Letters to the Bride

One of my favorite pins that I found after getting married was this one:

(via)

I had a free Shutterfly book so I made this one for Hamlin's wedding. 
The cover:

A cheese-tastic poem on the inside cover

Everyone has their own spread that looks like this.  The blank page is for pictures, letters, and memories we all have with Ham, and the lined page is for a sweet note.  There's a page for her mama, daddy, brothers, each of the MOHs and Bridesmaids, and the very last is for the groom. I can't wait for her to read what everyone has written. 

Click here to view this photo book larger

Wedding Festivity Weekend

My weekend was full of finishing up the details for my oldest best friend's engagement party (see inspiration post here)! If you live in Nashville, you know it was cold Saturday night. When we planned this shindig, we didn't expect that at all! It's usually still hot this time of year.  Regardless, it was so much fun,and so worth all of the hard work!

Table cloth: Oriental Trading  Sun Flower Balls: DIY Paper lanterns: Oriental Trading Centerpieces: DIY Cake: Publix Bakery  Monogram Guestbook: Etsy

Fall Checklist

Our summer was b-u-s-y.  We only had a couple of weekends to ourselves to veg out on the sofa and do nothing.  Thus, the summer checklist went to the wayside.    Swim swim swim Find a place to move in October

 Declutter 

Date more

Be Healthier

 

Hey, more than half is good, right? Anyway, we're finally (unofficially) to the season that, in my book, is the best.  It's when snuggles are frequent, boots are a necessity, and life is just slower.

 

Here's our fall checklist:

 

Go to Gatlinburg

We do a camping trip every few years to Gatlinburg, and this is the year!! I'm so so pumped!!

Pick our pumpkin from the pumpkin patch

Take fall pictures

Spend time outside

Have our second Friendsgiving

Plant Mums

Burn lots of fires

Decorate the inside and outside

Go to a football game

Make Chili

 

 

Bucket List

I'm a little late to the Blog-tember train, but hey, I'm here.    10 Items off of My Bucket List   See The Aurora Borealis in person Visit every country from which I have ancestors Be My Own Boss Have Titans Season Tickets Get a Tattoo Go Sky Diving Own a Beach House Enjoy Running Own a Boat  
 

Friday!

Dear washing machines and dryers, seriously, what is so complicated?! You wash my clothes, you dry my clothes, and you get wrinkles out of things I left laying in the floor. Why are there thousands of brands and special features? And why are you so expensive? Dear FeenyBean, Thanks for being the sweetest, cutest cat there is. We are so in awe of how fast you've grown, and are so glad you're ours.   Dear Vandy football, we'll get there...    Dear job I didn't get, That's okay... I'm sure there will be something bigger and better to come.   Dear best friend, HamBam, I am so honored to be your matron of honor and can't wait to throw your party next weekend! I loved wedding dress shopping and can't believe that 13 years of friendship has brought us here. Love you so much!

Dear Husband, I hope your birthday this weekend is everything you're hoping for. Big ole 2-4! It's crazy to think that we have celebrated every birthday together since we were 13.  Time flies when you're having fun.  

 

Hiney Home 1.0

As we get closer and closer to our move to another apartment, I'm getting all kinds of mushy and sappy and sentimental about our first home.    Fall of last year, when we celebrated our first year in our home, I had really taken time to get to know every nook and cranny of our dwelling.  It's been the perfect size and space to learn to share, to learn each other's quirks, and to make home. Since it's a glorified studio apartment, there aren't many places to go to avoid each other... which has taught us to work it out.    It's where we retreated to gather a bag after our wedding on the way to Opryland and Jackson carried me and seven layers of fluff over the threshold. It's where we shared our first dance as a married couple. It's where we celebrated our first round of married holidays. It's where I learned grace less than a month after being married. It's where we brought our Feeny Beanie home.  It's where we hung our gallery wall full of memories and family.  It's where I learned about contentment and learning to live in the moment.    I'm going to miss our chalkboard wall, but until we are in a house we own, will not have another one. I'm dreading painting that sucker back.   

     

Things I've Learned from the Cat

Since we got Feeny (the cat formerly known as Luna), I have learned a lot. Maybe it's the level of patience one has to have for a kitten, or maybe it's my love of snuggles. Either way, we're loving this fur ball more every day.

 

1.

