showered

I don't know that I ever posted about my Fayetteville shower, which is a shame, because it was ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE!  This was my first shower and hosted by the sweetest women in Fayetteville.  It was during Mom's Weekend for Pi Phi so a lot of moms came with their daughters to shower Karl and I with sweet wishes and blessings.  It was at Maggie, Katie, & Kat's home- the food, decorations, friends, gifts... I can't even say enough about this shower!  They poured so much into the details- my love for bacon, key lime pie cupcakes, my wedding colors... y'all, I like can't even describe how amazing everything looked for this shower.  Aside from the decor and food, let me just address the guests- I felt so incredible overwhelmed with love and support!  For Pi Phis to take time away from their special weekend with their moms and families to come shower Karl & I, for nursing friends to pull themselves away from books and spend precious spare time with me and on me, for my roommates to put so much love and effort into supporting Karl & I, for my sisters/parents/cousin to drive so far, for moms of hostesses to spend their weekend helping their daughters prepare- it was one of the most incredible experiences!  I wish I were better with words and pictures so that I could more adequately describe how absolutely perfect it was.  Enjoy these few pictures of the sweet shower hosted by sweet sweet friends!

every floral arrangement was precious!  all around the house and outside, seriously the cutest things!

my mouth is literally watering right now.  food- to.die.for.

the sweetest treats!

I took so many of these and ate them for seriously like the entire week after the shower!  SOOOO delish!  Remember this post about my most favorite bakery in Fayetteville?  Well obvi my hostesses knew that and got my fave flavor from there, where one of my 'maids/hostesses worked!  And my 'mate wrote all the tags because she is oh-so-talented in the art/font department!

one of the DOZENS of wonderful gifts K & I got!  we have been working all week to get them all washed, put away, hung... you name it- this home is being filled with the most perfect things, most of which were gifted to us in the past few months; WHAT A BLESSING!!!

OK this picture isn't from the shower (it's from Mags' 22nd birthday and I know she'll kill me for it) BUT I didn't get a picture of these two together at my shower and I hate myself for it!  Maggie and her mom were so incredible and did so, so, so much work to make everything perfect!  These two have the gift of making people feel really, really special all the time and they certainly did that for me.  I'm so thankful for them.  Mary Jane made INCREDIBLE food for everyone getting ready at the church on our wedding day too.  It was so good and so above and beyond anything I could've ever imagined.  Blessed to have them in my life.

the wonderful hostesses!!  oh my gosh, so wonderful.  the most awesome friends, it couldn't have been better!!

I just really love this picture- Leah & her mom helped so much with everything, I know.  So thankful that Ms. Daniels came up and helped- just one of the many mom/daughter duos that came and blessed Karl and I!

so happy they were all there and thankful they all drove so far to come!

'mates for life. swear.

Well, there you have it!  I have so many more wedding-related posts to work on that I can't wait to share!  4 more daily blogs promised... I'm just training myself to be more diligent on posting!  Still to come- bridal luncheon!  Rehearsal dinner!  Park Springs shower!  Bachelorette party! and wedding inspiration! Woo wedding is over and it's a lot more fun to look back on it than it is to be in the midst of it.  amen.

Hannah BURTON

luna de miel

Or at least that's how FreeTranslation.com translated "honeymoon."  It was fantastic.  Like, as in, I was already mentally on the beach 3 weeks prior to our wedding, so, needless to say Karl & I couldn't wait to get there!  We went to Playa Mujeres in Mexico and I would go back in a heartbeat- it was pure luxury, relaxation, gorgeous... I could go on & on!  Karl got us this incredible room- the second story consisted of two outdoor beds and our own pool overlooking the resort on one end and then the ocean and marina on the other.  The food was to die for with more restaurants than we could even get to in our 5 nights there.  We ordered room service for breakfast every single day and had coffee delivered promptly at 8 every morning before our breakfast arrived- like seriously, incredible.  Our days consisted of lying under a palapa, only getting up for lunch or a quick dip in the ocean, because we had all of our drinks and snacks brought to us... ha.  One day we took a half day snorkel trip- super fun, and one day we took a ferry across to Isla Mujeres and rented a moped and rode around the island all day!  We maybe stumbled across a semi-nude beach that day... OK so here are just a few of the like hundreds of pictures from the trip!

Here we are waiting for our flight out!  We stayed at the Hyatt at DFW the night before we left and it was perfect- so easy to be right there and not have to deal with traffic or anything!

The grounds were beautiful!  This is the courtyard in the center of the building we were in!

This was our view from our front door/the back of the second story!  So, so incredible!!

