My Best Friend's Wedding

I know. How insanely cliche of me.

But, nonetheless, last weekend was, in fact, my best friend's wedding.

My friend, Rebekah, and I go way back. Like, way way back. Back to the "embarrassing stages" of life. Back to glasses and braces(at the same time!), acne and hair experiments gone wrong (hello way way too short bangs!), dance recitals, church trips, and the awkwardness that is middle and high school. Oh, the awkwardness! 

To my best calculation, we met in Kindergarten and became solid friends around 2nd grade or so. 

Ya know, homegirls. 

Those days are a little hazy, what with all the learning to read and write I had going on.
The whole being a mom to 3 busy chirrens(that's Southern talk for children) thing doesn't help my memory either.

I say all of this to describe just how much of a fixture Rebekah has been in my life....for about 25 out of my 30 years. She's that one friend who has remained constant, no matter the twists and turns life has brought along the way. She's the truest friend I could ever have, and to say I'm thankful for her would be a tremendous understatement. As hard as I may try, I could not adequately describe all she means to me. She's truly like the sister I never had. We say that all the time.....the sister I never had, my "other family" (I think in our adolescence, I spent more time at her house than I did mine), and of course I've always considered her big brother MY big brother as well. And even though life has taken us to different places and brought on some changes, she's been there. She's been there for the births of my children. She's come to visit us and help out with anything we needed. She's come to kids' birthdays parties. There couldn't be a more supportive friend out there.

I had the privilege of standing beside my best friend as she married the love of her life last weekend. I don't normally get emotional at weddings (my husband takes that role), but this one was special. 

It hit me right in the feels, in the best way possible.

 Heres' the details in pictures. (There may have been some old school pictures of us at the rehearsal but I seem to have lost the pictures I took of those. Darn.)

We started off Friday night with a Halloween-themed rehearsal/dinner. 

So fun!!

That bat goes way back too...back to our softball days in our teens. It's legit!

Here's the other half of my costume...

There's no crying in baseball!!

I felt bad about missing trick-or-treating with the kids, but I know they had lots of fun with Sue Sue & Russ-man (my parents).

There were also polaroid cameras(like, they seriously still make those!) that were so fun to take instant pics with. Hello throwback!!! I may or may not be adding this to my Christmas list!

The wedding was at Sweet Apple Farm in Pell City. Absolutely gorgeous venue! I'm all about being out in the quiet country so it was right up my alley.

Rebekah chose a vintage theme for the wedding. Fun, and everything came together beautifully!

I had a particularly handsome (and 50+ pounds lighter) date.

The grandparents traded off so my parents could make the wedding.

With the beautiful bride and handsome groom. Rebekah and John could not be more perfectly suited for each other. The love that radiates from them is so evident. They just love being together and have a blast in everything they do.

We had a great time listening to the Ben Miller Band play at the reception. They're pretty awesome! And between all the delicious food, cake, and the ice cream bar (that we may have visited more than once), we each gained at least a pound or two that night. ;-) 

It's a sacrifice I'll make for my dearest friend.

If there is anyone who deserves nothing but the best life has to offer, it is Rebekah. To see her truly happy and loved brings me so much joy. 

Right now, they're enjoying an amazing 12 day honeymoon in St. Lucia, so I'm a little jealous of them at the moment. Kidding. But seriously. 

I can't wait to get together with the new Mrs. Livingston when she gets back and hear all about it!

Sustainable, Eco-Friendly Flowers with The Bouqs

Who doesn't love having fresh flowers around?? Hint, all men out there....EVERY woman appreciates some flowers every now and then, even if she says differently. ;-)
If you've been in the dog house lately, have a special occasion coming up, or just want to send a little surprise to a loved one, this post is for you!

A few weeks ago, I was contacted by a representative from The Bouqs. 

I receive some free flowers and do a review on the blog. No brainer, right? 

I have to say, my expectations weren't all that high for the quality of the flowers I'd receive. But I was blown away by the color, quality, and longevity of the blooms.

**The Bouqs is an online flower retailer that works exclusively with farms that are independently certified as being sustainable and eco-friendly. Also, their farm-direct method ensures that stems are not wasted in the supply chain, while other suppliers can waste up to 1 of every 3 stems. Further, partner farms provide services like living wages, childcare, healthcare, and adult education for their workers. They ship flowers from two different locations, California and South America! I chose some from South America, where they are literally grown on the side of an active volcano. You can choose some from the California collection and they'll ship overnight to you.(they deliver Tuesday-Friday to ensure maximum freshness) And to ensure you get what you paid for(or even more), they ship 10-15% free blooms with each delivery. I ordered a dozen roses but got 14!

I chose The Desperado and the color was so intense and gorgeous! The checkout process was easy and quick and these beauties were at my door in 5 business days, since they came from South America.

They were packaged so beautifully when they arrived, with directions on how to care for them to keep them fresh as long as possible. I followed the directions and was pleased with how long they lasted.

After 6 days, they were still going strong.

After about a week and a half, I had to take a few out because they were wilted, but I snipped the ends off the others and freshened the water to revive them a little, and they lasted for a few more days!

So, the next time you're looking for that perfect bouquet of flowers for your special someone, or just want to spoil yourself, go check out The Bouqs. I promise, you will NOT be disappointed with their selection, prices, customer service, and quality. 

I can confidently say I'll be ordering from them again!!

*Disclosure: I received my Bouq for review purposes. I was not compensated for this post and all opinions are my own.

