Wine Tower

I was so upset this morning when I found out that the Crate and Barrel wine tower that we registered for was now unavailable. It was called the Madison Wine Tower and it was beautiful :(
However, Mike got on the internet and found its twin from Target!It ended up being on sale this week AND I had a gift card from my friends for my birthday! Thanks ladies...you bought us something that you KNOW we will keep fully stocked!

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My Incredible Shower

I had my first shower Saturday and it was amazing! It was hosted by my great aunts (my grandma's two sisters), with the help of my grandma and my mom. It really was incredible...I was so impressed.The shower was at Cardwell's in Clayton and the servers were so helpful! My family arrived early and decorated the tables beautifully.Pink and green vases, pink and green flowers, pink and green M&Ms, and my favorite...pink, green, and white cookies! CHECK THESE OUT!!!It was great to have so many family and friends all together in one place! I had to keep remembering that it was for me! I can't wait for all of the people at the wedding!!! With the help of my sister/MOH, Ali, and my friends/bridesmaids, Leslie and Tess, I opened some great gifts!There was a table where everyone wrote me notes of advice on marriage, love, and life and they were read aloud before I opened the gifts. Some were hilarious, some inspiring, most helpful, and all-around wonderful! Guess who made the sign...It was truly the best shower I have ever been to (but obviously, I am a little biased). The details just blew me away! I had such a great time and can't wait for the next one :)(Great job on the bouquet, Les!)

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GNO

Just wanted to say that I had a great time at the GNO! I met a lot of new people and saw a few that I have met before. Let me say that the nacho idea was incredible!!! Thanks Rhonda for having us all over...your house is awesome! LOVE the chandelier above the hot tub! I brought a camera along but unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures!!! Maybe next time :)

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We have furniture!

Our house is FINALLY looking like a home!!! After a month of home ownership, we have living room furniture. It is brown, microfiber that is Ashley Furniture but we found it at weekends only. Sadly, it wasn't less expensive than the ones at the actual Ashley Furniture Homestore...it was just an older couch that they don't carry anymore! We love it and it looks great in the room. Now we have to figure out what to do with the table/endtables?! Here are my favorite before/after pictures!

BEFORE
AFTERHere is a close up of the couch! The pillows match the green wall perfectly (they are striped brown and green)! We need to figure out what to do with the table. See, Mike went through a "table making" phase and he decided to make this table. It is awesome, so beautiful and artistic...but we don't know if it really matches the room. It is also hard to find end table that match and are sold separately. SOOOO...we need to decide if we should keep it or sell it on Craiglist. I am just not sure if anyone will buy it for the amount it cost Mike to make it (without including the labor and time)!!! We will see...I am just so glad that we finally having a living room! Happy FRIDAY! OH...and my first shower is tomorrow! I AM SO FREAKING EXCITED!!!

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SYTYCD

I just finished watching "So You Think You Can Dance" that we TiVo-ed last night. HOLY SMOKES...I have some new favorites!

Let me start with Courtney and Gev. They are so freaking cute! She is beautiful...I think she looks like Rachel Bilson. And his looks are growing on me more and more each week. He is hopelessly in love with her and it is ADORABLE!!! Their dance was so freaking sexy...you could totally feel the chemistry. I wish she would dump her boyfriend and date Gev:)Chelsie and Mark...how awesome was this hip hop dance! Again, "Bleeding Love" is overplayed but this version was amazing. I LOVED the story, they danced it with so much emotion, and I was just floored with how they moved. He is contemporary and she is ballroom...SERIOUSLY?!? I LOVED IT!However, 2 of my favorites are STILL my favorites.
#1- Katee and Joshua...amazing...every time! Last week's Broadway number was incredible and this week's rumba was so sexy. BUT...his pants were way to tight! I knew the judges were going to mention it...he is a BIG man. But how good at this dance was he! Very impressive! They still are the best couple to me....love em!Finally, I love Twitch and Kherington. They are good each week. Great dancers, wonderful personalities...loved the hiphop dance!I JUST LOVE THIS SHOW!!! Who do I think should leave tonight?
For the girls, I would say goodbye to Jessica. This disco dance was awkward to me. Will is such a great dancer and she just holds him back. For the guys, my pick would be Chris. I am not too crazy about him or Comfort (seriously, what is up with that name) but I think he is going to go tonight. The judges really pick on him...I JUST LOVE THIS SHOW! It is a semi-obsession!

