It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....cards, that is!

I can't believe it's been three months since I have updated my blog.  I'm not really sure I even have any readers left!  Life has been busy.  Work was crazy the whole month of September and there's this little thing happening in nine days that has kept me busy otherwise- my wedding!  It's still hard to believe that I had just hit double digits when I posted 90 days ago and now I'm at 9.  Time is zooming.

But, that's not the main point of my post.  I'm back to tell you about the greatness that is Shutterfly.  Have you ever used it for anything?  I got my Christmas cards from them last year, and I couldn't be more pleased with the way they turned out.  I also made a photo calendar for my parents, and my mom says it was her favorite gift and has already requested another one this year.  Additionally, I had a gallery wrap canvas made of one of our engagement pictures.  Shutterfly is so easy to work with and their shipment is quick and easy.  It's a breeze!  And the quality is fabulous, to boot.

So, enough about what I've bought!  Do you want to see what they have to offer?  Here's just a sampling:

They have tons of beautiful Christmas cards.
Here's one of my favorites:

If you don't celebrate Christmas, or prefer to be politically correct, they have holiday cards.
One of my favorites of those:

Or, if you need to thank your friends and family for all those gifts, check out their holiday thank you cards.
I love this one:

And, if you're still reading and want 25 free holiday cards from Shutterfly, the first 3 to comment will receive a promotion code- happy commenting!

Double Digits!

Today marks double digits until our wedding- 99 days, to be exact!

Time has absolutely FLOWN! 

And with the way I have been posting lately, my next post may be as a married woman. . .   ha, ha, ha!

I'm not sure whether I should be excited (because I am REALLY excited!) or nervous that I am forgetting something major (I don't think I am, but I can't help feeling like that!)

Either way, it's a fun time right now, and I can't wait until October!

Have a great weekend, friends! That is, if any of you are still reading.

Prayer Request

Do y'all know Jane over at Dissecting Jane?  If you don't know her, I highly recommend you head over to her page and check it out (but not before I tell you what you're praying about).

If you do know Jane, then you probably know about her sister, Lo.  Lo has cystic fibrosis.  Today is her birthday.  In 5 days, on July 5th, Lo will have a kidney transplant.  Jane's and Lo's dad is the donor.  For Lo's birthday, Jane has asked that all who read her blog mention this on their blogs and cover Lo and her father in prayer.

I think it's a simple request, and I firmly believe in the power of prayer.  So, today I'm praying for Lo and her dad in honor of her birthday.  And I'll be praying up until the surgery and after for God's healing and power to give Lo a second chance at life.

I hope you'll pray, too.  And if you haven't already, I also hope you'll go over and say hello to Jane

Weird Wedding Dreams (Nightmares)

Yes, I've been MIA again, but I think that's just becoming my norm, so let's just go with it, shall we?

Last night, I had a weird wedding dream.  Well, some might call it a dream, but my OCD/Type A personality calls it a nightmare.  The ultimate nightmare.  And it's not the first one I've had about the wedding.

This time, we were in a weird church- not my church where we are getting married- and nobody was there.  It was time to start, 5:00, and the church was literally about 1/3 of the way full.  Nothing was going right.  For some reason I was sitting on the steps at the front of the church with my bridesmaids and the ceremony wasn't going on.  We were just sitting there.  The florist was still bringing in flowers, people were milling around, and to top it off, one of the few people that were there mentioned that half of our invitations said the ceremony was at 6:00.  Which could explain why the church was only 1/3 full at 5:00!  And, to make matters worse, there was a teeny bopper band singing random songs that had nothing to do with a wedding.

Bizarre. 

And that's not the first time I've had one of these "nightmares."  I have also dreamed that 200 people showed up to the rehearsal dinner expecting to be fed, that we didn't have a ceremony order the day prior to the wedding, that we didn't know how many people were coming because I didn't ask for RSVPs (I know people do this, but not me- no way!), and other random things, all of which send me into panic mode.  It makes me wake up and think, "Hmm, what am I forgetting?"  I think I have it all down- in fact, I'm sure I do, but these dreams make me crazy!

Did any of you have crazy dreams before your wedding where everything seemed to go wrong?  I'm sure I'll have more as the big day approaches!

Slacker

I'm a slacker, what can I say?  Well, obviously, I don't have much to say since I haven't blogged in a while.
We did, however, get our engagement pictures back from one of my friends.

Here is my favorite unconventional shot:

I think I am going to have that one put on a canvas that I have a Shutterfly Groupon for.

And here's the one we will use for our engagement announcement (I think- if not, it will be similar).

And in other news.  The GAMECOCKS ARE BACK HOME IN OMAHA!!  The defending national champions are ready to make a run at a back-to-back championship after sweeping both the Regional and Super Regional.  If we win it all, we'll make history as the last team to win an NC in Rosenblatt Stadium (the old site of the College World Series) and the first team to win in the new Ameritrade stadium.  Sure hoping we put it in the books!

Four years

It's hard to believe that it's been four years since my last first kiss.  I had no idea at the time that four years later we'd be planning a wedding.  I can't imagine a better outcome, and I can't wait to share many more years together.  Pretty soon we'll be celebrating actual anniversaries- you know, the marriage type.  So, here's to four wonderful years and many, many more to come.  I love you, WEG!

Here's a picture from back in the beginning of our relationship,

circa 2007.

Book Review: The Beach Trees

I was asked to review Karen White's latest book, The Beach Trees.  I love Karen White, and jumped at the opportunity to get my hands on her newest book.  As always, it did not disappoint!

From the TLC Book Tours website:

In her new novel, White, the national bestselling author of On Folly Beach and the award-winning author of thirteen previous books, weaves together themes of Southern culture, the powerful bond of family, to courage to rebuild in the face of destruction and personal triumph to create an incredibly moving story her fans are sure to embrace.

In the aftermath of tragedy, life goes on—painful and forever altered, but ripe with new beginnings. For Julie Holt, traveling to the beautiful but ravaged coast of Biloxi, Mississippi, is a journey into a secret past and a life she never expected. Julie first knew loss at the age of twelve when her sister disappeared, never to be found. As her once close-knit family grew apart, Julie’s mother obsessively searched for the girl and when her mother died, Julie took up the search, never letting go of the hope.

