Merry Christmas!!

Just a quick note to wish everyone a very, very merry Christmas! We had such a wonderful day, and are so blessed to have such amazing families! My parents have been here all week, so that is what we will blame for my lack of posting, despite my new laptop finally arriving!! Unfortunately though, Brian's parents were not with us today, but through the magic of web cams, it felt like we were all together! I will get pictures uploaded and post again soon , but for now, Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!! :)

No, we did not fall off the face of the earth..

I know, I know, you are thinking that I just might be the slacker of the century, but I promise, this hiatus has not been by choice. Unfortunately a few weeks ago my beloved HP laptop kicked the bucket (did this have anything to do with the bunk charger I have been using for the past year, well, yes maybe). I swear I go through computers faster than anyone I know. And while I could have marched right into our office and used Brian’s desktop OR laptop, we all know he is a bit of a computer snob, and the last time I used his desktop I unplugged something that caused lots and lots of damage to an external hard drive. Since I will probably never hear the end of that particular incident, I am now just plain scared to touch the thing. Trust me, the computers, turntables, and other DJ equipment are like his babies. If the apartment was burning down he would be hauling them down the stairs leaving Bella and I to fend for ourselves (just kidding Bri! But I know you would try to go back in to save your beloved toys!)

So I have been waiting very patiently for TEN whole days now for this beauty to ship:

That’s right, a brand spankin’ new, RED, Dell laptop. And Mum is getting a matching one (thank you Daddy-O for early x-mas presents!) But here I am, on my estimated shipping date, and my order status still says “In Production”. Turns out some upgraded part that I never understood, that Bri and Dad insisted I needed, is on backorder. This makes me a very sad girl, a sad girl sneaking to blog while at work. I will just have to continue to wait, but I promise as soon as that bad boy is delivered it will be back to our regularly scheduled blogging program.

It’s a MIRACLE!

Brian and I have been together for 4+ years now, and the first meal that I ever made for him was what we refer to as “Sydney Spaghetti”. The first time I made it for him was the first night I had ever met him, and we call it that because I was nervous and Sydney came over and really did most of the cooking. Now, I make it at least once a week.

But tonight, there was a miracle. I have taught Brian how to make this spectacular meal about a dozen times, but tonight HE MADE IT ALL BY HIMSELF. This may sound a little silly to some, but let me tell you, for the boy whose most extensive cooking includes tinfoil on a baking sheet with fish sticks or chicken tenders being put into the oven, this is a BIG deal. I couldn’t be more proud.

So I present Bri’s masterpiece, regardless of the fact that he probably only made it because in our house the rule is that one person cooks and the other cleans, and I really just think he is tired of cleaning, it was freakin’ delicious!

Yummmmmy!

saving the date??

Well, after quite a bit of blood, sweat, and tears (ok, maybe no blood, but there were definitely tears. What can I say I'm a dramatic gal sometimes!) our save the dates have been mailed! So I can only assume we might be having a few new visitors to our blog coming via our wedding website (briankatie.net)! So to our new guests, welcome!

I also wanted to point out that we are still fairly early in our crazy planning process. So even though some days I feel like I am making no progress at all, I really am doing wedding related things every single night (and poor Brian is still at least pretending to be interested in all the things I show him!) And while our wedding website is going to be a very useful tool, especially for guests that will be travelling, we are still limited as to what information we currently have. As we get closer to our big day, and especially once we get through the holidays, more information will be added! So please keep checking back, and hang with us as we try to sort through booking blocks in hotels, getting maps together, and arranging time lines. While I love this stuff, let's pray Brian doesn't loose his mind in the process! :)

Bella is obviously very excited about the wedding
planning, or maybe she just needs a nap..

sunday random pic

Who are these random people you ask? Well, if you know us at all, then you already know, but I would like to introduce everyone officially to our Maid of Honor, Rachel, and our Best Man, Luke! Alright, truth be told I'm getting bored with the random pictures of us, so why not introduce some of our best friends? :)

Ironically, this picture was taken before Bri and I even knew eachother. Rachel and I were roommates freshman year, and sorority sisters of course, and I knew Luke becasue he was in a fraternity we hung out with a lot. So this was the homecoming tailgate that Luke and I were put in charge of about a week before and managed to pull of. Good times and fun memories!

