Wedding Vendor Highlight - The Photographer

Our photographer...How do I even begin! Our wedding photography was our numero uno when it came to importance for our wedding. One of my photographer friends said it best when I asked for her advice: At the end of the day, the cake is eaten, food is gone, flowers are dead. All you will have when it's said and done will be the memories and pictures from your special day. We knew our photographer had to be amazing and we wanted to be able to look at our pictures forever and be able to remember exactly how we felt in each moment that was captured. We. were. not. disappointed.

Our photographer was Amanda Harrison, owner of Amanda Marie Portraits. You may recognize the name, she was also the one who shot our proposal that Kevin set up! She possesses mad talent, is the sweetest person you can know, and not only did we gain a life-long photographer, but I really feel like we've gained a life-long family friend! We've gone through so many great memories already and I'm looking forward to working with her many more times in the future.

Here are some of my favorite shots from our engagement shoot as well as the wedding!!

Amanda, if you are reading this, THANK YOU so much for all that you've done! You are an amazing woman, a crazy talented professional and such a wonderful part of our family! We are in love with every memory you've captured for us and can't wait to work with you again in the future!

Wedding Festivities

Throughout the wedding process, things were stressful. No joke..but the best parts were when I was able to sit back with friends and family and enjoy the special time that we were in. The night we were engaged, Kevin had set up a gathering with all of our immediate family and we were able to share our joy with them right then and there. We had the wedding dress shopping trips, bridal showers and the rehearsal dinner. Sadly, I don't have pictures for most of them, but I've included some pictures of the bridal shower that my best girls had for me as well as the wedding shower that my work put on for us (Kevin was especially excited for this one since he actually got to come and open presents!)


At David's Bridal...we found the dress!

Bridal shower at Michelle's house!

PSK Shower (Thanks Stephanie and Christy!!)

Financial Peace - Year ONE Update!!

Good morning! Well...it's been about 5 months since I've written a blog post so if you've stuck around I just want to say a huge THANK YOU! ..and if you're new... welcome to my blog :)


Since my last post, I've finished planning a wedding, married my best friend, had a fabulous honeymoon and have jumped back on full speed with FPU. If you recall, when we got engaged back in March of last year, we decided to stop our debt snowball and save for the wedding/honeymoon in order to not add any additional debt during that process. 


HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!
We have made it past our ONE YEAR anniversary with Financial Peace. We started this journey on January 18, 2011 and I can't stress enough just how much this process has changed our life! Not only financially, but even by strengthening our relationship and now marriage <3


To recap our first year in FPU: We've saved $1,000 for our Emergency fund, paid off a total of $14,745 of our debt, and paid for ALL of our honeymoon and our portion of the wedding in cash. If that doesn't speak volumes for this method working, I don't know what does! We are setting our sights on the future and continuing to work through our goals of being debt free!! FREEDOM!


Here are some things we learned over this last year:
--Not everyone will understand why you are doing what you are doing. They will tease at time and want to argue and tell you why you are crazy at time...this means you're doing something right!
--Not everything is black and white. Take the course and the Total Money Makeover book as a great foundation and guide, but don't feel afraid to use your own judgment and make choices you feel are best for your family. YOU and ONLY you can decide what is best based on the information you have and research you've done.


So with that, here's our summary---Year ONE update and January 2012 Update


7 Baby Steps: 
Baby Step #1 - $1,000 to start an Emergency Fund (Feb 2011)
Baby Step #2 - Pay off all debt using the Debt Snowball 
Baby Step #3 - 3 to 6 months of expenses in savings 
Baby Step #4 - Invest 15% of household income into Roth IRAs and pre-tax retirement 
Baby Step #5 - College funding for children 
Baby Step #6 - Pay off home early 
Baby Step #7 - Build wealth and give! 


Baby Step #2 


OUR DEBT 


Name of Card (Beginning Balance) (Current Balance) 
Victoria's Secret CC: ($103) PAID OFF in February 2011 
New York & Co CC: ($205) PAID OFF in March 2011
Capital One CC: ($466) PAID OFF in April 2011
Chase CC: ($1,314) --- ($788) 
Wells Fargo CC: ($1,469) --- ($1,298) 
Papa: ($2,250) --- ($2,100)  
JCPenney CC: ($2,523) --- ($1,813) 
Granny: ($3,620)  PAID OFF in December 2011 
1st Financial CC: ($9,697) --- ($9,305) 
Kevin's Truck: ($7,196) --- ($5,154) 
Tia's Car: ($14,200) --- ($10,064) 
Tia's Student Loan #1: ($1,341) --- ($954) 
Kevin's Student Loan #1: ($1,448) --- ($1,448) 
Kevin's Student Loan #2: ($12,274) --- ($12,274) 
Tia's Student Loan #2: ($17,060) --- ($15,223) 



TOTAL DEBT:  ($75,166) --- ($60,421) = Total Paid Off: $14,745 (SERIOUSLY Y'ALL!!!) 



