Marriage Prep: Preparation Continues

Well you heard all about part one of our marriage preparation process with our officant. This Sunday it will be time for part 2!

I mentioned that it's a compatibility test and, while I'd like to be able to give you more of a description.. that's really all we know. Our officiant has only told us that we should be sharpening our #2 pencils ;).

This will all be taking place this Sunday night. Mishka, his parents, my parents, our officiant, and my sisters will all be gathered for a nice home-cooked dinner and get-to-know-each-other conversations. This will be the first time Mishka's parents will be meeting my sisters (or most of them ;) ). And at some point during what's sure to be lovely evening, Mishka and I will sneak away with our officiant to take our test. I've been told it won't take too long.

I can't wait to fill you in!

I Needn't Have Worried

Well my trip down to New Jersey was easy enough, though I was exhausted by the time I got there.

My sister K and my mom were supposed to pick me up at the train station, but were held up by the massive line outside our favorite Polish deli (it seems to be everyone's favorite Polish deli as people are willing to wait in line for over an hour for some of their Easter Kielbasa) so we were running late by the time we got to my dress fitting.

But 20 minutes late or no, we arrived. My shoes and bras (3 of them) were in the back seat and I grabbed them frantically as I rushed into the building, apologizing profusely for my lateness. They assured me it was no trouble and sent me downstairs to wait for the seamstress.

As soon as I walked into the room I saw my dress, half exposed in it's garment bag. The beading had not yet been added to the bodice as it would make any necessary alterations difficult, but I knew from the way the muslin was draped that it was my dress.

I quickly changed into the best of the 3 bras and the seamstress arrived a minute or two later. She unzipped it, helped me step in, then zipped it back up again. And let me tell you, I may not have had that tingly "the dress" feeling when I first tried on the dress, but standing there, looking at myself in the mirror, I knew this was my dress. It was THE dress. The dress I would marry my Mishka in. And it looked stunning on me. It was perfect.

Even the seamstress commented on how well the dress fit me. She asked what attendant had taken my initial measurements because she had never seen a dress fit someone so well without alterations. But I was still barefoot and the dress was much too long. I stepped into my (very high heeled) wedding shoes and suddenly the dress was exactly the right length. I could have gotten married that very evening in the dress and I would have felt beautiful.

So, all this is a long way of saying... the fitting was a success.. because NOTHING needed to be done. She said she could take in the waist a bit (thank you Jillian Michaels!) because I'd lost a little weight since January, but she wanted to wait until much closer to the wedding in case I lost more weight (or gained it back). I'm hoping for the former.

A Dressy Adventure

What is Murhpy's law? Whatever can go wrong... will go wrong?

So I scheduled my first dress fitting for tomorrow at 11am. I did this over a month ago because this would be the only day I could come until after graduation. I normally have no classes on Friday and my last class on Thursday ends at 11am, so I figured it'd be easy enough to come down Thursday afternoon. Unfortunately, I didn't take into account the 3 day weekend. Which means that I have Monday classes on Thursday instead. Which means I'm not out of class until 8:30pm.

Which means I'm getting on a train at 6:05am Friday morning to make my dress fitting appointment.

Will I make it? Probably. But I had all my possible undergarments (most specifically my bra) sent to my house so I haven't even tried them on yet. So whoever picks me up from the train station will be bringing me bras which I will probably be trying on in the bathroom of the bridal salon only moments before my fitting.

Well it certainly will make for an interesting recap won't it?

Our Proposal Story

So I never did get around to telling you all my proposal story now did I?

I suppose, to properly begin, I would have to start at the early months of Mishka and my relationship.

So, approximately two months in (he says more, so I guess it's a rough estimate), Mishka and I are walking together to my dorm. I have always loved that Mishka is trilingual and would sporadically ask him to say something in Russian or Ukrainian just for the thrill of hearing it (yes, it's a thrill :-P). On said walk, I asked him to say something in Russian, he did. I, knowing nothing of Russian at this point, asked for a translation. But instead Mishka just said "I'll tell you later." I was obviously suspicious and confused and so for months/years I pestered him to tell me, but he never relented.

Fast-forward to November 22nd,1 o'clock in the morning. Mishka was teaching me Russian from a Russian course book he had bought from Barnes & Noble. He had also bought a Russian to English dictionary to aid in my studies. We were finishing up the lesson, and I was ready to pass out from exhaustion when Mishka said something very strange:

Mishka: Hey, do you remember that Russian saying you were always asking about?

Ang: Yes.

Mishka: Well if you want to know what it is, now that you have a Russian dictionary you can look it up for yourself. [hands me the dictionary]

Ang: But I don't remember what you said.

