loco bueno fiesta

This weekend we headed to Fort Worth for a wedding.

I could not wait to see my long lost friends! We met for din in Grapevine. I, like a loser, didn't take a pic even though I had reminded myself a million times to get one. Such an amature.  I did however bring them all little prezzies. Be careful what you pin on pinterest, you just may be receiving it as a gift. 

One Leslie is getting married, one Leslie is having a baby, and Kara, well she got married a few years ago so she got a monogram (and hopefully will be telling me she's having a babe or something exciting in the near future) So much to look forward too!! 

I was incredibly happy to see them. Makes me sad we can't make it happen more often. 

I tagged along with T to the rehearsal on Friday morning. Where we all witnessed one of the bridesmaids get hit by a truck, literally. Thankfully she was ok, def one of the craziest things I have ever witnessed. Side note: the truck driver casually gets out of his car, helps her up and grabs his clip board to write an incident report...as if shiz like this happens all the time? Say WHA??

My heart skipped a beat when I remembered FW now has a Chimy's. Only the BEST place to pretend your still in college! No worries we headed there right after the rehearsal, got there before they even opened to partake in some pre Cinco de Mayo festivities.

I drank my weight in Miller Lite this weekend. No joke. Sadly, I also came to the realization that I am no longer in college.

I took a little siesta at Chimy's as well. This had nothing to do with the festive beer consumed and everything to do with the fact that I was just trying to incorporate more Mexican themed things into the day....

My pillow's pretty dang cute. 

After my short siesta I was good to go!

Well...that's debatable...

After another siesta (location: hotel, not bar) I was def good to go. We got gussied up and walked over to the rehearsal dinner after which, a larger/wilder fiesta commenced. Even though we don't quite remember the most ridiculous bar tab I've ever seen it was definitely still there in the morning. Ouch. After I refreshed Trav's memory and his bank account reflected the news, he reminded me that even though we are about to buy a house, what's money if you can't use it to enjoy life with people you love and rarely see? Very true. No argument there. 

Saturday morning I headed to Dallas to do some shopping with my fave shopping partner Les! I couldn't wait to hit up H&M. I didn't go very crazy but man, I could have! I also snagged a few great finds for Casey. 

LOVE my new sandals! And I got a few great summer white shirts. They will definitely get lots of wear! Why on God's green earth does Houston not have this store yet?! 

I also found these precious, quirky shorts I'd been wanting at Anthro on sale! Embroidered bee hives and teeny little bees, cute as can bee! LOVE THEM! 

I made it back to the hotel in time for a quick nap with my ginger bear and we watched the Kentucky Derby. I cried when Mario Gutierrez crossed the finish line on I'll Have Another! 

Why do I cry so much? No clue. Probably because I was so happy for him, you could tell he was truly humbled and deserving of the win, also because I love when a horse with one owner (not a stable or a corporation) wins, but mostly I think I cried because 

a.) I was not at the Kentucky Derby for the 26th year in a row

b.) It wasn't my horse that just crossed the line

c.) Had I known years ago I'll Have Another would be a Kentucky Derby winning horse I would have somehow managed to scrounge up $11k to buy him when he was babe. Bargain!

Then it was wedding time! It was such a nice wedding at the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens. But it was HOT! T couldn't get his cute pink tie off fast enough...

We ended the night pretty low-key at a small bar, luckily with a much smaller bar tab! 

The weekend rounded out with a delicious brunch at Blue Mesa. A Bloody Mary was exactly what the doctor ordered.  

I was pumped to get to make the drive home with T.  Usually we're in separate cars since we go separate ways at the end of an out of town weekend.  We of course stopped at the famous "Czech Stop" for kolaches and souvineer shirts. T is a very proud Bohemian and I guess this shirt officially makes me part of the fam! WOOT WOOT! 

Jak Se Mas = How are you?/Whaaatzzzzzuuuupp?

A GREAT weekend spent with friends! 

BUT...lesson learned. 26 is too old to drink like you were in college. Noted. 

bee there 10.5.12

I finally "officially" asked my best friends to do me the honor of being bridesmaids in my wedding 

About 3 months overdue but finished nonetheless...

I was so excited ask them!  Add so happy they all said yes! Here's what I put together!

My 7 favorite ladies in the world...

please ignore that the A in Ashley is the only capital letter used...it really drove me nuts!

Will you "bee" my bridesmaid?

Had to get my love of bees involved in my wedding somewhere!

Who doesn't love a free tee! I know we all do, I was so excited to make these screen print T's for my girls (and myself!) I was really loved how they turned out! "bee there 10.5.12"

Want to know how to screen print? I have a pretty basic tutorial coming up soon!

