Renaissance Weddings Are...!

2005-09-08T11:18:00.000-07:00

Look! It's a wedding picture of Ernest and I at the park! :) Yay! And now that I know that this *does* work, I can add more images. I will do that later, though, because I need to go to Mom's house to do some work. Peace and pictures!

We're married!

2005-06-07T09:02:00.000-07:00

Yay! Everything worked out, everyone had costumes, and it was great! I'll try to put pictures up when I can. It was good fun--dancing to Celtic-ish music, to Filk music, and eating soup out of bread bowls. The park was beautiful--it didn't rain, and there were penants and banners and dragons and Celtic crosses. Ernest's family came all dressed up--it was great! Yay! Thank you, everyone! You all pitched in a lot and made this a success.

It does, however, feel kind of weird to know that we're not planning this event anymore. *shaking my head* But I'll get over that--it's just like with every other event I've ever done in my life. It's a high to know it was successful, but a down to know the planning is done.

And, hey, I wasn't *too* Bride-zilla. :)

I am, however, afraid to take my ring apart. That will have to wait until I've been able to wear it for a while. Then I'll get curious, take it apart, and hopefully be able to put it back together again. E has already been experimenting with his.

I did see the first pictures today--Judy printed some from her digital camera. :) They're pretty. It was great, too, because the curtains behind us were red, and our tablecloths were blue. Yay! Julie thought of putting the blue tablecloths up there--that was a stroke of genious.

Man, now all I want to do is sit around & read sci-fi and fantasy. Well, that will come with time.

Oh, yeah, my grandparents and dad gave us the best gift ever--a honeymoon for two days at Ravenwood Castle in New Plymouth, Ohio. :) It's all-expenses-paid--room, food, spending money, car. :) Yay! And my APL friends in Extension gave us $75 in Coins of the Realm at Ravenwood, which is exciting. :) Maybe we can extend our stay. ;) Our room even has a jacuzzi! It's the King Arthur suite--a tower room, which is just too cool, with a balcony and everything. I can't wait to get there! :) :) :)

And E's brother gave us this AWESOME X-box--with pre-programmed movies, anime, TV shows (Simpsons and Family Guy), and games (indcluding Halo 2!). Ernest was sooooo excited.

We got a lot of gift cards to Target, which is happy. :) Dr. Quaintance sent one! Oh, and Dr. Bob sent a really nifty vase. April and Ron gave us a cool lamp, too. :) Most other people gave us money, which will definitely help--the wedding made this month pretty short, so E and I were unsure about how we'd pay rent for July & August, but this will give us a boost. Thanks, everyone!

We wrote our thank-you cards last night. Tonight/tomorrow will be addressing the envelopes & mailing them. Then...there's some follow-up payments to be made, such as to Robin & Ann for pictures and to Aunt Caren for the outfits. Also, we need to fight with Toles about the bouquet--they made my grandparents pay $90 some...and it was only an $85 bouquet, on which I had paid $30. ~_- *sigh* Perhaps I will do that today while I'm out running around somewhere, or tomorrow.

Alright, well, it's back to work for me for now. Again, thank you, everyone! We appreciate everything! :)

Peace,
Jenny

groomsmen

2005-05-27T09:03:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

Sorry it's been so long. This month has just been very hectic.

But, we now have three groomsmen: Sean (the best man); Joey (my cousin's boyfriend); and Robert (my sister's fiancee). Yay for groomsmen!

Now, we need to get an entire outfit together for Robert, part of one for Joey, and maybe one for Sean (if his doesn't arrive in time). Eek.

Also, we're printing the pastor's service on a scroll, as well as Danny's part of it.

We have some food finalizations to do--Erin's work didn't come through for us on the bread, so we might have smaller bread bowls, but that's okay, as once one eats the bread bowl, one is not usually hungry for much else!

Decorations are coming along, though, and I will have the 29th, 30th, and 1st-3rd to get the rest of this stuff done, as I do not work at all on any of those days. And, I've been told I can leave early today if I like. I think I do, as it's pretty out and E is home. And, well, just about everyone else is off work today. ~_-

I also need to make sure my brother and Danny know the pieces they are playing, and Ellie, I hope you know what you are playing!

Oh, and we need to print the programs. :) Yay!

Well, I should get going so I can finish my work and get outta here. :)
Peace.

invitations

2005-05-06T13:15:00.000-07:00

Yay! Invitations are (mostly) done and sent! I have to send Katie's, Sean's, Grandma and Grandpa's, Daddy's, and Erin Rockhill's. Then...NO MORE INVITATIONS!!!!!!!!! Yeah!

Annie's earrings came, and they're beautiful. :)

Mom's stuff came, but I'm giving it to her for mother's day...shhhh! And, no, it's not her dress. I reported that seller to eBay. Grr.

And that's my update for now.
Peace!

Relay for Life

2005-04-28T07:38:00.000-07:00

Alright, this post isn't strictly wedding-related. However, I wanted to let all of you know that I am pulling together an RSVP/library team for Relay for Life. Check it out at the American Cancer Society: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/GI/gi_1.asp. If you would like to help by donating, please send your donation to RSVP at 125 E 13th St, Anderson, IN, 46016. :)

And having said that, I would also like to announce that invitations are mostly done. Yay!

