Happy Fourth of July

July Fourth is held dear to me in more than one way. First and foremost, our God founded country was given freedom on this day in 1776, allowing Americans to experience freedom for 235 years. This is beautiful every time I travel to distant countries that are living in bondage to government officials, when I open the Word of God with my friends in a coffee shop, or simply am given the right as a woman to vote and walk the streets if I desire. Freedom should not be taken for granted. May we all on this day, on this weekend, remember what July 4th is really about!

Secondly, it was 11 years ago today that my hero, my mother's father, and my papa passed away. He was a dear and precious man who lived life to the fullest always with a smile on his face. I can remember time and time again of his refreshing spirit making a gloomy day bright. He was just that kind of man. He was my papa. He was part of fighting for keeping our freedom in World War 2, aboard the USS Wisconsin as a navy seal. Not only was that why he was considered my here but also that he was a husband to my dear Mema and a father to five beautiful woman, his heart was always for others best interest and for lost souls. He will always be remembered and loved... especially on this weekend of July Fourth.

I do hope you have a wonderful and safe Holiday as we remembered loved ones, those who fought for our freedom, and celebrate the freedom we can experience because of that.

Before I leave you today... I want to leave a few great ideas for decorating for the Fourth if you are scavenging around and stressing before your big party tomorrow!

"A Bit of Sunshine" brings us a unique and creative idea for a Stars and Stripes Banner.

Check out the HOW TO HERE. It is simple... and CHEAP! YAY! I hope you enjoy!

I personally have tried this flag cake recipe and it is delicious... Taste of Home brings us there very own recipe and it is creative and fun for the Fourth. Check out how to make it HERE.

Lastly, Check out these nifty and creative ideas, found on "Young House Love", to spice up not only your food and decor, but also your dress and paper goods :) I love it! I almost wish I were home this weekend to do some of these fun things... but I will settle for vacation in Florida!

Enjoy!

Happy Fourth of July! Enjoy the family, friends, weather, food and fellowship, and the Freedom we have to experience these things!

DIY Weddings: How to keep down the cost.

This past weekend my husband and I were ever so priviledged to be able to take part in a epic wedding of one of our dearest friends, Billy Connolly and Vanessa Reinarz. These 2 people joined lives, hearts, passions, desires, and forever a friendship on June 25, 2011. They both have luminating smiles that would light up a room and their heart for the Lord is evident in the way they communicate and love. They are truly people who are striving for holiness in their lives and to serve others unselfishly. We love them and are blessed to be a part of their lives...

Ok, now on to the wedding weekend. It started off with a wonderful rehearsal and dinner reuniting all of us friends who had been apart. I was able to connect with all the wives and eat as the boys cracked up at another table! Silly boys! Us girls put our heads together... well mainly followed Sheena's beautiful idea of going to the Flea Market the next day since the wedding wasn't til 6:30. Therefore we did! We not only enjoyed munching on blackberries and walking the streets of downtown Greensville, but we also enjoyed getting to know one another deeper! It was a beautiful time!

The wedding night was gorgeous. The weather was perfect with no cloud in the sky. It made it a hot evening, but well worth every drop of sweat! She had found a reasonable venue looking across the Blue Ridge Mountains, and they were married under a tree, it was breath taking.

She used her creative mind to pull together an eclectic yet seemingly reasonable wedding. I love her style and her ability to see beyond what others would normally see. I appreciate this about her and am so glad to use it in my post today!

First of all, the venue. For my husband and myself we found a venue that not only was beautiful, but one that resembled what we love: the lake and the mountains. You may think it near impossible to find a venue in the Smoky Mountains that would be reasonable in the Fall, but praise the good Lord, we did. Check out Lake Junaluska's Conference center if you are looking for a location... that is cheap!

On the other hand, Vanessa found a gorgeous site that was also reasonable in Greenville, SC. Check out the ViewPoint at Buckhorn here. Keep in mind how much time you will need and if they can suite your every need!

Secondly, the Dress. Yes, this could potentially be the most costly thing. For me on the other hand, it was the cheapest! I wore my moms's, I had a friend do a few alterations, but overall it was kept the same! Now, I know several people who have found them on discount or from other brides. You can always make someone else's dress become your own, I did!

Thirdly, The Food. While Vanessa had very nice caterers, she did not have a full service meal. She had meal items that we walked through a buffet line to receive. I love how she also used a collection of eclectic plates from Goodwill as her dineware. I am sure not having a full serviced meal kept the cost down. We also did the same thing!

The Decor: If you chose a beautiful venue or location, keep the decorations simple! I kept mine simple and they probably could have been more simple! She used a collection of old bottles and placed them on the sides of where they would be standing and placed different colored wild flowers in them. It was stunning and assumably cheap! She also draped burlap to the back of the tree with a large antique picture frame with paper colored like fans inside. This was beautiful! She used the same decor for the table, bottles and flowers! For the entryway and random places she used large rope with different colored fabric tied to it. Loved it!

That's all for now... I hope you received a few ideas of how to keep your wedding simple, cheap, and yet stunning! Vanessa and Billy sure did! We Love You Guys and are so excited for you!

OH and I absolutely LOVED how they used spirit fingers rather than spending money on something that would not last!

We Went to the Farm...

Above Picture is Grandma, Papa, and my mother-in-law Cheryl.

I have fallen in love with the Hampton family, my mother-in-laws side of the family. I am so thankful for family and the moments we can to spend with them.

My mother-in-law, Cheryl flew in from N.C this past Thursday. We then left Thursday evening to go to The Farm.

Let me tell you about The Farm... there is no internet, no cell phone service, no cable, and the nearest Walmart is apx. 20 min. away... So, you ask, what do you do on The Farm? Glad you asked!

We stay up late... we play liverpool rummy (til Parker gets mad)... we experience true relaxation... we talk... we swing on their old porch swing and listen to the hummingbirds and the frogs croak in the woods... we sit and listen as PaPa tells us stories from the past and watch as Grandma stands over the stove all day to prepare the most scrumptious meal... we sit around and look through old scrapbooks or talk about how to make a quilt that grandma had made... we sleep in til however late we desire (even though the floor above us begins creaking as soon as PaPa and Grandma wake up)...we might take a shower while we are there... and we might make one trip outside of the 480 acre property.... but, we most certainly will take walks and watch as the puppies roam around freely with nearly nothing in site... we also will most certainly make memories, laugh, and maybe even cry (from laughing so hard)... oh and if you are Diesel (Robyn and Josh's dog)- you may get sprayed by a skunk... sound relaxing? It is, and very much so priceless.

I just needed to share that with you today...