Wednesday, July 17

The Searching Project

Hey Ya'll!  

I'm over on my good friend, Lyss', blog today, The Searching Project.  

Head on over and check it out!  Also, sorry for being MIA.  Wedding and home preparations are taking up most of my time at the moment.  Thanks for hanging in there!


Thursday, June 6

How to Survive a Lousy Day

Well, everyone, today has just been a little bit of a lousy day.  Nothing in my life is going wrong, but I've been at work all day, feel a little groggy, and just want to curl up into a ball and sleep.  I have some remedies for my lousy days, and always rely on these to help me survive those rough 16 hours of self pity.

1. Listen to music that inspires you.  

I have had Sigur Ros on loop all day long.  A little Rachmaninoff or Chopin doesn't hurt either. 

2. Spend some of your rainy day money.  

There's nothing that gets me out of a bad mood than purchasing something.  Anything, really.  Whether it be a yummy treat, some new beauty products, or a cute new pair of shoes, my day is instantly better. Treat yourself!

3. Find a creative outlet.  

As women, or men, it's important to express our delicate feelings (for some, more than others...).  I find that having a creative outlet is a great way to release some unwanted blues. 

Today, I'm choosing to blog.  I also am very fond of playing the piano, doodling, or even throwing together a mess book.  I have many of these from my high school years: a binder full of magazine clippings, pretty pieces of ribbon or buttons, and glitter. These are fun to look back on years later to see what made you tick. (Most of my high school books are full of tattooed men on motorcycles and vintage black and white photos.)

4. Snuggle up with your favorite blankets and watch a good movie. 

Have a movie you've been dying to see? I still haven't seen Les Mes, so if it weren't 3 hours, that would be on my agenda for tonight.  Instead, I'll probably cuddle up wit Trev and watch a few episodes of Supernatural on Netflix. It's good to escape from the realities of life for a little while.

5. Just have a good cry.  

Some days this works for me, and other days, it's just not something I need. Don't be afraid to let it all out if steps 1, 2, and 3 aren't working for you.  Sometimes all you can do is run yourself a bubble bath and blubber for a few minutes. 

And don't worry, your husband, friends, or significant others will be concerned at first, but after you explain your rough day, they'll be happy to let you cry it out.  My fiancee is already familiar with me having a good cry every once in awhile, and knows I'll be fine after a few minutes and will return a new person.


What do you do to put an end to a lousy mood?


Friday, May 24

#backthatazzup Friday | It's a 3 Day Weekend!!*@#$&*(&!!!

Memorial Day Weekend is upon us.  I cannot tell you how much I have needed this 3 day weekend.  I cannot wait to spend time sleeping in, snuggling with Trevor while watching Netflix (Supernatural, to be more specific), and spending time with our families.

We've also reached the 70 day mark to our wedding.  Tonight my mom & I are meeting with a caterer who I think will be a great option.  It's all desserts for our reception food, we're thinking, and we couldn't be more excited.  I also get to pick up my wedding dress today, which is monumental and fantastic.  Wedding plans could not be going more smoothly.

Here are a few very nice things I've run into this week that I'd like to share with you before the weekend.

The Express 40% Off Sale.  Ends on Monday. I may have bought these and these and this

This sweet family. Fundraisers like this are everywhere I look, and always leave me 
wishing I had a million dollars to give each of them.

Are you following Whitney yet?  I'm obsessed with her.

I'm also going to start participating in her weekly 

#backthatazzup Friday!

Here's my pick of the week, it's more of a throwback as I was reliving my Aaron Carter obsession earlier this week on Facebook.


 Needless to say, Trevor was really confused. He just doesn't understand my 90's pop obsession.


 
 

Wednesday, May 15

Wedding Cheesiness

Today, I need to blog.  I'm getting extremely excited for my coming wedding (79 days!), and this morning I was able to have my final fitting for my wedding gown.  I had debated on which belt I wanted... yes, real big problems here... and finally chose the perfect addition to my gown and belt placement as well.  Turns out depending on where you put the belt can change EVERYTHING about the dress, and I am beyond excited that we found the perfect look today. 

Let me tell you a little bit about my gown.  It is fairly form fitting, and makes my bum look extra great.  It's actually two separate pieces, one is a lining, and the other is a beautiful lace and mesh overlay.  I can hardly stand how beautiful I feel in this glamorous gown.  It is sparkly and hangs just right in all the right places.  I haven't been too emotional about it until today, and it was such a great experience to have so much support as I am preparing for one of the biggest days of my life. In fact, here's a photo. 

