Can You Feel the Love Tonight?

It's no surprise that somone who has a blog entitled The Burgundy Bride would be a fan of Valentine's Day ... and I definitely am.  In fact, I thouroughly enjoy any celebration, and as a result, look forward to most holidays throughout the year.  (And by most, I mean all of the them except for Halloween, which I know is weird, but I have never liked dressing in costumes and would prefer to dress in one of my favorite outfits of the moment instead).  

This Valentine's Day Monday has been a particularly good one, and as the day winds down and I prepare for dinner with my FI ... I thought I would share the top 3 reasons that I enjoy this love-filled holiday:

3.  As previously stated, I enjoy the 14th of February year after year, but this year has been extra pleasant because I am finally feeling better after being sick since last Wednesday!  Yes - I was caught by the flu - and it wasn't pretty.  Thus my lack of blog entries ... my apologies.  I am so happy to be back in action.

2.  Hearts.  Yes - I love hearts.  Cheesy, I know ... but they are just so romantic, fun, & flirty!  And as a result of my love of hearts, my mother and I have spent the last few weeks scouring Target, Walgreens, Micheals, esc. for anything heart-shaped to adorn my tea party bridal shower.  Details to come.

1.  Mr. BB, who I have spent at least 10 Valentines Days with.  For us, Valentines celebrations date back to high school, when he covered my room with flowers & my favorite candy.  We still have the picture to prove it.  Mom ... perhaps this could make one of the frames for our tables at the wedding? 

In any case, Happy Valentine's Day to my FI ... and soon to be husband. (Still weird.)

3 Reasons Ms. BB Is Feeling Older

So I was talking to my sorority sister/beautiful bridesmaid, Karie, this past weekend about how we have both been experiencing moments where we actually feel like we are getting older.  And although I know that my age of 27 is hardly considered old, the fact remains that my transition from my early 20s to my late 20s has definitely been a quick one.  I often forget that I am closer to 30 than I am to 20, even though I certainly am excited about all of the new changes that are taking place.

Here are the top 3 reasons why I have recently felt my age:

3 - Not that I am considering it, but this years marks the last official year that I can audition for America's Next Top Model and next year will be the last year that I would be able to try out for American Idol.  Crazy, right?  And what is crazier - when Kelly Clarkson was crowned the first American Idol EVER (seems like yesterday), the kids trying out now were in elementary school.  That is enough to make you feel old.

2 - I actually took it upon myself to ask THREE different students in the assembly today to be quiet because they were disturbing others.  The exact statement that came out of mouth to one delightful young man?  "If I have to ask you one more time, I will personally escort you to the office myself."  Something I never would have had the nerve to do before.

1 - (And the real reason I am writing this post!) ... I am still feeling the effects of our couples shower over the weekend!  It was such a fun, celebatory night that I am still a little tired 3 days later.  But it was completely worth it!  It was so nice to be surrounded by our favorite people - some who even traveled long distances for one of our special days before the special day.  Thank you to you all, those near & far, for making us feel so loved!  The day wouldn't have been the same without each & every one of you.

Eight of My Nine Bridesmaids

My MOH/Sister & Brothers

I open the gifts ... Mr. BB Gives the Thumbs Up

And lastly, I must point out that we did take a "who knows the other best?" quiz ... and I won.  By one whole point.  Regardless, I was the winner. :)

And one more thing - even though I am feeling signs of getting older lately, I must share that I WAS also mistaken for a student in the bathroom last week.  Just saying ...

Celebrate Good Times ...

For me, most Thursdays are the cause for a celebration.  Why?  It is the day before my favorite day of the week, Friday (which over the last few months, can also be referred to as Wedding Friday!  Each Friday morning, as my favorite DJs on Z-104 sing the "It's Friday" song, I am certain that there is a different feeling in the air, one that provides a sense of freedom & exhileration at the start of a new weekend.

This Thursday is certainly no exception; in fact, I am more anxious than ever as this weekend officially marks my first shower:  a couples shower!  One of Mr. BB's groomsmen/childhood friend, graciously offered to host a party to commemorate our engagement/upcoming wedding.  And since both my FI & I enjoy any excuse for an afternoon of being around our favorite people, we of course, accepted the offer! 

My MOH/sister (who, as previously posted, has been 4 hours away at school since Christmas) - will be coming home for the event.  I have been looking forward to her arrival back since the minute that she left and am so thankful that the shower provided her with a good reason.  I can't wait to see her face!  And lucky me ... my sorority sister/loyal bridesmaid & her husband are driving all the way from Charlotte to join in on the fun. This will be the first time that I have seen the newlyweds since their own wedding this past December!

I am so lucky to have so many people to celebrate such a huge event in my life with - and thankful to each of them (those near & far) for taking the time to make us both feel so loved.  So, Happy Weekend to you all - I know mine will be. :)

Not Your Average MOB ...

MOB = Mother of the Bride ...

And while my mom has beyond surpassed the duties normally associated with such a role, she certainly doesn't look like one.  For those of you who know my mother, who is also referred to as fitatforty (for good reason), know that on my wedding day, she will not be dressed as your average MOB.  When I googled mother of the bride, this is what I got:

Not that there is anything wrong with either of the women pictured above, however, the posted image is necessary to prove my point.  My mom will not be wearing a suit on my wedding day, and to be quite honest, I don't know that she ever has.  Her career as a personal trainer does not require her to need such garments in her wardrobe, and additionally, it is this career (and her good genes), that make her one of the best-looking moms I know.  Sure, I'm biased, but I can't help but to brag on her, especially since throughout this wedding planning process (and my life in general), most ask if we are sisters, not mother & daughter.

