Project 12: September

{Our second anniversary dinner celebration. Quality photo, I know}

Welcome to Project 12- a fun little monthly post where I get to recap my month and you get to tell me about the highlights of yours! 

DATES/TRAVEL

1. Hyden, Kentucky for graduate school orientation. Now that my secret is out, I can talk freely about why I was in Kentucky (which I mentioned last month). The program I'm attending is a hybrid program based out of there- hybrid meaning I will visit Kentucky twice (once was in August/September) and then I'll visit again for clinical intensives in about a year. The hybrid part comes in because I am able to do most of the coursework and clinicals in my home community. Talking about my trip to Kentucky really needs to be its own post because it was so amazing. I realize that sounds cheesy but I have never ever left a place after only 72 hours with the sense of community and pride that I felt after leaving Kentucky. It was truly amazing and I still feel like I'm processing it all. 

{This was nicknamed "The Barn" because it used to be one, and it was where  most of our 

classes were held during orientation}.

2. Tucson, Arizona, Guajardo wedding. This was a wedding for the history books y'all. I flew straight from Kentucky to Arizona and was ready to get my wedding on. This wedding was extra special to me because it had my best friend in it, she looked gorgeous, her groom cried harder than she did (awwww), and it was just a beautiful day. I was also the matron  maid of honor (I'm going with maid because matron just sounds so old), and even though I was nervous for the extra responsibility, it was SUCH a privilege to be by her side. Carrying her 20 pound train around for pictures though.... (just kidding Carolyn, I loved it). There was good company, great food, good drinks, and a fun dance... really, what more could you ask for in a wedding??

{The glowing bride}

{I've got the best wedding date around}

4. Basalt, Colorado. My old college roommate and I hopped in a car and drove to the beautiful mountain town of Basalt Colorado. It was a bittersweet weekend as we reunited with old college friends but under tragic circumstances. It was so good to get out of the city and we saw some beautiful fall colors! 

{Those mountains though!}

5. Girl camping in Frisco, Colorado. A friend from work and I spontaneously decided to go camping one weekend so that we could see fall colors. We only went for one night but it was oh so fun and beautiful! The weekend was full of good conversation, beautiful colors, and yummy food (do you notice a trend here?) I am the biggest fan of spontaneous one night camping trips in the mountains! 

NOTABLE EVENTS

1. I FINISHED MY WEDDING SCRAPBOOK. That achievement deserves every single bold and italic letter that it can possibly get. A year ago in my "Fall Goals" post, I challenged myself to "begin my wedding scrapbook". Months and several failed attempts later, I found myself totally overwhelmed with $30 of scrapbooking supplies and no idea where to start. Cue, grad school. I knew that if I did not get this scrapbook done before starting grad school, then it wouldn't happen until I finished which is at least another two years. That means that I'd be close to my 5 year wedding anniversary without having printed a single wedding picture. That definitely didn't sit right with me so I forced myself to buck up and get to work. 

{The front cover!}

Now, here's the real truth. I hate scrapbooking and only did it because I like the finished project. I LOVE how it turned out, but I still hate scrapbooking. I truly feel like I spent all of September working on this project. If you'll notice, Alex and I didn't go on very many dates this past month and it was because I would be trying to finish a page or two of the scrapbook and then it would be too late to go anywhere. He was totally understanding about it, but it definitely cut down on the quality time we had together before school started. I am so thrilled that it's done though- it's a huge relief and I've had a blast showing it to family and friends. I eventually hope to put it on the blog, but I've gotta show a few more people in person first :) (Thanks for all of you who encouraged me to keep at it. Amanda, thanks for all the help!) 

2. Our 2nd Wedding Anniversary. Our second wedding anniversary was this month and you can read the letter I wrote to Alex here. We both thankfully had the day off from work and were able to spend it together. We took an early morning walk in a park by our house and sat by some fountains while we reminisced over the past couple of years. We then enjoyed breakfast together followed by one of our favorite dates- walking around at Costco and Ikea. We enjoyed Panda Express for lunch, went home and napped and played some games and finished off the day with endless shrimp at Red Lobster. If it sounds like all we did all day was eat, well, you're kind of right. It was a simple day full of delicious food and I wouldn't have it any other way.  

{The view on our morning stroll}

{You haven't had a cinnamon roll until you've had this one from Denver Biscuit Company.

 This should be enough reason for you to come visit me in Colorado. I'll be waiting.}

3. I ate the biggest pizza I think I've ever seen. But really, check it out! In case you're wondering, it's some sort of stuffed take and bake madness from Papa Murphy's. And our friends helped us eat it. 

