Best Friends...

Hello Gorgeous People Out There!

I am going to sleep tonight with a big smile on my face because I spent the night with my best friend.

I actually have two best friends.  Both are two amazing women who keep me grounded and know me inside and out.

The lovely lady I saw tonight is Lisa and more than a best friend she is like a sister.  Our mother's met each other when they were pregnant with us and I was born in April and Lisa was born in May.  Our mother's are actually best friends too!

We went through pre-school, elementary, middle, high school, and even college together!  We liked the same boys (when I liked boys!), went on family vacations, were in the school plays, and always slept next to each other at summer camp.

She makes me laugh so hard I almost couldn't drive the car tonight.

There is no pressure to call or have certain etiquette.  She is family and I was so happy to see her tonight.

Do any of you have a best friend like that?

Every girl needs one or two or three!

Lisa and I at summer camp before senior year of high school

Lots of Love,

Jess

Wedding Fever and Table Ideas

Happy Tuesday Night!

How is everyone doing?

I am feeling a little crazy tonight...Wedding fever has hit.  I have been so calm and relaxed through this whole process, even doing the invitations.  I think because It Didn't Feel REAL!

Getting married didn't feel REAL!  It does tonight people...it really, really does.

About three weeks left, my best ladies have made flights and arrangements to come into town, I have a dress...Mer needs a dress.

I feel like I have a million things I need/want/have to do.

I just spent the last 45 minutes cutting out hearts to make my drink stirrers.

More importantly I need to write our CEREMONY!

AHHHHHHHH.......

I am so glad that I didn't freak out until right now.  Do some brides freak out for a year?!  I don't think that my heart or brain could take it.

However, tonight while I was cutting out hearts, I was thinking that I need to figure out how I want the tables to be set up.

Here are some ideas.

Image found on Wedding Bee

I love this theme of hearts.  It goes with our theme, but some of our tables are going to be outside and I'm worried the carefully made decorations will blow away.  Plus, we are having jars with floating candles and flowers.  Maybe too much?

Prost to the Host

I am not going to do this for each table, but isn't the heart cute  at each table setting?  Also, the DIY table cloth is going to be a definite for another party!

Nicole and Garrick's wedding by Kristin Korpos

I like the fun, easiness of these decorations.  They scream to me partay!

We are just having white linens so I have a blank canvas and three weeks to decide.

DIY Wedding Inspirations

I love this!  There is no instructions but I think all you have to do is spray on starch to make the string stiff.

Sorry I'm all over the place tonight!  A combination of little sleep, lots to do, and feeling a little manic tonight...maybe it's the Wedding FEVER!

Lots of love,

Jess

Early Morning Pre-Work Blog Obsession

Goodmorning Lovelies!

I have to start work in 20 minutes but I got here early so I was able to peruse the web while drinking my coffee.

I was looking at Elizabeth Messina's blog, Kiss the Groom, (sidenote:  her photographs are to die for/I drool when I look at them, her use of light, SWOON!) and came across a blog she suggested by her friend Hollye Jacobs.

Holy Moly, this blog is great!  It is called The Silver Pen. 

Talk about inspirational...with beautiful words, pictures, thoughts...

I could spend all day on it...but I have to work/help people with heart problems!

Definitely check out the blog...my heart feels a little less bruised because of it....

Lots of Love,

Jess

Birthday Blues and Wedding Decorations

Happy Easter/Passover/Sunday!

Today is my Birthday.  Yup, I am 32 years old today...I will tell you a secret...I don't love my birthday.  I never have, and today especially felt a little like a let down.  I think it is because we went to Florida and got home last week.  I had such a fantastic vacation and then last week after getting home it was back to the grind, not feeling great, and REALITY.  Reality of Mer still looking for a job, of my not feeling well, and struggling to get through the days...

Harsh Reality.  So, I spent today on the couch, watching bad television, napping, and avoiding my phone.  I am thinking I will listen to birthday messages tomorrow and hopefully be in a better place in my head.

I did work on some Wedding decorations though and I wanted to share them with you!

I came up with a theme for our wedding, finally!!

It is....(drum roll please)...LOVE IS AWESOME.

They are not done yet...but when they are I think each little card is going to go on the table with the napkin.  Each card is individually letter-pressed and stamped.

This is the start of my drink stirrers.  Hearts right now in all different shades of pink...I think I am going to add glitter!!  Who wouldn't love glitter heart drink stirrers?!

And a photograph of me...being sad....but it's my birthday.

If I can pull of these wedding decorations our wedding is going to be full of so much fun, homemade goodness!

Lots of Love,

Jess

Body Image and my Wedding in a Month

Happy Weekend!

I have a nasty cold today so I am just going to stay home and try and finish some wedding projects.  This entails a lot of cutting, gluing, ink, and paper.  Every art majors dream weekend!

I will have some new projects to show you next week so keep a look out for it!

Also, I will be doing artist showcase tomorrow.  I haven't forgotten but I have this other topic rolling around in head and if I don't get it out I might just scream!

