If You're Curious....

Hi everyone!

I have been busy busy, busy! I'm about a month behind on this update but I'm not really sure where time is going these days. I'm starting my 24th week already. I'm more than half way there! I cannot wait to meet.......

Him or her???? Ah ha! I'll bet you've been wondering. In fact I'm pretty shocked that I have been able to keep it from all of you! :)

I'm going to make this a fun post. I've included some of the photo's that I have taken as I've (tried) to track my progress. I was great up until 19 weeks. Then it got nicer out and I have had a hard time wrangling my photographer into the house to take my picture.

And if you keep scrolling you'll get to see...boy or girl?????

But first...how about a fun little survey. I thought I would share some things about my journey thus far:

How far along? 24 Weeks
Total weight gain/loss: 22 lbs gained so far! Never thought I'd see those numbers on the scale.
Maternity clothes? Oh sweet heavens yes! Maternity pants??? BEST. INVENTION. EVER. I call them my fat pants. But seriously...elastic bands. Need I say more?
Stretch marks? Notta one.
Sleep: Loving it and sleeping great these past few weeks
Best moment this week: Getting to find great rummage sale deals for the baby!
Have you told family and friends: Yes, our families are very excited.
Movement: Lots and especially when I eat!
Food cravings: The cravings are subsiding a bit but WATERMELON is the current must have!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Not so much these days.
Have you started to show yet: Finally starting to look like there's a baby in there!.
Gender prediction: I thought boy up until about 16 weeks and then thought girl.
Labor Signs: Nope. Pray not for some time.
Belly Button in or out? In.
Wedding rings on or off? Rings ON
Happy or Moody most of the time: Depends on the day. Mostly happy. Easily irritated.
Weekly Wisdom: Stay active! Moving, (horse) riding, walking all makes you feel healthy and happy
Milestones: Accepting my weight gain and knowing it's temporary. :) Thanks to ALL OF YOU GUYS!

Thank you again to everyone who was supportive and offered encouragement after reading my last post. It made a huge difference and has helped me accept that everything I'm experiencing is completely normal. Hugs to you all!

GET READY.......

WHAT'S YOUR PREDICTION????

BABY TOFARI IS A GIRL!!!!!!

My husband is very excited to be the father of a baby girl and of course I'm ecstatic.

Better yet, I can now work on decorating the nursery and finding those great rummage sale bargains!

She might end up being slightly spoiled. And most definitely a fashionista. Right husband?

And this might be one of my favorite photo's. I was trying to get a picture of this gorgeous dresser, that we found for a steal at an estate auction, covered in Baby T's new things. I just love seeing stuff that I know one day she'll be wearing. Unintentionally, I think it's one of the only pictures that shows I am most definitely pregnant. 

And last but not least, I got my photographer back for another photo. It might not be my best photo but I take what I can get. My photographer has about a minutes worth of patience before he heads onto his next task...which is typically outside.

Surprisingly, I'm liking that I look more pregnant. At least it's more obvious why I'm gaining weight. And it's NOT because I'm having one too many milkshakes! :)

I'm once again able to eat healthier and I try to eat smaller meals. I'm working on spending more time in the barn and with my horses. And the better choices I make and the more active I stay, the better I feel. Tired...but better. It's pretty hard to believe that I've gotten this far already. Only 3 1/2 more months until baby girl is here.

The nursery is coming together. I can't wait to show you that. It's my favorite room in the whole house. Hopefully I can give you a peak at that soon!

I'd love to share more but I really need those 8 hours of sleep. I just wanted to share our news so that you can all stop wondering. (I'm sure you were all losing sleep over it!) I'll try to chat soon!

Goodnight friends!

A Little Honesty ...

Hello my long lost friends!

Today I have a topic that I've just had this strange urge to write and share about. I guess it's been on my mind quite a lot and I need some feedback...or rather some reassuring that I am not alone.

