As I have turned a new leaf in my life I have begun a new blog to document all that is going on.
Lovely Little Place : betsy-davis.blogspot.com

xo BD

We are less than 2 weeks away from the wedding!
I'm ecstatic, frantic, gloriously happy and somewhat scared all at the same time.
Fo
We have so many things going on in our life right now that sadly we can't fully embrace it all. First you have the wedding- this beautiful joining of two lives. Buutttt prior to this amazing event comes lots of preparation. Seats, food, drinks, dresses, ties, flowers, tables, favors, fire works... yes, fireworks :)
I can understand why people plan weddings 6 months to a year in advance and also why there are wedding planners. For couples like Adam and I that for some reason decide to put lots on our plates, you essentially become overwhelmed and can't necessarily enjoy the process.
All hotels and flights are booked for the honey moon- now we're planning our ativities! Sushi in chinatown, walking galore, fisherman's wharf, shopping of course amongst other things. Then off to Anaheim for a few days to spend walking around Laguna and Disneyland. With all of my might I am wishing that we will revell in the fact that we can rest. Savor the week of it being only the two of us traveling, is my hope.

On a more home-y note:

This weekend we spent in Memphis scouting out places for our first newlywed home.
We drove countless miles of to apartment complexes and toured about 10 1-2 bedrooms. No matter where we looked we found you get little space for a lot of money. Desparate to find a good deal but also a great location, we, on our last day, found a cute 1950's 2bd/1ba duplex in midtown. Hardwood floors throughout, vintage gas stove, glass tile in the bathroom- we were sold! We have a cute porch which we'll adorn with flowers as soon as we move in.
This friday we'll drive back to Memphis to sign the papers and move everything in.
I am beyond giddy! I kept squealing about having our new little home.

It's cozy! Just what we need, in a great little area with a fun little teensy back yard.
We both promised to take pictures outside for every season, we'll open the windows cook cook cook, and of course...my favorite....decorate!
But oh the task of packing! Must be done by this Thursday, no way around it.

Love, Betsy

Oliveaux
I have fallen head over heels for this site.
Stumbled upon it from another blog I read daily, La dolce Vita, and am inspired! Oh to have my own home :)

This day has come to such a beautiful close.
I'm sitting on the front porch of Adam's parents home atop this rickety old makeshift bench watching "the boys" shovel rocks. Apparently they've just found a frog of some sort hopping around.
The sun has now set which has left the air cool and now still with only the faintest breeze. Adam's been playing the new Coconut Records and Coldplay's release of the Viva la Vida tour- seems to be the perfect soundtrack for this evening.
Blunders have arisen when it comes to the wedding, everything from the cake to a tent costing $600. Doing things as a team makes life easier and more enjoyable than I'd expected. We're a team, you know?
Yesterday we both had a break from work and scurried about town running errands and finding the price for tobacco cloth. Turns out, no one really sells that stuff....dangit. Also a new refuge for the us has become book stores. We linger around the isles for hours sometimes.... I bought 'My Life in France' by the way :)
A wonderful story of Julia Child and her time spent in Paris with her husband.
I've now decided I will reside there for a short while and learn to speak french while cooking. With Julia's vivaciousness and love for food I was greatly inspired for dinner. Luckily I layed out chicken yesterday morning to stuff with goat cheese and carmelized onions! So yummy! We bought a bottle of sweet sweet Hogue wine and french bread to dip in olive oil and herbs.
We have, once again, the best times together. We cooked the whole meal in our itty bitty apartment kitchen, quite a feat really.
The sun has very little light left for this day and boys have now finished their work. I think I'll retreat inside and go home for a swim.
Lovely days are here :)


By the way, we just spotted a deer in the front yard

Things I am loving:

Restoration Hardware laundry softener sheets
Air Conditioning
Peonies
Elle Decor
wavy hair.

Summer, for the first time in a long time, I actually like you. Despite the fact that you make me sweat at the most inopportune times you've brought me swimming and iced venti soy chai's.


And by the way, I'm in search of tobacco cloth, and I mean tens of yards. Who's got it??

With the wedding quickly approaching we are hurriedly getting all of the details in place! With so many tasks at hand we both, if not all of us involved, breathe a sigh of relief when they get accomplished.
Yesterday Adam and I went to Nashville after a quick bite to eat at SATCO, we visited hotels. As the wedding will be late into the evening and we won't fly out until the next morning, we get to stay the night at a beautiful hotel of our choice.
The first one we visited was cool and modern but nothing that I would like to spend my honeymoon in. The second was beautiful Union Station off of Broadway in downtown Nashville.
Walking in we both loved the decoe. high celings and personal service.





