update

*ONLY 327 DAYS...when i first look at this number it's like, that's a long way away, there's plenty of time, no need to worry or stress now, it's almost a whole year...plenty of time. then i stop-think-and realize that it's only 327 days, and a huge portion of these days i will be student teaching in jackson, then at some point i hope to begin moving to nashville area, then starting in august-all fingers crossed-will be teaching full time over 3 hours away from memphis...so when i think about that, and think about things that need to be done at certain times i realize that 327 days will go by very very very fast...

*drew and i got the first things off of our registry for christmas, we got the cake dome/tray thing from tres and brittany, and we got the first place setting for our "nice" silverware from bobo, we also got a cake pan with lid from ginger-it's got "from the goldsby family" on the top and the pan so that if you take it somewhere you don't loose it...i really like it and the lid is green for drewby

*pretty sure we have decided on a vidoegrapher for the wedding and reception-he's a really cool guy and gave us several discounts so mom could afford it-and i think he "made up" an extra "elementary ed" discount because i told him i was going to be a teacher so we got over a $1000 taken off, and he even put a "no creeper clause" in the contract--long story from when we met him...

*we also met with a dj company and are pretty ok with it-my main concern with the dj was drew but the guy assured us that he would be willing to work with drew's "special" musical taste ;) he also gave us a WONDERFUL idea about our "grand exit"--more of that to come later....

*drew and i also got a good look at the 'fine china' that drew's mom is giving us....i absolutely love it!! however, there is a drawback, there is only a place setting for 8 and we want/need a place setting for at least 12-drew's family would take up that 1 place setting in one sitting so we had to get online and do some digging to see if you could still get it-cause if not, we needed to go find some 'fine china' so i did, and i found some...and it's not that expensive for a 5 piece place setting so it's looking hopeful, if we could just get maybe 5 or 6 people to get us a place setting we would be golden!!

...i believe that is all for now...

...only 327 days away-holy crap!...

long story...

so yesterday morning we got a call and had to cancel the wedding planning plans for yesterday...the planner that we were supposed to be meeting with had a very sick son so needless to say, she needed to be with him-it's all good. so we went on with our day by not doing a thing...until just after 2:00 when my mom got a call from our other wedding planner asking where we were...apparently we were still going to have the afternoon appointments to meet with a florist and a cake company...so we missed our appointment with the florist, but it was ok, michelle-the wedding planner-still met with them and took care of the basic-generic information so we won't have to do that when we go meet with them...

so then we rushed to go meet with the cake people...and it was good, but i wasn't blown away, with either the actual store, the person we met with, or the cake tastes...but i did see some cakes that i liked and i believe i have began to really think about what i like and will want to have at the reception...here are some pictures of cakes that i found on the internet that i like...

-looking at wedding sparklers...attempting to find a good deal, hopefully "the girls" will have a connection to somewhere...
-going to have some meetings tomorrow and hopefully those will go well, ill update later.
-i have fallen in love with this website www.guestbookstore.com and i want to use them, possibly at the wedding, but if not there, then maybe for wedding showers or something like that...absolutely adorable!!

oh, have i mentioned that i am in love with life right now?? and i can't wait to go wedding dress shopping with amanda, dani, and some of my other bridesmaids...

AHHH, we're getting married in 341 days !

MOH x 2

Me with 2 of my favorite people, and now my official maids of honor. i am so excited to share my wedding planning experience and then the day of with these 2 wonderful people.

*so this is not a very good picture

more pictures...

*matchbook with sparkler favor idea...i really like this, and i want to do a sparkler exit...so this would be practical, and hopefully not that expensive.

*look at the isle runner edge things...i really like this, but only if it will be darker in the sanctuary at mullins...if it wasn't darker then it would be pretty pointless...

*when they saw each other for the 1st time before the ceremony...except i don't want all the people watching...awkward, thinking about maybe in the meditation garden at church, or the chapel...

