all dressed in white

WEDDING DRESSES!! 

I have mixed feelings about this actually.  I have a couple particular styles I have always loved, I just love trying on clothes in general so I know this will be fun but honestly, this part is stressing me out.  There are a ton of stores and a billion dresses. I typically have no problem committing to attire but I have NO idea how I'm going to commit to a dress for my wedding! I also am not exactly where I want to be as far as "body" goes. I'm not too thrilled about the idea of sample sizes not zipping...

Deciding who to take with me was a small stress factor this week also.  Obviously my mom and MOH, Casey. I really want Mrs. Urbo to be there as well but I don't want to take away from my mom's experience - I am her only daughter after all.  And I want the opinions of my other besties but I don't want too many opinions... I usually wind up doing what I want regardless but I could def be swayed by others opinions. I don't want to decide on a dress because everyone else loved it and try it on again later and not like it...

There's also a couple dresses that I have been in love with for some time now. Problem is, the closest store that carries them is in Georgia! My mom is all about a trip but I want to try on some others before we go that route. I just have a feeling I won't be able to say "yes" to any dress before I try these on. I'm especially loving the first one.

J.Crew

Although the more I look at flowy styles the more I think I want fitted!

Oh, delimas, delimas, delimas... 

I have told myself that this first trip will just be fun. I've asked the besties and Mrs. Urbo to come and "play", get some ideas, opinions, etc. and then when I feel ready, I'll go back with my mom and make a final decision. I think it sounds like a pretty solid plan and I am pretty excited about this whole process!

Here are a few dresses I love, love, love.

These are all random google pics, I have no idea who the designers are. Bum.

Where in Houston did you find your perfect dress??

dressing my fave ladies

Bridesmaid's dresses. Finding one is such a feat, isn't it?

This is one of the most important aspects of our wedding to me. As far as attire and "feel" go anyway. I have chosen a color scheme of neutrals specifically to accommodate any dress we may find. I really have tried to take in to account the different body types of my girls. I want everyone to be comfortable, feel cute, and most importantly, party their asses off!

I am totally against typical "bridesmaids" dresses. I hate spending so much money on them, you NEVER wear them again, I don't typically love structured clothing, they just don't fit my "style" or how I picture my wedding "feeling". I've always wanted something off the rack, something that isn't $220+, something that even if you don't, you could actually wear again.  I fell in total love with these dresses by Gianni Bini sometime over the summer.  

In the orange color.

Love the sleeves. Love the ruffles. Love the style. Love the look with brownish heels/wedges (of the girls choice) for the ceremony. And they would be adorbs with our dancing shoes aka cowboy boots and fun belts when the real party gets started at our reception!

Well, days after the proposal I was SUPER excited to find them on major sale and bought them right up!

Unfortunately, they won't work for a couple of my girls. Very, very sad. I was certain this was a sure bet. Now I'm stuck with 8 dresses in various sizes that I can't return. Anyone interested in buying them? They would be oh, so cute with heels for a wedding, boots and tights, or cowboy boots! I am def still keeping one for myself - which means I can wear it now. (silver lining)

So the quest continues.  We have tried a couple dresses since and nothing has worked out quite right so the search continues.  I've even considered letting the girls choose from a color palette ala Miranda Lambert, but I am such a symmetrical person and I will certainly there's a chance I might lose my mind if not all the dresses coordinate perfectly. 

Another one on the drawing board are these dresses I found at Target of all places! They now carry BM dresses apparently, gah, they think of everything. What do you think?

I LOVE the color and ruffles but it's still a little too "bridesmaid-y" for me. Bridesmaid dress may have to ultimately be the route I'll have to take though to find something that suits everyone. 

How did you choose your bridesmaids dresses? 

Did you have mismatched dresses? I want to see pics! 

If you're interested in buying one of the orange dresses above, shoot me an email.  I have sizes, XS, S, M, and L available.  I wear a size M if that helps.  I am 5'8 and these hit a few inches above the knee. And they are SO cute!

