Sunday, January 30, 2011

Sunday...

Sunday's are typically good days.

Church, lunch, rest (Grey's Anatomy & recliners), family time, etc.

Today was another ordinary Sunday. But we also had our first pre-marital counseling today. I personally was very excited about this and was ready to dive all in.  We even told the preacher we planned to win at this pre-marital counseling. When answering questions, Zach laughed and said "Man, we should have practiced." We are the couple that used to have Taboo in the car and would practice on random drives. But to be honest, we didn't need practice. I am sure as the sessions move on they will be more in depth and some bigger topics to bring up. But after session 1, I can say that I am even happier and more excited about marrying Zach than I was before. So I would say that's a win!

Sundays are good.

Saturday, January 29, 2011

splendid saturday.

At 3:00 today when I checked my phone for the current temperature, to my surprise, it was 72 degrees- in January! Needless to say, we enjoyed our splendid Saturday.

After a much needed day of sleeping in, I woke up to wedding plan a little then rushed to get ready to meet friends for lunch. Yes, I was blessed with 2 great lunches this week. Zach and I headed off to Rumor's Deli in Cullman to meet up with Amanda and Jordan for a quick bite and some downtown browsing.

Once our perusing around town was finished, we decided to come home and enjoy this fine weather. We chose to do one of our favorite things in beautiful weather- front porch swing!

Zach played with Scout. I mean isn't the photos just darling.He continued to try to persuade me that our first dog should be a German Sheppard.


Then it was time to play the newly purchased board game- Settlers of Catan with Zach, Gavin and their dad. Surprisingly, it was tons of fun. Now I am prepared for game nights with Lindsay and Caleb since I have been schooled in the game : )

Now, off to bed as I am far behind schedule. Church and then our first premarital counseling session all tomorrow.

with love.

Friday, January 28, 2011

lovely lunch.

Today I had lunch at Zoe's with a dear friend. One of those friends, you don't see often but one you can talk to about pretty much anything. It was much needed after this week. So today, I am thankful for good friends, good food and good times.

After coming home from work it was time to unwind and visit with Zach. 
And yes, its Friday night which meant Mexican food and Grey's anatomy for the love birds. 

Here's to a restful weekend.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

clear picture.

I try not to post too many serious topics. But most of you know my mother suffers from periodic paralysis. When I try to explain this to people, its difficult, its confusing and honestly it makes you sound crazy. The Periodic Paralysis Association (PPA) has in recent months posted a YouTube video that paints a ridiculously clear picture.

So if you ever wondered what it was like or didn't quite understand or are just interested, well check this video out.

old souls.

Zach and I are simple. We have a routine and we like it.

For months, we have been on a routine as follows:
Friday night: Mexican Dinner (Casa Fiesta) and a Movie (using our AAA card of course)
Saturday: Football, dinner,Grey's Anatomy.
Sunday: Church, Lunch, and then family time, rest, etc.


Our weekends are typically relaxed and involve a lot of sitting in our respective recliners at Zach's house watching tv. Last spring, I got Zach hooked on Grey's Anatomy. It then became evident that we needed to start from the beginning and get this boy educated on Grey's. We slowly purchased the seasons and contemplated waiting till after we got married to watch them. But then we started watching one and well now, we need to watch them every time we see each other (which is just on the weekends for now).

So if you wonder what we're doing on Friday night these days, its likely we are sitting in our recliners watching Grey's Anatomy and we wouldn't have it any other way....well ok occasionally we like getting together with friends too.

Looking for a good show to watch- try Grey's!


Oh and in case you didn't know, some Carmike theater's give discounts for having a AAA card. We get child's prices each time we go!

"I've heard that it's possible to grow up - I've just never met anyone who's actually done it. Without parents to defy, we break the rules we make for ourselves. We throw tantrums when things don't go our way, we whisper secrets with our best friends in the dark, we look for comfort where we can find it, and we hope - against all logic, against all experience. Like children, we never give up hope."-Grey's Anatomy

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

DIY Wall Collage

Looking for a great option for wall art for under $100. Well Lindsay and I accomplished that at their apartment on Sunday!

