Nashville here I come...

Tonight I've got to finish organizing all the wedding stuff! Then, packing for the weekend...me and James will leave right after work tomorrow for Nashville! I'm super duper excited to get away for a few days and see the family...especially baby Marco :)

I got this book for James cousin Johna. This weekend I'll ask her to be my flower girl and give her this book and the pretty dress I made her!!! I'm sure she'll love it!!! This book though is super cute...I found it at Barnes and Noble and it even has a flower necklace with it. She's gonna be a cutie patootie in her poofy flower girl dress and her long blonde hair curled!

Now, making a mental list the only things I really have left to do are...

• Find/Buy Wedding Dress
• Order Bridesmaids Dresses
• Decide and reserve tuxes
• Choose wedding rings
• Reserve Wedding Day Transportation
• Make reservations at Pink Papaya
• Buy Attendant Gifts
• Order Wedding Invitations
• Hire Videographer
• Prepare a playlist for Reception
• Make reservations for Rehearsal Dinner

Oh and so much more...thankfully most of these I won't have to do till months before the wedding so I have plenty of time!

Hope everyone has a good weekend. I'll post some pictures maybe on Monday of this weekend! :)

Wedding Inspiration!!!!

I cannot wait till the wedding day and to put all my ideas into place. Right now I'm in love with the candy stations for wedding favors. Hopefully, all the kiddo's won't be sticking their hands in the candy dishes :)

I'm officially DONE DONE DONE with changing/adding/removing stuff from our wedding registry!!! I must admit that picking out stuff you want is the best part of getting married...haha. I would have to say my top 3 picks on our registry are....

PINK Kitchenaid Mixer

Vera Wang China Set

Marquis Waterford Candlesticks

Anyways, tonight I've told myself that I MUST get all my wedding stuff organized and all my contracts and dates on the calender! I think I need a wedding planner.... :)

Barnes and Noble here I come!

Sorry long over due...

So I'm a little behind on my blogging...busy busy....but anyways...I had a great weekend in Oklahoma City!!! First night we checked into the Hyatt...which was super cool...its all modern and self check in and out. Here's some pictures of our room...

42 inch plasma tv :)

Seriously the most comfortable bed I've slept in...

Then, after we checked in to the hotel we ventured out to get dinner. Our hotel staff recommended Mama Rojo's...and OMG...it was the BEST Mexican restaurant I've EVER ate at!!! Not only was the food great but just look at what is sits on...

Me and Lori :) (We got a little bored waiting almost an hour to get seated at this place)

But, I would say the best thing was there signature drink! It was like a mix of margarita and a sangria! Yummo!

I seriously don't think I ever was so full in my life...haha. So once we got back to the hotel I was exhausted and ready for bed...especially since we have to get up at like 4am. Now the reason is....well its the whole reason for the trip...and it was.....

That's right!!!!! Biggest Loser casting calls in Oklahoma City! Now, we had stand in line SEVEN hours in 30 degree windy weather to just get an interview...and it was so worth it! The casting call was held at Toby Keith's Bar and Grill...

After standing in line for seven hours this was the best thing I saw ALL day...

THE FRONT DOOR!!!!

Apparently I wasn't fat enough so I didn't get picked but the experience itself was fun and just to get away for the weekend :) I had a blast!!! After we finished at having our interview me and Lori went to the Cheesecake Factory :)

I got the Key Lime Cheesecake!!! :)

Anyways, I've also been busy sewing...yup that's right...sewing. I'm starting to make these little dresses with hair bows to sale. I was asked today at work if there was anything I can't do...haha. I am totally going to be the best mom! Lol

Look how cute...

As you can see its been busy the last few days. This upcoming weekend will be just as busy since me and James are going to Little Rock to celebrate my best friends birthday and then off to Nashville to spend some time with the future in-laws. Also, James got TWO part time jobs yesterday and I couldn't be more proud and thankful of what a hard worker he is...and all for me to have the wedding of my dreams. I love him so much!!! God is GOOD!

Ready Ready for this weekend!!!!!

Last night was such a good night...me and James went to Guido's and ate an "Uncle Vinnie's" pizza :) ! Went to the mall to do a little browsing and shopping. Then we went to his apartment and watched NCIS with his cousin Paul and his girlfriend Anna...where Mary fell asleep...haha.

Anyways....I'm super duper excited about this weekend!!!!! Leave work early, take a little road trip, stay at cool modern hotel, and then Saturday I'll be .....well you'll just have to wait and see! Oh and no it has NOTHING to do with the wedding.

