Party for TWO: Part II

And the party's starting to shape up!
I personally LOVE inspiration boards because they help me FOCUS.
I get SO many ideas in my head that I lose where I'm going.
So, here it is...
My 2nd inspiration board for Midge's 2nd birthday
but the theme is final: Country Carnival!{Invitation: Oh Hello Friend
Cupcakes with Pinwheels: Rare Bird Finds
Sprinkles, Peanut Bags, Cupcake Papers, Straws & Popcorn Bags: Hey Yo Yo}

I'm excited for my invitation supplies to come in.
I gotta get my hands on some craft pronto ;)

2nd-4th

{There are some of you who have heard this story before, so feel free to ignore :)

For those who haven't

& for me

here is the story of my 2nd-4th.}

My husband asked me to marry him 4 months to the day that we began dating.

From the moment he romantically proposed to me on the beach of our first kiss, and in a song he wrote for me, I couldn't wait to be his wife.

I had prayed for him. I had walked a different path in my heart with God during my relationship with him. I knew he was my gift and mine alone.

His proposal and our few moments of solitude before sharing our excitement are something I treasure because In a heart beat, my once-in-my-lifetime moment became about everyone else.

Instantly we had parents dialing family and putting my ear to the phone to share my news.

I had directions as to who would be my bridesmaids.

I had assumptions made about the church we would be married in.

I had two dates given to me and was asked to choose one of them.

I had two sets of parents who in my 23 years of life at the time had NEVER seen get along, a relationship with my father that barely existed, a desire to have my step dad walk me down the aisle...

I had PRESSURE.

I completely broke down inside, cried all the time, and hated what was supposed to be so special to me and mine.

Instead, I was thinking about the choices I made and how they would affect everyone else....

until one month later.

One month and three days after my husband proposed, I found myself begging him to elope.

In the end, he agreed- on one condition: we tell no one.

So we hopped in the car with our two best friends and drove through the night to Las Vegas and got married.

I wore a simple skirt and blouse and made my vows before God (and a strange little man I'd hope to never see again) and with the sound of a silly fountain in the back ground.

I didn't want it to be elaborate.

I wanted it to be what it was supposed to be about

MY COVENANT WITH MY HUSBAND.

By December, we were actually pushed into revealing our secret by the pastor who would still be conducting our formal ceremony.

With individual conversations and meetings with all three sets of parents,

our marriage was in the open and we moved in together.

(Kinda crazy that as a married couple we didn't live together yet because no one knew!)

It was an incredibly difficult moment in our lives

that ended with incredible healing in our formal ceremony before our family & friends on February 25, 2006.

Our formal ceremony was where we FELT married.

We apologized to everyone we hurt

but we owned and were OK with our decision to marry the way we did.

The hus and I now have a dream of renewing our vows on our 10th anniversary in the way we would have if we had done it our way from the beginning:

on the beach of our first kiss and his proposal. ultimate simplicity

and then

one BIG party!

Happy 2nd-4th Anniversary to the Love of My Life!

Fill in the Blanks....

For some reason, something mindless like this post is just what I needed!

I am: currently reinventing my understanding of who I am and what loving/being loved really mean.

I think: I want to do and be more than I have time for.

I know: I am a good person with my own talents, but I often look out and wish they looked like someone else's.

I want: a plethora of crafting supplies and a room all my own.

I wish: I could give my husband and son more of me--more of the best of me--and still have time for myself.

I hate: folding laundry but have no problem with throwing it in the washer!

I miss: a lot of things, but mostly, freedom.

I fear: missing the moments that matter the most- a chance to say I love you or a new word from my son's mouth.

I feel: hungry for a denver omelette, like planning a two week trip to Italy, and crafting for an entire weekend!

I hear: William Fitzsimmons on my iTunes

I smell: Maple & Brown Sugar oatmeal

I crave: a little alone time with my husband in silence doing nothing and having nothing to do.

I search: on Etsy for things to create with way more often than I should.

I wonder: what Jesus feels when He looks at me.

I regret: not handling my transition into motherhood better.

I love: my family, to travel, write, dream, a good bargain, a hunt for vintage goods, my cousins-I don't think any one could understand how much I love them, SWEETS,

I ache: for all the things I want to be and endlessly fall short of this perfection I have deemed necessary and attainable.

