Wedding Update ~ Flowers & Rings --- CHECK!

This past Sunday we went to meet with our wedding coordinator, Kelly, to pick out flowers.

When I say the words "wedding coordinator" it makes me feel like our wedding is some huge event where money is no object.

I mean think Wedding Planner.

Makes my simple wedding seem extravagant. And at times I have to remind her that we want it simple.... but other than that, Kelly has been WONDERFUL! A co-worker had originally recommended her to me and I am so glad I listened. If you hire her to do your flowers she will also be your coordinator for a very minimal fee.

Marine is all about the budget and even he saw this as a good deal. And for Mr. "we don't need favors" {overruled} and "we don't need a dance floor" {compromised} this is a big deal.

Based on pictures I have seen of previous weddings she has done we agreed to go with silk flowers. They are more affordable and the bouquets she made looked beautiful!

I had sworn to myself I wanted fresh flowers. I love the smell and look of fresh flowers. But I figured this would be a big way to save so we went for it.

Here is a picture of an arrangement she has done...

Looking at flowers was fun but who knew there were so many options!!!!

I don't even really know all the names of the flowers I picked..... is that bad?

The bridesmaids bouquets will be magnolia's with red hydrangea's mixed in for color.

Sounds weird but it looked really good together! At first I wasn't completly sold on the magnolia's but they were my mom's favorite and she said they were perfect for the "southern style" wedding we are having.

So this......

with a little this red.....

Sounds crazy. I know. But together it looked really pretty.

Now my bouquet is a mix of several things I liked. Can't even begin to tell you what the different flowers were. I'm so excited about seeing the finished project though!

Also this week Marine went and got our wedding bands. We had scoped out the ones we liked already but the owner of the local store was not in the day we went. Marine went back to speak with her, because let's face it Marine likes to haggle prices when he can. {My dad would so have loved him for this}. Which is good because it ended up saving us about $700. Go Marine!

The only downfall this week was that the guitar player Babbles had lined up for me to play during the ceremony fell thru. Which is ok. I'm going to compile a list of songs for the DJ to play, no big deal. The guitar player would have been charmingly romantic though.

This weekend is our His & Her's shower. It is going to be outdoor luau themed. This week has been so nasty and rainy I was a little worried, but luckily the forecast is now predicted to be sunny and 68. *Fingers Crossed* I'm excited. I'm weired, we already know this, but I'm looking forward to spending time with everyone more than I am the gifts. Don't get me wrong I'm excited about the gifts but all our friends stay so busy it's sometimes hard for all of us to get together. And lets face it I love my friends! lol

I'm still working on a few other cute ideas. Little Miss DIY I've become. And the new place is coming along great! Hopefully Saturday will also be our first night staying there. Marine spent the day putting down the new flooring in the bathroom and kitchen. It's starting to look more like a home. I promise I'll post pictures soon!! I'm waiting to knock your socks off though with the finished thing ;)

Phoebe: (Yelling) Monica I can't do it like this! This is my wedding! Okay, I don't want this (Mimes hand twirling gesture), or this (taps watch), or this (Mimes "cut" motion)Okay? I just wanted a simple wedding. Where my fiancé can 

go to the bathroom anytime he wants!

~ Friends ~

P.I.N.T. What I Wish I Had Known...

  

Elizabeth Taylors Impact On Myself & Little Red

As a kid I can remember watching National Velvet for the first time. 

I can remember falling in love with The Pie along with Velvet.

As a young girl who loved horses this was THE perfect movie. Hands down.

I remember after watching this movie changing my pony's name to Pie. Hey I was like 6. As a kid I had my show horse which I had to be all prim and proper with but my pony (who in actuality was a small horse), the pony was mine to do as I wish.

Needless to say Little Red a.k.a The Pie did not share my love. In fact I think he pretty much hated me.

Not that I can really blame him.

After watching National Velvet I decided that in order to be The Pie he must learn to jump.

I was 6 (maybe 7) and had no clue how to go about training a horse to jump.

That did not stop me from dragging out the two cinder blocks and a pvc pipe I found in the barn. I carefully set them up out in the field. I can remember the satisfaction I felt as I stood back and admired my newly made knee high jump.

The newly named Pie was out in the other field and he let me catch him easily........ the last time in which he would do so.

Of course I was 6 so I'm sure one of the guys that worked with my parents helped me saddle him up. I remember though taking my little English stirrups up when no one was in sight. I mean if we were going to do this we were going to do it right and I knew my knees needed to bent a little more for me to be like Velvet.

