The Birthday-Engagement Tailgate Weekend!

Yup.. you read the subject line correctly! 

Let's get right to it, friends!

While Eric and I went to Austin for his actual birthday weekend, we wanted to also have something to celebrate with friends. His mom had the great idea to celebrate his 30th at our tailgate! If you've been following awhile, you know we're pretty die hard TU fans and have a regular tailgate spot with Eric's familia. :) His mom did a ton of work and made the tailgate really special with special touches all the way down to personalized water bottles with Eric's photos! 

Annnnnd that's where I'd be focusing this entire blog if not for what happened NEXT! 

Midway through the tailgate, Eric came over and said he wanted to say a few words to thank everyone for coming. I looked at him strangely and said something like "Nah.. You've already thanked everyone personally.." He said "Ya think?" I said "Yeah..." He was like "I'm going to say something..." I was like "I really don't think it's necessary, but okay..."

So, I stood there, beer in hand (classy) as he got everyone's attention and proceeded to thank them for being there and celebrating his 30th...

And then, he said "And I also want to thank Jackie for an awesome birthday weekend in Austin last weekend." I thought "Aww...that's nice.." and continued sipping my beer, totally oblivious. 

Around this time, friends reported seeing him fidgeting with his back pocket. Again, I was oblivious. Sheez. 

Then he said "As most of you know, Jackie and I have been together 4 years..." I still thought nothing was up until he finished that sentence with "And she is my best friend in the entire world.." My eyes got wide and my jaw dropped. I turned around to put my beer down and saw ALL of our friends with their iPhones ready to snap photos... I thought "Ohmygosh, they think something's happening, too! OHMYGOSH!" 

I turned back around and Eric dropped to one knee...

And the whole world fell silent in my head. It was like we were the only two people there. It was pretty crazy. I saw him open the little red box and extend it toward me. I wanted to leap over and hug him, but I had to mentally say "Let him keep talking!" I'm pretty sure I wasn't breathing. He asked me to marry him and I said "YES!" at the same time I dropped to my knees and hugged him so hard I'm surprised I didn't take him down. Or at least I think I said yes.. I screamed it in my head, but Eric later said he wasn't sure I actually said it out loud til he asked me to confirm it a few minutes later.. haha! 

Our friends and family were SO awesome to capture the proposal in photos!  And a VERY special thank you to Eric's longtime friend, Matt, who is an outstanding photographer and captured almost every second of the best moment I've experienced in my 31 years. :) Matt is editing some photos, so I plan to use the final versions for facebook tomorrow or so, but I couldn't resist posting some unedited ones now! I actually kinda attribute meeting Eric to Matt. I don't even know if he knows that (Surprise, Matt!) But I know Matt and I were friends first...and that's how Eric and I first noticed each other. 

This is that moment I described where I looked back to put down my drink and realized something was definitely going on. Timberly's face is awesome!

I love his smile here!

It meant so much to have friends and family there. It made the moment even more special, if that's at all possible! 

Eric hadn't told ANYONE except my mom and his parents. So, everyone was completely surprised, too. I can't believe he managed to keep this a secret from everyone!

We got home and I was still grinning from ear to ear. He said "I have something else.." and walked out with some (fake) bling for Gracie dog, too!! I just love this guy so much...

We freshened up and met friends for (many) celebratory cocktails and champagne. This morning, I experienced the most well-deserved hangover I've ever had! haha! :) We got to continue celebrating at brunch with friends this morning (and mimosas...obviously).

I just can't believe he totally and completely surprised me...I had absolutely no idea and I'm not just saying that. I mean.. we've been together 4 years.. I was kinda hoping it was happening soon; don't get me wrong. But, I really believed it might be coming around the holidays. He floored me. And to do it at TU...somewhat full circle of our relationship... Just amazing.  It was just so perfect and I am so happy.

We never went ring shopping. I really wanted it to be a surprise and I know Eric has great taste (and also the great sense to ask my friends if he really needed help... haha..). He knew I wanted something original and antique-looking, but also simple and classy. He absolutely nailed it. I can't stop staring at the gorgeous jewelry on my ring finger and smiling.

We're getting MARRIED and I'm pretty sure nothing has ever felt so right!! 

As a funny to end this novel... I can finally change my pinterest board called "Celebrations" to "Wedding ideas!" I mean.. who was I kidding with that anyway? ;) 

Weekend Recap: Eric's 30th in Austin!

I want to kick off this post with a HUGE thank you for all the London/Europe tips, advice, comments, etc. I'm so very grateful. Grateful doesn't even begin to describe really. I'm only there for a week and want to maximize everything I can, so I just thank you guys so much.

