50 something days

I have totally turned into one of those people. You know the ones that start a blog and are good about it for awhile or just enough to get you sucked in (like I'm sure most of you have ;)) then all the sudden it stops. Well my sincerest apologies. I have been a little busy and frankly there hasn't been much to talk about.

The wedding planning is still coming along. We are 50 something days away. :) I cannot WAIT for the planning to be over! It is basically just a waiting game now and I don't do well with just waiting. I'm very impatient so these next couple of months are going to be brutal. I don't even go home (ATL) until the week before the wedding so I will have to rely a lot on my mom and sister but that isn't new news. They have been doing so much for me thus far and I appreciate them for it.

I just returned from my bachelorette party with most of my maids and some of my other close friends. They spoiled me and we had a great time hanging out on the beach! It was perfect!! Thank you ladies!!

Scott also had his bachelor party the same weekend but his was a little more adventurous. He was in Vegas! I half expected one of the guys to call me and say "Jamie, we f***** up" but alas he came back in one piece and thankfully no sunburn from hell.

We also bought our wedding rings! I am very excited about mine because it means more *bling* but Scott (like most boys) is not thrilled about wearing "jewelry". I told him to suck it up. He is not pulling a Prince William on me!

I hope everyone is doing well!

Much love,

J

What a weekend!

Scott and I boarded a plane two Fridays ago at midnight with the hope that we would both sleep some before we land in Atlanta and all hell breaks loose. Well my dear hubbie-to-be got sleep because he was sitting by the window, however I didn't sleep but a few minutes. AND I was the one who had a jam packed day on Saturday. When I got home I took an hour long power nap and got ready for my bridal shower.

Whats the best way to stay awake during the day after not sleeping? Champagne of course! As soon as I arrived at the shower we popped the bubbly. I think the alcohol was the only thing getting me through the day because I started at 11am and didn't really stop until after midnight. I will say this...it was an amazing turnout and I love everyone who made the trek! Thank you!

After my shower I had to bust my butt to get to LG's shower. Her MOH/sister threw her an amazing shower! I wish I could have stayed longer but it was fun!

Saturday evening Scott and I went to dinner with Kat, Chris and Kim at Murphy's in ViHi. I absolutely love this place and so did our guests. Two bottles of wine and a water puddle the size of Texas later we headed out to Atkins Park (one of Scott's favs) to meet up with some of his friends and continue the drinking.



J and K (partners in crime)



So much fun with Kim and Kat!

easing the pain with alcohol and ice

{side note on the Texas comment - poor Kat burned the crap out of her hand with a curling iron about 2 seconds before we went to dinner and ice was the only thing that made it feel better. So what does ice do when it is at room temperature -- it melts and that it did all over the floor at Murphy's.}

heart her!

On Sunday afternoon Scott and I braved the cold with our photographers (Anna and Spencer) to shoot our engagement pictures. We started off at Roswell Mill, then were given permission to shoot at Salt Factory in Roswell and finished at an art gallery. I think we have some great pictures coming our way!
A sneak peek...

Sonal, Lauren and I had a much anticipated dinner planned on Sunday night. Let me tell you it did not disappoint. We ended up going to Taxco (one of our favs growing up) instead of Houston's. Let's be serious we live off cheese dip and margaritas. We were so caught up in drinking and chatting that we didn't take a picture. :(

A semi recent pic of us

A few weeks ago my second momma, Jan,was in town visiting her son, Frank, who is in med school at UCLA. We went to dinner at a bar/restaurant in Culver City called Father's Office. They had every beer imaginable; most of which was micro brewed. They also had the most amazing burgers! Yum! Very fun night!

For St. Patrick's day I had every intention of going to Zumba and then go have one drink! One drink! Well I was peer pressured into not going to Zumba at all and going straight to the bar. It was such a fun night. The next day at work was NOT fun but I powered through.

some of the crew out that night plus a real Irishman (random guy on the right side)

I hope everyone has a great week ahead!

J

Sorry y'all

I have been heavily neglecting the blog. My bad! We have been busy since coming back from Atlanta. I promise a post very soon with lots of pics from the past few weeks.

For pictures of the shower, please go on over to Kat's blog (http://citysouthern.blogspot.com/) and LHD has also done a post (http://dormandays.blogspot.com/). Unfortunately, I don't have pictures of my own so check these out. They did such an amazing job!

