Lunch Break = Blog Catch-Up!

It seems like all of these blogs are just "catch-up" sessions now. It's crazy how fast time flies by!

 

Where to begin?

 

Wedding Planning:

 

Some things I've learned....

 

1. If I have daughter's one day, I will HIGHLY encourage destination weddings! With that being said - here's to having boys!

 

2. DIY projects seem like a lot of fun and somehow they are all "just 4-10 easy steps", yet they NEVER turn out like those pictures!

 

3. In reference to above - video tutorials are much more effective (still not 100%)

 

4. All boys care about (ie Dad and Brandon) is whether or not the girls (mom, me and sisters) are fighting and when the cake tastings are.

 

5. There are too many options...I feel like I'm in an endless sea of veils, shoes, cake designs, dresses, flowers, centerpieces, invitations, dj's..oh my!

6. There's something called a house party - and I'm going to have one! ;) http://bellsandbouquets.blogspot.com/2010/01/whats-house-party-and-what-do-they-wear.html (I had intentions on dedicating a full blog on this subject matter, however time has been about as scarce as rain or sub 100 degree weather in Dallas, lately, so read about it if you care to know more!) The members of said house party have yet to be notified.

 

7. Which leads me to, yes, people do ask if they can be in your wedding/invited to your wedding. I'm not talking about a friend saying "um, am I going to be in the wedding", but people actually saying "can my kids be your ring bearer/flower girl" or "need an extra bridesmaid?" or "We're invited, right?!?!" A-W-K-W-A-R-D. I'm almost certain there is an etiquette pertaining to these things...people should read up on that kind of stuff!

 

8. Don't sign a contract too soon! We got luck with getting our deposit back from the first venue we chose. We're now officially contracted with the Las Colinas Country Club and I couldn't be happier! It's Ah-mazing!

 

 

9. I know how people make full time livings off of planning these events and I should really consider a career change/starting up a business, because stuff really shouldn't be as expensive as some of these places make it! I would make a killing in the wedding business.

 

10. I'm so glad I know that B is without a doubt THE ONE because I am NEVER putting my self through this mess again! ha.

 

I've already notified the girls that will be my bridesmaids. My sisters, my cousin Alyssa and of course Mary will be my MOH. Brandon knows 3 of the 4, so we'll wait to make that announcement! haha. And yes, as I mentioned I will be having a house party to honor and recognize all the amazing girl friends that I have who have been there through it all and if Brandon had, hmmm...15ish(?) really close guy friends, they'd be bridesmaids! haha. They haven't been told who they are yet, so still TBA.

 

August is booked up, September is starting to and there's already 2 weekends in October even that we have plans (one of which will be our engagement session). Last weekend was Mary's Mansfield Baby Shower.

 

 

Mary = Super Cute Preggo!

Got to see a couple of old friends from high school and college and it was SOOOO great seeing Mary (and Andy) and getting to spend some time with the Bridges! The Houston shower is in 2 weeks! This weekend coming up is Chris and Kayla's wedding in Waco! I'm super excited as I know it will be a blast. They are 2 blasts in a glass, so it's 2x the fun really. And there's sure to be some fist pumping, so really, you can't ask for a better time! haha.

 

 

Brandon's b-day was this week. I've been bursting trying to keep in the surprise b-day gift I got him/us. We had dinner at the Dallas Executive Airport and THEN...went on a sight-seeing FLIGHT over Dallas! We were in one of those teeeeeny tiiiiiny airplanes, but neither one of us were nervous. It was something fun and different and way better then cologne and a dvd, I'm sure! ;) PLUS we had perfect timing with the sunset and I got some really incredible pictures!

 

Much prettier when I'm not in one of those buildings! ;)

Pretty awesome pic, if I do say so myself! Got so lucky with the sunset!

