One Year

I cannot believe that it's already been a year. I'm beyond words. The year has been filled with so many memories - from our rainy honeymoon & carbon monoxide problem, to the candle-lit dinner my husband surprised me with just a few days ago. I can only hope the rest of our lives are filled with as much love, joy, laughter and learning as the past year has been. Happy Anniversary, my love!

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

This is my husband and my first Christmas together, and we've already spent lots of time baking cookies, decorating our home, eating said cookies, wrapping gifts, and listening to cheesy holiday music. Today and tomorrow we'll be spending time with our big ol' family, and we're darn happy to do so!

Merry Christmas to all! I hope you're surrounded by love and joy this holiday season!

An Epic Weekend for Love

This past weekend my very best friend (since birth!) tied the knot to the love of her life. Sarah and Giancarlo have been together for 9 years and have known each other since elementary school, how cute is that?! Sarah was my maid-of-honor nearly five months ago, and I was honored to be hers this weekend. We've also been lucky enough that now our men have become fast friends as well. Her husband was also a groomsman at my wedding, and my husband was a groomsman at theirs. Such an honor!

For the past (almost) decade the four of us have become partners in crime. Mr. Law and I are so blessed to have such wonderful friends, and we were both so happy to be to be standing at their sides for their special day. We're all pretty sure that the rest of our lives will be friend filled, adventure packed, and incredibly memorable!

The newly weds are off on their honeymoon now, but I can't help but relive their day by listening to their first dance song. It's so unique and perfect for the two of them! It's called "Home" by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros....

And here are a few pictures of the beautiful couple that I stole from their amazing videographers, Moho Creative:

CONGRATULATIONS Sarah and Gian! I love you both with all my heart, may you enjoy icing for the rest of your lives!!

The Non-Honeymoon

The past few weeks have been hectic for me. I've been dealing with a some extra pressure at work and the stress seems to maybe be catching up to me. The other day I got in the elevator and forgot to press a button - I went up and down, up and down, up and down, before finally coming to and remembering where I needed to go! How embarrassing!

It doesn't help that Mr. Law and I should have spent the first two weeks of October in Spain, on our Honeymoon. We couldn't go because of work, and yes, I am royally bummed about it. Even though we didn't end up getting to go to Spain, Mr. Law still had his two weeks off from work. He's been such a help lately with chores and house work and general cheering-up. I can't put into words how happy I am to have him.

Big Love

I have a pretty busy weekend planned, but I'm looking forward to spending time with my friends and family.

Tonight I am taking my dad to his first ever Dave Matthews Band concert, which we were originally supposed to go to a few weeks back at Governors Island. The original date was postponed, due to Hurricane Irene, and so tonight we will head off for Randall's Island instead. Between my husband and myself, I think we've seen DMB somewhere in the vicinity of 30+ times. Unfortunately we'll probably be seeing less and less as our responsibilities as adults grow more and more. That's ok, because I don't know that we have the stamina anymore for some of the all-day festivals, or for throwing elbows in general admission situations...oh, yes, we do feel old.

Tomorrow I've got some things going on with the family, and then I'm hoping to get into the city for a little Mintie Meetup. I'm looking forward to being able to finally meet some of the people from the Minted Design community that I've been able to talk to through emails and whatnot.

And then on Sunday I've got some more family fun in store. It seems that, for the most part, 2011 has been a year of celebration, which I couldn't be happier about. We've seen lots and lots of family, and it really has not been for any kind of sad events. Instead we've celebrated anniversaries, birthdays, weddings and holidays - there's been a lot of love going around and I hope it stays that way!

I hope you all have some good things planned for this weekend as well!

 

What I Gained From September 11th

I wasn't going to post today because I didn't think I could say anything that hasn't been said before. However, I've been walking teary-eyed around my house, trying to find ways to occupy my mind. I have already cleaned, cooked and showered. All the while, I cannot and will not turn off the memorial service on TV. I know that it is a painful thing to watch, trust me, I've been crying all morning, but I do not feel it's fair for me to simply turn it off. So many people do not have the option of turning off the pain they feel every single day, so what gives me the right to click a button and pretend the pain is not there? No, I am a New Yorker, and I am an American, I will not turn off the emotions that have plagued me and so many others.

