Great find!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of TwoOfUs. All opinions are 100% mine.

Today is my last day at home before I start my clinical fieldwork so I wanted to make the most of the day! I started off with some yoga, ran out to get things I needed to recover and paint my bar stools, then did some wedding planning :) I contacted the pastor who will be conducting the ceremony to set up a time for the required pre-martial counseling.  I was actually really excited about this time, and started to do a little research on my own. I found this great website (twoofus.org) that has tips on keeping your relationship fresh. They have information for dating couples all the way up to married couples. I looked around the "engaged" information for a while and they really have some awesome stuff!!  I really liked the information on wedding skills and preparing for marriage. It is such true life information and definitely not sugar coated. Clint and I {as am I sure most couples do} have problems with communication.  There is a cool video on the site where Hill Harper talks about relationships.  He discusses how relationships and communication are often based around social networking and how we need to get back to face-to-face conversation.  He brings up the idea of hosting a "conversation party." It is a party where you have both women and men attend, and everyone sits down and puts relationship questions and personal reflection questions  in a hat, and then go around the room and talk about them. I like the idea and could even see it working well between 2 newly engaged people (like us) as well.  I think it would be a nice change from the typical dinner and tv routine to do a dinner, wine and "conversation party" for 2 :) We can even have a conversation party via blog...so if you feel compelled, comment with your most burning relationship questions!  And check out and like  twoofus.org on Facebook. I think you will really like what they have to offer!

Schedule conflicts

I am amazed at how many times everything was going great with wedding planning, and then BOOM, schedule conflict screws everything up.  It happened with the wedding date first.  Now, the only time to do my bridal portrait is during one of my good friend's bachelorette parties.  Not to mention that my wedding date is a week before the same good friend's wedding, therefore we will still be honeymooning during her wedding.  I think you can safely say that I feel like a bad horrible friend. 
Now, I am struggling with schedule conflicts for getting into wedding and honeymoon shape.  I mentioned Pure Barre in a previous post and talked about how much I loved it.  I really do think it is the only thing that is going to get me in the shape I want to be for the wedding festivities. Problem is, most of their classes are only offered in Chapel Hill between the hours of 8:30 and 5:30...consequently my working hours beginning on Wednesday. They do have a class from 6:30-7:30pm, but honestly I don't know how often I would go if I had to be at work all day, come home  to my loves for 30 minutes and head back out.  I'm pushing for a 6am class so hopefully others will too :) Meeting with the wedding director at the church tonight so I am sure I will be in wedding mode full force after that! More to come!

Up-do {check!}

Call me a freak, but the satisfaction I get from checking something off my never ending to-do list(s) is phenomenal. I currently have {multiple} on going to-do lists for the wedding, one for fun home projects {more on the new place soon!}, and one for what to get done today (and tomorrow).  Yes, I have a problem.  

For the wedding to-do list, yesterday I got to check off my up-do!  I found a great hair stylist at Atmosphere  Salon and I am pretty convinced that she is a mind reader because she knew exactly what I wanted and made it look awesome! With an August wedding and all the booty shaking dancing I will be doing on the big day, I knew that I needed my hair up {or I would look like a sweaty, hot mess}.  The inspiration from the do, came from the picture in the inspiration board I created below {minus the flower}.  Love this inspiration board because it is definitely a snap-shot of my vision for the wedding...which is only a little over 3 months away...eekkkkk!

Best Thing Ever!

You are going to love me for this one! My wonderful fiance has been doing research about things we should be doing to start off our lives together financially smart.  {LOVE HIM!} He came across this awesome site called e-mealz.com.  It is a website created by a set of savvy sisters that creates weekly meal plans and grocery shopping lists for only $1.25 A WEEK!! The meals are awesome, super easy but never boring and most importantly...it aims to keep your grocery list around $30 a week!!  I have put their advertisment on the right side of the blog, so check it out and let me know what you think!

Solitude

For the first time in 23+ years, I am living by myself. I will be living by myself for a whole...2 days!  My wonderful, 2 year, roommate moved out last night which was much harder than I thought it was going to be.  It has been a great 2 years, and she has been a fantastic roommate. Which as I am sure most of you know, good roommates are very hard to come by.  So now I am on a 2 day lapse until I move in with a boy for the rest of my life.  That means, only 2 days until I start the rest of my life. Waking up by my husband to be, every day for the rest of my life. Can't stop smiling thinking about it!

The solitude and quiet was rough earlier today.  There is so much to be done with packing and cleaning but I just didn't know where to start all on my own.  So I turned on pandora, and got to work.  Many hours of moving things from A to B, cleaning, and packing away my life into a million boxes and bags.  I finally ran out of packing supplies, and retreated to the tub for a glass of wine and a bubble bath.  While soaking my burnt (yeah, no sunscreen=bad idea) body in a bath of lavender bath salts, I had a lot of time to think and reflect. Amazing how a simple bath can turn into a time for deep reflection.  Like the calm before the storm...taking time to think about where I have been, and the new life I will be starting in the next 2 days was just what I needed. I now feel centered and ready for the challenge ahead of me.

Easter Blessings

The Easter season is such a great reminder to me of how much I am blessed.  Clint and I are lucky enough to be able to spend Easter together with both of our families.  We will travel to Salemburg (yes, a real place) tonight to celebrate the rising of our Savior with family, then will celebrate with his family in Wilson tomorrow!  I look forward to cherishing the time with both families.  Also, kinda crazy to think that it will our last un-married Easter!  Easter Blessings to you all....God Bless!!

Go figure

In my past 23 years of life I have realized that I am one of those  "if its going to happen to anyone it will happen to me" type of people.  Now, not in a bad, catastrophic kind of sense, but more so in a comical, gotta laugh at the world kind of sense.  The wedding has been no exception. 

 

Let's start with the wedding date.  Date #1 was a no-go because my good friend {and bridesmaid} is getting married the weekend before (and thus would not be able to attend my wedding). Date #2 {9-10-11} then became THE DATE.  It worked for the preacher, the church was open, and it certainly worked for us.  Of course, I began calling venues and professional right away...then comes the comical part. The secretary at the church "forgot to look on the back of the calender" and the church was ACTUALLY ALREADY BOOKED for that day.  Of course...panic mode ensued...tears were shed..and then then {being the chronic planner that I am} started looking for date #3.  Of course, it all worked out for the best and the date we have now August 27, 2011 is just perfect :)

Then....the hotel.  In January we blocked rooms for the hotel.  Come April when guests are starting to book their rooms, the hotel knew nothing of our reserved block.  Hmmmm...... Again, I got it all figured out...problem solved.  

And now....the dress!  I ordered my dress in January and have been patiently awaiting its April-May arrival.  I get a call today saying "THE DRESS IS IN!!" Yay!!! So I made an appointment for my 1st fitting and hit the gym {nothing like a wedding dress fitting to get you in shape}.  Then....they call back saying..."oooopps, the dress we have here is actually your MOTHER'S dress...yours is still not in yet." Yeah, go figure.  Looks like that diet can wait a few more days.  

All I have to say about it all is...live. laugh. learn.