everyone has the right to....

sparkle clutch

glitter pumps

men's gold bowtie

opi polish in rainbow connection-my own personal image!

New Year's Eve is just around the corner! So I've been thinking about all the things that SPARKLE! Do you plan on adding sparkle to your nye or even 2012? I know I do...although I don't think I'll convince the mr that he needs to wear a metallic gold bow tie! But I could sneak it on the dog! Hope everyone has a happy & safe new year's celebration! Here's to a new year & another chance for us to get it right! After all, everyone has the right to S P A R K L E!

Until next blog....

{n i n e} years

For this post I have to start out with an apology to my little blog...I'm sorry I do NOT keep up with it like I should...I honestly do not know how people do it for a living or that have more than one busy child and find the time to consistently keep up with it...maybe that should be my new years resolution! Anyways, back to my post....


Nine years ago I was a junior in high school...I can't say I know what path I was on because I think back and think about where I was headed during that time, and I couldn't tell you. I was coming off of a long list of dating the wrong guy (for me) pattern, I just witnessed the death of my beloved Memaw, and to be honest, was getting a little tired of being treated like I was a bad child at home. Not that I was perfect, but my mom insisted on being on top of me like I gave her a reason to think I was a "party or bad" girl type. I barely did anything, besides shopping...I worked, helped with my little sister, and did my chores. I was a good student and never really gave my parents reasons to worry...but for some reason, if I asked to do anything, I got "I don't know their parents", "no you need to watch your sister", "you need to do x,y, & z" yada-yada-yada. ((for the record, I'm not saying this from a whoa is me stand point, just stating the situation during that time..)) I remember thinking that if I was going to be accused of or constantly asked if I was doing certain things, that maybe I should just start. Maybe I should become a party girl...what did I care. Life was too short, and I had just witnessed a woman, who lived a good "clean" life, was full of faith, never drank, smoked, did drugs etc, suffer through a long, painful death. Why on earth should I be good when life can turn on you no matter how you live... So there you have me nine years ago, on a path looking for "bad". Now fast forward a few weeks later and cue my saving grace...


I had met him when I was a sophomore. I went to a baseball game to watch a then boyfriend play. I said hey could you go get "Mr. Wrong" for me and tell him I'm here! He said sure and was gone for a few minutes. He came back and said "umm he's sort of busy right now...". I was a little disappointed but I figured he was warming up or something for the game, but he said "I can't lie to you, he's busy playing video games & just doesn't want to come talk to you....BUT I will." Such a sweet gesture I thought, we chatted a couple of minutes, and then went on our separate ways...I thought that he was nice, but that was all... On to watch the game, after all I was there to watch my boyfriend play. A few weeks went by and Mr. Wrong & I called it quits. Partly because he was a jerk and partly because an old boyfriend, who I thought I would never hear from again that had moved to another state, contacted me again. 


So back to a Mr. Perfectly Wrong for me...a great pattern I hope that my daughter never falls into! School came to an end, summer started with me working full-time, and trying to keep up with a long-distance relationship...every so often when I would be online, the nice guy from the baseball game would "IM" me saying Hello Beautiful! I would tell him I had a boyfriend, we would chat a little, then that would be it. I spent my summer into my junior year, in and out of the hospital with my Memaw. She was becoming seriously ill and having a lot of complications. (short story on her...she contracted in the '80s, Hep C in a blood transfusion, which later turned into Cirrhosis of the Liver,which in the end took her life.) Come November 14th, we were called to go to the hospital to say our goodbye's...they turned off the machines and all day we played the waiting game. I remember thinking with each passing minute that there was a chance that she could have a miracle, wake up and be healed. I was standing there, in what almost felt like a bad dream and like forever all at the same time...starring at this woman whose life was ending too soon, who was too good to deserve this, and who I was going to miss too much. I walked up to her and I said goodbye Memaw, I Love You...and that was it. She died....the line went flat and she physically left us. I was so overcome with emotions from, she waited on me because she knew how upset I was that I didn't come up with my parents that last weekend, to maybe I shouldn't have said goodbye and maybe she would have held on longer. But it was over, she died in front of my own eyes. That was a long, silent drive home. I didn't want to talk about it to anyone and just wanted to be left alone. I got on the computer to email Mr. Perfectly Wrong about what happened...that and snail mail were our only form of communication at the time. As I was typing the email, the nice guy from the baseball field IMed me, Hello Beautiful! popped up on my screen. I typed, you don't even know me and my Memaw just passed away, I'm just trying to email my boyfriend...I don't feel like talking. He told me he was sorry and that if I needed anyone to talk to, he would listen. Pfft, what did this guy know? He didn't even know me and besides I had Mr. Perfectly Wrong to lean on...or so I thought. Mr. PW called me, told me he was sorry, told me how sorry he was that he wasn't going to be able to be there for me, blah-lie-lie-blah...A few days later I found out he had another girlfriend or 2 and that he had been lying to me all along. Whatever, I'm over Mr. Wrong's...in fact I think I'm just going to be single for a little while....In fact, I think I want to just be carefree, figure out how to get into the party crowd, and not care about anything anymore. There was no point... 


