Pictures

I have pictures! We stopped by our new apartment yesterday to get some more paper work filled out and we took some pictures to share with you all! We have been packing like crazy the past couple of days. My room is almost done, but there is still a lot of work to be done at Carson's place. It's amazing to think that the next time I open these boxes I will be married!

So here is our cute little mail pickup area. Carson and I have already talked about how fun it will be to take a walk together to get the mail everyday when we both get home from work.


And here is our apartment!!!




Carson and I have been reminiscing a lot in the past few days as we finish up finals and wrap up our time at Clemson and saying good-bye to friends. It's easy to not be sad since we are coming back, but we were thinking about how hard this would be if we were leaving for good. I'm not looking forward to that day, but it's still a few years off!

Well the wedding is so close! Both of our families are headed up next week for graduation on Thursday, December 18th, and then it will be one month until the wedding. Things will be crazy when we get home with Christmas just a few days away, but then it will be wedding planning galore!!

It's official!!

So my day today started off pretty well because I finished two finals yesterday so I actually had time to pack and do some wedding things this morning, and then I went and picked up my cap and gown for graduation.. I know.. how could it get any better then this?? but just wait...


Oh maybe I'll let the anticipation build....



Really gloomy weather here today, but it's a bit warmer so I'm not complaining...



Ok, so back to the exciting news. . . . I got a phone call from our apartment complex and we now officially have an address!! I know, I probably built that up a little more than I should have because I know that you probably are not as excited as I am, but I already have it memorized and it is my first official, non-university address, so it's exciting for Carson and me. I'm not going to post it for all of blogger world to see, but you can find it at our website in January when we move in.

Carson is taking a final at this moment, and then we will both only have one final standing between us and graduation! I'll post pictures next week of the special event.

Almost there!

Wow! Time is flying and graduation and the wedding are quickly approaching. Today and tomorrow I have all of my last classes. I was sitting in class on Monday, thinking about how I felt about that. I realized that I wasn't sad at all. I am very ready to move on to my next phase in life. I believe God has called me to be a wife and a mom so I am so excited that the first of those is coming true in only 46 days. I am excited about all of the new things God is going to teach me about Him, myself, and my marriage. I am still trying to make the most out of my last time here. It is so wonderful just to walk around this beautiful campus. I would say I'm going to miss that, but we'll only be living 5 minuets away so I can come and walk around whenever I want but not have the pressures of school. It's the perfect combination.
I am anxious to get home and finish up all of the wedding stuff. 4 day long breaks for Thanksgiving don't make for very productive wedding plans. So when I go home for Christmas I'll have an entire month to get things wrapped up! Everyone says not to wish for it to come too soon because soon it will be all over. My response it that the day is the beginning of my marriage which I am most excited about and will last longer than any one event!

Another kind of count down. . .

I know the wedding is the most exciting countdown but I'm also very excited about graduating in 19 days!! That's not even the best part; I really only have 4 more days of school left and my finals week is going to be a breeze so I'm not even counting that. So close I can taste it. As much as "real life" scares me, I'm so ready for it. I'm a fifth year senior so I'm a little ready to be done. I look forward to spending my nights next year scrapbook while Carson is studying hard for grad school :-)
It's been a crazy but fun few days home. There is never enough time to cram everything in, but we've made do with the time we've had and it won't be long till I'm home again for the entire month before the wedding. We were able to squeeze a dress fitting in and an appointment to see the centerpieces that are being designed.
Below is a picture of some family fun we had before the turkey made us all too tired on Thanksgiving. The whole family got in on the Guitar Hero band. Dad even sang Eye of the Tiger in an high range that I didn't even realize he had! Way to go!

