, prayers, blessings, and deeds are listened to by all that is." -- Serge Kahili King

I should warn you now, this entry has nothing to do with wedding planning... so navigate away now if you want! Warnings aside, now on to the entry... a few months ago, I started reading my friend Michelle's wedding blog and I decided that when I got engaged I would start a wedding blog of my own! Obviously my plan came to fruition, with a little motivation along the way. Two of my college roomies (Tiff and Jan) inspired me with their photo-filled food entries and my co-worker Andrew's blog encouraged me to be try to be funny in the process (although that didn't really work out as well). So now with a few months of blogging under my belt, it seems I've been doing some inspiring of my own! I'm pleased to say that some of my favorite people (Al, Audrey, and Rhea) have started their own blogs, with a few words of encouragement.

So go check out all their blogs!

• Michelle's - michelleanddjswedding.blogspot.com
• Janice's - ivegotnicebuns.blogspot.com
• Tiffany's - hungry bunny's gobbl
  
• Andrew's - theepoche.blogspot.com
• Alphonse's - al-sportstalk.blogspot.com
• Audrey's - gerrey09.blogspot.com
• Rhea's - loveacrosstimezones.blogspot.com
  

Blog owners neatly displayed in a concept map (one of the many study techniques I learned this past week)

"Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, 'Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,' it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. ... But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be... As it is, there are many parts, but one body." -- 1 Corinthians 12:14-15, 18, 20

flower power.

"To know someone with whom you can feel there is understanding in spite of distances or thoughts unexpressed... That can make this life a garden." -- Goethe

When I was in a bookstore the other day I stumbled upon another wedding magazine cover with a beautiful, yellow bouquet. This particular cover bouquet is of ranunculuses (Persian buttercups) and calla lilies, both of which I love. Since this is the cover of the summer issue of Pacific Weddings, I was surprised to learn that ranunculuses are not in season during the summer! This was quite sad news to me because it means I probably will not be having them in my wedding bouquet since I've been reading a lot about how choosing flowers that are in-season saves a lot of money.

So alas, I wised up and restarted my flower search looking for flowers that I like that would be in-season in August (as opposed to flowers that just looked "pretty"). Based on our color choice of yellow (with blue accents), here are some of my new favorites:

• yellow dahlias - very soft and modern looking
  
• white tuberoses - small and sweet
• blue delphiniums - cute and blue
  
• blue hydrangeas - small flowers but full bundles, plus these grow at the house where I grew up, so it would add a homey feel
• yellow zinnias - similar to dahlias (I like round flowers)
• yellow freesias - my favorite flower, luckily in-season

And as promised, more polyvore! Here's a collage of some of the flowers mentioned above (plus some ranunculuses and calla lilies, too)

Click on above image to see individual images

"That fading flower, his glorious beauty, set on the head of a fertile valley, will be like a fig ripe before harvest— as soon as someone sees it and takes it in his hand, he swallows it." -- Isaiah 28:4

a platinum bridezilla?

"The finest lives, in my opinion, are those who rank in the common model, and with the human race, but without miracle, without extravagance." -- Michel de Montaigne

One of my newest weekend addictions is the programming on WE tv. Unfortunately for me, they have 10 hours of wedding shows scheduled on Sundays, ranging from the very lavish (Platinum Weddings) to the very trashy (Bridezillas). I initially tuned in to try to get some ideas for my wedding, but I quickly found the shows more entertaining than informative. The things the brides ask for and the temper tantrums some of them throw are absolutely ridiculous. I made Alphonse watch a few snipets of the shows so he could appreciate what a good bride-to-be I am :) , which, of course, he already did anyways. And since I doubt I'll have too much free time during the weekends once classes get into full swing, I thought I'd mention this now before things get too crazy. For preview clips of each of the shows, go here: Platinum Weddings (the classier of the two shows) or Bridezillas.


"Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy in his dwelling place." -- 1 Chronicles 16:27

bachelorette party (already?!)

