We've Got Stars Directing Our Fate

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Ever have one of those days where you just want to dig into a big dessert? Some of us experience that more than others (just look at my waistline) but I think I'm pretty save in assuming you've all been there.

For some reason I started craving a certain dessert today. Not sure if it's because I dearly miss my friends who introduced me to it or if I subconsciously thought of the taste and now want it. Either way, it got me thinking about making a blog post (perhaps to stop me from making one). The dessert I'm talking about is an Australian and/or New Zealand delight called pavlova. Not many know it over here but when they discover it, there's no going back!

The best way to describe pavlova is a cake-sized meringue with fruit and cream on top. It's light, fluffy and perfectly sweet. In fact, the first time I had it I feared my teeth would instantly fall out :P

The reason I bring this up in the blog is because if you're not sold on the whole wedding cake idea or you are unsure what to have as a dessert, think outside the box. You don't have to have a traditional fruitcake with marzipan. Look at other places around the world for inspiration.


Have fun with this part of your event ... it really is sweet!


PS ... if you would like to try it out, .: HERE :. is a pretty good recipe :)

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I'm going to let her shine!

I just want to congratulate Autumn Bride. Hurray! You're a Mrs!
May your forever together be happy and healthy!So it's done? no more planning? no more stressing or dreaming about it, the big day happened! Woot! Congratulations to you and your new hubby.

As for my own stuff, well... it seems appropriate to just leave this post as a celebration of this honeymoon week for Autumn Bride. This is her time

My fiance and I are taking a bit of a break from wedding planning, after having made the tough decision to move the wedding date back (again!) to accomodate friends who are deploying overseas after MM gets back.

So I'm now a May 2010 bride.

I'm still going to be here though, no worries. I still love all things wedding and I'll be back in full force quite soon.

Hip Hip Hooray for brides, new and old, newly married and those like me dreaming and scheming about The Big Day in a somewhat distant future

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with apologies and lots of photos

It’s been a very busy wedding season for us at Periwinkle, so much so that we haven’t been able to post as often as we wanted, but to apologize we thought we would share with you a wedding in full- with photos!

Late this summer we worked on a beautiful wedding for a lovely couple here in Toronto. Their reception was at the Design Exchange building on Bay Street. The theme was coppery orange and brick red and we created the bouquets with full open roses, mango callas and mokaru orchids. The wedding preparation begins for us on the Tuesday of the wedding week, when we first receive the product and begin processing and coaxing-



Centerpieces are started on the Thursday. This wedding had three different centerpieces-each in a short pyramid vase (in a nod to the architecturally amazing Design exchange venue we chose something with an unusual shape). The first is mass of leonidas and milva roses, with beargrass swirled inside the vase and small tufts of greenery. The second design was all orange and red dahlias with beargrass in vase again, but no greenery( love love love these) and the final design was all mokaru orchids (again with beargrass in vase and no other greenery-this one was the brides favourite so we made sure this is what sat on the head table)





Friday was spent working on the personal flowers – bouquets for bride and bridesmaids and boutonnieres and corsages for the rest of the wedding party. I really love the boutonniere choices.




Saturday is game day- here’s the truck ready to head out on delivery. First stop is the church at University of Toronto to drop off the bags of boutonnieres and corsages for groom and family (no ceremony pieces for this wedding, but honestly they weren’t needed as the trinity chapel is divine all by itself) and then on to the hotel to drop off bridal bouquets and such. Next stop the venue. The staff here are super helpful and make unloading a breeze. Only the tables are up with linens only but as I work the wait staff are arriving and beginning to prep for the night.



One final check over and after touching base with the event coordinator on site I head out, well ahead of guests.

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When I Get Home I Float Around My Whole Livingroom

Autumn_Bride is getting married tomorrow!!!!! After a year of planning, Kelly & Chris are about to say their I-Do's ...



Everyone at Moments That Shine wishes you both the most beautiful of days filled with memories that will make you smile until your faces hurt ;) We can't wait to be there tomorrow!!!

