Patience IS a virtue

We have a venue!!! I'm elated right now and super pumped to announce the venue we wanted is officially ours!! Now, the wedding planning can REALLY begin. We will be getting married on October 12, 2014 at Old House Vineyards located in Culpeper, VA. I figure some of you may have some questions so I hope to address what I would question if I were in your shoes!

How many venues did you see before picking this one?

We looked at a total of 6 in person. I think I probably emailed about one hundred places, many of which do not allow outside catering which was a must for us. When we walked into OH, we knew it was the one. The setting is absolutely unique which was really important to us.  While we had never considered a vineyard, we just felt it was perfect with it's island ceremony, rustic pavillion, and outdoor stone fireplace (perfect for a Fall wedding!). But, for budgetary reasons, the other one was a top contender. Plus, OH only had the last weekend in October open and we didn't want our guests in costume for the big day lol. When we became stuck between two options, we put our faith in the old adage that "whatever is meant to be will be". I was waiting to hear back from venue B when I got an email from OH owner, Allyson, who let me know October 12th was now available. It just seemed like it was destined to happen. So after a chat with Kyrin and my family (aka best support system on the planet), we decided to go for it and dropped off our deposit and signed contract yesterday!

A Sunday wedding? What are you thinking?

We had full intentions of a Saturday ceremony and reception but as it turns out, wedding venues book up fast. Our options were limited and because we didn't want a hotel wedding, we had to compromise. I did ask around and a lot of people told me not to stress it. More importantly, they made it clear to me that the people who want to be there will be there (for the most part of course). So, when I started looking at the calendar I saw that it's Columbus Day weekend and with that being a federal holiday, many of our invited guests will have the next day off to recover. So, there you have it!

10-12-14..what a cool date! Any significance?

It definitely wasn't on purpose. We have always wanted a fall wedding and as long as it fell in October that was all that mattered (funny how that decision was made years ago but the actual engagement not so much lol). When we got engaged we looked at what worked best for us and we knew it needed to fall either on the second or third week. So when we found the Old House, and the date came up, we just liked that our guests could party it up and have the following day free. But, we agree, it's a pretty cool (and easy) date to remember. 

Why not pick something closer to home?

I'll be honest. I went back and forth about the physical address of each location. I wanted something that spoke to our journey as a couple, as well as our vision for a reception. When I contacted OH, I learned that my mom (a preschool teacher turned director) had taught Allyson's children almost twenty years ago! Aother cool fact, while Kyrin and I aren't major wine-o's by any stretch of the imagination, we also learned that there are talks of starting a brewery on the property which as you all know, craft beer samplings are a major part of our relationship. To boot, when we were leaving after our tour, Allyson recommended a great spot for dinner called "It's About Thyme" which speaks for itself (p.s. the food was amazing there-if you have never been I definitely suggest you try it out!!). So, it just seemed like everything aligned in that perfect way for us so we couldn't say no. 

Besides, it's not THAT far ;)

What made y'all pick a vineyard?

Well, when I was looking around online one night, I saw Old House and immediately loved everything they have to offer. One look at that island with its Italian love lock ceremony and I was sold. All I had to do was convince Kyrin and we were good to go. The property allows me to have our ceremony and reception on the grounds and we would be the only event that day. In order to have a true rustic themed wedding, I felt the setting had to encompass that. I saw a lot that were beautiful but without the barn or plantation aspect, I didn't feel it made sense to go the rustic route. (I think it's really important to play on the overall feel of a venue when determining what your theme will be in planning any event). The great thing about OH is that while it's a vineyard, the pavillion where the reception would be is very rustic and appropriate to our theme without being a totally delapidated barn (lol). Besides, now we have the opportunity to add another aspect to our wedding we hadn't considered: rustic + wine inspired, which I am absolutely loving and wouldn't have gone with if we didn't have that vineyard thing haha :)

What's first on the planning agenda?

The venue was definitely the most important part. Without knowing the where or when, we wouldn't be able to do anything like our Save the Dates (which being a holiday weekend I feel it's super important to get those bad boys out sooner than later) or think about hiring a photographer or other vendors. We have already contacted some folks about dj services, photography, hair and makeup but nothing is set in stone quite yet. For now, we are just breathing a sigh of relief and getting excited about this crazy great year ahead of us!

