City Girl Meets Country Boy

Our Love Story Link Up!

2012-02-09T09:21:00.000-06:00

I am linking up for the first time! Thanks to Taylor at "Goings on in Texas.." - The link up originated from "From Mrs. to Momma" and will continue until Valentines Day! <3

Link up button:

Taken Ladies {There is a Single Ladies version if you click the button above :-)}

1. How long have you and your significant other been together?

We met 2/26/2012 & have literally been attached at the hip ever since - sooo coming up on 3 years! However, our engagement anniversary is 4/24/2010 - so going on two years of engagement here shortly! WHOOP!

2. How did you meet? {What's your "love" story?}

We met one fateful night on the infamous College Station, TX Northgate!! Henry saw an old friend & myself dancing dreadfully at Daisy Dukes just as my friend slipped & busted her butt! As we drunkenly (yes I know how classy & romantic - we were in college, just turned 21, stop judging. :-P haha)....drunkenly stumbled over to the carpool line (aka volunteer organization of sober students who drive drunk students home) where Henry just happened to stumble over to also!! He saw my friend & immediately said, "Hey! You're the girl who ate it!" Then he plopped down next to me on a concrete bench behind the Dixie Chicken & started up a conversation. An hour + later after laughing & talking like old friends, Henry whipped out his phone & asked for my name - not my number. Odd? Followed by, "Ill find you on Facebook!" lol Next morning = friend request from Henry - talked via FB for a week, met up at my roommates party the next Friday, hit it off wonderfully & were attached at the hips from then on! The love story continues....

3. If married, how long have you been married? If not, is this the guy you hope to marry? {do tell}

I hope to marry him, & grow old & wrinkly with him too!! We are currently talking about being 80 years old, one of us in the hospital & sneaking out or playing chess lol Literally, as I type this, he is talking. haha

4. If you are married, where did you get married at? Big or small wedding? If not, where would you like to get married? And will it be big or small?

Getting married October 13, 2012 - We are getting married at Double Creek Crossing in Caldwell, TX - perfectly in between both families! We hope to have ~150 guests.

5. Do you have any nick-names that you call one another? Do share!

Not any serious ones - we aren't the "sweetie" "honey" "baby" kind of couple & if I put our joking ones, you'd think we hated each other. So - nah, no nicknames :-D

6. Name 3 things you love most about your honey.

He is honest - brutally honest I might add

He is my true Country Boy - aka fishing/hunting/four-wheeling/bonfire/truck loving country boy

He has the same strong passion to explore & understand other cultures as much as I do!

7. Tell us how he proposed? Or your ideal proposal?
Well this is a long one - sorry! haha
Henry had planned to propose to me on April 23, 2010 due to my favorite number being 23 and I always make a big deal anytime anything is 23. Sadly, I was in the hospital that night & all his long hard planning had to be post-poned. Saturday, my girlfriends & I had plans to get ready together for a thing called "Ring Dance". After getting our hair done Danni told me she wanted to go take pictures by the Dixie Chicken where a friend recently had gorgeous bridal portraits done. I thought taking photos was a brilliant idea because I am really big into scrapbooking. Danni, Lauryn, & I finished our make-up & getting ready at Danni's while my mom, dad, sister, Trevor, Henry, & Cody all waited patiently.
Henry & I rode separate from everyone & pulled up behind northgate. I texted Danni, "Okay right now, while we are out taking photos would be perfect for a proposal! Friends, Family, all dolled up. Gah!" She replied, "I know :( I'm sure he will plan something amazing!" I said to her, "I know, but I want a ring now lol".
Everyone had beat us there & were waiting behind the Dixie Chicken. As Henry & I walk up, some guy is leaning against his car texting & looks as if he is waiting for someone. We go off to the side & start hugging while what I thought was everyone else discussing where they wanted to take photos first. Henry & I have a habit of keeping each other very entertained, even when in a big group, & spend a lot of time talking to each other. haha Henry said he loved me, & I said I loved him too, Henry then says "You know this is the spot where we met, right?", I smile & reply, "UH HUH, I love you so much!" gave him a kiss, he then began to get down on one knee. I immediately began shaking & tearing up. My friends later told me I had said, "No! No you aren't! No you aren't". I could not believe that what I had just been telling Danni, what I had dreamed of, was now becoming reality. Henry asked with the ring in his hand "Will you love me forever?". Without looking at the ring, both of us tearing up, I grabbed his face with a huge smile & said "YES" & pulled him up to give him a kiss. He then said with a smile, "Will you change your facebook status to engaged with me?" just like he had when we first started dating & put the ring on my finger. That is when I realized the odd guy texting was a photographer he had hired to take photos & everyone had already known the whole time that he was going to propose. To make things better, Henry's mom, dad, & two nieces came out from hiding, as well as friends Emily and Kristin. (They had been waiting since 6 pm for us to show, but since I didn't know anyone was waiting, we took our sweet time getting ready & they waited patiently in hiding hehe) It was a dream come true to have friends & family present, as well as a photographer to take amazing photos, in the exact spot where it all began.

8. Is he a flowers and teddy bear kind of guy for v-day, or strawberries, champagne, and rose petals?

Seeing as how my fiance REFUSES to buy me flowers except on 3 rare occasions {he thinks it is a waste of money} he is more of the champagne, surprise massage/hotel, fancy dinner kind of guy.

9. Are you a sunset dinner on the beach kind of girl, or pop a movie in and relax on the couch?

When I lived closer to the beach, I would prefer sunset picnic on the beach - but living in the middle of Texas has happily made me a movie-in/relax on the couch kind of girl :-)

10. Tell us one thing you'd like to do with your significant one day. If you could do anything? Go anywhere?

I would love to live in another country - preferrably in Europe! Learn a new language too - which we are learning Italian together! Yippee!

11. Tell us what you plan on doing on this Valentine's Day.
On Valentines day we don't really have plans {other than opening a bottle of champagne & cooking together, which we LOVE doing} since it is a Tuesday & he works {boo} but we do plan on celebrating the following weekend with hopefully a fancy dinner to Christopher's World Grille in good 'ole College Station, TX!

12. Are you asking for anything this Valentine's day?
I would just like to have him home! He has been working in South Texas a lot during the week, so it would be nice to have him home - other than that, nope.

13. Give us one piece of advice on keeping a relationship strong and full of love.
Honesty & always keep that kid mentality! You are never too old to watch cartoons, play board games & be goofy with each other! Favorite quote: "Anyone can be passionate, but it takes real lovers to be silly" - Rose Franken That quote pretty much sums it up perfectly.
14. Show us a picture of what love means to you.

Tell us your love story!! Link up here:

Feel free to leave a comment sharing your Love Story Link too!

{DIY Glitter Keys} Never Confuse Your Keys Again!

2012-02-08T09:32:00.001-06:00

Here is a simple, fun DIY craft! This took me at most 10-15 minutes.

{Craft Reasoning}
I have a ton of silver keys on my keychain: 1} My house key 2} My parent's house key 3} Our garage door key 4} I am not quite sure where this key leads to HA!
Needless to say, this leads to a bit of fumbling around + trial & error at the front door. Not fun when your hands are full or you need to get the restroom STAT - which after my hour long commute home, is typically my reasoning for rushing inside - so here is my quick, easy, fun fix!

{Materials}
1} Mod Podge
2} Marth Stewart Ultra Fine Glitter - # of keys = # of glitter colors
3} Wax Paper for work surface
4} Paint Brush
5} KEYS!

{Steps}
1} Using the Mod Podge on the Mod Podge lid, I dabbed my paint brush in and painted on a thin coat onto the top part of my first key on both sides- careful to not get in the grooves that go into the key hole 2} After sprinkling a little bit of colored glitter onto my work surface I "dunked/dabbed" my key into the glitter pile - pressing the glitter onto the key with my finger to fill any holes & shaking off any excess 3} I then painted on a thin, THIN, layer of mod podge to kind of seal the glitter coat 4} I used my finger-nail to push on the mod podge/glitter mix to create a straight edge at the bottom 5} Set on wax paper to dry 6} Admire your beautiful, unique keys & smile knowing there will no longer be any confusion! Given you remember which color leads to which door :-P

{Photos of the Process}

{DONE & DONE! ENJOY!}

Homemade Beer!

2012-01-29T19:11:00.000-06:00

My fiance is a beer-lover to say the least. He tries a new beer any chance he gets, & seeks out every micro-brewery he can find when we go on vacation. On our Colorado road trip back in 2009 I am pretty sure we went to ~7 microbreweries - & he tried each beer they had at each one. lol I indulged & tried a few as well, but the higher alcohol content + the higher altitude put me on my butt after just one. :-P
This Christmas I had wanted to buy him a home-made beer kit so he could brew his own beer. After searching & searching I came across the perfect one at William Sonoma while shopping for my Dad's Christmas gift, Brooklyn BrewShop. Unfortunately, Henry was with me at the time so I had to buy it while he was there. Let me explain - living in Cleburne we have to drive 30-60 minutes to reach a decent mall - more of about 60 to get to a William Sonoma. Now multiple places have beer kits, but William Sonoma had a beer-kit with a GLASS fermenting jar - that is the biggest difference. However, Henry was not allowed to use the beer-kit until Christmas day. :-)
We finally got a free weekend to get the process started - while I up-cycled an old kitchen light frame, Henry started on his home brew. :-) I took some photos along the way. It will be 4 weeks until we can actually try the beer to see if it was a fail or success. :-)

Making the "mash"

Straining the hops - putting the brew into the fermentor

Adding yeast to the brew

The set-up for fermentation - blow-off tube in sanitized water so the jar won't blow-up as the yeast ferments, & to prevent contamination from entering the tube into the brew, therefore killing the yeast - that would be no good!

Now the fun of waiting 3 days before the next step!

Ups & Downs of Wedding Planning: Guest List

2012-01-21T14:27:00.000-06:00

We all know planning a wedding can be as fun, or as stressful as you choose to make it. Everything in life is a CHOICE, for the most part, given you don't have a gun to your head. Well my fiance and I have chosen to make this experience as stress-free as possible. How? Well let me tell you!

