The Boys Behind the Blog - February

Its that time again for Boys Behind the Blog!

This month's questions are ranging from Valentine's, winter, and where all the guys would find it most ideal to live!

So now let's hear from Tyler!

1. If you could live anywhere, where would you live?

I would live in Colorado in the mountains.

2. Sand or snow?

Snow, because its beautiful outside and I like looking at it more than I like playing in it.  I can drink my coffee, look outside, and enjoy it!  

Well, you're in luck for this year, honey, because its been the snowiest winter I can ever remember!  Welcome to the land of Oklahoma, with winters of snow.

Tyler and I built our very own igloo during the Snowpocalypse in 2011!

He even walked 1.3 miles in the blizzard just to spend time with me over the snow days!  He's so sweet! :)

3. What Winter Olympic sport would you rock at?

Skiing, because I've gone skiing since I was around 5 when we'd go up to Colorado to visit my grandparents when they used to live there.  We went to Arapaho Basin the most often.

4. You're cooking a romantic dinner- what is your go-to dish?

Steak, baked potato, and salad.
This sounds the same as your preferred last meal in life and it also sounds the same as the meal you'd choose if you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life.  (Yes, we've had these same conversations multiple times).

5. Fill in the blank: This year, I gave (your wife/girlfriend/fiance's name) a ____________________ for Valentine's Day?

I gave Saxon a surprise for Valentine's Day.
<3  He actually answered this question before Valentine's Day, hence the secrecy.  He had planned to take me ice skating, but we had to change our plans last minute because my hamstring felt sore and I didn't want to bother it with skating.  But we had a great night just being together, and Tyler cooked me a yummny dinner with bacon wrapped chicken and fancy mac and cheese! :)

Hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day!  What did you do?

We've Been Engaged for One Year...

...and we'll be married in three days!

It is amazing to me to think that I have been planning this wedding for one year now.  The time has flown so fast, and I have worked so hard on decorations and plans (that I of course can't wait to share with you all once the wedding is over and I've spent lots of time with the new hubby on our cozy mountain honeymoon that we are so excited about)!

In honor and remembrance of such a fantastic year with my fiancé, and of the fun of being a fiancée, and the fact that in three days I will no longer be using those words... here is a small recap of the past year:

He asked on OU's beautiful campus May 15, 2012!

Our first kiss in the spoon-holder! (An OU tradition/superstition).

Looking for a venue!

A "Welcome" quilt from my mother-in-law!

Wedding dress shopping with my best friend!

Finding our beautiful wedding venue!

Back to school!

Our first Christmas on actual Christmas Day!
Before we were either at our respective families or I was in China.

My friend got married!


(Then Tyler and I caught our first stomach bug together.  NO FUN...and definitely NO PICTURES! )

We always have coffee love!  (Duh!)

Our wedding shower, with the best man and matron of honor.

Last month of college for Tyler!!!

Tyler graduated this past weekend, so that is SUPER exciting...not to mention (again) that we'll be married in three days, which in my opinion is even more super exciting!  What a crazy few weeks, but so exciting and so worth it!


What a great year it has been to be the fiancée of Tyler!


So until next time, think of me with excitement, anticipation, and...of course...coffee.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Today...the day of love!  I'll join in with the trend by saying a little about the beginning 'us.'

I met Tyler my freshman year of college at a Bible study.  Back then, I saw him as a quiet guy.  But he was the quiet guy that really liked to talk.  Most of the time, he talked to me about rocks and geographic forms, or oil rigs.  I was really confused about that, so I just listened for a little while and moved on.  I like rocks, but I didn't really want to have a 20 minute conversation about them.

We continued to be friends, occasionally studying together, or doing things with our Bible study or group of friends.  At the end of the year, the organization had a banquet christian prom.  But the prom lacked dancing, of course.  It was such a big deal, because suddenly all the crushes from the entire year or semester suddenly came out of the water.  This was often how relationships started, of course they probably wouldn't really start until they got back from summer break and whatever mission trip they went on.  Or sometimes people would casually go to banquet together.  Almost all the girls had been asked by the boys to banquet already, except me and two of my good friends.  I guess we weren't the in the "in" crowd.