I spent so much time reading, reading, reading!  Maggie is my go-to book girl and she didn't steer me wrong!  Little Bee was great as was One Day- I couldn't put them down the whole week!

Ha.  K & I just think this picture is funny.  We were on our way back to our room after dinner one night... he looks so dramatic, as do I.  Just being silly...

Pre-beach one morning

K is going to kill me for this.  I couldn't resist posting this picture of the immaculate blue sky and my super hunky husband.  Go ahead and drool.  I am.

The beginning of our super fun adventure on Isla Mujeres! 

the more enjoyable scenery on the nude-ish beach we rode the moped to

we came across this completely deserted beach on the side of the road.  it was totally beautiful and perfect!  K played in the water for a while and I just enjoyed how perfect it all was!  completely priceless memory with my brand new husband!

here we are on our own little beach, moped parked up on the cliff!

dinner was always SO good!  it was fun to get dressed up each night with Karl and go have a nice dinner!

we drank A LOT of drinks all week... the funny thing is that they were all virgin drinks.  the staff looked at us like we were crazy when we ordered everything without alcohol but we both thought it just tasted so much better!  so, here we are with our virgin Miami Vices!

like I said, room service breakfast every.single.day.

here we are right before we left!  horrible leaving! we can't wait to go back!!

I know I skipped to after the wedding... I just had those pictures on hand.  Only on day 3 of my week-long oath to post each day.  Never thought I would make it this far, did ya?

Until tomorrow, Hannah BURTON

totally bride

It's no secret wedding planning wasn't really my thing.  I am so Type A- I want it all done now, done just right, done by me... that doesn't really work when planning a big wedding with lots of details.  So, wedding stuff was just really either totally hated or totally loved by me, not a whole lot of in between.  When it came to actually being a bride, I LOVED every second of it!  The showers, the luncheon, dress shopping- THAT was totally my thing!  So, here's my TOTALLY BRIDE post!  Well, here's one of probably a few!

A while ago I posted after my bridal portraits... the day itself was kind of a disaster, including but not limited to forgetting my shoes, bra, & jewelry and the Laura Mercier makeup artist claiming I had never made an appointment with her.  Despite all of that, I am really, really happy with how my pictures came out!  Never a fan of solo shots, I'll bite the bullet and share a few of my faves... Kelli & Brendan Ahern did not disappoint!  I can't wait to see wedding pics!

Dress shopping was nothing but wonderful!  I started looking when we first got engaged but didn't make the big purchase until November, I think.  I first tried THE ONE on at one of the first boutiques I went to but just couldn't make myself take the plunge plus not all my sisters were with me at the time so I knew I couldn't make a final decision then!  THEN one weekend when Karl came home to conquer a bunch of wedding stuff with me, my whole family + Karl & I went to Addison for some errands, including a trip to Circle Park Bridal.  Karl & my dad killed time at a man store across the street while the 5 girls ventured inside.  Well, I saw the dress I had loved at one of the first places I had been to, tried it on, and we all loved it!  So there you have it... I knew it was perfect- it had the feel for the exact wedding I wanted- a little glamorous with a touch of beading and sparkles but vintage and sweet with the lace and tiers.  Karl didn't see it until our wedding day but getting his guesses as to what he thought it looked like beforehand was hilarious.

So, I'm apparently good for my word.  Until tomorrow.  You thought you could escape our wedding.  Ha.

Hannah BURTON

I'm BAAACKKKKK

The wedding is over, wedded bliss has begun, and I am bound and determined to update my few and faithful readers on a) the last 3 months that I have failed to blog about and b) more frequently over the coming months.

(Correction, K & I aren't actually still home in Arlington... I'm so bad.)  So, Karl & I are still in Arlington- packing, purchasing, spending gift cards (cha ching)- preparing to live a life in exile where the Target and Crate & Barrel names have never been spoken. I seriously feel like I'm shopping for the last time in my life, my mom has to frequently remind me that I can choose to take a day trip to access what I consider modern-day commodities. Ridiculous. We'll roll out of the grand state of Texas on Sunday, UHaul in tow, to make the 18ish hour drive to South Carolina... only for me to hop back on a plane next Saturday to be here in Arlington for Callie's wedding week... wowza. Want to visit crazy town USA? Come to The Cuppett's house- 2 weddings, 4 weeks.

