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I love Derby season. I mean, who doesn't? The horses, the hats, the mint juleps :) I can't wait to have Derby parties in our new house next year!

Two horses in this year's Derby are from Gulf Coast Farms in Ocala. Of course I have to cheer on the two home state representatives!! Here are my votes:

Conveyance

Lookin' At Lucky

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First things first.

I have been a little out of sorts the past few days because....drumroll...I have job prospects! One of my former bosses' husband is an attorney in my hometown. While he is not hiring, he promised to keep an ear out for me. Well, out of the blue I get a call a couple of days ago that he has an opportunity that was, in his words, pretty much mine if I wanted it! Well, the next day, he called with another!! The hiring partner for the second one called me today and we spoke....but they want me to work WHILE I study for the bar. Of course, this worries me. But, I luckily didn't screw things up for myself when I mentioned that I was unsure about working and studying and I STILL have an interview with them! Its Monday morning at 9...and I'll be heading home Sunday night for that. 

I never thought in a million years I would have to make a decision like this! One, possibly two, jobs available to me! God is so good!!!!!

Advocacy Banquet

I didn't talk much about BC's visit, but one of the many reasons he drove down to see me was to be my hot date to the advocacy banquet at school! At this banquet, they re-present all of the trophies to all of the competitors, listen to a speaker, learn who won the 1L Moot Court tourney, and find out who the new Board of Advocates are.

This years speaker was a federal chief judge. It was really awesome to hear someone as learned and wise as he is. Even still, the biggest thing he tried to tell us was to take time with our families. Apparently (and I totally believe it) its going to be difficult to try to balance all of our responsibilities as a young associate. I have already promised BC he will always come first. I'm going to work hard, but I refuse to compromise my family and what I believe for a j-o-b.

Anyways, the night was fun and we ended it with a Paradise Brownie from Chili's :) YUM!

Planning update...

Per Lacey, I am required to update my, like, 7 readers on my wedding planning. But I am very happy to do it! Just don't be disappointed that I am way behind. Mostly because (1) I am doing jillions of other things (graduating, exams, jobs, blahblahblah) and (b) I am getting married in November so I have the freedom of a little waiting that other April/May/June brides do not share.

This is what BC and I have decided so far:

Ceremony Location: my home church.

• Don't have a picture. I want it there because that's my home church BUT it doesn't have a center aisle. I conceded once I discovered all the center aisle churches in town have ridiculous rules and charge exorbitant amounts for their dang center aisle's!

Reception Location: local Women's Club

• We wanted to have the reception off-site, at a smaller venue than my church's activity center, and that way it'll be easier to decorate and...well....control other possible variables.

Colors:

• I refuse to "embrace" November. I don't want orange, brown, pumpkins, turkeys, anything. I had my color ideas in my head, and I would put them in my wedding regardless of the month. They are: Navy blue, Lime-ish green, and white.

People: 

• The people have been chosen. I have a MOH, three lovely bridesmaids, a sweet junior bridesmaid, and an adorable brother and sister for the ring bearer and flower girl. We lucked out with the RB and FG...they are the children of very good friends of mine and are old pros at the job! They'll do great!
• BC has picked his Dad as his best man and 3 of his closest friends as groomsmen. 
• I have to give a shout-out to all our sweet friends....BC has groomsmen coming from NC, Virginia, and even Seattle! My sweet friends are breaking up their semesters to hustle back to PC for the wedding...one even has an 8 hour med school exam the day before and is driving in immediately after!!

Dresses:

• I don't have mine yet. That will be put off until the last possible moment so I can make the most out of the wedding diet. My bridesmaid dresses have, however, been ordered and are in! They are Navy, and from Target.com! Yes! A whopping $40. These dresses look way better in person...not so flattering on this girl. The sash around the waist looks like a cummerbund, so I think we're going to replace it with white or something.

