flowers

I was at home a few weekends ago, so my mom and I decided to work on ideas for centerpieces for our reception.


I already pretty much knew what I wanted...hyrdangeas. blue. square vases. maybe some tea lights.

We went to Kroger to pick up some hydrangeas, made a mock representation of a reception table, and here's our rough draft...

I've always wanted hydrangeas at my wedding, but I always thought that they were really expensive. It turns out, they're not toooo bad. So, I'm pretty sure I will be using them as my bouquet as well as my BM's bouquets.

Here's a little preview (except I think I want ours to be white)

That's only 3 hydrangeas...whoa mama!!

So...YAY for decisions being made! 

in the shades of evening

I've mentioned before that several years ago, the "crew" decided to do candlelights for everybody when they got engaged because we all knew that we would be done with chi-o before any of us had a ring on it.

We did one for Jenny this summer and my sweet, sweet friends surprised me with one this weekend!

We were all together for Jenny's shower on Sunday afternoon and we also got together that night to celebrate liserr's birthday! Jordy had to go back to t-town before it got too late, so she didn't get to join us for dinner, but she was definitely there in spirit!

While we were all hugging and saying our "goodbyes" in the Amsterdam parking lot, Cathy whipped this out...

We spent a little while trying to get the candle to actually light, but it was so windy and quite frigid, so we just pretended. It's ok...I've always had a pretty vivid imagination. No problems with make-believe from this girl.

I even pretended to blow it out :)

I then proceeded to tell the "engagement story" (that they had all heard before) as quickly as I could, so we could get out of the blizzard.

Showing off the bling (that they had all seen)

So...it's official. I have the best friends ever. You should probably be jealous.

it's the child in her...

When Eliz and I were little (well, I was little-she was grown), we had a tendency of getting a little wild and crazy during shopping trips. We were very well-behaved children otherwise (well, she was well-behaved), but something happened to us when we were faced with lots of people, open spaces, and racks of clothes. It was like we couldn't control ourselves. We would hide behind clothes and giggle until there was serious potential for an accident.


We were also big fans of roller-blading when we were younger. biiiiiig fans.



I guess some things never change.


This is how I found Eliz during a trip to the Salvation Army store this past weekend...

Eliz is working towards her PhD in psychology...

She will be 32 in March....

it's the child in her....

slacker

So...the Christmas season is pretty hectic for an elementary school music teacher...who knew?

I have blog ideas out the wazoo! I even have parts of them written, but I have a photograph situation. And in my opinion, a blog with no photos is no blog at all.

ALL of my pictures from the past 5 years of my life are on my poor little dell computer. Well, a few months ago he said he wasn't going to turn on anymore. I need to get everything transferred to another computer, but I just haven't gotten around to it. My bad.

So...my next option for posting photos would be to get them from facebook. Welllll...I still don't have internet at the APT. I know, I know. I've been meaning to get around to it, but you know how that goes. After almost 6 months without it, I'm wondering how necessary it really is. I do almost all of my internet-required work at school. BUT I can't get on facebook at work. Therefore, posting photos on this blog is no walk in the park.

I promise I will get on top of things soon!


And because I know the suspense is killing you, here's an idea of what's to come...

Birthdays (2), showers, rollerblades, candles, precious children, and flowers.



get crunk.

reflections.

My mom once told me that the cleanliness or state of your home is often a reflection of what's going on in your life and your state of mind.

Here's what my apartment looks like right now...

Just sayin....

BMs

I've decided that I'm going to start referring to my bridesmaids as "BMs." I'm not really one of those people who uses abbreviations a lot, I just think this one is too good to pass up.


I guess I'm going to kind of chart my wedding planning process on this thing. I feel like I'm so behind, so when I take care of big things, I'm pretty proud.

After much internet searching, swatch ordering, and opinion asking, I've decided on BM dresses.We're ordering them from http://www.ariadress.com/. This is the same place Jenny got her BM dresses from. If you know us, you know that this is very typical.

