We have no idea! How's that for a plan after two weekends of painting?!
We'll let you know what we end up doing. Any suggestions?
10.30.2008
10.28.2008
Our blue paper flowers
While we had the camera out, Jennifer took pictures of a few of the flowers she's made. This is three of the two hundred fifty that our guests will see at the reception. Be sure to take some with you if you come!
10.26.2008
We finished our project!
Our painting project is complete, and we thought pictures would give you a good idea of our accomplishment. So, some "befores" and "afters."
The carport, with cobwebs in the corners and mildew on the fascia. Before...
And, after....
The other side of the house, which is about 16 feet high at the peak. Before....
And, after....
The back porch and kitchen window. Before....
And, after....
And, after....
If you want to see more detail in the pictures, you can click on them to get bigger images.
We estimated about four and a half days of labor plus $250 of supplies. And, we're quite proud of our work!
10.24.2008
Anonymous wins!
Oh, do let us know who you are, please!
Anonymous is right: Auburn played West Virginia last night after Jeopardy. AU had some good plays but couldn't make anything happen in the second half.
Anonymous is right: Auburn played West Virginia last night after Jeopardy. AU had some good plays but couldn't make anything happen in the second half.
10.23.2008
On this day after Jeopardy!
Can you guess what is important to Keith (and, therefore, Jennifer) tonight?!
Feel free to leave your guesses in the comments.
You'll find out who was right when we reveal the answer tomorrow.
Feel free to leave your guesses in the comments.
You'll find out who was right when we reveal the answer tomorrow.
10.21.2008
Our handful of projects
We've got a lot of projects going right now. We both slept an extra couple of hours yesterday, in fact, because the work is catching up to us. We've already claimed some downtime for the weekend of Oct 31-Nov 2. In the meantime, here are the project updates.
Invitations: We've gathered all of the pieces needed for writing and putting our invitations together, and we know what process we are going to use for the "mass production." Keith has selected a calligraphy font that he likes for the most part, and we've modified some of the letters that look awkward to us. We're pretty excited about these things! Jennifer did some online searching and learned that NO ONE handwrites wedding invitations anymore. The only references to handwritten invitations are calligraphy on the envelopes and copying an invitation as many times as desired. Each invitation that we send will be slightly different from all the rest (even though we hope to minimize those differences as much as possible!).
Painting: The exterior of Jennifer's house looks great from the street. We've painted the front and one side, which means we're well over halfway through the surface area that needs to be covered. We have a couple of sections that we think need a second coat of paint on the front, and we've left the windows for next weekend. We'll do the other side and the back before we tackle the nine windows around the house. Keith is a great supervisor (he gets lots of practice at work every week!), and Jennifer learned quickly about working with a paintbrush. Keith painted almost all weekend. Jennifer did some painting, but she also did laundry for two and made sure the painters stayed fed.
Flowers: Jennifer hasn't touched the blue flowers since last week, but she hopes to make some progress on the slow days at work this week. She's hoping to see the halfway point before the end of the month.
Pre-Wedding Dinner: We've been shot down for our first choice of locations for dinner on the day before our wedding, but Jennifer has gotten a few more suggestions to look into. Lynne is going to check out one spot this weekend.
Books: We try to read some of our books on marriage when we get time, but we're not making a lot of progress with those lately.
No wonder we're tired! We're happy, too!
Invitations: We've gathered all of the pieces needed for writing and putting our invitations together, and we know what process we are going to use for the "mass production." Keith has selected a calligraphy font that he likes for the most part, and we've modified some of the letters that look awkward to us. We're pretty excited about these things! Jennifer did some online searching and learned that NO ONE handwrites wedding invitations anymore. The only references to handwritten invitations are calligraphy on the envelopes and copying an invitation as many times as desired. Each invitation that we send will be slightly different from all the rest (even though we hope to minimize those differences as much as possible!).
