Hmmm...

This is what Fall means to me...

I get to watch football... and when I say watch football, I mean a LOT of football. Ryan is borderline obsessed. We watch all the college games. SEC, Big 10, whatever... Ryan doesn't care... he will watch it (and when I say he, I mean WE).

So that's been our weekends this month. Either head to Auburn to tailgate while watching football or we've been at home watching football. Sound exciting? I know, I know...

So far this season:

-I have decided that I really like Auburn's wide receiver coach, Trooper Taylor. He gets really fired up and I like that.
-I also really enjoy watching College Game Day... I like to see who they pick.
-I love that football season means seeing lots of friends down on The Plains.
-This season I've also decided I LOVE betting on games. I think I could have a little gambling streak in me. It makes the games so much more interesting. I mean, I don't bet millions of dollars... and I couldn't even tell you what it means "to cover the spread" but I can tell you I love to toss in ten bucks on a monkey board and hope for the best!! It just makes it fun!

At the end of the day Football Season really is a lot of fun. I love Auburn with my whole heart. I love the school, I love the football team, I love Aubie, I cried when they retired the last eagle and he made his final flight around the stadium. It's moment I'll have forever- as that Eagle soared above the crowd and we cheered Waaaaarrrrrr Eaaaaggggllllleeeeee... I glanced over at Deidra and we both had tears in our eyes. It was the Auburn v. Georgia weekend and I don't think the tears had anything to do with the Bourbon. I think it was just the love that I have in my heart for all things Auburn.

So who cares if I watch more football than one girl should have to endure because Fall means football season, and football season means it's time for some Auburn Football and that... that right there.... makes me happy!

A DIY Project

I decided to get crafty on us this past week. I wanted to ask my bridesmaid to be in the wedding  in a way that was fun and personal... You know, not just call them up and say, "Hey. Want to be in wedding?" So when I came across this idea on Once Wed, I knew I had to go with it.

The idea was to create paper dolls for each of the bridesmaid I planned on asking to be in the wedding. I made a "practice" set of three and thought to my self... That was so easy... Little did I know.

I have asked nine of my closest friends to be bridesmaids. I couldn't do less than that... and to be honest I could have added a few more. So when I began this DIY project I realized that I would have to make nine sets of nine paper dolls. Once I got the paper (which is a little thinner than poster board) measured and folded, I created a stencil and traced the shape of the doll on to the paper... When I attempted to cut through the folded paper I realized I was in trouble. The paper was too thick... so I could only cut a few at a time.

Finally, after several afternoons/nights of cutting the blank paper dolls I got them all done. Next came the dresses and hair. I hadn't really thought about the fact that I would have to cut out 81 dress and 81 hairs... and might I add that I customized the hair for each person:

Curly:

Blonde: (Deidra has a flower on her because she's the Maid of Honor)

Red Head:

and so forth.

It took me several nights and probably 30 man hours between my mom and I to get this little project completed.

With each set of paper dolls I include an an "invitation" (if you will) with an original poem, written by yours truly, asking for each person to be a part of my big day.

Click to enlarge to read the poem

I then bundled the paper dolls with the invitation, like so:

And off they went... It's been tough waiting to find out when everyone received them. It's hard for me to keep a secret, but I did it.

I hope that everyone loved getting this little surprise in the mail. I thought it was a neat way for each bridesmaid to learn that they were a part of the wedding and at the same time find out the entire wedding party.

A New Look

I'm loving the new look.. even if it is my own blog! My friend Katie Beth, so kindly agreed to design a new header and I'm totally digging it! (if you're reading this in Reader, click out and investigate the new design)

If any of you out there are need of an update... for a small fee maybe Katie Beth can work wonders for you as well. Who knows?

For all of you wondering why the name of my blog is "Stage Fright Jitters" check it out here.

Just checking in...

I have been m.i.a. for a a couple of weeks. I got engaged, shared the story, and left you all hanging. (because I know for sure you have all been just dying to know what's been going on)

I have been pretty busy. Between attempting to nail down a venue for the reception and deciding on a church, which everyone has an opinion about it's been pretty crazy.

Planning a wedding takes a lot of time. I can see how people get lost in it all. I am pretty sure we've decided on the venue for the rehearsal dinner as well as where the reception will take place. The church I would like to use has been booked and I've been penciled in with a local florist.

Now it's just a matter of defining a color scheme, finding THE dress, deciding on the food, working out the bridesmaids dresses... oh the list goes on and on... but I'm loving every minute of it.

To read a sweet post that Lacey over at Viva Las Lacey wrote about my engagement go here. (it kind of made my mom tear up)

In the mean time, mark you calendar for May 15, 2010. That's the big day!

Big News-

This past weekend, Ryan, asked me to marry him and I said YES!!



Saturday morning started out simple enough. We got up and got ready for the first Auburn football game of the season...everything was going as usual. Little did I know what Ryan really had in store for the day.

