my minor marital meltdown

Hey folks! So, our "Big Day" came and went, and after spending a week in perpetual and glorious relaxation, the Mr. and I are now back home getting settled in to...well...the rest of our lives and such. More pictures to come but for now, I'll just say that it was amazing and perfect and just as much of a whirlwind as they tell you it's going to be -- and it definitely would not have been possible without a lot of help from incredible family and friends.

However, now that it's over, I'm sensing the large task of just what it means to be a wife. As such...I have a rather ridiculous story to share (and please feel free to comment if you've ever had a similar experience so I feel less weird).

The day after Strider and I got back, we talked through our schedules for the week and discussed some food ideas and preferences. It's been a big topic for us since I enjoy cooking but rarely have time for it and during my single life often took a forage-what-you-can mentality. I want to actually prepare meals for us, so with a list in hand Monday after work, I headed to Walmart. Oddly enough, I was excited by the prospect of shopping for two, even at Walmart. Methodically, I went through each aisle. Slowly and sneakily, the excitement faded and began to transform into doubt. Somewhere around the time I'd spent 10 minutes staring at boxes of oatmeal, trying to determine which kind he actually likes, I started to lose it. I briefly considered and abandoned the idea of calling his mom (that's right, I actually almost called my husband's mom to ask about oatmeal!). 

Finally, I chose and moved on to the register. Trapped in a cattle queue and surrounded by beef jerky and overpriced magazines, my first marital meltdown overcame me. Suddenly, the contents of my cart became the yardstick by which my worth as a wife was measured. What if I spent too much, what if he didn't like it, what if I didn't get everything I needed, and worst of all...what if he hated the oatmeal?!?! I was literally on the verge of tears with seconds counting down till I had to rapidly reorganize everything on the conveyor belt moving towards the grumpy cashier (who already looked miffed seeing my reusable bags). All I could think was, "I really need my mom!"

Desperate for a way out, I awkwardly stuck up a conversation about Whoppers with the woman behind me. My hands started shaking as my turn was up. Going against my pride, I took a deep breath and looked at the two sassy ladies in line and said, "Can I just confess something a bit ridiculous right now? I am totally freaking out about buying groceries!" After I explained the newlywed thing, they both smiled and said kind things to reassure me. One even pointed out that how strongly I cared was probably a testament to just how good of a wife I am probably going to be. Hallelujah, thank you Jesus for providing wisdom even in the unlikeliest of places...Walmart.

I took a deep breath, paid, and walked confidently to the car thinking about just how great people can sometimes be if you are desperate brave enough to let them in. Naturally, I told Strider the whole story when I got home and he laughed a lot and told me I was being ridiculous. I'm sure this is just the first of many marital meltdowns to come, but it will forever be a landmark as the first. 

Any other wives out there have a similar early-marriage experience?

PS - I totally did pick the right oatmeal! Huzzah!

today's the day!!

Although I can hardly believe it, our wedding day is here and we're official! I am a Mrs. HA!

We're off on our incredible honeymoon but I'll be back in a week or so to share pictures, tutorials, etc. In the meantime, enjoy this super cute wreath I made for our front door (I still can't believe I get to live with a boy!). It was super easy - straw form wrapped in burlap ribbon then a bit of fancy lace hot glued. The middle portion is hand-lettered on kraft cardstock and pinned with straight pins into the back of the wreath form.

See you soon!

framed silhouette DIY

The world's shortest art history lesson: A simple art form dating back to the mid 18th century, silhouettes are an abstract way of representing a subject by illustrating only the shapes and figures essential for recognition. They originally gained popularity because they were easier and less expensive to commission than miniature portraits, which Victorians felt fancy-schmantzy carrying around.

Anyways - in addition to being lovely and a bit romantic somehow, they're also dead easy and make excellent gifts.

To start out: Take a relatively high quality photo of your subject in profile AKA to-the-side. (An infinitely complicated process when your subject is a squirmy almost-one-year old.) It should look relatively like this:

OMG is she so cute or what?!

