tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425293774654915262024-03-12T23:16:24.045-04:00 Girl Growing UpChelseahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077569529255486338noreply@blogger.comBlogger169125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542529377465491526.post-28681076197568567472015-06-15T23:58:00.003-04:002015-06-16T00:00:24.253-04:00Smitten Whittens: A Giant Lesson in Grace Not Perfection <center style="text-align: left;">
So, I talked a bit about expectations a couple posts ago, and tonight's post will match that one.<br /><br />Emily Ley has become somewhat <a href="http://emilyley.com/blog/2011/06/grace-not-perfection/" target="_blank">internet famous</a> for her stance on <b>holding herself to a standard of grace not perfection</b>, and this year has been the ultimate test of that for me. </center>
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<i>This makes the perfect lock screen for my phone right now. If y'all aren't acquainted with <a href="http://emilyley.com/" target="_blank">Emily Ley</a>, I highly recommend you check her- and her beautiful and practical products- out. </i></div>
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I wanted to be the perfect student teacher, I wanted to be the perfect fiancée, and even worse than that, I wanted to have the perfect relationship throughout our engagement. Now, anyone who is working or in school while planning a wedding knows it isn't exactly an easy task, and anyone who's ever been in a long-distance relationship knows that's no cake walk either. Combine those two situations <i>and </i>add your fiancé buying and renovating a house on top? Yeesh. Our engagement season has been a little less rainbows and butterflies than I was expecting. (Ugh, there go those expectations again!) </center>
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<i>If my "rainbows and butterflies" reference didn't make you think of "She Will be Loved" by Maroon 5, you should really consider going back to 2002 for a do-over.</i></div>
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However, it has been a time of tremendous growth for John and me, as individuals and as a couple. John started his career and learned so many skills while making a house into a home (more on that post-wedding!), while I made my way through student teaching, getting a job, and graduating. Together, we've practiced giving each other grace when we really don't want to- and we're still practicing! However, I think that's an important part of marriage- to give each other grace is to get a taste of what we're given on a daily basis from God. </center>
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On top of John giving me grace, I've learned to give myself grace. Okay, I've actually learned I'm terrible at giving myself grace, but again, I'm practicing! Besides the usual suspects, like giving myself grace with my appearance (oh hey, stress acne!), I'm trying to give myself grace with all those little wedding details. I'm slowly realizing it's okay not to have everything match perfectly, and if the guest table seems a little hodgepodge-y to me, so what?! It <i>really</i> doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things, and it's certainly not worth having a mental breakdown over a six foot table! </center>
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<i>This hilarious SomeeCard reminds me that the vast majority of our guests couldn't care less about the little details I obsess over. (Granted, I spent no where <b>close</b> to three months on invitations! I'm not that bad!)</i></div>
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Letting go of control is much easier said than done, because I'm just so detail-oriented, it's difficult for me to let the little things slide. I want all frames to match, all decor look cohesive, and I want everyone to get a clear picture of what my vision was for our wedding aesthetic. However, I also want to enjoy my last eleven days at home as a VerHage. (Okay, typing that makes me a little emotional...) The last thing I want to do is isolate myself because I'm so obsessed with every last detail that I shut my parents out.</center>
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Wow. I think this post was another therapeutic one to write. One where I spilt honesty onto the screen with the prayer that someone somewhere could maybe identify. Engagement is an incredible time; it's brought some of my highest highs and lowest lows. I know our marriage, exponentially longer than our engagement season, will bring way more joyful and trying times, and I think as long as we remember to give each other that unconditional love and grace, we'll be alright. </center>
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Oh, and as for the lack of posts the past two days... I was celebrating one of my dearest, most wonderful friend's bachelorette weekend in Charleston, and I wouldn't change it for the world! Yay for that whole grace thing! :) </center>
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Chelseahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077569529255486338noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542529377465491526.post-15163490867045977372015-06-12T09:00:00.000-04:002015-06-12T09:00:03.397-04:00Smitten Whittens: Asking my Flower Girls<center>
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Now, after the bridesmaids were all taken care of (like we talked about <a href="http://chelseagrowingup.blogspot.com/2015/06/smitten-whittens-asking-my-maids.html" target="_blank">yesterday</a>), it was time to ask my two favorite little girls to steal the show as our flower girls. I was able to see my five year old cousin Emily go from baby to toddler while I was still at Wofford, and she is so special to me. My older, biggest-role-model cousin, Jana, has an adorable two year old daughter, Charlotte, who is technically my second cousin, but I can't imagine her not being part of our special day (especially since Jana insisted on not being a bridesmaid). </div>
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The early childhood education major in me that loves children's literature, so it should come as no surprise that as soon as I saw Fancy Nancy had a wedding book, I was buying it. </div>
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<span style="text-align: start;"><i>If that precocious little girl's stories had been around when I was little, I can guarantee Nancy would have been competing with Madeline for my favorite book character.</i> </span></div>
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Now, the story was adorable, and Nancy was sassy as ever, but I had to add a little note to the front, in order to actually ask the girls! Here's the inside of Charlotte's book: </div>
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<i>Of course, I had to come up with a cheesy little poem and relate it all back to the plot of the book! </i></div>
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I can't say my flower girls' initial reactions were <i>quite </i>as ecstatic as my bridesmaids', but in their defense, Charlotte wasn't even two yet when I asked, and Emily can be pretty shy. Her immediate response? "Not doing that!" However, by the end of the night, she had Rapunzel and Flynn Ryder/ Eugene (if you haven't seen <i>Tangled, go fix that ASAP) </i>pretending to be Chelsea and John. :)</div>
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<i>Emily warming up to the idea of our wedding- I hope she isn't disappointed when she finds out John isn't wearing boots and a tunic! </i></div>
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I also hope she and Charlotte know how excited I am to have them in our wedding, and I only wish I could watch them walk down the aisle and melt everyones' hearts! (Con of an outdoor ceremony: no doors to hide behind and peek out of, only hills and trees.) </div>
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Chelseahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077569529255486338noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542529377465491526.post-29842088310583547132015-06-11T23:26:00.004-04:002015-06-11T23:26:41.087-04:00Smitten Whittens: Asking My 'MaidsIf you read yesterday's post, you'll see I joked about how long I've been talking about doing this post, and now that I'm actually creating it, I'm like, "Uhh, this seems like a lot of build up for nothing."<br />Because how I asked them wasn't revolutionary, by any means.<br />I just took a few of my favorite glitzy things- champs, chunky glitter, and Carolyna Pro Black font- and combined them to make these:<div>
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<i>Mini bottles of champagne are kind of my weakness.... Like how adorable are they?!</i></div>
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<i>A little closer...</i></div>
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<i>On the left: "John popped the question, but before we pop the champagne..." On the right: "Will you be my bridesmaid? Love, Chelsea"</i></div>
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To make these, all it took was a couple packs of mini bottles of champagne, Mod Podge adhesive spray, and lots of glitter! I used finer glitter to really give it some sheen, and then the chunky glitter because it's obnoxious, and I like it. I simply used PicMonkey to make the tags, picking a fun background and my favorite font. Carolyna Pro Black is kind of our "wedding font" per say, in that it's used on lots of our paper products, from invitations to programs (you may also notice it throughout my current blog design!). With the gold polka dots on the background of the tags, and the black and white ribbon patterned, I think I achieved the "Kate Spade" vibe I was going for with these. <br />
I was able to hand all but one of the bottles in person (boo for having my little live in Arkansas!), and the reactions ranged from squeals (okay, screams) of excitement to border-line tears, which made the glitter trail so worth it!<br />
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<i> One of my favorite reactions caught on camera: I had already asked Leslie (on the right in this picture) earlier that day before we surprised Christine in Charleston on her birthday. This is said birthday girl's candid reaction when I asked her to stand by my side too! Y'all, Christine is a notorious non-hugger, so to get this kind of reaction?! Priceless. :) </i></div>
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I am so thankful all eight girls said "yes" to supporting me during this adventure, many of them traveling out of state (one buying a cross-country plane ticket!), and I cannot wait for the next two weeks to fly by so I can spend time with them during the wedding weekend!<br />
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Tomorrow, you'll find out how I asked my flower girls to strut their stuff down the aisle!<br />
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Chelseahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077569529255486338noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542529377465491526.post-10480827937513678852015-06-10T23:50:00.001-04:002015-06-11T22:28:54.950-04:00Smitten Whittens: ExpectationsLet me give you a direct quote from yesterday's post:<br />
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"Tomorrow, you can expect a post on how I asked my 'maids." </div>
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So.... I don't know how to break this to you, but friends, it's 11:15, I'm just now sitting down (cough, laying in my bed on my phone) to blog, and that post isn't happening tonight. </div>
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Here's why: I spent my day at IKEA buying stuff for the wedding, working with my mom on our table seating arrangements, working with John's mom on the same thing, and then, creating a chart for said seating arrangements. It was a pretty full day, as most days have been lately, and I love staying busy! However, I hate when busy pulls John and me apart, which it has sort of done lately. </div>
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He's been working like crazy on our house after putting in long days at work, and I've been preparing for our wedding and starting to prepare for a classroom of six year olds (although honestly, even that has been pushed to the side with all the little wedding to-dos that are popping up left and right!). Between our two crazy schedules, it leaves very little "just us" time. </div>
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Tonight, we desperately needed that. So he picked me up, we got ice cream at Chick-fil-a, and we drove around, just talking. </div>
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Although we love to be silly, a lot of our serious talks throughout engagement have centered on one thing: expectations. It's hard to go in to marriage without them, but they can be so dangerous. If you want to listen to a really enlightening talk on how damaging expectations can be, just watch<a href="http://youtu.be/G-Z-WeQkYKk" target="_blank"> this Andy Stanley sermon</a>. It's super relatable, and I highly recommend it, whether you're engaged, married, or even single! </div>
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Basically, desires are healthy, but when we turn those desires into expectations, where we become unhappy when they're not fulfilled, it can get messy. </div>
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This semi-serious post may seem like it was more work than if I had just stayed true to my word and shown you how I asked my bridesmaids, but<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> I want my blog to be an authentic space, where I share "real life" wedding planning with you- not just the cutest crafts and decisions. An important part of our engagement season has been working on and growing in our relationship, which isn't always easy. Ultimately this wedding is leading up to a marriage, and that's what really matters. </span></div>
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Plus, I figured, hey, you've waited almost eleven months to see how I asked my bridesmaids, what's another day going to hurt?! ;) </div>
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Chelseahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077569529255486338noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542529377465491526.post-27415498793870725372015-06-09T23:15:00.000-04:002015-06-09T23:15:27.083-04:00Smitten Whittens: Band vs. DJ<center style="text-align: left;">
When I go to a wedding, there are a few things I will inevitably do: </center>
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<br />1. Get emotional when I see the groom watch his bride walk down the aisle.</center>
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2. Pretend to fix my hair so I can sneakily wipe tears from my eyes without looking dramatic.</center>
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3. Eat wedding cake.<br /></center>
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Now, these are all guaranteed, no matter the wedding, but if it's a <i>great </i>wedding, there is a fourth inevitable thing I will do, and that is dance. </center>
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And to dance at a wedding, I require music. (Gotta keep my reputation as a relatively sane human being.)</center>
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In my opinion, music, and the dancing that comes along with it, can either make or break a wedding reception. </center>
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The southern girl in me loves shagging and swing dancing to beach music, and if the moment is right, you may find me wobbling or shuffling to a line dance (but seriously, at the right moment, with the right DJ who knows <i>not</i> to play the entire 5 minutes of the "Cupid Shuffle," because WOW that gets old fast). However, for me, it is never, ever grinding, because that just isn't me. Now, that's not to say I don't wanna hear songs like "Yeah!" by Usher, because I will totally dork-dance my way through that with interpretive dance moves! </center>
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<i>Can you say classic?!</i></center>
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<br />Obviously, not everyone feels the same way I do about the same kinds of music, and that's what makes wedding entertainment so tricky! My goal is to get people on the dance floor, and I want them to stay there! However, when my guests range from ages 2-88 (true story), it's a little difficult to find music that will please everyone. </center>
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I didn't know dancing at weddings could be so fun until last May, when I went to my first wedding with a band.... And it. was. awesome. The band was phenomenal, playing the most fun songs that kept people of all ages on the dance floor all night, and as if that wasn't good enough, they had these backup singers and dancers that looked like they were straight out of the movie "Dream Girls." I was sold. I knew when John and I got married, I'd book a band.</center>
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<i>Ugh, can Bey just come play at my reception?!</i></center>
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Until I realized that booking a band means paying for a lot of people. And really good bands have really steep rates.</center>
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I talked to many people about many different bands, but for the kind of band I loved- the kind of band people would talk about for years after the wedding, we'd be spending more money than I'd be comfortable spending on one element of the day, no matter how important that element may be.</center>
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I almost signed a contract with an okay band; in fact, I <i>did </i>sign a contract with an okay band, but ripped it up before I put it in the mail. Because I had a realization: I would rather find an awesome DJ, and pay more for him than the average DJ, than find an okay band, and pay more for an average band than I would for an awesome DJ. Does that make sense?? Basically, awesome DJ who was a Blue Ribbon Vendor with Southern Weddings (AKA <i>the</i> wedding gurus, in my book) = less money than "meh" band who did covers of Prince my parents weren't crazy about. </center>
