I HAVE MOVED!

NEW LIFE - NEW BLOG!

Head over to www.shoalsperk.blogspot.com --- this is where I will be documenting my exciting new life as a newlywed!

Wahoo.. now get ova there!

The end.

Hey ya'll!  Im back.. but just for a short bit.  I have decided to start a new blog.  No, I don't have a name for it nor do I have it set up.  Hopefully, between my blogosphere friends, I can get this going in no time! :)  I'll catch yall all up on my sweet, sweet life.

I would appreciate your input into my new blog name.  I am wide open for suggestions.. just leave me some love in the comment section below.  I am leaning towards things such as "Life as Small Town Wife" or "Scott land" or "Shoals Perk" or "Land of Scott's" or "Simple. Southern. Scott's." -- I need help.. my heart isn't settled on anything yet.  

On other news, I had to finish this blog.  This blog has served as a creative outlet throughout my college days.  Its has been such a great accountability with goals, documenting moments and my faith.  I am so thankful that I got into this trend and stuck with it.  I love to read my old post... I hope to get this baby printed as it is a huge part of my college career.

Since we last spoke, I graduated from college.  I turned the tassel with a degree in Biological Sciences with a concentration in Integrative Physiology and Neurobiology and also with a minor in Genetics.  I also moved away from Raleigh and I back in Small Town, USA. 

 My degree came in.. and I could not help but love on my parents.  They paid every penny of my college expenses.  Tuition, meal plans, textbooks.. everything.  They supported every decision I made in college.  From doing research, to becoming an Ambassador, to playing intermural sports, to leading YL to quiting YL, to moving off campus, to get engaged during college.  Everything.  The list could take days.  I have the best family in the world.  I have loving, healthy, passionate parents who adore their children and demonstrate sacrificial love at every possible moment.  I have hilarious, sweet and loving siblings.  My sister and brother are fantastic.  They are weird and loud and want the best for me and each other, ALL THE TIME.  My four are the best.

Well, I know its short and its not near as sappy as I assumed it would be... but Im already too excited about the new stage of life I am in now.  I cannot WAIT to tell yall about all the details of the wedding and how PRECIOUS marriage is.  Seriously, my new role as wife is everything plus some.  I cannot wait to share in this journey with yall.

NEW BLOG TO COME.
(leave your new name suggestions in the comments!!)

Love ya'll.

The one about a cap & gown.

Okay, I'm coming in real quick this Monday morning with a funny story.  

This past week was the "Grad Fair" where NC State seniors came to pick their cap & gowns and honorary sashes.  On Wednesday,  I was talking to my classmate.  

Classmate: "Do you know if we have to pay for our cap and gowns?"  
Immediately, I was like "NO!  We pay thousands of dollars to go here and we work hard to earn our degree.  Surely, they can afford to give us a slip of fabric to walk across a stage in."

Early the next morning, I went to the bookstore to pick up my graduation get up before class.  I tell them my degree, my height and GPA and they handed me the appropriate attire.  Besides the grad fair ladies, I was the only person in the bookstore, so naturally -- I didn't think I had to pay.  I placed my attire in my bookbag & walked right out.

Later that night, my roommate Sarah came in the living room with her cap & gown.  A wave of excitement came over us and we decided to try them on!  As we were waving our arms around and just being goofy, I told Sarah about the conversation I had with my classmate a couple days before.  She immediately stopped dancing and the conversation went as follows:

Sarah: "Um, Courtney, you had to pay for your cap & gown"
Courtney: "No you didn't."
Sarah: "I paid for my cap & gown"
Courtney: "Okay, Sarah... you're a good liar"
Sarah: "I'll show you the receipt."
Courtney: "What?! I didn't pay for mine"

Sarah then fell to her knees and she lost it.  "You stole your cap & gown! Hahaha!!"  We both we just started cracking up and were in disbelief of how dumb I was... 

