All my bags are packed...

and I'M READY TO GO!!!!

In all the craziness of weddings and whatnot, I failed to let everyone know about my mini-vacation this weekend!

Brad, my sister - Katy, her boyfriend - Brian, and myself will be traveling to the Nantahala River in North Carolina this weekend to go whitewater rafting!!! I am so excited because I L-O-V-E camping and whitewater rafting! I grew up pretty much living on the lake every weekend when I was a kid, and I was also a camp counselor for two summers, so I love the outdoors! The Nantahala is really not that bad of a river to raft down, so we are actually going down in a boat that seats 4. Brad and I have already been arguing over who gets to be the guide! Ha!

I am SO looking forward to getting to get out of town for a few days because once I get back, we will be super busy at the store. We are in full planning mode for our Christmas in July event, and I CANNOT wait to show off some of the fabulous displays and decorations we will have!

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! And a BIG congrats to all the ladies who have shared recent news about growing families in the past few days! It is so amazing to see how God has truly blessed so many families! Oh, and it definitely gives me a case of baby fever!

Blessings, y'all!

I missed my calling...

Tonight at my flower arranging class, we made boutonnieres and corsages! I didn't think I would like it at all, but boy was I wrong!

I don't know if it is because I have tiny hands, but I really did enjoy working with a "small" arrangement. Momma and I worked with mainly zinnias, and I think they turned out pretty cute! Here are some pictures of our finished products...

I LOVE the look of zinnias - they are so summery and fun! Momma and I are working on getting some business cards done for our wedding consulting business. We have one wedding in October for a family friend, and we are working on getting another wedding in October that is going to be at the lake! It's something we both enjoy doing and anytime we can help someone else out, we are all about it! If you are in the Tennessee area and need some help, let me know!

Blessings, y'all!

My life for the past two weeks...

I have decided to take my blog off of private - I am going to try it out for a while, and if it goes well, I'll keep it open. I want to be able to connect with other bloggers, and I feel like while I'm private, that is not exactly an option!


Anyways, back to the reasoning behind my post - updating y'all on my life for the past two weeks! Most of my days have been occupied with working at the shop, which has been A-MAZING! For those of you who have been wondering, I was offered a position at a middle school, but I have decided not to take the position for many reasons. Although I would love to work in the school system, I'm not completely ready to take that step. Taking the job would mean a huge life change for Brad and myself - new job, new degree, etc. etc. etc. So, for the time being, I will continue to work at the shop, which is right up my alley. We are preparing to launch a new website, have a Christmas in July event, and make a lot of new changes! I love working with small businesses, and I am enjoying working a job that has pretty much ZERO stress!


Besides work, my nights and weekends have been full of parties, showers and weddings! Summer is definitely the time for weddings, and it hasn't been any different for me!


One of the first weddings that Brad and I attended was for Jennifer and Matthew. Jennifer and I are sorority sisters and good friends! I loved seeing so many of my sisters, and we had a great time! The reception had a very tropical feel, so of course, the flowers were GORGEOUS! Best wishes to Jennifer and Matthew!

The bride and groom during the toast.

DIAMONDS at the reception!

Tropical flower arrangements - Brad and I at the reception - excuse the hot mess that is me - it was SO HOT!

Keeping up with the bridal/wedding theme, I threw a luncheon for my very dear friend and sorority sister, Myranda. I am in her wedding in July, so I wanted to be sure that everything was perfect for her. Here are a few pictures from our Southern luncheon -

The set-up at my house - we were going to do it outside, but it rained all day!

The "best wishes" banner I made out of scrapbook paper. And yes, I did use the CRICUT!!!

The menu for the luncheon - I wrote it out on my antique chalkboard!

Flower arrangement in a silver pitcher -

Myranda opening gifts - everyone loves a monogrammed acrylic tray!

Some of the ladies after the luncheon -

This past Friday, we had an ice cream supper at my grandparents' church. Momma and I did a few flower arrangements for the evening - here are a few pictures...

This is my flower arrangement I made -

This is the arrangement my momma made -

Brad and I after the ice cream supper -

On Saturday night, Brad and I had TWO parties to attend. Our first stop was a shrimp boil for Myranda and John - here is the happy couple opening gifts -

Katie and I with the bride - again, excuse the mess, it was so freaking humid! Typical Tennessee summer!

Second stop was a Luau for Rachel and Alex. I didn't take many pictures, but I thought the picture below captured all the fun we had! That's me (in the blue) with another sister, Mallory!

So, that's everything in a nutshell! God has been working wonders in my life, and I seriously don't think that I have been this happy and stress-free in quite some time. I am going to work very hard to keep my blog updated for those of you who are faithful readers, and I am going to try and get caught up on everyone's lives!

Blessings, y'all!

YES, I am alive!

Okay, it has been WAY too long since I have updated my blog, but I wanted to let y'all know that I am okay! In fact, I am FABULOUS!

What is it about summer that makes you want to spend every waking moment outside? Well, that's what I have been doing for the most part. Add in work, bridal showers, weddings, family time, and hanging out with friends, and you have NO time for blogging!

I have a busy morning today, but I am going to try and give you a play-by-play of the past two weeks!

Blessings, y'all!

Trust.

This week is flying by! I have been really enjoying working at the shop, and the girls there have been affectionately calling me "the manager." I'm working on getting a few things together for Christmas - can you believe it???? Anyways, it has been really great to get out there and work again. I really do have a heart for small businesses and retail, and my dream job would be to have my own shop one day. For now, I will help someone else's store be successful :) I am feeling like there are a lot of choices to be made, and if you know me, you know I loathe making choices. So, this is a difficult time for me right now. It seems like everytime I think about those choices, I start praying that I will trust God with every fiber in my being. This verse below has been such a blessing to me for the past fouple of days, and I hope it will bless you if you feel the same as I do!

Proverbs 3:5: 5-12 Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track. Don't assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil!Y our body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life! Honor God with everything you own; give him the first and the best. Your barns will burst, your wine vats will brim over. But don't, dear friend, resent God's discipline; don't sulk under his loving correction. It's the child he loves that God corrects; a father's delight is behind all this.

Blessings, y'all!

PICTURES!

FINALLY! I finally downloaded pictures from the past 3 weeks onto my laptop! Here is what I have been up to...

spending a lot of time on my front porch with Brad in our new wicker rockers...

hosting family barbeques (and letting my mom take sweet pictures of us)

taking my floral arranging class - this is the first thing I made in class - it's a silk arrangement in an antique basket to go in my bedroom...not too shabby, right?

working on restoring this old cabinet from my great great grandparents' home - I had to trace the design on the cabinet doors - it's a long project, but it will be SO adorable when I finish!

helping my mom do flower arrangements for a friend's party - this is one of my favorites - everything came from a yard: daisy wildflowers, oak leaf hydrangeas, and purple verbena!
another arrangement with magnolia blooms - has anyone noticed how BEAUTIFUL the magnolias are doing right now???
another arrangement of lillies and roses - I love the colors!

I have been really busy for the past couple of weeks, and I am getting to do a lot of things I have been putting off for a while. I am going back to work tomorrow morning at the shop, and I couldn't be more excited! Then tomorrow night, I have my floral arranging class, and we're making WREATHS!!!!

Who's excited??? THIS girl is!

Blessings, y'all!