Normally I'm all about keeping things light and funny but this is a subject that weighs heavily on me. You all know that my husband and I are expecting our first child. And we are so happy for what's to come. But I've been struggling with some conflicting emotions.

It all came to surface with a trip for some new clothes for a new body. 

I have never been so hard on myself in my life. I've been pretty comfortable with my figure most of my 32 years. I get that we all have those bad days where we can't find anything we like on ourselves. However, this was the "what have I done-I shouldn't have eaten so many poptarts-is this a baby or a new roll-will I ever feel confident again" moment. And then I came out of the dressing room and the sales woman who was helping me asked me...

"Are you enjoying this pregnancy?"

I had a moment of shame. I thought about lying. But then I have always been honest and stuck to my guns.

And I replied "No".

There. I said it. And it still makes me feel terrible.

Let me be clear. I am BEYOND excited to be a mother. And I'm eternally GRATEFUL that we are blessed to become parents. I am not taking that for granted. I realize everyday that it is completely, one hundred percent, a miracle.

But at only 16 weeks (now 17 going on 18 because I've not been able to get my butt to sit down and get on here!) I'm so tired of feeling like crap. Every morning is hit or miss. Some days I feel okay. Some days it's awful, better run for the bathroom, kind of days. But so far, I've never woken up feeling great. I'm tired of eating bad things. I know this sounds like it should be a great excuse but in all honesty, I miss just eating normal, healthy food. Instead I eat what sounds good because it's the only thing I can imagine eating. If I must have a poptart, I have a poptart. (Thank goodness I'm over that kick now!!). But now I'm all about bagels. And cream cheese. And not always just one during the day! I do crave fruit...so hey! That's good! I crave strawberry shakes. Hamburgers. Strawberry shakes. Macaroni n' cheese. More strawberry shakes. I've lost total control of my body. I have to go with the flow and eat what I can. And I think that's the bottom line. I am NOT in control.

I thought I was prepared for gaining weight. I have said from the get go "I can handle a baby belly". What I can't handle is thinking that everything feels bigger. I keep asking my poor husband if my face is getting rounder. I'm concerned with getting "wings". And I do believe I may be getting a little extra weight around my middle that is NOT baby. And yes, I KNOW I can work out...but please, please, please give me an ounce of extra energy to actually get to working out in a day. Every day I tell myself "tomorrow". I have worked out one time in the last 3 weeks. Ok....to be fair to myself...I have been getting over the worst cold in the history of ever. However......."tomorrow" hasn't happened. Keep in mind, I have been the same size since high school. And hearing people tell me how I'll never get my body back after having kids is so darn depressing. I do NOT want to start wearing mom jeans and baggy t-shirts. I refuse. So maybe I'm in denial but dang it...if one more person tells me just to accept it, I'm going to spit.

I do understand my body is going to change. And I know that it's doing an amazing thing growing this little person. And again...I understand what a blessing it is. I do.

But I think I need to believe that I can "have my cake and eat it too". I wanted to be the mom that barely gained anything. 13 pounds later I don't see this one coming true as I'm only about 1/2 way through. But I want to be the mom that can feel great about myself. I want to go back to eating healthy and feeling smart and ambitious and not wanting to crawl back under my blankets every morning after I've stumbled out of bed. I really wanted to be the glowing pregnant woman. I do not feel like I'm glowing. Does that make me selfish? I sure hope not. Because I will love this child with everything I have. I just miss feeling like myself. I'm pretty certain that does not make me a bad person.

So maybe I need a little empathy. Maybe some stories on how other women have coped. What did you do to make yourself feel confident? Did you experience what I'm going through?

I'm hoping that as my body starts to look like it's actually carrying a baby and not just too many bad food choices, I will start to enjoy this pregnancy a little bit more. I have made the ultimate decision to not try shopping again until I actually look like I am having a little bambino. Seriously, the last trip was dangerous. I'm happy to say that no one lost any limbs but it was looking pretty grim there for a while.