{It's more like a pizza-calzone or pazone if you will}

BOOKS/MOVIES

There are none to tell you about because I literally did my scrapbook every.single.waking.hour.

SOME FAVORITES 

This surprise wedding dance will always and forever be my favorite. 

One of the most controversial things I've ever posted, but something I felt/feel super strongly about. 

This study only reinforces what I've been telling Alex {and anyone else who I can get to listen} this whole time. 

And finally, need a laugh? For some reason, this video cracked me up. 

P.S. Before I sign off, I just wanted to let you know that I'm co-hosting The Circle this month with Kiki from In Its Time Blog. If you guys have never joined in, either with a post of your own or by reading the posts, you are seriously missing out. Also, if you don't know Kiki you really need to. She is encouraging, great at creating community, and one of the greatest people I've met in the blog world. This month our topic is self-care- how do you take care of yourself and make sure that you don't get stressed out? Blog? Do mani-pedis? Go run? All of the above? It's a topic I'm super passionate about so I hope you'll make your list and join us on Wednesday October 21st! 

How was your September? 

Dear Love,

Dear Love,

Happy two year anniversary! It feels like it's been the quickest and longest two years of our lives and I think you'll agree. That rainy morning on September 14, 2013 seems like decades ago, yet I'm still trying to get used to having bling on my left hand. 

Marrying you was and is the best decision of my life, not because it's been easy, but because you've helped shape me into a better person. Being united with you has really shown me what a sinner I am- how selfish, impatient, and unforgiving my heart really can be. Over the past two years my eyes have been opened to how much grace I really need every single day. 

You have seen me at my worst- crying over the kitchen sink over our most recent argument, and you have seen me at my best- relaxing on the beach during our cruise. And the amazing thing is, is that your love has stayed the same through it all. It has stayed steady, unwavering, and full of forgiveness and grace. 

Saying "I do" wearing that white dress meant that I was saying yes to it all. Yes to the struggles, yes to the fights, yes to the ugly. But it also meant that I was saying yes to the early morning cuddles, the thousand and one shared Sonic shakes, and the side cramp laughter late at night.  

You're my best friend and I can't imagine coming home to anyone else but you after a long 14 hour shift. I am so thankful that we got married at an age that is often frowned upon. Because we got married young, I am being forced to become a better person sooner in my life rather than later. I am learning to to be more selfless, more forgiving, and truly understand that my relationship with you is directly related to the strength of my spiritual walk with Jesus. 

It's been two years and I can't wait for the next fifty. I can't help but smile imagining our future homes, our future kids, and of course our future socially unacceptable dinner conversations. In the meantime, I'll enjoy our Youtube date nights, our hikes in beautiful Colorado, our bike rides that you still have to drag me on, and our unplanned trips to Costco just to walk around.

Thanks for being my supporter, my encourager, and my protector as I navigate this adult world and figure out how to be a better wife, daughter, sister, and friend. 

Love, 

Your wifey 

A Teal Bridal Shower : Decorations & Menu

I shared last week how in July I planned and executed my very first bridal shower. I've helped with multiple wedding and baby showers, but this was my first go at planning the entire thing. It was a ton of work, and in an effort to make it easier for the next person I thought I would share my theme, games, and menu. 

THEME

Teal

My friend's wedding colors are mint, peach, and grey. I loved the idea of going with a mint theme for her bridal shower but mint is really hard to find unless you special order everything (and who has the time/money for that?), so I landed up going with a teal theme instead.

I loosely went with the tea party theme but that really only extended as far as the tea sandwiches... it sounds nice though doesn't it?

Designing a theme doesn't have to be hard or expensive. I suggest choosing one main color and a couple complementary colors and then perhaps a theme to guide your menu. 

Keep it simple- the simpler your theme, the easier it will be to plan. 

DECORATIONS/INVITATIONS

I created the bridal shower invitations using my favorite design tool of all time, PicMonkey, and emailed them out instead of sending them via snail mail. I know a lot of people are still fans of snail mail but I'm not one of those people. Sending evites worked beautifully and helped keep me within budget. One day I'll do a tutorial on how to make evites in PicMonkey because it really is so super simple and produces great results.

{This was the shower evite; sorry about the black boxes covering information}

Having a teal theme worked out really nicely with white and black accents. I bought teal, black, and white balloons at Walmart, as well as teal, black, and white paper goods (napkins, plates etc.) and streamers. We twisted the streamers along the tables and added balloons around the room. The mother of the bride found this lovely chalk banner that is reusable and that was the perfect final touch. I can tell you from this bridal shower and my own that decorations need not be a big deal or big expense. There are so many other things to take in on the day that keeping it simple is really the best idea.  