We know that most of the financial burden will be placed on our own shoulders, which is to be expected. We are grown-ups, graduated from college, living in our own home that we bought. This wedding is what WE want, so WE should be the ones footing the bill. I mean it never made sense to me that a parent had to PAY to send their own child off into the future. Once you turn 18, you are an adult and your own responsibility, your parents don't have to pay for crap! lol Now if they do, wonderful! That is a sincere, thoughtful gift. SO, since we are footing the bill, to have the wedding we want (or more specifically I want since Henry's idea was to skydive while we say our I-do's), and to the have the honeymoon we want (more specifically Henry since he is the biggest world traveler), we will have a 2 yr 6 month long engagement to save for the entire thing.

The first stop on our honeymoon - Mykonos - one of the beautiful Greek islands, recommended by a greek family friend - known for its night-life! Oh I cannot wait!

We are having a laid back wedding. I mean the groom and the groomsmen will be wearing Blake Shelton like attire on the wedding day - aka blue jeans, boots, & a nice suit jacket. Myself & the bridesmaids will be wearing cowgirl boots. It's Texas, the wedding is outdoors, & we want people to be able to move & dance freely, not be restricted by formal attire - I want our guests to be COMFORTABLE - that is so important to us - this is after all a celebration, we want people to party!

From the Greenweddingshoes.com - Henry and I love the look of Blake Sheltons attire on his wedding day. Henry was rather shocked that this city girl was willing to let him be so comfortable on his wedding day, but this is Henry's style, He isn't Mr. Tux & Bow-Tie - his groomsmen seem to be equally happy. :-) Which in turn makes me happy. Everyone is HAPPY! YIPPEE!

But, there are always going to be bumps in any sort of wedding process - our bump - the guest list. Now most horror stories are how the Mother-of-the-Bride & Mother-in-Law-To-Be are wanting each and every family member that ever saw you once since you were knee-high to attend your wedding. People you have probably only ever seen once or twice, or probably don't even remember seeing! Relatives who may have been important in their lives through the years, but probably weren't very present in YOUR life. Guests should be people that are important to BOTH of you, yes there may be a distant relative or two who is important to the groom or bride that one has never met, sure, invite them! But our problem isn't family members wanting other family members to be invited - our problem is US.

The best in-laws a girl could ever dream of having! I love Herman & Blondie like I do my own parents - they have been there for me and supported me as if I was another one of their SIX kids! They are some of the most self-less people I have ever met. I am truly blessed to have them in my life.

We both have rather LARGE families, so the majority of our list consists of family members. Henry being from a small town also has a TON of friends he has known since junior high, even elementary - and he wants all of them there! ALL. OF. THEM. Half of these people I have never met, some of them have straight up to my face said they don't even like me - now why on earth would I want these people at OUR wedding? The wedding should be to celebrate US with people who know and support US. If I don't know you, or have never met you, then in my opinion ~~that name is off the list.~~ Not only does he want those friends I have never met attending, he wants their families there too. I love and adore the fact that Henry has so many friends he loves. I think that is awesome! But what I love about Henry, is also part of what I hate. Lord help me.

Some of the best friends I could ever ask for who will most definitely be there to celebrate our big day with us! From left to right: Jordan, Kristin, Lauryn (bridesmaid), myself, Casey (best-man), Emily, Henry, Danni (bridesmaid), Trevor

We have definitely been through some adventures with this group!

Ok let me break this down for you so you can understand. Our guest attendance on our wedding day is ideally 150 people - mostly because of cost and the venue size. They say half the people you invite won't show. So let's say we invite 300 people. That is 150 people for Henry, 150 for me. After FAMILY we both only have room for like 30 friends each. Which given my situation, my family are my friends, and most of my friends coming are involved in the wedding aka bridesmaids. Then there are a select few friends I knew through high-school that will be invited, and then another select few I met in college and post college. So let's say that is 15 friends. This now gives Henry 45 friends to invite. After Henry's friends, and friends family members, our guest list has exceeded 500 - FIVE-HUNDRED! THAT IS 200 - TWO. HUNDRED. MORE THAN WE PLANNED ON INVITING. What is his reasoning for inviting each person? I lived with this guy for a year - I never met him - I stayed with this family a few times -I don't know this family - I stayed with this other family a few times - This family doesn't even speak ENGLISH! Much less, do I know them - This friend offered to let us come stay with him in Argentina, we have to invite him - Again, never met the dude - I hung out with this guy a lot during high-school - And?

3 of my best friends from high-school & college celebrating our ring dunk with us! A very important, very serious, Texas A&M tradition celebrating the long hard 90 hours it took to receive our Aggie Rings! Left to right: Sean, Chris, myself, Ross, Henry

A night at our house in Cleburne - A few of Henry's guy friends from high-school came over to enjoy an old game they for some odd reason ENJOY playing. Duck taping beer to your hand - you must drink all the beer before you can un-duck tape it - so good luck going to the bathroom gentlemen! Chug-a-lug! Left to Right: Lorenzo (groomsman), Carlos, Justin (groomsman), Henry

Of all Henry's female friends in Cleburne, these two are my absolute favorites! They are a blast to hang out with and completely genuine. Lacey actually owns a party rental business & helping us decorate our wedding! Left to right: Myself, Haleigh, Lacey

Let's not even get me started on the awkward situation of having a "friend" tell me they don't like me to my face, continually talk crap to my face & from what other friends tell me behind my back as well, tell Henry he doesn't like who he's become since he's met me and then pretend everything is A-OKAY and everyone's still best buds. I mean a few cordial, very short, post-drama hangouts do not necessarily mean a changed man. THEN we both are friends with the family members, so now how do we go about inviting the "friend" AND their family? OR not invite the "friend", but still invite the family? Awkward. It's a completely inconvenient situation because some friends can't handle other friends growing up. Everyone has that friend. I had that friend in college & am no longer friends with her, she wanted me to be her single, drinking, dancing BFF forever - and I met Henry - she didn't like that -so I had to move on without her. Which was semi-easy, because we eventually moved to different states. Henry has that same friend, he wants Henry to be his traveling, stupidly drunk, party all the time, bachelor BFF - and Henry met me - he didnt like that - only problem, Henry is from a small-town, you can't just drop a friend and move on. EVERYONE knows your business, everyone hangs out with everyone, ALWAYS AND FOR FREAKING EVER. SO, there is no avoiding any one person, unless you want to avoid the whole town. Not happening. I love this town too much to let one person and a few insults ruin that for us.

We both would LOVE to invite everyone, even the drunkenly rude friend despite his numerous past mishaps and insults - but, since the problem always starts when drinking gets involved how do we insure that the person who openly admits they don't support us, doesn't openly disprove of us or embarrass us on our wedding day? In front of all our friends and family? Do we take the gamble, be nice, and invite him, hoping that he has matured in some way to be happy for us? Then that also means, this friend gets a spot in front of 200 other perfectly sweet, supportive friends, who have never insulted us. That makes me cringe a bit. Or do we go by past experiences, assume it will once again happen and avoid any possible chance of drama? Which means a permanent split in small town gatherings because so-and-so wasn't invited and now we can't all hang out in the same group anymore. Which is rather childish, but apparently how this small town works. It's a fine line because we want to be friends with everyone - we want everyone to come to our wedding! If we could afford it we would have all 500 people come to our wedding. But we can't, much less will our venue hold that many lol.

SB10 - Hanging out with my sister, best friend, and 2 friends of Henry who are awesome! I love these two guys, despite their sassy attitudes. Yes, I said sassy. Left to right: Benito, myself, Stefanie (Maid of Honor/Sister), Lorenzo (Groomsman), Danni (Bridesmaid)

Cleburne guys celebrating Henry's successful Ring Dunk! :-) Left to right: Gilbert, Jesus, Benito, Henry, Lorenzo (Groomsman), Justin (Groomsman), Casey (Best Man)

One of our many girls night adventures. Best girlfriends a girl could ask for! You can bet these women will be dancing fools alongside me on my wedding day and I CAN NOT WAIT! Left to right: Emily, Myself, Kristin, Lauryn (Bridesmaid), Stefanie (Maid of Honor/Sister), Danni (Bridesmaid)

So, this is where we stand. Torn between many, many friends, who have been there through the ups and downs, the goods and bads. I mean why do we have to be so dang awesome and loved? If more people would hate us, it would make this a lot easier. JK :-) Oh the lovely bumps in wedding planning. We need to figure this out quick too, because Save-the-Dates are like a month away from being sent out.
Any advice or tips - lecturing - please feel free to provide! I love all of it! <3

Wedding Centerpiece Ideas

2012-01-16T21:18:00.000-06:00

Henry and I got engaged April 24, 2010 - our wedding date is October 13, 2012 - 9 months away!!! Finally we are under a year away.
With that said, I have been browsing ideas for centerpieces like crazy! I want our wedding to have as much DIY as possible, so it has to be something I can easily put together. I want to stay away from a lot fresh flowers so I can make centerpieces as far in advance as possible. I don't want to be scrambling the week of our wedding to put EVERYTHING together, especially since I work, and our wedding is 2 1/2 hours away from where we live. Eeek!
Our theme goes with the blog, "Country Boy Meets City Girl" - this means a lot of natural touches. Below are inspiration photos I have found browsing various websites:

Another blog full of wonderful ideas : Style Me Pretty - I absolutely LOVE the use of cotton. COTTON! Who would've thought?? This is so classy & rustic to me, which for our wedding style = perfection!

Another photo from Style Me Pretty of the previous centerpiece. I can't get enough!

This simple decoration photo of mason jars, floating candles & raffia can be found at My Bride Idea - a wonderful blog full of inspiration!

This photo is from one of the most organized blogs I have ever stumbled upon Luxe Finds: I know I said I wanted very few fresh flowers, but I love the colors, the long wooden box, pumpkins & fall colored leaves.

