Scott's Dad, Dr. Connolly, will be taking our engagement photos! We are very excited about this and we think he is too. He's an amazing photographer by night and a doctor by day. He certianly has a rare talent that goes beyond snapping a button.
You can check out some of his awesome work at http://gallery.me.com/kevinconnolly.
We have done some research and have decided on where to take our engagement pictures and know what we are envisioning now. Hopefully, next weekend will provide us with a good weather day with sunshine...fingers crossed.
In the meantime, I found this wonderful paisley print umbrella that is a must have. In fact, I am going to purchase it right after I finish up this blog. : ) My way of justifying the purchase you ask??? Well, we are going to use it in the engagement pictures! It should be a fun prop! ~A.
Amanda + Scott
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Treasure Hunt
Since I have decided on my wedding dress, the hunt for bridesmaids dresses began! I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted and I didn't want it to be a typical bridesmaids dress. Sure, I am okay if they don't wear again but I wanted something more unique than your standard satin dress. I originally thought I would like to have a dress that had a lace overlay to give the dress some texture but I couldn't find one. David's Bridal had one in a color I liked but it was short and floor length was a requirement. Becky got to be my model a couple of weeks ago and did a great job. We found a couple we both liked but I didn't feel the need to marry them as my choice.
So then I spent a few hours online, like all brides do, to search through endless amounts of colors, fabrics, designers, and cuts of dresses I found one that I really liked and could possibly love. It's a Bill Levkoff design, http://www.billlevkoff.com/. And by the way, he has an amazing website, you should check it out! I was most certainly impressed with the quality and ease of use compared to all the other websites I surfed before getting to his. After I had found a few others of his I liked, I thought the hard part was over-boy was I wrong!
I ended up calling all the stores that carry Bill Levkoff in the state of Washington the next day! Out of the 12 stores, I was able to speak to 5 of them and they confirmed they didn't have that design in store therefore not allowing me to see the actual dress. I was bummed! : ( What a treasure hunt this ended up being. But the next morning, I got a call back saying they had that dress in stock! Things were taking a turn for the better and then I got two more calls telling me they had that dress too. What was nice is that this cut the driving time down from at least an one hour trip down to 30 minutes.
On Saturday, Scott, Cortney, and myself made the trip up to the bridal store to check the dress out. Scott was a trooper and gets the "best support fiancee award." Cortney looked lovely and was a fantastic model as well. It comes to no surprise though, that I will have the most beautiful bridesmaids any bride could wish for! The trip was short and sweet. We saw the dress, LOVED it, looked at the colors and confirmed what we had thought. It's going to be sable (chocolate color) with a camel (champagne color) sash. : )
Okay, I am not going to ruin the surprise of the bridesmaid dresses since I built up all this suspense but I will leave you with my second and third favorite! Enjoy! ~A.
Amanda + Scott
So then I spent a few hours online, like all brides do, to search through endless amounts of colors, fabrics, designers, and cuts of dresses I found one that I really liked and could possibly love. It's a Bill Levkoff design, http://www.billlevkoff.com/. And by the way, he has an amazing website, you should check it out! I was most certainly impressed with the quality and ease of use compared to all the other websites I surfed before getting to his. After I had found a few others of his I liked, I thought the hard part was over-boy was I wrong!
I ended up calling all the stores that carry Bill Levkoff in the state of Washington the next day! Out of the 12 stores, I was able to speak to 5 of them and they confirmed they didn't have that design in store therefore not allowing me to see the actual dress. I was bummed! : ( What a treasure hunt this ended up being. But the next morning, I got a call back saying they had that dress in stock! Things were taking a turn for the better and then I got two more calls telling me they had that dress too. What was nice is that this cut the driving time down from at least an one hour trip down to 30 minutes.
On Saturday, Scott, Cortney, and myself made the trip up to the bridal store to check the dress out. Scott was a trooper and gets the "best support fiancee award." Cortney looked lovely and was a fantastic model as well. It comes to no surprise though, that I will have the most beautiful bridesmaids any bride could wish for! The trip was short and sweet. We saw the dress, LOVED it, looked at the colors and confirmed what we had thought. It's going to be sable (chocolate color) with a camel (champagne color) sash. : )
Amanda + Scott
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Holy Guacamole!
