Blog will be on a brief hiatus! Thank you!

Instagram, Finally!

So glad Instagram has finally graced us Android users with their presence!

Find me on Instagram: bellepanny

Below are my two most recent uploads, both from today!

After not seeing me for a few days, Logan now feels the need to share this little red pillow with me.

Oh hello little caterpillar, off of my wheels and back on the grass with you!

Taping for Say Yes to the Dress!

Remember my newly engaged best friend whose engagement party I randomly flew to Chicago for?  She applied to be on the TLC show Say Yes to the Dress and got on!!

Her future mother-in-law, Mrs. Hardy, sent Susan a link to the application so she figured, Why not?

Most women I know have seen this show, myself included, and it's an easy show to watch as they follow brides searching for their wedding gown at a bridal salon, Kleinfeld Bridal, in NYC.  Brides come from all over the country to visit this salon, or perhaps just be on the show - who really knows?  Either way, they carry higher-end wedding gowns, with the lowest priced gown they carry being $1,800 to upwards of $50,000 and over!  (INSANE.)  

Stunning $30,000 Pnina Tornai Gown

which someone purchased while we were at the shop for her wedding in Italy..

So, to get on the show, Susan submitted her application (I'm sure they just ate up the magical engagement story) and received a response a few weeks later with more questions for her to answer.  She answered these and then a day or so passed and the producer informed her that she was one of the lucky brides selected to be filmed!  (Yayy!!)

She found out on Monday, April 2nd, that the last slot to film for this season was Friday, April 13th.  Yikes!  That's not much time to figure out logistics for Brandan's mother and grandmother to fly out to NY from Chicago or for his sister to come down from Maine!  

...And we all made it to NYC!  Susan was with her entourage of five: Mrs. Hardy, Grandma Hardy, Maura, her mom, and myself.  

Mrs. Yao, Maura, Mrs. Hardy, and Grandma Hardy

Susan wore her favorite shirt:

I have to say, the place itself is a bit overwhelming but underwhelming at the same time.  It took my breath away but wasn't quite as large or open as it seemed on the show.  The lighting was a bit unflattering and the walls were bare.  Minimal decor and lots of poofy wedding gowns to maneuver around.

The producer asked if I was her Maid of Honor, to which I said no and that I was a bridesmaid (though at this point I had not been asked - I just assumed!)  As soon as the cameras went on, Susan introduced me as her Maid of Honor!  I was floored and felt my face turn bright red.  I was nearly at a loss for words but am beyond thrilled and honored to be asked!  (Obviously I accepted, I <3 this girl!)

It was hilarious watching Susan follow the film crew's instructions: look at the dresses, show us what you like and don't like about the dress using your hands, talk about it with your family, etc.

Over the course of the day, we were allotted two hours with a consultant.  There was a lot of waiting around and we found out they actually film every day so we may not make it on the show because we were rather tame.  Her consultant wasn't quite as hands-on as I expected - from watching the show, we thought she would bring Susan 10-15 dresses and have her choose but she brought her only seven which felt so limiting!  (The first dress was absolutely atrocious.  I mean really disturbingly terrible with all sorts of sorbet-ish colors and too much tulle.)  The second to last dress (can't describe it in case the groom may read this, though doubtful) received tears of approval from several of the ladies in our party and the last one was closer to what Susan pictured herself in.  

Indecision central!

Susan did not say yes to the dress on this day, but I'm excited to be part of her big day and can't wait to pitch in any way I can!  (Late DIY nights, here we come!)

Susan & her mom

Maura searching through dresses and veils!

Snacks that Should Come with Wet Wipes

This list was inspired by a large bag of crunchy Cheetos and being forced to use my less dominant hand to change channels because my right hand was covered in cheesy goodness.

1) Cheetos/Doritos/All chips that leave powder on your fingers



2) Any popcorn that isn't plain



4) Ice Cream Sandwiches



3) Oranges




5) Powdered Donuts



Cheetos and Doritos could really benefit from wet wipes and of this list, they would be the easiest to incorporate them.

There are probably a million other snacks out there that could benefit from wet wipes! I was on the fence about cotton candy..

Brews & Bowties

Went to a charity event at the Ethical Society of Philadelphia dubbed "Brews & Bowties", where people brandish their finest bow tie while sampling craft brews and appetizers.

After many failed attempts at tying an actual bow tie, Tim settled for a navy blue and yellow polka dot bow tie that looked quite legitimate and I sported a black clip on.  (This bow tie received many compliments throughout the evening.)

When we first got our tickets, we assumed it'd be a rather pretentious event where we could enjoy good food and drinks in our fancy bow ties while people watching. We walked in to see a live jazz band playing on stage and everyone (for the most part) was dressed to the nines.  We look around and Tim says, "Chances of us not talking to anyone else?"  My response, "97%."

Apparently the event planners specifically told the vendors to bring "session beer". [Any beer that contains no higher than 5 percent ABV, featuring a balance between malt and hop characters (ingredients) and, typically, a clean finish - a combination of which creates a beer with high drinkability. The purpose of a session beer is to allow a beer drinker to have multiple beers, within a reasonable time period or session, without overwhelming the senses or reaching inappropriate levels of intoxication. (Yes, you can drink and enjoy beer without getting drunk.) - BeerAdvocate.com]  I enjoy darker beers, mainly stouts, so I was pretty disappointed with the selection.

While no beers really struck me, some of the food was amazing!  The crab cake appetizer and hanger steak sliders from Del Frisco's were delicious.  All lump crab meat, they were definitely more generous that expected!  They were gone as quickly as they were coming out!  There was also beer ice cream, that was just too odd for most people.  It just tasted like less sweet ice cream?

There was a woman handing out mustaches too!  Tim was kind enough to get me one, which I donned briefly.  (It was a bit disturbing how natural it looked on me.)

We made small talk with a few people about how long it takes to tie a bow tie (3% was a miscalculation on my part) and then headed to a bar in Old City to round out the night.  Not a bad way to break up the week and get ready for the weekend!