A Few Engagements...or 20

I can't say thanks to our photographer Brynne Owen enough for the moments she captured of Daniel and I.

Daniel and I had been going a little back and forth before our engagement shoot. When I told him we were having engagement pictures taken he said, "Oh the one for the newspaper." I said, "Yes."

About a week passed and I told him a few ideas I had about our pictures and I was trying to decide which outfits to wear. He said, "Outfits. I thought we were only taking one picture."

I realized I might should have explained things a little better.

But after he got over the initial shock that it wasn't just one picture we started looking at other engagement pictures online. We decided that we didn't want pictures that looked exactly like everyone elses. Daniel was more worried about this than I was I think. But after doing lots of looking and thinking about what it is we wanted out of our photos, we talked with our amazing photographer and she said it all sounded great!

And here are a few (like 20) of my favorites.... ;)

 We shot the bus pictures at Daniel's grandpa's land. Daniel's grandpa passed away a few years back but I think it's a fun way to let a piece of him live on. Daniel and his brothers along with cousins used to play in this bus when they were kids. I also learned that when it snowed the whole family would go sledding on the hood of this bus because they could all fit while someone pulled them behind a truck. Such fun memories! I'm glad we can always have a piece of that hanging in our living room.

Like I said, we wanted something different and we wanted something fun. We knew that a lot of pictures are posed which still come out as gorgeous pictures but we also wanted something a little more candid. Something to capture our true smiles, laughter and happiness that we get to see on each other everyday. I'm in love with a man that makes my heart jump everyday that I'm with him. I'm in love with a man that makes me want to shout out how wonderful it feels to be in love. And I'm in love with a man who feels exactly the same way about me, and we want the world to see how great it is to love one another unconditionally. And how you're never to old to have.....a water balloon fight. ;)



Thanks again to our photographer Brynne, we can't wait to have you capture the rest of our wedding journey. Another thanks to our parents for all their help as well, we couldn't do it without you guys!

Bridesmaids & Cake Toppers!

My goal for our wedding is to...

1. Never forget why this wedding is happening. Love.

2. Have a good time.

3. Make it affordable & resourceful.

4. Environmentally conscious.

5. Unique to us. I want people to see our wedding resemble us. Nothing generic.

6. DIY! I'm the DIY Queen and plan to put lots of my crafty skills to work over the next 6 months.

My first DIY project was asking my bridesmaids to be in the wedding.

I made them cards with bridesmaid poems on them and just because I was feeling extra girly I made doll cut outs of them. ;)

Erin Gandy - Matron of Honor, Erin Tobin - Bridesmaid, Jenny Smith - Bridesmaid, Jenna Mosley - Bridesmaid, Mitzi Tsukahara - Bridesmaid.

I can't wait for all the fun planning and girl time together with some of my favorite girls!

My next DIY project, peg people cake toppers.

Daniel did not like that I posted these on facebook. He did not want anyone else to see them (I didn't know he would take it so badly;) lol He said he didn't like the idea of someone else taking my idea and everyone making their own. He's so cute. ha ha 

They make me happy and make my laugh when I look at them though, that's how I know they're keepers!

Other DIY projects are being worked on and I will be trying to stay caught up with wedding plans as I tackle them.

Oh! I almost forgot! We have a venue & photographer & Mom and I are going dress shopping on Saturday! Wish me luck!!!!

I Said....

YES!!!!!

We're ENGAGED! Needless, to say, we are VERY happy!

Daniel popped the question on January 30th in a quiet little park not far from my apartment on our 4 month anniversary.

Anyone who has been around us didn't seem to find it surprising at all that we got engaged after that short amount of time.

We both have said that we knew from the first time he came to visit that we were meant for each other. Funny how that happens. You spend your whole life looking for your person and when you find them, you just know there's no one else.

We're already busy wedding planning. In fact, we're close to done.  Ha ha.

I will be marrying the man of my dreams and becoming Mrs. Daniel O'Neal on August 27th of this year.

Many more wedding details will be making their way on this blog very soon so stay tuned. :)

Recent Recipe Favorites Around Here

Lentil Soup

Ingredients

1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried basil
I teaspoon italian seasoning
1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
2 cups dry lentils
8 cups water
2 cups spinach, rinsed and thinly sliced
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste

Directions

There were crazy directions, but I just cut everything up and threw it in the crockpot for about 4 or 5 hours. It was delicous and healthy.


Eggplant Parmesan

2 eggplant, peeled and thinly sliced
2 eggs, beaten
3 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
4 cups spaghetti sauce, divided
1 (16 ounce) package mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 teaspoon dried basil

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.Dip eggplant slices in egg, then in bread crumbs. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes on each side.
3.In a 9x13 inch baking dish spread spaghetti sauce to cover the bottom. Place a layer of eggplant slices in the sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Repeat with remaining ingredients, ending with the cheeses. Sprinkle basil on top.
4.Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until golden brown.

It was such a nice alternative to spaghetti without meat. Since that's what people who don't eat much meat can be reduced to.


