99 days!

In exactly 99 days, I will be marrying the man of my dreams!! So in honor of reaching double digits in the countdown (and for all the wedding mania going on in my family--- if you didnt hear the news, my sister is engaged too! read the previous post!) I thought it would be fun to post the answers to the most frequently asked questions about our wedding!


Wedding FAQs

So, when's the big day? are you excited?
January 16th and yes!

What about your sister?
March 20th! It's going to be a busy 6 months for our family!

What are your colors?
Champagne Gold and Pink (duh!)

Where is your wedding taking place?
The ceremony is at First Baptist Church Dallas. I grew up at First Baptist and have decades of amazing memories in that church. My grandparents got married there, and so did my parents. I cannot imagine getting married anywhere besides FBC in the Sanctuary! And I'm so blessed that it worked out! After the ceremony, we will go across the street to the Fairmont Hotel for a sit down dinner and dance with some close friends and family.

Who are some of your vendors?
We ordered a yummy cake through Dallas Affairs, beautiful invitations through DeLovely, and are working with the very talented photographer Luke Edmonson. A super fun Frank Sinatra style band, Ricki Derek Band, will be playing tunes at our reception. But our best of the best vendors are the oh-so-incredible, couldn't-do-it-without-her Holly Tripp of Holly Tripp Event Design, and the floral and design GENIUS of Fete de Fleurs (love Darren & Craig!!). And it cannot go without mention that my mom is ultimately the best vendor in the world. This wedding would not happen without her doing about 90% of the work (and now starting all over again with my sister!)


Where are you going on your honeymoon?
From the excellent recommendations of Katie & Ben, we are going to Secrets Resort in Mexico. Yayy!!

Are you going to see each other before the ceremony? Nope. We LOVE traditions and have really enjoyed incorporating traditions into our wedding including this one!

Do you have a "something old, something new, something borrow, something blue"? Yep! Like I said, we love traditions! My "something old" will be my paternal grandmother's white mink coat! I figure if you get married in the middle of winter, you can do fun things like wear mink! :-) My "something new" is my gorgeous wedding dress. My "something borrow"
is my sister Claire's bridal veil. And my "something blue" is Dan's great great great grandmother's light blue handkerchief. It's almost 200 years old and it's absolutely the most beautiful delicate thing you've ever seen!

What do the bridesmaid's dresses look like?
Pretty much I hate all bridesmaids dresses. They really are just awful (see previous post here) but I found some dresses that seem better than most.

Are you and Dan going to do a really crazy first dance? Not really. We love dancing! But we aren't planning a big choreographed dance for our first dance. We're just going to get out there and enjoy a special moment together. Now our last dance is another story..... :-)

Can we start calling you by your new nickname SuMo? (if you dont get this think about my new last name) Yes, but only if I can give you an equally awesome nickname.

~Share the LOVE and HOPE of Christ by spreading JOY everyday!

Two Brides + One Family = Nervous Dad

My sister is engaged!!! Michael proposed to my sister Alison last night (on HIS birthday!) She will hopefully be setting the date today, but it looks like the Skinner family will be having two weddings within the next 6 months! Hold onto your hats!


Her gorgeous ring!! (can you tell her roomate is a wedding photographer? great shots of the ring!)

Introducing the future Mr. and Mrs. Michael and Alison Wydner!

Let's the bride wars begin (haha, kidding kidding..... but seriously I still want her to consider a double wedding. what's not to love??)

~Share the LOVE and HOPE of Christ by spreading JOY everyday!

Fast times with Suz & Dan

Here are the latest in the life of Suz (and Dan!)

1. Shakespeare in the Park was one of the best dates Dan and I have been on in a long time. If you've never been, I highly recommend it. Everyone spreads out picnic blankets with food and wine and there were puppies and children galore. People are really communal which is fun too (like the very kind people who lent us a bottle opener when we forgot ours!) so it's a very friendly environment. Tickets are just 10 bucks, so if you are looking for a little off the beaten path date night, go check it out!

2. Have y'all been to Chili's lately? Ummmm, be prepared for a totally revamped menu! It was awesome!! I'm not kidding--- if you haven't been lately, go try it again. I think of Chili's being the same old place that we went to all through out high school after Sunday night church (shout out to FBC!) but seriously they have some awesome new menu items (and little notes to tell you how you can make it healthier! super fun!) Dan got baby back ribs in a fancy Shiner Bock sauce and I got a new Santa Fe Chicken wrap. Super Yum! I think they even changed the salsa recipe (maybe?)
[And Brinker if you are reading this (come on, we all know about Google alerts) please send mad props to your marketing team for the new menu look, too! although the new menu items tasted tons better, I have to admit the menu itself looked equally stellar. good job, Chili's team!]