I care: way too deeply what others think of me.

I always: leave my clothes on the hamper or my chaise lounge- I actually annoy myself when I do it.

I am not: aggressive.

I believe: I am loved. I am good.

I dance: a little in the car when a good song comes on.

I sing: ALL the time but love it most when it's with my husband on the floor of our son's room while he tries to put the guitar picks in the guitar.

I cry: at least once a month.

I don't always: eat very healthy. Woops.

I fight: myself more than anyone else could.

I write: to work my way through my heart.

I lose: everything I'm in need of at any given moment-keys, sunglasses, mind...

I never: want to travel back to the orient again.

I confuse: my son and husband's names all the time. Now they're both "babe" and I just hope the right one listens to me.

I listen: to music and dissect lyrics daily. I love words.

I can usually be found: at a computer ;)

I am scared: I will never really understand my own worth.

I need: the ability to freeze time and do all there is to do in life without missing anything!

I am happy about: celebrating my 2nd 4th Wedding Anniversary to my husband on Thursday. ;) (I'll wait and see how many of you ask me about this one ;)

I hope: my son will be a Godly man who never wonders whether or not he was LOVED.

1 Chocolate Bar A Day....

A few weeks ago I was perusing Facebook as I usually do when one of those little ads in the column caught my eye for Attune Foods. I can't remember what it said specifically but the word PROBIOTICS stuck out to me. While I've never clicked a Facebook promotion before, I was ecstatic I clicked this one. Probiotics + Chocolate = I'm in!My relationship with Probiotics started a few months ago. I took my Midge into the ER after he started tremoring with what turned out to be gas pain. While the ER couldn't tell me what to do or what was wrong, my chiropractor could and had some suggestions. After taking his advice and switching from Dairy milk to Rice milk for the midge + adding a recommended probiotic addition to his morning drink to regulate his digestive system, he was a brand new kid. No more gas pain and still the nutrients he needed to maintain his health and immune system. I ♥ Probiotics! Now I had to a) figure out how to get a probiotic kick for myself and b) find it in a form that tastes good (Which, to be honest, I was far more concerned with finding a way to eat a good-for-me treat than anything else). Attune Foods just so happened to offer me the best of two important worlds. {YES!}
How the Chocolate Bars work: It's recommended that you eat one full bar a day. ( Seriously? I "HAVE" to eat a chocolate bar once a day? SOLD!)

• 3-8 grams of sugar
• Excellent source of calcium
• Only 80-90 calories
• 3 grams of fiber
• Take it on the go

Thanks to Annelies, Attune's Online Community Manager, I had the opportunity to sample 3 of their flavors so I could both see if I wanted to purchase them & share my opinion with all of you!

Annelies was so sweet she sent me 3 bars, each a different flavor:

Dark Chocolate
Chocolate Crisp
Mint Chocolate

They have now all been eaten (and only because I HAD, too, right?! ;)) I made the Hus try them, too, despite his reluctance. He thought he was going to put something that tasted like cardboard in his mouth, but, get this! Not a trace of "oooh, that's a health food" taste, we both looked at each other and did a double take. Wrap it in a candy bar wrapper and no one would know the difference! I'm officially a new Attune fan (I sound like a car salesman but I swear, so yummy! Se La Vie Snickers! Now I have a really good excuse to take a break with some chocolate :)

*Find them near you here

Party for TWO

It appears it's to start thinking about my Midge's 2nd birthday.
I was really hoping to avoid the party scene this year. I went a little overboard on his first birthday and I'm comfortable enough to tell you, his first birthday was all about me.
When nothing went exactly as I had pictured it, woe was me!
This year, I wanted to bypass the hordes of presents he didn't need, the hordes of family, & the mayhem.
I realize this is a little bit selfish.
However, my husband said he wants to do a party and apparently that's all he had to say to get me in the planning mood.

