Best! Gift! Ever!

So today we had two late gifts trickle in. One was from our friends in Maryland, and it was a lovely stick blender that I've been wanting for quite a while. This gift is especially nice since we never technically got them a gift for their wedding (but don't tell them, maybe they have forgotten!). The later gift was our first cake in a Cake of the Month Club. All I can say is that this gift is 100% awesome. Cake! Every month!! Yum! The only hitch in this sweet present is the complete and utter lack of information as to who sent it. We have no idea, and if you have an idea, please let us know!

Love,
Mr & Mrs

We're back!

After our wonderful road trip through northern California, Andy and I are back in good 'ol Portland and are enjoying a few last days of relaxation before returning to work. We'll post some highlights from the honeymoon once we've uploaded photos and gotten our butts in gear (the later is the sticking point...). We'd like to have a photo sharing site where others can upload their photos of the wedding for all to see, so check back and see about more information later!

Love,
Mr & Mrs

10 -- 9 -- 8 -- 7 --....

10 days till "I do!"

Chocolate!

Some of the best spots in Portland to get a fix for your sweet tooth...

Chocolatiers:

• Cacao --414 SW 13th Avenue, 2 blocks North of Powells. The best drinking chocolate in Portland! This stuff can only be described as liquid heaven. There are regular and dark varieties, but fair warning: this stuff is so thick that a little goes a long way... www.cacaodrinkchocolate.com
  
• Sweet masterpiece Chocolate & Coffee Bar -- 922 NW Davis, in the heart of the Pearl District. This place offers traditional truffles as well as an extensive display case of cakes, pies and torts. The best thing are their hours - you can get a sweet fix anytime before midnight on the weekend. Our recommendation: the coconut bon bons. They are like huge versions of the Mounds candy bars that have that white-ish tinge, except that these are 100% delicious dark chocolate and coconut.
• Moonstruck Chocolates -- several locations including NW23rd and 608 SW Alder Street downtown. This local favorite has gone Hollywood glam, and is the only chocolatier whose products appear in the annual Acadamy Award baskets. This is a fact that I really don't care about -- what is important to me is that their truffles are always excellent. And in the cutest darn shapes! Try the spicy dark chocolate for something really unique, but if you love traditional stuff make sure to get their amazing hot chocolates with their homemade chocolate dipped marshmallows.
  

Coutdown!

We're officially in the month of the wedding, which means that my stress level is about insane. But that's OK, as I am assured that this is 100% normal for brides-to-be...

We have finally secured some details about the rehearsal dinner. It will be catered by our friend Lauren, but before you think this will be some random dinner made by a friend with a big box of pasta and chinet plates, let me assure you that Lauren is a talented and accomplished chef. I have to admit to being a little worried that our rehearsal dinner will be better than our wedding reception, but I'm confident that both will be great. Lauren is working on the menu as I type, and it looks like it should please every pallet (with the possible exception of Ted, but he doesn't like anything) including vegetarians. Her cooking is so delicious, in fact, that she has wrangled volunteers from my lab to help plate and serve the dinner with her food being the only payment. What can I say, she's that good!

We have also finalized a location. We will be holding the dinner in an old schoolroom which has been converted to my local community center. There are chalkboards on the walls, and many signs that implore you to wash your hands, so it's just like elementary school all over...

I'm excited to have these details done. I'm really looking forward to some banana chocolate chiffon cake with chocolate ganache and vanilla and chocolate whipped cream!!