The Shower

A week ago I had my very first bridal shower.

I'm my #1 fan

Not only did I get boat loads of presents, but I also got to see friends and family who live near and far.

My favorite pic of the day

The wedding is now less than four months away (117 days to be exact) and I can't get over how fast time is going by. I'm doing my best to enjoy the anticipation of the wedding and to not get caught up in any stress or worrying. This works about 70% of the time, but at least I'm trying.

I'm assuming the three-month countdown is when things start to feel real. Or maybe it always feels like your planning for something that will never actually happen. I wonder if this is how Oprah felt when she knew she was retiring?

So there will be no WGOTW since I received WAY too many gifts at the shower that I love, I cannot pick just one. But I just want everyone to know that I received two cupcake carriers, a cupcake display stand, red velvet cupcake mix, a cake display platter, and a cupcake cook book. Bet you can't guess what I won't be baking until after the wedding for fear of looking like a cupcake when I walk down the aisle...

WGOTW

This week's WGOTW (Wedding Gift of the Week) is one that I was concerned no one would buy me, but now I can now breathe a huge sigh of relief because my request has been fulfilled. 

The best place I registered at was, without a doubt, Bloomingdale's. There's just something about the "home" section of Bloomies that makes me want to turn into a 1950's housewife and learn how to bake an apple pie.

Like a lot of things I registered for, I don't seem to understand why I now "cannot live without these candlesticks" even though pre-wedding registry I never had a necessity for candlesticks. I guess it just proves how easy it is for the line between wants and needs to get so easily blurred. (Especially when walking through Bloomies and you keep getting distracted by the shiny, sparkly Baccarat crystal or the China gravy dish that you suddenly can't live without and vow to yourself that with this dish you will make gravy once a week.)

So after much anticipation, I received my Enchanted Forest Candlesticks. 

And this weekend I have my first bridal shower so you can expect many more WGOTW posts to follow. I'm sure you are all just as excited as I am. 

WGOTW

This weeks WGOTW (wedding gift of the week) features my brand new Keurig machine!

I am so excited about this.

I'm not exactly sure why I'm so excited, considering I never make coffee at home, but I think now I'm going to start. My first order of business is going to Dunkin Donuts to purchase their vanilla flavored coffee K-Cups. Second order of business is finding out how many calories are in a K-Cup. Anyone? Bueller?

Honey, You Baked

I've never been much of a baker, with the exception of chocolate chip cookies that just require you to add an egg and water, but I've since changed my 'tude towards my relationship with my oven.

I've decided in the midst of registering for all sorts of crap* (including countless baking supplies) I better get my ass in gear and learn how to bake. I have high hopes that one day I will be the mom baking for my phantom child's bake sale, or at the very least, I'd like to know how to make something that requires more than just one egg and 3/4 cup of water.

After a day spent apple picking, I found myself with a few dozen apples and the need to experiment in the kitchen. I settled on baking an apple crisp. Why? Because it seemed like the one recipe with the least amount of ingredients. (This is amateur hour people, I wasn't going to bake a dutch apple pie fresh out of the gate.)

Below are the directions on how to make an apple crisp, but I will give you the highlights here.

The best thing about this dessert is the crisp. I literally wasted about 14 apples because I ended up just eating the buttery, sugary crisp. Which was, in a word, delish.

Here is the final product:

I am very proud to announce that I not only successfully baked something from scratch, but that it also didn't suck.

Good thing the wedding is still four months away - I'm pretty sure butter and sugar are some of the things you're supposed to cut back on when you're "shredding for the wedding".

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 stick unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes
• 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 3 pounds apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl mix flour, brown sugar, salt, and 2 tablespoons sugar. Cut butter into flour, using a blender or two knives, until mixture is coarse. Add oats, and use your hands to toss mixture until large, moist clumps form. Transfer to freezer to chill.
2. In another large bowl, toss apples with lemon juice, cinnamon, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Transfer to a shallow 2-quart baking dish, and sprinkle with topping mixture. Place baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until golden and bubbling, 55 to 65 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

*By crap I mean essential items that will allow me to be an amazing housewife, er, I mean wife. 

The Irony

A few months ago I quit working out with my trainer.

Guess what?

Since then I've lost 8 lbs.

Moral of the story? I'm not sure.

But I do know I prefer to spend my money on buying myself new clothes, rather than paying someone to help me get in shape.

Truth is, I believe the wedding nerves are getting the best of me. Or maybe I should call it, "the fat of me".

But I can't say I hate losing weight without trying.

(I know, I'm a bitch.)

WGOTW

I'm officially starting a new segment entitled: "Wedding Gift of the Week" aka WGOTW.

Since this is the first post of what I hope will be MANY MANY posts (hint hint), I thought I should do two items instead of one.

As many of you know, I'm Jewish, which means as I become a married woman I need to start filling my home with lots of Judaica. So it's only appropriate that I was given not one, but two Kiddush cups as engagement presents. Not only are these the most beautiful cups I've ever seen, but they are by one of my favorite artists, Michael Aram.

I've put many of his pieces on my registry, but some of my favorites include the Enchanted Forest Candleholders and Wisteria Face. Never have I ever been so excited about candlesticks and vases in my entire life. It's weird. I'm not sure what it is about his stuff that I love so much, but I just do. Can't stop. Won't stop.

I hope you've enjoyed reading about my wedding gifts, just as much as I've enjoyed receiving them :)

Only 191 Days to Go! (but who's counting?)

It's been awhile since I've written here. I feel like I'm dusting off an old book that I've been meaning to read for the past year, but just haven't gotten around to it because reality TV has just been way too entertaining lately. 

Here's my dilemma.

Sometimes I just don't want to write about food.

Right now I just want to talk about weddings.

Planning a wedding goes way beyond a dress, a venue, and whether or not to serve beef or chicken.

Weddings can make you or they can break you. They bring out the best in some people, and the worst in others. If you're the bride, I don't think you actually know what type of bride you will be until you are knee deep in contracts, surrounded by different invitation fonts, and choosing between peonies and ranunculus flowers.

Although I enjoy signing all of my emails with "Bridezilla", I seriously hope no one ever has to call me that behind my back.

If there's anything I'm learning from this process it is that your wedding day, while special and magical and blah blah blah, should not be the best day of your life. It should be a really wonderful day filled with family, friends, and lots of love. It should not be the "day of all days" which can never be topped.

Why put yourself under that much pressure? 

I'm no expert, but I'm extremely realistic. And while I would love to spend the next 191 days obsessing about floral arrangements and place cards, I think I'd rather just enjoy my life.

Not to say I won't have a few mental breakdowns along the way, but let's just hope that when this wedding is over my family and friends still like me.