Retail: $118

Selling for: $45

I said "YES!" to the dress!

Flower girl dresses that is! 

First of all, the sweeties that will be wearing them would look adorbs in a paper sack, just look....

Trav's cousin's little girls, Elizabeth and Christine. So cute!

Elizabeth was born to be a flower girl. Really, it's the perfect job for her. She will be in her first wedding when Trav's brother Chris gets married in March and 3 after that so by our wedding she'll have it down pat! Christine will be making her FG debut in our wedding and will have just turned 2 but I have no doubt Elizabeth will steer her in the right direction. 

Anyway, back to the dresses! I had been eyeing these dresses forever. Literally months and months before we got engaged so I was super excited to see they not only still had them but that they were on sale! 

I found them online at J.Crew.  CrewCuts seriously has the cutest clothes ever - I would give my left arm to be a girls size 16 so I could wear ever.single.thing. they have on their website. Alas, I am not so instead I wish and pray all my friends have presh little babes I can buy clothes for.

I just realized I haven't talked one bit about color schemes or plans for our wedding.  Funny considering they have been in the works for about 20 years now! Don't you worry though, I have exact ideas in Publisher for each aspect of the wedding. (Started working on that oh, I don't know five a year ago...) I also just realized this post is sort all over the place so without further adieu...the dresses!  

J.Crew

AHHH!! I love them SO much! I can not wait to see those cuties wearing them with a big ole flower on their head! So girly! So perfect!

And I need your help. Here they are (a complete wrinkled mess) with 2 different colored ribbons. Which do you like best? I'm kind of digging the contrast.  Plus, the flower they wear will likely be that cream color. Thoughts??

MAN, I wish finding bridesmaids dresses was this easy! That little quest is coming up soon.  

On another dress note, I am going shopping for mine a week from today! More on that later as well.

Be on the look out for posts completely devoted to dresses momentarily! YAY!

"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

he liked it so he put this ring on it

Linking up with Cassie today, a fellow newly engaged gal. Love it!

This is the best link up! I LOVE looking at engagement rings! I thought this would die down after having one on my own finger but nope, I look at the Blue Nile Dream Box app at least 10 times a day. Get it girls, it's super fun!

You can read all about my ring here.

Here's mine!

I've never seen anything like it.

This was 100% Trav's doing. He bought the diamond first and then found a setting at another jeweler. I wasn't sure about it at first because it was SO different than the classic Tiffany's setting I had always thought I wanted. But after having it on my finger for a night I started to fall in love! 

It's not a halo setting but the diamond sits up a bit above a ring of diamonds. Make sense? 

I don't know anything about diamonds but Travis saw this as an investment so quality was important to him.  I do know though that this thing sparkles! I'm obsessed. 

Here comes the prob. People have told me I shouldn't even get a wedding band but wearing one is really important to me (and he will most certainly be wearing his every.single.day. for the rest of his life.)

Any ideas on how it should look? I realize we're going to have to get one custom but I've searched a thousand pictures and even gone into jewelry shops (just the ones in the mall) and haven't found anything I like.  This is such a problem I've even toyed with the idea of changing the setting and wearing this setting on my right hand with an amethyst that belonged to my sweet Doll. (our birthstone) 

Any suggestions or pictures are welcome! 

linky!

I'm linking up with Michelle and Savanah tonight (and ABC).

Watching the Bachelor. Duh. Lovin' all the Southern girls, like always!! and omahword did yall see how AWK that blogger girl was....so uncomfortable.  And that one chicks super amazing derby hat?! Can't wait for the day I cross the Derby off my bucket list! 

Anyway...here we go for Fun With Our Phones. 

SCREEN SHOTS!

Do y'all take these? I do. ALL the time. I also take pictures of my comp screen with my phone, does that count as a screen shot?  Most of them are of things I absolutely adore on pinterest, wedding stuff/bridesmaids dresses I send to my MOH, or funny text convos/comments my friends send. (I then mass text to everyone else to enjoy the laugh, of course.) 

