I SAID YES TO WINNING MY DRESS

Every wedding story has a wedding dress story and I have been waiting to share this one with you all! Time to tell you all the tale of how I said “Yes” to my dress, well winning it!

My story starts back in 2007 when I took a trip to San Francisco with my show choir for a competition. In between seeing the city and singing and dancing our hearts out, we took part in some retail therapy. I was determined to get my prom dress for that senior year and San Fran was going to be the place. I found Jessica McClintock’s altier and knew that was the place! The dress I fell in love with was long, white, classic and clean. I was obsessed with it and wore it that year to the prom! Because of my infatuation and the price, and possibly the style, my family joked it would be my wedding dress someday. But the running joke turned into reality.

In 2017, nearly 10 years later, I got engaged and when I thought about planning my wedding and searching for the right dress, I thought- look no further, you already have it! It still fits and it’s in the budget. UNTIL……

One day, while rummaging through the clearance center of Goodwill I found it! A wedding dress! Lace, tool, chiffon, pearls, crystals, it had it all and was my size! I snagged it up and weighed it out to be $15! WOW What a steal! So the plan changed, now this was my dress! Although, it needed to be altered, and wasn’t my style, I was going to pull a Tim Gunn and “Make it Work.” UNTIL……

I came across a post on instagram advertising a wedding dress giveaway! Priscilla Ornelas from the Mathew Blades Morning Show posted on her page a competition she was hosting to give away a dress that no longer fit her! You can see the post here. She had her dress altered too small and needed to find a new home for it, but wanted it to go to the right bride. We had to share our story with Priscilla, and this is what I shared:

First off let me say how beautiful the dress is! Now let me share my story.
I got engaged December of last year to the love of my life. And I truly agree with you on having the “one” be the most supportive. He proposed to me after his grandparents 50th wedding anniversary on the beach of Puerto Rico where half his fam is from. His other half is Native American and we met in Arizona. We are entrepreneurs who have a passion for making each other better. We bought a house in April and are planning a wedding all in the same year. Our house needs renovations and I have never been the dream planner so a wedding budget is non existent. We’re spending $8K on a block wall because we’re getting married in our backyard. With all this said there’s no budget for a dress. I joked in Highschool my expensive prom dress would be my white wedding gown and here I am 12 years later actually considering wearing it. I have never been the type of girl who had her dream wedding planned out in fact, I am happy going to a court house because it’s the union that matters, but seeing your face in “the dress” I mean there’s a show called “say yes” because it has to bring a magical moment to any bride! And it’s a magical moment I would feel honored to feel and share with the love of my life forever. On 10/12/19 I will marry the love of my life Jose Acevedo the backyard of our historic home in midtown Phoenix rain or shine prom dress or dream.

A few days later, in line at a drive thru, I yelled “I won!” Like the old man in the end of Vegas Vacation who pretends to die, “I won, the money is mine!” I was so excited. When I picked up the dress that week from the station tears were flowing. You can see that reaction here.

I immediately went home and tried it on. No moms, no maid of honor, no one, just me, and I cried tears of joy because I felt that same feeling all the girls on that show do. It does truly exist. You can see from my self timing photos bellow, I wanted to capture this first moment. Months later, I tried it on again with my soon to be mother in law and actually buttoned it all the way up! Aside from the donuts I need to say no to and the squats I need to add to my routine, it fits great, but every bride will say she has a few LBs to lose, myself included. I can’t wait to actually get some stunning photos in this dress and knock the socks off my husband to be when he sees me coming down the aisle in this beauty.

Now that I am in tears again sharing this story I hope it heart a heart string to you that things will always work out if you put out what you want back.

XoXo

Britt.

WARM RAYS AND LAZY DAYS

I once heard a saying "weekends are for waffles" and I could not agree more! I have never been the type to live for the weekend; in fact every weekend I am catching up on something work related because when you love what you do it never feels like work. But for us the weekend means being together and recharging!

Friday Jose is out of work by noon so we try and schedule a podcast when the light is perfect and the energy is high. Friday nights are for keeping it local. We have either a night out at a local restaurant like Farm & Craft or Halal Guys or check out a local event or completely veg out with a Postmates order and catching up on a binge worthy show  like Handmaid's Tale or Suits.

