today is my blogiversary!!!

For some reason, I thought my "blogiversary" was in August.

Alas! I was wrong... it's TODAY! On September 7, 2011, at my desk as an intern, I wrote my first post.

When I started this blogging journey, I had no idea I would keep it up. I had no idea I'd ever have someone design my blog, make me a button, or that I would make friends online that I would call friends in real life. I never thought I'd host a giveaway, win a giveaway, or meet the person who inspired me to start blogging in the first place, {av}.

This "thing" that is the blogging community is amazing.

Today I celebrate the second year of this little blog of mine that began as "From Carolina Cotton to Illinois Corn" and turned into "Laws in the Lowcountry." I never thought I'd move home to Carolina so quickly, and I didn't know two years ago when I would become Mrs. Law. Life happens to quickly.

Thank you to all of you who have stuck by me, read my blog, commented on it, emailed me, followed me on social media, met me in real life, and encouraged me to keep posting. I am truly thankful and really appreciate you coming back everyday.

Some of my favorite posts from the past two years:

Post #1: Off we go!

Wreath Overboard

It's Official! Long Distance No More!

All I Want for Christmas is Lily 

Homemade Reeses

Home Sweet Main Street

10k Success (my first race!!)

Weekend Project: Refinished Table and Chairs

Weekends + Chair Fabric

WE'RE ENGAGED!

Will you be my bridesmaid?

Engagement picture sneak peak

Rhode Island Wedding

Come Tour Our Home

Exploring Beaufort

My Bachelorette Weekend

Today is Wedding Day

The Hair Emergency - this one may be my all-time favorite

5 Things you should know before you honeymoon

Pancreatic Poochie

Meeting {av}

Giving

Thanks for reading, friends! Love you all!

you asked, i answered! q +a part one

Good morning! I finally compiled my answers to your questions from, uh, about a month ago. I'm telling you, this being busy thing and computer problems are really getting in the way of blogging lately.

I've broken the questions up into wedding/relationship related and then other questions that I was asked. 

I'll start with the random questions!

What makes someone a good blog read to you?

This answer is going to be a book!

1.The first thing I look for in a blog is a connection. Does this person live a similar life like I do? Where do they live? I’m ultimately connected to southern bloggers, especially SC, for obvious reasons! And when I lived in Illinois, I searched high and low for Midwestern blogs to try to get to learn about that part of the country! I’m more into newlywed blogs than “mom blogs,” only because the thought of children for us right now freaks me out. I’m SO thankful no one asked me any questions about kids! I digress.

2. I also look for blogs that have authors that actually comment back when I leave comments on my blog to get to know me back. I have formed a lot of friendships that way and it really makes a difference when someone takes the time to comment back to you saying they agree/disagree in your comment, or even just say thanks for stopping by. I’ve also emailed “big bloggers” before, and to even have them email me back means a lot! When I first started dating Tyler I emailed {av} at Long Distance Loving and she thanked me for reaching out to her and we chatted about long distance. I’d never thought I would meet her almost 2 years later in person in my town!

3. Another thing I look for in blogs is for content. I will immediately stop reading if someone’s blog is clogged with sponsorship posts (obviously trying to make money) or products that the blogger obviously doesn’t use or believe in. I just like real-life, fun, upbeat blogs that I can relate with. Giveaways are great every now and then of course! But 2-3 sponsored posts (I’m talking feminine products and baby supplies for the non-moms) a week are a little much. And there’s nothing wrong with unfollowing a blog for a little while! There are so many out there.  Just don’t make a big deal of it if someone unfollows your blog.

4. Another blog turn-off that kind of goes off of the last bullet is blog/social media drama. You better believe I will not read your blog anymore if you are constantly causing drama on social media for whatever reason that may be! It is silly and childish and I don’t enjoy reading those kinds of blogs or follow people like that on social media. If you don’t agree with someone’s political comment on Twitter, don’t respond negatively back… Just don’t respond! This happened once and I have frowned upon this person ever since! I totally understand people not agreeing on everything, but there’s no need for negativity and unpleasantness in the blog world.

Tell us about your perfect day if you could be doing anything in the world.