*just think this is really cute, not sure it would work for ours but i think its cute nonetheless...

songs...

so i have been working on a list of possible songs to use for different things-not the reception playlist-that's drewby and the dj's domain, i am working on the sappy meaningful songs for before ceramony, during, and what-not...so here is just a quick list of some of the songs i like, many of them i have stolen off of different wedding blogs and forums and then some off of youtube...i know i am a dork.

-"Love of My Life" by Jim Brickman and Michael W. Smith (really love this as prelude music, or for when the moms and what-not are escorted down the isle)
-"Only Hope" by Switchfoot (just love this song...from A Walk to Remember, but not sure if church would let us have it since it's not traditional "Christian" music even though Switchfoot is on a Christian label...)
-"I Could not ask for More" by Edwin McCain (just love this song...)
-"When God Made You" by ... (kind of cliche, but i love the lyrics to the song...)
-"I Have and I Always Will" by Dave Barnes (absolutly love the lyrics to this song...)
-"When You Say Nothing at All" by Alison Krauss (just love her, and it's the concert we went to the weekend he proposed, and we both LOVE her and Nickel Creek and other music like this...)
-"Sweet Afton" by Nickel Creek (so i really love this song, and i was thinking about using it for a memorial thing...since we have several people that we would want at the wedding that will be watching from Heaven we want to do something special and this song means a whole bunch--RIP Papa, Nana, Aint, Mary, Mamaw, Grandaddy, and several more)
-"Lullaby" by Pedro the Lion (another song that we love that could possibly be used as a "memorial song" but not sure yet)
-"I Knew I Loved You" by Savage Garden (an oldy, but we both love this song...so possible)
...ok, these next songs i found on youtube where this guy is playing them all on piano, and they are freakin amazing, and i would hope that Church would possibly let Will Dougan-if he would-play these like as people are walking in...like before the pre-lude...
-"Everyday" by Rascal Flatts
-"Fall for You" by SecondHand Serenade
-"Apologize" by OneRepublic
-"I'm Yours" by Jason Maraz
-"Love Story" by Taylor Swift
-"Konstantine" by Something Corporate (for drewby)

i think that's about it for now...still trying to come up with a song for daddy and i to dance to, neither of us really like to dance nor like the sappy, generic father/daughter dance songs...so if you have any good ideas let me know.

ok, heading to memphis soon.
love.

ramblings

so this post is going to be just random bulleted points-i apologize...

*i want to do Johnny Appleseed Blessing before people start eating at the reception. if you don't know it's a "camp" type blessing and all those guests that know drew and i from camp will know it and it will just be fun to be loud and continue a tradition that Drew and I hold near and dear...

*i still wish there was some kind of room to give to the kids so they can play and have fun but there just isn't really an extra room...so if you have any ideas let me know, it's going to be an open room with a tent set up just outside...

*i am not sure how, but i want there to be plenty of seats for everyone, even though it's not going to be a sit down dinner, i want there to be seating because it was one problem at one of the previous weddings i went to...

*pictures....lots and lots of pictures...

...ok i think i am done for now...

save the date ideas...

*thought this one is cute...would never fly but i just thought it was fun...

*like this one, only if we could change the colors of it

*same design, different sizes...really like this, and it's basically the color scheme...

http://www.magnetstreet.com/store/home/market/517

getting close to picking colors...

so i think i am getting very close to choosing...here are some pictures of colors that i really like, so yea...

ok, so for the actual ceremony i think i like black bridesmaids dresses...just plain, no sash and my dress be more of a cream, or off white--i am almost 100% that i am not going to wear a WHITE dress, i like the vintage white, or whatever it's called. i also think i want my flowers to be a white or cream hydrangea and the girls to have bouquets of green hydrangeas with a small, little hint of pink...i like the simple colors for the ceremony and bring in the bright colors for the reception...

update on wedding dress shopping

so we went to Low's today and it was fun...didn't try on the dress...but did see one that i want to try on next time, i really like the last dress that i saw but just didn't feel like trying it on...
oh, and didn't take any pictures...didn't really feel in the mood for pictures and didn't love any of the dresses so sorry about that...next time hopefully i will be happier, and enjoy shopping even more.

love you all.

