Before the Blog: Bridal Showers

Since I attended my little sissy's bridal shower yesterday, I thought it'd be fun to bring back Before the Blog and take a walk down memory lane! Below are photos from two wonderful bridal showers and some beautiful, strong, hilarious, and fun women I have in my life.

Shower One: Bridal Brunch 

My fabulous kindergarten teachin' teammates. Kindergarten is the best. :)

Family! All of my aunts and girl cousins. #GCRtheFFP

My angel sissy and MOH

Things are always better when Tina gets a gift too.

 

My bffie Lizzie even made it fresh from her honeymoon!

Shower Two: Set the Table
(This is the exact shower I attended yesterday for my sista thanks to our aunts and Mimi!)

Mama and sista. And the asos dress I'm still obsessed with. Little did anyone know it was a cheeky preview to my wedding gown! (No one knew what "the dress" looked like except for my sister, mama, and my aunt and cousin who were with us when I said YES to the dress!)

Cheesin.

It's blurry. But Mims was extremely feisty with the knife and it was scary and hilarious. I want to remember little moments like this and how we all kept laughing about Mimi's knife intensity.

With Ma and her GNO crew. Such a rockin' group of gfs!

Some of my girlies :)

Cheers to the blessing of friendship!

Frankly, my dear...you should pop over here to visit my sweet sponsor, Jenni!

Home. This Week. Grace.

#ourfirsthoustonfamilyhome as seen on IG

This week, y'all. This week!
It's crazy. In all of the happy and fun ways.

Sunday we moved. We're officially IN our first home.

Today I head to Charlotte for my sissy's bridal shower!

Back to Wilmy on Wednesday morning.

Thursday I fly to Miami and stay through the weekend...bachelorette party style.

Holy moly.

So last night I got all my ducks in a row for bloggin' this week. (As seen in the middle right picture!... my new favorite place in our house.) But I'll need some grace on answering emails this week. So thank you in advance for that!

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This quote is ever so popular, but I keep having to remind myself of it this week. Grace over perfection.

Not every email will be answered, not every post will be posted (I have a BUNCH of fun giveaways up my sleeve y'all...JUST WAIT. It's almost birthday month.), not every box will be unpacked, not every phone call will be returned, oh...and not every little lingering item will be moved from our rental (eeek).

Again: Grace. Not perfection.

God holds us to that standard everyday. So we might as well too. "For it is by GRACE you have been saved THROUGH FAITH." Let's all work on living that out.

Now I'm off to the Queen City! My posts for this week are scheduled, so keep up with all of the latest happenings on Insta. :)

Thankful for grace. And thanking y'all for grace. Cheers. :)

Frankly, my dear...you should pop over here to visit my sweet sponsor, Jenni!

You Want My Heart

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How encouraging is that this Monday?!

The same God that created the whole universe wants to be in a relationship with you. Constantly! He knows you by name and knew your name even before you were born!

What a glorious, kind, loving, holy God we serve. He is pursuing you. 

Glory to God! Happy Monday!

Frankly, my dear...you should pop over here to visit my sweet sponsor, Jenni!

5 on Friday!: Hopeisms

Photo by Elizabeth Scott Photography

 Sharing [and shedding] happy tears at my bridal luncheon. Soon to be repeated (in 37 days!)!!!

I'm theme-ing it today. It's my little bffie bridey sissy's birthday, so I'm filling this Friday 5 with lovely "Hope-isms." They're not about hope, the noun...they're ALL epitomes of Hope, the proper noun, my bloggin' sista!!! 

 

Also, in her honor. I'll post in pink today. ;) Finding all of these was super easy since I have a whole Hope-inspired Pinterest board full of things that scream "HOPEY!" in my ears. 

ONE | THE CHAMPS CHAMP
You've never seen a girl love the bubbly more. Bonus points if it's pink.

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TWO | PEONIES

She has a borderline-bonkers obsession with peonies. Bonus points [again] if they're pink.

