Mom is here!

I know I'm a big girl now, but throughout my life I have always been very close to my mom. When I'm sick, I don't want anyone but mom to take care of me. Now, she's not just my mom, she's one of my best friends. After Ben left she came up a week later-  what a perfect time for her to come, get my mind off him being away (AND replenish my coffee and splenda supply)! Yes, to the left there, you'll see the 1000 packets of splenda and 7 bags of coffee that she brought me. :) Gotta have some way to roll out of bed in the morning!


I can always tell when mom's in town. My fridge and freezer go from super empty (because we all remember my love of cooking) to packed with fruits, veggies, healthy choices, and frozen meals.

She also taught me a few simple recipes for me to make (without burning the house down). We were so productive while she was here! I was able to get 6 days off...which never happens! It was good to spend some girl time together. I am so blessed that she was able to be here.


While she was here, we decided to redo my office. Being an artist, I am what you would call a "spread outer"- meaning when I am doing a project, that project is spread all over my every room in the house.


Since I moved here, I only had a very small, cramped desk. We decided to brave IKEA for the day to get some new work tables. We packed my little "roller skate" (as B calls it) full of everything we could,We kept a budget of around $200- and now I have a more functional workspace.

 I even have a special table for my painting and calligraphy. All of my books and art supplies are all nicely organized- now I just need to add some pops of color. I want to add a reading chair too...but design can wait. I need to go back and get some more things to organize.

Another thing we worked on...wedding planning! We were finally able to get somewhat of a budget down (HOW do $$ add up so quickly!)

It was harder than normal for her to leave...maybe because I've had to say goodbye to two people I care about in such a small amount of time.

I am so thankful for everyone who has been checking on me! Every time I think I can't miss Ben any more than I do...I miss him even more. But this is just one more week down.

It's All in the Details

I have a whole new appreciation for DIY weddings and details. We had a small wedding with less than twenty people- and that was stressful! Luckily, many of the small details we were able to do ourselves.

one. instead of ordering my bouquet and our table centerpiece flowers, we were able to go to a small wholesale place in downtown Orlando. Yes, I spent the day before my wedding in a floral freezer with a winter coat on, picking out flowers for my wedding. How many brides get to do that!? We got 75 roses and many other flowers for less than $60.

two. we arranged our own flowers and bouquet. I sat on the floor and hand tied my bouquet together, and added all the pins. We tied raffia bows around mason jars and my family helped us set the tables.

three. we bought a super low-cost wedding arch at Hobby Lobby- but with a little tulle, ivy, and fresh flowers- it was perfect for our ceremony.

I never had any idea just how many details come with a wedding- I can't imagine how any of this could have happened without my family. I was so worried that everything wouldn't pull together- but it did- and it was a perfect day. DIY may seem cheaper, but you can't forget how much extra time it takes to actually "Do It Yourself." I've already hired a wedding coordinator for next year- and she'll decorate for me! More on our special day later :)

Save the Date Explosion

I wanted to share my fun little Save-the-Date/Wedding Invitation project that I did for our family who attending our wedding last month. I got the idea here.

Although I wasn't able to find confetti poppers, I used the little tin cans used for wedding favors. I got many compliments on these, but I definitely wouldn't suggest them for larger weddings! It took me about 4 hours to make 10 of them, but they were a special surprise for our family.

When they pulled on the tab, all the confetti spilled out! And yes, I hand punched all the confetti hearts. I now know my way around Hobby Lobby. I wrapped the invitations in brown paper and raffia and sent them off!