I wanted to talk about body image and weight today and how it applies to weddings and particularly my own.

In high school I had an eating disorder.  I didn't get my period, exercised three hours a day, was very, very thin, and very, very unhappy.

I gradually grew out of that mind set when I started college.  I still worked out everyday, but was eating and healthy and happier.

Going into my late twenties I began to struggle with my weight and I have fluctuated between being heavier and slightly thinner in the last few years.

I trained for a triathlon two years ago and was probably at my healthiest.  In November of 2011 I was running three miles everyday and feeling great, looking forward to being super healthy on my wedding day.

Then my disc in my neck blew and a range of allergic reactions to multiple medications have made steroids my friend. 

I had to stop exercising, and as all of you know I have been fighting with pain for the last six months or so.

What this comes down too is that I am probably at my heaviest that I have been in awhile....oh, and I am getting married in a month!

I my head I always thought I would be a thin bride.  That I would waltz down the isle in a size eight body.

I am not a size eight or a size ten for that matter and this past week I have been worrying about how I am going to look in our wedding photographs.  Am I going to look ugly?  Am I going to look fat?!  Is that what everyone is going to talk about on May 5, 2012?

As I was worrying about this last night I came across a great post on the blog Gala Darling.

Here is the line from the post that stuck out to me:

"YOU ARE WHO YOU ARE. Never be ashamed of that. Own it! Love it! You only have one life."

Then I realized I don't want to worry about this!  I'm not thin right now but that doesn't mean that I'm not going to own/rock my wedding day!  I am marrying a woman who not only loves me but also tells me I am gorgeous Every Single Day.

This is who I am right now...today.  This is what I look like, what my body is.  Do I want to be healthier?  Absolutely!  Do I NOT want to worry about it on my wedding day?  Damn Straight!

Lots of Love,

Jess

 

Crepe Paper Flower Bouquet Available on LoveUPaperly

Good Morning!

I am posting extra early this morning.  Sleep is fleeting, I think I am too worried about life to sleep so instead I have been productive!

I realized that I forgot to post my latest listing on LoveUPaperly!

As you know I have been making paper flowers and I finally finished my first bouquet!

It is a range of different flowers/shapes/sizes in pink, red and white tied together with an adorable heart ribbon.

The price is only $20 for flowers that will last you a life time!

I am proud of the way the bouquet turned out!

I hope you like them and that everyone has a wonderful Thursday!

Lots of Love,

Jess

Oh what a day...and a new photographer to drool over

Hello, hello....

Oh What A Day....

I'm not even sure where to start.  You know when you feel like things just might be coming together?  Like the pieces are starting to fit into place and you can see a light at the end of the tunnel?

Then...maybe there's an earth quake and the tunnel collapses, or the light suddenly goes out, or you are missing that one piece that will complete the puzzle and your cat ate it.

That's how I feel today.  Like I just can't win.  Like there is a missing piece.  Like I am climbing an uphill battle but the hill is never ending.

I am trying not to slide back down...everyone has an opinion...my mother, my mother-in-law, my co-workers...I am trying the best I can...that's what I just said to my mother as I hung up the phone before I started to write this post in a haze of tiredness and teary eyes.

I am tired people, and just trying to hang onto whatever I can.  My top priorities are:
1.  Go to work for full day
2.  Help Meridyth find a job and be a supportive partner (biggest stress right now)
3.  Plan for wedding which is in one month!
4.  Figure out what I'm thinking in the midst of everyone else's opinions

I have so much more to say but I need to sort out my thoughts tonight and collapse on my pillows.

I do want to share an amazing new photographer that I am drooling over.

Her name is Elise Gow and man oh man is she AMAZING!

She is a photographer based out of Australia near Melbourne and her composition, lighting, and emotions captured are envy worthy.

Here are some of her images that I love:

Beautiful, right?  Check out more of Elise Gow's work here. 

Makes me wish I lived in Australia!

Love,

Jess

Back in Business!!!

Hi Everyone!

I have so missed blogging every day!  Have you guys missed me?!

Meridyth and I just got back from vacation last night.  We went to Florida to visit my parents and my sister/brother-in-law/three children one on the way.

The weather was absolutely beautiful!

We swam in the pool, saw family for a party, went to the beach, laughed A LOT, I took pictures with my Diana camera, oh and we bought my wedding dress (more on that later)!

Mer and I just got back last night, really late, and I think I actually face planted onto the bed and didn't move until my alarm went off at 7:30 a.m.

I feel like I have so much to share with you but for right now, especially since my brain in still just peaking out from vacation, I would share some pretty pictures I found around the web of West Palm Beach in Florida.  I wish I was still there!

This is how I always picture Florida in my head.  Fluffy clouds, beautiful sunrises/sunsets, dreamy light, and water!

Also, isn't this photographer great?!  All of these images are by Kim Seng.  He really captures what I think of in my head when I think of Florida and vacation.  Go here to see more of his work.  He has a blog, a monthly newsletter, and I found these images on his Flickr account...

Lots of Love,

Jess