Mishka: [says something in Ukrainian]

And then, I opened the book.

But, rather than seeing the customary list of English words and how to translate them into Russian, I found that the book had been hollowed out. And inside the hollow dictionary shell...was a ring box.

I looked up and Mishka was on one knee in front of me. I was almost confused, I couldn't believe it was really happening. And at 1 o'clock in the morning! I was speechless so Mishka took the cue and said what is one of my favorite sentences he has ever uttered.

Mishka: Ang, it means, will you be my wife?

I found my voice then and of course said YES!

I opened the ring box to see the gorgeous and sentimental ring that Mishka had picked out for me, the ring which graces my finger now. I love it, and I love his proposal too. You see, Mishka was serious about marrying me, almost from the first moment he fell in love with me (which was before we were dating). Serious commitment was always part of our relationship, even from the very beginning, and so the fact that his proposal is tied to the earliest months of our time together, made the way he did it very particular to us.

I should probably break to tell you that I had always suspected the mysterious Russian saying was a proposal. However, when he broached the question of me looking the phrase up for myself, he totally threw me off guard. I had no idea! In fact, I was a little annoyed. I thought to myself "oh, here I thought that Russian phrase was going to be a proposal and now it turns out it's just a homework assignment!"

Oh, how wrong a girl can be ;).

Marathon... Tuesday?

Well, for all you who aren't Bostonians, the Boston Marathon was yesterday. You can see the Marathon from my window. Oddly enough, as I was cheering from the sidelines, instead of running I started thinking of how a Marathon could also be a metaphor for marriage.

I say a Marathon, instead of a race, because in a marathon, it's not about winning. I suppose, maybe it is for some, but for the majority, running a marathon is about a journey. There is the training, and even the run itself is a personal journey requiring strength of character and the will to keep fighting through any obstacle.

Similarly, and this is the first thing that struck me as metaphorical for a relationship, when running a Marathon (or running at all), it is very easy to start strong. What you could see right outside my door was the tail end of the race, where the runners were being truly tested. But they never gave up, and let nothing get in their way.

In a marriage, the first 6 months to a year are generally what people refer to as the "honeymoon period" (sometimes it's shorter than that, sometimes longer). During that time, it's very easy to have a strong marriage and to think "yeah, this is great. this is gonna be easy." It's kilometer 20, or kilometer 40 where it really matters to stick to your guns and fight through the obstacles.

That's not to say that you can't be having a successful, strong, and amazing marriage throughout your life. But having a successful marriage isn't a moment, it's defined by a lifetime. It's a journey.

It's a journey I can't wait to take :). I've been training for it for the last 3 1/2 years ;).

I Didn't Even Realize...

But my last post was my 100th post!

I know it's supposed to be a big blogger milestone, but I actually feel like it came up rather quickly. I guess I've been pretty good about blogging regularly (though I haven't had too much wedding related stuff to post recently).

Although that should change shortly! I'm not making any promises of course, but we'll see ;).

Love is in the Air

And so are proposals!

That's right friends, if you haven't already heard, my Uncle M and Future-Aunt C got engaged last night!

I met Future-Aunt C for the first time about a year ago, and we knew right away that she was special. She and her son have attended just about every family function with Uncle M and you could see how much they loved each other. She's a wonderful person and I can't wait to welcome her into our family!

I don't have any details about their wedding plans yet (after all, it only happened last night), but if I get approval to pass it along I might do a little three way comparison between my wedding, Family-Friend K's wedding, and Future-Aunt C's wedding. I'm sure they're all going to be enormously different, but equally full of love and celebration.

It's funny, but when Mishka and I got engaged last November, I expected to go on my bride-to-be journey alone. But now, within the span of two weeks I have two bride buddies I can share the joys, and stresses, of planning with. What's the saying? Man proposes, God disposes? Yeah... something like that :-P.

Congratulations Mishka!

After a few months of diligent job searching Mishka has been offered an amazing opportunity at a great company with a promising future. He'll be starting in 2 weeks which means I'll be spending the last few weeks of college on my own. I'm so proud of him :). I knew he could do it. My Mishka can do anything he puts his mind to!

So congratulations again Mishka! You never cease to impress me :*.

Honoring The Past

Mishka and I both come from very close families. Unfortunately, there are several members of our respective families (and friends who were like family) who have passed on and will be unable to join us on our special day.

It was an easy decision to make that we will honor them in different ways throughout the day. A few that come immediately to mind:

• A reading of the names and a prayer during the intercessions.
• A table with photographs and a thoughtful prayer print-out at the front of the church near the candles. This way people could light a candle for those who could not be there.
• The photographs and prayer could be moved to the lobby of the hotel for people to appreciate while the reception is going on.
• My wedding rings will be a way of honoring my mother's parents.
• A special surprise that I cannot reveal until I'm sure it's going to happen ;).

