Jonesin' for the Jones'

But you hate dogs!

2010-05-06T08:26:00.000-07:00

I remember the first time I told my family and friends that I wanted to get a dog.. Every single person had the same reaction.. jaw drop.. bug eyes.. gasp.. "YOU want a DOG?! But you hate dogs!?!"

And it was true.

But it was really more of a fear than anything else. And it wasn't all dogs.. it was the big guys. I was petrified of big dogs.. but small dogs I could always handle. At the time, I was living with a few friends and bringing a pup into the picture wasn't an option. When I moved out and moved into my own apartment, I began my search and started the adoption process. About that time I met Matt. I suddenly found myself spending all of my time with him at his place. He already had a dog so I decided that it wasn't the best time for me to adopt and I backed out. I spent the next few years wishing I had gone ahead with the adoption. Wishing I had adopted my puppy when I had the chance..

Once Matt and I moved in together.. getting another dog was no longer an option. He wanted no part in it and no matter how hard I tried.. I couldn't convince him. Fast forward two years and countless conversations ~~of my begging and pleading~~ and he finally agreed.....but under one condition. I am responsible for all training of my little man. Deal.

For the next few months, while we were on our puppy search, it seemed like every single person we know 'warned' me about how hard it is and how much work it is to have and train a puppy. My mind had been made up for years so there was no deviating from my path.. no changing my mind.

Now that I have my little man.. I understand why they warned me. I've never trained a dog before and yes.. it is a ton of work. I haven't had a good nights sleep since we got him.. I get up 2-3 times each night to take him outside. I have to keep my eyes on him at all times to make sure he isn't chewing on something he shouldn't be.. sniffing for a place to go potty.. etc. It's only the beginning of my journey and I'm tired. But.. as tired as I may be.. I'm so happy to have my puppy. It's definitely worth all the sleepless nights and lack of relaxation.

Shiner

Avery girl and Shiner

I've always been told to wait to have kids until it's all I can think about.. I've never understood that statement more than I do now! 5 year plan.. best idea ever.

Meet Shiner!

2010-05-03T11:11:00.000-07:00

After nearly a year of talking about it.. researching options.. spending every weekend for the last 4 months visiting every pound in central texas.. we finally pulled the trigger and added another addition to our little family......

Meet Shiner!

He is a 6 week old Boston Terrier and weighs in at a whopping 4lbs.

We searched and searched for the right dog at all the area shelters hoping to find one there.. but ultimately decided that getting a little puppy was the best choice for us so that we could train him and he wouldn't have picked up bad habits elsewhere. I love our little guy!

Being a new puppy mommy is tiring but so far he's really taken to his training. He goes potty almost instantly when I take him outside and he comes when I call him. He very much looks up to our Avery girl and mimics her every move. Lucky for us she is an amazing dog and if I may say so.. the world's greatest dog. Hopefully Shiner will pick up all of her good habits :)

It's so cute watching them try and play together.. he's only 4lbs and Avery is 60lbs. He seems to like to chase her tail. He has very little coordination and struggles on our tile floors.. every time he sits his butt slides and next thing he knows.. he's laying down! I'm soaking up all this puppy love while I can!

Passport Drama..

2010-04-19T08:45:00.000-07:00

Remember my "I swear I'm no terrorist" post?
Oh, are you new here? You haven't read it? It's a doozie!

Now that I'm officially Mrs. Jones.. I have to get a new passport.

I can't lie.. I'm really not looking forward to this. I would assume that because I already have a passport and am merely trying to change my last name, it will be easy. But honestly.. who would've thought I'd be denied the first time I applied and would find myself in a situation where I have to send in 42 documents to prove my birth and my citizenship?

We have a trip planned to Mexico at the end of June to watch our dear friends, Mark and Marzena, walk down the aisle. This means that I have to use my passport again. This means I'm in a time crunch to get my new passport. And to be honest.. I'm afraid to send it in because what happens if we have to go through that whole process again? If it runs smooth, I will get my passport back just in time for our trip.. so what happens if it doesn't run smooth? Should I keep my current passport and just take our marriage license with us? I know I can leave the country.. but it's the whole part about getting back into the country that I'm worried about.. and that is of course the most important part.. *sigh*

The story of my gorgeous Maggie..

2010-04-05T13:50:00.000-07:00

Growing up I don't ever remember being the girl who dreamed about her wedding.. I remember having one conversation with my then neighbor (and now step-sister... long story) about what our 'dream wedding' when I was 8 years old.. but that is the only time I ever remember even so much as thinking about it. Much less talking about it..

I didn't begin thinking about or talking about my wedding until he proposed.. I was plum shocked when he asked me to marry him. We had been dating for 11 months... living together for 6 months.. and I while I had already determined for myself that he was 'the one'.. I didn't anticipate our engagement for at least another 6 months to a year.. but there I was.. my 24th birthday.. surrounded by 50 or so of our family and friends.. and Matthew down on one knee.

I don't think I even took a day or two to let it settle before I started on my research. First with venues.. dresses.. colors.. etc. As some of you know.. I posted a few months back about my dress fiasco and how.. although I had already purchased a wedding dress.. I suddenly found myself dreaming of another. Eventually going in to try it on only to fall more in love with it and ultimately.. decide that I had to change dresses.

It was by Maggie Sottero. The Dallas Marie. It stole my heart. It was everything I loved and nothing I expected.

I loved the elegant simplicity. The drape in the fabric. The soft neckline. The bubblehem. The corset back. The color.

But that damn bow.. it just wasn't working for me..

Now for a girl who has a smaller chest.. I'm sure the placement of this bow is fine. However, I'm not that girl.. and the placement simply didn't work for me. So we had it removed.

But the sash still wasn't going to cut it.. so eventually.. I decided to have it removed as well.

Mind you.. this decision was made the Thursday before my wedding. My heart could barely contain itself. I was a nervous wreck.. praying that the dress would look the way I imagined it once the bow and sash had been removed.. and given the time frame.. there was no reversing this decision.

The first time I saw my dress and put it on once alterations were complete..

It was more than I ever imagined. It was better than I could have dreamed. I giggled. I cried. I stared. I was completely infatuated with my dress. And on the day of our wedding.. it truly made me feel like a bride. And a smashing bride at that!

I intended to wear a white dress.. and when we went to try this dress on I was determined that although they didn't carry it in white.. I would order it in white. But that color just stole my heart. It was a champagne.. a light gold.. and (if I do say so myself..) looked fabulous with my pale skin and blonde hair. It photographs light.. but is just breathtaking in person. I've always prided myself on being a little left of center.. Making my own path versus trekking through the roads already laid in front of me.. so I guess it only made sense for me to end up with a dress that wasn't the standard white or ivory.. and I couldn't be happier with my decision!

By the way.. if your looking for the best seamstress in town.. Check out Classy Concepts in Round Rock. Sue and Janet are amazing! My dress arrived a mere 17 days before my wedding. I usually joke and say that.. I'm not short.. I'm fun-sized. But let's face it.. I'm short. At a mere 5ft 2in tall even the 'petite' version of my dress was still a fabulous 3 inches too long (and that's with my boots on). Janet sized and pinned me up.. Sue cut and stitched.. and vuala! Perfection.

So.. Check them out.

Classy Concepts

http://www.classyconceptsdesign.com/

Ste 36, 3000 Joe Dimaggio Boulevard

Round Rock, TX 78665-3994

(512) 276-2045

Holiday Fever

2010-04-01T16:52:00.000-07:00

I love holidays. I don't know why.. but I really do. I love the cheesy traditions most. From kissing your husband (or whoever it is you kiss) at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve to the smell of fresh roses on Valentine's Day (thank your lucky stars if you have a man who actually celebrates this Hallmark Holiday because mine.. as wonderful as he is.. does not)... Wearing too much green and drinking green beer on the Irish Holiday.. Painting eggs at Easter.. Sparklers and fireworks on the forth of July.. Carving pumpkins and wearing crappy costumes at Halloween.. eating way too much food on Thanksgiving followed by a day of setting up your Christmas tree and pulling out all of those wonderful Christmas decorations.. and birthdays. I've spoke many times of my love of birthdays.

Something about the holidays just puts this big cheesy grin on my face.

What's better than all of that cheesiness? Spending time with my family. I love that 90% of those holidays mean family gatherings.

Growing up my family has been quite the roller coaster. Everyone has their story.. and I sure as heck have quite the novel! But even through the drama there is a certain amount of security found in a family.. it's knowing that regardless of how well you might get along with your sister-in-law or how angry your Mom made you last week.. they will always be there when the tide rolls in.

I spent too long unable to truly appreciate spending time with my family. It's a happy life when you have those who love you and support you by your side.

Whatever you do this Easter, make sure you take a moment to visit with your family. If they're close by.. go have lunch. If they're far away.. give them a call and catch up for a minute. Life is short and you never know what tomorrow will bring.

The other form of puppy love..

2010-03-27T08:16:00.000-07:00

Remember what it was like when you had your first boyfriend? Celebrating you 'anniversary' every month.. Scribbling your name out to see what your signature will look when you two get married..

I feel completely silly saying this but.. I feel like that again..

Now that we are married.. I find myself writing my new name just see what it looks like.. I know that today, we have been married for one month! What's worse than that? I really want to go out to dinner to celebrate :) My face lights up when I know he has just gotten home or when I see his picture pop up on my phone because he is calling me.. Don't get me wrong.. I've always been happy about these things.. but it's different now because we are married! Am I completely silly? Yes. That's ok. I'm good with that.

I don't begin to think that I know anything about marriage and I wouldn't dare give anyone marital advice.. but I do think that being married is the best feeling in the world. The best thing I have ever known. When you are dating someone.. no matter how you long you have been together or how secure you are in your relationship.. it is my belief (please note this statement refers to my personal opinion. I'm not asking you to agree. In fact.. I don't really care if you do because this is strictly my opinion!) it is my belief that there is always a certain level of uncertainty. A tiny inkling of wondering.. what is going to happen in this relationship? Where is it going? Is he really Mr. Right? or merely Mr. Right Now?

When you get engaged the feeling begins to disappear as you know now exactly where the relationship is going.. once you are actually married.. it's the most amazing thing in the world. Saying those vows.. kissing your new husband.. being announced as Mr. and Mrs. *sigh*

Being married, for me, adds a completely different dynamic to our relationship. I can't begin to explain that statement.. people told me that 'nothing changes when you get married'. While I agree that is absolutely true.. it does feel different. In the most amazing way.. it feels completely different. I couldn't possibly happier.

I Love You Mr. Jones. Happy One Month ;)

pros and cons to puppy love!

2010-03-25T14:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I posted about my love of Boston Bulldogs and how we are considering adopting one.. then I was offered a precious red boston terrier!

So how do I decide between the two?? I had my mind made up. We were going with a boston bulldog over a boston terrier.. but now.. I'm torn!

The terrier is already housebroken.. 1.5 years old.. much less expensive adoption fee.. still has the same type of look that I love.. but the bulldog would be a baby puppy.. much more expensive.. but we get to train it and watch him grow up from a wee little tot and I prefer the size and look of the bulldog..

So should I wait and get my perfect little bulldog puppy?

or do I save some money and get this adorable terrier?

Save the Date!

2010-03-25T13:48:00.000-07:00

I received a comment today on an old post asking me to post one of our engagement pictures.. more specifically.. the one of Matthew and I on the railroad track that we used as our save-the-date..

I'm dying of curiousity on who asked for it! It was posted as anonymous.. please e-mail me!

{ jennifer798 at gmail dot com }

Image by Christina Carroll Photography

Puppy Love

2010-03-25T08:00:00.000-07:00

When I was young, I think maybe around 8 or so.. my family got a puppy. We named her Keisha and she was just precious! The first day we had her I was outside with her when another dog attacked her! Being young and naïve, I picked Keisha up so as to get the other dog to leave her alone only.. I got bit!

In high school my parents recued a Chow. This dog had some serious issues. I was bit twice.. my sister-in-law once.. and a friend of mine from school was bit.. suffice it to say the dog was put to sleep.

All these mean dogs led me to a great fear of dogs! I hated them. Mostly because I was terrified.. but still. Obviously I developed a reputation for not liking dogs. Now imagine my friends reactions when, at the age of 22, I began talking about how I wanted to adopt my own little pup. I spent the next year trying to determine the breed that would be best suited to me.. eventually deciding on a Pug. In the middle of the adoption process I met Matt. I began spending so much time with him.. that I determined this wasn’t the best time for to adopt as I wasn’t home enough and didn’t think it would be fair to the pup. He had a dog.. Avery. A lab Catahoula mix that is sweet as can be. She is the first big dog I have ever fallen in love with (and even then.. she is only considered a medium size dog). Now that we are married.. we are our own little family. Me, Matthew and Avery.

But here we sit, 3 years later.. and I’m still yearning for ‘my own’ pup! I think Avery would enjoy having a brother.. but finding a pup that Matt and I agree on has been quite the task! He hates pugs so that is out the window.. he wants a chocolate lab.. I say no thank you. I want something small but nothing too girly. A short stout little guy with a flat face and wrinkles.. so cute! Matt doesn’t think it’s all that cute.. Anyway.. I think we have finally agreed on a breed!

A Boston Bulldog!

It’s a mix between a Boston Terrier and an English Bulldog

We are considering adopting one of these little boys. Aren't they precious!

Puppy Love.

Wedding Stuff Galore!!!

2010-03-24T08:43:00.000-07:00

Now that my wedding has come and gone.. I'm left with a garage full of stuff to sell!

I have everything.. vases.. polished river rocks.. tree slabs.. plates.. silverware.. candy buffet jars.. linens.. wooden flowers.. table name photo frames.. Ivory fabric pomanders.. etc.

If you need it.. let me know and I will send you pictures and pricing!

(I'm working on getting everything posted on CL but haven't finished up just yet..)

Welcome to the world sweet girl!

2010-03-23T09:43:00.000-07:00

I am extremely proud to announce the arrival of my beautiful new niece!

