three

What a wonderful roller coaster it's been and a fantastic adventure.  It's all I thought it would be plus so much more.  You can relive the fun that was our wedding here and here

On an interesting note, remember how I wrote THIS disclaimer at end of last year's anniversary post?

"let's just hope next year we're in the same country!"

Well guess who had to go to France for business this week?  Yup!  But no biggie, we're waiting til he gets back (and the detox is over) to celebrate three years of wedded happiness!

happy early birthday to me

Look who is home...

Two

Two years, one puppy, thousands of tears, smiles, laughs, decisions, and a move across the world later...

and you know what?

I wouldn't change a thing.

(let's just hope next year we're in the same country!)

Busy-ness and Birthdays

Yes, I know, I Know

I am so due for a blogpost, but life's been crazy, with mardi gras wrapping up, a rush invitation suite having to get through the door and then my parents visiting this weekend. Its not that there isn't anything going on around here, its just all been such a huge blur of things that I can barely keep my head on straight.  So something's coming soon, I promise.

Today is, however, the birthday of one of my best friends, most favorite people and partners in this crazy world of blogging.

I met Misa (of Park & Belmont fame) in college during our junior History of the Civil War class.  The first day of class she was sitting in front of me, turned around and said "hi!."  It was then that we instantly became friends and the rest was history.  We had the same obsession with art, architecture, to-do-list-making, travel, fab music and organic food that it was hard not to become fast friends.  We lost touch for about a year while I was starting grad school and she was working in DC, but it wasn't for long.  We reconnected as she was starting and I was ending our grad school studies, something that would be a source of support for each other.  It also turned out that Misa and her awesome fiance at the time were planning on getting married two weeks before Mr. Bama and I -- rather than see it as a competition, we relished in oohing, ahhing and giggling over wedding stuff, building off of each other's imaginations & creativity.   In September '09 I got to watch when she tied the knot with her amazing college sweetheart in the most gorgeous farm wedding.

misa and I at her sweet wedding.

Two weeks later, she was standing by my side as I married Mr. Bama.

We are still super close, even as Misa enters the final stretch of her Master's degree (Go Misa Go!) and I wrestle with the enormity of  planning a move across the Atlantic.  She's been an amazing source of support (especially when I get down about work, friends and life's little nuances), humor and grace.  So here is to birthday's of amazing friends who lift you up and are truly beautiful people!

So happy Birthday Dear Misa!!

If someone breaks your heart

I have to admit - 2011 has been a rough year (yes, i know its only February) so far, filled with professional frustrations & questions, worry about where we're going to be in a few months, and difficulty balancing work with being a good wife and a good friend.  Much of the frustration has stemmed from being let down by people around me -- and it doesn't matter if its personal or professional, getting your hopes up on a promise and it falling through or it being neglected is still the equivalent of having your heart broken.  I was conveying my frustration to my ever amazing friend Misa earlier in the day yesterday, her patiently listening to my tales of ups and downs.  I came home from work and found this tidbit in my inbox.  Serious at first, I found myself laughing a little at the end. 

If someone breaks your heart, just punch them in the face.

Oh sure, it seems obvious now, but you’d be amazed at how many people don’t think of it when it’s relevant.

Seriously, punch them in the face and go get some ice cream.

--Chuck Klosterman

Needless to say, no punching was involved yesterday, but I did go get some ice cream.  Theres nothing some Creole Creamery or Pinkberry won't cure, at least temporarily.

Carry me back to Ol' Virginny.

A few weeks ago, at the beginning of September, I took a week trip back to Virginia Beach to hang out w/ my parents for a little bit.  I'm very close to my parents and spending time with them is really important for the sanity of my soul, especially when life seems to be flying by so quickly these days.