We also visited The Hermitage Hotel who had unbelievable service. As it was slightly raining outside I popped out of the car to walk in and a man ran up to me holding an umbrella over my head to walk me to the door. Ummmm, yes please! The room was nice, the bathroom though was spectacular! There was a flat screen hanging on the mirror that you could tilt to view from the bathtub! I mean, look at it!

Loved it, but alas too expensive for only spending about 10 hours there. Cool story for ya :) We get into the elevator to head down stairs, down one floor the door opens with a stylish musician-y scruffy man walking in on his blackberry. He apologized for secluding himself from the rest of us and laughed. Later that night Adam and I were watching E! News Live and there's a segment on the CMA festival- they spotlight on Sugarland's performance, lo and behold the blackberry man was the lead guitarist in Sugarland! (sorry I think that was the longest sentence of man kind) Cool :)

We've decided on Union Station and will fly out the next morning at 6:55. Whooooa we will be so tired. San Francisco, here we come!
Also I must mention we kicked butt on booking flights and addressing invitations. Hooah!
Alright I'm done, off to my apartment for a good nights rest.
Bon nuit

We're engaged!!

He proposed this morning at 5:45 while the sun rose over the Natchez Trace bridge.
I absolutely adore him- I couldn't feel more secure in the fact that he is the one I want to spend the rest of my life with.

We're getting there:)Now we must insert the details and get 'em printed then sent out.

Thank you to my wonderful and talented brother Josh for designing the whole thing! We love it, thank you so much!!

Invitations it is!

We have already purchased the cardstock in which we'll use to print the invitations.
Target has a great deal where you can buy 50 blank 5x7 cards with envelope for $10! We ended up buying three and are (late in the game, yes I know) designing what we'd like to have on them.
I've found a few fonts which I like a lot and though they cost roughly $30, I love them and I'd rather play it the legal way. (That's what marrying a lawyer does to you! Oh my word :) Oh oh oh but there are some sites that provide you with free fonts as well- at this point I've only seen the tip of the ice berg in the font world. It's so much fun to design these!!

Oh and we've also decided on honey bee's for the "icon" I guess you could say. (Must give great great remarks for Faye and Greer's blog- they've been a wonderful source as of late.
There's a family I sat for once who owns a winery out in California and their icon was a honeybee- Honig Wines- There's also Patron tequila whose bee I really like the design of. Ornate, not cartoony is what we're going for.

We're definitely behind on sending the invites out. You'd think with the time crunch we've given ourselves that we'd kick it in gear but really we're somewhat lax. uh oh.

Also changes have been made with the honeymoon! A new post will have all of the fun info and plans :)

yes please!!

What a week, I can't believe how fast it flew by and now it's Sunday!
Thursday night was so much fun with all the girls, we went to the O'More fashion show which I only got to see the last 15 minutes of. Afterward we went to Boundry in Hillsboro where I enjoyed a verrrry potent "adult" capuccino. LK documented it with a very lovely photo of me....oh my, I think I'll stick to my regular run of the mill wet capuccino at starbucks.

Wedding plans are coming together quite well, I'll meet with Katie (a friend and awesome artist/photographer) about the invitations! I was hoping to do mixed cd's for everyone as a wedding favor but daddy said that copyright infringement would come into play. Can I find a way around it??
Through the very short time that we've started to buckle down in all of the planning I've found that you can honestly do weddings quite sensibly. Also I've put into perspective that this party will only last for 3-4 hours and there's not a need to blow twenty or even ten thousand dollars. In my case the budget is limited and I think I like it better! I'm given the opportunity to make homemade pieces and truly be apart of the planning. My old art teacher from highschool spent a couple of years as one of the top wedding planners in Nashville and has graciously agreed to lend a planning hand.
I will do my best to update with themes: Next task at hand invitations. Eeek!

I'm elated to have a summer wedding with twinkle lights, ice cream, wild flowers, great music and lemonade :)

I love the idea of ice cream cones in July- hot and sticky weather but a little scoop of strawberry gelato and sprinkles makes everything better.




