In Sickness and In Health-- Already?

I had hoped to hit the ground running with posts as soon as we landed back in Guam, but you know how life pops into the best laid plans!

Seven days after we tied the knot, Mr. B woke up with severe abdominal pain. When the pain had not lessened by 6am, I convinced him to let me take him to the Emergency Room. After googling "right side abdominal pain" and all the hits screaming "appendicitis", I knew there was no where else he needed to be.

Upon examining him, the doctor concluded his appendix needed to be removed that afternoon. What?! Isn't  it crazy when one minute everything is normal and the next minute your love needs to be cut open? At any rate, the surgery went well and we spent the night in the hospital while his pain was managed and his food intake was monitored.

We are at home now and I'm playing Nurse Barrettes. Seems only fitting we spent our 1-week anniversary in the hospital, as I spent our wedding night cleaning puke off his tux coat-- but that's a whole other story altogether. I'm just happy his appendix waited a week until it decided to be a bother. Timing is everything!

Did you need to care for your new spouse shortly after your wedding?

Ten Ten Ten or In Vino Veritas

Well hive, I think this may be my last post as a Miss! With the whirlwind that's about to hit my life I don't know if I'll see ya until the middle of next week!

The weather in Napa is perfect for this weekend and I couldn't be more lucky. Marrying my love amongst our favorite people, nestled in wine country-- I feel like I'm dreaming. Somebody pinch me. =)

I have a plethora of details to still share, but it's hard because they're all coming together at the last minute. For example, I glued and bow-d over 200 corks for our escort cards, but the actual paper cards are with Mom Barrettes at her hotel and Mr. B constructed an amazing photobooth idea for me 2 days ago, but it won't be ready to use until later tonight. Oh, and mom's dress made mine! The final product is a hit.

Looks like I'll have plenty to blog about while we wait for our pro photos!

Here's a sneak peak--

 Mr. Barrettes making my photobooth dreams a reality...

 Our wine bag wedding favors, tagged with the personalized wine charms and filled with purple hugs, kisses and bliss!

Our favorite wine pourer in the Peju tasting room, Richie, said we are perfect together-- he called Mr. B a "Roman warrior, re-incarnated over and over" and me a "spicy butterfly". We always have the best time at our last tasting of the day.

Signing off as a Miss! In Vino Veritas-- In wine is truth!

Yours Truly,

Miss Barrettes

Walking That Fine Line, Elation vs. Anxiety

I've been trying to come up with a clever "10-day countdown" post, but it's not coming. I know I've forgotten at least a few posts on wedding details, but they seem so trite for my mood. I also want to wait until all the pieces come together before I present them to you. I know, it's last minute, but I'm hoping you'll like our escort cards and our wedding favors-- I'm totes loving them!

I'm living in a heightened sense of reality. Everything is either a complete miracle or total disaster-- there is no in-between. Me finishing my escort cards all by myself: complete miracle. My wedding shoe order being cancelled: total disaster. I cried in the shower for 30 minutes yesterday. I can't even tell you what I was crying about-- it just all kept coming. I feel like I'm walking a thin line between total elation and total anxiety.

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I'm so sure about our marriage and our union, and that is the comforting part. What I'm unsure of is the actual wedding. Am I doing enough? Will our guests be happy? Should I be hosting more events? Will they be picking their noses?

I think I just worry that our guests are taking time out of their schedules, and spending a pretty penny to stay in Napa for the weekend-- I want them to feel like they're loved and appreciated. I wish we could host a giant party every night of the long weekend, but parties Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday are just not in the budget. Don't you just wish you had a suitcase with a billion dollars in it?

But then I try to remember how much fun Napa is and how happy I am when I'm there. You guys, it's crush season!!!! V. Sattui's Crush Party is the night before our wedding! I keep trying to remind myself that the guests will be happy enough being in wine country. Hello? Miss Barrettes?? Tasting in Napa all day long can make even the most sour soul happy!

So hive, that's where I am. I still have things to show you, things to tell you, but they're still falling into place and in the meantime you're just left with what's going on in my brain. Thanks for letting me vent--it's so much more productive than crying in the shower.

xo Barrettes

What Wedding Stress?