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I'll end this with a short pro/con list about bands and DJs, but ultimately, I think John and I will be very happy we saved that money from my parents and put it towards something down the road, like six months worth of mortgage payments! ;) (I wish I was kidding, but price is definitely a good bands biggest con...)</center>
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<b>GO DJ:</b> less expensive than bands of equal caliber, more variety in what they can play- not stuck to a certain setlist of songs, take up little space</div>
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<b>NO DJ:</b> generally not as interactive with the crowd, can be bad at reading what people actually want to hear, not as exciting or special seeming as a band (I mean, my eighth grade dance had a DJ, and the MAC counter at the mall seems to have one every weekend)<br /><br /><b>GO BAND: </b>live music is more special, gets the crowd going, looks phenomenal <br /><b>NO BAND:</b> costs more than a DJ (I mean, you're paying for more people, duh), takes up way more space than a DJ (this is also a factor I hadn't thought about, but with our covered pavilion space being precious at the reception, this is another reason I'm actually grateful the band thing didn't work out)</div>
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Tomorrow, you can expect a post on how I asked my 'maids! (Over ten months ago... #oops)</div>
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Chelseahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077569529255486338noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542529377465491526.post-9108373250761279792015-06-08T09:00:00.000-04:002015-06-10T23:50:50.082-04:00Smitten Whittens: My Best Wedding Planning Advice<center>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">We’ve
all heard the advice: enjoy your first few days of engaged bliss, and then,
when you’re ready to take on wedding planning, the first thing you should do is
talk budget. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now,
I’m here to tell you this is fabulous advice (heck, I talked about that with my
parents a little before John and I got engaged… Curiosity got the better of me one day when I had a
feeling a wedding might be in the next couple years!), but I’d like to give you
even better advice. Don’t just have a budget talk; have a numbers talk. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">A
“numbers talk” includes budget, but it isn’t limited to just money, because for
me, budget has not been the trickiest part of wedding planning. The real thorn
in my side has been the guest list. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now,
you should know I’m a total planner, so I wanted to get down to business ASAP. However,
I didn’t want to freak our families out a few days after our engagement by
sitting them down, and asking them to help create an estimate guest count. I
also wasn’t worried about just families; I was worried about John. He is not a
huge fan of awkward conversations, and a conversation where you’re essentially
asking your parents how much they’d be comfortable contributing and how many
people they’re thinking of inviting versus how many you’re hoping to invite is,
well, awkward. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now, in hindsight, </span>I say <b>embrace the awkward</b>, because ultimately, it will save you a lot of stress, guilt, and frustration. You’ll go into venue-shopping with a clear idea of capacity requirements, and you won’t want to cry when you think about how much more the catering (and bartending, and linens...) will cost than you anticipated. Let me tell you how I can say all this with confidence...</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Like I said, I didn't want to force awkward on everyone, so I decided, “No need to freak
everyone out! I will just create a ballpark guest-list myself!” (Can anyone else tell how terrible of an idea this is already? Yeah? I thought so.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In
my mind, the guest list was great. It included all of my family, all of John’s
family (plus a handful or two of question marks where great-aunts and second
cousins would naturally go), plenty of family-friend spots, and John’s and my
closest friends. The list was right
around 150. So, when John and I found out our dream-venue maxed out at 200
people? That’s fine! We aren’t expecting any more than 140 people to <i>actually</i>
come! Our favorite venue was the perfect size, so we signed the contract
immediately! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I
later realized I was way wrong. I asked for a guest list from John’s family,
and went through my family’s address book. I told my parents I was being
“cut-throat,” and my poor, selfless parents just nodded and let me decide which
of our family-friends made the cut, <i>even though they were the ones footing the
bill</i>. I was determined this celebration would be about John and me, and it only
made sense to invite people who would be in <i>our </i>future. Will they be on our Christmas card list? Nope? Well then, they're off the list. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now,
when I received the guest list from John’s family, I realized how selfish I had
been- <b>John and I couldn’t just decide who was important enough to invite
to our wedding</b>. Our family's opinions mattered too. A</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">fter
understanding my embarrassing mistake, I went back to my parents, and
apologized. I had been overly aggressive when I was trying to keep the guest
list small, and I didn’t even consider whom my parents wanted to invite.</span></div>
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<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ultimately,
when all was said and done, our guest list was a little over two hundred
people. Yikes. I had sorely underestimated our guest count, because I shied
away from a numbers talk with our families. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now,
obviously there are people who won’t come, but a lot of my guests are family
(both of my parents come from bigger families) and a lot of John’s guests are
family-friends who live nearby, which means lots of people <i>will</i> come. <b>And we are so, so
excited about that and very blessed to have so many loved ones! </b>We are also very thankful we are right at our venue's limit and not way above it!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
Whew. That was a lot, but I just wanted to give y’all our story, so you’d understand why it’s important to have a numbers talk! Now here is a short list of how to have a productive numbers talk:</div>
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<br></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1.
Come in with grateful heart.</b> No matter what your parents can contribute, they
should have some say in your wedding. I don’t care if they’re renting out
Disney World or cannot contribute financially. Either way, they have supported
you since you were born, and they will give crucial emotional support leading
up to the big day. If you go in with no expectations, you will be delighted
with whatever comes! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2. Come
in with an open mind.</b> Know that what you think is a reasonable guest list and
what your parents think is a reasonable guest list might be two totally
different things.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>3.
Have the same talk with both families. </b>Don’t do what I did and be super
strict on one side and not even address the other! If you are truly going in with no expectations, no one should feel offended that you brought this up; it's just part of wedding talk! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>4. Do what makes you happy. </b>Yes, I've been saying to be flexible and open-minded, and while I had to learn to do all this, I never gave up my vision for what John and I wanted: an intimate, casual yet classic, Southern wedding about the marriage. Thanks
to my mother’s great advise she’s given me for a long time, I’m a firm believer
a wedding should be what you and your groom want. So if you are set on a
certain venue that you know has a capacity constraint, or you are dying for a
small, intimate wedding, go for it! However, make sure you’re clear about this
during your numbers talk so everyone is on the same page with how many guests
to invite!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Is anyone still with me? I know it's a long post, but I promise, doing this will make you the happiest bride-to-be in all the land! I also promise my future wedding posts won't be nearly as wordy or boring! Next up: music. </span></div>
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Chelseahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077569529255486338noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542529377465491526.post-61477244735666588552015-06-07T21:01:00.001-04:002015-06-15T23:07:39.175-04:00Three Weeks 'til Wedding<center>
Okay, technically, it is less than three weeks. </center>
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What?!</center>
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I mean, <i>WHAT?!</i><br /><br />People (and by people, I mean the two to three sweet friends who optimistically check my blog on occasion in hopes of there actually being a new post), that is just crazy.</center>
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No, I have not been a good blogger, but by golly, I've been busy with the following:</center>
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-Student teaching</center>
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- Falling in love with with my kindergarteners during said student teaching</center>
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-House hunting</center>
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- Buying a house (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)</center>
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- Applying for jobs</center>
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- Getting a job (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)</center>
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- Graduating</center>
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- Wedding planning</center>
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- Beginning to set up my classroom</center>
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- Trying to get in shape for said wedding</center>
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Now, we obviously have a lot of life to catch up on! I've decided that every day, for the next three weeks, I will blog. And I mean it. Unlike the last several times I did the whole, "I'm back!" thing for a good post or two and then disappeared into the abyss that is real life (which can get a little cray-cray). </center>
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Tomorrow, you'll read a post I wrote <b>in February</b>. I thought it was my best wedding advice then, and after re-reading the post, I would agree with February-Chelsea. Except for when June-Chelsea gets stressed about the devilish details and would say the best advice is to just hire a wedding planner! ;) </center>
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Here's to three weeks of Whitten Wedding posts, so I can document this amazingly fun, time-consuming, and emotional journey that has led (and is still leading) up to our wedding- maybe with a dash of other stuff in between, because I'm pretty darn excited about the whole "job" thing. :) </center>
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Chelseahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077569529255486338noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542529377465491526.post-83128675816582791852015-02-01T08:55:00.003-05:002015-02-01T08:55:49.868-05:00Begin Again<center>
So. </center>
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I haven't blogged since Halloween.</center>
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And when I say "blog" I don't just mean typed my own- I also mean read my favorite bloggers' posts. </center>
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Which means I've missed a lot of my blogging friends' lives, minus the occasional Instagram posts. </center>
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I'm about to get back in the swing of things; thank goodness.<br /><br />I've had a few baby "epiphanies" about social media, blogging, and life in general in the past 3 months I've been gone, and it's going to change how I blog, in a really, really good way, I think! </center>
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So to any and all of my blog friends, I apologize in advance for the blog stalking that may commence in the next couple of days... I've got lots to catch up on! </center>
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Chelseahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077569529255486338noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542529377465491526.post-20756078514477341622014-10-31T15:04:00.002-04:002014-10-31T15:22:50.605-04:00Five on {Halloween} Friday<center style="text-align: left;">
You know what I love? Halloweens on a Friday! I remember feeling this way when I was younger too, because you still got to go to school to share your excitement with your friends, but then you also didn't have to worry about homework and school the next day! (I am, and have always been, a planner. Yes, I think about these things.) </center>
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As if Halloween isn't enough to be happy about, it's officially my <b>FALL BREAK! </b>Y'all, this semester has been a<i> loooong</i> one without a break, since Fall Break is usually mid-October. However, Clemson tried to be sneaky and only give us one extra day off, since Tuesday we'd technically have off anyways for elections, but whatever.... We're on to you, Clemson! Here are five things other than Halloween and Fall Break that are making me smile today. </center>
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<a href="http://northcarolinacharm.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuUJYh592DhRgM06062tGvAaYBeUjRpV6Pz90xymk0kdKdNRWCb_QzcViSdvyEhtQ2Pz5YvizWrfFAVv3kQSQnniCh1mIPqYwPXYzRowqwDoK3Usy5Jt1GMFhJslKRQhIMMLASF8ooBANA/s1600/five+on+friday+button.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><a border="0" href="http://farmerbell.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c151/karlib83/FALLohheyfridaybebas_zpsea6f18fd.png" height="200" width="199" /></a></div>
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<b>1. Ain't Nothin' But a Fang. </b></center>
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<b><br /></b></center>
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I know I don't talk about them much on here (since I'm pretty much never here, but whatever), but I. Love. My. School. Kiddos. They're seriously so dear to me, and I just had to fix them up a little something for Halloween! However, I didn't want to go overboard, in case my teacher didn't want me to do anything, I didn't want to get them candy, and I also didn't want to spend a fortune. (Still a college girl, technically.) Here was my solution: </center>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimtXR0nYWU4zBzh69AYlfnxq-biW8_A3FDUVeTbMY7YAqq-6lSZHj4eTHGRZKOEe5mSfP3aYLainZhNfKt0AG-mLL5_Fn9VfmVq3ZOYCf-rxkfWDLzeWtSFB8HMxNhU8C0T7oaijpk7IE4/s1600/Screen+shot+2014-10-31+at+8.46.04+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimtXR0nYWU4zBzh69AYlfnxq-biW8_A3FDUVeTbMY7YAqq-6lSZHj4eTHGRZKOEe5mSfP3aYLainZhNfKt0AG-mLL5_Fn9VfmVq3ZOYCf-rxkfWDLzeWtSFB8HMxNhU8C0T7oaijpk7IE4/s1600/Screen+shot+2014-10-31+at+8.46.04+AM.png" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>"Thanks for being a FANG-tastic student! Love, Miss VerHage"</i></div>
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<i> (I saw the idea <a href="http://www.lovestitched.com/my-tutorial/halloween-in-the-classroom/" target="_blank">here</a> using "Have a FANG-tastic Halloween!" but I didn't want to mention Halloween in the little note, since some of the students' families don't celebrate Halloween.) </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9v-9auFqet0WxcL7owRE46kPLnqxD5xYTHUKcFehFH42vEog5NdAUNLTHrBgz_6Cm38PZEIB3f1KuGQJEIKFvEGUYQKt3AJsI_W8tyInjaViDbwso_Dn5IYIaJolPQ3rJAYCH_Zi9iSI_/s1600/Screen+shot+2014-10-31+at+8.47.00+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9v-9auFqet0WxcL7owRE46kPLnqxD5xYTHUKcFehFH42vEog5NdAUNLTHrBgz_6Cm38PZEIB3f1KuGQJEIKFvEGUYQKt3AJsI_W8tyInjaViDbwso_Dn5IYIaJolPQ3rJAYCH_Zi9iSI_/s1600/Screen+shot+2014-10-31+at+8.47.00+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9v-9auFqet0WxcL7owRE46kPLnqxD5xYTHUKcFehFH42vEog5NdAUNLTHrBgz_6Cm38PZEIB3f1KuGQJEIKFvEGUYQKt3AJsI_W8tyInjaViDbwso_Dn5IYIaJolPQ3rJAYCH_Zi9iSI_/s1600/Screen+shot+2014-10-31+at+8.47.00+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9v-9auFqet0WxcL7owRE46kPLnqxD5xYTHUKcFehFH42vEog5NdAUNLTHrBgz_6Cm38PZEIB3f1KuGQJEIKFvEGUYQKt3AJsI_W8tyInjaViDbwso_Dn5IYIaJolPQ3rJAYCH_Zi9iSI_/s1600/Screen+shot+2014-10-31+at+8.47.00+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9v-9auFqet0WxcL7owRE46kPLnqxD5xYTHUKcFehFH42vEog5NdAUNLTHrBgz_6Cm38PZEIB3f1KuGQJEIKFvEGUYQKt3AJsI_W8tyInjaViDbwso_Dn5IYIaJolPQ3rJAYCH_Zi9iSI_/s1600/Screen+shot+2014-10-31+at+8.47.00+AM.png" height="316" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Bonus? They came in so many cute colors! I got a pack of 25 for just a few dollars at Target. </i></div>
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<b>2. Stamp Situation</b></center>
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Speaking of cutesy teacher stuff, I'm currently debating what bookplate design I want to ask for for Christmas. I'm accumulating a pretty great library for my future classroom, and I want to make sure these books don't get lost or stolen! If my name's in there, a student (or another teacher!) can't take mistake the book for their own! </center>
