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Tuesday, December 24, 2019

live from christmas eve



Coming at you live from my couch on this Christmas Eve morning. I worked a whopping one day of this holiday week yesterday, and I'm kicking off the rest of this six day holiday weekend while watching The Nightmare Before Christmas (I finally caved and got Disney+) while sipping coffee with peppermint mocha creamer. Florida is uncharacteristically chilly for this time of year, hovering in the low 60s with gray skies, and because I relish in this weather, I am loving it.

It's easy to get sucked into a game of comparison this time of year. She's getting that for Christmas, they're going to a ski lodge for the week, how did he get that much time off work, we didn't go to any Christmas parties and they've been going to one every weekend. Even now, as I'm writing this post, I thought to myself, "did we even do a whole lot to celebrate this year?"


For us, this Christmas has been an accumulation of little moments.

- setting up the tree just before Thanksgiving while watching The Grinch Who Stole Christmas
- buying peppermint mocha creamer
- hanging up multicolor lights in our bedroom and flickering white lights in the kitchen
- breaking out the Christmas coffee mugs
- making Oreo truffles for a holiday cookie exchange
- decorating my office with wintery window decals
- holiday shopping with my best friend and her sweet little babe
- having an ornament exchange with the best coworkers
- taking pictures in front of a giant Christmas tree in Savannah with my husband
- eating alllll the Christmas cookies...all of them
- watching my favorite movies like The Family Stone, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, and Love Actually.

Gift wise, Ryan and I are keeping our exchange low-cost this year. Gift giving is kind of weird as a married couple - his money is my money, and vice versa. We both agreed that our honeymoon in Hawaii was the best gift we could have given each other. Our hope in the new year is to buy our first home, so our financial focus is geared more toward that than presents this season. Who knows, maybe we'll be hosting the holidays this time next year?



Alas, I'm talking about Christmas like it's already over, even though it's just getting started. We're heading down to Fort Myers to visit my in-laws today, where I plan to drink prosecco with rosemary garnish, whip up a fantastic Christmas breakfast, and enjoy our first Christmas as a married couple.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas (or a happy Hanukkah)! What are your plans for the holiday? Any last minute shopping to do?




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Wednesday, December 18, 2019

our wedding day: getting ready


On October 12, 2019, I woke up thinking, "it's finally here - my wedding day." Nearly 500 days since Ryan proposed, we were about to get married on the six year anniversary of our first date, just steps away from the popular Italian restaurant where Ryan and I shared awkward but charming get-to-know-you banter while I had spinach in my teeth.

For getting ready, it was important to me for us to have enough natural light for photos. I'd looked into nearby AirBnBs, but I really wanted to be central to everything and everyone else in the hotel block, so I opted to book a suite at the hotel. With two beds, a couch, and a little balcony, we had plenty of room to spread out and get ready. Most importantly, we had a small kitchenette to suffice our snacking needs throughout the day.

One of my bridesmaids, Stephanie, stayed in the hotel room with me the night before, and it wasn't long before hair and makeup knocked on our door at 8:45 a.m. to start setting up. I began to set up plastic champagne flutes, Trader Joe's apple cider donuts, and pancake bread for my bridesmaids and family, though we didn't actually pop any bubbly until about 10ish (likely for the best!). My bridesmaid Jaime's husband scooped us up Starbucks + brought in our Publix lunch (popcorn fried chicken nuggets, sandwiches, and fruit)...talk about a life saver.

Before long, all six of my bridesmaids + my mom and mother-in-law were in the thick of getting ready. Robes and gifts had been distributed, and everyone was dressed in dusty green florals. The room smelled of hairspray, Lizzo blasted through a "beer can" speaker, and every five minutes someone mentioned "I can't believe it's finally here!"



I was so excited to get ready alongside my girlfriends - it's a big reason why I had a larger amount of bridesmaids. I couldn't imagine not getting ready with everybody, and I really wanted cute robe photos (because, duh). In truth, we were a little bit behind schedule. Everyone else's hair and makeup touchups went about an hour late, which cut into our "getting ready" photo time and made everything feel a little bit rushed at the time. By the time everyone was finished, I was already supposed to be at the venue doing my first look with Ryan. I tried not to let it stress me out, and ultimately, it didn't. I think that's what makes every wedding day unique - the unplanned twists and turns and mishaps always make for good stories.

Even so, we got a lot of great "getting ready" photos, thanks to our wonderful photographer, Emily Mathewson. If you're in Florida (or even if you're not!) I highly recommend her. She did an outstanding job, and I feel like I gained a friend in the wedding planning process!































And of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't share some "getting ready" photos from Ryan's side of the day. He looked so handsome! I felt like one lucky bride...and I suppose that now I'm one lucky wife!








I'll be sharing more in the coming weeks! Be on the look out for our first look, the ceremony, and reception pictures. I can't believe this day has already come and gone, and I love revisiting it.

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