Wedding Weekend!

This past weekend Dustin and I traveled back to Eastern North Carolina for a backyard wedding! The wedding was beautiful, with the sun shining all day and a blazing heat of almost 100 degrees!! Regardless of the heat, the wedding was perfect.

The bride was Dustin's cousin who planned the whole event in about 4 weeks! The wedding was held in Dustin's parents backyard. They rented a beautiful white tent for the reception area and set up an alter with white columns and ferns for the ceremony. This wedding really got me thinking about how easy it is to save money on a wedding with just a little creativity and getting a few family members involved.

The bride and groom took advantage of their Aunt's beautiful large backyard. Holding the wedding and reception in the backyard cost zero dollars out of pocket for them!!! The wedding guest list was about 75 when it came down to the day. This is a perfect number for this type of venue. They also had family helping out with things here and there all day. The wedding coordinator was a very good friend of Dustin's mom. She did a wonderful job keeping the wedding party organized and on cue! The caterer was a friend of one of the groom's family members. They were just starting their event planning and catering business and really used the opportunity to impress and created a great initial name for themselves. And the food was amazing! Dustin and I shared the duties of wedding photographer. The bride and groom already own a very nice camera and just needed someone to take the photos. We took our job seriously and knew they wanted the pictures to tell the story of their day. Although I did catch myself taking the camera away from Dustin because he just didn't "get" what I told him to shoot (Sorry babe :)). The decorations were placed by the whole family prior to the wedding. Everyone joined forces the morning of the wedding to get everything placed perfectly. All of theses services that cost a lot of money in the wedding world, cost the bride and groom nothing! If you are getting married and have a great support system as they did, use it to your advantage! You'd be surprised who can help out with all the details on your wedding day. Family and friends always want to be involved with the planning and will make sure your day is perfect, unlike some strangers who you may hire!

A lot of brides get so caught up in the shiny and flashiness of wedding venues and decorations that are way over priced. At the end of the day you have to remember, it's the bride and groom together forever. The wedding day comes to an end and that's when the real world begins. I think so many couples get so consumed with planning, that they forget marriage is about the commitment to one another that you are making. It's not about what the font on the invitations will be or how many flowers go into each bouquet. I know how easily this happens....I was one of those brides. Dustin and I forgot about one another during our planning and were so focused on the day that we didn't talk about what came after that day and what really went into spending the rest of our lives together. Luckily, we were able to work it all out, step back from reality and come to the realization that our love is the reason why we can't stand not to spend our lives with one another. This was our turning point in realizing we didn't need the showy wedding to prove our commitment to one another....we only need us. That was our reasoning for going to Las Vegas without telling anyone. I'm not saying everyone should do this by any means. Just remember when planning your day, don't forget about one another and that you're not just marry him or her for that special day without thinking about your future together.

Whatever your reasoning for marrying your love, make sure you do it for the commitment. Choose to marry your partner because you want to spend the rest of your life with your best friend and because it's them you want to walk down the beach holding hands with when you are old and gray.

Here's to a wonderful Life Together.....

SheLCheri

Find Your Inner "Yogini"

Welcome Back!

So I've been thinking alot about how to go about this blog. I have so many things I would love to write about and share with everyone it's so hard to find a topic to jump into!!

So I'm just gonna share my feelings on yoga. I was first introduced to yoga as a kid by my mom. She had Dixie Carter's Yoga onVHS! Yoga was very new age back in the 80's. I do believe this is when my mom and I both fell in love with Miss Dixie. This also grew my love for Designing Women...but that's a whole other topic! I would join my mother in Dixie's yoga even as a kid. Little did I know, the practice I learned at the young age with my mother only began my love for yoga. I remember sitting in the living room of the house I grew up in, doing back bends feeling like it was no big thing! And at the end of the video, we joined Dixie by sitting cross-legged, hands on our knees, back straight, head back, mouth-opened, and tongue out, doing our "Ahhhhhhhhh's". This pose continued as long as we could exhale these Ahh's and we would take a breath and continue. This had to be the funniest sight for any by-stander to see. I believe my dad and brother looked at us as though we were possessed! Please be my guest, try this at home. It's enlightening! :)

