Rehearsal

I was off work today and scheduled some time for a rehearsal for the new season of the Legends show.  I am doing 1 of my Legends from last year, Neil Sedaka, and getting a new Legend to impersonate: Elton John!  

My medley of songs includes Your Song, Bitch is Back, Crocodile Rock, and Philadelphia Freedom, all of which were placed on an mp3 player for rehearsal at home.  Today I got an opportunity to sing through my medley at the Blue Moon, with a mic, with the background tracks so I could get a good feel for it.  It went well and I'm feeling confident about my upcoming 1st performance.

We're also doing a new finale song this year, our take on Gloria Gaynor's disco version of How High The Moon, a tongue-in-cheek nod to the place where we perform, the Blue Moon.

Today I also tried on for the 1st time my Elton John costume.  Oh Em Gee... can you say "over the top"???  Its completely covered in sequins and probably weighs 25 pounds.  

And then there's the shoes...

Its going to be fabulous!!

Breaking the rules

I 1st discovered I was allergic to dogs after continuing to have itchy, watery eyes at my friend Charles' house.  His dog was allowed to roam freely and be on the furniture.  Eventually I found that sitting at Charles' kitchen table allowed me to stay longer before the symptoms started.

So when we got Jordan 1 of the conditions was that she not be permitted to get on the furniture or bed.  It took a little while for her to adjust to this since she had 'ultimate freedom' in her previous home, but she eventually got used it.  Every once in a while though she would sneak up on the sofa when we were out and I would get itchy, watery eyes.

And then came Marvin Parker.  The 1st day we got him we knew it was important for him to bond with us so we put an old sheet on part of the sofa so he could be 'with us'.  He was not content to stay on the sheet.  He was so happy to have a new home that he had to climb onto our laps and chests so he could be close to us.  As much as I wanted Marvin to obey the rules, I really felt we needed to allow him to be close to us.  So I braced myself for the symptoms to begin and tried to minimize them by washing my hands frequently.

What I found was a welcome surprise: I don't appear to be allergic to Marvin!  I guess different breeds of dogs have different dander.  Or, maybe all those years of being around Jordan helped me develop a tolerance.  Now I hold him, pet him, and love him like a 'normal' pet owner.

Marvin Parker is breaking the rules and I couldn't be happier about it.

Just because

Memorial Day

After work on Sat Spouse & I went to a cookout at Steven & Thad's house.  Several of our mutual friends were there, the food was great, and the weather was perfect.  We had a really fun time!

Sun morning Spouse & I met up with Steven & Thad for breakfast at Crystal, then went to the beach.  The weather was nice and warm and the humidity was nice and low - perfect beach weather!  We had a great time.

Today we went to the beach again.  It was noticeably warmer but we enjoyed ourselves anyway.  It was a nice and relaxing holiday weekend.

Friday fragments

Welcome to Friday fragments, my weekly recap of topics too big to forget, yet too small to be their own post.

I saw this on facebook and had to share it.  I couldn't agree more!

Last night Marvin was very lethargic and wouldn't eat.  He's had diarrhea for a few days, but his paperwork said that is common after having been "fixed".  Also, he's been on medication for kennel cough. So this morning I took him to the vet to get checked out.  They took him off the medication and gave me new liquid medication that will be easier on his stomach.  The vet also suggested a bland diet of rice and chicken.  Hope our little guy is feeling better soon.

I got a 'kick' out of this funny video of a dad getting kicked in the nuts by his kid!  Watch it and TRY not to laugh.

Its Memorial Day weekend, the official start of the summer season and BEACH season!  I'm working on Sat but have Sun & Mon off.  I hope we have good weather.

Have a fun and safe holiday weekend!

Angry birds

Just because

Marvin Parker!

When I got home from work yesterday I was greeted by Marvin Parker!

Spouse texted me earlier in the day "Shelter says we can have Marvin.  What do u think?" to which I responded "Its up to u dear :-)".  I didn't hear back from him so I assumed he was still thinking about it.

