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Friday, March 14, 2014

50 years young


So when you throw parties for a living, you get crowned the "unofficial event planner" for anything possibly worth celebrating in your family. I don't mind, because I love parties and I love (most) of my family so it's a win-win. Don't worry guys, I was just kidding, sort of... not really. So when it came time for my mother-in-law to turn 50 years young (she's going to kill me for blasting her age on ze blog but I think she's a babe and it wouldn't be the first time I've upset her, so I'm risking it! ha!) I jumped at the chance to put my head together with my SILs to get the birthday planning started. 

My in-laws enjoy eating out at their favorite restaurant Armando's together & my MIL is a classy candle lit dinner type of gal so we opted for intimate and elegant. The anchor to the dinner decor was that table cloth. oooo that table cloth. I'm no photographer AT ALL so ignore the fact that the lights are adjusted differently in every single one of the pictures below. It was night people, and there were candles. Not to mention I'm only an amateur photographer on a good day. 




See that adorable picture of her when she was little there. How cute right? We took old pictures and lined the table with them in frames.


I sent my SIL a picture of my cart full of decorations at hobby lobby and she somehow ordered the perfect matching cake. Isn't it adorable?! It's by Annette's Cakes in Orlando and it was the perfect dessert!


It's placed on a hat box to give it some height and I just love it to pieces. Oh yeah, and it was yummy. 


Candles, candles, candles. You can not go wrong with candles. (just in photographing them... helllllo yellowness)


Look at my MIL as a baby. Everyone signed the white photo mat as a guest book.




Peonies. My favorite (since before Pinterest). One of my first jobs was a flower shop. Started my love for events. and flowers. and all things pretty.





And you can't read the words, because I'm awesome and they're blurry. But I put the words to an Elvis Presley (her favorite) song from the year she was born on there. 




...and this is where she really kills me. This picture below is of my in laws on their honeymoon. Look at how tiny she is! Zoom in, because you're going to want to see her legs. RIDICULOUS!






This girl couldn't hang. 


And this guy resorted to iPad entertainment.





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This right here was the point of the entire night. Look at her laugh. She deserves it. She has THE best laugh, because if you're really funny- she'll throw a snort in the end. LOL Happy Birthday to my Mother In Law, the woman who raised the best man I know. After being together for 8 years, I know she's a saint for getting him through the first 16 without me. ;) 

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Tuesday, March 11, 2014

I loved today.


                  So today stunk. It would give me great satisfaction to list the unnerving amount of ridiculous crud that filled my day. To throw myself a big ole blog pity party complete with cake pops and a side of woes and whining. To list the dreadful from the very second I woke up to the awful at the very last second of bed time. I'd love to explain all about my "bad day" so that you could drown me in empathy and encouragement, "poor you's" and "I'm so sorry's".


                   No I did not spend the day on the beach, not hardly, but that picture is to remind me of beauty. That is what I want to force myself to post about right now. I had actually already thrown myself in bed on top of the covers, fully clothed, because I couldn't imagine giving today another second of me. That's when I was replaying the events of my day in my head and shaming myself through my unchecked to-do list. An overbearing urge to write a blog post came to me and I thought, I have nothing nice to say (and you know the rest of that saying). Yet God told me, "Be thankful" "See the good". I sit here in front of the screen, rotten and warn down, and bitter. As I type this exact sentence, I'm thinking "God, guide my words because I'm still drawing a blank on where you're going with this post. There's not much to be happy about with the kind of day I had."

                  Today was a messy day full of failures, mishaps, sickness, emotions, hurts, and struggles. It wasn't anything catastrophic, just a Tuesday. March 11th 2014 I will never get back and can never do over, so do I mark it down as a "day to forget" or do I force myself to remember the good? I know that life is short enough, & I definitely don't want to lose a Tuesday. So I'm kicking out negative Nancy and I'm going to list the things I loved about today...