Then at an art exhibition in New York she meets Monica—a struggling artist and single mother who reminds Julie so much of her sister that she can’t help feeling drawn to her. Monica paints a vivid picture of her family, but never says why or how she lost contact with them. She has another secret: a heart condition that will soon take her life.

When Monica dies, Julie inherits from her an antique portrait as well as custody of her young son, Beau. Taking him back to Biloxi and New Orleans to see the family he has never met, Julie discovers a connection of her own. The portrait, of an old relative, was done by her great-grandfather—and unlocks a family history she never knew.

I could not put this book down.  I was tempted to neglect work, responsibilities, and even sleep to finish it.  Karen White has done it again, turning out a book that's heartwarming, suspenseful, and fun to read.  I loved the aspect of telling a tale, past and present, through two different sets of eyes.  The mystery of it all intrigued me, and try as I might, I was unable to figure it out before things were revealed at the very end. 

The story is complex, which challenges your brain a bit more than the typical "beach read," but that is what I found to be the best part.  The characters come alive, and I instantly liked several (Julie, Aimee, Beau) while I warmed to others as the book progressed (Trey). 

The Beach Trees, to me, was about perseverance, courage, and devotion to your roots, and I would recommend it to anybody looking for a fun summer read!

To read more about the author, Karen White, check out her website and become a fan on Facebook.

Your most special wedding gift

I have been MIA for a couple of weeks- I just really don't have a lot of good material lately, and I feel like I am boring y'all with wedding details.  Really, that's pretty much all that's on my mind recently, so I don't have much else to say.

So, keeping with the theme- what was your most special wedding gift?  My grandmother wants to give us something that will be special.  Something that we will look at years from now that will have a special place in our hearts, and we can say that my grandmother gave it to us.

I'm really drawing a blank as to what that might be.  Did any of you receive something really special that will be a gift just like the one I am describing?  If so, please share!  Or, if you haven't received anything like that, but have something in mind, please share that as well.

Thanks, and stay tuned on Thursday for a book review of The Beach Trees, by Karen White!

Made me chuckle

During my lunch break I ran into CVS to pick up a graduation card for my cousin.
I am wearing pants in this Lilly Pulitzer pattern today:

As I rounded the corner, a man stopped dead in his tracks.  Here is the very brief conversation that ensued.
Him: Them there's some bright pants
Me: That they are (I didn't say thank you because I'm not sure that was a compliment)
Him: They sure do look comfortable
Me: Yes, they are quite comfortable
The end.

Now, if you could only imagine this with the man's country accent, you'd probably see why I'm still chuckling.

Brain dump

What's going on in my brain right now in bullet fashion.

• First off, Happy Mother's Day to my wonderful mom, as well as all of the others moms and moms-to-be out there!  Enjoy your special day, although I celebrate you each and every day, not just one day of the year!
• We found out this week that my cousin, Kimberly, is pregnant with a sweet bambino due around the first of November.  Kimberly's mom and mine are sisters, and we grew up spending nearly every summer together at our grandparents' house on the lake.  It's times like these when I think about my upcoming wedding and Kimberly's pregnancy that I miss my grandparents so very much.  It's been 17 and 7 years, respectively, since we lost my grandmother and my grandfather.  Although the pain does ease, you never quit missing them.  I know they would both be so proud of the people that their grandchildren have become.  They loved us immeasurably and I know they are smiling down on us and are with us in spirit.
• Going right along with that, my baby cousin (who is not a baby anymore, clearly!) is graduating from college tomorrow.  I'm so proud of her.  Lora is Kimberly's younger sister, and took quite a bit of teasing from the "big cousins" growing up.  She's 7 years younger than us, so she got her fair share.  I wish her the best of luck as she embarks on an internship in DC, with hopes of a job after her one month is up. 
• I have recently checked a few more things off of the wedding to-do list: favors selected, day-of coordinator hired, jewelry ordered for both myself and my bridesmaids, flower girl dress purchased.  And, tomorrow I will check off a few more: meet with the caterer and figure out the logistics for the reception site.  After that I can order linens and table toppers.  Check, check, check.
• AND THE MOST EXCITING THING CHECKED OFF THE LIST.  We booked our honeymoon!  I can't wait for 7 nights in beautiful St. Lucia!  We'll be staying at the Sandals Regency LaToc.  I'm not sure I can wait 6 more months!  Yippee!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Swimwear

Is it just me or does anyone else feel like swimwear is overpriced for what you are getting?  A decent swimsuit costs in the $80 range, with some even more than that.  And, year after year, it seems like bathing suits are getting more and more skimpy.  Am I missing something here?  Why so much money for so little material?

I am also having no luck with the selection at Target.  For the bottom to cover my arse (which is not large, mind you), I have to go up to the size Large, but then it's saggy in other places, and I have to have a small in the top.  I am a little pear shaped, but not that disproportioned. 

I'm getting discouraged!  I need a few new suits that will last me for a couple seasons, as well as our honeymoon, but so far it's a dead-end road for reasonably priced swimwear made for those of us who would like a bikini, but would also like for it to have some coverage.

What are your secrets?

It won't be ROYAL, but....

.....it will certainly be special! 

Our wedding is six months from today!

YIPPEE!! 

I can't wait, but there is plenty to do between now and then!

CSA farms

WEG and I joined a CSA program this year- Gruber Farms CSA, to be exact.  For those of you who do not know what CSA stands for, it is Community Supported Agriculture.  There are several programs like this in our area.  It works a little something like this.  A farm grows a variety of fruits and vegetables throughout the year.  People sign up for a share of these products.  For instance, we signed up for the "small share" which is perfect for 2 people.  We receive a box each week from April through July and the total cost is $250.  The farm drops off the boxes at the YMCA and, since WEG works out there, it's easy for him to pick it up.

This was the first week we received the box, and inside we found collard greens, mustard greens, broccoli, green onions, sugar peas, beets, and strawberries. 

