Count down has begun!

So the count down has begun. When Joris and I decided to push our wedding forward (from 16 June 1012 to 31 October 2011) we had 11 weeks to get everything sorted! So as of today, we have 48 days left! I can tell you: this is not a lot of time to organize a wedding, no matter how big or small. Official things seem to need their time. If you are familiar with Dutch culture; paperwork moves slow around here. Which is ok, because it gives us time to save for rings (I soo hope we can get the rings we want in time for our wedding! I want him to put that ring on, and I'll never take it off! (well, except for medical reasons..) and to take care of some things around the house. Our contractor (I still can't believe I own my own house! And that we have a contractor!! I know I'm "grown-up" but I still don't feel that way!) came by yesterday to talk about the last few things we want to have done. Compared to the double doors, or the stairs, they are just small, minor things, but these are things I can get really excited about! If everything works out he is going to install our dishwasher and oven for us (the kitchen needs some, uhm, prep-work! The poor things have been standing in our living room for almost nine months! I feel embarrassed now..) along with making a lock on our fence door and put up our sunscreen! They house is going to feel sooo much more like a Home after that! Especially the work in the kitchen! I love baking and I don't like washing-up, so I'm really going to enjoy using these thing so much! Oh, and he is going to put something underneath the counter-top so it's save for me to put my lovely Kitchen-aid on it! I can't wait! I promise to take some pictures! Once I figure out how to transfer pictures from the camera to my laptop (well and, find the box with the right cable..) you will be swamped with pictures!!! And, back on the wedding front.. I have found and bought a dress!!! The dresses from my earlier post were not suitable for remaking into a wedding dress. My mother took a look at the fabric and made that disapproving face (that I know all too well) shook her head and frowned. So that was it. I don't know how to sew (not really) so I needed my mother to be on board for this. And to trust her and her sewing knowledge. So I did, and the dresses went back. So on we went, looking for that "perfect" dress. And finding.. nothing... Joris and I have a very, v.e.r.y. limited budget. Which is ok. I mean, we decided to push the wedding forward, to change everything around. But it does make finding the right things in time a bit more challenging. And it makes you prioritize. For me, our wedding rings are more important that my dress. I know that the more money we spend on something like dresses or shoes the less chance we have of getting the rings we want. I have seen hundreds of dresses that I could have seen being a/mine wedding dress. But I wasn't looking for a wedding dress at that time. And now that I was those dresses where nowhere to be found! Doesn't that always seem the be the case? After three failed dress attempts (at first I bought a lovely dress for $35 on eBay, but then it turned out to be too damaged to even be send to me! (I still miss that dress! It was perfect! White, wrap-dress, tea length, could fit a petticoat, 3/4 length sleeves, with cuffs and a collar! Oh well.. ). Then I had the "brilliant" idea of earlier mentioned former post.. to turn three dresses into one.. After that I actually bought a dress (cheap-ish from eBay). It isn't a wedding dress (which is fine, I don't mind that at all!), and even though it's a lovely dress, it just didn't feel like a wedding dress. It's pretty, but nothing special. I am keeping the dress, sort of as a last minute back up (even if it was to have a "new" dress, nobody has seen me in for the wedding), but hopefully just as a beautiful dress I hope to wear to a nice party with my husband sometimes! So on we went, looking, and looking. I would love to have been able to go to a "real" bridal store, but knowing their "cheap"dresses are more then our entire budget, and being plus sized there would not be anything for me to try on... So my fear and insecurities got the better of me, and I decided that I would not go to a "real" bridal store. Having found a dress (in mint-green!) I really liked, I was happy to go with it. But than they did not want to ship to the Netherlands (argh! I hate when that happens!).. After finally finding a store that would ship that dress to the Netherlands.. the dress sold out! Literally when we were making an account to buy it! I could not believe it! (I had even made a post about that dress, saying how it reminded me of Ginger Rogers..) However, after looking and looking we found (and bought!) a dress! It's not a "wedding"dress, not officially, but for me it's the most weddingy-dress I've even looked at! It's ivory, has an empire waist and fluttery sleeves. It might be a tad short on me (apparently I am tall! I never knew!) but if it turns out to be too short I know I will be able to fix that. I'll make an under-or-overlay or attach some lovely lace trim to the bottom of the dress (this is actually an idea I like more and more.. I might even do that even when the dress is long enough).. whatever, I know I can fix that! So, they say it has been shipped.. but the tracking number is not working.. so as long as I don't have the dress in my hands I'm still skeptical! So, as to not jinxes it, I'm not going to show a picture of it. Sorry.. hope you understand! Alright, I must get back; struggling, to finally get my bookcase in one piece!