Well, I guess we should have already known we weren't in the "in" crowd from Christmas when the entire freshman class put on a Christmas play - but we were forgotten, so they made up three new positions for us... 

We were background sheep.

Me being my outspoken freshman ridiculous self decided to go on a complaining tangent about this.  This led to my most remembered quote from college.  I was at dinner in the cafeteria with all my friends...this amount of people generally consisted of a packed 6 foot table, or more.  But if there were more, it was so loud that your listening audience is only about three people down on either side.  Within my listening circle were my girlfriends,  and Tyler.  

This is part of the dinner table group.  So imagine this, and about half of the dinner group are not in this picture.

After my rant about how silly it was that we were the only girls who hadn't been asked yet, of course Tyler had no other choice (besides the fact that he liked me).  First, he asked, "So what is the banquet?"  My girlfriends explained it in short.  Then he said, "Saxon, would you like to go to the banquet?"  Me, still being in my sarcastic and opinionated mood (please believe me, I have become much more shy and introverted since this time in my life) responded to Tyler with this exact phrase: "Oh!  I'll go with anyone!!"  

As you might believe, I soon realized the awful thing that I said.  I apologized profusely to Tyler, and assured him that I wanted to go to the banquet with him.  All the while, my girlfriends laughed on and on. 

Tyler just described my emotion at the time as "careless, enthusiastic and desperate."  So very very sad and shameful. haha

Needless to say, I went to the banquet with Tyler.  He bought me flowers, picked me up, and thus was the beginning of our not relationship, yet.  It took me another year and three months before I would give in to liking him back.  So here's to the beginning of our story.  Silly, sarcastic, and abnormal.  

"I'll go with anyone."

From this point forward, anytime Tyler has bought me flowers, the card ALWAYS says "I'll go with anyone."

Tyler, I'm so glad I went with you, and am going with you forever!  

Happy Valentine's Day!

The "150 Days Away" Picture Book

  One year ago today was the day I left for my study abroad adventure in China.  This time of my life changed so much of my life now.  It changed how I think, it changed my relationship with Tyler, and it gave me a new perspective on the world.

  While I didn't know how, these changes were not unexpected.  I knew being gone 150 days would be very hard...especially on my relationship.  I knew it would also be hard for Tyler, and that's why I planned ahead.

  This may have been one of the larger projects I've taken on in my life...the 150 Days Away Book that I made to give Tyler the day I left.  It is a picture album with 200 slots made into 150 days of letters, pictures and memories for Tyler...one for each day that I was gone until the day I returned.

I used what is still my favorite picture in the front.

  At first, this book was only supposed to be pictures with a short sentence, but turned into a project that was fun, daunting, and something that even changed how I felt about Tyler.  We had been together about 6 months when I started it.  I worked on it between 6 and 8 hours most nights for two months during the summer to complete it.  This time was not just time to work on editing photos or cut and glue pictures and paper...it was a time I thought about not being around Tyler for this chapter in my life, reflection on the happiest six months I'd had in years, and curiosity about the future.  Putting this book together really helped me confirm in my heart that he was the man, almost year before we were engaged.

I tried to give much of the book a story book style, since it was going through the memories of our time together.

Tyler's first letter on the day my flight left.

Some days were serious, and others were fun!

I shared team spirit with Tyler for OU/saxeT weekend.

I thoroughly researched dates of things we'd done together on facebook, image properties from my camera, and other ways to track down specific dates of many memories so that I could put that photo or write about that memory on the anniversary. I also enjoyed giving him a countdown until the day I got back to the US.

One of my favorite things Tyler and I did together...build an IGLOO!

In the end of the book, I gave him two CDs.  One was with romantic songs, the other with Christmas songs.  I consistently used lyrics from the songs on my pictures in the book.

I was gone over the holidays, so I got to incorporate some Christmas spirit while we were separated.

I also tried to throw in fun things, like baby pictures or something that he'd never seen before.  I'd successfully hidden my baby pictures from Tyler until this point.  Luckily I picked a cute one. ;)

Baby pictures...isn't Tyler a cute baby??!!

Since I only had 200 slots, he only got pictures on certain days.  Some days he got just a letter, other days he got a letter and picture combined on one card, and other days he got a letter and a picture.

I did my best to color coordinate pages without repeating scrapbook paper patterns.