Now to talk about a trip closer to home, but still somewhere neither Eric nor I had ever been-Austin, TX! We had an absolutely blast this past weekend for his big three-oh!

So, without further adieu, here's Eric's bday weekend in Austin! His birthday was on Thursday, so that's when we flew in. This is gonna be long (sorry), but it's his birthday post, so I want to capture it all... Plus, we crammed a lot into a single weekend and you know I had to capture it all on film...

view from our room at the Hilton off 4th street

Eric really wanted to stand up paddle board...and while I was excited and intrigued, I have the balance of a drunk monkey, so I was also a little worried. It was actually really easy and super fun! We SUP'd all the way down Lady Bird Lake to Barton Springs Pool and back... :)

We both seriously now want our own. Not even being a teensy bit overdramatic.

After getting a glimpse of Barton Springs from the paddle boards, we opted to head over and take a dip in the technical "pool" part. Fed by underground springs, the pool stays a crisp 68 degrees year-round. Pretty sure my legs went slightly numb from the chill at first, but it was a cool experience and the water was clear and beautiful.

If I'd gone to college in Austin, I would have tried to lifeguard here. I'm just saying. 

After thawing out a little, we opted to head up to The Oasis restaurant on Lake Travis, famous for it's breathtaking views (but not so much for its food). We took friends' advice and skipped the meal, but went straight for a drink to overlook the gorgeous lake.

Oh annnnnd it was The Oasis' 30th birthday, too! (I may have taken our plastic cups that said "30 years." I mean.. I think you were allowed to, but I didn't really ask, so there's that.)

Got back and changed for Eric's bday dinner at La Condesa! Some of you had recommended it (thank you!!) so I googled and found many, MANY more excellent reviews. All the recommendations were spot on. Excellent food, out-of-this-world cocktails.. yeah... two thumbs up for La Condesa!

Happy Birthday to Eric!

We took our first pedicab ride... (I'm really sorry to this lovely lady whose booty is now on my blog. Just wanted to capture the moment).

Had an after dinner drink at a rooftop bar on 4th where we were legitimately too full to even finish our drinks. Seriously, my stomach HURT it was so full... but it was so worth it.

Saturday, we started the day with a food tour by Austin Eats Food Tours. I'd found them on a food critic's blog and decided to give 'em a whirl. One thing you should know about Eric and me is that we love to try local food. And Eric is moderately obsessed with food trucks. Seriously. And Austin is the food truck capital of the world, so this food tour sounded right up our alley. 

From 10:00-1:30, we enjoyed a fabulous walking tour of downtown Austin's best little local gems, starting with the farmers' market and taking us to Sandra Bullock's bakery/restaurant, a local pub, a BBQ place, a cupcake place, Whole Foods flagship store, an Austin landmark hamburger restaurant, and more. We kicked off the day with breakfast tacos from a food truck. Can't.go.wrong.

Finished the day with our choice of local beer or local root beer. Having full bellies, we both opted for the root beer. Uh.mazing. 

Overall an awesome experience and I'm so glad we did it. They have a lot of different tours so if you're ever visiting Austin, check them out! They also get a lot of locals so even if you call Austin home, you should go!

Later that day, two Oklahoma football fans found themselves in a sea of burnt orange. Neither of us had been to the stadium, so we found some tickets on the cheap and decided why not.

College football is almost a religion in our part of the country. 

We stayed through halftime, then headed to get a drink on the rumored-to-be-more-calm-than-6th Rainey Street. We both decided this is where we'd frequently get drinks if we lived in Austin. Loved it. Old homes turned into bars, lots of seating, bands playing...fabulous.

Grabbed a drink at the Lustre Pearl on Rainey Street

And then...we hadn't eaten since the food tour and were finally hungry! Our guide had recommended an Indian food truck, the G'raj Mahal. People bring their own adult beverages and enjoy Indian food at this quirky, cool little truck/cafe. I was floored when I saw how elaborate it is...

A little three man jazz band provided the soundtrack our meal. And in case you were wondering, it beat any Indian food I've had. Period.

We headed back today, but not before stuffing ourselves one last time at brunch at Moonshine's. Two rooms FULL of a brunch buffet. Dear Gawd if I'd gone to college in Austin, I would have surpassed any silly little "freshman 15" and gone straight to the freshman one hundred.

Glad we paddle boarded on day one because I'm pretty sure I would have looked like I had a food baby if we'd waited til today to do it. Either that or I would have sank to the bottom of Barton Springs.