I was also able to visit some of my favorite people -

I spent time with my friend Steph who's at Periodontal school in Richmond -- the craziness of both of our lives makes it hard to see each other and catch up face to face, so being able to sit around and lounge by her pool was much needed.   She's getting married next July to one of my friends from college (small world...) and she asked me to do their save the dates, so I've been totally consumed w/ that since I got back to NOLA.

Me & Steph - Besties since 6th grade, during
her visit to NOLA in May

I was also able to have a lovely dinner at a wonderful wine bar w/ one of my oldest friends, Windy.  Believe it or not, Windy was my babysitter when she was 13 and I was, oh, maybe 8 months old.    We stayed close through the years, her morphing from being just a babysitter to being my unrelated "big sister."  Twenty-six years later, we're closer than ever and we try to get together when ever I'm home to have dinner, lunch or drinks together.

Windy & her adorable husband Keith
dancing at our wedding last year.

I also trekked up to Williamsburg to visit college best buddy Misa (who you all may know from Park & Belmont).  We splurged shopping at the outlets and caught up over lunch at Colonial Williamsburg's  The Cheese Shop.  Nothing says quality time like sitting outside eating your turkey sandwich next to a guy doing the same, only dressed in period attire, Tri-corn hat and all.

Misa & I back a year ago at my wedding.  

 I also did some serious retail damage w/ my mom - not in the form of clothing since I kind of can't justify buying anything I can't wear to work.  So shoes & accessories it was!

mauve + suede + peeptoe + platform = Horray!
(source)

I also picked up a pair of gold driving moccosins at Banana Republic that I cannot find a picture of to save my life.  They're awesome though and I cannot wait to wear them come fall.  Side note - can fall come already please, I'm so tired of 95 degrees with 80% humidity.  

I've been giving J.Crew alot of criticism lately b/c their newest collections have just been uninspiring, plain boring and so far away from their preppy roots.  I felt the same when I stopped into their store and looked around, until I moseyed to the sale section and found this cute little blouse.  Maybe there's still hope?

(source)

But at the end of the day, I came back to my childhood home and just enjoyed being with my parents, eating good food,  having awesome talks and just getting back to my roots to reset for a little.
It also doesnt hurt that I got to sit around our pool and look at this while having pre-dinner drinks with my parents.

At the end of the week I was definitely missing Mr. Bama and Bear and ready to go home to NOLA.  But I had a lovely time back in my favorite state and with the parents.

Oh Happy Year.

A year ago today Mr. Bama & I said "I do" in front of about 90 friends and family.  One year, a new city, a pupster and hundreds of adventures later, I couldn't be happier that I married my best friend and man of my dreams.  Heres to the past year and, God willing, 50+ more.  You can take a walk down memory lane by checking out pictures from the ceremony here and the reception here.

Last Minute Valentines

For some of you, it may already be Valentines Day, but if you're like me and are a super procrastinator and couldn't make it out to the store for a card for your honey, then you can play 3rd grader and make your own.  I promise, its not too late!!

Steps to a simple and easy Valentines Day Card:

1) Go to incompetech and create a type of graph /grid lined paper.  This a great site for anything from tyical green graph paper, to perspective and polar grids.  I chose Moorish in Red for an 8-1/2" x11" sized piece of paper.  Create your Pdf as you like!

2) Using a heavy card stock (I used 80#), print your pattern on the paper.  Then cut to size (9.25" x 7.25"). 

Then fold in half, with the patterned side facing out.  Folded the front should measure 4.75" x 7.25"

3) Using a word processing program (Microsoft Word or InDesign), create a cover message that will fill an area slightly smaller than the front side of the card.  I chose to not only have a cover message, but to layer it with a peice of colored paper to distinguish it from the bottom, lined paper.  I cut a piece of red construction paper, measuring 4.5" x 7", and pasted it to the front of the card.  Then I printed my cover message (measuring 4.25" x 6.75") and pasted it ontop of the colored paper to look like below:

Cheesy, yes, but since I can never come up with something witty for Valentines Day, I chose some lyrics from a Louis Armstrong song.  The graphic is actually a wingding.

