Just Shy of 2 Weeks

Yes, we are two weeks (and a day) from the day we have been planning for years.  Don't get me wrong - things are busy, very busy - but I don't feel like I am running around with my hair falling out or being too stressed to function.  I think I am more stressed about work than anything else.  I wake up in the middle of the night with anxiety over work decisions, but I haven't had any wedding nightmares, dreams, or anything of the like yet.  

Zack and I have been together since 18.  At this point, we have been operating as 1 since I finished undergrad.  This wedding seems almost like a celebration of the past as much as a starting point for the future ahead.  I am not getting cold feet.  If anyone should have cold feet, it should be Zack.  I am a pain and a half to deal with.  If you have ever spent a weekend with me, you'll know that I am trying to put your shoes away before you take them off.  

Babe - If I forget to tell you in the years to come, thanks for putting up with me.  (I also apologize for continuously breaking the wedding budget).   

So, for the next two weeks, I am going to TRY to release control and let the people we have entrusted to make this day one big party do their job.  Plus, I am going to look forward to a honeymoon in paradise. 

 

 Oh, if anyone has a suggestion for a rehearsal dinner dress, send it my way.

xoxo,

Rachel

  

2 Months and Counting...

I have been more than absent from my blog as of late.  Actually, I have been absent from just about everything except work.  Big girl livin' is rough.  Daily, Zack wants to throw my phone (specifically my email application on my phone) out the window.  To his dismay, it is here to stay.  Momma has to pay the bills.

Now to the wedding... 

In case you have missed my constant Facebook updates regarding the social event of the year, otherwise known as our wedding, we are now under the 2 month mark.  Basically, all the planning is done.  I worked really hard at planning this wedding.  In other words, I called a wedding planner and let her handle it.  All vendors have been picked, now we just have to dot the i's and cross the t's.

The only thing in regards to wedding planning that isn't coming along well is the "pre-wedding diet."  I do have the diet soda police at work though.  Every time I go to the fridge, the police stops me.  It is a start at least!

So, for all my married gals, tell me what pre-wedding diet/cleanse/etc that worked for you.

I'll leave you with a picture of the best four-legged guy around.  He was big pimpin for Valentine's Day.  Doggie Daycare even gave him a treat bag and he participated in the gift exchange (all participating dogs brought one gift and exchanged with a dog friend).  My gift was a last minute purchase on my lunch break that I kind of just threw at them the morning of, unlike the stay-at-home dog moms who had the perfect gift bag, tissue paper, and the works.  My future kids are doomed.       

        

xoxo,

Rachel

Stuck in 2012

There are so many exciting things about the start of a New Year.  Starting over, starting anew, starting fresh (insert desired synonym).  However, I still haven't really let go of 2012 yet.  This past year was a very significant one in my life.  I finally finished school, passed the bar exam, began my legal career, and moved out of my Charlotte loft.  While making the transition from a student to a graduate brought with it some very happy moments, I also felt like I hit too much change all at once and I couldn't get my organize loving, OCD self to process it. 

Being with Zack full-time was, of course, a "good" change (really a great change), but leaving Charlotte was hard, too hard.  I am still working on getting back to myself.  I no longer have Wednesday night dinners at my parents, or lunches with close friends, and I definitely can't walk to any restaurants or make it to Target without a 35 minute drive.  Instead of reaching out, starting over, and making this home, I drew kind of inward.  I stopped blogging.  I stopped doing much of anything.  I went to work, got home, ate dinner, watched tv, went to bed, and repeat.

So, for 2013...there aren't really any big, concrete New Year's Resolutions.  I really just want to get back to me.  Hopefully, that means I will spend a little more time on here.

Oh, did I mention?  I get married this year.  Yep, after being together since 18, we will finally be going to the chapel (well, not really a chapel) and getting married.  Would anyone really be surprised if we were already married?  Hmmm....

    

Wedding Updates and Honeymoon Locale

The big girl world is keeping me busy, but I wanted to list out all of the progress on our upcoming wedding.

Current Vendors:

Venue:  Foundation for the Carolinas
Photog:  Kristin Vining Photography
Hair, Makeup, Styling: Lindsey Regan Thorne
Flowers:  The Bloom Room
Cake:  Cake Lady Jill (tasting next Saturday)
DJ:  Split Second Sound
Save the Dates, Invites, and all things paper:  Olive Paper
Planner:  Katrina Hutchins of Come+Together Events

What's left?  Catering.  That beast will be conquered next weekend (hopefully).

Below is our baller design board created for our wedding by Come+Together.  Gorgeous, right?  I can't wait to bring this to life (well, really watch everyone else bring it to life).

Now for the Honeymoon...  Zack's favorite topic, ha.

I have been sweating this one big time, but the decision has been made.  I wanted to go to Greece SO BAD.  But, alas, I was told by two travel agents that it would be cold, wet, and miserable in early April.  Greece was then taken off the books.  From there, I was completely uncertain.  I thought I was dead set against Mexico, but I got several recommendations for the Rosewood in Mayakoba, Mexico.  The Rosewood is a beautiful set of boutique hotels.  I did NOT want an all-inclusive or a chain like Sandals, but I wanted a resort that had a lot to offer.  I think the Rosewood has it all -- beautiful accommodations, our own pool, and fabulous food.

Other recommendations:

Esperanza Resort 
Viceroy Anguilla 
Ritz Carlton Grand Cayman

Have a great rest of the weekend!

-xoxo

Iowa

Last weekend Zack and I took a weekender trip to the great state of Iowa to visit our friends Colt and Kelli.  Colt was a law school classmate of mine and Kelli is his girlfriend.  We arrived in Iowa about 10:30 Friday night and got back to big ole Beulaville at about 10:30 Sunday night.

While in Iowa, we decided to catch an Iowa Hawkeyes game.  Unfortunately, they didn't play too well, but we managed to have fun anyways.  Colt and Kelli live in Des Moines Iowa, but the game was in Iowa City so we got to see a bit of the scenery.  Zack felt right at home with corn, big fields, and so forth.

Colt and Kelli:  Thanks for the hospitality!  We had a wonderful time.

On the way to the game...

The four of us at the game!

On the way home...

Have a great week my friends!  

xoxo 

 

Working 9 to 5...

Remember this song?

Dolly Parton lies.  There's no such thing as working 9 to 5.  Or so I am learning now that I have entered "big girl" world.  Really, I am just trying to find an excuse for my lack of blogging.  

I've got a few things to post, but for tonight I will leave you a list of what our house has been up to:

1 - Work, work, and more work 

2 - A surprise trip to the Queen City for Lauren's birthday

3 - We've booked a trip to Iowa to visit my law school friends in mid-October

4 - I've plotted our elopement (kidding Mom)

5 - We've met new friends here in the country - yay!

6 - We taught Whiskey to sit and retrive 

7 - We registered for wedding presents 

8 - And we have done a little more working...

Have a great week my loves!  xoxo

-Rachel  

Need a good smile?

Picture taken of Whiskey and his best friend, Bama, at Animal House Doggie Day Care