sneak!

My little sister showed up tonight!  A day early and a total surprise to Mom and I!  What a little sneak!  (So glad you're here!)

my photographer is the best!

Yes.  My photographer.  He's so awesome, I have laid claim.  Though I did pass kindergarten, so I am willing to share (just not this Sunday!  eep!).  Take a look at these awesome engagement shots he took of Ari and I in Central Park last weekend.

This is just a teaser, Noah was so nice and sent along a few photos sooner rather than later so I'd have something to buzz over to the NY Times (which I may have been too late to have published anyhow, but it's worth a try, I suppose).  I'll post the rest when they come around, but it'll probably be after the wedding and our honeymoon.

Seriously though, Noah has been really great, totally relaxed and unobtrusive.  I can't wait to sing his praises even more after the wedding!  Check him out on his site: Noah Devereaux Wedding Photojournalism.

All images taken by and courtesy of Noah Devereaux.

The Final Countdown: One Week

Sorry for that little bit of down time earlier this week.  My parents took me on a last hurrah mini-vacation to Block Island.  Suffice (for now) to say that it was divine (minus my sunburn).  I'll have a real post for you once I get a chance to look at the photos I took.

---

It's pretty astounding (to me at least).  One week.  Seven days from today I'll be getting my hair and make up done, chatting with my family and best friend and generally getting prettified and trying to stay relaxed.  Something will go wrong and I'll try not to fuss.  I'll get in the car and walk around with my face all done up and veil in my hair... and a tshirt and shorts.  I'll hide away in a restaurant manager's office and my mom will zip up my wedding dress.  Right now it seems so surreal...

Fact is, my to do list is still two full pages long.  Heck, my to do list for today has 9 things on it, at least four of which are starting or completing some big projects.  When I have so much tangible work in front of me, it's hard to think about the really huge emotional thing that's happening so soon.  I mean, in a week I'll be a wife!  Now if that's not trippy, I don't know what is.

I'm trying to think what to write next and realizing that this post has no structure at all.  Guess I'm a little rusty... the beach melted my brain in the most pleasant way.  I think maybe I'll throw in a random list of things about... here:

• I'm excited. 

• I'm worried about the wedding (and all the stuff I have to do for it!) but not the marriage.

• I am so excited about the honeymoon, I'd have a pretty hard time explaining it.  Whenever I get stressed, I add a day to the wedding countdown and say to myself "in 8 days I'll be on my honeymoon! honeymoon! honeymoon!"  

• There's a song that goes with the honeymoon chant.

• I got a letter from the White House yesterday in response to our wedding invitation.  I'm being a good girl and waiting for Mr. McGee to show on Wednesday.  He said I could open it without him, but it's not every day you get mail from the White House...

• I still have to get my ceremony readers and chuppah holders together.

• I'm pretty excited to not know every nook and cranny of my ceremony text.  I know Carie is going to say lovely things, and I loves me some surprises! 

• I am seriously marrying the best person ever.  (And we're getting married!)

• Plus, bonus points because he's so hot (we're going to make pretty babies some day)!

• Bachelor/ette party plans are in full swing and I absolutely cannot wait for mine!  I know any time my sister and best friend put their heads together to plan a party it's going to be beyond insane.

• On a related note, any tips for dressing up like "a sexy pin up girl?"

• Holy crap, I'm getting married in a week.

words

After our meeting with the rabbi on Sunday, Ari and I have sussed out what our ceremony is going to look like.  Well, so far as we want to know.  We know all the parts, but some things that the rabbi will say, and our vows to each other are still saved for surprises. 

Initially I had been reading all of these ceremonies (I moderate an online forum of knitter and crocheter brides and we have a dedicated thread for that) and thinking we'd use one or another as readings in our own.  I saved only my very favorites, and read them to Ari on the porch one night, but he just wasn't sold.  I was a little bummed at first (the words, they are so beautiful!), but I understood his reluctance and we decided not to have readings.

And this one wouldn't have worked anyway, not for our wedding at least.  But for a spring wedding, all sunshine and peonies and joy, this would be perfect.

Today by Billy Collins

If ever there were a spring day so perfect,
so uplifted by a warm intermittent breeze

that it made you want to throw
open all the windows in the house

and unlatch the door to the canary's cage,
indeed, rip the little door from its jamb,

a day when the cool brick paths
and the garden bursting with peonies

seemed so etched in sunlight
that you felt like taking

a hammer to the glass paperweight
on the living room end table,

releasing the inhabitants
from their snow-covered cottage

so they could walk out,
holding hands and squinting

into this larger dome of blue and white,
well, today is just that kind of day.
-------------------------------------------------------
source

And, in case you were wondering, my favorites were Our Union Could Be Like This by Hafiz, a children's book called I Like You by Sandol Stoddard Warburg and I'll Be There For You by Louise Cuddon.

I found Billy Collins through the ever-awesome East Side Bride, who posted my now favorite video of a three year old kid reciting from memory Collins' beautiful poem Litany.

putting the knits back into mcgee

Considering my name, there's not much knitting content on this blog.  However, thought I'd throw some in here, just for fun.  I can across this font two days ago, that has all the fabric care symbols.  So, if you knit, crochet, sew or anything else fiber related, this is for you. 

I said tumble dry low!

Go here to download the font "Notice 3" (heads up, the site is in Russian, use google translator for the page if that freaks you out!).  It is the fifth paragraph down, the top link of the two in that group.  Now, I must admit, I have no idea how to install a font on a PC, so if you're not a Mac, you're on your own.  However, if you are using a Mac, once the download is complete, open the zip file (font_notice3.zip) in your downloads file by double clicking.  Then open the file Notice3Std.otf the same way.  This will open a program called "Font Book."  Just click the "Install Font" button at the bottom right.  Et voila!  Next time you're putting together a cute little tag for those socks you're gifting to Uncle John, you can put the real care symbols on, easy peasy!

yum!

Hey all, just popping in to tell you that my good friend Stefie just started a new food blog, Four Tines and a Napkin.  It's full of info, opinions and photos of places that make me hungry just to think about!  She has really good taste, putting the bakery of my wedding cake on her "bucket list" without even knowing!  You should definitely check it out, my girl is a funny one, I predict big things for her!

Stefie and I at our fraternity formal in college!

awesomesauce

Between this insane dress and hat combo

via once wed

and this insane floral display

via truly smitten

it's been a good day in blogland.