I got locked out

of my blog! Tony made me some new gmail accounts for some reason so I could use ichat with my sister and for some reason it stuck on my blog. So I finally 'broke' in so I could do some posting. I really wanted to recap wedding details, but I am so behind. I am thinking it might help me figure out what I have left to do! Only 25 days! My extra time has been spent writing thank you notes, not that I am complaining and my social calendar has been extra full..again I'm not complaining! So hopefully soon I will get a post up detailing all that I have been working on! Let's hope I can do something before Friday and leaving for Miami for my bachelorette party!!

Need Some Wedding Flower Inspiration...

Bear with me on this post. I stole these off some blogs, I am interviewing florists this weekend and wanted to show them so ideas of things I like. Although I thought I was selecting one or two pictures, I guess I got the whole page :( So I guess I will have to select each and make them bigger to show...oh well..enjoy some pretty pictures!!

I'm getting married in 8 months!?!?

Ok, so wow time does really fly. I guess if we didn't have the whole selling the house, looking for houses, drama with closing and massive moving, then it might have been going smoother. But...we had all the house stuff in the middle of things, so I haven't had all the time to spend on it all.  I can say that this week I have gotten some things accomplished. I had already decided on our ceremony site and my our reception site, but I FINALLY actually signed the contract and sent them off on Monday. I also have the contracts ready to sign for our two guest hotels. I decided to go with a Marriott and a Hilton location which actually gave me the same great price at $99 a night for their rooms. The Hilton group sales manager is a sorority sister too! So I got to catch up with her too. I thought a lot of people do reward points and this way they have a choice, one is close to the ceremony site, the other near the reception site. And really only about a mile apart from one another as it is. And...lastly I just finally hit the check out button for our Save the Date magnets. Wow..I went through about 1000 pictures trying to decide which ones to use. I thought about getting professional pictures done and ones with the boys, but the magnet is going to be 3.5" by 4" and getting our heads in it and clear enough to make us out was tough enough. It was really fun to use their software and interchange pictures and stuff. Tony didn't like several of him and accused me of only picking pictures that I looked good in. Who me!? Well I picked at least one that I didn't 'love' of myself! ;) Just for you Tony. So my next two items that I want to have 'nailed down' by next month would be our photographer and our caterer. So I hope I can get those done before Christmas. Oh and maybe try on a wedding dress or two...If anyone has any other suggestions let me know...

Saturday Update on the House..

So yes, our lender got our buyer qualified. We met our agent to sign the paperwork to change the closing date for BOTH houses to October 22nd. I asked her what her lender (the buyer's lender) was doing for 2 months saying our buyer was 'good as gold' and would close as expected. Do you know what she said..??..She said we don't know his (the lender) side of the story, now, now.

Well I am the type of person that needs to point my finger or find someone to blame..and she takes up for this guy who almost ruined our chances of selling our house and having us lose ours. Ugh, so I have been on fire about this the past two days. I'm through dealing with her at this point..no referrals from me...

The latest is the people we are buying our new house from want us to pay for their insurance premium if we don't close on the 22nd. It happens to expire that day..and to renew it will be $1250 for 6 months. Oh and they don't feel like bothering to cancel it if we close a day after and say only use a day of their empty house insurance..yep $1250. My thoughts were our buyer should pay us that fee if he doesn't close. Ugh, but he's a cheapo and won't. I don't even think he cares if he moves here or not, he lives with his mom and day and I'm sure happy to be getting a hot meal every night...he hasn't been lenient on anything...

It kinda sucks that we are the motivated sellers and really wanted that house..so we have to bend over backwards for EVERYTHING! 

Well my parents and brother are here, and my sister is on her way..so we are still gonna celebrate my brother's birthday and are just hanging out in boxes and junk all over our house...oh and did I mention we are getting married in 9 months from today, and I feel like I have nothing really accomplished :(

Thanks for all the positive comments and experiences ya'll have had..makes me feel better...

Happy Monday!

This is going to be a busy, busy week, I'm trying to tie up the last of the wedding venue contracts as well as talking to caterers, photographers and videographers. A week from tomorrow we close on my house here in Cordova and then two days later we close on our new one in Lakeland! So every free moment I am packing and packing. Today I have lunch with Gina and Aubrie and then I have to go to the dentist to fix a tooth I chipped. Luckily its one of my bottom teeth and not noticeable, but teeth are so important to me! Can't have a chipped tooth now can I? I am also working on getting silent auction items for Spaytacular, which is Mid South Spay Neuter Services big event on November 8th at the Parkview. More details on that to come...I wish I could be Lennox and just lounge on the couch like this all week! 

Trip to Knoxville for Labor Day, The Game and Wedding Planning

So after being engaged for over a month, we finally made it to Knoxville for some wedding planning. Yes, yes, yes, I am super late with the pictures, but here we are finally grabbing a bite to eat after going and going...we stayed downtown at the Marriott so we would be downtown and ready for the game early the next day.  This was the view from our balcony at the Marriott. 