Ten years ago I was in highschool and we were having a huge "class" meeting in the gym, at the end of the meeting we were briefed that there was a plane crash in the City. We were told we could call our families, but we needed to be back before the start of the next class. During the next class my teacher chose not to teach, but rather she brought in a TV and turned on the news. Some of my other teachers did go on teaching that day, as if nothing happened. But by the end of the day, it was clear that it was not an ordinary day.

When I got home from class my dad and I went out on the boat into the bay off the south shore of Long Island. The weather was beautiful, the waters were calm, and we could see Manhattan smoking in the distance.

I did not lose any close relatives, but I mourned intensely anyway. Looking back I believe I was mourning my own loss of security. As time grew on I became a more and more fearful person. I did not realize the impact 9/11 had on me until years later, when my boyfriend told me he wanted to go into the army. It was senior year of high school and he said he didn't want to go to college, he wanted to enroll in the military. I remember begging him to just have a "normal" career, anything other than the military. I cried and pleaded, and begged that he take some classes at school to explore other career paths. He tried to take some other coursework, and after a few years he decided not to enlist, but rather he wanted to be a cop. I was heartbroken, it was still a dangerous job to me, but I could never complain since the military was his alternative.

We had been together for 3 or 4 years and I was mature enough to know I couldn't tell him what to do. So he took the test, and is now a cop. He is also now my husband.

I respect and admire the women with husbands in the military. They are stronger than I am in every way possible, and I am ashamed to admit it, but it is true. I've become terrified and selfish. I do not want my husband to be a hero, I just want him to be my husband. 

I realized that while so many people lost friends and family on September 11th, I gained something. I gained an intense, deep rooted fear of loss. Today, 10 years later, I still have that fear, and I wish so badly that I didn't. My fear grips me when I least expect it, maybe when I'm in the grocery store buying cold cuts, or driving home from work, or when I'm fast asleep and get jolted awake by an intense feeling of panic.

Every year when the 9/11 memorial is held, I feel the fear that I could someday be one of those people. I could some day be the widow reading my husbands name; I could be the single mother, raising children that do not know their father; I could be the depressed, heartbroken human being that will never be able to move on. Some days my fear is crippling, and I'll have nightmares for weeks on end. My husband works at night, so I fear that while I'm sleeping something horrible will be happening to him, and I won't be able to say goodbye. Every night I go to bed with the fear that I might wake up to tragedy.

You might be reading this and thinking to yourself that I'm sick or something. I don't think I'm sick at all, I think I am exactly like all of the men and women who have a husband or wife that serve in any capacity of the word. I think that part of the attacks on Sept. 11th were specifically to instill this fear in so many people, and I am sorry to be a victim of that.

However, I also feel like my fear makes me appreciate my husband so much more. After watching the family members of all the victims from 9/11, I try desperately to take their advice to heart; appreciate what you have and let your loved ones know you love them. No matter how afraid I am, I absolutely refuse to stop living my life to its fullest. I think I've learned to manage my fear. I've decided that it's OK for me to be afraid for my husband at work, but some of my other fears need to be addressed head on. Last year I did a trapeze class, since I am terrified of heights, and while I'd NEVER do it again, at least I didn't let my fear stop me from trying!

On September 11th I think this country changed permanently because the people changed permanently. I am one of those people, and I am sure there are a lot of others out there that gained a sense of fear. I just hope we all move forward in life and don't pass the fear onto the next generation. Hopefully they will not know the fear we know.

Vendor Review - Location, Location, Location!!

It's mind blowing to think how incredibly lucky we were to get married at such a unique and sentimental location. Really, I get all teary just thinking about it.... and I'm not going to lie - hands down the number one reason the wedding was so amazing was because of the location.

Our reception was held at the Nikon Jones Beach Theater, and no, they do not "do" weddings, and yes, they made an exception for us....

