Olympics Party!

Happy Friday! Who is excited for the Olympics? I can't believe that it was 16 years ago when they were hosted HERE in Atlanta. I wish I was a little older so I could have appreciated what a big deal that was. I do, however, remember watching the Opening Ceremonies and I believe this is when I fell in love with Celine Dion. I went out and got the cassette tape single and would listen to it over and over on my walkman. This song still gives me chills!

Tonight we're going to our friends house for an Olympics Party!

Everyone is supposed to bring an international appetizer or dish. I'm bringing a Cheese Platter from around the world and made these little flags to show where each cheese is from. I hope it turns out as good as I want it to! 

Happy Friday!

Lucky #8

Happy 8 month anniversary to my love! 

I promise I won't do this every month but 8 is my lucky number! 

Time is going by so quickly! Much quicker than the wedding countdown. It felt like it was never going to get here! It's been a pretty great 8 months so far, I can't wait to see what the next 8 bring! 

Linking up with:

The Ramblings of Mrs. Hargrave

First Day of My Life

Black Tag Diaries

Life of Love

A Punk, a Pumpkin, and a Peanut

Brown Eyed Belle

Elf House Chronicles

The Fontenot Four

Kate Says Stuff

Weddings for Warriors Update

A few things have happened this past week. Due to a scheduling conflict we had to move the wedding date up 2 weeks to Sunday, August 12. Luckily all the vendors so far are OK with the date change! And then the most exciting thing happened! We got some news coverage! Channel 2 (WSBTV) and Channel 11 (11 Alive News) ran the story.

On Sunday afternoon, Channel 2 came out to our Facility, Simple Gatherings, to interview our Bride and Natalie with Cake Envy who started this whole thing!

Bride, Amanda being interviewed 

The story ran on Sunday on the 6 o'clock and 11 o'clock news. It was very brief, however, we had something great come from it! We were hoping to get a Limo for the Bride and Groom to take them from the Reception to the Hotel. Atlanta Rolls Royce contacted Natalie and wants to provide their Rolls Royce for Transportation! 

Then on Monday 11 Alive decided to cover it too! Click here to view their coverage. 

Thanks to all of our amazing vendors for participating in this great event!

Minister: A Vow to Remember 

DJ for Ceremony and Reception: Spectrum Entertainment 

Photographer for Ceremony and Reception: Lily McGregor Photography 

Wedding Cake and Grooms Cake: Cake Envy

Florals for Ceremony and Reception: Laurens Floral Art at it's Finest 

Decor: Event Warehouse and Sensible Nonsense Crafts

Hotel: Comfort Suites 

Hair and Makeup: Kathy Adams Salon

Wedding Rings: Lances Jewelry 

Rehearsal Dinner: Quanto Basta Italian Bistro 

Catering: Bears Best, Outback Steakhouse, and O'Charleys 

Bears Best is donating a Fruit, Cheese, and Vegetable Display

Outback Steakhouse is donating a Porkloin Carving Station and a Smashed Potato Bar

O'Charleys is donating their famous Rolls and Sparkling Cider

Venue: Simple Gatherings

Transportation: Atlanta Rolls Royce

Click here to view previous posts about this story. 

Sour Cream Lasagna

This is one of my all time favorite meals. As a child, I chose this for my birthday meal every year! If you don't like Ricotta in your Lasagna this is a great recipe to try!

Ingredients:
1 package Mild Italian Sausage                              
1/2 cup chopped Celery
1/2 cup chopped Onion
1 Garlic Clove (I use the kind in the jar)
2 15 oz. cans of Hunts Tomato Sauce
2 tsp. Sugar
2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Sage
Lasagna Noodles
8 oz. Sour Cream
Mozzarella Cheese

Brown Sausage (make sure you remove the skin first) and Drain.
Add Celery, Onion, and Garlic to pan and saute for 5 minutes, then add Sausage back to pan. 

Add Sauce and Seasonings. 
Cook on Low for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Cook Lasagna Noodles (9 are needed for the recipe but you will want to cook a few extras for "Lasagna Fingers").

Pre-heat oven to 350.
Make sure to grease your Lasagna Pan.
Add a layer of Noodles, Sauce, and Sour Cream. Spread Sour Cream into Sauce (don't be stingy with the Sour Cream!) Repeat 3 times. 

Cook in oven for about 25 minutes.
Add Cheese and cook until cheese melts.

While you are waiting for your Lasagna to cook, take your extra Noodles and dip a bite size piece into Sour Cream, then the Sauce. This is my favorite part of the meal! Make sure you aren't wearing anything nice because this WILL happen to your shirt. I'm not even going to show you what my face looks like afterwards.

I made a double batch to freeze the leftover sauce. I've also put together a whole Lasagna and put it into the freezer but I didn't have the space this time. It turned out just as delicious as a fresh made Lasagna. 

Linking up with Cami at First Day of My Life

How To Clean Your House In ??? Days

I started Day 1 (Cleaning the Laundry Room) of this project almost 3 weeks ago and finally got around to Day 2 last night. Since we are having our first poker game at the house since before we got married, I figured I better give this room a good cleaning since it hasn't been touched in over 7 months. We used to do weekly poker nights but life's been busy ya know? Hopefully we can start them back up again.