Have a fabulous week everyone! Maybe I will have enough time to sit down and write a real live blog entry!

sunday random pic

Well for a change, Brian picked the random pic this week! I was trying to figure out what I wanted to post today when he volunteered to choose under one condition.. I couldn't veto the picture, so here it is! A very embarrassing, unflattering picture of the both of us that makes us laugh every time we see it. This was taken at a Red Sox game, but to be honest I couldn't even begin to tell you which one. The reason is because every game we go to, we end up with pictures just like this one. Actually it doesn't matter what we do, we end up with pictures like this. We are just very strange people. There is no denying it anymore. :)

Have a fun week everyone!

O. M. G.!!!!!

Until our wedding!!!

I can't believe it. Everyone told me when we got engaged that it would be here in no time and I didn't believe them until now. Man, how time has flown! And I couldn't be more excited about it! :D

i heart election day!

I can’t even begin to explain how excited I am about this election. I was raised in a very political family, and while I choose not to discuss my beliefs and voting choices with very many people now, I admit the election coverage sucks me in every time.

Brian and I both proudly voted today. We were super lucky and got in and out in about 15 minutes. I’ve heard people in Richmond we waiting for 3+ hours! This is such an exciting time in history, and I am so proud to say I was part of it! If you are looking for us tonight, you can find us parked out in front of the TV, we got some yummy local pizza for dinner and are having our very own little election party. Bella doesn't seem to be as excited about the whole thing as we are, but I can assure you we will be up all night or at least until all the states have been called!

Us after voting this morning, Brian obviously still a bit sleepy,
and me very excited about my sticker!

my super talented bro..

As long as I can remember my brother has been an artist. We used to set up lemonade stands with a side of hand drawn portraits for a mere buck, I stirred and poured, while he drew his little heart out. And these were no silly stick figures, they were full blown works of art. The only thing I had on my side was that I brought in more customers, the lemonade was cheaper after all. He started taking private lessons when we were very young, and when I was old enough I did as well. Unfortunately my stick figures just were no comparison, and I was doomed to disappoint every art teacher who hoped I shared his talents.

Regardless, recently there was a picture posted here, and multiple other places on the web, that got a lot of attention from friends and family. The picture was of a painting my brother did of little old Bella! This is actually the third in a series that he has done for Brian and I. The paintings are amazing, he calls them the "Eye Paintings" and has recently started to do them on commission. I am posting all of the ones I have pictures of here (please excuse the terrible picture quality of some of the paintings, most were taken on camera phones, as well as the example picture he did it from. If anyone is interested, please let me know, leave a comment or shoot me an email here and I will pass your information on to him!


Baby Bella again, he made her hair look longer, more like her,
since this picture was shortly after she had to be shaved down.

Me, this was done almost 5 years ago.

Brian, although I am pretty sure this is not the
picture it was done from, you get the idea.

Mummy, this was done off of her college graduation picture.

Sydney, the most recent. This was given to her as a
gift for graduating nursing school! Congrats Syd!!


And as the bragging gal that I am, I am going to post some of his other art as well. I have some other things hanging in my apartment as well, but these are a few of my favs.






And one last thing.. Don't forget to VOTE tomorrow! No matter who you are supporting, make sure your voice is heard!!

sunday random pic

This is the very first picture of Bri and I! I can't believe this was taken over FOUR years ago, how times flies!! Ahem, please ignore that vodka bottle in the background, this was during my "fratting" days and we were on our way to a highlighter party. Classy first dates we had, let me tell ya!
Hope everyone has a wonderful week!

happy halloween!!

Can you guess what Bella is dressed up as this year?

