Friday, January 29, 2010

the whale tail

Three autumns ago my friend Alicia and I ventured out to the local corn maize and conquered it. We totally destroyed that maize. We had a plan, we had incentive and we accomplished our mission.

The incentive?

Well, sight unseen, we knew the prize for completing the maize would be epic. No matter what it was. The year before it had been a peg board with a mouse chasing cheese. This year had to be that good if not better.

So when we finally completed collecting all of the check points in the maize, we eagerly made our way back to the corn hut to collect our prizes and what they gave us will be cherished forever and always.

whale tail

This whale tail necklace has been at times despised. It does not like to stay untangled. It rebels against being worn as a piece of fine jewelry. And I cannot neglect to say that I actually have threatened to throw it out...

It was tossed into a pile of things I had sorted for Alicia to "take what you want, the rest will be trashed"

In her benevolence, she rescued the small whale tail wonder and has since regifted it to its original owner. Imagine my surprise when opening my late Christmas present this last week.

Reunited, and it does NOT feel good feels so gooooood!


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Thursday, January 28, 2010

finding a good deal

Whenever I go to target I always make sure to cruise the endcaps that have clearance items. I don't always find good deals there, but every so often I DO!

Like for example, 2 years ago I found this mangled up, unfolded and in an unmarked bag black mass of fabric. Marked at $7.97. What was it?

It was a black couch cover. Something I had been holding out for for over a year. Deals like that are most definitely once in a lifetime and I've wished to find another couch cover to match since then but haven't found one on sale or regularly priced for that matter since then.

But today my friends, was another one of those days.

I was cruising the clearance caps (in all honesty for a birthday present for my mom ;) when I came across these.

new dishes 2

new dishes

Originally they were $69.77 and were on sale for $16.98. I just love the pattern and they are square! I loooove square dishes.

There ends the tale of my deal-finding today. Finding good deals like this can make any day seem a little brighter :)


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Monday, January 25, 2010

the wedding affair

The Wedding Affair came to the Memorial Art Gallery this last weekend. One of my June brides invited me to go with her and I am so glad she did! This was an extraordinary event, so many beautiful ideas and great vendors to talk with... and there was so much yummy food, oh my goodness, it was amazing :)

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well wed little things

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well wed table top 1

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well wed flowers

well wed cupcakes by grand finale

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This is Rebecca, my June 5th bride. I am so privileged to shoot her wedding. The girl has style and I can't wait to see how everything comes together. Her wedding is going to be FABULOUS

well wed made up

MOD by Kris Kellogg was there and I was able to get my eyes done. She did such a fantastic job, I want her to come do my make up every day haha :)

well wed deco 2

well wed deco

Believe it or not, this was the first bridal show I've ever been to. As a bride or a photographer. I am definitely going to check it out for next year though. This candy bar that you see in the picture above is something I'm thinking about doing at my wedding... like a make your own favor kind of thing, anyone have an opinion about that? I'm not sure if I love the idea or hate it ;)


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Thursday, January 14, 2010

Yes it's true (part 4)

I may officially be the worst blogger ever. I mean, who starts a story like this and drags it out for over a month? On the flip side though, maybe it's all part of my strategy ;)

Anyways, I have had a draft of part 4 sitting here for about a week now, and I decided it was getting too detailed and a little bit out of control. So I'm tweaking out some of the negligent details (well, they're not negligent to me, but I still want to have a readership when this is over ha!) and move on.

So, from where I left off, I fast forward 2 weeks when Steve went to my parents and asked if he could marry me.

And of course they said yes :) What else could they say?! I mean seriously, there is not a more perfect man for me, our lives have grown together putting me in a place where I often ask myself how I thought my life was good before.

Now, I will move along to the story of the proposal. Since that is the reason I began this story to begin with!

