yippee!!

It worked, it worked!  

I had a little idea for outdoor decor for the wedding.  My friend Rachel helped me think through it all the other night and today I found the materials (for $2 less per dozen than we'd found online!) and tried it out!  

Here's the prototype:  

a close-up a bit fuzzy :(  

AND!  Just what I was hoping for and will be hoping for on our special day coming up, a light breeze!  :)  

more packing

empty shelves thanks to Adrian

(whoa those are dusty!  isn't it wild when you move and realize how dust gets under things you never dreamed of?)  

no more curtains thanks to Adrian!

empty walls!

oops this came out sideways but it's bathroom stuff packed and ready to go

fridge packed and ready to go

Thanks for bearing with me through these fairly boring posts.  :)  

It helps me to keep going on the packing to be able to record my progress!  

One more day!  Then moving and unpacking!  Hooray!

packing progress

hooks are empty!

box is full!

storage closet ready to go!  

trailer waiting down below!

advice and packing progress

First of all, thank you soo much for commenting!  It is so nice!

Okay, for the advice:  

I bought this candle holder for $5 or something like that many years ago.  It has served wonderfully in my black, pink and white bedroom with a white pillar candle and crystals hanging from the little swirly things on top.  

I think it would perhaps be nice on one of the serving tables at the wedding.  I'd like to paint it.  So that's where you come in ~  what color?

a deep reddish orange?

robin's egg blue?  

brown?  

what are your thoughts?  

here's some packing progress in the living room:  

that big pile in the corner is boxes and padding of various types at the ready

Balcony ready to carry over to the new place

A peak at the storage closet pre-packing.  This is one of my favorite things I've done at this apt.  I put cup hooks into the walls of my storage closet and hung all of my baskets, pails, things with handles, etc.  It has made it super easy to see and use what I have, pull out a basket for bread at dinner, etc.  

The storage closet is now all packed up.  Photos to come!  

Terrific stores

It is HOT here in Texas!  Yesterday morning before things heated up too much I made a quick little trip to Dollar Tree looking to get more of the grosgrain ribbon for a dollar they had in my wedding colors a couple of weeks ago, some metal barbecue skewers (the kind with a ring on the end) for tying said ribbon onto and sticking in the ground and pom pom balls. I only found the ribbon of the things that were on my list . . . but!  

Seriously, Dollar Tree is THE BEST dollar store.  My mom, grandma and I all agree!  It is.  

(I thought about getting high tech and putting in a nice logo pic from the internet but it's all about simplifying around here so I just took a pic of the empty shopping bag!  Hope you don't care.)  :)  

While there I found both white and brown plain gift bags of a good size. I am going to foof them up a bit and they will be our "take home" bags of reception food labeled, "Bride" and "Groom".  :)  OOHHHH so exciting!  We're about to be the bride and groom!!  

Anyway, I've heard that the bride and groom rarely get to eat anything at their reception and so "to go" bags are a good idea.  I've also heard it's important to make sure the person in charge of them remembers to get them into your car before you go.  AND then, there's the story of my parents' little "to go" boxes of reception food.  They left them in the car when they went into the hotel and when my dad came back for them, there were just crumbs on the seat!  Ha!  Presumably the valet ate them!  

But all that to say, I think I'll give it a go anyway.  Anyone reading this coming to the wedding and want to be in charge of filling our "to go" bags and making sure they get into our car???

Okay, detour, back to Dollar Tree.  I also got FLIP FLOPS!!!  In the wedding colors!  For $1 a pair.  All you brides out there wanting flip flops, head to your local Dollar Tree now!  I knew I had missed the $1 flip flop day at Old Navy I had read about on some other bride blogs but was cautiously optimistic that I might find some flip flops cheaply priced enough to scoop up some somewhere on clearance as fall nears and yesterday I hit the jackpot!  Yippee!   

