december sixth two thousand eight

So Much To Say...

2009-02-23T10:30:00.002-05:00

Some photos from the wedding - courtesy of Alisa Smith, a great friend and photographer...

My husband, Justin...
The flowers...
Our first dance...
One of the table settings...
Noah, the ring bearer, was craving goldfish after the ceremony...
Me, right after the ceremony...
I have absolutely LOVED my sabbatical from blogging. Of course, I've missed all of you, but seriously, what a great vacation...

A quick recap of what's been going on...

1) still no full time job, but lots of part-time ones, including dance, freelance design work, working at my aunt's real estate office...

2) new love for coupons... our last triple coupon weekend we spent $82 and saved $97!! love it.

3) IKEA opened in NC. Enough said.

4) the most exciting thing going on... I am working on starting my own business this summer. Yup. I can't wait to tell everyone about it. I can't give you too many details right now, but I promise, this is going to be FUN! If you have a wedding, party, or any other social event to plan - I'M YOUR WOMAN! As I have more info, I'll fill you in. :)

Wedding Photos...

2009-01-07T09:18:00.003-05:00

Hi, My name is world's worst blogger.

Ok kids, here's my problem. Because of the lack of a job right now, we had to downgrade our internet connection to the cheapest version. Every time that I try to upload photos to post on my blog, it gives me an intimidating message with big fancy words, and basically, I can't post photos. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY IDEAS? I want to come back to blogworld, and I can't figure out how!!

Also because of our one-income status, we took advantage of Harris Teeter triple coupons this weekend. That stuff is awesome but exhausting!! We saved $61 total, and only spent $113. We are hooked :)

I miss you all, don't give up on me. I will figure out how to get photos to you!

The Rehearsal Dinner

2008-12-28T12:37:00.009-05:00

So I am so excited to share our wedding weekend and honeymoon with you! We'll start with the rehearsal dinner. It was at Starmount Forest Country Club here in Greensboro.

The AMAZING groom's cake...

...the caketopper - handmade by our wonderful friend, Bonnie...

...my adorable grandparents...

...lots of friends and family...

it was a great night to celebrate and prepare for the next day...

I will finally be coming around to everyone's blogs in the next few days to catch up and leave some comment love. I have missed you all so much! Hopefully, I can quickly get back into the swing of things. Does anyone have any good ideas for a new blog name?

We're Back

2008-12-18T09:48:00.002-05:00

We're married! And for that I am so happy and thankful :) I can't wait to show you all pictures of the wedding and our honeymoon in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

However, I need a little bit of time... while on my honeymoon, the company I work for had to do some downsizing. I found out yesterday, along with 3 others, that I no longer have a job. I promise that I will update you on all the festivities and fun soon, but right now I have to figure out some things so that I can enjoy the Christmas season.

Meanwhile, our photographer put a sneak peak of some of our wedding photos up on her blog... www.phrecklesphotography.com/blog so you can look at those to hold you over :)

ALSO, do you need some decorating help at your house? Or do you know someone with a business that needs some interior design help? ORRR do you need a nanny? or an administrative assistant? or anything? Please please leave a comment and I will get in touch with you as soon as possible.

Thanks, Y'all. This new family needs alot of prayer and support right now, and I know that my blog friends can help with that.

Butterflies

2008-12-05T15:53:00.002-05:00

My nails have been painted, the church has been decorated, and I'm sitting alone on my couch listening to the refridgerator hum. The butterflies have come and are dive bombing the walls of my stomach. None of this flitty floaty princess butterfly stuff. I guess I should get ready to go practice a wedding, instead of blogging :)

Four Days

2008-12-02T09:27:00.002-05:00

Do you remember when there were 160 days left? This week seemed like forever away.

So, here I am.

Here I am the week of my wedding. The day I have dreamed about since oh... birth. I was the 6th grader that bought wedding magazines. I was the teenager and 20-somethinger that had file folders for dresses, flowers, centerpieces, invitations, etc. I longed for the day that I could have my dream job for a few months, and plan my own big day. I couldn't wait for the pomp, the circumstance, the cake.

So, here I am.

Here I am the week of my wedding. Will my big day look like all the torn magazine pages from my file? No. Was planning a wedding all that I thought it would be? No. Don't get me wrong, it was mostly fun with a dash of stress. Would I do it again? Of course, for a friend or for money. Do you want to know what I'm most excited about? My marriage. After years and years of looking forward to a wedding, I am absolutely thrilled beyond all excitement about my marriage. When the big party is over, I am so excited to have normal life with my husband. To have the good times, the hard times, the in between times... to just have life together. To start our own little family. To both live in the same house. To experience all that God has prepared for us in the blessing of marriage.

This week has brought a new calm to my spirit, despite the last minute party details that may or may not be addressed. This weekend our friends and family will gather around us as we say our vows and start the next chapter. Next week I'll be somewhere on a honeymoon (Did you know the trip is a surprise?), and I'll be reading New Moon, too. All I can do is take a step back, smile, and know that I am so blessed. I'm going to be a wife on Sunday.

Family Fun

2008-11-30T22:46:00.004-05:00

We loved spending time in Raleigh with Justin's family on Thanksgiving. The food was great, and so was our sweet little niece, Amelia, who you all know and love. We tried to take our annual family photo on the tree that looks like a camel/giraffe in the front yard, and ended up just standing in a line.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-26T14:02:00.004-05:00

I might have time to blog this weekend, but I'm not making any promises... I plan on being productive, decorating for Christmas, and enjoying my last weekend with my maiden name :) I can't wait to see my family, too! I hope you all have a wonderful time with the people who matter most to you...

I leave you with photos... Meet Zoe!!

I sure wish she was mine - Congrats Blair and Andy! She's the cutest thing!

thirteen days

2008-11-24T09:25:00.003-05:00

Only thirteen days. ONLY THIRTEEN DAYS!
This is so surreal. I can't imagine what days twelve through zero feel like.

I'll be finishing my wedding favors tonight, so hopefully I'll have photos for you soon!
Programs must be finished this week - which will have to be an entirely separate post including an AMAZING bargain at Michael's!
Justin doesn't have to teach on Wednesday, so he'll be refinishing that hutch I told you about SO long ago!

What do you all think of me having guest bloggers during the honeymoon? I am not sure I am famous enough for that... however, I do have famous blog friends...

Oh yeah - I saw Twilight this weekend. Sigh.

Twenty Five Years...

2008-11-19T15:01:00.003-05:00

Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday dear Justin,
Happy Birthday to you!
(*sung in my best Michael Scott falsetto voice, of course!) Wasn't he a cute little boy, playing "ballet" with his big sister? Happy 25th, darlin'!

Before...

2008-11-18T10:22:00.005-05:00

My oh my, have we been busy! Lots of showers, thank you notes, planning and cleaning. Every day (did you catch that, June?) we have been blown away by our friends' and family's generosity! Thank you, everyone! Here is one of many photos from our shower at Kendra's on Saturday...I can't wait to use my gift card to My First Kitchen!

This weekend, I decided to start the overhaul on one of our guest bedrooms. You know, in all my free time. It is definitely going to take some time to get it just right, especially since I threw my original plans for the room completely out the window. So, here's a shot of the before... it is so ugly, I couldn't bear to be close to the room...

Yes, electric lime/yellow walls with a fluorescent orange closet. You have to believe me when I say I love my house... We loved it so much that we could quickly overlook this putrid room. Stay tuned for "Almost After" photos!

22 days

2008-11-14T16:22:00.002-05:00

We are so excited :)Our last 2 showers are this weekend - one of which is a class with Kendra at My First Kitchen! I can't wait to tell you all about it. Her classes are so fun! I'll show you pictures on Monday...

Have a great weekend!

VERY long post.

2008-11-12T09:21:00.002-05:00

I don't have many of my own words to say today, so I will share with you the words of someone else. Words that are encouraging. Words that are real. Words that tell me, "keep on doing what you're doing." The following is an interview from wittenburgdoor.com with the brilliant Rob Bell...

WITTENBURG DOOR: Everything is spiritual? Even the Roseanne marathon on TV Land?
ROB BELL: There's a Roseanne marathon on?

DOOR: —
BELL: Sorry if I seem a little spacey. I woke up this morning and looked out the window at this huge Country Music Hall Of Fame thing and thought ...

DOOR: Welcome to Nashville. Tell us about your tour.
BELL: It's just for one month and we're in a different city every night. An hour and 45 minute talk-message, experience and um, a sermon on steroids. I don't even know what it is. Thelonious Monk says that talking about music is like dancing about architecture. I've learned on this tour that trying to explain what it is doesn't work well. And generally people get different things. But that's what we wanted.

DOOR: You talk a lot about storytelling—reclaiming the art of preaching away from the engineers and back to the artists.
BELL: Preaching is one of the original art forms, kind of the original guerrilla theatre. A sermon was an electric event; Martin Luther King Jr. changed the whole shape of American culture with a sermon. John Wesley out in a field in England, the Hebrew Prophets, (and) great movements like women's rights were often birthed through preaching. In our unbelievably wired culture, nothing is more foolish than somebody in a room standing alone insisting that God has spoken. So it's either brilliant or absolute foolishness. And I am open to both. Originally, the word "sermon" meant you'd have no idea what was coming next. It was theological but also political and economical and obviously highly creative because if it didn't engage, then you wouldn't listen and you wouldn't be provoked or challenged or comforted. So in some ways for me my life's passion is to pursue this art form. Pump some electricity into it.

DOOR: The Church hasn't always been kind to artists. Especially ones bringing electricity.
BELL: Our assumption is that Church is where you say the things that have to be said. So people will speak but say, "Oh, I wouldn't say that in church." Well then, where would you say it? To me, it's the place where you would push it the furthest. A faith community should be the place with the most honesty and vulnerability and prophetic culture—calling things what they are. So when I hear people say, "That's nice but you really couldn't do that in church," I can't even fathom that. My understanding is it would lead the culture in reality. I talk about having the first word. This idea that Church waits to see what the culture is doing then produces a D grade version with some sort of clever Jesus twist to me is utter blasphemy. The DaVinci Code, for example. You wait for a C grade movie with stars with bad haircuts and then gear your church teachings around a movie that many people aren't even going to see? That seems absolutely anemic.

DOOR: Welcome to our world.
BELL: I don't believe in Christian art or music. The word Christian was originally a noun. A person, not an adjective. I believe in great art. If you are an artist, your job is to do great art and you don't need to tack on the word Christian. It's already great. God is the God of Creativity. Categories desecrate the art form. It's either great art or it isn't. Followers of Jesus should have the first word instead of coming late to the game with some poor quality spin-off. Let's talk about things before everyone else.

DOOR: Most preachers never get to see their good theories make it to practice—are you seeing change?
BELL: Oh yeah—there are huge things going on. Like micro-finance. I was in Rwanda—essentially you take someone in poverty and give them a couple of bucks so they can start a business. We met a woman who started a business, built a house, fed her family and her business was now self-sustaining and growing—on a $40 dollar loan. A Western church gave this woman forty bucks and look what she's done. Economically speaking, that's one of the hopes of the world right now. We have more money than we know what to do with. American churches have more concentration of wealth than any time in history in a world with massive poverty. But some are exploring with micro financing, working with ground churches and trying things that could help save our world. They are so far out front. I was hiking through these slums in Nairobi where people are dying of AIDS and it's the Church figuring out how to give them medication, how to prevent and educate, to help give people an honorable death. The Church is on the front line.