I woke up on Wednesday November 25 with a knot in my stomach. I had this feeling that it would be the last day I would spend without a ring on my finger. I sat around for a few hours stewing about it, then finally called Andrea and asked if I could come over. I wanted her to take a picture of my hands without a ring...

engagement story 1a

I even thought in the back of my mind that it was kind of a goofy thing to do, but I'm glad I did, because there's something special about having that memory :) and it was really cool that I did it based on a feeling that "today was the day" and I was right :)

I thought I had it all figured out too, I was sure I knew how he would propose, but I was totally wrong ;)

It was the day before Thanksgiving and we were planning to go buy a Christmas tree. Yes, I'm a crazy Christmas person. I love Christmas, and the day before Thanksgiving is most definitely not too early to get a tree ;)

Before we set out to get the tree, I had convinced myself that at some point he would most definitely propose while we were out searching. And I'm not gonna lie and say I wasn't a little disappointed that it was raining when we got there. I thought, what a horrible dreary way to get engaged! But thankfully, Steve's awesome, and that wasn't his plan anyways :)

engagement story 2a

I picked out the perfect tree immediately... but Steve said he didn't think it would fit in my apartment boo :(

engagement story 3a

But this one was perfect :) There wasn't really anything about this tree that I didn't like! it was a good size and a really nice shape

engagement story 4a

engagement story 5a

Cutting down a Christmas tree I don't remember having done before. It was so cool to actually go out in the field and pick it out then cut it down. When I was little we went and picked out a tree a few times when we didn't put up the artificial one but they were always pre-cut. Well, except the year my dad cut the pine tree down in our back yard ROFL

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We were a little wet when we were finally done, but still happy :) How could I not be? hehe :)

We drove back to my apartment and put the tree in the stand, gave it some water and headed to Steve's family's house for pre-thanksgiving dinner.

Meanwhile...

engagement story 7a

Melissa and Melissa were breaking into my apartment and decorating my tree!

engagement story 9a

As well as putting together this amazing centerpiece that I had been talking about creating for a couple weeks already. Steve went out and collected the branches and spray painted them sliver, left them with Melissa and then they set them up so cute with the ornaments hanging on them, LOVED IT!!! (ps I also love pringles, but unfortunately those were not part of the proposal)

engagement story 10a

While they were waiting for Steve and me to get back, melissa was messing with her camera and taking pictures of my ring :D

engagement story 4

Then, the finishing touch was put on the tree. A heart shaped ornament that Steve had made with our names on it and the date that we were to get engaged.

When we walked into the apartment a little later, the centerpiece on the kitchen table immediately caught my attention. Like to the point where I was just gushing about how amazing it was and how much I loved it, and omg how in the world did you do this!?!? Melissa has to be around here somewhere!

Ultimately, he had to physically turn me to face the living room whereupon I saw the tree and all of a sudden it all made sense! But I still had no idea where the ring was! I thought he had it and was going to give it to me, so I totally missed it when I was looking at the ornament! He picked it up off the tree though and then I saw it and just couldn't believe how beautiful it was!

It was literally exactly what I wanted! I had shown him a picture of the style I liked and then Melissa had offered to go ring shopping with him. I was totally blown away that it was so perfect and amazingly enough, although I felt inside my heart that "today was the day" I was still surprised completely. I had no idea he would do something like that and it was perfect for me :)

engagement story 11a

We went right back to his family's house and shared our exciting news and then on to my parents to tell them too! What a wonderful way it was to spend our first holiday together :) I had thought that he would wait til Christmas, but I'm so inexplicably happy that he proposed when he did.

engagement story 12a

When we first got engaged we thought we had already settled on a date for september, but within a few weeks we decided on a different date and are making plans to be married on May 22, 2010. Plans are keeping me busy in this otherwise notsobusy time of year for me and I am just loving realizing each and every day that soon I will be married to the absolute love of my life.

The changes that have happened to me over the last few months truly boggle my mind. I couldn't be happier though... God has been so good to me and I am blessed beyond what I could imagine


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Monday, January 4, 2010

blog highlights 2009

2009 has been such a great year for me! I'm so glad that I have been keeping a blog these last 2 and a half years, I spent much of new year's eve reading through the past year. I can't believe how much time has gone by and how little it actually seems!

And even though I already posted my recap for the year, I wanted to add this as well as I think it's a fun way to remember the highlights of the year (at least what made it to the blog ;)

I'm going to pick a favorite from each month, kind of like my Year In Review!

January ~ Who am I?

February ~ Run baby RUN!

March ~ The Eagle can soar again

April ~ It's not over

May ~ Happy with who I am

June ~ food dare - day 1

July ~ I <3>

August ~
pools and kiddos, again

September ~ another year

October ~ Broken

November ~ not for the faint of heart

December ~ Yes, it's true (part 1)

Unbelievable to me how much has changed! I still can't get over all this year has brought me, I couldn't be more thankful :)

I am probably going to have one more post highlighting my favorite pictures from 2009, that will be a fun one!

God bless you all in the New Year!

Oh and ps, part 4 is coming soon!


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