10.26.2012

Lingerie Shower Time.... hello embarassment!



On the Thursday night before Neeley's wedding I planned a lingerie shower for her at Starlight. I enlisted Baliey and Lane's sister Sidney for help with food and games. We had such a great night with close friends and family celebrating the pending marriage of Neeley and Lane.


For the wedding we had been working on tissue balls and so for the shower I was looking for a new idea to add a flair of drama and eye candy to the back wall in the Starlight Reception hall. I had seen  a pinwheel tutorial on Pinterst and decided that was the look I wanted for the shower. They were very simple to make, scrapbook paper and hot glue. I added a little extra touch with some fabric flags and of course an F for Fort. I was very pleased with everyones reaction to my creation.

My color theme was Mint Green, Mustard Yellow, and Gray. I purchased some fabric from Joanns that coordinated and laid them messily around the vintage centepieces I borrowed from my Aunt Tammy's house. I loved the finished look with votive candles around giving it a vintage, rustic elegance.

Lane's sister was in charge of games. She asked Lane questions and we put Neeley in the front of the group to answer the questions. If she answered right she got a "Nice" gift which consisted of nail polish, boy shorts, and lip gloss. However if she answered wrong she got a "Naughty" gift which consisted of skimpy lingerie, chocolate syrup, and "up all night" nail polish with Redbull. She answered most questions wrong so she got to open several naughties in front of everyone. Needless to say I think she was just embarassed enough!

This is the face of a girl sitting in front of her Mom, Nana, and Mother-in-law opening an Edible Body Art Pen from Victoria Secret.


Kelsey was by her sister's side and gave her comfy VS Pink pants and a top.


New Buddies from our Bachelorette Weekend Bailey and Tenell were on hand to add to the fun!

Beautiful Bride. I loved the background!


The Kimbrough women were all in attendance to experience Neeley's embarassment. That is a group of fun women right there folks!


Neeley with her "New" Family, Grandma, Sister-in-law Sydney, and Mother-in-law Leah.


The Blanton women living loud and proud doing what they do best which is look absolutely Fabulous! Such a Beautiful group of women. I am so blessed to be in this group!


Mom and I took advantage of my artwork to grap this great shot! She is so lovely!


10.23.2012

2 years



Two years ago today I had a date with a fellow I had never met before. He picked me up at my house where an on guard Neeley watched  his every move. He took me to an Italian restaurant 20  minutes before our reservation, so we sat at the bar where he spilled water on me. He has changed my life in everyway. He is the most caring, kind, lovable man I have ever met. He has a way of keeping me calm in the midst of crisis. He adores my Mom and doesn't let either of us take things to seriously. He loves my brothers as his own. He has brought me more joy with his laughter and smile than anything else ever could. and in 158 days we will be married. I am overwhelmed with the blessings Drew is to me and my family and I cannot wait for him to be my husband!




Happy two year anniversary to the love of my life. I cannot wait for the many many more years to come!

10.19.2012

A Bachelorette Weekend!

A few weekends ago Neeley and I ventured down to Dallas to meet up with a few of her bridesmaid's for her Bachelorette Weekend!


Our plans were simple: Eat good food and shop shop shop!

We drove in Friday just in time to hit up our first Urban Outfitters before picking Tenell and Bailey up at the airport. The four of us were then off to the center of town to stay in our ultra trendy hotel A Loft. The hotel was so Neeley, it was an old warehouse turned into a hotel with loft style rooms and an awesome view.





 









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 We brought a multitude of shoes to insure we fit the Dallas scene for our weekend!

Erich and Nicholas suprised us with champagne at our room while we were getting ready to go eat at Papadeaux. So sweet and the perfect kickstart to our weekend. We had an amazing time just hanging out with each other and taking some time to relax before the wedding.






Rebecca met up with us after our long day of shopping on Saturday for a bite at Papasitos and then to hit the town a little bit. We tried to keep the weekend very non "bacheloretteish" but we couldn't help but embarass Neeley with a flashing banner to wear!





The weekend was so fun but after a long drive we were ready to get home... and Drew and Lane were chomping at the bits for us to be home.

I walked into a clean house with candles lit and Sweetheart roses from my sweetheart for our 1 week engagement anniversary! I am so lucky!

