Time to Vote!!

this video is funny - in a don't let this happen kind of way.

click

Where will you be on election day???!

The Honeymoon (Continued)

As promised, here are some photos from:

Turkey - Here

Egypt - Here

Capri (IT) - Here (If you EVER have the opportunity to visit Capri, please take the time to visit the Hotel Scalinatella for lunch. And cappuccino. Before the lunch, of course.)

Our Return

It's been a week since we've returned and - we're back - sadly - so to speak.

Sad because who doesn't want to drop life and honeymoon around the Mediterranean - forever - or at least the next 6 months.

So to speak because we're glad to be home and sharing what we've been through.


So to speak because there's even more to celebrate now that we're back.

While I wish we had recorded everything we've stated (and restated) thus far so I just could just upload a podcast so you can listen as you go, sadly, you'll have to imagine what you can about the places we've seen.

Roma - Part 1 & Part 2


Mykonos - Here


Rhodes - Here


Cyprus, Turkey, Egypt, & Athens will follow shortly...Enjoy! With more time I may be more inclined to write more. As it is, I'm being beckoned to the couch for Gossip Girl. S-W-E-E-T.

Can't Believe It...

We are actually getting married on Friday (holy cow!). I still feel as if the time is just slowly passing by but I know it's the home stretch. We are both ready and very excited - It's been a long time coming. We are so looking forward to seeing each of you in three days time!!!

Hotel Accommodations for Our Beloved-Out-of-Town-Family-and-Friends

Hi Out-of-Towners,

Below, you will find a list of suggested accommodations. All prices are on a per night basis, are subject to change and do not include sales tax. Also, please note that the TownePlace Suites by Marriott and the Courtyard Marriott (both in Farmingdale) are the closest hotels to the venue. We decided not to do blocks of rooms as there aren't TOO many of you traveling in from out of town. All of these will be listed in our wedding mapper section listed under Guest Resources on the right hand side the blog. Thanks and see you in September! -- The Bride & Groom

Garden City Hotel - Garden City
45 7th St
Garden City, NY 11530
(516) 747-3000
www.gardencityhotel.com
$290/nt

Melville Marriott - Melville
1350 Walt Whitman Rd
Melville, NY 11747
(631) 423-1600
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/nycml-melville-marriott-long-island/
$170/nt

Four Points Sheraton - Plainview
333 South Service Road
Plainview, NY 11803
(516) 694-6500
http://www.starwoodhotels.com/fourpoints/property/photos/index.html?propertyID=1476
$165/nt

Residence Inn Marriott - Plainview
9 Gerhard Rd
Plainview, NY 11803
(516) 433-6200
https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/nycpl-residence-inn-plainview-long-island/
$169/nt

Courtyard Marriott - Farmingdale (closest hotel to venue)
2 Marriott Plaza
Farmingdale, NY 11735
631-847-0010
https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/ispli-courtyard-republic-airport-long-island-farmingdale/
$180/nt

TownePlace Suites Marriott - Farmingdale (closest hotel to venue)
1 Marriott Plaza
Farmingdale, NY 11735
631-454-0060
$170/nt

The Bridal Shower

...here are the remaining pix that I took from Coco's 'surprise' shower.



I can't reiterate how great it was to see those that came. Those that couldn't come were definitely missed!

Her "Surprise" Bridal Shower

Jeez - get a load of that hat!?!?

Many thanks go out to Coco's mom, Lamy and her friends for putting together a great surprise shower at Laguna Grill. Family and family friends made the event a special moment to remember.

As a man, you can imagine I really don't know what goes on at these things but I did make a few observations:

1) I now know what a wishing well is.

2) there are varying definitions of 'surprise'

3) Coco will always be snooping for something. Anything.

4) Family and friends that couldn't make it were sadly missed.

5) It's totally about the effort - never about the gift.

6) Yet gifts never hurt. Gifts of the flesh variety are especially appreciated!



More pix to follow....

Victory!!!!

It's been a while...and we're back from St. Thomas!!

Consider this post our:

1) welcome back to the blogging world. Psych.

2) School's Out For Summer! Well....almost....summer class starts June 2nd. It's almost over - I think.

3) Congratulations to Glenn & Ashley on their beautiful wedding!!! Sort of like our pre-honeymoon. LOL. Neil, we missed you and the family way too much. Where were you to pick up the pool bar tab?!? FYI - I learned way too late to charge things to G&A's all-inclusive. P.U.T.Z.

Here's my first set of sort-of-edited pictures. G&A, if you want the proofs just let me know. Better yet - maybe I'll just burn them and fly them down to Winchester.
I hope you enjoy the pix as much as we enjoyed the wedding. Nothing beats spending such a special time with great (and new!) friends.




If you give it some time, I'm sure Coco will detail the highs & lows of our trip. Way. Too. Short.

Its Truly Shameful

...that my brother returns from spending the past 15 months in Afghanistan only to live in the barracks that you'll see in the videos below.

One soldier's father was so up set he posted this video on YouTube.



After some quick video searches I've also found these, too.



And this one, too.


From what I can gather the Army is scrambling. SCRAMBLING.