Miss Sarah Marie Lewis

Born March 23, 2010 8:15 am
7 pounds 15.5 ounces
20 inches long

and she has my middle name!
I love being an Aunt!!!

We're Back.. and We're Married!!!

2010-03-16T08:01:00.000-07:00

I think it's been nearly a month since my last post.. with all the wedding crazyness before.. then the wedding itself.. and our honeymoon.. then straight back to work. Our house is a total disaster at the moment. Trying to get unpacked from our trip while replacing all of our mix-matched dishes/pans/etc. Getting rid of our blender that is older than we are and replacing it with a brand spankin new one we received as a gift.. ditto on the crock pot and many many other items. It's very exciting but leaves me feeling like a slob while we are in transition..

Anywho.. the wedding. Ahhh the wedding.

I don't think we could have had a more perfect wedding. Truly.. my only complaint was my bouquet. It was not what I expected.. it was pretty.. but not what I wanted. Our DJ - Awesome. Our photographer - Amazing. Our Catering - Superb. Our Venue - *love*.

Oh and by the way.. remember a few months back when I talked about changing dresses.. well.. now that the wedding is here and gone I can tell you my secret.. I definitely changed dresses!!!! and I couldn't be happier about my decision!!! I didn't talk about it on my blog because.. I didn't tell anyone! Not even my bridesmaids. My mom is the only person who knew..

I'll post a full rundown of my reviews soon.. in the mean time.. take a look at our 'teaser' photos our photographer posted on her blog!

Christina Carroll Photography

My Matron of Honor realizing this isn't the same dress she remembers....

And the rest of girls come to the same realization...

My Great Grandmothers Makeup Compact..

My Brother walking me down the isle.

You may kiss the bride!

Mr. and Mrs. Jones

Check out the rest of her teasers here

Or if you love her work as much as we do.. go here!

Maya Riviera... OK!

2010-02-05T08:24:00.000-08:00

I love weddings. I'm not sure I truly enjoyed them when I was single.. but now.. I love them. I had experienced love before Matt.. but never they way that I love him. I have loved people.. but I had never experienced what being 'in love' was really like until I met him. It's the most amazing rewarding feeling in the world. The thought of exchanging vows and dedicating ourselves to eachother and to our relationship thrills me in ways that I can't explain. To think that other people out there are also able to experience these feelings excites me and makes me so happy for them.

One of Matt's best friends (and one the Groomsmen in our wedding) is getting married in June! They have decided to go the destination route and are going to Maya Riviera, Mexico! What does that mean to me? Aside from the excitement I feel for the couple, I'm also excited because that means matt and I headed to Mexico!!!

{ Mark and Matt }

{ the happy couple }

{ the beautiful beach in maya riviera }

Jamaica in 3 weeks then Mexico 3 months later... Yes Please!
What could possibly be better than two all inclusive beach vacations with the love of my life?
Nothing my friends. Nothing,

Bridal Shower!

2010-02-04T08:47:00.000-08:00

Ok so maybe I'm a few ~~days~~ weeks late posting this.. but my Matron of Honor threw me what was quite possibly the best Bridal Shower ever.

{ wishing tree }

{ i ♥ fondue }

{ notice the resemblance to our monogram }

{ just thought this was so cute }

{ momma and me }

Our friends and family were so generous! Unfortunately, my sister-in-law got sick at the last minute and given that she was 8 months pregnant.. we couldn't chance it. She went to the doctor and had to miss the shower after traveling in from Baton Rouge to attend. Aside from the worry over her and the baby.. everything went perfect and everyone had such a good time! A huge Thank you to Kristi and my bridal party for working so hard on it. I love you girls and I feel so blessed to have you in my life!

Engagement Band Swap.. Update!

2010-02-03T08:47:00.000-08:00

So I spent two hours at Jared's last night as they sorted through all of their repair tickets for the 5 days surrounding when I dropped my ring off.. and when I picked it back up the next evening. They can't find any other ring that looks even remotely close to mine. So on their end.. it MUST be the same ring.

Wrong.

My ring was a size 4.5. This ring? Well that depends on who measured it. One guy measured it at a 4.25 and when I threw a fit.. another guy found a tool that measured it at 4.5. Well sorry buddy, you already told me it's a 4.25.

They say the side stones could have been worn down during the polishing process and that is why they are now flush. My response? I didn't ask you to alter the shape and design of my ring. I asked you to dip it and fix the areas that appeared tarnished. He appologized.

The stone? The major blemishes and flaws that suddenly appeared? They have no response on that. Literally. Nothing to say and that is exactly what he said. Nice.

The worst part? Everytime a ring comes in for repair the diamontologist is supposed to plot the diamond. This shows every flaw that exists in the diamond and exactly where the flaw is located. They are supposed to plot the diamond as it comes in.. and compare the diamond as it goes back out. This is a security on their end to ensure that this type of thing doesnt happen. Ever. Did Jared's do this? NO. They did not.

The solution? They don't have one. They don't know how it could have happened and can't prove one way or another whether or not it did. They offered to allow me to trade in this band for an identical ring that does not have the flaws.. don't get me wrong, I'm taking them up on that offer because these black flaws are major and it will drive me crazy.. but it still doesn't make the situation 'right' in my book. It still won't be MY ring.

Bastards.

Engagement Band Swap?!

2010-02-02T15:07:00.000-08:00

ok call me crazy but I think the jewelry store swapped my engagement band.. this is why.

Last week we went in to purchase my wedding band. I have teeny tiny fingers so I had to get it resized and since that meant they would have it overnight.. and my hands have tarnished my engagement band.. I decided to leave my band there as well to get it re-dipped. It's included in our insurance so.. why not get it done just before the big day right?

Apparently... I was wrong. Big Mistake.

Now here I sit.. wearing this ring.. that isn't mine. How do I know?

First, my band is the princess cut past, present and future ring and it has 4 princess cut diamonds channel set on each side of the main stones. Underneath the main stone (so on the inside and outside of the ring) there is a small diamond. Now on MY ring.. these stones both set out.. as in they were not flush with band. Thus leading me to need a contour fit wedding band right? The band I am currently wearing.. the stones now sit flush. We have gone into that store dozens of times over the course of this last year trying to pick out a band for me.. a few weeks ago when we went, I was having my ring cleaned so they gave me another one to use to try the weddings bands on with.. I specifically remember pointing out to Matt how the ring they gave me.. the side stones set flush and how it was different from mine. I even commented that life would so much easier if my side stones set flush because then I didn't have to get a contour band!

Second.. the main stone on this new ring has not one.. not two.. but FOUR major flaws. There are 4 black spots in it that are clearly visible. Now don't get me wrong, my stone wasn't perfect.. it did have one tiny flaw.. but it looked like a cloudy spot in the diamond and you had to study that thing to find it!

I was so excited about my band and getting my stuff back, I hadn't even really looked at it when I picked it up. I look at the bottom of the band to ensure that it was not looking tarnished anymore.. and made sure the band fit my fingers.. but I never anticipated I would need to study the diamonds.

So.. I'm offer to Jared's today to ~~raise hell~~ politely ask how these changes could have taken place.. wish me luck :(

Bachelorette Party!

2010-01-31T20:46:00.000-08:00

Saturday was my bachelorette party. Let me start by saying it was absolutely the best time I have ever had downtown. We started at the hotel with shots and gift opening then headed down to 219 West for dinner. Let me chime in and explain.. my matron of honor went ALL OUT!!! There were decorations everywhere. Novelty Items galore. I had a blow up man who we lovingly named ‘Sancho’ as well as not one.. but two 3 foot blow up penis’. Not to mention the suckers, necklaces, shot glasses, head band antennas.. I could go on for a while. Suffice it to say there was no mistaking we were a bachelorette party!

So we chose 219 West for dinner because it was 21 and up only and therefore.. no kiddos to see all of our.. novelty items. Have you ever been there? AMAZING! We had 12 girls and every single person LOVED their dinner. How often does that happen?!

After dinner we went to Rebels Honky Tonk. The new country bar on 5th st (Loved it by the way). We walk in and order a round of shots when I hear squeals coming from my left. Of course I look over and all of my bridesmaids have this deer in the headlights look. Jaws on the ground. One mouths to me ‘OH MY GOD’. Confused I asked what was going on.. My fiancés ex girlfriend. HA. Apparently she works there. Now she doesn’t know me and would have no idea who I am.. until she asks ‘who’s getting married’ One replies ‘Jenni’. Now I obviously wasn’t a part of this conversation but I’m told it was at that point when they explained that I’m her ex boyfriend’s fiancé. Awkward.

My MOH and my friend Justine go to the bathroom. When they return Kristi is telling me how the ex was in the bathroom too. About the time I notice she is walking past us so I put my hand up to cover her mouth so that she doesn’t hear us… Justine yells ‘this is SO AWKWARD’ and the ex pats her in the back and says ‘I know isn’t it?’

I laughed. Hard.

I rode the mechanical bull and he kicked my ass I kicked ass at it and showed that bull whose boss! Conned a few of the girls into riding.. tried to learn a new dance.. FYI-learning a new dance when you’re 4 shots and a Mexican martini into the night.. not a good idea. Eventually we headed over to 6th. Bounced around a few bars.. met a bachelor party. Did some dares. Had more shots than I can possibly think of (although I wouldn’t take a shot unless it came from one of my girls.. or the bartender. If boy brought me shot.. I gave it away or threw it away ha!). Declared (repeatedly might I add) that ‘I’m Drunk’. Eventually I cut myself off. Went back to Rebel’s and nearly fell off the dance floor. I guess I decided to dance with some guy.. bad idea. Too much alcohol in my system to try and two step. Eventually went back to the hotel where I began telling everyone how much I love Matt and how I think he’s hot. Now that doesn’t seem like a big deal but.. Not only did I tell them he is hot.. I made them agree. And made them say it too. :)

The night went on without any drama. Not a single girl got sick. And everyone had a blast! I’m so so so happy. We made some great memories and have stories we will never forget.

I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful group of girlfriends!

Blogger Friends.

2010-01-28T14:02:00.000-08:00

Austin Blogger GTG? Yes. It is that time!

I started my blog a few months back and while I have become more and more vacant in posting as my wedding draws closer.. I still keep up with those blogger friends I've found.

I've recently realized how much of impact the blogger world has on me and how much I think about my blogger friends. Honestly.. it's to a point where I talk to my fiance and say "oh Jill said (insert comment)" and he immediately knows I mean Jill from Confessions of an Enginerd. But it doesn't stop with her.. the same holds true with Stephanie from The Chipper Chicken or Kelsey of Kelsey McRae. I could list every blog I read but.. I think you get the picture.

Some of the girls I've had the opportunity to meet!

So now I'm saying.. it's time for another Austin blogger GTG. What do you say ladies?

Invitations are out!

2010-01-06T11:35:00.000-08:00

I'm feeling very excited. relieved. but yet I'm also feeling slightly overwhelmed and a twinge of nervousness.

I spent the last week designing, printing, cutting, taping, positioning, putting together, stamping, licking, and sealing 140 invitations. The final product? I took pictures.. I will post them tonight!

This has been a year in the making. And now we are only a mere 6 weeks out! I started getting phone calls today about my friends and family having received their invitation. I guess there is a part of me that still just feels this whole thing is so surreal. How could I have been so lucky.. so blessed.. to have found such an amazing man to share my life with? I can't wait to put on my dress and see his face as I walk down the aisle toward him.. to become his wife. To begin a new chapter in a our lives together. To become Mrs. Jones.

I still have so many things to do. From finishing various wedding projects to getting fitted for my dress and picking out jewelry to wear. My bridal shower is next weekend and bachelorette party.. two weeks after that. Then three weeks until our families arrive and one more week until the wedding and our fabulous honeymoon in Jamaica! I keep trying to remind myself that this is an experience I will remember for the rest of my life. To enjoy it and not allow things to stress me out. When you got married.. what was your biggest stress just before the big day?

what a lovely weekend..

2009-12-21T10:24:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was my birthday! It pretty much rocked.

My fabulous brother 'gave' me the best gift anyone could ever ask for. I mentioned before that he and his wife are currently expecting baby number two and my beautiful littl niece is going to be a big sister. Yesterday he told me they picked a name for their baby to be.

"Sarah Marie"
Now this name is so very special to me because the Marie.. is me!

What could possibly be better than that?

Yesterday was also our one year engage-iversary! 68 days until our wedding!

My best friend joined me at the Bridal Store to check out my dress.. with my boots.

I opted to go with these however: I like slouch boots with dresses :)

We also determined that the alterations I want to make to the dress are completely do-able even though I had previously been told it wasn't possible. Very exciting. I can't wait to see my beautiful dress all finished and actually fitting me!

Now it's time for invitations. We had a guest list mishap and all of our addresses were mysteriously switched around. I've spent several days and too many hours playing the match maker for who lives at what address. I don't have the invitation design even finalized and yet they need to be put in the mail in two weeks.

Thank god for Christmas Break.

Longest Post Ever.

2009-12-17T13:18:00.000-08:00

I hope you all don’t mind.. I’m going to take a moment to rant. Ok maybe more than a moment.. but the answer to my question cannot be said without a little understanding of what I went through growing up.. and what I’m being asked to do now. I promise to make it as short as possible..

As are some 50% of the parents in the United States, my parents are divorced. They have been since I was roughly 8 or 9 years old. My ‘Dad’ had an affair with my Mom’s ‘Best Friend’ and due to the complications of the situation.. It’s safe to say that I’m not exactly clear when my parents officially split up or when the divorce was final.. Take it from me.. my life growing up could have been either a Soap Opera or an episode of Jerry Springer.

When the divorce was final my dad remarried the ‘best friend’. She had 4 daughters. Daughters that I had grown up with and were like sisters to me. Suffice it to say that it suddenly became quite awkward. Here I am.. 10 years old.. and caught completely in the middle of this terrible situation. My father was not a nice person. I personally witnessed physical altercations between my dad and other various family members on several occasions. Including once when he head butt my mother and broke her nose.. all the while I stood there crying and screaming.. unable to understand what was going on or why it was happening.

