magnetic energies intertwine . . .

Newport + Tennis + Angela Moore = Ladies Soiree!

Ashley and I have been attending the Angela Moore Fashion Show/Brunch and Tennis since 2002. What began as two best-friends and Newpy roommates happily embrassing a day filled with Lilly Pulitzer vibrant colors and tennis 'watching' seven years ago is now one of our Ladies Soiree Annual events! This year we celebrated with a table filled with 12 lovely ladies! Along the way we have had a few of our friends attending while 'expecting'. This year it was my turn (6-months pregnant!) to watch all my lovelies partake in mimosas and wine while gingerly sipping on my lush H2O  :)

Pictures from my friend Frances Mieski:

A&H:

 

Heather, Frances, Sara and Ashley: (I quickly sewed a "Lilly" necklace with material lying around our house since I couldn't find preggo-Lilly attire for the day)

 

Healthy + Active = Baby Boy!

 

2/05: R left a little Dove milk chocolate candy on H’s pillow

2/18: H&R attended the B.B. King concert. By 10:30pm H is exhausted

2/18: 11:00 pm the test stick turns a bold, bright blue ‘+’ immediately!

3/10: Share with Mom our news!

4/12: Announce to our families during Easter Sunday our exciting soon-to-be arrival!

4/12: H&R meet Dr. Beitle, their little celestial spirit and see heart beat!

4/20: H gets 1^st round of blood work for genetic testing (will be delivering at age 35)

5/12: H sees Dr. Beitle, hears spirit’s heart beat, and has 2^nd round of blood work

5/25: H has first dream seeing lil’ spirit’s face – eyes closed, tiny smile, looks like R! J

5/27: H&R have Level II Ultrasound. Learn having a boy! He is ACTIVE and HEALTHY!!!

5/27: H’s genetic results are that of a 20-year old girl – 1:11,600

Bloom + Baby + Wood = Mod Lounger

Ryan and I attended our friends' Surprise Jack & Jill baby shower last Sunday! The theme was Dr. Seuss and the DIY themed decorations that Katie Watts did were absolutely a-mazing! Our friends K & J had twins a bit earlier than planned so the shower was postponed! K was able to celebrate at her own Baby shower with a fabulous glass of sangria!

Our friends are very mod in their interior decor design! I fell in love with this oh-so-mod baby lounger in November and knew this was the gift for them! Modernnursery.com offered this lounger in seven different colors, no tax and free-shipping! Love them! The 15lbs lounger arrived fabulously boxed and has its very own carrying bag. The lounger slips in and out of the bag seamlessly! 

Fabric + Cosmo Cricket = Yummy!

There are SOO many fabulous and lushous papers!

When I became involved in 2002 with scrapbooking; it was because of all the FANTASTICAL papers that I could create with (and the ribbons, and the fibers, and the rub-ons, and the stickles) .. BUT it all began with PAPER! My first true LOVE in scrapbooking.

There are many paper designs taken from fabric patterns. However my recent encounter is from one of my favorite PAPER companies offering seriously FRESH and UNIQUE designs [for papers, and r ub-ons, and buttons, and chipboard, and journaling cards]....COSMO CRICKET!!! They now have a couple of SUPER AMAZING fabric collections based on two of their scrapbooking lines: Hey Sugar and Halfway Cafe. Heeheee, we now buy this paper in FABRIC!

GOODNESS!!!! I need to get my hands on some of these fabrics ... Now !!!

Felt + Florals = Poinsetta Pomander

I completed this little projected on November 30th but my picture was held captive in my little camera until this weekend. I used a 4" styrofoam ball, (45) 2.5" to 3" felt Poinsetta florals, pins and Glossy Accents clear drying glue (placed on the bottom of the floral and around the pin prior to inserting into the styrofoam ball). I have this displayed on our Dining room buffet with other black pillars in various heights holding candles, pomanders or felt Trees.             

Advent Calendar = DIY Christmas Gift

My family's new tradition beginning this year is to have a "DIY" component to our Christmas gift giving! It has been a lot of fun creating customized gifts for my three brothers and Mom and Dad! Here's the complete DIY gift for my brother Josh's and his wife's Christmas present; their Advent Calendar (Dorey LOVES the old fashion feeling of Christmas)!

• Each drawer houses a little "wish/activity" (ie: Day 1: Build a Snowman)
• I bought an antique red basket to hold each day's "wish" gifts (ie: Day 1: Vintage tin Snowman sign)
• The gifts are wrapped with the Basic Grey papers and velvet, ric-rac or holiday ribbons
• Josh and Dorey received their gift after Thanksgiving feast! (they live in PA)
•  I protected the Advent calendar with three to four layers of decoupage - it also helped harden the vintage created floral's form in placed

                                  

Before or After + Ceremony = Photos

I recall hearing opinions from family, friends, co-workers and recent brides regarding whether or not for the Bride and Groom to take photos together before the Ceremony.

For us, Mr. HJT and I had no problem with seeing each other before our Ceremony to take our pictures. It ALSO seemed the logical thing to do for a few reasons:

1. Family 'pose-type' pictures were taking place during cocktail hour 

2. I was sneaking off to change into my Billie dress (Mr. HJT hadn't seen her yet!) 

3. I wanted to take a few photos together wearing Billie 

4. We were being introduced as Husband & Wife with the dress change

5. Our 'Dressing' rooms at the Glen were across from each other

It is magical how the events of our Wedding day unfolded as we did not make decision either way!

