The Backwards Bride Turns ONE: My First Blogoversary!

A year ago today, I started blogging.

A year ago today I thought, "well hell... here goes nothin'."

It's been a fun journey so far.

I by no means classify myself as a writer, my vocabulary is very limited... I'm not the brightest person.  Thank God I have family and friends that take care of that for me.

I remember how overwhelming it was to start up my blog.  It took me awhile to find a name... I started on Wordpress but then realized that Blogger was for me.  Much easier for me to learn about codes and such.

I wish I had started one sooner!

I started this blog because I wanted to share my upcoming wedding that was in March of this year.

I wanted to blog about mommy life.

I wanted a hobby and have met some pretty amazing people in the process.

Honestly, I thought it wouldn't last long (just like other things I've attempted in life.)  But I've already made it through a year and I'm so pumped what this next year will bring.

Stats:

122 Google Friend Connect Followers 

91 Facebook Likes

LOVE you all!

Awards:

So Awesome!  

Thank you, thank you :)

Most Popular Posts:

How Parent's Do Engagement Photo Shoots

Bachelorette Bash

Groom Sees Bride For The First Time

Confessions of an Undercover Cigarette Smoker *Most Popular

Custom Fitness Concepts

My goals to complete before the next Blogoversary:
- Makeover this baby.
- Go to a conference or at least sign up for a future one.
-Manage my time better between blog working and my real life.
-Find more time to network and catch up with my followers that way maybe I can gain new ones as well.

CHEERS to those that have followed me throughout my first year.

I thank you immensely!

Thank you to the bloggers out there that hold Blog Hops every week.  For if it weren't for you, I might have given up already.

Thank you for all the wonderful comments, compliments and support.

Sandy... Is a Big Bitch.

While I've been at work all weekend, the Hubs has had time to prep for Hurricane Sandy.

Water? Check.

Milk?  Check.

Mega flashlights?  Check.

Mini heater? Check.

Generator?  Check.

I wish I knew if all this wondering and worrying is worth it or not.

The call from our car insurance company was a real eye opener.

It's nuts how many people have called our business line asking to rent our generators.

Now, we just wait in the safety of our home.

Please Sandy, don't be too rough on us!

Until then, some funnies I wanted to share...

Prayers for my family, friends and bloggy friends on the East Coast.

Be safe everyone!

Book Review: Weekends Required

Summary from Goodreads

Claire Walters has worked for Jason Danvers as his assistant at Danvers International for three years, and he has never thought of her as a woman until the day she jumps out of a cake at his friend's bachelor party.

Claire is forced to work a second job at a party planning company to support her ailing mother. She is horrified when Jason not only finds out, but has a front-row seat to the action. With Danvers in the process of merging with another company, Claire is forced to travel with Jason as well as work weekends. Suddenly all the fantasies she has entertained for years about her boss seem to be coming true. Her outspoken best friend Suzy thinks that just getting laid will solve everything. The problem is, Claire sees much more in Jason than just sex.

Jason is determined to know how the beautiful, sexy woman in the cake could also be his Plain Jane assistant who tries her best to blend into the background from 8-5 every day. Now not only does Jason see her as a woman, he fully intends to give her the fairy-tale ending that she deserves!

Another fast read marked down in the books.  Weekends Required was enjoyable.  The plot is a lot like other books I've been reading lately... Girl meets guy, some complicated shit happens and BAM!  The predictable happens and they stay together forever.  

But, whatev!  I'm loving the fast reads lately... keeps my life less boring.

I give Weekends Required ****.  The author made me laugh out loud one minute and turned around to put tears in my eyes the next.  It was fun and sexy.  It also hit close to home with the story of her mom having Alzheimer's.  The only time I got aggravated was when Claire kept pushing Jason away with her, "I don't need to be controlled, I can do it myself" attitude.  

The ending came too fast and too perfect but at least I didn't have to throw my Kindle across the room this time!

Wordless(ish) Wednesday

HI!

Wednesday's and Friday's are days that B is now going to school.

So you think I would have more time for blogging...

... or catching up with my new followers.

... or finding new blogs to follow!

NO.

I've been running since 8:45 this morning yo! (Yes, I just said yo... I must be stupid tired.)

But the Hubs and I were getting stuff done today.  Getting shit done.  Being productive and such.

I really missed my little booger today.

Us: Relaxing and having a fun dinner at P.F Chang's.

The food was.. ok.  I think I just had too high expectations of the place.

BUT, they gave us a free dinner to take home and a *FREE* appetizer card so now we have to go back.

OH.  And since I put taking care of myself on the back burner today and not eating anything at all until 5:30PM... I'm going downstairs now to eat some Raspberry Cheesecake.

Night All!

Cox Farms Fall Festival

I love this time of year.

Fall Festival fun at

Cox Farms Website

We've been going every year since Briana was four months old.
Of course now, it's much for fun for her and me. :)
It's located in Centreville, VA off of Braddock Road.

We always go during the week... less lines and not as expensive.
During the week it's $9.00 a person.  
Not too bad since there's so much to do there:
-Toddler fun section
-Slides
-Hay rides
-Animal feeding
-Rope swings
-Cornundrum Maze

Oh, and everyone gets a free pumpkin at the end.

And just to show you that we are loyal Cox Farms customers....

Briana at four months old...

Briana at one year...

Briana at two years...

And now at three years old, with her friend P.  :)

Go before it shuts down.  You only have about two weeks left!

Book Review: Gone Girl

Summary from Goodreads

On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn’t doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife’s head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he’s definitely bitter—but is he really a killer?

As the cops close in, every couple in town is soon wondering how well they know the one that they love. With his twin sister, Margo, at his side, Nick stands by his innocence. Trouble is, if Nick didn’t do it, where is that beautiful wife? And what was in that silvery gift box hidden in the back of her bedroom closet?

With her razor-sharp writing and trademark psychological insight, Gillian Flynn delivers a fast-paced, devilishly dark, and ingeniously plotted thriller that confirms her status as one of the hottest writers around.

**

Oh.  My god.  What do I say?  This book was *bleeping* TWISTED!

I don't know about anyone else but the first couple chapters getting into it was confusing.  I hate how air headed I am.

I'm not going to give out any spoilers so no worries!  But it took me forever to read.  It probably took me about a month and a half... I just couldn't get through it.  But I knew, I HAD to finish it.  I needed to know what happened.  When I heard of this thriller novel I thought, "Oh this'll be a breeze."  It was the opposite for me. I'm so used to reading all these trashy, easy, fast books lately and I felt like I hit a brick wall with this one.

Then again, it was a great book.  I like how Flynn broke down the characters stories.  I knew what was going on in more than one of their heads which at times..  Creeped.  Me.  Out.  

The last half was definitely a lot better than the first half.

Just a warning:  If you get offended easily (especially when a man talks disrespectfully about women) then you probably wont enjoy it!

If they made Gone Girl into a movie, I'm pretty sure it would be one of those that's better than the book!

I would definitely go see it just to see how the crazyness of it all would come out on screen.

Wordless(ish) Wednesday

Last week we went to Portrait Innovations to do a photo shoot of Briana.

Briana's Abuela (Grandma) wanted to get pictures done of her in a dress that her Aunt (my sister in law) wore at three years old.  Of course any other time we've done this we walk out with $200.00 worth of photos.

No... we're going to be strict this time and only take a few pictures....

BAHAHAHA NOT!