All in all, a fabulous weekend! Eric says he had a great time ringing in his 30s there which makes me happy. :) I don't wanna get too cheesy here, but I really dig that guy and I feel so lucky and blessed to get to celebrate awesome milestones like this together. We have so much fun together, especially when traveling. He made my 30th so special, so I hope he had even half the fun he showed me when I turned 30.

Okay, now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go run on a treadmill and eat lots of celery... ;)

London Calling

It's official! I'm going to LONDON...in just over a MONTH! What?!

So here's where I need help... Lauren obviously can't take off work the whole week I'm there, so I'll be exploring on my own a bit, too. Have you been? Any recs of must-see's? Sites to find info?

From St. Paul's Cathedral to the London Eye to Buckingham Palace, I am just so pumped!

With my airline miles, the whole thing came to less than $200! How can you pass up a trip to LONDON when you get to see and stay with a best friend and have miles to cover the flight?!

YOU CAN'T! (<-- That's what I told myself at least).

I know you guys just mostly know blog Jackie... and not like I'm a different person.. but you can't tell from my blogs that I'm just not that spontaneous...typically. For the most part, I plan, I research, I save...but I haven't EVER booked a trip like this a month away! Cray cray up in this blog, people!

And I'm one of those annoying "I don't have regrets because you learn from everything" people, but if I ever DID have one, it would be not going to Europe in college/law school. I wanted to save money, not take out more loans, and work during my breaks from school. I worked at the law firm during all my breaks. Good thing I did that to secure the job that I no longer even DO. Sheez. *shaking head at self*

And Lauren is game to take a weekend excursion somewhere by plane or train! Travel is so cheap over there. Any recommendations for side trips? Paris? Edinburgh?

Ohmygosh I am so excited!!!

Okay... harnessing my chi and coming back to reality for now.

Happy Tuesday!

Weekend Recap!

Happy non-manic holiday Monday! This blog comes straight to you mid-afternoon from my sofa. :)

Wasn't the long weekend glorious? 

As I said in my last post, I really didn't have any formal plans this weekend...which is one reason it was so glorious. No schedules. No must-do's by a certain time, etc.

Friday, Eric and I tried out Platt College's Culinary Institute's restaurant, Foundations. We'd read about it on the Tulsa Food blog and had been wanting to try it for a couple weeks. Then, I saw Katie's post about it from last weekend and I was sold. We made a reservation the same day I read her post. :)

Guests can choose from a 3, 4, or 5 course meal with a set menu of three or four options per course. This menu isn't up to date because it changes frequently, but just check out some of the options via that link! And it's really affordable. A full 5 course meal is only $23. Wow. 

I almost forgot to mention that they also have one of the "World's Best Wine Lists" as selected by Wine Spectator. 

Who knew this was RIGHT HERE in Tulsa? You need to have some patience because it takes a little while, but it's well worth it. 

Some pics of our food. From top left clockwise: Eric's sausage appetizer, Eric's ribeye, my stuffed flank steak with white asparagus, onion, etc, creme brule, palette-cleansing sorbet of vanilla, raspberry, and champagne (YUM!)

Oh...and I got to rock my red jeans I haven't worn since winter! Bring on the fall! :)

Saturday, Eric and I headed out to our friends' house for a little TU football watch party! So glad college football is back in action! Bummed we didn't get a win, but we'll turn it around. We've got a whole season to go!

Sunday, I got to FaceTime with Lauren for the first time since she moved to London. Technology is so awesome when I'm not dropping it or breaking it. :) Talking to her made me want to visit London even more...

Annnnnd good news... It's low season to travel to Europe starting next month! That means, I can use HALF the miles I'd normally need...which means I have plenty of miles to get me to London for FREE. Well, I'll have to pay those pesky taxes and fees, but mostly for free. :)

Iamsoexcited! I've never been to Europe and I want to make this happen so badly! :)

Sunday night, I took Eric to dinner to kick off his birthday week. He turns the big three-oh on Thursday!

And today has been fabulously low key and relaxing.

Happy long weekend!

It's OK Thursday!

It’s OK…

To have consumed enough wine to purchase a bracelet I totally don’t need at last night’s Stella and Dot party. (I really do love the bracelet though).

To have purchased a shirt just b/c I really liked it on J’s Everyday Fashion. (It’s long sleeve/striped from The Limited. She posted a 45% off code).

To have an obvious fall shopping issue right now. I’m grounding myself. Everything I’ve purchased is cheap or on major sale, but still. GROUND.ED.

To be really excited for an upcoming trip to Austin for Eric’s 30^th in a couple weeks!

That I screamed out loud at the Pretty Little Liars finale at one point when I finally watched it last night on Hulu.