I loved my coffee. There wasn't too much creamer or too much sugar & it stayed warm all the way to Sienna's school for drop off.
I loved putting my daughter's hair up for school. I remember as a little girl dreaming of when I'd have a daughter to give a ponytail and dream come true, I get to do her hair every morning.
I loved my new printer that I got today. I wasn't expecting to have to buy a new one, but the print job I was needing to get done was so much easier once I got it.
I loved teaching my daughter a life lesson. Although it wasn't easy to see her cry or get embarrassed, it felt good in my soul to teach her right from wrong.
I loved my Shakeology shake. It was my first time trying it and I'm not keen on weird meal replacement drinks that taste funny. This, however, was a big nice glass of chocolate goodness.
I loved having left overs for lunch. Doesn't it just make it so.much.easier when you don't have to "think" to throw lunch together?
I loved that my son wanted me all day and was clingier than normal. I'm sad that I had to say "hold on" or "mommy's not done working" a few times, but still, I have dreaded him growing up and it's nice to still be babying him when I can.
I loved the finish product of the invitation set for my bride. It was oddly a super difficult task to get the stationary done for a current wedding because everything seemed to go wrong, but in the end the invitations are absolutely beautiful!


I loved the drive to pick up Sienna at school. I put on toddler music Pandora and we jammed.
I loved seeing my kiddo walk to me at car line. She was pretending to walk with her eyes closed and thought it was hysterical that I was amazed by her talent.
I loved how well behaved my kiddos were at the post office as they sat on the floor while I hand stamped 158 stamps and hand cancelled, licked, and stuffed 79 envelopes. 
I loved how my son decided to give me kisses all over my face (while his cute little hands grasped my face) as he sat on the counter at the post office.
I loved the God given gift of the iPad and movies on the go. (What did we do before them?)
I loved that I could give them ONE scoop of ice cream as a "good job guys treat" and they were completely satisfied. I selfishly would've been like, "don't be stingy woman". 
I loved sitting on the back porch talking to my husband while the kids played outside.
I loved that the many(!!!) times my son cried for no reason today, that he came to me with wide open arms.
I loved that I cheated from my "clean eating" & no sugar/carbs. schedule for dinner and had pasta and breaded chicken because I'm an emotional eater and it made me feel better. (and slightly guilty)
I loved that my husband read two books to the kids at bed time.
I loved that I got to begin packing for our fast approaching trip!
I loved that each kid took turns putting on "a show" for us in Sienna's room before bedtime.
I loved that my husband held my hand as he fell asleep.
I loved that my husband went to sleep early because he doesn't feel well at all and it's so hard to get him to take care of himself.
I loved that God took the VERY last moments of a potentially worthless day that I had almost condemned to be forgotten, and has miraculousy transformed it into something beautiful in my mind.  
I loved today.





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Thursday, March 6, 2014

Necklace Storage



If you would've asked me to describe my accessory usage, I would've told you I was a simple girl & have minimal accessories. Well, apparently I'm a closet accessorer (made that word up). Because while on a determined mission to organize every square inch of my house... I came across a ton of booty. Nope, I didn't look in the mirror. I mean treasure! In the form of accessories. I own a lot of necklaces and seriously need to start wearing some of them. (insert Pinterest search: how to accessorize). 

The problem is, that they were all in a basket tangled together and out of sight, out of mind! Not to mention, it took longer to untangle them than the amount of time I even give myself to get ready so that wasn't working! I needed a way to have them out and ready to remind my self, "Hey bling it up!" 


I came across these little gems in the hook section of Target. They are key holders for an entryway. Also known as, AWESOME necklace holders! I think they were about $5.99 each so for 20 bucks I was super excited to have my own personal jewelry display! 


I tucked it into this little useless piece of wall right next to my closet so that I would see it when I was getting dressed but it was still "hidden" from making the room seem too busy. I'm slowly warming up to "function" in my decor. Because sometimes "too pretty" makes it awfully hard to live in! 


So there's a quick fix to your jewelry dilemma if you have  had one like me!
My bracelets btw are in a little basket on top of my dresser and for some reason it doesn't bother me not to have them on display to choose from! Once I pick the necklace, it almost always prompts me to go find a cute bracelet to go with it! It's a system that works! Love me some organization. 


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Monday, March 3, 2014

I blinked.