2 Months!!

So can you tell I'm crazy busy when I stop blogging but once a month? My mom and dad both called to remind me that I'm getting married in two months. As excited as I am, I feel like I'm forgetting something. Everyone up here at school keeps asking how the wedding plans are going and sometimes I have to honestly admit that I haven't thought about it for days at a time. I guess that's a good thing so I'm not getting obsessed with it. Now that all of the big stuff is out of the way, it's all the little bitty details. A word of wisdom to any future brides. . . avoid a January wedding date so all the final invoices don't come due days before Christmas (ouch!). On a happier note, both mothers have found their dresses so they're all set for the occasion. Well, as set as a mother can be to give her son or daughter away.
Even sooner than the wedding is our graduation, coming up in exactly one month. Needless to say there is a lot of pressing school stuff that's dominating our to do list right now. So I guess my life is sounding pretty stressful. . . but who's isn't? We all need a break.
So today Carson and I took one. Last night Carson and I looked at each other and realized that we spend so much time together every day but it is all consumed with school talk, wedding talk, planning the whole move, etc. that we needed a break. So we both, for the first time, played hooky today. The nice thing about Clemson is that you can be in the mountains in about 30 minuets, however, in our quest to escape, we went a little bit further up to Highlands, NC.
Highlands is this beautiful little one street town with all the cute tourist shops and a great coffee shop, where we spent a lot of time. The temperature never got out of the 20's!!! (To all you Floridians.. that's not a number you see very often) I think I have read in every bridal book, and heard from every bride, to take time to put everything aside and spend some quality time together. That advice fell to the bottom of our lists as the semester progressed, so we left the list at home today and escaped. I'm sure everyone studying in the library right now is jealous, but we're back and ready to hit the ground running, with two weeks of classes left, and then finals!! Enjoy some pictures from our trip:

Ya, We've been in three states today

It was so cold we couldn't feel our noses! :-)

How cold was the water?? Ya right, you think I actually stuck my hand in that water?

3 Months!!!

Despite a gloomy day here in Clemson, it has been an exciting one. For one, Carson and I just returned from making a deposit on our apartment for January!! We are so excited. There were so many options to consider but this place just fit. The decision had us spending a lot of time in prayer and when worries surfaced about making it all happen, God has been showing us that He has it all in control. As hard as it is for me to not worry, it has been wonderful to put it all in God's hands and breathe easy.
I was all bouncing in my seat when we pulled in today make the deposit. The people in the office are so nice and the apartments are only 6 months old so it will be a refreshing change from the ancient on-campus housing. I get giddy just writing about it. Plus it's another exciting reminder that Carson and I are getting ready to start our lives together.
Speaking of the upcoming wedding, it is only 3 months from tomorrow! I can't believe how time is flying. I feel like I haven't been doing much to plan for the wedding lately with school so I had to take some time and make sure I had everything under control this morning.
Back in Orlando, mom is taking care of her list by visiting the wedding venue again today (we go there a lot, but the lady there is really friendly and puts up with us) with the decorators who had some fabulous ideas! I can picture it even being described over the phone and I am so excited how it all seems to be coming together. I know I'm planning it so I should know what to expect but I can wait to see how it all comes together on the day.
Well that's all the exciting news for now as I try to being my feet back down to the ground because life is still happening around me.

100 Days and Counting!!

Only 100 days till the wedding!! Wow, that number is shrinking fast... Almost to the double digits. A friend of ours had a great suggestion the other day to read the Psalms backwards to countdown so Carson and I started that and are enjoying our journey through the Psalms together.
I went home this past weekend and we were able to get a lot of productive wedding stuff done. I had my dress fitting, which started bad but ended well. The first lady they gave me didn't know what she was doing and had to ask the girl next to her about everything. When she did my bustle it was all crooked. So she went off to do something else and the lady that was helping her took over. She tried a different bustle but I wasn't much happier due to the fact that it was also crooked. I just wanted someone who knew what they were doing and heals can only be so comfortable when you are standing on them in one position. I was afraid to shift my weight or my hem would be all crooked. So my dad saw how unhappy I was, and being the hero that he is, went and got Jimmy who sold me the dress. Well I guess they get all defensive and don't like it when the sales people come back into the alterations area so they promptly brought out the lady who seemed to be in charge. She had me all pinned up correctly and my bustle done up beautifully in 15 minutes! I left there a very happy bride, but I was not about to settle on my wedding dress.
Today instead of working on wedding plans, we worked on plans for after the wedding and went apartment hunting. Once again an experience that started off bad but ended very well. If you ever have a day to spare and want to meet some characters, you're bound to find them in the apartment leasing offices. Everyone we met was very helpful, but unique in their own way. We got very excited to hear that one of the places that someone showed us was the best property they had to offer. If you count mold around the bathtub, tiny closets, and the washing machine right next to the kitchen sink beautiful, this place is for you! Our last stop was a new apartment complex that was beautiful, spacious, and affordable! One thing we learned today was how to better rely on God. When it all seemed overwhelming a pray for releasing that to God gave us peace that He had just the place for us. One thing to tick off the list... it's looking a little shorter!

