Maggie Sottero in the house...

My dress is here! Whoo-hoooo!!!!! I went in on Friday to go my first fitting, and today I'll take it to get hemmed. I'll admit that I was having doubts about the dress that I had picked, but seeing this dress... my dress, brand new, and so beautiful, it erased any concerns that I had about it being the "perfect" dress. I hope Cory loves it as much as I do! Think he'll cry?


Plans are still coming along. We are at 66 days now, and every single one of my weekends is booked with something. Crazy how that happens, huh? My mom and I went dress shopping for her this weekend. She ended up finding her DREAM dress. It is gorgeous, it's in the color she wants (champagne) and it makes her look HOT! I'm so happy for her and can't wait to see her all dressed up.

Hopefully, you've all received the invitation for the Couple's Shower that my family is hosting! Hope to see you all there!

And to my ladies - Palm Springs has NO IDEA what's about to happen!!!

http://www.theknot.com/ourwedding/AnnalizaVictoria&CorySmith
Please keep checking the website for updates... For those of you who have asked, I have updated our registry page if you want to see where we are registered... Macy's, Crate and Barrel, Target, and we've added Sandals for our honeymoon. TheWeddingChannel.com, where our Macy's registry is also does registries for many other places, including Sandals resorts, so you should be able to access ours at that website.
http://registry.weddingchannel.com/wedding_websites/PersonalWebsite.action?view=gr&occ=574813234

Love you all!

Engagement Photo Slideshow

It's here... our Engagement Photo Slideshow!
Trista did an AMAZING job and we are so pleased with it!
Hope you enjoy!

www.tristalerit.com/annalizacory

Happy Birthday!!!

I can't believe I almost forgot to wish a Happy Belated Birthday to Christopher, my lil baby bro... I CANNOT believe he is 26... Twenty-Six?!?!!?!?!?! What does that make me?

Also, we would like to wish a very Happy 4th Birthday to Gizmo... our lil man, baby boy, Yorkie! Haha! Cory bought him this gigantic stuffed toy dog that is about twice Gizmo's size... of course, he has already devoured part of it.

St. Lucia - here we come!!!

YAY! I'm happy to announce that we have finally decided on where to go on our honeymoon and it is BOOKED...
ST. LUCIA - HERE WE COME!!!
We are SO excited! We are staying at the Sandals Grande St. Lucian. It's a Sandals resort, so everything is included, food, drinks, even the activites like SAILING and SCUBA DIVING! YESSSSSS! Cory is already a certified scuba diver and we are hoping to get me certified to dive by the honeymoon... wish me luck! (Nobody talk about Open Water from here on out!) As Danielle says, we will "ride horses on the beach through the aqua blue clear water with the water splashing us as we sip on mai tais made with local grown fruits and the glow of love in our eyes!" HA! LOVE IT!!!

It's 78 days and counting down to the BIG ONE! We've been the busiest either of us have ever been... every weekend between now and the wedding is literally booked with wedding stuff. From bridal/couples showers, BACHELOR/BACHELORETTE WEEKENDS, some sort of shopping, tastings, hair trials, make up trials... I'm exhausted just typing this. But we are so excited! We seriously race home from work every day to check the mail for our response cards! You're rolling your eyes I'm sure, but HEY, we only get to do this once in our lives, and we are STOKED - SO THERE! =)

We picked the tuxedos (finally) for Mr. Groom and his groomsmen. They are going to be some sharp looking dudes! We got our favors in the mail, they are ADORABLE. Now we just have to find some weekend to put it all together. I just got the bridal shower favors as well, SUPA CUTE! Speaking of which, just got the ADORABLE Bridal Shower invitation from my fabulous MOH, who is throwing me the most amazing bridal shower EVER! The theme is Orange County Girl Tea Party - kinda like Gwen Stefani and her "Whatcha Waiting For" video. Black and hot pink are the colors... and of course, the theme is visited again for the bachelorette party - Sweet Escape... AHHHH, can't wait. Ok, stop!

Anyways, the time is flying by and we are too excited, not only to get married, but to see all of you, the ones that we love, all in one place!

No turning back now...

...hahahaha!

There is no turning back now - the wedding invitations are out the door peeps!
If I spelled something wrong or addressed something whacky, please please puh-leeeez... don't say a thing! HA!



I really can't believe that we are down to 85 days. Can you? I know I've been harping on it, but last night, it hit me, and I got a little choked up and teary eyed... maybe it was the paper cuts from stuffing envelopes. But, Cory and I are so excited to start this new chapter in both of our lives. We can't wait and we can't stop talking about it. Of course, I'm back to sleepless nights and nightmares of something not getting done, a vendor ditching out on us... the latest... my hair and make up ladies bailed, which made me so late to the ceremony, and everyone left. Ugh...