I used PicMonkey to design cards for our food items and little signs to place by the table as they walked in. 

"BEST IDEA EVER" (according to the bride)

I placed blank envelopes at the table right as people walked in, and instructed them to address an envelope to themselves. I later collected the envelopes, put blank thank you cards inside and handed these to the bride. She has pre-addressed thank you notes which makes things SO much easier for her, and in her words "was the best idea ever!" 

I almost skipped this step, but then thought that my goal in all of this should be to help the bride and help her enjoy her special day. If I can decrease her stress by giving her pre-addressed envelopes, then I should totally do it. I got a huge pack of really cute blank cards at Hobby Lobby and was glad that I decided to implement this simple idea into the bridal shower. 

MENU

I had a really hard time with the menu because I love food but I didn't want what I prepared to take a long time. The recipes I chose worked really well and provided enough food for everyone on a decent budget. It's really easy to get overwhelmed by all the lovely ideas on Pinterest, especially in the food category, so I would have an idea of what you're wanting to do before jumping on the Internet to look. 

Egg Salad Sandwiches - This is your very basic egg salad sandwich recipe that turned out great. We cut off the crusts of our bread to add a little more elegance, and I doubled this particular recipe. 

Cucumber Tea Sandwiches - I CANNOT find the original link to this recipe so I made a google document where you can access the same recipe. These have a couple more ingredients than most of the cucumber tea sandwich recipes I found but they're things you most likely have on hand (Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice etc.). They were absolutely DELICIOUS and I highly recommend them. 

PB & J Sandwiches - I needed one more tea sandwich and decided on these because they're easy, both kid and adult friendly, and cheap. 

**We prepared the mixtures of all the sandwiches the night before the shower and made the actual sandwiches the morning of the shower so that the bread wouldn't get soggy. 

Turkey wraps - This was a recipe that a friend from work told me about and it was SO easy to make. They were a huge hit and will be on my list for my own lunches/snacks that I take to work! 

Crockpot meatballs - There are several variations of this recipe but this one is my favorite because you only need three ingredients. We made them the morning of the shower and these were very filling for everyone at the shower. 

Veggie platter with dip. The dip I make is one 16 oz container of sour cream with one packet of dry ranch mixed in. It's delicious with veggies or chips and we make it probably once a week during football season. We bought veggies that were in season and chopped them up and put them in a platter that we got from the dollar store. 

I had planned on including a fruit tray in our menu, but because I was on a limited budget decided to skip it. Between the twizzlers and mints we set out for snacks, along with cake, no one seemed to miss it. 

Tres leches cake. This was the choice of the bride, and one of her guests so graciously bought it for us at a bakery. It was delicious and beautiful, and the only thing I can say is do not attempt to make a tres leches cake for a bridal shower unless you've done it before (it's time consuming and really easy to mess up). 

Mint lemonade. This was an idea I saw on Pinterest and it worked beautifully. You just add a bit of blue Kool-Aid (or in our case blue water flavoring because we couldn't find blue Kool-Aid) to lemonade and mix until you get the right color of lemonade. It worked brilliantly with our theme! 

Iced tea. We bought cans, it was the easiest way to go. 

Water. This was a must for this non-alcoholic bridal shower. 

WAYS I SAVED MONEY:

-  Kept decorations simple and bought all my balloons, streamers, and paper goods for under $1 each

- Bought white paper cups and had a sharpie next to them so that people could label their cups (eliminating the need for multiple cups for each person) 

- Sent evites instead of snail mail invitations

- Kept the menu simple... unless you promise them lunch on the invitation, don't feel like you have to provide a four course meal! 

If you need more bridal shower ideas, check out my Pinterest board here. 

What are other winning shower recipes that are simple and easy? Have you ever planned a bridal/baby shower entirely on your own? 

Wedding Wednesday: Don't Forget the Thank You

In this Wedding Wednesday series so far we've covered how to set priorities for your wedding, how to make decisions without becoming bridezilla, and 5 things you don't really need at your wedding. 

Today, is a topic that I think applies for all of life, not just your wedding. It's the subject of saying thank you. I used to think that it should go without saying that you send thank you notes after your wedding. Lately, I've been to a couple weddings where we didn't receive thank you notes later and I'm wondering if the tradition of handwritten thank you notes is becoming a lost art? 

Writing thank you notes is tedious (We had 100+ to write and it took a long time), but it is so important. Think about it- would your day have been as special if no one showed up? You may not like the gift they got you, but they were there celebrating with you, and that in itself is worthy of a thanks. I can't emphasize enough the importance of sending thank you notes. 

