She's (ALMOST) Here!

Since our big baby news... I haven't blogged once. I have been so busy with my new Kindergarten job (that I love!), settling into our new home (that I love!), planning and getting a nursery ready (that I love!) and spending time with Gardener Guy (that I love!) that I haven't taken the time to blog. My apologies!

Lily-Jo Juliette should be here anytime in the next two weeks and I have been trying to document my pregnancy in a memory book.

Here are some photos I have been making Gardener Guy take Sunday mornings:




What I lack in writing, I made up for in pictures this post. More updates to come, (sooner or later).

Baby love and all of mine!

Our Chic Cottage is growing by 2 feet!

Gardener Guy and I are expecting a baby in February and we couldn't be more excited! (Well, I think the Grammas are more excited but don't go there.)

I will post photos of sharing the news with our parents!

This means I will take a maternity leave in the middle of my new Kindergarten job, which I am nervous about but I work with a great staff so I am not worried!

For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him. 1 Samuel 1:27

Baby D love and all of mine!

I Guess You Heard

We've moved!

We have been so busy packing up and unpacking and getting settled. Pictures to come, I promise!

For now, enjoy a scene from our Mother's Day Extravaganza last weekend!

New House love and all of mine!

Spring Break Inspiration

T minus 7 days until we leave port on a Carribbean cruise with the whole Chic family!

Here is my inspiration:

Gardener Guy and I have been working since January (Ok, ok I started 2 weeks ago) working out each night and eating much healthier ( = No pop! No snacks! Lean meat!) with the cruise as our motivator. GG has lost 30 pounds and I have lost a quarter of that.

Pictures are sure to be coming!

Cruising love and all of mine!

Daddy's Girl

It wasn't until later in life that I heard this story. But boy, that Daddy sure new what he was doing.

My Daddy always sent his girls roses on Valentine's Day, even when we were very young. It was always a treat at school to receive roses, but I never knew why he did that, except that he was a great Daddy. But, Daddy sent us roses so that when we got a boyfriend, and he sent us flowers we wouldn't think it was anything special because our Dad always did that for us. Well, it's kind of ironic that the 1st boy that sent me flowers, married me 7 years later.

"I don't need your flowers, my Daddy sends me them."

And that is why I am a Daddy's Girl. Oh yeah, I love you too Mama!

Valentine's Day love and all of mine!

PS. Yes, I double dipped this year: Daddy and Gardener Guy sent me roses, and yes I love them both.

Land Lord's Daughter

think: Coal Miner's Daughter. Even Bubby thought that was pretty clever so you should too!

As much as I would try to deny it, I am a Land Lord's Daughter. See this was the diamond in the rough we started with a year ago.
I have primed, painted, and repainted, schlaked and accent painted, primed,and painted a lot in our Love Shack.

This summer, Auntie J helped me paint our Living Room and hallway Tea and Cream. We left two walls Country White until I could decide on an accent color. You know when there is a giant sock pile in the middle of the room and it's horrendous, but after a few days you get used to it so it stays there? You don't? Well that happened many-a times growing up. But that's neither here nor there.

Anyway, I grew to ignore the 2 white walls until the past week. Last week we had a snow day and I worked up the courage to paint it by myself -- Gardener Guy despises painting. What do you know? Paint's frozen. Apparently, you can let it thaw out once. So I took today off for a much needed mental health day. Paint was thawed and ready to go. I used every last drop of the gallon finishing up those two walls and it looks great! I have a little too much tan going on right now so I'm looking for cream colored curtains to go with my Robin's Egg Blue drapes, and to break up the tan on tan action. Wish my legs had too much tan going on, but why go there?

BUT before I could even paint today, I got out my Land Lord's Daughter kit and showed mold who was boss. You see, our furnace went ka-poot. So we installed a wall unit that hooks up to our gas line and heats our house wonderfully. (And I don't have to carry in wood for the wood stove.) The down side to the wall unit is that it puts a lot of moisture in the air. So each week, I take my clorox mix and scrub scrub scrub our baseboards where the moisture collects and grows, well, mold. "BLACK MOLD!!" Just kidding, I'm a good tenant, right Daddy?

