Christmas in Dixie....(sing it with me now!)

For a bit of holiday humor, B-man and I decided last year to attend the Neck Parade down in, well, The Neck. Alas, it was much, MUCH more entertaining than we had ever hoped and so this year we decided to not only attend said "parade" but also to try and be in it. Yes, that's right, be IN it. Brandon has a type of vehicle that would fit right on in should we put a few lights on it here and there and drape around some tinsel. My brother also has a recently fabricated "vehicle" that he wanted to put in as well. So we made that our goal.... for next year. This year our schedules got a little too hairy and so, disappointingly, we didn't get to actually ride down the strip that is The Neck, but we attended nonetheless. We were NOT disappointed with who/what we saw.

I scored some sweet homemade pork skins too!

Fun times were had by all- even my 8-month-pregnant cousin who went with us! Nothing can stop her from some holiday fun!

Tis the Season!

So, apparently I've gotten carried away.... and then WAY behind on this blog! Note to self: I'd love a new blog look! One that is MUCH more picture friendly, and perhaps, PLAIN! I lika da' white space! Any suggestions on where to find such a domain... or a layout?

Now- to the point of today, yesterday, the rest of this week, and for that matter, all this month: MERRY CHRISTMAS! I'd love to post and update on all the goings on this month, including our very first showers!

Earlier this month my very-much-with-child matron of honor and a few of my awesome bridesmaids threw me a DIY shower to get started on all those favors and decorations I'm dreaming of making myself. And several other FABULOUS souls threw us a Christmas party/ cocktail-tease shower! It was an incredibly fun set of inaugural wedding events!

As soon as I get over my lethargy from cookie-induced comas and return from my fat-cation, I will post some Christmas pics from our festivities. Until then... enjoy the rest of your weekend! God bless us! Everyone!

my all time favs!

Here's a few more! There are PLENTY more that I ADORE, but these were the ones that I was able to share. The colors from our Sunday session (daytime pics) are what really makes me go YAY! Thank you SO much to my photographers, Devon and Katie, who gave us exactly what we wanted!

sneak peak!

here's a sneak peak at one of our recent engagement sessions!

I fall absolutely in love with them... and HIM... all over again every time I look at them!

Halloween's been reduced...

.... to nothing more than this

So it's official! The holidays are here!

Halloween to me is the certain beginning of the holiday season and now that has come and gone, I feel quite comfortable saying, "this holiday season" in reference to the present!

I have been minus a voice for almost a week now of this week which made for a very interesting time in the Media Center at Greenwood. Regardless of what was going on with me, students still came in with classes and they still had to checkout books. I can pop in all the movies I want, but the ultimate goal is that they (all 738 of them!) only visit me once a week to get what they need- and let me tell you- that requires some talkin'! If I repeat myself one more time...

I seriously just need to make me some posters and point. That should save me a ton of talk time!

Anyway, last weekend I went to Greenville to run/ walk in the Spinx Runfest with Tara Jane and her hubby, Christopher, as well as my best good friend (and bridesmaid) Rhonda! We visited with some dear friends from college that I personally am so excited to have re-connected with and we all did our best to make it to the finish line, in the rain mind you! But it was a great good time!

And while I was there, Rhonda helped me get started on flowers for the wedding! These aren't the best photos of them, but these are some samples we made to see just how easy/ hard it might be to churcn some of these puppies out. These two are made of tissue paper. She is also going to try some out of paper and fabric to see if they might all come together to be one (8) big, beautiful bouquet(s)!

I am so very thankful for my crafty friends who are so willing to help me! I'd never be able to do any of this without their help and encouragement that my ideas might actually come together and workout! Thanks so much guys!! Love you Rhonda!

Pave' Maria.

I'm sorry, I had to. And if you don't get me on the title, it's because I believe "Ave Maria" to be one of the most beautiful songs ever (and very well re-mixed and danced to for Zumba! :)) and it seemed very appropriate for the subject matter in this post.

Brandon and I went to Christopher's Fine Jewelry in Pawley's Island last weekend to pick out our wedding bands! Being the planner that I am, I, quite naturally, had in mind something of what I wanted (for both he and I no less).

The setting of my white-gold, emerald-cut, diamond solitaire is a Tiffany setting and so the band is actually raised a bit so that it's not flush with my finger. I absolutely LOVE it, as any girl would the diamond that she waited for and prayed for and longed for most of her years on this earth! And what I love most about it is that it is just that, a simple, classic, beautiful solitaire in a simply elegant setting that can be dressed up or down, can be added to but never taken away from no matter what one tries to put with it. So I was rather excited about this trip back to Christopher's from whence this treasure originated!

We showed up, were served drinks by the nice lady who offered to go clean my diamond while we browsed and Brandon and I proceeded to look for bands we thought we should try. Turns out, trying on wedding bands that you are going to wear against your no-less-than-perfect diamond ring for the rest of your life, is not very much at all like trying on shoes, as I thought it might be. First of all because most all shoes in my size look decent and I don't ever have a hard time choosing because I know that there are ump-teen things in my closet that I could pair with them and second, because I know that eventually they will wear out so I can go choose more! :)

This, however, was more like trying on pants, jeans even! Because no matter what size you are, they are always cut a bit differently, made a bit differently, fit VERY differently, and so on. And with jeans especially, when you find a good pair, a REALLY good pair, that fit just right and hug your best features just right and hide your worst features just right, you wanna keep those puppies around forEVER!

We found Brandon's pretty quick. We knew what we wanted, went for it, tried a few more for good measure and moved on.

But for me, I just couldn't quite decide.

I wanted one to compliment, but not overpower.

One that was similar but didn't look like it was made together.

