Practice, Practice, Practice

I FINALLY booked a restaurant for the rehearsal dinner. There are a limited number of restaurants in the wedding village, and they have been less then responsive to my emails and phone calls, but it's finally done!

Since the booking was so late, I had to send out email invites. I wanted something cute and easy and I found the loveliest template on Wedding Chicks. They have an amazing selection of templates for save the dates and even whole invitation suites.

They make it sooo easy as well! You just chose your color, fill in your wording and ta-da! A Jpeg! Amazing...

Wedding Sneak Peek

We're having a traditional Vietnamese tea ceremony during the early afternoon of the wedding, and the family will be dressed in traditional Vietnamese gear. Since my aunt still lives in Vietnam, she helped us order custom made ao dai's  which I'm really excited to try on!

I got a sneak peak of Baby Carson in his ao dai, and I couldn't wait to share. 

Isn't he the cutest? I can't wait for the ceremony!

But wait! There's more cuteness in this picture... Can you spot it? Look again... 

The star!

My piles and piles of online shopping/wedding goods! YEAH! Can't wait to rip into those boxes :)

New Co-Workers

The G has been renovating buildings in Dublin, and today I got to move to my new desk space. It's lovely, bright and awesomely decorated. The best part... I have new co-workers!

How cute? They are at the end of everyone's desk space. We have yet to name them. The big question though... how long they will survive? Especially since I only have FIVE more days of work in Dublin before I go home. 

Oh my Actual God

Last night BF and I were watching the Rose of Tralee (kind of like Ms. USA-kinda,ish?). They don't do bathing suits and just interview people. If the gals have a talent they can perform. Overall, we weren't 100% impressed with the interview until Ms. Dublin came on. She spoke well and seemed normal until... her talent.

You need to see it. SO freaking funny!

This is seriously how "street" Ireland gets (in a ball gown nonetheless). And did she really just do the Rodger rabbit circa 1994?  Poor thing. Every time I watch this I giggle. 

Relaxing

With the wedding only a couple weeks away, I've been focusing a lot in the past weeks on relaxing (even though we have engagement/housewarming parties and visitors every week!). This past weekend, BF was away so I was able to take it easy and have a lovely girly weekend.

I spent Friday evening, wedding dress shopping with two gal pals for both (!!) of them, not me. It was so fun! I bought my dress at Kleinfeld's in NY where they ask you what kind of dress you like and bring it out to you. I didn't get the browsing (except online) experience, so I really enjoyed going through the dress racks and looking at wedding dresses. Saturday, I went for a reflexology treatment. My weekly massage therapist (I realise I am SPOILED!) mentioned that I indeed was stressed, and suggested reflexology along with massage. No need to twist my arm here! Basically, because there are so many nerve endings in your feet, massaging different areas of the feet massages corresponding  internal organs. While she was massaging, it felt like different parts of my internal organs were responding (not sure if that was imaginary or not!)

After that relaxing day, I headed over to a friend's housewarming/engagement party (seriously, everyone is getting married or buying a house over here!) Her house is beautiful!!!

How cute is her little birdhouse!?

Then Sunday, I spent the entire day in my sun room, catching up on fashion magazines and reading a book. Lovely! 

One Month!!!!!!!!

YEAH!!! Only one more month, until I get a hubby. So excited!

I'm ready to be done work and ready to fly to the US to get the little wedding things done. Thankfully, I'm able to fly home earlier then expected to work from the Boston office so only 2.5 more weeks in Ireland until the wedding.

This past weekend, BF and I attended our friends' engagement party. It was so lovely to see an amazing couple at the start of their wedding planning. Lots of champagne was passed around and all kinds of shocking things happened!

First, BF proposed to my friend Gina. What the heck?

Wait... you're already engaged!  

Then BF proposed AGAIN to my friend Davey.

How come his ring is sparklier then mine?!!? 

Then the guest of honour decided to give BF kisses. Out of control!  

Me and the guest of honor  

After the party, Kieran and I were walking down Baggot Street to find a Burger King  grab a cab and we ran into Anne Doyle out on the town at 2:00 in the morning!! Anne Doyle is a news reporter for RTE. I tried to chase her down to no avail. Surprisingly, she didn't show up for the Sunday evening news...must have been a rough night for her! :) 

Love hearts

To be a teenager again! How cute (and creative) is my little baby sister (who clearly has too much time on her hands!) :)

Dublin Mountain Way

BF and I continued our staycation and decided to do the Dublin Mountain way on Saturday. We started off taking the DART to Shankill and walked through the cute little village before heading onto the hiking path. To be 100% honest, it isn't well marked and it felt like we were sneaking into people's backyards to get to the start of the path.

Once we were there though, it was gorgeous! Only a 20 minute ride from the city, and you're in the countryside! Here are some lovely pics from our 3 hour hike.

The start of the trail 

The lead chimney 

I think... I can... reach it... 

Look at this crazy mushroom! I've never seen such a thing and it reminded me of fairies and elves...(or the super mushroom in Super Mario brothers!)

Crazy Mushroom! 

We finally got to the top and this is the view! We wished we had the foresight to bring a picnic lunch up here. Would have been amazing.

On the way to the top! 

Check out my 80's wind blown bangs! 

Once we reached the top, down we went to head to Johnny Foxes. We've been here once before with BF's sister, but this time we had to walk there...uphill...after not having anything but breakfast five hours earlier... in uncomfortable shoes...whine whine whine...that was me :)

Above the valley 

We finally got there, and I enjoyed an excellent Fish pie. I would have taken pictures of the cuteness inside, but I didn't want to be a tourist so here's a pic of me waiting outside for the cab to take us home!

Come on cab... I need a nap! 

Shh....

Hi readers!

I've got nothing. It's been really quiet here the past couple of weeks and so I have had nothing to update on the blog. BF and I have been hanging out at home (boring), going out for dinner and drinks with friends (fun, but nothing unusual), and I have been doing ALOT of online shopping for "the wedding" which is my excuse to justify buying anything I would like to my heart's content (new make up, new make up brushes, new "rehearsal dinner dress"...) and telling BF that it should be included in the wedding budget. He hasn't caught on just yet! ;)

I'll leave you with this lovely wedding inspiration which is all I think about as the day gets closer and closer!

The look and feel of what we want our wedding to be like! 

A Surprise

I got home from another make up lesson last night (more on that in a different post - maybe- the pictures I make in the after make up shots are a bit scary) and received a surprise package in the mail. YEAH!

The only bummer thing about receiving a package from the US, the custom sheet always gives the present away before you open it... waa waa

Special Package 

So I knew it was stationary before I opened it, but look how cute it is?!? My sister sent me personalised paper in my favorite colors- gray and yellow (First my living room, then my wedding and now stationary!) But even better, it has my soon- to-be married name. YEAH!

Teddy's

Yesterday, was a bank holiday in Ireland. Normally, BF and I work bank holidays so that we can take other days off.  However, we took advantage by relaxing all weekend since we have some crazy weekends  planned for August. We lazed around the house, went into town, watched movies and went for long walks.

At the beginning of the summer we said that we would treat ourselves to Teddy's ice cream on the hottest day of the summer. Unlucky for us, it has not been hot AT ALL and if it was slightly warm we had plans and couldn't get down to Dun Loaghaire for a bite of Teddy's. We picked yesterday (the gloomiest, most rainy day of the summer) to head down to the little ice cream shop.

How cute!?!

It was well worth the wait until August! Look at the cone!! 

Cutest and tastiest ice cream cone!