Here's a few examples of pics I've taken the last couple days.

 Now on to "My Favorite Gift From Santa"

You can read about it here.

But this is it...a screen shot that I sent to my mama on the way out of the store.

Okay, back to the Bachelor! 

No worries...my Texas homie, Reality Steve, gave me the season low down (because even though I love surprises, I can never wait.) He and I agree this show:

He writes, " I’m guessing Courtney wasn't sitting alone at home dateless looking for something to do, saw that Ben Flajnik was gonna be the “Bachelor”, and ran to her computer to fill out an application in hopes that she could one day be his future ex-fiance. Call me crazy. As for Ben, he gets an 11 week commercial for his winery, he’s got a woman completely out of his league looks-wise to prance around to all the tv shows and magazines once the finale airs, and he got to show his butt on national tv. Seems like he wins all around. The show is the same exact thing every season except with different cast members. This season will be no different."

 Couldn't agree more Steve! Y'all I love this show but it's getting a little ridic. I want some real people, ABC! And call me crazy but a Trista/Ryan kind of story is always my favorite kind!  

2011...the best one yet.

I may be the worst picture taker of all time...but I keep a mean calendar. Having exact dates is kind of fun! And, big shocker, I actually have some pictures of what went down in 2011. Let's do a little end of year review shall we?

January 2011

January 1st to be exact. Travis called me for the first time after out little hiatus. Who would've know what would become of that little phone call (Except me. I pretty much knew we'd be together forevs at that point.)

Me and T went on our 2nd 1st date! January 13th.  Two days later I saw him again on his way back through town...then 5 days after that...and 5 days after that...and 5 days after that...(this pattern continues) 

Mill and I redid my room entirely from gift cards from my kinder babies.

• I got sick. I mean sick, SICK with the flu and missed an entire week of school. I then mustered up the energy to go back the following week and fainted during lunch duty - in front of 80 terrified kinder babies. 

what is going on with my spacing up there??!

February 2011

• My birthday wishes were granted when we got a "snow day" and didn't have school the Friday before my birthday. I worried that Travis wouldn't be able to drive in town to celebrate. (He did!)
• I made the girls (and Danny) get bundled up and "sled" down our apartment ramp. It was fun. Until the ice melted...we also ruined 3 cookie sheets.

 

• Casey planned a fun painting/wine class for the girls while the boys boozed (and created an impressive yet highly inappropriate picture for me as a thoughtful hilarious gift...)  We had a great time and a huge bar tab.

• We went shark fishing in Galvey! And I actually have pics from that trip but can't for the life of me find them! Grr.
• I fell in a little bit of love with Travis in Rockport at CAST for Kids and partied hard all night until we couldn't party any more (9 pm) at the Sand Bar. It was a looong day!

 

March 2011

• We celebrated Katie's birthday in midtown.

• Rodeo season started! (The funnest month of the year)

•  I ran the Warrior Dash. Got muddy and had a blast! 

• I surprised Travis in Victoria on the first day of my Spring Break with a steak dinner (and my awesome company of course!) I fell in A LOT of love with him as he showed me a memory book his mom had made. Most precious little ginger kid ever, sweetest notes he wrote the people he loves most, emails from his teachers raving about what a great student/athlete he was (In high school! What HS teacher goes out of her way to email a student's parents??)
• My brother Taylor and his girlfriend Katie got engaged! We celebrated at a surprise lunch in Austin. 
• Travis got and incredible opportunity at work.  He accepted and got ready for this huge transition.

April 2011

• We went to our first of nine hundred million wedding together from then until forever.

•  I spent a weekend in his hometown to meet his parent's for the first time and fell in love with them too. We rode horses, shopped, ate, played on 4 wheelers, and Mr. Urbo just happened to have beekeeping gear (a hobby I am SO excited about starting one day soon!)

 

•  We had another awesome weekend in Rockport celebrating Justin's 25th. Even though the boys could care.less. I thought it'd be fun to make it a little cutesy so beer labels and cakeball toppers it was!