DOOR: As a pastor, how do you motivate people to the front lines?
BELL: First, the scripture always bends towards the oppressed and the marginalized. Beginning in the Torah—take care of the widow, the orphan, the stranger among you. The story is written by oppressed minorities. And it continues, no room in the inn, they follow Jesus because they are hungry. The story always goes towards the underside of the Empire. I think it is sometimes hard for the American church to understand the Bible because we are the Empire. We are the ones in power, the ones with wealth. I think in some settings that's why the Bible has such little power—because it's an oppressive narrative. There are six billion people in the world, three billion live on less than $2 dollars a day, 800 million people will not eat today, and 300 million in Africa alone do not have drinking water. So we as Americans are six percent of the population yet we consume 40 to 50 percent of the resources. We are the upper, upper, rich elite. And our way is taking over the world. So we have to first ask the question—how can we take all this wealth and give it away? All the technology and beautiful parts of capitalism and bless the world and the poor—or else we're in deep trouble.

DOOR: Sometimes the issue of the poor gets lost in all the left vs. the right crap in this country. How do you cut through that? Serving the poor is not a new message.
BELL: The issue is not saving the poor—it's saving us. When Jesus uses the word hell, He does not use the word with people who are not believers or not believing the right things. It is a warning to religious people that they are in danger of hell because of their indifference to the suffering of the world. So the parable of the rich man and Lazarus is not what heaven and hell are like. It's a parable to rich people warning them that their apathy has them in danger. Heaven and hell are present realities that extend into the future. For a lot of Americans, this is about the saving of their own soul. Recapturing God's heart for the world. Otherwise I will end up not caring and not passionate. At our church, people are desperate to understand this culture of excessive materialism. We were made to bless the world. The original call is that blessing was always instrumental. When that blessing gets misconstrued as favoritism you have a very toxic thing happening. Our people are desperate to give, hardwired for it. I assume that people are good and just need opportunities.

DOOR: Um, we're getting the impression we might not see you on TBN anytime soon.
BELL: Ha. I think that's one of the most warped ideas—that God just can't wait to bless you. God blesses you so you will bless the world and if at any point I keep that for myself, then I am in trouble.

DOOR: Speaking of trouble, the Church hasn't always been the safest place to be real. You've gotta be catching some heat ....
BELL: Hmm. I don't read reviews, but apparently there are some people out there who feel that God or Jesus is being threatened. I catch wind of things, some people are pretty cranked up but it's not something I spend any time on. You can't take people somewhere they don't want to go. For every fundamentalist you piss off there are probably five more who start listening. For a lot of people it's like, "Oh, we can talk about that? Well, now you've got my attention." You know the issue is whether or not it's true and whether or not it's compelling. Someone asked me the other day, "What's the demographic of your people?" I was like "I dunno—sinners?"

DOOR: Actually, your church is one of the hottest churches in America.
BELL: I don't even know what that means. I know there's a woman in the second row in the second service that has cancer for the third time. I know there's a single mom named Erin who needs a place to live. I know this guy who just got custody of his kids and he's trying to figure out how to be a single dad. So to me a Church is real people trying to figure it out. The word hottest isn't really a word I associate with a community of Christians. (laughs) For my wife and me it's very important that we live as close as possible to a normal life in our city. So words like hottest and up and coming are not reality and not a place to live. It's a dead end road.

DOOR: What about the labels of Emergent, Neo-realism, Relevant, Post-modern? I've seen your name associated with all those movements.
BELL: I don't use those words. It's easy for that to become "Are you in or out?" A friend of mine calls it a conversation. Which I think is a much healthier way to think about it. There are all these people who are having a conversation about these pressing matters of theology and practice and I'm all up for that. But when it becomes some sort of label—are you with us or them?—that seems so destructive. But it's a discussion that needs to be had. I haven't heard anything dangerous. It's necessary for each generation. I'll take the Christian/Jesus label. Other than that, it seems a lot of labels really don't help anybody.

DOOR: Why do you think we have so many Jesuses? My Jesus vs. your Jesus, Conservative Jesus, Liberal Jesus, Pentecostal Jesus, Episcopalian Jesus ...
BELL: People will grab all aspects of the truth. I guess it would be hard for one person to wrap their arms around that much truth. Easier to grab small pieces, I suppose. I'll take all the good. I want the best of the Assembly of God Jesus, the Latin America Jesus; I want the best of all of them. Jesus talked about fruit, told great stories—you can say anything, but its actions that you can't argue with.

DOOR: How did this Mars Hill thing happen, anyway?
BELL: Seven years ago, a group of friends were just dreaming of something better. I guess the natural evolution of each generation is to explore what it means. How to live the way of Jesus here and now. So we started and it now feels like fifty years packed into seven. Mars Hill is an old mall. Our "architect"—I say that as a joke—says everything about the church should scream "Welcome to our church service! Now get the hell out of here." We say, "This isn't the church, this is a church service. It's just an hour where we have some teaching, some singing and you'll hear about things in the community." If there are 43 "one anothers" in the New Testament—serve one another, carry one another's burden's, confess to one another—you can only do a couple of those in a church service. Until you have a community that you are journeying with, please don't say you are a part of this church. You just come to a gathering. We are very intentional about that. The question is, "Who do you call when your brother ODs on cocaine? If your mom is in the hospital, who comes and sits in the waiting room with you? When you cannot pay your rent, who do you go to and say please help me out?" That's your church.

DOOR: Sometimes it seems the world gets that concept better than the "church." It's difficult to have community when you feel pressure to put on an act.
BELL: Oh yeah, that's not something we would ever place a value on. I don't understand why a Christian would ever put themselves in that sort of environment.

DOOR: What background did you come from?
BELL: I think if you are a follower of Jesus, everything you do is a life of mission and ministry. I actually think the "call to ministry" language was invented by Christians to excuse the disobedience of everybody else. If you are thinking of going into full-time ministry—are you a Christian? Too late. My parents are very passionate, curious Christians and intellectually amped up. They were committed to their faith but very restless with the current manifestations of faith and spirituality. So I think I grew up on the edges with the idea that things could be better. I grew up in a nondenominational church but with the troubling thought that "Something's not right." There's a bass note missing, there's a poetry, a passion, a world-changing impulse that I don't see here. So I grew up compelled with Jesus but not particularly enamored with his followers. So I decided to change it! (laughs) I stumbled into something I love. I went to Wheaton College and I played in a punk band and I ended up preaching a sermon for some bizarre reason and it was a moment. I thought, "I could give my life to this even if I wasn't very good at it. Even if I totally suck at it, I'd rather pursue this preaching thing." So I've been on a tear ever since. Um, can you pause this for dramatic laughter?

DOOR: We're still trying to wrap our brains around the idea of a punk band at Wheaton!

Update!

2008-11-10T10:37:00.002-05:00

Anonymous is back! It is wrong that I find it amusing? I want to figure out who you are, since obviously we know each other well... keep leaving me hints! I love puzzles :)

What a Weekend

2008-11-10T09:03:00.002-05:00

Those Creative Women sure do know how to have a good time! Saturday was such a success. We had people filing through the doors all day long, and boy were they in the mood to shop! Too bad they didn't want their presents wrapped... at least I got to talk to alot of fun people! Thankfully, once my friends started coming, I had some gifts to wrap. My mom and grandmother even bought stuff so that Kate and I could do something! Next year, I am going to have all sorts of bells and whistles and puppies so that our little gift wrapping corner will have a magnetic force that pulls everyone to us... I really enjoyed the whole day, and I love my Those Creative Women friends :) If you want to see pictures, go to Emily's blog and see them!

Saturday night we celebrated alot of birthdays with Justin's family. We could not get over how much our little niece, Amelia, has grown! Seriously, she gets cuter every day.

Sunday, Justin's sister threw him a "Man Shower" - It was fun to get together with his Raleigh friends and family and hang out. He got lots of gift cards, a tent, a hedge trimmer, a record, and more screwdrivers than I have ever seen in my life.

I am a bad blogger for not having any photos of the weekend. I will steal one of Emily's photos and show you me and my maid of honor, my sister - Amanda!

Tell me YOUR story

2008-11-05T14:12:00.002-05:00

So, I had my first Anonymous comment left here on our blog! They commented on yesterday's post and said "you are pretentious".

This is so funny to me. And it is a little sad at the same time. At least come out and tell me who you are so we can have a healthy conversation about whether I am or am not "pretentious"!

Now, I want you all to leave me some comment love today and tell me about all your "Anonymous" comments... Hopefully we'll get some funny stories!!

Today

2008-11-04T10:16:00.002-05:00

Today:
-I woke up to a sparkling house because my mom and dad stayed at my house until 11:00pm helping me clean.
-We will find out who has been elected as the leader of our country.
-My Russian friend voted for the first time as an American, and told me that she is saving her sticker to remind her of today for the rest of her life. She also said that it felt like Christmas.
-I will get free Starbucks, Krispy Kreme, Shane's Rib Shack, and Ben & Jerry's... once I decide who to vote for. (I admit that the free food is forcing me to make my decision more quickly)
-I will remember that Jesus was not a Republican or a Democrat, and my vote will not validate or break my relationship with Him.
-I became brave enough to voice my vague thoughts on the election here on our blog, knowing that some of my readers may drop me today.

Tomorrow:
-I will remember that God is in control, and He promises to take care of us when we make both good and bad decisions.

A Great Weekend

2008-11-03T09:33:00.010-05:00

If any of you know me in real life, you know that I hardly ever get a "free" weekend. This weekend was a dream come true!

First of all, Halloween was fun - we decked out the front porch for our trick or treaters, complete with orange lights, candles, jack-o-lanterns, and a sparkly black cat. I bought a witch's hat from WalMart for $2, and let that count as my costume. We had a grand total of 4 trick or treaters. A little disappointing, but fun to share our first Halloween together in our new house!

Saturday, we met at Mimi's for breakfast with our good friends Chris and Molly. Chris is officiating our wedding, and Molly is helping with programs/guestbook. We had a great time planning out the order of the wedding ceremony and catching up with them! If you all haven't been to Mimi's lately, you need to go because they have pumpkin pancakes. Enough said.

Saturday evening, we had a couples wedding shower that was SO much fun! My good friend from college and her husband drove all the way up from Atlanta, and it was a highlight of the night to get to see them! Thanks, Leah and Kyle! (Leah - I'm stealing the photo from your blog!)

We were definitely showered with so many great gifts, but the best part was being with friends, and hearing their "recipes" for a good marriage. Noah, my godson and ring bearer, was so excited for the party, and wanted to be in on all the fun...

The cake was absolutely beautiful, and DELICIOUS!!They planned a game for us to play where Justin and I had to feel all the girls/guys legs and decide which legs belonged to each other. Wait, that sentence is confusing. I had to pick Justin's legs out of a crowd... (and let it be known that I picked correctly!)...and Justin had to pick my legs out of the crowd! (He was able to narrow it down to me, and my friend Katie, but he picked Katie as his final answer!)Here is a shot of us with all the couples that threw the shower for us....(L to R: Adam and Katie, Jimmy and Holly, Justin and Me, Emily and Stephen, and Leslie and Howie) Thanks, everyone!! We had a blast!!

Sunday morning, I woke up and did the unthinkable. Instead of cleaning, planning, exercising, etc., I picked up my copy of Twilight and finished it. Man, oh Man, is it so good... I can't wait to start the next book in the series! After reading for a few hours, I had to start being productive. I wrote all the thank you notes from the shower, and started putting away gifts. In the process of putting away gifts, we filled up 4 huge bags with stuff to take to Goodwill! (All you Greensboro Goodwill Junkies, our stuff will be at the Goodwill on Battleground - I will laugh if I see photos of my old stuff on your blogs!)