This photo is courtesy of Save-On-Crafts - a fabulous website full of really well priced items to decorate any event! I love this photo with the use of the branches, grapevine balls, candles & strategically placed flowers. Now if I were to do this it would be a little toned down - I feel like this particular one has too much going on, but you get the idea, right?

Another photo from save-on-crafts with the use of branches and floral arrangements.

Needless to say our computer is filling up with wedding photos. hehe These are just a FEW of the many centerpiece photos I have lol Hopefully these can inspire you in some way too. As always, feel free to share any centerpiece ideas you have as well! I love new ideas. :-)

Country Goodness {No 2.}

2012-01-03T19:52:00.000-06:00

This past weekend was New Years Eve!! Whoop! We did have plans to go to Houston - my hometown - to a wine bar called "The Corkscrew" with some friends we went to college with and who are now some of our best friends! Unfortunately, I got extremely sick at work on Thursday. I mean I was literally doing a semen analysis and throwing up in a trash can pulled up next to me at the same time. Luckily, my later analysis cancelled so I was able to clock out, lay down, and wait for my fiance's secretary to pick me up from work. Yes his secretary picked me up from work. Being in Cleburne I have no family, no ~~reliable~~ friends, nothing. So yes his secretary. Feel sorry for me. :-)
To make things worse my "holiday" to work was New Years Eve - so we were going to drive down after work, party, family sunday, drive home Monday. THEN Henry finds out he has to leave town for work, AGAIN, on Monday. So, a 5-hour drive to Houston would be pointless. PLAN B - HICO!
My soon to be sister-in-law Audrey was in town with her fiance, Aaron, so she drove the hour and a half from Hico, where Henry's parents currently have a ranch, to pick me up Thursday and bring me back to Hico so I wouldn't be home alone all sick. This is also where we ended up spending our New Years Eve. :-) Which was amazing! I absolutely adore Henrys family - minus the old bully thief & Mickey Mouse character.
First fun adventure: waking up to a deer being "processed" by Aaron and his son, Jake - and my dog gnawing on one of its chopped off legs! I mean I buy bones at Petco or PetSmart - but this one had fresh blood and fur still on the leg - and did I mention MY CITY-RAISED, CUDDLY, FUZZY-BUTT, BABY BOY was happily gnawing on it?? I mean I could hear the crunching and squishing! Then, Tux was running around after me with it in his mouth, grinning, like it was another one of his tennis balls or frisbees, saying "Play with me! Play with me!". Yuck! haha

Tux and his beloved ~~gag~~ deer leg

After I told Tux "drop it" so I could get a better photo of the deer leg

Fun adventure number 2: Four wheeling in the dark with his family! I can't believe I never grew up with four-wheelers. Well, actually I can. Henry busted his nose open and had to have stitches - his sister Audrey hit her chin on the handles or something and split her chin open. I mean we are talking about having parents who wouldn't let me play soccer because "I would get bruised or brain damage". So of course I wouldn't have anything cool like a four-wheeler, much less any place to ride the dang thing.

With Henry's sister in the kitchen taking shots - Audrey hates this photo but too bad! I don't. :-)

So, here we are 11 o'clock at night, Henry grabs me out of the kitchen, as I am taking shots with Audrey, to go four-wheeling. I love how well Henry drives a four-wheeler, kind of sexy! We hop on one, Aarons sister and her boyfriend hop on another, Henry's mom - yes his mom! She is a badass! - she hops on a third, then Henry's dad gets the "mule" with Aarons parents in front, and kids Alanna, Ariana, & Peyton in the back. We all take off through the property. Henry's mom is speeding past us! Then Aarons sister and bf are gaining on our butt - Henry whips through a path I didn't even know was there and comes out ahead of everyone! His mom yells, "Hey you cheated!" LOL We finally make it to the cow pasture and start racing full speed ahead - did I mention our four-wheeler only had the left brake BARELY working? - toward a pond I remember Henry shooting a lot of snakes in this past summer! Next thing I know we slide to stop right before the edge of the pond - Henry can be a real punk sometimes! Henry then takes off in the pasture along the line and decides to play his mom in a game of chicken that she wasn't aware of. Then off to the house we go! I am so sore! lol

Laying down with my two baby boys after lots of fun - Tux had to wrap his paws up because he spent so much time chasing four-wheelers on the rocky ground it ripped off a layer of his paw pads :-(

Fun adventure number 3: Fireworks! Aaron bought a crap ton of fireworks that day so off we all went to a gravel pit to shoot off the fireworks, a safe distance from the house, with this drought we didn't want the house catching fire! The guys continue lighting fireworks, you get your "ooohs" "awwwws" followed by "burn out! burn out!" as the ashes scatter the ground - THEN Aaron whips out these things that he lights, waits a second, then tosses in the air towards us!!!! Now the first round are fine, you can see where its going, run away, and it "blows up" "bursts" whatever you want to call it. THE SECOND ROUND was the scary round! These were different! Aaron lights them, waits a second, tosses it in the air towards us -same as before - only these don't land where you expect! They light up green in the air, then full speed zip towards the ground in a random direction and burst in a split second!!! We were screaming! I am pretty sure Henry's dad was getting rather angry at some point. One flew right between my legs and burst too! I would've been pissed had it ruined my new Miss Me jeans! But it was a fun adrenaline rush for all involved - especially when Aarons sister snuck up behind them with a hand full of the zipping fireworks and starting tossing them at Aaron to give him the same torture who was submitting us to. LOL Gotta love siblings!

Audrey caught in the sparks of a firework - it was extremely windy!

More firework sparks at the gravel pit or whatever they call it. :-)

Even though it wasn't the New Years Eve adventure we had planned, it was a ton of fun! It was nice eating dinner with my in-law family, then waking up and having breakfast with everyone as well. It was a great way to end 2011 and to begin 2012 - surrounded by loved ones.

Glitter Pumps How-To

2011-11-07T22:04:00.000-06:00

Most all of us have seen those wonderful, sparkly Louboutins. Maybe even slightly drooled over them a bit. And like most of us, there is probably absolutely no way we could afford them realistically - or even want to spend thousands of dollars on shoes. If you have, congratulations, I just can't justify spending that much money on shoes, regardless of how much my fiance & I make. This, along with the fact that I could NOT find ONE SINGLE pair of CHARCOAL glittery shoes :-D, led me to create my own sparkly shoes!!

Louboutins I found on this website here - gorgeous right?

Mine are not Louboutins, but they are quite fabulous if I say so myself. :-)

Materials:

Patent heels
Martha Stewart Ultra Fine Glitter
Mod Podge
Bowl
Foil
Paintbrush

One pair of black patent heels that I used - keep your eye out for shoes at thrift stores that could use a little tender loving care

I used 3 shades of pink & 3 shades of black/charcoal/silver to add a different dimension to the sparkle!

Make sure your heels are nice & clean to ensure the mod podge sticks. I chose to use an extra pair of black patent Gianni Bini & Jessica Simpson shoes. Use shoes you have, or check out Platos, Goodwill, etc. to find a cheap pair that could use a make-over. Take a plastic bowl & line with foil - I did this to preserve my bowl. I chose to do 2 different pairs of shoes, pink glitter shoes & black glitter shoes. I mixed black, charcoal & silver glitter in with the mod podge. For pink I mixed 3 different pinks in with the mod podge. There is no exact proportion, just make sure there is plenty of glitter in the glue. You can always make more. I chose to do 3 shades of each color to add more dimension to my glittery shoes, but you can do just one. In seperate bowls I also made a mixture of the glitter colors without mod podge.

Glitter/Mod Podge mixture in my freezer paper lined bowl

With a medium size paint brush begin painting on your glitter/mod podge mix. Do a single coat all over the shoe, avoid drips or excess glue, try to do a slightly thin, even coat to ensure it does not look lumpy once dry. Yes the glue is white, yes it doesn't look sparkly - it will dry clear & the glitter will sparkle! Trust me. :-)

One section of the shoe after the 1st coat

Black glitter mixture after 2nd coat

The heel end of the shoe getting it's first coat of glitter/mod podge, the toe end after sprinkling with dry glitter mixture

Take your dry glitter mix and lightly sprinkle a coat of glitter on the wet glue. You can do this section by section with wet then dry, or all wet, then all dry depending on how fast you are. Try to do an even sprinkle, & again avoid clumps - it will help by doing a little at a time from a few inches above the shoe. Once the first coat dries - give it a good 30 min-1 hr, apply a 2nd coat of glitter/glue mix, repeat with the dry glitter sprinkle.

After 1st coat of glue & dry mixture

After 2nd coat of glue & dry glitter mixture! :-) Don't mind my hot chocolate mess in the background lol

Pending on the extent of sparkle you want, you can apply a 3rd coat. I stopped at 2 coats of glitter mix & followed each with a sprinkle of dry glitter on the black. Because I did hot pink on top of black it required 4 coats to conceal the black underneath. Allow to dry a full 24 hours before wearing out. Then rock those heels!

Black glittery shoes

My Barbie Hot Pink Glittery heels all finished!

Black/Charcoal Glittery heels! I am in love!

XoXo

Glittery Pumpkin!

2011-10-27T13:52:00.000-05:00

As you may know, or may not know, I love glitter/sequins/sparkle. I guess I don't just love it, I am slightly obsessed. If it weren't for my fiance, my house would probably look like a glitter fairy took over. As I was browsing Hobby Lobby for tulle to make my birthday tutu I came across a bare pumpkin just begging me to cover it in glitter! Lucky for me, and probably my fiance, it was the last and only $5 pumpkin! Just as Henry was about to get his dining room table back from my "Will you be my..." Card mess, along came my glittery pumpkin task!

Materials:

1. Mod Podge/Decoupage

2. Glitter

3. Pumpkin

4. Paint brush

5. Foil lined bowl

I had decoupage from previous decoupage projects, so I used decoupage - mod podge is the exact same thing, just different "brand". For large surfaces, regular glitter is fine. However, for small areas and detailing try Martha Stewarts Ultra Fine glitter - it is truly amazing!

