I Have Arrived!!

I have arrived friends! It was stop and go there for a while but I’m finally at my final destination. They cancelled/delayed our flights twice before we finally left the US. The first day they just sent us a message that the flight had been delayed for the next day. The next day we arrived at the airport only to be told that the flight had been cancelled. In the real world a flight cancellation would have meant that they would try and put you on the next flight or they will provide you accommodations for the night. A cancelled flight in the military means none of the above. Our bags were being carried in a different truck and where classified as A, B or C, in case of the plane became overweight, our “C” bags would be left behind. I was very nervous about that, somehow my travel “savyness” went out the window once I packed my bags. I was given a packing list that I knew a man that does not travel often helped put together. According to the packing list my running shoes were in one bag while the rest of my shorts and t-shirts were in another. The packing list only had one personal hygiene bag...didn’t they know I had 3? After all, I was going to God knows where and needed my endless supply of lotions and soap, not any soap will do, I need the Dove bar in the deep red box along with a bottle of liquid Dove for sensitive skin. Towards the end of my packing process I had jammed every bag with everything I could and what didn’t fit I had to throw away.

Why you need to know this? you may ask, well, after the flight got cancelled they told us the next available flight was going to be in 26 hours!!! I turned around and asked about our lodging for the night and bags. We had been staying in barracks and they had been cleaned, inspected and turned-in, along with the linen, if we slept there we would have to go through the whole process again the next day not to mention that the linen had a turn around time of 3 days! To make a long story short, we had to improvise, we slept on plain mattresses, I had a travel pillow and blanket my future mother in law gave me before this trip so I at least had that but I had to run to the nearest store to get toiletries since everything was packed. Not to mention that we had weapons and they couldn’t go in the bedrooms with us.

Kuwait

After the flight cancellation drama we finally left the next day on a Wednesday night and arrived in Kuwait on a Friday at 2am. From there we had bags to load/unload and reload and buses to catch before we finally arrived to our destination. Once we got there, about 6 am, we kept going straight through, there was no rest for the weary. My unit had an express lane to arrive in Iraq so rumors started flying that we were not staying long (actually just a few hours). All of the sudden 3 soldiers and myself were called in front of the formation along with our leaders, we were informed that we had been re-missioned and would now be leaving the unit and be headed to Baghdad. Wohooo!!! I was leaving those crazy people behind!

Two days later I ended up at the US Embassy in Iraq, a slice of heaven in the midst of chaos. Mr. E knew when I would be arriving but since I had no phone or Internet with me I spent all day getting settled in before I could call him to let them know I was there just a few yards away from his building. That night as I walked back from dinner I saw that very familiar silhouette walking towards me, my heart dropped, it was Mr E.!!!!!! I wanted to run up to him and hug him. Instead he greeted me by my rank and last name and I did the same, we shook hands and we smiled at each other. The place was crowded and we were both in uniform which prohibited us from displaying any type of PDA (personal displays of affection). We walked away to a dark spot where we could at least hug each other. I can’t believe how much I’d missed my best friend, I hugged him so hard I didn’t want to let go! I am so fortunate to be so close to him and I don’t take that for granted at all. (To be continued...)

Wedding Color Inspiration

Mr. Encore has suggested we marry in Puerto Rico in the Fall of 2011, I've begun to research different venues and we hope to visit them during our mid-tour vacation to PR. I've also showed him pictures of colors and decor that inspires me and he is loving it! The other day while visiting my sister we were walking at the mall when we came across what will be the focal point of our wedding style design.

The Shoes!

There were inexpensive but very cute, so here you go, a total frugal purchase but hey, they're cute!

I've missed you!

This training period has been a very long journey filled with long and difficult days at times. Last year (2009) was a wonderful year and I knew this one would be good but challenging. For starters we would both be deployed and apart, I knew that in itself would be hard. I knew it would be hard but we have managed to stay in touch as much as possible and it has helped somewhat. However, I did not know how hard it would really be. Two weeks after arriving to train with a unit that is not my own and I knew no one I received an emergency message from the Red Cross telling me that my beloved Grandma Dalila had passed away in Puerto Rico. I am glad I was given the opportunity to make a quick trip to PR in order to attend her wake and funeral.

Grandma Dalila was one of the strongest, most kind hearted women I've ever met, she didn't have a mean bone in her body and I never heard her speak negatively about anybody. She was loved by many and her constant acts of kindness stay with me to this day. I could only hope that I live to become half the woman she was, I will forever miss you "Abuelita Dalila".

