#Blogtober14: Biggest Fear

Today's #Blogtober14 prompt is one my dear, sweet family loves to torture me with: my biggest fear. While I am not a fan of storms, ketchup, snakes, fish, heights, or the dark, what's my biggest fear? The one responsible for the blood-curdling scream in the video below?

FROGS.

For your viewing pleasure, I've included two videos. The first is from Easter 2013, and that introduction was made courtesy of my cousins, and the second was taken after just over a month of marriage, and Matt is lucky he hasn't been sleeping on the couch ever since. 

Post by Matt Mortimer.

I'm very well aware that you're all laughing right now. You're welcome. 

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday!! I'm SO looking forward to the weekend - hoping to get some much-needed sleep, dig up my front flowerbed, and watch my Pokes beat TCU :)

Now, on to this week's favorite things!

1. I got to see my brother at work! Kale volunteered at the Regional Food Bank with his fellow Southwest District 4-H members.

2. Remember that Magan & Justin got engaged on Sunday? Well, Mag posted this to her instagram last night:

with instructions to reply by posting my favorite picture of us! I couldn't pick just one :) 

And I just can't get over how excited I am for her!

3. In the "things" category, this mug is my favorite find recently, though I can't decide if I need want it in Tangerine Tango or Emerald. This flash drive is pretty spiffy, too. 

4. I have no pictures for this one, but my Aunt Kandi gave me a package of scentsy cubes that smell HEAVENLY. They're perfectly fall-scented and give my house a cozy, inviting feel. I don't even know what scent it is, other than perfect.

5. This one should go on the "not favorites list" I suppose. Just last week I posted about the adorable iPhone case I ordered. Well, it still hasn't come in. #GetWithItAmazon. And sadly, yesterday I dropped my iPhone and the screen is totally shattered...with pieces in my thumb. Apple is replacing the phone (thanks, Apple Care) but who knows when the new unit will be in, so I'm stuck with a broken screen for a little bit. I've already been told we're sending back the case I ordered (when it finally comes in) and ordering an OtterBox instead. Does anyone with an iPhone 6 have the Commuter series? I like the one below - I don't want the Defender because it's giant, and with the last Defender series case I had (for my 5), the rubbery back peeled off in layers - gross - so I had to mod podge glitter it. ;) 

6. Yosemite - not the place, the operating system. So far I'm loving the look. #MacFanGirl #WhoAmI? I'm ready for Monday when iOS 8.1 is released and my texts will show up on my computer. I really like the handoff feature for mail and safari (all I've used it for so far). 

Happy weekend!

#Blogtober14: Favorite Quote

Anyone who knows me knows I l.o.v.e Wicked. The music is beautiful and, hello, Kristen Chenoweth & Idina Menzel. #EnoughSaid I asked Matt multiple times if our dog's name could be Elphaba (he didn't agree. Obviously. #Hashtag). I still think she looks like an Elphaba though, and I wouldn't be opposed to changing her name. Ahem. 

Anyway, the song "For Good" is one of my favorites. The line above - because I knew you, I have been changed for good - is my favorite line out of everything spoken/sang in the entire musical. Those 10 words are so powerful and alway makes me reflect on myself and how I act toward those I interact with - whether that be once or daily - and if they could say because I knew you, I have been changed for good. 

 

Linking up with Taylor & Helene
#Blogtober14

Weekend Rewind

Happy Monday!

Today I'm at work, pretending to celebrate Piomingo Day (downside of not working for the Chickasaw Nation = no extra day off!). But this weekend? Let me tell you - it was great :)

On Friday, I made my first "Facebook deal." I'm part of a local "buy, sell, trade" group on Facebook and a lady posted that she had 2 quilt racks for $8 each - and they were so pretty! So, I messaged mom, basically seeking justification to buy one...in the end, she bought one and I bought one! I need to finish the wall behind my chair so I can put the quilt on the rack and get it set just where I want it. Right now it's a natural wood finish but I'm thinking I'll stain it dark to match the wood in our house. No pictures, because I forgot to take any, so follow me on Instagram and I'll eventually remember to post some. Probably.

