Bachelorette Weekend Recap Part 2: The Shower

Part 1

It's a surreal feeling to wake up and realize that you're just about at the 30 day mark until your wedding. That was me the morning of my shower. I opened my eyes, looked around,  and realized there is a very small amount of time left before I take a huge step.

I'm so ready for it.

Despite predictions of 60 degree weather and rain, the day was absolutely beautiful. Very few clouds in the sky and so warm.

My mom was so kind as to get me a Lilly Pulitzer dress that I had been eyeing for months for this special day. I was never one to wear bright colors when I was heavier so it was everything to me slipping this dress over my body with ease and just feeling....pretty. I didn't care that I wasn't in white or that I tried to give my hair beach waves it didn't work out - everyone was gathering together today just for me and that made my heart burst.

I knew we were headed somewhere close by but little did I know, we were going just around the corner! A local seafood place was open just for us for brunch and the mimosas were already flowing when we walked in. Everything looked so pretty and the view of the water was amazing.

We took pictures and then quickly sat down to eat. Caitlin brought an amazing cake from my hometown and all of the gifts were so amazingly awesome. We got some great things from our registry and some really special and beautiful things. I loved everything - especially Rachel's basket of wines for each milestone. I felt so incredibly loved.

My personal favorite had to be my friend Mary [who is perpetually late for everything and texted me she only shaved one leg] - she gave me a card that showed she had gotten us a bundt pan and then added a picture that says "I like Big Bundts and I cannot lie" and the infamous scene from My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Amazeballs.

Alex&Ani bracelets from my friend Aviva

There was an awesome set-up put together for the attendees to give Carl and I wedding advice that's to be opened on our first anniversary. I cannot wait to see some of the gems in there.

The entire morning was just so much fun. After the shower ended at 11, we headed back to my house to rendezvous before heading down to Provincetown for the bachelorette. It was meant to be brief but so many people hadn't seen our home yet that the tours were abundant and the drinks starting flowing.

The weather even held out and it looked like rain was not in the picture at all.

Overall, I couldn't have asked for more out of a shower. Everything was beautiful and exactly as I imagined. Carl headed over to spend the night with my Dad and we all piled into our cars to roadtrip and begin the bachelorette...

To be continued...

Bachelorette Weekend Recap Part 1: A Visit from My BFF

It's here you guys, the moment you've all been waiting for: my bachelorette. My shower was the same day, so, let's kick this shit off right, shall we?

Friday jump-started the weekend since Thursday was my Friday. I took the day off to pick up Pam at the airport in Providence and spend the day just me and her. I spent the entire morning cleaning the house so it would be squeaky clean for her arrival.

Well, I budgeted my time pretty poorly. Homegirl barely got a shower in before I had to leave since not living on the cape means TF Green is 1.5 hour drive. I arrived just in time to sit next to a lovely man named Ron from Cape Destinations who talked to me about wedding trolleys. I heart the elderly.

Finally, my sistah from another mistah descended the escalator and we were off. Or so I thought. I ended up continuing on 95 south to a lovely RI town named Coventry where we made an imperative U-turn but also a crucial stop at Dunks. Pam does not get Dunkin in Texas, so I understood the dire necessity of this request.

After the longest drive of our lives back to our and many lengthy girl talk updates, we made it. We dropped off her bags and gave her the grand tour of the house before we headed off for much needed mani/pedi's. I fell in love with Pam just a bit more when she pulled a secret stowed bottle of champagne out of my trunk.

It should be said that Pam and I kind of look alike. We're basically freckle ginger twins and this proved itself when we stopped at the liquor store. The guy working behind the counter was not American, so I give him a little slack, but it was still hilarious that he looked at me, then at her, then back at me, and said, "You two are the same." He didn't really believe us until we showed him our licenses.

The first nail salon we went to couldn't take us until 5:30 (it was 2pm) because apparently me being a townie genius didn't realize that prom was that weekend. The next place we went to ended up being way better anyway, especially because they had zero problem with us drinking.

One killed bottle of champagne & thanking deities that I lived right around the corner later, we headed home with polished piggies. Carl was already home mowing the lawn and ready to start grilling.

Maybe it was the copious amounts of alcohol, maybe it was the fact that our weddings are so close, or maybe it was just that I hadn't seen her in so long, but I just felt so overcome with happiness being able to spend the day with Pam. It's times like these where I don't realize just how much I've actually missed her. Sure, we text and say it all the time, but it's another to be in the same room and fall into the same habits you did when you lived together.

It's crazy because we've come so far from then. We spent a lot of the weekend telling new friends about how we met and it's just weird to think that we've been good friends for almost a decade. What started out as a chance meeting between crazy college chicks turned into millions of amazing memories and the most important moments of our lives. I feel so happy knowing that we get to experience everything together.

That being said, it made me very glad that Carl has recently taken up photography. He shot some candid's of us that ended up being some of my favorite pictures of the weekend, especially because I needed some new ones to frame.

To be continued...

All photos taken by Carl.

SO WHAT! Wednesday

It's been awhile! This week I am saying SO WHAT! if...

• I didn't work out this morning. Staying up til 11pm to watch the two most recent episodes of Mad Men was totally worth it.

• I am so poor from wedding stuff. Legit. Not even funny. We just bought our wedding rings and dear lord I am so glad that the financial hemorrhaging is almost over.
• That being said, this weekend is my shower and bachelorette. Get ready for your IG feed to blow up.
• If Angelina Jolie got a double mastectomy. People are seriously calling her a hero and a saint. WTF? There are women who go through that same choice every single freaking day. I used to see it all the time when I worked at Dana-Farber. It's heartbreaking. It annoys me how much of a martyr the media makes her. Do they not remember when she wore Billy Bob Thorton's blood around her neck and made out with her brother?
• Carl is so freaking weird. I loathe broccoli stalks. Give me florets any day. I cut the stalks off if they are longer than a millimeter. This freak show? He practically cuts himself a tree.

Nightmares

• Yes, we had chicken fingers for dinner.
• They were gross, the meat was slightly gray and they tasted like chemicals. I ate approximately one bite. Screw you Perdue. 
• I am so excited for this weekend it's not even funny.
• I have pink puffy hearted this painting in my parents house pretty much since they brought it home. My parents sold their house so my sister and I are now frequent shoppers at Casa de Jane. Downsizing rocks. I never thought she would actually give up this painting and she did. Welcome to your new home.

What are you saying SO WHAT! to this week?

Mother's Day Recap

Obviously had to have one right? Over the weekend, Carl and I were musing over the fact that I may only have 1-2 more Mother's Day celebrations that don't include me being a mom just yet. That set reality in pretty quickly!

We had an awesome day on Saturday. It was bittersweet because my parents have officially sold their house (which is great for them) and are moving out in July. My parents home has always been the hub of every  family gathering. There is so much going on with the wedding so this was really the last official get together there before it's all boxed up to move. Fear not, they are retiring to my hometown on the Cape right on the ocean in our old neighborhood.

This was double celebration for my mom's birthday too - lots of gifts to go around. We had flank steak, crab cakes, and so much other amazing food! I'm still amazed each time I see my niece and nephew just how much they've grown. Cam is practicing to be a teenager with that pout.

I missed the memo here

Carl's "broken arm" that Doc McStuffin's fixed right up

I ended up making the same cupcakes as last week and they were a huge hit!

We spent the rest of the weekend outside as much as possible. I can tell I am going to get color very easily this summer #notcomplaining.

I hope everyone had a lovely Mother's Day and weekend!