I lined a bowl with foil to preserve my mixing bowl. Add a bit of decoupage + glitter to the bowl and mix. You can't go wrong with proportions, just enough glitter to get a good base coat. The decoupage will try clear, leaving your sparkly glitter!

Foil lined bowl with gold glitter mix

Start painting your pumpkin with the glitter + glue mix. Before the mixture dries, sprinkle a coat of glitter on top of the wet glitter + glue mix on your pumpkin. Use your finger to pat/press the loose glitter into the wet glue, tapping off any excess glitter afterward. Continue repeating this process until the entire pumpkin is covered. Allow to dry and look it over to see if there are any spots that need touch-ups.

After 1st coat of glitter/glue mix

After 2nd coat of glitter/glue mix - I went on for a 3rd coat, with slight touch-ups

On mine I did a gold pumpkin, black stem, and black in the crevices of the pumpkin - however the options are endless! Decorate yours however you wish and let your creativity show! XoXo

Finished product with my $1 blinky ghost from Target

Another shot of the finished Pumpkin sitting on our entertainment center :-)

Country Goodness

2011-09-30T11:16:00.000-05:00

My blog is titled "City Girl Meets Country Boy". It would only make sense to blog about this city meets country adventure that I have begun. So here is to the wonderful country immersion I have subjected myself to by saying, "Yes" to my country-boy, Aggie sweetheart.

At Henry's parent's ranch in Hico, TX (pronounced HI-CO not HICK-O) - I have always loved horses and gone to visit stables whenever I can. I was in awe when Henry took me down through wooded areas on four wheelers into a clearing with numerous horses and cows.

The view of the field as we rode in on the 4-wheeler - You don't get to see this much open space in the city very often - other than when my parents took us camping. I loved it!

Sitting on the front porch - this was the view of the sky as the sun began to set one evening
it was absolutely beautiful!

Henry, with the help of his parents, planned us a month long trip after we had been dating for only 4 months! A road trip to New Mexico and Colorado for some four-wheeling adventures. Seeing as we would be doing some hiking and walking Henry bought me my first pair of "boots".

With Henry's parents in Colorado - Or this may be New Mexico - I'll double check.

Four-wheeling: At the top of Imogene Pass from Ouray to Telluride, Colorado - one of the most beautiful places I have seen! It was an amazing trip on the four-wheeler (green one in the background). I had only been on four-wheelers a few times, and only in open fields - this was much different and so much fun!

Henry crossing one of the FREEZING cold streams in Colorado from all the snow melting

Chili-fest!! When Henry and I met he asked me if I liked Country music - of course! - "No, no" he says, "Do you like Nashville or Texas country?" - "What is the difference?" - In Houston we don't have a "Texas Country" music station so I had no idea there was even a difference. Apparently there is a huge difference. This led to Chili-fest! A 2 day long Texas Music sh*t-show (pardon the language) - College Students create teams and spend all friday evening and saturday drinking endless beer, eating, and listening to the numerous Texas Country performers that attend. It's actually a ton of fun! These guys are holding up signs with numbers for the girls - and guys - who walk by.

This is one of the things Henry and his friends do for fun - Go to a ranch, create a huge bonfire, bring chairs, trucks, four-wheelers, listen to music and drink. In the city we did something similar, but we didn't have ranches - we had the beach.

My introduction to Barbacoa! Henry had bought me barbacoa tacos once and it was delicious - he then told me what it was. Meat from the head of a cow - or in this instance it was a goat. We went to an after wedding party hosted by a friend's family who had made menudo and barbacoa! I walked in the kitchen excited to try the barbacoa and the mom points to a white bucket lined with foil on the floor. I take a deep breath, walk over, and this is what I see! Barbacoa - skull and all! I know I love it - so I pulled the meat off the skull and filled my tacos - it was the best barbacoa I have had to date.

Small town rodeo - Henry tells me we are going to the rodeo and we have box seats, I get all dolled up and ready to go. Woohoo! We pull up to an outdoor arena with a dirt parking lot and people riding their horses everywhere. I look rather confused and ask, "Where is the indoor part?" See in Houston, we have the Houston Rodeo, it's ginormous and has outdoor things, but most of it is in a big indoor arena. Henry starts laughing and informs me, "We are in Cleburne, there is no indoor arena city girl." "So no air conditioning? It's hot! I would've worn shorts if I knew we were going to be outside." lol It was a ton of fun though and of course saw a ton of people we knew. Oh and this photo is taken from the box seats - I could stretch my feet out onto the dirt! I also had dirt flung in my eyes, down my shirt, in my purse and mouth from the bull-riding because we were so close haha

Henry's 25th birthday out on the ranch with friends.

Man do I have so many photos to post. But I think this will do for now. I have really grown to love this small town life I have subjected myself to for the past year, and I am sure the surprises won't end anytime soon.

Crayon Canvas Craze

2011-09-26T12:21:00.004-05:00

I am sure many of you, especially those who are on pinterest, have seen the new Crayon Canvas Craze. People melting a rainbow of crayons onto a canvas that is. It's awesome! It's cheap, easy, and can have many variations. Also, for those with lil ones - it would be a great fun project for kids! Below I have tips in italics and the basic steps in bold for easy browsing.

The "traditional" take on crayon art - Rainbow Falls crayon canvas by JKCreate on Etsy

I decided to make my own variation of a crayon canvas. Now most of them have picked out a pack of crayons, put them in color group order, glued them to the top of the canvas and melted away for al rainbow look! I decided to do a "fall" twist. Here are the items I needed to do this:

96 pack of crayons ($3.97 at Walmart)
2 24 packs of crayons ($0.40/each at Walmart)
1 Canvas ($7 at Hobby Lobby - Normally $12.99, but I kept my eyes peeled for the 50% off week)
Blow-dryer
cardboard
Elmers Glue or Hot Glue

I picked out all the colors of orange, pink, red, yellow, and light brown crayons, then I separated them into their color groups. I laid them out on the edge of the canvas I chose to use and set 2 reds, 2 oranges, 1 yellow, 1 brown, 2 pinks, repeat. I then took my piece of cardboard, which I ripped off the flap of a cardboard box we had, and glued 1/3 of the crayon onto the cardboard - the bottom 2/3s with the point hanging off. I chose to do this because I did not want my crayons on the finished project. If you like the look of crayons -then by all means glue the crayons on the top of the canvas! :-)

Crayons glued to the cardboard

I let this dry for a few hours and ran some errands. When I came back I took my canvas outside, leaned it against our brick wall. I duck taped the cardboard of crayons above the canvas onto the brick so the tips would just barely hung over the canvas. Then the melting begins! Tip {1}: Keep the blow-dryer on medium! Low isn't hot enough, high had crayon wax splattering everywhere lol! I kept the heat setting on high. I began by keeping the blow-dryer up against the crayons until it started turning glossy, once the wax started its dripping I tilted the dryer to blow straight down the length of the crayon and canvas - pushing the wax out and down. Tip {2}: Only blow-dry like 5 or so crayons at a time - they dry rather quickly. You can use your blow-dryer still pointed blowing downward to help guide the crayon wax further down the canvas - it will begin to dry and clump a few inches down otherwise. Even if it does you can go back and blow-dry the clumps to move the wax further down later. Once satisfied, move to the next few crayons and repeat until done and desired look accomplished!

Finished project of my Crayola Canvas - The red kind of over-powers the other colors in the photo, but in person the definition is awesome - to me that is :-)

Tip {3}: Keep in mind the colors you choose and the colors you set them next to. Colors blend! I chose to mix my color groups so they would ultimately blend - if you want defined colors, then be sure to separate your colors of choice. I also wanted a little more definition of colors toward the bottom - so I took my cardboard of crayons angled it towards the middle of the canvas and blew down the length of the crayons so it would drip on the canvas at the place I wanted. I then used my blow-dryer to keep the wax dripping down the length of the canvas.

Angled crayons to get the colors further down

Angled view of canvas - at the top left you can see how quickly the crayon dries by the initial clumping - by using my blow-dryer angled downward I was able to keep the wax moving for as long as I wanted. The clumping adds an extra 3D texture to the canvas and actually looks rather cool.

Hope this makes sense and is easy to re-create! I plan to make a few more and will try to make a How-To Video :-) If you are interested in one for your own house I would be more than happy to make one for you! :-) Keep your eyes peeled for my newest idea involving the Crayon Canvas Craze!

Of course I had to take a Hipstamatic Photo :-)

Finished product hanging on our wall! :-) It's awesome to walk down our hall and see this.

A day to remember....

2011-09-11T11:03:00.000-05:00

A decade ago today America was shaken by a tragic event. Many firefighters gave the ultimate sacrifice to help complete strangers that were victims of 9/11. Friends, Fathers, Mothers, Brothers, Sisters...family was lost. On this 10 year anniversary we remember all those who helped, who were lost, and who are still fighting - they will never be forgotten - and always in my prayers.

I bet everyone can remember that day and where they were. I remember waking up that day and seeing my parents had their TV on. I tried to figure out what was going on, but was told to get ready for school. I could tell it was serious because my parents rarely watched the news in the morning, weather yes, news no. I went to school and it was chaotic. A lot of the students weren't there. Every class room had a TV on - the students that were there were one by one checked out by their parents. I remember sitting in my 8th grade math class - that is when they really showed what happened. The Twin Towers had collapsed. I sat there in shock at what I was watching. I had never been to New York, or seen the Twin Towers, but I knew this was serious. By the end of the day I was one of the only students still in school. When I got home I cried so hard! I wanted my parents to explain what was going on, why it had happened, and why almost every parent except mine had checked their child out of school. I can still barely wrap my mind about the occurrences of that day - and I was all the way here in Texas.