I'll be staying at my parents house tonight as my tire was flat this morning. Luckily Daniel (Adam's brother) saved the day and put on the spare where tomorrow Daddy will save the day and help to put the patched tire back on.
Time for a new car I tell ya! Delilah has been swell but really, I think everyone who's ridden in it knows all of her character can't make up for the instability.
Also sorry for the last post, I was a wee bit emotional.... I know that no one wants a goody bag from my pity party.
Love you all :)

[ photos courtesy of: Ritzy Bee. Oh Joy. Santa Barbara Wedding.
Martha Stewart Weddings]

When it rains, it sure as heck pours I tell ya.
There have been a lot of things lately that have come my way absolutely unwanted and unexpected. Many of which I have since learned from but still wouldn't have asked to be put in my life. You live and you learn and chances are you so don't know as much as you think you do.
Have I been vague enough? K cool.
A few weeks ago Holli and I visited Adam and his roommate Kevin in Memphis for the weekend. We had lots of bar-b-que, looked at wedding dresses, went to Young Avenue Deli to hear a blues band play while eating THE MOST AMAZING FRIED PICKLES EVER!!
But anyway, in driving to bring Adam a snack for lunch I neglected to see a red light, accidentally ran it and got into a car accident with two other people. Completely rattled that it was I who caused all of this I was in shock and felt awful for what was about to occur. No matter how you slice it or how you try to play the 'what if' game, shame falls and you blame yourself incessantly for screwing up.
After the accident I had to get into big girl mode by talking to insurance agents and figure out money options. I had a really really tough week. I cried....a lot.
On top of that work realities started to set in, also the fact that people you never meant to hurt by not telling them things weighs pretty heavy on your heart.
When it rains it pours. I've seen gray skies for 3 weeks, please Jesus I need some sunlight. I'll just say that as much as you might be hurt or upset, I'm carrying it more than you may realize. Just....give me a minute.......
Though after the storm the sun can slowly break through. And I mean rulllll slowly.
April was not my month- Adam and I have had a tough semester... both of us are ready to start the next together. Finally :)
This weekend I came to Memphis again- he's been so very sick with having gotten Salmonella poisoning the last time we were here. Taco Bell any one?
I drove over to take care of him, cook some meals, clean some clothes and sheets- it feels good being the one who gets to care.
From this point on I have great respect for alllll law students. Their butts get kicked and kudos to them for sticking it out.
Enough for a sad post it seems. Back to reality I go.

Sorry for the lack of updates, but here I am!

New meeks (mix) at hand....I'm glad spring has sprung- I'm in need of a park day like no ones business and it's time to update my american apparel v-necks prrrrronto.

Meeks
track 01 Tickets to Crickets by Ferraby Lionheart
track 02 Some Are Lakes by Land of Talk
track 03 Bella by Angus & Julia Stone
track 04 So Fine by Telepathe
track 05 Working Poot by Horse Feathers
track 06 Waterfall by The Cloud Room
track 07 Everything Leaves A Mark by Pictures and Sound
track 08 Paper Aeroplane by Angus & Julia Stone
track 09 Runner by Dustin O'Halloran

Busy busy trying to figure out wedding things. I've visited countless blogs and read I don't know how many bridal magazines
Love love love the following:
100 Layer Cake
Ritzy Bee
Southern Weddings
Martha Stewart Weddings
Once Wed
Kiss the Groom
Style Me Pretty

We register tomorrow, I couldn't be more excited! Life is so great and he comes in today :) I haven't seen him in 2 weeks, torture I tell ya! Oh and Sunday it's Meet the Parents. Cross your fingers
Love you, bets

Busy bee.
Prayers have been answered for sure as the Lord has greatly provided for me financially. This week I have worked every single day be it babysitting or iveycake and am so thankful.

Last weekened I feverishly baked and iced my first cake. I stupidly forgot to do a crumb coat of icing and put it in the fridge before doing a second coat. Needless to say, my first go-around looked more like a light blue crumb-y cake. Friday night I was up until 2:37 making so many batches of icing. At one point I ran out of powdered sugar and crisco which "necessity is the mother of invention". I grabbed 4 sticks of butter, 1/4 cup of powdered sugar and 1 cup of regular granulated sugar. After blending made it too runny I added 2 cups of marshmallow creme. It tasted great but sadly wasn't the consistency I needed. Class on Saturday was fun, I've found baking and decorating a new hobby.
This week we're alowed to make cupcakes. I decided on espresso chocolate cake with a vanilla bean buttercream. Although because I'm a huuuge fan of nutella I decided I will put a cup of nutella into the cake batter for an extra creamy hazelnut punch. I'm so excited! The only problem is that I need to find time to make this. Eeek. See it's a blessing to work everyday until 9:30, just no time to prepare. :)
Also bees. Yes over the past few years I've had a love for the little honey, hard workin', yellow and black bees. There's a small garden shop in downtown franklin with a lovely selection of bee goods. Plates and wicker nests, iron bookends, etc. Yesterday while looking through a magazine I noticed a beautifully decorated cupcake with a marzipan and almond bee. Yes please!
Well I'm off to finish laundry and then babysitting for the evening.
Good day one and all :)

Happy Wednesday one and all!