I blinked. and Just like that we're here and you're 3 years old. Some people might think, "Get over it. He's turning three, not heading to college." But to this mama, 3 takes you out of babyhood and into big kid zone. You're potty trained. You're growing increasingly independent with each day. You're opinionated... and you're just not a baby anymore. My heart aches as I try to close my eyes and remember the smell of your skin when I nursed you at night, and the sound of your voice as you mispronounced things while learning to talk. I grab your soft hand and think back to when I just wanted you to be able to "walk on your own" so you wouldn't have to pull so heavily on both of my hands as you stumbled. How, silly of this mama to wish those times away. 
Today, three years ago you made your wild entrance in to this world. It seems like just yesterday, and yet a million years ago. I want to relive every moment in my mind today and just ...remember. I get this way with every passing year. When I put that extra candle on the cake, my uterus starts to throb and my hormones start to flair. Ironically this year, as I thought back on where we've been (where I usually like to saturate for at least a day) a funny thing happened. For once I began to look forward. I began to think of not only what has already happened, but what is still to come. Let me tell you, the only thing scarier than a past I can't relive, is a future that I can't control. So, knowing that I can't grasp at the past and I can't control the future, I thought a safe place to be would be in the present and praying for you. I certainly have a God who hears my hearts desires and this my sweet boy is my prayer for you now for what's ahead:

I pray that your heart is always in the hands of God. 
I pray that you play and laugh and learn everyday.
I pray that you know the Lord because you want to, not because we made you.
I pray you can offer us grace as your parents because we aren't perfect.
I pray that if ever you stray away from what I've taught you, that you answer Jesus' knock to come back in, eventually.
I pray that you fall down and skin your knee while learning to ride your bike at least once. There is such a life lesson in brushing you off and making you get back on. 
I pray you play in dirt more than on a TV.
I pray you know how important you are.
I pray you know God has a purpose for you. 
I pray you find it out sooner than later.
 I pray you make every choice you can to fulfill that purpose and that plan.
I pray you always hold my hand. 
I pray you learn to protect your sister, even if you're the little brother. 
I pray you don't fight me in learning to cook and clean. You're future wife will thank me.
I pray that your mind and your heart are always your strongest muscles. 
I pray that you are tall, because with a name like Titus, you have to be. (or hit up the weight room)
I pray that you are healthy. 
I pray that you feel safe in our family to be who you are.
I pray that you will be kind and gentle.
I pray that you treat people the way you want to be treated.
I pray that you accept people right where they are and love them hard.
I pray that you will always treat girls as if remembering they are someone's sister or daughter.
I pray that you build lifelong friendships with good boys that become good men that love Jesus.
I pray that you pray. 
I pray that you always know I love you, unconditionally. 
I pray that as you get older you know that loving you doesn't always mean tolerating your choices, make wise ones.
I pray that you will grow into your own man while still following your Daddy's example.
I pray that you don't just "find a woman" but that you keep your eyes on the Lord and only look down, once you hear him say "that's her".
I pray that your future wife is gracious, and kind, and bold, and loving, and nurturing, and honest, and  God-fearing, and as beautiful inside as she is on the outside. 
I pray she likes me.
I pray I like her (for her sake).
I pray your hair never changes and it stays this luscious.
I pray you learn to express your feelings in a healthy way.
I pray you are a man that is okay with letting himself cry.
I pray you are strong in your weakness.
I pray you follow the Lord where ever he says to go, until he says to stop.
I pray you have a blast in life.
I pray that you laugh often, and so hard that your stomach hurts. 
I pray that you learn from the mistakes you make. 
I pray that you learn to share, and do so into adulthood.
I pray that you are rich, in the things that matter.
I pray that you lack, in the things that don't.
I pray that the bible entices you and that you absorb its truth.
I pray that you see beauty in imperfection.
I pray that you know how proud we are of you, without you doing a thing.
I pray that you will help me learn to cling tight when you need it and to let go when you don't. 
I pray your first dates are short and sweet and never involve a kiss.
I pray you always value your faith, your family, and your education.
I pray that above all other things, you love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your mind, all your body, and all your soul. 
AMEN.

And if you haven't heard enough about my handsome stud enough already, here's way too many pictures of him. They are obviously not in order unless he has some sort of Benjamin Button thing going on. I love you Titus Antonio. Happy 3rd Birthday!































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