After my gas-station money-quilt rack exchange, I went to my Aunt Kandi's to help her prepare food for "Justin's Birthday Party" (more on that coming later). AK makes everything from scratch, so I was quite certain I could pick up a few pointers. #CookingLessonsWithKandi, we'll call it. She doesn't measure, though, so I'm not sure exactly how much I picked up - other than the Puppy Chow recipe :)

One thing I definitely did learn was how to make salsa Suckerpunch Salsa.

What you can't see in those pictures are the mouth-burning jalapeño peppers that went into the salsa. It wasn't just a little kick, as my aunt said it would be. The salsa had great flavor, but I'm pretty sure my mouth caught fire when I tried it! 

As I said, all of the food was prepared for a "Surprise Birthday Party" that Magan was throwing for Justin. Little did she know that he was actually behind the whole thing and had a surprise planned for her!

(trying not to get sappy here - deletes whole paragraph because crying while writing it and it's not time for tears, duh) Mag & Justin, I'm so excited for you! Congratulations, "Feyoncés"!

#Blogtober14: The Best Advice

"Never make someone else miss out on a blessing because you're too stubborn to accept it."

- Grandma Vernia, after the May '99 tornado (likely paraphrased, as it's been so long!)

Friday Favorites: It's Fall, Ya'll!

I'm so excited that the weather is finally feeling fall-like! I'm a fan of all things cozy, fireplaces and mom's hot chocolate mix with lots of marshmallows (I guess now that I'm married I should probably get a copy of that recipe!), all of which start to be acceptable in the fall :)

Since I haven't shared my favorite things lately, I thought now would be a great time. Some are Pinterest finds - so go follow my boards! (ETA: after typing this, I realized I went from "ooh I like this" to a very random list. Whoops!)

1. I'm wanting so badly to learn to speak Chickasaw - and not just "know a few words" but actually be able to speak it. I figure since Matt's in school, I should do some studying, too, right? This is definitely on my already-being-made Christmas list :)

2. As we've determined, fall = cozy. Cozy = flannel, scarves and boots. I'm wanting this puffer vest and planning to make a flannel cardigan - if I can get through the gold sequin cardigan I'm currently sewing (did I lose my mind somewhere in hobby lobby when I decided to sew with sequins? Yes. Now I know why my grandma took a sewing sabbatical after making my gold sequin dress in first grade. But oh man that dress was awesome, right Mag? Also, this just further shows I've always been obsessed with gold sparkle.) 

3. This headwrap is too stinking cute and I need it to cover my ears. #EndOfStory #MakeItHappenMatt The leopard, the bow, it's adorable. 

4. I joined #TeamiPhone6 yesterday! I got the gold one, and as much as it pains me to cover up such a beautiful color, I'm really accident prone and don't want to break it (yes, I got apple care). I ordered this case from Amazon and I think I need to get my monogram, in pink, to put on the back. Yes?

5. Do you think if I wore this dress to work on Halloween that I could bring Hashtag to snuggle with all day? (Yes, our dog is named Hashtag.) 

6. I'm really not a fan of my front flowerbed. I'm wanting to take everything out except the two evergreen trees and put a bench like the one below in the middle. Then, I could put flowers on/around the bench or other seasonal decorations (I've got a scarecrow needing somewhere to sit right now, and I think that'd be a perfect place for Santa to hang out, too). Would that look weird? 

7. I'm really needing something to put above my curio cabinet. I have this one (pictured from Amazon below). Currently I have a little greenery above it, but I'm really not loving it. Suggestions? Our ceilings are really tall so I want something to give this a "top" instead of it being so flat and so far away from the ceiling. 

8. Last week/end my brothers showed at the Tulsa State Fair and Bear & Cait came to watch. Bear got in the way of a swishing tail, getting covered in black paint. He didn't want to pose for a picture because "this is gonna end up on your blog, isn't it?" Yes, yes it will :) 

I'm also loving that it's Friday. On that note, see you after the weekend! (I'm really liking the #blogtober14 prompt for Sunday, so maybe I'll even have a post then!)

#Blogtober14: When I grow up

I'm joining Taylor & Helene for #Blogtober14 - I may not post every day, but hopefully these prompts will help me get rid of the writer's block I've been experiencing lately!