Winter-ball was coming up and a girl in class asked me if I was going. I wasn't...didn't have a dress, didn't have a date, and didn't really care. She said "would you go if you had a date? I said I don't know maybe...She said do you know Mr. Perfect For You? Yeah, I met him last year at a baseball game. Would you go with him? I guess, if he didn't have a date." Well you guessed it, he had a date. Just as friends, but he had already promised he would take her and he didn't want to do that to her. I told him it was okay, I understood, but he asked if he could call me later. So he called and we talked a little, then he said he had to go, his dad was making him do the dishes...Sure I thought, the dishes...then later I got an IM: have to finish my english paper, but I'll call you as soon as I'm done. Okay I mean really, he obviously doesn't want to talk to me. But then he sent another message: if I call you back tonight, you'll know I really like you. A couple of hours went by and I thought for sure that he wasn't going to call...but he did. We talked A L L night. Seriously from 10:30pm to 5:30am. We met up between classes and just started to get to know one another. He invited me over to meet his parents (no Mr. Wrong's in the past did that...) I invited him over to meet mine...then Winter-ball came, I went over and helped him get ready. He was going to come over to my friend's house when he was done to hang out. He came over, rang her doorbell, I answered... There he stood with a single rose and asked me to be his girlfriend...


Now I am not saying we have had a perfect relationship...but we have been there for each-other, grown up together, overcome many, many obstacles, supported and loved one another for nine years now. He was there when I wanted to spiral out of control and he let me a few times, but he always helped me back up. He supported me in any decision I have had to make. And most importantly he has loved me for just me. I don't know how he has done it, but I do know that he is my best friend. Some people say you shouldn't be best friends with your spouse, but I'm here to say, you need to be best friend's with your spouse! We wouldn't have it any other way. Who wants to go through life without their best friend by their side? I sure wasn't doing a very good job without him that is for sure!


I know I could have made this world's longest blog...but I didn't want to bore the reader. I feel like I've left so much out...but that's our nine years in a blog-shell! Feel free to leave a comment or a short snip-it about your "best friend"... I appreciate any comments, tips, or suggestions, just leave them in the comment section!

Until next blog...

it's 11.11, make a WISH!

You're invited....

to take a peek at our daughter's first birthday! She was born on 11.11 & with her turning 1 on 11.11.11, we knew we had to make it extra special! So I decided early on with a Make a Wish theme.

Here are a few of the details... (all photography is courtesy of jenny.lynn photography, message me for her info!)

Step 1: Invitations [photo below]

Have you ever envisioned something & set out to find it, but you come up empty handed? Yup, you guessed it...that happened to me in the invitation department! I thought it would be cute to have star wand invites...out of ALL the invitation places (online, etsy, & around town), I pretty much came up empty handed. And I just wasn't finding anything that I had envisioned. Then I decided, well I will just buy star shaped invitations, embellish them, & turn them into wands! Eeehhnt, WRONG! You can find lobster claws and even tequila bottles (complete with mustaches)- shaped invitations, but NOT stars! ((now that I've made this claim, they will all of a sudden appear e v e r y where like magic!)) So last resort to fulfill your vision? Call in the brother-in-law to draw the stars on a computer for you, you come up with the wording, & take them to Office Depot to print them....and yes, hand cut them allllll out :D Thank goodness for family! {wish for mommy= GRANTED!}

Step 2: Decor [photo below]

decor=glittery, stars, girlie...wishes!

1) made a ribbon garland! Super easy (time consuming, but easy!) just sewed (with thread that was my memaw's!) misc. ribbons/trims to a 6ft piece of pom-pom trim! Then bought an empty frame in the "custom" framing department at Hobby Lobby (a little tip, they sell mess-ups from people who placed an order & weren't happy or decided on something else etc!) then my wonderful mr spray painted it for me! Then I just painted a wood #1 (craft section, yes @HL) & hung it in the center! {wish for a cute backdrop for her cake smash & double as cute party decor in general (plus a keepsake I will add to her big girl room some day..) = GRANTED!}

2a) inside the china cabinet: I removed all of our china off of the middle shelf & replaced it with everything from when she was born...all of her firsts: hat, shirt, bow, blanket, pacifier, bracelets, etc...a collage frame with pics from our maternity shoot, as well as a photo from her newborn shoot & a large picture of one of her announcements & her going home outfit. I ended up liking the way it turned out so much, that I haven't brought myself to take it all out yet! 