Marvin was brought into the shelter as a stray so they didn't know his name and named him Marvin.  We thought it suited him so we didn't want to change it.  Plus, my grandfather's name was Marvin Parker so we added Parker as his middle name.  We just call him Marvin, or Marvin Gaye, or Marvin Hamlisch, or Marvin's Gardens, or Marvelous Marvin.

Spouse picked up a new bed, some toys, and a crate for Marvin this afternoon.  We are crate training him just as we did with Jordan because it really helps house-train dogs.  However, I suspect that Marvin is already house broken because he goes to the bathroom each time we take him outside and he hasn't had any accidents in the house yet.

We added a new member to our family, and I'm surprised at how pleased I am with this.

Weekend highlights

Wow, what a weekend!

Spouse became nearly obsessed with Marvin, the 1-year old Chihuahua at the shelter, thinking someone was going to adopt him before we did, so he talked me into leaving work Sat morning for an hour or so to visit Marvin at the shelter.  Having read a little online about Chihuahuas I knew they were notorious for being yappy, unfriendly to strangers, and aggressive.  I surely didn't want a dog like that!  But nothing could be farther from the case with Marvin.  He didn't bark at all, was friendly with us and allowed us to pick him up and pet him.  Oddly enough, Spouse's enthusiasm seemed to plummet.  He seemed very uncertain, so we told the shelter volunteer that we'd think about it.  I think that in the back of his mind Spouse was expecting an instant love affair like he had with Jordan but it just didn't happen.  At least he really thought about it and didn't adopt Marvin on a whim.

I returned to work and Spouse went shopping at the outlets with Tristan and his friend while Jeni and her friend went for a walk to the beach.  I came home from work with 6 free tickets to a concert by The Four Freshmen purchased by my boss as a favor to a client who was organizing the fundraiser.  The 6 of us thoroughly enjoyed the concert and talked about it over dinner at Saketumi.

Sun morning Tristan and his friend made breakfast for us: scrambled eggs, bacon, fresh fruit, pop-overs, and mimosas.  What a nice treat!  Although I wasn't scheduled to work, I ended up needing to meet a client at a new home community and stayed with them as they wrote an offer on a house there.  When I returned home the kitchen and dining room had all been cleaned up and the dishwasher was running.  We sat around and visited for a while, then walked to the Italian deli and had sandwiches as an early dinner.  Afterward Jeni, Tristan, and their 2 friends packed up and headed back home to MD.

Friday fragments

Welcome to Friday fragments, my weekly recap of topics too big to forget, yet too small to be their own post.

Last evening Jeni and her friend arrived a little after 5.  We sat on the screened porch and visited for a while, then came inside because it started to get chilly.  It was a great day for their 75 mile bike ride and they had a lot of fun.  Shortly before 8pm Tristan and his friend arrived with their luggage so Jeni and her friend could shower and change clothes.  Then we walked to Agave and enjoyed marvelous margaritas and great guacamole.  It was really fun!  Today Spouse & I went to work while our 4 visitors explored the local area, took naps, and walked to the beach and back.

Tonight I am singing a song in the Blue Moon Divas show in order to promote the Rehoboth Idol singing contest.  I'm singing "Its Too Late" by Carole King, one of the songs I sang in last year's competition.  Spouse is bringing our 4 visitors to the show to hear me sing.

I saw this on facebook and had to share it:

Spouse has been checking the local SPCA website a lot lately and telling me about dogs he's seen there.  This is making me feel like he's ready to consider adopting another dog.  Jordan went to heaven 6 months ago, we've enjoyed the 'freedom' of not having to be home at a certain time, but I think he misses the love and companionship of a dog.  A few weeks ago he suggested a bassett hound named Buster but I reminded him that bassetts are hard dogs to keep because they are prone to health issues.  This week he showed me an 8-year old female Chihuahua mix named Suzie.  Today he showed me a 1-year old male Chihuahua named Marvin.  I guess we'll see where this goes.

Here's wishing all of you a FUN and SAFE weekend!

Preparing for family

I'm off work today and I've been cleaning like a fiend because we're expecting company this evening.  Not just any company, but family. My cousin Jeni, her son Tristan, and 2 of their friends are coming for a visit.

