I've really begun to enjoy gardening - even when it's 90 degrees outside. I'll typically pick up an activity only to quickly lose interest in it all together (scrapbooking, refinishing a piece of furniture, writing journal entries, haha). But gardening has seem to stick. I think it's because you have to focus on it for about half the year and then take winter off. At least that's how i garden at my house. And it's hard to beat the feeling of instant gratification and coming home to a beautiful yard. So i wanted to document for my own use what i'm doing and the changes my little hobby has brought to our house.
1. Backyard Herbs: The first thing i did when we bought thouse was clean out the herb garden. We have some great, yummy, fragrant herbs in this little nook of our backyard (mint, rosemary, lavender, thyme, oregano...and 1 that i haven't been able to identify yet but have successfully used it in a chicken recipe). This garden takes very little maintenance i'm happy to report. I cut back each of the herbs after they flower and i do my best to keep the mint in line as it tries to creep in to the yard. There is a bird bath stand in the middle but no bowl to add water to...it's on my list to find a bird bath top for the stand but have not found the right deal yet.
2. Back Lawn: The big home improvement project we completed last fall was removing all of our pine trees (12 total) and replanting fescue through out the back yard. It has really opened the space up and allowed the grass to fill in nicely since the trees aren't hogging all of the nutrients anymore. The only problem now is we're still waiting for the ivy to fill back in. It provided a pretty scalloped border to our back yard but when the pine trees were removed, the ivy was mostly destroyed. Currently, in it's place we have a million different weeds growing up where the ivy should be. But i suspect once the weeds die and the ivy fills in this fall and next spring, the weeds will be choked out by the dominant english ivy.
3. Back Flower Beds: We have a beautifully shaped bed that lines our back porch with a few different plantings. The scene stealer is definitely the japanese maple and 2 ornalmental grass plumes. When we took out the pines all of our ferns and hostas were destroyed but this summer they've sprung back to life - they're having a slow start but i think they'll fill back in. We also have a huge overgrown azalea bush that we are planning to rip out entirely. I plan to transplant a few gardenia's to take it's place since they don't grow as fast and are easy maintenance.
4. Side Garden: To the left of our house we have a beautiful flag stone pathway lined by lots of different plantings. On one side there are 2 different types of lily's (yellow ones and pink/purple ones). I'm trying to figure out what they need to stay in bloom longer - i'm still hesitant on the fertilization schedule so next year i hope to have a better showing from these guys. There is also a very large gardenia next to them. It stays green year round but has large white flowers in the early summer months. And then there is the Camellia - this guy has such pretty large red flowers in the late winter - it's the first to bloom in the whole garden each year. On the other side of the pathway we have 5 rose bushes - mostly knockout roses but there is one that has orange/pink flowers. There are also a handful of Hosta's that have spread out nicely and a King's Gold cypress shrub. The path is also lined half way with small/tidy gardenia's. So overall the pathway has a mixture of bright flowers in the spring/fall, and pretty shades of greenery in the winter. The previous owner really out did herself in this garden and it's by far my favorite part of the yard even if i am the only one who see it.
Buying a house was tough - we looked at 30+ houses within 3 months and saw everything from downtown bungalow's that had tons of charm but needed some major love and updates to the traditional suburban house (staircase off the entry, dining, living, family rooms, etc.) but very little character. We were torn between the 2 extremes but ended up buying a house that we have truly loved and I couldn't imagine being in anything else at this time in our lives. I remember driving up to it and thinking how inviting it looked with all of the lush landscaping and the painted shutters and red door. I still want to change some of the architectural elements of the entry way but for a 1961 home, it was in fantastic condition and obviously wellbuilt and maintained.
With that said, there were still a handful of BIG things that needed to be done to bring it in to year 2011 and make it OUR home. #1 on our list was our master bathroom. Now, we should have done this work immediately but i was enjoying all of the easy stuff like buying furniture and painting rooms. Gutting a bathroom and refinishing it with my own finishes (that i had to pick out) stressed me out. But that's exactly what we recently completed - hallelujah! We finally hired a professional to fully renovate the dingy, old, dated, en suite bathroom. This process started on a Monday and ended the following Tuesday. And after that i will always tack on extra days to any project quote from a contractor. It will ALWAYS take longer than you or they think it will.
Before we started the actual work, we spent about a full month combing through all sorts of design magazines and webpages. I LOVE decor blogs so that was an easy place to start. I found 3-4 photos of what i dubbed my "inspiration", saved them on the iPad and headed out to accumulate the pieces. We shopped around for each piece of material (found carrera marble molding at Home Depot, white subway tile and carrera floor tile at Floor & Decor, carrera marble counter top at a cabinet store off or Roswell Road, Paint at Lowe's...you get the idea). I also ordered all of my fixtures after finding them in person at retail stores - we found small discounts by ordering online at many places. And I have to say, my Apple products were a huge help through this whole process. I either used the "i-nigma" barcode scanner app in the iPhone to scan and search for better prices (which is what led us to Home Depot for certain marble pieces). Or the "Houzz" app to search for thousand's of photos of exactly what i was describing to the sales people. Even when the contractor was at the house and questioned my request to turn the chair rail a certain direction and angle the flooring a certain way, all i had to do was show him a photo from the "Houzz" app on the iPad and he was able to execute it perfectly!! So that's my 2-cents. If i didn't have them i would have been an organizational freak with folders and magazine clippings....they definitely kept me sane.
We're really happy with the results and can't wait to make it our own with some decor. Jared laughs but I call it "dressing up" the bathroom:). A room isn't done until it's dressed so technically the bathroom isn't done, haha (she's nekid). But enjoy the photos and the finished "dressed" photos will be added later.
Thanks!
We celebrated Christmas this year with the Snider family! It was a real treat to stay in one place for Christmas Eve AND Christmas Day this year. Most of my life i would split the holiday between my parents. Now with a 3rd family added in to the mix (Jared's side) we anticipate each Christmas having to travel a bit so that we see everyone. But this year was unique to say the least. We spent Christmas Eve with Jared's extended family - 1/2 day in Lincolnton and 1/2 day in Augusta. We had a great time laughing with cousins and eating yummy food...followed by more eating....then even more eating. I packed in enough sustenance to last me through winter hibernation. Then Christmas morning we woke up and had a leisurely morning at his parents house, got to watch Ellie (2 years old) open her many many presents with bright eyes, and partake in another yummy holiday feast for lunch. Then what did we do you ask? Well normally we would be packing up and heading to another house but not this year. We did absolutely nothing, watched the Christmas Story, watched Beauty and the Beast, grabbed dinner out, took a nap, watched the Nativity Story…..and more nothingness. It was wonderful!!
