More Engagement Love

Its FINALLY Friday!! Why is it that every single week, Friday can't get here fast enough! I have a busy weekend ahead like usual but I wouldn't have it any other way! Tonight my 'Andy Candy' is taking me on a hot date to Bella's Fine Dining. This is where we had our first date and so it holds a special little piece of my heart! I'm so thankful that we were able to get a few pictures in front of the building and at the SAME booth and table we sat at on our first date during our recent engagement session!

Tomorrow I am helping host a bridal shower for my sweet friend Erica!! I'm in charge of decor and have decided to match the invitations with it! I'm putting my chalkboard skills to work and making an entrance sign and have a burlap banner made for the gift table...with the fabulous help of my momma :) I promise to post pics of the shower next week! In the meantime, here's some more engagement pics of my handsome fiancé and I that were taken last week! Thanks to the FABULOUS Scott Kennedy at Kennedy International!

Chalkboards and Apologies

I always feel SO bad neglecting my blog! Life has been just a little too busy lately though! I really need to get better at blogging, especially to help document this very special time in my life! If you would like to follow me on Instagram, I post pics and stuff everyday ;) You can keep up with me on a daily basis there!

I'm super excited about getting a new chalkboard to practice on! I love seeing people use their creativity with chalkboard signs! I plan on using some at our reception for the signature drink menu and favor table! I practiced a Mother's Day sample yesterday! Why do y'all think?

Wedding Wednesday - Engagement Pics

I hope everyone is having a fantastic week!! I know I'm a day behind on Wedding Wednesday and hopefully you'll forgive me :)

I am so excited because Andy and I received a few of our engagement pictures the other day!! I want to share a few of them with you!! Just a peek ;) Are you ready?

Easter 2013

Here's some pics that sum up our Easter as an engaged couple! If you follow me on Instagram then you've probably seen these already! Saturday morning Andy and I had a play date with sweet Rob and gave him his Easter prizes! Andy and I spent the afternoon in Montgomery where I had tons of fun in Williams Sonoma and World Market! We also went to an organic and healthy supermarket called EarthFare and found some yummy snacks! Sunday was spent worshiping our Lord and spending time with family! How was your Easter weekend?

Birthdays in Heaven

What do you think birthdays in Heaven are like? Have you ever thought about it? Like REALLY just thought about how wonderful special occasions and holidays are spent in Heaven with our master, our creator, and Heavenly Father? What a glorious celebration it must be! No pain, no hurt, no sickness, just wonderful and bright sunny days spent with Him!

Today, my very good and lifelong friend John Andrew turns 23! Andrew, his sister Rebekah, and I grew up right across the street from one another and our families have stayed great friends ever since! Rebekah is actually my Maid of Honor!!! :) Andrew and I are three weeks apart, and he is spending his first birthday in Heaven today. His family could sure use your prayers today and everyday as they are going through the 'year of firsts' without Andrew. Andrew passed away back in October in a motorcycle accident. Andrew was always adventurous and wasn't scared to try anything new!

I also know that he is getting to spend his birthday not only with Jesus but with his grandmother Marilyn, a fabulous celebration is being held for sure!!

Growing With Others

A gift I gave Andy for Christmas is a new Bible. I LOVE it! It's the Zondervan "Engaged Couples Bible".

"A man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh."
-Genesis 2:24

It has 52 devotions inside for couples to do together and I wanted to share one with y'all! This one in particular is so important not only for couples but for individuals as well.

*GROWING WITH OTHERS*

"Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another."
-Hebrews 10:24-25

THINK ON THIS:
What kind of friends do you have as a couple? How will you develop relationships with other Christian couples? These are questions you'll soon need to answer. Make an effort to search out couples you both think you'd enjoy as friends and who will give you the opportunity to grow together. Then initiate a relationship with them. If it doesn't work out, start again. Friends who share your commitment to a godly, lasting marriage give you a better chance to develop those things in your marriage. Then, as you grow and mature, you can reach out to those couples and provide the same support for them.

TALK ABOUT THIS:
- If you don't have friends who will help you grow a good marriage, where will you look to find some? How will you approach them to build a relationship?

- If your church has a small-group program, talk together about joining one. It might be just the place to find those friends.

- What do you think you, as a couple, have to offer other Christian couples?

PRAY TOGETHER
Jesus, you had 12 friends with you wherever you went. We'd like to have friends like that as well. we NEED fiends like that to help us grow, hold us accountable and have fun with. Please put people in our path that will be good for us as individuals and as a couple. Thank you Lord, Amen.

Have a fantastic day! Hope this helps some of y'all as you think about which friends will help you grow!!

-Lindsay

Wedding Wednesday - The Dress

Good morning and "Happy Weekend" to you! I know this post is a little delayed but it has been such a long week for me! Both mentally, physically, just pure LOOOOONG! But the week is now over with and time for a busy yet FUN-FILLED weekend/week! Just another reminder that God's timing is perfect and he has a plan and purpose for everything!

Last time y'all got to hear me rant and vent about how I couldn't find "the dress", well some of you blog stalkers must've sent some prayers up or something because I SAID YES TO THE DRESS! If you want to hear a funny story...keep reading!! If you don't have 10 minutes to read this long post then go grab some coffee or a Red Bull and come back :)

Here's my "wedding dress" story, because every bride-to-be has one! It is a little lengthy but this is also how I am recording my experience so I have included a few details!

