The Flowergirl!

(All rights reserved by Relish Studios)

See that adorable little girl right there? She was my flower girl at my wedding. When I first began my wedding planning and deciding on who I wanted to have in my wedding I didn't have to think about who would be my flower girl. I already knew and had known even before I became engaged. It would be Alex. 

When I was 18 I began working at a Montessori school. Alex was just a toddler of two and was one of the main children I cared for. It was an amazing experience watching her grow up. You're not supposed to have favorites when caring for kids but... I couldn't help it. She was a favorite from the beginning. She had such a big heart, was kind to everyone around her, looked after others (well tried to, being 2-4 it can be quite difficult), could always make you laugh, she just had a big outgoing personality. 

When she was three she said four words that made my heart melt, it was one of those reminders of why I cared for children. She said, "You're my best friend." And so from then on we were "Best Friends." Even when I had to have her take a time out she would tell me afterwards "It's okay, we're still best friends." 

There was another time when she had woken up early from nap so I went to sit beside her to talk (this happened quite often). I had a pretty bad head ache at the time and she could tell something was bothering me. So she asked me, "What's wrong?" After telling her she said "I'll pray for you." And she did, right then and there. See what I mean about a big heart and caring about others? 

When it was time for her to move on to the "big kid class" it was hard for me. I didn't want to give her up, I loved her as if she was my own. But at least I would still get to see her everyday. She still always had a hug for me everyday and we were still Best Friends. 

                                     

So if it isn't obvious already the reason I chose her was she was one of the first children I began caring for at such a young age, and cared about her as if she were my own, she had the perfect personality, and of course she is so cute! I had no doubt in my mind she would do an amazing job and so she did...        

Thank You Alex for being the perfect Flower Girl! You made the day even more special! I miss you! xoxoxo

 

Not Just Accessories

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(All rights reserved by Relish Studios)

Instead of having just any old accessories that I could have bought at Davids Bridal or some other Bridal shop all of my accessories had some sort of meaning. 

See the pearl necklace I'm wearing? That was the necklace that Tim's grandmother wore on her wedding day. 

The ring on my pinky? Tim's dad gave it to his mom on their wedding day. 

It meant so much to me to have both the necklace and the ring. 

The bracelet wasn't a gift from anyone but it still meant something to me. I made it! 

I took my bridesmaids to a store called Beadin Mon. It's a great little shop where you can design your own jewelry and have it made, they also have great prices. So my idea was to let each of my bridesmaids design their own jewelry, that way it would be something that they would obviously love and want to wear/use again and it would be meaningful. And as a little surprise I made my flowergirl a necklace. 

I also thought it would be a cute idea to have shirts for the wedding day while we were getting ready so I picked up the supplies and my Matron of Honor , Crystal made them (she's better at that kind of stuff than me). Mine as you can obviously see says bride, Crystals says Matron of Honor, and then of course on the two other girls it said bridesmaids. I think they enjoyed the gifts I picked out. 

Last but not least my shoes!

Because everything about the wedding was all about simple and elegant I wanted to do something just a little more different and fun with my shoes. So, I found these at Bakers! They were exactly what I was looking for, they were my cinderella shoes but also with a little bit of fun! 

My bridesmaids also bought their shoes at Bakers and they too fit in perfectly! 

The Dress!

(all rights reserved by Relish Studios)

It was just two weeks after I had gotten engaged to the most amazing man ever. We had set the date and found our wedding venue. And now I needed to find THE dress. Our wedding day was set for July 9th so I knew I needed to find a dress and soon. 

I had somewhat of an idea of what I wanted. Everything about the wedding I wanted to be simple and elegant. I didn't want the big pouffy ball gown, or anything with a lot of beading, or lace. 

So me and my ladies pile into a van that my bridesmaid Ashlee borrowed from her mom, and were on our way to Fantastic Finds in Lansing Mi. Fantastic Finds is actually an old victorian house that they use.  They have a HUGE selection of dresses and awesome prices! You also get your own room to try on the dresses which makes for a more personal, intimate experience, and makes you feel even more comfortable. The staff was amazing too! My salesperson (Amanda) was so much help, and really friendly. 

As we picked out dresses Amanda took them upstairs to my room. After we were done selecting dresses she took me to my room and asked me which dress I'd like to try on first. She brought it in and helped me into it. At first it took me a minute to really think anything because I was having one of those "OMG I'm really getting married to Tim!!" moments, but of course in a good way. But after I was able to get my head together I was extremely happy with it! I did not want to get out of it! I still wanted to try on the others just to make sure but those all came off fairly quickly. 

Even though I still loved the first dress I tried on I wanted to go to the second Bridal salon we had on the list just to make sure I got the whole experience and could make sure I wouldn't regret anything in the future. Well the second place we went to was Letts and boy did it make me appreciate Fantastic Finds all the more. The staff was rude from the very beginning and weren't much help. The dresses were not very good quality, and most if not all were extremely wrinkled and had lots of tears. 

After spending what I'm sure was probably only 20 min at Letts I called Amanda to see if she could squeeze me in so I could try the dress on one more time and purchase it. As busy as she was she made time for me. 

