Search Results for: d coleman photography

Spilling the Beans

spilling the beans

At the beginning of this week I talked about some changes coming and now I can finally spill the beans…

Drumroll please….J and I are moving! We are leaving Southwest Missouri and heading 3 hours away. J took a new job and we had 2 weeks to make the big move. GULP! 2 weeks to pack our whole place … This past weekend we went up, found a place that we love and then asked all of our friends to help. I have to admit I have been a packing fool and have made huge progress in getting ready. I think J is a little impressed with my organization skills this time around.

spilling the beans

I do have to admit, I am a bit nervous about moving. I’ve lived in Southwest Missouri for the past 7 years and before that I had never lived anywhere but my hometown. The new city is much, much bigger – more highways to navigate around, less friends nearby, and a whole new experience. I get butterflies in my stomach when I think that it’s actually happening. I just cannot believe it.

Want to know the best part? I will be less than 2 hours away from my folks, my sister and less than 15 minutes from J’s family. Plus, my grandma will be about 45 minutes away. It’s going to be so nice to have family so close… I mean, I could drive home for the day and it not be a 6 hour car ride, roundtrip. Yes!

Here’s to the next chapter in our lives!

Cheers!

photo by DColeman Photography

10 Fun Fall Date Ideas

Fall… it’s my favorite. I love big sweaters, boots, scarves, and the crisp autumn air.  I would rather be in 60 degree weather then any other.  I believe that fall is the best time to come up with some fun date ideas for couples to do.  J and I always seem more adventurous in the fall than any other season.  Probably because the weather doesn’t make me sweaty and sticky, plus you don’t have to have heavy, bulky coats on to enjoy your day.  Fall is upon us.  Happy Dance!  The cool air screams get close to your husby, hold hands and walk in the sunlight.  Love!

date ideas
Here are some fun fall date ideas to celebrate with your spouse and enjoy the best season EVER.

1) Check out a festival.  We love the Apple Butter Festival in Kimmswick, MO.  Tons of vendors, ice cold beer, fried food galore and a whole day of wandering around a small town.

2) Go on a hay ride.  Sometimes the best date ideas are the ones that come in groups.  We love to be wit friends and nothing beats taking an afternoon out in the hay field.

3) Wander around a corn maze.  Around Southeast Missouri and Northeast Arkansas you can find some great corn mazes.  I can’t wait for J and I to spend an afternoon getting lost.  There are even some haunted corn mazes around, if you’re into that.  I, sadly, am not into being scared out of my mind while having no idea how to escape.  It’s not my thing!  But I do enjoy a relaxed afternoon of figuring something out together.

4) Go check out a pumpkin patch.  I loooove pumpkins and I loooove pumpkin patches.  There are tons and tons of pumpkin patches and some even have little food and drink vendors setup.  You can make a day out of trying to find the perfect pumpkin.

5) Carve a pumpkin.  This one goes with the previous date idea, but I like to treat it as a whole separate event.  In my world, carving pumpkins is a serious game and it’s not to be taken lightly.  If you’re not into carving a pumpkin then you can paint one.  I’ve seen some pretty ones on Pinterest and you can be really creative without all of the mess of the pumpkin guts.

6) Go apple picking.  J and I went last year to a neat place right outside of St. Louis and it was a blast!  We took a tractor ride out to the orchard and spent awhile picking apples straight from the trees, we got to taste the most delicious and juiciest apples ever, then we headed back to the place where they had rides, a petting zoo, a market and tasty BBQ.

7) Order take-out and head to the local park.  Sometimes it’s nice to be outside and it’s even better with good food.  Around town there are quite a few parks and I have the cutest picnic blanket that still has the tags on it.  I’m imagining ordering the best food in town, grabbing some wine (and beer for J), then heading to the park for a late lunch.

8) Hit the walking trail with the pups.  Our dogs love to be outdoors and with the cooler temperatures fast approaching, it’s a lot easier to be outside for longer.  Taking them for a walk will give us a chance to talk, share stories, and just be together.

9) Attend a football game.  J loves football and I actually enjoy watching it.  Fall and football go hand-in-hand, so there is no better time to check out a game.  We can go to the local high school game for a cheap date night or we can drive to Columbia to tailgate and watch a Mizzou game.  Either way, we’d be together and having fun!

10) Light the fire pit and roast marshmallows.  Spending a night at home, sitting around the fire pit with hot dogs, s’mores, and hot chocolate would be wonderful.  It’s easy to get caught up in date ideas that can cost money or take you out of town, but to me the simpler the better.  Spending a night at home, wrapped up in my favorite blanket, with the dogs playing in the backyard, sitting next to my husband is the best.

Do you have any fun fall date ideas to share? I would love to hear them and add to my list.  Fall is my favorite and I can’t wait for the hot, humid days to be behind us for another year.

 

 

Photo by DColeman Photography

 

Want to Shout It From the Rooftops… but I Can’t.

Getting Married
photo by DColeman Photography

J and I decided on something for our future lives this past week.  I’m excited, nervous and just pretty anxious to start putting everything into motion.  Have you ever been so excited about something that you want to blast it to everyone, including the cashier at the grocery store? Well that’s how I’m feeling today.

