Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Housekeeping and wedding invitations

I've been meaning to create a page with some of our favorite recipes, since so many of you keep asking. And finally yesterday I got the motivation to do so, in the form of RA and Nic's fun new collaborative cooking project, Whip It Up. I love recipe-sharing, and I think this is a great plan. But I don't want to clog my personal blog with a lot of recipes that the majority of my readers don't care about, and I couldn't figure out how to create a new page on my blog. (Side note: Is that even possible on Blogger?)

So I decided to go the easy route and create a spin-off blog, Du Wax Loolu Recipes. You can find the link right over there in the sidebar, and if you scroll down, you'll see a mini-feed of the most recent entry. Right now there's only one recipe, but hopefully later today there will be two, and it will continue from there. I'll post about new recipes when we think they're worth sharing, and update with some of our staple favorites, and possibly share cooking disasters if any occur.

Speaking of over there in the sidebar, you may notice that I joined Twitter. For a long time I didn't want to, because I thought it was just like Facebook status updates, and I totally didn't get that. So I didn't do it. But I was really bored on Friday, and wanted to read other people's Twitters (tweets?), so I created myself an account, figured out how to customize my page to be purple, and now I'm hooked. If I'm not following you already, please tell me your Twitter name so that I can. And you can follow me!

Okay, now that the housekeeping is out of the way, let's discuss something that's almost as fascinating: wedding stamps! I've actually discussed this before, first when I bought the purple wedding stamp for the save-the-dates and RSVPs, and again when I discovered the next day that postage was going to go up before we sent out the invitations. So I've been patiently waiting for the introduction of the new wedding stamps at the correct rates, and recently they came out, and um, not only are they no longer a pretty purple and pink? But they are instead a less than charming orange and green.

Specifically, the 59-cent stamp I need for the actual invitations is pale orange. Behold:


The design is not nice, the color is even less so, and the idea of a pale orange stamp on the dark purple envelopes makes me want to puke. I was going to be very pissed about the whole thing, but then I discovered this beautiful stamp:


Yes, it's 72 cents, which is 13 cents of wasted postage per invitation, but we are only sending 50 invitations domestically, so that adds up to a total waste of $6.50. To me, it's worth that much to have pretty stamps on my envelopes. I realize that I am probably the only person that cares about or will even notice the stamps, but they still matter to me. And I think I've done a very good job of avoiding being a Bridezilla so far, so I will allow myself this particular little indulgence.

But oh, speaking of invitations: We worked on them for several hours this weekend, with the help of a charming and adorable friend of mine, and they are coming together so well. If we really sat down and applied ourselves, we could have everything done in the next couple of weeks. But this dual language thing is so COMPLICATED. First of all, we have to number the RSVP cards so that we can figure out who they're from when we receive the inevitable response cards without the names filled in. So once the RSVP has been numbered, we have to make sure that it winds up in the envelope addressed to the correct person.

But it doesn't end there. We also have to make sure that the RSVP card and information card are in the correct language (German or English). We have to make sure that only the domestic invitations have return postage on the RSVP envelopes, because RSVPs mailed from abroad can't have American stamps. And then we have to make sure that the external envelope has the correct postage for where it's going (and it will cost a whopping $1.74 to mail each international invitation). It's such a complicated, multi-step process that I want to do the whole thing myself to make sure that wires don't get crossed in the middle. I'm going to go ahead and declare right here that this doesn't make me a control freak.

What might make me a control freak, though, is the fact that I keep going over in my head all the different steps we have to go through to make sure that the correct invitation gets sent to each person. It's not that it's stressing me out, but since it is going to be complicated, it's something that I really want to get done. But we aren't there yet, because the invitations aren't fully assembled yet. So I am trying to practice my new zen attitude. So far, it's only working somewhat.

Lastly, please allow me one small Bridezilla moment: My wedding gown is supposed to arrive in June. June is more than halfway over. WHERE IS MY DRESS? I want it NOW.

45 comments:

  1. I ordered my gown in November...AND IT'S STILL NOT HERE! More than six months and nothing.
    Luckily I like to plan ahead and the wedding is still 10 months away.

    You are not crazy to want matchy postage! In an attempt to save money, I bought Forever stamps with a big ole Liberty Bell on them. Hopefully our invitations will be so breathtaking that no one will notice the postage!

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  2. Mostly what I got out of that was not that you are a control freak but that I'm really glad I am not planning a wedding myself. :-) Good luck!