Mike and I met at Jones Beach back in 2003 when it was the "Tommy Hilfiger Jones Beach Theater" and we were both working for Aramark at the concession stands. We met in the Food Court, where I worked on a register and Mike flipped burgers. We both continued to work there every summer...I became a supervisor and Mike left when he became a cop. The staff there became like family to us, and so when Mike and I cancelled our original wedding venue because they double booked our wedding, the folks at Jones Beach offered to let us have the reception in the VIP tents. It took me a few months to think it over - they had never done a wedding before and the location is totally 100% outdoors, so weather could be an issue. In the end, obviously, I said OK, because really, how many people have the chance to get married in the very spot they met? Oh, and it helps that the location is BEAUTIFUL!

I cannot thank my boss/coworker/catering manager enough for all of his hard ward. Rowland has been there since day one and was the single most important person in making this day come to reality. He worked 'round the clock with me and really outdid himself. Let me also say that the staff that worked for our wedding could hardly be called "staff", in reality they are the people Mike and I have been working with for the past 9 summers. They are our coworkers and our friends, and we were thrilled that they were a part of our day. I made it a point to thank them in front of all the guests.

Also, can I just say how flippin' awesome it was to be able to take our wedding pictures on the stage and in the seats at Nikon Jones Beach Theater? It was an breathtaking backdrop, and at times it just didn't feel real.

So I give our location ten million thumbs up. It touches my heart to know we got to start our lives as husband and wife in the very place we started our relationship at. Thank you, thank you, thank you to everybody that works with us for helping so much!!! I really believe that the whole feel of the day was dictated by how special the location was. For that one day in time, the entire theater belonged to us. I have never felt so much love before in my life, and I think that's the right feeling to have on your wedding day.

Why Orange? Believe Notes has a NEW LOOK! (again!)

Remember this post? I mentioned how frustrated I was with branding, and that I feel like every six months I need a new look.

That was in January. Fast forward exactly six months, and indeed I have sipped the kool aid. Time for another re-brand. Do you also remember this post? Because that's when the drinking really began.

And may I make one thing very clear, I did not drink pink kool aid, I drank orange kool aid....because orange is sorta my thang.

Orange has worked its way into my life in a really adorable and meaningful way. When I met Mr. Law  (over 8 years ago, yeesh) he loved orange. I wasn't crazy about orange yet, but as time progressed, so did I, and so did my adoration for the punchy hue. Then, I bought myself an orange rain coat. Let's say it was a turning point, because that coat was an investment, if you know what I mean. From then on, orange was not just a color, it was our color.

When we purchased our home last year, I spray painted an antique captains chair BRIGHT orange. It's now one of my favorite parts of our home - oh wait, the orange chair and the CRAZY ORANGE BUDDHA!

Yes, I almost forgot, I found a crazy orange Buddha statue at a sale once and had to have it. It sits happily on our antique china cabinet and watches us eat. When I sneak a cookie, crazy orange Buddha knows.

When we got married I wanted an all white wedding, and my hubs wanted - you guessed it - orange. When my girls and I went shopping for bridesmaid dresses, we all collectively gravitated towards one dress and one dress only - and as luck would have it, it was orange.

So, I have continued to sip my favorite colored kool aid, and now my business is going orange as well.

I hope you all enjoy the new punch of color!!!

Don't mind the mess, but that's our office chair :)

Miss Juliet and her orange toy

We even had orange at our engagement party! These were the favors that I made.

I discovered the way to get him to clean: an ORANGE vacuum!

Our wedding invitations

My beautiful girls and their orange dresses

Can you spot the crazy Buddha???? He's laughing at the "day after bridal shower" mess!

Ok all, enjoy!!!

In My Heart

Processed Type

Right now I have a lot of the above in my heart. I've gotten my pictures back from my photographers, and while I didn't shed a tear at the wedding, every time I look at the pictures I get choked up. Aside from the obvious, what makes it so much more special is that my photographer ( a husband and wife team) are such incredibly sweet people. I look forward to working with them on some other projects in the future...

