its a long time coming...



a la

I started this blog a few years ago, blogging a little here and a little there, with only more recently having my blog become apart of my every day life. I thought my blog would bring lots of happiness, but instead its brought lots of other feelings.  Feelings of anxiety of the right words to say, feelings of frustration when nothing seems to be panning out the way I want them to, feeling of guilt when I don't blog everyday, or the feeling of disappointment when my blog is full of heart and soul but seems not up to the standard of the "popular" blogs.  It seems this blog relationship I have been having seems to be doing more harm than good, causing me to have a lot of resentment toward the blogging world and people in genereal. And with my new 'life" about to start as {bg} as {av} would have it, I can't be more sure that blog life for me just isnt working out, because I want my future life as a Mrs. to start off on the right foot, with that one less possible nagging feeling looming over my head everyday.

This isn't a forever goodbye, its just a hiatus for awhile.  A breather of sorts.  To get my thoughts together about what I want this to be for myself, about how I want this blog to continue, if I want it to continue at all.  I still love my friends that I've made in this time, no matter how near or far you may be.  You have really made an impression on my heart and I think about you all the time about how you are & where your lives are taking you.   I will still be reading blogs and making comments, but just not blogging on my own blog.

You can still contact me - I will be sure to respond and keep in touch
email: sugarbearbear {at} gmail {dot} com
twitter: cheersbethani

Til then,
Cheers,

Wishful Wednesday (3)

Its Wednesday already??  Oh my goodness, this week has definetely flown by for me, but you know nothing is better than waking up and it being halfway done, so no complaints here. 

On to the wishes!




darling!



These bracelets are just too cute and darling!  I found them over at Annie Reh on ETSY and have really considered them as part of the bridesmaid's gifts..  And maybe one for myself ♥



play ball!



Baseball season!  I couldn't be more excited for the start of the season this year.  I love baseball.  And going to the games and sitting in the stands, eating crap for food, and cheering for your team is so nostalgic and American!  Let's go Rangers!



scrumdiddlyumptious!

 Candy!  This is something I've got to get busy on putting together for our wedding.  We are having what I like to call, "Our Love Is Sweet, Experience It!" Bar as part of our wedding reception.  If anyone is like me, candy is one of the best things ever, so why not feed it to those I love?  I've been looking at candy options, container ideas and bar setup ideas, so I'm excited to get started, started planning and buying and enjoying all the colors and flavors that can be imagined..  I mean after all Willy Wonka is one of  my favorite movies. ♥ 

Another bonus for this Wishful Wednesday, I'm being featured over at Scenic Glory, for Lindsay's weekly In Her Shoes feature.  My feature will be up this afternoon, so go check it out for some real life Bethaniness!

What are wishing for this Wednesday?

Cheers my friends,

yeah, i said four..

The past four days of my life has been consumed with nothing but thoughts of all things wedding.  We had ups and we had downs, but I'm definitely happy to say, I'm glad those four days are behind us..  With 67 days until the big one, I'm ticking right along, well for the most part.

That room up there is the reception hall - it looks much smaller than it really is..  And those colors, not ours, its from another wedding.  I can't wait to show off our colors ♥

But as for things now checked off our wedding to-do list, we can now show the following items completed:

• Bride's Cake  (3 different flavors)
• Groom's Cake (1 flavor)
• Dress completely fitted (fiasco I tell ya - more on that later)
• Flowers (includes brides bouquet, toss bouquet, bridesmaids' bouquets, all the mens' boutonnieres including dads and ushers, moms wrist corsages)
• Ceremony decor
• Reception decor
• Invites/Response Cards Printed and almost assembled
• Bridal Hair Piece
• My mom's attire
• My Hair & Make-Up Arranged

Phew, I can tell you I feel extremely accomplished at this point, but we still have ALOT left!!   If you notice, we have FOUR cake flavors!! Yea I said four!  We just couldn't decide and it was in the budget, so what the hey, we took it.. I'm sure there was more we completed, but thats the big important stuff I can remember.  We still have...

• Reception food & flatware (this including cups and silverware)
• Flower Girl attire (yea I know!)
• Guestbook
• His ring (Am I that big of a procrastinator?? dudes are so much easier though!)
• Officiant (yea I know, again)
• Mail out the invites
• Finish getting Bridal Gifts

Eeps, I'm sure I'm forgetting alot of things, but thats ok, I will eventually remember them.

