Geek and Groom

Our Invitations, Part III: Our RSVP Postcards

2009-04-01T16:27:00.000-07:00

I took me forever to understand why our invitation suite "clover green" kept reading as neon green online. Guess which Blogger accidentally saved the file as CYMK rather than RGB? Oops!

Our RSVP Postcards will measure 4 x 6, and feature our showcase flower: the dahlia!

I searched, searched, and searched through the internet to find a public domain clip art illustration of a dahlia. The original clip art had other flowers in the image, and I had to be swift with my eraser tool in Photoshop to edit them out.

We're printing them without a glossy finish so our guests can write on them.

We'll be writing in the number of reserved seats in a gold calligraphy pen.

I wish I could find the exact credit for our RSVP wording. I've seen numerous brides use modifications on the above text on OffbeatBride. I stumbled across the wording, jotted it down, and never actually saved the URL. If anyone has a credit I could link to, please be let me know!

The back of our postcard will be more modest, and just in black ink to save on costs. (Pardon the super-stealthy black censoring bars.) I hope our guests will take up a our offer and write us a note!

Color Conviction.

2009-03-31T19:22:00.000-07:00

I am finally convinced. I fell in love with our colors.

(1. four-leaf clover / trevo de quatro folhas, 2. Ornaments of gold...dedicated to you ..., 3. Ethiopian Harrar, 4. Bear Creek Rose #7)

My Heritage
I had never considered the significance of a green and gold wedding for an Irish-American lass. As a small girl, I would proudly wear the green kilt my Grandmother kept in her closet. The kilt had a delicate golden thread woven throughout the skirt. We would visit my Grandparents on the weekend, spending our Saturday night watching Star Trek Next Generation with my PopPop and spending our Sunday morning at Mass. I'd proudly wear my kilt to Mass, and most Sundays I would listen to my Grandparents sing in their church choir.

My Grandma is a fierce alto, an identical twin, a mother of six, and a grandmother of eleven. I hope she will be personally delighted with my incorporation of Irish linen, classic hymns, green, and gold.

I thought I'd call "our" green "spring green." Now, I realize our actual choice is "clover." The lucky kind, to be specific.

Our Environmentalist Spirit
Christopher and I both attended an "Environmental Liberal Arts" College. We were fed a steady (sustainable) diet of environmental theory, literature, science, and philosophy. We both live in Vermont, although we were not born in Vermont. We chose to live here, to start and continue our new life together, here in this fine state.

Vermont strives to lead the environmentalist charge. I live exactly two blocks from a Co-Op, owned by our community members, selling locally grown organic produce and local meat. I live exactly half a mile from a community garden, and as I type I can peek at my seed packets. I'm waiting for the morning frost to end, the "mud season" to conclude, and the earth to warm again. I can't wait to plant. I know where my power comes from (1/2 from "cow power," or, as Chris likes to call it, "poop power"), we keep a mostly chemical-free household, and I did a DANCE when Steven Chu was announced as our new Energy Secretary.

We want to keep our wedding modest not only for the holiness of the day, or our small budget, but for our impact on our neighborhood and planet.

We don't want to be wasteful with tulle or plastic. We don't want to buy everything brandnew.

We want to re-purpose.

Deep browns remind me of our planet. Green signifies life. Sunshine is golden and ivory.
It's not just that I teach literature, and am a sucker for color symbolism. Love, love, love.

Simplicity
My first color scheme was scattered. Bless Kim (my MOH, Future Sister-in-law, and BFF) for not laughing in my face when I told her. She was endlessly supportive but, if I asked, I'm sure she would admit it sounded disharmonious.

I wanted Tiffany blue, burgundy, gold, and ivory. I only added in deep brown when I realized Kim's complexion would be washed out by a black BM dress.

My intentions were okay. I look wonderful in both Tiffany blue and burgundy. Both colors are found in our reception site. I thought gold-toned accessories would be easy to find and affordable. I thought ivory was appropriate for weddings.