From that point, my world shattered. I was interviewed by the Austin Police Department Child Services to determine if I was in need of therapy and counseling sessions. It was determined that although distraught, I was in a healthy state of mind and did not need ‘help’. My relationship with my father grew increasingly strained and eventually.. non-existent. I remember my 7th grade year I went to visit my dad for Thanksgiving. I don’t remember exactly what happened.. or why.. I simply remember that my father took me home on Thanksgiving Day and left me there. By myself.

I didn’t see him again until I was 17. I was with my oldest brother and we had gone to take my nephew to ride go-carts. My father showed up. The first time he had seen me or spoke to me in five years.. the first words out of his mouth were “you’ve gotten a little soft there” as he poked my leg. *side step- what kind of person says something like this to their own daughter? Especially one who is at such an age where that can cause a myriad of problems with confidence and self image. You should never tell a young girl she is fat. Period. And just to note: I was 5'2 and 120 lbs. I'm sorry but that is not 'soft'.

Wanting so badly to have that father daughter connection that most girls have, I attempted to rebuild a relationship with him. 6 months later and many nights of tears and hurt feelings, I gave up.

Fast forward 2 years. My Brother Shane, and the single most important person in my life, is getting married. He is planning a destination wedding St. Lucia. Now that my Dad is divorced from the whore of a best friend, my dad invited me to go with him. Thinking that this might possibly be a chance to build a relationship, I went. From that point forward I wouldn’t say that we developed any type of relationship. He didn’t know me. He didn’t understand me. I can’t sit and talk statistics about sports. I don’t do drugs. I don’t have anything to say that he can relate to or understand to be honest.. he didn’t have anything that interested me. We simply existed as father and daughter. Getting along because.. well.. I don’t know why. I don’t even know how.

When I was 21 I bought a new car. It wasn’t new.. but it was new to me. Because I wouldn’t tell him about my financial situation and how ‘I was able to afford’ the car, he chose to believe that my (then) boyfriend must be my (and I quote) sugar daddy. It is my belief that if I have not asked you to borrow money, then my financial situation is none of your business. He however disagreed. He felt that I was his child and he had a right to know. Never in my life have I ever heard more mean or hurtful comments than the ones my ‘father’ made to me over the next two months. From a whore to a bitch and everything in between. This is the man that I called Dad.

Suffice it to say that I cut him out of my life. I had no intention of ever speaking to that man again.

About a year ago he was in a car accident. The paramedics that arrived thought for sure he was dead. And he probably should have been based on the pictures.. he was star flight lifted to the hospital and miraculously the only injuries he sustained were a crushed hand and a few bruises.

I’ve mention several times before that my brother, Shane, is the most important person in my life. After this accident, it was a personal request from him that I give my ‘dad’ another chance. He said something changed when he got into that accident. I received a few emails from my dad. Eventually Matt and I went to Louisiana to visit my brother and his family.. while there my Dad showed up.

Matt has never known my dad before his accident. He isn’t able to truly understand where I come from on my feelings towards my father. My relationship with him also isn’t something I like to talk about. Most people do not know the details I have explained above. And to be perfectly honest.. I've only brushed the surface. I will be the first person to admit that yes, my dad has changed. He is not the cruel person that he used to be. But I still cannot relate to him. He didn’t come into my life until maybe 9 months ago.

I’ve always said that I want my brother, Shane, to walk me down the aisle if and when I ever got married. Now the time has come for this to happen.

Here I sit.. two months out from my wedding.. and trying to figure out what to say. What to do. My ‘Dad’ expects to walk me down the aisle. I personally feel shocked that he even thinks that’s an option.. much less believes that it is actually going to happen. I do not want to hurt his feelings. I realize that I am his only daughter and that is a big deal to a father. But he has never been that father to me. Why should I be expected to allow this? Why should I have to feel bad for telling him no?

I would consider a compromise. Have my brother walk me down the aisle but allow my father to ‘give me away’. I know that he will not react well to the news. He will take it very poorly. My brothers are in agreement on that. I honestly believe that he will not come to the wedding if I tell him that he will not walk me down the aisle. I truly do not know how to tell him. How to handle it. What to do. I can’t tell him in person or even over the phone because when he reacts.. I will react. And it will only make matters worse. I can’t ask my brothers to tell him because that is not fair to them. They do not need to be in the middle of this. But is it fair to him if I do it in a letter or an email? It is absolutely not fair that I am being put in this position.

End Rant.

I'm a quarter of a century old?!

2009-12-15T13:57:00.000-08:00

I love birthdays. Always have. I don’t know why. Whether it is my birthday.. or a friend or family member.. I just love birthdays. And I especially love to celebrate birthdays. When love proposed.. he did it on my birthday. He wrote our proposal story a while back.. if you’ve never read it.. you definitely should. Unless you cry easy.. it’s a tear jerker.

Technically.. my birthday isn’t until this Sunday, December 20th. But we have some things going on so we opted to celebrate with our friends this past weekend. Then last night, Matt surprised me yet again. I get home from work before him every day. Yesterday he calls on his way home and states that I am to go into the bedroom, close the door, turn on the TV, and do not come out until he says it’s ok. I obliged.. and what seemed like 30 minutes later (but was really only.. maybe 5 minutes) he came to the door. Candle lit dinner, a little romantic music, surprise birthday gifts, roses.. he even watched a chick flick with me that I have been dying to see. Love doesn’t do chick flicks. When I see a preview he will, without fail, look at me and say “Girls Night!”. Love also doesn’t do Chinese Food. Me though.. I love Chinese food. He says he doesn’t like it because no matter how much you eat.. you’re hungry again an hour later (an indeed.. he was hungry again). But he did these things because he loves me and he knew that I would enjoy it.

You know how people say it’s the little things the count in a relationship? He remembers things that I say in passing. The man who refuses to go to a Chinese restaurant with me.. knows what my favorite Chinese food dish is. He knows the CD or movie that I want or the book I want to read.. sometimes I don’t even remember telling him but he pays attention and he always knows. It’s definitely something that I had never experienced before and I am so thankful for him.

I’ve been wanting Photoshop for years. I could never convince myself to spend that much money on a product that I never actually had a specific purpose or need for.. then my birthday came!

I got Photoshop this weekend. It is the most amazing thing ever.

I’m having a ball learning all the tips and tricks and YouTube has recently become my new best friend as I rely on it to provide me with tutorials on how to do all of the fun things that Photoshop has the capability of doing. I’m quite excited to know that it will be YEARS before I feel I have a grasp on all that it has to offer.. and then there are all the things you can download.. brushes and layouts and gadgets galore!

There was one downside to my birthday celebration.. my dear friends brought me a cake. And there is still roughly ¼ of it left after my little shin-dig. The problem? It’s still in my fridge. And it’s oh so delicious!

Another great etsy find!

2009-11-21T19:20:00.000-08:00

I mentioned before ( here ) about ordering my veil from abusymother on etsy.. Well I received my veil today.

Unfortunately.. Love has been home all day so I haven't had the opportunity to take pictures.. but I will say that I am absolutely in love with it. A mere $25 (including shipping) and it couldn't be more perfect.

Currently.. she sells childrens clothes, crib sets, and veils. While I don't have any experience with the kids clothes (5 year plan..) I highly recommend her veils.

Ok.. off to watch the UFC fight with friends.. Hope everyone has a fun ( and safe! ) weekend :)

Baby Fever!

2009-11-18T08:38:00.000-08:00

Every where I look people are having babies! For some girls.. that gives them baby fever.. for me.. I'm perfectly content playing with your baby and then giving him/her back to you when I'm done. I like my sleep. I like my freedom. I like my money. I'm just not there yet. Thankfully.. neither is Matt.

But.. baby fever has affected my family! My Beautiful Sister-in-Law and Fabulous Brother are having baby number two! They currently have a little girl.. THE cutest little girl you have EVER seen!

My Brother and his wife. Destination Wedding in St. Lucia.

Their daughter on her first birthday!

Cutest little bumble bee ever???

Yes! Yes she is!

And she is going to have a sister.. T.R.O.U.B.L.E.

So excited. Being an Aunt is the GREATEST thing in the world! I am so excited for the new little one and happy for Lexi that is going to have a sister! Congratulations you two! I love you both so much and of course the munchkins too :)

Check, Check and Check!

2009-11-17T11:14:00.000-08:00

We FINALLY got our camera up and working! Well.. it never technically stopped working.. it merely didn't have any juice left in the ole' batteries and the charger was MIA.

Love ordered a new charger though.. so we are golden!

I ordered my veil last week.. single layer, cathedral length, cut edge, rounded at the end. I hadn't anticipated how difficult it would be to find such a simple style for a reasonable price. But as anticpated.. Etsy.com came through! Great purchase from abusymother. Including shipping.. a mere $25!!!

The only image I have thus far is from her posting..

And I have finally finished all the boys bouts!

I feel like these pictures just don't do them justice.. I used 13-42mm natural color mother of pearl hibiscus flower beads, copper wire, chocolate brown glass beads, brown floral tape, and assorted ribbon! I am so pleased with how they turned out! All the boys have the chocolate brown ribbon while my groom has the white ribbon and the Ushers have serene blue ribbon. I left the ends of each bow long incase the edges fray.. I'll cut them short the day of the wedding.

Mom and I went out to tour the venue (Star Hill Ranch) again this past weekend to determine the logistics for setup. Adam just keeps improving the property and adding more to it..

Every time I go I fall more in love with it.

This is my favorite picture. It's stunning.

I'm taking some insipiration from my dear blogger friend Stephanie of The Chipper Chicken and rolling with a few of her sign ideas for my own wedding. Mom is coming to visit for a few days over Thanksgiving Weekend so we are hoping to get them all knocked out!

On my current to-do list:

Determine where to buy candy for our candy buffett

Get supplies for the 'Kids Korner' at the wedding

I can't believe how close it is.

On the same note.. the closer the wedding gets the more it seems like time slows down..

102 days....and counting.

I don't know what's more exciting...

2009-10-23T13:33:00.000-07:00

the wedding or the honeymoon!?

So I’ve been MIA for.. a few weeks? Yes.

I wouldn’t say it’s for a lack of inspiration.. every day on my way to work I think about all the things happening that I want to share with my friends.. family.. and loyal readers! Then I get to work and BAM. Next thing I know I’m going to bed.

Work has been very crazy lately. By the time I get home.. the last thing I want to do is go anywhere near a computer. I personally haven’t even done any wedding planning recently. Hard to believe but oh so true.

Love however.. Love booked our Honeymoon! We had decided a while back that we wanted to go to beach resort.. one that was all inclusive.. and in a country that neither of us had ever been. Eventually we settled on the Sandal’s Royal Caribbean in Montego Bay Jamaica. Eventually we learned that the Royal Caribbean was known more for its ambiance and less for its action packed adventure and fun. We wanted fun. So we changed to the Sandals Ocho Rios. The day we decided we were ready to book I was browsing through my magazine which had just arrived.. The Nest. LOVE IT.

That’s when I ran across a promotional add for the Couples Resorts in Jamaica. So I decided.. what the heck.. I’ll check out their wesite. It was love at first site!

Beautiful Jr. suites with sitting area and romantic view of the Caribbean Sea and Tower Isle. Air conditioned, King size bed, with Jacuzzi bathtub and luxurious walk-in shower, digital cable flat screen TV, Ipod/Mp3 docking station, blow dryer, safety deposit box, refrigerator stocked with beer, wine, soda & Champagne (replenished daily). Nightly turndown service. Private Balcony.

In addition to finely appointed accommodations, gourmet meals, live entertainment every night, premium brand drinks, a world of water sports, gratuities and taxes, a stay at Couples Tower Isle offers the following exclusive benefits:

• 19 acres of beautiful beachfront property
• Six unique restaurants:
• Bayside Asian Restaurant
• The Verandah continental cuisine
• The Patio Mediterranean and Italian cuisine
• 8 Rivers Caribbean Fusion restaurant
• Beach Grill restaurant
• Veggie Bar
• Four bars, including Private Island & Piano Bar
• Horseback riding
• Watersports & Scuba
• Glass-bottom boat tours

• Dunn’s River Falls tour

• Shopping excursions to Downtown Ocho Rios
• Catamaran Cruise
• Unlimited Golf (transfers and green fees included. Caddy mandatory at a nominal charge)
• Shuttle to Island Village, home of Jimmy Buffett’s “Margaritaville”

Did I mention we also get a complimentary His & Hers massage with a bottle of champagne, fresh flowers in our room upon arrival, a private beach dinner, and a $300 credit towards in offsite activities we want to do that aren’t already included ie: AV Tour.. Swimming with the dolphins..

And at an affordable price?!?!

So excited. So unbelievably excited.

Blog Award!

2009-10-08T08:31:00.000-07:00

How exciting! I was nominated.. not once.. but twice for the Kreativ Blogger Award!

Big thank you’s going out to:

Victrola of Call me Vicki Smalls

and

Christine of Misadventure’s of an Ex-Yankee

I highly recommend you check out their blogs.. It's imperative in order to get the necessary daily dose of fabulous bloggers!

Now, the rules stipulate that I must:

1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award.
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award.
4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might not know.
5. Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers.
6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they have been nominated.

So.. Seven things about me that people might not know..

1. I’m ~~severely~~ OCD. And it usually comes out in the ~~weirdest~~ most unique ways. For example.. things MUST be balanced. Whether symmetrical.. or a-symmetrical.. it doesn’t matter.. but it MUST be balanced. (hence the reason by blog has images and gadgets along both sides with the posts displayed in the middle..) Also, you know how a bottle will get indentations if you squeeze a product out of it and then close it without letting the bottle refill with air? It sends me to the loony bin. I have a long list of ~~the most ridiculous~~ things that drive me crazy. Luckily.. Mr. Jones handles my idiosyncrasies very well J

2. When I was in 6th Grade.. My mom, step-sister and I were in a bad car accident. The kind where our van flipped and we were trapped in the vehicle until a kind man came and helped us out of the car (the details are fuzzy.. I was 11) What was I concerned about? Definitely NOT the fact that we were in a dangerous situation on a backwoods road in the middle of nowhere and could have been severely hurt.. I was worried about my library book that was left inside the vehicle..

