Tea for 25

I learned so much when I was engaged.
 I learned that if you keep a cool head and even temper people are much happier to do things for you.
I learned that being kind to your body rather than trying to force yourself into a size two dress will give you a more beautiful glow and a happier smile.
I learned that getting your hands "dirty" and making things for your own wedding is the best therapy for stress.
I learned that it's OK to be giddy and smile so much you feel like your face might crack!

But the most important thing I learned was how to throw a party. How to love someone in such an over the top way that they can't over look how much they mean to you.

I learned this from my sweet family and my dear friends who threw beautiful parties for me. I was surprised with beautiful showers that matched my wedding colors, an amazing cake from the best bakery, gifts galore, sweet and personal touches, a limo, dinner, drinks, and so much stinkin love.

All that to say, my baby sister turned 18 yesterday. And I wanted to love her in the extravagant way she and my friends and family loved me when I got married.

So my mom and I planned a surprise tea party. Erin was making such a big deal about "becoming a woman" and "not being a kid anymore".

So we had a "Welcome to Womanhood" Tea Party!

It was just what she wanted and so fun!

We chose Erin's favorite color - aqua, to accent with and used different shades of blue and pink to throw around.

We decorated with gorgeous, eclectic tea pots and a little girly ribbon down the center.

I made some super easy tissue paper flowers and we hung them around the room.

I made some flag garland out of different patterned card stock and ribbon.

We made tea sandwiches and some sweet friends made tons of AMAZING tea cookies.

She was shocked.

Everyone dressed up for the occasion.

We provided hot water and tea bags and everyone sipped some tea.

Erin got her own special chair and tea cup.

I asked a bunch of women in Erin's life to write her a little note of encouragement and piece of advice about "entering into womanhood".

And I made her a tea cup cake.

A lot of the decoration we used were pretty inexpensive and things you could find around your house. Some paper doilies from Wal-mart, a little ribbon, colorful tissue paper and card stock. Those were the main staples for the decor. Pretty easy. 

It such a beautiful evening. Not just because of the fun decor, the good food or the fancy attire - but because of the love in the room for Erin. Everything was pretty simple to do and I would do it again in a heart beat!

WELCOME TO WOMANHOOD, ERIN! WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH!

Living The Width of Our Summer

I got married May 13th, 2011 in case you didn't know. :]

So marriage is great. We have so much fun! Every day is a party. Going to the grocery is a blast. Everything is fantastic.

I have loved spending this summer with John.

We went on a beautiful honeymoon to Cancun, Mexico.

We spent a lot of time in our local parks.

As well as our apartment's pool

We got to do a little entertaining

And we were fortunate enough to take a couple trips. One to Holiday World with my family, one to visit John's family in Marion and one to visit a friend in Chicago.

We spent a lot of time at our favorite local Mexican restaurant and at Bub's Burgers in Carmel.
We were able to pour ourselves into our church and community.
We had rainy days and sunny days, lazy days together and days crammed full of fun.

This summer we celebrated love and life.

We thanked God for our bountiful blessing of family, community and stability.

We know there will be times where life is too fast paced and busy. Days will come where we can't go to Chicago or watch Cops all day on our couch. We wont always be able to wander around a park for hours without any cares. We know some day we will look back and long for this.

So we drink it in and remind each other "how freaking blessed we are".

I'm looking forward to another season of celebration. For Fall! To have bonfires and let the crisp wind hit our faces. To drink cider and stroll through a  pumpkin patch and apple orchard. To share meals with family and friends. To live and love and laugh til we cry! And to make the most of what we have been given.

So long, Summer 2011. Your days were well spent.



Creating Heirlooms

I'm probably breaking some blogging rule by promising a part two of my last post and not doing it. But I'm over that and moving on to something else. :]

I was feeling down the other day that I didn't have any really cool, meaningful decorations. I look at all these DIY and decorating blogs and they all use precious family heirlooms.

John and I saw this adorable headboard on House Tweaking. She tells a precious story of her husband's grandmother's old fence wood and how they took it from her farm that he used to play at. They ended up making a great headboard out of the wood and it has all this sentimental value.

John and I loved the headboard but we couldn't find any sentimental fence wood...go figure. So we settled for some new, cedar fence wood from Lowe's. It wasn't as rustic and it wasn't sentimental in any way when we bought it.

But we had a journey with that wood. We had to find the right boards, fit them into his little sports car, and take them to my parents. John had to sand them, cut them down to size, then mount them together. I free handed the word "love" with some left over paint and voila! A brand new non sentimental headboard. Hanging it was a whole other adventure in itself.

I don't have any old treasures to trove through and to make beautiful, new things out of. I have no heirlooms to hang in my halls. My children wont be dressed in a christening dress made from my great great grandmothers handkerchiefs. But I will make beautiful things with my husband. We will make heirlooms for our children and grandchildren and great grandchildren.

I made John a blanket out of his high school t-shirts. It was supposed to a Christmas present until the sewing needle went through my finger and I landed in the E.R. I had to tell him what I was doing.

I hope my kids and maybe my great grand kids can wrap up in it someday and tell the story.

John and I had this beautiful painting made with our vows incorporated into it. We signed the painting at our wedding and it hangs in our home.

I hope it passes down through generations and they see the love they come from.

And maybe someday our headboard will hang in my babies home. And then it will be a sentimental headboard.