Miss Prissy Paige

pretty things.

2012-02-10T08:42:00.000-05:00

see something pretty? these flowers right?

they are from ella bella flowers here. i love every single arrangement from this september 2011 wedding. gorgeous.

ohhh, something else?

my blog? yea. i love it too. and a HUGE thanks to Penny Lane Designs for her hard work & creative eye.

this weekend, i'm working on fulfilling etsy orders! its been a busy week over at miss prissy paige and i couldn't be more excited. thank you to everyone for their happy thoughts. i'm so excited to finally be doing what i love!

Jan photo-a-day recap.

2012-02-03T18:54:00.002-05:00

remember my new years resolution to take more pictures? well i heard about the photo-a-day challenge from house of smiths and decided to join in. except i didn't really follow the challenge. while everyone else was following along and snapping a daily photo of a particular topic, i was merely trying to take a photo. in the end, i ended up with 31 days of photos. yippee!

here's a look in review of my month.

highlights:

(10) working on business cards!!

(18) ryan's birthday & the balloon wall

(26) visit back to d.c.

by the numbers:

4 - pictures with wine or beer

6 - pictures of candy

11 - pictures with aqua or pink

1 - picture of tofu. might the the ONLY picture of tofu to ever appear here again.

for february, i'm challenging myself to follow along the with the photo topics provided by fat mum slim. its day 3 and i'm happy to report i've been successful!

and i really love what shelley at house of smiths did - she made her photos into magnets! totally doing this!

let me know if you decide to join & we can follow each other on instagram (missprissypaige) or my365 (missprissypaige). both these apps are free and are AWESOME for photos! putting together this collage was so easy with the help of my365!

i'm linking up to these fabulous parties - #photoaday rocks my socks.

more details.

2012-02-02T16:06:00.000-05:00

yesterday, i shared my super exciting news. i'm a small business owner!

today i'm sharing more details about my business as part of shannon's "livin' the dream" series.

i hope you visit and leave a little comment. bloggers & small business owners LOVE comments. especially me. it warms my heart to hear from you. and i do little "whoop, whoop" raise the roof move when i get a new follower.

its the little things, the small details, in life that mean the most.

big dreams & small details.

2012-02-01T07:00:00.000-05:00

ahhhh! i'm so excited to announce my big news!

here's a hint: i followed my passion. straight to the aisle. literally.

i'm so excited to share my new business...

let's cover the facts with the who, what, where, when & why game. it was fun in middle school and its still fun now.

who: me, with the support of my hubby and family

what: full service wedding planning {big dreams} and wedding design {small details}

where: maryland to georgia and everywhere in between

when: now. no time like the present! know someone who's getting hitched? are you itching for a ring yourself? let's start chatting. {seriously, e-mail me: missprissypaige at gmail dot com}.

why: because i need more. i needed a change. i needed something creative. i needed to be excited again. and because i've always loved weddings. after watching j-lo in the wedding planner and finding my own matthew mcconaughey, i had my dream wedding. now i want to give other brides their big dreams.

want to know more? visit the new big dreams. small details page here.

want to work together? e-mail more for more information. looking for wedding paper design? contact me for my client questionnaire and we can get started today.

want to shop? visit my etsy page.

want to relax? yea, me too. let me know what you find to help answer that question!

want to know more? just ask!

cake pop tutorial.

2012-01-31T14:40:00.000-05:00

i shared my tips & tricks on cake pops with jordan of blueprint crafts. check out her blog for my tutorial!

i wish i had some of these still around for an afternoon pick me up...sadly they were gone in about 6 nano-seconds after taking the last picture.

and don't forget, BIG NEWS tomorrow. be sure to come back and find out what's happening...

big news COMING.

2012-01-30T17:28:00.001-05:00

and it might have something to do with this:

come back on wednesday to find out...

i'm so excited! and nervous! and giddy!

sweet designs.

2012-01-25T17:14:00.003-05:00

it was revealed yesterday. and i couldn't be more excited.

amy atlas, my inspiration, revealed her book cover! its now available for pre-order on amazon. the book officially comes out april 24th. i can't wait to get my copy. its 352 pages of awesome-ness - from diy projects, dessert recipes and styling tips! in fact, it might be the first book i've read cover-to-cover in awhile.

if you don't know amy - you've probably still seen her influence. she's credited with starting the dessert table trend. and what a trend its been! and continues to be!

i took inspiration from her for our own wedding candy buffet. and our guests LOVED it.

{at the end of the night all the candy was gone except for the banana-grams and 2 vases were broken. i think a fight must have broke out over the last lemon slice.}

i'll be posting more details on our candy bar soon. in the meantime, enjoy some sweets virtually!

balloon wall.

2012-01-23T07:30:00.000-05:00

my hubby turned 28 this past wednesday. i surprised him with a wall of balloons from the garage into the kitchen. i think he felt like a kid again!

the process was simple. i've been really stressed with work this week so i had A LOT of hot air in me. i used that to blow up the 15 balloons. then i braved new heights and hung the balloons at varying heights from the ceiling with yarn while standing on our kitchen chairs. you might not know this about me, but i get a little dizzy with heights.

i did a couple checks from the perspective of the garage to make sure it looked full, and then patiently waited for him to come home so i could video tape his entrance. have you ever noticed that when you're waiting for something, time creeps by? watch this video for instance, i started filming from the time his car pulled into the garage. i should also note, its incredibly awkward. but who doesn't love awkward? its charming.

see, i wasn't lying about awkward. ryan thought i was taking a photo so he's posing. and my voice! ahhhh, i hope i don't really sound like that! and the whispering...kinda creepy.

picnik is closing!

2012-01-22T09:49:00.001-05:00

have you heard? picnik is closing! what a bummer. i first discovered this program in 2010 and loved it for its FREE photo editing software. the good news? its still available until april 19, 2012. and the premium features are FREE! my favorite tool from picnik? the stickers - i used them here, here, here and here.

looks like they are pushing creative kit from google+ as the replacement. i'm not familiar with it yet, but if its from the developers of picnik, i'm sure it'll be awesome.

do you use a photo editing software? please share!

before + after: wrapping paper organizer

2012-01-17T13:30:00.000-05:00

yesterday, i previewed a project i was working on. today i'm here to share the before & after! i inherited this wrapping paper organizer from my grandfather. he built in in 1997. he made three - one for my grandma, one for my mom and one for my aunt. i'd always loved my moms so when my grandpa said i could have his, i jumped at the chance! i knew a little coat of paint and some TLC and it'd be brand new.

the before was a nice shade of yellowish white. i guess after 15 years of use, a little discoloring is to be expected. i had some teal paint leftover from the wedding (its valspar nautical if anyone wants to know) so i gave it a fresh coat. i used some wrapping paper to line the insides and voila - a fresh look!

what do you think? looks pretty good, right?!

i love it. and it fits perfectly in my craft closet. because of course, i didn't measure it before i had ryan move it from the kitchen into my office...fully loaded and all. it might be pretty but it is HEAVY. especially when you have 20 rolls of wrapping paper.

and 5 of them are the same. did anyone else see the cute wrapping paper target had this year at christmas time? i mean, teal birdies? yes please.

a little project.

2012-01-16T07:00:00.000-05:00

here's a quick preview of a project i've been working on.

yes, its my ~~favorite~~ signature color. it should be finalized tomorrow! any guesses what it might be? if you follow me on twitter {@missprissypaige} then you might have heard.

either way, come back for the BIG REVEAL!

the prettiest cake.

2012-01-15T07:00:00.000-05:00

seriously, how pretty is this cake?! its my favorite color. its got a heart {and we all know i love a heart after our wedding} and...wait for it...

the inside is PINK. my SECOND favorite color. i die.

its from one of my new favorite blogs - sprinkle bakes. i adore her blog and can't wait for her book to come out in may. you know i've already pre-ordered it.

i know its only mid-january, but what are you looking forward come spring?

hey girl.

