100 and counting

At the urging of some friends who are trying to throw us a shower, I began the process of setting up registries at a couple of places. (Don't get too excited and try to search for them, because I think I have only added about two items to the list. When you have lived on your own as long as we have, it's hard to think of things that you still need, and that don't duplicate what you already have). But as soon as I entered the information on one of the sites, the main page popped up with the message, "Only 100 days until the wedding!" Wow. 100 days. Exactly. All of a sudden, it feels like the big countdown is on.

I think I should probably register for a calendar...

the backyard blues

I just entered our yard in the DIY network's "Desperate Landscapes" competition. It is a huuuuge longshot, since there are over 3,000 entries, and I think that they tend to choose front yards instead of back yards for the makeovers. But, who knows? Maybe we will get lucky and they will be intrigued by our wedding story. And maybe I will also win the lottery next week. Hey, you never know until you try, right?

But, in the process of taking the pictures for the entry form, I discovered exactly how much work there is to do in the backyard. It doesn't just end with the fence, folks. There are holes that have to be filled in, nasty old bushes that should be ripped out, a rotten planter that desperately needs help, and a side porch that is in dire need of a new coat of paint. So, if you need to find us this summer, just look in the backyard...we'll probably be out there working whenever we have free time. (Free time? What's that?)

Anyone up for a fence building/landscaping party?

progress

So the question I seem to get most often now is "How are the wedding plans coming?"

At this point, I'd say that our progress could best be measured in centimeters. Possibly millimeters. Sloooooooowly, but surely.

We've done some behind-the-scenes work:
- Todd has started planning the fence.
- I've made a list of the places I want to use for catering/cakes/etc.
- I've had some luau decor promised to me after the school auction is over (how fortuitous that the auction theme just happens to be a luau this year!)
- I've been thinking about fun, different ideas for invitations (my latest thought--printed frisbees)

So, we haven't actually accomplished anything big that could be marked off of the to-do list, and I have to admit, that makes me a little nervous. I love marking things off lists. L-O-V-E, love. The whole reason I make lists is so I can mark things off of them. Big confession here: I will even put something on a list that I have already done, just so I can experience the joy of drawing a line through it. I know--I have problems.

But, I keep telling myself that I will be able to get a lot more done after school is out and my schedule isn't quite as hectic. Of course, at that point, we will only be 2 months out from the wedding.

Oh boy.

ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

Anyone who has followed our wedding planning process since the beginning knows that we have changed our minds on the location, oh, about 5,372 times. First, we were going to do a destination wedding in Costa Rica. Then, it was an eco-resort in the Virgin Islands. Most recently, we were looking for beach houses in St. Augustine, Tybee Island, Mexico Beach, and others. I think the suggestion of getting married on a cruise was even thrown in there somewhere.

Then, as stress began to creep in and muddy the joy of it all, we re-evaluated. We decided that the three most important considerations were:

1. We want our friends and family to be there to celebrate with us.
2. We want the wedding to be easy and economical.
3. We want it to be fun and different.

So...we're getting married in the backyard. Somehow, it really makes sense to me to do it at home. It is familiar, it is intimate, it is laid-back...it is us.

We are, however, going to keep the beachy theme...so get ready for a wedding luau. There will be sand, there will be beach balls, there will be tiki huts--so dust off your Hawaiian shirts and grass skirts, and prepare to be lei'd. (Yes, I went there.)

Now, instead of stress, I feel excitement. This is going to be so much fun.

I just have to start praying now for no rain on August 2nd, because I'm not sure how to fit 100 people in my house.

Save the Date!

It's official, people...

August 2nd, 2008!

Save the date, mark your calendars, record a memo on your phone, write it on your hand...do whatever you need to do to make plans to attend.

And keep watching for more details!

What's in a name?

I'm not sure who came up with the children's rhyme, "Todd and Tiffany, sittin' in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g..." Do that many people really kiss in trees? Seems a little funny to me, although I guess it's much easier to rhyme than "sittin' on a bench."

Anyway, that rhyme is not the only reason for the name of this blog. When Todd and I first started dating, our friend Jenni said that she had predicted our union, because when she was young, she planted two trees in her front yard and named them "Todd" and "Tiffany". So, this title is also an ode to those foreshadowing trees that bore our names.

Welcome to our wedding blog.