Also, I found my favorite kind of white plastic hangars with the little hooks on the sides which have been elusive to me recently at Target/Wal-mart and packing tape for the move!!!  $1 hangars are not that unusual but $1 name brand packing tape!!!  Hooray!  

(Speaking of, I need to wrap up this blog post and go get to some packing today!  Maybe I can post some packing progress pictures later.)

Then there's Hobby Lobby.  I really appreciate this store and their wonderful 1/2 off sales and their committment to their values.  They are closed on Sundays to allow their employees time of worship and rest.  I also have heard that Hemispheres is in the "Hobby Lobby" family.  Haven't ever been to one yet although there is one very nearby.  Anyone been?  Do you like it?   

I got wedding napkins at Hobby Lobby.  $1.99 for a package of 50!  Hooray!  

No $5.95 for 20 napkins for me thank you very much!  

I've got to go get more though.  I bought them out of this color but still only have about half of what I think I'll need.  

I hope you all are having a good day!  Thanks so much for reading and for commenting!  It truly makes my day!  

p.s. anyone know of a good place to get those metal barbecue skewers cheap?  thanks.  kelly

a prayer, memory lane, etc.

From my Bible reading last night:

"As for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him." II Chronicles 13:10

"Men of Israel, do not fight against the LORD, the God of your fathers, for you will not succeed." II Chronicles 13:12

" . . . the men of Judah were victorious because they relied on the LORD, the God of their fathers." II Chronicles 13:18

Father God, please help me not to forsake You in my busyness. Help me to rely on You in everything and trust You for the working out of all of the details in my life, big and small. Thank You for Your love and grace. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

a little over a year ago Adrian and I took a trip to New Mexico to visit his family there

His cousins made some beautiful bling for me and it was joked about to Adrian that that was the size rock I would need.

The people who took this picture for us asked us if we were on our honeymoon. uh . . . no . . .

We'd only been dating about three months at the time!

You never know what God has in store just around the corner!

Now I do have a beautiful ring on my finger from Adrian and our honeymoon is coming up!

As far as the to do list:

My friend Rachel came over last night and brought dinner (!) and we talked through many plans, gathered up supplies, etc. We made some decisions about the stuff to throw and narrowed down the "going away". We pretty much decided to nix a thing or two as well. There's only so much one can do and just because "everyone" has such and such these days doesn't mean everyone has to!

My friend Darla came over this morning and brought lunch! Her sweet little nine month old son was even dressed in a shirt that matched the wedding colors. I see our wedding colors all over the place now!

These friends were so sweet to bring meals since the kitchen is already all packed up for the big move this weekend.

Thank you friends!

My friend Erin came over this afternoon and we did two fun wedding crafty projects and got dessert at La Madeleine! :)

Thank You God for good friends! Amen. Kelly

thank you and post office

Thank you so much, Jenny, Darla, Deborah, Amy, Modgirl, Amy and Sarah for commenting on yesterday's post!  Yesterday was a good and needed day of rest and all of your comments really uplifted me!  Thank you!  

Today so far I slept all the way through the night!  (I've been having some crazy awake times in the wee morning hours, bleh!) and then got up and went to aerobics.  I made a mammoth trip to the post office to mail some wedding related goodies and some other stuff.  I also got some great fabric ON SALE at Hancock's for table runners.  If anyone needs fabric for anything, they are having a huge sale right now!  I thought I had chosen the only non-sale fabric in the whole store but then found out when I checked out that it was 25% off!  Yippee!

My mom and I think that pretty stamps are a joy in life.  For our wedding invitations I am just going to go with the Forever stamp for reasons of economy.  We bought them before the postage hike.  I do like that they have the sentiment "forever" on them which is exactly what Adrian and I are committing to on our wedding day.  

For today's mailings though I was really hoping for something cute and pretty.  

I was quite happy with these adorable hearts and for these dragonflies!  The lady at the post office was even sweet enough to comment on how the dragonflies matched my envelopes!  Hooray!