My earliest aspirations were simply to be the center of attention. That worked out pretty well for me, as I was the cutest first grandchild on either side of the family. I'm very well aware this didn't line up with my desire to be a big sister - having two brothers on the scene meant I would have to share the stage, but they were worth it. And, since I've blogged wanting to be a big sister several times, I thought I'd share some other goals I had growing up. 

Photos courtesy of my mom. I can't pick my favorite!

Magan arrived just 18 months into my time in the spotlight, and I decided I just wanted to be her best friend. 

A real live baby doll, just for me!

I think I could have passed as an Olympic skiier with those duds.
Also, approximately 90% of my childhood pictures include Magan. 

When I was in Mrs. Abello's Kindergarden Class, we filmed our Kindergarden Video, and one of the questions they asked was what we wanted to be when we grew up. My favorite answer was from my a classmate who said he wanted to be a first grader (I think he's one of the few who stuck with that goal for a whole year). I don't remember what my answer was, but considering social media wasn't a thing back then and I think marketing would have sounded silly to a 5-year-old, I know I didn't stick with it. My mom and I are trying to remember what the video said. I'll update if we can remember.

Around Kindergarden age.
Also, I think at this age, we just wanted to jump on the trampoline and eat grilled cheeses forever.
I also happen to remember a few years later we both wanted braces and glasses so we could be cool.
We both got that wish granted.

Around that same time, I decided I wanted to be just like my cousins Christie and Katie, so I started showing sheep. My favorite picture of Little Shae showing sheep (say that 5 times fast) is of me in my gymnastics leotard, showing Princess and Pazarra. I can't find that one on Facebook, though, so instead, I'll post a super not flattering picture of me "listening" to Katie's instructions. Hint: I probably wasn't listening. 

 

Around the time of this next picture, I wanted to be a doctor. My bio for the Miss Tuttle/Miss Northern District/Miss Grady County pageants even said I was going to major in biochemistry and molecular biology at OSU and go on to med school after I graduated. I wanted to be a pediatric oncologist or an ER doctor, if I recall correctly. Well, I worked at a doctor's office one summer during high school and QUICKLY realized that human blood grosses me out and there was no way I could cut it as a doctor.  

Since I decided I couldn't be a human doctor, I determined would be a veterinarian. I had been helping deliver sheep at Showtime Club Lambs since before the sheep showing picture up there, so I figured I could handle that. Well, all that changed one day my senior year when I got to help with a particularly gross birth (I'll spare you all the details, you're welcome). 

I took Mrs. Reedy's College Writing class during high school and discovered I loved writing. She wrote an encouraging note on one of my papers that started me thinking about "being a writer" when I grew up - of course, I didn't really know what that entailed, but it sounded good. After meeting Dr. Shelly Sitton when I was enrolling for college, I knew I had picked the perfect major - agricultural communications - and couldn't wait to start college! 

Our "Senior Service" at church just before high school graduation

Ag comm is a pretty broad degree, so I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to do, but I loved what I was studying. During my second internship at Riverwind Casino, I discovered a love for social media and decided I wanted to "do social media" for the casino. I loved my degree but wanted some more mainstream marketing knowledge, so I took a bunch of marketing classes and a few advertising classes. After a lot of research and a third internship, I graduated college and went to work in the marketing department at Riverwind, as the Social Media Specialist.  

College graduation

After two years at the casino, I applied to work at my favorite nonprofit, which is where I am currently working. What started out as managing social media and website has now added graphic design, and I get to be creative all day every day while fighting hunger in Oklahoma. Cool, right? 

One of my favorite days on the job: when I met Desmond Mason!

But really, what I want to be when I grow up isn't defined by a job title. Now, I just want to be like these ladies:

My Grandma Nett, Grandma Vickie, Mom and Aunt Kandi

My Mom, Grandma Sparks and Grandma Nett

When people say "you're so much like your mom," I smile and say thank you. Because I want to be a great wife, daughter, mentor and friend. I want to be a kind person - the kind of person other people know truly cares. And above all, I want to be like Jesus. I want to share His love, grace and faithfulness with all who I encounter. So thank you for always pointing to Jesus. Because when I grow up, I want to be just like you. 