I'm anxiously awaiting baby movements. Sometimes I think I feel something similar to a bubble. But nothing that has been a certain "oh my gosh that's my baby!" moment. Maybe when I actually feel that there's something in there I will start to believe this is happening and that it's all worth it. I am so excited to find out if we are having a little boy or girl! Hard to believe that's only 3 weeks away!

I couldn't be more overjoyed to be entering the world of parenthood. I'm just a little more thrilled that I only have a little over 4 months to get through. I'm ready to meet this little person that is going to change our lives for the better. Life will change as I know it...and that I'm "A" okay with!

(Another) New Chapter...

Things are a little bittersweet these days. I'm making another change.

I'm quitting my job. At the bridal store.

The job that I enjoy immensely and where I get to meet all types of women, some of whom feel like real friends. I have taken my job very seriously. I see things through to the end because I care about these women. I want this part of the wedding planning to be as enjoyable as it can be. I have been at this particular bridal shop for a year and when the brides that I have helped over the months come in, they know me by name. They ask to work with me. They ask for my opinion. They smile and chat and ask how I am. They make me feel like a friend, someone they will always remember. If I have made their dress shopping enjoyable and memorable, then I have done my job. There is nothing that beats that feeling.

I hear so many positive comments from customers. I never get sick of "you were great" or "you made this so much fun" and "you were made for this job". I sometimes go home feeling like I'm on cloud nine.

But there are just some things that make it tough. At what point do you move on to something that may not be as much fun but allows you to take back your life? I can work my tail off but at the end of the day, the only thing that I get out of it is satisfaction. And satisfaction, as great as it is, can't get you too far in life.

So starting in November I will be starting a new endeavor. It's a desk job. And I used to hear "waa waa" (thank you Debbie Downer) at those two words. But now I hear "less physically demanding" (you lift 3 or 4 umpteen pound dresses at the same time, up and down steps; in and out of dressing rooms, multiple times a day). I hear "no more nights and NO MORE SATURDAYS!" Woot woot! Finally, Friday night date nights and more time for friends. Two days off in a row. More time for family, a full weekend for house projects, days off before and/or after Holidays! Vacation! Oh my gosh...I'm so excited I can hardly stand it.

And the biggest bonus? My horses! I cannot wait to be able to get back into the show ring!

Bring on the desk, the phone and the computers. I can do it. I will be the best I can be. I can move up. I can have 401K (and actually be able to retire someday!) My family tells me that's called a normal job but I'm not certain I've ever experienced "normal".  I am excited to see what the future hold for me. And us as a family. God is good. Life is good.

Now I just wish I could friend all my brides on facebook and let them know how much working with them meant to me and how they each made me a better person. But that wouldn't be creepy. At all.

Good night friends! Can't wait to keep you posted on the next chapter!

You Can DIY...

I hope everyone had a great weekend. I worked all day yesterday and then my husband and I went out for a friends birthday. We don't go out all that often these days, so after getting home at 1:30AM (yes folks...that's WAY past our bedtime...) we weren't all that ambitious today. Sundays are the ONE day that I get for having my wonderful husband help me with that "honey do" list. Since neither of us were overly motivated today, just getting my DIY painted sign hung up was a huge accomplishment.

It's only been sitting in the basement workshop for...eh...2 months.

Since starting my flea market hobby, I've been keeping my eyes peeled for an old painted, vintage sign. I've seen old signs promoting motor oil or tobacco, and while they can be neat, that's not quite what I was envisioning in our kitchen.

When all else fails: search Pinterest. Here are some of the images that helped inspire me.

I used this PIN as some guidance.

Then I totally winged it.

I normally feel that their are enough tutorials available on the web for people to find out how to do something. However, I started thinking that there are a LOT of people that wouldn't think themselves capable of doing some of these projects. So maybe I need to share that it's totally and completely possible.

