Married Life with the Mattiza's

A Less Than Flattering Blogger Comment

2012-01-03T19:19:00.000-08:00

On Friday I wrote a post about the Toughest Time of 2011. When I first wrote the post I wasn't sure how it was going to be received. I KNOW people have gone through much WORSE things than I have been through, and that is why I wrote this in the post:

Now you may be reading this and thinking...(seriously, come on, that was not that bad. Some people have it a lot worse) YES, you are correct! But for me, personally, it was the LOWEST point of my life.

I originally wrote the blog post because I wanted to tell my story of how God helped me through a difficult situation, and explain that marriage is a lot harder than some make it seem. On Sunday night I got an email that someone commented on my blog, and this was the comment.

(Note: I copied the comment directly and pasted it into the box. I did not edit the comment in any way. There was also no name from who wrote it.)

"Seroiusly, the lowest point in your life... What becuase your husband had a job he loved, you had a roof over your head, but you could not spend money on extras. Your
post seems very snobby and tells the world excatly how unaware you are of reality."

Here are my thoughts on this comment: I GET IT! I understand your perspective of my story. I hate that you were not able to see my heart by reading this blog post. I am not mad or angry at all. Thank you for reading the blog, and sharing your thoughts! Have a happy and blessed 2012!

PS: Thank you SO much to all of the people who have commented, texted, and related to my story. Your encouragement means the world to me!

Love you favorite blog readers!

Lauren

The toughest time of 2011

2011-12-30T14:31:00.000-08:00

***Note: I hope my story of this past summer of struggle helps other people push through difficult times they are experiencing*** Please don't feel sorry for me, just believe that nothing is impossible with God.

Has your reality ever crushed your dreams or high expectations? I have been blessed with wonderful friends and family, and anything else I could ever need. Here is my story, my truth, from the hardest time in my life.

The toughest memory of 2011 was packing up and moving to Kansas City. For the last 2 years Ryan and I had a long distance relationship. He worked in KC as a loan officer, and I was in Fayetteville finishing school. I will never forget packing up my car that day, and driving away for the last time. As I was pulling out of the driveway, on May 15th, a flood of happy memories rushed to me, and tears were streaming down my face half an hour. It is TOUGH growing up, and moving on :( Even though I was excited to get married, I don't think I really thought about how much I didn't want to move away from everyone and everything I had ever known.

I was living in some fantasy world, where I thought getting married was so easy, we would get along all the time, and well....being married is TOUGH! We lived in a tiny, one bedroom apartment and I will be honest and say, I was not happy. My high expectations of starting a new life with this person were not fulfilled. I was unemployed ( I applied for over 30 jobs in the KC area, and never had 1 interview) even after I had just completed my Masters. I didn't know anyone, and our budget was incredibly tight because Ryan was the only one working. Now you may be reading this and thinking...(seriously, come on, that was not that bad. Some people have it a lot worse) YES, you are correct! But for me, personally, it was the LOWEST point of my life. We were arguing constantly, and it seemed like I had more tears than smiles on face. I wanted to be happy again, and I knew things had to change.

All summer Ryan and I went back and forth about what to do. Should we stay in KC or go back to Northwest Arkansas? I even drove down twice to interview for a position in Fayetteville at the same school where I had interned, but I didn't get it :( It was so tough getting excited about the possibilities, and then being let down. (I always knew though in my heart, that Jesus was right there with me holding my hand)

You see, Ryan LOVED his job in KC, and living in the big city. I, on the other hand, was so unhappy. The lowest point was when I was alone, lying face down in the brown carpet at my parent's house crying and praying hysterically about what to do. I could not go on living this way. Should I get divorced? I just got married...why was I quitting?!? I give Ryan the ultimate compliment. If it was not for that man, then we would not be together today. He never gave up on us...even when I (unfortunately) did.

Fast forward to the middle of August. I found out about a teaching position through one of my mentor teachers, Mrs. Eaton. Then one of my best friends, Stacey and her mom, recommended me for the same position :) That night after I had driven back to KC after the interview, I was offered a job teaching 1st grade in Rogers, Arkansas. Everything I had prayed for was coming together.

Every day I would read my devotional and it was incredible how God would place the perfect verse I needed to get through this journey. This was a verse I referenced often, Mark 4:40 ("Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?") especially when I was offered the position teaching in Rogers, and Ryan was still working in KC. God's hand was in every detail for me to get back to Northwest Arkansas, but Ryan was still in KC. Would we have to be apart again? We had already been apart for 2 years, and it was tough being away from each other. I knew that my God who could move mountains and split the seas, could easily make a way for Ryan to get back to Northwest Arkansas....and he did!

We were only apart for about 2 months, and then in late September, Ryan was transferred to Rogers. (A mile away from my school! How could you NOT stand up on the mountain tops and scream "GOD IS GREAT!?!") God had worked out every little detail, not only for ME, but also for Ryan :)

This was my defining moment in 2011. When I look back on this year, and especially this memory, I will be reminded of how GREAT God is, and how he is ALWAYS there for us.

My good friend Stacey gave this to me a few years ago and I taped it on my mirror. I read it all the time for encouragement. I love you sweet blog readers. Stay strong and believe.

Lauren

Welcome Home Dixie!

2011-12-11T13:01:00.000-08:00

Ryan got his Christmas present early yesterday when we picked up this sweet, little golden retriever :) Our family of three is now a family of four. This precious fur ball has already brought so much joy into our home. Ryan is bursting with love for his new little girl. He has been such a good daddy taking her out, feeding her, and playing with her. He even told me to "SHHH" last night when I was talking too loud, and she was sleeping! HA! I felt like I was back in elementary school and a classmate was telling me to "SHHH" while the teacher was talking!

Mr. Mattiza used to tease me for talking to Paisley in a "baby voice," but guess who is NOW talking to their little girl with a baby voice?!?! Mr. Mattiza that is :) I love it! I will keep you updated friends on Paisley and Dixie's adventures! Enjoy this beautiful day!

Man's best friend

The big sister is not too sure about this little puppy yet ;)

And they call it....PUPPY LOVE (cue the music)

Playing with Dad

Trying to climb over the couch

After all the playing she is POOPED OUT!

Love you all sweet friends!

Lauren

Wedding Pictures

2011-12-06T19:13:00.000-08:00

Hello sweet blog friends, here are some of my favorite images from the wedding :) Check back often because I will be adding new pictures in the next few days! Didn't Benfield Photography do such a great job?!? Thanks Dale and Meredith!

Enjoy friends,

Lauren

We're back with a BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!!!

2011-12-04T18:03:00.000-08:00

Hello sweet blog readers! Ryan and I are happy to announce that we are expanding our family..................................

WITH A PUPPY!!!! A precious, Golden Retriever puppy that is! For Christmas I surprised Ryan with this sweet girl :) He has always wanted a Golden Retriever, and I said "What the heck?!?!" So now we are officially a family of four: (Ryan, myself, Paisley, and Dixie) We are giddy with excitement about adding this sweet, little miss to our Mattiza household. We don't have her yet, but we went to go visit and pick her out :) We will get her just in time for Christmas. I can't think of anything better for Christmas than playing with a puppy, and being covered in puppy kisses!

There may be 1 member of our family that may not be so excited about Miss Dixie......Paisley :) Please pray for them to become quick buddies, and love each other!

I promise I will update more lovely blog readers :) This summer was a little rough (more to come on this later) but what can I say...God is great! No matter how low or out of control you may feel HE IS ALWAYS THERE and IN CONTROL! Believe it.

Love you sweet blog readers! Hope you are enjoying the best time of the year! Merry Christmas from the Mattiza's :)

Hair Extensions

2011-07-24T18:40:00.000-07:00

Hello favorite blog readers!

Have I got a beauty tip for you! Have you ever wanted long, thick, curly hair like Jessica Simpson? I have wanted those gorgeous locks for years now, but my hair would never grow past my shoulders, and was naturally very fine. I thought about getting extensions for years, but they were always really expensive, and I thought they would be fake looking in my hair...until NOW!