Tristan and his friend are driving Jeni and her friend across the Bay Bridge and dropping them and a tandem bike off so Jeni and her friend can bike the rest of the way (about 75 miles) to our house.  Tristan and his friend must return home for an appointment, and then will drive to our house later tonight.  They're going to stay through Sunday.

Spouse & I are really excited about their visit!  Although we saw Jeni within the year it was for just a few hours, and we haven't seen Tristan in about 3 years.

So I've vacuumed and dusted and put fresh sheets on the beds and fresh towels in the bathrooms and cleaned the kitchen and run the dishwasher and threw away the dead flowers and consolidated and rearranged the remaining flowers left over from the wedding, all so we have a chance at fooling them into thinking we live like "normal" people.

Stoopid lyrics

Here is another installment of my blog feature "Stoopid lyrics" where I share with you a well-known song with lyrics that don't make sense.

Keep in mind this doesn't mean the song is stoopid or that I don't like the song. In fact, this song has a catchy beat and I've hummed along to it in the car, I'm sure.  But the lyrics don't make sense. 

Bitch is Back

performed by Elton John

I was justified when I was five
Raising Cain, I spit in your eye
Times are changing, now the poor get fat
But the fever's gonna catch you when the bitch gets back

 

Eat meat on Friday that's alright
Even like steak on a Saturday night
I can bitch the best at your social do's
I get high in the evening sniffing pots of glue

 

I'm a bitch, I'm a bitch
Oh the bitch is back
Stone cold sober as a matter of fact
I can bitch, I can bitch
`Cause I'm better than you
It's the way that I move
The things that I do

 

I entertain by picking brains
Sell my soul by dropping names
I don't like those, my God, what's that
Oh it's full of nasty habits when the bitch gets back

 

I'm a bitch, I'm a bitch
Oh the bitch is back
Stone cold sober as a matter of fact
I can bitch, I can bitch
`Cause I'm better than you
It's the way that I move
The things that I do

Just because

Weekend highlights

I worked both days.  

We ate out both nights.  

Those are my weekend highlights.  

Woo hoo!

Friday fragments

Welcome to Friday fragments, my weekly recap of topics too big to forget yet too small to be their own post.

The blogs and facebook were ablaze with reports that VP Biden commented that GLBT people should have full equality in America including marriage.  Then, apparently unplanned, Obama said in an interview with Robin Roberts that he believes GLBT people should have marriage equality!  I am encouraged by this.  It has been my suspicion that Obama has felt this way all along but did not feel it prudent to make such a proclamation earlier, what with the conservative republicans at his throat every minute.  Fortunately he has now put it in the record and I can only hope it will help to smooth out the way for equality in the years to come.

I saw this on facebook and had to laugh.  Just look at his eyes!

I'm starting to really get excited about the upcoming Legends shows, which will start Memorial Day weekend.  I will be performing every other Sat, as I did last year.  I am retaining 1 of my Legends from last year, Neil Sedaka, and adding a new Legend: Elton John.  I had to go for a special costume fitting where they measured practically everything on my body!  Apparently my EJ costume is the most expensive of all the costumes for this year's show and can not be altered, so it has to be custom made to my measurements.  Guess I'd better lay off the Dunkin Donuts so I don't gain any weight!

This sums up my feelings on so many 'controversial' political topics:

Spouse & I will travel to VA this weekend to see his mom (and family) for Mother's Day.  I'm looking forward to having a delicious dinner with them at the Taco House!

Tonight I am singing 1 song in the Blue Moon Divas Show, a drag show that runs every Fri night.  The Rehoboth Idol contest will be starting in a few weeks and they want to promote the competition by talking it up and having me sing during the Divas show sing I won the contest last year.  I'm singing 1 of the songs I sang in last year's competition: Laughter in the Rain.

Have a great weekend!

Location

You've probably heard that the 3 most important things in real estate are location, location, and location.

Well, its not just true in real estate...

Just because

Getting on my last (vagus) nerve

Yesterday in the wee hours of the morning I woke up to roll over and felt very dizzy.  I thought it was very odd but didn't really want to continue thinking about it so I went back to sleep.  An hour or so later I had to get up to pee and was extremely dizzy, to the point that I had to brace myself on the way to the bathroom just to keep from falling over.  I sat down to pee and thought to myself "Oh no, PLEASE let this NOT be another flare up of my vagus nerve..."  But by the time I stumbled back to bed I could feel the tingling sensation beginning in my hands and forearms.