Here is the STYLE of the BMs dresses...

It's really simple, but I like the classic look and I think that it will look wonderful on all of my beautimous BMs. I think I'm going to get the little tiny straps removed and we're going to have just one solid color, none of this two-tone stuff going on.

Here is the COLOR of the BMs dresses...

Don't you love the pose this chick has going on? bahaha! For some reason, I've been extremely picky about the color of the BMs dresses. I had a certain color in my mind and I wasn't happy until I found exactly what I had pictured. This particular company calls it "periwinkle" but other companies have a pretty similar color called "cornflower."

Here are a few "real" pictures of the color of the dress...love it!



I would say, "please let me know what you think about my selection," but I've already made my choice, so all I really want to hear is "oohh I LOVE them" or "they're perfect" or "wow! that's the best BMs dress I've ever seen."



thankful.

Dear God,

Thank you for assuring me that I'm doing something right when I'm having a bad day.

Amen.

you should've heard those knocked out jailbirds sing...

Several weeks ago, one of the teachers stood up at a faculty meeting and announced that PES would be having a their first annual Harvest Festival. Teachers could have booths in the rooms on Safari (4th grade) Hall. The tickets they collected could be turned in for REAL money. Considering my budget is exactly zero dollars and zero cents, I KNEW that this was something I had to do. I looked online for booth ideas, asked teachers for ideas, and racked my own brain for things I remember doing at the good ol' Fall Festival at Duck Samford. Nothing struck my fancy until the T man suggested a jail. We both remembered having a jail at Wrights Mill Road during 'Family Fun Night' and we both remembered thinking it was pretty cool. So with a little hesitation, I made this my plan.

I knew I wanted to have some kind of bars in front of my door and wanted to some how make my room look like a jail. I also tried to think of some kind of activity for the prisoners to do, but I figured they wouldn't be in there for long, so there was really no point.

So the Sunday before the festival, we (meaning mostly Tyson) got to work. I don't know what I would do without his help sometimes. He's going to make a fabulous teacher's husband :)

We went to Lowes and bought everything we needed for approximately $6.00. We measured, marked, drilled, and screwed until we came up with something like this...

When I got back to Prattville, I painted it black and attached it to my door with wire. It actually turned out looking pretty good!  I also hot glued black plastic sheeting on my walls. Ummm let's just say that I should have just stuck with the bars. I charged one ticket to throw somebody in jail and one ticket to bail them out. I should have charged 2, but I wanted to be safe-mental note for next time.

For some reason, the jail was an absolute hit! I kind of felt like I was babysitting, but for the money it raised, I won't complain. Kids were throwing their parents in, throwing themselves in, and then not wanting to leave. Another mental note-I should have stuck with the activity idea. Most of these kids were running around like a bunch of banshees. I even dressed up like a police woman. Well, really I was just a normal looking person with some police-like accesories.

So I ended up raising $190.

That's exactly umm...well, $190 more than I started with. I'm not sure how well the other booths did, but I was pretty proud. Despite the exhaustion at the end of the night and the concern that I might have a law suit on my hands with all these crazy children running around, I had a pretty good night. I also enjoyed it because it gave me a chance to get to know some of the kids better. I feel like it's all business when they come to my class because I only get them for 45 minutes a week. Once I get to know them, the general concensus is that they're not quite the varmints that I suspect them to be.





she said....YES!

TO THE DRESS...



Well....technically, she said yes in July.

My Boo Boo got her WEDDING DRESS!! Like... she owns it. It's hers!! And let me just tell you, it is STUNNING!! More accurately, SHE is stunning!! I'm going to be a blubbering fool when she walks down that aisle! She is going to be (and already is) a beautiful, gorgeous, radiant, absolutely perfect bride! I cannot wait!!

