Dress Shopping

The hunt for my gown has become an OBSESSION! I'm having so much fun trying on dresses!!!

The first time I actually got to go look was right after our cruise, when I was in Dallas staying the weekend with Jenny for her birthday. The second time was this past weekend, when I visited two different boutiques who wouldn't let me take pictures. Mallory went with me to the 2nd boutiqe.

Here are the gowns, in no particular order....

Engagement Story Continued!

At this fabulous French pastry shop called Jean-Philippe! We ordered coffee and I had a mushroom, spinach, ham and cheese crepe, it was so yummy. We headed to the spa and checked in at the front. They led us down seperate hallways to the women's and the men's changing rooms and had us change into robes and leave our clothes in lockers. Then we met back up in a central room and our massage therapists came out to take us to our room. They left us to get onto our tables, which were kind of far apart. Then they came back in and we got Swedish massages for an hour. Mine was ok...they never press down hard enough but I never want to tell them that because I feel like they will get tired!

After the massage, we were led to a cool relaxing room with hardly any light. There was a waterfall on one of the walls and it smelled really good. We were supposed to meditate or something, but I just took some pictures and we left soon after that.

Back in the room, we had to shower and get ready for the day. Then we headed downstairs to gamble for a little while. We found a blackjack table and had some good luck. We made friends with the guys at the table, who were our age and really friendly. They actually started buying rounds of shots for everyone, and I ended up drinking way more than I should have! I guess I got hungry towards the later part of the evening, because I invited everyone at the table to come eat dinner at this Asian restaurant called Jasmine that was within walking distance from our table. Nobody wanted to go, and I got upset and went into the restaurant by myself. Somehow I ended up arguing with Ryan about it and our day was cut short...I'm really sad about it now, because the fight was completely due to the fact that I was drunk and being unreasonable.

The next day, we woke up and I apologized for the night before! Then Ryan ordered in room service....it was amazing! They brought up a table to our room and the food was great. Ryan went downstairs to walk around after breakfast, and I had a headache and was sick so I stayed and tried to sleep for awhile longer. I met up with him around lunch and we decided to buy tickets for a show that night. We wanted to go see the Bellagio's Cirque du Soleil Show, "O," but it was already sold out. In fact, the only show we could get tickets to was "Love" over at the Mirage- but that sounded great to me! We bought our tickets and then decided to go to the Paris hotel to eat. The original place we wanted to go ("Ah Sin") was closed, so we were walking past the elevators that go to the top of the Eiffel Tower part of the building. We saw the menu for the restaurant and Ryan asked me if I wanted to eat lunch there instead. Um....yes?!! I was giddy! Then immediately nervous again because I wondered if it was his plan all along, and if he had the ring with him.

Our table upstairs had the most magnificent view overlooking the strip. We were directly across from The Bellagio, and could see the water show and our suite. The food was pretty good...but we had to deal with this loud wedding part who had reserved the middle of the restaurant. It was a major 80s reception, with a giant frilly bride, a horrendous cake topper and the bright neon poufy bridesmaid dresses. Hilarity!

After lunch (and no proposal), we walked back to the hotel. I think we may have played a little blackjack before we got ready for dinner. Ryan had a limo reserved to take us to our favorite restaurant of all time, "Roy's." It's an Asian-fusion restaurant that my aunt and uncle introduced us to during one of our trips to Vegas. It was quite a drive to get there because we picked the wrong location, but the limo ride was romantic. I felt so spoiled.

Our table at the restaurant was in a cozy little booth tucked away in the corner. We ate until we were stuffed, kobe beef appetizer, filet mignon entree and molten chocolate cake for dessert. Afterwards, our limo driver was waiting to take us back to the strip and dropped us off at The Mirage for our show. I was already getting tired, but once we sat down I perked up because we had the BEST seats! Front and center (since the stage was round). The show itself was pretty good...loved the music of course. The dancing and stunts weren't as impressive as Mystere, which we had seen during our last trip out there.