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<br />There are some really cute stamps on Etsy, but I'm debating whether or not I want to go super teacher-y or not. I mean, who knows if I'll be in the classroom forever, or if some day I'll wind up doing something different! Hey, some day, I might want some of my school books to come home and stay on my (way off in the future) kids' bookshelves. <br /><br />With that being said, I've been contemplating whether I want one like the one on the right (<a href="http://www.swoozies.com/product/272813" target="_blank">via Swoozies</a>) or left (<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/195711545/from-the-library-of-stamp-with-books-and?ref=shop_home_active_1" target="_blank">via Etsy</a>): </center>
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<i>The left is adorable, but definitely for a teacher, and the right could be customized to be for a family. Obviously, I would change the text on the right side one to say "From the Library of the Whittens" instead of mentioning putting on your"Big Girl Panties..." </i></center>
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I've also contemplated just getting a custom stamp made with my name on it, so it doesn't have to apply to just books. It's cheaper than you'd think to get a stamp made, so I'm not ruling it out! Here are some fonts I'm looking at: </center>
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<i>Do any of these look cute to y'all? Confession: they all look cute to me because they're with my future name! Eeek! </i></div>
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Anyone have any advice or preference on this? (At this point y'all probably think I'm a psycho for spending this much time on a stamp to go in the front of books, but THIS IS A REAL DECISION, PEOPLE.) </div>
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<b>3. Engagement Sneak Peek!</b></div>
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While we're on the topic of name-changing and whatnot, can I show y'all a picture from our engagement session?! Our photographers are super fabulous and gave us a sneak peek of the goodness to come when we get all of our pictures back! Here is one of the five pictures we've seen so far (and this one isn't even my favorite!): </div>
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<b>4. Technology Reboot</b></center>
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One of my good friends recently pinned something about a technology detox. The concept was to slowly but surely wean people off their phones, one day at a time for a week. Now, truth be told, I'm pretty good at forgetting about checking my phone. Almost to a fault (at least in others' eyes!). Now, I could rant about how much I hate being connected to others and pressured to be available 24/7, but that's another topic for another day.</center>
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Anyways, I was inspired by the pin, not necessarily to detox, but to clean and organize my computer. I need to organize pictures and documents into folders and back everything up on my external hard drive. This definitely isn't going to be a quick task, but I find organizing so relaxing and satisfying, so it'll be 100% worth it! If anyone has any tips for organizing files and folders, please let me know, because I'm definitely not tech savvy! </center>
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<b>5. 1989 (AKA T-SWIFT'S LATEST ALBUM OMGOMGOMG)</b></center>
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Y'all. This album could have sufficed as my 1-5 this Friday, because <b>it is that good</b>. Let me be straightforward here: I became a Taylor Swift fan the moment I heard "Tim McGraw" on the radio for the first time eight years ago. I loved her when she was a pure-country singer, I loved her when she did cross-over pop, and I still love her as a full-on pop star. It's so much more than her genre; it's her songwriting, it's her delivery, and it's her charm. I could gush forever about this album, and I'd like to think if you've never liked Taylor, you will now. However, that doesn't mean if you used to like her you won't now, because this album is just solid. It's been on repeat since Monday, when I excitedly bought the digital copy in the morning and the deluxe edition at Target in the afternoon. (In my defense, I needed the Target one for the extra tracks, but elementary schools start before Target opens, and I was too eager to wait until after school to listen.) </center>
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My favorites? Blank Space, Style, All You Had To Do Was Stay, and absolutely every single other song on that list. Seriously, I love listening to an album and just letting it play on repeat without having to worry about skipping certain tracks, and that's very rare for me (I've been known to listen to 15 seconds of a song and then change it). </center>
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Okay, between my obsessive Taylor Swift rant and my thorough stamp contemplation, y'all probably think I've gone batty, but hey, it's Halloween isn't it?! ;) Enjoy it safely, friends! </center>
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Chelseahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077569529255486338noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542529377465491526.post-16794777178174054492014-10-23T00:15:00.001-04:002015-06-07T21:05:03.181-04:00Picking Our Wedding Theme (and Colors!)If you're reading this, congrats- you've made it past Hump Day! The past 12 days I've been away from the blog have just flown by, thanks to several big assignments due for practicum teaching and full social calendars on the weekends. However, don't think I've forgotten about filling y'all in on wedding updates! I still haven't shared our wedding theme and colors with you!<br />
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<br />You should know by now I'm obsessed with weddings. I'm also the most indecisive person ever at times. This makes for a bad combo when picking out wedding details. One thing I knew: there would be pink. Lots of pink. I know pink is probably cheesy to some, but I am one of the pinkest people I know, and I know looking back, I'd be mad at myself for worrying about what others thought, and not going with <i>my</i> favorite color. </center>
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This summer, I wrote down my three main theme ideas for our wedding. Here they are, in the same format I wrote them down months ago: </center>
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<b>Sweet, Romantic, Southern</b></center>
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- Blush, black, and white</center>
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- Mercury glass</center>
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- Blush pink peonies </center>
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- White anemones</center>
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- Checkered dance floor</center>
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<a href="http://www.polyvore.com/sweet_romantic_southern_wedding_theme/set?.embedder=8738446&.svc=copypaste&id=138312111" target="_blank"><img alt="Sweet, Romantic, Southern Wedding Theme" border="0" src="http://cfc.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-set/.sig/wNiKqVJKSJ4Rsa1L22EA/cid/138312111/id/AGalw2Na5BGA54J0tfvecw/size/c600x556.jpg" height="370" title="Sweet, Romantic, Southern Wedding Theme" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>To view my inspiration board on Polyvore, click the image. </i><br />
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<b>Classic, Bold, City-Meets-Southern</b></center>
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- Pink, black+white OR navy+white</center>
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- Patterns (stripes, trellis)</center>
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- Thick grosgrain striped ribbon bouquets</center>
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- Some patterned table linens</center>
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- Peonies, hydrangeas (mini), dahlias</center>
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- Kate Spade vibe</center>
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- Gold accents</center>
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<a href="http://www.polyvore.com/classic_bold_striped/set?.embedder=8738446&.svc=copypaste&id=138313407" target="_blank"><img alt="Classic, Bold, Striped" border="0" src="http://cfc.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-set/.sig/LMA2NFOrLxUzsyUnE1ebg/cid/138313407/id/7lrb-GZa5BG4d3HM2__Y_w/size/c600x502.jpg" height="334" title="Classic, Bold, Striped" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>To view my inspiration board on Polyvore, click the image. </i><br />
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<b>Cheery, Bright, Southern</b></center>
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- Baker miller/ hot pink, white, gold, khaki </center>
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- Bright pink and white peonies</center>
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- Milk glass, hobnail style</center>
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- Peaches and peach baskets</center>
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- Hydrangeas, tulips, ranunculus </center>
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- Colorful flowers</center>
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- Gold accents</center>
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<i>(Side note: I fell IN.LOVE. with<a href="http://southernweddings.com/2013/02/26/chapel-hill-wedding-by-martha-manning/" target="_blank"> this wedding</a> featured on Southern Weddings! It's seriously my favorite Real Wedding post, and hopefully you'll see why if you read it. That wedding inspired my peach obsession, as well as my attention to small southern details. Bonus: I later realized the gorgeous bride works at Southern Weddings, so I can still keep up with her newlywed life!)</i></center>
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<a href="http://www.polyvore.com/classic_bold_striped/set?.embedder=8738446&.svc=copypaste&id=138313407" target="_blank"><img alt="Classic, Bold, Striped" border="0" src="http://cfc.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-set/.sig/LMA2NFOrLxUzsyUnE1ebg/cid/138313407/id/7lrb-GZa5BG4d3HM2__Y_w/size/c600x502.jpg" height="334" title="Classic, Bold, Striped" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>To view my inspiration board on Polyvore, click the image. </i><br />
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I know this looks ridiculous, and I'm so silly, but dreaming like this helped me visualize things better. I still love all three of these general looks, but I had to decide <b>which best represented John and me</b>. I knew anything too fancy just wouldn't fit us as a couple, or our outdoor venue, for that matter, so the first was out. Easy enough! Now moving on. </center>
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I was seriously so obsessed with the idea of incorporating peaches into our wedding, since one of our hometown's most adorable traits is its Peach Stand! Plus, peaches would definitely be a cheap and yummy centerpiece on some tables, and they just scream summer in the south! However, let's remember, I wan lots of pink at our wedding, because I'm a pink girl. Not a coral girl, not a peach girl, but a true-pink girl. On top of the dilemma, I realized it would be hard to walk the fine line of southern without being kitschy, which is definitely not my style, so the third was out. </center>
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That leaves us with style 2, or what I'd originally thought of us "Classic, bold, city-meets-southern." Now, while I love the black and white stripes, bold and bright Kate Spade vibe, I leaned more towards the navy and white. I can't quite explain why, but I just thought it was more "us." Navy and white has a classic, preppy feel that I love. </center>
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Ultimately, I decided to combine aspects from all three styles: the checkered dance floor from the first (because, swoon), the stripes and colors from the second, and the southern details of the third. We're still figuring out details and making lots of little decisions, but here's the overall look we hope to achieve:</center>
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<a href="http://www.polyvore.com/wedding_style_inspiration/set?.embedder=8738446&.svc=copypaste&id=138139427" target="_blank"><img alt="Wedding Style Inspiration" border="0" src="http://cfc.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-set/.sig/BqDBvrE7HofCZqwlBkJc9g/cid/138139427/id/uhHaXM1Y5BG-549vNxsv_g/size/c600x354.jpg" height="236" title="Wedding Style Inspiration" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>To view my inspiration board on Polyvore, click the image. </i></div>
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Our venue (bottom right picture in the board above) obviously calls for southern details, but not bushel baskets like the peach theme. Antique silver and julep cups are my dream flower vases. The picture of a dinner jacket is just because I adore men in dinner jackets, especially just the groom, because it feels so Rhett Butler to me! Alas, John doesn't feel the same way, so all tuxes it is. Luckily, he's handsome in anything, and I guess settling on a tux isn't too bad... ;)</div>
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My one concern: how bad do will navy and white stripes be in contrast with the black and white checkered dance floor and the groomsmen tuxes? I appreciate honesty, so tell me what y'all think! Be back on Friday- I'm hoping to have a special picture to show y'all (possibly from our engagement shoot....!)! </div>
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Chelseahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077569529255486338noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542529377465491526.post-56913535264905001342014-10-10T23:59:00.000-04:002014-10-11T10:34:47.588-04:00Two is Better Than One: Five on Friday + Oh Hey Friday! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">We
made it to Friday, y’all! Woohoo! That’s reason enough to smile, but here are
five more things that are making me happy right now that I’d love to share:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1. Winner Winner </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Well, I can no longer be one of those people that says "I never win things!" because I just found out
that I won the most fabulous <a href="http://www.baublebar.com/" target="_blank">BaubleBar</a> prize! I can hardly believe my luck,
and I am ecstatic to have won the entire BaubleBar BRIDES collection and a
year-long subscription to <a href="http://www.brides.com/" target="_blank">BRIDES Magazine</a>! I know it can seem silly sometimes
to repost pictures on Instagram, but this is proof that those contests are
worth a shot! I can’t wait to show y’all some of my new pretties!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<i>The gorgeous picture that helped me win! </i></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2.
Field Trip Fun</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This week I experienced my first field trip “on the other side”
as a teacher, and let me tell ya, it was about as exhausting as I thought it
would be! I cannot tell you how many times I counted the number 17 (the number
of kids who went from our class) in my head that day. It was a huge
responsibility, but it was so neat to be there as many kids saw an apple
orchard for the first time in their lives! <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<i>Here's one of the most precious first graders in the whole, wide world. Can you tell who was more excited to take this picture?! I promise he loves Miss VerHage too! ;) </i></div>
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On top of the little baggy of apples I picked, I bought some homemade, no-sugar-added apple butter, and it has been delightful! So far, I’ve spread it on toasted Ezekiel Bread and used it as a dip for graham crackers as a treat! </div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>3.
<a href="http://shereadstruth.com/" target="_blank">SheReadsTruth</a> Plan Reveal</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> I know SheReadsTruth was on my 5 last week, but I am
still just loving their plans, and I’m super pumped because they just announced
their final four plans for the year! Eek! SheReadsTruth offers the most
beautiful study packs for their plans, and I’m especially loving the next
study’s set from Ashlee Proffitt! </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-EGbSsxKN6cqnpd0hLdz1jVGCpCBkYveFx4T3tdhZmLsep0ESbqQ-VRNGRihMb2jsd-E0IhHImh7r3_tciLMS_VUbnyIrveM_kKmEUTscw59_MOSYPZMZV69_6cbojEREQw5wjKLzorkg/s1600/Hospitality+book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-EGbSsxKN6cqnpd0hLdz1jVGCpCBkYveFx4T3tdhZmLsep0ESbqQ-VRNGRihMb2jsd-E0IhHImh7r3_tciLMS_VUbnyIrveM_kKmEUTscw59_MOSYPZMZV69_6cbojEREQw5wjKLzorkg/s1600/Hospitality+book.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>How beautiful are these?! I'm looking forward to seeing Hospitality in its true light, as more than the cute place settings and parties we traditionally think of. <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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As if that plan wasn’t pretty enough, they also released their advent series…</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><a href="http://shereadstruth.bigcartel.com/product/o-come-let-us-adore-him-study-pack" target="_blank">Preorder here</a></i> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I’m
not afraid to say I got giddy when I saw it, y’all. It’s beautiful, functional, and it comes with so many extras.... I’m trying to convince myself I do not need it, but Advent is
such a special time I feel like it might be worth the splurge. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">What do you
think, friends?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>4.