It's unfortunate that some of the people we love will not be able to physically attend a day that is so special to both Mishka and myself. Hopefully, through the little ways we're able to remember them, they're really there in spirit.

That's what I believe anyway.

A Sweaty Bride is a Relaxed Bride

You'll be happy to know that Mishka and I have been keeping up with our work-out routines (as much as time allows). And not only have I noticed my tummy getting smaller, and my muscles getting stronger, but I've also found it's a great way to avoid being the stressed out, cranky bridezilla that no one wants to hang out with.

I was venting to my mom the other week and her response: "sweat. Do 100 jumping jacks, go for a run, do one of your exercise tapes, just do something that makes you sweat- something that will exhaust you." I took her advice, and I cannot tell you how relaxed I felt afterwards. Not only did I feel relaxed, but things people had said, or things I needed to do, seemed less important and less overwhelming.

So, while we're maintaining our work-out routine for physical health reasons, it's also becoming a great asset to my mental health as well. Hopefully I'll be able to maintain "relaxed bride" status and fully enjoy my wedding day with a kickin bod' and no last minute freak outs.

Weekend Recap

I promised you a recap of this weekend didn't I?

It was a lot of fun. We were visiting FSIL Katerina and her husband S. They showed us a great time, despite their busy work schedules. But, despite the unique sights of New York City, the real highlight of the weekend was the food. Mishka and I are big lovers of food so, of course, New York City did not disappoint. Unfortunately, the only pictures of it that I have to share of you are of our first meal at the Atlantic Grill. And of that, only the desserts (though the desserts were the best part of the meal).

Hazelnut and Caramelized Banana Ice Cream Tower and Chocolate Fondue? Yes Please!

But eating wasn't the only thing we did. We also played games, went bowling, walked through the Botanical Garden, and saw Hanna (though that was just Mishka and me).

S and Katerina will be celebrating their 1 year anniversary in just a few months. I've known them since a few years before they were married and it's interesting to notice the changes in their relationship as time has passed. I wonder how Mishka and I will change after we're married (or if we will at all).

And last, but not least, I got some signature cocktail inspiration! Katerina and I were sampling cocktails all weekend, but two stood out as both delicious and unique:

Luckily I got pictures of these too

The top one is a white cosmo and is the more plausible of the two for my signature cocktail. But the bottom one, the Pink Tulip, has that certain "je ne sais quoi" that makes me want to scrap all my ideas and go in a totally different direction. We'll see.

P.S. Mishka and I also met the most adorable little girl. We were sitting, waiting for Katerina and the little girl was crying. She was right in front of Mishka so he said hello to her and she immediately stopped crying and looked up. The three of us became fast friends and she even sat next to us while we waited, telling us that we were her friends (her mom was smiling approvingly from the side lines).

Couple Things

I think it's safe to say that every couple has "things" they do as a couple. I know my FSIL Katerina and her husband love to travel together and read books aloud to each other. My sister K and her boyfriend love to be run together, mountain bike, and create the perfect mochi recipe.

I love to learn about the special things a couple does together. I think it says something about the couple's "personality". Whether they are athletic and love to move, whether they are fascinated by culture, or, like Mishka and I, enjoy humor and the unusual.

One of Mishka and my favorite things to do is watch Arrested Development or make our way through our personally devised list of "Most Disturbing Movies Ever Made" collected from forums and the lists of film critics. Yes, you read the right, disturbing films. We like to be creeped out and challenged. We've enjoyed films such as Hard Candy, A Clockwork Orange, and The Last House on the Left.

Unfortunately, today I had to watch one of the movies on our list without Mishka. And I'll tell you, it is just not the same.

You see, I'm in a film class and we have entered our "cult films" section. Eraserhead obviously made it onto our list and, if you know anything about Eraserhead it is one of the most disturbing films ever made. Mishka and I wanted to watch it together, but unfortunately job interviews got in the way.

Wow... I really wish he had been there to watch it with me... could've used his cynical sense of to get me through some of those scenes, heh. Won't make that mistake again. I watch disturbing movies with Mishka or not at all! Couple time go!

Our Table Names

I always knew that I wanted to come up with a creative idea for naming our tables. Something that captured an aspect of our relationship without being an "inside joke" that only Mishka and I would appreciate.

I can't remember if someone gave me the idea, of if I came up with it myself (If someone who read's this blog is responsible for the idea I apologize). But suddenly I was struck by the perfect idea: the musicals we've been to together!

