Little Surprises…

So this labor day weekend after a pretty long 10 days I am planning a wee bit of a surprise for Steve and I.  Of course I love surprises and after reading this book I have learned that it is my #1 love language.  The book is wonderful and very insightful.  It has a little bit of religious undertones but doesn’t jam it down your throat.  A must read for sure! {off soap box}

Although surprises isn’t one of Steve’s top love languages he knows how much I LOVEEEEE to give surprises {and recieve them!} and knows this is one of the ways I show my love and so he is excited to see what we are doing!!  I am giddy with excitement and although it isn’t anything HUGE I find that the little surprises is what matters…

So a little hint for my lovely husband of what is planned….I will tell you when pigs can fly…

Yup that is all you get. 

HAPPY SURPRISES!!!

xoxoxoxo

Wake up and smell the…FLOWERS!!

So if anyone who knows me knows that peonies were the flower theme for my wedding.  It was a quick, simple and easy decision and didn’t take much effort to decide.  For some ladies it is a more difficult decision trying to find the right flower so thought I would throw my favorite flowers out there! PEONIES!! I loved how puffy, romantic, classic, and screamed spring to me.  I was beyond thrilled when I saw my beautiful flowers and my bouquet was STUNNING (if I do say so myself!)!!! I fell in love with the flowers when I visited the knot and a fellow knottie Jackie had beautiful peony flowers for her wedding.  My florist was amazing and really took my vision and ideas and made them happen! SO GREAT! Looking at my wedding pictures with my flowers in them just makes me {sighhh} and a little sad I didn’t take more pictures with my beautiful flowers!! Here are a few pictures of the different bouquets I had made for my big day!

awwww my best accessory of the day!my MOH flowers and me acting CRAZY!

my bridesmaid's flowers!

OHHHH soooo pretty to meeee (my ladies and flowers!) 🙂

BUTTTTTTT… if I had to change my  bouquet to something different because they weren’t in season (peonies have a very short shelf life) I would have picked these flowers below!!! They still exude the puffy, romantic, classic look I was really looking for plus it has a touch of yellow inside the flower which was part of my color theme!! So beautiful!! The flowers used in the bouquet below are white japhet orchids and stephanotis. 

Hope this helps out anyone who is still in search of that perfect flower(s) for their bouquet!!  In the chaos that is all wedding planning it is so nice take a few minutes on your big day, take a deep breath and smell in the flowers.  It is also the perfect accessory to accentuate your perfect dress–and they make your surrounding smell wonderful.  What could really be better???!!! 

 

HAPPY WEDDING LOVE!!

xoxoxoxoxo

Perfection is for the birds!

A little insight in my wonderful world.

I am not perfect.

Perfection is overrated anyways. 

So I can thank my mother for giving me this family flaw-THANK YOU MOM! We both have this incurable eating habit where we get hooked on a food item for days, weeks, and ocasionally months.  In some instances it is a great advantage because it takes the guessing out of what I will be having for that day…lunch, dinner, snacks..or even breakfast.  I am sure there is some psychological reason for this but mostly I think it is for ease and comfort during stressful and difficult times.  For instance my mom once ate tuna melts for 3 months straight. No lie. She has also eaten chicken hot dogs for even longer.  As the years progressed I have inherited this lovely eating habit and started to request the same foods over and over again as well.  I know crazy but that doesn’t stop our insanity. 

I have been known to eat the same cereal for months, same lunch for entire semesters (grilled cheese with parmesean cheese on top during freshmen year, vanilla yogurt and turkey sandwich at Nichols).  Poor Steve has to endure this minor flaw and at times eat the same thing with me just because well…I am the cook in the house!

So my latest obsession is VANILLA PUDDING!!! YUM-O!!! D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S!

It is my snack choice during RA training and 18 hour opening days.  It has helped me through long hours and achy feet. It has put a smile on my face when smacked into reality that I started work in the busiest month/week of Residence Life.  And for this I will always have a soft spot in my vanilla pudding heart 🙂

The tragedy is that I ran out of my delicious treat last night and do not have a car at my disposal at the moment to get more!! What am I going to do to “feed” my obsession today???  AHHHHHH. Hopefully Steve will be my savior and fullfill my request to get me more vanilla pudding–two packages please.

Never be too prepared I say.

 

HAPPY PUDDING DAY!!!

xoxoxoxo

Kids on Board!

