December 9, 2012

Christmas is Coming!

   Christmas is my favorite time of year! In case you did not know... I think I have now written 5 posts about Christmas. I love December... It is my man's birthday. 25 days of Christmas is on ABC. Everyone sends out Christmas letters and pictures. Christmas lights are hung up every where. Christmas trees are decorated. Ellen has awesome giveaways on her show called "Ellen's 12 days of giveaways". People are happier. You get to buy things for people. People buy things for you. I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!

December also brings finals... blah. I have one paper and 4 exams that I should be studying for. Instead I am sitting in bed with my pup watching Christmas movies on ABC family... My class work is sitting next to me... I am hoping I can absorb all the information through osmosis. :)

Anyways... I was writing this post to share with you the awesome Christmas cards I saw on Good Morning America! They are HILLARIOUS! Ellen also shows these types of pictures... if yall do not watch Ellen I highly recommend her! :)








    These were all from GMA or from Ellen! I can not stop laughing at these hilarious pictures. I am sure we all have some scary pictures ourselves. I will leave you with one of my families... Actually this is the family I am marrying into and this was just last year! I could not ask for a better family to join! :) 




You are welcome blog world! :)

December 5, 2012

Wedding Wednesday

Wedding Wednesday
THE Dress!

    It has been a while since I have updated yall on this whole process of wedding planning. Let me just say I did try, every time I sat down to write the words escaped me. I do not know if it was because I was nervous or just overwhelmed.... maybe both. 
I can now say I am over that... for now at least :) 

The day before Thanksgiving my mom and sister took me do try on wedding dresses! Cheryl, Ally, Randi, and my two nieces met us there. I tried to go in with zero expectations. I was ultimately scared to be disappointed... I have never been one to dress up or enjoy being in a dress. I had it in my mind that I would never find THE dress... I did not think I would ever have that feeling. So I went in relying on my family to bring the joy and excitement... Of course they did. I think the best thing about this whole process was seeing how excited each of those ladies were for me! 

My bridal consultant was named Sam... She was awesome and pregnant! Perfect combo! She had me tell her about myself and had me look through books and tell her which dresses I liked. We then went into the room of mirrors... Literally it was like a wall of just mirrors. This was also a little overwhelming. I was placed in room 26... this seemed fitting since our wedding date is July 26th

I only tried on 4 dresses... all it took for me to fall in love with a dress was to try on 4 dresses. I had that moment that brides talk about. I was head over heels in love with a dress!!!! I did not want to take it off... I still want to wear it around. This is going to be the BIGGEST secret I have to keep for about 230 more days. 

Have I told you I am horrible at keeping secrets!! Also Cam said he is so excited to see me in my dress! I could not have had a better dress shopping experience! I am so blessed to have some amazing ladies in my life who love me and support me! :)

Now... news I can share is that we also found the bridesmaid dresses! We have decided on two colors... Pool and Malibu. The dresses will be short, chiffon and strapless. I think they will look beautiful on all 6 of my bridesmaids! I can not wait to see all of my lovely girls!


The colors are prettier in real life... I promise! 
Now to find shoes! 








November 16, 2012

My Friday Night

  Tonight I am linking up with Stephanie and Katie for the Saw it. Pinned it. Did it. link up party!

The fact that I am up at 11:30 pm is historic in itself.... But what I really wanted this post to be about was my Christmas crafts that I worked on tonight. I usually find tons of ideas of things to make and really get myself excited about making them and then suck at making them. I then spiral downward into a negative mess. I also have little patience when it comes to things I have to do that involve being creative...

Anyways... These crafts were fun and I love them! They also did not take 800 hours. Ok, they did take a while. I blame this on the fact that I was watching the movie Bridesmaids while crafting. I highly recommend this movie while doing anything. Hilarious!

Craft # 1: The Burlap Banner

I have been obsessed with every banner I have come across lately... This actually started in the summer. I made 8 banners for my bridesmaids and I still love them! I have been waiting to make a burlap banner that I have seen all over Pinterest and the blog world! Here is my Noel banner. It is not done yet because the paint was not dry and now I am tucked in my bed and unable to get up ;)

There is about 500 different tutorials on this project... The hardest part about this craft was cutting the burlap semi straight and outlining the stencil. Overall super easy!