About MeI’m one of those who struggles with keeping exciting secrets to myself, but this is one that i HAVE to hold tight for a few more months.  Okay, okay not a few months more like a year’s worth of months.  But I will zip my lips and keep it to myself.  I will not go public.  I will not tell the world…yet.

Here’s to some exciting months ahead of us and a life-change that is pretty stellar!

P.S. No, I am not pregnant.  I will drink a beer to prove it to anyone.

Newlywed Myths Debunked

You know what I am sick of hearing?  “Oh enjoy the honeymoon stage because it doesn’t last forever.” That statement usually precedes a bunch of chuckling or a tap on the arm.  But c’mon! I am so tired of hearing that.  Do people really believe the first year of marriage is perfect and that the rest are horrible?  Because if they do then that might explain the divorce rate in America.

myths about newlywed lifeI know that J and I look like on this blog that are marriage is great.  Honestly, I would not change one single thing about our relationship.  However, there are some newlywed myths that need to be debunked immediately.

1) It’s not all rainbows and sunshine.  Every moment of the day I am madly in love with J, but that does not mean we get along every second or do not have our disagreements.  The key is that we are communicating and learning how to disagree with one another.  Not so that we can get the upperhand over the other person, but so we can effectively come to a conclusion that is best for us as a whole.

2) Money does not cause us to fight with one another.  We have out talks about money and budgeting, but we do not fight with each other.  There is no blaming for who spent what and where it was spent.  No, our discussions consist of who is paying which bill and making sure that I actually mailed the check.  It’s absolutely silly to fight about money and blame one another.  I’ve talked before in the past how we budget our discretionary money and it still works for us.

3) Weekends are not always for running errands and working around the house.  I have seen so many unrealistic TV shows that depict newlywed couples running errands, painting a room, or building something together on the weekends.  Now, we do work around the house and maybe when the day comes that we own a house this might change.  But for now, we do not work around the house all weekend.  We really spend the weekend to be together, hang out with our friends that all work real jobs, too and travel to see family.  There are a lot of Sundays I wake up and go from pajamas to sweat pants so I can watch the football game in our big fluffy recliner.

4) You want to do everything together.  That myth is so wrong!  I love J and I do love spending time together, but I do not want to spend every waking moment together.  Plus, I’m pretty sure he feels the same way.  I think that our relationship is stronger because we do have our circle outside of our marriage.  I think what works here is that we do not mind that we have our own interests and hobbies.  That’s what is so great about it – J is really supportive when my friends are here visiting and realizes that I may want some girl time and I do the same for him with his guy friends.

With any relationship the key is balance.  I really think that J and I have it and hope that other couples find it too.  J supports my dreams and goals, and I support his.  We push one another to be better versions of ourselves and to grow.  I’m sure there are other myths out there that need to be debunked, but I’ll save that for another day.

 Background photo by DColeman.

Our Wedding Photos :: The Details

wedding photosI’ve already showed off some of our wonderful wedding photos in this post here.  But today I wanted to talk about and show off some of wedding day details.  I worked hard at planning our wedding, I had help from an awesome wedding coordinator, from our friends, and from our family.  I found small touches that illustrated the type of couple that J and I are, but still keeping some tradition alive.
wedding photos wedding photosJ doesn’t care for champagne, but I still wanted to do a toast.  Our venue hosts over at the Savoy came up with this genius idea – champagne for me and Bud Light for him.  Also, I wanted a guest book that we could display in our home, that was unique and colorful just like all of our loved ones.  I hand painted a tree on a canvas, bought some ink stamp pads (and some ink removal wipes) and there you have it!  Our own personalized guest book.  Sitting with our guest book was a handmade R covered in twine that my best friend and one of my bridesmaids gave to us for one of our showers.  It fit in perfectly!
wedding photos wedding photosI designed all of the paper goods for our wedding.  I talked about that in this post here and gave a tutorial how to create a Chevron pattern.  Plus, I love sweets.  Anything with loads of sugar is the best.  Our favors were a candy bar that we had chock-filled with goodies.  The one thing I did not consider was how all of the blue and purple candy would turn everyone’s mouth different colors.  But at the end of the night we had very little candy left, so I guess no one minded.wedding photosCheers!

All photos by our fabulous wedding photographer: David Coleman

Our Wedding Photos

wedding photo
DColeman Photography

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Our Wedding Photos are absolutely wonderful. OH MY GOSH!

Seriously, I could have dreamt of anything better. Our photographer, David and his wife, Sarah are a phenomenal team.

wedding photosI thought our engagement photos were freaking awesome (you can check out our engagement photos here.) and then I saw our wedding photos.  David out did himself.  We look great.  You can’t even tell that it was barely 50 degrees outside and I was freezing.  But you know me, I wanted an outside wedding with lots of pictures so that’s just what I got.  Don’t mind that the week after the wedding J and I both came down with strep.  Oops!

wedding photos
I’ll post more photos of our wedding day details soon.

