Updo or don't

Maybe it's the planner in me, but I'm knee deep in wedding festivities and am l.o.v.i.n.g. it.  It's not just planning for the shower either- I had so much fun in Charleston, SC for my girlfriend's bachelorette party and have loved weighing in on wedding ideas.  I took the friday before my friend Ashley's wedding off and got really excited when she emailed that day's agenda as well as the itinerary for the entire weekend.  I mean who doesn't love manis, pedis, mimosas, cake and getting dressed up? Seriously.

However, amidst all the excitement I'm starting to panic a bit about my hair.  We're in these beautiful orange, flowy, floor length dresses and the bride is providing gold jewelry and our sandals.  So, literally all I am responsible for is choosing a hairstyle... and I'm struggling.  What do you think about the below looks?  Go ahead, cast your vote- it would really help me make a decision and move on to bigger and better bridesmaid responsibilities.

 

Option 1: Messy 

 

Option 2: Curly to One Side

 

Option 3: Curly Straight Back

Option 4: Braided 

Maaaainnneee

Portland Head Light

As promised, Jake and I went to Maine for five days to celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary and it was a-w-e-s-o-m-e.  A little known fact is that despite being together forever this trip marked the first time we flew on a plane with each other.  Isn't that strange?  

Anyway, we left for Boston at o'dark thirty and once there, took the "downeaster" to Portland.  Portland is a foodie town right on the water.  There are tons of shopping boutiques, breweries, restaurants, and art galleries... it's definitely my kind of town.  We did a little shopping and a lot of eating and walking around for two days, it was the perfect balance.

Next on the list was Newry which was a couple hours from Portland and is best known for the Sunday River ski resort turned Fall festival when we passed through.  This town made it on our list as a way to break up the trip and gave Jake an opportunity to get some exercise in by signing up for their 12 miles Mountain Epic trail run.  He asked if I wanted to do it (or one of the shorter distances) but I think you all know what my answer was.  He ended up doing well despite spending the first 30 minutes straight running uphill and having to climb 8 summits total.  Are you starting to see how appropriate naming the race, Mountain Epic, was?  (As a side note, Jake is using the word "epic" way too much since we've been home).

After just one day in Newry, we finally made our way to Bar Harbor... and it was worth the wait!  There wasn't a thing about the town of Bar Harbor that I didn't like.  We rented a small cabin close to Acadia and spent most of our time in the park sightseeing.  I have a good story to share about one of our park adventures but that's worthy of its own blog, so stay tuned.

We wrapped up the trip by driving back down the coast, stopping in Freeport, and spending just a few hours in Portland again before catching the bus back to Boston.  I had such a great time and was happy to celebrate our anniversary together in such a fun place!  If Maine isn't already on your radar as a travel destination it should be now.  I could tell you more if you're interested... for now enjoy a handful of photos from our trip!

Bass Harbor Head Light

Barn in Newry

 

Sand Beach in Acadia

Thunder Hole in Acadia

View from the top of Cadillac Mtn in Acadia

weekend trip to charleston

I just got back from Charleston, SC and L O V E D it (it was my first time visiting)!  I went down with my Mom for my cousin Anthony's wedding and had so much fun with my family.  We stayed at the Mill House Hotel right downtown and tried out as many things as we could before it was time to head back.  I ate at a couple cute restaurants, my favorites being Toast and the famous Poogan's Porch, and walked every square inch of their market.  The wedding was beautiful and despite all the rain it was a great weekend!

I wish I had pictures to share but Jake took our camera to Haiti... more on that soon!  Well, here is one of the happy couple that I stole from Facebook!

Anniversary Weekend in Manteo

 Manteo carries a lot of significance for me and Jake.  Its where we got engaged, 11 months later honeymooned, and then 12 months after that celebrated our one year anniversary!  As a matter of fact, I don't know that another town has more meaning to me right now at this stage in my life.