Nature provides the perfect palettes. I believe our finalized color scheme is concise and balanced.

It's classic. Simple. Perfect. Like I said, I fell for my colors tonight.

When did you know you loved your colors? What could your colors symbolize?
---------------

Did I blog about our FANTASTIC DIY cakestands yet? I'll have to do that tomorrow.

Our Invitations: Part II

2009-03-27T17:36:00.001-07:00

A bit of Photoshop tinkering, a ton of patience, and three revisions later...

I present our invitation.

Humph. The green looks really Day-Glo on my monitor. In real life it is a grounded muted green, promise.

Our Invitations: Part I

2009-03-27T16:49:00.000-07:00

After searching for the proper balance of quality and price, I finally committed myself to a stationary purchase.

I created this mock-up by cannibalizing images from Paperandmore. We're cutting thin bellybands from a thin golden paper from California Paper Goods Company. This is the best choice; it is translucent, and the sheen of the gold paper works well with the pearlescent pocketfolds.

We ordered the majority of our stationary from Paperandmore, and our envelopes from LCI Paper. Specifically, we went with Paperandmore because of their glorious A-7 bronze-brown paperfolds. Not only are these cards heavy, smooth, with the perfect metallic... but they were quite affordable.

For $2.06 per person (including shipping, but not including postage for the invitations), we'll have supplies to create our ceremony programs, pocketfold invitations (including RSVP cards, two enclosure cards, map, decorative elements, and envelope set), and menus. Fabulous!

Paperandmore cut our cardstock to two custom sizes. It was absolutely worth the extra $7 to know I wouldn't have to cut four hundred sheets of cardstock, even with our industrial (cartoonist quality) papercutter.

Our spring green matting (the actual color is called Green Fairway) was cut to 6 3/4 x 4 3/4 to neatly fill our 5 x 7 invitation. Our actual invitations, enclosures, and RSVP postcards will be printed on 6 1/16 x 4 1/16 Cream cover stock. The enclosures and RSVP cards will be additionally trimmed to layer nicely in the pocketfold, but that will be an easy papercutter job that I can delegate to Christopher.

I'm excited to start crafting. I have a week off for Spring Break in April. What a perfect time to find a large table at the Cartoon School, set out our paper-cutters, adhesives, t-square, bone folder, corner rounder, a hot thermos of chai, and MP3 player loaded with the Steve Miller Band and Three Dog Night.

Calligraphy = Sanity

2009-03-26T18:08:00.000-07:00

I'm an English teacher. I've mastered the skill of writing precise cursive on a whiteboard.

When I try to write on envelopes, however, I get all shaky from worry.

My mind begins to race: Is my envelope centered on my light box? Will my pencil guides erase completely? Is my lettering consistent? Do all of my "e"s look alike?

In other words, I get a bit weird. Weirder than normal.

I've hired a calligrapher for my own sanity. I'm not going to post her name; she is getting married next month and is buried in her own DIY projects.Above is the test sample she created for our stationary. It is curvy and classic, and I love the "chubby" ink.

I considered our budget, and decided I could devote $120 to all of our calligraphy expenses. We're inviting fifty guests, but we only need to create thirty-three invitations. I've also hired her services for our placecards.

Inner and outer envelope sets seem charming, don't they?
(Or is the belief that stationary can be "charming" or "cute" another symptom of bridal-craziness?)

I ordered A-7 Ecru unlined envelope sets from LCI Paper. I may make my own envelope liners to accent our invitations. The inner envelope measures 5 7/16 x 7 7/8, almost one whole inch larger than our A-7 5 x 7 invitations. This provides plenty of room for our invitations, rehearsal dinner invites, RSVP postcards, and our over-sized foldout Vermont maps. Stellar!

YES, our invitation supplies arrived! I'll post photographs and product reviews tomorrow.

