Where have I been all November?

     Why, getting married, of course! You are now talking to Mrs. Miller, but you can still call me tishtacular. :)

     And as I've been talking about all autumn, my wedding had a fall theme. Below, I'd like to share a few pictures with you to show how that was accomplished.

Item 1: My Centerpieces

Twenty-two of these were lovingly created by my mother and my aunts.

Item 2: My Favors

Yes, that is a leaf-shaped bottle of maple syrup, purchased from The Maple Guys, a company that was a pleasure to work with. I'd recommend them for all of your maple-syrup-favor needs.

End Result: An Indoor Fall Wonderland

This photo was snapped during the ceremony.

     We really had the best time, and although it went quickly, I truly appreciate the effort and joy that went into making the day so special for us.

     And finally, I found what looks like an awesomely easy dinner recipe: Tortellini Stir-Fry. As I'm trying to keep to my budget this month, I'm going to try not to charge anything else until Monday. I've got $20, my pantry, and my freezer to cook dinners for the next six days. I'm sure the Thanksgiving holiday will help! :)

Invitations!

     As of yesterday, all but about five of my wedding invitations are completed, and the only thing delaying their arrival at the homes of my wedding guests is the arrival of the appropriate stamps at my house. I had prematurely purchased stamps adequate for a one ounce invitation, so imagine my dismay when the invitations arrived and I weighed them--1.3 ounces! I had to purchase the required number of two ounce stamps, just to be safe. Luckily, they are both attractive:

       

     Also, of course, a bunch of wedding-themed $0.44 stamps aren't entirely useless. I needed some for the interior return-envelopes for the RSVP card, and I may need them in the future for Thank You cards. There's no problem here, then.

     I am very excited about my invites. I took the time and care to hand-label and address all 120 of them (and there are a few more to do, pending my mother's approval).



     My autumn enthusiasm is palpable, isn't it? These invitations were purchased at InvitationConsultants.com. I must admit that I was excited by seeing my fiancé's and my name over and over again. After the invites are sent out, we will be so close to go-time, it's almost scary. My wedding is on November 14, 2009, so yes, we're getting very close. This Friday, we will be taking a day off of work to travel to Pennsylvania to collect the marriage license (sidebar: I think I hate writing Pennsylvania. Why did my entire family have to live in the state? Why couldn't they live in Ohio? Or Maine? But no, over and over again, P-e-n-n-s-y-l-v-a-n-i-a! My hand gets sore just thinking about it.).

     Why did I hand-write my invitations? There are a few different reasons. One is that it just seemed so formal and domestic, two qualities that I enjoy. Another reason is that I find my handwriting attractive, especially in a formal setting. I think the entire idea of receiving a hand-written note feels so elegant and intimate. I am sure that no one else will even notice the work I put in to the invitations, but at least I will know that I wrote them to my satisfaction, and that's what's important, isn't it?