Wedding Tips For A Successful Marriage

I have found the more that is spent on the wedding, the shorter the marriage. There are some very famous weddings we've all heard about that cost thousands, which lasted only a few months or weeks!
 
When my husband and I got married in 1990, we spent a grand total of $658.00, which included the marriage license, engraved invitations, postage, wedding cake( had that made), food (we catered it ourselves), paper plates, glasses, cutlery, napkins, flowers (I went to the wholesale florist and bought flowers for the table, a spray of orchids for the bridal party to wear, roses for me, plus everything with which to assemble the bouquet and corsages and buttonieres for the groom and his best man, and my "best broad"), clothes and rings. We got married at our local bar. Actually outside, in front of a mural painted on the side of the building by an artist friend of ours. The owner was so tickled that we asked, that he gave us two cases of (very nice) champagne! We had a friend that was licensed to perfom weddings marry us. She was delighted that we asked, and we wrote our own vows. The photographer was the husband of my "best broad".
 
My fiance (now husband) found 2 beautiful velvet jackets for his best man and himself at a thrift store. They looked as if they had never been worn and were  perfect fits for both of them! My dress came from a shop in the neighborhood. I had been lusting after it for quite a while; when I went to buy it it had been marked down from $99 to $35! Went to the fabric shop and bought a hat, and various bits of lace, ribbons, silk flowers and crystals. A friend of mine who is a costumer, assembled it for me. The lace designer shoes were marked down to $12.00,new from Bakers', and matched exactly the lace on the hat.
 
The diamond engagement ring is a beautiful antique,from 1897- just under 1/2 a carat, that I purchased from a local jeweler who was recommended to me by my orthopedic surgeon: he called him and told him to give us a good deal. As I am a jewelry designer, I purchased our wedding rings wholesale.
 
We invited 100 guests. Some of our friends also brought food for the occasion. We got married a little after noon; left around 2pm. As we lived and worked in the French Quarter, a buggy driver that we knew drove us away, with ribbons and flowers that he had decorated his carriage with, just for the occasion. We heard that the party lasted another 10 hours, and made the 6 o'clock news! A year after we got married, we were still receiving wedding pictures from tourists that happened to stop in. The bar owner said that was the biggest ring-out he had ever had.
 
We have been very happily married now for over twenty years.

Love, Laughter. Happy Ever After,
Anne the Beadbear
http://www.beadbear.com

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Setting Boundaries When Your Home is Your Studio/Office

Clearly designate the time of day when you are at work, and do not allow family members to interfere or interrupt during that period (unless the house is on fire). Be consistent. This includes pets, children as well as spouses. Walk the dogs before getting started. Feed the cats. Give them treats, toys, the catnip sock. Chances are your pets will learn to leave you alone before the kids or your spouse will; they understand low growls and snarling. The humans may require more behavior modification, and ask “why?” Closing the door may help. Borrow your teen's “Enter and Die” door sign. When all else fails, throw your shoes at them.(Just kidding, sort of)

Make sure the children have been fed, or have suitable snacks available. Schedule your work when the baby is asleep. Instruct them that you are “off limits” during the designated time. You will not be available to mediate spats during this time. If your spouse or partner is also home, let them supervise the kids, be in charge of dinner. Remind your spouse or partner that this is how you bring money into the family coffers. Enlist them as an ally; leave the red lipstick out on the bathroom sink as an inducement.

When friends call to chat, let the call go to voice mail. Call them back, but after work. The ones that get huffy or drop you weren't really your friends, and you're well rid of them now, before you hit the big time. Your neighbors are just being nosey. Explain as well as you can ahead of time to your mother and your mother-in-law, that you are conducting business during whatever time you've designated. Better yet if your spouse or partner is home, let them handle the calls. Try to arrange your schedule so that they are in charge of fielding social calls while you're at work, just like if you were working outside the home.

Make sure you call your Mom or your mother in law back, after work, and explain (remind) them that this is another way that you are able to bring income in, without the added expense of driving, or baby sitters.

Establish that boundary amd maintain it. Doesn't matter if it's different times during the week. It may help to post your schedule on the refrigerator for all to see. Good luck!

Anne the Beadbear
http://www.beadbear.com