Wedding Checklist

Location....CHECK
Wedding Dress....CHECK
Bridal Party....CHECK
Flowers....CHECK
Officiant....CHECK
Attire for Groom....CHECK
Attire for Bridal Party....CHECK
DJ....CHECK
Dinner Menu....CHECK
Guest List & Invitations....CHECK
Photographer....CHECK
Accessories (for the Bride)....CHECK
Hair & make-up appointments scheduled....CHECK
Wedding Rings (his & hers)....CHECK

The ability to sit back, relax and enjoy the next few weeks, relatively stress free....PRICELESS! :o)

Yes, I am pleased to announce that we have accomplished a lot in the last few weeks in regard to our upcoming wedding! We are both soooooo excited, and can't believe it is just about 7 weeks away! I would say picking out & purchasing the wedding bands make it SOOOO much more real!!!! CAN'T WAIT!!!!

Countdown

In exactly EIGHT WEEKS, I will be MRS. MILLER. Yep, that's right....Jason & I are getting married on November 16, 2008. I CAN'T WAIT!! We are getting married on the beach & the reception to follow. We have a LOT done....still more to do though! Pictures will follow......

Wedding Plans

I/we have begun to really start talking about wedding plans. There are times that I have to pinch myself cuz I still can't believe that I am actually getting MARRIED! HOLY MOLY! It  became very 'real' to me when I went shopping for my dress. My mom and I went on Sunday. I had wanted to go to this store, Zola Keller (at the Promenade). Earlier in the week, I had seen a dress that I LOVED! I totally forgot that this particular store was closed on Sunday. So, my mom and I headed to David's Bridal in Ft. Myers. Now, I had some reservations about David's Bridal because I knew it could be "hit or miss". In the past, some of my friends have had a positive experience, while others had a miserable experience. We got to DB, it was my mom, and my sister Sarah. Of course, the store was full of brides-to-be and their entourage(s). Once I got registered w/a bridal consultant the shopping began. Quite honestly I was a little more than overwhelmed. There were soooo many dresses/styles to chose from. Besides that I found myself distracted by the random cry/outbursts of little ones, laughter/giggles all around, and the ooohs and aaahhs of on-lookers, as other brides-to-be came out of their dressing rooms! I finally got somewhat focused to the task-at-hand, looking for my dress. I knew what style of dress I was leaning towards, now it was just a matter of finding it. I have to say that the consultant who worked with us was FABULOUS! She really listened to exactly what I was looking for, she was patient, and provided a different perspective when I was trying on the dresses! Thanks,  Kimberlee!  Anyway, back to the shopping...I think I tried on about 6-7 dresses total. I had found MY DRESS! It was dress #3.....as soon as I put it on I knew it! It was ABSOLUTELY PERFECT! I didn't want to take it off! LOL!!! My mom and some on-lookers were in total agreement. If I may backtrack for a second, I have to say that it was a little intimidating/strange coming out of the dressing room w/a different dress each time, standing in front of the mirrors, while my mom and some absolute strangers weighed in with their opinions. I fell in love w/dress #3. I tried it on like 3 separate times. I decided this was 'the dress'. I had made up my mind. I didn't want to look at anymore dresses, anywhere! So, I did it...I bought my dress (and undergarments), along with my shoes! Obviously, we have a set budget for our wedding, and I had an amount in mind for how much I wanted to spend on the dress/shoes, etc. I can PROUDLY tell you that this dress was well within my budget! I couldn't believe it!!! I left the store with MY DRESS!!! It was an unbelievable feeling! As soon as I got back to my parents' house (which is where the dress will stay until the big day), I tried the dress on for my dad and two other sisters! Everyone was thrilled! 

From dresses, to securing a location, and working on a preliminary guest list. OH BOY, that is fun! Of course Jason & I want to invite EVERYONE....but realistically we are trying to keep the number between 100-115. It's tough! So mom and I are going back to  a few different locations, hopefully we can settle on one soon. As soon as we do, I will post the date of our wedding! 

ENGAGED

I am back from my hiatus! I had a wonderful summer, it went so fast. The MOST EXCITING thing that occurred over the summer was that I got engaged to the love of my life! Jason and I have been together for a little more than a year and a half. He totally surprised me, the night that proposed! Once upon a time, I envisioned a proposal where there were roses, candles, music....basically, the most romantic ambiance a girl could ever ask for. That however was not the case the night with Jason and I, but now looking back I couldn't have asked for a better "setting". We were at home, he had cooked a fabulous dinner. At the close of a nice, relaxing evening together he asked me to marry him! He told me that he has loved having me by his side, and wanted me by his side for the rest of his life. Then he asked the question, "Will you marry me?" It was SOOOO perfect! I WAS TOTALLY SHOCKED, AND CAUGHT OFF GUARD! I, of course, said, "YEESSSSSSSS!" After Jason proposed to me, I realized that grand illusion I once held, was NO longer important to me. The way in which Jason proposed to me, was PERFECT! After I had said YES to him, the phone calls to parents and some family members began! It was LATE, but it didn't matter! Everyone was THRILLED! We are so excited to begin our new life together, to embark on a new and exciting journey! We don't have a date set yet, but are leaning towards late spring or early summer of next year!

Snapshots From the 4th of July....

So, technically I am still on my "blog break" but, I figured a sneak peek as to what we have been up to wouldn't hurt! Hope you all had a Fantastic 4th of July!

This is the pier (where the fireworks are shot off from) in Ft. Myers Beach, FL. It was a beautiful sunny day. The breeze coming off of the Gulf was so refreshing.

I think this is one of my favorite shots of the day

This shot was taken from the table where we were having dinner. We sat at the outdoor deck area of this restarant, The Pierside Grill & Blowfish Bar. It was right on the beach.Very romantic! :o)

This is one of the better fireworks pics of the night. The strand of lights were on the deck. They're kind of in the way, but you get the idea! :o)

More pics of our fun day/night can be seen here

Blog Break

I have enjoyed blogging, it has served as a creative, expressive outlet for me to write about things from just every day ordinary life to expressing my inner most thoughts (and fears). With that said, I am going to take a little 'blog break' or hiatus from blog land. Summer seems to be slowly slipping away, and there is still so much I hope to accomplish before the start of a new school year!

See you in the Fall! :o)

Home Makeover

Yesterday Jason & I stayed at home. We spent much of the day in the yard, working on landscaping projects and finishing up the big project(drum roll, please)......finishing the fence! Our yard (front & back) is completely fenced in! YAY!! We had the fence professionally installed in the front yard, and most of the back. We finished the part where you can't really see it due to trees, and shubbery. Basically, all that covers our "mistakes," LOL!! OMG, it was so H-O-T! That project alone took 4 HOURS! WHEW! From there, I headed here

I LOVE shopping....in the past it was clothes, purses, shoes, etc. Now my "wants and needs" have changed. I am more focused on items for the house. These things were on my shopping list:
Lighting fixture for front entrance/hallway

Lighting fixture for dining room (it will go over our kitchen table)

Fresh paint for the family room, dining room, and kitchen. The colors are: raffia (it's like a toasted almond), and parchment paper (cream).

New "wood" blinds for our windows in the family room & dining room. I say "wood" cuz there faux/fake! BIG $$$ saver. Plus, you really can't tell unless you inspect them CLOSELY.