My fiance and I spent our 2 year anniversary and Valentines Day in New York City this year. It was a fun, random trip that we decided to take when Southwest did one of their airfare specials. While there we made a point to go to Ground Zero. It was a beautiful, windy day. When we arrived we couldn't believe the magnitude of the area affected. There was construction all around rebuilding the devastation. Below are the photos that were taken while there February 2011.

To the right is the new building that will be built near the location of where the Twin Towers were. In place of the Twin Towers will be 2 square "reflecting" ponds, with 30 ft waterfalls all around.

A picture posted on the construction fence of what the new tower will look like

St. Pauls church that housed all the volunteers of 9/11

St. Pauls Church - pews were turned into beds, cots were brought in - this is where the volunteers came for a few minutes or hours of sleep - or just to clear their heads.

It is a Japanese legend that whoever folds 1,000 origami cranes will be granted a wish by a crane,
such as recovery from illness or injury - thousands upon thousands of these cranes held together by strings were covering a small wall in the church - each to be granted a wish.

Police Badges sent from around the world

Found the Sugarland Badge - a town near my hometown in Houston

Henry standing near the altar

Crosses made by a welder from scraps of the Twin Towers

A letter posted in the church - I hope you can read it - it made me tear up.

A mold of the type of leaf belonging to the numerous trees to be planted around where the Twin Towers use to stand

Sign in the cemetery outside St. Pauls Church

A decade ago the whole world changed in a second - this day will always be remembered, along with the people involved - May God bless all those who helped, who were lost, and who are still fighting.

My weekly playlist {No. 1}

2011-08-31T19:04:00.001-05:00

Everyone knows there are songs out there that cause certain emotions to flow, whether it makes you want to jump up and down, cry, scream, bust out laughing, etc.

Here are a few of the songs getting me through the week - courtesy of YouTube - hope you enjoy!

Pistol Annies - Hell on Heels
Now I am no gold-digging man-eater - but I can not help bust out singing this song, swaying and dancing along the way every time I hear it. :-)

Zac Brown Band ft Jimmy Buffet - Knee Deep
If I am having a stressful day or drinking a margarita this song always puts a smile on my face. Plus I could desperately use a trip to a nice beach - so I close my eyes, listen to this song, and pretend lol

Jake Owen - Barefoot Blue Jean Night
This song makes me think of two things:
A: Growing up in the city - near Galveston - having late night outings on the beach, running through the sand, laying up looking at stars and listening to the ocean.
B: Being here in Cleburne - Our friend Casey has a ranch and it also makes me think of those late nights out on the ranch, trucks all backed up to each other, bonfires, music blaring - four-wheeling - playing in the lake - and so many other things. I am excited for cooler weather to arrive so we can have more bonfire parties out there :-) Right Casey Lou?!

Miranda Lambert - Only Prettier
Now we all have those girls we see and deep down can not stand. If you say "No I don't hate anyone" or "I am nice to everyone" - Well I call BS on you because I am nice to everyone I don't like - to a point - but when they walk away I will most likely inform my girlfriends "I can not stand that girl!" Now I will not talk excessive crap because I don't feel that is very nice, but I will state my dislike for the person. :-) If you still insist that isn't you, then fine, I am a bitch I guess. At least I am honest. So - this song makes me happy - makes me think of my girls - makes me think of all the girls I don't like - Only scratch the part of the other girls getting skinnier, because my girls are all pretty fabulously skinny :-)

Neil Diamond - Sweet Caroline
Remember me saying songs that make you want to jump up and down? This is mine! If you are in my group of friends - or know my group of friends - you know when this song comes on we are all jumping up and down, singing up at the top of our lungs!! If I am in a bad mood or need a pick me up or getting pumped up - this is the song I blast! ;-) BUH-BUH-BUUUH!!! SO GOOD! SO GOOD!

Enjoy the videos!! Until next week loves! :-) XOXO

Wedding Inspired Wednesday - {No. 3}

2011-08-31T17:44:00.002-05:00

I have not done much browsing for wedding things this past week. I have instead been dealing with my "Will you be my cards...". I had one ~~minor~~ dilemma. I wanted my girls/guy to open their pocket invites to beautiful maroon glitter words that said, "Maid of Honor" "Bridesmaid" or "Bridesman". Unfortunately, there are no craft stores that carry maroon glitter. I ordered a Martha Stewart fine glitter 3-pack from online with a color that looked maroon. I was super excited - until it arrived. It was a magenta color. UGH!

The magenta glitter is in the 3-pack towards the bottom - You can see my glitter attempts
on the paper up on the top left - and the invites are sitting there at the top.
I am sure Henry is ready to have his dining room table back lol

So, I go about looking for a new glitter that actually says burgundy or maroon - BINGO FOUND ONE! It looked burgundy in the photo and was called "Burgundy fine glitter". Sweet! Right? NO! NOT RIGHT! It came in a few days later and was just plum purple, Techie red, and black glitter mixed together and still looked PLUM PURPLE NOT BURGUNDY!! UGH! I could've punched that website owner in the face! I tried varying things. I tried putting black glitter first, then the "burgundy" glitter and it worked a bit, but still looked more purple than anything. It just looked like plain poop, not literally, but you know.

Burgundy?? I think not!

My new idea I think is a bit better - and may actually end up working out better. I also had to special order their envelopes which was a bit of a hassle, but they should be in by the middle of next week. This means I can finally blog the invites themselves!! Despite the troublesome times of these cards, I am uber excited. One thing I did find and wanted to share was a chalkboard seating chart. I like the casual feel of it - plus my wedding is outside, it will be nice to not have to deal with a bunch of little name cards being blown all over the venue haha.

I liked this wedding blog - it was very casual - the top left chalkboard is what I
truly loved though - You can check out more at the Wedding Chicks Blog

My fiance has the tendencies to move & sit on my papers so I apologize for the slightly unclear paper lol

This blog is going to be cut short. The last thing added was a Seasonal Wedding Flowers list. I have had such a hard time with this and was handed a list at the Dallas Bridal Show. Love it!

Wedding Inspired Wednesdays - delayed {No 2} - FLOWERS

2011-08-24T17:05:00.000-05:00

I love fall! I love the colors, the leaves, the crisp cool air, and PUMPKINS! To me, it is the most romantic season of all! I would have fall all year round if I could. However, Texas fall kind of sucks - to be brutally honest. It is still rather warm, especially this dreadful year and everlasting summer! Our leaves aren't as bright and colorful as other places, like Michigan - and tend to turn colors late and fall quickly. Never-the-less, the wonderful feeling fall evokes in me is undeniable, no matter where I am. Can you tell I love fall? I mean I was born in October, my Daddy's nickname for me is Pumpkin, and we are getting married in October! Of course I love fall! :-)

Beautiful fall leaves in Michigan - Engagement shoot October 2010 - Lisa Kae Photography

With our wedding being in October that means we need fall decor & of course, fall colors! :-) I have browsed photos, blogs, websites, florist shops, etc. searching for the perfect fall flower combination. I finally think I may have found it - however that photo will come later. And of course we all know that with the wedding being 14 months away, that could very much change! haha One obsession that has not changed is my favorite flower - calla lilies. I love the ones that blend colors, especially fall colors! To me you could have a handful of these and it would be the perfect arrangement by themselves.

Photo from The Knot - Absolutely LOVE these Calla Lilies

My next flower obsession would be ranunculus. Yes they don't come into season until November, but I don't care. Even though it is in the buttercup family, to me they are a mix between a rose and peony, only cheaper! And I like cost efficiency! I also would like to NOT have any roses at my wedding. Crazy? Maybe. I am just not fond of roses - seeing how my fiance refuses to buy them for me (except this one time on Valentines Day and omg were they gorgeous!), and perhaps because every time I got them from past boyfriends I later learned it was ironically right after something was done behind my back. Bitter memories? Maybe. Back to a lighter reason - to me they look like fluffy, puffy clouds! I see a bouquet of them and want to nuzzle my face right into them - in other words, I want to motor-boat these flowers they look so soft and fluffy! :-P

Photo from The Knot - A simple, classic, all white bouquet of ranunculus - a fluffy cloud!

Following ranunculus would be Dahlias - these make me think of a mix between a sunflower and ranunculus. The "texture" the petals visually provide is intriging and fun to me. Not to mention they are super cheap and come in plenty of colors. The mix of these 3 flowers can be quite beautiful.

Dahlias used in a centerpiece - love the design by the way with the photo-frame! I found this photo on the Bridal Bouquet Design Blog - check it out!

Bouquet of Dahlias - Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Anne Designs

Now with it being fall I have decided to add in some earthy textures as well. We can't forget the ever popular branches going around right now! For awesome ideas for branches, and to buy them as well, I prefer using Nettleton Hollow. Their willow, manzanita and birch branches are beautiful - their blog is inspiring with great ideas and how-tos.

Table set-up at the Brazos County Bridal Show January 2011 - I love the branches with the deep maroon flowers around the base

Lastly, the ultimate bouquet I found. I love this bouquet very much, the colors, the textures, everything! I look at it and smile every time.

Indeed my favorite bouquet! Minus the roses - to me it has the perfect rustic elegance I am looking for!

Well, I think that is enough for now. If you have any suggestions or ideas - feel free to share!!! :-)

Sicky-poo!

2011-08-20T19:41:00.001-05:00

Boy am I behind on blogging! I have missed the last two Wedding Inspired Wednesday posts - plus numerous other things I have been anxious to share. Although, my reasons for delay are explainable. My oldest baby, Tux, a blue-merle "mini"-Australian Shepherd had a horrible tooth-ache. I quote mini due to the fact that he is actually on the small side of a full Aussie. The breeder informed us he would be on the big side of minis - not 15 lbs bigger lol It all worked out perfectly though, he is the perfect size for me and the best cuddle buddy ever!