wedding dress shopping

so tomorrow mom and i are going to arkansas to take my grandfather to visit fome family and while we are over there mom and i are going to do our first round of wedding dress shopping. we have an appointment at Low's at 1 and i am excited as well as nervous.
my whole plan is to loose about 15-20 lbs by the wedding, if not a few more, but hey, let's be realistic here. and i am nervous that i am going to get really depressed tomorrow after i try on dresses...i haven't had the best of luck with trying on clothes lately-today i cried in the dressing room at Kohl's because i couldn't find jeans that fit...but anyways.

i am going to browse through dresses online while mom and i watch the 4th Harry Potter...and ill be sure to post some on here.

keep mom and i in your prayers tomorrow--and wish us a little luck too!!

love.

asile runners...

so the carpet at Mullins is blue...and i like blue, just not blue carpet for my wedding, so jamie and michelle said they could fix that with an asile runner...so i started to look up ideas...here are some of them.

so i am at home for a little while and we started talking about wedding planning stuff...here is just a brief overview of what we have talked about.

*the processional song--i let mom listen to the processional song, didn't really want to until closer to the wedding but we already started talking about it. I want to walk to walk down-acutally have the whole party walk down to A Page is Turned by Bebo Norman--mom absolutly loves this!!

*we talked about the ceramony and having certain people sing songs...

*talked about a unity thing...and i thought of painting for our unity thing, like having two different colors of paint and using both of them to paint one thing, or something like that, but turns out you can't paint at church, but maybe i can beg and plead...maybe

*and we talked about asile runners...which is why i have posted pictures below...

so a year from today...drew and i will be married and we will be at our reception and celebrating with all our friends and family!!
getting soooo excited!

so...i was talking to mom and then drew about the grooms cake...and about a week ago my mom sent me the picture of the guitar pick favor things so i got to thinking...
what if we had a guitar pick logo designed for us (could be used in other areas, like a isle runner, invitations, decorations...)and have a small sheet cake made and decorated like the guitar pick would be and then have cupcakes (in order for everyone to get a serving) with chocolate icing and the guitar picks in the top of each cupcake...then the extras as "decoration"...what do you think?

took a break from writing my sr. thesis and creeped on facebook and found these pictures from a photographer...

*reason # 4567 that i want sparklers...so freakin cool!

*these first two are amazing decor ideas...i am liking this shade of green and the natural type of decor. i also LOVE the simple table linens and decorations...simple flowers and candles are what my mom and i have talked about...

*love most of this, i don't like the parts at the very bottom and i am pretty sure that i would want the cake to be colorful, not just plain white...

*LOVE LOVE LOVE this, it's so earthy and cool looking, so so sure how it would look on the glass doors of the church, but i love it still...

*paper lanters...is all i have to say about this picture. also note the groom's shoes ;)

*Bridesmade's Dresses*

love the style, not the color, and with these if someone didn't want to go strapless there could be a shaw to cover the sholders... for the moh(s) a different color ribbon, or flowers, or something.

mom is paying for the church today...wahoo!!!
and i think we have officially set a time for the wedding and reception...
and we're planning on meeting and talking specifics about flowers and food and cake stuff over christmas break...WAHOO!!

it's so wierd to think this time next year i will be #1 teaching in a classroom and #2 getting married in 4 days...holy cow!!

keep drew in your prayers as we continue to plan the first day of the rest of our lives together and keep Gary in your thoughts and prayers as he recovers from gastric bypass sugery.

369 days

*so this is hughes pavilion at the dixon...and hopefully, if all goes well with signing the contract and what not, this will be where our reception will be. it will have to be a 1/2 inside, 1/2 outside but when we went to visit they had a tent set up and they were getting ready for a wedding so we got to see the venue like we would want it...and it's awesome!!

also, right outside, to the left of the picture is an open area with grass and there is a statue/scuplture thing and it's where we took our kindergarden pictures and video so that's really cool and we have already gotten it cleared to take pictures over there..so mom is excited about that...

*more updates soon...

some pictures from the photographer's facebook page...i think these are all from one wedding, but they are some ideas that i like...