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THREE | LEGALLY BLONDE

Homegirl can literally recite this whole movie. She bought the script off the street in NYC when we were tweenagers and had the movie poster framed in her room for years and years.

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FOUR | CUPCAKES

She has a deep appreciation for a good cupcake. Bonus points if it has rainbow sprinkles, light pink icing, or if it's red velvet.

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FIVE | STRENGTH
I'll save most of the sentiment (aka cry-fest that I'll be enduring!) for my MOH speech, but know that she is the strongest woman I know. And if I keep typing, I'll start crying already.

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Hope shared Part One of her journey on her blog this week! I'm a proud sista.

Cheers to the lovely linkup creators: Darci, April, Christina, and Natasha!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HOPEY!!!!

Frankly, my dear...you should pop over here to visit my sweet sponsor, Jenni!

THINK before you PAINT: 7 Thoughts to Consider

1. Looking to buy? Never judge a house by its paint colors.
Any loyal HGTV viewer knows this simple rule because it really is true. If you are buying a home, tell your eyes (and your brain) to look beyond any paint colors that don't strike your fancy. Paint is an easy fix and can immediately transform the aura of a room. Always look past the color of the walls!

2. Choose a color palette that's "you."
Think about colors you to which you gravitate. Are they pastels? Bold colors? Cool colors? Neutrals? Do you have a favorite color combination like blue and yellow or black and white? Get to know which colors you love.

Don't know where to start? That's okay! Look in your closet, your [past/future] wedding color scheme, your furniture, or your pins! Whether you realize it or not, I bet there is a palette you love the most.

 This is my palette: "seaside neutrals" (as I like to call them). These colors flow throughout each room in my home.

3. Go beyond the walls.
There is more to painting a house than merely the walls. Also consider the trim, doors, cabinets, and ceiling.

Trim is most commonly white. You can also match it to your wall color or do something funky and unique. It's your preference.
Don't forget doors! Even though I love light colors in general, I LOVE the contrast of a darker interior door.
Cabinets with builder's grade oak grain? Paint 'em! It's much easier on the eyes (and in sync with your color scheme!).
Look up at the ceiling! If there is a special room in your house, consider adding a P.O.C. {pop of color} to the ceiling. Envision light blue on your sunroom or porch ceiling, light pink in your baby girl's nursery, or maybe even a painted pattern above your home office. The possibilities are endless!

Left: Don't be afraid of the dark! Dark doors make a regal statement--especially when paired with light colored spaces.

Right: Look at the difference some paint makes! The kitchen hasn't been touched except for painting the cabinets and walls. What a change!!! (And just think...this will look even better with some fresh counter tops and shiny hardware! Oh, and painting the outlets too. Which leads to my next tip...)

4. Don't forget the electrical outlets and switches!
These little guys are all often neglected and remain the same color as when you purchased them from Lowes. Don't be afraid to paint these too! It's a little move that makes a big difference on a wall.

5. Professional vs. DIY
Know your budget. Decide what works best for your family. If you're the boss, great! If you hire someone, great! Be sure to check in often if you hire a professional. They might have questions you didn't think to tell them beforehand. And--if you're like me--you enjoy popping in unannounced to make sure everyone is on task. Time is money in this case...make sure the job is done smoothly and steadily! Know where your dollars are going. Try to keep track of what the house looks like at the beginning and end of each day (and in the middle if possible). You'll feel better knowing what work is (or isn't!) accomplished in a day's work.

6. Light Types
The truth is, it's very difficult to envision a paint color from a swatch...even with the larger swatches. If you are hesitant about a color or set of colors, pick up some samples from your preferred paint store. Paint portions of the wall -- it's okay! It won't matter since you're going to paint over them again anyway.

The paint color will look different throughout the day. Know that. Depending on how much (or how little) light is in the room, the paint will appear lighter or darker. Additionally, turn on a lamp. Surprise! Your paint "changes color" again with artificial light.