One of the things I miss the most about Texas, is the Tex-Mex. There is nothing like it on the face of the earth and I have been going through withdrawals that I am quite sure is starting to take a toll on me from being the Pacific Northwest. A few months back, Scott and I discovered a restaurant called The Matador that is comparable to Tex Mex. We make every opportunity to visit there as often as we can. : )
Have you heard of groupon? It's a group coupon that you can buy online at http://www.groupon.com/. You put in your email address and choose your location and then you start getting daily email of groupons. The groupon can be for restaurants, spa services, fun places to go, etc. You can save some serious cash if you can catch what you are looking for. I bought my first groupon a few weeks ago for another so called "Tex-Mex" restaurant here in Washington. Scott and I ended up getting to go and use it yesterday for lunch and it's my new favorite place to eat! What is the restaurant's name you ask? It's Chevy's. It's great-the colors of the place, the staff, and most importantly they know how to make some salsa. It was so yummy-I couldn't stop eating and my mouth is watering just thinking about it. The tableside fresh made guacamole didn't hurt either!
Now we will be going there quite often! I am proud of Scott because now he has developed a good appetite for true "Tex Mex" and is almost as addicted to it as I am. Our kids don't stand a chance! haha
I must run so I can start dinner....too bad Chevy's isn't close or I would let them cook for me! ~A.
Amanda + Scott
Have you heard of groupon? It's a group coupon that you can buy online at http://www.groupon.com/. You put in your email address and choose your location and then you start getting daily email of groupons. The groupon can be for restaurants, spa services, fun places to go, etc. You can save some serious cash if you can catch what you are looking for. I bought my first groupon a few weeks ago for another so called "Tex-Mex" restaurant here in Washington. Scott and I ended up getting to go and use it yesterday for lunch and it's my new favorite place to eat! What is the restaurant's name you ask? It's Chevy's. It's great-the colors of the place, the staff, and most importantly they know how to make some salsa. It was so yummy-I couldn't stop eating and my mouth is watering just thinking about it. The tableside fresh made guacamole didn't hurt either!
Now we will be going there quite often! I am proud of Scott because now he has developed a good appetite for true "Tex Mex" and is almost as addicted to it as I am. Our kids don't stand a chance! haha
I must run so I can start dinner....too bad Chevy's isn't close or I would let them cook for me! ~A.
Amanda + Scott
"The Dress"
After working at David's Bridal, I can tell you almost anything and everything about wedding dresses. Whether it's satin, organza, chiffon, or lace to A-line to ball gown to form fitting, what under garments goes with what cut and what type of dress flatters your shape-I have seen it all. I had fun helping hundreds of brides find "the dress" along with the rest of the bridal party-bridesmaids (BM), flower girls (FG), and mother of the brides (MOB). The wedding dress is hands down the most important dress a woman will ever wear. And given that fact, there is much anticipation, excitement, and sometimes fear of finding the wedding dress.
When Scott and I were down in Texas, I was able to get to go try on some dresses with my Mom, Erin (sister-in-law), Lauren (my niece and flowergirl), and Amberly (dear friend and bridesmaid). It was a lot of fun but it did feel odd to be the Bride, which I am now adjusted to being! : ) I had hopes that I would find a dress I would like but ended up falling in LOVE with a Maggie Sottero design. I left Texas knowing I would have to try that dress on again in Washington to be able to "make sure" it was the one for me. This past Friday, I had the day off work and I got to go with my wonderful friend, Becky who is one of my Matron's of Honor, to try on dresses again. It was very special and memorable to be able to go with her because we used to work together at David's Bridal.
I LOVED the dress even more and I have decided that it will be my most important dress! It's very exciting and so perfect it feels surreal when I have it on. I have always joked that I would love my wedding dress so much that after the wedding, I would clean the house in it-and now that's not so funny because I seriously might do it! : ) (don't judge) It feels great to be able to see the dress when I think about exchanging vows with Scott. Now that finding the wedding dress is marked off the list, it's on to finding the "perfect" bridesmaids dresses. Well right after I put in my order for the beautiful dress-it takes at least 4 months to get in. It's well worth the wait! : ) ~A.
