I got this from Southern Newlywed who found it on Midwest Prep:


What accessories do you wear everyday? I wear my engagement ring on my left ring finger and a monogram ring on my right ring finger and a watch


What is your beauty routine? I use Johnson & Johnson clean & clear face wash and Oil of Olay face lotion.


What was the last item of clothing you bought? a skirt from j. crew - I posted about it :)


Do you use a dresser, closet, or both? I use a den for my clothes plus a small closet and 2 dressers. Sorry, I have a problem (or an addiction), I don't know where they are going to go when I move in with Fiance. Sorry honey :)


What type of earrings are in your ears right now? pearl studs


What type of figure do you have? I am 5'9", flat-chested (yes I am bitter, my sisters got all the boobs), and average build - not fat but not really skinny either


Do you wear glasses? no, I have 20/20 vision


What type of handbag do you carry? a purse I love, its from Target


What is your ideal style? classic. When I was 13, one of my aunts introduced me to Audrey Hepburn, I was hooked. She is my style icon. I buy classic pieces. I still wear clothes I bought in high school (hence the reason I need a den for a closet).


What jewelry are you wearing right now? pearl studs & rings (engagement & monogram)


Do you wear knee-hi stockings? only with my tall boots, because you can't see them and the boots fit better that way


Do you have to wear matching lingerie? no, I don't spend a lot of money on underwear so none of it matches


Do you wear makeup? when I go to work and if I go out at night, otherwise no I don't


Do you wear nightgowns? no - I sleep in t-shirts


What outerwear do you put on when going out on a typical winter's day? I have a long winter coat for work, otherwise I wear a northface fleece or a pea coat


What is your favorite perfume? for going out at night - Chanel Coco Mademoiselle; just because - Clinique Happy

Is your motto "quality over quantity"? it depends what it is. For basic items that I will use again and again - I prefer quality. For items that I think I might only use for a season, I will go to Target or H&M


Do you wear rain boots? yes, they are bright pink & they make me happy


Do you wear socks or slippers when your feet get cold? whichever one is more convenient


Do you have a set of travel luggage? yes, my mom bought it for Fiance & I, its a seven piece red set. Fiance uses the two duffel bags and I use the two biggest suit cases. I like to be prepared.


What is your daily uniform? I wear a suit everyday to work. On winter weekends, jeans & a cableknit sweater - when we first started dating, Fiance asked me how many cableknits I had. During the summer - chino skirts & polo's


If you are married, did you wear a veil with your wedding dress? engaged - yes I am wearing a veil

Do you wear a watch? yes

What item of clothing always makes you feel extremely beautiful? I love dresses. My go to dress is a black wool shift from Banana. I love it.

What is your favorite type of yarn? don't have a favorite


Do you prefer zippers or buttons? it depends what it is

Wedding Veil

I won't be posting any pictures or details of my dress or my veil on my blog. I know Fiance is a lurker on here and I want it to be a surprise :) As I was googling wedding veil pictures today, I came across this and I thought it was helpful. It gave me an idea of what I wanted as far as veils are concerned.





(courtesy of www.bridalwave.tv)

Pretty Dresses

Even though I have my dresses picked out, I am posting this one for any brides out there who are still looking. I think this dress is stunning. Its such a classic style . . . think Grace Kelly or Audrey Hepburn. It also comes in 11 different shades! Your bridesmaids will thank you because its a dress than can be worn again and again.

PS in case you are wondering why I am posting so much today, my work comes in waves, just finished up a big thing and now its kind of slow :)

Fantasy Shopping for the Honeymoon

Loving these cute new outfits from J. Crew. I am thinking they would be very cute for the honeymoon . . .

. . . while we are strolling through the local shops . . .

. . . perhaps this paired with the matching jacket for the plane . . . I love the way people used to dress up to travel. My grandfather never traveled without a coat and tie on.

Wedding Purse

I purchased this clutch purse for my wedding day. I am not sure how it will look in person, but it has gotten good reviews on target.com. I'm not planning on carrying a lot in it, just the essentials and it seems like the perfect size.

