Ouch...

$3 well drinks (aka a few too many rum and diet's) + beer pong at a friends apartment = not a nice Sunday morning. On my way to Bojangles very soon.... (I'm convinced that is the only cure!). At least I'm getting back "in shape" for the bachelorette parties that are coming up!

Yesterday was Kelly's bridal shower luncheon (Kelly, my bridesmaid who is getting married in June Kelly) and it was great. I got to meet a couple of the other girls in the wedding party that I hadn't met yet, and catch up with some old friends. I'm SO happy for Kelly and even more excited that we are getting to experience this whole adventure together! We have been good friends since 5th grade... who would have that we'd be planning our weddings together?!

Kelly and her new monogram on a red velvet cupcake! Yum.

Reading the card I gave her. PS I love my wrapping job! =) Won't Kelly make a gorgeous bride??

Also.... my best friend and MOH, Katie, is on the verge of engagement status and I am so totally stoked for her! I cannot wait! Her boyfriend is a fantastic guy and they seem to make each other so happy and just be so right for each other. So, if all goes according to plan (or at least what we suspect the plan might be) she will be next!!!!


This is such an exciting time in my life, and I'm so lucky to have friends and loved ones to share it with! Especially since I was in tears yesterday and ready to call the whole thing off, but that's another story. (Think wine at the shower mixed with crazy hormonal mood swings plus a stressful wedding planning conversation with my Dad. Nothing is simple with him and I just wasn't in the mood to deal). But that's over now- wedding planning is most definitely still on and I know we'll make it and it will be beautiful and everything will work out and it will be the best day of my life! (A little pep talk for myself there....)

Okay...seriously... Bojangles now. Hope everyone has a great Sunday!

Shout Outs to Matt and Ashley for hanging out with us last night, Kelly for being a great friend and a beautiful bride-to-be and Shan and Greg that they have a fabulous first shower today!

Success!

Just a quick post with a few updates... the meeting with the photographer went well- Melissa seems really sweet and I'm sure she will be great! I got to see some large bridal portraits (printed and framed) as well as some books she put together, which were awesome!


Also... I got a job! Well, sort of... just a part-time restaurant job. Remember when I got a free lunch the other day from my friend's fiance's deli? Well we had dinner with them on Saturday and it turns out that he was looking for someone to help out at the restaurant for lunches! So, starting Monday I'll be working 10-2, Monday-Friday (hello, awesome schedule), getting paid CASH, and getting free lunch every day! Yayyyyy! =)


So... to celebrate my new job, my successful meeting with the photog, and my upcoming birthday (one month from today!) I ventured over to South Pointe while I was in Durham. I mean... if Victoria's Secret wants to send me a $10 gift card a month early for my birthday... who am I to say no? So I am now the proud owner of this:

Look at the cute back, too! I just love it! And I haven't "loved" a bathing suit on me, probably since elementary school. Bathing suit shopping is just depressing when you are 55378008 (type it in a calculator and flip it upside down...yep, you remember, I know you do!). If anyone reading this suffers from the same affliction, I highly recommend this type of top!

The best part? It was on sale! The top was $14.99 and the bottoms were $12.99, so with my $10 gift card, it was less than $10! Totally worth every penny!

Now I just have to Shred a few more times and get a tan, so I look a little more like that girl and a little less like the Michelin Man....

I'm off!

To meet our wedding photographer! She lives in Durham and we decided we'd like to meet in person to sign the contract, so wish me luck! I've got to go by Will's office before I leave to get his GPS- getting lost in Durham could be very bad =)

SO excited to have Melissa shoot our wedding! Here are a couple of pictures from her blog that I absolutely love!

All pictures copyright Melissa Smith Photography

I can't wait to meet her! =)

Today I had a fantastic lunch date with my sister! (But wait... I thought you were an only child?) Technically, yes- I am an only child and have spent most of my life that way. However, my Mom re-married when I was about 10 years old, and so from the time that they were dating until the time that they divorced (probably 4-5 years?), I had a step-sister, Aaron. We stayed in touch for a year or two after the divorce (thanks to our Moms), but we are 5 years apart and the 5 year difference between 9 and 14 might as well be 20. So we lost touch during that time- chatting once every couple years on AIM and eventually finding each other on Facebook.



Well, in Fall of 2007 my sister's Dad (my former step-dad) lost his battle with cancer. Aaron's mom called my mom, and ta-da! We were re-connected. Unfortunately, it took us awhile to actually meet face-to-face, but I did get to see her a couple times that spring, and was actually able to see her graduate high school. (Imagine what a shock that was.... Aaron was probably about 9 the last time I saw her, and I would have been 14, and then to see each other again at 17 and 22- wow!)