I rode up to The Something Blue Shoppe in Hartselle with Jenny, her sister, and her future mother in law (who I'm sooo glad I got a chance to spend some time with-just precious). It was a really special time and I'm so honored that Jenny asked me to go :)

Here are some pictures from our little adventure. Don't worry, there aren't any of the actual dress. I would LOVE for y'all to see it, but that will have to wait until after March 12th. Jenny would kill me if I put them up here now! And trust me, you will get to know that dress very well as I'm sure I will have several blogs dedicated to Jenny and Andy's big day!!

Here we go...

Walking into the store...BEFORE the dress. She tried to act like she didn't want me to take pictures, but I know that deep inside she did. She'll thank me one day. It's okay...I can wait.

With the DRESS!!!

Again, trying to act like she's too cool to take pictures like this. She probably is, but the foolishness she felt right here will soon be forgotten.

I'm so happy for you, Boo Boo!! I can NOT wait to see you in that ballin' dress!! March 12th will be here before we know it! Ahhh!!!

06.11.11

Oh...we got 'Save the Dates' too! For a reeeaaally good price at http://www.vistaprint.com/

this picture is horrible, but maybe you can get the general idea.

Also, after looking at this picture over and over, I realize that I kind of look like a fatty. Like, it looks like Tyson is trying to pick me up, but he's struggling. While he was probably struggling, my feet were actually off the ground. You just can't tell because of the sand. I'm just sayin...

photographer? check.

So...do you remember that on my very first post I said something like, "I'm not getting married...so this isn't a wedding blog." Well, umm things changed. This still won't be a wedding blog because let's face it, this blog is just about as scattered as my brain is. BUT I will keep you updated on some of the wedding planning process. I'm not very good at this wedding planning thing and I'm slacking in a lot of areas because I'm so completely overwhelmed, but we do officially have a photographer that I'm really excited about!! Go check out her website at http://www.carsonstudios.com/.

these are my confessions (in the style of usher)

Not me.


When I turned 18, I was taking a Government class at Auburn High School (what up, Mr. York!). This was the time of the Bush-Kerry presidential race and I was waaaaay into it. I learned so much in that class and it turned me into a much more involved and aware citizen. I could tell you how many electoral votes each state got, which states were red and which ones were blue, how many cabinet positions were up for re-election, who the majority and minority leaders of the house were, and even a good bit about the issues at stake.


From this point on, I took my civic responsibilities pretty seriously. I always voted and did my best to become educated on the candidates and issues I was voting on.

For the past year or two, however, I have become beyond frustrated with the state of our government. No, it's not because Obama is black or because I'm embarassed for Sarah Palin every time she puts herself in public. I'm fed up because so many of the leaders of this country are too caught up in this 'Democrats vs. Republican' competition, that it's overshadowing the needs of the people. I realize that this might sound naive and I do know that there is a reason we established the party system, but I'm over it. All it's doing is tearing our country apart when we need unity-now, more than ever.

So, when this election started, I decided that I would vote for whoever had the most positive campaign. Again, I realize this might sound naive, but to me, it says a lot about the person. It would be pretty much impossible for me to agree with everything a politician does, but if I know that he or she has the right motives and that they are in their position because they honestly want what's best for the people, then sign me up! To me, the character of the person is much more significant than who he or she voted for, what he or she voted for, and whether they're a democrat or a republican. Now don't get me wrong, there are definitley a few issues that are deal breakers for me. But in general, if I believe the person is of good character (which I am pretty good at judging, if I do say so myself) and will do what they honestly think is best for the people they are representing, even if I disagree with him or her on several issues, they are much more likely to get my vote than somebody that I feel is shady.

With all of that said, there was not one candidate in this election who I believe ran a clean campaign in this election. It made me sick to turn on the t.v. and hear commericals talking about how somebody voted for their own pay raise or how somebody else lied on their resume. Really?!? If you spend so much time and money talking about how awful other people are, then that tells me that you don't have enough positive things to say about yourself. Because I was so frustrated with the democrat vs. republican and mess and the negative campaigns, I did not vote. It was a conscious decision and I would be lying if I told you I didn't feel pretty guilty about it.