<a href="http://www.sensationail.com/" target="_blank">Sensationail</a> Kit</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> A couple months ago, Corey’s girlfriend, Morgan, let me
borrow her at-home-gel-nail kit, and I was seriously impressed. I’ve used it
twice since that first time, and today I decided it was time for me to invest
in my own! Here was my reasoning: the mani lasts around two weeks, and this
way, I don’t have to keep bugging Morgan to borrow hers! I found it decently
priced (AKA around the same price I’d pay for one good gel manicure at a salon)
on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007YQURGU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, and I can’t wait to get it next week! Sidenote: some people have
complained about the removal process, but it’s been super easy for me, and I’d
highly recommend Sensationail to anyone!</span><br />
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<i>All of this for 40% off its original price? Yes please! </i></div>
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Wedding weekend</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> John and I are actually on the road to a wedding as I type! His
cousin is marrying her long-time boyfriend, and I’m so excited to see so many members
of my future family-in-law! (Plus, yay for cake, dancing, and champs!)</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">The lovely Five on Friday ladies are doing a giveaway this week, and obviously, I'm feeling lucky! Go check out D</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.the-good-life-blog.com/" style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">arci</a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">, A</span><a href="http://alizadventures.blogspot.com/" style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">pril</a><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">, C</span><a href="http://www.northcarolinacharm.com/" style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">hristina</a>, and<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> N</span><a href="http://www.hellohappinessblog.com/" style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.3999996185303px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">atasha</a>'s </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">blogs to see more details! </span></i></div>
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<a border="0" href="http://farmerbell.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank"><img src="http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c151/karlib83/FALLohheyfridaybebas_zpsea6f18fd.png" height="200" width="199" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Also, I got the sweetest email from Karli of September Farm (AKA one of the cutest mama blogs out there) last week, and she reminded me of her Oh Hey Friday! linkup, and I just had to join! Why limit myself to one fab linkup when I could be part of two?!</i></span></div>
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Anyone else have fun weekend plans?! Whatever you’re doing the next couple days, I hope you’re making what matters happen, and enjoy every second of this precious weekend!<br />
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Chelseahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077569529255486338noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542529377465491526.post-26062582287923821742014-10-03T23:30:00.000-04:002014-10-04T00:43:42.460-04:00Five on Friday Fall Return<center style="text-align: left;">
I was pleased as peas to see my favorite weekly linkup was returning- especially because it coincided with my returning to the blog world! </center><center style="text-align: left;"><br></center>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc-eTkVV1rNpNSleg-neosxpUuq49dmzYO_SXvhr3bD2Wx0aKeJl9DEACms9bwygAvpgZYX9uWPgdthXaBsIj2kMO47tRAThehNB3A_Dn3abO6C1cEebWKs7TCAg6LXJ1lJFAvmxus1XJT/s1600/5onFridayLogo-Final-forblogsidemenu_edited-1_zps7fcf6068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc-eTkVV1rNpNSleg-neosxpUuq49dmzYO_SXvhr3bD2Wx0aKeJl9DEACms9bwygAvpgZYX9uWPgdthXaBsIj2kMO47tRAThehNB3A_Dn3abO6C1cEebWKs7TCAg6LXJ1lJFAvmxus1XJT/s1600/5onFridayLogo-Final-forblogsidemenu_edited-1_zps7fcf6068.jpg" height="200" width="200"></a></div>
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<i>Via <a href="http://alizadventures.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">April</a>, <a href="http://www.northcarolinacharm.com/" target="_blank">Christina</a>, <a href="http://www.the-good-life-blog.com/search/label/FIVE%20on%20Friday" target="_blank">Darci</a>, <a href="http://www.hellohappinessblog.com/" target="_blank">Natasha</a></i></div>
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Yay! Let's see if I remember how this goes...</center>
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<b>1. Happy Fall, Y'all!</b></center>
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I try not to complain about warm weather, because I know as soon as it hits the upper forties, I'm going to be whining (and freezing!) my hiney off... However, we're officially 10 days in to Autumn, and I'm ready for some sweater weather! I'm not asking for snow or blustering winds or anything- just that crisp and cool fall weather that makes me feel like sipping some cider! Thankfully, even if the weather is a bit warm, we can still pull out the pumpkins and pour out some candy corn, because it's October! </center><center style="text-align: center;"><br></center>
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<i>Love this delicate yet fun calligraphy print- and the Anne of Green Gables quotation, of course!</i></div>
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<b>2. Target</b></div>
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How "basic" do I sound right now? Fall, Target... Don't worry, Pumpkin Spice Lattes won't be next, I promise. ;) I'm just coming down from a major Target-trip-high! Y'all, I meandered the store for over an hour, and I scored some great finds- some of them from the dollar section! How cute are these little page flags?! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPFWwK_cCFbGv9jqSCD9X5yNXii4iEjAzg4dEE8EaWy1KDYRMhRa90T4Fb4Q8fDnDAaVwtD4qCQky8N-xBoY_JMk4Z5VcUrWami66uEv5fZJ9JmC2K5b7g6WR__LFZ1XhzQOA8pLpCkP9g/s1600/photo+(7).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPFWwK_cCFbGv9jqSCD9X5yNXii4iEjAzg4dEE8EaWy1KDYRMhRa90T4Fb4Q8fDnDAaVwtD4qCQky8N-xBoY_JMk4Z5VcUrWami66uEv5fZJ9JmC2K5b7g6WR__LFZ1XhzQOA8pLpCkP9g/s1600/photo+(7).JPG" height="320" width="320"></a></div>
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<i>I'm just a tad bit excited to use these in my gorgeous Whitney English starting in January... (And yes, planners can be gorgeous!) </i></div>
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<b>3. SheReadsTruth</b></div>
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Since school has started, I've decided to devote the first thirty minutes of my day to some one-on-one God and Chelsea time. I know thirty minutes isn't very much to some, but when it means I need to wake up at 5 AM on student teaching days and 6 AM on class days, it seems like a lot! In the past, I would "commit" to a devotional and then put it off because I didn't want to wake up early. Pushing myself to suck it up and just get up earlier has been crucial. I start my day off on the right foot every day, and I feel "blegh" now if I don't set aside that time... It's the most amazing thing. Honestly, I cannot remember a time I felt more connected with God, and while putting in more quiet time helps, the devotionals I read are also key. </div>
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I know lots of people like Jesus Calling, but the language isn't really my thing. The intentions of the content are good though, and I like using it as a "warm up" to get me focused on worship. My favorite devotional right now is from SheReadsTruth- a women's devotional blog, with free, daily posts. I really like the community aspect of it, with lots of women reflecting on the day's material. I could ramble about this for an entire post, because the benefits from this have been <i>tremendous</i>. I encourage all of you to check out SheReadsTruth!</div>
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<b>4. One Week Without the Wonder Dog</b></div>
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A week ago, my parents made the tough decision to put our family dog to sleep after a tumor was affecting the quality of her life. We adopted Bess 11 years ago from a rescue mission. When the mission found her, she was on the side of the road, pregnant. My parents decided we were not going to get a puppy, because they were much more work to train. I was devastated to learn we were going to take home the fat mom dog instead of one of her precious puppies, and equally upset that the rescuers named said fat dog Bess! Over the years, Bess took on many nicknames, such as Bessie, Bessie Lou, Lou Lou, and my dad's favorite: The Wonder Dog.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTT5DFAAAxXo6As0pz7aOtm5cRkw91aYFV-RIHEcyv9u0IfGE15is758YjYq-cYWSIJqAuwLj7oVWJMKEBfmQyexlg0PlM4SnEc9s8UoNs2RNVZtzPNJuq5ikHOVy4efdfwE6FL2uNZhm6/s1600/Screen+shot+2014-10-04+at+12.08.37+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTT5DFAAAxXo6As0pz7aOtm5cRkw91aYFV-RIHEcyv9u0IfGE15is758YjYq-cYWSIJqAuwLj7oVWJMKEBfmQyexlg0PlM4SnEc9s8UoNs2RNVZtzPNJuq5ikHOVy4efdfwE6FL2uNZhm6/s1600/Screen+shot+2014-10-04+at+12.08.37+AM.png" height="276" width="320"></a></div>
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<i>I took this picture, one of my all-time favorite of Bess, this summer. </i></div>
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Looking back, we laugh at the fact that my parents thought Bessie would be easier to train, because that dog was a piece of work! However, no amount of potty stains could compare to the amount of love and joy she brought to our family- especially to my dad. </div>
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When I was in middle school, Bess wasn't a fan of me (probably because middle-school-Chelsea was a bit of a diva), and the feeling was mutual. However, as I got older, I appreciated her company more, and over the past few years, I definitely got more attached to her. It's hard to think about going back home, and not seeing her curled up in her bed, or hearing her howl at the door to come inside, but it makes me happy to know she's not in pain here. I'm so thankful our family got to experience the love and companionship of such a wonderful dog!</div>
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<b>5. Time to Tailgate</b></div>
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Thankfully, even though it's been a bit of a glum week, there's lots to look forward to! I'm pretty excited for tomorrow's game against NC State, since some super fun members of the Wolfpack are visiting for the weekend! Mitch and Alyse started interning with Duke Power the same summer John did, and the three were close friends. However, John definitely wasn't as close as Mitch and Alyse... Four years later, the two are now a couple! John and I love double-dating with them, and we're looking forward to showing them why Death Valley is <i>the</i> place to be on Game Day! </div>
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I hope even if you've been struggling this week, you find things to look forward to and be thankful for, too! For starters, let's all be thankful for Friday! Enjoy the weekend, friends! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br></div>
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Chelseahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077569529255486338noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542529377465491526.post-4754257984694623202014-10-02T22:29:00.000-04:002015-06-07T21:05:03.194-04:00Picking a Wedding Style<center style="text-align: left;">
Ideally, one of the very first things a couple decides on when wedding planning is a wedding style. However, John and I may have done things a bit backwards, because we didn't really intentionally hone in on the overall style we wanted to achieve until <i>after</i> picking a venue (which definitely affects the style) and setting a date (which obviously determines the season, which affects the style). </center>
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The date, my parents' anniversary, was obviously super important to me; it was kind of a no-brainer for us. Okay, technically, it was a no-brainer for me because of the anniversary thing... Honestly, John just wanted a summer wedding because he wanted to get married before football season started... Yep. </center>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgStXhPV710qN3oi9ts4efN99pB-6MQglWjojD47a931U_YFgja_TENiQxeUw1tkfP7N_MN1VSxn3PF4ZPBV08W7miF7Bp1tkMpdOHqZy25agJXhwzsrZIQ1bC-KYi_LRyotFE5ZZtpEnYC/s1600/football+ecard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgStXhPV710qN3oi9ts4efN99pB-6MQglWjojD47a931U_YFgja_TENiQxeUw1tkfP7N_MN1VSxn3PF4ZPBV08W7miF7Bp1tkMpdOHqZy25agJXhwzsrZIQ1bC-KYi_LRyotFE5ZZtpEnYC/s1600/football+ecard.jpg" height="224" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Hehe.</i></div>
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The venue was almost as easy to choose as the date. When we visited Vesuvius Vineyards for the first time, we knew we'd found somewhere special. You can read more about how we picked our venue <a href="http://chelseagrowingup.blogspot.com/2014/08/location-location-location-picking-venue.html" target="_blank">here</a>. </center>
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<i>Simple yet grand house in black and white- the two most versatile colors ever- plus naturally pretty grounds? It doesn't get much better than this!</i></center>
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Even though John and I weren't intentionally thinking about our wedding style when we picked Vesuvius, we picked a place that spoke to both of us- a place that fits the combination of our tastes. It's the perfect balance between <b>down-home Southern charm and Old South swank</b>. </center>
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Obviously, our venue inspired us while we thought of our wedding style, but so did all the weddings we went to this summer. We were able to go to weddings, see what we loved, and make mental notes of those things. Seeing other weddings got us asking questions like, "When we get married, will it be a big party, or a small celebration? Will it be modern or traditional? What kind of dancing will there be?" </center>
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<br />Obviously, there is a lot to decide on when planning a wedding. Here are the basics we decided on together:</center>
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<li>We want the whole day to be a joyful celebration with our closest friends and family. Our list quickly grew with big families and fabulous friends, and it wasn't easy, but we finally settled at 200 invitees. </li>
<li>We want our ceremony to reflect our genuine love for one another and our beliefs about the meaning of marriage. </li>
<li>We want everyone to have a good time. To John, that means lots of food and drinks. For me, that means lots of dancing and cake. </li>
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More than anything else, I knew the style of our wedding needed to be<b> classic and southern</b>. I cannot even explain how many times I've used those words to describe my vision to people. Here's my position on wedding trends, no matter how cute and genius they are: fads may come and go, but pictures are forever. I know it's inevitable that one day our wedding will look outdated, but I am attempting to avoid trendy and cheesy at almost all costs... Minus sparklers. John has warned me they're definitely trendy, but I just can't get enough of 'em! I love love love sparkler exits, and I have such happy memories of sparklers with John, so they're definitely going to be our exception to the rule. </center>
