Weddings

Funny pic.
The other night Jeff & I were in the pool and Jill came scampering out wearing my wedding dress. She mocked me and said she felt like a cupcake or something like that. It was a beautiful dress. Also, even though I was the 5th child, I was the first one to get married. It was very momentous. My parents were divorced when I got married and there wasn't much money for frivolous things such as a wedding dress. Jeff & I paid for most of our wedding, but my big brother, Robert gave me the money to buy this beautiful dress. Two of my friends even borrowed this dress to wear at their own weddings, they are both divorced now. Is it bad luck to wear someone else's wedding dress on your wedding day?

Since Jill & Matt's wedding day is a mere 9 days away... it has me thinking about the mine and Jeff's wedding and all the similarities. Jill is getting married a week before her birthday (actually their birthday). I got married 1 week & 1 day after my 18th birthday. They are getting married just a few days after their oldest daughter's birthday (Lord willing there will be many more!) Jill was born 6 days before my 21st birthday & 2 weeks before mine & Jeff's 3rd anniversary. Jill & Matt are getting married outside in FW. Jeff & I got married outside at the FW Botanical Gardens. We are praying for unseasonably cool weather for Jill & Matt. Jeff and I got married in the middle of the Summer of 1980 Heat Wave, it was unseasonably HOT, even for Texas! There are other things that are totally different and some that are the same. One thing I pray that will be the same is this, that they have a healthy, happy and abundant life. That God would bless them with more healthy, happy babies, that they would always be each other's best friend. That they would appreciate every day they have together, and most of all just like Jeff & I... that they would live happily ever after!

Farewell Dear Friend

Oh the sadness of it all. I will survive without you, although it won't be easy.

Don't scoff or scorn me. It's just too painful. My beloved Mary Engelbreit's Home Companion is no longer with us. I have every issue from the past 11 years stashed away in my closet to treasure and admire. To those of you that have never turned the page on the lovely magazine I pity you. You will never know the beauty of her page layouts, her delicious recipes (unless you read Jordan's blog), the whimsy of her adorable paper dolls which came free in every issue and so on. Oh the misery of it all........................

I first knew something was up when I received a copy of Martha Stewart Living in January. I thought what the.... And then another one came and then another and then finally a letter came telling me the sad truth of it all. Home Companion has not survived the economic downturn, but Martha has! Her magazine is nice and all, but SHE AIN'T NO MARY ENGELBREIT!

The final 3 weeks

This is what I accomplished in the past two weeks:
~90+ hours at work - a big project is almost finished!
~Mother-in-law arrived at the airport for all the craziness
~Bridal shower
~Finished decaling 140 mason jars (see them over on Jill's blog)
~Bridesmaid's dress fitting (remember 3 of those are mine)
~Jaley's graduation
~Jaley's graduation dinner
~Met with florists, sort of.... I think that's me
~Jaley's graduation/birthday party
~Bridal portraits at the arboretum
~Took mother-in-law back to the airport
~Painted 125 dowel rods for wedding wands
~Jaley's (real) 18th birthday party
~Finished the last 7 boutonnieres
~Took nephew to get his tux fitting
~Purchased 2 pair of shoes for the sweet little hostesses (my nieces that will be at the guest book table)
~Dentist appointment
~Trip to Sam Moon to purchase wedding jewelry for bridesmaids - today sometime... as soon as I can get the bride moovvvvvving.
Floral class - Sunday, Father's Day

Whew! Truly, I think we are going to make it.
However, we have a few more things to do:
~I have about half of the wedding program fans sticks painted. Not sure of the exact program yet so those can't be printed yet. Jill & Matt are still working all those details out.
~Finish ribbon wands, waiting on ribbon purchased via the internet
~Add trims to cupcake tower
~Purchase candle holders for tables
~Tie ribbons on ivy bowls for Shepherd hooks for outside ceremony
~Finalize bulk flower order

That's all I can think of for now.......I am certain that I have forgotten something. As long as we remember before July 9, we're still ok!

Full Circle

Jaley, MHS Class of 2009
Justine, MHS Class of 2006
Jordan, MHS Class of 2003
Jillian, MHS Class of 2001
Julie, MHS Class of 1980
Jeff, MHS Class of 1976

Prom Dress Update!

My baby girl went to the prom tonight! I can hardly believe it. And in only 4 more days we will be through with public school forever! Amen Sister, can I get a witness?!

This dress was a doozie, but it was worth it because Jaley looked absoutely gorgeous. At the last minute Jaley decided that she wanted the black scarf so we already had the black lace and I hemmed it up and it was perfect with the dress. She looked a little like a Spanish Princess! For anyone out there that sews, the bottom skirt on this dress took 9, NINE yards of hem tape ... the dress took more than 3 spools of thread ... and the net ruffle took 15 yards of netting! I began to think I would never finish this dress, but alas with about 6 hours to spare I did it! Thank you Jesus for Your gracious mercy.

Now on to those 144 mason jars that need to be decaled. I'll show you those in a day or two.

Tata for now.
Jul

Proms and Showers & Weddings... OH MY!

Ok, so I have been in wedding mode for a good 4 weeks now. I think at least 3 days a week we get a delivery via UPS from all of our many, many purchases on the internet. But, right now I am suppose to be making a prom dress for my youngest. The prom was suppose to have taken place the first weekend in May, but was cancelled because of the threat of Swine Flu in our area. So the prom has been rescheduled for this weekend... and I have been procrastinating. ALOT! It took me 3 days to cut out the pattern out! That is my least favorite part. It has been several years since I have taken on a sewing project of this size. What was I thinking? And to make matters worse I have all this wedding stuff to do, and I am moving offices at work. I am a little stressed. It is Wednesday and the prom is Saturday. I am over half way finished, but I just can't seem to get this dress done and the lure to play with my little Violet girl seems to be overtaking me most of the time.

So, what's next? Prom, bridal shower brunch, graduation, Jaley's 18th birthday!, bridal portraits, July 4th, Violet's 2nd birthday, THE WEDDING.... Jill & Matt's birthday, my birthday, our wedding anniversary (a trip for two to NY City), Jordan's birthday... and that only gets us through August!

Ok, I think I can do this.... besides, I always work better under pressure!

PS - I am so happy Jill made me hire a seamstress to sew the bridesmaid dresses... money well spent!

Going Postal!

Ok, so there is alot going on at the Henderson Household these days. I have made about 5 trips to the post office in the last week. I have spent a small fortune there as well.

105 Save the Date Cards - $46.12
103 Wedding Invitations - $62.83
1 to China, 2 Canada - $6.00
105 RSVP Cards - $48.30
36 Wedding Shower Invitations - $16.56
24 Graduation Announcements - $11.04
1 to China - .98

Yikes! I didn't realize that postage needed to have it's own line item in the wedding budget!