Tux riding in his usual spot - prior to his growth spurt past big mini to small full - by my feet on the floor board (eventually ending up in my lap)

Back to the tooth-ache - I had noticed Tux had been a little depressed lately. I know my baby like the back of my hand! It's like he talks to me - telepathically of course. Tux reminds me a lot of Scooby-doo. I typically know anytime he needs anything and what that thing is - he also knows my emotions very well. I assumed rather incorrectly this time. I assumed his depression was the heat, which meant play dates and walks around the neighborhood have been rare. Even when I did try to play fetch he would run to the toy, pick it up and immediately drop it - again I assumed the heat. I also noticed him yelping more - which he NEVER yelps. For example - the only time he has EVER cried would be when he had a gaping hole in his chest, and the few times Henry's big self steps on Tux's paws with his work boots. He didn't even cry the time at the ranch when he ran FULL SPEED -and Tux is a fast lil booger - into a trailer hitch while chasing another mini-Aussie. He just kept going like it was nothing! I of course assumed the excessive crying was because Dunk is kind of a cry baby and yelps for EVERYTHING - opposite of Tux - and Tux was picking up on it.

Tux with is favorite toy! With his tooth-ache he couldn't bear to pick it up and bring it to me.

Henry's parent's ranch in Hico, TX - playing fetch in the tank

Tux with his other fun squeaky toy - playing fetch prior to tooth-ache

Finally, Wednesday evening after his yearly vet check-up I had noticed he had yelped about 6 times, that's getting a little excessive for Tux. So I tell him to sit, lay, roll over - Tux is also very good at being still. As a pup I continually played with his paws, checked his teeth, played with his ears, etc - so he doesn't squirm when I go to check his snout for the cause of crying. I lightly squeeze around, check his teeth, run my finger through his mouth and around his gums for a sore ,when YELP! BINGO! His front tooth! From the front it looks normal, perfectly fine, but on his side, head back you can see the back side is chipped and black! I immediately feel like an awful mom - how did this go unnoticed for soooo long!? Why hadn't I put the obvious clues- laying around, not picking up toys or catching them in the air, the excessive crying - all together!? Needless to say, he had a vet appointment that Friday - antibiotics were given to address the infection prior to the tooth extraction and a pain injection was given to relieve the pain until they could pull the tooth Monday morning.

Tux on the way to the vet - love Tux's split face! (Aussie split face is where half the face is tri colored, then a perfect split where the other half is merled - it can be split horizontally, vertically, or even where it is split 4 ways!)

It was crazy, it was like Tux was a whole new dog when he went to the vet initially on Friday, like he knew we were there to solve his pain! As my fiance said, it was hard to explain to the vet how much it's bothered Tux and how depressed he's been when he is all smiles and kisses at the vet! haha Monday, tooth was extracted! My wonderful fiance dropped Tux off and picked him up - texting me to keep me posted. Henry knows me so well that he even got the tooth for me to keep! lol That would be the science-nerd in me. Tuesday morning it was like Tux was a puppy again, and unfortunately I woke up with strep throat, another reason for the lack of blogging. He has been running around, grabbing his toys, tackling Dunk, using his snout to knock my hand off what it's doing to give him attention instead, etc. He is all smiles! And yes, Tux smiles! My wonderful, playful, loving, happy kangaroo is back! :-)

Tux after playing fetch with Henry - full of smiles!

Tux playing fetch with Henry - my lil Kangaroo!

Pumpkin Mojito Recipe

2011-08-19T21:25:00.001-05:00

I love fall, mojitos, and pumpkins!!! So naturally when I saw a Pumpkin Mojito recipe my jaw immediately dropped and I fell in love. Straight from work I went to Two Bucks Liquor, taste tested about 5 different shots of alcohol, bought my rum and headed home to make my mojitos. They were - are - delicious, I am currently drinking it.

For those of you who love all things pumpkin, here is the recipe!

Ingredients/Instruments:

5 oz white rum - I chose Matusaiem Platino Rum - closest rum we could find that tastes like the rum Henry had in Cuba (yes Cuba, but that is for a later story)
40 mint leaves
4 Tbsp Pumpkin Butter - We could not find it in August so we used Pumpkin Pie Mix Spiced
Juice of 2 limes
4 Tbsp Brown Sugar
8 oz Club Soda
Muddler
Mojito glasses

Serving Size: 2 nice, strong glass fulls

Directions:

Muddle mint leaves, sugar and lime juice. Add rum, pumpkin and club soda. Mix well, add ice, garnish with extra mint leaves and ENJOY!

The great thing about this is the perfect caramel like taste the brown sugar provides - the pumpkin appeals more to your sense of smell as you sip the drink, only lightly adding flavor without overpowering the original mojito flavor. And of course it gives it the fall orange color :-)

Variations:

add 2 extra Tbsp of Pumpkin Pie Mix
Substitute Pumpkin Pie mix with Pumpkin pie liqueur (which usually isn't in season now during August, but can be specially ordered if you ask!) We will be trying this whenever it comes in. :-)

Have any fall cocktails you love? Feel free to share!! <3

Wedding Inspired Wednesdays {No 1}

2011-08-03T11:56:00.000-05:00

I figured the best way to organize my scattered wedding thoughts was to have a "wedding day". I am constantly browsing wedding magazines, websites, blogs, etc - so naturally I have a lot of photos saved. Every Wednesday, starting this one, I will blog about wedding inspirations. :-) Newest inspiration, AQUA BEADS! Henry and I attended the Dallas Bridal Show this past Sunday and it seemed that EVERYONE had aqua beads incorporated into their decorations one way or another. Unfortunately, I have no photos from the bridal show since I was greeted with, "Hello, may I check your purse?" - I gave the guy a rather confused look while saying, "Yeaaaaa" - He then says, "Do you have any guns, knives or cameras?" - "Um, I have a camera?" - rather odd to clump a camera in with guns and knives - "No cameras allowed." - So I had to check-in my camera and pick it up on the way out because the "designers" didn't want anyone "stealing" their ideas. REALLY!? I thought going to these was to give you ideas! If you don't want pictures, put a dang sign "No Pictures Please". Ugh. Anyway....

Clear aqua beads - By High Fire Designs

A close up of the clear aqua beads by High Fire Designs

A candle vase inside another vase - with aqua beads! :-) I also like the use of
the ribbon and beads to dress up the vase.

The one that first caught my eye was a clear, tall vase - it had purple/white orchids that seemed to be floating in the vase, perfectly placed, undisturbed, and topped with a candle. It seemed so elegant and peaceful. The lady noticed my interest and said, "Grab one!" I looked at her rather confused as she dips her hand in the vase to pull out a handful of what look like clear marbles! I go to grab one and it slips out of my hand - AQUA BEADS - they look like marbles, yes, but are soft, and slimy like tapioca balls!! So cool! The guy had placed some beads in the vase, place a flower, more beads, another flower, so forth - then filled it with water! The clear beads blended in and looks invisible - hence the perfect floating flowers! A lot of vendors had them, including another designer called High Fire Designs. The lady who owns this business is super friendly, an environmentalist - she recycles and/or re-uses all her designs - and nicely priced!! She was even willing to work with us even though our venue is 2 hours away.

I love, love, LOVE the lace with the brooch

I love the brooch idea for the "something blue, something borrowed" - my great-grandma is allowing me to use her brooches for my wedding - some are over 50 years old!!

Inspiration numero DOS - MyLivePhotos! We have all seen the typical photo-booths done time and time again. I must admit, I was 2 months away from booking my very own photo-booth - until I met these 3 guys! They have a giant backdrop, endless props, two 46" plasma TVs, a fancy camera, and a clicker! Here is how it works, they set up the back drop, props off to the side, one plasma faces you to where you can see yourself based on what the camera on top sees, and the 2nd plasma faces the "audience" or guests of your event. Either you, or one of the 3 guys, holds the clicker and BOOM instant interactive "photo-booth". I gave my bridesmaids the vote and MyLivePhotos won 3 to 1. Photos are posted online that night on their site, easy click, save and downloads for everyone, and we get a CD of the photos as well. The only drawback is no photo guest book - which I REALLY wanted. Which brings me to inspiration Drei (that is 3 in german =]).

No idea where Henry is looking, but we loved the photos!

I attempted to have a sneak attack with my carnation - but Henry was able to see me on the plasma
and stop me mid-attack

Wishing Tree! I think this is a pretty sentimental way to have people sign in, as opposed to a traditional guest book. Also, knowing our friends, we will get some pretty interesting "wishes". haha The Wishing Tree also comes in a nice protective case, held together with a screw post - a coffee table piece. OR I could take those well wishes and make my own "scrapbook guestbook", and post the wish card next to one of their goofy photos from MyLivePhotos - yet another coffee table piece. haha

Wishing Tree image from weddingwishingtree.com

Another wishing tree image from weddingwishingtree.com :-)

These are my basic inspirations for the week. :-) Hope you enjoy them and possibly get some ideas for your future wedding or event. If you know of any other inspirations, feel free to share! I love new ideas. :-)

Wedding Stationary

2011-07-27T19:09:00.000-05:00

We are slowly approaching the 1 year countdown for our wedding, and boy is that exciting!! I have a wedding countdown app on my iPhone that tells me - to the second - how much longer until our wedding - right now I am at 1 year, 2 months, 15 days, 15 hours, 37 minutes, and 57 seconds. This means we are coming closer to mailing save the dates! First though, I want to mail off custom "Will you be my.." cards. I already have written up what will be said to each bridesmaid/man of choice. They know who they are, however I wanted to make it more official and personal. Once they are officially mailed and I have heard back from each of them I will of course make an official blog posting each of them, as well as the wedding website. We haven't published our wedding website, even though it has been done for months, because we wanted to ask each groomsman and bridesmaid/man personally before posting it.