10.18.2012

Let the planning begin


I bouquet of flowers from Neeley's wedding still going strong after 5 days without water.


I feel as though real life is slowly trickiling back into a routine. After taking last week off to be "all hands on deck" for Neeley's wedding being at work is a little unbearable this week. I am adjusting to living alone for the first time in 4 years without Neeley, but while she is away on her honeymoon Cooper and Henley have been keeping me company while they run through the house fighting.

On top of reconstructing my schedule I have shifted my attention to planning my own wedding... not an easy task. I have convinced myself in the years and many months leading up to this moment that I want something very different from the normal wedding. I have pictured a destination wedding of some type with our friends and family taking a full weekend away to celebrate our love. However coming to terms with the planning of an event many miles away from home that will fully incorporate all of my ideas and dreams is turning out to be a wee bit stressful. I am realizing a little more each day that I may actually want something traditional. Drew, Mom and I are headed to Santa Fe this weekend to check out some venues and either close the door on a destination or lock in a date. Drew seemed a little overwhelmed when I exclaimed to him last night that "we are already way behind in our planning!" His response of we have only been engaged 4 weeks was not the answer I was searching for. He quickly told me to relax and that after our visit this weekend we would know much more and be able to tread steadily down the road to matrimony.

Drew's dad was rushed to the hospital this week after his heart gave out. He will be undergoing a procedure within the next couple of weeks to have a pump installed in his heart to keep it beating strong while he waits for a heart transplant. The most amazing part of this to me is that within minutes of learning the news my Fiance' inlisted his Facebook friends for their help in praying for his dad. I love the man Drew has grown to be in our short time together. He is rock solid for me and I couldn't be more blessed to get to marry him!


Wedding planning Binder... We are ready for this planning to begin!

10.15.2012

Mrs. Fort

I have so so much to catch up on... I have been so busy with getting ready for Neeley's wedding that I have completely abandonded blogging. I am going to back track and catch you all up on the events of the past couple of weeks but I wanted to go ahead and post these amazing pictures first.

This past Saturday Neeley and Lane said their vows and became Mr. & Mrs. Fort. The days leading up to the wedding were full of errands, crafts, champagne, and denial. We all tried to keep ourselves to busy to think about the weekend and all the changes that would come with a new and beautiful marriage! The wedding was beautiful and perfect in every way! I will post more on it later as I play catch up but here are some of the great bridal portraits I had the honor of taking for Neeley!

She is breathtaking in her dress!













9.26.2012

I'm Engaged!!!!!

I was shocked and overwhelmed with a precious proposal on Sunday from the man who has captured my heart!



Let me tell you the story.

Drew and I worked a wedding at Starlight on Saturday.... pretty much ALL day long! I had to do the photography and ended up playing weddnig coordinator as well after Neeley came down with a bad virus. So needless to say my plans for Sunday were to sleep. I was exhausted and had been fighting with a cold for the better part of 3 days. I made it very clear to Drew that I was sleeping in and did not want to be disturbed Sunday morning. As it turns out my ability to sleep in these days has passed on and I woke up at 8:46 am. Unusually early for me! I walked down the hall to find Neeley, who had spent the past week in bed with bad virus, sitting up in actual pants. She told me she was feeling good enough to go get some coffee at Starbucks with Lane. I let Cooper out of the house and made myself of cup of coffee and sat down on the couch to take in the early morning with some bravo tv. Neeley and Lane left and I decided I wanted some breakfast so I called Drew to bring me some eggs. He showed up 15 minutes later looking very nice in some jeans he never wears, boots, and a navy blue polo.

We started cooking breakfast together in my teeny tiny kitchen. I wanted these cornflake egg muffins Ryan taught me to make when we were in elementary school but Drew wanted real bacon and eggs. I convinced him I could make both easily for each of us. As we were talking about something I reached in the microwave to pull out a bowl of melted butter and burned three fingers on my right hand. I mean burned them bad!!! I ran cold water over them but could already see blisters coming up. I might have pouted just a little. Drew was about to leave to get some burn cream when I found some in a 100 year old first aid kit. I smeared ointment all over my right hand and tried to continue cooking with my left. Drew asked if I wanted to go watch the game at Buffalo Wildwings for lunch and the thought of getting dressed to go for lunch, especially there was not at all appealing. I told him I was completely content to sit home with my head cold, burnt fingers, and sweats. Bless him! That would be the moment his magical proposal plan was shot to the wind!!