So mold is cleaned up for now and paint is drying! I also am working on painting a small shelf in our dining room and searching for inspiration on how to decorate it, without cluttering it. I hate clutter.

Gardener Guy promised me a trip to HomeGoods tonight, it will be my first time and I am hoping to be inspired!

And just to prove to you I bear my title, Land Lord's Daughter, in good nature, here is a picture of the Land Lord with his clean-up crew away from fighting mold.
Yep, my eyes are closed. :)

Land Lord love and all of mine!

Psst. I saw on a blog this week where the grandkids called their Grampa, Coach. How absolutely adorable is that. He's not really a Grand-pappy Papa Poo guy anyway, he's a Coach.

Hard Candy Christmas

This is one the Girls' favorites.

Hard Candy Christmas.

And come on, it's Dolly -- you can really belt this one out and no one can say otherwise. Not even a grumpy Gardener Guy -- bah hum bug.



Christmas Caroling love y'all, and all of mine!

In Everything Give Thanks

1 Thessalonians 5:18: In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Thank you Lord for my tire blowing out tonight.
Thank you Lord for having a safe road for me to pull off onto.
Thank you Lord for the nice man who stopped, and keeping away other creeps.
Thank you Lord for canceling my conference today so that rather than being stuck in Independence, MO as planned, I was in a safe rural community.
Thank you Lord for the two new flashlights that I hadn't carried in yet, batteries included!
Thank you Lord for a full tank of gas so that I could sit and wait in a warm car.
Thank you Lord that I had cell phone reception and could call Gardener Guy.
Thank you Lord that Gardener Guy worked in a mechanic shop in his teen years so he knew how to safely change my tire.
Thank you Lord for reminding me to not ask Gardener Guy if he "knew what he was doing."
Thank you Lord for letting Gardener Guy be my hero tonight.
Thank you Lord for the quiet ride home listening for another blowout.
Thank you Lord for my family that will read this and have a good laugh.

Thank you Lord for letting me crawl into bed tonight with Gardener Guy and this day will be over.

Thanksgiving love and all of mine!

New Army

Old Navy Christmas Wishlist 2010.

Ok... so some of these are sold-out, or you know, only available in Darb's size; but this is a WISH list. Typically, I shop Gap Online, but I love how Old Navy uses color, more-so than Gap. Keep in mind, I keep it safe with colors. Jeepers, that was fun playing on Paint.

Other items on my Christmas Wish List:
-Blackberry Curve. I'm due for a free upgrade.
-Rubber cutting board. My glass one is a little too noisy, and well, breakable.
-Weekly planner: Wal-Mart special.
-Lunch box: I think Mama Out-Law is taking care of this one.
-Winter Coat, with hood. My current coat's zipper fell off this week.
-Books or games for my classroom/office.

Gardener Guy and I each splurged this year. I bought a couch, he bought a truck. So ... we're doing stocking stuffers for each other, and Jasmine might get some chew toys, or a new old sock.

What is on your Wish List?

Holiday love and all of mine!

Is it just me or have you been hearing a lot about Fall weather this year, like more so than other years?

Maybe I am more aware of it because I am not dreading walking campus in sub-zero weather for months upon months. Now I am dreading driving snowy, icy country roads for months upon months. But enough negativity, Nancy.

What I am trying to say is that I am really enjoying this Fall weather. Granted, I do miss rocking hoodies and sweats to class each day -- it was State school what do you expect from me? But, I enjoy how nicely it warms up in the afternoon and cools down in the evening.

Our Fur-baby Jasmine is enjoying the cool weather too. Enjoying the weather... in her new dog pen! This has been months in waiting for me and finally, after I chased the dog deep into the timber, BAREFOOTED, Saturday afternoon, Gardener Guy realized we needed a pen. And a pen he built. J-Baby has spent a lot of time outdoors exploring her new casa. After a few whiny barks in objection, she seems to like it.

How do you take time to savor this beautiful Fall weather before Winter moves in?

Outdoor love and all of mine!

What do you you do when...?

... you come to the end of a To-Do list pad? Stop making lists?

This is my conundrum on my 1st DAY OFF OF WORK! Get in or get out I got a horse to saddle!