So, Aaron just finished her freshman year at college and is now home for the summer, so today we had lunch. We talked for about 2 hours- in part because I had so many things I wanted to know, and in part because our waitress disappeared for about 30 minutes- but all in all it was a great lunch! It was so good to see her and to "get to know her" again, and I hope that we have more chances to do that this summer. She is leaving next weekend for a study abroad program in Uganda, but will be back in June.



I hate that I missed being a "big sister" for so much of her life, but I'm SO glad that we are back in touch and I hope that we can stay that way!

Love you lots, little sis!

Happy Mother's Day

to all of the wonderful mothers, grandmothers, mothers-to-be, and those who are praying to become mothers!

I'm off to have brunch with my Mom, Mima, and Papa, and then back here to cook dinner for Will's Mom! I am truly lucky to have them all so close by. Hope everyone has a fantastic day!

PS: I got a very sweet handmade card from Sadie this morning! I have the best puppy (and fiance) ever! Thanks, guys- I love you too!! XOXO

I seriously have a problem...

... I cannot, repeat canNOT walk into a store without buying something! I went to Kohls today to return something, and walked out with gifts for my FMIL for Mother's Day and wedding jewelry! (Pics to come) Then I went to Ross to try to find more of those glass bottles for the sand ceremony...well they didn't have any, but they did have cute ceramic bowl thingies on clearance so I got one for my Mom and one for my Mima for mothers day (I was already done shopping for them, I thought) and a little something for my Eskimo buddy (I couldn't resist... it was just sitting there, staring at me, screaming "Buy me for Shannon! I NEED to have a home with Shannon!!" lol)

Okay, so I'm a mess.... 121 days till the wedding, no job, no job prospects, and I'm out freakin shopping! Somebody stop me!!

At least I got a free lunch today! (My friend Rita's fiance owns a little deli) Thanks Rita and Jason! That's my justification for a $70 shopping spree.... free lunch and I returned a $10 necklace...lol.

Okay, well now I REALLY need to be productive and do some cleaning before Will gets home =)

Hope everyone else is enjoying this sunshine today!

Bloggin fool!

Man, I am on a roll today!

Just one more quick post for the day, a few random updates to share:

My Mom's 50th Birthday is today! We had a little party for her this past Saturday and it was a blast. My Mom is awesome- she is definitely one of my best friends and I am so lucky to have her close by! Here are a couple pictures of the party:

The Men- being pretty!

Mom showing off her new Brighton jewelry!

Mom, Mima, Papa

Anne, Mom, Tammy, Karen- watching the Derby!

Me and Mom =)

Being silly!

Also, I've had a couple good finds on my shopping excursions lately:

The blue candles I had been eyeing at Michael's were finally on sale- 40% off! I got one for each lantern, and a bag of white/ivory potpourri to fill in the bottom. The candle isn't quite tall enough so it's on a piece of tupperware for now, until I find something better! =)

Flip flop jewels- to make fun reception flops for the bridesmaids... $1! (Target, my favorite place)

My beautiful new bag- Rosss $16.99! I Just loved the leather and the color, and the lining is animal print- too cute!

Oh, and I got my ring cleaned and inspected for the first time (it's 6 month "check-up!") So shiny! I get so many compliments on it, everywhere I go!

Shout Outs:

• Mom- Happy 50th!!! Love you!!
• My Eskimo Buddy- Only three days of work left!! =)

Prayers:

• For once, everyone I know personally is doing really well! I'll keep praying for TJ today though- that his recovery continues to go so successfully!
• And I'm so thankful for all the wonderful people in my life... my friends and my family... I love you all!! XOXO

Crafty, Crafty!

If anyone is having trouble deciding what to get their Moms and Grandmas for Mother's Day... I have just the thing! My future-mother-in-law is a Master Gardener and works at the county extension office. Last week she invited me to this workshop they were hosting- making Living Wreaths. It was really easy and they turned out beautiful! Plus I think each one only cost me about $20.




