My Wedding Band

I found an inexpensive wedding band that's beautiful! We've not purchased it yet. With my car insurance coming up this week we can't afford to but it doesn't cost an arm and a leg. It was just such a nice coincidence because I sorta settled on a ring that I didn't really like all that much and I don't know why I thought I wanted it. It's ugly and not me at all. It was also $400.

I got on Facebook this morning and an old friend of mine had posted about a company her family started called Something Sterling. I liked this person a lot back when we hung out together. She was kind of a flakey friend though, showing up when she felt like it and not at all sometimes. Which is why I think I was a bit skeptical going into a site she said was partly her creation but man, some of this jewelry is really gorgeous and low cost! Of course it's basically CZ stones and sterling silver with rhodium plating (though they do/will make items in gold - white or yellow - and with diamonds) but I don't need anything overly costly to prove something to people. I just want it to be pretty and made well.

In talking to her she told me they'll service my ring for the entirety of owning it. Plus, if you sign up at a member you get member prices. Right now membership is free because of it being a fledgling company/site but the free membership is just a limited time thing. Soon it will be $50, but even if you aren't a member the cost of the items is still relatively low. I'm not trying to be a shill or anything. I'm just really excited about this ring! I'll definitely let you all know if we get it and it's horrible. I just have a good feeling about it.



This is the one. I'm sure you may recall how much I loved the pink coral inlay on the titanium ring that they were unable to make smaller, this reminded me so much of that ring. I was so in love with having a pink wedding band and now it's a reality again - without breaking the bank! Yay!

Groom Pic Spam Post

It seems like I do a lot of bridal type posts. Of course, I am the bride, so it stands to reason I would talk about bridely things. Since Derek and I are having a themed wedding and his half of the wedding is different from my half, it feels only fair that I talk about the ninjas. Derek, Ruben and Rush the dog are the Ninjas of the Day.

Derek chose a cosplay (costume play) from Naruto (popular anime (cartoon)).



The black wrap actually covers the right arm, pinning it down. The character of whom this is a cosplay, Danzo, is a bad guy who pretends to be injured to fool people in his village. Danzo isn't important but what is important is that I'll likely have to modify it so he has both his arms out. Haha!

We talked about it a small bit about dressing Ruben up in a gi to look like Ryu from Street Fighter.



Ruben isn't quite that muscled and we won't make it look so tattered. He definitely won't have his shirt open all the way down to his navel either. Probably not gloves either. I might write something in gold paint pen on his black belt. :)

As for shoes, I think sandals or flip flops will be fine. Shoes on the guys definitely aren't that important to me. Or we could wrap their feet in athletic tape like some MMA guys do.

Someone on a wedding community told me about a ninja dog. If I had time, skill or patience I would definitely make the outfit for Rush the dog. Otherwise, I'll likely do some gauze wrapping around her paws and maybe around her neck - obviously not tightly heh. I plan on getting some neat collars and leashes for both the dogs to wear as they are the ring bearers.


(Boo the Ninja Dog in Kyoto)


(I want to give it a red ring if we incorporate an XBox 360)


(I might just make JUST this one. Or maybe stack them all funky.)


(Dunno if I want to incorporate the Wii.)


(I could do this.)

Thankfully, Mimi is going to be able to help me make the cakes for the wedding and she's really enthusiastic about helping.

That's all I have for you guys! <3

Crisis Averted - One Of Many To Come, I'm Sure

So after freaking out last night and trying to convince Derek to elope for like the second time, we talked about not inviting anyone but our wedding party and close family. It made me feel like an asshole though. I was just so overwhelmed. Today we had dinner with Mimi and Papa and I was talking to her about it. I was like "We just can't afford this" and she pointed out some simple fixes like - we don't have to have a reception dinner. We can just do cake and punch with finger foods. We don't have to go all out and make some extravagant thing happen. I really don't know why I had it in my brain that we HAD to do things a certain way. I've been reading too many wedding websites or something. I feel a lot better about inviting the people I care about seeing there on my day.

Then she asked me (after everyone else had left) if we had decided on a honeymoon yet. I wish my tag line wasn't "We don't know how much money we're going to have" but we're not wealthy. She then said, "I was thinking of giving you a trip to Disney World". I nearly cried. Honestly, I've never had the luxury of going to many theme parks. I went to Busch Gardens once when I was 12 and Opryland when I was like 13 or so. My parents didn't have the money for stuff like that. Derek went to Disney World many times with Mimi and Papa when he was a kid. So that was super cool news.

I sent her an email after we got home of all the ideas I had for the wedding. It was really long. When I got a reply back it was excited and full of helpfulness. I loved seeing her so enthused. :) She made me remember my excitement for this wedding. I'm back on track. So glad I talked to her today.

Sew What?

Hello ladies, I'm back with more updates about my wedding planning. The many ongoing adventures thereof.

This past Sunday was my birthday and my future grandmother-in-law, Mimi, gave me a fabulous gift. It's something I've been wanting a very long time. She gave me a brand new Singer sewing machine. I was thrilled but let me tell you getting it up and running properly was a terribly difficult process to master. I haven't sewed since I took Home Ec and that was 10 years ago!