I'm glad he's finally home and even happier he's out for good in a few months.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

Spring has finally sprung in Park Slope. Ava is getting so big and more beautiful with each month. Most importantly, my future brother-in-law Brad has arrived safe and sound from serving our country over seas. We are so thrilled to have him back and can't wait to see him in June!

On to wedding stuff -

Both moms have ordered their dresses! I've seen my mom's and it's lovely, she both looks and feels great in it. I also can't wait to see Patti's. It sounds beautiful, but I would expect nothing less as she has great taste!

Our chair covers have been ordered. The Finishing Touch actually handles all linens for the Carlyle, so I'm really glad that we went with them. Being owned/operated by a close knit Irish family really struck a chord with Brian. Needless to say, we didn't look any further.

Invitations are also a check. Lion in the Sun, a local Brooklyn stationary store handled our invites. Melinda, the owner/paper extraordinaire was VERY patient with us. Especially since I didn't like the original design that my fiancé chose. I ordered one proof the way he liked it, then another with the design that I had liked better. He soon saw things clearly and we went with the second proof (which made me very happy). Please note that invitation proofs only come in black and white. Even if your invite is red and yellow, it will be black writing on white, which can be difficult to visualize. Invitations have a surprisingly fast turn around. We ordered ours two weeks ago and they should be in next week. Having your envelopes hand calligraphered is waaay more expensive then having them computerized. Most places can match the font to the invitation when addressing the envelopes. Also, Kate's Paperie charges more per envelope to have computer calligraphered then Lion in the Sun does.

Limos will be booked this weekend.

Oh yeah - I got my wedding shoes! I was/am so excited: silver, strappy, 3.5 inch heels that I will wear again and again and again and again (you get the point). However, when I put them on the other day to "break" them in around the office, I noticed that one of the straps had ripped. Thankfully the store was very accommodating and replaced them without a hitch. I don't know why I have such bad shoe karma, but it's certainly better happening now, as opposed to the day of!

Up next: Tuxedos, dress fittings, wedding bands, accessories, floral arrangements and hair trials

A Belated Hag Sameach!

A word of thanks to the Green side of the Adlerstein connection. The seder we shared with our hosts (Sharon & Steve) out in Fort Salonga was nothing short of d-e-l-i-s-h. Never before have I had homemade gefilte fish - much less the homemade horseradish that accompanied it. Special kudos for educating me on Slivovitz plum brandy. If you've never had it - you must. It takes kosher drinking to a whole new level. If only I could remember the actual vintner. Meeting new family is always fascinating. And for those that may not be aware, American Jews do the Hagadah a little bit, err, shorter than my Israeli nation.

Black Or White

Gone are the days when I thought I would have some classic set of wheels get me to the chapel (LOL) - a '38 Packard, an Excalibur, or some old Caddy. Logistics, Coco, the size of my wedding party, cost - just a few of the reasons my childhood hopes will remain just that.

On that note - there are times when I'm all about tradition (read: a black & white wedding) but I'm not sure I'm feeling the white limo thing. Perhaps if I were more virtuous or more in touch with some kindred spirit, I suppose the symbolism of a white limo would hit home. Luckily, our decision becomes that much easier - Coco only wants a black limo.

One Step Closer.....And Another Revelation

Who'd a thunk we'd spend just as much time deciding on the wording of the invitations as we would deciding on which invitations to use. At least we're 2 months ahead of the norm.

Breaking News-

The tabs report that the pair responsible for the Team Brefanie nomenclature have finally tied the knot! You can read about Branjelina
here but know that Coco's fab celeb tabloid, People.com, has reported that it didn't happen. Let us know if you find out the real scoop.

Revelation-

How wise it really to talk about cost?

Small World-

A HWOTH reader (and recent commenter) is not only getting married at The Carlyle on the Green during September '08 but her and her hubby-to-be are also going to Italy for their honeymoon. And they've selected Priscilla of Boston for the bridesmaids dresses! They were also up in the Berkshires this past new years! W.E.I.R.D. No, they don't live in Brooklyn.

The Six Month Mark...YIKES!

We've hit the six month mark and we are now officially racing to the altar (please note that we are not getting married in a church nor are we performing any religious, sacrificial offerings). My mother had me in a bit of a panic last night and so did TheKnot.com. Their check list is HUGE and out of 189 things, we have about 60 finished. Things to tackle in the next few weeks: Limos, Chair Covers, Flowers and Invitations. Stay tuned!

Time

Whoa. Not once did I think that there would be a 20 day hiatus in posting wedding-related news to HWOTH. We've experienced some ups and downs this month and our time has been very limited of late. I guess life is supposed to do that, huh? RIPSTYW

Well let's see what I put out there...

* The picture related to this story caught my eye more than anything else. Agree/Disagree? Looks the entree to a joke. Lewd, I hope.

* Um, I love when Scots (or Brits) use the word dodgy. "I tried to ban loads of relatives from my own nuptials – and not just because they might look dodgy in the photographs." An interesting perspective to say the least. I dare you to make it a part of your everyday chatter.

*Its a shame that its taken this long for this to happen down unda, mate.

