Get Your Skinny On

Ok hot mamas, listen up.

To get your body the way you want it on your wedding day may not be as difficult as you think. No miracle pills, no 10 days of juicing celery stalks, no starving yourself and forgetting what happiness feels like. I'm calling this The Duh Diet. Let's face it- we go about our day to day routines and get in the (bad!) habit of eating & drinking whatever is yummy or convenient. Now, keep in mind that I'm a big fan of yummy and I'm not easily persuaded to gravitate towards the opposite of that. So something better be really freakin' great at the end of the tunnel. And it is. I decided at the beginning of the new year I was going to get healthy and get hot. It is a process, and it won't happen over night, but I can promise you if you want something bad enough, you can have it. Here are the steps I've chosen to follow in order to be a hottie with a body before I get married in September.

• White Out- eliminate all (ok, most) foods in your life that are white. This includes pasta, bread, fries, ranch, chips, and Queso. DUH! How could you ever get a body to kill for if your stuffing yourself with these things? Some carbs are good for you but pick your battles with these. 

• H20hh, Look At You- replace the sodas, sweet teas, and other sugary drinks with water. Replace beer with wine. (I didn't say we wouldn't have any fun.) And if you're not a wine girl, go for a vodka drink with a whole fruit juice like grapefruit. DUH! A bottle water with 0 everything or a Dr. Pepper with 250 Calories? It takes me running 2 miles to run off that DP. So once I start getting in the groove of working out, it doesn't seem worth it anymore. Bye-bye rundown, Hello refreshing. (Water has more benefits than just whittling your waistline. It is also good for your skin and makes it glow, acts as a mood booster and clears up acne.)

• Go Nuts- start choosing foods that are organic. < scary word! Not really. In reality this just means to bypass foods that are processed, are sold in a box, are fried, or seem too good to be true (i.e. Ramen noodles for .98). Instead, go for fruits! veggies! fresh produce! juices! nuts! (honey roasted almonds are jackpot) water! anything green! You're smart.. You know. 

• Ready, Set, Goal- have several checkpoints along the way to your final goal. Example:

             My Ultimate Goal is:

        *Wedding Day- September

         (This is the day I'm working for)

My (keep me in Check)Points are:

*Wedding Dress Shopping- January

        *Family Wedding- March

        *Engagement Pictures- April

        *Friend's Wedding- June

        *Bachelorette Party- July

              

           These dates and big events will help me stay on track when it's sometimes hard to stay on the 

           healthy eating train. And don't think you have to have an lb number you have to lose. Trust me, 

           if you are doing these steps and sticking to it you are guaranteed to feel refreshed + amazing.

• Do Something- do anything. Walk around the block a few times, find a good workout video, jog for 20 minutes, take the stairs instead of the elevator (and then skip every other step), swim some laps, throw the football with your man, bend over and touch your toes (kidding. but if you want to..) Do something! If you are sore, that is good. DUH! That means you have somehow, in some way exercised. (< there's that word- you did it!) And stretch it out. Stretching elongates muscles and leads to you looking lean + tone. That's a W in my book. It doesn't matter what it is, but do something everyday. 

• Buddy System- find a friend to hold you accountable and vice versa. For some reason it's more fun when you have someone to do painful ab workouts with you. Laugh, cut up, reward yourself with smoothies afterwards. DUH! More reps, lifts, and miles means smaller all over. Look out! 

• Trophy Dear- ok, you don't have to buy yourself a shiny gold medal but DO reward yourself every week. Go 10 days without drinking your favorite soda and then have it for a 3 day weekend. Set a day a couple weeks ahead to be your cheat day and eat whatever you want. Life is too short and food is too good not to enjoy it. Enjoy it! Just do it in moderation. DUH!

• Sleep It Off- Dr. Oz is not kidding. He recommends 7 hours of sleep a night for our physical, spiritual, and emotional well being. After working, working out, dealing with kids + bosses (maybe those are the same thing), grocery store, pick up, clean up, drop off, drop dead kind of days- sleep is what we need most. I know it's difficult to juggle getting to bed early when you have a schedule of a super hero but as often as you can, get the most rest possible. Once again, feeling good = looking good. 

• Stick To It- it won't always be easy. But it won't be the hardest thing you've ever done. That's why I tell you, DON'T GIVE UP!! The best feeling is being proud of yourself so just conquer one hill at a time until you get into a good routine. Soon, the (bad!) habits will become great habits with benefits. A total package you are. A win win. A bomb ass lady. Now, go take a hike hot stuff. 