Have a great week you guys!! We have an aunt and uncle just starting their own Total Money Makeover and we couldn't be more excited for them! I URGE you to sign up, it's super easy to find a class being offered through Dave's site, or to even start without the classes!

Financial Peace - July Update

Happy Saturday!! We've had a busy few days this week, and I'm glad to be relaxing at home for a while. Yesterday Kevin and I went to visit with one of my clients in Glen Rose and then had a coaches party to go to all evening (and some of this morning!). We had a great time visiting with everyone and I'm SO looking forward to getting a taste of being a "coaches wife" this fall. It's sure to be an interesting 3 months up until the wedding!


The wedding is just over 3 months away!! I can't even believe it. We are down to the final decisions and all of the fun stuff is just around the corner!

In a previous post I laid out the foundation for a Total Money Makeover (TMM). For those of you who have started, keep it up!! And those of you who need to, I urge you to consider going through your own Total Money Makeover! It is LIFE-CHANGING!! We've been at this since mid-January and every month...really every day...just blows my mind at how much peace this has created in our life (The only peaceful thing at this point)! 



7 Baby Steps: 
Baby Step #1 - $1,000 to start an Emergency Fund (Feb 2011)
Baby Step #2 - Pay off all debt using the Debt Snowball 
Baby Step #3 - 3 to 6 months of expenses in savings 
Baby Step #4 - Invest 15% of household income into Roth IRAs and pre-tax retirement 
Baby Step #5 - College funding for children 
Baby Step #6 - Pay off home early 
Baby Step #7 - Build wealth and give! 

Baby Step #2 

OUR DEBT 

Name of Card (Beginning Balance) (Current Balance) 
Victoria's Secret CC: ($103) PAID OFF in February 2011 
New York & Co CC: ($205) PAID OFF in March 2011
Capital One CC: ($466) PAID OFF in April 2011
Chase CC: ($1,314) --- ($1,195) 
Wells Fargo CC: ($1,469) --- ($1,392) 
JCPenney CC: ($2,523) --- ($2,156) 
Granny: ($3,620) --- ($1,870) 
1st Financial CC: ($9,697) --- ($9,521) 
Kevin's Truck: ($7,196) --- ($6,199) 
Tia's Car: ($14,200) --- ($12,000) 
Tia's Student Loan #1: ($1,341) --- ($1,132) 
Kevin's Student Loan #1: ($1,448) --- ($1,448) 
Kevin's Student Loan #2: ($12,274) --- ($12,274) 
Tia's Student Loan #2: ($17,060) --- ($15,998) 

TOTAL DEBT:  ($72,916) --- ($65,185) = Total Paid Off: $7,731 (SERIOUSLY Y'ALL!!!) 

So to recap, in only 7 months we have saved more than $4,000 AND paid off almost $8,000 of our debt AND we still have money in our account AND AND all of our bills are being paid. Let me tell you, I'm a numbers person, and I just don't get these numbers and how it's working out but IT IS!! 

Have a great week you guys!! I have a good friend who is about to start FPU classes with her husband. I URGE you to sign up, it's super easy to find a class being offered through Dave's site.

Financial Peace - June Update

Yay, it's the weekend!! Kevin and I are cleaning and laundry-ing it up today, but I thought I could take a quick minute to give you guys our June Update for FPU!!


We saw Harry Potter yesterday (nerd alert) and loved it! We used some of our "fun" money envelope to go see it and even splurge on a coke and popcorn. Haha, party animals!! The wedding is less than 4 months away!! I can't even believe it. Where it will be bittersweet to be over and done with the wedding, we are beyond excited to finally be able to get back to plowing through our debt like we were in the first few months! I've been listening to Dave Ramsey podcasts, and his daily show for extra inspiration and motivation to just keep my head down and keep moving forward. There are tons of great info on his website and you can listen to a bunch of previous shows, just click here.
In a previous post I laid out the foundation for a Total Money Makeover (TMM). For those of you who have started, keep it up!! And those of you who need to, I urge you to consider going through your own Total Money Makeover! It is LIFE-CHANGING!! We've been at this since mid-January and every month...really every day...just blows my mind at how much peace this has created in our life (The only peaceful thing at this point)! 

7 Baby Steps: 
Baby Step #1 - $1,000 to start an Emergency Fund (Feb 2011)
Baby Step #2 - Pay off all debt using the Debt Snowball 
Baby Step #3 - 3 to 6 months of expenses in savings 
Baby Step #4 - Invest 15% of household income into Roth IRAs and pre-tax retirement 
Baby Step #5 - College funding for children 
Baby Step #6 - Pay off home early 
Baby Step #7 - Build wealth and give! 