3. While working at the Marriott in Downtown Austin, I met Stiffler. In person.. his body looks disproportioned.

4. My biggest fear in the world is getting into a car accident. I’m completely terrified of driving. Especially in the rain.

5. I have recently discovered.. and fallin’ completely in love with.. filigree. (although I’m unsure how I have never discovered it before..)

6. If it’s your secret.. it’s safe with me. But when it comes to my own secrets.. I’m a terrible secret keeper.

7. I secretly love surprises. I swear up and down that I hate them.. but ~~that’s just the control freak in me~~ that's a lie. I do however hate when someone tells me they have a surprise. If it is a surprise.. don’t tell me until you can really tell me!!!

And now, I would like to nominate the following lovely bloggers:

Blog Makeover

2009-10-05T08:40:00.000-07:00

I've decided that my blog is in need of a make over. While I like the back ground I currently have.. I also think she is need of a little sprucing up!

Any recommendations on sites that offer super cute blogger layouts??

Week two begins..

2009-10-04T19:32:00.000-07:00

Love came home for the weekend. It was so great to him again! Avery girl was excited too. She followed him around the house for hours.. literally.. At one point he began walking around just see how she reacted.. he walked in circles in the living room.. she followed him step for step. It was hilarious. Avery girl loves her daddy! We spent the weekend relaxing around the house.. catching up on all of our favorite TV shows we missed during the week (thank you DVR!) and just.simply.being.together.

He still has another week left of training so he headed back to Dallas tonight.. another week to complete my list.. So far.. This is where I stand..

Things I hope to accomplish while he is gone:

~~CLEAN! I intend to clean every nook and cranny in this house~~
I cleaned.. then we messed the house up again this weekend.. so I get to clean again. But this time.. it's just surface!
~~Laundry. Get caught up on the laundry I've been avoiding.~~
Paint. I have 60 pictures frames that need two coats of paint.
Run out to Starhill Ranch and meet with Adam. I need to check out a couple things at the venue and we're going to go ahead and pay the remaining balance due for rental.
Meet with our Photographer, Christina Carroll, and pay off the balance with her as well.
An Appt with a florist.
Her son came down with swine flu so I had to reschedule!
~~Dinner date with the Rogers Family.~~
Dinner date with Ms. HEC
~~Michaels. I need to pick up the rest of the stuff to start making the boy's bouts!~~
~~Pictures. I purchased several pictures frames and they have been sitting in their respectives places for quite some time with out any pictures in them.~~
~~Run. Run. Run.~~
Although I intend to do more of this!
~~Catch up on my Google Reader. I've been holding on reading new blog posts as I hope to spend one night just playing on my blog and catching up!~~

We haven't been able to find the charger for our camera lately.. I intend to go on the hunt for one this week. Hopefully.. I will find one quickly. I began working on the Mother of Pearl Boutonnieres for the boys. I am completely in love with them. They came out so cute! As soon as I have my camera back in working order.. I'll post pictures.

I hope y'all had a great weekend!!!

"But I'm not bitter"

2009-10-03T16:31:00.000-07:00

While browsing through google images looking at the fonts on various wedding invitations...
I ran across this:

{ found here }

OUCH! Thank God my FMIL likes me!

O.M.G.

2009-10-02T16:42:00.000-07:00

Yes. I am thirteen again. And feeling completely baffled at these pictures. It was the only title that seemed relatively fitting.

I've been browsing through sites and looking at pictures for the last couple of days.. trying to determine what I want to add to my 'must get' photo op list.. Then.. I ran across this photographer Melissa Prosser.

She did a Trash the Dress session with a bride. Now I have seen photos from this type of session before...
but not like this!!!

Not so bad.. just a little dirty water..

Swimming.. fun!

Wait.. is that..

PAINT???

YES. YES IT IS.

{ more here }

As I said.. a 'trash the dress' session sounds like a ton of fun.. but I simply can't imagine taking it to this extreme!!! I just love my dress way too much to douse her in paint and throw her away.. Although.. I do give this girl major kuddos for being so brave and having such fun!

What about you.. would you ever do this?

Wedding Inviation Samples!

2009-10-02T11:14:00.000-07:00

Back in June I posted about my graphic design as a profession friend and how he offered to custom design wedding invitations for Matt and I. Well.. today he sent me my first set of mock designs!!!

Tell me, what do you think of them?

The first one is a little more simple

While the second one is more intricate:

The wording on them is just sample for placement purposes on the swirls and our monogram.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the look. I think in terms of how busy the detail is.. maybe somewhere in the middle of the two.. but the swirls are so beautiful together and look so elegant. It also goes well with the style of our cake and centerpieces and.. well.. everything!

I love the two colors together.. and it will be set on ivory card stock so I think it will look amazing.
And.. I love the heart on the side. It almost seems accidental but it's a nice touch.
Our Monogram.. What do you think? Should it be just our initials without our names and date on the bottom? or our initials and names but no date? Or do you think we should take it off entirely?

I am so unbelievably excited. And so blessed to have such a kind friend who is doing this for me!

Thank you Mr. Gregory!

Military Wives

2009-09-28T20:24:00.000-07:00

If I had a drink right now.. I'd raise a toast to all those military ~~wives~~ ~~husbands~~ spouses out there like Ms Kelsey from Kelsey Lately

Honestly.. my love has been gone for 28 hours. That's it. Barely over a day. and yet... I. am. going. crazy.

So far..

I went and purchased the items for our candy buffet bar.
Gave a deep cleaning to our kitchen. Including rearranging and organizing the pantry and the fridge.
Ran the dishwasher and put away all the dishes after.
I'm on my 3rd load of laundry. Soon to be 4th after this post.
Changed the curtains in the breakfast nook
Gave a deep cleaning to the Living Room
And.. started cleaning our bedroom

Ridiculous? Yes.

I was appalled at the amount of dust I found on top our armoire {quivers in disgust}

I can't imagine what it must be like to live the life of a military spouse. It has to be so difficult to have your loved one gone for months.. or in some cases over a year.. and you can't even talk to them except for a daily(?) phone call. Is it even daily?

I have the utmost respect for those individuals who serve our country.. and a new found respect for the ones who stand behind them and support them through and through. Thank you for all that you do!

Taco Biscuit Anyone?

2009-09-27T20:21:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had a Taco Biscuit? It might not sound to appetizing but it truly is. Shortly after my sweet and I moved in together he came home from work to find me preparing this delicious meal for our dinner. Suffice it to say.. he wasn't thrilled when my response to "whatcha cookin?" was simply "taco biscuits!" With a confused look he simply said "ookkkk"

Then I called him to the table.. Now fast forward to a year later.. our neighbors have shown up at our house.. ingredients in hand.. with a smile on their faces "please?". His office buddies ask when he is bringing them in again.. (and yes.. I have been asked to make a batch or two simply for him to take to work!) We have dinner dates with some of our couple friends from time to time.. every single one of them has requested my taco biscuits.. Now I say again.. THEY TRULY ARE GOOD!

As per request from... you guessed it.. my neighbors, here is the recipe:

What you need:

1 Pkg Buttermilk Flaky Biscuits (Must be Flaky!)
1 lb Extra Lean Beef
2 Cups Shredded Cheese
1 Red Bell Pepper
1/4 Cup Diced Jalapenos
1 tbsp Melted Butter
1 Can Corn
1 Pkg Taco Seasoning
Flour
Parmesan Cheese
Franks Red Hot Sauce
1 Roller

What to do:
Start by dicing the jalapenos and red bell pepper. I usually only use half the belle pepper and roughly a 1/4 cup of jalapenos. Next you need to cook the beef in a skillet. Use any seasoning you are comfortable with. My sweets and I like to use salt, pepper, and our absolute favorite.. Chris' Steak Seasoning by Fiesta. I use the Extra Lean because it doesn't leave any fat or grease behind and therefore is VERY convenient!

Once the beef is fully cooked to your liking, you will add the taco seasoning (follow the directions on the pkg.) along with a 1/2 cup of corn, diced jalapenos (quantity based on how spicy you like it), and diced bell pepper.

Next, you will open the pkg of biscuits and seperate each biscuit in half (thus creating 16 biscuits rather than only 8 and the reason why they need to be flaky). Now you will use the roller to flatten each biscuit to roughly a 6in diameter (use the flour so that they biscuits do not stick to any surfaces).

Now you will spoon taco meat onto one of the flat biscuits. You will want the layer to be roughly 1/2-1in thick. Take a second biscuit and put it over the top. Use a fork or your fingers to press the sides together (like a pie!). Continue doing this until all the biscuits are gone! 8 of the large biscuits should take 1lb of taco meat.

At this point I usually take melted butter and brush it across the top of each biscuit followed by a dash of Frank's Red Hot Sauce. Last, sprinkle some parmesan cheese on top!

Place them in the oven for the time specified to cook your biscuits. Once golden brown, remove, let cool, and enjoy!

And so it begins..

2009-09-27T19:23:00.000-07:00

Love starts his new job tomorrow! While that is super exciting, it is.. as I said before.. bitter sweet.

He left a couple of hours ago.. he has training in Dallas for the next two weeks! Since we met.. we've never gone this long with out seeing eachother. I've made a to-do list.. planned dinner dates with a few friends.. and booked a few appointments with wedding vendors. Anything to keep me busy in hopes that this time apart will go by quickly. I keep telling myself.. absense makes the heart grow fonder!

Is it crazy that he is only going to be gone for a few days and yet.. I still cried when he left?

Things I hope to accomplish while he is gone:

CLEAN! I intend to clean every nook and cranny in this house.
Laundry. Get caught up on the laundry I've been avoiding.
Paint. I have 60 pictures frames that need two coats of paint (they are part of our wedding centerpieces!)
Run out to Starhill Ranch and meet with Adam. I need to check out a couple things at the venue and we're going to go ahead and pay the remaining balance due for rental.
Meet with our Photographer, Christina Carroll, and pay off the balance with her as well.
An Appt with a florist. I found a girl who is realy sweet and really good. I'm going to check into her pricing and see if she is cheaper that Rebekah.. somehow.. I doubt she will be.. we'll see.
Dinner date with the Rogers Family.
Dinner date with Ms. HEC
Michaels. I need to pick up the rest of the stuff to start making the boy's bouts!
Pictures. I purchased several pictures frames and they have been sitting in their respectives places for quite some time with out any pictures in them!
Run. Run. Run.
Spin Class. Twice a week.
Catch up on my Google Reader. I've been holding on reading new blog posts as I hope to spend one night just playing on my blog and catching up!

Ok.. so maybe that is as far as I have gotten on my list.. some of them shall be quite time consuming though so hopefully.. it's enough!

The Secret is OUT!

2009-09-25T07:42:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I posted about having something to share.. and waiting for the right time. Well, that time is here!

First, I would like to say that... No Kristi, I am NOT pregnant. I'm sorry to crush your dreams. Someday it will happen.. but that will not come for another 5 years!

I don't know what it is. My family (and quite a few friends) are overly eager for Matt and I to have babies and start our little family. Meanwhile, he and I have agreed we want to live our lives selfishly for the next 5 years. Enjoying married life.. enjoying each other.. We have a list of goals we want to accomplish and things we want to do and experience. We want to be at a point in our lives where we can devote ourselves to our children. Where I can think of nothing else than my desire for babies. We only intend to have two (although Matt says if we have a girl first.. we are done because he won't take a chance on having two girls. ha!). So we also want to be at a point in our lives were we have replaced my income by alternate means so that I can stay at home and be with the babies.

Whether we start a business and spend the next few years getting it off the ground.. or we invest in real estate properties to flip and rent or sell.. maybe I simply get a job working from home. These are all things we are currently considering in order to get to the point where we have established a secure and steady income.

We also want to have found or built our dream home. A two story with a three car garage. I also want a small amount of land for us to play with kids.. let Matt throw the football with our son and have a tree house and play set and swing set and plenty of room to roam and let their imaginations run wild!

So now that I have gone off on a tangent.. there are reasons we are waiting 5 years for babies. Besides, the deal is that.. as soon as Grandma moves close enough to Austin that she play babysitter, we will get more serious about having little jones'

Back to my original point for posting..

MATT GOT A NEW JOB!!!!

It's bitter sweet. We love his current company and wish so much that things were different. But unfortunately, with the current economy.. the business has hit a rough spot. And, especially with the wedding getting so close (5 months!!!) we need for him to have a steady paycheck. So, he is leaving on Sunday to go to Dallas for two weeks of training. Luckily, he gets to come home on the weekend so that makes it easier. He will now be an Account Manager for a company called CyPower. I don't have a full understanding of the company yet but I guess they design, make, and sell power sources for various things. For example.. if GE is coming out with a new Washer/Dryer set.. they contact Cypower to design the electrical source.. or something like that.

Unfortunately.. that's the best I can do explain the company. Sorry :)

What a Weekend!

2009-09-21T08:59:00.000-07:00

My dearest mother came in town this weekend.. we spent ALL DAY Saturday running around from place to place picking up wedding goods galore! From 14 bags of polished river rocks.. to a dozen picture frames.. curtains and rods.. kid friendly (and fun) products for the 'kids korner'.. ordered 40 mores vases.. picked a veil and finally made a final decision on my dress fiasco.. bought a few fun new items for the house.. a scrap book for the gift table that I intend to put pictures in showcasing our proposal story..

With only 5 months left until the wedding.. and LONG list of DIY projects to get going on.. I'll have lots of pictures coming soon. To start.. here is my inspiration for our table and centerpiece:

{ courtesy of simplynaturalevents }

And the almost finished product:

I don't have the base for the centerpieces yet.. which is essentially a slice of wood from a tree trunk.. and the lighting isn't the greatest for pictures in our dining room.. but you get the idea..

