Ombre' Bridal Shower

I threw one of best and oldest friends a bridal shower for her upcoming wedding. I'm not huge on "theme" parties, but I LOVED the look of a pink ombre' shower, so my planning and crafting began!

Invitation from etsy shop digibuddha Paperie

Both of those projects are very simple to make. The floral "R"just needs fake flowers cut at the stems, cardboard letter with the front cut out, green floral blocks, and hot glue as needed. The fabric garland was even easier, except I bought way to much fabric. I purchased 1/2 a yard of each color and cut 1 inch by 24 inch strips. I had a whole bag left over. So I suggest half that amount.

And everyone LOVES a Mimosa bar! This was a huge hit for obvious reasons. I also added a signature cocktail, Blushing Bride, which is just adding Peach Schnapps and grenadine to champagne. I'm glad I only bought one bottle of Schnapps because that went fast, and we may have had a few tipsy shower guests.

And my favorite new bridal shower game..FIND THE GROOM! I printed off a generic groom clip art and took scissors to my fabulous trash magazines!

Each guest gets an envelope with a "groom" in it and who ever finds the actual groom gets a prize. It's easy, doesn't put anyone on the spot, and it's just plan fun!

Trying out the "Housewife" Role

 I have settled nicely into Florida. Getting used to the constant hot weather (thanks MO) and light rain about every day. I'm getting used to Brandon's all day schedules, unpacked and organized our new apartment, and feeling positive about the job situations.

For the first time in the past two years, it feels nice to just do things for myself and not feel the constant stress of grad school projects, balancing multiple jobs, and planning the wedding. I read not just one book...but TWO books--FOR FUN! I haven't done that since the Hunger Games. 

And I'm stepping up my game in the housewife department. Which includes cooking. Something I have never been known for, or have really enjoyed.  Brandon & I's meals over the last two years came from the freezer, usually in cardboard, and are made in only minutes. But that was part of my goal for married life. I would cook a meal at least three times a week and nothing is microwaved, and I've been pretty proud of myself.  I've been using all of my new kitchen toys and doing my Pinteresting! 

None of my recipes are complicated or include too many ingredients. I've been sticking to pastas, pizzas, steamed vegetables, tacos...the easy stuff. Plus, I'm not getting all "clean eating" and healthy, I like real food, bring on the cheese and potatoes! 

Using my new Wok & my favorite parmasean edamame

French toast & strawberries! And Cinnabon Maple Syrup..Bomb dot com

I have also started introducing fall into our household. I figure, being in central Florida, I won't technically ever get a "fall." From what I hear, the cool weather will start in November, and that is already Christmas season, so I figure I can start whenever I want to! So last night, I got a craving for Pumpkin Spiced Chocolate Chip Cookies at 9pm, and that meant a late night trip to the grocery store. These cookies taste awesome and are more fluffy like a sweet bread. Just take a regular chocolate chip recipe, add 1 cup Puree Pumpkin, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon nutmeg and ta-da. Fall explosion in your mouth.

The pumpkin wheat beer helps with that explosion.

A Week at the Spa

A few weeks ago I taught enjoyed a week at the Spa with a few of students at my school. Thanks to Pinterest, I was able to plan out a really fun week with eight girls and we enjoyed facials, manicures, pedicures, mediation, yoga, and a few crafts. 

Every day was a new "spa-perience" This would such a fun party-theme idea!

Here's what our week looked like:

Monday-MEDITATION DAY:  Morning yoga and stretching. I found a few yoga videos from re-sale stores (just make sure you test them out before) I did Gentle Yoga for the first three days until my students started falling asleep and saying they were bored...so I busted out Yoga Pulse. After that they didn't fall asleep anymore.

 Spa Water:

Ingredients:

2 liters water (about 8 1/2 cups)

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

1 medium cucumber peeled and thinly sliced

1 medium lemon thinly sliced

12 small spearmint leaves

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients together in a pitcher

Refrigerate overnight

Strain water

Enjoy over ice cubes

Add mint sprig for garnish (optional)

Recipe found here

The girls were indifferent about the taste..I on the other hand LOVED it. So I had no problem drinking their water all week. I plan on always having a pitcher of this in my house from now on.

Spa Flip Flops

I purchased an assortment of different sized flip flops from the Dollar Store and a package of Room Essentials white hand towels from Target here. The only other materials you need are scissors and a hot glue gun.

Cut the towel into thin strips

Continue to wrap around the shoe until it's covered. Hot glue on both ends.

Tie towel strips into a pretty bow and glue to the front.

Seriously, so simple and cheap! You barely need any of the hand towel to cover the flop, I think each girl used three strips. $5.00 for towel pack & $8.00 for 8 flip flops: $13 of cuteness!

Tuesday-MANICURE: We started the morning off with another yoga session and stretching. 

We then began our manicures!