I’m going to combine this question with “what’s the best way to spend a weekend” question. One of my all-time favorite things to do is be out on the water. If I could be doing anything, I would pack up my best friends and their guys (boyfriends, fiancés, husbands- whoever) on a few boats and cruise around for a while with some coolers of beer and good music! That is normally what Tyler and I do together on the weekends anyways. To end the day, grilling out after a long day on the boat would be perfect! Now, if only we could find a weekend to actually do this!!

What were you like in high school?

I’d love for my high school friends to answer this, but I’ll do it as best I can. I did ask my friend Caroline and her response was “awkward.” Well, thanks for that.

In high school I was involved in everything. I’m talking e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g! I went to a small private school from kindergarten to senior year, which allowed me to really get involved in a lot! Let me just roll off my high school “resume” for you to understand…. Student Council (9-12), National Honor Society (9-12), Graduation Marshall (11), Basketball and volleyball (9-12), Cheerleading (9- hahaha what a joke!), Yearbook Editor (12), Junior Class President (11), FCA (9-12), Youth Group (9-12), Palmetto Girls State (11-12- I was a counselor too), Leadership camps every summer, sports camps every summer, etc! I also babysat and was a lifeguard at my country club. I was always super busy.  I was voted “Most Talented” as my senior superlative, even though my class and I never figured out what my talent was? I took voice lessons and played piano until 9^th grade when I got more involved with sports, so I think they thought that was my talent… years prior? Who knows.

I was pretty much a teacher’s pet and always tried to please them, whoops. OK, I guess I was contentious and really hard working and wanted to make good grades which I did, but I had a HORRIBLE SAT score. As in, I took it 5 times and never broke 1000. Judge me. But I did get into every college that I applied to and graduated with a 3.8/4.0 GPA and graduated 4^th in my class (of 37 people). So take that SAT score.  I only had a boyfriend my senior year, well except for one guy who I dated for 10 days and who brought me a cake that said “I love you” when I was sick and in the hospital. So that didn’t go very far obviously because that freaked me out. I hung out with people in my class and the class above me (because my cousin was older than me and my best friend Rebecca is older than me too), so I’d say I was pretty social. We had parties on sandbars on the river and/or our friend Matthew’s pond. Oh and I’d go to South Carolina football games and drink screwdrivers. BUT I never missed curfew and only got grounded once (stupid reason) and truly yelled at once by my dad… on the first day of my senior year… I wore Abercrombie and American Eagle and Express- because they were cool and I had to wear them.  My high school car was a 1992 Honda Accord that was bright green until I got a 2001 Pathfinder when I was a senior. So, I’d say I was pretty cool as you could get in high school, only after I got rid of my braces in 10^th grade right before our high school sorority’s formal.

I’m pretty sure I just went above and beyond on that answer, but it’s fun to reminisce and make fun of yourself every now and then!

I'll have part two and three soon. In the mean time, feel free to ask me more!

Thoughts

Lately I've been so busy, blogging has been on the back burner. There are lots of crazy things going on in this world of mine, and some things aren't meant for the blogosphere. I may take a little blogging hiatus while I try to juggle work, wedding planning, getting Tyler's new house straight, and trying to plan for upcoming weekends away.

I'm afraid I'm getting a little burned out, and I just need some "me" time. What do you do personally when you need to take a break from life? Unfortunately, I don't have any extra vacation days where I can go have a spa day, but I am thinking about doing something like that next weekend while Ty is away at his brother's bachelor party.

I have an issue with wanting everything to happen LIKE I want it to happen, WHEN I want it to happen and HOW I want it to happen. I'm impatient; I hate waiting; I like immediate feedback.

{via}

Sorry for the boring post, but sometimes life just gets in the way. I need to remember I'm heathly, blessed, and happy, and need to just chill when it comes to making decisions, even the petty little wedding details. I also need to be more patient with others. I have to remember my personality isn't the same as everyone else's. We're all different and our quirks make us different!

{via}

Ok, that's all I have to say for now. Sometimes you just have to get out what's on your mind, and that is why I have this blog! Have a great Tuesday!

Ta ta,

The 411 About Moi!

