Wedding Dress, Matching Bible Included.

Mike and I had the extreme pleasure of stumbling upon this hot little number at our neighborhood Goodwill recently. For the bargain basement price of $65.00 (seriously, Goodwill? That much?), you, the blushing bride, get not one, not two, but THREE pieces of God's gift to satin. Included is a wedding dress, a sash, and a bible. But not just any bible. A MATCHING bible. That's right, kids. A matching bible.  We're dealing with a whole new kind of awesome here. So. I've decided that me finding this dress can mean only one thing: I better get my ass on the horn and start bedazzling my New Testament before the big day!

P.S. Finding this dress Made. My. Christmas.

Positivity

This week has been rough. For so many reasons I don't even want to get into. So this post is about the things that make me happy. So why even go into the bad? Focus on the happy. And all will be ok.

1. Mike. My everything.
   
2. Vacation time. Actually getting work done on vacation time.
   
3. Seeing friends get rewarded for their hard work.
   
4. Charlie from It's Always Sunny.
5. Seeing my younger sisters grow up to be amazing women.
   
6. Bob Dylan. David Bowie. Pearl Jam. Talking Heads. Miley Cyrus.
   
7. My amazing writing partner who I know I can put 100% of my trust in. 
8. Season 5 pick-up for Psych. 
9. My promotion.
   
10. Strong, opinionated women who keep me on my toes.
    
11. Knee socks. Chuck Taylors. Headbands. Sweater vests.
12. The support of my family. The support of my Mike's family. Who I could easily call my own family.
    
13. Giving a shit.
14. My Mom and her need to take care of her flu-ridden daughter, even though she's nearly 27 years old.
15. Raclette. The tastiest cheese dinner of all time.
16. The Dude.
17. Funny women with foul mouths and no apologies.
    
18. Shopping online.
19. Discovering new bands. Finding new favorite songs.
    
20. Our kitty cats and their love of snuggling.
21. Friends I never would have met had I not started this blog.
    
22. Creed Bratton.
23. Nexium. Zoloft.
    
24. The word, "balls"
    
25. Los Angeles. For its challenges. For its beauty. For its undying support. For its medical marijuana.

Come on, I had to end on a little chuckle. I can't get too sappy. I got a rep to uphold here on Bowie Bride ;) Oh, and I almost forgot. Sweety-pie wedding blogger Honey My Heart sent me this pic, and it makes me really happy. So it belongs in this post too.

source

I'm Laughing My Ass Off

Re: Miss Crack Pipe

ruffledwedding said...

Wow, it much really suck to be a rejected. Someone doesn't know how to accept things and move on. Sad for you. Can't imagine how you handle you relationship. I'm even sadder for your fiance.

December 17, 2009 5:54 PM

Hey, Ruffs. If you're going to insult me, at least use proper grammar.  And get another name.  Someone pretty rad in the wedding world already lays claim to it.

Wedding Party = Team Zissou

I am currently deep in the throws of the full blown FLU and blogging from Sick Bed City, CA. Which is why this post may or may not sound a lil on the looney side.  Whatever.  I dig looney.  And you the reader are definitely no stranger to looney when it comes to The Bowie Bride Blog.  So let's rock some balls.

Mike and I love the movie The Life Aquatic. ALL our friends in the wedding party love it too - particularly Mike's sister and our friends from undergrad.  The Life Aquatic was a big deal in our circle of friends when it came out during our college years.  I don't know if that's due to the fact Bill Murray wears a seafoam green wet suit and red beanie throughout most of the movie, or if it's the rad-as-f-ck musical score that makes us love it so much, but every single part of that movie screams AWESOME.