My mom would die at how I'm making it sound like I was unsupervised. They were at the barn, they checked on me often ---- probably even stood inside and watched out the window the entire time........ but I do know I was smart enough to wait till they were out of sight to aim Pie at the jump for the first  time. Otherwise I would remember this story with my mothers panic scream in the background.


I circled like I had seen Velvet do. Increasing my speed slightly as I came out of the circle and headed for the jump.

I was leaned forward.

This was it.

I was ready.

In my mind we were racing across the English Countryside jumping hedges.

In reality Little Red grabbed the bit and dodged my home-made jump.

Clearly having not seen the movie he did not realize he was to play the role of The Pie. 

I got him back under control and tried again. This time I rode in hands tight on the reins driving him straight.

I raised up ready for lift off and ****SCREECH*****.

Little Red slammed on the breaks and it took all I had to not go flying off.

With gritted teeth I turn him away from the jump.

I was never one to give up though and when it came to stubborn it was now a battle between me and Little Red.

I rode him around the field a minute as I tried to come up with a plan B.

Plan B turned out to be a riding crop.

I pushed Little Red into a canter and headed for the jump again.

This time I was ready. We were going to jump the hedge.

We approached the jump. I held him on course. When we were almost on it I dug my heals in and smacked him on the butt with the crop.

Weather he was admitting defeat or jumping from the crop Little Red at least made an attempt to jump.

He knocked the pvc pipe off. But that didn't keep me from smiling.

Now we were on the right track.

I dismounted and set the jump back up.

I spent probably the next hour transforming Little Red into The Pie.

I like to say I taught him to jump. Mom likes to say I ran poor Little Reds knees into that pipe so many times he learned to jump.

Needless to say after that day the newly named Pie never would let me catch him in less time than an hour and it would take three people to catch him.

Can't say I blame him though.

-----------------------------------------------------

Rest in peace Elizabeth Taylor. Thank you for teaching a young girl to dream big.

 

I feel very adventurous. There are so many doors to be opened, and I'm not afraid to look behind them.
Elizabeth Taylor

Wordless Wednesday ~ By The Light Of The Moon

Post It Note Tuesday

EAS --- WE MADE IT!

Today is a wonderful day in my little corner of the world.

Today is Marine's EAS (End of Active Service) date.

Even though he got to come home early and use up his terminal leave days this is his official end of service date. I don't really know why I'm so excited about this.

Ok yes I do! lol It's because we made it! And yes I did say we since I went thru half of the time with him :) That count's right?

Happy Friday Everyone!

Luck of The Irish and Spring Fever

I love spring.

I love everything about it.

I love the blue sky, the green grass, the light breeze, the warm sun.

I love the earth coming alive again after a winter of hibernation.

I don't even mind the allergies that come along with all this blooming because in reality it's small price to pay for the beauty that we are surrounded with.

Just outside my office

Now if the work clock would just pass a little more quickly so that I could get out and enjoy it!

Also.... HAPPY SAINT PATRICK'S DAY!!!

Do you have your green on?

I sure do. And if I recall I may or may not have told Ford-Wife the other night after drinks that we had to celebrate tonight because I'm a leprechaun......................

See what happens when I drink?

Hey I'm short and I'm Irish so it's not totally unbelievable. 

I would love to go out tonight for green beer, but unfortunately (or thankfully) I have to much work to do. 

Remember that website job I told you about awhile back? Yeah I'm still not done with it. I decided to step away from the project a few days so I could then re-approach it with a clear mind. 

Does that ever work for you?

Well it didn't for me.

Last night I opened it up and spent about an hour going in circles and getting nothing done.

I'm normally a creative person. I think best in the morning. By the end of the day all my creative energy is zapped. 

Maybe that's it.

I'm also the type that gets bored easily. And I'm bored with this project. Maybe that's it. I'm bored with the dull pictures, etc.

Either way one thing I am not is a quitter.

So it will get done. Hopefully by this weekend. That's my new deadline to myself.

Wish me luck...... or maybe a miracle. 

Or maybe both. Yeah both would be good.

I have people calling me left and right for little design jobs; flyers, t-shirts. It's great! I enjoy doing these jobs even though I know I don't charge enough. I can't say no either. It's like something in my body is coded so that I cannot say no.

But that has to stop. I still have to many wedding projects to finish! EEEK!!!