"We cannot really love anybody with whom we never laugh." -- Agnes Repplier

A few days ago I got a lovely DC visit from one of my favorite New Yorkers in residence, Miss Andrea Myers. And although it's only semi-wedding related, I thought I'd take this opportunity to briefly introduce one of my co-planners (along with my MoH, Sara) for my bachelorette party. And even though the wedding and the bachelorette party are still over a year away, there's no harm in starting early, right? I have no idea what the details of this plan include, but I've been told the planning is well under way. And since Alphonse already seems to have designed his own bachelor party, I don't feel so bad that planning for mine has begun. Where/when/what will the party be? Your guess is as good as mine...


"'Laughter,' I said, 'is foolish. And what does pleasure accomplish?' I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives." -- Ecclesiastes 2:2-3

my "n.f.t."

"Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens / Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens / Brown paper packages tied up with strings / These are a few of my favorite things" -- From The Sound of Music

Every now and then I stumble upon my so-called "new favorite thing," which is code for a fun-new-way-to-waste-time. Well, it's been a few weeks, so I'm about due for another "n.f.t." As if on cue, enter polyvore-- the online mix-and-match collage website that allows you to search thousands of online photos to bring any vision to life. The best thing about polyvore is that each picture that you add to the collage is always linked back to the source image so you can keep track of where each dress, flower, etc. came from (which is quite useful when you are considering buying such things). Also, the different search options (category, color, website, etc.) make the site very user friendly and time efficient (as if there is a time efficient way to waste time?). So here's my first polyvore creation (many more to come):

It's kinda crowded, but if you click on the image (or here) you will be directed to the polyvore link, which will allow you to click on each of the different photos or at least see where they came from (see page right). This collage is my first inspiration board, which is a new trend used by brides-to-be to help (their wedding planners) make their wedding vision a reality (click here for some amazing examples).

"Gold there is, and rubies in abundance, but lips that speak knowledge are a rare jewel" -- Proverbs 20:15

some afternoon inspiration...

"Summer afternoon - summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language." -- Henry James

When I first started my blog, my intention was to capture and share all the different aspects of my wedding planning with each of you. As you might have noticed, the blog sort of evolved from a wedding blog to a "life of Katrina & Alphonse" blog, which is okay since many of the exciting things in my life as of late are related to the wedding and looking forward to the rest of my life (as a doctor and a wife!). However, having just returned from a blissful, last-minute summer weekend visit with my honey, I've decided to try to return to the true spirit of my blog and write about a seemingly appropriate theme: blissful summer weddings.

I don't think I've ever been to anything but an evening wedding, so when Alphonse and I were leaning towards an afternoon wedding, I was initially hesitant. But when we visited Nanina's during the daytime, the venue was absolutely gorgeous (from the waterfalls and grounds outside to the natural light coming in to the ballroom), and we knew that we had nothing to worry about. And knowing our guest list, I have no doubt it will be a party from start to finish. Next up, booking the music to make sure you put your dancing shoes to good use ;).

Photos from Nole and Andrew's wedding. Click to enlarge.

Browsing a few wedding blogs, I stumbled upon the wedding pictured above (Click here or here for more details from this wedding). I thought it perfectly captured the light, warm, daytime happiness that I hope is at our wedding.

"God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night..." --Genesis 1:16

so excited, so excited, so [not] scared.

"How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard." -- From the movie Annie

Less than a week ago I said goodbye (for now) to some of my favorite things: NY, my family (present and future), and my lovable Alphonse. It should come as no surprise to anyone who knows me that I can be an emotional mess at times, and my departure was no exception (I mean you'd cry too if you had to leave this behind). But now, with several days of orientation behind me, any anxiety or farewell sadness I had has dissipated (which is not to say I don't dearly miss the things I left behind). To sum up how I've been feeling lately, I thought, why not share some of the things I've been saying already:


So in a nutshell, I'm really excited about the next year and beyond.

"Who knows? He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing— grain offerings and drink offerings for the LORD your God." -- Joel 2:14

a belated party recap.

