Whole30 Day 3

I have been doing the Whole30 now for three days and so far, I am loving it! I naughtily stepped on the scale this morning (you're not supposed to until the end of the 30 days) and I've lost almost five pounds already. Yikes! I know a lot of it is water weight, but hey...to me, a pound is a pound!

Even after three days of ditching the junk, I already feel more energetic. Yesterday, Chase and I went on a 6-mile walk and I did some body weight exercises. I felt a little light-headed, but was fine after eating some healthy fats (yum!). I'm sure in a few days I will be feeling like this...

Cooking every meal has been surprisingly easy. For breakfast, I've been having eggs, some kind of meat, sauteed spinach, and strawberries. Lunch (if I eat it) has been a salad with olive oil as the dressing. Dinner has been some kind of meat with veggies and avocado. I've also been snacking (not allowed on the Whole30, but I'm working on it!) on pistachios, apples and almond butter.

Here is a pic of tonight's dinner: burger topped with tomato, sauteed onions and mushrooms, and avocado wrapped in butter lettuce (I called them paleo sliders). I had a few sweet potatoes on the side. Chase had a burger, sweet potato fries, a couple of eggs and avocado. My meat and potatoes man has been doing surprisingly well!

Next weekend is our wedding shower, and although our Whole30 might be interrupted, we're going to make the best choices that we can since we will be staying with his family all weekend.

Much to my delight, kombucha is allowed during the Whole30 and I had to stop myself from drinking the entire bottle of this new-to-me flavor.

I bought some coconut milk today and cannot wait to try it in my coffee and smoothies. Smoothies aren't technically allowed either, but the thought of strawberries and coconut milk blended together sounds amazing!!!

And, I cannot believe I am three weeks away from being down with half of my master's degree! I have spent the entire semester stressed, but surprisingly, I am feeling much better now. I guess since the bulk of my work is done, I feel as though I can chill out a bit. 

I have been pinning paleo and primal recipes like crazy! (my paleo board) I am already dying for the Whole30 to be over so I can start experimenting with almond flour and coconut flour to make some baked goods! I have a feeling that if I can find a yummy paleo chocolate chip cookie recipe, then maintaining this diet would definitely be easy! 

Are you doing anything special to get ready for summer? Have you tried cutting our grains and dairy?

Spring things

Wednesday was officially the first day of spring and even though I welcome warmer temperatures with open arms, the ubiquitous posts on Facebook announcing spring's arrival remind me of how much time I have not spent on the treadmill. But oh well, I really don't celebrate the warm Oklahoma weather until the semester is over, so I have a little time. :)

But, oh well, regardless, if I'm ready or not, spring has sprung, so might as well start looking at the fun stuff!

How fun is mint this spring? As someone whose closet is filled with 99% black clothing, I am surprisingly drawn to mint and coral this spring/ summer. I'm also using the heck out of my shimmery things...I love layering MAC Mineralize Skinfinish over Nars The Multiple in Copacabana for a shimmery look that lasts all day.

A few things things I'm pining for as the days get longer...

Tory Burch mint bag

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Coral nails!

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Colorful wedges!

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MAC lipstick in Vegas Volt (coral!!!)

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Ombre hair (should I???)
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Tan skin! (self-tanner, of course)
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Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray
(Love this stuff! Especially in nasty, hot, and humid OK weather)
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Tory Burch flip flops (adorable!)
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Those are just a few of the many things I'm wanting! I'm trying to stay focused on finishing this semester strong — only five more weeks — and then rewarding myself with a shopping trip! No easy feat, since school is really the last thing I want on my mind.

Sigh. 

Oh well, gotta do what you gotta do, right?

What are some of the things you're wanting for spring '13?

I said "yes" to the dress!

It's the Thursday of spring break and I cannot believe the past four weeks have flown by so quickly! I only hope the next five weeks go by just as quickly so I can enjoy my summer....HA! I mean, put the finishing touches on my wedding, of course.

On Monday, I met my mom, sister, future mother-in-law, and Chase's favorite aunt in Oklahoma City to look for my wedding dress!!! It was a day I had literally looked forward to my entire life and I was determined to squeeze myself into as many dresses as the day permitted. Also, being picky and hating how everything looks on me, I was also worried that I would not find anything. My mom and fiancé also shared my sentiments as they later told me, respectively, "I requested in my prayer group for them to pray that you find a dress," and "I just knew you were going to come back after trying on 50 dresses, crying because you didn't find anything that you liked."

I barely slept the night before and woke up bright and early to make the hour drive. I had a cup of coffee while getting ready and grabbed a vent iced skinny latte from Starbucks on the way to the city. I momentarily considered grabbing a muffin with my coffee, but remembered my muffin top and decided against it. Needless to say, I arrived at the first bridal shop excited, jumpy, shaky, and nervous. I also wore extensions, which I later received heck for from the two moms (thanks, guys!).