Since when is being freezing cold, cool?

(no pun intended)


Call me crazy, but I just don't think this, sounds that fun. I know this girl loves warm weather (mostly because I get to wear my favorite sundresses) and I hate winter. That being said, I have no desire to hang out in a bar that is 23 degrees. Although "ice bars" seem to be all the rage . . . drinking cocktails & shivering = not fun, unless of course you are at a Virginia Tech football game . . .

Starbucks fans - watch out

I love Starbucks, but there are none convenient to me, so I usually just make my own coffee at home. However, for anyone who has to have it - check this article out. Then go to Dunkin Donuts and get a latte for 99 cents.

Warm weather, please?

I got this new skirt this weekend. Will spring please get here???

Wedding Make-up

I have been trying to finalize all of my vendors or people that I have to "book" prior to the wedding. This weekend I was on the prowl for a make-up artist. I have had trouble finding one and none of the local wedding magazines seem to have any listings. So, I went to Nordstrom's and made an appointment with clinique.


It was pretty terrible. I think the person might have used coal instead of eyeliner. (just kidding, but it was very thick & I wasn't going for a goth look on my wedding day). Does anyone have any tips on finding make-up artists? I really want to have a professional do my make-up. Most of my friends, who are married, did their own make-up.




(picture is from Estee Lauder, I love the Beautiful Perfume Ads)

Conversation with Fiance

Fiance: man, my favorite blogger has not posted in like a day
Me: oh really, who is that? the simple dollar?
Fiance: no, its this other blog that I read. This girl I know writes it.
Me: really? what blog is that?
Fiance: just this chic blog, but I really like the girl

Sad part is, he had to tell me that he was talking about my blog :)

Happy Friday

Happy Friday everyone! I am off to see Fiance this weekend. We are going to be "working" on his house, which will soon become our house. CK Bradley has some new spring clothes out. I love this dress. I really think I need it. Have a great weekend!

Brides Decide!

Okay - so I promise I will not be political, but I thought this was very funny and it is bi-partisan. Here is some of the candidates' (mostly former candidates) wedding pictures. I found it while perusing the knot today. I thought it was pretty funny and cute.

P.S. I am afraid to post a picture of one of them because I don't want to be political. So you have to look for yourself!

Decisions

I think the hardest thing about wedding planning for me is actually making decisions. So, I am happy to report that I am going with the Berry (pink) Ann Taylor dresses. I am very excited! I don't know how many people are reading my blog, but now that I have bridesmaid dresses and my mother has her dress, does anyone have suggestions for the mother of the groom (as far as colors)? My future mother in law is an absolute dear and she is wondering about colors. Anyone?

Mother of the Bride

So my mama got her dress . . . She found the dress at Nordstrom's. They have a wonderful selection of Mother of the Bride/Groom dresses. They are also reasonably priced, which is always a plus. Here is her dress:

I really love the style of the dress. I am afraid the color might be a little too dark, but my sisters think it will be perfect. So hopefully they are right! I am leaning towards the pink Ann Taylor dresses for the bridesmaids, but I still haven't decided.

Juno - Go see it!

We saw this movie tonight. It was great. Seriously, one of the best movies I have seen in a long time. Afterwards, my face kind of hurt because I was smiling/laughing so much during the movie. One of the reasons I liked this movie is because it wasn't picture perfect, it involved real life events and how the characters worked through them. Anyways, Fiance is watching the NBA Slam Dunk contest, so I am posting on my blog :) Check it out though, you won't be disappointed.

P.S. Fiance said that he really liked this movie and he would not write it off as a "chick flick." So get your man to take you :)

TGIF

I am resigning to the fact that I am completely worthless on friday afternoons. I don't really want to think about contracts, I have much more important things to worry about such as 1) how am I going to cook the salmon for Fiance and I tonight 2) will I have enough time to make his favorite cookies before he gets here? 3) will I be able to go running before starting dinner? Its all about priorities.