I hope your weekend was great, too! Don't forget - this Saturday is THOSE CREATIVE WOMEN!!!

Happy Halloweenie!

2008-10-31T09:06:00.007-04:00

Boo!

We only bought one pumpkin this year.

Yep, only one. The big one that looks like it is rotting, but really it is just dirt. He was $14. The other 6 pumpkins - FREE! It seems than I have much better luck at church pumpkin patches than I do at Goodwill, yard sales, thrift stores... I guess waiting until the night before Halloween to buy your pumpkins has it's perks. We decided to only carve one Jack-O-Lantern so the rest of the pumpkins could stick around for Thanksgiving decor until they rot. We have a new tradition of watching The Office on Thursday nights with our mentor couple (now great friends), the Shades. We carved pumpkins with them - here is their's... his name is Jean Luc. (He is french, duh)

They took photos of the action last night - I'll share them with you when I get them. The rest of our little punkins have moved in around our friend, Gladys.Ain't she cute? Do you know what else is cute? All the weeds that have grown THROUGH the bed of leaves surrounding our house. (We refuse to clean up ANY leaves until they have all fallen.) Have a safe and fun night Trick or Treating, and have a wonderful weekend!

I Gave In.

2008-10-29T11:05:00.003-04:00

On Friday, I spent over 12 hours in airports or on airplanes.

So, naturally, I bought this to pass the time...

...and now, naturally, I have a crush on...

(him, not her.)

So, now I'm thinking, naturally, how can I find a movie theater while I'm on my honeymoon, so I can see the movie?

I have seriously been missing out on this series, and for those who care, Justin knows about the crush, and since it is on a character rather than a real person, he is OK with it.

UPDATE: I just found out that the movie actually comes out Nov 21 in the USA, so I won't have to see it on my honeymoon. Whew, I was worried.

I'm Back!

2008-10-28T11:49:00.006-04:00

My goodness, I've been missing you all! Let me tell you, it is pure torture being away on business, and unable to keep up with everyone in blogland!

I had a wonderful bridesmaids weekend away in the lovely Boone, NC, complete with a lingerie shower! A restful weekend with the gals was exactly what the doctor ordered...Look at all the good loot! (Don't you just love the word 'loot'?) And yes, that is a furry crown in the middle bag. I think that one won't make it in the luggage for the honeymoon...

Speaking of crowns... I saw so many cute princesses yesterday! Did you know that in addition to being a designer, and a fiance, that I teach dance? I usually only teach the older competitive team, however this year I added a 3 and 4 year old class to the mix. How could I pass up the opportunity to teach my flower girl AND ring bearer in the same class? So cute. Yesterday, I let all the kids wear their Halloween costumes to class... they were adorable!Left to right we have: a princess, SuperGirl, Minnie Mouse, a Butterfly, another princess, a Ballerina, another Butterfly, Swiper (from Dora), Snow White and Cinderella. Swiper is my cousin and flower girl (she did have a mask on, but that lasted all of about 10 seconds). Unfortunately, my little ring bearer couldn't be there yesterday, and we didn't have a little Pirate there to chase all the little girls... I told all the kids that when they saw their parents they had to say "Trick or Treat, Smell my Feet!" It is really fun to be a kid again with these little sweeties!

the one, the only (maybe)... WEDDING WEDNESDAY!

2008-10-22T09:06:00.011-04:00

Welcome! I hope the thousands of new readers today can grab some coffee, get comfy, and really enjoy reading about all of this wedding BLISS! Whether you are reminiscing about your own sweet wedding, or daydreaming about your upcoming big day, we want to hear (and see) it all! Give me advice! Show me photos! Tell me funny stories! OOOOH, even better... Tell me what you always love the most and appreciate the most when you are a GUEST at a wedding! With our upcoming nuptials, we really want the whole evening to be romantic, fun and memorable for our guests, so please... spare NO detail!

Here's how you play...

Unfortunately, I cannot figure out Mr. Linky (apparently he is like most other men on the planet). So all you have to do is post a comment with a link to YOUR blog post about weddings! I promise I'll visit every single one of you, and I will even post about my favorite finds later this week!

To start you off... Go visit JENNIFER and KRISTEN!!! They are good little girls, and have already posted about wedding fun. Jennifer started with an inspiration cake, and ended with an entire dream wedding all planned out with photos - her shoes and groom are breathtaking! Kristen has photos from her wedding last year, and they are so sweet they just melt your heart. Check them out!

Here are some inpiration photos I used in the "conceptual design stage" of my wedding... can you tell I'm a designer?

Ok, at the sound of the wedding bells... GO! I can't wait to hear from everyone!!

Wedding Wednesday

2008-10-21T09:38:00.005-04:00

Well, guess what... I must still be a natural blonde under all the highlites. (Hi-lights? highlights?) Tomorrow is STILL Wedding Wednesday, but I have no clue how to do this whole "Mr. Linky" thing. So, here's the deal...

Tomorrow, you've got to leave me some comment love! I'll post tomorrow morning, and I want you to leave a comment with a link to your blog entry about your wedding. I promise I'll read everything, and I'll even try to post about my favorite entries later this week!

I am having to leave tomorrow for an install with work in Florida, so I'll be gone until Friday night - but stop crying! I'll take my laptop with me and check all 6 of your cute little blogs when I'm in my hotel in the evenings.

Now, back to filling you in on the past few days...

This past weekend my hubby-to-be completed his first half-marathon! I know alot of you that I know in real and blog life have men that do this, or full marathons, or triathlons, or whatever, and you're thinking "Half-marathon? pshh, whatev, Lauren. That is only 13.1 miles and that is like soooooooo easy." Well, I think it's pretty darn great, considering he only trained for 4 weeks!

I had to include this photo... I have no idea who this guy is, but he was stretching hard core with his white gloves on! (Leah, you would have cracked up if you saw it!) I was standing by myself on the sidelines laughing until I snorted! Justin finished the race, averaging 10 minute miles - Great job, honey!

Can't wait to see everyone's wedding goodies tomorrow!!

Friday

2008-10-17T09:57:00.003-04:00

How has this week slipped by me? I have barely blogged this week. I haven't taken a single photo this week!

One thing I have done is thought about a way to bring all of us together, and introduce all my known and unknown bloggy friends to each other.

SO...how about this?

NEXT WEEK, in honor of the 50 DAYS LEFT until my wedding (can you believe it? I think I might make a paper chain!), I will put a Mr. Linky thingamabob up, and I want all of YOU to post a link to a blog post about YOUR wedding! If you are married, show us pictures! tell us stories! give me advice! If you are NOT married, then show me inspiration pictures of what your dream wedding would look like! and you can still give advice if you want to! I can't wait to see all your pictures... maybe they'll be as pretty as this wedding:So simple, yet so elegant.

Sound good? Let's plan on WEDNESDAY of next week. That will give all of you ample time to round up all your old or not so old wedding photos, scan 'em in, and write something to go along with it.

I'll remind you again next week, but until then, HAPPY WEEKEND!

Meet Phoebe Mae...

2008-10-13T22:17:00.006-04:00

Phoebe Mae is my dog - a Maltese. I adopted her from the Watauga Humane Society on April 5, 2006. She was 3 years old then. Before she was taken to the humane society, she was living in a puppy mill in a trailer with 35 other dogs. She had 3 litters of puppies within her 3 years of life. She had never been outside, nor had she ever had dog food. Over the last 2 years with Phoebe Mae, we have really loved watching her develop a sweet personality and really funny habits. When I first adopted her, she did nothing but sit and look depressed all day. She wouldn't eat dog food, was not housebroken, and bucked like a bronco if you put a leash on her. Now, she LOVES to eat dog food (and anything else she can put in her mouth... last week we found her eating a DumDum lollipop the same way a human would eat one), she tells you when she needs to go outside, and she doesn't really need a leash outside - she stays right by your side. She can sit, shake, dance, catch treats in her mouth, and is learning "Lay Down". If you tell her to "Go get your baby," she will run and bring you one of her 20495825610245 toys. She loves playing on PhotoBooth on her mom and dad's mac.

This dog LOVES wearing clothes, and you better believe she dresses up for Halloween. Maybe soon I'll do a Phoebe Phashion Show and take a picture of her in every outfit she owns... Anyways... all of this was meant to introduce you to the spoiled little dog we love, and give you some background knowledge before watching this video of her. Make sure your volume is up, so you can hear her talking in her sleep!!

My New Friends

2008-10-13T10:19:00.002-04:00

I'm a little late in posting, but....Y'all, I got to spend some quality time with these lovely ladies, and it was just wonderful. I already knew some of these bloggers in real life (like, way before they were bloggers) and the others I am very happy to call new friends in real life.
Bottom Row: Me, Kendra, The Nester
Top Row: Jennifer, Kimba, Jill (SHE SO NEEDS A BLOG!), and Emily

This weekend was a busy one...
Friday, we took a quick road trip to Boone to pick up my wedding dress and have dinner at the Mountain House.
Saturday, we took a road trip to Raleigh for me to have my bridal portraits made and to have dinner with Justin's family. After "dieting" (aka starving myself) to fit into my wedding dress, it was like heaven to eat as much as I wanted for dinner at Mellow Mushroom.
Sunday, I taught dance all day, and finished just in time for Awaken. I love my church. Really. Afterwards we went to Krispy Kreme. Have you ever noticed how horrible your clothes smell after eating at Krispy Kreme? It was a little nauseating on the drive home...

Now that wedding invitations are finished, and the dark clouds of stress and envelopes have lifted, hopefully I will have more fun crafty things to post. (Did I tell you that my mom and I found urns on clearance a while ago at Old Time Pottery? only 99 cents! brilliant!)

THE Invitations

2008-10-10T09:47:00.007-04:00

Once upon a time, I promised you I'd show you pictures of my beautiful DIY wedding invitations. Please allow me to preface these photographs with the following information:

1) I think it ended up being more expensive to make these than it would have been to just order them. Who knows, I don't really care anymore. Whatever, I'm over it. ;)

2) The photographs are very poor quality. I am sorry. If you have a problem with it, you are more than welcome to buy me a nice new camera with all the bells and whistles.

3) If you can't tell already, I am a little irritable today. Forgive me. I was up until 1 am this morning RE-ADDRESSING alllllllllllllllllllll of my invitations. Why? Because after I spent the first 1o hours addressing them the first time, I realized that the invitations did not fit into the envelopes that were all ready and waiting to go. Hate me. No, seriously. I hated me.

Ok so here are the pics. I guess this is my version of Friday Photos (I refuse to spell Photos with an "F") I really hope that my attitude changes as the day goes by. Thanks for being my bloggy and real life friends, even when I'm a jerk :)

This is the front... it has navy blue velvet ribbon. tres yummy. It looks like it's off-center here, but I promise it is not. I am way too much of a perfectionist for that. Here's the inside. So pretty. Champagne metallic pocket folder, Sand metallic borders and font/typeface color, and clean white paper. If you look very closely, you can see the snowflake/medallion details. All design work is by the lovely talented Kate Reece. She did all the design work for THOSE CREATIVE WOMEN, too. Do you need a graphic designer? Kate is awesome and you should hire her. See all those papers behind my invite? Those are bills that are spread all over my kitchen island. They are my very own designerly version of scary Halloween decor. Here's another shot of the inside...

Here are all the "deets" up close and personal. You all are invited to the ceremony! Please come. I would love to see you there, and would love to see the photos you take! However, the reception is invite only. I'm sorry - I wish that I could sit down and have dinner and cake with all of you, but my mom and dad only have so much money to spend. And we're not going into debt over a WEDDING, people. Seriously. I mean c'mon. Really. (Whew, am I fiesty today, or what?)And finally, the uber exciting back... I hope you have a wonderful weekend. I have a busy one with wedding dresses and bridal portraits and dance classes. See y'all Monday!