Peace.

yup

2005-04-26T08:23:00.000-07:00

*sigh* So, the invitations are coming along. They fit in the tubes, and the reply cards do, too. I know, because I checked. ;) The reply cards are printed, and we have all of the address labels on them, except for the ones from E's family. We don't have those because Hotmail won't accept the format in which E's dad sent them. So...somehow E has to e-mail his dad so his dad can send the addies to me so I can save them to disk and mail merge them to labels at home (both for the tubes and for the reply labels for the return cards so we know who the cards come from). We have to put the labels on the tubes, but we're having a hard time finding time to do that. I had to tutor Miss Ruby yesterday, and I'm tutoring her again on Thursday, because her final is Monday. I can't leave her in a lurch with her final coming up--that's just...not right. Perhaps I'll be able to get her to work on her own for a bit while E and I stick labels? I dunno. Tonight I have a Relay for Life meeting, which is for work. So... that leaves Wednesday night, since Sharon and Ellie will be here Friday. I also need to do some housework that hasn't gotten done due to invitation issues. So...since I'm working tonight for at least 2 hours, and since I'm working Saturday for...3 hours and 45 minutes...I can take at least 5 hours and 45 minutes off on Thursday. That should help, especially if E also has Thursday off. We can do housework then and labels tomorrow night.

On a brighter note, I ordered my sister's earrings. They'll look just like mine, and the total, including shipping, is only $8. I'm also bidding on a necklace for her, which should be no more than $14 pre-shipping.

Also, Danny's shirt came. I ordered a Large, but it looks like a 2XL. My brother would swim in it. ~_- In fact, I think I could put my whole family in it. Oh, well. At least it's assured to fit!

I have not found my father's shirt, though, so I have bid on another one. Currently, it's at $5. I put $25 as my max bid, so maybe I'll get it. I hope I do. Daddy needs a shirt!

Mike and Danny also need shoes. Maybe I will look for those today.

Okay, off to do work-related stuff.
Peace.

invitations

2005-04-22T13:20:00.000-07:00

I am starting to think that these invitations are supposed to be late. I flipped out last weekend (lots of stress from work, home, and wedding), so nothing got done then. We got the sticks painted, the invitations printed, and the pages cut. We even got the invitations painted with gold swirls. It kinda looks goofy, but it's cool, and definitely hand-made. :) Then...we couldn't get the sticks to stick to the paper with hot glue. I lost it. I shouldn't have...but it was just that I have had to compromise with this wedding every step of the way, and it's soooo frustrating. (On the plus side, I am getting to have a real reception, with food and stuff, and I get a real cake, which is cool.) Anyhow...so then we got the sticks to stick using rubber cement. Great! Only then...we found out that the sticks were too long for the mailing tubes. So we cut them, by a lot. Then we painted the ends (so they wouldn't be white) and glued the red ribbon to the back and then rolled them like scrolls and glued the other end of the ribbon to keep them rolled. E started putting seals on. Well...last night there was a very loud storm, which kept me awake, so I decided to busy myself (since I was up from 3-5 a.m.) by putting one end on each of the mailing tubes. I got curious, so I stuck an invitation in...and it doesn't fit, because the lids are inverted. *sigh* It *almost* fits. So...we have to go back and cut more off the ends, re-paint the ends, put the seals on, print the return cards and envelopes, stuff the tubes, and get them posted. And that doesn't count the invitations that don't have sticks (because we ran out of sticks, because we keep inviting more and more people). So.... Yeah. I think we're going to run out of tubes, too. So...local relatives may be getting invites without tubes. Perhaps I will make sure local relatives get scroll-looking invites and send non-sticked invitations to people who will also be receiving tubes. Or something. Anyhow...it shall work out. It shall.

And now...I should get going so I can finish up at work so I can go see a florist about some flowers.

Peace and invitations and flowers.

more mead

2005-04-14T12:22:00.000-07:00

Okay, the mead came...sometime last week. *shrug* Anyhow, it looks pretty, and the bottle is pretty. It's a very pale yellow color. I haven't tried it yet--that will wait for the wedding post-party. :) But, I just wanted to give the update that it was in.

Also, the invitations have been cut and printed and painted. The lollipop sticks have been painted, too. We need to do some touch-ups, and then we can glue the sticks to the paper. Then, we'll roll the paper, cut a length of red ribbon to tie it, and then "seal" it with the wax. Then...we can stick the invites in the tubes & mail them away! Yay!!!!!! I will be so excited to have that done.

Also...I think 4 of 6 banners are done. My sister is working on one, and another will be decorated at the bridal shower.

And for those out there who may or may not be planning a bachelorette party--I would love to have one...just don't count on having those types of things at the bridal shower! lol

Oh, and the wedding registry can be found at www.idofoundation.com. For the Amazon.com part of it, feel free to buy items from the "new and used" section--they're often much cheaper that way. (I can't remember if I mentioned that before. If I did, sorry...and please bear with me. :)) Okay...yay. :)
Peace and done-ness.

mead

2005-04-05T13:43:00.000-07:00

Today, I ordered mead. :) http://www.oliverwinery.com/winesweet.html It's called "Camelot Mead," and it says it will be good with fruits and cheeses, so that's good. It was also cheap. :) It's being shipped tomorrow. I ordered 3 bottles of it, so I hope there's enough to go around--and if it looks like there won't be, we'll just get some more. The ordering process was short, simple, and sweet. I highly recommend working with Oliver Winery (if you're in IN) based upon customer service.

Most of the banners are done. One is being done at the bridal shower--everyone is to make a stitch.

My sister has shoes now! Yay!

I believe my brother has pants. I am unsure about his shoes, Danny's shoes, Danny's pants, and Danny's shirt.

I ordered my Dad's outfit. He now owes me around $80, including shirt.