On another note:  this weekend is moving weekend.  I am moving into the apt. that Adrian and I will both live in after the wedding.  I am excited.  I am wondering though about moving as I sit here eating my ice cream with a plastic spoon because my kitchen is already packed.  

What is your advice for the most efficient packing/moving?  Is there a painless way to do this?  

hmm . . . off to spend some time with God and then kick into gear on the rest of my to do list for today.  

I look forward to your comments!  Kelly

People

I've had this post in the works for quite a while.  First the perfectionistic tendencies of wanting to include every single person who has helped me in any way and being afraid I would miss someone were holding me back, then I thought I must have photos matched up with each person, plus just busyness with wedding stuff and moving, but I'm posting this today. 

I need it even more than I need y'all to read it.  I need to remind myself about all the wonderfulness of this time and how kind people are.  I need to remind myself that people really don't mind doing things and that we've had fun doing all of this stuff.  

I hit a wall this week of working my tail off, not enough sleep, trying to do too much at once, trying to take on the weight of all things wedding and moving related onto my own shoulders when I don't even need to do that and just in general having a hard time just trusting God with all that "I have to do".  I feel lame for having to admit that, but it's true.  

I usually write "sunny" blog posts.  This one is just my raw feelings.  I appreciate when I read about "real life" in y'all's blogs so why not just put it out there myself?  

So, here is my people post and I do thank each of you mentioned and unmentioned from the bottom of my heart!  

aunts, cousins, Mom and sister-in-law

Wanna know one of my favorite things about wedding planning?  

PEOPLE!  

People who love you are amazing!  I feel so humbled and blessed by the people who are surrounding me and celebrating with me during this time!

I've been reflecting on all of the people who have helped and are helping me (some of whom are pictured above!) and I am just humbled, in awe, sooo grateful and BLESSED!!!

Here's a sampling:  

Adrian ~ is  always there to encourage me, tells me he appreciates me planning our wedding, is my "idea man", cares for me when I'm stressed and in tears, reminds me to have fun planning because isn't that the point, is all around WONDERFUL!

Bible study and church friends who are so happy for us and want to hear about wedding plans, suggest photographers and videographers and florists, etc. and are there week in and week out

blog friends, some who I know in person and some who I don't who offer encouragement, advice, opinions and just share in a camaraderie during this time

My sister-in-law Mandy who was my right arm while I was in Houston, listened to endless wedding talk, went with me to register (such fun!), shopped with me, helped me with errands and was just all around fabulous and supportive AND has one of the cutest kids in the world!  

Brad and Britney who came over for ice cream and to share their wedding pics

college friends from far and wide have told me that they pla

n to be at my wedding, knowing that someone will fly from Alaska or Tennessee or Oklahoma or Arkansas or wherever to be with me and celebrate with me is a blessing beyond words

my Dad - for being so generous and for encouraging me to just not worry about any of it, for sitting down and creating an excel spreadsheet with me so I could get my mind wrapped around the money part of this venture, for helping me to get to this place in my life

my friend Darla who offered that even though we don't see each other that much anymore, she'd love to help me with things! 

My friend Jenny is Mo for a wonderful weekend there planning!  

Dee Dee and Katie who advised me on engagement pic locations - you guys are great!

my aunt Gail for offering to help sew tablerunners, tie bows, etc.  Priceless and so appreciated!

My friend Meredith for designing invitations and for sooo much more!  

my cousin Jonathan for helping me sooo much with the entire invitation process!    

my cousin Emily, Aunt Terry, Uncle Lynn and the whole family for being excited for and with me, helping me in the search for cake plates, helping to sew table runners and planning a yummy surprise for the wedding!

My Aunt Terry's sister, Gwen for offering to do just anything!

