If I had $10,000...

WOW a shoe of the month club... sign me up!!! If only it wasn't $10,000! A girl can dream though.

Here is a more economical option through JCrew

My wish list!

So a girl knows not to get her hopes up when her cutie pie fiance asks her what she wants for Christmas only 3 days out... WHAT you don't already have all of your gifts purchased???

Let me explain Reveal something to all of you... I am a Christmaszilla. I LOVE Christmas and am typically very on top of things this time of year. All of the gifts neatly wrapped under my tree were bought (and wrapped) before Thanksgiving. In August I typically sit down and make a list and slowly purchase things. This makes me budget for the gifts and keeps me from going CRAZY last minute with my credit card.

Now I'm going to reveal an area where Matt and I differ. I come from a family that makes Christmas lists... Matt HATES that!!! He thinks that gifts should be a total surprise and that you should not tell other people what you are hoping to get.... Weird right? Well this has taken me a few years to get use to. For a while I would TRY to give Matt hints but after those went unanswered I learned to just give up and wish for the best. (YES this leads to very random gifts... ) So this year I didn't say anything. I didn't make a wish list. So last night when my sweetie asked those little words "What do you want for Christmas?" I knew we were in trouble...  That means that Matt is up against a wall and hasn't given Christmas a thought up until this point

So... I'm thinking that it is already too late at this point since Matt ONLY shops on-line. But here is what is on my wish list this year...

 

Trellis Allover Stencil

by: Cutting Edge Stencils

How much fun would it be to paint an accent wall or even a ceiling with this fun and versatile stencil??? This would be such a fun project to tackle AFTER the wedding.

 I could even use the stencil for smaller projects. Look at this great tray that I found on a GREAT blog Isabella & Max Rooms

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UGG Snow Boot

From: Nordstrom

How cute are these snow boots. I was thinking that I wanted a pair of the original Ugg boots in black this Christmas but after seeing this snow boot I'm changing my mind! Bring on the snow (AFTER January 29th)

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A Cozy Robe

From: Nordstrom

It may come as a surprise but I do not own a comfy cozy robe like the one above!

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Tile

 

Yes you read that right... I would be ecstatic to receive some gorgeous tile for a special project that I would LOVE to take on after the wedding... MY DREAM LAUNDRY ROOM

Now I HATE doing laundry but I cannot help but think that my motivation would increase if I could have a room like the one bellow found on Never Without

Our laundry room is HUGE but uninspiring. I want to install a new floor, Drywall and something to hide our ugly utility thingies (aka hot water heater and other things to make a house function). On my dream Laundry Room list I would have the following:

Counter top

Storage for Dishes

Drawers for entertaining accessories

Functional overflow area for pantry goods

Wrapping Paper Section

Scrapbooking/Craft storage

I want this room to be so rocking and gorgeous that it becomes my mommy cave!Oh the endless possibilities

I know that this room is on the BOTTOM of Matt's priority list for the house but FYI to him I plan to make this my main focus after the wedding!

Apartment Love!

This gorgeous apartment proves you can do so much with a small space. It's only 540 square feet, but it's packed with style. I love the pops of color and the bathroom is AMAZING.

This apartment was featured in MiCasa.The site is in Spanish but all I care about are the GREAT home photos!

One Line a Day...

I stumbled upon the book/journal/keepsake One Line a Day: A Five-Year Memory Book (Five Year Memory Book)on Amazon.com today. I instantly thought it would be the cutest gift for many different occasions.

A birthday: So your friend can record five years of great birthday memories from that day and beyond.

A wedding/bridal shower: So your friend can record five years of memories with her new hubby. 

A baby shower: So your friend can record how much life changes over five years while watching their little one grow up.

I feel like I want to buy ten copies and just in case I ever need a last-minute, but very thoughtful gift.

Waiting to get Engaged...

Let me explan my feeling on waiting to get engaged:

After starting the home buying process last winter I began growing more and more impatient waiting for him to propose. I went through a lot of ups and downs. I mean, it is an incredibly frustrating experience when you know someone loves you, yet you constantly find yourself wondering, "What the hell are they waiting for?!" Meanwhile, me, the over-thinker, tosses and turns at night thinking and stressing over every last idea of why he is waiting so long and if it is ever going to happen. I would go through periods of insecurity, then acceptance and my patience would return; then, I'd get a little bitter for a moment before telling myself again to just be patient. I CONSTANTLY scrolled through wedding blogs and had totally caught wedding fever. However, after nearly four years of dating, I was so ready! I apologize for all the friends and family who have endured my endless whining and moaning over how badly I wanted this, but let me say now that I'm glad it worked out the way it did. And ladies, if you find yourself in the postition I was in, I'm sure you can relate. But, as a word from the wise, be patient, it all works out in the end!

If you know me, you know I'm not the kind of person who likes to wait and wait for something I REALLY want. I get pushy until the point it starts to make me crazy (like I mentioned above).



How we met...

Matt and I met at the Vice President's 2006 Holiday Parties.

I was acting as the Volunteer Coordinator at that time and as much as Matt does not like to admit it… he was a volunteer. That year we were short on military volunteers and so we put out the word to the Pentagon that we needed help. One of Matt's co-workers convinced him to help with all three of the parties. Despite the odds of us not having the most favorable first impressions of each other (I thought that he was conceded and he thought I was bossy... maybe true statements) we ended up talking about my need for employment post graduation.

After the events Matt offered to circulate my resume around The Pentagon we started e-mailing. I learned that Matt was extremely handy and that he lived close to me in Annandale. Matt had just completed a huge remodel on his kitchen and I decided that I wanted to get him some kitchen items as a thank you for all of his help circulating my resume around The Pentagon. When I mentioned that I had something that I was going to send into the Pentagon for him he suggested that I drop it by his house to see his handiwork. Loving all things home improvement I couldn't resist…

When I arrived Matt had an AMAZING meal prepared and casually invited me to stay for dinner... Smooth move! That was the day he won me over! While having a great meal with his roommates I was able to learn a lot more about Matt and the fact that he went above and beyond to do something to get to know me was amazing… Now almost four years later here we are!

My Fall...

So After being MIA on the blog for so long I almost don't know how to begin... There are SOOO many things to post about so I've decided to do a little run down of our fall...

1. We closed on our house on September 17th. After the closing Matt Proposed (More on this story later!)

2. We are all moved in... there are some more boxes to unpack in the garage but we are getting there!

3. Emma is going GREAT! She is in Daisies and playing Soccer with the same group of girls as last spring and loving it... Who know though that 1st grade soccer would have so many rules and be competitive.

4. The wedding planning is in full swing and in just under three months I will be Mrs. Park!!! AHHH

5. Work is going well! Was able to help out on a CRAZY trip and in only ten days went to Hawaii, Guam, Singapore, South Korea, Japan & Alaska.

6. We are getting ready for Thanksgiving in Chicago.

So that is a VERY abbreviated version of some things that have been going on in the Fleming/ Park Household! More to come on all!