Small {Everyday} Celebrations

This weekend was pretty low key, except I was celebrating an anniversary of sorts. I've recently decided I believe in celebrating the small everyday things, even if they only mean something to me.

 

 

{I love this picture because the scenery looks like Savannah, and the dress looks like a vintage wedding dress.}

 

Saturday I saw the date on my phone and immediately smiled, remembering that a year ago I was turning in my two weeks notice at my old job. That might not sound like a big deal, but I hated that job, so I felt like the date called for celebration.

 

I made a Pink Lemonade Cake for my Two Weeks Notice Anniversary. It must have been pretty good, because Nick had about three pieces yesterday!

 

 

Along these same lines, you better believe I am NOT saving my wedding china for use only when we entertain. It is dishwasher safe (another reason I love you, Kate Spade) and I plan on putting it to good use.

 

Other than baking and running a few errands (and getting extremely disappointed Belk did not have much Lilly in my size at their big sale this weekend), I cleaned up around the house, washed Trinket, and got a new Spring color on my nails this weekend.

 

 

 

Essie Marshmallow and coffee on my morning commute today.

 

Happy Monday!



Engagement Pictures Teaser

I got a few of our engagement pictures! I really love them. I am going to pick the one I want to use for my Save the Dates soon-ish. Neither of these are it, but I'll post my Save the Dates after I get them out.

 

I had a lot of fun, and Nick was a pretty good sport. He doesn't like posing for pictures. What guy does?

 

 

I really like this one, except I wish my legs were not squished. 

 

I can't wait to get our Save the Dates designed. The picture I think I like best is long ways, but I think it can still work for a post card. It would be similar to this:

 





 Today is a special day because it is my student worker Jamie's last day. He is about to graduate from USC. I am so happy for him and so proud of him. I'm really excited for him too. Graduation from USC was hands down one of my best days ever, and I hope his graduation will be as amazing of a day as I had. 

 

 

I have this waiting in my office as a surprise :-)

 

It's almost the weekend!! Until next time...



Engagement Picture Weeeknd and Good Concealer

After preparing obsessively for most of last week, I am happy to say our engagement pictures were a success. I guess you never know until you see the actual pictures, but I have a good feeling that there will be plenty of good shots to pick from for our Save the Dates.

 

I stole this off my photographer's Instagram. This is where we took our pics on Saturday, and we got a few cute pics of me and Nick fishing off of this dock.

 

 

My sweet coworker Andrayier did my makeup for me and she did an amazing job. We watched To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar and Bridget Jones, The Edge of Reason while she was doing my makeup and had a lot of fun.   

 

I picked up this concealer at WalMart and I think it works as well as department store brands. I'm really loving it. It's Revlon PhotoReady.

 

 

 I like a concealer stick better than concealer that comes in a pot. I think it's easier to use.

 

I am ready to be back at home watching Ready for Love! Hurry up five o'clock.      



TGIF!!

I'm happy Friday is here, and I even get to leave work a little early to deliver a dish I made last night to a coworker who is out for surgery.

 

Tomorrow is super busy, but I'm okay with that since its Engagement Picture Day. It feels like getting ready for a pageant (except I'm not at my pageant wafer weight :/).

 

9:00 get up (coffee)

9:30 go to tanning bed (I know its bad for you, but tan fat looks better than pale fat)

10:30 yoga class

11:30 get in sauna at gym and try to sweat off some water weight

12:00 back home

2:00 shower and roll hair

3:00 makeup at friend's house

5:30 pictures

 

I devoted way too much time on Pinterest this every week and I am OBSESSED with this picture. This reception is just beyond gorgeous to me.

 

I always said I was going to get married at my BFF Joe's old house in my hometown. A few years ago he sold the house and moved to Baltimore, but I imagine a reception in his yard would have looked like this. His home was Victorian and the landscaping and everything was just to die for. It would have been a perfect place for a wedding.