Upon arrival in Auburn, Ryan's sister, Ali, called and told him that we would need to meet her to pick up their brother's tickets. Well, this really overwhelmed me. We would have to walk all the way to Samford Hall, which was no where close to being on the way to our tailgate spot.

So I huffed and puffed- not really wanting to make the long haul. At one point, we passed my friend Katie Beth's tailgate and I insisted that I would stay there and wait on Ryan to pick up the tickets and return.

I know that he had to be thinking... this girl is such a handful...

He ended up persuading me to join him for the rest of the journey. Once we arrived at the area near Samford Hall where we were supposed to meet Ali, I insisted that we stand in the shade. I turned to look for Ali and when I turned back around to suggest calling her... Ryan was getting something out of his pocket...

I was confused... and then it all started to make sense... I was all Is this it? For real? Your really doing it?!! By that point, he was on his knee asking the big question, to which I gladly accepted!

Ali had time to catch up with us and snap a few pictures. People were cheering us on and ohhing and ahhing... I was eating it up.

I couldn't have asked for a more special moment. I was completely surprised and the ring is BEAUTIFUL!


A friend asked me if it felt odd for one of the "big" moments in life to have come and gone... and my answer to that is no- it's doesn't feel odd at all. It just feels right. Ryan couldn't have done better. I could not have asked for more. He surprised me and did it in way that is so Ryan- surrounded by people who love Auburn Football as much as we do!



The rest of the day consisited of us celebrating with friends and family. It was perfect.





Now... let the planning begin and eating cease (that goes for everyone... let's be skinny for the big day)!

My Celebrity Sightings

I am pretty obsessed with all things celebrity. I read US Weekly and People just about every week. I love knowing the latest trends, who's dating who, and even who's expecting a baby.

You can only imagine that I am always on the lookout for celebrities while traveling. I'm constantly thinking... Jessica Simpson could be in the airport right now, or maybe Bradley Cooper is on my flight. I realize that the chances are slim to none... but I always have a tiny bit of hope.

Two years ago I took a trip out to Steamboat, Colorado with my family. Before I left I joked with friends that I would probably see several celebrities, which I would harass for a picture (but in a cool... you're just [insert celebrity's name here] way).

Well, as the trip progressed, I hadn't even seen a person that looked vaguely familiar. Then we missed our flight home. It was a tough pill to swallow, as we would be stuck in the Denver Airport for several more hours. We decided to make the best of it and grab some food... and that's when it happened. I saw him out of the corner of my eye... scooting past us full speed.

It was this guy....



The dad from the TLC series, "Little People, Big World."

We harassed him for a picture and asked him how Amy and the kids were... and off he went.

That was my celebrity sighting. No, it wasn't Bradley Cooper or Jessica Simpson. But I've learned in life you take what you can get. I embraced it even.

Well, this past trip to Rhode Island... I hadn't even thought about seeing a celebrity.

I was just minding my own in Charlotte, NC, enjoying some pizza... when all of a sudden I see this guy:



I was all, Katie Beth, that is Wee Man. Are you kidding me? Wee Man from Jackass... right there. But it all happened so fast that he was gone before I could grab the camera for a picture with him.

It cracked me up... my second celebrity sighting in an airport... and it was my second celebrity little person.

On my next trip I am going to have my eyes peeled for this guy...



Because, at this point, why wouldn't I see Gary Coleman?


**My mom feels as though I should point out that this post was written prior to the passing of our dear little person Gary Coleman. My chances of running into him have deminished. RIP Gary.**

Rhode Island & Cape Cod Part 2

After getting ready we hit the road. Bound for Provincetown, Cape Cod (or better known, to the locals, as "P-town"). Libby's fiance, Lee, and his pal, Kev, joined us for this portion of the adventure.

We had roughly a two and a half hour drive to the very northern most tip of 'the cape'- which ironically, one would state that we ventured "down cape." Who knows why... something about the island of Cape Cod resembling an arm... and if the arm was fully extended Provincetown would be at the bottom of the arm... and northerners say we, southerners, have crazy ways!



We arrived in Provincetown around dusk. The sun had just set but I could tell that it was a very pretty town. Very New England, even. We checked in to our little hotel, which was right on the water and hit the town.





Now, I must explain. Provincetown is very similar to Key West, Florida in that they are both located at the very tip of a state and they both have a large number of homosexuals. (Can I say that? Please take no offense anyone... I'm just stating the facts here)

We began our night with dinner at Pepe's Wharf. A great little seafood place right on the water. Again, dinner was great. We feasted on Spinach and Artichoke Dip topped with fresh crab, Calamari, and Cajun Inspired Grilled Shrimp- it was delicious.



Dinner was great... but there was an entire town out there calling our names!! So we answered... in a big way.

I must admit for the sake of our fashion sense... that we didn't plan for the weather to be as cool as it was. We all had on cute summer dresses and were FREEZING... so we purchased sweatshirts to wear over our dresses. Don't be scared...