I want to post about our whole wedding week but I think I'll take it one event at a time... Karl got home the weekend before our wedding. It was so so so wonderful to have him home! We immediately had to kick it into gear since he hasn't been here since December and get him pleasantly acquainted with all things wedding. We rushed his suit to be altered and then had a fantastic time at the couples shower my Aunt Sally & Aunt Suzie hosted for us- it was INCREDIBLE and such a huge blessing. We ate delicious food with sweet friends and family, laughed so hard it was sort of embarrassing at Karl's & my attempt at the newlywed/dating game, and were blessed by dozens of gifts to help start our home and begin our lives together- it couldn't have been better and I am so so so thankful to Suzie & Sally for the shower!

The details were so, so perfect!

We died laughing at our desperate attempt at "The Dating/Newlywed Game"

And were blessed beyond measure by tons of sweet things to fill our home, including but not limited to the cookbook my Gammy wrote that I have finally earned!

We enjoyed the company of so many sweet, sweet friends!

You'll be hearing from me tomorrow... swear I'm posting daily for the next 5 days.  SWEAR!

Hannah BURTON

thoughts on a friday night

Well, yesterday ended a big year for me, the year of 21. So, in honor of turning 22 I think a list is in order. I believe I'll write the highlights of my 21st year of life...

In no particular order...
Had my first alcoholic beverage
I graduated college
Passed the NCLEX
Became an engaged woman
Gained alumni status as a Pi Phi
Went on my first no parents trip (ahem, SBX)
Had my first night out on Dickson Street
Went back to Africa
Moved all my belongings in with a boy
Have my name on the title of a car

I should also acknowledge that tomorrow marks one year of being engaged. Holy Crap. I never ever ever thought that I would ever be engaged for an entire year. Now, I should first say that Karl knows me better than I know myself and proposed in the perfect timing; there is no way I could've ever planned the entire wedding AND actually hand crafted details during school, i.e. I couldn't be getting married any sooner than 3 weeks from now. BUTTTT my cousin, Lincoln, appropriately told me 3 years ago that being engaged for a full year was a horrible horrible thing... and it is. I should've listened to Lincoln. I am SO ready to be married to Karl.

Well, enough of that. So, happy 22nd to me and happy 1st birthday to that thing on my left ring finger.

Well, maybe I have & maybe I haven't

Some may say I've turned a corner. My sisters would probably just say they've gotten lucky the past 4 days. It appears as though the cycle of stress is on a downward slope as wedded bliss is rapidly approaching. In my bout of venue-less panic last week, a dozen or so church friends dared to step up to the plate and take a swing at helping to conquer my ever-growing to-do list of crafts and crap. They have been immensely helpful and my pile is getting smaller as is my level of stress and panic and consequently, my temper. Ha. So, although I still have a million things to do and need a ton of help, the help has arrived and, I believe, is surely here to stay until August 22nd. Then, my parents are on their own to pick up the pieces. hahaha, just kidding. But seriously, I wouldn't stick around if I were them. I booked Karl's one-way ticket to DFW today so I guess that means this is all really happening... well, the plane ticket plus the fact that our ceremony programs were printed today equal for real wedding. Wowzers. 32 days and then I can get off the crazy person train; you can thank me later. As for Callie, she still gets to ride that train for an additional 28 days after I do at which time I will just watch in awe. Poor girl. As for the rest of my sisters... they're all in shambles too. Maddie can't keep liquid in her mouth at dinner time as it just bubbles out and onto her shirt because she is so torn up over all things wedding. Emma resorted to taking a self-defense class in case things start to get physical at The Cuppett house. All I'm saying is only come over if you can defend yourself... and if you know how to tie bows.

sidenote: you may be wondering why I haven't had any pictures up lately. that would be related to the fact that I have worn only pajamas and no makeup for over 30 days in a row.

The Hills

Well, I thought since I use this blog as sort of a journal for myself I couldn't pass up an opportunity to document this life milestone. This year is huge: college graduation, getting my RN license, and the ending of The Hills era. Let me repeat that, The Hills ending marks the ending of an era. I know this is ridiculous but between that show and Laguna Beach, those shows have run throughout my high school and college days. I seriously felt emotional watching the series finale... although, Kristen, you going to "find yourself" in Europe will probably be some spin-off show in which case this post is going to be completely obsolete. I was quickly brought back down to reality and reminded how psycho this show is when I saw the ensem that Spencer wore when he "crashed" the aftershow party. OK, it's fine. I'm over it. Bye Hills, bye LC, Lo, Kristen, Brody (gag, tool bag), Audrina, Ryan Cab, Stephanie, Holly, and all you other barbies. Welcome to the real world.

Problem Solver.