Let's Talk About Fall

So with today being the first official day of Fall (fist-pump!), I thought it'd be fun to do a little Fall survey. Fall just happens to be my favorite season and even though it doesn't seem to last too long here in Alabama, I always get so excited when it rolls around. If it were Fall all year, I'd be totally fine with that. (I apologize now for the absurd amount of times the word "Fall" is in here.)

Let's proceed....

1. Three words that come to your mind when you think of Fall. 

Football, pumpkins, sweaters

2. Your go to Fall outfit 

Comfy sweater, skinny jeans, boots

3. Favorite Fall candle scent 

Anything pumpkin, apple, or vanilla

4.Your go to Fall accessory 

Boots! Is that considered an accessory? If not, scarves then...no, they make my face look fat. Umm, Fall nail polish! There ya go!

5.Your go to Fall beverage 

Hot apple cider or coffee with seasonal creamers

6. Any Fall festivities coming up for you?? 

Planning to do the pumpkin patch next month, do some carving, a Bama game or two, trick-or-treating with the kiddos....

7. Do you go to a pumpkin patch?? 

See previous.

8. Have you ever been to a corn maze? 

Does the kiddie one at the pumpkin patch count? HA!

9. Favorite Halloween movie?? 

I love me some Hocus Pocus, and the original Halloween. And even though I've seen it hundreds of times, I still have to cover my eyes during certain parts. :)

10. Halloween, thanksgiving or christmas?? 

Gotta give it to Christmas!

11. Did you enjoy this survey?? 

Sure!

12.  Favorite thing about Fall? 

The crisp air and weather.

13. Is Fall your favorite season?

Without a doubt!

There are certainly things I love about the other seasons. With Spring, you've got everything coming back to life from Winter, Summer is full of sun, fun, the beach, tans, fruity drinks, and (if you live in the South) humidity! Then of course who doesn't enjoy a little snow during Winter?!

No ice or blizzards this year, k thanks!
But when Fall rolls around, there's nothing more beautiful than the leaves changing to reds, oranges, and golden yellows, decorating the porch with mums and pumpkins, the crisp feeling in the air, knowing that when you step outside your hair, and by your I mean MY, hair isn't going to puff up into the shape of freshly spun cotton candy from the humidity. You just can't go wrong with Fall.
So hopefully it'll hang around for more than 2 weeks this year. ;-)

Happy Tuesday! Please feel free to do this survey and share your answers as well. 

An Owl-tastic Birthday Party!

When I was starting preparations for the twins' birthday party, I struggled a little with theme ideas. There are only so many themes that can work with boy/girl twins, but luckily for the 1st birthday, they don't care so I was able to decide on owls for the theme. I know soon enough it'll be transformers and princesses that I'm having to tie together, so I considered this one a piece of cake.

To make it unisex, I just used a multi-colored theme with the decorations.

Cute owl accessories that my mom already had, along with a few things we picked up at Hobby Lobby, helped tie everything together.

A quick DIY owl lantern added some interest to the dining table.

I printed out all of the twins' monthly pictures and hung them along these streamer banners.

I really wanted to make a cute fan collage. It is NOT as easy as you think, especially when you're a perfectionist. Don't look too closely at the pink one at the bottom. Evidently it decided to break. 

Simply throwing some fabric over the highchair seats added some color and kept the seats from getting disgusting. :)

I knew this back room served a purpose. Besides being the piano/junk/office/sitting room, it's the perfect party room!!

My mom got these blue mason jars last year for my baby shower that unfortunately never happened, since I got put on modified bed rest toward the end of the twins' pregnancy. I was so glad we were able to finally use them! I popped the daisy lids on, barely fit my striped straws in them, then tied some baker's twine with little labels made from card stock on them. 

I'm always so pleased with the cakes I order from Albertville Home Bakery. 

They taste and look fabulous, and their prices are incredibly reasonable!

I don't think we had enough cake. ;-) 

We did make Grayson's chocolate, to have a little variety. I'm a purist when it comes to birthday cake, though. Gimme the vanilla/buttercream cake!

LOVE these little chalkboard signs I ordered from Etsy. She emailed me the files, then I sent them to my local print shop and they printed and mounted them to foam board for me. So easy!

        

 

This was seriously the easiest party ever to decorate for. 

Target had most of the colorful decorations, as well as Party City.

I kept the menu pretty simple this time. Fruit, "hoot" dogs, chips, and carrots/ranch. 

Got your tickets to the gun show? HA!

I'm a blessed woman. 

Grayson wasn't having it. This is as good as it gets. :)

Grammy & Poppy! (Joseph's parents)

Sue-Sue, Russ-man, and Papa (my parents and grandfather) 

One of my oldest and dearest friends, Rebekah! We only go back about 25 years or so! 

I'm so thankful for her friendship and that she loves our kids so much. 

She's getting married in about 6 weeks and I'm SO ecstatic for her.

I sure am glad everybody got Hudson the babies so many great gifts. HAHAHA!!

Grammy, my SIL Kerrie, and my sweet nephew Rylan

This girl is her momma's daughter. 

I'm pretty sure she would still be sitting there working on that cake if I let her. 

This is my salty guy. He wasn't too keen on the cake. He'd rather have crackers or chips.

Seriously, are we done yet?

Here's a better picture....girlfriend got a bath after the cake. No, really.

These sweet babies had a great party and we're so thankful to everyone who came and that they are loved the way they are!

And if you don't have a second piece of cake later that night, you're doing it wrong!

What a great time!!! Glad it's over, though. Partying takes it out of me! ;-)

And I must share this video Joseph made of the twins' first year. 

The song alone makes me cry, but add pictures of my growing babies and I'm done. P.S. It can't be viewed on mobile devices, because of the song apparently. Be sure to watch it on a PC.