shellib's biography
Up until May, 2008, Brian lived in Minnesota since the day he was born. He wasn’t too fond of the cold Winters, and had always had his heart set on moving out West to warmer climates. He is currently the Team Lead for the Meat, Dairy, Seafood and Frozen departments at the new Super Target in Atwater, California.
Michele was born in Los Angeles and raised in Hawaii since she was 2 months old. She moved back to California in time for her Junior High School years and has made California her home since then! Michele is a cake decorator & event planner and currently owns her own business making cakes for all occasions and events, big or small.
Between the two of them, Brian & Michele have the Brady Bunch beat by 3! All of Brian’s children reside in Minnesota and Michele’s are in California, not too far from where they live now. With the exception of Michele’s 12 year old, Elyssa, all of the other 8 are all grown up and over the age of 18! Whew!!
Be sure to click here and visit my Blog to get detailed information on my planning process in my daily life!!!!
When Brian & I met, he told me that he had 3 trips planned to go back to Minnesota beginning March of 2009. One was for his best friend’s 50th birthday in March, one was for his 4th oldest daughter’s graduation from Minnesota State University in May, and the third visit was for his 2nd oldest daughter’s Wedding in June of 2009.
Brian & I have both been married before, and since day one, I always told Brian that I would never, ever, get married again. During the course of our relationship, Brian would randomly ask me questions like…. “If you were ever to get married again, would you consider wearing a flower in your hair?” or “If you were ever to get married again, would you get married on a beach? Deep down inside, we both knew that one day, we would get married to each other. We even decided that when we got married, it would definitely be on a beach, barefoot in the sand, with a flower in my hair.
On our last trip to Minnesota in June, we had a get together at his brother’s house on Father’s Day to celebrate both Brian’s birthday and Father’s Day; one of his daughters along with her children were there, as well as all of his immediate family members, (brother, sister, in-laws, nieces, nephews, and their spouses & children, etc.)
After supper (that’s a Mid-West term, “Supper”… lol ) I was sitting in the family room talking with Brian’s daughter. Brian gathered the entire gang into the room and started this long winded speech beginning with how he started Business College with Target some 9 years ago, blah blah blah blah blah….. he then went into how much his older brother has been more of a father figure to him throughout the years since their father’s death, then how moving to California was the best thing in his life. He was going on and on forever, and then he starts talking about meeting me. How special I am to him and how we’ve become best friends, etc. I wasn’t really paying attention at first, but then my ears perked up when he started talking about me… I felt all gushy and special inside. Then all of a sudden I hear him say…. “So, I can’t think of a better place or time or people to be with than now to ask Michele if she’d marry me”…….. I was totally SHOCKED. I didn’t speak for a minute or two, and Brian’s nephew was behind him saying….. “so, Uncle Brian, what was her answer?” Brian then started to walk across the room to me, and I met him half way. I gave him a great big hug and said “Yes!” He then announced to everyone that since we’re partners, and do EVERYTHING together, he wanted me to be with him to pick out my engagement ring so that is why he didn’t have one that night. Awwww how special!!!!!!!! And he’s right, we do absolutely everything together!
These were the hardest to decide on! I went back and forth between Boarding Passes to Postcards from VP. While on one of our multiple vacations to Minnesota(3 trips in 3 1/2 months) I stopped in at Target and fooled around with their Kodak Picture Maker. This is the result and we liked it so much that we went with these!!!
Here's the invitation itself that is going to be rolled up, tied and put in the Bottles. I created the document in Word, printed it out at home onto Vellum Paper. I stamped a sea shell on top in the middle of the invite, then Embossed it a pretty pink color. Burning the edges took some trial and error. In this photo, I used a lighter, but in the first one I did, I used a candle flame to just run the paper over, and although it worked, it left alot of black soot all over the paper....
These are our Cruise / Ceremony invitation! Brian saw these and totally wanted these, so I did the leg work to find out just how these were made. I ordered the sample pack from SandArtSupplies and made a "sample". I threw in a cockatail umbrella I bought from another Knottie And viola! : ) All that I need to do to finish these off are to find some Caribbean Blue Raffia to tie the Starfish Charms I purchased from Knottie Bride_from_the_Burgh to the top where the cork goes into the bottle! Much thanks to the gals on the DW Board of The Knot! All of your help is much appreciated! Now, all that's left to do is mass produce these babies!!!
