.

This past Friday my mom and I went to David's Bridal to try on wedding gowns! This was my first time ever to do so and I was extremely excited :) In fact, when we walked in and I had to fill out my paperwork, my hand wouldn't stop shaking, haha. So we go to the back and I'm assigned a sales consultant and tiny dressing room (seriously, my apartment closet is 3x bigger than this room was) We go into the dressing room, just the two of us, and she closes the door. Standing a sneeze away from me she smiles and goes, "Ok. Now take off your clothes." Uhh... So I literally stripped to my undies and tried to turn away from her. She grabs a bustiere and "assists" me in putting it on. I mean, I know the lady sees titties 20 times a day, but that still didn't stop me from feeling awkward as she stuffed my boobs into the cups. 


Ok, odd part over, time for dresses! She brings in a few dresses and I start trying them on. My mom took some pictures but I'm not going to post them so Robin can't see. I don't want him to see me in a wedding dress until our wedding day :) So, anywhoo, I must have tried on around 10 dresses in our hour slot that creeped into an hour an a half. It took so incredibly long because halfway through, another bride and her family had an additional appointment with the consultant. So one consultant and two brides. Not such a good idea. Between trying on dresses, I stood in the waiting room, in practically nothing, and waited....and waited......and waited some more until she'd finally come back with a dress. And I could tell she was starting to get tired of me around the 7th dress. That bright luster of commission was slowly starting to dim in her eyes, along with her patience. This is pretty much how each review went:




Dress 1: My boobs are about to fall out.
Dress 2: This makes me have back fat bulge.
Dress 3: Too much train.
Dress 4: Too much dress. 
Dress 5: Are Zack and Kelly coming this wedding?




Thumbs down after thumbs down. I was starting to get depressed. And, to make matters worse, around dress 8, my mom and I are critiquing when the family next to us just starts crying, "That's the dress! You're so beautiful! That's the wedding dress!". Apparently bride #2 struck gold. Cue tears, hugs, and me standing awkwardly next to her mumbling congratulations. In my defense, however, this was her second time to try on dresses. She said her first time around she did as I did; try on everything in the store to get a better idea of what the hell you want. Because I really don't have a clue. Mermaids? Fit and flares? A-lines? Sweethearts? Ugh. I thought I was doing well by overdosing on "Say Yes to the Dress" but apparently not well enough. 


And so we left the store empty-handed. It's not a complete bust, however. I got to try on pretty dresses (fo' free) and get a better idea of what I'm looking for. I have an appointment with Lowe's Bridal in Brinkley, AR this January. Semi-annual sale, wut wut! Hopefully gonna get a purdy dress for cheap :) Fingers crossed!

I have always had the immune system of a newborn. Every year I catch anything and everything that's going around. Colds, coughs, flu's, and bronchitis so badly that I was a day away from hospitalization from pneumonia (Christmas '09 was spent in bed). So last year I made the pledge to get my immune system into check.

As of now, I take a number of vitamins, drink Emergen-C twice a day, am trying to cut down on alcohol intake (it really does a number on your immune system) and processed sugars (easier said than done), and maintain a regular exercise regime.

I was researching additional methods to help with the immune system and came across the Green Smoothie. Leafy greens are a jackpot for immune systems. They contain proteins, fibers, vitamins, and minerals. They also are one of the most alkaline of all foods and raising your body's pH by eating an alkaline diet is one of the best ways to boost your immune system. 


Curious, I decided to try it out. The ingredients are as follows:


2 leaves of kale
2 leaves of collard greens
1 leaf of red chard
1 cup parsley
1 banana
1 cup blueberries
2 cups filtered water
1 cup ice cubes


This makes 2 large smoothies, so you can appropriate ingredients as needed.




So, off to the natural food store I went:

I really do need to shop here more often. They have an amazing produce selection with items you can't find at Wal-Mart. So, I filled the basket with my harvest and made it back home:

Leafy greens!! :)

Time to put them all in the blender:

Oh man, this is going to be interesting.

