Five Days!

Obviously not counting today or the day of. I haven't counted those days for quite some time now--to make the countdown seem shorter, dur. In five days I will be a wife! In five days Miles will be my husband! And in seven days we will be relaxing on the beach...possibly getting rained on. We're the geniuses that booked a Dominican Republic honeymoon during its rainy season. 

Miles and I got to go on a date last week to try Bobbie's Dairy Dip for the first time. As you know, we are all about burgers and this place is definitely now on our "eat here as much as possible" list. 

I have been obsessing over the weather on the 2nd, waiting forever to be able to see what it will be on the 10-day forecast. The first few days it was on there, it was 80% chance of rain and thunderstormy. Every day since the percentage has gone down and the "severe" has gone to "scattered" to "isolated" and now it is supposed to be mostly sunny with a 0% chance of rain! You know I squealed with joy when I saw that. Not that any part of the wedding or reception is outside...but we're hoping to take our pictures in the same park we did our engagement shoot before the ceremony. I can't wait to see my handsome groom. I always knew that I would cry at some point in the ceremony, but now Miles is coming to realize he may get a little teary too. Which is just going to make matters worse for me. What if I am weeping the entire ceremony? Surely thats not possible....Right?

Tomorrow we print the programs, Tuesday I get my dress, Wednesday we are going wild flower picking, Thursday my dad and brother are flying in and my momma's entire family is coming to town and we will all be staying in the same house. I know I am going to love it. Seriously, I cannot think of a better way to spend the two days before I get married. Its going to be insane, crowded, loud, and incredibly fun. Friday is decorations, bridal luncheon, mani-pedis, rehearsal, dinner and then popsicle pool partaaay!! This week will only get better and better with each day, leading up to the ultimate best day ever. 

I

Can't

WAIT.

Hobby Hunting

The other day I splurged and bought several recipe books. I have spent the evening thumbing through them while Sense & Sensibility plays in the background and have worked up a great excitement for the future that cooking hopefully has in my life. 

Miles has told me on several occasions that I need a hobby. He has several and I literally have none. I don't count watching movies or eating frozen yogurt as a hobby since I don't think it would be allowed by the hobby police (headquartered at Hobby Lobby). Miles loves everything guitars. Playing them, building them, reading about them, listening to all kinds of guitar players, watching videos, learning about [memorizing and telling me all of their] histories, learning techniques, guitar window shopping, guitar store shopping, guitar internet shopping...what have I left out? So I think I have decided that my hobby is going to be cooking. I don't think I'll ever really be a true foodie or a master chef, but I still really love food. And so does Miles. And we both have to eat...So that works out well! 

These three books are the ones that got me most excited about this new endeavor:

I've already marked a ton of recipes that seem easy enough for me to try out and I am eager to get down and dirty in the kitchen after the wedding dust has settled. 

For this post label, I was bouncing around something like, "Whats Cookin'" or "In ze Kitchen" or "Fooooooooooood!" But I'll hold off on all that and see if this hobby sticks. And hopefully not to my derriere.

Happy Father's Day!

Heres how it is: I have such an amazing dad. He is wise and caring and gentle. He has the goofiest sense of humor. He has embarrassed me (on purpose) on countless occasions. He will listen to me talk on the phone for hours without ever getting a word into the conversation. He is my friend and I love him more than I could ever say. I always wish Hawaii was a little closer to Nashville, but on days like these I wish a little harder.

Hannah and I made a video for our dad and couldn't wait until today to give it to him, so we made him watch it last night while we were all on skype. 

 I think he liked it

I am so excited that both of my parents are walking me down the aisle. They both raised me, they both love me, they both are so much a part of who I have been, who I am today and who I will be in the future. 

I love you, Dad!

