When did we get engaged?

Seven months ago 😂

Yes, we got engaged in February.

Valentine’s Day to be exact, though that was not the plan.

As I said, this delayed announcement is proof that I am not cut out for the blogging reality of live-broadcasting my life! Keeping an engagement quiet for seven months is unheard of in the blogger world! Ha.

Actually, in all seriousness, if you know me at all, you know that I am actually a fairly private person. While social media sometimes gives the impression otherwise, I’m actually very measured in what I share and when I share it. I don’t consider that a form of inauthenticity in any way. It’s just my personal way of setting boundaries and only telling my stories when I want to share them.

So, having said all that, when we got engaged in February, I personally just wanted to soak it in for a while. Again, this is just my personality or personal preference, if you will. But I like holding things close to my heart and savoring them sometimes. But I only intended to keep it private for a week or two – not seven months! Haha.

Fast forward from Valentine’s Day to the beginning of March, and I started planning our engagement photos. Obviously, they would be colorful and happy and a little over the top, as per my usual. 🙂

But then, COVID hit…

And if you recall, particularly in the early days of this pandemic, no one knew what to do. It was so frightening that it was almost paralyzing. And sharing good news felt somewhat insensitive to what was going on in the country during these unprecedented times.

(Side note: to quote a recent meme I saw… Can we please go back to precedented times? It must be better than these unprecedented times we keep hearing about – haha.)

Anyway, as time went on, of course, we have all had to move forward with our lives in many ways – despite the continuing uncertainty and unrest of the world. My business took a hit, and so I was pouring all my time and effort into paid photoshoots – unable to muster the energy to pull together a big styled engagement shoot.

Well, finally, as mid-summer rolled around, I was ready to take engagement photos. And I knew just the place — the helipad at The Post Oak Hotel which has the most amazing views of Houston! Then we entered a new phase of complications in that we kept hitting scheduling snags. It became almost comical in fact. But trying to coordinate schedules with a five-star hotel, an in-use helipad, a balloon vendor, a marquee letter vendor, a photographer, a toddler, and a fiance is not easy!

But we finally did it! And I am thrilled to have these photos which we will always cherish. ❤️

How did we get engaged?

Well, we were supposed to go on a trip to Turks and Caicos in January, but then that trip got pushed back to March. No problem, right? We decided (well, I may have hinted) that would be a beautiful picturesque place to get engaged! So, Mark put the plans in motion to get my custom-designed ring ready in time. It was supposed to be completed in early March.

But then, lo and behold, on Valentine’s Day of all days, Jennifer our jeweler called Mark to tell him that the ring was ready! Funnier still, he wasn’t even supposed to be in town on Valentine’s Day, as he was on a guy’s trip to Colorado. But he had missed us girls so much that he came home a day early.

So, since he was in town, he told me he was going to go by Golden Thread to check on the ring, make sure it looked right, etc. Knowing that the ring was ready sure made it feel more real, but I still didn’t think anything about it – as we were set to get engaged on our family trip to Turks and Caicos in March, right?

Well, so if you’ll recall, Valentine’s Day was on a Friday this year. And being that Mark wasn’t even supposed to be in town, we hadn’t made any plans (which was fine by me). When he came back a day early, I decided to pick up some takeout lasagna and such to at least celebrate a little bit at home. Other than that, it was a normal Friday night. As the night went on, I was doing my normal mom routine of feeding Elle, bathing Elle, etc.

He kept trying to get me to sit outside on the balcony with him. But I kept resisting for a myriad of normal reasons — I’m tired, I’m trying to get Elle ready for bed, blah blah blah. Finally, when I gave in, I quickly found myself in the middle of a proposal!

He got down on one knee, told me how once he had the ring that he couldn’t wait another day to move forward with our life together, how grateful he is for Elle and me, and all that good stuff.

Spoiler alert…

WE SAID YES!

❤️

So, it was nothing fancy necessarily, but it was completely filled with heart and emotion and family. It was perfect.

And it was a total surprise that it happened that night! I was not expecting a Valentine’s Day proposal, nor was he planning a Valentine’s Day proposal.

This whole story fits us perfectly… Our engagement story is much like our relationship in that it is grounded in reality. We have a clear realistic view of life and relationships and family and all that. Certainly, we are excited and optimistic about our future! But I just feel like it’s beyond the “rose-colored glasses” stage that I would have been caught up in when I was younger.

I feel a deep-seated peace with this decision both for Elle and me. At this age and with a child, I have to be very practical about decisions I make because they affect not only me. I am thankful to God for bringing Mark into my life. He is the antithesis of me in many ways. We balance each other out in many ways. And we drive each other crazy in many ways – just kidding, kind of. But, at the end of the day, I know that most importantly he’s a man of character who loves God and loves both of us deeply. And I am so grateful for that.

Show us your engagement ring!

Well, okay… Let me preface this with a little background info and explanation. First, we are older, and I’ve actually been married before, as many of you know. I find that, being more mature (hopefully? ha), I care less about the superficial things I did in, say, my 20s. Clearly, we have other priorities – both financial and otherwise. We run our own businesses, we are raising our family, and so on and so forth. So, I cared less about the size of a solitaire stone and more about creating a meaning and personalized ring to celebrate our union.

