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.

Just remember....

Have a Happy Memorial Day!

Have a Happy and Safe Memorial Day...

In case you didn't know already:

Cape cods are my drink...

Traveling...but not me....not yet anyway

B travels for work - not all of the time, just some of the time but usually a lot at the same time. I know that sentence makes no sense!

Basically when it is great to be outside - he is traveling. He is a geologist. He likes rocks...I like rocks too...


His kind:

My kind:

Technically I like gems and minerals...but you get the drift.


Anyway - he has been traveling.... A LOT lately - as in for the first 25 days of May - I saw him for exactly 30 minutes one day (his flight came in and my flight was leaving, so we met for coffee half way between the airport)  and 12 hours another (my flight returned and he left the next day) - for 25 days I saw him for 12.5 hours.


This weekend we will be together camping. I cannot wait to be by the lake, soaking in some sun, reading, eating and drinking....but most of all I cannot wait to see him.

I couldn't say it better

Cooking

Whenever B is out of town I find that I don't really cook anything...Meaning - maybe a baked potato, but mostly it's either frozen veggies I zap

( I LOVE GREEN BEANS!)

or I eat cereal:

Do anyone have easy 1 person meals that they like preparing? B travels often and I would like to not just eat green beans or cereal....or a microwave dinner thing...

Fill in the blank Friday

Link up  HERE

1. Something that is very near and dear to my heart is  my relationship with B. I cannot wait for our wedding day, I cannot wait to see what the future holds - but today, and every single day - I wake up knowing I'm loved, cared for and most of all that we are in this together.

2.   My little brother graduating  is a good cause to celebrate!

3. The most fun I ever had was  backpacking through Europe...I cannot wait for London this year!!

4. True friends are hard to come by - but truly they help make my world go round!

5. Something that makes me terribly happy is  planning my wedding - I KNOW I KNOW- I so didn't want to be one of those girls, but it is so fun...for now anyway.

6. A good way to spend a sunny day is  by the pool, in the ocean or with a drink in hand OR ALL of the above.

7. My favorite celebratory food is popcorn or ICE CREAM.

Heading to the ATL

My little brother graduates from Emory law school this Monday. I am so excited for him. (I know he is more excited...but you get the drift!) I cannot wait because this means that in about 2 weeks he is BACK IN TEXAS. He went to undergrad in Nebraska, worked in Texas for a year and then headed to Atlanta for law school.....I cannot wait for us to be only 200ish miles apart. I have hated that we were at least a days drive away from one another. Yes we talk often on the phone and catch up and try to see each other as much as possible...but it isn't the same. So I am excited for him, and I am happy he will be a Texan once again.

Fill in the Blank Friday

It is FILL IN THE BLANK FRIDAY....link up at Lauren's blog ... HERE

1. My bedtime routine includes - shower, wash face, brush teeth, pick Roxy up and put her on the bed and then fall into bed.  Yeah...not having kids makes bedtime a breeze.

2. I am -  ready to find a place that I want to hold my wedding at! SAturday my mom and I are going to look at a few places.

3. I can't stand TOMATOS because I think they are gross.

4. My idea of relaxation would be massage and a facial followed by sitting in a sauna.

5. If I had an extra $50 I would  probably go buy a pair of work pants...I need some new pairs.

6. The best thing about a bloggy friend is it is fun to meet new people that you would otherwise have never met.

7. A recipe I have been dying to try is  Ina's sour cream cake! MMMM.

Wedding Rant

I think weddings are crazy expensive. I think the moment you tell a vendor it is for a wedding - the amount doubles...or more....ok I am done.

Fill in the Blank Friday

OK it is Fill in the Blank Friday again ...go here to link up with Lauren's blog at "the little things we do"

Ok here goes:

1. When I wake up in the morning, the first thing I do is : go to the bathroom. I know...I KNOW...but it is true, that's what I do.

2. I can hardly wait for: this Sunday! We are visiting our first VENUE!

3. The quickest way to my heart is ice cream because  I LOVE IT and it makes me smile - blue bell homemade vanilla please.

4. A little known fact about me is  I wasn't one of those girls dreaming about their wedding growing up so I AM CLUELESS as to what I want or do not want..I just wasn't girly. 