So, since we aren't interested in calling our "Wedding Party" by their "gender appropriate names," i.e. Bridesmaid and Groomsman, I thought we could call them something a little more fun.  We're already crazy enough to name our tables after Bowie Alter Egos, so why not go for the weirdo wedding gold and refer to our Bridal Party as Team Zissou.  There are many advantages to calling our Bridal Party by this name. Please observe:

1. It's badass.
2. It's really f-cking badass.
3. In the movie, one of the Team members, Seu Jorge, plays acoustic Bowie covers sung in  Portugues - which would be VERY fitting cocktail hour music for our Bowie-inspired wedding. I own the whole album of Mr. Jorge's covers and let me tell you: listening to Bowie in Portuguese is kind of awesome. So I know our guests will dig it too.
4. The bridal party will receive the signature Team Zissou red cap. And maybe we'll throw in the signature Team Zissou Speedo as well. IF they're lucky.
   
5. We will wear our red Team Zissou caps proudly when the entire bridal party, Mike, and I are introduced to the reception hall. And we will come out in true Team Zissou fashion: Guns blazing and to the tune of this little number:

The first time I heard this musical piece of genius, I nearly lost control of my bowels because it was THAT amazing. Now. The question remains: Will I be able to control my bowels when it's played at the start of the reception?  Not sure.  But I will tell you this: When it comes to Team Zissou, I'm willing to take the risk.

Are you guys calling your wedding party by an alternate name? And are you doing the whole musical wedding party introduction before the reception thing?

He Said "Yes"!

Yeah, dass right - My boo is finally rockin' his mangagement ring!

I hinted earlier that my guy only found it FAIR that he get to wear an engagement ring too. I definitely share that same logic - I mean, we're both fiance[e]s and therefore should both wear symbols of that engagement. And since we aren't into trying to being one or the other - traditional or anti-traditional - we decided that for our wedding, Mike would rock some titanium on his finger to symbolize our engagement, just as I rock the bling to symbolize our engagement.

So the details of the Proposal Day in DTLA went as follows:

Either I'm better at planning surprises than I thought I was, or Mike is just super freaking oblivious, but HE HAD NO IDEA I was giving him his ring that day. A day full of planned activities, a nice dinner, champagne, hotel room...I mean all signs were pointing to man-proposal, no? I thought so anyway. So I kinda let the cat out of the bag before dinner, and he was like, "Wait, really?! Tonight's the night?!" And I proceeded to say, "You're kidding me, right? I thought you knew all along!" Nope. He didn't. So it could have been a TOTAL surprise had I kept my mouth shut. But oh well. The moment was just as special - surprise or no surprise. Here's a rundown of the day:

So, I had planned on taking Mike to Griffith Park to see the astronomy show at the observatory. We first met in Astronomy Lab in college and our first date was supposed at the Observatory at Arizona State. Well, that date never ended up happening, and seven years later, we still have not had our astronomy show date. Unfortunately, it rained ALL DAY on Saturday, so the picnic/observatory afternoon I had planned went to sh-t. SO here's what we did instead: Mike and I were both in choir growing up, so I took him to the Walt Disney Concert Hall where they had a matinee showing of their annual "Messiah Singalong". Like literally the entire audience sings along with the full orchestra onstage (so cool!) So there we were, sheet music in hand, trying our damnedest to follow along - if you've never heard the Messiah, it's kind of insanely hard to sing. But Mike was rockin the bass part like WHOA. He was adorable singing harmony - and I was SHOCKED at how good he still was at reading music. So the singalong was a total success. If your partner sings, I suggest doing something like this. You get to see a whole new side of them. Then we checked into The Standard Hotel - also the hotel that we WOULD HAVE had our guests stay at had it not been entirely booked the weekend of our wedding. So it was awesome that we got a chance to experience the hotel together because it's so damn cool. Then we had dinner at Ciudad. Insanely good. Carnitas. Cheddar Grits. Ceviche. Pinot Noir Cava. HEAVENLY. After dinner I had planned on taking him to The Rooftop Bar at The Standard for drinks, dancing, and a proposal. BUT the rooftop was CLOSED due to the rain (CURSE YOU RAIN!). Yeah. Le sigh. So that plan was shot. But all was not lost...While sipping on champagne and listening to our favorite Bowie album back in the room, I decided that now was just as romantic a time than ever to "propose". So just as "Starman" started to play, I took the ring out of my palm and asked him this question:

"Will you be mine forever?"