Add the banana and blueberries:

My banana was frozen and I microwaved it hence the brown :P

Blend time!!:

Oh wow, that really is green! And frothy, haha.

And that did the trick :) It was just sweet enough, and the greens weren't overpowering. 

Green smoothie!!!

So here's to fingers crossed that I can kick my immune system into high gear and stay sickness free!! :)

Planning is coming along quite smoothly :) Have a lot planned out! Only...364 days to go?? Yeesh...

Anywho, we've found and secured our lodging and ceremony site. I was browsing hotels online and I came across some pictures of a really pretty place. I was looking through the photos and started to think the hotel looked strangely familiar. That's when it hit me, this is the placed I just stayed at! You see, this past December my mom, step-dad, step-brother and myself all went down to New Orleans (my first time). We took a Carnival cruise then came back to spend a few days in the Big Easy. We stayed at this hotel called Hotel Provincial and it was amazing. So you can imagine how excited I was when I realized it was the same place I was looking to have my wedding! The hotel offers their beautiful courtyard for wedding ceremonies so this was a perfect lodging and ceremony site combination.

Robin and I will go down on Wednesday, October 3 to register for the marriage license (it has to be done 72 hours before the wedding). And we'll stay through Sunday morning when we will ship off on our honeymoon cruise. Guests will probably arrive around Friday, October 5, and stay through Sunday morning as well.

The hotel is beautiful and we couldn't be happier about it all :)

Yay! We decided on a color palette for the wedding :)

Cranberry/Slate Gray/Cream

It's so pretty and helps incorporate a more vintage theme, which I'll be adding to quite a bit!

I'm so thankful that my friends recorded this amazing moment :)


Robin's band was playing a show in front of over 500 people when they stopped, he called me onstage, and this happened :)

October 7, 2011




Rockstar Proposal!



Proposal View #2


Proposal View #3


Proposal View #4

So, I've been engaged for 4 days and I've already gone through a cycle of emotions, haha. But in regards to planning: Robin and I have already pretty much decided that we're doing things very non-traditional. I'm not one of those girls who has been dreaming of her wedding since she was 6 nor do I have any interest in being a princess any time soon. I just want a big celebration of our union, and so does he. So, to add to the theme of non-traditional, we're aiming for a destination wedding. I'd been throwing around the idea of a beach wedding in Florida or whatnot when something hit me: what about New Orleans? Robin and I have both been to New Orleans on separate occasions and LOVED it. In fact, I went this past Christmas with my family (before we knew each other) and he went literally a month later with his band. Coincidences :)


So we're pretty set on New Orleans at this point (if I don't change my mind 800 times in the next year). So we have a place and tentative date (next Autumn), now to just finalize some details. I'm still scoping out google and theknot for ideas, and have come across some pretty neat ones. Like any venues, some of the New Orleans ones can range from $1,000 to $5,000 just for a 3-hour reception use! No thanks. I'm banking on the wedding AND honeymoon not topping $5,000 (if even that. maybe $3,000-$4,000). And the honeymoon alone will be around $2,000 (Carnival cruise, baby)

I found a deal where we could get married on a steamboat on the Mississippi River by the captain! Haha, it's too adorable. They're also a restaurant and bar so that would be provided. And one of my friends told me they heard about a deal where you can BAR-HOP through the French Quarter as your "wedding"!! How amazing is that?! xD So yeah, obviously not going the traditional route. I just want everyone to have fun and celebrate our union and all that jazz.

So, back to it!

Yup. Engaged! Off the market. Promised to one. Future Mrs. All that fun stuff :D And what an amazing engagement it was!

A little of the back-story first, though:

My entire life I have been anti-marriage. Yup, anti-marriage. I always thought it was ridiculous and unnecessary. Why do I need the government stepping into my life and telling me how to have a relationship? Why does a certificate deem my relationship "worthy"? Why, with a divorce rate of over 50%, would I ever want to submit myself to that inevitable failure? Yeah, I was a ball of marriage joy. I was actually in a previous relationship of almost 4 years and never had the marriage itch. It was talked about, but never honestly desired. I thought it just plain stupid. And maybe a bit terrifying as well.