3. While I'm randomly recommending things,have y'all seen State of Play? Dan and I were pleasantly surprised with our blockbuster rental this weekend. It's rated PG13, had no nudity, very little language, and an awesome plot! It's kind of a conspiracy theory political movie. If you liked Wag the Dog, you will love this one.

4. Our church quest this weekend brought us to Stonebrier Church (Chuck Swindoll's church) and while we're still not sure if it will be our church home, we did hear an awesome sermon on Psalm 13. "But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me." I wonder if I rejoice often enough in my salvation. Currently my biggest "enemy" is being too busy, and it was neat to see how God has had victory over my busy schedule and was able to carve out a weekend for Dan and me to just relax and rest in his lovingkindness. Like the psalmist says, I will sing to the LORD for he has been good to me!

5. We are gearing up for a busy busy October! Next weekend, we'll be in Chicago for Dan's 10 year college reunion at Wheaton. The next week we'll be in Maui for a work conference (tough gig, huh?), and the next weekend we'll be in Kentucky for a bridal shower, and the last weekend in October, we'll be moving Dan into our new apartment. I'm praying that even through these fun and exciting times that God will continue to receive the glory and honor and praise!!

~Share the LOVE and HOPE of Christ by spreading JOY everyday!

Picnic Dinner & Shakespeare in the Park

I'm so happy it's the weekend! Dan and I are going to celebrate the beautiful fall weather with a sunset picnic tonight followed by Shakespeare in the Park (Julius Caesar! yay!)

I cannot wait for a date night with my Love with no to-do lists, no errands, and nothing but relaxing and enjoying the evening! Here's to beautiful weather, yummy picnic dinner and Shakespeare!

~Share the LOVE and HOPE of Christ by spreading JOY everyday!

Interesting Articles & a T-Shirt

Hello friends! Here is another scatter brained post! enjoy!

First is a thought provoking article about a single woman who wants to adopt. My initial reaction? No way! Children needs a mommy and a daddy! After reading it.....I'm not as sure. Is a single mother home better than no home at all? especially if they are starving and living in poverty? I'd love to know your thoughts.

Next is an inspiring Photo Essay about a sweet wife and mother who has created a beautiful home for her husband and daughter. The catch? All three of them live in 382 square feet apartment. It goes to show that you can have joy and contentment in any situation! such an inspiration! Her home is wonderful!

Next is a great article from an awesome new website I found! Please check out Conversant Life and particularly this article about Questioning Evangelism.

Then, a list of Financial Lessons you can learn from Little House on the Prairie! A funny read with some great tips!

And last is this funny shirt that made me smile. Jesus is my bestie too!

This post is in honor of my sister Alison who I think will love every link I put on this list.

~Share the LOVE and HOPE of Christ by spreading JOY everyday!

Fall!

Happy first official day of Fall! Texas is surprisingly showing up for the season by giving us some cool weather today! In honor of the cool breeze, here are some fun festive fall photos!

~Share the LOVE and HOPE of Christ by spreading JOY everyday!

Book Reviews, Product Reviews, and other Friday Fun!

Today's post is a little scatter brained, but here goes:

1. Some weird pictures in honor of my sister Alison's bulldog Biscuit

2. Do you have a man-person in your life? Boyfriend, fiance, husband? If so, I recommend reading the book For Women Only. It's amazing! Truly, it helps you understand men (and you might consider sweetly recommending your sweetie reads For Men Only. It will greatly increase his understanding of your fabulously female brain) While I'm recommending books, might I also add that Love & Respect is the best marriage book out there for practical application. And Sacred Marriage will change the way you think about everything involving marriage. All great books!

While I'm giving recommendations, let me give some shout outs for a couple favorites this week:

3. When Texas decides to rain for a week straight, this hairspray saves the day. (and smells good too!)

4. For perfect lashes everytime (or as my sisters like to call mine "spider lashes")

5. Only 26 bucks for super cute shoes? Yes please!

6. Check out this guide to keeping your home Clean Enough

7. And saving the best for last--- for a HILARIOUS friday read, please check out the post dedicated to me by the geniusly creative writer Denise

Okay, that's all folks! Have a wonderful weekend!!!

~Share the LOVE and HOPE of Christ by spreading JOY everyday!