So far we have sauteed the mustard greens on Monday night, cooked the collards in the crockpot for Tuesday night, made strawberry milkshakes with half the strawberries, and are having the sugar peas tonight and the broccoli tomorrow night.  We did give away the beets because neither of us likes those and I'm currently looking for something to make with the green onions.

It's been really nice to have fresh vegetables to eat this week without having to a) buy them at the grocery store and wonder if they're local or b) grow them ourselves.  I'm looking forward to this for the next couple of months, and if all goes well, we will sign up again for August-November.

If you have a CSA farm in your area and love fresh fruits and vegetables without doing the work, check one out!

Just call me Porky

This has been a great week full of family and friends!  On Monday, we had Mexican for dinner with my parents, my cousin Sarah and her 2 kids, my cousin Carrie and her fiancee, and one of my cousin's friends and her two kids.  Sarah was in town from New York, where she moved recently, and it was nice to see her and catch up!

Then, on Tuesday, we went out to WEG's grandmother's house because his parents and his niece were in town.  His niece is adorable and has such a vivid imagination!  She's going to be our flower girl, and we can't wait!  We celebrated WEG's dad's birthday with steaks, baked potatoes, salad, and strawberry shortcake for dessert.

Also on Tuesday, I met my blog friend and in real life friend, GamecockQueen for lunch at Miyo's.  We both work at USC, so it's always fun to meet on campus and walk somewhere for lunch.  And 90% of the time it's Miyo's!  So good to catch up with her.

Then on Wednesday, I met a friend from high school at Cantina 76, a local restaurant with the best tacos.  Their bbq shrimp taco with chipotle bbq sauce and feta cheese is to die for!

So yes, this has been a good week- although probably not good for the waistline.  Just call me Porky.

Now, I can't wait to head to Fripp Island for a relaxing long weekend with WEG- we're taking Monday off!  I hope the weather is nice!

Happy Easter, y'all!

Stuck in my head

I'm not quite sure why, but this song is stuck in my head today.  Fitting since it's Easter week, though!

I serve a risen Savior

He's in the world today

I know that He is living

whatever men may say

I see His hand of mercy

I hear His voice of cheer

and just the time I need Him

He's always near

He lives, He lives!

Christ Jesus lives today

He walks with me

and talks with me

along life's narrow way

He lives, He lives!

Salvation to impart

you ask my how I know He lives

He lives within my heart.

In all the world around Him

I see His loving care

And though my heart grows weary

I never will despair

I know that He is leading

Through all the stormy blast

the day of His appearing

will come at last

He lives, He lives!

Christ Jesus lives today

He walks with me

and talks with me

along life's narrow way

He lives, He lives!

Salvation to impart

you ask me how I know He lives

He lives within my heart.

Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian

lift up your voice and sing

eternal hallelujahs

to Jesus Christ the King

the hope of all who seek him

the help of all who find

none other is so loving

so good and kind

He lives, He lives!

Christ Jesus lives today

He walks with me

and talks with me

along life's narrow way

He lives, He lives!

Salvation to impart

you ask my how I know He lives

He lives within my heart.

Wedding shoes

After the fiasco with Beyond the Rack and my original wedding shoes, I set to work scouring the internet for another pair that I would love just as much.    And, I found them- Thank you, Zappos!

Here they are:

They're Me Too from Zappo's.  They seem to be quite comfortable, not too high, and the exact shade of my bridesmaids' dresses.  I can't wait to wear them!

Spring spheres?!

 Spring Spheres instead of Easter Eggs

Did any of you hear about this?  I heard this story on my local radio station this morning.  A teacher in Seattle asked that Easter eggs instead be called "Spring Spheres" in order to be politically correct and not indoctrinate students with a certain set of religious beliefs.

What is this world coming to?  I'm amazed.

Our first shower!

This past weekend we headed down to Edisto Island for our engagement shower!  It was so much fun, and we are so thankful to our wonderful friends that hosted the party and to all of those that came out to celebrate with us.

WEG's favorite gift of the day was a shotgun!  Yes, we got a shotgun for our wedding shower...nothing like living in the South, right?

Here are some other pictures of the day.

WEG and me

Beaufort stew- yum!

Opening gifts.

With our friends, the Prices.

With my parents.

My future sister-in-law.

Bess, one of my matrons of honor.

Julie, me, and Bess

Even Abe joined the fun- chilling in the horseshoe pit.

It was a great time with family and friends, and I can't wait to celebrate with them more in October!!

Beyond the Rack = TERRIBLE

If you can help it, do not ever make a purchase from Beyond the Rack.

I purchased a pair of Badgely Mischka shoes back in mid-February that I was hoping would be the shoes I wore in my wedding.  They were gorgeous and the perfect shade of purple.  Beyond the Rack sent me several emails in the next few weeks that they were expecting the shoes any day, and would ship them to me immediately.  Then, several weeks passed, and I did not hear a word from them.

Week before last, I called Beyond the Rack's customer service number and was assured that the shoes would ship to me last week.  Last week came and went and I didn't receive any shipment notification.  Then today, I got an email that my purchase has been refunded because they "couldn't secure my shoes from their suppliers."  REALLY?!?  Now that I look at Beyond the Rack's reviews, I see that this is a common problem.  But it really makes me angry.  That is a terrible way to do business.  You should not advertise an item for sale if you do not know for sure that you can get it.  And two months after the fact, I don't get an apology note or a phone call or anything that would be courteous.  No, I get an email.

Beyond the Rack has just vaulted itself to one of my least favorite companies, right up there with David's Bridal.  Do yourself a favor, and don't bother when you see something you like on Beyond the Rack.  Chances are, you'll just be disappointed in the end.

Tuesday tidbits

This has been an eventful few days!

On Friday evening we had dinner with some friends- it was delicious!  BBQ chicken, twice baked potatoes, and asparagus.  Always a good meal when we eat with the Boltins!!

On Saturday I worked at JTT, and then we had dinner at Casa Linda with more friends.  Is anybody as addicted to cheese dip at Mexican restaurants as I am?  YUMMM!  I could eat my weight in it, I think.  It was so nice to get to hang out with our group when everyone was able to come!

