9/11

We will never forget.

A Precious Human Life

Weekend roundup

B and I were in Dallas over the weekend for a wedding - his cousin got married.  We had a fantastic time.

B, myself, B's cousin and his wife - I feel truly blessed to be joining this family - they are so much fun!

Fill in the Blank Friday

1. My favorite grade in school was the third grade and fourth grade. Miss Boren and Mrs. Gross were my favorite teachers. I actually still keep in touch with Miss Boren (who is married and goes by another name now!) She lives in Thailand and I think B and I may catch up with her for a few hours on our Honeymoon.

2. My favorite teachers were Miss Boren and Mrs. Gross were my favorite teachers. I actually still keep in touch with Miss Boren (who is married and goes by another name now!) She lives in Thailand and I think B and I may catch up with her for a few hours on our Honeymoon. They were both so caring and just amazing people.

3. The highest level of education I have completed is  I have my BA from UT. I went to law school for a semester and HATED IT. :)

4. School lunches for me were usually  sandwiches and fruit and little veggies with a dip.

5. The amount of money you'd have to pay me to go back to high school would be A LOT. While I had a great time in high school - I wouldn't want to relive it.

6. A few things that will always remind me of going back to school are  new clothes, school supplies and really fun mechanical pencils.

7. The first day of school was always nerve wracking - I was always worried about not knowing anyone in my classes (I always knew people!)

Weekend Roundup

So...I know it is Thursday and I know this post is about 3 days too late - OH WELL DEAL.  ;)

This past weekend was a weekend that I NEEDED.

I headed to the ATX for a bachelorette party.

Friday I stayed at K's house - I actually got into the ATX around 4 and spent the next few hours with K and baby K. Baby K is our flower girl and I just love her to piece - the sweetest cutest most amazing kid. (Of course she is - her mom is my best friend!) Anyway - I needed the hours of talking, drinking and seeing my best friend. We stayed up talking around the kitchen table until about 1AM - we both woke up with incredible hangovers - 100% awesome.

I headed into town and met the rest of the bachelorette party crew on Saturday morning. We ended up eat way too much food, walking around Austin and just remembering what it was like to be a college kid again. We went to the hotel - had a lingerie party - OH LA LA - and then headed for tailgating - because a bachelorette party in September in Texas ALWAYS includes Football and beer. We drank and ate some more and then headed back to the hotel to change into our ROCK STAR attire - oh yes we went down 6th street rocking it 80s style. It was amazing.

I would say I have pictures - but pretty much none are ok for Internet usage!

I love my girlfriends - I love our no drama happy weekends.

This of course has me starting to think of my own bachelorette party - hopefully in NOLA.

How to have a lovely day

via


I'm not sure that is how to have a lovely day for me...but for someone;

for me - it would be:

1. Drink wine - LOTS
2. Wear a pretty dress
3. Smile
4. Play with the Roxy dog
5. Enjoy time with B!
6. Eat sushi
7. GO shopping
8. Spend time with my amazing girlfriends
9. See my parents
10. Read
11. Go for a walk in a beautiful neighborhood
12. Sleep in or go to sleep early
13. DRINK wine  .... ooooh I already wrote that...


So I guess we have 3 things in common with this lovely day idea.

Fill in the Blank Friday

Go here:   The Little Things we Do  to play along!

1. Over this labor day weekend I will be  with some of my favorite people in the ATX - drinking, watching football and then bachelorette partying for a friend that is getting married in October.

2. With political debates going on right now, my thoughts are  I tend to not discuss politics here - for a reason.

3. Today I am headed to the ATX- I am staring at the clock!!!

4. The best thing I have cooked recently was - Bob Blumer's Maple Salmon

5. The last thing I bought was a really tacky sequined tank top for this weekends "Rock Star" themed party.

6. The best movie I saw this summer was Bernie. HILARIOUS. I'm from Texas...you can tell.

7. The best book I read this summer was The Sex Lives of Cannibals - my future MIL recommended it and I loved it!

Stupid people

Do you ever just get totally annoyed at stupid people? I'm not talking about "not smart" people - but people who continually make stupid choices and just can't figure their shit out.

Sorry...I have dealt with my share of stupid in the past few days and I needed to VENT.

It is your life

via

Fill in the blank Friday

Go over here to join in the fun with Lauren -  http://thelittlethingswedo.blogspot.com

1. My favorite thing to do on Friday is come home from work, make a cocktail, play with Roxy pup and wait for B to get home so we can go out for dinner!

