Slideshow!

I have my slideshow of our wedding and reception!!!

It's really great, and it brings back so many wonderful memories! Melanie did such a fabulous job, and I'm so thankful that we chose her to capture our day.
So, without further ado, our slideshow - set to Michael Buble's "The Best is Yet to Come", which was our first dance!

If you're having any problems viewing it, go here.

One of my favorite things

*picture from here

There's not much really to post today, so I thought I would share one of my favorite things. I really love pineapple. I could eat it every single day...and on my honeymoon, I did! One time, because I didn't want it to go bad, I tried to eat only pineapple for dinner. There is a lot of acid in pineapple, so I wouldn't recommend doing this - my mouth and lips were pretty sensitive the next day.

I was inspired by Anne over at the City Sage who for 5 days is posting about something that made her happy that day. I'm tweaking it just a bit, and I'm going to share 5 of my most favorite things. And lest you be suspicious of my deep love for pineapple, feel free to ask my husband!

My coffee table

Voila!
It is the "Taka Trunk" from Crate and Barrel:


I really like it because of all the storage space in it... for all the DVD's that JJ seems to think are his chew toys (seriously). I also like it because it's handcrafted and doesn't look "perfect" - which will be very forgiving over the years to come. Little scratches and fingerprints and knicks won't be as apparent. Also, it ties into the old kitchen table I have.
I love really clean and modern things, as well as styles like Hollywood Regency, but short of replacing all the furniture I have and completing a total interior re-do of my house (which is a more traditional ranch), they don't quite fit. I loved my loft because the contrast of the modern/industrial architecture gave some of my more traditional furniture a little more of an "edge". I love that contrast between new and old, and I do like mixing it. But I'm also a big believer in not trying to force a "look". If you weigh 300 lbs., maybe skinny jeans aren't for you. And if you live in a suburban ranch that is more traditional, and you have fairly traditional furniture, you're not going to get a "loft" look by adding or subtracting a few pillows. All I'm saying is that good design, I believe, works with what you have. Now, if you have the budget to allow a total re-do.... that's great! Go for it and get the look you want! But, many of us don't, so trying to make the best of what you have with what you can afford is where real creativity can shine.
I love my new coffee table, and I love my kitchen table - which has been in my family over 35 years (and was an antique before that). I love them because they have character and they make me feel comfortable. So I'm really happy that my new purchase blends in so well with what I have going on so far.

I will definitely have to give a virtual house tour... when my house is a little more clean! I do have some ideas for new pillows, which I'll share, and my kitchen still has some things left to be done as well. We're going to tile the countertops, and I'd like to add some decorative paint accents to the walls (just not 100% sure on that yet, though). A 1979 ranch house is never done... ;-)

Interesting list....

I saw this over at Jenny Gentry's blog and thought it was pretty interesting, so I decided to steal it for my blog too!

Here's the rule: Bold the things you've done & post on your blog!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma.
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year's Eve
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

My husband is so cute

He added this pic to his blog - this is from our honeymoon in Cabo, when we went on the zipline tour. They also take you rappelling, which is kind of intimidating! But I think what's cute about this pic is that he was terrified of doing this! He doesn't like heights - at all - so this was really scary for him to do! But now that he's done it, and had a good time, he's proud of it!

Snow Day!!

Well, at least in the blogosphere....
As pronounced by Sabrina, we are having a snow day. In all actuality, we in the Dallas area came close to really having a snow day today as it starting sleeting on the way home from work last night and was in the 20's overnight. But, no real snow. Just a little ice. A windshield to scrape....

So here's our weather forecast:

A Winter Weather Advisory continues for most of North Texas (including the Metroplex) until 4pm.

Although most of the rain has ended, there is still some very light drizzle or wet roads from last night, and that's means icy spots, especially on bridges and overpasses.

TODAY: Cloudy,Cold, Mist & Freezing Drizzle Possible. Slippery roads until lunchtime. HIGH: 34. WIND: N 5.

TONIGHT: Cloudy & Cold. Some Fog & Freezing Fog. Some Slippery Roads Wednesday Morning. LOW: 32.

TOMORROW: Mostly Cloudy. Isolated Showers. HIGH: 53.

THURSDAY: Mostly Cloudy. Isolated Showers. HIGH: 63.

FRIDAY: Partly Sunny. HIGH: 70.