Are you using both inner and outer envelopes? Was this choice made to honor tradition?

DIY Mini Rehearsal Dinner Invites

2009-03-25T16:21:00.000-07:00

I got these mini stationary sets at a discount warehouse for three dollars a box.
The very petite green, brown, and white cards perfectly match my wedding colors, and will be used for attendant gift tags.

The purple cards... do not match. Yet, they are adorable. And I've never been one to waste!

The small purple ones are for our Rehearsal Dinner/My 26th Birthday Party.
They measure 2.5 x 5, so I created a 2 1/4 x 4 3/4 inner card in Photoshop.

A bit of tweaking with fonts and colors, a trip to Kinkos, and a papercutter later... ta-da!

It also was a practical way to test both my font choices and my font colors.
I'm using Albemarle Swash, modified with a faux-bold.

I tucked a business card from our restaurant--Stonehearth Inn and Tavern, in Chester VT--into the envelope.

I almost (in a crazy bride moment) thought to send our envelopes to our calligrapher but I realized that would make me crazy.

Not everything has to match, coordinate, or look perfect. It's my new mantra.

Will you be using the same "colors" for both your Rehearsal Dinner and your Wedding? Coordinating colors? Or are the colors for your RD not at all in your mind?

What NOT To Buy Early

2009-03-25T16:06:00.001-07:00

Chocolates. Lake Champlain Chocolate hearts, to be specific. Delicious Vermont chocolates.
Purchased at a 40% discount at the Quechee Markets*.

I had hoped to re-package them--along with Sweet Beauty's organic Mocha Sugar Scrub and some freetrade coffee beans from the local Co-Op--into a nice gift basket for Kim, my Maid of Honor. I know she's planning my Boston Bridal Shower, and I wanted to surprise her with a gift when I see her next month.

Note to self: Chocolates are tasty, especially to visiting cartoonists. Christopher and his friends demolished the bag, albeit small bag, of chocolates.

I noticed The Knot is throwing their "Chocolate Sale," but I know Hershey Kisses wouldn't be safe in this apartment.

What else should we brides avoid buying too early?

* * *
The Quechee Gorge Village is the perfect place for Vermont Brides to purchase gifts, favors, and accessories. Their country shops stock Vermont jams, fudge, cheese, coffee, teas, beer, wine, crafts, and every imaginable maple product. Their antique booths offer a variety of unique linens and jewelry, and Danforth Pewter is divine.

Spring is almost here.

2009-03-25T13:48:00.000-07:00

(Pardon my webcam photography, but my digital camera died).

We're experiencing a typical March here in Vermont. I wore sandals on Saturday, enjoying sunny skies and a temperature of sixty degrees, only to wake up to five inches of snow on Monday morning. To help postpone the "winter will never end" blues, I've decided to post some florist updates.

I've been researching local florists, comparing prices and talent. There are many, many options.
It could be exhausting, but I think I've found our florist.

Morgan, owner of Valley Flower Company, simply rocks. Her work was recently featured in La Bella Bride magazine and New England Bride magazine, and you can view her gallery at her flickr account. She's working within our budget, has fresh floral (oh, pun) ideas, and Chris and I can support a talented, young local artist. You can view Morgan's blog here.

The photograph above shows a representation of my floral inspiration. We're* thinking of crisp colors: shades of cream, spring green, and chocolate brown. We're thinking lots of soft texture, and modern round shapes.

Soft, round, meticulous layers of petals.

(source)

I know we discussed soft, round flowers. I'm not a fan of very structural floral shapes, be they orchids, delphinium, tulips, celosia, or calla lilies. I do, however, find dahlias, ranunculus, zinnias, and chocolate cosmos simply lovely.

To help with costs, a lot of our flowers will serve double duty. Why would we use thoughtfully constructed arrangements just once? My bouquet will be placed into a vase for our reception. Our pew decorations will double as table arrangements. Our altar floral arrangement can be placed on the fireplace in the Hartness House. Ingenious!