The very next morning, I went to the bookstore to pay for my cap & gown.  I came in and this super sweet lady was loud with her "Well hi there!  What can I do for you this gorgeous morning?"  I told her all that went down & told her at least 5 times how embarrassed I was.  She got a serious look on her face & called someone on the phone.  Their conversation gave me a heart attack.  It was about how the inventory didn't add up right with cap & gowns, and they had "found" one of the faces on the surveillance video.  Y'all, I was sweating.  She got off the phone, looked at me and then with her loud, sweet voice she said "Girl, I'm just playing with ya!  I appreciate your honesty!  Thank you so much for respecting your morals and school.  But now, Im gonna have to take ya money."  So I slid that plastic card and my graduation debt was paid... officially... legally.  

The Hitchin' Post - Invitations

During this wedding process, I have become more aware of how giving people are.  We are constantly coming in contact with people who love love & who have a giving heart.  With fabric, burlap, lace, ribbon, card stock, to printing the invitations.. sweet folks have been giving us discounts just because they feel like it.  It could be my mom's real personality and her ability to make a joke out of nothing that makes them connect to our story, maybe its our willingness to bend, make-do, & compromise so easily...  regardless, people are crazy good. 

Background story:  last week I freaked out a little bit when I realized we were like 8 weeks away from the wedding.  I freaked out because we hadn't ordered wedding invitations... or really, the card stock for the invitations, which would take a little time to process then ship, then we had to go get the invitations printed on the card stock and then packaged, then addressed, then stamped and finally, sent out.  And with my ridiculous academic calendar for the month of April... I got a little stressed out.  So Mom & I decided that we were just going to go to a fine papers company in Winston Salem, buy the card stock they had and then go get it printed the next day.  A normally a week to a week and half project done in 24 hours -- seems perfect right?

Well, perfect-ish.  We went and bought the card stock.  They did not have full sets of what I wanted, so in our second natural we bent & compromised & left the store content.  Next, we were trying to figure out who could print the invitations for cheapest... to come & find out that MOST stores don't print on pre-cut card stock.  They usually do large sheets, print multiple copies & then cut them in the size we wanted.  Well, we then realized that the card stock we just bought was final sale.  Crap. 

While Mama was walking through the jungle maze, also known as the grocery store, I was calling every printing store I could think of.  I called Sam's sister to ask where she got her invitations printed, my dad filled me on places that he has used to print blue prints, I called the "go-to's" such as Staples and FedEx.. nobody.  Feeling a little overwhelmed, I plopped down in the "for decoration only" outdoors table set while Mom stood in line texting all her friends for suggestions.  She mentioned to me Office Max, so I called and put on my "stranger voice" -- ya know, the really high pitched, perky, pleasant voice that you use with strangers -- Mr. Rocky from the printing department of Office Max told me that I could indeed get my invitations printed on pre-cut card stock!

"Oh my word, are you serious?  YAY (clapping of my hands)!  Are you sure?  I need [this size & this size].  Seriously?  YAY!  Okay, see you tomorrow morning!  Thanks so so much"

So Ashley & I got up early Saturday morning & headed to Office Max.  After a almost 2.5 hour adventure in Office Max (we were the only ones there in the first 2 hours), we have adorable printed invitations on cute, little card stock and the rest of my Saturday looked liked this:

Until around 7 at least.  Then I went over to the Scott's residents to celebrate the 21 candles of Miss Sidney Lee with a cookout, cake & a drive-in movie (in their own driveway!)

iPhone picture.

The one with HAIRSPRAY.

 My roommate, Liza, is seriously one of the best YoungLife leaders ever!  She pours every single ounce of her emotion, time, money, and love into her sweet girls.  I am encouraged by the hours she puts into contact work in order to spread the gospel whenever she can, wherever she can, to whoever she can.  

One of her girls got the lead role in her high school's musical rendition of HAIRSPRAY!  I adore musicals.  Liza got everyone in our house a ticket plus one for a close friend of ours... and we decided to make a night of it.  We all decided to get all ditty-ed up and go grab some sushi in downtown Raleigh before we head to the show.

 

HAIRSPRAY was awesome.  Megan (aka Mego) killed it.  She was so spunky & fantastic

from start to finish.  I could not stop smiling the whole time I was there.