I picked up some lovely salmon fillets for dinner tonight while I was here . I am also going to make our favorite salad and we'll have baked potatoes. I had originally planned on grilling some steaks but I forgot it was friday and its Lent. I always remember after I have something planned.


I don't know if anyone has been to Old Navy lately, but they actually have some pretty cute stuff. I went through a phase where I just didn't go in because I could never find anything. Fiance really likes it, so I was picking up a valentine's present for him. I picked up these shoes. They are much cuter in person and I think they will look great with jeans.

Bridesmaids & Happy Friday

Thanks to Lauren , I think I have found bridesmaid dresses. I absolutely love this dress from Ann Taylor. I have always liked their dresses, but I never really considered them because I thought they were too expensive. I have had trouble finding a reasonably priced dress that I like.

However, Lauren told me what she had done, which was using a 20% off coupon for Ann Taylor. BRILLIANT! I am so excited about the dresses. Now if I could just decide between the berry and the cornflower blue . . . Thanks for the tip Lauren!

I am thinking about having the bridesmaids carry small bouquets of some kind of white flower, but I haven't decided which one yet.

Hopefully my girls will be happier with their dresses than these lovely ladies. Woo hoo - its friday!

Happy Valentines Day!

Happy Valentines Day everyone! I hope everyone has a wonderful day and appreciates their valentine. Fiance is coming into town tomorrow and we will celebrate tomorrow night. I think I am going to make a nice dinner for us at home.

Fiance - this is for you:


Note to Fiance: I freaking love you! Thank you so much for the amazing 101 reasons why you love me. You are so dear. I can't wait to be your valentine for the rest of our lives. Although I loved all the reasons, I particularly loved reason # 12. Because Swedish Fish and Chardonnay can't solve your problems, but they make everything a little better. You know me oh too well.

The Reception

Here is where we will be having the reception. The ceremony is going to be at our church and then the reception will be at this art museum. The ceremony is at 4:00. I think we will have cocktails at 5 or 5:30. I haven't really finalized any details so far. I am still trying to decide on a color scheme and bridesmaid dresses (okay, so I have some planning to do). Once I have colors picked out, I will think about centerpieces and decorations.

Weekend Re-cap

Fiance and I will have a long distance relationship until we get married. I have a one year job where I live. My position will end the Friday before Labor Day and then we will get married on September 13. In the meantime, we continue to travel back and forth to visit each other. Fiance conveniently lives in the same town as my parents.

I went home this weekend to visit. My sister was also visiting with my adorable niece and nephew. I know I am a bit partial, but I seriously think they are two of the cutest kids ever. Here is a picture of my niece (and my future flower girl).

On Saturday, Fiance and I went on a little day trip to Williamsburg. It was fun and relaxing. We did a little bit of shopping, had lunch in Colonial Williamsburg and just walked around a bit. Here is a picture from the inside of my favorite shop in Williamsburg, bet you can't guess what store it is . . .

My Boogie Shoes . . .

Here are my fabulous wedding shoes. I am very excited about them. Fiance is not much taller than me, so I didn't want to be towering over him on our wedding day. I considered just plain ballet slippers, but I wanted something with a little more style. On a chance visit to the J. Crew outlet I found these!! I was so excited because they were significantly cheaper than they were in the catalogue.

Letter to Nutmeg

Dear Nutmeg,

I’m sorry I wasn’t there yesterday when you had to leave. I wish that I could have been there, but I couldn’t bear the thought of you suffering on account of me. You were the best dog. I don’t know if you can read in heaven, but if you can’t, I’m sure that Poppy will read this letter to you.

I can still remember the day that you came to our house. It was almost Christmas. I was a junior in high school. I came home from school and you were sleeping on top of Mommy. Do you remember? You were scared, but she was holding you close and you were nestled underneath a blanket. Your fur was so soft and it was dark brown. I had no idea how much I would grow to love you.

I remember when we tried to decide what to call you. We wanted to name you something Christmasy, but we had a hard time with that. Eventually we decided on Nutmeg and it fit you to a tee.