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Figuring out our style has been an interesting process, but the bigger challenge was (and still is!) nailing down a specific theme.... Stay tuned for that, but expect a Five on Friday post first! That's right- everyone's favorite Friday linkup is back, and I can't wait to join in! One sleep until the weekend, friends!</center>
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Chelseahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077569529255486338noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542529377465491526.post-36948262906136628792014-09-28T11:54:00.000-04:002014-09-28T12:12:42.658-04:00When September Ends<center style="text-align: left;">
Okay, let's address the whole "I haven't blogged in three weeks" thing.... I'm about to take it back to 2005 (oh hey, brace-faced Chelsea!) and ask if y'all remember the Green Day song <i>Wake Me Up When September Ends..</i>. I know, super lame, but when I was thinking about how to sum up this whole month, that song title quickly came to mind. I've just been ready for this month to be over. </center>
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Now, I realize this is <i>not</i> a super positive way to welcome you back to my corner of the internet, but it's kind of true! Let me explain.... </center>
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School has been good, but that doesn't mean I haven't been overwhelmed at times. It's been tricky to balance being a student at Clemson half the time and a first grade student-teacher the other half. It's incredibly rewarding, but tricky. </center>
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Since I've just been getting in the swing of things school-wise, my brain is a little tired. I'll have random urges to write a blog post during the day, but honestly, by the time I get home, the only thing I really want to do is turn on the TV and mindlessly watch Law & Order (my new obsession). </center>
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<i>Yeah... I need to start running again...</i></div>
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I let myself use <i>"I'm too tired"</i> as an excuse for not blogging for a few weeks, but then I realized something: blogging isn't a chore. It's something that brings me much more happiness and fulfillment than an episode of Law & Order ever could! I need to take some advice from Lara Casey and <b>make what matters happen.</b> </center>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivQGzgxjwYAcQBQzOUog3Rij9c0RTFYmA9YT-1w9M5d-z76cemyPXzaQa_j4qSM2h3qAe1qz64AIouqzcnD1IwZ-udr16qzV8YGhSVjNvEvIVNw40fmgk6SEt6uJcZMXb2-St_8cyODL1_/s1600/Screen+shot+2014-09-28+at+11.46.26+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivQGzgxjwYAcQBQzOUog3Rij9c0RTFYmA9YT-1w9M5d-z76cemyPXzaQa_j4qSM2h3qAe1qz64AIouqzcnD1IwZ-udr16qzV8YGhSVjNvEvIVNw40fmgk6SEt6uJcZMXb2-St_8cyODL1_/s1600/Screen+shot+2014-09-28+at+11.46.26+AM.png" /></a></div>
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<i>Via <a href="http://laracasey.com/download/" target="_blank">Lara Casey</a></i></div>
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After <i>several</i> tragic deaths of Clemson students in the past month, I've realized just how important it is to do this. To make our lives what God intended for them to be- full. Full of love, full of grace, full of happiness, full of Him. </center>
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I can't say I intended for this post to get so "real" but that's the point of having this blog, isn't it? To show my real self and share it with friends. I'm definitely looking forward to October to begin, but sometimes I need Septembers to appreciate what I have. This past month was a reminder that life can be hard, but it is far too short to spend all of it curled up on my bed watching criminal justice dramas from the '90s. </center>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy1Ix_Lv21bOvtTk42q7AO8smai78nTERqsRgWRdG1mwLOUJp5nnFldaUpmd3IAEPN_kivDChrW4NcffclgBYqZZGVBGG_c-QjL08ovjd7OMAuiAM5fBSFcwpxPz0fP9D8P73TGZGGm0_P/s1600/Screen+shot+2014-09-28+at+11.45.18+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy1Ix_Lv21bOvtTk42q7AO8smai78nTERqsRgWRdG1mwLOUJp5nnFldaUpmd3IAEPN_kivDChrW4NcffclgBYqZZGVBGG_c-QjL08ovjd7OMAuiAM5fBSFcwpxPz0fP9D8P73TGZGGm0_P/s1600/Screen+shot+2014-09-28+at+11.45.18+AM.png" height="181" width="200" /></a></div>
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<i>Via <a href="http://laracasey.com/download/" target="_blank">Lara Casey</a></i></div>
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Since I'm trying to make the most of my time, you'll be seeing a lot more of my real life here on the blog! I cannot wait to share more of my life with y'all! On a related note, does anyone know of any 12 step programs for Law & Order addicts? ;) </center>
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Chelseahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077569529255486338noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542529377465491526.post-6766951797503245022014-09-04T22:47:00.001-04:002014-09-04T22:48:28.847-04:00Out With the Old (But Not Just Yet!)<center style="text-align: left;">
Hi, sweet blog friends! It's been a while since I've posted, but not intentionally! I've just spent so much time getting settled into my new apartment and getting all my ducks in a row for my classes. I can't believe this is my FIFTH and <i>final</i> year of undergrad!</center>
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Since it's almost time to say goodbye to college life <i>and</i> single life, I figured I'd leave college with the same kind of decor I started with: pink, pink, pink! Most 22 year olds probably wouldn't adore my style, but I'm going to soak up living in my favorite hue for as long as I can before tying the knot. I mean, let's face it: John would probably die before we had a pink-filled house!</center>
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Here's my last girly-as-it-gets room: </center>
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<i>Walking in.... Does a two year old live here, or a twenty-two year old?</i></div>
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<i>Last chance to use my maiden-name monogram canvas from Morgan... Sniff sniff! </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVMpksp31b2bXI9GSKLT-io1FNlvmKt9u6AC0cWTtwBvKUNRVRX2IWIjfiLI24L2xsdJpRKQaYKpNs4nn3mgg4qgPIpiTZahR1NbC90Hg4mfow1gdYoGExm1tW1saC5FG5Aqn3L_Oggl2e/s1600/IMG_9382.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVMpksp31b2bXI9GSKLT-io1FNlvmKt9u6AC0cWTtwBvKUNRVRX2IWIjfiLI24L2xsdJpRKQaYKpNs4nn3mgg4qgPIpiTZahR1NbC90Hg4mfow1gdYoGExm1tW1saC5FG5Aqn3L_Oggl2e/s1600/IMG_9382.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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<i>One of the things I may miss most: my card ribbon! I put all of my recent (and favorite) cards on there- right now there are several engagement congratulations cards!</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_P5S9CaEBSiGDlhXfNv_SdT1b2NlEpBTOkQdaYYPIDERugaGEPTi4JQGHwP5EIwx1DlkLnbZg_iSWPiEiu06mVSpPHhkTMxRpaza1nYxb1jE0rCJ8QxaVuQK_gWIMWSu3j8Hff1KDI83c/s1600/IMG_9401.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_P5S9CaEBSiGDlhXfNv_SdT1b2NlEpBTOkQdaYYPIDERugaGEPTi4JQGHwP5EIwx1DlkLnbZg_iSWPiEiu06mVSpPHhkTMxRpaza1nYxb1jE0rCJ8QxaVuQK_gWIMWSu3j8Hff1KDI83c/s1600/IMG_9401.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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<i>Closet numero uno...</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKjMKm2I3UQISydefn31kQhKMwXwUAYBpbSwQ9Ia69bxJTogo_E1v2rM-YmfNgjraWPTz0kNlwR1ImrD1fO-mZexZkJZZE4jeb3XoLsI8jkMb6PG4efjA24fjt0D311ODfSwl1veGm1vaZ/s1600/IMG_9407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKjMKm2I3UQISydefn31kQhKMwXwUAYBpbSwQ9Ia69bxJTogo_E1v2rM-YmfNgjraWPTz0kNlwR1ImrD1fO-mZexZkJZZE4jeb3XoLsI8jkMb6PG4efjA24fjt0D311ODfSwl1veGm1vaZ/s1600/IMG_9407.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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<i>And closet dos! Yes, this room has two closets, and no, I don't know what I'll do when there's one closet for two people, not vice-versa... </i></div>
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I didn't take pictures of the wall across from my bed, but I figured y'all probably got the gist of the room! (Plus, my dresser, TV, and storage ottoman aren't that exciting...) Most of this girly goodness will get the boot at the end of this year, but I think John may have to give me at least a <i>little</i> space in our future place for some of these things.... After all, where else will I store my wrapping paper collection?!</center>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV_Qi2UX385zJI2UX6fBoeBJ-DREmyrJGG-9GBexwABVYhgnTR6aaOiLAhK7Bd-LVPMEhswP7THfEwX4KMnHSBYgZEE085rqaScOLJXq1MIGUD59ABDZ8w6XU74Mc2qYgbxHoQP0HRlgUd/s1600/IMG_9397.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV_Qi2UX385zJI2UX6fBoeBJ-DREmyrJGG-9GBexwABVYhgnTR6aaOiLAhK7Bd-LVPMEhswP7THfEwX4KMnHSBYgZEE085rqaScOLJXq1MIGUD59ABDZ8w6XU74Mc2qYgbxHoQP0HRlgUd/s1600/IMG_9397.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></center>
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<span style="text-align: center;">I don't think it's too much to ask for a separate room for crafting and creativity.... ;)</span></div>
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While I may not be quite ready to part with my old bedroom, I was definitely ready for a change in my blog design! On a whim last week, I decided to get rid of my old template and just improvise a temporary design before finding a new look. Honestly, I'm kind of digging this spur-of-the-moment, makeshift one, though, so I haven't been in a rush to replace it... What do y'all think?</div>
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Chelseahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077569529255486338noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542529377465491526.post-39681032279589444632014-08-23T17:52:00.003-04:002014-08-23T17:52:41.837-04:00The Best-Laid Plans...<center>
Often go awry. And I'm trying to learn that's okay. </center>
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It's very rare that I feel the need to post something, but this post has been on my mind all week. In fact, I think it's been on my heart. </center>
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Those of you who know "real life" Chelsea know I'm a planner. Those of you in the blogging world may find that hard to believe, since I go through spurts of MIA-ness here on the blog, but it's true. In fact, on the phone this morning, I had a calligrapher exclaim, "Well, you're quite the planner, aren't you?!" when she learned our wedding wasn't until next June.</center>
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I like to stay on top of things, because if I let due dates sneak up on me, I panic, and it's ugly. One thing I wasn't going to let sneak up on me? My first day of practicum in the classroom this semester. </center>
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I'm a senior early-childhood-education major, which means half of my time this semester is spent in an elementary school classroom and the other half in classes at Clemson. At the beginning of the month, my classmates and I were given our field placements. I was assigned a first grade teacher at a school in Greenville, about 40 minutes away. Being the planner I am, I immediately emailed her, introducing myself and explaining how excited I was to work with her (while avoiding using too many exclamation marks!). I went to Meet the Teacher, and set four alarms for the First Day of School- three "wake up" alarms, and one "leave the house to pick up friends" alarm. I triple-checked these alarms before going to sleep.</center>
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Somehow, my phone managed to burrow itself under pillows, and I didn't wake up until my 6:20 alarm... Which would have been fine, if that wasn't the final alarm.</center>
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Chelsea-the Planner-VerHage woke up as her alarm reminded her it was time to leave the house. On her first day of school. </center>
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I promise y'all, I do not even vaguely, fuzzily remember hitting "Snooze" or hearing those first three alarms <i>at all</i>. I bolted out of bed, turned on my straightener to give it time to warm up (I knew I wouldn't have time to do all of my hair, but I could at least primp my bangs!), and texted the girls I was carpooling with. (They got a good laugh out of the "JUST WOKE UP GO AHEAD AND LEAVE I AM SO SORRY I HATE MYSELF" message...) </center>
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I quickly changed, threw on minimal makeup, and reached for my trusty straightening iron....</center>
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And it did nothing. Yes, folks, that's right. My straightening iron, which was working perfectly the night before (not to mention the last several years), straight-up died on me in a time of desperate need. I tried to stay calm as I dashed out the door and to my car, but it was difficult.</center>
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Thankfully, I arrived at 7:15- school doesn't start until 7:45. </center>
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I know, I know... Some of you may have the same reaction as John, which was, "<i>What?!</i> You act like you were so late when really you were ridiculously early!"</center>
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Now, that's early on a normal day, but I had these great plans to be there early-early, arriving with my friends (hair perfectly styled to boot!), and I ruined those plans. As soon as I woke up and realized my mistake, I was embarrassed and mad at myself. </center>
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However, those weren't the only things I felt. I also felt humbled. I starting praying the moment I woke up, and I <i>wasn't</i> asking God to get me to school on time! I was just talking, because it was the only thing that could possibly calm me down. It was so comforting to know He was with me even when my plans weren't working out. I prayed that I would still be able to be the best I could for the kids in my class on their first day of school. </center>
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For the record, it was a great first day. Actually, despite the fact I felt like a hobo, several of the sweet boys and girls told me how beautiful I was throughout the day. Ha! </center>
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My second day went a lot smoother, but I'm actually thankful I had that mishap the first day. I realized it <i>will </i>be okay even if things don't work out according to my plans. Especially if I just pray....</center>
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And listen to Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off." Because that song is just making me happy this week. </center>
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Chelseahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077569529255486338noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542529377465491526.post-86392686825296789542014-08-14T23:34:00.002-04:002015-06-07T21:05:03.205-04:00Creating a Wedding Hashtag<center style="text-align: left;">
