We recently celebrated Brent’s 30th birthday. No announcement needed to be made as these face covered cupcakes told it all…
I had them delivered to Brent’s work so all his co-workers could get a kick out of them…
But it didn’t stop there…birthday party guests devoured this beautiful spread…
Using the Brent faced toothpicks!
Oh the joys of a creative and crazy wife!
What silly things do you do for your family’s special celebrations?
A sweet older friend of mine recently became a widow. She was talking to me the other day and asking me about married life. We chatted about the simple but special moments of being at home together and cooking dinner for him. She shared that of the many things she misses about having her husband around it was cooking dinner for him that she missed the most. She said now that he is gone cooking is just not the same and that she does not enjoy it any longer.
My heart broke as she shared these tender words while fighting back tears. Yet I could not help but learn from this wise woman’s experience. Enjoy your husband. Enjoy the day to day life you have. It is not about the big things but rather the daily tasks which we often take for granted that become so precious and missed when gone.
Ramblings of a paintaholic…
This morning…turn afternoon…and eventually evening, I have spent painting furniture…so that we can put away all my junk. You see, my stuff has sat in boxes for weeks because I had no where to put it all. In comes furniture I have but refuse to fill until properly painted. So here I am, painting away, and realizing I hate painting. 
So why do I paint? Not for the joy of spilling paint on the carpet, or for the fumes that make me dizzy (yes, I paint in the living room), or for the paint I pick out of my hair in the shower because I am a careless painter who dips her hair in the paint bucket…Rather, I paint because I am frugal. As I was painting I thought to myself, can’t I buy furniture already painted white? Aren’t there people out there you can pay to paint for you? I was caught off guard that I would think such crazy thoughts…but when I realized that the house was a mess and I just wanted to be done with it all, painting seemed not so fun anymore. 
But then my senses came to me and I realized why I paint. Because if I wanted to pay someone to paint it for me, it would cost much more than free furniture off the side of the road and Wal-Mart paint. I would have to go find a job…a job that paid REALLY well, to even rationalize paying for new furniture. Then as my sore wrist continued to stroke the paint brush I remembered that being at home, having the freedom to spend all day painting, was a choice. A glorious choice to live frugally so that I can choose to stay home. So as my faithful husband wakes up at the crack of dawn each morning to make us a living, I am choosing to do things that are not always enjoyable, but cheap, so that we can enjoy life and live simply on a small budget.
And at the end of the day…the outcome is well worth the work…
Another free, side of the road, find…turned into a beautiful white masterpiece…
sigh…
I saw Brent struggle to get a jacket out of the closet today. It apparently is hard to reach back into the closet when you wife’s clothes take up three quarters of the thing. So this morning I got rid of some clothes I have not been wearing. I decided I will only have the amount of clothes that can fit into our closet. A small gesture that reflects a bigger picture…respecting and sharing life with my husband…and having only what I need and/or have space for.
Someone recently commented on wanting to know more about how I strive to live a simpler life. When I read this, I thought, “Well, I sure would like to know this about myself too!” But it got me thinking to these simple things, choices I make, to make life simpler, easier, and less cluttered. As I am in this season of making a new home for myself and Brent, I hope to share more thoughts on striving for a simpler life.
A part of me feels like I missed out on fall this year because of the all the wedding busy-ness. But in the midst of unpacking and organizing, I was able to put out some fun fall items I have collected over the years to warm up our new home. 
I embellished a berry wreath with a string of fake leaves and tied on a beaded monogrammed “U”. 
Haystacks out on the porch…leftovers from the wedding. 
White pumpkins galore also from our wedding. 
Black gingham bows add a festive touch and tie everything together (no pun intended!). 
Dollar tree skulls nested among eggs. 
Filled a tray with some leaves and candles in coffee mugs to make my centerpiece have a boulder statement. 
We did not have any money in the budget this year for more fall decorations. I was a bit disappointed at first but then realized how much fun I had with my old stuff and finding ways to make it feel fresh and new with simple touches like ribbon. I am learning the harvest is plenty and I have much more than I could ever need. 
We got a whole bunch of beautiful white serving dishes that now have a home on top of the kitchen covers. I am in L-O-V-E. Little pumpkins and leaves nestled in between make for a perfect fall-ish touch. 
I love all the crisp oranges and reds of fall. It really warms up the house against all my white furniture. I also love incorporating candles. They add immediate warmth and a welcoming smell for all my fall guests.
How do you make your home feel warm for the fall?
I know, I did not mean to be gone for so long…but the whole getting married, settling in thing, was too wonderful to not give my full attention to (along with our lack of internet access…minor detail). Hopefully you all still like me and remember my name. So a month later, I am back, and I have to torture you just a little longer before I show you all our fabulous wedding pictures. But I promise there will be a post soon…it was a beautiful, amazing day and you are going to just die when you see how gorgeous it all turned out! So until then, here are some highlights of our honeymoon in Cancun…
**********************************************Our Cancun honeymoon…
A week of love…
A love for all things Mexican…
A love for adventure…
A love of being pampered… 
A love for food…
A love for hand crafted things…
A love to last a lifetime… 
A love to last till death do us part…happy honeymoon from Cancun!
**********************************************
Thank you for all your sweet wedding wishes on our wedding day (in the previous post). I have to confess I did check in on my blog the morning of our wedding to see what some of you early risers said! I was so moved by so many kind comments…from women all over the country, some I may never meet. Who were so excited for us, who were saying a prayer for us…I wish I could hug each one of you and let you know how much your encouragement meant to me on our special day. So thank you for being dear bloggy friends and sharing in my excitement for this amazing time of life! xo
Today is my wedding day… 
The day I get to marry my best friend… 
To get to spend the rest of my life with the man of my dreams…
To have someone to hold…
To share all my secrets with…
Someone who loves me and understands me for who I am…
Someone to share life’s joys and sorrows…
To have someone to put up with me no matter what…
A day where the kiss will seal the deal…
And a lifetime of kisses from the man I love… 
I have dreamed, waited, and prayed for this day…
And my fairytale is finally coming true…
No matter where I go or what I do, I will have him by my side…
To be cherished and admired…
To stay up late and talk about our hopes and dreams… 
To welcome someone home at the end of the day…
To one day have children with…
To watch the sunset together…
To hold hands with…
To just be…
I have found my match…
And today we will celebrate…
The Lord has brought us together…
To intertwine our hearts and souls into one…
To laugh together for the rest of our lives…
And to be known in a way that I never imagined possible…
To experience grace, forgiveness, and unconditional love…
How did I ever get so lucky…
I promise to love, cherish, and respect you…
And together we will do this thing called life together. 
I love you.
I will be back in a couple of weeks, ready to post as a married woman! Thank you for all the love, support, prayers, and wishes for Brent and I. We are touched and loved by my sweet bloggy friends. xo
Photos courtesy of Daly Focus Photography.
Though I love doing things myself, some things just need to be done by someone else. I had so much fun picking out these handmade items off of Etsy for the wedding. I love supporting fellow crafters and adore the touch of handmade.
Garter: Sugarplum Garters
Handkerchief: 4 My Angels
