Wedding Planning 101

Wow!  What a crazy, stressful, fun, exciting adventure all this wedding planning has already been.  I never knew how little I knew about planning a wedding and how much I would learn in just 2 1/2 months of being engaged!  Since I haven't really been chatting too much about the wedding here on the 'ole blog, I thought I would do a quick update on where everything stands.

1.  We have a date!!!!!  July 14, 2012 will be the day that I become Patrick's wife.  =)

2.  We also have a venue!  We had originally wanted to get married on a cruise ship with our family and closest friends in attendance, but after much consideration and research, we decided it would be easier, less stressful, and less expensive if we got married here in Nashville.  Instead, we have picked the very cool venue, Rocketown.  For those that don't know, Rocketown is a Christian teen center located downtown.  It's very unique and industrial, holds all 300 of our expected guest count, and the location will work perfectly for all of our out of town guests.  So far they have been so great to work with, and I can't wait to get to know them all better!

3.  I ordered my wedding dress!  I am sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo happy about my dress!  I can't put into words how much I love it!  The fantastic Nashville fashion designer, Olia Zavozina, designed the dress and I can't wait until it is ready!

4.  We have secured our photographers!  Patrick was the big brother in his fraternity to the male side of the duo of Streetlight Republic Photography!  They are so sweet and fun, and I can't wait to have our engagement pictures in a few weeks!

5.  We have a DJ!  Again, thank you, Patrick!  He used to work for Cosmo Creations in college (yes, my beau was a DJ in college), and they were the first people he thought to call when we were looking for music for our wedding!

So, there you have it...just a taste of what Patrick and I have been up to for the last few weeks.  Now, we are working on the caterer, bakery, and florist...oh, and we are going to register this weekend!  I'm SUPER excited about that part!!!!!  Stay tuned for another update in the next few weeks!

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

Oh, geez...it's ONLY Wednesday????  I'm really trying to look on the bright side by saying "Yea!  There's only 2 more work days this week!"  Well, I'm loving a lot of things right now, including:

1.  That our Christmas cards have arrived in most people's mailboxes!  I'm super happy with how they turned out, and hope to do a post about them soon!

2.  That even though I started back up on Weight Watchers again this week, I still went to lunch at Monell's today with my co-workers!  It was YUMMY!

3.  That my beau and I have begun planning our pre-busy season trip...this year we're thinking either Atlanta or Chattanooga!  Which would you choose?

4.  That this is my last 5 day work week for the next 3 weeks!  Bring it on!!!!!

5.  And finally, I love these 2 sooooo much:

101 Things Update

Since I have reached the halfway point of my 101 Things Challenge, I decided to revisit this list of mine and change the items that I'm no longer interested in or I'm no longer able to complete to something that is a little more realistic or has recently become important to me.  First, let me explain which items I'm removing, and why:

3.  Review my finances on a monthly basis for 6 months so I can, hopefully, stay on track.
While I know I SHOULD be doing this, I kind of think that it's just too hard to measure...therefore, it has to go!

8.  Purchase a window treatment for my laundry room, foyer, and spare bathroom.
No, I'm not proud that many of the items related to my home haven't gotten wrapped up during the last year and a half.  However, it looks as if Patrick and I will be living in his house after the wedding...and, let's face it...If I haven't had time to do these things in the last 16 months, I'm probably NOT going to find time before we get married.  =(

9.  Purchase new appliances for my kitchen.
Please see #8 above.  =)

10.  Fix my drippy sink all by myself.
Please see #8 above.  =)

27.  Make a photo book of mine and Patrick's trip to St. Louis.
I hate it I never got this done...and I REALLY hope I do complete it one day.  However, it's not looking good with everything else on my plate, so I've decided to make photo books of more recent events.

33.  Borrow my sister's bike and actually ride it.
For some reason, I just never did this and now I've lost interest...shocking!