60 days!

2008-10-07T11:13:00.002-04:00

I don't know why, but the excitement of getting married in only 60 days is hitting me all at once today! I am so giddy! I am sure the stress will hit me this afternoon, when it's back to assembling invitations, but for now I'm riding on cloud 9! (Leah, I got that figure of speech right!! yes!)I love this guy....

I'll post photos of our DIY invitations later today...

Those Creative Women

2008-10-06T09:26:00.003-04:00

So after weeks of your begging and pleading for details on the big November 8th surprise... I give you...

THOSE CREATIVE WOMEN

Those Creative Women are really excited to come together for a fun holiday show in Greensboro. You can buy food, jewelry, stained glass, tassels, garlands and a lot more - and guess what?? Free gift wrap. Uh huh. I said it, and I'm not takin' it back. It will be the PERFECT place to come with friends and shop for the holidays AND meet those creative women! (Really, we just want to meet you!!) Who are "Those Creative Women" you ask? Well... there is Kendra Adachi from My First Kitchen, The Nester from Nesting Place, Cindy Cage from Imagery Limited, Melody Watson from MelodyWatson.com, and yours truly, Lauren Farrington from December 6th.

Go to our website for alot more info, and if you have questions, just let any of the creative women know and we'll help you out. Also, do you want a blinkie? I think we have one, but I don't know how to put it on a blog. I'll try to figure it out today :)

I CAN'T WAIT TO MEET Y'ALL ON NOVEMBER 8th!!

News...

2008-10-03T10:00:00.002-04:00

I think we have a florist, people. I am not telling you who it is until we know for sure. We still need to meet with one more lady.

The biggest news is that Amelia's professional photos are up. Yes, my 2 week old niece had professional photos made when she was 7 days old, and no matter how much they cost, they were WORTH IT. I am not posting any photos today, just so you will go to PHRECKLES PHOTOGRAPHY and drool over the amazing photos of sweet Amelia. All photos were taken by Marie Cox, who is also our wedding photographer, and we just think the world of her. So, go check it out!

Ooh, don't forget....

2008-09-30T09:28:00.001-04:00

November 8th, y'all.

Seriously.

Greensboro.

Be there. Do it.

Wedding Invitations

2008-09-30T09:13:00.005-04:00

My wedding invitations are taking over my life a little bit. Why? Because my name is World's-Worst-Procrastinator. They need to be in the mail this Saturday. I didn't bother to order any of the parts and pieces until last week. Someone told me a while ago, "Don't try to make your own invitations, it will take alot of time, and will stress you out." Why didn't I listen to them? It takes a long time to design, print, assemble and address 175 invitations.

I should stop being Negative Nancy.

The invitations are turning out beautifully, thanks to the wonderful graphic design talent of my friend, Kate. She is spending hour upon hour with me, making sure they look good and designerly. I thought about giving you photos of the process of assembling them, but that would be boring. Seriously, who wants to see shots of the 14 rolls of double sided tape I've gone through already? I pinky promise that I'll show you pictures when I'm done.

And because Molly says a post is boring without photos, I'll leave you with a funny photo of my hubby-to-be dancing at a friend's wedding a few weeks ago. He is so funny and cute sometimes I just can't stand it :) This one is called "OW! I'M TOO HOT TO HANDLE ON THE DANCEFLOOR"

Boring Post Alert

2008-09-25T09:50:00.003-04:00

I feel like I have to be a good steward of my time over the next 9.5 weeks until the wedding. That's why I'm not being a super craftaholic like all of you. I am really trying to get wedding things DONE. So please don't abandon my blog. Don't forget about me amongst all the nesters and emilys and kimbas and jens and lizs and kendras and junes out there. (See, I don't even have enough time to link to you all!) I promise that I will be interesting again someday...
So I leave you today with this bit of excitement....
it is CHILLY outside today. That's why I'm wearing SKINNY JEANS tucked into RIDING BOOTS and a LONG SWEATER. hate me.

You are not going to believe this...

2008-09-23T09:17:00.002-04:00

Are you busy on November 8th?

Before I tell you what you are not going to believe, here are a few fun facts about November 8th.

1. November 8 is the 312th day of the year (313th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. There are 53 days remaining until the end of the year. There are 28 days remaining until my wedding.

2. In 1889, Montana was admitted as the 41st U.S. state. (Let's give it up for Montana, y'all!! woo hoo!)

3. It's Parker Posey's birthday.... (Go Parker, it's your birthday, gonna party like it's your birthday....) And it's Tara Reid's birthday (she's gross).

Well, if these fun facts haven't brought you to the edge of your seat, then hopefully this will. Something is happening on November 8th in Greensboro. It is going to rock the crafty blog world. It is going to rock the food blog world. And the stained glass blog world. and the jewelry blog world. and the all-about-nothing blog world. All I'm saying is keep that day free, and stay tuned until we reveal the big surprise.

Amelia Kay

2008-09-22T10:13:00.005-04:00

She really is the love of our lives right now. (If being an aunt or uncle feels like this, we can't imagine what parents feel like!)

She's almost here!

2008-09-19T13:33:00.003-04:00

Sorry, peeps. No comment love for you all today. Wanna know why? Because my niece will be born any second now, and I plan on spending every minute I can OOHING and AAHING over her sweet little self. Look for pics of her next week :)

Heart Her.

2008-09-18T09:10:00.002-04:00

I know alot of other people heart her, too.

I used to babysit her kids, when it was only the boys :) From the first second I met her 2nd son, in the toddler class in the nursery at church, I was in love. He was the sweetest, most cuddly baby of them all. He was my favorite of all the kids in his class. I can remember when baby #3 was born, and even when he first learned to crawl. She and her hubby were always SO kind and joyful and loving.

I am so glad to reconnect with Jennifer in blogworld. She is an amazing woman, and you all should go check out her blog... Balancing Beauty and Bedlam

Oh and one more thing, she is GORGEOUS.

Ragamuffin Garland

2008-09-17T09:28:00.009-04:00

Do you guys remember when Nester taught us how to make Ragamuffin Garlands? (I wanted to link to her garland post, but I couldn't find it... sorry) Well ever since I read that post, I wanted to make one. I made Ragamuffin Flip Flops, that turned out uber-cute. My sister-in-law-to-be was preggers, so that was the perfect opportunity to make a sweet garland for my sweet niece-to-be.

Now, my sister-in-law-to-be and her hubby are TOTALLY adorable, and very modern, so pink and white froo-froo garland would probably not go over so well. Here is the bedding that is in the nursery, looking all cute and just waiting for that baby to come out.I decided my garland would be all the colors of the bedding - blue, brown, green, red, a little yellow, and a little white. Here's what it looked like last night....

It looks a little boyish, but I think it will end up being OK. I may add a little bit of white tulle throughout to make it a little more girly and fluffy. I have lots of these hidden inside of it...

And from these ring clips (that I found on clearance - $2/pack of 7) I will hang these ...

Don't know why this photo isn't rotated. I'm sorry. The letters are painted brown, and will hang from some cute polka-dot carolina blue ribbon.

Are you thinking "WHY HAVEN'T WE SEEN PHOTOS OF THIS DARLING BABY??" Well, that's because she hasn't been born yet! Her mommy was due on Saturday, September 13th. She still isn't here. Her mommy and daddy are getting cranky in anticipation. Justin and I are waiting as patiently as we can for a phone call so we can SPEED to Raleigh to welcome our niece to the world. Believe me, there will be plenty of photos once she decides to show her face.

**And thanks to everyone for all the sweet comments about the florist fiasco. Nothing has been worked out yet, but hopefully it will be by next week. Keep your fingers crossed!**

No Time to Post

2008-09-15T16:31:00.000-04:00

...because my florist just cancelled on me for the wedding.

help.

i heart tjmaxx...

2008-09-11T16:51:00.000-04:00

...for giving me a great deal on 3 new friends.

Meet Larry, Curly and Moe...They are a little camera-shy, but might be a little more friendly once their bellies are full - Hopefully they love things like pumpkins, moss, cranberries, ornaments, coffee beans, sand, and shells. They were only $9 each. And if you were wondering what the white blob at the base of the photo is... that's a white trash bag that has made its home on my kitchen table to protect the wood from gold glitter from the wedding favors.

Aren't they a sweet trio? They aren't even scared of the mess in the kitchen!

that day...

2008-09-11T16:06:00.005-04:00

I was in Spanish class, my senior year of high school. A teacher literally ran down the hall, threw the door open, and yelled, "TURN THE TV ON NOW." My teacher turned of "Destinos" and turned on Good Morning America. The first tower had been hit. We watched the second plane hit the second building. My stomach dropped. We watched the buildings fall, and the smoke rise. At that moment, my teacher said, "America will never be the same," in her cute Costa Rican accent. I was so sad, and so scared. Sad for all those men, women, husbands, wives, daddies, mommies, sons, daughters, brothers, and sisters. Scared that these attacks may happen all over America. Scared to drive home. Scared for my friends in NYC.

A year later, I sat on a grassy hill in Boone, looking at the clouds and thinking about the year that had passed. In that year, alot of things changed. I graduated high school, went to college, gained a pride in my country that I had never known before, and I also stood silent behind a chain link fence while peering through a collage of notes, flowers, and photos into a canyon of debris and death juxtaposed in a vibrant city. I couldn't believe a year had passed.

This morning, I had no clue it was September 11. I am so sorry I let the time slip by me. And as I sit behind a computer in my office, instead of on a grassy hill in Boone, I can't believe that seven years have passed.

Awaken

2008-09-09T14:54:00.006-04:00

Every Tuesday night, some of my best friends in the world come to my house. We talk, eat, listen and laugh. We are a Life Community group of Awaken Church. Actually, we ARE Awaken Church. We are new, we are really small, and we are committed to our relationships with each other and with Jesus. We are really honest with each other. We share all the junk and all the joy of each other's lives. We love people that love Jesus. We love people that don't love Jesus. We love people that don't know what or who they love. We also really love babies, especially Hannah Elizabeth. We welcome people from all walks of life, no matter where they are in their spiritual journey and desire for our community to be a place to truly belong.

We meet on Sundays, too.

We have been through some really great times, some really tough times, and all the times in between - and would wouldn't trade a single moment of it all. We are family, and we wouldn't have it any other way.

I would love for any and all of you to meet my family. Just let me know, and we'll hook you up.

The Laundry Room I

2008-09-08T10:45:00.005-04:00

Have you noticed the increasing number of laundry rooms being dressed up and showcased in blogland? Well, I'm jumping on the bandwagon. Not to show off my laundry room, but to make myself expose some of the "dirty laundry" in my life.

You see, I really WANT to be organized and put together. I really TRY to make people believe that I am organized and put together. Every Tuesday night, I host our Life Community group at our house (which will be the focus of my post tomorrow). It is so important to me that the parts of my home that people see are clean and neat and pretty. After work, I will furiously straighten, clean and stuff things behind closed doors... All of this just so the people that I am supposed to be the most transparent with don't see my mess.

I am a messy and disorganized person on the outside and the inside.

Honestly, you are, too.

Maybe you aren't messy on the outside - maybe your cabinets are the picture of perfection and you catch the dust before it dares to hit the furniture - but the inside is probably cluttered and piled and dirty. I am so passionate about living authentically and honestly, and it just does not sit right for me to try to hide the mess anymore.

That is not the way we were created to live.