I used polished river rocks in the base of each vase and filled the vases with water and oil to create a water candle. I love the look it gives. Each vase is wrapped with something different.. one has blue and brown raffia, one with ivory bamboo yarn, and the other with a sheer brown ribbon.. Each wrapped in style which will mimick the look of our wedding cake.

As I get projects completed, I'll post more pictures!

Football Football Football!

2009-09-20T20:10:00.000-07:00

I want to express how excited I am that it is.. once again.. Football Season!

{ courtesy of this site }

A born and raised austinite I've always been a UT fan. The Cowboys.. I guess I've always supported.. but I'm about to marry a man who lives and breathes sports. I quickly learned that if I intended to be with him.. I needed to support the longhorns, the cowboys, the lakers, and the astros.

Football season is fun for me for several reasons.. mainly.. I love the social aspect of it. Love and I will typically prepare a fan dish every Sunday for the Cowboys game. Sometimes it's ribs or queso.. we try to mix it up. We invite our friends and families over to hang out.. have a drink.. and watch the game! We're both 'social butterflies' and love to be with our friends and families. Lucky for us.. we like each others friends.. and love each others families!

Random Babbling

2009-09-15T17:04:00.000-07:00

About a month ago I posted about my inability to make a concise decision. Unfortunately.. this affects every area of my life. If we go out to dinner.. I hate to be the one who has to decide on the location. Or pick the movie. What do you wan to do tonight? I don't know.. what do YOU want to do?

Making decisions is not my strong point.

For years.. I've tried to focus on changing this aspect of myself. But that hasn't served me well either. Now my problem? I make a decision.. a matter of fact decision. Then what do I do... I CHANGE MY MIND!!!

It's driving me crazy. My current issue? The same thing. I'm still having doubts about my dress. Any thoughts out there on what to do? I haven't put my dress on.. or even seen it.. in 6 months. Maybe thats my problem? Maybe I should just put it on again and maybe I will fall in love all over..

Or maybe...........maybe I should look into other options? My mom would kill me. Love would kill me. I already own my dress. Sell it and find another? Really? I don't know.

Oh but that's not all.. I hate change. I've always been terrified of the 'unknown'. I can't stand when my plans don't work out they way I planned them. If I don't know what to expect.. it drives me crazy. So here I sit.. big changes in store for my little family. As soon as I can I will share them with you. Some things are still yet to be determined.. I think thats the part that drives me nuts. When my whole world is about to change as I know it.. I need time to adjust. Time to accept and appreciate. You can't just pull the rug out from under me!

Oh I can't wait until I can share with you all what I'm talking about.. Stay Tuned.

A Rustic Chic Wedding

2009-09-09T11:11:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited about this. My lovely inspiration board.

I hope you all enjoy this fun sneak-peek into my wedding!

Looking for the source of these images? Check out my Stylemepretty page and you'll find them: here

Did they really?

2009-09-09T08:51:00.000-07:00

I've decided that I want to have a sparkler exit at our wedding.

Maybe take a picture like this:

{ both pictures via google images}

So begins my search for the best bargain.. while browsing through google sites of companies who sell sparklers I came across this:

"The best wedding sparklers are the long-lasting 14 inch Gold or 20 inch Gold. They are also very effective in exorcisms. All sparklers are wonderful for bringing and ridding curses. Use them to liven up your next funeral. If you light up enough of them, they may even raise the dead!"

Honestly? How do you even speak of these (polar opposite) events in the same paragraph?

Disturbing.

On another note.. I want to appologize for my lack of blogging. My laptop has temporarily gone out of order. When I tried to turn it on on Saturday, it wouldn't load and instead.. continued to do a power cycle. Turing on then off then on then off (and it continued until I gave up). I was ready to call the computer doctor.. but love did research and found that apparently it's a known defect on my current brand of computers.. damn HP.. Luckily, ~~it is still under warranty~~ the company extended my warranty to cover that issue and I had 3 months left before my extension expired. Thus, I have shipped her off and should expect her back in roughly 2 weeks. Until then.. my blogging may be more sporatic than normal. I hope you will all bare with me!

Mucho Importante for all you Austinites!!!

2009-09-02T15:46:00.000-07:00

A Burnet County escapee has been tied to a break-in in Williamson County and the theft of a gun, investigators said Wednesday.

Nuana Fuentes-Sanchez

Williamson County sheriff's officials planned a news conference for Wednesday afternoon to discuss more details about the case.

Authorities told KVUE News a Williamson County home was broken into sometime during the day on Monday and a .22 caliber gun was stolen. Investigators took fingerprints as part of their investigation, and the prints matched those belonging to Nuana Antonio Fuentes-Sanchez, 23, an inmate of the Burnet County Jail who escaped on August 30. A manhunt has been underway since his escape.

Fuentes-Sanchez was one of several suspects arrested in Burnet County in April in connection with a violent home invasion.

Fuentes-Sanchez is described as 5' 8" tall, 165 lbs, with a clean shaven head. Other items stolen from the Williamson County home were a pair of blue denim blue jeans, a white T-shirt and a "Texas Star Hockey" ball cap.

Investigators say he's believed to be traveling on foot on remote pathways.

Anyone with information should contact the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office at 512-943-1300 or the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office at 512-756-8080.

Check out the article here

UPDATE: An abandon vehicle was found in Hayes County and the fugitives finger prints were pulled from the car. He is still at large, but he is out of our area!!!

Hey DJ.. Play that Song!

2009-09-02T12:36:00.000-07:00

So it's that time.. I've begun working on my Do Not Play List for the wedding and reception.. this means I'm also working on our Must Play List.. and everything that all entails.

What songs would you recommend to add to the Do Not Play List (whether they are inappropriate or whatever..)? There are some that I have decided are definitely NOT to be played.. Some I don't like.. Some I feel are not appropriate.. some I don't really know what they are but they seem to be on every DNP list I come across so.. call me a follower.. either way.. here's my list:

Macarena, YMCA, Chicken Dance

Love and Marriage

American Pie

The Conga

Wang Chung

We Are Family

Respect

I Will Survive

Jesse's Girl

Mony Mony

Mambo #5

Kung Fu Fighting

Tubthumping

It's Raining Men

Sweet Child of Mine

Copacabana

Groove is in the Heart

Stayin' Alive
No Cher

No Celine Dion

No Santana

No Madonna

No Beastie Boys

No Tejano
No Songs about America

No Kid Rock

So I ask.. what songs do you feel are a "must play" at weddings? Have any additional input/opinions on my DNP list? I still need to determine the music for during the ceremony too..

A bruised head and a broken ankle.. yes. But no injuries from the guns!

2009-09-01T11:44:00.000-07:00

This was one JAM PACKED weekend!

We started off on Friday with Love's softball game.

Matt's half brother (Kevin) was up to bat. His girlfriend (Brittany) had bat just before him and thus.. was on first base. That's when it happened! A line drive and WHACK!

It hit her in the head! She left for the emergency room. So Kevin's Aunt filled in Brittany's Place. Her turn to bat came around and SNAP! She broke her ankle running to Second Base! OUCH! Player number two.. off to the Emergency Room. Luckily.. there was not any further excitement that required medical attention.

**UPDATE: Brittany is fine. She has bruising and a big bump.. but no serious injuries from this. Lucky!

Saturday we went to my soon-to-be sister-in-law's sweet 16 party! We had to leave early to head over to Matron-of-Honor's end of Summer Pool Party.. and again.. had to leave there early to head over to my best friend's party.. They had a Skeet Shoot and Poker Bash! HOW FUN!

I learned that I have terrible aim and my hand-eye coordination is sub-par.. oh well. I had a blast trying!

The smell of old food is nauseating

2009-08-31T13:12:00.000-07:00

Love came home from work the other day and walked in the door carrying a few grocery bags.. slightly puzzled I asked.. "whatcha got there darlin?"

He's been collecting all of our tupperware under his desk!

DIY Weddings

2009-08-27T16:43:00.000-07:00

I came across this blog posting today..

101 DIY Wedding Projects!

Better than that? There is a Second Edition!

That means a total of 202 DIY Wedding Projects. YAY!!! Whether you're a budget bride.. a crafty bride.. or a mixture of the two.. these lists and how to's are sure to come in handy!

What projects do you plan on going the DIY route for at your wedding?

(or if you're already married.. what did you go the DIY route on?)

I swear.. I'm no terrorist!

2009-08-25T16:37:00.001-07:00

I told you briefly back in June about how I was born in the back seat of my dad's pickup truck in the hospital parking lot.. Well.. clearly there is more to that story.. MUCH more..

Bare with me.. this will be a long post..

So as all of you know.. I'm currently planning my wedding to the love of my life. As with most couples going through this process.. we are also planning our honeymoon. After much deliberation we decided on the Sandals Royal Caribbean in Montego Bay, Jamaica!

Going to Jamaica means I have to get my passport.. no big deal right? That's what I thought too..
So in June Love and I went down to file the paperwork to obtain said passports.. a month or so later love received a package. His passport! I was oober excited (yes... oober!)! I dug through our massive stack of mail (that's what happens when the man is left in charge of checking the mail.. it happens every 3 weeks..) searching for my pretty red, blue, and white envelope so I could hold my very own passport in my hands. Only.. I didn't receive a pretty red, blue, and white envelope. I received a boring solid white envelope. One that contained a document stating that they would need additional evidence to prove my citizenship. WHAT?!
Apparently I'm a terrorist.. or at least.. that's what the Department of Defense seemed to think. I'm 5'2 and all of 110 pounds. What kind of damage could I really cause?!

So what do they need in order for me to prove that I am in fact a citizen of the United States of America? OF COURSE! They need a combination of the following:

a copy of hospital certificate - check!
a copy of my baptismal certificate - umm.. I've never been baptised..
copies of my early childhood school registration paperwork - ok.. I can get that!

NOT! Leander ISD is not required to keep records that are THAT OLD! Geeze people. I'm only 24. That's not old! oh well.

So after several phone calls to the Department of State, Department of Defense, National Passport Center, and a phone interview with some bigwig from the Department of State, I submitted a series of documents that he requested and I RAN with it.
I submitted 42 documents (that was all I could find.. ha!) to prove my birth and my citizenship.

{the 42 documents I sent to the National Passport Center and The Department of State}

I also included this letter.. it explains exactly why.. at 24 years old.. I don't have a proper birth certificate but instead.. I have a 'Delayed Certificate of Birth'

To whom it may concern,

My name is Jennifer Lewis and this is my story..

On December 20th, 1984 at roughly 10pm my mother went into labor. They jumped in my dad’s truck and rushed to Brackenridge Hospital. At about 10:40pm, they pulled up and my dad went inside to get some help. I was coming quickly so the nurse didn’t have time to take my mom inside. Instead, she grabbed the first doctor she saw and I was delivered in the cab of my father’s 2 door pickup truck in the parking lot of Brackenridge Hospital in Austin Texas,

Later, we found out the ‘doctor’ who delivered me was actually a student intern and had never delivered a baby before. Thus, did not file the appropriate paperwork necessary for my mother to obtain my birth certificate and such documents. Growing up, my hospital certificate was sufficient in enrolling me through various schools as we moved from city to city, and even allowed my mom to obtain my social security card when I was 5 years old. It wasn’t until I was 16, and attempting to get my Driver’s Permit in New York State, that we were declined for not having proper documentation of my birth.

At this point, my mother flew back to Texas and spent several weeks obtaining signed affidavits from various friends and family members verifying that they were there for my birth and verifying all of the information. Once this was complete, I was issued a ‘Delayed Certificate of Birth’.

Throughout the last 8 years, anytime I am in a situation where I must provide my birth certificate, everyone looks at it, tilts their head to the side as if they are a confused puppy, and questions me. Then.. I begin telling my story..

Today, I am a 24 year old Sales Manager and Event Coordinator at a small family owned business called **** located in ****, Texas. I live in ****, Texas with my Fiancé, M. J., and our doggy Avery. We are in the process of planning our wedding for February 27th, 2010 and (are hoping) to take our honeymoon at the Sandals Royal Caribbean in Montego Bay, Jamaica from ***** through ****, 2010.

I understand the implications faced when issuing a passport and the security reasons behind the verification process. I assure you, I am an upstanding citizen of the United States of America. This is a frustrating situation that I have had to deal with for my entire life and unfortunately, it is to no fault of my own. My only intentions when leaving the country are to relax with my soon-to-be husband on the beach. Maybe do a little scuba diving or windsurfing, play some shuffleboard or sand volleyball, and go to the carnival party or the piano bar at our resort.. and hopefully the spa!

I have my hospital certificate attached. I was never baptized so I do not have record of that. My school district (Leander ISD) is not required to keep records that are 20 years old and therefore, they did not have anything to provide me with for early school registration records. So please, review the 42 attached documents including report cards from k-12, copies of birth records verifying my story of having an emergency delivery, my high school transcript, copies of my year books (again k-12) including various sports I participated in, my high school diploma, and even a document outlining a visit I made to the Austin Police Department in 1996 when I was merely 11 years old and my parents were going through a divorce. I hope you will find this information sufficient evidence of my citizenship.

Thank you for your time,
(and then I signed it..)

4 weeks later..................

{my passport in all it's glory!!!!}

So much to report!

2009-08-24T07:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Love and I had our Harry Potter Date :)

I actually liked it. He got a huge kick out of my reaction to the movie.. teasing me about how much I've gotten into it.. But really.. Have you seen the new movie? I know most of you Harry Potter fans have read the books so you probably already new what was happening in the movie before it happened.. but I haven't read the books and I was plum shocked at how this movie ended!

Yesterday.. I also completed my first beaded necklace! I'm so excited about this new venture. I realized last night that it is going to take me a while to really get the hang of it.. and there are still more supplies and such that I need to get.. but I'm stoked about the outcome of my first one. I just love it!

Now I need to name my little jewelry company. Any suggestions? I've been trying to come up with something cute and clever but to no avail.. I don't want something boring like.. Jones Jewelry Design or Jenni's Jewels. Cute? Yes, but boring! I need some inspiration!