I gently woke Spouse up to tell him I was having a flare up.  He asked if I needed him to do anything and I said no, I just wanted him to know what was happening.  I managed to fall back asleep for a while despite the horrible dizziness and waves of nausea.  The only "treatment" for this condition is to lie as still as possible.

I woke up again when Spouse got up to get ready for work.  Fortunately it was my scheduled day off, since I had worked Sun.  Spouse asked if I was okay and I said no.  I asked him to bring me the plastic trashcan from across the room "just in case".  When he brought it over I made the mistake of turning my head slightly in his direction and saying 'thank you', and that was all it took.  I grabbed the trashcan and started vomiting.

Spouse asked me a couple times if I wanted him to stay home with me.  I told him no since there's nothing really that anyone can do to make it better.  It just takes time - usually somewhere between 12 and 24 hours - for the symptoms to subside.  So he left for work and I dozed on and off.

Around 11:30 I woke up and realized I had to pee again.  What a dreadful thought!  Just turning my head made me vomit earlier.  How was I going to get myself to the bathroom to pee without puking?  I wasn't.  So I slowly sat up and lowered my legs to the floor as the whole room spun like an out-of-control merry-go-round.  I grabbed the puke bucket and stumbled toward the bathroom, bumping into the walls and trying to stay upright.  I fell to my hands and knees in front of the toilet and puked right into the bowl.  Since I'd already brought up what little food was in my stomach the 1st time I puked, there was nothing left in my stomach but bile.  Each time I dry-heaved, I could feel a little bit of pee come out, so I got up onto the toilet and began to pee while I dry-heaved some more into the trashcan.

I had tears coming down my face, snot running out of my nose, sweat glistening from my body, and the taste of bile in my mouth.  Pretty!!!

After a very brief attempt to clean my face I returned to bed with the puke trashcan.  Feeling as though I might need it again soon, I didn't want to put it on the floor where I'd have to lean over really far to get it, so I set the can on the bed next to my leg.  Fortunately I was able to get a bit of relief by dozing off to sleep again.

A little while later I awoke feeling chilly.  Just after puking I'm hot and sweaty but later I would get chilly, so I pulled the sheet up to my neck.  Having forgotten about the puke bucket against my leg, when I pulled the sheet up the puke bucket toppled off the bed and spilled on the floor!

I gave up.  With my eyes still closed I reached for my phone on the nightstand and pressed the voice-activated dialing button on the side of it.  "Call Spouse - work" I said.  When he answered I briefly explained that I'd made a mess, was sorry, but wondered if he could come home and clean it up and help me get to the bathroom again.  He agreed and came home.

What a trooper!  Without a complaint he cleaned up the spilled puke in the bedroom and wiped up the pee sprinkles in the bathroom.  I can't imagine trying to recover from this horror only to then have to clean up my own vomit.  Plus I puked 2 more times after he got home so having him close by to bring me a damp towel was wonderful.

I spent the entire day in bed.  Around 7pm I felt like I might be able to get up so I did, only to relocate to the sofa in the TV room.  I sipped a little bit of water and was finally able to keep it down, then graduated to a couple bites of vanilla pudding.  I started feeling sick again so I laid down on the sofa and closed my eyes until the waves of nausea passed.  I went to bed at 9pm.

One of the things thought to be a trigger for this condition in some people is dehydration, so I am committed to drinking more water.  I know I should do it, but I often drink coffee in the morning and nothing else throughout the day.  No more!  My goal is 6-8 glasses of water per day in the hopes of avoiding this in the future.  

On a scale of 1-5, this was a 4.

Weekend highlights

This was my weekend to work both Sat & Sun, so I don't have much else to report except that Spouse & I went to a cat's birthday party.

Not just ANY cat, but our good friend Joe P's cat KC's birthday party.  KC turned 1 year old this week and Joe P could think of no good reason NOT to have a birthday party for him.  So Steven & Thad, 1 of the Bobs, and Spouse & I went over to Joe P's place for a cat's birthday party.