Legit! ;)

 

Last night we met up with some friends at Fuzzy's Tacos to celebrate! I hope he had a great bday and I hope B has a great last year of his 20's. Dun dun dunnnnnnnnnnnn! Next year he'll be married and turning 30! haha.

 

B had 2 interviews today, so our fingers are crossed! Also excited bc I got my new running shoes yesterday and the countdown to half marathon #3 has begun! White Rock in December! :) Ya know...cuz I have tons of time to run! ;)

 

Well, my lunch break is about up, so there ya have it!

Catching up on Everything but "THAT"

"That" being...wedding talk. I am wedding'd OUT right now!!! I spent a large portion of yesterday doing wedding stuff and then went to the Dallas Bridal Show with my mom and two sisters today. So - I'm going to doing a little wedding detox before thinking about it again...at least for a day or two! ;)

So, in other news I'm also planning a baby shower (or 2). Mary's first baby shower is here in the DFW on Saturday. I'm super excited because I got one of the best presents she's going to get. Mary - I know you'll read this...and no, it's not on your registry, but I hope you love it (and I'm pretty sure you will!!). Still working out a few last details on her Houston shower at the end of August! I'm pretty excited about it and can't wait to see how it all comes together. It's nice to have a distraction from the wedding planning.

I think I'm going to start a new topic when I blog. It'll be the "new cool thing" of the week or month or whenever I find something cool. I REALLY need to come up with a catchier nickname for it, but for now we'll go with "Lisa's Latest Likes." I already mentioned instagram a week or so ago and the latest is Pinterest. Website: www.pinterest.com. You download the application to your bookmark tool bar and then when you're browsing the internet and see something you like, be it an arts and crafts project, a fun date night idea, a DIY project, wedding decoration ideas, etc. you can "pin it". It saves the picture to your page and you can follow others and browse the pictures they've pinned and then visit the websites if it strikes your interest. It's harder to explain then it is just to go look at the website, but I'm a little addicted now and it's a GREAT way to share ideas! There's also a phone app for it! What did we do before smart phones?

SYTYCD: Just have to say that I'm loving the direction it's headed. Melanie and Sasha are phenomenal and there's no doubt they'll be the top 2 girls with Tad and Marko most likely being the top 2 dudes. I'm about 98% positive Melanie is going to win though. She's incredible! Why is reality tv so addicting? We're also sucked into Master Chef right now too. Definitely entertaining, but I can't say that I'm quite as invested into who wins that one.

Exciting things coming up this week:

Brandon's best friend James is moving back to Dallas. So excited for him and pretty excited about seeing less super hero movies! ;)
Also - Brandon's bday is a little over a week away. I am SOOOOO ecstatic about what we're doing, but it's a secret, so you'll have to wait until after his bday to find out what it is!
Nothing much planned, meaning I can get back into my normal workout schedule! Pushing the AM workouts again and although an adjustment, I'm enjoying having the evenings back!

I Scream, You Scream, We all Scream for Ice Cream!

Or yogurt in my case. Today was national ice cream day. Who knew?! I'm not a major sweet lover, but boy oh boy do I love me some ice cream, or frozen yogurt. You know those ideas you come across where you think "Why didn't I have that idea?!?" I think that every time I go into a do-it-yourself frozen yogurt shop. The ones where you pick your flavor and your own toppings and they charge you by weight! Oh man, I'd be rich right now! In honor of national ice cream day, we decided to splurge a little and go for some froyo at one of our favorite's: Tutti Frutti. It comes second to Yogurt Mountain in Little Rock! So delicious! I top mine like a 5 year old with sprinkles, gummy bears and nerds. B usually just puts some sort of chocolatey candy topping in his. Ew. ;) He already mixed his up before the picture, but he had reese's pieces today. It was the perfect ending to a pretty great day and weekend!

I can't believe I'm writing 2 posts in 1 day, but I have a feeling it may turn into a pretty busy week and so I figured I'd finish getting everything out that I didn't have time to write this morning. 