Lets get this DIY show on the road

My sister and I have bunkered down an begun some test runs of different projects for the wedding. We mostly just felt like we should be productive while watching two of our favorite childhood movies, Quest for Camelot & Anastasia. So amidst singing along with all the songs we successfully put together a boutonniere, washed all the dishes for the makeshift cake-stands and Hannah is just finishing up making paper cones for the birdseed toss. I completely failed in the cone-making process, I can't even really explain how terribly I performed. Hannah kept trying to show me how to do it, but I'm pretty sure I was way over thinking the process. 

We also got our marriage license today!

Miles was completely mesmerized by the clerk's calligraphy. Really. He kept talking about it for the rest of the day. We also got a new TV yesterday. Combining all our gift cards that we've gotten so far--we only paid $3 out of pocket for this baby. And we've been watching movies non-stop ever since Miles' set it up.

We didn't quite think through how we would get the TV home after purchasing it. The box was literally just as wide as my car. And we had 3 people to get home. So Miles squished into the little triangle crevice between the TV and my backseat. Above is a before and after picture. Before, so positive about making this trip home work. After, feet literally falling out of the car when I opened the door, and totally unamused with all my giggly picture taking. 

17 days!

Sister Time

On Friday I picked my sister up to come stay with me until the wedding. Poor girl has nothing else to do here except read her books and help out with wedding projects. But it was her choice to come up to early so I don't feel that bad. I think the Sondre Lerche show on Friday night also had a little bit to do with her desire to come up so soon. 

It was so good. Miles and I saw him two Februarys ago and both agree that he is one of our favorites to see live. He also always has incredible artists open for him. Kishi Bashi and Nightlands were the openers for this show, JBM opened last time. All so good. Seriously. Go listen.

And then there is Sondre. 

He is simply wonderful. And makes me want to be Norwegian. And makes Miles want to buy a Country Gentleman and play jazzy music for me. Everything is good when Sondre is three feet in front of you. I got to meet him last time we saw him, I was a complete dork of course. He is just so goooood.

Last night we bought an a/c unit for the apartment (hallelujah!) and Miles came over before church to install it. And let me tell you...I am blissfully chilly right now as I sit on the couch in my living room (as opposed to the bed in my bedroom). Oh the joys of comfortably sitting upright and not having to watch movies  on a computer!

I think Miles and I are going to get our marriage license some time this week. 19 DAYS!

June Cleaning

I am going to get my sister tomorrow and bring her back up to Nashville to help me out until the wedding. We haven't lived in the same place in about four years...and right now I only have one air conditioner in the whole apartment. So two sisters confined to one teeny room could result in awesomeness or a serious case of cabin fever. I'm hoping for awesomeness. Obviously...

I'm also hoping to get another a/c unit, like...this weekend. Currently I am trying to make some space for Hannah in my closet and maybe if she is lucky I can also clean out a drawer for her. But really, I should probably being sorting this out regardless of my sister coming. Miles may want some space to live in his own home. The nerve!

How is this the master closest? I guess in the 1920s peoples clothes were smaller.......Or they just didn't have an obscene obsession with Goodwill. Orrrr.....

Just wish me luck. 

(Can you spot the wedding suit? He looks so fine in it you guys, and I'm not just saying that. You just wait for the wedding pictures. You. Just. Wait.)

Etsy Love

I am in lovveee

(from here)

And I want so many of these original watercolor prints and paintings from this Etsy shop. 

I feel like I need a whole wall of these babies. 

Can you guess I like elephants? They're so adorable! Dumbo makes me cry. Every time. 

RSVPs

I stumbled across these today on the wedding blog Ruffled and I am kind of wishing I had done something like this:

(See more designs like these here)

Just for the RSVPs. I am really just kicking myself over not having a place for people to put their names on the RSVPs. Its still coming back to bite me in the butt. But as of tomorrow, I am placing the order for chairs for the reception and will have to say sorry, Charlie to all those poor non RSVP-ers who don't have a place to put their tush. (Okay, fine! I'm ordering a few extra....)

Birthday Weekend!

