Hey... don't eat that!

That's a familiar phrase around our house.














Don't anybody cut that before I get a picture of it! What were you thinking... that's for my blog! Hey Matt, put that down! Whatever you do... you better not touch the prettiest piece of fish!













Jill & Jordan have this thing about taking pics of the food they prepare. You watch them lovingly prepare a wonderful dish of food, choose just the right serving plate, garnish, etc. & suddenly it is wisked away to a room with a better view or lighting.















In addition to posting pics on their blogs, they also submit photos to allrecipes.com. Jill has become quite 'published' for her food stylings. I never thought I would live to see the day that these girls are so caught up in their recipes & food art. Makes a momma proud.

Happy Birthdays!

Violet & Grandmere (pic taken on Violet's 2nd birthday, July 7. Grandmere's birthday is July 24)

Today Jill & Matt celebrate their birthdays, so... Happy Birthday!

Jill was talking yesterday about what she wanted for her birthday meal and how she would like to celebrate it. I don't remember exactly what the top two choices were, but I do remember Matt's response.... it was my birthday first! Ha! He had her there. Matt is 6 years to the day older than Jill. Matt had to go in to work today and will not be home until later. Violet & Jill will spend at least part of the day celebrating another person's birthday. Brandon DeJohn is turning 1! Happy Birthday sweet lil' Brandon. His birthday isn't for a few more days, but today is his party.

We are just about 'Birthday Poor' in the Summer! We have already celebrated 4 counting those today since June 16, we will celebrate 3 more this coming week! Then 3 weeks later Jordan's birthday and 3 weeks later Jeff's. It keeps us celebrating the entire Summer and we wouldn't have it any other way. Everyone except Jussy was born in the Summer.

<------ Jill & Matt heading out for some
sushi to celebrate their birthday!


ps - Jeff & I have decided to travel to Maine's coast instead of NY and we leave in 9 days! If you have any tips for us, please send them my way.

tata for now!
j

Sources....

Jaley has a favorite saying that goes something like this...

'The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources.'

That might be true... and I don't particularly like to give that stuff away, but the secret to saving money is having friends that will share at least some of their secrets! I hope if you are planning an event and you need a few things that this list will help.


So, here's a list of wedding vendors/suppliers that I used:

Rose Chapel - gorgeous event space with fabulous staff

Joel & Laura Photography (which includes the Little Black Booth photobooth) We love 'em!

DJ Connection - greatest DJ ever

Cast Your Bread Catering - delicious, reasonably priced & fabulous...is all I can say!

*The Connection - Beautiful flowers & they will tell you everything you know so you can DIY.

Michael's Crafts Stores - be sure and clip those 40 & 50% off coupons.

Hobby Lobby - I bought lots of things like, vases, candle cups, stuff for the 'bouts, sticks for ribbon wands and program fans & lots of ribbon here all at 50% off. Watch for the sales, if it's not on sale this week it will be in a week or two!

JoAnn Fabrics - bridesmaid dress pattern, fabric, table runner fabric, veil material 50% off coupons!

*Mr. Bucks - personalized ribbon at a great price! Quick delivery, I didn't even order this until June 18!

*Anna's Bridal Bargains - great prices on custom paper napkins.

*Paper Mart - incredible prices on the little white chinese take out boxes.

*Beall's - adorable attendant dresses. The key is once you find the dress, buy it online for best size selection.

*Dillards - flower girl dresses, and I didn't have to search all over town for the correct sizes.

*Payless Shoes - all 5 pair online and I didn't drive all over town to find the sizess.

*Cards & Pockets - DIY wedding invitations, great prices

*EFavor Mart - ribbon for ribbon wands & ceremony decor. I spent about 1/3 of what the price on sale @ Hobby Lobby would have been. Incredible.

* Etsy - jewelry

*Save-On-Crafts - cupcake tree!

*Oh Nuts - delicious candy

*M & Ms - I watched for online specials and bought 3 bags & got 1 free & saved on shipping

*Oriental Trading - Candy & paper parasols

Red Oven Bakery & Patty's Pantry - both in Arlington, TX mmm...Red Velvet Cupcakes & cheesecake

*Totes - ballet slippers, adorable

Marshalls/Home Goods - candy buffet jars

*Pottery Barn - really nice 3 gallon glass drink dispensers

Walmart - misc.

*David's Bridal - my dress online without trying it on! 1/2 price!

Alfred Angelo - wedding dress, quick 2 week delivery.

*Decal Paper - water slide decal paper for mason jar monograms

*Candle Soylutions - daisy die cut jar lids
*Ebay - lavender straws & my dancing shoes

*Metro Candy - Rock Candy Swizzle Stix

*Violet Crumbles - Matt's favorite candy and it is no longer sold in the US, airmail from Australia

Kohls - usher's shirts & ties, attendants shoes
Build A Bear - Teddy Bear Toss
*Newport News - brides shoes

*Denotes online purchases I made! I joke and say this is a wedding the internet built!

I tried not to purchase candy online because of it's shipping weight, but I did purchase candy online when I couldn't find what I wanted in local stores. Also, I never paid full price for anything! When I shopped online I did web searches for coupon codes etc, local stores I watched for coupons & sales. Researching pays off!!!

The Newest Mr. & Mrs.

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!