:: foto friday :: 2011–Our Year. The Recap.

I saw this floating around on different blogs last year so I wanted to steal it and do it here.  This year has FLOWN by.  Even though wedding planning was a big part of this year, we tried our best to mix in things that we’re unrelated to wedding planning and just enjoy each other’s company.  I tried to include pictures as much as I could…. but Kyle hates cameras and is not photogenic so it made it harder than I thought.

January:  Um…. I am not so sure if we really did anything in January other than house hunt and look at 4 million houses and decide to not move into a house with a pool (which I regretted once the southern summers came), we packed to move, played the Wii, and watched Auburn unfortunately win the National Championship. 

February:  We moved into our 1st house.  Yeah… it is a rental house, but it is still our 1st house.  It has a great big backyard for our dog, with doggie doors so Mulligan can come and go as he pleases and it feel great to have so much space and not be on top of each other.  Our neighbors are nice (even though they’re Auburn fans) and the neighborhood is nice and quiet which is a good change for living right off of Peachtree.  We signed a 2 year lease so it is a good thing we like it. HA!

March:  I got my wedding dress and probably kept it on for close to 45 minutes.  I love it.  It is gorgeous and in 3 months everyone gets to see it.  YAY!  It has the vintage, romantic feel that I wanted, but it has a touch of youngness to it.  I ended up getting a veil since my mom wanted it, but that is fine.  I plan on ditching it right after pictures and only wearing it in some pictures.

We also celebrated our “365 days till we’re married” day.  And we of course went to Medieval Times because we (or me) love that place and because that is where we got engaged.  Once again, our knight lost. We always have the yellow knight and he always loses.  What a let down.  We kind of talked the whole way through because if you have seen it once you have seen it a million times, it does not change. So we have decided to not go back for a few years or until we have kids old enough to go and appreciate it.

April:   ….I cannot think of anything we did in April. (Yeah… I started this midway though the year – that is why January and April are LAME!!)  OH – we did get a minister.  That is exciting right?! 

May:  Kyle and I LOVE Zac Brown and I had always said that I would love to see him in concert.  Well, I was given the opportunity to go see him and sit in a VIP box from one of our vendors.  We went with 2 other couples from my office.  We of course had a good time, but it was a total bummer that we had to leave early.  Note to self: once we have kids and go out with friends who are kidless, don’t suggest to go home early… the kidless couple won’t want to bow out early, but they will. =)

Kyle and I also took a trip to Tuscaloosa to help with tornado relief efforts.  We helped with the animal shelter and sorted donations in a warehouse/distribution center.  Though we felt like we did a lot and accomplished a lot… in the grand scheme of things, I feel like we did very little.  It was a great trip and a great experience.  That town needs a lot of support and help and will need it for awhile.  I hope the volunteers continue to flow in.

Oh. And we started our wedding registry at Crate and Barrel.  Kyle acted like a child because he got bored and I realized that registering for wedding gifts is a lot more overwhelming than I thought it would be.  Plus it is kind of weird asking for SO many things.

June:  Kyle and I got dressed up all fancy schmancy and went to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Man and Woman of the Year Gala. It was fun to get dressed up and go to a big charity function to support a cause that means a lot to me …. and we were celebrating my friend Mitzi being in remission for 10 years!  YEAH!  We participated in the silent auction (and didn’t win anything), people watched, and I learned that the dress I chose for my bridesmaid can be worn again.  There were about 4+ girls in the black version of it. 

We also continued registering for wedding gifts.  This time at Target.  It was chaotic and Kyle as on horrible behavior so he became uninvited for future wedding registering events.  Rawr. But we registered for a lot of useful things and things that will be much needed.  And I really hope someone gets me the Magic Bullet {{update :: i got it for christmas}}.

AND!!  We sent our save the dates out to all our wedding guests (with a little bit of panicking thanks to them being magnets and mailboxes being metal). This was a total accomplishment since we (well, I) had been dragging my feet on them since I couldn’t decide on what picture to use. I knew which save the date I wanted, but I couldn’t decided on a picture. But, with Kyle’s help I made a decision they came in, and they got mailed out.  When they came in the mail I was so so so excited with the final product and so excited to send them out to our guests that I sent them out a month early!  Whoops! And I was really excited about the custom cupcake stamps and the personalized Kyle and Barbie return address stamp. I was so excited to hear the positive feedback from so many of our guests (and to know they were not stuck in USPS purgatory)! We hope everyone liked them and that they’re still on your refrigerator!

