The Story of Us

I've seen a lot of bloggers participating in "The Story of Us" link up from Mrs. to Mama and I couldn't resist joining! I've loved reading everyone's posts & what better way to celebrate Valentine's Day while my Valentine is traveling than sharing how I met and fell for him!

So here it is...

The Story of Us

1. How long have you and your significant other been together?  This March (March 21st to be exact) will mark 3 years since we met!

2. How did you meet? {What's your "love" story?}  I would just like to preface, Brandon & I are the exception to the rule for sure!  (If you've seen "He's Just Not That Into You", you know what I mean.  If not, ask and I'll explain!)  In true classy form, Brandon and I met at a bar in Charlotte - The Attic, which is now a bar called Prohibition.  I was out with some girlfriends & he, reluctantly, was out with his guys - he hadn't planned on going out that night, but after some arm twisting they convinced him.  Brandon approached me as I appeared to be double fisting (holding my beer as well as my friend's beer while she was outside making a phone call).  He introduced himself and asked my name.  "Hey, I'm Brandon.  What's your name?" "Michelle." "Rachelle?" "Yeah."  It was loud.  All night he thought my name was Rachelle and I had thought he said Michelle so I didn't even know to correct him.  He didn't find out my actual name until he went to put my number in his phone...."So it's R-a-c-h..?" "No, no, no, M-i-c-h.." "Ohh!  Omg!" "Haha, it's ok, it's pretty loud!" :)  And the rest is history....he followed through, called when he said he was going to and woo'd me all the way to the alter!

Not long after we started dating - May 2009 at a Knights game

Of course we needed an engagement picture outside of The Attic :)

3. If married, how long have you been married?  We got married November 20th, 2010 and have now been married for almost 16 months.

4. If you are married, where did you get married? Big or small wedding?  We were married at Grace on Brevard in Downtown Charlotte and our reception was at The Big Chill just outside of downtown.  We had about 110 people at our wedding - so medium sized I'd say?

Best & most fun day of our life!!

Our full wedding, reception & rehearsal dinner posts can be found here and here.

5. Do you have any nick-names that you call one another? Do share!  Brandon often calls me "Cuff", "Cuffies", "Cuffles" or just "Acuff" which is my maiden name.  At first I wasn't sure I liked it, now I'm a Shuck!  But it's really grown on me and I love it :)  I call Brandon "B" a lot on the blog just because it's easy, but in real life I mostly just call him "babe".

6. Name 3 things you love most about your honey.  Brandon is so disciplined in many areas of his life and I really admire that!  I love that he makes me laugh and that he takes me just as I am :)

7. Tell us how he proposed?  Brandon proposed on the first night of our vacation in Puerto Rico on April 3, 2010!  We were getting ready for dinner and Brandon was hanging out on our ocean view balcony while I finished up.  He wanted to open the champagne we got earlier that day (hindsight's 20/20 - while at the grocery store I was thinking "why are we getting champagne?") so we both had a glass of that and cheered to our vacation.  He was being so sweet and saying such sweet things.  I showed him my new David Furman (fake David Yurman) ring and he mentioned "I think we need to get you a ring for the other hand." I slapped him on the shoulder & said "why don't you get on that!!"  And about that time he pulled the ring out of his pocket!  I was shocked!!!

We followed up with dinner at Ruth's Chris which was connected to our hotel.  The tears hit on the elevator ride down :)  Getting engaged on vacation was awesome!  We made phone calls and told every one of course, but we had a few days to spend just us before the rush of seeing friends and family and planning began.  We had a date picked out and everything by the time we got back!  Some of our engagement details are here.

8. Is he a flowers and teddy bear kind of guy for v-day, or strawberries, champagne, and rose petals?  Thankfully, he is not a teddy bear kinda guy.  Haha, I'm not really a stuffed animal kinda girl so this works out!  He's a flowers, strawberries, & champagne kinda guy!

He surprised me with these delicious treats today at school!!