One that was ornate and new, but classic and ageless.

One that was antique, but not dated...

you get the picture.... it really is going to be a tough decision, and I say going to be because I have yet to make it. It's okay, I have time. I did walk away knowing this: the Pave' setting is it. It is the most beautiful against my rock and the one that makes it sparkle and shine the most! Here it is..... Pave'- oh yay!

My "fair" lady... and gentleman!

This weekend has been an incredibly fun time for Brandon and I! Our wonderfully flexible and sweet photographers of NDC Photography felt my silly anxiety that if we went too late on Sunday we would MISS THE LIGHTS at the fair, which are the BEST part, right!? And they went with us not once, but twice to get some of what promise to be the best engagement pictures ever! Not only did we get to hang out and have fun like we would any year, but we got to act like celebrities advertising a movie and have people (many of which I knew, btw) stare at us like we were nothing shy of "fools in love." Let them look right!? Those pics and memories will be worth it! Brandon not only acted like his perfectly charming self the entire time, but once again proved his love for me by being such a great sport about the whole thing, when let's face it people, we all know guys don't usually like to be held hostage for a photo shoot- much less two in one weekend... I cannot wait to see some them, but until then....

... in reverse order, here is the next installment of "No. Yes. Yes."

No to the big animal skull in place of my husband-to-be's head.

Yes to this big poofy Martha stewart flowers that will be one of the easiest things to make- although Mama is convincing herself that they might be "overkill". FYI- you have to try real hard to overkill a party!

Yes to this romanticly antique centerpiece with the artichokes! I love it!

Yes to this colorful fun table setting with the old quilts as table clothes!

Not quite according to plan...

While Saturday's shopping was a complete success in my opinion, it did not go quite according to plan! Of course! :) When we go to the Making Memories- Brides Against Breast Cancer store in the Santee Outlet Mall, the ladies were so super helpful and nice that I only had to try on my dress before they were in there with ideas of how to make it work! And we all LOVED their ideas! So, since I am not yet ready to post pics of my dress and how they "fixed it," I do have some other details to elaborate on!

Now- what do we think about this? The more I look for THE perfect fabric to construct my flowers from, the more I wonder if I should/ could find some to purchase... this one is quite lovely! It's actually making me re-think my colors! Gasp!!!

Three little pumpkins sitting on a gate.....

The first one said, "I'm short and round but don't chu hate!"

The second one said, "This patch is full of clowns!"

The third one said, "Peace out, I'm skippin' town."

Happy Fall!

-Love, Jenna and Nonni

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dress shopping saturday! Coming up!

Saturday is our first dress shopping day! Mama, I and my cousin, Rachel, (THE M of O) are headed to Charleston to meet up with another one of my bridesmaids and scour the wracks for some good ideas. Notice I didn't say THE DRESS. Because I already have my dress!

A few years ago when I began my weightloss journey (possible post on that later to bring you up to speed) I did believe I would lose weight. I NEVER thought I would EVER reach any size less than a 14. But as I continued my trek through the never-ending story that is "a woman's struggle with weight" the scale dipped lower and lower and the clothes got smaller and smaller, until one day, I found myself slipping into what appeared to be a TWELVE!

Being the encouragement that she is/ was, my mom mentioned that I was "almost" the size she was when she got married (and still is, BTW-go Ma!), so I decided to make that one of my goals- to fit into her wedding dress....

Well, I DID! And not only was it her wedding dress, but it was also my great aunt's wedding dress before that. So I'm gonna walk down the aisle and join my huney next June in an original vintage something-or-other, 60-year-old dress that has been passed down through 2 generations now! How exciting!

Though it has a gorgeous neckline and some very fun features, it does need a bit of "tweeking" before it's runway ready. So I'm on the hunt for the perfect fit, rather than the perfect dress. We're looking to see which waistlines, bodice, and sleeves look best on me and taking pics to show my super-sweet seamstress who is gonna makeover my dress! (thanks to one Whitney Meade for recommending her!)

Do to the fact that my Amazingly Handsome and Truly Wonderful Fiance' reads this blog from time to time (hey huney!) I won't be posting any pics of THE dress, but I will try to post some pics of the features we find and love from Saturday!

Until then- it's time for another episode of Yes, Yes, Yes, No!

Yes to the personalized fans!! We can't have an outdoor reception in June without fans!

Yes to the candy/ ice cream bar! And the cute display! There will definitely be some type of candy tent open and available!

Yes to the pinwheels! I can't wait to get a good pic of everyone blowing their pinwheels as we enter the reception!

No to the hideous tights under my dress! These may add to that vintage feel, but the temp. alone that day is excuse enough NOT to wear them- if I even need one!

Yes to programs made with butcher paper and tied with twine! I LOVE IT!

Yes to COTTON CANDY! You can't have a fair without COTTON CANDY!

Yes to such creative ways to bring light throughout the night!

NO! There will not be any broken toys in the midst of our fair. Sorry to disappoint all the broken toy collectors out there...

yes.. yes... yes... no

Sometimes the number of pictures I want to post gets away from me and sometimes I just don't have so much time, but want to post on my blog. So I'm starting a different type of blog for myself that I can use in moments like these. I'll call it the "Yes... Yes... Yes... No" format. Jut take a look. You'll get the picture.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

No.

Yes. (but only the scenery and the fence)

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

No. (to the recorder!)

Yes.

Yes! (the sign, not the big yellow taxi)

LOVE it!

These folks had their engagement pics taken at the FAIR!

How fun would that be.... considering my reception ideas are quite in-line with these.....

My two favorite inspirational wedding blogs (besides Ma Stew) have now become OnceWed.com and weddingchicks.com

Check them out!