But I’ll admit, without seeing my family this year it hasn’t truly felt like Christmas to me yet. Sure my shopping is done and my tree is up and lights are on in our front yard – but I usually cap off the Christmas holiday with my family and that hasn’t happened yet. See, my mom and I are the only ones still in Georgia. Austin is in germany, Christin is in Vermont, Michael is in Arizona, Dad is in Texas and Cathy is in Virginia. So we had to postpone everything until SOMEONE was actually in town to celebrate with. This Wednesday Jared and I will head to Canton to celebrate with Mom and Dan since Michael flies in that morning. Then we will probably wait until after the New Year to have Christmas with Dad and Cathy. So I’m bummed but I’m also more aware than in past years that Christmas isn’t JUST about being with family. It’s about the gift of Jesus – and each time I think “woe-is-me” and where is my family? I think about that gift that was given over 2,000 years ago that’s free to us 365 days of the year. Sometimes it’s good to have a year where you are forced to remember why we get together in the first place and because of that I will cherish the moment when I finally do get to celebrate with my family.
On another note, my wonderful mother’s birthday was December 26th. So we made a point to celebrate her birthday together. Sunday night mom, Dan and Jared’s family all came to our house to eat another meal together. Jared bought some BBQ a while back from a friend of his that smokes his own meat. The guy travels all over entering his BBQ in competitions and sells it to friends and family. It came in shrink wrapped packages of 2lbs each. It was heavenly!! We had an array of BBQ sauces for everyone to choose from along with Mac ‘n Cheese, sautéed green beans, roasted vegetables and Texas toast. It was a welcome departure from the holiday food we’ve been enjoying! We sang happy birthday and opened birthday presents – it was nice to have both of our families under one roof at our house. I’ll post a few photos shortly.
Merry Christmas to all. Glory to God in the highest!
Can you believe November is already half way over? It's only in the 60's outside. I've already switched out my wardrobe to fall sweaters and boots, but man, it's still so warm outside! Here are a few quick updates:
1. HALLOWEEN: Jared and i had a blast at Halloween! We dressed up as Fred and Daphne from Scooby Doo. We really had fun joking about scooby snacks, the mystery mobile and clues - Zoinks! I've attached a few photos. We went to our friends, Chris & Alison's house party for a little bit where we met up with a santa clause, a dead nurse & 2 ostrich riding safari men just to name a few. It was quite hysterical when the ostriches showed up. Then we went to midtown to meet up with a few other friends. We saw lots of people dressed as the rescued Chilean miners and of course lots of Snooki's.
2. SICK: The stomach bug made it's way around our family. Christin came down with it while she was staying at mom's house and a few days later mom, Michael and I were all hit. I thought it was food poisoning at first b/c that's how bad it was. It took me out of work on a Thursday and Friday and by Monday i was feeling better.
3. FAMILY PHOTOS: The wonderful Christy Parry did a photo session for us this month. With Christin/Kevin/Jude AND Shannon/Lyla in town it was the perfect opportunity for a grandbaby - grandparent photo shoot. Christy met us in Marietta and we took pictures at Dad's house and in his neighborhood. Beautiful photos - see attached! This was a birthday present for Dad and Cathy this year from Christin and me.
4. THE HOUSE: Not a month goes by that we don't upgrade something or make an improvement to our humble home. We installed a beautiful fan in the kitchen getting rid of the dated & filthy white one we inherited. We've also been switching out all of the door hardware through out the house. We bought the house with brass doorknobs and are slowly switching them out for upgraded brushed nickel ones. We have about 4 more fans to upgrade and 6 more door knobs but we're getting there! It's amazing what these small changes do for a home. The big addition this month though are my new boyfriends, Ethan & Allen LOL (i.e. our new chairs for the den). I'm attaching photos that don't quite do them justice. They are beautiful and oh so comfy!! And lastly, we are getting quotes to renovate our Not-So-Masterful master bathroom. I'll be sure to post about that upgrade but we're really excited about picking out fixtures and finishes!
5. THANKSGIVING: We made last minute plans to spend Thanksgiving in Lexington, VA with Cathy's family. I used to visit the Garrett's every few years but since college i have not had a chance to make the trip. And Jared has yet to visit in the 5 years we've been together. In fact, he's only met Cat's family once...at our wedding!! So we are both really excited to spend Thanksgiving with the Garrett's this year. I drive up Tuesday with Dad/Cat and Jared will fly in to Roanoke on Thanksgiving day (early). Top on our list, other than spending long hours around the dinner table eating and catching up, is for Jared to see Robert E Lee's grave. Typical GA boy. But mostly we will be indulging in Nanny Garrett's German chocolate cake, lemon-chess pieces, baked apples, homemade biscuits with home made preserves, and soooo much more. I seriously cannot wait!
6. CHRISTMAS (ALREADY): Jared and i are both members of the choir at church and are hard at work memorizing lines and songs for the upcoming Christmas musical. So, needless to say, we are already entrenched in Christmas songs. Also, my shopping is about 40% complete if you can believe that. I'm an early Christmas shopper. I start my "list" immediately after Christmas ends for the next year. We're planning on spending Christmas Eve in Lincolnton, GA with Jared's family - it is always a fun time! Then back to Canton on Christmas Day to spend with Mom.
7. DOC: Doc had his first day of doggie daycare this month! We took him to a place called Unleashed in Marietta. It's one of the only doggie day cares around Marietta and is true to it's name. They don't use leashes or crates. The dogs have to go through a screening/temperment process before they can be accepted - and they have to be approved by the Alpha-male....a giant german shephard that is just gorgeous! Doc passed and he spent a whole day galavanting around this house and huge yard. When we picked him up the owner seemed quite impressed with Doc. She said we have done really well with training him and that he seems to really listen when given instructions. We were floored!!!! To us, Doc still has a long way to go. He still jumps on you when you walk in to the house and he still has an occasional accident on the floor or in his crate - but he does know "no", "sit", "come" so i guess we're doing pretty good. He will be staying at Unleashed when we are in Virginia. He's full-grown by now (13 months) and the attached photos of the chairs show what a good boy he is - posing for the camera:).
8. AUSTIN UPDATE: Shannon and Lyla made the long trip to Germany safe and sound. Lyla apparently fell asleep when they took off and stayed asleep until they landed in Germany. They will stay there until Austin ships off to Afghanistan at which point they will move back to Atlanta. Not looking forward to Austin's deployment but i am looking forward to some much needed Aunt time with Lyla!
9. THE POUNDS FAMILY: Christin, Jude and Kevin have officially moved to Burlington, VT. They found a rental to live in and i'm sure they are still living out of boxes at this point. She left Atlanta last Friday. Here is the website for the church planting. http://serveburlington.com/new-home-gods-grace-gods-glory Please keep them in your prayers!
Happy Holidays!!