Yes, the entirety of this post will be about hashtags. No, I do not blame you if you leave now, because <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57dzaMaouXA" target="_blank">hashtags kind of get a bad rep</a>. (I highly recommend you click that link, if you love Justin Timberlake, Jimmy Fallon, and laughing.) However, you should know that wedding hashtags aren't a stupid trend. They are useful, and here's why: they help document the wedding from the guests' perspective. </center>
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Our photographers are going to be AMAZING (seriously, they're fab, and I cannot wait to share more info on them soon!), but I'll be honest... I can be a bit impatient, and to get the gorgeous pictures we want, we'll have to wait a while for the end result. Having our guests take pictures on their phones and then using our special hashtag will create an archive of wedding pictures for me to pore over before we get our professional photos back. Although I know some people don't use the hashtag-searching-feature (or whatever the technical term is) on social media, I love it! I love knowing John and I, along with our family and friends, will be able to search for all posts with our hashtag and see everything documenting our wedding.</center>
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So, now that I've convinced you that hashtags are indeed useful, it's time to talk about the actual hashtag itself. It has to be at least semi-original, because if we were to use the popular hashtag #whittenwedding, we would see the 314 pics with that tag on Instagram already. </center>
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My first thought? Something simple without a lot of room for spelling errors. #whittenwedding, #thewhittenwedding, and #whittenwedding2015 were already taken, and no one else seemed to be okay with just doing #weddingwhitten (it's just #whittenwedding backwards!) so I was kind of out of luck.<br /><br />Second thought? Something witty. My best friend (and MOH!), Kara, liked #gettinwhittenwithit but that breaks all kinds of rules in my book. 1. Room for spelling errors ("Is it gettin' or getting?"). 2. John's last name, Whitten, does not even kind of rhyme with jiggy- the actual word in the Will Smith song, so I don't really think that counts as clever. I told her we could use that for the bachelorette if she really wants! ;)</center>
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So, I felt pressure to come up with something funny or cool, but that just wasn't in the cards. I mean, when it comes down to it, it's just a hashtag. Want to know what John and I decided on? </center>
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From now on, this chica will be using #smittenwhittens to document any and all wedding planning leading up to next June 27th! Is it the most creative hashtag ever? Probably not, but John and I both like it- we'd like to think it describes us pretty well! (Well, technically, it just describes him well- I'm not a Whitten yet!) </div>
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We hope our guests like the idea of using hashtags on social media as much as we do, but we also hope they understand our wishes for an "unplugged" ceremony. More on that later! </div>
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Chelseahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077569529255486338noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542529377465491526.post-49265835861978029752014-08-13T09:38:00.002-04:002015-06-07T21:05:03.198-04:00Setting a Date<center style="text-align: left;">
I kind of posted a little out of order when I told you our venue before our date... Oops! Normally, I'd say venue should be first priority and then setting a date based on availability. However, a couple months ago, I realized something: my parents' anniversary falls on a Saturday next summer.</center>
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I had an inkling a summer wedding might be in the books for us, so in my mind, that anniversary date was my "dream date." A couple of things on this: I'd checked the calendar to see when John's parents' anniversary was too, because they had a summer wedding as well, but theirs fell on a weekday, so it was out of the question. Obviously, once John and I got engaged, we talked about the date. At first, John was worried we might be stealing my parents' thunder by sharing their anniversary, but I thought it was, if anything, a good way to honor them. </center>
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Thankfully, when we went to Vesuvius Vineyards, the date was still available, although they warned us several other couples were thinking about it. John and I took a big breath and committed.</center>
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<b>We are officially getting married on June 27th, 2015. </b></center>
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Eeek! With the contract signed, we could start planning everything else! My next concern? Talking to Pastor Steve Morgan. He's the man who married my parents and baptized me. He's been a part of my family's lives for a long time, despite moving before I was old enough to get to know him. Thankfully, I met him by chance on a church mission trip in high school, and I feel like our paths have crossed too many times to ignore. I'd had visions of him marrying my future husband and me for years, until he retired last year. I resigned myself to being open-minded about our officiant, until John and I picked that special anniversary date... I just knew that I'd kick myself if I didn't ask him to officiate our wedding then! </center>
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<i>A blurry photo of my first ceremony with Pastor Steve: my baptism. (Is it just me, or does this resemble the beginning of the Lion King?)</i></div>
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Thankfully, he was thrilled I'd asked, and his answer was "YES!" He and his wife are traveling in England right now, but John and I are looking forward to premarital counseling with Steve next year. </div>
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I don't know when I got so sentimental, but it warms my heart thinking about these special details of our wedding. After all, these are the most important things about the wedding! Without a minister, we couldn't get married, and without a date, we couldn't start booking everything else... And I couldn't update y'all with our wedding countdown- only 318 days until I'm John's wife!</div>
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Chelseahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077569529255486338noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542529377465491526.post-26227223541965857602014-08-12T23:24:00.000-04:002015-06-07T21:05:03.186-04:00Location, Location, Location: Picking a Venue<center style="text-align: left;">
When I was younger, I thought I'd get married at <a href="http://www.ascgreenway.org/weddings-rentals/dairy-barn-1" target="_blank">The Dairy Barn</a> in my hometown of Fort Mill, South Carolina. I was a junior bridesmaid in a gorgeous wedding there twelve years ago, and I've been in love with its magical southern charm ever since. </center>
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However, The Dairy Barn has grown in popularity since then. In fact, before John and I got engaged, he already knew he'd be a groomsman in a wedding taking place there next summer! Now, John and I aren't "hipsters" in the slightest, but we weren't exactly crazy about having our wedding somewhere a few weeks after our friends. Plus, let's face it: John and I are southern, and we wanted to incorporate that into our big day, but I'm not at all a rustic girl. </center>
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I was determined to find somewhere beautiful yet reasonable- a combination that is trickier than it may seem. Here were my thoughts about our potential venue: </center>
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- I don't really care if it's indoors or outdoors. </center>
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- However, if it's indoors it cannot. have. hideous. carpet.</center>
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- Also, no hideous wallpaper or decorations. The plainer, the better. </center>
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- It must not be ridiculously priced. </center>
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- It must be beautiful. </center>
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Now, I looked at a few places online, including: </center>
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<b><a href="http://www.theballantynehotel.com/ep_weddings.cfm" target="_blank">The Ballantyne Hotel</a></b></center>
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The Ballantyne is gorgeous, and it's in Charlotte, which is a big bonus. I loved that it was very clear on its website what was included (like chiavari chairs- swoon!) and pricing. I also loved that it was a hotel for convenience for our many out of town guests, but at the same time, I hated that it was a hotel for carpet. Yes, I realize this is probably stupid to most, but not to me. Ultimately, I realized a ballroom just wouldn't be our thing, so the Ballantyne was out. </center>
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<i>Pretty, but... Not us. </i></div>
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<b><a href="http://cliffsliving.com/community-page/glassy-amenities/" target="_blank">The Cliffs at Glassy</a></b></center>
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I really loved The Cliffs website when I saw it for the first time. And the second time. And the third time. This place was gorgeous, especially this chapel: </center>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoKbS9QVkqXUoSxoNMsr_-nwdOipFlQ7-Kn_497cfuRLqYAfcdXBhoyUekVZHW8x8mp0M4Rtn-IG5TuEakC5axapnSnj4LsZXth367OK9TtoVpjyqVZWaVfvTngHBq98OKwyHjyLSydECV/s1600/CAG_ChapelSunset_2003-740x200+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoKbS9QVkqXUoSxoNMsr_-nwdOipFlQ7-Kn_497cfuRLqYAfcdXBhoyUekVZHW8x8mp0M4Rtn-IG5TuEakC5axapnSnj4LsZXth367OK9TtoVpjyqVZWaVfvTngHBq98OKwyHjyLSydECV/s1600/CAG_ChapelSunset_2003-740x200+(1).jpg" height="171" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>I mean, who <b>wouldn't</b> want to get married there?!</i></center>
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Obviously, <i>lots</i> of people want to get married there, since they do three ceremonies each Saturday and you don't get to pick which of the three time slot you get... This seemed a little nuts since you'd be paying lots to rent it, just for an hour or two, <i>and</i> on top of that, still have to rent a separate Cliffs clubhouse for the reception. It was definitely out of our budget, and in hindsight, the small chapel would not have held all of our guests. </center>
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<b><a href="http://vesuviusvineyards.com/" target="_blank">Vesuvius Vineyards</a></b></center>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpBfQGWewCzUn0Yb0hnE5YNDrIqiGPZ7_iab9oju89LYnSVDshOU97OxIBNlSs9Bh7hVcpaYPG7ky97frak3VoTS_vPTEz8O3H5A1WLc25ERP6NeToiXYBwbOBdTRYWefdZPMbLzn5yLGt/s1600/Screen+shot+2014-08-12+at+11.11.55+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpBfQGWewCzUn0Yb0hnE5YNDrIqiGPZ7_iab9oju89LYnSVDshOU97OxIBNlSs9Bh7hVcpaYPG7ky97frak3VoTS_vPTEz8O3H5A1WLc25ERP6NeToiXYBwbOBdTRYWefdZPMbLzn5yLGt/s1600/Screen+shot+2014-08-12+at+11.11.55+PM.png" height="256" width="400" /></a></div>
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I don't remember how I found Vesuvius; my best guess is WeddingWire, but I'm not quite sure. Regardless of where I found it, when I read about it for the first time, I thought, "Why am I just now hearing about this place?!" It turns out, this venue has only been around for a few years, even though the gorgeous plantation style home is the oldest in the entire county. That may be why it just oozes southern charm!</center>
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I fell in love the instant I saw Vesuvius in pictures, and it was even <i>more</i> beautiful when John and I went and saw the estate in person. Although the actual vineyard on the property is small (and the grapes haven't produced wine yet), there is so much else it offers. Sprawling land, a gorgeous home to get ready in, and a lovely reception pavilion that gives the best of both indoor and outdoor worlds- the indoor comforts of restrooms and ceiling fans and the beauty of the outdoors, which means less decorating is necessary! </center>
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John and I really clicked with the two owners of Vesuvius, and it didn't take us long to realize we wanted to work with them. I was ecstatic we'd found such an incredible place that fit all of our requirements (and then some!) at our very first venue we toured. While it's forty-five minutes away, I think it will be well worth our drive. What do y'all think?!</center>
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Chelseahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077569529255486338noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542529377465491526.post-10661701172400280042014-08-11T22:39:00.000-04:002015-06-07T21:05:03.176-04:00One Month Check-in<center style="text-align: left;">
Hi, friends! I know, I know... I said a while ago I was going to get back in the swing of blogging. I had the best intentions, too! However, this past month has been a bit jam-packed with fun, and I've been the best kind of busy. More specifically, I've been the "newly engaged" kind of busy, and I adore it. I've been trying to get as much "planning" done as possible before school starts next week (say it ain't so!), which means if I've been on the computer, it's been to look up flowers and tablescapes and letterpress vs. thermography. I have always had a passion for all things wedding, so this extreme-planning has been a blast, but I've missed the blogging community!</center>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhysdAFqHV7FmRPODv4-2qfmApXfJsEyZS7VgwN3Bo5muAg-ZnEpSi4Bafxtuqvm9XeDiAv2GcbF-tVhxtCmcfOa6pKwuBPMpvRX0rWtAqcaRkZfRkQ9k75nOHRcdVK-FJc14lXVE8zhmhJ/s1600/IMG_3067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhysdAFqHV7FmRPODv4-2qfmApXfJsEyZS7VgwN3Bo5muAg-ZnEpSi4Bafxtuqvm9XeDiAv2GcbF-tVhxtCmcfOa6pKwuBPMpvRX0rWtAqcaRkZfRkQ9k75nOHRcdVK-FJc14lXVE8zhmhJ/s1600/IMG_3067.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Still just as happy as I was our engagement weekend! </i></div>
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<br />I think John's and my one month engagement-versary (because that's a thing, right?) is the right time for me to get back into blogging. Now that I've really used this time to soak in being engaged to my fiancé for exactly one month, I can share all this joy with y'all! In order to catch you up on planning and life in general, I'm going to post each day this week, sharing bits and pieces of what I've planned so far. Here's to a fun week of posts! </center>
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Chelseahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077569529255486338noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542529377465491526.post-41630345202543362572014-07-25T12:39:00.001-04:002015-06-07T21:04:43.132-04:00Friday Bride Day<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
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Y'all, the struggle is real today. And by "the struggle" I mean "the struggle to keep a rational head and remember my grateful heart while trying to make wedding decisions." Yeah, I think I'm transitioning into stressing-over-nothing-for-no-reason mode.... Which is stupid, because I have so much to be thankful for, and stressing over something so minute is selfish. </div>
