White lace and promises......

Hello Everyone! Wow what a whirlwind weekend it has been. Starting with the bridal party hanging out here all day Friday by the pool.

The wonderful rehearsal dinner hosted by my husband and me was Friday night. I was awestruck when I walked into the room. It was decorated so beautifully and the flowers were gorgous. There were wonderful speeches, great food and wine, and even some dancing before the evening ended.

Dancing with her soon to be father-in-law

Last night as singles.

No time for late night fun though. We had to get home to be at the hair salon by 8:45 the next morning for hair and makeup.

From there we headed to the Elkins Estate to get ready. This is where we would spend the night and where the reception would be held. All I can say about this venue is 'wow'! I don't have alot of photos of the exterior and interior rooms, but if you get a minute check out their website http://www.elkinsestate.org/ to see how beautiful it is.

 To think that this was actually  a home to someone is almost beyond belief. I was actually getting lost wondering around. It was huge. From the moment you drove through the huge iron gates and up the long drive, you knew that this was a special place.

The bridesmaids waiting for the bride to finish dressing.

The beautiful bride.

The lovely ladies in waiting.

After dressing and sipping some champagne, we headed to the church. The bride in a Rolls Royce. We had a similar one on our wedding day almost 31 years ago.

Cinderella's carriage

Arriving at the Church.

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The day was beautiful, and the heat and humidy went away for us. The skies were blue, with puffy white clouds, and a temp of 80. Perfect. It made up for the rain the previous day, and I was willing to give up my rehearsal dinner cocktails on the terrace the day before, in exchange for this glorious day.

My two younger boys escorting me down the aisle.

Here comes the bride!

Everything went off without a hitch, and the ceremony was gorgeous.

Showers of lavender rice.

Champagne in luxury transportation.

The bride and groom arriving.

Then back to the Elkins Estate for an unbelievable event. The bride and her family planned a flawless evening, accompanied by delicious wines to enjoy with the amazing food. I have been to a few weddings in my day, but never had food as wonderful as this in a banquet setting.

Here is the menu as printed on the lovely card inserted in our napkin:

First Course
 A Trio
Watermelon gazpacho, chevre chaud salad, duck breast, polenta croustade, vanilla plumed cherries

Entree
Bleu cheese encrusted filet
Blasamic Reduction, mushroom roasted potato ragout
 or
Jumbo Lump Crab Cake, summer peach salsa, cucumber salad
or
Vegetarian filo purse over vegetable coulis, mushroom-roasted potato ragout

Dessert
Classic vanilla pound cake with butter cream frosting
Crepe Station and Liquor Bar
Traditional French dessert with toppings of cherries jubilee, butter & sugar, nutella or vanilla and chocolate ice cream

 Being the mother of the groom, I wasn't walking around with a camera all night, and I'm sure more photos will start to trickle in. But I wish I had photos of each  hors d'oeuvre as they made their way around on butlered trays. Spoons filled with little scallops in a white wine sauce, little pieces of lobster, trays of tuna sushi, beef carpacio on tiny toasts, and tiny triangles of cucumber topped with smoked salmon. There was a raw bar filled with colossal shrimp, tiny crab claws and raw oysters.

The room was decorated beautifully. These photos don't show how magical it really looked and the flowers were exquisite.



It was a great moment as we were all announced and walked into the beautiful ballroom.

All the couples "danced" their way in to a special song of their choice. This is my baby, one of the best men, and the maid of honor.

We danced in too!! We picked Tom Jones, "It's not unusual!!"

Mr. and Mrs!!

Cinderella and Prince Charming.

 Later there would be a crepe bar, but I couldn't leave the dance floor all night.  Those baskets of flip flops I made up sure came in handy!

It was a wonderful, magical evening of love, laughter and happily ever after. The newlyweds went to bed late into the night, and the bridal suite at the estate was beautifully decorated by their wedding planner.

The honeymoon suite at the Estate

The brides monogrammed robe and a little something from Tiffany's. A gift from the groom!

Yesterday everyone gathered at my house for pizza and champagne, and this morning my house is quiet again. Everyone is back to work, we're leaving soon for a week of some rest and relaxation at the shore, and Meghan and Ryan just left for the airport and their honeymoon in French Polynesia. Moorea, Tahiti and Bora Bora.

 A kiss for luck and their on their way.


Give me some time and I'll catch up with all of  you this week. Just wanted to check in and tell you that it was a wonderful day.


Thought for the day:  "Love does not consist in gazing at each other but looking in the same direction together."
Antonne de Saint-Exupery

Here are few more highlights....

Mother/Son dance

Dancing with my uncle.

My nosegay!

The proud mothers.

My special guy....my nephew!

My family

Parents of the groom

The dress I finally picked!

It was comfortable, and flattering. At least that's what I was told!!

Back to the room to pack after a quick morning after breakfast.

The lady and the gents.

The flowers smelled lovely!

Our bedroom suite

We burst into the honeymoon suite. Time to get up!!!

My husband on the other side of our large suite!

The groomsmen waiting outside the Estate for the bride and groom.

