Our Engagement Party

Since Steve lives in Colorado and finding a free weekend for him to come home is near impossible, you can imagine just how hard it was to secure a date for an engagement party that worked for Steven, me, my family, his family and our wedding party...who all live out of town. We almost ruled the idea out all together but five months after our engagement in May, we finally found a date that worked for almost everyone! Celebrating such a huge life event with all the people we love most (minus a few key friends) was magical, and we will keep the memory of that night close to our hearts always.

The night was filled with laughter and love, along with good conversation, food and drinks! Steve loves Old Fashioneds and I'm a white wine fan myself, so our bar was stocked with a homemade, autumn-inspired sangria and a make-your-own Old Fashioned station! 

True to form, my momma created two gorgeous fall tablescapes that were just the right touch of rustic for the appetizer and buffet tables, and my aunt made the most delicious, amazing, beautiful, tasty, stunning, incredible (I could go on for days) spice and maple cake with salted caramel drizzle ever! She is so talented and we were all blown away. 

The party was the absolute best way to kick off the post-engagement, pre-wedding celebrations! We're so lucky to have all these people in our lives who love and support us. It's crazy to think that the next time everyone is together will be at the wedding! Only four and a half months away from the big day (cue panic attack)!!

A special thanks to my cute cousin Kelsea for being the photographer for the night! We forgot to get a picture of the whole wedding party because sometimes life is just like that ha!

Gotta Have My Girls

When we first got engaged, so many people asked me questions about what I had in mind for our wedding. What kind of dress, what colors, where it would be...all that wedding jazz that I should have but hadn't really considered yet for my own wedding. I didn't know how to respond without seeming uninterested. Sure I have hundreds--okay maybe thousands, who's counting--of pins on Pinterest with ideas I might like, but the only thing I knew for sure was who my bridesmaids were going to be... the girls who can make me laugh until I cry and know what I'm thinking with just one look. The girls who I would do anything for and I know they would do the same for me. Sooooo excited to have these 9 gals by my side!

So yay! One month after getting engaged and less than a year away from our wedding date, indecisive me made two whole decisions! (Now we have a lot more finalized and I can't wait to share!) The next step was coming up with a cute way to officially ask them to be my bridesmaids, a task that was harder than I expected. There were so many cute ideas but also a lot of interesting (trying to be nice) ones, let me tell you. Check out the weirdest one yet here.

I decided to go sweet + simple and give the gals a bottle of wine with a cute label! I created the wine labels online which was so fun to do. The original labels came off easily just by soaking them in water and baking soda. The labels went on nicely, but luckily I ordered a few extra labels because I put a few on slightly crooked...I'll blame that on watching the Bachelorette at the same time not my lack of craftiness haha!

I gave most of the bottles to the gals in person, but had to ship one across country. Apparently it's illegal to send alcohol in the mail--who knew?--so I had to tell a white lie at the post office and say that I was sending olive oil. I'll take two glasses of that olive oil, please ;)

This kind of wedding planning stuff is what I absolutely love, I'm so excited to do more of it!  Now that I have asked everyone, I can officially say that I will have the besssssst bridal party standing beside me on my wedding day!

xox

We're Getting Married!

This year is going to be the best year yet, so I'm dusting off the blog and coming back so I can write about all our fun times! I want to remember every single second and having it all on the blog will be such a great place to look back on it! Having the memory that I do and not being able to remember what I did yesterday, I know that I'll be grateful for it later ;)

So, first things first, I'll tell y'all about the best weekend of our lives. It was in every way perfect. While I've always known I was going to marry Steven, it still feels so crazy that it's actually happening! We couldn't be more excited about starting our life together, and we're overwhelmed by the love and support from our friends and family. 

I landed in Colorado on Thursday morning for the Air Force Academy Ring Dance. It's a huge celebration and tradition at the Academy where the junior cadets get their class rings and officially become seniors. Steven and his friends had been waiting for this night for three years, and they deserved it after all of the grueling hard work they have put in. It had been raining all week so we had spent the majority of our days prior praying that it wouldn't that night. As we were getting ready tere was thunder and lightening and it was pouring. But luckily the weather was on our side and right as we were headed out, the rain stopped and the sun started peaking through the clouds, talk about perfect timing!! The dinner and the dance were so much fun. I don't think I've ever seen a bigger smile on Steven's face than when he put that ring on his finger, and I'm so glad I got to share it with him! I couldn't be more proud of that guy. 

We headed up to a beautiful cabin in Breckenridge after the dance to celebrate with our friends for the weekend. The next day, we headed into town around 2. Breckenridge's Main Street is one of my favorites, aside from Park City's of course. It's so charming and pretty, and despite the fact that it was the end of May, it was lightly snowing most of the day. I had been expecting a proposal but I thought that it was going to be the weekend in April when I went to see him and pretty much begged him to tell me if he had the ring or not...I know that's not the traditional way of how it's supposed to go but I'm neurotic and hate surprises, luckily he still loves me. When there was no agenda to our day and we were just wandering around town, I thought that maybe he had something planned for that night or the next day. So, we went shopping and had a fun lunch with our friends and when it started getting late, we headed back to the car. 