Lindsay called me last week and mentioned how she was wanting to do a picture collage of frames above the couch and since I would be up that following weekend, well hello craft time! This was perfect as I too had been wanting to attempt to do this, but without a place of my own, my project had been put on hold.

So on Sunday, after we put together an awesome bookcase, off to Target we went to make the purchases.


Step 1:
Decide how many photo frames you want to use, the size and a general layout of your idea. The isle at Target served as our canvas for our idea, with a quick photo on the phone we had a plan and off we went

Here's what we got:



Step 2:
Re-layout your photo frames, confirming your design and layout. Decide on a common space between photos, Lindsay chose 4" between each frame. We also marked off the general area (the full size) using painters tape to get a scale of how much of the wall it would take up.

Step 3:
Want to see how this is going to look on the wall. Well my friends, inside each frame you will find a piece of paper about the size of your frame. Lindsay mentioned, about how maybe we should place a piece of paper on the wall. While searching through a box we found the paper out of a frame. Idea, done!

Take those out and tape them (we used painter's tape) to the wall in the spots they will be. Instant visual without nails!


Step 4:
Start one by one, placing each frame on the wall. We started from the bottom up and then worked our way towards each side. Before you know it, you will be done. Don't forget to remove your tape and paper from the wall.




There you have it, a custom designed wall collage of your choosing. To make it yours choose various frame designs and styles. Be brave and go for it! Be sure to have a friend on hand, because holding a frame and nailing at the same time- well that won't bee too easy. And its a great project for best friends! 

Check out BHG for some great ideas on layouts and more!

Sunday, January 23, 2011

life is sweet.




23 years old. 
As I turned 23 yesterday, I realized that at the age of 23, a lot is going to change. The short list:
1. Getting married.
2. Officially moving out of the parent's house. 
3. Building my first home with Zach. 
4. Traveling outside of the US.

Yep, thats the short list for now. 
There is a lot to come in this 23rd year, but life is sweet and it will be great. 

So for the 23rd, we went and did the final meeting with the florist, had lunch at rumors, picked up my super cute apron (a birthday gift from Leah) and dad grilled.
Not to mention we had a mouth watering delicious strawberry cake thanks to Mom and Paula Deen of course. {Note: I recommend substituting the icing for plain cream cheese icing- delicious!} 


After resting, Zach and I headed up to Franklin, to move his tv into his mom's house.
With this came our first furniture purchase for our future home.

It came in a thousand pieces.


Required a lot of work...

But ended up turning out just swell.

So there you have it, a dandy tv and tv stand; all it needs is its official home. 

On the agenda today: 
Seeing my best friend for the first time in 5 months! 
Best birthday present: Lindsay moving 8 hours closer to home on my birthday weekend!
Talk about perfect timing!

with love. 

Friday, January 21, 2011

indecisive

in·de·ci·sive/ˌindiˈsīsiv/Adjective

1. Not settling an issue: "an indecisive battle".
2. (of a person) Not having or showing the ability to make decisions quickly and effectively. 

I am indecisive. Wedding planning makes me indecisive. Notice the frequent changes of the blogger header, well blame me being indecisive on it.

Honestly, wedding planning is bringing it out full blast. Its awful, it is so hard for me to make a decision about something so many days out. I have ideas, but as for final choices on say flowers, well I don't know. Don't even get me started on linens or menus. Geez. So many decisions, and this little lady is not the best at these kind of decisions. Now, give me a calculated decision to make and done. But floral choices, you are too difficult.

So, to those fellow indecisive people out there, if there is one thing I have learned about making decisions and wedding planning its this: The longer you give yourself to decide, the harder the decision becomes. You can thank doubt for that :)

Tomorrow however, comes final floral decision time. I believe I am ready. So with that a sneak peak at wedding details. Drum roll please....

So there we have it navy bridesmaid dresses with pink, white and greens for florals. 

Let's hope when I get to the florist that I can be this decisive. 

Goodnight all.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

guestbook success

For our wedding guestbook, I wanted to do something a little different. I decided that in all likelihood I would not pull out a plain book with signitures in it a lot. I wanted something more. My original idea was to somehow find a way to create one using our engagement photos. Lindsay knew of this idea I had and linked me to a blog post on WeddingBee, where a girl had created one using http://www.blurb.com. I decided to check out the site and got tons of ideas, so for about $40 total I took a gamble and designed, built and ordered one with engagement photos and love quotes to boot.

