5 on Friday

[1] 392 days...until I'm Mrs. Limoges. Yes, numero uno this week is our date & venue, so happy we have this first step checked off and more importantly I'm head over heels in love with the venue (and the guy, of course!)

[2] I'm a winner! Yep, I entered a giveaway hosted by Katie over at Perfectly Us and I won! I've been loving all things gold lately, so I'm so excited to receive my goodies, how cute are they? A big thank you to Katie for hosting such a fun giveaway :)

[3] R&R I feel like I've been going non-stop these past few weekends, not that I would have had it any other way...they've been so much fun, but this weekend we're watching out family friend's home, with a nice pool, and I can't wait to just sit and relax poolside, and thankful for a 3 day weekend, woot woot! Hopefully I'll be as relaxed as this...

[4] Bruxie! This food gem is right near by, and is make-your-mouth-water delish, but it's pretty heavy so I don't go all that often. I don't know if it's anywhere else beside SoCal, but if it is, you should try it! I actually haven't been in so long, but Sumi&Tay down from LA calls for a visit, and I'm so excited, they have the best Irish nachos, and waffle sandys... mmm mmm!

                                 

 



[5] Mama. I'm so happy and thankful I have such a wonderful mother who will do anything for me [or any of her kids] and also who I enjoy being around SO much. I can't get over what a blast we had looking at venues, and hanging out in NC. I love you mama!!!!

TGIF everybody!

9.27.14

As I mentioned in my last post, this past weekend was not only a blast, but very successful! We came, we saw, we got a venue and a date. This was the last venue we saw, and going into it, I was almost sure that I would pick the first venue we saw, but thought "hey, we have the appointment, might as well go check it out." And man am I glad we did! From the moment we got out of the car and walked around the grounds, my mama and I both knew "this was the one!". I'm so happy we have our dream wedding venue, Poplar Grove Plantation, and I can't wait for September 27, 2014!

One of my favorite parts: The Bridal Suite! 

The Manor Home (where the Bridal Suite is)

It was so fun getting the tour of the home and the grounds and learning about all the history; here is a little bit about our venue history! I not only love this venue because it is beautiful, but I love the fact that all of our our of town guests will get the chance to experience some North Carolina history, too.

I can't wait to be a bride and marry my hunk of a fiance...now time to get to the grind on planning :)

A trip to Wilmington

This past weekend my mama and I headed to Wilmington, NC in search for the perfect wedding venue. We had such a blast touring the venues, meandering around Wilmington, lunching [and dinner-ing] with some great company, and also had the chance to head to Alex's family beach house in Oak Island. We even woke up for sunrise, and went for a walk on the beach with our coffee. My idea of a great vacation [yes I'm a major morning person]. It was such an exciting time, and we were actually very successful [more details on that later this week....eeeek!]. Here are some snap shots of the beauty of North Carolina and our amazing time there!

I finally got to meet baby Lyla!

Stay tuned for some crazy exciting wedding news!!!

Five on Friday

ONE. I am currently in Wilmington with my mama touring our possible venues. I love this city, and am so excited to show my mama around a bit, and be on a mini-vacay...and ultimately get this wedding planning started!

TWO. Goody Spin Pin. Have you tried these? I know I'm kind of late in the game, but I recently picked some up and they're actually a really cool concept! They're great for throwing your hair in a low bun, and they actually stay! Well, since I just cut my hair shorter some pieces fall out but I think once it grows an inch or two they'll be perfect!

THREE. Annual Girls Weekend trip. Every year my family (all the girls) get together in Cape Cod for a big weekend getaway in October. I've only been able to go one year (last year), but we just purchased our flights for this year and I'm already looking forward to it.

FOUR. Butter Nail polish. My mama put this in my Easter basket this year (yes she still makes us Easter baskets, and I'm 25 and the youngest of the three of us) and at first I didn't love the color since it's kind of sparkly, but it's recently been my "go-to" polish because its classy enough for work, but also really pretty! The color is "yummy mummy"

FIVE. Love me an LBD. This past weekend I picked up this dress at Urban. The picture doesn't do it justice, and it's not as shiny as it looks, but it fits perfectly and I love the back! It's great for dressing up or down.

Happy Weekend Everyone!

Fall Crafting

As I've heard from any girl who is married or is in the process of planning, I think it'll be important to make sure wedding planning doesn't consume my every moment over the next year [although I'm so excited to get my plan on!]. So, my sister [ThingsToBeStroudOf] had an awesome idea to have a Fall crafting day soon. We always see such cute things to DIY for Fall decor, but by the time we get around to them Fall is half way over, so we figure why not get a head start so we can enjoy all season long [even though its 85+ outside still...perhaps we'll blast the AC and have some hot cocoa to get in the mood!]

These are a few of the DIY things that caught my eye:

L to R: via/via/via/via/via/via

Of course I'll probably pick one of these and make some modifications! Will you be doing any Fall crafting? 

Finally [5 on] Friday

[1] ONE WEEK! I'm ecstatic that one week from now my mama and I will be in North Carolina touring our possible venues. I really wish Alex was coming with, as does he, but nonetheless I'm so excited to hopefully get #1 off the to-do list checked off!