Brandon's definitely a romancer & I love that about him.  I think that's a love language, or should be.  He always knows how to make me feel special, whether there's a reason or just because!

9. Are you a sunset, dinner on the beach kind of girl, or pop a movie in and relax on the couch kind of girl?  I honestly can't pick - I choose both!!  Ha, obviously the whole watching a movie on the couch thing happens way more often because, well, we don't live near the beach!  But each comes with it's own greatness and I just can't choose!

10. Tell us one thing you'd like to do with your significant other one day. If you could do anything? Go anywhere?  Definitely travel.  We have Bora Bora on our Bucket list as well as Europe/a Mediterranean cruise!  Also, Brandon's never been to NYC and I think California would be really fun!  I've only every been to San Fran.

11. Tell us what you plan on doing on this Valentine's Day.  The life of a traveling salesman's wife - oh so glamourous!  NOT!  Haha, B is on the road tonight so it's just me & sweet Benson.  Have no fear, he gives really great snuggles in B's absence.  We celebrated a little early this past weekend with dinner & dessert at Crave!

Fondue was UH.maz.ING!!!  I highly recommend it :) 

My love (and a rando girl in the background!)

12. Are you asking for anything this Valentine's day?  Brandon & I have been wanting some Toms, so we bought each other some for Valentine's!

     

Some classics for the Mr & some ballet flats for the Mrs :)

Sadly, I ordered the wrong size so they're currently being exchanged!  But B's are here!

13. Give us one piece of advice of keeping a relationship strong and full of love.  I'm not sure if we're still newlyweds technically since we're past the 1 year mark, but either way, we're definitely still learning!  Some advice we've heeded and things we've learned so far are - always give 100%!  It's not 50/50, it's 100/100!  Don't keep things bottled in, listen and always say I love you!

14.  Show us a picture of what love means to you.

Our Honeymoon in Jamaica Nov. 2010

Taking the plunge, a leap of faith, the trust fall, all hand in hand :)

I hope you all felt loved today - whether it was from a spouse, significant other, family, friends or a fur baby!  Happy Valentine's Day friends!!

The Random 11

So I've never really done one of these "Tag, you're it!" posts before, but one of my new favorite bloggers (new to me that is, because I recently found her site :) not new to the blog world), Danica over at Chic Runner tagged me & I can't resist a good rando blog post :)  So here goes....

The Random Eleven

The Rules:

• Post these rules
• Post 11 random things about yourself
• Answer the questions set for you in their post
• Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer
• Go to their blog and tell them you’ve tagged them
• No stuff in the tagging section about you are tagged if you are reading this. You legitimately have to tag 11 people!

11 Random Facts About Me:

1 - I am slightly obsessed with having painted nails.  Like all the time.  I feel like I look sloppy or undone or something with plain nails.  I know that's not true, but I just feel that way!  Can't help it.

2 - After 8 seasons, I am still a loyal Grey's Anatomy watcher!  It's probably my favorite show on TV and I look forward to Thursday nights a little too much.  They almost lost me there a few seasons ago, but they drew me back in.  And so I will watch until the end of Grey's.

3 - I've been wanting to dye my hair darker.  Like black.  My hair's pretty dark as it is, but I want more darkness!  I've always said I won't start dying it until I go gray because once you start, you can't stop.  But I really want to go ahead and start...I'm just not going gray fast enough :)  We'll just have to see how long I can hold out!

4 - I am awful about folding laundry!  I don't mind folding laundry, I just never seem to do it right away.  My dry clothes tend to stay in the dryer and wrinkle up for days on end before I feel the need to get them out and fold them. Or until Brandon gives me a hard time about! He usually does most of the folding if we're being honest ;)

5 - Out of pure necessity, I learned how to put air in my tires this week!!  I am really impressed with myself, I might add!  I no longer live with my father (or mother) or my brother and while I do live with a man, he's gone about 4 days out of the week.  Tire was low and there was no choice, it had to be done & I did it all by myself!!