It was delivered on Friday and I am thoroughly pleased. Its just the right size, not too bulky, the quality is wonderful and its just what I wanted. So, the guestbook was a success. You can really use Blurb to create all kinds of books-cookbooks, portfolios and more for relatively decent prices. Next up for us will be Zach's portfolio.


Check out our guestbook preview below!

Thursday, January 13, 2011

snow made me do it.

All this snow has left me dreaming of sunshine, warm weather and beaches.
DSW is having good sales and I have a gift card to boot.

So thank you snow, you've convinced me that I need these marvelous shoes. 
I think they'll be great for Jamaica too!



And if you're still looking for a super cute, great winter boot- well check out these:

http://www.dsw.com/shoe/madden+girl+pattiee+slouch+buckle+boot?prodId=202419
Super comfy, great to tuck in jeans with and cute! I bought them after one failed attempt and am in love!



Online ordering is becoming a weakness of mine...

dear snow

Dear Snow,
You make for fun days and gorgeous sunrises. But with you comes ice and lots of ice. Static and more static.
You've overstayed your welcome. 4 days of 6 inches is enough. Finally the roads are clear, making me less anxious on the roads. But please snow, please go.

Sincerely,
I've had enough of you, snow.
 It snowed in Alabama, didn't you know? 
You would think the world stop; well at least Alabama stopped. 6inches in Cullman, in parts of the county that is, meant no school for a week. Up north you have a slew of snow plows, in Cullman, AL not so much.


It started on Monday morning, we woke up to this. Pretty, huh? 

 Well this caused me to work 2 days from home while the parent's got to play in the snow. Does anyone else see anything wrong with that picture? The fruits of their labor, a nice huge snowman. Dad had to have an UA hat on him, well it was national championship game day and this little Auburn girl made sure Auburn got represented during my lunch break.
By Wednesday, I needed to go to work, simply needed to get out of the house. I was going stir crazy. I-65 was fine spots of ice here and there. However, Hwy 157 looked like and was a slight disaster. See...


I survived that drive, my first real ice on the roads snowy drive. I guess I am a big girl now. But here it is Thursday night and guess what, we still have snow. I don't mind the snow as long as the roads are clear, I am a happy girl. So here's to the snow that lingered and dragged on. You were fun for a while, but I am ready to be ice and static free.

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Check!

Just a few wedding related to-do's
1. Book Cake Baker
2. Pick out Tuxedos
3. Book Honeymoon
4. Finalize Time of Wedding
5. Schedule follow up florist appointment

Well everyone... you can scratch/check those off my list after a very successful Saturday of wedding planning!

It has been a long day! Mom and I were at Zach's by 8am to grab him and have his family follow us to Athens to meet with Lynn of Lynn's Cakes. First, a note to the wise- eat beakfast prior to going to taste cakes. I am a sweet lover- ask my coworkers, but cake at 9am was pushing it by my standards. After flipping through tons of books, Zach and his mom found his and we made the final decisions on both cakes. Wedding cakes- done.

Then, it was off to Nathan's in Decatur to pick out tuxes. We used Nathan's since it was where we found my dress. After picking out tuxes, I have been reminded that Zach is a much quicker decision maker than I. While there we went ahead with getting Zach, his brothers and dad's measurements and tuxes booked. Tuxes- check.

As Zach's parents and kids went to go to a ballgame, Zach, Mom and I headed to a childhood favorite restaurant...Alfonzo's! Three half lasagnas please. Delicious. If you've never had Alfonzo's, well then 1. we need to have a sit down talk and 2. we need to plan a trip.Alfonzo's was always a place that my family would go to with Lindsay's family when we were little.