David's shirt has a patch on it to make it match his pants and shoes.

The bridal shower is on April 30--if you're female and didn't get an invite, please do come if you can! It's at First Pres--e-mail me at jgates AT and.lib.in.us for directions.

Anyone willing to be a groomsman--we're in desperate need! Please contact me!

And that's it for now. :)
Peace,
Jenny

Bridal shower

2005-03-23T10:44:00.000-08:00

Bridal shower invitations should be going out soon. If I don't have your address...and if you don't give it to me pronto...you're not getting an invitation! :P So there! lol Seriously, though, please give me your addy so I can invite you!

Peace and showers (of the bridal variety).

Grarg

2005-03-21T07:40:00.000-08:00

Okay, I think we have the reception stuff figured out. We'll just use the church. Afterward, Julie, Sharon, Ellie, Sean, other friends, other wedding-party members...yeah. Those people will come over to Mom's for a post-reception party, where there will be mead. :) And I never ever want to hear the words "wedding reception" or "your reception" again. EVER.

So...we have pants for David, a brooch for Annie, and a vest-made-doublet for Mike. The wreath and two bouquets are made. The banners are about half-way done. Mom's found some relatively cheap sourdough bread (I think it was 25 pieces for $50), so we'll use that for the soup.

Now...Mike needs pants and shoes, Danny needs the same, Sharon needs a dress, Mom's working on her dress. Annie needs shoes and jewelry. I think Nikkie is going to help with my hair.

So...things are getting there. Oh, we have fabric for tablecloths, too. :) Yay for Wal-mart's $1/yd and $2/yd fabrics!!!

We can even decorate the church on Friday, so that helps.....

Now to get invitations out! :) I *really* need your addresses, people! Julie, I particularly need yours, as I seem to have misplaced it. And if anyone has Heather's and Jeremy's addresses, we'd love to have them. And, for anyone who'd like to bring a "date", we're including that in our guest list. :)

Okay...onward to greater things, I hope.... :)
Peace.

Yeah, right...

2005-03-15T12:29:00.000-08:00

So...called Tanglewood. No alcohol. 1-4 hours, $62.50, 4-8 hours, $125.00. Custodian for 2 hours, $27.99/hour. Requires: $1 million insurance liability policy. Available June 4. *eye roll* Right. Because I can afford $1 million insurance liability.

*alert, alert* Evil Monser I'm So Frustrated Jenny about to make rampage. All sites disallowing alcohol, beware. All sites available but requiring $1 million liability insurance, beware. All sites not available, beware. All persons who have not talked to their groomsmen, beware. All persons who have not at least looked into Ren outfits but are included in the wedding party, beware. Persons and buildings should take appropriate precautions. Mosquitoes will be swatted without regard for the endagerment this might, in some distant future, pose. *alert, alert*

And you know what? This is insurance that I will never get divorced...or if I do, that I will DEFINITELY NOT GET MARRIED AGAIN.

Back in hell....

2005-03-15T09:33:00.000-08:00

Yes, weddings are hell.

*sigh* My grandparents have been trying to get the Legion for my reception, since everything else is booked. Guess what? It's booked. For a golf tournament, of all things. Grrr.

So...stressed that my bridesmaids hadn't even looked at dresses as of last week (although at least two of you, thank you, have bid and/or won items). Stressed that E hasn't contacted his groomsmen...STILL. (I may have to make good on my threat to throttle him.) Stressed that I don't have a reception site, regardless that I've been working on this since January, and it's now less than 3 months to the wedding and I can't send out invitations because of the stupid reception halls not being available and mosquitoes at the park and....GRAR! What, is God herself against this wedding? Or is it just June 4?

I mean...E and I already can't have a honeymoon, which is something I've looked forward to most of my life, because we just can't afford it. Can't we at least have a reception? Can't we have *something* fun? If it were up to me, right now, I'd say we weren't getting married...but, see, Indiana is doing this "nice" thing where they don't want domestic partners to ever be able to get death benefits & the like. Fun, isn't it? Real nice. I mean, we all pay taxes, but if we don't get married, well, screw us. Apparently, non-married, non-single people don't count. *sigh* But I also really want to have fun with this, and I just don't think it's going to happen. No reception, no honeymoon, and possibly not even a wedding if E doesn't get moving with the groomsmen.

Frustrated. Hoping you are having a peaceful day.

More stuff

2005-03-07T07:37:00.000-08:00

Yay! David's poufy shirt came in, and it looks like it will fit well. :)

Mom's going to go to Goodwill to try to find some linen/twill-type pants that we can use for Mike, Danny, and David. That will be helpful, I think.

I think we'll be using Millcreek Civic Center for our reception; it's in Chesterfield, so that's not too far away. :) I will be asking my grandparents to make that call for me, since they are home during the day. Also, Mom says they know the person who makes reservations there. Yay for connections!

Other than that, there's not much to report. I'm getting stressed, because E keeps not talking to his groomsmen, we don't have the reception site lined up yet, the invitations aren't out, wedding party members don't have costumes/outfits yet, and the park is still sandbagged-off from the ice storm. *biting my lip* And there are less than 3 months left. Gah! All this and trying to figure out seminary and stuff, too. Oh, and I need to make honeymoon arrangements. And that takes money, and I hate money. But I think you all know that. Okay... going away and thinking about something else for now.
Peace.

Hi again...

2005-03-03T11:26:00.000-08:00

Wow, it's been awhile since I updated this one.