Feeling stressed? Head with your honey to the nearest amusement park! Definitely a good way to scream at the top of your lungs without turning any heads!

We are less than one month to go and seriously, I'm not stressing. Is it normal to feel so *meh* about everything?

This is not to say that everything is complete. I have the wine charms to finish, escort cards to begin, favors to fill, wine to taste, dress to find... Yet, I'm so blase about it all. Is it called 'living in the moment' or being dispassionate? 

I feel like I should be wound up about getting married in 4 weeks. But I feel as cool as a cucumber. I'm excited about seeing friends I haven't seen in years, but thats about it. It sort of feels like everything will come together in the end so what's the use about worrying. Even if all my projects fall to doggie doo, we still have the winery and the food and all the love, so everything else is just an added bonus right?

Am I missing the "Bride" gene? I'm not even caring about the facebook thing. You know what I did after my brother's wedding--- posted all my pics to facebook! As did all my cousins. So there goes that, I ate my own words.

Maybe I'll get more bride-y when we head to California. A visit to V. Sattui for our wine tasting might just do the trick!

Anyone else suffer with the case of the 'meh-whatevers'? Did you feel weird for not being 'bride-y'?

Brother Barrettes Ties the Knot!

Brother Barrettes tied the knot yesterday in a beautiful ceremony in Hawley, PA. At the end of the evening I asked the bride how she felt about the whole day and she said, "I'm so happy and surprised that nothing went wrong. If it did, I didn't know about it!"

Just before he began to tear up. He said I couldn't post the teary ones... :)

Unity Sand Ceremony

Loved the bridesmaids' dresses.

Moi with Mom and Dad.

Escort cards were satin covered Hershey Kiss roses.

Card cage and wish cards (in lieu of a guestbook).

Their table numbers were photos of them, holding the actual number, in special places in the town where they met and live. There were also disposable cameras on each table that the bride will use to scrapbook.

Best Man speech. Her face says, "Keep it clean." His face says, "Don't get me in trouble!"

Getting the party started with YMCA.

The traditional cousin shot. Don't mess...we're strong and we roll thick!

We all decided the "cousin tradition" would be our favorite line dance-- to "Dancing in September."

I was serious about catching that bouquet! It went over my head, but it's okay, I'm next to get married anyway...

The guys were pretty serious too.

We're next!

Their favors were candles, along with the satin rose. Honestly, there were a lot of candles left on the tables at the end of the night. Does that happen often with favors?

It was such a fun and loving wedding. We were all surprised about how teary my brother was throughout the night. He choked up while he was thanking everyone for coming, and also during his dance with our Mom. It was really sweet, as he is usually not a very emotional guy. Ahh weddings, gotta love 'em!

We were very inspired by their wedding and can't wait to for ours! Did you find inspiration from weddings you attended?

23 Hours of Travel

We leave Guam on tomorrow at 10am and land in Baltimore at 7:30pm the same day. How is that possible, you ask? Easy, we're flying back in time! Here in Guam, we are 14 hours ahead of EST. Our flight is broken-up by a layover in Japan, but our total air time is roughly 19 hours. It's not "fun" by any means, but now with the addition of Baby Barrettes flying under the seat in front of me, things should be very interesting...

I have been waiting for these days for weeks...months...years. Our wedding has always seemed like this far off 'thing' that always seemed forever on the horizon. I've had so much time to prepare, yet I feel like it's all going to be whipped together in a whirlwind of commotion!

I am promising myself to take it day-by-day and really enjoy all the little moments. This thing is only happening once. This ain't no dress rehearsal! But, I'm sooo ready! Let's go get married and celebrate the start of something good! See you on the flip-side, hive!

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Let's Talk Tats, Part Deux

I have been preparing myself to change my last name. Sometimes I think its no big deal and other times I struggle with becoming 'my new name'. Its a lot of "N"s-- 5 to be exact. I have practiced writing my new name (much like I did when I was in 6th grade with my crush's name), and haven't got it down to a science just yet. I miss making the capital "H"of my current name.

So as we sat at the pool yesterday for Bridesmaid Amy's birthday and Ryan was preparing to start his latest chest piece, I starting drawing Hs on our pizza box, and it hit me-- I would get my capital H, in my own handwriting, as a way to keep that part of myself.

