Time Is Getting Short

But the list of things to do sure isn't!

Here are a few things I worked on today:

- Calling the last few people we haven't heard from on the list to find out if they'd be attending the wedding
- Arranging to return a pair of shoes I tried out with the dress (I ordered two and liked the other one better).  If anyone's interested, these are the ones I chose.
- Arranging for an appointment with Mancuso's florist to discuss a bridal bouquet (I really like their bouquets!).  I think my favorite style is a toss-up between the Nosegay style and the Hand-Tied.
- Emailing to ask about where I should go look at veils (I've been looking at pictures - mantilla style or oval-cut with two tiers, I think)
- Asking if the vases for the centerpieces are still available
- Deciding on a good day to meet with a good friend who's going to be our coordinator the day of our wedding (tomorrow, hopefully)
- Giving guest information to Anna so she can do another masterful seating chart ;-))
- Giving guest information to Aaron so he can finalize the reception and make an outline for Dad about what's going on.
- Deciding on tea for favors (Ben and I are going to go get it after dinner)
- Sorting through the list of things to do and prioritizing what's left
- Packing up all my summer clothes and various other things that need to be moved and that I'm not going to need in the next two-and-a-half weeks.  

Now that last was a weird experience.

I'm 29 years old and I've lived with my family all my life.  The longest I've ever been away from them was three weeks when I helped my Aunt Sarah move out to Seattle a few years back.  I've never even considered moving out.  Beginning the process of separating what's coming with me from what is staying behind sort of feels like splitting perennials - the root systems are so intertwined it's kind of a painful process getting them apart and sometimes you just have to take the shovel and cut them to free your newly-split clump of flowers.  Part of me is having occasional breathless moments when I think, "How on earth can I leave?"

Not to mention I really dislike packing up to move and this is the second time I've done it this year.  There's just something very disturbing about taking all the settled little bits and pieces that you're used to having around and wrapping them all up and putting them in boxes.  At least I'm usually an organized mover, so I know the routine.  Step number one is never leave packing for the last minute.  Far ahead of the move, begin packing by putting away everything that isn't going to be needed for the time before moving.  Hence, boxing up all my summer clothes.  Next week I'll probably figure out what I'm going to need for the week afterward and put away everything else.  I just wasn't quite ready to do it today.

With the closing being set for Monday, it's quite likely our free time next week will be taken up with preparing our new house for us to live there.  It's very clean, so we're going on concentrate on painting it the colors we'd like it to be and moving everything we can into it.  Ben will probably start sleeping there as soon as it's somewhat ready.  He's very excited about that and says he wants to go there to prepare a place for me, which is pretty special.  He's also enacted a rule that we're not to be there by ourselves since he says that's a pretty foolish thing to do at this point.  I doubt that's going to be a problem though - our families are almost as excited as we are about getting the house and I expect we'll have a grand old painting party and have plenty of company!

We took the paint chip book with us when we visited Grandma Lila for lunch yesterday and she approved of the colors we're thinking about but said she doesn't know which ones she wants for her bedroom and bathroom yet because "they always look so different on paper than they do where they're actually going to be."  I promised her I'd put some samples up on the wall so she can see them before choosing.  She said she trusts my judgement, which made me feel pretty touched; but if I were moving into a room I'd sure like to have a little bit to do with choosing the color and I think it'll make Grandma feel much more a part of planning if we hold off on picking that color and let her get a chance to pick when it's in a place she can see it right.  We're thinking about mostly a nice neutral linen brown color with some blues and Grandma said she thought the one medium blue would be a very nice color for a bathroom with white woodwork and towels, etc.  I agree.  I've got a picture saved from a magazine that shows exactly that color mix and it's beautiful.