Painting: The exterior of Jennifer's house looks great from the street. We've painted the front and one side, which means we're well over halfway through the surface area that needs to be covered. We have a couple of sections that we think need a second coat of paint on the front, and we've left the windows for next weekend. We'll do the other side and the back before we tackle the nine windows around the house. Keith is a great supervisor (he gets lots of practice at work every week!), and Jennifer learned quickly about working with a paintbrush. Keith painted almost all weekend. Jennifer did some painting, but she also did laundry for two and made sure the painters stayed fed.
Flowers: Jennifer hasn't touched the blue flowers since last week, but she hopes to make some progress on the slow days at work this week. She's hoping to see the halfway point before the end of the month.
Pre-Wedding Dinner: We've been shot down for our first choice of locations for dinner on the day before our wedding, but Jennifer has gotten a few more suggestions to look into. Lynne is going to check out one spot this weekend.
Books: We try to read some of our books on marriage when we get time, but we're not making a lot of progress with those lately.
No wonder we're tired! We're happy, too!
10.18.2008
a face-lift
We're painting Jennifer's house this weekend. Keith has painting experience, and he's teaching Jennifer as much as she wants to learn. We bought ladders early this week. What great timing when Lowe's sent coupons in the mail to Keith's apartment!
If we can get a working digital camera, we'll show you pictures.
If we can get a working digital camera, we'll show you pictures.
10.16.2008
Making my way from Point A to Point B
"Here comes the bride...." My mom taught me some words that go with the tune of a traditional bridal processional. In my car one day this summer, I heard a song that sounded like a fun way to get to the place where Keith and I will say our vows. The third movement of the Karelia Suite is one of the tracks on a CD that PO gave me a couple of years ago. I was just listening to the CD in the car when that song caught me by surprise. I wasn't looking for a wedding march, but there was mine, in my CD player!
Getting from the edge of Washington Park to the front will be a symbolic walk for me. Jay and I will start down the steps, just the two of us. That's how it was for a long time in my life: Jay was the first friend I had. We were side by side through so many things. He taught me my first lessons about loyalty and trust in friends. Because of those lessons and gifts from him, I had the tools to be in friendship with other people.
The rest of my friends who will gather at our wedding came into my life after Jay and I were friends. I'll walk through the crowd, giving hugs, handshakes, and high fives. Those people are the ones who brought me closer to the moment that I could marry Keith. They have laughed with me, taught me and learned from me, supported me and accepted my support, and gave me their loyalty and trust as they accepted mine for them. They will do those things again before I get to Keith at our wedding.
Then, I'll get to the front where my family will watch closest of all. My mom has always watched and stood close, whether I could see her or not. Ed, too. Jay will be there with a front row seat because there's always been one with his name on it. Lucy and Virginia will round out the family section because of their near and dear presence in my life for the last several years. These five people will send me on my way to greet the deepest human love of my entire life!
As Keith watches it all, he will see people who have known me longer than he has. Those people have learned things about me that they can teach him. They have done their best to prepare me for the days that Keith and I spend together, and they will be there to cheer us on together just like they have cheered me on for many years.
Even as I make my promises to Keith, four people will be within arm's reach: PO, Nikki, Melissa, and Lynne. What treasures they are! I've written about them already on this blog.
And, then there will be Keith, promising to be loyal, to teach me and to be taught by me, to trust me and to be trustworthy, to laugh with me, to support me and to accept my support, to be there whether or not I can see him, and to be near for our lifetime. I will make those same promises to him.
What an amazing way to begin our marriage! I have a rich, rich life!
Getting from the edge of Washington Park to the front will be a symbolic walk for me. Jay and I will start down the steps, just the two of us. That's how it was for a long time in my life: Jay was the first friend I had. We were side by side through so many things. He taught me my first lessons about loyalty and trust in friends. Because of those lessons and gifts from him, I had the tools to be in friendship with other people.
The rest of my friends who will gather at our wedding came into my life after Jay and I were friends. I'll walk through the crowd, giving hugs, handshakes, and high fives. Those people are the ones who brought me closer to the moment that I could marry Keith. They have laughed with me, taught me and learned from me, supported me and accepted my support, and gave me their loyalty and trust as they accepted mine for them. They will do those things again before I get to Keith at our wedding.