My bachelorette evite went out today. I am very excited for a Sweet Escape to the Springs! It's gonna be a fabulous weekend to send me off into marriage. Does this mean no more girls nights out? YEAH RIGHT! But I really am stoked for all the things that my MOH and my MAIDS have in store for me.

25 things you always wanted to know, but would never ask...

Someone sent me this on Facebook... it was kinda interesting, so I thought I'd put it here too (in case you don't have Facebook)! Now if I can only get Cory to do one...
Enjoy!

Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things (facts, habits, or goals) about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you.To do this, go to the Notes under tabs on your profile page, copy and paste instructions, type 25 things, and tag 25 people.

1. I hate my smile... I'm all gums. Have you seen most pictures of me? You would have no idea that I had teeth because you'd be blinded by my upper gums. If there was some sort of surgery out there that that could glue my top lip to the gargantuan wall that is my upper gumline, I would do it in a heartbeat, at any cost... anybody?

2. As a child, I always thought that when I grew up, I would be a model by day, astronaut by night, and oceanographer on the side. How I figured I would accomplish all of that, who knows, but I had big aspirations. My mother neglected to tell me that there are no 5'2" supermodels, that astronauts need perfect 20/20 vision, and that my skin is allergic to ocean water... is that like the trifecta of all disappointments, or what?

3. The trade off (to #2), I get to work in an industry that helps sick people every single day, I'm in a profession that directly works with those who have the ability to put GOOD, SAFE products out there, I get to play with bloodied devices, and... the kicker... it brought me to the love of my life, my soon-to-be husband, Cory Smith.

4. I've been told that I know way too much about FRIENDS and Sex and the City... this is not a trait I am ashamed of.

5. Would you believe, that at the ripe old age of 32, I am STILL deathly afraid of the Boogie Man? (Boogie Man = Jason from Friday the 13th) I have my cousin, Michelle to thank for that... haha! First she made me watch the movie against my will. But of course, was it really against my will... I just hid behind my pillow. Then she locked me in the closet and told me that if I didn't do what she said, the Boogie Man would appear. Apparently at age 6, I wasn't so smart... to think that he would just appear out of thin air. And for whatever reason, to this day, I still look behind me while I'm walking alone, in the dark.

6. To Michelle's credit, despite getting locked in the closet, or the countless sleepovers we had that sent me running home BALLING because she rolled her eyes in the back of her head and pretended to be a zombie that worked for the Boogie Man who was out to get me, or the endless times my dad had to warn her that he'd hang her by her toes if she didn't stop bossing me around... she is still my #1 favorite "hah-nee", and I love her to death, am so proud of who she has become, and am ecstatic to have her in my life.

7. It has taken me years and years of painful tears and sleepless nights, but I have finally come to realize, that despite the urge we had in high school to have as many friends as the phone book can hold, that as each year slaps you in the face to remind you of how grand you are becoming, people in your life truly will disappoint you, disrespect you, kick you in the shin, make you cry, make you hurt... so it's ok to let people go. Even if you're left standing with only one true-to-the-heart good friend, you will survive. (I'm def lucky to have more than one, but it took me a while to get where I am today)

8. ... is my favorite and lucky number. It represents the inifinite... The infinite love I have for my fiance, my family, my dog, my friends... the infinite possibilities of what you can do if you just stop being such a ninny... the infinite black hole that is, reality tv... the infinite hours that it will most likely take me to finish this damn thing, but apparently worth it...

9.I'm a girl that can drive a stick shift... well... nuff said. (Why this continues to baffle and impress men, I'll never know)... what do I get if I tell you that I know how to back my truck into parking spots?

10. I started out as a left handed child. But for whatever idiotic reasons, the schools claimed that left-handed children were dumb and I should be force to be a righty. To this day, I write with my right (not well), and play sports with my left. Hm, these are the same people that said that bi-lingual households produce less than desirable students... who are these people? With any luck, my parents will teach my children Tagalog, then they can talk about me all they want.

11. My parents almost named me Tracy Ann...

12. I have absolutely no sense of style. I have to rely on my friends like Rachel to help pick things out for me that fit my body type, my sense of simplicity. If it were up to me, jeans and beaters would be the standard wardrobe, and the only way to dress it up were to add a hoodie, or colored flip flops... maybe even wedges, but even then, I might just opt for Uggs. If you told me to dress myself, do my hair, make myself up as if I were going on a fancy schmancy date, and my life depended on it, you'd be looking at a dead pilipino with no make up... in a beater and jeans. Change It Up, right Rach?