Sunday WEG agreed to go to the Carolina baseball game with me.  It was a gorgeous day and we swept Kentucky!  Not a good weekend of sports for Big Blue fans.  Sorry, Cats.  I was pulling for you on Saturday night, though! 

And yesterday was awesome.  We had tickets for the practice round at the Master's golf tournament in Augusta.  I have never been to a more well-run event in my life.  It was truly amazing.  I had heard great things about it before going, but it didn't prepare me for what we saw.  It was first-class in every respect.  Beautiful grounds, impeccable service....Southern hospitality at its finest!  We didn't get to see the big boys practice (no Tiger or Phil or some of the other biggies)- I guess they don't need to practice ;-)  But, we did see quite a few, and my personal favorite, Dustin Johnson.  He's a Columbia boy!

Just a great few days!  This week also promises to be eventful.  I'm getting my hair highlighted today, I have book club tomorrow (We read Mennonite in a Little Black Dress- not my favorite!), and then we have our engagement shower this weekend in Edisto- I can't wait!!

Hope everyone has a great week!  And thanks for all the wonderful jewelry suggestions for my bridesmaids' dresses.  I got a lot of really great ideas!

Bridesmaid Jewelry- opinions?

Well, after the fiasco with David's Bridal, I found another dress that I love and have chosen for my bridesmaids. Here it is- it's the second from the right. The sweetheart neck with the bow. The color is the one shown. And the shoe I have chosen is this:

I chose silver shoes instead of gold because the dress has black undertones, and I think we will do black tuxes with dark grey/silver vests. I just thought silver went better with that. So now my dilemma is what jewelry to have my bridesmaids wear. I think the dress looks nice with a necklace, but what kind? What do y'all think? I've thought about pearls or even a dainty silver necklace, but I like the chunky look of the necklace in the picture. However, I don't want whatever I choose to cost a whole lot. I really don't want to give my bridesmaids the necklace/earrings they wear as their main gift because some of them just aren't into that sort of thing and would probably never wear it again. I thought if I chose pearl necklaces, they could each choose their own to wear, which would be unique, and if they didn't have a pearl necklace, they could always borrow them. I have several, in fact. Do y'all think pearls would look good with the dress and shoes, or something else? All ideas are appreciated!! Thanks, and have a great weekend :-) **P.S.- Can anyone tell me why blogger won't let me put spaces between paragraphs. I put spaces and then when I preview or publish, it runs them all together in one big paragraph. It has just started doing this- frustrating!!

Trunks

I'm not talking about those things that are unique to elephants. Or chests that hold treasures. Or even the things with branches and leaves, although what I'm referring to is quite similar. I'm talking about my legs! They're trunks, y'all. Linebacker legs, thunder thighs, man calves. I've got 'em, and I don't know how to lose 'em! WEG and I have been running regularly for the past month and a half or so, and while my legs are definitely firmer, they're no smaller. I need to lose some circumference. I can't stand looking in the mirror and feeling completely out of proportion. But, I have no clue what to do. Do any of you fitness buffs have good exercises for smaller legs? Whenever I lose weight, it never seems to be off the legs, so I'm at a loss for how to change this. You would think that having a solid foundation would make me less clumsy, but that's not the case either. These trunks just get in the way, and I'm sick of them!

Not a creature found in the ocean...

Y'all, I never thought I'd say this, but I am in love with my new vacuum. Yeah, seriously, never thought praise for a vacuum cleaner would come out of my mouth. Am I becoming domestic? Scary thought, but I just might be!



For my birthday I asked all of my friends to give me gift cards to Bed, Bath, and Beyond so I could purchase a new vacuum cleaner for our house. Ours worked okay, but it was a hand-me-down from WEG's mom, and it didn't have any attachments. So, I did my research, and found out that the Shark Navigator (seen below) got glowing reviews, claiming that it was better than the $500 and $600 Dysons that I had been coveting (but was not going to purchase, mind you.)



So, yesterday afternoon I headed to B3 and purchased my new Shark Navigator. It was $149, but I had a 20% off coupon- gotta love those- bringing the cost down to $128 including tax. I walked out feeling pretty good about my purchase, especially since I have $40 in gift cards left! And, when I got home, I felt even better about my purchase. The Shark is amazing. I vacuum my house a couple times a week, but y'all! You should have seen the amount of dirt I emptied out of the new vacuum after one time through the house.


So, if you're in the market for a new vacuum, but don't want to spend the money on a top of the line, Dyson, give the Shark Navigator a whirl. I promise you won't be disappointed!!

And, again, thanks to all of my wonderful friends for the gift cards!

**I was not compensated for this post. I just seriously love this product and want to pass along the information to you, my readers.

For Japan, with love

Where is my brain?

Last night, I prepped our dinner and put it in the fridge to marinate, then turned on the oven to heat up, and WEG and I went for a run. We got back, I stuck the marinated chicken in the oven, put some rice on to steam and cooked some broccoli. 30 minutes later the timer dinged and everything was ready...or so I thought!

Apparently, I only turned the oven to bake, and I did not turn the temperature on. Therefore, our chicken sat in the oven for 30 minutes NOT COOKING! Brilliance, I tell you. Luckily the rice stayed warm and the broccoli could be reheated after the chicken cooked for another 30 minutes- this time with the oven on.

I'm not totally sure how I did not notice that there was no heat coming from the oven when I put the chicken in- WEG asked me that exact question, in fact. No clue how I managed to overlook that fact, but I surely did. Thank goodness the chicken turned out to be pretty good, so all was not lost!

But seriously, where is my brain? I've heard of pregnancy brain, but I am not pregnant, so what is my deal?!

Embracing 29...or, Happy birthday to me!

So, I turned the big 2-9 today. I could mourn because this marks the last year of my 20's or celebrate because it marks what promises to be a momentous year for me...what, with a wedding and all. So, I've chosen to celebrate! I'll mourn when I turn 30 ;-)

Today started off with a bang- I overslept. Haha. Somehow, though, I managed to make it to work on time. Not sure how, but perhaps it was birthday luck! When I got to work, our new administrative assistant (who is FABULOUS!) had a Happy Birthday banner on my door and a cake she baked for me. Yes, I had cake for breakfast...you can do that on your birthday because I said so. The cake was a Sicilian chocolate and cheese cake. Um, one word- delicious! Then for lunch, my dad took me to Mr. Friendly's because he was in town for a physical. Again, delicious.