Gather yo materials: All you need is a frame (I used an 8x10 for this project which seems to work nicely), a large piece of white card stock, a regular sized piece of black card stock, an x-acto knife with a very sharp blade, some bits of tape, and a glue stick. Resize the photo in Word (or Photoshop if you're a fancy bugger) to fit the dimensions as your frame and print it out.

Next, create the silhouette: Use some bits of tape to affix the printed photo to the black card stock. If you have problems with the picture, for example - not being able to see Reece's neck because of her jumper...use a pencil to create new guidelines that will make the silhouette more clear after cutting (sorry, no pic). Using your x-acto knife, very carefully and slowly cut around the outline edges of the picture and along any new pencil lines. Below is a photo of mine after cutting halfway around.

Keep going slowly and carefully till you've traced the entire printed photo. Personally, I like to add tiny little tufts of hair that stick up just slightly to give the back of the head more texture than just looking like a balloon with a face, but that's up to you (really really hard to show in a picture at this distance). Eventually - this what you get:

Lastly: Cut down the white paper to the size of your frame, then use a glue stick to adhere the silhouette to the white paper. Just make sure the silhouette is straight and where you want it to sit in the frame before you stick it on the background.

Optional snazziness: use a white or silver pen to date the silhouette in a bottom corner. Frame it up and ta-da!

Total cost is really no more than your frame and it makes a lasting keepsake that parents love. Plus, (as I intend to) it's really fun to go back a few years later and do another to see how the silhouette changes. 

**Photo model provided by my niece and flower girl, Reece. Happy first birthday tomorrow, sweet pea!**

P.S. Curious about the wedding countdown? Just 11 days!!!

it's christmas

hello everyone,

This is just a quick note to say...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!! 

(or whichever winter holiday your family celebrates this time of year)

I hope you feel very blessed and enjoy time surrounded by family and friends.

If I could share a cup of cinnamon tea or glass of eggnog with each of you, I would! 

Thank you for reading this year -- I really appreciate you
spending time on my little corner of the "interwebs". Best wishes for 2014!

love,

sarah

refinished shelf aka "the tetanus game"

first off...wedding countdown = 37 days!!!

I finally completed a fairly easy furniture refinishing project I've been procrastinating on for a while. Proof that there's nothing like an impending wedding and husband moving in to make you get your act together.

Looking back almost 4 years, I was a bright-eyed college grad, independent in her first solo apartment and zero furniture. Certainly no decent furniture. As such, I got most of what I'm still using either on Craigslist, at yard sales, or cheap at Walmart and Target --enter the dreaded $30 bookshelf. Don't get me wrong, they're inexpensive, easy to assemble, and will hold just about anything...except their weight in books. Behold IKEAs best kept secret: chipboard furniture is ultimately just garbage. Especially when poorly organized and unattractive like the one shown to the right (which has definitely *not* resided in my living room for 2+ years). Please note the obvious warping under the weight of the Chronicles of Mr. Potter.

To remedy this decorative and bibliophile tragedy, I sought out a vintage piece to do the job -- because solid modern furniture is too pricey, naturally. I found a beauty at a local showroom and bartered the seller down from $45 to $20 because of the serious damage to the back panel. You can't completely tell from the pictures but all those darker spots are thinned almost-holes and the entire bottom of the back panel wasn't even attached anymore.

So, to restore it back to its former glory, I started by measuring the existing back panel and taking that info down to (you guessed it) Lowe's. A friendly employee in the lumber department taught me a fun new term..."lauan" plywood which is a decoratively finished plywood, thin and easy to use for non-weight-bearing projects like the back of a bookshelf. The more you know! So I snagged a big ole' piece for $8 and after a bit of consulting on how to cut it down to the right size, I headed home. 

Lauan is so thin, you can actually just cut it with a sharp x-acto knife so I sat in the floor with a ruler and got to work. Following his instructions, I scored each cut several times then bent the unwanted pieces back until they snapped off. I lightly sanded the edges then stained the entire panel with a *thankfully* matching can of stain I already had.

If you've never wood stained anything before, it is one of the easiest tricks in the book, especially when starting with natural unfinished wood. Just use a foam brush like shown and paint it in long, even strokes. I usually go back and add a spotted second coat to certain areas to darken the stain and make it less uniform. Dry overnight before moving on.