Friday Faves

Welcome to the first edition of Friday Faves. I follow a lot of beauty gurus on YouTube and I love how they always share their favorite products. It's such a great way to tell folks what you love and why. Now, I won't always gear my choices towards beauty products but this week I decided to share with you three things I absolutely cannot get enough of. 

1. Coconut oil. This stuff is amazing. I use it for just about everything. Many would think it's too greasy but the stuff is pure magic. It's a great product for your skin, hair, nails, etc. I rub some on my cuticles everyday to keep them moisturized. If my skin is feeling super dry, which in the winter it generally does, i will use this as my facial moisturizer (I have never broken out from it either). My favorite way to use it though is as a deep conditioner. Most recommend to slather the stuff on before bed and wash out n the morning. But I toss and turn so much that when I do any overnight treatments, everything ends up all over my pillows. If you prefer the overnight method just make sure you use a cap, too. Because I am lucky enough to work from home four days a week, I just put this on in the morning (on non meeting days of course) and then wash out after work. My hair feels incredibly soft and super shiny after which is a blessing on this head of hair that gets a beating during the summer (chlorine, salt water, highlights). Honestly it's my holy grail and if you only get one of these products, make it this one. 

You're welcome

2. Kenra Blow Dry spray. If you're like me, you blow dry your hair before going out in public. People always ask me why I don't let my locks run free without the aid of heat. Well, thanks to some poor decision making in the early 90's (aka a perm) and a mystery gene that causes routine hair loss, my hair just has never been the same. What was once beautiful hair eventually grew to a kinda wavy, kinda limp disaster. Seriously, me with air dried hair ain't pretty and I only let Kyrin see this side of me now (thanks babe for still loving me). So one day I was in Ulta (which at that point was my second time in the place because I was never a hair and makeup kinda girl) and I gravitated to my favorite part in any store (CLEARANCE!). I found a bottle of this Kenra stuff and at 75% off with a promise to shorten my blow drying time, I was sold. When I walked up to pay, the cashier asked me if there were any other bottles left because she absolutely loves this stuff. She RAVED about it. I told her I'd grab her one and came back with two. I figured if this girl with gorgeous hair swears by it then I'd take the risk. Worst case I'd give it to a friend. Well, no need, cause it's amazeballs. I swear my drying time was cut in half and the best part is it doubles as a heat protectant which a heataholic should never go without. 

3. The last product of the day is St. Ive's moisturizer. If you know me, then you know I am pretty obsessed with Dr. Oz: the man is a genius. If he'd be willing to come to my house for a day and fill my life with the foods and products he talks about, I'd let him throw everything I own away. One day I was catching up on my dvr shows and I caught a segment of the doc's. He said he had THE product for women to use to prevent wrinkles and moisturize. At 31, wrinkles are a reality ladies. So, that night I went out on mission "find me some moisturizer". The stuff is under $5 for the container and a little really does go a long way. At first I thought it was a bit thin and runny. I preferred a facial moisturizer with some oomph. But, when it soaked in I could almost hear my skin saying "thankkkk youuuu!!!" I shared this little gem with one of my friends and she is now hooked, too. I won't go so far as saying this is my forever moisturizer but it's definitely a good summer option. I have a couple good winter ones that I'll share soon :)

Well, that's all for now! I'll be back next week with some more goodies. Happy Friday, kids!

Seek and Ye Shall Find

Well, it's happening and I didn't even plan for it. This blog is now becoming wedding central lol. How can you expect anything less? I mean I did promise to write about stuff I love and I love to 1) plan parties, 2) create diy projects, and 3) do things on a budget. So, I think it's natural I'd share. Besides, it's my blog and I can do what I wanna lol :)

We went venue hunting over the weekend and let me tell you, venues are no joke. They are expensive. I was getting quotes as low as $800 for 4 hours for a facility that holds 75 (super cute but too small) to $10k for a weekend. Sure the latter sounds appealing: gather everyone together for the whole weekend and boom, easy peasy. But there is so much more than just that. You need to worry about every logistic imaginable from flowers to your photographer to food and your music. In the end, your weekend getaway ends up being a cool $15k and while you may have created a great memory, you're now broke. Not exactly how I want to enter the blessed union of marriage. (And by no means am I knocking those who have had $15k and over weddings. To each his own is my opinion!!). My vision for this wedding is simple. In every sense of the word. I want rustic/country chic. Think: mason jars and lace, flowy dresses, hay bales, a barn. 