Saturday mornings we divide and conquer. I spend a few hours in Tempe for work and Jose gets in front of the Mac to post this week's podcast episode. By noon we are catching a yoga class and hitting up a thrift shop for a good find. Every other Saturday Goodwill's 50% sale (see previous post: THRIFTING) has us hunting for treasures for our forever home. But when the sun is high and temps are tripled we are in our pool cooling off: Jose diving for leaves and me reading and tanning. We find the quiet time of being together so relaxing. 

We also like to get in the kitchen together on Saturday. Jose will get on the grill and we will meet up in the kitchen for a taco bar for dinner or we will work together dissecting a recipe and jamming out to the latest Hospital Records Podcast. Alexa is part of our weekend fun too! We catch up on Jeopardy questions from the week and can just spend hours in the kitchen cooking and quizing. 

Lazy Sunday mornings are for us to sleep in. With a Diva like @Cat_linjenner that means 7:30 am if we are lucky. Once we are up we ease into a morning workout. (Um... you thought I said 'Lazy Sunday' LOL) Jose likes to run the cannal while I do a yoga flow in the den. But brunch is a must! Sunday Brunch means multiple courses, fresh drinks, warm waffles, and flavorful meats! Jose can make a mean breakfast but with our powers combined on Sunday's I am sure we are making the neighbors jealous. 

If you follow along our BTS InstaStories @FindingArizonaPodcast you'll know we sometimes hold meetings on Sundays for the podcast. Laptops, planners, notebooks, cell phones, everything scattered everywhere- organized chaos. That is when we map out what we are working on and any wild and crazy ideas we want to get out in the universe and see how they can be incorporated into what we do. 

Sunday evenings I usually have to meet on the other side of town for work so sometimes I bribe Jose with a Bosa Donut to join me for the ride. What I love about our relationship is sometimes just being next to him is all my heart and soul need. 

I remember to cherish these moments- weekend or not, waffles on the menu or not. Its days like this that keep our love growing and give life meaning. Make sure you give youself a recharge day soon. You deserve it! 

Check out these beautiful photos from Emily of Sahuaro Media  taken on a Sunday morning!

HOUSE HUNTERS

He's a landscape architect by trade and podcast host. She's a small business entrepreneur emphasizing in marketing, sales and management. Their budget is 260k. 

On this episode of House Hunters, newly engaged couple Britt and Jose look to find their forever home in historical Phoenix. With 6 months left on their rental agreement they begin the process of home ownership. 

After feeling like we were drowning in terminology we finally found some footing and got excited about the prospects. 3 months of Trulia, MLS data bases,  and 17 houses later I walked into what I had manifested. 

I saw this house online, fell in love. I showed the listing to my mom, business parter and close friends. We had our realtor preview it a day we could not get out of appointments and meetings and fell in love. The morning of me stepping inside the Roma House I attended a Tranq yoga flow and mainfested it. 

I imagined how it feels pulling up in my driveway, walking up the path to the door to the right while smelling blooming garden roses. I enter the through the classic original wood door right into the great room. From the living room I can see the kitchen to the left and feel the sunlight from the open windows. Leading to the pool in the back an open kitchen and den give me a hug. The bedrooms are off to the right and each one has its own floor plan, design, and character. 

But the backyard, the backyard is where I will say "I do," to the man of my dreams. I can see us walking down the isle, then chasing our new puppy up and down the yard and putting up the approved fence around the pool for the future little ones.  

Everything I had imagined feeling was felt. After physically being in the home and introducing myself as the new neighbor and sharing some "homemade" cookies  we asked everyone to send good JuJu to the universe to lock down this property.

Twelve hours from putting in an offer for full asking price on this mid century historic neighborhood home it was accepted. We were driving to Marry Mart and got a call from our realtor. Josh calls and begins with small talk and I all can think is SPIT IT OUT! It still feels like a dream and my cheeks hurt from smiling.

How cute is this photo by Jen Jinkens taken after the offer was put in and before it was accepted.