Saturday we went to Pete's Piano Bar in Downtown Austin to Celebrate my friend, and Bridesmaid, Candace's Birthday. It was such a blast! Have you been there? If not, I highly recommend you do. Those pianist's are hilarious! And seriously.. they must make so much money! They did a bit about school fight songs. In 15 minutes they were given a couple hundred dollars just from different people throwing in money for their school. Which ever school had given the most money.. that's the school fight song they would play and sing. I'm proud to report the University of Texas defeated the Arkansas Razorbacks, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, and a few others. Hook 'em!

{a few friends}

{the birthday girl}

{the boys}

{my love and i}

{the pianist}

It's funny cause it's true..

2009-08-20T20:06:00.000-07:00

Have you all read Dezzy Lou's post Laughter?

If you haven't.. you must. I laughed so hard I cried.

Which one is your favorite?

There are several that I had to agree with:

Is it just me, or are 80% of the people in the "people you may know"feature on Facebook people that I do know, but I deliberately choose not to be friends with?

and

It really pisses me off when I want to read a story on CNN.com and the link takes me to a video instead of text.

but my favorite.. the one I would love to try is this:

What would happen if I hired two private investigators to follow each other?

I didn't think there would be such a thing as too much time..

2009-08-19T08:43:00.000-07:00

I have decided.. that regardless of what ANYONE else says.. I gave myself TOO MUCH TIME to plan my wedding!

I posted a couple months ago (here) about how I suddenly found myself in a position where I was changing a lot of things in the wedding.. things that had been planned out for 5 months.. and then I changed it. Now.. 3 months later and 6 months out from the wedding.. I'm (again) questioning some of the decisions that I have already made..Is this normal?

I made a bunch of decisions and planned everything early in our engagement because I didn't want to the bride who was completely stressed right before her wedding. Well.. so far I've succeeded in that. I haven't really stressed much at all.. I just keep changing my friggin mind. I decide on something.. and book it or buy or whatever.. then I change my mind. I'm convinced that I could have easily planned our wedding in 3 months and loved the results. I plan events for a living. Why did I think I needed so much time??

But no.. Instead.. I gave myself 14 months and seem to change my mind constantly. I need to stop looking at planning bios and bridal magazines. That's how it happens.

Yesterday I happened across a wedding dress that I fell in love with. Granted.. it would look much different on me that it did on that model.. but it was stunning. Simple and elegant. Suddenly.. I wanted to sell my dress. My dress that I already purchased and is already hanging in the closest in our guest bedroom.

So.. I have a massive stack of bridal magazines that I'm begging someone to take away from me. Please?

Thanks for listening to my Rant :)

I'd like to take a moment..

2009-08-13T15:58:00.000-07:00

..and honor my dear friend Heather.

Heather and I met when we were 11 years old. Heather is a very special girl. For starters, she is completely crazy. wild. fun. She's known for her spazmatic antics and unpredictability. Can you pick out which girl she is in the image above? Heather is also special because.. she was born with a hole in her heart the size of a dime and has had several surgeries through out her life.

Today marks 24 years from her first open heart surgery at a mere 6 months old. Luckily for all of us, she is healthy, happy, and has given the world a beautiful little boy, Tyler Mac.

Throughout our 13 years, we've grown up.. grown apart.. and found each other time and again. If I was in a jam.. I know I could count on her to help me out and vice-a-versa. We laugh together.. cry together.. and scream at each other. We confide in each other and call each other out. We've had quite a roller coaster friendship.. but when it came down to it.. we've always been there for each other when times were hard and I will always cherish her friendship. Through the good.. and the bad.. and the ugly :)

So here's to you HEC. May you have many more years of health and happiness ahead of you. I love you and I'm grateful to have you in my life!

Ok... You Win!

2009-08-12T12:02:00.000-07:00

About a month ago I posted about how I am (or was?) not a Harry Potter fan. While I wasn't insinuating that I disliked it in anyway, I simply had never seen a movie.. or read a book.. and I had done this intentionally.. until Mr. Jones came around.
So today I am back to make note.. I am now 'caught up' on the happenings of Harry, Ron, and Hermione through their 5th year at Hogwarts. I still can't believe that I gave in and watched them all. Each movie is easily 2.5 hours long. Some longer! I'm not sure what part surprises me more though.. the fact that I gave in... or the fact that I actually enjoyed it.

Now I haven't declared that to Mr. Jones yet. He claimed he 'could tell' that I enjoyed it however, I laughed and said.. 'The things you do for love' as I walked out of the room. But it's true. You Win. Mr. Jones, Jill, the millions of Potter fans out there.. I'll jump on the bandwagon. Sunshinemama.. it's your turn!

One of these days we intend to make it to the movie theatre so we can watch the newest Harry Potter movie. Maybe that will be our next date night :)

What is your favorite date night activity?

Where does the time go?

2009-08-11T14:19:00.000-07:00

We have a mere 200 days left until the wedding!
Matt proposed on December 20th, 2008.
I can't believe it has already been 8 months!

I am definitely one of those girls who, you could ask at any given moment, on any day, and I can tell you exactly how many days until I become Mrs. Jones. In fact, if you prefer.. I could also tell you in a month/week/day format.

Today for example, is 6 months 2 weeks and 2 days!

I think I might be excited to get married.. just a little :)

Currently.. I'm working on my centerpieces. Trying to decide.. what do I want them to look like? I want a DIY project that has a rustic feel. Something that is elegant but simple. It needs to correlate with my colors.. but remain budget friendly. I'm hoping to find something that doesn't incorporate too many flowers as the per stem charge on flowers adds up SO QUICK! I am considering something similar to this:

{images courtesy oncewed.com}

What are you thoughts on these? I like the simplicity.. I think we would use a different style flower than what is pictured. The way the vases are wrapped with ribbons matches the style of our cake.. It definitely has the rustic look that I am going for.. and I really love the way they incorporate the slice of a cedar tree trunk!

What are your thoughts?

What are you doing/did you do for your table centerpieces?

All together now... 'Awwww'

2009-08-06T08:20:00.000-07:00

Love wrote our proposal story so I could post it on our wedding webpage but I just had to share it here as well..

Written by Mr. Jones:

The reaction you tend to get as a guy when you tell your friends that you are going to ask your Girlfriend to marry you, tends to vary biased on the friend. Meaning that my female friends gave what I like to call the "shriek reaction" as women often do when it comes to matters of the heart, "Oh my Gosh, how exciting, I'm so happy for you (keep in mind all of this is typically said in a high pitch voice, usually followed by a hug)," and then most of my male friends typically grunted what we'll call the Caveman Response, " Huh??? Marriage...?" (Said while scratching their head as if it were some sort of puzzling Greek word they had never heard) typically followed by mimicking some sort of dooms day or funeral music IE... Taps.
Initially I told a good Buddy of mine, Nate, my plans, now keep in mind Nate's happily married with kids, so... Naturally he was one of the few guys I got the "shriek" reaction out of, which OF COURSE I pointed out... To which I received the response, "Dude, Shut up, I didn't shriek." None the less, he went with me to pick out the ring. Now any guy who's been through this process knows that picking out a ring is not as simple as just walking into a store and saying I want to see engagement rings. Oh no no... Little did I realize you have to worry about the weight, the clarity, the cut, the color, and the yadda yadda yadda... I walked out of the first place with my head spinning; and that was even after they had me sit through a 45 minute seminar explaining all of these things to me. You see, I tend to operate on the KISS method, and this was not Keeping It Simple Stupid. Finally after a few places I managed to find the ring I liked.
The next step, the phone call to my Mom... Here's how it went... ring ring
ME: "Hey Mom, I just wanted to tell you something"
MOM: "Sure what's up Sweetie?"
ME: "I found a ring and I'm going to ask Jenni to marry me..."
wait for the response... SILENCE... wait for response AND
MOM: "SHRIEK RESPONSE" and something about "My baby boy being all grown up"
Now, the next call was to Trica (Jenni's Mom) to ask for her blessing and I was kindly provided a yes, promptly followed by you guessed it... "SHRIEK RESPONSE." The next two calls were to Jenni's brothers, Scotty and Shane, and both gave me the expected "Caveman Response," followed by their blessing, and finally accompanied by their own older sibling wise crack about Jenni and how I must be a glutton for punishment?
I centered the proposal around Jenni's Birthday which was 2 weeks after I had purchased the ring? All I have to say is big mistake...
That 2 weeks was tough, I was like a kid with $5 fresh allowance at a toy store, that ring was burning a hole in my pocket. I had to do something quick, ultimately, I finally had to give the ring to my next door neighbor and friend Roger, with instructions attached, "hold this, keep it safe, and don't let me do something stupid (like purpose early or drop it down a storm drain by accident).
So I got everything lined up for her Birthday. I got a cake and put it in the outside fridge so she wouldn't find it. I invited 50 of our closest friends and family to our house to celebrate her birthday. EVERYONE knew I was going to propose, except Jenni, of course. That night I was a nervous wreck, constantly running around to avoid her brothers cackles and to keep my mind off of what was soon to come.
The time came, now I find it imperative at this juncture of the story to mention that the ring was not the only thing I had purchased at that jewelry store. I had also bought a small pair of diamond earrings, which I found necessary to wrap inside a box, that in turn was in another box, which was full of packing peanuts and newspaper, and -- that box was in another box which was in another box, and so on and so forth till you got up to a box about the size of what you would ship a washer or dryer in. IE it was a box in a box in box ala the Russian Matryoshka dolls or what many call Babushka Dolls. All the while the ring was tucked neatly in its box, in my pocket.
As I lit the candles on her cake in the garage, I was shaking so much I nearly set my shirt sleeve on fire. In I came singing Happy Birthday and there she was sitting in a chair surrounded by gifts and by our friends and family. So as I knelt down beside her with the cake, I came about an inch and a half from ruining my soon to be proposal, BUT... with cat like reflexes I might add, I managed to save the night, on account that I was still so jittery from nerves that I nearly dropped the cake in her lap. Near Crisis averted. Jenni started to open presents, rather annoyed I might add, because she was unable to figure out why her brother was taping her like a 2 year old at her first birthday party.
Finally the last present to be open was mine. Box one, box 2, and -- box ten... She opened the final box to reveal a pair of diamond earrings, and with that Miss America Smile that makes my heart skip a beat every time, she showed them off to the onlookers, receiving cat calls, oooohhhs and awwwes.
AND CUE ME...
"Hey babe"
Silence fell over everyone.
Now I would like to say that I was macho here, but truth be told, emotions hit and I think my voice cracked like a 12 year boy.
"Hey babe, when I was at the jewelry store, I couldn't help but think that those earrings would go great with this..."
Out comes the ring, and me down on one knee.
The look on her face is something that I will remember for the rest of my life. It was overwhelming surprise, shock, tenderness, and adoration; and in that moment before I asked the words that were to come, if I did not know it before I certainly knew it now, she didn't just love me she was in love with me.
"Would you do me the honor of spending the rest of your life with me?"
With a Hug and a tearful kiss, and a whisper in my ear of "YES."
THE CROWD WENT WILD.
And now here we are planning our wedding and looking forward to spending the rest of our lives together. Enjoying it one day at a time.

Ready for Round Two!

2009-07-30T13:32:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we went to the beach.. We had so much fun.. we are in the process of planning another trip for next month!!!

We spent some time relaxing..

Threw around the football.. along with playing some washers, bocheball, redneck golf..

I learned to boogy board!

Had a couple drinks..

Interruption for a Terrible Story:
There was a small group of us hangin out and goofing around for the day. The boys went across to the sand dunes where they could throw the softball without worrying about hitting any kiddos.. so it's just me and my girlfriend sitting under the tent snacking on some fruit when a silver truck pulls up and squeezes in between our truck and another vehicle. Three boys jump out... great. Our boys came back pretty quickly and we went down to the water and threw the ball around.. so creepy boys went down to the water and threw their ball around. We came up to shore and played games.. so they came up to shore and watched. Back and forth all day and they kept following. It seemed as if they wanted to join in but there was just something awkward and creepy about them.. suddenly.. we caught them taking pictures of us girls!!! They thought they were sly.. pretending to take pictures of each other but zooming in to get us.. they even took one of my friends butt. Yuck. I hate perverts.

Ok back to our weekend festivities..

Then we went to a Wedding.

It was... interesting. Just a few pictures...

Note the lovely fashion accessory of the groomsman in the blue shorts..
Can you see it? Yeah.. It's an ankle monitor..
Yes.. that is a bottle of Crown Royal in the Groomsman hand
and yes.. he was drinking it.. during the ceremony..

I'm not so sure about this tradition...

Being at the beach made me so excited for our honeymoon!
Port Aransas doesn't compare to Jamaica!!!

This weekend.. It's off to Dallas to see my parents!
Mom and I are going to work on Wedding plans while the boys go golfing :)

My Thoughts on your Thoughts..

2009-07-29T11:04:00.000-07:00

too often a blogger friend will leave me a thought on my post.. sometimes it's funny remarks that I want to respond to.. sometimes it's questions.. but I never respond. So here we go.

My Thoughts on your Thoughts:

Jill-I love the idea of tomatoes growing from the ceiling! Did you do it yet? How did it turn out? Once again.. I'm going to be a copy-cat. But.. not until I'm 'allowed'. Love doesn't want me to spend money things aren't necessities until after the wedding. boo! Oh, and I'm still working on that picture.. Tonight. I'll do it tonight!

I Love Brownies- How did you end up in Georgia? I have a ton of family in the Macon area!

Christy- Thank for the tip on Americus Diamonds! Love and I are going this weekend to check them out :)

Sunshinemama- Did you start the 100 push up challenge yet? I would love to know how you doing through it all! The first Harry Potter wasn't too bad. The second.. I was pretty bored. But the Third! It was completely different! Love said they got a new director on the 3rd. It's much darker and definitely more 'adult'. He was right. I still say those type of movies aren't really my thing (magic and werewolves in the same movie.. eek).. but it's not too bad. I'll watch them with my love. Oh and thank you for the comment on my pictures. We have an AMAZING photographer for our wedding and she did our engagement pictures as well. Christina Carroll Photography. Her work is killer!

