I'm Lovin' It.

There are so many things I am excited about this year on my birthday, one of which is that I get to go back to ol' North Cackalacky two weeks from tomorrow to see my family and celebrate our myriad, okay not quite a myriad, I mean, a myriad feels like a whole freakin' lot, ANYWHOO, many family birthdays around the end of July and August. Mamaw's (if you don't know Mamaw you totally should) is Aug. 1, Mommy's is July 31, Mine is July 29 (the one that matters...jk, of course....), and Seester's is Aug. 9. So, yeah. Maybe a myriad. EITHER WAY, its a lotta burfdays. So, when pondering my birthday wish list this year and I noticed a blender had made the cut, I paused. I mean, a blender, really? I immediately scratched it off because I am wayyy to young to be putting appliances on my birthday list right? Unless it's a bread maker of course. No one could ever be too good for some delicious home made bread. Can you tell I'm tired? Yes ma'am...

I am a dessert now rather than later kind of girl. When my mom told me I was going to be sent my first birthday present here to IA, 10 days early, I just became giddy. You have to understand what the gift was! Drumrolll please.......


Tada! A Hobo International "Lauren" Clutch in Coral. I have been wanting one of these suckers for way too long now. Don't know what a "Lauren" clutch is? Well I'll show you! I'll even include the description!


Get excited. Thanks Mom and Dad!!


Well, even more exciting than this new girl toy is the thought that a year ago on my birthday, I was having the most exciting night of my life (at that point....bah!) and was asked on a simple birthday date with my wonderful boyfriend Graham Ashe. I was running a little behind, but hero Graham to the rescue saved the day and made the most romantic lakeside birthday dinner for me. As it was getting dark I hear Graham ask, "So do you want your birthday present now....or later..." We've already discussed this. I'm a dessert now person. So he gets out the infamous album with the ring box in the back. I was so ecstatic and called friend after friend after friend all the way home to Winston-Salem, NC to find out they were all in my kitchen waiting for me to celebrate with them!! I was the only one left out of the secret...I'm still impressed babe!


It is so hard to believe it has already almost been a whole year since our engagement! What an amazing, whirlwind of a year it has been and will continue to be, that's for sure. Although it will be hard for Graham to top last year's birthday present (ha!) I'm just so thankful that I will get to spend this birthday as my first with such a wonderful husband.

New Years Resolutions

So I understand we all make these silly little things called New Years Resolutions every year, usually something supposed to make us a better and healthier person (or not, depending on your preference...). I have never successfully kept any of mine. I mean, a year is a long time!! Well, I thought 2010 would be a good year to start!

On January 1, 2010, I promised myself I would train for a half and then a full marathon. When I found out we were moving, the half marathon I had already scheduled and paid for (boo) in April in Charlotte, NC was obviously no longer an option and I was discouraged. Thankfully, I have met a couple amazing girls to train with here in CF and I am back on track! Please be praying for no injuries and discipline as I try to conquer this goal!

September 11, 2010: Park to Park Half Marathon in Waterloo, IA

October 17, 2010: IMT Des Moines Marathon in Des Moines, IA

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

Hebrews 12: 1-3

"Real Girls Shoot Guns"

My BFF from high school was a mad rifle shooter. And I mean, mad in the sick sense. She even had a shirt that donned the title to this blogpost. I totally wanted to be as cool as her when I grew up someday...WELL...Over July 4th weekend, I finally got my chance! First of all, let me get things straight. I'm not a hunter. I never will be a hunter. And as much as my darling husband wants to bring home a stuffed deer head one day, I will have to stay as far away from the thing as possible to avoid bursting out in tears every time I see it. Okay, I'm not actually that bad, BUT I'm just not into killing innocent animals for the joy of a trophy corpse on my wall. 'Nuf said. HOWEVER, getting the thrill of shooting a gun at some colored water filled bottles and targets, way more fun than I even thought it would be!! One of my crazy classmates from high school/Graham's lifelong friend/one of the groomsmen in our wedding, Chris Gilpin, was insane enough to drive form Denver, CO all the way to Iowa for the 4th holiday! Not just to see us, of course, but his gorgetta girlfriend Taylor who is originally form a little town called Ottumwa about 2 hours directly south of Cedar Falls. We had a blast playing putt-putt at maybe the most well kept secret hot spot in all of Ottumwa, enjoying a delicious dinner prepared by Taylor and shooting the guns owned by her Father, who served in the Army. It was great getting to see our awesome friends and making new memories in a totally new place! Here are some pics for you to enjoy:

Us at the sweet putt putt course

Notice the obstacles we had to avoid

I totally got a hole in one on the 19th hole (yes the 19th hole) so I won a free game! Can't wait to drive back down a couple of hours away to use it! (Who am I kidding, it's already framed on our wall.)

Lookin' good in our glasses and white t's

Awesome couple #1

Awesome couple #2

Yes this happened.

I married him for his sexy socks.

Chris lending a helping hand

So proud I hit 2 bullseyes from 100ft away laying down!

In other news, we went back to Cedar Falls on the 4th to enjoy the fireworks...which were cancelled and rescheduled for the 5th. Which were then cancelled and postponed until next July 4th. I mean, come on people! July 4th with no fireworks???

We also got a grill. Holla holla holla. It's cute ain't it?

Hey Soul Sister, Ain't That Mister Mister...

Okay, so I just had to put this as the blog title, because, bless you Train, and Satellite Radio, you have officially embedded these song lyrics into my head forever. Everytime I hear, "Heeyy, Heyy, Hey....Your lipstick stains..." I'm like, okay, here we go again. For the eleventyith time today. (Yes, eleventy is a word.)

Speaking of songs that I do like deep down inside but would rather eat mushrooms than hear again (you'd understand if you knew how much I loathe mushrooms)...let's talk about Angel by Sarah McGlaughlin. I mean, very touching, but after being scarred by the SPCA commercials and all the sad puppy/kitten faces, I really cannot hear the song without bursting out in tears. Thinking I was as far away from TV commercials as I could get on Friday night at our annual Cedar Falls downtown festival "Sturgis Falls", sure enough I walk up to the bandstand just in time for the talent competition and a 15 year old girl striking the first notes on the piano to none other than Angel. I immediately grabbed Graham and headed for the freshly popped kettle corn stand for something that can warm my heart no matter the background music! (Thank you cute old men and wal-mart for sponsoring such a delightful treat.
After the Angel/Kettle corn save, we headed over to the Tourist Park area to enjoy some jazz/good ol' rock n' roll with some friends. I just love outdoor festivals, especially when the band plays Don't Stop Believin' and everyone is feelin' groovy. About 10:30 PM, the nightly storms rolled in and the band was cut short by the impending rain and Sever Thunderstorm Warning for Black Hawk county. We headed up to Main St. just in time to chant U-S-A, U-S-A for hopeful good luck on the US-Ghana soccer game Saturday...well, we all know how that one turned out. I also aquired one silly bandz, a bright orange dinosaur, from a friend and refuse to take it off. Not even for the wedding I coordinated on Saturday. Now that's dedication. I feel like my nieces and nephews would be so proud of their "cool" Aunt. Little do they know, I'm almost 23 years old and still love 6 year old gear like silly bandz. Go figure. :) If you have not yet discovered the revolution of silly bandz...here you go!