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My dad re<span style="font-family: inherit;">minded me of this the other night, as I lamented about limiting our guest list and the process of registering... If these are my only worries, I am lucky. I mean, yes, these things like flowers and entertainment are EXPENSIVE so I want them to be just right, but ultimately? This wedding is one day. The family John and I are creating, along with the family we already have, is forever. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Just because I'm keeping perspective doesn't mean I can't share my planning successes and lamentations with y'all! Here's a list of things we've done so far:</span><br />
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<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Decided on a budget</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Picked and secured a venue</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Set a date</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Found and secured our officiant </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Found photographers</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Found and booked videographers</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Found entertainment</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Started our guest list</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Created wedding website</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Honestly, even though I feel like I've gotten so much done, there's a bazillion more things left, and I am determined to get the majority of the big things done before school starts! Here's what's happening in the next week:</span><br />
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<li>Meeting with photographers to sign contract</li>
<li>Meeting with potential caterers</li>
<li>Meeting with a potential florist</li>
<li>Insure ring <i>(!!!!!COUGH JOHN WE HAVE TO DO THIS LIKE YESTERDAY COUGH!!!!!)</i></li>
<li>Checking out the venue again- <i>John's already seen it, so he's probably going to stay home while I go with my mom and cousin. I can guarantee an excited post with pictures after that!</i></li>
<li>Dress shopping!!! <i>There's a designer consignment bridal shop near our venue, so I have an appointment after looking at the venue! So excited for two of my favorite women to be there!</i></li>
<li>Blocking out hotel rooms- <i>Not as glamorous as the first two things we're doing while we're in the area, but it's a necessity! </i></li>
<li>Pick out a color scheme- <i>I can assure you: all three of my top ideas heavily feature PINK! ;) </i></li>
<li>Skyping with potential DJ- <i>You can definitely expect a full post on my DJ vs Band thing soon... I never thought I'd end up leaning towards a DJ, but this guy seems great! </i></li>
<li>Finalizing the guest list- <i>I'm kind of cut-throat, surprisingly... Not family? Haven't seen or talked to you in years? Very little chance we'll keep in touch after the wedding? Probably not number one on the list... (Kidding, sort of.) </i></li>
<li>Finish asking wedding party- one flower girl, ring bearer, and bridesmaid (well, kind of two...) to go!</li>
<li>Registering- <i>Can't. Even. Talk about it. Seriously, this is what stresses me the most. </i></li>
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Basically, anything and everything on this list will get its own post. I love reading about other people's planning journeys, and I certainly find it therapeutic to write out mine! As overwhelming as this to-do list seems, I'm going to remind myself that while it may suck figuring out the guest list, you know what doesn't suck? Having so many (healthy!) friends and family who support John and me.<br />
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Do y'all have fun weekends ahead?! I sure do! My cousin and her precious baby are visiting from Michigan, and I cannot wait to squeeze them as soon as I get home this afternoon!<br />
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Chelseahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077569529255486338noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542529377465491526.post-10235945282527064582014-07-24T13:10:00.001-04:002015-06-07T21:04:43.106-04:00Whirlwind Week and a Warning<center style="text-align: left;">
Y'all, I've been wanting to blog for days now, but it's been such a crazy week, I just don't know what to start with! I guess I'll start with this whirlwind week thing!</center>
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Last week, I attended a PLL viewing party, went to Carowinds with John and two precious Clemson couples, had dinner with my family and two other families I've known forever, attended a surprise birthday party in Charleston, celebrated a wedding in North Carolina, moved out of my old Clemson apartment, and celebrated my cousin's tenth birthday. </center>
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Whew! Here are a few pictures of said fun events:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn0CqzWcfBnfSd1YevfuU-uWGHtHGgmr7FsuUU1OFyTFA1ZdEVhap6wRREU-2_3NTgIQrUIKrSXR4SzAdUcqO_W7_3jwkxhA8M1IiCeHXzBVNxy_RIEwF2TWIFRSXok0hdys0tFHNXHFRQ/s1600/IMG_8905.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn0CqzWcfBnfSd1YevfuU-uWGHtHGgmr7FsuUU1OFyTFA1ZdEVhap6wRREU-2_3NTgIQrUIKrSXR4SzAdUcqO_W7_3jwkxhA8M1IiCeHXzBVNxy_RIEwF2TWIFRSXok0hdys0tFHNXHFRQ/s1600/IMG_8905.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Birthday girl Sandwich with <a href="http://seashellsandmagnolias3.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Christine</a> and Leslie- the other two in the Early Childhood Three Amigas!</i></div>
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If the beautiful birthday girl looks familiar to you, it's probably because she's a blogger, too! Christine started her blog <a href="http://seashellsandmagnolias3.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Seashells and Magnolias</a> this summer, and it is as precious as she is. Christine's mom texted me a few months ago and asked if I could come to Charleston and surprise her on her 21st birthday, and I've been looking forward to it ever since! Her mama is adorable (which should come as no surprise, because Christine had to get it somewhere!) and she and her husband, Christine's dad, planned the whole evening perfectly. </div>
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We surprised Christine and had dinner at High Cotton- a beautiful and delicious restaurant downtown. After thanking her parents for such a generous dinner, fifteen to twenty of Christine's friends and I headed to the bars. I think my favorite was the <a href="http://www.marketpavilion.com/pavilionbar.cfm" target="_blank">Pavilion Bar</a> on top of the Market Pavilion Hotel. I mean, look at this gorgeous view: </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxcknL3LNHEZkKEg5NEKLRbIltQPyUV9cSCI_6TC1DUqjJXsCxdE3yIC-AiXa8NhGQBDnA09wqgK0hAgjG1srqJ6oyORB9-Ciy32a3rFuc9KxgltpD3Qv8MgqI2v-9LPSsM-CtDO6k_XBU/s1600/pavillion+bar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxcknL3LNHEZkKEg5NEKLRbIltQPyUV9cSCI_6TC1DUqjJXsCxdE3yIC-AiXa8NhGQBDnA09wqgK0hAgjG1srqJ6oyORB9-Ciy32a3rFuc9KxgltpD3Qv8MgqI2v-9LPSsM-CtDO6k_XBU/s1600/pavillion+bar.jpg" height="177" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>See that pretty white building? That's the Customs House! I just love Charleston's history.</i></div>
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I left early the next morning to get back for two of my dear friends' wedding, which was held about an hour away from home at the beautiful Dennis Vineyards. I've known the groom since we were kids in Sunday School together, and the bride was my freshman roommate at Wofford. Knowing how genuine these two are apart, and then seeing how genuine their love for one another is... Well, let's just say the waterworks were flowing that night. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp4h_QJAja1u1eWvkMvFHCHfZU_JrziMD-RmII_vUtZREqj0kJSY67TTYa28emM6m_TaKQHEnGvvlsrDcZiRpC7fzHldF5bi5M86glczry6J7AHUAfj_PQyqJFRJsPeEgoq_g4LA8F16s0/s1600/smwedding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp4h_QJAja1u1eWvkMvFHCHfZU_JrziMD-RmII_vUtZREqj0kJSY67TTYa28emM6m_TaKQHEnGvvlsrDcZiRpC7fzHldF5bi5M86glczry6J7AHUAfj_PQyqJFRJsPeEgoq_g4LA8F16s0/s1600/smwedding.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Since the bride and groom graduated from high school with John and me, we got to experience a little class reunion! So fun! </i></div>
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On Sunday, it was another early morning. John and I drove to Clemson so I could move all my stuff out of my old apartment. Like most people, I hate the process of moving. So tedious and annoying. Thankfully, John's dad helped move all the big stuff, like my couch and bed! Yay for future in-laws! :) </div>
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After successfully getting everything into my storage unit, we headed to Spartanburg and celebrated another birthday- my cousin's tenth! His party was Hunger Games themed, and wow was it thorough! Everything, from the food to the tables were labeled and themed! I love how dedicated he is to party planning; even when he was little he loved to go "all out!" </div>
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<i>Most of our "cousins club" plus our significant others! </i></div>
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If you've made it through that recap, I applaud you! Gosh, it wears me out just thinking of all that! Thankfully, I've had a bit of a slower week this week, so I've had time to work on wedding stuff... </div>
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Which leads me to my warning! After lots of contemplation, I decided I'm definitely going to keep y'all in the wedding loop! I read one of <a href="http://spielitsarah.blogspot.com/2014/07/its-wednesday-im-here-barely.html" target="_blank">Sarah's posts</a> where she mentioned <a href="http://kaysbestintentions.blogspot.com/2014/07/what-is-blogging-and-who-defines-it.html" target="_blank">this post</a> from Kay, and everything clicked. </div>
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I wouldn't be my authentic self if I didn't post about wedding stuff; I <b>LOVE </b>weddings! Gosh, now that John and I are planning our own, I need to <b>seize</b> this opportunity to talk about weddings and not sound crazy!!! In fact, I'm actually connected to a community of wedding bloggers, through <a href="http://southernweddings.com/" target="_blank">Southern Weddings</a>, AKA my favorite of all favorites. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxQKwKuajP9_p1VM8jQhkaKIOnwVA2CxrnwvSYlMgqwMfuOEx-87vk4kflL3NdODo3Y21W8b6J7ZQYbfPbBQZkHHmM1HD2Ib0e8Ivxumtrmzzg1NfWJZNAx22On-ygObJXQRKYKvmGC1bN/s1600/southernbride.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxQKwKuajP9_p1VM8jQhkaKIOnwVA2CxrnwvSYlMgqwMfuOEx-87vk4kflL3NdODo3Y21W8b6J7ZQYbfPbBQZkHHmM1HD2Ib0e8Ivxumtrmzzg1NfWJZNAx22On-ygObJXQRKYKvmGC1bN/s1600/southernbride.png" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
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So there you have it. Expect a lot more wedding posts in the super-near future. About how John and I have picked a venue, set a date, and found our ceremony officiant. (All of that? True stuff. Told ya I've been busy!) </div>
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Chelseahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077569529255486338noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542529377465491526.post-28579645920155469012014-07-18T09:41:00.001-04:002015-06-07T21:04:43.128-04:00Oh Hey Friday!<center style="text-align: left;">
When I found out Five on Friday, my favorite linkup, was taking a break, I was pretty bummed. Thank goodness for <a href="http://farmerbell.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Karli</a> and <a href="http://denimandplaid.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Amy's</a> new linkup, Oh Hey Friday! Don't let the farmer thing fool ya- these women are stylin' and profilin'. Let's do this thing, shall we?!</center>
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<b>1. I'm still engaged. What what?! </b></div>
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In case y'all somehow forgot, John and I are engaged! It's officially been a week now, and I still can't believe it. So weird, in the best way possible. Cannot believe I get to spend my life with this man. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA8MO5onyq1_k8ujvVzqoXsaPaSTDJcYuDaGagR6c3n7l94QlKFSC4HOVbWlsrlkoMWK-OUhFlQcP0a9jLIe_qVXYb9WpO5xSvZvs-WYar0DRgSoLaxHdlsyHvJkDbI9bepYcvWL-fBpBQ/s1600/IMG_2935.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA8MO5onyq1_k8ujvVzqoXsaPaSTDJcYuDaGagR6c3n7l94QlKFSC4HOVbWlsrlkoMWK-OUhFlQcP0a9jLIe_qVXYb9WpO5xSvZvs-WYar0DRgSoLaxHdlsyHvJkDbI9bepYcvWL-fBpBQ/s1600/IMG_2935.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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<i>Ow oww! Hottay! </i></div>
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<b>2. Our proposal was featured on How He Asked!</b></div>
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<a href="http://howheasked.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiSNo1R4jhEZnk57c9LnFDus_9sS_HH4JmdYiAm4s48nx6xqzQhc6kUux5J9NNmsTRiNb46HjWKO5Rh71duj4cJbEpML-2wNcIEyZlNGIj7U_uXJxNsqgFXO1B0ZVmPGEZn8jiEMbqnDJ6/s1600/howheasked.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
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<i>If you love proposals like I do, you need visit this site! Like, yesterday. </i></div>
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I was just a little excited to see our proposal up on <a href="http://howheasked.com/" target="_blank">How He Asked!</a> It's pretty much the story I told <a href="http://chelseagrowingup.blogspot.com/2014/07/the-proposal.html" target="_blank">here</a>, but if you're new around here, it could be a good introduction to how John and I met, since that was part of the post! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmxcES1sQQOBGSG26FAvxtpde77Dap0MLZXvwmOeupIMup0qo4jipzfN_peY29rPk46UO5abxwXvMd9nWT2AnyizxTzcHyUjIaX74QnWfxOLACONIz0coKH2_inrCcSExngGNm4pi1T0-Y/s1600/Screen+shot+2014-07-18+at+9.19.39+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmxcES1sQQOBGSG26FAvxtpde77Dap0MLZXvwmOeupIMup0qo4jipzfN_peY29rPk46UO5abxwXvMd9nWT2AnyizxTzcHyUjIaX74QnWfxOLACONIz0coKH2_inrCcSExngGNm4pi1T0-Y/s1600/Screen+shot+2014-07-18+at+9.19.39+AM.png" height="400" width="273" /></a></div>
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<i>Just a couple of HowHeAsked's tweets about us! So glad everyone gets to see John's thoughtful proposal!</i></div>
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<b>3. I died and went to preppy heaven. </b></div>
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Maybe you noticed one of those tweets from HowHeAsked tagged Lilly Pulitzer... The people at Lilly Pulitzer noticed, too. Yep, that's right! They retweeted that tweet to their followers, and then FOUND ME AND GAVE ME A SHOUT-OUT. </div>
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Then, because my life wasn't already made enough, this happened:</div>
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<i>Lilly Pulitzer follows me on Twitter. Excuse me while I squeal forever and always. </i></div>
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I've been a Lilly lover since I was introduced to the brand, because it is the epitome of everything I love: southern, stylish, sweet, sassy, and colorful. To get well wishes from them was pretty priceless! Lilly Pulitzer times infinity, basically. </div>
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<b>4. An inner dilemma on blogging wedding stuff. </b></div>