I fully intended to make these cookies myself but you know what? Sometimes it's just easier to let someone else do things for you...I was very happy with my choice because they turned out super cute and they were quite tasty!!

I bagged them up...

And packaged everything together...



 And they were ready for delivery!

I was able to hand deliver most of them but had to UPS a few to my favorites that I rarely get to see and miss so very much :'(

I love you girls and I am extremely honored and excited that you will be standing by my side when I marry T!

"Caalifonia Loooove"

Sing it with me...
"California love, California...knows how to party, California...knows how to party"

Now 2PAC, that's a good jam right there, and I'll be humming it all afternoon on my way to Cali!

Super excited to spend an extra long weekend with my new favorite cousins and in laws! Can I call them that yet? I'm going to anyways. I'm also wearing a super cute "U" charm around my neck Heather (the bride this weekend) gave me for Christmas. (I just tell people who question that it's a horse shoe.) Oh, and I may or may not have created this little blog under an email with my future last name (and I may not have even been engaged yet...talk about chancing it! haha)

Anyway we're heading to Pleasanton, CA to celebrate Travis brother Brady and his beautiful lady Heather get married.

Aren't they cute??





Should be lots of fun and PLENTY of wine flowing! YESSS!!

And one of those future cousins posted our cute/cheesy Christmas card on facie...

"We're blessed they all said 'YES!'"

 

SANTA!! I know him! (really, I do...see??)

My goal this trip? To take pictures!!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

schmorgesborg

I'll fill you in with a long mess of pictures, a schmorgesborg if you will, and everyday happenings in this little life of mine...and for the record, I def had to google how to spell schmorgesborg.

On Friday, not more than .3 seconds after briefly stating that I had a few gift cards, I received an email from Casey (I'm not lying < .3 seconds later) saying we should have dinner at Cheesecake Factory that night.  Obviously I agreed! I was saving that one for the ole fianc...but who better to share mac and cheese with than Case?! We stuffed our faces with delicious food, Texas Teas, and took cheese cake to go (vanilla bean - SO yummy!) 

Layers of Creamy Vanilla Bean Cheesecake, Vanilla Mousse and Whipped Cream. ...mmmmmmm

want.this.in.my.mouth.right.now.

You know what happens to a teacher after a week of kids and Christmas festivities? They CRASH. After our little Cheesecake Factory Glutton Fest, I stopped by a Redbox, went home, and went to bed. At like 9:30. True story. No movie. In order to watch a movie you have to keep your eyes open and that just wasn't happenin.  

Saturday I attended the wedding of this precious couple.

SO, SO very happy for them! Bryan is the sweetest guy and will without a doubt take care of Laura all the days of their lives. Of course I had to steal this pic from fb bc like always, I didn't snap even one pic! I loved my outfit and had some freakin' cute shoes on too! Dang.

Unfortunately, I went to that wedding sans Trav, he had a work party in Mexi...uh, Laredo but I had fun with some old friends! 

Couldn't party too hard because I had to wake up pretty early Sunday to meet Travis at our hotel for the Texans game! My very first event as an oil man's (almost) wife.  Not a shabby gig as I'm learning! I am so incredibly thankful for Travis' job, the company he works for, and the friends I have made through his colleagues (if it weren't for their wives I would have zero friends when I move).

Typically I feel tiny next to big ole T but these itty bitty cheerleaders did not support that feeling...

I made sure to wear my steel blue, battle red, and liberty white! GO TEXANS!!! 

The Urbo's were a little behind with sending out their Christmas cards this year.  After the game, I got a phone call from Haley, my future sis in law, asking me to awkwardly take and send a picture of me with my ring by my face for the card. Huh??

Fun fact: Travis has 2 brothers. They all proposed in 2011 and we are all getting married in 2012! YAY! 

Anyway...the idea for the card was to have all us girls with our new rings. Sure, it's cute. But awk. Taking pictures by myself is one of my most hated things (unless it's funny) so Travis was loving every second of taking this pic in the lobby of our hotel. With people watching mind you. Oh, and we had been drinking ALL day. 

"Merry Christmas future family members and closet friends. I'm excited to be a part of the fam. Can you tell I've been drinking since 11 am? Sure hope not!"

On Monday I was super pumped about going out with my favorite girls for dinner and the Nutcracker, which I had never seen. 

This is the same pic of us but I had to do some clever cropping and zooming so the Britt and Baby G would be happy with the pic! 

Dinner was scrumptious, the experience was great, and the company was top notch, but I gotta be honest...

the Nutcracker was a big ole bore in my unsophisticated opinion.  BIG bore.