First rule of thumb. DON'T put pressure on yourself to be perfect. 

I'm an extreme perfectionist, so this is challenging. But here's the thing: if you embrace the things that you are capable of, it will make for a very personal atmosphere in your home. And a house isn't a home until it reflects YOU.

So while I doubted that my sign was perfection, I stuck to my gut and in the end, I think it's pretty cool. I made that. Better yet? My husband said it looked like something you would see sold in a store. Thanks husband. You have no idea what that means to me.

So here is what I did to make my sign:

I searched through our out buildings until I found a board I thought would be perfect.

I used stencils and traced them in pencil on the board. This way I could figure out the layout and just paint over the pencil if I didn't like it. 

I made my go-to chalk paint for the base color. You can choose any color. I went with a cream color (leftover from a bathroom paint color). I painted around my penciled in letters and went as close to the lines as possible. I didn't want to cover them up too much or I wouldn't know where to put my stencils once I was ready to paint the letters on.

Then I mixed up a second chalk paint in a blue color to do my main letters. I put the stencils back in place and pretty much just colored in the lines with my blue chalk paint. I repeated with black craft paint for the smaller letters (I just used what I had. You can do whatever you want. That's the beauty of this! It's your project!)

Once everything was painted on, I used the tip from my Pinterest PIN that I posted above. I used a darker paint color that I mixed up using some left over paint to get a " shadow" color. I went through and added some dimension to my letters by outlining them with the "shadow". Next I used a lighter paint color to "highlight" a few of the inside lines of my letters. Now I'm not artist, so I really didn't know the right or wrong way of doing this. I just went with trial and error. If I didn't like it, I just wiped it off and touched up with the blue paint. (Hint: if you mix up your own chalk paint, cover it with plastic wrap. It seals it up enough that it won't dry out. I never had to mix more paint!)

Once dry, I tried doing a tinted wax (a DIY wax) over the top. It didn't do the exact effect that I had hoped but I'm thinking it was because the tint wasn't dark enough. But I was afraid to of making the sign too "dingy" so I left it alone and rolled with it.

The next day (I wanted to give the wax time to settle) I tried distressing with a very fine sand paper. Once again...I failed. All it did was smudge my letters. I had read that distressing after waxing would limit the distressing (as I didn't want to erase all my words). I would chalk that tip up to meaning for furniture. (No pun intended! Haha!)  I wouldn't recommend on rough wood with different color paints on it. But after distressing I just wiped the board off with a rag and took my original base color and touched up around the smudged letters. Ta da! It worked. It had a crisper look again but the words still appeared faded and worn. And that's what I was going for.

I cut the board to a shorter length after I painted so that I could have enough room to do what I wanted. I had wanted to do a jagged cut but after all my hard work, I was a tad bit worried that the wood would split. My husband helped me do a clean cut and then I just painted the end. I was also a little worried that once I put the sign up, it would look too big for the space. But thank the Lord it fits perfectly!

And here, ladies and gentlemen, is the finished product.

Sorry for the iPhone image!

Want one last tip? Walk away from your project for 2 months if you're doubting yourself. After not staring at it and criticizing it and seeing it with "new eyes" after some time away, I found that I loved it. If you have been debating about trying something new but you doubt your talents: DO IT! You just never know what you're capable of!

LIVE! From My "New" Room...

Fall is here. It's September 18 and it's already been so cool the past couple of mornings that I have been able to see my breath. Today was a tad bit warmer but since it was my day off, I decided to take full advantage of the fall weather. As usual I didn't get a tenth of the things finished that I had wanted to get done today. But I did make it a great day.

I started my day with my first pumpkin recipe of the season. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip pancakes. I'd share the recipe that I used from Pinterest but since there are 10,000 different recipes you can choose any one of them. Plus...I can't find the one that I used. They were absolutely delish. And since I have some left over, it will make waking up tomorrow morning much easier...