2012-01-12T07:00:00.000-05:00

i love it.

check out more here.

our wedding: DIY seating card display

2012-01-11T07:00:00.000-05:00

so we got married on 9.10.11. - aren't we clever! in reality, we didn't plan the day, but when we found the perfect venue and they had the date open, it all fell into place. and since we've been married for almost 4 months, i thought it was about high time i shared some of my labors of love from our day.

one of my favorite pieces was our seating card display. i knew i wanted something more than folded cards on a table but something that wouldn't take up valuable real estate. plus, remember my RSVP mad lib postcards? i wanted to display those!

i loved the idea of using a pegboard and i knew it would be fairly cheap to do. we had some leftover paint from some other wedding projects, so i had ryan make it pretty! then i got to work creating a template with my silhouette to cover the clothespins. i used scrap paper in blues, greys, yellows, and hot pink to cover the pins.

the hardest part about the whole process, was figuring out how to align the clothespins so we could get all 108 seating cards on the board. but we got lucky, 9 rows of 12 pins = 108. PERFECT! this picture was snapped BEFORE the ceremony, i guess some people saw the seating card display and couldn't wait until after the cocktail hour to find out where they were sitting.

halfway through the reception, we hung some RSVPs cards. we got some hilarious responses and i had to share them! even to this day, i still look at the RSVPs and laugh. do you see all those colors - we have some creative family & friends!

now the boards hangs in my home office and i use it to collect coupons, pictures, receipts, etc. but i still have the bride & groom tags on the board.

what kind of display did you do for your last wedding or event? would you have any interest in having something like this created for you?

photo a day.

2012-01-05T12:02:00.000-05:00

one of my goals for this year was to take more pictures. in the post new year i'm going to achieve BIG things high, i've already started this one. after shelley smith (you know from house of smiths) posted on her twitter about an app called my365, i was intrigued. i downloaded it (its free!) and it is awesome.

snap your photo and upload it to the app. the photos are stored in a calendar format so you can you can organize your photos by day. HORRAY!

and it has filters you can apply to your photos, just like instagram.

i've also discovered the project life phenomena. i guess i've been under a rock for the last few years, but it looks pretty cool. takes the OCD out of scrapbooking and streamlines the process. if you're interested check it out here. i'm not sure i'm ready to commit to it a daily photo and a daily journal, but it could be perfect for you!

if you want to follow my photo a day challenge, search for me (missprissypaige) on my365 and you'll get a glimpse into my daily life.

here's my first 4 photos of the year. ryan thought i was taking a photo of him everyday for 365 days. ummm, i love you but that's obsessive and weird.

what have you done to start working towards accomplishing your goals for 2012?

new year. new goals.

2012-01-02T07:00:00.001-05:00

this year, i want to re-focus, re-connect {hey, that's a goal!}, and re-new. i came up with the goals above to help keep me on track. i want to take those 1,000+ pins on pinterest and turn them into action. i want to stop saying "tomorrow" and start living TODAY. i want to step outside my comfort zone. i want to share. i want to create. i want to design. i want to grow.

new year. new goals.

i hope you're along for the ride.

2011 recap.

2011-12-30T10:06:00.001-05:00

this year has been a whirlwind! as we wrap up 2011, i wanted to take some time to look back on all that's happened. {click on the month for more details}

{january}

we scouted wedding locations, i got my silhouette and our engagement announcement was published, ryan's birthday

{february}

traveled to san fransisco and las vegas, made some cake pops

{march}

traveled to ft. myers and palm beach florida, revealed our save the dates, discovered a yummy recipe for black bean soup

{april}

looked at overpriced wedding invitations, celebrated my birthday, started running

{may}

booked our honeymoon in anguilla

{june}

shared our engagement pictures, cousins weekend trip, designed our wedding invitations

{july}
kelsey turned 21, first dress fitting and revealed my wedding shoes, mailed wedding invites, made the yarn monograms

{august}

revealed our wedding invitations, re-booked our honeymoon

{september}

9.10.11 - WE GOT MARRIED! And went on our honeymoon.

{october}

we moved to augusta, georgia

{november}

hosted our first thanksgiving
{december}

revealed the gallery wall, celebrated christmas as mr. & mrs.

wow. i was busy. while i didn't do much blogging the last half of the year, i'm going to re-focus my energies in 2012. i have a big list of goals i want to accomplish and i'll need your help to stay on track!

what was the highlight of your year?

the unthinkable.

2011-12-29T09:29:00.001-05:00

i did the unthinkable. the unmentionable.

want to know what it was?

i marked all as read. all my feeds in google reader. 1,000+ posts. READ.

truth be told, i fell out of blogging and reading blogs over the past few months. between the wedding, the move and the holidays my blog and my favorite blog reads got put on the back burner. and i felt guilty not reading and commenting. i kept saying to myself, "i'll start writing tomorrow. and reading tomorrow. and i'll comment. who doesn't love a comment?!" yet, the next day came and i didn't do it. and time kept going and the unread count kept climbing.

i'm starting 2012 on a clean slate. and with a clean google reader. and a vow to blog more and with more content.

so tell me, what's been going on since i last commented?

new boots!

2011-12-27T19:37:00.001-05:00

if you don't follow me on twitter {@missprissypaige} then you haven't seen my new beauties. ryan got me the hot pink hunter boots i'd been lusting over. i wore them tonight and got 5 compliments! i'm not sure if it was the boots or the other crazy colors that drew the attention.

i hope everyone had a lovely christmas. we spent a few days with our family in virginia. we are back in augusta now and trying to figure out new year's plans.

how was your holiday?

true love.

2011-12-23T09:10:00.000-05:00

i'm in love with my new ring from ryan. its so dainty and delicate. and of course i love the heart. it matches our wedding theme after all!

get one for yourself from amy cornwell here.

24 frames & 3 keys

2011-12-12T07:00:00.001-05:00

are you visiting again after yesterday's post? i sure hope so!

ever since i started seeing gallery walls pop up on the internet, i was smitten. then we moved and i discovered we had the PERFECT wall for one.

i got straight to work stalking the local goodwills. in total i found 24 frames for about $30. CHA-CHING. while i didn't take a starting photo of what was actually in the old frames, i should have, it was some kind of hideous. after collecting my frames and giving them a good sanding, i went straight to work painting. a couple (try 4) coats of paint later and things were starting to come together. i'd traced and numbered each frame so i could design my gallery wall instead of my usual "let's just wing it and see what happens". best idea ever.

after staring at the kraft paper cut-outs for a few days, i decided we had a winning layout and ryan went to town hanging the frames.

i'm totally smitten.

gallery wall {p-inspiration}

2011-12-11T21:19:00.000-05:00

if you follow me on pinterest, you might have seen a slew of gallery wall pins. i'm currently obsessing over the look. mix and match a bunch of frames together? and have it "work"? sounds like a winning idea to me! below are a few photos that really grabbed my attention.

i love this image because it mixes empty frames and filled frames. although the frames are all different sizes, the overall images is that of a square, which matches the majority of the frames shape.

{pin}

on this second photo, i love the mix of oval and rectangular frames. and the white. i'm obsessed with white now. i really like the double layering of some of the frames too.

{pin}

i have my own take on a gallery wall to share tomorrow. come back and tell me what you think!

updates.

2011-12-05T20:20:00.000-05:00

last week was crazy hectic. i was in california for work for a few days and then ryan and i made a trip home to richmond for some family time and to celebrate the life of his grandfather, who passed away before thanksgiving.

as is my nightly "i'm not tired so let me look at pinterest" routine, i saw this pinned on leigh's board and it really spoke to me.

i want to print it out and post it in my home office as a daily reminder. after living in d.c. for 5 years, packing up and moving was a big change. i'm so happy we did it but i do miss our family and friends - the comforts of home. augusta is great, don't get me wrong, but everything takes time. it'll be a little bit longer before i feel like augusta is home. but having my new hubby along for this ride isn't too bad either.

who needs pumpkin pie?