The extensions

One day I was in one of my favorite stores, Riffraff, and I was talking to Kirsten, the owner. I noticed her hair looked longer, and I asked her if it was her real hair. She said, "No, it's extensions!" I squealed with excitement, and she told me she got them from Sally Beauty Supply, and they were around $90.00.

After I clipped in the extensions, I would poof the layer of hair I added over it to hide the extensions!

It was my lucky day! Mom and I left Riffraff, and went straight to Sally Beauty Supply. We bought the Premium Remy 10-piece extension kit in Blonde. The extensions are 100% real human hair, and the quality is amazing. You can curl it, flat iron it, wash it, dry it, anything you can do with your real hair you can do with this fake hair! They are easy to put in too! In this kit you get 10 different extensions. Each extension has a snap clip and you unsnap the clip, put it under your real hair, and then snap it shut. Then you let down some hair, tease it, and put in another extension! Bam! Presto! You got it! At first it took me awhile to get them in, just making sure they were even on each side, but now I can do it faster! I adore these things! I wish I would have worn them for my wedding! So here you go favorite blog readers, a somewhat cheap way to make your hair go from DRAB....to FAB!!! Love you all!

I took these pictures before we did our eye makeup for Emily's wedding! Yikes! Thank heavens for mascara!

Click HERE to see where you can buy these extensions for under $100.00! I got them in Blonde, but then took them to my hairdresser in Mountain Home, Adam, and he colored the hair the same color as my real hair.

Love you favorite blog readers! Let me know if you have any questions about the extensions!

Lauren

New Kids on the Block/Backstreet Boys Concert

2011-07-19T18:49:00.000-07:00

On Saturday night I felt like my life had come full circle. When I was a little girl Mom and I would ride around in the car and sing New Kids on the Block together. Then in 1991, when I was 4 years old, we went to a New Kids on the Block concert in Jackson, Mississippi. It was my very first concert! I remember singing all the songs, and sitting on top of my Dad's shoulders yelling at Jordan Knight. He was my favorite New Kid on the Block! I used to think he was soooo cute ;) I mean look at that hair! HA!

Well ever since that first concert in 1991, I have been a HUGE fan of New Kids on the Block. So when I saw that the New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys were going on tour...I told Mom we HAD TO GO! I have been dying to see the New Kids on the Block again...I still play their Greatest Hits album on my Ipod every once in awhile ;) I'm not ashamed. So for my birthday Mom bought us 2 tickets to go see them in concert in Kansas City!

As Mom and I are walking into the arena, I start getting nervous. Everywhere I looked I saw New Kids on the Block fans. They wore old neon pink and green concert t-shirts, buttons, pins, etc. it was like the late 80's and early 90's was back and better than ever! I had butterflies in my stomach, I was absolutely giddy about the concert! After Mom and I bought t-shirts and buttons, we found our seats! They were incredible! We were right behind the floor seats in the 2nd row!

We were so close! EEEK!!! I got so excited I couldn't sit still, and when I stood up for Mom to take a picture I hear a CRASH! My camera was sitting on my lap and FELL DOWN UNDER THE BLEACHERS....UGHHHH Of course! Right before the opening act (which was Matthew Morrison from GLEE!). Before I burst out into tears and crawled into the fetal position my sweet momma reminded me that I could take pictures/video with my iPhone :) YES! So here you go friends :) Enjoy!

P.S. Everytime I re-watch these videos I shriek like a 13 year old girl does when she hears Justin Bieber. Well girls the New Kids on the Block and the Backstreet Boys were my Justin Bieber's of their day :)

Please Don't Go Girl

Here are some of the pictures from Saturday night!

The Right Stuff

Step by Step

Here they are!!! BSB and NKOTB!

Danny from NKOTB came right by us! Thank goodness it wasn't Jordan, because I would have had a heart attack and died right there!

NKOTB

Hangin' Tough

Backstreet Boys

NKOTB

All the tour buses! I thought about sneaking into one! HA!

My boy Jordan Knight!!!!!

One of the security guards dropped the set list and Mom picked it up! Great FREE keepsake!

Overall Mom and I had a great time at the concert! It was awesome! I have been looking at their tour schedule to see if they are coming anywhere close to us so we can go again! HA! So if you get a chance to see NKOTBSB I would DEFINITELY recommend it! They did not disappoint! Even my momma got down with her bad self and danced ;)

Love you all favorite blog readers!

Lauren

My Wisdom Teeth Journey

2011-07-10T17:04:00.000-07:00

Hello sweet blog friends! I hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July spent with family and friends and eating lots of yummy food! Well let me tell you about my 4th of July... it did NOT include hot dogs, hamburgers, etc. I got all 4 of my wisdom teeth removed. Bless it. Above is a picture of me BEFORE (Trying to be super strong and not cry...) and an AFTER picture that well...I can't frankly remember taking! HA! I think Mom must have snuck this one in on me ;)

On Friday, July 1st, Mom, Dad, Ryan, and I drove up to Springfield, Missouri to get my wisdom teeth removed. Even though Dad is a GREAT dentist, he couldn't remove my wisdom teeth because he can't put people to sleep....and I wanted to be KNOCKED OUT! HA! I am not a fan of the dentist ( I know it's crazy because my Dad is one!)...I get nervous, sweaty, and the thought of someone yanking out 4 of my teeth made me want to throw up every time I thought about the surgery. BUT good news friends...the worst part of the surgery was the anticipation! Because once they hooked up the IV.....I was a goner! I don't even remember the ride home from Springfield to Mountain Home, and it's about a 2 hour ride! That medicine was FANTASTIC!

On Saturday, even though I was on pain medicine and looked like a chipmunk, Mom and I went to get a pedicure and shopping at a cute new store in Mountain Home called Freckles Chic. Then I was pooped and went home to take a nap! Later that night we had a 50th Birthday party for my sweet momma! (Pictures coming soon!) And yes...even though I couldn't eat much else, I DID eat me some birthday cake!

Everything didn't go perfectly with my teeth though...I had some dry sockets, swelling, headaches, etc. BUT it is over, and I never have to get them out again! But it was nice getting to eat all the ice cream I wanted!

Love you all favorite blog readers! Hope you enjoy the new blog layout!

Lauren

Emily's Bachelorette Weekend

2011-06-20T18:19:00.000-07:00

Last weekend my sweet friend, and maid of honor Emily, had her own Bachelorette weekend in Dallas! After being in Kansas City for a few weeks, it was nice to head down South and reunite with my girlfriends! Everyone arrived late on Friday night, and when all the girls got in town we put on our jammies and talked late into the night, catching up with everyone. I miss my sweet friends!

On Saturday morning Emily had a bridal shower hosted by her bridesmaids from Dallas. The theme was Monograms and Mimosas! How cool is that?!? Everyone sipped on delicious mimosas while Emily opened up gifts with her new monogram! I loved that idea for a shower! Every good Southern girl loves her some monogrammed goodies ;) Check out some pictures from the bridal shower :)

Emily and her sweet momma

Yummy food!

Her new apron with her new initials on the pocket!

The sweet maid of honor!

Opening gifts!

My sweet friends :)

Saturday night my friends and I hosted Emily's lingerie shower at her apartment before we went out for dinner and dancing! Oh what a fun night we had! Nicki, Emily's maid of honor, rented a huge party bus for us to ride around in that night! We had so much fun riding around and dancing in the party bus! It is my new favorite way to travel ;)

Pretty Bachelorette!

Matron of Honor and BRIDE!!!

Stacey aka the Party Planner!

She does such a good job organizing the details and decorations!

Sister friend! I miss my old roomie! Loved her dress!

Pretty girl!

Appetizers and snacks for the lingerie shower!

Emily's future sister in law, Sarah Beth!

After the lingerie shower we went to eat dinner at Hattie's. A delicious Southern restaurant that creates food that will melt in your mouth, and blow up your waistline! HA! Holly and I split the Mac and Cheese crusted filet of beef! Let me tell you....it was incredible!

Mac and Cheese Crusted Filet of Beef.....delish

It's really dark, but we are in front of the party bus!