I'm going to start small but the reason I bring this up is because I know in my previous post I showed you a skirt with many ruffles worn by Amy Lee (of Evanescence). I love that skirt but don't know where I could find it to purchase. Instead of having a seller on Etsy make me one and charging me nearly double the cost of materials for labor (which I don't mind them doing, by the way, etsy sellers have to earn a buck some way) I decided that I'm going to try my hand at making my own skirt.

I found this tutorial to make this skirt:



The tutorial is easy to follow and maybe I won't get it on the first try but it's really a beautiful skirt and I think it would go well with the corset I posted in my previous post.

I have a year and two months til my wedding! I'm going to give myself a good 6 months to make the above skirt. If I'm unable to accomplish the making, I'll just order a skirt from the internet.

Though wouldn't it be grand to say I made part of my wedding dress?

A More Bridal Post

Lately, I've been intensely stressed out, mostly about money and hardly about my upcoming wedding. I thought it would be nice to save the bummer posts for another day and show off some full on Wedding Inspiration Pic Spam.

As you may know, FH and I are having a Pirates vs Ninjas wedding, so our inspiration is going to be a little wackier than most people's.

Bride-spiration

I want this skirt:

with a corset bodice like this:


Likely, these boots:


And accessories:


Pearls <3


I don't have any earring ideas. I'd like really huge hoops but probably won't be very classy. lol. Maybe it would be good if I got something seahorse/turtle/anchor-y.

The bouquet (more flowers to come):


I want to carry this purse:


Having these ideas really help me to see what my wedding will look like. Of course with the corset the person that makes those asks for measurements so I'm not worried things fitting. Well, I am worried but not terribly. Not yet.

Bear in mind, all this is subject to change. I'm waiting til Halloween to see what they have in the way of costuming for pirates before I order anything. I might find something better or cheaper.

Hope all is well, ladies. I will attempt to post more. I'll definitely be posting about my venue and reception site. More about the Best Ninja and Matey of Honor as well.

Won't Be Flying United Either.

I promise a new post all about wedding stuff soon. However, I'm so outraged about something that happened to a disabled woman on a plane that I have to post this to you guys and anyone else who may stumble across. I'm so outraged at airlines and lack of customer service.

If you don't want to read the link I will condense it by saying a disabled woman was told by a flight attendant that DW carry-on was none of FA concern and that DW would need to ask another passenger to help her store it because FA was not obligated to do so. Thankfully a man helped her with it and then again when they were deboarding. At a customer service desk she was told by the rep, "I won't apologize for her [FA] actions and I'm not sorry for what happened to you."

This isn't right. I don't care who you are, it is NOT right to treat a person that way. I don't get what happened to customer service. You're not sorry?! That rep went on to tell the woman that the person who said that would likely not even be reprimanded for her unwillingness to help a woman who could NOT help herself.

I'm so disgusted. Do not all people deserve a measure of respect? I hate a world that employs it's citizens to treat their people this way.

Flying Fat

Hello ladies. There has been a lot in the fat news lately about Kevin Smith getting booted off a Southwest Airlines flight for being "too fat". The amazing Kate Harding has blogged about her outrage and hope that because Smith is famous there will be more light shed on this issue. I certainly hope there is.

Kate's latest column on Salon.com's Broadsheet, Kevin Smith: The face of flying while fat, brought me to tears as she described how her sister opted not to fly due to her fear of being delayed, ejected or asked to pay for another seat and instead drove to their mother's deathbed. All the while hoping their pained mother could hold on until she got there. Thankfully she made it but why should she be made to feel this way?

The experiences of these people and others who've commented on Kate's site break my heart. Are we not all human beings? Do we not all deserve to have the same rights? And lastly, are you telling me that just because there's more to my body that I should be made to feel like an outcast on an airplane? I cannot accept that brushing against me is going to disgust my seat neighbor so much that I should leave the plane. I also refuse to believe that I'm a hazard in case of an emergency. What can people possibly think I'm gonna do? "Oh, the plane is on fire I'm just gonna stand here in your way while it burns us both alive." Seriously? No. I'm not going to allow anything bad to happen to myself. I may be fat but I do have an extremely high level of self preservation. Not like other people wouldn't climb over my fat ass to save their own lives too.

If you as a fat bride plan on having a honeymoon this may be something you have to think about. It may be something you want to look into, write letters about and speak out about. I feel like if this could happen to a celebrity this can happen to any of us, even on our special day. Derek, the future husband, has big plans in his life. He wants us to be able to travel to Japan and Australia among other places. I don't want a trip for two to equal the cost of a trip for four. The seats on the planes don't equal the cost of the plane and upkeep.

According to The Weight Control Information Network statistics, "About two-thirds of adults in the United States are overweight, and almost one-third are obese...". Despite the fact that I don't believe in BMI as a measurement of health, what this statistic tells me is that there are a LOT of fat people in the United States. Are all of these people meant to never fly on a plane?

