Thursday, February 28, 2013

Oops I did it again!

I disappeared!
I feel so bad I keep posting sporadically. I am just so busy that when I have any downtime I just crash. I promise after the wedding posting will resume to how it used to be!
I have a few wedding planning pictures for y’all as well as a big announcement!
Wedding planning is going really well. We only have small things left to finish plus packing everything up. Our to do list is long but I can tackle a good amount of small tasks in a short amount of time. However, this weekend, next week and next weekend will definitely be busy!
Since our rehearsal dinner is an MSU tailgate, we have been stocking up on maroon and white around here! We also made two sets of cornhole boards! I still have one left to paint but here is the first set:
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Our giant pink letters are finally completed! A&Z is a recurring theme in our wedding.IMG_1328
The signs are all made, clear coated, and the posts built and painted. Check!


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Groomsmen and bridesmaids gifts are all purchased. I wrapped the groomsmen gifts last week and will finish wrapping the bridesmaids gift this weekend!IMG_1430
We had an appointment in Charleston a few weekends ago to do table setups and make sure everything works well together. Here is the cocktail table setup
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And the guest table setup (picture more napkins for each guest):
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We also setup a rehearsal dinner table as well:
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Lots to do, so little time! Only 16 days from today I will be a Mrs.!
In other news, Zach and I took the plunge and bought a house!
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We were looking for another rental house but after lots of thinking and research and several houses later, we found the one!
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We are aiming for a late March closing date so keep your fingers crossed for us that it happens! I can’t wait to take y’all on a tour through the house! It’s a new construction, so the floors aren’t finished yet and it needs one more coat of paint, but it’s beautiful and I can’t wait to see it completed!
How have y’all been? Sorry for my absence!
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Thursday, February 7, 2013

Mega Wedding Work Workout Update!

This is going to be a major catch up post! I’ve been a blog-slacker (which seems to be the usual this past year-I realllllyyyy want to get better at posting regularly again!).
Mostly wedding updates, but some work and running/workout updates thrown in there.
On the wedding front, Zach and I have been knocking out wedding to-dos like it’s our job over here! We still have a ton left to do, but pretty much nothing left to buy except for vendor payments and our favors.
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Invitations were sent out in the beginning of January, and we’ve gotten many responses so far! It’s always so much fun to check the mailbox every day for RSVPs! I do feel like I’ll be having to make some phone calls though, I’m still waiting on 44 out of 79 responses. They only have 9 days left! ;)
In the second week of January, Zach and I traveled to Charleston to do some wedding activties, like meet with our Pastor and our DJ, and take some measurements of things at the venue, and for me to have my hair and makeup trial.
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I hope the trees grow some leaves before the big day!
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Such a pretty place!
I had my hair and makeup trial on Saturday after meeting with the pastor and going to the venue. Here was my inspiration picture:
And here is the result:
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Here are my honest thoughts on the outcome:We chose Ulta to do our hair and makeup because they were affordable for all members of the bridal party for hair and makeup. A lot of other people I  had contacted were out of the price range that was ok for everyone. My stylist was very friendly, funny, and a lot of fun to talk to. I do like very much what she did with my hair. I think it looks very pretty. But the more I think about it, the more I realize that while my trial was very pretty, it wasn’t what I wanted. I’d like more defined eye makeup and I want my hair to look like the updo inspiration I brought, not a bun. The problem is, I have no time at all for another trial. Help! Suggestions??
On another topic, my beautiful hanger for my wedding gown arrived! I just love it!
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Zach and I have a lot of DIY projects we are incorporating into our wedding. We have 3 foot A&Z letters, signs, cornhole boards for our rehearsal dinner and reception, etc. Tons of wood work projects!
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Zach’s best friend and our groomsmen Scott came to help us out a few weekends ago. Dude kills me he’s so funny.
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Zach making cornhole boards, while I painted signs!
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This past weekend we hit up TJ Maxx for some additional candy bar jars, and also worked more on our signs.
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Zoe supervised.
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Here is one of the signs we are using! More details to come once they are finished!IMG_1300
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We (and by we I mean I) finally decided on the groomsmen attire. We are going through Men’s Wearhouse for our tuxedos, and my original idea was that I wanted pink ties and pink vests on the groomsmen. However, I hated the pink tie they had! It was pretty ugly! After many trial-and-error sessions, we finally found an awesome pink tie that matched the bridesmaids and decided on a black vest. Zach modeled the groomsmen outfits so I could see how they would look. I’m so happy with how it turned out! Best looking bridal party!
A couple of weekends ago, we headed south to good ole Mississippi!
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We stopped in Starkville for a couple of hours to pick up the wine for our wedding (MS muscadine-the best there is!) and the beer for our rehearsal dinner (Lazy Magnolia), and we also stopped by a few local stores to pick up a few additional decor items for the rehearsal dinner. We also got to have lunch at my favorite restaurant-The Grille!
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I miss Starkville! But I LOVE Greenville!
Speaking of Greenville, on the work front:As many of you know, in July I started working for Milliken & Company in Spartanburg. I started in the research division, and while it was a great experience and I met  a lot of great people, I wasn’t loving it. Since I only have a masters degree and not a PhD, I felt like I couldn’t get any further than the job I started in. An opportunity opened up for me right after Thanksgiving to move to the Performance Products division/one of the business sides of Milliken and work on product development for the Milliken Military group. While I do still spend a significant amount of time at the headquarters in Spartanburg, I also now spend a lot of time at one of the manufacturing facilities, the Enterprise plant in Marietta!
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It’s been an awesome adjustment and I love my new position! Its much more “up my alley”, with product design, still incorporating lab scale trials, and plant scale up!
On the workout front, this week has been amazing weather for running! I got in 4.25 miles Tuesday and 3 last night! I’m loving the weather and I am looking forward to my Saturday morning run! I’ve also been still going to Body Pump! Gotta pump up those arms for the big day!
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I was having a lot of trouble losing weight. I was working out and eating well and frustrated I wasn’t seeing any results. I got a heart rate monitor, and it has been instrumental in me realizing that I burned more calories than I realized and was subsequently undereating. Hopefully the scale will show a positive reflection of my changes this week!
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Zoe the running queen hates one of the bridges on the Swamp Rabbit Trail downtown! She crouches low, moves as slow as molasses, and spreads her paws out as far as they will go to get over the bridge! It’s HILARIOUS!
Happy Thursday!
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Sunday, January 20, 2013

