Wedding Dress Shopping

About a week ago, me, Mom, Alex's mom Ronda, and my bff/bridesmaid Elizabeth went to David's Bridal to do some wedding dress shopping. I was so glad they could come with me to share that experience! I had an appointment and the girl that helped me was extremely helpful. They offered the slip and girdleish thing, and the girl would come bring me dresses and help me get into them, then I'd come out of the dressing room and show the dress out and get everyone's opinion. One weird thing was was that there was no mirror in the dressing room, so I didn't know what I was looking like before everyone saw me. Ronda told me that they were looking for the expression on my face to somewhat decide what kind of face they were going to make, and every time I came out of the dressing room I was looking for their facial expression to see what I thought about the dress. Anyways, I tried on dresses I'd been dying to trying on, and tried on some dresses that I would never have tried on. Some I would have never tried on I really really liked! I also did not at all love the dress I had been dying to try on. So, apparently, I knew nothing.  I left David's Bridal with some pictures of dresses, a dress I somewhat liked, and another dress that Mom, Ronda, and Elizabeth LOVED. I wasn't loving how form-fitting it was, so, I was ready to keep looking.

Friday night I had appointment #2. This time it was at Bedazzled in the Gastonia mall. I'd been there before, looked through a catalog they let me borrow, and only found two dresses I liked out of the entire catalog and they were well over my price range. I wasn't looking forward to my appointment, but thought it wouldn't hurt to try some more dresses on. Ronda wasn't able to go this time, so it was just me & Mom! Then my sweet friend Becky informed Facebook she was going to be bored that night because her hubby was ditching her for the high school football game. I just had to invite her to join us and I am so thankful she was able to come with us! The experience was a little different at first. I had to browse through racks of dresses in the clear plastic bags. It's really hard to tell what a wedding dress looks like inside a clear garment bag. But the lady that was helping us knew what I was looking for, or what I thought I was looking for {now} and knew what to pull from the racks. We took about five dresses to the dressing room I was willing to try on and began the fun! I didn't have the undergarments, and she didn't really help me get into the dresses as much, but nevertheless, she was extremely helpful! I tried on a random dress that I would have never ever ever tried on before, but thought what-the-heck, you only try wedding dresses on "once." I tried the dress on, hated it, and with some suggestions from the employee, some future alterations, and a blingy accessory, I was able to pick out THE dress!! I literally said it.. {they made me} say "YES TO THE DRESS!" haha

I can NOT wait to order it, get it, alter it, and WEAR it on OUR WEDDING DAY! :) It's the perfect dress for an outdoor backyard wedding by the lake in Spring!! Finding "the" dress makes me feel like this is really happening!! I get to marry my best friend in 209 days!! ♥

PS: My dress was the cheapest dress I had tried on! PERFECT for a bride on a budget! :) Love it!

What I'm Loving

I am loving...

My school I'm at and how nice & welcoming the staff have been to me.

The fact that the brakes on my car don't sound like straight up metal on metal anymore.

The weather outside! Cool, crisp mornings, 70something-degree weather on the way home that allows me to  roll the windows down, put my sungs on, & blast the radio on the backroads home! 

The fact that it took me 2 hours but I cuh-LEANED my car o-u-t! The inside of that thing's never been so clean! {The outside's still dirty, but, let's not talk about it.}

All things FALL ♥ 

The fact that my shows are coming soon! TV will take over my life in less than a month. {Thank God for DVR}

That me & my manski are working on improving physically and spiritually, together. ♥ 

That I realized if I run a little slower I can run longer. Who cares how fast I'm going? 

That my big 2-5 BIRTHDAY is in less than TWO weeks! It just hit me. September has gotten here too fast. 

That our mandatory all-day-on-a-Saturday training the day after my birthday was rescheduled. 

That my job offers a paid day off in your birthday month! My birthday's on a Friday and I opted to work on my birthday and take the following Monday off. Genius? I think so.

That I will be taking off the entire Thanksgiving AND Christmas holiday with the kiddos. That's what I get for not taking any vacay this year. :-)

That I'll have two months off next Summer. YES, I am LOVING that already.

Toms. I don't know why it's just now hitting me. But I have GOT to get a pair for my birthday. Now to figure out which pair...the black glittered ones {for those dressy slash casual days at work} or the burlap ones {great for fall}?!?!

The fact that I called Verizon today to ask why my iPhone's voicemail isn't working and the lady witnessed a glitch I was experiencing with my phone, transferred me to Tech Support, and the fab customer service rep said those seven magical words:  "We're just going to replace your iPhone." Apparently my phone cutting off EVERY time I try to talk on it isn't because I live in the boonedocks. It's because my phone's stupid. And iPhones aren't supposed to be stupid, they're supposed to be smart! And I am pretty excited about having a phone that works! 

What I'm hearing about the new iPhone 5 that I WILL be getting in December. Better start budgeting for that now... ;) 

And my new shampoo & conditioner that is working a MIRACLE on my hair and makes me smell like I just left the salon every day! 

I think that's it for now. I needed to remind myself of all I'm LOVING right now instead of harping on all the NON plans we have for this future wedding day of ours! :) Gotta love it! ;)