41.  Apply and be accepted to Nashville's Young Leaders Council.
Even though I would have LOVED to do this, and I think it would have been excellent training, the whole purpose is to learn how to serve on a Board.  Since I just joined my 2nd board, I think it may no longer be necessary...also, I think it takes up a LOT of time...that I don't have.  =(

45.  Watch every Glee episode to date.
I really just stopped watching this show, so I don't really see that it makes sense to go back and watch them all.

50.  Send 5 thank-you cards to various individuals who deserve them.
Again, too hard to measure!  I'm sure I've actually done this and just can't remember who they've been sent to...

52.  Get my old TV set up in my bedroom.
Please see #8 above.  =)

54.  Purchase and hang pictures for all walls in my condo.
Please see #8 above.  =)

55.  Purchase a small table for my foyer.
Please see #8 above.  =)

57.  Put in new floors in both my full bathrooms.
Please see #8 above.  =)

58.  Install a new showerhead in my bathroom.
Please see #8 above...this is getting out of control.  =)

60.  Buy furniture for the patio outside my bedroom.
Please see #8 above.  =)

73.  Go to a UT vs. South Carolina football game.
Since my sister graduates in May, I doubt I'm going to make this one...sorry Laura.  =(

80.  Don't check e-mail for an entire day at work.
Let's face it...it's 2011, and just not possible...

88.  Babysit Peppermint for an entire weekend.
Sorry mom and dad...I think we all agree though that with Zoey this probably won't work out now!

Now without further adu...here are the NEW and improved 101 Things items:

3.  Get married!
8.  Successfully combine houses with Patrick.
9.  Get an iPad.
10.  Visit the Hermitage.
27.  Run a half marathon in under 2:30.
33.  Make a wedding photo book.
41.  Make a photo book of our engagement pictures.
45.  Learn how to make homemade ice cream from my mom.
50.  Have a blogger meet-up.
52.  Gain 100 blog followers.
54.  Register Zoey for agility classes.
55.  Fill up my Pandora bracelet with charms.
57.  Have a yard sale.
58.  Buy a house.
60.  Give up caffeine for a week.
73.  Blog ever work day for a month.
80.  Teach Zoey to "Say the Blessing."
88.  Get a sponsor for my blog.

Well, there you have it!  Wish me luck!!!!!

Weekend Update!

Well, it's December, and you know what that means...yep, 'Tis the Season for being busy, exhausted, overwhelmed, stressed, and all-around ready for the Holidays to be over!  After having this attitude for OVER A WEEK recently, I decided that this is supposed to be one of the best times of the year.  It should be a time for being with family, doing for others (and enjoying it), and taking in the holiday spirit.  This is when I decided it was time to change my attitude and my life (just a little bit).  I decided that I have been so busy that I haven't been able to give anything to the people and things that mean the most to me.  For the last 2 weeks I have gotten back to basics and made my priorities the things they should be:  Patrick, Zoey, my career, and my health.  I must say, it's been a good 2 weeks.  Yes, I've struggled with not being able to spend as much time with friends...and I've already experienced the difficulties of saying "no," but to be honest, it's been very empowering all at the same time! No, I've not yet perfected this art, but I am making a conscious effort of working on it at all times!  So, without further ado, here is what I've been up to for the last 2 weekends...

Weekend before last was our annual cabin trip with some of our friends from Knoxville.  On Friday, Patrick and I took a half day off work and headed out of Nashville as early as possible.  After dropping Sweet Zoey off at her Grandma and Grandpa's house, we were on our way to a fun relaxing weekend...and that it was!  I honestly, don't have a lot to say except that we had a great time relaxing, playing games, eating, and watching football.  It was JUST what the doctor ordered!  Here are a few pics of the weekend:

All the ladies!  L to R:  Heather, Melissa W, Sabrina, Ginger, Andi, and Me!

Enjoying the views with my favorite dude!

Our home away from home for the weekend!

Just hanging out at Luca's Lookout!

After spending Sunday afternoon with my family, it was time to head back to Nashville and get ready for another work week!