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7. Save colors you love.
Write them down, file them, back them up in an email...do whatever you need to do to make sure you keep record of the color of each room (company, name, and numbers). You might have some wear and tear that needs a little paint fix up over time, or if you move one day, you won't have to reinvent the wheel if you've already found what you love!

Happy painting!

Frankly, my dear...you should pop over here to visit my sweet sponsor, Jenni!

Spring Cleaning Tips + Tricks [Guest Post]

Hello to my new Cheers Y'all friends!! 

My name is Jenni and I blog over Frankly My Dear...! I am so excited for my first ever guest post to be with all of you! If you haven't ever dropped by my blog, I'd love for you to stop by & say hello!

I hope y'all had a great Easter & enjoyed some beautiful spring weather. If you've been anywhere like me, it's such a relief to finally have some sweet sunshine! I absolutely love Spring...it's a transition from dark, dreary winter into new life! It's such a beautiful picture of God's promises.

Along with lovely flowers, sweet scents, & beautiful sunshine comes the Spring Cleaning List! IF you're anything like me, it's so bittersweet! You dread the daunting tasks but you can't wait till your house smells of fresh, clean Springtime! Am I right?

Today I want to bring you some helpful tips & tricks I've found along the way!

It's no secret that I am a lover of lists. When I found this one from Blissfully Ever After, I knew it was the perfect place to start! Getting organized can be the most important obstacle to begin your spring cleaning. Getting everything out there in the open can really simplify tasks, create a rhythm, & make sure you don't forget anything. It may also be a bit overwhelming, but don't stress...you'll thank yourself later!

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Another important part of organizing is getting all your supplies together. I love these cleaning bucket  inspirations I found on Pinterest!

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Leave it to our friend Martha Stewart to put together a great cleaning bucket essential list that you can find here! 

While organizing your tasks & supplies, don't forget to set some time aside to actually get everything done. Plan out a day or couple hours each day to accomplish certain tasks. You may also consider calling in the recruits! Kids, husbands, friends...no one is out of the question for Spring Cleaning! :)

Clutter can accumulate so quickly! Especially if you keep everything, thinking "oh I'll use this later!".   I am the world's worst at this & we need to stop that! The best tip I've learned is that before you get started, get three large trash bags or cardboard boxes & label them "Trash", "Donate", "Sell." It'll be easier to let go of things knowing you have an organized plan of getting rid of them. It also helps if you already know where you want to donate items and if you'll post things like old prom dresses or valuable clothes on facebook or even have a Yard Sale. If you haven't heard of Poshmark, I encourage you to check it out! It's an online tool to help you sell items in your closet AND shop other people's clothes as well!

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Finally, just GET STARTED! This one is definitely the hardest of all the tasks but obviously the most important. Too often we get "busy" or will "do it later." Don't get caught it that trap. Spring cleaning is so rejuvenating for your home and, in my opinion, for yourself as well. The idea of starting small helps me tackle the larger projects (like the closet). It's easy to clean the bathroom and then the guest bathroom, before I know it I am onto the kitchen, refrigerator, microwave, and there I go...no turning back then. Just wiping down that first mirror or throwing out that old sweater will do you good, just get to it friend!

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When you approach those items you aren't sure wether to keep or pitch, ask yourself these two  questions:

1. Do I really love it? 

And by love I mean, that can't-eat, can't-sleep, reach-for-the-stars, over-the-fence, World Series kind of stuff. (name that movie!)

2. Do you need it right now? 

Chances are you've held onto something thinking you would use it in the future, but you probably didn't (and won't)! As much as it pains me, you don't need it!

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Also, don't forget to check dates on food in your refrigerator/freezer, medicine in the cabinet, or makeup and toiletries in the bathroom. Things like that can clutter up space & may just need to be tossed anyway.

