Lets Talk Budget and Organization! (Wedding Planning 1)

Ok, so this has been the longest I've got without writing a post...But...

SURPRISE!!

I'm getting married!!!

Yup, James and I are tying the knot. James proposed last Saturday (September 8th) outside of the Jordan River Temple. It was so perfect! Then we spent the rest of the day replicating some of our more important past dates. We went mini golfing, had lunch at Olive Garden, and got ice cream at Sub Zero (if you haven't been there, I highly recommend it. They make the ice cream right in front of you using liquid nitrogen. Its awesome!!). 

The big day is January 19, 2013! Seems so far away, but in all reality, that's not a ton of time to plan a wedding. Luckily, I got a bit of a head start, thanks to that wonderful website that everyone is addicted to, Pinterest!! (Click Here to follow my boards!) I've been pinning like mad since I first got on the website, and I'm pretty sure what my theme is to be.

I thought, "Hey, this wedding planning is hard stuff. Maybe I should try to help others out as well..." So here it is. BAM! My first wedding planning post!

What I've been focused on today as far as planning goes is the dreaded budget. Since I'm the oldest child of a family of 7, and I'm making minimum wage (did I mention I finally got a job? Hooray for me...? It kinda sucks, but its a paycheck), plus the fact that my wedding is right after Christmas, the budget is not huge. I've figured if I save 90% of my paycheck (after taxes and tithing, plus a little money left over for myself for fun) every week, I'd have about $1700 of my own money to pay for things. (YIKES! Breathe, I can do this...) So today, my mom and I have made a list of everything we could think of that we'll need, and estimating (not just guessing, we're looking up prices and such...) 

So my biggest tip is...buy wholesale!! For decorations, food serving stuffs, ect, wholesale is the way to go. For instance, I am buying 1000 styrofoam cups (I'm serving hot cocoa, since its gonna be cold outside) for $34. Not bad!!

I've also been looking into how I could get myself organized.And, once I get some ink for my printer, I'm going to be following the advice I found on this blog I found on Pinterest to set up my own Wedding Planning Binder. I've modified it a bit to fit an LDS wedding, and one for my budget. Maybe if I can get enough skills to figure out how, I'll put up a PDF for you guys to make your own. Its got tons of things I never even thought of. Definitely look into it!

Thanks guys! Hopefully more wedding planning/weight loss/my life posts to follow. Who knows though, with having to plan a wedding on top of my new job and everything else. 

So I'll see ya when I see ya again (hopefully soon!!)

--Lexi Lou

Time to Catch Up!!

Hey there fellow bloggers/family/people I don't know (if there are even any of you out there. Make your presence known!)! Long time no blog. But I actually have an excuse as to why that is which is pretty valid(ish). 

Now, I'll admit, I could probably still be blogging pretty regularly, especially during the day when I'm doing pretty much nothing. I still have yet to find a job, but I'm finally getting everything sorted out for school in the fall. But this isn't what has been distracting me, though it probably should have been.

I have lost more weight, but I'm not too focused on it as much anymore. I'm keeping up those healthy habits I developed, and I'm a little more active. I go on a walk now almost every day. And that's because...

I have the most amazing boyfriend!

Its true. Those of you who know me are already aware of the fact, but not everyone really knows who he is or how it all happened. I mentioned a certain young man in one of my previous blogs (Click here to get the story of how we met). In the post I mentioned that I wasn't sure where it was going to go, but that I looked forward to having tons of fun with him. Needless to say, its gone somewhere, and somewhere AMAZING! 

Our hike and picnic at Ensign Peak

Since that Saturday where we hiked with our ward, we've had the best time together. We defined our relationship that following Monday (? I'm pretty sure anyways. I'm terrible with dates and stuff like that), and made it "Facebook Official" July 17 (I can see that one online...). 

James is so good for me! He is sweet and caring, respects me in every way, and I can tell by the way he treats me how much he cares. He likes my family, and his is a ton of fun too. We played the best prank on them about a week ago (we pretended to be engaged. I even borrowed a ring to seal the deal. It was hilarious because his one sister was constantly telling him to take it nice and slow, and she was so mad! So fun!). I feel like we're compatible in so many ways. He's such a strong, upstanding member of the church, but he's not the kind of person who acts like he's so much better than everyone else because of that. We make each other so happy, and our time together is full of laughter. I can't wait to continue getting to know him, and growing closer to each other. 

