Hosting

I look the test twice, and believe it or not, I am PREGNANT! WOW! I’m so thankful for this news to come right at our one year anniversary date! What a special gift. Looking back at the past month, before finding out we were preggers, I have been singing the song ”Small Bump” by Ed Sheeran where he talks about his baby before he or she is born. A little 2 year old touched by stomach and asked me “do you have a baby in your tommy?” I watched a baby video on YouTube with envy for my very own real life baby doll. What’s even stranger is I took the test right after watching Young & Hungry where the cook played by Emily Osmit takes a pregnancy test, unlike her’s my was positive.

*mommy-to-be intuition self-five!

Of course, now I’m running through articles about foods to avoid, exercises to do, hospitals, doctors, creative ways to spread the news, how long to wait till spreading the news…

It’s such a huge responsibility to host someone inside me for 9 months,  we’re due March 3rd. Right now, at around 4 weeks the baby is as small as a poppy seed, and is about to split into 2 parts forming the placenta.

My sense of smell is on point. It’s almost like smelling ordinary things for the first time. Did you ever notice the smell of Mayonnaise or toast! How can a sliver of bread create such a wind of smell?? Thankfully, I haven’t really had morning sickness. Although, I did think I was catching the flu, more tired than usual, and boy have I been chilly. I have mostly been experiencing a symptom similar to the aches and pains of the beginnings of period cramps. Oh, not to mention my breasts have been hurting for weeks. But I’m comforted by Twix bars, peppermint, and fruit.

I pray I do you right little seed inside me. I pray you are strong, healthy, smart, kind, beautiful, and obedient. I love you already. Please love me, and please be nice to me this first time mommy.

Searching for Challah

Okay, I’m in need of the perfect Challah bread recipe! One that is more savory than sweet, moist, flaky crust, buttery, with a touch of salt!! Today I tried http://www.averiecooks.com/2012/11/challah.html and broke off a small edge to taste the finished product and unfortunately it is not what I prefer challah to taste like. Although, this recipe was pretty quick to make as for bread goes. I liked that you only used 3 eggs (2 for the dough and 1 for the glaze). Also, most recipe’s call for 6+ cups of flour and this one only called for 3 1/2 cups. Since I am cooking just for the two of us, I made 4 tiny challah loafs which I will wrap with saran wrap, tinfoil, and lastly plastic bag to go in the freezer.

Please share with me your favorite tasting Challah bread recipe! I would love to try it!

Copycat Chick-Fil-A Chicken

http://damndelicious.net/2014/07/18/copycat-chick-fil-nuggets/

I made this recipe last night and it was delicious! My husband doesn’t like sweets, and there is sugar in this recipe, but he ate all of his chicken! The confectioners sugar really tenderizes the chicken meat. There is some kind of spice missing to truly make this taste like Chick-Fil-A, though. I used frozen tenderloins, but you couldn’t tell because the chicken was juicy and moist! Sugar does miracles with chicken. Whenever I make a rotisserie chicken I put whatever jelly I have on hand on top of the chicken and bake it in the oven! D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S

The Golfer

My brother’s birthday is about a month away and I never know what to give him! This year, I decided that I would paint him a picture! One of his hobbies is golf, so I came up with this! I’m really pleased with how it turned out! I had trouble with the shoe on the far left, trees in the distance, and the golden sunset, but I think it all turned out very well! What’s better than a personal gift, right?

1989

Yesterday Taylor Swifts new CD released! My husband and I are avid “swifties” *we went to her concert in Uptown Charlotte last year! I pretty sure I cried, anyway…. We bought her D.L.X. CD in the morning and listened while working yesterday. Today I have it playing again! It was so fun painting while listening to 1989 in my “studio corner” yesterday.

My Favorite Songs are the following:

• Shake it off
• Style
• Bad Blood
• Wildest Dreams (*Swoon)
• I know Places
• Wonderland
• New Romantics (*I think this will be her new single)

Of course, I love all of her songs on the CD! But these especially “Speak to me.”

I’m so glad that talented people like Taylor Swift share their gifts with the world. My everyday life is more colorful because of people like Taylor. May success continue, and may you keep being inspired with song writing!

 

Musica

We chose John Legend’s All Of Me – Piano Cover as the Groom, groomsmen, and bridesmaids walked down the aisle. The words are so beautiful and we thought it was perfect.

