He got down on 1 knee... And I said YES!

Ever since the discussion of engagement first arose between the beau fiance (!) and I there has been only one thing I have been insistent about: I wanted to be suprised. This may sound simple but let me tell you... I am not easily suprised. I can count on 1 hand the number of times people have planned things and truly caught me completely off guard. 

That being said, the beau fiance accomplished quite a feat. 

It all started last Tuesday when CSB suggested he cook dinner and then go to Chihuly at Cheekwood (a current artist's event going on in  Nashville) on Thursday night. I had, only hours previously, made plans to go see some friends and let their oldest daughter meet Paisley. I brushed off not being able to go, insisting we could just have a late dinner and watch Grey's on the couch instead. He wasn't too thrilled that I had made plans but I didn't think much about it. 

My dad came into town to visit on Wednesday night and CSB and I bought steaks, potatoes, and asparagus. We ended up having dinner out, leaving us with steaks that needed to be cooked. I suggested we grill out Thursday and CSB was in agreement. Or so I thought. 

I called CSB when I got off work on Thursday. He was in Publix. As in the grocery store. My first question: "Why in the world are you at the grocery?" Followed by a slightly annoyed,  "We have steaks in the fridge." CSB's very casual response, "I wanted to mix it up, don't worry about it." OK, I'll not worry about it. 

I proceeded with my visiting and got home around 7:00, still in my scrubs. CSB was in the kitchen and immediately forbade me from entering. He directed me to the kitchen table which was set with flowers, wine, bread, and my favorite salad. CSB is often thoughtful and makes dinner, brings home flowers, etc. so I was not suspicious in the least. 

(I promise, I am getting to the good stuff!)

We enjoyed our salad and a little wine. While eating CSB insisted I save room for dessert. I agreed, and finished my salad. Next came homemade shrimp and grits (One of my all absolute favorite meals). While eating, CSB once again insisted I save room for dessert. (Um, am I eating too fast or something?) I agreed, and the moment I took my last bite CSB swept the plates off the table and announced it was dessert time. "Let's have a glass of wine and eat dessert later," I suggested. To which CSB replied something to the affect of "no, let's have it now." 

I was sent to the couch with my glass of wine. After some rustling in the kitchen I was directed to close my eyes. And keep them closed. I complied, like a good girlfriend. I opened my eyes and CSB was down on one knee, in the living room, and grabbed my hand. 

I was speechless. I remember "I cannot imagine not spending the rest of my life with you," "I love you," and "will you marry me?" 

Between tears and finally taking a breath I said "YES!" I then noticed a plate with my favorite cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory and a ring box on the table in front of me. It could have been a ring from a Cracker Jacks box and I wouldn't have cared. 

The rest of our evening was filled with phone calls to family, friends, and a few drinks to celebrate. 

I am very blessed to have such an amazing young man in my life and CANNOT wait to spend the rest of my life learning, laughing, and loving with him. 

I AM GETTING MARRIED! 

We didn't get that many pictures in all the excitement... Here's an "afterthought".  As in I'd already taken a bite of cheesecake, ha. 

Sean calling friends and family. We were both absolutely giddy! 

Cheers! 

I am a little weird about posting pictures of the ring. However, I'm going to share. I don't know, I mean, obviously I want to show it off to the world because he did well. 

REALLY well.  

It. is. GORGEOUS. And the ring of my dreams! 

And let me tell you. Pictures don't do it justice. 

October, don't go!

I can't believe October is almost over. It's (as I'm quite sure I've mentioned before) my favorite month of the year. Pumpkin spice lattes, my birthday, festivals, leaves changing colors, crisp mornings... I could go on and on! October, stay for a bit longer! My month has been filled with traveling, lots of football, family time, and of course, my new pup. The past weekend was a perfect October weekend. My brother, his dog, and several of his friends ventured to Nashville and we enjoyed a night out on the town and tailgating on Saturday. On Sunday the beau and I enjoyed free Titans tickets (on the 50 yard line!). It was great. The weather was perfect- warm and breezy during the day and cool at night. Perfect.

 The usual game day cookies... 

And some some mini chocolate chip cookies with bourbon cream cheese icing. 

