shower success!

My sister's baby shower was a success!

The stroller/car seat even came in just in time. 

I literally got the email that it was at the store right as the first people started arriving at the shower. 

The best friend graciously acted as hostess while I drove like a crazy person went to pick it up;)

She got a ton of great gifts!

The little dude will never have to wear a repeat outfit.

My other nephew who is 1 was also there. 

And I gave him candy for the first time!!

I know my little sister LOVED me yesterday afternoon.

But, hey, I am the cool aunt;)

Here are a few pics from the shower...

{sorry some of them are blurry, my camera was going crazy}

 the gift table

 candy table...and the beautiful canvases that my VERY TALENTED best friend painted!

 dessert table

 the signs I made and the banner the Blue Moon Studios custom made for me

 yummy cupcakes w/ One Fish Two Fish toppers

 I had the guests sign the actual Dr. Seuss book as a keepsake

 favor boxes

 'J' eating his very first piece of candy EVER!

the infamous stroller/car seat

t minus 40 hours

The baby shower is just under 2 days away!!

I feel like I still have a million things to do,

but it is more like 20 or so.

I have everything packed and ready to make the 4 hour drive after work tomorrow.

And I have lined up the best friends in the world to help me set up Saturday!

All in all, I think everything should go off without a hitch.

{fingers-crossed}

Earlier this week, I laid everything out to see exactly what I had bought so far. 

I have picked up a few extra things since these pictures,

but this will give you an idea about what I am working with.

 I did not want the girls to feel left out so I got them these ribbons!

 I just realized these bowls are the only thing with One Fish Two Fish on it in these pictures. 

I really do have more actual One Fish Two Fish stuff.

These are the cute little boxes for the party favors.

The main thing I am worried about is the gift I got for my sister. 

I got her the stroller/carseat combo that she wanted.

And it is NOT. IN. YET!

I am trying not to obsess about it too much. 

It is not like she needs it tomorrow. 

I did buy her a "replacement" gift to open at the shower. 

So, I have that taken care of!

I cannot wait until Saturday!

I am super excited about my theme. 

And most importantly...my sis will LOVE it!

sneak peek pictures!

The AMAZING photographers of Jason Hurst Photography have put a few sneak peek pictures up on their Facebook fan page from the wedding Saturday.

I just HAD to share them with you.

These few pictures are just gorgeous.

I cannot wait to see the rest of them!

The local winery was the perfect backdrop for the wedding!

If you are ever in Georgia and need a photographer be sure to call Jason & Casey!



***All images are property of Jason Hurst Photography***

wedding day!

It has be a crazy 48 hours!

And I did not get pictures of any of it. 

Can you believe that?!

I completely forgot my camera...BOTH DAYS!

Yesterday we had the:

Bridesmaid's Luncheon

Rehearsal 

Rehearsal Dinner &

Bachelorette Party

Today was:

The Wedding!

WHEW! I am exhausted. 

But the wedding was absolutely GORGEOUS!

J made a beautiful bride!

And even though we had a few hitches

everything went surprisingly smooth.

I do not know if I will ever get all of the hairspray out of my hair;)

I will post pics when I can steal some off of one of the other Bridesmaid's Facebook pages!

It has been a super fun weekend 

but I am ready to sleep ALL DAY tomorrow!

{images}

character

“Watch your thoughts, for they become words.

Watch your words, for they become actions.

Watch your actions, for they become habits.

Watch your habits, for they become character.

Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.”

One of my FB friends posted this as their status today and it instantly became one of my favorite quotes.

Isn't it amazing how the smallest things we do or not do can become habits.

When I read this I immediately thought of about 5 things I need to stop doing,

but I also thought of a few things that I could start doing.

Small things that will not only make every day better but will impact my character and my legacy!