*this is a "photo" tree, and i LOVE the idea, but possibly, instead of photos make it be the wish tree, or something like that, i don't know, i'm just rambling

*updates*

*pretty sure we have decided on site for the reception...drumroll please...The Dixon Gallery in Memphis. it's an art musuem with pretty gardens and what not but they built a new pavilion, building thing literally in the middle of the woods a few years ago, and with the help of a tent, and some heaters during late november we will be able to fit our guests into this beautiful area. another plus to this is, in order to book it and have anything at The Dixon, you have to buy a membership and so my mom will be able to go visit the musuem whenever she wants and get some exercise in by walking around and what-not, she's excited about that.

*i also believe i have won the photography battle...i can't "officially" call it yet, but my mom told me today that she has agreed with me the whole process with my favorite photographer...she says "there is just something about her photos..." and i agree, her pictures just make me feel good, and i can actually picture myself, drew, and the rest of my firends and family being photographed by her and i am soooo exctied for when i can finally message her and tell her, but i have to wait for mom to meet with the wedding planners...

*also, on some not so positive note, mom talked with the chruch today and asked about the backdrop that is in the sanctuary...it's a pretty cross, with a wreath and dove on it...it's pretty, but i don't like it, and i really don't like it for the backdrops for my wedding...but the church says we can't do anything about it...boo. so we will have to figure out how to make it work, but that's what jamie and michelle are for


...382 days...

...387 days...

*look at this pretty dress*

...so i was creeping on facebook and looked at someone's wedding pictures and i love her dress...

*love the length of this train...

*love the cut of the dress...

*absolutly love the detail...i am pretty sure it's flowers, but not positive...

our saturday agenda...
9:30am- Phillip Parker Photography in Germantown
10:30am- LaPavillon Site Inspection
11:15am- Botanic Gardens
12- Chickasaw Oakes
1pm- Dixon Gallery
2pm -Kim Miller Ramblin Rose Photography
...this should be a busy but extremely fun day!!

some things i can't wait for...
*getting married
*being barefoot
*pictures
*seeing drew for the first time
*drew and all his guys in cons
*wedding cake
*good music for drew
*gary doing the ceremony
*having my hair did
*starting a brand new chapter of my life
*walking with my daddy
*having my sisters sing to me
*wearing my wedding dress
*honeymoon (hopefully cruise)
*getting my new last name
*sparklers
*honoring those who will be watching from heaven
*pretty flowers
...there are sooo many more things that i can't wait for, this is just the tip of the iceberg!!

so we met with a wedding photographer on thursday...starla steward. i found her via facebook through one of my friends i graduated with...she's young and i really like her.
we met at books a million here in jackson and one of our wedding planners drove up here to meet and i really really liked her, we clicked, and if you know me, it takes a special person for me to click with...anyways, the wedding planner likes her, but isn't too sure about her experience-or lack there of-and her prices.
so i am kinda hoping that they can negotiate a deal for a lesser price so that we can have her taking our pictures...but, be proud, i am keeping my options open.

more to come later, on saturday we are taking several tours of possible reception sights, that should be fun!!

the story...

*this is what i finally posted on facebook*

so, today we spent another day wedding planning and i realized that i still have yet to post "the story" for all to read. so if you have yet to hear the story, read on...

This whole story really began last semester when Drew brings up this " i have a surprise for your" idea and wouldn't tell me a thing. For those of you who know me, i don't just let stuff like that go, i wanted to know what it was. So i whined until he finally gave me this clue, "in the summer we will goto union station to see the led balloon" and that was it. Nothing more.--This was in late April.
Well, the semester went on, finals came and went and the summer began. I was going to be working at Lakeshore again as P.U.F. and once camp started I really didn't think much about the surprise other than wanting to know when it was going to happen--with no idea about the "big question" possiblities. So the summer came and was going and finally during check-out one Saturday Drew surprised me while we were still working check out. Once we were done with our parking lot responsiblities i walked with drew down to his truck where he had a dozen roses-beautiful- waiting in his truck. When he handed me the roses there was an envelop in the stems of the roses. I opened the envelop to find 2 very amazing tickets to see Alison Krauss and Robert Plant in Nasvhille that night-like I am talking AMAZING tickets-6th row, floor, about 4 seats from center...GREAT tickets.