Veggie Pot Pie

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
8 ounces mushrooms
1 clove garlic, minced
2 large carrots, diced
3 new potatoes
2 stalks celery, sliced 1/4 inch wide
1 cup fresh green beans, trimmed and snapped into 1/2 inch pieces
2 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoons soy sauce
1 recipe pastry for double-crust pie ( I used this recipe, it's my favorite! I used it for all sorts of pies!)

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2.Heat oil in a large skillet or saucepan. Cook onions, mushrooms, and garlic in oil for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in carrots, potatoes, and celery. Stir green beans, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then turn heat down to a simmer. Cook until vegetables are barely tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
3.In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch, soy sauce, and 1/4 cup water until cornstarch is completely dissolved. Stir into vegetables, and cook until sauce thickens, about 3 minutes.
4.Roll out 1/2 of the dough to line an 11x7 inch baking dish. Pour the filling into the pastry lined dish. Roll out remaining dough, arrange over the filling, and seal and flute the edges.
5.Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until the crust is brown.

I can't say enough about this recipe, it was absolutely delicious!


Slow Cooker Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

1 pound shredded, cooked chicken ( We used the organic Kroger brand)
1 (15 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed
1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce ( I made my own, I think it's wierd to buy enchilada sauce, perhaps b/c I'm half Mexican)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups water
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth (I used veggie broth)
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 cup black beans in a can or already cooked
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
7 corn tortillas
vegetable oil

Directions

1.Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chiles, and garlic into a slow cooker. Pour in water and chicken broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir in beans and cilantro. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours.
2.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
3.Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil. Cut tortillas into strips, then spread on a baking sheet.
4.Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. To serve, sprinkle tortilla strips over soup.

I added avocado to garnish on top. This was such a light healthy dinner.


There are just a few of the recent recipes I've been making that have quickly become favorites for both me and for Daniel. I'll try to add others as we make new things. :)

Packin' Up.

Well, over the holiday's Daniel and I had a lot of firsts. Our first Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's with each other and our families. We really enjoyed every second of it. I wish I would have captured more pictures of our first holiday season together, but I was too busy loving every minute of it.

In the midst of the crazy holiday's Daniel and I packed up all of his things from Austin and moved him to Dallas.

Before I met Daniel I had been pondering my next move to be Austin once my lease was up in June. So naturally when we met it seemed perfect that he already lived there.

But as more time passed and we talked more about the things that were important to us, like our families and more time together, the plan changed.

Since we are both from Athens (although we didn't really know each other until September) and both of our families still live there, it just didn't make sense for us to be far away from our families. Austin would be almost 4 hours away and Dallas in less than 2.

Daniel began to really look into whether or not it would be possible for him to transfer to his company's office in Dallas or not in October sometime. After much anticipation his job said that they could transfer him by the first of the year.

He put his apartment on Craigslist and it was sublet in just a few short days.

So we packed up his things and moved him north last weekend. :)

We are very happy with our decision to get him up here sooner rather than later. Another 6 months of long distance could have been done but if we could help it why not do something about it.

So last night we cooked dinner...ON A WEDNESDAY NIGHT! And couldn't have felt more excited, blessed and ready for more weekday dinners :)

It makes me laugh..

What in the world would I do without them?

This picture captures us so very well. :)

The Baker Wedding

Well, they finally did it! Jenny & Claude got hitched! ;)

Introducing the Bakers!

 The wedding was beautiful and I know that everyone enjoyed themselves.

Especially this guy and myself. ;)

And the mamacita. She got her dance on and showed 'em how to get your grove on. ;)

Erin and I right before we headed down the aisle. 

Me, Daniel, Steven and Erin enjoying ourselves at the reception. I love them!

And of course it wouldn't be a wedding if we didn't do a little (a lot) of dancing on the dance floor.

Erin and The Candyman ;)

Gees, we were really gettin' down.

 

Right as we were seeing the Bakers off to their hotel suite.

I think Daniel enjoyed the bubble blowing a little too much. ;)

We really did have a great time and are very happy for the Bakers and the future that lies ahead for the happy couple.

We were so glad to be able to be apart of your day and wish you all the best!

I promised Daniel no more weddings for a while... We met at a wedding, went to a wedding last month and one this month. But it was nice to go out of this wedding season with a bang. We had a great time!



Off The Market

Not long ago, January to be exact I wrote something pretty silly on here about the kinda man I was looking for. Nine months later my wish came true when I was least expecting it.

I met Daniel at our friend Blair's wedding and I haven't been able to get enough of him since. ;)

He's an amazing man that I've very quickly become thankful for. I'm not sure how I got along without him.

He knows how to be silly with me and make me laugh.

He's sweet to me and is always trying to take care of me.

He doesn't mind my ridiculous faces.

And I definitely don't mind that sweet smile of his.

He knows how to spin me around on the dance floor.


And he knows how to make my heart melt. ;) I'm very excited about what's to come!

Recent Crafting

So I've made a few things over the last couple months that haven't gotten any recognition....

First, Jenny and I made some really cute paintings on canvas. I decided to hang mine above my bed.