2011-11-28T12:40:00.002-05:00

pumpkin pie is so 2000. pumpkin crisp is so now.

pumpkin crisp - adapted from southern living

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin

1 cup evaporated milk

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 packaged of butter flavored yellow cake mix

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup butter, melted

STIR together the first 5 ingredients. Pour into a lightly greased 13x9 baking dish. Sprinkle cake mix evenly over pumpkin mixture; sprinkle evenly with pecans. Drizzle butter evenly over pecans.

BAKE at 350 for 1 hour to 1 hour and 5 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven, and let stand 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm. Top with vanilla ice cream to make it extra sinful.

i dare you to make this dish. i promise you will LOVE it.

even though this week was about cookies - i couldn't resist sharing this super simple recipe. it was a big hit at our thanksgiving! i can't wait to see what others made - check it out by visiting kim's dare to diy challenge.

thanksgiving = dominated.

2011-11-27T18:40:00.000-05:00

we had a great thanksgiving and hope you did too! i finished my to-do list about 10 p.m. the night before and was able to relax on the morning of thanksgiving.

i rocked it on the turkey cooking. seriously. ryan said the turkey was better than his mom's. huge compliment because his mom is a good cook. look at how golden brown it is. i mean, it could be on the FOOD NETWORK, right?

the biggest hits were the pumpkin crisp and the sweet potato souffle. i'll be posting the pumpkin crisp recipe soon as part of the dare to diy challenge.

we spent the next day relaxing and watching football. now that we moved south, we found that college football is HUGE and NFL is just so-so.

it was nice to relax and just be. no to-do lists, no cleaning, no decorating...just relaxing.

how was your thanksgiving?

dare to diy: let's entertain.

2011-11-20T19:12:00.002-05:00

this week's dare to diy challenge was about setting your table. this challenge had perfect timing for several reasons:

(1) we are hosting thanksgiving this year
(2) its an excuse to use our wedding china & new wine glasses
(3) WE HAVE A TABLE WITH 4 CHAIRS NOW! yes, that calls for all caps. FINALLY after 3+ years, we can have 4 people at the table. so come on over! we can eat at the table like real adults.

this year, i'm going for a "rustic meets classy" feel.

for my diy elements, i cut placemat sized pieces of burlap out and using a stamp i inherited from mom and stamped the fork, knife and spoon onto each placemat. then i set our wedding china out {monique lhuiller dentelle} and added our new edge wine glasses from crate & barrel. i love the rustic burlap mixed with the fine china.

i pulled out one of the wedding frames and found the "with a grateful heart" printable online via pinterest. i think the utensils tie in perfectly without being too matchy-matchy.

i filled the white ceramic bowl with straw balls i picked up a long time ago from target. my favorite part? the creamy colors mixed with the metallic silver on the china.

and yes, i realize i'm missing actual utensils. i tried it out and thought they were too much for my table. so this year, we'll eat with our hands. :)

just kidding.

what's on your thanksgiving table?

see what others did at kim's dare to diy challenge here.

our thanksgiving day menu

2011-11-20T14:42:00.004-05:00

**updated 11/23 - its the final turkey day countdown!

ryan and i are hosting thanksgiving this year at our new place in augusta. we have 6 adults and a two year old coming. it should be a great time, especially since i practiced cooking a turkey a few weeks ago.

after all, no one wants an under-cooked turkey for thanksgiving. and no one wants to eat thanksgiving at 10 p.m. because you didn't plan correctly. we tested the turkey waters a few weeks ago and i was quite happy with the results. fingers crossed everything comes together in a few days and we can eat around 3 or 3:30 p.m. if not, i made sure we have plenty of booze and hopefully no one will notice.

besides turkey, here's what else we are having:

grandma's cheese ball {green peppers and pineapple}
veggies and dip

mac and cheese
biscuits
stuffing
gravy
broccoli salad
cranberry sauce

pumpkin crisp
sweet potato souffle
apple pie

wine
beer
apple cider
sweet tea

my thanksgiving to do list:
{for the house}
~~clean bathrooms~~
~~clean floors~~
~~vacuum~~ {our new dyson arrived just in time!}
~~finish gallery wall in living room~~ {if you follow me on twitter, you've seen the progress}
~~decorate mantle~~
~~hang wreath on front door~~

{for the food}
~~wash china~~
~~wash the wine glasses~~
~~wash serving pieces~~
chop vegetables
~~prep sweet potato souffle~~
~~prep pumpkin crisp~~
~~prep the biscuits~~
~~wash the to-go containers~~

lots to do! i'll be crossing items off the list as i tackle them.

what are your thanksgiving day plans?

dare to d.i.y.

2011-11-11T20:15:00.001-05:00

i'm so excited to be participating in kim's dare to diy challenge again this year! it will be just the thing to get me out of blog hibernation.

the first challenge starts now so i better get busy. dare to be thankful.

i already have so much to be thankful for: an amazing husband, my awesome family, a supportive job, our hilarious friends, a safe transition to augusta, our health, i could go on and on...

we are still getting settled in our new home but are loving the area so far. we are also hosting thanksgiving this year - that is a HUGE DIY challenge for me. i'll be blogging about our menu and pre-planning in the coming weeks.

thanks for hanging in there with me as we made this huge transition in a matter of weeks. life has been really crazy these past few months so i'm looking forward to relaxing and enjoying the holiday season.

top 3 reasons.

2011-10-24T15:16:00.000-04:00

in no particular order, the top 3 reasons to explain the lack of posts:

1. we are moving/have moved to augusta, georgia and the house is a wreck.

2. loads of wedding followup {for example: our thank you cards!}

3. i'm working on a top secret project that i'm not ready to share yet.

hang in there with me, i hope things will return to normal in november.

BIG news.

2011-10-14T07:00:00.001-04:00

ryan and i are excited to share the big news....we are moving to augusta, georgia. after 5 years in the d.c. area, we are finally heading south, and couldn't be more excited! things are happening pretty quickly. we will call augusta home by the end of the month.

so, if you're ever in the area, we sure hope you visit!

{our wedding photos}

2011-09-27T22:33:00.001-04:00

hi. i'm not sure if we've met yet, i'm MRS. HOLMES. i smile every time i say it. and every time ryan calls me his wife. :)

we are still decompressing from the most amazing wedding ever followed by the best honeymoon ever but i know you're anxious for photos.

without further ado, some snapshots from our special day {9.10.11}.

{our venue, sweely estate winery}

{custom reebooks ryan designed for us}

{i love my shoes!}

{married!!}

want to see more? visit our amazing photographer's website - katelyn james blog.

{i'll be posting more of the diy items in the coming weeks...}

we're married!

2011-09-11T17:13:00.000-04:00

and off to our honeymoon. see you in a few weeks :)

wedding: our invitations

2011-08-30T07:00:00.000-04:00

i know you've been anxiously awaiting this post. i've been anxious to write it. i'm so excited to reveal our wedding invitations!

i couldn't be happier with how they came out. as you know, we searched high and low and couldn't find one that jumped out at us. i started messing around with indesign one night and before i knew it our invitation was born.

of course i obsessed over the spacing, text size, font color, etc. i think i about drove ryan mad after i'd designed them AND we'd gone to kinkos to print them out only to realize, i didn't like the text color. so i re-printed each piece, on my HOME computer.

here's the breakdown of the costs:
paper: $15
ribbon: $2
envelopes: $35
pockets: $35
ink: $30
postage: $188 (includes RSVP postcard)
printing: $40 - later to be re-done on my home computer
grand total: $345

seriously! and to think we were quoted $1,600 by one store. sometimes, DIY can be cheaper!

and to document the process: a collage of invitations

{click to enlarge}

invitation elements:
tiffany blue envelope with gray & white wrap around label
outside gray pocket with a K+R monogram on a yellow ribbon
square mounted invitation with two 3d heart embellishments
details card
wait, there's more - weekend events
mad lib rsvp postcard

and a close up of each element.

