I’ve waited until now…

First, just let me say…

I’M MARRIED!

I will have more posts in the next few weeks about the wedding. I will be taking a break from the blogging world though to enjoy my honeymoon. So…before I go, I figured I would leave you with this…

You people have no idea how hard it has been for me to only show these photos to just a select few who are very close friends or family. I wanted to keep some secrets, so I could use them later on.

I hired Julie Cottrell to do all of my engagement photos, bridal portraits, and wedding coverage. Let me tell you people that I cannot speak highly enough of her. She has an unbelievably sweet personality, and her talent is clearly reflected in her photographs.

Earlier in the year, I posted some of our engagement photos. I actually have a link on the side of the blog for you to view them in a slideshow. On the same weekend she did my engagement photos though, she also did my bridal portraits. I cannot express how happy and pleased I am with the way they turned out.

The link to see them can be found here.

My favorite is number 5. I don’t know what it is about that picture, but I really do love it. My guess is that now that the wedding is over that she will be posting a few pictures as a preview to her blog. If you want to see them, I would probably check things out here throughout the week.

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DETAILS ABOUT MY ATTIRE:

My dress came from David’s Bridal. I chose the ivory dress with the champagne underlay. You can click here to see more detail about it.

My shoes were pretty simple. I absolutely loved them though. Since I’m writing this ahead of time, I can’t exactly tell you how comfortable they are. They seem fine now, but I don’t know how they’ll do after a full day of walking in them. The shoes {photo} have a link to them in case you’re interested.

CAN’T WAIT TO SHARE MY THOUGHTS OF THE DAY WITH YOU!

Groomsmen Gifts

Since I posted earlier about the bridesmaids gifts, I figured I could at least post something short about the groomsmen gifts. After all, it is wedding week!

Tonight, we presented the boys with an idea I got from a fellow blogger, Marcie. At their wedding, her husband had picked out steak branders for the groomsmen. I thought this was a pretty cool idea. It was certainly different from the flasks, monogrammed whatevers, etc. that you usually receive.

I started researching it online and found this terrific website.

Colby and I decided that we would get each of the groomsmen one that coordinated with their favorite football team. Lord knows how big football is here in the South!

This is what we ended up ordering….

Three of these….

One of these….

And since Colby’s dad is in our wedding and he’s a big Auburn fan, we decided to get him an ‘L’ since we had already gotten Judd, Colby’s brother, an Auburn one. Since they’ll probably mostly get used in Auburn, I figured there was no need in getting two of the same thing. So…this is what his looks like…

I have to say that I was a little disappointed in the fact that they didn’t have an option for the Florida Gators. Colby’s cousin, Cade, is a Gators fan and an Alabama fan, so we had to get him the Alabama one instead. It was a total bummer though! Sorry, Cade! I tried!

Bridesmaid Gifts

All week this week I’ve been trying to keep things updated and give a look into the wedding. I’ve had to wait until today to post my bridesmaids’ gifts since some of my readers are bridesmaids.

In previous posts, I’ve shown idea pictures that were inspiration to the wedding. I had the idea to incorporate burlap since Colby and I are from a small town, and we enjoy classy, yet rustic things. I thought this would be the perfect mix. I have chosen to use burlap runners on the tables {that I made myself}. I thought this might coincide with the fact that our reception is in an old hardware store.

I wanted my bridesmaids’ gifts to reflect my wedding, yet be something that is cute and useful. I’ve been eyeing some totes from Ballard Designs for quite a long time. I wanted one for myself so badly. They’re made of jute, which was perfect for the wedding. I picked the “so-called” lime green bags with brown monogramming. The  bags don’t look that lime green to me, but they’re still okay. Of course I ordered one for myself, too.

They do not look like this color when you receive them.

Instead of getting their initials though, I decided to go with their first names. Some of them are married, but many are soon to be married. I just figured it would be easier to get first names instead of trying to decide whether or not to use their current initals or their soon to be married initals. Craziness!