6 - I tend to be a planner and I like to plan ahead for what I'm going to cook on Thursday & Friday nights when B gets home.  This means that its usually Monday and I say, "Hey babe, what should I cook on Thursday?" to which he replies "Ha I don't know, it's Monday!"  Or it might be Saturday morning while we're eating breakfast and I'll say, "What should we do for dinner tonight?" and he'll say, "I don't know, what do you want for dinner next Friday?" Grrr...it's aggravating and funny all in one!

7 - We watch a lot of movies in our house.  A LOT!  Brandon's had the Blockbuster version of Netflix since before I met him which will send us 3 movies at a time.  Sometimes we watch all 3 movies in one weekend!

8 - I tend to count things.  For instance the number of steps I take, stairs, syllables in words, the list goes on.  Don't get my wrong, I'm not OCD or anything, swear!  I don't recount if my counting gets off or have to start over or anything.  It's more like just a way to pass the time.... Ok well maybe I'm just weird ;)

9 - I really wish I read more.  I love to read, but during the school year when I'm waking up at oh' dark hundred every day, reading at night is like opening a text book.  Puts me to sleep right away!  So unfortunately, I pretty much only ever read during the summer.  Unless it's a blog!

10 - I have a huge fear of heights, but yet I have managed to jump off a bridge (in high school) as well as a cliff in Jamaica.  I don't like to stand near the edge of really tall places, hold my hand, cell phone, camera, etc over the edge, or even have people I kinda like stand near the edge.  Creeps me out!  But I can handle flying, roller coasters, and a ski lift - without looking down.

11 - I can't stand lipstick.  I have tried, oh how I have tried.  Unless it's Carmex Cherry or a good lip gloss, I just can't do it.

11 Questions from Chic Runner

• What’s your favorite article of clothing?  It's hard to pick just one, but I think my gray boyfriend cardigan.  Does this make me 80?  Haha, I actually wore it today.

It's so versatile & goes with anything!  If loving it makes me 80 then I'm ok with being old.

• Morning person or night owl?  I think I'm a little of both.  But I am for sure not a 530am morning person which is unfortunately what I have to be during the school year and causes me to fall asleep the exact second that my head hits the pillow!
• How many glasses of water do you drink a day?  I *try* to drink 8 like a good girl.  But it's probably more like 4 to 6.  I carry my water bottle around with me at school all day and usually leave it about 4 places along the way.
• What is your biggest fear?  Superficially, probably something involving heights (as noted above).  Seriously, probably something terrible happening to someone I love.
• Starbucks or Coffee Bean? Starbucks fo' sho' - there aren't too many Coffee Beans on the East Coast.  In fact, I don't think I've ever been to one.
• What was the best gift you’ve ever gotten? Probably my engagement ring!  Not trying to be materialistic, but it's extra special to me because Brandon never once took me to look at rings and picked it out all by himself while thinking of me!  I love him and it and couldn't have picked a more perfect ring!!
• What is your favorite color?  I'm an earth tones kinda gal.
• Would you rather get a phone call every hour from a stranger or not have a cell phone for a year?  This might be the hardest question ever because my cell phone is my 5th limb, so I guess I have to go with a phone call every hour from a stranger, although it might drive me insane.  I could just ignore them though, right!? :)
• MLB or NBA?  MLB, hands down.  In fact, I wouldn't care if they cancelled the NBA altogether.  But I love me some baseball in the summer time!!
• Do you use a daily planner?  Yes, actually, several.  I have my EC planner which is a combo of school & personal life, the calendar on my phone which is typically just personal stuff & birthdays, and then I have a work "to-do" list, a to do list for each day of the week on my phone, as well as other phone lists - such as songs to download, wants, restaurants to try, bills, grocery store, target.... Ok, wow, maybe I am OCD?  I just know that if I don't write it down it won't get done - and I just like lists a lot :)
• What’s one thing on your ‘bucket list?’  To take a Mediterranean cruise!  One day!

