Studio

So I haven't updated the blog in a while so I'm really behind on all my posts. Here's some pics since Christmas.

 So every year for Christmas, we've been recording a song for my dad.  He's about impossible to buy a gift for, so this is the one thing that he loves and can't buy for himself.  We've really enjoyed doing it over the years but end up putting it together very last minute every year.

 Since Kait wasn't there yet to lay down the melody, I had to sing alto without the melody line.  Not exactly the easiest thing to do. haha

Joey is our favorite studio guy! :-)  He's so flexible with us and is always willing to work around our crazy schedules.



This year we added my mom to the group.  It was fun to do it all together. 

So Whit was late because she was coming from work and Kait had to come on her lunch break so we were barely all in the studio together at one time.



Valentine's Day Coffee

It all started 4 years ago with some extra frosted sugar cookies that Ashley needed to get rid of.  Four years later, and were still doing our annual Valentine's Day coffee.  Every year we plan way ahead and then right at the end it seems to crop up on us and were scrambling to put it together last minute, but it always seems to turn out ok and everyone has a good time seeing each other.  We take turns between having it at her house or mine, so this year it was my place.  Two years ago I was rushing to Walmart the morning of picking up cinnamon rolls, caraffe's for coffee and anything else to throw it together.  Being out of town all week beforehand was not helping matters any.  So I felt like I needed to try a little harder this year to redeem myself.  haha

I was looking on Google images for some ideas of something I could put in a mini mason jar.  When I found these cupcakes in a jar, I thought it was too cute.

There were two kinds, white cake with strawberry frosting and red velvet with cream cheese frosting.  Everyone got to take one home with them.

Once again, the extra wedding decorations came in handy for the table decorations.  Lots of people helped bring food and the hit of the day was Holly's cheese dips.  Ham and cheese and a sun dried tomato and bacon one on mini bagels, yum.  So good!

Everyone also got to take home some recipes.  I had this chicken wire memo board leftover from the wedding and was trying to figure out a way to reuse it.  I came up with recipes that people could take home.  So I went on Pinterest and copied a bunch of recipes, since they always have a picture with them.  I printed them out on card stock and then used binder clips to attach them to the board. 

I had three of each recipe and had about 30 recipes so there was a decent variety for everyone to choose from.

Valentine's Day Dinner

We decided to stay in for Valentine's Day and we would cook together.  The menu was fettuccine alfredo with grilled chicken, garlic bread and some angel food cake with fresh strawberries.  It all turned out great till Brian got sick later and then didn't want any of the leftovers afterwards. haha

We got these placemats and napkins for our wedding so I decided to whip them out for dinner/

The benefit of buying all your wedding centerpieces.....you have a storage room full of decorations to be able to pull from. :-) 

FCA was having an jersey auction after the Drive basketball game so we went to the game to help with the auction after.

For a semi-pro basketball game, it was actually pretty entertaining to watch.

Updating

So it's been FOREVER since I've updated this blog or any blog for that matter. Needless to say I was a little preoccupied with wedding planning, then a wedding cookout and just settling into married life. What I've been doing lately is slowly updating the house to more the style I want it to be rather than just a hodge podge. My latest conquest is our entertainment center. It has been the thorn in my flesh for months because I just couldn't quite find all the stuff I wanted exactly to put in there. I finally put the final touches on it yesterday and am finally happy with it now. :-)

I found these pillows on Etsy.  You could monogram them however you wanted.  I love that about Etsy that most store owners are flexible about what you order.  This was actually Brian's idea.  He felt that our name should be displayed for everyone to see rather than just on the couch.  haha It has grown on me.

My cousin Heidi and I trade things all the time.  I give her clothes, she gives me great home decor items.  These were two she gave me a while back and I've been trying to figure out how to use them.  I got some walnuts and pecans in the shell and filled up the one on the left and used coffee beans for the other one.  Brian thought I should have done corn and soybeans.  The little farmer in him! haha

Brian had been wanting a globe and thanks to some wedding and Christmas Pottery Barn gift cards, I was able to get this.  All the fake books were a combination from Hobby Lobby, Gordmans and Tuesday Mornings.

Owls are all the rage this year!  Of course when I wanted one I couldn't find them anywhere and now you see them EVERYWHERE!  But I found this cute little owl at Z Gallerie.  It's actually a piggy bank, but you can't tell that from the front. :-)

I was pleasantly surprised when I found these wood dice at Meijer.  Of all places, but I thought they were cute and went with the style I was going for.

The & sign I found at Gordmans and had the vase of wheat grass left over from the wedding.

I found the chicken wire basket at Hobby Lobby and the balls were from Gordmans and Hobby Lobby.

These are my new favorite!  We went to the Tea Room in Mackinaw for my aunt's birthday last weekend and I found these candlestick holders. So different and unique, I love them!

I feel like I have looked at EVERY lantern in town, online or in a magazine.  They were either the wrong color, ridiculously expensive or too small.  I finally went with this one from Pottery Barn and it was the perfect height for what I wanted.  Ahhh, entertainment center complete.  Onto the next room......master bedroom! :-)