I haven't posted in a while but it's not because there's nothing to write about. Quite the opposite, I think I could write 4 or 5 long winded journal entries. But #1 I don't have the time and #2 each one is ever changing. So I write this today to ask for your prayers about each of these things:
1. I'll start with the big whopper. Jared lost his job 2 weeks ago today. Today is his official last day with Gardner, Spencer, Smith, Tench & Jarbeau (GSSTJ) and it is a sad day for us both. When he came home 2 weeks ago and told me the news we were both pretty down about it. Not so much about the loss of income (that was a big pill to swallow for sure) but b/c of the life changing event this will be for him. Jared's been with GSSTJ for over 7 years and they were his first job out of college. Now…in another 20 years or so he and I might both have changed companies multiple times, but leaving that first company is hard. The relationships and connections he's made with the folks at GSSTJ will be missed. Unfortunately, the company did not have any upcoming work. We're very fortunate to have waded through the declining economy for as long as we did. 2+ years ago, so many of Jared's colleagues and friends were losing their jobs in mass due to the economy. GSSTJ seemed to have gotten through it until this year - They just didn't have enough work to keep Jared on. He was the last project architect they had after laying off 3 people last year AND handing down pay cuts across the board (1 month before our wedding actually). So we're doing ok - we'll be fine on my salary for a while and Jared already has a handful of promising interviews lined up this week. We're trusting God to take care of us and we know that where ever Jared ends up it will be the RIGHT place.
2. By brother, Austin, is on his way back to to continue the war on terror. He has a beautiful wife and baby girl that he is leaving behind and they definitely need our prayers during this time. I think this deployment will be similar to the last one, 12-15 months, except that he is now a sergeant. In fact, not only is he deploying but he is transferring to a base in for the next 3 years. Once he is back from , safe and sound, Shannon and Lyla will join him in for the rest of his enlistment. He left Monday this week for and will head to in early December. I guess we didn't know how blessed we were to have him home this last Christmas - he will be missed this holiday season!! But I hear a trip to coming up in our future, yay!
3. The Pounds family update!! My sister is pregnant with her and Kevin's second child. It's too early to know the sex but we are all so excited. A little over a year ago she had Jude who is now a vivacious and beautiful 15 month old. He looks just like Christin if you ask me :) And even reminds me of our brother Austin when he was young. Such a cutie. This new little one is sure to have a fun time with his/her big brother. Also, they are in town through November on a sort of sabbatical. Kevin has resigned from their church in and they are preparing to move and begin their second church plant in Yep - !! What a change from right! I can't wait to visit - was voted one of the top 10 cities to raise a family in the in 2010. And on top of that big adventure, Kevin is currently visiting with a group of US pastors. His youngest brother, Scott, is a missionary in so they invited Kevin to join them on the trip. He hopes to spend a week or so with Scott but he will mostly be traveling and meeting with other pastors all over the country. The Pounds certainly have their hands full!!
4. The "original" Snider’s, LOL. As you know, Jared’s father is a pastor at Believer’s Fellowship, Assemblies of God church in He and Mrs. Robin have pastured this church from it’s inception for the past 5.5 years and have seen hundreds of lives changed through their ministry. This year, they have decided, however, that God is moving them in a new direction. He has officially resigned from the church and will be doing full time evangelism. He’s always said that his heart is in evangelism and now he’s taking a huge leap of faith towards that desire. God has affirmed their decision in some amazing ways and the church has really supported them as they make the transition this month. October 24th will be his last Sunday preaching at Believer’s Fellowship. It will be a special service!! Following this change, Jared and I will remain at BF through the end of the year but then we will say our good byes and start the search for a new church home closer to our home in . We are sad to leave the people who have surrounded us each Sunday throughout our relationship. I have never known Jared outside of this church family – I’ve been attending with him since we first started dating!! They have been so good to me and they sincerely welcomed me in as the “new girl’” dating the “pastor’s son” ha-ha. But we’re both ready to begin our search for a new church home. God is going to really grow us through it all I just know!!
5. Other family news – ok so this is exciting stuff in a nutshellJ. Jared’s sister, Leah, has begun a new adventure – she is a Premier Jewelry sales woman now!! I’ve always told her she’s a natural salesperson just like her father. My cousin Hallie is marrying her college sweetheart Ross in in February 2011. We can’t wait to spend a few days celebrating with the family. Now the only cousin left is John boy – but he’s still in college so no rush JohnJ. My step brother, Michael, graduated HS and is in his first year of college working a part-time job. We can all remember what that was like. Am I missing anything else? Sheesh, I hope not – this is enough for one girl to remember.
Thanks for taking the time to read through this – As this webpage says at the top, “so much going on in the world today and our lives are no different”. Thank you for keeping us and our family in your prayers.
Every year I do my best to take a day and spend it garage saleing with my mom. She LOVES a good deal and I have to admit I love them too (Jared can back that up - Me: "I got this for 50% off baby", Jared: "that's great - but how much was it???"). Mom's neighborhood, Bridgemill, does a neighborhood sale every year which includes 100's of garage sales from 8am-3pm Friday and Saturday. And this year, Christin was in town so we made it a girls outing. Me, Christin, Mom and her good friend Marla met at the house at 8:45am and piled in to the SUV (after making sure the back was cleared out to make room for all the goodies we were going to buy). The important thing to note here is that we are not amateurs at garage saleing – it is an art form. You don't aimlessly drive around the neighborhood looking for signs or balloons - No - You consistently make right hand turns to ensure you don't overlap and hit the same sale twice. This is very important - so even if you see a sale that is 4 houses down, BUT there is a road on the right before you get to that house - you MUST turn right. This ensures we hit every sale before 3pm -seriously.
So on to the good stuff - what did we find?? Christin really hit the jackpot I think - she got loads and loads of baby clothes. We used to drive around avoiding the sales that had too many baby items out. But this trip, considering we have 2 babies in the family and 1 (maybe 2) on the way we practically stopped at every single sale with children’s items. Mom stocked up on all kinds of baby toys for Jude and Lyla too. They are some lucky grand babies!! They also found some light socket protectors to help baby proof Oma's house for Jude & Lyla. Christin also found some really cute maternity clothes.
Mom didn't find a whole lot for herself - she was searching for home items to finish off her living room. We did find a sale where the woman was going out of business and was selling all of her store items. She had owned a furniture boutique in the area. Everything was beautiful and very classically styled (side tables, mirrors, vases, coffee tables, fireplace covers, etc.). She spotted a floor to ceiling mirror that was classic but had a unique frame that would go great in her home. But we weren't sure if she had a place for it OR if it would fit. So at the end of the day we went home and measured the space and decided that it would fit perfectly in the living room!! Unfortunately, when she went back on Saturday with Marla it had already sold - tragic story, I know:(
I ended up finding things I never knew I needed - but couldn't live without:). I found a collapsible dog crate for Doc which will be soo much better when we travel to and from Conyers on weekends. I also found a pedestal planter for my patio - I brought it home and spray painted it black to match our furniture. it's beautiful and makes me so happy! And then I found an outdoor sconce light that we installed on our back patio. It gives off a much brighter/prettier light than our old tarnished one. And it’s so shiny and new. Total for all 3 items was only $40!! Then I also got a kitchen torch for $1 - it was brand new, never been used and still in the packaging. Now I will be prepared when I get the nerve to make Crème Brule:) Pray I don't set the house on fire though. I also found a small, yellow-berry wreath. I hung it on our front door - it's so bright and fall-ish. Just the right touch of color! And then the most practical item I found was a $.50 paint edger. We were heading back to the car when I spotted it all by itself in a large box that was already cleaned out. I asked the expert room painter (mom) if she had ever used one of them and she said that it was the best tool to have for painting edges. Apparently it gives you the most straight and clean edge possible. Now, I was excited b/c I have been delaying painting the guest restroom (as I note in an earlier post about the stripes). I did the powder room but the restroom was still gray (uggh). I couldn't get up the energy to tackle it b/c of all the edging and cutting-in I needed to do. But this little $.50 tool got me motivated (finally!!). So I completed the painting the very next day. I'll post photos in my home album once I get a new light installed.