I thought I looked great, but apparently not. Oh well, we all have our days! :)

Anyways, I arrived at the bridal shop all wired and my nerves all twisted. When I walked in, the sea of white dresses brought me a moment of brief terror, but I adjusted my Spanx and sucked it up. I met my consultant and she briefly discussed what I was looking for with me before handing me some undergarments to put on while she went and pulled dresses.

One undergarment was a longline bra and the other was a slip. The bra had corset-like closures and, even though the consultant said I should have someone help me, decided I could do it myself. I hooked up everything in the front (on the smallest hook) and when I attempted to turn it around, it wouldn't budge. I ripped it off and yelled for my sister, also my maid of honor. After explaining to her that she had to start at the bottom and to hook it as tight as possible, and sucked in my breath while insisting she pull harder when she said she couldn't do it on the smallest one. I had a flashback of Mammy lacing up Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind.

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Just hold on, and suck it in!

Oh man, now I really want to watch Gone with the Wind...hmm, if only I had four hours of free time...

Anyways, once I had the bra and slip on, it was time to try on dresses! It was so much fun to see myself in those pretty white dresses. The third dress I tried on was a beautiful Vera Wang dress...and even though it wasn't a cathartic, emotional, dramatic scene like on Say Yes to the Dress (damn you reality TV), I didn't want to take the dress off. I felt silly saying yes after the third dress, so I tried on a couple more. Not impressed, I put the dress on again. I danced around in front of the mirror and debated with my audience what I should do.

Of course, they told me it was up to me, even though they all know I can't make a decision to save my life. They all said I should look at other dresses to make sure...I agreed and felt an overwhelming sense of sadness walking away from the fabulous dress. When we got in the car, I kept talking about the dress and looked at the websites of the other places I was supposed to visit. Suddenly, all of the dresses I previously loved were all ugly and I only wanted the dress I had left behind.

I made the decision to end the dress shopping and we decided to go to lunch and come back and get the dress. All during lunch, I couldn't sit still and kept telling everyone how excited I was about the dress. We went back and got the dress...my mom started crying...not sure if it was because she was buying my dress or because how much the dress cost, but I started crying too. The rest of the day, we went shopping and just enjoyed each other's company. It was perfect! I cannot wait to put it on again.

It's been such a challenge to keep the details of the dress from Chase, but so far I've done a pretty good job! I can't wait to see his face when I walk down the aisle. :)

Good Intentions

Well, I started this blog with the best intentions to start blogging regularly. Then, the semester from hell began. Last semester was my first semester of grad school and while some parts of it were stressful, my sanity remained intact and it ended with a 4.0 average.

I thought grad school was gonna be a piece of cake.

HA!

This semester, it feels as though I cannot get caught up! It may be that I'm also planning a wedding, but I'm constantly stressing, making lists, and since I'm a stress eater, searching for my next piece of chocolate — which is not good for a bride. Trying to diet already makes things ten times harder. Oh, and I'm trying to give up Diet Coke too! I'm probably not the most pleasant person to be around right now. :)

I was supposed to try on dresses this upcoming Saturday in Dallas, but I'm also going to a bridal show in Oklahoma City on Sunday, and I have some things due the next week. Needless to say, I've been stressing about it. Add on some other personal issues and let's just say I may or may have not lost it when I called my mother yesterday. Anyways, we're sticking to the plan and I'm not trying on dresses until spring break in March, which lowered my stress levels tremendously. And, I was also freaking out about trying dresses on in a week because I haven't really lost any weight. I've been indulging a little too much since, well, October. I know he loves me how I am, blah, blah, but I don't want to feel like Shamu maneuvering my way down the aisle on my wedding day.

I think maybe I just need to chill out, but I'm not sure I remember how to do that! Oh well. I now have four more weeks of classes to get through before I get to have a little bit of fun...then after that, it will only be five weeks until the end of the semester! Whoo.

This week has also been stressful because I'm trying to become more involved with Native American organizations (I'm Choctaw). Yes, I'm fully aware that I'm whiter than Casper the Friendly Ghost's rear end.

Anyways, Thursday was Valentine's Day and was also a meeting of Oklahoma State's Native American Student Association (NASA). I lost track of time and had to practically sprint across campus; I was still about three minutes late.

I walked in and everyone turned to look at me. I was the whitest person in the room, which is not uncommon at gatherings of the red man, but I quietly took a seat and realized I had walked in during the middle of introductions.

First of all, I hate that kind of stuff. If I want to tell everyone about myself, then I will. If I want to know about someone, I will ask.

Anyways, it was my turn and they explained that I needed to state my name, my tribe, my major, and my favorite pair of shoes.

Of course, I proudly stated that my favorite pair of shoes are my black stilettos. I smiled, but no approving looks were to be found. Instead, the other girls in the room just kind of looked at me, probably wondering who this white girl was that had infiltrated their powwow.