A textured paper - Aggie Maroon - that will be used
for the "Will you be my.." cards

The cream textured (can't see it too well in photo) cardstock
that will be used as well

So, with the need for stationary I made an appointment with Paper Planet today!! I was super excited for this - for those of you who don't know what Paper Planet is: Let's just say that it is a crafters dream. They have floor to ceiling walls of custom, handmade papers that you can buy the entire sheet of, or have them cut it to size. They have a ton of different embellishments, ribbons, pre-made envelopes, etc. They also make custom orders for various invitations that can be quite elaborate and gorgeous! They can help you with the single, smallest detail of your event stationary, to doing everything for you. Check out their link: Welcome to Paper Planet - Create, Inspire, Dream!
My goal is for them to help me with a tree design. I have a vision for the stationary, however I have no idea how to create the dang tree without copying some clip-art or jpg file that I am sure has been used time and time again. That is where Paper Planet comes in! They will be helping me design my personal, unique tree that will be used to tie in all my stationary from my "Will you be my.." cards to the "Thank you" cards.

Slightly blurry photo of ONE of the many tables they have with
invitations they have designed

A tree they sketched for a previous wedding invitation

One of the invitations I previously found to show them
what I had in mind - I liked the basic black and white
tree with the color coming through in the leaves

Another invitation I found that I like - from etsy.com

Instead of the initials in the heart - we want our initials to look like this - minus the year haha

Unfortunately, Henry works and they close at 5:30, so I had to tackle this adventure on my own. I am sure Henry was just heartbroken over missing the excitement of browsing walls and walls of paper and books of different fonts - I know how excited he gets when I drag him all over Hobby Lobby. :-P So, off I went to meet with Julie and boy was she super sweet!! I felt so at ease with her right from the beginning and have full faith that whatever her and her girls come up with I will be amazed! After extensive notes, browsing fonts, and browsing the previous designs of theirs - she also made copies of any invitation they had previously designed that inspired me for mine SUH-WEET! - I whipped out my credit card and paid the big whopping $50 so they could begin designing the tree and monogram. She said it would be completed around August 17th, if not sooner. I am SUPER excited!! Another thing I was excited to hear was about the font of our monogram - which will be an H squared. To mix the city girl/country boy theme she let me pick out a few fonts I liked to depict each and said they could "merge" the fonts. Whoa buddy! However, I don't know if I will blog the design before wedding invitations are sent or not - we will see. :-)

Our venue is rather hard to find if you have never been to it before -
I saw these cute cartoon maps in a few of their invitations and she gave
me a copy so my mom and I can create ones ourselves for my wedding :-)

Despite Henry's lack of interest in my craftiness - until the final product - I am truly blessed with an amazing fiance. He has been so great when it comes to everything we have done so far for the wedding. He went to every wedding venue with me, helped me pick our colors at home depot with paint swatches, met with the baker, met with the photographer, e-mailed the caterer for me, and even went to a bridal show with me! We also have plans to attend 3 more upcoming bridal shows together :-). I don't think it matters so much to me that he gives an opinion on everything - that sounded kind of rude lol - although I more than welcome each and every opinion he provides, but it just meant a lot to me that he was there. He took the time to come with me because he knew it meant a lot to me - I hear all these girls about how the guy does nothing and lets the girl make all the decisions - that makes me sad! I know everyone says its "the bride's day", but to me it's "our" day - the day two become one - I am not the only one down that isle or footing the bill, he is too. So I am going to very much enjoy looking back on our big day knowing that each part - well almost - he was either there for the process or helped form the idea. I love Henry :-)

A fun day of house painting!

Henry after giving me a handful of black light paint on my face

Based off our previous painting photos - we decided to have an
engagement shoot in Michigan that involved a paint fight -
enjoy watching it unfold

I asked Henry how he wanted to start - he said, "LIKE THIS!" as he begins to
squirt red paint all on me! So, I close my eyes and begin squirting - until Henry
grabs my hands saying, "STOP! STOP!" -
this is the photo taken right after I open my eyes and see his face

We laughed so hard!! So did Lisa Kae - our photographer - and my best
friend Riki who was with us at the time -
This was one of our best ideas ever!

We switched sides so we could get Henry's "good side" - in other words, the non-blue side haha
I love him so much!!!

Fond Memories of Being an Aggie Student

2011-07-21T13:16:00.000-05:00

Has this week been exhausting! Talking with one of my co-workers, a recent A&M Psychology graduate, we started talking about all the things we will miss this upcoming fall with not returning to school. It is amazing looking back how much I took for granted being a student, even more so, an Aggie student.

Only in College Station will your neighbor have this car - with a grill attached to the bumper!

Football season is approaching fast and I greatly miss the anticipation of the games, getting friends together to pull tickets, tail-gating, mid-night yell, and game day - standing in the sun, jam-packed in the heat, following direction of our Yell Leaders to know what comes next. Now, I have to figure out which game I want to pay for! A $200-something sports pass was a heck of a lot cheaper than the individual tickets you have to buy post-graduation.

Everyone tailgating and walking around before the big game!

Everyone jam packed in the stands, watching our amazing Aggie Band!

Tailgating for Lauryn and Emily's Ring Dunk, prior to the football game!

I miss having most of my friends at such a convenient distance! I could drive a couple blocks to Danni's townhome, to the other side of town to Lauryn's apartment, or a couple blocks to my fiance's house that he shared with another great friend, Casey. I could call my girlfriends up and have dinner plans in just a few minutes, we could go get ready at each other's house and go off to Northgate for yet another night of great memories! Or the weekly wine nights we had in the media room of Lauryn's apartment with the enormous pull down projector and giant bean bags! Bringing wine and wine glasses, sitting up most of the night drinking and talking about random life happenings, until we all passed out on the bean bags or one of the numerous couches. Or deciding to take a random nightly road trip, rushing back the next morning to get Lauryn to work, watching her change from the trunk of her car right in front of her work building, then driving off with Danni blaring amazing music and dancing like idiots.

First girls night together!

One of our many group nights out on Northgate

One of the many nights at Lauryn's apartment - about to go hot tubbing!

An amazing group of friends, together for Spring Break 2010 in South Padre

I miss having my biggest concern being my Immunology final the next day. Where my biggest responsibility was showing up to class on time so I could take notes to prepare me for the 4 tests in that class. Which gave Henry and I so much free time to catch a dinner, a movie, or make the 6-8 hour long Moussaka that we love so much!

Studying with an old friend - love that jar of peanut butter to get me through!

Or missing the convenience of seeing friends around every corner walking across campus. Or even walking up and down University, hearing someone doing an Aggie honk, and all the students around Whooping! Being able to load up Tux and drive a few blocks to Research Park - bring some toys, and have a ball for hours watching him fetch his toys in the pond, playing with other dogs, and having everyone ask to see Tux do his tricks or acrobatics while fetching a flying toy.

Tux after jumping in a pong to fetch a toy <3

It's all those simple things that I really took for granted, that I now miss. I have friends in Dallas, Houston, College Station, Michigan - and boy is it hard to get everyone together in the same place, at the same time! Girl nights have now turned into girl weekend trips, if we can even get all the girls together! 6-8 hour long cooking dates with Henry are limited to Saturdays or Sundays, and dog parks are crappy, if you can even find one near by with a pond allowing dogs in it. Heck, I miss living in College Station - period! It is an amazing town with so much to offer, as a college student and as a graduate. No matter how old I get, I will always have a fond place for College Station and A&M in my heart. Being an Aggie is by far one of the best decisions I could have ever made, I wouldn't trade a single day of my undergrad - good or bad - for anything.

Wedding Inspirations Part 1

2011-07-17T23:33:00.001-05:00

The title of my blog page is City Girl Meets Country Boy - naturally because I am a city girl, Henry is a country boy. Not only is that the title of the blog page, it is also the theme of our wedding October 13, 2012.

Our wedding will be held at Double Creek Crossing in Caldwell, TX - a beautiful outdoor venue on a secluded ranch. Leah is the sweet lady, that just happens to be from the town - Burleson - right next to Henry's hometown, who opened the wedding venue after retiring from being a nurse - she was home for a bit and told her husband she couldn't just sit around doing nothing = Double Creek Crossing! And thank goodness she did too because it is GORGEOUS! Her husband and her put a lot of thought and effort into building the outdoor venue. Her daughters helped her think of minor details such as, making enough room on either side of the Bridal Suite toilet for a bride if she has to go to the bathroom in a large ballgown dress - ahem, that would be my situation! Or having a built in counter, long mirror, barstools, and wonderful lighting so all the girls can sit next to each other as hair and make-up are done. Or how about having "tarps" that can be rolled, and pinned down to the ground all around the reception area in case of bad weather - yet they are clear so you can still feel as if you are outside? The venue is city-like, with the nice stone walls, vaulted ceilings, wonderful landscaping - yet very country with the visible wooden beams, concrete floors, front rocking chairs, and of course being on a ranch itself. That equals perfection for our theme.

A picture of the venue from the "altar" of the Ceremony location

Looking out to the Ceremony area

Walking up to the Reception area from Ceremony area

Walking outside to Reception area from front entrance with Groom/Bridal suites/Cake table/Gift Table

Our theme was so obvious and inspired by our kick-A photographer, Michelle Peyronet with Peyronet Photography. After meeting with her and discussing what we wanted in photos she mentioned the theme - I couldn't believe WE didn't think of that already! DUH! We picked Michelle after seeing her gorgeous photos of a friends wedding. She did a type of jounalistic photography and boy did her colors POP! It was amazing how every detail of color was beyond perfection - and I was blown away by her ability to catch such loving facial expressions and moments in their natural settings - not posed. Not only do we get her for our entire wedding day, we get a 2nd photographer, as well as 2 photographers for the rehearsal dinner. She will be doing our engagement, bridal, boudior, rehearsel dinner, ceremony, and reception photos - as well as a Trash the Dress shoot post honeymoon. Can't wait! Here is one Blog post by Michelle that we love (looks like you will have to copy & paste the link):
http://peyronetphotography.com/blog/weddings/kate-luin/
&
http://peyronetphotography.com/blog/weddings/suzanna-matt/

Our planning/decorating will be with the help of a good friend, Lacey, who happens to own a wedding/party rental business called Details Event & Party Rentals in College Station, TX. She has pretty much everything you can think of, at great prices! http://detailsevent.blogspot.com/ - That is her amazing blog - you should check it out! She does her research on up to date trends, and has plenty of unique ideas of her own to help you design your perfect wedding down to the last detail!

