home

I've been feeling really displaced lately, like I don't have a home.

Big Brown is my house, Ray and I own it. However, I wont be living there until after the wedding. My current living situation is fine (love my roommates), but it doesn't feel like a place where I belong. It feels like a roommate, boy-crazy, sad-girl-movie-watching phase that I've already passed through. You know? I have stuff at big brown, my current house, my car, my parent's house, etc. I just want to be settled.

I know this feeling will go away after we're married and I actually live in Big Brown. Right now, it's just another thing that's stressing me out.

Sorry about this sad girl blog.

Wedding Inspiration

As I said in the last post, I'm a little behind on all the planning. However, I have been able to find an abundant amount of inspiration online. Here are some of my favorites.

1. Hi-FiWeddings - For the indie, trendy, music loving bride.

2. Green Wedding Shoes - This is mostly just a blog of real weddings.

3. OnceWed - Perfection.

4. BHLDN - Thank you, Anthropologie.

5. East Side Bride - Sassy bridal advice.

And you're welcome.

allirayweddingextravaganza2011

I don't think it's really a secret, but I'm kind of behind on all the wedding planning stuff. With the holidays, new job and new house I haven't had much time to get things together. Also, right now I just want to get married and I'm starting to not care about the little details. Like at all.

Some planning that IS completed:

1. Bridesmaid dresses. I'm obsessed with them. My maids will be wearing handmade 50's style tea dresses in different vintage floral fabrics. They are going to be so cute!

2. My dress. It's still being made, but I think it's going to be pretty good. Cute, casual and flirty. Perfect.

3. Our location. The location issue was seriously stressing me out. We had a beautiful outdoor location picked, but because of extenuating circumstances, Ray and I were both feeling uncomfortable about it. A few weeks ago our pastor told us about a church we might like. Neither of us were too excited about the church option, but when we went to look at it we realized it was perfect. It's old with tall windows and wooden pews and floors. We love it. Also, now we don't have to worry about rain.

4. Rings. We have custom handmade wedding bands and they couldn't be better.

list

Lists are really important to me life. If I don't have a list nothing will ever get done. It needs to be something I can see and check off. Mental lists are a joke.

Some things I would like to do in the next year (or so):

1. Host the most incredible Wes Anderson party ever, including thematic food, music and entertainment.
2. Try to do my laundry on a weekly basis. Or at least bi-weekly. Or maybe just not have piles everywhere.
3. Find the perfect (or close to perfect) couch for our living room.
4. Decorate my cute house. "Decorate" is kind of a relative term. I have a friend with a completely "decorated" home, but really it looks more like a house filled with show rooms. No personality at all. I want to find/make things we love to fill our house... personality and color included.
5. Stop losing everything I own.

Jenna/Ginger

This morning I got to chat with Jenna aka Ginger, and even though it was only for a few minutes it blessed my heart so much.

I have a lot of really great friends that bless my heart everyday, but Jenna is special. We get each other on a different level. We love and appreciate so many of the same things. We also abhor many of the same things (ie. paper party). We can go for months and months without seeing each other, but still be bff4e (you liked that abbreviation, didn't you).

Good things about Jenna:
1. She doesn't eat meat, but wont hate if you do.
2. She's crafty like a fox.
3. She will comfort you after riding the Tower of Terror.
4. She can make a horizontal head band look cute.

Jenna has been in Brazil since December, but will be returning in March. Woo hoo! She will also be making an appearance in the AlliRayWeddingExtravaganza2011 as one of my bridesmaids!! I'm the most excited about this.

Please take a few minutes to say a prayer for Jenna and her ministry for the remainder of her stay in Brazil. Also, go read her blog. You will love her.

Hey, I need your help!

This isn't my dress, but isn't it cute?


Lately, Ray and I have been working on our house so much that I have kind of forgot that I have to plan a wedding. Like stat. The location we had picked out kind of fell through, but I think we may have found an even more perfect place for the ceremony. My maids all have their dresses (which are beautiful) and mine is currently being made. We've talked with one of our photographer friends and will be hammering out those details this coming weekend.

A few things I need help with:

1. What do I do about my hair? I hate weird wedding curly-q up dos. I don't want a long mosquito net veil. I don't think I would hate a cute short one... but birdcage veils are kind of weird too sometimes. Maybe a cute bow or flower? Maybe a cute vintage short veil that isn't a birdcage? I don't even know. I have a girl coming over the day of the wedding to do it... I just need some sort of ideas I guess.

2. Jewels? I love jewelry... but I'm having a hard time picking anything out because I'm still not sure what is going on with my head/hair. If I have a lot happening with hair earrings might be too much. You know what I mean? Maybe I should just go with a good necklace. Ideas?

3. Rain. We're planning on having our reception in the back yard of our house. We love the idea of it being outside... but what do we do if it rains? We don't want to get a tent. Maybe we just bank on half of our guest leaving and the rest of them can come inside? Idk. Just hope it doesn't rain? Leave for the honeymoon early?

Help!

celebrity boyfriend palooza

Jessica and Trish tagged me in their latest posts about tv/movie celebrity boyfriend hotty-hots. Here are mine!

Paul Newman - obviously

Tommy Lee Jones - the younger years

Luke Wilson

Jaosn Schwatzman

Corey Matthews - The 12 year old in me is swooning.

