The LaPrade Lifestyle

KC is going to make the best MOH ever! (maid of honor)
Kinley is the flower girl and Chance is the ring bearer!

A special note to KC, Kinley, and Chance. Thank you for cheering me up today!! I miss you guys so much and can't wait to see you in April! The holiday card is clipped to the fridge with all the other adorable photos of you guys! Have a Merry Christmas and be on the look out for a New Years package from Aunt Jess!! Love you guys all the way from Texas to Florida!!
(counting down the days till I see you guys!)

This is one of my favorite shots from our engagement picture session! Melanie Johnson did our photos and there will be a slide show on her blog : http://www.melaniejohnsonphotography.blogspot.com/ sometime in the near future! Ross and I picked out 20 of our favorites and we only had 5 that we both liked just the same...I think that's so funny how we like completly different pictures but all in all we picked out lovely engagement pictures and I can't wait to order them and put them on the wall!!

Brittany and I at her parent's house for her graduation party! She came into town on Saturday and we went out with her roommates from Baylor to a few fun places in Dallas!

Ross and I with Brittany! Her mom makes the best pies ever and Britt has
mad cooking skills too! We are going to have a Rachel Ray cooking night!

This is from a work vip shopping night. We dressed up and shopped around the store! I am on the Christmas countdown and ready to see my mom as soon as she arrives in Dallas!!
Also, BIG NEWS!! We have the engagement pics on the proofing gallery on the internet and
if you want to see over 200 amazing pics of Ross and I let me know! I love them all and it is very challenging picking my favorites!!

This is a picture of my kitchen table...I like to say that I am an organized person but lately I have thrown everything on the table on left it there. Wedding planning, thank you cards, camera, mail, bills, wedding vendor info and of course the handy computer...there is not much room for me to sit and eat but somehow for now I am able to make it work! The wedding is about 4 months away and I can't believe it! I think it's 17 days until Christmas and then life will be going full speed ahead to the wedding! (Bridesmaid Excitement : Brittany graduates in about a week and I am really excited to get to see her and celebrate her amazing accomplishments with her here in Dallas! Go Britt Baylor Class of 2008! We are so happy for you!)

Claudia and I went to Alfred Angelo's this past week to try on the bridesmaid dress...she loved the color and is already super tan for the wedding! I plan on going to the tanning bed religiously to have a special glow too..

Ok so I have been on etsy.com lately and I have fallen in love with so many items I have an

card and I am considering purchasing it to send out from Ross and I to a few of our friends and family members!

This I found when I entered monogram into the search box and I love everything this seller makes! First of all I am excited about my new married initials and the fact that Ross and I will have a family together some day which brings me to the family oriented decor by My Treehouse Treasures they make wall hangings and magnetic frames that are just adorable and are very reasonable! I am thinking of ordering one for me and one for my mom...I think she would just love it...Mom..if you get one act surprised! These are men's cuff links that I found when I entered super hero..of course Ross doesn't really wear cuff links but if he did oh man I would already have this ready for him to wear!
So..when you have a free minute check out etsy.com there are tons of items custom made and very unique for everyone's enjoyment to explore!

Thanksgiving with the LaPrades! We ate, played games, watched movies, and of course watched the Cowboys (well at least part of the group!). Lorin's four layer dessert was a huge hit and I couldn't get enough! The potato casserole was a hit as well and I am excited about learning new skills in the kitchen!! Here are a few pics from the very, very, relaxing day!

Me, Ron, and Lorin (Lorin was a little frustrated here!)

Ross and I .. I am wearing an adorable shirt made by Melissa Glidden (mellybean boutique) which has my new initials.. JRL that will be official in April!

Lorin and Logan getting ready to play Trivial Pursuit!
I wasn't very good at that game but we did discover that everyone
was quite creative at scattegories!

Happy Thanksgiving! I thought this was cute! Enjoy a day of eating all day long!!
This is my first Thanksgiving where I am making potato casserole!

(Memaw, Papaw, Mom, Aunt Penny and Uncle Paul)

Last weekend my family and I went to Louisiana to celebrate my Papaw's 50 years in the pest control business! He continues to work hard and support his family. He enjoys what he does day in and day out and the secret is in the coffee! We were all so proud of him and honored to call him Papaw! We had a celebration at Catfish Cabin with great seafood and an amazing Italian Cream Cake made by Memaw, Aunt Penny, and Mom!!

Everyone at the restaurant for a family shot!

(Tyler, Dad, Aunt Penny, Me, Mom, Memaw, Papaw, Aunt Lisa and Uncle Paul)
It was great to see everybody and we enjoyed catching up with everyone and
whats going on in their lives!

Family shot: Dad, Mom, Me and Tyler
I traveled to Louisiana with Dad and Tyler on Friday and they talked non stop about deer hunting...mom flew in from Buffalo and met us once we got there!
I enjoy riding in the car with the family though it reminds me of when we were younger and would take trips to Louisiana for all sorts of things. I enjoy talking and singing country songs...or as Dad likes to say "Let's take her back to her true roots!"

A quick shot of my fiance! Ross had to work the weekend we went to Louisiana and he was dearly missed but this past week we took engagement pictures!! I got a quick picture of him all dressed up and looking handsome!! We took all kinds of romantic pictures in a field and I can't wait so see them!!