So, the laundry room is the first room to be cleaned out. I have to open the door, face the mess, and starting straightening. This journey began with the help of my sweet man this weekend, and I'll show you the final product when it is finished. I don't really want to have to learn this lesson again, so I'm going to try to do it right this time.

Craft Corner Deathmatch

2008-09-05T10:11:00.003-04:00

Did you ever watch that show? I had my very own Craft Corner Deathmatch last night with some great coworkers that are also my friends.

Justin and I quickly cleaned the house and cooked before Blair, Andy, Danielle and Jason came over. Wait, I have to be honest here. We did not cook - we heated up and sliced. There was no cooking in the Kendra sense going on. We put frozen lasagna in the oven and combined spinach, peppers, tomatoes, cheese and walnuts for a salad. Ok, I feel better now - just had to get that off my chest.

Anyway, our friends came over, we ate, drank and were merry. Then the girls piled in the car to make the trek to Michael's. We didn't go just because we had nothing to do, and crafting seemed like the only option. WE WERE ON A MISSION FROM GOD. (Maybe... just a mission from Lauren.) There were 300 wedding favors in my attic just WAITING to be dressed up, and Michael's could help make that happen. So, in the World's Fastest Michael's Trip (approximately 10 minutes) we scored lots of ribbon and an affirmation that the Martha Stewart monopoly on cute stuff at Michael's is WAY TOO EXPENSIVE. (Anyone know a cute way to make "gift tags" that isn't going to cost an arm and a leg and my first child?)

We returned home and Craft Corner Deathmatch continued, while our men watched "I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry" and Phoebe slept upside down on her back. It took us over an hour to figure out how to tie this ding dang ribbon, and we finally just had to settle. We were tired and covered in glitter. By midnight, there were a grand total of 4 favors finished... only 296 to go. Do you guys have any suggestions on how to spruce these up?

To me, they look like they've had makeovers, but Tyra makeovers, rather than Oprah makeovers... just not classy enough. So ladies, START YOUR COMMENTS... and if all 300 of these don't make it to their new homes after the wedding, we are going to have a big ole fun bloggy giveaway.

Playing Tag

2008-09-03T16:09:00.002-04:00

So, sweet little Molly tagged me. We have to name 6 things that are unspectacular about ourselves.

Here are Justin's Six....
1. I own nine pairs of shoes
2. I am nearsighted
3. I can only do 14 pushups
4. I am allergic to dust
5. I was born on a weekend
6. I find it hard to pronounce "rural"

Here are Lauren's Six....
1. I am entirely too busy
2. I hate it when people put shoes on upholstered furniture or on the bed.
3. I am a Certified Pilates teacher, but I am not teaching at the moment.
4. I am unorganized and messy deep down.
5. I am afraid of ET
6. I am dangerously addicted to sweets

There you have it folks, we are boring.

Now I'm tagging some of YOU.
how's about...
1. Petersons Go Public
2. Balancing Beauty and Bedlam
3. Wilson Ramblings
4. Beautifully Imperfect
5. Bits and Pieces

Have Fun, Girls!

long weekend = long post

2008-09-02T12:55:00.012-04:00

I hope your Labor Day Weekend was as wonderful as mine was.

Our road trip began Friday evening...(if you didn't know already, Justin likes to make scary faces in photos...)

We weren't quite as hyper once we hit bumper to bumper traffic in Atlanta, but what can you do? We decided to pass the time by only listening to our favorite '90s songs on the iPod. We're talking Semi-Charmed Life, Alanis Morisette, Boyz II Men, Hootie and the Blowfish, 10,000 Maniacs and anything else from the '90s from CHARLOTTE TO ATLANTA. We arrived in Atlanta closer to midnight, and were thrilled to see Emily and Rob (AND their new home!) They have recently bought a new to them, but old in reality condo on the edge of an EXPENSIVE history neighborhood. Their condo is basically what dreams are made of... high ceilings, huge windows, hardwood floors, state of the art kitchen and retro bathrooms. Here is a very poor quality photo of their dining room and screened in porch from their living room.After staying up till the wee hours of the morning, we slept in on Saturday morning, ate a wonderful breakfast together (oatmeal pancakes, berry compote, scrambled cheddar eggs and bacon), then headed into midtown (I think that's what they call it) for a little SHOPPING. My heart skipped a beat when I saw this...

It was Justin's first time at the big blue and yellow box of bargains and fun. I was so excited to spend my recently earned fun money...Four hours later, I had finished my shopping, with a final score of: 1 coke float, 1 hot dog, 2 cases of shelving for my laundry room/pantry, 1 accent pillow for the guest room, 1 pair of curtains for the guest room, 1 roll of drawing paper for Justin's classroom, 1 metal planting box, 1 clock, ALL of the candles for the wedding, and ALL of the candle holders for the wedding. Considering that we are having candles EVERYWHERE at the wedding, scoring the last two items on that list are like finding the Golden Snitch at Hogwarts. After the day-o-shopping, Justin and the car looked like this...We only had to fold the middle seat down :) We had dinner at a sweet little Thai restaurant, then went home at watched Planet Earth.

Sunday morning, we decided to celebrate God's creation by trying to be the first in line at the Georgia Aquarium. Holy moly. That place was nothing short of amazing.

(that's a BELUGA WHALE... baby beluga...)

I have so many photos and videos of the fish and WHALE SHARKS, that it would take me years to post them on here. You all should just go to Georgia and see them for yourself. Sunday night we went to FOOD 101, an unbelievable restaurant in Atlanta. We all stuffed ourselves, and were quite satisfied, especially after the after-dinner drinks...

Again, after dinner we went home and watched more Planet Earth - this time the "Shallow Seas" disc to finish off our ocean-inspired day. Monday we woke up, packed up, and drove home so that I could teach a class. However, this did not keep me from stopping at the Pottery Barn Outlet in SC, and doing my part to help out at their Labor Day Sale. 70% off clearance = New Organic Duvet, and 4 Pillow Shams for our new bed!! (The same bed that I'm not allowed to sleep in until we're married... at least it will look pretty for 3 more months)

I cannot WAIT to show you all the stuff and fun design projects that I am going to do in the coming weeks, thanks to IKEA and PB Outlet... Guest Bedroom Redo and Laundry Room Redo comin' up. Oh yeah, and I'll refinish that hutch sometime, too.

hotlanta

2008-08-29T13:07:00.003-04:00

We are spending the weekend in Hotlanta with our dear friends, Emily and Rob.I'll have lots of photos to post next week :)

Also next week - a story on how we rescued a poor little china cabinet from a trailer park in Charlotte, and gave it a facelift and a new name.

Happy Labor Day!

say what you need to say

2008-08-28T09:47:00.005-04:00

Yesterday, the weather was horrible in NC. Rain, hail, thunder, lightning, wind, flooding, a TORNADO or two... it was nothing less than miserable. Despite the unsafe conditions, my friends and I thought that making a pilgrimage to Raleigh was still a great idea. We were right. When we arrived in Raleigh, the sky didn't clear, but it did stop raining just in time for us to park, turn in our tickets, and get "front lawn" seats to hear...

...can't tell who the cutie is? Is this picture better?

yup. OneRepublic. My guilty pleasure. So cute, and you know what? Better in concert than on cd. mm-hmm. And after they performed, we danced to...

So now is where I say what I need to say. His new haircut makes him look more like a geek. Every time I see the guy I am surprised at how tall and lanky he is. He looked like he should be playing computer games and watching anime. (And I'm not at all bitter about him dumping Jennifer. That's right, she and I are on a first name basis. We're pretty much BFF.)

It was a fun night with girlfriends. As soon as we got in the car to leave, it started to rain again. Today I'm tired, but content.

Oh yeah. Today is my 2-year dating anniversary with Jus, 100 days until my wedding, and I'm going to pick up a china cabinet/hutch that I bought off craigslist ($75) tonight. There will be some decorating posts coming soon!

It's on like donkey kong...

2008-08-25T09:59:00.012-04:00

I told you so. Wedding planning is in FULL FORCE starting today. That means I need all of you to pack your bags, come to NC, and start helping me out. I need my house painted, cleaned, organized, and then you can start addressing envelopes for invitations or tying bows on favors. Anyone up for the challenge? C'mon, you know you want to :)

So, I have a florist. I heart her times a million. She does florist-y stuff as a side job for fun, so she is an absolute pleasure to work with. It also makes her ALOT easier on the budget. We agree that the flowers for our wedding should scream "vintage winter elegance" (sounds swanky, eh?) ((I sound Canadian, eh?)) We are putting alot of textures together, as well as many shades of white, green and brown. Here are just a FEW photos of some possible flowers we might use. Let me know your opinions!

I am excited to see what it all looks like together!

And for those who were wondering - the weekend at the lake was so fun! Lots of sleeping, eating, and relaxing. We all watched a few movies too - Drillbit Taylor and Hairspray. Justin starts his first day of school tomorrow. Wish him luck!

Nothing to do but relax...

2008-08-22T09:23:00.004-04:00

I have alot to do this weekend.

I have to drive here...

and I have to watch this...

I have to eat this...

I have to read this...

I'll probably need to take this...
and I get to see this...

well, the cute one on the left... the other 2 won't be there :)

Have a great weekend, y'all! Wedding planning goes into full force next week - you better be ready!

The New Mr. and Mrs. B

2008-08-19T10:48:00.006-04:00

This weekend we celebrated the wedding of two great friends - Katie and Adam. I forgot to take pictures, except for while we were waiting around for the ceremony to begin. It was a sweet little ceremony. I am jealous that they are off on a beach in Jamaica for a week. Do you all have recommendations for OUR honeymoon? We still haven't booked anything...

Katie and her sis...

Katie, her sis, and her mom...World's most awkward photo of me and Emily...Bridesmaids peeking to see who is waiting in line :)

I hate naming posts.

2008-08-18T12:17:00.005-04:00

I wish that I were more creative in my titles for you all. I need to hire June just to come up with titles. Speaking of June, I got to meet her and her sweet little Tallulah on Saturday morning. It was fun to get to chat with her for a little while and for Tallulah and Phoebe to meet. Tallulah was very cordial to the Phoesbster and did not bother her one bit. Phoebe just stood there, as usual. She is so high maintenance. It was my first time meeting up with a blog world friend, and it was fun.

Two weekends ago, Justin and I went to Asheville for friends' weddings. (Notice the plural form of wedding) On the way there and on the way back we passed 2 of my favorite landmarks. They have been my faves since the summer after 12th grade. My friend, Kate, and I took our first roadtrip sans parents. We went to Nashville, TN, for her college orientation at Vanderbilt University. We had lots of fun, and managed to come home all in one piece. These landmarks are neighbors, and are located on I-40 in NC, somewhere between Greensboro and... Asheville.

Yes, it is Meal Barn, and Deal Barn. So classy.

And here's the stereotypical token in-the-car picture of us. We just needed to record ourselves on the day we finally pulled the car over to take pics of MealBarnDealBarn. We look exhausted, probably from the horrid smell of our rental car (it smelled like old cheap lotion and butter biscuits)
Next post: Katie's wedding!!

The Man

2008-08-14T08:54:00.007-04:00

So, since Justin's name is in the title of this blog, I figure I should finally introduce him to you. He DID post yesterday, right? So here are the stats:

His family is from Iowa, but he grew up in Raleigh, NC.

He has 2 wonderful parents, an older brother, an older sister, a sister in law and a brother in law.

He was a teaching fellow at Appalachian State University (Go 'Neers!) and now is an elementary school teacher. Last year he taught a 4th and 5th grade combo class at a Montessori School. This year he will be teaching 2nd grade at a traditional school.

