Also we got our first wedding gift.

Did I mention 2 out of the 3 things we have recieved have been broken? As in totally shattered despite extensive packaging. 

It's just a bit disheartening to get something and with my injured arm it's not easy for me to do the exchanges right now (and I work near the mall and FI works the opposite direction). 

So very excited for the gifts and very grateful for the generosity but a bit frustrated about having to do the returns and such. 

If anyone you guys will understand. 

It was my first race longer than a 5K and it was tough...especially since it was a hot and humid day today (thank goodness for the sprinklers they had throughout the course). 

I'm so proud of myself for deciding to do this, training for it and getting it done! 

Now that training is done I will cut back my running a little bit to change up my workout routine until the wedding and no races until after the wedding!

Definitely going to be returning some stuff, like the $50 day moisturizer...and the $50 night moisturizer. ugh. 

either way, SO excited to start using it. I have heard nothing about raves!

So, literally a week after being engaged, I went to a bridal store and bought the first dress I thought I loved. I fell out of love with it a couple months later, and of course it's not returnable, and I have to figure out something to do. Well, Mom said go find another dress, but she's not paying. So, I found a photo of a dress I was totally obsessed with and after thinking about it for a couple of weeks I sought out someone to make it. I enlisted "Shades of Pale" located in China via email to make this dress for me.

Yes, stupid, I know. I really wanted that darn dress and couldn't find it anywhere and I was stubborn and determined. 

Well, communication with SOP was awesome for the first couple of months. They'd always respond within a day or so of my emails. Now that the time has passed when they originally told me the dress would be ready and I would be receiving pictures of it (mid February), I've started bothering them, and they took literally a week and a half to respond to my 3 emails I sent them in that time. There's no reason this should have happened, holidays or anything. I also got no explanation for what was taking so long. 

Now, they're telling me that the dress "should be ready around the middle of this month." Okay, so my bridal portraits are April 8 and they knew that. Somehow this is taking a month longer than originally quoted and the dress more than likely will not arrive on time, assuming it does ship mid-March. 

One of the reasons I went with them is because they have a return policy. Right now all we've paid them is $265 - half the cost of my dress to get started making it. I'm pretty sure I can cancel the order right now and get that money back - or at least open a paypal claim.

So here is what I want everyone's opinion on: what should I do now? Cancel the dress, get my money, and start shopping hoping to find a sample on sale I love? Or keep harassing SOP hoping it will light a fire and have them get things done quickly when they may or may not answer me promptly/honestly? 

Ugh. This sucks. I know it's 100% my fault for making stupid moves but now I need to find a way out of this mess. 

Thanks everyone. 

Thoughts?

If your FIs are dancing with their moms, what are they dancing to? Any suggestions?

(FI and I are dancing to Van Morrison's "Into the Mystic." My dad and I are dancing to "When You Need Me" by Bruce Springsteen.

Good luck! You will do awesome 

Also we have a military couple stationed in Germany, is that just regular postage to send to them? What do we do about their RSVP envelope?

TIA!

bacherlorette party issues..i posted before that I basically have planned it.  Well the hotel i found the cheapest, was basically a hoax cuz they charge $10 per person if you have more than 2 ppl in a room!! CRAZY!!! AND we would have to have two rooms for the ONE extra person (we wanted 5 ppl)...w/e soo the other hotel that i found that was cheaper was down in the city (which is what we were going to do originally).. But no one wants to drive down there (40 minutes away)..

SOOO i basically (in less words) told them all that we are going to the city, to this bar/restaurant/arcade place...and thats where we are having the party...if you dont want to drive down there...too bad and dont come.

I EVEN said that im driving down there..soo if ppl didnt want to drive they could ride with me...but none of them are coming..

except for my other MOH and 3 ppl WHO ARENT BRIDESMAIDS AND TWO OF THEM LIVE OUTTA STATE!!

SOOO my MOH/sister, told me then that she doesnt have to do the food for my bridal shower..and she can make all of the other BMs do the food... I told her.. YOU THE F****ing MOH YOU HAVE TO DO SOMETHING..so i told her to make the food for the shower..or drop out of the wedding..cuz making the food is the ONLY thing she has done thus far for the wedding.. and she doesnt want to do it...

i really should have just eloped..im so done with this and her and I cannt wait till after the wedding, i probably wont talk to her for awhile. she is making everything so much harder than it is, and doesnt even want to help me stick the addresses on the envelopes!!!

thanks for listening!!!

Anyway, they had these really awesome "minimergency" kits. I bought one for each of my BMs. The little bag seriously fits in the palm of my hand and has great stuff in it.

Here's the link: clicky