I am linking up with Becky from From Mrs. to Mama for this fun get to know me linkup!! Join in!

1. How long have you been blogging? And what got you started on blogging? Has your blog changed?

I started blogging in August of 2011. I started thinking about it last June as a way to document life post-college. I ended up blogging about mine and Tyler's long distance relationship and then in November it all changed when I moved to Illinois. Now my blog is to have a journal of my life out here as well as to have a way to display it to my family and friends at home. I have also made a bunch of blog friends that I had no idea I would meet!

2. Did you go to college? If so where, and what did you study?

I went to Wofford College in Spartanburg, SC-- Go Terriers!

I was also an Environmental Studies major.

3. Where have you traveled?

I've been to Mexico, the Cayman Islands, Greece, and a few fun places in the US!

Cayman Islands with Caroline -- senior class trip

Cozumel, Mexico-- senior class trip

Olympia, Greece-- hope of the 1st Olympics!

This is Olympia, too! She is a Greek ZTA sister of mine-- at  the Parthenon!

4. If you won the lottery, what would be the first thing you would buy?

Hmm this is a tough one-- I'd pay for the wedding OR get a new car OR buy a U-Haul to move back to SC! :)

5. What are your 3 biggest pet peeves?

- Crunching ice. Don't do it around me. I can't handle it!

- Bad grammar-- For example, ME and Tyler. No its Tyler and Me. Or Here's a picture of Tyler and I. Well would you say here's a picture of I? Ok I'm done with that one!

- Smacking food! Yuck!!!

6. What is your favorite movie?

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days is my all-time favorite!

7. What is your drink of choice; wine, beer, or liquor. Or Water, Soda, Tea?

My moods change. In the summer I like beer because it's hot and beer is fun out on the water. To be classy, wine, duh, and then sometimes I just want a fun margarita! And I love a good Diet Coke!

8. What is something you enjoy to do when you have me time?

In high school I used to scrapbook, but I just don't have the time or patience anymore to do that. Now, running errands by myself is nice OR just running period!

9. If you could have a $10,000 shopping spree to one store, which store would it be?

TARGET!! I could get everything I ever need there!

10. Share with us an embarrassing moment of your past? Or present.

In 7th grade I was singing for our high school beauty pageant (which I wasn't in, I was only the "entertainment") and first, the pianist played the music and octive higher than it was supposed to be. If you know anything about music, you know this is bad! THEN I tripped over a cord and fell on my face right before I started singing and realized her music was off. It was terrible. I didn't want to go to school the next day.

11. What day would you love to relive again?

June 29, 2012- our engagement day. I wish I had a videotape of my reaction + remember what I said and what Tyler said!

12. If your life was turned into a movie... what actor would play you?

I feel like Anne Hathoway would be good. She's kinda awkward and quirky and so am I!

13. What are the jobs you had in high school/college/the early years?

I was a lifeguard for about 5 years in high school with some babysitting mixed in. I also manned our local ballfield's concession stand for $20 a night. What an easy job!

In college I had 2 internships and I was a camp counselor one summer.

Cara (my sweet Nashville friend who got married earlier this summer) and Kendall, my long-time best friend! They were my saving grace all summer. Plus, I look better as a brunette.

When Cara and I were co-counselors, we were mom's to these rascals!

14. Show us a picture from high school or college.

Oh man, these are some of my favorites from college:

Freshman year Boy's Bid Day with my roomie Kensley

 Famous Couples function-- Detective Benson + Sandy from Greece

Come as your not funciton -- Nerd and Catholic School Girl

Throwdown from your hometown- peanut farm and Bailey from Spartan High

Spring  Break sophomore year-- tacky beach party

Girls Bid Day- soph year

Semiformal junior year

 90s party- KD crush party

Boys Bid Day senior year

15. If you could travel anywhere in the world, all expenses paid, where would you go?

Um somewhere really tropical or Australia!

16. Show us the most current picture of you or you, or your family, or anything of meaning to you.

Duh! Had to use this one!

17. Where do you see your life 5 years from now?

MARRIED, back home in SC-- that's all I am hoping for right now!

Hope you enjoyed my blast from the past!

Ta ta,