First order of business: Harry Potter! We said a final and bittersweet farewell! :( I cried...like 3 times. There wasn't much emphasis on the sadder parts of the story, but I just knew that each scene was a step closer to the end. I really enjoyed it though and thought it was very well done. We decided to go see it in IMAX 3-D. Welllllll...apparently people were still waiting in line 2 hours early even on this Sunday afternoon so we were stuck in the front row. By the end I had a head, neck and back ache. And even with the constant chatter of our theater neighbors, it still managed to be fun. *On Soap Box* Can I just say that I have no tolerance for rude movie-goers?!? Oh man, not much irks me more then chatters, bag rustlers and phone users during a movie. *Off Soap Box*

As promised...some pictures from last night's girls night! We really did have a lot of fun watching and even participating a bit. Karaoke is never a dull time! Neither is any time spent with Shannon, Alina and Kelsey. Heather probably thinks my friends are nuts, but they kinda are! It's why we get along so famously! :) 

Heather and Me!

Was playing with my photo editor...

No telling...

Shannon and Me

Alina, Heather and Me

We need to get out more often! ;)

Wedding Planning Update: Mom and I are going to the Dallas Bridal Fair the last weekend in July. I'm pretty excited about getting some ideas and checking out some vendors. We have a deposit on our venue, but haven't signed the contract yet. Dare we peek at some other venues while we're there? Hmmm...maybe. ;) I love our place for the reception, but it really wasn't meant for ceremonies. We definitely want a one-stop shop though with all of the out-of-towners, so we'll just have to see what happens. Colors are picked, centerpieces picked and I got my shoes for the big day. OMG - I am in love with them. :) I'll be telling all the details about the bridal party soon too, so stay tuned! 

That's all for now! Sweet dreams and I hope you all have a fantastic week! :) 

Let the Games Begin

For the next 10 months this will more or less be my wedding blog! There is so much that goes into planning a wedding and it's all very exciting! And by exciting I mean stressful...in a good(ish) way. 

I grew up in a family of women. It's an experience! Not only do I only have sisters, but I have 2...making us 3. Ever heard of 3's a crowd? Yeah - well, true story! I love both of my sisters more than anything in this world, but the 3 of us together always gets interesting and then when you throw mom in the mix...well, let's just say I'm pretty sure there's a very special place in heaven for my Daddy! I'm also pretty sure that he's ecstatic about adding a male member to the family! When us girls get into our "talks" (aka bickering) those two just hang back and watch/tune us out. It's a beautiful dynamic! :) 

So - according to one sister (the one who hasn't been around for any of the planning thus far), I'm a bridezilla. According to the other (who has been around a little more) I'm an easy going bride-to-be. No idea what mom thinks! We did however pick a venue in one weekend and a photographer in one day. That's not too bad, right? ;) 

Our date is May 26th. It's the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. We wanted to have the long weekend in order to allow all of our out-of-state guests to possibly make a bit of a vacation out of the event. Now - I have NEVER wanted a summer wedding. A fall wedding was always my dream. Well, the more I get into this planning, date, setting, arranging, etc. I've adopted the mindset of "it's not about the day, it's about the lifetime." Just meaning that - yes, this is the day that every girl dreams of for their entire life, but really this is about the bigger picture. This is about me finding the person I want to spend the rest of my life with and while I do want some things exactly as I imagined them to be, I've also learned to be flexible with a lot as well. Summer works best for our teacher friends, our traveling family members and our parents. May is a bit of a scary month in TX though - then again...ANY month in Dallas could hold ANY type of weather conditions, so it may be 100+, raining, 50-, snowing, or a pleasant 85 and sunny on our wedding day. It is what it is. 