Then I turned to a paintbrush and finished my whitewashing project I've been tackling on the bead board and baseboard in my small little bedroom makeover. (Needing a little motivation I turned the T.V on for some background noise. Normally my show of choice is anything HGTV. However....there was a Friday the 13th marathon on. Heck. Yes. It is undoubtedly more difficult to get things accomplished while trying to tune in to a cheesy yet classic horror film. ) Of course once that was done, I decided it would be pretty awesome if I could get some furniture in the room and see how much I could make it look like a real room in one day. And I'm proud to say that as I write this I'M SITTING AT MY NEW DESK IN MY "NEW" LITTLE BEDROOM TURNED OFFICE! It's far from finished but it actually resembles a room! My husband even walked into it and said what a difference some paint and decor make. I am so excited about this little room that I just had to write a quick post and share my "so far" photo. It's just a sneak peak and there will be more to come. But for now....

A reminder of the before:

 And here is the "so far"! This is only the far end. The rest of the room is coming together but I wasn't quite ready to show that off yet. I'll keep you all posted. Let me know what you think! (Except for the carpet. You can ignore that. That's another project for another day)  :)

Thanks for reading and good night!

Snapshots and a Room Makeover (in progress)...

Good morning friends! Thank you all so much for the love on my Anniversary post. It took me almost a week to write it because I did so much "rewriting". When I talk about our wedding I tend to start sounding like a teenager and get a little long winded because I never thought the day would happen.

So thank you for reading.

We had a very nice and relaxing Anniversary weekend. We decided to just get in the car and drive. We headed to Port Washington (WI), Cedarburg and ended up in Milwaukee.

We had never been to Port Washington before but I suggested it since my husband is rather fond of fishing and the water. Sitting on a patio, overlooking Lake Michigan, enjoying Bloody Mary's, we just enjoyed having a Saturday together and watched all the boats coming in. The harbor was absolutely breathtaking.

And while I love taking photo's of EVERYTHING...I learned it's quite challenging to take a photo that express's just how amazing a view is. It's actually a little frustrating. (Because I like to be instantly good at things...I can't help it.)

After many deleted images this is what I got:

The Goose that I wanted to take home. Poor Goose.

We went in just to smell it. Amazing.
And I loved the sign. Definitely photo worthy.

Someone doesn't know how to take pictures of people. But it's ok.
Look at that background! It's prettier than we are.

 Then we headed towards Cedarburg. To be more specific, Cedarburg Covered Bridge Park. It's one of the last remaining original covered bridges in the State. I wanted to try my hand at some photo's there. However, I wasn't able to get the ones I wanted because, darn it, there were other people there (insert sarcasm) and also because my husband decided to be un-photogenic. 

Can you not just envision those old black cars rolling through here???

See what I mean?
I'm getting the "Put the camera down" lecture.

Still got you, my handsome husband. ;)

 Then we hit up Cedarburg. I'm not sure how many of you have been there but if I didn't have 5 horses (and I house that I am totally in love with....well and obviously a husband too) I would move there. It's such a quaint little town. Everything has so much character and you feel like you've entered a real life Hallmark town. If you haven't been there, GO! And make sure to check out the Bloody Mary's at Easy Street, the wraps at Settler's Inn and the biggest, most delectable caramel apples at Amy's Gourmet Apples. We weren't able to get a caramel apple this time around because it would've melted. But we'll be back. I want to go back to see how they decorate for Halloween. I'll bet it's straight out of a movie.

My husband said he could be a pro photographer.
I'll let you be the judge of that.

I'm obsessed with this view.

I needed a model (or husband) standing on that walkway. Am I right?!

We ended up in Milwaukee where we checked out the Indian Summer Festival at the Henry Maier Festival Park. It was fun to people watch and eat lots of totally unhealthy, sinful, soul filling food. We did some ear candling (look it up) and walked around checking out all things Native American. I saw a man dressed as a Medicine man and he looked so authentic that I wanted to get my picture taken with him. In the end, I decided I was much more afraid of him. I was so busy people watching I forgot to take pictures of some of the costumes! 