Cheers!

All photos by our fabulous wedding photographer: David Coleman

I’m Getting Married in the Morning

Getting Married
DColeman Photography

or really in the afternoon.  Tomorrow is our wedding day.  We will celebrate with one another and party with good friends and family.  I am so excited about the life that is ahead of us.

J, I cannot wait to start our life together.  We have been through a lot in this past year and a half, but I could not imagine my life any different.  Honestly, I don’t want to.  You are my best friend, my soul mate and my life partner.  I am glad that I found you that night and your honesty with me.  Our future will be bright because of the love and bond we share.  No matter the obstacles that are ahead of us we will face them as a team and we will not fail.  I know that I gave you a hard time about changing my last name, but I am truly excited about being your wife and your family.  I love you with all my heart.

Pause for a Wedding

engagement photo
DColeman Photography
engagement photo
DColeman Photography

I have a very good excuse for not having a post ready for today.  I promise, it’s a good one.

J and I are getting married Saturday.  We will be headed to the town that we will become Mr. and Mrs. in.  We will spend time with our closest family today while finalizing all the details for our perfect day.  I am counting my blessings that we hired a wedding coordinator to help us with all the small details.  Normally, I am on the ball and thrive with small details, but I have my heads in the clouds today.

I told you I had a good reason for the lack of post.  And this reason will stay for the rest of the week.  Sorry!

Cheers!

A Life Lived

Last night I had one of those down moments.  Where everything just seemed to be going wrong.  There is not enough time to get the details done, I haven’t found time to finish thank you cards for a shower, J could not do anything right, the dogs were driving me crazy, and I just needed to sleep.  It was a mountain to climb and I just did not have the strength to even try.

Those nights it is just best to call it a night and lay down to sleep.  I woke up this morning in a much better mood, realizing that things aren’t as overwhelming as I tend to make it.  Surprise!  I have a clearer outlook for today and spent time to make a list of what needs to get done.  I do love a good to-do list more than most things.

Life lately has been one big, fun ride with trips to see family, friends, and outings with some pretty fun people.  There are times when it hits me that this really is a great part of my life.  I am getting ready to marry by best my friend in less than 2 months.  Even though I get stressed out with wedding details, all the car rides for work and to see family – I am truly blessed.

life lived
DColeman Photography

Counting my blessings.

marrying J
two sweet, sweet dogs that truly love me unconditionally
a nice place to call home
a job that lets me have flexibility
great friends that have been there for me through so much
new friends that really make me feel like myself
family that has always supported me
J’s family that is there for us
the desire to be healthier and cook more at home

life lived

Life is good.

Cheers!

Our Love Story : How We Met

our love story
DColemanPhotography

With only two months until our wedding day, I thought it would be neat to share how J and I met.

J and I do not really have a typically meeting story, or maybe we do.  I don’t know, it’s different than any other guy I dated in the past, which might be why it worked out – again, I do not know.  I’m thinking too much into it.  All I know is that I love telling the the first time we met story.  J likes to tell the how we met story, but the other one is my favorite part.

We first met at a local bar on the South Side of Springfield on a Friday night.  J was new in town and had a few friends visiting from St. Louis.  I was going out with my roommate to meet up with another friend for a birthday party.  J’s friend from out of town asked to buy me and a friend a drink and no offense to him, he was not my type.  I know they always say don’t judge a book by its cover, but it was hard.  The V-neck shirt, glaring white teeth as in Ross from Friends in the episode where he bleaches his teeth so white that they glowed in a black light kind of white.  He was just not for me and I was tired, so I politely turned down the offer.  My friend took him up on it and so then they decided to introduce me to J.  J was feeling pretty good that night, if you know what I mean.  He doesn’t remember meeting me and all I remember is this horrible dancer who looked like he would be in a lot pain the next day

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Fast forward to the next day when J’s friend and my friend conspired to meet up while downtown.  After a night of dancing with my date the five us decided to head to the local Steak-N-Shake for some grub.  I started talking to J who was in much better shape than the night before.  We talked about food, the bootheel of Missouri, which will always hold a soft place in my heart.  I decided that he was pretty decent and much better than my actual date, so I tried to be cool by asking for his number to go to breakfast one morning at the local hot spot.

Two weeks went by and my friend asked for his number to go out with us that night.  I decided to beat her to the punch and texted him first… I was so slick!  He was busy or had to get up early the next day, I don’t really remember his reasoning, but I called him boring and that started the conversation from there.

He finally asked me to dinner on a Monday night, he picked me up in his shiny, red truck and we headed out for steak.  We talked, laughed, and he wasn’t completely turned off by my mess-of-a-bathroom when he dropped me off, but still texted me again – whew!

That was it, we had a few moments of uncertainty along the way or really I had one moment and the thought of J not being around was enough to end that moment quickly.  Now he were are 2 months until the big day when I become his wife.

I cannot wait for the next few months to get here.  But I do not want to miss out on any of our time right now.  I have been keeping all of the little knick-knacks during our engagement in hopes of creating a journal.

Cheers!