The Junior League.

Instead of making excuses about my lack of blogging, I'm just going to carry on as if I have been blogging every day, which one day I hope to do again. My blog is truly one of my favorite things.

Last weekend, I was so proud of the Junior League of Northwest Arkansas as we welcomed a new group of provisional members during our annual new member retreat. This year, I'm co-chair of the New Member Training Committee. While it's a lot of work, I'm very excited about getting to know these amazing women.

Me with the committee chair, Adrienne, and one of the trainers, Diane.

Taylor, a new member, me and Mitzi, this year's JLNWA president.

Founded in 1901 by New Yorker and social activism pioneer Mary Harriman, the Junior Leagues are charitable nonprofit organizations of women, developed as civic leaders creating demonstrable community impact.

Saturday, we got to visit Children's House.
These are a few of the books that were part of my new member class' legacy project.

I’m so proud to be a member of the Junior League of Northwest Arkansas. Today, The Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc. (AJLI) is comprised of more than 155,000 women in 292 Junior Leagues throughout Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom and the United States. Together, they constitute one of the largest, most effective volunteer organizations in the world.

I can’t wait to see what this League year brings!

Romanticism and swimming deer.

Most guys are not romantic. Adam is one of those gentlemen. It’s not necessarily a bad thing—I just think the ladies often have high expectations because of the fairytales we grew up with (and still see some version of in every romantic comedy out there). But I fell in love with him because of WHO he is, and I would never want him to change. When he makes a romantic gesture, it’s special because I know he had to put some thought into it—it doesn’t come natural for most guys.

Monday marked three years since we first “officially” hung out. So that’s what we call our “anniversary.” We’re not big anniversary celebrators, but we do acknowledge the date (and I got some lovely lilies).

We had plans to go to the lake Tuesday evening because after two cherished months at home, Mr. A is back to traveling as of Wednesday. I had no idea the wonderful evening he had planned.

It looked beautiful from afar.

Up close: more like a haunted castle.

This would be the view from the living room ... if it had a real window.

We chose a spot below what we thought was a future castle on the lake. Upon further inspection (yep, we climbed up there), we realized it was an unfinished construction job. As in, someone hasn’t worked on it in at least two years.

Wouldn’t it be fun to finish it up???

After our hike to the haunted house, the coals were ready to go on Mr. A’s newly purchased portable grill. He cooked turkey burgers, asparagus and corn on the cob. There were tiki torches, a candle and pinot grigio. It was perfect.

I already miss him.

By the way, deer CAN swim.

Bridesmaid dresses and a veil.

My lovely sister came to visit this weekend so we could go pick out a bridesmaid dress. You see, I need to pick one in the next few days or the dresses won’t be here in time. I can’t believe it’s getting that close!

Who knew picking out a bridesmaid dress would be harder than my wedding dress? It’s hard choosing a dress that will look good on eight different body types and also isn’t outrageously expensive. I found some great dresses but they were either too expensive or didn’t come in the right color.


Doesn't come in gray.



Neither does this one.

I’m waiting to get prices on a couple of dresses today, so hopefully one will work out. I know I want the dress to be long and gray. And probably one shoulder.

I can’t believe I didn’t take a single picture of my sister and I. It’s probably because my camera still isn’t fixed.

One thing I did purchase this weekend was my veil! I got this veil without beading. It will be here in four to six weeks.

My biggest wedding concern right now is getting out ALL the save the dates. I sent a few last week and some more today, but it takes forever to address them all (in case you were wondering). My advice: start doing everything about a month before you think you need to.

Random wedding fact of the day: My wedding stone is blue topaz.

Happy Monday! I hope this week is fabulous.

Super cleanse and chiavari chairs.

I stayed up practically all night Friday getting ready for our neighborhood garage sale.

Saturday morning, I was in the garage at about 6:15 a.m., and it was still chaos. Nothing was priced. The boy strolls out with a donut in his hand, pushing the button to open the garage as he walks out.

“Noooooooooooo!” I scream.

Doesn’t he know the second you open the garage, regardless of the fact that the garage sale wasn’t supposed to start until 7 a.m., people will flood in.