So last night was a first. I had someone ask me about a website job and I said no. 

Ok thats I lie. I said not at the moment. I told them I would love to do it for them but that right now now my plates just to full and that I'm booked till May. 

I'm such a kiss-@ss people pleaser I hated even saying that when in fact it was the truth. 

Just so you can get an idea my plans for the weekend are:

Friday Night: 

• Painting the house so we can get it done hopefully soon 
• Designing a flyer and a t-shirt logo.

Saturday: 

• Saddle club event from 8 am till 11 am 
• Blondie's couple shower that I have to get to and start setting up by 12.
• Stay for shower and clean up should be out of there by 5.
• Taking Marine-Sis and Vixen to look for Bridesmaids dresses
• Depending on time home more work on the house

Sunday:

• Meeting wedding coordinator to get the flowers for the wedding
• Working on Wedding programs
• Working on and completing above mentioned website
• Laying carpet in house if painting is done
• Trip to Home Depot to order new flooring for Kitchen and Bathroom

Of course mixed with these things are the basics such as eating, sleeping, and taking of the horses.

Yeah to sum it up I'm really a Jack of All Trades a master of none!!

Maybe one day I'll get my act completely together. 

"My life has a superb cast but I can't figure out the plot"

Ashleigh Brilliant

                 

Also prayers to all those in Japan. I can't even begin to imagine what you must be going through. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

If You're Reading This

This past weekend Marine and I were cleaning and going through the million and one boxes he brought home with him from base. I mean you can only label so many boxes USMC stuff. We decided to go through and organize them better and to unpack the things he wanted.

One of the boxes was his deployment box. I start pulling things out touched, that he had kept all the letters I had sent him. I didn't realize just how many letters that was until you see them all stacked up together.

Now maybe I should say that we are out in the drive way with all this stuff strewn about. The sun was shining and it was a gorgeous day! Marine tells me he's going to go inside and get us something to drink. I reply "Ok," never looking up from the box I'm sorting.

I pull out his informational cards -- the cards that military members have to carry in their pocket in case something were to happen. These cards tell their blood type, religion, etc. In with these cards is a small plastic bag carefully folded with a piece of paper inside. It says my name.

I just stare at it.

I know what it is.

I glance toward the door and then back to the small bag in my hand.

'Do I ask to read it or just read it' flashes across my mind.

I glance at the door again.

No Marine.

Well it's easier to ask for permission than forgiveness.

I carefully pull open the bag and take out the letter.

You guessed it. It's was the "if you're reading this......" letter.

It was one lone page filled to the brim.

I read it the first time quickly, tears sliding down my cheeks. And then go back and read it more slowly.

I bow my head and say a prayer of thanks before sliding the letter back in the bag and placing it once again among the cards.

I place them within the box with the all the letters.

I dry my eyes as I hear Marine come back outside and slide my sunglasses back down.

He hands me a glass of water, "Sorry took so long Roommate called and I stood in the kitchen talking to him."

I just smile up at him as I take the water, "No problem. Thank you."

Then I stand up and hug him telling him again how much I love him and how nice it is to have him home.

----------------------------------------------------

Have you ever written an "in case letter"?"

Afterward this reminded me of the "How I Met Your Mother" episode in which Lily and Marshall write each other "in case" letters.

Who would you write to?

What would you say?

The letter struck a cord with me and made me realize for the hundredth time how lucky we are. I could not imagine reading that letter under other circumstances. But as I read it thats what it made me feel. Could I have done the things Marine asked of me? Would I have been strong enough?

I'm so thankful I will never know.

If you're reading this, my momma's sitting there

Looks like I only got a one-way ticket over here

I sure wish I could give you one more kiss

And war was just a game we played when we were kids

Well I'm laying down with my gun, I'm hanging up my boots

I'm up here with God and we're both watching over you

So lay me down 

In that open field out on the edge of town

And know my soul

Is where my momma always prayed that it would go

If you're reading this I'm already home

~ Tim McGraw ~

It's Time For Post It Note Tuesday

Junk to Treasure

Friday night after work Marine and I went to the pub for diner and a beer (YUM). Then in our typical date night fashion, as of lately, we took a trip to Lowe's. We needed another gallon of red paint along with a few other things....

And then our big Friday night consisted of me taking my online final. Another class down!! I am one class away from getting my Website Design Certification. But truth be told this last class I just did enough to scrape by since things have been so hectic. I'm going to wait till after the honeymoon and things have settled down before I take the last class. And I plan on going back over my notes from this previous class and really learning it once things settle down.