I also supplied their jewelry. Pearls are so classic, I couldn’t help but choose them. Plus, everyone likes pearls and will wear them over again.

The girls won’t be able to wear the necklace because of the neckline of their bridesmaid dress, but it’s a nice completion to the set anyhow. You can see the dress at this link.

Sickness

Sickness has taken over my body. What started out as a scratchy throat that I thought was from me talking too much has now turned into much more.

My nose is all stopped up, and I can hardly sleep at night because of it. It couldn’t come at a better time {insert sarcasm}. I don’t have that much to do, but in my head I feel like I do.

My patience and tolerability of things is very low due to all of this. I’m trying my best to maintain my composure, but it is so hard at times. So many decisions to make that are probably not worth worrying about.

Can I just skip the rest of the week and move on to Saturday?

Please? Pretty Please?

Pray for me. Pray that I feel better. Pray that this stupid cold or whatever it is will leave my body. Pray that in the mean time I don’t let things get to me and bother me. Pray that I will be nice to everyone no matter what because the only reason it might bother me in the beginning is only because I’m sick. And, you might want to pray for those poor souls that are helping me put this day together.

I feel awful! I want to leave work right this second and go home. I want a nap. I want to be left alone. I don’t want to answer the phone anymore.

Sorry about the rant. I just had to get it out. And, I really need those prayers. Thanks for being patient.

Something Blue

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.

I’ll just let you in on a little secret. I was having a very difficult time with the “something blue” part. I had nothing. My mom came up with the idea of having a handkerchief monogrammed.

I found this terrific vendor on etsy.com. Don’t you just love that website? I love the fact that I can support some small businesses and stay-at-home moms by buying from there.

Anyway…back to what I was saying.

I found this handkerchief at this vendor.

This is what I found in the mail about a week ago. I think it looks terrific! Now I have my something blue!

Nice Surprises

Colby came home the other day with a terrific surprise.

First, let me say this. Surprises are {for the most part} good. Surprises that come at the end of a long day are great. Surprises that come in the midst of wedding chaos are even better!

I must say that the occasional gift that we receive on any random day excites me. Opening gifts are so much fun. Admit it. You like it, too.

This past week Colby brought home a gift that was wrapped and labeled from a great local gift shop, Jus Do. I mentioned that store in this post. Everything you get from there is totally awesome. I have bought all of my hostess gifts from there and so much more.

Okay….back to the story. Colby brought home the gift. He insisted on opening it for me. It was our very first initial flag. This posed a problem though. I didn’t have a flag pole. I went to a local hardware store to find one and paid $30 for the darn thing. I didn’t open it though because I swore I could find one cheaper. I went to Jus Do, and what did I find? One for $10!

 

Sorry! I had to take a picture of the package. I haven’t exactly taken it out of the package yet.

There’s an even better part to the story though. Our friends, Dusty and Amber Wilson, who gave us this gift also sent another flag along for us to borrow. It’s a wedding flag! This is really the reason I was in such a hurry to get a flag pole.

 

Isn’t it cute???? I apologize for the poor picture of it. One should probably take a picture of something like this before it’s on a flag pole flapping in the wind. It’s the best I could do.

The Countdown Begins!

Colby and I are getting married this weekend!

FIVE DAYS AWAY PEOPLE!

All kinds of emotions are flowing through me right now.

I’m excited to finally marry Colby and become his wife. I’ve dreamed of this moment for so long, and it is finally here. I’m excited because of all my work that I have put into the wedding will come to an end, and I will get to relax and not worry about all of the tiny, minute details that only I will probably notice in the end.

I’m nervous because of all of my planning. Is is going to look right? Am I going to be able to get it all done in time? What will people think? Should I care what people think? Will I have time to get {insert} finished? What if it needs extra things? Can I go get it in time? This people is the crazy thoughts floating around right now. It’s insane!