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  3. May be a moot point but there are websites where you can create your own stamp. I wanted to do that but I was a bit too lazy :)

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  4. My friend also worried about the postage for her invites. YOU ARE NOT ALONE! :)

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  5. I agree, the new heart stamp, not pretty. I like the other one, but you can make your own stamps with a picture. You could use one of your engagement pics, if you wanted, which would be pretty cool. I hope your dress comes in soon!

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  6. I, um, yes... I must admit, I think you're a little crazy when it comes to the stamps. But who knows? I have my own little OCD tendencies and, if I ever end up planning a wedding, will probably find something similarly small that is absolutely important damnit, so I will not pass judgment :)

    And I hear ya on the dress. I feel the same way about my financial aid letter for next Fall. Just, perhaps, without some of the attendant giddiness that you must have :)

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  7. I'm with you on the stamps. The second one is definitely better. Does the US postal service have these photo stamps? Of course it must. I've received a lot of wedding invitations with this kind of stamp and it's pretty cool.

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  8. Ok, whose ass do I need to kick to get your wedding dress here? Because I can be pretty persuasive when I have to be, and when it doesn't have anything to do with me.

    Also, I'm laughing in my head because I knew about the stamp situation, and I'll admit, it's kind of funny that you posted about stamps. But YAY PURPLE STAMP! Crisis averted!

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  9. We used awful train stamps for our invites, but I was counting on being able to just buy attractive stamps wherever I was, which didn't happen. Meh. Annoying, but it got the job done.

    I'm so glad you're joining Whip It Up!

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  10. You should CALL!! I finally called last week and my dress has been SITTING THERE since mid April. Of course they say they left me a message but do you really think that if I had known my dress was in that it would still be sitting there a month and a half later?? Seriously? ARGH!

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  11. I have to agree. The stamp is nice.

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  12. I know what you mean about the bi-lingual invitations. I'm still trying to figure out exactly what I will be sending to the German family, especially since none of them are planning on coming over. And um, I'm lazy and still haven't sent out my invitations. My wedding is in 68 days...oops! :)

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  13. Oh, I'm so happy you found those gorgeous stamps! Perfect. And I don't think it's weird at all that you want them to match. Dark purple and pale orange? No.

    Wow - I had never really stopped to think about all that would be involved when sending dual language invitations. Goodness! Sounds like you have it all under control, though.

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  14. What a fantastic idea to number your RSVP cards. SOOOO SMART. I'm totally stealing that idea for our invitations. If we ever order them. Because the samples that were suppose to arrive by yesterday? Are nowhere to be seen. I fear they sent them to my old address. Boo!

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  15. You're too funny about the stamps. I actually liked the orange one, till you said the envelopes were dark purple. That would not look good.

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  16. oooh, recipes! Cool! I can't wait to check them out.

    Twitter is addictive. It's also a great way to fine-tune some writing skills. You've got to get your point across in 140 characters or less. Makes the brain work a bit (at least for me).

    I'm with you on the stamps, but the wasted money would make my eye twitch. I say do the personalized stamps and really make an impression (if they'll allow that for international mailing).

    You are allowed two bridezilla moments per month, and they can be accumulated to be used as needed as you approach the big day. ;)

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  17. You are correct, it is not possible to create separate pages on Blogger.

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  18. We didn't have anyone return the response card without the name filled in. Yet another way to goof up RSVPs. Awesome.

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  19. a girl in my rcia class ordered her stamps online since the post office was out of the cute love stamps. Unfortunately, she ordered the wrong ones and got huge Yoda stamps in the mail - needless to say it made for a cute story but still? I'd probably lose my shit.

    Matchy postage? Not crazy. Not having your wedding dress by the time they say it'll be ready? Not crazy. You = hardly a bridezilla :)

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  20. $6.50 is totally worth it to have matching postage.

    I hope your dress gets here! My dress was being discontinued, so I essentially bought it off the rack (thank god it fit, it was the only one left).

    Can I request something for your recipe site? Jason HATES, HATES vegetables. Do you have any cool recipes that don't include veggies in the meal (or can be served safely on the side for me)? Thanks!

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  21. Those dreamcicle colored stamps, not pretty. I like the purple ones!

    Off to see new recipes.

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  22. Could you please post a picture of the finished invite? I am so curious as to their loveliness :)

    And GAH, you are so not a bridezilla. That invite mailing-postage-international thing would freak me out too.