Since it holds sentimental value and is just over 2 hours away, it was easy enough to go there for the weekend to get away, relax, and celebrate.  We stayed at the same Inn that we did last October and made sure to hit our favorite restaurant, the Outer Banks Brewing Station.  We had plans to do dinner at Adrianna's, the site of one our all-time favorite dinners, but a wedding was going on there so we hit another local place instead.  It was a pretty chill weekend, which is exactly what we wanted!

Oh, and on Sunday we picked out a pumpkin from a Farmer's Market on the way home... something we put off last year and never got around to doing.  I'm pretty excited about it actually!  I can't wait to show you pictures after we carve it, but for now I'm keeping secret what its going to look like.

One Year!!! Can I Get a Woop Woop?

One year ago today Jake and I tied the knot!  Can you believe it?  We hardly can.  

I know a lot of people say this, but it really does feel like our wedding just happened.  I can still remember the day perfectly and its hard to tell where the past twelve months went.  A lot has changed and some things have stayed the same, but I can tell you the transition to living together after our wedding taught us a TON about one another!  Here are some things I've learned about Jake over the past year, that the 8 years of dating beforehand didn't reveal:

1. Jake loves to wear just his boxers, no matter what time of day it is.  Personally, I don't see the appeal say at 1pm on Saturday, but it's who he is.

2. Jake is isn't a morning person, despite what he might say.  Sure, he'll get up early to get a good workout in, but unless he has had breakfast its not a good time to talk to him.

3. Speaking of food, he can eat the same thing day after day after DAY and he loves to combine the strangest ingredients for these meal experiments.  A perfect example is his daily breakfast (aka his "Happy Time"): yogurt, bananas, milk, granola, and melted peanut butter... all mixed together in one bowl.  Gross.

4. Still on the subject of food, the grocery store is one of his favorite places.  Jake averages about 3 trips to the grocery store a week.  Nothing big, some bananas from Trader Joes, spinach from Kroger, and whatever else we may need come Sunday.

5. Jake isn't above reading my women's beauty and home decorating magazines.

6. He doesn't clean and he doesn't want to.  This is something I'm still working on with Jake, but so far the most I've gotten out of him is a few loads of laundry, trash taken out, and the stairs vacuumed (which actually happened for the first time today).

7. Jake has a way of showing that he does listen at the most random times.  I've found he'll do something for me based off an off hand comment or suggestion I made and forgot about myself! 

8. He is quick to forgive and forget.  So often I find myself trying to offer an explanation with my apology and every time he stops me and says he's already forgotten about it.  It's something I am trying my best to offer him as my first response as well.

9. Jake leads by example.  He is a man of God and shows me on a daily basis that our faith must be our top priority if we want everything else to fall into place according to God's plan.

10. He knows exactly who I am and happily married me anyway.  No one is perfect and being married sometimes bring those imperfections to light.  The key is to learn from them so we can love each other better.

That's just a few of the things I've learned and I'm sure his list about me would be just as awesome.  If I had to guess a few of the things he would say they'd probably be:

1. I'm a she-devil if disturbed before my alarm goes off.

2. I have really bad morning breath (I'd have to agree with him on this one, but I can't help it!  I have excellent oral hygiene).

3. I'm a good sport when it comes to what to watch on tv or rent at Redbox, unless it's multiple recordings of Colbert Report.  Don't get me wrong, I like him, but 30 minutes a day is sufficient... or else he'd record a longer show.

4. I am a treat monster... and always have been.

5. My showers last too long and I use too much toilet paper (He actually just commented, "You use a roll of toilet paper a day!" which is totally an exaggeration).

6. I spend too much time at Target.

7. I'm sensitive and speak my mind, which isn't always a bad thing.

8. At times I can be funny, but probably not as funny as I think I am (I made him laugh out loud this past weekend and was SO proud of myself).