Day 2: July 19
DINING ROOM


Cleaning List:
Wash all Baseboards with Murphys Oil Soap
Move Furniture and Clean underneath
Dust and Clean Frames on Wall
Dust and Clean all Furniture
Wash Place Settings (plates and wine glasses)
Vacuum (including corners of the room where spider webs and dust accumulate)
Mop (I used a Pinterest Recipe I found- 1 cup Vinegar, 1 cup Alcohol, 1 cup Water, 3 drops of Dawn)

Luckily I don't have any disgusting before and after photos to share like I did in the Laundry Room. It actually wasn't too bad. 

This is one of my favorite rooms in our house!

This is how the room looked 2 years ago. It's changed so much! Our Dining Room Table also flips over to be a Poker Table. 

All Clean and ready for some Poker tonight! 

One of my favorite pieces of furniture in the house. It holds all of my pottery. 

Another popular piece, our Bar. 

I love my Beach Theme. 

I'm thinking I would like to paint the ceiling Navy Blue. Any thoughts? 

Gameday Outfit

Is anyone else excited for college football to start back up or is it just me? If you've ever been on campus for a game you will notice it's nothing but a fashion show. But after hours of tailgating and LOTS of walking I can't help but laugh at the girls in the nose bleed section in 4 inch heels. Oh and by the way, if you want to actually see what's going on in the game, you're gonna have to stand the entire time. You can still look cute on gameday without being extremely uncomfortable. Find a cute pair of COMFORTABLE cowboy boots with a cute skirt or pair of shorts and a casual t-shirt. Also, bring a purse that can go over the shoulder and keep it as light as possible! 42 days and counting...

Weddings for Warriors

I posted last week about something amazing that I am blessed to be a part of: Free Wedding for an Active Serviceman. 

This has grown so much this past week thanks to Natalie with Cake Envy and all of her hard work! She even came up with a catchy title: Weddings for Warriors. We hope to make this an annual event!

Again, here's the Bride and Groom: Amanda and Brian. 

They are getting married on Sunday, August 26 in Buford, Georgia. Many of our vendors are from the Buford and Cumming area. Here's what we have provided so far:

Minister: A Vow to Remember 

DJ for Ceremony and Reception: Spectrum Entertainment 

Photographer for Ceremony and Reception: Lily McGregor Photography 

Wedding Cake and Grooms Cake: Cake Envy

Florals for Ceremony and Reception: Laurens Floral Art at it's Finest 

Decor: Event Warehouse and Sensible Nonsense Crafts

Hotel: Comfort Suites 

Hair and Makeup: Kathy Adams Salon

Wedding Rings: Lances Jewelry 

Rehearsal Dinner: Quanto Basta Italian Bistro 

Catering: Bears Best, Outback Steakhouse, and O'Charleys 

Bears Best is donating a Fruit, Cheese, and Vegetable Display

Outback Steakhouse is donating a Porkloin Carving Station and a Smashed Potato Bar

O'Charleys is donating their famous Rolls and Sparkling Cider

Venue: Simple Gatherings

 

What else are we missing here?!? 

Pinteresting Wednesday!

I've been thinking about doing a little updating in our guest bedroom. We have some old furniture that I was thinking we would probably get rid of eventually and get new. But thanks to Pinterest, I've found lots of great ideas of how to keep it and make it look brand new. Lucky for me, my best friend Lindsey is in a furniture remodeling kick! Check out her blog- Sensible Nonsense 

Here are some of her recent creations!

I can't wait to see what she could do to my old furniture! Which one is your favorite?? 

Liebster Award

This reminds me of those emails that were really popular when I was in high school that had a bunch of questions and you would forward them on. I used to love those! haha

I was tagged for this award by Lindsey at Sensible Nonsense. If you're not following her already you should! She is so crafty and has recently started to refinish old furniture. This is a little something she did yesterday...

What is this Liebster Award?

"The Liebster award is given to upcoming bloggers who have less than 200 followers. The meaning: Liebster is German and means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing and welcome."- Adrian (Adrian Loves Owls)

The Rules

- Each person must post 11 things about themselves.
- Answer the questions that the tagger set for you PLUS create 11 questions for the people you've tagged to answer.
- Choose 11 people and link them in your post.
- Go to their page and tell them.
*No tag backs!*

Here are the 11 things about me....

1. I am a newlywed and have been married to my best friend of 7 months now!

2. I am an event planner

3. I am a huge Alabama Fan- ROLL TIDE!

4. I love to cook

5. I actually like to clean too

6. I can't wait to be a mommy

7. I was blessed with the most amazing parents

8. I love to sing but I'm a horrible singer

9. I  hate to exercise and haven't done so in 10 years

10. I have expensive taste (I love J Crew, Pottery Barn, Coach...the list goes on)

11. I am obsessed with Disney

O.K.! Now to answer Lindsey's questions!

