In Love

With David, yes. But I'm also deeply smitten with love itself. It's worthy, if I may say so myself.

I am just soaking up every bit of this wedding process so far. I'm sorry if you get tired of wedding stuff, it's just always on the top of my brain, and probably will be for the next year! We are still looking at venues, exhausting every last tempting resource to make sure we find the best place to start the next chapter of our lives!

I think this inspiration board and stationary from Style Me Pretty evoke more of those lovey feelings from my the tips of my painted toes the top of my curly head in the most timeless and otherworldly way...

Whew!

What a fabulous day! 

So, my mom, David, and myself visited a venue today, and I gotta admit. I'm a bit crazy about it! We are taking our time and weighing all the pros and cons before making any decisions. We have only looked at a few places, but seriously several months ago I found this place on accident and just had that feeling that it was PERFECT for our day:) We will continue to look around and price other places, but I would die a happy girl if we got married here.

The Dunafon Castle

I think it fills my Euro-garden theme pretty wonderfully!

In other news of this Colorado -Cupcake's life, the lovely Jenny.Lee tagged me for the Honest Scrap Award! To be honest, (HA!) I'm not sure what this award means...But I'm thankful nonetheless, and will do my best to fulfill/not bore you to death.

The Honest Scrap award comes with a few rules. First, you have to tell your readers ten things about you that they may not know, but are true. Second, you have to tag 10 people with the award. Third, let all the people you've tagged know that they've gotten it. And finally, make sure you link back to the person who awarded you.

Ok kids! Here goes, truth or dare? Truth! 10 of em!

1)I spent the first years of my life on a farm, running around and sitting on horses in nothing but my diapers! Learning just how much I would love animals. We had horses, ducks, cows, dogs, my brother. (hehe just kidding I love you Chad:) 

2)I have an unhealthy obsession with ice cream. Well, actually soft serve from Mc D's is my fave, OR gelato from Italy. 10lbs prove it!

3) I am really afraid I'm going to get in a bad car accident one day. Sometimes I think about it while driving and get chills and then go into gramma-mode.

4)I've played the violin since I was 8, actually I need to pick it up again I'm getting rusty : /

5)My fiance and I have the same birthday, five years apart. And I love that! Both Friday, April 13! (no bad luck here!)

6)David and I want to open up an animal shelter/palace one day so we can live in a constant state of being covered in fur (gotta make sacrifices, right?)  and rescuing as many animals as possible!!

7) I'm VERY accident prone. I broke my leg jumping off a bed when I was 3, I've broken my wrist twice, I almost poked out my eye not looking where I was running (oh yeah-right into a huge tree branch). I could go on and on, basically I have the talent to even fall off my flip flop or trip over my own foot.

8) I've driven the same white beetle (bubbles) for the last 10 years (OMG) and she's still purrin' like a kitten!

9)I'm a word nerd. I always correct my friends spelling and grammar, even though I know mine is far from perfect!

10) I thank God every single day- for the day, my family, and friends (that means you too!)

I have ADD right now, but I tag my newest 10 followers #29 to 39. You guys are great and I can't wait to learn more about you.Thank you for reading my crazy thoughts and giving me great stuff to read too!! 

~Ta Ta~

Shab-fab

I'm too tired to try to write anything entertaining, but I WILL leave you with some more wedding inspirations of creams, champagnes, and overall shabby fabulousness! Oh, and we are going to look at a castle tomorrow, so who knows!! We may have a date picked, and a venue chosen tomorrow! Is everyone glad monday is almost over?

Unfortunately, I've had these forever in a special "bridal file" on my laptop and the only info I have to give credit is kacie-inspiration board! And I can't make them bigger, I will be better in the future ;)

This is a sample of the scene I pulled up to after lunch with my girlfriend yesterday. On my way home, David called me, happy as a clam, wondering what I was doing. Oh just on my way home what's up? "Oh, ya know...I actually took a little spill on the scooter and I'm in an ambulance right now." WHAAAATTTTT?!!! 

Long story short, he slid on some gravel and got all scraped up from head to toe. It could have been so much worse, but I hated seeing him laying in the ambulance looking like a piece of meat basically. 

I will spare you the bloody details, but here he is while they were literally scrubbing his wounds with a spikey sponge from Hell!

Needless to say, this will be a restful weekend and I can brush up on my nursing abilities:)

I hope my broken bear heals soon!

Have a great weekend everyone, and be safe! 

Lucky

Why I love my husband-to-be:

In a sea of reasons, today I will list one I value lately, more than ever.