#NewlywedLife: Learning to Cook

I'm no Pioneer Woman, but occasionally I make something amazing and I want to shout from the mountain tops - "I DID IT!!! I DIDN'T BURN A MEAL!!! IT'S EDIBLE!!!" The list goes on.

Tonight was one of those nights. Note: If I'm cooking something and it's turning out good, it's easy. I promise!

My beautiful MOH Magan collected recipes from my friends and family during my engagement, and gave all of them to me in a recipe box. One of those recipes came from my other MOH, Lori - Chicken and Dumplings Casserole. I love casseroles. So easy.

I deviated from her recipe a little (salt? oops, forgot it. Chicken granules? What the heck?), so I've shared my version below. And if you come to my house in the next week, you can try some - this recipe makes a bunch!

What you'll need:

• 2 chicken breasts, cooked & shredded (In case you're like me and you didn't know how to "cook" chicken until 2 weeks ago don't know how to "cook" chicken - boil it for 30 minutes)
• I use boneless, skinless chicken breast strips - they're smaller and easier for me to work with
• 2 c chicken broth
• 1/2 stick of butter
• 2 c Bisquik
• 2 c milk (I use 2%)
• 1 can of cream of chicken soup
• 1/2 t sage 
• 1 t black pepper

What to do:

1. Preheat your oven to 360 degrees
2. Melt the butter then spread in in the bottom of a 9x13 pan
3. Sprinkle chicken on top of the butter. Don't stir.
4. Sprinkle the pepper and sage on top of the chicken. Don't stir. 
5. Mix the milk and Bisquik together. Pour on top of the chicken/pepper/sage - again, don't stir!
6. Mix the cream of chicken soup and chicken broth. Pour on top of everything else. Guess what? DON'T STIR!
7. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the top is nice and toasty.
8. ENJOY!

It's not very pretty, but it's VERY delicious!

Let me know how it turns out if you try it!

#blogtemberchallenge: Currently.

Happy game day!!!

Not soon enough in a few hours, we'll be making the first of several trips this fall up i35, taking exit 174 for highway 51 east into STILLWATER to watch my Cowboys play!! Matt, don't forget the tickets. It's your job this year. Mom, don't forget your tickets either!! :) 

Today I'm linking up with Bailey for the #blogtemberchallenge! Today's prompt is "currently."

So, currently I'm...

reading: Sophie Kinsella books, and cracking up at them. Matt has realized if I'm staring at my iPad giggling uncontrollably, it's probably at the book. 

watching: College Gameday (probably). It's Saturday during football season, what else is there to watch?? 

trying: to successfully sew a cardigan, so I can move on to more projects that I'm dying to do. My "oh sew cute" pinboard is growing. Also, trying to justify the need to buy a new sewing table since mine is propped together and beyond what gorilla glue can fix. 

eating: healthier, and loving it. Baked chicken was on the menu several nights this week, and salads were for lunch. 

pinning: mostly healthy recipes, fall decorations, fall clothes and sewing projects I'm dreaming of.

tweeting: so much at work that I don't want to at home, apparently. I've been quiet this week. 

loving: the cooler weather in the forecast. Come on fall.

dreaming: of winter vacation. Drive all night to ski? Hop on a plane to Vegas? Find a beach or somewhere warm? Hide at home? Suggestions welcome.

bridesmaid dresses

Weddings. They're expensive.

Dresses. They're also expensive.

Weddings + dresses? HELLO expensive. I'm not talking wedding dresses, ya'll, because that's a #duh, but obviously worth every single penny (because I seriously felt like a princess!).  The dresses I'm talking about here? Bridesmaid dresses.

Have you seen a prettier group of girls? I didn't think so. 

Initially I wanted the girls to wear orange bridesmaids dresses. Then black and orange...then someone wisely pointed out that the church has a mauve-ish color carpet and that would clash horribly, so it was decided that black dresses were the way to go. Whew...glad I avoided that. Plus, black dresses, black heels and pearls - classic and beautiful.

So, the search was on for the dress. I knew I wanted them to wear something modest, I wanted something that would fit everyone well and comfortably, and I wanted Kiera to wear the same dress, or one very close to it.