Speaking of wedding...I haven't really said much about that lately. Nothing really new...I did do some shopping today for the reception decor and I'm excited that I can say the total was less then $1500 from linens to flowers. Very very proud of myself!!! Here's some of the items...

APOTHECARY JARS

(To place candy in for the favors)

Its going to look something like this except different colors!

Then here's my centerpeices...I love these 28" trumphet vases!

I'll have tons of these small votive candle holders and these tall votive's.


It'll probably look like this with all the candles...which is my goal :)

Praise Him!

Well I thought I would make a quick post since its pretty slow at work right now. So I have a HUGE praise this week...me and James have been praying so hard the past few months for God to help us provide the money for all the wedding costs and praise God this week we've been blessed with extra money from part time jobs, family, and misc. extras. Last night we received a very nice gift from a family member and we are amazed how good God is to us! Thank you God!

Anyways, me and James are going out on a date tonight and I'm excited to see him! Then, I'm so pumped about my little weekend adventure :) !!!! Oklahoma City here I come......!!!!!!!!!!

Check back this weekend for pictures!!!!!!! :)

So turn to God! Give up your sins, and you will be forgiven. Then that time will come when the Lord will give you fresh strength. He will send you Jesus, his chosen Messiah. Acts 3:19-20

Monday Monday...

It feels like last Monday was yesterday...weird how fast things have been going lately. Like 230 something days till I get married...ya that's right I've lost count...haha. Anyways, the next few weeks are going to be super busy with road trips and going to see the future in laws but I'm going to try to start taking more pictures and posting...especially since I got the camera I had to have! Anyways, the next two nights are bible study nights so I won't be posting and then Thursday I'll be busy packing and getting ready to go to Oklahoma City...and that will be a fun trip...but it's a secret why I'm going...for now...until I get back when I post pictures you'll see why I went! :)

Anyways, just got home from the gym so I gotta hurry and take a shower and watch all my shows I got dvr'd tonight!!!

Valentines Day

Tomorrow is Monday! Where did the weekend go? Well I can say I had a great weekend with the most amazing guy ever! Friday night was just so much fun and definitely "An evening of Romance"...as you know we got tickets for a Valentines event at our church. We got to have our portraits taken, ate lots of chocolate and well food period, and then we got to hear the most amazing song writer and singer I do believe I've ever heard...he's like Robin Thicke and Jack Johnson combined. I so got his new cd with just love songs he wrote for his wife...it'll definitely being playing at our wedding reception :). Here's a picture of him playing the piano and singing...

Ok so funny story that happened on Friday night after we got home. I brought in our "prize" that we got from the event so I could see what was in it...here's the picture of what it is....

So your probably first thinking what is it...well they were centerpeices at the dinner and only one couple got to take it home from each table...well our table gave it to us since we were the only ones engaged and everyone else was married....anyways...we thought candy was in the bag at the bottom...so we open it up and guess what it was...look below....

I was like...omg...no they didn't just give us a bag of rocks! Well James was like no its candy rock..."here try it Mary" well silly me put it in my mouth to find out it was "salt rock" ewwwwwwww I was so mad at him...haha...more of mad at myself for being so gullable. Haha...ok so ya it was kinda funny. Anyways, that was our Friday night :) !!!!

Well I hope everyones Valentines Day was as good as mine :)

Sooooooooooo excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm so excited about tonight!!!!

I'm bringing my camera so I'll be posting tomorrow with some pictures :)

Happy Early Valentines Day!!!!! :)

Today was a great day at work...it went fast...haha. Which is always good when your at work. Every day I thank God for such a great paying job where I get to sit behind a desk all day :). Recently, Walmart laid off more then 700 people here locally and it just makes me even more thankful for my job.

Anyways, after work I met my mom at the mall to shop for a dress to wear tomorrow night. Now, I was very excited to go shopping since I haven't been in forever since we've been saving so much for the wedding. So would you believe I couldn't find ONE dress??? Like seriously...only a few stores had dresses out. Then, the stores that did have dresses I just didn't find anything I liked. So I guess I'll just wear something I already own...sad shopping trip...not one purchase...not even shoes. After that trip I was feeling a little down so I stopped by James real quick and pouted with my face buried in my hands. Then, I hear him saying, "sweetie whats wrong...look at me..." and to my surprise my sweetie pie is standing with 3 things in his hand...and what were they....

A dozen red roses

The biggest balloon I've ever seen...

and the sweetest card and note


I have to admit that I do have probably one of the most sweetest guys out there. He writes the most sweetest notes that are straight from the heart. He's so good to me and he makes me feel so special. I'm such a lucky girl :) !!!!

Time is running out...