It was all very sweet!  Joe P hung a banner above the fireplace...

we ate on happy birthday paper plates and used happy birthday napkins, and even had happy birthday blower/noise-makers...

 we wore the classic, cone-shaped birthday hats...

...and in high GAY style, the guests brought birthday cards and gifts for KC!

It was fun!

The wedding: music

As earlier posts indicated, while all the other elements of the wedding went very smoothly, the music was a proverbial thorn in my side.  First it was the repair and re-installation of the main control unit for our whole house sound system, which didn't take place until the morning of the wedding day.  Next it was the uploading of songs from our CDs and downloading of songs from the internet into 1 playlist.  

Then on the morning of the wedding the mp3 player would not play the playlist through the music system.  My friend Ted suggested we use my laptop instead, which seemed to work just fine.  But then we noticed that the playlist was skipping certain songs!  Fortunately Jason & Kevin came to our rescue and figured out why.

The final result was that we used my laptop, plugged into the main control unit of the whole house sound system, to pipe our playlist throughout the house for both the pre-ceremony time, the ceremony itself, and the entire reception.  It all worked out and sounded beautiful. 

Here's our playlist:

**Pre-ceremony while guests arrive

June in January                                           Julie London

I’ve Got a Crush on You                             Linda Ronstadt

Til There Was You                                      Sherry Petta

It Might As Well Be Spring                       Ella Fitzgerald

My Romance                                                Carly Simon

The Nearness of You                                  Accoustix

**Ceremony begins - music stops

We’ve Only Just Begun                              sung live by Christy

Time After Time                                          sung live by Ted

**Ceremony ends - music resumes

Finally!                                                          Ce Ce Peniston

Time After Time                                          Margaret Whiting

At Last                                                           Etta James

Misty                                                              Johnny Mathis

What Are You Doing Rest of Your Life?  The Real Group

Dancing Queen                                            Abba

Come Rain or Come Shine                        Bette Midler

You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To       Julie London

We've Only Just Begun                              Carpenters

Happiness is Just a Thing Called Joe     Judy Garland

Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square    Manhattan Transfer

Express Yourself                                         Madonna

Chances Are                                                 Johnny Mathis

Firework                                                       Katy Perry

Embraceable You                                       Sarah Vaughn

Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered       Laura Fygi

Day By Day                                                 Accoustix

All The Things You Are                            Ella Fitzgerald

Candy                                                           Manhattan Transfer