After looking through a seemingly unending number of dresses online, Mag, Lori, Kristen and Kiera joined me for a trip to Alfred Angelo, who had every style you could want, and tried on dresses. Instantly a decision was made - illusion neckline.

source

They all liked the dress (or at least acted like they did) - it was pretty, comfortable, modest, etc. - it met all the requirements. I wasn't a HUGE fan of the hi-lo hemline (I've never really liked them), but the dress looked nice, so I was willing to go with it. It wasn't as expensive as others we found online at least, so it would work. This dress wasn't available at the time (it's new).

And then I was let in on a secret.

Target has a "secret" bridesmaid dress line. Say what??? 

Yeah. It's true. I was shown this dress, which is half the price of the ones the girls tried on (and is even more on sale right now, if you're wedding planning!), AND I liked it more because it didn't have the funky hi-lo hemline! #winning. The girls all liked it, so it was ordered based on the size chart on the Target website, which was spot on. 

When it came in, we got a bonus: the dress has pockets. While some people *MaganAndLori* threatened to use them to store their phones to take selfies in the middle of the ceremony, that was avoided, and I think everyone loved the convenience of having pockets in their dress. And, you know how everyone says "you can even wear it again!" about their bridesmaids' dresses (or "you can shorten it and wear it again!")? The girls seriously have worn/can wear these again, because who doesn't need a new LBD? (Seriously, I have it on record!) They also come in gray, white and a whole array of fun colors, which would all be appropriate to wear outside of being a bridesmaid.

Now, Kiera wasn't going to fit in these dresses. She was 9, so there's no way one would be small enough to fit her. Enter my master seamstress Grandma Vickie. We found a similar pattern, and she made it happen. Proof:

Kiera's dress had the same chiffon top as the grown up girls, it was just cut higher, and the waistline and hem hit at the same spot. My grandma did an awesome job - I'm SO thankful she had time to make KFL's dress for me! The "junior" before "bridesmaid" meant nothing - she was a bridesmaid 100% and I wanted her to match :) 

The other dress to decide on was Julie's. I saw this dress online ages ago, and when we got engaged, I decided that would be Julie's dress. 

adorable, right?
source

But, I couldn't commit. On the day I was measuring Julie to order it - basically the last day to ensure it would be here before I started getting too nervous - my mom and I got a crazy whim - let's stick her in my old pageant dress, just for fun. 

You see, I was Little Miss Tuttle in 1995, and in 1997, I passed on my title, wearing the most fabulous dress EVER. Granted, it was so totally 1997 (it has a butt bow, ya'll), but we were just trying it on... and seriously, it was fabulous, so even if we were entertaining the idea of having her wear it, it would be too crazy...right? 

Then she tried it on...and it fit. And it was adorable...and by the way she squealed into the mirror, there was no doubt that she loved it. She felt like a princess, and hello, isn't that the whole point of weddings? 

So it was decided - Julie would wear my very 1997 Little Miss Tuttle dress. But could she be any cuter?? Nope, it was absolutely perfect! (And, I just spoke with Brent, and he agreed. The 90's are back, baby,)

So, that's it - the story of my girls' dresses. 

Go read the rest of the stories from those linking up with Cassie! 

#MattAndShae: DISNEY WORLD!!!

And finally, the post I know you've been awaiting for almost three months: DISNEY WORLD!!!

"We're going to Disney World!!!!!"

"We have Disney Magic Bands!!!!!" 

After staying a night at the beautiful Winstar World Casino Hotel, we drove on to Dallas to fly out. We got to Disney World early enough that we could enjoy Magic Kingdom for a few hours before the park closed! Before we get started, you'll notice some of these pictures aren't selfies! "How did you go to Disney World by yourself and not have to take selfies?" you ask? Well, we didn't hand our camera over to a stranger at every stop (just once!). We bought the Memory Maker and it is worth EVERY penny. Buy it before you go (it's only $150 then - it's $200 when you're at the park). You can sync it with your Magic Band (which is your room key, park ticket and meal plan) so even if you split up from your group, everyone can still use it to take awesome pictures around the park. Pictures taken on rides or by PhotoPass photographers are loaded on to this and you can download them on to your computer when you get home, then share them, print them, whatever! We had more than 50 pictures to download - so obviously buying this it's a much better deal than had we bought all 50 pictures individually. That is my one piece of advice to every person going to Disney World. For other advice, or to get your trip planning on, visit Christy and Granny Carol at Dream Vacation Travel Specialists - they're both Disney Pros and planned our trip (in fact, they've planned every Disney trip I've gone on!).  