Before:

After:
Pretty sweet, I'd say. I mean, I love them now, I really cannot imagine how amazed I would have been with them when I was 5...just sayin'. Don't worry...I just have one :)

Saturday was an epic wedding. 350 people, out in the 95 degree heat (it's not a dry heat if youre wondering...like that would be that much better anyway) and although the wind is usually blowing, it was, of course perfectly still. The ceremony was out on the concrete terrace at 4:00pm. Perfect. The hottest point of the day. Men were walking back in to the gallery/ballroom absolutely drenched in sweat. I felt so bad for them. We went through 3 water coolers just out by where the ceremony is when we usually don't even make it through one! Also, for these 350 people, myself and another coordinator, who is due on the 5th, yes of July...bless her heart, had to tie chair ties on the back of each and every chair in the ballroom. After 4 hours and one quick subway run, we were done. Not to mention all the OTHER details that had to be taken care of behind the scenes. I mean, we are the ones that are supposed to stress, not the bride or mother of the bride, right? Well, I was definitely feeling it on Saturday, but don't worry, it went off without a hitch! (Except for the bride and groom of course...ha! I'm super funny if you haven't noticed.)

Yesterday, Graham and I finally got some "us" time and were able to go see "Grown ups" which I would definitely recommend! I thought it was really funny, of course a tad dirty in parts, but that's to be expected these days I suppose. Overall a really quality movie with hilarious moments, moments that will make you teary and with a great message at the end. So, really, if you don't want to pay the overpriced movie theatres for your entertainment, you need to get it for a dolla when it's in that red box. Totally worth the laughs.

Graham and I are invited to go over to the Cedar River with one of his clients to go out on their boat/jet skis on Thursday afternoon, so pray for good weather and no injuries. I know how Graham and I get on jetskis and it could get ugly. Just sayin'. Stay tuned...

Sweet Blog

Rachel, who I did on of the paintings for, wrote the sweetest blog about the painting. I'm so thankful for our friendship! Check it out here!

Things That Make Me Happy

So...it has been quite a while since my last post, huh? Well, it has been a crazy couple of weeks that's for sure!! Since I last wrote I have experienced a ton of things that have really made me super happy. Here's the list of the big ones:

1. Mystic Tan: I bet you weren't expecting this one, huh? So, last Tuesday, before I flew down to the Atl to visit my sister, I decided, since we were headed to Six Flags White Water on that Thursday, that I should save a few people from blindness and go at least "try" the spray tan. Let me give you some context. The last time I tried a spray tan, I went with some of my best friends from high school a couple of days before our Senior prom. Needless to say, after 5 min of awkward encounters with the girl actually spraying the tan on you by hand, I woke up the next morning...polynesian. No joke. Straight up another race. So, if you have seen any of Graham and my senior prom pics (yes, he was my date--but he didn't take me. No I'm not bitter ;)) that will explain the questions you have in your head. After almost 6 years of no spray tans, I decided there must have been some advances in the system since then and I will not turn out as dark/burnt orange as I was before. I walked in to TanWorld in Cedar Falls, IA really expecting the worst and walked out very satisfied. This is because the spray tan goes on clear. HA! Well, after sleeping on my spray tan this time, I woke up perfectly bronzed. Even more ecstatic, I was ready to take on the Water Park. And, except for a ride called Dragon Tales (which I would put on my things I HATE list if I was making one) I, with the help of my sister and her friend Jackie, conquered it like champs.

2. Polite little boys. I know this one is random, but when we were all at the water park, this one little gentleman of an 11 year old, who had a crush on us, and we on him, followed us around most of the day hanging our tubes/water sleds up for us, letting us choose which ride to go to next, telling stories of all his scars (including the latest where he fell through a fish tank...don't ask.) and making me hope upon hopes one day, if Graham and I have a little boy that he would grow up to be just as wonderful as our new friend. He must have a really great mom ;).

3. Fresh Pineapple. I just cut up a brand new one and am snacking on one as I type. This was a random addition to the list, but I believe appropriate.

4. Painting. I have posted a couple of different things on here that I have painted in the past, but I was able, with my day off yesterday (another thing I really like!) to paint a couple of things for friends to whom I had promised paintings long ago. The first was Graham's bosses' wife Rachel, who is such a sweetheart and loved the painting I did in our living room (see past posts if you missed that one). So, I did a similar painting for her for their new house! Check it out!