My Questions for you:

• What is your favorite vacation spot?
• What are the 5 items you cannot live without?
• What are your top 3 favorite movies?
• Chocolate or Flowers?
• What are you most proud of so far in your life?
• What is favorite cocktail/drink of choice?
• Do you prefer the beach or the mountains?
• What's your guilty pleasure?
• What is your dream job?
• Ballet flats, boots, or heels?
• Would you rather run outside or on the treadmill?

Who I'm taggin': (Please, under no circumstances, should you feel pressure to participate! Just for fun/if you want to :) And I don't even have 11 people to tag, so I'm just picking a few!)

Erin

Mindy

Michelle

Sara

Laura

Lindy

Congratulations are in Order!!

I've known for about 3 weeks now that one of my very best friends, my MOH, my cousin Erin would be getting engaged!  And it was killing me!!! Finally, Ryan, Erin's boyfriend now fiance, popped the question last night!!!

I missed her call last night, but knew exactly why she was calling when I saw it this morning!  I was sad for all of an hour all morning that I missed her call and was dying to get the details!!  It was so fun to hear about it all when she did call!

I am beyond thrilled for them and am so, so excited!!!  It will be fun to help plan their big day now on the other side of my wedding :)  I've already created a new Pinterest board to gather ideas!  Erin & Ryan are some of our very most favorite people & we love hanging out with them!  Welcome to the fam Ryan!!

Great Things!

Great things are going on around here y'all!  :)  It was one year ago yesterday (April 3rd, 2010) that Brandon proposed to me and made me the happiest woman on Earth!!!

We were on vacation in San Juan, Puerto Rico for my spring break!  He popped the question the first night we were there, right before dinner!

We had a celebratory dinner at Ruth's Chris Steak House which was attached to our hotel!  I wondered when we got there why he suggested we should go there our first night.  I asked, "Don't you want to save it for a night later in the vacation...we don't have to go the first night we're here!"  Little did I know :)

We LOVED Puerto Rico, but that could be a whole other blog post!  Haha, we're already trying to plan a time when we can go back!  

Today is also the birthday of 2 wonderful people I know!!  My friend, Lisa turned a quarter of a century today :) Lisa is one of my best friends!  I lived with Lisa the year before Brandon and I got married and she was pretty much the best roommate ever!

Lisa and I after dinner tonight to celebrate her birthday!

All the girls out to dinner!  Lisa has lots of great friends and I'm glad to have gotten to know many of them and call them my friends as well :)

Lisa and I didn't meet until I began teaching after I graduated in late 2008.  Many people at our school thought we looked alike.  We had a very similar short haircut at the time and I can definitely see how you could make that mistake from behind. We're a lot alike in general, though, so she'll always be my twin!

Here's an older picture, just for fun!  Gives a better idea of the short haircut!

Today is also my brother in law, Casey's birthday!  Casey is married to Brandon's sister, Ashley.  They live up in Michigan, so unfortunately we don't get to be there to celebrate with him!  Wish we were, Ashley and Casey are lots of fun! Hopefully, we'll see them soon!

Oh Casey!! 

Saturday, Brandon and I were out to run some errands.  We've been in the market for a macbook and couldn't decide when to bite the bullet.  But this Saturday, it happened, I finally crossed over from the dark side and entered the mac world!!!  We got a macbook laptop!!!  I LOVE it!  It is my new favorite toy for sure, I think I might even like it better than Benson!  Not really, but it's up there on my list :)  Now, once I get my iPhone in June, I'll be set!

I got a cute Marc Jacobs case for it!  Its this same print, but this case is actually for an iPad...couldn't find the actual one I got.

Lastly, while out on Saturday, we also picked up some of our favorite candles from Bath & Body Works!  They were having a 2 for $20 sale so we picked up the spring/summery scents, below!

                     

They smell uh-MAY-zing!!!!  Like we're in the tropics and definitely get us in the mood for spring break!  Which is only 9 school days away, 11 days in all!  Hope your Monday was great! :)