July:  We took a REAL quick trip home to Northern Virginia to see Kyle’s parents and mine.  It was a good break from reality and it was good to see Kyle’s parents since we rarely get to see them.  Lots of chatter about wedding decisions – didn’t share my dress with them – and the wedding in general.  I got to go run Burke Lake which could be one of my favorite running spots.

We spent part of a Sunday knocking more things off our knot.com “to do list” – my parents came down from Northern Virginia and we all headed to the venue for a “Bridal Extravaganza” to taste food and cake.  We also headed back to McDonough for some major wedding planning and decision making. 

August:  Kyle brought home a cute little dog that had been abandoned by its parents (car drove into neighborhood. neighbors heard a bark. saw car drive off. spotted new dog. sad. some people do not deserve pets) one Monday and left the decision to ME on what to do with her.  I could not put her at animal control knowing her family was not looking for her and knowing that in 5 days she would be put to sleep so we got our 1st and only foster dog and named her Kennesaw (after where Kyle got her). I of course got super attached and cried for hours when I learned that she was finding her furever home and was a hot mess the day I had to hand her over to her new mom.   But not even 24 hours later I got a call telling me that Kennesaw was not going to work out & that she was not getting along with the cats on the farm; therefore, she would have to come back to Atlanta.  Kyle and I just decided to just keep her and make her a permanent member of our family because I couldn’t handle the handing her over again and we both didn’t want to put her through the adoption events again.  So… as of August 30th we are a 2 dog house! =) 

September:  What a lazy lazy month for us.  We really just enjoyed each other’s company, got on each other’s last nerve, tried to get used to having 2 dogs, and watching a lot of football.  It was kind of nice to not really have anything on the schedule, but the month somehow still flew right by.

So many wedding details came together – welcome bags ordered and came to my house.  All the apothecary jars for the candy buffet were bought.  Candy was starting to collect.  Match books bought.  Koozies bought and delivered.  Wedding gift for Mom chosen. Wedding day gift for Kyle chosen. Bridesmaid’s gifts completed. Invitations selected.  September was a REALLY successful wedding planning month.

October:  My good good friend and one of my bridesmaids got married in early October at a gorgeous gorgeous church and the Fabulous FOX Theater here in Atlanta.  I was SO excited to be part of Chrissy’s big day.  She looked fabulous and the wedding was amazing and of course I cried when her dad handed her off to Matt.  Chrissy seriously has the nicest friends and Kyle and I buddied off with another engaged couple.  Kyle and I had a great time dancing and laughing at people and we realized that this is our last wedding until ours. By 11:00 we were EXHAUSTED so I can only imagine how tired we will be on our wedding day.  But…. Yay for Chrissy & Matt – we wish them many years of happiness!!

I also wanted to find a pumpkin patch, so we could carve pumpkins for our house and because when living in Virginia we went to a pumpkin patch and had a lot of fun.  Well, I found one down in McDonough and it was GREAT! It had an awesome corn maze that Kyle ruined the fun in (kidding. kinda) by telling me that you take all right turns. At first we were rock paper scissoring it at each turn to decide who chose the next turn, but since I dressed like “fall” in a sweater and boots I was getting hot. We rode the hayride and went down the slide and the best part was the corn cannons when you had to shoot corn out of a cannon. I hit the target and Kyle did not, so I had fun taunting him and yelling Champion! =D And we of course got 2 awesome pumpkins to carve!

November:  November was rather uneventful.  We went home, of course, for Thanksgiving to Northern Virginia. It was a quick trip as always, but it was sentimental for me because I knew next year I wouldn’t be at Thanksgiving dinner with my family.  you never realize how much your family means to you and how much you love them until you have to think about not doing a holiday with them.  It was the 1st trip home with both the dogs and it was really not that bad.

December: We celebrated our 1st Christmas in our house! And even thought it is just our rental house it is / was so nice to not have our whole living room taken up by a tree.  We of course celebrated our Christmas early (which is going to be weird not doing next year) and then we headed home to Virginia for the holidays.  This was our last holiday apart so it was all just bittersweet.  December was pretty boring as well, but we enjoyed wrapping the presents and decorating our house. 

Ok… I had planned for this to be cliff notes, but it was pretty much a play by play of our year (well, what I could remember of it before I started this in may). next year will be better. promise.

100% Registered!

It is official. We are 100% registered. We are kind of registered at 4 places total. As annoyed as I was (still am) with Target’s registry and their awful website I had to keep our casual plated and bowls on there since Target was the only place that had big enough bowls for Kyle’s taste.  I actually deleted the registry and then had to recreate it, but their web site was so jacked up it took me 6 tries to set it up.  Seriously Target, get it together.