It worked out, but it was definitely stressful at the beginning. Luckily, people dug through the piles of stuff and almost bought EVERYTHING! Seriously. We made $400, and we didn’t have anything priced above a $20 TV. We sold TONS of clothes, which is unusual for a garage sale. I sold at least 20 pairs of shoes. That's $20, folks! Yes, it didn't matter the brand. I sold them all for $1. Let's just say a few people got some great deals.

And while I slept that afternoon, Mr. A loaded everything left and took it to Goodwill. The entire sale went undocumented by my camera (phone). But it's good because we were SO BUSY!

I feel a weird sense of accomplishment. I’ve NEVER gotten rid of so much stuff. Let’s just say I’m sentimental. I keep things like the shirt I wore for my 21st birthday, even though there’s no way I’d ever be able to wear that sequined halter top in public again.

I’m pretty sure it has a new, loving home now.

After a “nap,” the boy went to play golf while I read magazines by the pool. We originally planned to go to the lake, but garage sales are exhausting. It turned out to be a perfect Saturday.

Perfect spot to cool off after a hot golf game.

I'm definitely jealous of the fact that Blake is dating my man Leo.

Wedding Reception Detail
I've said this before, but our reception is at the Springdale Country Club. I can't wait.

My phone shots are stellar.

And this Saturday there was a wedding at the country club, so I got to see someone else’s reception setup, which was very beneficial. And I love the chair covers! I would love to have chiavari chairs, but at $7 each, it’s just not feasible—unless we went without … food? I don’t think so.

I heart chiavari chairs. 

Often times, I think chair covers look messy and wrinkly. And it’s totally a personal preference, but I don’t love the colored sash around the white chair cover. But I think these would be perfect.

I snapped this photo before they finished decorating,
but I love these chair covers (not more than chiavari chairs, but for chair covers, they're fab)!

Happy birthday, Kitchen Queens!

One year ago, a wonderful group of girls got together to eat and chat. We didn’t all know each other, but that didn’t matter.

Kitchen Queens started when a few of us Junior League gals wanted to stay in touch after our provisional year. This is my cousin (fourth, but it still counts) Katie. She's getting married in exactly six months!

The lovely Britani hosted this month's dinner. Her house is gorgeous, and so is she!

One year later, we’re still meeting! I had dinner with a junior league VP a couple weeks ago, and she said she still has a monthly dinner with a group of girls that started meeting 13 years ago! I hope that’s us!

Lunch

I opted for a quick and easy lunch today—a Lean Cuisine. I turned it over to read the directions. I was shocked when it said to microwave for eight minutes! If you're curious, it was the chicken enchilad suiza. That can't be good for me.

So, how did I spend my time waiting? I bought a box of Krispy Kreme donuts at a company bake sale (funds go to tornado victims). I might have already eaten one.

You can't not eat one when this box is on your desk.

Mostly, I know how much the boy loves donuts, and this means he will love me even more when I come home with donuts!

We’re spending our evening getting ready for our neighborhood garage sale. How exciting! Happy Friday!

That's a weird shirt.

It’s not that I haven’t had anything to say. In fact, I’ve had so much to say (I just haven't had much time to say it all).

• I coordinated my first wedding last weekend (success!).
• I got my first sinus infection this week (not fun). I even had to call in sick to work, which I’ve never done in more than one year. I’ve gone home sick before, but never all day. That’s when you know it’s bad.
• I had dinner with my Junior League VP and committee chair at Bonefish. I’m so excited about this coming League year. In fact, we have our leadership retreat tomorrow.
• I downloaded the best app, Toodledo, to organize my crazy life.
• My sister celebrated her 23rd birthday. That means I’m SUPER old.
• I won $50 in a weight loss challenge at work. Don’t get too excited, I only lost six pounds. I don’t think anyone was incredibly motivated, myself included.
• Our save the dates will arrive today! Guess what we’re doing Sunday?

Weird shirt

Today, I wore a Vera Wang shirt from Kohl’s. I bought it for $9 last fall, and I’ve never worn it, until today. Adam’s comment: “That’s a weird shirt.” You know what’s funny? I’ve gotten more compliments on this shirt at work than any other shirt I’ve worn before. That’s why I save my weird clothes for work, Mr. A.

Is this weird?

