5 on Friday

It's the first 5 on Friday of 2014 and this one's gonna be a great one!

{1} Dinner with Girlfriends

Last night P!nky and I had the pleasure of going to our friends' house for dinner last night. We brought the wine and she made the food, a yummy pear and blue cheese salad and fondue (which my cheese loving self had somehow never had) and OH how it was so good! The cheesy goodness was SO yummy, and it was particularly nice to spend time with my girls, just us. Here's to more hang outs like this in 2014, (just hopefully with a less snowy drive home, right P!nky?) :)

{2} Wedding Bands

Today MG and I are going to the jeweler where he got my engagement ring and picking out our wedding bands. Even tho I won't get to wear it for a few more months, I'm SO excited to be picking out the ring that we'll say our vows with, that will be on my finger for the rest of my life :)

{3} Double Date

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Tonight, assuming the snow doesn't ruin things, MG and I are going on a double date with my coworkers (my coworkers started dating last year after the holiday party, and they are ADORABLE together). MG and the guy in the couple, M, got along great at the holiday party last year and this year we found out that he lives right around the corner from us! Alas, a double date was born :) I can't wait to hang out, just the 4 of us, and get to spend some time with them, as couples, and not as coworkers. We're going to a place nearby called Cheesetique which has the most AMAZING cheese dishes (I'm gonna be on cheese overload after last night haha). I see some Mac and Cheese in my future!

{4} Working Out

Now that the holidays are over, it's time for me to get back on track with working out (I'm mentioning this after I said I was going to have Mac and Cheese for dinner tho....lol). With the wedding LESS than 100 days away now (eek!) and my dress coming in about 2 weeks, it's time to hit the workouts harder. It's been a couple weeks of gluttony and some laziness (altho it really just feels like we've constantly been on the go), so I need to kick my own butt. Luckily I have Zumba on Xbox that I actually look forward to doing, so that itself should make things easier. And, thinking about looking splendid in my wedding dress won't hurt either :)

{5} Pets

Hold your pets tighter. Pet and play with them more. MG's sister's family dog was put down on the last day of 2013, at the age of 4. He had been dealing with a tumor in his nasal passage that, despite several treatments and a surgery, continued to grow until it affected him too much.
He was the sweetest dog...the family is torn up over it, including us, and he wasn't even "our" dog (but he was the type that felt like he was yours, too). It really puts things into perspective. You know you love your pet but when it comes to times like this, you REALLY realize it.  So, give your dog/pet a few more pets and love than normal. 

And, so I'm not leaving you on a sad note, here's a funny I saw on Pinterest:

{via} hehe, so true :)

Happy weekend!

How I Rang in 2014

MG and I had a wonderful start to 2014.

Tuesday night we went into DC to have dinner at Del Frisco's with 12 other friends.

I put on my new dress (which I've also decided is going to be my rehearsal dinner dress--yay!), snapped a pic with MG and made our way into the city.

We arrived early to ensure that we made our reservation time, had a drink at the bar, and chatted it up with our friends as they all arrived.

When it was time to eat, we had an absolutely amazing meal!

MG and I had the cheesesteak eggrolls which sound weird but were SO good (in fact, 5 couples out of the table had gotten it as their app haha).

Dinner for MG was a filet mignon. I'm not a huge steak person, but he gave me a bite and I swear it was SO good. I would definitely order it for a meal if we go back.

My dinner was a special for the night of scallops over some delicious cous cous with a crab cake. Holy moly it was delish!

After dinner was over, it was about 1045 and we all decided to hang out at the restaurant bar until the ball dropped. 

The girls, minus 2

The boys, minus 1

 The girls and I decided to partake in some dirty martinis to close out 2013. Best idea ever!

And, as the time approached, the staff at the bar went around and gave out hats and horns, which we happily put on and took pics in:

 Then we made our guys put on our feather head bands...and they allowed this to happen:

it's a shame you cant see the feathers that well tho. The boys lucked out!

Then, before we knew it...the countdown started!

I got to kiss the love of my life and ring in 2014, the year we'll get married, and I couldn't be happier or more excited for what's to come!