J

Awesome Friends!

I don’t know where to begin there is so much to talk about. I guess first things first. I will be HOME in 2 and half short days! So excited!! There are people flying and driving from all over the country to celebrate with me at the bridal shower and I couldn’t be more honored! Love them!  LD, Kat and Jenna have put alot into the shower and I can't wait to see what they have come up with.

It’s going to be another crazy weekend at home but it’s definitely filled with doing more stuff with friends and less wedding unlike last time.  Saturday night Scott and I are having dinner with Kat, Chris and Hardy who are driving down from VA. LG, Turtle and I are having dinner on Sunday night at Houston’s (yum!). Scott and I are shooting our engagement photos on Sunday afternoon and right now it’s supposed to rain so let’s all keep our fingers crossed that the weather changes. Monday we have appointments with the florist and caterer. Scott will like the caterer because we get to taste the food! Alas, we turn into pumpkins on Monday night and head back to Cali.

Last Friday night we had our weekly “family dinner” with Sara, John, Greg, Emily, Erik, Raquel and Terry (we sometimes get his better half Nancy but she is getting her PhD so she’s a little busy). We seem to get together at least once a week. Sometimes we are minus a couple or only get half a couple. Most dinners are usually filled with lots of drinking and lots of FUN!! Sara and I got a hankering to go out after dinner (and after 2 bottles of wine) but unfortunately her hubbie didn’t want to so we went the store and got more wine and had a blast playing Wii bowling.

Another bit of exciting news…Brooke (one of my fab bridesmaids) is coming to see us in April! I am soooooo pumped! I need to start making a list of activites for us to do. I would imagine shopping is at the top of the list :).

Next weekend Scott’s friend (and best man) John is coming to stay with us for the weekend before him and his girlfriend go on a cruise to Mexico.

Another booked flight to Atlanta (Delta is going to love me after this year)! This time its for my best friend LG's wedding in April. Her and David are the cutest couple and I can't wait to stand next to her on the big day!

Sara had the great idea to start a movie book club. Emily, Raquel and I have all joined. Our first book is Water of Elephants. I believe I am the only one who hasn’t started the book yet. My goal is to finish half the book before we land back in LA next Monday. We shall see…

Can't wait to see everyone!

J

Speed Racer

Hey yall! I hope all the bankers, etc are enjoying a nice day off. I know I am. So let's get right down to business. Scott and I are now proud owners of beach cruisers. We were like the only people who live at the beach without cruisers. They are so cute. Of course we had to go with an Auburn theme.

I'm not a big fan of orange but I went along with the theme and was very pleased with our purchases. I even got a basket so we can bike to Trader Joe's if we wanted to. I would say we are becoming more "California" everyday.

In less than 2 weeks I will be home for the weekend. Most of my bridesmaids are coming in town for the bridal shower and I can't wait to see everyone!! My wonderful maid of honor has been doing some recon work for me on the bridesmaids dresses and I think I have it narrowed down to two. Go Susan! Also my PIC has been busy looking at flowers and centerpiece decor. Since I know nothing about flowers I needed an expert! Love them both!

Oh and we received our first gift in the mail last week. It was from one of my aunts who can't make the shower. It is going to be a guessing game everyday will there or won't there be something at the door. It will be fun!! :)

Another bit of very fun info, my cousin Christina is engaged! Yay! She is the sister of my cousin Jay who we stayed with in Phoenix. Now there are two Monk girls planning weddings! Watch out!

Until next time...

J

Save that date

I finally got it together and ordered our save the dates. It took forever for me to decide on my favorite and whether or not to have a picture of us. I will not give it away here you will have to wait and see.

I have also booked another flight home for my sister's college graduation and Kat and David's wedding. I hope I also get to attend a baby shower but we will see.

Hope everyone has a fantastic Valentine's day!

Love yall

J

The Dresser

Scott and I have FINALLY bought a dresser. I can't tell you how excited I am! They call it mission style, its very California. Originally Scott was supposed to use 2 of the drawers however in hopes to not see all my "shit" he relinquished them to me. And I am very grateful for that. Scott is a very organized/basic person and doesn't understand that girls need accessories and different types of clothing for all occasions. We also bought 2 night stands so now the bedroom is very close to completion. All we need now is to decorate but that comes after our bikes which is the next thing on the list.