I was turned with my head in the fridge when Drew said "maybe this will help your finger."

I dazily turned to find the man I love holding out a BEAUTIFUL diamond ring out towards me. I was shocked, bewildered, shocked!!!! I exlaimed to him " WHAT IS THAT?" "WHAT ARE  YOU DOING?"

He calmly bent down one one knee and told me how much he loved me and how much he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me. I couldn't believe what was happening! I was standing in the middle of my tiny kitchen, in my sweatpants and flip flops, burn cream all over  my right hand and my two day old mascara and he was proposing to me! I said YES, OF COURSE through weepy tears of Joy to which he handed me the ring box. I stared at the sparkly diamonds and told him how much I loved this ring he had picked out and handed the box back to him. He thought I was handing it back because I didn't want it to which I reminded him of my creamed up right hand and he placed it on my ring finger.

There are moments in this life you dream of, over analyze, talk about, and think of constantly... this moment had become that for me, I had a feeling that it was coming but this quiet moment between us in the kitchen doing what we love to do together far surpassed my expectations. His raw emotion and nervousness were captivating to me. We both had tears of Joy as we realized we would spend all of our time on earth together!

I immediately called my Mom and Nana, who were at church. Drew had taken Mom out on Friday night after working at Starlight to ask for her permission to marry me. He showed her the ring and made her pinky promise to keep it a secret from everyone until he was able to propose. Lane picked Neeley up Sunday morning for coffee and to tell her that Drew was going to propose that day which explained her hasty exit from the house. After I called my brothers I called Neeley to which she immediately came home and we cried together about it! Everyone I talked to on Sunday morning wasn't sure I was happy about the engagement, between my hoarse voice and sobs of joy, I was hard to understand.

The hardest call I made on Sunday was to Christie, my Dad's widow. Knowing that I had dreamt about this day for so long and did not have the opportunity to call my Dad and hear his excitement was more than I could bear. I clumsily told her of our news to which she told me how proud my Dad would be of my choice. Needless to say it was a short conversation that ended with alot of emotion.

I was instantly taken back to the Thanksgiving, a month after Drew and I began dating. I took him home to meet the family but mostly to meet Grandy. Grandy talked to Drew and asked him questions about his life and who he was but while I was sitting in the quiet with him, just the two of us, he told me how glad he was to get to meet my fiance'.  I feel like he knew long before I did that I was going to marry Drew and that was him giving me his blessing!

I am so overjoyed with the happiness I feel in this relationship and engagement. I am so thankful for the gift of Drew in my life and the rock he is for me and am so grateful he would ask me to spend the rest of his life with him! I am one lucky girl!!

Time to start the planning!!!!!

9.24.2012

A wedding shower

Last Saturday was Neeley's wedding shower. It still feels so surreal that after months of planning and preparing we are finally upon her wedding.




It is a very bittersweet moment to be at.  I am so excited for Neeley's new chapter and the life she and Lane will have wrapped up in their unconditional love but then I remember that as she is moving on this means moving out as well. I know we will be redeveloping our relationship as she is moving only blocks away but I cannot imagine not waking up in the morning to her sitting on the couch or telling her goodnight in the next room as we go to bed at night. This is life, you grow up and move on and things change.

That being said Neeley had a great shower on Saturday. She was surrounded by a very stylish group of family members and lots of friends and future family members.



I am so proud of Neeley and the way she is handling all the new situations with such grace. She is not one to have the spotlight put on her so being the center of attention can be a bit nerve racking. I was proud to the one by herside doing my maid of honor duties of writing all her gifts down.

Whats a wedding shower without a little homemade gift right?! I made these coasters for Neeley and Lane out of their engagement photos we took at Starlight. I loved the way they turned out.




Here are a few family photos from her shower.

The Bride to be with her Amazingly stylish Nana and Amazing Aunt! 
 
 Everyone should have a friend like Bailey, We realized later we looked really patriotic!

 The BEAUTIFUL Schmidt women bringing it loud and proud and of course very stylish!
 Rhonda who is always there to support and offer her advice!

The number 1 bridesmaid rocking her ankle wrap after a fall she took, she looked adorable!