Here's to 2014!

P.S. Today marks 100 days til wedding day!!!! EEEK!!!!

Happy New Year!

Just wanted to take a second and wish you all a happy new year! I'm so excited for what 2014 holds, especially getting to marry this guy:

3 New Years' together and a lifetime more :)

I hope your 2014 is full of friends, love, and happiness!

Hey now, hey now, my {fiance's} back! and Wedding Wednesday

(Is the "My boyfriend's back" song stuck in your head now??)

I'm excited for today!! I'm not sure if you all have noticed, but MG has been kind of absent from my blog post happenings the last week plus, and that's because he was out of the country for work for about 10 days. He left on his birthday (boo!) and will be getting back this morning. Which means, come this afternoon, I'll be getting to see my main squeeze again!

So, altho we had 2 snow days, they weren't nearly as fun as if I had had my partner in crime to spend it with (but this also probably explains why I read a 500+ page book in 3 days). Luckily Cooper is always more than willing to step in for cuddles!

Tonight, though, I'm planning on making a special dinner for MG for his birthday since we didn't get to do anything special that day (other than say good-bye which wasn't fun).

A couple of weeks ago, MG had mentioned trying to make meatballs for a meal at some point--and being the good listener that I am, I looked into some recipes for just that. I'm planning on making chicken parmesan meatballs and I hope they turn out alright! (If so, I'll definitely post the recipe for you all to try, too).

~.~.~.~

I have a wedding planning update, too. MG had gotten our limo transportation arranged during the furlough and we had gotten a really decent deal on the wedding day transport, as well as transportation to the airport that Monday, but in the weeks following the conversation, MG's credit card was never charged. He reached out to the company several times, and no response.

{via}

So while MG was away, I took it upon myself to email the company to ask "what's up??" and I got a response that basically went like this:

"We didn't charge his card because we are in the process of selling the vehicle that he had requested and we aren't sure if we are going to get one to replace it"

Soooooo, what you're telling me is that you didn't think it was important to mention to someone who's looking to book your vehicle and services that you are selling this car?? Perhaps that might have come to mind when he gave you his credit card information for our deposit?? And then you didn't think to inform him later on when he was inquiring about what was going on with our reservation? The company obviously knew that this was the case when MG was trying to book it, because the owner said that that was why he didn't charge him right away. I don't understand some people and how they run their businesses. I see a Yelp and WeddingWire review in my near future.....

Luckily the coordinator at my reception site gave me a good recommendation when I told her about this on Friday and we're actually getting an even better price from her person than from the original company anyway. (Take that, Titan Limo!)

I'm hoping that the fiasco with our cake, my make up artist having to cancel because her daughter ended up getting engaged and scheduling her wedding for the same date as mine, and this limo stuff aren't signs of things to come....really really hoping! Happy that they've all been relatively easy fixes so far, though.

Thankful Thanksgiving Thursday!

The day is here! Thanksgiving!! MG is running a turkey trot this morning (this girl is not ok with waiting around to run in the cold...just not me) and then my parents and his parents are headed over to our place to cook and eat and enjoy time together. I'm really looking forward to our first Thanksgiving at "our" place (even tho my mom is doing most of the cooking...shhh)

So, since it's the big day, let's get down to some thanks, shall we?

This week is the big guys that I'm thankful for:

~MG. He's my best friend, he makes me laugh, he comforts me when things aren't going the way I want and he's always thinking about the future, for us. The day he asked me to marry him was one of the happiest days ever, and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life making memories and a family with him. April 12 is just a day (albeit a special one), because I've already began my life with the man that I love, who loves me back and quells all of my fears from the past. I'm so lucky and thankful to have him in my life.

~My parents. My dad, as I've mentioned, has been struggling lately. After his heart attack things just haven't been the same, and lately he's gotten hit with some health issues that he's had trouble bouncing back from. I only hope that those get better because he's a great dad and I want to see him able to enjoy life more than he's able to right now. My mom is an angel, taking care of my dad, being there for me always...she's amazing. I love them both and have them to thank for raising me to be a pretty normal person (for the most part) and supporting me all along the way. I love them with my whole heart.