She's ME!!! Didn't the pink hoodie and diamond on her left hand give it away?! Ok, maybe this isn't my most original idea ever, but I have been sick for a week now, so all of my motivation has gone completely out the window. But she looks cute just the same! And since I have been so sick our Halloween plans are now pretty much limited to the couch in our living room.

In better news though, I just wanted to give a HUGE

CONGRATULATIONS
TO JESSICA & CHRIS!
One of my oldest friends and her husband found out today that they are having a baby GIRL!! Yaaayy!! I have know Jessica since middle school, and was there when she and Chris got together in English class back in high school. I have had the pleasure of watching them grow as a couple, get married, and finally get ready to welcome their first child! I know they will both be great parents, and Jessica will be a wonderful, beautiful mother! So congrats guys, we love you and can't wait to meet your little gal!!
Bella wanted to say Congrats too, even if she's got her mean mug on..

sunday random pic

Ok, so it's not completely random at all.. but whatever it's my blog and I do what I want! On to more important things...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRIAN!!

That's right, Bri officially is super duper old man today. It's the big TWO-SIX people. And even though Bella is looking miserable in this picture, she really is just as excited about the birthday celebration as we are. Her photo shoots are rough these days, she won't sit still to save her life, and by the time I got this picture even the treats we were bribing her with were starting to bore her. And right after this she tried to eat the signage, so sleepy face was the best of the bunch. I also will not be posting pictures of the fabulous cupcakes I made in honor of Brian's old age. Not only did he start eating them immediately after the icing went on, but the red icing needed more food coloring then I thought to be the right shade, so it ended up being a little runny, and not really photograph material. Hey, even Martha has her mess ups! At least that is what I tell myself..

Hope everyone has a wonderful week!! Love love love!!

Just call me Martha Stewart!

Or maybe just a wanna-be. But this is what I did this week...


Bridesmaid Shanny wasn't feeling so good :( Pink cupcakes will cheer anyone up!

It was my coworker Tracy's Birthday. I was in the Halloween spirit!

Brian has also requested cupcakes for his birthday on Sunday. I have big plans for the boy who likes icing :D

Did I mention Brian and I will be celebrating our very first Thanksgiving together this year? We have spent it together before of course, but this one is OURS, all alone, our very own turkey and all. So this is my bible to help me pull it all off:

SURPRISE!!!

We are engaged!! Well, you already knew that of course, it's really old news these days, but we did get to officially celebate with a surprise engagement party recently thrown by my parents! Granted this all went down two weekends ago now, but I have finally suckered everyone into sending me the pictures (surprise means I didn’t know I needed to have my camera with me). And despite the fact that most of the pictures are not so hot I will still share them with you all anyway.

I must say though, we were really VERY surprised. There are no pictures of our shocked faces though, because when we walked in, and I looked around the wall into the dining room of the restaurant, I saw my brother, realized what was going on and proceeded to hide. Behind the wall, and then again behind Brian. I don’t know why, I was just so shocked, and momentarily confused, I guess I didn’t know what else to do with myself. We were just supposed to have dinner with Dawn (my sorority big sis and bridesmaid) and her boyfriend Paul, and there were both Brian’s parents, and mine, and half of our wedding party! Shocked doesn’t cover it. We were AMAZED that they were able to pull such a thing off!

Not only was the party fantastic, but then we got to follow it up with a wonderful weekend with BOTH of our parents here. We took Brian’s parents to see the Jefferson and the cathedral, both of which they had never been to, and since my dress came in a few weeks ago, both mothers got to come with me when I tried it on for the first time! My dad was gone for almost all of Saturday to Northern Virginia to play in his yearly Texas Hold ‘Em tournament, and for those who have not had the pleasure of hearing him brag, he was the reigning champion from last year. He walked away with a flat screen HD television this year, and we all anxiously waited to hear what he might end up with this time! He made it pretty far, but only ended up with 6th place, and not nearly as great of a prize, but he still beat his entire regular poker group, so it’s still bragging rights just the same!
Enough of my blabbering and on to the pictures!

Our present from my talented bro.. it's Bella!!

My beautiful girls, missing a few who were very missed!