Then I met Robin ;)  We began dating in late March of this year. We had been together for maybe a couple of months when the marriage jokes began. "When we get married you can't keep doing that, haha" or when he gave me my promise ring my comment to him was "Meet you at the altar ;)" Light-hearted stuff that wasn't heavy marriage promises, but a glimpse into some kind of possible desire for it. He moved in with me early on in the relationship and we never had any regrets. This was different. This felt right. So, we began the cohabitation life this summer. And as we experienced various life episodes together, we seemed to solidify our relationship even stronger. Each fight opened up discussions and learning opportunities. Each road trip offered new glimpses into exciting aspects of each other. We went full speed ahead and never questioned if the brakes worked because, dammit, we didn't need them.

It wasn't long before I would look at him and think, I can't wait to marry this man. And let me tell you, that was mind-blowing for me to even think about. But it was there and I was embracing it with my entire heart. And I knew he felt the same. Those light-hearted jokes became serious "I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you" I started skimming wedding articles, we talked about possible future wedding dates, buying a house, having kids, and so on. And in September we started ring shopping together. Through a collaborative effort, Robin and I picked out the gorgeous ring I proudly sport on my finger today. But that was his to keep until it was proposed to me. So, how would that go about, exactly? I'd made it no secret that I thought it would be AWESOME to get proposed to in a big, public forum. Oh wait, my boyfriend is in a band that packs out venues? Imagine the coincidence! :D And with their schedule available online, there were only a few shows coming up this year that would promise a great event.

Fast forward to this past Friday, October 7. My fella's band is playing a big show at a popular local venue. Friends and family are invited. Holy shit, this is about to happen. I meet everyone there and the show begins as usual. The place packs out quickly with close to 500 people crammed in the outdoor stage area. While Robin is being the sexy guitar player he is onstage, I flit around the bar making sure I get to see and talk to everyone. I'm talking to my mom, step-dad, and grandma (yup, grandma even came out!) when the band stops playing. The lead singer says they're going to take a break but, all of a sudden goes, "Heather. Please come to the stage." THIS IS IT!!! Being the graceful damsel that I am, I run through the bar, literally pushing people aside shouting, "Excuse me! That's me! I have to get up there!" I get to the front of the stage and there's a metal gate barrier blocking the crowd from the stage. The lead singer comes over to me and offers his hand to help me over. But, in my frenzied excitement to just get the hell onstage, I clumsily straddle and throw myself over the gate, my dress flying up and undoubtedly giving everyone behind me a view (thank god for black tights, at least)  I finally make it up to Robin and I just start laughing. This is the moment I've been so excited for, one of the biggest, most romantic moments of my life, and I can't stop laughing. I was so nervous and excited!

Robin takes a microphone and says to me, "Heather, I'm so madly in love with you. I have been since the moment we met. Every moment with you has been an adventure I run to with open arms and I hope to share many more with you as time comes." The crowd catches on and starts cheering and clapping. I keep laughing, my hands covering my mouth in a futile attempt to calm down. Robin holds up a finger, "Hang on" he says and disappears to the side of the stage for a quick second. He's back, and with a box. A tiny, jewelry box with one of my favorite words on the top: Zales. He opens the box and gets down on one knee:

Will you marry me?

The crowd loses it. I just keep on laughing....Managing a vigorous head shake and a "YES!!!" in between. He helps put the ring on my finger. The second it's in place, I dramatically thrust my hand out to the crowd in a "HOLY SHIT I'M ENGAGED!!!" maneuver and was greeted by a wave of more screams. I went to hug and kiss Robin and he picks me up for a romantic twirl. Only, in the process of said romantic twirl, I managed to kick over a microphone stand and flash some more people with my skirt flying up. But I didn't care. I was engaged!!!

We went backstage and were met by friends, family, and total strangers congratulating us. Women were wiping mascara off their faces saying how they couldn't stop crying. Men were giving Robin the "Atta boy" handshake and back slap. Everything was so surreal. I couldn't stop smiling.