*view from our seats...

So we went out to lunch with everyone else-thanks Kathy and Dave for lunch, and then packed up my stuff and headed to Nashville. We got to where we were staying and got ready for the concert-I still have NO idea...we get downtown and start looking for somethign to eat and we end up at Melting Pot-one of our favorite places...but that wasn't planned-promise! After dinner we head to the concert, it was amazing and apparently i was really close to touching the ring box when i was getting my phone out of his cargo pocket-the one on the side of the shorts...but he got it for me.

after the concert...
Anyays, we leave and go back and i pass out on my bed. The next morning we have to get up so i can get back for staff meeting and the prepartions for the next week at camp. Like usual i slept almost the whole way back to camp and as we were rounding the final curves to camp drew is like "i want to goto the creek, i haven't been there in forever, go with me" and i didn't want to go, i needed to do laundry, take a shower, and just get ready...so i said no and drew dropped it. so he drove me by my cabin to get my laundry and we took it to the laundry room and he asked me to goto the creek again...i fianally gave in, so we drove out there and parked and walked back there. for those of you who aren't familiar with camp..."the creek" is literally a creek where the campers go creekstopming and there is a great little clearing which is great for worships, or star watching, or cloud watching...you get the picture. well at the creek there is a spot where all the kids get "dunkatized" in the deep in and thanks to James Powers and his troop there is now a great bridge jsut past this "deep end" and we were standing on this and talking.
the story continues after this explanation--about the only discussion Drew and i had about "the ring" is that he was going to get me a "polished rock on a string" so as we were standing on the bridge we were talking about the creek, and the trees, the anilmals making noise, the little fish, and the rocks. the drew looks at me and was like, what would you say if i had another surprise? and my only response was "what have you done samuel..." the next part is fuzzy, and we both don't really remember much of what was said other than "...will you marry me..." and "...yes..."








to answer some questions...
-yes he got down on one knee
-yes i did cry
-no there aren't pictures of the actual question
-yes he picked it out on his own
-no i didn't know it was commin...


we are planning our wedding for November 21, 2009...

really cool idea for an isle runner

wedding planner

so it's official, we have a wedding planner!!
mom went and put the deposit down and signed the contract this morning. so with that the ladies are going to start getting together some venues for us to look at and start helping with budget stuff and everything else inbetween!
below is their logo and website...i couldn't figure out how to link it so...

i am starting to get more excited as well as nervous and terrified. if you'll keep all of us in your prayers that would be fabulous!




www.sb-events.com

just browsing...

*i like this one...only if the overlay went all the way down...

i don't even know where to begin...

so it's happening, we're getting married. the planning begins but i have no idea where to start. luckily i have convinced my mother to go the wedding planner route and i believe we have found the perfect one! we had a meeting with 2 last friday and one stood out over the other and i think/hope my mom agrees. the one i like are young, hip, but yet are really ready to give drew and i what we want-not what they want...so i'm excited to get working with them. we also went and looked at 2 different venues in memphis, Hillwood at Davies Plantation and Minglewood-which used to be the old Strings and Things building and warehouse. both really cool but completly different so i have noooo idea.

i have gotten all the wedding magazines, and have looked at the websites and what-not...i just don't even know where to begin.

so for all those married women out there that have some advice, please give it!!

maybe i am a girl...

so as much as i didn't want to do this...i have to have a place to vent-for my sanity for the next 13 months-holy crap, 13 months doesn't sound like a whole bunch now that i think about it...

anyways, not that anyone else is going to be reading this, i plan on using this as a place to keep myself organized with wedding plans and what-not...and i'm not going to lie, i got the idea from my grandmother-christie, who had an amazing blog, that i so stalked her on and looked at quite often.....

so love me or hate me for it, i don't really care.

so here it goes...wedding planning for the next 13 months!!! YAY!