Did I say yes to the dress? Well not yet. But, I sure had fun!

I went on my first wedding dress shopping trip in Davidson, North Carolina. Classic Bride was where I bought one of my favorite dresses (a silk Nicole Miller) so naturally I had to go back when planning my big day!
I tried on about 20 dresses in 3 hours and narrowed it down to 3. I am pretty sure I am going with a strapless, sweetheart neckline and a tight fitting bodice. I also favor the chapel or cathedral train to go along with a cathedral length veil. Silk is the fabric of choice (I cannot stand the taffeta). Here are some of the pretty dresses I tried on. Don't worry I didn't buy any today and I am going to keep looking in Atlanta and Dallas.

I'm Getting Married!

It has been a long time since I posted due to a crazy schedule! But I have some news...I'm engaged! I am so thrilled to be spending the rest of my life with the man I am so madly and deeply in love with. I have no doubt in my mind that were meant for each other; I knew the minute I met him that I was going to be with him (my roommate can attest to that!)
We fit each other perfectly. We are both very driven, family oriented, God loving people that were raised very similarly. We are two people with almost 900 miles between us brought together by God.

So now that I am engaged what's next? Planning of course!
I am going to plan an extravagant southern affair in New Orleans for our wedding. We are getting married at the Southern Oaks Plantation and our reception will be in their grand ballroom. Southern Oaks is known for their great service and wonderful Louisiana cuisine.

I have already made my invite list for the big day and compiled all the addresses. I am choosing to have a small wedding of 170 people. Now I just have to decide on what kind of save-the-dates to send. I love these from etsy! You send them like a post card...so presh! More on the wedding plans later including my wedding dress shopping last week!

Say Yes to Atlanta!

Y'all I am so excited that my favorite show is now being filmed in the south instead of NYC. Say yes to the dress is my guilty pleasure for sure. Because of this show I have already picked out my top 5 pnina tornai dresses haha! At least I'll know exactly what I want when I go dress shopping. Because I am so in love with weddings (what southern girl isn't) I have decided to share some of my favorite dresses.

The Big Move to the Big Easy

As I am very thankful that my summer courses are ending on Friday (thank the Lord!), it does get me thinking about my limited time here in North Carolina. In less than a year it's goodbye mountains and BBQ, and hello wetlands and crawfish. I am so excited to be getting to this next step in my life, where I am actually a real adult, but I know I'm going to miss my childhood. I am going to miss being just a drive away from my family. I am lucky enough to get to see them almost every week, and that is going to change to just twice a year! I am moving with a man that I am completely in love with so that makes it better, but it is still hard to replace my wonderful family with in-laws (although I do love them to death!) My children will not get to grow up spending the weekends being spoiled by their grandparents, but hopefully they will still have a great relationship with them. The reason was are moving is because Will has a wonderful job waiting for him in Louisiana, and with me working in the medical field, I can work anywhere. We have already looked at some houses which does get me excited to move. I just have to trust in God that everything is going to be okay, and I can be a "big girl" and make this move.


Plus, there are so many wonderful things that I do love about Louisiana...
New Orleans
Mardi Gras
crawfish

 This is part of the 10 pounds of crawfish Will and I ate with Ben and Megan last time we were in Louisiana










gumbo
sazaracs
beignets

Beignets from a outdoor market






fleur de lis EVERYWHERE
gaters in the backyard (ok not really a plus, but quite an interesting sight)
Death Valley- Geaux Tigers!
The Cajun Night Before Christmas
Light Festival in Natitoches
community coffee
cajun accents
live oaks 
elaborate masks
seersucker suits
french bread
magnolias
The love of my life - Will 

Mint Julep Iced Tea and Cupcakes!

In honor of my favorite drink and my favorite drink-drink I am including a recipe for a wonderful concoction that combines the best of both worlds! I made some today and it was just wonderful! Make sure you drink it out of your sterling silver mint julep cups and sip from a silver straw. Sadly I only have the silver cups, no straws-but I'm on the hunt! (you can bet they are on my Christmas List!)

Mint Julep Iced Tea

• 8  mint leaves
• 1  lemon, sliced
• 1  lime, sliced
• 1  cup  bourbon
• 3  cups  cold sweetened tea
• Cubed or crushed ice

Combine first 3 ingredients in a 2-quart pitcher, pressing with spoon to crush mint. Stir in bourbon and tea. Add ice and sip away!

Cupcakes
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon mint extract
4 eggs
2 3/4 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/2 cup bourbon (or whiskey)
1/2 cup Creme de Menthe

Icing
3 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon mint extract
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
milk

Directions:

Cupcakes
Preheat the oven to 350º F, and grease or line 30 cupcake cups.
Combine salt, baking powder, and 1 3/4 cups of the flour. Beat butter, sugar, eggs, and extracts in a large mixing bowl until creamy. Gradually beat in the flour mixture. Add the milk and liquors to the batter, then the rest of the flour (1 cup). Mix as little as possible, just until the batter comes together. Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake cups. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Let cool.

Icing
Combine the powdered sugar, salt, extracts and melted butter and beat until creamy. Gradually add milk until the texture is right for piping. When the cupcakes are completely cool, pipe or spread the icing on top. Garnish with cake sparkles or sprinkles, a straw (trimmed to size), and mint leaves.