Okay, first of all, the shirt I ordered for my dad came. I'm a little worried about how it will fit in the tummy area (it's not as blousy as other poet shirts), but I figure if it doesn't fit him, I'll give it to Danny, since he's about the same size as my dad, minus the tummy. Also, Danny is lacking a Ren shirt.

Second, I don't think Kurt will come through on the dragons and mini pewter goblets, so if any of you see dragon candle holders (Sharon, I think you know what I'm talking about) and/or mini pewter goblets, please let me know!

Third, at my meeting today, I was told that Edgewater Park is the "homosexual hangout." *raised brow* I hadn't known this. In fact, I've never seen that happening there, and, to my knowledge, neither has my mom. *shrug* So, I don't think it will be that big a deal for my wedding day. But, it was interesting.

Other than that, there's not much going on in Wedding-land. I'm still looking for a reception hall; after that's settled, the invitations will go out.
Peace.

Stuff came!

2005-02-21T07:22:00.000-08:00

Woohoo!

First, I got my shoes--they're great! They fit wonderfully! If you want a pair of custom-made Renaissance shoes, find Lady Oren on eBay. She does a great job. :)

Also, Danny's doublet came in; it fits, and it looks good on him. On the flip side, Mike's tunic came in, and he doesn't like it...so, I guess David can wear it, and I'll find a doublet (like Danny's) for Mike. That's not a problem, since Mike's tunic was only $20. :) Yay! Plus, it's red. Since it was only $20, I went with it, but I'd really rather Mike wasn't in either red or blue, considering that those are "side" colors (my side & E's side, respectively). Musicians really shouldn't be partisan in all of this. :) (Yeah, yeah, you all might think I'm being picky, but it's my wedding, so :P! :))

Also, my wedding ring came in; it fits well, and it's very pretty. :) It also has a small wire around the bottom of the ring to keep it from coming apart before the wedding; this was thoughtful, I think. :)

Okay, that's it for wedding updates for now.
Peace.

Shoes

2005-02-15T12:40:00.000-08:00

Yay! I think my shoes are either on their way or have arrived at my mom's house by now. :)

Also: I have paid for my brother's shirt, so it should be coming soon.

Now...what else was it I needed??
Peace and shoes.

Oh happy day!

2005-02-11T06:55:00.000-08:00

We have a pastor!!!!!! And he's not from First Pres!!!!!! :) Actually, he's one of the Bookmobile workers. He performed another Bookmobile employee's daughter's wedding a year or two ago, and she did it Ren-style, so he has the robe already. :) Yay! I'm so excited! Yay! Now...to get a reception site. After that, everything else will be cake. Because we have to get the cake. lol

Peace and pastors.

Danny's tunic

2005-02-10T08:00:00.000-08:00

Danny's tunic is paid for: it's forest green, size large. Here's hoping it fits! It was only $20, too. How cool is that??? :)

Now...I need one for my brother. If we can't find him one, we'll just have to do something "cool" with his Ren shirt.
Peace and shirts,
Jenny

Sizes

2005-02-09T08:25:00.000-08:00

Okay, we've officially sent our measurements to both the lady making the nifty pants & Aunt Caren. Now...to get grommets, cording, and cheap "swag" fabric. :) I hope Annie's available soon! Anyhow, it's a short update...but I just thought I'd let you all know.

Peace,
Jenny

Michael's trip

2005-02-08T07:47:00.000-08:00

So, Sharon came up this weekend, and we went to Michael's on Saturday. We didn't leave that Michael's until...4:30-ish. Anyhow, they were having a big silk flowers sale--40% off--so I got flowers for a wreath and flowers for head-table boquets. Then I got a wreath--semi-large--in which to put the flowers, and vases for the head-table flowers. Also, I got two strands of ivy chains to hang in whatever reception hall we end up using...which reminds me, I should probably call the YWCA. I can't use my church, because Ren feasting involves alcohol, and my church doesn't permit alcohol inside its doors (for communion, we use grape juice). Also...I don't really claim that church anymore, so it would be kinda unethical to get the membership rates, you know? Anyhow...yeah.

Let's see...got ferns to put around the pewter mini-goblets. I also got bird-friendly rice. Sharon says it tastes like those flat round things that go on top of cupcakes. It's in the shape of hearts. How cute, right? I think Brenda and Kurt are supplying the little baggies those are going in.

What else...? Oh, yeah, we got dowel rods (4), which we're going to have David cut; we'll use the cut-off ends as crosspieces, and then cover the part above the crosspieces with foil. I guess we'll hot glue or twine the crosspieces on. *shrug* Oh, that reminds me: got glue sticks for my mini glue gun.

Umm...oh, yes, we also picked up some candy molds (hearts & flowers...didn't see any others that I liked, but if I do, I might get those, too, just to have something that isn't as sugary as hearts & flowers). We also got red, white, light blue, dark chocolate, light chocolate, and peanut butter candies, which we can melt into the molds. Yay for candy!

I also managed to find small cards & envelopes, which I think will fit nicely inside the gold mailing tubes for the invitations. This way, people can tell us if they're coming or not. :) Yay for knowing ahead of time! Oh, and we also found some gold wax and a fleur-de-lis stamper for sealing the invitations. :) That's even more happiness.

Umm...gee, it feels like there was so much more in those bags, but I think that's it (unless you count the Snickers bar and the sticky tack I picked up there, too). *thinks* Huh. Well, if I think of something...I'll let you know.

In the meantime, I have bid on a forest green doublet for Danny. I think it's at $15 right now--what a deal! It says it's a large--and since I don't have to worry about sleeve length for that on Danny, that's pretty good. It should fit his chest nicely.