Craft # 2: Glitter Reindeer and Snowglobes

This craft I found Pinterest... Where I find everything. Anything I ever do again will be from Pinterest is some way. It is a genius website. The original blog that this awesome project is from is from Daisy Dreaming. She is the one who also gives a tutorial on the snow globe mason jars! The Reindeer and Tree were also pretty easy to make. Disclaimer: do not do anything with glitter on your bed... You will have glitter for days!

The hardest part about this craft was cleaning up the glitter. I love how my gold reindeer turned out. I almost did not even buy the gold glitter thinking that I would not like it... good thing I did not listen to myself!

The snowglobes I originally saw on the Anthropologie website. They looked awesome and then I found the amazing DIY version on the Daisy Dreaming blog! I want to make more with different jars! I used two medium and one large for this project. The trees and the red ornament thing were found from Walmart. The next ones I make I want to put an ornament in! This is also one more reason to buy new ornaments! :)


Craft # 3: Burlap Ornament

This one is in the making... and by in the making I mean not started at all. MY craftiness left me at about 10 pm and my bed was calling my name! I do want to make these though and I do have the extra burlap. This particular tutorial is from the Beautiful Mess Blog... Stephanie is hosting a weekly link up party called "Saw it. Pinned it. Did it." and she featured this tutorial this week! As I said I have yet to do anything with this project but, Steph said that this one is pretty time consuming... but look how awesome those ornaments look!





November 12, 2012

CHRISTMAS!

Today marks the 6 Week countdown to Christmas!
6 weeks 6 weeks 6 weeks 6 weeks
   Ya hear that people, SIX WEEKS!!!


    Christmas time is my absolute favorite. Growing up my family always made a huge deal out of the holidays. My mom would have every inch of the house decorated, every window would have twinkly lights in them, and every room would smell like Christmas. Growing older I have learned to totally appreciate everything my mom and family has done for me. My Gram and Papa would come into town every year. Kenn and I have made Christmas cookies for Santa with my Papa for almost every year that I can remember. Our tree would look like it threw up presents... My dogs would get excited about opening presents. I can remember Kennedy I would wake up way to early in the morning and then right after we opened everything I would call Samantha and see what cool things she got! I cherish the traditions my family has started. I hope to continue these traditions with my future family. Its during these times that I wish I could be a kid again... Then again, I am also very glad I am old enough to understand the meaning behind the whole holiday.

I can not wait to decorate the house right after Thanksgiving. If it was up to me... I would probably decorate all year long. I just love coming home to a house light up by a big tree or driving down neighborhood streets and seeing every house decorated differently. It is just so much fun. 

I dream of the day when Cam and I have our own house to decorate together. He may not dream of this... He does not understand my love for Christmas decor, maybe one day he will. I can not wait to enjoy the little moments of this whole holiday season. I can not wait to spend time with my fiance and my whole family! 

I will have a huge bright tree in my home and my front door will look this awesome!


I can not wait to start traditions with our kids.

If you would like to put this sweet face under my tree I will not mind. :) 

I plan to make this nifty little craft this weekend... Hopefully it turns out :) 



November 8, 2012

Superstorm Sandy

    I wrote this post last week and never published it... The East coast is now being hit by crazy cold weather and a lot of snow. Been a pretty crazy year of weather. Still praying for everyone being affected and hope everyone stays warm and bundled up.

Sandy will go down in the history books for many reasons. This superstorm that hit the East Coast Tuesday, October 30th made its mark on the whole nation. New York is known as the "city that never sleeps". Well, it has been sleeping... There are still millions of people with out power all over the East coast. The pictures of the aftermath are hear-breaking. The stories that we will continue to hear throughout the process of cleaning up after this storm are heart-wrenching.

I followed this storm on the news and through social media just as millions of other people did. I watched from my quiet and warm town in Oklahoma. I felt the same feelings watching the devastation of this storm as I did back in 2001 when I was just a small 5th grader watching the Twin Towers fall to the ground.

While watching the news coverage of this storm I could not help but feel the pain and sorrow these people are going through. Many people have lost their lives, whole neighborhoods have burnt to the ground, so many houses are flooded and even floated away into the ocean.