View outside the Park.

Milwaukee skyline.

It was a great day spent together!

It was definitely an enjoyable day of celebrating our first year as a married couple. The good news is that even though we may drive each other crazy, we still enjoy spending time together just the two us. (Hey...it's been 5 1/2 years. We argue over directions while driving. Every. Single. Time) ;)

Ok so this blog post actually started with the intent of showing you a BEFORE of our small extra room, turned bedroom/office space. I figure if I show you before photo's that it will give me more motivation to keep going with it and get it finished. I'm tired of saying "I'll get to it". 

So now I'm saying "Let's do this". (Cue Home Depot music)

This was a second doorway off the living room.
We're turning this into a small bedroom/office space
so we closed it in.

The open doorway from the living room.
And yes, that's a sneak peak at the color going up.

Full of STUFF!

It's been a catch all room. It's had my crafting stuff, wedding gifts, extra furniture, Mary Kay stuff and piles of paper. After a year and almost 2 months of living here, enough is enough. 

Now I should get off blogging and go start painting! I'll keep you all posted!!

Have a great Tuesday everyone!

Say What? A Year?!

Amazing.

One year ago today was one of the best days of my life (thus far).

Our amazing, perfect, beautiful wedding.

The days leading up to the BIG ONE YEAR anniversary have made me reflect and look back on that spectacular day. I decided to hit up the wedding photo's and try to relive that day again. I can't believe the things that I had already forgotten. Going through these again made me smile and in some cases, laugh out loud. It was such a great day!

I'm pretty partial to some of our wedding photo's (I think they are pretty fantastic) so I thought I would take a moment to share a few of the ones that I'm certain many of you haven't seen before. Also, to share a few of the moments the way that I saw them.

It started with excitement and anxiousness and anticipation. We are best friends and have been since the day we met just about 5 and 1/2 years ago. Ironically, when you are planning your wedding you would think that the number one thing on your mind is that you are marrying your other half. Many would say "duh". But unless you've gotten married you have no idea what you're in for. Most of the time it's the last thing you think about...you're too busy thinking about how to save costs, how to make sure everyone has a good time, making sure you have enough food and drink.....blah, blah, blah. Some other things to consider are as follows.

Things you should keep in mind while planning your wedding:

You have to keep family happy.

You find out who your true friends are.

You always have one bridesmaid that makes you want to drink a little more wine.

Someone insists they should wear red (hahaha! just had to throw that in there in case Tater is reading this!)

People think they know how things should be planned even when it's not what you were thinking.

You add people to the guest list that you haven't seen in years.

You hear people complain that they don't have cool whip to go with their pie. No joke.

You have to keep family happy. Did I mention that?

And throughout all those moments, you keep smiling and wished that you would have eloped.

But somehow, amongst all the chaos with thoughts swirling through your head, when you see your future husband standing at the alter and looking at you with such love, you forget everything. Suddenly you realize that those people who told you it was about YOU and HIM were right! (Who the heck is going to remember what they ate a year later? So what if people didn't get whip cream! )With 200 people staring at you as you walk down the aisle, reciting your vows to your spouse to be and thinking about how it's the beginning of the rest of your life, you don't notice anyone else. So it's the candid photo's that I love the most. The ones that caught the little things that I didn't see while living in the moment. I'm so thankful to Keith Weich Photography for capturing our day so perfectly.

My favorite part of the whole wedding was our ceremony. It was religious. It was meaningful. And it was totally us. It was funny and it was unforgettable. I'm sure there aren't too many weddings where the subject of a 2:00 AM coon shooting are somehow tied into the meaning of marriage. Let me say that I don't believe the Pastor will forget us any time soon.

