Where my girls at?

Yep, you better believe I'm crankin that' 702 this morning. Got my yellow tank on...I'm feelin good.

So, something pretty cool happened last night. I can't wait to share it with all of you!

Can I just say really quick -- this whole blogging gig just brings so much happiness into my life? Mainly because I've met some seriously amazing ladies through it...and can't wait to meet them all in real life, but what's super cool? The fact that I've never met most of these girls face to face, yet I absolutely know they'd drop whatever they are doing to say a quick prayer for me, be there for me, etc.

This blogland is something special, I'll tell you that much.

We could all use more happy in ours lives.

That is why I'm SO happy I found miss Kaylyn this time last year.
She was one of my first "blog friends" (yes, Caleb makes me clarify...) and I just love this girl a ton .She is not only DROP DEAD BEAUTIFUL (it makes me envious!!), but has a heart of gold. She is the sweetest thing, and is soon to be a MRS!

It's funny, the pictures of me above are when I was about 30 days out from marrying Caleb and represtented my various emotions... I was excited, ready, thrilled, happy...and I can only imagine how she is feeling now, too. I'll let her have the floor. Seriously, you'll be sorry you DIDN'T follow her if you don't today.

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Hi, newest blog friends! My name is Kaylyn Orr (soon to be Kaylyn Weir), and I blog at The Weir House. I recently began my blog last October, and Kayla was my first blog friend! She’s been there every step of the way for me. I guess you could call her my blog sister.

A little about me: I get married in less than 30 days to my other half. After marriage, we will make the move to Seaside, Florida to begin newlywed life together. I am a newbie at photography and love graphic design. I’m also opening up a vintage clothing boutique online soon. Stay tuned! I plan on launching in November!

I love a good cocktail (we’re having dirty shirley’s at my wedding), I prefer rainy days over sunny ones (yet I’m moving to the sunniest place around), Hello Kitty is a part of my growing collection; toasters, blankets, jewelry, makeup – if her face is on it, I love it. My celebrity crush is John Krasinski from The Office. Oh, and I plan to travel Europe next year! Tyler (my beau) and I work from home, so as soon as we save up a nice pile of cash, we’re hitting the Eurail.

Stop by and say hey! If you’re a lover of all things vintage, keep your eyes peeled for some new inventory you’re sure to love!

PS - when Kayla asked me to write a bio on myself, I had no clue where to start. 2 glasses of wine and 5 sheets of notebook paper later, I had written a terrible rap (you heard me correctly, the first words were (yo, yo, yo.) It turns out that I cannot rhyme. Consider yourselves lucky that you weren’t forced to read it! Hehe.

Xoxo,

Kaylyn

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A trip to Dreams.

You know what's cool about having Erin on my blog today?! I don't have to refer to her as Erin, or soulmate, or whatever silly name I can think of that day...I can FINALLY call her my SISTER! :) how amazing?

I won't talk long...just know, this girl had an INCREDIBLE honeymoon. Prepare to be jealous out yo' mind!

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Hello to all of Kayla's readers!! It's about time my SISTER-IN-LAW let me come over and share some space on her blog ;) I'm so excited that Kayla and I are officially family now; although she has felt like a little sister to me for years now. I seriously can't wait for them to get home and to hear all about their honeymoon. You know Kayla and her photos, she is going to have two thousand to share, I'm sure! :)

Anyway- since Jared and I just celebrated our 2-year anniversary (WHERE did the time go?!) Kayla said I could talk about my honeymoon today! Trust me, I'd go back in a heartbeat. We loved EVERY second of being in Mexico. We stayed at Dreams Puerto Avenuturas Resort and I highly recommend it if you're searching for an all-inclusive!

I mean what is better than waking up every morning to the ocean?!

And going to bed every night watching the sunset??

Perhaps going out on wave runners, wearing cheesy "Just Married" clothes and getting massages on the beach together??

Seriously, we lived like Kings and Queens. And that's really how it should be on your honeymoon, right?! I also think it's safe to say that is the tannest I've ever been in my life, and tannest I ever will be!

It was nice to be at a resort that had daily activities and also plenty of night-life fun too. We were also very close to a lot of different attractions and beaches that could easily be a day trip away from the resort. We chose to do a half-day tour of the Mayan ruins which was totally worth it. The ruins themselves were so cool to tour, and the beaches there were breathtaking!