The world is full of possibilities, moments, and happenings - energies collide and intermingle constantly awakening us to new surprises and sensenations! We are all unique; whatever decision you make is as it should be! I continue to remind my self: 

Be flexible and fluid

Remain open and aware

I knew that no matter how the Universe worked herself out during our Wedding day Mr. HJT would be surprised and full of emotion at the first sight of me walking with Dad.

 

Mr. HJT and I never saw each other yet BOTH had a FANTASTICAL time taking our 'pre-Ceremony' shots!

This saved us lots of time at the end of our Ceremony

I am not sure this would have happened as it did if it were not for our FABULOUS photographer KRISTIN SPENCER!

I will admit finding the right photographer for YOU is huge

We found Kristin and left our Wedding Day for her to shoot as she wished; she IS the Photo Artist!

The trust we felt meeting her the first time was further solidified once we had our engagement photos (if this is in your budget I highly recommend having your engagment photos done with your Photographer). Mr. HJT and I continue to share how we had such a fun-Carnival-date night:

Eating cotton candy and candy apples

Enjoying the carnival rides

Playing darts, skiball - all the Carnival games

Simply being ourselves! 

Living in the moment while Kristin & Jared documented our evening on film

They never had us pose, were a part of our FUN night, AND captured us completely    Fast forward to two-weeks before our Wedding, I asked Kristin when we should arrive at the Glen Manor for pictures. She said for me, Mom and my Princesses&Angels to arrive for 2:30 Pre-Bridal shots and for a photo shoot outside.                                                                        

Kristin took me captive with my mom and Princess MOH to change into Billie.             

Within 10 minutes Jared brought Ryan upstairs and introduced him to Billie ;)                          

Laura of Morin's fetched us to take our spot at the end of the Introduction line where all of our bridal party was perfectly lined up and waiting for their announcement queue! After dinner and during the Dancing part of our Reception Kristin asked Ryan and me to come outside to capture a few more shots of us.                

 

I will end this post where I began. The Universe works her magic and only you will know if you feel differently seeing each other pre-Ceremony or not. BEST OF LUCK on your Wedding day!!!!

Ceremony + Honey = Husband & Wife

In December 2007 at Temple in Providence, RI at one of Kristin Spencer's get-togethers with future brides she asked us about blogging for the soon-to-launch chattybrides website. I recall thinking to myself 'how does one blog?' and heard myself saying SURE what a great way to get me going on my wedding planning :)

Being a Chattybride is an excellent experience. The community tone is welcoming, open, and motivating! It kept me in-line with accomplishing my DIY projects and adding these details to our wedding was WORTH it! Compliments were openly given to us and without even saying a thing KRISTIN captured ALL of our details.

Enough of me rambling. Geesh. Here's some pictures from our Wedding Ceremony. It was SOO fun seeing our guests' faces as Dad and I walked down the aisle and then on our last curve to see Ryan's GLEAMING face!

A little picture of the custom boutonnières we had Myra Kim of Twiggs & Honey on ETSY make for us:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was stunned as soon as I saw the LUSH rose petal aisle, the black chairs, and the little black felt bags with Pom-pom handles and grosgrain ribbon embellishments that mom and I sewed to hold our hand-made Ceremony programs and Ribbon wands.

     

Such a cherishing moment to walk down the aisle with my Dad.

 

Love Mr. HJT's smile!!!! This was the moment we first saw each other!!! I still feel glitter running through my veins!

     

We couldn't stop smiling or holding each other's hands.

      

This is the beginning of our Honey Ceremony. Mr. HJT had fun swirling his pinky finger in the honey LOL.

 

First time our groomsmen (Mr. HJT's brother as seen this)!

    

Mr. HJT's brother became a tiny bit more comfortable with his second viewing :)

 

YES! We are husband and wife!  ... or as we NOW sometimes introduce each other... 'This is my ex-boyfriend!' or 'This is my ex-girlfriend!' ..  ;)

             

Rosettes + Pomanders + Felt = Holiday Decorations

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Rosettes and Pomanders: our wedding florals where pomanders in various sizes and shapes and my Wedding dress had tons of rosettes on it (I changed from Mom's dress that I wore during our Ceremony into my Melissa Sweet 'Billie' wedding dress at our Reception)!

    

I have decided to use felt and make fun little rosettes in different sizes and shapes and attach them to styrofoam balls, wreaths, and ribbons to use as our Holiday decorations. We have a fabulous glass vase table arrangement of curley willow branches spanning 7' to 8' in the turret of our Living room that I decorate each season as well as twelve black pillers ranging from 9", 12" to 16" from our wedding to showcase my DIY rosette-felt pomanders. !!Yippee!!

I ordered the following wool felt from www.purlshop.com:

           

It is wonderful to be creating non-wedding associated projects and crafts again! I plan to have these finished by Novemeber 30th and will post ;)

Color + Yarn = Embellishments!

Tonight I attend my first "Chicks with Sticks" soiree. Really!

I am attempting to learn how to crochet. I taught myself how to knit from a book and have been EAGER to learn additional skills in the ENCHANTING WORLD of Yarn! Tonight marks the beginning for me.

I ADORE using fibers with my scrapbooking and crafting projects; I even made 80 fun pom-poms to adorn flip-flops (our wedding "Dancing Queen" shoes). 

   

                                                                                                                                        

For tonight's class I need a crochet hook and yarn. I found the following items in 'Lady Land' and placed them in my official "Yarn bag":

• Crochet hook
• Yarn
• Scissors
• Finishing needle
• Tape measure

I will need to pick up a few more crochet hooks, split ring markers, and a counter all the way. I am SOO excited! I look forward to crocheting floral embellishments to be added onto my sweaters, jackets, or a few of the scarves I have knitted....[obviously] the options are endless! !!YIPPEE!!