{click to enlarge}

my favorite part is the mad lib rsvp card. its been hilarious to see what people came up with!

i am so happy with our invitations. once i decided to DIY them, i knew i was going to be the harshest critic but the positive response from our family & friends has been amazing. i want to give a special thanks to ryan and my family for all their help. they helped make my vision a reality!

with all the paper items i've DIYed so far for this wedding, it's seriously making me consider starting a side business. what do you think?

honeymoon: revisited.

2011-08-17T07:17:00.000-04:00

imagine being a month out from your honeymoon and getting a call from your travel agent saying that the hotel you and your future hubby picked is CLOSING for renovations for the entire month you are there. what would you? panic? cry? want to kick some a$$?

well it happened to us.

and i wanted to cry. only i was so overwhelmed with thoughts about what to do, where to go, our flights...and did i mention we were paid in full!

long story short, we have booked another hotel on anguilla. instead of the viceroy, we'll be staying at cap juluca. while it wasn't our first choice, we are both excited about the sun and sand and no cell phone service!!

wedding project: monogram mantle decor

2011-07-26T15:34:00.000-04:00

as you know, i've been working feverishly on some wedding projects and without revealing too much, i'm going to start sharing some of crafty work.

one of the reasons we love our venue so much is the magnificent reception area. it is stunning - exposed wood beams, fireplaces on each end and slate floors and walls. topping the fireplaces are two 12 foot mantles. i knew instantly that i needed to work up some projects to display on the mantles to really take advantage of the height and to showcase my "hobby lobby" craft skills.

i decided to use our initials as decor for one side {kHr}. being that the mantles are 12 feet long and about 8 feet off the ground, i knew the size had to be dramatic. here's a shot of the blank slate we are working with.

after recruiting my dad to assist, together the three of us sketched K, R, and H onto some plywood and my handy-man dad cut the letters. he sanded them and later, i wrapped them with felt {no splinters for this bride to be}. my final treatment included wrapping each letter in yarn. yea, you know those super cute yarn wreaths you see out there - kinda like these? well my 3 ft. letters have nothing on them!

{sketching, cutting, sanding, wrapping, posing, and wrapping}

surprisingly, the process went pretty quickly and i'm so happy with the results. the K & R are wrapped in gray and the H is wrapped in turquoise...you can begin to see some of the wrapping on the collage above.

the final product will debut on 9.10.11 - 47 days and counting!

goals - what are those?

2011-07-23T08:00:00.000-04:00

this title is pretty fitting, seeing as i accomplished 0 goals in june and here it is mid-july and i'm just getting around to posting.

blog more. i am working on lots of fun wedding projects now and i want to share them with you! hahaha. blog? i barely do that anymore.

run 20 miles. and start strength training. again, hilarious. i have started morning workouts at 6am with my friend, amalea. go us!

~~grill out.~~

~~catch up on magazines~~ (preferably by the pool with a cocktail). caught up on the magazines. there was very little pool & cocktail action.

donate 1 bag of clothes to goodwill. nope.

make some cake pops. let's be honest, this was wishful thinking at best.

wedding:

~~must figure out invitations.~~ i can't wait to share these with you. they are my pride & joy.

~~schedule vendor meetings.~~ scheduled and attended. we met with the DJ, venue, caterer, florist and our donut truck for the brunch. yes, we are having a donut truck. details to follow.

~~tackle a few wedding crafts.~~ did i mention i made the invitations? and i completed phase 1 of the escort card display.

~~practice, practice, practice first dance~~. (i'm so nervous about this!) we practiced but i'm still nervous.

~~confirm ceremony program.~~ just waiting on the minister's a-ok!

seeing as we have so much going on with the wedding, i don't think i'll be posting goals until after 9.10.11. i may whip up something for the wedding so you know what i'm working on, when i'm not blogging for weeks at a time. :)

my first dress fitting.

2011-07-22T15:38:00.000-04:00

ryan and i are heading to richmond this weekend...for my first dress fitting!

i picked my dress in january and haven't seen it since. i fell in love with the dress after i spotted it in a magazine and when i called the bridal salon they didn't carry the dress. luckily for me they were able to order in a sample so i could try it out. and i loved it.

i won't reveal too much here, in the off chance ryan reads this post, but its made by monique lhuillier.

i will share my wedding shoes...they are the perfect turquoise/tiffany blue/aqua/teal color!

kate spade christa in belize blue. sounds fancy, right?

what did your wedding shoes look like?

hello. i'm still here.

2011-07-12T21:56:00.000-04:00

i finished our invites and they have been mailed. i will post some pics soon. i'm heading out of town for a few days and promise to be a better blogger when i'm back.

we have some really exciting things to share about our upcoming wedding.

in the meantime, ryan's done a fantastic job updating our website.

kristenmarriesryan.com

60 days and counting :)

happy birthday mom!!

2011-07-11T08:00:00.002-04:00

today is my mom's birthday! and someone has a special birthday wish for her...

happy birthday mom! i wish i was there to spend the day with you drinking wine and eating cheese.

i love you so much and wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for your love, support, guidance, and patience. so much patience - whether it was referring she said/she said clothing matches, puffy painting sweatshirts, or making sweets, my mom has been there for me every step of the way. especially now, with wedding planning. she's my sounding board for ideas and my director of flowers.

happy birthday to the best mom a girl could ask for. i love you!

happy birthday, kelsey!

2011-07-04T19:45:00.000-04:00

today my sister, kelsey, turns the big 21. yippee!

{this picture was taken last night at 12:01 and documents her first "official" margarita!}

happy birthday kelsey. now go have another margarita!

houston - we have an invitation!

2011-06-23T21:27:00.000-04:00

i did it. i designed our wedding invitation. after searching online and not finding "the one", i did it myself. stay tuned for the big reveal next week - after they are sliced, diced and stuffed!

recovering.

2011-06-20T18:45:00.000-04:00

i spent the weekend enjoying views like this.

needless to say, i have a case of the mondays.

confetti crazy.

2011-06-14T16:57:00.001-04:00

i don't know if it is the warmer weather or the fact that i am going to throw the biggest party of my life in less than 3 months, but i can't stop "pinning" images of confetti.

i love the use sprinkles to replicate confetti on a cocktail glass.

i love how the confetti pours out of these invitations. {have i mentioned that i still don't have an invitation yet? ahh!}

i love how its used to trim these packages.

and finally, i love love love how it is used as a ceremony toss. and the best news...our winery said we can use confetti!! i'm so excited. i hope our photo looks like as awesome as this one.

i haven't decided if i'm going to attach a toss packet to the ceremony programs or if i'll make paper cones filled with confetti for the aisle decor.

{all images from pinterest}

thoughts?

e-bates = e-cash

2011-06-08T23:20:00.000-04:00

have you heard of ebates? no! oh boy, you are missing out on serious cash.

ebates is an online rebate and coupon site that has partnered with over 1,200 stores {like target, old navy, groupon and nordstrom to name a few). simply sign up and start earning cash back when you shop online. the process is easy - log into your ebates account first, then search for the online retailer you need, click on "shop now" - and start earning cash back!

how does it work? stores pay ebates a sales commission for sending shoppers their way, and ebates uses the commission to pay you. you can donate the money to a charity, direct deposit into your paypal account or have a check mailed to you. its so easy!

so far, i've earned over $125 in cash back just from shopping online. i always check ebates before i make any purchase online, oftentimes i can find free shipping coupons too! earn cash back and get free shipping? yes please!

so if you shop online a lot i would advise you to check it out. you can register by clicking on this link.

{i should also note that if you register by using the link i provided i earn $5 cash rewards - and trust me, i could use that $5 for our honeymoon!}

100 days.