Maybe you're stuck on what to say? I first started by thanking them for coming, and then followed that up with thanking them for the gift they gave us. If you need a little more direction, this awesome template by Tyler should give you some great ideas! 

Maybe you're tired of spending money on your wedding and don't feel like you have room in your budget for thank you cards and postage. I think that saying thank you is important enough that you allot money for thank you notes when you first create your budget. A lot of times, thank you notes will come with your invitations. If they don't come with your invitations you can buy some in bulk, or do what we did. We created a thank you post card (they're pictured in this post); we originally had planned on taking a picture on our wedding day with signs that said "Thank You" but that detail got missed so we just added "Thank You" over one of our photographs. We bought the postcards in bulk online for super cheap and were able to save even more money on postage because postcard postage is cheaper than regular postage. If you are worried about money, postcard thank you notes are definitely the most affordable way to go.

I find that a little effort goes a long way when it comes to thank you notes. Your guests will appreciate the time and effort it takes you to send a handwritten note. It's worth the time- I promise. 

Do you think writing thank you notes is important? What are other things that might get in the way of sending out a handwritten note?

5 things you don't REALLY need at your wedding

Now let me start this post by saying... the following 5 things are things I personally felt like weren't necessary. They saved me stress and money, and I don't think my guests missed them at all!

If you choose to have these things- more power to ya! There's no judgement here- just things I felt that worked for us, that saved us worry and allowed us to spend money on things we really found important.

Like food.

We also had a fairly large wedding (approx. 170 guests), and we were buying things in large quantities, thus we tried to save where we could.

So, anyway lets get going on the 5 things you don't really need at your wedding

1. A seating chart 

Why stress yourself out trying to decide which great aunt twice removed has to sit next to crazy great uncle on your fiance's side? If there are less people at one table, and 20 people crammed around another one, who cares? Your guests are probably stoked that they can sit with people they know and actually like, and you're stoked because that's one less thing you have to worry about!

2. Tablecloths that match the shape of your table 

Let me explain this one. If you are renting a venue that provides the tables, they'll likely provide the tablecloths and you can skip to the next point. 

If you're like me and had to get tables and tablecloths separately, you have a couple of options. You could

 #1 Spend a fortune renting round table cloths. We're talking $8-12 per tablecloth (minimum) and   depending on how many tables you have, you can easily rack up a couple hundred dollar bill paying for something people are just going to spill their food on.

#2 Plastic table cloths- not a bad option (I had a friend do it and it worked great!), but I personally     wanted to leave the "cloth" in "tablecloth".

#3 Skip the table cloths and tell your photographer that their job description now includes not shooting the tables... or using magic editing powers to erase the (potentially) ugly table surface out. 

#4 Or you have option #4 which I personally thought was brilliant and saved us over $100! We         decided that we would rent square table cloths big enough to cover the round tables. We were able to rent these from a restaurant supply store (wayyyyy cheaper than wedding rental places) for about $4. 

Now I wasn't sure about this plan at first so I did what any normal person needing to make a decision would do... I googled it. And I found dozens of opinions saying that this option was incredibly tacky and to never do it. Well I decided to do it anyway, and it worked awesome! You couldn't even tell the difference with all the chairs put up against the table, and I have yet to have a guest bring up the issue of square table cloths on round tables at my wedding.

(Our dining room before it was decorated. I think the tablecloths totally worked!)

3. Real silverware and/or plates 

A lot of times your caterer will provide silverware/plates... if that's the case-great! Move along to point 4. 

If you have to figure out your own plate situation like we did, let me tell you paper plates and plastic silverware is the way to go! You can always splurge and get the nicer looking stuff, but people are going to care much more about what's ON the plate than the actual plate itself... wouldn't you agree?

(Note the plastic silverware and plates. We also brought a few empty mason jars and had my bridesmaids stick their bouquets in them for the table decorations). 

4. Super fancy, intricate, beautiful, and expensive invitations 

I LOVE some of the gorgeous invitations that we have gotten and that we saw when we were doing our own invite shopping. But for us, paying $1.50-$2.00 per invite plus postage for 200+ people just wasn't going to fly. My brother-in-law landed up designing the invitations himself and we print and cut them ourselves. Though I don't necessarily recommend a DIY approach to invites (especially if you're doing over 100), I DO recommend not spending a lot of money on them because... lez-be-honest... who doesn't just throw them in the trash after the wedding is over? 

5. Hundreds or thousands of dollars worth of flowers 

Now flowers are BEAUTIFUL and I LOVE them as much as the next girl, but this is one place that can really getcha when you're trying to plan a budget friendly wedding. 