"Love is to the heart what the summer is to the farmer's year - it brings to harvest all the loveliest flowers of the soul." -- Author Unknown

Since I'm not sure when I'll find my camera cord (or give in and buy a new one), I've decided to give you a pseudo-picture summary of the July engagement/meet-the-family get together (before it becomes too untimely...) There were seashell inspired centerpieces and the lovely country backdrop for a little relaxation, family photos on display for old and soon-to-be family to view, a swimming pool for a fun break from the heat, lebanon bologna and other tasty local foods for hungry bellies, state-war volleyball games for bragging rights, tents for shelter, bug spray for warding away pesky guests, champagne and vino for toasting, and a late-night bonfire for 'smore making. And thank you again to everyone who came, especially those who traveled from NJ and MD and other far off places! Soon enough, it'll be time for the next engagement/meet-the-family party!


"As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease." -- Genesis 8:22

an update of sorts

"The great thing in the world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving" -- Oliver Wendell Holmes

Somewhere between packing, moving, and unpacking, I seemed to have misplaced my camera cord, so alas, it may be a while before I upload any July pictures, including ones from the party and farewell NY ones. In the mean time, a minor update before things get too crazy with orientation and classes. We just finalized our plan with Bella Pictures, so add another check to the checklist (and speaking of photos, these photos that I found by KJournal look really good; excellent color and candid shots. Unfortunately they're based in Florida... perhaps we'll go to them for some family photos down the road). Also speaking of photos, I hope you enjoy this cheesy alleykat photo, taken during our cruise in April, while I summarize what we've done so far:

• Picked a date
• Booked the church and reception venues
• Picked out a bridal gown
• Booked the photographer
• Finalized the reception menu
• Selected colors
• Picked the bridal party
• Came up with a tentative guest list

So next we have to work on flowers, centerpieces, invitations, the band/dj, the registry, bridal party attire, favors, the pre-cana, and the honeymoon. I'm sure I'm forgetting a ton of things, but we'll worry about that later.

And congrats to two of Al's best friends since elementary school, Lewis and Tina, who got engaged this past weekend. :)

"...I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you." -- Matthew 17:20

chillin' out maxin', relaxin' all cool...

"Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop." -- Ovid

Tuesday morning I filled out my exit paperwork at work, and by Wednesday morning I was on a bus to Washington DC with a change of clothes, a list of phone numbers of people I needed to contact, addresses of potential apartments that I planned to visit, and no return ticket, since I planned to stay until I secured a place to live for the next year. With orientation for med school starting this upcoming Wednesday, finding and securing a place to live, with less than a week to spare, was no small feat. But alas, God is good, and of course everything is falling in to place perfectly. Less than 72 hours (and about 20 apartments) later, I found exactly what I was looking for and I'll be moving in this weekend! And to top it off, the party this weekend was a successful meeting of the families (pictures coming soon!), the Mets are on a winning streak, and my first homework assignment for medical school is nearly complete (to name a few recent blessings). In short, everything that stressed me out a week ago has resolved itself better than I could have predicted, as most things in my life do.

And I should warn you now, amidst settling in to my new apartment and embarking on this medical school adventure, I'm not sure how much time I'll have to update the blog during the upcoming weeks. But perhaps it's better this way, since Tom (our wedding planner) told us to "just relax and enjoy the next few months" since we have most of the major details in place. In honor of being stress-free and thankful (and to hold you over until my next entry), here's a picture that embodies a time when such feelings were the norm:

Sara, Katrina, Jordan, and George del Fierro circa 1995 (click to enlarge)

"A heart at peace gives life to the body..." -- Proverbs 14:30

something (red, white, and) blue...

"In the truest sense, freedom cannot be bestowed; it must be achieved." -- Franklin D. Roosevelt

Happy belated Independence Day. In honor of everyone's favorite red, white, and blue holiday, I thought I'd post one of my favorite red, white, and blue wedding photos: My Aunt Annie on her wedding day, with my mom as her Maid of Honor (from both of whom I've learned a lot about marriage and family). I thought it also seemed appropriate because they are the lovely hosts of my engagement/meet-the-family party this Sunday.

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." -- Galations 5:1

the dress hunt continues [2] ...