After dinner we went dancing at Sambuca! What a fun place! When we go down to the wedding we are definitely hitting up this hot spot again! The band was awesome, and did I mention the sparkly gold man? What a hottie ;)

We all had so much fun celebrating the last single days of our sweet friend Emily! We love you Em, and we can't wait until you are a married woman on July 23rd! Love ya :)

Love you favorite blog readers!

Lauren

We're Married!!!

2011-06-08T17:44:00.001-07:00

Hello blog friends!

We are married! Yippee!!! After waiting 2 long years, I can finally say..... I am Mrs. Ryan Mattiza! The wedding went off without a hitch! The ceremony, the reception, the decorations, the weather, the dress, everything was absolutely perfect! I am so thankful to truly have had the best wedding day a girl could ask for! We are incredibly blessed to have so many wonderful people in our lives :)

As the car was driving away from the reception I had tears in my eyes just thinking about how much fun I had at our wedding and reception. After we got back from the honeymoon, I asked Dad if we could have one of these parties every year. He said, "Absolutely not! Unless you are paying for it! HA!" So needless to say....we aren't having another party awhile ;)

On Sunday, Ryan and I drove down to Jackson to spend the night with my Aunt June and Uncle Tom. They were great hosts, and woke up early to make us delicious belgian waffles! Yummy!

On Monday morning we drove down to Destin to officially start our Honeymoon! What a wonderful trip we had! We stayed at Henderson Park Inn, which is a precious Bed and Breakfast right on the beach. I would recommend it to everyone! It is my favorite place to stay in Destin. There are no kids allowed, a happy hour everyday, breakfast and lunch everyday, a refrigerator stocked with candy bars, water, and diet cokes, free bicycles you can ride, everyone has a chair and umbrella reserved on the beach, and the friendliest folks you have ever met! I never wanted to leave! So take a sneak peek at our cozy Honeymoon bungalow in Destin! :)

When we walked in they had roses, grapes, and a bottle of wine on the bed!

This is where Ryan and I drank Strawberry Margaritas everyday from 4-5 right on the beach swing :)

Our sack lunches from Honeybaked Ham that were delivered to the hotel each day!

More honeymoon pictures/videos to come this week! Even a video of dolphins and sting rays! Yikes! Love you all favorite blog readers!

Mrs. Ryan Mattiza

Wedding Sneak Peek #10

2011-05-25T20:14:00.001-07:00

Hello dear friends! Today is wedding sneak peek #10!

In my life I have only had one set of grandparents. My mom's parents live a mile away from us, so we have been fortunate to develop really close relationships with them. But I never really had the opportunity to know my other set of grandparents. My dad's mom died when I was a year old from Melanoma, and my dad's father died of Polio before I was born. Needless to say, I never knew them. So even though they aren't here for the wedding, we still wanted to include a piece of them in the wedding and honor their memory.

My Aunt Nancy brought my grandparents silver platter for us to use in the wedding. They received this as a gift for their 25th wedding anniversary! So we decided to put the platter in an old suitcase for people to place cards into at the reception. I love it! So even though most people at the wedding will just think it is a normal silver platter....my favorite blog readers will know the true story behind this special silver platter ;)

Love you all!

Lauren

Wedding Sneak Peek #9

2011-05-24T17:02:00.001-07:00

Hello favorite blog readers!

My heart is heavy tonight for all of the people in Joplin, Missouri. I can't tear my eyes away from the television. There is devastation everywhere. Can you imagine losing everything in a single breath? I can't. I am so thankful for my home, my family, my dog, and a soft pillow to lay my head on at night. I can't even imagine the sheer pain these people are going through.

Our wedding photographers, Benfield Photography, are Joplin natives, and Dale lost his grandmother in the storm, and Meredith's dad lost his entire business. Please read Dale's beautiful dedication post to his grandmother HERE.

I included a wedding sneak peek tonight of my garter, but more importantly let's lift up our hearts, prayers, and wallets to those who were hurt in the Joplin tornado. I love and I am thankful for each one of you.

Every small bit helps: text the word “REDCROSS” to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

Love you all!

Lauren

Wedding Sneak Peek #8

2011-05-23T19:13:00.000-07:00

Here it is! One of the BIGGEST sneak peeks of them all! THE DRESS!

In this bag is my wedding dress! It is stunning, gorgeous, fabulous...I could go on and on about how much I love my dress! I want to sleep in it, and if my mom let me I would go to Walmart and get the groceries in it! It's that beautiful! I can't wait to show you the shape and the detail that is on this dress! It is fab-u-lous!

Love you favorite blog readers! 5 days!!!

Lauren

Wedding Sneak Peek #7 BLING BLING

2011-05-22T19:46:00.001-07:00

Hello favorite blog readers!

As you know I love me some BLING BLING! So instead of walking down the aisle with a plain 'ole flower bouquet, I decided to spice things up a bit! One of my hobbies is collecting old brooches. I swoon every time I walk into an antique store and see an old brooch glistening on the shelf! I wonder where did it came from, who has worn it, etc.

So for my wedding bouquet I decided to put all of my brooches together into one BLINGTASTIC brooch bouquet! This is just a sneak peek of it...Let me tell you...it will take your breath away when you see it. Imagine sheer BLING perfection wrapped up all in one pretty little package! It's gorgeous! And after the wedding I can take my brooches off of the bouquet and wear them! Perfect!

Can't wait to show you guys the rest of it!

Love you all!

Lauren

Wedding Sneak Peek #6

2011-05-21T21:18:00.000-07:00

Hello friends!

Sorry this is such a late night post! I just got done watching Father of the Bride with my Dad! This was one of our favorite movies growing up and well...we can really relate to what is going on in the movie right now! We watched the movie on the couch with tear-filled eyes, and I still think my Dad looks at me sometimes as a little girl with piggie tails and braces! Of course Dad hasn't reached the point of ripping open hot dog buns, but he has come close! Ha! Just kidding!

Here is the next wedding sneak peek! This is a picture of my veil! I must say at first I didn't want to wear a veil... I felt like a "bee keeper" when I put one over my face! Then Mom and I went to pick up my dress and she said, "Why don't you just try and look for a veil?"

Me: "UGH, Okay fine!" Then the lady brought out the most beautiful veil I have ever seen! It was gorgeous, and fit perfectly with my dress! I squealed with delight when I put it on! I must say it does remind me of Kate Middleton and those fancy pants hats they like to wear over in England! So now I call it my "Kate Middleton headpiece!"

I can't wait to show you guys in only 7 days! AHHH!! A week from today I will be a married woman! Love y'all!

Lauren

Wedding Sneak Peeks 4 and 5

2011-05-20T17:55:00.001-07:00

Hello blogger friends!

I apologize for not posting sneak peek #4 yesterday, Mom and I were in Little Rock running last minute errands for the wedding! We didn't get home until 11:00, so there was no sneak peek! BUT no worries! It is a DOUBLE SNEEK PEAK kind of day! Wahoo!

Above is a picture of the "autograph" book Mom made for people to sign in when they arrive at the wedding! Isn't she just crafty? You will see LOTS of her homemade goodies at the wedding reception ;)

Also sneak peek #5 is of a banner she made for the reception! Can you guess what word the banner spells? It is five letters long....These are the letters in the word.

(d, a, c, r, s)

Did you figure it out?!? If not you will have to wait 8 more days to see what it spells!!! Everyone keeps asking me if I am nervous about the wedding...I am not nervous, just ready for it to be here! Ryan and I have been engaged for 2 years so 8 days seems like nothin'! HA!

Love you all favorite blog readers! Promise no more skipped days on the wedding sneak peeks!

Lauren

Wedding Sneak Peek #3

2011-05-18T17:31:00.001-07:00

Here's what you have been waiting for! Sneak peak #3 of our wedding, and 10 days and counting until the big day!

Now don't get too excited, this isn't MY dress...but it is one of many dresses that will be on display at the wedding reception. This dress belonged to someone very special in my life, and someone I hope to be just like when I grow up! Love you mom!

