My FIRST Baby Shower !

As you probably, could have guessed, I am back in Tennessee for a while. Yey! I have had a blast hanging out with close family and friends for the last week. We have participated in exercise classes, enjoyed a mocha or two and visited the baseball parks a couple of times.

We also have been planning a baby shower... my first!

I can't believe this wonderful mix of pink brown green and yellows, laughter friends and fun was given to me.

Ok, more like given to Elyse!

Here are some lovely pictures taken from the event.

Yes, we used skewers to make the food more festive. It worked wonderfully!

(Except I don't know how many people knew they could eat them.. ha!)

The little chinese take-out boxes were for the guests to fill with M&Ms for favors.

Mom handcrafted these by just adding a ribbon.

Here was an idea I really enjoyed using:

These little fabric flowers were perfect for our cupcake toppers. We just added a pearl to give it a more vintage feel and put it on top of a cupcake. We used the cupcakes in the place of flowers or candles, giving our decorations function as food and decor!

The tissue pom-poms were the perfect addition to the party decor since they were super easy to makes, and economical too!

The party!

Eva and I:

And can we say DELICIOUS??

These cakes have always been my favorite-- but this one was absolutely my favorite thus far (with my mother-in-laws lemon Magpie cake as a runner up)!

The gift room:

Aunt Mary and I: 

My sweet Grandpa: 

The baby measuring game

(with our winner, my Aunt Jenny!) 

Game two: Baby bingo!

The girls had to guess what I was going to open on their bingo sheets. Thus, when I opened a gift that had their guesses on there, they could mark that space.

Aunt Mary and my mama:

PS: Aunt Stacie won bingo. Yey!

Some of my girlfriends handmade my gifts, like these bibs Jenn made for Elyse.

I LOVE THEM!

Crazy Aunt Meg ;)

I think she might have started a new trend though!  

My best friend growing up, Lizzy Liz!

I think Lorato just volunteered these talented girls to make my crib sheets too!

Great idea Lo! ;)

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Here is another handmade item by Lacey!

So amazing what these girls can do... 

Louise Barto, Lacey Jean Thompson and my dear Grandma Sue.

My precious Aunt Jenny and cousin Krissy!!

My lovely roommates (sorry Bonnie, don't kill me, but this was the best one of us all.. plus, you look like a beautiful ballerina!):

Starting from the Left: Jenna, Lorato, Loren, me, Jenn and Bonnie!

This shower was a success for sure...

That's not all!

I have a TON more from my Aunt Meg's 40th, Girls Night Out/Reunion and Matthew's Lacrosse game to post.

I will post those here shortly.

Until then....

Blessings! XOXO



Post Created Jun 3, 2011 9:13:44 AM

Does it get any better than this?

I'm sure it does, haha, but right now this just seems heavenly! I enjoyed an amazing cream cheese bagel, sipping on my chai and watching planes take off in this awesome viewing area in the Seattle airport. I think little baby girl is liking it too (she is kicking up a storm!!).

My stress is also starting to melt away, praise the lord, and I am feeling calmer from yesterday... Or a couple of hours ago really. I had a difficult time just relaxing yesterday since I was leaving for so long and much i would need to do was out of my immediate control. Very nerve racking for this Type A! I thought I was going to put my self into preterm labor with all my worries! Praise the Lord for other plans as I figured out the Eli situation: we decided to leve him behind; the trip seemed too stressful for the little guy to endure (we had wonderful friends op to take him for the night I left too- you all are so sweet! Thank you Matt and Lindsey!) I also had to think through all the ins and outs of our house for Steven, our new house tender/dog sitter for the month. This left me as a total mess... And to further enforce that fact, poor steven got a 10 page packet of EVERYTHING he might think of while staying at our house and tending to our pup. Poor guy! Haha... Yes, I can finally fill in the blank "I knew I was a mommy when..."!

Reflecting back on the trust and peace I would get in my anxious mode when I prayed, I have gauged from yesterday just how overgrown my garden has become in my trust in God. My heart has not been thriving on him, but instead, entangled in a mess of business and control. It grieved me at first to know how far I had gotten, but now i am instead grateful for the gift I have to get before him and making that a priority. I look forward to this month as there are many things I hope to restore, through spiritual diligence and endurance in Christ, to it's original beauty.

And that will come within this month as I go back to Knoxville, visiting much family and many friends along the way. I am very excited and ready for my visit to start!! Tennessee here I come!

(this is my viewing spot in the seattle airport)

There is a light at the end of my project tunnel!!!

Well, as you can observe from this picture, we have not had the most beautiful day...

Very unmotivating really.

However, we got a lot done around here, despite the yuckiness!

And, for Little Eli's sake, we still got our walk in...

even if it didn't end pretty!

My sweet friend Lacy came over last night, cooked me yummy spagetti and helped me clean my house. It was such a treat and we had the best time just being together.

Since all the housework was completed last night, I decided to get back into the woodworking and decorating (well attempted decorating). I threw this look in for our bed instead of the previous one.

It looks more put together in my opinion.

(Eventually I will figure this decorating thing out!)

Oh! And I added some shelves...

They are empty shelves, but I am hoping, upon Andrew's arrival, they will be filled once quickly with books and other wonderful items that he will bring back from his trip ;)

Here is a sneak preview of my hamper system.

I intend to put curtains on the side of it to conceal the ugly hampers and add some style to this functional piece!

 But I am in no hurry at the moment.

I finally finished the daybed! YEY!

(Please pay no attention to the ugly sheets and decor I have going on around it.. I will soon change all of this as well. But hey, its a start at least!

I gave Andrew's Philmont poster a space on the wall.

This made him very happy :)

Ok, and here is where I hit a wall. I have ABSOLUTELY no inspiration for this room.

Everytime I try something new in it, I find I really dont like it.

Luckily, it will be well used by our new dogsitter Steven for the month :)

I will work on it later.

Oh, and I did some things to the guest bath as well..

Like added a new mirror! Yey! No more yucky 3 Panel medicine cabinet mirror!

Ok, well, Eli and I are completely wiped....,

I am very thankful we are wrapping up the projects for the month, even if that means I will be continuing on in July. It's worth the break ;) I will miss my little Alaskan life and sweet puppy going back to the states for a month but I am sure just coming back to it all will make it all the sweeter!

Be praying for my Andrew as we go on day 9 of separation. It's nice to know its going so quickly, but I am already looking forward to the time we will be together again! Well, he is calling in-- gotta run!

Blessings-- XOXO