'Love'

I really like the way it turned out. And of course the entire project cost about $7 or $8 dollars. The ones we saw similar at the store were $30. And ours are cuter. :)

Since I changed some things up in my bedroom I had to make some new throw pillows. I love the way they turned out. I'm in love with my white one with brown flowers, and it was so easy to sew!

End product of new bedding.

I also made this little cork board out of old message board cork, cardboard and coffee filters.

A great place to hang pictures of all my little loves.

I wasn't sure how I was going to use this old carpenter ladder when I got it for free from an estate sale but it turned out to be a great shelf.

And our course I'm always sewing something for Miss Kinley.

Front.

Back.

Embellishment.

I also sewed her a skirt out of one of my old dresses that I was going to give away.

Ta-da! ;)

And here's my little Princess modeling it at church today! I love you with all my heart sweet cheeks!

Reflection

So much has happened throughout the summer that I didn't blog about.

I needed some time to think and some time to have fun with the people I love and I'm lucky enough to have love me in return.

So I'm going to try to catch you up, but a lot has happened. And maybe none of it is important to you but it is to me.

I'm not sure what all I'll get to in this post but I'm ready to share the ups and downs of summer. We all know that Fall is my 'reflection' time so it seems only natural that I'm ready to evaluate the year just as it has started to cool down.

For starters, I feel like my life has finally started to come into focus. This seems natural since I've read time and time again that your brain doesn't really hit adulthood until 25 and I'm on my way there.

I'm not sure how to explain what my little mind has been going through but I'll try.

These are some of the things I've been struggling with lately...and the reoccurring theme seems to be the need for balance.

Technology. How do I stay true to what I believe in and what I feel is right when the whole world is racing ahead? Every time I turn around there is some new 'gadget' taking us further and further away from each other. Balance.

Things. Material things. I've told this story to a few friends about how over a week or so ago, I was sitting in my apartment and had this sudden urge to take everything off the walls and take anything that wasn't a need, throw it in huge boxes and give everything I own away. I didn't want it anymore. Erin text me and unknowingly stopped the madness, otherwise I might be living in an apartment with nothing but a blanket and a loaf of bread by now. Balance.

Culture. I have a hard time understanding and living in a nation that I don't feel is driven by values I believe in. I feel like we're a careless nation that abuses everything we can get our hands on. Unappreciative. Everything seems to be taken for granted here. Balance.

Vegetarianism. For all who have known me a while, you know that Mitzi and I gave vegetarianism a try back in 2007 and lasted around 6 months before we gave in. I have decided to give it a try again but now have legit reasons for this lifestyle and feel more passionate toward it. I'm just over the 2 month mark now and don't feel compelled at all to go back to eating meat. Meals now must always be planned out but I don't mind at all, I'm making sure what goes in my body is nutritious and healthy as opposed to just being a filler. I've felt healthier and more full of energy than I have in years. I'm also living an even more environmentally friendly lifestyle by giving up meat which helps toward my ultimate goal to lead a truly sustainable life. I'm working step by step to achieve that goal.

Judgement. I'm ashamed to say that judgement had crept into my life and left me feeling disgusting on the inside. After much prayer and working on myself I feel like I'm on the right path. I have no power within me to judge anyone, it's not my job. I find myself struggling day in and day out, but like everything worth working for I can't be changed overnight. I want a better me. I want to be a person that's openminded and ready for change which is hard to do when you live in a culture that is constantly telling you what is right and what is wrong. Balance.

Religion. I've been attending Cross Timbers in Denton for over a year now and continually felt like an hour on Sunday mornings just wasn't enough time with God and those who worship him. Yet, I still did nothing about it. I was mostly afraid of being picked apart and shown the ugliness that lays below the surface in my heart that needed to be changed. I was afraid of a breakdown. I was afraid of appearing weak. I've decided to let those walls down and allow God to really come into my heart, and not just at home where no one could ever see. I want my actions to show my devotion to Him. I want to fear the Lord. With that said, I've joined a bible study and I'm looking into more ways to become involved, including in other countries.

Travel. It's no surprise that if I'm having a hard time with the demands of our society that I'd like to go explore others. I'm very curious to see how other countries live, what they value and where they stand on moral issues. For this reason, I'm considering when I can move. I need some time away from this place. Most people see America as the greatest country in the world. Well, I've pulled back the curtain and I've began to see us for who we really are and I haven't liked a lot of what I've seen. Because I'm confined to Denton until May I will have to stick it out. That doesn't mean that I'm not exploring other options for a year from now. Which seems like eternity.

Nothing about this post was light. I know it's a heavy load. But sometimes that's the year you're dealt. It really has been a reflection. I've seen myself and others through a new pair of eyes, ones that seem to have had a veil removed. I couldn't feel happier or more blessed by the changes in my heart He is taking me to.

One life. That's all I've got. That's all you've got. It's getting shorter each day. I don't have time to be someone I don't like. I don't have time to put off things until tomorrow. I won't allow someone to sway my way of thinking and change what I have worked so hard to stand for. So with each day, I pray that I'm given more strength to become more humble, more compassionate and more full of wisdom. I will try to be a little quicker to listen and slower to speak and take in all that others can offer me on this all too short journey that I've been given.