It is Miles' 25th birthday today! He's not super big on birthday celebrations, but lucky for him I love them. We both happened to have the whole weekend off (I honestly cannot remember the last time that happened) and decided to make the most of it! Which really means just eating a lot of food and watching a ton of Redbox and Netflix movies. Livin larrrge!

On Friday I woke up a little before 4am for no durn good reason and couldn't go back to sleep for the life of me! So I went to work on about 4 hours of sleep then came home and c-r-a-s-h-e-d. Most intense, deep, nap I have ever had and when I woke up to go have dinner with Miles my body simply couldn't deal with not still being cozied up in my bed (even at 6 on a Friday night). So I felt completely miserable at the mexican place we ate. I took about two bites of food and asked for a to-go box, we came back to the apartment and I had to lay back down. Determined to not ruin this birthday weekend, I rallied thanks to a pb&j sandwich Miles made me..with smooshed smiley faced jelly.

Then after Miles' whined about wanting Sonic's hot fudge cake sundae (that has retired from their menu) we decided Krispy Kreme would suffice. And apparently this drive thru is the location of the Nashville cicada night club because that place was hoppin.

Then there was a lot of wedding errand running on Saturday morning followed by lunch at Elliston Place Soda Shop and a visit to Guitar Center. Half birthday concession and half reward for Miles' being so helpful and patient during all the wedding errands. 

Today we went to church, had a sushi roll at our fave PM, browsed (and bought) at Phonoluxe Records, went back to Guitar Center (where Miles sneakily purchased something on his bday so I couldn't get upset at him) and ate a late lunch (kind of) with Jack White at Burger Up.

 Then I attempted to hastily bake a cake for my boo and failed when I reached the part where I had to smoothly detach the cake from the pan. So I improvised. With cupcakes.

I think (/absolutely know) I went wrong in not allowing the cake to cool...like at all before I removed it from the pan and proceeded to put icing on it. That explains why this cake guy's eye is a little on the droopy side. 

Also, my baby brother graduated from high school yesterday!! I am so proud of him and wish I could have been there. But I cannot wait to see him when he comes for the wedding! He will be joining my sister in Chicago for school and I am already planning a trip up there for their birthdays (a day apart from each other). Aaaand look how adorable (and gorgeous) this photo of my bro and his girlfriend is:

p.s. Miles' birthday and Caleb's graduation were the last big things on my calendar before the wedding. Just sayin'.

Good Thursday

I was in a pretty good mood this morning, waking up and knowing that I would be getting married exactly one month from today (and it also being payday--hallelujah!) Then my phone rang and I got some really exciting news that sent me over the edge as far as my good moods go. After I calmed down a bit I set out to  get some errands done before work this afternoon. I accidentally ran into an amazing sale and also bought shorts that were, count it, TWO sizes smaller than my regular size. Not that I've lost weight..like at all, I don't know what the deal was but I will definitely take it. Mood elevated to pure elation by this point. 

I went to the grocery store and my favorite part about going there is their ridiculous music that they play. Seriously hijacked from my middle school days. So I shopped to Backstreet Boys and LFO. And when Josh Groban came on I must admit I got a little bit choked up. I know! I am so, so lame. But I really have reached the conclusion that that aint gonna change and I won't deny my true self :)

I bought test flowers from le grocer to see how they will look for the wedding and about how many I will need for mason jars and bouquets. Also, I have decided that Tennessee has an abundance of free flowers (Miles says their weeds, and I say they're beautiful) in its highway medians and that I'm going to relieve them of a few fleeds (flower/weeds) for the wedding. 

Anyways, my grocery flower test run proved to be very helpful.

When I got home I did a little flower arranging and continued with my BSB listening party. I need to get some Josh Grobs too...

Update: just did the math and I had grossly highballed (real phrase?) how many flowers I would need to order. Thats the kind of stuff I like to discover. So now our flowers will cost a third of what I have budgeted! Today is definitely my day.