Baby Steps

Ok. Here's the deal... I kinda need to diet. You know, so I feel my absolute best on my wedding day {and night ;)} Did I just say that?! Anyway...

I don't really know how to diet. :/ I've never really had to, so I don't know where to start. It's not like I need to drop 50 pounds, but 10-15 would be nice. Or even just toning up would be great. I keep telling myself that I'm gonna start working out {I even had Derek buy me an exercise video for Christmas... it's been used 1.5 times :/} but I just cant get motivated.

Soooo I decided baby steps would be best. Starting today {or kinda yesterday} I'm saying good bye to my beloved Dr. Pepper-- and all his friends for that matter. No more soda for me! Yikes!! I've done it before, but it only lasted for about a month. And I have 5 months till the wedding... this could be tough. 

I'm still trying to decide where I stand with sweet tea and coffee {my other vices}. I think I'll go insane if I give up all 3, so I'm thinking maybe a weekly limit or something. But the jury's still out.

I definitely don't like this part of wedding planning, but I saw a picture of me the other day that was taken a few weeks ago. And my face has gotten a little round! ha {let's not talk about the tummy!!} So I guess it's necessary.

Like I said, this is definitely a baby step, but at least I'm trying. Does any one have any great {and practical!!} weight loss tips??

A Good Wife...

"She's like a trading ship that sails to far away places and brings back exotic surprises." Proverbs 31:14 (The Message)

I think this week's verse is kinda funny. I mean, I'm sure there could be a deeper meaning in this verse, but even my NIV version says something about bringing food from afar. The reason I think this verse is so funny is because it's pretty accurate in our relationship. Derek is such a picky eater. And I love trying new foods. It's kind of ridiculous how opposite we are when it comes to food. I must say, he is a pretty good sport most of the time, and indulges me when I want to try something new, but I know cooking for him won't always be the easiest task. When we first started dating Derek pretty much ate chicken strips and cheeseburgers. all. the. time. He definitely hasn't changed his personal preferences, but since we've been together he's tried: Japanese, Indian, Thai, Vietnamese, and Afghan, not to mention a wide array of chocolates from Russia and Europe {we like to splurge on fancy chocolate occasionally! :)}

Let's just say, I do my best to introduce him to the exotic... I'm just not sure how much it's appreciated.

Speaking of exotic foods... have you ever tried Ethiopian food??  I had in when I was in Tanzania. It's definitely different, but now that its on my mind I'm kind of craving it...

Happy Sunday folks! Try to add some exotic to your life this week!  :)

Daydreams

I mentioned before that I found an ah-mazing place to have our wedding. But did I mention that we are also going to have the reception at the same place? AND that we don't have to pay for any of it?? Crazy, right?! A super nice family that goes to our church is letting us use their property for the wedding. I love it!! It is totally what I had in mind, but I didn't think I'd ever find what I was looking for in our area. Or in our budget!! Of course, we will have some extra rental expenses that we might not have had at a more traditional venue, but it's still such a great deal! Have I mentioned how much I love this place?? Cause I do. I love it!!  :)

The pictures don't do it justice, but take a look:

This is where we'll say "I do"  It feels so romantic to me, I love it!  I can't decide if we'll stay on the steps or stand on the porch. It'll probably depend on how hot it is. ha

And this is where we'll have the reception (which happens to be the opposite side of the building where we're getting married. cool, huh?) . It was originally where the ceremony was going to be, but I changed my mind. The food will be inside that building, but the tables will be outside. Lets hope it's not too hot!!

This cute little cabin is where the ladies will be getting ready. We might even stay here the night before. The inside's adorable too!

Here's a view of the building from the cabin I just showed you.

Just in case! ;)

This is the actual home of the family who is being so generous. I think it's lovely! And it's filled with the neatest antiques. They're a couple after my own heart.

Anywho... I was just daydreaming about July 23 and I thought I'd share a part of the magic with you. It just can't come soon enough!!

Oh, and if you hadn't noticed, July 23 is exactly 5 months away. That's right, FIVE MONTHS. I'll be Mrs. Thompson and on my way to Toronto before ya know it!!