A big thank you SHOUT OUT to my sweet momma who has been such a source of strength during this stressful year :) She has worked so hard to put this beautiful wedding together, and Ryan and I greatly appreciate all of her help and support!

See you tomorrow blogger friends for sneak peek #4! Love you all!

Lauren

Wedding Sneak Peek #2

2011-05-17T17:13:00.001-07:00

Happy Tuesday friends! Can I just tell you how happy I am to be in Mountain Home and be able to relax a few days before the wedding?!?! Mom and I are putting the finishing touches on all of the wedding plans during the day, and at night I am loving family dinners and walks with Paisley! I am in absolute bliss!

Here is the sneak peek for today! These are just some of the sparkly jewels I am going to be wearing on my wedding day! We found this necklace at Dillard's, and let me tell you....it stops traffic! It's absolutely gorgeous! You could wear THIS NECKLACE and nothing else and look like a million bucks! HA! Just kidding!

Love you all favorite blog readers! Come back tomorrow to see sneak peek #3!

Lauren

Wedding Sneak Peek #1

2011-05-16T19:30:00.001-07:00

Hello favorite blog readers! Because you have followed me on this crazy journey of planning a wedding, I thought for the next 12 days I would post a "sneak peek" of some detail of the wedding!

This "sneak peek" will help me walk down the aisle with my father and stand next to that strong, redheaded cowboy! Instead of choosing a wild shoe to make a statement, I chose these classic white heels adorned with a bow and of course a little bling bling!

That's all for today! See you what pops up on the blog tomorrow!

Clue: "Something Old"

Love you all!

Lauren

Bachelorette Party!

2011-05-09T19:28:00.000-07:00

Hello dear blog friends! As promised here is a quick post about the Bachelorette weekend I had about a month ago!

Can I just brag on my friends a little? This year I haven't been the best friend I should have been due to graduate school, wedding planning, etc. BUT that still didn't keep my dear friends from throwing me the BEST lingerie and Bachelorette party EVER!

On Friday night we had the lingerie shower at my friend Holly's house! Look at all the yummy food and precious details! My friends did a great job really thinking about all of my favorite foods and putting them all together! Chocolate?!? YES PLEASE!

On Saturday we shopped around town and then ate dinner at Powerhouse! (One of my favorite restaurants in Fayetteville)

DINNER

We also did a little karaoke...

And I got on the piano at Willy D's Piano Bar!

Thank you dear friends for making my last weekend as a Bachelorette so special! Love you all!

Lauren

I'm Back! 24 days until the wedding!

2011-05-04T18:04:00.000-07:00

(After we presented our thesis! YIPPEE!)

Hello dearest blog friends! WOW! I haven't blogged since JANUARY! AHHH! What a bad blogger I have been! I apologize! Life has been a wee bit crazy...(job hunting, presenting my thesis, planning a wedding, moving, etc!) BUT more importantly, I'm BACK!

Here's what is going on:

6 school days until my last day at Holcomb Elementary!

10 days until graduation!

24 days until the wedding! EEK! Can you believe it?!?

25 days until the honeymoon! (Hello Destin, Florida!)

Just a few things going on ;)

Here's what I have been up to since the last blog post!

We went to Hawaii for Spring Break! (A whole post will be dedicated to this soon!)

Bachelorette Party! (Post coming soon!)

I presented my action research thesis! (YIPPEE!)

Ryan and I went to the Blake Shelton concert! He was awesome! This is him singing his hit song "Honey Bee!"

Love you dearest blog friends! Check back soon for more updates! Love y'all!

Lauren

My 24th Birthday

2011-01-16T19:18:00.000-08:00

Hello blog friends!

Friday was my 24th birthday! Yippee! Let me tell you there is nothing better than celebrating your birthday with 25 second graders! I felt special all day and received endless hugs and "I love you's!"

My teacher Ms. Reich even got me this super cute journal and brought cupcakes for the whole class! I just love her :)

After school I drove 3 and a half hours to KC to meet my fiance and parents to celebrate! We had a low key celebration Friday night. We ate at California Pizza Kitchen, and had some delicious cupcakes! Yes, I had 2 cupcakes that day, AND a slice of Red Velvet Cheesecake :) I was in heaven with all these sweets!

On Saturday we shopped at the Plaza and had a nice dinner at Capital Grill. Do you know what the BEST part of the dinner was? The couple sitting behind us got ENGAGED! AHH!!! We were just sitting at the table and talking, and THEN I saw this guy get down on one knee behind us! AHH! I started screaming! Then I grabbed my camera and took pictures! How exciting! The sweet girl had NO idea! It was awesome! I love it! I just emailed her the pictures!

It was a wonderful birthday weekend up here in Kansas City, and I am so thankful to have such wonderful family and friends! Thank you for making my birthday so special :)

Love you favorite blog readers!

Lauren

Nana and Papa's 50th Wedding Anniversary

2010-12-22T16:06:00.000-08:00

Hello favorite blog readers! Merry Christmas to y'all! I hope y'all are busy baking, cleaning, and getting ready to spend time with your loved ones! Our family comes tomorrow and we are busy little bees around here preparing for everyone :) My Nana and Papa even brought me a little fudge to sample before everyone comes ;) My Papa makes the BEST fudge! Delish!

Speaking of my Nana and Papa I forgot to blog about their 50th wedding anniversary! Sorry friends, October was an awfully busy month for me! So here are a few pictures from that special night! I also made them a video to commemorate the 50 years they have been together! Sit back, relax, and enjoy friends :)

***There was music that went along with the video, but it wasn't approved by YouTube so just play a romantic song and watch the pictures :)***

Love you all!

Lauren

Stacey's Wedding

2010-12-21T16:18:00.001-08:00

On December 4th one of my best friends got married! Here is the new Mr. and Mrs. Brandon Feagans!

They got married at the methodist church in Rogers, Arkansas and had the reception at Pratt Place Barn in Fayetteville. The wedding/reception was beautiful, charming, wintery, sparkly, and fabulous! Just like the bride's personality ;)

The bride to be and her flower girl!

Here are some pictures taken from earlier in the day! We started out the day at the bridesmaid's brunch at Mimi's Cafe. I had some delicious belgian waffles and sausage! HEY! You can tell I wasn't worried about fitting in a tight white dress that day! HA! While we were at the restaurant Stacey gave us our bridesmaid gifts! Look at this super cute bag and goodies!

The essential bridesmaids kit! Crackers, water, kleenex, granola bar, and sweet card!

After the luncheon we were off to get our hair done at a local salon! That was really fun! We all loved being pampered! Here is Stacey getting her hair and make up done!

Now we were off to the church to get dressed and relax before the wedding!

This is my girl Victoria, the flower girl. We bonded. I heart her bunches!

EEEKK! I am getting butterflies in my stomach while I am typing this! Here is one final group picture before the wedding!

Time for the wedding! Here is Stacey walking down the aisle!

Now it's time to party! These wonderful pictures were taken by Benfield Photography! They are my photographers too ;) Didn't they do AWESOME!?!

My picture from the second floor of the reception!

Ryan and I

My Mom and Dad

Now onto the AMAZING PICTURES of the reception!

Stacey and Brandon flew off to Mexico for a wonderful week long honeymoon! They are now back in the United States and had a wonderful time! Have a great 1st "married" Christmas! Love you Stacey and Brandon!

Love you all favorite blog readers!

Lauren

Jenessa (Our Wedding Planner) Visited Mountain Home!

2010-11-28T19:23:00.001-08:00

On Tuesday our fabulous wedding planner, Jenessa, visited Mountain Home! She came to get a better idea of the vision we are going to create for the wedding! Mom and I loved showing her around the good ole town of Mountain Home, Arkansas (pop. 11,012).

First, we visited the florist at Bouquet Palace! We met for over an hour and she was SOOO excited about the flowers! I am not really a (flower girl) but I am excited about how the flowers are going to look for the wedding!

Fellow brides if you are planning a wedding, you need this book! It has been a great guide in helping me stay on track of the wedding planning!