As my dad walked me down the aisle, we had the pianist play A Thousand Years – Piano Cover! I just think this song is such a romantic, sweet, pure song and when I first heard it on the piano I knew this had to be the song for me; it’s so vulnerable and innocent; this song has all of that emotion swelled inside!

When it was time to party at the reception, we were welcomed as The Best Day of My Life – American Authors played.

Our first dance song was Close Your Eyes – Michael Bublé. His voice and music is so timeless, I know we’ll love this song even when we’re old. It’s a sentimental song, but not too sappy. I think it’s a perfect song for a wedding reception.

Father Daughter Dance My Girl – The Temptations. Another timeless, classy song. As my dad and I swayed on the dance floor, I knew that I’d always be his little girl.

Mother Son Dance This is Where I Belong – Bryan Adams. It was really sweet song for his and his mom to waltz to!

Bouguet Toss 22 – Taylor Swift. This song I would dance with my girl friends to, and I knew it would be a huge hit for all the single ladies!

Sparkler Send off  Firework – Katy Perry. We ushered our guests to the doors with this festive song!

And that’s a wrap

DIY Floral Invitations

2014 Copyright Jimmy Ho photography http://www.jimmyhophotography.com

I just L.O.V.E these floral pressed invitations! They also come with matching response cards! So beautiful and went great with my Secret Garden wedding theme! You can save so much money by printing out your own invitations like these! Also available in lavender from Jo-Ann’s.

 

Wedding Favors Do It Yourself

Wedding Favors:
Copyright Jimmy Ho Photography http://www.jimmyhophotography.com

Our wedding theme was an Secret Garden theme, and I think the favors really brought the whole idea together!

• Gold boxes from Amazon
• Custom Stickers “The Wright Blend” from Stickeryou too cute!
• Inside the boxes were English Breakfast Teas, mimi moo creamers, and sugar in the raw,

We made shortbread cookies and monogrammed them with the letter “W” using a delicious recipe from Martha Stewart

Wedding Memoir’s Budgeting

Establishing a budget will be one of the founding factors of a wedding, and also a “touchy” subject for many people. Some Brides & Grooms believe they are entitled to an unending money tree from the brides parents for all wedding costs. This is just plain ridiculous; I hate entitlement attitudes, be grateful for whatever your parents give you! We split our wedding costs 3 ways: my parents, Brock & I, and his parents. Here was the budget breakdown:

Brides Parents:

• Ceremony & Reception
• Bride & Bridesmaids flower bouquets, Mother & Grandmothers wrist corsages,
• Centerpieces: candles, vases, flowers,
• Cake

Bride & Groom

• Wedding rings
• Bridal Gown: including veil, and under garments, jewelry, shoes
• Bridesmaid’s Gifts
• Grooms Tux
• Groomsmen’s Gifts
• Wedding favors
• Invitations, response cards, stamps,
• Photographer
• Marriage Certificate, payment to officiant, Emcee for reception, reception sound equipment, musician
• Ketubah
• Flower Petals
• Guestbook & pen, photo displays
• Honeymoon
• Thank you cards
• Sparklers 

Groom’s Parents

• Rehearsal Dinner
• Champagne Toast

Chances are you’ll spend more that you thought. Wedding’s are expensive, but you can have the wedding of your dreams by splurging on things that are important for you and skimping on things that are less of an importance. Also doing DIY projects saves you a TON! I went to a bridal expo and saw floral centerpieces for $50.00 a pop! If you have the team and the time I recommend doing your own Bouquets, invitations, centerpieces, wedding favors, programs. Eliminate save-the-dates tell those that you want to come– they’ll ask anyway and save-the-dates only get thrown away along with everything else after the wedding. Jo-Ann’s is the best place to purchase invitations ( We spent about $30.00 on invitations) and real looking silk flowers! There are mobile coupons you can use to take percentages off of your purchase, I recommend signing up for those! We purchased our programs from the christian book store for only $8.00!

For bouquets we mixed silk flowers with real baby’s breath. Materials needed are the following:

1. Silk Flowers (Jo-Ann’s)
2. Hot glue gun (Walmart)
3. Rubber bands (Walmart)
4. Floral wire (Jo-Ann’s) and also can be found at (Dollar tree)
5. Floral tape (Jo-Ann’s)
6. Lace (We used old vintage lace)
7. Floral pins (Jo-Ann’s)

Get the shape you want of your flowers take off unnecessary leaves, and add leaves with the floral wire. Secure it with rubber bands, then hot glue them together! Wrap with floral tape and lace secure with pins! Practice makes perfect! Make some sample ones and have fun!