I took my 1st sick day for an eye appointment today and my eyes are dilated so forgive me for any spelling faux pauxs. (Guarantee that is one right there.)

Here is my to-do list.
1. eye appointment -- check dilated eyes -- check
2. blog -- check
3. dishes
4. laundry
5. vacuum --- I HATE to vacuum but this is the only way I can torture our dog because she hates it more than I do.
6. Get stuff: paint, painter's tape, ply wood
7. Paint accent wall
8. Pick up BC. No Chic kids yet.
9. Cook -- we may be camping tonight so that might entail putting hot dogs and buns in the cooler. Go me.
10. Get Mama's present

Tomorrow is Mama's 40th - ish birthday! :)

Last year, "she was learning to scuba dive" and I was "playing Mama to HayBee with a very broken finger".

This year we're going to do it up big -- Kansas style. Prayers for Mama because this will be one of very few years up until now that her parents will not be around to help celebrate. Gramma is in Texas "on vacation" at a different Bed & Breakfast, Lake House, Bank Trip, Condo each night -- you name it, she is "vacationing" there.

I am reminded this morning how THANKFUL I am to have Mama and Daddy around whenever I need them for support, especially with the struggles I am having at work. They are such an encouragement and blessing to both Gardener Guy and Chic Chick.



So, "Happy Happy Birthday from your blog friends to you -- we wish it was our birthday so we could party too, hey!"

Mama love and all of mine!

PS. Today is Gardener Guy's last day at his job! Hooray! He will be gradually taking over Boss Daddy D's business. He'll be Window Guy after tonight --- eh, I still love my Gardener Guy!

A Few Favorite Photos

We finally received our photo discs!
I have been creating a photo-book on Snapfish and can't wait to see how it turns out!

Here are a few of my favorites of the day:

I may or may not have cried and laughed throughout the entire ceremony.



We did it!



Colorado-esque.



Backyard Chic moved indoors.



He's got a little King in him.





Get it MJ.



Gardener Guy totally surprised by our surprise dance.


Photo love and all of mine!

*All photos by Nichols & Co. Photography.

The race is on...

...and here comes stress in the back stretch.

30 days, folks. A couple weeks and it will be all hands on deck.

Here is a round up of the last couple of days.*

-I missed my dress fitting. It was scheduled for Tuesday. Mama took off Tuesday and I told her I was sure it was on Wednesday. My seamstress called on Tuesday afternoon to ask if I was coming. Oops! We rescheduled for Wednesday afternoon and Mama and I got there, early! We will pick up the dress on June 8th, 10:00am. I have it written down in 3 different places.

-Gardener Guy and I met with the photographer on Wednesday. We nailed out the day-of schedule and that was a huge relief! Plus, I was able to determine that I get to sleep in on my wedding day! I probably won't, but the schedule will allow me to do so if I can! We are planning to do a "Private Moment" to see each other before the ceremony. I know this is not traditional, and other choose to wait, but it seemed to work for us.

We chose to do this for a few of reasons.
1. I think that seeing Gardener Guy before the ceremony will help me calm down and enjoy the day with my guy and keep priorities straight.
2. With the ceremony and reception both at my parents house, we are assuming that our guests will want something to do immediately following the ceremony. We didn't want to hold up the guests or our bridal party from eating and cavorting (right Auntie J?). Plus, this kid eats dinner at around 5:30, by the time 6:30 rolls around, I will need to boost my blood sugar!
3. I am trying to squeeze every ounce of emotion out of Gardener Guy that day! And maybe, just maybe, I will get 2 emotional moments (the Private Moment, and walking down the aisle)

Mama thinks that I'm crazing expecting to have a "Private Moment/1st Look/Reveal" in the backyard in the midst of the chaos of the day with vendors and bridal party milling around. Maybe Mama knows best.

-We didn't get to organize our RSVPs yet, but that may just have to wait until after graduation.

-I started to organize the basement. Well, the wedding corner at least. There was a method to my madness and I want it to accessible to find what we need in the next couple of weeks. Now my bedroom is a different story. Let's not go there, ok?