Hello! I know I'm weird, but is my shirt weird?

Do you save your "weird" clothes for work?

Happy Friday, folks!

His Holiness and Handkerchief Invitations.

As I mentioned on the b.l.o.g , I went to see the Dalai Lama speak at the University of Arkansas Wednesday afternoon.

I’m a little ashamed to admit that I didn’t know much about Tibet’s history until I started reading up on His Holiness.

Side note: Do you ever feel like there’s so much you want to learn about, but your brain just can’t retain it all? (I know … I sound like an idiot. I promise I’m not.)

As we waited for HHDL to come out and speak, I started to get excited. I mean, it really is so cool that northwest Arkansas hosted the 14th Dalai Lama. How many people can say they’ve watched in speak … in person?

Unfortunately, I couldn’t understand much of what was said. A lot of it had to do with the sound in Bud Walton Arena. I actually had trouble understanding everyone because the echo of the microphone. When I rule the world, I’ll fix that.

His afternoon talk was titled “Non-Violence in the New Century: The Way Forward." We also got to see him receive an honorary degree from the University of Arkansas.

After reading several news stories, and thinking about the parts I could understand, here are a few of my favorite things he talked about:

• We are all human beings and everyone wants happiness. He then said mere sensorial satisfaction did not define happiness and there was the need for a deeper mental level satisfaction.
• He said those individuals who received warm heartedness and affection when they were young developed a more positive outlook than those who did not receive them. This really got to me because of the platform of our Junior League—domestic violence.
• He said we could bring peace to the world through action. And peace does not mean there would be no problems in the world. He joked that all problems in the world would disappear only if the human species disappeared or when there was a change in the human brain.
• One of the most important points I think he made was that we need to promote a culture of dialogue and an awareness of warm-heartedness.

Overall, I’m so glad I got to have this experience. And I have my fantastic friend Colleen (and her lovely parents) to thank for getting our tickets and saving us awesome seats. I heart you!

Sweet, Southern Invitation

My friend Rachel is getting married in less than three weeks. I knew what her invitation was going to be before I received it, but I was still so impressed when I opened the cream envelope.

She made this herself. She found the idea, figured out all the pieces, and put her on touches on it.

And I think it’s amazing.

Please don't crash the reception. :)

I can’t wait to celebrate her big day!

Pups and guacamole martinis.

This weekend, my mom and sister hosted a bridal shower for my childhood friend, Rachel. We grew up next door to each other, so you can imagine how much time we spent together—lots!

I would love to post some wonderful photos … but I can’t.

My camera is sick.

My more than $300 Canon camera that I’ve had for less than six months. No, I didn’t drop it. I’ve taken better care of this camera than any camera I’ve ever had. Go figure.

My mom has lots of pictures, but I don’t have them yet. The shower was fun, and I can't wait for her May 28 wedding! I'll be the one in this number:

I'm a bridesmaid/coordinator. It's been fun!
We have lots of work to do in the next three weeks,
but I know it's going to turn out beautiful.

We had the cutest guacamole martinis. I think I had four (OK, probably five).

Ours weren’t quite this fancy, but you get the idea.

The big news this weekend was that my sister and her beau found eight puppies. Yes, someone dropped off eight puppies in the middle of the road, and they were the lucky ones to find them.

My family members (myself included) are a bunch of bleeding hearts, so we of course took them in and they are now trying to find homes for the adorable pups.

I REALLY wanted to take one home. If the boy weren’t traveling so much for work over the next year, I definitely would have taken this little lady with me.

Tonight is my final Junior League meeting until August. I'm sad to leave my committee because I'm going to miss those ladies so much. But I know working with provisional members in the next league year is going to be fabulous!

Wedding Wednesday: The Church

Hello! 


Remember me? 


I haven't blogged in awhile because I've been overwhelmed. 


Last Monday, I got some terrible news. Something I knew was a possibility, but thought I was good to go. Let me explain. 

The church where we are getting married has strict rules about weddings. I became a member in January (before we got engaged--and I've been Methodist my entire life). The rules are understandable because the church is gorgeous and in a great location. 


Basically, if you haven't been an active member for more than six months, then you can't officially book your wedding until six months before the wedding date. For us, six months was last Friday. 