And lastly we have Marla. She and my mom have been best friends for years and she's been going to this neighborhood sale with mom each year. They go both Friday and Saturday. She was on a mission to find matching wicker tables for the wicker furniture she found at the sale last year. But, unfortunately, no one was selling wicker this year. But she did find a few beautiful silk floral arrangements. There is a home that sells custom made, silk arrangements each year. There is everything from special holiday decor to every day centerpieces. This is also the sale where I found the yellow wreath. Marla found a few sunflower pieces for her daughter and herself. She also found a ton of books throughout the day - enough to last until the next sale at least. And toys for her grand babies of course were purchased (it's a grandmother's right).
In 6 months, Jared and i attended 9 weddings!! Not just reveived invitations for but ATTENDED. And each wedding was just as special as the one before. And we didn't just go because we LOVE dressing up, eating yummy wedding cake and shaking our booties. We truly would not have wanted to miss any of them - each couple is so dear to us in one way or another. Which is why i'm posting about this in the first place. I want to remember each one and ensure that they are not just a blur of white lace and flowers. So here we go, in order of wedding date:
1. Feb 27th, Shane & Susan Froman: I used to work for Shane at Cousins and have become very close to he and his wife Susan. The wedding was held downtown in the Chamber of Commerce building and the reception was at the roof top bar in the same building. The amazing thing about this wedding was the Ga Tech glee club that they had perform. When the bride and groom kissed, they faced the isle and all of sudden the doors opened up and 20-30 tech students walked in singing. It was very unique!
2. March 7th, Nick & Kara Hall: Nick is Jared's childhood best friend and served as Jared's best man in our wedding. So Jared returned the favor and served as Nick's best man in his and Kara's Las Vegas wedding. We flew to Vegas on a Friday, had the rehearsal on Saturday and the wedding on Sunday. Needless to say we had a wonderful time in Vegas. And since the wedding was around our 1 year anniversary, we decided to take a week off and do a ski trip to celebrate. It was one of the best vacations we could have asked for - Vegas and then Lake Tahoe. you can see the pictures in the photo album.
3. April 10th, Courtney & Brent Hodgson: Courtney and i work together at 191 Peachtree. We've become great friends since i started in 2007. The wedding was held at a lovely old house in downtown Roswell, GA. They held the ceremony in the garden and the reception inside. The colors were the most virbrant and summery of all of the weddings i think. And the crowd was by far the most celebratory if you know what i mean - let's just say Courtney & Brent's friends know how to party. We ended the night at The Intercontinental wine bar with the newly married couple and the wedding party. Shane and Susan (from wedding #1) were also there to help us celebrate.
4. April 17th, Mike & Sarah Agurkis: Mike & Sarah are friends of mine from UGA. Mike and i were in the same major and we all worked together a the UGA intramural fields. They've been dating for ages so we were looking forward to their wedding:). They also held theirs in Roswell and the reception was at the same old home as Courtney & Brent's. The ceremony was at 2pm and afterwards they invited everyone to Mike's office (another old home in downtown Roswell) for cocktails. Our group of friends commandeered the porch swing area and enjoyed catching up with each other before heading to the reception.
5. May 15th, Jackie & David Fiedler: Jackie is one of my dearest friends since our UGA days. We roomed together our senior year along with 2 others and have remained close since graduation. She and David have also been together since college and they were engaged for 2 years before the wedding - so we were REALLY looking forward to their wedding. Jackie had a beautiful, souther, Atlanta wedding - it was held in a large cathedral in Buckhead and the reception was in the ballroom at the Atlanta History Center. One fun thing they did was hire a cigar roller for the reception - it was a huge hit with the guys.
6. May 16th, Mandy & Ben Snider: Yes, this was the day AFTER Jackie's wedding. They held it on a Sunday afternoon in the North GA mountains. It was a pituresque setting and one of the most eco-friendly wedding i've ever been to. they had all biodegradeable utensils and plates and all of the food was locally grown. And i almost forgot to mention that yes, Ben is Jared's cousin:) Hence the same last name. We don't know Many very well but she was a gorgeous bride. It had rained earlier in the day but by wedding time it cleared up and ended up being a comfortable day for an outdoor wedding and reception.
7. May 30th, Jantzen & Tamami Gianfrancesco: Not as obivious as Ben (wedding #6) but Jantzen is also one of jared's cousins (2nd cousin actually). They have always been close and when Jantzen moved to Los Angeles and met Tamami we knew we would make the trip for their wedding. They held the ceremony outside in the Los Angeles Rose Garden (beautiful!!) and the reception inside the atrium right next door. The most unique thing about this wedding was their 1st dance - they did a fully choreographed dance....really...it was very "Dancing With the Stars" - you can see the photos in my photo album. They also went by their celebrity couple name Jamami which i thought was hilarious. They are a truly fun and creative couple!!
8. June 5th, Aubrey & Bryan Shirley: Aubrey is a childhood friend of Jared's sister Leah - Leah served as her Maid of Honor of course and the wedding was held in a small GA town in a beautiful and small GA white chapel. Then they had the reception in a Hall located within a wildlife preserve area. I've gotten to know Aubrey pretty well through church and hanging out on weekends and she is the sweetest, conservative, most proper, well manored person you will meet. When she started dating Bryan, a fire fighter whose favorite hobby is off-roading in his souped-up Jeep Wrangler, i was incredibly surprised. But after spending a little more time with him i realized what she saw in him. He is a genuine friend to everyone he meets and is a loving and caring person - even though he would never admit it. He is the yin to her yang and really brings out the best in her. After the reception they were going to drive away in his HUGE jeep wrangler and to help her get in to the vehicle he pulled out a step ladder - such a gentleman.