2b)make a wish banner...would LOVE to take credit for it, but unfortunately the invitations took a little more out of me then I expected, so I ordered it off of etsy! From Little Pumpkin Papers, SUPER, SUPER cute things & I was able to do a custom order! Which I also got

3) wish tree: tags from too! I customized a star tag she already offered & decided to use them for Alivia's Wish Tree. I had it set up on a table with pens & asked guests to "make a wish" for Alivia! I thought it would be a perfect keepsake & absolutely love the personal touch it adds. In fact, afterwards, we decided this will be one of our traditions. A wish tree every year for birthdays. {traditions started = wish come true!}

4) this pic gives you a little glimpse of it all together! The centerpiece at the front of the pic was handmade by her Nana's best friend, Lana's Lullaby Cakes & Cards, she is one crafty, talented, & amazingly awesome lady!

Step 3: More Decor...[photo below]

1) another find in the HL custom frame department & another awesome spray paint job by my mr! My inspiration started here on Pinterest. I was discussing things with my (soon to be) sister-in-law "SNL", how cute I thought it would be to do 1 picture from every month! So we did it! I'm a little biased but I think it turned out perfect! It seemed to be a big hit too! Everyone enjoyed getting to see how much she had changed & grown from 0-1!

2) birthday girl dress: I kept going over & over what will she wear for her birthday...I knew a tutu outfit was last resort because (yet again!) I envisioned something different. But this time, I didn't exactly know what I had envisioned. And actually I have to be honest, I ordered this dress before I even knew/planned on using it for her birthday! I sent a pic of it to my best & asked for her opinion...it's great to bounce ideas off of people, especially ones who will be honest with you & it always helps me to come up with even more ideas when I say it out loud or even just send it in a text! So I sent it to her & then all of a sudden it needed a belt & a headband & BAM, birthday outfit had been born! SNL & I went off on an excursion to Joann's to find the fabrics for the flowers/ rosettes! SNL did an amazing job on it too I might add! She even added small broach-like buttons from my wedding shoes to her belt & one to her headband! Another personal touch that I adore! {wish for personal touches= SUCCESS!}

3) some of the table decor...bought two little glass jars+glitter+tags 1)first birthday 2)wishes + painted a chipboard #1 = part of the table decor

4) birthday wreath: found a star at the party supply store+painted an A from HL+tied it on with ribbon= TaDa Little A Wreath (already had the tiffany blue door ;D)

Step 4: Cake & Cuppycake Decor [photo below]

1) Cake for ALL! (1 tier white+1 tier chocolate= all cake lovers covered)

2) Cuppycake for ONE!

Step 5: CAKE smash SMEAR!! [photo below]

1) smash cake apron: designed/made by her Aunt (SNL)! We picked the fabrics out at Joann's. Turned out AAAAAA-dorable & she looked so cute in it with her little bloomers & cake headband!

2) cake headband from a local gift shop+custom cake banner+ONE giant cuppycake= One happy Little A. She is such a little texture person...always has been from when she was even teeny-tiny. Always wanting to touch everything...so naturally she LOVED squishing, smearing, sharing, throwing, slinging, & nibbling here-and-there on that giant cuppycake!

3) just SOME of the cake smearing damage! BUT well worth it! {wish for memories to be made= without a doubt!}

Step 6: First Birthday Memories [photo below]

1) I had THE best time envisioning, planning, & throwing this First Birthday Party! I couldn't have asked for a better memory for our daughter. I can't wait for her to look back when she is older & see just how special she has ALWAYS been to us, even from the very beginning. I realize that when they are this young, "they aren't even going to remember", but the pictures will show her, all of the wishes people wrote for her will tell her, & all of the lifelong keepsakes will let her know that she is our little wish come true!

{the wording to the right of the picture is what I personally came up with for her invitation! I thought it was just perfect & seemed to just come to me so I stuck with it! amazing how one very special birthDATE can inspire a whole theme!}

I couldn't have done any of this without my amazing mr...all of her grandparents...all of her aunts & uncle...the best...all of our family & friends...and especially our little wish come true, little a herself! I could never thank everyone enough!!!

Until next blog...

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