So V-day is in like 3 days...and I still haven't gotten my sweetie pie anything. I have some really good ideas but not the cash to back it...haha. I had something planned but it fell through...now the clock is clicking and I'm scrambled. I know its not THAT big of a deal but I really want to do something or get something special for him. I'm super excited for Friday though...I'm going shopping tonight to get a dress and everything.

Last night was another great bible study with the girls. I am beginning to love the book of Esther. Last night Beth went into talking about how God has his OWN timing for everything...He's not on our clock or calender but on His own. Something that as Christians we all know but sometimes we just need it to be drilled in our head :) . Tonight, I'm going to a bible study at FBC of Springdale I've never been to. One of my friends dad teaches the class and its over the book of Romans so I'm sure it'll be good.

Anyways, I better run...gotta get back to work............

I need a redo...

Today was a gray Monday...lets do a recap. First, I was woken up (anyone that knows me KNOWS I'm a bear in the morning...especially if I'm woken up), it started to pour cats and dogs outside right when I had to go into work (which from my parking space to the door its equivalent to Egypt and back...hence the nickname of the parking lot called "Egypt"), then I had to deal with a persistent and rude recruiter at work, and THEN I get the wrath of not ONE but TWO people who were having a bad day and decided to take it out on me. Yeah...it was a GREAT day!

Thankfully, its getting better. My mom cooked me a yummy dinner and I'm in my pj's about to watch some of my favorite tv shows which include....

The Secret Life of the American Teenager


Jon and Kate plus 8

Some times all you need is to be at home to make you feel better...and after today
I can't imagine wanting to be anywhere else!!!

P.S. A little kindness goes a long ways!!!! You just never know what you do and say can reflect on someone else day.

A day of rest...

What a great Sunday to start off a great week. Church was great as always...Ronnie Floyd had a great sermon. I know a lot of people have negative things to say about church or my church in general and to be honest I used to be one of them. One thing I hear a lot about my church is that the people that go there are fake and only go for the social aspect of it and the thing is that at every church there will be people there that are going for the social aspect of it but in all honesty Church is about the fellowship. I also hear bad things about Ronnie Floyd and all I can say is that NO pastor is perfect...they are just as human as everyone else. Anyways, enough of that.

I also got caught up sending emails to wedding vendors, friends, and family. I was getting really behind...I hate when someone emails you and you take like weeks to respond. I've just been so busy and to actually take the time out of the day to sit down and respond to everyone...well it just hasn't been possible lately. Thankfully, though I had a catch up kind of day and I even made a decision on the wedding menu!!! Shocker!!!!??? I know....and the verdict is....

• Chef carved watermelon basket filled with an assortment of fresh fruits
• Selections of Cheddar, Monterey Jack and Hot Pepper Cheeses, bite-sized, and served with an assortment of crackers.
• Roasted Rosemary Pork Loin
• Chicken Pasta Primavera
• Garlic Mashed Potatoes/Au Gratin Potatoes
• Broccoli with Cheese Sauce/ Green Beans
• Three-Green Salad with assorted Dressings
• Dinner Rolls with Butter

As you can see we decided to go the dinner route rather then Hors d'oeuvres. Since it will be a late wedding and the reception is at 6pm I think this menu is better for the time setting we have set. And you know what....I'm completely satisfied with this menu and there is not one thing I would change differently. So now I can turn my attention towards other things like reception decor....oh and now it begins...haha...the fun stuff!!! I tend to be BIG on details...so knowing me I'll go to the extreme in decorating for the reception. I have so many ideas running through my head and I'm excited to get started on this part of the planning. Since the chapel is already so beautiful structurally I plan on NO decorating going on there. So my attention is all on the reception. Woohoo can't wait!

Don't take anything for granted...

Every day I think to myself how blessed I am to have an amazing man in my life. He's sweet, caring, strong, loving, gentle, kind and a man of God...should I go on? I can't even begin to say enough good things about him and the best thing of all is that I am going to marry him and he chose ME!!! I love everything about him...especially the way he makes me feel about myself...oh and his extremely goofy personality....
Hahaha...he's probably going to kill me for putting this picture on here...but this is typical James...playing around and being goofy (I'm trying to be serious taking Christmas pictures but as you can see he's not wanting to take pictures). Anyways, one of my very best friends thats newly engaged called me today crying because her relationship has ended with her fiance. My heart feels for her...I can't imagine what pain she is in right now. Then, with Kelly's prayer blog and the long list of women praying for a godly spouse I feel so blessed to have found my "soul mate" and better yet the guy I've prayed for and my mom has prayed for since I was a little girl. I love the fact that I have NO doubts about marrying James and its even better being told by your family that he's the one for you. So many people out there are in relationships and marriages that are failing and they are unhappy in. I'm so joyful and happy to be marrying a man that everyday I wake up and love him more and more and can't believe I get to spend the rest of my life with him. God is GOOD!