9. I'm generous and have big heart when it comes to others, which rubs off on him.

10. I challenge him to be a better version of himself... I think this goes both ways.

There will be so much more to learn about each other over the years and I'm looking forward to it.  Nothing beats coming home every day to your best friend and being able to share life's big and small milestones with them.  It's simple, Jake is my person.

Here are just a few shots from our wedding!

week one: mid-week laughs

E, Myself, and I has started a new blog series and as a friend of hers and fellow blogger I decided to participate! As you can see, "mid-week laughs" will be happening each Wednesday and this week's topic is:

_________ makes me laugh about WEDDINGS!

I'll go ahead and fill in the blank with...

The re-purpose shuffle makes me laugh about WEDDINGS!

You know how you see certain items at the ceremony magically appear for display at the reception? That's what I mean when I say re-purpose. I'm not making fun of this effort because I appointed someone to conduct the shuffle at my wedding (thank you Sallie Ray), but it never ceases to amaze me .

I mean really think about it. How often do you show up to a reception and see the altar flowers on the entry table and the guest book already neatly displayed? Let's give the shuffler of said items some credit because in the time it took you to mosey from the ceremony to the reception the shuffler discretely grabbed all items on the bride's move list, somehow beat you to the party, set everything in place, and has a drink in one hand and a hors' dourve in the other! Amazing.

As a matter of fact, the wedding I went to this past weekend was no exception to this magic act. Upon arrival I was first greeted by wreaths on the country club doors, striking a strong resemblance to the ones hung on the church's doors 20 minutes beforehand. Next, I saw the the mantle adorned with an arrangement that I know I saw on the altar. On top of that, I assume the guest book was moved too (but that I can't confirm). The crazy thing is that I was hanging outside of the church and never noticed the wreaths being grabbed or a flower arrangement of any type being shuffled out... that's how good these people are! Its insane and I love it. It is just a tiny bit of insight into all the behind the scenes planning and work that goes into

Of course I noticed the new home for all these items because I requested the exact same things make it from the church to my reception site as well!

Wreaths on the church doors at my wedding.

Wreath at my reception. Enough said.

all you need is love

This weekend Jake and I set out for Roanoke, VA to attend both a wedding and a funeral. Our good friends Justin & Katie were tying the knot and Jake's family was coming together to mourn his MaMaw Williams' recent passing. Both occasions were taking place within 15 minutes of each other, making it very easy to be everywhere we needed to be- no doubt a blessing from the Lord.

I don't want this reflection to be dark, because the weekend wasn't. Both Jake and I had such a sense of joy when we sat with his family because his MaMaw had a beautiful life. She had 91 years filled with love and laughter and left behind an absolutely wonderful legacy (something to the effect of 7 grandchildren, 13 great grandchildren, and 1 great great grandchild). She was a God fearing woman and I have no doubt she is heaven, which is something to be celebrated.

For being an emotional person, I tend to handle funerals very well. There is a peace in knowing that people have moved on to a better place and that in some cases suffering has ended. My heart goes out to the family always, but I know where their rest and comfort must come from.

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."- Matthew 5:4

The biggest thing that was made so clear over the weekend is the importance of l o v e. The thing that was touched on time and time again regarding Jake's grandmother was that she loved her family, friends, and the Lord so well. This theme of love carried into the wedding too. While at one event we were celebrating the end of a life full of love, at the other we were celebrating just the beginning.

Justin and Katie are two people who love those around them so well and now they have a new challenge to love each other in this sacred commitment of marriage. Katie's sister's toast went on to talk about how this love between Katie and Justin was a love they could trust for so many reasons and I think everyone at their wedding agreed wholeheartedly. I know I did.

All in all I was touched to see two very separate occasions share an important truth, and that is that we are designed to love. I know Jake felt encouraged by the experience as well and I'd like to think we are a little bit closer because of it. Here is to to the hope of our own 66 years.

Christmas in July

First I want to start off by saying that I've always wanted to have a Christmas in July party, but that isn't what this blog is about.

