New Gig...

So I admit it, I really am awful at posting on this blog. There, I said it! I am not sure why I am so unmotivated to post here, but I am. I am though now a contributor to East Austinite, which is taking my writing time and witty comments. So if you are interested in the happenings in East Austin, you can find me here posting under Cassandra G. Otherwise, maybe one day I will get energize to write here as well.

Karaoke Fun!

So I have found my new favorite Happy Hour spot, the Highball! Last night, we had tickets to see the sold out showing of Eclipse at the Alamo. While we waited in high anticipation to view our eye candy, we deicided to meet next door for some drinks
Well, not only does the Highball have $2 pints, but they also have free karaoke rooms until 7! I have never been the one to sing karaoke as I know how awful my voice is and I freeze up in total embarrassment. I also knew I just had to suck it up and give it a try, and oh! What a try is was. We got pretty crazy in our little disco room, let me present:

MIA Paper Planes


Janice Joplin Bobby Magee


Murder on the Dance Floor


I think this was Britney Spears’ Slave


We also had a duet of ABBA’s Take a Chance on Me and closed it out with Cat Steven’s Peace Train. I am so going back.

So much better than Hamilton's Pool...

This weekend marked the 35th Birthday of a good friend and to celebrate, we did the usual Austin summer thing, went to a nearby swim spot to drink beer and soak in the sunshine. We packed up the "light" rolling cooler, Brodie, sweet tea vodka and started our journey. After picking up two more friends in for the trip and meeting the other truck in our carpool, we set off towards some private land out by Hamilton's Pool.

I was forewarned that there would be a hike, but I didn't really know what I was in for. After a very hot, very scratchy hike with a water snake spotting and wading hip deep in questionable pools of water, we arrived to our spot and boy was it worth it.The next few hours were spent cliff jumping (I did not partake) and floating on noodles. This is why I live in Austin and this is what makes the summer bearable.

And here they are...

Married Woman...

I am going to be shutting this blog down soon. I will post some of Nessa's photos once they are done but otherwise, my wedding blogging is over. You can still follow me on my other blog though: 1 Month, 1 Change where myself and some other ladies write about our experiences in improving our lives over the next year.

Photo Booth

Go here to look at the pictures, I am dying!! Too funny

Jillian, you salty siren…

So this is kind of off topic, but it does make my bones ache so I thought I would write about it. I have started Jill’s 30 Day Shred. For those who haven’t heard of it, Jillian Michaels is a trainer on the Biggest Loser and her workout DVD is popular on the bridal and spring break circuit. I am convinced that she is trying to kill me in 5 minute intervals.
I started it this week with my “break” days being yoga class. Her workout consists of at 3-2-1 plan, 3 minutes Strength, 2 minutes Cardio and 1 minute abs. You repeat this for 20 minutes and do a cool down, easy peasy right? I can do anything for 20 minutes. WRONG!! I can barely walk or sit down, my thighs are screaming in pain and it hurts to raise my arms. The worst part is the actual work out. After about 8 minutes I am huffing and puffing and after 12 I am yelling out loud like a body builder. I have had to banish Jason from the house during these workouts because he can’t stop giggling at my poor performance. The good news is, it is working! I am feeling stronger in just 1 week and a smidgen trimmer too. I plan on following this through at least until the wedding and maybe if I am motivated until the honeymoon in late April.

Getting Married in the Lone Star State...

So it is about that time to apply for our marriage license. Here is what I found out when getting hitched in Texas:

ID Requirement:
In Texas, you will need one valid form of id such as drivers license, certified copy of your birth certificate, U. S. passport, military ID card, and your Social Security number.

Waiting Period in Texas:
The 72 hours (3 days) waiting period in Texas can be waived for active duty military personnel.

Fees and Other Tests:
$71 cash, so don't leave home without it! The fees may vary from Texas county to county. Blood tests or medical examinations are not required in Texas.

Pre-marital Education:

In Texas, couples are encouraged to attend a premarital education course that is at least four hours duration. It must be finished during the year preceding applying for a marriage license. Contact the county clerk for a roster of area course providers.
Effective September 2008, the license fee will be waived if a couple takes an 8-hour premarital preparation course that covers important marital skills and issues such as conflict management and communication.

Miscellaneous:
The license is valid in Texas for 30 days.

Address:
5501 Airport Blvd. Austin, Texas

Registry info..

So I have been asked a few times about where we are registered, so here it is:

Target: www.target.com

Crate and Barrel:http://www.crateandbarrel.com/

Dillards: www.dillards.com

You can search under either Jason or myself to find out list.

Let Them Eat Cake…

Because we now have one, a cake that is! For those who know me well, know that I don’t eat cake, not a fan, crazy, I know but it is what it is. Now J on the other hand, you give him something made with butter and sugar and oh boy…is he happy. So this cake was a big deal to him. I have to give him props too, he found a baker with our budget, researched cakes to get ideas of what he wanted and set up the appointment for us last weekend. So now, through all his hard work, we have a lovely, Mexican vanilla 3-tiered cake with lavender ribbon and fresh flowers on top. Yes, there will be cake!

Side note...

