I'm Getting Married: Does Anyone Else Have Any Superstitions?

Good morning, and Happy Monday to any and everybody who actually reads my blog! And if I've never said it (and I'm pretty sure I haven't), THANK YOU!

So, back in September of last year, my boyfriend Derek of now almost 4 years proposed to me. Granted, he's sworn since before we even started dating that he was going to marry me. He MAY be a little cocky. Shortly after that, we had some serious problems that resulted in my taking off the ring and calling off the engagement. However, we cleared some of the emotional and mental clutter from our lives, refocused on our relationships with God (and put God back into our relationship), and have decided to go forward with the wedding, which will be in April of 2018! I wasn't planning on a spring wedding, but here we are! I'm looking forward to the details, as I've already started planning. We're going to keep it as cheap as possible; putting more financial focus on the honeymoon. I'll be hitting up bridal sales and fairs, ordering things online, and going cheap on things like the cake and my dress.

Our colors were and continue to be navy, orange, and gray (he may or may not be a Bears fan; I just like the color combo), so I'm currently on the hunt for some Chicago Bears suspenders, and some orange Converse sneakers!
I've had a couple of offers, and have seen many a dress on social media yard sale sites, but the thought of walking down the aisle (no, this isn't my first rodeo) in a dress that someone else wore, seriously freaks me out. In fact, using secondhand anything in a wedding scares me. Unless the item, be it a dress, rings, etc came from a decades-successful marriage, I JUST. CAN'T. DO IT. I even panic at the idea of buying a dress that was bought but never worn. Now, I'm sure there are some out there who sold their initial dress brand new and still in the bag, simply because maybe they lost weight and just went an entirely different route for their dress. Maybe they decided that instead of doing the lacy, poofy, confection dress, they wanted something elegant and simple. Maybe there was no negative reason for why they had no use for this dress. Many times, that's not the case.
I also have the traditional "don't see each on the big day until you're walking down the aisle" superstition. It's also become popular to do the "First Look" these days, and for those of you who aren't familiar, it's the bride surprising the groom before the ceremony. It makes for really good pictures and video, but I don't want that for my wedding. I guess I'm old fashioned. I don't want Derek to see me in my dress until I come through those doors and walk up the aisle.

He's been informed that if he doesn't just absolutely fall apart upon seeing me in all my fabulousness, I will turn around and come back in until he gets it right! (haha, I'm not THAT bad).

I've had a few friends offer to officiate. And as touched as I was, and as cool as the idea sounds, I just can't. It'd be so fun having a friend preside over our special ceremony, but in my heart, I know it wouldn't be the way I want and need it to be. I have to have a pastor. I want MY pastor. I'm a

#BestPastorEVER

Christian. I want God present on my wedding day, and I truly believe, for myself, that one of the best ways to do that, is to have someone ordained by God and by whatever city/town/county oversee things when it comes to exchanging nuptials. To each his/her own, but that's my personal preference.

Alright. Enough of the seriousness and weirdness. Well, enough of THAT weirdness. My dress isn't going to be poofy (I'm 5'1", and will look literally like a bell in a fluffy dress).

GOOD GOD, NO. 

                      The guys are all going to wear suspenders and Converse.

I've already got my flower girl picked out. My bridesmaids are going to wear navy blue dresses. The ceremony will be at our home church. The reception location has yet to be figured out. My sweet beautician neighbor will do my hair and probably makeup. We look so forward to this day, and all the days to follow!

Again, God bless and thank you so much if you read my blogs! I'd love to see some comments on some of these!

Nostalgia and Dirty Music: Boy Bands Were Pervy?!?!?

Sorry I've been out for so long, folks! Lots has been happening, and I've been going nonstop here lately!

I came to a startling realization today. I was scanning through the radio channels today, and found myself disgusted and annoyed by today’s selection of music. If it was pop, it was about sex. If it was country, it was about booze. If it was rap, it just wasn’t fit for anyone to listen to. I remember thinking, “I feel for today’s youth. Our music wasn’t this bad!”

And then I switched over to my phone’s playlist.

My taste in music varies from rock (Halestorm, Avenged Sevenfold, Three Days Grace), to pop (Katy Perry, Britney Spears, Panic at the Disco), to gospel (Lauren Daigle, Crowder, Big Daddy Weave), and so on and so forth. However, in the pop category, I also have some nostalgic hits that I keep as a sort of guilty pleasure. I have N’Sync, Hanson, and Backstreet Boys, which were all very popular through my pre-teen and teen years.  My walls were plastered with the posters pulled from Tiger Beat, Teen Beat, Bop, and other countless waste of money magazines. My first CD was Hanson’s “Middle of Nowhere”, and I had each and every cd made by the boy bands popular back then. Hearing Justin Timberlake, back when he had the ramen noodle hair singing the first few seconds of "I Want You Back" makes me all warm and fuzzy. 

Back when I could daydream about Lance Bass before he broke my heart and came out to the world, solidifying the fact that he was NOT in fact going to be my future husband (hahaha), it all takes me back to an easier time. 

These songs and albums are my adolescence, as sad as that may sound.

As I’m flipping through some of these older songs, I was startled when I really started listening to the lyrics. Backstreet Boys, “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” is catchy as hell, and that was my jam, but I never realized how many preteen and teen girls caught the line “Am I sexual?” said I don’t know how many times through the song. N’Sync’s “Digital Get Down” actually made me blush. 

I don’t remember it being that big a deal as a teen, because I think I always just imagined bumping into one of the guys in a chatroom by pure luck and serendipity and having this awesome conversation. I’m PRETTY sure the song does not in fact mean that. “I get so excited when I’m watching, girl. I can’t wait to see you touch your body, girl. It’s just me and you, so we can do what we gotta do.” 

❤❤❤❤❤❤

These lyrics were every bit as dirty as the ones put out today! I can’t remember any of Hanson’s lyrics being sexually suggestive. I’m pretty sure they were just adorable.

I don’t know if maybe I’ve just gotten older and have really started looking deeper into things, versus the way I looked at things as a child. I just know that today’s youth scares the living hell out of me. And the music is only part of it!