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top 5 things you can cut from your wedding decor! Part II

Believe it or not, chocolate can be your worst enemy. Okay, maybe not yours, but it can certainly be a decorator's not-so-welcome-buddy. Chocolate not being a decorator's BFF can mean $$$$ for your wallet (you know, the one you were going to buy yourself at the Coach outlet in Buffalo as a "IMGETTINGMARRIED!!!!!" gift...

So what does chocolate have to do with it? Here's the breakdown: You have a receiving/gift/signing table. The decorator will do it up pretty as per your specifications that you drew on a post-it during your meeting at Tim Hortons (this actually happened!. But what you may or may not know is in most banquet halls, your receiving table becomes your sweet table. That's right the pretty table with your guest book and place cards will end up full of cold cuts, sweets and *GASP* a chocolate fountain.

So this is where you can save money. Most decorators charge to decorate this table. The hall already puts either a floor length table cloth on the table or a plain white skirt on the table. Use what the hall provides!

You can still dress up the table, but it's less expensive to dress it up with accents that sit on the table - like pictures of you and hubby, scatter rose petals on the table, make a mini candy buffet or just leave it plain.

This way your table still looks pretty, but you saved $$$ doing it.

If you still want to really dress up the table, ask for a simple organza draping for across the front. Still less expensive AND your decorator isn't grumbling at the end of the night because there's chocolate all over her lovely white material. and everyone lives happily ever after!


I'm off to Chicago to visit my honey and do a wedding - yes, I do weddings in Chicago. I always mix business with pleasure. :O)

Be sure to tune in next week for Part III - Use what your mama (or the banquet hall) gave you.

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What happened to that sweet girl?

Wow…. I guess anything is possible during a stressful time ;)

Yesterday, I officially became a bridezilla. I had to pull her out to get results, as I was being challenged by a vendor (well, 3 vendors to be exact) against what our contract/agreement was. I was a little embarrassed at first because I have prided myself on being a fairly easy-going, relaxed bride, but when people start nickel and diming me, or not following through with their agreement, quiet little Autumn Bride morphs into a red-eyed, fist pumping, adrenaline-induced ‘zilla.

You know what? It worked.

Certain people were quite stunned when I temporarily flipped from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde, but hey, a bride has to do what a bride has to do.



My fiancé actually ‘high-fived’ me for handling one of the situations the way I did, and for getting our vendor to ‘suck it up’ and agree that they in fact were in the wrong, and provide the service as was originally agreed upon in our contract.

Only 3 more days, then I can once again return to being the sweet little Autumn Bride... er... correction.... Autumn Wife.



Then next week I'll be lying on a beach, where my most difficult decision will be 'What do I want to drink next?' ;)

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Express Yourself

It's an important day, everyone!!! While our friends to the south are still campaigning, it's our turn to get out there and have our voices heard today!

I won't influence anyone's line of thinking today but please make sure you exercise this important gift we have. Get out there and VOTE VOTE VOTE!

Okay, you can't vote three times but you know what I mean ;)

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If You Call, I Will Answer

I've decided to add a new feature to the blog that I hope you'll all join me in taking part in! I'd love to invite you to find a ...



Do you want to know how to coordinate your linens and flowers? Perhaps you need some help in finding a tactful way to talk to a certain bridal party member. Send any event planning, wedding preparations, enviro-savvy questions to me at inquiries@momentsthatshine.com and we'll start tackling those big and small problems you're experiencing. The intention is to turn this in to a regular feature so that others can also benefit from the free advice and have their lives made that little bit easier.

So come on and send those questions in ... I'd love to hear from you!

Oh, and if YOU have some advice for ME, I'm definitely game!!!

Cheers,

Susan


above graphic courtesy Abundant Private Practices

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How To Purchase Earth Friendly Invitations

As I settle in to write my guest post, let me first thank Susan for giving me the opportunity to do so. I love checking in to see what everyone has been writing here and I'm honored to be in such good company.

As you may or may not know, I run the online invitation boutique, EarthlyAffair.com, where we create beautiful wedding invitations in the most earth friendly way possible. Today I'd like to share some of the things you should look for when purchasing environmentally friendly wedding invitations and I'd like to show off some of our own as well.