Then, I'll get to the front where my family will watch closest of all. My mom has always watched and stood close, whether I could see her or not. Ed, too. Jay will be there with a front row seat because there's always been one with his name on it. Lucy and Virginia will round out the family section because of their near and dear presence in my life for the last several years. These five people will send me on my way to greet the deepest human love of my entire life!
As Keith watches it all, he will see people who have known me longer than he has. Those people have learned things about me that they can teach him. They have done their best to prepare me for the days that Keith and I spend together, and they will be there to cheer us on together just like they have cheered me on for many years.
Even as I make my promises to Keith, four people will be within arm's reach: PO, Nikki, Melissa, and Lynne. What treasures they are! I've written about them already on this blog.
And, then there will be Keith, promising to be loyal, to teach me and to be taught by me, to trust me and to be trustworthy, to laugh with me, to support me and to accept my support, to be there whether or not I can see him, and to be near for our lifetime. I will make those same promises to him.
What an amazing way to begin our marriage! I have a rich, rich life!
10.15.2008
Jennifer's work in progress
I've finished 85 of the 250 flowers for our wedding decorations/favors. Imagine this flower pattern with bright blue petals and a white stem and leaf. They're made with love for our wedding guests!
10.14.2008
Dinner the night before our wedding
We want to gather all of our guests together before the wedding for an informal dinner. Those who live in Macon are asked to bring a dish, and the folks who live out of town will be the guests. We'll get to see everyone a little bit more, and all of the people who love us will get to know each other just a little bit. The next day, they'll gather as a community to participate in our wedding.
It's simple, to be sure, but this informal dinner is also an important time for the community that will gather the next day. While we're about the business of simple but important things, we're sure our guests will have a great time as they delight in each other's company! We're working on our themes, can you tell?!
It's simple, to be sure, but this informal dinner is also an important time for the community that will gather the next day. While we're about the business of simple but important things, we're sure our guests will have a great time as they delight in each other's company! We're working on our themes, can you tell?!
10.12.2008
Invitations
Keith is handwriting our invitations, and today is "invitation workday." We've finalized our list (we think!), and we're looking for script styles on the internet. He can do calligraphy, but we're keeping our options open.
Can you tell that we're under six months before our wedding?!
We were inspired by going to Melissa and Nicholas's wedding yesterday!
Can you tell that we're under six months before our wedding?!
We were inspired by going to Melissa and Nicholas's wedding yesterday!
10.10.2008
On the road again
We're spending most of the weekend in Chattanooga because Melissa is getting married to Nicholas on Saturday. We are invited to the After Rehearsal Dinner, so we're hoping that traffic in Atlanta is nice to us. Pat told us that there's a Fazoli's in the area, so we're going to eat lunch there on Saturday!
Congratulations, Melissa and Nicholas!
Congratulations, Melissa and Nicholas!
10.08.2008
What NOT to say to Jennifer about the wedding
Everybody tells me that most people have two cents for new moms and for brides. It's already started for me. There are some good comments and suggestions, but this post is reserved for my favorite BAD comments.
1. "The veil is what makes you the bride." Um, no, when Keith and I say our vows to each other, that's what makes me the bride, thank you very much. I will not be swayed to spend more money in your store when you sentimentalize my clothes! (By the way, readers, I am wearing a veil, but I got it on eBay, too, for a third of the retail price, so no one who gave me a sales pitch like THAT one got any of my money!)
2. "You need to...." However that sentence ends, my answer is, "No, I don't NEED to anything." I don't NEED to buy a picnic basket so our caterer can fill it with food that we can eat after the reception. I don't NEED to have a large flower bouquet on the food table. And, I certainly don't NEED to pay for someone to drive me to my wedding!