As you read in my previous post about "Music is the Food of Love" Mishka and I love musicals. We love music, and particularly enjoy the theater. I'm even contemplating adding some unique elements that vary from table to table. Like a picture of the playbill and some sort of emblem representing the show.

To aid my memory and to show you guys that we've seen enough shows together to make this feasible I'll list them out here:

The Nutcracker (our first date)

South Pacific

Spamalot

The Drowsy Chaperone

Anything Goes

Les Miserables

The Phantom of the Opera

Love Never Dies

An Inspector Calls

Camelot

Avenue Q

And we will probably sneak in a few more before the wedding so that we can add to the list (In fact we'll be seeing a show this Friday, though we have yet to decide which). If it turns out there's not enough, we can always branch out into musicals that one of us has seen, but not the other.

New Amsterdam

I just had a brief, but passionate affair with a television show called "New Amsterdam". It came out a few years ago and never made it past episode 8, but I loved every minute of those 8 episodes (save how they chose to end the series).

The show centers around a man, his real name is never given but he goes by John Amsterdam. He saved the life a Native American medicine woman during a battle between the colonial settlers and in thanks she grants him eternal life. Or, at least that nothing will kill him or age him until he finds "The One". Yes, I mean "The One"- his soulmate. The show takes place in modern day New York and John Amsterdam is a homicide detective because "Death fascinates him."

What I loved about the show was it's focus on "the one" and true love (I'm a romantic, what can I say). I know it's a bit unsettling to think that a show is giving the message that you'll never find your soulmate unless you become immortal, but one episode gives a slightly different take. In fact, it shows many couples who have found "the one" within their own lifetimes.

Despite the show's emphasis on death and other dark themes, there are some very romantic moments. Particularly for a cop show. I'd definitely recommend it for all murder mystery romantics out there.

Engaged Buddies

Last week an old family friend reached out to me via facebook. She is a friend of my aunt's that I've known since I was very young and is getting married this September. She heard from my aunt (I'm assuming) that I was engaged and she messaged me asking about my dress, general planning, dates, and gushing excitement.

She was excited to swap pictures and stories, to be excited together, to share the difficulties of planning with each other, and I have to admit that I see the appeal. It's hard for people who aren't planning a wedding or engaged to understand what it's like. And who is more ready to listen to a bride-to-be going on and on about weddings than a fellow bride-to-be who's fighting those same battles.

Honestly, I never expected to have an engaged buddy through this experience. I often chat with FSIL Katerina about engaged/wedding things because she just had her wedding recently, but it's not quite the same as having someone to talk to who's going through the process at the same time as you- discovering the system parallel to you. But I have to say, I'm liking the experience so far. Right now we're swapping proposal stories. I can't wait to share our wedding pictures with her :).

Cake Tasting

I just realized I never got around to telling you guys about our "cake-tasting"! I use quotation marks because I know using the phrase cake-tasting conjures up images of dozens of cake squares possibilities that could very well be the flavors you savor on the day of your wedding. That's not really what we did...

Let me back up.

I am not a fan of cake. I just don't really like it. In fact, for a long time, I had grand plans of pie (one of my favorite desserts in the world) with a tiny cake just for pictures and cake fanatic guests. However, when we fell in love with The Grand Summit Hotel, we learned that a cake came with the package with a Viennese table for the more cake-finicky of us.

We also learned the name of the bakery where The Grand Summit gets their wedding cakes. It's called Bovella's Pastry Shop and the week after we booked the venue my MOH G had already had a slice of cake to try the place out. However, it wasn't until two weekends ago that Mishka and I finally got a chance to try it.

The other thing that makes our cake tasting unusual is that we did not just taste flavors we were considering for the cake. In fact, most of the flavors we tried were not ones we were seriously considering for our wedding cake. We have, with 99% certainty decided what type of cake we want. However, we wanted to experience the quality of the bakery's cakes before the wedding. There were some yummy cake squares and some less yummy cake squares. But, speaking as a person who doesn't really like cake... it was pretty good.

So, want to take a look at some of their wedding cakes? :-D

These are not inspiration photos for what Mishka and my cake might look like. At least not the first one. It's a bit too flowery for a dead-of-winter wedding. However, the second one looks somewhat promising.

I can't wait until I can pass along more definite cake-related information :-D!

Big Week

This week is a big week for Mishka and me. He has three job interviews lined up: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. And next weekend we are going to see FSIL Katerina and her husband S. I'm sure we'll do a lot of cool things that I'll be able to recap next week. And you never know, I may have some good news about Mishka's job situation to relate. Wouldn't that be exciting :-D.

I know this entry is short, but I'll try to make up for it with some more informative and exciting posts later in the week!