Monday was absolutely beautiful of course of course and in honor of that I shaved my legs and wore a sun dress. That's right, the world saw my whiiiite legs! It felt like freedom though :)
Adam and I drove up to Nashville where we went to the Nashville Public Library where we sat outside in the courtyard- he read his new Spin magazine and I worked on my Esther Bible Study. I really do enjoy it, never having read that book of the Bible before and not having heard buzz about it, I didn't think much of it. Go figure it's just what I need. So we sat outside for a while and because of stupid expensive parking we left for burritos and sweet tea at satco. Once again, sooooo beautiful.
Being with him is like being at home. I know people are thinking, "GAG REFLEX!" but with all of my heart I know he's the one I want to be with. My best friend, the one who I can not wear make up in front of, act like we're on flight of the conchords with british/new zealand accents and who lets me fall asleep in his lap evvvvvery time we start to watch a movie. He's the one :)

So Monday was fantastic and I bought 4 colors for my icing which I hope to make today! I hope to bake my little heart out and maybe tomorrow go on a picnic if possible.

Who knows, I might even upload pictures of the past few days. Betsy on top of things??? What???

Love love love......you.

OH and one quick thing, my dad told me last night that his new favorite album is The Weepies and my mom like M.I.A. Gosh I love my parents, they're cooler than I could've ever thought!

The obligatory "I love Spring!" post is here.
I don't say that harshly, I say it lovingly....truly!
I do love Spring. I love waking up in the mornings with my windows open and the family of birds who have made their home in the tree right beside me.
It's wonderful, just wondermous.
Saturday was my first little wilton class. There are only 5 of us, including myself embarking on this very sweet journey. Morgan is the 12 year old girl I met and immediately wanted to be friends with. Also Hannah the quietly sweet who closely resembles fez from That 70's show, but asian. Not even kidding, glorious really. Then Trina who was super cool and works at the Harris Teeter Bakery... hook it up girl! Lastly, Brandi. She seems to be a bit of a know it all....nice, yes.....but my word don't tell the teacher how to teach. Nome sain? Soooo our homework for the week is to back a two layer cake and have the base icing on for when we come into class this Saturday. I'm thinking I'd like to make a lemon blueberry cake with white icing, light blue dots all around the edges and buttercup yellow flowers in the middle. I'm going with simple although it may turn out to be a rainbow cake if they don't let me do the dots. bah humbug.
Yesterday Adam and I spent it with my family after church. We did lunch and cupcakes followed by naps and bedspreads. We didn't leave until about 9:15. Such a good time when you get to be with the people who love and accept you most, you know?
Love.
Today seems to be the kind of day where I would sit outside until the sun goes down. I'm thinking of going to the Nashville Public Library where they have this somewhat hidden courtyard with a huge water fountain and tooooons of flowers.I think I'll meet solice there for a few hours. I'd like to sit there a read, please. Yes I must catch up on the past couple of lessons I missed in my Esther biblestudy.
Mixed cd's are my new best friends, jsyk.

Next saturday morning I will take my first cake decorating class at JoAnn's. I'm really excited but also a little nervous. I was telling Ivey I felt it might be like being back in school- you know the cool girls in a little circle who are the best at everything.
But aside from petty grade school competition which I'm sure will not even be there, it should be fun.

I've been engulfed for the past month looking at wedding cakes, and believe me I've watched the Martha Stewart Art of Cakes episode (which I tivo'd by the way) at least 3 times already. I looked up pictures of what the cakes I'll be decorating might look like. One of them I am by no means excited about- the clown cake. Now I know it's alll about technique and that's most likely the main purpose in doing it but still. Kinda creepy.....I have to buy 2 plastic clown heads and their bodies I will make out of icing.
Here are some pictures of what others have done:





I'm really really excited. Hello cake decorating, I will conquer you! (Chances are, you'll humble me and I just might suck)

I shouldn't be tired right?
I got 8 hours of sleep, have done nothing but work out and shower....
why do I feel the need to nap?
Hello coffee, my legal addictive stimulant bff, I will see you soon!