I wanted to do something truly unique for our unity message. I came up with balloons. I did the research. We used decomposable strings (I didn't want a birds blood on my hands). I came up with a pretty great analogy and had the Pastor help me tweak it. It. Was. Perfect.

In my head.

I had no idea that the strings would be too long and therefore...too heavy!

Our balloons, that were symbolizing us joining together and starting a new life, came tumbling down. To the ground. If I remember correctly, the Pastor even said "I hope that's not a sign!" After some frantic "who's got a pocket knife?" (yes, because who wouldn't have one at a wedding) we finally got the strings shortened. We held our breath. You can see my husband hitting them into the air. Unforgettable all right.

And yes. They floated. Phew.

As I looked through my photo's I was struck by how many moments I don't recall clearly. But one thing I do remember and I know I will for the rest of my life, was the way that my best friend looked at me that day. I know we'll always have ups and downs and life will get sticky at times but I hope that every now and then, we'll stop to look at each other like that again. Like he...er...we won the freaking lottery. Just kidding husband....I'm a lucky lady! ;)

 You know what else I never saw? My absolutely ADORABLE FLOWER GIRL AND RING BEARER. Not once did I get to see this cuteness go up or down the aisle. Look at them! I can't take it.

 I just cannot believe that I spent a year and 4 months planning a wedding, consuming every single breath I took and feeling the day would never get here...and it's been over for a year! And working in a bridal store, you would probably think I'd change some things. But guess what? I'd choose the same things again! We'll see how I feel 10 years from now! :)

I remember thinking that people would be surprised that I played it so safe with color. For those that know me in the horse show world, I'm always combining COLOR, COLOR & COLOR with different textures and patterns. (Oh wait...I guess not just the horse show world. I just realized that describes my wardrobe. )

But once I got planning I knew A) without a doubt I was doing something green since it's my favorite color and B) I wanted to keep things classic. 5,10 or 20 years from now I MAY wonder about the cowgirl boots but honestly, it's who I am. It's wasn't a Pinterest fad. I didn't do it to be trendy. I wanted a wedding that reflected us. So if I question myself years down the road, I'll know it's because that's what was me.

I wanted a country romantic wedding. I love soft pastels. And I LOVE a man in a charcoal suit. I'm positive that I'll never question what the ladies or guys wore on our wedding. (No offense to the man who wore a baby blue suit to their wedding. You know who you are ;)  )

How about a few random facts that you didn't know about our wedding planning & the day of?
(Sure...twist my arm)

1. There were supposed to be 2 bridesmaids in the pastel coral. It just didn't work out that way.
2. I (and a group of amazing people) hand made our invites.
3. My cousin and I made all the programs by hand, just the 2 of us.
4. My husband pretty much only helped choose the food and dessert. 
5. I may or may not have asked my husband if he still wanted to marry me (numerous times)
6. I purchased my wedding gown from the bridal store I now work at. 
7. It poured the entire morning of our wedding and I insisted that God would not make me get married inside. I was right.
8. It took 2 hours to do my hair.
9. I made all of our hairpieces myself. 
10. I had an emergency use for alligator tape 5 minutes before the ceremony. (All I'll admit is it's a pageant trick. And I don't recommend alligator tape.)
11. We were provided one bag of ice on the day of the wedding. A gas station run was made.
12. My husband whispered something to me during the ceremony that only I know.
13. My (step) dad and I took dance lessons for a month. 
14. After dinner, I saw my husband once.
15. My husband calls his dance moves (typically known as "the worm") "the snail"....
16. Lastly, I let my husband choose our first dance song from a selection of 5 (3 being country songs) and he chose A Thousand Years by Christina Perry (I DID NOT choose it because of a popular vampire flick)

And after everything, I know this to be true: I couldn't have planned a better day. There wasn't one thing I would redo. It was perfect for us.

HAPPY 1ST ANNIVERSARY HUSBAND! WISHING US A LIFETIME OF LOVE, LAUGHS AND WONDERFUL MEMORIES! XOXO!