Baby Step #2 

OUR DEBT 

Name of Card (Beginning Balance) (Current Balance) 
Victoria's Secret CC: ($103) PAID OFF in February 2011 
New York & Co CC: ($205) PAID OFF in March 2011
Capital One CC: ($466) PAID OFF in April 2011
Chase CC: ($1,314) --- ($1,208) 
Wells Fargo CC: ($1,469) --- ($1,406) 
JCPenney CC: ($2,523) --- ($2,221) 
Granny: ($3,620) --- ($2,120) 
1st Financial CC: ($9,697) --- ($9,556) 
Kevin's Truck: ($7,196) --- ($6,368) 
Tia's Car: ($14,200) --- ($12,315) 
Tia's Student Loan #1: ($1,341) --- ($1,167) 
Kevin's Student Loan #1: ($1,448) --- ($1,448) 
Kevin's Student Loan #2: ($12,274) --- ($12,274) 
Tia's Student Loan #2: ($17,060) --- ($16,152) 

TOTAL DEBT:  ($72,916) --- ($66,235) = Total Paid Off: $6,681 (SERIOUSLY Y'ALL!!!) 

So to recap, in only 6 months we have saved more than $4,000 AND paid off over $4,500 of our debt AND we still have money in our account AND AND all of our bills are being paid. Let me tell you, I'm a numbers person, and I just don't get these numbers and how it's working out but IT IS!! 

Have a great week you guys!! I still really want to get a wedding post up for you guys, I'll try this week! Lot's going on and lots of planning so I want to share soon :)

Financial Peace - May Update

Happy Wednesday Friends!

We are moving along, definitely in a fast paced world these days. The wedding is less than 5 months away!!

I still haven't figured out how people do everything they plan on doing with only 24 hours in a day. We need to work full time, clean the house, do all the laundry, cook dinners every night, work out multiple times a week, study for various certifications, plan a wedding AND spend quality time with my one and only?? How people, how? Is there some Harry Potter time-turner or some other secret that people aren't letting me in on...help a friend out here!

In a previous post I laid out the foundation for a Total Money Makeover (TMM). For those of you who have started, keep it up!! And those of you who need to, I urge you to consider going through your own Total Money Makeover! It is LIFE-CHANGING!! We've been at this since mid-January and every month...really every day...just blows my mind at how much peace this has created in our life (The only peaceful thing at this point)! 


This has been the first month were the reality of our new "lifestyle" choice has caused tension with some of our family and friends. When you are so passionate about something, like we are with FPU, you want to share it with the world and you want the world to understand...especially your close family and friends. In the book, TMM, you will definitely read about the push-back you will receive, the criticism and people teasing you for being "weird" and "different", but he encourages you in saying this means you are doing something RIGHT!! 
We want to live like no one else, so later we can LIVE like no one else!!


Some words of wisdom from Dave Ramsey that has helped create a sense of calm this month:Debt is the most aggressively marketed product in America today. More money, sophistication, and repetition. To "Act your Wage" requires using the word NO.

7 Baby Steps: 
Baby Step #1 - $1,000 to start an Emergency Fund (Feb 2011)
Baby Step #2 - Pay off all debt using the Debt Snowball 
Baby Step #3 - 3 to 6 months of expenses in savings 
Baby Step #4 - Invest 15% of household income into Roth IRAs and pre-tax retirement 
Baby Step #5 - College funding for children 
Baby Step #6 - Pay off home early 
Baby Step #7 - Build wealth and give! 

Baby Step #2 

OUR DEBT 

Name of Card (Beginning Balance) (Current Balance) 
Victoria's Secret CC: ($103) PAID OFF in February 2011 
New York & Co CC: ($205) PAID OFF in March 2011
Capital One CC: ($466) PAID OFF in April 2011
Chase CC: ($1,314) --- ($1,289) 
Wells Fargo CC: ($1,469) --- ($1,421) 
JCPenney CC: ($2,523) --- ($2,288) 
Granny: ($3,620) --- ($2,370) 
1st Financial CC: ($9,697) --- ($9,598) 
Kevin's Truck: ($7,196) --- ($6,537) 
Tia's Car: ($14,200) --- ($12,635) 
Tia's Student Loan #1: ($1,341) --- ($1,202) 
Kevin's Student Loan #1: ($1,448) --- ($1,448) 
Kevin's Student Loan #2: ($12,274) --- ($12,274) 
Tia's Student Loan #2: ($17,060) --- ($16,303) 

TOTAL DEBT:  ($72,916) --- ($67,365) = Total Paid Off: $5,551 (SERIOUSLY Y'ALL!!!) 

