1, 2, 3, 4

     It’s official…I win the lame blogger award.  I took zero pictures this weekend.  In fact, I probably haven’t taken a picture in about a week.  So instead of feasting your eyes on some photographic artistry you get to read.  I’ve heard it’s good for the brain or something.  Weekend recap anyone?

1. I love patriotic holidays and food.
Capture
With the wedding in T minus 25 days, I should probably at least care a little about what I eat…

2. We have a couch! (Also, I scrounged up a terrible cell phone picture for you.  You’re welcome.)
downsized_0525131527
Hello, bargain!  We found this lovely lady in a consignment store perfectly clean and spot-free just waiting on us!  Ignore those ugly pillows.  I’m going pillow shopping this week.

3. This bag?  Love.
Orange Teddie Tote, Embossed Python
I am practically obsessed with GiGi New York bags right now.  A personalized leather bag is so versatile.  My new fashion philosophy is “Anything is a neutral if I want it to be,” but if that’s a little extreme for you, the black version of this is beautiful too!

4. In case you didn’t catch it the first time, the wedding is in 25 DAYS!  I am so excited!  I have a feeling that the next few weeks are going to absolutely fly.  I’m working a lot and Keith is taking his boards (finally a light at the end of the nursing school tunnel).  We still have things to move into the apartment.  I have more decorating to do.  We have to apply for our marriage license and finalize a few more details and then………..WEDDING TIME!

     I hope all of you had a great Memorial Day weekend!  I love that our summer holidays marry two of my favorite things patriotism and family…and food (okay, three).

Weekend Snippets

     As per usual, we had another whirlwind weekend…and since we only have four more weekends until the wedding (eeee!), I’m thinking they’re all going to be that way.

DSCF3686
This is our new toy…we are so excited to cook and cook and cook and cook this summer.

DSCF3689
Its maiden voyage gave us this fantastic low country  boil.  Oh my – incredible.

DSCF3692
These flowers were the centerpiece for my shower this weekend and are really close to what the wedding flowers will look like.  I love them!

     To top it all off, while we were at the shower, Keith got all the big furniture moved into the apartment.  Once we have a couch, we’ll be set.  We are finally in the home stretch.  We met with our new photographer yesterday, and I think we’re really going to like working with her.  I’m already dreaming of pretty wedding shots!  I’ve got a couple of fun, DIY-type projects that I’ll be working on (hopefully this week), and I can’t wait to share them with you…soon.

Happy, Happy, Happy

     Is it cheating if I only use the Blog Every Day in May Challenge when I’m at a loss for what to write about?  Oh well…

Ten Things that Make You Really Happy

1.  This guy.  Cliché to start my list this way…don’t care.

DSC_9089

2.  5 o’clock (or whenever I get home from work)…also known as my Coke drinking time.

3.  The prayer series that my church is doing.  We’re getting married in 39 days, and I think this is going to be such a great way to prepare our hearts.


Click the picture for a link to the literature we’re using.

4.  My new (semi-furnished) home!  I am still so excited to be moving things into the new apartment.  I am going to have to show you the kitchen…after this weekend when it actually has a table.

5.  No explanation needed.

IMG_1143

6.  The wedding countdown to your immediate left.  I just can’t wait!

7.  The iiincredible weather we’ve had this week.  In a shocking weather twist, we actually got a spring this year, and even though it’s thrown me for a loop, I am loving it!  Flip flops are out to stay!

8.  Honeymoon plans!  I’m going to keep these under my hat for a little while longer, but I am really, really, really looking forward to it!

9.  The 1990s sitcom reruns that are on every day – Frasier, Friends, Golden Girls.

10.  This girl…

DSCF3676

Encouragement All Around

     With only forty days until the wedding, I am definitely starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  I have been doing my best to enjoy my last carefree days before all the responsibility of being a real grown up gets here, but I’m just too excited!  This Saturday I had my first shower, and we had such a great time.  Keith’s aunts were kind enough to host a shower for his side of the family, and it could not have been sweeter.  I loved getting to meet so much of the family while they loved on us.

DSCF3674
I am not lying when I say this is the best picture of me from the whole day…

     I’m not going to bore you with billions of pictures of stuff, but I am so excited to start really building my home!  My kitchen is really starting to look like a real kitchen…I’ll have to get pictures soon.

     As per usual, I’m going to totally switch gears here.  Church this morning was incredible.  We sang “Down in the River to Pray,” which I absolutely love, and even though the sermon was more for mothers, it was so filled with resonant Biblical truth.  The sermon came out of James (one of my favorite books), but to illustrate a point, our pastor referenced a Lamentations 3:22 – 23.

22 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.

     I know I’ve heard this before, but today “we are not consumed” went straight to my heart.  I spend a lot way too much time saying that I feel overwhelmed, but the truth is that I cannot be consumed or overwhelmed or overtaken.  How’s that for encouragement?  I’m going to spend some time really meditating on that.  We are not consumed.

DSCF3681
This one is totally unrelated to the post, but too cute not to share.  I love this girl.

Confessional Friday

     I have this terrible of habit of finding blogs, falling in love with them, and then forgetting to read them.  The only perk is that I rediscover them later and love them again.  I’ve been in such a blogging funk lately that I feel like I’m rediscovering everything.  That being said, I love that I finally am dipping my toes back in the blogging water and rediscovering one of my faves – Leslie from A Blonde Ambition.  I am having so much fun catching up, that I thought I might link up with her Confessional Friday.

I confess…

1.  …that I really don’t feel guilty about my lack of blogging.  I feel very rested, and I’m sure when I have something to say I’ll just say it (…story of my life).

2.  …that our honeymoon is booked!  I am so excited.  Neither of these is exactly a confession, but still so fun.

3.  …I’ve been doing some honeymoon shopping…

0510132245

4.  …I’m repressing/ignoring all my wedding stress.  When I first got engaged, I made a “no stress” policy about the wedding and clearly everyone took it as a challenge.  We had to ask four pastors before we found one who was available.  He’s 85% sure he’ll be there, but due to some extenuating circumstances, he’s making sure we have a back up (I’m so glad I know all the pastors at my church).  Our photographer realized two days ago that she already had plans when we booked our wedding…so we’re getting a new photographer too.  The bridesmaid dresses will get here about ten days before the wedding.  Shockingly, I’m not as stressed as I thought I would be…

Sometimes all you can do is laugh.  If my wedding were a movie, it would be hilarious.