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3 Years...WOW!

It truly is amazing how fast 3 years can fly by.

Let's rewind a few years to June 24th, 2005...
I was newly graduated from Mizzou, searching for a job, and enjoying my first month back in St. Louis after college. I was recovering from mono and about to sing with my band for the last time at Helen Fitzgeralds. My band decided to go out to dinner the night before our last gig and we enjoyed a delicious dinner (and wine) at Lucas Park. After dinner, the other lead singer and I continued to hit a couple of other bars for drinks. Somewhere around midnight, I decided that I needed to go home. While in the car, my friend Craig called and mentioned that I should go over to our friend Jeff's house, who was moving to Chicago a few days later.

I walked in and there he was. Mike was sitting on a couch talking to someone. I recognized him immediately, (see we graduated from the same high school a year apart). I don't think I had ever spoken to him one-on-one before but for some reason...maybe it was the drinks, maybe the mono...but I sat down and we talked non-stop. I invited him to my concert the next night and thankfully he came.

June 25th, 2005
I rarely got too nervous singing at Helen's but this night was different. Mike sat in the audience, my parents were there, and all of my friends. Still recovering from mono, my voice wasn't on par but it didn't matter. Mike was there. We all hit the town after the concert and Mike and I were side by side. Talking, talking, talking. Everyone started going home but we had more talking to do...so we went back to Jeff's house, laid on a long sectional facing each other and talked. We talked until 6 o'clock in the morning. I came home that morning, walked around the corner, saw my mom and said, "I am going to marry this guy." She remembers me saying that! Isn't that crazy!

I knew that night that my life would never be the same! 3 years later, we bought our first home and we are going to seal the deal in 66 days!

I wish I had a scanner because I have pictures of us that night of the concert! But here are some that show us through the past couple of years (since I have had this computer and camera)!

Ok, wow...that is enough. Starting to get a little sick :)

Last night, we celebrated with dinner at Modesto. If you haven't been yet, I definitely recommend it! So so good!

Love you, hunny! Happy anniversary!!!

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A Successful Marriage

Mike and I saw a comedian a couple weeks ago that was talking about marriage. He was newly engaged and was discussing what a successful marriage really means. He said, "In order to have a successful marriage, one of us has to watch the other one die." I thought about it, and it really is true! He said something like, "So at the funeral, instead of being sad...just think...WE DID IT! WE WERE A SUCCESS!" Interesting thought?!!?

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Random Thoughts...

Soooo...I got a manicure last Wednesday. My first real manicure! See, I am been biting my nails since I was 5 so if I get nails done, I just get acrylic tips. I am trying really hard to grow my nails out for the wedding. However, Mike has informed me that he would prefer for me to wear fakies? Really? Does anyone else's guy prefer fake nails over the real deal?

Oh, I forgot to mention how happy I am that Susie was kicked off "So You Think You Can Dance." I mentioned it a week or two ago and now she is a goner! Guess America agreed with me!My first shower is this weekend! So excited!!! Only 5 days away. Then I realized that I am going to Vegas in a couple of weeks! And the wedding is in 68 days! It is all coming so fast! I have so much to do still. Mike and I are going to my parents house tonight to finish invitations. I am freaking out right now about music. There are so many choices to make and it is making me crazy! Mike said to me last night after I asked for his opinion, "Lauren, I have been to tons of weddings and I can't remember ANY song that was playing when the married couple entered the reception." I understand that, and I agree...but I just can't pick ANY song. I just need to sit down one day and figure it all out. Hummm...I wonder when?!

I want to go to the pool today. I actually started back at the gym yesterday so right now that is the priority. I am SO unmotivated to work out so I have to make it a competition. Mike and I decided that whoever goes to the gym the most in a week will get a prize on the weekend. We both went yesterday but he is getting a haircut today at lunch...so this is my chance to pull ahead. I am sore though!

