At LAST!! A MENU!!

And that took forever....

Taking a break. A little overwhelmed at times.

And I KNOW.....WE DON'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING NOW!

But, we need to PLAN NOW! Every detail.

*breathe*

First Venue: Nolichucky Vineyards

The scenery there was BREATHTAKING! Although, I'm a little concerned what the foliage will be in mid-April. I mean, this IS (weather-permitting) going to be an outdoors event. BUT, they DO have a NICE, large pavilion which could EASILY accommodate the ceremony AND reception - if laid out properly (Put on to-do list!)

Jillian was SUPER nice! She said we were welcome to come out there ANYTIME...to just look around, have a picnic, or whatever! The place is quiet, on the river, so tranquil....

Now, the downside.

#1 - the cost. The venue itself is going to be HALF of our budget! Which means, cuts - everywhere, and I mean EVERYWHERE, else! Not sure that I'm comfortable with that. I'm trying to avoid catering myself, but if push comes to shove, I can.

#2 - We can have ONLY Tennessee wines served. I was puzzled about that, at first. But, with them being Tennessee vintners, I can see their support for the industry.

SOOOOO....going to still look around for a few other places.....

Anxiety....

The Budget! Questions!! INVITATIONS!!! THE DJ!!!! AAARRRGGGHHH!!!

Sat down tonight and re-calculated (considering my addition from quitting smoking) and I can see things a bit more clearly.

We're SOOO excited to be looking at Nolichuckey Vineyards tomorrow! I have compiled a long list of questions like, how early can we set-up? Can we rehearse the night before? Do you provide tables and chairs? You know, that kinda stuff.

Also, going to talk to the printer tomorrow for invitations.....I think we're getting a REALLY good deal. We've picked silver and blue as our colors, and I think those will work WELL on invitations!

Have a meeting next Thurs. with Robbie Britton to DJ the whole thing.

.............

Today, i went to Grand Central Station's website and looked at chafing dishes and ice tables.....very reasonably priced! I can see us getting everything we need - as far as food presentation - at around $100.

OH......and I kicked my first $50 into the kitty....cigarette money.

Let the spending begin!

The Caterer!

A friend from work, who works a second job, told me that her boss does catering! Great, I thought. And she was willing to do it for $5/head.

Was supposed to call me tonight at 7:00.....it's now 7:30.

Punctuality is very CRUCIAL when you plan a wedding, don't you think?

VENUES!!

Heard from Still Hollow Farms today...YES! They ARE gay-friendly!! However, they open in May, but do make exceptions, because April's weather is so unpredictable...and they only have outside facilities.

Still waiting to hear from Nolichuckey Vineyard.......

I HAVE to devise another plan...another venue....a combination of ceremony/celebration places to do this thing.

..........

I'm fuckin' PETRIFIED! Not because of the ceremony.....but the fact that we want to CELEBRATE our union - past, present, and promise for the future, and want EVERYONE that has supported and accepted us, to be a part of that celebration!

It's a PARTY, damnit!

Watch Steel Magnolias.

Nolichuckey Vineyards - Le Sigh.....

BEAUTIFUL PLACE!!! It would be PERFECT.

But I can't get my hopes up.....need to shop around a bit more.

HOW MUCH IS THIS SHIT GONNA COST????

Caterers, licensed bartender(s), the facility, the tuxedos, the flowers, the invitations, the decorations, the alcohol, the cakes.................. Bridezilla ain't seen SHIT!

Here we go.... The trip to the arbor. Chronicling this magic time in my life. STAY TUNED!

Resurrection of the Blawg and the Conquering of Bruschetta!

I don't feel comfortable rambling on facebook....and I felt like it...and then I remembered.....MY BLOG!! So, here I am....going to, FIRST OF ALL, chronicle my Bruschetta recipes and things about it. Last night, I brushed olive oil on one side of a diagonally sliced baguette.....toasted it. Flipped the sliced and brushed on olive oil AND freshly minced garlic....then, topped it with a chunk of fresh mozzarella. Broiled. Rack too close....bread got toasted LONG before the mozz. was fully melted. So.........TONIGHT! I'm going to do the same thing, only lowering the rack a notch. Then, I'm gonna top it with this nice tapenade-like salsa mixture of: Finely chopped roma tomatoes Finely chopped red onion Minced garlic Ribboned fresh basil Splash of Balsamic Vinegar A TBSP of NICE Olive oil. I can't BELIEVE that my friends on facebook "liked" the plate that I displayed last night's endeavor! It was a quick pic-take, but tonight, I'll plan better! STAY TUNED!!

Time to revive...

I have so many feelings going through me, that I decided to "revive" my blog. Haven't been here in awhile, so, now is time. I'm going to "try" to keep this more up-to-date, update my weight-loss progress, hopefully inspire others, and give my perspective on things surrounding me. My life is changing, and I hope your's will,too!