To be moderately obsessed with finding a way to visit my friend in London. She just moved there and I am dying to go see her and explore London with her! 

To pull a Scarlett O’Hara sometimes and just decide “I’ll think about that tomorrow.”

To actually pull up my pinterest boards when choosing outfits for work sometimes.

To try talking to my plant in my office in hopes of keeping it alive. I mean, that works sometimes, right?

That I’m super excited about the long weekend…with NO formal plans! Bring on the spontaneity and relaxation!

That I’m STOKED (yes, I said stoked) that Matchbox Twenty just released a new single (“She’s so Mean”-look it up! Good stuff!) and is releasing their first album in 10 years! They were my FAVORITE! I used to blast their music in my ears when I studied. I really hope their tour comes somewhere close b/c I want to go sofreakingbadly!

To have no desire to cook anything at all lately. I go from wanting to cook all the time to wanting to eat my weight in eat chips and salsa for dinner. 

To catch myself daydreaming quite a bit lately. 

Weekend Recapness...a little late.

So I'm finally getting on the ball to ramble on about my weekend. :) Not gonna lie, it was a BUSY August. I am so happy and thankful to have many fun things to celebrate and lots to do, but I'm also glad last weekend was the end of some of the scheduled-busy-stuff for awhile. Plenty of time to rest before weekend FOOTBALL tailgates kick in gear!

***Friday***

For the past year, I've served on the auction committee for an annual event benefiting the Cancer Society. Called Cattle Baron's Ball, the event has been in Tulsa for a few years, but is starting to really take hold now. It's already huge in Dallas and a couple of other cities. Maria, my friend who launched the fashion line, actually chaired the event this year. (I totally can't say I'm busy at all compared to that girl!)

Like I said, there has been lots of auction item planning in the past year, including a tanning package. The spray tan person came to Beth's house to drop off her auction item while we were working on some final event stuff, sooooo the two of us decided to get a spray tan from her, too. Go ahead and laugh. I certainly did. 

Before/After showering. 

The event was at Vive Le Ranch in South Tulsa, featuring gorgeous land, a barn complete with twinkling Christmas lights, a live band, games, BBQ, and more.

Many thanks to my friend and the event's fabulous photog, Sherman Merchant, for capturing this photo as we arrived!  Ignore my dress wrinkles. I'd been sitting. It was so humid, they shook out quickly. 

Sara and me. Many thanks to Jenny for letting me borrow her awesome dress!

By the way, if you're looking for comfy, affordable cowboy boots, I found these and love them. I didn't have any and want some every year, but just never want to fork over tons of cash or patience to break in the real ones. They're not a nice leather (or even REAL leather for that matter), but they look cute and I dig them. Wanted to share.

Mason jars + candles + labels painted with chalkboard paint. Guests were able to purchase and write the name of a loved one affected by cancer to light the night's event. 

Guarding his auction item with one minute remaining in bidding... haha...

Nice "glow" from the humidity/summer heat. 

The event was a lot of fun and a great success! My role was very small, but really proud of my friends Maria, Beth, and more who worked very hard to make it so outstanding.

***Saturday***

Saturday, I ran errands and took it pretty easy. Eric and I saw the Bourne Legacy Saturday night. I dug it. Then again, I think I've blogged about my crush on Jeremy Renner, so there's that. 

***Sunday***

So, I have been withholding some information. I have wanted another dog for AWHILE now, but it didn't make sense when I lived with a roommate b/c she also had a dog. Three dogs=too much for a little rental house. So, I perpetually stalk petfinder. A doggie came up for rescue a few weeks ago and I finally called. Sunday, the rescue brought the pup for a home visit and I was SO SAD b/c we ended up not taking the dog. I mean, the dog was great- adorable, well-mannered, etc, but Gracie wasn't interested at all. And the dog was quite a bit larger than we originally thought which freaked Gracie out...which is fine because she'd get used to it, but it was just not what we're ready for. I almost cried when I called the woman to tell her we wouldn't be taking the pup. It just breaks my heart to know so many dogs need good homes and we have a great one to share, but I still had to say no b/c it wasn't a fit right now. I'd rescue all the dogs on the streets if I could, so having to turn one away after meeting it was really tough. 

That said, we definitely have lots of love to give this little furry kid and vice versa. We're lucky to have such an awesome little pooch who brings us so much joy. :) Someday the right pup will find us and make a great sister or brother to G dog. 

