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:
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| Leafy greens!! :) |
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| Oh man, this is going to be interesting. |
Add the banana and blueberries:
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| My banana was frozen and I microwaved it hence the brown :P |
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| 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.
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| 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 ;)
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