Domestic Diva to Wed
The good news is I’m engaged! The bad news is I’m broke! Planning a wedding and especially a reception on a shoestring budget is a challenge, but since I have been knee-deep in wedding plans for the past month, I have found tricks that I will be sharing with you in some of my columns during the next few weeks.
First, some background. When I’m not writing, I sing in a band (The Wavetones), and we play at wedding receptions almost every weekend. These receptions are luxurious affairs with amazing flowers, beautiful table settings, five-course meals and, of course, an incredible party band providing music (wink wink). Some wedding planners hire companies that bring in massive rigs from which they hang colorful can lights that can transform any room into an enchanted setting. They beam pretty designs on the walls and ceiling, and the couple’s calligraphic initials on the dance floor. Professional lighting adds an elegant and festive touch to receptions.
Now, just because I sing in a wedding band doesn’t make me a wedding expert. The effect it has on me is to make me yearn for one of those fancy affairs. Unfortunately, that’s out of my budget. I am determined to create my own fanciful wedding and reception and keep it within a reasonable budget.
So, let’s get started. First, let’s coin a new term. I don’t want to call my wedding a “budget wedding” because that sounds like a motel/wedding package deal in Las Vegas or something (nothing against Vegas weddings; that was how I got married the first time.)
Instead, let’s call it an “eco-elegant” wedding because it will be economical, eco-friendly and elegant.
If you’re planning an eco-elegant wedding and reception, you’ll probably be skipping the expense of a wedding coordinator. So, you’ll need to ask a few of your trusted friends or family members to help in the planning and execution. For me, those people will be my daughter, Amber, 14, and my best friend, Lezley.
More about my wedding plans and tips for throwing an amazing wedding on a shoestring budget in later column posts.
Freaky creepy
The first time I saw a house centipede was shortly after moving into my home. If you’ve never seen a house centipede, or Scutigera coleoptrata, you’re lucky. They are freakishly creepy looking little buggers, perfect for Halloween season. The first one I saw was in the guest bathtub dead, but I still screamed bloody murder at the sight of the alien carcass. A few weeks later, I groggily went to the kitchen for a midnight snack. I switched on the light and in the middle of the kitchen floor I got an eyeful of a live version of this ghoulish beast. It stared at me for what seemed like 5 minutes and then ran off at lightning speed. Paralyzed with fear, I stood, rooted to the floor, my heart racing with terror but unable to move or scream for help.What’s so scary about this centipede? It has 15 pairs of long, jointed legs and gnarly looking fangs. It grows to about 1 1/2 inches long and can run up to 16 inches per second up walls and upside down on the ceiling. You know the saying, where there’s one there are 100. Visions of hundreds of house centipedes lurking in the dark crevices of my home have haunted my dreams more than once. But my research has uncovered several facts that make me a little more comfortable sharing my home with them. They rarely bite people, and their fangs can’t penetrate human skin. Only people with allergies react strongly.They’re insectivores and feed on other pests such as spiders, bedbugs, termites, cockroaches, silverfish and ants, so they’re considered more beneficial than most household pests. They hunt at night so, unless you’re a night owl, you may never meet one.
House centipedes can live their entire lives indoors, and each spring, females lay between 60 and 150 eggs.
They prefer damp areas, so one way of controlling them is to make sure your home is leak-free. If you have a large infestation of house centipedes, that could indicate that you have a moisture problem.
They can enter through tiny openings around windows and doors, so caulking and sealing can help. Try glue traps along baseboards and strategically placed insecticide. If all else fails, call professional exterminators.