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I'll be honest: if any of the blogs I follow starting posting wedding stuff, I'd love it. For example, Robyn at Living Colorfully is engaged, and I adore her blog all the more now! I've always loved hearing about love, proposals, color schemes, tablescapes... All that good stuff! However, I know not all people are wedding fanatics like I am, and I don't want people to get annoyed with my blog if I post too much about it. I know it's my blog, and I can write whatever the heck I want, but I don't want to seem obnoxious, ya know?!</div>
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<b>5. Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. Holla! </b></div>
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It's <a href="http://nordstrom.com/" target="_blank">here</a>, y'all! Yay for the biggest Nordstrom sale of the year! Maybe later I'll post my favorites, but for now, I'm just scrolling through like a mad-woman. Hope y'all have a fab weekend- it's a busy one for this girl! </div>
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Chelseahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077569529255486338noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542529377465491526.post-87479938233777970232014-07-14T16:38:00.000-04:002015-06-07T21:04:43.152-04:00The Proposal <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
In case you missed my post on Saturday, I shared some <strike>kind of sort of</strike> SUPER exciting news....</div>
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<b>John and I are engaged!</b></div>
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If you're anything like I am, you<b> </b><i>love</i> a good proposal story. Seriously, most little girls dream of their wedding day. I dreamed of the day I got engaged. I can tell you that truthfully, this surpassed all my fairytale hopes and dreams. </div>
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For the majority of my life, I insisted that one day, my fiance would propose to me at Disney World in front of Cinderella's Castle. However, when I dreamed of that photographer-documented, fireworks-filled proposal, I didn't really ever consider who the mystery man proposing would be. Until I fell in love with John. And I realized that proposal would not even <i>kind of</i> be "us." Now, I won't lie: I still dream of going to Disney World with him, because I adore the place. However, I slowly let go of my original proposal fantasy and started a new dream: somehow becoming engaged to my best friend.</div>
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Luckily, John likes the idea of forever with me too. Enough to research diamond specs, buy a ring, and talk to my parents about marriage before our weekend getaway to Harbor Island. </div>
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Because I have a special place in my heart for proposal stories, I can guarantee mine will be <strike>painfully</strike> detailed and a bit long-winded... Just a warning! Now, let's start on Friday morning, when John and I left for Harbor Island. Harbor Island is about twenty minutes away from the charming coastal town of Beaufort, SC. It's a small, private barrier island, and it was the perfect place to escape reality for a couple of days. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN-nOPmRiKXwGiKv-HTLPxJMZ5jzlxIt3lGfwBufRLiRWOr5NzVFydaGFdAWoRNroxCIo-sP-eEHApIpgGNyU_CQBrt5kgERVL6LHFdvZNYNbeZstLM2XePXaLuKvI3-_FLOjGZGSe1suw/s1600/IMG_0545.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN-nOPmRiKXwGiKv-HTLPxJMZ5jzlxIt3lGfwBufRLiRWOr5NzVFydaGFdAWoRNroxCIo-sP-eEHApIpgGNyU_CQBrt5kgERVL6LHFdvZNYNbeZstLM2XePXaLuKvI3-_FLOjGZGSe1suw/s1600/IMG_0545.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>My mom insisted on getting a picture of us before we left... Our last picture as boyfriend and girlfriend!</i></div>
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Once we arrived, we decided to check out the beach. Very normal, because it's a beach trip. I brought John's super awesome camera out with us, which worked well into John's plan. This is, once again, very normal, because a. I'm a blogger, and b. I'm my mother's daughter, and that woman takes pictures of everything (hence the picture of us taking my luggage out to John's car). John insisted on bringing the big cooler with us. A little less normal. Especially since we had a smaller cooler, and this was our walk out to the beach: </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZqYMeujOKGDhP07hLeDdhAbrparb7P1Ogz0bltV4cywmonooapf2bdh6I9HMX2OgVqPXB7PDLQpR-NiG2V8SgWKxiI7ozKtJVcik7k8oMUNmQr78lty1YSdb0RnRXeg2U9CK3fPCUe9yb/s1600/IMG_8643.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZqYMeujOKGDhP07hLeDdhAbrparb7P1Ogz0bltV4cywmonooapf2bdh6I9HMX2OgVqPXB7PDLQpR-NiG2V8SgWKxiI7ozKtJVcik7k8oMUNmQr78lty1YSdb0RnRXeg2U9CK3fPCUe9yb/s1600/IMG_8643.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>It was a loooong walk across these pretty dunes...</i></div>
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<i><br /></i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ji1NEoLc0aMy2Un-BfvUFqjGV-QKJhvPpXtwpeZiTMuTeBRw4X3cdC-QctgSneOvELPeuyei0ktZNyTzdB0SwvZoCoC463fFFHZfxRS9u1TnfELDLf6xLRwXT42RDM-E-Bl18rOzqr5B/s1600/IMG_8645.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ji1NEoLc0aMy2Un-BfvUFqjGV-QKJhvPpXtwpeZiTMuTeBRw4X3cdC-QctgSneOvELPeuyei0ktZNyTzdB0SwvZoCoC463fFFHZfxRS9u1TnfELDLf6xLRwXT42RDM-E-Bl18rOzqr5B/s1600/IMG_8645.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>Past this soft sand, which John had to carry the cooler across...</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi55GumHYH9PTpJPqHREJq6KAftlruhX7YaMoGB4Lu38EakE73Su_Ig90BV1atuqSb8F-nUkWMsrzUFaooM5xOjE12jEuzyXSpUG-mt_1MNA6JPONkFKP2nhmlr02VvRs6j57Tge0qGZUjV/s1600/IMG_8649.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi55GumHYH9PTpJPqHREJq6KAftlruhX7YaMoGB4Lu38EakE73Su_Ig90BV1atuqSb8F-nUkWMsrzUFaooM5xOjE12jEuzyXSpUG-mt_1MNA6JPONkFKP2nhmlr02VvRs6j57Tge0qGZUjV/s1600/IMG_8649.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i> And down the beach a suspiciously long time... (Our last picture before he proposed!) </i></div>
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Like I said, things got a little fishy. I knew normal John hates walking like that for no purpose, and he seemed to be on the hunt for a certain location. I later realized he was. He had looked at the satellite view of Harbor Island on Google Maps, noticed a big sandbar, and made that his spot. He then researched the high and low tide schedules, because in high tide, it would have been impossible for us to get to the sandbar without getting wet. (John knows me well enough to know there's no way I'm getting my clothes gross!) </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil_bXKtGfIlrh8t8LiTMzw1BQR052wHQYD8L0290QymFYDpuhYnOCj_pRk8hAMEjmrI8fy-JAKzprnNykBKYupe1Xi6fuWdXL9d0AcYJP-Ab8Lb3HzwDEYpDqMrK2VrEmpXd6fgAKKOuZ3/s1600/IMG_2897.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil_bXKtGfIlrh8t8LiTMzw1BQR052wHQYD8L0290QymFYDpuhYnOCj_pRk8hAMEjmrI8fy-JAKzprnNykBKYupe1Xi6fuWdXL9d0AcYJP-Ab8Lb3HzwDEYpDqMrK2VrEmpXd6fgAKKOuZ3/s1600/IMG_2897.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Here's a picture of "our spot" we took the next day from the top of a lighthouse! See that little sandbar in the center of the picture? That's where John popped the question! </i></div>
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Once John saw his destination, he suggested we park our cooler and go check it out. I was game, since I saw some pretty pelicans and herons hanging out on the sandbar (and also because, hello, I thought my boyfriend was about to propose to me!). We waded across some shallow water to the island, looked around, and then John asked me if I knew how long we'd been dating. I kind of smiled and told him the rough estimate (two years and a few months), and he told me the exact answer (two years, three months, and fifteen days, for those of you who care). After that, he said a bunch of sweet things that he'd memorized but also written down on a notecard in his back pocket, in case he got too nervous. At some point while he held my hands, spoke to me, and looked at me while doing his adorable I'm-laughing-so-I-don't-tear-up thing, I started crying. I wish I could be a pretty-crier, but I'm definitely more of a <a href="http://realitytvgifs.tumblr.com/post/41631114745" target="_blank">Kim Kardashian in the tears department</a>. </div>
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Honestly, this surprised me since I'd braced myself, and I never saw myself crying in that moment. However, with just the two of us on the sandbar, the moment was so incredibly intimate and precious, and I just could not believe this was real life. Before I knew it, John was down on one knee, pulling a box from his pocket, and asking me to marry him. After bending down to give him a kiss, I managed to say yes before he put the prettiest ring I have ever seen in my life on my finger. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigU_Rgcx73WcgOmgtqMabAPlFPtvKltmRd4wuDxl7F_6Rm0DNd77vP1Sy28HedCS4AZIZS2zRquUD9q3Np05VG_07a51zg7FDezKp5jm_Ou2kF-8YwJ7M9Mxk8p2Ntlce5px6SMrWAHfAP/s1600/IMG_8651.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigU_Rgcx73WcgOmgtqMabAPlFPtvKltmRd4wuDxl7F_6Rm0DNd77vP1Sy28HedCS4AZIZS2zRquUD9q3Np05VG_07a51zg7FDezKp5jm_Ou2kF-8YwJ7M9Mxk8p2Ntlce5px6SMrWAHfAP/s1600/IMG_8651.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>First of many ring pictures I took that weekend.... Sorry! </i></div>
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I tried to stop crying, but it took a while... I think I finally stopped when we got back to our cooler and I realized we hadn't even taken any pictures together yet! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGgVz-LX0HzlBteadhY3uzd-voOtXwVQPaDuHUCH1XWX6h1edE6_ovf9Ep0m5uP70ZO_IiauZ0tpdWOH6FqJsRu_Rp71zKSlHCipLisaW7UYW2NK0Rev_3IWFeSGTWFWsXhFTZ2RxAjFLZ/s1600/IMG_2844.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGgVz-LX0HzlBteadhY3uzd-voOtXwVQPaDuHUCH1XWX6h1edE6_ovf9Ep0m5uP70ZO_IiauZ0tpdWOH6FqJsRu_Rp71zKSlHCipLisaW7UYW2NK0Rev_3IWFeSGTWFWsXhFTZ2RxAjFLZ/s1600/IMG_2844.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>Our first picture as an engaged couple!</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyQSFxMjpmVyKFxt2cCbkQDw4gLhSfn6EL28GlALYtwBOnWKmxMQKcP42pJuwm_88OgiCFpReyUHvRbNglyFWFJh7BiJ5ncOUU7Z-bMnIPzBE3vm36EvXFjHt_5yxyGNRKbQEHC_jzSdHD/s1600/IMG_2851.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyQSFxMjpmVyKFxt2cCbkQDw4gLhSfn6EL28GlALYtwBOnWKmxMQKcP42pJuwm_88OgiCFpReyUHvRbNglyFWFJh7BiJ5ncOUU7Z-bMnIPzBE3vm36EvXFjHt_5yxyGNRKbQEHC_jzSdHD/s1600/IMG_2851.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>I love my fiance (and I love calling him that!). </i></div>
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We celebrated together with a special bottle of champagne John brought, which explained his insistence on bringing that particular cooler with us.<br />
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<i>How lucky am I?!</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWsj50GeFeb-GX6fYnvF2kRt8HbcE2vakazRQxpZfswSLyl30vmkm-xlUAEiLKcUp5PWThEZyGERGRETuFF0QS4Y1OFJebLHogcuo8IcRRyDqxo-r7o1BJBOyzI5jgSJqSQdXDLZTc9evx/s1600/IMG_8657.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWsj50GeFeb-GX6fYnvF2kRt8HbcE2vakazRQxpZfswSLyl30vmkm-xlUAEiLKcUp5PWThEZyGERGRETuFF0QS4Y1OFJebLHogcuo8IcRRyDqxo-r7o1BJBOyzI5jgSJqSQdXDLZTc9evx/s1600/IMG_8657.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>So sweet. </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKOFOfroXSwEnImxXIqaEOpPPI6vAxqQ0Xm2okrH4PwayeSwhDRjMjEXaAHj-7EX4ItvBQyNBaYg9VgNf9tV97XDRUq_zStpvbc0ilcP5rTt6lnXzTu88ySsY_5ZI-IbUqOJGIzBzTE9b/s1600/IMG_8658.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKOFOfroXSwEnImxXIqaEOpPPI6vAxqQ0Xm2okrH4PwayeSwhDRjMjEXaAHj-7EX4ItvBQyNBaYg9VgNf9tV97XDRUq_zStpvbc0ilcP5rTt6lnXzTu88ySsY_5ZI-IbUqOJGIzBzTE9b/s1600/IMG_8658.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>I about melted when I saw this.</i></div>
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It started sprinkling, so we sipped on our bubbly while walking to our condo (after a couple of "Cheers!"). I'm so glad John and I chose to spend a few hours soaking in the excitement with just the two of us; it gave us time to celebrate and time for me to ask a billion questions, like "What did my parents say? What did your parents say?" and exclaim how beautiful my ring was, over and over again. It also gave us time to get ready for dinner; we were both pretty yucky after our long and humid walk on the beach.<br />
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After a fabulous dinner at Old Bull Tavern in Beaufort, where the entire staff was incredibly helpful in making our evening special, we sat on a swing by the water and called and texted all of our closest family and friends.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpKrZSUQmDEyD6ddvcOwzZJnHWYXZc6MxyuvYY2eF8ViKKw3bVKWl2hf3EhGKVt0KUuAGlNyYe7LS5_YKkr2TUrd9H8mox4BtgSMSfLsMWsZGA-2yjDZDaeLLCIqVfPX6oc5_VWgPDRR7Z/s1600/IMG_8697.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpKrZSUQmDEyD6ddvcOwzZJnHWYXZc6MxyuvYY2eF8ViKKw3bVKWl2hf3EhGKVt0KUuAGlNyYe7LS5_YKkr2TUrd9H8mox4BtgSMSfLsMWsZGA-2yjDZDaeLLCIqVfPX6oc5_VWgPDRR7Z/s1600/IMG_8697.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<i>I love this picture. So much happiness!</i></div>
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Once we got back, we took a deep breath, and posted the news on social media... It was out there for the world! I absolutely adored getting excited, supportive messages from my sweet friends, like <a href="http://seashellsandmagnolias3.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Christine</a>. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoMSFexkqJWbq40qBfR09qS_0HcouXLVJqy2G6qajuEzzzOV6h5EzKL7qPJIQctfHJKl63lToO5JqvDmCGJUksVGx8BzzpUQ2EEpMHhfIspZEBMmy20qiIQl_jSzJrVJr_IO_YKAbXYwvs/s1600/IMG_8709.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoMSFexkqJWbq40qBfR09qS_0HcouXLVJqy2G6qajuEzzzOV6h5EzKL7qPJIQctfHJKl63lToO5JqvDmCGJUksVGx8BzzpUQ2EEpMHhfIspZEBMmy20qiIQl_jSzJrVJr_IO_YKAbXYwvs/s1600/IMG_8709.PNG" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
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<i>When I read this snap, I broke out into a smile. Can't even believe I get to be Mrs. Whitten! </i></div>
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We ended the night cuddling and eating Ben and Jerry's Half Baked ice cream. If that isn't a fairytale ending, I don't know what is. </div>
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Chelseahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077569529255486338noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-542529377465491526.post-1911287703483677172014-07-12T22:11:00.001-04:002015-06-07T21:04:43.119-04:00Just popping in...<div style="text-align: center;">
To say John popped the question! </div>
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That's right, y'all! As of yesterday afternoon, I'm engaged to my best friend!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifM3s3MiL4LIjpjBveQ3k7rcgVJtbAE9tpHNZ8cqWIsl-H5YtFOmMg9PAjGAfnZ7KtAkXhqxmNx1O_EngHLFO_9a1gNa_gVRygSwc4KUvWVeupWj_qLrtw5vMPEjEYVEhzR6WoQAENvqxR/s640/blogger-image--2097880895.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifM3s3MiL4LIjpjBveQ3k7rcgVJtbAE9tpHNZ8cqWIsl-H5YtFOmMg9PAjGAfnZ7KtAkXhqxmNx1O_EngHLFO_9a1gNa_gVRygSwc4KUvWVeupWj_qLrtw5vMPEjEYVEhzR6WoQAENvqxR/s400/blogger-image--2097880895.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Just a few minutes after the sweetest moment of my life... And John even has a sandy knee to prove it! </i></div>
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Right now we're just soaking in all of the happiness and taking advantage of our last night on Harbor Island, but expect more details come Monday! </div>
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Chelseahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14077569529255486338noreply@blogger.com16