Old. New. Borrowed. Very Blue

Most every little girl dreams of her wedding day. Meeting their true love, planning a wedding, and settling down in that little house I so recently spoke of. We flip through magazines looking for flowers and colors and linens and the perfect gown that makes us feel like a princess. We fill “hope chests” with all of notebooks of ideas and the perfect family heirlooms for our “something old”. We know someday that all of the hoping and dreaming will become a reality when we finally meet that special someone whom we cannot live without. Our day will come that we get to be the princess, even if it’s just for a day.

Next week will be five years since my husband and I said “I Do” and forever in front of God, family and friends. I spent the year and a half leading up to that day doing the same things every little girl does only that time, it was real. I picked colors and flowers and cakes and linens. I picked a gown fit for a princess and made sure the groomsmen were matched up perfectly. I already had my prince charming but it was time to pick the next most important people in my wedding party, my bridesmaids. I knew exactly who they would be. The girls (turned women) who had been with me through it all. They were there for me when my mother was sick. They were there for me through my dad’s accident, through my “incident” and through the tears and sadness. They were there for me through my darkest times when I lost those closest to me and they always knew what to say to mend a broken heart. We had sleepovers and day trips and shared in each other’s triumphs as well as each other’s failures. We watched as boyfriends came and went, doing our best to pick up the pieces when one of us had “forever” slip away.
We survived badly permed hair, the bell bottom jean revival, hair wraps, plaid and corduroy overalls, and the Spice Girl Era. We dreamed of marrying everyone from the Backstreet Boys to Jonathan Taylor Thomas. We dreamed of the day when we would watch each other walk down the aisle with our dream guy and promise them “’til death do us part”.

In the words of Carrie Bradshaw, “They say nothing lasts forever. Dreams change, trends come and go, but friendship never goes out of style.”

Despite the world changing around us, my best friends and I have been together since 6th grade homeroom and before. They would be the ones who would stand beside me as I embarked on the marriage journey with my husband. I also knew that when the time came that they were ready to be the princess to their prince charming, I would return the favor. Their broken hearts were my broken hearts, their happiness was my happiness. They were the “sisters” that would always be there for me, and I for them.
 
Next month, my best friend Annie will have that dream day. She’s picked flowers and food and those perfect words. She picked her wedding gown and the accompanying bridesmaids dresses, and true to friend form, has asked me to stand with her among our other friends as she (and her husband to be) give their lives to each other. I’ve shed tears of happiness as I’ve receive invitations and looked through engagement pictures. Much like my husband and I had 5 years ago, they are going to have their perfect day.

So where am I going with all of this mushy gooshy rambling? Well, that little detail about me standing with her also includes wearing a custom bridesmaid dress from Carrie Karibo Boutique. (Sounds fancy, huh?) Said bridesmaid dress was ordered for my measurements in April. That means they are pre-house buying and pre-parental visit. Pre-stress and pre-weight gain. So what’s a girl to do?

Well I’m obviously back on track in terms of eating healthy but some damage has already been done. My measurements are for a 135 lb Tiffany and not a 143 lb Tiffany (Gah, 8 pounds!). Now I know 8 pounds doesn’t sound like a lot, but when you are petite (that’s PC for short like a hobbit) like me, 8 pounds can mean the difference in 1-2 dress sizes. I cannot look like a busted can of biscuits on the best day of my best friends life. I don’t want to look back on her pictures in five years and regret my appearance. I want her day to be perfect. So where do I go from here? Well, I gobble down a pack of oreos, drown my sorrows and pray to the good Lord to melt away my fat… um… NO. That’s not how it works. 
 
Yesterday, with the encouragement and participation 
of my husband, I began the 30 day abs challenge. This will be 30 days of completely healthy eating. No cheat days, I have to do this(!), except for next Friday,  our anniversary dinner will be the one exception. So how can I tell if I succeed? Well obviously I want to be back down to a certain weight on the scale, but I also want to visibly see a difference. So, in the spirit of sharing my journey with you, I’ve taken some before pictures. 30 days from now I will take the same pictures and compare. 

So, if you’re feeling extra feisty, I’ve included the abs challenge below. Feel free to take this journey with me and submit your before and after shots on my facebook page if you want. Whatever keeps you motivated, do it. I know my motivation; getting in that sleek black bridesmaid dress and watching my best friend have her fairytale day. 

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