9. June 19th, Mark & Andrea Sheridan: One of the last of the uga couples - they too have been dating since school. Mark worked at Intramural sports with the rest of us and is one of the craziest people i've ever met - I don't know how Andrea handles it but i'm sure he keeps her laughing. It was held in Athens in a small white chapel and the reception was held at the State Botanical Gardens. Andrea was beautiful it a vintage inspired lace gown and veil and her colors were a vibrant fuschia and purple - the food was some of the best wedding food as well. I would definitely consider Andrea a 'foodie' and the selection defintiely captured that. We danced all night long of course and most of the guests continued the celebration in downtown Athens after the reception.
So that's all of them - so far - for 2010. We have 1 or 2 more through out the year but after these i think we can handle 1-2 more:).
This year was a very low key birthday for me - and i preferred it that way:). We did, however, start the celebration early with dinner on Monday at the Capital Grille with Dad, Cathy and their friends Ron & Nell Willis. They surprised me with a chocolate cake dessert and a candle and the waiters took our photo together - i'll post it as soon as i can scan it in. The 10th (my actual birthday) was a Thursday so Jared and i went to our favorite place, South City Kitchen, for dinner. There was a live band and we gorged on a crab cake appetizer, steak and BBQ so we decided to pass on dessert for the night....and when we got home i had a surprise waiting for me in the living room. Jared had bought me exactly what i wanted (don't laugh - you know you're jealous)....a Shark Floor Steamer. This baby is awesome - it cleans our tile floors like magic - i used it first thing that Saturday morning. So it's definitely not a typical birthday gift and not something most women would ask for but i NEEDED it and i was thrilled.
Friday night i set up some much needed girl time with a few friends - we met at the movie theatre and saw SATC2. It wasn't a blockbuster or anything but it was entertaining and we enjoyed getting our Carrie Bradshaw fix! Then we grabbed dinner and drinks at Tin Lizzies.
I also got a new set of patio furniture that my Dad and Cathy helped us buy - it's a wrought iron couch and chair with slate gray cushions. I will attach photos when i get them so you can drool over them with me:). I found them on craiglist and the woman selling them gave us a deal - we picked them up from her on Saturday. Then my absolute favorite birthday gift was a full day of nothing on Saturday. Jared and i did stuff around the house and yard and then grilled out for dinner - it was heaven since most Saturday's we have obligations or weddings to attend.
Then Sunday morning we woke up early and drove to Conyers for church. We had a great service and then went to the Snider's home for more grilling out and pool time. They also gave me some fabulous gifts (a white hydrangea plant which i had been wanting and a whole set of outdoor serving-ware to go with our new furniture). They are too good to their daughter-in-law (or daughter-in-love as Mr Snider would say).
And it's not over yet apparently!! Mom and i always do a shopping or movie night for my birthday so we are planning to do that this week hopefully. It's tradition!!
Here's a fun little story about a whirl wind trip to California over Memorial Day weekend. Jared, Leah and I flew out of Atlanta around noon on Friday, the flight was great and i was able to finally finish a book i've been working on for ages now. We arrived in LA around 2:30p CA time and found the weather to be rather chilly for what us Georgians would consider summer-time. it was in the upper 50's and i was FREEZING. It took about an hour to get our rental car (a Sebring - no, not a convertible unfortunately) and then we were off to Santa Monica. Using Leah's iPhone we navigated the side streets the entire way since we didn't feel like dealing with the highway traffic LA is so famous for. We were lucky enough to have a free place to stay with one of Leah's friends, Rusty & Charity Joiner. They have a beautiful apartment in Santa Monica about 1.5 miles from the beach. They were so gracious and made us feel right at home with their two babies (toy poodles Ezra and Bama - Rusty is an fan - grr). So we settled in and then went out to the Promenade for a late lunch with the dogs in tow.
After lunch we walked around the Promenade a bit and then headed back to get ready for our first night out. Jantzen (Jared & Leahs cousin and the groom in the wedding we were in town for) was having all of his out-of-town friends over to a hotel in Santa Monica to hang out and then out to dinner. We ate at Enterprise Fish Company - i had the halibut and it was delish!! I recommend this place if you are looking for a nice, fresh seafood restaurant. They had a great bar scene as the night went on and our waiter was so friendly - he had actually lived in Savannah, GA for a few years! http://santamonica.enterprisefishco.com/fishco.html
Then we hopped a cab (all 9 of us) and headed to another bar. Something new that us Atlantan's can start to look out for are these trucks that come out late at night and stop in front of the bars. There are trucks that serve everything - from hotdogs & hamburgers to ice cream, chocolate cake & cupcakes. It's like the taco stands you see pop-up at construction sites during lunch except for party-goers. It was a late night surprise!! After another cab ride back to our car we made our way back to Rusty & Charity's place for the night. Again, they were such gracious hosts - they had bottled water and everything for us and in the morning they had a fresh batch of coffee made and donuts!!
The next morning we had an early wake-up call so that we could make it to LA in time for a scheduled bus tour. The mother-of-the-groom arranged for the entire group out of town guests to go on a private bus tour of Beverly Hills and Hollywood. They picked us up at the Sheraton in downtown LA and took us straight to the Chinese Theatre! Check out the pictures - we saw ALL of the big stars and their concrete signatures. My goal was to see Robert Downy Jr. while i was in LA but the closest i got were his hand prints - i love him still!! Then we got back on the bus and drove through the Hollywood Hills as the guide pointed out all of the famous peoples houses - Orlando Bloom, Jennifer Aniston, Charlize Theron, Christina Aguilera, Michael Jackson, Adam Sandler, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis....and it goes on and on. of course you don't get to actually SEE their houses b/c of the tall gates. And we of course stopped at a look out point to get a view of the Valley and the Hollywood sign. (Trivia question: what did the Hollywood sign originally say?). On a separate note the weather had GREATLY improved and was now cloudless and in the high 70’s!!
After touring Hollywood, we moved on to Beverly Hills (these houses went up to $30million!!) We saw Dr Phil, another Marilyn Monroe house and the house that Michael Jackson died in! Again, mostly gates but still fun to look at. We also saw the original House of Blues.
After the tour they drove us back to the hotel where we grabbed the car and went back to Santa Monica. We quickly changed and jumped BACK in the car headed for the beach. We ate lunch again at the Promenade which is also known for it's street performers. Where we ate lunch happened to be in front of a musician who was playing a mean guitar (Jared claims this guy was BETTER than Santana). I'm not saying that but it was great music to relax to. After lunch we walked down to the beach and made the trek all the way to the shore. The beach was packed with people and we found a little spot to sun in for 15-20 minutes or so. So relaxing!!
After the beach we had to hurry and get back to the apartment to change and get ready for the rehearsal dinner....we were on the go the whole trip it feels like. Traffic was terrible of course and it took a little longer than expected to get back downtown to the Sheraton but we made it. The dinner was held in the Polaris room on the top of the Sheraton (kind of like the Westin’s Sun Dial but not rotating). The food was absolutely fantastic!! Really, it was probably the best we had all weekend. Everything about the dinner was intimate and you could tell how much everyone loved both Jantzen and his future bride Tamami. Jantzen is in the film/editing business (sorry, not sure what to call it) so the typical wedding slide show that we’re all used to at these things was VERY different. jantzen filmed and edited a movie that interviewed each of the wedding party, himself and Tamami. It took us through their childhood and their close friendships and at the end said “to be continued…”. It was about 45 min long but it was very well done (funny, sweet, silly, etc.). We all cheered when it was over. Then we all said our goodbyes and headed out.
