I love me some Kennett, MO!

I've never blogged about my amazing hometown, but most of you know how much I love it. It's a tiny little place with not a whole lot to offer in terms of things to do, but I wouldn't trade my childhood here for anything. We have two types of food in Kennett: BB-Q and Mexican. Anything other than that, we head to Jonesboro or Memphis for! But, Kennett BB-Q cannot be beaten.... You Memphricans and Kansas City folks can talk all the smack you want, but just come on down to Kennett and you'll see for yourself! There's also something in the water in Kennett; we are the hometown of Sheryl Crow, David Nail, and Trent Tomlinson. That's right, THREE huge names in music!
So last Tuesday night, Sally and I attended the Trent Tomlinson benefit concert for the Delta Children's Home. Trent and Tracy Lawrence put on a fabulous concert at the Opera House (where my reception is going to be), and they had such a great turnout! Not only was it alot of fun, but the support of this town just amazes me.
Needless to say, I'm loving spending these last few weeks of my single life in Kennett. It's great to spend time with my family and friends, sleep in my "purple room", and enjoy wedding planning!
As far as the wedding goes, we had a WONDERFUL engagement party in Kennett last weekend. There was such a wonderful turnout and the party was a huge success! Instead of gifts, we sent out recipe cards with the invitations and asked each couple to write down their favorite recipe for me to add to my recipe box. I had so much fun reading through the recipes, and will have even more fun making them all in a few weeks!
This weekend is our Bachelor/Bachelorette Party!!!! YEY YEY YEY! Alex and about 16 other boys are going to Vegas, and 15 girls and I are spending the weekend in Memphis! We are so excited! My original plan was to go to Nashville, but the flooding forced us to switch to Memphis! But you know, it's not the place that matters, it's the friends that you're with!
Well, Happy Monday everyone! Have a great week!

--KP

Sweet Summertime!

Ahhh. Summertime. I remember the days when summer consisted of sleeping in, laying out, lifeguarding, the ballpark, and late nights spent with great friends. It's not that I don't enjoy those things now, it's just they are now very rare occasions. Just another part of growing up, I guess. I am now 5 days into summer and the latest I have slept is 8:30, I have worked on our house every single day, I have worked at Carpet Tech each afternoon, and I have yet to sit by a swimming pool. Busy busy!
So Saturday was a big day for me: I graduated college, gave my last hog call as a student, spent the last night in my house, and said goodbye to many great, unforgettable friends. It was a bittersweet, long-awaited, relieving day!

Alex and I before my graduation

(Please refrain from looking at my hair. I am aware that it is insanely long and am getting it taken care of tomorrow!)

I moved the majority of my things to Memphis, and only enough clothes to last the next 5 1/2 weeks to Kennett. What a hassle to separate everything! I am currently in Memphis working on getting our house in order, exchanging wedding gifts, etc.

Alex and I have our final engagement party/ shower on Saturday! Fun times! We have enjoyed our parties so much and know this one will be just as fabulous!

Happy "day before Friday"!!!! :)

Love, KP

5 more days.....

So, I have only 5 days left in the wonderful town of Fayetteville. Sad. That's the only word I know to use to describe the way I'm feeling right now. Don't get me wrong, Memphis is great and I can't wait to start the next chapter of my life (especially with my fabulous fiance, Alex), but I have a strong attachment with Fay, and I honestly did not see myself leaving here after only 4 years. As my current favorite band, Lady Antebellum, says "She couldn't wait to get going, but wasn't quite ready to leave." Couldn't have said it better myself, Lady A.

So I sat in my living room floor and had a little emotional session today. That's right. Just me, my purple sleeping bag, and a Kleenex. After about 5 minutes, I was fine. But I needed those 5 minutes. I had just watched all of my furniture and the majority of my belongings be packed in the back of a big yellow moving truck. You know, the big yellow kind? Ugh. And it's not that I'm sad to be moving on. Believe me, I cannot WAIT to start living the married life with Al. But it's just sickening to see your first house so... empty.

Annnnnyway, that's enough of the sob story! On a MUCH happier note, that dreaded 15-30 page Senior page is finished! And when I say finished, I really mean I have to proofread it, but I'm finished writing and researching. The hard part is behind me. No more learning about imaginary friends (thank goodness, because I was beginning to create one for myself with so much researching about it!). I feel on top of the mountain for defeating that paper.

As for our new house, the granite is installed! I have yet to see the finished product, as I am stuck taking finals this last week, but I'm going nuts just thinking about how awesome it probably looks!

For the wedding.... Not much new going on. Getting response cards is great (keep up the good work, folks!), and looking forward to our engagement party in a couple of weeks. Other than that, we are pretty much finished!