"Great men are seldom over-scrupulous in the arrangement of their attire." -- Charles Dickens

So even though I'm debating whether or not to let my bridesmaids choose their own dresses, it doesn't hurt to let them (and you) know what I like ;) . As promised weeks ago, here are a few dresses I like from Anthropologie and FashionJunkee. These might be a little too casual for bridesmaid dresses, but still very cute. I've been reading about how the whole bridesmaid industry is such a commercial rip-off (aka way over-priced dresses just because they have "bridesmaid" in the description), so I've been looking through other sites, such as bloomingdales and Nordstrom, to try to alternative sources for potential dresses. Stay tuned for even more dresses and other planning details (including post-party updates) . And happy early Fourth of July!

And to close, one of my favorite verses that I just stumbled upon again yesterday:

"But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold." -- Job 23:10

match-maker, match-maker...

“The goal of life is to make your heartbeat match the beat of the universe, to match your nature with Nature.” -- Joseph Campbell

So I've been putting a lot of thought in to what my bridesmaids will be wearing... and I've had a lot of fun so far. The thoughtful bride-to-be that I am, I've been trying to consider dresses that seem like they'd flatter any of my bridesmaids (and that would be wallet-friendly, too). With all that in mind, I also wanted all of my bridesmaids to match, thinking it might be more formal/unified/coordinated/aesthetically pleasing/etc. But alas, I've been reading a lot about how it's becoming increasingly popular to just pick a color and dress length (and/or fabric), and let the bridesmaids each pick their own dresses, that way they'll pick one that best suits them (in style and price) and they'll be more likely to wear it again (click here or here for more info). So now the dilemma is to match or not to match... Any thoughts?

Photos courtesy of theknot.com

"He told them this parable: "No one tears a patch from a new garment and sews it on an old one. If he does, he will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old." -- Luke 5:36

it's a date...

"Without music to decorate it, time is just a bunch of boring, productive deadlines or dates by which bills must be paid" -- Frank Zappa

Happy Sunday! And speaking of Sundays, I should have done this sooner, but our wedding date is set! We will be getting married on (drum roll please... ) August 23, 2009!

We've been getting a few questions about the date, so I figured I'd address them now :) . First of all, "Why August 23rd?" We chose the date for a few random reasons: 1) It was one of the few late summer dates available at our reception venue, 2) Al believes the number 23 is lucky... I mean, it's Michael Jordan's number, and if our marriage is half as successful as his career, we're in good shape! (it's also one of my favorite psalms), 3) Al and I met on the 23rd (not of August) so we can attach some (pseudo) significance to the date. The second question we've been getting is: "Why a Sunday wedding?" Again, a few reasons: 1) Most of the Saturdays in July, August, and September were already taken when we checked last month (a year and a half in advance!), 2) Sundays cost slightly less, 3) Apparently Sundays and Fridays are the new Saturday (not really, but read this and this).

All of this official-ness is really exciting. :)


"The LORD is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want... Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever." -- Psalm 23:1,6

he loves me, he loves me not...

"There came a time when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." -- Anais Nin

So apparently Martha Stewart agrees that yellow is an excellent color choice for a summer wedding (pick up the summer 2008 issue of Martha Stewart Weddings, shown here, if you don't believe me).



I'm not sure if it's the nice weather or the weekly emails I get from ProFlowers.com, but lately I've been getting a lot of floral inspiration. To that end, I am really excited about figuring out my bouquet, although I think I'm still a long way off from deciding. So far a few of my favorites include:

• Calla lilies - very clean and formal looking.
  
• Freesia - they smell so good! and are pretty too.
• Rununculas - fresh and soft, rose-like.
• Gerbera daisies - just because my sister loves them.

Here's one bouquet recommended by Martha that I happen to really like a lot. It's very soft looking (which I like) but I think my bouquet will be little brighter (aka not so pastel).