The 3 of us gave Rusty and Charity a call to see what they were up to – they had both been out all day (rusty riding bikes along the beach w/ the guys and Charity out with the girls for a birthday celebration – jealous!). They and all of their friends were just getting to K&D Kitchen for some food and drinks so we made our way over. It was a neat, casual restaurant in the middle of some great boutiques – if only we had more time during the day!!! They’re friends were a riot and kept us laughing all night – seriously – they were the nicest group of people I think I’ve ever met. One of the girls was even from Knoxville, TN ! She had a thicker accent than we did. At last call we made our way back to the apartment and called it a night.
The next morning was definitely the most relaxing of the trip. We all slept in Sunday morning and woke up in time to grab a late brunch at the Georgian Terrace hotel. One of the couples from the night before met up with us and we ended up just having a nice, easy, relaxing brunch telling stories from the night before and learning about each other. They were even nicer than I remember from the night before- and I’m not exaggerating here. AND, the weather was perfect again – high 70’s, slight breeze and not a cloud to be seen anywhere.
Once we got back to the apartment it was just about time to start getting showered and ready for the wedding. Leah had to be there at 2:30 for sound check (she was singing in the ceremony) but the wedding wasn’t until 3:30pm. So Jared and I went along (we were sharing a car and all) and walked around the grounds while they were rehearsing. The wedding was held at the Exposition Park Rose Garden – a historic, 7-acre park. With the warm weather and breeze you could smell the roses from every direction.
There were a few hiccups in the wedding day though and we’re thankful we were there to ease some of the stress. The bridesmaids dresses, 3 of them actually, ripped at the seam while getting zipped up (don’t ask how since all of the bridesmaids were size 0-2, Japanese women). So the mother-of-the-groom had to spend her hair & make-up time sewing them into the dresses an hour before the wedding was supposed to start. And her husband was tied up helping so he wasn’t able to pick up a few of the out of town guests at the Sheraton before the wedding was going to start. So Jared and I hopped back in to the car to pick them up – we barely made it back to the ceremony before the mothers and grandmothers were being seated. But we made it and everything was gorgeous. They said their own vows which were incredibly heartfelt. The bride didn’t even have hers written down, she just spoke from the heart. And Leah sang as they handed flowers to their mothers and grandmothers. It was a short but special ceremony. a highlight i have to share is that they had some great music and the song they walked out to was the original Karate Kid song, "you're the best around, nothings going to ever keep you down..." - ok so i don't know the name but it was so appropriate and triumphant sounding as they walked out - priceless!!
Then on to the reception: there was a cocktail reception while photos were being taken outside, they had a photo booth for guests to take fun pictures and paste in a scrapbook for the bride and groom and there was a fun sign in table with note cards we could write on. Then the food was served buffet style, followed by a video tribute to the bride’s father who had recently passed and the continuation of the video from the rehearsal dinner. The bride and grooms first dance was a fun, choreographed number that included some serious lifts (no kidding - they rivaled Dancing W/ The Stars) and then the real dancing began. The reception (i.e. dancing) lasted until about 10pm when we all lit up sparklers and said goodbye to the bride and groom (they are honeymooning in Italy as I type – again, jealous!).
So it was a beautiful end to our trip – we ended up getting some late night McDonald’s on our way back to Rusty & Charity’s and watched a movie with them until my eyes couldn’t stay open anymore. The next morning was early and we were back at the rental car place before I knew it and on the plane back to Atlanta . I slept the entire plane ride back and we arrived to a rainy and muggy city. Jared and I made it home by 9pm (I think). We picked up some sushi/Chinese food for dinner and took the dogs for a walk before crashing for the night. I loved California but nothing beats your own home and bedJ
I can't believe i am an aunt of 3 beautiful babies. My brother recently had a little girl, Lyla. She is so beautiful and i cannot wait to meet her. Austin and Shannon are making the trip to Georgia in June so i will meet her then. From what i hear she is such a good baby - sleeps through the night and doesn't cry too often. I guess that's what it takes to be a good baby, haha. Then theres the second oldest, Jude. They are celebrating his one year birthday in June and i am praying for a cheap plane ticket - i would love to visit and join the party festivities. He is just the cutest baby boy i've ever seen - i've attached photo evidence:). I also have Christin's blog on my blog list (gaining pounds) so if you want even further proof of his undeniable cuteness you can feast your eyes on her blog. Seriously - i want to eat him up. Then the oldest is Jared's sisters daughter Ellie. And talk about a girly, girly - she is the most precious little two year old. She loves to hug and kiss and blow kisses and dress up and play her mini baby-grand piano and sing and dance. And by far the cutest thing is when she goes around the room and says everyone's name over and over. She's growing up so fast - i've attached some photos of her 2nd birthday party. Blow up jumpy things and all! It was a party fit for a princess. Leah made an observation this last weekend that struck me as well. Ellie is no longer her baby - she's 100% little girl. And i LOVE seeing her every weekend when we're with the Snider's. She has so much joy and her smile is infectious.
Today is my wonderful husband's birthday. 28 years old!! When do you start planning the 30th birthday party? I can't wait for that milestone to hit. He's my best friend and a wonderful husband - I really don't know what life would be like without him in it but i hope i never have to find out. Happy Birthday Jared!
Also, 2 days ago we celebrated our 1 year anniversary. Jared was the sneakiest he's ever been. He surprised me on a Sunday night with dinner at South City Kitchen (SCK - our favorite). It was one of those strange GA weather days where it opened up with rain and then hailed for about 10 minutes. Not a great evening and all we really wanted to do was relax. It had been a pretty busy day already. When we go to the restaurant I was met at the table with this collage (see attachment) of photos (all of the photos were ones taken since we've been married) in a pretty frame with flowers and candle. I didn't notice it at first but then realized we were the only table in the place with a candle and flowers on the table. Then the waitress came to the table with a bottle of Don Perignon (a wedding gift we had been saving). I found out later that when he said he had to go in to work on Saturday he was really dropping this stuff off at the restaurant - ("you underestimate my sneakiness"...quote that movie). So we enjoyed a wonderful meal together at the same table we ate at the night he proposed (unintentional supposedly). Then the top of our wedding cake is brought out - again with the being floored. The waitress cut us each a piece and as we tried it (we were so nervous), we were excited to see that it tasted almost exactly the same as it did 1 year ago. It was delicious!! I think it was the fact that it was pound cake and not regular cake...it was still moist and just barely had a hint of the freezer. We were very impressed! The waitress ended up having a piece and sharing it with a few others in the restaurant. So we had a long, leisurely dinner together. Oh - and he arranged for a good friend of ours to stop by and get our dog out of the car. You see we were coming back from Conyers where Jared's parents are so we had Doc with us. With Doc taken care of we were really able to just enjoy ourselves and not rush. My wonderful husband - 2 days before his birthday - made our anniversary so special.
