i want to go to there

i know i've mentioned before that jason and i [maybe more so me] were sold on the farmhouse inn venue as soon as we saw it. no other venue could compare in my eyes [and heart]! anyways, a few months ago snippetandink posted the following wedding on their site and it was at the farmhouse! it just made us even more excited to see the lovely photo ops and we can't wait to celebrate our special day there!

i hope you enjoy these photos by melissa schollaer photography as much as i do!








p.s. i hope you "30 rock" fans enjoyed my post title!

"i am at two with nature" - woody allen

sunday brunch

although i've always wanted an outdoor, night wedding with the string lights making the event glow, the thought of a sunday brunch wedding keeps looking better and better. for one, the vendor prices are more wallet-friendly and it just makes everything look more cheerful!

j and i aren't doing placecards or assigned seating, but if we were, this would be so cute for a sunday brunch wedding!

[image and idea from marthastewartweddings.com]

the below inspiration board from snippetandink is amazing! it is everything lovely and the outdoor picnic/ brunch setting is timeless. hmm...maybe it would be best to go this route...


did you find any inspiration during your wedding planning process that made you reconsider some things you'd always thought would be in your wedding?

"good plans shape good decisions. that's why good planning helps to make elusive dreams come true" - anonymous

mexican food and flags!

i love the vibrant colors in this wedding!!! the wooden invitations, mexican flags, and animal tarot-esque cards really make for a beautiful and unique wedding!
i also love the mexican buffet with guacamole and various salsas. considering i could eat mexican food for every meal, this seems right up my alley!

[all images via jenna walker photography via stylemepretty]

please, mr. postman

when j and i first started dating, we would go to the local playground and do mad libs for hours! mad libs played a large role in those first few months when we were getting to know eachother. since our first road trip to panama city beach [and no, not during spring break!] consisted of mad libs for the majority of the drive, mad libs will always be close to my heart. i can't wait to fill this one out and send to my boy. so cute!

if there's someone super special in your life, you should send it to them too because it never hurts to randomly remind him/her that you think of them always.

this tradition may also show itself in our diy invitations. we've discussed doing a similar rsvp card to the folks over at redprairiepress.blogspot.com below! they are so fun and unique. and i feel like they probably truly reflect the couple's personalities. it would be so awesome to get an invitation like this one in the mail!




did you include any of your personal traditions in your invitations or save the dates?

[romantic intent form via bureauofcommunication.com]

cars and guitars

the boy and i have already started working on the house and it feels so great. we have a LONG way to go and i couldn't be more thankful that we have a month to fix it up before we have to move and our current lease runs out. owning a house is definitely a labor of love and i can't wait to show you all the before and after pictures!

we only have one other tiny part of the save the dates to make and those will be able to be sent out! that reminds me, i need to start getting together all of the addresses!

i also need to start working on the birdcage veil. i have all of the materials, but i just need someone to let me use them as a model to make it. jason might have to step up to the plate on this one - which would be so funny [i may have to take a picture while he isn't looking]!

hayley and tyson's wedding below is totally motivating me to get started on the birdcage veil. the bride looks so cute in her veil! so classy and fun! i love the flowers and setting for their wedding. i should also mention that i love the picture of hayley and her dad! his beard is amazing!







[all images via hayleyandtyson's flickr page and veronica olson photography]

l'essential est invisible

inspired by the the ones we love project, i have decided to post six pictures of my boy.

jason inspires me to never settle, to always dream, and to do what makes me happy. his compassion and his desire to learn and travel is truly irresistable. he is my best friend and i know that with him, i've always got someone on my team no matter what. jason is the man that my mother always promised that i'd find. i am a lucky girl.














"it is only with one's heart that one can see clearly. what is essential is invisible to the eye." - antoine de saint-exupéry [the little prince]

live simply that others might simply live

readymade magazine asked different artists to recreate the populist poster art during the great depression. below are some of the resulting posters [my favorites!]. all are available from readymade to download for free so check them out!

i can't wait to frame this first print to hang up in our new house! i think the message is timeless and dead on. i have already started donating garbage bags [4 already!] full of clothing, shoes, and more to the local goodwill. i am really trying to live more simply and in turn, more conscientously! at the end of the day, i've already got everything that i could ever need.






