And back to Lubbock I went...

A year ago today, I handed in my keys to my amazing apartment in Austin and gave Evan the keys to the U-Haul.   In a move most unexpected, I was heading back to Lubbock.

I acknowledge this day as an "anniversary" of sorts, because it was one of the toughest decisions I'd ever had to make.  My dream job was in Austin, my dream city, the place I'd planned on staying forever.  But in the end, Evan wasn't there.  So, after much debate and prayer and stress and cocktails to ease the pain -- I chose the man I love, over the city I love.

Cue eye-roll.

Let me just say, the move was less than fabulous.  I slammed my shin into the back of the U-Haul.  All I had left in the apartment was a frozen popsicle.

And a year later, I still have a hole in my leg from above injury. Yay!

But really, even though I had a great job to go to (better than the job I left!) it wasn't what our plans had been.  I remember agonizing over the thought, "what would my determined college self think of this?"  You know -- you're graduating, and you're calculating the years it will take to be the best in your business.  In my case, Diane Sawyer had about 6 years left in her.  

There's a quote I often see... "Sometimes on the way to a dream, you get lost and find a better one." I love that.  Because in just one year, we've lived so much.  For those who know the TV News business, you know it's a whole lot of work with very little pay.  Working every holiday, constantly researching what's going on in your community, and getting holiday "bonuses" of a grocery store gift card.  But we're on your favorite local cable channel! Oh, right. Too bad most starting reporters can't afford their own cable.

I digress.  I'm just happy that Evan and I made this decision together.  With this move, we were able to have the same work schedule, weekends off, and vacation time to play with and visit family. As crazy as it seemed at the time, I count my blessings every day -- even when I'm reading that Austin is once again topping the list of best cities to live/work/play. I mean, really!

So, I'm back in the market I started in.  Eh. But Lubbock has been good to us, and we're happy.  I think that deserves some recognition! And I may not be charging my way through newsrooms, but I'm happy showing up to the one in Lubbock every day.

Happy one year return to Lubbock anniversary, self!

You're welcome, Diane.

The Engagement Session

Lordy, I almost forgot I even had a blog.  I'm so sorry, dear readers... I have let you down.

But not today! I feel inspired! To write about what? I'm not sure.

Well, as many of you saw on Facebook, we recently took our engagement pictures.  Of course, since we're getting married in Austin, our photographer is in Austin. So in order to get these pictures taken, we needed to make a road trip.  And of course, the weather was not cooperating for said road trip.

We took it anyway.

First things first -- dinner and drinks with our hosts, Jordan & Michael.

What, we were thirsty! It's a long drive from Lubbock! And if you're ever in Austin, we definitely recommend Drink.Well.  Really, really good eats.

Now, for the main reason we were here. Engagement photos.  And the weather was still hinging on disaster.

We woke up Saturday morning to gray, overcast skies.  Now, keep in mind, one of the main reasons we chose our photographer was his ability to capture light and use it to create beautiful photographs.  So, uh... that wasn't going to happen.  BUT, no rain -- and no weekend in the near future to reschedule -- so we pressed our luck.

We met our photographer, Allen, just south of Lady Bird Lake to start. It was absurdly windy (we thought we LEFT Lubbock!) and dismal.  We took several pictures with the Austin skyline, and then things got mobile. We piled into Allen's van, and drove around until Allen felt inspired. Sounds odd, but so much fun.

Here are a few of my favorites:

That last one was during a (literally) 30-second break of clouds. Allen was so on it -- even got us to stop laughing when we just started shouting, "SHOOT, ALLEN! SHOOT!"

Quick outfit change in a hotel bathroom, and the adventure continued -- to a bar.  Photo shoot, plus happy hour? Let's do this more often!

So maybe it wasn't the dream engagement shoot that we imagined.  But we got plenty of photographs to cherish, and had a lot of fun doing it.

My advice? Trust your photographer.  Ours made a gray day look like we shot it on purpose.  Also, if it's windy -- don't wear a cardigan. Or a shirt with ruffles.  They just blow everywhere and look ridiculous in some of the pictures.  Fail on my part.

And bring your lipstick/blush in your back pocket! Mine wore off and I think I'm a little too "au natural" -- says the TV girl.  Blush and a teasing comb are two of my favorite things.

With the engagement session down, I guess it's time to get rolling on this whole "wedding session!" 9 months to go!

What's your experience with engagement photos? Any horror stories? Any things you'd do differently? Or was it everything you hoped and dreamed?

Shower the Mrs. Plunk-to-be with Presents.

My dear friend Cassandra is getting married May 26th, and the last weekend of April we got together and threw her one heck of a bridal shower.

I think I'm qualified to make that kind of statement, because a.) each of the bridesmaids lives in a different location, b.) we pulled it off via e-mail, and each taking on a different duty, c.) we had fun. I think the key here, was the fact that each of us had a talent. Thank goodness no one depended on me to make that thing pretty. Lord knows crafts are not my forte. (However, I CAN modge podge my way out of any predicament.) (It's a true gift, I know.)