The schedule usually never works out with all 4 of my roommates: Jenn is a student teacher & YL leader,  Im planning a wedding, Sarah is knocking out interviews & job offers like nobody's business & Liza is consumed by a new major & her awesome gals.  So, nights like this, where all of us get together & devote time to one another is seriously the sweetest break we could all take from our crazy schedules.

The one leaving Raleigh.

Right before I went to college, my parents got me a credit card.  Don't freak out.. it was a credit card that was meant only for emergencies such as gas and groceries & I had to promise them I would call them every single time I used it.  But anways, they got me a credit card & the design on the card was a city skyline at night.  It was gorgeous.  My parents picked out that specific card because I love cities & they thought if a child of theirs was ever to go away from home, it would be me.  I love the hustle and bustle of cities, the lights at nighttime, the life of unlimited amount of coffee shops, non-chain restaurants, and hidden treasures within the concrete walls.  I love cities.  Moreover, I love Raleigh.  I adore this sweet little college town.

Well Sam is moving home... TODAY.  He is picking up his life in Raleigh and moving back home.  He is starting a new job & looking for us a place to live.. because we will reside back in our precious small town after May 25th.  Put bluntly, Sam is done with Raleigh.  He has had a good time... but he is ready for the big move.  I asked him why he was so done with Raleigh & his reply was simply this:

"Court, where can I hunt?  Whose land can I do that on AND ride four wheelers?  And babe, I am not about to pay to go fishing."






He is a country boy, through and through.  I am so thankful for man that is content with a life full of woods, guns, knives, game, four wheelers, fishing poles and home cooked meals.

I believe I am half & half.  I love cities, but I also love the country.  I love how slow the morning seems to be.  I love being more aware of natural beauty.  I love being outdoors.  I love the community and all the little "finger waves" everyone gives when they are driving down the road.  Everybody knows everybody.  I love it.  Oh, and the sunsets in this place are ridiculous.

On behalf on Sam's last night in our beloved Raleigh.  We tried a new restaurant in downtown called Cafe Luna.  It was delicious.  I had some type of black pasta with grouper, shrimp and tomatoes & Sam got grilled chicken, roasted potatoes & a cute little salad.  It was so good.  The sun was setting perfectly, so we just drove around.  We blared Pandora, opened the sunroof, and heated the seats.  We ran an errand or two.  Then went back to driving around.  The moon became full & gorgeous, creating the perfect send off for Sam.

 

  

  

 

 

Raleigh has been so good to us.. too good.  But life is changing and its for the better, which makes breaking my Raleigh ties a little bit easier.

Morning silence pondering.

This morning, I woke up to an empty house.  All of my roommates were out and about before 8 am!  I fixed me a full pot of coffee, threw some cinnamon rolls into the oven and cracked up my Bible.  After reading and praying, I just sat in silence thinking about some random things I enjoy.

1.  A quiet house.  I love waking up to a house full of friends, but between the routine of all four of us, silence is lost.  I love a quiet house.

2. A steaming cup of coffee.  Luke warm just will not do.

3.  Moleskin journals.  I am on my forth Moleskin journal & I just do not see myself ever changing.  Well, I am thinking about changing to a notebook size, but that's it.  My favorite Moleskin journal is kraft color/material with NO lines. 

4.  Short, painted fingernails.  I had this on my mind because Liza & I were about to leave to get nails done.

5.  Natural light.  There is simply nothing better.  Here at Joby's we have this gorgeous big window in our living room that allows a sea of natural light in.  It's fantastic.

6.  The Wolfpack.  I got my nails pained red in preparation for the Wolfpack.  Currently we are down by 7, but I am trusting that my boys in red are gonna pull  through.  (We are currently down 6 now..)

7.  Come Thou Font Of Every Blessing Pandora Station.  My favorite hymn is Come Thou Fount.. & the Pandora station is always, always on point.

8. The time change.  I'm pretty sure no one in their right mind would disagree with me.

So there is my random stream of consciousness.  Now to find order invitation card stock and apply for a big girl job.  Happy Saturday & GO PACK!

The one and only, Clark.

Let's take a stroll down memory lane, shall we?

