CoCo's Baby Shower

Tonight, all the ladies gathered at Holly's house for a "surprise" diaper party for our girl, CoCo.

Unfortunately, it didn't turn out to be much of a surprise, but we had

a blast nonetheless! Colleen got all stocked up on diapers and wipes...

We took a few group pictures...

Then, we got a little crazy!

Alyssa's Wedding

Tonight, we attended Alyssa Hoerr and Nate Kolb's nuptials. They had a beautiful service at a church in Urbana, followed by a lovely, decked-out reception on campus. Alyssa looked beautiful and we had a great time with our crazy table! So happy for the two of them!

Lazy Girl

I think I am a little sad that my summer went by so fast. Though I'm incredibly excited about my inaugural school year at Monticello High School, I have been trying to soak up as much lazy time as possible. I've had quite a bit of fun in the sun this summer and I have some pretty awful allergies which have provided me with plentiful sinus pressure :/, so I spent all of today and yesterday in bed watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer on Netflix. I have to say, it was pretty awesome to have the freedom to lay in bed and do nothing for two days. Since Al and I plan to have children in the next couple years, I am well aware that these kind of days are numbered, but I'm going to enjoy the time I have to lay around and be lazy for as long as I can!

It's GLORIOUS!

One of the most beautiful things that can happen to a teacher happened to me today:

I found an air conditioner in my classroom!

This little bugger was hiding behind some curtains in my room, unaware to my sweaty butt for a few days of desk moving and room scrubbing! Someone must have been working in my room on a day that I wasn't and had pulled the curtain back just a bit further than I had and voila! I came in today to find this gem! WOO HOO!

Kim's Dress Shopping

Now, I finally get to share all the pics of Kim's dress shopping outing! She looked amazing in everything...

However, when she put on the dress of her dreams, everyone knew it. 

After Kim chose her dress, she chose her accessories. She went with a cathedral-style veil covered in tiny sparkles and a beautiful headband. It almost made me tear up a bit to see the whole get-up together. Amazing!

Her grandma generously jumped in and offered to cover the cost of the headwear, and it was such a sweet moment!

We all had so much fun snacking on appetizers, sipping wine, and watching Kimbo make her big decision! 

One Monthiversary

Today, Al and I have been married for one month! It's been a whirlwind, and has been the most fun-filled month I could have asked for.

I love you, Albert Nuku!

Wedding Dress Shopping-Uncensored

This was such an amazing day. I was so lucky to have all of my best buds and my amazing female family members with me while I shopped for the perfect wedding dress. This is still one of my all-time favorite memories! I can't wait to show my possible future daughter(s) these pictures and tell them all about the day!

There were so many beautiful dresses...below are most of the ones I tried on. Some made my decision difficult, some not so much...one of them made my decision very easy! 

Maybes...

My second favorite dress of the day! 

Loved the buttons down the back of this one!

I liked the cut of the top of this one, but the bow was a bit much for me...

I felt a bit too exposed in the back of this one.

This one reminded me of clubwear with the back cutouts!

I loved the one-shoulder look, but it was too plain.

I felt like this one showed a bit too much skin.

Definite Nos...

I tried on a bunch of bridesmaid dresses which could have been ordered in white...

None were show-stoppers, hence why they aren't wedding dresses...

Meh.

Truly unflattering up top!

After many, many wardrobe changes, I finally decided to try on the one that had caught my eye before hitting the dressing room. I hadn't picked it up because it was WAY over my budget, but I was lucky enough to have my Grandma Michelle offer to help me pay for it...

I really like this one...

Very comfortable...

Perfecto!

This is the one! Raise the roof!

Hooray!

Okay, so I didn't actually throw a bouquet, but it was fun to pretend!

The Jen Commandments

There are many reasons why Jen Lancaster is one of my favorite authors. The Jen Commandments are just a few of them. (My favorite is #8.)