For Sentimental Reasons                         Linda Ronstadt

For Once In My Life                                  Stevie Wonder

Body and Soul                                            The Real Group

Moves Like Jagger                                    Adam Levine

I’ve Got the World on a String               Ella Fitzgerald

Can You Feel The Love Tonight            Elton John

I Got a Feeling/Tonight’s the Night     Black Eyed Peas

Skylark                                                       The Real Group

Love Shack                                                B-52s

It Had To Be You                                     Harry Connick, Jr

Macarena                                                   Los Dos Rio

Unfortgettable                                          Nat King Cole

Wind Beneath My Wings                       Bette Midler

Love Boat                                                   Dominic Hauser

I Won’t Last a Day Without You           Carpenters

Caught Up In The Rapture of Love      Anita Baker

You Are The Sunshine Of My Life        Stevie Wonder

Our Love is Here to Stay                        Julie London

Can’t Get Enough of Your Love            Barry White

Glory of Love                                            Bette Midler

How Sweet It Is                                        James Taylor

Holiday                                                      Madonna

When I Fall In Love                                Linda Ronstadt

L-O-V-E                                                     Nat King Cole

Truly, Madly, Deeply                              Savage Garden

Body and Soul                                          The Real Group

True Colors                                               Cyndi Lauper

Fever                                                          Peggy Lee

Oo-La-La-La                                             Teena Marie

Tuxedo Junction                                      Manhattan Transfer

Shake Your Groove Thing                      Peaches & Herb

Shadow of your Smile                             Astrid Gilberto

Crazy Little Thing Called Love              Queen

Out On a Limb                                          Teena Marie

I’m Coming Out                                        Diana Ross

I Have Nothing                                         Whitney Houston

Get Into The Groove                                Madonna

I Knew I Loved You                                 Savage Garden

If I Were A Bell                                         Teena Marie

Lucky Star                                                  Madonna

When Sunny Gets Blue                            Johnny Mathis

Livin’ La Vida Loca                                   Ricky Martin

Heart’s Desire                                            Manhattan Transfer

Yellow Diamonds                                      Rihanna

Sweet Love                                                 Anita Baker

This Time The Dream’s On Me              Ella Fitzgerald

Take A Chance On Me                             Abba

Girl From Ipanema                                  Astrid Gilberto

You’re The Top                                         Ethel Merman

Vogue                                                         Madonna

Someone To Watch Over Me                 Sarah Vaughn

DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love                       Usher

Stairway to the Stars                               Ella Fitzgerald

For All We Know                                      Bette Midler

Its De-Lovely                                             Ethel Merman

Until I Met You                                         Manhattan Transfer

Borderline                                                  Madonna

As you can see there was a mixture of older and current songs, ballads and up-tempo songs.  Obviously the running theme of the playlist was love and romance.  I was really happy with the way it turned out.  

As I heard the songs playing in the background the entire night I kept thinking "Oh, I love this song!", and then I'd remember that I created the playlist!

The wedding: cupcakes

When 1st discussing the details of our reception we thought we wanted a traditional tiered wedding cake.  Not too embellished, not to plain.  It was suggested that we look at photos of cakes to get an idea of what can be done, what we liked, and what we didn't like.  As usual, Spouse's taste went a little too far to the gawdy, and my taste was a little too traditional for him.

Then Spouse suggested decorated cupcakes.  Some could be traditional while others were more decorated.  Maybe we could get different flavors so guests would have a choice, or better yet - have more than 1.  I loved the idea!

So I gave a call to a local bakery called Cake Break and got some options and general pricing.  The owners Phil & Debbie invited us to come into the bakery for a private tasting 1 evening after they closed to the public, so we set it up.  We had lots of bites of different cupcake flavors and different frosting flavors.  Then we talked about set-up and other logistical details.  It was a great experience!

This is what we chose:

• yellow cake with ivory butter cream frosting, piped to look like hydrangea with tiny edible pale green pearls 
• devils food cake with chocolate sour cream frosting, topped with white chocolate starfish and tiny edible white pearls
• carrot cake with swirled cream cheese frosting, topped with milk chocolate seashells

Debbie delivered the cupcakes, set up the tower, and arranged everything in record time.  Spouse offered to help her carry things inside and she quickly said "NO - thank you.  If anything gets dropped its gonna be ME, not you dropping it", which made us both laugh.

On the top of the tower was an 8" chocolate cake topped with a 6" chocolate cake with butter cream frosting, piped to look like hydrangea with tiny pale green pearls.  Not only were all the cupcakes and cake topper absolutely gorgeous, they were absolutely delicious too!! 

Tomorrow:  the music.

The wedding: food

Although Spouse was convinced he could make the food for the reception, I convinced him not to do it.  "We're going to have enough things to do.  We don't need to add making the food and cleaning up afterward to our list.  Let's have the food made elsewhere.  I'm sure you'll thank me for this later" I told him.

So we ordered the food from a favorite lunch spot near Spouse's office simply named Patty's.  I'd never eaten there but Spouse has eaten there many times and was confident our food would be great. 

We had a trio of meatballs: Greek, Italian, and Thai.  Each came with its own dipping sauce.  The Greek meatballs had chunks of feta in them and were delicious alone, but when dipped in the basil sauce they were my favorite.  The Italian meatballs had a marinara sauce, and the Thai meatballs had a green curry sauce.  Incredible!  We also had marinated chicken skewers which again were terrific on their own, but when dipped in the peanut sauce or the chipotle sauce were out of this world!

We also had a quinoa and french lentil salad (left) with diced onion, tomato, and yellow and zucchini squash with a light vinaigrette, and pasta primavera (right).  Both were amazing.

The 1 element of the reception food Spouse did make (or assemble, if you will) was a Mediterranean platter consisting of hummus with olive oil and pistachios, baby carrots, pita triangles (not in photo), garlic stuffed green olives, and kalamata olives.