 

 

This is a house I pinned that is similar to Joe's.

 

 

There was not a lot to do for fun in our town, so we made our own fun. Many hours were spent at Joe's watching movies and S&TC, eating bagels with peanut butter, drinking Diet Coke, having steaks and baked potatoes on the porch, and making frozen drinks in the blender into the wee hours of the morning.

 

I saw this on Pinterest and it made me lol.

 

 

 

So true!

 





 

Have a good weekend!!



Busy Bride

Lunch the last two days has consisted of running around like a crazy woman getting items for our engagement pictures this weekend. I am *SUPER* excited about the pictures. It somehow makes the wedding feel more real.

 

I want to use these pics for a postcard style Save the Date. My old friend Erin that I used to work with at the Islander is designing them for me.

 

I got a sweet beach cruiser that looks vintage for Christmas, and I'm bringing it along for pictures. I ran into a thrift store at lunch {if you live in Columbia, I do my junking at His House on Meeting St. - it's hit or miss, but sometimes I find good stuff to refurbish/repurpose} and found a basket that will be perfect to attach to the bike to put flowers in.

 

I usually find pretty good flowers in Publix, so I will run in and pick some up Saturday before our pics. If you know me, then you know I love grocery shopping and need my frequent trips to the Pig or Publix.

 

We are going for a country/rustic theme.

 

I am so amazed how at nice people are in our little town {Blythewood}. Nick and I say that every time we go to the pharmacy or post office or anywhere in our teeny little town. Complete strangers are letting us come to their plantation house and farm this weekend with our photographer for pics.

 

I have a mutual friend with the family that is letting us use their farm. I lived downstairs from him in some apartments in Clemson when I went to Tri County Tech, and hadn't seen him in ten years when Nick and I ran into him at a Ducks Unlimited Banquet. {For the record, I'm not a tiger, I transferred to USC from tech.} I am very grateful to have such a great location for our pictures.

 

Yay for Hump Day! Hopefully I will have some pics to share soon.

 







A Heavy Heart

I had planned on posting some about fun stuff {a new concealer I've found, upcoming engagement pictures}, but given the tragic events of yesterday I'm just going to post this picture today.

 

I'll be back with more later.

 

 

 



Words

My bridesmaid Jessie, who is one of my favorite friends, and I were talking about words a few weeks ago. She is a teacher (and the mother of my flower girl), and she was saying you have to be really mindful of what you say around kids.

 

I've been thinking about our conversation, and I agree with her (although I have zero knowledge about children), and think it applies to everyone you speak to.

 

I had a mean boss at my last job. She didn't really do anything to me, most of the poor treatment I received was in the form of things she said. It would stick with me, and I would let it bother me when I wasn't at work.

 

Then you have people who are the opposite of the devil woman I used to work with. People like my Mom, who's words make you feel good about yourself.

 

I've put my foot in my mouth more times than I care to count. Experience is a good teacher though, and that is why I try to think about what I say before I say it (I don't always succeed in this). Probably the most embarrassing example I can think of was when I was a waitress in college, and accidently made a mistake concerning someone's gender. I can now say with 100% certainty that unless you for sure know someone's gender, avoid using "sir" and "ma'am".

 

This is a super nit-picky example, but I know from friends that are adopted that this bothers other people too. I have had several people ask me, "Are you going to invite your real dad to your wedding?" and other nosey questions. I was raised by my Mom (biological), and her second husband (not biological). I know people don't mean to be offensive, but "real parents" isn't exactly the correct terminology if you are speaking to someone who is adopted, or has an unusual family situation like I do.

 

I was in two long term (several years each) relationships before my fiancé and the "when are y'all getting married?" question used to bother me a lot. Obviously it was a huge blessing that neither of these relationships went any further, but I still remember how much the question stung at the time. I've heard from friends that "when are y'all going to have kids?" can be just as hurtful.