Amanda + Scott
When Scott and I were down in Texas, I was able to get to go try on some dresses with my Mom, Erin (sister-in-law), Lauren (my niece and flowergirl), and Amberly (dear friend and bridesmaid). It was a lot of fun but it did feel odd to be the Bride, which I am now adjusted to being! : ) I had hopes that I would find a dress I would like but ended up falling in LOVE with a Maggie Sottero design. I left Texas knowing I would have to try that dress on again in Washington to be able to "make sure" it was the one for me. This past Friday, I had the day off work and I got to go with my wonderful friend, Becky who is one of my Matron's of Honor, to try on dresses again. It was very special and memorable to be able to go with her because we used to work together at David's Bridal.
I LOVED the dress even more and I have decided that it will be my most important dress! It's very exciting and so perfect it feels surreal when I have it on. I have always joked that I would love my wedding dress so much that after the wedding, I would clean the house in it-and now that's not so funny because I seriously might do it! : ) (don't judge) It feels great to be able to see the dress when I think about exchanging vows with Scott. Now that finding the wedding dress is marked off the list, it's on to finding the "perfect" bridesmaids dresses. Well right after I put in my order for the beautiful dress-it takes at least 4 months to get in. It's well worth the wait! : ) ~A.
Amanda + Scott
Saturday, October 23, 2010
He loves me, He loves me not, He loves me!
Scott sent me flowers on Thursday to my work. I was very surprised and happy about them! The previous week I had put in a ton of hours at work getting ready for our biggest fundraiser of the year, our annual auction. My arrangement is a beautiful representation of fall colors!
My favorite flower is the Casablanca lily. It's so beautiful and the smell of them is like no other flower. I fell in love with them when I worked for a florist a couple of years ago. I still remember working my first day and when I pulled my shirt off when I got home, it reminded me of those silly, laundry detergant commericals where the flowers spin off the clothes. haha Lame, I know but I will never forget that moment. The very first flowers I got from Scott were Casablanca's. : )
These flowers will be making an appearance in my bridal bouquet. The meaning of the flower is "celebration" which I think is quite fitting for our wedding day! ~A.
Amanda + Scott
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| My iphone doesn't take good, quality pictures |
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| They look better when you take the red pollen off |
Amanda + Scott
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Bridesmaids!
I always knew I wanted to ask all my bridesmaids to be my bridesmaid in a special way. After much thought and searching the web, I finally came up with my own unique idea on how to make it meaningful. A trip to Micheals for gathering supplies and sometime later and I was done. Scott actually was jealous that he couldn't ask his groommen in such a cool way! : ) haha I covered boxes with scrapbooking paper and filled them with chocolate candy-yum!
I finished the project just in time to be able to take them all to Texas with me. I asked Cortney before we left on our trip and then I was able to see Maren, Erin, Amberly, Orison, and finally Becky back in Washington. The only one I didn't get to see is Kristin when I was in Texas so I asked her over the phone and shipped hers to her.
There will be more to come on my fabulous Bridesmaids in the weeks to come but I am excited to know each and every one them! ~A.
Amanda + Scott
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| Each box had a card to go with it |
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| A couple of the boxes |
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| This is what each of the inside of the lids of the boxes had on them! |
2 things every woman needs:
1. Chocolate
2. Bridesmaid
Will you be my Bridesmaid?
(and two of them said Matron of Honor)
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| A shot of all my supplies I used |
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| Finished project! |
There will be more to come on my fabulous Bridesmaids in the weeks to come but I am excited to know each and every one them! ~A.
Amanda + Scott
The Date Is Set!
It's been a busy week in wedding planning. We've booked the venue, hired a florist, and we think we've even picked our baker, too.
More information on that, later. Because most importantly, we've set a date!
We'll be married on November 12, 2011, at the Villa di Felicita in Tyler, Texas. That's just about four hundred days away. Idiot rookie that I am, I thought wedding planning was pretty much done after we picked our vendors. Amanda has informed me that this isn't the case. Her to-do list takes up several binders.
The Villa is quite charming. We toured it back in March, when I sneakily asked Amanda's dad if I could marry her. You can check out some pictures through "Our Links". We'll also post some hotel and travel ideas in the next few weeks.