I didn't take any photos of the next part, but while my new panel was drying, I stripped the old panel off the back of the bookshelf. It came off pretty easily once I got a corner loose and peeled away from the nails in long strips and made a giant mess all over the place. Word of warning - be careful when peeling, the strips are extremely sharp and a little unpredictable. Next I pulled up a chair and used a hammer and needle-nose pliers to get all the nails out of the shelf where the back panel had been. This, I have coined "The Tetanus Game" because with nails that small and rusty, every one you pull out without it going into your hand is a winner. I managed to extract every one, probably 25 in all. (And no tetanus, in case you were wondering - I consider myself the current Tetanus Game Champion.)

From there, it was easy peasy. I laid the bookshelf face down and attached the new panel with wood glue and stacks of books (irony, no?). While the wood glue was drying, I worked my way around the whole shelf, using small nails to secure the panel. Stand 'er up and let 'er dry. Voila - old shelf, new life. And by glorious accident, I realized that the bottom shelf is tall enough for awkwardly sized cookbooks that finally have a new home.

Much improved, in my opinion! Scroll up and check that first pic for a comparison shot. Sidenote- the stool is a temporary placeholder until Strider moves in and his small, dark wood end table may find a home there with coasters for couch guests. I'm so pleased! 

On an unrelated note - a slightly warped chipboard bookshelf is looking for a new home and open to inquiries.

operation dress-pickup!

Well, according to Target.com's wedding registry page, there are only 45 days till the wedding!

And though the picture is awful, can I get a "woot woot" for my dress coming in a full week early?! 

Mom and I drove out to pick it up today and took it straight to the alterations guy. I'm feeling very blessed and breathing deeply knowing that it is within driving distance.


Just for fun, check out this short & sweet article on the #staymarried blog about actor Tom Hanks and his 25-year marriage to Rita Wilson. For all the terrible marriage role models in Hollywood, they get major props. And I love what he says about her, "That woman has loved me skinny, she's loved me fat. She's loved me bald, she's loved me hairy. That woman, I know, she loves me. So I'm a lucky man."

Strider and I may just be at the beginning, but I'm feeling pretty lucky too!

a shower, a shower & a shower

That's right...three showers in one title!

Shower No. 1 is the hole and water damage in my bathroom wall that's been slowly repaired all week by a guy named Mark—no worries, the damage has only been there since I moved in...2+ years ago (slightly ashamed). Thankfully, it should be fixed and ready for me to repaint Monday. Can I get a "woot woot" for apartment makeovers between now and January to get ready for Strider moving in!

Shower No. 2 is my absolutely incredible bridal shower earlier this month. Hosted by my amazing mom and sister, I simply could not have been happier with the whole event. Checkout the pics of my gorgeous bridal tea:

The menu: mini chicken salad rolls, cucumber finger sandwiches, vanilla bean scones, mini spice cupcakes with cinnamon-cream cheese frosting, and mini vanilla-raspberry cupcakes with pink vanilla buttercream

My sister's idea: to have all the guests write date ideas and marriage advice on
popsicle sticks then drop them in mason jars for me to read later. So fun!

Look at these breathtaking tables - complete with real china tea sets,
English-style tiered tea stands, and personalized favors.

Mom put pictures of Strider and I across the tea table with mini strands of lights - I LOVE tiny twinkly lights.
Please notice the real tea tins with holes punched into them to use as tealight lanterns!

Some lovely ladies enjoying their tea and tasty treats. (me in green, my sis in the cool specs)

My mom “acting natural” (haha) and Strider’s mom (b&w), grandmother (blue), and aunt (coral).

Opening all my sweet gifts. And hey, check out that crafty thank you banner back there!

My precious cousin Lindsey and sweet baby Reece...like mother, like daughter.

And that concludes this photo tour of the world's most lovely bridal shower! (Okay - maybe the author is a teensy bit biased, but it is pr-ee-tty incredible!) Thank you so much to all the ladies who made this possible—and a special shout-out to Lydia, who's help that day was infinitely appreciated.

Thought I forgot about Shower No. 3 huh? That would be the random actual downpour that occurred about halfway through this beautiful tea party. Thankfully, the courtyard was mostly covered!