I marked this page because I love peonies in a soft blush color! EEK! They are dreamy and make me swoon...ahhh!

Next, we drove out to Big Creek Country Club to have lunch with my dad and check out the venue! Bless my dad's heart. He is a spitting image of George Banks from Father of the Bride. I hope he didn't scare Jenessa too bad ;) just kidding! He is a very loving and supporting daddy! He just wants to make sure we stay in the budget!

At Big Creek Country Club we got the dimensions of the room, played with different table linens, and discussed food for the wedding! Of course no food decisions could be finalized without Mr. Mattiza (the fiance) there to approve! Ha!

Finally, we went to the church! You see, this is the church I have been going to my whole life. I was baptized at 7 in this church, and I love it with all my heart! Even the *pink carpet* bless it.

Here are Mom and Jenessa discussing decorations for the church!

Overall we had a great time showing Jenessa what makes Mountain Home or (God's Country) so special :)

Love you all favorite blog readers!

Only 6 months from TODAY until the wedding! EEEK!!!

Have a great week!

Lauren

Stacey's Bachelorette Party!

2010-11-21T13:34:00.000-08:00

A few weekends ago we celebrated my friend Stacey's Bachelorette party in Kansas City! Wahoo! It was nice to have a weekend to get away from school and be with my favorite girls! We had a great time celebrating Stacey's last few days of single life before she gets married December 4th!

Page and Emily

The girls shopping on Saturday at the Plaza

I just love Kellie! I can't wait to catch up more with her at Stacey's wedding!

Emily, my Maid of Honor, and Me :)

This is one of my besties that lives in Dallas! I miss you Nicki!

When we went out in Kansas City, we saw a bus from my hometown of Mountain Home, Arkansas! How crazy! You KNOW I had to take a picture! Ha!

I also got to squeeze in a little "Ryan" time because he also lives in Kansas City :) Thank you Stacey for picking Kansas City for your Bachelorette weekend destination! You were so cute in your pink boa and crown! Enjoy your last few days of "freedom!" Ha!

Love you favorite blog readers! Expect more blog posts this week because we don't have school this entire week! YAY! So I will get to update you on everything that is happening!

Love you all!

Lauren

Wedding Cake Testing

2010-11-14T19:22:00.000-08:00

Hello blog friends!

Life is going by so fast. I can't believe it is almost Thanksgiving! Next, we will turn around and it will be Christmas! I love the holiday season! Everyone is happier and gives back and it is just my favorite time of year!

Now exciting news! We had our cake testing on Saturday! Since Ryan's family lives in Houston, they haven't had the opportunity to help plan the wedding, BUT Ryan's dad came up this weekend and got to be a part of our cake testing! Yay! We were happy to have him there!

Can I just tell you how excited Ryan was about this part of the wedding planning process? He was ecstatic! He couldn't wait! He kept asking me, "Have you scheduled the cake testing yet?!?" Haha! Well Saturday we finally had the cake testing at Rick's Bakery in Fayetteville! This bakery is a special place to us because they have done several "special" cakes for us :) Here are a few!

My 21st birthday cake! LOVE the animal print!

Our engagement party cake!

Now here are the inspiration pictures for our wedding cake! I love bows and sparkles, so they are going to create a cake with a bow that has a brooch attached to the center of the bow! Yay! It will be gorgeous! OH and taste good too! HA!

Here are the different flavors we tried:

Death by Chocolate: (My fave)

White Cake with Buttercream icing: (You can never go wrong!)

Red Velvet: (A classic Southern tradition)

Buttercream and Fondant: (Tastes like a marshmellow)

Dum Dum Dum....and the winners were........

White Cake with Buttercream and Death by Chocolate! We are going to have alternating tiers of Chocolate and White Cake with Buttercream icing! Deeeeelish!

Here's the cake BEFORE and AFTER we demolished it!

I hope you have a great week favorite blog readers! Did I make you want to eat cake after this post? Ha! Love you all friends!

Lauren

Our ENGAGEMENT PICS!

2010-11-03T18:20:00.000-07:00

Hello friends! If you haven't seen them yet, HERE ARE OUR ENGAGEMENT PICTURES! Yay! I absolutely adore them! I can't wait to share more! Benfield photography did such a great job!

Click on the link below: Lauren and Ryan to view them! Love you favorite blog readers!

Lauren and Ryan

2nd Grade Visits the Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-28T19:15:00.001-07:00

Today the 2nd graders went on a field trip to the Pumpkin Patch in Prairie Grove, Arkansas! Can I admit that I have been absolutely giddy about this field trip? I have NEVER been to a Pumpkin Patch, and I was so eager to go and pick a pumpkin!

Here are some of the different pumpkins!

Here is our friendly farmer!

This is my new mentor teacher, Ms. Reich! I just love her :)

We went on a hay ride!

Here are some green pumpkins, not quite ready to be picked!

The kids played tug of war with another class! We beat them! Twice! Wahoo!!!

A mom brought a cookie cake for dessert! Bless her! How did she know that I loved these?

Some more fun pictures at the pumpkin patch!

MOOOOOOO!!!

At the end of the day the kids got to pick their own little pumpkins to take home!

Funny Story: I was taking a kid to the port-a-potty and after he walked in, he swung the door open! Whoa! What happened I asked?!?! He said, "There is a Bud Light in the toilet!" "What?" "Let me check this out!" So I walked in the port-a-potty and this is what I saw! Ha! I had to share this with my favorite blog readers!

The teachers even got to take home a pumpkin! So here is my new addition to our kitchen table! That precious little orange pumpkin! I love it!

Have a great weekend favorite blog readers!

Lauren

My Last Day in 4th Grade!

2010-10-23T20:36:00.000-07:00

Hello favorite blog readers! Long time no blog post! I apologize :) Life has been a wee bit hectic. Here is what has been going on:

I finished my 4th grade placement. I was so sad to leave my sweet students and wonderful mentor teacher :( The last day when the bell rang there were tears in my eyes as I said goodbye to the students. All the 4th grade teachers were wonderful in 4th grade and it was a great first experience student teaching. Here are some pictures from my last day!

On the last day, I gave the students a class book about their family traditions. The students had written their passages and drawn their pictures the week earlier. This is one of my favorite projects I have ever done in the classroom! The children wrote lengthy paragraphs describing their family traditions.

I also gave each student a written note and a Halloween sucker! (The suckers are available at Walmart! (Thank you Stacey for generously donating these suckers to my students! They loved them!)

The students surprised me with a stack of folders with heart-felt written messages :) this was such a great and timeless gift that I will use in my future classroom! I just loved these sweet students and think about them daily!

Another shout out to my "mama bear" Mrs. Eaton, my 4th grade mentor teacher. You will always hold a special place in my heart! Thank you for all your kind words and encouragement :)

Here are some of the journal entries the kids wrote me on the last day :)

I promise in November I will be a much better blogger! I am sorry to let you down, but school, papers, sleep, and Paisley were calling me ;) I love you all friends!

Lauren

4th Grade Arkansas Program

2010-10-05T18:54:00.000-07:00

The 4th Grade Student Teachers (Me, Laura, and Kameron)

Mrs. Briggs was so smart and figured out a way to hook up the words on a teleprompter for the kids! Love technology!

Ms. Briggs and her student teacher Laura

Two weeks ago the 4th graders had their annual Arkansas program! Oh goodness it was so much fun singing songs about Arkansas! All the kids dressed in red and sang their little hearts out! Here is a short clip from one of my favorite songs Down in the Arkansas. My favorite line from this song is: the prettiest girls I ever saw were down in the Arkansas!

Have a happy Wednesday friends! This week is SOLO week (which means I am teaching everything all week without my mentor teacher!) Pray for me! Love you favorite blog readers! Thanks for sticking with me!

Lauren

Classroom Catchup!

2010-09-28T17:07:00.000-07:00

Hello blogger friends! My deepest apologies for my lack of posts lately, school has consumed my life :) It is not a bad thing though at all! I am learning more each day and I couldn't be blessed with a more wonderful mentor teacher or students! Everything is busy, but blissful! Here is what we have been up to lately!