~Cooper. He's the absolute little light of my life. Seeing how happy he makes almost everyone that he meets, makes me smile. Watching his tail wiggle at the slightest thing, showing what a happy little puppy he is, makes me feel so much joy. I truly was blessed with one of the sweetest most gentle pups in the whole world. He's been with me for 5 years now and I can't imagine my life without the little fluff ball. He's just the most perfect little pup ever and I can only hope that he knows that with every fiber of his little doggy being.

~Friends. I'm not the person who has 100 friends. I have a few close friends who I just adore, can be myself with, and they love and support me. My best friend, Genna, my bridesmaids Trish and Crystal, are just some of the best girls I know (there are others, too, but these ones get a special shout out). I know that if I need anything, (or my parents) they are always there. I'm always gonna be there for you girls, too and just know how much your friendships absolutely mean to me. I wouldn't be who I am or as happy as I am without you all in my life.

~MG's family (my soon-to-be in-laws). I just adore them. MG's mom is SO sweet and kind and has been since I met her. His dad is the most generous person ever. His sisters treat me like another sister, and have been wonderful since the day I met them. And his nieces and nephews are the absolute best, and have made me the "aunt" that I can't be since I'm an only child. I love seeing them grow up and getting to be a part of that.   
I know some people have horror stories about their in-laws and I am SO grateful that I can't relate to that in the slightest. I'm so excited and happy to be joining a family who  already accepted me as one of their own long before MG and I even got engaged.

~~~

If I didn't have a job, or any of the other blessings I have, sure I would struggle a bit, but knowing that I have the people above would make it all much more bearable. I'm SO incredibly lucky to have these wonderful people in my life and am so so so thankful for the happiness that they bring to my life in their own ways.

Happy Thanksgiving to each and every one of you. I'm thankful for you all, too, because I've developed so many relationships because of blogging, and can only hope to foster more. The blog community is a great one and I'm incredibly thankful for it, and for you!

Now go get your turkey on!

{via}

Engagement Pics

Happy October!

I've been so excited to share our engagement pics with you all, and today's the day!

MG and I went on a Sunday afternoon to our photographer's house in Reston, VA to have our engagement pics done. She lives on a little lake, which made for a great backdrop for our pictures. Here are some of the highlights: (It's a bit of a photo dump, be forewarned!)

Had to get Coop in on the action!

Love this "family" photo!

This is absolutely one of my favorites from the whole day

I'm really pleased with how they all came out. We had tons more, but these are definitely some of my favorites! Special shout out of thanks to my friend P!nky for helping me pick out the white tank top for some of the shots. I wish we'd gotten a few in that outfit without Cooper, but oh well!

I just had to share, because I think they came out great. Our photographer, Anne Lord, did a great job, and I can't wait to see the great photos she takes on our wedding day!

Blogtember: Pivotal Life Moment

I'm linking up again with Jenni for another Blogtember post:

Tuesday, September 10: Describe a distinct moment when your life took a turn.

This one might be slightly surprising to you guys. You might think that it was the moment that I got engaged, and as important of a life moment as that was to me, my life didn't really CHANGE, it just got better.

The moment that I can pinpoint in my life where things took a turn was when my 2 year (almost) long distance relationship ended, quite suddenly. For those of you who don't remember or weren't around then, we'd been planning on me moving to St. Louis in 1-2 months time. I had already told my job that I was leaving, told my apartment complex that I was moving out, and I'd just gotten a job interview for the county that I was going to be moving to.

And then my world came crashing down in one unexpected phone call.
All of a sudden, I didn't have a relationship, a job for the next year, or a place to live. I was devastated.

In that moment,one thing that I realized was just how powerful my friendships were. My roommate at the time, and now best friend, was kind enough to stay home from work the next day with me to make sure that I was ok, which was incredibly sweet of her. The following day, I went back to work and a friend there let me spend the entire day with her class. We talked and it helped. It was a hard 2 days, but after LOTS of tears being shed, I reached a place where I felt like a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. You're probably thinking "2 days?? Yeah right!"

