Sunday, November 25, 2012

More Christmas Cards...

After taking so many cute, hilarious pictures of Hurley... I decided to go ahead and order a few more Christmas cards for extra special family and friends who love Hurley as much as we do. He is quite spoiled, you know! :) Here is the latest card via Shutterfly! I just love this site! Merry merry Christmas!! It's almost here!!!
Stationery card
View the entire collection of cards.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Guess what?!

Christmas cards are ordered! SO excited to send our first. :) Sorry I've been MIA.

Stationery card
View the entire collection of cards.

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Newlywed Bliss

Well, it's official! We're married..for 17 days now. Let's just say it's been a very busy couple of weeks around here. If you didn't know, I made the big move to Missouri. Got my driver's license changed (goodbye TX DL), and working on the rest of the name change process!

I've been converting Nathan's old bachelor pad to a more... {what's the word}.. married couple friendly abode. I don't wanna say it's girly because I'm definitely trying to keep it gender neutral-ish for his sake. It's hard, I must admit! I wish I had some before photos, but I'm sad to say I don't. I got in here and started making changes almost immediately. It isn't done, by any stretch of the imagination... but it's getting there. And, I'm really liking the progress!

As some of you know, I like to stay organized. The first order of business was to get the garage in order, throw stuff out, etc. so we could fit squeeze BOTH cars in there. Thanks to my wonderful parents, we got it all done and it looks great so far. No pictures of that, because no one really cares! :)

Our living room/dining room/kitchen area is just one big open space. And, I like it. It has a huge vaulted ceiling, came with a "fireplace", and it's not white. With our lack of decent furniture/seating, this has been a challenge. Not to mention, our lack of decorative items at the moment. Luckily, I am in the heart of antique store, flea market, and garage sale HEAVEN. Haven't made it to one yet, but it's on the list of to do's for the week!

Keep in mind, these are "in progress" photos. Unfortunately, I think it's going to be in progress for a while.. so patience please. :)


Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Single Digits

We are in the single digits people!!! 9 days until I'm a married woman, and I must admit, it's a little weird. :) Doesn't really feel real yet.. I'm not really stressing about......anything! A lady in The Container Store said I look really calm and relaxed, and I have to say..I feel pretty calm!

Speaking of The Container Store (Heaven on Earth) - YOU MUST REGISTER THERE. And, I mean this with everything in me. I am an organizer. I love to clean things out, reorganize spaces, label, etc. So, I'm a little upset with myself for not registering there a long time ago! But, you know me - I went ahead and added a little registry for some big projects that will be happening in this crazy, new home Nate & I will be living in. He's already there, but... you know how guys are! {Unorganized, not so clean...} A lot of work needs to be done.

We need a desk with storage and the only place to put one (now that the guest room is no longer his "office") is in the giant living area. SO, I want to do something that is both highly functional for my fiance/future doctor/current student and for me - the wife that will be paying all of the bills for a while. :) THAT is the first order of business as a married couple and wouldn't you know, the Container Store registry lets you add a "Dream Office Space by Elfa"...{am i dreaming?}. I need this. We need this. :) It's gonna happen.

Second order of business: finding a place to store basically ALL of our linens, clothes, etc. The closets in this house... (I'm gonna come right out and say it) SUCK. They're small, terrible closets. And, there's no coat closet. WHAT THE HECK?! Isn't this Missouri... where it snows and rains and gets cold?? No coat closet {shaking my head}... Therefore, I've decided the best thing to do is probably to get one of those wardrobes from Target for the garage that is completely sealed, has shoe storage, etc. for coats and things of that nature. Oh, and there's like ZERO storage in the bathrooms. Where am I supposed to put towels? Hang them from the ceiling? Come on architect who built this home.. you're seriously making me angry. What? Do you have no towels? No clothes? Clearly no wife. Silly..just plain silly.

Third... the garage. It's like impossible to park two cars in there right now because A) an old washer and dryer are taking up unnecessary space (PLEASE BUY THEM! Thanks.), B) Nate likes to park in the middle, C) There is crap everywhere that we need to go through and organize/throw out/sell/toss...whatever.

I'm not gonna lie, I'm kind of overwhelmed talking typing about this. Seriously. Hands are shaky, heart palpitations, headache. (Slight over-exageration there.)

ANYWAY - It's late. I'm tired. It's been a heck of a long day and I've got LOTS of last minute prep for the wedding to do tomorrow...and the next 8 days. :) See y'all later!

Friday, August 3, 2012

Planning Pointers, take 2

Well hello people! It's been a while! :) I've been staying busy with last minute details and things since the wedding is in ... 15 DAYS!!! {holy crap!}

First of all, I want to say CONGRATULATIONS  to my cousin Jacob & his new fiance Marni! Looks like another family wedding will be coming up fairly soon. With that said, I figure I better keep it up with the planning pointers and notes just in case! :)

The Knot
So, I know a lot of people know about theknot.com, but if you don't -- well you should! This is where I've kept up with my checklist, guest list for showers, wedding, rehearsal dinner, etc., budget, and lots of little ideas for basically everything! Let's just say, The Knot has been my wedding coordinator.