Goobers. Luke and brother.

Me & Mummy :)

My fam!

My NEW fam!

Once again we were reminded how lucky, and blessed we are to have such wonderful family and friends. Thank you all for such a wonderful party and a fantastic weekend!

Wonderful News!

Well it has been quite busy in our house the past few weeks (yes, I realize I am making it a habit of typing an excuse as to why I haven’t posted in so long when I start EVERY post..)

But there is good reason for this! Brian started his new job!! He is official a General Care Representative at the T-Mobile call center here in Richmond! I can’t tell you how lucky he is to have landed this position. We know from my experience already that T-Mobile is a fabulous company to work for, great benefits, great pay, and vacation time (YAY!), so when the SunCom call center was bought out by T-Mobile it only made sense for him to apply, especially because the building is literally right next to our house! He has walked to and from work every day, and even come home to visit Bella for his lunch break (hello less gas money!) so it has really worked out well. He will be in training for the first 8 weeks, but so far so good!


Since we are both loyal employees maybe they will let us borrow this for the honeymoon???!!



I have also been fairly busy with work, and my wedding obsession is growing still! We actually celebrated our pre-wedding 13 month anniversary! It is hard to believe we only have 13 months to go, it seems like just the other day everyone was telling me I had plenty of time – we were still 22 months out when we got engaged! Well time sure has flown by! I have accomplished quite a bit, although some days I feel more like I am planning to plan instead of actually doing things. Some things I have done though:
- Booked the church (Richmond’s Sacred Heart Cathedral)
- Booked the reception site (The Jefferson Hotel!!)
- Picked out and purchased THE DRESS!!
- Picked out and purchased bridesmaid dresses
- Ordered Save-the-Dates (which are still being assembled and will be going out shortly)
- Picked out invitations and a calligrapher
- Planned about a million DIY projects!

The Jefferson Hotel, becasue, well its just beautiful!

Looking at it in a list like that I realize it does not look like much. But I swear it is! The details I am getting together keep my up at night and make me very excited and finally Brian also seems to be getting in on the excitement, instead of just seeming bored with looking at different flower options. I’m pretty sure the tastings will still be the best part of planning for him!

I also had a chance to visit with an old coworker of mine last week. It was just a quick lunch, but it was long overdue. I have known Kristy and her husband Rick for a few years now, went to their wedding, got to visit their first daughter Olivia in the hospital right after she was born, and now am happy to say they are expecting their second child! They are such a wonderful couple and really deserve all the happiness in the world! The reason I mention this is just because I HAD to post this picture… isn’t she the CUTEST!!


I hope everyone is well! Have a great weekend!!

A week of remembrance..

Granted, I am late, but really is anyone surprised? This last week has been a tough one, a week that I generally dread every year, and get through slowly with lots of tears.

Just like most other Americans, Brian and I spent some time on September 11th remembering where we were and what we were doing when we heard about the attacks on our country seven years ago. He was getting ready to go to class at JCC, and I was walking into a computer lab in high school. It always surprises me to share these stories with people who were not in a closer area to the attack, the way my family and I were. Brian, and other friends who were not as close to DC as I was were all of course devastated, but looking back, I can really remember an all out fear. After the attack on the Pentagon, and watching reactions of students in my school whose parents worked there, followed by my frantic phone calls to find where my dad was, and the evacuation of all major buildings near me, I look back and remember being down right scared. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families whose hearts remain heavy this year as they remember their lost loved ones.

As for my own particularly heavy heart this week, that comes mainly from the anniversary of the loss of my sorority sister, and good friend Mary Elizabeth Brooks. This September 13th was the second anniversary of losing MEB to leukemia. I was honored to know such an amazing human being, and while I doubt that I will ever understand why such a strong, and beautiful human being was taken from us so soon, I try to continue to remember how blessed I was to have her in my life, if only for a short while.