I'm so freaking tired of being sick...ugh

Ok so I went to the doctor a few weeks ago and I found out that I have IBS...which explained a lot. So I got medicine for it and I felt great for like a week...then...I started getting the worst migraines you could ever imagine and they never ended and no matter how much medicine or what I took it never helped. Then, I realized it was probably this medicine I was taking...so I stopped taking it and now the migraines have stopped...only one problem...now my stomach hurts all the freaking time. I can't eat like anything without feeling like I'm gonna die...it SUCKS! However, looking on the bright side it does make loosing weight a lot easier :) .

Anyways, on a funner subject look at this super cute flower girl dress pattern I got and my Aunt Pam is gonna make for Johnna!!! I'm thinking I'll make the dress brown and have the ribbon be pink.

I still haven't decided on the catering menu...but I have plenty of time to decide. However, I do not have plenty of time to decide on our photography package. I still can't decide if I need more then 2 photographers and if I need/want a bridal session. Speaking of photographer...our engagement pictures are in...YAY!!!!!! We used Calotype for our engagement but we are using Thetford for the wedding...and well actually we are doing another set of engagement pictures with Thetford....I know I know...crazy crazy. No wonder I stress so much...haha.

I have like 8 days left till Valentines Day...and I still haven't come up with what I'm going to do for James. We are going to do the "The Evening of Romance" at the Church of Pinnacle Hills. It'll be on Friday (day before V-day) and they'll cater dinner and have Michael O'Brien singing so it should be a lot of fun. Last V-day I made James dinner and got him a book...and he went all out and got me a coach wallet, diamond ring, and my favorite wine. I don't think we'll be able to afford so much this year...haha...but I don't care if I get anything...I'll just be glad to spend the day with my sweetie pie :) .

Mean Girls

Last night I went to my first Beth Moore bible study...and....I LOVED it! I've read her books and I knew who she was but watching her movies and doing this study I have come to love her even more. I would highly recommend any woman to do the Esther study. If I could sum up all the things I learned last night...well it would be a long post. Basically, this study is "its tough being a woman" and the thing that was most heavy on my heart was her discussion about being a "mean girl" and I definitely admit I can be a mean girl at times but it also made me think of friendships I currently have and how some girls can just be mean and not even realize it. Beth said that a TRUE mean girl is a girl who will never admit they are wrong...or they will admit it but never apologize for it...even when its not her fault. I'm one of those people who HATE having people mad at me and I would never want to hurt anyones feelings...so I will apologize...whether I'm wrong or right. Anyways, long story short...the thing that really sunk in was when she said people that are mean to you are only threatened by you and the best thing to do is...like the saying goes..."kill them with kindness".

Anywho....tonight me and James are going to a couples bible study. I'm excited about that!!! Nothing new with wedding stuff...I pretty much have everything done and paid for...yay!!! :)

The fun and easy stuff...

So the picture you see above is the Pink Papaya Bridal Suite that I'm reserving for me and my girls the day of the wedding. The actual wedding day is going to be packed full of activities and pampering. The night before we will all be staying at the Embassy Suites and having one last girls sleepover. Then we'll get up and head over to Pink Papaya to have manicures, pedicures, facials, massages, and then of course hair and makeup. I've found the cutest matching terry clothe pants and hoodies for all of us also to wear the day of the wedding. I've been thinking of what gifts to give my girls...and here are some of the gifts...

I definitely LOVE these sterling silver bracelets!

Compact mirrors with there initials

Monogrammed jewelry bags...I was thinking these would be great to give and have their wedding day jewelry in them.

Engraved key chains

I love these bags!!! I figure I can get these and stuff them with all the goodies and gifts.

Lastly, these are adorable monogrammed photo albums.

I love how all the gifts are personalized. I'm big on monogramming! So this part of the wedding planning is EASY and FUN. I love giving gifts!!! James thinks I'm going a little over board...haha...but I just want my bridesmaids to have a fun day and I want them to know how special they are to me and what good friends they are. I think James is going to give his groomsmen engraved flasks or something like that.

Anyways, enough about wedding stuff. I'm home sick today...I have had a horrible migraine since Tuesday and it gets worst at night which is causing me to have sleepless nights. I'm going to the Doctor this week so hopefully she can tell me whats wrong with me. If its not my stomach its my head. I've been losing weight....and just haven't felt good lately. Thankfully, our power and cable just came on this morning!!!