*"We're" does not mean "Chris and I." It means, "my florist and I." LOL
Chris doesn't care about flowers, but he recognizes I do care. He does, however, think fiddleheads are cool for boutonnieres.

Question: Are you a "soft round" flower person, or an "structured" flower person? Are you in-between, or perhaps indifferent! I bet our opinions are as diverse as our options!

Cake for Breakfast.

2009-03-25T13:32:00.000-07:00

I laughed and laughed when Chris said this to me, as we were leaving the bakery:

"If I had realized this involved free cake for breakfast, I may have been snatched up years ago."

* * *

We were treated to teeny servings of double layer cake. So many varieties, in fact, I'm not sure I remember all of the flavors. The tasting took place in their main dining room, and customers waiting in line for their coffee and bagels congratulated Chris and I. I'm sure they were hoping we would share.

Chris, the man who "didn't care" about cake, selected the decorations style for us. Truthfully, it is the style I would have selected, too. It is modern, but still fanciful. It isn't something I've seen at other weddings, or in any magazines.

It is modeled after a Martha Stewart cake style, a fact I find hilarious. (Chris likes "The Martha"? Who knew?) The decoration style is known as Transferware, and reminiscent of the 18th century pottery technique. Transferware ceramics typically have black, blue, or brown detailing. Our cake will have black detailing, similar to the cake below.

(source)

Could you help us out? I'd love your opinion:

Is Carrot Cake appropriate for a wedding?

Cake. Glorious Cake.

2009-03-25T13:31:00.000-07:00

[Source: The Knot]

Our first cake tasting is scheduled. We're meeting with the owner of The Baker's Studio, also named Chris, on Saturday morning. Our plan is to find the "perfect" baker to create eight small table cakes for our reception.

The Baker's Studio is a small bakery in downtown White River. They serve coffee and breakfast sandwiches each morning, and quiche, salads, and sandwiches in the afternoon. In addition, they run a full-scale bakery. Their cakes on display look tasty--perhaps too tasty for a dieting bride--and I'm sure their presentation on Saturday will be impressive.

Chris and I browsed through their portfolio a few months ago, as we noshed on breakfast bagel sandwiches, and they do fairly traditional decorations very well. Lovely lattice-work, nice swiss dots.

I considered, for only a few days, trying to DIY our desserts. Do-It-Yourself weddings have become very popular, I do enjoy baking, and I worked as a cake decorator for a few months. And then, with a little help from my friends, I snapped to my senses. Baking eight small cakes would be a tiresome and tedious process, and I'd rather leave it in the sugar-coated hands of a local artisan baker.

Christopher is excited: Free cake! I'm excited as well, but honestly I'm more eager to discuss cake pricing. Many bakeries in Philadelphia price their wedding cakes at $5-8 per slice (after delivery fees, cutting fees, etc), and it is not unheard of to charge $15 per slice. Isn't that insane? From my research, many bakeries in Vermont charge a relative pittance of $2/3 a slice.

It is a Win/Win situation. If we don't enjoy their cake or their prices? We schedule another cake tasting! Second on our list is the Heritage Deli and Bakery in Chester, Vermont.

Dress Success!

2009-03-25T13:15:00.002-07:00

I had the most positive dress shopping experience!

If anyone in the Vermont is getting married, I strongly suggest Christine's Bridal in Hartland Four Corners.

The owner, Chris, was my attendant and she was very warm. She and I chatted about our common interests and this set me at ease: she has a background in graphic design and animation, and we share a love of community theatre.

(pardon the cellphone photographs.)

Kim and Marsha had to wait in the room next to the fitting room, but we were close enough that we could occasionally laugh through the doorway as I was being laced. The gowns were not nearly as heavy as I thought they'd be, and the crinoline underdress I wore was both comfortable and not-too-foofy.