* Tiffany's quality on a Macy's budget - The rise and fall of Fortunoffs. Gulp! Eek! Uh, oh!

* According to WeddingChannel.com we still need to deal with wedding insurance, hotels, and a veil for Coco. Baby, what's up with center pieces??

* Romo? Jessica? Say What?!?!?

Super Bowl XLII

Congrats Giants, I can't believe the Cowboys let you get that far. Not even Johan's signing by the Mets can ease the pain I feel. At least the draft is on its way.

The Pictures We Wish We Would Could Take Over - Or Not

In true G$ fashion - these wedding pix are a must look at. (Read: SFW)

ps...That means 'safe for work'.

Los Mets

Congrats to Omar and the Mets (Omar. Omar. Omar...and the M-e-t-s.) for finally acquiring the best pitcher in baseball - Johan Santana. While I love watching farm hands make it up to the bigs, giving up just these four is definitely worth it.

Did anyone else hear me channeling Elton?!?

All I need now is for the Patriots to make history. Go P-A-T-S!

Come dite?

With the Honeymoon quickly approaching, I think it's high time I get to learning Italian. Ideally, I'd love to find the best means via an iPod. I haven't done any due diligence as of yet, but if you have used something that has worked well for you, please pass it along. Grazie

ps...our vino del mese (read: wine of the month) is Valpolicella (Allegrini). Fitting, huh? And delicious. Perfezioni per qualcuno che stia cominciando a godere il vino rosso.

Counting Down

- I would hate to be these poor folk. Let's keep our fingers crossed and hope Duet is no Celebration Studios. Ouch. Sounds like a reason for wedding insurance. Wish I had a nickname like C-Note...

- In other Wedding Fotog Saves Little Girl news; its pretty miraculous I might add. See for yourself.

- 5 day? 2000 guests? Jeez.

- I've stumbled across this informative piece on choosing the right metal for wedding bands. Did know metals could be hypoallergenic??

- Talk about doing anything for love. Coco, I would if you would.

- And if Valentine's Day wasn't just around the corner; WE TV is putting the smack down on other channels as it gets ready to run a bazillion wedding shows. Who knew they also had plans to dominate the world - WEGoBridal Rulez!!

- Since Coco always seems to be bored, I thought I would put this link out there to keep her busy. I'm very curious to see what the stars have to say about our wedding plans. Can you say Brideoscope!!?!

- Why on earth wasn't I aware of this?!? I mean, she does work for Conde Nast. Oh, wait. That's right. She has already moved in. Doh.

Music

I've finally updated the 'Songs of the Moment' section. The Juno soundtrack seems to work. As much as I can't stand Kimya Dawson at times, there are times when her stuff just....works - or at least is OK to listen to. The soundtrack also includes some B&S. Hope you enjoy!

Hmmm....

What to report....what to report....

-Coco wants a wedding cake like THIS!! As if.
I get my piece first!

-Keeping with the theme; I wonder what we'll do about a cake?! Do we choose a sophisticated elegant look, or show our playfulness and select something more in line with the above?? I just want it to taste good. With buttercream. A hint of whiskey (the scotch kind). And chocolate. Mmmm. What IS fondant anyway?? Coco, anything here make you hungry??

-And here's our tribute to "The Biggest [Wedding] Loser"...who in their right mind would order a wedding dress 8 sizes smaller than her current size. I'm not too sure but the groom just happens to work at a health club - score. How far off is that wedding anway?

-Wedding Insurance; still didn't get it yet. Doh.

-BFAM (NC); this IS ALL YOU! ¿Dónde es el EL Producto??

A Tribute - Of Sorts

or...














It's taken me a while but as a tribute to Chadley (via "Where's Brad?"), seeing that I'm 110% sure that his lil niece would certainly approve, I've added Ava (via "Here's Ava!!"). Damn - this kid is cute!

In wedding news, Coco is now the official wedding coordinator. All inquiries and requests should be directed her way. Stay tuned for news on wedding veils, mens formal wear, the best 5" heels to wear down the aisle, and "Coco's Daily Countdown". Phew - I'm done with this. Almost.

2008 - A Very Special Year

2008 came with inches of powder - glorious, morning-welcoming, white powder - upon mountaintops in Massachusetts. "The Berkshires", Kathy's (via el Jeffe) country retreat
(aka "994 Hartsville-New Marlborough Road"), provided a wonderful getaway (remember The Getaway People?!?) to the twists and turns that life's ride gives you.

Coco and I want to wish everyone a happy and health new year!!

It's barely over and she's already complaining about:

1) going back to work (tomorrow, Thursday, Friday, next Monday, next Tuesday...sadly, the day does not matter)
2) not seeing Ava enough
3) being hungover (it is January 1st, afterall)
4) not seeing Ava enough
5) being hungry (read: hangover hungry is different than Coco's normal hungry.)
6) believing that the nuances in McNamara-family-communication-world will not exist in our union.
7) being hungry and missing Ava
8) still being hungry (and not wanting to go to work wherein 'attendance' is expected tomorrow.)

ps...pix of Ava's first trip to NYC to follow