I was in charge of the food, which we all know makes this size 2 healthy girl very happy.  Of course, I consulted Food Gawker like any good hostess should, and found some really awesome recipes.

Below is the spread, before I set out the quiche and artichoke dip. (You'll see their placement according to the labels... ha!)

I think the biggest successes were the artichoke dip, the blueberry loaf, and the Stuffed Baguettes. (And those were the three recipes requested after we ate, so I'll share them here!)

Here's the recipe for the DIP.  Note, I omitted the bacon and green onions. I thought it'd be too salty.  It was delicious.

My Lemon-Blueberry Loaf did not look like it does on this website. Mostly, because I'm an amateur. And I also think my blueberries weren't dry enough when I added them to the batter. So, keep that in mind. And don't judge my baking skills.

And the Stuffed Baguettes -- I think next time I'd add fewer sun-dried tomatoes. And make sure you get big baguettes! They're really hard to stuff if it's too narrow.  No fun at all. But really tasty.

Melissa was our punch girl. She made a really good Lemon-Blueberry mix that kept our purple theme going!

And yes, it "contained vodka." As all good punch should.

A little background, Cassandra and Melissa and I met in junior high.  Well, Melissa and I met in 4th grade when RISD carted us off one day a week to meet at Bowie for REACH -- but that's another story, another day.

THE POINT HERE IS, I really adore these girls.

The bridal party: Eileen (Cookie/favors duty), Kayli (Decorations), Bride Cassandra (Mimosa drinker), mastermind behind this extraordinary blog (food), and Melissa (drinks.)

Even each gift was purple. How convenient!

And just a cute shot of Cassandra opening presents.

Cute girl.

Eileen hand-crafted each cookie as party favors, and I'm so upset that I didn't get an up-close shot! They were so pretty.  Almost as pretty as these two.

After the shower we relaxed and did bridesmaid-y things... then laughed a lot around a couple of beers.

I don't think that weekend could've gone any better.

Wait -- no, I could've done without the lid of the cake blowing off in the parking lot after I picked it up from the bakery.  And I'm sure the drivers could've done without seeing me chasing after it in a dress and heels, in a panic.

I didn't drop the cake.

But I still could've done without that.

Otherwise, couldn't have gone better. :)

The One Year Mark

Today marks 365 days until our wedding.

But who's counting, right?

No real reason for this post, other than I am just celebrating the anniversary of one year until we can mark 4/6 as our anniversary. (You still with me?)

I am SO excited that we are finally within the year range. Of course, when we first got engaged I was on Pinterest/The Knot/ Style Me Pretty/ Wedding Gawker countless hours a day, dreaming up the most fantastic wedding possible. (But of course!) And then when you're all set to finalize the plans... you realize, you're still a year and four months away. Wah.

Well, NOW I'm feeling much better! Only 365 days! (Ha.)

I think I'll finally put together a wedding party. And maybe decide on colors? (This changes every day. Whoops.)

I know Evan is super excited. So excited, he stayed up all night playing Call of Duty and is now still in bed! He can hardly contain himself!

On another note -- we're heading to Austin next weekend to take our engagement pictures. So you know my plans for this weekend...

1.) Shop. (I obviously have nothing to wear in my closet full of clothes.)

2.) Whiten teeth. (We both really love coffee and red wine.)

3.) Color the roots. (What? I need to get my natural blonde back!)

4.) Lose 10 pounds. (Okay, that probably won't happen.)

Any advice on what to wear, how to pose, cute backdrops? I'm all ears!

365!

Picking a Photographer

Oy.

All I can really say is, I'm glad that's done. Picking the right photographer wasn't that "hard," nor was it a source of contention... it was just really overwhelming. There are a million photographers out there, all of them expensive, all of them (most of them?) talented. And since we were going in blind (planning a long-distance wedding, remember?) we were sifting through a few recommendations, and a whole lot of google searches.

My biggest fear going into this decision process, was getting images back and seeing something like this.

At the risk of sounding snooty, I do think Evan and I have a good idea of what makes good photography and what doesn't. I mean, we work in an industry where pictures tell the story. So why wouldn't we have great pictures telling OUR story?

That being said, photography is the one area where I really wasn't afraid to splurge. There are things on down the line that I have no problem pinching pennies on (flowers will die, that dress is worn ONCE) but this is how we will document our day... and most likely, remember it when it flies by too quickly. Obviously, we are working on a budget... and Annie Leibovitz denied my YouTube invite (okay, not really...) so we still took cost into consideration.

What I've found, is that many photographers have great packages these days. They'll include an engagement session, and/or bridals, and the biggest (most important!) is when they give you images on a disk with printing rights. This saves you so much in the long run.

Some of the shots we want most: (And here is where I want feedback to let us know what else!)

1.) Close-ups of the "I do's." I want to see Evan's face, not a far away glimpse!

2.) First kiss. (Obvi.)

3.) Tables at the reception so we can see everyone who came. (Suggestion from SIL Kelly!)

4.) First dance.

5.) Parents reactions.