Happiest. Moment. EVER.

Luckily, a few people recorded the event, so I'll always have video memory now of that incredible night. I got the proposal I'd wanted, but even more importantly, I got the man I'd always dreamed of ;)

Ok, so I know it's like over a month away, but I am already ecstatic about Halloween! I've accepted that it's my favorite holiday, even though Christmas has always held that spot. And don't get me wrong, I still get excited way in advance and eagerly count down the days for Christmas still. But I seem to hold more excitement for Halloween. I just love everything spooky about it! Right now my DVR is crammed full of Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures, haha. I love that crap xD

And I'm so happy that a lot of the TV channels are starting to air Halloween specials!

And there are so many awesome horror movies coming out! I love horror, but I don't really really get into them unless it's this time of year. I also like to pop in the classics and get geared up :)














Oh! And haunted houses! I'm so excited!

Is it October yet???

Man! What a weekend! Hands down one of my top weekends :)


This Friday my fella's band played at Rev Room in Little Rock. Robin had gone down to Russellville the day before to play a show at Tech. I hate when he's away and I'm at home missing him :( That's a big downside to having a musician for a boyfriend. I absolutely love getting to go to the shows that I can and seeing him do what he loves on those stages. But it's tough when I'm stuck at home while he's rockin' it up somewhere. Ah well, whatever helps pay the bills ;P


So, that Friday I drove down to see him play that night. This was my second Rev Room show but I love how they feel like actual concerts. The way the stage is set up and with the number of people that show it turns into an awesome gig (I don't think I'll ever get used to staring up at my boyfriend onstage like he's some kind of god or idol, haha). And that night did not disappoint! 3 hours of non-stop energy! So much fun :D And the band had their first experience that night. About halfway through, a pink, lace bra came flying out from somewhere in the crowd and onto the stage! Hahaha. It hit the lead singer and everyone just kind of laughed. Then they tossed it around for a bit before the bass player hung it off of his guitar (and at one point strapped it around his head) :P I told Robin I would have gladly thrown my brazier at him, however, I wanted to keep dancing and this would definitely not have happened sans bra xD


The next day was one of their biggest shows yet. They were going to be an opening band for the Fray! UA Fort Smith partnered with a new committee to help host a string of concerts called Festival on the Border. Thursday night was Travis Trent, Friday night was Dierks Bentley (this is Arkansas, y'know), and then Saturday was the Fray opened by my fella's band, Andy Grammer, and Girl Talk (who switched last minute with the Fray and played last).




The stage setup was incredible.

Festival on the Border stage pre-show

And then the boys played! :D

Sexy guitarist ;)

We left to eat dinner after they played (Sorry, Andy Grammer!) then came back for the Fray and Girl Talk. Because of Robin's Artist's pass, we got to hang backstage the entire time. It was so much fun! After the Fray played we got to talk to them for a bit :)

Myself, friend, and Isaac Slade (lead singer of Fray)

After the Fray played an amazing show, it was Girl Talk time. Now, I won't lie. Up until I heard about this concert, I had no idea who Girl Talk was. It sounded like a sister band of the Pussycat Dolls or something. But, to my shock, I found out that it was a DJ specializing in collab-Dubstep styles. I love that crap! So, the more I learned, the more excited I got :)


We were all standing backstage before Girl Talk went one when someone said they were gathering people to go onstage and dance with him! Sooo, of course, I jumped in that group instantly xD There were about 20-30 people (mostly hot blondes, gotta have the visuals!) We all went onstage and just danced. I danced my ASS off for over an hour. I mean, I gave that crap 100%. I was exhausted by time it was over, but I had so much fun it was ridiculous. I ended up being at the front of the stage for most of the time dancing in front of probably 1,000 people. We had glow sticks so I raved around like a lunatic next to some girls in wigs and tutus xD You eventually forgot that you had so many people watching you and just let loose to have fun. It sounds cheesy, but it made me miss performing. I was joking to Robin about how we switched that night. He was the one watching me (on purse duty, bless him) while I was on stage in front of everyone. It was a trip and made me think back to high school when I would sing at our choir shows. I miss it so much :( But getting to do even that made me just so happy :)
 