After the show, we slowly walked back to The Bellagio in the heat. It was really late, about 11:30pm and there were so many people outside. We got back to the room and I was exhausted. We were just laying there on the bed talking about everything that we had done that weekend. I was so sad to be going home the next day. Ryan told me that he had had an amazing time too, and that he knew we would continue to have more amazing times....the rest of our lives.....

At that moment, I knew as soon as he said that. He got off the bed and pulled me off with him. He told me he was glad the trip hadn't been ruined by our fight the night before, and that he was glad I could be reasonable, and that he loved everything about me. I wish I could remember everything he said, but I was a little in shock. I seriously feel like I was outside of my body looking down when he finally got down on one knee. I think he asked me to marry him and then pulled the ring box out of his pocket. I knelt down with him and said, "YES!!" He opened the box, and my eyes were blurry so I couldn't tell right away which ring it was. The water show outside had just started, and we laughed because it was perfect. I put the ring on and realized it was THE ONE!! After that I was so happy that I was about to burst. I grabbed the camera and we took a few pictures of us kissing, us with the ring, me showing the ring...then we got ready for bed and spent the night with our little secret that nobody else knew about yet.

I loved my engagement weekend, it was perfect and I'm finally going to marry the man of my dreams!!! Mrs. Andrea Hurst!!!

The Proposal!!!!!

Friday after lunch, Ryan's mom showed up to take us to the airport. I still had no idea where we were really going, and she wouldn't tell me either. When we got to the check-in counter, Ryan shielded me from the ticket screen. I glanced up at the flights, and the only one leaving at 1:30 was going to...Denver. Hmmm. I wasn't convinced, and then the ticket counter guy said, "Hurst to Vegas?" AHHH!!! I knew it!!! I pulled my phone out to start texting everyone, and then quickly realized that there was something wrong with my Blackberry when nobody wrote me back. A quick call to Rhiannon confirmed that I was no longer receiving incoming texts. Well, great!

We ate lunch after we got through security with no problems (Schlotzksy's, yum!) and boarded our plane to Denver. We had a pretty quick layover there, and then flew to Vegas. We landed at the airport, and after we picked up our luggage Ryan got a phone call. He walked away so I couldn't hear, and then came back. He didn't tell me anything and so we walked towards Starbucks. He told me we needed to wait there, and I asked him why we weren't going to get a cab. He said, "I have people." Oh, he has people.

About 10 minutes later, a guy came up to us and asked if we were ready. We went out the back way to the parking garage where...a limo was waiting! Sweet!!! All the way to the strip, I tried to get him to tell me where we were staying. As we passed hotel after hotel..the options got smaller. We neared Paris, and I held my breathe. The limo started to slow, but, it turned right instead of left. The Bellagio??? Wow!!

We went inside and checked in at the Executive lounge. I knew that the trip was going to be special, but I was already in disbelief. The people behind the counter mentioned something about the "Cypruss Suite," and we got our room keys. When we finally found our elevator, we went up to the 8th floor and I saw that the suite took up an entire wing by itself! It had it's own hallway and doorbell. We walked in to the room...and I immediately saw a bottle of champagne on ice, with chocolate covered strawberries sitting on the table in the living room. I got really nervous, I thought he was going to propose right then and there!

But he didn't...instead, we relaxed for a bit and poured the bubbly. Then Ryan said he had made dinner reservations at a French restaurant downstairs called Picasso. I took my champagne into my bathroom (we had our own) and started getting ready. I wasn't sure which dress I should put on...I was thinking, what if he asks me at dinner? I decided to go with the bright, multicolor one since I would match the restaurant atmosphere.

We went to dinner, and it was soooo fancy! The room was dimly lit, and there were gorgeous flowers everywhere. We were seated in the main part of the restaurant and we could see out these giant windows to the water show from our table. The menu was fixed prixe, so I had to bravely order some seafood. Everything that came out was delicious though! We had warm quail salad, I had smoked salmon (can you believe it??) with caulifleur mousse and the dessert was the most delicious chocolate cake with a melted chocolate center and candy ice cream on the side. We had the sommelier give us a recommendation for wine, and Ryan ordered a bottle from Austria. It was very good! At the end of dinner, it was apparent he was not going to propose...but I was completely relieved. I found myself getting crazy sick butterflies throughout our meal, wondering what I would do if a ring appeared on one of my plates!