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  23. WOW. I think it's TOTALLY ok to be a little bridezilla about things. And I'm glad you found stamps you like.

    Also? I LOVE wedding planning! I'm so excited to find your site so I can follow along with the FUN!

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  24. yaaaay purple stamps! $6.50 is SO TOTALLY justifiable. (and i love that you worked out the exact amount.. hee)

    also EXTRA YAY for the recipe website! i want to make those beggar's purses NOOWWWW.

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  25. I love the new purple stamps, and you're right: an orange stamp on a purple envelope = not good, unless you are my 5-year-old self (my favorite colors were purple and orange at that age).

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  26. Hmm, have you considered those photo stamps? You might be able to use one of your engagement photos if you were willing to spend extra on stamps just so they look nice.

    Although, I do think it would be more subtle just to use the purple stamps that matched. Also, who knew it was so complicated to do the international invite thing? I guess it isn't something you consider until you are in the middle of it. I had no idea, anyway.

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  27. I think you're doing an excellent job at not being a bridezilla, first of all.

    Where is your dress? The people want to see it!

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  28. You're adorable- and definitely not a control freak. The purple is your thing, & the invitations are very important, so why not be specific about it? I think the purple stamps are great!
    And fingers crossed for your dress coming soon!!

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  29. Ah! You sound so organized! I would have yellow sticky notes posted EVERYWHERE trying to make sure I did everything right. I'm glad you're splurging on the purple stamps. You can be thrifty with wedding expenses somewhere else. The invitation is the first glimpse people have of your special day...it should totally be purple! :)

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  30. The first thing I saw when I opened this post was the new version of the wedding stamp, and I actually kind of liked it. But I can totally see it not working with the purple invitation. And I can totally understand that you would pay a little extra for the matching (and very pretty!) stamp. This is your wedding, and you should go for the things that are important to you! Crossing my fingers for you that the dress arrives soon! How exciting!

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  31. I would be bothered by that first stamp on a purple envelope too. It's the attention to the details that makes the whole package, right? Good choice!

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  32. Even if you were inviting four times as many people, I'd still say the stamp was a totally reasonable indulgence. I, too, like pretty stamps, and that is a very small price to pay for the pretty ones.

    So, you didn't say: how ARE Twitters different from Facebook status updates? That's how I've been thinking of them, too.

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  33. The stamps aren't that bad, but I can definitely understand you wanting to have the perfect postage.
    And I can't imagine how you must be anticipating the arrival of your dress. Hope it gets there soon!

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  34. Ahh, the numbering of the RSVP cards is KEY!! Will definitely save you stress down the line. And I love the whole stamp thing...I was very particular about certain, random things too!

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  35. the purple stamps are awesome.

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  36. My dress was WAY early in a pleasant twist, so I can only imagine how annoyed you must be. And those stamps are barfy.

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  37. I mean the new wedding ones, not yours obvs.

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  38. Wow, the mailing sitch sounds sort of heinous. I know you can do it though! And good thinking on the pretty stamp... it's totally worth 6 bucks to like your invitations, in my opinion. :)

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  39. Oh my god that made my brain hurt.

    I hope it all works out!

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  40. Not sure if you're going to read this ... but I wrote a piece on Cape Malay weddings for you.

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  41. Gah. I'm already overwhelmed in advance for my non-existent wedding!

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  42. I don't think you're being a horrible bridezilla. I think you care enough about your wedding to notice little details like stamps, and that it's charming and cute.

    Also, they might not notice the pretty purple stamps, but they DEFINITELY would've noticed hideous orange ones. Good call.

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  43. Thanks for sharing!! Well, I got married few months back and I got my wedding invitation cards from Einvite.

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  44. Great post..so much to comment on!

    First, I don't know why the post Office insists on such limited choices and those colors for their wedding postage stamps. (Better for us designers though!)

    Good for you for being creative and finding the other size with a color scheme an picture you liked. You would think that with the automatic printing machiens these days and with the availability to print custom stamps, we wouldn't be restricted to certain amounts, but could get exactly what we wanted. No such luck there, either.

    I hope the dress comes in soon...fingers crossed for you.

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  45. I am finally beginning to understand the depths of your love for purple. So what will you do with all the un-usable stamps you already purchased? I always feel funny mailing a bill with a 'happy' stamp like a heart, flower, or little fuzzy rodent.

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