So back to FF we went and back into THE dress I went!

(all rights reserved by Relish Studios)

It was exactly what I was looking for. Simple & Elegant. 

(all rights reserved by Relish Studios)

Sunday Citar: A Dog Tail

 "Saving just one dog won't change the world, but it surely will change the world for that one dog." - Richard C. Call

Meet the newest member of our family, Jet! A couple found this cutie wandering around outside. They posted an ad on Craigslist saying they needed to find a home for him. They were in the middle of a move and already had a dog so they decided not to keep him. So I called to ask them some questions about him, one of them being how much do they want for him? The answer? NOTHING. He was absolutely free. 

So I waited patiently until Tim got home and then showed him pictures of him online. Told him all the info the couple told me about the cute pup. So after patiently but, very anxiously waiting for Tim's answer he finally said YES! We could get him!

After I got the okay, I called the couple and arranged to meet the little stranger. We would drive to their house the following day after Tim got out of work.

So finally the time came to pick Tim up from work and go to their house. I was practically bouncing up and down in my seat the whole way there, trying not to ask Tim too if we were almost there, or about how close we were. 

Finally we arrive, each second that past from Tim coming around to open my passenger door, to walking up the steps to the house felt like minutes. After a short second of waiting we walk in and meet the timid little guy. The poor thing was obviously underweight. You could see his ribs very clearly, as well as his hip bones. You could also tell that as nice as the couple was, they hadn't given him a bath since taking him in. He was filthy to say the least. 

I bend down to greet him, giving him some love. As we got to talking to the foster mom I stood back up and Bosley (as he was currently named) stood up on his hind legs and put his two front paws on me wanting some more attention. Which of course I loved, and in my excitement stated "He already loves me!" 

After a few more minutes of chatting we were on our way out the door with the new member of our family in my arms. After a quick stop at Petsmart to pick up some flea shampoo, toys, a leash, food, etc we brought him into his new home.

 I immediately gave him a bath to wash off all of the dirt, and get rid of the fleas. The poor thing was covered in them. He took it all with a great amount of patience, even though you could tell he was not thrilled to be taking a bath. But after we rinsed him, and then dried him off he was running around with excitement. He was obviously very happy to be clean for the first time in who knows how long, and itch free. 

After much deliberation Tim decided to name him Jet. After all the excitement wore us down we all climbed into bed, with Jet cuddling in next to me and went to sleep. A couple days later we took him to the Vet to have all of his shots, and to see if they could estimate how old he was. The couple we took him from guessed he was about five which was older than what we previously wanted but we settled. The Vet however has estimated that he is only about two! 

So that is the story of Jets homecoming. I am going to post more about him and his personality in a day or two (I figure this post is long enough). 

Wordless Wednesday: Snow Cone!

Wordless Wednesday: Hawaii

I already miss the smell of the ocean air, the feel of breeze, and the all the vibrant colors that Hawaii has.

A New Beginning

And so begins my new life as a wife in an entirely different city and state, Atlanta, Georgia. Well Really we're living in the outskirts of Atlanta but whatever. 

So far I've been adjusting pretty well. Most of my time is used to get the apartment all cleaned, laundry done, and errands ran. 

Btw I LOVE our apartment. Soon I'll be posting pictures of it. It's so spacious, and it stays cool even with the AC off.  We have a nice big window in our bedroom. The view thankfully is not of a parking lot. It over looks a pond, and lots of trees. 

That has been one of my favorite parts so far, all the trees. Everything here is SO green! 

Of course I've had moments where I miss my friends A LOT. And yes a tear or two have fallen. Having Tim helps of course. He is a great distraction. ;-)

He's been such a great husband! He helps out with stuff (even though I tell him not to since I'm not currently working), takes me out after I've been stuck home and started getting cabin fever, and just the other night he brought home flowers for me. 

Yesterday his boss gave us two tickets to The Braves game because he was unable to go. 

Even better? We were only 18 rows from the dugout. :-) It was a ton of fun. 

Wordless Wednesday

The Honeymoon

After 14 long years I finally made it back to Hawaii. One of my favorite moments I had was being able to finally put my feet in the clean white sand. This was at one of my favorite beaches, Kailua Beach.

What made my visit even better though was the fact that it was my honeymoon. I loved being able to share my old home with my husband, visiting all the old familiar places.

This was at Pali lookout.  In 1795 King Kamehameha defeated Oahu armies by driving them over the cliffside. Its obviously a beautiful site, but what makes it even more fun is how windy it is!

It was tough fitting everything we wanted to do but we did get to do a lot of things. I had always wanted to swim with dolphins and this was a great opportunity so we did and it was AWESOME. We also went to Hanauma Bay.

Hanauma Bay is a huge coral reef where you can snorkel. While snorkeling among dozens of different kinds of fish ranging from teenie-tiny to massive (and of course hundreds of different colors) I also saw a sea snake and a sea turtle. It was an amazing experience. If given the choice I would devote an entire day to snorkeling here.

