I started a fire in the newsroom this morning. And I don’t mean I initiated a heated conversation among co-workers. I mean there were actual flames. In the microwave. Coming from my travel coffee mug.

Well, BK’s travel mug. I’d like to say — at least for purposes of this blog — that I was so distracted by wedding plans and juggling phone calls from potential vendors that with my head in another place I absent-mindedly stuck a coffee mug partially made of metal in the microwave. But I really have no excuse. I just wasn’t thinking. And it just happened. Rough morning.

The flames were small enough they could easily be blown out (I was too panicked so a fellow TH-er and friend leaned into the microwave and assumed this crucial task), but the microwave itself may be a goner due to the melted plastic that’s splattered all over its insides.

The travel mug, with its mangled handle, is now sitting on the fire escape. I feel bad because BK got it from his old firm and it’s kind of like a badge of honor representing a time in his life when he worked more than he slept, ate — did anything.

Someone walking down the hallway leading into the newsroom said it smelled like a truck was parked in here, emitting exhaust fumes. That’s the burnt plastic. Oops.

My dad and I have a running joke. He noticed that each time I’d spill or drop something (sadly, it happens fairly often), I’d say, "oops." A couple of years ago he began saying it himself. I’d spill a drink on the kitchen counter or drop food on my shirt (stain stick is my BFF) and he’d yell, "Oops!" And then repeat it several times because he knows it makes me laugh.

While spills are a weekly — sometimes daily — occurrence for me, a microwave fire is a brand new "oops." There’s a first time for everything.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I've listed 14 things (in no particular order) that I'm much appreciative of, especially right about now.

* I’m not a royal. Who needs all of those outside opinions from strange people weighing in on your wedding? Not me.

* Anything pumpkin. Coffee, soup, pie -- you name it. I'm drinking Dunkin' Donuts pumpkin coffee as I type this.

* Charter Club Blanket, 3 in 1 wrap. A.K.A. Snugs. Given to me as a Christmas gift last year from BK (it was on my list for years and no one else ever took it seriously), this is basically a less tacky and more plush Snuggie. Used as a blanket, throw or wearable wrap, this is one item I am thankful for 365 comfy days of the year (I use the cooler side in the summer). It's become Bentley's favorite, too. I highly recommend it. Mine is light green :-)

* That thing called technology. With my siblings in St. Louis and on Guam, the Internet and phone have been the glue to keep our relationships together. E-mails, text messages, Facebook posts, blog updates and Skype conversations are all ways I’ve been able to stay in touch when I can’t visit them in person.

* My AP Stylebook. My Bible.

* Cushion cut diamonds. I vow to never grow tired of the one I’m wearing on my left ring finger.

* My snuggly puppy. He is the cure-all for a bad day, the reliever of my stress. If I could sell his excellent cuddles I’d be a rich woman.

* Bertolli Complete Skillet Meal for Two. With work, wedding planning and a puppy, these delish frozen dinners are the answer to our favorite question: "What’s for dinner?"

* My fiancé. Did I tell you BK actually stands for Betty (K)rocker? How fortunate am I to have a guy who’ll whip up a quick dinner without even having to ask him to? He’s also my favorite person to spend time with outside of the kitchen, whether we’re going to a nice dinner in the city, running errands all day, watching TV or doing absolutely nothing. He’s my perfect partner.

* Homemade pineapple stuffing. A winning side dish at my family’s holiday meals and usually my main contribution to the table, it’s sweet but not a dessert. Made with bread cubes, butter, sugar, eggs and crushed pineapple.

* TheKnot.com. A one-stop cyber shop that's necessary for all brides to visit throughout their planning days. It even has helpful articles for the first-time maid of honor or bridesmaid.

* Seven girls. The ones who'll be by my side on my wedding day. They are my sister, the girls I grew up with and the girl I lived with in college. I just love them all to pieces and am so lucky to have friends like them every day -- but especially on my special day.