David, you love me the way I am. You see that I'm not perfect, and it's ok. You see that I am hurting, and you want to take it away. You see something going on between me and a friend, and when we are both so wrapped up in some silly argument, and would rather be stubborn and miserable, you sit us down, and shine a light on it all. Basically, when I am struggling to be a better person, you give me the nudge, or reality check I needed. 

I just wanted to say thank you. Because I not only love you more for it, I love my friends more for it. And at the end of the day, you help me love myself a little more too:)

Secret Garden

People have been asking me a lot lately "What are your wedding plans? What are your colors? " and at this point, I don't have anything set in stone. The one constant that always comes to mind when I picture my wedding involves a sort of european garden feel. We're still looking for a venue, which will determine the atmosphere and style of the night, but this is along the lines of what I dream about:)

Part II

Are ya still with me? Ok...where was I...

So what was left of Saturday and the first part of Sunday was spent very well. Sleeeeping. Finally:) I had to make the executive decision to choose sleep over church. Sorry Liz!! It wouldn't have been pretty though, I was desperate for a REM cycle!

If you don't believe me, look at those sleepy green eyes!

 David's Mimi, she will be 100 in a few months!

After kolaches (amazing) and donut holes (see? eating my way through TX) we headed to The Woodlands to get in some much needed QT with Kyle and Anne!! David and I met at their wedding:) We stayed the night and just caught up and drank cold delicious lime beers on the porch all night. 

Monday: On the road again! After mani with Anne of course! Next stop-Dallas to visit David's brother and sister-in-law Josh and Suzi, AND their 2 month old baby girl Parker. 

Adorable Parker

I hadn't met her yet so I was so excited. 

While in Dallas, I had to do the touristy thing and see where JFK was shot.

Scoping out the "grassy knoll"

 And take about 300 photos from every angle possible. It was really cool but of course very somber to think about. 

After dinner, drinks, chatting, and let's face it- baby talk (can't help it. don't want to!), it was time for sleepy town. Tuesday we had breakfast with Josh, Suzi, and Parker and then hit the road. The rest of the day is a blur. I remember fast food...driving...and Papasitoooos!!! Are you wondering yet, how I fit on the airplane home? After dinner we went to visit new baby Colbie and company, and then one last visit at Casa de Pat and Krystal. 

Wednesday we just relaxed a bit (until David informed me I had to drive.for the first time. in Texas.) I was scared to for some reason (I am a crazy driver) and it turned out fine and the car and I completed our trip in one piece and with no tickets:) One more delicious meal and it was time to head home!

That's probably more information than you ever wanted to know, but I just am a rambler lately! And we had such a great time in Texas and are always spoiled with love,food, and Texas culture! It may have been literally 100% humidity when we left, but we are already anxious to go back. We love and miss you all dearly!! Come visit us so we can return the favor! Unless you don't like tornados of course...that's another random topic though.

Everyone get rested and geared up for another fabulous summer week!!

Saying goodbye to momma Liz

LOVE the matching!

~Ta Ta~ for now!

Let's Catch Up

Boy oh BOY what a week it has been! And I cannot wait to catch up on what all of you are doing, but first, I shall share some bits and pieces of our time in Houston!

 Do you ever have those vacations that you come home and need an additional vacation? Multiply that feeling by approximately 709, and you have an idea of the exhaustion factor I am recovering from! I may check myself into the hospital for exhaustion a-la Mariah Carey! Ok. So I tend to be a bit dramatic. Let me break it down for ya. And keep in mind: my trip took place in levels of heat and humidity that this girl ain't used to!

So, I was kind of too spastic as usual to take really good pictures, although the opps were definitely there! 

Thursday after I got in, we went to BeniHana care of Butch, my future sweet father-in-law. Basically, you had to roll me out of that joint I ate so much! And it was just the beginning of my eating frenzy. 

Yes this is a pic of a pic. I was lazy. Don't make fun.

Friday David and I visited Liz at work, and then went to see Land of the Lost. SO STUPID. I loved it though:) That night, the plan was dinner with a few family friends at Beck's Prime. We  show up only to find a sweet surpriiiise! We walked over to the seating area by the water and on the other side of the trees we found tons of friends and family who all turned to stare and smile at us. This is a sample of my brain wiring: Oh my gosh, I know a LOT of the people eating here tonight! And there are tables with nice linens on them all around us...And lot's of candlight...pretty....and a cake with a ring on it...and our names...and champagne....uh oh....I'm having trouble seeing...too much tear production. I'm crying, eeeeeeeek it's a suprise engagement party for David and I! I could go on and on, but it was pretty awesome. Not my sandwich though. I'll get to that later. Thank you Liz, and Butch, and Gwen, and Patsy, and everyone else for helping with everything and being there making it so fun and special:) We love you and are lucky to have you!