Alex and Carpet Tech, Inc. are opening up a new location in Jackson, MS tomorrow morning at 8:00 AM. Being the wonderful fiance that he is, he drove the big moving truck in the monsoon on Friday to come pick up my furniture (took him 7 hours to make the trip due to the storms), drove the truck back to Memphis this morning and unloaded it, and is leaving for Jackson at 5:00 in the morning to get to Jackson for the opening. How exciting, but how exhausting! I am so excited for them and hope the expansion is well worth all the hard work Alex and the boys have put into it! Good luck, Carpet Tech!

I am doing my best to eat at all of my favorite restaurants this week before Sunday when I leave. Dumb and fattening, I know, but it's just something I need to do for myself. I am a very sentimental person and it makes to cope with the move better, so just let me be, okay!? :) So far, I have checked off: U.S Pizza, Orange Mango, Brenda's Bigger Burger, Mexico Viejo, Common Grounds, Noodles, and Pesto Cafe. Clearly we ate ALOT this weekend!

Well, I hope everyone has a fabulous week and survives finals! Love!

A Tribute to Fayetteville

In honor/memory of my upcoming move to Memphis, I want to dedicate this post to all of my favorites things about Fayetteville that will be greatly missed. I have been moving things and packing like crazy since May 8th is right around the corner, but I am also embracing every minute spent with my best friends here, as well as eat just one last time at all my favorite restaraunts!
This list is in no particular order!

1. U.S. Pizza (Hands down, my favorite. Oh Lord, give me the strength to leave this love of mine behind. Gracie's Creamy Italian Chicken is going to be greatly, and I do mean greatly missed. Football weekends will ALWAYS consist of a visit to U.S. Pizza!)
2. Powerhouse (Love ya, Shrimp Scampi Pasta. And Party on the Patio. And Kilowatts.)
3. Razorback Sporting Events (Ask Alex, I'm a fanatic. Watching on TV simply is just not good enough!)
4. Orange Mango (My new favorite dessert/snack place. I can't choose my favorite flavor because they are all just that stinkin' good!)
5. Wilson Park (What a wonderful little escape from my crazy schedule!)
6. Theo's (YUM. That's all.)
7. Mexico Viejo (Someone please do me a favor and order Chicken, Cheese and Rice. They now refer to it as "the student special" because I have talked so many people into ordering it. Ya know, I just had to bring a little piece of Kennett with me to college, and it just stuck! Also, frozen peach margaritas on Monday and Thursday nights for $1.99. Yes, please.)
8. Willy D's Piano Bar (You will be missed, but visited frequently on game weekends!)
9. Private Gallery
10. So Inviting (I could spend hours in here. Such neat gifts!)
11. Brenda's Bigger Burger (If you have not been, you are missing out. I am not lying when I say this is the ONLY place besides Red Robin that I will eat a hamburger. They are that good.)
12. Rick's Bakery (Please do not get me started on those sugar cookies)
13. Lenny's Sub Shop (Uhhh..... thank goodness Memphis has several of you! I couldn't live without my Lenny's!)
14. Fiesta Square Movie Theater (Oh so many nights of $4 movies. Not the most comfortable seats, but it's FOUR DOLLARS.)
15. Lights on the Square (I love Christmas time!!! Beautiful!)
16. Walmart Stockholders Convention (The highlight of my last 3 summers have been the free Walmart concerts- Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Taylor Swift, Sugarland, Brad Paisley, Journey, Lifehouse)
17. Slim Chickens (Oh. My. Gosh. it's just that good.)
18. Noodles (I'm not a huge pasta person, but that Spinach Artichoke Pasta rocks my socks off.)
19. Maple Street (Absolutely gorgeous)
20. Old Main being lit up at Christmas time
21. Carnall Hall (Please have Mr. Ryan Polite make you his famous Apple Martini. And go ahead and order the chocolate mousse as well.)
22. My first house (I miss you already, 3502.)
23. Pregame and Halftime of every football game (Now this is an emotional topic)
24. Grub's
25. The Wine Cellar
26. Doe's Eat Place (Those biscuits are to die for)
27. Driving down 5-40 in the fall
28. Wasabi (Ohhhh you have been wonderful to me!)
29. Common Grounds (Honey Almond Stuffed French Toast. Yes, Please.)
30. All of the wonderful memories I have made over the last 4 years. Above all, those memories are what I cherish most. I cannot believe it is over, and I certainly never dreamed I would be this sad and torn up about it being over!

Now, I know Memphis has some great places too, but it has some big shoes to fill! Fayetteville, you've been a great second home!

Blessed!