[images via readymade.com]
[header quote via elizabeth seaton]

have any of you recently made any attempts to simplify your life? if so, which changes had the biggest impact on your standard of living?

first

so as of yesterday at 3:00 pm EST, jason and i officially became homeowners!!! this is our new house!

for this past week i have been so busy trying to make sure everything was in order to close on time for our house and i couldn't feel happier. j and i have worked so hard and now we will have a home to call our own. we can't wait to paint, garden, sew curtains, and just give our new house [gosh that feels so weird to say!] some personal touches. we know it's going to take some work, but we're ready! i will definitely share pictures of the rest of the house soon and keep you guys posted on the design and upgrades! if you have any advice or suggestions, please send them our way!

although we've got some work to do, i really need to kick it into wedding planning mode. i know i keep saying this, but i'm really trying to get myself motivated. jason and i worked on the design for the save-the-dates today and i can't wait to get them done so that i can share! i hope you guys will like it!

i think my biggest hiccup is the catering. we have the venue and if only the catering was decided on, i think i'd feel more at ease about the planning. the first catering proposal we got has EVERYTHING included but it also includes the hefty price tag (even considering the vegetarian menu). although i couldn't bear to pay the proposed amount, it sure would be easy to have the catering company handle all rentals and everything in between. i know i kept telling my dad that i could handle it all, but somedays i feel like having some intervention could really lessen the stress.

with a guestlist of 150, what would you suggest as the cheapest catering option? jason keeps suggesting that we ask family to help with cooking for the wedding, but i don't want to instill the stress or responsibility of feeding 150 people on our family.

hmm...maybe pizza could work? it looks awesome at the wedding below and the guests don't seem to have a problem with it! any thoughts?

in the meantime, enjoy this amazing portland wedding!



[all wedding images via evrim gallery]

"we shall not cease from exploration and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started...and know the place for the first time" - t.s. eliot

a view to die for

i am excited about the beautiful setting on the farmhouse where j and i are getting hitched, but the wedding below has a killer cermony site! so beautiful.



i love the simplicity and beauty of the programs and cake table!





the doilies add such a nice touch to the tables too.




[all images via goldhillwedding's flickr page and the talented traci over at http://www.realphotography.com/]

p.s. thanks to traci at realphotography for helping me credit these pictures appropriately!

folk songs

jason and i listen to folk music probably 99% of the time. well that may not be entirely true, but pretty dang close. for the feel of our wedding, folk music is just simply inevitably going to be played a good bit. even though we haven't fully decided on a band versus a dj, i was so excited when i found a wedding song list from the folk alley blog i was so happy! below are some of my favorite songs from the huuuge list that will surely be played at our wedding! some will be best for the cocktail hour and obviously not the dancing reception, but they will be enjoyed nonetheless!

1. in my life - the beatles
2. if i needed you - townes van zandt
3. wedding song - bob dylan
4. song for the asking - paul simon
5. i want you - tom waits
6. give yourself to love - kate wolf

a few songs that aren't on the list that i loooove are:
1. dedicated to the one i love - the mama and papas
2. i will - the beatles
3. crazy love - bob dylan and van morrison
4. and i love her - the beatles
5. into mystic - van morrison

by the way, in case you didn't notice, i love the beatles.

i can't wait to share with you the music that we have picked out for our first dance, the ceremony, etc., but i'm not ready to share just yet. although i can promise you that it's going to be good!

[image via music stack]

yes please!

jason would whisk me away for a beach destination in a heartbeat. the concept behind the destination wedding is ideal, but sadly i never felt that a destination wedding would be the right fit for me. i have a huge extended family [most who have never traveled via plane] and it just wouldn't feel right without everyone there to celebratewith us on one of the happiest days of our lives. jason's family is also very large and his grandparents would have a hard time traveling to the wedding. the farmhouse is actually somewhat of a compromise since it's about 1.5 hours from atlanta and we'll stay on site. that kind of counts as a destination, right?

with that being said, this next wedding makes me want to grab a sundress, some sandals, and just promise everyone a large party upon our return! just kidding...kind of!





[all images via kvetch.indiebride.com]

after drooling over these pictures, one word immediately comes to mind: honeymoon!

handmade for him

boys should get to feel special on their wedding day too. i love all of the handmade items on etsy that can help to make the grooms stand out and feel unique [and awesome].

[ring via naturalezanica's etsy shop]

[ring via robandlean's etsy shop]

[cufflink via blockpartypress's etsy page]

[cufflink via edmdesign's etsy shop]

[tie via toybreak's etsy shop]

the wedding bands above are great since j's never been too keen on wearing a traditional ring. although my engagement ring is pretty traditional, i still think i'll get a wood ring to match jason's. however, please don't quote me on that just yet.

as for the tree tie, i think it'd be fun, especially if we actually decide to get married under the large oak tree at the farmhouse. for the cufflinks, i prefer the wood grain with the heart, but it may be a bit too girly for jason. either way, i just want him to feel good [and look good, which he always does].

are there any things that your boy will want to incorporate into his attire on your wedding day? or more generally, what is an accessory that your boy can't be without?