I was fortunate enough to have an extremely talented cousin who made our arrangements with flowers we'd bought from Sam's Club. I highly recommend this route- buy your flowers wholesale and try to find someone to make your bouquets for you (paying them will still be less than a florist), or maybe teach yourself and your gals (hello YouTube tutorials) and throw a little bouquet making party the day before the wedding!

If you decide to go to the florist to avoid the hassle mentioned above- keep it simple! Do bouquets for the girls, boutonnieres for the guys and call it a day! Buying flowers that are in season or cheaper to begin with can really help you out too. 

Flowers can empty your wallet really quick if you do flower centerpieces. Instead of flowers, get creative and do non-flower options. For a fall wedding, scatter fall leaves. For a rustic wedding, place small logs with a candle on top. Try candles on top of a mirror with fake rose petals scattered around.

(Our centerpieces)

OR do what my brilliant friend did... get some interesting shaped bowls at a discount store and fill them up with chips. Add a bowl of salsa and a bottle of wine (depending on your budget) next to it and, voila! You have a centerpiece that your guests can eat... because if they're anything like me, that's all they want to do anyway. 

If your church/venue needs decorating, sometimes you can get lucky and time your wedding around a holiday (say Christmas or Easter), and the church may already have decorations (i.e. flowers) in place. 

If not, tulle bows on pews, arrangements of fake flowers, or easy DIY decorations like the cross and hearts made by my parents below would suffice.

Lights strung behind tulle or clear glasses/jars filled with ornaments or other decorative items could also be cheap options.

(Note the lights behind the tulle)

All of this is to say that a little brainstorming and creativity can save you literally HUNDREDS on your wedding. Some days I got caught up in wanting every little detail that I saw on Pinterest in my wedding. Not only did I not have the budget for it, it stressed me out! 

Just remind yourself of the priorities that you have set for your wedding (more on how we did this here) and let go of the rest.Trust me- you'll be happier, less stressed and you will still absolutely have the wedding of your dreams! 

Much love and happy wedding planning!

What other things do you think aren't really needed at weddings? Or can be skipped to be friendlier on the budget? 

Making Decisions Without Becoming Bridezilla

(this picture was taken following a bridal shower game where they had to put my

 make up on...blind folded)

As I began my wedding journey about two years ago, I remember telling my mom, "Mom I do NOT want to be a bridezilla!"

In fact I watched dozens of "Bridezillas" episodes on Netflix so I could see what not to do. So when I told my mom this, I expected her to respond "Yeah I don't want you to be a bridezilla either." {Actually, what I really wanted her to say was "Of course you won't be a bridezilla, Sarah! You're too sweet, patient, gentle, and kind for that!" hah. }

What she really said turned out to be some of the best advice that I ever got while I was wedding planning. She told me,

"Sarah, you may have to be a bridezilla at points. You're going to have everyone telling you what they think you should do, and eventually you're going to have to decide what you want to do, and how you want to do it." 

Now, when my mom said this she didn't mean be a bridezilla in the sense that I be a super rude, super self-absorbed demanding princess. What she meant was, it was my wedding, and that ultimately I (and Alex) would have to decide what we wanted for our special day. 

However long you spend wedding planning, whether it be 3 weeks or 3 years... you will find about 2.4 million different opinions about how weddings should be done. Chances are, you'll disagree with a few of the ideas.  

And thus presents the opportunity to be a "bridezilla". You need to be able to stick to your guns and make decisions in order that your wedding is what you dream it to be; not what your great aunt twice-removed dreams it to be. But it is possible to make these decisions as a bride without letting the "zilla" take over. 

* * * * *

First of all, decide on your priorities for your wedding with your soon to be hubby. More on how we did this here. Setting priorities is vital in your quest to have a smooth wedding planning experience. It helps you focus on what you really want and this helps you stick to your guns when people suggest otherwise. It also keeps you from getting too unrealistic with your expectations. 

Second, keep your expectations in check. This was probably the hardest thing for me to do. I'm a perfectionist so when life happened and people did things that I didn't expect, I got frustrated. Keep your expectations in check by talking your frustrations through with someone you trust (for me it was both my mom and Alex). If you have expectations that are realistic of your gals, the guys in the wedding, or different family members... STATE those expectations. The people in your life need to know what you want and need from them and no matter how hard you try, they probably won't be able to read your mind. Stating your expectations will prevent a lot of misunderstandings from happening.  

**side note: expectations (and those that are unmet) can become a big deal in marriage so if you can figure out how to manage them appropriately during your wedding planning, you'll be that much better off when you're officially married! 

Third, learn how to politely stick to your guns. A phrase that worked for me was something like... 

"That sounds like a beautiful idea but Alex and I have decided that this {insert what you're planning on doing} is how we're going to celebrate our day." 