Dezzy Lou Where Are You- Does your Mr. give you crap for watching it? Mine picks on me about it. He doesn't understand why I am so intrigued by it.. have you followed the Casey Anthony Case at all?

Stephanie- How are you doing on staying away from Michael's? I've been good. But I think I really just moved my addiction. Lately I've been spending too much time at Target. Ha!

Sunshinemeg-You are doing the Push up Challenge.. How is it going for you? We slacked off a little bit and so we are starting week two day one today and will have to do 3 days in a row to finish our workouts for this week!

Noelle- While I still struggle with the texture of it.. I like it ok. It's not my favorite dish.. but it's not too bad either. I like crawfish. Which surprised the heck out of me. And I'm begining to learn about sushi and eat that. I've barely eaten more than a california roll and I don't like the bright orange fish eggs or the crunchy stuff they put on the edges... but I like certain types of sushi. How about you? Have you tampered in the world of Sushi or tried crawfish? What other types of fish/seafood do you like?

Saskia- Going skydiving was the scariest moment of my life. I'm am very much afraid of heights. I'm ok if I'm inside a secured building where there is no chance of falling.. but I hate roller coasters that bring you straight up where you are facing the ground.. staring down it.. feeling the gravity pulling on you.. *shiver* But that is exactly why I did it. I faced my fear head on and it turned into the greatest experience of my life.

Stephanie- JenniLooWho is what my best friend calls me! Well, that or Loo Loo. ha! Matt makes fun of me and says that when we get married hes going to call me 'JenniJoo' but he pronounces it like Jenni-Jew lol

Ok.. I think that's all I've got for now..

My First Award!

2009-07-24T14:11:00.001-07:00

So the internet has been down at work and at home... we'll I feel like I haven't been home all week so I'm quite behind on responding to this but... I received my first blog award!

It's 'The Honest Scrap Award' from Frannie of Frannie Fires Back!

First, as the recipient of this prestigious award I have to tell 10 true things about myself in my blog that no one else knows

Second, I have to pass along this prestigious award to 10 more bloggers.

Third, I have to notify those 10 bloggers who follow the same forum - I'll be leaving comments on each of your pages and when you post your ten things, be sure to post a link back to me!

My Ten Things:

I went to 13 different schools before I graduated High School.
I have never broken bone, been stung by a bee, or a scorpion. *knock on wood*
I ate shrimp for the first time when I was 23 (and that was my first experience with any type of seafood or fish).
I'm extremely indecisive.
I'm addicted to swimsuits.
I spent the majority of my life scared to death of dogs.. then I met my doggy Avery.
I love the beach. But I'm scared of the variety of things swimming with me.
One of the greatest experiences of my life was when I went skydiving.
I'm constantly losing either my bank card or my drivers license.
People often mistake my initial shyness as bitchiness.

Now the People I have tagged:

Happy Blogging!

Mr. Jones

2009-07-24T13:53:00.000-07:00

In honor of hitting the 7 month mark until our wedding I have one thing to say..

When I Count my Blessings...

I Count You Twice

Week One Day One

2009-07-21T07:51:00.000-07:00

I completed Week One Day One of my 100 push up challenge. It was easier than I had expected but I have a feeling I won't be saying that for long..

Now the way that it works, you are supposed to do an initial test to see the maximum number of push ups you can currently do in row. I do ten in a row during our boxing workouts so I decided to just start there. This meant that I fall into the second column.

I did my first four sets resting 60 seconds between each.. then I did my max and actually completed 20 push ups! I'm 1/5 of the way there :)

Love says he can't wait until we finish so he can place bets against people on whether or not they can do more pushups than me.. then I kick their butts and we win. he's so silly.

Did I mention that I recruited a few others to join me in the challenge? I'm excited to say that not only is love doing it with me, but so is my lovely Matron of Honor, Kristi!

And last, but certainly not least, thank you to my lovely followers/readers for your support and encouragement! I'll keep y'all updated through my journey.. but don't be afraid to join me along the way! After all.. maybe you could win a bet too ;)

I have succumb to peer pressure..

2009-07-20T14:47:00.000-07:00

For 12 years I have successfully avoided reading a single one of the novels.

For 8 Years I have successfully avoided seeing a single one of the movies.

I had been proud of this little fact. Proud to be one of few who didn't fall into the obsession surrounding Harry Potter. I have a tendency to avoid almost anything that becomes a fad. If millions of people obsess over it.. then I lose interest. I've always been one to rout for the under dog.

Harry Potter.. Not for me.

Twilight.. No thank you.

Brad Pit.. Not impressive.

Get my point?

Then he happened..

Then I decided to marry into a family of Harry Potter fans and thus, I did it. I gave in.

Love wants to go to see the new Harry Potter movie. What does that mean? I get to go see the new Harry Potter movie. What else does that mean? I have to watch the previous 5 so that I have some kind of clue what the heck is going on during all the mumbo jumbo magic.

So far, I have only seen the first one. But don't worry folks.. we are now the proud owners of the collector's set! That means.. we own all five of the movies. Can't you feel my excitement?!

Love says they get better as they go.. "less kiddie and more adult". I look forward to that. Don't get me wrong.. I'm huge Disney movie fan. Even at the ripe age of 24 I still enjoy a good animated Pixar flick. Kung fu Panda made me giggle. Finding Nemo.. loved it. Cars, Monsters, inc. Toy Story, Happy Feet... I look forward to the day when I can hang out with my little kid (10 yrs from now?) and watch all these movies with him/her.

I like living in reality. I like shows that are based around reality. Even if they didn't actually happen.. I like things that are in the realm of possibility. My favorite types of movies and shows are those that are based on a true story.. or at least inspired by a true story. I can't get enough of the show Snapped. There is something about crime shows that I find so intriguing. I follow CNN crime online like it's my job. I watch Nancy Grace (I don't care for her so much.. but I find the stories so interesting). Usually very sad and sometimes disturbing.. but I can't get enough.

Now you start talking about magic and vampires and werewolves and.. BLAH!

The things one does for love..

Rich Dad Poor Dad

2009-07-17T22:24:00.000-07:00

Love and I are currently reading the book "Rich Dad Poor Dad" by Robert Kiyosaki. Have you ever heard of it? I will admit.. I haven't made it far into the book myself because everytime I turn around to try and read a few pages.. love has disappeared with it or taken it to work. Either way, it's really great.

The books starts by going into this story about Robert's life growing up and having 'two dads'. One dad went to a few prestigious colleges and earned several degrees while the other never graduated beyond 8th grade. One father passed away leaving an empire to his family with millions while the other left a stack of due bills.. now the book goes into much more detail than I intend too at the moment but you get the point?

You might think you know what happens next but I'd bet you're incorrect.

As you read, you find that the father who Robert referred to as his 'Rich Dad' is actually the one who never made it past the 8th grade. He didn't necessarily have the academic education that parents and teachers and mentors will encourage you to get.. but he did have the financial education to understand how many works and most importantly, how to make money work for him.

Did you know the average person works from January through May just to pay government taxes? WOW. Break down you yearly salary.. Take the difference between your Gross Income and you Net Income and tell me I'm incorrect.. Now I'm not saying that it will fit perfectly for everyone.. it's just the average. But I am saying that it will make you sick to your stomach.

I've learned so many interesting facts.. it trully gives you a completely different perspective to consider when it comes to finances. I can't wait to finish reading it.

I like a good challenge..

2009-07-16T10:37:00.000-07:00

A fellow blogger friend sunshinemeg introduced me to the One Hundred Push Up Challenge!

Today, I signed up. In 6 weeks I should be able to do 100 push ups (and I don't mean the girl pushups..) in a row! After doing the initial test, I'm currently a Rank #2!

Tonight will be my first work out. I'll keep you updated on my progess :)

I Love Surprises

2009-07-16T08:03:00.000-07:00

Let me rephrase that.. I love surprises.. as long as I don't know about them! I do not however love when someone tells me "I have a surprise for you!" I'm not a patient person. If you tell me you have a surprise.. then be ready to show it to me :) But all of that is besides the point of this..

Yesterday I got off of work and headed straight home for a fun evening of cleaning and laundry! Ok not so fun.. but anyway.. The main area of our house (Kitchen.. Living Room.. Dining Room.. Breakfast Nook) is very open. it's essentially like one big room. No matter where you are.. you can see everything in every other room. So while standing at the sink scrubbing away at dirty dishes I hear my love coming in through the garage. To my surprise I look up just in time to see him standing there.. a dozen roses in hand!

He stopped at the store on his way home and bought steak and roses for surprise date night! Just the other day I posted about my partner crime and how much he means to me.. I truly am lucky. He is amazing.

The best part? In 7 months, 1 week, and 4 days.. I get to marry him!

Good Luck or Good Karma?

2009-07-15T09:12:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I posted about good karma.. well.. that good karma came back tenfold.

Last week love and I went to Kohl's.. they had some men's jeans on sale for $16! He's been needing to get some new clothes anyway so we jumped at it. He tried on a couple pairs and we finally settled on one pair and checked out. No big deal right?

Yesterday he wore those jeans.. and found a $100 bill folded up in the back pocket!!!

I love Karma.

My Partner in Crime

2009-07-14T08:48:00.000-07:00

I know I’ve been on the hiatus here recently. No particular reason.. laziness maybe? Or just so busy. This weekend.. so busy.. but so fun!

I don’t know about you.. but love and I enjoy watching a good UFC fight. For me.. I think it’s more about getting together once a month with a big group of friends.. hanging out having a cold one.. and playing a few games of washers afterword. That is exactly what our Saturday consisted of. Well, our Saturday night anyway!

Saturday we attended a beautiful wedding in Leander. Our next door neighbor was married to our Wilson (I refer to him as Wilson because not only is he super tall and can see over the fence while he’s just standing there.. but our fences connect in the back yard). Proof that you can’t be in control of everything in a wedding.. that sometimes things happen and you have to go with the flow and not allow it to ruin “your big day”…

Love and I, along with a few friends, are sitting.. chatting and patiently waiting for our turn to get some food during the reception. All of the sudden.. I hear a noise as if something had fallen.. I glanced to my left.. the cake was melting and wilting and their cute little cake topper fell off.. tumbled down the front of the cake.. and pulled the icing off the front of each tier! They haven’t done their cake cutting or taken their pictures yet! Quickly, Lindz and I run to a gentleman who works at their venue and explain what happened. We tell him we need a fridge or somewhere cold to put the cake.. you would think he would then take the cake and put it away right?? WRONG! Next thing I know.. Here I am carrying this cake following the guy in circles trying to find somewhere cold to put it. Luckily.. we found a fridge.. The cake was the same on all sides so we able to simply turn the cake around and position it just so perfectly that you couldn’t see the damage.. phew! Erin was champ. Didn’t even bat an eye. She simply rolled with the punches and enjoyed her day. I hope to be that way if/when something goes wrong on my big day.

Sunday we went wedding band shopping! I still haven’t found exactly what I am looking for.. as if a 2mm .15 carat princess cut channel set chevron band is so much to ask for! We found the right band in a ¼ carat but.. it’s just too thick. I want something very small and very simple with just a small sparkle of diamond.. I can easily find it with round stones.. but my engagement band is princess cut so I want my band to match. I also found it as a guard.. but I don’t want two bands.. I want one. And they won’t sell me just one. I have to buy both and then have them taken apart and I can wear just one.. but then I’ve spent money on a second one that I don’t want. That doesn’t make sense to me!

I know I’m picky. But so is love! We’ve been shopping around for him as well.. but his.. we finally found it! It’s exactly what he was looking for.. a 6mm brushed tungsten band.. flat top with comfort fit and a lip on the edges. We found it at a couple of locations actually.. and the price of it varied by $100! Make sure you shop around folks. You don’t want pay a lot when the next store sells the same thing for a little!

We finished our weekend up with a nice game of scrabble. It’s times like those that I feel too many people take for granted. We try and soak it up. The little bit of everyday life that is seldom thought about or appreciated but is so greatly missed if it is ever gone. I don’t want to ever take those times for granted. I don’t think I could ever say it enough.. but I’d tell the whole world if I thought the whole world would listen..

I love Mr. Jones. I have been so blessed to find someone so amazing. Someone who I love unconditionally and who reciprocates that love in such an amazing way.

He is truly my best friend. My partner in crime.

My everyday joy. The bright spot in my life.

Thank you Wedding Wire!

2009-07-07T10:26:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I registered with Weddingwire.com and received a $59 voucher for canvasondemand.com. I love canvas art so I thought.. what's better than my favorite engagement picture on canvas!? So I used my $59 voucher to order a $59 8'x10' gallery wrap canvas print. This meant I was going to receive this glorious piece of artwork for free (besides shipping and handling of course.. so really.. for $15!). I love this site!

I then received an email stating that in order to protect the look and quality of the photograph, they were upgrading my order to an 8'x12' at no additional charge to me! I LOVE this site!

Today I received my canvas art. It's gorgeous. Beautiful. Stunning. I want more of them. Lots more!

I threw in the towel.. but I LOVE the results!

2009-07-01T07:32:00.000-07:00

I spent so much time trying to design the perfect monogram.. I made a bunch of them that I liked.. but not a single one that made me feel like.. this is IT! Then, while browsing around my favorite new website Etsy, I found a little shop called mpressdesigns. I contacted Ann and with in a matter of hours, she sent me a proof of her design. This was IT! I love, love, love it!

On some computers, the letters look black but it's actually a deep chocolate brown. I just love the way she weaved our initials with the ampersand. It's simple yet elegant.

She is also working on one for us right now that will incorporate a horseshoe so we can use it in the future when our dear friend Mr. Realtor sells us our beautiful 5.5 acres of land!

P.S. If anyone decides to use her for their own custom monogram.. reference me and Matthew and you will get a discount on your order :)

Obsession..