{1. ohhellofriend.blogspot.com ~ 2. iluvsugar.etsy.com
3. carnivalflavors.etsy.com ~ 4. partyaccessories.etsy.com
5. tabbycat13.etsy.com ~ 6. fabriccloset.etsy.com ~ 7. happyfamily.etsy.com
8. merrymae.etsy.com ~ 9. bklynstitch.etsy.com ~ 10. sewfreshfabric.etsy.com}

I already ordered the paper and the envelopes and supplies I need to make his birthday invitations.
I was completely inspired by Dani's at OhHelloFriend Wedding Invitation. Seriously, that girl is SO inspiring!
She is one of those people that just makes me want to spend my entire invisible fortune on crafting supplies!
Well, I'm off in dream land (and undoubtedly setting unrealistic expectations for myself-- like my Mama always says: Expectations - Reality = Disappointment)
But I can dream.... ;)

Etsy Love

I am an etsy-aholic.
It's true.
I scour and search and play and covet for, well, let's got get into how much time per day.
There are so many amazing artists out there!
I think the HARDEST part about Etsy is looking through it all!
So, today, I'm asking you to tell me
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE ETSY ITEMS or SHOPS??!!
I'm dying to know!
And, to be fair, I'm sharing some stores I've got in my favorites list along with some items I'm drooling over!

{Roundabout ~ Hammered Disc Necklace in Gold, $22.00}

{Timeless Paper ~ Umbrella Place Cards, Set of 50 ~ $50.00}

{Meg Baby Boutique ~ $36.00}

{Red Ruby Rose ~ Silk Clutch Purse, $105.00}

{Hettle ~ Cotton Jersey Rose Pillow, $24.00}

{pamwares ~ craft apron, $20.00}

{Milkpod Studio ~ Fabric Boutonniere, $25.00}

{Hattie Rex ~ ID Drink To That Square Set of 8, $40.00}

{kojo designs ~ custom embroidered onesie, $15.00}

{Linen Me ~ 4 Napkins, $14.99}

You're not leaving without telling me a few of your favorite items or stores are you??!!

Man Friends & A Wee Bit O' Prayer

Last night I cozied into bed in silence (admittedly after catching up on the Bachelor) and grabbed my nightly routine: The Power of the Praying Wife. Last night the book lead me to pray over my husband and his relationships. This prayer is a big one for me to pray. This has been a silent and intentional prayer I have had over my husband for two months now.

I am very aware that I cannot fulfill every part of my husband. I know that God should come first and I come next. I also know that there are pieces of who he is that cannot be completed in me- they must be fulfilled by other relationships: friendships.

My husband works two jobs: web design by week day and photography by weekend & nights. I need a lot from him. I need him to relieve the stress that builds up from caring for our family and home after I work. I need him to console me, hug me, relax with me, talk to me, work with me.

I am aware of how much I need and how much more he gives! I'm sure that I exhaust his ability to want to reach out and build male friendships, but I see how draining it is for him not to have that. It breaks my heart that in a time of struggle when I have a best friend to reach out to, he sadly laments that he feels he has no one--aside from me.

Last night as I prayed the prayer in the book, I felt it impressed upon me to encourage him to put effort into his connections. I yelled from our room, "You should ask your friend out to lunch tomorrow," and he responded with, "I just did actually." Hm... that's odd. I felt it impressed upon me to run something by him, run by him a revelation of sorts and see if it matched what his heart felt but I didn't know how and I didn't think last night was the time.

Today we had lunch together. We said grace before we ate and my husband's prayer was something along the lines of, "Lord, if you are talking, help us hear you. If we are missing something you are saying, reveal it." I was kind of confused by his prayer.

Did my hus think that we had been asking for something that He hadn't heard confirmation on? I asked him to clarify and he simply said, "No. I just believe He is talking all the time, we just don't hear everything He's saying."

At that moment, I felt the OK to proceed with telling him what I felt was revealed to me in prayer last night. I told him and prefaced it, "only you know if this will be truth or not."

Our conversation was deep rooted and meaningful. I felt as his friend and his wife that I was now commissioned with the charge to lift his prayer for meaningful friendships into action. I want my husband to be whole. I want a friend who doesn't give me what's left but gives me the best (as he does) and the only way he can keep doing that is if he has the other relationships that can round him out. I know how much I need MY friendships and how much freedom he gives me to cultivate those. I want that for him and I'm what I'm hearing is so does God!

Prayer is SO powerful!

{And as a completely random side note....I came home and found a package on my porch! I had NO idea what it could be and as it turns out, it was a gift from Martha! For emailing along her special 2 for 1 magazine deal, her peeps sent me her cook book plus a tote bag. Oh fabulous day}