This weekend was a weekend of Christmas parties!  My work Holiday party was Friday afternoon, then after that I had to rush home and freshen up for Patrick's work Christmas party that evening.  It was held at Ellendale's, and was a yummy dinner as usual.  My sweet beau was in charge of planning the party, but I must say, he did a great job!

Saturday morning we were up EARLY (way too early for a Saturday IMO) so Patrick and I could make the 2.5 hour drive to Vinemont, AL for Patrick to go SKYDIVING!!!!!  After getting down there around 9:30, we were told that the people who had 8:00 appointments still hadn't been able to get started because of the cloud cover...we were a little bummed out because we had driven so far and had gotten up so early, but we both kinda got over it and decided to be patient since safety is, of course, the most important thing!

Luckily for us, around 11:00 they started letting people begin the process and Patrick got to get suited up around 11:30.  Here are a few pictures of the "preparation" process:

All ready to head out and get suited up! 

Me with my courageous Beau!

The sign keeping me from getting my arm cut off, apparently...

The plane Patrick was about to jump out of!

Next thing you know, Patrick was loading into the plane and was flying high in the air...here are a few pics that were taken by the skydiving company...it was really cool to see after he safely landed on the ground:

Pumped up before jumping out of the plane! 

Probably 14,000 feet off the ground at this point!

After Patrick landed safely on the ground, we headed back to Nashville and were able to relax quite a bit that afternoon.  That evening, my sister was coming to town, so she, Patrick and I headed over to our friend Chase's Housewarming/Christmas Party.  It was a lot of fun, but since I hadn't gotten to hang out with my sister in quite awhile, and I was also pretty tired, she and I left Patrick at the party and headed home to hang out with Sweet Zoey.

Sunday was spent like most others...breakfast, chores, and relaxing.  That evening, we met up with Alysia, Kevana, and Nikki and Mark (our friends who used to live in Nashville, but now live in Nebraska) at Urban Flats for an early dinner!  It was great getting caught up with them, and we're still trying to talk them into moving back to Nash-Vegas!

So, what did you do this weekend?

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

I can't believe it's already Wednesday!  Despite it being my first full week at work in quite some time, this week has FLOWN by!  On this Wednesday, here are a few things I'm loving:

1.  I'm loving that we are headed to the mountains this weekend for our annual cabin trip!  I can't wait to eat tons of good food, relax with a fire, watch tons of football, and spend tons of time catching up with some Knoxville friends!

Here's a pic of all the girls from last year's trip!

2.  I'm loving the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show that was on TV last night!  I had never watched it before, and OMG!  What have I been missing?????  I loved it!  And how much do I love Adam Levine!  I seriously think his personality is awesome!

One of my favorite moments!  

3.  I'm loving knocking stuff off my "to do" list.  Although, it seems I haven't been able to do enough of that lately...oh well, there needs to be time for fun and relaxation, right?  At least that's what I'm telling myself!

4.  I'm loving that I ordered my wedding dress this weekend!  I am SOOOOOOOO excited!  The fabulous crew from Olia Zavozina hooked me up with a custom dress, and I can't wait for it to get here!  What made it even better was their "Black Friday" special!  Now, ladies and gentleman...let the diet begin!  Ha!

Not my wedding dress, but one that I think is very pretty!

5.  And of course, I'm loving these two fabulous creatures:

Weekend Update!

What a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend it was!  I am so glad that I got to spend this time with my family and my favorite people!  The weekend started out on Thursday, when Patrick, Zoey and I hopped in the car and headed east to Strawberry Plains to visit my family.  Like I mentioned in this post, Patrick was in charge of the turkey this year, so we had to get there fairly early.  After waiting around most of the day for all the food to be ready, we finally got down to business.  Here is a look at our spread:

All of the food was delicious, and Patrick, Laura, my mom, and myself outdid ourselves this year...if I do say so myself.

Typically, on Thanksgiving evening, we always go see a movie as a family.  However, this year none of us were feeling it because there really wasn't anything we could agree on, so we decided to resort to playing Skip-Bo instead...I LOVE that game!

