Sometimes life is hard...

There are days that I think this....

Today LUCKILY was NOT one of those days! But this makes me smile every time I see it!

Friday Five Favorites

Things that are my favorites today:

1. SUNSCREEN SPRAY - I live in Texas...I am pale. Hence - this is needed:

2. Lands End tank tops. They are stretchy, cheap and I live in the in the summer. THESE I DO wear to work - usually under a blazer or a cardigan - I live in Texas - if it is blazing hot OUTSIDE...it is generally 65 inside - a sweater is needed.

3. Restoration Hardware "No crack super hand cream" in lemongrass - my hands are always dry. This stuff IS AMAZING.

4. Looking at my ring. I just love looking at it. I love what it represents, what it promises and what it means for our future together - yep I'm a sap. I'm ok with it.

5.  My Dr. Jart BB Cream - this stuff, especially in the summer - does it all for my face - I dont wear it daily (I am blessed with easy skin, but when I need some coverage, it is great!)

Fill in the Blank Friday

It is Fill in the Blank Friday at Laurens...click here to join in the fun!

Today's prompt is one word:

SUMMER

Write whatever you want about it.....

I live in Houston - Summer means REALLY hot days, hot nights and lots of margaritas. It means being in the lake, at the beach or in a pool - it means SUNSCREEN, laughter and ice cold beverages (mostly margaritas.)

This Summer - I head to LONDON. I am beyond excited. 



Words of wisdom

Wedding Colors

I think I figured out the colors for our wedding, inspired by this:

Friday Five Favorites

Five things I cannot live without at the moment:

1. My Sam Edelman Gigi sandals (I LIVE in them during the summer and over the past 3 or 4 years I have a small collection of 6 pairs.)  These are my favorite pair:

2. Apple, Goat Cheese and Pecan Pizza.  IT IS SO GOOD.  The recipe is found HERE 

3. Easy to wear dresses - I have them from all kinds of stores (Target, Anthro, Lilly Pulitzer, Gap, Banana Republic, Loft).  Dresses, when paired with Gigi sandals are my summer "look" No I do not wear GiGi sandals at work - I do however have a pair in my car to change into after work!

4. Fun lipstick - Guerlain is still my favorite - it is smooth and creamy and I LOVE the packaging.

5. Ok this is NOT a thing. These are people:

 The women that I have asked to be my bridesmaids. (I wanted to ask them in person so it will take a little bit, unfortunately one had to be asked not in person as she lives FAR away.) I have one more to ask, tonight when we are at dinner. I am truly lucky to have them in my life and I cannot imagine life without them. They came into my life at varying times and they are ALL incredibly different from each other. 

Fill in the Blank Friday

Please join in the fun over here and link up at Lauren's site!

Today's prompt:

If I were to host a dinner party:





1. I would invite - my friends and family

2. The theme would be - beach chic

3. I would host it at - Since this is imaginary - it would be in Santorini:

4.  We would eat - GREEK FOOD!

5.  It would look like this:

Just remember that....

Fill in the blank Friday

A new twist that Lauren has placed on Fill in the blank Friday - instead of multiple questions, there is only one.


Why do you blog?

I blog because:

I grew up always having a diary.
I like to keep track of my life.
I like to look back and see what I was doing exactly 1, 2, 3 years ago. 
(3 years ago I was in a COMPLETELY different life. It is amazing to me to how much can change in a short period of time.)

I blog because I live. I exist. I matter. To me.

Even if no one reads it - I blog for me. I don't have this notion that someone really cares about my embarassing moment, and if y'all do - I love ya for it - but that isn't why I write it down. I like seeing myself change, grow and enjoy my life. I love to look back and see where I've changed and where I haven't.

As for blogging about B - I blog about him because I never knew this could be my life. I never knew I could be so in love, so happy and truly "have it all". My parents did - I just didn't know in this day and age that people still "loved each other, didn't cheat, wanted to settle down and be together forever".

I also blog about him because he is the single most important person in my life.  My life and my relationship with him are the most important aspects of my life. We have our own "family". We are creating a life together. I want to look back on that life at see it as a life full of love but a life well lived.

That is why I blog.


PLease link up here and let us all know why you blog!

Friday Five

1. That we chose a venue...a beautiful venue. It has everything and is everything I could dream of for our wedding.

2. That I will be here soon: (for 9 days!!!)

3. Mascara that my Future Mother in Law bought me - because she loved it so much "she had to get it for me too"  I am now in love with it also. (B is an only child, so I am the only female in the family and she is a girly person, so I love spending time with her. )

4.  Peonies

5.  I'm getting MARRIED!!!!!!

Words to live by

I truly try to remember this - I think it is such a good quote.

I just knew

Things on the wedding planning front are in full swing. We decided on a date and a venue. I am so excited! I am just waiting for the venue to call me back so that we can SAVE THE DATE.


Truly- I look at my life in awe and with such thankfulness. I am so incredibly thankful to be RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW.

Growing up I never thought about my wedding (I wasn't one of those girls who planned out her wedding when I was young) but I did think about who I would marry. My parents are best friends, lovers, confidants and know that no one else in the world wants more for each of them than they do. I loved growing up as one of their children in a house full of love.  A house full of laughter and a house where my parents showed me what a real partnership is. I just always wondered if I could replicate that in my own life.

You see, for my parents very first date my dad drove from Birmingham, AL to Miami, FL to take my mom out. He asked her out in Birmingham (where she was for college and where he was working) and she dismissed him and said "if you really want to go out on date, I am going home for a few weeks, here is my address in Miami"  - MY DAD DROVE TO MIAMI TO TAKE HER OUT.

I grew up hearing that message - to let someone chase you, don't do the chasing. My dad always said, when the right one comes into your life, they will never want to let you go.

I get it now. For almost 10 years B has been in my life. At 21 he asked me on our first date. We went out and I had a lovely time. I just didn't have that "click" with him. So for years we hung out ALL of the time - going out for drinks, playing poker, getting coffee and having long LONG talks. I moved away from Austin and we lost touch for a while. Then we started hanging out again - I would go into Austin and we would have fun going through the hill country, talking, getting coffee and having fun together. He didn't want long distance and so we went our separate ways. Then 2.5 years after that (and both going through long term relationships that weren't right for us) we reconnected and for me, I just knew. I knew he was my partner for life. I knew God had a bigger plan for us than I knew when I was 21.

I can't believe in less than a year, we will be married. I am truly blessed and more thankful than I could ever imagine.