Finally, it was home. After all that work, a much needed nap was due. And then, the most exciting part of the day-- the Honeymoon was booked!! I have been asking Zach a lot as to when he was going to take care of this. See what works for us is that I am the list maker, the worrier and Zach well he is the laid back, mellow one. It works quite nicely. We had decided previously where we wanted to go and bam- he made the plans! Another item bites the dust! Wanna know where we will be going? We will be spending 6 nights at the Sandal's Grande Rivera in Ocho Rios, Jamaica! Guess who will finally be traveling outside of the Southeast US in just 4 months!

So there you have it- a fun, busy and successful day of wedding planning.


with love.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

confession.

I have a confession.

I listen to Katy Perry daily. That's right daily. 

First you should understand the basics of this:  I spend on minimum 2 hours a day driving in my car to and from work, minimum. Katy Perry is a popular artist and her music plays frequently. I am not going to lie, I like 90% of her songs. Some I would agree with most are vulger and likely inapropriate for younger audiences, however, her lyrics are simple, catchy and yet so clever.

To make my point, from Firework:
"Do you ever feel like a plastic bag
Drifting throught the wind
Wanting to start again"
I mean seriously, a plastic bag drifting through the wind. I once had to write a paper in college examining the symbolism of the lyrics of a song, too bad Katy wasn't popular then because the paper would have been a breeze.

Not to mention she is one of the few people that you can see where something absolutely ridiculous and still look pretty.  Anyway, so yes, I am a Katy Perry fan. I confess.

While I am on a song listening rant; Natasha Bedingfield's "Strip Me" can always put me in a good, ready for the day mood in the morning. Haven't heard this one yet, well watch below :) 

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Top 10 of 2010.

Wow; it has been a whirlwind of a year.
2010 was a huge year! I thought what better way to capture it than through a top 10 of 2010!

10. Tax Internship Completed! From January to April 15th I had a wonderful time completing a tax internship. It was my first post graduation job and I learned so much and met wonderful people!

9. White Christmas!! Zach and I spent our 7th Christmas together running from one Christmas get together to the next! And it snowed!

8. My favorite alum! After 5 years of hard work, Zach graduated on 5.14.2010. I was one proud fiance!


7. Freshwater Wedding! Cameron and Stephen's wedding was amazing. Zach and I had the best time in Atlanta and the wedding was absolutely gorgeous! We were so happy to see such amazing people become husband and wife!



6. Savannah! If you know me, you know I have been itching for years to head to Savannah! After my tax internship, mom and dad awarding me with just that! It was an amazing trip, if only we had more time to explorer it all! I definitely cannot wait to go back and would highly reccomend the 7 hour drive :) If you would like suggestions on sites to see in Savannah, please let me know! I will happily tell you all about its loveliness.

5. Beck-Langford Wedding! There are so many reasons why I loved this wedding. 1. Being that my roomie got married and freshman roomies reunited, which is always fun! 2. Would be because it involved my first flight. 3. Because the family and friends all there made for a wonderful time. Hands down one of the funnest weddings ever! Plus, if you want to hear one of the funniest stories of my life- ask me about our flight home.


4. Grad School- Accepted! This year I was accepted and started working on my Master's at Samford!

3. My Best Friend's wedding!! My best friend of 20 years got married in August and moved 10 hours away. Luckily she is soon moving to be just 2 hours away, yay! This wedding was great; seeing my best friend marry one of Zach's friends was the icing on the cake! I remember meeting Caleb when Zach first went to Auburn and then when Lindsay and Caleb first met! I couldn't be happier for these two!


2. JOB! I accepted and started working at Daxko on June 1st! After 6 months, I can still say that I love my job. I love the team I am on! When I was working on my accounting degree, I remember telling a mentor that I really wanted to use my accounting degree to help people; but didn't know how  I would accomplish that. Well, Daxko has given me just that! I get to use my degree in a unique way to help YMCA's problem solve issues. I love it! God provided me with a wonderful opportunity that I am so grateful for. And did I mention, how wonderful the people are!

1. We're engaged! On 2/12/2010 Zach asked me to spend the rest of my life with him, I of course said yes! He presented me with a chocolate trout and a beautiful ring. It also snowed, I received roses and the most delicious dinner I have ever consumed! Details on our engagement can be found on our wedding website.

2010 was a great year! I can't help but think that 2011 is going to be even better- I mean I do get to marry my best friend :)
Cheers to a great year!