Whirlwind.

Wowza.

Christmas was full of traveling from this house to that house, presents, fabulous Southern meals, laughter, friends, wine, twinkling lights, and memories that will be with us forever...

Our house is restored to pre-holiday season.

<insert happy dance>

<yes, I am OCD-mopped floors make my heart pidder-patter>

Bags are packed for our next adventure.

Heading to the Yacht Club then we're off to the sandy beach of Aruba.

I am pretty excited about the upcoming days, and not just because my next week & half is going to be filled with 90 degree temps, no emails on my blackberry every five seconds, happy hours, quality time with my fam, and the simplicity that island life brings...but because 2011 will be here.

2011 is going to be a year I will never forget.

2011 is when I will go from a Miss. to a Mrs.

2011 is when I will marry my best friend.

2011, bring. it. on.

Cheers!

LOVIN' THIS WEEK.

This is me...

I am soooo pumped for Christmas!

This week is going to be FILLED with family, laughter, & smiles...

The house is decorated.

The presents are wrapped.

Gingerbread Latte in hand. (thx mom)

We are ready for Santa!

HO HO HO :)

Today.

Today is a very important day.

Today is the day that my girlfriends and I have been counting down to for months.

Today is the day we will venture to the coliseum.





Today is the day we will prepare to dance and sing with every other 13 year old girl in town because....





Today is the day of THE concert.





Two words people...JUSTIN BIEBER.





SOOOOOOOOOOOO EXCITEDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD :) :) :)



Countdown.

...it is currently 21 degrees.

I am not meant for cold weather.

However, I am made for winter time island vacations.

Only a few weeks until I am on a sandy beach, gazing out at the crystal clear Caribbean Sea, sippin' cold beers, laughing at all the people in their fur coats in the Carolinas. Sorry, the f-f-freezing temps make me sassy.

Aruba, oh how I love thee. See you soon friend.

Truck dancing.

"What do you want to be married to me for, anyhow?

"So I can kiss you anytime I want."

-Sweet Home Alabama

Our "save-the-dates" are officially ordered...i cannot wait for our day.

I love being in love.

Brrrr!

The sun is shining this morning but it is SOOOOOOOOO cold here in the Carolinas!

Here is a live feed from ol' Cullowhee:

http://www.wcu.edu/542.asp

I want that kind of weather HERE!

Busy busy busy!

I adore this time of the year!

This week was filled with fun events of birthdays, dinner parties, & holiday happenings.

Tonight is our Girlfriend Dinner Party & Ornament Exchange...very excited about that!

JWB has to work tomorrow so me & momma are gonna try and conquer some shopping-side note my mom is one of those smart shoppers who is pretty much done with her list by this time of year, me = not one thing bought. eeeek!


Have a great weekend everyone :)

No Guarantees.

"Life comes without guarantees except... Laughing will brighten your day, smiling will enhance your eyes, and falling in love will change your life."

Spaghetti

....I snagged this pic right before we sat down for our weekly Girlfriend Dinner night.

I have a HUGE small obsession with Christmas china (thus the pic taken so I can look back & smile at it after the season has passed)...I believe every southern woman is entitled to fancy dishes with a story behind them, whether it was a piece given to you on your wedding day or passed down to your from a family member or given to you from a friend.

B's mom hosted a fabulous dinner: her legendary salad, garlic bread, and spaghetti w/homemade sauce that is slap-yo-momma-good.

Good food + red wine + lots of laughter = great way to start the week!

"Tomorrow is a blank page, just waiting to be filled with your dreams... All you have to do is be yourself and live the story of your own unique life. Be proud. Be confident. And most of all be happy."

Oh yes.

Friday's make me smile.

Fun filled wknd ahead:

Tonight: Hanging out with these two ladies + many more cool peeps...

(Momma + Saylor)

Saturday: ???

Sunday: Christmas Parade + little shindig @ mi casa afterwards :)

The Grinch.

Wednesday = Great day!

Worked another BUSY BUSY BUSY & very productive day at the office then came home and whipped up a yummy supper for me & the hubby-to-be: salad, spaghetti & meatballs, and fresh garlic bread. Mmmmm :)

Just as I finishing up the dishes, momma called and her sink was having troubles so JWB & I hopped in the truck and headed over...we, and when I say we, I mean my brother & J-got her all taken care of! After the plumbing issue the four of us sat down with fresh Breyers Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream & watched my third favorite (Second Place: Elf, First Place: Christmas Vacation) Christmas movie...

THE GRINCHHH

LOVE LOVE LOVE that green man & Whoville.

"Preachette"

Last night was Girlfriend Dinner...Miss Kel was the hostess with the mostess-she served up Shepherd's Pie and homemade chocolate chip cookies for dessert. DE-LICIOUS.

