Wedding In The Park

Cake Ideas

2012-07-03T13:22:00.000-05:00

Flowers

2012-07-03T10:52:00.001-05:00

I'm not a fan of real flowers (nor the cost). I ordered these from Etsy for Luna and myself. Hopefully they look just as nice in person

Cake topper and presents!!

2012-07-03T10:48:00.001-05:00

I ordered these two:

Main table centerpieces

2012-07-03T10:41:00.001-05:00

I'm thinking these will be on Luna and my table

Guest book!

2012-07-03T10:38:00.001-05:00

We're stepping away from the usual guest "book" and going with a piece of art that we can hang in our house

Hair

2012-07-03T10:27:00.001-05:00

I am a fan of these looks so far

Favors

2012-07-03T10:26:00.001-05:00

I finished putting the favors together. I decided to go with mints. Why mints? After the tasting, we'd ate so much that I couldn't imagine my guests smelling so bad all night long ;)

Lots of dresses to choose from

2012-07-03T09:45:00.001-05:00

These are all the dresses I said hell no to. I won't show you the one I said hell yes to until the day 😉

Needless to say, I wasn't too impressed with these, and my face kinda shows it.

Wedding tasting

2012-05-24T20:44:00.001-05:00


Brought part of the centerpiece so we'd get a better idea of what the tables might look like.

List of appetizers ranked from favorite to blahhh!

Creamy of tomato

Cream of broccoli

Taste off

Final Menu!!

Centerpieces!

2012-05-04T21:12:00.000-05:00

I budgeted $45 a table for floral arranged centerpieces. I did a lot of research and thought I had the perfect arrangement for my money... but then I ran into Joann. Joann's fabric to be precise!

I'm just wandering the isles and I come across the candles. Immediately I can't take my eyes off of this box. I have no cart with me, as I only went in for one item.

I see that there's three boxes and say "wouldn't that make for a cute centerpiece?!" Cue lightbulb, fairy dust, and angels singing!! I see that it is on sale for 60% off the sales ticket!!

Whoosh! I break out my iPhone(um I probably could have done the math mentally...but don't judge me!)

The original price was $20, and I could have it for $8!! SCORE!! So awesome. I love them. I bought everything on their shelves and then called a few more stores to have them put aside the rest of their stock for me :D

I just saved $37 a table!!

The problem that we encountered was that we could only find enough for 10 tables. So what do we do??? Looking around, I found this cute candle holders that were also 60% off. The little ones were $2, and the larger ones were $4. So, the look of the tree and the leaves will be staggered.

I am totally proud of how frugal I am :)

Invitations, in the making!

2012-03-21T07:36:00.001-05:00

So, I decided to make my invitations, rather than order them. Price difference? I'm saving $410.

Luna and I went and scooped up our little cousin Jalexi, who then helped me pick out fonts, print and punch out the little tags.

We worked for a good 3 hours and only finished about 15 invitations hahaha! It's a ton of work!!
But, we're all set with the basics now, and can really start rolling out the invites.

Humboldt Crack Cake: Are you feeling Tipsy yet?

2012-02-22T00:12:00.000-06:00

I love bakeries. You already know that though, from my previous entries. But, there's a neighborhood bakery called Tipsy Cake, and well... they've crossed into my dog house of no return.

Here's a video that I saw last night

1. My first reaction to this, is that I love City Soles, and could not believe that they continued to conduct an interview with this woman and did not call her out for her inappropriate language, like "crack cake."
2. She laughs and says that there were too many gun shots in the cakes...
3. She mentions that her upscale clients were too scared to come to her shop in Humboldt park...
4. And this is the kicker: She says that a pastry that she makes is called "crack" because the police officers in Humbolt park used to come in and ask for the "crack." Now, the host then actually calls the cake "Humboldt Crack," but the owner does not refute the name. The owner tastes the cake and then laughs and says "oh my God, it's just like any crack I've ever had!" :: Cue laughing::