Then, I’ve got this sickish feeling. That’s right. Not like sickish because I’m nervous. Oh no. It’s the real sickish feeling as in my throat is scratchy, and I’m possibly losing my voice. My words are limited today, as I’m trying my best to do everything in my power to prevent this.

Then, I start thinking about my to-do list. It’s not that bad. Not really. It could be worse. Most of it can’t be done until Thursday.

I think Thursday will make me feel better. The linens, tables, chairs, and flowers are all delivered. We can officially begin to set things up. Oh mercy! I need your prayers. I know it will be a very enjoyable day. I just don’t understand why we feel we need to do this. Why must we put ourselves through this? Ladies? Anyone know?

Charleston, I can’t wait to see your beautiful city! I’m SIX days away from seeing you. I’m packing my bags for you on Wednesday.

The updates will keep coming! It’s wedding week!

My Shopping Find…

I’m sure many of  you have seen these cute little babies already, but I L-O-V-E mine. I can’t wait to get to use it. I have been wanting one for a while, and I just couldn’t justify buying one quite yet.

Lucky for me though that I’m getting married. Lucky for me that the caterer asked that I have a basket of some sort and containers for her to pack us a basket for after the wedding. Lucky for me that I found this at our local go-to gift shop.

What do you think?

I think it’s terrific. It seems pretty sturdy.

I also got that great cover to go on top of it, so it will hold all of my goodies inside.

The totes of this size are about $40, and the covers are around $15. It’s not too bad of a price.

You can find out where to find these in your local area here.

OR

I found this terrific website that seemed to have very good prices.

If you want to Google search it, try Reisenthel Bags. There’s lots of varieties, so you might find something else that best fits you.

P.S. I have added links to the pictures, so you can find the exact items that I posted about.

Trying Something Different

I have always used the Blogger website to write my blogs and post them. Yesterday, I discovered Windows Live Writer. I usually NEVER download extra stuff onto my computer, but I decided that this sounded pretty cool. So far, so good. I’ll let you know by the end of the post how much I like it. The best thing about Windows Live Writer was that it was free. If you’re interested, download it here.

Today, I’ve taken care of something that could cause Colby and I to not walk down the aisle and say “I do” if we would have forgotten it. We went and got our marriage license.

I’ve also been doing some shopping around for clothes for the honeymoon. For the most part, we’ll be taking it pretty easy and doing some sight seeing, so I just wanted to find some comfortable clothes that were still cute.

You see though. There’s a little problem. I’m totally at the end of my budget. There is no money for clothes. I made an exception though and bought some anyway. After all, the chances of me going to buy a whole pile of clothes throughout the summer are slim. I went to my go-to place. Old Navy.

This is what I found.

Okay. Guess the price. Without looking. Ready? Here it goes. $15!!!

So, I bought two. One purple. One black and white.

I got this little baby, too.

$15 too!

How about this shirt? $20

If you’re looking for some cute clothes, that just might be the place to go, especially if you’re on a tight budget. Plus, their shipping is just a $7 flat rate.

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Okay, so I’m loving the Live Writer. Go try it! You’ll probably like it, too!

Gone Fishing

Number 34: Go fishing with Colby

I started to count this off of my 101 list, but I opted not to since I didn't actually fish. It was a lot of fun though to get to go and spend the day with him while he did something he loves best.

He only caught three fish. I pulled up the lily pads as we glided through the pond. We hate those pesky lily pads. I had quite the collection in the back of the boat when we finished that evening.

We did have a little visitor while we were out there enjoying the beautiful sunny day. They come back after every winter, and it seems that it's never the same one. I could do without them, but I guess they'll just have to hang around.

Cabin Progress

I did a post recently about how Colby's family is renovating a long-time cabin project. When I saw long-time, I mean it literally.

Over the past few weeks though, it has taken a turn for the better. More of the siding has been put up, and a deck has been added. It's still got a ways to go, but I think it might actually reach completion sometime in the next year. Let's pray it does anyway.

