And the winner is....

The winner of my 100th post giveaway is Comment 18! Connie at Living Beautifully. Thank you all for visiting my blog! I hope you will come back often!

Wednesday Gratitude

This week (and most every week) I am grateful for my soon to be hubby!

Here is the short story... I could go on and on!

Over 4 years ago we met for the very first time at a local Starbucks. I knew within 10 minutes of meeting and talking with him that I was going to marry him someday. No joke, I really knew this day would come.

Here is a photo of our first date, 6 days after meeting at Starbucks. It was like we had known each other for ever! We shared most everything in common.

Here we are a few weeks later, salsa dancing...

Hanging out with friends...

Playing volleyball together (something we do weekly)!

Toasting our first Christmas dating each other...

The following year I broke my ankle playing soccer and he was my third crutch!

2 years after first meeting and starting to date he proposed to me at the very Starbucks we first met. And without hesitation I said yes!

He came with a dog...

I came with 2 sons...

1 dog + 2 sons + 2 love birds = 1 big happy family

I could not have been more fortunate to have walked in that Starbucks in 2006. I met the man of my dreams! A tall, dark hair, dark eyed, super smart, extremely funny, sexy gentleman. One that shares my interests, passions and values.

On April 26th, 2010 I will be able to call that man, who is my best friend.... HUSBAND.

100th Post Giveaway! -Comment by Friday, April 23rd

Let me first start out by saying that I just love blogging. I started reading blogs in 2007 and it wasn't until this year that I decided to start my own. It was one of my new years resolutions, one that I can actually say I've kept! I really enjoy the inspiration that I get while reading other blogs and how comments left on my blog make me smile.

So here I am, posting my 100th post... along with a giveaway!

Because I am most inspired by Do-It-Yourself projects, and the women behind them. I decided to give away these feminine floral tools as well as a painted vintage looking wooden box (for lack of a better description).

For a chance to win my giveaway, which is a 'thank you' for stopping by my blog, just leave a comment on this post. If you want a second chance to win leave a second comment letting me know that you are a follower of my blog! I will use a random comment picker to select a winner, good luck! And THANK YOU for stopping by my blog!

Final Touches- Wedding/ Reception

I have 6 more days before we leave for Jamaica!  I started the day getting highlights and lowlights in my hair. Which are beautiful thanks to a new salon I found! Then I shopped with my soon to be mother-in-law for a few hours helping her find a dress and shoes for the reception. I followed that with more shopping with the soon to be hubby for clothes for our trip.

I've been working hard this weekend trying to get all the last minute stuff done for the reception which is the first day after we return. I know, I'm crazy right? Planning a reception the day after our late return flight, what was I thinking?!?

Does anyone know how to keep a house clean while packing to leave the country. Because I would really like to know! We will returning to house guests (literally, already at our house). It's a good thing they are related, or just like related, because at this point I am only promising clean sheets on the beds.

Here are a few photos from some last minute touches...

I bought these wedding themed placemates for the kiddos at the reception to color. How darling are those? If I had thought of such a thing earlier I would have created some myself and personalized them a bit more.

And tonight my boys are putting personalized labels on the water bottles.

I wanted to share with you the personalized coasters, but I am still waiting for part of the to arrive. I really don't like when things don't arrive when they say they should. :(

The next photos you will most likely see regarding my wedding/ reception will probably be from the actual events. Have I mentioned how excited I am?!

Cheesecake Sopapillas

I found a yummy recipe recently at Christy's blog, From Glitter to Gumdrops.

My family thought it was so delicious I decided everyone needs to know about them. I made just a few small changes (mainly a little less sugar and butter since I'm trying to drop some pounds). They are so easy, give them a try!

Sopapilla Cheesecake

Ingredients:
2 cans Crescent seamless dough (the new stuff, very cool!)
1 8oz pkg of cream cheese
1 1/2 cup Sugar
1 1/4 sticks Butter
Cinnamon

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Unroll one can of the new crescent seamless dough to cover the bottom of the pan. Mix cream cheese, 3/4 c. sugar, and 1 stick of softened butter. Spread over crescent rolls.
Unroll second can of dough over cream cheese mixture. Melt 1/4 stick of butter, add 3/4 c. of sugar and pour over top and sprinkle with cinnamon.
Bake at 350 degress Farenheit for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
Let cool, cut into squares and serve.

Off to Christy's blog I go to find some new recipes!

What a beautiful day for a day trip on the motorcycle!