But for right now, I need some private time with me and my box of tissues. It doesn't help that I've got this song on replay....

Oh, how I completely love how love feels.....

Back to Reality

Well sort of...

The wedding was absolutely the stuff dreams are made of - I'm talking perfect weather, everything on time, party-mania, and chock full of love. I plan on spending the next few weeks doing vendor reviews, because my people rocked, and I mean ROCKED.

In the meantime, here are a few of my favorite pics from the night (all sent to me by friends and family, as I am impatiently waiting for the professional pics to be leaked!!)

This is one of my favorite pictures. My dad was just standing back watching me the whole morning. So touching.

The dinner tent

My parents

And this is what a PARTY looks like!

I designed & printed all of the menus and the wine bottle labels. My dad makes wine, and he made the wine favors for all.

Much, much more to come soon! In a quick recap, our wedding was amazing, the honeymoon sucked (rained, no poured, the entire time in Jamaica), and I'm regretting not taking time off after the honeymoon before going back to work. I had about 12 hours from when I got off the plane and had to go back to work, definitely not enough time. My home is a disaster (every single surface is covered with either laundry, luggage or wedding cards) and to make matters worse we had an emergency last night that involved a large number of firemen & emergency personnel to go through my home. EMS kept asking how I felt, and I kept saying "embarrassed, my home is a wreck!". They laughed at me, but really, I was mortified....

Anywho - thanks for all your well wishes, I have recieved a few touching emails, which I appreciate greatly! Check back soon for more pictures, reviews and snippets of my design work!

xoxox
the new Mrs.

Forever

This isn't our wedding song, although I think it's so incredibly appropriate for myself, or anybody else getting married. While I am not a Ben Harper fan per say, this song is simply amazing. 

"Forever" Ben Harper

Not talkin' 'bout a year
No not three or four
I don't want that kind of forever
In my life anymore
Forever always seems
to be around when it begins
but forever never seems
to be around when it ends
So give me your forever
Please your forever
Not a day less will do from you

People spend so much time
Every single day
Runnin' 'round all over town
Givin' their forever away
But no not me
I won't let my forever roam
and now I hope I can find
my forever a home
So give me your forever
Please your forever
Not a day less will do
From you

Like a handless clock with numbers
An infinite of time
No not the forever found
Only in the mind
Forever always seems
to be around when things begin
but forever never seems
to be around when things end
So give me your forever
Please your forever
Not a day less will do
From you 

The Controversial Bridal Shower

I have my reasons for doing what I am doing, but I'm generating a bit of a stir anyway. It seems my wedding - and I am sure any bride has experienced this - is bringing out the diva in some people. My first major 'no-no', according to my old-fashioned family members, was to include comfort food at my cocktail hour. "Mac-n-cheese is for a kiddie birthday party, Jaclyn, not for a wedding" and "I don't care if it's in a martini glass, I will be seen eating mashed potatoes at a wedding" were some very, very common comments. Then I announced what they thought was the absolute worst thing ever - wait for it - wait for it......cupcakes!!!!! NOOOO!!! The uproar that ensued was, in my eyes, hilarious.

And then, when things finally calmed down, I gave them the big one. The most horrid thing that any old-fashioned, cannoli-eating, sambuca-drinking family could have ever heard of.

I'm planning my own bridal shower.

How dare I?!

Am I some sort of deranged control freak? Have I lost all sense of customs? What the heck* (note, heck wasn't the word my vino drinking family member used, but hey, this is a family blog) do I expect my bridesmaids to be doing? My generation, apparently, has no sense of tradition and honor. Hope. Is. Lost.

Seriously? Give me a break!

Let me make my case, and then you can make a decision on whether or not my actions are forgivable, or if I have undoubtedly cast doom onto the rest of my life.