And probably one of the highlights of our trip? Holding a baby lion. Excuse the scanned in photo, but just focus on that adorable Simba-like creature we're cuddling up with. Jared- this is your official notice that I'm ready for a second honeymoon ;)

If you'd like to live in the land of sandy white beaches and crystal blue sand, stop over and see my full honeymoon recaps over here. I would love to see you over at Love, Fun & Football. 

Happy Monday! :)

Tips for your big day!!

I probably name drop this girl like crazy on my blog...maybe because Ashley was my first real blogger friend and I am so thankful for our friendship.

Today, she's gonna give you bride-to-be's some amazing wedding tips. Seriously, take em!! She's amazing ;)

Take it away, Ash!

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Hi everyone!  I'm Ashley from Dancing with Ashley, and am so happy to be here today.  They don't come any better than Kayla, and I am so excited to know her and to be her friend.

This picture ^ is my absolute favorite wedding picture.  It's kinda blurry..and really candid...but that's what I love about it.  We look so giddy and so excited and it brings back all those sweet memories.  

I just happen to be borderline obsessed with weddings, and with thoughts from my own wedding, I thought I'd put together a little list of wedding tips for all future brides.

source for bicycles

1.  Do what you want!  There is absolutely no set way to design your wedding.  If you want pizza and cupcakes, have pizza and cupcakes.  There are 2 things, however, that must not happen.  #1.  Do NOT...under any circumstance, include where you are registered on your wedding invite.  It horrifies me to no end that people actually do this.  Including a wedding website that leads to your registry, yes.  An announcement that people should buy you gifts at Bed, Bath, and Beyond, no.  #2.  Since it is no longer 1852, you do not need to have a receiving line.  Please, no.  Walk around at your reception and greet your guests.

2.  Get the BEST photographer. I think this is where your money needs to go because your pictures will be the only thing you have to remember your special day.  Make sure your photographer is experienced and that you look at their wedding portfolio.  This was my mistake.  My photographer was an excellent dance photographer, and captured the most amazing pictures of me while dancing.  But for weddings?  Let's just say he needs to run (as fast as he can) in the opposite direction if I ever see him again.  I would also suggest getting a second shooter, maybe someone who is a great photographer but doesn't have a ton of wedding experience.  Pictures are sooo important!!  I can't stress that enough.

3.  Pick bridesmaids who support you. Another really important one.  Choose bridesmaids who will help you, who will say positive things about you, and who will be excited for you.  It will be heartbreaking if some of your bridesmaids aren't "on your side". Don't feel obligated to have any one in particular in your bridal party.  It's YOUR day!!

What are some of your wedding tips/questions?

{I know you're having a blast in Mexico, my dear friend!!  Can't wait to hear all about it!}

Bahama Mama!

Hi everyoneeee... so I know I'm typing this BEFORE I get married, but its pretty safe to say my wedding was (will be) amazing. I figured since I was enjoying my amazing honeymoon in Mexico, that I could have a few of my favorite ladies take over and blog about THEIR trips with their hubbies when it was their turn.

If you are having a travel bug... just a warning, stay away. You'll be booking a flight to some gorgeous beach before you can finish reading this post.

Jk, please staaayy.

Kaitlyn, take it awaaayy girl!

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Kalik for you, two kaliks for you, three for me, and another kalik for you there.

This post would be so much fun if I could hand out Kaliks for everyone. Oh, and hi, I'm Kaitlyn from put a bow on it! Sweet Kayla is off on her honeymoon and I'm over here just day dreaming about mine. It's been 9 months too long!

I actually haven't even blogged about our honeymoon yet, so you are in for a treat!

I didn't really care where we went, so I left that up to my husband-to-be. He is a TOTAL researcher. To the point where I'm normally yelling at him to JUST PICK SOMETHING ALREADY. He ended up finding Shanna's Cove Resort in Cat Island, Bahamas.

And yes, I took this! It's really THAT gorgeous.

I'm not sure how we got so lucky with this place. For the past few years it has won the top place for ALL resorts in the Bahamas. Although, I don't really think you can call it a resort. There were 6 bungalows atop a cliff overlooking the most amazing beach you've ever seen and then a main house where the owners live and the restaurant is.

Terrible lighting - but this was our room for the week. Not pictured is the amazing bathroom with a shower that A still dreams about.

The view from our room.