[2] This may be cheating, but this one has to do with my trip back to North Carolina, also. For those of you who don't know, Alex and I met at one my best friend's wedding [my college roommate, Chelsea] in South Carolina, over 3 years ago.  Long story short I was one of her bridesmaids, and Alex was one of the groomsmen, and she sneakily strategically set us up to walk down the aisle together [matchmaker, matchmaker]...yes on our wedding day next year it will be the second time walking down the aisle together! Next weekend, I get to see Chelsea and her new precious baby girl who I haven't met yet! I'm forever grateful for this sweet friendship God blessed me with and I can't wait to see her.

Here's a photo of me and Chels on her wedding day...as you can see she was the most beautiful bride! And mine and Alex's first photo together...consequently my favorite photo of us because it tells the story of how we met:)
Photo credit Megan Manus

[3] Stella & Dot- this week my sister, SIL and I threw a Stella & Dot party and I'm so excited about my purchases. I wanted to buy so many things, but I controlled myself and only got 2 things, I can't wait for them to show up on my door step!

via

[4] Nephew's 1st Bday Party Pics
I may be the only one excited about this, but my sister [over at ThingsToBeStroudOf] has been recapping my nephew, Easton's, first bday this week on her blog and I can't get enough of the photos. She DIY'd his whole party, it was so sweet, and I may be bias, but can he get any cuter!?

[5] Mama's Birthday!
Last, but certainly not least, this weekend is my mama's birthday and I'm so excited to celebrate with her! She does so much for our family, and is the most selfless person you'll ever meet. She's such a joy to be around. I could never express how much I love her, and I know this is cliche, but I hope to one day be as good a mama she has been to all of us. Happy [early] Birthday Mama!

Wedding Wednesday

If you follow my pinterest board, Becoming a Mrs., you may have noticed a pattern in my pins. Most of them are gray, white, mint, and peach. Of course I have no idea if either of these combinations will go well with the venue we choose, but based on my "research" over the last couple weeks I am really liking these combinations...and of course the fiance does, too [by me asking if he likes and him saying I like whatever you like, that means yes, right?].

eternalreflections.com/guestbook/RingPillow/macaroons/programs/graydress/centerpiece

chalkboards/gray+mint wedding/gray+ombre coffee garland/weddingideapins.com/sweet tea

Another thing to think about is season...depending on if we get hitched in mid-September or early October that may play a role in our decision! 

What are you/did you basing your color selection off?

Wedding Planning Apps?

As I'm gearing up to fly back to NC next week for some venue tours with my mama [yay!], I am trying to gather as many details on costs and what certain packages include for each place. I'm finding it's so difficult to compare each venue because the "packages" don't ever turn out apples to apples [some include this, but not that, etc]. But, what I really want to do is get a ballpark "quote" figured out for the venue, so I can plug that into my budget and see what's left. So, I've been searching for a good "wedding budget" app

I downloaded one called "WC Budget", since it had good reviews but I can't decide if I love it. In all fairness, I haven't been able to plug any costs in because we don't even have a venue yet so I haven't been able to really test it. But I'm wondering if there is something better out there? I really would like to find a free one, but maybe willing to pay [a very little amount] if I find a good one!

I'll of course keep my budget organized in my organizer but I'd love to keep track in my phone, too, just for quick on the go things.

All you other Brides...how did you keep track of your budget? Do you have any other "must have" planning apps to share?! I need recommendations :) I know I can do it all without apps, like the "old-fashioned" way, but I figure I might as well take advantage!

Five on Friday!

1. My Cousin, who I've been close with since we were "wee ones," and  her husband are in town from Massachusetts for a few days, and I'm so excited to be able to spend time with her this weekend, because I don't get to see her all that often!

2. Nephew Birthday
We're celebrating this sweet little guy's First birthday at his party tomorrow, I can't wait!

3. Target Bargain!
While at Target recently "picking up a few things",which of course translates into $80+ spent, I found this cute little affordable top that is perfect for work, and cute enough to wear out on the weekends...score!

via

4. Lynda.com
Nerd Alert! I treated myself to the Adobe Creative Suite 6 this past Christmas [yes, then I was broke]. Although I minored in Technology, Arts & Media and can find my way around in Photoshop and InDesign pretty well, I've recently been doing some tutorials on Lynda.com, it's great and really useful. I love learning new things!

5. Moments
In the age of Instagram, we are constantly trying to get the "best, cutest, craftiest" insta.  I am guilty of this. Sometimes I'm more concerned with getting a photo of the "totally cool can't miss moment" that I miss being in that moment and embracing the time. It's tough, because I absolutely love looking back at old photographs and love the memories sparked, and I sometimes do feel bummed out if I forgot to take a pic...but in reality means I was too busy enjoying myself and other's company that I didn't think of it. I guess it's just finding a balance! Anyone else struggle with this?! Haha life's little problems :)

Enjoy your weekend :)

Becoming a Mrs!

Part of the excitement of being a bride-to-be is the fact that I will become Mrs. Limoges! Although I do take pride in my last name, I am so excited to be Mrs. Limoges and start a family with Mr. Alex Limoges. So I thought I'd share a few of the "name related" gifts I've received since being engaged.

Speaking of becoming a Mrs., I've officially started my pinterest board of every possible idea that I might want to entertain, or dream about entertaining in many cases. Although I will admit I have a private board too because I don't want all my wedding guests to know what the wedding will be like before they get there [shhh]. But a lot of the ideas I love I do include in my public board, so click here to follow along with me in my planning...like this adorable photo of a ring bearer. I can't wait to dress my nephew up, he's going to be so adorable!

via StyleMePretty

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