Okay now on to the pictures!

This picture is the reason we bought the Memory Maker.
Tower of Terror - 1. Shae - 0.
(I'm on the top in the green. Crying. Real tears. While my new husband laughs.)

Matt pretended to be asleep. I closed my eyes. BUT I rode all these roller coasters and didn't cry (other than the Tower of Terror. But come on, terror is in the name!!!)

I beat Matt at this!
Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin

The castle!!
I'm wearing a backpack because we just got to the park after dinner, which was a dress up dinner. In my backpack are clothes for both of us, so we can have fun in the park...before changing back into these clothes to go watch fireworks at California Grill (where we had dinner). Beautiful and delicious!

We stayed at the Port Orleans Riverside, in the Acadian House. 

We arrived just after May the 4th be with You and Revenge of the 5th, and just before Star Wars Weekend. Toy Story Pizza Planet had Darth Vader Chocolate Cupcakes. Delicious, but insanely rich. 

We ate at the Sci-Fi Drive-In Theater Restaurant one night. The "booths" are cars and everyone faces the screen. It was cool!

One night we ate dinner at California Grill, inside the Contemporary Hotel. The food was delicious, but the views!! They were amazing. 

Matt's chocolate candy bar. #fancypants

When you dine at the California Grill, you get to come back for their spectacular view of the fireworks show over Magic Kingdom.

We posed with the lego characters at downtown disney:

And had Bangers & Mash in Epcot:

Of course, Mickey ice cream bars were a must (along with Mickey rice krispy treats!).

These views are from one of the bridges on our hotel's grounds. Beautiful!

One night we ate at Le Cellier, and it was absolutely the best dining experience ever. They had amazing bread. The salad was good. The steaks were absolutely the very best I've ever had in my entire life (sorry dad). I have dreams about those steaks. Then, our waitress brought us a cute little white chocolate message on our Maple Creme Brulee. Canada, you do it right in Disney World. I've already told Matt that we WILL be back there next time we go! 

We also dined with Characters, and Tigger was a little creepy. 

I can't get this picture to flip, but it was my appetizer at California Grill - BBQ pork and apple flatbread. Absolutely amazing. Also, another "Disney Do" - DO get the meal plan! Our meal plan gave us 3 meals and 2 snacks per day. We had extra snacks but no extra meals (and we bought snacks to bring home with us with our "extras!). You will eat well and you will not regret it because you will walk your hiney off. On the meal plan, we got an appetizer, entree, dessert and drink at every meal (except breakfast, because who needs an appetizer and dessert at breakfast?).

We brought some magic home with us - because Disney should be part of every day (also, I want to cry writing this because I love Disney so much and want to go back. Thank goodness for souvenirs!). 

I was a "cool wife" and went to the arcade at Downtown Disney :) 

The churro people FAILED me. They were warm in the box and they're lucky I'm honest and didn't take one. I wanted one so bad...and need to go back tomorrow just so I can have one. And a Dole Whip. Yum. 

All too soon, it was time for the saddest plane ride: the one leaving Disney World. :( 

But we are so thankful we got to start our Happily Ever After at the Happiest Place on Earth! (Can we go back now, Matt??? PLEASE!????)

Click here if you'd like to see more Disney pictures!! That's my Flickr page - I didn't want to overwhelm the blog with a bazillion pictures when they're already uploaded somewhere else :) 

We're engaged!

We bought a house!

Bridal weekend

Wedding week!

#MattAndShae: The Details

#MattAndShae: The Printed "Stuff"

#MattAndShae: The Wedding Party

#MattAndShae: Our Families

#MattAndShae: The Ceremony

#MattAndShae: Mr. & Mrs.