My grandma, Sweetie, she is doing so much!  She helped me wrap little bottles of bubbles, polished silver for us, will make things, bought cake plates, is so interested in everything and reads and e-mails me a response to every blog post!  

my friends Emily, Rachel and Sarah for talking with me and listening, calling me, being interested in ideas, Rachel offering to host one of my showers in her home, emily and i having long phone chats long distance and for her prayers, Sarah going shopping with me, you girls are jewels!  This all bowls me over!

My friend Marla, for hosting a shower, coming to showers, doing as much as she can with a little teeny tiny baby in tow!  :)  Remembering important things, being an all around encourager and prayer, she and Trey being wonderful "couple friends" as well. 

my sweet friend Erin and her husband Adam and their wonderful kiddos throwing us a "typing the knot" dinner party, giving me such a neat bride stationary set, doing fabulous shower invitations, being wonderful "couple friends" to us, being interested in plans and details, giving advice and on and on!

friends here and there who have given their heartfelt and exuberant congratulations over e-mails, phone messages, cards and even gifts - it feels good to know you're loved and remembered

Missouri friends - Dave and Karin who gave me a fantastic chair in the wedding colors and searched through the barn to find their supply of old blue glass canning jars for me to use!  Priceless!  Sally and the Wendy, Micaela and Amanda for going on antiquing adventures in the midwest looking for wedding decor

even my mom's co-worker's daughter who lives in the city where the wedding will be held and is going to ask around for a good hairdresser for me!  how kind is that?!

My friend Holly who went with me to visit a florist, sat through the whole meeting with me, took notes, asked questions I hadn't thought of and smoothly kept the whole thing on track!  It was great!  She unselfishly served me and I sooo appreciated it and we had a great time hanging out.  

My friend Rachel, giving up some of her precious time to come over here one night and sit with me to talk through food, serving dishes needed, the logistics of everything and even gave me some great ideas for some other stuff!  It is so good to have friends!  She and I got to share our hearts and enjoy some good prayer time together as well.

My friend Jenny for spending a lovely day out with me shopping for things, brainstorming and encouraging as she is so gifted at!  oh, and giving me an adorable little gift in the wedding colors!

My friend Jenni for being my computers, numbers, math kind of extroidinaire and in general just being fun, encouraging, good at talking things through and taking initiative and getting inside my mind!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!  Plus also organizing the most fabulous first shower and cooking dinner for me!     

My friend Sarah went with me to lunch when I needed the distraction to just keep from wallowing in wedding planning worries at home and then helped me pack 20 boxes for my move!  Plus loaned me all of those boxes and more!!!

people in Houston and Dallas, from my present church and from churches I've attended in the past, high school friends and college friends throwing me showers - it is an amazingly humbling feeling!  I appreciate it soo much, you guys!  (More about the shower later!)

I am sure I have left someone out and I do not mean to at all so please forgive me if I have!  Thank you all!  Kelly

too far into wedding planning

You know you're too far gone into wedding planning when you're on the home improvement aisle of Target looking for a drop cloth to spray paint a few things for the wedding and you notice that duct tape comes in orange and a turquoise blue!  You briefly wonder if you should buy some for use somehow at the wedding . . . hmmmm . . . caught myself just in time!  None went into the basket.  

If you were going to somehow use duct tape at a wedding (colored mind you!) how would you do it?  Come on, I want to hear those creative comments!  :)  

Hope everyone's having a good weekend.  As previously stated, my mom's here and we're working our little tails off and getting a TON done!  

Tomorrow is my first shower!  I'm so excited!  I have such wonderful, lovely friends throwing it for me!  I'm off to decide what I'm going to wear!  Kelly

p.s. I didn't have my camera at the moment of the duct tape incident or you better believe I would have taken a picture to share with all of you!  

fabric swatches

Would you like to see some of my fabric swatches for table runners?  Pretty, huh?  

I like them.  