Saturday was so much fun!!! Marine, Marine mom & stepdad, my mom and I had a fantastic day! We went to several estate sales --- I had never been to an estate sale before.... they are very interesting! One man's junk is truly another man's treasure!!

Marine and I came home with a few treasures that I will be sure to post pictures of later. I know I should have already had them to put in this post, but lets face it I had to much fun this weekend to pause to take pictures! Sadly but true. The picture fanatic in me surely has been a slacker lately for some reason!

Ok I can't stand it, I have to share! So here are a few Blackberry Pics (love the phone but the camera sucks).

First up I thought I had hit the jackpot when at the first Estate Sale I see a table with 2 large mason jars. I am getting all the jars for the wedding from Marine Mom's canning stash. But all of her's are the medium size quart jars. I have been looking for a few large jars to use as centerpieces on the food tables. I have been looking on etsy and ebay for these and guess how much the cheapest ones I found were? $16 before shipping. Outrageous, right?! Of course you know I wasn't going to pay that...... but I was more than willing to snatch up two for $2 each.

And yes that is my treasure box in the background.

This beautiful dish cloth also caught my eye. Call it crazy. I know. But for some reason I just fell in love with it knowing that it would look perfect hanging up in my red kitchen above the sink next to the window. Just wait and see it will add a great decorative flare to the kitchen. Even if it doesn't it gives me something pretty to look at while I wash dishes........

Marine and I bought several other things that I will post pics of later. We left for a box full of stuff and spent less than $25.

At the last sale I found several things I wanted. They were priced a little higher though and I am all about bargain shopping. But I was able to bargain a little and was able to get this soon to be beautiful piece thrown in for free :)

I loved the design on this old door knob. I'm wanting to collect a bunch of random knobs and make a coat hanger something or similar to this:

Or I may paint it and put it on mine and Marine's bedroom door. 

For the first time in my life I may actually be in style! *Gasp* Hey, I know it shocked me to. I have very little fashion since..... I like to lie to myself and think I do but really I don't. Shirt and Jeans. That's my style. 

I love vintage decorations. And think about the word vintage for a minute. I love that word cause if you think about it it has so many meanings. I typically think vintage as in early 1900's to maybe the 50's.  Others may think of different time periods. 

My favorite score of the day though was this Graflex 22 camera.

It needs a little cleaning and polishing but I love it! I have several cute ideas for it..... but in the end I plan on putting it on my picture table. I think it will be a nice decorative piece. Plus a fun prop for a few photo ideas I have. 

Here is what the camera looks like opened up:

Taken From Google Images

Yep it was my favorite find of the day. I was grinning from ear to ear upon finding it piled under a bunch of junk. I think Marine could tell also because he says that I don't show excitement very much, especially over something that isn't a horse. 

For a late lunch we ate at a wonderful restaurant called The Boathouse. It was wonderful! I had Voodoo Chicken that had a little kick to it. Everyone seemed to have a great time. I enjoyed spending the day with our parents. Our mom's have definitely hit it off and have a lot in common.... They especially like to remind us (when they are together) they are ready to be grandma's. And they aren't subtle. Other than that though they a quite the hoot.

Marine Step-Dad tells them they are like hens cackling because they laugh so much. That makes me happy though. It's great to see my mom smile. 

Saturday night Marine and I fought the urge to go home and crawl in bed but instead went out to meet up with  Marine's best friend Ford and his wife.

We met them to have a drink with them while they ate diner - we were still full from our late lunch. After diner they suggested we go for a drink. The night was still young so Marine and I agreed. 

One drink, turned into two, two turned into three..... and well you see where this is going. Ford wife and I drank way to much as we chatted and the guys visited. Our early night turned into walking in the door about 1 am. But it was a great way to end such a fun day.

I definitely owe Marine a night as D.D. though ;)

Sunday we worked awhile and then went on a trail ride with Mom. It was a beautiful day and we couldn't have asked for better weather. 

Overall I think Mom and Marine both had a wonderful Birthday weekend!

Oh I almost forgot!!! At a last stop on the way home Saturday Mom wanted to stop at this store to look at bathroom vanity's and Marine and I found a couch. Things are coming together slowly but surely! Couch picture coming soon. 

Phoebe, "You bought your sheets at a flea market? Come on, Ross, you gotta loosen the purse strings a little!"

~ Friends ~