Later on that night we met Matthew in the lobby bar for a couple of drinks. The bartender worked at the former Michael's in case any one is looking for him. We then met Ashley at Ruth's Chris for some delicious appetizers and cocktails. I had not seen Ashley and Matthew in a long time, especially Ashley, so good seeing old friends! 

Been engaged 2 months now..

OMG, it has flown by...much, much respect to the brides that can plan a wedding in about 6 months.  I really have NOTHING set in stone yet. We went to Knoxville during Labor Day weekend and looked at so many places. We really narrowed it down.  I am really just ready to decide and pick a place. It is just that there are so many things you have to decide. If we do it outdoors, the weather is a big factor, and most of the places we looked out for outdoor weddings, were pretty far out and should we expect all of our out of town guests to drive that far in search of a place I could barely find? Plus, the outdoor places were a lot more expensive to rent, not including a tent for a back up. And most of those large homes that we would rent really are not in the Knoxville area where I want my out of town guests to see. I am really proud of my city and love it. Plus Tony and I met on campus, in the downtown area. So that is weighing a lot on us. 

I think once we get the place and if we need a caterer, some include a caterer, I will feel more secure. I'm really ready to have the date and to send out a Save the Date for everyone. We are forsure looking at July 2010. 

I have subscribed to some bridal magazines and I have those, so that is exciting. And I love checking out all the bridal blogs. There are soo many great ideas! 

Speaking of the Engagement..

I have done ZERO wedding planning. Still no date, but I am focusing in on July 2010. No site yet, I guess I won't make it up to Knoxville until Labor Day weekend to check out places, we've been sooo busy. Its like we got back from Miami, got engaged the next weekend, the family game the next weekend, Daytona the weekend after that, house stuff in between and the next weekend, then Hilton Head this past weekend. It didn't help that I got Sick-Sick a week ago and I still have this sinus infection thing! I'm much better, but I still am so worn out from all the coughing and blowing my nose still. Who would have thought I had that much phlem/snot in my head (gross I know! TMI) We have a house inspection today, so after getting home yesterday we have had to straighten up the house and I have to find somewhere to take the dogs this afternoon while they are inspecting. Lane didn't have his bordatella shot within 6 months so the PetHotel won't take him. Our vet only vaccinates them for it once a year, but the PetHotel has to have it every six months. Lane had the shot 7 months ago, so its no good according to them. Can I add anything more to my plate? Oh ya, I have all these mini-crisis's I am having to deal with, normal for my job, but having to juggle it all..

Can't have my nails looking bad...

Went out with the girls last week to celebrate my engagement and to of course get our nails done. I can't be showing my ring and my nails looking bad. Brooke brought me my own special glass (I'll call it my Pimp Cup) and the rest of the girls brought some great champagne. We had such a good time, so glad Clipps let us bring in the bubbly!! So glad they could all make it..thanks Kelly and Andrea for getting it together. And yes, Jennifer had Emma 1 week ago and still made it out..and with two bottles of champagne!


After our Mani/Pedi's we went to Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen and dined on some delicious food. They have just updated their menu for the season and it is fabulous. I really recommend the ravioli and the AM salad, which were on the old menu, but the other girls were going nuts over the Caprese salad. And the Shortbread cookie dessert..YUM!! Such a wonderful night with the girls..and Michael :) Thanks so much all of you for celebrating with me, I had a wonderful time! 

The celebration continues at the Beauty Shop and Celtic Crossing

Before the proposal, I had wanted us to go to the new Raiford's and dance! But when things changed that day (my life forever right!?) our plans changed. We decided to meet some friends out for drinks. Kelly started us off with some Wedding Cake Shots at the Beauty Shop. Aubrey, Engin, Winter, Sabrina and Chris all joined in on the celebration. 




We ended the night at Celtic Crossing, and Tony and Kelly ending the night with Wedding Cake shots. 

Iris, perfect dinner for the celebration

We went to Iris Saturday night to celebrate our engagement. The chef, Kelly English, just got best new chef by Food and Wine Magazine. We already had reservations, I had picked it, to celebrate our 9 year anniversary. I thought it was a little newer, but Iris opened in April of 2008. So we were a little behind in trying out this 'new' spot. Well it was wonderful and I highly recommend it! I got the 3 course dinner with wine pairings and I loved every course and every glass! The only weird thing was this spoonful of peas that we couldn't figure out how to eat, I tried it, but you know, I'm not a pea fan at all. The food was amazing, I can't wait to go back and try more! 

Rose' Champagne

After the proposal, we went and looked at this house that we thought we were going to 'steal' at auction, but it didn't actually end up working out, we popped open this bottle of champagne we had been saving for a good occasion. We got it in Napa in January 2008, so we were really holding on to it for sometime. I think it is my favorite champagne.