I called it a month ago! I said the Packers were going to win the Super Bowl when they did a beating on the Falcons. And I was right! The odds were in my favor because there were only 4 teams left but still called it!

Scott is gone once again this week and I miss him like crazy already! He is so cute last Friday he caught an earlier flight home and surprised me. He also used our friends from across the street John and Sara as co-conspirators to think I was going to hangout with them until he got home. When I walked in the door from work there he was with wine and our favorite appetizer. LOVE him!

I can't wait to be home in less than a month!

Love yall!

J

Fun Fun Fun!

Hey ya'll! It has been busy busy busy around here. We have had a couple of dinner parties. I feel like we have started to find our/my barrings around here. I have also found a gym class partner. Sara and I have fallen in love with our Zumba class which I compare to KardioFunk and I LOVE it.

While having Sara and her hubbie John over dinner last week we thought it would be a great idea to throw a wine party very soon to fill up our vase. Hopefully we will drink lots of wine and have lots of corks!

I will spare you guys on wedding details this time as there is really nothing new to report.

My handsome hubbie-to-be is in San Fran for the week and I was told today that he has to go back next week too. I wouldn't be so upset about it except that I won't be in town this weekend. I hope to go to Phoenix to see some family that will be in town from CT. Taking the drive by myself won't be fun but it will be worth seeing family I haven't seen in a year or two.

Love everyone!

J

The Challenge

Scott and I have challenged ourselves to fill this huge vase with wine corks. I'd say we have a lot of wine to drink! So who wants to come out to LA to help!??!? I will keep you updated...

On Saturday, Scott and I met up with some friends we met at the gym and headed out to the beach. That night we went over to their friends house to watch the Falcons game. I'm not a pro football fan but I rooted for my hometown team and it didn't turn out so great. After the game we went to sushi and it was awesome. I think this is the most sushi I have eaten ever since moving out here! This time it got really crazy complete with sake bombs and me eating raw fish. I'm talking yellowtail straight from the sea! Scott was telling the guys not to tell me that some of the rolls were raw. I have such a nice fiance. Well at least now I'm more willing to go to sushi.

Today was such a beautiful day and I had the day off. My handsome fiance took me out to lunch then he went back to work and I went to the beach. :) Scott and I have also booked our flights back to Atlanta for more wedding fun the first weekend in March. He isn't as happy to go as I am because he doesn't get the whole engagement photo session thing. I think that's a male thing. I hope to also try on my dress again. I'm obsessed!!

I miss my east coasters! Love y'all!

J

Auburn Wins!!

War Damn Eagle!!!! Scott and I are so happy that Auburn went all the way this year. Our defense did an excellent job at stopping the Oregon offense! Cam came through for us like usual in the 4th quarter. Best $200K Auburn has ever spent! Ha!

Scott and I drove to Phoenix on Saturday to stay with my cousin Jay who lives in Scottsdale. We were both really excited to see Jay and our Auburn family. The first night in town we hit up Mill Ave which is the main drag next to the ASU campus. We landed at a bar which is very familiar to me, The Big Bang! I love this place! There is one in Nashville and I love dueling piano bars in general. I also managed to talk Brooke into coming out but she had those pics.


Scott, my cousin Jay and myself at the bar

The next day we definitely had a slow start after closing the bar down the night before. First on the list...get food! Duh! We made plans with Brooke and Nathan to have lunch. Our original lunch place was a dump (but also closed) and Scott said he wouldn't even eat there. That is saying a lot because he eats from taco trucks. Yuck! Luckily we were close to downtown Phoenix so it was easy to find another place which was Alice Cooperstown Restaurant. This place has been featured on Man v. Food and Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations. It is famous for a 2 foot long hot dog. When they bring it to your table they ring a bell and yell out something. No one would get one with me! :(
That afternoon we went to the Auburn Pep Rally.

It was so packed it took forever to get even here.

Sunday night we went to this awesome pizza place with some of the best pizza I've ever eaten! It's called Grimaldi's. If you are ever in Scottsdale, go there!

Monday was the big day! We started our day with Einstein's Bagels! You know its going to be a good day when you start with a bagel and schmear. The stadium wouldn't let people start partying/parking in the lot until 12:30pm so we didn't have a full day like usual but definitely partied hard.



Our awesome tailgate!





My cousin has turned into an Auburn fan! War Eagle! 