Flowers:

• I want green and white bouquets for the bridesmaids, and all white for me. I'm in love with hydrangeas, always have been, so I'm sure that tons of them will pop up in all of the bouquets. The top picture  is the color scheme I'm thinking about. The boutonnière in the bottom picture is what I'm thinking for the guys....minus the pink wrapping. 

 

Music:

• Ceremony stuff was pretty easy. We kept it pretty traditional. And we're going to spring for a live trio because I think those people sound FANTASTIC. It'll be a little pricey but we both agree that it will sound way better. Here's what we've come up with:
• Seating of the fam: Air on G
• Processional, Party: Canon in D
• Processional, Me: Bridal Chorus
• Recessional, everybody: Wedding March
• BC is a music aficionado. I told him that he is welcome to take over for the reception. Plus, I'm not really signing up to dance to Shania Twain any time soon, so I'm down for anything! BC loves all sorts of fun classic rock stuff--Rolling Stones, Queen, Led Zeppelin, Def Leppard, blablahblah. We actually made some prelim decisions!
• First Dance: still thinking...maybe All My Love, Led Zeppelin??
• Party Walk-in: Pour Some Sugar on Me, Def Leppard
• F/D: Father and Daughter, Paul Simon
• Last Dance: You're My Best Friend, Queen
• I must say, I'm pretty excited about the music. I think we're going to have the best stuff. I mean, who expects to hear Rolling Stones or Led Zeppelin for the first dance?!

Food:

• What everyone goes to receptions for. Well my friends, this will not disappoint. Here was our mindset: my parents are going to give us money to throw a party for ourselves. Why not have the food at that party that we LOVE? Some people might be huge snobs about our food choices, and in that case they are completely not invited to the fun. But for all the normal people out there...enjoy our prelim list of must-haves!
• chicken tenders, pizza, chicken salad and stuffed mushrooms, fried green tomatoes, a raw oyster bar, boiled peanuts, sushi, smores, pulled pork sliders, fruit and veggies, and all sorts of other things. I can't wait.
• CAKE. So excited. We've found pictures of cakes we like, and so far this one is the front runner: 

• Of course, change the damask pattern to Navy and the little pink dots to green. And take away the crystals. But we LOVE this cake and the design!!
• GROOM'S CAKE. BC wants a guitar. We've found some really awesome looking ones online...now we just have to find someone talented enough to make it look normal.

Honestly, this might be it so far. Dang this post is forever long and took me forever to type out!

The most important thing out of all of this: the luxury of ending the day married to my best friend. BC visited this weekend and it will be a month before we see each other again, the longest we've ever gone. I miss him terribly and he left this morning! I fall in love with him more and more everyday and I am SO BLESSED to have found him and be able to spend the rest of my life with him!

The Dreaded...

BAR EXAM!

Okay, so I'm not close to actually TAKING said exam, but I am pretty dang close to having to have my application in. I have about a week left before it is DUE. Yes, due.

I just need to note that I am painfully terrified of actually turning this thing in. I have to have everything right or, pretty much you die. I've printed out two drafts so far and keep finding little tiny things. I think this might be my last draft...I have got to get this thing in!

Total price to register for the FL Bar Exam: $975! ACK!

Faves...

Around here, sunglasses are treasured. In the South, people usually pick out a good pair and stick with them...especially if you grew up around water of some sort. Costas, Ray Bans, Maui Jims, Oakleys, all kinds!

My favorites:

Costa Del Mar Switchfoot

Tortoise frames, green mirror lenses!

I haven't had them since the end of March...they were a casualty of the wreck :( The left lens was completely shattered and they had to be sent in for repair. I had just bought them too!! 

I previously had the tortoise Switchfoot with the amber lenses (and of course I lost them somewhere), and I must say....green mirror is the way to go!

We're slowly becoming a Costa fam...BC recently made his first Costa purchase:

His are the Brine style...

What can I say...we're BIG fans of the tortoise/green mirror combo!