In the end of his book, I left an open space for a picture the day we returned.  Since I began with a story book theme. I also ended, but since our story didn't end, I decided to let our story begin.

It was definitely not the end!

So here's to the end where we began.  I can't believe it was just a year ago that I left for so long!

Now I get to embark on a new adventure that will take even more time and effort!  I sent the check in the mail to book our wedding venue, so now that some of the logistics are being taken care of, I can start crafting for the wedding in the near future!

That's all for today, Coffee Readers!  Until next time (have a cup of coffee!)

My Engagement!

    As you might have noticed from my pictures, there is a man I love!  His name is Tyler.  He does so many sweet things for me.  When I cook, he asks how he can help.  He gives me plenty of reasons to laugh, talks to me when I feel sad, talks sense into me when I am angry, endorses my creativity, and attempts to help me retain some sort of a schedule (not that he has turned out successful on the latter).  He does my dishes for me when I am overloaded with homework, he spends time with me, if we can't be together to spend time, he talks to me on the phone for a little while.  While I studied abroad in China, he skyped me every day, sent me sweet emails, and even stalked my Pinterest to see things I like.  He picks me my favorite flowers, Indian Paintbrushes, when they are in season, and the rest of the time he brings me flowers from elsewhere.  He bought me a plant on Valentines day that I unfortunately killed, and forgives me for all the things I do, especially for expecting too much from him many times.  Basically, Tyler is really really wonderful.  I am so blessed to have spent the past 20 months dating and being in a relationship with Tyler, the past 4 years in friendship, and I now look forward to spending the rest of my life with him!  He loves Jesus, loves me, loves other people, and is the most kind and thoughtful person I know.  In today's post, I will share with you our engagement story!

     On May 15, 2012, I drove to Norman to meet Tyler at my apartment.  As I mentioned above, Tyler sometimes stalks my Pinterest.  He happened to find one of my pins called "Secret Starbucks Menu."  As you might gather from the name of my blog, we are both coffee fanatics.  Tyler printed the 'menu' and when we met we walked to Starbucks, which is one of our favorite places to hang out.

*Note:  Let's talk about a few of Tyler's quirks.

1. Tyler has a track record of not finding out much information about date destinations before we are en route to the location of the date, of which location he does not know the location.  
2. Tyler also really loves his GPS.  It is his friend, and he likes to use it, but often does not have enough information to use his GPS.
3. If Tyler does not need to know the location, but perhaps the time, he uses the internet as his main source.  He believes the internet tells him the true closing time and makes his plans from there.
4. Sometimes these quirks cause date complications.

     I love Tyler, and in all honesty, although sometimes these date-mishaps create short-term issues for our date, it only makes our dating stories more fun.  He once took me to a coffee distribution center instead of a coffee shop.  Oops. haha Okay, but enough picking on Tyler...back to the story.

    In case you didn't realize what happened based on my Tyler-tips, Starbucks was already closed upon our arrival. Tyler then invited me to walk around OU's campus and then go back to our car parked down the street.  While walking and talking, Tyler points out to an Indian paintbrush, my favorite flower, lying on the sidewalk.  Just down the side walk, there was another flower, and another, then another, and so on and so forth.  We keep walking until we both have a big handful and the flowers.  He stopped to tell me some sweet words, bent on one knee and asked me to marry him!  Isn't he sweet?!

 I said, "Of Course!"

  

 Thanks for Tyler's sister Kelsey for scattering the flowers and taking the pictures!  She did great!

Here is a picture I took of my flowers from the engagement and my ring together.  I love that I have such a sweet and thoughtful fiancé!  My ring is from the 1930s, and he says it is called a "Checkerboard Crossover."  One day when I have some time, I'll get my camera out and get a better focus and higher detail on the ring.

The two of us in the Spoon holder at the University of Oklahoma.  :)

    One last story, then I promise I will be done...for now.  If you are not familiar with the University of Oklahoma, we have a few superstitions by which most students live by.  One is that if you walk under the clock tower and look up, you will graduate late.  I never tested that theory, but it seems that as much as I avoided the clock tower, its curse still found me.  The legend of the spoon holder is another famous legend for Sooners.  It says that if you kiss someone while sitting in the spoon holder, you will absolutely, positively, for sure marry that person!  Right after he proposed we went and kissed in the spoon holder!