Just a quick rant:

My friends rockkk. Every week our little trio gets together one night a week to eat supper together and just have girl time...I truly value this ritual. I absolutely love big holidays and other milestones in life, such as birthdays, etc. but I also adore the in-between times, where there is nothing special to celebrate except life itself. Our little dinners are times that I will treasure forever, for the memories that I share with my friends-where we can act like "tomorrow is ten years away (thank you Eric Church, see song above)" and drink wine and laugh and make up silly words (see post title).

Snack Pack.

Today is Tuesday.

Tuesdays are rather lame in my opinion, however, you gotta gotta find the good in life-right?!

Today is going to be a busy day at work, followed by a dinner date + Victoria Secret fashion show with the best friend-Kel :)

You know what else makes me happy today? This throw back classic...

This snack made me smile as a tiny tot, and still has that affect at twenty-four years old.

I will say, the same mystery still exists though-how do you ever know how much cheese to put on the first cracker, because heaven forbid you get to that last cracker and their not be enough cheese-PORTION CONTROL PEOPLE! :)

Let the festivities begin.

Last week = wowza.

I am in looooooove with this time of year. You can smell the excitement in the air. Twinkling lights. Leftovers. Fun movies on tv. Crisp temps.

Ok, so last week was a whirlwind but LOTS of laughter & memory making.

Wednesday: No work for me :) Reunion Dinner @ SR with high school girlfriends. SO great to see them...true testament that people can grow up and go their different directions in life but we will always have a special place in our hearts for each other!

Thursday: Thanksgiving!
My mom & I did our morning tradition of sipping on Mimosas, watching the Macy's Day Parade, and chop/dice/saute all the ingredients for all the fab food we serve later on that day....about 1:00 JWB joined me @ my parents house after an early morning trip in the woods to deer hunt and he helped my dad start frying up the turkeys (insert tummy growl). The rest of the afternoon we just relaxed and waited for the crowd to arrive. Twenty-two people. If MTV was interested in filming another reality tv show, they should have been at my parents house-older folks + the things that come out of their mouth = $$$. Just sayin'.
Thursday night, JWB & I hopped in the car and made our way down to Cola' to meet up with the Baker crew...big thx to Mr. French (soon-to-be bro-in-law) for getting us an awesome room with the most amazing bed I've ever slept in.

Friday: Black Friday shopping with the Baker boys. Lunch with the family + my GORGEOUS baby niece! Seriously people, this pretty little lady is swoon worthy. Baby finger & toes make a heart melt! Late afternoon JWB & I hit the asphalt & headed to the lake house. Stopped by our fave Badin restaurant, Cripple Creek...few cold beers and supper and we were ready for PJ's & tv watching!

Saturday: Scrabble, cold beers, reeeeeelaxing.

Sunday: Finally made is back home. Tackled a mountain of laundry. Christmas decorating-eeeek :). Sunday Supper @ my parents.



I'll end this recap by saying I am one thankful woman. I have a family that doubles as my best friends and as my foundation for all that I am. I have a man who I get to marry in ~7 months. I have friends who I adore and they adore me. Life is sweeeeet.

Makin' Plans

Aside from the horrific pink and black background, please enjoy this jam.

Love isn't always easy, sometimes it's down right messy; but I think those hard times are what gives your relationship depth and an even better understanding of one another...

At the end of the day, it's such a blessed feeling to have someone who knows you "like the back of their hand" and loves you for all that you are-the good, the bad, the ugly.

Cheers to love & TGIF!

A thought...

I read this quote on a "forward" from a girlfriend:

"To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.
The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you."

Made me say hmmm...

Gadgets.

Coolest gadgets  things i want for Christmas  things that make you say, "Why didn't I think of that?!"  stuff. Ever.

http://www.worldwidefred.com/home.htm

Wknd full of LOVE.

Ok...so I have a new obsession:

This gal makes my heart pidder patter.

Who knew something so small could make a heart smile so big?!

We love you Saylor!
______________

After a quick trip to Cola, we headed home to get ready for Sunday's engagement photo shoot!

We LOVE LOVE LOVE our photographer, Shane Snider (www.shanesnider.com). <<<Check him out, he's the bomb.com

With our fabulous entourage of my mom + MIL, make-up gal [Kahli], MOH/hair stylist [BB], & MOH/BFF [Kel]...we headed to the farm and had a blast!

With all of the checklists and to-do's that we have been wrapped up with for the wedding, it was so much fun to have a day of laughter and sunshine with my JWB.

I cannnnnnnnot wait to see how the pics turn out :)

GOD IS GOOOOOOD!

I'M AN AUNT! I'M AN AUNT! I'M AN AUNT! <insert happy dance>

WELCOME TO THE WORLD SAYLOR :)

7 lb 2 oz. baby girl

God is so good.