*(I originally typed weekend, but it's Thursday, not a real weekend.) Also, I apologize for no pictures!

Saturday will be graduation for both Gardener Guy and I, and then a bachelorette party for my friend K! I am so excited that we have almost completed this chapter of our lives and can't wait to see what God has in store for us next!

Countdown love and all of mine!

Father of the Bride

Gardener Guy and I will be loading up his Daddy's truck and trailer tonight and heading back home!

Tomorrow morning we will head clear up into Kansas City to meet with our photographer (I am so looking forward to this!) and then swing by the courthouse to pick up our marriage license.

Then, Mama and I will drive up for my 2nd dress fitting, which hopefully will be my last fitting!

Tomorrow evening, George, Nina and Annie will be sitting down around the kitchen table recording RSVPs that have been sent back!

Now tell me, you have seen this clip right? Let's just say, we don't bring up the budget around George or else he might go hot dog shopping. Lucky for Annie, Nina isn't adding everyone in the tri-county area and their dog.

Love to you Mama!

Enjoy!

Father of the Bride love and all of mine!

The To Do List

Life to do list.
(Don't be confused, this is not a "bucket list", but rather a survive before you can thrive list. )

-Find a job. Check

-Find a home. Check

-Finish Student Teaching, successfully. Check.

-5 year anniversary with Gardener Guy. Check.

-Dinner with sorority friends. Check.

- Pedicure with HayBee. Check.

-Graduate. Almost check.

I feel like I have been looking forward to May 7th all year, honestly. That was to be the last day of Student Teaching, my 5 year anniversary with Gardener Guy and prepping to graduate. I haven't had time to reflect on this semester, year or college experience to really let it sink in that I will be moving on to adulthood. Real adulthood, with bills and a paycheck (!!).

Tomorrow, I get to go home to work in the garden and get it ready for the wedding with Gardener Guy's direction. When planning for the wedding, I always thought to myself, "Self, the wedding soiree will sink in when it is close enough that you can plant in the garden." Yippee it is here!

***
This just in. (As is just popped into my mind!) In my midst of getting out Save the Dates, Wedding Invites, Graduation Announcements and passing the word about Showers, I have not had the time or creativity to create Graduation Party invites. If you would like to come out for the festivities, you are MORE THAN WELCOME!
***

Who: You and your family!

What: Graduation Celebration

When: May 15th. My graduation is at 11am, GG's is at 2:30. We will have light lunch in between and BBQ after his.

Where: Manhappy: Bramlage Coliseum and GG's house

To bring: A lawn chair for each rear that would like a place to sit! Your presence is gift enough!

RSVP: If you can plan in advance, that's great. If not and you show up, we'll be around back of the house! :)

Graduation love and all of mine!

Powder Room Pretties

After getting showered with kitchen goodies, I think that our powder room -- oh, who am I kidding, Gardener Guy will refuse to even let me pretend that I have a powder room -- will need to be spruced up!

Daddy has laid the flooring and installed the sink and vanity and faucet. I love the white beadboard, but Gardener Guy is a little bit oblivious to home decor. Mama picked out a lovely brushed nickel light to hang above the sink. The medicine cabinet is still installed, but I will say that it will provide a little extra storage room! I am looking for wall hooks to hang our robes on but I think that above our toilet (there's just no pretty way to describe it, although toilet has to be better than 'stool' as it is affectionately known at our house!) will need some artwork.

I am trying to keep the petite powder room light, fresh and spa like with creams, tans and pinches of chocolate brown. These prints would fit in perfectly!

Here are my top contenders from The Love Shop:
All you need is love.

Keep calm and have faith. Probably my favorite as I am slightly obsessed with "Keep Calm" prints.


There's no place like home. I mean, I do live in Oz-land, and a liiitttllee to close to my 'real' home.

Powder room love and all of mine!

Forecast of Bridal Showers!

Two thoughts about the weather:

1. Yesterday (May 1st) I checked the Farmer's Almanac 2 month forecast and it read that June 6th-June 12th would be sunny and cool. Ideal weather for Gardener Guy to enjoy the outdoor wedding! That is "the good", "the bad" is that June 13-June 20 holds a prediction that thunderstorms will move in followed by sunshine. O boy, what if these T-storms move in early? Have I told you that I am coming to terms with Plan B?