Oh, we got the Brobdingnagian Bards' wedding CD; it's pretty good--some of the songs are celtic covers of modern songs, but it's still neat. I really liked Lady Faery myself. I might march in to that, if I can't find a selection of Pachelbel's Canon in D that I like well enough.

Also, we received the 9-cent two-goblets-in-one thing. It says "Mimi and Larry" with their wedding date on it...which is funny, but I think it can be buffed off. That type of etching isn't usually very deep. I'll have to ask David about it.

Also, we got our toasting chalices. They're very pretty, and very heavy. :) We're encouraging Ellie to bring her particular goblet, too.

Yesterday, my grandparents stopped in to work, and I showed Grandma how to use eBay to find what she's looking for. I described what I wanted Daddy to be wearing; I forgot to write down the eBay instructions for her, though. I think I sent them in an e-mail awhile back--I'll have to see if I can find that.

Speaking of eBay, I need to go check on a dress for my sister--not for the wedding, but for her prom. Last time, it was $15.50. I hope it stays that cheap--it ends at 2! At that point, I will be meeting with the executive director of Madison County Emergency Management, so I won't be able to do anything then. Oh, well. We shall see!

Peace and wedding stuff.

wedding ceremony

2005-02-01T13:55:00.000-08:00

Here's something I really hate about traditional wedding ceremonies: the talking.

What I mean is, I don't like the traditional service--what the officiant says, what the two people say, none of it.

Now, I know people can write their own vows. That's not a problem. My problem is this: can two people write what the officiant says?

My issue here is that I really dislike this "man and woman" and "holy matrimony" stuff. I mean, I like men. I like women. I like holy. Thanks to Bush, I'm quite unsure of how I feel about matrimony. But...given my thoughts and feelings on marriage to date, I really don't feel comfortable with saying the above things in the wedding service, or having them said, or whatever.

I would really like a service that talks about partners and people. Maybe something like, "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the joining of these two people in... [what? a life venture? adventure? do we even have to say "in anything"?]. If any person can think of a reason why these two people should not start this journey together, please speak now.... And now, the couple has written their own vows, which they will read now."

And then E and I would say our vows to each other, and then give our rings, and then drink from the cup...and the cup would have something to do with our individuality bringing us together (I don't know the right wording for this yet), and then we would be joined together--I don't know that I like that "I pronounce you man and wife" bit...to me, it sounds like women aren't people--and walk down the aisle together, trailed by our "court" of groomsmen and bridesmaids.

I think it could work. I hope so...otherwise...eek.

Yeah, I know, not very Ren...but I'm okay with that. I think E will be, too. :)

Peace and weddings.

Rings & things

2005-01-31T11:54:00.000-08:00

Okay...I think my ring is on the way, but E's ring is being specially made for him, 'cause they're out of that size. Or something. *shrug* Anyhow...yay for rings!

Also, we won a different chalice/goblet for $0.09 (yes, 9 cents!) on eBay. It will be our "unity chalice"--apparently in the Middle Ages, those getting married would sip from the same cup. I think it's akin to our unity candle now. Anyhow, I'm glad it was only 9 cents, since shipping on it is $10! lol It says it has light wear, but that's okay. It's very cute, too--it's two hearts, put together in a yin-yang fashion. So, it's really two cups in one. Anyhow...yeah. Apparently the same thing sells, new, for $30. I found it on another website that sells wedding stuff for that much. *shaking my head* So, what is that, a 99% discount?? :) Goooo eBay! hehehe

Also, if you've never heard the Brobdignagian Bards, check them out. You can look them up on the web. I have one of their CDs now...and it has a song called "If I had a Million Ducats" (very funny, and very true to the Million Dollars song) and a song called "Do Virgins Taste Better?" (which is both true to its name and not true to its name).

Anyhow, my supervisor has some work for me, so I'm going to go.
Peace,
Jenny

Rings

2005-01-28T18:17:00.000-08:00

And our rings:

Ernest's (it's shown in gold gold, but his will be white gold): http://www.puzzlering.com/Buy%20Puzzle%20Ring%20Top/Gold%20Puzzle%20Rings%20B/3%20band%20puzzle%20rings%20C/3B141.htm.

Mine (as it's shown): http://www.puzzlering.com/Buy%20Puzzle%20Ring%20Top/Gold%20Puzzle%20Rings%20B/4%20band%20puzzle%20rings%20C/4B14S.htm.

:) And we're more on our way! (I just hope we don't go too far into debt!!!! :P)
Peace and rings.
Jenny

goblets

2005-01-28T17:47:00.000-08:00

Yay! My brother's shirt has indeed arrived; it fits him well. :) Now to find pants, shoes, and a doublet for him...and maybe a hat.... Also, we have purchased our goblets: http://www.magickcauldron.com/images/chalices/378.jpg. Woohoo! We're moving onward, folks! :)
Peace and goblets.
Jenny

my brother's shirt

2005-01-28T13:04:00.000-08:00

Yay! I won my brother's poufy shirt, and it came, too. Also, I have won another Ren shirt. It should be shipped soon, I think. So...one more to go, I think. Yay!