First we made a Citrus Salt Body Scrub

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sea salt 
1/2 cup sweet almond oil 
(can substitute light olive oil or vegetable oil)
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest

1/2 teaspoon orange zest

In a medium dry bowl, combine all ingredients making sure to not let any water touch them as it will dissolve the salt. Pour mixture into an airtight container and store in a cool dry place.

Recipe found here

This was a BIG HIT! I have made a lemon sugar scrub before using essential oil extracts instead of the zest and I have to say using zest makes it 100% times better! The smells were fantastic! And so much cheaper than purchasing the oils.

We then soaked our hands in water and I used my very old Mary Kay Satin Feet/Hands cleansing gel and buffer scrub. We gave hand massages and then the girls painted each others nails. Myself and my assistant helped paint flowers and polka dots.

WEDNESDAY-PEDICURE DAY: Another yoga and stretching session.

I filled up large tupperware containers with warm water and added lavender bath salts to each. I also brought in my Foot Massager from our wedding registry and I knew that would be a favorite! I popped in some relaxing nature CDs and for an hour we soaked our feet and rotated into the foot massager. We ALMOST made it the whole hour with a spill.....hence the word ALMOST. After, we painted each others toe nails.

While the girls did a pedicure I made a homemade lotion. I let the girls measure out the ingredients, but it involves melting and staying by the stove, so it became a "teacher" project.  I can't seem to find the recipe I used..and I'm honestly not even sure if it worked.

THURSDAY-FACIAL DAY: After yoga and stretching we crafted sleep masks. I purchased colored foam, glitter glue, pom-poms, and ribbon. I created a template and the girls did the decorating. 

Cucumber Mint Mask:

1/4 cup cucumber, shredded with skin

1/4 cup minced, fresh mint leaves

1/2 cup aloe (I could not find this)

4 drops lavender essential oil

3 drops chamomile essential oil (I skipped this part)

1. Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until reaching smooth consistency

2. Remove, cover, and place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes

3. Apply to clean, damp skin, and leave on for 15-20 minutes

4. Rinse thoroughly with cool water

Recipe found here

Now, this didn't turn out looking likeI thought it would. It was more liquid-like and chunks of cucumber..but if I say it's looks good, the kids have no idea. So we covered our face in wet chunks of cucumber and mint.

FRIDAY-FINAL DAY: Our last yoga session, I made them do Yoga Dance, they were most definitely not falling asleep after that. We made Sprite & Gummy Bear popsicles (which need more than two hours to freeze..my bad) and homemade candles

What you’ll need:
- Soy wax flakes -Hobby Lobby
- Wick -Hobby Lobby
- Containers. I purchased Tea Light holders b/c they were $1 each
- Pitcher with spout
- Fragrance oil (I offered orange or lavender)
- Popsicle stick

Melt soy wax flakes in a double boiler, add in your favorite scents and dye. Once flakes have completely melted, set your pot away to cool down for a few seconds. In the meantime, warm up your glass containers using a blow-dryer for a minute. This will help the wax cool more evenly! Pour wax into containers, thread wick with Popsicle stick and let it cool for a few hours until solid. Cut wick about 1/4 inch long.

Recipe found here

It's opportunities like teaching this camp (& getting paid for it) that I have to pinch myself with how lucky I am and hard it will be to leave my job. I'm teaching a DIY craft class in a couple weeks and I'll make sure to do a post of what I have the kids do.

Thanks to all the blogs and websites that helped me put together such a fun week!

From Miss to Mrs.

Well, I am back. Just not quite there yet. A lot has happened since my last blog in mid May. First and most important...I got married! It was the most perfect day and I surprisingly had very little stress. All in all I could not have asked for a more beautiful wedding that is the start to our even more beautiful marriage. We were surrounded by our very best friends, family, partners in crime, and soul mates to share in our joy, and I think we threw a pretty good party too! Here are some pictures of our wonderful day, along with a little vendor love.

Bridesmaid dresses were from Love Lane in crinkle chiffon sage fabric. Purchased at Bella Bridesmaid
Suits were purchased from St. Louis Suit Company in dark charcoal. I highly recommend going the route of having your groomsmen/ushers purchase their suits. These boys got a three piece suit for only $170!

Vendor Love:

All photography done by Laurie Nowling Sneed at Bliss Eleven Studios

Ceremony at Graham Chapel

Reception at NEO on Locust

Flowers & Center pieces by Angela Lopez at Elegance in Bloom

Wedding Coordinator Tami Heroff at Perfect Day Weddings & Events, LLC

I can't say enough about our fantastic vendors. They all made my dream a reality and took all the stress off me!! Especially my wedding planner (she was the best money spent!)

 I'll do another post later on the details, my DIY additions, florals, and centerpieces of the wedding.

In other news, our first two months of marriage haven't exactly been normal as most couples. I am currently sleeping on an air mattress in our old apartment in Kansas City and Brandon is working 14 hour days in Orlando in his first month of residency. 