Alterations
Well, we found out the hard way that the bridal salon we used didn't do alterations in house (which my mom thought was really weird). So, we had to scurry to find someone to take up my VERY detailed dress in as little time as possible. Luckily, we found a lady in Abilene who owns/runs Bea's Alterations downtown on Pine Street across from the Post Office. My final dress fitting was yesterday and the dress fits PERFECTLY. And, she dealt with the detailed areas of my dress beautifully. I couldn't be happier!

DIY Projects
So, I decided there were lots of things I wanted to do on my own.. make/put together... blah blah blah. I may have been a little in over my head, BUT they're getting done! {I'll share after the wedding.. some things just have to be a surprise, people!! And, remember the bride makes the rules after all..} I have been painting, sewing (ok, mom's been doing the sewing), mod podging, and searching my mom's house for little (and big) vintage goodies to use at the wedding as decor. I've ordered handmade things off of Etsy (which I'm absolutely thrilled with).

All this to say... if you want to incorporate your own projects, MAKE SURE you have time to do them, and do them well (or, to your liking).  I'm a little overwhelmed at the moment, but I'll get it done. There is just SO much more to do. And, I'd rather not have a major freak out the week of, day before, day of the wedding due to unnecessary stress. {Mkay?} Lucky for me, I have a massage scheduled the week of the wedding. And, maybe a facial. Just depends on the stress meter.

Oh, and I really wouldn't recommend moving to another state the day after wedding. I mean, it's a little stressful and my poor parent's house is just filled with my stuff. It's everywhere. Literally.

P.S. I do have a little project to share that has pretty much nothing to do with the wedding.. but all to do with the big move. I will tell you, I LOVE the way it's turning out.

Friday, July 20, 2012

Showered with love, part two

Last weekend was a busy one for me! Friday consisted of my first dress fitting and taking my dress home, AND our cake tasting. Saturday I had TWO showers, back to back. Before our couple's bowling outing, my aunts & cousin Katie threw us a bridal shower. It was so sweet and special, and I loved every second of it! Here are some pictures from the shower:
Beautiful table! 
Adorable cake!
Bridal portraits of my mom & aunts.
Waiting for guests to arrive.
Sweet, sweet friends!
Highlighting & tabbing bible verses in our bible.
 Opening presents


 Our gorgeous dishes!
Room full of sweet ladies!

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Couple's Bowling

Last weekend, Nathan's sister & brother-in-law treated us to a little couple's outing, including dinner at Razoo's in Fort Worth, and then bowling and billiards at Main Event. Here are a few highlights of the night. {You know you like the sweet socks!!}










We had SO much fun! I actually ended up beating Nathan with my best bowling score ever. {Gotta brag. This never happens.} And, of course, Nathan, Travis, Sam, and I had to hit up the arcades AND use our tickets on whoopie cushions, candy, and a rubber ducky. So we didn't have enough tickets for the really cool prizes.. so what! Nate won Sam & I both a stuffed animal from the crane machine, which is way cooler than those other prizes you have to use your tickets on. {I ate all of the laffy taffy. No big surprise there.}

Friday, July 13, 2012

A big surprise

So, today was my first dress fitting in Fort Worth and little did we know, we are taking it home. Not much room in my tiny car for such a large dress.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Showered with love & pajamas

So, I figured I should go ahead and blog about my first couple of showers before the next two, so my posts aren't incredibly long.

Lingerie & Pajama Shower

A few friends and family members threw a lingerie and pajama shower for me about a month ago and it was SO much fun! I absolutely loved it. The cake was adorable, and the cupcakes were from my favorite place in Fort Worth (J.Rae's Cupcakes on Foch St. near W. 7th). If you haven't been there, you MUST go! It was just such a fun shower... I felt so special! And, I got some very pretty things too!





I'm so thankful for sweet friends & family that have spoiled me rotten, lately! I've been SO very blessed. Thank you girls for being there for me, helping me when I need help planning, throwing me an amazing shower, and for just being wonderful friends! I love you all SO much!! :) xoxo

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Slow progress...

Well, it's official! Invitations are addressed, stamped, and ready to be mailed!! Mom and I tag-teamed and got them done after work today and I think we're both needing a hand massage.

What's next, you ask? Well, we still have to finalize the cakes and catering menu, I have dress fittings, another wedding shower, and continued thank you notes to write. As RSVPs come in, I've got to work on place cards and table assignments. I'm still working on a bunch of my DIY wedding projects and I have a feeling I'm going to be doing these until wedding day. I could go on and on and on....Ohhh the joys of a short engagement! Not a whole lot of planning time. Keeps you on your toes!!
Good news: wedding favors are in and they are {adorable}. I love them. :) AND, table runners are in. Also adorbs.

Random thought
Can I just say that I am beyond excited to (re)decorate what will be the (almost) hubs & I's humble abode? Because, I totally am. In fact, I've already begun the transformation from "man cave" to absolute beautifulness. No pictures here, but maybe once the home becomes a little more complete once I've moved after the wedding. Mk? :)

It's been real {random}.