Ugh! I was absolutely disgusted after watching this video, and decided to write on City Soles website to describe how disgusted I was with their attitude toward the American drug trafficking problem. I couldn't believe that they would 1. speak about drugs in such a nonchalant way, and 2. belittle the community that has hosted Tipsy Cakes since 2005. Are you kidding me?? After my complaint and a few others, the video was taken off youtube... but if there's one thing I teach my kids, it's that once you put something online, it's there forever. (Hence how it's visible to you here on this posting)

Needless to say, the owner has thoroughly pissed off the Humboldt park community, and continues to antagonize the people who live here, by thinking her "witty" remarks are funny:

Ooof! Bad move. Don't mess with Puerto Ricans. We don't give up. Nor do we forget. The response has been amazing! The Alderman have been contacted, as well as news stations. There is a such thing as bad publicity... especially if you want to continue your business in an area where "bullets" supposedly riddle your cakes.

Seems as though they understand this now, after seeing this comment. My comments have been deleted, as well as anyone else who mentions Tipsy Cake on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube.

And then they try to play the "I am friends with colored people" card.

This is a reason why the Humboldt park community is anxious when dealing with outside businesses. What is your intention? To push the community out, or to help retain the culture that we have established? If you've been a loyal reader, then you know that I am all for my community, and support local businesses. But in this case, I, for one, will boycott Tipsy Cake, and urge all others to do the same.
If you look them up on Yelp, they've gotten plenty of bad ratings due to the rude customer service. Go to Cafe Colao for a great cup of tea, coffee and home baked goods. Skip Tipsy Cake. Go to a family owned bakery that has supported the neighborhood for 100+ years: Roesers. Skip Tipsy Cake.

United, we are strong. Humboldt Park Pride. We are NOT FOR SALE.

Skip Tipsy Cake Hahahahaha

Linens and things

2012-02-20T12:07:00.001-06:00

Luna and I went to go choose our table and chair linens. Who knew there'd be so much to choose from!
Here's what we got so far:
Ivory table cloths with green overlays.
Now we've got to choose from the super sparkly or the slightly sparkly (our terminology, not the planner)

I'm pretty set on the side knot for the chairs... But can pick from 20 different styles on March 10th, when we go for our tasting.

Wedding Cake: Bakery Question Solved

2012-02-15T22:22:00.001-06:00

I had my mom call the wedding planner this past weekend. I'm working on so many things these days that I really don't have time for beating around the bush. My mom is just a lot better with that, while I'm more blunt. I sat next to her working on some payroll logistics that she was having problems with, while she made the phone call.

So, she calls, and explains that she's calling on my behalf, and that we were wondering what plans had been made since our original bakery had gone out of business, and we'd never been told about this. Immediately, the planner gets defensive and quite a bit of a 'tude with my mom, and says "usually, cakes are not chosen until a month before the wedding." I hear this, and tell my mom to let her know that I am busy and need to get things straightened out at once.

Mom, being more diplomatic, explains that since I am working full time and going to school full time, I have limited time to make decisions, so once an opportunity to do so arises, I like to take advantage of that.

Planner lady says, "oh, she must be really on top of things then."

Yes. Yes, I am. Wedding planning is a business, and when I am working with a business, and am paying them money, I'd like to make sure everything is planned out. BESIDES! It's not like I've been stalking her, making phone calls weekly. This is the first time I've contacted her.
Anywho, here's the new bakery:

Here's the menu for the sweet table:

Taffeta and I, don't mix

2012-02-11T11:09:00.000-06:00

I haven't been impressed with the wedding dresses I've seen so far, but I do know this much:
Taffeta and I, don't work well together.
(Organiza either...)

Take a look at this picture:

On the average unshapely woman, this would like nice. Notice this model is small on top, and I'm sure she's pretty narrow on the bottom.

This type of dress would totally not work for me. For a petite woman, I'm pretty hippy and have a butt. This dress would end up making me look like that freaky Romanian model, Ioana Spangenberg:

Hahah! Okay, I'm being pretty extreme. I don't get the whole hour-glass, "Princess," big ball gown obsession. On me, I'd be a walking mushroom.
Well, back to the search.