I am definitely not stepping on the scale for a while after all the good food I have eaten lately. And, WEG is taking me to Tsunami for dinner. Mmm.... Yeah, definitely not weighing myself any time soon!

Happy birthday to me!

Weekend Fun

What a wonderful weekend, and a great start to my birthday week!

On Friday, we headed down to Carolina Stadium to see the Carolina v. Clemson baseball game. We tailgated for a bit before going into the stadium. The outcome of the game was a Carolina victory. 6 to 3! Way to go, Gamecocks!

On Saturday, we went to Greenville, hoping to see Game 2 of the weekend series, but the rain had other plans and the game was postponed. We had lunch with my parents for my birthday at Smoke on the Water- delicious if you're ever in the Greenville area- and then WEG and I decided to make the best of it and stay in Greenville for the night since we already had a hotel reservation. We walked from our hotel down to Mast General Store and shopped around for a bit, then stopped in for a couple of beverages at Soby's. While in Soby's we heard from the bartender that the hockey game was offering a discount off tickets if you showed them your baseball ticket, so we decided to go to that game. It was a lot of fun! I may or may not have had a bit too much fun, which led to me having the hiccups not once, but twice! The second time was when we arrived back at the hotel at the end of the night. Apparently I conked out mid-hiccup...impressive, huh? Ha!

On Sunday we headed home after a deliciously greasy Waffle House breakfast and took a brief nap on the couch before I headed to the grocery store and then to dinner with my friends for my birthday. Dinner was a lot of fun. We went to the new British Bulldog Pub out on Harbison in Columbia- if you're in the area, stop by. They have British-inspired food. We had the baked brie appetizer, and then I had cottage (shepherd's) pie with mushy peas, which look like baby food, but taste so good! After dinner, my friends had brought cupcakes from Cupcake- red velvet and chocolate- and we partook in those. I needed someone to wheel me out on a stretcher after that because I seriously felt like I was in a food coma!

All in all, a great weekend besides us losing to Clemson in yesterday's baseball game- oh well, we'll get them Tuesday, I hope! I ate way too much good food over the weekend, and it doesn't look like this week my eating will improve. It's our busiest at work, which entails board meetings on Thursday and Friday and dinners on Thursday and Friday nights, with Friday night being our big Alumni Awards dinner out at Riverbanks Zoo. I'll be glad to see Saturday!

The Lord giveth and taketh away

Well, the update on my friend's pregnancy is not what we had hoped for, but it's clearly what the Lord had in store for her, so he must have bigger and better plans. After going to MUSC last week for an appointment to follow up on the one at her regular doctor, my friend was told that a miscarriage was imminent. And then they sent her home to wait. She went back yesterday to MUSC to see if there was a heartbeat, and, sadly, there was not. So, she was given medicine to help her dilate do a D&E could be performed this morning. While I am so sad for her and her husband, I feel like this was the best way this could have happened so that it was natural and she was not forced to make a difficult decision she might regret for the rest of her life. I know this will take a lot of trust in God to get through this, but I am so glad this was not her first pregnancy and she has a precious son to enjoy each and every day and a reason to keep on going.
I have to admit, this has been a severe test of my faith to try and grasp the fact that God would allow something like this to happen. It's something I have struggled with these past two weeks, which I am not proud to admit.

Please continue to pray for my friend's continued strength to face this battle of life head on and come out stronger.

In other news- today is one of my favorite days of the year. Opening night of the Carolina-Clemson baseball series. I'm already sporting my garnet at work today and can't wait to get off and go straight over to the stadium for some tailgating and then the game! And I'm hoping the rain in Greenville holds off so we can go to the game there tomorrow- 4 tickets were $100- pretty steep for college baseball, and I really don't want them to go to waste!

Have a great weekend, y'all!

Dear David's Bridal,

You stink. Actually, you suck, but I was trying to be ladylike. Specifically, your customer service stinks. If I can help it, I will never give you another dime of money nor do business with you if there's any way to avoid it.
Sincerely,
Ticked off in South Carolina

Any others of you out there hate David's Bridal? I swore before I started looking for bridesmaid dresses that I would not choose something from David's Bridal. I was even reluctant to look at their website. But, then I decided to just pop in a store, and I found the perfect style and shade of dress. I took 3 of my bridesmaids back to the store and had them each try the dress on, and it flattered all 3, which was great! But, it took an hour just to get a dressing room to try on 3 different dresses. It was ridiculous, but I sucked it up. I gave them all of the information for my bridesmaids and my information and we went on our merry way. Nobody ordered that day- THANK GOODNESS.

Last week, I ventured over to the store to get a swatch to show the cake person and florist, and the sales associate was unable to find me in the computer. She tried a few times and then just went ahead and rang me up for the swatches. When I asked if she needed more information from me since she couldn't find me, she assured me everything was good to go. I asked again, saying her face showed otherwise, and, again, she insisted that there was no problem and things were good to go. So I left.

Fast forward to Saturday. One of my bridesmaids was at David's Bridal to get a dress for another wedding she is in, and thought she would go ahead and order the dress for my wedding. Guess what- they couldn't find me in the computer. Shocker, right? After about 30 minutes and 3 people searching under every possible thing, she finally got in touch with me. I was LIVID. I explained the whole situation to the manager and, miraculously, they found my paperwork, which had never been entered in the computer. A month and a half later, and the paperwork is still just sitting there. This made me so mad, especially since the situation could have been remedied when I was in there and the girl assured me everything was okay. Basically, she lied to my face.

So, they finally got me straight and got me entered in the computer, but then they would not let my bridesmaid try on the dress, claiming she'd have to wait 30-45 minutes until they entered the information from her first dress. Ridiculous. So she left, and I am so glad she didn't end up getting the dress because I am not going to do business with them unless I absolutely have to.