The cabin is actually part of my 101 list. Number 30 is for me to host a party at the Langham Farm, and number 33 is to stay overnight there. Both of these can only happen if the cabin gets completed. I'm crossing my fingers!

You can see the before pictures here!

These are the latest photos though, so you determine the substantial difference when comparing:

Can you tell I'm excited?!?!

I'll keep the updates coming!

Number Six- Check

For the past week, I've been impatiently patiently waiting for my degree to be posted to my transcripts, so I could order them and apply for certification in Alabama and Florida.

Of course once I discovered it had been posted, I realized I had to do my exit counseling for my student loans. Grrr........

After I got that all settled, I went ahead and had my transcripts ordered, and I began the certification process. I've followed all of the steps, so I have officially applied in both states.

Pray that these will come in soon! I need a job, and the department of education tends to take their dear, sweet time when it comes to things like this.

I'm also praying that I will find a job somewhere in close proximity. I do not want to have to drive an hour or more to work. Personally, I don't even want to drive over 30 minutes, but I'll do what I have to do.

I've looked up every school though that is driving distance, and I've printed out applications. Now that I've applied for certification, I can now start submitting those applications. That will be tomorrow's task.

Off The List- Numbers 32, 35, and 75

I have to say that this week was fairly productive when I take the 101 List into account. I was able to knock three more things off of my list. I don't think that's too bad for a person who made the list about a week ago.

Let me just tell you now that it is wedding central at mine and Colby's house right now. The back bedroom is no longer a bedroom. It looks like a big, old junk pile. I'm so embarrassed by it right now. Not too long ago I had it all cleaned up. Now....we're back to the same old thing.

Don't believe me? Take a look at this....

Because blogs are about keeping it real, I figured I would share this with you. Maybe this will make you feel better by seeing my ginourmous mess.

What's created this mess you ask?

Me. Things for the wedding. Shower gifts. Gifts we've received after showers. Me moving my stuff in.

Ok...well, you should feel much better about yourself now. My goal today is to get this mess semi-looking better. Oh mercy....

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Now, on to the 101 list. 

Number 32: Donate canned goods to the food drive.

Like I posted about yesterday, we received information in our mailbox to participate in the food drive that the USPS takes part in. I thought this would be the perfect time to knock something off of my list. While I am participating in this one, I hope to participate in one more at the end of the year. I'm going to try to get my church members to collect food to donate to our local food bank as well. I think a challenge might be in order for them.


Number 35: Update my cell phone

Let me just tell you now that this was a hard decision for me. Colby and I have had so many discussions about this it's crazy. What could be so hard about updating your phone?

Colby and I have been going back and forth about whether to get a phone that has a data package. We want those phones so bad we can taste it, but money is what ultimately made our decision.

You see, we're cheap. Right now we are anyway. There are things we want much bigger than a cell phone. That's why we decided we didn't need a $200 phone bill. Instead, we opted for regular phones. I decided to just get a one year contract, so maybe next year I can get a touch screen phone with a data package. I'm crossing my fingers.

Number 75: Hang ferns on my front porch.

YAY FOR THIS!

I've been wanting to do this for over a month now. I finally have it done. We needed some ferns for the wedding, so I opted to buy some. Then, I could keep them.

Logical, right?

The best thing was that it only cost me $30 for these babies. They are huge!

Now, if I can put some potted flowers on the table and pillows on the swing, I think I can knock something else off my list. Trust me. It's coming.

97 MORE TO GO!

Stamp Out Hunger

This Saturday the USPS will be picking up non-perishable food items right from your home to go to a local food bank. I saw this first on a sign in the post office, but the other day I opened up our mail box and found a plastic bag and a postcard.

On it, it provided the instructions on what to do to support this cause!

I have gone to the website to provide you with more information about it. Below are some of the important parts of the article:

"Every second Saturday in May letter carriers in more than 10,000 cities and towns across America deliver much more than mail when they walk and drive along their postal routes. They also collect the goodness and compassion of their postal customers who participate in the NALC Stamp Out Hunger National Food Drive – the largest one-day food drive in the nation and probably the world.