The person making the suggestion may still disagree and try to convince you otherwise, but if it's something important to you then continue to be polite in your refusal... eventually they'll get the point. Sometimes changing the subject to something going on in their life (a new job, grandkid etc.) was the best way to divert attention from my wedding. 

*****

In all of this remember that it's okay to fight for what you want on your special day... after all, it's the only one you get. 

But in your bridezilla moments that are okay to have, remember to be kind, keep your expectations realistic, and at the end of the day remember the most important thing of all... 

you'll soon be married to your best friend, and that is really what matters! 

Much love and happy wedding planning! 

How to Set Priorities For Your Wedding

I've been married for a year and a half now but still remember my wedding and the process leading up to it like it was yesterday. I've had a handful of posts written on wedding planning and how to go about it in the least stressful way. Now that wedding season is approaching again, I decided I would go ahead and publish them on a series I've affectionately named Wedding Wednesdays. For the next few Wednesdays I'll be sharing my experiences, tips, and ideas for wedding planning. I hope you find my experiences helpful, and for those of you already marrieds- chime in with words of wisdom! 

_______________________________

We had some good friends get married about four months before us, and were consequently a few steps ahead of us in the wedding planning process. As we began to plan our own wedding, they wisely suggested that we set priorities for our wedding. It was probably one of the wisest pieces of advice we got during the entire process so I'm going to explain how we did it, in hopes that you will do it too! 

1. Sit down separately and write down the top three things you want in your wedding. 

Alex and I each sat down separately (we didn't want to influence the other's decisions), and wrote down our top three things that we valued at our wedding. For me, I wrote down the top three things I wanted at the ceremony, top three things I wanted at the reception, and the top three things I wanted for the entire wedding. I know this technically adds up to nine things, but it was easier for me to organize my thoughts doing it that way. 

In a culture of Pinterest perfect weddings, you are led to believe that every little detail has to be important. While the little details are important, you should be able to determine what things are more important to you than others. My lists are down below and should give you an idea of what I'm talking about when setting priorities. 

Top 3 priorities for the ceremony: 

1. Communion (I really wanted Communion)

2. First look be when I look down the aisle (I was adamant about this one from the beginning)

3. Washing of the feet (I had seen this done once before and loved the symbolism behind it) 

Top 3 priorities for the reception: 

1. Good dancing/music (I think the dance makes or breaks the wedding reception so this was my #1)

2. People to enjoy themselves (this equated to no seating plan because who likes sitting with strangers??) 

3. Good food 

Top 3 priorities for entire wedding: 

1. That the Lord would be glorified throughout the day

2. That the day would be low-stress and that I would remember that at the end of the day I would be married to my best friend 

3. Pretty location 

2. Sit down and compare lists with your fiance 

Once you have your list, sit down and compare it with the list that your fiance. Ladies, I'll say it once and I hope you hear me. It is your wedding. But it is also 100% your man's wedding too. That means he does and should get a say. I know most people lean towards the bride getting her way, but don't forget your guy only gets one wedding too and it should be something he enjoys too.

I've heard of guys whose wives didn't listen to them at all when planning their wedding, and it caused a lot of resentment later on. Girls, let your guy have a say. On the opposite spectrum of that- guys, let your girls have a say and if there's things you can let go, let them go because she's probably been dreaming about this a lot longer than you have. 

3. Compromise, compromise, compromise 

There is a 99.99% chance that when you sit down and compare lists, they won't be exactly the same. Alex hadn't really heard of washing of the feet idea (during the ceremony), but saw how important it was to me and agreed to it. Alex really wanted to write and read our own vows during the ceremony- something I wasn't too particular about so I agreed to that. We both agreed that a pretty location was important to us, so that really played into our decision of the venue. 

They say that marriage is about compromising, and that is 100% true. You can start practicing compromise when you're planning your wedding. 

____________________________________________

Setting priorities was a VITAL step in planning our wedding. It helped us determine where to spend more money (thus helping keep us within our budget), it helped keep us focused, and it kept me from being a bridezilla (more on that next week!) I will say that Alex was a very easy going groom and cared about a couple of things and let me do things my own way the rest of the wedding. If your fiance doesn't want to sit down and make a list of priorities with you, then I would tell him that he doesn't have a right to complain about something he doesn't like later on. If there's something you or your significant other care about in regards your wedding, you need to state that clearly. Setting clear expectations from the beginning will save you a lot of arguments and turmoil down the road. 

That being said, go out and set your priorities! Happy wedding planning! 

Do you think you'll be able to pick a top three priorities in your wedding? All you marrieds out there- did you set priorities when you planned your wedding?  