Then there was the bar, which consisted of Proseco (Italian champagne or sparkling wine), white and red wines, iced tea, regular and diet sodas, and bottled water.

Spouse had recommended Proseco over champagne because its a little sweeter than dry champagne and has an easy drinkability.  I checked this out with 2 liquor store employees and both recommended the same brand of Proseco which turned out to be delicious.  I can't believe there were no photos taken of me with a champagne flute in my hand because I feel like I had a glass of Proseco in my hand the entire night.  

An Italian's worst fear is that they'll run out of something when hosting a party and Spouse is no exception.  But we had more than enough food and drinks for our guests.

Tomorrow:  the cupcakes.

The wedding: flowers

Since I've ordered floral arrangements for Spouse's birthday many times I'm familiar with the cost.  The least expensive, smallest arrangement with 'ordinary' flowers will start at $25. and medium size arrangements with prettier flowers are $40. and up.  Since we wanted lots of flowers for the wedding we decided to order the flowers from the floral dept of a local grocery store and make our own arrangements.  Believe it or not, we got enough flowers to make 7 arrangements for $100.

I tend to favor arrangements with a simple (2 or 3-color scheme) and monochromatic arrangements so we ordered white hydrangeas, white alstroemeria with speckles of color, ivory roses, white, green, and lavender spider mums, and purple status.  That gave us a 3-color scheme to work with.  We had plenty of clear glass vases from previous arrangements I'd sent Spouse.  Our friend Bob agreed to help me put the arrangements together while Spouse ran a couple errands.

You can click on all the photos that follow to enlarge them.

This arrangement sat on the sideboard in the dining room and is passed by everyone going into the kitchen.  We used hydrangea, lavender spider mums, purple status, and ivory roses.  (The soup tureen on the left belonged to my grandmother.)

This arrangement sat on the left side of the piano and was made of hydrangea, green spider mums, and ivory roses.

This is the 'matching' arrangement which sat on the right side of the piano.

Here are both arrangements with the envelope from the bureau of marriage in the middle, flanked by wedding cards from Anne Marie in Philly and Dawn from work.

This arrangement sat on a side table next to the sofa and is made simply of 2 hydrangea and 2 ivory roses in a 'fish bowl' shaped vase.

This arrangement sat on the left side of the mantle and was made of hydrangea, alstroemeria, white spider mums, and ivory roses.  The photo on the left is Spouse's (deceased) father holding his grandson.  The photo on the right is me at approximately 6 years old.

This 'matching' arrangement sat on the right side of the mantle.  The photo on the left is Spouse at approximately 5 years old.  The photo on the right is Jordan and Pouncer staying warm in front of a heat register.

Here are both arrangements on the mantle.

This arrangement sat on a side table between 2 upholstered chairs and contains hydrangea, lavender spider mums, alstroemeria, purple status, and ivory roses.

We ended up with 4 left over ivory roses so I cut them at various heights and placed them in a bud vase which sits on an English tea cart (my grandmother's) next to the front door.  The photo in the red frame is Spouse & me on vacation in 2003, the one in the navy frame is the famous 'lone cypress' I took while on vacation in CA in 2000, the one in the gold frame is my cousin Nez and me in 2001, and one in the dark wood frame is Jordan taken in 2011.

 

When we returned from running errands Sat morning we were surprised to find this arrangement sitting on our front porch!  The card indicated it was from my colleagues at work.  I don't know all of the flowers in it but there are white lilies, white tulips, white alstroemeria, white hydrangea, and some flowers that look like orchids.  Can you believe how perfectly the colors fit in with the flowers Spouse & I had ordered?  These were placed on the coffee table in front of the sofa.

Later as we were setting up the chairs for the ceremony came a knock at the door.  A deliveryman handed me this lovely arrangement from our friends Kim and Bob, which got the most compliments from guests.

The gorgeous scent of the flowers filled the living room where the ceremony took place and gave our home a cheerful, spring look.  We couldn't have been happier with the flowers even if we had paid hundreds of dollars for a florist to create them.

Tomorrow:  the food.