Ya, I’ve been a stress monster the past couple of weeks. For the most part, I can bamboozle with the best of them and no one will know any better. My mom didn’t pick up on it last week. The only one that can see right through me is Mr. Spring Bride. Surprising, isn’t it?
Well, you know, we’ve just had a series of things happen, like always. I know everyone feels this way, but I seriously feel like Mr. SB and me can never seem to catch a break. Last month we had to replace my radiator and then it turned out that the leak in my truck was not only caused by the leak in the radiator but also by a leak in the water pump, which we had NO idea about. So we ended up spending a little more on that than expected. Then, on the way to San Antonio, Mr. SB was trying desperately to get there on time for our friends to get to their show since we were supposed to watch their daughters and he got a TICKET. The funny thing is for years now, Mr. SB DOES NOT speed when we go out of town. He doesn’t care who is with us or how much they complain about his driving. He will always go the speed limit. Of course, the one time he relaxes his rule…he gets caught anyway. Such is luck.
To add to that, I am having dress issues. In both departments of the bridesmaids and mine. The decision seems to be split between the two dresses the girls tried on weeks ago. Then, while at Bridal Extravaganza, I saw another dress that I thought could work. So, since I had made an appt at David’s Bridal anyway to try on some dresses myself, BM A & Jr. BM J came along and we tried on two dresses. Both looked good on all body types we determined, but one we REALLY liked. I was all ready to tellt he others girls to check it out if they’d like and make that “the” bridesmaid dress when I asked the sales woman a very important question, “Can we get either of these in Lilac and Lapis?”. “No,” she replied. “They come in Lapis but not the lilac but you can get thm in victorian lilac. Thus, hitting the road block. You see, victorian lilac is not one of my colors. My colors are shades of purple from one extreme to the other. One is a very dark eggplant color which the lapis is very close to. The other is a very light purple which is lilac or even lavender in some cases. Victorian lilac is a more dullish purple. Pretty for a fall wedding, but not for my Springish wedding. Nor, am I interested in changing my entire color scheme because of it. I have details already bought in the lilac/lavender color. Just the other day I hit up an awesome ribbon sale at Michaels and ended up with some lavender ribbon. It may seem like a smallish detail to some, but to a bride I assure it is not. The two colors really are not similar in any way that matters other than both having “lilac” in the name. So, that was nixed. There is one other dress which I will post soon that will work in the lilac and lapis but does not have the detail we liked of the other.
Then, there is my dress. Oh wow. Where to begin. Dress shopping for me has been frustrating and appalling. First of all, I am not the size that most sample dresses come in. Way to make a bride feel good about how she will look on her wedding day. Second of all, there are things you do not take in to consideration when you do normal shopping. You see something you like, you try it on and if you like you buy it if not then you put it back and all is well. Not so when bridal gown shopping. There are different styles of dresses and then from that style, there are different cuts or styles of that style! For example, I like the A-line dress. But, there are some where it starts to flow out from the waist and others that are fit through the hips and flow out after that. Also. ruching. I like the wrap style. However, if it has too much ruching, it is just not very becoming at all. Then, there is necklines. Strapless, spaghetti straps, halter. Some are even an off the shoulder type which can be very romantic looking. And even then, there is a straightline cut, sweetheart, v-neck….too much to choose from. Not only am I cursed blessed with an hourglass shape that is not so defined in the waist where you’d like it, I am also very short. No, really. I am only 5 feet tall. So, then its “this dress makes you look shorter” and “this dress makes you look tallker”…either way you paint, I am still short and in every single picture everyone will be towering over me including my oldest son by then. Does it really matter?
I do have a newfound hope in the dress department. Also, I was focused on looking for the dresses I liked online and then checking with the bridal salons if they have that dress. Some of them even though, I called and asked still didn’t have what I wanted. And of course, there is that stupid sample size 8 that does not make it past my hips from down under or past my boobs from up top. So, I think I will actually visit my favorite bridal store again. I am going to visit some others but this time as well as give them my list of dresses I like (which I have added new ones with my newfound knowledge of what suits me and what doesn’t) I am going to look for dresses that have key details:
1. A-line
2. sweetheart or v-neck
3. Despite suggestions, NO HALTER style. Let me explain this a little. Because I have extra baggage so to say, so do “the girls”. I know every girl wants to have bigger boobs. However, I on my wedding day do not want to bring extra attention to them or “accent” them in a big way. This is why I want no halter style wedding dress. I will admit, because halter style do hold the girls in very well and kind of cradles them, it is very comfortable and therefore I own a lot of halter style shirts and blouses. Just not what I want on my wedding day. I MAY try on one, just to be sure this is the case.
4. Wrap style, but no heavy ruching. This is important. Too much ruching = no good.
5. Make sure I take my camera and not just my cell phone for pictures and if at all possible have someone other than mom take pictures. 🙂
Thats really all I have. The main thing is to stop being an online snob and give the dresses the bridal shops actually have a chance. I haven’t done this fairly, except for in the last shop we went to. The truth is, no wedding dress looks as beautiful in pictures or on the website as it does in person.
Well, this is pretty much it. This (without sparing you too many details) is what has caused my mini breakdown Mr. SB ad to experience last week (bless his poor heart).
Thanks to paying off that stupid ticket yesterday and my newfound hope, I think I am on my way to mental health again. 🙂
How do you cope when things get too stressful and you have a mini meltdown?