Questions I will not answer:

2012-02-08T00:08:00.002-06:00

I hate when people talk about how much they spent on things...
"my car was blank-blank dollars!"
"I spent blank blank dollars on my shoes!" (dinner, clothes, bills, whatever else you spend your money on)

From a pretty young age, my dad taught me that it is bad form to speak about how much you spend on things. In addition to that, I'm a private person, and don't really want people knowing what I have (or don't have).

Here are some questions that I will not answer regarding our wedding day
(And if you ask them, I will smile at you, and give you my famous wave-you-away hand movement along with the following remarks):

Guest: Wow guys! How much is the wedding reception costing you?
Jackie:Ummm... are you concerned that you have to tip the waiter? Don't worry about that, because I GOT THIS!!! ::said in my George Lopez voice::

Guest: Can you make sure not to set your date for [insert date here] -- I have another wedding already planned!
Jackie: (Hehehe! Let's see if one of my co-workers figures out this one is for him.) Does the look on my face tell you everything you need to know?

Guest: Hi! What table am I sitting at?
Jackie: You see that little table over there with your name on it? Yeah? Go check it.

Guest: Hey! Why didn't you invite [insert name here]?
Jackie: Why would I? ::Awkward silence::

Guest: How many carats is that ring anyway?
Jackie: How many specs of salt is yours?

Guest: Where are your bridesmaids?
Jackie: Serving me by playing in traffic. Didn't you see them earlier?

Guest: Jackie, don't you think the six-tiered wedding cake is a bit much?
Jackie: Sounds like you don't want any... ::awkward silence::

I'm just saying...

Awesome shoes!

2012-01-22T22:06:00.000-06:00

I really want my shoes on the big day to be flashy!
(Jackie: Flashy? No wayyyyy!)
Yes. Flashy. Not bling-ed out, but eye catching.

Here's some ideas from a manufacture that make pretty amazing shoes that are stylish and very comfortable to dance in (or run if need be... I've done it before in a pair of Nina shoes lol):

Check their site out : Click Here

If I can't get what I want, then... I want this!

2012-01-19T22:53:00.001-06:00

Well... Rolf's is gone.
I'm doing a little finagling...
(yes, finagle is a word--> finagling (verb): 1. to obtain (something) by devious or dishonest means. Hehehehehehe)
... to try and get the cake from Roeser's now.
What? You don't know about Roeser's? And you've been living in Chicago for how long? Ooof! Where have you been living? Under a rock?!

Roeser's is the BEST bakery that I have ever had the pleasure of trying (and I've tried a LOT of bakeries in my 27 years). I can still remember my first taste of a Roeser's cake. It was yellow cake with strawberry filling...Mmmm... I was nice a snug, in my mother's womb.
Haha
My mom had a Roeser's cake at her baby shower when she was pregnant with me. Ever since then, I've alway remembered a Roeser's cake at each of my birthdays, and the one year my parents forgot about my birthday (oh no they didn't! You know I let them have it for that one), I bought my own.

Seeing that yellow Roeser's box brings back really yummy memories. My friend Maggie had a Roeser's wedding cake and... I may have taken home 2 slices :)
(Sorry Maggs haha)
it was delicious!

Want to know more about Roeser's? Check it out here--> Roeser's Bakery
It's been open for over 100 years! Go and try a cake/pastry for yourself :)

Example of the times...

2012-01-18T07:47:00.002-06:00

I woke up this morning to a text from my cousin saying that the bakery that was going to make my wedding cake announced that it was going out of business.

What the heck?

So, I go to their website and look what I saw:

Son of a biscotti >:(

I'm going to have to call that wedding planner and ask why I hadn't been informed of this >:(

I can't be mad at the bakery though... who can blame them? It's a shame that a family ran business has to go under. It's 2012 people! The world is unraveling! lol

Presents!

2012-01-17T23:30:00.001-06:00

So, I decided on the magnet save the dates, and had them delivered to school (considering that I practically live there). Inside the box, along with the fabulous magnets were presents!!
Well... to me, at least haha
I found a invitation book with lots of paper samples.
Growing up, there were two things I really loved: paper and... Pens!

