Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Wedding Wednesday... Naked!

I've really been admiring this new naked trend lately. So much so, that I think I'm going to jump on board with it for my upcoming wedding. What's underneath is so beautiful and unique looking. I never would have thought to take off all of the layers. I'm so excited to have stumbled upon...
 
"Naked" Wedding Cakes
 
There's a new wedding cake in town, and it's becoming increasingly popular. It's basically a cake without the frosting; hence the word "naked".
 
What exactly did you think I was talking about?
 
Such dirty minds. 
 
  Anyways, now that we've got that established... on to the cakes!
 
Here are a few of my favorites thus far:
 
 ...and my top three favorites, I saved for last
So, what are your thoughts on this new cake trend for weddings? Do you love it or hate it?
 
It's different; simple yet elegant, and very much unique. I think it would fit perfectly with the rustic / boho / whimsical theme we have going for the wedding. I love simple, and really love unique. It's perfect. Not to mention, we'll be saving money because it's cheaper to make. Score!


Monday, August 11, 2014

Movies in the Park

Tallahassee's annual Movies in the Park was held this weekend. 
So, our family of three ventured out Saturday afternoon for some fun at the park. This year's event was much bigger than last year's. There were so many vendors that made it out - food trucks, a shaved ice truck, face painting stations, a popcorn booth, and local food markets... just to name a few.
We made it to the park pretty early, so Kaylee found us a nice little spot close to the video screen, we laid our quilt out, and headed for the vendor booths. Naturally, our first stop being the face painting booth. My kid wants three quarters of her face covered, of course. Who wants a baby flower painted on their cheek? Definitely not Kaylee. She chose a pink cat face... and a pink cat face is what she got.
 An hour leading up to the start of the movie, games were held to entertain the kids, and prizes were given to the winners. Kaylee decided she was too "shy" to partake in any of the games.
The movie most voted on to watch was The Goonies. We stopped by one of the food trucks for a bite to eat (I forgot to snap the ritual "food" picture), and brought it back to our spot in the grass just as the movie began. K and Kaylee decided to use me as their pillow during the show.
{Kaylee propped on K's arm}
 {Me being the pillow}
All in all, it was a great way to spend Saturday night. We really enjoyed the food, vendors, and the movie. Believe it or not, this was the first time I've actually sat and watched the entire movie. It was cute, I liked it, and Kaylee laughed more than I imagined she would. This is such an awesome family event put on every summer right before school starts back. I wish Tallahassee Movies in the Park could take place multiple times during the year. We had lots of fun, and one worn out seven year old for the ride home.
 
Can't wait for next year!

Friday, August 8, 2014

Friday Confessions

I haven't linked up with Leslie over at A Blonde Ambition in a few weeks. So, today I'm jumping back on this little confessional train with you all, and spilling the beans on my life this week.
I confess that this has been a great week! My eating has been on track, and I've made it to the gym everyday this week. It's given me such energy and I've felt great... minus my calves being so sore that they feel as if they're going to rip every time I walk, and my right arm being equally as sore to the point I couldn't extend it for an entire day. Yep, a real great week.
 
I confess that I've set the date for wedding dress shopping. EEEKK. I'm a huge ball of frazzled nerves; equally excited and terrified. It makes this wedding thing that much more real. This is seriously happening. Finally. Can I reach my goal weight in the next 5 weeks? 10 more pounds to go!
 
I confess that Kaylee decided this morning's car ride was the perfect time for "baby talk". K and I have no idea where it stemmed from. As we were on our way into work she asked us to turn the radio down, and preceded to tell us that she's made up her mind and wants a baby brother or sister. Made up her mind? What? We didn't even realize it was a topic of discussion, and a decision needed to be made. Oh boy. Her reasons being she loves playing and helping out with her 9 month old twin cousins. Therefore, she wants a baby sibling to help out with, and play with when it gets bigger.
 
I confess that this morning's car ride "baby talk" may have tugged at my ovaries. Just a wee little bit. Memories came flooding in of Kaylee when she was a baby. I miss her being so little. I miss the feeling of being pregnant, and those little fluttery movements. 
 
I confess that K came home with a dog last week! We lost our little pup-pup back in May; you can read that story here. Kaylee asked about 2 weeks ago if we could get another dog, that she was ready for a new fur friend. K and I have just been browsing online to see what animals were out there for adoption. We had planned to wait and actually get one when we bought a house. A great opportunity to rescue a little guy presented itself, and next thing I know K is walking in from work with a dog on a leash. Surprise, we have a new pup.
 
I confess that I'm super excited for this weekend's End of Summer - Movies in the Park. A poll was held on our city's Facebook page at the beginning of summer with a list of movies to vote on... The Goonies won with the highest number of votes. An 80's classic. I'm just over here doing a happy dance that Frozen didn't win. So. Over. Frozen. If I have to watch it one more time, I will probably stab myself in the eyes with a fork.
 
I confess that I was stoked to take Kaylee school clothes shopping for the tax free weekend, and buy a bunch of cute things. Key word being was. I have the world's pickiest child when it comes to clothes. She didn't like anything. Shorts were on sale at Kohl's for $6.40! I had her try on 10 pairs... she didn't like not one pair. She asked for leggings to wear everyday. I had to explain that leggings are NOT pants. However, out of the 5 store we went to, she did choose about 6 dresses that she liked. So, we didn't quite leave town empty handed.
 
... and that's all folks. This concludes my Friday edition of Confessional Friday. What are your confessions this week?
 
Whatever you have planned, have a fabulous time this weekend!


