chic proposal

I am engaged! After years of waiting my moment has finally come! For those of you who don't know me- let me fill you in. I am a girl who started buying wedding magazines in the sixth grade. My electronic keyboard had a slew of songs that it could play on its own and I use to play Pacabell's "Cannon" and pretend to walk down the aisle to the man of my dreams...who that was I had no idea. Then when I graduated and broke up with my long time boyfriend I realized that the real world had a different plan for me and my wedding. It wasn't going to happen as soon as I had planned. It would be seven years before that dream would finally come true. In the meantime I made a big decision.

While on vacation in New York City visiting my cousin I had a revelation. I was going to have adventures. I remember exactly where I was. I was in Battery Park. I had had interviews all day with potential bosses. The sun was setting over the harbor and the Statue of Liberty was in the distance and I was in love. I was going to move here. I was going to see things and experience life and I was going to find love along the way. I was sure. I could just feel it. So I moved. I moved a lot and I met people and had good times and bad times but the most important thing was that I lived. I was pursuing life to the fullest and I was proud. I took a path that many are afraid to take.

The funny thing is that I ended up going half way around the world- clear to Germany- and ended up finding my love right back where I started. In my hometown-at a basketball game-for our little sisters who played together and were best buddies. Is it cliche that we met in the forth grade and he was the new kid in school who was sat next to me as my desk buddy? It may be but I don't care. If only forth grade me had known at the time that I was sitting next to the man I would marry. But maybe it was good that I didn't know because the search for him was half the fun. Back then he was just this freckled faced red headed kid who couldn't be quiet and now he is this sweet, positive man that I can't live without. We had to grow up to find each other.

Isn't it amazing how timing is everything? I always tell Ryan that he came along at just the right time. Not to soon and not too late. It was perfection. He was everything I had been looking for. Any sooner and we would have just crossed paths and never thought about it. So a word of advice- live your life because you never know what a simple basketball game can bring. Maybe it will just be some bad popcorn or it could be the man your going to marry.

Back in September I took Ryan to New York City. For Midwestern boy it was a big adventure and I loved sharing it with him. We had a blast walking around and seeing all the sites. We even made a pilgrimage up the Hudson River where I had lived. But the last day was the best. We went to Battery Park and it was like coming full circle. When I was 18 I went off to look for Ryan and now at 25 I had found him. He proposed in Central Park right next to the lake on a little hill away from everyone. I was completely surprised and awestruck. The ring he had picked out all on his own was beautiful and so me. Everyone will tell you he did a great job. And that's me and Ryan's style. A lot of Midwest with a little bit of city.

So follow me on chic journey as I planned a country wedding with a little bit of city chic. I like to think this is how we will live out life. We live in the Midwest but the world will always be with me. I carry little pieces of the places I have been with me always. I like to think its one of the reasons Ryan loves me.