13. Despite the fact that I May or May Not be the next fashion victim on What Not To Wear, I seem to have an innate ability to pick cute shoes... too bad I don't have a bank account to go with it. But I've been told that my shoes are absolutely adorable... and even more so, once people find out that they're affordable. Far be it for me to knock on Jimmy Choos or Manolos, but I just can't justify spending that much on two pieces of leather that eventually stink up your feet. Well hey, if you're only capable of wearing jeans and beaters, why not style it up with some sexy Steve Madden Rufles... love those!

14. My mind races more than I'd like to admit. I'm not ADD or anything like that, but I can never just STOP thinking. This would contribute to #4. When I go to bed at night, I can't stop thinking. About work, currently about the wedding, about money, about my family, about Cory, about my dog, how are my friends, what did I forget to do today that I need to finish tomorrow, what's happening next on 24... I have to watch t.v. to stop me from thinking, then fall asleep to the soft sounds of my DVD player on a loop... TiVo became my best friend for a while. This was fine when I was single and living on my own. But it doesn't help when the man you live with can fall asleep at the drop of a hat... and what wakes him up is the flashing of the screen when I hit fast foward on the TiVo. Ear plugs and eye masks... does anybody know how to break me of this habit?

15. I love using the three dots when I type... can you tell?

16. I could watch the Food Network all damn day... in fact, that's what's on in the background right now!

17. I like cut up, diced tomatoes in my salads, pastas, salsas (duh), and guacamole dips... but get that red mushy crap away from my burgers, sandwiches, burritos, and everything else.

18. My favorite hangover foods are In N Out, Mickey D's breakfasts, and Breakfast burritos from Albertos... it's too bad they don't have those out in RSM...

19. I NEVER believed in people who said that "they knew" when they met their spouse... until I started dating Cory. I heard it from my parents, heard it from friends, and I thought they were all cuh-ray-zee. Then we spent our first full day together, driving along PCH, Cory would not stop rambling on about all of his childhood accidents, including the one that left him with half of a thumb (haha)... and "I knew".

20. I suffer from life long ear infections. When I was growing up, my ear canal was too small, so it never drained, and would always cause a nasty, painful infection. At least half of the year, I'd be battling an ear infection. I would have to go to the doctor every now and then to get my ear drained. Try being 5 and being asked to hold a bowl under your ear, while having a water gun with water pressure like that coming from a fire truck, shooting into your ear, and after what felt like minutes (but only seconds) of excrutiating pain, there would be big blocks of ear wax floating in the bowl of lukewarm water. And at 32, I still get them... not nearly as bad or frequent, and I don't have to shoot a water cannon into my ear... but it keeps me miserable for a few days.

21. Arby's is my favorite fast food in the universe. A roast beef sandwich with a little horsey sauce and arbys sauce, coupled with a side of curly fries, and a Jamocha shake can win me over any day. And if that's not available, In N Out is a supa close second.

22. I love hard, somewhat stinky cheese... you know, like the book, the Stinky Chese Man. But no really... the stinkier the better sometimes... gimme some Parmagiano Reggiano or Peccorino Romano, some crackers, and either Almond Champagne or a good red wine, and I'm set.

23. I have a fear of being kidnapped and stabbed... I had a reoccurring dream as a child that this would happen to me one day...

24. I love anything Winne The Pooh... haven't you seen the back of my truck?

25. I secretly wish I could sing...

What are the odds?

...that Macy's would email me to let me know that some items that we have selected for our wedding registry are about to be discontinued, so we need to check our registry and update it?

Even more so, what are the odds that Macy's would discontinue like HALF of our registry?!?!?!?!

What...are...the...odds?

If only I had more envelopes...

It's Monday, 10:27pm, Night #2 of Mission: Wedding Invitations... is this why people get other people to have the envelopes printed? Ok, wait... honestly, it's not even the printing, that's actually the easy part. It's the mail merging, the font choosing, Times New Roman or Arial, bold or italics, the envelope formatting, the spell checking, the proper wedding invitation address etiquette, is it "Mr. & Mrs.", is it "Mrs.", "Ms.", or "Miss"... and in true Annaliza style, after printing about half of our invitation envelopes, we come to realize that I, in fact, had NOT been using proper wedding invitation etiquette. See, with all the stresses of the weekend, I forgot to change over the list of names and addresses that we had used for the Save-The-Dates. Those were very informal... you know, "Cory & Annaliza" instead of "Mr. Cory Smith & Ms. Annaliza Victoria"... (ugh). So, after printing all of my side of the guest list, and wasting almost half of the envelopes, I realized my mistake and almost started to cry. Luckily, Cory, who was also over-exhausted from this weekend told me to stop, go to bed, and that we'd hit up Staples or somewhere to buy more invitation envelopes. So, we went to Staples, no envelopes, so now we have to find them somewhere else... I'm thinking Michael's or some stationary store... suggestions? With some luck and caffeine (oh wait, not allowed to have caffeine), these gorgeous invitations will find their way to a mailbox near you... hold your breath.