I taught a Social Studies lesson on SEALS! (Not the animal, but the United States seal and the Arkansas state seal)

The kids then got to create their own individual seals!

Each seal had to have a motto, animal, shield, title, angel of mercy, goddess of liberty, and be neat! Here are some of the best ones!

Then I had the kids create large seals that we hung up in the room!

Check back soon because I have a lot more to share! Today we used clay to make the state of Arkansas and we also had the annual 4th grade music program! I love you all favorite blog readers and thank you for being patient with me :)

Lauren

My Brother's a Kappa Sig!

2010-09-19T11:21:00.000-07:00

Beautiful Old Main

The Freshmen walking to Old Main

Ryan and I waiting at Old Main

Seth's friend Jake just got his bid!

Seth with his Kappa Sig BID CARD!

Evan and Ryan and Seth

The guys congratulating each other!

Ryan in front of his old house!

The beautiful Kappa Sig house

Whew! Today is Bid Day and I am proud to announce that my brother Seth is a Kappa Sig! Yay!!! Not only is my brother a Kappa Sig pledge, but ALSO my future brother-in-law Evan! You see I hold a special place in my heart for those good 'ole Kappa Sig boys because my fiancee was one at Arkansas! The Kappa Sig boys are great guys who are smart, involved on campus, and are dedicated to their fraternity! Oh and did I mention EVERY girl wants to date a Kappa Sig because they are cute ;) okay I am a little biased but it's mostly true!

I couldn't be happier for Seth and Evan and I know they are going to have great memories in that house! Ryan and I still like to talk about the funny things that went on in that house! When we first met, we used to play cards with a group of friends and we always ended up playing each other in the final round of the game! I would usually win! Ha! Just kidding!

Anywho, here are some pictures from the early days hanging out at the Kappa Sig house!

A Valentine's Day Function

When we got engaged I wore my Tri Delt and Kappa Sig pin :)

Have a great week favorite blog readers!!! Love you all!

Lauren

An Enlightening Experience

2010-09-08T16:05:00.000-07:00

Last week I had an enlightening experience. I was sitting in my night class, reading over the lesson plans I was teaching the next day, when it HIT me! My teacher was putting different quotes up on the board when this one POPPED up and WHAM! What a lovely thought.

People see God everyday, they just don't recognize him. ---Pearl Bailey

Hmmm...God is around me all the time. I just don't take a second to recognize him. The place I am seeing God the most these days are in the precious, little faces of my 4th graders. Their smiles and laughs are filled with warmth that can only be created by THE creator :)

Just thought I would share this wonderful quote and maybe encourage my favorite blog readers to take a minute and recognize God in everything :) I am definitely starting to look and notice more too :)

Have a great week!

Lauren

Ryan's Birthday Weekend

2010-09-06T13:34:00.000-07:00

This weekend was the big red-headed Texan's birthday! (My fiance!) The celebration started early when he drove down from Kansas City and surprised me on Thursday night! I was getting ready to go to bed when we had a knock at the door! It was Ryan! Yay! He took off work on Friday and drove down to surprise me! Awww...

On Friday night we went to a couple shower for our friends Jessica and Sam! We both had a lot of fun and Ryan got to catch up with a bunch of his old fraternity brothers!

On Saturday morning my parents drove up to Fayetteville for the first Razorback football game! Woooo Pig Sooie! We went to Doe's for lunch to celebrate Ryan's birthday! It is the BEST steak place around! I mean come on....look at these big slabs of cow! Yummy! Sorry if you are a vegetarian...

Seth, Dad, and Evan (Ryan's brother)

Before the Chowdown!

After the Chowdown! Pretty good work boys!

During lunch I gave Ryan his birthday present.....Here is BEFORE

Here is AFTER! I got Ryan an IPAD! EEEK! I decided to take money out of my savings to get Ryan a really great birthday present this year :) It is hard to buy for a boy and he has had too many birthdays where he just gets a Polo shirt! Surprise!

After lunch we went back to my house for some birthday cake! Yes, we did save room in our stomachs for this DELICIOUS homemade cake! It was made by a lady in Mountain Home who makes cakes out of her house! These cakes make you buckle at your knees they are THAT good!

The cake says: "How do you make a banker happy? Give him more money!"

We ran into my old roommate Holly! I just love Game Days! Doesn't she look so cute!

Now THIS is one dedicated Razorback Fan!

After we had stuffed an insanely large amount of "terrible for you food" in our stomachs we headed to cheer on those hoggies! It was a beautiful day to kick off the football season! We played Tennesse Tech and kicked their butts!

The Blue Man Group also made an appearance at the game! They are in town for a few weeks performing and came to cheer on the hogs!

On Sunday we just relaxed around the house and ran errands! It was a perfect lazy Sunday! I love you all favorite blog readers and I hope you had a FABULOUS Labor Day weekend!

Lauren

Graduate School Adventures

2010-09-01T19:19:00.000-07:00

Acting out a skit in my graduate classes with Tanner, Alex, and Jennifer!

We are on our 11th day at school and things are off and running in my 4th grade class! I could fill this blog with all of the incredible characteristics of each one of our students! They are all AMAZING and smart! I am baffled everyday with the things they come up with! For example, their insight on the world and creativity could leave you speechless. Everytime I teach a lesson they end up teaching me something as well! I love it! Don't underestimate a 4th grader, they just might surprise you! That is probably the biggest lesson I have learned so far!

I am so thankful to have a wonderful mentor teacher, Mrs. Eaton, who everyday actively encourages and pushes me to become a better teacher! I just love her :)

Here are some of the projects we have been working on!

I taught this "kite lesson" on the 2nd day of school and it was all about getting to know each other! Each section on the kite is colored a certain color representing something. For example if section 1 was colored blue then it meant you were an only sibling. If it was colored yellow it meant you weren't an only sibling. This activity helped the kids be able to quickly look and see what they had in common with each other!

Today in class we made pottery! That's right, I am so thankful I ended up with a crafty mentor teacher ;) But these aren't just art projects people, they represent very valid information! We created pottery because we read a story about Native Americans and the pottery they make! The kids LOVED this activity and I definitely want to do it in my own classroom next year!

That is all favorite blog readers! I hope you have a fabulous week and enjoy your 3 day weekend! WAHOOO!!! It is the big red headed, Texan's birthday (my fiance) this weekend and there are some BIG surprises in store! I will keep you posted!

Love Love Love you all!

Lauren

Backyard BBQ

2010-08-28T20:25:00.000-07:00

Katherine using her new grill!

Last Sunday night we had a "family barbeque" at the house! One of my roommates, Katherine, got a new grill for her birthday and she decided to grill burgers! Since none of us have ever worked a grill before it was a real adventure! It was a charcoal grill and we weren't sure how much charcoal to use, how long to cook the burgers, etc. It was a great learning experience!

Even though it was Katherine's first time to use the grill I must admit...she made some pretty tasty burgers and hot dogs! The burgers were so juicy and the cheese was melted perfectly on top! Delish! Sometimes there is just nothing better than a good 'ole fashioned burger! Is your mouth watering yet?!?!

It was a beautiful night when we grilled and I know the dogs loved playing in the backyard!

Overall our first grilling experience was a great success and there will be many more "family dinner" grill nights in our future! Love you Page and Katherine!

Love you too favorite blog readers!

Lauren

Meet our Wedding Planner!

2010-08-22T16:56:00.000-07:00

Meet our wedding planner Jenessa Bailey! Hiring a wedding planner is something Mom and I have talked about for awhile. You see I am from a small town, Mountain Home, Arkansas and I LOVE being from there, but when it comes to planning your wedding there aren't many resources available. We thought about having a family friend coordinate the wedding, but we really wanted someone to be able to coordinate the wedding and set up/tear down decorations at the reception. I also wanted Mom to be able to relax at the wedding and not feel SO stressed out during this special time :) So without any further delay here's what happened when we met with Jenessa Bailey!