Lesson Learned: Always trust your saleslady.
I had gone shopping thinking I knew exactly what sort of gown I wanted. The dress shapes I thought I wanted were very unflattering. I thought I was anti-train, but the gown I selected has the most lovely chapel-length train. The gown I selected was a dress I would not have selected for myself.

(Good gracious: I have a waist! Who knew?)

The dress I found was nothing like I thought I wanted. Isn't that a common refrain? I thought I wanted a sweetheart neckline, or maybe cap sleeves, and no train.

I thought I needed an Alfred Angelo dress. NOPE.

I found "the one," the dress that made me feel the most lovely and the most statuesque. It is a dress from a local designer, and only sold at this boutique! It was the second dress I tried on, too. The attendant was very patient, helping me into several dresses only to hear Kim, Marsha, and I sigh together that the other dress was the nicest.

It does not need to be altered. It is the perfect length. It fits me perfectly, but I have enough space in the lacing that if I buff up a bit I can continue to cinch it in by four more inches. I'm so excited! Can you tell by my excessive use of exclamation marks?

AMEN. I went to one bridal salon, tried dresses off of the rack, found a bazillion plus-size options, and did not cry out of frustration.

Did you have similar "first shopping day" success?

Gown Shopping Ahoy!

2009-03-25T13:15:00.001-07:00

I'm excited to announce I will be going dress shopping next Saturday afternoon. We have an appointment at a local shop--Christine's Bridal of Hartland--and I'm relieved I may be able to find a classic gown without needing to leave the Upper Valley.

I've asked Marsha--Christopher's mom--to join me for the appointment and the fun! Kim is driving up from Boston to join us; I'm so relieved Kim can lend her fashion sense and keen judgment.

I wish my Mom could be there too, but I know I'll be surrounded by Marsha and Kim's love, support, and eye for fashion. Christopher obviously gives his love and support, but he is not allowed to see my gown before the wedding. :)

At first I thought I'd be able to buy a dress online (there are many sites specializing in used or discounted gowns) or perhaps have a gown made, but I'm eager to see what styles and fabrics the Gown Consultant will suggest for me. I hardly ever have occasion to wear a dress yet, much to my chagrin, I'm very giddy about this component of our wedding.

I'll let the blog'o'sphere know how things go!

Our Teeny Wedding Party

2009-03-25T13:08:00.000-07:00

We wanted to introduce our Wedding Party!

Kimberly Warren, Maid of Honor

Christopher's ever charismatic and classy younger sister, Kimberly, is my Maid of Honor. A distinguished 2008 graduate from Green Mountain College, Kim and I shared an apartment and two kittens during our Senior year. Kim is sharp, witty, gorgeous, and well-read: just ask this 2008 Miss Vermont USA contestant about Yoknapatawpha County. She is a blessing in our lives, and a very close friend.

Kimberly currently resides in Boston, working for an Ophthalmologist and fighting crime. This wedding can be entirely blamed on Kim, as she encouraged our new relationship and gave her blessing. This photo was taken of Kim and her boyfriend, Michael, at Groundhog's Day, 2009.

Clayton Hunsdon, Best Man

Chris once hit Clay with a Bible during a high school Philosophy class. A graduate of Champlain College, Clay is currently stationed with the US Army in Oklahoma. He is very good at DBZ, the CCG, but terrible at the bass. Clay and Chris have been “quasi-roommates,” and Clay married Kimberly’s old roommate (fellow GMC graduate) Jillian.

Chris counts Clay as his closest friend, and he cannot wait for Clay to complete his requirement with the Army and hopefully move to our part of the union.

The photo of Clay and Jillian was taken at their wedding!

I cannot imagine any other two people standing with us at the altar.

I thought I'd be worried about my small bridal party (party of one, really) but I'm very confident in my decision. My other very close female friends do not know Chris very well because they live out of state. Kimberly is not only his sister but has total credit for instigating and nourishing our relationship. She's been a rock for both of us as individuals, and for now for us as a couple.