For all of you that are married, I think you will understand this part. I ATE SO MUCH FOOD. I went from eating like a rabbit for the months leading up to the wedding, to eating pizza every day for lunch. The food at this place was OUT OF THIS WORLD. And the best part? The owner, Gabi, made it all. Every day. FROM SCRATCH. We woke up to fresh cheeses and fruits, freshly ground coffee and unlimited pancakes, waffles, etc. For lunch we seriously did eat pizza every day. It was the best pizza ever - and this is coming from a so called "pizza snob."

Dinner the second night. Seared duck breast, scalloped potatoes and carrots. The best scalloped taters I have had IN MY WHOLE LIFE.

Like I sad, it was a VERY small resort. My only request for the honeymoon was to go to a place where all we did was lie on the beach all day, every day. Some people want places with adventure and activities...not me. I was a crazy stressed mess thanks to work for the weeks leading up to our wedding, so I NEEDED this week in paradise.

No, we didn't bring our cell phone out there to communicate with people (no service thank you LORD), we put on music and for 8 hours each day, we were in heaven.

We did venture out one night to a local establishment. Sidenote - the people of Cat Island are the nicest people I've ever met. There's no crime and everyone is friends with everyone. This could be due to the fact that they didn't have electricity on the island until 1997. I guess everyone just hung out in the few "cool" spots together prior to that! SO incredibly happy and just amazing people - end sidenote. We spent all night at Da Smoke Pot eating delicious conch (obsessed), drinking Bahama Mamas and dancing to "rake n scrape" music - the speciality of Cat Island. And yes, most everyone on the island smokes some sort of weed on a daily basis. Maybe THAT is why they are so happy...

So I'll just sit here and try not to be TOO jealous of Kayla. After all, one year is quickly approaching and we said we would take an anniversary trip...

I'd love for you to stop by my blog and say hi!

The only rule is that on Wednesdays, we wear pink. And talk weddings.

Favorite Valentines Day; by Ali

This is my beyond gorgeous friend, Ali. Her and I decided we'd do a blog swap today and talk about our favorite V-day memory with our men. I'll keep it simple; you're going to love her.

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Kayla’s blog is one of my very favorites. When I
first came across it, I feel in love with the cute story between her and her fiancé, Caleb.
I mean, seriously. They are the cutest couple ever.
And now I am dying for their wedding time to roll around so I can witness (in
photos…) their perfect, special day!

Here is the story my very favorite Valentine's Day ever:

My husband and I got married during the summer of 2010. Soon after, I got pregnant with our first baby. We were ecstatic, and
couldn't wait to find out what we were having. We aren't one of those couples
that wanted a “surprise.” We wanted to know. ASAP. We scheduled an early
appointment to determine the gender of our baby, and that appointment fell right
on Valentine’s Day. 

I couldn't sleep the night before, and I laid awake thinking of the crib, the
blankets, the clothes, (the headbands), and everything else we would buy for
our brand new baby. Valentine’s Day morning, we woke up, got ready, and when it
was time- headed to our appointment. We were both nervous and so excited as we
sat in the waiting room. Finally, we were called back. We headed into the room
and prepped for the ultrasound. The nurse put the sensor on my belly and
asked, “So what do you think it is?”. Right away, I said, “boy.” And it was! I was right. I smiled. McKay smiled. We laughed, and we talked about how fun little boys
were…

And then we walked out to the car and I cried... for an hour straight. Of course, I was happy- but all my dreams of pink nurseries and ruffles and bows were completely dead. I cried because I was
worried about telling my family (who had already bought headbands and baby girl
clothes). I cried because I had always imagined a little girl and I didn't
know how to be a mom to a little boy. And then I cried because I felt terrible
that I was crying in the first place. 

We called my mom (who wanted a boy anyways) and then we drove to a parking lot and talked. McKay, probably trying not to laugh, hugged me and told me to look in the backseat. There were two tiny boxes. One with a cupcake in it (from my favorite place in the world), and one with things he had
picked from my favorite little boutique. I smiled and hugged him a lot. Next
came the best part: he said we were going to go shopping for some baby clothes!
We took the half-our drive to the mall and picked out the very first outfits
our little Jax ever had. And then I got really, really excited we were having a baby boy. The very first thing I found was a plaid shirt that was just like the shirt McKay wore when he proposed to me. It was the best Valentine’s Day of my life.

Oh and just for the record, boys are way better than girls! 

Here is my blog if you ever want to come visit me!

Ladies, meet Alexa!