I came home today to a box from Bed, Bath, & Beyond with a wedding gift in it!!! How awesome is that? It was totally unexpected and that made it that much better. I know people have up to a year to send a gift but we've been married nearly 10 months, which is pretty close to that, so I never saw it coming! Regardless it was a nice surprise!

Speaking of wedding gifts, we've been having to buy a lot of them lately and I love it! I just really enjoy checking out people's registries to see their plate choices, color schemes, etc. and then putting together a themed gift from it! I would much rather run through searching for items on a wedding registry than a baby registry- that's for sure!

Taking Liberties with a Couple’s Registry- Good or Bad?

I vote, “good”, but I have to set some conditions. Hear me out.

(Oh, and just to explain the sudden influx of wedding related blogs, I am doing some lifestyle writing for our company blog and weddings was the topic of choice! With that on the mind, it's influencing what I write here.)

Some couples are comfortable registering for higher end gifts while others try to keep the expense reasonable to low for their guests. If you’re trying to get out of a high end gift for couple A by getting them a less expensive version, please STOP yourself and just give money or a gift card in the amount you’d like to spend. This would be an example of when it is bad to take liberties with a registry.

Now, if you’re trying to upgrade couple B’s gift to something nicer than please proceed, just make sure to attach a gift receipt. It may seem strange, but there could be a legitimate reason they opted for the $39 microwave over the $100 one. Perhaps they have limited space in their apartment and couldn’t have the larger capacity microwave… who knows, but they certainly won’t be offended that you tried to offer them something nicer. Not to mention I bet they will appreciate the difference they receive back on a gift card at the store too!

This topic may seem out of the blue, but it wasn’t. I recently found myself in this dilemma, but instead of a $39 microwave, it was a $24.99 toaster from Target. Here’s what happened:

I was shopping was a bridal shower present at Target, but because I waited so long there weren’t a lot of items left that were $35 or less. I did however come across the toaster oven this couple asked for as being in stock and within my budget. When I located in the proper isle I couldn’t believe my eyes. First of all, at that price I thought I was looking for a regular toaster. I was wrong. Secondly, this was the sorriest toaster oven I had ever seen. No wonder it was only $25. That might be coming across as snobby, but that isn’t my intention or tone at all! Honestly, our toaster oven is one of the appliances my husband and I use most at home! When I saw this little guy I couldn’t bring myself to buy it. I decided to move on to another store they registered at and got lucky. Apparently they only registered for their place settings and coordinating serve ware from said store and those items were online only. BUT, coincidence would have it that another bride had returned some pieces from this pattern to that store AND everything returned was under $35. I was beaming, this was perfect! I picked up 4 fruit bowls in their pattern and was on my way.

But wait just a minute- that wasn’t the end of the toaster oven dilemma… no, not for me, I was still distraught. When my husband came home I immediately recapped my shopping experience and toaster oven discovery. He of course agreed with my decision to forgo the purchase and go with the fruit bowls (we use ours every day). This was when I first considered a registry upgrade. Before this date something like this had never crossed my mind. I don’t know if being married put me into this comfortable category of feeling versed in house wares and kitchen appliances or what, but I do know that I felt strongly about them getting a nicer toaster oven. I explained to my husband that I couldn’t leave it at just not buying the little guy for them, because that ran the risk that someone else might! I insisted that we purchase them the same toaster oven we received for our wedding. I mean, we know from experience that it’s awesome and it was expensive enough that if they opted to exchange it for something else they would have a decent amount of money to play with. So there you have it. A simple enough explanation for how this topic came about and how I came to stand firm in my opinion of what to do, should you ever face the same one!

you can go with this, or you can go with...

this.

( reread that with the KIA hamster rap commercial in mind- do you have the beat?)