3. "My husband asked me if I wanted a diamond larger than a half carat now that we can afford more because we did the best we could before we got married." Hello?! I'm quite proud of my less-than-half-carat engagement ring, thank you very much. We aren't spending money to get the best we can afford; we spend money to get what we like. Bigger isn't always better, in case no one has ever given you that memo. I like my ring. I think the diamond is the right size for my hand. In fact, I put a cap on the size of the diamond that Keith could buy, and my CAP was a half carat. So, there!
(Keith was quite entertained by my rants over the weekend, so I thought I'd share them with you. My mom has been really great about ideas for the wedding. She started it all with, "Are you going to wear a dress or pants?" She's also the one who gave me a book about doing what matters to the bride and the groom in a wedding, not necessarily what everyone else thinks you NEED to do.)
1. "The veil is what makes you the bride." Um, no, when Keith and I say our vows to each other, that's what makes me the bride, thank you very much. I will not be swayed to spend more money in your store when you sentimentalize my clothes! (By the way, readers, I am wearing a veil, but I got it on eBay, too, for a third of the retail price, so no one who gave me a sales pitch like THAT one got any of my money!)
2. "You need to...." However that sentence ends, my answer is, "No, I don't NEED to anything." I don't NEED to buy a picnic basket so our caterer can fill it with food that we can eat after the reception. I don't NEED to have a large flower bouquet on the food table. And, I certainly don't NEED to pay for someone to drive me to my wedding!
3. "My husband asked me if I wanted a diamond larger than a half carat now that we can afford more because we did the best we could before we got married." Hello?! I'm quite proud of my less-than-half-carat engagement ring, thank you very much. We aren't spending money to get the best we can afford; we spend money to get what we like. Bigger isn't always better, in case no one has ever given you that memo. I like my ring. I think the diamond is the right size for my hand. In fact, I put a cap on the size of the diamond that Keith could buy, and my CAP was a half carat. So, there!
(Keith was quite entertained by my rants over the weekend, so I thought I'd share them with you. My mom has been really great about ideas for the wedding. She started it all with, "Are you going to wear a dress or pants?" She's also the one who gave me a book about doing what matters to the bride and the groom in a wedding, not necessarily what everyone else thinks you NEED to do.)
10.06.2008
Six months to go
Saturday was exactly six months before our wedding, and we had a great day! In fact, we had a great weekend! We called it "Keith and Jennifer weekend," and we spent a lot of time together without interruptions. We like the people we've been hanging out with in the last several weeks, but it was time for us to move at our own pace. We really did have a great time.
We went to the Ocmulgee National Monument, also known as the indian mounds. When was the last time you did something totally free?! No parking fees, no admission, and just across town. We didn't have a lot of time, but the day was gorgeous, and we walked for forty minutes looking at mounds and trees and blue sky.
Also on Saturday, we spent some time in Lowe's. We bought a peephole for the front door! We also checked out prices for ladders for our project in two weeks: painting the trim on the house. Before we left, we studied the closet organizers, and we picked one that we liked but only had one box to buy and it was already opened. We'll go back later, most likely. While we were out, we also exchanged Keith's birthday present: a green dress shirt that Jennifer bought slightly too big.
After we installed the peephole, we measured the house to find out how much ladder we need, and we started talking about home improvement ideas. Landscaping is pretty high on the list, and Keith walked out the line for the beds around the trees to show Jennifer what he's thinking. We talked about ideas for making the house better for us, too. Then, the conversation turned to paying off the house (we plan to do that before our fifth anniversary) and what we can do after that. We were dreaming big, but not in the ways many people think of "big." We were talking about what we can do in the world that matters--volunteer for CASA, work on a house with Habitat for Humanity, spend some time investing in the lives of people in other parts of the world? The options are endless for us, and we got excited just dreaming of those days!
The day ended with a movie that we both enjoyed: No Reservations.
On Sunday, we went to church (Keith wore his new shirt, which he looked great in!), and we found a seat that made us both quite happy. We ate Greek food for lunch, which was delightful for Keith and an act of love for Jennifer. In the afternoon, we had a good conversation based on The Five Love Languages. We also went for a walk around Mercer's campus, and Keith showed Jennifer more plants, and she learned a few names. We picked two olives off of the olive tree behind the medical school. Dinner at Cracker Barrel hit the spot before we headed home.