I've been in denial - i really hate the high-gloss gray i painted in our 2nd bathroom. Every morning i've walked in to dry my hair and i hate it. I've just been too busy to really commit to doing anything about that. I like the stripes just not the glossiness i chose. AND i don't think the gray goes well with the house no matter how much i like the color by itself. I might like it better as a flat (like in our dining room) but i can't use flat in a bathroom so i'm changing it all together. This weekend i start the sand down and repaint process. I'm not even going to say what i'm changing the color to but i think it will flow much better. in the mean time i have found this website that immortalizes pink bathrooms which is crazy to me - how can anyone love this shade of pink (i'm lucky mine is more salmon than pepto). I think once i finish painting and am happy with it i will submit it to their Flickr page. www.savethepinkbathrooms.com. Check it out.
PS i've deleted all of the photos of the bathroom in honor of this post.
It's not been quite a year yet but it's strange how when someone asks you how long you've been married (since it's so obvious we're newly weds) you say "a year". What is it about making it that 1st year. I've heard some say the 1st year is the hardest while others say it was the easiest. I am right smack in the middle of that one. It's hard because marriage is 24/7 (especially when you work so close to your hubby and get to carpool morning and afternoon - yay!). And it's easy b/c it sometimes feels like i'm playing house. I LOVE playing house by the way - And Jared, the kind man he is, let's me. I could never say the 1st year is the hardest though. Marriage is life for us - it's not an activity or a destination - It becomes who you are, not what you do. And for those that say "i'm still the same person" - well yes that's true - but that person is now married and it changes you ever so slightly. And i think slightly is the key word there. Jared and I are the same people we were before living together but after moving in and being married - your view changes. It's no longer what am I doing, it's what are WE doing. I could go on and on about how stressful it is for me to think about what WE are doing for dinner, what WE are doing Friday night for fun, when will OUR laundry be done, who will pay OUR mortgage. But we work together and that's the only way it can be done. I am truly grateful for the marriage Jared and I have - we work together on everything even when it's not fun. So with that 1 year mark approaching and the 1st day of Spring around the corner i'm soo ready to start year 2. I almost wonder if i should stop counting all together and just act like we've been married for an eternity - I can't wait for that milestone to hit!
And on a side note - i'm attaching a photo of a room i'm obsessed with this week. Doesn't this make you scream for spring to get here already? I wish i could have such a sparkly white house but when is that ever an option with a dog and a hubby:)
Update: I finished (a while ago but i'm just getting around to posting a picture). See attached and please excuse the lopsided and wrinkled pillow cases on the bed.
I am fairly "in" to home decor blogs and magazine's these days - ok maybe a little obsessed. When i don't have anything else to do, i surf the web for design blogs or flip through magazines. Luckily my dear friend Alison work(ed) for an advertisement firm and would bring me handfuls of them once a month - sadly she just got a new job so it looks like i have about a month until they run out and i have to buy more. Anyways, i love www.younghouselove.com - My other dear friend Renee shared this site with me and if you scroll down on the right side of their home page is a list of other blogs. I regularly skim through those.
Since we've purchased our quaint little house in July, the 1 room that has zero style is our "office/3rd bedroom". I put my childhood daybed in there and a desk from my grandfather. The floor is a mess with large plastic bins of wrapping paper, CD's & books. So my idea was to find a wardrobe that could limelight as storage for these things (instead of clothes). I think i've settled on Ikea's white, 3-door Aspelund - for $200 you just can't beat it (imagine it with new, blingy knobs). My daybed is also white so i think i will go with the "shabby-chic" look. THEN i saw this amazing display of empty frames on a blog (see attached). It's made with $1 frames from the thrift store that she spray painted white and hung from knobs....pure genious! I get fairly wrapped up in accessorizing walls and am rarely happy with my choice - so this seemed like a fantastic solution since they don't have any prints in them - no major decisions to be made!!
So take a look at the old photo of the room and i'll post a new photo after the holiday's after the room is "done" - though we all know that in my house things will never be done.
We're getting a puppy!! His name will be Doc Holiday ("Doc") after Jared's favorite old west hero and the "holiday" ties in nicely since we're getting him over the holiday's. I have a picture of him and his brother which i've posted here (get ready to oooh and ahhh) - he's a liver and white American Brittany. We pick him up Saturday from a breeder in Alabama. For those of you who know anything about bird dogs, this guy is from the Nolan's Last Bullet blood line - Jared says that means something in the bird dog world. But we plan on bringing him home Saturday and we are so excited - he will be 7 weeks and i'm sure a chewing monster. I find myself worrying if i'll be a good dog owner - is that crazy?? My natural instinct is to research, research, research it until i'm so overwhelmed with new puppy information that i can't remember the first thing. People tell me it will be fine and it's just a dog, but i don't want him to be "just a dog". I want him to be the most well behaved, fully trained, hunting machine dog ever! So i'm driving myself crazy reading training techniques and what toys to give him and how to avoid bloating and over eating (gross). If anyone reads this and has tips or advice please share. Please pray for Jared's sanity as we embark on this learning experience:) I'll post photos after we bring him home too!!
We're actually buying a house!! We close tomorrow (7/9 @ 2pm) so please say a prayer everything goes well. I posted photos so everyone can see. It was built in '61. 4-sided, brick ranch with lots of charm. We loved the old wood floors that are super worn in, the crown molding, and the HUGE yard. The previous owner did a fantastic job at updating the kitchen and the bathrooms and she also put in really nice spanish-looking tile in the kitchen and 2nd living room. The bathrooms also have new tile and one of them has a heated floor!! The yard is all professionally landscaped with azalea's, a japanese maple, an herb garden, and all sorts of other flowers and plants. Pray that my indoor gardening skills are nothing like my outdoor skills. I kill everthing i've ever had in my house (current and previous roommates can attest). The back porch is oh-so wonderful too. It's a concrete patio with an attached wood deck that has built-in seating. Perfect for BBQ's! The house is in East Cobb off of Powers Ferry between Delk Road and 1-20 loop.
Can't wait to have everyone over!! enjoy the photos but please note that it will be totally different when you see it. I have big plans involving new paint and new furniture:). Yay for projects!
I can not wait to share the professional photos with everyone. They are so special to me since they are my window back to that day. Everything flew by so fast and it's great to be able to look through the photos and remember each moment. Jared and i have spent so much time reliving every moment. We keep trying to remember who we spoke with and who said what and what happened when. The pictures help us piece that all back together. I'm so thankful i had some quality time with my out of town family. That was priceless to me and it meant so much to have everyone come in town to help us celebrate.