So to recap, in only 5 months we have saved more than $1,250 AND paid off over $4,500 of our debt AND we still have money in our account AND AND all of our bills are being paid. Let me tell you, I'm a numbers person, and I just don't get these numbers and how it's working out but IT IS!! 

Have a great week you guys!! I will try to work on a wedding planning recap soon, hopefully this weekend! 

Financial Peace - April Update

Hello all! Sorry that I've been MIA for a few weeks. I'm sure the hardest part for every new blogger is keeping up with doing posts every couple of days to make sure you guys are not left wondering where we ran off to, so I apologize. Already another month has gone by and it's that time again for another FPU Update. Enjoy! 

I want to reiterate to you all that Financial Peace and being debt free does NOT mean that you never get to do anything you enjoy. Nowhere have I read that you can't go out to eat, can't enjoy life, etc....the lesson is just that you have to PLAN for those things. Don't get me wrong, we don't have an envelope with $1,000 just for shopping (although I'd be ok with it), let's get real here, but we have dedicated money for "Fun" and do save up for bigger fun things we would like to do. Please don't hesitate to begin this process on the basis that you feel you have to be in debt to enjoy life. This is FALSE!! (See more elaboration on this FALSE sense of reality on my good friend, Rachel's blog)  


For those of you who have started, keep it up!! And those of you who need to, I urge you to consider going through your own Total Money Makeover! It is LIFE-CHANGING!!


In a previous post I laid out the foundation for a Total Money Makeover (TMM). Kevin and I are staying motivated and are so excited because we are seeing real results already! I've already received feedback from multiple people who are inspired and already starting your personal journey, and I am so EXCITED for you guys!! I can't wait to hear ya'lls success stories as well.

I can't believe it's already been 4 months since we started this journey. It seems like yesterday we had those miniscule 50 cents in savings and were lost every other week on how to make it to the next paycheck. Those are definitely no longer the days we are in and we could not be more thrilled with how amazing it's going!!

7 Baby Steps:
Baby Step #1 - $1,000 to start an Emergency Fund (Feb 2011)
Baby Step #2 - Pay off all debt using the Debt Snowball
Baby Step #3 - 3 to 6 months of expenses in savings
Baby Step #4 - Invest 15% of household income into Roth IRAs and pre-tax retirement
Baby Step #5 - College funding for children
Baby Step #6 - Pay off home early
Baby Step #7 - Build wealth and give!

Baby Step #2

OUR DEBT

Name of Card (Beginning Balance) (Current Balance)
Victoria's Secret CC: ($103) PAID OFF in February 2011
New York & Co CC: ($205) PAID OFF in March 2011
Capital One CC: ($466) PAID OFF in April 2011
Chase CC: ($1,314) --- ($1,233)
Wells Fargo CC: ($1,469) --- ($1,487)
JCPenney CC: ($2,523) --- ($2,356)
Granny: ($3,620) --- ($2,620)
1st Financial CC: ($9,697) --- ($9,633)
Kevin's Truck: ($7,196) --- ($6,703)
Tia's Car: ($14,200) --- ($12,952)
Tia's Student Loan #1: ($1,341) --- ($1,237)
Kevin's Student Loan #1: ($1,448) --- ($1,448)
Kevin's Student Loan #2: ($12,274) --- ($12,274)
Tia's Student Loan #2: ($17,060) --- ($16,456)

TOTAL DEBT:  ($72,916) --- ($68,399) = Total Paid Off: $4,517 (WHAT!!!)
 
So to recap, in only 4 months we have saved more than $1,250 AND paid off over $4,500 of our debt AND we still have money in our account AND AND all of our bills are being paid. Let me tell you, I'm a numbers person, and I just don't get these numbers and how it's working out but IT IS!!


Now, for those of you who've made it this far along in my post, I want to say THANK YOU! Also, I'll confess something to you. This is our last month for a while that we will be posting numbers like we have been. We will definitely still be paying down on our debt, but not at the rate we have been since the beginning. Through much thought and discussions between ourselves and with our close friends, Kevin and I have decided to put our monthly snowball (starting in May) towards our honeymoon instead of debt. It was a tough decision and I want to be honest with you guys because I think it can help those of you who are still hesitating (crazies!). This process is not easy, and that's why I love Dave's quote he has throughout his book..."There are NO shortcuts to any place worth going!". It is definitely somewhat discouraging to know that we won't be seeing these numbers for awhile, but we are confident that this is the right choice. What's the point in paying down all this debt just to go back into it when we go on the honeymoon that we are not willing to pass up (once in a lifetime people...and we've waited a long time!!). We think it will feel AMAZING to be able to go on the honeymoon we've dreamed of and knowing we get to do it without adding ANY debt to our name in the process!!


Have a great week you guys!! I will try to work on a wedding planning recap soon, hopefully this weekend!