And now I'm off to look for pewter goblets/chalices/grails/whatever you want to call them. :) If you find some that are cheap-ish ($15 and under), let me know!
Peace,
Jenny

Men's clothing

2005-01-26T07:28:00.000-08:00

Okay, here's an eBay seller who appears to have some pretty good deals on men's clothing: http://stores.ebay.com/Royal-Coffers_W0QQcolZ2QQdirZQ2d1QQdptZ0QQftidZ2QQpZ2QQtZkm. Ladies: she also has some nice dress deals, particularly in the peasant dress section. Also, she has some nice-looking women's jewelry. You might want to check her out for your dress-up needs. However, I don't know if she will do custom colors. But it might not hurt to ask, since those peasant dresses were in the $40-range. And Ellie: your colors don't matter so much, as long as they're jewel-toned. You're not on a particular "side" in the wedding, since you're playing your dulcimer. :) Also, I'm thinking about your music tunes. They all sound pretty good. I will talk to E about it, too.

Also: I now have the park form, and I think I've completed it. So, now I just need to turn it back in. :)

And I think that's all of my updates for now. Oh, wait: I've put a bid in for one more men's Ren/poet shirt. It's an XL. It will probably either go to David or Danny. And Danny: you're still in this wedding, even if you don't end up being a groomsman, because you're supposed to be playing the wood flute. :P So...be prepared! :)

Okay, I think that really is it now.
Peace,
Jenny

links to stories/poetry

2005-01-25T06:38:00.000-08:00

Alright, the blogger quit working on me yesterday, so I didn't get to put these links up before I went home. But now I'm back at work, so here we go. :)

This is a collection of short stories: http://emporium.turnpike.net/Z/zen/SCA/Auntie.html.

This is a collection of Ren songs: http://www.chivalry.com/cantaria/lists/traditional.html.

This site has some interesting poetry on it: http://www.knightstour.org/poetry/cokindex.html.

These are some very short, one-person dramatic pieces: http://www.knightstour.org/poetry/dramatis.html.

These are some more "rowdy" poems: http://www.daviddfriedman.com/Medieval/Misc_Poetry_Contents.html.

And this is a site of stories in books; I think they want to sell the books to you, but you can probably look the stories up online elsewhere without buying the books: http://www.savageresearch.com/jester/talesoflove.html.

Okay, for dancing: http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/dance/Top.html. They're dance cheat sheets! Yay for knowing the steps!

And this is just a general information page: http://www.drizzle.com/~celyn/mrwp/mrwp.html.

Okay, that's really all I have for now...a bunch of links, whee! :)
Peace and linkage.
Jenny

More today

2005-01-24T13:39:00.000-08:00

Okay, more today. :)

First: I think my mom is working on a bridal shower for April 30th. I told her to speak to: Ellie, Sharon, and Julie, since you are my closest college friends. So...I will be sending her your e-mail addresses you hers, if that's alright. Please let me know if there's another girl out there (aside from Annie, you live with Mom!) who wants to be involved. :)

Second: I have the park date pencilled in. Now I just have to get the form from the Oak Street office. :) The date is for the 4th. I hope that works out! I have also e-mailed Pastor Kimmer; I haven't heard back from him. Possibly I scared him with talk of monks' robes. But that's okay. If not him, there surely will be another willing officiant. I mean, come on...what could be better than a Franciscan-clad officiant? ;)

Third: be on the look out for cheap fake ferns/ivy. It should be small, and should be $2 or less per roll. Let me know if you find some!

Fourth: I've ordered a CD of bardic music. That should be fun.

Fifth: Ellie or Julie or someone with quick wit and language talent: I think it could be fun to have a poem about our current "King George." If one of you would like to write/perform it, please let me know!

Sixth: On the topic of poetry, I have found lots of Ren poetry lately. Is there anyone who would like to read/recite? This can be as dramatic as you like; in fact, I'm thinking the more dramatic the better...more laughs and entertainment. :) Plus, you can have your pick.

And seventh: If you find cheap felt fabric in your area--jewel tones, bright colors, whatever, so long as it's solid--let me know! I'd like to have large squares with holes cut in the middle, as well as twine. This way, non-costumed people can join the merriment by putting the felt over their heads & tying it with the twine around their waists. :) Yay for faux-Ren-ness! Also: Any kind of tough-ish fabric would do for this. I really more care that it's cheap and solid colors. Fleur-di-lis would do, I guess. Jus no paisley or kittens or whatnot. ;)

And eighth: I have Ren dance steps, if anyone would like to learn. :) I think they're mostly group steps for circles of pairs or something. *shrug*
Okay...on to another post. :)
Peace and posting,
Jenny

Sorry.

2005-01-24T08:04:00.000-08:00

Okay, sorry about the last post. I was really more just blowing off steam at that point.

As far as I know, the wedding is still on. However...if pea soup comes up again, I think E and I will just run away. I'm not sure where we'd go, but hopefully to a city with our bank in it. That way we wouldn't have to pay exorbitant ATM fees and the like.

Anyhow, I can't remember if I updated this: we did win the poufy white shirt for my brother. Onward to finding one for Danny and one for David. :)

Danny: be prepared to play that wood flute. I don't care how you learn a piece. Just learn a piece. If you don't know what to learn, try Greensleeves or Danny Boy. If I remember, neither is too hard, and both are Irish-y.

Mike: please let me know when you want to go to Music Today.

Ellie: what kind of music does a dulcimer take? Is it dulcimer-specific music? I'm just wondering, because if my brother & I go to Music Today, and we come across some music you might be able to use, I'd be happy to get it for you.

Okay, that's it for this update. :)
Peace and no pea soup.
Jenny

right

2005-01-22T11:55:00.000-08:00

Okay, so the wedding is probably not going to happen, because I just don't want frozen pea soup.

