Rosetta Stone

It's about time for me to get back into studying Portuguese! I studied for a couple months using Rosetta Stone before I went to Brazil, but I haven't practiced at all since I've been back. I've got a lot of work to do before I feel comfortable communicating with Franchesco's family!

Come to think of it, I've been wondering how we will go about sending wedding invitations, etc. to Franchesco's friends and family in Brazil. Will we have 2 separate invitations and send one invitation to English-speakers and another to those who speak Portuguese? I actually thought it would be a good idea to use a double-side invitation, with one side printed in English and the other in Portuguese. I'm sure there are couples who have done this before, but it's something I hadn't thought of until now!

Let me know if you have any creative ideas to help with the language barrier at the wedding, or if you've maybe seen double-sided bilingual invitations anywhere. Oh - and wish me luck as I go complete my Unit 3, Lesson 3 Review!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Although I'm not doing anything special for Valentine's Day this year since Franchesco and I are apart, I wanted to take a moment to thank all of our family and friends who have been so supportive of us. I love all of you!

~ To my parents who didn't tell me I was crazy for booking a flight to Brazil just a couple weeks after Franchesco left....or the second time I booked a flight to Brazil only a couple months later :) Or when I called them on Skype to tell them I was engaged!

~ To all my family and friends who have never met Franchesco, but who are excited and happy for us anyway. I can't wait for you all to be able to meet him and get to know him!

~ To Franchesco's family and friends who have accepted me and been so kind, even when I can't communicate with them or understand anything they are saying :)

~ And to everyone who reads this blog and listens when I talk about wedding stuff and is just happy and excited for us in general. Thank you!

Happy Valentine's Day <3

Love,
Jacqueline

Winter Flowers

I was just doing some research on winter flowers since I've heard that choosing in-season flowers tends to be the greenest, most cost-effective option. Here are a few that I found:

Amaryllis/Anenome/Daffodil/Lisianthus/Orchid/Rose/Tulip

Right now I'm really liking the idea of white anemone flowers, I really love the combination of white with the black center. Simple and elegant :) Here are a few pics for inspiration:

tkTwinCities

I was so excited I just had to share! Some of the pictures from the Goodwill photo shoot are now featured on local blogs promoting the Bridal Showcase event!

Here's a link to a blog called tkTwinCities:
http://tktwincities.com/2011/02/09/down-the-aisle-goodwill%e2%80%99s-bridal-showcase/#more-3375

Insanity

So how am I getting in shape for the big day (and just in general)? One word: Insanity

It's actually really fun...and not fun at all...all at the same time! I just started the Month 2 workouts yesterday, meaning I had the pleasure of doing hour-long, insane workouts twice this week already. Wish me luck with the rest!

http://www.beachbody.com/product/fitness_programs/insanity.do

Countdown

The bet is on! Franchesco and I took bets on what day we think he will finally make it back to the US. I took the optimistic route and guessed April 15th, while Franchesco thinks it will be May 20th. Whoever is closest has to buy the other Cold Stone ice cream :)

This was my Super Bowl project...I created a paper chain with 68 days worth of links :) I really hope it doesn't take more than 68 days until he is back!

One Year

Today is Franchesco's and my official 1 year anniversary :)

A Few of My Favorite Things

1. Wedding books and magazines (I know, it's a bit ridiculous how many I have already!)

2. Winter weddings

3. Purple and gray color combo

4. Sparklers

5. White amaryllis

6. White paper lanterns

7. Branches

8. Photo booth

9. Candy bar



10. Candles



Twins

Had such a fun conversation with Angeli last night about all things Wedding! We talked for like an hour and a half and it's crazy how we pretty much like the EXACT same things! Even some of the pictures she sent to me I've already seen and saved on my computer lol. She's like my wedding-twin, if those exist :)

So excited for the wedding-planning-extravaganza-weekend coming up at the end of the month!

Goodwill Bridal Gowns

I got the pictures today from the Goodwill Bridal photo shoot last week!!! Just for the record, I won't be wearing either of these gowns in my own wedding, but these dresses are 2 of over 400 wedding gowns being sold at the Goodwill Bridal Showcase later this month. I hope you enjoy the pictures!