2011-06-02T08:00:00.001-04:00

until i marry my best friend...

the love of my life...

who always makes me laugh...

who encourages me...

who inspires me...

and brings out the best in me...

and listens to me when it all gets to be too much...

in 100 days i will marry my soul mate.

to see more from our engagement session in richmond

check out fabulous photographer - katelyn james' blog.

may goals - posted on time for once!

2011-06-01T22:44:00.000-04:00

let's check in with may goals.

menu plan for the last 2 weeks. - fail. we did eat in a lot and got creative with what was in our pantry.

~~stick to cash budget for groceries and eating out~~. - for the most part, we stuck with cash. will be keeping this as a goal until the wedding - we are on a STRICT budget.

run 12 miles. - hahaha. i think i ran about 5.

~~share engagement photos~~. - will be posting this week!

wedding stuff:

finalize band - went from band to DJ and then back to a band but now i think we have settled on a DJ. ryan should be confirming by the end of the week.

~~ceremony musicians~~ - yay! there will be some music. for an hour.

invitations - haha. i did contact a designer so hopefully soon. otherwise it looks like an e-vite for us! (just kidding mom)

~~start dance lessons~~ - had our first lesson and i didn't totally suck. i may have a future with dancing with the stars after all.

~~work on day of timeline~~ - started filling in a few pieces, it'll be an ongoing task.

book honeymoon - can't wait to go to anguilla for TEN days!!

june goals

blog more. i am working on lots of fun wedding projects now and i want to share them with you!

run 20 miles. and start strength training.

grill out.

catch up on magazines (preferably by the pool with a cocktail).

donate 1 bag of clothes to goodwill.

make some cake pops.

wedding:

must figure out invitations.

schedule vendor meetings.

tackle a few wedding crafts.

practice, practice, practice first dance. (i'm so nervous about this!)

confirm ceremony program.

honeymoon booked!

2011-05-17T08:00:00.000-04:00

it's done. honeymoon booked!

want to know where we are going?

simply put - paradise.

white sand beaches, turquoise water, snorkeling, gourmet food, spa, and rum punch galore!

rumor has it orlando bloom honeymooned here. will smith and ll cool j have been spotted. bethenny just blogged about it.

still not sure?

ANGUILLA.

needless to say, we can't wait!

april goals - a little late.

2011-05-15T22:08:00.000-04:00

hello? anyone still there? i know its been a while....

well, its only mid may and i haven't blogged once. opps. i'm going to try and get back into the swing of things as we have LOTS happening.

let's check out the april goals.

enjoy my birthday. - success! i turned 27 on april 13 and enjoyed a lovely weekend in williamsburg with my family. and ryan is taking me to see wicked at the kennedy center as my gift! i can't wait. i've always wanted to see this in new york!

try a new wine. - success! i tried several but remember nothing.

read one book. - success! i read the help, the lincoln lawyer (way better than the movie) and the reversal. if you are looking for an easy to read series, i would recommend the lincoln lawyer - there are 4 books in total, who knew!

workout. - i think i can officially say i rocked this goal. ryan and i started running to "shred for the wed" and we ran 25.75 miles this month. WHAT?!

moving onto my mid-may goals:

menu plan for the last 2 weeks.
stick to cash budget for groceries and eating out.
run 12 miles.
share engagement photos once we get them.
wedding stuff: finalize band, ceremony musicians, invitations, start dance lessons, work on day of timeline, and book honeymoon.

what have you been up to?

wedding invitations.

2011-04-27T17:34:00.000-04:00

ryan and i set went to look at wedding invitations last week. i knew going into that i wanted something modern and simple. i had a feeling when i saw "it" i would know. after flipping through 6 books, we walked out of the consultation with 2 "maybes". then i saw the price tag - and the maybes quickly became nos.

let's just say the price had 4 digits and a comma. uhhh yea, not exactly in our budget.

now its back to the drawing board.

the craziest thing has happened.

2011-04-22T08:00:00.003-04:00

on april 7 i started running. yea, RUNNING. and then i did it again on april 8. and again and again.

crazy right? this coming from someone who NEVER works out.

here's what even crazier - since april 7 i've logged almost 20 miles...RUNNING.

i still can't believe it.

and you know what? i actually sort of like it. GASP.

homemade calendar.

2011-04-10T09:00:00.000-04:00

remember that dry erase paper i bought forever ago?

i finally found another use for it.

wa-la! my fridge calendar.

a few reasons why i love it.

1. i no longer have to answer ryan's questions about what we are doing this weekend. he can look on the calendar!

2. i can color coordinate our activities {ryan's in black, i'm in green}.

3. i can keep track of upcoming events.

4. it erasable, so i can also use it for to-dos and reminders.

5. i made it myself and didn't pay the $9 for the dry erase calendar i spotted {and loved} at target.

how do you keep track of your family's schedules?

march goals - whoops.

2011-04-09T21:40:00.000-04:00

seeing as its halfway through april, now might be a good time to recap how i did on my march goals.

to put it simply - i sucked. let's recap.

{craft}

fix ryan's jeans, again - fail. ryan didn't hound me about them, so maybe he's forgotten his favorite jeans are ripped again?

silhouette project using vinyl - fail. never even bought the vinyl.

{food}

menu plan each week - fail.

vegetarian meal once a week - if seafood doesn't count, its a semi-fail.

{home}

full scale de-clutter - fail.

full scale cleaning - success! we cleaned the entire house one saturday.

{health}

eat "fresh" - semi-fail. i did cook some new things, but i didn't cook as much as i'd anticipated.

try 6 small meals a day for 3 days - fail.

eat healthy during business travel - lots of fruit but that probably didn't counteract all the wine i drank. fail.

{enjoy}

couples massage - success! ryan planned a day of relaxation for us with a hot stone massage at red door spa. it was heavenly. he should make this a goal each month {hint}.

unplugged wednesdays - success!

{wedding}

contract caterer - success! now just need to finalize menu.

contract florist - success! the director of flowers {my mom} made her selection.

start wedding registry - fail.

create craft timeline - fail.

see, not so hot..i blame the fact i traveled almost two weeks out of the month for the lack of productivity.

i'm going to keep it simple for april.

enjoy my birthday.

try a new wine.

read one book.

workout.

that's it. hopefully i can accomplish all that!

how adorable.

2011-04-08T21:57:00.000-04:00

i am loving this adorable mini piñata. they would be perfect for a little kids party or a wedding. perhaps you'll see something similar at mine {wedding that is, not little kids party}.

for the full instructions visit ruffled blog.

hit the road jack

2011-03-25T20:13:00.001-04:00

{1} hyatt regency coconut point

{2} the breakers

{3} my bed

...and i don't come back {until april 7 when life hopefully returns to normal}

less than 6 months to go...

2011-03-16T19:53:00.000-04:00

to our wedding that is.

here's what's done:
save the dates
website
hotel
caterer
florist
wedding dress
bridesmaids dresses

here's what needs to get done:
registry
band
invitations
ryan's attire
bridal accessories
ceremony details
wedding cake
programs
engagement photos
honeymoon
...and everything else i'm too tired/overwhelmed to think about.

i am counting down the days until april 7 when i feel like i can breathe again. i have a massive work to-do list that i can't seem to shake. ahh!

make this. NOW.

2011-03-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

oh my. i'm not usually a fan of black bean soup in an attempt to eat "fresh" i decided i'd give this recipe a whirl. this recipe from everyday food was amazing! i should of known that martha wouldn't disappoint.

spicy black bean soup
adapted from everyday food
serves 4

3 cans (15.5 oz) black beans, rinse and drained.
2 yellow onions, diced small
2 jalapeños, minced
olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
coarse salt and ground pepper
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 3/4 low sodium vegetable broth {i used chicken}
1 tablespoon cornstarch
fresh lime juice
toppings: cheese, tortilla strips, avocado, cilantro - basically anything you fancy

directions
1. in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium high. add garlic and onions and cook, stirring often, until soft and golden brown {about 10 minutes}. season with salt and pepper.