And he said YES! Well, yeah, no sh-t he said yes but it was strangely exciting! And he LOVED the ring. And I loved seeing him wear it. The experience was everything I had hoped it would be - even with the rain getting all up in my sh-t. So yay. And yay for even-handed proposals! [Pun INTENDED].

Anyone else out there partake in an equal proposal?

That Fiancé of Mine is One Lucky S.O.B.

'Cause the date I have planned for him tomorrow is gonna blow his MIND. And I'm kinda excited for it too... I'll be sure to tell you all about it on Monday... I promise it will be a wedding-related post... hint, hint...wink, wink... [!!!!!]

Muahh! ♥♥♥♥

DIY Beer Bong Tutorial From Miss Crack Pipe!

DIY Beer Bong Tutorial
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday, December 10th, 2009 @ 11:55 am by Miss Crack Pipe

Hey [High]ve! Miss Crackedy-Crack Pipe here! I've been noticing so many DIY tutorial posts in blogland lately, I thought I'd spew out my own little crafting instructional guide! So I racked my brain trying to come up with cute centerpiece ideas or a homemade bouquet tutorial, but the one project that kept coming to mind was something that Mr. CP and I have been making for YEARS.

Beer Bongs!

The CP's have had a long time love affair with the "Suds Funnel of Glory", so why would we even THINK of excluding it from our wedding day?! Beer Bongs are a GREAT way to get the guests involved - think relay races, bets on who can bong the most, and prizes for the brave older folk who give it a go! So grab your groomy and head over to your local hardware store, 'cause everything you'll need for your special "Big Day Beer Bong" is there and ready for assembly. Here's what you'll need for the most basic beer bong model:

1. The actual funnel. We usually go with the modestly-sized model that holds 1-1.5 cans of beer. However, if you're gonna have big drinkers in the house I suggest going with the slightly larger model that holds 3-4 cans of beer.


2. The tube. This is important. If you get a tube that's too short, the beer will come down WAY too aggressively, and may result in failure on the participant's part. We cannot be responsible for getting beer all over our guest's nice wedding attire.


3. The clamp. Without this sucker, the beer will surely seep out of the funnel. Place the clamp around the tube where the funnel has been inserted and tighten. You may want to do a test beer just to make sure the clamp is secure enough. No one wants to waste beer on the Big Day, yo!


And here's how you use it:

That's me. Since the tube was pretty long on this particular model, I chose to have a "spotter." The seasoned beer bong pro may opt to forgo the assistance of a "spotter," but please take caution. Only let your guests fly solo if they have already proven to you they can bong a whole beer without any mistakes or spills. This is CRUCIAL.

Sound like your kinda party? Then what are you waiting for?! Get out there and put the FUN in funnel, yo!

**Crack Pipe image royalties purchased via fotosearch.com
*All photos taken by me, yo.

My E-Ring Has Been Through the Ringer

After I shared my TWO proposal stories, some of you were wondering whether or not I got a new engagement ring when Mike proposed to me for the second time. The answer is NO. One ring. Used for both proposals. Well, wait, let me make one small clarification: he had just the diamond itself at the time he first proposed (his great grandmother's diamond), we later designed the setting together and had a jeweler make it. But I wore the same ring back then that I wear on my finger now. End of Story. It never even crossed my mind to get a different ring.

When we called off the engagement the first time around, we obviously kept the ring, but I didn't wear it for three whole years. It sat in a drawer, and I didn't really think about it. And unfortunately while the ring was sitting there for three years, I, along with my ring finger got a tad plumpier. I call it the "Grad School 6." Not quite as severe as the "Freshman 15" but same concept. So when the time came around for me to possibly put the 'ole E-ring back on, I couldn't *quite* slip it past my knuckle. SO, we had to resize it. Keep that info in mind because it will be important in second I promise.

