Sunday Social

Hope everyone's having a lovely Sunday Funday! I'll be working of course but am looking forward to my usual Monday-Thursday off hanging out with my babes.
Sunday Social is hosted by A Complete Waste of Makeup. Check her out, loving her blog!

Questions of the Week:

1. What is the name of your blog and how did you come up with it??

      

The Backwards Bride.  

I started my blog almost a year ago (next month actually AHH!) and my main focus was blogging about my upcoming wedding (that happened on March 31, 2012) and my mommy hood adventures.

Baby First = Marriage Later

The name to me I thought was a perfect fit :)

2. What do you love the most about blogging?? 

I love being able to share my life and photos.  I have loved meeting new people... following their blogs and vice versa.  It's also a healthy habit that I've added to my list.  It's nice when someone asks me, "What do you do for fun?" and I actually have something to answer with.

3. What are your 2 favorite posts you've written?

Confessions of an Undercover Cigarette Smoker

AND

My very first post that I just read. Aww :)

There's A First Time For Everything!

4. What is something you'd want to tell someone just starting out in blog world? 

Don't expect anything.  When I started, I never thought I would have gone through with it for this long!

Just go with the flow.  Keep blogging.  If you don't have any ideas... find blog hops to keep you posting regularly.  I don't know what bloggers did before there were blog hops?  I feel like I came into this at just the right time!

5. Biggest blogging learning experience you've had? 

Even though life can make me busy, I have to remember to check my comments that people leave on my posts.  People have ignored me on theirs and that's not nice!  I've learned that I need to stay connected to all my followers... Blogging is more than just posting.

I've also learned that Google is my friend.  Even though my blog design is NOWHERE close to where I want... Googling tips and tricks has saved me from throwing my Hubs flat screen monitor across the room!

6. Give us 3 blogs we NEED to be following that you love. 

Mrs. Bonn Bonn

Funny Postpartum Lady

Rockin' Mama

Insta Friday!

Happy Friday!!

Lucky me, tonight I have the night off from work because I'm doing the early shift today.

(This never happens and I wish it would be this way every Friday!)

Hope everyone has an awesome weekend!

I didn't have time to post my Instagramin' life the week before so I'm combining.

The Hubs and I had a night out two weeks ago with friends at Tim's Rivershore (2).

My sister and I :)

A beer that everyone should try....

My babe at her Three Year check up. 

Thank GOD for Doc McStuffins!

Eating healthy has been a struggle lately, but I'm trying.

The Chunky Monkey smoothie I found off of Pinterest.

1 medium banana

1 cup 1% Chocolate milk

1 tablespoon peanut butter

Briana frick'n loved it

...as did I

She sure wishes Winter would get here so soon?

Our moon bounce storage was quite messy and needed some sort of organization.

Killer rum punch we served at one of the club functions which was also served at my wedding reception.

My friends birthday dinner at Hooters.  Yes, Hooters.

Thanks to seeing girls walking around looking like toothpicks with everything hanging out... I am back on my strict diet.

THANKS!  For the motivation asses.

It's Ok Thursday

It's Okay...

*to wish for Fall to come now!  I'm ready to whip out my hoodies, my jeans and my pink Timberlands.
*to never have tried a Pumpkin Spiced Latte.
*to be jealous of those around me that are pregnant.  Jealous... in a good way! :)
*to not be excited for the weekend and working late nights.  I was really getting off earlier.  Dammit.
*to realize that I've been so negative lately and really need to change my mind set.  Like now.  

                                                                       Source: imgfave.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

*to be obsessed with my blog and reading other blogs (I wish I had more time in a day.)
*to take naps.  I think I might even take one today... like yesterday.

Book Review: The Marriage Bargain

A marriage in name only…

To save her family home, impulsive bookstore owner, Alexa Maria McKenzie, casts a love spell. But she never planned on conjuring up her best friend’s older brother—the powerful man who once shattered her heart.

Billionaire Nicholas Ryan doesn’t believe in marriage, but in order to inherit his father’s corporation, he needs a wife and needs one fast. When he discovers his sister’s childhood friend is in dire financial straits, he’s offers Alexa a bold proposition.

A marriage in name only with certain rules: Avoid entanglement. Keep things all business. Do not fall in love. The arrangement is only for a year so the rules shouldn’t be that hard to follow, right?

Summary from Jennifer Probst's Website

For working Mommies like me that are looking for fast reads... add The Marriage Bargain to your list!  Alexa is a powerful independent woman that would do anything for her family.  But she tries to make Nicholas think otherwise... that she's just in it for the money, for selfish reasons.  That way, it keeps distance between them and it doesn't make her look weak and vulnerable.  I was hooked pretty much right from the beginning to the end.  

I love how the author shows both sides of what they're thinking.  Their attraction to each other is strong but on the outside you can't tell by looking at each other.  The sexual tension was so strong I would catch myself giggling from time to time and my Hubs asking, "What's so funny?"  Romantic and hilarious!

                                                                           Source: tinywhitedaisies.tumblr.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

There are all sorts of reasons why people get married nowadays.
Money, love... or they think they're in love and end up divorced down the line.
The author gives all of her readers a little hope for the impossible couple.

Short and sweet review, just like the book!

Please Help Meee!

I feel like my next step is to *Re-vamp* The Backwards Bride.

I want a new design...

but I can't spend a ton of money to do so!

I see designers out there making fabulous designs for other blogs but they're charging a few hundred dollars that I don't have.

I would like to know what the top template sites are.

I would like to know from my fellow blogger friends if creating my own would be simple.

If you have tips, tricks or links... please share!

Thank you, thank you!