* The color pewter. I wear it on my eye lids for a smokey look. I’ll never stop buying multiple tops in this color because I think it’s super sleek and classy. And it’s the inspiration for my wedding color scheme. My bridesmaids will be dressed in pewter (a shade that's not shiny or metallic) and to complement this mega dark gray I’m bringing in a super soft pink, or blush, for the flowers and my flower girl’s cute little dress. To me the color combo of pewter/blush is stylish and romantic.

* Priscilla of Boston . In my opinion it's the best place to find bridesmaid dresses. After searching and not finding anything close to acceptable for my sister's wedding (there are a lotta uglies out there), we found the perfect little number at the Priscilla in Ardmore. We realized nothing else compared to their wide selection of stylish designs from top bridal designers (Melissa Sweet is awesome and Vineyard is great, too) so I went straight there to pick out the garment for my maids. While the prices of their gowns are particularly high, their well-made and fashionable bm dresses are no more expensive than any others I've seen at area shops.


Happy Thanksgiving!!!

When it comes to telling the story of how BK and I met, there isn't much of a story to tell. My friend was dating his friend at the time. She brought me to his house one night. And we met.

It's what happened after that mattered. He called me soon after (he didn't wait the designated number of days some guys wait after meeting a girl they like before calling her). He asked me to go to dinner the following Saturday (he didn't try to get me to meet him for drinks during the week). And he made it known from the start he liked me and was interested in learning more about me (he didn't play any dating games). I knew this would be a traditional date, the kind single 20-somethings don't encounter too often these days.

There's something I didn't tell BK in the beginning -- and for obvious reasons -- that we've since laughed about. After I already said yes, my mom had to encourage me to go on that first date.

I'll be clear: My reluctance had nothing at all to do with BK. It was quite the opposite, actually. I knew he was one to be taken very seriously, one that I could even end up with. I'd been majorly disappointed in love once before, and that was enough -- I wasn't sure if I was ready to give it another chance.

But I couldn't write this one off. It was clear after meeting him only once that he wasn't just some guy.

Of course that was exactly why, my mom urged, I could not cancel. I spent the morning and afternoon leading up to the date coming up with all kinds of excuses: I had nothing to wear (my closet was bursting with fashionable options) and I didn't feel well (if anything it was self-induced). I knew the truth, though. It was time to start the next chapter of my life and I was stalling.

My mom's words helped me see things more clearly: It can't hurt to give this new possibility a chance. You'd only be hurting yourself to shut down and shut out something potentially good before it even starts.

That night BK told me I looked nice, he opened the car door for me and drove me to the city for a nice (but not too nice that it would scare me away) dinner. After, my best friend, my mom and my sister all asked me if I was happy I went. And I really, truly was.

I'm not sure if I would have actually canceled or if it was more a test of my own strength at a time when I didn't feel like trying -- at all. But what I quickly learned was that dating BK didn't require any effort. It was just right.

And the only way I learned that was with a loving push from my mom.

My experience posing for a professional photographer is mostly limited to school photos featuring bad bangs and a faux bookcase background (at least my mom sheltered me from those horrible laser backdrops so many kids thought were cool in the '90s). I've also posed for many family portraits and sports team photos in my day. But nothing like what I experienced yesterday.

As BK and I drove into the city for a complimentary engagement photo session I was unsure what to expect, a bit anxious and hoping to keep my hair and makeup in tact.

I've browsed through my share of engagement photos on my wedding photographer's blog and on friends' Facebook profiles. The featured couples always look so relaxed and in sync.

He's giving her a piggy back ride and it somehow looks cute instead of creepy. I could never come off that cool, I've always thought. We don't typically engage in P.D.A. and he never holds me like a baby so how was this going to work? My plan of attack was to keep the awkwardness to a minimum. I'm pleased to say I think we accomplished that.

My photographer, Jennifer Childress is simply fabulous at her job -- a real pro -- and that definitely helped. She warmed us up with a few individual shots and then a few minutes into our together shots we'd gotten used to having the camera around. We took Jenn's advice when she told us to make everything real, not a pose. "Now I believe you," she said.