My mom has put so much into me lately - my wedding dress, how I am going to do my hair, my outfits for the bridal showers/parties ... On the one Wedding Friday that we ventured to the mall to find an outfit for her to wear to my first shower, she ended up finding an additional dress for me instead.  And while obviously my fashion-loving tendencies are not complaining, I want to make sure that she feels her best on all of these celebrations too.  She deserves it.  So I was beyond excited when she finally agreed to one of the many pairs of heels that I email to her on a weekly basis.  Here are the extremely cute shoes that she agreed to wear with her dress on my wedding day (well, at least for a little bit ... ).

Mom, in the words of Rachel Zoe, I die over these.  I can't wait to see you in them, even if you do change into flats shortly after the ceremony.  You will look beautiful - not that you needed a pair of shoes for that.

Cupcakes, Smores, and Pies ... Oh My!

To say that I have a sweet tooth would definitely be an understatement.  The truth is ... most nights, the only reason that I eat dinner is to get to dessert.  As my FI/roomie would know - I eat ice cream 7 nights a week and (beyond) thouroughly enjoy it (my favorite part is the cool whip with cinnamon on top that I put on the side!).  Furthermore - most of my friends/family would most likely say that I have a major addiction to Splenda, although I am currently attempting to switch over to Truvia, a natural sweetener, I promise.

But enough of my confessions of a dessert addict.

There will be no shortage of sweets at my June wedding.  Fellow sweets lovers, you are in luck.  Here is the assortment of desserts that will be served:

Pies - My mom's idea. She's right, nothing evokes the feeling of a backyard event quite like a pie.  Perhaps what she is most excited about, however, is the vintage, rustic stands that the pies will sit on.  They will fit in with the wedding theme perfectly.  And I am sure that they will be delicious.

Smores - Mom's idea, again.  And another good one.  Just as the sun sets (on what we hope will be a beautiful, rain-free evening), our guests will have the option of the indulging on that childhood favorite.  And again, another dessert that fits that backyard theme.  Good thinking, Mom.

Cupcakes - This one's all me.  In lieu of a traditional wedding cake, Mr. BB & I will be cutting into vanilla cupakes with brown liners & flags on top.  And although my grandmother is still a little concerned with the whole idea, this is one aspect of the wedding that I knew right from the get-go.  I have always loved cupcakes ... baking them (Betty Crocker style!), decorating them, and of course, eating them!  Is there seriously anything cuter than a cupcake?  And Momma, not to worry .... there will be a cake on top of the cupcake stand that will be reserved for our first anniversary.  Here I am at our cupcakery over the weekend, after finalizing the details:

We can only hope that after all the yummy food that my mom has been busy planning over the past few months, our guests will still be hungry enough for all of these delicious sweet treats.  However, if they are anything like me, there is always room for dessert!

All Hands on Deck ...

I don't know that either my mom or I (the two driving forces behind my upcoming wedding) realized what we were getting ourselves into when we started the journey towards our vintage/informal/DIY backyard wedding.  Doesn't a backyard wedding convey the feeling of an event that would be somewhat easy to plan?  Wouldn't you think?  Needless to say, easy is definitely not the word for it ... fun, yes (most often).  Rewarding, I definitely think so.  And time consuming, for sure.

Luckily, we have had help from many special people who have taken time out of their busy lives to complete various DIY projects, attend meetings, and to simply offer their advice.  This week, I have been thinking about just how lucky we are. 

While Mr. BB, his mother & I attended the tasting last weekend, my mother attended a bridal meeting of her own.  This one focused on a rather comprehensive plan for the food at the wedding (details of the "food plan" to come, at this point, I probably wouldn't get it right!).  My mom, a personal trainer, was joined by several of her clients who just want to help in any way that they can.  And after that meeting, she had a second to disuss many details of the decor that we plan to have at that backyard wedding.

Thank you to those who are helping make our (sometimes crazy) vision a reality - your support is appreciated more than you know, and we definitely couldn't do it without you. :)

Baby, It's Cold Outside ...

And I don't know if I have ever been this sick of it.  Although I am particulary fond of sweaters, boots, fur, skinny jeans, and have a current obsession with colored tights ... I am officially ready for the warm weather to return.  It is just me, or has the winter been colder than ever?  This morning, for example, was quite painful as I drove to school in a dark, rainy mess.  I could only attempt to run into 7-11 to get my morning coffee fix without being soaked from the rain & numb from the cold.  Greeting my students on a cold, rainy morning is especially hard - when I ask my usual "How are you?" as they walk in the door ... 99.9% of the responses are either tired or cold. 

But enough complaining ... when old man winter gets you down, the best way to cope is to look ahead.  And as I sit in my cozy bed with my personal heater blasting in my face, that is exactly what I am doing.  I have been excited ever since Mr. BB & I agreed on a possible honeymoon idea this weekend - one that may actually be in the budget.  The truth is, while we both have high hopes of tropical drinks on the beach in Antigua, that vacation may just have to wait until our first anniversary.  However, we both agree that we will honeymoon somewhere, even if it is in a tent in our backyard. 

While discussing our options with my cousin over the weekend, her solution was a trip to California, one in which we could possibly use her time share for our hotel accomodations.  While both my FI & I have traveled all over the country, neither of us have been to California and have always wanted to go.  And, more specifically, I have always had a strong desire to vacation in Napa Valley (most likely due to my love of wine, even though I am perfectly content with Trader Joes' version). 

After researching (on google) ... it seems like this could be the perfect start to our life together ... somewhere that is relaxing, romantic, beautiful, & that we have always wanted to go.  And considering our Virginia Beach weather lately, if it is over 70 degrees & I have a few days off work, I will be one happy newly-married Burgundy Bride.