My main reason for organizing my own bridal shower was money. I've been a bridesmaid, I've been a maid-of-honor, and I've been a guest - no matter what your role, these parties are expensive. Add in the fact that we live in New York/Long Island, and well, the regular idea of expensive has a few extra zeros at the end of it. Things where I live are shockingly expensive. Aside from the expensive, I have a rather large Italian family - way too many people to fit in a private home, and, unfortunately, the date of the shower isn't conducive to an outdoor fiesta. All of the above leads to one thing, a restaurant or catering hall shower, which ultimately equals even more $$$$$$.

And who, exactly, is supposed to front that mula? My bridesmaids? Well, let me put this out there - I'm relatively young. Right now in NY the average age for getting married is late 20's early 30's. I'm more along the lines of mid/early 20's, which means that my bridesmaids are along those lines as well. It's hard surviving as a newly working 20-something-year-old in a NYC economy. We are all surviving very well (in fact I think my group of girls deserve applause for being hard-working, super motivated gals with heads on their shoulders and lights in their tunnels!) but at the end of the day we don't have large sums of money sitting under our mattresses stashed away for expensive bridal showers.

So, what does a bride do? Ask her girls to hand over something they work their butts off for, or just organize and pay for the party herself?

Whether my peers like it or not, I've decided to meet in the middle. I'll pick a date, book a place, and pay the bill. My girls will plan all the activities, prizes, and so on. They don't have to take extra time off from work to do their bridal party duties, and I don't have to worry about walking into a restaurant in my pajamas, only to discover SURPRISE!

At the end of the day, I adore - no, love! - my girls. I know, without a doubt, that if I had asked them to foot the bill for the shower, they would have without batting an eyelash. But in my heart I can't do that. I love them too much to be putting that kind of pressure on them. Planning a wedding is stressful, planning a surprise party is also pretty stressful. I don't want my girls stressed, I want them to enjoy the journey, by my side. Their support means the world to me. I didn't ask them to be my bridesmaids because of their money, their party planning capabilities, or the way they'll look in a pretty dress standing next to me. I asked them to be my bridesmaid because they've been by my side since day one, and I know they will be for a long, long time coming.

I hope my family can come to terms with the fact that times, and traditions, are changing. Change happens, embrace it!

Fall Cleaning

I thought I would go through some of my old photos today and organize them. I found some real gems that you may enjoy....

This picture is a few years old - always reminded me of an 'Orbit' gum commercial. Don't I have a handsome hubby?

This is one of my favorite pictures ever! I was snapping the shot and my hubby was off camera aiming an apple - if you don't know what I'm talking about just look at the picture, our friends face, and then the upper right hand corner...

This picture of my mother single-handedly shows where I got my compulsive cleaning gene from...

^^ this is an awful picture of my mom, she happens to be a beautiful, beautiful women. But yes, she is indeed vacuuming the inside of the stove...


This picture was taken the night I got engaged - it's the only one I have and I'll always cherish it!

I love going through pictures!! I am sure I'll find more along my road to organization, but for now I'm perfectly content with what I've got!

Poopy Puppy

I know, I know, it's been way too far and few between with these blog posts, but I promise that my life has calmed down a bit and I'll update much more frequently!!

Speaking of calming down (not!), we rescued ourselves a little puppy! World, meet Juliet....

She's brought so much joy to us in the few short weeks we've had her, and I'm pretty sure she is thankful to have been rescued!!

We rescued her from the North Shore Animal League in Long Island, New York. The staff was wonderful, as are all of the medical staff and doctors. For all of you who are considering getting a new pet, think twice before spending a gazillion dollars on a purebred or puppy store dog. While I believe all dogs deserve homes, I am actively against puppy mills. There are thousands of animals, like Juliet, that need homes desperately. Adopting Juliet was inexpensive (under $200!), and beyond rewarding. 

Just look at her face, come on! How could anybody pay thousands of dollars on poorly bred puppy mill dogs, when they can save a love-mutt from being put to sleep?!!

If you are interesting in rescuing, the following are some noteworthy organizations and sites:

North Shore Animal League

The Little Shelter

Pet Finder

Also check out your local human society. 

And um, who doesn't cry at those adoption commercials with the Sarah McLachlan songs?!