294 Days - Bonnie & Clyde

Meet the newest members of our family - Bonnie & Clyde! They are two month old rescue kittens from the Animal Rescue League of Arlington. They were in a litter of six known as The Breakfast Club. (They were "Eggs & Bacon" haha!) Bonnie is grey and white and Clyde is black, white and very fluffy!

We have been wanting to make an addition to our home for a while and have been in debates over a dog or a cat. We finally decided we would get a cat because we would feel guilty leaving a dog home all day while we are at work. Of course, one cat turned to into two kittens. Since the kittens were in the same litter and were socialized, we decided if we got two they would be able to keep each other company during the day. Plus that's twice the lovin' and the cuteness!

Please meet our little loves:

I am also proud of our decision. Today, there were no vacancies at the Rescue League. They were filled to the brim. It was so sad. If we had our way, we would have taken them all! Of course, I would have been a crazy cat lady, as a result, but if you look up the definition of sadness, you'll see a picture of a cat or a dog in a shelter. Go get a rescue kitty!

305 Days - Things that make you go, "Ooooh!"

I love my wedding dress and I am so excited to wear it, but if an unlimited budget came around and I got the option to wear a reception dress, this would be it, my friends:

LOVE! Its so simple and elegant. Beautiful lines. Stunning fabric. Dear J.Crew, stop sending me catalogs with dresses that make my heart melt.

313 Days - The Name Game

This seems trivial, but I am currently making a list of all of the derivations of what my name could be after the wedding. Sam has consistently said that it is my decision about what my name should be after the wedding. (He actually just suggested that I change my last name to MunnsterPenny. I'll take it into consideration.)

I'm pretty torn. I have been Rachel Munn for 26 years. Its everything I have ever known. It represents who I am and what I have made for myself as an individual. However, being called Mrs. Rachel Batkins is very exciting. I feel like a lot of little girls practice writing out their name and attach their future husband's last name. I won't lie. I've done it. I get butterflies when I write out my name with Sam's last name and I can't help but smile. Also, I don't think there is a way you can mispronounce Batkins. Munn, on the other hand, has resulted in being called Miss Moon on several occasions, including my graduation ceremony from American and meetings at work.

It seems like the name game is a pretty common debate. Decisions can be based on a woman's perspective on her lifestyle, which can tend toward feminism or traditionalism. Women ask themselves questions like, am I abandoning my last name if I take his last name? Wouldn't I want the same last name as the family we become when we get married? If I keep my name, monograms would never work. Haha!

Thankfully, I have 313 days to make this decision. If we are three days before the wedding and I haven't decided yet, that is the time to start showing concern.

329 Days - Gram & Boppy

I LOVE my grandparents. They are awesome. But when Sam and I made the decision to have our wedding in Washington, DC, I also knew that the trip from the North Country would be too hard on my grandparents. Obviously I would love for my grandparents to be present on my wedding day, but I don't what them to feel the stress of traveling for at least ten hours. I think if they do come, they wouldn't be able to enjoy it and then what's the point?! Yes, they will certainly be missed on our day. No one wants to get married without beloved family being present, but Sam reminded me that we will be in the North Country next Christmas. He suggested that I bring my dress and he bring his suit and we will renew our vows in front of Gram & Boppy. (One example of why Sam is so incredibly thoughtful.) I called Gram today to let her know what Sam and I have been discussing. For those of you that know her, you can imagine Gram letting the tears flow, but she seemed pretty relieved. I feel very, very good about this decision. I am also going to try and get a copy of my grandparents wedding portrait and have it in a place of honor at our wedding ceremony and reception.

333 Days - Recycled Glass

Centerpiece planning. . .

337 Days - $10 Challenge: Cake Topper Edition

In an effort to continue to save money on our wedding planning, Sam issued me a Cake Topper Challenge! He wanted to see if I could find a cake topper for $10. Ask and you shall receive, honey! I give you the Cake Topper Kit from Etsy seller GooseGrease:

For $10, my bridesmaid, Laura and I are going make a custom cake topper for Sam's and my wedding! I am super thrilled because not only do I love a bargain, but I love that it will be personal to Sam and me.

Hopefully, Sam's next money-saving challenge will be this easy. . .

338 Days - The List

So its been a while. . . sorry about that. Life has been crazy busy. We are still settling into our new place. My work engagement keeps me at work for nine to ten hours a day. Also, my sister's wedding and all of the details that needed to be covered up to her wedding day were pretty time consuming (Joyful, but time consuming.)

I haven't been too interested in our wedding planning because of everything going on around us, but as disinterested as I have been, I made a list of things that we have made decisions about, what we have accomplished, and what details we need to decide. I figured this list could fulfill blog posts for the next six months. . . such as:

1) The meaning of it all - Our meetings with Fr. Avella - the priest at Our Lady of Lourdes in our neighborhood, Fr. Chris Looby's involvement, Pre-Cana & Foccus;

2) The last name game;

3) To cake or to cupcake?;

4) Can I make a bouquet?!;

5) Can an i-pod wedding reception be any fun?;

6) The attack of the ballooning guest list!

7) Bride-Zen vs. Bridezilla. . .

8) Wedding brew - what to name it?

So I have this list, , but I don't want to talk about those things yet. Instead, I want to watch my sister's wedding video's that Sam recorded. It was a beautiful day, overflowing with love.

My favorite part is right before they kiss! The two of them have so much love and anticipation on their faces! They look ecstatic!