Wedding Season- How to Make it Through

We're knee deep in wedding season and the end seems far. I want to start off by clarifying that I am a huge fan of weddings- in fact, I would dare say I love them. I love seeing friends, eating good food (or hoping to), seeing the bride's vision and all of her efforts unveiled, and of course, I just adore watching the newlyweds! BUT (and you knew this was coming) weddings hit in waves and can truly wear on you. It's not like after you've gotten a few under your belt they get easier or less exhausting. Sure maybe navigating through Target or Macy's to grab those registry items is, but the travel, outfit selection, and money spending isn't.

I consider myself a generous person when it comes to gift giving- it's one of my love languages. So for me, it's hard to have weddings come along so close together because it starts to limit what I'm able to give. A lot of people say its not about the gifts, its about being part of their big day and that is true... to an extent. A lot of the weddings we are attending are for young christian couples just starting out and they have n o t h i n g. I can identify with this place of need. Nine months ago when Jake and I tied the knot, he was a student and I was the only one working (and I wasn't bringing home the bacon...it was more like bacon bits). We were moving into an apartment with no furniture of our own and an assortment of plates & cups from college. We didn't own a single pan; so for us, the gifts we registered were things we really needed to get started and we genuinely appreciated each and every gift we received.

So how can one get through this season without compromising their preferred caliber of gift or checking account? Plan, plan, plan. As soon as I hear a couple has set a date it goes on my calendar! Then I scope out their registries. I try and buy the gift early enough that there is still a selection within my price range. Also, keep an eye out for coupons. The Bed, Bath, and Beyond coupons never expire (pay no attention the marked expiration date) and I have had a ton of success with online coupon codes. When it comes to Crate & Barrel or Pottery Barn I search high and low online for free shipping- those are dollars that could go toward the gift!

At the end of the day it isn't the couple's fault that your cousin, college roommate, and friend of the family is getting married the same month... so don't let the unrelated events affect each other. Plan ahead.

not so lucky

This week I was in New Orleans for work and I honestly had a really good time (Sallie- don't worry, Law & Order was not watched at any point). The event itself went off without a hitch and everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves- which means I did my job well. The only two problems I came across were personal ones... and I must say they came close to getting the best of me.

The first incident involved my Pandora bracelet. I was rushing to make an 8am meeting with the AVP of Marketing, so of course I couldn't be late, when I grabbed my Pandora bracelet and fought to get it hooked on. For those of you who own a Pandora, you know they can be tricky to get on. So, without having the time to waste I clenched it in my hand and decided to put it on once I got there. As I was walking I saw a charm fly across me and onto the sidewalk- I knew it belonged to me and immediately felt frazzled. I started searching the ground and found not one, but two charms on the ground (nowhere near each other). This of course made me check to see how many had fallen- my assessment led me to realize I had dropped 4 of my charms... out of 5 total! At about $30 a piece this had me upset. I looked quickly around me and had to decide whether to be late and continue my search or move on and hope that they'd still be there afterward. I moved on. When I finally left the meeting, my friends and I took to the streets in search of the remaining two. The sandcastle (my only charm from Jake) was found closer to my hotel and had been completely run over by a car. I held onto it anyway, despite the opening was closed from compact, call me sentimental. The other dolphin charm was never recovered. We came to the conclusion that with its round shape it was most likely stuck in the tread of someone's tire. How depressing.

As if that whole scenario wasn't bad enough, the next one proves my luck could in fact get worse. The following incident took place on Friday at the airport. Let me set the stage...

I had to get my Friday travel approved since our show officially ended on Saturday, but our friends, Tzu & Diana, were getting married so it was important that I catch a flight that gave me time to travel from Raleigh to Wilson. Well low and behold, when I got to the airport my flight was canceled!!! I had no clue until I was in the United line to check my bag. It was u n b e l i e v a b l e. I waited in line for 3 hours- THAT IS NOT AN EXAGGERATION- before I finally spoke to an agent. They of course had NO flights going out that evening because it was a small enough airport that flights weren't scheduled after 7ish... and wouldn't you know I didn't make it to the counter until 7pm!!! They put me on the first flight out the next morning and stuffed me at a nearby hotel with a $15 meal voucher. The story gets better, but I honestly don't want to think more about it- it was that awesome of an experience.