Mad Skillzzz

Once upon a time, Derek bought a chair for $15. It was a lovely chair, but it was also dingy, and dirty, and smelly, and gross. So Derek asked his awesome {then girlfriend} to work her magic on said chair. This is what happened...

This is the chair. Not too shabby, you might say. But boy was it dirty!! It needed a face lift. And maybe a tummy tuck.

This is what happened to the chair after I got a hold of it. I won't show you what happened to my hands. Reupholstering is hard work!! Ouch.

Home Sweet Home. In about 5 months at least. :) It still needs some work, but I'll take care of that when it's really mine. ha

A Good Wife...

"She shops around for the best yarns and cottons, and enjoys knitting and sewing." Proverbs 31:13 (The Message)

Hey guys! You probably forgot, but it's week 3 of my Proverbs 31 project. And I like this week's verse! :)

I don't partake in sewing as much as I'd like, but I do enjoy it quite a bit. Something about the hum of the machine puts me at peace I think. It can be kind of relaxing really, especially if it's something I'm just working on for fun. I'll admit, the actual cutting and piecing can be kind of stressful {I'm a Type B perfectionist... who knew that was possible?!} but the sewing its self almost always calms me back down. I've also tried my hand at knitting a time or two, but crocheting is usually my yarn-craft of choice. At least for now. I think I just know more people who crochet so I have more experience with it. And more people to help me if I get stuck.

I don't think I'll have a problem fulfilling this "good-wife"ly duty. Especially down the road {you know, in 20 years or so ;)} when a baby might be on the way. I always find the cutest sewing projects for babies... dresses, toys, nursery things, you name it. But for now I'll just stick with clothes and homey decorations, how's that sound? Excellent?? I think so too! :)

Here's some recent things I've done...

This is the scarf I made for Ender, Derek's Scottie. {Derek thought he needed a scarf :)}

I know, I know. You've already seen this. But I really like it! haha

Sorry for the poor photo quality. This is a before and after I did. It's kinda hard to tell, but this was a big, boxy, ugly DAV shirt. I slimmed it down and made it a v-neck. Cause I liked the polka dots! :)

Again, I know this is a horrible picture. Sorry. I actually made a couple cuter aprons, but I forgot to take pictures. And they were gifts. So sad.  I love aprons!!

Today's just one of those days...

You know, when you don't feel like blogging. I'm determined to make it a habit though. So I will blog. You're welcome.  :)

I decided to just show some of the little projects I've worked on lately. and I do mean little.

These are some fabric flowers I've made lately. I'm not sure what I'm gonna do with the bottom row. I just make them when I'm bored. I might use them as confetti on some of the tables at the wedding and then make them into headbands and rings and stuff later. We'll see.  The top row is a different story... I have 200 of those cute little guys. Yes, TWO HUNDRED. A couple of my cousins helped me make them. They're going to go on the wedding invitations. eventually.

This my friends, is a quilt square. Cute right?! I love it! I just made it out of some scraps I had. I'm wanting to make it into a pillow or something, but I can't decide if I actually want to quilt it or not. I've seen some really cute ideas of how I could quilt it, but I'm scared I'll mess it up! I actually made it several weeks ago... and I still can't decide what to do! ha

Happy Thursday!

Well folks, it's official!

I must say, it's not as pretty as I expected, but I guess it'll do the trick. 

I feel like I should celebrate or something. Too bad I'm dirt poor and can't afford to celebrate. I NEED A JOB!!!

Wanna know a secret??

My name is Jamie and I am a shoe-aholic.

THERE. I said it!  

Wooo feeling a little better now. Admittance is the first step, right?!

Anyway. I thought I'd share a little bit of my obsession with you today. Considering I've gotten 3 new pairs of shoes in... oh, about 4 days. Yeah.

I told you about my new green shoes the other day. So cute. I got these on the same day... same day, different DAV.

I LOVE them!!! Best $3 I ever spent! Ever.

These are new too. They were a Valentine's gift from my man. He knows my heart! :) And they're from Sears. Who knew, right?! Sears is one of the few stores in the Garden City "mall" so we usually browse around for good measure. I saw these and fell in love when I was visiting around Christmas.

