wedding update...and a handmade gift!

I'd like to say I'm not one of those brides that feels overwhelmed - that everything seems to be falling in place with practically no stress or effort on my part...but that would be a big lie. I am for sure enjoying the planning process, however, it does sometimes feel like a full time job- on top of a full time job. Squeezing in meetings on lunch breaks and weekends really takes a toll on your "social life" and everyday normal routines. I am beginning to understand why brides only talk about their upcoming nuptials! It's because that's all they have been doing! With that said, I haven't been blogging because it just seemed like something else I had to add to the to-do list and no one wants me to blog like it's my job, right?!

 In any event- on the topic of weddings, I would like to post about my dear friend, Diane. She was in town after the holidays visiting her in-laws and me, of course! As an upholstery apprentice in South Carolina for the last 6 months, Diane offered to reupholster one of my "side of the road" lazy-boy finds as a gift for our wedding. She came into the house with all her power tools and took over for 3 half days until the chair was complete. I'll tell ya, I am still overwhelmed when I look at the finished product and I'm in awe at the wealth of knowledge she has collected in her new position; and on top of that, the fact that she has chosen to share her time and talent with me is really the ultimate gift. Diane- I applaud you and your bad-assery :)

This improved 1978 lazy boy is now a point of contention between Tison and I as we now argue over who gets the recliner! :) Thank you again for all your hard work! We love it.

after ballooning...

{Saturday: birthday weekend}

I was up so early for my ballooning adventure on Saturday that I wasn't even sure what to do with myself at 7:45 am when I was done. I went and had coffee with my parents, then met with Chessi and Stafford for a champagne breakfast. We picked up Another Broken Egg to-go, played with Stafford, and did some yoga. {my hamstrings are STILL sore!}

He is such a ham ;) After I left Chessi's house, Lauren and I went to Hollywood Nails in Pierremont Mall for pedicures. The electricity when out in the middle of it, leaving the massage chair punching into my back and my feet in cold water, but my toes look pretty in purple! When I got home, Tison asked me what I wanted to do for the evening and "lasagna" burst out of my mouth. Soon we were on the way to the store to get ingredients for homemade lasagna and a bottle of wine, of course.

Blame it on my age or on my early wake up call, but a tv tray with my favorite dish and complete control of the remote is my idea of a good night.

Thanks for the excellent service, Tison. Dinner was delicioso! Do you like my outfit? Fancy, right! And yes, I have Strawberry Abita in my hand and wine on my tray. After all, it was my birthday weekend!

love actually is all around...

Earlier this week I was invited to join in my friend Daci's little winter tradition of watching Love Actually and drinking the first mug of hot chocolate. I was surprised to find homemade hot chocolate and marshmallows with toppings galore upon my arrival! What a treat! I am sure her dog Ike must have helped :)

"Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often, it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know, none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaking suspicion... love actually is all around."  - Love Actually

rainbow cake continued

{inspiration pic by nicole hill gerulat from A Little Sussy}

{We used 2 boxes of white cake mix separated into 4 bowls and added the neon food coloring.}

{Once you get the preferred neon color you like, try the batter (of course) and pour into 4 individual 8" cake trays. Then pop those puppy's in the oven for about 24-26 minutes.}

{While the cake is baking you can start on the cream cheese icing. We just chose a simple butter, cream cheese, vanilla, and powdered sugar blend. After the layers were done, we put them in the freezer for about 20 minutes, but it probably would have been better if it was even longer than that. What I DID NOT do was level off the cake layers with a sharp knife, so unfortunately the cake turned into the leaning Tower of Piza!! Did I mention that this was my first attempt at layering a cake!?}

{So we just went with this leaning tower cake and added sprinkles that matched the layers. I was so nervous about transporting this cake to work the next day. Needless to say, we made it and Diane love it.}

{Even though it may not have been perfect and even though it eventually toppled over ... there was only a little bit left by the end of the day! Operation Layer Cake COMPLETE!!!!}