I'm not 100% sure if I'm using this last one.  We'll see.  

progress report #3

Well, I kind of wondered if today's posts would be boring you to death, but I've had requests for more progress reporting so . . . 

mall - I decided to wait to go with my mom while she's here because we have some other shopping we want to do there anyway, no sense in two trips

finally showered and got ready

called Africa again but still no answer

made an appt. with someone to have my veil altered

asked my sweet Aunt Terry if she'd be willing to join my wonderful aunt Gail who already offered and my Sweetie to help sew tablerunners - she said she'd be honored!  hooray!

have begun looking at a website with some workout options!

got to hang out with Adrian early!

progress report #2

I was calculating my fabric costs based on feet instead of yards so that means that I'm actually spending 1/3 less than I thought I was!  Hooray!  Thanks for helping me figure that out, Jenni!  Kelly

progress report

fabric swatch pictures taken and e-mail sent - check!

ice cream break taken, Ben and Jerry's Cake Batter - check!  yum!  

Kelly

today's to do list and some random photos just for fun

Today is a get busy and get stuff done day.  My mom is coming tomorrow.  Why do moms somehow provide extra motivation?  I don't know but I'm glad of it!  

So far today:

I've folded laundry

emptied half of the dishwasher

eaten a real lunch (rather than just ice cream)

taken pics of my dining room table for Adrian to post on Craigslist

figured up candle prices and how many I think I want to order

attempted two calls to my friend Meredith in Africa

adjusted budget categories to have more money to spend on fabric for table runners

had some good times of prayer with God

watched a guy re-striping our parking lot and thinking that automatic paint thing looked pretty fun and I wonder what he'd think if I came down and asked to try my hand at a stripe or two ;)

talked through how much fabric I'll need to buy for table runners with my friend Jenni over blueberry muffins for breakfast

decided which fabrics I want the runners to be in

received news from the venue coordinator that there is no refrigerator, ice maker, coffee maker, etc. without tears or a breakdown of any kind

ordered some more tables and hired the company we're renting them from to set them up and tear them down so we don't have to

gotten some invite/address info to a shower hostess

e-mailed my cousin about invitations that he is so graciously helping me with

talked to my mom, Sweetie and Poppy on the phone

and a few other odds and ends

my bed's not made, i'm still in my p.j.s but hey that's a lot of stuff that I've made headway on for just after noon!  

For the afternoon:

take pics of fabric for runners and e-mail to my mom since she has very graciously offered to go to the store and buy it!

an ice cream break at some point! 

perhaps a run by Macy's to look at the Sunbeam mixer (I don't like kitchenaid, i just don't, i know everyone does and they come in every color in the rainbow but that's just not what I want)

if I get out to go to Macy's go to Dillard's to register for some sheets that I saw and liked at another Dillard's and thought I would just add online but I can't figure out how to do it!

call someone to see if they're up for altering my veil

try to call Africa again

make some steps towards getting back on the working out wagon

call my friend emily

work on the wedding cards i began the other day

call my friend Marcella

call my friend Rachel M. 

have dinner with my friend Tiffany

hang out with Adrian 

and go to Bible study

Whew!  I'd better get back at it I guess!  

I'll leave you with a few random photos since posts are always more fun with photos.

I ran across this picture today of my nephew's 1st birthday present from me from back in January.  Obviously I was already into the orange and blue then and I didn't even really realize it!  

I don't think I've shown you these.  My mom and I found three of the tiered baskets above on sale at Dillard's for a great price and I think I'm gonna use them on the family and friends dessert buffet table.  

Finally, do you know what this is?  An old sewing machine drawer.  My mom and I have several of them between us and we're thinking about using them at the wedding for long flower arrangements, to hold silverware, etc.  Any other ideas?  

I hope you're having a blessed day!  Thanks for stopping in!  Kelly

inside the box part 2

Here is the second box!  

Here is what was inside!!  One of our couch pillows!  