I just keep going, and going, and going

What a whirlwind of a few weeks! So sorry for my disappearance! I’ve been going and going like the energizer bunny and this is the first weekend I’ve been home since before Christmas!
I left y’all off with my bridal shower recap :)
The weekend after that post, Zach and I headed to Jacksonville to see my sweet beautiful grandmother.
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My family learned right before Christmas that she had stage 4 cancer. Within one month, God called her home to be with my grandfather. I miss her terribly-she was such a wonderful friend and a beautiful person. She was just such a loving, wonderful person who was so very much looking forward to my wedding. I hate that she’ll miss it in person-more for her than for me. I know she was so thrilled. But, she’ll have the best seat in the house! Watching from above with my grandfather. I’m glad she and him will get to watch together.
When we went to Florida, she did have the strength to open her eyes and see me and Zach. She knew we were there, which was so special to me. I had brought my wedding gown to put on for her since I know she wanted to see it, but I wasn’t sure if she would be able to get the strength to look. My mom and aunts told me to put it on for her (Zach left the room) and she opened her eyes and smiled and I knew she was so happy to see it, which meant the world to me :) She mouthed the words “Oh my God” and I knew she loved seeing it. It was so so special to me. I’ll never forget it. My mom and aunts were so happy as well. It meant a lot to all of us. Three days later, she passed away.
Having a packed already-planned schedule was tough when all I wanted to do was lay in my bed at home. After working all week (there is a memorial planned for the beginning of February, just so no one thinks I didn’t attend any services or anything), Zach and I went to Charleston for a weekend of wedding planning. We met with the pastor, I had my hair and makeup trial, and we met with the DJ. On Friday and Saturday nights, we enjoyed Restaurant Week with Caitlin and her brother, Jack. We went to Magnolia’s on Friday and Slightly North of Broad on Saturday. Both restaurants were fantastic-it was so much fun to try out two new places! I also missed Caitlin like crazy! :)
This past week was busy as well with work as usual, and on Friday, Scott came to visit and we headed to downtown Greenville for dinner. Zach and I always look for the hidden bronze mice when we are downtown (there are 9 bronze mice hidden around downtown Greenville from the book “Mice on Main”) and we found another one this trip!
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Saturday morning I ran my first race of 2013-the Greenville News Downtown 5k!
photo3It was freeeeezing but overall it was a good course, well organized, and a fun race! I wasn’t feeling 100% so I didn’t finish with my best time, but overall I enjoyed running around our beautiful city!
Saturday afternoon Zach, Scott and I stocked up on supplies at Home Depot and got to work-we have several DIYs we are working on for the wedding this weekend! Only 55 days to go! More details to come on Wedding Wednesday:)
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Happy Sunday everyone!
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Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Wedding Wednesday- A Very Pink Bridal Shower!

Having the week of Christmas off from work gave me lots of extra time surrounded by my mom, sister, and wonderful friends to check some wedding to-dos off my list as well as celebrate our upcoming wedding and marriage.
I was able to help my mom choose her mother-of-the-bride dress, which we found at a local bridal salon and love!! It really looks amazing on her. I am so glad I was able to help her pick her dress! The same day, I finally got a veil! I tried on dozens of veils before I found one I really loved. The bridal salon I was at happened to have my gown in stock so I was able to hold the veil up and see how it went with the gown. It was amazing-the veil looked like it was made for that dress!
I also got all of my wedding invitations put together and stuffed inside the envelopes! Amanda and I stamped all of the response card envelopes with our address stamp as well as put postage on all the response card envelopes.
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We also embossed belly bands to wrap around our invitations, response cards, and rehearsal dinner invitations. Embossing 80 belly bands is no easy task!
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On Saturday, my mom and sister threw me a bridal shower with some of my closest friends and family members. I had such an amazing time getting to see so many people that are so special to me!
IMG_0864Bride to be!
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Just part of the spread of food!
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IMG_0881Funfetti (my favorite!) cupcakes with rose swirl and bride and groom paper people.
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Wedding bells donut cake (amazing…there are no words).
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Personalized m&ms!!
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The details in the decor were amazing! Pink and white lights and pink and gold balloons!
IMG_0811m&m candy favors in mini jars for the guests!
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Beautiful pink flowers from my sweet grandmother!IMG_0843With 4 of my beautiful bridesmaids! From left, Amanda, me, Chelsea, Danielle, and Brianna!
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With my bow bouquet for the rehearsal.
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Having fun with Amanda, Chelsea, and my aunt Mary Kate (who came from Florida for the shower!!).
Like my MS shower, I was absolutely spoiled by all my friends and family. We were given such beautiful gifts. They all put so much thought and time into the gifts they gave us and were so absolutely generous. I’m so grateful they are here to celebrate this exciting time for us!
Only 73 more days to go!!

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