The beau and his toy.

Go 'Dores! 

My brother and our "babies". 

The beau and I at the Titans game

Puppy training... Week 3 of ???

Oh, puppy training! Paisley is a spunky, full of life, wild puppy. Don't get me wrong, I. love. her. Am obsessed with her. ( I can only imagine what I will be like with kids one day, sheesh!) But puppy training, as everyone warned, is challenging. My goal is to end up with a trained, well-behaved  puppy/dog. We've got a long way to go! Does anyone have any great puppy training advice? 

Meet Paisley

I am beyond exhausted at this point but I wanted to share some pictures of our newest addition, Paisley the Goldendoodle. Paisley's mom was a full size poodle and her dad was a golden retriever. They are both around 45-50 pounds (and both very pretty dogs with great personalities!) so little Miss Paisley should weigh in at around 40-50 pounds when she grows into her paws. She's perfect. 

Her sleeping/potty schedule is another story... We're working on it. 

She is a very smart little pup, however, and is catching on pretty dadgum quick (I need some wood to knock on!) to the whole pottying-outside-deal. My fingers and toes are crossed that it is sticking. 

So, without further ado... Meet Paisley: 

ten.ten.ten

I was SO excited (as lame as it is) that my birthday fell on 10-10-10 this year. Seriously? How neat! In honor of birthday the beau took me on a SUPRISE trip to CHICAGO! In.freaking.credible. 

We had an amazing time exploring the city, shopping and eating (haha)! Here are some highlights, in pictures, of course. 

Loved that 10.10.10 was EVERYWHERE! 

View of Lake Michigan from our 27th floor hotel room

Best. popcorn.ever. Garrett's knows how to do it! 

Our first day wandering around the city 

The ferris wheel at the Navy Pier

View from the ferris wheel 

Navy Pier- so much fun! 

The trees were beautiful! 

Boat tour on Lake Michigan 

View from the John Hancock Building- 94 floors up! 

A piece of pumpkin cheesecake back at home to celebrate... after a weekend full of celebrating! 

My birthday celebration could not have been more perfect. The last year has been challenging but wonderful. I have learned about myself and learned some important life lessons. I have never been one to take for granite my family nor genuine friendship; this year I have somehow developed even more of an appreciation for those close to me. I am a very blessed young (hey, 26 is still young, right?) lady. I couldn't ask for anything more. Cheers to 26- I am excited to see what's in store! 

P.S. In addition to an INCREDIBLE getaway... The beau and my mom got me a PUPPY! More to come. :) 

Fall decor, part 2

As promised, here are more pictures of outdoor fall decor. I'm still working on the inside at this point! I posted a sneak peak of the kitchen table. It very well may change, however. It was thrown together after the beau was every so thoughtful and brought me flowers last week. Fall colored flowers, at that! He's good.

We've recently revamped the back patio. The beau put in several long days digging up the existing rock/weeks and replacing them with pavers. The beau also painted the back patio a nice chocolate brown. I was hesitant at first but love the final result! We still need a rug but haven't been able to find a reasonable one that coordinates with the colors we're already using.

Remember this?  Here's the completed project. Not sure what I will do with it post football season!

Taste of fall

I love to bake, especially during the fall and winter. There's nothing like the scent of cinnamon and nutmeg mixed with pumpkin or apple... And, of course, the end result with a little bit of vanilla ice cream. I think my mouth is watering! I've tried multiple "fall" recipes over the last couple of years. Some have been tossed after one try and others have become fall classics. I like to try a new recipe every couple of weeks- Southern Living online is my go to! Now... For the recipes!

I have made this pumpkin bread recipe for the last several years, multiple times a year! It's a classic. If you like pumpkin you should definitely try it. Don't let the long list of ingredients fool you- it's really simple. You put everything in a bowl and mix! It makes 2 loaves, too, which is nice. I usually make one to give and one to keep.

(Image retrieved from southernliving.com) 

This apple bread recipe immediately made it's way to my "favorites" list. I changed it up a little bit- instead of letting the bread completely cool I poured the topping on while the bread was still warm and in the pan. I also used pecans only in the batter and omitted those on top.

(Image retrieved from southernliving.com)

Enjoy!