Alex and I had our His and Hers Couple's Shower in Memphis this past weekend. It was amazing. I cannot begin to express how blessed we both are to be surrounded by so many wonderful people. The closer we get to the wedding day, the more and more I am blown away by our family and friends' generosity. Blessed. That's the only word to describe how I'm feeling.
We had several members of our wedding party able to attend the shower and stay the night with us at Alex's parents' home, so we had alot of fun hanging out with each other. My entire family was also able to come up for the shower, and it's always wonderful to see them! We literally could not have asked for better weather.... perfect temperature, no rain, a slight breeze, and beautiful stars!

{Our wonderful friends... what would we do without you guys?}

Also this week, I am working my booty off on thank-you notes. I am very OCD when it comes to thank you notes. Everyone who gets us a gift, no matter how many times you tell me not to write you one, you will get a thank you! It's the least I can do! I am also very OCD about making sure the thank you's are written in a timely manner, which I why I only lack about 5 more from having them all complete! I know the hostesses thought I was crazy when I wouldn't let the men start loading the gifts until I had personally taped each gift tag onto the proper gift... I know it sounds crazy, but I like to make sure that I know exactly who got us what gift!

{My wonderful parents. I couldn't ask for two greater people.}

The wedding program is now complete and ready to be printed, the bridesmaids' luncheon invitation is complete and ready to be printed, and the rehearsal dinner invitations are in and look awesome! WHEW... it tires me to even think about how much we have left to do in less than two months! My mom and I have gotten the ceremony events completely nailed down, and I think it's going to be awesome (If I do say so myself!)!!! Traditional with my own little spin on some things.

Well, that's all I know for now!

Oh wait, for those who know how sick of school I am, I am finished in 16 days and graduate in 18 days! I think I can manage that!

What a Week!

Okay, this week is a super busy one for me. Good thing I had a great weekend and have a great weekend ahead to keep me going! :)
Alex, Burg, and Brandon came to Fayetteville this past weekend, for only the SECOND time all semester! How ridiculous is that? And we only have 3 more weekends left in Fayetteville, which is a completely different topic that tends to end with a few tears in my eyes! Anyway, we had a wonderful, semi-relaxing weekend consisting of eating at Powerhouse (My personal favorite), Brenda's Bigger Burger (Ummm.... YUM!!!), and taking them to my new favorite dessert place, Oranage Mango. If you have not been there-GO, right now, I'm not kidding. It's so delicious. Since I'm trying really hard not to eat the usual desserts on a regular basis, this only has about 75 calories per serving!
We also went to the Three 6 Mafia Concert (not my favorite, but it was fun!) and to Mark and Hannah's engagement party (so much fun!). And of course, we ended Saturday night with dessert and drinks at Carnall Hall. Although our favorite bartender, Ryan, wasn't working, we had a wonderful time. It's so quiet and relaxing there... I love it!
But then Sunday rolled around and I had to buckle down and work. I had a final paper due on Tuesday, a rough draft to my senior thesis due this morning (Wed.), and a group project due tomorrow. Busy busy busy. And sleep deprived.
I'm also going to Memphis this weekend and I think alot of our friends that I haven't seen in a while are going to be there! So I'm excited.
Well, I hope everyone has a great Hump Day, and I'll try to do the same!

Spring Fever

I hope everyone had a fabulous Easter weekend! I certainly did, although it was very very busy. Alex's sister, Maddie, and I left Fayetteville on Thursday afternoon and headed to Memphis. On Friday, I went to our house and painted door frames and baseboards ALL day while Alex was at work. He brought me lunch and then came back and helped after work. He's the greatest! On Saturday, my parents came up to Memphis and helped us paint, clean, put up new ceiling fans, etc. Between them, me, Alex, Mrs. Sherri, Clint, and Beka, we got SOOOOO much accomplished! It actually looks like a house now instead of a war zone! (Special thanks to all of our wonderful family and friends for helping!). The best part is: OUR CABINETS ARE FINISHED!

Aren't they beautiful!?

They look fantastic. And so do the tile floors. We are now waiting on appliances, which are being installed on Thursday, and the granite, which has a couple more weeks. I'm so excited!

On Sunday I spent Easter with the Griffith's. We went to church, then went home for lunch with the Crawford family. So much fun! I loved my Easter basket from my in-laws... so greatly appreciated! :) Then, Maddie and I had to head back to Fayetteville. That's always the worst part of the weekend: leaving to go back to school. But, only FOUR more weeks! And Alex is coming here this weekend, so I don't have to drive this time!

Although school is winding down in terms of time, it is unfortunately a whirlwind as far as amount of work I have left to do. Why do professors think that the end of the semester is the best time for term papers, projects, etc. on top of finals!? Not cool, but I will get it finished!

Well, I hope everyone has an amazing week. Tomorrow night I am going to see Dierks Bentley, so you know I'm pumped. Happy Tuesday!