So with a new year, brings new opportunities and a desire to become a better person. One of my girlfriends has really taken the lead on this and has started a blog, here is the concept:

The blog is called 1 Month, 1 Change and it is supposed to replace your yearly new years resolutions that never come to fruition. We will pick 1 theme a month and you will tailor your goal/resolution around that theme. Then through out the month you will blog about your progress, changes you see in yourself, how it is effecting your loved ones, etc. Then at the end of the month we will choose a new theme and so on. The goal is to hopefully keep these changes you have made going well into the next month and hopefully the next years.

I think this is a really great idea and couldn't wait to jump on board. The theme this month is Detox. I am going to detox from red wine and also clense my house of unused junk. Feel free to check out what others are doing and the progress we have made at: http://1month1change.blogspot.com/

Happy New Year!!

A little bling, bling…

Wedding band time! We are getting closer and closer to the wedding date and not having the bands is slowly seeping into my nervousness. For my engagement ring, we looked around Austin and I just could not find anything I really loved. A friend recommended a jeweler up in Irving, Texas. We went to visit him and I really loved the opportunity to design a custom ring. George is so helpful in explaining the different diamonds and process in buying a ring. I didn’t see the ring until Jason proposed and so we put a lot of faith that George knew what we wanted.



Now it is time to order the bands and we do not have the ability to go up to Irving again for another house visit. So in true form, we are sending George pictures of what we would like and hoping for the best. I really trust him and truly believe that he will come through. Fingers crossed!!

To do List...

I have to say, the To Do list is looking pretty good right now, which is crucial, considering ummm...a little holiday involving Santa is right around the corner. Right now we are working on:

1. Booking the honeymoon- we have narrowed it down to Hawaii or Portugal
2. J still needs to book the cake lady or not, I don't eat cake so this is his deal.
3. J needs to pick out tux, order it, get measured and let the guys know.
4. Order our wedding bands (this one is getting close, eek!)
5. I need to print out maps for the invitations, they are all here so I just need to assemble the invitations as well
6. Finish throw cones for ceremony, I am hoping Jason's mom might be able to help when we go to Lubbock for Christmas.

That is it!! Not so bad, we will see how much progress is made over the holidays. In theory, I think, sure I will have tons of time and work on all these projects. The reality, not so much.

Happy Holidays!

Photo time...

We had our engagement session a few weeks ago with our wonderful photographer, Nessa Kessinger. We chose Mandola’s Estate Vineyard for our location, mainly because this is a special place to us and we had wanted to originally get married here. The buildings are in Tuscan style with pretty gardens.


Nessa also found a barn on the property with lots of live oaks and open fields around it. This was a great location because with the sun setting, it made for some really beautiful, golden light. Here is a sneak peak of a few of the photos.



We were both kind of on the fence about getting engagement pictures taken. I am glad we did it though. We were both totally awkward in the beginning but were able to get used to being photographed. Also, I think I will be able to make a really beautiful guestbook with the photos.

Coming soon...

My mom was just in town for a quick trip. I really appreciate her visits here because I need to take the time to focus on the wedding planning. We get so much done in just a few days and of course, she is super organized, which I need.
This trip included a Michael's run. I have all the supplies for the Lavendar Cones for the ceremony, as well as some fun fake mustaches that I need to make for the photo booth. I have started the cones and they are turning out well. I will post pictures and my progress soon.

On bended knee...

The Hotel San Jose is a historic hotel in the South Congress area and will always be special to Jason and I, as this is where he proposed. He booked us a room here for our 4 year anniversary, which was an absolute delight for me since I have been to the bar plenty of times but never as an actually guest.

After a day at the pool, some sangria in bar and a romantic dinner at Enoteca, we came back to the San Jose to enjoy some champagne. This is when Jason surprised me with glass of the bubbly and the ring. His proposal was so sweet and heartfelt, it was a special moment that neither of us will ever forget.

Family Tree...

My Tree and Me designs and customized modern genealogy charts. I love this idea! I have already contacted them to see if they could build one starting with Jason and I and growing from there to include the rest of our families. If so, I will need to collect all the family information but I think it would be a great piece to remind us of where we started and where we came from.

Primizie engagement...

I am really late in this post, as the engagement party was about a month and a half ago, but I just got the pictures in and thought I should put up a few. My mom was so gracious in putting this party together for Jason and I. We had a very lovely brunch with family and some close friends. This was a really great get together to kick off the wedding festivities.


While my Mom’s last trip was filled with dress shopping, flower vendor and venue visits with this wonderful brunch, her visit next week will be much less glamorous with DIY projects, Michaels’ trips and addressing invitation envelopes. Maybe we will still be able to sneak in a few mimosa's.

Smile...

Jason and I are both very excited about working with our photographer, Nessa Kessinger. She is a transplant to Austin and was a recommendation from one of Jason’s moms clients. I love her romantic style and bold colors. We are trying now to schedule and brainstorm on our engagement pictures, which we will hopefully do this month. Here is some additional eye candy.

Driskill Hotel

The Driskill Hotel was built in 1886 and one of the oldest hotels in Austin. The location right down on 6th street gives it a prime spot. The bar is also pretty great and will make a great place to grab some post-wedding celebratory drinks.