Anyway, thats what I have for now folks.

Cheers,

it can't much more beautiful than this..

outside that is!

Tomorrow the mister and I have both taken off of work because we have lots of fun wedding stuff to do - like cake eating and picking, flowering deciding, centerpiece selecting, and color coordination.  A man's worst nightmare!  LOL and a woman's favorite.  J/K.  

And with the rest of the day (which won't be much after), we will just be galavanting around the city together, enjoying a nice Friday off work in the extremely beautiful weather we have been having here..  We definetely deserve it after the crazy couple of winter weather weeks we experienced.  Yikes, that stuff was a crazy mess!  Texans + ICE = NO!

Anyway,  I just want to say I hope everyone has an amazing, beautiful weather Friday (if you have to work or not) and weekend with those you love.  Soak up the amazing weather, do something crazy and I will be talking to you soon!

Love you all,
xoxo,
Cheers,

Queen Anne, Fredricksburg, Texas

So the mister must be totally in sync with me or I must be that good of a persuasive person, but today the mister booked for us our honeymoon.  The honeymoon process has been crazy!! We started with Las Vegas or possibly even Ireland, but airfare was just something I was too frugal to pay for after all the wedding costs.  So New Orleans was next, but we couldnt find something cost friendly, with all the parking costs and extra fees that started adding up, so I said, "What about Fredricksburg?"  And without hesitation, he said something along the lines of, "that sounds like fun," so I started looking. 

With a click here and a click there, our honeymoon was selected and here it is! 

The Queen Anne, Fredricksburg, Texas - Aspen Room to be exact

Isn't this place darling and filled with charm?  This little bed and breakfast started as a cute little home back in 1904 so its filled with rich history and lots of trinkets of times past.  We chose the aspen room, because hello, did you see that bathroom?!  Something about it says French old world to me, and with that jacuzzi tub, I was sold.   Plus, they also serve a full B&B style breakfast EVERY morning in that nice dining room in the last picture.

Most people are like "Fredricksburg?!"  Fredricksburg is full of B&Bs, quaint diners, vintage shops, and antiques galore, along with rich history thats within walking distance of everything.  Plus its affordable!  Extremely affordable at that for our little pocketbooks.. And if you want to splurge on the fancy things, they have everything from spas to boutiques in order to please everyone from all walks of life. Its also fairly close to major attractions, but tucked nicely into it's own little spot on the map that screams romance and getaway with the one you love. 

I can't wait to check in! ♥
One more thing off our list and I'm getting more excited everyday!

**All photos courtesy of http://www.absolutecharm.com/QueenAnne_AspenMain.html **


Cheers,

Wishful Wednesday (2)

Wishful Wednesday (1) was so much fun last week, I decided I needed to make this a routine in my week, plus its simple, easy and what could be more fun than picking out stuff you are wishing for without spending money?! Yea, I dont know either.

With the wedding date getting closer and closer, 73 days to be exact, everything running through my brain is thoughts of wedding stuff, money to pay for stuff and OMG have I forgetten any stuff?!  So this is an ode to some Wedding Stuff!
And now with the wishes this week!!

via

Cake Tasting! I think this has to be by far one of the best parts of wedding planning?  Who doesn't love eating a bunch of cake and picking your favorite?? The mister, my mom, and I (well and my three year old neice) are doing this Friday and I'm counting down the days, hours and minutes until cake tasting arrival! I'm still trying to come to a decision on a few designs I like for my cake and still feel like I'm going in circles.  Too many decisions, but its a good one to have.  ♥

via

A haircut!  It sounds simple doesn't it??  Well its more difficult than just running down to the salon and getting a cut.  I'm not doing ANYTHING style wise to my hair until after the wedding, so I can ensure my hairstyle for the wedding day is can be pulled off and maintained through ceremony and reception.  I don't need bangs or layers getting in my way that day. 

via



A getaway vacation with the mister!  I can say we have never been away together - crazy right?  But with schedules, businesses, whiny children (cats) and just the basis of being extremely frugal, we haven't gone away anywhere before, and so a nice vacation for us is definetely in store for us. And this little inn tucked away in a nice little town would be perfect.. or Fredricksburg will do as well, I'm not picky.  After all, Fredricksburg does have amazing B&Bs, antique malls, vintage shops and food.  Who wouldn't want to go there?

