I was more than happy last week to take a little detour from wedding planning and spend my time focusing on a special birthday. Bentley's first.

He was born on July 16, 2010. We brought him home on Oct. 17. Two months later, just before Christmas, my Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, at 5 months old and weighing not even 10 pounds, was brutally attacked by a vicious dog.

I've never actually written that. And I won't go into the painful details. Obviously my little firework survived, and he has thrived. But that incident has changed me in some ways, and anyone who knows the full story understands how much Bentley's first birthday milestone truly meant to me.


Sometimes I look at my little guy and I'm just overwhelmed with emotions. Yes, he's a dog. But to me, he's also a resilient spirit. I'm just amazed by him and feel lucky to have him in my life -- even when he nips at my toes to persuade me to play rough with him and wakes me up early in the morning by scratching my side of the bed from down below.

To match his personality, Bentley's first birthday party was nothing short of spectacular. He had mini hot dogs as an appetizer, beef and lamb chop stew for dinner and gourmet cookies for dessert. And of course he had his closest family right there with him, feeding him way too many treats and spoiling him with new toys. I still can't believe my puppy is 1!

Looking out for his guests

Birthday toys and treats for my sweet

Doggy theme to honor the birthday boy

Too much partying

Done!

"... the party scene, adventures every day ..."

Yes, I just quoted a lyric from Countess LuAnn's latest hit, "Chic C'est La Vie."

"C'est bon, c'est bon!"

So, limo services. Does anyone have suggestions -- maybe even horror stories -- about local limousine companies they've used? Our limo broke down en route to picking us up for senior prom. But thanks to the super hero dad of one of my bridesmaids, all worked out and we arrived on time.

BK has been helping out by looking into limo options, but I also wanted to see if I could get any referrals. Who accommodated your large party? Who was right on time and kept things classy? Who offered the best price?

So bring on the suggestions ... "And I'll bring the diamonds."

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Babbling Bride hasn’t been so talkative lately. Truth is, there’s so much going on in my head, that I’m having trouble getting it out in writing. Which is funny, because that’s the way I’m accustomed to relieving myself of all the crazy up there. But with the many details I’m still working out, it almost feels too personal to share them.

Instead, I have frantically-written lists coming out of my ears. I write them as if writing a task seven different times on seven different pieces of scrap paper will help me get closer to completion. The other day I found a folded piece of paper on the floor near one of Bentley’s bones and felt "weird, just weird," as NYC Housewife Kelly Bensimon would say, like I may have a list-specific obsession. I tucked it back into the pouch of my Coach handbag, where others like it are stashed.

The past few weeks have been about assigning haricot vert to this dish and asparagus to that one; mapping out trips to the craft store to pick up materials needed for reception details; the mad dash to clean up and organize my registries (which were created about four months ago) before the shower invites go out; and all the while having to hear from The Knot about all of the to-do’s left on my planner, and how many days I have to do them. The pressure is on.

In an effort to refuel, I’ve decided to break my blogging silence. So I’m using this post as an opportunity to gather my thoughts of people and things that inspire me, to relax and remember what’s fun about planning a wedding and what’s really important when you look at the bigger picture — not the color of the ribbon around your cake, or the favors you hand out — but one of the biggest stepping stones in life, the marriage itself.

So, without further ado...

My bridesmaids. “It was hard enough to find one person who would love you no matter what. I was lucky enough to find three of them.” –Carrie Bradshaw. They’ve been with me through it all, from adolescence, to the college years and beyond. I’m so lucky to have seven special girls who'll be by my side on my wedding day.

My flower girl. Learning that my 5-year-old cousin is thrilled about her role as my flower girl puts a smile on my face. Oh, and her little brother, my godson, has just learned a new word: apple. 

My Bentley. Watching him play with the 3-year-old girl next door is such a joy. She’s laughing so hard she can hardly stand, he’s panting and prancing around the yard ... it’s a fun glimpse at what hopefully will be in our not-so-distant future.

My big brother and future sister-in-law. Celebrating their engagement last weekend helped me to stop and think about what it felt like those first few days, before everything became about the plans.

My dad. He cheers me up with emails and phone calls just about every single day. What a moment it will be to have him walk me down the aisle.

My mom. She’s always looking to the next adventure, and mostly recently it’s been blogging. In case you ever wondered where I got my writing chops...

My little sister. She and her husband recently celebrated their three-year wedding anniversary. She's been living on Guam and navigating life as a Navy wife. I'm getting choked up as I write this, because thinking about her homecoming in September is all the inspiration I need!

My grandparents. They're coming up on their 50th wedding anniversary. Enough said!

My fiancé. Besides the fact that there would be no Babbling Bride without BK, he's also the person I look forward to seeing after a long day, who makes everything better.

My older posts. Not that I inspire myself, but it’s satisfying to see how far we’ve come.

And just for fun:

Etsy. Where there are some really beautiful creations. Some I’ve bought for the wedding, some have given me ideas and others have simply made me happy just looking at them.

The “other” royal wedding. I mean, we’re talking about Grace Kelly’s son, people! His bride Charlene’s hair piece = A-mazing.

My groom and I recently bought one another gifts to wear on our wedding day. I suppose wedding day gifts are traditionally a surprise, but when he was looking at getting a shiny, new watch to wear with his tux, I told him that's something I'd like to buy him.

He's a watch guy, so I know he'll cherish it long past the big day. And each time he puts it on, checks the time or gets complimented on it, he'll think of me.

Because BK is so into watches, I knew I'd rather have him pick out the one he wanted. I mean, I'd never expect him to be able to pick my ideal pair of designer heels from a lineup of worthy contenders. BK has fine taste and went for a new Movado, very different from the one he wears to work every day. Let me just say, thank goodness for the Philadelphia Premium Outlets -- I was able to get him an exquisite watch at a superb price.

Then when I found a beautiful bridal bracelet that was just right for me, I thought, how fitting -- something snazzy for my wrist, just like he'll have from me.

And so, BK bought me a bracelet of dark grey pearls and Swarovski crystals that, for years to come, I'll wear on special occasions and think of the day we were married.