I want all people to feel as though they are free to do as they please. I thought the US was based on freedoms for its people, not just its thin people. Don't back down, ladies. Fight for your rights to be who you are!

Followers

Six Followers! Life is amazing. If any of you ladies out there have anything to contribute to this site please don't hesitate to let me know! I'll be glad to let you have a weekly column or you can just drop some lines to me and I'll use it in future posts.

Thank you wonderful women for getting the ball rolling. Don't forget to tell 2 friends!!

It's Not About Being A Bride: It's About Being A Woman

Recently, a lot of ladies I know who can associate with being fat or overweight, have been struggling with the concept of loving themselves.

I will never be an advocate of being unhappy. If your weight makes you unhappy it's up to you to pinpoint exactly what it's doing to you. Do you eat because you're sad, stressed or mad? If you eat your emotions it may be a good time to find other ways to express yourself. I found, as cliched as it sounds, taking a walk will help release some of your negative energies and make you feel better.

Do you eat because you're bored? I have. Which is why it's a great idea to fill your spare time with hobbies rather than nom noms.

After that are you still fat? I am. What about your fat is it that you don't like? Society has dictated that skinny is beautiful. If you aren't skinny you aren't beautiful. Is that how you feel?

Let me tell you this, you CAN be fat and beautiful. Society knows NOTHING about beauty. Why do you think the saying is "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder"? It's because what one finds beautiful another could find repugnant. And trust me, a man doesn't have to be a "chubby chaser" to find a fat woman beautiful. All he needs are the right eyes.

Beyond that, you don't need a man to tell you you're beautiful (or a woman for some of you ladies out there). Because you're first going to have to BELIEVE you are. It's not rocket science to find something about yourself attractive. Once you know what that trait is, own it! Play it up and use it to your advantage. Look at yourself in the mirror and KNOW you're beautiful. You don't have to love every part of your body. No woman does. Trust me, I've known many women of varying sizes and even the skinniest of them has an issue with something about her body.

You don't have to love your body to love yourself but you should at least be kind to it. When you say to your body that it's a fat piece of garabage, you're telling yourself that you aren't worthy of anyone's love or attention. Just because you're fat?! You really believe that? Well, it's false. Every human is worthy of love and someone out there will love them.

Obviously, I don't want to make this a "me" party however, I do have my own life as a point of reference. I spent many years of my life worrying if someone would ever love me. I was a self loather from WAY back. I was fat all my life and still am! My entire school career was rife with name calling and teasing. I had a few friends but none of them seemed able to understand the hurt I felt. None of them were close to being literally disgusting to all their classmates.

How do you come out of that? How do you ever live your life normally? Every time I've tried to lose weight it's never been for my health or myself. It's always been because I wanted to sit at the cool table in school. I wanted to be accepted by people who only teased me because I was different from them. You can see why these diets didn't work. How could I even stick with something so shallow?

By now you're wondering, "How on earth did you go from hating yourself and everything about you to loving yourself so fully?". Or you're wondering if I'm ever going to get to the point! Either way the answer is, YES. I mean, I just told myself, "Self, this is how it's going to be. Either you want to lose weight or you are going to be happy with who you are." The more I thought about it the more I realized I'm happy with who I am. I don't have to be skinny to be loved. Derek loved me for longer than I even knew without ever caring about my weight. Being skinny isn't going to change any of my problems, the emotional ones. I'm going to have a chemical imbalance and depression whether I'm 280 or 180. Of course, no one wants depression but even in coping with it I'm still happy with who I am.

Ladies, whether you're married, single, engaged or divorced; loving yourself will be the cornerstone of someone loving you. It will also provide the confidence you need to trust your partner and have them trust you.

You are all beautiful in my eyes!

The First Post

One day I met a boy. I didn't think anything about him romantically and for 6 years we were best friends. He confessed to me his love. I decided to give it a chance. One second into 2010 he proposed to me. I'm getting married to this amazing best friend. Proving that fat girls do get married. Who knew, right?

A few months before we got engaged I was perusing the magazines at the local Hastings where I was confronted by may beautiful women sizes 0-2 modeling wedding gowns. I thought to myself, "Surely there have to be some plus sized models in here". I wish you could see my face and the slow 'no' head shake I was doing when I wrote my thought. I didn't see even a size 10. There might have been a size 8 girl in there. I'll spare you the diatribe about how I don't think size 10 is plus sized.

Seeing as how I'm a size 22, I know that any of the dresses that are 20 sizes smaller than I am aren't going to fit my body properly. Before Derek, my fiance, and I decided on having a theme wedding I was sick to my stomach thinking about how I'm going to live up to those tiny girls. Fat girls get married all the time! How is it there aren't more supportive magazines and websites encouraging full figured/plus sized women?

While I am having a themed wedding. I'm also a fat girl who has to deal with how the world treats fat brides as though they should be skinny on their wedding day. I'm hoping this blog will become a good resource or a go-to site for fat girls getting married. I'm here for you all!