Now, I'm on the hunt for another bridesmaid dress that I like that isn't astronomical in price. There are plenty that I love, especially LulaKate, but I am just not going to ask my bridesmaids to pay $300 for a dress. I need something comparable to the dress at David's Bridal. My criteria are dark purple, flattering on all body types (i.e. NO STRAPLESS!), short, and less than $175. Any suggestions?

Prayers, please

I have stuggled since yesterday with whether or not to post this, but I am a firm believer in the power of prayer, and the more people that are praying, the better.

Yesterday, my best friend since childhood went to the doctor for an ultrasound to find out if her baby was a boy or a girl. Instead, she found out that the ultrasound revealed multiple abnormalities. They said they would set up an appointment for her to go to MUSC, the best hospital in SC, to have more tests to determine if these abnormalities are fatal to the baby.

And then, they sent her home. As of this morning, she still did not know when her appointment at MUSC was going to be. So, since yesterday morning, she has been sitting and wondering and not knowing if the baby she has carried for 4 and a half months will even live.

I am beyond angry at the way her situation has been handled because I feel she should have been sent IMMEDIATELY to MUSC to get more answers. Instead she is playing a waiting game, all the time knowing that the news may very well be devastating.

So, if y'all could, please say a prayer for my friend and her husband and their 3 yr. old son to give them strength to make it through this, whatever the results may hold. And please pray that she gets an appointment sooner rather than later so she can at least end this horrific waiting game. I really appreciate it!

Monday, Monday

What a great weekend! The weather was FABULOUS, the Gamecocks swept Santa Clara in baseball's opening weekend, and I got a lot accomplished with the wedding planning!!

Friday I got off work a little early and went to the paper place to pick out my invitations. I love what I chose and can't wait to see a proof! The invitations will go perfectly with our rustic/cotton theme. Afterwards I went for a run while listening to the baseball game and then got some housecleaning done while WEG fished. When he got home from fishing we decided to go over to some friends' house for a bit to hang out. Fun night!

On Saturday I went to work at JTT and WEG went and shot skeet with some guys. We decided to have a date night, which took us to TakoSushi....seriously yum. If you have one in your area, check it out. We had tempura asparagus and 2 different sushi rolls. It was delicious. After that we went to Yoghut and then home. Party animals, huh? It was nice, though! I also talked to our photographer on Saturday and got that lined up, so another item checked off the to-do list.

Sunday was church and lunch and then WEG suggested that we go register at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. I registered at Belk's on Thursday evening, so now our registries are pretty much complete. What a great feeling and yet another item checked off! We're moving right along. After registering I went to the grocery store, went for a run, did some housework, and then we cooked hamburgers and french fries for supper. I started back on Weight Watchers today, so we had to get our last fatty meal in ;-)

All in all, quite a productive weekend! This week includes lots of healthy eating, running, book club for me, getting a haircut and talking to my stylist about wedding hair, and most importantly- finding out if my best friend's baby she is expecting is going to be a boy or a girl. She's got a 3 year old son already!

Have a great week!!

P.S.- I am still accepting honeymoon location ideas, so if you have any good spots, let me know ;-)

My favorite season starts today.

No, my favorite season isn't winter, spring, summer or fall. It's the most important season, by far, though (in my humble opinion)! Today marks opening day of BASEBALL SEASON!

My Gamecocks will take the field at 3:00 today vs. Santa Clara to start the 2011 season as the defending national champions. It still gives me chills thinking back to last season's magical run through the College World Series to put us on top of the collegiate baseball world.

We're returning a plethora of starters from last year's roster, but are only picked to finish 3rd in the SEC East. But, hey, what do projections mean anyway? This is a sport where anything can happen on any given day, and I'm so proud to be a Gamecock today and everyday during the best time of the year.

Welcome back, baseball! My how I've missed you!

The post where I beg for your honeymoon help!

Well, I missed my normal Monday post. Nothing really exciting to report since setting our wedding date. I did book our reception site and have been talking to different vendors. And, we are currently researching honeymoon locations- quite possibly the most important part of the whole wedding. This is quite overwhelming! Both of us are not frivolous spenders, so it is hard for us to pull the trigger on a decision that involves such a large amount of money. We want it to be perfect if we are going to spend that much on a vacation.

Our criteria is this:
1. Adults only
2. All inclusive
3. Warm and sunny in the first week of November
4. Possibility for excursions- canopy tour, zip line, snorkeling are some of our top choices
5. Several different restaurants
6. Being waited on hand and foot

Basically, we want to enjoy the sunshine, enjoy each other, and be pampered.

Places we are considering:
1. Sandals La Toc in St. Lucia
2. LeBlanc Spa Resort in Cancun
3. Other Sandals locations
4. Couples resorts in Jamaica

So, here's where I ask you for your advice. Where did you go on your honeymoon (or anniversary trip, etc.) that you absolutely loved? And, if you don't mind me asking, what is a ballpark figure for the resort plus flight package? What was included? What would you change if you could?

I love to research things and look at them from all angles so I know I am getting the best possible vacation for the best possible price. So, please help!

Guess what, y'all!

We have a date!! Our fall wedding will be on (Drumroll please):

OCTOBER 29TH!

I am BEYOND excited! Thank goodness for someone leaking the "proposed" Clemson football schedule. Oh, and the fact that WEG said he didn't care if it ended up being different anyway and for me to just go ahead and set it. Late October is so beautiful in Elloree with the cotton ripe for the picking and all the pretty fall colors. I've always wanted to get married in the fall in my hometown, and I can't wait to marry WEG on October 29th!

I've got a lot of planning to do between now and then. Woohoo!

I'm a once a weeker....

Well, it appears that I only update this ol' blog on Mondays. I'm okay with that until I have more interesting fodder for you. Perhaps when we set our date and I have wedding things to post, my life will be more interesting to you. Yes, we're still waiting. The ACC did not release Clemson's schedule last week much to my chagrin. So, the fingers are crossed that this is "THE WEEK" It's getting annoying answering the question "So, what's your date" or "Do you have a date yet?" I know that is a natural question, but I am vowing to myself that I will never again ask a future bride that same 4-word inquiry.