Okay, so here's what you'll need:

• Grape Vine Wreath (18-24") Michael's has these on sale for $4.99



• Coated chicken wire cut the length of your wreath + 2 inches Hardware store, Feed store, etc



• Florists wire (22 gauge/8 oz) about 30 inches Michael's $1.99



• 1 plastic bag the width of your wreath (either a grocery bag, or a trash bag if you have a larger wreath)



• 1 small bag of Spanish moss I got a huge bag at Michael's for $5.99, they had smaller ones for less



• Fern Pins Michael's $1.49



• About 2 cups of potting soil



• A variety of small plants (Suggestion: 1 foundation plant like a 3" Asparagus Fern, 2 trailing plants like Ivy or Potato Plant, 1-6 packs of small blooming flowers like Impatiens or other small greenery like Dichondra) I got enough to make two wreaths for $13.28 at Lowe's

Here's what to do:

• Cut the chicken wire the width of your wreath plus 2 inches. Turn back one inch on each end to form a pocket.

• Attach the wire pocket to the bottom of your wreath with your florists wire



• Line the wire pocket with a plastic bag



• Place your foundation plant in the center, your ivy or other trailing plant at each end, and then add in your other plants. Fill with potting soil as needed



• Roll the excess plastic bag in towards the wire pocket and tuck it in the edges.



• Use the fern pins to attach the Spanish Moss to the front of the basket (and back if desired)



• Water as needed. If you tend to over-water plants, you can poke a few holes in the bottom of your plastic bag to allow it to drain.



• Your plants will fill in and the Ivy will begin to grow around the wreath!



• *Beware* Birds love to steal the moss for their nests, so watch for falling fern pins and replace the moss as needed, until the trailing plants have grown enough to cover the plastic bag!

Here is what the end result will look like! (I made two- one with just greenery and white flowers, to hang on my red front door, and one with pink impatiens to give to my Mima for Mother's Day!)

Beautiful, organic, decorative, handmade, and thoughtful! What more could Mom ask for?? =)

If anyone tries it, please post pictures and let me know how it turned out! I am in love with these things and my FMIL and I are going to make 4 more in late summer to use on the 4 giant wooden doors of the Barn! I'm so excited- I think they're going to look great with lots of greenery and some white flowers, and maybe even with wooden letters of our initials hanging in the center! Too cute!

Speaking of cute... here's Sadie in the window watching Mommy take pictures outside =)

So I really enjoyed making these, in case you couldn't tell, and I'm hoping to blog more about some of my other crafty projects I have in mind, so stay tuned!

I've been tagged...

by Grace from Grace's Ramblings- http://wolfiemitrestone.blogspot.com/ ! Anyone who knows how to make that a clicky link, please tell me!

Okay so here goes...

1. What is your current obsession? Shopping for wedding deals

2. Which item of clothing do you wear most often? Flip flops! Do those count? Mostly my rainbows =)

3. What's for dinner? Pizza and cake and ice cream with my family for my Mom's 50th!

4. What are you listening to? HA! Actually....my Dad on the phone.... he'll talk your ear off if you let him...and I am.

5. Say something about the person who tagged you. Grace is such a sweet, loving, and creative person .

6. Favorite vacation spot? Anywhere at the beach!

7. What are you reading right now? Night Journals... a random book I picked up off the clearance table at Barnes and Noble.

8. 4 words to describe yourself: emotional, creative, thoughtful, ...lazy! :)

9. Guilty pleasure? Sleeping in late, shopping when I can't really afford it...playing on the internet!

10. First spring thing to do? Sit in the sunshine every chance possible!


I tag... Carissa from http://www.gregandcarissa.blogspot.com/ and Melissa from http://www.feathersnpearls.blogspot.com/. Have fun!

I need some help!

Okay, on my shopping trip today I went in Ross and found these great bottles for really cheap. I had just recently decided to do a sand ceremony, using something like these, after seeing some of my photographers amazing pictures! But I need help deciding which combination of bottles to use....

Option 1- clear glass

Option 2- slightly green glass

Option 3- slightly green

Option 4- slightly green

With options 2 and 3, I really like the middle bottles, but both are smaller than the two outside bottles. Does anyone know if you're supposed to pour the WHOLE bottle of the two "family" bottles into the one "us" bottle, or just some? I've never actually witnessed a sand ceremony- only the unity candles, but since we'll be outside, that won't really work too well.

With option 4, the middle "us" bottle has a sun-face thing on it, which doesn't fit with our wedding theme at all, but in the long run, I'm thinking it might go well in our "fiestaware/Mexican" kitchen, but I'm not sure if I want to limit it to only being used for decoration in the kitchen. I kind of think the clear bottles might be best (option 1), but the green glass seemed cool to me too and each of the green bottles is more unique than the clear ones, which are just square with no decor at all. So I don't know what to do! I'm going to ask Will's opinion tonight, but knowing him, he won't have one, so I need your help!! Please leave comments with your vote/opinions!! Thanks ladies!!