A different kind of ring. . .

Tonight Carson and I took part in a ring ceremony that had a different significance in our lives. This ring ceremony was for our class rings. I signed up for it because is just seemed like the thing to do. It is possible to just order your class ring and get it in the mail, but Carson and I wanted to make our experience here as meaningful as it could be. The ceremony was much different than I expected. They had people tell stories about the significance of the ring in general, as well as what made their rings special for them. Some of the stories were very moving in that one guy sold his ring while fighting in World War II for food that ended up saving his life. So now as I type this message, my hands are equally weighted. On my left is a ring that signifies the commitment I will soon make to the man I love. On my right is a symbol of the Clemson family that is and was a very influential factor in shaping my life. What a great reminder of how much God has blessed me with.

It's really happening

Wow.. things are falling in to place left and right (and not because of me). My mom has taken her list very seriously and has been reducing the size of her list very quickly. She's even doing stuff that wasn't on the list! The invitations came in a couple of days ago which just really makes things real. It's official... in print! I'm hoping to get caught up on all my school stuff and have some time to focus on my list soon!
This past weekend Carson and I went to Greenville and ended up getting our wedding rings!! They are just sitting there.. waiting to be used. Carson is jealous that I have a ring to let everyone know that I'm getting married and is excited about getting to wear his.

Plans for after the wedding are changing in a very exciting way. Carson found out about a graduate assistantship that would pay for him to go to grad school here at Clemson, as well as pay him a salary for the research that he is doing. This is a very exciting opportunity because Carson has always talked about going to grad school, we just weren't able to afford it. This means I get to stay in Clemson for another two years which is great because I'm not ready to leave. I will have the best of both worlds. Being in Clemson and being married. So the job hunt will begin for me soon once things become official for his grad school stuff.

Back Burner

While mom has been blazing through her to do list mine has not even been looked at. Moving in, RA training and being a bridesmaid in a friends wedding has made for a pretty busy week. I got the proofs for the wedding invitations as well as a florist quote back today so that has kind of thrown me back into wedding mode. And once I get started, I can't stop. It's kind of addicting. I would so much rather be planning my wedding.
Being in a wedding this weekend helped bring me back to reality of what I'm really getting ready to do. The whole time I was picturing myself in the shoes of the bride. I can't believe my day is coming so soon. I also have a new respect for my bridesmaids. I know they are going to be awesome but it was humbling to be on that side of it. I have already told my matron of honor that I am handing her my phone on the wedding day because I don't want to be bothered with it and I just want to focus on the day and soak it all in. So if I don't answer a call from you on the day of the wedding, know that I still love you... I'm just a little distracted!

Passing the Reigns

Well, I left for Clemson yesterday after spending a lot of time with my mom talking about what needed to still be done while I was gone. It was hard to come back while there was still so much to do at home and I felt bad leaving the extra burden on my mom.
She took off yesterday after I left and had a very productive day (and only gave me a little bit of a hard time about it.) She spent over 2 hours with an invitations specialist getting the invitations ordered and working out some color matching. We solved the problem of the different shades of colors by purchasing a spool of ribbon in each color so that we can compare and match without having to just remember the exact shade of the color. She solved so many problems last night! What an awesome mom... who needs a wedding planner. The manager at the tux shop where we ordered the invitations even offered her a job! Dad was the all supportive husband and helped her with the very detail oriented task. Although, by the end of the night he had dubbed her "mom-zilla"! My dad helping my mom paid off when they went to the cake shop today and he got a chance to taste some of the yummy selections that we had made.