Runners up - Joseph Gordon Levitt and Jack White (he counts because he has been in movies)
Who are your top 5 celebrity boyfriends?

letters

Dear January 2011,
You were kind of long and you kind of stressed me out. I mean, I guess I can't hate you... you did bring me a house. But you also brought me lots of painting, cleaning and lifting of heavy things. Rude. Get outta my face!!

Dear Big Brown,
I love you... even when you're cold and loud. I love your old doorknobs and tall windows. I love your prime location and extra bedrooms. I love your Royal Tenenbaums dinning room and Life Aquatic Bathroom. Please be nice while we remove wallpaper.

Dear Laguna Vista Apartment 101,
You are gross and I never want to see you ever again. Boo. But thanks for the good memories.

Dear Christian radio station at work,
Ok, sometimes you're fun and nostalgic. I don't hate hearing an occasional audio adrenaline or toby mac tune. In fact, I usually like it. However, all the third day, mercy me, david crowder, natalie grant, etc. has to go. Ugly voice and shallow lyric Christian music should be banned.

Dear Mark Discoll,
See ya Saturday!

Dear new job opportunity,
PLEASE call me back. I need you. For real.

Dear coffee,
I don't need you. I promise...

Dear marriage,
Get here fast.


LOVE, Allison

List: 10 good things

1. Painting/fixing Big Brown with Ray... even though I don't really like painting because I'm not very good at it.

2. Working. This will probably change from hour to hour... but I like having money and I like not being bored to death. And I like getting paid to drive to Live Oak, the post office, the lawyers office, etc.

3. Wedding Planning. As much as it stresses me out, it's really exciting to receive wedding rings in the mail, make invitations, design a dress, etc.

4. Allijoy House of Fun. In November I moved into a house with my friend (and bridesmaid!) Joy, and a month later our friend Leanne moved in as well. While I will only get to live in the house for about 6 months, it's already been such a blessing. I feel so relaxed and at home.

5. Church on the Way. Right now my church is doing some really big and amazing things specifically to bring the gospel to our community. I'm not talking about handing out tracks or having a flashy youth program... I'm talking about loving people despite addiction, loss, suffering, poverty. Having real community. And coffee.

6. Ray made a really good meatloaf the other night and now I want more.

7. I bought more tights a few weeks ago because even though I live in Florida it's been freezing. Anyway, they are doing a good job keeping me so warm.

8. The Mynabirds. When I'm not being forced to listen to contemporary Christian music from 2001, I've been listening to those birds. I like them.

9. Coffee at home. I just recently learned how to use a coffee pot. I'm 25...

10. Updated phone. PTL.

Big Brown Progress

You know, just painting the house we bought last Thursday. Crazy huh? I never thought I would have such an amazing house. Or such an amazing husband-to-be that doesn't care that I'm really bad at painting and peeling wallpaper. We have the most beautiful pink kitchen! More pictures to come!

Oh, she crazy

Life update:

I started a new job on Wednesday morning.
Ray and I bought a new (used) car Wednesday evening.
We're closing on our house this Friday.
We're getting married in 3 months.

As you can imagine, I've been a little stressed out lately. I can get overwhelmed really easily and then I just kind of turn into a crazy person. Not like clinically crazy, more like ridiculous outburst crazy. Anyway, I'm trying really hard to just let things go and rest in the fact that God is in control. So, if you see me around please remind me not to be a crazy person. Also, please remind me that it gets really cold in my office and I should probably wear tights. Thanks.

Big Brown

In about a week Ray and I will be closing on a house. We like to call it Big Brown. It's our dream home, built in the 1930's with tall ceilings, old doorknobs and wood floors. It needs paint, some shine for the floors and pretty things for the walls... but other than cosmetics it's practically perfect. It's located downtown which is exactly where we want to be. We can walk to the library, the lake, our favorite thrift store and our church will soon be moving into a building just a block away. I'm so happy and excited about this house! Doesn't it look like a giant doll house?

wedding wish list

So, as most of you know I will be getting married in April and we're currently having to deal with registering for gifts. I mean, how exciting is it that I'm getting married AND people want to give us gifts?! Amazing. Neither Ray nor I are really new stuff people... so as much as fancy cutlery and napkin holders are nice, it's not really what we want (or need).

So, I've decided to post a fun wish list on here!

1. strawberry bowls

2. Deer Lamp

3. Pink Pyrex

This will be an ongoing list. Get excited!

New Year Resolutions!

Listen friends, I need you to hold me accountable for these things. I've thought long and hard about all of these resolutions...

1. Listen to the least amount of Taylor Swift as humanly possible.
2. Read every Harry Potter book out loud so Ray will have to read them by association. Hahaha.
3. Always have a spare nail polish in my purse. You know, for emergencies.
4. Eat absolutely no squash ever.
5. Punch people who talk about how much they hate Lake City.
6. Continue not being a vegan.
7. Wear more liquid eye liner.
8. Write more blogs about making cupcakes.
9. Listen to more Andrew W. K.
10. Get married.

and a few more...

Hey engagement ring hey!

Clarrissa Explains it All earrings.

The two cutest babies I've ever seen in my life. Also, please notice how sophisticated Rylen is being with that starbucks.

My friends are fruitcakes.

Best vest of 2010.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5