The Alcazar Invitation at EarthlyAffair.com

First, it's more than just recycled paper. Sure, buying "recycled" paper is good, but what you really want is 100% post consumer recycled paper. This type of paper is created from consumer products, usually retrieved from curbside recycling, and averts waste from landfills. There are also other eco-friendly options, such as FSC certified paper, which guarantees the fibers in the paper come from responsibly maintained forests, and tree free papers, such as bamboo and hemp.


The Pinwheel Invitation

Second, inquire about printing methods. This is where it gets a little tricky. There are four common types of printing for wedding invitations: offset printing, letterpress printing, thermography (raised printing), and digital and inkjet printing. I could rattle off a page long list about the benefits and drawbacks of each, so let me keep it short and simple: Talk to your invitation provider about what environmentally friendly methods they implement first. Digital printing is typically better for the earth than offset printing, but that doesn't always mean it's the better choice. You may have a local print shop who offers to print your invites for a great price, but perhaps they don't recycle (you'd be surprised how many don't). While Crane & Co. utilizes offset and thermographic printing, they work hard to minimize their carbon footprint by investing in pollution prevention strategies and tree free paper.


The Shade Invitation.

Third, inquire about business operations. Environmental awareness shouldn't stop at the invitation. There are so many other things a company can do behind the scenes, such as recycling, investing in renewable energy, and simply turning off electronics when not in use.

Well, that about wraps it up! If you've made it this far, then I sincerely thank you for reading my post!

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It's Her Daylight That Gets Me Through

I hear a lot of talk from brides about finding *THE* dress. Some are the incredibly lucky ones ... blessed with a great figure, grand budget or perhaps just being in the right place at the right time, they can buy their dress for $100 off the rack at the first salon they walk in to (true story and yes, you can read bitterness in there). Others ladies take a long time and start to panic because they've gone to salon after salon and haven't found anything. Whether it be disdain for meringues, nasty salespeople, small budgets or just plain finicky taste, it can be challenging.

As you may have guessed, I was one of the latter brides-to-be. I went to a bunch of salons with my Maid of Honour and was completely ignored. Annoying doesn't begin to cover it. I had a pretty hefty budget so that wasn't a problem. I wasn't particularly picky (other than not wanting to look too princess-like). My biggest problem was there was nothing out there for my body type. I longed to feel sexy, pretty, comfortable and glowing (if it's possible for a dress to make you look like you're glowing). I gave up. I stopped going to the salons and I went to a little shop that I had longingly peered through the windows at before ... I went custom. After three hours of being in this store just looking at the dresses and getting a sense for what I wanted, I made my consultation appointment and was ready to get 'er done. I went to my consultation the following week with sketches, photos and a sense of preparedness. Just over six months later the dress was complete and I walked out with ......... something completely different than I was expecting. I'm not upset though. My dressmaker was the expert and together we designed something that was much more suited to my shape. And let me tell you, best wedding decision (besides the groom) I made.

This post was actually meant to be an Etsy post as I cruised the site looking for wedding dresses. I wanted to make it a bit more personal though so those lovely ladies out there who are having a tough time know that there's hope ... and that there are alternatives! You don't have to go to the 'factory' bridal shops. You don't have to go custom. You don't have to wear your mom's dress (but you can!). Use your imagination and think about alternative places where you can buy dresses. And check out these Etsy designs ... varying prices and tremendous styles ...

You can actually go custom on Etsy, too. This dress by .: CustomBridal :. has beautiful detailing along one side of the bodice. Lovely!

You can also find dresses from sample sales like this one entitled The Golden Goddess. Details can be found from .: LondonDemimonde :.

This can be used as a prop for photos or even as an alternative-style wedding dress. The sale is for the skirt only (400-500 yards of tulle, people!) but use your imagination to find a matching top. Skirt by .: AllieJDesigns :.

Now for something a bit more simple. This bohemian look is affordable and definitely unique. Contact .: colorada :. for more details.

For the classic look, check out Audrey (yes, named after Ms. Hepburn). Designed beautifully by .: abstractpretty :.