Now, I will be the first to say that I am extremely proud to be an American. The 4th of July is my favorite holiday and I have been known to start up my own patriotic medley if there is no music present at a certain 4th of July celebration. I'm taking the "Bobcat Singers" to sing some patriotic songs at the nursing home next Tuesday because I think it's important for them to realize the meaning of Veteran's Day. I DO love my country and I DO appreciate the sacrifices that have been made for me to live the life I live today.

I am not proud of the direction in which our country is going right now. A lot of things need to change and these politicians and so-called leaders need to quit concerning themselves with who is a democrat and who is a republican and spend their time and effort working together to get some things straightened out.

So there you go. This is my apology for not voting on Tuesday. I am sorry for not fulfilling my civic duty and for letting my fellow americans down. I hope this never happens again.

P.S. sorry for the most boring blog post in the history of blog posting. It was just on my heart and in my brain. Isn't that what these things are for?

The Hills are Alive....



http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20437218,00.html

Ohhhhhh man!!!! I can HARDLY wait!!

I believe firmly that 'The Sound of Music' was one of the greatest movies ever created and that the surgeon who messed up Julie Andrews' voice has a special place waiting for him in hell.

Please. For the love of all that is good, watch this episode of Oprah today. It will make you a better person. I guarantee it.



trick or treat. smell my feet.

I've never really understood that little rhyme and I'm pretty sure I got in trouble for saying it when I was little.

Tyson and I carved a pumpkin a couple of weekends ago when I was visiting him in Starkvegas. For the past few years, I've come up with the design and Tyson does all the work. I normally come up with something way too detailed to carve, but the T man always tries his best.

This year, I was a little more involved in the pumpkin to jack-o-lantern transformation.

Here's how it went all went down...

First, I cleaned the pumpkin out. Tyson couldn't really help with this part because he had a nasty burn on his hand. The pumpkin had been sitting outside for a couple of days, so the guts and goo were coooold!



Once our surface was prepared, I started producing several pages that looked like this. Just doodles and ideas.

This was our final design. Professional, huh?

I taped this to the pumpkin and poked little holes where the lines were.

Then Tyson got to work...

Do you see his little hurt hand? Poor thing...

The finished product!



Isn't he cute?

Unfortunately, Tyson said it fell in and turned into mush the next day. I'm glad I wasn't there.

Here are some pics from last year's pumpkin carving festivities...



Maybe we'll work on another one this weekend to make up for the loss of our poor little owl.

 

Everybody get your hands up for boda getta...

I said it's great to be an Auburn Tiger. I mean, really. It is. I'm going to go ahead and say that it is always great to be an Auburn Tiger, but it's especially great right now. I love me some Auburn and I'm so proud to be a member of the "Auburn Family." I know...cheesy-cheesy, but if you haven't experienced it-I can't expect you to understand. For the first time in my life, I am located in a place where there are more bammers than Auburn fans. And let me just tell you, I'm not being dramatic when I say it's a little bit of culture shock. I miss being on the plains. I am constantly ridiculed for my loyalty to the orange and blue, but don't you worry... I have not once waivered. When kids come in my room talking about "boo Auburn," I quickly remind them that we do not talk like that in my classroom. Unacceptable. The other day, I had a conversation with a poor, young 4th grade bammer that went something like this...

little bammer: "Ms. White, I have a joke for you."

me: "okay...go"

little bammer: "knock-knock"

me: "who's there?"

little bammer:  "boo"

me: "boo who?"

little bammer: "Boo Auburn"

me: "You know what <insert child's name>, that is the difference between an Auburn and an Alabama fan. An Auburn fan would never say something like that." 