Bags are packed. Truck is fueled up. Smiles on faces...Columbia here we come!

Where does time go?!

Is it just me or does time seem to go by fast & faster?!

A recap of this past week & weekend:
-An exciting merge for the company I work for
-A night of "interior decorating" & dinner with Kel + my beau
-Taboo/Scategories Night with JWB + friends
-A movie date
-Sunday Supper with family

A big two snaps to gaining an hour of sleep.

This week will be bringing several exciting events...the birth of our soon-to-be niece SAYLOR...heading to Columbia, SC...and our engagement pictures.

I honestly feel like just yesterday it was the beginning of the summer and now its time for Thanksgiving and Christmas...just goes to show you that you must seize each & every day.

I guess it's time to send off summer in style-so as I raise my Corona water bottle, I toast to you warm breezes & flip flops, see you soon.

Bring on the holiday parties & mistle toe.

what a weekend!?

This past weekend was one for the books. Wowza.

Friday night-I got to see this guy:

(Billy Currington)...so hot.










And this girl:

(Carrie Underwood)











I was given tickets for my birthday from my girl B...I will be the first to say that I didn't really know what to expect from the concert due to alot of Carrie's songs are slow-BUT, girlfriend rocked. Aside from Carrie looking STUNNING, she truly exhibited a God given talent that was literally breath taking.

Saturday-Went shopping with my mom. Thank you New York & Co. for getting your groove back.

Saturday Night-Costume Party...I have not dressed up in MANY MANY years but it was so fun to get into character, brought back alot of memories from when I was a kiddo!

The hostess with the mostess did an AWESOME job with the decor & the party was a BLAST! The rule for the costume was that you had to dress up as something/someone that starts with the same letter that your first name starts with.

Candace-Cruella De Vil
JWB-Johnny Cash

After party at my *BIG's* house.

*Note to self: vino + hot tub @ 2:00 am = head ache like whoa the next day*

Sunday-Headed over to my parents house for an afternoon of relaxation & an early supper, then got ready for the trick-or-treaters! A few years ago we started a fun tradition with our neighbors of bringing out camping chairs & fire pits out into the cul-de-sac and combine all of our candy together.

...it may be slightly redneck to basically have a tailgate party for trick-or-treating but hey, you live once.

Happy November 1st ya'll.

Rain, rain go away!

This week has been blahhh!

Between busy work days & the CRAZY weather-tornado warnings out the wazoo-I could honestly spend an entire day in this...

...last night was Girlfriend Dinner Night.

Chinese Take Out-oh how I love thee.

Scary Movie-The Strangers.

Laughter-duh.

Beer in wine glasses-only the finest, darlin'.

Cheers to you my friends.

Have a good day :)







Weekend Recap.

Yay for a good weekend...Monday always comes too quickly!

Saturday: Breakfast @ Carter's with my daddy & Kel. Ran errands all around town. Got dolled up then did cocktails @ SR. Will/Bethany's wedding...such a beautiful bride!!!

Pics (thx big for sending these to me!):

*NOTE TO SELF: START TAKING CAMERA WITH YOU TO EVENTS*

Me & JWB

Me & BIG

Me & Kel

Sunday: Slept in, woke up with a slight headache (ugh-I'm sure that had nothing to do with the wine from Saturday's festivities). Went to the pumpkin patch with JWB. Sunday Supper @ my parent's with mom/dad, future MIL & FIL, JWB/me, & my bro.

Great weekend :)

Quote.

"May today there be peace within.
May you trust that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith in yourself & others.
May you use the gifts that you have received, & pass on the love that has been given to you.
May you be content with yourself just the way you are.
Let this knowledge settle into your bones, & allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise, & love.
It is there for each & every one of us."
-Mother Teresa


...love love LOVE this quote.

Have a good day :)

Recap.

WHEW-it's been a busy week!

Monday: work. My parents cooked up a delicious feast & my parents + my bro + JWB/me all ate, laughed, & caught each other up on the insanities of each of our lives. I can't reiterate enough how awesome my family is.

Tuesday: work. JWB/me + Kel + Tripp ate at our fave restaurant SR...Tripp was in town for the furniture market, so anytime he is home from Nashville we make sure to steal him away for atleast one night! JWB & Tripp have been friends FOREVER & he has been a "big brother" to me since I was 14-he is special guy to both of us.

Wednesday: work. Girlfriend Dinner Night w/Kel & BB. I ABSOLUTELY love my man but time with your friends is essential. Kel cooked up an awesome lasagna & we watched Hocus Pocus-yes we are all in our mid-20's-ish but ABC Family 13 Nights of Halloween makes our calendar every year.

