Engagements by Sarah Mellor

Seattle Shower

Valerie and Dennis flew me to Seattle two weekends ago for my first bridal shower! It was so wonderful. It was nice to be able to stay the weekend with my future in laws with no Nathaniel (no offense Nathaniel), I just mean getting to have my own relationship with them is important. I had so much fun.

I flew in Friday night and we picked up my good friend Sarah and her adorable baby Kai and we stayed up until 1am with Valerie making muffins for the shower. The shower was saturday morning and it was so lovely. There were so many amazing women there and they were so sweet and kind and gracious. We had the shower at Michelle Gorman's home, a dear friend of Valerie's. The house was beautiful, such an amazing view. And the home was decorated with pictures of Nathaniel and me as well as amazing quiche and muffins and macaroons with nuetella in the middle (AMAZING).

Here are some pictures from the shower:

As you can see, something went awry with my registry and I received three rice makers and two crock pots!

My lovely mother in law chatting it up.

Here's me and Sarah trying on fun masks at a really cute (and really expensive) shop in Seattle).

I had another wonderful shower last night. Nathaniel's Dad's Cousin (did you get that?)threw me a shower with all of her family. It was so amazing and sweet. It was wonderful feeling like I am already part of a much larger family then I have ever had.

One more shower to go!

29 days left!!!!!!!!!!

Bridesmaids!!!!!!!!!

OK, so I wanted to talk about the most amazing friends I have every had. They also happen to be my bridesmaids. I have 8 bridesmaids and all of them are important to me and are my very best friends. I am going to tell you about each one of them in alphabetical order.

Aimee-

(Taken by Beth? Chris? Some random stranger? STOLEN from Facebook)

Aimee is probably one of the sweetest (and funniest) people I know. She seriously cracks me up. I remember the first time I met Aimee. It was when I first moved to Florida at age 13 and I met her at a ward pool party. I was so excited because I had made a friend and then I found out she was eleven and my heart broke. I told my dad we couldn't be friends because she was so much younger than me. Little did I know that she would be one of my very best friends all through high school and in my adult life. She married her high school sweetheart (my good friend Chris) and has two beautiful children, Kyler and Kerrigan (Kyler is in the picture, it's an old one). I love her so much and don't know what my life would be like without her.

Aliah-

(No idea who took this, but isn't it super cute? STOLEN from Facebook)

Aliah and I met when we started working for DCFS in 2004. I just remember thinking how beautiful she was and how I loved her style and wanted to be her friend. We ended up having offices that shared a wall and we would chat online during work and I could hear her laughing through the wall. We then lived in the same apartment building and then the same house for 4 years. We have the best luck with going to see movies together (see Into the Mix, it's fantastic) and have had many a laugh or a cry cuddling in one of our beds. She's amazing. I am so honored to call her my friend and my bridesmaid!

Alissa-

(Self Portrait of Alissa, modeling a necklace that I purchased for her, STOLEN from Facebook)

Where do I even start with Alissa? We met in 8th grade. She let me sit at her lunch table when I was new and lonely and we have been inseparable ever since! I love this girl. She just gets me and loves me in spite of that. I love that we get to see each other often even though we live across the country from one another. We make the best songs up and have the most hilarious jokes (at least we think so anyway). She has been there through it all. She's my BFFSSANWIAABAILH.

Alyssa-

(Self Portrait of Alyssa and STOLEN from Facebook)

I met Alyssa at Ricks College. She was my roommate and we clicked right away. She was funny and fun and our time at Ricks was such a blast. Of course it didn't stop there. Every time I am with her, it's like no time has passed at all. If I could model my upcoming marriage after any other marriage I know, it would be hers. They are loving and kind to each other and they are best friends! I love it! And she has four adorable little rug rats (I can't wait to see Joshua). She is no longer pregnant but I we seem to have a visit every time she has been pregnant, so I thought it was an appropriate picture. Besides, isn't she the cutest pregnant person you have every seen? I think so.

Amy-

(No idea who took this STOLEN from Facebook)

I also met Amy at Ricks. She had long corn rows and a hippie style that was amazing. She was such a free spirit. So free in fact, clothing was often optional, but that is another story for another time. I didn't NEED Amy when I was 18. Don't get me wrong, I loved knowing her and having her as a friend and roommate at that time, but I didn't need her. We lost touch for a few years and met up again in salt lake about 8 years ago. In these last 8 years, I have needed her in my life and she was there. She is always there. This girl can organize the heck out of anything. She's smart and capable and really good at many things (especially helping to plan weddings!). I'm glad I need her, but more importantly glad I have her in my life.