Overall, one of the best weekends ever! I am so in love with my life and excited about everything that is to come :)))

So, the half-a-month of festivities has come to a close. Robin finally had his birthday this week :P We began with the celebrations with the Texas fiasco and ended them a nice evening in town. I made a cake, decorated the apartment to where an 8-year old would be proud (piñata included) , and went to dinner and a movie. He looted out. Just that grin says it all:

Wow. What a weekend.

Let me start with a little back story: Growing up, my family took a lot of vacations. We would drive or fly and visit all kinds of locations. Disney World, Las Vegas, New York, California, etc etc. I was a pretty lucky kid. What wasn't lucky, however, is what we eventually titled the "Curse". And wherever we went, something bad always happened. Hence, the "Curse". Something, something, would always go array. Whether it be flight problems, car problems, hotel problems, medical problems, ticket problems, event problems, didn't matter. SOMETHING always went wrong. It became somewhat of a joke over the year. When we'd take a vacation and and encountered a problem (if not 20) we'd laugh and say "There's that Curse!"

Fast forward some odd years later and I'm an adult taking my own vacations now. And, wouldn't I be damned, that same misfortune is following me. I can't seem to take a vacation or trip anywhere without something, and usually many somethings, going wrong. I was the issue! My bad luck has followed me from my childhood into my adulthood and refuses to budge.

Case in point: this weekend.

Robin informed me some time ago that he had never been to a Six Flags (I'll wait for your gasps of shock to subside). So, being the awesome girlfriend that I am ;) I planned a trip there for his birthday weekend in August. I bought tickets, car parking, hotel reservations, looked up restaurants, things to do in the area, so forth. I was gung ho about making sure he had an awesome time. Well, here comes August and it's time for the trip. Keep in mind he still has no idea where we're going; it's a surprise birthday get-away :) We pack up, get in the car, and head southwest. Pretty early on he knows we're going somewhere in Texas but he's just not quite sure where yet. As we pass through Dallas and all thoughts of a trip there get left behind, I decide to give him a hint. Remember those Six Flags commercials with that old guy who shows up in a bus and starts dancing everywhere to "We Like to Party"? Well, I found the song on Spotify and played it for him, waiting for that look of knowing to hit him. He listens, and listens, and then just kind of looks at me stupefied. "Get it? Get it?" I ask eagerly, grinning with anticipation of his realization. "Nope." came the response. So, I loop the song to play 6 more times in some kind of hope that his childhood will rear up and slap him in the head. No such luck. It isn't until we pass a road sign for Six Flags that he laughs, "Are you taking me to Six Flags?" "YES!!!" It seems my love had never seen the commercials with the dancing old man so that clue was pretty worthless. Ah well, at least he knows where we're going now! Let the excitement ensue!!.........right? Wrong. After some discussion, Robin informs me that he has not only never been to a Six Flags, but, that "Space Mountain" in Disney Land has been the only roller coaster he's ever ridden (again, I'll wait for your gasps of shock to subside). So, upon hearing this news (which he swears he's told me before, and with my memory I honestly don't doubt that), I get excited. Now I get to help him experience 2 awesome new things! But, wait, no. This is not the case. One might ask why, exactly, a 26-year old has never ridden a real roller coaster. And then came the answer: he doesn't like them. Yup. After all of the planning, money, and excitement of over a month I put into this trip, I'm taking my boyfriend who doesn't like roller coasters to an amusement park full of roller coasters. Pin, meet balloon.

Now, Robin swears it's not that he doesn't like them, it's just that he hasn't really ridden any to know if he does or not (now he's just being nice). So, trying to muster what little excitement I could, we decide to hold off until the actual park visit the next day.