The cutest stream runs through Main Street and as we were passing the snow started to fall. Steven suggested we go for a walk so I knew something was up...subtle, really...and when that happened I got so nervous. We walked down to the little stream and Steve said the sweetest words and then got down on his knee asked me to marry him. It was sweet, simple and perfect, and holy heck I can't wait to be his wife! 

We drove up to a trailhead afterward to look the most gorgeous view ever...I love Colorado! After that we dropped our friends off at the cabin and Steven took me out to a fancy dinner at Hearthstone. In jeans and Vans we didn't really fit in, but we couldn't have cared less because we were ecstatic. Before dinner we called our parents and family to share the news with them all, and we celebrated with our friends that night at the cabin to top off the best day ever! The fun continued the rest of the weekend too. We are so blessed to have such amazing people in our lives to share the excitement with! 

We started the wedding planning process and have a venue and date...more to come on all that fun wedding stuff! 

xox

New Year, New Blog

Happy (belated) New Year! 

I've prettied up the blog thanks to 17th Avenue Designs and am so excited about the new year. Y'all can look forward to recipes, fashion, home decor, DIYs, travel & all of my favorite moments of 2015! 

Follow my new blog at: http://haley--danielle.blogspot.com/
and check out my newest post; Fur, Darling 

XOX

Fur, Darling

My latest obsession -- fur vests + what better way to warm up this winter? 

I'd been looking for an affordable faux fur vest since I saw the cutest outfit with a fun fur vest on Pinterest in October. Right before Christmas I finally found one that I liked...at Target of all places! It's longer and because of the fur's color, matches with both brown and black. I've been flaunting that thing and have already worn it 4 times since I bought it. I was unsure of what to wear with it when I first got it, but now I kind of just throw it on with anything: from black pants and a black shirt, to a flannel + jeans + booties. It's the perfect accessory to fancy up an outfit! 

Here are a few affordable pieces I personally love -- where were they when I was looking earlier? 

1//2//3//4

Stay warm! XOX 

The Last Summer Night at the Pier

There is nothing better than the San Clemente Pier at dusk. It's one of my favorite places to watch the sunset in the summer. The city of San Clemente puts on a beach concert series every summer and when my family found out that a local reggae band was playing in late August, we headed down to the beach.

The weather was absolutely perfect. Tons of people enjoyed their night, hanging out on blankets and beach chairs down in the sand. The music was perfect for the atmosphere and the concert wrapped up right as the sun was setting. 

Usually, we go to the Fisherman for my mom's birthday every year in July. But, since we weren't all together this year we missed one of the best traditions! So, of course we had to head to the perfect sunset location for some dinner and dessert. The restaurant is the home of mudpie that is to die for. I wish I would have gotten a picture, the piece is huge! The entire night was the best way to wrap up an amazing summer! 

Cute lovebirds enjoying the sunset. It made me miss Steve but I was lucky enough to see him a few days later! 

Our view from dinner 

Love these people :) 

County Fair

Summer would not be summer without a trip to the county fair. My family and grandparents made our annual visit in July when Steven was home for leave. We had a blast!  

Our first stop was the farm animals. We saw baby goats, horses, pigs, and chicks. There are few things cuter than baby pigs, in my opinion. Then we grabbed our favorite treats, went on a ride and played a few classic fair games. My brother Braden was the only one not to win anything. We ended the night in the Carnival of Products, one of my favorite parts of the fair. It's aisles and aisles of weird and random products that you'll never need in life but are super fun to look at. It was one of my favorite nights at the fair! Steven has been gone during the last couple years while the fair is here so I was very happy that Steven was home to come with us. 

Dancin' to Dierks

We had a lot of things to celebrate with my family when Steven came home this summer. My brother and his sweet girlfriend Maddie graduating, my mom and dad's birthday, Steven and I being halfway done with college, the list goes on. When I saw that Dierks Bentley was playing about an hour from my hometown while Steve and I were in town, I bought everyone tickets as a little celebration gift.

It was the perfect summer night and we sat on the lawn with all the rowdy country fans. The openers, Chase Rice and then Chris Young, set the mood for the night with a couple love songs. Then, Dierks Bentley put on a great show for us and we sang the words to every song. I'm going to have to say that country concerts are a lot more fun when you get to dance with the guy you love. It was the best night and I'm so glad that I got to share it with some of my favorite people. 

Revamping the Blog

I'm looking for suggestions on a blog designer who can help me make my blog pretty again! Do any of y'all have any suggestions?! I'm looking for something simple and girly... please, please let me know if you know of anyone!!


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A Quick San Diego Trip

One good thing about Steven being on the baseball team is that he gets to travel all around the United States to play. This year he's been to Texas, North Carolina, Nebraska, South Dakota, and New Mexico to name a few. Luckily, during the season, he makes a couple trips out to California too when he plays San Diego State and Fresno State. Early in April the Falcons made their annual trip to San Diego and I was so excited to see my man!