DIY Lyric Wall Art

After creating a mantle at Christmastime that I fell in love with, I decided to play with my design skills and create a picture that I could put on our mantle. I had seen some similar ideas on Pinterest, and had wanted to overlay the lyrics of one of my favorite songs over a picture for a long time. The song these lyrics are from is called "Love is Not a Fight" by Warren Barfield. If you've never heard it, you NEED to click that link and listen to it NOW- it's seriously one of my favorites and makes me cry every time! 

 I finally decided to make the project I had dreamed of using my favorite editing program called PicMonkey. Below, I'll show you how to make a similar project using this program. The skills needed to do this project are really basic, and you can tailor it to your tastes really easily. Choose a picture and some lyrics (or perhaps a favorite quote), and let's get started! 

1. First head over to PicMonkey.com, click on "Design" at the very top and hit "Custom". I wanted my picture to be the size of a regular sheet of paper so that I could print it at home. The dimensions you'll need to enter for a regular sheet of printer paper page is 800x1050. Click "Make it" and your blank project will open up. If you want to make different size of picture (say 5x7 or 4x6) but aren't sure how many pixels you need to make it, you can use this nifty little inch-to-pixel converter! 

2. Next, you'll want to click the "Tt" on the left and then "Add text" at the top. You can use the box on the left to play with the size and color of the words you're adding. 

3. This next step is the MOST CRUCIAL step in the whole process. You must open a new PicMonkey page in your browser, click "Edit" at the top and open the picture that you are going to overlay with your text. 

On the top left sidebar there's a small little square icon. Click on that. Then at the bottom of that menu, there will be a option that says "Resize". Once you click on that, you need to enter the exact same dimensions that your other project is (in my case I resized the picture to 800x1050). 

You must resize your photo to the exact dimensions of the other project or the picture will come out skewed when you add it behind your text. If you are planning on putting your text on a color picture, you can go ahead and click "Save" at the top and head to the next step. 

I wanted to overlay my text on a black and white picture so I went ahead and changed the photo to black and white before saving it. I did this by clicking the little wand icon on the left, clicking "Black and White" and adjusting from there. 

Once again, any major edits that you are doing to your picture must be done in this step. Once you are happy with your edited picture, go ahead and save it to your computer. 

4. Now here is where the fun part starts. Go back to your original project (the one with the text), click on the little butterfly icon on the left and then click on "Your own" at the top. From here, you should be able to go into your pictures and open the picture that you just edited. It will probably open up small like mine did below. 

Go ahead and use the cursor to make your picture as big as the white background (your picture will cover your text at this point). Once your picture is the same size as your white background, right click on your mouse and click the option that says "Send to back". 

Once you do that, you should land up with your text in front like this: 

5. From here, I decided that the black and white picture with black font was too boring so I decided to play with my picture a little bit. By using the color palette and "Fade" option, I was able to adjust my picture to have a more sepia look and make the text stand out more. 

At this point, you can adjust your picture and text accordingly. You may need to use the "Fade" tool on your picture to make your text stand out more. Play with it until you're happy with your finished product and then go ahead and save that baby! I just printed my finished project on regular printer paper at home and found a cheap black frame at a thrift store to finish my masterpiece. The whole decoration only cost $2 (the cost of the frame), and took about an hour to make. I love it because it's personalized to me- lyrics and words I love with one of my favorite wedding pictures. It's gracing my mantle now and I'm well on my way to creating another part of my house that I love!

Comment with any questions you have below! Have you ever done something like this? Do you think you might try?

{Linking up with one of my new favorites- Tuesday Talk!}

My Engagement Days: Tips from a fiance-turned-wife

 Alex and I got engaged September 15, 2012 and got married exactly one year later on September 14, 2013. Our year engagement felt a little long to us, but we now know that it was perfect timing and God's plan for us. 

We both agreed that an engagement period of at least 4-6 months is preferable. We think waiting at least four months allows you time to prepare, seek the Lord, and exercise the self-control that will be needed even once you are married. However, we know that the Lord has different plans for different couples, and we aren't in any position to stand in the way of those plans. :) 

The year Alex and I spent engaged was full of a ton of change, but there are four things we intentionally did that maximized our engagement period, later helping us in our first year of marriage. 

Doing these four things won't mean that your first year of marriage will be bliss (it might be, it might not be!), but they will help prepare you for the journey that's ahead. 

When Alex and I got engaged, we met with a couple that we both deeply respect and love. They told us something we will never forget: "Most couples divorce over problems related to communication or money, so if you can target those two things then you will have a good foundation." This stuck with us, and our marriage preparations centered around these two things, so without further introduction... 