Plus, she is freakin' adorable and will be one hot number in any bridesmaid gown she selects.

Is anyone else having a just one bridesmaid?

Small Town Deals!

2009-03-25T12:54:00.000-07:00

We're trying to use local Vermont vendors, but we've also found a few sweet deals online.

Living in a small town is a challenge for any bride. I hope these suggestions help all brides find their perfect vendors!

1) Word of mouth.
Do not ignore the well-meaning advice of your co-workers, hairdresser, and even the postman. During a faculty meeting the other day I asked, during general conversation, "Does anyone know any bakers in town?" I was inundated with suggestions of local retired bakers and talented culinary students in our area.

2) Craigslist, Yelp, and Bravobride are excellent resources. YES, Yelp does contain reviews for rural areas. I was surprised, very happily surprised.

3) Decide which items are worth buying "out of town."
Delivery charges are often steep, and I'd rather work with a local baker to buy a slightly more expensive cake than to score a cheap deal with an out-of-town baker only to pay $150 extra for delivery.

Small town bakeries, dress shops, caterers and service providers are often able to make better deals than large urban outfits.

4) Don't forget to mention your roots.
I do believe I receive better service and discounts when I remind my vendors I am a local high school teacher. Most likely, they graduated from my school and/or have relatives currently enrolled. Loyalty can be very motivating!

As always, read all fine print, get every agreement in writing, and read over all contracts carefully.

***

And now onto a few of my vendors!

(image copyright: Christa Pidgeon Photography)

Our photographer, Christa Pidgeon, was booked a few months ago. She's a new Rutland-based photographer with a lovely and vibrant portfolio. Christa has recently increased her prices, but we booked her last Fall to secure a low rate AND a free engagement photo shoot. Check out her gallery!

I highly recommend Salon 2000 in Chester, Vermont. Sarah, the salon's talented founder, will be helping with the "girly preparations" on our wedding day, including hair and makeup. Salon 2000 is a great establishment; they offer classic spa services--massage, facials, manicures, tanning--in a friendly warm space. Bonus: they are a block away from our Church!

We've been finding small decorations at excellent bargain prices online. Our newest purchases are these blown glass golden gorgeous goblets found on Bravobride. (Oh, the alliteration!) We'll be using them as toasting flutes, and we found them for 80% off market price.

See, we don't have to travel to "The City" after all! Have you found any local vendors and been surprised by the quality?

Happy Holidays!

2009-03-25T12:51:00.000-07:00

(from left to right: Christopher, Denise, Michael, and Kimberly our Maid of Honor)

We've had a delightful holiday!

We were able to travel to Pennsylvania and Massachusetts to visit our out-of-state family and friends. We visited with all of our parents, and spent time with my brother Eric while he was on leave from the National Guard. We were thankful to spend time with Kimberly, my Maid of Honor (and Christopher's sister!) and their little brother, Benjamin. We enjoyed exploring Boston with Clayton, Chris's Best Man, with his wife Jillian.

Wishing you a wonderful rest of your winter!

Love, Denise and Chris

(P.S. Chris did actually help write this post! He wanted me to remind you all of that. *grin*)

Gold and Green. Autumnal?

2009-03-25T12:44:00.000-07:00

For the curious,

(Photo credit: Snippet & Ink, a fabulous wedding inspiration and DIY blog!)

We are having a white and gold wedding.
With accents of chocolate brown and spring green.

The goal: a classic and clean aesthetic with loads of whimsy.
And comics.

We wanted to stay away from standard fall colors. I've never been a fan of deep umber, orange, or shades of yellow. I would be worried black suits paired with orange bridesmaids dressed would look too "cartoony." (I know, I know, I see a difference between "comics" and "cartoons"!)

I bought these fabulous golden Pottery Barn placecard holders from a woman on Craigslist, and I sincerely hope they are the only "leaves" in our entire decor. Aren't they charming?

