16C here...60F...and sunny. Got back late last night from our weekend away. Sharon, I did 5 crumb blocks...didn't have a big lot of scraps as I gave most away during the fabric purge. Today I have ...as my Mom would say...a 'doryload' of clothes to wash...thank heavens it is sunny so they will go out on the clothesline. I just came back from my walk. My sis dropped by for a cuppa and then my other sis and her DH dropped by and had bagels and tea. I haven't seen them for a while so it was nice to get caught up on all the gossip. I am going to piddle around outdoors...do some weeding around the flowers and put some fish emulsion on them. DH is painting the deck. Later I may bake a cake or go to the bank...depends on my mood. I'd like to take the dog for a walk but he doesn't always want to go...he'll be 12 this year and likes to laze around and sleep most of the time. We have some fresh trout for our evening meal...supper. I'll fry them with some margarine and have a salad or some boiled potatoes and carrots. DH likes coffee with fish so I'll perk a bit in the little container that you put on the stove top. Maybe do a little sewing after supper when DH heads to the pond to see if any more trout can be caught. Hope you all have a happy day. ~Geraldine

It is an important day for sure, but Auntjen made some great points. Here's some stuff we did for my daughter's wedding and it was a beautiful ceremony and great fun at the reception. - Dress on sale--that should be a given. Daughter made her own veil with a ring of flowers from Michael's and tulle. - Bridesmaids (only 2) dresses were made by groom's grandmother at minimum cost. - Kept guest list to mainly family (86 people). - Found a florist--a young girl with an impressive album of her work that did the chapel and reception (not in the same place) for practically nothing. It was beautiful. - Wedding was at 1 p.m. followed by the reception, so we had a couple of canapes (including some really good crab somethings) followed by finger sandwiches, beautiful strawberries dipped in chocolate, veg. platters and other finger food. Too early for a big dinner. - We served beer, wine, sodas, water and coffee. Mixed drinks were available, however. - The reception was held at a hotel on the water and the reception room had french doors leading out to a deck where they set up the bar. Nice water view. The hotel was new and they were looking for repeat business or hoping for new business from the guests. - No band. They didn't want one since they don't dance. There was music, just no band or DJ. - No favors. Don't know how that custom got started, but I don't buy it. - Splurged on the cake. Man, it was good! People are still talking about that cake today. There wasn't a single piece left and it was a big three layer. The whole thing was way under $2500. Granted it was 14 years ago, but it was inexpensive even for then. Whatever you decide, I hope you have a wonderful wedding and life. Enjoy!

Duckie and joann, as usual, have given very wise advice. Take it. I agree completely: this is about something much more important than dresses. This is your fiance's close friend, and he wants her in his wedding. Explain that you are in a tight spot with the other bridesmaids, and ask him to deal with her. He (and she) might not understand why you feel urgency, because the wedding isn't soon. We get your reasoning, but they may not, or they may feel it isn't that important. Anyway, let HIM deal with it, and let the chips fall where they may. If she ends up in a non-matching dress, I know you will feel frustrated and annoyed, but really, what is that compared to how your fiance might feel if you cut one of his best friends out of his wedding over a particular color of a particular dress? I know that's NOT what you're doing, but can you see how it might look that way to him? I respectfully disagree with Glitter's advice, because it sort of just goes to proving to your fiance and others that you are right. The problem is that where feelings are involved, being "right" just doesn't matter. I definitely would not "explain to anyone who'll listen from her side of the family what happened." No matter how right you are (and I agree -- you are), not only will it not accomplish anything, it will backfire: YOU are the one who will end up looking petty and bad (and maybe even jealous). It's not fair, but that's the way it always works out. Would it help somehow to have her be one of his attendants instead of yours (which makes sense as she is his friend anyway)? If you don't want just one "nonmatching" attendant, maybe you can regroup the attendants so that the men who are your relatives and friends stand on your side and the women who are your fiance's stand on his. I always like that much better anyway. It makes me think that the couple must have very mature values to have a wedding party that includes the people who are closest to them, regardless of age, sex, or attractiveness. (I don't think badly of couples who don't do this; I just think it adds an extra, special dimension when they do.) Anyway, maybe a problem like this one could have been avoided if she were his attendant instead of yours. Good luck!

Really depends on you, I think. You were underwhelmed by the beige so I think wall colour “affects” you. I’m that way. I can stand a lot of fugly in my rooms as long as the wall colour feels good. Which is why I’m always committing the decorating faux pas of walls first, bedding and curtains later. :p Some people love dark colours in their home and others want light ones, etc. Some people don’t seem to notice (wall) colour after a while. This couldn’t be more subjective, imho.