Times like these make me thankful. I am thankful for the first responders. I am thankful for the news reporters who are also risking their lives and away from their own families in order to be able to update us. Thankful for the nurses and doctors at NYU Medical who kept so many patients alive during that power outage. I am thankful for the time spent with my own family.

Here are some of the most heart-wrenching pictures that will forever be engrained in my mind. Superstorm Sandy has taken away many things but, it has not taken away the hope of our nation. We will rebuild. We will remain thankful.









All pictures are taken from the abc news website. 

November 1, 2012

     Well... October is over November is officially here. This means that Christmas is just around the corner. I could do dream about Christmas time all year long. I could have Christmas decorations up, lights, the whole thing... I just love it! I love driving around looking at other houses. I love coming home to a house that is lit up and bright with beautiful lights and trees!...

BUT first... we need to finish the journey of the 2012 3-Day walk for the cure! I am so excited to finally be going to Dallas to walk with my family for the second time in a row! I will update on my instagram... I will also do a whole blog post when I am back. I hope to have a lot of pictures... this however is ALWAYS a challenge for me. I simply suck at taking pictures.
Back to the whole reason of this blog post... Remember that challenge I presented at the beginning of October? The whole wear pink every day thing. Well.... I kind of totally sucked at that too. I did however wear pink when I could. :) However, like normal I did not take any pictures... I blame this one the fact that I do not have a camera that takes good pictures. I mean the ancient I phone I have just does not cut it any longer and the Nikon cool pix camera I have will not even keep a charge long enough to take a picture. So, for now I am putting the blame on technology.

I think that this weekend will make up for not wearing pink every day because I will literally be drowning in pink! Susan G. Komen walkers and crew know exactly how cover the town in pink! I can not wait to hear the many amazing stories we will hear, meet new people, see all the smiling crew, and walk through the cheer stations!





Team Sporting Pink is coming for you Dallas!


October 24, 2012

Wedding Wednesday

Meet the Flower Girls & Ring Bearer

     I am absolutely positive I have the BEST flower girls and ring bearer! Cam and I asked his oldest nieces and one and only nephew to participate in our big day and they said yes! These 3 babes are the cutest, sweetest, and funniest little things you will ever meet! They are the sweet babies of Ally and Jay. So, here you go world meet our Flower Girls and Ring Bearer

I mean really... Could they be any more perfect?


Camden- Flower Girl
                             
Camden is 6 going on 16. 
This girl is drop dead gorgeous.
She is sweet and sassy.
She is fun. 
Smart.
Happy.
She is growing into the most beautiful little girl. 
She is an amazing big sister.
Cameron loves sharing his name with this little Cam :)
She is one special brown-eyed girl!

 Braelynn-Flower Girl
Brae is 3. She is blonde and absolutely beautiful.
Jay and Ally know how to make some pretty children! 
Braelynn is so sweet.
She love love loves animals.
She carries around about 5 different blankets 
and stuffed toys every where she goes. 
She is fun. 
She is so loving.
She can be a little fire cracker! 
Braelynn is just precious. 

Crayton- Ring Bearer

I had to use two pictures for this little boy because I just love both of these! 
Crayton just turned 2... He is about a foot taller every time we see him.
He also gets cuter every day.  
He is a little stinker. All boy.
He is happy. 
He is so funny.
He is a sweet-hearted little boy.
He has to-die-for brown eyes. 
His laugh... Like the one in that picture is music to your ears. 


I can not wait to see these three all dressed up. 
I am so blessed and honored to call them my nieces and nephew!

P.S. I also have a brand new niece named Adelaide... she is beautiful and perfect.
She will be at the wedding with her lovely Mama (my future sis-in-law).
I also can not wait to see her all prettied up for her Aunt B! :)


P.S.S. I just realized that one of the best parts about this wedding is going to be the family pictures! How cool is it going to be to look back and see how cute these four little babes were and how young and hot all of us "older" folk look! :) 



October 22, 2012

Phils-osophy


  Yall if you are not watching Phil and Claire Dunphy on Modern Family every Wednesday night on ABC you are missing out! I just HAD to share this genius philosophy brought to you by none other than... Phil Dunphy! I have now watched this about every day this week and I die laughing each and every time!
















You are welcome for the funniest things you will ever read... I also suggest you watch it at this link!