Just a few things from this past week! Ok.. so the picture above is me modeling one of my tops that I have purchased for engagement pictures! I love the bold blue color and even though it may be a little chilly I am wearing this shirt!! Also, not sure if everyone knows but we are scheduled to take our engagement pictures at a movie theater in the area where Ross and I had our first date!! I can't wait I am so excited!

This is Armani Diamonds... a new fragrance for the fall of 2008 for the Armani Line. I went to a seminar on Friday and they gave everyone who attended a free bottle and it smells so nice! If you are in Dillards anytime soon stop by and smell the fresh, new fragrance!

Pam's Baby Shower!! Pam works in the handbag department with me at Dillard's and this past weekend we had a baby shower for her! We played fun games and had amazing ice cream cake! She got a ton of pink for baby Madison and a gorgeous Coach diaper bag that we bought for her so that she will have a Coach "brat" in the making! She loved it and when she opened it she was so surprised she cried...we were all so excited for her and can't wait to meet baby Madison!

This is a photo of the amazing ladies that work with me at Dillard's!

Joanne, Sue, Brenda, Pam (baby Madison), Me, and Maria.

Also check out this blog : www.mellybeanboutique.blogspot.com
She has adorable monogramed tops for women and the cutest baby clothes ever!!

This is completely random but I got tired of the fake nails and took them off.
I decided paint my nails pink for now until I am ready for the holiday red for the christmas season. So here is a picture of my pink nails with my gorgeous ring from my sweetie!

GO GATORS!!!
Well here it is ... I am wearing "gator blue" for KC to support the Florida Gators!
They played Georgia on Saturday and WON!!
Florida 49 - Georgia 10!!!
Hopefully my brother wont see this...he will be furious at the fact that
I am not wearing LSU colors!!

Well the planning is well under way and today I booked the photographer and the reception site!
The photographer will be Melanie Johnson (http://www.melaniejohnsonphotography.blogspot.com/) she does such an amazing job I am so excited to get to work with her!! We are trying to plan a day in November for engagement pictures and I will keep everyone posted! The reception will be at the Eldorado Country Club in McKinney not far from the church. It is a gorgeous site and all the windows in the dining room open on to the golf course!

We are planning on a movie theater themed reception and we have a couple of ideas in the works...cinema tickets, movie posters, batman theme song, candy bar, and so much more! I found this picture frame online and thought it would be perfect for the table center pieces!

Well tonight I am making potato casserole for my Dad and Ross..
hopefully I wont forget any ingredients! Wish me luck!

I just had to post the picture of Ross and my first "L" plate that I painted!! I think it's so cute and will go great in our kitchen some day!

Bridesmaid dress shopping for the perfect dress!!
My bridesmaids are very patient and sweet!!
First I took Alina to Alfred Angelo's and made her try on at least 6 different dresses to see which one would be the perfect one for the wedding day and this was the outcome....

Alina in the fuchsia dress that I love for the bridesmaids dress!!
The dress will be perfect for a spring wedding and I am thinking gold shoes
for the girls to wear with the dresses and simple yet elegant jewelry!

Brittany came into town for the weekend so we got to go look at the dress and doesn't she look adorable in the dress too!! She plans on getting it hemmed a little since she is only 5'1'' to make it the perfect length for her! She got Ross and I a sweet card and amazing smelling candle as an engagement present and the candle is making my apartment smell awesome as I type!!
This weekend Ross and I met with Jill Byrd the wedding coordinator at the church to go over wedding party, music, rehearsal dinner, and day of the wedding ideas. Also, apparently there are over 30 minutes of music that I need to find for the perfect day!! I have found one song I like so far..."This will be an everlasting love" by Natalie Cole as our recessional music!

This weekend was packed of wedding planning and lots of fun activities with the family! My mom came into town on thursday so she could be involved in everything (she and i think a lot alike!) On Saturday mom and I woke up at 6 a.m. to to drive to Northpark Mall where we ran for the Race for the Cure! We were among the 20,000 plus walking, running, walking dogs, pushing strollers, and decked out in pink head to toe for a good cause! Our next adventure was cake tasting with Ross and his mother Nora in downtown McKinney at The Cake Stand. We designed the brides cake with a variety of colors and a mad hatter theme. Ross' cake will be an amazing chocolate cake with peanut butter filling! Everyone enjoyed tasting cakes and we even took some home to the fathers not able to be there.

After we were done at The Cake Stand we headed off to Eldorado Country Club where we toured the site for a possible reception location. It was beautiful with large windows and drapery from the ceiling to the floor. I love the fact that the windows are huge and you can look out onto the golf course and even go outside to take pictures during the reception. They have enough room for dancing and great decorating ideas too!

I love these flowers and just had to post them! Hopefully some day my bouquet will look something like this!!

At the piano bar with KC in Universal Studios!!

They played Journey "Don't stop believing"

KC, Kinley, and Chance at the garden in Orlando

We attempted to shop for Maid of honor and bridesmaid dresses....

Kinley and I at Ripley's believe it or Not!!

I loved being in Florida relaxing with KC, Kinley, and Chance!
We shopped, went to the pool and enjoyed local sandwich shops for every meal!
KC- thank you for having me!!