Here's some more of my recent favs. I can't wait for bright summer wedges, though!! I almost got a pair of yellow wedges at the DAV the other day, but settled on the green shoes instead.

So... now that you have an understanding of my shameless obsession, imagine my apprehension to find the perfect wedding shoes!! I'm anxiously holding my breath and crossing my fingers that the new spring lines will have just what I've been looking for. I really want some light blue, kitten heel or wedge, vintage inspired beauties. 

and, look what I found...

Perfect, right?! So imagine my disappointment when I realized they were so completely out of my price range. My heart cried a little. I mean, I love shoes, but they usually come from thrift stores or Forever 21 or Target or something. Oh, BHLDN, why must you haunt me so?

Don't you worry though, I will find a cheaper, just-as-cute alternative before July 23. I hope.

Oh, and in case you were wondering... Hot Yoga is intense!! They don't mess around.

How was my weekend, you ask?

Fabulous, just fabulous!

As I mentioned before, Derek and I spent our Saturday-Monday in Wichita {our long-distance-relationship-halfway-meeting-point} Yeah. We got to take a long weekend cause Derek gets a day off in celebration of his birthday {nice, huh?!} So he used it yesterday instead of last Wednesday. Since we've been engaged these short little weekend trips seem to go by even faster... cause we actually have things we need to accomplish. Unfortunately we only accomplished 1/3 of those things. grrr. I'm blaming the hotel's poor wifi connectivity. Geez people, this is 2011, get better wifi!!


We had a good trip though, just not a productive one. Some of our friends from OK came up and met us, which was fun.We also had lunch with some of my family {and I got to hold a cute little baby. Gotta love babies!}We also stopped by this great little donut shop Sunday morning.We discovered it on our last trip and it immediately became a must-do for anytime we're in town. It's so cute and it has a ton of crazy flavors!! Some of them don't even really sound good, but if you're like me you just have to try them anyway! haha Curiosity killed the cat and whatever. 

Isn't it cute?? The rooster was the first thing we noticed as we were driving around downtown one night. It's more of like a coffee lounge than a donut shop... late hours, sweet hang out, that sort of thing.

Our Sunday breakfast... my donuts were Cherry Citrus {SOOO good!} and Caramel Cheesecake. Derek got Orange Cream and Maple Bacon, that's right, BACON. On a donut. {Ok, I kinda made him try it. Cause he really likes bacon} And to drink: Earl Grey for me and an old fashioned soda for Derek. And if you're wondering, yes I did make that awesome snuggie. :)

Here are just a few of the cute features that you can expect at the Donut Whole... unique tables, random artwork, and a ton of cute vintage pieces.

Seriously folks, if you guys are ever in the Wichita area, this place is legit! I mean, I don't even really like cake donuts {which is all they serve} and I can't get enough. And who doesn't wanna try crazy donut flavors?! So fun! I was this close to getting Buttered Popcorn {topped with popcorn, not sprinkles.} If they have it next time, it's mine.

Oh, ps... I think I'm gonna try hot yoga tonight!! :) This should be interesting for a few reasons...
      1. I've never tried yoga. Well, seriously at least
      2. I sweat like a man. It's gross!                                                            
      3. I'm going with someone who makes me laugh. A lot. I don't think you're supposed to laugh during yoga. :/

14 Reasons Why I LOVE This Guy...

1. I probably laugh (realistically) 80% of the time we're together... that's a lot of laughing!

2. I'm pretty sure he complements me the most on the days I feel miserable and gross. (why do I even try to look good??)

3. He is super encouraging. I mean, annoyingly encouraging... those times when I just wanna give up on something or switch gears to something easier, he always makes me feel like I can do it if I just keep trying. I guess that's a good thing... ha

4. He loves that I love being crafty! I think I'm more crafty when I'm with him cause he gets all impressed and stuff when I make things. (see where the encouragement's coming in??)

5. He likes watching HGTV. Probably more than I do.

6. Although I give him a hard time about being such a picky eater, he really does try new things for me. Sometimes. He even took me to an Afghan restaurant when we were in Colorado Springs last summer!

