birthday boy

i love making a big deal about birthdays. probably because my family always did it big when my day of the year came around. i remember my mom going the whole 9 yards with my birthday parties and my dad making sure that i didn't lift a finger the whole day. so naturally when joel's bday rolls around every year, i can't help but make a big fuss.

he turned 25 on the 20th. 25! i don't know why, but that seems so old to me. anyway, i woke up an hour early and made him a big breakfast since he loves breakfast food so much and left a little note (i knew he wouldn't be getting up for a while). then i came home for lunch with his present (a stephen colbert report DVD with his fav candy). haha. i can't wait to watch it! colbert cracks us up. its the only other show on TV besides The Office where joel laughs out loud uncontrollably. but the thing i had been planning for the longest was his cake. i had big plans for his birthday besides the cake, but every weekend of may was busy (either weddings, showers, and of course the astros game...which i'll blog about later) so i'll have to save it for next year. anyway! the cake. ooooh the cake. if you know joel, you know his love of xbox360. so i made this...







of course he LOVED it and was totally surprised. we brought it to community group, and it was also well received. everyone knows about his obsession. **sidenote: this reminds me of the time when i told the group about the Addys i won for my ad designs and then joel causally mentioned that he found out he was the number one ranked HALO player in louisiana. guess which story followed in applause?? yeah, it wasn't me. :) **

anyways, it was the only time i ever baked something that was completely finished and i didn't have leftovers. but then i heard about it the whole way home, "i only got one little piece...can you bake me another cake??" and i did. it just didn't reflect his number one in louisiana sniper shooting abilities.

cheap. cool. craigslist.

so i found these vases and jars for $10 on the local craigslist. $10!! i would have been all over this last year, so i sent the link to a friend who's getting married on a strict budget. how cool would these be for a reception?! i LOVE the idea of mismatching vases or glasses and maybe using bright ribbon or decorative paper strips wrapped around to make them all compliment each other. i might just buy them anyway for decoration or let people use when they need a couple of vases. why do all these great ideas and sources come AFTER i got married?? haha. live, learn and pass it on i guess.

happy memorial day! i'll post some pics of all the fun we had, but for now i'm nursing my poor husband back to health. he's convinced the ballpark made him sick.

can i relax now?

i'm not really sure where the past weekend went? it was such a great weekend overall, but one of those weekends where you do so much and look back and realized that you didn't really have a weekend. in other words, work came WAY too early.

we had a rehearsal dinner, wedding, friends stay the night, and a shower. joel was best man in his old roommate's wedding and one of my best friends had her very first shower. both have been in the works for quite some time, so it was so exciting to see it all come together. i figured i'd share a few pics from the weekend (click on pics to enlarge).


kate and justin


me and the best man aka Toaster Extraordinaire...not a dry eye in the house (or was it just me?)


the programs i designed for justin and kate. i loved that kate handed over that responsibility to justin...he knew he was in over his head and enlisted my help, haha. i did them the week of and couldn't use color. to say the least, it was a challenge, but a fun one nonetheless :)


kate is very much an individual and instead of cake (she's not a fan), she created a candy table. i love that she did something that reflected her taste and interests. it seriously was the coolest thing i've ever seen at a wedding.


joel and scott...a deadly duo (in HALO of course) him and deidra were so much fun...we hung out, got coffee and played my new favorite game "Last Word." good times...

now on to the shower...


the theme was pink, pink and more pink. this was the invite i designed for the shower along with an "add-in" telling guests to bring a piece of fabric for a quilt that kate's sis is going to make her and brandon after the wedding. sarah made a collage of the invite and add in along with some cute stickers for the sign in table...she's so crafty and creative.


speaking of sign in table...the book wasn't there yet bc kate's grandma was giving it to her as a gift, sha. but we had a lot of fun decorating.


and this is just a stroke of genius that we stole from another shower. we had the women sign their address after they signed in, so all kate has to worry about is writing the thank you card and buying the postage. i WISH i would have seen this earlier...it would have made my thank you card writing process a whole lot easier.


here is some of the fabric that the ladies brought...i can't wait to see what lorien creates!


did i mention it was a dessert shower? yummm...remember those cake balls i made?? well kate's future sis-in-law followed bakerella's cupcake on a stick tutorial and made these. cute and delicious!


here's a shot of the table, not a good one...but i loved this pic of kate and brandon, so i figured i'd share.


kate's first present...she was so excited!


my beautiful best friends...my, how things have changed since we were 15!

so that about wraps it up! obviously there are more pics and if you are still interested, you can check out my facebook where i have the rest of them.

seriously?!?

i have no words...




i'm getting itchy just thinking about it. :)

pringles has done it again

OHMYGOSH!!! tell me you have tried these delectable sticks of honey buttery goodness!?!? my mom pushed them on me yesterday and surprisingly i LOVE them. i usually hate her healthy snacks (she's been trying to get me to eat rice cakes since i was little...yuck!) these come in packs of 10 and have SO many in each pack. they are only 90 calories and 3.5 g of fat which equals 2 points! wohoooo!! pick them up from your local grocer TODAY! you can thank me later.

save the environment one bag at a time

how cool are these?!? im all for bringing your own bag to the grocery store. i HATE the million plastic bags we have stored in our pantry. these seem like a nice alternative for only $34.50 for all 5 (courtesy of delight.com). can you guess which one is my favorite? :)

alone time

perkins rowe. i love that place. me and joel often make trips down there during the weekday or on friday nights and get coffee then go walk around. its the cheapest date ever, and we find ourselves talking and laughing more than usual. good times.

we haven't been seeing a lot of each other this week since he's been pretty busy with school (as finals draw closer), and i've just been doing all the things we would normally do, plus some. its nice doing things alone sometimes. not that i don't absolutely adore spending time with joel, but sometimes i forget what its like to be, well, alone.

being married, you become "one." so how do you flex your part of the "one" without the other? you're always so wrapped up in each other because you basically have similar schedules. i constantly have to step back and realize that my identity is not found in joel, his words or his kisses(as nice as they are). it's hard to accept that fact that i don't "need" him. my mind knows that, but my heart doesn't always agree.

before joel, i had PLENTY of time to find and understand my identity (that which is in Christ). He makes me whole, and i am not lacking. being single and having a lot of "alone" time was such a special season in my life that i would not have traded for anything. i didn't claim to "date Jesus" or go to feminist rallies; instead, i just rested in Him. i, personally, wouldn't have been able to appreciate all that i have now as much without such a foundation that was built through Him during those many years.

i spent many years "alone" trying to develop my independence as a woman of the 21st century--isn't that what you're supposed to do these days? i was never one that liked to be tied down and didn't see the point in dating unless its with someone you can see yourself marrying, and to top things off, i was told i was "too picky." but i knew i wasn't. i was content in my single life and relaxed in the fact that if God had set someone aside for me, in no way was i going to waste any emotion on someone who was not just that. as i neared the end of college, i was completely prepared to never get married if that was what God has for me.

i think by the time i finally and truly accepted that, joel forced his way into my content and familiar life. and i stress force, haha. just when i thought i had it all figured out and was comfortable in where i was, i found myself planning a wedding a year later(no one was more shocked than i was). but thats why its fun to look back, not to dwell, but to learn from the past. i was confident in my identity before i was married and was almost too sure of it, so when i got married, it was a very humbling experience. where do i find my source of strength? my joy? i will admit it is a struggle, but thats why time alone can be so special to just step back and take a look at the bigger picture and be thankful for all that i have because of Him. now, if only i would be able to do that daily and not just when i'm alone. baby steps, right? :)