Thursday: work. OFFICIALLY moved in with JWB. Very exciting & such a relief to have that behind us.

Friday: work. TGIF! Date Night with JWB-were going to cook up a yummy supper & watch a movie. I cannot tell you the last time we had a free Friday to just relax so we are going to take advantage of our opportunity!

Saturday & Sunday: Oh how I love you weekend days. Don't know what the wknd will bring, however...my Phi Mu sister & friend will marry her beau tomorrow :) I can't wait to see that gorgeous bride-to-be walk down the aisle! Congrats in advance to the new Mr. & Mrs.!!!

Bu-bye!

Wowza.

Wedding Check List:
Date
Location
Band
Photographer
Wedding Dress
Registries
...a million things left to do.

Half & Half

Mornings = ugh.

My mom walking in with a half & half tea just for *me* = she is the best & makes me smile.

...it's the small things in life folks.

Thankful.

It's Friday-whoop whoop!

...just wanted to note a few thoughts:

I am so thankful to be blessed with a loving and supportive family...my mom, dad, and brother are some of the most amazing people I've ever met.

I am so thankful for my JWB-there are no words to describe that cowboy...he's just the bomb.com

I am so thankful for my friends...there a certain few that have withstood the test of time and together we have shared heartbreak, laughter, memories, inside jokes, and just a special understanding of each other. Just last night, as I was on my way home from my girlfriend's ("Miss K") house, I couldn't help but feel this glow of happiness because it is so amazing to have a friend who just gets YOU-never judges, never asks questions, just loves you for who you are.

This is a pic from my BIG's recent engagement party-another lady who is very dear to me! :)

(K, BIG, me)

I am thankful for lake weekends & cold beers. Lakeside, here we come.

Ciao!

Sing it COFFEY!

I love this guy! Coffey rocks!

...this was one of my favorite Young Life songs back in the good ol' RHS days & it still makes me smile.

God is good.

Farm

Planning a wedding is for the birds.

However, some fun events are just around the corner.

...engagement pics in t-minus 33 days.

Our location is swoon worthy.

Sneak peek:

JWB asked if we could put this farm on our registry...

BL.

Me & my future hubby + "the lake family" + a few cold beers + beautiful sunsets + lots of laughter = priceless memories at our little slice of heaven.

BL Yacht Club-here we come!

We'll see you Monday folks :)

Thursday

Thursday is my favorite day of the week because I love the anticipation of what's instore for the weekend...I feel like once it's Thursday, it's time for fun!

And since it is Thursday, I woke up in just an awesome mood & was thinking about all the good things in my life as I was getting ready this morning:

-My fiance is just the best thing ever. I believe every woman should have someone who loves her and tells her/shows her that everyday. There is nothing better than hearing "I love you" as you start and end your day.

-My friends are amazing...I am so blessed to have people in my life that love me for me. My friends are beautiful on the inside & out, hilarious, spontaneous, genuine, and just good people. Each of my friends makes the puzzle complete, without each of the piece, it just wouldn't be the same.

-My family is awesome. Between the laughter, the advice, the "just being there", the comfort they provide, etc...they rock.

-I am in love with fall right now. I love getting into my car on a chilly day and the sun beams through the window and its just like a warm blanket :) I love pumpkin candles. I love the Thanksgiving commercials on tv. I love boots.

-I love that every morning on my way to work, this little old man walks his dog at the same time, everyday and he always smiles & waves to me.

-I love that around this time next month, me & JWB will *hopefully* be an uncle & aunt. We're first-timers folks!


Life is good.

JWB.

After over nine years with JWB...
-I still get butterflies.
-I still think I'm the luckiest person in the world to be "his girl".
-I still think he's cooler than me-because when we met, he was the "cool Senior boy" & always will be in my eyes.
-I still think he's hilarious.
-I still think he's the most handsome man I've ever seen.
...The day I say "I do" will be the happiest day of my life.

I heart fall.

I made these babies last night-















Pecan.Pie.Muffins. Oh my.

I got the recipe off of my favorite blog-http://thepioneerwoman.com

So easy to make, so yummy!

Recipe:
1 C packed light brown sugar
1/2 C flour
1 C chopped pecans
2/3 C softened butter
2 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Grease muffin pan.

In medium bowl, stir together brown sugar, flour, and pecans. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and eggs together until smooth. Stir into the dry ingredients just until combined.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups-about 2/3 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes.



Bring on the pumpkin scented candles, crisp temps, & colorful leaves.

Apple Bottom Jeans

Does anyone else suddenly want to to wear a red t-shirt & listen to Flo Rida?

...around the 30 second mark is my favorite.

This little boy is a good reminder that we should all:
"Dance like no one is watching,
Love like you'll never be hurt,
Sing like no one is listening,
and live like it's heaven on earth."