Wedding Dress Shopping - oh my!

In case you hadn't noticed my facebook updates lately, I just recently became engaged to the most incredible man! I'm still waiting for the pictures from the engagement to explain how it all went down (it's a really great story if you ask me). In the mean time, I've been planning away and I've actually gotten a lot of stuff done. Church, venue and photographer are all set plus we might get the caterer squared away soon. There's just one thing that's turned into a thorn in my side...it's white and sometimes poofy and always expensive. You guessed it, the wedding dress. THE wedding dress that you wear on your big day - that dress your kids will laugh at and make fun of in 20 years. "But it was so trendy at the time!" is what I will defensively say. It was really fun the first couple of stores but now they all look the same. I'm getting restless and confused - first world problems if you ask me but it's just my life right now. You wouldn't believe all the fees that they've come up with. (I realize I sound like the 50 yr old dad paying for the wedding). $300 to get a hem, $200 rush fee, oh you want lace right there? $200 smackaroo's. And the veils! Oh the veils! $250 for literally a piece of tool or whatever literally hot glued on a hair clip. That will be my something borrowed or something DIY'd.

I invited Dustin's mom and step mom to come along for the exciting search for the dress. They were both so helpful, sweet and supportive (as well as my mom!) but still...nothing. I've been to 6 stores and found one dress that I LOVE but it's a little over our planned budget. Homegirl's about to throw the budget thing out the window (just for the dress) after tomorrow if I don't find anything as gorgeous. And if you know me at all, you know I'm the one that's sticking to the strict budget saying, "no! that's too expensive, don't even bring it in the dressing room!" I'm that girl that says at the beginning, "we are on a budget - we can spend X amount of dollars." I'm not scared, those little women don't scare me with their "wedding in June? we might need to rush that" bullying. I wasn't born yesterday, don't try to sell me a $500 embellished belt. You know who you are. Just because I'm a bride to be doesn't mean you can try to stress me out or empty my pockets with your rush fees and $100 off sale ending tomorrow business.

Every dress I try on, I imagine myself walking down the aisle and seeing Dustin sweet face and adorable dimples looking right at me! Eeeeek! That man is the most precious thing on the face of the planet - he sent me flowers today at work just b/c he thinks it's really corny/less special to send flowers on Valentines Day and I totes agree. And the note - oh the note that was attached - made me cry! If it were up to my sweet fiance we would just have icicle lights and mimosas at our wedding - I'm beginning to think he might have it all figured out. I can't wait for our big day together - crazy in love surrounded by family and friends starting our new life together. Bliss.

This is the crazy expensive dress that I might take the plunge in the budget for....NOT. Seriously, though...what the what?!?

2011 - picture style

Yes, you read your blog roll correctly. I have actually written a blog post! I loved Christie's review of 2011 and thought I would do the same since I haven't been updating on here. Better late than never, right? 2011 has brought me so much JOY, fun!, friends, happiness, adventure and...love! Here is my year in pictures - enjoy!


(January) Preston took me to Rick Perry's watch party AND his inaugration ball. I know NOTHING about politics so Preston was a risk taker by inviting me. Live country music, men in suits and cowboy boots - my kind of party!

(April) In the spring, Courtney and Stacy threw a party called the hipster hop party. Everyone dressed up as a local Austinite hipster and danced the night away. Skinny jeans, beards, plaid shirts and funky glasses. Definitely one of my favorite moments from 2011. I kinda liked the neck tats - mom wasn't so amused.

(May) Memorial day weekend we celebrated my big 25th birthday on the river! It was stinking HOT outside so it felt great to float that day. There were about 12-15 ish in our crew and they sang me happy birthday about 4 or 5 times on the river. I felt very special. Another 2011 all-star moment. And then the summer of 2011 began. Oh me oh my...so many fun memories.
(May) Abby Willbanks Dunagan landed me an awesome job with a fantastic company. I started working as the secretary for Boundless in May and moved up since. I work with an AMAZING group of young women! Seriously, the most social, fun and relaxed work environment of all time. Abby, Ryan, Marie and I all work together from ACU.


(June) I would be a poser if I let you believe I laid out at Barton Springs all day everyday like a true Austinite. It turns out I actually don't like Barton Springs. The day I took this picture I started to eat a peach while there was a couple smoking pot behind me and a lady literally walking around naked. Guess who got in trouble from the life guard?? This girl. Not the pot head or the nudist, but the blonde chick with a peach. Not to mention there's a ton of bees out there too. Not my ideal laying out environment.

(July) We went to the ghostland observatory concert in San Marcos. Glow sticks, lasers, sweat...epic. Highly recommend even if you've never heard of them - yet another night of dancing!

I attended blues on the green every other Wednesday in the summer. Austin puts on a free concert and so many people come out! You can see Dustin in the background which later on in 2011 this night is a very memorable night that is now talked about..."that one night at blues on the green" I'll explain a little later...


(July?) Elena and I went to Dallas to visit our sweet, dear friends Kim and Emily. It was our second year of getting together - hopefully they will make it to Austin this summer. The 4 of us met in college in Sigma Theta Chi. Love love love these girls!

(August) We took a fun weekend trip to Dan's mom's house out in the country. I LOVE this picture of the 5 of us! A lot of fun memories were made this weekend, yet again!


...and then Dustin and I re-connected. In 5 short months I have fallen in love with the most incredible man any girl could ever ask for! I had no idea that there were men out there like Dustin and I really had no clue that I was deserving of this kind of love. He is the most attentive, sweet, kind, genuine, forgiving, understanding, compassionate, interesting, adventurous man. Just one of the many examples he left me a voice memo (like a vm but longer) on my phone this morning, telling me he was praying for me and read off a few scriptures that he thought would encourage me with what I was going through. And the best part is that isn't abnormal of him to do that. We have done SO many things in the past few months!! UT football games, high school football games (he coaches football at Cooper high school), trapeze lessons, dodgeball, family road trips, motorcycle rides, dreaming of the future. And I can't wait to see what 2012 has in store for us - plenty of adventures I just know it. The best part about Dustin is that he loves God and is seeking out God's will for his life - I can't wait to be a part of that ministry! I hope you enjoyed my review of 2011 - and hopefully it won't take me a year to post again!