"The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever." -- Isaiah 40:8

a SUPER cake

"The most dangerous food is wedding cake" -- James Thurber

Lately I've been a little stressed (mostly for reasons not related to the wedding), which is probably not a surprise to any one I've been hanging out with these days. So to lighten up the mood I thought I'd share a delightful find passed on to me by one of my college room mates, Janice "J-dawg" Kim... a Super Mario wedding cake! (Check here for more info)


Seems like an appropriately fun/nerdy dessert, for any appropriately fun/nerdy couple. Among the many reasons why Alphonse and I would get such a cake:

• Alphonse proudly proclaims that he is still very much a kid, and he has the video game skills to prove it
• My ring tone on Al's cellphone is the Super Mario theme (I'd like to think this is because he thinks I'm a princess, but it's not...)
• My lovable Italian fiance dressed up as Mario for Halloween a couple of years ago:
  

And while Alphonse and I will be taking a more traditional route for our wedding cake, it will not be lacking in creativity. We'll update more about that when we get to it :) . For now, congratulations to my lambmate Audrey, who just got engaged!

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" -- 2 Corinthians 5:17

you win some, you lose some...

"Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning." -- Gloria Steinem

So it's official: we're doomed to always watch the home team lose this year. It's only June and we've already sat through a few Knicks and Nets losses, a Nationals loss, and wayyyy too many Mets losses. And to make matters worse, we've made no progress in our wedding planning, according to ourweddingday.com:

Luckily, that's not entirely true. In fact, I think with 15 months to go we're in pretty good wedding shape! We have most of the "big" things taken care of now we just have to figure out the bazillion "small" things that will make our day extra special. :) . And according to theknot.com, this month we should be focusing on engagement parties, colors, and romance... all of which we've got under control. This wedding planning stuff is a piece of cake, right?


And I apologize for updating so erratically, but we're meeting with our event planner, Tom, tomorrow, so expect another update in the near future (I know you're brimming with anticipation). And last, but not least... Thank you to everyone for all the input and feedback (verbal/written/mimed/etc) on colors and dresses... It's been very helpful so far!

And one of my favorite verses to close: "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" -- Jeremiah 29:11

another ball-game/park

"If a woman has to choose between catching a fly ball and saving an infant's life, she will choose to save the infant's life without even considering if there are men on base." -- Dave Barry

One of Al's life goals is to visit all the baseball parks across the United States. As his future life partner, I might as well be part of this goal. So alas, this past weekend, we made some progress on our cross country (cross century?) journey by visiting Nationals Park in Washington, DC. What better way to spend the longest day of the year, than by soaking in some summer baseball? The park was absolutely gorgeous, and brand spanking new. And the many hours that we spent on bus/train/foot this past weekend made for some quality talk time about a variety of topics, obviously the wedding being one of the most prominent. I would be lying if I said that all this planning isn't stressing me out one bit, but I'm glad that Alphonse and I are talking through each decision and truly making this wedding our own.

Here's a sampling of photos from our ball park visit, complete with a goofy Alphonse photo.

Also, as I side note, we've been to four games this season and have yet to see the home team win... perhaps, we should stop watching live baseball. We'll see how things play out at the Mets game we go to on Tuesday. And even if we have no luck in baseball this year, we've been pretty lucky in love so far.

"But he said to them, 'Do not detain me, now that the LORD has granted success to my journey. Send me on my way so I may go to my master.'"-- Genesis 24:56

one, two, three, FLASH!

"There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs." -- Ansel Adams


Ok. so I like photo booths. Seeee:

Actually I like most things photo-related, including, but not limited to: photographs, photo opportunities, photo albums, and photosynthesis.



At times my "I love photographs. Let's take another picture!" collides with Alphonse's "Another photo?! Seriously?" But luckily such incidents almost always playfully evolve into Alphonse sticking his tongue out or attempting to sabotage my photo in some other way. And by now it should come as no surprise to you that Alphonse and I can be quite silly at times, so such attempts are well received (and documented via photograph). When I saw that my friend Raph had a photo booth at his wedding, I thought it might be the perfect way to combine my love for (candid) photos and Al's love for (candid) silliness. And photo booth photos (or frames) might make fun favors, right? Of course this may mean cutting down our original photography package, but it might be worth it. We'll keep you updated...

A few photos from Raph's wedding, click to enlarge:

“Sing to God, sing praise to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds — his name is the LORD— and rejoice before him. A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.” -- Psalm 68: 4-5.