1. Enroll in a Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University class

Alex and I had talked about money prior to being engaged, but this class took our discussions to the next level. While there are a couple of things that we disagree with, the majority of what Dave Ramsey says is sound and logical advice that every American needs to hear. Since taking this class, we have recommended it to our friends (married, single, and engaged), because we think it is SO. IMPORTANT. 

This class opens up the floor for discussion about financial matters, and more importantly gives you the tools and steps necessary to start your marriage off on the right financial foot. Even if you think you are smart with money (Alex and I would consider ourselves good with money), there are valuable lessons to glean from Dave Ramsey's principles making it so so so worth your time and money. This class addresses debt, insurance, investments, and budgeting really giving you a solid knowledge base that will allow you to make smart financial decisions and not  find yourself 10 years down the road in your marriage wishing you hadn't made the dumb financial decisions you did. 

The classes are offered at local churches in almost every town. The class costs $70-90 and is a total of 13 sessions, but I can tell you that is the best time and money that I have ever spent. Truly. The fee includes all the materials, as well as a lifetime membership allowing you access to all the online resources.To find out more, head over here . 

Alex and I had our share of disagreements and fights during our first year of marriage, but not a single one was about money or finances, and we truly credit it to taking this class. Do it. Please. (And please feel free to ask me any questions you may have about it). 

2. Get premarital counseling. 

We addressed the issue of finances with step #1, and now we're addressing the issue of communication in step #2. No matter how long you've been together, how compatible you think you are, or how well you think you communicate, you will benefit from premarital counseling. Involving a third party exposes things that you may have not talked about before, and helps you explore issues that were discussed previously but not in depth. 

Premarital counseling is almost always offered through your church (and is a requirement in some churches), or you can get it through a local counseling agency. 

Our particular course was 6 weeks long and examined rules for communicating, intimacy, and dealing with extended family, to name a few. 

One thing that our premarital counseling did not include, that we would strongly recommend, is followup after the wedding. You can do all the counseling in the world but you don't really know what marriage is like until you're actually there. Actually being married will expose issues that no amount of counseling will reveal prior to the wedding day. See if the couple or pastor or counselor who is meeting with you will meet with you once or twice (or more!) after the wedding. This followup will help you work through issues that will inevitably arise following your wedding day. 

3. Read the book, "Before You Plan Your Wedding, Plan Your Marriage."

This book is written by Greg and Erin Smalley, and gives practical advice to breaking unhealthy patterns that are likely present in your relationship. We personally read this book in our engagement period and found it to be the most helpful. This book complemented and reinforced the lessons we were learning in our premarital counseling, and we both loved the practicality of its principles (think step-by-step guide). 

I have recommended this book to all the engaged couples that I know, as well as married, and single (but dating) friends because I believe the principles the authors talk about are invaluable at any point of your relationship with another person. I only wish I had read this book earlier in our relationship because it's advice would have saved Alex and I from falling into some of the ugly cycles and destructive patterns that we did. 

The last thing I want to point out is there is a ton of literature out there discussing marriage. You could spend years pouring through all the books that have been written on this topic. And to this point I want to say- don't overwhelm yourself with 3.2 million books that you feel like you have to read on marriage. If this book sounds like it is for you, great; if it doesn't, great. 

We read two books in our year engaged and two books only. Look at your options, decide which is best for you as a couple, and don't worry about the rest. It's easy to get trapped in thinking you should read 10 books on marriage before you walk down the aisle. Choose one or two to read during your engagement period and then work through the rest after you're married. You've got your whole life to read them all! 

4. Spend time together NOT doing wedding stuff

It's so easy when you're engaged to suddenly let all the time you spend with your significant other revolve around wedding planning. Fortunately, Alex and I didn't have a huge problem with this because #1 he didn't care too much about all the details and the ones he did care about I let him have control over, and #2 I wasn't much into wedding planning myself so our time together, for the most part, didn't include discussions about table decorations, dress colors, or flowers. 

A large majority of our time was spent in Financial Peace University and premarital classes, but we enjoyed what we were learning, and we were excited to be preparing for our future together. It's easy to get overwhelmed by books, classes, and things you are told you need to do to prepare for marriage, so we tell couples to pick and choose a few things and focus on those and (politely) ignore or decline the rest. 

And one of the most important things you can do is to have fun and just enjoy each other. After all, you're getting married and it's a beautiful time of life! 

Both of us would agree that engagement wasn't our favorite season of life, but we learned so many valuable lessons because we were intentional about preparing for marriage. 

Those are the four best things I did while  I was engaged. What do you think? What other things would you add?

Linking up with a Jack of All Trades