I had a short day since I worked a client BBQ earlier this week and since “register at Bed Bath and Beyond” has been on my to do list for WEEKS I decided to just go and knock it out.  I had started the registry online but I needed to go in person to feel the towels and sheets (which ahem we desperately need and want) and look for dishes.  I figured I would be in and out REAL fast but that scanner thing out smarted me.  Then I went at lunch today to “reactivate” our Target registry which took all of 15 minutes.  And with that … we’re registered!

I like where we’re registered (with the exception of horrible awful Target) and I like that all 4 places have 4 different price points. I have been in and invited to many-a-weddings where they are only registered at 1 place and nothing is under $80 and many of those weddings I was a full fledged out of college broke girl.  Therefore, I did not want to do that to anyone who was invited to my wedding.  So you can use your big blue 25% off coupon at Bed Bath & Beyond or you can go to Anthropologie or Crate and Barrel and spend a little more. or you can hit up Target for a cute and cheap casual plates.  And of course, all gifts will be loved and appreciated.

We are registered at:  Bed Bath & Beyond, Crate & Barrel,  myregistry.com (for Anthropologie!!), and Target.  If you go to the “where we’re registered” tab you can be directed to any of those registries directly!

…..Another thing to check off the knot.com “to do” list.

myregistry.com

one of my favorite stores is Anthropologie… no only do I love their clothes, but they have amazing little home items like measuring spoons, small bowls, funky plates, cute cookbook stands, I could go on and on and on and on (trust me) and I knew that I wanted to register there for a few items but they do not have a registry, they have “wish lists”.

The deal with wish lists – when something is bought, you have no idea, it is a toss up.   My good friend and bridesmaid Chrissy has a wish list there and at her 1st shower, I got her bowls… her mom got the her the same ones. At her 2nd shower, I got her salt and pepper shakers and measuring spoons… she now has 2 salt & pepper shakers and 2 measuring spoons. 

And I just felt like a wish list was just too hard and too risky.  BUT I knew there was a site out there that you could pull things from various stores and but them on 1 big registry.  After lots of google searches I finally found it.  It is a site called myregistry.com and you put a “favorite” link thing in your favorites and you can just add to your registry.

I am using it for my Anthropologie registry where I am asking for a few odds and ends.  My favorite things (and Kyle will hate them) are the plates.  My parents have these heavy plates that they got in Maine that have animals or plants painted on them – I LOVE those plates – so I am getting (errrr asking for) something similar, 10 cutesy plates that we can pull out for special occasions (just like my parents do).

I also added a few amazing Magnolia Lane University of Alabama items because we all know that this is going to be an Alabama house!

239 days to go. 

Things Kyle Registered For.

I really do not know how to start this blog entry, because I am a little speechless.  Kyle and I went to Target today to register for more wedding gifts.  We knew that we wanted a cheaper place for some people to buy wedding gifts from since not everyone makes a lot of money and can afford Crate & Barrell.  Kyle (just like last time) got to hold the scanner.  Today he learned he would not be invited to Bed, Bath and Beyond.

And this is why....

Today, he registered for:

• Fireworks
• Something called "NCF HULK HULK SMASH GAME"
• A football
• 2 dog begs for Mulligan
• A 64 count pack of pampers baby wipes
• Pasta
• 5 12 packs of Tennis Balls (for Mulligan)

I think that is it.... but I could be wrong.  I had to clean up the thing 3 times since I kept finding different things.  Needless to say, many of these things have been taken off the registry.

Registering for gifts. (round one)

I have an unhealthy obsession with Crate and Barrell.  So I knew that was one of the places I wanted to register.  A month or so back I saw an add for their registering "party" and wanted to go.  ...More like had to go.  Then I learned that it was at 9:00 AM on the 1st Sunday of each month. i had to ask kyle to wake up at 8:00 to go something we could do in the afternoon. Lucky for me they have breakfast so I was able to tell Kyle that there would be waffles. 

But of course... Kyle is an awesome husband to be and told me that he would do it since it was important to me.  I did mention the breakfast after he agreed and he smiled at the thought of breakfast.  However, he somehow thought that breakfast = an elaborate sit down feast.  I think he was disappointed.

The whole experience was minorly overwhelming to say the least.  I am going to have to add to the registry from the comfort of my own bed because I know we missed A LOT.  Kyle handled the pots and pans.  I handled the fun things.  Kyle registered for 7 things that will be coming off the list (ex: a potted plant and an olive pick).  We will keep his "I Love Bacon" cookbook and his cookbook for men on there.  But his decorative boat, yeah that is going too.

You can check out our registry on the Crate and Barrell site.  Searching for Barbara Vines or Kyle Shanahan and feel free to buy us pretty things for our new life. 

xoxo,
B & K