Do you see that??? The high on Friday is going to be 70! Crazy....... we have crazy weather. Not that I'm complaining about 70 degrees.... but it's just crazy.
Today, though, it is in the 30's. And windy. Don't forget the windy part. Yesterday morning on the news, they were like "Right now, it's blah-blah degrees outside, but with the wind it feels like it is 9."
Excuse me? NINE DEGREES???
This is why Texas winters suck sometimes. It can get really cold - just as cold as all those places up north that have snow. But do we get snow?? Very rarely. I say, if it's going to be this cold, the least we could get is a little pretty snow to look at!
Oh well, at least we are having a snow day here in blog-o-land!


**UPDATE**
LOL!! Unfortunately, the last time I saw snow like this (below image, from Sabrina) in Texas, it was about 5 years ago! ;-) I didn't even get a dusting at my house last night. Just sleet. And freezing mist - whatever that is.

They're up!

My pictures are up over at Elizabeth Anne Designs!!
It's so exciting to see them - I can't wait to see more! They've all turned out so beautifully.

I'm not the only blogger in the house anymore!

That's right! Chris has started his own blog too! It's not as warm and fuzzy as mine (he is a "man" afterall, and doesn't care as much about pretty stuff...) - but he is hoping to make it kind of like a travel blog with tips and advice. He said he was kind of inspired to start it because of me!

You can find him at Travelingforaliving.blogspot.com

It's our 1-month anniversary, and this native Texan boy has to spend it up in Montreal!!! If you feel as sorry for him as I do (it's cold up there!!) it would be great if you would stop by and just show him a little love!

*************
And by the way... Elizabeth Anne Designs is showing more pictures from my wedding today!! I understand they are having some problems with the host, but check back a little later to see some more pics!!! I will be posting more this week here as well as soon as I get them!

One month ago....

I said "I do".....

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care...

*sigh*
These are so pretty.
Damn budget.

These stockings are from B.Viz Designs. They are gorgeous, made from vintage suzanis. One of these days, those rugs will be out of style and the vendors won't be able to give them away.... and that's probably when I'll be able to afford to have one of these in my house!

I'm it!

I was tagged recently by Jenny.Lee to share some random facts about myself.... so here goes!

First of all, here are the deets:
1. Link to the person that tagged you
2. Post the rules on your blog
3. Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself
4. Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs
5. Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.

So here are 6 random facts about me:

1. I LOVE the new coffee table we just got (with help of gift cards from our wedding). I often just sit and stare at it.... and yes, I realize I'm a dork.

2. The old "Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer" special - you know the one with Herbie the dentist, Yukon Cornelius, Clarice the doe - is my absolute favorite. I watched it every year when I was little, and now it brings a tear to my eyes when I watch it. It's so sweet - that Island of Misfit toys gets me every time!

3. I am the world's slowest reader. Luckily in college I'd only have to read something once, because I retain and remember almost all of it. But it takes me forever to get through just a "fun" read like a suspense/murder mystery (which is my favorite type of book).

4. I hate horror movies. I love mystery and suspense (and even some sci-fi and supernatural), and it's not the blood so much that bothers me, but I don't like movies in the true "horror" genre like "TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE" or "SAW".

5. I think I'm addicted to Diet Coke.

6. I'm allergic to beer. Well, actually the hopps in beer. Not so allergic that I break out in hives and can't breathe, but enough that even 1 to 2 beers would make me sick and give me a massive headache! I haven't had a full beer (I've had a very few sips here and there - very few) for over 10 years now. I do like wine, mixed drinks, and the malt beverages like Smirnoff Ice though!

Jenny.Lee also passed on the

And the


Thank you!!!

I choose to pass these off to:

the Introverted Wife
Linda at Silly Little Mischief
Amanda at Peony::Love
The Newlyweds Next Door - who's already shared her quirks, but I think her blog is fabulous!
Sarah at Downtown Southern
Krista at Canadian Bride

Holiday Wreaths

Holiday decorating can be so much fun - there are so many different things you can dress up, so many different styles! I mean, what other time of year can you get away with decorating a pine tree inside your home with twinkling lights, bows, and ornaments??

Today I thought I would show off some wreaths I'm loving!

This is a very modern way to display wreaths - on their own, each wreath is very simple. But en masse, this repetitive pattern really makes a statement! I may have to try this next year, it would be so simple to do. (And by the way, I am loving the color of this wall!)

After years of having a monochromatic tree, I am really drawn to the colors in this ornament wreath.

This would be another really simple look to replicate. I like that it almost becomes like artwork over the fireplace.

This succulent wreath is something that's really unusual, and something that after the holidays you could replant and enjoy all year long!

I've never thought about attaching utensils to a wreath, but with a patina on them these make for a pretty cute wreath you could use in the kitchen or dining room.