These flowers look a little orange in this picture but they will be a soft pink :)

Mom drove up to Fayetteville for the day to be with me to meet with Jenessa and to discuss the vision of our wedding. I have heard from several people that Jenessa is "amazing," "wonderful," and "fabulous," and after seeing pictures from several events she has done I KNEW we had to have her!

We first walked into her house and she had a round table set up with a robin's egg blue table cloth with silver vintage vases and beautiful cream, light blue, and pink flowers! There were also small candles that were lit and totally set the relaxing mood! Everything was in my color scheme! It was an absolute dream :) She said she had stalked my blog to see my colors, ideas, etc. Ha! Don't you just love blogs?!? Needless to say it was love at first sight! And did I mention the blingy chandelier?!? Ahhh! Love Love Love! My theme for the wedding was Southern Classic Vintage and now I narrowed it to 2 words: Vintage BLING! Holla!

Jenessa is going to make our wedding absolutely beautiful and unique with several special details we are currently working on ;) so stay tuned my favorite blog readers! I will keep you updated on everything with the wedding planning, school, and everything in between! Thank you so much for your sweet comments :) They make my day!

Click HERE to visit Jenessa's website and blog! You will LOVE it! Promise!

Lauren

1st Day of School

2010-08-19T17:36:00.000-07:00

Standing in the doorway by the Mrs. Sullivant sign!

My BFF Laura and I in the classroom

These are the flowers my mentor teacher's husband sent her for the first day of school! Awwww!

The school day is over! Ready for the students to come back tomorrow!

Today was the 1st day of school at Holcomb Elementary! Yippeee!!! I woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed this morning at 5:30 a.m. ready to start the school year! I was a ball of nerves this morning getting ready for school! I kept thinking about the kids and if they would like me, if they would be well behaved, etc. Before I could worry too much I was driving to school and preparing for the kiddos at 7:15! Then my teacher and I double checked everything we had ready for the day! I took a deep breath and at 7:45 the kids were starting to come in the classroom! I felt like I was competing in a race all day until the kids left at 3:00! We got a lot accomplished and had a wonderful day :) Our kids were very well behaved and I know exciting things are going to happen this year!

Not only was today the first day of school but my parents were in town dropping off my little brother for college! Ahh! I am so happy to have him in the same town as me :) After my parents moved him in we all went to eat at a delicious Italian restaurant in Fayetteville! What a perfect way to end the first day of school! I have a full tummy and will be going to bed early tonight!

Seth and his roommate Jake putting together their new TV for their dorm room!

Seth's bedroom with his computer open on my blog...I wonder who did that?!?

I thought this was so funny! Both of Seth's roommates had monogrammed towels! Ha! I thought this was only a girl thing! Apparently in the South girls and BOYS have monogrammed towels! I love it!

Hope you all had a good day favorite blog readers! Love you all!

Lauren

Holcomb Elementary School Open House

2010-08-18T15:40:00.000-07:00

My mentor teacher Mrs. Eaton and I

Last night was "Open House" at Holcomb Elmentary School! I was so excited! This was the first opportunity I had to meet the parents and students that I will be working with this year! We have 25 students in our classroom and I am excited to get to know each one of them! I am fortunate enough to have a mentor teacher who has taught for over 20 years and I have learned A LOT already working with her! Everything in her classroom is organized, labeled, and has its own spot! She is a woman after my own heart! The "Open House" went great and I know it is going to be an amazing year!

Here are some pictures from last night!

This is Mrs. Eaton! My teacher!

This is Ms. Briggs another 4th grade teacher at Holcomb Elementary that will switch with Mrs. Eaton to teach Math!

My "teacher desk!" I love love love being able to have my own spot in the classroom :) It makes the classroom feel more like home :)

Here are all of the interns working at Holcomb this year! We got a great group of people and I know these people will make wonderful future teachers!

Love you all favorite blog readers!

P.S. Say a special prayer for me because tomorrow is the FIRST day of school! Thank you! AHH! Yay!

Lauren

Paisley's New Hair Do

2010-08-15T14:15:00.000-07:00

BEFORE Pictures:

Her car ride home with us right after we picked her up from the breeder!

In her car seat at 5 months old

At Christmas time!

My brother's high school graduation in May!

It has been one HOTT summer and because it has been almost 100 degrees everyday I decided to cut Paisley's long hair! I had to remember that it is just hair and it grows back but I was a little nervous to see her after her "big haircut!" But I was soooo happy I did it!!! Look at how precious she looks! She is so much softer too! She looks like she did when she was puppy! She is so much happier now without all that extra hair!

BEFORE

AFTER: I kept her face and tail long so she wasn't an ugly shih tzu! Ha!

Momma is also happy because it takes me about 3 minutes to brush and fix her hair everyday when it used to take about 20-30 minutes trying to get tangles out! Amen! This was probably the best time saver decision I have ever made! I think I may grow her hair out in the Winter though to make sure she stays warm :)

Love you all favorite blog readers and have a happy Sunday afternoon!

P.S. A special thanks to Shampooch in Mountain Home for Paisley's fresh new 'do! We both love it and love y'all!

Lauren

Setting up our Classroom

2010-08-12T15:05:00.001-07:00

BEFORE

Hello favorite blog readers!

I apologize it has been a whole WEEK since my last post! Oh goodness it has been too long so here are some of the EXCITING things that have been going on and that I will blog about in the upcoming days!

1. Mom and I met with a wedding planner! I can't wait to blog about this! Here is a teaser for the upcoming post...As soon as Mom and I walked into Jenessa's house (the wedding planner) she had a table set up, according to my wedding colors, with vintage vases and flowers, lit candles, 3 glasses of water, and monogrammed napkins. EEKK! Have you ever been in love at first sight? I was swooning!

2. Paisley got a haircut! Because of this hellacious Arkansas heat around 100 degrees EVERY day I decided to chop off my sweet little girl's long hair! But don't worry she isn't ugly, she is still as precious as ever and a MUCH cooler dog!

3. I started SCHOOL! Please pray for me! It is going to be an exciting, eventful, busy year and I can't wait to meet the kiddos! It is going to be a great year!

Now onto the BEFORE and AFTER pictures of our 4th grade classroom! I am interning with Mrs. Eaton and today we worked in the classroom from 7:45-4:15! Whew! We got a LOT done and I am so lucky to have such a great mentor teacher!

Mrs. Eaton gave me an area of the room with my own "teacher desk!" It isn't finished yet but I am thankful to have an area all to myself! I can't wait to decorate!

This is where the kids will hang their backpacks according to which number they are!

On each desk we put on alphabetical tape at the top, a multiplication chart on the right hand corner, a dry erase board, math book, journal, science, and reading book!

Each desk chair also has a cover over it that has pockets behind the seat for extra storage! Pretty nifty idea huh?

The calendar bulletin board!

Another bulletin board!

A place for students' to brag about their BEEautiful work!

This is my favorite part of the classroom! The library!

Did anyone else read the "American Girl" books?!? I think I read every single one and even had the Samantha doll! I heart those!

My dear friend Laura and I even learned how to use a wrench today! Our future hubby's to be are so lucky to have ladies who know how to use tools! Ha!

This is my BFF Laura who is also interning in 4th grade with another teacher! She is right across the hall from me and I couldn't be more grateful! She is so positive and uplifting and I know together we will get through graduate school successfully!

TAH DAH! The AFTER picture! We have almost made our classroom a "home!" A few more finishing touches and we will be ready for school to start a week from today!

I love you all favorite blog readers and I hope you have a wonderful day!

Lauren

Picking Out Wedding Invitations

2010-08-05T07:36:00.001-07:00

The Wedding Colors: soft pink blush, with cream, gold accent, and robin's egg blue!

On Tuesday Mom and I made a special day trip to Fayetteville to meet with Amy Hannon to pick out the wedding invitations! This is a day I have been looking forward to for so long! You see Amy Hannon runs Sincerely Yours, which is a paper company that designs wedding invitations, stationery, monograms, and all kinds of paper lovelies. You must check out her blog! Click HERE to visit! She has impeccable taste and is bubbling over with personality and sweet Southern charm. You see Amy holds a special place in my heart because she grew up in my hometown of Mountain Home, Arkansas. She was also a Tri-Delta and is a lover of Jesus :) The creativity just flows effortlessly from Mrs. Amy and I know our wedding invitations are going to be something that will take everyone's breath away.

