The Art of Marriage

I hope that everyone had an amazing Christmas..I know I did! I love Christmas. It's my favorite time of year. Darren says that I'm a Christmas freak. I watch Christmas movies, bake cookies and all kinds of candy, listen to Christmas music, and believe that the Christmas season extends until New Years. Sorry buddy, you better get used to it...you're stuck with me (however, my mom said that I will have to come do a lot of the baking/movie watching with her, so Darren, you may be off the hook).

The best part about Christmas, though, is spending time with my amazing family. We're crazy, but I love it. This year, Adam and Suni bought me and Darren our first decoration for our home and our first ornaments for our tree that we will have together next year. All three gifts are so special to me, and I will always remember that I got them from my big brother and sister. I love you guys..thanks for being such a great example for me and Darren of what a loving marriage truly is. (Thanks to Leah and Steve, too. You guys are also great!)

I love love love this. So sweet. Already thinking about where I will hang it.

My mom teared up when she realized my last name will no longer be Savage.

Suni said she likes to get ornaments representing what happened that year, so Darren and I can now start doing the same!

Susie Homemaker.......or not

So, my sister has always told me that some day when I have a house I will love to shop at Kirklands, Hobby Lobby, and the like. I would get so bored in those stores while she and my mom could shop all day. Well let me tell ya dear sister, that time has still not come for me. In less than 6 months I will have my very own home, but I could care less about dishes and throws and mirrors and candlesticks. Maybe that's selfish of me..I'm not sure. My favorite stores still continue to be J Crew, Banana Republic, and Lucca. I'd rather have purses than furniture. Don't worry future husband, I'm sure the time will come very soon where I will want to beautify our home....I hope (otherwise we'll be using paper plates while sitting on the floor). Until then, this is what my Christmas list consists of:

I'm in love with this bag....hint hint.... *cough*Darren*cough*

 Merry Christmas to all!! I hope everyone has a blessed holiday with the ones they love.

Let Them Eat Cake

Amy Cakes, where have you been all my life? Darren and I had our cake tasting with Amy Cakes on Wednesday, and I must say, if there is ever a time to be in love with a food, it is now. You know how there are some cakes that are beautiful  but they taste really dry? And then there are some that taste amazing but they're really not very pretty?? Well, Amy Cakes provides us with the best of both worlds. For those of you who didn't know, Amy Cakes is the one who made my niece Harper's first birthday cake. So cute!

 

When I saw and tasted this cake I knew I had to have Amy make my wedding cake. We got to sample four different cakes, and I think we are going to have a strawberry cake with strawberry puree for two tiers, and a chocolate mocha cake with espresso mousse for the other two (is anyone really surprised I chose a coffee cake flavor??????).  As for the cake design, it is beautiful and exactly what I had in mind. 

Picture pearlized diamonds from the bottom tier of this cake.....

And the flower tier from this cake......

I would have uploaded the sketch that Amy drew for my cake, but I don't think that it would do the actual cake justice, so you will all have to wait until the wedding! 

Amy, you have made me realize that I no longer want to be a speech pathologist....I want to be a cake baker person (I can learn the correct lingo later). Thank you for allowing me to recognize my true calling.

P.S. I am coming to you for every cake I get for the rest of my life.

Sisters are the Best

So I've already mentioned that Kayla is going to be one of my bridesmaids, but I'm also having two others who are very special to me. I am so very lucky to have two wonderful sisters. Growing up, Leah was my "sissy." She is 11 years older than me, and she's been looking out for me since the day I was born. She put my hair in "doggy-ears," took me to the gym with her, she ran at the track while I played in the long-jump pit. She let me sleep with her at night even though I would elbow her in the face. I rode my bike with her while she ran to keep the mean dogs away. I was even part of her "getting engaged" process, and when I was 12 I was her maid of honor  We get snowcones together, run together, shop together, and laugh together.

My other sister didn't come into my life until I was 10 years old, but she's my sister all the same. I met her when we moved to Purcell. She was wearing a green shirt, black pants, and she had pretty blond hair. She still can't believe that I remember what she was wearing. She bought me a pink shirt and bracelet from Limited Too on my birthday...very cool. She made me a purple blanket that I still cover up with in my bed. She took me and Chigger and Kyan swimming, and then we got snowcones at EskimoSno. She got the snuffleupagus flavor. She married my brother when I was 13 and let me be a bridesmaid. On that day I got another sister, and I am so thankful that my brother brought her into my life.

Sisters are the best gifts in the world. They listen when you need to talk, they give you advice, and they're always there for you no matter what. I have two of the best big sisters in the world. They've taught my how to be a great little sister, and they've set amazing examples for me to follow. I have always looked up to them and I always will. I love my sisters very much. 

Christmas 2007

Homecoming Parade 2008

Lucky

7 months from today I am marrying my best friend,

And I couldn't be happier. 

We've known each other for a long time.

We both lived in Konawa. Our houses were down the street from each other.

He was in my mom's kindergarten class. He bought her a heart-shaped paper weight for Valentine's Day.

I was in his mom's first grade class. I used to make fish faces at her.

He's 3 years older than me.

I used to chase him around after school each day.