In our list of favorite days together, this weekend ranks right up there with the vacation we took in August!
We went to the Ocmulgee National Monument, also known as the indian mounds. When was the last time you did something totally free?! No parking fees, no admission, and just across town. We didn't have a lot of time, but the day was gorgeous, and we walked for forty minutes looking at mounds and trees and blue sky.
Also on Saturday, we spent some time in Lowe's. We bought a peephole for the front door! We also checked out prices for ladders for our project in two weeks: painting the trim on the house. Before we left, we studied the closet organizers, and we picked one that we liked but only had one box to buy and it was already opened. We'll go back later, most likely. While we were out, we also exchanged Keith's birthday present: a green dress shirt that Jennifer bought slightly too big.
After we installed the peephole, we measured the house to find out how much ladder we need, and we started talking about home improvement ideas. Landscaping is pretty high on the list, and Keith walked out the line for the beds around the trees to show Jennifer what he's thinking. We talked about ideas for making the house better for us, too. Then, the conversation turned to paying off the house (we plan to do that before our fifth anniversary) and what we can do after that. We were dreaming big, but not in the ways many people think of "big." We were talking about what we can do in the world that matters--volunteer for CASA, work on a house with Habitat for Humanity, spend some time investing in the lives of people in other parts of the world? The options are endless for us, and we got excited just dreaming of those days!
The day ended with a movie that we both enjoyed: No Reservations.
On Sunday, we went to church (Keith wore his new shirt, which he looked great in!), and we found a seat that made us both quite happy. We ate Greek food for lunch, which was delightful for Keith and an act of love for Jennifer. In the afternoon, we had a good conversation based on The Five Love Languages. We also went for a walk around Mercer's campus, and Keith showed Jennifer more plants, and she learned a few names. We picked two olives off of the olive tree behind the medical school. Dinner at Cracker Barrel hit the spot before we headed home.
In our list of favorite days together, this weekend ranks right up there with the vacation we took in August!
10.04.2008
the official time
2pm eastern time is the new time on our countdown clock.
If you're coming from the central time zone, we don't want you to get up at an insane hour to get here. Also, starting later won't make us rush so much to get the wedding party on the same page in the morning.
If you're coming from the central time zone, we don't want you to get up at an insane hour to get here. Also, starting later won't make us rush so much to get the wedding party on the same page in the morning.
10.02.2008
The Smile Award
Characteristics for the Smile Award:
1. Must display a cheerful attitude
2. Must love one another
3. Must make mistakes
4. Must learn from others
5. Must be a positive contributor to blog world
6. Must love life
7. Must love kids
Shaun and Anna have honored us with the Smile Award. You can read their comment on their blog. Thanks, y'all!
We'll give the award to the following people:
1. Jenny, Tre, Catie, Izzy, and baby - What an incredible family! Truly, if there's a reason to smile, these folks can find it!
2. Paul and Jenny, David and Maurine (with Caroline and Daniel), Mike and Jane - Keith loves his family, and Jennifer is enjoying getting to know them better.
3. Virginia - Girl, you've had us smiling for most of the year! We're proud of you!
4. Jay - Keep on keeping on! We're behind you 100%! Every time we're with you, you make us smile.
5. Pat and Ed, Rick and Lucy - It's the other family. Jennifer is deeply grateful for your positive influence in her life. Keith is beginning to discover what amazing people you are!
(We won't hold these folks to the rules, but we'll post them here, since we're supposed to.)
These are the rules for The Smile Award:
1. The recipient must link back the the award’s creator
2. You must post these rules if you receive the award.
3. You must chose 5 people to receive the award after receiving it yourself.
4. You must fit the characteristics of the recipient of the award, as posted by Mere
5. You must post the characteristics of a recipient.
6. You must create a post sharing your win with others.
7. You must thank your giver.
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