Always a Bride

Always a bride.

Never a bridesmaid.

Or something like that.

You see, I was the first bride of all my college gal pals.

And now after 5 years,

the trend is finally catching on.

As evidenced by the 11 weddings we

are to attend this year.

And last weekend was my big debut

as a bridesmaid.

Every moment was so special.

And a lot of fun.

Is it actually possible to

overdose on fun?

Because I think I had a fun-

hangover the next week.

That's what happens

when you put a bunch of your

sorority sisters in

one room

to celebrate

one AWESOME couple!!!

starting off right.

With manis and pedis.

partners in crime.

These two were b-maids

in my wedding as well.

Hey, we're resourceful

and like to recycle.

wedding morning.

I may look shleepy,

but that's really just excitement.

About my new b-maid gift.

happy bride.

bridesmaids and ushers.

With our respective lovers.

let's get it started.

This bride and groom know

how to party.

With a green party bus.

gorg reception.

and gorg friends.

this little lady's next.

;)

meet sophie.

My husband's real date.

And dancing partner for the night.

dancing fools.

yep.

that's my husband again.

not over yet.

off to the lake

with friends.

after the reception.

at 1 a.m.

Oh what a night!

Deja Vu

So, I had a very productive 12 hours.

Went to Home Depot.

Bought a gallon of Behr Ultra Dark Lilac.

Painted our entire newly renovated bathroom.

Stood staring at the walls for a good 20 minutes in silence.

Went downstairs crying.

Asked for Mr. Ruby's opinion.

He agreed.

Walls looked like an easter basket.

7 hours later.

Woke up at 6:30 a.m.

Went straight to Home Depot.

Without brushing my teeth.

Or putting on deodorant.

Bought 2 samples of paint.

Painted on the samples.

Made a decision before the paint even dried.

Made a third trip to Home Depot.

Bought a gallon of Behr Ultra Gypsy Magic.

Painted entire newly renovated bathroom again.

Much better.

I learned my lesson.

They don't make those little paint samples for nothing.

Has anyone ever painted an entire room before realizing they made a big mistake?

WILW - Gift Edition

Happy Wednesday, Everyone!!!

In light of all the weddings/showers/anniversaries/any other celebration that just so happens to occur over the summer, I wanted to share with you what I'm LOVING in terms of gifts.

There are so many cute things out there, and below are some of my favorite and most meaningful.

1). I'm LOVING this print I ordered off Etsy from OhLouiseDesigns for one of my best friends for her wedding this past weekend. In her wedding colors is the date of her wedding and below the date it says, "I Shelby take you Brian" and "I Brian take you Shelby", and in the middle it says "Forever and Ever". She actually used it at the reception!

2). I'm LOVING the bridesmaid gifts we received this past weekend. Sort of a bridesmaid survival kit: an umbrella, flip flops for boogying at the reception, a hanger molded into our names (the GROOM made these), and a bag with our initials to carry all of our stuff. All in wedding colors, of course. Perfect, right?!?!

3). I'm LOVING this little bouquet of flowers Mr. Ruby got me on Etsy...just because. And then, it just so happened that I accepted a teaching position last week...perfect occasion for a bouquet. ;)

4). I'm LOVING Mr. Ruby's anniversary gift to me. A few weeks back we were at a local event that showcases local artisans' work. I fell in love with this sunflower vase. Now that we're back home, sunflowers are my newest obsession! Of course my sweet hubs went back a few days later and got it for me!

5). I'm LOVING the anniversary gift I got for Mr. Ruby. It's a "Mod Love Story Print" from ModMemento on Etsy - basically a summation of favorite places, fun memories, etc. from our "love story". Best part? It says "To be continued..." at the bottom!

I had seen these done before, and I thought it would go perfectly in our living room. Unfortunately, these love stories have gotten to be so popular, Brianna from ModMemento had to shut it down for a bit.

What are YOU loving today? Join in and play along with Jamie!!!

Not so bad after all

This anniversary celebration was by far the best...well, at least a close tie with our 3 year.

That year we went Maine and white water rafted for the first time, rode ATV's through the mountains, and then headed to the Bar Harbor Resort for some quality R&R. Ahhh. Perfection.

But I digress. This is about now. Our big five year.

I have to admit I was a tad bitter this year. I mean, FIVE YEARS. Rather than celebrating in Tuscany or the South Pacific on a secluded island, we spent it in Wichita, Kansas. Where it is hot, windy, flat, and where the closest beach is a freshwater lake about 40 miles away. (And I use the term "fresh" and quite loosely).

However, I quickly retracted my thoughts about halfway into our celebration. We actually had an amazing time. Such a good time, that I think this anniversary will always stick out in my mind.

Farmer's Market. Fresh produce, the smell of bread, and local artisans? Yes please.

Antiquing. Who knew that shopping for old stuff could be so much fun?

Taking a stroll. Love me the history of downtown.

Our spot. Everywhere we've lived, we've always had a "spot". Ours just so happens to always involve coffee and/or ice cream.

Reminiscent. The park where we took our wedding photos. Who cares if it just so happens to be coined as the "homeless park"...

I'm a sucker. I mean, I always stop and buy lemonade from children. Even if it is way too sugary.

Perfect picnic. If you've never had "Art's and Mary's" kettle-cooked chips, you should probably get your hands on some ASAP. And they are made in KS.

Hittin up the hot spots. We stayed at the same hotel as the night of our wedding.

Hittin the town. Totally more fun than I remembered...

My comedian. Could be from the 3 glasses of wine, but I thought it was hysterical when Mr. Ruby pretended he was jumping out the window. Hysterical.

Self-Timer: Take 1. Or not. Mi hub's head always gets cut off.

Self-Timer Take 2: This has the potential to be cute if it didn't have...you know...hotel things in the background. Now would be the time for those Photoshop skillz to kick in.