7. Being with him makes me want to be a better person. I'm not just saying that either, it really does!

8. He likes to buy me things... so much that sometimes I have to tell him not to buy things. What a problem, right?!

9. I don't think he knows it yet, but he's gonna be such a great dad one day!! He hasn't been around kids much in his 24 years, but he already has my little cousin wrapped around his finger. So cute!

10. I feel more like myself when I'm with him than when we're apart.

11. We tend to think alike. It's kind of scary actually... ask anyone who's played Cranium with us! :)

12. He calls me "My Lady." It started out as a joke cause we had a waitress at IHOP that called me that once. But I think it's kind of cute. You know, in a Renaissance fair kind of way.

13. He gives the best hugs EVER. They melt away my stress 99% of the time.

14. I get to spend the rest of my life with him. And I can't think of anyone else I'd rather spend it with!


Have a great V-Day friends! Hope you're spending it with someone you love! :)

A Good Wife...

"Never spiteful, she treats him generously all her lifelong." Proverbs 31:12 (The Message)

When I think of the word spiteful I think of  unforgiveness. I think of someone who is hanging on to bitterness and in turn treating the other person without love or compassion; deliberately doing things to upset them, hurting them on purpose. I hope I never EVER become a spiteful person. I know there will be times in my married life that will require forgiveness on both my part and Derek's, and I know it won't always be easy, but I pray that it will always be fully given. Generous means marked by abundance or ample proportions... that's a lot of forgiveness folks! Last week I talked about the importance of trust. Without trust I think forgiveness is next to impossible! By creating a strong, trusting relationship on the good days, I think forgiveness will be more easily granted on the not-so-good days. Also, by first putting our trust in Christ, we will be better equipped to forgive as He does.

On the road. Again.

This morning I'm on my way to see my handsome fellow. We're meeting in Wichita (the somewhat halfway point.) Let me tell you, this long distance thing pretty much sucks! Good thing it'll be over in about 5 months and 10 days!!

As much as I hate these long, lonely drives, at least I'll have a full Valentine's/birthday weekend with my future hubby when I get there! And lets not forget about the amazing weather that's headed our way... double plus!!

Some good things about my morning so far...

Turban headband I made last night. Idea copied from my bff (who adapted the idea from Elsie)

My new green shoes. Gotta love the DAV!

Hope you have a LOVE-ly V-day weekend! And if you're in the mid-west, please enjoy this beautiful weather!

I LOVE Surprises!

I mean really really love them. So much that I get really upset when someone spoils the ending to a movie or an episode of a tv show I like. So much that sometimes I just won't watch the movie. Derek doesn't love surprises. Like at all really. He's not very good at them either. He always spoils movies and tv shows and stuff. Sooo frustrating!

Anyway... I also love wrapping presents. And since I love surprises and I love wrapping presents I usually try to disguise the present by wrapping it in different boxes and stuff.

I mostly just do this to Derek though, cause if I don't he'll figure out the gift before he even opens it. Cause he doesn't like surprises.

Like these... bet you'd never guess what they are.

 I went with a newspaper theme this year for Derek's gifts. Cause he's a newspaper man.

These are my 2 favorite elements. The "card" and the cute little newspaper poof.

So what about you? Do you love surprises??

Dessert Bar Inspiration

In honor of the fact that I'm going to be having cake and ice cream this afternoon. At a birthday party. I thought I'd share some of my dessert bar inspiration....

I just want the cake to be really simple and rough-iced

Sooo wish I could find a cake topper like this!

Don't know if I'll have quite this many cookies. They all look yummy though!

We're planning on making different sized cake plates like this... maybe I'll put a tutorial up.

So cute right?!

Sorry I don't have the exact location for all these pics. I just pulled them out of my Inspiration folder on my computer. I found them all here at some point. Gotta love OnceWed!

That's all I got.

Happy birthday Jacob! 

Watch out ladies, my uncle's a stud! (Yeah, I said uncle.)

Today in pictures...

So when I woke up there was more snow... again! I have a strong belief that if it's gonna be cold there might as well be snow. But, seriously people, can't spring just get here already?? Geez Louise!