2. I had a wonderful "shower". Ok bad weather transition but you get the idea!

Check out those aprons -- those are Chic Chicks!

I want to give a huge THANK YOU to Auntie J, Sonita Maria, and Cowgirl in Pearls for the wonderful, fabulous, generous, thoughtful, personal shower at Sonita Maria's new home! You should see their new home, it feels like home from the moment you walk in, and they have only lived there a week!

They thought of everything! The food, the theme, the decor, the games, the guest list, the seating, the refreshments, even the thank you cards!

I am waiting for Mama to post pictures and then I will upload them to this post to share! Speaking of Mama, did I tell you that she is wonderful as well? She has been working since February to compile recipes and aprons from just about everyone that I know. I was so surprised (except that George Banks almost blew her hard work, luckily, I was oblivious to the magnitude of her work!) Unfortunately, now Gardener Guy will have some expectations that I will have to start working in the kitchen. I think I know what I will make him for our first married meal in our new home. I sure that will be a post in itself!

If you are lucky, Mama might share an (embellished) story about how Baby Lisa almost was left at home for the shower.

Bridal Shower love and all of mine!

Gardener Guy's Best Friend

I would like to think that I am Gardener Guy's best friend. Then, he reminds me that he had his sweetheart Jasmine first. Jasmine is an over-weight, over-possessive, under-ambitious Golden Retriever that will be moving into Northview with us soon. I am excited, really.


Gardener Guy (more like Mountain Man) with Jasmine


She WILL NOT be invited to the wedding though. If she was to be hypothetically invited, I would consider a cliche "family picture" of the 3 of us. I mean, come on, check out that Puppy Jewelry!
Via Wedding Chicks.

But then Roxy would be jealous.

Puppy love and all of mine!

5 Year Plan

Gardener Guy and I have a 5 year plan.
I feel that everyday of this 5 year plan could be negotiable though.
Except that we'll still be married.

I want this to remember our first 5 years.

Sometimes when I am helping Mama clean out our basements, I find my old diaries and have a good laugh. One time Mama "found" (See: Snooped around my room until she found it) my journal as a 14 year old. She had a good cry. Daddy laughed at her for snooping around her kid's room and then getting her feelings hurt when she read something she didn't like.

I will never snoop on my children. Their Gramma will do it for me. I promise, in this journal I will have good things to say about my Mama.

Dear Diary love and all of mine!

Foo Foo La La Diddley Dee

Mama and I picked up the printed invitations this morning! Yay! We waited to have them printed in April to hit a "special", and with using our own cardstock paper, the cost came out to be very reasonable. Too bad our stamps were not too reasonable considering that we had to buy regular stamps and post card stamps. We had to go to the Post Office to get the stamps because the UPS store does not carry the "foo foo la la diddley dee" stamps. Auntie J does this surprise you?

I had made tentative plans to have Gardener Guy's Mama and sister over to help cut, sort, stack, stick and bundle the invitation suites. They made it over and helped so much! Thank you to them!
Grandma S, HayBee, Baby Lisa (with an ear infection), Chic Chick and GG's sis JoJo.
GG's Mama came and helped color trees.

Even Gardener Guy eventually made it over to help stick labels and stamps. When we worked outside, he was the boss. Since we were working inside, I was the boss.

Our To-Do list remains:
-assemble approximately 75 more invitations
-run envelopes through the printer for mailing addresses
-stamp envelopes
-send through the mail!


Oh yeah. The map madness. Gardener Guy sketched up a map, but it was far too technical. I decided to try my hand at designing. I'm not crazy about it but I think that it will serve its purpose. After all, Grandma S said that it is hard to find our drive way. Oh boy, I hope someone will drive her here.

PS. Tomorrow is my 22nd birthday, I am an Easter baby this year! GG's family came over tonight to help celebrate with my family. Stratty helped me blow out candles on my red velvet cake!
Don't laugh at HayBee's Sunken Cake. She's says its the best way a cake can bake.

More Easter and Birthday pictures to come tomorrow!

Invitation love and all of mine!