I can:

smile more

laugh more

stress less

slow down and just enjoy God's creation

do a better job of memorizing scripture

{as a kid I had tons of it memorized...I am slacking just a LITTLE in that department}

make someone else's day brighter by doing small things

sending snail mail to friends & family...just because

{who does not love getting mail that is not bills?!}

just consciously enjoying the madness that is my life everyday

{all in all it is pretty great!}

What small acts would you like to become habits in your life?

images via

time flies...

...and not only when you are having fun!

I have always prided myself on my time management skills.

But, lately, it seems like I am just keeping my head above water.

Working two jobs and taking four grad classes may not have been the smartest idea in the world.

But I have always worked 40 hours a week and gone to school as well.

Part of the problem is that I am in a wedding next weekend and the weekend after that is my sister's baby shower. 

Hopefully, once this month is over this will slow down a bit. fingers-crossed

I have been evaluating why I feel like I am floundering.

I have definitely over-committed myself this month.

But beyond that, I have been treating everything I do lately as urgent.

It is like I am constantly putting out fires.

One thing that has really helped is I have reminded myself that none of my to-do list is life or death. 

And in the grand scheme of things none of this really matters.

One of the most important things is to be organized {I have accomplished this one} and to take that one step further allocate specific time for each task that needs to be accomplished {I have to work on this part.}

One of the things I have been doing is organizing my to-do list everyday instead of weekly.

Another important thing is not to procrastinate. {Now this is where my problem lies}

I am usually a master procrastinator but the stress that is involved is just not healthy.

The problem is that I do some of my best work at the last minute so this is going to be a hard habit to break, but I am working on it.

Also, learning to just say no is something I need to work on. 

It is an honor to be a part of J's big day, but I knew when she asked me that her wedding would be in the middle of the semester and I should have gracefully declined. 

I have also gotten a LITTLE carried away with my sister's baby shower. 

I could have kept it simple but, of course, I have turned it into a complicated EVENT.

There are a few other things I have agreed to for the remainder of the year that I could have said no to but didn't. 

I am working on all of these things and I feel a little better now that I at least have a game plan.

What are some ways you stay on track and keep your time managed??

plans, plans

As I mentioned in my last post, I am planning a baby shower for my sister.

It is in 3 weeks and I feel like I still have about 2,432,198 things to do.

The theme of the shower is Dr. Seuss' One Fish, Two Fish. 

Instead of doing typical finger foods, I am doing a dessert bar and candy table.

I am going to have little Chinese takeout boxes for people to fill with candy and take home as favors.

I had some amazing invitations custom designed by the fab Posh 'n Chic Prints.

 Aren't they just adorable?!

I have also done a lot of crafty stuff for the shower. 

I made a sign the sis can hang above the baby's bed. 

I did not want the girls to feel left out so I made them one too.

I am going to use them as decorations at the shower.

I think they look very Seussian and they were super easy to make. 

I purchased all of the materials from Hobby Lobby.

Love that place!!

And then painted the boards and letters to match my decor.

It only took about 3 hours to do all three. 

The circles took the longest because I had to apply several coats.

I am getting close to having everything ready for the shower. 

The invitations went out last Friday so there is not backing out now;)

Does anyone have any suggestions for shower games that are not super cheesy??

It's a BOY!

Remember this post back in March when I announced that I was going to be an aunt again?

Well after a much anitcipated wait,

it is offical...I am going to have a nephew!!!

Yes, this alien looking thing is my nephew!

I do not get how anybody (even technicians) see anything in these pictures.

My sister is 30 weeks along and we are just finding out that he is a boy.

The little butterbean has definitely inherited the stubborn gene!

It has taken 4 ultrasounds over 10 weeks to get the little bugger to show us his stuff;)

I guess he is just shy!

It is going to be SO. MUCH. FUN. getting to spoil a boy.

My sister has two daughters and they are both excited about having a little brother.

I have been busily planning a baby shower.

I will probably be doing several posts about that in the near future.

I have gone a LITTLE overboard;)

But I love to plan a party, especially when it involves my favorite little people!!

I take my job as an aunt VERY seriously.