Pssst--- Fall brides! (And Spring, Summer, and Winter brides, too!)
How are you embracing (or not embracing) the season of your wedding?

"Unitarian Universalism Is a Really Long Name"

2009-03-25T12:31:00.000-07:00

I laughed so loudly (and possibly even snorted) when I spotted the book Unitarian Universalism Is A Really Long Name on our Religious Education table at church.

I sincerely believe that was my mother's first thought as well when I became a UU a few years ago.

We’ve chosen the First Unitarian Church of Chester, the historic "Old Stone Church," for our wedding ceremony.

The 1845 building is located in Chester's notable "Old Stone Village," and on the National Register of Historic Places.

From the official Chester Town website:
"Chester is a quaint New England town with a population of 3,044...Chester offers opportunities for bicyclists, boating enthusiasts, great restaurants, comfortable B& Bs, interesting shops, including many antique stores, lovely art galleries, and a tranquil atmosphere for those who are looking for a quiet respite."

The delightful Rev. Telos Whitfield is the Minister of this warm Unitarian Universalist congregation, and she will be officiating our ceremony. She will be meeting with us four times before the wedding to craft our ceremony.

Chris and I were embraced by the small parish, and we've been making the trip to Chester most weekends to attend service. They are a kind, expressive congregation and I thoroughly enjoy their company.

In addition, the church is quite lovely! Carefully crafted stained glass windows line the walls of the sanctuary. A small wooden spiral staircase descends into the cozy parish hall. And, it already feels like home. I feel blessed that we can have our ceremony in a place we enjoy so much.

If you're not familiar with UUism, I encourage you to visit the UUA website.

For those ladies getting married in a house of worship: Have you started to attend services on a weekly basis? How are you being received by the congregational community?

Not Homer's Springfield...

2009-03-25T12:16:00.000-07:00

We’ve chosen the Hartness House Inn, a restored 1904 country mansion in Springfield, VT, for our wedding reception. We will be married on September 27^th, 2009.

Springfield, Vermont may be known best for two things: The Simpson’s Movie world premiere, and that the town was #7 on Hitler’s list of “Cities to Bomb” due to the contribution of the Precision Valley to the Allied efforts during WWII.

We had several criteria as we searched for reception sites:

1) A meaningful location in Vermont, preferably in the Upper Valley Vermont area.
2) Affordable vegetarian-friendly cuisine
3) Quirky aesthetic, whimsical decor

The Hartness House is located less than a mile from Christopher's childhood home. (check!)

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Hartness House is the 35 acre estate of former Vermont governor and inventor James Hartness. Converted to a Bed and Breakfast, the Hartness House also is the site of the first Equatorial Turret (Tracking) Telescope. Gov. Hartness was an amateur astronomer, and constructed an elaborate astronomy observatory on his property.

From the Hartness House website (italics are my own):

“This country inn is unique in that it features its own museum, astronomy observatory and antique telescope with a unique equatorial drive system. More unusual is the secret tunnel system built by Hartness to access the observatory, museum and his secret workshop.

Guests of the Hartness House Inn have an opportunity to tour the secret tunnel, view the private workshop of Mr. Hartness, and see the observatory and telescope.”

How neat is that? There are over 400 feet of underground tunnel, including a secondary secret exit onto Common Street.

An underground tunnel AND a ballroom! (check!)

We’re planning an intimate reception to be held in the Governor’s Ballroom. The room features quirky Art Nouveau chandeliers, warm wood tones, and many bright windows. We’re anticipating oodles of merriment, dancing, and (mostly) vegetarian cuisine.

We sampled their tasty, tasty food during our overnight stay. They had numerous vegetarian offerings, and their garlic gnocchi were scrumptious! Christopher even called them "tasty," and he is SO picky.