The part that I'm most excited about so far is our photographer!! Rebecca took photography classes in high school and her teacher now has a studio/business in addition to her teaching job. She is INCREDIBLE! Every time she posts new pictures on her blog or her Facebook page, I tend to tear up at the beauty of them! She just has an eye for beauty and capturing the moment. Plus she does a lot of fun stuff too and not to toot our own horns, but B and I are pretty FUN (not to mention hilarious) people and I think Sharon will do an amazing job capturing our personalities, our crazy families and of course our good looks! ;) Check her out: Ellman Photography We're planning to do our engagements in October once the weather cools down and we can enjoy a day outside. We'll be sending save-the-dates shortly there after. 

I've been debating on a wedding website. I know it takes a bit of time to put together and there are SO many options out there. Any suggestions for a good personal wedding website?? I think it will be helpful to have something where all of our family members can get all the info they need on accommodations, things to do in the area, etc. 

So the gloves have been thrown and the games have begun. I have no doubt that the next 10 months are going to fly by and I can't wait to experience (and hopefully enjoy) all that is to come in planning one day. Whew - why am I not doing a destination wedding again?!?!?! ;) 

So for all of you who have been begging for pictures....

Self picture after he popped the question. :) He's not a fan of self-pics. haha

Just a cute pic of the kids for fun...they look like alien dogs with their glowing eyes!

This picture makes my hand look weird, but you get the idea...

At first I didn't like the scroll work underneath...I LOVE IT now!

Brandon tried to sneak a pic of me getting ready for work. I just thought it was funny that it was blurry but the bling still sticks out! haha ;)

Have a great weekend everyone! :) 

7'2" Gives Me a Kink in the Neck!

Quick-y post, just because it's cool...

B and I stopped by Petsmart tonight to enroll Timmy in puppy classes. Well, this guy walks in as we're talking to the trainer and it hurt just to look up at him. You could clearly see him over the aisles. I leaned over and whispered to B "He's taller than Dirk". We were in line behind them and he asked to pet Timmy and I thought Timmy was going to fall over backwards looking up at the guy...me too for that matter. He not-so-inconspicuously dropped "It's ok baby, this is on the Mavs" when his girlfriend tried paying for the dog food. He chatted with us for a few minutes about Timmy (I think he was trying to see if we recognized him) and then went on his merry way. 

I searched a bunch of rosters and finally found him. His name was Alex Ajinca and he was on the Mavs at the beginning of the season but was traded to the Raptors. Doh! Guess he was still under some sort of compensation contract with the Mavs though. Anywho - point is, I was right...taller than Dirk! I've never felt so tiny in my life! I came up to his bellybutton approximately! Nice guy...I'm never washing Timmy's head again! Kidding... 

Whoa!

Puppy training starts tomorrow night. I don't think Brandon is thrilled about the next 6 weeks of Thursday nights, but eh well...haha. It's part of being a parent!

Now Introducing....

Timothy "Chomper" Turner!

So I know it's been a little while since I've written. Life gets in the way of time every now again. Ever happened to you? ;)

I'll get to Timothy in a moment, but first let me get you up to speed really fast.

Boy and I are doing great. We celebrated our year anniversary in May. It's kind of funny…it flew by, but when I look back on our moments together, it's hard to imagine life before him – we always joke how it feels like 10 years!

At the Jimmy Buffet Concert...it was an EXPERIENCE to say the least!

We visited Little Rock together recently and it was really nice getting to see B at home with his family and in his 'hood. I hadn't been to LR since I was about 8 and that was just an over-night stay when we were driving from Dallas to Philly. It's gorgeous. Just a sweet little southern town that has a bit of a "downtown." We toyed with the idea of eventually moving out there and who knows, maybe one day, but we'll have to see how B's adventures with American Airlines go first. If he lands a really great position with them, I'm sure we'll stay put in the DFW area for quite a while.

Capital Building

View from our hotel room at the Double Tree. Gorgeous!

I feel like we're finally settling into our new place now.

Living Room

Guest/Brandon's Man Cave

Master Bedroom

I love having hardwood in every room, but of course the only downfall to that is a lot of sweeping required…especially with a pup….ahem, make that 2 pups!