2. once onions are soft, stir in jalapeños, cumin, beans, and broth. bring to a simmer and cook until beans are soft (about 20 minutes). if necessary, add up to 1 cup water to keep beans covered.

3. transfer roughly 2 cups to a blender and add cornstarch. {remember when blending hot liquids to remove the small center portion of the top and cover with a towel. the steam needs to escape!} puree until smooth and return to Dutch oven or heavy pot.

4. continue to cook until soup thickens.

serve with your fancy toppings and enjoy!

a few things i loved about this recipe:
it's cheap - i mean black beans are .99 a can!
it makes plenty for leftovers
it's easy to prepare and spicy!

{clearly you can tell i really liked this - have you seen how many ! i used in this post. 5}

eating "fresh"

2011-03-08T08:00:00.001-05:00

one of my goals this month was to eat "fresh". for me "fresh" means trying new recipes and introducing a new fruit or vegetable into meals. heck things might get crazy and i might even cook something other than chicken!

let's be honest i'm in a food rut and while its nice to have a few go-to meals, i want to expand my repertoire.

so with renewed enthusiasm here's what's cooking this week:

{tuesday} chicken monte cristo & brussel sprouts {i just had these for the first time at the wynn in las vegas and loved them!}
{wednesday} black bean soup & salad
{thursday} leftovers
{friday} kristen out of town = ryan on his own
{saturday} kristen & ryan out of town. hi leigh!
{sunday} broiled sweet & spicy salmon with pineapple
{monday} tomato-jalapeño cheese enchiladas

see anything you like? let me know and i'll share the recipe.

goals - let's recap

2011-03-06T11:56:00.000-05:00

{craft}

valentine day cards - fail

felt wreath - fail

{food}
bake another healthy dessert - fail
make my own bread or pizza dough - fail

{home}
~~review budget for 2011~~ - reviewed and renewed!
~~re-introduce envelope budget system~~ - even ryan is on board with grocery and eating out envelopes.

{health}
yoga in the mornings - i started out good but failed miserably when i started travelling.
30 day shred - again, i had the best of intentions, but in the end, i failed.
~~go to bed 10 minutes earlier each night for 1 week~~

{enjoy}
~~skiing trip with ryan~~ - he had an excellent time; recap to follow!
~~valentine's day activity~~ - does making our save the dates count?
~~reconnect with 1 old friend~~

{wedding}
~~finalize and mail save the dates~~ -signed, sealed, and hopefully delivered
~~set up wedding website~~ - www.kristenmarriesryan.com
~~work on hotel accommodations~~ - finalized, just need to publish details

let's see what's going on in march.

{craft}

fix ryan's jeans, again

silhouette project using vinyl

{food}

menu plan each week

vegetarian meal once a week

{home}

full scale de-clutter

full scale cleaning

{health}

eat "fresh"

try 6 small meals a day for 3 days

eat healthy during business travel

{enjoy}

couples massage

unplugged wednesdays

{wedding}

contract caterer

contract florist

start wedding registry

create craft timeline

the reveal - our save the date

2011-03-03T08:00:00.016-05:00

well they've been mailed so i think its safe to officially announce...

our save the date!

handmade by me {with a little help from ryan and major help from my silhouette}. kodak gallery printed the picture {i had the worst experience with their website and will never use them again, but the picture quality is pretty good} and my silhouette cut the numbers and hearts. i created the text and printed and then assembled the piece. it was a labor of love but i'm so happy with the result.

based on our save the date, you can see the wedding colors are grey, pale yellow, and robin's egg blue. and our theme? hearts. you can see i used a heart on the text block and hearts to separate the numbers. i have plans to introduce the hearts into our invitations, decor, programs, etc.

granted they aren't the "hot" idea of a magnet, but they work for us. and because we saved buckets of money by making them ourselves, we splurged and got custom stamps made with our pictures.

want more details on our wedding? next i'll be posting more details about our fabulous location. i can't wait.

updates

2011-02-25T22:20:00.000-05:00

i am happy to report my flight to san fran was uneventful. no ear pain - yay!

my conference was a big success.

i'm gearing up for my next conference in las vegas. i leave on sunday at 8:30 a.m.

one of these days i'll get back to posting regularly...about wine, crafts, and recipes. first my life has to calm down...looking forward to april 1 when all my conferences are done!

san fransisco, ca

2011-02-17T18:31:00.000-05:00

my cab is scheduled for 4:15 am.
my flight is 6:30 a.m.
what does this mean?

{image}

i leave for san fransisco tomorrow or today, depending on when you are reading this. this is the first stop on my tour of the west coast.

did i mention i have an ear infection and am petrified to get on the plane?
you name it and i have probably purchased the remedy. ear plugs, gum, nasal spray, sudafed and vodka. well i haven't gotten the vodka yet, but its never too early for a bloody mary right?

please pray for me. ahhhh!

happy valentine's day

2011-02-13T21:59:00.002-05:00

happy valentine's day. i hope you are spending it with your sweetie.
and to show how much i love my followers...i made something for you.

cake pops!

i wish i could mail one to each of you. since that's not possible, every time i eat one, i'll think of you.

mia.

2011-02-12T15:11:00.002-05:00

hello there. i'm still here just extremely busy these next few weeks. here's just a sample of what i have going on.

work {all to happen in the next 6 weeks, eek!}:
plan & attend annual conference in san francisco, ca
plan & attend annual conference in las vegas, nv
plan & attend annual conference in bonita springs, fl

wedding:
finalizing wedding colors and ideas with florist
complete save the dates and mail
finalize wedding website
start registry
patiently wait for uva football schedule to be released so i can block hotel rooms
start thinking about bridesmaid dresses
schedule engagement photo session

here's what i wish i was doing:

making cupcakes with poured fondant icing

making lunch boxes the with bright fabric a la heather bailey

relaxing on the beach in key west

for now i'll settle for a few bottles of wine...what's new with you?

a healthy dessert that's actually good!

2011-02-02T08:00:00.000-05:00

one of my goals last month was to find a healthy dessert {that actually tasted good}. being that my wedding is less than 9 months away, its time to start eating healthier. since i have a serious sweet tooth, i knew this was going to be a problem. enter this new dessert recipe.

baked apples

serves 4 (or 2 depending how on you look at it)

{ingredients}

2 apples {i used granny smith} cut in half

2 tbsp butter, melted

2 tbsp brown sugar

4 tbsp quick oats

cinnamon {for topping}

preheat oven to 350. cut apples in half and remove core and seeds.

in a small bowl combine butter, brown sugar, oats. spoon on top of apple halves and sprinkle with cinnamon. place in shallow baking dish and bake until soft, about 30 minutes. serve with fat free whipped cream or low fat ice cream. for a little extra pizzaz, i topped mine with fat free caramel sauce. yummy.

do you have a healthy dessert recipe? if so, please share! my wedding dress thanks you.

january goals - let's recap

2011-02-01T21:13:00.001-05:00

{craft}
~~make 3 fleece blankets~~ - i made one for me, ryan's mom, and ryan's grandma. pictures to come.
sew something - fail. what else is new.
c~~reate a year in review - for memory's sake~~ - the reveal is a surprise

{food}
~~make 2 new recipes~~ -i made baked ziti and lemon garlic hummus
~~bake a "healthy" dessert~~ - baked apples, recipe coming soon, they were SO good!

{home}
~~organize magazines~~ - "organize" = recycle and the stack is gone.
de-clutter front hall closet - fail. but it needs it badly.

{enjoy}
~~celebrate ryan's birthday~~ - going skiing this weekend to continue the celebration!
~~keep unplugged wednesdays~~ - easy peezy.
~~read 1 book~~ - i read two! hunger games and girl with the dragon tattoo.