So when I was fifteen my parents started talking to me about what kind of car I wanted for when I turned 16.  All I knew is that I wanted a SUV.  I kept leaning towards a Nissan Xterra -- I mentioned them every time we passed one on the road.  & honestly, I really didn't care what car I got, but for some reason, I just really loved the Xterras. 

One morning in November, my sophomore year of high school, my parents told me that were gonna meet up for lunch with one another, then run some errands and then one of them was going to come pick me up from school.  Awesome.  No big deal.

While I was waiting in the lobby of my high school, I saw this gorgeous Xterra pull up.  It was the most perfect color and it was the newer model!  I immediately called mama.   "Oh my gosh, Mom.  There is an Xterra in the car line at the high school that is the exact car I want.  It's this dark beige color.  Where are you?  Are you close so you can see it?"

Without another word spoken on the phone, the window of that Xterra rolled down & there sat my parents just waving like crazy!!  I freaked out.  I ran a dead sprint to the car screaming & clapping my hands.  I was on cloud nine.

I jumped in the back seat & just ohhed & ahhed over everything.  They pulled over at the local grocery store so I could drive it home and we stopped at Wendy's on my way home so I could show my best friend.  I was freaking out, y'all.  I got my dream car. 

When we got home, I pretty much had a photo shoot with the car.

*cue embarrassing but hilarious pictures*

 

 

My parents got me my dream car for my first car. (I am the luckiest girl in the world to have the parents that I do)  The day I got my car, I named it.  With a slight obsession with Superman at the time, I dubbed my Xterra, "Clark".  Clark has been his name from the get go.  I love Clark, like love love y'all. 

I write all this to say, that my Clark has had some trouble with his transmission.  Sam & I had already been talking about trading one of our SUVs in, so we could save on gas... and we chose Clark because we thought we could get more money out of him.  This week has been a "growing up fast" week for Sam & I.  We have learned more about insurance, loans, car payments, and budgeting than we ever have.  We are buying a new car today & saying good riddance to Clark.  I don't wanna give up Clark, I really don't.  But this new car is a smart decision and signifies an exciting new chapter of my life, my life with Sam. 

More details to come, once we have the keys in our hands and the wind in our hair! 

We will seek Him & LIVE!

I always thought being engaged would feel just like dating... um, dead wrong.  Over the past 3 months I have grown & matured, Sam has grown & matured, we have grown and matured as a couple.  We are not on a wedding-high, where everything is blissfully perfect.  Um, no.  This is such a sweet season, but it can get stressful as it is woven in with the season of ending the college chapter of my life & in with the season of figuring out what life looks like postgrad.  The growing up - oh let's start a life together- let's share our money - where are we gonna live - whats our next career moves - learning how to be a spouse rather than a boy/girlfriend- stuff is stressful at times but it is so much fun!!  My heart has been twisted, turned, and stretched in ways I have never experienced over the past three months & I am so excited to feel my heart experience new things.  Sam & I are leaning FULLY on the Lord and trusting that He is doing big things in our hearts to prepare us for this life as one flesh. 

Sam & I are currently out of limbo.  For a couple of months we had no clue what life looked like after May 25th.  We didn't know what city we were gonna live in, we didn't know what he was going to do job wise, we didn't know if graduate school was going to work out for me & if so, where?  We were in serious limbo & it was weighing heavily on both of our hearts.  However, the Lord is good.. just so good.  No, it is not the plan we had for ourselves, it is slightly different.  But we love the new plan. 

"This is what the Lord said to the house of Israel:  SEEK HIM & LIVE!"

Amos 5:4

In lighter news, Sam & I have booked the honeymoon.  The Scott newlyweds will be spending their week together in the Dominican Republic!  I am so excited & already trying to plan out my outfits!  Sam & I are also taking a financial class to help up budget our money as we are still just two kids in love with different views of the value of a dollar.  We have found the outfits for our wedding party, finally.  We are currently working on designing our invitations with my sister & her talented boyfriend.  Spring break is next week for NCSU, so my mama & I will be working of flowers and decorations.  