Not looking for white? Or perhaps you're looking for something more dramatic. This dress by .: btrousseau :. is sure to delight!

Stunner alert! I have four picks by this next designer. One of the dresses is so spectacular that I had to include a couple photos.
The designer's name is .: joanshum :.

It was difficult to narrow down a favourite as I love all of these dresses. This one in particular is so regal ... love it! Entitled 'White Dahlia' ... breath-taking.

Next is 'Madmoiselle'. The length and bodice detailing is retro and simply divine!

'Bella Tea' takes all of our lace dreams and bundles them up into a dress so many little girls will grow up wanting to model.

And last but not least from .: joanshum :. is 'Love In The Mist'. There are so many aspects of this dress that I love. Check out the detailed tulle skirt. And a dress with sleeves! And what's awesome the dress can be strapless if you so choose. Love it!


You'd think that would have been my favourite dress of my Etsy finds. Nope. For me, this incredibly simple design by .: LondonDemimonde :. takes the cake. The plunging neckline is the focal point and everything else is so soft. If you like it, contact the seller quickly as it's sold out before!


Hope you've enjoyed this trip into the world of dresses. I know I enjoyed looking for new designs and sharing my story with you :)

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top 5 things you can cut from your wedding decor!

ah...the case of the rich bride/poor bride. As a wedding decorator, I see this happen to a lot of brides.

She gets engaged and heads straight to The Knot, full of ideas, champagne dreams and caviar expectations.

But then the little things that she's been buying on etsy and ebay that only cost $XX start adding up and next thing you know - BLAM. Budget blown because of blinged out "Future MRS." accessories - panties, hoodie, velour suit , matching towel set, iphone jewel case, gym bag, slippers, robe and on and on and on.

Seemed like a good idea.... at the time.

So what's a bride to do? She still wants her wedding to look "fabulous", but now only has an "it looks okay..." budget. That's where your wedding decorator or even your wedding planner comes in handy. She should be the first person to advise you on what you could cut without putting a serious dent in your overall look and feel.

In the next few weeks, I'll list 5 things you can cut from your decor budget without feeling like you made a huge sacrifice and still look good!

1. Chair sashes
Don't get me wrong- I like chair sashes! Sashes are like, the best thing since...chair covers. Some of my best rented items are chair covers!

They add so much to a room and makes you say "Oh so pretty!" when you walk into a room....

Then, your guests sit down...then they go get a drink at the bar...then people keep getting up to go to the bathroom...then they get up again to go talk to people at other tables...then they go to get ANOTHER drink at your consumption bar (you're watching them out of the corner of your eye...LOL)...then the kids start pulling them off the chair...then its around the best man's head like a head band and he's doing the flash dance/sprinkler/strip tease.

My point is that it's nice to see how pretty it is at the beginning of the night, but by the end of the night, a good number of sashes are AWOL from where they were tied and look a bit sloppy.

Here's a great alternative - go for the chair covers with attached ties. They normally cost a teensy bit more than a plain chair cover, but cost less than getting both the plain chair cover and coloured organza sash. They are already attached to the chair and stay tied up in the fancy bow! Technology, huh?!

Word to the wise - stay away from putting organza bows on satin chair covers. Not.A.Good.Idea. trust me!

If you MUST have chair sashes, then I would recommend using taffeta sashes. A bit more pricier, but its a more sturdier material than organza, so the likelihood of your beautiful bows staying put is greater. And it's pretty!

stay tuned for #2 - it has to do with a table, chocolate and your money box! Till then, stay fabulous and blessed!

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I Gotta Be Me!

I was thinking today about what I should post about next and realized that one of the sad things about me starting this blog so late into my planning (let’s be honest, I started posting about a month before my wedding day!) is that you haven’t been able to read about my planning, my decisions and my purchases for the wedding, so I thought I would take the time to tell you about my wedding shoes.

*sigh*

Oh how I love my shoes…

Like most brides, once I found “the dress”, I began to hunt for all the little bits that go along with it. This being the veil, the headpiece/tiara, jewellery and of course, the most important accessory of them all – the shoes.

