This little piggy went to market (well, Walmart)

In desperate need for groceries, I stopped by Walmart on my way home from work yesterday. I was doing so well...putting only wedding diet friendly foods in my cart. Until I reached the chip aisle. I have no idea what possessed me to turn down that aisle, but I did (that was the first wrong move). And I bought some Munchies Snack Mix (that was the second wrong move). The bag is almost gone now. *Hangs head in shame*

Poor wedding diet. It never had a chance.

Thankful Thursday

Continuing the tradition... :)

Today, I am thankful for:
* Tomorrow being Friday! Granted, I only work 4 days this week, but it's been a loooong week.
* My kitty buddies. They always know how to make me laugh...even when I'm in a bad mood.
* So You Think You Can Dance. My life is complete when this show is on. Not kidding.
* Sarah. She has been SO helpful with the wedding planning. I <3 her so much.

Awaiting the Countdown (my dorkiness)

To celebrate my engagement/my birthday, my favorite Sarah (MOH) bought me The Knot's 100 Day Countdown Calendar. It's been sitting on my desk since then...staring at me...taunting me. I want so badly to start ripping off the pages and seeing what advice/task each day holds, but I can't. As of today, I have 136 days...which means 36 days until I can start my countdown calendar. I'm such a big dork. I have a countdown for a countdown.

My favorite Etsy find by far!!

I was browsing Etsy like I always do when I'm bored...and stumbled upon this fabulous ring dish! I've never seen anything more perfectly "me". (For those of you who don't really know me yet, I have a slight ummm...obsession with turtles.) You better believe I'm ordering one for myself!

Back to Work

It was a 4 day weekend for me...but I had to come back to reality (i.e. work) today. I so wasn't ready.

Hope everyone is having a great day!! :)

Busy Day for Mr Jones & Me

I admit, I stalk other Knotties' bios for DIY projects...and boy, have I found a ton of good ideas! My favorite one is creating our own personalized unity candles such as this:

Photo courtesy of Knottie Sn2BLee

I also want to have memory candles for loved ones who have passed away. Those candles will be very similar to our unity candle, but will have the name & relationship of each person we are remembering.

Photo courtesy of Knottie mink492

Once I had a general idea of what I wanted, I dragged (well, he technically came willingly) Mr Jones to Hobby Lobby in pursuit of supplies. We found everything we needed...and more! In addition to the candles, holders, vellum paper, and ribbon, we also found wood letters to spell out "We Do" on the cake table. I've tasked the Mr with spray painting them gold to match our wedding colors. I can't wait to see how they turn out...you know I'll post pictures when they're done. :)

After leaving Hobby Lobby, we headed over to Michael's. Armed with a 50% off coupon (thanks to Ebonee from "Becoming His Mrs"), I was in search of new invitations. Yes, I decided I wanted different invitations than the ones I had previously. After about 5 minutes of deliberation, we both agreed we like these:

We love the simple elegance of these invites...and that there are pockets for the RSVP card and the directions card. These are definitely more "us" than the previous invites.

For the Budget Brides

Nowadays, so many lovely brides (myself included) are all about saving money when it comes to planning their weddings. And why shouldn't we be?! With all the great DIY project ideas, websites like Etsy, and the ability to search for the best deals online, it's hard not to be a thrifty bride!

In my quest for saving money on my wedding, I was made aware of a couple great websites:

http://bravobride.com/
http://www.preownedweddingdresses.com/

In addition to stalking Knottie bios for sale items, I've started checking these two websites for wedding day must-haves.

Happy Birthday America...and Kristi!

I hope everyone has a fun and safe 4th of July!

Mr Jones and I are going to a BBQ at our friends' house. In the spirit of the 4th, I am attempting to make cupcakes. I'm sure they won't look as good as these, but a girl can try!

Thankful Thursday

Thank you so much for the idea, Shan. I really, really needed it today. It's been a stressful week to say the least (anyone want to plan my wedding for me?). On top of the wedding stresses, my dad's HS swim coach who, along with his family, remained very close friends with our family passed away earlier this week (R.I.P. Uncle Dan...we will miss you). He was an amazing man who touched the lives of many. I am so thankful to have known him.

Other things I'm thankful for:
* My fiance. He is my everything and I wouldn't know what to do without him. I am lucky to be marrying him.
* My family. Even though they drive me crazy every once in a while, I wouldn't trade them for the world.
* My job and the fact that it is stable. Lucky for me, I work for the government and the government can't get rid of community mental health services. My heart goes out to all of those who are unemployed.
* My health.

There are so many, but these are the most important right now.

What are you thankful for? Pass it on...

Why I love him... (photographer related)

After a few days of searching, I was referred to an amazing photographer. Her pictures are exactly what I've dreamed of...and Mr Jones was impressed which means a lot because I trust his opinion 100%. I, of course, contacted her immediately and waited (not so) patiently to hear if she was available for our wedding.

Well, she called back on Monday and she is available...yay! I am SO excited to meet her/work with her that I feel like a giddy little school girl. I have a feeling we will get along really well. Because she's located in Grand Rapids, she offered to do our e-pics on the same day Mr Jones and I drove out to meet her. The challenge was finding a day that worked for all of us. Unfortunately, the day she is available is the same weekend Mr Jones is moving into our new apartment. Boo.

Here's why I love him. When I told him she was only available on the 19th, he replied, "Well, if that's what you want to do, I can stay up late on Saturday (the 18th) so we can go meet her on Sunday. It wouldn't be easy, but I'd do it for you." Awwww. (Insert sappy love music here.)

P.S. Our meeting/e-pics are scheduled for August 2nd. I can't wait. :)