Last week went by rather quickly. In fact, I don't remember much of what went on. Obviously nothing terribly exciting, huh? On Saturday we went to an oyster roast for some friends getting married in August. And then yesterday we decided to just watch the Super Bowl from the comfort of our couch at home. We cooked wings, and I made the Velveeta and Rotel dip so it was a little like being at a Super Bowl party, but our stomachs are probably thanking us for not putting a million different kinds of finger foods in them!

Speaking of food, do any of you use www.e-mealz.com to plan your meals and grocery list? If you haven't heard of this, check it out. You pay $15 for 3 months- about $1.25 per week, and they will send you 5-7 menus each week, complete with recipes and a grocery list. If you're on any kind of diet, you can specify that, as well, and they will calculate points (for Weight Watchers), etc. for you. In addition, you can select which grocery store you shop at (if it's on the list) and they'll calculate your cost of groceries. I have not been using every meal they send, but I like the fact that I have new options to work from, and all of the recipes so far have been fairly easy and very good! Definitely check this website out! (And no, I am not receiving any compensation for this)

On another note, my grandmother is in the hospital with what has been diagnosed as early-onset congestive heart failure. They are keeping her a few days to remove the fluid from around her heart, and then she will be given new blood pressure medicine, as well as a new diet. Please say a prayer that this all goes smoothly. She is already protesting that she can't give up her bacon...oh gracious! Her chf is the direct result of high blood pressure, and there has been no indication of damage, so if she will adhere to the new regimen, she should be fine. So, maybe my mama needs a prayer, too- a prayer of sanity that I know she'll need when she tries to keep my grandmother on a stricter diet. Poor mama.

I hope you all have wonderful weeks, and if you'd cross your fingers for me for the release of the ACC football schedules, I'd appreciate it!

Weekend Wrap-Up

Is it seriously already Monday again? Sheesh, where did the weekend go? At least it's almost February and one step closer to the ACC releasing their football schedules. Any day now I will have a wedding date. I feel like I have been waiting an eternity, but really it's only been a month. Ok, ACC- sooner is better than later, so let's hop to it!

Moving on. This weekend was great, but ti went by way too quickly! On Saturday I worked at JTT for the Sidewalk Sale, and then we celebrated my dear friend, Carolyn's birthday on Saturday night. Happy birthday, Carolyn! (A few days late) Yesterday, WEG and I were pretty lazy for most of the morning, but I did make breakfast and do my taxes- can't wait to get the refund! It was beautiful out yesterday (unlike today which is gross), so we loaded up Abe and headed down to the country to let him run around. Unfortunately, there was someone at the pond where WEG hunts, so we weren't able to let him out. Instead, we drove around and looked at land that was for sale in the area. We'd really love to move to the country because neither one of us are city folks. We both grew up in small, rural places and have the itch to get back to somewhere like that. It's not going to happen anytime soon, but we're definitely on the lookout for several (or more) acres for sale at a reasonable price. And, we're absolutely not in the market for children any time soon, but when we are, we definitely do not want to raise them in Columbia. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with that, but it's just not for us. But, I digress. So after riding around looking at land, we stopped by a friend's house who lives out there, Abe was finally able to run around for a bit, and then we headed back to Columbia so I could grocery shop (creature of habit, remember? Sunday is grocery day) and we could eat dinner.

All in all, it was a great weekend! And, as an added bonus, I paid off my credit card this morning. No more credit card debt hanging over my head. What a great feeling! Now, I just have to pay off the student loan I have. Remind me again why I wanted that Master's degree in Retail?

Sorry for the disjointed post- it's the way my mind is working today. Have a great week, everyone!

Creature of habit

I am a creature of habit. Here a just a few things that have become "habit" for me.

• I have a set routine in the morning that I like to follow. If I deviate, I usually run late.
• I have a household chore that I do each day of the week. Same chore, same day each week. If I miss a day, I double up the next.
• I grocery shop every Sunday, and if we're out of town, then I go on Monday after work.
• I eat the same thing for breakfast every weekday morning (oatmeal and yogurt for those of you wondering).
• I even use the same bathroom stall in the bathroom at work. Next to last one. If it's occupied or hasn't been flushed, I go to the last one. I get all out of sorts if the last 2 stalls are both filled- don't people know I have a routine?

I could go on and on.

Are you a creature of habit?

Wedding shower etiquette

Hi ladies! I'm coming to you with a question since many of you have already "been there, done that" as far as wedding showers go.

We are beginning to have people ask us if they can throw us a shower, for which we are beyond grateful! However, this has me thinking about guest lists for said showers- mainly what I do about inviting our wedding party.

Did you invite your wedding party to every shower? I'd love to invite them to all of them, and here is my reasoning. The people throwing them are from various parts of our lives. My bridesmaids know some of them, but they don't know others. I'd love for them to be able to interact with people that are going to be involved in our wedding prior to the big day. I just think a wedding is a lot more fun when people are comfortable around each other at the reception and have already made each other's acquaintance.

However, I do not want them to feel obligated to attend every shower or party. I don't know how many there will be, and I may be jumping the gun, but if there are multiple showers, I don't expect them to drop everything to attend them all. But, I want to extend the invitation so that they can come if they are able and want to. I also do not want them to bring me a present to every shower. I don't expect them to pay for a dress, pay for other things they'll be involved with, and then feel like they have to buy me a present for everything. I could care less about the presents-seriously.

I'm sure many of you were faced with a similar situation, so how did you handle it?

What's your "real"?

I heard this song on the radio last night, and I really liked it. I'm not a big fan of television, and especially not reality shows. (My apologies to those of you who are. I certainly am not trying to offend anyone.)

The song is called "Real" and it's by James Wesley. It made me laugh at first because it pokes fun at reality shows, but then I listened to the rest of the lyrics and the meaning of those and the reality of them. When it talks about the farmer facing a drought, I couldn't help but think of my dad and the reasons he had to quit farming.

Here they are:
**Disclaimer- the grammar kills me, but it's country music, so you know how that goes.

