Catching Up

Getting listy with it:

• Our engagement photos are almost ready!! Sneak peek of one of our favorites:

{Photo taken by our rockstar photographer Mr. Mike Reed}

• I didn't think I would be that much of a procrastinator when it came to the wedding, but that, my friends, is just not true. I am currently procrastinating on the following (ooh, a list within the list!)
• Finalizing the guest list
• Why is this my least favorite part of the entire process?
• Deciding on an officiant
• Again, the ceremony is kind of the point, so I'm not sure why this is such an issue
• Beginning to look at the menu options
• Food! Otherwise known as my favorite thing. Maybe it is because all the options look too good that I can't decide? 
• I am making these cupcakes for Nick's birthday, and I think I am more excited about them than he is. Seriously though, I am going to be injecting the cupcakes with milky goodness. Enough said. I am crossing my fingers and my toes that these turn out perfect... send positive thoughts my way?

{via How Sweet It Is}

• Our invitations are officially in the works, and I am getting more and more excited. 
• I have had the chance to do some serious hanging out with 3 of my 4 bridesmaids, and all I can say is that these ladies are something special. They are all from separate parts of my life, and they haven't met each other yet, but it's going to be fun to watch those "worlds collide," as George Costanza so aptly put it.

Engagement Picture Day

I am so tired and happy. Nick and I got up before it was light, prettied ourselves (at least I did; Nick rolls out of bed photo-ready. It's so obnoxious...), and headed to Hamilton Pool with our wonderful photographer Mike Reed. Three hours later, after traversing most of the park (I only exaggerate slightly) we called it a day. It was fun, exhausting, and exciting-- I can't wait to see the finished product!

I spent so much time prepping on Saturday for our little beach picnic-- I love any phase of life that involves painting pieces of a tree, spending hours in Hobby Lobby, or picking out flowers from Central Market. So, I had a bit of a heyday. Photographic proof:

Pictures of pictures never turn out that well, but here are some behind the scenes polaroids from today. Mike's pictures came out ten million times better, which is why he is the photographer and I am the amateur with the instant camera!

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}

December 24th, 2011-- Best day of my life

It was December 24th, and in typical childish fashion, I was pestering to open one present before Christmas. I had an agenda behind the pestering this time though. Nick had been hinting about my present for months, slyly giving loaded hints that I was sure didn't mean what I thought they did. And at that point, I was barely able to contain my curiosity. 

Is it what I think it is?-- surely not-- but maybe!-- no, he's in grad school, and has no time to come up with something like that...

So, on Christmas Eve morning, Nick and my parents finally agreed that we would all open one present each.

As I opened the box, that contained a box, that contained a small black velvet jewelry box, Nick glided down to his knee and asked me the question I will never forget.

"Best friend, and lover forever-- will you marry me?"

Nick teases that I hesitated before saying yes, but I can confirm that there was absolutely no hesitation. 

Background, but first... shoes!

Good afternoon! It is a rainy one here in Austin, but I am walking on sunshine. I just shelled out my hard earned money for these gorgeous BHLDN slingbacks! As with everything related to this wedding, from the groom (;-) ), to the venue, to the dress, to the photographer... I have always just had a gut feeling from the start. And these beauties are no different. Can't wait to try them on to see if they are as dreamy in person as in the pictures!

Speaking of the groom, the venue, the dress and the photographer, I have a lot of background info I want to add to this blog. So, first up, meet-cute and engagement story this weekend, complete with lots of pictures of me, no make-up and flat hair, but with the biggest smile.