I must say I am getting more excited the closer the wedding gets, and so you will be hearing plenty of wedding talk & seeing plenty of pictures, inspiration and stuff I'm DIYing here.   I'm also not against receiving tips, advice, ideas or "calming" techniques for the big day, so share them if you have them.

Cheers,

an e-cupcake for you ♥

♥ Happy Valentine's Day my beautiful friends! ♥

This post is to share an e-cupcake (red velvet with cream cheese or vanilla with cream cheese) with each and everyone one of you for Valentine's Day.  Its hard sending something to everyone, so this is the easiest way I know how to spread the Valentine love and cheer with all of you who I enjoy spending my online time with.  I love you all and hope you enjoy this little token today.

Plus this way is calorie and fat free.  Enjoy my friends!  ♥

♥ xoxo
Cheers,

satisfy your sweet tooth

Yum!

Found this photo today, and I'm totally loving it!! Satisfies that sweet tooth I always have and makes me want more! Yum Yum!

Cheers,

crazier than a suspect on criminal minds...

Good Friday morning my sweet blogger friends!  I am so glad its Friday, and I'm pretty sure everyone else is too.  I can't say how chaotic and weird the last several days have been in Texas. 

This was LAST Friday..  Temperatures hovered in the single digits with windchills below zero.  Can we say BRRR??  Do you notice the height of the snow on the edge of the roof in the second picture?!   Haha and this is Texas we are talking about, where in a few wee months we will be passing the 100 degree mark.

And this was YESTERDAY!  Bright, sunny and not a cloud in the sky.  We are expecting 60 to 70 degree temps this weekend.  I can say this craziness is driving us all a little batty, but the nice increase in temperature is welcomed by all my fellow Texas friends as well as myself.

Oh and for a little more fun - my hair! Yes alot of people think it looks exactly the same - but meh I think its darker than what it was before.  Before it was all kinds of craziness on my head; now its just a nice chestnutty honey all over...  Did you notice my little rosette clip?? I couldn't resist adding to the wardrode yesterday. 

Have an amazing Friday and Valentine weekend my friends..  The mister and I have lots going on - well I think we do.  And Monday (Valentine's Day) I hope to share pictures of cupcakes galore - I'm making Red Velvet and now Carrot Cake (to please his sister's wishes) along with my pasta salad (recipe to be shared next week!)  

Are you doing anything special with your honey's this love filled weekend?!  Please share (well the appropriate things of course!)

Cheers,

M•A•C Yourself Beautiful!

Several months ago, I become extremely discouraged and unsatisfied with my store bought makeup and decided it was time to buy what the girl at M•A•C called "big girl makeup."  I had read reviews on several different make up lines so I could make a reasonable decision on which line I would try. 

I chose M•A•C because I ♥ their colour pallete - probably more than I should, and the ladies/men who work for the line are extremely helpful about ensuring you get the right product.

Long story short, I started with their studio foundation, mascara and a couple eye shadows to get myself started to see if I really loved it.  And I do.  Now I'm at a point where I want to get more items, but don't know where to start, what to get, etc.

I'm loving a few of their other shadow colors like:

Satin Taupe

Naked Lunch 

Smut



But, I also want to expand into lip colors, blush, eyelashes, liners & brushes, but don't know what their reptuations are.

Does anyone out there use M•A•C products?  If so, do you have any preferences on the types, colors, etc that I should check out?

**Note: All photos are courtesy M•A•C cosmetics.**

Thanks,

Cheers,

Wishful Wednesday (1)

Brooke over at Bright Wishes, does a weekly Wednesday post about things she is currently wishing for and has asked us to join in.  Not much is going on right now, except a new hair color (pics coming soon) & sleet + some snow..  Yay more of this mess.  Hopefully it doesn't stick around as long as last week's did.

Now for the wishes!

sunshine!

Lots of sunshine!  I'm ready for spring already.. Days full of sun, warmth and bright skies - minus the snow.

pasta salad!

Pasta salad! My pasta salad for that - I will be fixing this wish this weekend, because I dont think I can make it any longer with this craving.  I will share the recipe next week.

money!



Money!  I know this should be a no-brainer, but I'm ready to get everything paid for in regards to the wedding.. Its a never ending list people!

doggie!