Five hundred channels and there ain't much on tonight
Except reality shows about some folks' so-called lives.
A pretty girl cries 'cause she don't get a rose
But she'll find love next year on her own show

And they call that real

Real is a hand you hold fifty-seven years
Real is a band of gold tremblin' with fear
It's the first long tear down an old man's face, watchin' his angel slippin' away
His heart's so broke, it's never gonna heal

I call that real

Where I live, housewives don't act like that
And the survivors are farmers in John Deere hats
Our amazin' race is beating the check
Prayin' that the bank ain't ran it through yet

Real, like too much rain fallin' from the sky
Real, like the drought that came around here last July
It's the damn boll weevils and the market and the weeds, the prayer they're sayin' when they plant the seeds
And the chance they take to bring us our next meal

I call that real

Real, like a job you lose 'cause it moves to Mexico
Like a mama and a baby with no safe place to go
Like a little dream house, with a big old foreclosed sign
Like a flag-draped coffin and a twenty-one gun goodbye

I call that real
Man, I call that real
Oh, I call that real

Thank goodness it's Friiiiiiday!

I have been such a slacker this past week!! I went home for the weekend and did not have internet access and then when I returned, we got snow and ice and did not have to work on Monday or Tuesday. I just did not feel like picking up my computer to blog! Here's a picture of me with Abe and the snowman WEG and I built. Yes, it's quite small- building a snowman is hard when you have absolutely no experience. And yes, those look like meatballs for the snowman's face, but they are actually chocolates. You work with what you have!

In other news, I got my dress!! I didn't intend on buying a dress on Saturday, but I went with my parents to the Brides Against Breast Cancer shop near my hometown and found "THE" dress. It was perfect, and I couldn't pass it up, and if I told you the price, you'd be shocked. The store raises money for the Making Memories Foundation that gives people with terminal breast cancer one of their wishes, similar to the Make a Wish Foundation for children. The dresses sold are either from the runway or donated by a bride after she has worn it. So, I may be wearing someone else's wedding dress, but I don't know them, so I'm okay with that! And, it could be new- so who knows. Brides Against Breast Cancer has a TON of dresses and I always love a good cause! If you would like to read more about this, go here: Brides Against Breast Cancer. And if you're ever in the Santee, SC area and looking for a dress, stop in!

I am looking forward to another long weekend since monday is MLK, Jr. day. I work at JTT on Saturday, but then I am booked for a massage on Monday. I can't wait! I got 3 gift certificates for massages for Christmas, and I can't wait to use them because it's not something I would normally treat myself to.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Picking your brains

Hello, dear readers. Shockingly, I am coming to you with a question that is not related to weddings, but believe me, I am sure to have plenty of those in the coming months!

Can anybody tell me where I can find a travel jewelry organizer much like this Vera Bradley version. Obviously, the VB one is a discontinued item because it is either a) sold out online or b) selling for anywhere between $60 and $80 dollars...um, no thank you. I have found a few on Etsy, but they are not exactly what I'm looking for. The VB style is preferable because of the numerous and zippered pockets. What I'm seeing on Etsy do not have zippers.

I have a friend who wants this for her birthday, and I'm on the hunt, so if you've seen something similar somewhere, do share!

As for the promised ring picture- stay tuned until Monday. I took one that was great and then I mistakenly erased it from my camera when transferring pictures to my computer...grr! I told you I was technologically challenged. So, when I post again on Monday, I promise to show you. Until then, it's an oval center stone with two half moon diamonds on either side and a plain band. I lurrrrve it!

Everyone have a good weekend- stay warm!

The story...drumroll please

I know you have all been waiting on pins and needles to hear our engagement story. What, you haven't? Ok, well just humor me!

Here goes.
On Thursday the 30th, I went to work at Just the Thing. Around noon, WEG sends me a text message to see if I wanted to go to dinner that night at our favorite restaurant, Mr. Friendly's, since we hadn't done anything special for Christmas really. Not thinking anything of it, I responded yes, of course. Ironically, we had just been talking at work about how good Mr. Friendly's is, so I told them I would be going there for dinner. One of the girls I work with, who I started working with when WEG and I first started dating, said she had a feeling he might propose that night. I didn't think that was the case either because I was almost certain he did not have a ring- if he did, it would have happened sooner because it would have burnt a hole in his pocket.

So, the day passed and after work I went home to change and get ready for dinner. WEG was already ready to go, so I was hurriedly running through the house trying to find something to wear. I was digging through my closet when he came up behind me to ask if I was choosing something nice. I responded that of course I was. And he again said, "Ok, make sure you choose something nice." I asked why and turned around as I asked to find him down on one knee with the ring in his hand. He said "I want you to wear something nice to celebrate the night I asked you to be my wife." He tells me that I did this little shake thing- of disbelief, probably. And then I started bawling. I said yes, of course, and then thought to make sure he had asked my daddy. Of course he had, so I said yes again.

I could barely get ready to go to dinner I was so excited- and my face was a WRECK from the crying! But happy tears are okay. It was the perfect engagement for us....at home and a complete surprise. I never would have wanted a public engagement, and it was sweet without being over the top sappy, which is not either one of our styles.

And, just so you know...I was right about the burning a hole in his pocket thing. He bought the ring, asked my dad, and asked me all in the same day. I know him quite well ;-)

I have not been able to take a good shot of my ring- it always comes out too blurry on my camera. Any advice on how to fix the problem?

Dear Atlantic Coast Conference,

Please release your football schedule for 2011. I am trying to plan a wedding date, and I can't do it if I don't know when Clemson has away games or a bye. The SEC released their schedule in October, so you are way behind the curve. I am too OCD to wait until February for your schedule release to pick a date.
Your prompt attention to this matter would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks so much,
Emily

If anybody knows someone in the ACC office or the Clemson Athletic Department that might be able to tell me what Clemson's schedule looks like for October 22nd, 29th, or November 5th, I'd be forever indebted to you. Waiting a month is just not sitting well with me!

Proposal story coming soon along with a picture of my ring (I just have to take one with my camera and not my phone)!

Always a bridesmaid...

FINALLY A BRIDE!

Yes, you read that right. WEG popped the question on Thursday night! I am beyond excited and happy. We haven't made any plans yet, but we have been celebrating with friends. What a great end to 2010 and a start to 2011!