That's all for today, folks!  I am happily engaged to my 'coffee-darling!'  I look forward to sharing my wedding journey, as well as my life journeys along the way!

-Saxon

Love Month Retrospect

So, Valentines Day may be long gone, but I thought I'd show some things we did!  Due to the inconvenience that the 14th fell on a Tuesday, our Valentines activities were spread out over multiple days and times, which is just fine with me!  Last year, my sweet boyfriend Tyler cooked me a wonderful dinner and served it candlelight style, took me dancing just the two of us, very romantic...and, well, my goal is to always out-do him.  Haha...okay, so I really just wanted to be nice this year, but it was lots of fun!

  First off, the Friday night before Valentines Day I decorated my apartment, bought him some little gifts, and cooked a big dinner!  Crazy enough, when I arrived home from my errands of preparation that morning, I got home to six university men in my apartment with the door wide open.  Apparently the neighbor had plumbing issues and they had to access the pipe from our side.  Always fun!  They were real nice and didn't stay much longer, however of course none of them took their shoes off at my door, and had created quite a muddy mess in my kitchen.  They vowed to mop it up...and they did mop the main problem area, but...the honest truth is, God put women in charge of housekeeping for a reason.  Men just can't do it right!  So I had to clean up...but back to the real thing.

  For our dinner, I first cooked a tasty dessert that I'm sure you've all seen on Pinterest already:  Soppapilla Cheesecake.  If you'd like the recipe, check out their blog:  Link to Soppapilla Cheesecake Recipe.

 Here's mine:  (It was quite yummy.)

  Then I cooked some simple baked chicken and baked potatoes.  We had a romantic night with lots of candlelight, and rented the new True Grit to end the night. 

  Tyler really is perfect and sweet, because he stole my stuffed dog one day (which happens to be his first present to me in our relationship).  Her name is Maggie, and she went to China with me.  Due to the air pollution and other adventures through the hectic airport, she was kind of dirty and smelly.  He sweetly stole her, and it didn't take me long to notice and drive him crazy asking where he hid her. haha  However, since the dry cleaners rejected to clean her, my sweet guy did it himself, and I must say she smells and looks MUCH better!

And here's our family portrait!

Tyler is also perfect and sweet by knowing that I'd prefer a real plant over cut flowers so that I can enjoy it much longer!  Here's my awesome plant!

My sweet creative card :)

  In all my busyness preparing for the meal, I never made Tyler a card.  We are firm believers in creativity, and that the time and creative power put into something is worth more than any kind of store bought thing.  Tyler very sweetly made me this card, but I didn't have one for him.  I felt bad since I always stress the importance of how I like handmade things and I didn't have anything handmade for him!

  Then, on actual Valentines Day, Tyler made chocolate fondue with pretzels and strawberries.  We also made coffee smoothies!

I love those coffee smoothies:  best thing for the left over coffee.

All you need for the Coffee Smoothies are to blend all these ingredients in a blender until smooth. (These measurements are rough estimates.  I rarely measure things for smoothies, but this is my educated guess.)

• 1 ice tray of left over coffee
• cooled left over coffee in the fridge or elsewhere
• 1/4 C Milk
• 3 Tbs Sugar (or to your taste)

Optional to make it better:

• Hershey's Caramel Syrup
• Hershey's Chocolate Syrup  
• A few Dove Dark Chocolate squares to make a Java Chip version.
• I also sometimes use a Frappe Mix from Starbucks as a bonding ingredient.  

 Our Valentines Picture!

  Okay, so I mentioned that I didn't make a card.  Tyler has been wanting me to make a picture for him for a while, so I figured now would be the time.  I haven't really drawn a picture besides what I did when I was an interior design major, so this is my first drawing in about four years.  I'm excited, and I've missed using my supplies and making the time to do it.  Thank you, laundry, for giving me that time. haha 

  Here is that "card" I finally made, and this is the first time I've taken step by step photos of a work.  I'm excited to have done one once again!  Total time spent on this was about 6-7 hours, it is marker and colored pencil. 

This is the inspiration picture, one of my favorites of us.

That's all for now, folks!