So I apologize for my lack of posting, and I promise I will write again soon. Hopefully with a better outlook and maybe even a wedding update (because yes, I am becoming obsessed!!) With that being said, I would like to send our love to all of you (maybe only two or three of you! Ha!) who read this. We love you all and after such a week we are definitely counting our blessings and realizing our wonderful friends and families top that list!!

Not much new..

Well it’s been busy here at our house recently. I am still running around like a chicken with my head cut off between school and work, and Brian is still waiting (very impatiently at this point) to start work. We still have our fingers crossed, and hopefully everything will be settled by the end of the week.

I have also seemed to throw myself into wedding planning full force. I’m not sure what kicked in, but it’s almost like I woke up one morning and decided I needed to get to it! So I have been scouring the internet and pouring over all the magazines again for ideas and inspiration, and as a designer at heart I have decided to do this all myself, and make our big day as unique and fabulous as possible. Brian has been hanging in there with me, listening to my ideas and thoughts and at least pretending to be interested!! Also, today I got the phone call that my wedding dress has come in!! Obviously they will be holding it until I need to get alterations and things done, but they did say I could go visit it if I would like! As always, if anyone in interested in more wedding details, our wedding website can be found here, and will be updated as more details become available. :]

Recipe: Monkey Munch!!

Unfortunately I have spent the last few days at home sick with an upper respiratory infection, and to be quite honest, after three days I am definitely over it and ready to be back to work and normal life! This little sickness has worked out very well for Brian though, not only have I been home so he has gotten to enjoy my company (ha! We all know how pleasant I can be when I’m feeling sick) but I am also starting to go stir crazy and have been looking for ways to entertain myself. So what else would I do? Cook!! So after my trip to the Doctor today, I ran over to the grocery store and got all the ingredients for Monkey Much!

Any fan of TLC’s ‘Jon and Kate plus 8’ has heard of this fabulous treat. It is a wonderful chocolatey take on Chex mix. It is incredibly addicting and delicious so I thought I would share the recipe.

Monkey Munch

Ingredients
9 cups Chex cereal (any variety)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Directions
1. Put Chex in a large bowl and put aside.
2. Place chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter into a quart-sized microwavable bowl.
3. Stir the ingredients together.
4. Microwave the mixture uncovered for a minute on high. Stir the mix again and continue to zap in thirty second intervals until it mixes smoothly.
5. Add the vanilla and stir.
6. Put combination into a 2-gallon, Ziploc freezer bag.
7. Add powdered sugar, seal the bag and shake until distributed.
8. Spread Monkey Munch out on wax paper to cool and dry.
9. Keep refrigerated in an airtight container for storage.

recipe courtesy of RecipeZaar.


I hope everyone enjoys this as much as we do! With Brian being such a picky eater, I tend to have to search for interesting things to cook for us, not just deserts but dinners as well. I am going to start putting up some of our better recipes to share with everyone. I figure if Brian likes it, someone else might as well!!

Enjoy!

vacation's over :[

I know it has been WAY too long since we updated but at least I have nothing but good news for this post! First and foremost, Bella is doing fabulously! She got quite the haircut after the stitches came out, and despite the fact that we thought she was very naked looking at first, the short ‘do is growing on us every day.


In the past few weeks we have been a very busy little family! Brian’s hunt for a new job will hopefully be coming to an end soon (not to jinx anything of course, so I will post more details as we get them), and despite the interviews we even got a vacation in!

I spent the weekend of the 16th down in Cape Charles to see Erin and Rick get married. I drove down with Rachel and Meredith and stayed with them and Shannon in a gorgeous suit for the weekend and got to see one of the prettiest ceremonies I have ever witnessed. The newlyweds said their “I dos” at sunset on the beach and I seriously doubt their was a dry eye anywhere on the beach. We spent the night at their reception dancing away like we were freshman all over again! They couldn’t have had better weather or a more perfect day and the bride was stunning, in her Oakley shades of course!

The last SINGLE 3/4 picture!

Meredith, Rachel, and I..

Perfect!!