Invitation etiquette

So, according to my sweet mother, proper wedding etiquette says you handwrite each wedding invitation. Joy! :) Therefore, we've begun doing just that. Handwriting 300 wedding invitations. Hand cramps, anyone?

Oh, and let's not forget the mound of thank you notes I'm working on as well. :) Much to do today!!!!

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Planning pointers

So, several people have been asking me to keep track of the must do's and don'ts of wedding planning. Of course, this is my opinion! :) So here goes -
DO
Hire a fabulous florist. This isn't something you want to scrimp on. You can do beautiful arrangements for fairly cheap if you include a lot of pretty greenery accented with some of your favorite flowers. I chose to use different types of ferns and other greenery that have a vintage feel.
My florist: Scott's Flowers in Stephenville, TX

DON'T
Feel like you have to spend a {ton} of money on the perfect dress. However, I would recommend staying away from the massive boutiques that have hundreds to thousands of dresses. Go with a smaller boutique that offers a few designers that you're interested in.
Helpful tip: Buy TONS of bridal magazines!! You'll find every style, brand, and price range of dress and you can begin to figure out what your dress style is. Many times, a certain brand will catch your eye.
I actually found my dress at Bliss Bridal Salon in Fort Worth, TX. I found "my" brand in every magazine I looked at the night before, set an appointment, and found my dress almost right away. I would recommend trying a couple of bridal salons, though, because this is a BIG decision and you need to be at perfect peace with the dress you choose. :)

DO
Book a baker that makes delicious AND gorgeous cakes. Notice I said {delicious} first. It is a cake, after all. People are going to eat it, and I think it's pretty important that it tastes good.
My Baker: Your Cake by Design, Donna Hamer, Aledo, TX

DO
Set a budget. Boy, are we learning this the hard way!! Yikes! There is a LOT you have to spend money on, and there is also A LOT you don't have to spend much money on. It's important to figure out what is more "important" (shall we say) and go from there.

DO
Hire a fantastic photographer for engagement AND wedding photos. After the wedding, you're going to want things to remember your day by, and what better than beautiful photographs? Choose an experienced photographer that can show you past wedding work.
My Photographers:
- Engagement Session: Derrick Tribbey Photography, Dallas, TX
- Engagement Mini Session: Kim Hawkins Photography, Abilene, TX
- Bridal Portraits & Wedding Photos: KT Photography, Fort Worth, TX


That's all for now! More tips later, I promise. :) For now, I must get my beauty rest.

Look what arrived today!

Finally!! {Custom designed by me.}
I do love the chevron! :)

Monday, July 9, 2012

This week's to do list!

This is a big week! Holy cow, I have so much I need to get done. Here's what it's looking like so far:
Monday (Today): thank you notes, painting, & finding vintage suitcases {Check!!}
Tuesday: finish painting & thank you's, order gifts, check on invitations & hopefully pick them up!!
Wednesday: shower hostess gifts, paint, & organize things to take to MO, mail invitations
Thursday: pack what I'm taking to Missouri this weekend, pack for weekend in Fort Worth
Friday: gown fitting appointment, cake appointment, pick up engagement ring, and prepare for showers
Saturday: TWO wedding showers
Sunday: thank you notes, thank you notes, thank you notes!!!

It's going to be a crazy, exciting, fun week. I'm sure there are a thousand more things I have to do, but that's basically the jist of what I need to get done. :)

well, hello there!

We're {less than} six weeks out and I've just decided I have time to blog about the wedding. Let's start from the beginning, shall we?

The fiance proposed on Spring Break in March on a little getaway he had planned. You can see the proposal story on our website, here!

Since then, I've been busy busy planning like crazy since we decided on such a short engagement! Within the first month of planning I found & ordered my dress, found the venue, and began the oh so long list of important details. I don't want to give too much away, but I will let you in on a few of my projects. :)

My first to do was wedding party "will you" gifts. This was a lot of fun, but took some time! I scoured Michael's & Hobby Lobby for wooden boxes, the right color paint, tulle, lace, ribbon, etc. Here's what I came up with! I made these for my flower girls & bridesmaids. I think they turned out pretty cute!



Once I figured out what style of wedding I wanted {which is quite eclectic}, I began searching Pinterest & Etsy. I guess you could say it's a mix of vintage, modern, and trendy elements. I know it sounds weird, but I think it's going to turn out perfect. :) It's really coming together well with a lot of help from the florist and my sweet, patient mother.

Here's a little preview of the venue:

For the ring bearers, I decided to do something fun. Mustaches seem to be everywhere right now and I figured this would be an adorable "will you" gift for a couple of cute 4 year old boys.


Now, today I basically worked on thank you notes after an amazing shower on Saturday and I painted a few things. But, the thing I'm MOST excited about is the couple of gems I found in my parent's attic. I've been collecting some family heirlooms as decor for the wedding and I LOVE these. :)

Can't tell you what I'm going to do with them just yet! But I do have a few things on my mind.