Sunday night, Eric and I capped off the weekend with burgers and beer. I was bummed out about the dog not working out, so he distracted me by getting me out of the casa and bribing me with a cheeseburger. :)

I feel like I've posted a lot of dressed up photos lately. This is my much more normal weekend attire. :) 

I seem to always think "this post won't be that long" and then I throw like 850 things at you guys. Sheez. Thanks for sticking with me. I'll try to blog in shorter bursts more frequently instead of one long rant

What I'm Loving Wed

Wanted to do a quick What I'm Loving Wednesday post, soooo here goes with a few fashion-focused things I'm loving lately:

1. Loving this skirt I got at Target for just $16 yesterday! Many thanks to my friend and co-worker, Lori, for telling me where she snagged it on major sale so I was able to go grab one myself! It's even lined! It still looks to be $22 online (still a major bargain), but in stores here, it's already hit the sale racks. Lori and I agree that it'll be a great way to add color in the fall!




Via Target



2. Collar necklaces. I really dig this trend and want one! Leslie blogged about em yesterday and linked some super cute ones. Just like everything else trendy, I don't feel the need to break the bank on something likely going out of style after the season, so I've been searching for affordable ones. Found these two on Asos for around $20 each!



3. Tory flats. While I still think they're way overpriced for what they are, I want some. Like really want some. There's a Tory outlet near Austin, so if Eric and I have any free time on our weekend getaway in Sept, I fully plan to hit it up.

Tory Burch


4. Sequin minis. I actually snagged this one at Express.com for only 11 bucks! I ordered a size smaller than normal b/c the reviews said it ran big  (and they didn't have my normal size anyway). And the size smaller fits just fine! I would probably prefer my normal size because it's just a leeeeetle tight on the waist, but for $11, it's AWESOME! I'm in love with the sequin mini + casual shirt/sweater look.

Via Express


5. MAC Cream Colour in Shell (for eyes). I got this in Barbados on a whim when Eric was in another store buying stuff to replace his lost luggage. But, I use it everyday on my eyes and even sometimes on my cheekbones! Love this stuff! It's a pearlized pinkish color and just works for everyday use so well!

Mac



Oh and I'm also currently loving my Neti Pot and Kleenex. I have a cold. WTH?! Who gets a cold in August? Sheez.

Happy Wednesday! What are you loving?!

Weekend Recap!

Eric and I didn't get to go out for our 4 year anni because I got sick... and ever since, we've had things going on, he's been out of town for work, etc. So we finally got to go out on Friday! And it's kinda fun that we had to wait because we were able to hit up a brand new restaurant, Oui3! (I was totally saying O-u-i-3 until someone said it the way it's supposed to be said...or the French word for 'yes." Oops. So cultured... that's me). Anyway, if you're in Tulsa and looking for some fantastic food, amazing service, and a great location, try it out. We were very impressed. And get the homemade chips. Dear gawd they were amazing.

I'll hush and start posting photos now, but Friday was probably one of my favorite date nights we've had in a long time here in T-town. :) We always have fun, but for some reason, Friday was just extra fantastic.

Oh annnnnnnd Beth taught me how to to a teased bun so I gave it a shot! So easy! High ponytail, tease it (a lot) and then take 1 or 2 inch sections and roll them each inward toward the pony tail to form the bun. Pin each section as you go around the ponytail. So instead of wrapping the hair directly around the ponytail in one bulk, you're kinda rolling/folding each little section inward and pinning it so it looks like a bun! And the teasing makes it look bigger (and easier to roll/fold). (Does that even make sense?) 

Our favorite local jazz singer, Olivia Duhon, was performing at Ciao so we had a few cocktails and enjoyed listening after dinner. Fun fact: We also went to hear her on our ONE year anniversary. :) 

Saturday, I headed to celebrate Marla's bridal shower at Edward Delk's. :) Good times with these ladies!

Saturday night, Eric and I headed to my boss' surprise 40th birthday party her husband planned for her. She was genuinely really surprised and it was really cute. :)

Sunday, I met up with friends to celebrate Marla's bachelorette! I know it seems weird to have it on a Sunday, but it worked out perfectly because it was wine tasting from 12-5 in a limo. :) Sunday Funday? I think so. Oklahoma has quite a few vineyards and some are better than others. None compete with CA vineyards regarding size, grapes, etc, but the experience is what's fun. Drinking in the limo in between vineyards was also quite fun. 

As you can imagine, the photos got quite hilarious as the day progressed... I'll spare you from the MANY I took and just share a couple of the good ones. 

I also have a super short video. We jammed to rap, pop, and country. And the jamming started to include dancing and random head bobbing if you're Beth and me after vineyard numbers 1 and 2... I'm sorry for my horrible singing voice in advance. It might scare you. 

It was definitely a busy weekend, but it was a good one! Lots of celebrating to be had and I enjoyed partaking. :)