--Lexi Lou

30 Day Photo Challenge: Day 20, 21, and 22

Looking at the next three categories, two of them are kind of depressing. I'm hoping not to be a downer on this post, so I'll do my best to put a positive spin on them. (Besides, ITS FRIDAY! Everything should be good, right?)

Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel...

I want to go to Europe so bad!!! I want to entrench myself in the romantic, historic, rich culture of it all! I want to be able to go to quaint little bookshops or cafes and try all kinds of delicious food. I want to be able to look around me and hear the people speaking in a different tongue, and maybe be able to understand them. I want to go to all the landmarks I've heard and read about and seen in the movies. I want to see the lights and hear the music. I want to be able to look at pictures and say, "I've been there. And it was AMAZING!"

When (if) I get wealthy (don't ask me how, because I'm not even sure yet), I want to be able to pick up and jump on a plane and go whenever I want. Feeling like a romantic anniversary with my one true love? BAM! Dinner underneath the Eiffel Tower. Hungry for the best pasta in the world? ZOOM! Off I'll go to Italy. I just want to be able to experience the world and let it help me grow. 

Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget...

Everyone makes mistakes. Some of them that I've made I wish I could forget. And no, I'm not thinking relationships. I'm meaning things that hurt me or someone else.

Then again, some of those mistakes I've made I feel were necessary for the person I am today. Each mistake shapes me, and possibly those around me. I want to be able to use my experiences to help others. Let them learn from my mistakes instead of making the same ones themselves. I really hope this will be the case for my children in particular. Any unnecessary pain I can spare them will be a blessing, and I can't wait to help them. 

Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at...

I know what those of you who know be are going to say. I'm a decent dancer. However, there is always room for improvement. I always have fun dancing (though I haven't done it in a while). I want to step onto that dance floor and have people's jaws drop when they see me move. I want to be graceful, something that I probably won't be able to pull off until I've lost some more weight (no worries, I know I don't have far to go. I'm really trying to not bash myself). 

I also want to improve my ballroom dancing. I took a semester of ballroom my sophomore year, and I LOVED IT! For that, I'm going to need to get out and find a partner about the same level as me. Then, we're going to learn more together...that's the plan anyways. 

--Lexi Lou

30 Day Photo Challenge: Day 5

Day 5: A picture of your favorite memory...

Ok, so picking a favorite memory is so hard! Especially since my very best memories there wasn't a camera around. So I'll pick a few...

 #1: Pirate Ship Sleep Over! 

"Call me a liar..."

Down at Snow College, one of the professors (he retired this year) has an AWESOME pirate ship. He originally built it for his grandkids, but he lets the college students use it every once in a while. We slept in the "Captain's Quarters" and played Liar's Dice. We also told "scary" stories. It was one of the best bonding moments my roommates and I had. 

Captain Will Lubber
 (Bill Lubber or Blubber for  short...)

When we woke up the next morning we found a tub of pirate costumes and messed around in those. The boat had a cool sound system, so we hooked up my roommate's iPod and rocked out to the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack. Such good times! 

I loved getting to know my roommates this year. We had so much fun, and I love them a ton! This isn't even the craziest thing we did! We once had an elaborate scheme to order pizza in the most bizarre way (two of us were in a dumpster dressed as hobos), we locked one of my roommates out and sent her looking for clues to get back in, and we all played our share of pranks...or maybe we didn't... I love and miss these girls so much!

#2: Any and every memory I have with my family...

Sorry to inform you, but my family is the best one there is! Sure, we're not perfect. We all have had our share of disagreements. But at the end of the day, we're all laughing and having fun together. When I was at school I came to miss and appreciate the days when I got to see my family everyday. I am so happy to be living with them again this summer. I know that the day will come when I will move out for good, but for now, I love being with them and sharing in the joy only family can bring. 

#3: Good times with my Friends

Since going to school, my friends and I have all drifted apart, but we're still pretty close. My very best friend is spending the summer in California, but we may end up going to school together in the fall! (Fingers crossed!) I still see my other friends every once in a while. 

We have all had such good times. Whether it was night games with my friends in my ward or a girls night or sleepover with my friends from high school, there was always tons of laughter and fun. 

And there still is. This summer, I'm hoping to reconnect with everyone! It may be difficult, because of people's schedules, but I'm willing if they are. And I can't wait to make more memories with them. 

--Lexi Lou