Our NEW AHR Invites! Yes, I changed up AGAIN, and have decided to do the Boarding Pass Invites for both of our At Home Receptions! What do you guys think?!?
I absolutely LOVE it and can't wait to get all of these suckers done and sent out. But that won't be for awhile yet! :)
This is my inspiration for both of the AHR's........
The above photos are from a bride on the Destination Wedding Board on the Knot.
** UPDATE **
Here are couple of my DIY centerpieces. It wsa pretty quick and easy to make. I purchased just about everything at Michaels utilizing 50% of coupons, etc.
And instead of a guest book, I will have something along the lines as the following, "Message in a Cylinder" where guests can write their well wishes on note cards, and place them in the decorated cylinder.
The above photo on the left is the inspiration I got from WeddingStar and the photo on the right is my DIY version! : ) I intend to place the cylinder vase on a charger with sand as in the inspiration photo, but I will surrond the base of the vase with shells instead of candles.
Both of the above will be used for the AHR's. I bought the Aqua Tealights from Knottie CourtneyG34 and the White Lanterns from Knottie EHayes1183. :)
Since I do event cakes for a living, everyone is assuming that I will do our own cake. They also assume that I will make this big, elegant, elaborate cake for both of the receptions. However, I will share with you all that I don't intend of doing anything too fancy! In fact, I am going to go with simplicity!
I intend to make these cupcakes in a Martini Glass and place them on all of the tables. I will, of course, make a little 6 inch round, decorate it all up, and utilize that for our cake cutting ceremony!
***************** UPDATE *****************
I've decided I may do this cake instead. In fact, I'm 99% sure that I'm going to do make this cake for each AHR. Both the California and Minnesota Receptions! What do you think?
Here's my inspiration board for a CANDY BUFFET!! I am so wanting to do these at both of my AHR's so I've been gathering ideas and photos from various other boards and bios!!
I will also have a Candy Buffett at both receptions. I saw photos of this in other planning bio's on theKnot and I fell in love with the idea. So, this is what I want my Candy Buffett to look like:
After trying on several different dresses of different styles, I finally found one that I really, really, liked! It made me feel very comfortable in it and Brian also liked it a lot as well. Come to find out, this particular dress was clearanced for $99!!!!! SCORE! I have intentions of continuing to look (yeah right), in case I find something else I really fall in love with, and if that's the case, I can use this dress I just bought for my TTD session! Deep down in my heart, I know that I love this dress though and I think I'm just gonna stick with this one! : )
*** UPDATE ***
Here are a couple of photos of the dress I bought for the TTD Session:
The Groom's and Groomsmen's Shirt!
*** UPDATE *** Here are the NEW dresses the ladies will be wearing!!
Here's a couple of dresses that I want for the cruise ~ the Bachelorette/Bachelor Party and also for the AHR's!!
I absolutely LOVE these shoes I just bought! I got them at none other than TARGET!
Another dress for the cruise ~ it's a Lauren Conrad design.
We've decided to do Welcome bags for all the guests that are cruising with us. I've come across many different options I have as far as bags are concerned, and I finally picked the ones that I like. I got them at our local Dollar Store. I happened to pick up 20 of them ~ 5 green, 5 navy blue, 5 turquoise blue, and 5 orange. After careful consideration, I've decided to stick to the turquoise ones. Here's the pictures of them:
Unfortunately, my local Dollar Tree doesn't have any more of the ones I want, so I've hit the surrounding cities within a 20 mile radius and no such luck. I have a couple of friends from another DW Forum hunting them down for me as well! : )
These are travel mugs that I purchased from another Knottie. I'm going to put my monogram where she has hers and viola! :) Also, the playing cards I bought at Michaels for $ .40 each! Swwweet!