Thursday, August 7, 2014

Life Without Dish...

No satellite TV? Come again?
Yep. That's right. We no longer have satellite in the Turner household. I cancelled our Dish Network subscription after living with and watching it religiously for the past two and a half years.
 
Why in the world would I do such a thing, you ask?
 
This decision stemmed from a few different reasons given below:
 
1) I was tired of spending $150 per month just to watch TV.
Of course when we signed up we had all of these great deals and offers to where we were only paying around $60, but those offers we no longer valid after the first year of service. Therefore, we have been paying full price on the package we had originally selected for the last year and a half. After taxes and random fees are included, our total bill each month was around $148! For satellite. No internet or phone is included in this total price. This reflects satellite only.
 
2) It wasn't a necessity.
TV is overrated. It is nice to have when it comes at a decent price. I do have my select few favorite shows that I watched consistently. At the same time though, they aren't worth the price tag that came with our satellite package. Our lives aren't going to end if we don't have those shows to watch and keep our time occupied.
 
... and the biggest reason of all...
 
3) Time spent with and as a family.
There's an abundant amount of time spent in front of a TV screen these days. When my brother and I were kids, we stayed outside playing all day long, came in for lunch and again at dinner. This isn't the case for kids today. I don't want Kaylee to think it's okay to sit inside and watch the TV all day. I want her to explore life, us be there to witness as she learns new things, and to make lifelong memories together as a family. I don't want her to ever think that if K and I are watching a show, it matters more than she does. These are things I want to prevent, and set as an example for her during these early years of her life.
Our little household has been Dish free for right at two months now. I'm not going to lie, the first couple of weeks did take some getting accustomed to. The TV had become part of our daily routine; I come home and start dinner, Kaylee will watch a couple of shows while dinner is being cooked, K and I would put Kaylee in bed and then relax on the couch while watching some of our shows for an hour or so before going off to bed ourselves. That schedule made things easier for me to get things done as soon as I got home, but I was missing out on quality time with my mini along with one on one time with K. Instead of her going into the living room and watching the Disney Channel, she could have been helping me with dinner and setting the table. K and I could have still relaxed on the couch, but conversed with one another instead of watching one of our meaningless shows.
 
We do still have our $20 monthly subscription to Netflix, and will always save that for a rainy day. I must say, it has been so nice having that extra $150 in our account these last couple of months.
 
For the three of us, life without Dish has been an eye opener, and so much more rewarding than I could have imagined. We play games, spend more time together as a family, and focus on the important things - each other.

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Wedding Wednesday!

I've missed "Wedding talk" these last few Wednesday's...
 I know. Shame on me!
 
Work has gotten in the way of blogging these last couple of weeks. Finishing up a 4 year long project, and moving on to the next. I'm not going to bore you with work related crud, on to the topic at hand we go.
 
The Guestbook
 
I was pretty set on wanting to cut up a tree and using wood slices for our guestbook that we could later set on easels to display in our home. I really like the idea, and it ties in perfectly to our theme and setting. I love how it's different, unique, and can be displayed easily.
 
 
Another idea that I really love, and is in close running with the wood slices, is vintage postcards. I've made it pretty clear that I'm a lover of all things old and vintage. There's just something about old rugged pieces of anything that hold stories over all these years. Anything from the 1900's era. I think it would be awesome to pickup old postcards from thrift shops, antique stores, yard sales, etc. for everyone to choose and leave well wishes on the back for us to later read as husband and wife.
 
 
Although K and I aren't able to travel as much as we'd like, we love exploring new places. Old postcards with cities all over the world would be perfect to incorporate in our wedding somehow. The idea of them being used as postcards is just fun and different.
 
My deciding factor will be going to different places, and browsing to see if I can find enough vintage postcards to use in the place of a "guestbook". It might be impossible, but we'll see.
 
K and I are anything but traditional, so our entire wedding will be unique to fit us and things that we like. Being different is our normal.
 
What are some unique ways that you've found to use in place of a "guestbook" for wedding's?


Monday, August 4, 2014

26 Years... Young

Cheers to 26 years of life!
 
 
Here's a quick recap of my past year...
  • The year kicked off with K planning a surprise party with my family and closest friends in attendance

  • K and I bought and officially own 5 acres of land with a small place on the property; with plans to build a house or use as a rental property

  • We welcome my twin nieces into this world in November

  • I said "Yes" to spending the rest of my life with K on November 16, 2013

  • Ran my first 5K with my best friend Thanksgiving morning in 32 degree weather

  • My health and fitness journey began in January (currently 24 pounds down)

  • The Wedding Planning voyage began in February

  • Vacationed to the Smokey Mountains with family and friends in March for Spring Break

  • Started a new job/career in April

  • Kaylee passed first grade in May, and is now on her way to second grade

  • I finally made my Thirty before 30 Bucket List at the end of May

  • I took on a 12 week fitness bootcamp in June

  • I bought my very own first car with no help in June

  • We celebrated Kaylee's 7th birthday in July at the skating rink - This Momma can still skate with the best of them! All of those years being on the speed skating team paid off 

It's safe to say that my 25th year was a great one with life changing moments, and a few accomplishments along the way. I have thoroughly enjoyed this past year of my life.
 
The biggest thing I'm looking forward to in this next year is getting to marry my main squeeze! I can't wait to walk down the aisle and become Mrs. Turner. I've waited 11 long years for that title.
 
Twenty-five was great, but twenty-six is going to be so much better!
 
Cheers to being 26 years young, and the incredible year that is still to come.
 
Happy Birthday to Me!