Hi ladies, my new friend Alexa and I are blog-swapping for the day... and I don't think either of us could be more excited about it. She's one of my new favorite friends I've met through blogging. I mean, the girl is gorgeous, funny AND southern.. who couldn't love her? So please (if you don't already follow along with her) take a minute to say hello to this gorgeous gal! ;)

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Hi, My Kind of Yellow readers! I'm Alexa and I'm the crazy Southern girl behind the blog Southern Living, Our Way. I have a handsome husband with whom I still enjoy "newlywedhood," an adorable dog who makes tons of blog appearances {and is terrified of refrigerators; to say we have our hands full is an understatement...}, and a life that's often hilarious and always awkward. I hope you'll hop on over and follow along!

Hubby and I honeymooned in Napa, CA. I highly recommend it. #drunkasaskunk

Now, is it too early to be talking about New Year's resolutions, seeing as how it's only December 12th? I mean, we get mad at people for talking about Christmas before the eat-your-weight-in-food holiday has passed. {Thanksgiving, for those of you who maybe ooze self control when fattening casseroles are on your table. I'm obviously not in your camp.} But, really, let's all admit that we start thinking about our New Year's resolutions way before the holiday season starts. Perhaps it's because with only a a few months left in the year, we don't see a purpose starting something now. I mean, October through October is so psychologically dissatisfying, but something you do while the calendar is in the same year? SUCCESS! Or perhaps you don't make New Year's resolutions at all. I bet you're the same person who doesn't eat delicious casserole, so I'll deal with your shenanigans another day.

All that to say, I always make New Year's resolutions, even if it's something as simple as convincing myself, "2013 is going to be even better than 2012!" If you dream it, you can achieve it. {A wise person once said that. I have a feeing it was Dr. Seuss, because he's the King of Wise Quotes.} 

But this year my New Year's resolutions are in a more tangible, achievable form, things I can literally cross of my list and feel proud about accomplishing. So, in no particular order, here's what my 2013 goals:

Read one book per month

This one was actually my non-bookworm husband's idea, and I was quite impressed! I have an English degree, so naturally I'm a book nerd, but 2012 was a busy year {We kinda sorta did that whole "getting married' thing ;)} so I didn't read as many books as I would've liked. So, starting 1/1/13, Glenn and I are each reading one book per month! Bonus points: I already chose my books from January through July...

Yes, I know, I know, I've never read the Harry Potter series! I'm a non-fiction gal, so I never ventured into the world of Hogwart's and Dumbledore and Accio! But 2013 is finally the year.

If I hate the first one, I reserve the right to switch to memoirs, because those are my jam. 

Keep my house tidy

"Tidy" gives me more wiggle room than "clean" or "spotless," right?! I'm about to read The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin, and I'm hoping the excellent reviews are true! Reviews like, "My house is clean every day, even though I have 2-year-old triplets!" and "I never have dishes in the sink, EVER!" Joke. Those aren't legit, but from what I've heard about THP, they well could be. Here's to dog-hair-free floors and kitchen counters not junked in mail!

Go for a walk {almost} every day

Not for exercise, though that's important, too. But I'd like to go for a walk every day to clear my head and appreciate things I too often take for granted ~ colorful changing leaves, a beautiful new flowerpot on my neighbor's porch, the lovely neighborhood park I've never even set foot in. Plus, this nutso energetic dog I call my daughter will certainly appreciate my resolve to wear her out on the reg. I'm also pretty sure she has a crush on that Labrador across the yard.

Go on "blates"

#s***bloggerssay.  So far, I've been on approximately one blog-date and it was awesome. Living in a huge-to-me city like Charlotte, NC, there are so many local bloggers who I'd love to get together with; it's just a matter of extending the invitation. For my personal growth, and to prove to myself that I'm an extrovert and can be a go-getter, I am sucking up any potential awkwardness or creeperness and sending out some hey girl heyyyys to my fellow Charlotte ladies!

Send cards, snail-mail style

Maybe this one sounds silly, considering it's {almost} 2013 and email is the bizz. But don't lie, you love receiving snail mail as much as I do! There's nothing like opening the mailbox and finding an adorable card with a puppy on the front, sent to me from my Mimi, simply because she was thinking of me. I also simply think of my friends and family often, but now instead of texting them, I'm gonna head to Target {any excuse to go to Tarjay, amirite?!}, buy an adorable card, fill it with warm-fuzzies, and send it their way.  :)

What are your New Year's resolutions? Or do you not "eat casseroles"...? Whatever 2013 holds for you, my wish is that it's as wonderful as can be! {We all know Kayla's 2013 will be great, what with her becoming a Mrs. to that handsome boy and all!}
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