just call me karen

karen carpenter, that is.

i seriously have been singing this in my head morning, noon and night since i arrived in columbus on saturday night:


that's right -- i've been in columbus since saturday eve!

i literally walked in the door at 6:30 where my parents were waiting at the dinner table for me. by 7:00 we walked back OUT the door to where else...st. bonaventure. they were so excited to show me the paint & redecorating progress. :) the church is definitely more vibrant than it has ever been. it shall make for some snazzy pics! most likely the MAJORITY of our pics, actually, because mother nature seems to insist upon thunderstorms & 20-30 mph winds. throw me a bone, friday the 13th!!!!!!

on friday, my lovely matron showered me with seven roses and baby's breath that would make the dutchess SWOON - one for each day of singledom until 'i do'!

joel proceeded to tell me that ang is making him look bad. i matter-of-factly responded, "welllll....people ARE asking if they're from my matron of honor before assuming you sent them...." to which he responded with some form of a swear word. ;)

so my 7 roses and i packed up & road-tripped to columbus on saturday afternoon. and let me tell you, we have been BU-SY. most of our friends & relatives will begin arriving on wednesday, and i want as MUCH done as possible prior to the beginning of the madness. so, the wedding party gifts have been wrapped, the nieces' feathery gorge headbands have been packaged, the immediate family seating cards have been labeled, the final headcounts have been sent for the rehearsal dinner and reception, the frames have been assembled (in lieu of a slideshow -- blame the stupid lanterns on the lack of time to compile any sort of video), 310 grandma rosie metal heart-shaped cookie cutter sugar cookies have been bagged, the videographer contract & details have been ironed out, a couple nice cool morning runs around columbus have been completed & nearly a bottle of wine has been consumed.

exhale.

and that doesn't even include the NINE hours spent with mary, my dress gal.

that's right - i hadn't had my final fitting.

thanks to woefully shunning sweets during lent & a new eating plan inspired by lara (a lovely lady i met while visiting my fabulous friend jess in LA), my dress needed a little extra tlc. mary arrived at nine on the dot and didn't leave until after six. i'm quite certain my "cost per wear" on the dress is now in the teens after changing in & out of it all day long... ;)

i will tell you one thing -- that dress will not have so much as a STITCH out of place. those farm gals...i tell you what...they're apparently pickier than a blushing bride to be!

the top of my 'top of the world' birthday began with a doorbell ding at 8:24 a.m.

"happy birthday, sarah rose"

from my darling. :)

i received so many texts (including two different ones shortly after midnight from my brothers tim & al), phone calls & facebook love today! joel texted at 1:00a.m. hoping to be the first to wish me a happy day. he literally must have set his alarm to wake up in the middle of the night to do so -- that's my 'one' for you. :)

i was able to go out to a nice dinner with dear ole mom & dad and my niece mary.

i just hung up the phone with my cousins that JUST ARRIVED from germany! they are staying with my cousin julie & her family in omaha until tomorrow. and then i get to see their wonderful faces in PERSON & not over skype-dom. i truly cannot wait!!

i confess that i also wore my FLAME lipstick ang gave me at my bachelorette along with my vintage flair. that's right, people. i wore that bridal turned birthday bonnet every.where.i.went. today. the grocery store, walmart, el matador ... and my oh my did it feel fine. like the way katherine hepburn said she feels fine when she's drinking the champagne in 'a philadelphia story'.

the only thing that will top my lovely birthday will begin tomorrow when joel & his family start to migrate into my beloved cornhusker state. then my brothers & nieces and nephews begin to arrive. and the fun & chaos & laughter & love will fly by in a blur to the altar. and THAT, my dear friends, will be the epitome of 'FINE'. :)