I loved coming home and seeing you. When you were still a puppy you used to just run around the house and you would bark until we picked you up. As you got older, you weren’t as wild but you would still bark until we greeted you.

I left for college and I missed you when I left. I loved coming home. I would ring the door bell just so I could watch you run to the door. It made me so happy. After college I moved to Alexandria. I still missed you. Do you remember when you would come visit me? I loved walking you around Old Town. You were so cute. You managed to charm everyone that met you.

Even though I loved all the times with you, the time you helped me the most was when I was in law school. When I started law school, I moved back home with you and Mommy and Daddy. That first year, I worked 40 hours a week and I went to school at night. I was tired when I got home and the house was always dark. The one thing I knew that I could count on was my faithful friend greeting me at the door.

You would come down from your little bed upstairs and greet me. It was almost as if you were waiting to see how my day was. Sometimes you would come down and just sit on the steps until I saw you. It was so cute. I loved making little snacks and I was always sure to make enough for you too.

I loved that I was able to be home with you when I was in law school. I loved coming home from school and taking you on walks. I loved it when I was in bed in the morning and you would scratch at my door. It was your knock. Remember how Daddy would open the door for you before he went to work? You would snuggle up next to me and sleep with me for another hour or so.

I will miss you Nutmeg, but rest assured, I will never forget you. You were such a good little dog and a faithful companion. I know that you are in heaven because God works all things together for good. I imagine you are busy chasing squirrels and running after birds. I know that it is more wonderful than anything you have ever known. Time is different in heaven, so I think you will see me sooner than you think. We will be together with all of our family. I won’t ever have to leave you. Thanks for loving me and being such a good friend.

Love, Sissy

Good books

I just finished two books by Emily Griffin. The first was Something Borrowed and the second was Something Blue. Something Blue is the sequel to Something Borrowed. I would definitely recommend reading them in their proper order.

I have to admit, I was a little skeptical after reading what the books were about, but I gave them a chance and I'm so glad that I did.

Something Borrowed begins with the story of two best friends who are total opposites. They are the kind of friends who are just friends because of how long they have known each other, but they don't have much in common anymore. One of the friends is engaged to be married. The story is told through the other friend, who is the maid of honor. I don't want to tell you too much because it will spoil the book.

I read Something Blue next. Something Blue is told through the engaged friend. It was very interesting to read them back to back. The differences in their perspectives on life were intriguing.

I think Emily Griffin is a very talented writer. Her stories were funny and light-hearted. They also discussed emotions that I think most women feel or at least think about. I like that because I feel like I can relate to the characters in the book. I like books where the characters feel like friends.

Happy Groundhog's Day Eve

As many of you may know or in case you forgot, tomorrow is Groundhog's Day. So, Happy Groundhog's Day Eve (okay, so I stole this phrase from my clever little sister, but it was so cute I couldn't resist).

Groundhog's day came about because it signaled the time that the groundhog would come out of his hibernation. When the groundhog came out, if he saw his shadow, this was an omen that winter was not over. However, if he did not see his shadow, spring was on the way. Lets hope the groundhog doesn't see his shadow!

Interestingly, I have never watched this entire movie. I hear that it is pretty good though.

Fantasy Shopping

Fiance is addicted to fantasy sports. I used to kid him about it, until he pointed out my addiction. He calls it "fantasy shopping." I go onto jcrew and I add to my cart all of the pretty things I would buy, if I had a million dollars. I like it because I still get a little thrill while I pretend to shop. Here are a few of the items "in my cart." I can't wait for spring!

Cake

I adore this cake (courtesy of the Knot). I can't decide if its too casual though for a formal wedding. I feel like it would almost be more appropriate at a beach or plantation wedding.

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog. I am a 20 something bride to be. I started this blog to share different wedding ideas that I have come across. I am planning a wedding in September of 2008. Thanks for checking me out!

I recently came across this wedding magazine in the grocery store and I love it. The website also has some great ideas. http://www.charlestonweddingsmag.com/index.html