And here:  

is the lovely girl who along with her husband, Cliff, gave us these terrific gifts.  This is my friend Betty, and let me tell you, she is a gem!  God has blessed us with a friendship that has grown through the years.  One of my first memories of Betty is of her sitting behind me in freshman Bible with Neale Pryor.  One time she asked me to write down the words to "As a Deer".  Funny thing to remember.  

Betty and I were friends in college but it seems we have grown even closer since college seeing each other every so often.  Her wedding to Cliff was one of the most fun weekends ever! A wonderful early September weekend in Indiana with great friends and a wedding in a "chapel in the woods" with bell ringers and beautiful people!  

Betty and Cliff live in Alaska now but are coming to our wedding and we couldn't be more thankful and humbled by their wanting to bless us with their presence.  

Betty also made and adorably wrapped in the wedding colors, this set of notecards for us.  She is a terrific photographer and had snapped a picture of us at our Bree Bash '07.  

Thank you, Betty and Cliff for being amazing friends!  love, Kelly

inside the box!

Modgirl

was right!  Inside the box was our first wedding present!!!

To be exact, it was our first wedding present from our registry to come to our doorstep!  We have also been blessed with friends and family who have given us thoughtful gifts during our engagement that are wonderful and personal and appreciated and this was our first "for the home" "off the registry gift".  So fun!  

I waited excitedly until getting word back from Adrian via IM that I could open it!!!

Above is what I saw inside!  Oh my!  Two presents!  

I put them on my (unmade) bed.  (A little bit of real life here, people)

Shiny silver paper and tulle bows!  I feel like a bride-to-be!  So fun!  

I didn't know if I should look at the papers included or open the gifts.  Would there be a card?  How would I know who it was from?  I've never done this before!  I didn't want to see what was inside by looking on the packing slip and loose the fun of tearing open the paper to see what was peeking out so I chose to unwrap first.  The first box held this cupcake stand!!!

It is so "vintage" looking to me with it's shiny chrome and the holders for the cupcakes look like the crinkled foil of a cupcake liner!  AND it twirls!!!  

Next present and the sender in my next post.  I didn't feel like fighting with blogger to let me upload more than five pictures in a post.  For now though my break is over and I must get back to working on the little cards I'm making.  Wedding planning is in full swing around here . . . Kelly

do you know what this is?

who wants to guess?!  :)  Kelly

Well what do you know?

I was wandering around Wal-mart the other day and saw some cute stuff in the scrapbooking aisle.  After a few seconds I realized that I was looking at the Martha Stewart logo!  Whoa!  I've seen her stuff at Michaels and some of it is quite fabulous but mostly over-priced.  Now she's got stuff at Wal-mart in the scrapbooking and wedding sections and it was pretty reasonable!  photo above from Wal-mart.com

Happy Shopping!  Kelly

p.s. pressing question, what did you do or are you doing as far as a sign-in book for showers and things?  I need some good ideas.  My first shower is less than two weeks away! Ahhhh!!!  So exciting!  I can't even believe this is really happening actually!  Whew!  So fun!  It is absolutely incredible to have friends care about you enough to want to throw you a shower!  Kelly 

pretty adorable I must say!

Cookies!  

crazy!

watermelon!  whoa!

wedding laugh

Well, I've been pretty slack on the blogging lately.  Been out of town and just living.  I want to step it up but until I'm back with my regularly scheduled pictured posts, here's a funny wedding related blog post for a laugh or two.  :)  If anyone wants to know if they can wear white to our wedding (this is referenced in the aforementioned post) the answer is yes, IF you're willing to break the oh so important Southern rule of not wearing white after labor day!  :)  Have a good Wednesday evening, everyone!  Kelly

so fun!

HappyAmy just wrote about me on her blog! So fun and so sweet! Thank you! Kelly

Please be a blessing.

I've posted about blessings I've received in my last couple of posts.  Today I'd like to ask you to be a blessing.  Jessica one of the bloggers I read lost her dad suddenly and unexpectedly this weekend, three months before her wedding.  Please say a prayer for her.  Thank you!  Kelly