Every other girl said things such as, "Nikes," and "Keds," as their favorite shoes. Don't get me wrong; I freakin' love my Nikes, but favorite pair of shoes? Oh well. I left after I had swiped a bottle of water and a cookie with red and white sprinkles with a resolve to put on self-tanner before the next meeting.

I also met two girls from a Native American sorority the next night. They have a graduate chapter and I am strongly considering joining. When I met them though, one eyed me warily and asked, "What tribe are you?"

"Choctaw!" I replied with a big smile and whipped my high ponytail in an attempt to look more sorority-ish.

"Oh," she said. "Me too!"

Anyways, I'm on my way to joining a sorority, but my exfoliant and self-tanning lotion are on the counter, ready for use.

Engaged!

So, on November 8, 2012, this happened.

My boyfriend (I guess now fiance!) of 2 1/2 years asked me to marry him! I was beyond speechless — I always envisioned myself crying, throwing myself into his arms and, in between sobs, yelling out an enthralled "Yes!!!"

Well, I was speechless and couldn't even answer the poor guy. I emphatically shook my head and stared at the ring. I was just so surprised. I knew he was going to propose soon, but I guessed it would be at Christmas.

 Here's how it happened...

Another Christmas passed, then another Valentine’s Day. After my birthday, I gave up; I deleted my Pinterest wedding board and resigned myself to perpetually being “girlfriend.”

November 8 was Chase's 24th birthday. He was so excited because his best friend was coming to visit from the Dallas area. We planned to go to dinner and "hit up the town" to celebrate my man's birthday. I wanted to look extra hot, so I spent the entire day getting ready.

While getting ready, Chase called me in a panic because he needed to talk to my father right away. He told me that his mom had found a rifle at a flea market and he needed to ask my dad about it. My father is the sportsman of all sportsman, so I thought nothing about it. Like a good girlfriend, I called every member of my family trying to track down my dad. He finally called me and I practically hung up on him, telling him to call Chase. (Unbeknownst to me, Chase needed to ask my daddy to marry me.)

When I asked Chase if he talked to my dad, he nonchalantly replied, "Yes, he basically said the gun is  piece of crap. I'm pretty upset about it though, because I've been wanting a rifle and that was a good price."

What a good liar — I'm not sure if I should be impressed or worried!

Anyways, Chase, his friend Michael, my roommate Anna, and I headed to begin the festivities at Fuzzy's Taco Shop. While ordering food, Chase was acting strangely. Fuzzy's gives out free shirts on birthdays. I offered to take Chase's shirt and a jacket he was carrying to his truck, but he refused. I thought that was odd, but didn't think too much about it. While we were eating, Chase seemed so nervous about something. He kept going to the bathroom and only ate half his food; I felt sorry for him because I thought he was sick.

"Poor guy," I remarked to Anna. "I hate for him to be sick on his birthday."

After we had eaten, we just sat around and talked. I bought Chase some boots for his birthday and after we had finished eating, he turned to me and said, "The boots were nice, but you know what would have been a better gift?"

I glared at him and my roommate quickly came to my defense. “Those are some really nice boots, Chase!” 

I thought about how badly I wanted a ring for my birthday and said, “You know what would have been nice for mine?” 

My voice trailed off before I could say "a ring."

Undeterred, Chase continued. "If you told me you'd be mine for the rest of our lives."

Not understanding, I furrowed my brow and stammered, “I’ve told you that …”

Chase just smiled and reached into his coat pocket as he dropped to one knee. My hands instantly covered my mouth and I felt my eyes slightly moisten.

"This isn't happening," I thought to myself.

"Will you make this the best birthday ever and marry me?" he asked.

Everyone in the restaurant was staring and began clapping when I shook my head in an affirmative motion. Chase slipped the ring on my finger and sat back in his chair. A passerby handed Chase a $5 bill "for the happy couple."

"Are you going to say yes?" he asked while staring at me stare at the ring on my finger.

"Yes," I somehow managed to say as Chase grabbed my chin and kissed me.

It was perfect. People familiar with Fuzzy's laugh when I tell them the story of my proposal, but it was perfect for us. The rest of the evening was a dream and when I woke up, I had to gaze at the ring to make sure it was real.

I am beyond excited to marry my dark-haired, dark-eyed, tall Oklahoma boy. It has been over a month and I still stare at the ring. We're getting married on July 27, 2013, and I have so much to do! I'm trying to enjoy the wedding planning process, but am overwhelmed by the amount of work that goes into a wedding.

I keep telling myself that it's all about Chase and me, but I still want everyone to be happy! People are offering up wedding planning tips left and right, but I'm afraid they're not helping much. If it were up to me, we would head to Vegas and a Marilyn Monroe impersonator would be my bridesmaid (because I know my best friend Lindsey would be there) and an Elvis impersonator would marry us. But Chase wants a wedding, so I can deal. I think I'm more excited about dress shopping and the bachelorette party though!

I'm trying on dresses and March and need to get dress ready...ugh...more on that later!

— Brittany <3