85 days to go, people.  85 sweet days to go.

The Hitchin' Post - Registering

Colby & I had our first registering experience this past weekend.  We grabbed a last minute supper with his family beforehand so we ended up rolling into Bed, Bath & Beyond an hour before it closed.  The consultant was helpful & informative.  He told us to take each room at a time, so with about 30 minutes to spare, Colby & I went to the kitchen area.

We had no idea what we were doing.   This was part of the conversation::

Courtney - "Ohh! I like these, Colby."

[SCAN]

Colby - "Nah, these over here look good.  But whatever you want, you'll be using them the most. :)"

Courtney - "Nevermind, I like those pretty good actually."

[SCAN]

Colby - "Babe, look at these over here."

Courtney - "Ahh, I like those too!"

[SCAN]

With at least 3 different sets of cookware.. we decided we needed to do some research and then delete all the sets that we didn't want from the registry online.  As we continued to go through kitchen basics, such as knives and coffee makers, I felt like such a snob.  I kept telling Colby to scan the cheaper items because I didn't want our friends and family to pay for the price of the things that we really wanted.  Colby kept assuring me that this is our only time ever to register, to ask for the things we really want.  He told me that some of friends and family will not want to spend that kind of money on a coffee maker or a pairing knife, which we totally get, but some of them will see this as an opportunity to serve us in this marriage.

Regardless of what our family & friends buy.. whether it be that precious cow creamer pourer thing or that red dutch oven... they are making an investment in our future & therefore we are thankful.

We are planning to finish up our registering adventures this weekend.  We'll finish up at BB&B, head over to Pottery Barn and maybe one other place... suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

I never thought registering would be a tricky thing for my heart, but it is.  It plays on the fine line of greed & humility.  Registering helps me see my greed & selfishness of wanting more, wanting the best.  With that little scanner so readily available, it is easy to look past of the basic & necessities. Registering is humbling experience in that we we don't have all these material things to be content.  We have Jesus.  My favorite scripture is Psalm 55:22 -- "Cast your cares on the Lord and he will SUSTAIN you..." SUSTAIN - He will meet requirements necessary for living, we need nothing else.  That's amazing to me.  So when Colby & I register, we hope that if we are gifted with these material gifts that we will in return serve the Lord & serve our neighbors with those gifts. 

The Hitchin' Post - Wedding Dress

Let's kick off this series y'all with a story about a little white dress.  Okay, so going into this process I knew I wanted one thing, lace.  I was WIDE open about trying any dress on that any consultant or my mama & sister pulled.  There have been several occasions where Ashley or Mama have made me try on a dress, shirt, pants, what have you, that I absolutely hated & then leaving the store with them because I couldn't do without 'em!  So again, I was wide open.  

One Sunday night, Mama, Ashley & I were running errands in Winston & we thought we could tackle our first round of trying on dresses.  (During my Christmas break I wanted to knock out A TON of the bigger things for the wedding, but the wedding dress was the top priority for checking off).  We went into David's Bridal & was greeted with plenty of loud, cheesy congratulations.  They were so sweet & we jumped right into it.  I met with my consultant, who I still don't know her name... Im thinking her name was Ashley, but Mama & I thought she looked like Kate Winslet, so we kept referring to her as Kate.  I told Kate a couple style options and she brought me three dresses.

Side note:  Plenty of former brides kept telling me.  "You'll know it when you put it on"  "You will have no doubts"  "There's only THE one"  "Courtney, seriously, you'll know first thing"

I'm just going to say that I don't totally agree with that.  Every. Single. Dress I tried on was beautiful & there were several that I absolutely LOVED.  What it came down to.. what am I most comfortable in? what did I want the whole day to look like?  now did this dress match that?  could I get my groove thing on in this dress? would I feel beautiful in this dress even if my hair & make up looked like crap?  I tried on plenty of dramatic dresses, that were seriously gorgeous, but they really did not match the theme or look of the day I was going for.  If I was going for a more extravagant wedding, I wouldn't have picked the dress I did.  Simple, southern charm is what I was going for.. & that is exactly what I got.