There's just something about a really good pen... The way the ink smoothly runs out... The way the pen gently glides across the paper... Haha! I could wax on about my love for pens and paper for twelve minutes, but I'll spare you from my nerdy interests.

Save the dates go out as soon as I recruit some helpers to assemble them :)

Click. Copy. Save. Print!

2012-01-02T12:09:00.000-06:00

The save the dates are being printed as I type this!
Here's a look:
(mini magnets!)

Count yourself lucky if you receive one in the mail ;) It's gonna be a rocking party!

Wedding Colors: Shades of Green

2011-12-07T22:39:00.001-06:00

Do you know how many freaking shades of green there are in this world???

Yeah, me neither... So I wikipedia'd it. Turns out there's more than 59, and then Wikipedia said ENOUGH GREEN! Turns out the next step in the wedding process is picking out our colors. Staying true to our park theme, I want to have green incorporated... but not evergreen or baby-poop-green. Greeeeeeeen.

Ever have a moment where you say something so many times that it loses all meaning and sounds really akward coming out of your mouth? That's how I feel about GREEN right now lol.

Here's some green choices:

Between finishing my masters program and teaching... let's see where picking a shade of green fits in :)

Bridal Party: "Flower Girls"

2011-10-28T19:51:00.000-05:00

So, I'm not having a traditional bridal party... but I want my guests to look good ;)

I was looking through the David's Bridal website and came across the cutest flower girl dresses! My two nieces aren't as itty-bitty as they were when I started dating Luna 4 years ago. They're tall little buggers! (but super sweet and innocent... well except Iris. She'll kick you in the groin if you cross her lol!) But I think these dresses would fit and look cute:

But they're growing so much, I might have to look at Junior bridesmaids dresses. Here's another I like:

These might be a little bit more age/height appropriate. I love those little boogers and I'm going to make them look amazing for our reception.

Engagement Photos! (Slideshow)

2011-10-21T22:09:00.001-05:00

Here are the photos! Take a looksie. There's 295... so sit back and enjoy hahaha

Engagement Photos: Sneak Peek

2011-10-10T22:43:00.001-05:00

This past Saturday was HECTIC!

I woke up and had my hair and make-up done at JJ Studio (located at 2950 W. Chicago). I hadn't really had a haircut in nearly a year, sometimes cutting my own bangs, and not really seeing my hair grow much longer than just below my shoulders... needless to say, I got scolded by John John lol

Check him out on Facebook:

JohnJohn JJstudio Garcia (Jaytwice)

Alicia, who I know from a pageant we'd both been in, did my make-up. It turned out AMAZING! I loved my eyelashes. Actually... I loved everything! My eye make-up was outstanding. My lips and cheeks were awesome, and I had a good time catching up. I even found out that she's going to be on the new season of Survivor!! How awesome is that?!

After leaving the hair studio I then ran home, picked up Luna and the dogs, went to Wendy's to grab a bite to eat (drive thru... scrumptious, but BAD for you) and raced back home so that I could be seated at my laptop for my online class (the dogs just came along for the ride. I did not buy them chicken nuggets like my good friend Shorty does for her doggy Patrick lol).

If I didn't have a group presentation, I probably would have skipped class all together... but being the responsible student I've become as of late, I made sure to be there ;)

I sat through the 2.5 hour class (rocking my project out of this world), and then had to JUMP into my dress and drive to the Garfield Park Conservatory. Luna and I met Christina there, and took a few pics in our green clothes (remember, he was wearing a green shirt when we met, and I was wearing a green dress). Here's a sneak peek of our shoot (I can't wait to see our other pictures!!!!)

We took a bunch at the boat house and all over the park. Afterwards we headed to Cafe Colao, talked to Lisa and went to the Stepphenwolf theatre to see a new play called Clybourne Park (about... take a guess...... yes. Gentrification). Check out the play

here: Clybourne Park

Ended the night with Tapas near University Village and then plopped in bed.

Great but tiring day.