After doing yoga as a kid, I lost touch with the practice until college. Here, I would attend classes, although few and far between. I never really felt a deep connection to it during this time. It wasn't until this past fall when I began gym jumping (you know, where you get those freebie days! By the way, best thing ever!). Well I began at the YMCA by our house and took a few classes, including a Hot Flow Yoga class. After walking away from the class I felt like whole other person! I was unbelievably relaxed, I was completely drenched in sweat, and felt like I'd had the best workout of my life.....This began my yoga love affair!

Yoga was first introduced more than 5,000 years ago and originated in India. It was first practiced by men...although you'd never know that now by entering into a class in 2010. So ladies get your men involved with you in yoga. Boys get out there and don't be afraid of a little downward facing dog, it won't bite! I'm no professional yogini, but I do have a passion for the practice and believe in the health benefits and want to share these!

I currently continue my yoga classes at a different gym that just recently came to town(ahem...totally cheaper than the Y by the way!). The yoga instructor is great. He challenges each and every student, makes us try new positions, and pushes us to fight our mental blocks and exceed physically. There are many different ways of practicing yoga. Now really it comes down to a personal preference and what you expect to get out of it. I prefer the type of yoga that challenges my body, in a flexibilty and strength standpoint. I like to walk out of the class feeling that the movements not only calmed my mind but also strengthened and leaned my muscles. If you are looking for stretching and meditation, there are many studios and instructors who focus on that type of practice. I advise you to research your local yoga studios and give them all a try before buckling down with one. You can also continue to go to different studios to get a overall feel for the practice and get a different experience from each class. Most places around Charlotte charge anywhere from $7 to $14 per class and you can find ones even cheaper if you become a member.

Also if you are a member of a regular gym already, find out when and if they have a yoga class. If they don't already, mention it to one of the gym manager's. They are always looking for classes that members will attend regularly. You may be surprised to find out you're not the only person looking to give it a try.

If yoga is completely new to you and are afraid of attending a class, because of not knowing how yoga works, buy a yoga DVD. You can learn the moves in the privacy of your own home. I own quite a few of these and they really are great to introduce you to yoga. Purchase a beginner level video and you will be taught the basics of the practice and how and when to breathe correctly. You can even get Gaiam DVD's at Target!! Rodney Yee is a great one to follow. These have great sequences and the backdrops are amazing!! And you can then WOW your class mates and instructors when you finally decide to join a class and break out your rocker-style poses! I do suggest eventually going to a class. You'll be amazed at how it brings your practice full circle by being in the calming and peaceful environment!

You may find yourself getting overheated and frustrated in the beginning if you aren't used to putting your body in such positions but trust me, it does get easier! The more you see yourself hitting the poses the more you want to build in your practice and that's a sign of you getting stronger! Not only are you becoming healthier physically but internally yoga is like wringing out your insides of toxins! Yoga has been said to lower blood pressure, relieve symptoms associates with asthma, back pain, and arthritis. Yoga is also thought to help depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder! For you mothers to be, yoga can be great practice for labor and there are specific classes especially for pre and post-natal!

Just in my own practice, I have noticed a huge difference from where I started to now! Not only am I about 15 lbs lighter....Yes you read right! 15lbs! But I also feel myself hit poses I haven't been able to do since high school!! I have always been a naturally flexible person, mostly from the gymnastics and cheerleading I did growing up, but starting yoga again I saw how much I had lost in this department!! Before I began my practice, I was trying to show up an 8 year old while she was showing me her new gymanstics moves. Well needless to say, I pulled a muscle in my back while trying to do a backbend! Yee-Oouuch!! Now I can regularly do this move with no problems. Don't get me wrong, I still struggle with the moves from time to time but I know now that my body can handle much more than it could just few months ago. I have also used my breathing techniques in strenuous exercises such as running and hiking to push myself to the limit. I am able to mentally bring myself down and push my body past the exersion level I was at!!!