We made sure to make time for a stop at the USS Memorial in at Pearl Harbor. Unfortunately  I didn't have camera battery left to use at the Arizona Memorial because Tim took so many pictures at the museum beforehand. lol.
One thing that disappointed me at the Arizona memorial was the amount of people that were talking (loudly), and taking pictures of them smiling if front of the sunken ship. Don't get me wrong, I completely think it's ok to to take pictures of the Arizona, I think its a good way to remind people about what happened. However, SMILING in front a place were over a thousand men were trapped and killed for a picture is completely disrespectful.

Another fun thing we did was parasailing. It was definitely an experience worth having. Being 800 Ft in the air above water, and mountains in front of you is an incredible view.

Well thats a few things we did on our wonderful honeymoon. It was definitely something I will never forget.

Time well spent

After 3 excruciating long months without Tim, he made it home for one last visit before the wedding. It was  time well spent. As soon as I pulled up outside the airport and let him know I was waiting outside I looked anxiously around trying to spot him. It was probably less than a minute before he came outside but to me it felt like hours. When I spotted him my stomach leaped into my chest. As soon as he wrapped his arms around me I did not want to let go. But obviously, I had to.

So into the car we got, and on our way to the jewelry factory to pick out our wedding bands.  Tim wanted a very simple band which I was okay with, however the type he was interested in was a bit more plain than I liked. I asked him to try on the one I really liked and it turned out he really liked it as well. :-) So luckily its something that both of us are happy with. Mine was easy to pick out, it's just a simple band with diamonds around it to match my engagement ring.

After getting our wedding bands we went to his parents house to hang out. Having a seat on the couch I settled into Tim's arms and fell asleep within 10 min. I had been up really late the night before walking for Relay for Life so I was pretty tired. As it turned out he was pretty tired too because he fell asleep as well. 

After our little cat nap we went to J. Alexanders for dinner with his parents. Most of the conversation revolved around the wedding of course but that was okay with me. :-) After a delicious dinner Tim and I went to a movie. It felt so good to be able to go out on a date with him again. 

On sunday we had an engagement shoot with the amazing photographers from Relish Studios. It was a blast and I definitely enjoyed all the cuddle time I got with Tim. There were lots of smiles and laughter all around. Here's just one of the beautiful photos they took... 

   

To see more amazing photos they took go here. 

The weekend of course went by way too fast but it was not wasted one bit. And soon, I won't have to go months or weeks without seeing him.

Only 9 more days until I am his wife!

Just one of those days...

Today was just one of those awesome kind of days! It was one of those days where even if something bad would've happened it wouldn't have gotten me down.
It started off great with sunshine and warm weather. I love the sun. LOVE it. It never fails to put me in a good mood. That is one of the things I'm really looking forward to living in GA.
My kids today showed me so much love. When I was outside with the kids at work this one boy picked me a bouquet of "Flowers" (they were really dandelions). As he handed them to me he said "These are for you because I love you so much!" Of course it melted my heart. But the love did not stop there. Soon other kids began to join in with him. At one point they were out in the grass area with this little red car that has a little hood on the front. All of a sudden I hear "Ok lets go surprise her!" They all come running up to me saying "We have a surprise for you!" One of the kids then opened up the front hood of the car to reveal a BIG pile of "Flowers." And they all told me how much they loved me. Even as we were walking into the building they were still talking about how they love me. It was so sweet. Moments like that are so rewarding.

The great day didn't end there. I received a call later today from Victorias Secret offering me a part time position! :-) Of course I accepted, they want me to start immediately, I go in Sunday morning for my orientation.

After work I met up with the ladies from Relish Studios to discuss my wedding. The meeting was filled with lots of smiles and laughter.  I can't wait to see the amazing work they will do with my wedding!

After our meeting me, Crystal, Tab, and Briony all headed over to NCG to see Something Borrowed. It was a really cute movie!

So all in all It was an awesome, fun, loving, and blessed filled day! Can't wait to see what else this week brings. :-)

SPRING!

Spring is here! Yesterday I rejoiced as I walked out to a sunny and WARM day. Before walking outside I thought it might be a little chilly because it was still early in the day so I put on a light jacket, but to my excitement it was already too warm for even that! With a huge smile on my face I took my jacket off, and threw it into the backseat of my car.

First thing I did when I sat down in my car? Rolled my window down.Yes I became one of those annoying obnoxious people, with my window rolled down blaring some of my favorite uppity music. But guess what? I don't care! It was a day of rejoicing!
So here's a BIG fare well to winter!!

A New Year!

"Here's to the bright New Year, and a fond farewell to the old; here's to the things that are yet to come, and to the memories that we hold."

~Unknown

 My friends Crystal and Jeremy Barancik had a New Years Eve party this year and it was a blast! It was a great way to end the year 2010 and to begin 2011!!

2010 Was a great year for me. It came and went with a lot of great changes including a new job, my own apartment, making some new great friends, and getting engaged!

Although 2010 was a great year with great changes I know that 2011 is going be an even better year with even better changes! The biggest/best change that will happen is getting married to Timothy McAra! I can't wait to see what other great changes happen!

I hope you have a great year!