 4) Now for the inside.  Open you card: It should just be plain, measuring 9.25"x 7.25".  Cut a 8.5" x 6.5" rectangle of colored paper and paste it so that it is centered on the paper.  Then, using your word processing software, create an inside message that will be pasted on top of the construction paper.  The inside message paper should measure 8" x 6" - the right side containing a message, and the left being either left blank or have a graphic of some sort, as seen below:

I chose to continue the cheesy Louis Armstrong song and then end it with a simple "Happy Valentines Day." I admit I'm not very original. 

You can dress this design up or down as you like, but in the end it's a super easy Valentines Card to cherish (AND, it fits in an envelope so you can mail it, if need be).  Mr. Bama received his on Friday since our Sunday will be filled with Mardi Gras parades marching down our neighborhood streets from early morning to late night.  But for those of you celebrating on actual Valentines Day, enjoy your day with your special someone! And for those of you instead celebrating Single's Awareness Day, rock on, and as a former observer for 23 years, I understand. 

Either way, Happy February 14!

some wedding sneak peeks

Here are some of our favorite photos taken by a few of our guests at the wedding - the photographer's pics will be coming soon!

More to come soon!

From our recipe book to yours --

We have 6 cocktail tables... which were just screaming out for something to go in the middle of them. Nothing as elaborate as the large table centerpeices, but something unique and quirky.

So I got to brainstorming about what to do. And I remembered a conversation I had w/ my floral guru back in March where she asked me "what is YOUR story? What makes your story totally different from anyone else's story?" She suggested to take the answer and use it to help define the look and feel of ythe wedding.

Like any good designer would do, I built off of the advice of someone much more experienced than me and went to work brainstorming. After some thinking, I realized that distance was such a defining aspect of mine and Bama boy's story. We have never lived in the same state or closer than 10 hours in distance. So to make our relationship work, we had to put effort into making it as "normal" possible. And thus the Dinner and a Movie dates were born. One of us would pick out a recipe and the other would pick the movie. We'd let each other know at the beginning of the day so we could rent the movie/ pick up recipe ingredients and then at a set time, we'd call each other. Over speakerphone, we'd cook our fabulous recipe of the night and then sit down and, still over speakerphone, watch our movie together. Yes. We are dorks. BUT it made us have those shared experiences that help create a lasting relationship.

So, I decided recipe cards would be the centerpieces of the cocktail tables. I picked 4 of our recipes and printed about 25 index cards per recipe -- then printed a little sign to put on the front. In an effort to carry over a fun bridal shower activity as well as create some input from our guests, I also printed 60 blank recipe cards for our guests to share what they believe is the recipe for a successful marriage. Placed in a soapdispenser holder-turned recipe holder ($1 each from TJ MAXX!!) and VOILA! instant cocktail table centerpeices:

Each holder will have 4 various votives holders & candles around them, with the tables that ask the guest to write their opinions having a votive holder hold little golf pencils in them.

One more project down, a ton more to do. T-minus 10 days til the big day - I cannot believe it!

A Sweet Farm wedding

This past weekend I went to the wedding of one of my favorite people- Misa. She also just happens to be a fellow blogger, history/politics/architecture nerd, and is also one of my bridesmaids. We went to undergrad together - she sat in front of me in my Civil War History class junior year. We struck up a convo one day and tada! instant friendship.

Misa married her college sweetheart, JM, at the farm thats been in her family for years - Padua out in western Virgina. It was absolutely wonderful to see all the plans of my wedding planner partner in crime the past 9ish months come to fruition. From the beautiful weather, to the groom being late to the alter, and to the slightly choreographed first dance, everything was PERFECT and very Misa-JM.


Ok, enough of my chatter and onto the pretty pictures:

The guest participation clothesline was super creative and a HUGE hit!

the two september brides!

heres to the happy newlyweds!