2009-06-30T11:52:00.000-07:00

I order some signs for our wedding off of Etsy from the seller thebackporchshoppe.

I LOVE THEM. So far, I have only seen images for 3/5 signs but I just can't wait to see the others.

I plan to attach them each to a post and put them in the ground.. the wedding sign will be outside of the chapel.. the reception sign will be outside of the school house.. and the cocktails sign will be outside of the groom's quarters (Have you seen my amazing venue yet? Star Hill Ranch.)

As for the other two.. One says "The Jones Family Est. 2010" and the other says "Happily Ever After Starts Here". I plan to put them on a post as well and have them placed at the front of the venue so people will see them as the drive in. Plus, I can keep these two as decoration in our house afterwords! :)

Growing up I hated the "vintage" or "old" look. I don't know what happened or when things changed but now.. I'm completely obsessed with it!

oh facebook..

2009-06-30T10:07:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I came across an old friend on Facebook. We had gone to high school together and although we were very close then.. 2,000 miles can cause people to lose touch. It's been great chatting with him and catching up. Then, yesterday I posted a status update about my need to make a new friend. A new Graphic Designer as a Profession kind of friend. Little did I realize.. I have an old Graphic Designer as a Profession kind of friend!

I want to DIY on the invitations rather than shelling out a whole bunch of money on something that.. lets face.. most people lose anyway. At least I know I do. Any wedding that Matt and I attend.. by the time the actual wedding comes around.. I have, without a doubt, lost the invitation. Then I'm on the phone with friends trying to find out.. what time is it? Where at again? How do I get there? etc. I'd rather spend the money else where.

Anyway.. Greg (my graphic design as a profession friend) is going to custom design our invitations as a wedding gift for us! This makes the DIY process such a cinch.

I can not begin to express how excited I am about this!

And the verdict is in...

2009-06-26T14:37:00.000-07:00

I told you about my recent trip to the dermatoligist.

So, about an hour ago I received a voice message from my doctor's assistant. I work in the Middle of No Where so it didn't surprise me too much that my phone didn't ring. I did get the msg right away. I listen to it.. they received my test results back. GREAT! A week early.. I Like! I can't be too surprised but.. they didn't tell me in voicemail whether or not the results came back positive.

Of course.. this immediately send my mind RACING. "oh my.. they didn't leave me a msg because they want to tell me that I have cancer!" ok.. Deep Breathe..

I call them back.. and.. NO FRIGGIN ANSWER.

You aren't off work yet! Even your voicemail says your open Monday through Friday from 8AM to 5PM. So why are you not answering? I have been calling for an hour!

thanks for listening to me vent. I'm done rambling :)

Update: I finally spoke with my doctor today. Good news? No cancer. It's a condition called (I'll never remember the name of it) and although it has been known to be cancerous in previous cases, mine is not :) She wants to keep an eye it. That is all well and dandy. You keep can keeo your eyes on it all you want as long you keep the needles and scalpels far far away from my precious skin Mrs. Dermotologist!

Step One: Check!

2009-06-24T11:15:00.000-07:00

So I did it. I purchased this book today per the advice of my darling mother.

Step one in my new career as a Jewelry Designer!

Thank you Mrs. Enginerd!

2009-06-24T08:19:00.000-07:00

It’s amazing to me how much your life changes and how many new things become of interest to you as you begin to settle down into married life. Now granted.. I am not technically married yet. But we’ve been living together for over a year.. and have everything from our bank account to our insurance policy together.

For a while now I have been contemplating starting my own little garden. Where should I put it? What should I grow? Can I keep the plants alive? I thought about ripping up our plants in front of our house and putting new pretty flowers but I’m just afraid I’ll kill them and then what?

Then, my dear blogger friend Enginerd gave me some inspiration! I can grow my own little garden of jalapenos, tomatoes and such. I’m more likely to take care of these as they are edible.. plus my love and I.. we eat the heck out of these things!

So my journey begins. It will be a while before I get all the necessary things together to actually begin the planting/growing process.. but I’m on my way to a nearly found green thumb :)

Thank you Mrs. Enginerd!

All Things Unique

2009-06-23T13:17:00.000-07:00

I've always been a fan of all things unique. I prefer to make my own path rather than travel in the foot steps of another. My mom often tells me (and everyone else?) that when I was born, a nurse told her that "a child's birth says a lot about the type of person they will become.."

uh oh.

I was born.. Are you sitting down? Yes? Good.

I was born two weeks early in the back seat of my dad's pick up truck in the hospital parking lot.
And my poor mother.. total time in labor? 47 minutes!

Just to put that into perspective.. my mom was in labor with my brothers for 27 hours (first child) and 24 hours (second child).

What could all of that possibly say about me?

According to the nurse it meant that I would walk to the beat of my drum and do things my way.. regardless of what anyone else had to say about it (ok.. true). It also meant that I would be the type of person who always wanted to be a part of big events (I was born two weeks early.. just in time for Christmas and New Years.. Now? I plan events for a living.. ok.. true again). Last, let's just say that.. she said I wouldn't exactly be the most patient person in the world (ohh.. she's good!). My obsession with all things rustic and the fact that my favorite accessory is my boots.. that must be the result of being born in a truck.

So what's the point of my rambles? I've decided that I want to make my own jewelry. What does this story have to do with wanting to make my own jewelry? We're back to the title.. I'm a fan of all things unique. I don't want to wear a necklace that everyone else has. I want to wear one that I made. Now.. how to accomplish this task? Well.. that's still a big'ole question mark for me. But I'm doing my research! I hope to start collecting the tools and things I need and then.. become my own jewelry designer.

Good times.

Any advice?

Come on Mr. Realtor..

2009-06-22T08:19:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago my love and I happened across this beautiful piece of land for sale. It is truly perfect.

5.5 acres
In the country
With a tank (already lined.. and it has ducks!)
Electricity, phone and water present
AND a windmill!

Love wants a stock tank. I want a windmill. And I also want room for our babies (5 year plan..) to grow and play and run around. I want my honey to be able to throw the football with our son or build a tree house and set up a swing set for our Daughter. We live in a cookie cutter neighborhood now.. but I don't intend to live in one for long! By the time we start working on babies (i'll say again.. 5 year plan!), I want to be outside of the city. Not too far, but far enough that we have a 100 yr old tree on our property :)

It started at $119k. Yesterday love drove by and the price has now dropped to a mere $88k! I know.. that's not cheap. Yet.. it's such a steal! Still not affordable for us right now though. Boo. If we weren't saving for our wedding.. we could swing it. But.. weddings are expensive and trying to pay our mortgage, two vehicle payments, utilities, and put money in our savings plus our wedding fund.. that doesn't exactly leave much (or anything..) left over. Much less try and swing an additional $500/month payment for this perfectly imperfect piece of land.

Can it just stay on the market for 8 more months? That's not that long.. time will go by so quickly! Come on Mr. Realtor.. you know you want to wait and sell it to us!

but i don't wanna go to the doctor..

2009-06-18T15:16:00.000-07:00

I had an appointment with my dermatologist today.. I set the appointment to go over my skin care regimen because the last thing I want to worry about on my wedding day is a pimple. The next thing I know.. I'm laying on the table topless while they numb me up stick me with a needle and take a chunk of skin out of my back. fun.

When I was little, I had small mole on my back directly between my shoulder blades. In high school I noticed my mole suddenly had a white ring around it. By the time I hit my twenties the mole was gone but the white spot remained. I mentioned it during my appointment and boom.. now here I sit with two stitches in my back awaiting lab results to find out if its cancerous. EEK!

I'm not sure what's more fun.. laying there why they stick me with needles and gouge my skin.. or sitting here pain free waiting on results.

I have faith everything will be fine. People get checked for skin cancer and results come back negative all the time.. right? Right. I look forward to reporting back that I am cancer free. Two weeks folks! Two weeks!

It's like jumping off a cliff.. but with jesus!

2009-06-17T09:54:00.000-07:00

My mom came in town for a weekend full of wedding planning! First stop? Purchase our Bridesmaids Dresses. You walk in.. swipe your credit card.. and walk out. Easy enough right? WRONG!

We're getting married at Star Hill Ranch.. For those who don't know of it.. it's a very rustic venue with 'Old Town Texas' charm.

I selected the colors of serene blue and chocolate brown and plan to have sunflowers. A few months back the ladies all met me up at David's Bridal. I pretty much said.. this is the color.. you pick the dress!Last month we were told they will be discontinueing the color 'Serene Blue'. WHAT?! My wedding isn't for 8 months (8 months 1 week and 3 days to be exact)! So I suddenly found myself in a jam. There were too many difficulties with ordering my color. But do I really want to change it now? No. Do I have an option? I thought I did.. but apparently not.

We show up at David's Bridal thinking we can place the order now and we will just have to get the dresses early.. it's the only way I can get my color right? Wrong again! So here we are.. trying to find a new dress. I ended up picking this:I spent most of the day in panick mode fearing my ladies would look like table linens (I was planning to have chocolate brown table cloths..) and suddenly contemplating every aspect of plans I had made for our wedding. Do I change my flowers? What about the invitations? Will the Centerpieces still look good? How do I incorporate more blue? What about the girls shoes? Or their Jewelry? OMG what color will the guys wear?? There I sat.. on the floor at David's Bridal using clutch purses as color swatches trying to determine what to do and what colors would work.. suddenly steam began spouting out of my ears.

Game night. That's what I need. A nice relaxing (4 hour) session of Catch Phrase with friends.

Side Note: Have you ever played? My honey and I LOVE this game. Half the time I keep it in my (suitcase) purse. We play it all the time. It's been a big hit at parties as well. Drunken Catch Phrase is HILARIOUS!

example:
Clue: It's like jumping off a cliff.. but with jesus!
Answer: 'Leap of Faith'

Once I was able to take my mind off of all the planning.. I came back to it with a fresh perspective. After 6 months of planning.. I changed so much in a matter of an hour. Now that I have had a chance to let it all absorb.. I am SO excited about the changes. I like the new dresses better.. they are more affordable for the girls.. and they can wear them again much easier! Plus... they have pockets! I think I want one...

Tornadoes, Hail, and a New Bridesmaid!

2009-06-12T08:08:00.000-07:00

Hail. I hate it. It damages property and it hurts when it hits you. Tornadoes. Oh don't even get me started. While there is a small part of me that finds them semi-intriguing, as a whole.. they scare the living sh*t out of me.

Luckily, our house is still fully intact and our cars are dent free (I pulled mine into the garage and Matt parked his in a "for rent" house up the street!)! My step-sister on the other hand.. not so lucky. She lost all of her trees on their property and has some exterior damage to her house. She did not get any structural damage at least. I can't say the same for some of my co-workers.. One had a tree fall on his house! The worst part? A tree fell on his house during the last storm a few months ago.. I'd say they should look into moving!

Side Note: If you.. or anyone you know.. needs a new roof.. let me know! My dad is a roofer :)

Once the nasty weather passed a few friends came over to watch the Lakers Game. As it was Kristi's birthday, we had to have a beverage to celebrate! Then, finally, I asked Sarah to be in the wedding as a bridesmaid. I'm very excited to report that she obliged and our bridal party is now complete! This weekend we get to go order the girls dresses!

An another note.. Jack Ingram is giving a free concert tonight at Lake Austin Resort and Spa. Yay!

Lazy days..

2009-06-10T13:26:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was Tuesday.. normally.. that means I leave work and head to meet up with my Matron-of-Honor for Spin Class at the local Y. Unfortunately, this Tuesday became a lazy day. Kristi couldn't make it because of her work schedule so I copped out myself because.. well.. I won't even bore with you a lame excuse. I just flat didn't go. Lazy. I know. I did however get my creative juices pumping when I decided to head up to Michael's. I found a 'Distressing Kit'.

It's a scrap booking kit that helps make paper look old and give it an 'antique' look. A light bulb went off. So I purchased that along with some ivory card stock and chocolate brown rafia.. Custom Invitations. I like it!

Apparently my sweet has never been to a Bed Bath and Beyond before. He was under the impression we could do our full registry in under an hour. After an hour and a half he was done shopping and we had only covered (maybe) a quarter of the store. Oh well.. back again another day..

Monogram Meltdown

2009-06-09T08:54:00.000-07:00

I like to think of myself as a creative person. I definitely have a crafty bone in me and I enjoy doing nearly anything artistic.. so why am I having so much trouble creating a monogram for our wedding? I've downloaded countless fonts and played with them until my eyes hurt.. yet still.. I can't seem to make anything suitable.. anything that portrays us or our fits within our wedding theme and our personal style.. Everything else in the wedding planning process has been so simple. So easy. Why can't our monogram follow in line? hmm.

Who doesn't like good Karma?

2009-06-08T15:31:00.000-07:00

With a mere 8 months 2 weeks and 5 days until I officially become a Mrs. My soon-to-be-hubby and I started our first Wedding Registry! We decided to register at Bed Bath and Beyond and Target. Since Target is closer to home, we went there first. We browsed around for an hour or so scanning endlessly when we decided to leave and go catch a movie. Who doesn’t love a good date night?

Side Note: Have you seen 'The Hangover' yet? If not, you must! It’s abso-friggin-lutely hilarious! My hunnie is planning a Vegas Bachelor Party for he and his friends.. oh boy.

After the movie, we returned to (a different) Target to try and finish up our registry. As we were leaving.. I decided there was one purchase we needed to make.. a Mountain Dew would quench my thirst! We waited in line behind a clumsy man with a rather large purchase who kept dropping items on the floor as he tried to get organized. As the clerk gave him his total, he realized he didn’t have his bank card with him and was a couple dollars short on handy cash. He opted to not purchase the Orange Juice which had been rung up and paid for the remaining items. That’s when my love chimed in.. “oh well get that for him”. The man argued for a moment when my hunnie insisted.. "Just pass it forward.. when I'm stuck on the side of the road with a flat tire.. stop and help me alright?" He obliged. A $5.00 20 oz Mountain Dew and a dose of good Karma.. yes, please!