We made the big move the week after our honeymoon and I will join him in a little over two weeks! Please except some more blogging from me as I begin my journey to Florida and whatever new adventure is waiting there!

But for now, I will keep you posted on any activities happening in the last few weeks, including my best friends up coming bridal shower I'm hosting (I've going DIY crazy over here!)

Why Aren't You Bloggin?

My blogging skills have suffered this past month and don't expect them to make a comeback quite yet. My plate is very full, but there is a light at the end of this tunnel.

In the past month and a half since we found out we are moving to Florida (7 weeks) I have:

Traveled to St. Louis four times

Three dress fittings

Bachelorette Party to Nashville

Four final wedding consultation meetings

Written two 10-page papers

Written a 19-page Curriculum Collaboration Project 

Two class presentations

Two wedding showers

Initiated into Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society

Granted eligibility to teach in Florida

Celebrated Brandon's 28th birthday

Joined a kickball league that plays on Sunday

Joined a volleyball league that plays on Wednesdays

All while still working my 7:45-4/5 job, attending weekly evening grad school class, starting the search/browse for jobs in Florida, scoping out possible houses in FL, beginning to pack our apartment, paying bills, and still trying to maintain a social life to keep my sanity.

As you can imagine, there have been a few major meltdowns in the past month and half. But with that list behind me, the list in front of me is getting smaller.

In two weeks grad school will be over {along with a 200 point essay}, in three weeks Brandon will graduate medical school, in four weeks we will be doing that marriage thing, and in five weeks I will be sipping  much needed alcoholic beverage on the beach with my husband.

I keep forgetting I'll be in Mexico in a month. 24 days.

Change

All our dreams can come true-if we have the courage to pursue them.

-Walt Disney

No truer words could be spoken and I could not have found a more perfect quote for the big changes coming to our lives.

Last Monday, Brandon received the fantastic news that he had matched to a pediatric residency program, now we just had to wait till Friday to find out where. We were preparing ourselves for all the possibilities. He had interviewed at two places in KC, St Louis, Memphis, Orlando, Miami, and Springfield, IL. We had different reasons to be excited and happy with every place, so we patiently waited for Friday at noon. 

I took off an hour of work to go to his classmates apartment where they were all going to find out together. One, by one, each of his classmates went to the computer to find our their match. Everyone was happy and most got their first or second choice. Lots of cheers and happy faces!

It was definitely a joyful and overwhelming to find out in one minute that our lives were going to change. We were so excited, especially since Orlando Health was Brandon's first choice. 

After, we had time to call family and friends to share our news, I had to go back to work to break it to my team, coworkers, and bosses. This is where I know things will get tough. Walking into my classrooms my team and kids were staring at me and I started to cry as I shared the news, while reassuring everyone that this is what we wanted. It became real sharing it with everyone and seeing the largest thing I would be saying goodbye too. As the day went on it became easier to tell people without shedding a few tears and the kids especially enjoyed the idea of me living so close to Disney World. 

I know the next few months will have their ups and downs and I'm prepared to jump on the roller coaster of emotions I will feel. It hit me Saturday night just how difficult it will be to leave my coworkers and students. It was the first place I had worked at for longer than a year and at some weeks I see them more than I see Brandon. 

I know I will get new coworkers and students, but I am grateful to have a few more months with them.

I started the process to get Florida State Teaching certification and we started the online search for a place to live.

Stay tuned as this blog will continue to document the many changes coming for us!

2nd Bedroom

So, I know you are just DYING to know how that second bedroom organization is coming along...

well, there's a reason why I haven't updated in two months.

It looks basically the same.

Remember this picture and how my life is looking right now. Well, you would think it would be nice to have an organized second bedroom, but the fact is, I am trying.

I've abandoned the thoughts of a nice, neat, and organized room, but am now moving towards the plan of a room to store the bins of wedding stuff, honeymoon stuff, and packing up gifts we've received. After a few bridal showers, I'll be able to assess what we can sell and what we need to store. So for now, we are keeping things in their boxes, with the exception of the Keurig, that puppy is getting used daily!
I HAVE made progress in the room though and will share!

That is what the side of the room looked like before. I moved our DVD shelf inside of the closet and moved Brandon's guitars to the other side next to his drum set.
That is where I set up the metal shelf with my bins.















I painted the wooden tags with chalkboard paint and hot glued them to the outside of the baskets. I now have a basket for hot glue, fabric/yarn/ribbons, Brandon's papers, wedding information, and photos.
This has been very helpful for a place to keep things I need frequently. I also keep my wedding binders on this shelf and I have purchased a few clear bins to start keeping things I've collected for the wedding (frames, shoes, garter, corks...)

So, while I've given up on having this fabulously organized room, I just want a space to store bins of our crap!

We will know Brandon's residency match in 20 days!