2. This Friday I am going to see B! He has been in Wyoming for over a week so I am ready to see him!

3. The best thing about a weekend is RELAXING!

4. Now that summer is almost over, I am feeling ready for fall and ready for FOOTBALL SEASON!!

5. The best thing I did this summer was go the beach, see friends and just relax.

6. The thing I am looking forward to about fall is football games, the clothes, and enjoying being outdoors as it won't be 100+ outside! Granted our fall doesn't really start until late October.

7. If I had to be stuck in one season the rest of my life, I would choose Summer. Even though it is hot outside, I love being on a boat, going to the beach and just being outside.

Wedding Wednesday

A lot of things are going on and life has become hectic -

Planning a wedding takes a lot of time - I didn't really know this until now.  My mother and I have looked at dresses, but I have yet to find the "one" - Obviously I won't be posting my dress on here until after the wedding.

Here are ones that I have tired on, but for some reason or another are NOT the ones:

I found out that I love lace, I need definition on my waist and I don't like strapless - so that means I will end up with the exact opposite ;)

Happiness...

via

Thoughts...

I think this is sometimes something we should remember. There are many people that were taken from my life when they were too young - I need to remember how much of a privilege it is to be alive and be here living my beautiful life.

Wedding Wednesday

I have never done a wedding wednesday post...so I figured since I am in the midst of planning mine - I can!

There are approximately 280 days until our Wedding day.

So far I have the following contracts signed:

Venue - ceremony and reception. The venue does their own catering, we do a tasting sometime around January. 

Photography- Emily is amazing and I cannot wait to work with her (also she is Cuban! so am I!)


Wedding Coordinator - booked! I love her! She has been so incredibly helpful.


Cake - I have my cake lady picked out, she has awesome cake - now I need a design I like.


Hair and makeup - I have sent in the signed contract and I am awaiting to hear back.

DJ - I am in the midst of contract review, but probably by the end of the week they will be booked.

So far so good!


On to flowers, dress, and decor...

Our bags aren't packed JUST yet....

For our honeymoon.....we are going to

THAILAND!!!!

Back in college when I backpacked through Europe, I met a ton of Aussies and Kiwis that had already been through Thailand and they made me wish I could go. That dream is coming true in 2013.


B and I are BEYOND excited!

Honeymoon planned...

Our honeymoon is BOOKED....


We will start our honeymoon on one of these...actually on 3 of them...for a total of 25 hours...including layovers...

Then we are here for 8 days:



Then we are here for 4 days:

During this time we will be doing all kinds of activities and seeing places we have never seen. Some of these are:

ANY guesses on where are we headed to start married life?

I guess I should STOP daydreaming and go back to wedding planning!

Fill in the blank Friday

I didn't mean to take a blog break - it just happened. Life has been crazy and at some point I will write about it I guess.

So here goes with Fill in the Blank Firday - join in with Lauren over here....

1. I am a very tired and grumpy lady today and all this week - no a/c in our offices is really ticking me off - it is broken at the moment and we are on the top floor of an office building in Houston....it stinks.

2. I have always  loved Starbucks frappuccinos.

3. I hope to one day be a mother if that is what is in the cards for me.

4. I can get a lot more accomplished if I am listening to music. Especially housework!

5. I dream of  our honeymoon - I will have to do a post on where we are going. I AM BEYOND excited.

6. The way to my heart is to be B. Just kidding...but not really!

7. I am passionate about - at this moment, sleep. In life - making sure people aren't drinking and driving. I had a friend killed by a drunk driver when I was in high school and then I worked for MADD (Mothers against drunk driving) in high school as their secretary and it just became a passion - take a cab, call a friend - nothing is worth getting behind that wheel.

Fill in The Blank Friday

Join Lauren over here -- for Fill in the Blank Friday Fun!


"If I could get away for the day I would go...."


If I could get away today - I would go to the beach - layout, read and enjoy some sun.



A post on London will come at some point - once I load our pictures and everything. We had a blast - and we are now planning our next big vacation - OUR HONEYMOON!!!! And thoughts, ideas etc of places we should go? We want a relaxing beach honeymoon....any ideas are welcome!

Happy 4th of July

May you have fun with your families and remember how lucky we are to live where we do. Thank a soldier, thank a friend and truly fill your heart with love and freedom.

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.