Erin Marie-

(Picture taken by Sara Boulter)

I used to say, if I could just marry a guy that is like Erin, I would be set. I can tell her ANYTHING and totally be myself around her. We've had the best of times and the worst of times and through it all our friendship just keeps getting better and better. She is an amazing musician. I could listen to her play the guitar and sing all day long. Some of my favorite songs in the world have been thought up in her complex brain (even surgery couldn't break it). She's such a talent and I love her so much.

Sarah-

(Picture taken by Jesse Draper)

We often joke that I forced her to be my friend. Funny thing is, it's not a joke. I totally did. But she totally let me. This girl is the best. I can't get enough of her. I just love being around her, it makes my life better. I'm sad she doesn't live close by, but I see her so often it feels like she does. She is definitely one of my favorites and anyone that knows her knows you can't help but love her! Thank goodness I made her be MY friend, but I'll share her if you'd like. Also we found out we will totally be related by marriage- great right?

Stacey-

(picture taken by Sarah Mellor)

It's always just been my brother and me. I love my big brother, but I think a girl always dreams about having a sister. Well, I got one 7 years ago. Her love of horror scared me at first, but who knew someone who loved Freddy Kruger as much as Stacey could also be so sweet? She has the prettiest smile of anyone I know and when she laughs, her smile lights up a room. Stacey and Tom just fit. I am so glad to finally have a sister. A friend for life, really a friend forever and ever.

And an honorable mention to my little flower girl who I just adore (don't those blue eyes KILL you?) Quinn-

(Picture by Sara Boulter)

This sweet girl is going to be the best flower girl every. How could she not be? Especially with her mom Erin playing beautiful music as she throws petals on the ground.

I know what you are thinking. THERE ARE SO MANY!!!! But throughout my life I have chosen to be surrounded by so many lovely and amazing women, that there couldn't possibly be any less!

34 days to go!!

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Ghost Stories

Over the weekend, Nathaniel and I went camping in a Tepee. A TEPEE!! Well, kind of. We drove up to Bannack, Montana and camped at the edge of a ghost town in a tepee. It was freezing. And we weren't as prepared as we thought we were (thought we brought a down comforter- didn't, thought we brought a workable air mattress- didn't) so half way through the night, after we were freezing to the bone and a bug dropped on Nathaniel's face and a monster was rubbing against the tepee, we ended up in the car. BUT the time we spent making fires and roasting hot dogs and marshmallows NEXT to the tepee was awesome. As was the ghost town. FYI- Nathaniel is excellent at making fires. I was very impressed by my wilderness man.

Let me talk about the ghost town. Bannack is only 5 short hours away from SLC and it is located in what is now a state park, so it's pretty well preserved and only 5 bucks to see. We went fairly early in the morning and stayed until the afternoon, just walking around (hence my ridiculous sunburn).




We also had a ghost experience!There was a bridge over the creek and I wanted to take Nathaniel's picture on the bridge. We were both on it and as I was about to take the picture I could feel footsteps on the bridge so I thought that someone was coming onto the bridge behind me so I took the picture fast. At the same time Nathaniel thought someone was coming onto the bridge behind him so he stepped out of the way. We both felt the footsteps, but when we looked, no one was there. Later we asked the park ranger if there were any ghost encounters. He said that the main ghost that has been seen is a girl named Dorthy who drowned it the creek when she was 14! I totally think we felt her presence on the bridge! Here is the photo and the bridge.

Check out the Orbs in this one. Maybe they're ghosts! (Or dust) Or dusty ghosts!

Alphabet soup

So I have joined a new club. A CD mix club. I am not sure what to call it. Playlist club? Music Share club? Well anyway, some girls and I are making mixes for each other each month based on a theme. I really like the idea, because then I can get introduced to new music AND make mixes from music I love and share it with other people. The first mix is called the A-Z mix. You have to pick song titles that consist of one word- A-Z. This was a little more difficult than I thought. I had multiple of some letters and none of others. I never found a Z! So my mix is actually A-Y.

Here is my Mix:

Aime- Damien Rice

Birds- Kate Nash

Calgary- Bon Iver

Dilate- Ani Difranco

Edit- Regina Spektor

Free- The Colorful Quiet

Gatekeeper- Fiest

Headlock- Imogen Heap

Intervention- Arcade Fire

Jacksonville- Sufjan Stevens

Kiss- Prince

Lions- Headlights

Miserole- Emily Hope Price

Names- Cat Power

Older- Band of Horses

Politik- Coldplay

Quiet- Rachel Yamagata

Regret- Wye Oak

Stars- The Weepies

Transcendentalism- Death Cab for Cutie

Undertow- Stars

Videotape- Radiohead

Window- Album Leaf

Xanax- Maria Taylor

Yesterday- Pulp

Z ???????