Around 10:30, Laura and I decided to brave the crowds and try to head out and do some Black Friday shopping.  Our first stop...McDonald's...afterall, if we were going to be fighting the crowds, we at least wanted to get our caffeine fix beforehand!

After sleeping in on Friday, my mom made a really tasty breakfast and then we just kind of relaxed most of the day.  Friday evening though, we decided to venture out to The Little Dutch (my favorite restaurant from my childhood) and then we headed to the bowling alley...and by bowling alley, I mean OLD SCHOOL bowling alley...as in, keep your own score bowling alley!  We had a great time and enjoyed a little family rivalry while we were at it!

Here's a look at our DIY scoresheet! 

Being the accountant (i.e. control freak) that I am, I insisted on keeping score!  =)

My mom and brother!

My dad (pretending to have a terrible time, because he wanted to be at home sleeping) and me!

Finally, my beau and me!

Saturday morning, after having another yummy breakfast made by my mom (yes, she spoils us when we are home), it was time to pack up the car and head back to Nashville.  Saturday night, we headed over to Ed's house for his annual birthday celebration!  We had a great time, but since we'd been traveling a lot that day, we called it an early night and headed home!

Sunday was a nice relaxing day due to the rainy, cold weather.  It was really nice to have some time to prepare for the work week though, so I wasn't complaining!

What about you?  Did you have a wonderful Thanksgiving?

Plenty to be THANKful For - Blog Swap Revealment

For the blog swap, I was teamed up with Kristine at Living a Barefoot and Crazy Lifestyle, and she did such a great job with my goodies.  After being off work all week last week, it was so nice to come back to the office on Monday to this package sitting on my desk:

And when I opened it up, it was even cuter:

The gifts inside were exactly the type of stuff that I love:

I got some yummy Peppermint candy... 

...some Iced Gingerbread handsoap from Bath and Body Works...

...a Gingerbread scented candle...

...and this beautiful snowflake candle holder...

I LOVE Christmas scented stuff, so I am so excited for all of my goodies!  I can't wait to test them all out!  Thanks so much Kristine!  You definitely know how to please this girl!  =)

Project 365 - Week 31

Sunday, November 22, 2011 -- Took a picture of dinner that Patrick made, but for some reason the pic won't post.  =)

Monday, November 21, 2011 -- To Do List for My Week Off 

Tuesday, November 22, 2011 -- Practicing for Zoey's Christmas Card Picture

Wednesday, November 23, 2011 -- My Famous Pumpkin PIe

Thursday, November 24, 2011 -- Thanksgiving Meal!

Friday, November 25, 2011 -- Old School Family Bowling

Saturday, November 26, 2011 -- My Microwave that Caught on Fire!

Plenty to be THANKful for -- Black Friday and Leftovers!

Black Friday...this was the first year I was able to convince someone to go with me to get some Christmas goodies on Black Friday.  For years and years, I have wanted to participate in this shopping extravaganza, but everyone in my family is anti-black Friday shopping!  However, this year, my sister and I ventured out of the house at 10:30 on Thanksgiving evening and headed to both Wal-Mart and Target...we tried to go to Old Navy, but that was the biggest mess I have ever witnessed and the sales weren't all that great, so we decided to call it a night!  I think we both agree that we're glad we went on this adventure, and that we'll probably participate again next year.

My sister -- Ready to go with PLENTY of coffee!

As for leftovers, I have somehow managed this year to not eat a single piece of turkey on this day after Thanksgiving!  Which makes me very happy!  It was an excellent meal, don't get me wrong, but one turkey meal a week is enough for me!

I hope everyone enjoys the rest of your weekend!  Happy Turkey Day!

Plenty to be THANKful for -- Thanksgiving!

This is MY family's Thanksgiving table:

And everything was DE-licious!  We had turkey (made in Patrick's new contraption), dressing, gravy, ham, mac 'n cheese, homemade mashed potatoes, broccoli casserole, home grown green beans, cranberry sauce, deviled eggs and pumpkin pie.  So, so yummy!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  I'm sure each of us realize how much we have to be thankful for!