But in reality, during that 2 year relationship, I had been worried constantly. I knew that he had cheated on me (still not sure if it was physical, but I know emotionally at least) at least once, and possibly more. I worried all the time about him being faithful and if I didn't hear from him, what was he doing, and with whom? It was a constant state of stress for me. And once it was gone, I realized that I didn't have to worry about it anymore. And that if I was worrying THAT MUCH, that it should have ended sooner. I just wanted my happy ending so badly, that I was willing to talk myself out of what I was truly feeling.

It was also the first time after a break up that I got the overwhelming feeling of "everything is going to be ok....this is what's supposed to happen." Now, sure, I had TOLD myself that with other breakups, but this was the first time that I FELT it to be true.

And then cut to a few months later, I had gotten back out into the dating world, signed up for Match, and I got a nice email from a cute guy who happened to live about 5 minutes from where I lived and we went out on a date...

....and now we live together and are getting married in April!

The pivotal point for me was realizing that I KNEW what I deserved and I KNEW that I wasn't going to settle for what I had been accepting up until that point. I wasn't going to make excuses for someone else anymore. And once I told myself that, and learned a couple more lessons along the way, the universe gave me the guy I've been waiting my whole life for. Someone who never gives me the slightest reason to worry, listens when I'm upset, and works to make our life better. As cheesy as this is (feel free to make gag noises, it's ok), he's the guy that made this quote....

{via}

...100% true. 

On top of everything else, if I had moved to St. Louis, I wouldn't have been close by when my dad had his heart attack that October, and I would have been tortured not being able to drive to see him.

In the end, it was a painful time, but one that I felt like I got control of my life back and learned that I was strong enough to stand up for myself and for what I deserved.

Charleston is SO fun!

I'm back from our long weekend trip to Charleston, and omg was it a good time!

Friday morning we went to the airport, flew down to Charleston (after a slight delay sitting on the tarmac), and arrived around 11AM. We spent the day walking around near the water front, and had lunch at an old pier. We saw the infamous pineapple fountain, and walked through the University of Charleston's campus (which was SO pretty).

After a day of walking (and sweating) we went back to the apartment and spent some time poolside before getting ready for a night out.

We went out again in the same area we'd been during the day and had a SUPER fun night, meeting our couple friends' friends. (And eating some yummy BBQ pulled pork grilled cheese sandwiches):

The next morning we headed to the beach and spent the day there until mid afternoon:

(It was more fun than the pic looks)

The sun was strong, but it was nice being by the ocean and catching the breeze there.

After we soaked up enough (too much) sun, we went to a close by restaurant to have a delicious lunch and Game Changers. "What's a Game Changer?," you ask....

THAT is a Game Changer. The pic doesnt show you just HOW big this glass is, but let me tell you, it's BIG. I don't think any of us were able to finish it after getting our food.

After we were done stuffing face, we went over to another water-front area to hang out for a bit. My favorite part was the fact that there were DOLPHINS in the water. I was in my dolphin-loving happy place

We spent the rest of the day there, enjoying the weather, and spending time together:

This was by far the best day of the trip!

We all headed home to shower and have dinner. We spent the night in, watching tv and playing silly games. The next day, the other couple that had been visiting had to head home, so we went to the Open air market in Charleston before taking them to the airport.

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Later that night, we went out a dinner/movie place and saw Superman (which was good, just much longer than it needed to be. But, the guy who plays Superman is a TOTAL babe!)

And then Monday we had to leave. We were supposed to leave at 2:50, and ended up finally taking off at 6pm because of thunderstorms in the area in SC, and around DC. We eventually made it home around 8, after suffering through the delays, and an incredibly annoying and LOUD woman who sat behind us the entire time.

And today I get to enjoy getting a cavity filled at the dentist. Not quite what I wanna do after such a fun vacay, but at least I get to get my Coopy pup back today.

Overall, Charleston was great! But, I'm pretty sure that if we had been anywhere, it would have been fun because we were with such great people! It was just made that much better because Charleston was a SUPER fun city!