I stayed with my friend, Katy, at her adorable apartment right across the street from the University of San Diego. It's a beautiful campus on top of a hill looking over the ocean and all of San Diego. We went out to a yummy pad thai dinner on Friday night and then I headed to Steven's baseball game with his family. After the game, we had a few hours with Steven so we tried to find a place where they could all eat dinner. San Diego goes to bed early so pretty much everything was closed by 9pm. We finally found an open restaurant where we could sit and talk. It was great catching up with his family and grandparents.

I drove Steven back to his hotel and we talked in the car for a while. It's always such a tease when I get to see him on these baseball weekends because we have so little time to actually be together. So, we always try to make the most out of the time we have. That night, I went back to Katy's and we went to a little party with some of her friends. It was fun to meet all the people that she talks about and spend time with her!

On Saturday, Steven had until 2:30 to hang out with us. We decided to go down to Mission Beach for brunch and to walk around. After brunch, we discovered a restaurant that has a wave house. A wavehouse is basically just a wave simulator. We convinced Steven to try it out. We had to wait until the next session so we walked around on the boardwalk and did a little shopping while waiting. Cheering him on while he was surfing was a blast.

Breakfast at Mission Beach! 

After we dropped Steven off for the game, I headed to UC San Diego where my family was. and where my brother Braden had his freshman orientation for the upcoming year. The campus is gorgeous, he's a lucky guy to get to go there! We went down to La Jolla for dinner that night and saw the cutest sea lions laying on the beach. It was great to be able to see my family for a little and I was sad to say goodbye!

B at his new school! 

After, I picked up Steven from his hotel after his game and then we met his family at dinner (2 nights, 4 dinners!). It was a bummer that his games were so late that weekend because it didn't leave us a lot of time at night to be able to visit with him. But, we made the best of it and I soaked up all the time I had with him.

The next morning I headed over to Steven's hotel to spend a little time with him and wish him luck  before his game. That luck must have worked because he played so well. Usually when I come to town, Steven doesn't have his best outings which leaves me to feel like a bit of a bad luck charm. Needless to say I was so happy that we finally broke our streak of me bringing the bad luck. My grandparents love Steven like he's their own grandson, so they and my great aunt and uncle came down to watch Steven's game too. I was so happy that I got to see them that weekend too!

My sweet grandma! 

After the game, we said goodbye to our families. It was nice to have just a few minutes just to ourselves to say goodbye. It's always a bittersweet goodbye. Thankful that we were able to be together, but sad that we're going back to being apart. Luckily, I got to see him last weekend when the Falcons headed to Fresno to take on Fresno State!

That's up next :)

A Break of Springs!

This break I spent a lot of time in the springs! Both Palm Springs, with two of my best friends and my mom, and Colorado Springs, with Steven. It was a perfect Spring Break.

Palm Springs was such a relaxing break after our winter quarter! It was so nice to just lay out by the pool and read a book for pure enjoyment. We didn't leave out spot at the pool the whole time except to do a little shopping and go out to dinner! 

The first night we were there, we went to Tommy Bahama's for dinner. We all split a few appetizers and it was so delicious! After, we walked around El Paseo and did a little window shopping. I loved that it was 9pm at night and we were able to walk around in summer clothes without being cold, my favorite kind of weather.

The next day, Kelsey's mom came to lounge around with us. We went out to dinner that night and walked around the River Walk. It was so cute! 

Th day I left for Colorado my mom, brother and I took a quick trip to Disneyland for lunch. Even at 20, I love that place! 

 That night, I headed off to Colorado to see my man. I hadn't seen him in over 2 months and I was so so so excited that I was going to get a whole 4 nights with him. That guy can really make me happy. I flew in late super late so I didn't get to see him until around 1am. And the next day, he had baseball practice so I hung out with one of the other baseball girlfriends and went shopping. We went on a super fun date that night and ate at the best steakhouse ever in downtown Colorado Springs. That night, we stayed up late and laughed and talked about the future. Some pretty fun stuff that we get to look forward to! 

The next morning we went to a super cute coffee house before his baseball game. It's the little things like this that make it fun to visit and feel like a normal not long distance couple. After the freezing baseball game that day, we went to a cute little diner for dinner. That night, I got my man hooked on bargain shopping for designer clothes. A favorite (sometimes unfortunate) hobby of mine. We got him a new pair of jeans, and 3 new shirts for way less than it would have been in a department store so he was pretty excited about that! That night we went back to the hotel cuddled up and watched American Hustle (well he watched it, I passed out about 20 minutes into the movie ;) ). 

At Steven's game the next day, I sat next to the cutest little girls who kept asking about Steven. They asked if he was going to take me out on a date that night and what we were going to do. They made the cold baseball game a lot more entertaining, that's for sure! Our last night, we shopped a little more (for me this time) and went out to dinner again. Steven bought me a new jumpsuit that is so cute and I'm so excited to wear! We went back to the hotel early so that we could talk and hang out before I had to leave super early the next morning. Saying goodbye wasn't so bad since I get to see him tomorrow actually! This time in a little warmer climate :) 

It was such a good weekend with him and I'm so lucky to have such a sweet guy in my life!