Please read: I've moved!

Hi friends! It's been quite some time since we last chatted!

A lot of my life has changed in the past few months and this blog started to get very vague as to its purpose. A Daring Little Life is now Here Comes the Belle! www.herecomesthebelle.blogspot.com

Come check it out and keep up with all of the fun!

Xo,
Amy

A long December....

Wow.

Can November come back?

I miss the smell of turkey cooking. I'm most definitely going to miss the pretty orange and brown leaves. And I already miss the cotton fields.

I'm totally surprised that winter is among us. On my ride home from work tonight my thermometer in my car was flashing 35 degrees (yes, it flashes when it's below 40, how annoying, right? like I don't know its cold outside?)

So where do I go with this post? 

As this little page marker flashes at me, I'm kind of staring blankly. 

How do I say this.....

I'm scared? I don't want it to be 2012 already. Time is flying by too fast. 

Before you know it, Andrea will be graduated from high school and she'll be off to college. I'll be graduated from college and married in no time. I'm not scared at all about being married, I'm just scared about facing the REAL WORLD as everyone calls it. Like the idea of moving out, buying my own house, furnishing my own house, paying for my car payment, cell phone bill, insurance, and the cost of living all at once scares the shit out of me (excuse my french). It just seems like it's a freight train and it's coming fast and I don't know what to do. I wish I could be putting money aside for this but all in the month of DECEMBER I have to pay for the following:

Beautiful furniture that we got a great cost. The only catch is, we have to pay for it this month.

The photographer deposit.

Car payment.

Christmas gifts for everyone.

YIKES.

Can I go back to being 4 now? 

I want this to be a long December. I want the time away from school and the time with my family to be stretched out as long as possible. My sister has become pretty much my best friend and I want to spend as much time with her as possible. She's gotten so funny with age! I want to enjoy my first Christmas day with Justin and I want it to linger. That's right, it's our FIRST Christmas day together. He always volunteers to work for all the guys with families but he had it off this year and I asked him to please please not volunteer to work. I want to experience what it's like to have to split our Christmas between the two families. I think it's going to be fun. This December I want to spend chilly afternoon's cuddled up with my pups.

And you know what I think I'm going to do this December....

I'm going to reward myself and...

wait for it...

READ A BOOK!

Do you know how long it's been since I've read a book? Like purely out of enjoyment? Probably last December! I have tons sitting on my shelf that I want to read, I just don't find the time. But oh, hey, look what I've found: 

TIME! 

:)

That's enough ramblings from me.

But I want to hear yours...

How did you deal with becoming a "grown up" and entering what everyone calls the "real world"?

My little Black Friday

This year, me and my little sis, Andrea (who seems to be the best friend in the whole wide world) are going BLACK FRIDAY SHOPPING! 

Eeek! This is just the beginning of a great weekend! Well, only following an excellent Thanksgiving, of course! 

I've only done mild Black Friday shopping, once I went to Bass Pro for their sale, but that was all.

Well I'm laying down the sales and deals right here! 

T A R G E T 

$9.99 Merona Cardigans

$19.99 Cowl Neck Sweater Dress

$20.00 for this beauty!!

$25.00 for these pretties

S E A R S 

$4.99 for a 4GB SD Card!

O L D    N A V Y

$8.00 Henley Tops (with RUFFLES!)

$15.00 denim!

$8.00 Flannel PJ Pants (perfect for Christmas!)

And that is just our beginning! On Saturday, I'll be photographing a wedding & on Sunday, Andrea & I will be watching Lady Antebellum in concert!

Justin was so sweet to buy us tickets! Not to mention that we're on the floor and only 24 rows back from the stage! Hope we're not behind any tall folks! 

Until next time...

HOLA!

Hi friends! 


I'm sorry I've been so slack on posting! I've just kind of been uninspired? I suppose...and busy....as usual! 


Some updates: 
The engagement party went wonderfully! We had a blast and it went just as I had hoped! I'll add some photos here shortly....I think! lol


School has been kicking my tail...just mentally. It's just getting to be such a pain to drive all the way the way there (I drive about 45 minutes to go to school each day). 


I've been bombarded in business! I had a shoot last Saturday, Sunday, Monday of this week, one tomorrow, and mini sessions on Sunday as well as a full session immediately following! Whew! I just don't know how I do this sometimes. 


Wedding planning: My dream photographer has offered us a discount on our wedding day since I've known her through work for so long. I'm so thrilled about this! But not so much about having to place the deposit. I decided that I would pay for the photographer myself but at this very moment, I don't really have the money for the deposit. I'm sure I'll figure it out (as always) but I feel like I'm constantly playing chicken with expenses. Justin and I are doing some house shopping and throwing wedding bills into the mix isn't much fun...
But we have chosen our venue for the big day! It's absolutely beautiful! 