Chloe says: "Help..is he really staying?!?!?" Timmy say: "I love my new home!"

Which brings me to the reason for this post! Brandon and I adopted a puppy last weekend. We've talked about it for a while and well…it just happened. He's not even really what we were looking for, but he picked us for sure! Anyone that knows me knows that I am a huge advocate of rescuing. It breaks my heart every day thinking of how many pups are stranded in the world or being put down at shelters. SPAY AND NEUTER YOUR PETS, PEOPLE! **Off Soap Box**

So – of course, we rescued him and therefore have no idea really what he is. I'm guessing he definitely has some boxer in him, even though he was labeled as the default "we have no idea" breed of a "Shepherd Mix." I don't see it… I'm sticking with Boxer, but I have no idea what with. His paws are huge and he's 3 months old and weighs in at about 26 lbs, so I'm guessing he'll at least get to be about Chloe-sized. And, speaking of Chloe, she's not exactly in love with this idea yet. I've fostered and dog sat plenty of times, but it's as if she knows that little Mr. Timmy Turner is here to stay. I have a feeling though that once he isn't so interested in biting her ears and ankles; she'll lighten up some and really enjoy the company of another pup. I think it'll bring some life back into the old bird! ;) Timmy is super smart. He doesn't cry for too long when it's time for him to go into his crate. I worked with him last night on "sit" and he did great, but when we came in the house to show "dad" he was just too excited and would wiggle and almost get his toosh to the ground, but would jump up in excitement before he actually got down enough to receive a treat. It's a process getting them trained, but as Chloe is proof of, worth every minute. T and I will be working for 30-45 minutes (or until his attention is shot) every night on basic commands. It's fun having a project!

Timothy "Chomper" Turner AKA Timmy





That's all I've got for right now! Lots of exciting things going on this summer though, so there will be many more posts in the future, I'm sure! Stay tuned!

It all started when...

Well, let's see.... I suppose it's time to get you up to date on who I am. It all started when my mom and dad met in their mid-teens.... Just kidding, we won't go there.

Quick recap: (of the past 5 or so years at least)

Graduated from A&M in December of '06 with my degree in Psychology. If only I knew then what I know now... I've made the best of it though. I recruited for the first couple of years out of college. The past (almost) three years I've been working for a petroleum consulting firm downtown. Yes, it's fun working in a high-rise! Love my company, but the job just isn't me.

Family still lives in Arlington. Two little sisters....

Manda - 22

Becca - 20

Now a days, living in North Dallas with the boy. I love living with my best friend and we definitely have a lot of exciting things heading our way! Never a dull moment with this one around...

Due to my lack of interest in the petroleum industry, I've decided to go back to school for nursing. Still in the pre-req stages and though it's frustrating to think about how much is left, I couldn't be happier with this decision. It's always been a desire of mine to be in the medical field, so better late then never.

Last and most importantly (at least she'd like to think so), I'd like to introduce you to Chloe Elizabeth. She's my fur-baby, or dogger if you will. Chloe will be 8 this year and she teeters between grumpy old lady and spunky little pup. We've been thinking a lot lately about adding another 4-legged kid to our family. I think it would keep the spunk in Chloe and get her to be a little more active. Plus I need a running buddy since Brandon and Chloe refuse to join me! ha.

That's all for now folks! Gotta get through the rest of my week so I can get to that 3 day weekend! Doing anything fun for memorial day?

Why Not?

I've done the blog thing before, but with the hustle and bustle of college and beginning a career, life, well, took over...as it does. So, I figure, why not try this again? Right? Right!

I'm in a whole new world now. I live in Dallas with my wonderful boyfriend, work in a high-rise in downtown (so glamorous, I know), go to school for nursing and still manage to have a social life...kinda.

I'll definitely get more out as the mood strikes...don't check back daily. I'm not that kind of blogger! ha!

Until then - it's almost Friday! Yay!