Well, I did it...

I got a dress and my fiance and I joined a gym. And I admit one is definitely, slightly related to the other.

The dress is beautiful, but I'm not going to post a picture until after my husband sees me in it. And the gym is really more than a gym.

First things first. The dress. I must say I'm quite proud of myself...it was the 6th dress I tried on at the first place I went.

You see, my Uncle Bruno (who isn't really my uncle, but one of those people you call your uncle because he's been around since before you can remember, and you've grown up hearing your parents refer to him by saying things like, "Say goodbye to Uncle Bruno," and "Give Uncle Bruno a hug," and "Pour Uncle Bruno some more wine," etc.) took me dress shopping with my mom, and my youngest sister.

So the place I went in Houston is called Ventura's Bridal and it's this great warehouse type structure, and you walk in and you're accosted by very dramatic posters of very dramatic brides in very uncomfortable looking poses. But then you're ushered into the back and there are about 10-15 racks of designer wedding dresses, one after another and you just go through them. I picked 6 dresses, and after trying on all of them, and wittling it down to two, my final choice was the last one I had picked. Uncle Bruno (who should know) said it looked like it cost $5000. Trust me. It didn't.

I teared up for a split second when I stepped out of the dressing room in the first wedding dress I had ever put on in my entire life. It did make things seem a little more real at that moment, but I think my sensitivity mainly was hightened by the very young looking girl who was on the next stand over from me, who had just walked out, seen her dad, busted out crying as he started crying and ran into his embrace. It was moving. There was certainly no tears busting out of my mom, in fact I think she looked at me like she couldn't believe her eldest daughter was actually in a wedding dress. But I know deep down she was excited, too.

TIP: Because I chose a wedding dress on my first visit, I got 10% off the final price, which essentially means I didn't have to pay tax.

And secondly, the gym. Like I said, the gym is way more than a gym. More a spa-like fitness center.

It's called Telos, is actually kind of great, and even though it's not what you would call "inexpensive," I have to say I think it's going to be worth it. Let me just say this: they have individual, claw-footed jet tubs in the women's locker room. Fabulous. Plus the more I think of that dress, the more I want to be at Telos. I'm specifically doing a pilates program they offer, trusting them when they say pilates is just the pre-wedding thing for a wedding day body. I definitely want to tone and lean up, especially around the upper back and arm area since my dress is strapless.

Plus, with pilates there's this 10-20-30 idea: after 10 sessions you feel different, after 20 sessions you begin to look different, and after 30 sessions you're a completely different person. On the outside at least.

Never be afraid of change. I'm in it for the long haul.

TIP: This place gives you one free pilates lesson with your membership so you can try it out, plus a free assessment with a personal trainer who develops a personal workout regime for you. Again, so far, it's totally worth it.