So, I have previously lamented about my confusion over getting a wedding band in addition to my engagement ring. After much consideration, I decided I was totally down for wearing two rings. HOWEVER, over the last 6 months I've lost about 15 pounds and consequently am now faced with having to resize it AGAIN - as the ring practically fell off my finger last night. So in light of this news, I thought of an alternate solution to just getting the ring re-sized and purchasing a separate wedding band to wear alongside it. I'm kinda thinking of re-purposing my engagement ring - and re-designing it to be my actual wedding band - just one unified ring. I'll still use all the same diamonds and white gold from the E-ring, but I'll have a jeweler craft it into a completely different ring - something that lays more flat, looks thicker, more "band-like" - maybe use two types of metals instead of just white gold. I couldn't find the *exact* ring design I have in my head, but here are a few pics to give you an idea.

I would like the shape to look like this (minus all the extra diamonds):

via heavenly treasures

And the style, color, and vibe of the ring should be akin to the look of these with added antique style etching/engraving on the side and more white gold.

via amazon & etsy

There are a few problems with doing this:

1. Cost. I had only planned on spending no more than $200 on my actual wedding band, and re-designing the E-ring would probably cost more than that. I'd be willing to pay a couple extra hundred. MAYBE.
2. Sentimental value of the original E-ring. I'm not so much attached to this. We designed the ring together at a totally different time in our lives, when we were totally different people. So honestly, it would be nice to look down at a totally different ring and not be reminded of the sh-tstorm we went through during the time when we first got engaged -and the hellish process of having to call it off. I'm proud of our "epic love story battle," but do I need to be reminded of it every time I look down at my finger? Because it's true, I look at this ring, and I am immediately transported back 4 years ago. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but I want to look forward, and not back. That makes sense, right?
3. I could hate new the ring. Goes without saying, but that would BLOW. And I'll never be able to get my original ring back. So it's a

But even after listing these reasons not to, I still want to. What would you do? Anyone out there re-purpose and re-design your E-ring to be your actual wedding band? Do people actually do this? Or am I the lone weirdo?

Stop Trying to be Anti-Traditional & Just be YOU.

One of my daily must-reads in blogland is A Los Angeles Love. Becca, the ever-so-wise, totally honest, and just plain awesome bride who runs the site, offers up sane, wow-I-didn't-think-of-it-that-way, lifesaving advice on weddings and on life in general. I fo' sho' would have become A[Bride]in Sane on more than one occasion if I hadn't sought her advice. (Thank you, B!) This week on LA Love, Becca is passing the blogging duties over to her partner, Jason. We so often get to see the wedding world through the eyes of us brides, that it's fun (and super beneficial) to hear what our other halves have to say once and a while.

Jason spoke very candidly today about the concept of a traditional wedding vs. a non-traditional wedding . If any of you brides out there ever felt "pressured" to have your wedding be one or the other - traditional or non - then I urge you to check out his post. Jason's words really made me put this whole debate into perspective. Let me explain. Ever since Mike and I got engaged for the first time four years ago, I battled - like reeeeaaaallly struggled - with thinking I was being forced to adhere to the traditional rules of a traditional white wedding. I mean, the only weddings I had ever been to at that point in my life were traditional ones (and I had no idea indie bride blogland even existed), so I in turn thought that if you're going to get married, it's EXPECTED that your wedding follow the rules. Having *just* moved to California at the time of first getting engaged, I was still in process of breaking out of my "follow-the-rules" mentality that I too often lived by as an Arizona gal in my teens and early twenties. Once I fully blossomed into the "follow-MY-rules" kinda gal that I am today, I was able to look at this wedding in a different way. Which was great, but I found that my new attitude towards wedding planning was being fueled solely by negativity - not so great. My constant hating on the traditional white wedding was making me into this eff you, stick-it-to-the-man, bi-otch who was planning a wedding that had everything to do with being indie and non-traditional, but nothing to do with US. I was waaaay too focused on making our wedding Anti-traditional just to be contrary or to make a statement or to be defiant (defiance is both a strength and a weakness of BOTH Mike and I). Well thank our lucky ballz that we woke the f-ck up from that nightmare. Instead of our defiance being fueled by negativity, our defiance is now fueled by the simple desire to make our wedding represent us and our worldview in every aspect possible. Ever since then, the wedding has been an absolute joy to plan - because we KNOW that every decision we make and every ritual we decide to include in the affair will be chosen by us, for us. And who can blame us for doing what we know best - being ourselves!

