Hunger Games, Throwing Food and Engagement Pics

Last weekend back home with my parents was perfect.

I got to introduce them to one of my dear friends and one of my bridesmaids Meg. We all saw the Hunger Games and of course joined the spontaneous cheering and booing begun by rows and rows of teenage girls. We went to a hibachi restaurant and got delightful stains on our clothes, went to Sephora and got made up by our favorite guy Justin, played with the dogs, and then watched 6 episodes of American Idol.  Like I said, perfect.

Me and Meg before we got rice thrown at us!

Velvet would like you to know that it was hot outside 

Pebbles wants whatever edible items you might be holding

Nick and my engagement shoot is tomorrow, bright and early. If the engagement/wedding has felt in anyway unreal, it's about to get real! I have never really been photographed (save for the once a year photos taken of young Lindsey with freshly combed hair, gaps in my teeth and my hands folded up by my face-- which were truly works of art, letmetellyou), so I have no idea what to expect. I hope we get some good shots that Nick and I can treasure for ever (and display prominently all over the house). I am willing the used car salesman smile to take a hike...

Friday Wedding Inspiration- Random Elements Edition

Here are just a few things I want to incorporate into our wedding:

Cute signs. While I don't think we will have any Alpacas to consider, I love the idea.

Bottles, bottles, and more bottles! They are even better when filled with colorful flowers!!

Food! Why does everyone say we "won't have time to eat at our wedding"? No, we will be eating, and having fun, and kissing  a lot. Just try to stop us. :-)

{all via Style Me Pretty}

Another Shout Out

While I have been busy marking up flower proposals, my love has been studying day and night. He will probably be so embarrassed that I am writing about this and putting the spotlight on him, but that is what this blog is all about. It's all about my love for that boy. Sorry Nick, deal with it.

Nick is a pharmacy student. He studies hard and makes good grades. He puts a lot of heart into everything he does. Even in the midst of all the notecards and textbooks, he still manages to take me out on dates. He still manages to talk to me about the wedding. He never forgets to tell me he loves me.

I am a lucky girl-- thank you Nick for being the most perfect man for me.  

Okay, sappy-fest over. For now.

Details, Little Details

I've been thinking a lot about details lately, details that really don't matter a year out from my wedding. Oh wait! It is almost 11 months, so I guess I can fixate on tiny things. Yes!

Velvet ribbon really matters to me at the moment. I know, I know, it's silly. But, look how cool it looks:

{via Ruffled}

{via Style Me Pretty}

In the spirit of keeping it random, this shoot from Green Wedding Shoes is gorgeous. All the tiny details, and paper butterflies... perfect.

More later!

Friday Wedding Inspiration

I am a little bit obsessed with this wedding. The bride is just so darn gorgeous, with her bangs and red lipstick, and the whole event is so sweet and vintage-inspired, exactly the way I like it! If the bride looks familiar, that is because you have probably seen her in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World... it's Ramona Flowers aka Mary Elizabeth Winstead!

So, I'm now curious if I can pull off red lipstick like this? I have never worn it, for fear of looking like I make my living turning tricks (no, really), but now I really want to give it a try.

{via Style Me Pretty, photography by The Nichols}

Let Them Eat Cake

It's just a food-ish kind of day. This might be partially inspired by the inordinate amount of Easter candy around my office. I swear, it's everywhere, wooing me, tempting me. And, Easter candy is so much better than Halloween candy, in my very astute opinion. But, I digress. Cake. We are a bit of a ways from making any solid wedding cake plans (and by solid wedding cake plans, I am referring to cake tastings, naturally), but that hasn't stopped me from looking at what's out there.

These cakes look very similar, and I love them both. I want to eat them both. And, I want to pose next to both of them in photos. All of which are good signs, I think.

{both via Style Me Pretty}

But, I love the idea of having a lot of other dessert options other than just a cake. 

{via Style Me Pretty}

{via Grey Likes Weddings}

And lastly, how fun would it be to decorate the cake/yummy table with the cool frames in this picture? 

{via Green Wedding Shoes}

Food: the results are in...

I did it! The story starts with ingredients everywhere, lots of steam, and finally ends with a lovely/edible pasta meal. It was quite good, but Nick didn't go back for seconds. The seconds trip is a sure-fire sign that something is excellent. But, I think it is worth trying again to see if I can make it irresistible to him. Especially since it took me less than 30 minutes to make. I can definitely get behind that! I'm not sure what to try next... any suggestions?

Uh oh... I'm one of those people who takes pictures of their food!