The quest for finding the perfect wedding gown for me starting by taking a trip to Montgomery with Momma to look at the Tony Bowls bridal collection. (Actually it started when i spent 1.5 hours writing an application to be on Say Yes to the Dress Atlanta, only to hit 'send' and well... it didn't send) So, Montgomery is the nearest retailer and I just knew I wanted a Tony Bowls bridal gown... Well, I found out there that I didn't. However I did find a gorgeous gown that met all of my qualifications. (I can't give away the description of my dress girlies!!!) I'm usually really good at "the first dress I find is the one I buy". Happened every time for Prom, Homecoming, etc. I might have liked this one so much because it was the first I tried on. Well, a few weeks later in Dothan I tried on a couple more at a well known bridal shoppe. One lady just didn't strike my fancy... This 50-something year old needed an attitude adjustment. I did find a dress there that needed some "extra" pizazz and custom work to make it "Lindsay-fied"! But, I decided I wasn't spending money, or my Momma's money, with rude people.

FYI: When I walk into a store and I'm not greeted by a worker or asked if I need help with anything as soon as I walk in.... I don't buy anything. Its different if they are helping another customer but when the store owners and employees spend too much time gossiping and texting when customers walk in and don't say A WORD for like 10 minutes, or my personal fav, they are on computer and look up when the door opens and do a half smile then go back to checking FB, it irritates me. It's just common sense to make your customers feel happy and in an enjoyable environment..do y'all agree? Again, if your rude, your not getting my money... I might as well buy online! :)

Back to the story; momma and I then went to another bridal shop and found a perfect dress! The young girls were very helpful and gave their opinions and even called the company the very next morning for shipping info and everything! Very much on their "A-Game"! The only thing about this is that it needed a "more blingin' " bridal belt. Mom was sure this was it and it had everything!!!... Except the belt. However, I could spend $300 for a belt that had to be ordered, but if I didn't like it when it came in then I was stuck with it. I just knew I could have someone custom make one for me :) I knew it was time to call in the bridesmaids and ask their opinion! I met them at the shop one day and they loved it and Erica could tell in my face that I didn't look the way I should when wearing my wedding gown. She pointed it out and it's true... I just wasn't sure!! I was so confused! We left and I thought about it for a few days and Momma and I decided that it was the one. We would be going that Friday afternoon to get the dress, pay our 60% down and order it!

That Friday on my lunch break I had the sudden and bright idea to run to a bridal and formal wear shop that I've gotten dresses from before. I didn't think they still sold bridal gowns, but I looked online for bridal belts and they were a retailer for that brand. I decided to see if they had one in stock and buy it for the dress we all loved and I was about to order in like 5 hours. I walked in and was greeted by the sweetest lady, Mrs. Adrienne. She showed me the belts and I loved them! Just what I was looking for! She asked if I had found my dress, I said yes and that I was about to order it after work. She asked if I had time to try on a dress that they had just gotten in the day before and that no one had tried it on yet, she wanted to see what it looked like on a body not a hanger. It was pretty but very different than what I'd tried on before.. You know, little weird lookin' on the hanger. But I was happy to do it for that sweet lady!

YA'LL, I ABOUT FELL OUT! It was PERFECT! I had finally felt that "feeling" you get when you find "the one"! The same feeling I got on Andy and I's first date when I knew HE was "the one"! This was the dress for me!! But then I felt like I was going to vomit... What in the world was I going to tell my sweet Momma!! I just knew she was going to be a little upset, I knew how much she loved the other dress and I had a feeling she wouldn't like this dress as much because it's totally not like the other one, the top half at least. I had to call her... That was tough.

Here's a summary of the conversation:

Me-hey momma, whatcha doin?
Mom- nothing just sitting here with Chloe in my lap, what did you do at lunch
Me-well... If you should ask..I went to "store name here" and looked at belts, they had one I liked.
Mom- am I still meeting you at 5 to buy the dress
Me- actually, about that.. This lady made me try on a dress and its so different, I'd actually like your opinion about it.
Mom- you did WHAT? Lindsay why did you try on a dress, the other is perfect!
Me- I didn't say I liked this dress... I just want you to see it on. Meet me here at 5 and tell me you don't like this 'new' dress and then we will go buy the other one
Mom-fine Lindsay

Hahaha! I knew that's how she would react!! I can't believe y'all are still hangin' on reading this story! Promise it's almost over!!

Mom met me there at 5pm after work and Mrs. Adrienne wouldn't show her the dress. Smart lady! I walked in and tried on the dress. I was so nervous momma would hate it! I walked out and Momma CRIED!!! Y'all, tears came Rollin down! She even jumped up and down pointing at me saying "OMG, Lindsay THAT'S IT!!!" She didn't shed a single tear on the other dress! I was so happy and relieved that she loved it! So, right there I ended up saying "YES!" To the dress!

I truly believe God was watching over me in this situation and just so happened to send sweet Mrs. Adrienne in my path! I can't wait for her to help me during this important and exciting time in my life!

Happy weekend my wonderful bloggers and blog stalkers! I'm now off to look for my bridal shoes and veil!

-The future Mrs.