Anything is a toy and can be played with

Anyone who has a cat or who has been around a cat for lengthy periods of time will know this one. I didn't, because I grew up with lazy house cats.  Feeny literally plays with anything and everything there is to play with: toes... boxes used for moving... bobby pins... hair holders... you name it.

In the human world, that translates to make your own fun

 

 

2.

Any time is good for cuddling

It doesn't matter if I've had a bad day at work or if I'm trying to clean or if I'm just laying on the couch, this cat likes to snuggle.  If he's standing on the kitchen table, recliner, or anything else high when I walk by, he jumps (usually leaving claw marks down my back) onto my shoulder just to go along for the ride. He's teaching me to always be close to those you love; there's never a day so bad or a day so busy that you should forget to cuddle.

 

 

3.

It's okay to slow down; pay attention

It never fails - wherever I'm walking, Feeny is right under my feet. He does this thing where he weaves in and out of my feet when I walk, so there's 100% chance I'll step on him. I've learned to slow down when I walk, and to slow down in general.  He went from kitten to 5-pound-cat overnight (it feels like) and I feel like we were so busy I forgot to take all of that in. 

 

4.

Hope for the best, plan for the worst.

When we first got Feeny, we would close all of the doors and keep him in the living room. That got so obnoxious, and listening to him cry at the bedroom door was hard.  So we started leaving the doors open.  It took about a day for Feeny to prove that he is into everything... but we learned what needed to be put on a higher shelf, what needed to be turned off during the day, etc.  It wasn't until he fell in the toilet that closing that lid was a lesson learned. We essentially babyproofed our house for Feeny.

 

 

5.

Naps are a good thing

Maybe it's just me, but I didn't ever realize how much cats sleep... or how weirdly cats sleep. Regardless, Feeny understands the goodness of a nap... something I had forgotten before we brought him home.  I'm all about snuggling up with him and taking a cat nap.

 

 

Life Lately

Here's what you missed on ... anyway.

We are slowly packing our first two years of marriage into boxes to make our move in September. We are so excited to move to have more space, storage, etc. But it's going to be hard to leave our first home. Here's our new floorplan

I'm on the last season of One Tree Hill. Insert tears here. I may start it over just so I don't have to be without my friends. Also, Nathan, come home please and thanks.

Bought some adorable dresses on ThredUP

Moved into a new shared office and it suuuucks big time.

I interviewed for an amazing job on Monday. Here's to big prayers and knowing that God will put me where He needs me. Also, it doesn't hurt that I'd be making double what I'm making now.

We are going wedding dress shopping this weekend for my best friend's wedding! She is going to be a beautiful bride. 

Favorite Moving Lists

Moving is hard. How did people move before Pinterest? How did I ever move without Pinterest? I have found the best lists that have made my life and the madness to come a breeze: 

I never thought to pack the things we'll need for our first night separately. I was just going with "unpack it all in the first night" method.  (via)	I'm so glad I found these labels. That way our  help will know to look at the label to see what  room it goes to, and I will know what is in the  box. It's so much easier to see than sharpie on cardboard. (via)
Last time I moved was from college back home before I got married. I didn't have a whole lot of mail going to my apartment, however, now that I have bills and important mail, this change of address checklist will be a lifesaver.  (via)	This is my first move with a pet, and I definitely want to make sure Feeny is comfy and  adjusts well.  Here is a great list of things to  help your cat when you move.  (via)

What are your best moving tips you'd like to share?

He Came Through

If you are all caught up on my life, thanks for attending the pity party. Thank you even more if you e-mailed to remind me things will get better. You were right.   So, the girl at the apartment office cut us a deal and let us use the application for a new SS card to run our application.  She said she would call and let us know when someone put their notice in for the floor plan we wanted. We waited... and waited... and prayed... and waited. Nothing.   I finally e-mailed the office to ask them about the next floor plan down and one of those just so happen to have just come open.  Coincidence? Nah. Prayer and a little patience took me a long way with this one. And all of your encouragement, friends.  Having to trust that God would come through was something new for me... not the concept, but the actual, unfailing, unconditional trust that He would come through. It's so easy to forget all of the times He has come through, even though it happens daily.  I'm a control freak and have never been able to completely give anything over. Taking that leap of putting in our notice and not knowing if we would have anywhere to go was terrifying.  But He came through... He always comes through.

(we're moving cards via Shutterfly)