Last Monday, I received a call that caused me to burst into tears at work. Yep, I was that girl. Someone who has been a member longer than me wants to get married the same day I do. 

Oh Britney, I feel your pain. 

To make a much longer story short, I spent the next 24 hours crying/sad. It didn't help that there were torrential downfalls here and I had to leave work early due to flooding.

It might not seem like a big deal. You're probably thinking, "Aren't there a million other churches? You do live in Arkansas." But if you're religious, you understand the connection you feel with your church. Have I mentioned my grandfather is a retired Methodist minister and was the district superintendent in northwest Arkansas? I'd be lying if I said I didn't have him call the church to plead my case. But, being the amazing, role model of a grandfather he is, he explained that he didn't feel right putting any sort of pressure on the church. And I understand. Rules are rules. 


But sometimes (as in always), things aren't black and white. 

I am a member of the church, and it was only four days before I could officially book the church. They'd never dealt with a situation like this before. 


So, when I received a phone call from a church representative last Tuesday, I tentatively answered the phone. I'd prepared myself for bad news. 


I was wrong. 


The church is going to do something it rarely does (and has possibly never done). Two weddings on one day. 


The perfect solution. I'm so relieved.  


The first wedding is at 2 p.m. and our wedding will be at 6 p.m. 


I can't wait! 


Other Central weddings:

Hudson Photography

Hudson Photography

A few church/ceremony details: 


Church name: Central United Methodist Church in Fayetteville 
Church facts: In its 175 years, Central has had several name changes, spawned several new congregations around Fayetteville, had 51 senior pastors, built and remodeled many buildings, and has grown to its current membership of over 4,000 with over 1,400 worshippers in four services on Sunday.
Officiant: My fabulous grandfather (Papaw)
Number of bridesmaids: 8
Music: Definitely a string quartet and possibly the organ as well 


Our engagement pictures are today! I'm running on two hours of sleep, so I hope they go well ...

Five year college reunion and Mr. A's birthday.

This weekend, I had my five-year college reunion. What?

Not the best quality, but this is Megan and me.

Nikki and Katie, two of my bridesmaids.

Nikki and her wonderful husband, Paul. He also went to Hendrix, but he graduated before us.

Nikki and Alli.

I love this picture. Who knows what we were talking about.

You might be asking yourself what college has a five year reunion. Hendrix College! It’s a small liberal arts school in central Arkansas (affiliated with the Methodist Church—much like SMU in Texas).

Honestly, I really only saw the people I always see when I go “home.” But that’s OK because I love them!

Before the reunion, my Saturday started by working at the Northwest Arkansas Junior League's Touch a Truck fundraiser. Even though it was FREEZING at 7:30 a.m., it was fun to work with the girls on a fun event that supports such a great organization. I had to leave and immediately drive to Little Rock.

I shouldn't be dressed like this in mid-April!

The sun decided not to come out until after we finished setting up. At least it made an appearance!

When we got to Little Rock, we had a couple hours before the reunion, so I searched for an outfit to wear for this Saturday's engagement photo session. Unsuccessful. This is HARD! I bought this shirt, which is listed online as a cardigan (really?), but I don't think it is what I'm going for. And I don't know about a dress because I don't know if I want my legs to show. Also, it's supposed to rain Saturday. Great.

It looks completely different on me.

This weekend was also Adam’s 28th birthday! I didn’t do a special blog post for him because I’m 99 percent he doesn’t read my blog anymore. That’s OK. I love you, and I hope you had the best birthday ever!

The boy and I at the reunion Saturday night.

We had a great lunch with my family (so good to see them) at On the Border in Little Rock before we headed back to NWA. Then, it was time for Adam’s dinner choice—sushi! It’s pretty funny because before we dated, he thought he didn’t like sushi. Now he LOVES it. Dinner also included a huge cookie cake that I’ve successfully managed to make myself sick off eating way too much.

Since I’ve been eating so much cookie cake, I decided to really push myself during my lunch workout. We did our cardio/strength class outside, and I don’t know if it is because it’s the first time we’ve been outside this year or because I pushed a little too hard, but it killed me.

I was done after we did sets of stairs. And that was the first thing we did …

Happy Tuesday!