Yes, a barn. If we can get married in a beautiful barn, that is the ultimate dream. Kyrin and I have discussed this day for years and the Fall has always been a special time for us and not to mention that the season means a barn wedding is perfectly acceptable :) So, the plan (which as most of you know hasn't changed for about five years lol) is a Fall wedding. We are open to September but definitely prefer October for a few reasons: the leaves don't change til mid-October and that makes a world of difference in photos and color choices for foliage, October is the driest month and while rain is said to be good luck on your big day, I would really prefer it stays away during our I Dos, we have friends getting married at the end of September (and this is not about to be the real life version of Bride Wars), and the weather isn't humid or hot which is a must have for the Mr. ;)

Well, back to the venue hunt. We found a perfect place and immediately were stunned by the beauty and uniqueness of the location. Unfortunately, the only available date was the last weekend in October, which means we would be taking quite a risk in terms of weather. Virginia can get COLD this time of year and I certainly don't want our guests to suffer. We decided to think about it and keep it as a backup plan because when we started doing more researching, we came upon another venue that sold us with their rustic charm and all inclusive wedding package. We haven't narrowed down anything firm yet but are currently crossing our fingers that a date opens up for the location we have fallen in love with (the owner is checking with a bride that was penciled in and she'll have a week to make her decison on the date we requested). I don't want to jinx it, so I will keep it between us for now. But, as soon as I know for sure and have made the deposit to ensure it's ours, I will let you all know. 

So if you wanna follow me on our adventure feel free. I promise to throw in sprinklings of home projects and trips to my favorite thrift stores along the way. For now, I am gonna try and be patient (and keep those fingers crossed while we wait). 

“He that can have patience can have what he will.” 

― Benjamin Franklin

Worth the Wait

So, I took a little longer than I anticipated to write post numero dos.  With re-enrolling in school, my work load picking up and spending a week vacationing with friends in the OBX, it was hard to squeeze in anything to write about.  I suspect, though, that you will all find this was worth the wait. 

I mentioned in my revival post that the overall theme of this blog was changing.  I just want to talk about things I am passionate about.  And one of the things I am most passionate about is relationships.  This includes my family, friends and, of course, Kyrin.  We met seven and a half years ago through a mutual friend and while it was not love at first sight, it was most certainly love at first conversation…for me, anyway.  I remember it didn’t take long for me, serial dater extraordinaire, to pick up the phone and tell my mom and best friend that I had found “the one”.  Never in a million years did I think I would fall in love after just one conversation, albeit a lengthy one.  I was struck by how much we had in common:  our fervor for all things sports (the Jets thing didn’t sway me), the strong bond with our parents, our religious and spiritual perspectives, our love of beer (you didn’t think I’d leave that out, did you?), (most) of our musical tastes, our sense of humor, and the list goes on and on.  And even while we had so much in common, I remember loving those things we didn’t necessarily agree on 100% (politics, being an only child vs. having a sibling, obsession with cars, reality tv) because they made us different (really, if I wanted to date myself I’d probably be institutionalized…I’m no picnic all the time).    I loved getting to know him and why he loved what he loved.  I even loved the first time I rode in his car and tried to switch the station to play country music and how he refused to allow it.  Fast forward to today and you can hear Kyrin singing the newest Jason Aldean song in the shower. Bottom line, we grew together and grew up together.  Sure, we haven’t known each other since we were in the sandbox, but we grew from dumb 23 year olds to semi intelligent 31 year olds.  We evolved together…not just as a couple but as individuals.  We moved in together, we bought a home, we have seen each other through some of the most difficult lows in our lives, we have stood by one another when others stood against us, we fight together, we love together, we learn together.  He’s my best friend and I’m incredibly blessed that I have him as my ultimate partner.

All that being said, I’m sure you want to know what the point of this post really is.  So, I guess it’s time to let the cat outta the bag….after 7 years, 4 months and 22 days (who’s counting?) Kyrin asked me the most important question of our lives. 

And let me tell you, he was well worth the wait <3

“Love is the condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.”  - Robert Heinlein