What would your list be? What would your letter Z be??? I am sure I could come up with something, but my ipod did not help. It will be interesting to see what new music I will get.

96 days

I had a dream the other night that it was a week before the wedding and I hadn't planned anything. It was terrible. I was in panic mode and threw a bunch of things together and it was awful. I know that won't happen, I have too many capable and talented friends for that to EVER happen, but I do fear running out of time.

I have so many ideas, but have not tried to execute a lot of them- SO I better start!

This memorial day weekend was filled with house stuff. My future in laws are in town and we accomplished a lot. Valerie gave me a much needed tutorial on gardening. The front and sides of the house look 150% better. It's starting to really look nice . . . on the outside. The inside looks like a construction zone. As it should. Exposing brick walls, fixing the torn out kitchen, adding doors, removing plaster, emptying out the swimming pool in the basement (this is the wettest May in recorded history and our basement can attest to that). Who knew a house that is over one hundred years old could need so much TLC? (just kidding, we knew . . . kinda)

It's so exciting, but so stressful as well. So much to do, it's kind of overwhelming. I am so lucky to have such a great family and to be marrying in to such a great family, but I will be relieved when I am sitting on a beach in Costa Rica on my honeymoon and some of the stress is behind me.

Oh, and did I mention Nathaniel bought us tickets to Costa Rica for my birthday!?!!!????!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Things could be much worse.

Moments . . .

I took today off to celebrate my birthday. This has become a little tradition of mine, to hang out with myself and celebrate my birthday. I slept in, took myself to the movies (Bridesmaids, seemed appropriate) and went shopping. I bought myself a little somethin' somethin' NOT on sale at anthropologie and when I got home, opened a lovely birthday package from my future mother-in-law. SUCH A GOOD DAY. And to top it all off- Nathaniel and I picked up the keys to OUR house (well, technically HIS house until September). It was so exciting!!! I am getting an amazing husband and we are moving in to our first home together soon and I am so excited!!!!!!!!


It should say SOLD, since it is totally SOLD- to us!!!!!!!!!

This is on the wall in the master bedroom and is SO true. But is also SO getting painted over as soon as possible.

Home sweet home!!!!


P.S. The wedding is in 108 days. UGH!! I need to start figuring stuff out.

He liked it so he put a ring on it ("it" being me)

I'm engaged! Still so weird to say.

Nathaniel and I have been dating almost ten months. And I'll be honest, I've known for a while that I wanted to marry him. He is probably the kindest man I have ever known and thoughtful and quiet and not to mention handsome (those blue eyes of his KILL me). I can guarantee he already hates this post (sorry Nathaniel), but I am pretty sure he knows what he is getting into by marrying me. He makes me laugh until I cry. He knows how to kiss me just the way I like. He loves my crazy family. He loves his crazy family (significantly less crazy than mine btw). He is such a loyal friend. He is such a hard worker. He listens to me and tries to make me happy. He is so talented and smart and capable. He's my best friend, like the kind that you make up songs with or goofy dances or tickles you until you almost pee or the kind that cries with you when you are sad and gets mad at things you're mad at or the kind that knows you love non fat iced chai and brings it to you just because. And I love him.

A couple months ago we went looking for rings, very casually. We weren't engaged, we were just talking about it. I found this amazing antique ring that I loved. And I made it very clear that I loved it. I would check the website everyday and just look at it. One day it was gone, I secretly hoped he had bought it, but couldn't be sure. He kept saying that we should look at rings and asking me to email pictures of rings that I liked, so I had my doubts.

On Friday we were in Provo for his family reunion. I met his sweet grandmother and got to see other family members that I had met before. I was totally exhausted, it had been a very rough work week. He started talking about BYU chocolate milk and how he really wanted some. So we went to the cougareat to get some. It was 9pm and just closing up. There were only a few people there. But we purchased our chocolate milk and sat down to enjoy. He was telling me about how he had worked there as a janitor many years ago. I was joking with him about people getting engaged at the cougareat and what that might look like when he pulled out a ring and set it on the table, got down on one knee and proposed! Just prior to asking me, he said something about it being really funny if two grown people who weren't BYU students anymore got engaged in the cougareat and I agreed. I was SO surprised. I cried like a baby. And to make it even more exciting, it was the antique ring I was in love with. He bought it a week after we saw it (of course he did).

Here is our first picture as an engaged couple (chocolate milk and all).



The ring is circa 1930 and I love love love it.



September 3rd can't come soon enough!

Sometimes I really miss Thailand