Now people, these aren’t just shoes. They are THE shoes. The shoes that you will wear as you take the first step into your new life as a wife. The shoes that you will be dancing in (hopefully, if you haven’t changed into flip flops!) with your husband for the first time. The shoes that all your friends and family will ooooh and aaaaah over as the ‘gem’ that made your outfit “perfect”.



So yeah, this is pretty huge.

I think I hit every shoe store in every mall in Mississauga. I looked on websites, scouring over bridal shoes and white shoes. Open-toed or closed toed. High heel, kitten heel, or ballet flats. Simple and sleek, or covered in bling. The options are endless!

I’m 5’10 and my fiancé is 6’1, and his only request for the wedding day is that he be taller than me. So that meant high heels were out.

Eventually I threw my hands in the air, out of frustration (Ha! No bride ever does that!) and voiced my concerns to my bridal party. Throw the word “Wedding” or “Bridal” in front of any product or service and you can pretty much guarantee that the price will increase by 25 – 50%. I just could not rationalize paying $100 (or more!) for a pair of white shoes that I will never wear again. I was told to look at satin dyeable shoes, but being completely honest with myself, I knew I would never wear satin shoes in the future.

I had continually toyed with the idea of wearing coloured shoes because a) I'm just not a white shoe person, b) they’ll be under my dress and honestly, how many people will be looking at my feet? And c) I’m being practical (which is who I am as a Virgo!) because I can wear them again! Besides, blue is my favourite colour! After much debate about tradition and my personal comfort, I finally decided “I gotta be me!” and went on the hunt for blue shoes.

Then, one day, as I was walking through Square One with my girlfriends, I came across the most perfect pairs of shoes I have ever laid my eyes on. I was drawn into the store by a magnetic force and saw them. Closed-toe, kitten heeled, blue leather. Not only would these be the perfect wedding shoes for me, but they would look so hot with a pair of jeans at a later date. After asking for a pair in my size, I slipped them on my feet and I was instantly in heaven. These were the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn, and they were absolutely stunning. I knew I had to have them, and within minutes I walked out of the store with my coveted Steve Maddens in hand.



I got home and began to panic ever so slightly because I remembered how traditional my fiancé is about our wedding. My girlfriends have told him over the last year that my wedding gown is blue (again, my favourite colour) and he jokingly pumps his fist at me, with a smile on his face, saying “It better be white.” So you could say I was a little worried about what he would say about my beautiful bright blue shoes. When he came home, I pulled them out to show him and the look on his face was priceless.

Him: “Wow. Those are really bright. You’re kidding about wearing them for the wedding, right?”

Me: “No.”

*pause*

Him: “Well, they’re definitely you.”

And that's how it was finalized that I would wear my beautiful bright blue, kitten heel Steve Maddens as I walk down the aisle.

Oh, and as an aside, my one girlfriends (after finding out that I would definitely be wearing my blue shoes at the wedding) said that while everybody else took pictures of my face as I walked down the aisle, she will be taking pictures of the little peeps of blue that will poke out under the hem of my dress. I can't wait!

Only 11 more days to go!

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Reindeer games?

A-line, trumpet, mermaid, empire. Full skirt or figure hugging skirt? Chiffon or taffeta, satin or silk? And do I want beads? Lace? Embroidery? Appliques? Sweetheart? V-neck? Strapless? Halter? A train? How long?

The dress shopping has begun.

Now I knew there were lots of options out there. The wedding biz is big biz after all. I’ve seen the magazines and their ads, drooled over various designers’ websites, checked out the real brides’ dresses on various websites, and boned up on the lingo and prices.

I figured I knew what I wanted… the colour had to look good against my fair skin and as a backdrop for my crazy curly red hair. The cut and shape had to make my stocky Scotch/Irish frame look as hourglass as possible. The bodice had to lock and load my generous bust, keeping it firmly under wraps and hidden. Ideally I wanted a corset back to accommodate weight fluctuations and possible overeating on The Day. The skirt had to be full length and not at all ballerina-esque and needed a small train if any at all. I’m not a fan of chiffon so I knew I wanted satin or soft taffeta. Finally, I didn’t want the whole thing to look too plain but nor did I want to look like I’d stepped out of an 80s wedding. Elegant, glamourous, sexy, distinctive yet still me.

