DIY Wedding Challenge No. 1: The Invitation

I don't know why someone didn't slap me when I decided I was going to create my own invitation. Kelly and I did some shopping around and found that for 100 invites, we would likely end up paying between $600 - $800 for an invitation that we (I) didn't LOVE. So, after much research, I decided to go with envelopes.com and custom order our stationery. I then worried about the quality of running our cardstock through an office printer, but for the price, I think they look damn good! We won't factor the time and energy that Kelly and I, my mama, sister Madeline, and stepmom Donna put into creating these. I will say this, if you received an invitation to our wedding, know you are loved. It was difficult for me to part with these handmade creations, and I deeply appreciate the help of my generous parents, lovely sister, and darling fiance.

I was inspired by an invitation I saw on Etsy, of course, via Pinterest. I played with several fonts and sizes before choosing "our" design. Kelly, my family, and co-workers had to preview many samples before we made our final selection. From there, we decided to back our invitation with burlap to capture the rustic, casual feel of our big day! We included a direction card and an RSVP card (also back with burlap) and tied the whole bundle with twine. A quick trip to Michael's, a large roll of burlap, several printing sessions later, and a week for my calligraphy skills to be exercised ... Voila! We mailed out only a week behind the schedule I had set for us. 

Millen Bridal Luncheon

One of my registry items :)

Millen Baptist Church Cookbook

Cupcakes by Southern Confections, aka my friend Alicia

I was very honored to receive a bridal luncheon from my stepmom, Donna Fennell-Reeves, and my aunt, Millie Reeves, on Saturday, July 7. Several of my aunts and cousins were present, and I was delighted to spend time with them. My aunt prepared several wonderful dishes with the help of my stepmom, aunt Amalie, and family friend, Sophia Kent. My friend Alicia Smith of Washington, Georgia, made margarita cupcakes, lemon cupcakes, and chocolate with buttercream frosting cupcakes for the occasion. More of her treats can be found at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Southern-Confections/451793608165727. My sister, Mary Kate, came up with creative party games (usually a source of stress for me), but these were very unique and fun! We made wedding shoes from cupcakes, cookie, and icing. The "Left Right" gift game, however, was a bit more tedious! Kelly and I received some beautiful gifts for our home, and I am very thankful to everyone who has shared this life event with us thus far.

Lots of deliciousness!

The winning shoe!

Adriana

me, sister Mary Kate, sister McKenzie, sister Madeline, mother Liz

shake it, sassy Mae!

Aunt Millie, Stepmom Donna, sister Mary Kate, me, sister Madeline 

Long Overdue Update!

So this post will be short and sweet, then I'll hopefully have time to blog about my first bridal shower, complete with beautiful pictures! Then comes the house blog, and next week--wedding invitations made by hand. I contemplated ranting a bit about the never-ending cycle that is our life dealing with "the other parent," but I choose to hold off on that for now. Way more exciting things are happening!

My family's new venture, Hootie's Corn Maze, will be open for business in September, just after the wedding. We are all so excited about that. If you are near Jenkins County (Millen, GA), check it out.

Also, my uncle, Stone Williamson, recently had two major life events occur: a wedding and a baby all in two weeks! I am so happy for him, Sandra, Michelle, and baby Scarlett. She is just a doll! I will have to upload pictures.

We have had two weeks with Adriana this summer. We are still struggling with potty training (wipe! wipe! wipe! & wash your hands!), but you cannot parent from an island, which is how it feels for us. Children must have consistency and stability. But, hedging on a rant, I will stop there. We were glad to have her for the extra time allotted, and Maebrynn misses her very much. Now, on to the pretty stuff....

Wedding Progress... YAY!!

It looks as though we are really, truly going to get married!! :) I had no doubts about actually getting married, just the "where"! Such a relief to have it finally decided! My paper flowers have not been made in vain. Now that we have a set location for both the ceremony and reception, I can better create my vision. I am proud to report that Kelly handled, in its entirety, the selecting and booking of the church. I am so blessed to have an involved groom! I honestly think he is really just as excited as me. So for his next project: making the corn hole boards for the "lawn games" portion of our reception. I can't just let him relax while I am making all of these flowers. He has actually helped with that somewhat also. We are (fingers-crossed) selecting & ordering invitations on Friday. Updated information about the locations for our festivities has been added to our wedding site @ margaretkelly.ourwedding.com.

Our house plans are progressing slowly but surely as well. We are determined to have Kelly's brother-in-law, Fred Velazquez, do the foundation work on our house. It has caused a bit of a halt at the moment, but hopefully the company will come do the footers next week. I pray that after the foundation is set, the rest of the house will come up quickly. I will just be glad when the pile of burnt trees is gone!. In my mind, I am already forging ahead to lawn and garden plans!

Home, Sweet Home!