Gold tubes

2005-01-21T10:28:00.000-08:00

So, we received our gold mailing tubes yesterday. They look about the right size. We ordered 50 of them. They were only $18 something. Compared to other mailing tubes, that's pretty cheap. (Believe me, I've looked.) I will try to remember to put the link on here. I think I have it in my aol mail. Anyhow...now to figure out how to do postage on these things! *shrug* At least we'll get to send out scroll-invites. :) That should be fun.

Also, we might potentially find small pewter goblets at the StarChina here in town; the China part is going out of business, so they're having a wall-to-wall 70%-off sale. We'll see what we come up with. :)

Sharon: I think my aunt is still willing to do some sewing work. I don't know if she requires a fee, but she is very poor (she's been out of a job for almost a year now, and she lives with/cares for my Grandma Clark), so I know she would definitely appreciate money. She and I haven't talked pricing yet. *shrug* I don't know how much my dress & E's outfit will be. But, I will discuss with her & get back to you on that. As for the 4th, 5th, and 6th...so far, I think that's fine. I'll be coming back from Hanover on the 4th--I'm giving a presentation with Joe Stilwell (graduated the year before us, a theo major) on AmeriCorps there on the 3rd. Should be fun. :) And I know my mom will be willing to shop then; she's gotten very into the wedding lately. :)

Okay, for now that's it (I think). If I think of something else, I'll get back to you!
Peace & weddings.
Jenny

Rings on the brain

2005-01-19T11:08:00.000-08:00

Okay...so I'm thinking about wedding rings while I'm at work, because my brain has gone caput. Perhaps I should eat. That's a thought. Anyhow... here are a couple of puzzle rings that I like:

http://www.puzzlering.com/queen_puzzle_ring.htm and http://www.puzzlering.com/Buy%20Puzzle%20Ring%20Top/Gold%20Puzzle%20Rings%20B/4%20band%20puzzle%20rings%20C/4B14S.htm. I like them both, and they're cheaper than the rings we did want. *sigh* Oh, well. I kinda like the one with the sapphires, and it's only $200.

Okay...I'm feeling fuzzy, so I'm going to go. Perhaps lunch is in order after all.
Peace,
Jenny

More wedding supplies!

2005-01-15T15:00:00.000-08:00

Okay, I now have E's boots--and they fit! Yay!

We've ordered gold mailing tubes. Woohoo!

We have the beginnings of a menu; this will be more solidified when get get back reservations for the feast. :)

What else? Oh, we have candles and dried plant decorations at the booth; we've also ordered small "pewter" goblets and dragon candleholders. We got 4 silver ball candles (which will be painted gold) and one blue candle and one red candle. Um.... and Mom has a better idea of what's going on. Oh, we took my foot measurements today & sent them to Lady Oren in Waterloo so she can make my shoes.

Let's see...oh, two fake swords, complete with bracers. And a "pewter" pitcher, probably for the mead. :)

Tomorrow, the goal is to get the reservation form from the church so we can turn it in.

Anything else? Oh, Sharon, yes, please get the fake ferns, the silver paint, and the dowel rods. And let me know how much, so I can pay you back.

Um...yes...everyone, please e-mail me with your addresses so I can send you invitations! (agirley AT aol.com or jgates AT and.lib.in.us)

Oh, and we've bid on a poofy shirt for my brother, since he's our male troubadour. :)

Alright...I think that's all for this update. :)
Peace and invites.
Jenny

Posting comments

2005-01-12T07:50:00.000-08:00

Okay, I think I fixed the comment problem; now you don't have to be a member to post. Yay for you! :)

Also, for the women: http://stores.ebay.com/DRAGONPIPES_W0QQsspagenameZl2QQtZkm This is the link to a store on eBay; it's respectable. I have ordered...3 or 4 things from her, and she has always delivered in a timely fashion. Her prices are very reasonable, too. She mostly does jewelry, although she has gotten into some dresses and some leatherwork lately. Anyhow, her work is quite lovely. Her jewelry, at least, is handmade, but it is never exorbitantly priced. :) Yay for cheapness!

Okay...I need to remember to ask E for Mike's e-mail addy, so we can get him on this blog, too...and JB, just in case he's not away by then.
Peace. :)

Oh yeah

2005-01-11T10:40:00.000-08:00

I almost forgot: if you would like to leave a comment, and it tells you you have to sign up, don't worry. Sign-up is free, and you don't have to create a blog (I think) to leave a message. I'm not sure how blogspot works, but I know that at LiveJournal, if you aren't an LJ user, you can just post as "Anonymous." If that's an option, feel free to post as "Anonymous;" you can then sign your name at the bottom of your comment. I thought I should add this, since Danny said he was told he had to create an account to comment here. :)
Peace.
Jenny

More shoes

2005-01-11T10:38:00.000-08:00

I can have gold crosses on my shoes. Woohoo!

In other shoe news: E has a pair of Ren-ish boots on the way. They have zippers, but they're the pair he wanted. At least that made them cheaper than some of the other boots out there--sorry, but we can't afford $100 for just his shoes alone. :P These were only about $35. Much cheaper. And he'll wear them to Ren Fests again and again! Yay!

Peace and love and no more rain.
Jenny

Shoes!

2005-01-07T06:30:00.000-08:00

Yay for shoes! I ordered a pair of wine-red nubuck shoes with gold cross appliques today. They should match my dress pretty well. Also, they're from Waterloo, IN. The only other Ren-clothing-maker I know of in IN is my Aunt Caren. Anyhow...I just thought that was interesting.

