Hey! It's OK Tuesday!

Joining in WhisperingWriter's Hey It's OK Tuesday.

Hey it's OK that I took a long break from writing entries and posting pictures.  I was sort of busy preparing for the wedding, then the honeymoon and just now getting settled back down.  I've written 2 entries so far about the wedding (about the disaster cake and surprises my groom had for me), and more to come!

To have taken a hiatus from reading also.  There are so many books I want to read, but I would start one and then not finish because I would get busy with everything that was going on.  Luckily, I get my book time back now- I love books!

To have read Amber's (WhisperingWriter) book The Swimmer's Assistant and LOVED it!!  I have been reading her blog forever and have been waiting for a book to be released.  I was so happy when I saw her post that one was released on Amazon.  If you haven't read it yet, go read it!  It's a fun rom-com! :c)

To be loving The Voice and X Factor.  Great talent this year!  I love seeing the artists perform alternate versions of existing hits!

To have found a new favorite show that just started the fifth season- The Mentalist.  Tony recorded a Red John marathon last Monday, and we watched it and now I love the show.  It's like a mix of Psych (because he uses the skills he learned while pretending to be a psychic to solve the crimes) and House (I just love Patrick Jane's I don't give a crap what you think additude.  His methods for solving the crime are interesting, and sometimes funny.)

To have taken our first cruise for the honeymoon!  We did a Disney cruise and felt like Kings and Queens.  There will be more of an entry about the whole cruise coming soon!


**To hate computers and their glitches.  If you came here from the links on Amber's blog the computer added mine twice for some reason.  I was in the middle of typing Hey it's ok Tuesday and after I typed Hey it refreshed and added it. lol.

Four Surprises [Wedding]

I mentioned in the previous entry just one of the things that didn't go as planned for the wedding.  As I mentioned the cake was nothing like what we expected, there was a change with the catering 3 weeks before the wedding, and the wedding was moved inside due to rain earlier in the day of the wedding.  There were also some things that I didn't know about that my dear loving groom had set up and planned everything for!  Though, I guess there were technically five surprises- I had no clue what the guys were wearing.  Tony's thought was I shouldn't know since he couldn't see my dress before the wedding lol.  

The morning of the wedding I awoke to this on my bed:

The wedding location was in a military base on the lake.  Also on the lake in the base there are cabins and huts to rent; so my grandparents helped us rent two of the cabins for the night before the wedding. I stayed in one with two of my girls (Candice and Amanda) and Tony stayed in his with one of his guys and a friend that flew in for the wedding (Gabe and Ben).   I'm thankful we were able to do this, because it was a fun night and made for a smooth morning and day preparing for the wedding.

We were in our respective cabins, it was almost midnight, and I still hadn't had my goodnight kiss!   So we went over there for me to get it before it was midnight.  Candice and I headed back to the cabin, but Amanda wasn't right behind us so I knew something was up but didn't know what.  Then I started to turn over to look and I heard "turn back over, Shannon!!" from Amanda.  So I did, but a couple minutes I looked over and saw the above.  Tony gave them to her to put on my bed before I woke up the night before.  Aww!

We were in our respective cabins, it was almost midnight, and I still hadn't had my goodnight kiss!   So we went over there for me to get it before it was midnight.  Candice and I headed back to the cabin, but Amanda wasn't right behind us so I knew something was up but didn't know what.  Then I started to turn over to look and I heard "turn back over, Shannon!!" from Amanda.  So I did, but a couple minutes I looked over and saw the above.  Tony gave them to her to put on my bed before I woke up the night before.  Aww!

The second surprise I don't have a picture for, but here's a picture of the back of my (in my opinion) gorgeous dress!  We didn't have anyone chosen to be a flower girl, but instead I asked my cousin to be a Razzi™Maid [a little something I came up with.  Razzi is short for Paparazzi because I asked her to record video while walking down the isle and of he wedding. ]  I'm a photo and video junkie so this was obviously something that was more 'me' [and therefore 'us'] then having a flower girl.  

Unbeknownst to me, my lovely groom decided to find a way to have flower petals thrown before me coming down the isle.  As I started to come down the isle the guests at the start of the back row threw some petals at me.  At first I just thought the guests had brought some petals to have fun.  Then more people threw some, and more as I walked down the isle.  And to be honest, so much was going on that I didn't really thing about why they were doing it, and found out later that Tony had planned it all.  Actually, he had even done some experimenting to try to make the petals stay in the air longer, and thus look even better for the pictures.  Always thinking for what will make me happy.  :c)

For the third surprise- it's a bird!  it's a plane!  What the heck are we looking at?  

Tony had someone serenade to me as we were about to start taking our pictures after the wedding!  This one is a little more self explanatory so there won't be a long explanation like the others.  But here's video from it [thanks to the Razzi™maid!]:

The fourth surprise was Spaghetti!  The original menu was Italian themed, but then we ended up going with Sonny's BBQ when we hit a hiccup with the original menu.   So that I could still have Italian at my wedding (anyone that knows me knows how much I LOVE Italy and Italian food)  Tony had spaghetti made. 

