1st Year Anniversary

We celebrated our one year anniversary on March 26th.  We didn't do anything special, but it was wonderful.  We made dinner at home and ate the top tier of our cake

 (which was surprisingly still delicious).

I got this idea from Pinterest...hopefully we keep up with this tradition  :)

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March 26, 2011 was the best day of my life so far!  

I look forward to all the years I get to spend with Jon, 

he is truly my best friend and the love of my life! 

Jon's Mustache Bash (Part 2)

Here are a few pics of the party goers...

I really had a lot of fun planning this party! I think that everyone had a great time, and I know Jon did.  I can't wait for the next big party to plan! :)

Jon's Mustache Bash (Part 1)

Way back in February I had a birthday party for Jon for his 30th birthday.  I planned this party for over 6 months and I'm glad I did because it turned out great!  In the beginning I decided on the theme of mustaches and beer tasting.  I'm not sure why I decided on the mustaches but the beer tasting was because Jon is a big fan of beer and he's always trying new ones.  Here is a recap of some of the party via pictures...

the 'sweet stache" aka dessert bar

the delicious birthday cake

nuts and such

the hot dog bar

a little DIY project with bottle caps

another DIY project- those are chalkboard paper mustaches

homemade beer mug cake pops

the set up

welcome sign at the front door

To be continued...

Hallmark Holiday

Valentine's Day is now upon us and I must say that it is my least favorite holiday.  I always call it a Hallmark holiday because they needed something to boost their sales.  In actuality though, it is a true holiday.  The history of Valentine's Day goes a little something like this (according to Wikipedia)...


"Saint Valentine's Day, often simply Valentine's Day, is a holiday observed on February 14 honoring one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine. It was first established by Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD, and was later deleted from the General Roman Calendar of saints in 1969 by Pope Paul VI. Today, it is celebrated in over 100 countries around the world, mostly of the Western society, although remaining a full workday for all of them.  The day first became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. By the 15th century, it had evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines").
Modern Valentine's Day symbols include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cards."


So maybe the last sentence does prove my theory of it being a Hallmark holiday!


The history of me and my valentine goes a little something like this...


I had been going to the same hairdresser for quite a few years, and for all those years she and I would talk about her setting me up with someone.  She then decided she found the guy she wanted to set me up with, but it was never a good time.  I was always dating someone or he was dating someone.  Then one appointment in 2006 she tells me that she really wanted me to meet this guy and she told me all about him and asked me if she could give him my number.  I reluctantly agreed, thinking he was never going to call anyway.  I set out on an all girls spring break trip headed to Austin, TX, and what do you know?! He called on the way down there!  I'm very surprised I answered the phone, because I almost never answer a number I don't know.  I told him about the trip I was taking and when I would be home and that he was welcome to call me back when I could actually talk.  Well, he called again, when I was back home.  We proceeded to talk on the phone for a bit.  He asked me on a date...I told him it had to be a lunch date and that I would meet him there (I had to have a way out in case it went terribly wrong).  I almost didn't go on the date...I almost stood him up because I was so nervous.  But on April 19, 2006 I showed up at Chili's for my lunch date and ended up having a wonderful time.  I'm pretty sure I talked the entire time due to my nerves being wrecked, but I guess it worked out for me.  He must have thought it went pretty well himself because ever since we have been together!  He became my best friend and now my wonderful husband!! I am very blessed and thankful for that!


Here are a few pictures from past Valentine's Days...

the flowers he bought me and the coconut cake I made him
that almost ended my love for baking!

sushi dinner when we lived in Fort Worth

Jon and the chocolate sack from Windrush Grill!

This year we will both be working so we don't have any plans, which is truly okay with me.  Instead of picking out gifts for one another this year we are going to go one day and each get a massage!  I am definitely looking forward to that!  I hope everyone has a Happy Valentine's Day full of love!!