Onward: If you do not live in Anderson, please make sure I have your address. Kristy, I know I have yours. This is so I can get you an invitation as soon as they're ready to go.

Also, I have bid on a pair of boots for E on eBay. I hope we get them, as finding boots like that seems to be somewhat difficult. *shrug* Well, we will see.

Anyhow, that's my wedding-related updates for now.

Oh, wait: musicians, please dress Ren-ish, too! Your outfits can be as cheap as you like...we prefer that you incorporate purple or blue or red along with white & gold into your outfit somehow. (Purple is acceptable for you, because you belong to neither "side," yet purple is what red+blue is.) Also, your outfits can have a range of impacts: the poor peasant musician or the traveling minstrel or the flashy bard/ess or whatever. Have fun & be creative! :)

Peace and love!
Jenny

First Entry

2005-01-04T13:06:00.000-08:00

I manage more blogs than anyone I know--three work-related and now two personal. *shaking my head* I think I'd be lost without the internet.

Okay...this is mine & E's wedding blog. I'll try to keep it updated as much as possible concerning progress, timelines, deadlines, etc.

Right now, there's a ton of things to do, since the wedding is still 6 months away. (June 4, 2005, for those of you who are curious.) The theme is Renaissance. I have the fabric for my dress, and I believe E has most of the fabric for his outfit. We still need to get trim, and it would be helpful if he could find boots and I could find either clear plastic flats, gold ballet flats, dark red ballet flats, or white ballet flats. I also need beads for the shoes so I can make my "glass slippers."

Umm...invitations: I have the paper, ink, pen, font style, rods, and ribbon. The paper needs to be printed & cut in half. I need to order mailing tubes. I need to figure out how many mailing tubes to order; I figure I don't need any for my family here in town, given that I can just roll the scrolls up and hand them over.

Food: I need a menu. I have a beginning menu, but it needs to be pared down. Some people will have to help with the food-making, because I definitely can't do that all by myself. I need to order mead (www.gotmead.com is a great site, by the way). Some of the food is simple, and some of it is more complex. All of it will be new-ish. As for the cake--I can't decide whether to go with a castle-shaped cake or lots of different pies & cakes.

I need the candles from my family's booth. I need to remember to ask Aunt Brenda about that, since Aunt Caren & Aunt Linda didn't know where they were last time I asked. Also, I need fake-pewter goblets (small) to put the candles in, and small fake ferns to put in/around the goblets for prettiness.

Location: we want to get married outside; however, it would probably be easier to feast inside. So...we are thinking of Edgewater Park for the wedding (need to reserve that) and the Presbyterian Church basement for the feast. The park is very wheelchair-friendly, which is nice. The church is less so, but there is a lift that those in wheelchairs can use. It's not the greatest way to move, but it does work. Anyhow...feasting at the church gives us an excellent venue--tables & chairs there already; big kitchen; raised stage for entertainment/head table(s). We would just have to pay the janitor for being there. Yay for cheapness!

Um...shoot...I know there's more, but my brain is starting to get fuzzy. It's 4:30 p.m., which is close to my leaving time, and I'm hungry. :)

Oh...bridesmaids should get their dresses soon. Remember: red and white; can have gold trim; Renaissance style. Other than that, it's up to you. There are lots of Ren styles, so choose one you like--and that you might wear again to a RenFest or something, if you like. It would probably be better (for non-clashing reasons) for the red to be darker; however, if you would prefer it to be brighter, that's fine, too.

Groomsmen: we have swords for you. The rest is up to you (except for Danny). Your outfit should be Renaissance, as well, and be blue & white; can have gold trim. Again, there are lots of men's Ren styles, so choose one you like; get one you think you might wear again, if you want.

If anyone wants an outfit made: measurements & fabrics should be to your seamster/seamstress of choice asap. E and I need to finish that up with my Aunt Caren.

Musicians: Ellie, Danny, Mike: please be sure to practice your instruments! I don't care what song(s) you play, just play something. Mike, you can play your clarinet in addition to the...whatever it is that E and I gave you to play. However, we still want you to play the whatever-it-is. I think it's a cousin of the pennywhistle. *shrug* Anyhow, it sounds pretty. Don't forget the website I showed you--you can learn songs from there. If possible, I'll get you a Ren tunes book, but it's pretty hard to find one for an instrument like that. Also, Mike, we're working on your outfit; you'll be either troubadour-ish or joker-ish.

Games: need to get medieval trivia from my listserv onto trivia cards for the tables at the feast. Also, I would like to get some cheap dowel rods from Wal-mart so people can duel. Any other suggestions?

Music: E and I have some celtic music; some of it has words, some of it doesn't. However, we would like to have some modern music, too, so that we don't all have to dance Irish jigs the whole time. ;) Any suggestions? I know the Shrek soundtrack has some good songs; there's also the Storybook Love song from Princess Bride. Anything else?

Tables & chairs: as mentioned above, the church has those; I think we can use them. I would like fabric to use as table cloths (preferably solid-color jewel tones, and then preferably blue, red, purple, etc.) The same goes for the chairs. That way it doesn't look so strange. :) As for decorations--E and I have some dragons, a castle, and some fantasy/Ren pics. We might think about red & blue streamers and gold tinsel. Also, we should probably figure out a table arrangement. Plans are beginning to form...perhaps a couple of "head" tables facing each other on the stage with an aisle in between for performers; on the ground, perhaps either round tables or 6' tables scattered? *shrug* It bears thinking on.

Okay...for now, that's what my overloaded mind has come up with. Now...to let people of importance know of this link! ;)
Peace,
Jenny