So if the whole traditional white wedding debate has you buggin' out, then go read Jason's post on A Los Angeles Love and prepare for a possible epiphany. And Jason will be posting all week, so show him the love!

And lastly, if you ever feel like your head is gonna explode from all this talk of tradition vs. non, just relax, and repeat this phrase:

Stop Trying to be Anti-Traditional & Just be YOU.

Changed. My. Life.

A[Bride]in Sane

I think we can all agree that Bowie's most recognizable alter ego is Aladdin Sane (A Lad Insane, get it?). Because I am the Bowie Bride and am certainly no stranger to being overwhelmed by insanity (wedding related, or otherwise), I thought I'd introduce a new series to the blog called "A[Bride]in Sane." The series will feature advice and planning ideas that have kept me SANE during the times I thought I was gonna lose it.

So here we go.

A[Bride]in Sane:

Inspiration Board Edition

I have sooooo many ideas for the look of this wedding, I feel like my head is gonna explode. I mentioned we weren't particularly tied down to 2 or 3 specific colors, which is all good and everything, BUT when it came time to actually START crafting centerpieces and decor, I found myself at a bit of a loss trying to narrow down my vision. I like too many friggin' things! So something had to change. The first thing I did was STOP looking at pictures of real weddings. Real Weddings are great things to look at for initial inspiration, of course - I mean, my God, without Oncewed, Green Wedding Shoes, and Rock n Roll Bride, I don't know where this wedding would be! But once you and your partner have to start making decisions on the decor for your own wedding, you will most-likely find yourself overwhelmed by everyone else's ideas and inspiration - "I really like this, But I LOVE that, No, wait, I like that, but it won't go with that color!" BLAH BLAH BLAH. Don't do it to yourselves, brides! Stop looking! You WILL end up A[Bride]in Sane. You have been warned...

Then, the next step is to take all the inspiration from blogland and make an inspiration board of your own - whch is basically a series of images that will inspire the look and feel of your wedding. I got reeeeaaaally tired of trying to make an inspiration board on the computer. The pictures didn't fit together, they looked all stretchy and distorted, and none of my boards turned out the way I wanted. Actually, they pretty much looked like sh-t. And since I do not want my wedding to be inspired solely by 'sh-t,' I came up with another way to collect all my inspiration - the old-fashioned way - a Kindergarten Collage, bi-otches. Thasss right, playas. I literally went old school on this one.

Yesterday, I spent all day, scissors in hand, glue stick in the other, cutting pics out of magazines and piecing them together on large cardstock paper. And let me tell you, kids. Mama has never been more sure (or more excited) about how this wedding will look than right now. I am IN LOVE with the look of our wedding. So here it is. Our wedding inspiration board:

Funky Rustic Vintage meets Parisian Pastel Elegance

I feel like this collage represents everything I want the wedding to look like. Lots of pale pinks, sea greens, light blues - mixed with black, silver, bronze, off-white, and a hint of emerald green. Sure it's a lot of color, but I'm diggin' on the look of it hardcore. And any time I feel confused about what colors to use or what crafts to buy, I can just refer to this trusty Kindergarten Collage for inspiration, and I'm solid. Solid GOLD.

And the boards don't have to stop at the overall look of the wedding. I am going to make inspiration boards for my hair, my make-up, the wedding party's attire, Mike's attire, etc., etc. I NEED visual references for all this stuff, otherwise I feel the vision will be lost or I'll go INSANE trying to remember every detail. I'll be sure to share the other boards when I'm done! I'm off to clip more magazine images! Happy board crafting, everyone!

I Will Participate in the Father/Daughter Dance

Not because the bride is supposed to. Or because it'll be our last dance before my husband takes the reigns and becomes "responsible" for me. No. F-ck those reasons. I will dance with my father at my wedding because I love him and want him to feel special and, well honestly, WHY THE HELL WOULD I NOT DANCE WITH HIM AT MY WEDDING? The traditional meaning of the Father/Daughter dance doesn't mean jacksh-t to me. So I made up some new reasons.