The idea of using two wreaths here imitates a bulls-eye pattern. Once again, a simple look to replicate!

*all images are from MyHomeIdeas.com

New stuff is coming out all the time!

My first post is up over at Elizabeth Anne Designs Living. I'll have a column every Tuesday!

Also, my recap is up over at the original EAD - but still no pro pics! Ugh. I *thought* I would use a pic from our wedding on our Thank You's, but at this rate I don't think so. Of course, I still need to tackle the Thank You's..... but I have the cards ready.

Actually, speaking of Thank You cards, Target has a new line of stationary called "Letter Impress" from Gartner Studios - they have letterpress-like designs on cardstock that you can then print on from your computer. They have invitations, Thank You cards, etc.... and they're all really really cute! And affordable!! I may have to think of a party or something so I can have a good excuse to use the invitations....


For my pack of 50 Thank You notes and envelopes, it was around $13, which wasn't too bad!


The black "Thank You" design is pressed into the cardstock... almost like a true letterpress.

There's always something new and better coming out!! Maybe tonight I will get busy with the Thank You cards.... a good fire, a nice glass of wine, and Thank You cards! Sounds like a Tuesday night plan to me!

Wise advise

Okay, so maybe it's a little hard to read.... but it says:

"To be mature is to accept imperfections."

Honeymoon, part deux

Here are a few more pics from our honeymoon!
Oh, and the date on the first one was the actual date that we were there...

Honeymoon in Cabo

I am sorry to be so slow to get all of this up... just found out that my professional pictures are going to take longer than I anticipated to get back. :-( And I've really been looking forward to showing them all to you. Now, by the sound of it, it may be the new year before I can get them up!
Oh well.
So, in the meantime, especially since it's getting cold in most places, I thought I'd share some of our honeymoon pictures. We went to beautiful Cabo San Lucas!! The weather was wonderful and perfect. Warm, but not too hot. Cool in the shade. Low 90's in the daytime, but it dropped off to the 60's at night. It was gorgeous!

This was pretty much me most of the trip: hair pulled back and no makeup! Our flight out there left early Monday morning, and we needed to be at the airport by 7. But it was all worth it!!


This is a shot of the marina. We took a boat out to Lover's beach and around the arch area. I'll post more pics of all that tomorrow, it was an interesting day to say the least....


The famous arch - this is where the Sea of Cortez meets with the Pacific. The rock formations out there are really really beautiful and majestic.


Another view from the boat. Here I am pointing out our resort! But this is a pretty view of the coastline from the Lover's Beach/Arch area.


Here is the view of our room - the balcony was behind me to the right. But it was a really nice room - the resort was really pretty and really really clean!!! Great news when you're in Mexico!

Here is a picture of me in front of the main pool at our resort, with the ocean behind us. This was the evening of the first day - and we were both really happy to be there!

Here is a view from the beach in front of our hotel. There were cruise ships there most days - they would dock as the passengers went off to the Marina. Even though they were far off, they were huge!! Beyond them is the Arch area and Lover's Beach.

A picture of us at the swim-up bar at our hotel. It was an infinity pool overlooking the ocean - so pretty!

This is the other side of the swim-up bar - the walk-up side of it! The resort was really pretty - all of the architecture was the stucco/adobe look, with palm trees and desert plants.

Okay, can I go back now? We had such a wonderful time. It was really really a perfect honeymoon. Even though there were a few interesting situations (more on that later), we both had a wonderful time just getting away together. Awwwww........ ;-)

I thought Cabo was wonderful, and I'd recommend it to anyone. Most of the beaches you can not swim off of, but there are some that you can (like Medano Beach and Lover's Beach). The people were soooo friendly, and the cost of the vacation was very reasonable.

Lazy Thanksgiving

I'm sorry that I've been absent for a while.... we spent a lazy Thanksgiving going to my parents' house Thursday, but generally vegging on the couch and around the house. It was so nice to have time to kind of get back to "normal" after the wedding and honeymoon excitement. We got our tree up, some decorations out, and some wedding gifts put away - but other than that, we were totally lazy!!!

I don't really have any new pics to share... but I will, hopefully soon!

Tonight I'll get on and post some honeymoon pictures, I just didn't plan my time well last night, and I didn't get time to do it. But I've got those, plus a tasty recipe to share with y'all too!!

Hope everyone is doing well and had a lovely Thanksgiving!!

A few more pictures....

This last one is from Sunday, after our "day-after" shoot. We came home, still all dressed up. These our our "kids", for now!