The second painting I did yesterday I had a TON of fun with! My friend Stacy who just had a baby (check out the newborn pics I am getting ready to upload to my photography blog!) had mentioned really loving this one piece of art on potterybarnkids.com, but all of us who are pottery barn lovers know, unfortunately, most things are extremely over priced. This painting just happens to go for $249.00. So, I took it upon myself to do my own little version of this for Stacy's little girls' room for just a smidge under that price. Try a $5.o0 canvas and $5.00 worth of scrapbook paper. Just so you can compare (for funsies, you know--I'm definitely not trying to claim this as my own idea! It's way too cute!) this first one is pottery barn's version on the Website and the second is the one I did for stacy. What do you think??

That's all for now, but I'm sure I will be adding to this shortly! (My wonderful husband just walked in the door and I must go give him a hug!)

Let the Work Blogging Begin!

So, yes. I'm on day 5 at work and I'm already feeling confortable to blog. OR is it that since I'm having to grab events as we get them, I'm just a little bored at times?? Ha! Either way, so much has happened in the past week and it has all been WONDERFUL. I started my job last Wednesday, and shadowed my first wedding on Friday!! Talk about alot of overwhelming information! The wedding on Friday, although not my style, was an overall success. Oh wait...there was a small kitchen fire that set off one of the sprinklers in the kitchen, made the fire alarms go off and flooded the water system in the building. Needless to say, the head coordinator, Jen, and I had a few little damage control issues to deal with (and all an hour before the ceremony I might add!!). After flushing the toilets in the bathroom about 20 times each (trying to get rid of the brown rusty water--which looked like poopy water) and letting all of the faucets run for about 40 minutes each, we barely survived and were able to finish filing the 250 water glasses about a minute behind schedule. This ended up working out in the end anyway, since the ceremony/receiving line lasted longer than scheduled. It was definitely a long day, but a glance into what I get to enjoy for my time here in Cedar Falls (hopefully!). There really is nothing quite like saving an event from disaster, all without the Bride/Groom/Family knowing and having everything go off without an obvious stitch. Thank you so much.

After the crazy 13 hour work day on Friday, Graham and I came home to furiously finish cleaning the apartment and getting everything ready for our crazy weekend with Laura and Drew. Let me tell you what. A weekend filled with crazy friends, drinks, music and food makes for an amazing time. The twins game was great! It was an amazingy beautiful day, we had seats in the shade (perfect temperature and less sweat) and the rooted for the home team (of course) and they puled it off! The only dissapointing moment was Laura and I missing the 7th ining stretch "Take me out to the ballgame" to go to the bathroom. No worries, though, we sang it together after the Twins' next score, so we made up for it. That night we headed out to dinner at "The Newsroom", which, if you are EVER in Minneapolis (which I LOVE by the way...I hope we move there NEXT!) you have to eat dinner at this place. GREAT food, GREAT drinks, GREAT service. Need I say more?? I mean, come on, mine and Laura's drink was called "The Dingo Ate Your Berry". Loves.

On Sunday mornig, which looked cloudy in Minneapolis, we drove back down to sunny Iowa and caught the hippy (literally) bus up the river to float down a river in the sun for 4 hours. You might think this could get boring or monotonous, but believe me, it was one of the best decisions I have EVER made. I was most surprised that the water was actually MUCH warmer than the water would have been in NC at this time of year! Go figure?

On Monday we headed up to Madison, WI to take our two visitors back to the airport (sad day) and stopped on the way in beautiful Dubuque at the Star Brewery. We visited here when Graham's parents came up to visit, but I wasn't able to eat anything since I had ben sick, but I remembered how awesome the food looked at the time and knew we had to go back. We sat outside on the terrace (another beautiful day!) overlooking the Mississippi River (so surreal) and enjoyed some absolutely delicious food.

Thanks again to Laura and Drew for flying all the way to see us and for such an AMAZING weekend! We miss you already! For anyone else that wants to come experience the awesomeness of rock n' row adventure tube ride down the river, please come visit! I know we are DEFINITELY going back before the summer is over! Well, that's all for now, I guess I'll go try to be productive in one way or another :).