5. The best part of my job is I get to go to awesome events like YESTERDAY I got to see Condoleezza Rice speak...yeah it was awesome. Yes I am from Texas...so you can probably figure out my political views.

6. Something I just couldn't live without is  mascara - I have like zero eyelashes.

7.  Something useful that I wish I knew how to do is be crafty. I suck at it.

How it happened

I realized I never fully told the story of how we became ENGAGED:

I got off of work early on Thursday, April 5. As B's birthday is the 7th we had planned to go out that night and celebrate just the two of us. I should have known something was up when he showed up at 4 in the afternoon. We decided to go get cocktails before dinner so I started getting ready much quicker.

As I went towards the front door there he was with my ring in his hands. I was stunned. He asked me to marry him and I said "are you kidding me, are you serious" and then I just started jumping up and down saying yes. It was sweet and very much us. Roxy was running around looking at me like I was crazy. It was hands down the best day of my life.

Afterwards I called EVERYONE- but first my parents (neither answered) then my brother - he was the very first person I told. I then retried calling my parents (mom answered) and she said "congrats, it's beautiful isn't it?" - That's when I knew he had showed my ring to my parents - they knew it was going to happen before I did. I love that he asked. FINALLY my dad called me back. I knew how happy my family was for this day to come.

We went to his dad's office (his dad has an office in Htown and in Dtown and was just by chance in Htown that night) and showed him. Everyone was very excited for us. His dad's office had a party going on and we had our pictures taken, I hope to get a hold of one of those.

Afterwards we headed to dinner at Haven (AMAZING!) and then to The Tasting Room to open a bottle of champagne and just be together.

Fill in the blank friday

It is Fill in the Blank Friday again...please link up with Lauren over here-

1. Today is a great day because - I am headed to the ATX to see my best friend!

2. Tomorrow I will - be at a spa. I CANNOT wait. The bestie and I are going to a spa weekend.

3. My favorite time of day is the afternoon because it is usually a lot less hectic than the morning.

4. Sometimes you just have to - say to heck with this and pour a glass of wine and enjoy the afternoon.

5. A song that I just can't get enough of lately is - I don't really have one at the moment. I listen to books on CD in my car these days.

6. My favorite accessory is - MY ENGAGEMENT RING....sorry, 2 weeks in, it still makes me smile EVERY time I look down. I hope I feel this way in 35 years as well.

7. My favorite thing about this week was - starting wedding planning. I have a love hate relationship with it.

Weekend roundup

B and I spent the weekend in D-Town again. His cousin gets married last month and his mom was putting on a shower for them. It was fun and as always great to see everyone.

Sunday we went to my parents house to start the wedding planning process. Apparently it is daunting...too many ideas, too much to think about. :) But...all wonderful.

Fill in the Blank Friday!

It is Fill in the Blank Friday again ... please link up here.



1. Today is a good day because - I am completely overjoyed and happy. I am living my own fairytale. I love it. I AM GOING TO BE A WIFE TO B!!!!!

2. The best thing I did all week was- Smile non stop. Sorry..there aren't many times in life that I will have this glow. I think smiling all week non stop is a great thing!

3. The current weather is - SUNNY and it makes me feel HAPPY.

4. The best thing about spring is LOVE IS IN THE AIR...ok really it is just sunny and lovely out. You can be OUTSIDE which in Htown doesn't happen without sweating buckets!

5. A fashion trend that I'm dying to try out for spring is  CORAL. I just bought a new coral dress and can't wait to wear it out.

6. A person who made me smile this week was B! I mean really...

7. The most delicious thing I ate all week was Snapper on Saturday night celebrating B's 30th bday and our engagement.


I promise NOT everything will be about how in love I am and how we are getting married...but I'm a week into this engagement thing and I am so overjoyed and excited. It will calm down eventually. ;)

I'm....

ENGAGED!

On April 5, 2012 the love of my life proposed. I am 100% thrilled, overjoyed and in shock. I am truly living my own fairytale.  

I'm going to be a WIFE...and not to just anyone...to my B!

I never would have imagined back when we were 21 and friends that years later we would start dating and now we are engaged. I cannot wait to be his wife.