He is an Appalachian Trail Thru Hiker, which means that he walked all 2,174 miles from Springer Mountain, Georgia to Mt. Katahdin, Maine. He carried everything in a pack on his back, and did it in 4.5 months (the average thru-hike takes around 6 months). He is pretty amazing :) Also, he is a earth-friendly tree hugger at heart.

He is so funny, sweet, and he really knows EVERYTHING. Great to have on your Trivial Pursuit team! He plays a billion instruments, and loves apples when it comes to fruit or electronics. He loves people, is a great listener, and is very good at rolling with the punches of life. I could keep going and going and going, but why do that when I could show you pictures?

Here he is at the halfway point of the Appalachian Trail (you can see how skinny he is - he lost about 30-40 lbs on his hike!)

Here he is with a baby chick at the State Fair (we both LOVE the state fair)...

Us with my parents...

Him asking me to marry him... his hair looks extra fluffy in this pic. And Phoebe says Hi, too :)
and again...I have limited photos of him on this computer, but hopefully he can post more often and show you a little more of his life. You all will love him, he's great.

The Man's First Post

2008-08-13T22:07:00.002-04:00

Justin Needs...
1. a partner
2. a clever display name with pictures
3. to know, and he needs to hear it from someone who cares
4. an attitude adjustment
5. close supervision
6. to hook up with Jessica Simpson
7. a refill
8. to stop being gay
9. to tie his shoes
10. to learn to stop getting embarrassing pictures of himself taken

(in response to this)

the play by play

2008-08-12T14:50:00.002-04:00

this past weekend:
-drove to asheville
-planned a friend's wedding - seriously, the whole thing in one night
-went to another friend's wedding
-taught dance (i'll post videos later)

this week:
-work every day
-teach every day
-get internet at home (yayyyyyyyyyyyy! i can post on weekends!)
-watch olympics
-awaken stuff
-get ready for katie's wedding this weekend
-get passport
-plan honeymoon
-decide on reception band
-schedule dress fittings
-katie's wedding festivities (rehearsal, rehearsal dinner, bridal lunch, get ready, ceremony, reception)
-paint our other hallway?
-lose 5 lbs or 2 inches from my hips?

i need a personal assistant.

I'm not posting enough this week.

2008-08-07T09:27:00.003-04:00

I hope I'm not starting to slack off.

Justin and I are hopefully going to hire a band to play at our wedding reception. They are called "soul central", and they are fun. Here is their myspace page. Go listen to them and let us know if you think they would be fun to have at our big party :)

I've been working every night this week at the dance studio. For our competitive team, we have 2 weeks of intensive summer classes at the beginning of summer, and 2 weeks at the end of summer. This week started the second half of "summer dance". On top of teaching class each night, I've been working on solos, duets, trios and small group dances AFTER regular class. It's exhausting to everyone involved, but I really like to get choreography set on the dancers as early in the year as possible. I have to brag on one of our kids - Maddie. I started teaching her 8 years ago, when she was 9 years old. This year she'll be a senior in high school, and I have to say, I dread her graduating! I know that she needs to go to college, and I know that soon I'll be buying tickets to watch her dance in a professional company, but I really don't want her to leave. Last night, we started working on 1 of her 2 solos for this year. We were supposed to have a 1.5 hour lesson, but we decided to change the music, so we really only worked for about 25 minutes. She learns so quickly, and can do anything you tell her to do. Plus, she has a weird ability to read my mind... anyways, here's what we accomplished in 25 minutes yesterday. You better keep an eye out for her on SYTYCD.

Last, another survey inspired by Jennifer P. So you type "*your name* needs" in google, and see what comes up. so here's mine...
Lauren Needs...
1. attention
2. someone with her when she is outdoors (AMEN, I'm scared of everything!)
3. to grow up
4. a myspace (have one already - facebook is better)
5. a hotel room ( i DO need one - for my honeymoon!!!!)
6. to get over it already (get over what?)
7. an acoustic drum kit (hahaha - I'd rather have Rock Band for Wii)
8. to chill out and stay out of other people's business (i think alot of these refer to Lauren Conrad from the Hills)
9. to work on her self esteem (isn't that the truth?)
10. water.

Allow Me to Introduce You...

2008-08-05T13:32:00.006-04:00

I'd like for you to meet some new people in my life.

First, there is Hannah Elizabeth, that I've told you about before...what a cutie - all 5 lbs, 15 oz of her :)

And here is my free iron bird themed coat rack thingy.... don't know what I'm going to do with it, but it was free, so I couldn't resist.oops, sorry I didn't rotate this for you...

And lastly, the newest addition to the Almost-Stagner family...isn't she a cutie? Her little sister iTouch iPod is really cute, too.

I am so busy this week with work, teaching, and new choreography. I'll maybe post some videos on here soon :)

one quick list

2008-08-01T12:50:00.003-04:00

So, with this one, you post photos of the answers - i'm going to try to find most/some of them on google images to spice it up a bit...
1. Your age on your next birthday.

2. A place you'd like to travel. 3. Your favorite place. 4. Your favorite object. 5. Your favorite food.6. Your favorite animal. 7. Your favorite color.8. The town where you were born.
9. The town where you live. See #8.
10. Name of a past pet.
11. Name of a past love.
12. Best friend's nickname.
13. Your screen name. N/A
14. Your first name.
15. Your middle name.
16. Your last name.
17. Bad habit.
18. Your first job.
19. Name of your grandmother. See #15
20. College major.

and.....
this took forever.... but it was fun - comment to tell me if you did it and i'll go read yours!

MFK, HEP, and Wedding Music.

2008-08-01T12:33:00.002-04:00

MFK-
Last night, I took my first class through My First Kitchen. SO FUN! I seriously left feeling confident in the fact that I could really make delicious food. This is a big deal considering I've pretty much never cooked before, ever. If you are in the Greensboro area, please PLEASE set up a class for you and some friends. I promise you won't regret it. And for all my out-of-state blog friends, who are not in the Greensboro area, come visit and I'll take you to a class when you get here! I would love to have a girls night out cooking class with y'all!
HEP-
Yesterday, little Hannah Elizabeth Pugh made her debut! She was 6 lbs even, and apparently she looks just like her daddy, Jonathan. Jonathan and Jennifer are friends of ours that we met through Awaken. Justin and I cannot wait to get to the hospital tonight to love on that sweet baby girl. I'll take lots of pics and share them later :)
Wedding Music-
I need help. We've got music picked out for before the ceremony, when the bride walks down the aisle, during the ceremony and for afterwards. It was so easy to pick. NOW, we cannot decide on ANYTHING for the seating of the mothers, or for the bridesmaids processional. Does anyone have any good ideas?? We don't want super traditional stuff - no cannon in d, jesu..., here comes the bride, blah blah blah... Please help us!

"STD", or "Save The Date"

2008-07-31T11:41:00.004-04:00

Here's the front...and I just realized I don't have a photo of the back of the postcard on this computer. oops. I promise I'll show you later.
SO, I am seriously considering getting into wedding and event planning as a side job. It is something I have really enjoyed doing, and I think I could do a great job on any budget. Also, I think having an interior design background really helps. Are YOU getting married? Do you know someone who is? Do they need help putting everything together? I would really love to help...

there's no place like home

2008-07-30T09:29:00.002-04:00

I am finally back from Atlanta. I had only been there since Monday, but it seemed like forever. Trips aren't fun if you have to work the whole time...

Since nothing new has happened as far as weddings or home improvements go, I have a fun post that I think all of you should take part in. Turn on your iPod, MP3 player, iTunes, whatever, and put it on shuffle songs. Whatever songs come up are the answers to your questions...

1. What would describe your personality? : Umbrella (Marie Digby)
2. What do you like in a guy/girl? : Death of an Interior Decorator (Death Cab for Cutie) oh i hope justin doesn't want this!
3. How do you feel, today?: White Christmas (Lena Horne)
4. What’s your life’s purpose?: I Want You (Elvis Costello)
5. What is your motto? : Hallelujah (Imogen Heap)
6. What do your friends think of you?: Once in a Lifetime (Talking Heads) what a fun song!
7. What do you think of your parents?: 15 Step (Radiohead)
8. What do you think about very often?: Bigger Than My Body (John Mayer)
9. What do you think of your best friend? :Let Go (Frou Frou)
10. What do you think of the person you like?: Enchantment (Corinne Bailey Rae)
11. What is your life story?: Chop Me Up (Justin Timberlake)
12. What do you want to be when you grow up?: Knock 'Em Out (Lily Allen)
13. What do you think when you see the person you like?: Vogue (Madonna)
14. What do your parents think of you? : What A Wonderful World (Stacy Kent)
15. What will be played at your funeral? :Let It Be (Carol Woods)
16.What is your hobby/interest?: Most People Are DJs (The Hold Steady)
17. What is your biggest secret? : Save the Last Dance for Me (Harry Connick Jr)
18. What do you think of your friends?: Mercy (Duffy)
19. What should you post this as? :The Prayer (Bloc Party)

hmm, not many of these make sense... oh well :)
I promise a better post tomorrow. AND, for all you Greensboro-ans... Old Time Pottery is on S. Holden Rd by Emerald Pointe (where I-85 and Holden meet) it's the best!

131 days

2008-07-28T11:19:00.002-04:00

We are so close to being in double digits for the wedding countdown! How fun is that?
On Sunday, my mom, Justin, and I went to Old Time Pottery. Now, I had never ventured into this Garden Ridge-like store before, but since my experience yesterday, I might be a little obsessed. This place is BIGGER than Garden Ridge, but has smaller prices. Can wedding planning get any better? I submit that it cannot. Here's the deal - we are inviting OVER 300 people to this wedding, and we are hoping that 300 or less actually come. With such a large wedding, it seems that EVERYTHING is more expensive... favors, food, etc. Being a designer, I can't help but care about every little detail of the wedding. Fonts must match or coordinate, the ribbons must match exactly, I want the atmosphere to be perfect (warm... cozy... romantic...) I know that no one but me will notice any of these details, BUT I also know that when details work together in just the right way, an atmosphere will be created that no one will forget! So, how do you make this work without spending $325,412,987,123.52? OLD TIME POTTERY, PEOPLE! I bought all of my wedding favors there - way less than $1 each, which was the cheapest price I could find online. And ya' know what's even better? The ones we bought are way bigger and better than the ones online!! I would tell you what they are, but that would ruin the surprise :)
Also, we are doing 3 different types of centerpieces on the reception tables. The tallest ones require really really really big vases. Cheapest place I could find them? IKEA.... UNTIL YESTERDAY. OTP = 30" tall vases for oh... $11 each. unbelievable. Not getting married? It doesn't matter. OTP has anything you could ever want. They have all the same plates, etc that we are registered for at Crate and Barrel for $1 each. I can't get enough of this place. Somebody stop me!!!

I'D OFFICIALLY LIKE TO THANK...

2008-07-25T10:31:00.004-04:00

Jennifer P. for this award...

Let me tell you, this is an honor! She is too nice to me, always leavin' comments and stuff :) And, she likes SYTYCD, which all of you who know me know that it is close to my heart. Maybe I'll blog about my dance studio someday!
So I guess I am supposed to leave this to other bloggers? I choose Adventures of Mommyhood, Balancing Beauty and Bedlam, and Wilson Ramblings! I think you are supposed to just click on the award, or right click or something... (obviously I've never gotten one of these before!)