Okay, so we try on about 8-10 dresses at David's.. including the one.  The next day, Mama & I tried two other places in Burlington & Greenboro.  Long story short - it just was not the greatest experience, so let's move on.

 

Later that week or maybe that next weekend... my days are running together... Mom & I went to another place in Lexington & I found two dresses I really loved.  Also, this place was on Courtney Street, so naturally I thought "Yep, it's gonna be here".  On the way home from Lexington, Mom & I were chatting about the two dresses & I pretty much decided I wanted one of those two.  I guess Mom saw me still debating my decision & mentioned that we should try David's one more time to at least rule out all of those first dresses we tried on.  I was exhausted already but I knew she was right.  So once we got to David's, they pulled the three dresses I asked to keep in my "wishlist" & I tried them all on again.  I tried on the one last.  I was exhausted & I was like "Mom, do I even like this dress?  Is it too much this?  Does it not enough that?  Blah Blah Blah".  Mom told me that I was too tired to be trying on dresses and making this kind of decision without my full force energy.  I rebutted with "Nope.  I don't think so, I don't think I want this dress.  Ma'am, do you mind putting this dress back on the racks & off my wishlist?  I don't think that is the one".  Mom immediately told the consultant to keep everything on the wishlist & that we would come back tomorrow, after a full night's rest & full pot of coffee.

Praise the Lord for giving me a mama that knows when to say "that's enough" when I can't.

Praise Him for giving me a mama that knows me better than I know my self some days. 
  
The next day Mom, Ashley & Colby's mom, Sandra went with me to try my 4 favorite dresses one last time before I made my decision.  The first one I tried on was the one.  I had a completely different perspective than I did 20 hours before.   I felt at ease.  I looked and felt incredibly comfortable.  I even brought my shoes I was planning to wear to get a feel for the whole look I was going for.  I loved it.  I tried on all three other dresses from both David's & the small place in Lexington & decided I was going to sleep on it one last time.  

As I was laying in bed that night, looking through the pictures on my phone of the dresses I had tried on that day...  I looked at my facial expressions.  I saw that I looked most excited & thoroughly happy in the one.  

Made my decision.  Tried it on one more time for good measure.  Rang the wedding bell at David's.  They clapped.  I smiled.  Ordered it.  Picked it up.  Now it is eagerly waiting for a couple of minor alterations in my Mama's closet.

I am so so happy with my decision.  I cannot wait to wear it.  I cannot wait to show Sam.  

Yay for love
& gorgeous white dresses.

The one season to document.

Alright.  I have had this blog for about three & half years.  I have been great keeping up with it until my senior year of college came.  & since December 1st (the biggest day of my life)... I have blogged TWICE!  That is ridiculous because right now is the sweetest point in my life so far.  This part, right here, right now is what I want to capture more than any other.  Although my plate is completely full, I want to do this.  This is not a chore.  It is a creative outlet & an opportunity to embrace this rich & joyful season I have right now.

With all of that being said.  I plan on blogging weekly.  Not just about wedding stuff & future stuff, but college stuff too.  Seriously, I almost cry every Tuesday & Thursday morning on my way to class.  It is beautiful view of the NCSU campus & it is a scary reminder of how fast these next four months are gonna go.  Four more months in this exciting & lovely city, living with 3 of my best friends.   So I gotta embrace each day.  Each second.  Each coffee date.  Each grueling test.  All of it.  Hold me accountable... please?

For all things wedding - I am starting a series that will continue past the actual wedding day because I want to document this whole process: from dress to details, wedding party to venue, music to flowers.  Also, I see so much perk in this because I can use pictures from the wedding!  I am kicking off my wedding series tomorrow afternoon with the story of how I bought my dress.  Of course, I will not tell you about the details of the actual dress but the story behind how this dress is now hanging up in my house right now is pretty crazy (praise you Mama).  

For now,  the best entertainment I can give you is pictures of our more southern engagement session with my sister back at home (click here & here to see our RDU shoot with Jenny Lynn).  This pictures are real sweet as they were shot in our home town, some on Colby's dad's hunting land & some with my grandpa's army Jeep.