I need to get off the computer and get my tush moving! Maybe I will post some invitation pictures tomorrow. OH...tomorrow is our 3 year anniversary! We are going to Modesto for dinner...yummmmmm!

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Race for the Cure

Saturday, I had the pleasure of walking in the 10th annual Race for the Cure through downtown St. Louis. We were trying to figure out how many I have gone to...either 8 or 9, I think. I am pretty sure that my mom has gone to all 1o. This year marks her 17th year as a survivor. Those of you that know her or know her age can figure out that she was young when she was diagnosed. 34 years old...with 3 young children. When my mom was diagnosed, 1 in 10 women would get breast cancer. Now that ratio is 1 in 8. So crazy...and scary! However, being surrounded over 60,000 people on Saturday, you can see how many people are connected and affected by breast cancer. It is truly an epidemic that can hopefully be cured. And until then, we will continue to walk, fight, and hope for a cure. Mike and I want to run it someday...but that would mean that I couldn't walk it with my mom and sister...something that I have done for years. We will see...and see if someday I will be able to run 3 miles in a row!!!

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I hate shoes...

It is official! Wedding shoes are ruining my life. OK...maybe that is a little too dramatic for a Tuesday afternoon but they are a pain in my rear! I have been on the search for silver shoes for my bridesmaids. I don't want to break the bank, I want them to be cute and strappy...am I asking too much?! I thought I found the perfect shoes last week on Amazon. They are Nine West, $40, and perfect...I got all of my bridesmaids sizes and ordered them and was so excited for their arrival. Fast forward to today...they are here. And WTF...sequins? Dear Amazon, Please do not post pictures on your website of shoes that do not match the actual product. Also, please don't be angry when I return over $200 of shoes that I would rather shoot myself than see my bridesmaids wear. Thank you, Lauren

As most of you know, I have been having a hard time finding bridal shoes for myself. I decided today that I am stressing too much, I am NOT going to find the perfect shoes, and if I do...it will NOT be in my budget. Hello David's Bridal. I am just going to go for it and get one of these shoes. They are $55 and I can dye them afterwards. Seems like a no-brainer to me!Just FYI, I would remove the pearl clip on the shoes to the left. I would wear them plain or add a different shoe clip. What do you think?!

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Sneek Peek

I am so excited about the invitations...they are so beautiful and we have worked so so hard. I really don't want to post the full invitation until they go out...2 more weeks :( But here is a little sneak peek!

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10 Minute Fan...

my a$$! Seriously, look at this fan...just a normal, regular fan. Doesn't seem to special or crazy in anyway, right?! It is seriously called "The 10 Minute Fan" because that is how long it should take to install. I am going to write the company and tell them to change it to "The 5 Hour Fan." Yes, that is right...5 freaking hours...across 3 days!!!
Day 1...Mike attempts to take down the old fan. It was the most hilarious thing I have even been a part of. He decides that he should take down the fan (at 11 pm) so we can be ready to hang the new fan the next day. Well, it was a fan from like 1910 and it weighed like 100 pounds. He pulls out a screw and the whole fan falls, hanging by 2 cords. NOT GOOD. I instantly have to jump out of bed (so it doesn't fall on me) and start holding the fan up so the cords don't break! THIS FAN IS SERIOUSLY HEAVY. This is when it starts getting hilarious (from my point of view, not Mike's). He starts going crazy. I can't even type up the profanities that start coming out of his mouth. It reminded me of the girl with Turrets from Deuce Biggalow, Male Gigolo. I start laughing and I can't stop...while I am holding the 100 pound fan (above my head...which is so so hard) and I am trying not to pee in my pants. With every curse word, I lost it even more, tears running down my face that I couldn't wipe. Meanwhile, Mike goes downstairs and cuts the electricity, finds a flashlight and grabs the wire cutters. The whole ordeal took at least 30 minutes (which is a really long time to hold that fan). We finally got it down and threw that sucker in the trash. What did I learn....#1. Don't start a job that you can't finish at 11 at night. #2. I am marrying a psycho. #3. I love that I can laugh at stressful situations and at least crack a smile out of my psycho!
Day #2...my other Mike (my current roommate, great friend, and groomsman) comes over to help install the new fan. The 2 Mikes spend much time in the attic getting covered with insulation (gross) and realize that after an hour of work, they can't hang the fan. They need to go to Lowes and get some things. Lowes is closed. On to day 3.
Day #3...I hate this f-ing fan...and I think the boys do to. Mike is back and the two are back in the attic with the proper tools and pieces and finally after a couple of hour...we have a fan! FINALLY! Then of course, I mention that I don't really like it and I get to see Mike go crazy again. Haha...what an ordeal. 10 Minute Fan...really?!?