I liked him. He thought I was annoying.

I moved to Purcell.

I watched him play basketball....what a stud.

January of my junior year I had a basketball game at Washington. He was a sophomore at OU.

I didn't want to go to the game.

He was there.

After the game I sat by my  mom. He was sitting one row above me.

He moved down by me to say hi. He said he liked my shoes.

I didn't ride home with my mom so I could stay there longer by him. He was cute.

We went on our first date in March. We got lost twice while driving in OKC.

We're bad with directions.

His friends made fun of him for dating a girl in high school (thanks Thomas). He didn't care.

We fell in love.

August 18, 2010 he asked me to marry him. I said yes.

I am so thankful to God for blessing me with the guy of my dreams.

I can't believe he picked me.

I am the luckiest girl in the world.

Picture Tree

So I had this really cute idea for some wedding decorations. I thought that it would be really cute to hang pictures of Darren and me growing up from the tree branches in my backyard. Cute idea, but how am I going to do this??? Picture frames? Ribbons?

WELL.................

Last weekend my mom and sister went to the Affair of the Heart and found these little wire hangers!!!

So, we take those... plus a picture:

(this was mine and Darren's 1st Christmas together!)

And we get this:

We're going to tie wire around the hook and hang them from the trees in my backyard. Love it!

The Dress

I found

my dress today. 

I feel so pretty in it

I want to wear it all the time. 

I do not want to wait five months 

for it to come in. I want it now. 

My mom, sister, and 8 month old niece Gabbi 

went with me to find it. Gabbi was a big help,

and I am glad she was there.

Vintage, lace-overlay, pearls, and beads.

Strapless, ivory, flower, Maggie Sottero,

Perfect Perfect Dress.

I could not be happier.

(Except maybe if Suni and Kayla could have been there, too).

Holly Golightly

So Darren and I received our first wedding gift on Sunday! Granted, we bought it ourselves, but I still think it counts. We our now the proud owners of a 8 week old  female shih-tzu puppy! And when I say we, I mean me. Yes, in 8 months she will live with Darren, too, but for the time-being I am the one feeding her, grooming her, potty-training her, and waking up at 3:30 in the morning with her when she starts whining. I think that makes her a little more mine than his. My mom and I got our shih-tzu, Cosby, when I was in 8th grade, and I am going to miss him so much when I get married that I had to get one for myself (I tried explaining this to Cosby, but I don't think he gets it...he's pretty much pissed).

ANYWAYS....

This is mine and Darren's first of many things to buy together for the both of us, and that makes me very happy =) Hopefully she won't mind the small apartment that she'll be living in in 8 months....

Meet Holly Golightly (Breakfast at Tiffany's....Audrey Hepburn....watch it)! 

The original Holly Golightly

,

Project Wedding

Project Wedding is underway. The Savage backyard is currently being transformed into a Wedding Wonderland!

Bulldozers.

Trees.

LOTS of Dirt.

Creative Minds and

Imagination.

All of these things are contributing to the amazing day that is to come, as well as the help of family and friends. Thanks to everyone who is helping out; it really means a lot! It is taking a lot of hard work, but I know that June 11 is going to be a beautiful day =)

Before...

AFTER!

Reception Area-(part of it...minus the tractor)

Will You Be My.......?

So my best friend from high school's 21st birthday was this past Wednesday...wow. We became best friends when I was barely 16 years old, and I couldn't ask for a better one. She's pretty awesome...I'm just saying. We've been through a lot of fun times together...

Her boot. One Tree Hill. Snow Cones. Florida. Crappy basketball season. Prom. Gavin Degraw. Her 21st birthday.

And on June 11, we'll have one more thing to add to the list......My Wedding (yes, I do think that it is important enough to deserve capital letters)!!! Last night I asked her to be one of my bridesmaids and she agreed! I made her a "Will you be my bridesmaid" card and everything. I'm so excited to have my best friend there with me on my special day, and I can't wait to go through the planning process with her!! Thanks again, K =)

Will you be my Bridesmaid card...it's the thought that counts

The night we became best friends

My Junior, her senior, Prom

Gavin Degraw Concert

The night I asked her to be my bridesmaid!

A Vintage Backyard Wedding

So, it is settled...on June 11, 2011, I will be getting married in my backyard. And if I must say, I am super excited about this!!! Honestly, what could be a more ideal place for a southern girl to get married at???  I want the whole feeling to be laid-back, casual, homey, vintage. Is that technically a theme...a laid-back casual homey vintage wedding??? Hmm....maybe I'll work on the title. As you can see, I may not know a whole lot of specifics at this point, but I do know a few things......

The Venue

The Ring

The Boy

The Photographer

 
At this point, everything else is still up in the air!!!!!! Suggestions welcome.

A Wedding Blog

In order to keep everybody in the know, I am creating a Wedding Blog!! I will be writing about the decorating, the shopping, the DIYing, the good times and the bad times (not that there should be any bad times about planning my wedding...just more stressful times....). I want to keep everyone up-to-date about all the wedding bliss, and also ask for advice that anyone may be willing to give!! I don't know if I will actually survive the planning stage, but I do know that at the end of it all I will be Mrs. Darren Townley!!!! =)