I'm real excited that we're numero uno right now, but I must say that it also makes me very nervous. I think it's about time that our boys got some recognition, but I hope it doesn't give them (or us) the big head.
I love me some Cam Newton. The whole laptop thing is irrelevant to me. Even if he did steal it, I believe that people can change and I believe that he is the real deal. Have y'all read this article...http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/news?slug=rivals-1139741?  I'm so proud of who he is on and off the field. Lord knows we need more role models like him for our little children of the future. I believe he stands for what Auburn is all about and I just really like that. G'on head, Cameron.

Because I'm missing the loveliest village and the game day atmosphere that it has to offer. I decided to have a little pep rally on my blog. Feel free to grab your shaker and join me.

Alright, Tiger fans...get your hands up for boda getta!

Are-you-ready? READY!

Count off...1-2-3

BODA GETA-BODA GETA

BODA GETA BAH

RAH, RAH, RAH

SIS BOOM BAH

WEGL, WEGL

WAR DAMN EAGLE

KICK EM IN THE

BUTT BIG BLUE

HEY!

Alright, Tiger fans...get your hands up for Track 'Em!

Are you ready? READY!

Count off...1-2-3

TRACK 'EM TIGERS

JUST LIKE BEAGLES!

GIVE 'EM HELL

YOU WAR DAMN EAGLES

HEY!

Alirght, Tiger fans...get your hands up for 2 BITS!

Are you ready? READY!

Count off...1-2-3

TWO BITS

FOUR BITS

SIX BITS

A DOLLAR!

ALL FOR AUBURN-

STAND UP AND HOLLER!

Glory, Glory to old Auburn-

glory, glory to old Auburn-

glory, glory to old Auburn-

A-U-B-U-R-N!!

War Eagle, fly down the field.
Ever to conquer, never to yield.
War Eagle, fearless and true.
Fight on, you orange and blue.
Go! Go! Go!
On to vict'ry, strike up the band.
Give 'em hell, give 'em hell;
Stand up and yell, Hey! War Eagle win for Auburn,
Power of Dixie Land!

On the rolling plains of Dixie
'Neath its sun-kissed sky,
Proudly stands our Alma Mater
Banners high.
To thy name we'll sing thy praise,
From hearts that love so true,
And pledge to thee our loyalty
The ages through.

We hail thee, Auburn, and we vow
To work for thy just fame,
And hold in memory as we do now
Thy cherished name.

Hear the student voices swelling,
Echoes strong and clear,
Adding laurels to thy fame
Enshrined so dear.

From the hollowed walls we'll part,
And bid thee sad adieu;
Thy sacred trust we'll bear with us
The ages through.

We hail thee, Auburn, and we vow
To work for thy just fame,
And hold in memory as we do now
Thy cherished name.

<'scuse me...I need to take a break and get a tissue. that one gets me every time. lawd.>

I believe that this is a practical world and that I can count only on what I earn. Therefore, I believe in work, hard work.

I believe in education, which gives me the knowledge to work wisely and trains my mind and my hands to work skillfully.

I believe in honesty and truthfulness, without which I cannot win the respect and confidence of my fellow men.

I believe in a sound mind, in a sound body and a spirit that is not afraid, and in clean sports that develop these qualities.

I believe in obedience to law because it protects the rights of all.

I believe in the human touch, which cultivates sympathy with my fellow men and mutual helpfulness and brings happiness for all.

I believe in my Country, because it is a land of freedom and because it is my own home, and that I can best serve that country by "doing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with my God."

And because Auburn men and women believe in these things, I believe in Auburn and love it.
-George Petrie (1945)

<I'm sorry...is there anything more beautifully written? Thank you. I didn't think so either.>

What is Auburn?

Far be it from me to try to answer that question,

There are as many definitions of Auburn

as there are for Auburn men and women.

It would be safe to say, however, that Auburn is

much more than a football game.

It is much more than winning and losing.

It is a spirit. It is an attitude.

It is a way of looking at life and at one another.

It is, almost, a way of living.

Unless you have experienced it,

you will never know what it is;

you will never understand it.

Once you have experienced it, you will never be the same.

A part of you will , forevermore, be an

Auburn man or and Auburn woman.

-David Housel