We've also started dance lessons. We had our first class last Thursday, and Amanda's toes are still in recovery. I don't think there's any major bone or ligament damage, but I imagine she'll be wearing close-toed shoes to the next class.
So that's just over thirteen months to master the fox-trot, waltz, and possibly the tango, without finishing off any off Amanda's toes. Wish us luck!
Amanda + Scott
More information on that, later. Because most importantly, we've set a date!
We'll be married on November 12, 2011, at the Villa di Felicita in Tyler, Texas. That's just about four hundred days away. Idiot rookie that I am, I thought wedding planning was pretty much done after we picked our vendors. Amanda has informed me that this isn't the case. Her to-do list takes up several binders.
The Villa is quite charming. We toured it back in March, when I sneakily asked Amanda's dad if I could marry her. You can check out some pictures through "Our Links". We'll also post some hotel and travel ideas in the next few weeks.
We've also started dance lessons. We had our first class last Thursday, and Amanda's toes are still in recovery. I don't think there's any major bone or ligament damage, but I imagine she'll be wearing close-toed shoes to the next class.
So that's just over thirteen months to master the fox-trot, waltz, and possibly the tango, without finishing off any off Amanda's toes. Wish us luck!
Amanda + Scott
Monday, October 4, 2010
Globetrotters
So as most of you know, last week Amanda and I traveled back to the great state of Texas. On one hand, we had quite a bit of wedding work to get done - vendors to meet, venues to book. On the other, Amanda was in desperate need of defrosting after six months stranded in Washington.
It was a brilliant trip. We spent the first few days in Dallas with my sister, Maren, veterinarian extraordinaire working at the Dallas zoo. We watched a few movies, played a bit of soccer, and Amanda tried Indian food for the first time. Excellent trip.
After that, we drove out to East Texas to visit Amanda's family. S
We had a wonderful and delightful trip and made many memories that will last a lifetime. I was able to see a few good friends while visiting which is always welcomed! I miss all my Texas friends dearly! Also, I was able to see my family and quite a lot of extended family as well. It was nice getting to introduce Scott as my fiance and show my ring to all the women! Fun times!
I am certain Scott and I both gained 10+ pounds during our trip to Texas! No lie, but something to note-we started our healthy diet right back up today. Food is always one of the highlights to Texas. You can not even get close to the quality of Tex Mex up here! Taco Bueno was our first stop and then we hit up Fuzzy Taco's, McAlister's, Mi Chula's, Bodacious BBQ, Johnny Cariono's and many more throughout our 9 day trip.
The whole reason we traveled was for my Grandparent's 50th Wedding Anniversary! What a joy and honor to be able to celebrate that amazing day with them! They were so thrilled about their party and everyone that was there. Those memories will be cherished in my heart for years to come. I can only hope Scott and I will get the chance to experience 50 years of love, life, and memories together. : ) People don't always get that blessing.
Lastly, we did get to squeeze in some wedding planning! We will let you know when and where very soon. Actually, we are trying to decide between two dates and then we will be signing the contract. I was able to get to go dress shopping with my Mom, Erin (sister-in-law), Lauren (niece), and my good friend Amberly the day before we flew out. It was a ton of fun! And I found a dress I loved but I will look a little up here in Washington before making any final decisions.
Hope you all had a great Monday! ~A.
Amanda + Scott
It was a brilliant trip. We spent the first few days in Dallas with my sister, Maren, veterinarian extraordinaire working at the Dallas zoo. We watched a few movies, played a bit of soccer, and Amanda tried Indian food for the first time. Excellent trip.
After that, we drove out to East Texas to visit Amanda's family. S
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| Maren and me before we went out to eat Indian food |
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| Amberly and Gena hosted dinner for Scott and me! Love her curtains! |
The whole reason we traveled was for my Grandparent's 50th Wedding Anniversary! What a joy and honor to be able to celebrate that amazing day with them! They were so thrilled about their party and everyone that was there. Those memories will be cherished in my heart for years to come. I can only hope Scott and I will get the chance to experience 50 years of love, life, and memories together. : ) People don't always get that blessing.
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| Amazing shot Scott took! |
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| So cute! :) |
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| Newly engaged couple with the 50 year Rookies! |
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| Everyone-the people who left early-Scott=this picture |
Amanda + Scott
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