So, today is the "watering can list". Whitney at Adventures of Mommyhood did this on her blog. I love that she changed the name from "bucket list" because we probably aren't kicking the bucket soon, and even if we do, that's ok. We ain't skeered. So here's mine in no particular order - this may be edited throughout the day....
1) Travel the world - I've never left the country!
2) Adopt a little girl from China
3) Become a professional wedding/event planner
4) Have a few kids :)
5) Invest in a good camera and suddenly gain photography skills
6) Learn to play piano
7) Learn how to cook well, and ENJOY cooking (My First Kitchen is going to help me)
8) Dye my hair a completely different color
9) Live in NYC
10) Finish the last Harry Potter book (it's a long story - don't ask)

So, I'm tagging all of you!! What's on YOUR watering can list? I can't wait to hear all of your answers!

And for kicks and giggles... this is who I spent time with last night -

Dash is my godson, Noah, and Batman is his friend, Bryson. And the thing on the floor behind them is a creepy mouse that lights up sitting in a flower pot.

i almost forgot...

2008-07-24T16:43:00.005-04:00

I promised yesterday that I'd show you our deck....

This is what it looked like the day we bought our house (2 months ago). We love the deck but we haven't used it yet because all we could do on the deck was stand around. Now, we can eat, lounge, and maybe even have small group outside....

...if you ever come sit on the deck, beware of the orange chairs. They are way cheap, and if you move around too much, the fabric has been known to "release itself" from the wood, meaning your bum ends up on the floor. Someday we'll get something different to go out here, but for now - it's perfect!

Tomorrow, I will introduce you all to my watering can list...

"Good Will Hunting" or "Most of Our Furniture Was Free"

2008-07-23T12:01:00.012-04:00

This past weekend, thanks to inspiration from Jenn and Balancing Beauty and Bedlam, I visited the newly remodeled Goodwill with my trusty sidekick, Justin. I spent $40. I got 3 tall glass hurricanes... ... 1 short glass hurricane...

...2 Flower Pots...(we had to use one on Sunday morning for Awaken brunch..)

...and 2 white cordless Roman Shades to be used in our master bedroom, which I won't have photos of until we have put them up. After Good Will Hunting, we went to my aunt's house to pick up dining room furniture that she needed to get rid of...

we have to keep a table cloth on the table because it belonged to my uncle's grandmother. I am really worried about ruining the finish on the table top. Normally, these candles are not all over the table, but on Sunday, this was the food table, and we needed some quick decor. The chairs.... POTTERY BARN!And while I'm on the topic of free furniture, remember how I left you wanting more yesterday? Here are the cute end tables we got from Katie and Chad...

....see that adorable leather MITCHELL GOLD ottoman? Freebie from my friend, Kate. And along with the ottoman they gave us this Pottern Barn Kids bookshelf...

all of these books are alphabetized by title - my fiance's request. Tomorrow I'll show you our back deck and the new furniture there :) Of course, there was a bargain there, too!
We have really enjoyed making our new old house our home, and we look forward to all the updates we'll get to do in the near and far away future. Thanks to all our friends and family that have been so generous to offer us these treasures.
Any ideas as to what to put on the HUGE empty walls in my dining room, and above the blue sofa in the living room? Leave me your ideas! Tell your friends to leave me THEIR ideas! I am desperate!

Promised Posts: Part II

2008-07-22T10:23:00.006-04:00

Once upon a time, I blogged about painting our entry hallway. Well, I am almost finished doing it. Everything is done, except going around the trim at the top. Honestly, I forget that I haven't finished yet. Here's what it looked like before...and another before (from a different angle)...

Really bad quality photos, I know, but I never thought I'd be doing before-and-afters of the entry hall. Here's what it looks like today...

Can you tell that I haven't finished painting around the ceiling? Also, want to guess what color the walls are? I know Nester will have the right answer...... she would also say that it is ok that I am not completely done painting, because IDHTBPTBB. We will eventually hang things on the wall, but I am not going to do that until the painting is complete. Isn't that a cute little table in the hallway?
It comes to the Almost-Stagner household courtesy of The Wilsons. We bought 2 end tables from them because they were moving, and we needed end tables, and they gave us 2 more! FOR FREE! They are wonderful, generous people, and we are really hoping to get to know this family better. In addition to being really nice, they have a beautiful baby that also happens to be the tannest white baby on Earth. (doesn't that make you want to read their blog?) I would show you what the end tables look like in our living room, but I have to leave you all wanting more. SO, come back tomorrow for before-and-almost-finished-afters of our living room and dining room, AND all the sweet stuff we scored this weekend...

Promised Posts: Part I

2008-07-21T09:59:00.009-04:00

Ok - I've been making alot of promises, and not holding up my end of the bargain. So here is my first promise kept....

Photos of the famous OLLIE! Ollie Hannam is the son of two of our dear friends from Awaken. We got to babysit him last week and we had a blast playing hide and seek and teaching him to say "google". He is so sweet....

Here are Justin and Ollie...

And here is a random photo of Phoebe (for good measure...) She always knows when I'm going out of town, and will pack herself in my luggage!
Ain't she cute?

Sisters at Starbucks II

2008-07-18T13:55:00.005-04:00

If you live in Greensboro, I know exactly what you should be doing tonight around 8pm. You should be rushing your fanny over to the new Starbucks on Battleground (at the Battleground/Old Battleground/Horse Pen Creek Rd intersection). Why? Because the hottest musical sensation of 2008 will be performing for FREE! Can you guess who it is? It's not Boyce Avenue... not the Jonas brothers... but another set of siblings that, honestly, I like alot better. Duh y'all... its SISTERS AT STARBUCKS II!

There they are! Aren't they cute? (K and H - I hope you don't mind that I put this photo on here - I couldn't resist. Photo courtesy of Lucy Clement Photography in Greensboro, NC) Kendra, from My First Kitchen, and Hannah, from Disorganized College Student, are sisters and they are both extremely talented at musical things. They are performing tonight at Starbucks, and I think every person in Greensboro should come. Seriously, they are really good - otherwise I would not have picked them to do the music for my wedding.

I am not sure I'll blog over the weekend because of my redonkulous schedule:

Friday - haircut; dinner with friends; SISTERS AT STARBUCKS II

Saturday - shop for wedding shower decor, gifts, and food; yardwork; clean my house

Sunday - church at our house in the morning (Hug It Out -----, '08) then giving a "honey-do" shower for a friend for the afternoon and evening.

So i'll catch you on the flip side, unless of course, I see you tonight at 8:00 :)

It's a small bloggy world

2008-07-17T09:07:00.005-04:00

Wowee, y'all! Just when I thought that this blogging thing was kind of a waste of time, Jennifer decided to write another great post that encouraged me to actually COMMENT on the blogs that I read everyday. Usually I comment on my real-life friends' blogs, but not on the blogs of "famous" people. So yesterday I went on a comment spree... The Nester, Jennifer, Mabel's House... and then, the unthinkable happened! I was babysitting Ollie (officially one of the cutest kids on the planet, i'll post a pic of him later...), and after he went to sleep, I checked my email. Right there before my very eyes... COMMENTS ON MY BLOG. WOOT WOOT! Sweet Jennifer just commented until her little comment heart was content. And then, another comment from another Jennifer... we actually know each other in real life, but not in the bloggy world. How did she find my blog? Oh, just by me commenting on the Nester's blog. I am hoping that this will all take flight. Until December, this will be more or less my journal for "engaged" life, and after December, who knows! Maybe it will be my journal for married life, maybe my platform for design philosophy and inspiration, maybe just photos. Whatever this is or will be, I am really excited about it! Maybe I need to get a custom blog layout, then I'll be a real blogstress.

And just because every blog post is better with a photo... here's one of me and my honey :)

Taken by Marie Cox, over at Phreckles Photography. Hands down my favorite photographer of babies, children, families, engaged couples and weddings. Check her out and fall in love for yourself. :)

the weekend.

2008-07-14T10:53:00.004-04:00

this weekend definitely contained every possible emotion at one point or another...
Saturday was an uber-productive day! We were finally able to focus completely on wedding plans for the whole day. We met with the florist and toured the church and reception site. We were pleasantly surprised at how much we LOVE Ali, her ideas, and her prices. Here is our inspiration for flowers and colors for the wedding...

We love all the shades of cream, green and brown. I think it should be beautiful in December! Check out http://www.stylemepretty.com/ for other really cool wedding ideas (if you are planning a wedding). We also finally ordered bridesmaid dresses (navy blue) and picked out a flower girl dress for Avery. Saturday night was spent with our sweet friend Kate... she is a VERY talented graphic designer, and is doing all of the design for save the dates, invitations, etc. I am really lucky to have such talented bridesmaids. We finished the Save the Dates - all we have left to do is write addresses and put them in the mail! It felt great to mark 3 big things off the really long wedding to-do list. Also on Saturday night, I finally painted our entry hall. I'll blog about that tomorrow.

Sunday was a heavy day. Our wonderful church community was faced with the biggest hardship we've seen in our measly 1.5 years that we've been together. It is something that breaks our hearts and leaves us feeling very confused. Justin and I spent the day just trying to express our thoughts and feelings, and ended up having Kate and BT over for some group therapy. Kate's mom is what we like to call a "wise old owl" and she was kind enough to act as a therapist to us all and helped us to sort through ideas and thoughts. The 5 of us had dinner together, and Wise Old Owl decided that herself, Kate and I would immediately make the journey to Nordstrom in Raleigh for some retail therapy. They had invitations to the Preview of Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale, and let me tell you - it's AWESOME. All of the new fall merchandise, we were 3 of probably 15 people in the store, and 30% off!! I saved $100! Here's what I got...

I know that most of you think they are ugg-ly. i do too. However, they are the only things that really keep my feet warm. And they were a great deal. I also got these...
... actually i can't show you a picture of it, because they aren't on the Nordstrom website yet. Sorry, kids. They are beautiful brown flat riding boots with buckles.

After this weekend, I am most thankful for my friends and family, and the close community that we all share.

Wedding Season

2008-07-09T09:40:00.007-04:00

I have been very busy this "wedding season". Not so much busy planning my own wedding, but busy being a bridesmaid in others' weddings! This summer I am a bridesmaid in 2 weddings (Emily and Katie - 2 of my bridesmaids, too!), and by the end of 2008, I will have attended 7 weddings, and invited to 12!

Emily's wedding was alot of fun, and I really enjoyed spending time with the 'maids.

Here is a picture of all of Emily's 'maids... (L to R - Katie, Erin, Rachel, Me, and Caitlin) We are a fun bunch, for sure :)

Here are Justin and Erin... they were too funny together - especially on the dance floor at the reception.

Here we are, the last couple to be married in 2008 - it will be here before we know it!

In additions to weddings, we have been celebrating the 3rd birthday of my sweet cousin (and flower girl), Avery... Here's the birthday girl enjoying her cake...

We spent the 4th of July with my mom's family at Ocean Isle Beach, then spent the last half of the holiday weekend in Raleigh with Justin's family and friends. We saw Wall-E, and I HIGHLY recommend it - I think adults could get more out of the movie than kids.Hopefully tomorrow I can post pictures of the painted foyer at our house (that means I'll have to paint it tonight!)... Sadly, my blog is my accountability partner :/

My New Hobby That I Hate

2008-06-24T15:28:00.004-04:00

We have a new hobby. Running. (Continue reading once you've stopped laughing...)

Those of you who know me know that there was one time I ran for exercise between high school and this past weekend. It was my senior year of college, I was living with Leah in the cabin, I felt fat, so I decided to run from our cabin to the end of the road and back. That was a really really really bad idea. Gravel and running and a steep mountain road don't mix.

I was that kid in elementary school that would make myself throw up so I wouldn't have to run the mile.