But to be honest, it looks way different in person on my body & with our alterations, but you can still get a general idea:




Trevor and I have decided that he is not to see the dress until we take our bride & groom photos (but he has seen this photo on the model).  Our photographer is going to take a first look photo for us, and I couldn't be more excited.  I have always pictured my husband seeing me on our wedding day for the first time, but I am even more excited about having that moment captured forever. 

You sick of my wedding cheesiness yet?

These past few weeks have been zooming by scarily fast, and just this morning it really started to sink in that very soon I will be marrying the man of my dreams. 

*siiigh*. 

Life is good, people. I hope I never snap out of this twitterpated phase.

Friday, May 10

Weekend Plans & Made by Girl

It's Friday, and this weekend is going to be extremely productive.  I can hardly wait to get stuff DONE.

First of all, I got paid today, and I'm sure all of you can relate when I say that there are a few things on my list I have had to wait for because I needed some money. (I do not live in a rich man's world... unfortunately, although I do enjoy ABBA) For example: I am 300 miles over my oil change mileage limit... and about a month over the date limit.  Yeah, my poor car is probably really unhappy. 

Also, engagement photos are happening this coming Thursday and I couldn't be more excited!  Trevor has agreed to let me have a makeover this week, so I'm getting my hair done, and investing in a set of extensions.  Haters gonna hate, but my hair is too thin and grows too slow for me.  Also, I'm still a pageant girl by heart, so wearing someone else's hair is like second nature to me.

Lastly, I'm sure you've all heard of the Made by Girl Blog.  If you haven't, you've got to check it out. Links Galore!

Anyway, Jen Ramos (the editor of Made by Girl) is an extremely talented artist, and I'm obsessed with her prints and paintings.  A lot of them actually inspired my wedding colors.





I actually just splurged and bought the foil prints, both the LOVE print, and the Paris 4 pack.  I'm very excited to incorporate these things into my wedding.  You can find all these items at her shop.  Or you can simply click here.

Enjoy!


Tuesday, May 7

Kitchen Dreams | Julia Child Kitchen Renovation

Lately, I've been dreaming about kitchens.  I cannot wait for Trev & I to have our own home, and to be able to cook whatever I want, whenever I want.  Mostly because we will have the fridge space... (remind me to never share a fridge with 3 independent adults again).

Naturally, I've been using houzz.com to entertain myself during work, and ran into an article about a renovation on Julia Child's childhood home, specifically focusing on the kitchen.  Needless to say, I now have some serious kitchen envy, as Julia Child is my inspiration for all things cooking.  I really need to read her biography one of these days...

BEFORE:


AFTER:

Julia Childs Kitchen


Good as Gold Kitchen Renovation


Kitchen Renovations


Julia Childs Kitchen Renovation

I am almost drooling over the gorgeous black counter tops, retro stove (which the owner has moved from home to home...) which I love in this perfectly updated space, and of course, the gigantic fridge.  Be still my heart.

I think we could do something like this, right?

For more photos and information on this amazing kitchen, and the history behind it, click here.

 

Monday, May 6

88 Days & a Weekend Update

Monday! I sure do love you. Well, at least today I do.  We are now down to 88 days on the official wedding count down, and I'm pretty sure it feels like yesterday when we reached 100 days. 

Part of me loves how fast time is going, but part of me is also starting to have random daily fits of panic as I realize how much there is to do between now and August 2nd.

I mean, we haven't even taken engagements yet for heaven sakes!  (On the calendar for May 16th, though.  I'm beyond excited.)

This weekend was pretty laid back, I don't have any exciting stories or photos, but to give you an idea of how things went... here's a post weekend recap. (Mostly for me so I feel a LITTLE productive..)

Friday: Talked to insurance agent, got discount on car insurance & also a quote for Trevor.  I was satisfied when I found that my insurance is a whole $20 a month cheaper than his.  I realize this mostly is due to the fact that he is a male in his early 20's, but Trevor wins at everything, so I take what I can.

Saturday: Got my hair done (thanks, mom!).  Helped my little sister get ready for prom.  She looked beautiful, and I felt like a winner.

Don't they ALL look great? She had the best group.



Sunday: Went to church.  Made some dinner for me and my bestie, and got some date time with Trevor.

So, really, it was a pretty average weekend... I'll hopefully have some more exciting events next week to share (if I share them at all, really... sorry little blog!)