{wedding}
~~contract location~~ - will share the details after save the dates are mailed.
~~research photographers, caterers, florist & bake~~r - booked photographer, baker and in final contract review for caterer and florist
~~finalize save the date idea~~ - done. they are currently in progress
~~start dress hunting {!}~~ - found THE DRESS. so excited!

so let's see what's on tap for my february.

{craft}
valentine day cards
felt wreath

{food}
bake another healthy dessert
make my own bread or pizza dough

{home}
review budget for 2011
re-introduce envelope budget system

{health}
yoga in the mornings
30 day shred
go to bed 10 minutes earlier each night for 1 week

{enjoy}
skiing trip with ryan
valentine's day activity
reconnect with 1 old friend

{wedding}
finalize and mail save the dates
set up wedding website
work on hotel accommodations

what's going on with you this month?

engagement announcement

2011-01-30T13:51:00.000-05:00

our engagement announcement is published in the richmond times dispatch today. check it out online and feel free to leave a comment :)

kristen & ryan

i've settled on our save the date design. now i just have to craft about 70 of them. you can guess what i'll be doing the next few days...

so excited!

2011-01-24T21:00:00.000-05:00

if you don't follow me on twitter {@missprissypaige} then you might not know i got myself a silhouette sd. it arrived today and i'm in love. it is awesome.

it will be a real time saver when it comes to assembling my save the dates. i'm just waiting for the final part of my 3 part save the date assembly line to arrive before i share the final design. and the date and location of course!

in the meantime, you can find me in my craft corner "practicing".

stylin' & profilin'

2011-01-20T00:01:00.004-05:00

who's the birthday boy today?

its my dad. look how handsome he was {and still is}! no wonder my mom fell for him years ago. it must of been the pants. or the hair.

happy birthday dad!!

i love you.

a special day

2011-01-18T00:01:00.000-05:00

happy birthday to my future husband!

i love you.

unplugged wednesdays

2011-01-17T08:00:00.001-05:00

after posting this as a goal for this month, i had a few questions about "unplugged wednesdays". this is a little tradition ryan and i started waaaaay back in 2010. why does it seem like last year was so long ago?!

every wednesday we unplug the computers, leave the phones by the front door, and focus on each other. for one night a week its just me and ryan - no texts, no calls, no emails, no tweets, no facebook. we cook dinner together, tidy up around the house, drink some wine, and chit chat. for one night we forget about the rest of the world, our to-do lists and wedding planning and just take time to enjoy each other's company.

so there you have it, our unplugged wednesdays. do you and yours do anything similar?

lemony garlic hummus

2011-01-16T12:41:00.000-05:00

oh my. i made this recipe a few days ago and have't been able to stop eating it. i like it with carrots, cucumbers, wheat thins, and even as a condiment on my turkey sandwiches. once you see how easy it is, you'll stop buying the pre-made stuff.

{lemony garlic hummus}

1 can chickpeas
1 can white beans
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 gloves garlic, chopped
fresh lemon juice {to taste}

put all ingredients into a food processor and blend until desired thickness.

super easy and oh so good.

january goals

2011-01-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

let's take a stab at setting some goals again. this year is going to be busy, and especially these next few months as i plan 3 conferences and kick off the planning for a tiny little thing called MY WEDDING! we have some something BIG in the works for the wedding and hopefully i can share soon.

{craft}
make 3 fleece blankets
sew something
create a year in review - for memory's sake

{food}
make 2 new recipes
bake a "healthy" dessert

{home}
organize magazines
de-clutter front hall closet

{enjoy}
celebrate ryan's birthday
keep unplugged wednesdays
read 1 book

{wedding}
contract location
research photographers, caterers, florist & baker
finalize save the date idea
start dress hunting {!}

what's on tap for your month?

menu planning

2011-01-10T20:58:00.000-05:00

well i'm back to menu planning again. with a wedding around the corner, i figured planning our meals routinely {and not willy nilly like i was before} will accomplish two things:

1. save money
2. eat healthier

so for the next two weeks* we are having:
{baked potato soup}
{baked ziti}
{lemon feta chicken}
{garlic shrimp}
*i'm counting on leftovers for dinners and a few birthday dinner outings for ryan's upcoming birthday.

this menu planning called for a trip to the grocery store. i hadn't been there in weeks! it was long overdue but now our fridge is stocked with fruits and veggies and lots of healthy snacks. goodbye chocolate, hello carrots!

i've also made a delicious lemon garlic hummus, a recipe i will share soon.

the site.

2011-01-08T23:33:00.000-05:00

today ryan and i scouted places for our upcoming nuptials. without revealing too much too soon, i think we found THE place and THE date. sleeping on it tonight and making the final decision tomorrow.

needless to say i am very excited. and also about to become very busy.

what have ya'll been up to?

still here.

2010-12-30T08:00:00.006-05:00

i'm still around. i'm enjoying the holiday season with ryan and focusing on 2011. big things are on the horizon.

like this:

yep, the martha stewart show. i saw a tweet a few weeks ago about an upcoming tv taping for brides to be and entered to win tickets. and by golly, i got tickets! we leave jan. 3 and the taping is jan. 4. i'm still debating on what to wear...apparently martha likes when her audience dresses to impress. and i don't want to disappoint.

hope everyone is having a lovely week!

happy holidays

2010-12-25T08:00:00.001-05:00

happy holidays from santa!

let's wrap

2010-12-24T12:15:00.000-05:00

i love wrapping presents. and it's a good thing, since i spent about 3 hours the other night wrapping. see how excited i look!

i tend to go for a bright & cheery color scheme - pink, turquoise, lime green, yellow, and white are my predominant colors. this year i even made my own tags using a paper punch i picked up at michaels a while back.

merry christmas eve!

week 15

2010-12-19T14:05:00.000-05:00

well i can almost call this year's challenge in the bag....i am after all up by 11. here are the picks for week 15.

today's agenda : football, cleaning, laundry, and wrapping presents. i live a glamorous life. what are you up to?

lucky star wine.

2010-12-15T08:00:00.002-05:00

i picked up a bottle of lucky star not knowing much about the winery, but the tasting card read "creamy finish" and in my world creamy finish = buttery. after all, i've expressed how much i love a buttery wine.

{wine} lucky star chardonnay, california

{price} around $10

{notes} apples and pears taste is balanced by a light citrus note and smooth, creamy finish. great wine to drink to wind down after a long day or gossip over a cheese platter with friends.

{food pairing} chicken salad with apples & walnuts, cheese pizza

have you found any new wines this holiday season?

fa la la-ing.

2010-12-12T20:20:00.001-05:00

all my crafts this year involved felt. if you haven't checked out the felt section of your craft store, you should. its cheap and can make tons of projects!

first up, i made a fa la la banner. this project was super super easy. pick a font you like and type up your words {i used 300 point font}. trace and cut your letters out of felt. i used a basic stitch to sew my letters together. i made some pom poms for a little extra pizazz on my banner. i strung the letters together using fishing line and ta-dah, all done.

my second felt project is a rosette wreath. i took a 16 inch styrofoam wreath, wrapped it in ribbon, and started making my rosettes. you'll want about 120 strips of felt {mine were 2 inches wide and about 12 inches long}. fold your felt in half and then just start rolling. once you near the end of your strip, dab some hot glue on the piece and try to "push" the center up a little bit so its nice and plump. i used straight pins to attach my rosettes to my wreath and then added some extra sparkle with some corset pins in my berries. i used 3 shades of green and 1 shade of hot pink.

this is a quick and easy project, i've received tons of compliments and may consider making another one as a gift! {i've got tons of felt after all...}

check out what what others are daring to craft at kim's dare to diy party.

goals - super duper late

2010-12-12T16:05:00.000-05:00

i'm just NOW getting around to posting the outcomes of my november goals. clearly i've been very busy...celebrating the life of my grandmother, getting engaged and going to new york. i'm going to cheat a little bit and count these goals as december too.