The town was really neat. Shops, art galleries, restaurants, and bars lined the main street. People were walking hand-in-hand enjoying the night. We decided to check out a few of the bars.. you know, just to dance, listen to some music, and enjoy our vacation!

The first place we checked out was the Black and White Bar. It wasn't too packed but fun all the same. We made friends with the bartender. He was loving us!! His name was Bobby. I'll have to check my phone because I saved his last name so that I could add him as a friend on facebook. That's how much Bobby loved us. (sometimes I think it's the accent that wins people over- they just assume we must be sweet and innocent) I have a picture of Bobby- but for the life of me I can't get the thing to upload... something must be wrong with it.

Bobby created this little fruity cocktail for us... I won't even begin to tell you what he called it... I'm too much of a lady for such as that.



After hanging out with Bobby for quite some time- he pointed us in the direction of our next stop- The Monkey Bar! This was a small, quaint Martini Bar (with only black lights) and the bartender here did not love us. It may have had something to do with us randomly singing the song "Redneck Woman." I have no idea why (because I despise that song) but we did.

(that's libby's fiance in the red head band)

We were too much for the crowd at The Monkey Bar so we decided to venture onward...

But where should we go? We weren't sure- so we asked an innocent bystander- Where's the party at? To which he simply replied, The A House- its a great dance club.

So off we went. Excited to dance the night away!

Upon arrival at the "A House" this is first bar you see:



and this is the crowd:



I will let you draw you own conclusion at this point....

One man came up to us and made the comment that we must be first timers... and we were. I guess we looked a bit out of place.

A few minutes after we arrived a contest began. This is who won:



No... not me! The one in all white. The one and only, Misssss CHI CHI!!! And yes, she is that tall. I'm not leaning down. She is probably seven feet tall.

I'll let you figure out what kind of contest it was...

We embraced the dance club and even made a few friends.




After dancing the night away... we headed over to a popular pizza joint for a late night snack. This is where we really got to know Chi Chi better- she is actually a school teacher when she's a he. She just comes out to 'P-town' for weekend getaways- in case you were wondering!

After pizza we headed back to the hotel for the night. It was an eventful evening, to say the least.

The next day was supposed to be a day to explore the town. I had really dwelled on taking pictures out at the lighthouse and even packed a "nautical themed" outfit for the photo shoot.





However, the weather didn't cooperate. It poured all day long. So we just had breakfast in P-town and headed back to Rhode Island.

Our trip was so much fun. I couldn't possibly cover it all in a couple of blog posts. We ate big, laughed til we cried, danced our butts off, and made it home all in one piece.




Thank you Libby and Lee for being such gracious hostess. I wish we could have made it to out to a lighthouse or even taken Bobby's advice and hit the Britney show in Boston- but hey, there's always next time.

Until then... we'll have the memories of Chi Chi and techno music.

Rhode Island & Cape Cod Part 1

Last Thursday my friend, Katie Beth, and I embarked on an adventure that landed us in Providence, Rhode Island. We even found the time to venture to Cape Cod for a night as well (but cape cod will be discussed in part 2).

The view of Newport, RI as we were flying in:

Look at all the sail boats... so pretty.



Libby is from Alabama but has moved north in order to be closer to her fiance, Lee. They were kind enough to host Katie Beth and myself for the weekend.

Libby & Lee's humble abode:



They live on the second level.

The trip was fast paced, as we packed in as much in as possible. I would have to say I enjoyed the food the most. Every single thing we ate was delicious. Every restaurant unique. Providence has two major culinary schools and many of the students stay in Providence and open restaurants after they have graduated from their culinary school of choice.

The first night we were there we ate at a little place called, Red Stripe. I enjoyed a gourmet grilled cheese- hard to explain but the restaurant is known for them- and the best tomato soup I've ever tasted.




On Friday we were up early ready to embrace the day (Katie would probably say we were up early because I'm an early riser- but I can't help it... I can't sleep late in unfamiliar places...)

We spent Friday venturing around Providence. We checked out a couple of the universities, hit up the coolest shops in town, and basically did the touristy stuff and sight seeing.



Brown University:



Just a few of the many shops we hit up...




The streets were lined with the cutest houses... It made for great scenery as we strolled along...


We also got to see the oldest Baptist Church in the United States. I would probably go to church there if I lived in Providence... so much history, man.



My favorite meal while on our trip was at a little restaurant called, Local 121. Supposedly, this restaurant uses only the freshest ingredients from local bakeries and markets within Providence. I had the scallops- and they were to die for.

We also had a few cocktails while out to lunch (which is always fun). I enjoyed the 121 Lemonade (it was really tart) and Katie Beth and Libby sipped on a "Unicorn"- so named because the ingredients were top secret.

After our late lunch at Local 121, shopping and sight seeing- Katie Beth, Libby and I made our way back to Libby's house to get ready for the next portion of our adventure. Stay tuned because part 2 should be really interesting...

Here's a sneak peak:

I'll just say that's Chi Chi's hand....