Here's what I intend to put in the bags; travel sizes of the following:
- Hand Sanitizer
- Kleenex
- Tylenol
- Moisturizer Towelettes
- Shout wipes
- Tums
- SunblockSunscreen
- Gum
- Crystal Light Packettes
- Raisins
- Snack Crackers
- Sewing Kits
- First Aid Kits
- Extension Cords (the cabins on the cruiseship only has one outlet)
- Night Light
- Some kind of survival / hangover remedy kit
- Travel Mug
- Playing Cards
Here's a Hibiscus Hair Flower that I like and I'm thinking of getting for my hair.
Here's the veil I am using for the ceremony! It is from a former DW bride ~ Natalee215 ~ and I am grateful that I was able to get it from her!!! :)
Here's a photo of my DIY Veil! :) It was my first try, so I wasn't quite sure how it would turn out. I, personally like it alot. I am going to make one more ~ taking my time ~ and see which one I like better! I'm using this one primarily for TTD pictures.
The above photo shows the 'rhinestones' that I added to the veil to make it look glitzy.... I didnt put a trim around the edges of the veil because personally, I like the "raw" edge look! :)
Both of these next two photos are from a fellow DW Knottie from theKnot. These are my "inspirational" Photo Share Cards and Wedding Day Timeline cards that I want to create and put in the Welcome Bags.
Although they aren't 100% finished yet, here are my Palm Fans. I'm still trying to figure out exactly what I'm going to finish them off with. I was originally thinking of hot glueing a starfish on there, but tossed that idea aside. So, I believe I may just put a flower on there. Once I figure it out I'll post a picture here! :)
Here's an "inspriational board" that I made ~ Kinda highlights everything I'd like my wedding to be ~ some of the things I've already purchased or DIY'd, others are a work in progress!
**************** Update*****************
Here's my Wedding Day Timeline and my PhotoShare Cards!! Yay!!
I'm still undecided on the flowers ~ my bouquet or the bridal party bouquets & boutieneres. Here's what I've narrowed it down to as far as bouquets are concerned!
Decisions, decisions, decisions!!!
These are a selection of Engagement photos that I like from the gazillion that our photographer took. She came up to the Central Valley of California from San Diego and spent the day with us. For the most part, we stayed at California State University, Stanislaus and had a blast taking pictures there! I love the waterfall, the "lake" and the scenery in general! After that we went to Ripon and took a couple of shots by a little waterfall off the highway, then wrapped it up by taking some awesome photos on "Sally" ~ Brian's 'best girl' ~ his Motorcycle. I absolutely love all the motorcycle shots that were taken!!!
My two oldest ~ Joseph who is 22; He's in the Marine Corp & works at Jiffy Lube! :) And my 19 year old daughter Ashlee who is in her second year of college.
Here's a picture of my youngest daughter ~ Elyssa and I! And a picture of my two oldest and I :)
In April of 2008, Brian was transferred from Minnesota to California to help open the new Super Target in Atwater. He was and is, the ONLY individual who possessed any grocery experience of all management personnel opening the new store. His aspirations with Target has been to utilize his decades of meat/grocery experience and to offer store support in the opening of new Super Targets in California, while being based out of his “home store”.
In May, Michele was hired as the Cake Decorator, which is classified as a “Specialist” at the new, soon to be opened Super Target in Atwater, and was told that she would have to go through training in the next closest Super Target which was several hours south; and training wouldn’t be for another month.
Meanwhile, Brian was asked to lead a group of new hires down to Tulare, California while they got their hands on training. It was there that the two met, and became instant friends. Michele took Brian on many sight seeing trips locally, and also around California.
Although they kept their relationship at work strictly professional, they both knew that it was turning into something more than a friendship. Brian was in management, and Michele was just a Specialist, and despite the fact that they worked in two different departments, dating wasn’t something that they thought would be a good thing to “announce” at work. Of course naturally, through the months, having participated in many non-work related functions with co-workers (you know, Happy Hours, Parties, etc.) word filtered upward and they were both called into “The office” individually to discuss the issue. Due to the fact that they both worked on the Food Side, and at any one point and time during the day, Brian could become Michele’s supervisor, management “worked” with the couple and changed all of Michele’s shifts to opposite of what Brian’s were. Sure, there was days when the shifts would overlap by an hour or two, but oh well. This entire time, neither Michele or Brian ever confirmed whether or not they were in fact “dating” to the higher Gods at Target.