1. Do or did you play any sports?

 I played Basketball in high school but haven't played in ten years (eeek). The last couple years I have played co-ed softball with my husband and our friends, but I'm horrible. I volunteer for Right Field. 

2. How did you meet your significant other, if you're single, then what is your ideal date? 

We MET in high school when he was in 9th and I was in 10th grade, that's right, I'm a cougar :) But didn't start dating until 7 years later. 

3. If you could go to one place on the earth and spend an all expenses paid two weeks, where would it be? why? DISNEY! I've been fortunate to go a handful of times in my life but it's always just for a few days. If I got to really experience everything DISNEY has to offer I would be in Heaven! 

4. What is one item you never leave the house without?

My Phone! 

5. Name 3 things in your fridge at all times.

CHEESE! Sour Cream, Beer

6. What color scheme is your bedroom?

Eggplant Purple, White, and Grey

7. How would you describe your style?

Clothes- Comfy Casual; Home Decor- Pottery Barn"ish" 

8. What is one blog you would recommend to a friend to follow?

Of Course Sensible Nonsense. Also, Pintester. She is hysterical! 

9. Favorite movie now, and as a child? 

Love Actually! Peter Pan as a child (and also now)

10. Would you rather spend time shopping for clothes or household decor?

This is a tough one. I go in phases. Right now I'm into household decor. 

11. Cat or dog? Why?

Neither! Sorry, I'm one of those people that doesn't have a soul because I'm not much of an animal person. 

Now for MY questions for my nominees....

1. What is your favorite Restaurant?

2. Do you exercise? If so, how often?

3. Have you ever had a "Pinterest Fail"?

4. Who is your favorite sports team?

5. What is your favorite book?

6. If you could have 1 date with an actor who would it be?

7. What is your favorite time of year and why?

8. What is one blog you would recommend to a friend to follow?

9. What is your favorite, EASY recipe?

10. If you were approached to do a reality tv show would you do it?

11. What is your favorite TV show? 

My nominees for this fun little award are:

The Ramblings of Mrs. Hargrave

My Simple Life 

Sarcasm and Curls

Incorporating Color 

Most What Matters

Honey and Nutmeg

The Preppy Diaries

The Mayors Wife

Free Wedding for an Active Serviceman!

I am so excited and thankful for an amazing opportunity I have been given this week. My friend Natalie is a wedding cake designer. Look how talented she is! These are a few of my favorite cakes she has done.

Not only is Natalie an amazing Cake Designer, she is an incredible person with such a big heart! This past week I noticed her facebook status was asking for help from local wedding vendors to donate their services to give a free wedding to a local Bride and her Fiance who is currently deployed and will be coming home in August to get married! Here is Natalie's story of how she came in contact with this Bride:

"My name is Natalie, I'm a wedding cake designer.  I was contacted by a bride a few months ago about doing her wedding cake.  I gave her some pricing and she said she would call back to schedule a tasting.  I never heard from her, so when I called to follow up last week, she told me that she & her fiancé were going to the courthouse because they couldn't afford a wedding.  Turns out, the Army doesn't pay their active servicemen very well.  I was humbled to find out that this wedding would have been for a serviceman who is coming home to get married.  He's on deployment right now, but they were planning to go to the courthouse the last weekend in August.  This broke my heart!  I volunteered to do her wedding cake at no charge, which she then turned down because they had no place to have a wedding and serve her cake.  I have made a few calls to some of my friends in the business and have received an amazing response!"

This is the wedding cake and the grooms cake that Natalie will be donating. 

Natalie was also able to get a photographer, florist, minister, facility, food for the reception, hotel for the wedding night, and local news coverage to cover the story. This is where I stepped in. I referred her to my DJ and my salon to do Hair and Makeup. I am now volunteering as the Wedding Planner and Coordinator for the event!  We are just 6 weeks away and still have a lot of planning to do! 

Meet our Bride and Groom: Amanda and Brian! 

(Gee, I wish I would've know ahead of time that they were Auburn Fans! hehe just kidding)

Here is our list of amazing vendors to date:

 A Vow to Remember 

 Bears Best 

 Cake Envy

 Event Warehouse

 Hampton Inn 

 Kathy Adams Salon

 Laurens Floral Art at it's Finest 

 Lily McGregor Photography 

 Sensible Nonsense Crafts 

 Simple Gatherings

 Spectrum Entertainment 

I can't wait to watch this list grow! I'm so thankful we have so many generous Wedding Professionals in our Community! 

50 more days!

Ladies and Gentlemen, we are just 50 days away from the kickoff of College Football! Here in the South, it's a BIG deal!! So in honor of my excitement...... ROLL TIDE ROLL!

Bobby, you got what you deserved! 

For my Husband, Go Dawgs!

Hate Auburn but love this cake! My friend Natalie made it. 

We have Bama ones. Maybe we should have done one Bama, one Georgia. 

Still not sold on our additions this year...

Natalie made this cake too, amazing!

Love this! 

Game day outfit! 

haha, Sorry Lindsey! 

For Andrew...Go Dores!

Gameday Pancakes