Nope. I am not pregnant. 

I LOVE THIS!!! Yes I do love Tori and Dean and their show (thanks Sara!)–but I REALLY LOVE these toddler holders for the bike.  I saw this picture  in US magazine recently and I absolutely love the product the kids are in on the bike! SUPER AWESOME!! I have seen the toddler holders for behind the bike, but this is the first time I had seen them for the front.  It seems safer and easier to manage in the front of the bike–GENIUS!! I would love to have this for when Steve and I have kids (in the way future) and thought I would share the wealth 🙂 I am going to keep a look out in the stores to see if these pop up in the nearest walmart!

 

Happy Biking!!

xoxoxoxo

::Caprese Salad::

So anyone who loves cheese and tomatoes (any sane person of course!)  would love this salad!!   I don’t make it a ton because Steve is not a fan of tomatoes (GASP!), but whenever I do have this salad it is a reminder of how much I LOVE it!! It is refreshing and very quick to make–plus not many ingredients which makes it on the cheap side!   The salad if very versatile and can be a side during dinner, appetizer, have it for lunch, or even a delicous snack!!

YUM-O!!

 

::Ingredients::

(serves 2)

4 tomatoes
1 large ball of mozzarella cheese
20 leaves of basil
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
salt + pepper to taste

::Directions::

Slice the tomatoes about 1/4 inch thick.  

Slice the mozzarella to 1/4 inch think.  

Arrange on a platter by tomato, mozzarella, basil leave.  

Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  

Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

::Extra Extra::

To make it into more of a meal you can add grilled shrimp, chicken or kabobs for a medley off amazingness!!  Be creative!!

 

HAPPY EATING!!!

xoxoxoxoxo

M.I.A.

no excuse.  I get a job and become M.I.A. on my blog!! What is up with that?!?

But seriously I jumped into my job and have been working 16 hours a day and unpacking our new home…pictures to come!!  I promise that once I get through opening weekend which is this weekend (horrayyy!) we will be back to our regularly scheduled blog program.  I will have recipes using our new items from our wedding, pictures of our new place, sports, travel and much more!! So please stay tuned and don’t give up on my lovely blog 🙂

My step-dad goes into his surgery tomorrow so please keep him and our family in your thoughts!!

 

HAPPY END OF SUMMER!!

xoxoxoxo

Bargain Fun!

With the economy the way it is and with our no job for 3 months situation we have gotten pretty creative in keeping ourselves entertained. At first I was stumped because we normally do the big ticket items, but after awhile it got fun trying to think of new and improved ideas!  It hasn’t always worked and at times we are bored out of our minds, but overall we were able to enjoy our time off from working and not break the bank! But of course all things have to come to an end and with that I will be starting work in the very near future 🙂

Here are some things we have done in the recent months to keep us entertained on a bargain–

• Purchased a smut magazine and hung out at the pool with friends
• Purchased a waterproof football and enjoyed some games in the pool
• Went to free state parks to enjoy the scenery and picnic fun
• BBQ’s and grilled cheese extravaganzas!
• Re-watched some marathon dvd sets
• Help plan someone elses wedding (fun yet no cost!!)
• Taking a walk (to the froyo shop of course!)
• Going to the library and getting books rather than spending $$$
• Started to train for a running race to keep us fit and busy
• Visited family and friends (no hotel costs!)
• Window shopping with good friends at expensive stores so there is no way to purchase a dang thing!
• Pub Trivia with some fantastic friends. Won at half-time for free boozze!! YAY!
• Helping paint (GASP!) and having some fun with it!
• Won free tickets to the movie theater from the BK lounge
• Coupons! Coupons!
• Sushi from the grocery store (very good actually) and date night in!
• Making our coffee rather than the twice a day starbucks/DD runs

One of the ways we have enjoyed ourselves most recently is going to a Connecticut Defenders  game!!   Although my in-laws were so very generous and paid for our tickets they are only 8 bucks each and we got them day of!  Our seats were great! Fun for under 20 bucks at a game?? WHO KNEW?? It was fabulous and everything was about a 1/132 of what it is at a Red Sox game!! I was able to get a VERY LARGE waffle ice cream cone (with sprinkles) for less than 5 bucks!!! Imagine that?!! Steve smuggled in some treats but I stopped at smuggling in a bottled water ( I didn’t want to get frisked!). 