Through all of the chaos of the fan ordeal, look what did get hung...Our new 40 inch flatscreen. As Mike says, "We are pimps." I don't know about that but it is pretty darn cool! Still no furniture in the living room but that will be different by this Sunday! Weekends Only, here we come!!! We have our eye on a brown, microfiber, Ashley Furniture sofa and loveseat. The pillows are striped with shades of tan, green, and brown which will match perfectly with the current wall color. We have painted the other upstairs rooms but this color will stay! YAY!

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Invitations

Our goal is to get our invitations out by July 1st. We were a little bit behind and actually just started assembling last weekend. We decided to get them printed with thermography which was a great idea. It was not as expensive as we thought we it was definitely worth it!!! I am not going to post pictures of the actual invitation until they are completely done and out. I just don't want someone to find a type-o or something wrong. I just want to get them out and then find problems (cause I can't to anything about it then)!!! I got the family to help out too!We felt like little elves working on Christmas Eve! We actually got them mostly assembled. Mike is going to start on calligraphy this week! I am so lucky to have someone so talented...yet I feel so bad for him. I know that he is hating this! BUT...we both can agree...they look so freaking amazing. Although they have been a total pain, it is awesome to think that we have such unique invitations that no one else will ever have.

Oh yea...look who arrived today...My JCrew satin clutch that I have been lusting about for months. Sadly, it might be a little too off-white for my wedding day. I might have to return it...or sell it to another lucky bride :( I will bring it to my next fitting and see how it looks!

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Save Budweiser

I am not sure if this petition will actually do anything or not...but hey, it won't hurt! I think something like 46,000 people have already "signed" it. Go to this site and add your name to the list. I would hate my favorite Bud Light to be owned by anything that isn't American!

http://www.savebudweiser.com/

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So You Think You Can Dance

It might be my favorite show. Definitely my favorite summer show! Does anyone else watch this? Seriously...amazing...incredible...the best! If you don't watch it...give it a shot! It is on every Wednesday and Thursday night! WOO HOO! After watching the audition episodes, I had some definite favorites and some ones that I really don't like. Let's start with who I really can't stand...Susie Garcia...are you kidding me? High school teacher? Hummm....get out of here! I honestly don't think she is a good dancer. Hopefully she won't be around too long!Something about Chris just bothers me. Can't put my finger on it...he just annoys me! However, he is a GREAT dancer!

This year, there are more people that I LOVE! There really aren't too many straight guys this season and since I have only seen one episode, I am not too impressed by the boys' dance skills.
Here are my favorites from the other night!!!Joshua and Katee...holy smokes! They were my #1 favorite. Although I am a little over "No Air," it was amazing! Great HipHop dance! Kherington and Twitch...seriously, she is adorable and he is a fantastic dancer! Definitely another favorite couple. Their Broadway dance was wonderful!Chelsea and Thayne...honestly, I didn't even notice him dancing. She was incredible! Just to die for!!! She might be the best girl...hum...Chelsea and Mark...Honestly, I don't know if I am too crazy about either of these kids but anything choreographed by Mia Michaels needs a mention. It was beautiful...as usual! Chelsea is cute though...good story about her family being poor but still paying for her dance lessons, blablabla.

Is there anyone else out there that watches this show? Do you know what I am talking about? Agree/Disagree? Bina, Allison...I know you are out there!!! Anyone else?!!? If not, give it a shot...I really think it is worth it :)

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