Anyhoo, this past weekend was kinda busy. Friday, we went bowling with Ryan, Ngan, and Jenn at the Lucky Strike. Aside from the near miss accident on the freeway and the stabbing in the Block at Orange parking lot, it was actually a fabulous night. I managed to keep my streak of obtaining the lowest score EVER in bowling history, but hey, if you can't laugh at yourself... you better learn, cuz everyone else will. One of my fave parts of the night, besides our lil waiter boy, who thought that the "thumbs up" was the new black, MAY or MAY NOT have been when Jenn was asked by a bouncer to remove her delightful hat that she was wearing because they were "trying to weed out the gangsters"... cuz a 5'5" white girl, with pig tails, a hat, and huge dangling earrings resembles a gang member from Santa Ana. And then, as she politely removed her hat and jokingly added that she wished she would have brushed her hair, the bouncer then decided to add, "oh wash (your hair)? har har har"... moron. Either way, she looked cute, but the request alone was hysterical.









Saturday, we drove down to Temecula with my parents and Jenn to do our cake tasting, check out the rehearsal dinner location, and to show Jenn the winery for the first time... And, since she's pretty much been the best MOH known to all man-kind, she helps with the clutch decisions. So we stopped at our cake place, Sweet Layers in Murrieta. Did the typical Cory thing while my parents are following in another car - got lost. Hahaha! It sounds like I am making fun, but no... it has become a tradition that my family has grown to know and love... and giggle about. But, low & behold, we found it... we tasted... we picked the cake flavors. And for not being the biggest cake lovers on the planet, I have to say, that Cory & I were pretty impressed... and now excited about our choices.

Next we drove to Filippi's Italian Restaurant to have lunch and check out our rehearsal dinner location. There is also a Filippi's in San Diego, which Cory and his family have been to before and loved, so we decided that it would be a good place to have the rehearsal dinner. But when we got there, it looked like more of a pizza joint. Believe me... we're not looking for anything fancy schmancy, more like some place fun, upbeat. We want the whole theme and feel of the wedding to be just that, so, we had to think of some place else. Food wise, Filippi's was delicious, I would def eat there again. But, we both felt like it wasn't the right atmosphere. Early on in the planning, we had suggested some place like BJ's, but weren't sure if it was "appropriate" enough for a rehearsal dinner. Then we remembered that it's OUR wedding, and we can make the rules... so... BJ's it is. We ended up stopping at the BJ's in Temecula on the way home, had a Pumpkin Spiced Ale, talked to one of the managers. He showed us the party menu... and we were pretty much sold. So, FAMILY & WEDDING PARTY... BJ's in TEMECULA - THURSDAY EVENING, APRIL 30th... BE THERE!!!

On our way home, we were rocking out to Rhianna... a lil Rehab, Disturbia, Live Your Life... we were coming up on the 91 fwy from the 15, the oil maintenance light on the Audi flashes... 5 minutes later, the Audi died... in the middle of the freeway, which freaked the hell out of the three of us because of our near miss Friday night. The traffic was slower since it was at a freeway junction, so Cory & Jenn were able to get out of the car to push, and I was able to steer it to the shoulder. Shockingly, another driver had pulled over to help, but soon realized that we were ok with the 3 of us... but I'd like to thank the stranger anyways, since you NEVER see that any more! A little side bar... we had JUST got the Audi back from the shop the day before. Ever since the accident back in August, that poor car has not been the same. The alignment was off, when it rained, it leaked onto the driver side carpet, it made noises... so when we picked it up Friday night, everything felt better, drove straighter, Cory was happy about his car... and it had been a while, so it was nice to see him excited about his baby A4. Back to the freeway... Cory popped the hood and the first thing he checked was the oil. He pulled the dip stick, and there was no dip stick. It appeared as if there was no oil and the engine had locked up. So, we called AAA, got a tow to the Audi dealership in Santa Ana (can you believe a tow to Mission Viejo would have been another $150?!?!?!?!), got picked up by my mom, and headed home. We made Jenn about an hour and a half late for her dinner party to congratulate brother Noah on his new job... Sorry Eckerts! Now, we are just waiting for the final assessment from Audi to see what the damage is going to be. It's heartbreaking that the car will be paid off in a few short months... we're hoping that a new Audi will just show up when we go to pick up the car! (wink wink)

Until next time...Same bat channel, same bat time... http://www.theknot.com/ourwedding/AnnalizaVictoria&CorySmith

PS - last weekend, Travis, Ann and the kids drove back to Cali from AZ... got to hang with them, had some yummy Yamatos. I MISS YOU GUYS DAMN IT! See you at the bridal shower (ANN!) and the wedding! MUAH MUAH MUAH!!!