Yesterday after I got off of my lazy bum (I don't work on Monday's or Tuesday's) I went into town. I was able to sign up for my very first cake decorating class which starts on March 7. Looking over the list of items I cocked my head in question over why I must have a plastic clown head. Seriously? I mean I thought we were working with icing, people....not little plastic creepy overdone make-up heads. Nome sain? Anyway I'm quite excited over this new and fun opportunity to learn a skill with which I am lacking.

Faster and faster these months pass us by without us realizing it. We're down to the last week of February which to me is the last month of Winter having March start off our Spring Months with flowers and warmer weather.
Along with March, specifically the 2nd day, brings quite a happy and annual occasion: my birthday. Exactly a week from today I will be 21. Little Betsy is now becoming a big girl, legal and all.
This weekend Adam and I went ring shopping at an antique jewelry store in downtown Franklin called Walton's. The man who helped us was gracious enough to open the store back up as they had closed early for the rain- we looked at around 15 different rings. (Once again, big girl moment...only big girls look at wedding rings) Every shape, size, carat and color you would imagine I placed on my finger to see which fit best. We narrowed it down after a while and I fell in love with a 1920's all original 2 carat antique beauty! Obviously neither of us are at the point where we could afford something like that (It was $14,000) but it was fun to look at them. I was standing next to the man that I love who accepts me for all of my flaws, loves the things I hate about myself and truly cares. He's amazing and here I am getting to be with him for the rest of my life! Woooooo hooooooo!
Later on we went to his parents house where I was in charge of making dinner. This is scary. Yes here I am cooking dinner for my future in-laws. Will it be okay? Will there be puking afterwards? Do they make sure to have a napkin in their lap as to slyly put food in there when no one is looking? I kept telling his dad that if he had already called Papa John's I wouldn't be offended. Adam helped me pound the chicken then we dipped it in a little egg and milk, then to a separate bowl with flour, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper- lastly we placed in it the pan with some extra virgin olive oil...cooked it for about 5 minutes on each side then poured in some cooking white wine. He was such a great help, I say we're a great team! After troubles with the "steamers" mashed potatoes and broccoli we finally sat down to eat. My eyes kept scanning everyones faces to see if they cringed, but not a soured face in sight! In fact everyone cleaned their plate and his parents both told me they really liked it!
Score! See here's my thinking: it's not only if I can just cook a piece of chicken but overall whether or not I can take care of Adam and our family in the future. You know I won't be the fast food McDonald's every night kind of mom, but I can actually cook. Maybe I'm making this bigger than it should be but I'm thinking big picture here. I want his parents to know that I want to take care of him, that I'm capable. That I'll provide him with love and support, wise decisions when it comes to our bills and the things we purchase, keeping a clean home and overall being a good wife.
Cooking dinner for the in-laws without disaster: check.
Yesterday we hung around the house watching Temors, City Slickers and Enchanted. I swear we were on that couch for 15 hours straight! Sometimes you just need to be lazy:)
Last night I went to Spring Hill for an Oscar viewing party at Tim and Surupas. Holy freaking moly they're pregnant again!
It was great to see the girls again but sadly I never see them as often as I'd like.... schedules always seem to conflict but such is life.
Okay so what should I do for my 21st birthday??? Think Betsy, Think!

What a beautiful day!
I so enjoy days like this when everyone is cheerful and the sun is out.... I know I sound like I'm on uppers but I honestly like it.

This past weekend Kaelah and I took a short trip to Memphis and I'm finally getting the hang of the city....if I get lost at least I know that if I get on Poplar I'll make it out. Such a fun trip, we talked the majority of the way loving truck stops and ladies with mustaches. Oh yes, hotness. We were able to visit a couple of kitschy coffee shops and make some pizza. Life is good, it truly is :)

This week I've been at IveyCake everyday helping out and am now given the chance to learn how to ice the cupcakes! You wouldn't think it's that hard but it certainly takes time and talent. A whole lot of work goes into these little treats that people so often look over. Everything is homemade, even down to the decorations adorning them. The good thing is with all of the time I've put in I can pay my bills. Rent was due yesterday....rent is of satan....I think I've mentioned it before. You know, just sayin.....SATAN. We have a dry erase board calendar hanging in our hallway that says when bills are due and I noticed yesterday that we have at least 1 bill due every week. It never ends I tell ya- I can sympathize with my parents now with getting them in the mail. Thank you two for supporting me and all of my water use!
Tonight Whitney and I are going to see 'He's Just Not That Into You' at the Green Hills Mall. Super excited, good times.

I'm off for now, good day one and all :)