You see the barn esque structure in the top right corner? That's called the "Chapel in the Woods" and that's where our ceremony will take place. We'll have a tent within walking distance for the reception. 
Working for a wedding planner has totally helped get me these 2 things that were at the tippy top of my list. Now I just have to sign contracts and place deposits to secure them....blah.


And wedding dress hunting.... My heart is set on lace & a keyhole back...but I'm very nervous that my body isn't right for that type of dress. I'm more of a curvy, plus size kind of girl....so I don't see my body looking right in that dress....but my heart wants it so bad. It makes me really nervous....like to the point of not wanting to try on dresses. I'm going to try to slim down some I hope. another....BLAH.


Okay, so that's all from me...


See, told you not very inspired to write. 


Until next time...
XoXo!

Wedding Dreams:: ADVICE!

I just can't help it! 

I have such bad wedding fever!

Today, at work, we hashed out the wedding budget.

I always knew working for a wedding planner would benefit me one day when I got engaged, but I never really realized that it would be this great of a help.

Granted, I'm still having to pay for an average wedding, but I'm so lucky to be getting everything I've wanted for my wedding.

I don't want the world. I just wanted a few certain things....like

the dream venue

the dream photog

the band

& the groom ;)

& then....

there's the one BIG thing. (other than my sweet man)

the dress

We all dream of the dress. It's the one thing you think of when you think wedding.

Some girls think tulle.

Some girls think sparkle.

Some girls think the perfect beach wedding dress.

And this girl thinks of 2 things:

lace

&

keyhole back.

Why is the one thing that I want more than I was hoping it would cost.

You see, we are on a tight budget (but really, who isn't these days?).

And we weren't planning on spending a lot of money on a dress I'll wear for only one day of my life...

But then again....

It's a really important day, right?

Mom and I were thinking of going the David's Bridal route...and I guess maybe the store will have more than they offer online? 

Ideally, I'd have THIS dress.

It's by Maggie Sottero

But some others I wouldn't mind are like these: 

So what do I do? 

How do I get the dream dress? 

Do I trust the knock off dressmakers I find all over the internet?

While searching for Bernadette, I kept seeing prices like $200.00 for a "custom dress" from China. I don't think that sounds all that right. 

I guess we'll go check the selection during my Christmas break. Maybe I'll find my one true dress ;)

Any advice is welcomed and appreciated! 

Wedding Budget Freak Out!

Hi! Remember me? 

Sorry it's been so long since I've blogged! 

Clearly, I've been super busy with engagement party planning! 

We're now in the last month of planning + action!

Tomorrow Justin and I will be taking our engagement photos! 

We're both so excited...and I'm really nervous! I don't know how to be in front of a camera anymore....I'm so used to being on the other side. 

Anyways, the engagement party planning has been going wonderfully! 

We had 85 confirm out of 100 that we invited (and then we added a few more last minute). 

Well, somehow within all of this engagement party planning mess...we ran into WEDDING planning!

It's making me really nervous. The idea of trying to find the money to pay for a wedding is what's really scaring me. My boss at the event planning business keeps telling me "let's start planning your wedding" but I just can't bring myself to do it. 

She wants me to set a budget, but I know that the budget my parents are setting is just almost impossible to work with. 

So I'm going to keep avoiding the subject as of now. I've told Ashley more than once that I can't afford her or the wedding she typically does. 

:( 

Anyways, guess what's started! Watch the movie "Five" on Lifetime on Saturday night to see some The Week the Women Went promo videos like this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4u5WUpiB_o

So I know, bad quality...but it's a leak that's been discovered ;) 

Enjoy! 

Sometimes, my job makes my heart melt.

& here's why:

Watch Me

Just do it. Like I'd make you watch a video that's nasty or misleading....

Everytime we work a wedding with a fabulous photographer or videographer, I beg my boss to send me whatever link or photos we get.

I mean who doesn't like to ooh and ahh?

I was so privileged to work this wedding. The bride was just so incredibly classy and fun. She had fabulous taste.

Well, right towards the end of watching this video, Justin called me.

"Amy, it sounds like you're crying?"

"Oh, no I'm just watching some silly video" (Sniff, sniff.) "I'm not crying."

"Is it a wedding video?"

busted.

I know I haven't posted lately. I've been really stressed lately. Like beyond stressed. I'm having a really hard time with some things like school & work & money but that's why I decided to post this lovely, lighthearted video instead of carrying on about my stress.

So enjoy. I'll post the other sweet link from this wedding from the photographer soon :)

X's & O's.