Archive for the ‘love’ Category

Happy 40th wedding anniversary Mr. & Mrs. Dial!

Monday, June 7th, 2010

Well, here they are, folks. The lovely people responsible for the amazing man I’m going to marry in 5 days. (!!!!!!!!)

This weekend was their 40th wedding anniversary. How wonderful! A surprise dinner celebration was planned for them Saturday night at Demos’ Steak & Spaghetti House – a Middle TN favorite.

With a divorce rate that seems to be increasing every year, it’s so refreshing and humbling to see strong, firm relationships that last. If you’ve ever met The Dials, you know what incredible, selfless individuals they are.

Charlie and Laura, I’m so thankful for you and your family. Philip is my best friend and I’m so looking forward to our future together.

These next 5 days are going to fly by. I just know it. I’ll do my best to keep you posted along the way! I have so much more I want to share!

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Posted in inspiration, love, reflection |

Hometown wedding of a long-time friend

Saturday, May 22nd, 2010

A few weekends ago, the weekend of the horrible Nashville flood actually, I went home (to Illinois) for the wedding reception of a dear friend (and fellow Rodan+Fields consultant), Mrs. Lindsey Henshaw-Atkins.

Lindsey is another friend with whom I have a long history. I can remember playground conversations in elementary school, (thinking there was a ghost haunting the house on a certain corner of where our playground was located,) field trips & bus rides, hot summer days cooling off in her pool, jealousy of her long-legged, rail-thin body that tanned so well (and my dissatisfaction at the time of my short-legged body that burned at the mere hint of sun), A.P. U.S. history class, hilarious lip sync contest rehearsals…and so much more. Linds, I’m so thankful for your friendship and am very excited for you, Neil and your new life together.

Here is the happy couple:

It was such a beautiful reception. Not only was it wonderful to watch Neil and Lindsey so obviously happy and in love, it was also refreshing to catch up with friends whom I hadn’t seen in years. (It was nearly a mini reunion of the HHS Class of ’03!)

Another long-time friend whom I was so happy to see and catch up with was Chelsea. Chels, Linds and I share many of the same fond memories. We all grew up together. Went to school together. Had sleepovers together. Spent summers together. Many of my childhood and teenage memories involve these three gals, so this was definitely a heartwarming night to remember. Here’s a photo of the three of us:

And here are Chelsea and I getting ready for the dollar dance:

:) Such a great evening. Close friends from childhood are so few and far between. Time passes. People grow up, move away and start new lives. So thankful to still be connected with these ladies.

I’m excited to share with you that there will be a baby Atkins making an arrival later this year. You can follow Lindsey’s adventure in (soon-to-be) motherhood by checking out her blog here. (Crap. I cannot find the link to her blog. Lindsey if you’re reading this…leave a comment here with the link & I’ll add it to this post…or put it on your FB info page…or text it…just get me the link somehow girl, so I can share it with my peeps here. :) ) As I mentioned earlier, Lindsey is also a Rodan+Fields consultant. You can check out her site by clicking here.

Also, Chelsea is an AMAZINGLY talented artist. (Seriously. Even the girl’s signature is gorgeous.) Check out her art website here and make sure you admire all the lovely beach lady portraits in her Etsy shop.

Alright, that’s all for today. Philip and I are spending time with my family, so I’ve got to run. I’ll be back tomorrow! :)

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Posted in inspiration, love, wedding |

Today’s thoughts on being a conscious bride…

Monday, January 4th, 2010

Today I finished reading “The Conscious Bride”. I’ll have a review/my lessons learned posted soon. Until then, here is my thought for the day.

I will be present and aware in the months, weeks, days, hours and moments throughout our engagement and wedding day. I will be true to myself and recognize my feelings and my emotions head-on as I prepare for our commitment.

Whether you’re a bride or a wife, you should read “The Conscious Bride”. You won’t be disappointed. I’m so glad I’ve read this during our planning. Stay tuned for more info! And thanks again to Liza of Maiden to Married for recommending!

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Ode to Philip #2 – Reasons why I adore my fiance (a never-ending series)

Saturday, January 2nd, 2010

Back in September I shared one of the many reasons I adore Philip. Here’s another!

#2 – He makes everything fun! I mean, come on. Look at that face. I died laughing when he tied that bow around his head while we were wrapping Christmas presents. He has a good poker face, eh?

wrapping-presents-nashville-wedding

I’m pretty sure we would even have fun cleaning toilets. :) Hehe.

Philip, you’ve brightened every day since we started dating over 2 years ago. Thank you for supporting my dreams and for always making me smile. I’m excited to be on this journey and share life with you.

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Posted in love |

I’m starting 2010 as a “conscious bride”

Friday, January 1st, 2010

Happy new year everyone! Welcome to 2010…the year I will become Mrs. Dial.

Wow. Exciting!

Knowing we’re halfway through our engagement, you probably think I’m all aflurry between guest lists, decoration ideas, dress fittings, jewelry hunting, etc. While I am working on a few of those things, I’m nowhere near “aflurry” or stressed – mainly due to the fact that I am a conscious bride.

What does that mean? It means that planning our wedding is more than never-ending checklists that involve flowers, table linens, invitations, etc. We’re planning the ceremony and celebration of our love and life-long commitment to each other. That’s what truly matters.

When I say I’m a conscious bride, it means that Philip and I have started our planning by visualizing our wedding day. We’ve talked about our values and why we’re getting married. In all of our planning decisions, we’re comparing our options with the goals/vision/values we’ve set for our big day. The media and the wedding industry often focus on the materialistic, tangible objects of the marriage…but rarely does anyone urge the bride and groom to focus on the internal, intangible items.

Based on a recommendation from bridal coach Liza Hippler of Maiden to Married, whom I met at the Franklin Bridal Ball last May, I just started reading a fantastic book titled “The Conscious Bride: Women Unveil Their True Feelings About Getting Hitched” by Sheryl Paul.

conscious-bride-nashville-wedding-becoming-mrs-dial

I can’t think of a more perfect way to start the year than by taking time to relax and enjoy this book. I’m about halfway through it and will keep you posted with final thoughts! Hope you’ve had a wonderful New Year’s Day!

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