MISSING

Lately I have felt as though there is something missing in my life.  I really can't tell you what it is because I have no clue.  There seems to be this empty or lost feeling I have had and I am not too sure why.  I know that I have definitely been missing my husband.  This new job has had him on the road a lot these past few weeks and it has been rough on me.  I'm used to having the exact same work schedule and sleeping at the same times and always being able to eat dinner together, etc.  I don't want to take away from his joy with this new job by complaining, but it most definitely is going to take some time getting used to.  I'm trying to be patient and understanding! I promise!!  I am starting to get "baby fever" and maybe that is what I feel I am missing.  So many of my friends are having babies and starting families.  I definitely want children and Jon and I have talked about the idea, but I think we are both nervous about it.  It's scary to think that one day we could be in charge of another person's life for at least 18 years!  We are in the right place...we have been together for 6 years, married for nearly a year, own a home, both work and make decent money...but is that enough...doesn't it take more than that?  Is my urge to want to have a child just to fill a void?  I really don't know!  Am I feeling empty or lost because I have not put forth a lot of effort these days to really develop my relationship with God?  I have prayed about this a lot, but is there more I am supposed to be doing?  I wish I had the answers.  I wish someone had the answers.  I know that with time answers will come, but I am a planner, I want to know what lies ahead.  I need to know what to expect.  What is missing?

Masquerade Bunco

January bunco almost didn't happen.  Quite a few of the regulars, including myself, were disappointed and felt like we needed some girl time after the holidays.  I decided to host it at my house, but with the help of everyone else.   We decided to have a pot-luck dinner and each person was asked to bring a different type of food.  We ended up with so much delicious food!  I was stuffed!   This was also the first month that we had ALL 12 players! NO GHOSTS!  There were definitely a lot of laughs and good stories shared.  I think everyone had a lot of fun!

Happy Mardi Gras Y'all!

Mardi Gras Wreaths

For the past two years I had planned on making matching Mardi Gras wreaths to go on our front doors.  I bought most of the supplies I needed but never got around to making the wreaths.  This year I was determined to get it done.  All I really needed were the actual wreaths to decorate.  I was under the impression that I needed to use the fake greenery type wreath, I guess because I have one Mardi Gras wreath I bought years ago and that's what it originally started as.  After talking with a lady at Ellis Pottery I decided grapevine wreaths would work just fine.   One night this past week I was off of work and Jon was out of town so I figured it was the perfect time for a little craft project.   My mom and I went to Ellis Pottery and I got the two grapevine wreaths and headed home to get to work.

I set out all the supplies I had and tried to figure out what I would use and what would look best, etc.  I had two different types of metallic garland that I used to cover the grapevine wreaths.  They turned out better than I had expected...

Then I went to town adding and taking away and adding more things to the wreaths until I thought they were presentable.  It was a lot harder making two that needed to be opposite of each other and still making them look decent.  This is them almost complete...

I had to find a video on YouTube to teach me how to make a bow.  I still need a lot of practice, but I was able to get by this time.   I added the bows to the wreaths and a few mardi gras beads to give them some character.  Once they were finished I hung them on the front doors.  One of them I was able to use one of the suction cups I always use to hang the wreaths on the doors, but for some reason the other was not cooperating.  I found a 3M adhesive hook that I used and so far it is working great!  Here are a couple of pics of the finished products...

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

DIY Menu Board

Are you like me and tired of trying to figure out what is for dinner?  Jon and I are constantly scrambling for ideas at 6 or 7 at night which inevitably leads to us going out to dinner.  As I had mentioned before, we are trying to learn to live on a budget, and going to out to eat almost every night is not going to work.  I came up with the idea of making out a menu for a week at a time, that way we would be prepared and know what to make for dinner.  My next idea was to make a menu board that was not cheesy looking so that we could hang it in the kitchen.  I turned to google and pinterest and came up with a few ideas which led me to Hobby Lobby.  This is what I came up with...

-all my supplies-

-painted the letters-

-ironed the fabric-

-wrapped the fabric around the frame backing-

-glued the letters to the fabric-

-applied the stickers to the fabric-

-placed it all in the frame-

-hung it on the side of the refrigerator-

So far I have been good about filling it out (I just write on the glass with a dry erase marker) and sticking with the plan.  It has really helped out so far, especially with Jon and I on different shifts and working different days now.  Hopefully I will continue to stick with it and make it a habit!