With a high in the mid 70s (and no rain clouds on radar) it was a perfect day for a day trip! We left this morning and returned 7 hours later, and what a great time we had!

We rode to Weston, a small historic town in Missouri.

We ate lunch at a great Irish restaurant (O'Malley's), had some fish and chips (fries) and one of their brewed beers. Then we ventured around town.

I REALLY think this fountain would make a nice additional to our landscape... but at a price of $1,000 I passed it by. I told myself I just couldn't get it home on a motorcycle. :)

We daydreamed about having a pond in our backyard someday. This was an interesting one!

And I thought this garden work table would be pretty neat to have. I reminded myself again that we rode a motorcycle. That which seems to be helping my pocket book.

Next we went antiquing downtown. I wondered if I could maybe find something that could fit in our motorcycle saddle bag.

I thought maybe this store would be the place to find it.

I searched high and low.. but no luck finding a new addition to our home. Probably because the soon to be hubby was watching me (it's much more fun to sneak things in the house and see if he notices them!).

I will say, downtown Weston is a fun place to window shop.

They even had live Jazz music on the street to enjoy for a bit!

I am falling in love with Magnolia trees this year. I want to plant one! I plan to research them a bit more and see if I have an ideal spot for one.

Our day trip was perfect, but it was also nice to return home. (Note: I ride on the back of the motorcycle, and we always wear helmets. This was a photo after returning home when I realized we didn't have a picture on the cycle!)

I found reception shoes!

I found shoes to wear to our wedding reception! I'm getting married in some barefoot sandals I made, so I haven't been too concerned about finding shoes. But I was delighted to find these!

Now aren't you just dying to see my wedding dress?? Sorry, I can't show you yet, I don't want the soon to be hubby to lay eyes on it until we are on the beach in Jamaica! (fingers crossed that customs doesn't pull it out in front on him!)

I miss you sis!

I almost forgot about Gratitude Wednesday! Today I am thankful for all of the years that I did have with my sister, who passed away October 7th, 2008. I sure miss you sis!

What are you grateful for today?

Spring Wreath

I've been wanting a spring wreath for my front porch and today I made one. 

I ran across a fall wreath at a resale store ($1.99, a steal!). I removed the fall flowers (for a future project) and bought some new flowers for it at Hobby Lobby (All flowers are 50% off , so I spent $12). That means my wreath cost me a grand total of $13.99, which really isn't bad considering I saw much smaller ones for sale at Hobby Lobby for $70-$100!

Linking to Blue Cricket Design's- Show and Tell, Just a Girl- Show and Share Day, http://roomtoinspire.blogspot.com/2010/04/be-inspired-link-party.html and A soft place to land- DIY Day

Our Easter

Who says they are getting too old for an easter egg hunt? Not when money is involved!

And yes, I made them use their Easter baskets! ;) There was no convincing me that they would just 'use a bag' this year!

Then this afternoon we had a wonderful gourmet brunch with family at a local art museum's restaurant. Strolling violinist and all, it was very nice!Why am I feeling so short? My kids are outgrowing me! Okay, I guess that is for the best. But surely my 'baby' is on his tippie toes!? And to think.... in three weeks I am marrying a very tall man!

Landscaping work continues

Over the weekend we continued where we left off with our front landscaping last fall. It sure is a long slow process.

Below is what we started out with (when we bought our house last year). A LOT of shrubs of all kinds (7 different varieties to be exact!), just all crowding into one another. So many different kinds, and no idea what the plan was when they were orginally planted.  Everything was just so sporadic and in no particular order. Very unpleasing to the eye if you ask me, unless you are going for the 'wild' look.

We first started by removing the large evergreen that was covering what little front porch we have. That in it's self made a HUGE difference! We did that the very first weekend we had possession.

Then the thinning of the shrubs on the left side of the front door began. What to keep and what not to keep that is the question. We decided this weekend to add a few feet to that landscape area so we pulled up the black plastic divider and brought it out. Hoping maybe things would feel a little less crowded.

We then transplated a few shrubs to different locations on our lot. I am still unsure about the one tree like plant under the window (there were two and we took one out last year)... now I'm thinking about taking out the other. I am not even sure what is is. I was hoping for some beautiful spring flowers to make it worth keeping, but so far no sign of any.  I wish I had a total clean slate, but we get what we get! Having my hands in the dirt is keeping my mind off the vegetable garden I really wanted to start this year, but just don't think I have the time to commit.