Tuesday, August 23, 2011

I-OH-WAY

...is also known as Iowa. It is a great place. Especially when you get free antiques from the in-laws and the State Fair is going on (And you get in for half price). :)

Exhibit One:
Barnwood from the Terrell Farm.



Exhibit Two:
Antique table from said Farm.



Exhibit Three:
Iowa State fair for $5 admission.



Exhibit Three point Five:
Porkchop on a stick.



This profitable weekend has created challenges with its grand exhibits of awesomeness:
1: Build amazing headboard out of barnwood.
2: Clean and spruce up antique table (think: years of mice dwelling).
3: Have even MORE fun at the Minnesota State Fair.
3.5: Try to not become a porkchop as result of State Fairs.

More to come on these challenges/projects! The top of the desk has already been shined up to look so sparkly new, so stay tuned!

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Unexpected Good Stuff.

Yesterday afternoon when Bryant got off work we sat around the house doing nothing very constructive. I did manage to look through thousands of photos and swoon over our wedding day all over again (you can too, right here) but stuff like that usually doesn't count as being productive.

Before the afternoon moved into evening we forced ourselves out of the apartment and walked to a yard sale (bust), drove to a lampshade shop (closed--bust), walked to an antique store (expensive--bu$t), and then to Dairy Queen (major success!). Because Bryant works today we went to Bethlehem Baptist in downtown Minneapolis for church where John Piper was at the pulpit after 7 weeks of writing leave/vacation. I don't think Bryant and I have seen him preach since before we started dating in 2009, so it was nice to hear truth spoken through him again while sitting next to my spouse.

After church I am pretty sure we sat in the air-conditioned car for a good 20 minutes before deciding what do to for dinner. A few weeks ago Bryant won a contest through Facebook from South of Canada where he received a $25 gift card for the Loop Bar so we figured that since we were in Mpls we might as well head over there. This took such a long time to decide because although I love the Twin Cities, I don't like its night life. I was fearful that a Saturday night around the North Loop would be loud, cramped, and uncomfortable. Setting my premonitions aside, we decided to go anyway. Surprisingly, we got to sit outside at sidewalk seating where it was quieter and warmer (yeah, totally freezing inside) and the food was super yummy! We splurged and each got a locally-brewed beer. We enjoyed those while watching people walk by and we even saw Mark Rosen with his family--Minnesota celebrity sighting!

All of these unexpected good things happened to us and to top it all off we learned that our gift card was actually worth $65 instead of $25! It sounds like we have to return to the Loop before we leave! When we learned that Bryant just sat back with a grin on his face and said, "Gosh, sometimes I just feel so... lucky." Unexpected good stuff is awesome. :)

Wedding Photos!

The moment we have been waiting for had arrived on Tuesday night: Our wedding photos were posted!! Since then I have been dying to sit down and look through all 3,501 of them. I actually still have yet to get through them all, but I am close and I managed to put together a few collages of some of our favorites:

I couldn't be any more in love with how the day turned out. The flowers, the whole look, the photo booth (UnBooth)  and my adorable bridesmaids were just a few parts of what made it so great!

The butterfly combs were lent to me by my mother, and the necklace was my MorMor's string of pearls.
The Boys. I am so glad our photographer captured the boutonnieres. I love fiddlehead ferns! Each yellow tie was different and custom-made by a shop I found on Etsy.

It may be strange, but my favorite photo of all 3,501 is the bottom right of this set. I love to look at that face he makes when I go in for a smootch. I cannot believe how lucky I am to have such a wonderful man to kiss for the rest of my life!








If you want to see more of our favorites, we have created an album on our wedding photo Flickr site. We added a bunch today and I have more tweaking to do yet, but until then, enjoy the creme de la creme!

Acknowledgements:
Photography - Clewell Photography
Location - Minnetonka Orchards
Ceremony/Reception Flowers - Armstrong Design
Bouquets/Boutonnieres - My pal, Kate. :)
Custom Neckties - Tux and Tulle
Gown/Dresses/Tuxes- The Wedding Shoppe, Inc.