Anyways, Justin and I decided to start getting in shape for the wedding and honeymoon (and I can't sit down in my wedding dress as of 2 weeks ago). There are so many great parks around Greensboro that are really close to our new house. On Saturday we went to Battleground National Military Park. The battle of Guilford Courthouse in some war was fought there. There are lots of statues and cool trails.

Sunday we went to Country Park, where most of Greensboro's 5k's and other races take place. The trail is a big loop around a lake, and twice around the loop equals 5k. My goal by the end of the summer is to be able to get around the lake once without stopping/walking. Maybe I'll be able to run a 5k by this fall!

I also started painting our entry hallway this weekend and it made me want to puke. The color is just not right - too warm, if that is even possible. I guess I'll buy more paint, and try again... no photos until it is just right :)

Save the Dates are almost done - we have to print them, address them, and send them on their merry little way to YOU! I hope you all like them... alot of hard work has gone into them already!

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

2008-06-20T13:29:00.006-04:00

ATTENTION ALL LADIES.....

Run to Payless Shoes right now. Don't walk. Run.

I just spent $50 and got 3 of the cutest shoes I've gotten all summer. AND, its a BOGO sale.

Aren't they sassy in all their orange patin leather glory? (and work-friendly, too)

These come in green, black and yellow stripes. Comfortable, and more importantly adorable. Perfect with white pants or a skirt.

Again, so cute and so cheap! And they make your ankles look skinny! It doesn't get much better than that....

I can't wait to wear them all :)

It's Finished!!

2008-06-18T09:45:00.010-04:00

My kick-butt fiance and almost brother-in-law finished the sidewalk! It looks awesome - they did such a good job. All we have to do now is fill in dirt on either side and plant some flowers. Here are some photos of the finished product, and a few more of what is blooming in our yard right now.

Follow the Concrete Paver Sidewalk...

2008-06-17T09:26:00.004-04:00

Yesterday, construction started on our first official home improvement. Before yesterday, the path from our driveway to our front door was about 10 inches wide, and muddy. In an attempt to keep mud from being tracked in the house, and because it will look pretty, we decided to buy pavers for a new sidewalk. Justin called his brother for advice, and Ryan ended up offering to come down for 3 days and help Justin put the sidewalk in! Ryan is a firefighter in Raleigh, and has a crazy schedule, so we were lucky to get him for his off days!

We had figured out where we wanted the sidewalk to go last week, but once the guys started digging yesterday, tree roots got in the way. They finally decided to dig up 2 of our existing bushes, move the sidewalk farther away from the house, and avoid killing our ginormous birch tree. Here's what it looked like this morning before they started Day 2!!

More updates tomorrow!

Did Someone Say Party?

2008-06-16T09:21:00.003-04:00

...That is the name of the little bridal store in downtown Boone, NC. It is a store that my friends and I made fun of for four years while we were in college. It is also the store that I bought my wedding dress and veil from, and the store I am forever in love with. The people that work there are nothing short of wonderful. So helpful and honest! Love them!
This weekend, Justin and I joined his parents in Boone at their cabin for a relaxing weekend. We got their late Friday night, and woke up early on Saturday to go to breakfast at our ALL-TIME FAVORITE RESTAURANT............. Melanie's Food Fantasy! SO GOOD!

After we finished the food fantasy, we walked up and down King St., and realized that Boone is really in a bad situation. So many places are going out of business, or already closed. Boone Saloon burned down. Angelica's closed. Moonshine Restaurant closed. Hallmark closed. THE $2 MOVIE THEATER IS CLOSED. I guess all the Floridians (that Boone people despise) aren't "summering" any longer in Boone. Apparently their multimillion dollar homes have foreclosed, and they can't afford to fill their gas-guzzling SUVs. Sadly, the wealthy tourists are what keeps the small town afloat during the summers, when students are gone. After exploring downtown, we drove through ASU's campus to see all the changes in buildings and the new football stadium! It is amazing how much things have changed! We can't wait to come up for all the football games in the fall.

For the rest of the day, there were thunderstorms, which gave all of us the excuse to sleep and be lazy. It was really fun! Sunday morning we went to Dan'l Boone Inn for breakfast, and then packed our bags to come home for Father's Day with my dad.

I officially must get back on the wedding planning train. My goal for the next 2 weeks - get save the dates out, and reserve all the hotel rooms for wedding weekend. Only 173 days left!

Flip Flops and a Clean Living Room...

2008-06-09T11:46:00.011-04:00

180 days until I get to change my last name :) (Just in case you were wondering...)

I really love being crafty, even though I don't get to be crafty very often. Last week, I spent many hours making these as gifts for my students at the dance studio (Every year I make a gift for my Mini Company)...

Aren't they just adorable? Funky little flip flops, for funky little girls. Next time I make funky flip flops for some little diva, I will use more stuff on them. However, when you have to assemble 11 pairs, your fingers feel like they are going to fall off, and you are sneezing from all of the little fabric threads that you have stuck up your nose.

Saturday, my sweet fiance did so much around the house. He worked in the yard, bought pavers for a new sidewalk, and CLEANED THE ENTIRE LIVING ROOM! This usually would not be a big deal to most people, but let me tell you, this living room was a wreck. There were piles of junk taller than our makeshift coffee table! There is still much to be done in this living room (i.e. art, end tables, coffee table, new rug, eventually new furniture...) BUT, I am showing you what we are living with for now...

Isn't it kind of sad? I don't like that color blue, but it was free, and it will have to do for now! The trunk has character, but doesn't really work in this space. And the rug is just so puny :) I can't believe that I am actually posting this on here, but I think only Leah reads this, so it is ok - she knows what it is like getting started in your own place! ANYWAYS, isn't it clean? No mess! No piles! I love my man :)

Update-O-Rama!

2008-06-05T12:34:00.011-04:00

You guys! I'm updating twice in one week! This is a breakthrough, and reward-worthy I'm sure...
The baby shower for Jennifer and Jonathan was a success! So much fun! They are going to be surprised by the sex of the baby, so we had to have two cakes...

We decorated our own onesies to give them...

we played games... (trying to pick safety pins out of a bowl of rice is REALLY hard!)
...and so is trying to draw a picture of what the baby will look like ON YOUR HEAD!
Jennifer was pretty bummed to get a Boppy from us and Kate...

Everyone from AWAKEN chipped in to get them their pack-n-play :) It really was alot of fun! Thanks to Matt and Whitney for letting us party at their house!
Yesterday we got a slipcover for our navy blue couch. It's tan. It's a slipcover. Someone tell me WHY I am so dang excited over this!?! I also ordered a rug from Crate&Barrel. I love me some C&B. AND, I ordered this cutie patootie from the Nester...

i am obsessed with robin's egg blue, people!

This weekend: Dance Recitals, and maybe laying concrete pavers for a new sidewalk?

Busy Busy Busy

2008-06-03T15:29:00.004-04:00

...is it weird that after typing that title three different ways, the word "busy" looks like it should be pronounced, "bussy'?

Anyways. Obviously, I am not good at remembering to post on this blog, but I have a really good excuse! I have been very busy, and I couldn't think of anything to write about :)

Over the past few weeks, I have:

1) Gone to Raleigh with the fiance to have engagement pictures made by Phreckles Photography. We spent several hours finding cool hidden places in downtown Raleigh to take pictures. Lots of fun colors and textures. Phoebe even came with us, too! Let me tell you, we are getting our moneys worth, people! Marie is AMAZING at what she does, and we will be clients for life :) Check her out - and look at some of our engagement photos featured on her blog!

2) We went to Ocean Isle Beach for Memorial Day weekend. My entire extended family was there, and we had a really fun and relaxing time. We spent lots of time playing Wii in the evenings and when it rained. Even my Nanny and Paw Paw tried bowling on the Wii. Too bad we don't have Dance Dance Revolution for the Wii yet...

3) I went to South Beach in Miami! This past Friday, myself and two other friends packed our bags and hopped on a plane to sunny South Beach. We met 8 other girls there to celebrate the upcoming wedding of one of my bridesmaids, Emily. It was a "batchelorette weekend" of sorts. Lots of sun and fun, I tell you. Emily's wedding is June 28th, and I am so excited for their wedding, and honored to be a bridesmaid! Here is a picture of Emily on our last morning before we went to the airport (our flight left at 7 am, hence the not-to-fabulous outfit and silly facial expression):

4) Justin's mom came to Greensboro, and we picked a Rehearsal Dinner site for the wedding! It was such an easy decision - just like everything else has been for the wedding so far. We are going to Starmount Country Club - it is such a beautiful club, and they have stunning Christmas decorations up in December! I know the Rehearsal Dinner is going to be just perfect! (sorry the pic is kind of boring.. it's from their website.)

So that's what I've been up to. I haven't finished unpacking the house. Haven't finished painting the house. Haven't finished cleaning the house. I promise, as soon as it is presentable, I will show you pictures.
In the next few weeks, I will stay busy with a baby shower for our friends Jennifer and Jonathan, the GDT Dance Recital, going to Boone for Father's Day weekend with the Stagners, and going to Charleston for an install for work. Like I said, Busy, Busy, Busy.

We've hit the 200 day mark!

2008-05-21T16:12:00.007-04:00

Actually, as of today, it is 199 days! Time is flying by, but not fast enough :)

The past two weeks have been unbelievably busy, but fun, too. We closed on the house, started painting immediately, and moving in furniture. and clothes. and books. and knitting supplies. and painting supplies. and lots of shoes. We haven't even started moving the majority of Justin's stuff yet! Oh well, it will happen eventually :)

Lately, I have spent many hours over at The Nester's. I love her and all her cute little ideas. I am also jealous of the time she has at home every day with her adorable little boys doing crafts and taking lots of photos. She inspires me to have fun and design on my impulses in my new house. As a "professional" interior designer, I tell other people what to paint and what furniture to buy everyday, but when it comes to my own house, it makes me feel all nervous and pukey. Like it is a life or death decision. I've even broken a sweat over it at one point. (stop laughing at me... or "hate me." as The Nester would say) Anyways - We have successfully painted two rooms. 1) the Master Bedrooms. Sherwin William's "Contented". Soft, relaxing, perfect. 2) The Living Room. Valspar "Barnwood", but color matched in SW paint. A little darker than we expected, but yummy against the white trim and hardwood floors. Here are some before photos - I don't have afters yet.......

..........master bedroom......

.......master bedroom again......

... and the living room.

I am trying to convince Justin, to let me paint the kitchen cabinets black. More on that later...

Wedding plans are coming along just dandy. I made the decisions for the "medium height" reception centerpieces today. Of course, they will require some handiwork and elbow grease of my own, but they will be beautiful, therefore it is OK. Does anyone have any good tips for cutting foam into circular shapes? eek.

214 days and counting....

2008-05-06T11:48:00.001-04:00

That's right, folks. 214 days to go until the wedding! Yay! Between now and then, hopefully this blog will fill you in on the happenings of the future Mr. and Mrs. S. We are not promising that this blog will ever look fabulous, or be updated every day, but we'll do what we can :)

This past weekend, we were honored to be surrounded by our closest friends and family at our first wedding celebration - a "Cocktail Chic" Engagement Party thrown by my Aunt and Uncle. Great food, great drinks, great outfits all around. It seemed black and white were the choice colors, except for those who chose seersucker (3 men showed up in the always cute seersucker - including the groom-to-be!)

We are excited for this week - Friday we close on our first house! It is so cute, and just perfectly "us". We have 2 guest bedrooms, so we are currently taking reservations for visitors :) Please come see us - we will probably be too poor to come see you (just kidding.... sort of...) Does anyone want to come help us paint? Or do you have ideas for paint colors? Please leave your comments and great ideas!