We then headed to a friend's (Craig and Holly) new house to lounge in their new pool. We got home around 1, but my heart raced ALLLLL night until I decided to get up at 5:30, where

(gross alert) my sandwich came back up.ewwww. So basically, I got approximately 4 minutes of sleep the night before a day FULL of events.

Saturday started out rough. But I stuck it out, going to help with Kristen's bridal shower at 9 a.m. then  killing time outlet shopping until the dinner/lingerie shower/bachelorette party. I just kept on eatin. And all was well. No sleep=no skinny. 

Just as the night was coming to a close, and I lay my heavy head on it's pillow, Krystal texted me that Holly was about to pop and they had given her an epideral. We went to the hospital to support and meet baby Colbie Jane!

 So, fast forward to 3a.m. I wake up in the Whataburger parking lot. with my legs up in the dash. passed out from exhaustion while David is inside enjoying fried goodness. cool David. I still love you though :)

This seems to be getting lengthy, so I will make this the first in a series of "Houston Vacay:exhaustion edition"

Check back for the rest of my trip if I didn't drive you away yet :D

Our AMAZING cake!

Celebrating with Kristen and Travis (we came down for their bachelor/ette weekend)

Liz, Butch and great friends

The Finches

Bride and Groom- to- be!

Woof Woof!

I'm getting ready to leave for Houston for a week and have been running around like Richard Simmons. I'm so excited!! (But pray that I don't vapor lock from the extreme heat/humidity combo ;)

Anyway, before I leave, I wanted to leave you darlings with something to think about. My friend Tricia knows my soft spot for animals and sent me this link to post about.

http://altonh.blogspot.com/

This is a bit of what these great people do:

Since November 22, 2006, more than 1800 Shelby Humane Society canines have found new homes with families in New Hampshire. Shelter Partners moves pets from Shelby County, which is experiencing extreme animal overpopulation, to shelters in states where the success and enforcement animal laws and spay and neuter laws and initiatives limit the number of pets available for adoption. Libby's Haven for Senior Canines helped us establish contacts in New Hampshire, and volunteers drive the dogs 19-23 hours to deliver them to our partnering shelters.

Please please please at least send them an encouraging message that they are doing such a wonderful, selfless thing for these innocent, sweet animals. 

I literally CANNOT go into a pet store without wanting to release all the animals and take them home. But usually David just pulls me out by my arm as I'm close to tears, talking about who I can write to close pet stores and regulate breeding laws! There is a lot we can do to help this little sweet things, so please take a moment a decide if you can contribute a dollar, or a kind word, or a mix cd!! to these great people saving little animal lives!!

Ok. Off my pink platform. Now I really gotta go. Thanks Tricia!

Love Love Love

Ramblings

Soooooo I'm not really getting into the bachelorette like I thought I would tonight, ENTER Blogging:

It's been a really crazy couple of weeks and I find myself having to make a conscious effort to blog. I love it, but those little things you do for fun and relaxation are always the first to go when you're super busy unfortunately, doesn't it seem that way??

First off, I really want to thank everyone for reading my Examiner articles. Even if it's only once in a while, I appreciate it and I really think you guys are helping me to do well with my readership there, and it's been so cool to see! If you don't read it however, I will be sure to post wedding stuff up here regularly because what girl doesn't love reading about wedding stuff every now and then? It's just such a lovey dove fun time with fam, friends, oh-and your luuuuuv ;) 

Today, after getting some work issues out of the way, I met up with one of my bridesmaids Amber (please pardon the randomness of my thought process) and we just wanted to start a laid back process of the dress search for the girls. Mind you, we are looking at setting a date for a year from this summer, but I want to take my time and enjoy planning:) We found some great possibilities, it was tough because they all looked so cute on her, and I can picture how great everyone will look! Gosh I can't wait.

And did I mention I LOVE writing bridal style for the column? Not only does it give me an excuse to scope out every bridal place that tickles my fancy, but it gives me a chance to spend time with my girls:) getting their opinions, questioning little details, and then rewarding our hard work with lunches! This could be bad, I need to start adding some time at the gym because the dreaded "bridal diet" is no.where.in.sight. 

I will post some bridal inspirations when it starts to come together a bit more. Did anyone have a hard time settling on one idea? I am one of those people who is always all over the place I guess! 

Ok, Jillian is talkin it out with Chris...I guess I'll get back to it. I hope she ditches the weird foot fetish guy. 

love love!

Chel