Notice the unwelcome addition to the pic? We obviously had no idea.  Bday boy does what the bday boy wants I suppose. 

• Travis and I spent one of many, many, many days at his bayhouse in Palacios for Easter. 
• We joined Lindsey for shopping, lots of Skinny Girl, lingerie, and laughs at her bachelorette party in beautiful La Grange, TX.

May 2011 

• We celebrated Travis' brother Chris graduating from the Texas Maritime Academy in Galveston. (I love these pics but they aren't on a computer!)
• Beautiful Abby married her man and we danced (and sweated) the night away! 

•  We went to New Orleans, my favorite city in America, for Memorial Day.  It was a blast!

• Travis moved far, far away to Carrizo Spring, TX.  Not to be confused with Mexico.

June 2011 

• I welcomed summer with open arms after a long, long year in Kindergarten. 
• Lindsey married her man and we celebrated the couple at a beautiful reception.
• I spent a weekend with Travis in Carrizo and we helped catch baby deer to be tagged and vaccinated.

• We celebrated Ashley's 25th with a girls weekend in San Antonio on the River Walk and at Sea World (My first trip, but not my last! I fell in love with the Shamu show!) 

• I started a business, Class Couture, I had been thinking about for years. I spent the summer sewing away! It was really fun but as it turns out...working all day and then coming home to work more is well, a lot of work.  Something I would like to really peruse more seriously when I have more "free" time. 

 July 2011

• We celebrated America with Travis' entire family at their bay house. A good time had by all!
• I found out Britt and Mark were going to have a BABY!! I cried...in a bar. It was quite ridic.
• We spent a weekend with friends in Palacios and I spent a week in Carrizo with T and Mill. 
• I taught myself how to screen print! 

August 2011

• I anxiously awaited college football and started a Christmas countdown.
• My summer ended. Tear. But I welcomed 22 sweet kinder babies into my class! I dipped my toes in the water and decided to start a class blog.

September 2011

• College football started! My idea of a perfect Saturday was back in my life!
• I stayed busy with Class Couture orders.
• We spent a weekend in Cuero.
• Had too much fun, yes too much fun, at a wedding. 
• With the help of Mr. Urbo I grew pumpkins! One of my very most favorite things ever!

October 2011

• We went to Cuero for Turkey Fest. (Wish I had pics! It was a blast!)
• We celebrated Dan's bday in Palacios. Fun as always!
• We had a shower for my brother and Katie. And we skipped out on two weddings.
• Travis cooked at Yoakum Western Days. We watched Cory Morrow put on one of the best shows I've ever seen...and somehow, not sure how, but Travis' ah-mazing ribs didn't even place!? wtf?

• We spent a low key Halloween weekend in Carrizo, just the two of us - never happens - and we carved pumpkins! 

November 2011

• I started this little blog and I am SO glad I did!
• My sweet Mill girl miraculously survived downing 300 vitamins. Thank the Lord. 
• Mrs. Urbo and my mom met for the first time! We enjoyed a day of shopping at the Nutcracker Market!  Mrs. Urbo did a great job not spilling the beans on what was to happen the following weekend!

• WE GOT ENGAGED!!

• I had an amazing Thanksgiving with my FIANCE!

December 2011

• Travis was in a wedding in Oklahoma City. We had a blast Friday night which left me feeling not so hot for the actual wedding - I didn't get a pic of my cute dress and new shoes!
• We fell in love with Cabo at my brother's wedding.

• I went to a friends wedding sans Trav but met him that Sunday for the Texans game.

• I spent my very last Christmas as a Landin and loved every minute of family time!
• We went to Pete's to ring in a new year!  

And now 2012 is among us and I couldn't be more excited about everything that this year will hold. 

New babies added to the mix, a ton of weddings, a big move, a new job, A NEW LAST NAME!!

2012, I am already obsessed with you. 

I wish everyone what we will have this year...

SO MUCH LOVE AND HAPPINESS IN 2012!