Here was my inspiration for the wedding invitations. This is actually a vase on Amy's table in her house and was the spring board for creating the Save the Dates, invitations, etc.

Of course you knew I would have to add a little bling to the invitations ;) This is the "menu" of all the crystals that are available! It was so sparkly and gorgeous!

Here is Mrs. Amy and I posing with the finalized wedding color swatches!

This is Amy and her daughter, Gracie, who is just precious and hung out with us during the design appointment! Such a pretty mother and daughter!

As much as I want to describe in detail every aspect of the invitation and Save the Date I am going to keep it a surprise! But let me tell you....it is ridiculously dreamy and delicious! I shreeked with approval when it all came together! I can't wait to show you!

I love you all favorite blog readers and I hope you have a great Thursday!

Lauren

Garage Sale Adventures

2010-08-01T17:21:00.001-07:00

Hello favorite blog readers!

This week has been busy! Whew! Every day this past week we have worked on our garage sale! Cleaning rooms, closets, the kitchen, cabinets, etc. all in preparation for yesterday's sale! We haven't had a garage sale in 15 years so it was time to do some house cleaning!

Here are some pictures on Friday night before we had everything organized for the sale!

We had clothes, kitchen items, furniture, large screen TV, books, home decor. items, etc.

I wish I had some pictures on Saturday while the sale was going on but we were busy! My alarm went off at 5:15 Saturday morning...yawn...and we had 7 cars in the driveway at 6:15 and the sale wasn't supposed to start until 6:30! The minute we raised the garage it was a flood of people until 10:00 when I was able to sit down for a minute!

My favorite thing, okay, maybe the only thing, I enjoy about garage sales is visiting with people! I love talking to people and hearing stories about their grandkids or how they are so excited to find a bargain at our sale!

As I was talking to one lady she asked me if I was married. I said, "No mam, I am getting married next May!" She said well we rent out a "wedding car" if you are looking for a getaway car for the reception! She handed me her card with a picture of the car and it was beautiful! After she bought her items she left and I forgot about the car....UNTIL I saw it pull into the driveway! EEKKK! She came back to the garage sale to pick up some more pillows and to show me the car! Isn't it beautiful! We booked it on the spot! I love it!

Dad and I are the ones in the family that run the garage sale :) even though it is a lot of work I enjoy spending so much time with him and I have learned a few bargaining skills as well ;)

But all the sweat was worth it because we made $1,400! Wahoo!! The stuff we didn't sell we donated to the Salvation Army and a local church that is having a clothing drive next week. So everyone wins!

Love you all favorite blog readers! Hope you had a great weekend!

Lauren

One of the 13 Places to Eat Before You DIE!

2010-07-28T17:15:00.001-07:00

This past weekend when my family went to Kansas City we were told by several people to eat at Oklahoma Joe's BBQ! No one was more excited to eat here than my Dad! He LOVES barbeque! It is his favorite type of food! So no matter how long the wait was, we were going to get my Dad some barbeque from Oklahoma Joe's!

Here is the wait OUTSIDE of the restaurant...yes this restaurant is connected to a gas station!

Once you GET inside there is a long line that wraps around the restaurant you have to wait in before you get to order!

Here is the plaque stating that Oklahoma Joe's is one of the 13 places you need to eat at before you DIE!

Here is what Dad decided to order! He got a half rack of ribs and the "Z Man" sandwich! The "Z Man" sandwich is brisket, provolone cheese, bbq sauce, and 2 onion rings! Basically a heart attack on a plate! I'm kidding ;)

I decided on a "Carolina Style" pork barbeque sandwich with slaw and a side of BBQ beans! Yummmy! Just writing this I am starting to drool...

So before you die you HAVE TO go eat at Oklahoma Joe's! We only waited about 20 minutes to eat and I must say...drumroll....it was worth it! I recommend it to all my favorite blog readers!

Happy Wednesday friends!

Lauren

One Line A Day...A Five Year Memory Book

2010-07-26T20:13:00.000-07:00

This weekend my parents and I went to Kansas City to visit my red headed, Texan fiance! While we were there we did some shopping (duh!) and I purchased one of the coolest things at The Paper Source. I purchased a One Line a Day, A Five-Year Memory Book! After I found this book I walked over to Mom and told her what I found! She said Lauren, "I have one of those! I kept it while you were in High School and Junior High!" Me: "No way! How cool!" These are the little things I love to discover! I had NO IDEA my Mom had one of these books!

Mom's 5-Year Memory Journal

So here are some highlights from her 5-year memory book! Mom kept this book from January 1st, 1999 to December 31st, 2003.

January 19th, 2000: Lauren and I both had our pre-op surgery blood work, etc today. She had a chest x-ray and EKG and Lauren had her first urine test and overflowed the cup and spilled half of it on the floor.

January 21st, 2000: Lauren had her knee surgery today and it went well and wasn't as bad as they thought it was. We had a large group of people at the hospital to see Lauren off to surgery.

January 13th, 2001: I took Lauren, Leah, Marci, and Lindsey to Springfield today for Lauren's birthday! We had a great time! Marci got Lauren a hermit crab and they named it Antonio.

March 6th, 2001: Lauren and Leah are taking their written driving tests tomorrow

March 7th, 2001: Lauren and Leah failed their permit tests but they are okay about it.

April 27th, 2000: Lauren had blood work today and blacked out.

May 6th, 2001: I got my washer fixed today. John killed a BIG black snake today!

May 29th, 2003: Lauren is grounded in every way possible because she almost missed her final. I am so tired of saving the day for her!

June 27th, 2001: Sweetie (our dachsund) got bit by a copperhead on her face today. Her whole side of her face is swollen and sore.

September 11th, 2001: Three buildings have collapsed in NYC and another plane was hijacked and hit the Pentagon and another crashed in Pennsylvania.

November 4th, 2000: We were getting in the car with Jay and Christina and Seth (my little brother) said, "What does (Fauck You) mean? Dad said its a city why? Seth said, "Because its written on the back of your car!"

December 23rd, 2002: Lauren has no idea she is getting a car for Christmas! We hid it at Gloria's Mom and Dad's garage!

December 25th, 2002: Lauren got a red jeep liberty for Christmas! She was so surprised!

I hope you enjoyed today's blog post favorite readers and HERE is a link to buy this book and start your own 5 year memory book!

Love you all! Lauren

Visions of Wedding are Dancing in My Head

2010-07-18T11:03:00.000-07:00

My Southern Classic Vintage Wedding Dream Board

Now that I am done with summer school Mom and I are officially in wedding planning mode! We got the dress, the church, the reception location, bridesmaid dresses, etc. Now it is time to work on the details! I decided to post some of the pictures that have given me inspiration for our wedding!

I created my own dream board for the wedding HERE!

It was super easy and fun! It put all of my wedding thoughts into 1 place!

Here is my dream for the reception venue which is at Big Creek Country Club in Mountain Home. The colors for the wedding are soft pink blush tones, cream, and a touch of robin's egg blue! I would describe my wedding style as: Southern Classic Vintage!

How dreamy would it be to have a horse and carriage? Love Love Love! We will see if this becomes a reality! Doubtful but I wish!

I love you all favorite blog readers and I will keep you posted on any more fun wedding details!

Lauren

Inspiration

2010-07-13T19:08:00.001-07:00

These are some of my favorite quotes that I had to share with my favorite blog readers! I got them out of this book: SHE (Click here to order it!)

SHE is an inspirational book for women that has totally revamped my negative thoughts and ideas about myself into a new positive energy and attitude! I recommend it to all of my girl friends! It is a perfect coffee table book that inspires and enlightens everyone who reads it!

This is my favorite quote out of the SHE book:

"She colored her thoughts with only the brightest hues"

So trust me friends. Reading this book will change your life. It did for me! Love you all!

Lauren