After a weekend with the girls Brian, Bella, and I all got in the car and drove to visit Mum and Dad in Massachusetts (finally!!) and what a trip it was! Even though we hit more traffic then we have ever seen before, both ways, it was definitely worth it. The first day we helped Mum unpack and organize the basement, and then headed to Weymouth to visit Nana and everyone there. Courtney (the best Junior Bridesmaid EVER) came back to Scituate to spend a few nights with us, and we got the chance to hang out on the beach, which was by far my favorite part of the trip!

Bella in her car seat on the way up!

Mum and Courtney (& her fabulous straight hair!!) at dinner.

The Beach!!

The water was cold for Bri!


Hands down Brian’s favorite part of the whole week was probably our drive up to New Hampshire. He has been talking about going to the arcade, Fun Spot, for practically ever now, so we took the drive up for the afternoon. Fun Spot is the largest arcade in the world and was featured in the movie "The King of Kong: A Fist Full of Quarters", basically if you want to set a world record for video games, this is the place you HAVE to do it. Brian played every game he could get his hands on, but I stuck with Tetris, and walked out with not one, but THREE high scores. And yes, I am very proud of myself!!

Welcome to Fun Spot! Yes, it is THREE floors..

Tetris Champ!!

Bri and the famous Donkey Kong machine!!


We regretfully did have to end our vacation, but we did get to spend our last day at a cookout with almost my entire family! Good food, good drinks, and a GREAT family are definitely the BEST way to end a wonderful vacation.

Backyard view..

View from the deck.

One of my beautiful bridesmaids!!

Wonderful fam :)


Now though, it’s back to the real world. School is starting back for me, so my summer is definitely over. I will try to update more, and please keep your fingers crossed for Brian’s new job!!

We Are Radar Free!!

That’s right! Our pup is no longer running around with a satellite dish around her head! We got the ok to take the crazy hood off at her vet visit yesterday. She also had all of her stitches taken out, and the Doctor was very impressed with how well she was recovering. Every time we are there they tell us how impressed they are that she has recovered so well, and so quickly! Now it’s just a matter of getting her to her grooming appointment tomorrow morning. She was originally scheduled for her regular appointment the weekend after her original accident over a month ago, so you can only imagine how long and matted her hair is now! She is a downright mess! I will post pictures tomorrow of her makeover, it should be amusing since I am sure she will have to be shaved pretty short!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUM!!

Don't let her fool you! Even though she looks slightly miserable, she is really just waiting for a treat! Normally she does very well with photo shoots, but it must be her satellite dish that makes her a little less interested in the camera these days.

But regardless, HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY MUMMY!! I am feeling a little sad today, I think this is the first time I was not about to spend the day with her or at least see her around the time of her big day. But Mum, you are in our thoughts today and Bella can't wait to come see Gemma at her new house next month!! WE LOVE YOU!!!!

In other news, I am enjoying a weekend off! We went and saw the new Batman movie, Dark Night, yesterday. Brian has been itching to go, even refusing to watch the previews when they came on tv since he wanted to be completely suprised. I have to admit though, I think I enjoyed it just as much as he did! We highly reccomend everyone go see it!! I also got lucky enough to have tomorrow off so I will get to go with Brian and Bella to have her stitches taken out. Then I am planning on going out to visit my friend Kristy and her new daughter Olivia at their new home, followed by my normal Monday night class. So it will be a busy day but I have had some time to relax already before starting my week back to work on Tuesday.

I hope everyone has a wonderful week, I will update tomorrow after Bella's vet visit. We are hoping today will be the last day with Bella as a satellite dish!!

Pics from Brian!

So, I know katie has been the only person blogging on "our blog", and she will be the first to tell you it is all my fault! So I decided to upload some pictures as my first "official post." Enjoy!

Katie and I at Barry & Amber's wedding in NY


From left to right:
Me, Nick, Katie, Jon


This was when Bella was not doing so good. Very sad



Bella hates her radar dish, but she makes the most of it!


Katie having no-hood cuddle time


Katie's birthday present from her parents. A great gift indeed! I love these chairs




I apologize for poor picture quality as most of these were taken with the blackberry.