Pretty Little Wires

eat. sleep. plan a wedding. eat. sleep. plan a wedding.
>>>>>---------------------------------------------------------------------------<<<<<

Gilded Arrow Bangle
{39}

Ladies! Stella & Dot have introduced their new Spring line of jewelry and I wanted to show you a few fabulous things. I ordered some staple pieces that you can easily pair with anything. The Gilded Arrow Bangle above is just $39. I'm also thinking these bangles might be great Bridesmaid's gifts. Here are some of my favorites. Happy Shopping!! 

Jolie Necklace
{79}

Fiona Earrings
{39}

Eden Bangle
{39}

Put A Ring On It

   Most ladies, I assume (because I did), at least have glanced at the bling from time to time. If you're not sure which rock you wanna rock start with picking out the shape you like best and go from there. Some rings come with bands included and some do not. But that's okay if you're wanting to customize and pick it out yourself! Here's my advice:

• Try Them On! -Bling looks better on your finger, not in a case. There are probably more styles that you like when you see it on and it could sway your decision. 
• Shop Shop, Shop Around! -Prices, clarity, quality, service.. It all matters when making such a big purchase & even though you may not be the one footing the bill, your diamond could go up in size with a comparable store willing to do business with you. And! your man will love you   even more. 
• Let Him Know! -Let your better half know what is going on in that brain of yours and tell him what you're leaning towards. They're right, they can't read our minds, so give him an idea to go on. If you're the kind of girl who doesn't want to involve the man, tell a best friend or family member so they can relay the message. 

(Emerald Diamond Rose Gold
w/ Double Halo)
Ziva Jewels

                     

(Marquise Diamond)
SYLVIE Collection
Genesis Diamonds

There are a couple things to do after the question is asked & you receive your dream bling:

1. Shout out Oh, Happy Day! 

2. Tag your ring on Instagram or Twitter with #martharings and #ringoftheday for your chance to be on Martha Stewart's Wedding Blog online and on their Instagram! Here is my picture that was featured on the Ring of the Day Blog. Good Luck!! 

 

Moving On!

{ one last thing }

   I don't know about you but picking out my bridal party was a cinch. These are my closest friends, my gals, and partners in crime. I used this precious folded card from Rifle Paper Co. to send out to my bridesmaids a couple weeks after the proposal. The cards come in a box set of 8 and they also have Matron of Honor + Flower Girl cards.

Have a fantastic week!   xoxo

Man of the Hour

   Matthew and I met at Delta State University in 2008. He was a baseball boy, and a good lookin' one at that, so I kept him on my radar and snagged him up real quick before this keeper was kept by another woman. Opening doors and paying for meals was something I thought had gone out the window long ago, but I found it in a boy from Brandon, MS and chivalry was alive once again. I fell in love him with him, then in love with his amazing family. Now, every relationship has its roller coaster moments and in 2010 we spent some time apart but (not) to our surprise we found our way back to what was fate and perfect timing for the two of us. The way things fall into place is uncanny to me, and worth writing a blog about.

   So, on Thanksgiving night Matthew proposed to me on the Keesler Bridge in my hometown of  Greenwood, MS. Our families were able to be present and witness the entire thing. I knew it might be in the near future but never did I guess that night I would go from girlfriend to fiance. 12 hours later, I was planning a wedding.

 My first purchase for the big day was a Mindy Weiss Wedding Planner book. Every single detail you could ever think (or not think) of is in this fantastic organizer. I also got one as a gift for a friend who was also starting the process of planning a wedding- it's that good. It covers Budgets to Bouquets, Food to Photography, and! has a step by step checklist for monthly, weekly, up-to-the-day duties! Whew..

From Miss to Mrs. I Go

Boy meets girl. Boy buys ring. Girl makes blog. 
At least in my case, that is the order of events. 

    Let me introduce myself. My name is Meagan Rae. Rae is not my last name, but my middle one. Yep, that's how we do it down there in the South. I say down there because I am from a small town in Mississippi but I'm currently a resident of Nashville, TN. I've started this here blog because my last name will soon be changing. You guessed it, I'm engaged! You would think after twenty five seven years of dreaming up your big day it would be simple when the day came. I mean, you've had plenty of time to pin DIY crafts and gowns to your Wishful Wedding Pinterest board. Not the case. In fact, I've found that there are so many options these days that you lose track of the important factors of your wedding day. Everything does not have to match or be traditional, break the bank, or create madness within your family tree. I've created this page as a go-to, a guide, a story, and somewhere to land in case all other options fail. If you are also a soon to be Mrs., please feel free to follow along and take the steps with me in choosing every single detail of our day. I'm going to journey through hundreds of options with a Southern flair and pick out my very favorites. Ready? Let's get married.