When we left the restaurant, I was sooo tired. I didn't want to do anything but sleep! Ryan said ok, that he was tired to...so we didn't gamble, we just went straight to the room to cuddle and fall asleep. Our bed was ginormous, and it was directly in front of these massive windows overlooking the Paris hotel and the Bellagio water show. Holy Hannah. What. A. View. I could have stared out at that forever.

Saturday we woke up, and Ryan had booked us a couples massage at the spa! We went downstairs to find breakfast, and ended up at this famous French Patisserie called....

I can't remember. Will finish this tomorrow!! :)

The night before

So this could possibly, hopefully be my last post as a single woman. Hahaha. I know you guys probably get so sick of reading about wedding related stuff!

I was just packing my suitcase, and I have no idea what to pack really....so I was almost done and Ryan said, "If you have room, you should probably pack some warm clothes." I was like....what?? Like a sweater? A parka? I have no clue. I think he said it to throw me off, I still think we're going to Vegas!! Then I told him I was just going to pack the whole closet and he told me I better not have an overweight suitcase. I said, "I knew it! We're flying somewhere!" He said he would have to choose his words more carefully. I asked about our flight time and we're leaving at 1:30. His mom is taking us to the airport and watching Bella for the weekend. He really has every detail planned out! Awww.

Not much longer now. I packed my cell phone charger :)

Ring Shopping!

On Saturday, Ryan and I finally went ring shopping!! I had a pretty good idea of what I was looking for, and our first stop was BC Clark downtown.

When we walked in, there were so many beautiful rings to look at! They were all so sparkly too, they almost looked fake. I got to try on all of the ones I loved, and found two that I fell in love with. One of them was a round diamond set in a thin platinum pave band. I would have changed the round diamond out for a princess cut, they said I could order it like that. The second one was an Ascher-cut center diamond with a platinum pave band that splits and then comes back together. Both of the bands are really thin and delicate, it almost looks like a wedding ring with an engagement ring, so we wouldn't have to buy two rings! When we saw the prices, I think we both had a little sticker shock...but he told me pick my favorites and I thought about those rings all weekend.

We went to other stores....a bunch of jewlers in the mall...but nothing compared to the two rings at BC Clark. On Monday, I used my lunch break to go back and try them on again. I decided that I absolutely loved the Ascher-cut ring and I'm obsessing about it now. I told Ryan, and now that he's seen my "style" and taste in rings...we'll see what happens in a few days!!! :)

My dream dress

I am dying to try this dress on. Melissa Sweet "Cossima."

Weekend Update

Friday night we went on a secret shop to one of the nicest restaurants in the city, Red Prime steakhouse. It was amazing! Ryan and I took his mom with us, since there's always so much food that we are required to order and we can never eat all of it. We were there for 3 hours total, and the steaks there are too die for. They have all different kinds...40-day aged steak, ribeyes, and the one I ordered- Kobe skirt steak. Apparently for the Kobe, they feed the cows beer and give them daily massages. They believe the less stress a cow feels, the more tender the meat will end up. I think it must be true! Our bill was $250, I'm so amazed and thankful that I got the opportunity to secret shop for the owner...we never could have afforded to eat there on our own.

Saturday we headed to Old Navy to use a 30% off coupon that I got from the Food Bank. I found a few items for the cruise, Ryan only found 2 t-shirts. We ate Schlotzsky's for lunch and then headed home to do nothing for the rest of the afternoon. That night we went to The Mont and met up with Josh, Jana, Ashlie, Savannah, Daton, Blake and Blake's friend. We drank a lot of swirls and had a lot of shots...I might have gone a little overboard!

Sunday I decided to meet Mallory at the mall. We were supposed to go see "500 Days of Summer" but it doesn't come here until next weekend. On my way out the door, Ryan told me I might want to buy a "nice dress." He wouldn't tell me why, haha! I found a black silk one at Express and used my birthday coupon to buy it with this awesome necklace. (The necklace in the graphite color).

I CAN'T WAIT FOR NEXT WEEKEND!!!!!