 I was on the edge of my seat only because I was waiting for one of those fruity ballerina's to split their pants or slip. Never happened.  They just kept on dancing....and dancing...and dancing....and dancing.  I don't know about you but this girl needs some action, hell, even a few stinkin' words would do to keep me entertained! As it turns out, the ballet is clearly not my thing. Loved the champagne part though! And the dressing up and nice din and good friends part! 

Can you tell I had to get versa sprayed twice?? Yep. That's why I look like a Comanche.
Still have an unwavering love for that machine though! 

Hmm...what else did I do between Friday and Monday?

I wrapped presents but didn't make them as cutesie as I normally would. I'm saving the big guns for my first Christmas as a Mrs. next year, duh. I used very non Christmas-y paper this year. I am in love with the paper I got at the Nutcracker Market (the one ballet thing I actually like - the one that involves shopping) 

Red ribbons are festive enough right?? I thought so too. 

Cheetah print? Yes, please!

And I wrapped all Trav's in Camo. Now, normally I loathe camo unless it's being used while hunting but this paper was just too cute to pass on and well, Travis likes camo and I like Travis...C'est la vie.
(Yea, google how to spell that too...I would have def spelled it "saylavee". Wrong. Thank God I teach 5 year olds.) 

Oh and just in the event you may have forgotten...I'M GETTING MARRIED!!!! And this is my new favorite date in the entire world.

I should totes be a prof photog don't you think?? HA!

WOWZA, that was long! Come back later...there's more! Apparently, I've been a busy little beaver.

CABO WABO

Well, were off to CABO for a long weekend of this...

and this...

crossing this off my bucket list! YAY!

Dear God, After weeks of waking up to Cabo fishing reports (Trav is quite the researcher) please let him catch one of these bad boys. He has assured me they are "killing it off the coast" and there is no doubt it will add to our lifetime of happiness.
Love, Mandell

and this...

and if there's time most importantly this...

I am so excited to watch these people marry each other under the Cabo moon,

and I am SO excited they gave us an excuse to travel afar for such an occassion.  (This was my idea...just sayin' - but I was totally kidding when I told them they should have a destination wedding, never thought they'd do it! So when I got the phone call from my bro saying to "pack my bags" I was just a smidge excited!)

And hey, if we have a little too much fun, drink a little too much tequila, or I come back oh, I don't know, married or something we can just...
BLAME IT ON

George says it's ok!

Hopefully, I'll have lots of great pictures to share with you...but chances are, I will not. Remember? I suck at taking pictures. 

Think of me on your lunch breaks ladies! :)

And so it begins...

Wedding season.

It's officially in session and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't so super duper pumped about it!!! (Even though exhaustion is sure to set in right around Christmas Eve)

Off to Oklahoma City (I was def the very last one on the plane-oops!) for our first wedding since October. Then we're heading to CABO where one of my four brothers will marry his lady and another sister will be added to my life!!

It sure doesn't hurt that I'm also missing 3 of the only 15 days of school we have left before Christmas break! It's a tough life I tell ya!

In other wedding related news (I warned you this was quickly becoming a wedding blog!) this cute couple got engaged last night!

Now she's got a gorgey rock on her finger too! YAY!

10.5.12 is taken (tentatively) but ANY other weekend will be just perfect, Kailey!

Crossing my fingers the groom doesn't shed a tear because I def forgot waterproof mascara. But really? Who am I kidding, I'd cry at the wedding of Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy. Fail.

Until next week my friends!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

W is for Weddings

I am thankful people still believe in the sanctity of marriage.

When so many people (enter Kim K) in the world take the commitment so loosely it's refreshing to be surrounded by people who feel the exact opposite. They are such great examples unlike this one:

I'm fairly certain her choice of headpiece didn't help extend the 72 day marriage...

Even though some pictures like this make my stomach turn a bit, it reminds you there's a perfect person for everyone...

eek.

 And images like this remind you why it's worth it.

sweetest thing to see...old folks holding hands!

Y'all my grandma is still so in love with my grandpa it's almost disgusting. Like teenager, eyes glazed over, can't stop gushing over him...love. (she's also very theatrical so this doesn't help her cause) I need to dig up some pics just to show you how bad she is but I will say, it is pretty nice to see her like that after 62 years of marriage.  I hope in 50 years I'm even half as happy and in love!

The actual event of a wedding ain't to bad either...good free food, good free drinks, good people, good music, good party, sign me up! I big fat L.O.V.E weddings. It could even be argued that I have too much fun at weddings...

Yep...ruined that dress.

AND....let us not forget the excitement that will ensue the moment I get to plan mine! EEEEEEeeee!

(poor Trav, he's a good man)