Led by letter carriers represented by the National Association of Letter Carriers (AFL-CIO), with the help of rural letter carriers, other postal employees and numerous other volunteers, the drive has resulted in delivery of nearly one billion pounds of donations to community food banks and pantries over the past 17 years.
Carriers collect non-perishable food donations left by mailboxes and in post offices and deliver them to local community food banks, pantries and shelters. Nearly 1,500 local NALC branches in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands are involved in the drive.

All citizens need do is to place a box or can of non-perishable food next to their mailbox before their letter carrier delivers mail every second Saturday in May. The carrier will do all the rest. The food is taken back to a postal station, sorted, and then delivered to an area food bank or pantry. There it is available for needy families.
Some 35.5 million people face hunger every day in America, including 13 million children. This drive is one way people can help those right in their own city or town who need help."

Make sure you take the time tonight to fill your bag and put it in your mailbox. It doesn't matter if you put one item in it or fill the whole bag up. Just do it. We need to give to those who are much less fortunate than us.

Have fun filling up your bag! Let me know if you participated!

Number 5 - Check- Graduation!

This is so exciting! I've knocked off the first item to my 101 List!

This past weekend I graduated from the University of West Florida with a B.A. in Elementary Education.

Many of you know that I was really dreading actually walking to get my degree. Any time I'm forced into a new situation or environment, my stomach gets in knots. Thus the reason I opted not to eat breakfast that morning.

What made things worse was that we had to be there NO LATER than 9:00 a.m. since it was supposed to start at 9:30. We used the GPS to make sure we got down there quickly and without any problem. Of course there was a wreck on I-10 though, and we had to be re-routed. My stomach tightened its knots even more.

We finally arrived. The weather had been dreadful the day before, so it was very humid outside. My hair, in turn, decided to do the opposite of what I had made it do that morning.

In the end though, I graduated with Honors, Summa Cum Laude, meaning my GPA was 3.9 or higher.  Here are some pictures following the ceremony. Once again, please excuse my hair. I know it looks awful!

Colby was so proud of me. He's been dating me basically since I started college, so he knows the stress that I've been through. I thank God I have had him by my side to get me through those end-of-the-semester nightmares projects.

I'm not sure what my dad was expecting. He was surprised we had caps and gowns...haha! Either way, I was glad that my parents were there to support me.

Even my sister got up out of bed to join in on the festivities! My poor grandmother didn't know how to work her GPS, so the detour really threw them off. They made it there though!

I'm glad I've made it this far. Now, the job search is on!

Bear With Me

I'm in the process of making some changes to the {look} of the blog. There's no telling what it's going to look like throughout the day.


Hopefully, this won't take me as long as I think it will.

Wish me luck!


Help!
I've been working all morning on changing the look of the blog, and I'm failing miserably. It looked way better than this, and I kept changing it. Grrr.....let's hope things take a turn for the better this afternoon!

Showered with Gifts

I had my very last wedding shower a few weekends ago. It's taken me this long to blog about it because of these last minute details of the wedding, marking something significant off of my 101 list, and my bachelorette celebration {all which are future blog posts}.

My sister, Ashley, and my Aunt Rhonda were the hosts of this shower. Most of the people invited were family, while some were church members {especially seeing as how it was held at my church}.

They did a fabulous job! We had some delicious food, including a homemade cake wishing us well.

We received some very useful and lovely gifts, too!

                         

I had some great helpers, too! My niece, Aly, and my little cousin, Madison, were hilarious! They wanted to help, and I certainly had no objection. Every time I would ask them what they thought was inside, Madison would say with all of the excitement in her voice, "TOYS!"

                        

Much to her dismay, I never opened any TOYS! I did open these things though......

                          

                          

Thank you to my hostesses for doing everything you could for me! The shower was terrific!

Thank you to all of you who have blessed us with an abundant amount of gifts!