A few minutes after that she told me I was a pro. Hardly, I thought. But I had at least mastered the ability to switch back and forth between an all-out smile and more of a straight face; to know when it was the right time to look up at BK and when to look directly at the camera; and when to put my arms around him and when to put our heads together.

It sounds like so much going on at once, but with the right photographer and a great setting, anyone can make it work.

If your photographer doesn't already offer this service, I strongly suggest brides-to-be to set up an engagement photo session. It's an opportunity to get to know your photog before the wedding and to understand how she works. It's also great practice for the big day.

I don't take myself seriously enough to be able to pull off a sultry pose without laughing. I also don't really know how to not smile. A friend who took the headshot seen on this blog can attest to that. After so many attempts at straight-faced, serious shots we decided to bag that look altogether and go with the smile, which comes much more naturally to me.

Once I got rolling yesterday I better understood what made me feel comfortable as a photo subject and the whole thing didn't seem so intimidating anymore. It was great to get our feet wet before the wedding day and at the same time make new memories.

For our engagement photos we went back to the Art Museum area, where BK proposed, and stood in the pavilion across the street where he knelt down on one knee and asked me to be his wife. We dodged all of the Rocky imitators and got some great shots on those famous steps. We even pushed our way through tree branches to pose in green areas and climbed hills (with me in heels, of course) to get the right shot.

After Jenn snapped the last shot we decided not to leave the city just yet -- not without treating ourselves to a delicious dinner at Davio's. And of course the cherry on top of this great day was returning home to Bentley.

After a brief wedding hiatus, I feel it's time to jump back into plans. TheKnot.com floods my inbox with daily reminders about how many months and days remain and which items I have yet to cross off of my "to-do" before I say "I do." While some might find the average 23 e-mails per day to be helpful, for me, I find they are anxiety-inducing.

I do have a couple of options in mind for both florist and DJ. But first, I'm on a major search for a videographer.

When choosing a photographer, I knew exactly the look I wanted and I went after it. I expect I'll be equally picky with this vendor. It's a very important one to me.

I know of a few options for wedding videographers in the area, but I'd like to open this up to any readers out there who might be able to help. Any suggestions or recommendations are welcome! Either leave a comment or e-mail me at mbrooks@timesherald.com.

When I tried on gowns in August there was one in particular that stood out. It brought on immediate reactions from my mom and sister. I'd barely made it out of the dressing room and they were beaming with excitement. I stepped onto the platform and stood in front of three body-length mirrors. They both clapped their hands together and said, "Yes!"

I recently went back to the bridal shop for that dress. While I was swimming in the sample size in August -- the consultant had to grab the extra material and clip it together so I could envision how the dress would look when properly fitted to my body -- a mere two months later it wasn't quite as big. Still too big, but not overwhelmingly so.

Interesting. The dress seemed to have shrunk. But I knew the truth, and it wasn't so surprising. Here's why.

My workouts have been non-existent lately -- unless you count my time spent chasing Bentley around the house or all of the energy used trying to get him to walk on a leash in a straight line around the block. I'm often exhausted after work and can't bring myself to go to the gym. In the past few months I've gotten progressively worse in this area. And now with Bentley in my life, I've created another excuse to go straight home and stay there for the night.

To add to the lack of gym time in my life, the environment in which I work is certainly not a help. We get heaps of free food just about every day. A couple of people brought in baked goods today to bid farewell to a valued TH employee. And of course there are Halloween leftovers lingering around right now. I've always lived a healthy lifestyle and would normally not even be interested in the food piling up in the newsroom. But I find that when I'm not working out I also don't have as much care for my personal food choices.

Facebook is now targeting me with ads about shedding those extra pounds before the big day. My relationship status changed from "in a relationship" to "engaged" and suddenly advertisers are shoving info about the latest diets and bridal boot camps down my throat.

But I'm not interested in what they're trying to feed me. I know what I have to do to feel 100 percent ME in that dress. And I have no doubt I'll do it. If I want to "kill it" down the aisle (as Rachel Zoe would say), it's all about motivation.

If there are any brides-to-be or recent brides who want to share their workout tips or ideas on how to switch up a routine or get out of a slump, feel free to share!