At the shop the artist told me that actually my H was quite hard to tattoo. With such distinctive lines and curves, he said it would be like a final exam if one was a student of tattoo art. I didn't want much embellishment, I know my tattoo style is "less is more". You may recall my wrist tattoo botch-up.  I was rEEEEEally happy with the result. 

Lets Talk Tats...

I have tattoos. Seven tattoos. My first one was inked here on Guam ten years ago and rests on my lower back. Its your typical "tramp stamp" as my Mom fondly calls it, as its a magnolia bloom with the sign of the Pisces in the middle. Easily hide-able.

Number 2 is a small purple Hershey's Kiss in the nook of my hip (cover-able by a simple bikini bottom), that was inked in Buenos Aires.

Number 3 sits on my ankle and is the Latte Stone, the same little shape that is on our Save the Dates.

Its numbers 4-6 that we are discussing today, as they are much more visible and their display is questionable for the BIG SHOW.

We Heart Our Venue

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We were in Napa last year, specifically to look for wedding venues, and V. Sattui was our very first stop. Accompanying us were my parents, Mr Barrette's parents, my best friend (Man of Honor) and his partner. We loved this first winery instantly, and were able to meet with a coordinator right away for a brief tour. I was sold. But in the spirit of keeping an open mind, we made our way through the Valley, stopping at wineries that looked wedding-appropriate. (And some just for the fun of it). All afternoon, nothing could compare to that first heartbeat at V. Sattui.

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We ended up right back where we started, 6 or 7 tastings later, and all agreed that this was the spot. I felt bubbly with excitement (or it could have been the champagne), and in awe of what was to come! We looked at V. Sattui's calendar for 2010, weighing the options of a summer or an autumn wedding. Instantly, a lightbulb flipped on and I practically shouted, "What about 10-10-10?" The 9th was booked, but the 10th was open. Perfection!!!!

The number 10 has long been my favorite number, even before 10th grade, when the boy I crushed on was the number 10 choice on our list of contenders for Homecoming Court. This lucky number has followed me throughout my career and my travels and imagine my delight when I learned that Mr. Barrette's birthday was on the 10th of May. It was meant to be!

Did you love your venue right away? What's your favorite part about your venue?

Girl meets *right* Boy.

I was reeling from a bad break-up. Acting out, being rebellious, drinking too much and staying out too late. It was the first time I lived by myself... Meaning, no man, no roommates, no dog. Just me. It was dangerous. I was dangerous. And fun. [insert smirk]

But underneath it all I was hurting, and feeling guilty. I had blindsided my boyfriend with a clean break and I felt guilty for hurting him, but mad at him for hurting me first. It was a mess and I didn't feel like dealing with it. So I didn't. I partied. Rebounded with another guy and thought I could might fall in love with him, but don't we all know that song and dance. He left the island, and again I fell into the trap of pining for someone who didn't really exist in my daily life. That's when I finally realized long-distance relationships didn't work for me. They did for years, but I promised myself I would never do it again. If you were leaving or I was leaving, we just couldn't hang out.

Enter Mr. Barrettes. Stage Left.

A girlfriend and I walked into our favorite beach bar (literally ON the beach) and he was sitting there holding holding hands with the bartender, a party friend of mine at the time. I pulled up a stool next to him and we struck up the most natural conversation ever. We were fast friends. He was a man and I was tired of dating boys. I knew I wanted to be in a relationship with someone who already had stuff figured out. I was 27 years old and was over the whole "finding myself" thing.

After that night, Mr. B would keep popping up in places where I was. Gym? Check. Beach BBQ? Check. Karaoke? Check. It wasn't until a few weeks later when it dawned on me that I actually liked him a lot more than 'just friends'. We had our first real date on the beach at sunset with a bottle of champagne. I told him that I wanted our relationship to be a "slow burn". I didn't want a flash-in-the-pan that burned out quickly.

As we spent more and more time together it became clear we wanted the same things out of our lives and more importantly, we were looking in the same direction. Couple that connection with many a night spent on this porch and magical things were bound to happen!

(all photos: Miss Barrettes)