Sara and I drinking Cammie Cam Juice



Hanging out with 2 of my wonderful bridesmaids!



I believe this was taken on the last drive of the game.

After we WON!!!!!!

After the game we stayed out for a little bit and made sure that Scott and Jay got good and drunk. I was the responsible one that night. Someone had to do it.

Tuesday morning we woke up and Scott was still drunk. It was definitely a great morning for Einstein's...again. What can I say I'm addicted and we don't have Einstein's in LA.

Definitely a hot mess after that crazy weekend!

My still drunk fiance 

The drive back to LA was rather long. And when we got back Scott and I both got comfy on our own couches and lounged for the rest of the day.

Even though we are only working 3 days this weekend we are both feeling like crap. At least I have a long weekend ahead of me.

I hope everyone had a great weekend and week so far!

J

Wedding Website

Hey everyone! The wedding website is up and running! I still have some work to do so look for changes and updates periodically.

http://www.theknot.com/ourwedding/JamieMonk&ScottPixler

Enjoy!!

J

One Sweet Day

Hello everybody! I hope you had a great holiday season! I know I did! I first want to start off with my trip home then what Scott and I have been up to. This will be a long one so bear with me.

On Christmas Eve I made the four hour plane ride back to Atlanta. I arrived at 10ish at night and had just enough time to make it to the Christmas Eve service at church. It is a family tradition that I was not about to stop just because I live on the other side of the world. Side story: If you remember in the movie Love Actually at the end all the characters happen to be at the airport and when they see their loved ones there is like this hug fest well we totally had that Love Actually moment at the airport when my family was waiting for me at the top of the escalators. It was cute! Moving on…

Christmas Day was my only day of rest before the wedding appointments and activities started. It was great to hang with the family and then to go see Scott’s family. My sister and I capped off the night with a drunken snowball fight in our front yard. We decided we needed to stop when I “accidently” hit my sister in the face with a snowball. Maybe wine and snowball fights don’t go well together.

Sunday through Wednesday is sort of a blur but here are some highlights I found my dress!! It is gorgeous! I am trying not to show too many people but if you just absolutely CANNOT wait until August then I might be able to help you out! J I also decided on a photographer and they are amazing. They are also doing LG’s wedding. They take the most amazing photos. Check them out here http://www.annaandspencer.com/. I also finally got to see the reception site and I LOVE it! The coordinator there is awesome as well. All in all I feel pretty good about the wedding plans so far so let’s hope it stays that way.

I was very sad to leave Atlanta because I barely got to see anyone. But I am coming back very soon to do more wedding stuff and will definitely make more time for my friends!

This weekend gave us a chance to relax and catch up on our sleep. Well we definitely caught up on our sleep because we slept through the ball drop at 12. In fact we fell asleep long before it happened. Scott and I feel like total failures for not staying awake for it. The time change is totally to blame for this. I promise we will do better next year. J

Saturday we decided to get out of the house and go to Santa Anita Horse Track. I had only been to a track one time before in Kentucky so I was excited to go. We bet on 3 different races and unfortunately didn’t win any money. But it was fun to learn about the betting system and be at the races! 

Doesn't he look handsome in his hat??

Saturday night we made the New Years day good luck dinner of pork chops and sauerkraut. Scott did not partake in the sauerkraut part. I'm not a huge fan either but I cooked it the way my mom does with apples and brown sugar and it is not half bad.

I also used my Crockpot (thank you Kate!) for the very first time this weekend. We made turkey chili and it was probably one of our best meals!!

Jalapeno cornbread. So good everyone should try it.

Well I will give you and my fingers a break.

Now for the explanation for the title of this blog. I was in the car this morning on my way to work and it usually takes me a good 20 minutes to find something I like on the radio. LA doesn’t really believe in variety at all. However, this morning it only took about 5 minutes. One of my most favorite songs EVER “One Sweet Day” by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men was on and I literally screamed. I have not heard this song in SOOOO long. Loved it!! And to top it off the rest of the drive was littered with much the same old school jams. There is this radio station here called KDay. It plays old school rap and R&B songs. I'm talkin' Mase and Puff Daddy and Snoop Dogg, if you are around my age think songs from middle and early high school. It is probably one of my favs out here.

Scott and I are headed to Glendale this weekend to see Auburn play Oregon. War Eagle!!

J