Use of natural lighting was also really important to us. We're having an outdoor wedding, so let's use that to our advantage!

With the growth of digital technology, the creativity it's allowed photographers really does amaze me. As overwhelming as this whole thing was, I loved looking through every detail -- from ring shots, to decor, to the people. It was like an art enthusiast overload!

Eventually though, I couldn't decide for the life of me. I narrowed it down to five people I liked artistically, financially, and (via e-mails) personally. And it took Evan less than an hour to look over them and pick one, definitively. (All my over-thinking! All my laboring over every detail! And it takes him a matter of minutes?! Men.)

We talked to our guy on the phone, he seemed on top of it and organized (huge for me!) and we were sold. And I am relieved to have a big project checked off my list!

Big thanks to the write-up in Austin Monthly (and in turn my editor friend Madeline Hollern!) for leading us to him.

Now from all those already married -- what did you look for in your photographer? What are the pictures you thought most important, and maybe some others you wished you had? Would love all the advice!

Kicking Off the Engagement

Boy meets girl, boy buys ring, boy and girl are spoiled by friends... and we call this an "engagement party."

I'd love to shake the hand of whoever thought up the idea. Not only do we get a big party the day we actually say "I do," we get to party before then -- just because I said "yes!" And I'll be the first to tell you, a.) I love parties and b.) I love when it's all about me. Okay, kidding about the last part -- but seriously, engagement parties are so much fun. And we've been blessed enough to have TWO.

Our first celebration was back in February, when my parents threw an all-encompassing shindig that was part Evan & Julie, part my brother's 30th, and part my sweet niece's 1st Birthday.

Miss Meaghan Rose takes after her aunt, and loves being in front of the camera. (Ha!) Look at that precious face.

Evan and I actually took very few pictures during the party, and we don't have a single one of us together. Whoops. However, I did steal a few from my mom's Facebook. (Thanks, by the way!) It was awesome to have my high school friends together, plus two newbies to the Dallas area. (Andy & Lauren... ahem.)

Of course, there was cake. And our faces looked just as good ON it, as they did while eating it.

Fast forwarding to March, our dear friends Allison and Brian threw us a second ah-mazing party. Even better because it allowed them to show off their new house!

Here's Brian showing off the noshing spread...

The hostess is now my first "official" Bridesmaid!

And Brian is also the first "official" groomsman. Shaping up to be a pretty good lookin' wedding party, I must say.

The theme was "Stock the Bar" -- and our bar is certainly well stocked now. Ole!

I hope those who came brought things they like to drink because I have no idea how we are going to consume all of that before we die. So, consider this your invitation for some cocktails at the Musgrave/Onstot abode this summer!

Now that we've partied our little hearts out, I guess we'll get onto the actual wedding planning part... unless there's another party to be had out there?

Kidding.

Thank you Mom & Dad, Allison & Brian, and everyone who's been a part of our engagement in any way so far... your love and support mean the world to us. And THAT'S no joke.

Bear's Butt... Adventures in Parenting?

At the risk of completely humiliating our sweet dog, I feel compelled to tell the story of when Bear's butt ruptured. Okay, it was his anal glands... but still.

Evan and I were home on a Friday night, watching TV and taking it easy, when we noticed Bear seemed to be hopped up on something. He was frantic, couldn't sit down, and was licking EVERYTHING. (More so than he usually does... I know, that means it was A LOT.)

It was when we went to bed though that scared us. Bear had climbed onto his bed (I know, the new one) and Evan saw blood on it. So we took the dog into the bathroom -- I held his head, Evan peering into his rear -- and it was then, I knew our love was the real thing. I mean, we spent Friday night examining our dog's butt. His gross, something-is-wrong-with-me one.

So that night was a long one. Bear couldn't sleep, neither could I. So first thing Saturday morning we took him in to our wonderful vet. She informed us Bear's anal gland ruptured, and he'd need to spend the weekend with her for surgery.

It was so lonely! And I hated having to pick up everything I dropped while making dinner. Bear's the best kitchen helper. So I couldn't wait until we picked him up on Monday! But then...... we met the cone.

This is right when we got home. He seems pretty okay with his new accessory for now.

Although he knows something's up when Mom and Dad keep taking pictures of him.

Eating seemed to be his biggest challenge -- but it made for some comedic relief for us.

But after a few days -- this face started to break my heart. Somehow you just can't take a dog stuck in a cone seriously. Especially when he's begging to come back inside.

The worst part about this adventure, as many of you likely know, is that the cone itself smells so bad. It's like a smell radar -- he points that thing at you, and it zeroes in on your nostrils and makes you relish in the wretch. So we were DELIGHTED to take Bear back to the vet a week later and rid our house of that thing.

And don't you know, Bear is much happier with a bath and a new bandana. He's so GQ.

So that was an interesting, unexpected adventure. We're not big fans of the vet bill, but we certainly like when our dog feels ripe and ready to chase the garbage man in our backyard. And then use the bathroom free of any rupturing.

I know, gross.

Our family is healthy again! Cheers to that!