So I'm finalizing our wedding programs and have found myself in a small quandary... what's new? This one I can solve. As I'm listing our wedding party and their relationship to Karl or myself, I'm noticing that the one phrase, "college friend of the bride," or "high school friend of the groom" just seriously minimizes these men & women that we have asked to stand beside us as we make the biggest commitment of our lives. So, I think I'm going to make the executive decision to nix it. I mean, there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with listing the relationship of the bride or groom to each member of the wedding party, BUT, I don't think I'm allowed to put, "Charis Anderson- Lifelong friend of the Bride, high school friend of the groom, college roommate to the bride, confidant, nursing school peer, and belly-dancing partner" on the program.

Just a thought on this delightful Friday afternoon spent with a TV tray in front of me for the past 8 hours as I type my life away on Microsoft Word...

Quicksand.

I am sinking. I am taking the NCLEX (aka the most important test I have EVER taken) in 24 hours, I just found out that my venue won't hold the number of guests we are expecting, and have had more emotional breakdowns today than I have in the past year combined. I thought my church would be an appropriate place to study today- as I need Jesus- so I went and plopped myself down in our quiet foyer, strategically positioned under a cross- haha- anyways, I watched as our pastor changed the marquee to read, "Choose Joy Everyday." I'm trying. Like, I am really trying. It's hard to "Choose Joy" when you are having to search for a new venue 5 weeks before your wedding, after invitations have been printed, rehearsal dinner location has been chosen, hotels have been booked... I mean, really, am I starring in a reality TV show that I don't know about? I legitimately feel like things happen to me and only me, like, who else would this series of events happen to? Oh, probably the girl that sets herself up for them. Anyways, here I am, studying my brains out for the NCLEX, hoping I pass so that I can actually use the degree that I worked my tail off for over the past 4 years, desperately wanting August 21st to be here so that this journey to the altar will be OVER, and getting really tired of people telling me that, "in 10 years you won't even remember," and "it's all going to be OK." Yeah, I know it's all going to be OK because I have faith and salvation in the God that makes it all OK... BUT that doesn't mean that this doesn't suck MAJORLY 100% ANNNND guess what? I AM GOING TO REMEMBER IT IN 10 YEARS and it's super sad if you don't remember your wedding day details 10 years after you painstakingly planned them. Well, I'm trying to choose joy. Maybe it will be easier to choose joy after my venue has been chosen, you know, that venue that I'm inviting over 400 guests to join me at in 5 weeks.

What am I doing?

On a separate note: I have been a horrible friend lately and totally neglectful of my sweet friends that I have long-owed a phone call to. I am desperate to catch up on life and am just praising the Lord that NCLEX will be over in less than a day so I can get back to life. So, please forgive my absence as less important things have been overgrowing my time the past few weeks, such as Marlene Hurst and her 27 hours of review video lectures.

PS- You know who at you know which venue: you are a miserable, miserable lying & deceptive man. I hope you never book another event in your life.

Excuse me, what?

So, mine & K's wedding is in 51 days... excuse me, what? I literally have the hugest butterflies in my stomach over everything that's left to do. I recently told someone that I could've gotten engaged last week and already have planned what I have planned over the past 11 months. I am a super-control freak, major Type A personality, and am just all tore up that I still have so much to do. Ha. Seriously, though. Anyways, bottom line is that with or without the details, I am getting married in 51 days and am just thrilled about that- thrilled to be married, to finally be with Karl for more than a week at a time, thrilled that planning will be over, thrilled that a week long Mexico vacay will be a matter of hours away. Ahhhh, sounds sweet.

I feel like a bad blogger for taking such long hiatus' in between posts so I thought I would try and snap out of my wedding planning funk and come up with a list on why my life doesn't suck as much as I usually think it does and why I am so happy it's July 1st...
-As previously mentioned, I'm getting married in 51 days= cra cra & awesome
-I get to see Karl in 45 more days
-My birthday is in 28 days
-My sweet cousin is expecting Baby Valin pretty much any day now and I am just so excited for him to get here
-My fave holiday is July 4th. I wear red shoes with white stars on them every year, once a year. Can't wait to put them on in 3 days.
-Well, thats about it. I should try harder on the list next time.

In other news: my life is no longer consumed 100% by wedding planning... it now shares 50% of its time with studying for state boards aka NCLEX. woof. I never thought I would wake up and have to choose between sending harassing emails to sub-standard vendors and sitting at the computer watching Marlene Hurst lecture on body systems for 27 hours. There's a first time for everything, huh?

Lastly: A quick and hopefully non-spoiling review of Eclipse... BEST.MOVIE.I.HAVE.EVER.SEEN.