It looks like we are really, truly going to build a house!! Kelly and I picked out all of the "style" elements for our House of Dreams last Saturday in Augusta. Floors, walls, cabinets, counters, fixtures, siding and doors--and it only took us 2 and 1/2 hours. Big sigh. Of course, we thought of several questions the minute we walked out the door, but our anxiety was relieved after some delicious fried shrimp at Rhineharts! We also found samples of our counters later at Lowe's to have a visual to share. Personally, I am using those samples to remind me that we really are making things happen! Our land is being cleared, so now we just have three buildings to demolish. Doable by September 1? I sure hope so! This is the house we chose, in similar colors.

Unfortunately, wedding plans are not rocking along as smoothly. With so much time and energy vested in the house, the wedding has fallen to the back burner. Kelly and I have visited several possible locations, but nothing was an automatic, "This is it!" We have, however, done some more registries (locally) so we have not been completely neglectful. And my paper flowers are coming along nicely, thank you Pinterest.

We will finally have our Adriana back this weekend!! She has not stayed for the weekend since March 17, which feels like an eternity! With a three year old, A LOT changes in one month. We have a busy weekend planned, including a trip to visit my daddy and stepmother, and a late birthday party for Maebrynn. Adriana missed out on the earlier celebration, but Mae certainly will not be opposed to another party and more presents! Mommy will hopefully finish painting her rocking chair this week so everything will be ready for our family time beginning Friday!

Happy Birthday, Maebrynn!!

My sweet darling girl turns two years old today!!! I asked if she knew what today is, and she told me, "Mae's birthday presents!!" She has caught on quickly! We are postponing her originally planned party so we may include her sister. Adriana's mother did not believe it was fair for Adriana to leave during her weekend with her mother, so for this year, we are going to adjust. Soon, Adriana will be able to make those decisions herself! So party is tentatively scheduled for April 20/21. As for today, Mommy is leaving work early to spend the afternoon with Maebrynn! I am thinking homemade pizza tonight because she loooves "pita," and that's something she can help make. Pictures to come!

Windows and Doors and Molding... Oh My!

My quest for salvaged home items has begun! I am looking for antique entry doors, preferably Craftsman style, screen doors, and molding. We have salvaged a few items from Kelly's grandmother's store, which we are in the process of demolishing. Among those items are three doors, one of which will definitely be used as our laundry room door. I would also like to use one for the half bath downstairs. I am really excited about adding these "vintage" touches to our new house. I also think it will be a special element for Kelly, having pieces of the store that was a big part of his family's life for so many years incorporated into our home.

I am a sucker for old houses and buildings--anything with history is preferable to "new and shiny" in my opinion. Hence, Kelly has battled my aversion to a new house from the outset. I will say he is being pretty open-minded about the possibility of adding "old stuff" in with our look.

We are also keeping our eyes peeled for scrapped wood to use as hardwood flooring in the future. We will be able to save some wood from the store, but probably not enough to use for flooring. I have several wedding projects in mind, which could later be used in our house for decor. I sure am glad I am marrying a handyman!

We are also planning to use the front steps of "Ruby's" as our back steps. They are simply stacked granite slabs. We plan to use other granite slabs salvaged from the foundation to make a patio. We are open to any other thoughts, so if y'all have good renovation ideas, please share!!

The Soundtrack of Our Lives

"Play the fast song, Daddy, please?" Adriana asks sweetly.

"Hast song! Hast song! Puulllaaayse!!!" Maebrynn chants loudly.

This is how our first, third, and (on lucky months) fifth weekends always begin. For a few days each month, our family is complete, and we soak up every moment. Our classic love story -- single dad of toddler daughter meets single mom of infant daughter -- is much more convoluted than it seems, but we try to provide as much stability for our babies as possible. As of today, March 22, 2012, Kelly and I have been "together" for 21 months, engaged for three. We are in the throws of wedding plans and house-building plans. This is the story of two people who fell in love... Three times. But so far it is true what they say! Third time's a charm!

Adriana turned three in November, and Maebrynn will be two in April. They are your typical sisters, fighting one minute, kissing each other the next. Adriana began referring to Mae as "sister" last weekend, something that thrills me to no end. Maebrynn cries, fiercely demanding to know where Adriana is every Sunday when she is dropped off at her grandmother's. I know she thinks Kelly and I stash Adri somewhere because her little mind does not understand yet how things work. Adriana herself has a difficult time understanding, and that is one of the most painful things to know. It is not an easy path that we take, but we do alright making things work. 

Kelly is a welder who rarely gets to weld. Construction is his blanket field. Regardless, he is a hard worker and very talented. I could not be prouder of the man I have chosen to marry.

I am a Library Assistant at the University of Georgia. I do other things as well, including writing a small blurb for our county newspaper about the community in which we live and filling in some Saturdays at the Robert Toombs House, an historic site in Washington, Georgia. I doubt I will ever be monetarily rich, but I really enjoy my jobs!

That is the quick and easy description of our family. I plan to post about progress we make with our DIY wedding, our house, and who knows what else may pop up in between the two. I feel that this may be the best way to share our updates with family and friends, and who knows? I may entertain or teach y'all something!

By the way, the "fast song" is country artist Chris Young's "Lost." It is highly appealing to the toddler/preschool crowd. This is a Public Service Announcement (warning).