A doggie!  I know I have to wait a while on this one, but we will have a dog one of these days.. And I can't wait!

What are you wishing this Wintery, Windy, Wednesday??

Cheers,

anam cara & red velvet cake

Good Tuesday morning my lovely blogger friends!



totally sinful!!


I got a recipe from a dear friend of mine's blog, Anam Cara , for some amazing Red Velvet cake.  And if you know me, I love Red Velvet Cake.  Its up on the top of favorites when it comes to anything edible.  So when she shared the recipe she uses for Red Velvet, I knew I would have to borrow it and make some of my own.  Thanks Bekah for sharing!!

So for Valentine's Day ♥ this year, I plan on doing just that.  Red Velvet Cupcakes w/ Cream Cheese Frosting (of course!) with fun Valentine ♥ sprinkles for those I love. 

I will post pictures of my creations as soon as I get them done.  Along with the cupcakes, I plan on making pasta salad this weekend.  I know they don't go together, but man I've been craving my pasta salad so what better way to fix that craving than by making it??

Are you baking anything special for Valentine's Day ♥?? If so, share your recipes and pictures, as I would love to see!

XO

Cheers,

wiis, babies, & football..

dance-o-rama

The beautiful weather this weekend & early release from work on Friday allowed the mister and I to get alot of the things on our to-do list complete plus a few fun little bonuses.

My tax return was deposited to my bank account Friday, which was an extremely nice surprise for the week.  I know most people think getting money back on taxes is not good, but hey I like to think of it as a little bonus every year, so please don't rain on my fun. :)  And with my return, I like to buy one fun item and then the rest goes to whatever like bills, weddings, etc.  So this year, we got a Wii. 

I know people, I'm a little behind on the times..  What can I say?  I still have a free cell phone - I refuse to upgrade to anything thats fancy and high tech.  As I'm still getting the hang of the Wii, and all of its amazingness, I can say I thoroughly enjoy it and am glad we finally got one.  My game of choice - Just Dance 2.  It has been kicking my butt since we got it, but thats a good thing - any exercise is good exercise, plus I'm hoping it gets me into a bit better shape before the big day...

Besides the Wii, the mister and I decided to go baby shopping for some friends of ours (The Mister's Best Man) who have a baby due right around our wedding day.  Now wouldn't that be a crazy mess if baby was born at our wedding.  We stuck with the registry to ensure they got some of the things they were wanting, plus a few extra items just for fun.  Shopping for babies is so much fun, as long as its not my baby.  :)

The remainder of our weekend was spent relaxing, catching up on household chores, and of course football - well for the mister it was.  I'm not as big into football as he is, but he grew up playing football through school and I was just a book nerd, so go figure.  I watched long enough to watch Glee's Lea Michelle excel at America the Beautiful, Christina butcher the National Anthem, nasty Ben throw some interceptions, the Black-Eyed Peas rock it (well for what we could hear), Slash make a surprise entrance, and Usher dance without words; then I went to the other room & watched random shows like My Fair Wedding & Kim and Kourtney Take NYC.  Yea I'm lame.  But its better than watching nasty Ben get pummeled by what I think is Jake Gyllenhal's lookalike.  I'm so glad Ben didn't win!!

Anyway, I'm glad its Monday.  I'm glad the Super Bowl is over & we can get our metroplex back.  I'm glad all the Packers & Steelers along with their nasty attitudes went back to their respective places. And I'm definetely glad we have our sun and we're above freezing temps.  Well until tomorrow. 

Have a Happy Monday Friends!

Cheers,

dairy queen owed me a blizzard...



outside my office window



God blessed us (DFW, Texas) with seven inches of snow last night.  Pretty amazing if you ask me.  It's the nice light and fluffy stuff that you only see in pictures or movies.   I wish I was able to stay home and enjoy this landscape, but I made my way in finally.  The commute was long and forever going, but extremely beautiful..

I hope everyone is having a warm Friday morning so far.  If you have snow pictures I would love to see them!

Happy Friday friends! ♥

Cheers,

just trying something...

I'm trying a new layout (same features as the design Lindsay) created, but just a different way the blog flows to see if I like this better or not.  I've saved the other template so I want to revert back.

I was starting to lose myself with my previous layout and all the things I look for on a regular basis.

Be patient.  I will figure this out eventually.