 

 

 

Today is my Friday and Nick's brother is coming in from Chicago to soak up some sweet Southern sunshine. I can't wait!!! Until next time :)

 



Weekend Recap

This weekend I went to Atlanta with two of my bridesmaids, my flower girl (who was very well behaved for a three year old and kept us all laughing), and my Mom for the Brides Against Breast Cancer event. I tried on several dresses and liked a lot of them. I never felt a special spark with any of them, so I left empty handed. It was my first time trying on wedding dresses, and that was fun.

 

 

This one is way simpler than my taste, but it was SO comfortable!

 

I'm still no where near where I want to be body wise for my wedding, BUT trying on dresses was not as traumatic as I thought it was going to be. I've been going to Pure Barre for less than a month, and I can tell I've already toned up.

 

I had a few special gowns when I did pageants, so my wedding dress needs to be something that I really fall in love with.

 

I was sad to hear of Lilly Pulitzer's passing. I thought this was a good article about her.

 

I was feeling extra spring-like when I got dressed this morning.  

 

 

I have last night's Mad Men on DVR at home and I cannot wait to see it. I am skipping the gym and feeling zero guilt about it because MM is waiting on me.

 

Happy Monday!



I should have been a mermaid

We are starting the registration process for students at my job and it has been a wild ride. I feel like I can't get anything done between the constantly ringing phone and answering questions.

 

I am so ready for a vacation. I should have been a mermaid.

 

We are taking a cruise to the Bahamas and I am counting down the days. Today makes 34. Have any of you ever been before?

 

I know you don't get to see nearly as much when you are on a cruise ship that docks somewhere, but I am still enjoying looking at pics of the Bahamas online.

 

 

This will be my first cruise.

 

We went to Saint John last year and I fell in love with it. We stayed a week and got to explore all of the island and meet locals. The people there are really what makes St. John so special, in my opinion. The scenery is to die for, but its the laid back lifestyle that seduced me. The locals are all so friendly and they live very simply. People that we met that were transplants from the continental US all seemed to share a similar story - they got tired of the corporate world and the 9 to 5 rat race.

 

 

This was after our excursion to the British Virgin Islands, so I am looking a little worse for the wear and tear.

 

 

I had my first Painkiller in the VI. I wish one would magically appear on my desk right meow.

 

 I got an email from a student and the subject line was "Registration Distress." I think that accurately describes what I'm feeling. (We just got a new system and this is our first time using it to register.)

 

Happy Thursday everyone!





Weekend Roundup

I had a pretty chill weekend, but did manage to venture out to the mall with Nick and pick out our wedding china.

 

We picked Kate Spade Cypress Point and I L-O-V-E it.
 

 

I love my dishes more than probably anything else we've registered for.

 

You can't see the detail on it here, but they are really pretty in person.

 

Now for an update on grad school-this just makes me say, "What?!"

 

{Please excuse my rant. Or feel free to skip reading it altogether.}

 

I got accepted to graduate school for a program I really really want to do in March. I was ecstatic. I paid my deposit to hold my spot and turned in my signed letter of intent. I then received a letter with some instructions for getting a background check, immunizations, TB skin test, CPR training....it all sounded standard.

 

So far I have just made it to getting the background check and signing up for a CPR class at the Red Cross. The background check was $90 and the CPR class was $110! That is $200 I would have liked to spend elsewhere. Geez!

 

I made an appointment for my immunizations and TB skin test and that will be almost another $200! OMG is all I can say.

 

I am still really happy about going to school, overjoyed really, but that added up fast. I swear for about three years before I met Nick nothing ever happened in my life. Total inertia. Then, boom, everything happens at once!

 

It is GREAT, just a lot of expense all at one time.

 

I've been out of school for a while, so I forgot how they always stick you with a bunch of fees and such. I was NOT expecting that.

 

Isn't that always how it works, you think you have some money saved up, and bam something happens so you have to spend it?

 

SO happy it is almost five!! Have a good rest of your Monday.