Photo taken from Lacey's blog - This is the ceremony at Double Creek Crossing

Another photo by Lacey - Cake table at Double Creek Crossing

My sister is the Maid of Honor - so naturally she has done some research on bridesmaid dresses. I am letting my bridesmaid choose their dress for the most part. Afterall, they are doing me a favor by being in my wedding and should be proud of the dress they have to dish the money for. All I ask is it be around Tea-length or a little above the knee. I plan on asking the girls to wear brown boots - so it has to go well with boots too. Here are some suggested photos, feel free to comment or lend advice:

Our colors go with the fall theme Henry and I love so much! It also gives us an excuse to use Maroon as a color. haha Our colors are burgandy maroon, espresso brown, rust orange, and a golden yellow - fall colors. And yes it is rust orange, NOT burnt orange - UGH!

I love this wicker ball, or "tumbleweed", with the simple fall colored flower attached.

I don't care too much for the escort card table, but I do absolutely love the wheat stalks and their beautiful golden color!

I love the colors, but I really love the wooden box!

Again, I am in love with the wheat and colors

I absolutely LOVE the color of these Callas Lillies - which are one of the flowers I want to use for the wedding as well

I am drawn toward the burlap and colors of the flowers of this one - I also love square & rectangular tables instead of the traditional round

The maroon flowers and branches stood out to me in this set up at the Brazos Bridal Show

Henry & I have a slew of photos of our initals carved in things - starting with an Aspen tree from Colorado - hence the love of these invites

Again with the love of carved initals - I love these invites & RSVP cards

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Background Information of our Engagement!

2011-07-17T08:04:00.000-05:00

To warn you, this is a long post:
As you may, or may not, have read - I am engaged! My fiance and I met on the infamous Northgate in College Station, Texas - my junior year, his senior year attending Texas A&M. I had never liked Northgate, but it was the one night my old friend and I chose to go. This was the one night Henry's old friend some how lost Henry, leaving Henry on Northgate in the same line for carpool as we were in. If you read in the "Characters" tab you would know he saw us previously dancing like idiots at Daisy Dukes, and my friend busting her butt as I spun her in a circle. HAHA He approached us in the car pool line & we talked as if we had been friends for years! At the time, I didn't know if he was really THAT funny or if I had just had too much whiskey -either way I liked him - A LOT! Henry had a real 70's thing about him to me -long/shaggy blonde hair, blue eyes, very broad, maroon polo - as I re-read what I just typed it doesn't sound 70's at all, BUT I remember looking at him and thinking he looked as if he could have walked right out of "That 70's Show".

The night Henry and I met for the first time

Numerous dates, dinners, lunches, & nights out on Northgate later - Henry asked me, "Want to change your facebook status to 'in a relationship' with me?" Although we had acted like a couple since that night we met February 26, 2009, we didn't make it "facebook official" -because everyone knows facebook status is the ONLY thing that matters - until March 2009. Another important part of the "facebook requests" leads back to the night we met. Henry didn't ask for my number that 1st night, he asked for my name so he could find me on facebook - so he whips out his iPhone and types my name in - no number. I found that rather odd, but special in the fact that he wasn't like every other guy just getting a number. The next day I had a friend request! We only talked via facebook chat for a week straight, laughing hysterically each and every time. It wasn't until the end of the week that I invited him to my friends 21st party that he asked for my number so he could find me at the party. :-) He spoiled me to death even more after that - still does! I was constantly thanking him for all the wonderful dates he took me on that he eventually said, "Please stop saying 'thank you' so much, it is getting annoying." Well pardon me for having manners! Have I mentioned how well he is with words? haha

Our 2nd time to ever hang out!

A night out at the Tap

So, the relationship continued. My wonderful sister, Stefanie, and I were Christmas shopping in 2009 when we passed by my favorite jewelry store, Helzberg Diamonds. Stefanie grabs my arm and says, "Let go look at rings!" At this point in my relationship with Henry the only REAL conversation we had about getting engaged was in June after we attended my first Mavericks game - he was attempting to convert me from my father/daughter Houston Rockets obsession to a Maverick fan -and had been to the bars with some of his friends in downtown Dallas. So when my sister grabs me to look at rings, I don't think too much of it other than I love this store and I love diamonds - OK LET'S GO!

Our awesome seats at the Mavs game - Henry doesn't mess around :-P

A night out in Dallas after my first Dallas Mavericks game

Although I hadn't thought much about getting engaged to Henry, being a girl I have thought about the perfect engagement ring for YEARS! I had always wanted a 1 carat marquise diamond in a simple band with no diamonds on the side. I hate most settings with diamonds on the side because the way they set them in there with the metal peeping through - just looks tacky to me! If that is what you have, I am sure it looks beautiful on you, but my choice = NO SIDE DIAMONDS. The band I fell in love with actually did have diamonds on the side, but on the sides of the side (see photo below). The guy helping us grabbed a loose fake, princess cut diamond and set it in the middle prongs - it was set like a kite more than square - I fell in love. I told my sister right then and there that this was the exact ring I wanted! So off my sister goes to make a phone call because apparently that band was the last band, conveniently in my size, and they were not going to be getting anymore. That phone call was to Henry, and the band was "reserved" or whatever it was they did - point is that it is now on my finger. haha We went off to Zales where I fell in love with an actual diamond - we found a gorgeous Celebration Diamond and the way it sparkled and blinded your eyes in the light was fairytale-ish. My loyal sister later dragged Henry to these two stores where my ring was put together. I have a band from Helzberg Diamonds and a diamond from Zales - I can truly say my ring is unique. And yes I am proud of my ring, as well with how it came together. You can call me conceited, but I don't care.

The ring!! My sister and girlfriends were eager to be the first ones to post a facebook photo of it

Henry had planned to propose on April 23, 2010 since my favorite number is 23, and I make a big deal anytime anything is 23. I especially make a big deal if anything is 10/23 and yell "It's my birthday!" - so, 23rd of 2010 was another 10/23. Unfortunately, I was in the hospital due to my stupid stomach problem. April 24th was Ring Dance - big deal for Aggies - and I insisted on getting out of the hospital to make this special event! I scarfed down some food, proved to the doctors I could hold it down (since I had lost about 20 lbs at this point), and was let out! My sister and I high tailed it to College Station as Henry and my parents followed in separate cars behind us. We went to get manis and pedis together, then went to get my hair done. We all met up at my friend Danni's townhome, along with Lauryn, to get ready. I texted Danni as we were leaving how I wished for Henry to propose since we were all dolled up and my parents were there. It would be the perfect time! She reassured me that even when Henry does choose to propose it would be just as amazing! Little did I realize, 10 minutes later, in the exact spot we first met, Henry would do just that! He pulled me aside, which was nothing special since we always go off and laugh together, he said, "You know this is the exact spot where we met right?", I replied, "Yes! I love you so much", with a huge grin as we hugged. He stepped back and began to get down on one knee - at this time my friends later told me my hands went to my mouth as I said, "No! No! No you arent!" -He said, "Will you love me forever?" as he opened the ring box. We both got teary eyed, I yelled YES, and pulled him up to give him a kiss! He then proceeded to put the ring on my finger and asked, "Will you change your facebook status to engaged with me?" just the way he did when we first started dating. That is when I realized he had also hired a photographer - I love scrapbooking - who had been lurking in the background and snapping pictures. Henry's parents and two neices, along with my friends Emily and Kristin all came out from hiding at this point. It was the perfect engagement! Henry had made sure all the important things were there: family, friends, and PHOTOS! lol And this is where the next chapter begins....

Henry putting the ring on my hand for the first time! Such a happy day!

After the proposal - Ring Dance!! :-)

The Beginning of Blogging - for me

2011-07-14T17:18:00.000-05:00

I have decided to begin blogging! My mom, Lana, has been a very dedicated blogger for quite some time. I thoroughly enjoy reading her blog, and occasionally seeing an old photo she has posted that I long forgot about. One of my best friends, Danni, is also a recent blogger and another inspiration into the realm of blogging. My blog will be nothing spectacular, but I feel my life is far from boring!

First things first - I was born in Germany, lived the majority of my life in Houston, Texas as a "spoiled", proper, well mannered city girl, attended the best school EVER - Texas A&M University, met the sweetest country boy I could have dreamed for my junior year of college, and currently beginning the next chapter of my life in the DFW area - slowly, but surely, transforming into more of a country girl than I would sometimes like!

One of our biggest days as Aggies - dunking our hard earned Aggie Rings together!

Second, I am currently planning a wedding with my wonderful country boy fiance, Henry, who I have been engaged to since April 24, 2010 - Our wedding date is October 13, 2012 - LOOOONG engagement! But it will all be worth the wait when we take our 3 week long honeymoon to Greece/Italy! Yea buddy! So, be prepared for random wedding inspiration posts or blogs regarding a wedding planning melt down. :-P

An engagement photo taken by Lisa Kae Photography while visiting one of my best friends, Riki, in Michigan.

"Finally", I am an andrology tech (or andrologist), which always makes for funny stories! I mean who can honestly say they get to play with semen - gasp! yes male sperm - for a career!? It is quite a rewarding job because I get to play a crucial part in helping other couples make their families bigger, and I looove the super cute birth announcement photos we get of all the wrinkly little boogers! :-) It is also a great fix for the baby blues - because I am too darn selfish to have a child anytime soon since I have no interest in sharing my time, life, or money with a little gremlin (as Danni would say ha) - just yet. However, despite the rewards of growing families I have had my days of opening a specimen cup and nearly gagging to the point of vomiting! Yes, some semen is just that thick or smells that bad! Those times kind of stink - literally and figuratively.

Sperm swimming their way to fertilize a single egg - Image from superstock.com

SO! Welcome to my blog! Hope you enjoy!