Here we are at the game!

enjoying the game!

PLAY BALL!!

The best part (I thought) was the ending where we won in the 10th inning on a crazy play.  The crowd all stood up and clapped and cheared!! If you closed your eyes really really tight you could always feel like you were at the Red Sox game!

WE WON!!

After a great night we had the added bonus of having FREE fireworks!! These fireworks were incredible–some of the best I have ever seen.  It was a great way to end an awesome {yet cheap} night!!

SOOO PRETTYY!!

We have really had a crazy summer starting with our wedding and we have learned a lot through these past few months.  One of them being that we don’t have to have a million dollars to have a one in a million kinda night! Even when we are both working and can afford to splurge a little I hope we remember we can still have fun with very little–as long as we be creative!   

Happy bargain hunting!!

xoxoxoxo

Everything happens in…4’s???

The saying goes…Everything happens in threes.

This little phrase has a love/hate relationship with me.   It is a phrase that gets tossed around when things start to go down hill.  I love when it doesn’t actually actualize and it is only one bad thing and you laugh in the face of the this phrase.  HAHA not this time sucker! And then I hate it when it actually does actualize and in fact three bad things happen-in a row of course.  It mocks me and laughs heartedly in my face–cruel I tell you.  It is a crazy vicious cycle and the love/hate relationship continues…

This time around my step-dad got hurt and once again the phrase reared it’s ugly head.  Then my grandma got sick and had to go to the hopsital and then my great-grandma was sent to the hospital for retaining water.  All things happen in threes.  Did I say I hate this phrase?? Although this phrase was true we made it out of this phrase with everyone standing and alive. 

Then we got a phone call yesterday morning that my grandfather was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance and to get there quick.  I learned that life was way too fragile.  I was shocked and had all I could do to grab my hoodie and purse.   Our family already had three things occur–how could a fourth be on it’s way?? It was a blur of a morning of pacing and waiting–and tons of coffee.  Thankfully my gramps is doing well at the moment in ICU and holding strong. He was the first to bring me to a church at age 5 to light a candle for a sick family member.  He was the one who listened to Barney rather than CNN while the grandchildren were visiting on vacation.  He was the one who stood in the place of my dad for my father/daughter dance at my wedding.  He is the center of our family with my grams standing  right by his side.   

Today my family stood around him to give him the strength to stay with us and fight for his life.  We are truly blessed to have him still with us and I am thankful for making it through four trials for our family.  My aunt’s favorite word is believe and at the moment we all have to believe that our family will make it through and that we are taking a turn for better days to come…

love you gramps!

Showering with love…

 

My dear friend Sara is having her wedding shower today all the way across the country in California. YIPPPEEEEE!!  I couldn’t be happier for her and she has been one of my “besties” over the past couple of years.  All the support and laughter we have shared I am so estatic she is so blissfully happy–couldn’t of happened to a better gal!   

Showers mark the kick-off of a wedding in my opinion and the beginning of it being all about the bride and groom!  I love that it is called a shower because rain is suppose to be good luck on your wedding day and although California never rains this time of year we are going to shower the bride and groom with all the luck and love in the world today!! She will also have the pleasure of having her bachelorette tonight as well–HOLLERRR!!

all types of showers can be fun!

Although we made a good decision coming back to the East coast I knew it would mean no shower/bachelorette attendance for me.  It was a sad realization especially after all the fun the four of us had for over a month together–but there is a comeback tour at the end of October for the Renns! 🙂  She was a big part of my shower and I hope she loves her day as much as I loved mine.  

To the lovely bridal party that could be in attendance today I know you will make it a rockstar event!! Great job in all the hard work everyone put into the weekend!

Here’s to the “almost” Calhouns!!

the lovely awesome couple!

 

Happy Wedding Kick-Off Day!

xoxoxoxo

Yah or Nah??

So I haven’t seen our new apartment we are going to be living in but I saw this great idea online and thought this would be a neat way to display some of our fabulous wedding shots–perhaps on the living room wall??  We have frames of course but we have some pretty hilarious photobooth pictures I would love to display in a group. I was thinking printing the pictures on cardstock and displaying them with fun clothespins.  I can’t decide if it is too make-shift to display on our wall or down right genius!

 

 

Here is a little highlight of the debachery that went on in the photobooth area!

 

What do you think—Yah or Nah???

Happy Crafting!!

xoxoxoxo