Bottom line: I had the most wonderful groom for my wedding who was full of sweet surprises.  And a husband who continues to be a sweet loving man, on most days heh.  

Disaster Cake!

The wedding cake was not something on the top of my importance list when I was planning the wedding.  If you know me, you know photography was one of the main things that mattered to me.   I just wanted to make sure the cake was delicious, and visually appealing!  I'd thought of going the cupcake route, but was blinded by the price of the 3 tier cake at Wal-mart.  I know, I know..Wal-mart?  Really?  [Note: You get what you pay for!]  My grandmother had gotten an awesome birthday cake, and cake for our family reunion from Wal-mart.  The designer was awesome and was able to do what she wanted, and they tasted delicious.  I knew they were awesome at those cakes, but was unsure about wedding cakes.  I looked up reviews online and found a mixture of reviews.  There were good and bad.  Though, since I'd tried the others I figured we could give them a shot.  I now know, it's best to stick with them for sheet cakes, unless your event is in a room temperature 60 degrees or lower, which I will explain below.

This is the cake I decided to order for our wedding.  I thought that it looked modern and elegant.  There was just something about the black and white.  I loved it!  However, our colors are purple and blue, so I asked for some minor changes.  I asked if the ribbon bands could be changed to blue on the bottom, purple on the middle, and blue on the top.    The designs would stay black.  I had some small purple lilies that matched the bouquets to go on the top.  

This is the cake we received.  I guess there was a misunderstanding as far as the color change goes.  *sigh*   They told me that the frosting on the bottom layer was left SO messy!  Thank goodness for Ann for all that she did to help with cleaning the cake up!  The frosting is buttercream, instead of fondant that's normally used for wedding cakes.  Therefore, the cake started "melting" pretty much right away.  The cake topper ended up falling about 3 times.  The first time it not only fell but slid because the tier was leaning from the melting that was going on. 

It tasted good, so in the end I guess that's what matters.  ^note the piece that broke off here too.

[Photo taken by my uncle, and stolen from Facebook: I hope he doesn't mind]
Apart from the above, and my groom throwing a piece on my hair.  I had no other qualms with the cake.  Like I mentioned, for birthday cakes, and the like (sheet cakes)  Walmart cakes can be awesome; however, I would not recommend one for a wedding unless you are having a simple ceremony with a 1 tier cake!

Crazy Busy!

Wow!  The last time I wrote an entry on this blog I was in my 20s and single, now I'm 30 and married!  heh  It's been forever since I've posted any pictures on here, I will need to rectify that!  On August 15th was my 30th birthday.  My fiancee (at the time) threw me a surprise party with some of the best people ever!

However, the larger party was on October 6, 2012!  On that day I married my lovely husband.  Things didn't go quite as planned, but how many of them do?  The outcome is what matters though!  And the wedding was awesome and guests have told me they had a blast.  So I'm one happy lady!

I have some personal blog entries I want to write coming up and then get back to posting picture entries!

Don't forget I love comments and feedback so feel free to leave a shout out below!

One Week

One week.  That’s all that is left of my twenties!  I’m not nervous, or dreading my thirtieth birthday, but at the same time I feel it closing in.  It probably doesn’t help that it’s also less then two months until my wedding day.  This has definitely been the year of change; major change at that. 

A month ago my grandmother had a heart attack that left half her heart damaged.  She needs 24/7 care so last week she went into an assisted living facility.  Is it what we want for her?  No.  Is it what we think is the best for her, at least right now?  Yes.  It’s a major change for all of us.  She’s been living in the same house since before I was born.  My mom and I have moved several times, but Nana’s house has always felt like homebase (at least for me).  It’s where all the memories of childhood are, you know?

Now comes the next major change of “loosing” my twenties lol.  Like I said it’s not something I’m dreading but I’m feeling it coming.  Have I done all I wanted to do before hitting thirty?!  No, I would have liked to do better, but I am pretty proud of where I am right now.    There’s a stigma with someone in their twenties and someone in their thirties and it just feels like it’s going to be a weird transition.

I can’t wait for the change coming on October 6!  Wedding day!!  I’m just hoping everything that needs to be done is done!  It feels like I get the list down and then remember 4 more things I should add.  Or there’s stuff I need to do, but am at a stalemate because it can’t be done until something else is done.  The joys of wedding planning! Lol

The change train, it'sa coming and it's coming full force!!

[Love That Shot!] Worldwide Photowalk Contest!

Last Saturday Love That Shot was hosting a WorldWide Photo Contest!  The day before I found out there was a animal rescue place doing a tour on Saturday.  I LOVE big cats, so I just had to go.  The hard part is choosing which picture to enter! LoL

Such a sweet [though I wouldn't want to be caught in the wild near her!] gorgeous girl!

Spread your wings and fly!