To end on a positive note, I met Nancy from Sacramento and we had dinner together and shared a cab at 4am the next morning. She was this cute older woman and we exchanged contact information. Who knows, if I'm ever in Sacramento I might give her a call.

No goodbyes, just an I'll see you later

Today after work I met my good friend Meredith for a farewell dinner and stuck around for dessert with some of her other girlfriends. Meredith and Marty have been preparing over the past few months for a move to St. Louis and tonight marked Meredith's last night in Norfolk. I don't want to come across as sappy, but I'm sad that one of my closest friends is moving so far away. At the same time, they are moving so Marty can attend Seminary, and I know that this is the right move for them.

After giving my "see you later" hug I headed home (with tear-filled eyes, of course) and was thinking of my favorite memories with Mere. I met her at Virginia Tech and lived with her in the Hasselhouse for two years. We graduated the same year and both moved to Tidewater immediately afterwards. Over the past three years I've watched Meredith start her career as a kindergarten teacher, get married and celebrate three anniversaries, move twice (St. Louis makes three), shop for houses, buy a new car, grow attached to Norfolk, embrace birthdays, and so much more. Likewise, Mere has seen me get engaged and then married, start my job, get involved with a church, make close friends at work, train and actually run in races (unlike the Shamrock 5K that we just walked to pick our shirt up for), apartment shop, gain and lose weight, plan for Tank and so on. I am so excited for this new chapter in her life and am happy to continue watching her hit these milestones! I hope this post doesn't come across as dark or depressing, because it really isn't meant to be! Besides, I didn't get her a going away gift, so this is sort of my little tribute that can count as that!

Here are just a few pictures taken over the years!

Let me introduce Meredith Cates

... and myself

First off, can I just ask how these two personalities got to be so close? You wouldn't think we would be, but I promise we are in fact friends... good ones too!

bonding at a birthday celebration

more bonding

Mere's return to the Hasselhouse after she got engaged

hanging out at the beach house the day I got engaged

Mere's bridal shower

... and mine

celebrating with her girls before the big day

... and me getting ready to do the same

Mere and Marty's wedding

... and mine and Jake's

In time I hope to add to these photos things like pictures of our first homes, baby showers, and hopefully more memories made back on the east coast! Until then, I'll settle for phone calls, g chats, and hopefully a visit here and there!

shower is just another word for downpour

By now I'm sure you know my feelings about Babies R Us- I hate that place (and that's putting it lightly)! It's like the mecca for soon-to-be/new parents, but it's pretty much a nightmare for everyone else. If you haven't been to one take my word for it AND remember, if you have the choice between Babies R Us or Target, ALWAYS, I'll repeat, ALWAYS, choose Target.

Anyway, lately I've been bouncing around from shower to shower- the majority being for babies and it has been exhausting. Not only do I have to seek out the perfect themed gift (which I take very seriously) but I also have to dedicate a few hours to the event itself. Please don't take this rant to mean that I don't enjoy showers...because I definitely do, I just prefer they be spaced out. I'm not exaggerating when I say I've been to 4 in the past month and a half- it's intense! I used to look forward to the cute invitations when they came in the mail, but now they present themselves like a dark cloud with a chance of downpour over my day! I hate that I feel this way!

So, what is the point of all this? Well...I'm feeling especially guilty for sending in my regret for an upcoming shower (a family one at that)! This was my first invite to one of Jake's family events as his wife and I really wanted to go and sort of be part of the family yatta yatta yatta. But this weekend in particular I have a wedding the day before just couldn't do it. Every once and awhile we have to realize our limitations- and after I put together her gift (I'll be sending one in my absence of course) I just don't know that I can recoop in time for the event itself on Sunday. Needless to say, my sister-in-law has excused my absence, but I still feel awful!