When getting started I also recommend purchasing your own yoga mat! Most places have them available for you to use or may charge you a small fee. Really, you never know who used these before you and remember we do yoga barefoot. Just saying... you gotta just say no to feet fungus!!! And if you try out a Hot Yoga class, by george... if you are one who sweats or not, bring a towel!! You will soo need it! They keep the rooms VERY toasty...ideally around 105 degrees!

I hope I have encouraged everyone to at least try the yoga practice. You can get so much out of a class, both mentally and physically. Good Luck to you that try and hope you grow a love for it just as I have. If you have advice of the practice let me know and I hope you enjoyed!

Namaste....

SheLCheri

Welcome Me and All!

Hello All! Thank you for taking the time to read my newly bloomed blog!

So as you can tell I am new to the "blogging phenomenon" and can't wait to start this exciting journey! You may ask, "Well, are you a writer?". No, I am not. In saying that, something inside of me told me to run, start a blog, and go full force with it. So here I am, sitting at my desk looking at layouts and typing away. I have always had a love of writing and I know this will lead to something joyful in my life and hopefully will be able to touch each and everyone of you reading this.

As an introduction to me and my life, I'll begin with my name is Shelley. I'm an at heart southern belle from a little town in North Carolina. I was born and raised in North Carolina but love traveling any place possible to see life outside of this southern box. Sadly, most people have an ill-conceived notion of what NC is like. I'm hoping I can change that! I am 28 years young. I say young because accoding to my 8 year old self , the thought of being 28 was old. In reality, I feel like I just graduated high school, blinked and college flew by without every realizing it and now it's 6 years later. Here's a little about the little life I live in. I have a wonderful husband of almost 4 months now! His name is Dustin and he's my best friend, my rock, soul mate, and love of my life. I never expected to find someone who would understand my quirks, knows me inside and out, and loves me to the full extent possible. I am a lucky woman (and of course he's such a lucky man;)) Our relatioship has never been cut and dry and we've always done things our way. Which is why 4 months ago we eloped to Las Vegas! I'm sure I can touch more on that later! We have a beautiful baby boy...ahem... I mean sheltie puppy, Kody. Although in our eyes he is our baby. He will always be my first born. And yes, I am one of those poeple who love their animals as their own children. I'm a nurturer and that's all I can say as to why I love him so much. So, if you're not a fan you may as well stop reading now 'cause there's gonna be alot of puppy love coming out of me! We also have a "tad" overweight kitty named Indy. I say tad, but not really since she's going on 18"LB's". So any advice on kitty diet food is fully welcomed!

I have so many loves in this world spreading from people to places to sweet moments. I want to experience the world and go through remembing every second to the fullest. I want to live my life to fullest and never regret my actions. I enjoy traveling, picking up new hobbies, and exploring who I am. I always dreamed that once I graduated college, I would know who I was completely. Now being here, I feel like I will never know myself fully. I surprise myself almost daily by a new love for something I've discovered.

So as far as this blog goes....I named this the Life of a Lightning Bug mostly because this world we live in is so expansive and most of us are like lightning bugs. Going and doing and moving about in this big ole' world while feeling so tiny. Now if you are not from the south, you may call these fireflies. As a girl, I loved summer nights when the lightning bugs were out and running around trying to trap them in my jar with the holes on the top. I'm sure I tried this a few times without the holes. Very sad situation for those unlucky little guys. Sometimes we can go through life feeling like we are small compared to what all amazements are out there in the world. To some we are, but there are those few people in our lives that we mean the world to.

I am not sure which direction I will be heading with this blog but I feel I will be guided into what feels right. My hobbies expand great lengths and my heart holds so many reasons to make a difference. I think all of these issues and topics will at some point show their faces. I want to celebrate life and all the beautiful things that can enrich and continue our growth as human beings. I want to share my optimistic view of this big world we live on and the wonderful people in it. Life is abundant and my blog will be limitless. I welcome you all reading this and to my journey . Cheers to hoping you enjoy the ride as much as I do.

Until the next adventure.....

SheLCheri