I want to dance with my Father at my wedding because:

1. He has ALWAYS inspired me to create - whether it be playing an instrument, writing music, singing, screenwriting, acting, you name it. And given the fact that I work in a creative industry now and I never gave up on "the dream" of getting there, I would be lost without his encouragement and inspiration all these years.
2. He always read to me and encouraged me to love reading. So much so that he got me reading Tolkein at the age of 9. I majored in English because of him. And my love of books, writing, and reading eventually inspired me to become a professional writer. I was able to discover and fully embrace my passion for writing because of my father's encouragement, and I couldn't be more thankful for that.
3. He is THE reason for my awesome taste in music. I knew every Neil Young album by heart before I was even a teenager. Music is such a huge part of my life. My Dad also introduced me to one of the greatest prog rock bands of all time: YES. He took me to see them four times as a teen and their music has truly impacted my life and the way I view the world.
4. He's one of my favorite drinking buddies. (That's HUGE in my book lol)
5. We would pick a BOMB-ASS song to dance to. Something that has meant a great deal to he and I over the years. Did I mention how much we love music? ha.

So for these reasons, I WILL dance with my father at my wedding. But here's my concern: What about Mom? My Mom has done so many amazing things for me and has shaped the person I am today just as much as my father has...so why doesn't she get a public display of my love for her too? SO, since The Bowie Bride is all about creating your own wedding traditions, I thought this forum would be the perfect place to discuss/share ideas on this matter.

So my first question is this: Are you doing the Father/Daughter Dance? Why or why not?

And my next question is: Are you doing anything special for Mom (or for anyone one else that has shaped you over the years) during the wedding?

Need ideas! I have a feeling a lot of my fellow brides out there want to do something special for their mothers too, so I'd love to compile some ideas and do a future post on it. So let's rock, yo!

No, Tiffany. We're Indeed NOT Alone Now.

The scariest part about this wedding is whether or not we can pull it off. I know the day will end up being awesome no matter what, but I can't help but feel nervous about actually making all these plans come to life. I write about all my crazy wedding ideas everyday, but now's the time where the ideas need to become realities. So needless to say, I've been buggin' out about it all as of late. BUT just as my head was about to explode thinking about the sheer daunting task of putting together a full-on DIY wedding by ourselves, our friends and family stepped up and showed us that they've been in our corner this WHOLE TIME. Here's what I mean:

1. Our dear friend Kate has already started collecting vases, jars, and crafting materials! In fact, she already has an entire tub set aside! And every time we talk about the wedding she tells us how excited she is to craft our centerpieces. And she's insanely crafty, so we are massively lucky to have her by our side through this whole process. So, yay for Kate!
2. THEN, my long time gal pal Anne told me she's going to drive out a week before the wedding so she can be there by my side for last minute things! AND she has offered to bake a slew of cupcakes for the dessert bar! AND she's even willing to stay at a hotel with a kitchen just so we can have more oven space!
3. AND my amazing pal Alexis, aka Semi-Socialite, has offered her crafting/baking services as well. AND she lets me talk about the wedding all I want without telling me to shut the eff up (lol thx Lex!)
4. My mom has already saved two bags full of crafting materials for the wedding - ALL usable! Plus my Mom is pretty much on her game at all times, so I know we can count on her for pretty much anything.
5. My Dad has gotten a head start on making the honey wine for the reception. So we won't have to worry about buying the alcohol for the toast. Yay!
6. My sister has ALREADY learned our processional song on the electric guitar! She played it for me during my visit over Thanksgiving and it ROCKS SO FREAKING HARD. She's going to play it wireless up and down the aisle (which may or may not be my favorite part about this wedding so far).
7. Mike's parents have already figured out a way to avoid out of state officiant fees. AND they've compiled all the addresses of guests on Mike's side. AND they are just amazing in general and are totally invested in making this wedding come together as a team effort!
8. AND we've had a bunch of friends already volunteer to drive the beer/honey wine/supplies/misc. wedding items I may need from Arizona out to LA.
9. And last but certainly not least, I have all of you wonderful people! Seriously without bride blog land I would be LOST. Like John Locke Lost, yo. You guys have given me endless inspiration - to the point where a completely un-crafty gal like myself can work up the confidence to do something nuts like throw a completely handmade wedding. So THANK YOU. Seriously, thank you.