Our Cocktail Hour will be held in the Parlor. The room is handsomely appointed with Victorian furniture, and photos from the glory days of the “Precision Valley” evoke an historic atmosphere. An enormous bay window frames the space.

Have you been planning a "hometown" wedding? How close to home was your perfect wedding site?

Not your average ring...

2009-03-25T12:09:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know, they should be a girl's best friend... but I've never been a very traditional kind of girl. I'm smitten with my non-diamond engagement ring.

Not only is it a fiery rainbow gem, but it has a rich family history.

The gem is a fire opal. It belonged to his Yia Yia (his Greek Grandma) and the ring was given to her when she was nine years old by her Godmother. The gem is well over 100 years old.

Opal is from the Sanskrit "upala" meaning "precious stone."

"Fire opals are unique in the lush world of the opals. They were already admired as symbols of the most fervent love in ancient times, in India and in the ancient Persian kingdom, and among the peoples of Central America and the Amerindians. It was believed that a gem that bubbled over with vivacity to such an extent as the fire opal could only have been created in the waters of paradise." --from gemstone.org

Fire opal is more of a hard gel than a gem, and it is a low-temperature mineral and thus very brittle. You actually store fire opals in water. As opals age, they can become cloudy and cracked due to a loss of moisture. This fire opal is encased in glass, a common practice similar to doubleting. The glass supports the fragile opal.

The only way to tell if the gem was done well is to see if the gem lasts. That's it. No other test. Since this gem is still beautiful and clear-- I can assume it was done very well.

Fire opals were all the rage for Victorian love tokens. Most of the opal rings were really small slivers of opal, and my stone is fairly large. For the time it was created, it was worth a pretty penny then. It's worth a lot now, but it means so very much to me because it is a heirloom.

The setting of the ring is new, and a contemporary take on Art Deco. It showcases the opal beautifully, and suits my personality. I love that it is a quirky ring. The colors in the gem change depending on the lighting, and maybe even my mood! It contains pink, blue, green, purple, gold, and orange.

The gem was set at Von Bargen's Fine Diamonds and Jewelry, a three time winner of Harper's Bazaar "Best place to shop for jewelry in America."

Christopher obviously had some fun in Photoshop with the photos below.
Bling is shiny! Ka'pow!

Green Lantern ain't got nothin' on me.

Maybe he doesn't have anything on you, either! Do you have a non-traditional engagement ring? I'd love to hear the history of your ring!

Our Proposal Story

2009-03-25T12:05:00.000-07:00

We became engaged on May 17th, 2008.
That Saturday was a particularly busy day for both of us.

(My favorite photo from the Surprise Engagement Party: He looks drunkenly frightened, and I look giddily confused.)

In the morning, Christopher graduated from the Center for Cartoon Studies (White River Junction, VT) earning a Master of Fine Arts degree.

The same morning, I finally graduated from Green Mountain College (Poultney, VT) earning a Bachelor of Arts in English, with grades 7-12 Teacher Certification. Christopher's sister Kimberly--my close friend and roommate--also graduated that morning from GMC.

After commencement, my father, mother, step-father and I drove across the state of Vermont to attend Christopher and Kimberly's graduation party. The party was held at their mother's residence in Springfield, VT. When we arrived, I was happily exhausted. On the porch his step-father, Don, was BBQing up some mean ribs.

***

I thought he asked, "Are you mad at me?"

Christopher was whispering and, well as many of you already know, Chris hardly ever whispers.

I was distracted by all of the people on his Mother's porch, and exhausted from my graduation and the two hour trip to Springfield, Vermont.

Chris and I were standing on the steps of the porch, able to watch the awkward mingling of our parents without having to participate.

I thought he asked, "Are you mad at me?" and I replied, 'What?"

I'm such a romantic.

Christopher asked again, this time with better enunciation, and I saw the box and his cheeky grin and nearly fell off the porch. I obviously said "yes."

In less than four hours, I received both my diploma and an engagement ring!