I actually found myself gravitating to something non-traditional and unique to me. While I saw various options here and there that had components of what I liked, we ultimately turned to my friend Jennifer Welker at Golden Thread to design a custom rainbow and diamond eternity band for me. My band is half rainbow stones and half diamonds. Clearly, I embraced my natural #morecolorplease style even when it came to my engagement ring – ha! But I appreciate the other half being traditional neutral diamonds, as I can turn the band around depending on the occasion and my mood.

At the risk of feeling awkward, I will say that Jennifer has added a ring that is similar to mine to her site. But also feel free to reach out to her to design a custom ring of your own – just tell her I sent you! Also, if you’re looking for a fine jewelry rainbow ring on a smaller scale, check out this one. Or, if you just want an inexpensive fashion jewelry rainbow ring, this one under $50 would be great!

Side note: shooting at sunset can be difficult! With set up taking a while and with the gray skies this night, we quickly ran out of light before we got close-up photos of the ring during the engagement photoshoot! Thankfully, though, we had taken these previously.

Thank You to The Post Oak Hotel!

Before I wrap up this post, I must thank a number of individuals and businesses, beginning with The Post Oak Hotel at Uptown Houston. The Post Oak Hotel opened its doors in Houston in 2018. And from day one, the hotel has created an experience unlike any other in Houston! Truly, when I enter the doors of the property, I feel like I’m instantly transported to a posh, luxe, faraway destination. Don’t get me wrong – The Post Oak hotel still retains that southern, Texas charm. But the upscale nature of the property is unrivaled in Houston or really anywhere close!!

As a matter of fact, deservedly so, The Post Oak Hotel recently received the highly coveted Forbes Five-Star award, making it the first and only Five-Star hotel in Houston, the only Five-Star Hotel and Spa in Texas, and one of 19 total winners for Hotel and Spa in the US.

A huge thank you to the hotel for so graciously hosting us on their rooftop helipad for these special photos. What a view! I think we were all left breathless as we surveilled our surroundings.

Besides that, I have to personally thank the hotel for making the experience even more memorable by gifting me the Sydney Evan rainbow jeweled love script necklace I’m wearing in these photos. It was absolutely for this occasion and beyond! Thank you, thank you, thank you.

The necklace came from the hotel’s exquisite 29 North Boutique. Whether you’re visiting the hotel in person or browsing online, you’re sure to be captivated by the curated collection of this upscale boutique. A unique mix with a resort feel and a Texas flair, you’ll find plenty of unique pieces to treasure for years – and some great on-trend basics as well. Be sure to check them out!

More Thanks!

Bear with me while I express even more gratitude to the vendors who helped make my engagement itself and engagement photos possible.

Golden Thread

I mentioned my ring above, but I have to say again: a huge thank my dear friend and fellow Houstonian (and UT Longhorn!) Jennifer Welker of Golden Thread for working with us to create such a personalized, special ring. Be sure to check her out for all your casual and fine jewelry and accessory needs.

That Balloon Girl

You guys know I love and trust Kelsey of That Balloon Girl for all my balloon needs! (And yes, I do have balloon needs – haha.) You’ve seen her work all over my Instagram as well as recently on the blog for Elle’s third birthday party.

Alpha-Lit Marquee Letters

While I use balloons all the time for my photoshoots, I hadn’t yet tried the marquee letter trend. But my vision for this clearly included the brief but apropos “yes” message. The ladies of Alpha-Lit executed my vision wonderfully – and actually went above and beyond. Check them out on IG.

Kate Robinson Photography

While I always acknowledge my photography, Kate deserves an extra dose of praise and accolades for this shoot! She chased a toddler around, dealt with windy conditions, managed changing lighting, and much more. She’s a rock star.

cuteheads

I also have to thank my friend Esther of cuteheads. If you aren’t familiar with cuteheads, you should be! They are Houston-based and produce the cutest dresses for little girls! We tend to wear cuteheads for all our special occasions around here: 1st birthday, 2nd birthday, 3rd birthday, just to name a few!

In Closing

Well, I had planned to share the story of how we met. But this is getting long already, and frankly, I’m getting tired. Ha. We will save that story for another time.

Thanks for sharing our excitement over this not-so-well and not-intentionally hidden secret. COVID and more have delayed lots for lots of people. But I’m grateful to finally have these fun pics to commemorate this special occasion. And I’m equally as glad to finally officially share the news with you! Thanks for sharing our excitement!

Hugs –

C

What We Wore

Carrie: Needle & Thread chakra rainbow ruffle dress (sold out everywhere – other rainbow options from the same brand here and here; other rainbow dresses I love here, here, here, and here); Aquazzura rainbow cork wedges (on major sale! similar options here, here, here, and here); Golden Thread emerald-cut rainbow and diamond band (other options here and here); Sydney Evan love script necklace c/o (similar options here, here, here, here)

Elle: cuteheads dress rainbow stripe dress with tulle skirt (c/o) (a Houston favorite of ours!; Willow Crowns red scallop hair clip (another Houston favorite of ours!); See Kai Run sandals (on sale – we have worn these out this summer!)