Snow or no snow I had to get out of the house, I decided to go visit my cousin and her cutie-patootie little girls. They weren't feeling the best though. So sad.

McKinley's the newest addition to our crazy bunch... and we can already tell she's gonna be just as ditsy as her oldest sister!

Emme is sick.  :( She had hives all over. Poor girl!!

At this point Addie said "Jamie, I don't want another picture." If you knew Addie, you would understand that she must not have been feeling well. She's usually the life of the party. And a little model. Anna can prove it!

And if you were wondering... potty training is tough work, folks!

This is my parents' new puppy, Samson. He's so adorable! Unless he wakes you up crying in the middle of the night. Not so adorable.

Then I decided to be crafty. So I made Valentine's garland for that girl down there... I semi-copied the idea but I made it with tissue paper instead of fabric.

Yeah, this is the lucky lady who will be receiving the garland. My gorgeous cuz Drakshya. She told me that she wants to be just like me when she "grows up"... I think she just wanted me to give her the garland! ;)

Anyway, that was my day. Hope yours was just as uneventful. :)

Oh ps... today's my amazing man's 24th birthday! TWENTY-FOUR!! He's getting so old. SO sad I can't be with him today, but we're meeting in Wichita this weekend. Let the countdown begin!!

Problem...

Sorry for the poor photo quality... my phone camera kinda sucks.

So I bought this chair at an auction the other night (for $11, what?!) and I absolutely love it!! I think it's so cute. But more importantly, I think it has sooo much potential... and that's the problem! I'm trying to decide how big of a project I want it to be. I can't decide if I want to paint it a fun/funky color or if I want to keep the original wood look and just reupholster the cushion. hmmm Decisions, decisions. What would you do??

Discovery...

So today I did something I've never done before... I cooked in a slow cooker. I know, I know, you're thinking ooo that's so cool, why don't you go chill over there with my grandma. But really, I was impressed. With myself. I don't know about you, but whenever I think of slow-cooker-food I think of either pot roast (blah) or little smokies and rotel (not-so-blah, but the super bowl was yesterday... not having a party any time soon... not that I had a super bowl party, or even watched it for that matter) Anyway, moving right along... I cooked in a slow cooker and didn't cook any of those things! Now are you impressed?? Yeah, didn't think so. But it was really good. I made orange chicken. mmmm So, if you have a sudden urge to cook in a slow cooker (which you probably will after reading this inspiring post) you should try this recipe. Not too shabby, not too shabby at all.

ps... I didn't follow most of that recipe, but I did follow the sauce part (which is what makes it orange chicken, so that's the most important part) I would recommend making more sauce though, if you're gonna put it over rice anyway. 

(So I realize this isn't the most appetizing picture. But it was really good.)

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go watch The Bachelor... cause I like trashy television like that. It's a weakness people. :)

A Good Wife...

 "A good woman is hard to find, and worth far more than diamonds."  Proverbs 31:10 (The Message)

The majority of Proverbs 31 talks about "a wife of noble character." I've been inspired by this passage for quite awhile now, and even more so since becoming engaged. I want to be this woman, seriously!! I've decided to devote Sundays to Proverbs 31... each week I will post a verse and explain how I hope to live it out in my own life. I think it will be a fun thing for me, and maybe a challenge for you as well. Since that first verse is kind of vague, I'll do 2 this week...

"Her husband trusts her without reserve, and never has reason to regret it." Proverbs 31:11 (The Message)

This is sooo important ladies!! I feel like one of the biggest causes for divorce these days is a lack of trust, whether it leads to adultery, financial lies, or just bitterness and contempt, a lack of trust is so detrimental to any relationship. It's hard to explain how I will live this out, I mean, it seems so simple, but I'm sure there will be times of struggle. Derek and I plan to share a bank account and we already know each others passwords for various things, which I think will be two ways of remaining accountable. I also think that by trusting Derek without question will help him trust me. Honestly, it's hard for me to make a plan of trustworthiness because I feel like Derek and I have a pretty trusting relationship already (we live 8 hours apart folks, what else is there but trust?!) Anyway... that's really vague. Not the best verse to start out with for this concept, but probably the most important! Any suggestions on how you maintain a strong, trusting relationship??