There are so many tools online to help you get started. From checklists to alternative cleaning products, research what you need for your home this spring. Most people approach spring cleaning as just the usual clean-up, but a good thorough cleaning needs preparation & will leave you and your home feeling much better...just like the changing of the seasons!

I hope you've enjoyed our time together & I am so thankful for Elise sharing her lovely space with me! Thank YOU for joining me & don't forget to click over & say hello!

Frankly my dear...Happy Cleaning!

Across The Pond: Part-Time SAHW

OH HEYYY! It's us again! Your long lost blog twinnie bffies! We're back in action for our next installment of our Across the Pond series after kicking things off 2 (!!) months ago!

Today we're chatting about another commonality we share: being part-time stay at home wives (SAHW). You can read what Tara has to say about everything down below! Then head to her blog, A Brew of Blessings, to read my responses to the same questions.

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What made you decide to be a SAHW?

Well it most definitely wasn't was an overnight decision. It was many months of prayers and conversation after conversation about what would be best for us and our future. We were both going at work full force which left us little time to do much else. Those nights of relaxing in pjs in front of the fire seemed unattainable. It finally came down to a perfect opportunity for me to step away, timing was the main clencher, so we went for it.

What does your typical day consist of?

Lets see... Sleeping in til noon, breakfast in bed, bath and then the mall and maybe a lunch out? KIDDING. Although I'm no doubt thankful for this change and opportunity it's not that glamorous. My stay at home lifestyle consists of working three days a week and home for two. On the two days I'm at home no two are the same. This SAHW thing is still very new to us so I'm navigating how to fill my day. I usually throw on some gym clothes so that I'm forced to face a workout before the day begins. It then allows me to spend some quiet time with S before his busy day over a hot cup of coffee and breakfast. It gives me a chance to then spend some quiet time in the still of the morning. I try to use this time to keep the house tidy as well as do some of the things that I enjoy such as this blog. I typically plan the meals for the week and buy the groceries, complete other task on my lists and occasionally meet up with a gal pal or two. And it's beautiful. Not gonna lie , I could get used to this. Maybe it's the novelty and possibly the fact that kids aren't in the picture quite yet, but whatever the case I'm feelin' blessed. The day usually rounds out with a home cooked meal, catching up on our favorite TV episodes and a digest of our day and some good quality time. 

Joy of joblessness?

I do consider it a joy. By me taking care of the house it frees us up to spend quality and quantity time doing the things we love and for the people we love. Although it was hard to step away from a rather corporate full time kinda career this has been such a sweet chapter. 

Challenges?

That's an easy one - the pressure. And not just from society , it's also the pressure that I put on myself. It's finding peace within myself that this is what we were called to do so it shouldn't matter what others might think or say. Sure we don't have kids yet and yes I have a college degree and a wonderful job. But this was best for us and our marriage and future. So the biggest challenge is continually reassuring myself that this was a united and conscious decision. Easier said than done but I'm learning.

Wifely duties?

I should first start by saying that I'm not entirely expected to do anything. I mean I'm not sure S would appreciate a pig sty to welcome him home but I can be assured that if I wanted a lazy day I'm pretty sure that would be perfectly acceptable. Haven't tested that yet though. I do set some 'duties' for myself though which consist of starting S's day out with a smile and breakfast, a packed lunch and then making sure our house is presentable.

How do you two make it work without working?

I've actually posted about this one recently. It's a dreaded yet very important 6 letter word called - budget. That mixed with S's hardworking and ambitious spirit is what sees us through. We felt like this was a specific calling for this period in our lives and we had faith it would work and it has. It's about shopping smart and planning. It's not always an easy route but it's the perfect one for us.

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Across the Pond Series Index

1. Across the Pond

2. Part Time SAHW (...that's what you're reading right now!)

P.S. The WINNER of the stella & dot giveaway is sweet Megan from Fried Green Pickles! Yay, Meagan! I'll be emailing you shortly! :)

Click here to travel across the pond...!

...to Tara's blog :)