Engagement Party

This weekend was quite a whirlwind. Friday my husband and I drove to Marietta, GA to meet up with some friends. We ate chicken salad sandwhiches, toured the Coca-Cola Factory, shopped at cute boutique stores, walked to Midtown, ate some more chicken salad sandwhiches, went for drinks at the Westin, and finished up the night laughing and talked while watching "So you think you can dance." The next morning we went to the Farmer's Market at Marietta Square and ate at a cute restaurant called Sugar Cakes.

We quickly headed back to Birmingham to get ready for the engagement party I was helping to host that night. I didn't take pictures, so I had to steal from the other ladies there.

The beautiful cake and the cake maker, Ashley. Fabulous job!



Guest book and our hostess gifts.



To save money, we made the food ourselves. Delicious!



Wine, and our incredibly cheap wine "glasses." It was a last minute addition.



Table decor. I wish there were more pictures of the tables. Each table had it's own centerpiece. (I will see if I can get other pictures to post)



The girls. We have been friends since highschool. Leah is the last of us to get married, so we wanted to make this extra special.




And the beautiful and wonderful couple of the night. Chad and Leah. I couldn't be more thrilled for my dear friends. They really deserve all the happiness this world can offer them. (and don't ya just love her dress??)

Sunday was spent celebrating my "baby" sister's 25th birthday. I can hardly believe she isn't still 3 years old and we're playing dress up with each other. Well, I suppose we still "play" that, because we do love to shop! Happy Birthday Erica!!

this + that

Just some updates here and there for y'all (yeah, I'm from the south...) The original fabric I chose for my framed fabric idea, can be seen here, was not quite what I was wanting once I received it in the mail. The fabric is beautiful, but the color grey is much darker than I was expecting. So, I've decided to go with this very neutral pattern and color, and work other colors into the bedroom. I'm completely satisfied with the simplicity of it and look forward to getting it on the wall!



A few shots of us on our beach trip.



Who doesn't love having a pinata at their birthday party?? Oh, and we had cookies instead of cake, because Taylor and I do not like cake. Weird, I know.



You should be completely jealous of our airbrushed t-shirts. They are super sweet, and v-neck to boot!



The ladies of the trip. Jordan (who's getting married in October!!), me, Kimberly and Taylor.



And, last, just a little glimpse into our obsession with ice cream. (please excuse our hair. It was pouring on us the last day there)



I'm sorry my blog has been lacking in the eye candy department. There are so many home projects going on, that's really where my mind's attention has been. I'm looking forward to starting my dresser make-over this weekend. Have a great day ladies!!!

Cue the sun!

I honestly have no design inspiration today. Why, you ask??? Because I am leaving for the beach in the morning and that is really all I can think about. I even wore a 'beachy' blouse to work today. We are going with some incredible friends of ours and staying at a beautiful house in Seaside, FL. The very same area they filmed The Truman Show.

Absolutely charming little town with million dollar homes. The sort of place where riding your bike is more of a treat than a chore. And the people aren't stuffy millionares. You know what I'm talking about here. They're friendly and welcoming. I feel as if I am independently wealthy when we are there, and being that I'm a social worker and my husband is a musician, we're far from that. (although very, very happy with our lives)



This beach trip is purely for vacation. No plans, no weddings, no obligations. We're also celebrating mine and my dear friend Taylor's, from The Adventures of D and T, birthdays! It shall be a weekend of absolute bliss and fun, rain or shine!

So, ladies... Enjoy the rest of your week. I shall be back next week refreshed and ready to tackle my new DIY project!

it's so hard, to say goodbye...to yesterday

My dear friend Hannah and new blogger from This is Only the Beginning, sent me an email last night with a lovely surprise inside. A link to Etsy shop The Brass Hussy. LOVELY!! And, I think I will just add these to my ever-growing birthday wish list!

A few of my favorites:

I will be taking off tomorrow, as I am spending the day with my mom before she heads home to Virginia. I've thoroughly enjoyed having her here (Alabama) for the past 3 months, but she misses her husband and home terribly and is quite ready to tend to her garden- I don't blame her one bit. I know they are hard for everyone, but 'goodbyes' are really hard for me. So, I am not looking forward to this one, knowing the next time I get to see her will be sometime in October. aggh. Thank goodness for emails, facebook and phone calls!!

*sorry for the cheesy title of this post... i couldn't resist. i remember listening to that song so many times after a break-up in highschool. It makes me giggle to hear it now.

Have a lovely weekend!

melissa moss

I went to visit my dear friend Kimberly (who would be an amazing blogger given she is in school now for interior design and has the wittiest humor of anyone I've ever met) over the weekend, as she was very excited to show me some prints her and her husband bought while on their 4yr anniversary trip to Asheville, NC (which is definitely on our top list for the next vacation spot). The city is home to many cutting-edge artists and there is always some art festival, concert or happening event going on. side note: Kimberly said the city smells like hemp, interesting.
She was absolutely giddy about this new-to-her artist Melissa Moss. And after reading her blog and checking her artwork out, I was hooked. She states that she left the "publishing world to study color psychology and during my course work discovered my true passion…painting. I use color as my primary artistic element. I’ve studied the meanings and associations of colors and their subtle shades and tones and use this knowledge to convey the mood of each painting." And, she is true to her word. If you get the chance today, go check out her gallery. How lovely to have a few of her prints/art mixed in on your gallery wall??

There is also a hint of humor in her paintings, which is probably what first drew Kimberly to her work. The print they bought was called "Lemony Goodness" and is quite lovely.



Enjoy ladies!

another side note: I am getting the boots mentioned yesterday! YAY!

Lauren & Wesley's Wedding

So, this past weekend my husband and I traveled to Rosemary Beach for our friends, Lauren and Wesley's wedding. There is nothing more beautiful than having the ocean as your backdrop. I have told my husband I want to renew our vows in 5 years, on the beach (he thinks I'm silly at times). It is simply beautiful. Their story is a beautiful one, and I have said before this couple has more love in their pinky's for each other than anyone I know. The photographer, Anne Wade Parrish did a fabulous job capturing their special day and moments. Interestingly enough, she attends the same church as my husband and I. Stop by her blog for the complete story of their wedding day and her wonderful pictures. Here are a few of mine.

The reception was held at The Preserver at Inlet Beach.

Her bouquet

My sweet husband played during the ceremony

I love his expression here
How adorable?
Centerpiece

We have another beach wedding next weekend we will be attending. This one is at Gulfshores, AL. Very excited about Jared & Elisha's wedding, as well as more time at the beach!