Catch Up

Thought I'd take a few minutes to update you on some of my completed projects that I've been neglecting to show you for a long time. In my last post, I showed you my completed cupcake tree. That was a fun and oh so simple project!

In this post I'll share some pictures of the Guest Book I created using iPhoto. This was another fun project but it also took a good bit of thought and planning. Picking 35 pictures to use over 20 pages, out of the nearly 200 pictures from our engagement session was tough! I love way to many of our pics! I didn't mess with the layout a lot, so that was easy. I left lots of plank white space so people can sign the book and leave us a little note if they like. I love how it turned out and I'm so glad that we decided to go with a guest book like this so we can have it on our coffee table for the rest of our lives.

The front cover.
Random pages from the inside.
Another view at some pages.

If you're considering going with a guest book like this I highly recommend it! It's well worth the money you'll pay because it will be around for years and won't get stuck in a box somewhere. So what do you think? Are you going with a picture guest book or not?

Happy New Year!

So here we are and yet another year has passed. Just after getting engaged in April, I would have said I never thought this year would end soon enough. However it has FLOWN by! 2009 was a year full of some incredible things along with some very hard trials. I'm excited to welcome 2010! Things can only get better as far as I'm concerned because come May 1st I will marry the man of my dreams!

I wish you all a very Happy New Year! May the coming year bring all you hope for!

And now, I'll leave you with my fully decorated cupcake tree! Today it was finally warm enough for me to spray paint the cardboard pieces. I used Krylon's satin finish paint and it's amazing, the color was Nickel. Once they dried, I used my hot glue gun to attach the purple ribbon I used to trim all the edges.

(Source: yours truly)

What do you think?

With less than 150 days to go, I'll try and get better about updating you on completed projects. What I can't get done before the wedding, I will try and blog about after the wedding so stay tuned!

Again...

So here I am yet again apologizing for not posting in what seems forever. I'm so sorry I can't seem to keep up with my blog as of late. I'm still without a job and without easy access to hi-speed internet.

To say things are stressful and tight financially without a job doesn't even begin to cut it. And despite all that, the wedding is drawing ever closer. When I started planning, I never in a million years would have guessed I'd be unemployed. It's a huge challenge and is adding a lot of unneeded stress.

Time just seems to be getting away from me lately. I don't know where it's going! lol Christmas is under two weeks away and that is scaring the crap out of me! lol We have less than five months to go until the wedding and I know the big day is going to creep up on us FAST!

I haven't really worked on anything wedding related lately. My family has two birthdays in October and two in November (mine included) and then Thanksgiving and now Christmas and I just got back from a wonderful vacation with my sweetie! Things have been super busy for me.

However, I have gotten a few things done. My groom to be and his best man did get their measurements taken care of. My mom got her MOB dress ordered, I let my girls know what dresses they can pick, and I've shared the info about the flower girl dresses to one of the girls parents.

In any case, I'm sorry again for the lack of posting and will try and do better. For those of you who are sticking around...THANKS!

Dresses For My Ladies!

I've delayed sharing this because I needed to make some decisions about what dresses I would have my girls pick from. When I started looking into dresses for them, I had some criteria that I wanted to stick by:
1) The color needed to be a deep, yet bright purple.
2) The dresses needed to cost under $150.00.
3) I really wanted to give them multiple dresses to choose from instead of picking one dress and saying this is what you're wearing.
4) I wanted the dresses to be knee length.
5) They needed to be made with chiffon fabric (I love how flow-y it is).

I know, that's a lot right? But I managed to find to find everything I was looking for! May I introduce you to the MoriLee Affairs Collection of dresses. If you haven't every heard of this designer, be sure to check them out because the dresses are just beautiful but still affordable!

Without further delay, here are the dresses that my girls are able to choose from:

(Source)

And for shoes for my bridesmaids, I'm thinking of something along these lines.

(Source: unknown)

A low fat heel (because they'll be walking on grass). Something kind of strap-y and in a metallic silver color. So what do you think?

My Blog Saved Me!

(Source)

Today while I was working on the music playlist for the reception....I accidentally deleted it!!! I was trying to delete one song from it and somehow managed to get rid of the whole list! The worst part....it couldn't be undone! I was about to panic and burst into tears. When I suddenly remembered that I had posted about our music selection a long while back. But I couldn't remember if I had listed each song or not. I went to look....and by the Grace of God, I had blogged a list including each song!! I was so thankful and this saved me hours of work! I was able to recreate our list pretty fast. If I hadn't blogged each song, I would have had to rely on my memory to rebuild the list that was over 60 songs long.

The only down side....the over three hours that I spent editing the stopping point for each song today has been lost. I was almost done with that task when the list got deleted. But I'm so thankful that I was able to rebuild the list without any problems thanks to my blog post!

Carrot Cake Recipe

As requested...here is the Presidential Carrot Cake Recipe:

(Source)

White House Carrot Cake

3 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups grated carrots
1 1/2 cup Crisco oil
1 1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple
3 eggs (slightly beaten)
2 teaspoons freshly grated orange rind
1/2 cup coconut

Mix all dry ingredients together. Add oil, pineapple, eggs, nuts, carrots, orange rind and coconut, and beat together. Add vanilla and mix thoroughly until all ingredients are combined. Pour batter in well greased, floured Bundt pan (12-cup size) or tube pan. Bake 1 hour at 325 degrees or until inserted knife emerges clean.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
1 stick butter
1 (1-pound) box confectioners sugar

Soften cream cheese and butter to room temperature. Cream together with confectioners sugar. Place cool cake on cake plate and frost top and sides. Place in refrigerator until ready to serve. (If frosting becomes too think while mixing, add very small amount of water and mix well.) The cake and frosting freeze very well.

A Cake Fit for a President

My man will be getting nothing short of the best for his cake! Several months ago, my mom found the White House recipe for Carrot Cake in a magazine. Since Carrot Cake is Charles's favorite kind of cake that's what he'll be getting! I'm hoping to surprise him with the cakes theme, so I hope he doesn't see this post!

Charles is a dispatcher for one of the local police departments and loves all things related to first responders. But especially cops. I'm thankful he isn't one though...it will make my job as a wife a lot easier and less worry ridden! He has such a gift for what he does. Talking to and calming mothers whose child is choking, talking people out of suicide, and taking calls you wouldn't imagine. I truly believe the Lord has him where He wants him to be! Anyways, because of this love I went in search of the perfect cake and this is what I found...

(Source: unknown)

Unfortunately, I don't remember where I stumbled upon these images. But they are perfect and exactly what I was looking for! Mom and I will be tackling his cake ourselves as it shouldn't be too hard. So, what do you think? Are you planning to surprise your man with a themed grooms cake?

I'm Back!

Well after being knocked off my feet for a week thanks to the Swine Flu, I'm back! Thankfully I'm no longer sick! However my strength and energy are slow to return. If you can, I hope you all get the vaccine against this strain of flu because it is horrible! I'm working on a post for tomorrow about my plans for a cake for my man...so keep an eye out for it! Thank you all for all the well wishes and prayers!!!