My baby is all grown up now! So handsome!

Maids in waiting.

Parents and grandparents

Champagne and candles

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The brides bouquet with a cameo pin borrowed from here mother.

Going to the chapel, and we're going to get married!!

Well, I am amazed that I am sitting down right now and writing this blog post. The wedding is four days away!!! It's part of my commitment to stay connected to all of you, and also my commitment to a lifestyle that I've chosen. As some of you have said in your blogs, we have to stay connected. That is one of the reasons Weight Watchers, Alcoholics Anonymous, and other groups dealing with addictions and lifestyle changes are so successful. It's the support we gain from checking in and getting strength, ideas, and motivation from each other. We are all addicted to food, and we are committed to eating a low sugar, low carb, clean eating lifestyle. We really need each other! We need to keep in touch!

Things are hectic around here. I wish I had one more week to prepare. This is what my dining room looks like right now:

All the wine for the wedding and rehearsal, as well as various other things are stored here waiting to go the various venues. We also have baskets for the bathroom, should you need something....

Little paper cones are filled with lavender and tied with bows. These are to be thrown in place of rice when they bride and groom exit the church.

Baskets of flip flops are filled in case your tired feet need some relief from the high heels while dancing!

 And there are lots of other things, like gift bags for the hotel guests, bottles of water with customized labels, and the list goes on and on.

While I would love to be able to share some new and delicious recipes I've discovered ( and I did discover some recently,) I am going to share something simple and delicous that I have been doing the last few days. After the wedding when things settle down, I'll share some great dinner ideas I've tried recently.

For now, try this delicous twist on water. It really makes a cool, refreshing summer drink,

I saw this on Dr. Oz and there was a woman saying this was a fat flush water. Not sure about that, but it is tasty. I make the whole pitcher up in the morning and drink throughout the day. Just add a slice of grapefruit, 1/2 of sliced cucumber, a sliced orange or tangerine, and some fresh mint. Keep in the fridge and drink throughout the day for a refreshing way to get your water in.

I may  not be able to blog the next few days, but I promise a whole run down, with photos of all the festivities, starting with the pool party for the bridesmaids and groomsmen on Friday afternoon at my house, followed by a beautiful rehearsal dinner we are hosting on Friday evening, then of course the big wedding day on Saturday. Sunday is  a pizza and champagne party with the family, and other guests poolside at our house.The happy couple leave for Tahiti, Bora Bora, and French Polynesia on Monday. And we are heading to the shore for a week of rest and relaxation!! I have a feeling we will need it!! As always, I am sending you love and hugs!!

P. S. I forgot to mention that Victoria's Secret has rented out the Elkins Estate where they Wedding reception is being hosted, for this whole week. They are shooting their latest catalog. We will be moving all of the wine/ gowns/ wedding stuff in Thursday morning. Maybe we will get to see some of the shoot. That should be a pick me up...size zero models in bikinis and thong underwear!!!!

Thought for the day: " I like nonsense. It wakes up the brain cells." Dr. Suess

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Rockin' the LPD!!!

Good Morning! No I'm not rocking the Los Angeles Police Department. Remember the initials for the Little Black Dress...LBD? Well, I have a LPD...Little Pink Dress. It's the dress I'm wearing to the rehearsal dinner. I'm stepping out of my comfort zone with the hot pick color. While it might not be as little as I had hoped, it fits, and I think it looks pretty good. I'm not getting hooked on the size, because it's a higher end  dress, and I know that the sizes are cut smaller. When I had my final fitting two weeks ago, I thought it was still a bit snug. The saleswoman seemed to struggle a bit getting it zipped. "Are you sure it's not too tight?"  I asked. "It fits perfectly." I was told. Well it did, ......if I just stood still, .......didn't bend over, or raise my arms. I was a little nervous.

This morning, sans makeup, or even a fix up of my hair, I wanted to do a trial run of both this dress and my gown for the wedding in the privacy of my own bedroom. I put on the dress, and it zipped up easily. And I was zipping it with my hand behind my back!! YAY!!  Let me say that again ...YAY! I think this felt better than any plate of pasta ever could!

My son who was making a bathroom run at 7:30 this morning, was accosted with a camera. "Take a photo for my blog," I said. "You're crazy Mom," he yawned.

That I am!!

Disregard the lack of makeup, the bed head and my bad breath...oh you can't smell that from the blog! Well maybe you can. Also please overlook that I am wearing two different earrings. Trying to decide between two pair.

So here's your rehearsal dress preview.  I promise I'll look better when I do my hair and makeup next Friday night! Just had to share. Love and hugs to you all.

Thought for the day: 

Taken from the Beck Diet Solution Facebook page. Whatever eating plan you follow, the tips and advice from this site are so helpful.

Wednesday Sabotage: I just ate something I wasn’t supposed to. I’ve really blown it! I might as well keep eating whatever I want and get back on track tomorrow. Response: If I was washing my nice china and accidently broke a plate, I wouldn’t go to my china cabinet and smash all the rest of it. Dieting is the same – it makes NO SENSE to compound one mistake with more!