We go to the hotel that I had read great reviews for online and was about 5 minutes away from the park. Reservations are there, hotel looks decent, everything should go smoothly, right? Nope. Our room had apparently not been cleaned after the previous occupants left. The bathroom products were half used and the bed was full of human DNA (we're talkin' hair, stains, and SKIN FLAKES). Of course, luck continued, we didn't find out about the bed situation until we had rolled around it for a while *gag*.

So, next day is Park Day. Let's get this boy on a roller coaster! We go to the park and pick one that I deemed a good start. Nothing too scary like the Batman or Titan, but above the kiddy pony rides. We wait in line for about an hour, load up into the seat, and start off. I look over at Robin. He seems calm enough. A little pale, but holding strong. Then we hit our first dip. "JESUS CHRIST! OH SHIT! FUCK! FUCK!" I swear that boy saw his life flash before his eyes. Robin, keeping his head to the side upon the requests/pleas of our ride partners, finishes the ride. The verdict, ladies and gentlemen, is a dim one; he is officially not a fan of roller coasters. Pin and balloon, meet stomping foot.


The rest of the day plays out pretty much with me riding everything available and Robin keeping me company in line then waiting for me at the exit :P Was it the most ideal situation? No, indeed it was not. But I can take this as a lesson learned: Ask more questions about your partner and actually remember their answers. Overall, we managed to have fun at the park and at least he can now say he's been to a Six Flags :)

Next day: The plan was to pack up early and head to my parents for my grandmother's birthday party. Around 11 we hit the road. We make it up through Texas and halfway through Oklahoma before stopping at a Wal-Mart. My air conditioner is practically non-existent and I need to buy some coolant. After attempting to put said coolant in the car, and getting rained on the process, I deem the task a fail and keep on driving. We make it 15 miles outside of McAlester, OK when we hear this noise. It sounds like a flat tire so we quickly pull over. Upon observation, we see this long, plastic thing stuck around my tire. Shrugging it off as highway trash, we toss it and get back in the car. However, as soon as we turn the engine back on, we hear the same noise. This time we pop the hood and look at the engine. Come to find out, that long, plastic highway trash was actually part of my fan belt. The damn thing is shredded! Many phone calls and tears of frustration later, we've come to a conclusion: Because it is a Sunday, we're stuck in Oklahoma for the night until a mechanic opens Monday morning. We get a tow truck out to the car and get taken back to a rinky dink motel which just so happens to be conveniently located down the street from an auto-repair shop (What is this? Good luck? It cannot be so.) Upon making ourselves comfortable in the hotel room (and deeming the bed mostly DNA free) we pop open a 1.5L bottle of wine I had originally intended to give my grandmother for her birthday because shit, if we're going to be stuck in Oklahoma, we're going to be stuck in Oklahoma drunk.

We managed to get the car fixed early this morning and made it back home finally. I'm so drained I can't decide if I want to sob, laugh manically, or fall into a coma. The Curse has reared it's ugly head once again and I can only curse it's power. Now, do I actually believe in curses and luck? Not so much. But after experiencing situation after situation that is the story of my life, one can only assume I have wronged a deity or pissed off a coven somewhere.

My feelings about this past weekend were wrapped up in the following question, "Honey, can we take September off from vacations?

-fitz

Soooo, this is my 8567827th attempt at blogging. I had a tumblr in the not too distant past, but didn't keep up much with that. If anything it began to turn into a food blog (which I'm honestly perfectly okay with and will probably have influence on this blog as well). I really only blog because I'm afraid of the number of Facebook friends I'd lose if I put ALL of my thoughts as status updates :P I started a twitter to kind of help with that, but I really can't limit myself to 140 characters =/ So here we are. Blogging. Let's see where it goes, shall we?

Remember Xanga? Yeah. Xanga was the shit. And I actually kept up with that thing for YEARS. And they're all still online. I'm afraid that xanga is going to just wipe them out one day, though. I've always had it in my head to go back and save all of my posts. But jesus, that'd take forever. I updated all the damn time.

Anyways, Fable III is calling me. I have a kingdom to rule /nerdout