   

Just call me Suzi Homemaker

Okay, confession time: my kitchen and I are strangers.

I like to say that college killed any urge to cook and bake with its rigorous schedule and frequent coffee shop study trips. But that is probably a lie considering all the movies I managed to watch and the downtown trips I managed to enjoy. I just stopped cooking and baking, end of story. Luckily Nick likes to feed me, or I might A. wither away or B. get fat and happy off boxed mac and cheese forever and ever amen. 

It is time for a change though, the kind of change that requires a theme song. Please hear Europe's The Final Countdown as you read. The ring on my left hand is urging me to not only obsess over wedding plans but also to nest. I want our apartment to be homey, and I want to have pies sitting on the windowsills, goshdarnit. Is that too much to ask?

So, at the urging of my office-mate (who is also one of my lovely bridesmaids and a fabulous cook!) I am going to try, I said try, to make dinner twice a week. Wish me luck?

 I've already prepped Nick for a feast tonight, and I plan to make this delish-looking dish. I will probably modify it a little, but nothing too crazy since kitchen newbies probably shouldn't start by rewriting recipes, just a thought.

{via Eat Live Run}

Add a salad to appease my mom and two glasses of wine, and that is (hopefully) dinner tonight! Expect a report replete with pictures tomorrow. Yes, this blog is about to make room for food... we'll see how long that lasts...

A List and Engagement Shoot Ideas

I think it has been said before, but lists are my crack. There is a stack of to-do lists on my desk, dating back from who knows when. I guess I just don't process things (in this case, all the stuff I have to do) until I see them listed in black and white.

With that in mind, let's list it up! I am grateful for...

• My sweet fiancé who never ceases to amaze me and always makes me smile
• My mother who likes to text me a lot of crazy emoticons of clapping hands and shocked eyes
• The Hunger Games premier! It could only be better if I was dressing up and waiting in line to see it at midnight... but alas...
• A bulletin board full of goofy pictures
• Notebooks that I can scribble in
• A father who actually reads my blog
• Good books (thinking particularly here of Your Voice in My Head, by Emma Forrest which I am about to start listening to on tape, for the second time.)
• Coffee, multiple times a day
• Wedding blogs (which I peruse periodically throughout the work day... shhhhh don't tell)
• My tiny blog, for giving me a fun outlet to gush about all things wedding related

Now, on to engagement shoot planning! We are scheduled to shoot with our photographer the first of April, at Hamilton Pool. I've only seen pictures, but the place looks gorgeous-- natural and wild, with large jutting stone surrounding a pool of water.

{via Kathy Davies Photography}

There's also, apparently, some greenery:

{via Jenny Demarco}

I don't want to give too much away, but I really like the engagement shoots I've seen that aren't too cutesy (see, Nick should really thank me, right?) or styled. Just us doing our thing, looking fabulous (haha).

I love these shots:

Two lovebirds just lounging-- that's us.

{via Kathy Davies Photography}

 Sweet and natural? Oh yes!

{via Green Wedding Shoes}

Picture of the picture!  

{via Grey Likes Weddings}

And here I confess that I adore The Notebook. This shot reminds me of that for some reason. Plus, what would an engagement shoot be without a smoochy picture? 

{via unknown}

Some pretties

Yep, Monday again. In order to soften the blow, here are some pretty things to start the week.

{via Love and Lavender}

 

{both via Style Me Pretty}

{via Love and Lavender}

{via Ryan Ray Photo}

{via BHLDN}

Countdown!

355 Days!

Directionless Musings

It's been a very directionless Saturday, so unfortunately that turned into a directionless post...

These came in the mail today! Nick thought I was crazy, no joke, as I ripped open the package and pulled out a bag of these little tags. I think I squealed too. What he fails to realize is that a creative spirit has taken over my body... yes... I have plans for these tags.

These could be adorable escort cards, kind of like this:

{via Style Me Pretty}

Though, I think I might like to jazz them up a little more, maybe use a typewriter font, or do a cool cutout on the edge. I love the idea of including some dilapidated old windows in the decor, so maybe that could be where the escort cards hang?

{via Jose Villa}

In other news, the Instax Mini has been getting some attention. It accompanied us on a trip to visit two of my favorite people in the world (hi Mom and Dad!) and documented some of the fun:

Lastly, I am obsessed with this calligraphy-like wall art I got from Oh My Deer Handmades. The wall looks so much cozier now, and this sign will definitely have to be used somewhere, somehow in the wedding decor...

Okay, off to go get something done, mostly so I can check it off my to-do list!