The question everyone asks as we've been settling back in is "how was the honeymoon". It's so hard to explain the relief we felt during that trip. It was so relaxing and wonderful to spend that time alone in a different country:). We went to Mexico and stayed in an all-inclusive resort called Sun Palace in Cancun. The people there were incredibly friendly and we didn't want for anything the entire time. When they say all-inclusive, they mean it. I ate my body weight in guacamole!!! We were as busy as we wanted to be so check out the photos! We went on a few excursions and spent lots of time at the pool and beach.
The wedding nerves i think are here to stay. The first 7 or 8 months of planning weren't so bad but these last 2 have my heart racing. I am so detail oriented that i find myself having small panic attacks over the tiniest things. Things that ultimately do not matter have caused me the most heart ache (shoes, wedding day transportation, wedding programs). I'm so concerned about everyone's comfort and stress level that i forget to just enjoy the process. When people ask me how the planning is going i answer as honestly as i can..."it's stressful, but...i'm done". And it's true - we could have the wedding tomorrow and everything would be fabulous! But i have all of these little DETAILS to work out. And everything at this stage needs an appointment (hair trial appt, vendor appts, dress sizing appt, make-up appt, ring appt) so i can't just do them in my free time. I have to schedule them and then stare at the check list knowing that in 1 week i can check that item off my list - for those of you who read my last entry, that is my new addiction, checking things off of my list.
So i write all of this to ultimately say that I'm Done! I am going to enjoy the rest of this process, take it in stride and know that if i don't get to everything....IT'S OK:)
I can't even begin to explain the joy i feel when i get to check something off of my wedding list. It's like a drug for OCD people that i've stumbled upon - I open it up everyday wondering if i'm going to get my fix - will i have something to check off today! And even when i know i have nothing to check off i still torture myself by looking. I stare at it wondering what i can do to get away with checking one of those little boxes. It's on the internet so i can access it every where at all times. I try to be honest with myself - i will not check it off unless it is 100% complete. Yes, I know that even if i did check off something that's not completely done i can always uncheck it, but that takes the joy out of it i think. I talked to Christin about this addiction of mine and she understood so i know i'm not the only one!! I've just come to admit it...they keep me sane and organized and if i have to have an addiction i would rather it be to check marks!
We're half way there...to the wedding date that is. Jared Proposed almost 12 months before our wedding date and it is now 6 months away!!! I have been so busy with work and wedding plans that i find it hard to sit back and enjoy this crazy planning process. Countless brides have said over and over again to enjoy it while you can....well i am trying. I honestly never knew how much fun planning a wedding could be. When i step back and really consider what i'm doing, the task seems a little too much for one person or one family even. I periodically ask myself why i'm having such a big event at all and why i didn't take my parents half-hearted advice to take the money, elope and buy a house!! Seriously...i've thought about this often. The money would be a huge plus as J and I embark on our new life together. But it always comes back to the fact that we want to celebrate and we want to celebrate with everyone.
So just to give you (if anyone is reading this) an update, i've gotten a photographer, caterer, venues, ceremony musicians, florist and the dresses (all of them). I'm literally half way there on planning - i think. And i can honestly say that i love it. I never imagined when i was a little girl what my wedding would look like - so opening up a bridal magazine and really looking at photos and reading articles was entirely new to me. I had no pre-conceived notion about what colors or atmosphere i wanted until we were engaged. I feel like i've been missing out on the pre-planning....but then concluded that it means this it will be entirely centered around what Jared and i want and what we as a couple (not Bekah) are all about. It will be elegant, fresh, bright and fun...those are the words that come to mind so take them as you will....i pray the day reflects this.
For inspiration i loved the detailed mirrors and painted cabinet. AND the subway tile. The purple paint is fun but didn't quite fit our taste:)
In this photo i loved the color of the cabinet - it inspired us to find a deep color to use on our cabinet that complimented our bedroom walls. AND of course the carrera counter top is gorgeous!
This photo inspired our faucet, our shower flooring and the mirror. I found an almost identical mirror at Home Goods on sale but it is a blush/pink color. i'm not 100% sure at the time i'm writing this if i'm going to paint the mirror but i like the idea of white.
This photo just made me feel all warm and fuzzy when i looked at it. It's so clean & clutter free - i'm sure this was taken before it was properly "dressed". But i love the blank slate and i can see so much potential by adding plush floor mats, big towels, a vibrant orchid and some pretty bath bottles around the tub. It really inspired us to use carrera marble wherever we could. Then anchor it with the dark cabinet paint.
Let the demolition begin. We removed the half wall that seperated the sink from the shower to give the shower more natural light. Look at that gross wallpaper!!
It didn't take long to realize that the whole floor support system needed to be replaced - It was so water damaged you could put a finger through the wood!!
New floor joists going in.
*sigh* progress being made...
Our new patio furniture from Craigslist. The set is vintage wrought iron from the 60's. Under the gray slipcovers is the original floral cushion covers. The previous owner had the covers made with nice and heavy outdoor fabric to fit directly over the original covers last year....so they're practically brand new. I boght the red/white pillows at Pier 1.
This is the hope chest that Dad and Cathy gave me when i graduated from High School. It is so dear to me b/c it was purchased from an auction in Virginia and Cathy's father was able to restore it. I love opening it up and smelling the cedar on the inside. it's in perfect condition even with all of the moving.
The kitchen. We used to eat dinner together at the bar. I bought the bar stools for $5 a piece at a garage sale!!
Our small but cozy living room.
The pseudo-office area.
Master bedroom. I was pleasantly surprised to see that our huge lucite bed fit.
Master Bedroom. Our ikea dress and lone mirror. Still need to go and buy a second:) To the left you can see my wedding dress crumpled up in the bag on the floor. On the dresser is a vase with a letter leaning against it. That is one of the 3 notes Jared had waiting for me on our wedding day. I like to keep it close by.
The sites behind me look empty but the very next day a group of 15-20 college kids arrived.
This is the suspended bridge you have to cross to get to the stairs that take you into the gorge. It was hard to walk on b/c every step caused it to sway!!
The funny thing is right after this photo was taken i took off my shoes and one ended up falling into the water....i'm just glad it wasn't me:)
My poor wet shoe...
This is Bridal Veil Falls (how appropriate) and it's the last waterfall on the trail (they won't let you go any farther). This is where Jared went swimming. You can also slide down the falls which was fun to watch. The water was way too cold for me though.
The prettiest purple butterfly joined us for lunch.
Brrrr....that water was cold. Jared's crazy.
Yummy...Shells & cheese after a long day of hiking. We roasted hotdogs over the fire and had smores. We were very well fed:)
It was sad to watch the last of our fire wood burn out...we'll be back:)
Our lovely tailgate: satellite, generator, tent, big screen, lots of food and oh so much more:)
Roomies!
GRRRRR...