I've been planting the seeds in everyone's head about making this wedding a team effort, but I had no idea that everyone would be so on board. I didn't even need to ask twice either! So keep on rockin in the free world, Team Bowie. Because of you, I KNOW we are gonna pull this shiz off.

How are you guys managing all this craziness? Wedding coordinator, friends, family, or are you going Tiffany style and rolling with just you two?

(image)

Our Proposal Stor[ies]

Our proposal story ain't no fairytale. (Big shocker, I know). Instead, our engagement tale is EPIC - one in which we had to fight to win each other in the end. Like Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman in Far & Away, minus the bad Irish accents.

It all began over fours years ago...

August 8th, 2005. We had *just* moved the last of the boxes into our new apartment a block from the beach in Long Beach, CA. Even though we were super exhausted from the move, Mike convinced me to take a walk on our new beach. We walked on the sand, hand in hand, taking in the beauty of our new home, thinking, "Dude, this place is amazing. Can you believe we like, live here 'n stuff?" Then all of a sudden Mike slowed his walking pace...he looked out into the ocean and pointed and said, "Hey, is that a shark out there?" I, being tragically gullible, turned my head to look, and when I didn't see a shark I turned to him to say so, but he was already down on one knee, looking up at me with the sweetest smile I've ever seen fall upon his freckled face. He said, "Today we start our new life together. I love you and I don't want to spend another day without you. Will you marry me?"

I was FLOORED. I had absolutely no idea he was going to do this. I think my first words were, "Are you serious?!" Yeah, I know, real smooth, Britt... BUT shortly after my initial shock, I screamed "YES!" We called our parents that night and spread the word. Everyone was so excited for us. It was an amazing day to say the very least. Then LIFE hit. With barely any training, Mike started teaching math at one of the worst inner-city middle schools in California AND was attending grad school simultaneously at night. And I started my super demanding grad program at Chapman University. New city, new people, new home, new environment, new challenges, new career, new, new, NEW. The wedding became the last thing on our minds. So after much thought, we decided to call off the engagement - at least for a while, until we got our heads on straight. We were still the same couple - in love and living together, but we weren't planning a wedding quite yet. And put it off we did...for FOUR YEARS.

I wasn't expecting him to propose to me AGAIN. I mean, it just seemed silly after all we'd been through. But admittedly, the romantic in me did kind of want him to...afterall, it had been FOUR years... We spent Thanksgiving that year together, just he and I, in beautiful Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. We were relaxed and having the best time we've ever had. Something in us had changed. We were adults - not just in age, but in mentality. We were comfortable in our own skin and happy with our professional lives.

And it was about to get even better. While in Puerto Vallarta, on December 1, 2008, (exactly one year ago today!) we took an hour-long boat ride out to a secluded stretch of beach off the coast of Mexico. When we arrived, we were seated at our beach side, torch-lit dinner table that was literally at the edge of the water. After we ate, Mike told me he wanted to check out the rest of the property. He walked me up to a secluded area that had a hammock overlooking the ocean. We sat on the hammock, in each other's arms, never wanting to leave. Then Mike started to stand up and reach into his pocket. And then I realized it. He was going to propose. I immediately started crying. Then he started crying. Then there was nothing left for him to do but pull out the ring, get down on one knee and say, "Marry me." I flung myself into his arms and said, "Of course!" After about a minute of ecstatic joy, we realized that the boat was about to take off without us. We were literally the last ones on the beach and consequently, the idiots who were holding everyone up at the dock. BUT, they soon forgave us upon learning we had just gotten engaged.

And that, my friends, happened exactly one year ago today. Awww :)