Immediately after her funeral I returned to training, I returned to the place I was starting to resent. I tell you why; in a group of almost 80 soldiers less than 1% are females, for the most part they have been respectful but many resent a female in a senior position and some were not afraid to hide those feelings. After a few weeks I knew I had my work cut out for myself but I kept marching along until we reached the final training day.

It has been hard dealing with this environment, missing Mr. E. dearly, worrying about how my Mom is coping with the passing of my grandmother and to make matters worse, I just found out that my beloved nephew has been diagnosed with Autism. As I head to a far away land my heart aches for my mother and sister, I wish I could be there for them but as they know, I am only an email away (I hope), as far as Mr. E, I'm praying that we end up being somewhat close to each other and that we may have the opportunity to see each other a couple of times during our deployment.

I am looking forward to a steady schedule once I arrive in-country. I want to share with you our wedding planning journey all the way from Iraq more frequently because frankly, I've missed you too!

A Must Read For Every Encore Bride (or Groom)

Mr. Encore and I have been talking about possible wedding dates and places. I very much look forward to coming home after these deployments but I also need something else to focus on while deployed. The long hours and 7 day work week can get old very fast and everyone needs an outlet to stay sane.

We (OK, I) figure that doing research for the wedding can keep us occupied and might do the trick to stay sane. After doing a very quick search online for possible venues in Puerto Rico (where Mr. Encore suggested we marry) I went straight to Amazon looking for books.

What I purchased was not the latest wedding planning book but a book with a 5 stars rating called : "Every Single Girl's Guide to Her Future Husband's Last Divorce" by Adryenn Ashley. Our marriage makes the second one for both Mr. Encore and I, he has 2 children that receive support from him while I don't have any kids.

I have a 15 year career in the US Army while his is over 20 years and we both have financial responsibilities that can be expected after all this time. A marriage is not only a commitment to each other and God (or whomever you believe in) but also a legal and financial tangled web. I have not finished reading the book but so far the advice is very eye opening. The author is a forensic accountant and breaks down the legalities of merging two financial lives starting from the simple "Should we open a joint account?".

Source: Amazon.com

This book is a must read for anyone marrying for the second time or a divorced mate. Sorting out the financial picture before marriage can avoid one of the leading causes of divorces to destroy yours. After both of our divorces we were both left in financial ruin because we didn't know any better and we did anything we could to get rid of an unhappy marriage (we did not divorce at the same time or knew each other then).

Personally, I have seen one too many soldiers die in combat that married right before deployment and never sorted out their finances. After their passing the new wife and family have been left without anything because they never changed their beneficiaries of their life insurances, death benefits, wills, etc. The worst part is that the new family does not have to be notified of who received those benefits and many times the ex-wife is the beneficiary.

In my opinion before you run to buy the next edition of any bridal magazine, get yourself a copy of this book (or anyone you know planning to get married), in fact, anyone getting married or married already can benefit from it. Read it now before you have to deal with the ugly side of finances after it's too late.

*Disclaimer-This is an ad-free blog, I purchased this book and shared because I believe anyone can benefit from it. I have NOT received anything from amazon or the author in return for this post.

Encore Bride Style File Paris Couture II

One of my favorite designers, Elie Saab presented a wonderful collection of dreamy dresses perfect for a special occasion, especially a wedding. It was very hard to pick just a few so here's a double dose of my favorites.

Part I

(click to enlarge)

Part II

Source: Style.com

If I had the budget I would wear any of these for my wedding, would you?

Encore Bride Style File Paris Couture

Aren't these perfect for that special day? Introduced by Armani Privé during Paris Couture Fashion Week last month they make a great source of inspiration for any bride.

Source: Style.com

I think the short one at the top will be great for a City Hall wedding while the bottom ones are great for the formal reception. Which one is your favorite?

The Encore Bride Style File-Couture Brides

I've been playing Army BUT the new Spring 2010 Paris Couture shows are being presented right now. These are my favorite shows as designers push the envelope when it comes to construction and imagination. I look at them as a form of art and I marvel at the construction techniques used to create these one-of-a-kind ensembles.

Most shows end with the designer's take on "The Bride", they are often ostentatious and heavy with detailing. Most of the time ready to wear designers will take one trend of a dress and use it as they develop their own future collections. Take a look at what they came up for Spring 2010.

Alexis Mabille

Chanel

Elie Saab

Isn't the one above from Elie Saab dreamy?


All pictures from Style.com