{craftiness}
~~: make holiday project list~~
~~: make a holiday garland~~ : photos coming soon.
: dust off the sewing machine & make something : fail.
~~: repair any miscellaneous buttons & hems~~ : i can now wear my new yellow jacket!

{healthy habits}
~~: do something active after dinners~~
~~: go back to a cash budget~~
: ~~give back to community in some way~~ : we did collect lots of toys for tots this year at our holiday party.
~~: work on christmas cards~~ :its december 12 and i'm just now doing them!
: send handwritten notes to family : fail. do christmas cards count?

{food & fun}
~~: new dessert recipe~~ : peppermint bark
~~: new party dip recipe~~ : spinach artichoke dip & jessica's sausage dip
~~: make game plan for new york city~~ : recap coming soon.
~~: try a new restaurant~~ : bar amercain in nyc. yummy!
~~: start planning for holiday party~~ : planned and held party on december 11.

{other}
~~: read a book~~ : sweetheart by chelsea cain. onto the second in the series now.
~~: clean out magazine pile~~
~~: keep up unplugged wednesdays~~

what goals have you accomplished during the holiday season?

week 14

2010-12-12T12:53:00.000-05:00

remember pigskin pick'em? probably not since i haven't posted on it in a while. but have no fear, ryan's been keeping track of all my wins { i'm still up by 8}. he's fishing for a big comeback this week with 5 opposing picks.

good luck fiancé!

greetings.

2010-12-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

from new york city!

the fiancé and i are in new york for a few days.

and yippee, we have a new camera! no more terrible iphone pics!

red velvet brownies.

2010-12-05T10:00:00.000-05:00

delicious and festive. i found this recipe while thumbing through southern living at my mom's house about a week ago. as soon as i saw it, i knew i would make them. they didn't disappoint.

here's the recipe.

red velvet brownies via southern living {december 2010}

Line pan with foil by trimming two long foil pieces to a 9-inch width. Fit strips, crossing each other, in the pan. {don't skip this step, makes it so much easier to them out of the pan}

Total: 3 hours, 10 minutes

Yield: Makes 16 servings

{ingredients}

1 (4-oz.) bittersweet chocolate baking bar, chopped

3/4 cup butter

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 (1-oz.) bottle red liquid food coloring

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 batch cream cheese frosting *

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line bottom and sides of a 9-inch square pan with aluminum foil, allowing 2 to 3 inches to extend over sides; lightly grease foil.

2. Microwave chocolate and butter in a large microwave-safe bowl at HIGH 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring at 30-second intervals. Whisk in sugar. Add eggs, 1 at a time, whisking just until blended after each addition. Gently stir in flour and next 4 ingredients. Pour mixture into prepared pan.

3. Bake at 350° for 44 to 48 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely on a wire rack (about 2 hours).

4. Lift brownies from pan, using foil sides as handles; gently remove foil. Spread Cream Cheese Frosting* on top of brownies, and cut into 16 squares.

*This cream cheese frosting will always have a special place in my heart as it was THE icing I was making minutes before Ryan proposed. At the time, I was oblivious to his plot and had other priorities {like licking the spoon}. Little did I know he would propose moments later! I think from now on, I'll call these brownies, engagement brownies. :)

who knows what kind of happiness might ensue when you make them!

BIG NEWS.

2010-12-01T12:53:00.000-05:00

We are engaged! I couldn't be happier.

It all happened on Monday night while decorating the Christmas tree. I feel like I have my smile back. My grandmother would be so excited to hear the news and I know she's smiling from heaven. :)

week 12

2010-11-28T12:08:00.000-05:00

here are the picks for week 12.

good luck, ryan. you're going to need it....

cookies in a waffle iron?

2010-11-24T08:00:00.001-05:00

why not.

don't they look soft & chewy? i might actually double the amount of times i've used my waffle iron to make these.

do you have a kitchen appliance that doesn't see much daylight?

sparkle & shine.

2010-11-17T08:00:00.039-05:00

i was flipping through the december issue of martha stewart living last night and fell in love with this sequin bauble idea. she dressed up shoes with some styrofoam balls wrapped in sequin trim, transforming the blah to ta-dah!

i also see myself making about three of these style necklaces. probably all for myself.

good thing there are 3 craft stores in about a 3 mile radius of my house, i won't have any trouble locating the perfect sequin trim. if you feel like getting fancy too, here are the instructions. don't forget to share your before and afters if you dabble with some sequins this weekend.

thankful reflections

2010-11-14T21:58:00.000-05:00

and its back. kim's dare to diy party. i'm excited to participate again this year and show off my mad crafting skillz. the challenge this week was dare to be thankful. it especially touched my heart, given all that is happening with my grandmother, so i was eager to whip something up.

dumbledore had his pensieve jar to store his memories and now i have my reflections jar {yes, i did just reference harry potter}. i have challenged myself to write a "reflection" each day. it could be something i'm thankful for, something that made me laugh or something i did for others. for me, its more than just jotting something down without thought; its a time for me to decompress, relax, and reflect on my day.

i tried my hand at glass etching for the jar and must say, for a beginner, i'm pretty pleased with myself. i tried making a stencil using a computer print out and painters tape, but it didn't work so well. so i improvised. i taped the computer print out of "reflect" on the inside of the jar, held my breath, and painted. i think it turned out pretty well.

i punched squares on some scrapbook paper i already had to use for my "reflections". my goal is to keep this a tradition each year. i'm bummed i threw out my thankful thoughts from last year, but you can bet your bottom dollar i won't do that again. plus, wouldn't it be cool to look back 3 years later and "reflect"?

what thanksgiving crafts have you made? check out what others have done too!

week 10

2010-11-13T23:12:00.000-05:00

i missed posting our picks last week so i made sure to be on the ball this week. just overlook the fact that i didn't post this in time for last thursday's game, which we both got wrong so who cares...

wish me luck as we are over halfway through the season! how's your team doing so far?

some updates.

2010-11-08T21:48:00.001-05:00

grandma came home today. she's off iv fluids and things have gone from bad to worse. i got to spend some time with her this weekend and i'm so happy i did. she was still smiling and that's a memory i'll cherish forever.

the cowboys fired head coach wade phillips after another embarrassing loss on monday night. i hope we keep losing and can get a good draft pick out of this debacle of a season.

ryan and i are making plans for another trip to new york. any recommendations on things to do and places to eat are most welcome.

i splurged and bought myself a new kate spade. i love her. she sparkles like edward in the sunlight.

i really want to make these brie & chive biscuits from real simple.

i have about five craft projects that are about 95% done. finding the motivation to finish is really tough right now.

i haven't cooked in over a week. and i miss it.

i'm looking for book recommendations, so if you've read something good recently please leave it in the comments.

i'm thinking about an e-reader for christmas so if you have experience with one let me know. my heart is leaning towards the nook - the kate spade and lilly pulitzer cases had me at hello.

what's new with you?

thoughts & prayers

2010-11-04T21:29:00.000-04:00

my grandmother went into the hospital on sunday night and things are not looking good. i'll be heading to richmond to see her and would appreciate you keeping us in your thoughts and prayers this weekend.

karen & paul's wedding.

2010-11-04T08:00:00.001-04:00

last weekend karen and paul got married in a lovely ceremony at river farm. here's a few pictures leigh captured. i'm so jealous of her camera, i am putting one on my wishlist and being a good girl in case santa wants to bring me one.

doesn't the blue bring out ryan's eyes?

me and emily, my freshman year college roomie. can you believe how amazing my hair looks in this picture? given my struggle with thinning hair, this picture brightens my spirits. i don't mean to toot my own horn, my hair looks pretty darn good! emily's hair looks very nice too.

and ms. photographer herself, leigh.

and finally a shot of the newlyweds, best wishes to you both!

simply adorable.

2010-11-02T08:00:00.000-04:00

love this simple diy cake topper. it would also be sweet for an anniversary cake or valentine party. i wish i crocheted, i would whip up pretties like this in all shapes and colors to customize the look.