Seemed obvious and doable.

So, armed with that knowledge and an apparently respectable budget, I made appointments during this last week with a few salons that are nearish to my home town. I say nearish because apparently my town is the city that weddings forgot and there are very very few boutiques actually in the city itself. I resigned myself to driving up to two hours for one store that was doing a trunk show for Maggie Sottero gowns.

Upon departing said trunk show, I must humbly report that I don’t think anything quite prepared me for the sheer quantity of options overall however or incredulous attitude I’d meet upon politely informing the store attendant of my wishes and hopes.

Nor did all the advance research prepare me for the continuous crushing disappointment of being told that the 6 pretty dresses I wanted to try on did not come in Madame’s necessary size, or in fact in any size close enough to allow me to get it anywhere past one thick thigh. Apparently, a trunk show is industry lingo for “you must be Kate Moss to try these on”. I am not a size 0 (size 4 in wedding dresses) so I could not try on the trunk show samples.

I felt a little like poor Rudolph, who couldn’t join in the reindeer games.

I kept at it though and after 5 stores, I’ve found 5 decent possible dresses that bear little resemblance to one another other than the fact that they’re strapless and have ruching on the front.

None has jumped out at me though as The Dress. There have been no tears, no glow, no fast-beating heart or happy smile. All five would work for me, in five different ways.

But none has me saying “That’s it. That’s My Dress”.

So the search continues.
.

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You Don't Want To See Me Angry.....

I think there’s a huge misconception out there about what is defined as a bridezilla.

Most brides are afraid of being called a bridezilla, and the majority of people involved in a wedding are afraid that the bride will become one! As defined by www.dictionary.com, a bridezilla is “a bride-to-be who focuses so much on the event that she becomes difficult and obnoxious.” Now let’s break this down even further :)



Every bride out there will lose it at some point. Trust me on this. (At this point in time, I could probably be the poster child for this phenomenon.) But does make me, or any other bride for that matter, a bridezilla? I’d like to think not. Stress does funny things to you, but it doesn’t necessarily turn you into a monster. But a lot of people out there immediately categorize a stressed out or crying bride as a bridezilla. In fact, I believe a lot of people relish the idea of this and sit back, rubbing their hands together in glee, so they can gossip about the latest “incident” with the bride.

I’d like to break down hypothetical situations as that what I think is a stressed out (ie., normal) bride versus a bridezilla.

A bride who is crying because she realizes her bridesmaid has yet to alter her dress and it’s just a couple weeks to the wedding. Normal bride.

A bride who is yelling because her bridesmaid refuses to go exactly where SHE wants her to go to get her dress altered, months before the wedding. Bridezilla.

A bride who gives ideas of how she’d prefer her bridesmaids to wear their hair. Normal bride.

A bride who demands that her bridesmaids have their hair done THIS way, with THIS stylist, and refuses to pay for her demands. Bridezilla.

A bride who becomes frustrated with the constant change of a seating plan (hard work!) and vents to a friend or bridesmaid. Normal bride.

A bride to becomes frustrated with her seating plan and then demands that people will just have to “deal with” where their sitting, because she just “doesn’t care anymore” because it’s “her day”, not theirs. Bridezilla.

Starting to see a pattern here? Every bride (myself included) is going to stress out at some point, but that doesn’t mean that she’s turning into some green monster, rearing its ugly head, taking out everything (and everyone!) in its path. Although… that would make for a fun movie, wouldn’t it? ;)



So, my dear readers, I ask that you take pity on the poor brides-to-be out there. If you’ve gone through a wedding, you know how difficult it is for us and how stressful it is to organize everything, everyone, trying to make as many people happy as possible. If you haven’t experienced your own wedding, well, hopefully this entry will help you understand what we go through and how difficult it is to deal with the stress of planning a wedding.

Only 16 more days for me, then I can go back to being the quiet, lovely girl that I used to be :) (I hope!)

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