Colors

I thought deciding on my wedding colors was the hard part. I have found that finding the shade of color is even harder. It has been one of the biggest things stressing me out because it effects so much! I think I have found a solution so I am off today to look at dresses/tuxes for our bridal party. I also get to go to see my cake vendor this morning to see some wedding cakes that they are working on today! What an exciting start to the day.
Also on today's list is our final dancing lesson before we go back to Clemson. We are excited about dancing at the reception! Now it's up to us to practice very hard and not forget everything that we learned.
I leave to go back to Clemson on Monday so I'm trying to finalize whatever I can today so I can spend tomorrow packing (oops, I have forgot to do that so far) and spending time with my family!

Crunch Time

I know it sounds a little weird that it's crunch time with over 5 months to go still but I am returning to Clemson in 6 days and won't be back until the month before the wedding (besides a few weekends) so my planner is full of appointments this week. I have my master wedding "To do" list that seems to keep getting things added to it but nothing crossed off. Funny how that works.
I was talking to my friend today that is getting married next weekend. She was one of my roommates my first year at Clemson. I am so excited for her and the excitement is contagious. I am up to my eyeballs with lists and wedding magazines and things to do so it's nice to just sit back and get excited about it.
One of my favorite things about planning this wedding is all the time I get to spend with my mom. She is being so helpful and we have lots of fun time together. Even the guys in my life, Carson and my dad, are being very helpful and involved. What a wonderful family affair.

I could have danced all night...I mean day

Yesterday Carson and I had a wonderful time practicing our dancing skills with my parents to a song that we are going to play at our reception. It was so much fun! Carson was a little slow picking it up surprisingly, while my dad rocked the house and picked it up in a snap! This was also a lot of fun because Carson and I were able to show off what we have been learning with a friend of ours that has offered to teach us to dance in preparation for our wedding! Every bride and groom want to look like they know what they are doing on the day of their wedding. Carson and I will be dancing on our own as much as possible after we return to Clemson so that we don't forget all that we learned.
Other than feeling like I have some dancing down, I feel like I have gotten little else accomplished. Yesterday I made another list thinking that I would feel like I had more done. It backfired and made me realize all that I have to do. Planning a wedding long distance is hard so I'm doing what I can while I'm home.
I have found that it is nice to have times where wedding talk is off limits. It makes me think about what else is going on in life so that I don't get consumed or overwhelmed. I also have a wonderful fiance who keeps me sane. Whoever said that grooms don't like to be involved has never met Carson. I am a very luck woman.

Welcome

Welcome to my wedding blog. So many exciting, wonderful, and even stressful (although no bride wants to admit it) things happen during the process of planning a wedding and after blogging my recent trip to England I have found another excuse to keep up the blogging. This has been and will be such an exciting year for me. I got engaged at the end of last year so this is the year of wedding plans. In addition to that I have spent the last two months in England working and traveling around. In December I will graduate, and be married in January. So many exciting life changing experiences coming my way!
The wedding festivities have officially started with my first bridal shower this weekend. A very dear friend of mine opened her house and planned a wonderful shower that was all that a shower should be. As if all of the planning hasn't made me really believe that I'm getting married, this shower sure did. I'm not sure I'll ever get used to being referred to as "the bride". I feel like I'm playing house and pretending to be all grown up.
Friday marked the 6 month mark until the wedding. Half a year to go... and it can't come soon enough. My wonderful fiance Carson has been so supportive and helpful during this crash course time of planning what I can before I go back to school in two weeks. He even offered to go help pick out the flowers but Mom and I decided he needed a break and that "the girls" could handle that. I don't know if he was insulted or relieved.
Carson and I have been taking some dancing lessons and I think we are doing pretty well for our second session. A big thank you to Sarah for all of her help. Hopefully we will look graceful for our first dance.
I have discovered some new applications for this blog so check out the poll on the left where I will be getting different wedding opinions. To learn more about how Carson and I met visit our wedding website at the link found below. Check back for some stories as I'm sure this process will get very interesting.

Molly
http://people.clemson.edu/~snipes/Wedding/Welcome.html